Iron Gods: Forged into Legends

Game Master polyfrequencies

Pending objections or alternate courses of action from Basil or Thawm, we'll proceed there!

Basil, Keldor, and Thawm leave Hellion's shattered chassis in the redoubt far below the Scrapmaster Arena and begin the journey back up through the domain of the fallen iron god. They traverse through caverns where the bodies of their fallen foes, the members of the now-defunct Lords of Rust, lie in ungentle repose. They ascend the stairs into the once-temple and out into the Scrapmaster Arena where they slew the troll Helskarg and proved their scrapworth. The troll's body lies there still, now half-picked over by the city's carrion feeders. The receiver array, cause of so many of Torch's problems, still smokes in the distance to the southeast.

The party is able to walk through Scrapwall unmolested. Whether or not anyone knows that Hellion has been defeated and the Lords of Rust essentially disbanded, everyone knows these outsiders of tremendous scrapworth. The Smilers' territory is all-but abandoned, with some of the more enterprising independent residents of the city even boldly walking up towards their headquarters. It does not take long at all to enter the territory of Redtooth's Raiders, where a few ratfolk look at you all expectantly. You are escorted with verve and aplomb into the warren and Redtooth's throne room, where Redtooth sits awaiting your arrival. Her brother Whiskifiss stands nearby, crossbow in hand, nodding approvingly at you.
"What news?" Redtooth asks from her throne. "You're alive, so I'm hopeful."

Pity on the Glaucite. Makes sense, though. But pity all the same :)

When the Xill compares her to Meyanda before it's departure, Basil nods:"We met. And I am stronger than her. Her faith in Hellion was misplaced. Mine in my companions was not."

She leaves it at that, bidding the Xill farewell as it returns to it's own plane, then retrieves the laser torch unless Thawm wanted it - Basil did not intend to use it as a weapon, but saw great utility in it as a tool.

As they move through Scrapwall, the impact their actions had on the city are readily apparent, but Basil cares little. She had set out to safeguard the only home she knew - any other good that came from her actions was tangential.

For that reason, her report to Redtooth is also rather blunt:"We succeeded in our task. Hellion is no more. The entirety of the Lords of Rusts leaders share his fate. It would seem Scrapwall belongs to you and the Falcons now. I suggest continued cooperation between your camps and Dinvaya. Maybe even a politically advantageous marriage between Whiskifiss and Sevroth could be arranged to solidify relations?"

Thawm lets Basil take the torch, happy with her adamantine dagger.

---

"We can at least see if they're interested." Thawm adds after Basil's suggestion, smiling.

forgot to post this after the 2nd and 3rd try to remove the curse:

Nodding, Keldor/Gauntlet obviously tries to keep his movements small, and his new wings settled, so as to not hit anyone nearby inadvertently.

"Regardless, whatever happens next is up to you and the other free people of Scrapwall. Maybe set up some sort of civilized style of government everyone can agree on? Gang rule just seems...unproductive to raising families, defending your homes and livelihoods."

My new 'pellet blast' spell could use some special materials too. Small adamantine (and similar) bits will add versatility to the spell.

Redtooth claps her hands in excitement when Basil pronounces Hellion "no more." The news elicits a mixture of gasps and cheers from other ratfolk in the room. It feels, in some ways, like the raiders are able to breathe for the first time in months.

Following the rest of the declarations--including the recommendation of marriage between Whiskifiss and Sevroth (which earns a scoff from the male ratfolk)--Redtooth raises her hands to call for silence from her kin. "You three lived up to your scrapworth. I'll take the recommendations under advisement, of course, but you have my thanks and that of my warren." She gestures out towards the gathered, who are nodding and squeaking around you. "We have some rebuilding to do. What will you do?"

You may yet find some more skymetals! Especially if you go back to Torch.

We're going to DISNEYLAND! - I've always wanted to do that...

Smiling unknowingly behind the implacable mask of Gauntlet, Keldor turns to look in the general direction of Torch.

"Without meaning any offense Lady Redtooth...pretty far away from Scrapwall if I can help it. A least for a while. You have an interesting home, but...it is not mine. We have some friends in Torch we need to return to and let them know we succeeded in what we came here to do. After that...only the gods know for now."

