"I have not. I recognized them, but have never had the chance to hunt one before, so that was interesting. Still, I regret not making a clean kill." he says with a shrug.
"What about you? Have you encountered them before?"
"No, I'm afraid not. I vaguely recall having seen a drawing of one in a book somewhere, but not in the open like this. As a sorceror, I guess I don't get out into the forests as oftern as you and your tribesmen do." You can tell that he is not trying to be offensive to you in his statement. That being said, even you can tell from his posture that he is nervous that he might have offended you nonetheless.
Turning to Felicity, he cocks his head slightly, raising an eyebrow as he asks, "Felicity, are you a soldier of some kind? I've noticed that you have referred to yourself before as 'this unit.'"
"I understand. It is the way of things. I am not as comfortable in cities as you probably are, having spent little time in them." he says, with a chuckling croak.
Glornug then settles in to listen to Felicity, as he is also intrigued based on some of her statements.
Felicity stares at the darkening sky, collecting what fragments of memory remain before answering Corian's questions.
My memories are ... damaged. I have lost much of what I once was, but I do not think I was created as a soldier. I am a guardian.
It is important that I remember that I Am, I do not believe I always was. Sense of self is a gift few are granted. I do not remember why this is. That part of me was missing when I awoke a few days ago.
I must conclude I failed my creator. I can find no other reason to be in this place with the damage I have sustained.
Vedic was quiet during the discussion of what Felicity was, but it was clear he was analyzing her. Her? It? More data is required to determine gender specifications.
Selene looks over at Felicity. "You were created?" she asks. "You are some form of sentient construct? Do you feel pain? Emotion?" she asks in a curious analytical manner.
"That's an interesting tale, Felicity. Thank you for sharing. It was kind of you. Among my people, the sharing of stories and experiences is a very important bonding ritual. I know it isn't like that for everyone, but I take it as a sign of trust, and it matters to me."
Vedic was quiet during the discussion of what Felicity was, but it was clear he was analyzing her. Her? It? More data is required to determine gender specifications.
Felicity stares at the darkening sky, collecting what fragments of memory remain before answering Corian's questions.
My memories are ... damaged. I have lost much of what I once was, but I do not think I was created as a soldier. I am a guardian.
It is important that I remember that I Am, I do not believe I always was. Sense of self is a gift few are granted. I do not remember why this is. That part of me was missing when I awoke a few days ago.
I must conclude I failed my creator. I can find no other reason to be in this place with the damage I have sustained.
"Ok, so what kind of damage have you sustained? It can't be too bad, as your still able to move and function. What was the primary material that your creator used to make you? Wood? Clay? Something else? Perhaps we can find some of that material and repair you. I was told by my uncle that there were spells that could repair constructs, not unlike what a cleric does for living creatures."
Felicity regards her companions calmly for several minutes, carefully weighing her response.
Yes, I am a created being, Were you not also created by your fathers? I feel ... I feel damaged, incompleart, I fell from a great distance. I awoke outside of town hours before we met. My self diagnostics tell me almost 90% of my higher order functions in my primary memory core were destroyed.
[The physical damage has been repaired. I have retained my sense of self. My primary function remains intact.
Corian, my construction is not so different from yours, I am constructed of much the same material you are. I am simply constructed more efficiently. Any magics capable of repairing your form should be equally effective on me.
Vedic's brows rose as he observed the intricacies of the construct he had not realized he was traveling with.
"I have never heard of a construct that mimicked biology so well as to be effected by positive energy. Fascinating."
[dice=Knowledge Arcana]1d20+11
[dice=Knowledge Local]1d20+5
Vedic's brows rose as he observed the intricacies of the construct he had not realized he was traveling with.
"I have never heard of a construct that mimicked biology so well as to be effected by positive energy. Fascinating."
"That's...fascinating, Felicity. Perhaps at another point, we can talk further about your origins." With that, you get the impression that the conversation is only over for the time being.
The next half-hour or so is spent in finishing the chores of setting up camp. Once the tents, hammocks, and cooking pots are out, Corian takes one last look around...
...and proceeds to gather everyone around the campfire.
Once he has everyone's attention, he begins. "I would imagine that, for some of you at least, are wondering what we are really doing out here. I realize that I sounded a bit vague about going to Fairhill and clearing out some old house or something." Corian looks around to see the reactions thus far.
Glornug gives a slight shrug. "I agreed to come along mostly for a chance to hunt. If things change, well they always do. This is the way of nature, and it is good. I will adapt or I will die. That is also the way of things. But, if you want to tell us more, I will listen."
