Serinbaal the Lands of Torment ("Dark Sun" Homebrew Pathfinder 1e)

Game Master Sebecloki

** spoiler omitted **

"Or hey, how about not at all?" suggests the wanderer. "I understand the circle of life, predator, prey, plant, and all, but consuming souls and being eternally hungry for more -- that's as much a defiler curse as taking bites off the planet's life-force to power your magic. Sounds like you've made a deal with a greater evil in order to get a lesser one's foot off your neck. Are you sure you're one of the good guys? Scratch that last, everyone thinks they're the good guys. Pretty sure feeding souls, willing or not, into the gaping spirit-maw of some Power or another just so it can give you power back isn't the kind of thing a smart or wise person would do." She considers this, then adds judiciously, "Popular person might."

Arsione sniffs in contempt,

"Just because something is black does not make it evil, that is a childish notion, just as is the concept that a blazoning white hue renders a thing good. Truly, though, there is no such thing as good or evil, only law and chaos, and the truly wise understand this, as was taught by our ancient master, the philosopher Cytobarides the Speaker of Truth."

"The lōtanu is the bearer of the most ancient laws of the many spheres, those of civilization and design, and is a being of vast wisdom. It uplifts those who are blessed with its benedictions. It deigns to share its powers, which include the efficacious arts which you misname as defiling. Just as there is no good or evil, so the division of the arcane arts into preserving and defiling is also illusory, a convenience of those less knowledgeable of the totality of the weirding ways. We, the Gray Maidens of House Nicephorus, know this to be false, and walk the arcane path between these two poles, and embrace the totality of the wisdom of the ancients."

"As an observer, I am afraid I must agree with the assessment. The use of mystic arts in a non-mystic duel is a poor showing, although there was certainly no provision that I heard in the terms of the duel that prohibited such, I would still say that if your goal is to avoid bloodshed and war (which, frankly, is rather silly), then you might wish to reconsider your stance on using magic and resort to barbarism."

"Also, my dear lady, I would point out that nothing from the positive energy plane radiates black light. But I digress."

"But I never made any claim that the black light of the lōtanu was connected with the Elemental Stronghold of Radiance! Indeed, this is most assuredly not the case -- it is a power that stems from the most ancient days of this plane, not another."

Gotak shakes her head, but killing this woman to stop her feeding some eldritch abomination that gives her power is not what she's here for. (Killing the eldritch abomination is, but gotta find out information about that first, right?) Instead, she turns her attention and words back to the immediate concern. "Call this an ... interruption, then. Not a second combat, but a continuation of the first, this being but a judge's intercession and reminder that both parties abide by the rules of the engagement -- a contest of arms, strength and agaility and skill, no spells or powers or curses or such, nonlethal, to surrender or collapse. The contest is simply not yet ended."

Rokan's composure breaks a bit as the lady approaches, and he takes several quick steps back as she reaches Hazma. Carry on, I'll be back here. I don't appreciate being incapacitated for no reason...

Gotak shakes her head, but killing this woman to stop her feeding some eldritch abomination that gives her power is not what she's here for. (Killing the eldritch abomination is, but gotta find out information about that first, right?) Instead, she turns her attention and words back to the immediate concern. "Call this an ... interruption, then. Not a second combat, but a continuation of the first, this being but a judge's intercession and reminder that both parties abide by the rules of the engagement -- a contest of arms, strength and agaility and skill, no spells or powers or curses or such, nonlethal, to surrender or collapse. The contest is simply not yet ended."

"Well I have yet to hear from my loyal champion if he wishes to resume this combat with you or any other challenger, so I cannot say whether you have spoken truly if in fact it is ended or not. I shall not force his hand in the matter, nor shall you."

Rokan's composure breaks a bit as the lady approaches, and he takes several quick steps back as she reaches Hazma. Carry on, I'll be back here. I don't appreciate being incapacitated for no reason...

"I concur wholeheartedly with the psion, and shall support him from my stance behind his person."

"I believe your exact words were 'emanates the black light which gives more and greater life to those who are blessed with its vivifying rays'." Narzor quoted.

