The ranger plays along but is very unsure about this whole harrowing, fortune telling business. Thorgrym feels his own path though perhaps layed out by the gods or the fates is still his path to walk. And he can fight to change his fate as it comes.
Personally he feels the harrowing is pretty useless, though he thanks Zellara none the less because he learned his manners as a child. He is also just a little bit afraid of her. She is sort of a ghost or something...
1. Morkeleb. . .The Uprising
represents being caught in the clutches of something much more powerful than you. It is an overwhelming strength that often crushes what comes in contact with it. The crown held high signifies an overthrowing of a leader of some sort.
We shall see...
As the harrowing concludes the Dwarf picks up the Paladin card and looks at it. As he stares at it those who are watching can see his jaw clenching shut the scarred tendons contracting with a grim determination. His grey eyes catching some reflected light from his crimson hair seem to have a burning determination.
With the stare ending his eyes close and a deep breath is taken. Sandor tosses the card from Zellara's Harrowing deck. The card hits the rest of the deck and slides gently into place.
In the same motion the Dwarf picks up his mug of ale and finishes it. When Sandor sets his mug down upside down, no words need to be spoken. The dwarf is ready.
Odric takes the whole proceedings in passively. He hasn't really seen where the past harrowings have had all that much bearing on his life to date.
His first Harrowing, where he received the card called The Empty Throne made him hope he might either find a throne to sit upon, or perhaps just pry a few jewels out of. He hasn’t encountered any empty thrones as of yet, unless you count that absurdly self-styled emperor the group slew. In fact, if the throne of Korvosa were empty right now, this whole escapade could be concluded and Odric could get down to the serious business of becoming a professional adventurer, delving into forgotten dungeons or searching out treasure in a dragon’s lair. This political intrigue is turning out to be tiring and dangerous.
His next harrowing, he received the card called The Joke. It wasn’t even funny. Odric was waiting with a chuckle ready for the punch line, but instead he only got a confusing line of mumbo jumbo. Sandor, now there is Dwarf that can tell a joke, and he appreciates the finer points of Odric’s sense of humor too. These harrowings aren’t funny at all – they are actually kind of creepy.
Odric comes full circle to the creepy card before him now, the Demon’s Lantern. Odric has heard of will-o-wisps before, in bar room tales and scary stories told to him as a boy. He never understood the big deal, he always assumed if he found a will-o-wisp he just wouldn’t follow it, especially knowing the results as he did. He begins wondering absently if will-o-wisps have suffered a decline of late with all the tales giving up their secret plot to trap men. Probably everyone knows to ignore them by now. When the card for the Forge is flipped over to apply to DeGrog and not Sandor, Odric nearly snorts a laugh before catching himself.
Anyway, the big warrior doesn’t want to offend Zellara’s sister, so he sits quietly and nods along with Morkeleb, who seems to have a thorough understanding of all this. His attention wanders though, and he finds himself working through an idea for a new brew aged in whiskey barrels.
He begins wondering absently if will-o-wisps have suffered a decline of late with all the tales giving up their secret plot to trap men...
After the Harrowing, you finally pack up and begin the journey into the Cinderlands. The terrain is tough, and you manage to thrive only due to the Survival skills of your ranger and help from others in the party. For most of the trip you encounter little beyond the badlands. On the third day out, you come across a man who looks weather-worn and laconic. He carries with him a crossbow that is clearly too vicious for mere hunting. He introduces himself as "The Cinderlander." Beyond sharing a simple meal without much conversation, he directs you to the Kallow Mounds (which thankfully you've been on track to find.)
Finally after nearly a week of travel you catch your first sight of native Shaonti. A quartet of young men on a patrol catch sight of you from nearly 50 yards out. One calls out in their native Shoanti. (Does anyone speak it?)
The ranger gives a quiet heel to his dog as he stops to observe the shoanti patrol.
Perception weapons? Anything else important the ranger notices?
Not understanding the words, Grym holds up an open hand in greeting. Without taking his eyes off the patrol he calls back to his friends. Anybody understand these guys?
Yes, they're all archers (and they each have a sword as well as a blunt weapon on their backs.)
They stop at Grym's greeting, but they don't make an hostile action beyond keeping their bows in hand.
One calls out in their native Shoanti. (Does anyone speak it?)
That's true, you did opt to take Trinia. So her and Morkeleb can translate:
Halt travelers. We do not wish to kill you, but you are traveling close to our settlement and sacred burial ground. What brings you here. Speak the truth, there is no time for lies in the Cinderlands.
When Trinia translates, Morkeleb gives her the message to give back.
We are friends of the Shoanti, and of Thousand Bones. Please tell him that the ones who recovered the remains of Gaekhen are here to seek his aid and succor.
Thousand Bones?! How does an outlander know of our leader? Still, you speak good words. Come, let us take you to Skoan-Quah. There you shall speak your thoughts to our Chieftain, One-Life. We ask that you refrain from magic and blade until the chieftain determines your worthiness.