Shi'Vatha listens politely. "I believe it is one of two situations, either you are engaged in highly illegal activities, which would be unfortunate. Or, you have a sensitive issue you need to take care of, and do not want others to know what and why, for either personal safety or fear of someone stealing something from you."
Selene cocks her head to the side as she looks Corian over. "Are you saying we are not going to 'clear out' some old house? Or are you merely offering more details of what is to come?"
Looking back and forth between Shi'Vatha and Selene, Corian responds, "It's the latter, Shi'Vatha." He then pulls out an amulet that dangles on a silver chain from his neck. Holding it in such a way that the party can see it in the dim camp light, he continues. "I actually found this among my uncle's possessions, about a week ago. This and a document, indicating that my uncle's friend from a long time ago was researching some arcane matter. Specifically, when I touched the amulet, it felt as if I had known what this was forever. I believe that it has unlocked some of my arcane powers."" Again, he looks to the party for a reaction.
Shi'Vatha nods. "I assume you've checked it to ensure it's not just the solidified tears or blood of a devil? They sometimes give mortals such things to tempt them into trading their soul for more power." He then licks a claw, as if counting off things. "Or a demon nodule, you don't want to know how they make those by the way, which also taint your soul. Or a cursed star crystal, which is often used by those things from beyond the veil to open a gateway to the mortal plane so they can feed? Or a lych's soul stone? Or a..." And he continues for several minutes with one horrifying cursed object after another, most having something to do with evil or chaotic outsiders.
As he listens, Glornug smiles and says softly, "I would call myself lucky indeed if I someday got to hunt the things Shi'Vatha has mentioned. I know I am not yet ready, but I will be. And then it will be good."
Shi'Vatha pauses and looks thoughtful. "Demons are a pain, they don't understand anything except death and destruction. Devils can at least be reasoned with. Lych's I haven't encountered. Vampires are all over the place, kind of like the mortals they once were. Those from beyond are all sanely insane, and you can't really be sure what they are doing or agreeing to. Vampires are fairly easy to kill, you just need a Paladin or two and some stakes. Devils and Demons are either really easy or really hard, depending on their rank. Imps and other things are pretty easy. Balors... not at all."
Then he returns to the discourse with all the different horrible cursed items the amulet could be, working his way down the moderate cursed items toward the minor cursed items.
"Talismans unlocking arcane understanding are not unheard of. They tend to be keyed to specific people somehow, lending credence to the theory that the talisman itself is not the source, but merely the catalyst. The power seems to lie in the individual, not the object. The object is merely a symbol that triggers a change."
Shi'Vatha nods. "Not arguing. That's why Devils and Demons use them, because they are easy to hide amongst the non-cursed standard items. And others don't think much about them."
Shi'Vatha nods. "I assume you've checked it to ensure it's not just the solidified tears or blood of a devil? They sometimes give mortals such things to tempt them into trading their soul for more power." He then licks a claw, as if counting off things. "Or a demon nodule, you don't want to know how they make those by the way, which also taint your soul. Or a cursed star crystal, which is often used by those things from beyond the veil to open a gateway to the mortal plane so they can feed? Or a lych's soul stone? Or a..." And he continues for several minutes with one horrifying cursed object after another, most having something to do with evil or chaotic outsiders.
Seeing the back and forth and feeling slightly dizzy from the planar knowledge that this taur was spouting, Corian tries to get a word in edgewise. "No, it's none of that. I did have a chance to check for that at least. That being said, the letter that I found with this amulet indicated that my uncle's old friend had been working on something arcanic. Unfortunately, it did not say what that project was, only that the letter was about 20 years old and I know that my uncle had never heard from him again. I feel pretty confident that the man is dead at this point, so we can go look and see." Brandishing the amulet again, Corian says, "I believe that this amulet unlocks something in the man's keep, something that can lead me to more knowledge. If it was evil in intent, then we can either burn it, or give it to someone who would know what to do with it. I know a few priests and acolytes of Thyr or Muir in Bard's Gate that could help us in that endeavor."
As Corian looks at his amulet again, you hear a mighty ring out. Then the largest raven you have ever seen comes flying out of the night. Corian looks up and his face turns ashen. "Damn him and that bird!!" The raven flaps around the campfire and heads back out of sight.
Glornug looks calmly over at Corian. "Explain, please. That bird was unnaturally large, and would be interesting to hunt, but who is this "him" you mentioned?" As he says this, he nocks an arrow to his bow, and does a quick scan of the area.