"Vivifying is, at least in the Common tongue of which I am speaking, a word related to living or life. Black rays eminate from the school of Necromancy; a school of magic of which I am intimately familiar." Narzor shrugged as if she could see him and added

"but I digress. It appears the duel shall recommence, and I look forward to the outcome."

"I believe your exact words were 'emanates the black light which gives more and greater life to those who are blessed with its vivifying rays'." Narzor quoted.

"Vivifying is, at least in the Common tongue of which I am speaking, a word related to living or life. Black rays eminate from the school of Necromancy; a school of magic of which I am intimately familiar." Narzor shrugged as if she could see him and added

"but I digress. It appears the duel shall recommence, and I look forward to the outcome."

"Indeed I did make that claim, but in no way implied a connection to the Elemental Stronghold of Radiance. More than one power in the vast universe is capable of sustaining and strengthening life, but perhaps your imagination in this respect is limited, and should be widened?"

"Necromancy! Really, you make the same mistake as this other wanderer, positing physical darkness as equal to moral unrighteousness. Black is the color of purity and stability -- the same as the cool shade which offers respite from the blazoning rays of the midday sun, and the useful resource of obsidian."

"Apologies, I misspoke. Tensions are on the rise, and I was put off slightly. I believe there should be a continuance of this duel. One in which no magic, psionics, or supernatural powers are utilized." Hamza suggests, then eyes the Lady of House Nicephorus. "Do you have a way to guarantee this?" The yaksha queries Arsione.

"Apologies, I misspoke. Tensions are on the rise, and I was put off slightly. I believe there should be a continuance of this duel. One in which no magic, psionics, or supernatural powers are utilized." Hamza suggests, then eyes the Lady of House Nicephorus. "Do you have a way to guarantee this?" The yaksha queries Arsione.

"Yes, I do," she raises her strange staff capped with a cage filled with a small horde of rhinoceros beetles clad in striking exoskeletons of prismatic hue, "but, as I have already averred to the once-defeated stranger, I will not require my champion Cae to retry this combat which he has already fought unless he so desires to do so, nor would I agree to any such contest where his arcane abilities were rendered inert. Only I have that ability, and I refuse to provide it for you."

"Honor, then," suggests the 'once-defeated stranger', watching Arsione with a sharp sort of amusement. "There are, after all, plenty of interested eyes around, to watch for such things."

"Honor, then," suggests the 'once-defeated stranger', watching Arsione with a sharp sort of amusement. "There are, after all, plenty of interested eyes around, to watch for such things."

"I will not agree to any such match unless Cae wishes to engage in its strictures of his own free will. He is under no obligation to do so."

"Furthermore," she gestures to the lumbering automatons which accompany her party, "I am perfectly content to have these worthy tools annihilate these murderous brutes, as I had originally intended."

"They are quite marvelous, and you really cannot imagine their effect until you have personally observed it. Their weapons are capable of easily dismantling even impressive fortifications such as these savages have so ingeniously erected for their supposed defense, issuing forth unquenchable fire in an unstoppable wave of destruction. Many hapless parties of interlopers from New Kallid have thus met their untimely end when I collapsed their ill-chosen hiding places above their heads."

Cae takes a step back, confused by Arsione's overt bloodthirstiness. While trying to understand this new aspect of her and the philosophy she is espousing, he is trying to understand why people are arguing about the contest. There is some heat in his voice:

"You wanted no blood be shed,
Here you are, barely bled.
You set no other rules,
Showing yourselves the fools,
Caring not for the result,
Blaming dark arts and occult.
Your life is not some treasure
Stolen for another's pleasure.
If blood is what you seek,
Your fate will turn out bleak."

Cae takes a step back, confused by Arsione's overt bloodthirstiness. While trying to understand this new aspect of her and the philosophy she is espousing, he is trying to understand why people are arguing about the contest. There is some heat in his voice:

"You wanted no blood be shed,
Here you are, barely bled.
You set no other rules,
Showing yourselves the fools,
Caring not for the result,
Blaming dark arts and occult.
Your life is not some treasure
Stolen for another's pleasure.
If blood is what you seek,
Your fate will turn out bleak."