If Disneyland could exist anywhere on Golarion, Numeria would probably be the place. More likely Defunctland, though.

Redtooth clicks her tongue at Keldor. "No offense taken, lad. But never mind the gods--mark your own destiny. See to your tribe and we'll see to ours."

She smiles gently, her two prominent incisors jutting out. "If you find yourselves in the Sellen Hills again, you're welcome here."

"Many thanks." Thawm replies, inclining her head.

I vote pretty cleric lady!

If Basil has any closing comments for Redtooth, Whiskifiss, or the other Raiders, feel free, but we'll scoot over to pretty cleric lady!

The statue of Brigh outside of the Clockwork Chapel greets the Torch Trio and allows them into the chapel proper, where Dinvaya is--perhaps surprisingly--nowhere to be seen. But a few moments later, she enters the room. As opposed to her usual appearance with goggles, an apron, and grease-covered hands, she has one towel wrapped around her hair and another around her torso. "Ah, good, I had hoped you were still alive," she says. She winks at Keldor. "Give me just a moment and I'll be right with you."

She disappears once more to go get dressed in her usual attire.

Feel free to interact amongst yourselves with your usual hazing of the poor paladin and assume that she's back when you want to speak with her.

Gauntlet instantly lets off small steam jets from his neck, shoulders, and wrists. He then disappears leaving Keldor to stumble a bit.

“Wait. What just happened?”

"It's obvious: she used divination to detect that you're approaching and wanted to be sure to get to work on that litter." Thawm explains, unable to keep a straight face as she teases Keldor.

"Litter? Where? I don't see any trash here. This IS her temple..."

He starts distracting himself by looking around...anywhere other than where the half-nude woman went.

"I better check for any trash before she gets back. Can't have 'trash' cluttering a holy place! A-HA."

A joyful exclamation is followed with an old broom in hand held like weapon, and Keldor intently looking for errant trash...and now the dreaded dust bunny monsters that must lurk everywhere!

"A lady never reveals her secrets, Thawm!" comes a voice from deeper in the Clockwork Chapel.

Keldor busies himself with certain *ahem* bunnies, dashing between the four carvings of Brigh and her four clockwork creations. The avatars of Brigh watch over the nervous half-elf as his broom flits around a clockwork spider, a clockwork boar, a clockwork lion, and a clockwork wyvern. By the time Dinvaya returns, fully dressed (and for once lacking grease stains), she chuckles at Keldor's actions, walking up to him and booping his nose with her index finger.
"I didn't take you for so much the domestic type, young man." She looks at the others, perhaps a bit bedraggled from their furious fight but at least sufficiently rested.
"I take it that it's done, then?" she asks. "Following your initial incursion, I haven't seen the Lords of Rust in Scrapwall. If any fled before your blades, they must have disavowed their allegiance and folded into the scrap."

"They all... suddenly, involuntarily, and permanently retired." Thawm explains.

Blushing at the nose touching, Keldor nods.

"They were defeated by our strength of purpose and arms...the remaining rabble retreated post-haste."

Thawm, I just remembered. Did you keep the Grapple-hook gun the Troll used on you in the arena? That's pretty cool.

No big closing remarks, Basil will say her goodbyes to Redtooth and wish them well for the future.

When they arrive at the Clockwork Chapel, Basil barely takes note of the banter, checking out the most recent creation Dinvaya was working on with the new materials they had retrieved for her, but speaks up when she returns and addresses them: "As my companions already voiced, our task was successful. Hellion was brought low. We wanted to let our allies in Scrapwall know before returning to Torch to report. I assume we will depart tomorrow in the morning, passing through the Steel Hawks territory and picking up a new horse and cart for the ballistae we left there. I trust you will extend your hospitality to us for another night? Your recent work looks fascinating. May Thawm and I attempt to learn a bit from it while you and Keldor attempt to breed? Or would you prefer our verbal input and advice on your activity to optimize your chances for conception?"
She innocently looks directly at Dinvaya, as if she had asked if the woman also wanted a drink, when she was going to fetch one for herself anyway.

