You are waiting for the mission briefing with your fellow agents.
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Not usually found at the Lodge despite his rank amongst the Bold Striders, Trotter Flaxseed's messenger takes to the streets to find the elusive, but extremely noticeable Braugher.
The woman traverses the lanes of Cassomir with practiced ease until she spots her prey playing with a group of street children. The half-black, half-white feathered man in white robes is quite easy to spot once you've located him.
The messenger approaches calmly walking up to the man as he nods to her, a smile apparent even on the beaked man. "Greetings, Miss. Has the first squad been called up?" he asks kindly as his hand ruffles the hair of a particularly small, underfed halfling child.
"Not the squad, sir. Just you." she says in reverence as she bows her head and holds out the missive.
"Well that is quite interesting." he says as takes the scroll and breaks the Flaxseed seal on the parchment, reading the text.
"Thank you for your immediate aid, miss." he says kindly as he hands the scroll back to the halfling messenger. "Please report that I will be returning to the Lodge shortly. I have one task to complete before arriving, but I will finish it post-haste."
"Of course, Master Braugher." she replies, smiling at the child. She reaches into her waist pouch and produces a silver piece, giving it to the girl. "Be good, little one." she says as the child looks on in amazement, squeaking out an extremely quiet thanks.
As the child is enraptured by the coin, the halfling messenger disappears into the shadows and Braugher wrangles the children. "Alright, children!" he says as he hoists a younger half-orc child onto his shoulders. "Shall we get some iced cream?" he asks cheerfully.
A chorus of children's voices echo throughout the lane as they eagerly follow the tengu man.
---
Finding that he is the first to arrive, Braugher places a cup of iced chocolate cream, replete with tiny wooden spoon, onto Trotter's mahogany desk.
In his own hand, Braugher samples from a mixture of Mwangi Mint Leaf and Galtan Pistachio, thoroughly enjoying the pairing as he tries to scoop each flavor onto the tiny spoon simultaneously.
"I wonder who else was called and for what I have been summoned." he wonders aloud, seeing no reason to keep his inner monologue quiet in an empty room.
|
After pass a several months in Fort Inevitable, Tico explored many levels of what the citizens there call "The Emerald Spire", but he didn't do it alone, he was sent there with Nar, Valya and Sabi, other Pathfinder field agents.
At the Emerald Spire they dealed with goblins, serpentfolk, troglodytes, outsiders from the water plane, constructs, among other beastly creatures, including a mad wizard that was half man, half machine.
With his friends, besides exploring the dungeon, they freed slaves at Fort Inevitable and with the now free men, they founded a big tannery in the city and established a solid trade route.
Feeling that his mission there was completed, Tico leaved Fort Inevitable in search of new challenges, when he heard about the troubles in Thurvia and decided to answer the call to confront the Korholm Agenda’s leader there.
Tico appears to be a simple man. He is a thin man, who appears more aged than he really is. His light brown hair touches near his shoulders, he has a thin beard and a serious semblant. The human is wearing a robe, holding a quarterstaff in his hands and exposing a shining symbol in his neck, that shows a figure of a bronze angelic beauty, with golden hair composed of flowing flame.
"Greetings, my friends", he greets all in the room, "I'm Tico Marvillos, at your service", then he bows, cordialy.
|
|
Fendahl, arrives covered in fine dust fresh from Osirion desert wastes.
He appears to be a half-elf with a hint of wild in his appearance, especially his silvery hair and sideburns. His dragon hide armor has bits of horn and covered with markings from the far East.
Closeby, there is a lioness that follows closely, watching for commands or an occasional treat from his companion.
Fendahl bows in recognition of the other agents.
Hrmmm. Kirrah, this appears to be the place.
He motions for the lioness to lay down off to one side.
With a deep eastern bow to those assembled.
Fendahl here. It is my honor to serve with you."
|
The man in glistening plate armor wears a weary expression. His last venture took him to a strange demi-plane hidden within a deck of cards, of all things.
He encountered the strange creatures known as storykin, and with his team of fellow agents rescued a fellow Pathfinder agent from the clutches of a blue dragon.