I should point out that, while she's gotten worse, this isn't a 180 degree turn, she's never been a 'good' person. She's basically a very rigid lawful neutral that turned lawful evil, and still think's she's lawful neutral in her own mind, just like she think she's a 'gray mage' instead of a defiler (which is what she actually is, just a weird kind of defiler, but she definitely isn't walking any kind of 'third path' or whatever!).

"Well, I think that's a definite no from Cae! So, what do you all plan to do about it?"

The automatons begin to whine in a high pitched siren-like eruption that strains the ears of all those present.

"Honestly, I don't care what you all do. None of this matters to me. I tried to prevent this fight, but you seem hell-bent on bloodshed. Fine, so be it. Go ahead and slaughter each other, have fun, enjoy yourselves."

With that said, the assassin steps into the shadows and disappears.

"Honestly, I don't care what you all do. None of this matters to me. I tried to prevent this fight, but you seem hell-bent on bloodshed. Fine, so be it. Go ahead and slaughter each other, have fun, enjoy yourselves."

With that said, the assassin steps into the shadows and disappears.

Arsione is going to try to step forward quickly to prevent Hamza from using his shadow abilities. What kind of check, or opposed check, do you think would be fair?

Arsione is going to try to step forward quickly to prevent Hamza from using his shadow abilities. What kind of check, or opposed check, do you think would be fair?

An initiative check, for starters. Beyond that, unsure. But I am going to bed, as it's almost 5am.

"Honestly, I don't care what you all do. None of this matters to me. I tried to prevent this fight, but you seem hell-bent on bloodshed. Fine, so be it. Go ahead and slaughter each other, have fun, enjoy yourselves."

With that said, the assassin steps into the shadows and disappears.

"I don't understand why you're opposing me. Come, join with your companion, my loyal retainer Cae, and let us together destroy these savages for their transgression, then join with my house in our quest to deliver the Lands of the Seven Cities from the ruin of the sorcerer-king's rule. I tell you that our liberation is close at hand."

"The slassans are summoning powerful allies from distant stars through the Great Orrery. You have no idea of their powers. They travel in vessels of steel that soar through the black gulfs between the stars. Many of these craft will be dispatched through the gate, and no defenses of any of the city-states shall stand against them, for they will effortlessly soar above even the high walls of Urik and rain destruction upon all opposition."

"Even now, our allies complete their preparations for these reinforcements, and when they arrive we will begin by finishing the re-settlement of Kalidnay, and then we shall take Balic. We already have cells throughout the Lands of the Seven Cities, and I am assured that all will quickly fall to our alliance. The age of the sorcerer-kings will set, and the Age of Truth will dawn!"

Sebecloki wrote:

Arsione is going to try to step forward quickly to prevent Hamza from using his shadow abilities. What kind of check, or opposed check, do you think would be fair?

An initiative check, for starters. Beyond that, unsure. But I am going to bed, as it's almost 5am.

Is she still going to try and prevent Hamza from shadow porting away?

** spoiler omitted **

Is she still going to try and prevent Hamza from shadow porting away?

Yes.

As I said above, at the very least, we need to roll initiative, as her doing so is clearly a combat action. Especially after Hamza told her to come no closer.

Spending a mythic power point to use Mythic Improved Initiative, treating my roll as natural 20. This gives me a 72

Arsione expends a hero (villain) point to take the Initiative:

Act Out of Turn: You can spend a hero point to take your turn immediately. Treat this as a readied action, moving your initiative to just before the currently acting creature. You may only take a move or a standard action on this turn.

She uses it to get close enough to prevent Hamza from disappearing.

Use has mythic dual initiative, which she uses to move even closer, and activate her robot's defense systems.

In response to Arsione defying his order to stay away from him, Hamza moves in the blink of the eye, stretching and distorting time, to appear far away from the defiant 'Lady'.

Using Temporal Distortion as a counter, which is an immediate action. They can be used at any time, even when it's not your turn. It allows him to move up to twice his movement speed(110ft) without provoking attacks of opportunity.

In response to Arsione defying his order to stay away from him, Hamza moves in the blink of the eye, stretching and distorting time, to appear far away from the defiant 'Lady'.

Using Temporal Distortion as a counter, which is an immediate action. They can be used at any time, even when it's not your turn. It allows him to move up to twice his movement speed(110ft) without provoking attacks of opportunity.

"Oh, you are a slippery fellow!"

Why doesn't everyone go ahead and role Initiative, so we can see what order everyone else's actions come in if others decide to act.

Initiative: 1d20 + 51 ⇒ (10) + 51 = 61

init: 1d20 + 29 ⇒ (16) + 29 = 45

Initiative: 1d20 + 32 ⇒ (12) + 32 = 44

"Aren't all flying ships made of metal?"

[dice=Initiative]1d20+32

"Aren't all flying ships made of metal?"

In the Lands of the Seven Cities, most are made of obsidian, since metal is rare in this world. Stranger, I sense that you are not a native of the Lands of Torment!"

"Very astute. I'm from Oerth."

"Very astute. I'm from Oerth."

"That's not a world from which we receive many visitors, and not recently either -- even the greatest archives of the Lands of Torment contain only scattered references to its lands and peoples."

"Perhaps you should like to enlighten me further on both your person the reason for your journey to the ruins of Kalidnay, which, based on your remarks thus far, I would guess you have only recently entered."

OK I'm going to go ahead an roll for Rokan and Amunet to move this along, if they don't like the rolls and want to roll themselves, they can update with their own roll and any corrections they want to make Rokan: Initiative: 1d20 + 41 ⇒ (8) + 41 = 49, Amunet-Ra: Initiative: 1d20 + 32 ⇒ (9) + 32 = 41

Cae's is making the roll for the whole House Nicephorus party, so our order is thus:

Hamza
Cae, House Nicephorus
Rokan
Jimbli
Narzor
Amunet-Ra

In response to Arsione defying his order to stay away from him, Hamza moves in the blink of the eye, stretching and distorting time, to appear far away from the defiant 'Lady'.

Using Temporal Distortion as a counter, which is an immediate action. They can be used at any time, even when it's not your turn. It allows him to move up to twice his movement speed(110ft) without provoking attacks of opportunity.

Anyone else acting? Otherwise, Hamza has the precedent to make another action of some sort before Arisone responds.

Rokan perks up at the mention of the slassan's part in the awakening.

So, it was in fact they who started all of this...

He mutters mostly to himself, but Slavathras can likely overhear it.

Then why are we wasting our time with all of this?!

Init: 1d20 + 41 ⇒ (5) + 41 = 46

Rokan perks up at the mention of the slassan's part in the awakening.

So, it was in fact they who started all of this...

He mutters mostly to himself, but Slavathras can likely overhear it.

Then why are we wasting our time with all of this?!

[dice=Init]1d20+41

The monk and psion concentrates to drown out the surrounding noise and social entropy, entering into to dedicate telepathic missive with the bard.

The monk and psion concentrates to drown out the surrounding noise and social entropy, entering into to dedicate telepathic missive with the bard.

** spoiler omitted **

** spoiler omitted **

Your words amaze me lady Asione of House Nicephorus. I have difficulties fathoming how and why a good soul like Cae serves you...at all.

You claim to have the evil powers which seek to damage and destroy Athas even further under your control. This raises a great many quesions. Are you planning the same? Or do you just don't care? Where do your powers actually come from?

I'm waiting for some people to die =)

"Oerth is a world much like any other."

"As for the city, I just followed a caravan here and found something interesting going on. As for why I am on your world, I can not say, as I swore an oath to my god, and have no desire to break such an oath."

Seb, is the telepathic communication with Slavathras continuous? Ie, can I contact him whenever, or does he need to message me first?

"I am certain you misunderstand,
My mistress will protect the land.

Arsione only wants to end
The rule of the Sorceror-Kings,
Those who used defiling to ascend,
Not bring destruction to all things."