Shi'Vatha nods. "I see. The uncle's friend? You have legal recourse to search his mansion or it is abandoned and he has no relatives?" The creature asks, looking in the direction the raven flew off in. "Magic... no sense of presence for the raven prior to it's making noise. A familiar of a rival?"
Shi'Vatha nods. "I see. The uncle's friend? You have legal recourse to search his mansion or it is abandoned and he has no relatives?" The creature asks, looking in the direction the raven flew off in. "Magic... no sense of presence for the raven prior to it's making noise. A familiar of a rival?"
"You are correct again, Shi'Vatha, in that it is a familiar, belonging to someone named Vortigern. He is...was the apprentice to my uncle. Now, I'm afraid that he might be after what I carry. I don't think he knows anymore about the keep than I do, but he is ambitious and is likely to do much to take whatever might be in there." After wringing his hands for a moment, Corian states, "My understanding is that the place has been, or was abandoned. Magic using types don't typically have families, so if there are other relatives, they are not from around here, else we would have heard from them by now."
Shi'vatha nods. "My previous..." The creature trails off, an alien look on it's face, then it continues. "...employer often had to deal with such issues. Added on to that a need to obey the laws as much as possible. Thus my reason for asking odd questions." The creatures tongue lols out of the side of it's mouth in amusement. "I would suggest that given your enemy has stolen a step on you, that we would do well to make as much time as we can. Perhaps pushing our march. I realize that is easy for me to say, given my lack of need for rest, but an extra hour or two would not kill us each day, and would give us an extra day in every four of travel."
"I have no problem with that. It might be that, if we can get to Fairhill far enough ahead of them, we could alert the sheriff of that town about Vortigern. What I don't know is whether or not he is attempting to catch us off guard by himself, or if he has hired others to do his dirty work." The expression on Corian's face displays a nervous, wary look.
"If he has hired others, we will hunt them, even as they hunt us." Glornug says, with a reassuring smile. "Do not worry, Corian."
With Glornug, we should be able to make good time. We will ensure your safety Corian
Shi'Vatha nods. "If you would like, I could go ahead and scout. That is what I did for my former.. employer. I do not tire, and I am very stealthy." The eidelon rubs one ear. "I would need directions to where we are going. I could leave now. Since I don't tire, I could move, even moving stealthfully, at 3 times the pace of the group." He looks over at the heavily armored people. "Six times the pace of the group. That would give me several days to scout the area ahead of the main party. I would not attempt to enter this abandoned house, but would scout the area surrounding, looking for enemies or dangers, and gathering information where I could."
Shi'Vatha nods. "If you would like, I could go ahead and scout. That is what I did for my former.. employer. I do not tire, and I am very stealthy." The eidelon rubs one ear. "I would need directions to where we are going. I could leave now. Since I don't tire, I could move, even moving stealthfully, at 3 times the pace of the group." He looks over at the heavily armored people. "Six times the pace of the group. That would give me several days to scout the area ahead of the main party. I would not attempt to enter this abandoned house, but would scout the area surrounding, looking for enemies or dangers, and gathering information where I could."
Corian looks at the taur in deep thought for a moment before responding. "If you think that is wise, then I'm okay with it. However, I just want you to go to Fairhill and back, we're not going any further than that until we get our bearings. The keep is somewhere north of the town, and I think we should rest there for a day or so before moving up to the keep itself."
With that, Corian pulls out the regional map that he has been using as a guide, and will point out to you the various landmarks that are between your approximate current location, and Fairhill. The area covers about 4 days of hiking by the group's average rate of movement thus far. Corian suggests to you that, if you can go as fast as you say that you can, that you meet up with the group at a spot roughly 1 day away (), so that you can let everyone know what you find.
As you gather your gear for the assignment, Corian says to everyone else, "You all have made good points, and so I will take you up on them. I suggest that we turn in now, and break camp at daybreak; we can eat on the hike. We'll meet up with Shi'Vatha tomorrow evening. Is everyone in agreement on this?"
"Okay, I'll take first watch, so that I can speak to Shi. Who has the other watches?"
As to movement, he has 40ft of movement. While stealthing, he moves at 20ft. However, he doesn't sleep, so he can do that all day. That's 24 hours of movement (3 times what the group can do). That's 16 miles x 3 = 48 miles per day, while moving stealthily. So he should be able to get there in a day and a third. That should leave 2 days and change to look around and scout the town, and then go back out to meet them.
"I will gladly take the second watch." Having said so, Glornug pulls his cloak around himself and goes to sleep.
