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Merephel draws her mace, grimacing.
She pulls out her shield. Gripping it tightly, she can't help but sigh.
"Let's take them down fast, so that they learn the lesson...hard."
Merephel's voice is low, and angry.
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Shirzon shrugs as she pulls her mace from its belt clip. She hesitates for a moment as she hears Merephel behind her. Wow, even Mere's getting in the fighting mood. I don't blame her - even a priest has so much patience for foolish threats. To Lorric she quips, "Have it your way," She moves forward into the corner of the alley up beside Lorric, then whips her mace at his legs in a flash.
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Calden sighs, sad that the situation has to resolve into violence. "Watch out on the roof, he calls out. "I saw an archer." He looks up at the man on the roof, trying to draw his attention. "Give me your best!" He then shuffles forward, focusing on Lorric. It seems like he's all that keeps this bunch together. They'll probably flee if he does.
Calden takes a deep breath, conscious of the power within his body that he gets to know better and better. He then releases that power in a lightning-fast series punches and jabs that ends with a powerful left hook at the man's waist.
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Korech quickly unshoulders his bow. Spying an archer, he frowns for a moment, concentrating before he raises the bow and looses an arrow in a smooth action. Unfortunately, he completely fouls up the shot, firing into the side of the wall.
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Shirzon lashes out with her brand new mace and hits Lorric on his leg. She can hear the satisfying sound of bones cracking as the man screams in pain. “Ya motherf#**in’ orc! Get her lads!”
The archers on the roof fires their arrows at Korech, aiming for the half-orc’s throat. The first arrow is inaccurate and flies high over Korech’s head. The second arrow is far more accurate, and manages to pierce through Korech’s armor, penetrating in the half-orc’s leg. When Korech extracts the arrow from its bleeding leg, he instantly realizes that the arrow was poisoned, but thankfully his resilience has allowed him to resist to the poison’s effects.
Korech tries to instantly retaliate against the archers, but his arrow flies high above the roofs. The archers spit insults at Korech, mocking him for his terrible aim.
In the meantime, Calden takes a step forward and releases his power in a lightning-fast series of punches and jabs that ends with a powerful left hook at the man's waist. Lorric parries the first attack with his buckler, takes the second hit and parries the final attack by dodging it. Badly injured, the thugs’ boss wipes the blood from his lips and retaliates immediately, trying to hit Calden in the face with his well-crafted cestus. Lorric’s attack succeeds, with Calden unable to dodge it in time. The Kassenite lad takes a violent punch right in his face, filling his mouth with blood.
Right after hitting Calden, Lorric, badly beaten, steps back allowing his men to move forward in his place. You can see him pulling a potion out of his belt pouch.
In the meantime, Merephel draws both her shield and mace, but Lorric’s men are not so slow and instantly attack the girl. One of them tries to grapple the girl in order to allow his peer to beat her easily, but Merephel is quick and nimble despite her armor and shield and manages to avoid being grappled with a fast dodge. The second masked thug launches himself at Merephel, trying to hit her with his brass knuckles, but Merephel is ready and parries the attack with her shield, causing the man to roar in frustration.
On the other side of the alley, two masked thugs attack Calden and Shirzon. The first one tries to grapple Shirzon, but the half-orc is quick and dodges him, sending the thug to crash against a barrel. The other thug takes advantage of the chaos to hit Calden with his brass knuckles, hitting the Kassenite boy in his face again, this time near his right eye. Blood now covers Calden’s face. You can hear a satisfied laugh coming from behind the thug’s mask.
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• Shirzon
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• Korech
• Calden
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• Merephel
•
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With Lorric out of reach, Shirzon scowls. She considers trying to push through his thugs, but decides she'd rather not be surrounded. In a flash, her second mace is in her hand and she unleashes two quick strikes on the thug in front of her.
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Snarling in pain, Korech fires off two arrows at the archer that got him.
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Merephel swings her mace at the man in front of her, trying to break his jaw. She swings wide, and her hand spasms as the mace glances off the wall.
"You. Are. Next."
Merephel is obviously trying to be tough, but never was great at it.
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Calden wipes the blood from his mouth, then glares at Lorric when the man retreats behind his lackeys. "Typical, too cowardly to stay and do the job himself."
He sets his feet and centers himself, preparing for what might turn into a drawn-out fight after all. He crouches low and strikes a powerful punch, then comes up to strike with his knee.
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Shirzon swings both of her maces in quick succession, but the thug in front of her is surprisingly nimble or maybe her strikes were not so fast. The fact remains that she’s unable to hit her intended target.
The archers on the roof keep firing poisoned arrows at Korech from above. One of the arrows hits Korech as before, this time lodging in the half-orc’s chest, missing his heart for a few millimeters. The poison quickly enters Korech’s bloodstream and the half-orc is not so resilient this time: he falls unconscious to the ground as his attacker disappear behind the roofs.
Korech tries to retaliate instantly, but he cannot see his ranged opponents anymore, so he focuses his attack on the thugs in front of Merephel, almost killing him with two deadly shots. But it seems like luck has turned its back on the Heroes of Kassen, at least before Calden hits the masked thug in front of him with a violent hook. The unarmed attack is almost enough to knock down his opponent, but the masked thug somehow manages to stay on his feet.
In the meantime, Lorric drinks his potion and yells insults at you as he prepares to wade straight back into the fray. “You’re f~!#in’ dead!” he cries out vulgarly as his wound magically heal, partially at least.
Right after, Merephel tries to hit the nearest opponent with her mace, but she misses. One of the masked thugs tries to grapple the girl again in order to allow his peer to beat her easily; this time, Merephel is not so ready and gets grappled by the thug. His companion quickly hits her in the face with a solid punch with his brass knuckles.
