Kyra moves and cast bless to help her companions. Meanwhile, the helk moves agressively toward Merisiel, but is unable to hit her.
Combat round 1
Bold can attack
Merisiel wound the elk and is stabbed by an previously unseen combantant
Diminute female form appears near Merisiel thrusting her
Kyra
Seelah runs to help Merisiel
Elk -9 HP
Zadim
Enora
Zadim rushes in to attack the elk, but the thick fog makes it difficult for him to see it well.
Adopting a flanking position on the diminutive creature, Merisiel attempts to shank it!
Enora moves as fast as her small legs allow her, trying to get into position to use her magic on the creature. But Merisiel is much more quickly, she moves back to let the creature between Zadim and her, and takes vantage of her position to stab the creature.
The Elk, wounded and without the creature who is supposed to help, turns back and runs.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Having recovered the grim latern, and having went back to tell Birdy the place is not as dangerous as she thinks, the group parts looking for adventure to a better place; Allenstead, a border village on the edge of Razmiran. Ulisha’s notebook contains a map and directions to Allenstead, and the PCs’ journey to the village is uneventful.
Excepts from Ulisha’s Journal (colony)
Different cultures’ treatment of the gods is a point of endless fascination for me. Consider the Rahadoumi and their Laws of Man, rejecting the gods despite the plagues and deserts that eat away at their lands. Others such as the Nidalese have sworn themselves entirely to one god who grants his followers power at a punishing price. The small nation of Razmiran is much like Nidal, in that the people pay homage to a most curious deity: a “Living God” who lives among his people. Don’t be fooled by his talk of prosperity for all. The Razmiri are an underhanded lot, and I recently heard that the village of Allenstead—once staunchly against the god Razmir—had all converted to Razmir’s worship. Apparently, a priest bearing a jeweled rod recently paid Allenstead a visit and won everyone over within a day. It’s obvious that some dastardly magic is at work here, and that the priest’s golden scepter is at the crux of it all. I wonder what it’s worth?
Worship of Razmir began in the River Kingdoms, where it spread quickly and led to the creation of a theocracy. Allenstead has always resisted conversion despite being on the very edge of Razmiri territory.
Razmir is known as the Living God, a man who claims to have ascended to divinity by completing the Test of the Starstone. His faithful preach law, luxury, and obedience.
Razmiri wear identical masks to conceal their identities, but the material the masks are made of denote one’s position in the clergy: gold is above silver, and silver is above iron.
In Allenstead
Allenstead consists of a few dozen buildings built along either side of a solitary dirt road that leads from Razmiran to a ferry dock on the West Sellen River. At the center of the village, construction is nearly complete on a large stone statue of a Razmiri priest that stands nearly 20 feet in height. The head of the statue peers down at a stage.
You can move around and talk with people in the village.
"From what I have heard, worship of Razmir began in the River Kingdoms, where it spread quickly and led to the creation of a theocracy. Allenstead has always resisted conversion despite being on the very edge of Razmiri territory. Razmir is known as the Living God, a man who claims to have ascended to divinity by completing the Test of the Starstone. His faithful preach law, luxury, and obedience. Razmiri wear identical masks to conceal their identities, but the material the masks are made of denote one’s position in the clergy: gold is above silver, and silver is above iron."
Merisiel gives an infectious grin.
"A bejeweled scepter with the power to bend people's wills? Sounds like something we should take away from the man. I vote for the straightforward approach - head straight in, and take it away from him immediately before he has a chance to do anything else with it!"
Zadim disguises himself as a villager and begins to walk among them. What has changed here?
He begins to mill about, asking villagers what they think of Razmir, and why they changed their minds so quickly.
"The straightforward approach? I am surprised, Merisiel. I hope that this is not some sort of facade to hide a more underhanded game."
Seelah taps the pommel of her sword as she ponders.
"Regardless, this Razmir and his church are evildoers known to revel in deception, thievery, and oppression. Removing such a magical artifact from their possession can only serve the cause of justice."
Zadim, disguished and acting as a traveling villager, starts questioning people about her believes. He´s able to obtain some answers:
Well, when you have a revelation, you don´t wait to change your life, do you?
The great Razmir, is the living god, and had come to bring pace and prosperity to our land.
We were visited by Folloch, priest of the great Razmir. He has given our lives meaning and shown us the joys of servitude and obedience.
No miracles, but words full of truth and enlightment. He has given our lives joy, instead of the frustration of a live without meaning.
You could see him at noon, when he cames to his daily sermon.
"It sounds like the best thing to do is find this priest. Perhaps we can pose as new investigators of the faith. But I believe we will find more in person than we can through the crowd," Zadim suggests.
|
I think at least 1 or 2 of us should attend the sermon just to see him and hear what he says. But maybe not all of us. If he is using some sort of magic to influence people we don't want to all succumb.
Hmm... Seelah and I may have some trouble being believed as potential converts. Possibly Merisiel and Zadim attend while Seelah and I watch from out of view.
Seelah nods, her arms folded casually.
"Indeed. The arcanist is correct. Her and I should remain back while Merisiel and Zadim attend."
Seelah looks to Merisiel and Zadim. Her tone is almost apologetic as she speaks to them, though her scowl and steely demeanor remain otherwise unchanged.
"You two are the most suited for subterfuge, and this mission should require a degree of subtlety. Discretion is the better part of valor, after all."
Having decided Merisiel and Zadim will be among the crowd while Enora, Seelah and Kyra stays back to avoid detection.
As noon approaches, the townspeople stop their various activities and form a crowd at the base of the stage. At noon, Folloch exits from a house and makes his way to the stage flanked by a pair of guards. Once up in the stage he notices a stranger, Merisiel, so he turns the attention of his sermon to her.
“Ah! My dearest children, it appears some stray lambs have wandered into our flock! Surely Razmir can uncloud the minds of these wayward souls.”
With a flourish and grinning malevolently, Folloch activates extends his rod toward Merisiel and utters an unintelligible word. But nothing happens.
Realization slowly spreads across his face, and Folloch stammers for his congregation to defend him as he flees the stage. The villagers that have gathered at the base of the stage turn against you, grabbing at them and trying to hold them back. While the unarmed townsfolk are no challenge in combat, their sheer numbers prevent you from chasing down their quarry.
As Zadim looks as another villager nobody is going to try to chase him until he runs toward Folloch instead of Merisiel, so he sums one successful check, but can´t try his disguise skill again.
Enora, Seelah and Kyra are a little far, so they face a -1 in the first round due to this.
Merisiel, being the only objective for a whole crowd, has a -2 in the first round.
Slippery as an eel, Merisiel pulls free from the grasp of the nearest townsfolk.
She then dodges back and forth, weaving between the grasping limbs of the outer ring of townsfolk, and making an idiosyncratic bee-line for the fleeing cleric.
Zadim sees that his disguise has worked. He trails the priest closely.
However, some had seen that he ran in the wrong direction, contradicting the priest's orders.
With a few peasants grabbing his arms, Zadim quickly shrugs off his disguise, leaving them holding his tunic. Then, with a running start, he quickly scales a building, and now out of reach of the peasants, continues his chase on the rooftop.
Seelah attempts to calm the crowd to make it easier to traverse.
"Please, Stand down! I am Seelah, a Knight in service to the Inheritor, and I mean you no harm."
Pathetic Wrench, this is your first round. The other exit was granted due to being disguished before the sermon starts and good party tactis
Also,is one skill check or spell for round. I´ll consider two rounds done for Enora and Merisiel (and more success for the group)
Unimpressed with Seelah some villagers shout her loyalty to Razmir as they try to catch her. The Inheritor has no place here! We Well show you the power of Razmir!
Merisiel moves like an eel throught the crowd, avoing all hands and running in an erratic path the lets her shorten her distance to Folloch
Enora´s sudden appearance takes by surprise to many followrs, letting her move to a position where cast color spray to make fall unconscious many of them.
Chase scene actions done
Seelah -intimidate
Merisiel - escape artist and acrobatics
Zadim - acrobatics
Enora - intimidate or bluff and color spray
Merisiel continues to duck and weave, inexorably drawing closer to the fleeing cleric...
With words having failed, Seelah resigns herself to a more forceful approach.
She rears back, then launches herself forward, attempting to push her way through the crowd.
With the combined efforts of the group, it´s easy to go out of the reach of the crowd and find Folloch, who has fled to the stables in an effort to escape.
He and his guardsç are here, hastily filling a carriage with chests and luggage - what remains of Allenstead´s wealth. As he sees you, he points to he levels the scepter at them one last time speaking the same words than before. And, as before, the scepter do nothing. So he prepares to fight for his life, and for Allenstead´s wealth.
Combat round one
Bold can act
Zadim
Merisiel
Enora
Folloch
Guard
Seelah
Merisiel grins impishly.
"Now now, shouldn't the priest work for the benefit of the community, and not the other way around? We can't have you leaving with all that wealth..."
She then hustles forward, throwing a dagger at the cleric's bodyguard.
Zadim moves forward cautiously, studying the priest for any signs of weakness.
"Take him together," the slayer says.