Cae sounds mostly confident, and he clearly wants to be correct, but he looks at her staff warily.

Your words amaze me lady Asione of House Nicephorus. I have difficulties fathoming how and why a good soul like Cae serves you...at all.

You claim to have the evil powers which seek to damage and destroy Athas even further under your control. This raises a great many quesions. Are you planning the same? Or do you just don't care? Where do your powers actually come from?

Arsione sighs in exasperation at the renewed protestations of the Serpent Singer shaman,

"As I have already explained to you, there is no such thing as 'good' and 'evil', not really -- these are only subjective terms applied to persons, places, and things by the simple minded. No, the true battle in the universe is between order and disorder, law and chaos."

"In this contest I am unreservedly a servant of the former, as are my allies."

"We are most assuredly not 'evil'."

"We are striving to fulfill the true law of the world as it as been most expertly apprehended by our revered Master Cytobarides the Speaker of Truth."

"We will not destroy Serinbaal, the Lands of Torment, with our armies, we will remake the Lands of the Seven Cities, and many territories beyond. We will rejoin the two sundered halves of the Sea of Portals, which the Millions Isles of the Archipelago Empire of the cursed Dragon Borys now divides in twain between equally sterile expanses of silt and methane."

"Our powers derive from the ancient wisdom of the beings known as the Stoneburners, who seeded many worlds with life, and likewise raised the life of many worlds to a higher order. Their remnants whispered in the ear of Rajaat in the earliest era of the Green Age, and yet they offer their bounty to those who seek their wisdom. The lôtānu is one such remnant."

"I am certain you misunderstand,

My mistress will protect the land.

Arsione only wants to end
The rule of the Sorceror-Kings,
Those who used defiling to ascend,
Not bring destruction to all things."

Cae sounds mostly confident, and he clearly wants to be correct, but he looks at her staff warily.

The minstrel's mistress coos with delight,

"Oh Cae, I have so missed you, you always did have a way with words."

I'm waiting for some people to die =)

"Oerth is a world much like any other."

"As for the city, I just followed a caravan here and found something interesting going on. As for why I am on your world, I can not say, as I swore an oath to my god, and have no desire to break such an oath."

"Well it is not like any other if you are in truth a servant of a living god. For we have not had the like of such for more than 10,000 years in these Lands of Torment. The gods of the home world of our allies, the slassans, have also fallen into a seemingly eternal somnambulance."

"Tell me, the, stranger, what god it is you claim to serve. I wonder if it is one of the long departed children of the Creator Temulea, who made this world, and then sought to drown it."

Seb, is the telepathic communication with Slavathras continuous? Ie, can I contact him whenever, or does he need to message me first?

He's established a Mindlink. If I'm reading this correctly, the communication is 2 way."

"I serve the honorable Orcus." replies Narzor.

Rokan the Ascetic wrote:

The monk and psion concentrates to drown out the surrounding noise and social entropy, entering into to dedicate telepathic missive with the bard.

** spoiler omitted **

** spoiler omitted **

** spoiler omitted **

Everyone can read this -- since I forgot the anti-psionic barrier prevents telepathic communication -- duh!

"I serve the honorable Orcus." replies Narzor.

Arsione erupts in a peal of sinister laughter at the pronouncement of Narzor's patron.

"Orcus, a god? Then Oerth is no different than any other planet of my knowledge, for he is no true divinity, no more than a sorcerer-king, a Lord of the Nine, or a Elemental Prince of Princess of Evil or Good."

"The Elemental Chaos of the demons erupts from the juncture of the hundreds or thousands of Elemental Strongholds, and Orcus is but one a million or more abyssal princelings vying for domination with his fellows. He is nothing very remarkable, and certainly no god."

She gestures at Amunet-Ra and Slavathras,

"You should ask these two about it sometime -- though the Serpent Singers are not, to my knowledge, among their number, the veneration of the Demon Princes is not an uncommon devotion of the swift-footed elves, after the death of their gods in the far-removed Dawn Time, and similarly the dolorous races of dwarves have often found comfort in the strict tenets of the greatest of the Devils."