But already the memories of that venture were growing fainter. He looked forward to the beginning of a new quest.
He greeted each of his comrades in turn:
"Well met. I am Oswin Durnhelm. May the Inheritor light our path!"
|
|
The fifth agent to arrive, Algor steps into the room, dressed formally in a navy blue suit and red tie. Giving a polite nod, he steps forward and drops five heavy bound tomes onto the table.
Each book bears this man's face on the cover, his eyes staring straight ahead with some sort of rich verdant jungle backdrop behind him.
He finally speaks, his voice slow and measured and exhibiting a drawl.
"Greehtings Pahth-fihnders..."
He gestures to the books.
"Behfore you, I have provided fihve tomes of knahwludge, detailing the pligh-hight of Mother Golarion as she battles clih'mate change of the most suh-vere kind."
You all are loathe to look at the tomes, but see each appears to bear this man's autograph.
"I've just returned from the Mah-whangi Juh-ungles, and the sih-tuation is growing worse and worse each day as the dreaded Ahs'pis relent-luhssly lah-hog for timber..."
Algor continues to prattle on for nearly ten minutes, discussing a variety of topics ranging from the noxious emissions of the Gas Forges in Riddleport to the horrific impact the "Wuh'hurldwound" is having to weather in "Vahuh'risia".
He seems knowledgeable in a wide range of topics although he seems to be incapable of sharing these in anything but the most verbose, time-consuming manner.
|
|
The thin-whiskered man strides into the room and makes a grandiose gesture of introduction, but, as he takes the time to look around after the fact, he finds that only the feathered man with the bowl of ice cream is present, small wooden spoon frozen by his waiting beak.
Realizing the man seems a bit nervous, Braugher greedily eats the ladled bit of dessert before pushing the oak implement back into the pliable foodstuff.
"Greetings Tico. I am Braugher. The first squad's leader of the Bold Striders." he responds, bowing in kind. Braugher opens up a small pouch at his side and pulls out a glass Galtan Press filled with water and sets it over a small flame that he produces with magic. "I was just about to prepare some millet coffee from the exotic locale of Minata. Would you care for..." the tengu starts to offer as the doors open once more.
As Fendahl and his cat walk in, the tengu seems enraptured by the large cat. "Oh, you have the most beautiful feline!" he says as he motions to Kirrah. "Here, kitty kitty." he says as he places the rest of his ice cream on the floor for Kirrah to lick on.
"As I was telling our fellow Pathfinder here, I am Brau..." he starts as, even before the doors can close, two more Pathfinders stride through. After the first introduces himself, the second decides that introductions are unnecessary and begins to lecture on something about trees. The tengu man watches, rapt, but is brought back to reality as half way through some of the boiling water splashes onto his feathers.
Ah! The water is ready!
He pulls out a little spoon filled with dried Minatan millet mixed with some chunks of red and green out of the smaller pouch and hurriedly dumps the contents into the boiling water before replacing the spoon and setting the lid on top, leaving the plunger pulled high.
This man is quite knowledgeable, but very hard to understand. I should meditate on this while I wait for the coffee to brew.
Braugher closes his eyes and slowly counts to two-hundred and seven, the ideal count for this type of coffee. As he meditates on the matter, those interested can see the water has turned dark brown, but red and green seems to shimmer through the just-boiling liquid.
He finishes meditating and quickly plunges the plunger, forcing all of the grit and millet to the bottom of the glass tube. He takes a quick head count, pouring out five cups of the steaming liquid and producing a tiny soy sauce bowl into which more of the coffee goes.
Braugher stands as soon as the boring man finishes and eagerly grabs his hand, interrupting any thoughts he might have of continuing. "Ah, your knowledge will be valuable!" he chimes in a bright voice. "I just wanted to acknowledge all of you for being here."
"I am Braugher, a sage of the All-Seeing Eye, Nethys. I command the first squadron of the Bold Striders and I have prepared a local delicacy from near my home. It is Minatan Millet Coffee. Please let it cool a bit before sipping it." he says as he thrusts the book back into the mystery man's hand with the slightly overflowing cup of coffee resting on top, leaving a ring of liquid around the base and staining the cover.
"It is good to meet all of you! Tico..." he says with a nod to the strapping soldier. "Fendahl and Kirrah, I assume." he says as the edges of his beak curl up at the sight of the cat investigating the ice cream. He notices his lack of manners and quickly moves to place the small bowl of coffee on the floor next to the ice cream for Kirrah. "Oswin of Iomedae." he says with a serious nod. "And... whomever you are, good sir!" he adds towards the last person to join.
"Cheers!" he says as he raises his small glass high before bringing it back down and taking a sip.
-Posted with Wayfinder
|
|
Fendahl bows to the newcomers.
Hmmm, I have heard of Bold Striders in the past. Is that a militant organization? We have been out of the area for awhile, having traveled back from the deserts of the south and the Jeweled Sages.
He stops to motion Kirrah to slow down with the treat.
Fendahl listens to Algor's missions for awhile.
Hrrrmmm. Algor, I have traveled briefly to some of those parts, but spent more time east and south. We prefer dry climates and grasslands of our home in Tian.
Soon we will retire there possibly working with Amara Li, as this could be our last mission. But fates will tell our destiny.
|
|
"Ah... Interesting question, ser Fendahl." remarks Braugher as he sips on his coffee, using his booted foot to nudge the piping hot cup of liquid towards the half-elf who seems ignorant of its existence.
"The Bold Striders were founded by Venture-Captain Karu after he slew the mighty Aeteperaxx of Belheim. He is following in the footsteps of Tuula Belheim and her own dragon-slaying mercenary company." he offers before taking another sip on the coffee.
"We work primarily for the Society due to Karu's position within the organization, however, we are also free to pursue our own endeavors. Many of the newer recruits tend to take jobs protecting caravans in the area or guarding Belheim and its surrounding towns." the tengu man states plainly, offering no sign of particular allegiance to the Society as a whole.
|
|
Oswin listens patiently to Algor, following much of his discourse, but too proud to admit when he did not.
He perks up again when Braugher tells of the Bold Striders.
"It seems that your band is involved in many worthy undertakings. I have heard of the green dragon of Belhaim from my own colleagues in the Society. You and your companions certainly have my full respect."
Oswin will accept a millet coffee if offered and raise his in the form of a toast to Braugher and his band.
|
|
Seeing that Oswin is unsure if one of the cups is for him, Braugher eagerly picks up the cup gingerly, trying to avoid scalding his claw. He passes the cup gently to the man as he offers his own cup up for another toast. "Please! Do enjoy!" he says.
"I am glad that you have heard of our exploits. We are always looking for new recruits, so if you find anyone willing to join then please send them to Karu." he says jovially. "Perhaps he will assign them to my squad." he muses aloud.
|
|
The last to arrive is a Varisian man in shining full plate armor made of a white silver with a large shield in the shape of a lion's head strapped to his back. Upon removing his helmet, you note that his eyes are golden in color. He adjusts his grey cloak and longsword as he strides into the room.
"Greetings to you all!" he says in a booming voice. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sir Owyn of the silver crusade. It's a pleasure to meet you.
As Owyn finishes his introductions, you hear the soft growl of a large cat. With a slight roll of his eyes, he turns around so that the lion-shaped shield is visible. He points to it from over his shoulder as he adds "And this is Glorymane."
Turning back around, the paladin takes a deep breath through his nose before saying "I must say, that coffee smells amazing."
You each receive a letter from Master of Swords Marcos Farabellus, urgently asking you to meet him at a safe house on the outskirts of Merab.
When you arrive in the city, you meet an undercover contact who guides you through the urban sprawl of Merab to a small estate just a stone’s throw from the city docks. Once there, an estate guard escorts you inside and asks that you wait in the study. Shortly thereafter, Farabellus and Lady Gloriana Morilla enter the room. The Master of Swords stands before the fireplace, while Lady Morilla remains seated in a large, comfortable chair.
The Master of Swords motions toward the remaining seats in the room. “Pathfinders, I thank you for coming on such short notice. Every year, one of Thuvia’s city-states gets to auction doses of the magnificent sun orchid elixir, and this year Pashow has the privilege. That city misplaced its elixirs the past two times, to its treasury’s detriment. In order to ensure nothing went wrong this year, Emir Guldis has retained the Society’s services to assist with security.
“He made the right choice. We stymied an attempt on Pashow’s caravans and found evidence that the Korholm Agenda—a nefarious faction of the Aspis Consortium—was collaborating with Prince Zinlo of Aspenthar to ensure Pashow’s shipment would never arrive. The ringleader is named Kitio Aspenthi, and he’s the ranking Aspis gold agent who coordinates Thuvia. It seemed the plan was to steal the elixirs and trigger a coup to overthrow Emir Guldis, at which point Prince Zinlo’s daughter, Princess Ziralia, could take control and thus annex the neighboring city-state. Thankfully, we’ve built some rapport with the princess, and it is she who pointed us to the Korholm Agenda’s latest plan.”
“Yes, we should be quite thankful,” declares Lady Gloriana, rising from her chair. “According to the princess, the Korholm Agenda has been coordinating mischief with the guards of Aspenthar. Having failed to deprive the emir economically, it appears the Korholm Agenda aims to frame Pashow for an attack on Prince Zinlo’s city. These false-flag operations would be the catalyst for Zinlo to declare war and conquer Pashow by force.
“We are expecting the attacks several days hence during the Sun Orchid Festival that Prince Zinlo recently established in Aspenthar. Along with the standard fare of food and music, the church of Sarenrae will commemorate a local hero, and the prince is permitting the temporary release of Aspenthar-born prisoners to enjoy the festivities. We expect Zinlo to make a speech later that day.
“Princess Ziralia expects these three events to be the focus of the Korholm Agenda’s attacks, which in turn could endanger the people of Aspenthar. On top of preventing harm to innocents, averting these plots could allow us to stop the Korholm Agenda and the agent Kitio Aspenthi for good. Additionally, any evidence you can find linking Prince Zinlo to the Korholm Agenda would benefit us and discourage him from attempting such a stunt in the future. A ship waits at the docks to take you to Aspenthar when you’re ready.”
|
|
Algor straightens himself slightly, an impressive feat given how stiff he already appears to be, taking a look at the coffee.
"I do hope those bee-heens were sourced from a certified farm... their large trees provide a habitah-hat for native wildlife, support soil health, fight erosion and confer side benefits, like fruit and firewood."
He smiles and stretches an empty hand towards the lioness present.
"Gree'heetings, noble liohnuss. Would you like to meet my lit'uhl friend?"
A pure white fox pup appears to scamper from somewhere on Algor's person as a number of leaves fall from his formal garb - magically? - to the ground.
"Ah, this brave little feh'low I rescued from the Crow'hown of the Wuh'hurld."
It seems an eternity passes as Algor slowly relates several details of impending peril to the Crown of the World - like slowly eroding icecaps - before he makes a final gesture to an item he carried into the room with him.
"Ah! This here is my lowkbocks. Those of you familiar with the Boh'hold Strih'durs may have heard about my lowkbocks. I have a plah'han to secure all Pathfinder pension fuh'hunds and secure them in what I call my lowkbocks." In the case of untimely deh'mihse, a Pah'thfinder could draw upon his pension funds for medical suh'vuces..."
|
|
Fendahl finished his drink when the Master of swords arrives.
Kirrah sniffs the white fox, trying to determine if friend or snack, but refrains from interacting further, having been corrected once for the ice cream.
Fendahl ponders the description of the mission, calculating tactical constraints.
"Hrrmm. The Aspis lack all honor and these Korholm Agenda sound worse than most. Protecting citizens of Aspenthar is a very different operation than investigating plots. The Citadel of the Alchemist within Aspenthar will have already begun the Sun Orchid Festival. ."
I am not fond of the idea of boarding another ship so soon. I am running out of ways to distract Kirrah .
|
|
As the final member of the team enters, Braugher takes the time to pour a sixth cup of coffee and presents it to Owyn. "Greetings Owyn. I am Braugher of the Bold Striders. It appears that you are just in time." he says with a smile, though his eyes see that the others are rudely ignoring the offered drink.
Either way, Braugher quickly finishes his coffee and cleans the cups up with a snap as the coffee and its residue disappears in a snap of the man's talons. He quickly stows the glasses, grinder and Galtan Press before heading to the Merab.
---
After Ser Farbellos' debriefing, Braugher bows to the man. "We will stop Prince Zinlo's attacks and minimize civilian casualties." says the tengu with respect.
The tengu man looks oddly at the verbose academic when he mentions the Bold Striders. "I'm not sure what you speak of, sir. I am the first squad leader and this is the first I have heard of you. Well, I don't even know your name." he says as he extends a claw towards the man. "By the way, will you grace us with your name or are you content to run this mission in silence?" Braugher says with a hint of irritation in his voice.
|
|
Algor ignores much of Aspenthar's history, assuming it is irrelevant to his purpose on Golarion, preferring to focus on current events and how they may be impacting the environment (and his book sales).
**
After the briefing, Algor arches an eyebrow at Braugher and extends a hand.
"Did you not read the buh'huks cover? My name was written on the front. I am Algor, and I am an ad-herrant of the Green Faith..."
He introduces his arctic white fox as well.
"This here is Mute, which I believe means you should know the answer to the age old question of - what does the fox say?"
|
|
"It's good to meet you too, Braugher", Tico say as he accepts the exotic suveniir offered by the sorcerer. "It's good to meet you all, fellows", he complements with a nod, upon everyone arrived.
Seeing that every one there seems to have a pet, Tico starts to think in acquire one to him. "It's so fluffy", he thought with a smile in his face.
"Impressive", the cleric said in a tone of admiration, in view of the great knowledge demonstrated by Algor.
"The church of Sarenrae will commemorate a local hero, you said?", Tico asked Lady Gloriana. "Do you know his name? Why is he a hero?", he seems intrigued with this information, after all, he should know something about it.
|
|
Owyn silently listens to the Master of Swords briefing with a grim look on his face, remembering all too well an almost-identical attack on Absolam a year prior. The faces of those he couldn't save that day still haunted him in his sleep.
At it's conclusion, Owyn stands and says "Sir, the people of Aspenthar shall not come to harm under our protection. These aspis agents will be caught and they will de dealt judgment."
"The church of Sarenrae will commemorate a local hero, you said?", Tico asked Lady Gloriana. "Do you know his name? Why is he a hero?", he seems intrigued with this information, after all, he should know something about it.
Lady Gloriana answers, "Legend tells that the dervish Ah-Misehp
defended Aspenthar from an onslaught of 44 divs and, although the event supposedly happened many years ago, some locals are quite insistent that Ah-Misehp still resides at the site of the battle, about a mile from the city, defending those who live in Aspenthar from any threats."
|
|
Braugher nods as Algor finally introduces himself with the need for an aid. "Well, I'm sure you will be invaluable." he says, truthfully and honestly.
As Lady Gloriana expounds upon the legend of the hero, Braugher takes in the knowledge, but does not think that it will be very useful. "Perhaps we should leave immediately." he suggests. "We only have a few days to prepare and we should arrive in Aspenthar as soon as possible."
|
|
"If the ship is ready, I agree master Braugher. We can obtain any last minute supplies once we arrive at our destination ."
Fendahl calls Kirrah to rise and follow him with a few hand or arm gestures.
To the others, "Hrrmm yes. The more time we have in Aspenthar to assess the situation and defenses, the better we can plan our response ."
|
|
Oswin nods at Owyn's comments.
"Well said, sir. We will be the shield arm of the Inheritor in defending these people."
He remembers somethings about divs.
"Divs...they are a capricious lot. Formed from the souls of corrupted genies. But they each have a compulsion, a thing makes them angry and behave rashly. If we encounter one, perhaps we'll be able to exploit it."
|
|
"Divs...they are a capricious lot. Formed from the souls of corrupted genies. But they each have a compulsion, a thing makes them angry and behave rashly. If we encounter one, perhaps we'll be able to exploit it."
"Well remembered, my friend. That's exactly what I was going to say right now", Tico grins to Oswin.
"And I agree with you, my friends. We must depart as soon as possible", with that, Tico bids farewell to Farabellus and Lady Gloriana Morilla and prepares to depart.
You arrive in Aspenthar on the morning of the Sun Orchid Festival. The city is filled with the sounds of joyful music, scents of food, and thousands of smiling faces. Vendors line the streets to sell exotic wares, and the streets are crowded with strange beasts on display from all over Garund. Even though Garundi humans comprise most of the population, the busy port and festival have brought in a wide variety of visitors; even with weapons and strange animal companions in tow, you receive only a few wondrous stares but minimal comment as long as you don’t take any threatening actions.
|
|
Fendahl disembarks the ship, a bit green in hue.
Hrrmm. It is good to be on solid ground again. I will never get accustomed to sailing.
Fendahl had Kirrah absorbed into his hostelling armor aboard the ship for most of the time.
Seeing the crowds and various wild creatures, he risks releasing her but keeps her close.
Kirrah, heel. Be good!
|
|
"Well... What now, my friends? Will we split and look for some useful informations in the city? Personally, I confess that I'm very curious about the church of Sarenrae here and I want to learn more about Ah-Misehp. Maybe I should go there, pray for The Dawnflower's blessings and maybe talk with one or two priests about the festivities, its goers..."
Tico looks very anxious when talk about the church of Sarenrae, he seems to want a lot go there, as if he had not been in a temple of his divinity for a long time.
|
|
Owyn leaves the ship rather hastily as soon as it docks, looking a bit nervous as he walks across the boarding plank. As soon as he hits the docks, though, he breathes a sigh of relief and stores the potion of water breathing back in his pocket.
Upon hearing Tico's suggestion, Owyn replies "While splitting up may help to cover more ground, I think it ill advised as we know there are aspis agents about the city. Visiting the church of Sarenrae sounds like a fine place to start, but we should do so as one cohesive unit."
|
|
Hrrmm, agreed. Let us make for the temple. They may have information on the defenses as the Church of Sarenrae often are the last refuge in times of strife.
Fendahl motions to the lioness to stay close.
Kirrah, come.
After we finish with the temple, I will need some time to meditate for a few minutes, possibly outside the city, or at least in a park.
Fendahl has prepped Commune with Nature. I have never used Commune spells in PFS PbP setting, so I am not sure if there are any special rules or constraints. When we get to a stopping point and have 10 minutes to cast, he would like to use the spell and ask three facts:
1) plants (where are lotus flowers?),
2) presence of powerful unnatural creatures (like Div?),
3) the general state of the natural setting (any major disruptions to the ecological balance been noticed?)
If this is not allowed or needs to be reworded, please let me know.
|
|
Algor looks upon Fendahl with profound respect as the half-elf suggests communing with nature - a look you believe he rarely, if ever, has made.
"Why, I couhldn't agree more about commu-huning with nahture..."
He gives a long look to the cages creatures in the market, debating whether or not now would be the time to educate the thousands of patrons about the rights of animals.
Not nahw. After the mih-ssion.
As the others make for the temple, he seconds Tico's suggestion.
"I cohn-cur about the Ah-Misehp site - we shouldn't delay long at the temple."
You head to the local temple of Sarenrae but find that it is closed and no one appears to be inside.
|
|
"We should investigate the site of the honoring of the hero by the church." Braugher advises. "Most, if not all, of the church will likely be at that location." he adds.
Braugher will then start moving in that direction, assured that his choice is wisest. As he moves there, he will look over passing merchant's wares. "Perhaps there is something to satisfy my curiosity." he says as his keen eyes glance at each of the wares.
Ruins mark the location where the dervish Ah-Misehp defended Aspenthar from an onslaught of 44 divs. The site lies less than a mile outside the city walls.
About a hundred worshipers gather here among the stone pillars and collapsed walls where Ah-Misehp fought the greatest of the 44 divs. Here they stand and kneel as Lyheri Oasid, a local Sarenite priestess clad in flowing robes dyed the colors of a brilliant sunrise, purposefully steps about the ruin while anointing the stones and leading the attendees in prayer.
|
|
"Disappointing..." he comments as they reach the site and he finds nothing to purchase.
Braugher watches the clerics' display for a few moments before remembering that there is going to be an attack here. "Those of you familiar with the Dawnflower should speak to the leader here and get their opinion on our mission." he says.
"I will keep an eye out for possible threats." he adds, before perching on a nearby ruined stone pillar.
|
|
When they went to the ruins, Tico casts magic vestment on himself .
Tico was delighted with ceremonial rites, he had not had contact with that for a long time, so maybe that's why he did not remember exactly how to approach a priest there, without seeming unkind.
The cleric will wait the right moment to get close to Lyheri Oasid, he doesn't want to disturb the ritual, as soon as she finish whatever she is doing right now, Tico will approach her:
"Hello, my lady. I'm Tico Marvillos, a loyal servant of The Dawnflower. These are my friends", he points to the others, "do you have a moment to speak, please?"
Lyheri continues her circuit around the ruins in a strange sort of interpretive dance, anointing the stones with oil along the way. As she does this, the other clergy members lead the gathered worshipers in prescribed prayers.
About halfway through the ceremony, Lyheri ascends to the altar, strikes a small gong or other percussive instrument, and then sprinkles holy water over the worshipers and the consecrated site. You notice that the worshipers then take a moment to say their own silent prayers.
It is at this moment that Lyheri is able to take time to speak with Tico.
"Hello, my lady. I'm Tico Marvillos, a loyal servant of The Dawnflower. These are my friends", he points to the others, "do you have a moment to speak, please?"
"Very briefly. I must make another circuit of the ruins before the ceremony is complete. You seem to have traveled from far away. I assume this is your first observation of the ceremony?"
|
|
Fendahl will keep Kirrah close so as not to spook the crowd assembled while the others speak to the clergy.
|
|
Oswin's thoughts swirl briefly. His seminary days come back to him in a flash, more class time than he remembered spent contemplating the figure of Iomedae. All that time spent repenting for his wandering thoughts...
But back in the present, Oswin approaches the nearest priest or priestess he can find.
"Excuse me, but as a fellow person of the cloth, I am very interested in learning about this particular ceremony. Can you tell me more?"
|
|
.. is an allegorical representation ..
Algor flips through one of his many books while casually observing the ceremony, clearly interested in speaking to his gather allies more than paying attention to the strangers about him.
"Those are simply sword-fighting stances she is util-hizing to honor the fall-hen hero today, of cour-house also commemorating Saren-hrae's great battle with Rovoh-guhug."
Closing his religious tome, seeming only to open it when convenient to enable him to espouse questionably useful facts, Algor instead procures a separate tome - this one his usual autographed work, Inconvenient Knowledge, and seems ready to press it into Lyheri's hands.
As he stands with his allies, Oswin included, Algor appears ready to open his mouth as the priest asks to be told more - a wry smile on his face as if he's unused to being asked to provide even more information on things (and clearly is oblivious to the question being directed at Lyheri).
|
|
Owyn is unsure of the ceremony's purpose but nods approvingly at Algor's explanation. With Tico seeming to have the conversation in hand, the paladin moved into and throughout the crowd, offering polite greeting to any and all acknowledge him. He scans the crowd, though, looking for anything that might be out of place.
"Excuse me, but as a fellow person of the cloth, I am very interested in learning about this particular ceremony. Can you tell me more?"
"The divs have tortured Thuvia and its city-states for milenia. Our legends tell that three centuries ago our city of Aspenthar was to be assaulted by the greatest of the 44 divs. In this small settlement outside the city the dervish Ah-Misehp wielded the Dawnflower’s sacred flames to fight off the divs, waiting for them to come near before stepping out and promising protecting to the city. And indeed, being the great warrior that he is, Ah-Misehp successfully fought off the divs and still, even today, his spirit rests in this place protecting our city from their mischief. And this year the ritual is even more important; the crowd is much larger because of visitors like you coming from the festival."