Keldor turns beet red and furiously attacks…all the dust bunnies he can find! All the while he mutters about: ‘Baking bread! That’s what she said! Yeppers! BREAD. B-R-E-A-D! Yep…’

Bread?
Put a bun in the oven instead.
:D

Thawm can't quite completely stifle her amusement at Keldor's discomfort.

So many buns!

Dinvaya arches one eyebrow rather high. "Basil, there's only one party whose verbal input I pay attention to during congress. That's not to say that I'm necessarily opposed to a--ahh, what do the Galtans call it?--a ménage à trois. But I feel like poor Keldor's head might explode if we knead-le him too much. Just look at that color. I think you're really getting a rise out of him." She laughs and walks a bit closer to the indecorous android, who is otherwise observing the clockworks. "You are of course welcome here. And I'm as happy to discuss my work as to engage in other activities."

Still muttering to himself, Keldor gets up off the floor after searching the base of a cupboard/closet. Now covered in the offending dust bunnies, Keldor purposefully keeps his head down and the ‘magic broom of dust bunny slaying’ in a white-knuckled grip.

“Other activities? Other…activities… Pickleball! That’s another activity! I’m quite good at that. Been playing all my youthful years…Pickle-ball…Can’t bake bread worth a damn, but I can do Pickleball!”

Seeing something lurking in the corner of his eye, he rushes off down the hall…still muttering about something called Pickle-ball…?

"Who's verbal input is that? Brighs? I did hear people call out to their gods before but was not aware it was a dialogue.", Basil asks, genuinely curious. "And I think the word you meant was ménage à quatre. Unless you meant to exclude Thawm, which would not be a very nice thing to do, I think."

Basil turns to Thawm for a moment:"Are you interested in sexual release in celebration of our victory? I understand if there is no mating season in a species it is normal to have certain urges - Or do you have some spell for that?"

Giving Thawm a time to process the question when she does not answer immediately, Basil returns her attention to Dinvaya, attempts to mirror her smile, then abruptly looks down and points at the clockwork thingie half-assembled on the table:"This mechanism seems amazing. It looks like it would provide gyroscopic functionality to stabilize the vector of movement - but at the same time could be shifted and buffered to reduce inertia... "

Thawm takes a moment to process the question.

Then she snorts.

"I'll pass, thanks. Keldor isn't my type." she explains, slowly removing the smile from her face by trying to focus on clockwork.

Whew, apologies for the delay: it's been a busy week. I'm just going to offer a brief reminder that Joram asked you all to try to convince Dinvaya to come back with you to Torch.

Dinvaya has her hand up in front of her face, barely holding back laughter as she and the other women continue to embarrass poor Keldor. She lets him continue his self-distraction and engages with Basil and Thawm instead.

"Good eye, Basil," she says, moving on from veiled discussions of sex. "I've been working on..."

And thus the half-elf launches into a highly detailed technical discussion of the merging of her clockwork creations, replete with sidebars of advanced math and physics, theoretical questions of mechanical engineering, and the nature or arcane versus divine energies incumbent in the animation of the creations outside of the spark of life of a soul like those possessed by the humanoids in the room. The discussion lasts long past when Keldor has rendered every last speck of dust in the room to undetectable particles. Dinvaya tries ardently to draw him into the discussion, eventually squeezing her way into his arms if he sits down long enough to relax. She also brings out an old-looking bottle of amber liquid, from which she pours liberally into some copper cups that she passes around.

As the day stretches into night, the older half-elf stretches her arms above her head and leans back. "So--what is Torch like? If Joram actually settled there, I'm curious."

"Why not come with us and find out? Joram did mention that the Technic Leagues interest in you waned. If you keep a low profile, you could probably return to Torch with us. There's also the tech-smithy of my deceased mentor. You'd have to compensate the relative who stood to inherit, but I believe you could make it a home easily enough. Peak fertility in your species reaches around 20-25% during ovulation, so coming with Keldor would also increase the overall chance of offspring if you have multiple months to continue your attempts.", Basil responds, in a monotone manner of speaking not betraying any emotion.
"That is, of course, if you desire to move there, or visit, for that matter. I imagine with your abilities, you could help shape either location to the better. Albeit even if you do decide to stay, you should have freedom to travel - in case you wanted to see Torch for yourself, maybe before making a decision."

Ignoring the talk of 'ovulation' and 'fertility' Keldor seconds Basils' points.

"I would keep you safe from the League too! Those mad mages do not intimidate me. And...your presence would make Torch an even more enlightened place for those who study technology passionately, and without direct evil intent. I would like that too."

"Joram will be there, and you heard it yourself: Keldor would like that too." Thawm adds with a smile.

Dinvaya pauses for a few moments at the invitation. "It would be good to see Joram again. I believe I can pack up enough of my belongings here that I can make do. Why not?"

She leans forward to stand, stretching. "I'd better get started. A certain someone already helped clean the place up before the packing began, so that should make things even easier."

The elder half-elf shakes off the tipsiness that has claimed her and begins some deconstruction. She retrieves a bag that she begins stuffing large objects into, belying an extradimensional space housed within, and presses buttons on some of her creations that cause them to fold compactly into themselves. The major trappings of the temple to Brigh remain as they are, though: thousands of gears of all sizes embedded in the floors, walls, and ceilings, the statues of Brigh, and the central altar all seem to be worthy of being left behind. The packing, with or without anyone else's help, takes much of the rest of the evening, and sleep is a welcome escape from the labor of the day.

---

The morning of the last day in Scrapwall dawns, and Dinvaya sashays away from her bed, leaving Keldor snoring, to make a simple breakfast. She stuffs a few more necessities into her bag as she finishes with them and slings the bag over her shoulder as the party seems prepared to leave.

Checking in with the Steel Hawks?

yeah, we should say bye to everyone xD
I mean... we need to sashay over there :D

On the way to visit the Steel Hawks, Thawm looks around for horses they might buy. She could just conjure new ones each day, but horses that don't vanish mid transit always feel better.

The Steel Hawks are the right gang to look to for traveling mounts. Thawm had seen some of the riding rats used by Redtooth's Raiders during her time in Scrapwall, and although enormous were almost certainly not well-suited for traversing the distance between Scrapwall and Torch. She is directed towards a stable of sorts where there are a number of animals waiting in stalls. There are horses of various sizes, in addition to a few bison and other beasts of burden. Wandering around the stable is an acquaintance you have not seen in some time: Professor Ury Rume. The dark circles under her eyes and cracked skin at the corners of her mouth are much improved from when you last saw her, though there is still a tremble in her left hand.

"Oh, it's you lot," she says as you enter the stable. She fixes her eyes on Thawm and affects an exaggerated expression not unlike the one she had plastered across her face when she first awoke you demanding fluids, before allowing it to melt away with a chuckle. "Don't worry. I found some work here. The Steel Hawks seem to have some experience with addiction. And I can do some interesting things for horses with what's lying around."

She looks around. "So what can I do for you?"

You can purchase any of the horses, along with bison.

I can summon a magical mount too multiple times a day, don't forget, although I burn a 1st level spell each time. Since Gauntlet can fly now, there is no reason for him to buy a horse, since he can always conjure one as needed later.

Keldor smiles and immediately takes the professor's hand to plant a simple gentlemanly kiss upon it.

"We need to find a good cart horse...and we wish to say goodbye and hope you well for the future Ms. Rhume. This place is now a LOT less dangerous, and we hope the best for all Scrapwalls' future endeavors. If you ever need a hand again, send word to Torch and...we will see what we can do."

I know you can both call mounts. But I'm talking overland travel - plus the luggage of your sweetheart, not to talk about the ballistae we paid. It's less about our personal mobility and more about getting all the goods and our bags from here to there without having to carry it all.

That, and we could maybe get a batch of trade goods, maybe as thanks, that we can ship to Torch for some financial bonus?
In that same context: I believe we agreed with the good professor that she'd make some undisclosed alchemical items for us if she finds the time. That SHOULD have been in some OOC, since basically we gave her back her gear and befriended her instead of killing and looting, something about not being punished for roleplaying instead of murder-hoboing :D I'm good with my part going towards the ammo fund, IF she honored the deal.

"Aye. We also wanted to check in on everybody. I am glad to hear you are doing fine. Since you are dealing with the animals, are there any you would recommend for a medium-sized cart with mounted weaponry and some heavy luggage? I believe you are familiar with said cart, which should currently be in storage nearby - but the horse unfortunately needs replacing." Basil explains their needs, then continues: "Also, if you managed to concoct anything useful, alchemy-wise in the past couple days, I believe we had formed an agreement on return of your equipment. Mind you, I understand overcoming addiction is no easy feat for a weak-minded species like yours, and there has been very little time, but as we are unsure when we will visit Scrapwall again, it seemed worth asking."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6 Come on, you weak-minded individual, honor your deal. :) Not even sure if a roll is needed but I wanted one to see how I'll word it.

I've been scrolling through OOC and can't find anything specific about what Rume would have made you all. So I'll wing it for now. But if you can find something more specific from--what, three years ago?--I'll be happy to honor it. Also, there are rewards waiting for you all back in Torch.

Ury Rume smiles at Keldor, but frowns at Basil. "I see that killing a godling has done little to temper your haughty obstinance," she says. "But I am a woman of my word, addle-minded or no." She calls her employer in the stables over, and a gruff, tusked half-orc ambles over to do business so that the cart isn't put before the horse. Ury says that she'll be right back, returning in short order with a case. This she opens for Basil, showing dozens of cartridges smelling faintly of sulfur, packed, sealed, and ready to be loaded into the android's pistol.

"There's even a few packed with adamantine fragments in there," she says. "It's nearly impossible to dealloy glaucite and have any adamantine leftover worth working with, but the metal resulting from selective leaching is adequate for less delicate operations if you're not picky."

The erstwhile academic retrieves two more packages, presenting them to Keldor and Thawm as well. "I hope you'll find these to your liking as well."

Consider this your restock, Basil! Until someone finds a post that specifies otherwise, I'm going to say that all three of you can select up to 600 gp worth of items that can be crafted with alchemy, including 1) potions on the alchemist formula list up to 3rd level (Lv1 = 50 gp, Lv2 = 400 gp, Lv3 = 1050 gp), 2) ammunition (including adamantine bullets, 3) expensive spell components for spells up to 3rd level that also appear on the alchemist formula list, and 4) any of the alchemical reagents, remedies, tools, or weapons. Keldor, your wish for components for the pellet blast spell is covered in #3 as a special exception. If you're having a hard time deciding, this is a nice guide on the relative efficacy and effectiveness of different items in this list. I can also just put together a list, but I wanted you to have some more say over what you got.

Much appreciated. And if memory serves, we did not pre-select anything/agree on it, just "get a bunch of alchemy stuff" for actually returning her equipment to her(which we had taken for a while until she seemed "clean" enough.) Also, now I almost feel sorry for the gal :)

"My intention was not obstinance, merely factual observation. Your response suggests I worded such in a way that could be considered offensive. Please accept my apologies - and my compliments. this work is most impressive. I suspect you will prefer to keep your trade secrets, but I will try and learn from the process you used to create these what I can to enhance my own craft."

Basil looks through the ammunition, checking each cartridge in a mechanical manner, so focused on them that she leaves the acquisition of the horse to Thawm and Keldor, having no mental capacity for that task.

Awesome! I will take all of mine as special matierials for my new Pellet Blast spell. 5x Adamantine (500gp) and 2x Cold Iron (100gp) We should be able to make my own silver pellets with melting down some silver coinage as we travel.

Smiling ear to ear, Keldor hugs the older woman for her gift.

"Your generosity astounds good woman! Erastil will always bless those that help others, and forgive those who look for absolution the hardest. A cart-horse then! Only strong and sturdy will do."

Thawm unwraps the package of 8 blood boiling pills and nods appreciatively.
"I'm too cool headed, huh?" she asks rhetorically, clearly amused.

"Thanks."
As she places the pills into her handy haversack one at a time, she turns to the orc.

She soon pulls out a bag of gold coin and purchases a nice combat trained horse.

reminder to me to add 8 blood boiling pills and remove 110gp of team gold xD

Professor Rume shakes her head and chuckles lightly. "Sure thing, Basil. Apology accepted." She looks up at Thawm and Keldor. "You two keep an eye on her, all right? She might learn to people yet."

The business in the stable concludes with the exchange of gold for cart and horse. Rume wishes the party well and wanders off deeper into the stables, muttering under her breath. "And here I thought I was bad with people."

Where to next y'all?

The plan was to head for Torch, but I remember you mentioned something about a side quest on the way there?

could also be that we get sent there after returning to Torch ...

Aye, I think we covered the important people, don't need to play out the Steel Falcons, too. And side quest or not, I'd second heading to Torch, dropping off your sweetheart and her belongings, then consider any side quests while we're heading towards our next target. Unless that is logistically unsound and we'd need to head in the opposite direction of what our next goal will be. Asking for some GM input there to aid decision-making. Obviously we don't know where we are heading, and to be honest I don't remember the side quest right now, but I think getting the reward and dropping off Keldors mating partner before we go anywhere else would be a good first step.

Thanks for your patience. We're all wound up in Scrapwall and headed back to Torch for the official next step of the story!

Basil, Keldor, and Thawm finish their brief mercantile foray and, having checked the leather straps and wheel bearings and such of their cart, begin the 100-plus-mile journey back to Torch with Dinvaya. The road is easier out than in, although the Sellen Hills remain as harsh as they were on their entry. The direct path would have the party cross the Sellen River immediatelyand travel across the Technic League-infested Sovereign's Reach region, eventually crossing the canyon known as the First Blade's Path to reach the town of Torch in the Numerian Plains. But especially with Dinvaya in tow, the desire to lie low is even higher. With little need for convincing, the party begins traveling down along the Sellen River. They could take it all the way down to the Seven Tears River and travel up that tributary to Torch, but it will be just as safe (and take far less time) to get to the territory of the Black Horses tribe, just past the First Blade's Path, cross the river there, and travel the remaining hundred miles across the Plains to Torch.

For its part, the Sellen River is one of the finer sights in Numeria. Originating in the Lake of Mists and Veils, it flows from near Chesed here in the North through at least seven countries before emptying into the Inner Sea far down South. It is the river that connects Numeria to the rest of the world and is a prized waterway for commerce and travel. There are enough soldiers and crusaders going to or from Mendev even further North, all with their own stories, that the Technic League presence along the River is significantly less than in other areas of Numeria. That alone seems to make Dinvaya more comfortable at least.

Four days after leaving Scrapwall, about midday, Dinvaya points out a cairn adorned with sun-worn cloth streamers. After scrutinizing it for a moment, she announces the meaning. "This means that a local tribe is looking for aid. We should still be in the territory of the Ghost Wolves." She pauses, glancing over at Basil. "They're rather anti-technology, but you pass well. For the most part. What do you think?"

I encourage you all to seek out the tribe for reasons, but you can do as you so choose. Anyone is also welcome to do a Knowledge (local) check to know more about the Ghost Wolves.

Having decided to travel without Gauntlet until he can get used to the wings more, Keldor looks grim as he rides the wagon next to Dinvaya and nods at the cairn.

"Such a call for aid MUST be answered. Even those who hate technology need help too. We will just have to aid them as best we can without resulting to using any of our technology...if we can help it."

knowledge (local): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

"Paladins." Thawm sighs.
"Fine. Let's go." she agrees.

Then, after a moment's pause, she suddenly smirks.
"At least they know magic is better than technology." she explains.

or, at least, they hate magic less than tech? XD

With two votes in the affirmative, we'll move along. Basil is still welcome to roll Knowledge (local).