On the other side of the alley, two masked thugs attack Calden and Shirzon. The first one tries to grapple Shirzon, but the half-orc is quick and dodges him again, just like before. The other thug takes advantage of the chaos to hit Calden with his brass knuckles, hitting the Kassenite once again right in his face!
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• Shirzon
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• Korech (unconscious in 9 rounds)
• Calden
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• Merephel
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Shirzon lets out a low growl. She looks nervously to Calden, who has been taking the brunt of the attacks. Despite the assault, though, he's pretty tough for staying up for so long. Shirzon doubts these thugs will stand up as well, if she can manage to hit them. "Were there not enough masks left over to cover that ugly mug, Lorric?" Shirzon taunts, following up her insult with another couple of swings.
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"Archers use poison from dark elf... I maybe sleep soon. Not till I kill first!"
Korech takes a step and fires twice at Lorric as he tries to take out the leader.
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Calden gives Shirzon a reassuring look, despite the fuzzy feeling in his head. Seems like Korech isn't doing well, at all. We really need to break their morale. Once more, Calden breathes deep to summon strength, letting it out with a loud yell. "Ki-ai!"
He twists back, sets off and unleashes a whirlwind of spinning kicks and punches.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Shirzon hits the masked thugs with both of her attacks, sending one of them to the ground and leaving the other one wounded, his mask partially damaged. “Look at her! Since when do orcs know how to make jokes?” mocks her Lorric.
The masked archers stealthily move into a good shooting position once again while you’re distracted by the battle in the alley, but only Calden and Merephel can see them before they attack. The two fire their arrows at Korech again, hoping to put down the half-orc archer while he’s not aware of them. Unfortunately, their evil plan succeeds: Korech gets hit in his throat by one of the arrows and pierced in the heart by the second one. The half-orc collapses to the ground, unconscious.
“Boss! Guards are coming! Let’s make it snappy!” shouts one of the archers. Lorric smirks in response. “I’m sorry, there’s no time to play anymore lads. Put ‘em down!”
Korech is going down, but before he collapses to the ground, he finds the strength to fire two arrows at Lorric using his orcish heritage and its resilience. Its arrows fly accurately and both of them hit Whoreson Lorric. The man falls to the ground, unconscious, at the same time as Korech!
The street thugs’ morale is shaken by the fall of their boss and the news of the imminent arrival of the city guards. They look around frantically, trying to decide the best option. While they’re still trying to figure out what to do, Calden takes advantage of their uncertainty and with a flurry of powerful blows he puts down another masked thug.
“Leave her Kren, we must flee!” cries out one of the masked thugs on the other side of the alley to the one grappling Merephel. But the Kassenite girl doesn’t need the man to release the grapple, since she’s able to do so on her own, pushing him away with her shield.
The two remaining thugs withdraw immediately, disappearing in the twisting maze of Old Tamran. The archers on the rooftops vanish behind the roofs as well.
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Looking like nothing more than a walking pincushion, Korech roars defiantly, loosing the final two arrows before he collapses to the ground, bleeding all over the place.
Once Korech is healed up and their attackers stable, Shirzon starts going through the thugs' pockets, trying to find some evidence of who they are (as well as grabbing their more portable belongings). Her pockets a little heavier and happier, Shirzon creases her brow in thought as she surveys the scene. "They don't have anything particularly revealing... But I don't think they're from around here. Sure, some folks around here might try to attack us for our coin. But considering the whole Razmir mess, doesn't it seem weird that they would be wearing masks? That's not really a great way to fit in right now... Maybe they're just bad at planning, though. It's hard to tell."
Shirzon finishes stripping the assailants of weapons, keeping the nicer looking ones. "I guess we could wake them up and try to get some information out of them. Anyone got any rope?"
After stabilizing the wounded, Merephel sits on the ground, gasping. She isn't very wounded, but the stress of being attacked in such a peaceful place weighs on her heavily.
Calden shakes off the fuzzy feeling in his head, glad that they managed to scare off the remained shots. Seeing that Merephel is helping Korech, Calden squats next to Shirzon to see to Lorric. "Yeah, I have some rope right here." He pulls some hemp rope from his backpack, then frisks and ties up Lorric once the man is stabilized by Merephel.
"I don't know, Shirzon. He has a house key, so they must have been here for a while. I'm not sure what the deal with the masks is. Some part of the Razmiran cult come back for revenge? They put an awful lot of preparation in this attack, with the ruse about the magic shop, and the archers on the roof. We'd best ask him, I'll follow your lead."
Calden straightens and looms over the tied-up figure. "I'm going to be repeating myself here, but you'd better listen to her, if I were you." He holds the key up so Lorric can see it. "You have a hideout here in the city?"
Whoreson Lorric is not so bold when he’s brought back to consciousness and realizes he has been tied up. Shirzon’s approach further intimidates him. The thugs’ boss looks around frantically for his men, but they’re nowhere to be seen, except for those lying, still unconscious, to the ground. Lorric keeps his eyes down as Shirzon and Calden question him. He’s clearly terrified, and willing to speak. “Listen. If you promise to spare my life, I’ll tell you everything. Everything. You’ll earn even more prestige that you currently have. Just promise me you will let me go free when we’re done speaking!
---
The rest of the day is quite peaceful and uneventful. As it turns out, there was no new magic shop awaiting with discounted magic items for you; likely, it was a stunt by Lorric and his masked thugs to lure you in the alley where they had laid their ambush. Anyway, you’re able to sell your gear and purchase some new useful items.
---
When two days are passed, you go and meet Reginar at the city docks. As soon as you arrive, you recognize a familiar shape floating on the water near to your contact: Captain Walren’s Black Mist, the same river barge that brought you here from Kassen. The dwarf captain smiles brightly as soon as he spots you and waves his hand to greet you from a distance. “Eyah guys!” he yells from his boat. Reginar is waiting just before the Black Mist.
