DaWay's The Harrowing (Inactive)

Game Master DaWay

Your travels have brought you to the Umbral Circus in search of the missing Scholar of Varisian Folklore, Meloigne Garracy. Garracy was last seen in this this collection of travelling shows and merchants only days ago. I will leave your motivations for finding Meloigne Garracy up to you and how you know them. This start of the adventures has you just entering into the Umbra Circus with your managerie of companions.

I'm actually gonna do a harrowing right off the bat, so...
9d6 ⇒ (4, 1, 2, 1, 5, 2, 3, 2, 5) = 259d9 ⇒ (2, 7, 4, 2, 6, 3, 8, 7, 2) = 41

Any of you care to cast your fortune?
Using the harrow cards in public may be a good way to gather information, especially the kind we can use as ammunition.
Specifically looking for scandalous information and information on the local goings-on, diplomacy 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16 or 17 if subject is sexually attracted.

Pulling a tea set from his hat, tea poured and all, Sha'an takes a cup and puts the set down. Turning to Maril,

My fortune? That sounds WONDROUS!

Durrok watches the fortune telling with interest. The portents and divinations of the future are not something to be trifled with lightly. I hope she knows what she is doing.

I see enough Harrowed nightmarish figures in my sleep. I could not stomach them in the daytime. Ro'an blurts uncharacteristically. He seems very uncomfortable in this environment. It's the first he has shown anything but self confidence and control since his path crossed with the others.

Sha'an-

Should this not draw attention, we will have to seek out a stagehand for information...

The only attention that is being drawn is that from local guards. They approach you and ask you simply not to do that in here. There are businesses to look out for. If you are interested in the Harrow perhaps you could seek out "All-Seeing Hajeck" deeper in the Carnival.

Why thank you for your concern, gents, but I'm actually a new act, as is my tea-sipping friend here. If you don't mind, you're rather frightening off my clientele.

Bluff 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (13) + 19 = 32 or a 33, should they be sexually attracted to maril.

Nevertheless, I will actually cast detect thoughts(+2 on saves for one round), then seek out this Hajeck. Kn(local)spending 'the wanderer' 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 4 + 1 = 14

they are just doing their jobs, the thoughts are when is this shift over and please don't cause any trouble. That and they wish their employers would tell them about new acts.

Ro'an stands protectively within arms reach of the guards. After all, being a bodyguard was the price he offered to be in Maril's company. He does so, however, in a manor not to threaten the local hires. He doesn't want any unnecessary trouble.

Durrok looks around at the other acts. So much exuberance and frivolity. Looking at the others he says Shall we proceed a bit further in?

Let's find this Hajeck character...
She smirks at Durrok, flipping her hair over one bared shoulder.
Is Frivolity really ALL that bad?

Ro'an speaks in a low deadpan voice to no one in particular.

It's drained many a man's purse, hummph.

Durrok narrows his eyes at Maril and says I would thank you to keep out of my mind without my permission. A persons thoughts are their own.

Jumping at the thought of meeting more new people, Sha'an replaces the tea set, stating,

I welcome anyone to enter the mysterious mind of The Hatter! On other thoughts though, this Hajeck gentleman will be a wonderful host to test my new trick on! Yes! Pleasant surprises await you all!

If only that were true, she says, to no one in particular, already walking deeper into the crowded circus.

As you pass through the crowds and the vendors as well as the carnies offering "sights never seen" and other one of a kind wonders, as well as various games made more for entertainment than winning. You find a tumbledown tent with a hand painted sign outside on the edges of the carnival promising the very person you seek, "The All-Seeing Hajeck"

I'll direct my detect thoughts inside the tent, then enter, assuming it's an entertaining tent, not his personal quarters.

Maril brushes aside the tent flaps with a practiced at-home ease after a second scrutinizing what seems to be thin air.

Ro'an pauses before entering, looking to see if any eyes are watching this tent, or other suspicious activity.

Perception 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30

If satisfied, he will enter and stand near the entrance.
If not, he'll decide on an action depending on what his instincts dictate.

Durrok enters as well, looking around for signs of danger.

The tent seems to be rather ordinary just decorated to look mystical. To someone like Mare it almost looks as if they are trying too hard but again that is to be expected at a carnival.

A woman of dark Varisian heritage greets you dressing in the clothes of the Varisian Wanderers. She looks at the lot of you, smiles and says Greetings, travelers. Come to have your fortune read have you? Want to know what the future holds? Perhaps wealth beyond your dreams? Or maybe it tis the end of the adventuring careers you want to know? hmm?

Sha'an reaches up, taking his hat off as he enters the tent.
Noticing the sign next to the entrance,
To what wonders have we encountered now?