Barring any fancy behavior, they will lead you there. I'll let people check in before advancing.
Sandor's a go... no fancy behavior
No funny business
That's true, you did opt to take Trinia. So her and Morkeleb can translate:
** spoiler omitted **
Ferox also speaks Shoanti.
Grym is curious about the shoanti and how they live in the cinderlands. But not wanting to mistakenly ask some offensive question he keeps his mouth shut and tries to be observant.
DeGrog goes along with the group's lead, slightly apprehensive about what the natives' attitude toward a ManOrc might be. It's not that he's afraid - he just doesn't care to have to slay people who don't really deserve it (anymore).
I'll let people check in before advancing.
OKAY, now we're gettin' somewhere.
What do Shoanti look like, Dungeon Master?
Well Here is Thousand Bones, the one you want to meet.
They look like the Que-shu of Krynn, with real word Caribbean art (body and otherwise.)
Grym keeps his mouth shut and lets those with honeyed tongues do the talking. The ranger does his best to be observant of the shoanti during the visit.
Sense Motive
Gaius totally speaks fluent Shoanti.
While on the walk there, Gaius chats up one of the Shaoanti--whomever seems young and more open to talk with outsiders--and tries to get some tips about how to behave.
I'll take (from everyone) a Knowledge (Local) and a Diplomacy. If you'd rather try force and power, then roll to Intimidate.
Boy, I'm an a$$hole
Knowledge local
Diplomacy
Know local untrained:
diplomacy:
In the interest of time...Degrog: Know local untrained:
diplomacy:
Ferox: Know local:
diplomacy:
I would post for Gaius but I cant see your modifiers.
Found it. Gaius: Know local:
Diplomacy
Those'll do, Adam, but I'm back to checking everyday. No need to post for me next time.
Got it
Eventually you are led into the Shoanti encampment. It's abustle with all manner of activity. About half of the tribesmen flat out ignore you, most of the race stare menacingly at you. There is a distinct, yet small, group who stare at you with curiosity. None, however, talk to you. You hear the word tshamek repeatedly, which your friends who do speak the language tell you means "unworthy" or "outsider".
The tone is tense, and you feel like the situation could explode any moment. Most of the tension falls away when Thousand-Bones arrives.
Thousand Bones waves aside any talk of Queen Ileosa or Kazavon for now, telling the you that he has similar worries of his own but that such a discussion should be held at the proper location and time—in this case, Thousand Bones suggests, during the evening’s Bone Council fire. Despite your protests, he insists.
You are given access to a yurt (closely watched, but not exactly guarded) that has cots, food, and water. No one comes to visit as the afternoon passes. Being who you are, the sense of adventure strikes. You opt for a short walk with your ever present watchers.
On your walk another visitor arrives—a brash young hero of the Sklar-Quah named Krojun Eats-What- He-Kills. Krojun, along with an honor guard of a half-dozen Burn Riders, arrives at the Kallow Mounds for the same reason every other Shoanti visits the tribe of bones—someone important has died. In this case, they bring the body of Berak, a Sklar- Quah hero known for leading many successful attacks against orc aggressors from Urglin. With copious translation from your partymates you piece together that Krojun was no friend of Berak, but was asked to bring the hero’s body south to the Kallow Mounds to join with the other heroes by his chieftain. Krojun appears bitter and cranky.
When he sees tshamek here, things turn bad. Krojun immediately seeks out the chief. Thinking that your presence and a possible face off with Krojun might not help your cause, you retire to the yurt. Not long afterwards, a visitor bursts in.
Thousand Bones enters quickly. He warns you that Krojun, a hero to the Sklar-Quah, is on his way over, and that blood spilt here would undermine the already shaky situation between the tribes.
Not long after that Krojun and Chief One-Life arrive. The Sklar-Quah hero sizes you up and gives a sneer before turning to address Chief One-Life, “Why do the Skoan-Quah harbor tshamek trespassers?”
As Chief One-Life struggles to find an explanation that won’t further enrage the towering visitor, Thousand Bones nods at the giant’s words as though considering them carefully, but then responds sharply, “Tell me, Krojun, when did the Sklar-Quah become judges of who trespasses on the Kallow Mounds where the ashes of our fathers lie?”[/b]
“Your words change the question, Thousand Bones,” answers the Shoanti hero with a snort. “These ones bring trouble to the Cinderlands, and you know it. The coming days shall reveal to us all who is right about them.”
“Perhaps,” answers Thousand Bones. “But not today, and not here. Would you have word of Berak’s burial tainted by bloodshed get back to your Sun Shaman?” Krojun pauses, the cords in his neck straining, but then he exhales and grins. “You misunderstand me, Thousand Bones. My grief has wounded my words. But see to it that no tshamek defiles our memories here.” His smile broadens as he pulls a thin leather loop from one of his packs. “Certainly, though, guests of the Skoan-Quah must be brave to come this far. You wouldn’t mind if I tested the courage and strength of your guests, would you?”
Both Thousand-Bones and One-Life turn to you. Their expressions are clear. The choice is yours.