“Well met, Heroes of Kassen and Tamran. The Society is proud of you. Tamran is proud of you. All Nirmathas should be proud of you. You’ve accomplished great deeds, faced many odds, and managed to come back alive every time. Believe me, guys, I would have avoided it if I could. I tried to find something else to deal with this, but no one wanted to undertake this mission…Many expeditions left for the Isle of Terror never to be seen again. Most of them were organized by the Pathfinder Society. We lost an exploring group several years ago. I knew some of those Pathfinders. So it’s not surprising that no one wants to accept this mission now. So here I’m again, begging you for help. You’re our last hope, guys. I know, it still feels strange, but that’s the truth: no one else can deal with this except for you. But let’s get straight to the point.”
Reginar clears his throat before continuing. “So, this is the situation. Remember those amulets both Asar and Kassen were buried with? They were stolen by Razmiri cultist, as the mask you found in the Crypt of the Everflame proves. Why were the cultists after those amulets? Because someone told them that the amulets were the key to the fabled City of Golden Death, Xin-Graphar. I’ve made my inquiries, and it seems like Iramine, Kassen’s and Asar’s previous adventuring companion, is still alive. Maybe she’s an elf or something. Fact is, she knew about the amulets and she wanted them for herself, or maybe for her Living God. Yes, she joined the faith of the Living God about a decade ago. She must have thought that if Razmir obtains the riches of Xin-Graphar, his faith will spread and rise to glory in all of the world. But you can see their lies. You’ve seen them. You know what they do. They’re rapists, robbers, slavers, smugglers and thieves. They cannot acquire what lies in the depth of Xin-Graphar. This is the reason why the whole Lake Encarthan region needs you to go to the Isle of Terror and stop Iramine. Razmir cannot acquire the wealth of the City of Golden Death!”
Realizing that he’s been speaking too much, Reginar stops for a moment. “I know, it was too quick. I’ve studied the Isle of Terror for many years, guys. I know many things about it. Things you won’t find in any book. But some information are also featured in the Pathfinder Chronicles. So, before I explain the whole thing to you again, do you have any question about the island or the mission?”
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Merephel lets Shirzon interrogates Lorric. If asked, she votes to let him live, and just to turn him over to the authorities.
"He is a fool, but then again, so seems to be the lot of these Razmirans. We've had enough of fools lately, so I say let him be someone else's problem!"
---------------------
Once Reginar is done speaking, she immediately jumps in with a question.
"Reginar, can you tell us what languages are spoken there, and if anyone knows what the wealth of the City is? Is it gold, weapons, or magic? Something else entirely?"
Reginar smiles at Merephel as he answers to her question. "Well, there are not so many speaking creatures on the Isle of Terror, Merephel. Anyway, rumor has it that a tribe of twisted lizardfolk, corrupted by the foul forces of the Plane of Negative Energy, dwells on the island. Should that be true, Draconic would come in handy. But I don't know if any sentient creature actually dwells on the island at all."
He pulls out his pipe from underneath his jacket. "As far as the true wealth of the city goes...Well, no one knows. Or at least, no one who has returned. The stories seem to suggest that gold is the wealth of the city, so much gold to cover an entire city"
Korech remains an unconscious lump during the interrogation, but afterwards is nursed back to health and arrives fit and healthy for the briefing on the next mission. If a little wary.
He listens very intently, the events of the last two missions playing out through his head. The terror and eventual glory of the Crypt, and then the brutal psychological torture of the Razmiri temple. Going to a place called the Isle of Terror seems only reasonably at this point in time.
Korech also blinks and responds - slowly as he has taken some space to try and improve his common.
"My Pathfinder stone taught me the dragon-language, I never think I would use it. So we go to the Isle of Terror, and we stop this Iramine from claiming riches for Razmir."
Wincing a bit as he adjusts from one of his many healed arrow-wounds, Korech takes a moment before speaking again.
"Do we know what is in the old city?"
"Relax, we're not gonna hurt you. But start talking before I change my mind," Shirzon coaxes. "I promise we'll let you go, on my honor." Once Lorric spills the beans, Shirzon considers his story thoughtfully. "Interesting... well, have fun telling the guards as well. I know I promised on my honor and everything, but my honor's not worth much. Sorry." When the guards arrive and the Molthuni infiltrator and his thugs are hauled away, Shirzon investigates the man's house to see if his story holds up. It checks out, and she grabs his ledgers and records of misdoing. Having somehow found herself in the repeat business of turning over incriminating documents to guards, instead of her previous occupation of getting into scraps with them in person, she enjoys her hero status--and the bounty.
---
When they're ready to set off, Shirzon greets their old captain friend Walren from the shore before settling in for Reginar's briefing.
Shirzon listens seriously, her brow furrowing with concern as Reginar continues. When he's done, she adds in some questions of her own. "Why do these places have such intimidating names? And some nasty island in the middle of Lake Encarthan having a golden city sounds a little ridiculous. I'm not saying it's not there, but what happened to it? Why is it called the city of golden death?"
Calden keeps silent during Shirzon's interrogation of Lorric. He's a bit surprised when she later hands him over to the guards. "I know that he's a piece of scum, but don't you feel bad sometime, lying to people like that?" He seems to consider something. "Besides, I think you might have more honor than you realize"
--
Calden is off on his own errands during the next two days. When he arrives at the dock the next morning, he is fully geared up and ready to go. The most surprising addition to his outfit is an exotic-looking swords strapped to his back. It start out straight, but has a curve near the end. Some inscription in Vudrani is stamped on the blade, near the hilt.
He gives Captain Walren a friendly greeting, then stands at ease to listens to Reginar. "That sounds quite grim, losing an entire team like that. You mentioned the Pathfinder Chronicles containing information in the Island. Do you have a copy we could borrow?" He thinks some more, digesting the things Reginar told him. "How long till we reach the island? And how big is it; any way to know how long we might be gone? Finally, is it known when this Iramine left for the Isle? Maybe some people at the docks might remember?"