Looking up from where she is arranging the bedroll, Felicity addresses Corian. no. Standing watch is not your assigned role. You will sleep here, in the center. This unit ... I will take first watch. Your rival is aware of our position, you will not be left unattended.
"Well, if Corian ends his watch as Shi'Vatha is leaving then your extra concerns will not be necessary. I need my beauty sleep so, if I have to take a watch, I'll take the last one."
The night goes uneventfully () and the party is able to break camp just as the first light of dawn breaks over the treetops. Your hike today is quiet. You soon find yourself on the edge of the forest. With Shi'Vatha scouting ahead, Corian decides to peak out into the open land. You are about a mile or so north of the tradeway, and your elevation is high enough that you can make out a clearing far ahead of you, likely several days walking if you stuck to the tradeway.
That done, Corian suggests that you all stick close to the forest's edge, just inside, in case anything can be spotted.
Some might notice Shi'Vatha slinking into the camp, to those less vigilant, he simply appears in the middle of camp. The eidelon has a strange rigidity to his normally placid face.
"Mr. Smither. I am afraid I must tender my resignation from your employ. I felt obligated to do so in person. The creature you name your enemy is a murderer and associate of demons and orcs, and I cannot in good conscience allow him to continue to breath. Not wanting to involve you in an execution, I am officially withdrawing from your party in order to deal with him." The eidelon's voice is colder than the most wind swept arctic tundra. "Should I not succeed in administering justice, you should be aware of what you face. He has an imp familiar which turns into a raven at need. Also, he has at least 2 possibly more, orcs in his employee. He is camped half a day ahead, just inside the treeline next to an outlying farm. The farm in question will be easily recognizable, the family that lived there, the father, mother, girl and baby are all dead, on display outside the house."
Selene raises an eyebrow at Shi'Vatha's strange resignation. "I don't understand. He is an enemy. Presumably this means he works against us or has other similar designs. Why is killing this individual require your resignation? I would expect that killing him and his associates is a requirement of the job if we are to reach our goal intact."
Shi'Vatha looks at the fetchling woman. "It is not my right to drag you all into an execution. There will be no quarter for this individual if he surrenders. Also, the fact he has an imp for a familiar means he is a very practiced and powerful magic user. Apprentices such as Mr. Smither do not have such powerful allies. Even the weakest of demons, which this surely is, is still a powerful creature. In all honesty, the likelyhood of this group killing a wizard powerful enough to have an imp as a familiar is unlikely. I cannot ask you to accompany me to what is most likely death."
You would suicide over an ideal, and leave us less able to defend our charge after you are gone?
If this wizards hunts us, the best chance you have for justice is to stay with us and act as a team.
Glornug shrugs at Shi'Vatha. "I will hunt this wizard and his orcs with you. If they are as evil and as strong as you say, it may mean my death, but this is the way of things. I agree with Felicity, though, that we will hunt best as a group. To hunt alone when you know you will not succeed is not the way of things."
Corian is flabbergasted at Shi'Vatha's 'resignation'. "If this is who I think it is, then Vortigern is not much more powerful than myself. According to my uncle, he had only finished his apprenticeship a few months before I did. Although I wonder how he has an imp for a familiar..." Lost in thought for a moment, Corian shakes himself back to the moment.
"I cannot let you do this alone, Shi'. I am sure that there is a way that we can knock Vortigern off his perch, permanently. It sounds like he is expecting us to just stumble along and find this farm. Is there, perhaps, a way that we could surprise him? Maybe take them out before they have a chance to find us? Also, from what I can recall, imps aren't exactly what you would call 'sturdy.' If we killed the imp before it or Vortigern had a chance to react, it would stun him for a bit, and likely reduce his ability to perform magics."
Glornug gives Corian an appraising look, and a nod. "Ambush is a good way to hunt. Sometimes the cleanest way, if you can kill your prey before they know what's happening. Very wise suggestion."
"Thanks, Glornug. But it's only good if it'll work." Turning towards Shi'Vatha, Corian asks the question: will it work?
Shi'Vatha relaxes a bit. "It was not my place to presume to place you all in danger for my values. However, I am heartened that you have chosen the path of righteousness." The eidelon bows from his waist. "It is possible to ambush them, they are not expecting us as far as I can tell. When I last left, there were two orcs on patrol. No one is wearing heavy armor. If the stealthier components sneak up and bypass the orc, I believe we could strike the bird down from ambush before taking out the caster and the orcs. Especially if we can arrange a distraction. An image of the family as ghosts perhaps, or just someone being bait to draw them out."
Shi'Vatha then describes their camp, the farm, and the enemies he saw.