The guard responds Merisiel attack pickin his bow and wounding her.
Then, Folloch starts weaving his hands an morning an extrange melodie, making all but Enora to be fascinated and, thus, unable to act.
More combat
All can act before Folloch and the guard
Combat round recap
Bold can act
Seelah
Zadim
Merisiel continues looking the priest hipnotic patterns
Enora
Folloch
Guard
Seelah remains entranced by the fascination effect.
The guard is going to continue attacking, so this only means one turn lost. And with Enora near enough to colorspray them, I think you are going to win this easily, just one turn later than if you had passed the two saves
Combat round recap
Bold can act
Seelah remains entranced by the fascination effect.
Zadim
Merisiel continues looking the priest hipnotic patterns
Enora
Folloch
Guard
Having studied the charlatan cleric, Zadim moves to attack him with his drawn kukri.
"Your lies will die with you today," he says flatly.
[/dice]
Zadim kukri hits Folloch in a side making him blood and look at you with fear, as if he was feeling his time was going to end. Then Enora comes closer, and magic lights spread of her fingers, making the guard fall to the ground and the priest yell: My eyes, what you had done to me which!
He them starts muttering his own enchanment and tries to touch Enora to affect her, but the lack of vision affets him and fails.
New combat round
It´s all of you against a blind man and a sleeping guard, go for them.
Not wanting to look a gift-horse in the mouth, Merisiel charges the blind 'priest'.
Zadim circles to priest to provide a flank to his companion while slicing at the man with his kukri.
"It will all be over soon," he says quietly.
Whithout being able to see were the attacks come, Folloch is no rival for Merisiel adn Zadim and falls to the ground unconscious.
As the cleric falls, the guard drops his weapons and raise his hands. He surrenders babling apologies and reasons to not be killed, and thanking you for breaking the cleric spell.
The mob, who was running toward you, suddenly stops. Some villagers don´t remember what had happen, and some don´t want to believe it, but all of them are grateful to you. You are lavish and invited to say in the Fishook Inn as much as you want and, when you decide to go and continue with your adventuring life, they give you some gold and jewels as a parting gift.
"Well, I am glad that is sorted out. Shall we move on to the next task on our sortie roster?"
As Seelah rouses from her fascination to realize that their foe has been defeated, she shakes her head.
"I am sorry to you, Comrades, for I should have had more strength of will to avoid the charlatan's magic. I thank the Inheritor that we are all safe and the foe is defeated."
Excerpts from Ulisha’s Journal (Crash)
I may have just made a monumental discovery. While searching for an Osirian urn in an Absalom museum, I came upon a collection of charcoal rubbings in an old scroll tube. According to the notes that accompanied them, they were taken by a Pathfinder from a cave wall somewhere between the border of Numeria and the River Kingdoms. The rubbings depict what Numerians now refer to as the Rain of Stars. While this cave alone is an incredible find, I believe there’s something even more remarkable. In the rubbings, one of the smaller objects has a line that connects it to the horizon. While the Pathfinder dismissed this line as a stone fracture, I have another thought.
I believe whomever witnessed this Rain of Stars must have seen where one of the smaller objects impacted and etched the line as a point of reference!
Now all I need to do is calculate where the ridge lies in relation to this cave and I’ll have my name in the history books.
Accompanying her notebook entry, Ulisha filled the next several pages with crude maps, complex equations, and further notes. She apparently returned to the Pathfinder’s cave mentioned in her previous entry. By observing the angle of the ridgeline and her current position, she was able to calculate the crash site’s probable location. The last page on the matter includes a detailed map into Numeria with various landmarks and a destination. An addendum written in recent ink warns, “Tread lightly. Numeria remains a mystery to the rest of the world. Those who stay too long draw unwanted attention.”
Numeria is a brutal land where only the strongest survive. It was shaped by an astronomical event known as the Rain of Stars, when a large meteor exploded in the sky and rained down upon the land.
The Kellids that call Numeria home often scavenge the fallout from the Rain of Stars for a rare metal known as Numerian Steel. Scholars call the substance adamantine, and it is famed for its durability and ability to cut through the hardest materials as though they were cloth. When alloyed with iron, it is less durable and much less valuable.
Some say that the object that fell during the Rain of Stars was not a meteor at all, but in fact a massive ship carrying advanced technology and creatures from other worlds. The local population views this technology with suspicion and prefers to reclaim then often destroy any such finds they come across.
Zadim has heard much of the land of Numeria, which he carefully shares with his companions.
"We should make our way to this cave," the slayer says. "Hopefully we can do so without drawing undue attention to ourselves."