As he thinks some more, the gravity of the situation hits him. "Reginar, if this Iramine is truly one of Kassen and Asar's companion, how could we possible hope to defeat her? She must have been a legend back then, with hundreds of years of experience?"
In the end, one more question hits him. "If we succeed, how do we get back? Will the Black Mist be waiting for us? Is that safe, with all the dangers in the lake, and on the Isle?"
Reginar listens to your questions attentively as he smokes his pipe. When your questions are over, he replies readily: “Legends hold that the city was where the Whispering Tyrant hid his immense wealth, Korech. The Pathfinder Chronicles state that the City of Golden Death was once a thriving metropolis called Kestrillon, a shining beacon of magical research. Tar-Baphon himself led an army onto the island, conquered the city, and renamed the city Xin-Grafar after the Thassilonian style. He stored his wealth there, protecting it with a nefarious trap.”
Reginar pauses, smokes his pipe and then resumes: “Later, the Chronicles say, Tar-Baphon used the city as a base from which to build the Wizard-King’s Pit, a trap for the god Aroden. Tar-Baphon lured the Last Azlanti to the island in the hopes that he’d be able to force Aroden to descend into the pit. Aroden would then be sucked to the bottom and deposited on the Negative Energy Plane, where he would succumb to that plane’s energies. When Aroden successfully thwarted the wizard-king’s attempt on his life, Tar-Baphon was destroyed, though he would later rise again as the Whispering Tyrant, one of Golarion’s most feared nightmares…I suppose you’ve studied about him at the temple. The Wizard-King’s Pit, however, was never destroyed and lies open, connecting the lush, forested island to the Negative Energy Plane—a connection that, over time, has laid waste to the land around it and given the island its current name and reputation. So Shirzon, this is the reason behind the island’s name. And I think that the tale I’ve told explains why the word ‘death’ is in the island’s name as well.”
Reginar smiles to Calden and pulls out a pocket-sized book. “Here, Calden. This is one of the Pathfinder Chronicles I was talking about”, the man says as he hands the book to Calden. “A gift for you. Keep it” he specifies once Calden has grabbed the book.
A few moments of silence ensue. Then, Reginar clears his throat and resumes, his voice suddenly lower: “Never let your guard down while you are there. There are great, island-encompassing, negative energy storms that periodically wrack the middle of Lake Encarthan for months at a time, warped wildlife, twisted terrain features, and poisonous streams. Many Pathfinders have explored the Isle of Terror but very few have returned—those who have are often changed by their experience and speak only of dark things that hunted them in the night and bolts of pure negative energy that hounded their every waking moment. The Temple of Razmir was a cozy tavern if compared to the Isle of Terror.”
Reginar puts a hand on your shoulders, one to one: “I need you to go to the Isle of Terror aboard the Black Mist, find Iramine, and recover the amulet before she can use it to plunder Xin-Grafar in the name of the Living God. Once you amulet, you must seal the city behind you so that no one else can access the city’s treasures. Afterward, you should return the amulet fragments to the Crypt of the Everflame and finally put Kassen’s spirit to rest. I don’t know how long this is going to take, but I hope not more than a few weeks.”
“As for your questions”, says Reginar turning his attention to Calden, “Captain Walren believes that it will take about a week to reach the Isle of Terror, but it depends on the weather conditions. When you’ll be there, Captain Walren will wait with the Black Mist just off the coast for 10 days. When you wish to be picked up again, you must build two fires far enough apart for the captain to tell they are a signal from you and not a fire belonging to the Razmiri cultists. He will not wait longer than 10 days—if he hasn’t seen the twin signal fires by the eleventh morning, he’ll leave without you.”
“And as far as Iramine is concerned” Reginar adds, “I’ve questioned the dockworkers, and they told me that she hurriedly left with at least 20 and possibly as many as 25 cultists. They rented the first boat that would take their money, a flat-bottomed riverboat out of Druma called the Witch’s Stitches that could barely hold Iramine, her cultists, their supplies, and the boat’s crew. The dockworkers also told me that the Stitches is a slow boat and isn’t going to make the Isle of Terror anytime soon, assuming it can make it at all. The slow pace at which Iramine is headed to the island combined with the speed of the Black Mist leads me to the conclusion that if the you leave now and make for the island with all haste, you should arrive no more than 2 to 3 days behind the Razmiri faithful”.
---
The talk was long, but the matter was of primary importance. Reginar clears his throat, smokes his pipe again and encourages you for the last time. “I know you can do it. You are our only hope to stop this folly. The entire Lake Encarthan region depends on your actions, guys. There’s something in you, a spark of greatness that no else has. You’re the only one who could stop the Razmiri faithful and Iramine. I’m proud of you, and I’m sure your mentors back in Kassen are as well” he says with a genuine smile.
“” Reginar yells at the dwarf as you board the Black Mist, “Take them to Fort Landing!”
As soon as you board the river barge, Captain Walren smiles widely as he shakes hand with each of you: “I’m so happy to see you again, guys. It’s a pleasure and honor to be able to transport you again, regardless of your destination. As you can see, the Black Mist has undergone several improvement processes and now it’s robust as never before. May I introduce you to the new crew members?” he says smiling.
Zandu, the young Varisian boy Asina had a crush on, greets you warmly and takes your luggage in your quarters. “These two are Grok and Garen.” The sailors both smiles at you kindly and shake their hands with you. “And this one…Oh, this one is an old friend of mine. Mabon the Destroyer” he says as he introduces you to an old sea dog. This man is a bent, elderly man with gray hair, a gray beard, and a patch over a perfectly serviceable eye, who is kitted out in black leather and white lace. Mabon smiles kindly at you and shakes hands with you as well.
“Well, ready to shove off, lads” yells the Captain to his men. From ashore, Reginar waves his goodbye.
Merephel listens to Reginar's tale with apprehension. Nevertheless, she is committed to this quest. The risk of danger weighs heavily upon her, but her perpetual optimism has more than belief enough in the skills of her companions.
When the new crew are introduced, she greets each one warmly, though her eyes tend to linger on Garen a little longer than the rest.
She addresses her companions.
"Are we all ready? I believe I am ready to take on the world!"
Calden keeps silent during Shirzon's interrogation of Lorric. He's a bit surprised when she later hands him over to the guards. "I know that he's a piece of scum, but don't you feel bad sometime, lying to people like that?" He seems to consider something. "Besides, I think you might have more honor than you realize"
Shirzon shrugs. "Do I 'feel bad?' Sometimes. But not when it's someone who attacked us." She seems caught off guard by Calden's follow up. She gives him a quizzical look, as if to imply that he must have misspoke or confused her for someone else. Once she regains her composure a little, she answers back with a mumbled thanks, but is obviously giving some thought to Calden's words. She pushes past the awkwardness by gathering up her things and moving on to their errands in the city.
---
"That sounds pretty far out there," Shirzon comments after Reginar tells them about the city and the island. "I mean, I always assumed those old legends and stuff tended to exaggerate. And Kassen - our Kassen, the guy who founded a sleepy town in the countryside - not only went there, but survived and came back with treasure? A month ago I would have written off anyone who told me that as a liar or a bad storyteller. I'm ready, though. Let's do this."
---
Once more aboard the Black Mist, Shirzon greets the captain warmly, handing him one of the bottles of whiskey she nabbed from the Molthuni thugs. She tours the ship, admiring the repairs and improvements that have been made as she meets the new crew.
She grins wide as she's introduced to Mabon. Despite her usual contempt for the elderly (by far her biggest detractors and most frequent targets of vandalism in Kassen), she seems to warm to the old sea dog instantly. She shakes his hand firmly, saying, "Mabon the Destroyer? Now that's a name! You gotta tell me the story behind that - uh, if you want. I'm Shirzon, by the way. Did Walren ever tell you about us?"
Calden listens to Reginar's information, trying to store it all for when they'll need it. He accepts the offered copy of the Pathfinder Chronicles, giving a little bow in thanks.
The mention of 25 cultists gives Calden pause, but he tries not to let it show. Only a two- or three days' headstart might make this doable. If we find a way to deal with them. 25?! And they'll probably not be pushover acolytes, if she knows what she's dragging them into. The 'spark of greatness' comment is the next thing to draw Calden's particular attention. I hope he's not just saying that to make us feel better. Although, if what Ofelia wrote is true... Calden shakes his head to clear it of those kinds of thoughts, and steps aboard.
--
Calden gladly shakes hands with Walren. "It's good to see that you were able to patch it up, Captain." He stifles a groan a beying reintroduced to Zandu. That dreamy good-for-nothing, he still kept him on? The introduction of the others three soothes his worries. Those seems like some competent sailor-folks, at least.
Calden hoists up his gear, looks back at the dock for a last farewell at Reginar and then takes his gear below. "Do we have the same room as our bunk?"
I'll have to tell them tonight, if we have some privacy. I can't just keep shoving this off.
Korech listens intently to the responses, trying desperately to sort through the large amount of information. However, one things sticks in his mind.
Find Iramine. Find amulet. Done. Everything else just needs an arrow.
-----
Korech warmly says farewell to Reginar, knowing the extent to which the Pathfinder has changed his life. He is also delighted to find himself at the Black Mist once more, and is immediately comfortable, introducing himself curtly to Mabon, Grok, and Garen. He also remains nearby Shirzon as she starts asking Mabon about old stories. Korech likes stories.
Mabon laughs raucously when Shirzon questions him about his name. “Oh, girl, so you want to want to know the story behind the name of the glorious Destroyer from the Arcadian Ocean?”
Captain Walren shakes his head and puts his palm to his forehead. “You shouldn’t be encouraging him, Shirzon” says the Captain before breaking into a laughter, but he can’t do anything to prevent Mabon from telling you several stories about his glorious days as a pirate captain in the Arcadian Ocean. His tales are involving and interesting, with a mix of adventure, honor and love featured in them.
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— Wealday, Kutona the 1st to Fireday, Kutona the 3rd, 4609 AR
— Morning to Evening
— Lake Encarthan
— Cloudy on Kuthona the 1st, rainy on Kutona the 2nd and 3rd
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The first three days of travel pass by without anything dangerous happening. You’re back aboard the Black Mist and you have plenty of time to relax. You also have the chance to speak with one another about more mundane topics, write a few letters and maybe enjoy some reading. You have enough spare time to speak with the crew members and deepen your relationship with them.
You find out that Mabon is a talkative man, happy to tell a dozen stories about his glory days in the Arcadian Ocean, but he’s also one of the best boat pilots on Lake Encarthan and takes his job seriously. He works for Captain Walren because, as he says, “That surly dwarf saved my hide in Daggermark after I bedded the daughter of the city’s Captain of Horse! Had he not set fire to the inn and dragged me drunk and besotted with lust into the muddy streets, I might not be standing here before you today!”
During the day, Captain Walren is usually found at the helm of his barge, whistling quietly to himself, observing the wind and waves, and offering quiet suggestions to Mabon on direction and speed. At night, he usually sleeps in his small quarters at the back of the barge’s cabin.
Captain Walren’s course is simple: his little barge won’t survive for longer than a day out in the heart of Lake Encarthan—the waves of the notoriously blustery lake would flip or smash his river vessel in short order—so he sticks to the coast along the lake’s southern shore, no more than 1 or 2 miles from shore. On Kuthona the 3rd, the vessel is sailing along the Molthuni coast. Captain Walren is nervous about Molthuni privateers and annoyed by the rain, which – he explains – will likely slow you down, but thankfully his fears are unfounded. You travel, at least since now, has been peaceful.