Basil points out a few tracks that seem to be deliberately rather than haphazardly left, and it takes little effort to arrive in a clearing where a small band of Kellid warriors sit around a campfire. A handsome, pale Kellid man rises as he sees you. "It seems like some among the civilized folk still understand the old ways," he says. "Greetings to you, inlanders. I am Jala Spirit-Eye. Please come, come along. You should meet our chieftain, Xol-Nomag. She will determine your worth."

The half dozen warriors that comprise the small band carry a variety of weapons on their persons: clubs, blades, spears, hammers. Silvery mail peeks out from behind rough cloaks, indicating a potential predilection for skymetals over the hides often worn by other Kellid tribes.

It takes a few more hours of travel on foot and by cart for the party to travel with the Ghost Wolves to a larger camp. The Kellid tribes are mostly nomadic, and so any settlement is likely to be a temporary one. Yet this camp is abuzz with activity. Kellids of all ages and genders wrestle and spar, while others mend weapons and armor. Nearby a large group is in the middle of butchering an immense boar to a lively, energetic work song. Children run throughout the camp, some playing and others shadowing the adults. A broad tent near the center of the encampment houses at least a dozen people poring over books or sitting with animals that show a spark of intelligence lacking in most of their species.

In fact, one of the people in the tent looks somewhat familiar to the group. A half-orc with a pronounced under-bite and a tattooed-over scar on his neck sits in the tent with a dark-bladed scimitar. Is that...is that Harg?

What do you do?

Sadly Thawm never met Harg xD

"This is a much bigger settlement than I expected of a nomadic people." Thawm comments.

Must be magic... nice. I should see if they have any scrolls...
Thawm shows a great deal of interest at the people with books, but decides not to try shopping before meeting 'Xol-Nomag'.

Of course. Thawm won't recognize him, but Keldor and Basil should.

Jala notes Thawm's wandering eye. "Ah, you seem interested in the work of our mystics. Do not be shy. Feel free to introduce yourself. We are always interested in trading spells to fight the machines. And you will have to wait for an audience anyway."

This is actually an opportunity for Thawm to scribe new spells in her spellbook for no additional cost--just the cost of writing materials. Simply choose up to two Wizard spells of levels 1-3 that you're interested in and roll the Spellcraft check (DC = 15 + spell level) to see if you can learn it while you're waiting.

Keldor and Basil are free to say hi to Harg or interact with other members of the tribe as well.

Pushing past the others, Keldor immediately moves to hug the friendly half-orc.

"Amazing! It feels like years since we have seen you! You must have an intersting story to tell about being here. Come! See Basil again and say hello to our new friends!"

That's technically true in PbP time!

oho, well I've certainly made some difficult spell selections recently... time to roll in alphabetical order and hopefully spend 130gp :D
For after introductions:

Spell craft (Dispel Magic): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (5) + 13 = 18
Spell craft (See Invisibility): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 26

Seeing Keldor, Harg walks forward with arms outstretched. "It has! From the looks of you, you have been through your own journey."

Moving to go see Basil as well, "Good to see you as well Basil. Yes I have also had a bit of a journey. My sword here, well it has some awareness of events around it. It convinced me it was time to leave Torch and seek out this tribe. They taught me much of my magics, as well as trained me more in my martial abilities. Of course the sword gave me a subtle clue that once friends show up I should think about pivoting, and my training is done for now." Laughing with a deep hearty laugh, "Looks like that time is now. Do tell me, what have you been through."

Looking over to Thawm studying with the mystics, "I see you found some assistance. I hope all is well."

While Keldor and Harg greet each other, Thawm finds a well-tattooed abjurer eager to share her spellbook. She laughs ruefully when she sees the lack of illusion magic in the younger arcanist's book. "Unafraid of the machines' light beams? My ancestors discovered long ago that bending light to make oneself invisible offers great protections."

Yet the Ghost Wolf's scrutiny over Thawm's selection of spells is overcast by a shared desire to discuss magical theory. Before long, she has even discovered that Thawm speaks Hallit and begins animatedly discussing long-forgotten theories of magic eschewed by the Technic League for their association with barbarians. Before long, she has zeroed in on two spells in Thawm's book: Aram Zey's Focus and Phantom Steed. ("We have heard of this Aram Zey. A Pathfinder, yes?")