Interesul nostru este în poveşti, mai degrabă decât averi, prietene.
Perhaps you have heard of the great teller of Varisi tales, Meloigne? It is her we seek.
[OOC]diplomacy 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18 or a 19 if she's attracted to me.

Aye, she was here friend, she was looking for information on a vast library gathered by a Varisian woman named Sonnorae. I gave her the directions that she sought and sent her on her way. Do you wish to follow them to the place of incredible knowledge and riches?

You give this knowledge freely, then? A curious course, I admit...
Maril looks to her companions momentarily, then smiles at Hajeck with a shrug.
If you would give such direction, I for one would have it.

Hajeck begins flipping Harrow Cards over one by one and a vortex opens violently and forcefully, causing her to drop the Harrow deck sucking you and the Harrow Cards in.

You awaken in a strange realm that once was a small corner in the Dimension of Dreams. Much of the plane's "Natural" appearance is stagecraft and illusion. The sky is a featureless dome painted a faded blue, while the sun and moon cross through day and night on massive, mechanical arms. Digging more than a few feet into the earth reveals moldering planks, decaying pipes and eventually cold stone going on forever.

When you awaken you each find a Harrow card on you.

Maril you have the Trumpet Card
Ro'an you have the Theater Card
Sha'an you have the Idiot Card (oh the irony)
Durrok you have the Paladin Card
and Arianiar if you are still with us you have the Carnival Card

What vile trickery this!? Maril, is this your doing? I do not approve.
The northerner growlers out, knowing no other way to deal with his conflicting senses.

This one seems all too familiar...
Pulling the card received from Maril from his hat, Sha'an compares the two questioningly. Holding them up, Sha'an askes,
Maril dear, are these the same?

Maril gives a single laugh, gesturing first to one, then the other- you hold one and another seperate, so they must be seperate.
She turns to Ro'an, smiling slightly as she produces a small silver mirror from her sash.
This is not any magic of mine, my large northern friend. Look for a while, and you will see magic of mine.
This will be a good reprieve, if indeed this is a demiplane, as I suspect... None could track me here.
I'll cast scrying at +1 caster level, for a CL 10, on Meloigne.

If Meloigne was here they are not anymore I will give you a brief description of this realm as a result of your scrying. You are located in a thick forest, almost like a briar patch. To the north in the center is a carnival to the east of that is a lake to the north of the lake it looks like house on the top of a huget tree stump, and to the south looks like a walled garden. To the West of the carnival looks like a official type building and north of that is a house

Ro'an points at the nearest house.

We may be able to find answers there. It's a less public place than the others I survey. Better if there is trouble.

He stands there to await council from the others.

Durrok looks around, attempting not to let the unsettling events shake his focus.

It seems as good a place as any Ro'an

You say that place over there can protect us from... the chaos?
Sha'an gazes at the building as if it were a million miles away. Not leaving anything to chance, he uses his Oracle Revelation: Many Forms, to beast shape into a cheetah and takes off sprinting towards the protection of this house.

Maril looks at the house quizically, then sets off towards it wordlessly, whistling.

Ro'an is momentarily startled by the gnomes transformation into a cheetah.
By the gods!
After a brief pause, a grin splits his face.
HarrrrrHarrrrHarrrrrrr Chaos it it!

Knowing his mind can not yet comprehend his situation, he takes a que from the running cheetah. Physical exertion is real, and he can control it. With that, he take off in a full out run towards the house. The burn of his muscles feels good and grounds his senses, allowing him to cope better when he arrives.

Are you guys heading to the tree stump house or the house to the northwest?

House on tree stump was in my head, so in theory I pointed to that. But since I was not specific, go with whatever makes sense to the GM.

Tree stump.

As you cut through the brush and get closer and closer you soon realize that it is not a house on a tree stump but in fact some kind of building sitting on top of a volcano. This lone, steep volcano rises without the warning normally provided by foothills. Pipes of copper and stone run through it at bizarre angles, as though they were buttresses struggling to hold the mountain upright, while a large stairway cuts up one side, leading to a stout, blocky structure near the peak.

Well, this ought to gain a proper vantage, Maril says, mounting the stairs.

By Gorum's sack, even our own eyes do deceive us here.

Ro'an releases his two handed battle-ax from it's harness slung over his back, and proceeds up the stairs, spanning them two at a time.

Durrok keeps pace with the others and stays silent, his eyes sweeping the landscape for signs of danger.

Taken aback from the sudden change in surroundings, Sha'an instinctively slows down and follows the others, still in predator cat mode.

pretty sure ro'an catches me pretty fast and passes me, so we ascend ro'an then mare then durrock then sha'an.

Unfortunately life has taken some more unexpected turns and I have to get rid of one of my games and this is the one. I thank you all for your vested interests but I cannot continue to run this game.