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Calden is quickly reaccustomed to life aboard the river boat. He spends a lot of time on deck exercising. It's been too long, with our life at the temple.
In between practice sessions, he seeks out Garen. "Hello there. It seems like Captain Walran bulked out the crew for his boat since we our last trip. You're from Tamran?"
--
On the evening of Kutona the 2nd, Calden clears his throat when he is alone with his companions in their cabin. "There's something I've been putting off, something I have to tell you," he starts, somewhat nervous. He looks around for support.
"You know that in the temple, I spoke with Ofelia a couple of times. I'm not sure how much you could hear about what we spoke of, I think she warded our conversations... Anyway, she told me she's from Kassen, just as we are. She's one of Vargidan's, although she was thrown out for disagreeing wih him." He looks around again, gauging reactions. "So, she managed to write me a letter before she..." He trails off, a sad look clear on his face. He pulls out the blood-stained letter from his coat, but doesn't open it. Words then flow from his mouth in a torrent. "Vargidan somehow got the idea that my family, the Tiggs, we're the last descendants of Kassen himself. It's ludicrous of course, but she seemed so adamant. And she wouldn't really have any reason to lie about it, right? If you think about it, Kassen founded our town, and we don't really know much about him, so him might have had a wife, and children, and... And apparently, his daughter was my grandpa's mother, if we believe Ofelia." He finally stops talking.
"Weird, huh?" He leans forwards with his elbows on his knees. "I'm not even sure that it's true, or what it means if it is. I just thought that you should know."
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The sprawling majesty of Lake Encarthan seems to mystify Korech, having only known the comparatively tight spaces of the forest and Kassen. The horizon seems to go on just forever, and Korech once more spends time above deck trying to find quiet ways to make himself useful, just to enjoy the fresh wind, the rock of the boat, and the paradox of being trapped on the boat yet incredibly free.
I wish we could go further from shore, to be entirely surrounded by the sea.
He also returns to his studies of the Parables, renewing his interest in the religion, and forcing himself to constantly improve his common, inserting more modifiers and increasing his vocabulary wherever possible. The introverted half-orc doesn't offer much conversation for the others, that is until Calden reveals his letter.
Korech listens intently and patiently as Calden reveals the secret of his heritage.
"So you are zstąpił - ah, descended from Kassen? Maybe there is a destiny for you with this mission. Kassen did great things, and what we do may be as important as Kassen. Maybe some day your ghost will give wisdom to adventurers in an old tomb!"
He grins.
"But why a secret? This doesn't change things. I am still sad about Ofelia though."
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Shirzon spends a lot of time talking with Mabon, enthralled by his stories of adventure (as well as sharing a couple of the Kassenites' trials and tribulations). She makes herself useful on board (when it's convenient for her), and pens a few letters to Asina. She was glad to spend some time with her little sister after they returned from the temple, but the days were busy and she didn't get to relax and talk as much as she would have liked. Despite its dangers, Tamran felt like a place Shirzon could make a home out of. Visiting Asina, doing Pathfinder work in the area... But all that would come later. She focuses now on the task at hand, as they draw ever closer to the Isle of Terror.
---
Shirzon is repairing a hole in her shirt when Calden draws everyone's attention, and she puts her needle away to focus. She doesn't interrupt, and her expression is relatively calm. She does raise her eyebrows at the revelation that Calden may be Kassen's descendant, but she lets him finish before talking. A thought strikes her about how she'd probably never have let Calden finish this long of a speech, much less respectfully, a couple of months ago, but she shakes it off with a smirk to address what he has to say.
"It's interesting information to have, that's for sure. Strange that it came from Vargidan, but that whole family was kind of creepy, if I remember. I never messed with that house--probably just superstition, but I wasn't gonna risk it." She tilts her head and gives Calden a meaningful look. With a single, quiet chuckle and a smirk, she continues, "So you could be Kassen's blood, huh? Huh. I don't know if it's that ludicrous. That could explain why I disliked you so much back before we went to Kassen's crypt," she jokes. "In any case, we're following the same path he did. If you're Calden's great-great-grandson, maybe it's fate. Maybe it's luck. Maybe it's just a good story. Let's make sure we finish what he started."
---
After a leisurely silence, she speaks up, in Orcish. Her own Orcish is a little rusty, being limited by what she picked up from her "uncle" Grimscar. There are a couple of words she doesn't know, replaced with pidgin Taldane, but it's still Orcish. "Hey. I noticed your Taldane is getting better. I've seen you reading more, and I'm glad you're figuring your stuff out." She's quiet for a moment, still looking out at the lake. Then, she turns to address her friend more directly. "I didn't know you too well back in Kassen--not like anyone really did, besides Arnama I guess. But I'm glad the mayor, or whoever, picked us to go get the Everflame. Never would have thought those people would want a couple of half-orcs getting involved in their traditions. I guess we had some friends who thought we deserved to be a part of the community, even though there were plenty of people who didn't trust us. And when we came back with the Everflame, even though everything went wrong, Kassen accepted us. They treated us like heroes! And then in Tamran, there were people we had never met thanking us for getting rid of that cult."
Despite this list of achievements, Shirzon doesn't seem particularly happy. She looks away, brow furrowed in thought and frustration. She's grasping for the right words, it seems--both because her Orcish isn't great, and because she seems to be grappling with a feeling she hasn't been able to say out loud before. "I wanted to prove to everyone in Kassen that I was more than what they thought I could be. And I wanted to prove it to myself. And we've come far, and there's no doubt that we've done a lot of good and accomplished things that no one else could do: we were in the right place at the right time, and we had the ability. But... But people still see us as just a couple of tusked half-breeds. We have to prove ourselves over and over again." She frowns and looks back up at Korech, still unsure. "I guess what I'm trying to say is... I"m glad we're friends. It's good to have someone else around who can understand all that stuff. I don't know."
She takes another look out at the water before addressing Korech again, her voice resolute. "Like I said, your Taldane is getting better. But your Orcish has always been excellent. It's really impressive that you picked up two whole languages, when most humans I know only know one. Do you think... you could teach me to speak Orcish better? I learned what I could from Grimscar, but mostly he just complained or cursed. I've spent all this time trying to prove what I was worth to humans. I figure it's time to balance it out a little, and own up to the part of me that isn't human. What do you say?"
Calden seems relieved at his companions' reactions. Or maybe it's just relief at having told the others. Korech's joke earns him an eye-roll and Calden sticks his tongue out at Shirzon for the woman's jab. There's a smile behind the reactions, though.
"Since reading the letter, I've been thinking the same thing, about fate and all. Whether it means anything. Or maybe it's just a coincidence..." He's silent for a bit, then thinks of something. "Can you imagine the opportunity we had - I had - when we spoke with Kassen's ghost? I could have asked him, if I had known back then."
The journey aboard the Black Mist continues. Despite Captain’s Walren concerns about Molthuni privateers, the river barge sails along the coast of Molthune without anyone disturbing its course. Another day passes by as you relax and enjoy some deserved downtime. The rain keeps falling though, but the mood on the vessel is happy and calm.
Calden has confessed the contents of Ofelia’s letter to his companions, but he also had a chance to spend some time with Garen, one of the three new crew members of the Black Mist. To Calden’s question, Garen replied: “Aye. Born there, grown there. But then I’ve sailed ‘cause I wanted to see the world. I’ve been in Ustalav and Druma, and now the Isle of Terror, apparently. One day, I hope I see the whole Lake Encarthan region! Besides, the pay is good.”
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— Starday, Kuthona the 4th, 4609 AR
— Morning
— Lake Encarthan, Molthuni coast
— Cloudy, cold and rainy
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This fourth day of travel has not begun differently from the others: you’ve woken up early in the morning, had a light breakfast and then spent the vast majority of your time reading, prowling around the upper deck, writing letters, creating alchemical substances or simply talking among yourselves or to the crew members. The weather is very bad today, even to the point of causing Captain Walren to stop his usual whistling. The rain falls thick, the clouds prevent the sun from shining on the sea and a cold breeze blows from the north. The constant bad weather has worsened the mood of the entire crew, whose members are unusually silent and grim today.
To make matters worse, the boat suddenly starts to roll and bounce much more than it should. Those of you who were already on the upper deck try to understand what’s going on by taking a look down at the sea. The other, who were in their quarters, quickly move to the upper deck in order to check the situation. You’re all wearing armors and weapons, since Captain Walren has warned you about the dangers of the journey, especially the possibility of another attack by Molthuni privateers.
It takes a while for you and the crewmembers to realize what’s going on: at first, your impression is that the barge has hit a protruding rock, but as time passes, you clearly comprehend that there must be something more. Indeed, in a moment when the sun can shine on the water, you spot a whirlpool right below the Black Mist. Although not big enough to swallow the vessel, the vortex is strangely moving along with the river barge, following its course. Back in Tamran, you’ve heard sailors and dockworkers speak about ‘water spirits’, but no one mentioned they were whirlpools chasing down vessels.
Suddenly, the boat starts rolling very violently, and you and the crew members risk to fall down in the water below!
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Korech leans against the railing like always, staring out to sea and lost in thoughts. He jumps a little as he hears the footsteps behind him, but offers a shy, somewhat craggy smile to Shirzon, which fades as he listens to seriously to her.
"We half-breeds come from war and violence. Maybe some of us come from a happy place, but I've never met one. The humans don't understand that. Or maybe they do, which is why so many don't like us. I get bitter about it but... I knew pain with the orcs, and starvation in the forest. Kassen's people may have never entirely accepted me, but it's the best home I've ever known."
He shows some tusks in a bit of a grin.
"And it's a deal. Both of us need to learn the two languages. If we're going to be in-between everything, we might as well be good at all of it. I'm glad you're here too it's... very hard for me to know people."
Korech finally turns away from the deck.
"I never wanted to prove anything, I just wanted to have a place to belong. Stopping cults and attacking dangerous islands wasn't what I expected, but if this is where we belong, then we'll make the most of it."
Korech remains above-deck and absolutely soaked to the skin, his little copy of the Parables tucked away on his bunk. Having never particularly been bothered by the rain thanks to years outdoors, he continues to revel in the chaos and noise of the storm.
He grips on tight, grinning a little as the ship begins to buck, thinking that it's another big wave. When he spots the whirlpools, and realizes the ship is in real danger, he lets out a shout.
Damnit, what do they call that in Taldane?
"SPIN-WATER IS MOVING! DOES NOT LIKE US!"
Merephel stays quiet throughout Calden's confession. By the time he's done, she is a confused mess of emotions. Unshed tears in her eyes, yet a smile on her face.
"I...I grieve for Ofelia. She was good to us. A friend, when we had no reason to expect any.
She has trouble continuing, but after a few deep calming breaths, she got herself under control.
"And while I already miss her, and feel she should have had more time with us, I'm very excited for you and your family, Calden! That's truly a tremendous honor. But, to be fair, I'm not surprised. You inhereited his honor, and that is a wonderful gift."
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When the boat shudders, Merephel gasps.
"Did we hit something? Shelyn, please don't let us crash again!"
She looks around wildly, trying to figure out what has happened.
Calden stands up and puts a hand on Merephel's shoulder, squeezing gently. "She did what she could to help us, and we were lucky to find help in there. I think there's a lesson in there, although I think that one should be close to your heart already." He lets go and is about to leave the cabin. "I'll go to Vargidan when this is over, and tell him about her. She deserves that, and I guess he does as well."
--
"That's a nice dream," Calden answers Garen. "I'm glad that Walren managed to hire some more crew. He seems pretty on edge, so close to the Molthuni coast."
--
When the boat starts to roll and bounce, Calden gives up on trying his balance exercises. He holds on tight to the railing and looks over the edge. There's no such things as water spirits, or is there? He yells to Walren, looking for direction. "Captain! What is it? Is there anything we can do to help?"
Shirzon frowns in concern at the ship-following whirlpool as it matches their course. She's about to call out to the captain to ask what to do when the ship starts rocking violently. "Hold on everyone!" she manages to call out as the boat pitches and the rain streaks her face with rain. Her hood blows back in the wind, and she grabs for the railing to save herself.
“” shouts Captain Walren, his voice echoing amid the desperate cries of the crew. “” the captain yells at Zandu. The Varisian boy, however, appears to have no intentions to give up. “But…” he tries to say. “
Korech, Shirzon and Calden all managed to maintain the balance despite the violent rolling of the vessel, but Merephel slided. Thankfully, at least she managed to hold on to the railing. Garen rushes to her and brings her back on the deck. Mabon steers the Black Mist desperately, in an attempt to avoid the whirlpool. Suddenly, the vessel gains stability, as though it had avoided the vortex. But in a matter of seconds an unnaturally high wave crushed on the boat to stern, flooding the entire upper deck. The water quickly flows out of the vessel, but a pool of bright water remains. Abruptly, the pool of crystal water comes to life, taking the shape of something you’re rather familiar with: that of a water elemental!
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• Calden
• Korech
• Garen & Gork
•
• Shirzon
• Merephel
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Deadeye guide my arrows...
"I hope this thing good for shooting!" shouts Korech before he unshoulders his bow, firing off an arrow.
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With the ship stabilized, Shirzon wipes the rain from her eyes and faces the roiling mass of living water. Doubting her weapons will be particularly effective, she activates her wrist sheath and a wand pops into her hand. She focuses, then fires off two bolts of force to strike the elemental.
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Merephel climbs to her feet, and raises her holy symbol. She starts to cast a spell, and then sputters as a spray of water catches her in the face.
After quickly wiping her face, she tries again.
"Shelyn, lend us your blessing!"
She quickly casts Bless on the entire crew.
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Calden swallows at seeing the massive column of water on the foredeck. "Somehow I wish I didn't know what such a water elemental is capable of..." How do you deal with a thing like that? Would it fade after a certain while? It did when we used the shard to summon one. But it could tear the boat apart before it vanishes...
Steeling himself against what me come, Calden shakes his limbs loose. He then hustles up the stairs as he grabs his quarterstaff, bobbing and weaving to avoid the elemental's attack. Once he reaches the position he wants, he grabs the staff in both hands and takes a massive swing.
Calden quickly closes in on the elemental. He’s so fast that the watery creature isn’t able to react to his advance. When he gets in position, the Kassenite lad strikes a solid blow with his quarterstaff. That strike would have been enough to knock down any normal opponent, but that’s not the case of the elemental: the creature’s watery body seems to absorb part of the damage, and the lack of vital organs prevents Calden from killing it with this single hit. Despite this, though, Calden’s strike is still violent, and damages the creature significantly.
Right after, Korech shoots his bow, but the rains gets in the way and deflects his arrow, preventing hit from reaching its intended target and sending it to plunge in the water instead. Just at the last moment, though, Korech’s invocation of Erastil’s favor seems to suddenly change the course of his arrow, or maybe it was just a gust of wind: fact is, the Korech’s arrow gets it right and harms the elemental, although not as much as Korech hoped.
“Shoot it guys!” cries out Captain Walren to Garen and Grok. The two sailors quickly carry out the order by loading their longbows and shooting them at the elemental. Despite the rain, Garen’s arrow actually manages to fly to the target and hit the elemental, although it causes only minor damage to the watery elemental creature. Grok’s shoot is very inaccurate instead, probably because of the thick rain impeding his sight.
The elemental unleashes its fury on the nearest opponent, Calden. The first attack is just too fast and violent for Calden to dodge it, even with his ki focus on defense. A watery slam hits the Kassenite, causing him an aching pain to his head. Thankfully, Calden does not loses his nerves and manages to avoid the second attack instead by jumping back and maintaining the balance despite the wet floor.
Shirzon successfully activates her magic wand, and two bolts of light blue energy are fired from her wand. The force missiles fly to the elemental and hit it violently: it seems like the creature is not so resistant to magic damages as it is to physical damage!
Right after, Merephel invokes the blessing of her goddess and imbues the party with righteous energy.
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• Calden
• Korech
• Garen & Gork
•
• Shirzon
• Merephel
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Shirzon yanks the hood of her cloak up over her head again, grumbling against the wind and rain. She winces as she sees Calden take a hit from the elemental, calling out over the rain, "Hang in there, Calden! We've got your back!" With that she focuses her will into the wand again, and another two bolts of force spring forth, winding through the rain at the elemental.
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Merephel calls out to her Goddess.
"Shelyn, keep your child close, and hold me to your breast. I go forth in your Name!"
She casts Shield of Faith on herself, and runs to the edge of the upper deck.
"I'm coming Calden! Shelyn will aid you!"
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Realizing that he is not in a good situation to use his bow, Korech braves the worst of the elemental, tossing his bow aside, grabbing his axe, and roaring in to attack!
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Reeling from the blow, Calden has difficulty separating the rain from the watery creature for a moment. "Aye!" he yells back to Shirzon. "Hurry up, though, I'm getting clobbered! No idea how to dodge this thing." Continuing to channel his energy on defense, he starts to spin the quarterstaff in front of him and takes two powerful jabs at the elemental.