Trinia turns to you and shrugs, she doesn't know what this "test" will be.
Ferox sizes Krojun up.
to get a feel for what Krojun might be up to.
Then the leather loop, wondering at its significance.
That was the right skill, but you have NO idea about the leather strip. You DO however get the hunch that he just wants to lay the smack down on some outsiders. You think embarrassment is his goal.
<--might the bookish wizard know the signifigance of the loop?
and if so, does Morkeleb think he could cast a spell on one of his companions before this "test of strength and courage" begins, without causing any more consternation/uproar?
Also also, considering the current dynamic and the representative styles here, would the best outcome for us/Thousand Bones be
1) we lose, but only barely--maybe even tie
2) we win
3) we embarrass Krojun
since this is a completely separate question, I think a second knowledge check is in order...
Knowledge (Local):
Given the tense situation and Thousand-Bones' demeanor, embarrassing Krojun would be BAD.
Unfortunately no one (yet) knows what he's looking to have for this contest. He just wants someone to man up and accept the challenge.
The ranger glances at the others but steps forward. Bucho also steps forward and gives a deep growl but Thorgrym hushes him.
As Grym is the first to step, Krojun gives a snort of derision before speaking, "You? I've bested men in Sredna when I was just a boy. This should be easy."
At the mention of Sredna, Trinia's eyes widen. She looks at Grym and explains, "In sredna, two opponents face one another on their
hands and knees with their foreheads spaced just over a foot apart. The contest requires a thin cord of leather tied in a loop. One end of the loop is placed behind the ears of each competitor so that the players are bound to one another. When the game begins, each player stares his opponent in the eye while slowly attempting to crawl backwards. The resulting tug-of-war results in extreme pain as the leather digs into the soft part of the back of the neck and skull. At some point, one of the competitors relents, acknowledging defeat by bowing his head, causing the strap to roll over the top. Sredna games typically only last for seconds, but two evenly matched opponents might duel much longer. In such cases, standoffs and ties are frequent."
When a sredna match begins, each player must spend three “breaths” (3 rounds) staring into each other’s eyes before attempting to pull. Pulling before the 4th round is an immediate disqualification. Intimidation and patience are almost as important tools to win sredna matches as is strength. During these initial 3 rounds, the players make opposed Intimidate checks by growling, gnashing teeth, and spitting insults. Each time a player wins one of these checks, he gains two sredna points, and in the case of a tied Intimidate check, both players gain one sredna point. On the 4th round, each character makes an Initiative check to determine when he moves. On his turn, a character may opt to tug or dig in.
Tug: The characters make opposed Strength checks. A defending character who dug in on his previous turn receives a +4 bonus on this check. If the tugging character wins the check, he gains two sredna points. If he fails (or if the results are evenly matched), his opponent gains two sredna points instead.
Dig In: The character readies himself to withstand his opponent’s tug, he gains a +4 bonus on his next Strength check to resist a tug.
At the end of each round, total up each player’s sredna points. This is the DC each player must make on a Fortitude save to continue the match. A player who fails this save collapses and loses the match. If both players fail their saving throw, the match is declared a draw. Characters who possess the Endurance feat gain a +4 bonus on this saving throw.
Grym nods as he listens to Trina's explanation. Keeping his normal stoic face he admits to being poor at intimidation. Though he feels his fortitude and endurance are strong. Should be a fair match.
He clasps his friend on the shoulder and turns to face Krojun. Im ready
I see Degrog probably loosing the first 3 rounds. I think Only Odric (with a +13 Intim) could possibly win in the first 3 rounds.
So on round 4 it is Opp +6.
If Degrog digs in he will have a +9 to resist checks. If you never initiate a Tug you will always have a +9, the Opp will only have his Str, so numbers wise you should win unless he has a 28 Str (possible with Rage) .. I will also lend my STR Belt if that will help Degrog or whomever increase their STR.
The Intim is interesting... with a +14 his Opp will have to win 4 Rounds (assuming he has +6 points from the first 3 rounds) before a save will even be allowed. Of course I'm sure Mork and or Gaius will be shouting encouragement to our side giving Guidance each roll (if allowed)
Besides number wise Degrog is the perfect candidate because everyone knows you can't harm a Orc by hitting him in the head.... Thick skulled green creatures lol
Now Grym... I'm not trying to talk you out of it. I think it will be a wonderful addition to Grym's story. Especially since you were one of Lamm's Lambs. I only posted this because for number crunch aspect. Dice will determine most of the outcome. Which, I fear and love at the same time.
Ooc - does aid another for intimidate help?
@ Sandor - a loss is a win if it is a good match considering the overall goal here... that being said I would love to see Odric crush this guy. In any case, let Grym do it. It will make for a good tale afterwards.
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I think Only Odric (with a +13 Intim) could possibly win in the first 3 rounds.
Ferox gives Sandor a disapproving look.
Intimidate+14
There is no aiding another, and it looks like Grym is up.
Krojun's three checks:
And initiative: