Gameplay Thread
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Determined to 'get smart', Norine finds herself in the Pathfinder Society's bookstore, picking up volumes on history, the planes, and religion.
At nearby suppliers, she finds a heatstone, a flask of alchemist's fire, and a healer's kit. She then buys 20 small cold iron sling bullets and uses alchemical silver weapon blanch on 10 and adamantine weapon blanch on 10, selecting 5 of each and leaving the rest at home with her regular sling bullets. She then picks up a cold-weather outfit and nice winter blanket. Mmmm, cozy.
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A familiar-looking figure walks into the room. For those who adventured with him before, Todric looks somewhat changed from the last time.
His frame is more muscular, and his expression is less self-confident and commanding. Still, he carries the same trusty rapier at his side. The fine links of a mithril shirt are just visible beneath his adventuring garb.
"Well, well, little ones! Norine, it's good to see you with a full head of hair! And to our new companion, it's a pleasure to meet you."
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Norine looks up from her tea and books and gives Brandon and Todric a welcoming smile. She, too, has changed some, since she and Todric had last met. Indeed, her hair had grown back after the vargouille's kiss, though it completely changed in color from greens to silvery-white and gray - a final touch from the Mists, it seems. (Sometimes, too, she wakes from dreams where her ears are great flapping wings flying her head over strange vistas...)
She looks a little envious at Todric's mithral shirt, "I see that you better manage your coin than I, Todric. But, I should, at least, be a better healer than I was. Maybe more knowledgeable, too!" she adds, tapping a small pile of Pathfinder Chronicles.
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"Fair enough, Norine, although as to managing coin, I just happened to have quite a bit stashed away. I trained under Master Farabellus at the Grand Lodge for the last few months. While my skill with a sword has greatly improved, I've forgotten how to use magic! Still, a good deal of the knowledge remains, so hopefully it will prove useful."
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Ebon walks in, chaffing in a new breastplate with a Greatsword emblazoned on it. He tugs at it as he approaches, and sits by Norine.
" Hello little one, ready to brave the world again? I ... I am but need some help.."
He looks down and with trepidation pulls out a wand of CLW.
" Can you teach me to use this? The priest of Gorum say I can, but I have never done anything like this before."
He almost seems more afraid than when the monkeys were about...
His birthmark on his forearm has become more clear, and is definitely a Greatsword. It seems to glimmer in the light.
Glancing around he room at the others, his nervousness vanishes.
"Todric! Good to have you back with us....You seem...Different. I like it."
" And who might you be small fry? Another of the wee folk come to adventure with us. Welcome!"
He grins broadly as he greets the other two, before settling back and looking at Norine.
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Calanthe had remained in Falcon's Hollow with Laurel for some time after her last mission, wanting to help the healer with the last remnants of the disease that still remained in the town. She was also worried about her own health, and thought it would be best to not put too much strain on herself by travelling when ill. By the time she made it back to Absalom, it seemed the group she had been adventuring with lately had already been assigned to another mission, and she waited with some trepidation for where her fate would take her next. I hope the next group is as kind as the last...
The shy witch takes her time entering the lodge, trying to scope out who she was to be with this time in advance. Morrigan on her shoulder rolls her eyes as Calanthe tries (and fails) to hide herself behind a pillar and seem inconspicuous. The brown-feathered bird decides to "help out" by flying off her shoulder, swooping gently across the room and landing upon Norine's shoulder with a familiar yet quiet whip-poor-will.
"Ohh, Morrigan, wait! Where are you--" Calanthe dashes after her familiar, her baggy hood flipping back as she runs to reveal her long white hair and fiendishly curved horns. With a quiet 'eep!' and her cheeks flushing red with embarrassment, she skitters to a stop and glances hesitantly up at the group, her heart in her throat.
"Oh... Norine..." she breathes, the relief evident in her entire body - let alone her voice. "And you too, Ebon..." Calanthe smiles a little; it seemed the strings of fate connecting these two to her had not yet come to an end. "Long time no see..."
Calanthe hesitantly glances up at the two other unknown men, looking unbidden into their souls as she does so. The human seems... bright and warm... that's a good sign... but the halfling is very different... regimented, somehow...
"H-hello..." the tiefling tugs her hood back over her head, her eyes darting to the ground. Morrigan, on Norine's shoulder, rolls her eyes again and begins to preen herself.
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Tod turns to greet the others as they enter "Targost! It looks like you've recovered as well! Norine's hair grew back in this amazing new color."
Noticing Calanthe, he tries to make a good impression. He makes an elegant bow, well-practiced in his days in bard college, and says: "Well met, fair lady. Todric Callaster at your service. Might I have the pleasure of knowing your name?"
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Norine looks apologetically to the big Shoanti. "Excuse me, Ebon! What I do is say the command words just so," she does them in her best magisterial voice, "and wave it like this. I like to think good thoughts, but I'm not sure that does anything..." She then trades her command words with Ebon, in case anything should happen to either of them.
Surprised to discover this new side of Ebon, Norine begins to enthusiastically explain each of her scrolls and healing items to him (she has also labeled each of them clearly in the common tongue, which helps in the heat of battle).
Not able to remain serious for long, Norine suggests that "When Targost arrives, we should all be wearing crudely made scarves and give him panicked looks! Hehe!"
As some members of the group reunite, and others make their introductions, a young lad scurries up to the group carrying a letter. "H..hello." he stammers, "Are you Brandon Burrowwarden, Calanthe Rossa, Ebon Kai, Norine Pepfarin Epfafeen, Targost, and Todric Callaster? Venture Captain Brackett wants to speak with you."
Once the collective is ready to go, the young page leads you to a side office of the Pathfinder Society's chapter house in Almas. The windows are open in this rather militaristic office, with very little done in the way of creature comforts. A chilly autumn breeze occasionally drifts through the office, but careful placement of paperweights prevents it from disturbing the Venture-Captain's work. Normally brash and outgoing, the hatchet faced veteran's face instead wore an expression of guarded concern. “I need you to venture into the Aspodell Mountains between Cheliax and Andoran; a dwarven prospector there seeks a lost dwarven site and we want in on his expedition. The prospector’s name is Torvic and he’s obsessively searched for years, hoping to find the hidden galleries of his ancestor, the dwarven craftsman Barek Triongger.”
A crash of the door from behind the group herald's the arrival of another. A small mousy man with wide glasses scurries in. The chapter’s librarian Wystorn Telfyr continues past the group, bumping into the hulking form of Ebon with hardly a notice, and from a small wooden case, he produces several tattered scrolls and a gleaming, strangely phosphorescent pearl. “We recently acquired these from a man called Beggar. They describe the Gallery of Wonders built by Barek Triongger during the death throes of the dwarven Empire of Tar Khadurrm.” Picking up the strangely-glowing pearl, the librarian continues, “These pearls are only found in the deepest of the Darklands’ seas. While not especially valuable, a cache of these would be a rare find. Divinations revealed that Barek apparently used this one as a key. We could claim substantial favors from the dwarves of Emperor’s Peak should we discover what it’s a key for.”
Seeing the librarian getting excited over the prospect, Venture-Captain Brackett rests his hand on the mans shoulder, quieting him immediately. “I’m wagering that Beggar stole these items, as the likelihood of a wandering vagabond possessing legally acquired dwarven heirlooms seems small. Looking through these documents and comparing them to Pathfinder Chronicles on the matter, it’s clear that this Torvic is onto something.” Brackett cocks a thumb toward Telfyr. “Our librarian was able to glean some information from Beggar about where he acquired these items and was also able to divine a likely location where the dwarf might be holed up. Find him and make an alliance with him; hopefully, he’ll want his pearl back and will show you the way to the Gallery of Wonders.” With that said he looks to the group, clearly ready for the bombard of questions that usually follows the rather short briefing.
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"For curiosity, will we be on the Andorran side of the border or the Chelaxian?"
"How many days out are the locations described from the nearest civilization, and how should we be outfitted for the expedition? What is the weather like in the areas we will be going through and the mountains we will be in?"
"What kind of craftman was Barek Triongger? And what kind of wonders are described?"
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"Who is this Beggar fellow? How did he come across Torvic? Maybe we should take him with us and turn him over as a show of good faith with the dwarf."
He ponders for a moment, then shrugs.
" Did the diviners say anything else? Like what troubles to expect?"
Hard to think of things we may need to know...Not used to seeing beyond the blade...
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Calanthe immediately flushes crimson at the rather extravagant greeting Todric gives her, the well-practiced charms working well on a girl so inexperienced with people being so pleasant to her. She tries her best to hide it, but between her supernaturally-pale skin and incredible awkwardness it's clear as day that she's been left flustered by it. So much so that she barely even notices Brandon's hand (or the fact that he was staring at her).
"... C-Calanthe..." she says quietly, gently shaking the halfling's hand but not removing her gaze from the floor. "A... A pleasure to meet you too..."
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Calanthe listens carefully to the briefing, trying to recall if she'd ever heard of the Gallery of Wonders or the Empire of Tar Khadurrm in her perusals of the Society's vast libraries. As she muses, she listens to the question and answer session run by her fellow team-mates.
The Venture-Captain nods as the questions are asked, fully anticipating many of these. "They began their expedition on the Andoran side of mountain range. How far they travelled is not known to me, so in the end, you may be in Cheliax. You will be hiking to the mountain and then within them. There are no villages within many days of your target location, so prepare for camping in the wilderness and many miles of difficult overland travel. As to the type of craftsman Barek was, that is kept a mystery even to us. He was very secretive of his trade, but he was revered by his fellows for his skill, no small feat among dwarves."
Turning to Edon and Todric, he continues "Beggar will not be available to assist you, he is currently serving a reduced sentence for theft in the local prison. I think that answers what type of man he is. As for the dangers you will face. Torvic was going into long abandoned ruins to uncover hidden riches. I think as experienced pathfinders you should know what to expect. I do not have any specifics, but mountain ruins do not usually stay abandoned for long. Others may be interested in their find, but no interest has been made aware to us. I know not of any enemies to Torvic, but I would count Torvic among the many enemies of Beggar."
The man chuckles at the idea of the Society footing the bill for supplies. "The society will be paying for your travel to the town, but what you bring with you will be yours to keep bought with your own money. Expect about two weeks of travel to the town, and then two more of hiking through the mountains to your destination."
The following morning, after purchasing their supplies, the group joins up with a small merchant caravan making a final trip through the outlying towns before winter sets in and the snows hamper travel. The two weeks of travel with the caravan go uneventfully in the brisk autumn air, and the few hired guards enjoy the added safety the group provides. Norine spends some time instructing Ebon on the use of wands and giving pointers on spellcasting, though Ebon gets the distinct feeling at times Gorum would have guided his hands, even without this tutelage.
Arriving at the distant village of Piren’s Bluff at the foot of the mountains, they part ways with the caravan and after spending one final night in the soft beds of the inn, begin their long hike into the mountains. Desna’s luck continues to grace the party for the first week of their hike, there is but one rainburst, and though they can see snow in the mountain peaks, their path remains free of that wintery hindrance. Though the group lacks much in wilderness survival skills, Ebon is able supplement their rations with the occasional wild beast, and make sure the others do not bed down in poison ivy. The second week however, finds the elements turn against them. The trail turns up into the heart of the mountains, and the party must travel through relentless mountain winds and sleeting rain, clamber through jagged stone faces and slogging through ice crusted mud. Gnarled conifers surround the mountain trail and their fallen needles carpet the rocky valley. The trail cuts back and forth upslope toward the small cave described by Telfyr as the last known location of Torvic.
Ebon hears the sound of an insect chittering and a wet crunch from inside the cave mouth.
As the group draws weapons, the sounds on scuttling can be heard, followed shortly by the head of a giant ant. The creature pauses as it sees something new, dropping the lump of flesh it was carrying in it's mandibles. As it falls, you catch sight of a bushy beard and workman's cloths. After the ant, barely visible behind it's abdomen are two squat, ugly creatures with bloated blue faces. One look at the armed party and the squeak out in undercommon
Better prepared than their foes, the entire party leaps into action!
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Calanthe did not particularly enjoy the travel into the mountains, not being the most physically adept of people, although she does her best to not complain and keep up with the others. The conditions make her sullen and quiet (more so than usual!) from the rough slog, and she begins to wonder if she'd done particularly poorly on her last job for the Society to receive this particular mission.
The witch draws and loads her crossbow at Ebon's warning, following behind the frontline before they spy the strange blue creature and their pet ant. She locks her eyes on the poor soul apparently previously being eaten by the ant, searching desperately for any flickering signs of life.
She steps to the side and fires a bolt at the humanoids in the back.
Calanthe sees death beginning to manifest over the fallen dwarf, and knows that without help, his time will soon be at an end. Lucky for him the party reacts with deadly efficiency. Calanthe’s both strikes one in the gut, and while perhaps not with as much force as she expected, is more than sufficient to crumple the tiny creature. Targost’s arrow clatters off the cave wall near the other creature, its milky eyes wide with fright at the death of his comrade. Todric thrusts his rapier up into the ants mouth, where it is quickly followed by Brandon’s bolt, that flies true even with his reluctance to fire into melee combat.
Norine’s minds whirls but can’t quite place the creatures.
Ebon feels a motivating force as if Gorum himself was driving him to battle.
Ebon rushes to the mouth of the cave, bellowing for Todric to get back and let him take a crack at the ant.
Enraged by the pain in it's head caused by the pointy stick man, the ant lashes out at Todric, catching him across the chest with its barbed mandibles, flesh tearing as it chews. The creature behind it shows surprising agility as it scurries up the wall for a better shot on the one that killed his friend, as a it flings a dirty shard of metal at Calanthe, slightly scratching her.