The hunched figure stops scribbling and turns on his rough stool. The party sees a youngish man face them, but one that seems like he hasn't slept well in days. Dark rings circle his faded blue haunted-looking eyes and thinning sand-colored hair comes to a narrow point on his high-domed forehead. His exact age is hard to pin down, perhaps mid 20s, but he has not aged well at all. A small muscle twitches under his left eye. He glances up at the party and runs a shaking hand over his haggard face.
"Whose strings do you dance on? Where are the tokens?"
The formalities over, the duel begins. Feran lunges at San, his rapier moving at an unreal speed.
1d20+6=8, 1d4+3=5, 1d20+6=15, 1d4+3=7
Feran's lightning-fast rapier slashes around Sanvoros. One lunge seems destined to skewer him, but Feran's slim blade turns at the last moment, as if it had hit a force field.
Sanvoros spends just a moment to concentrate his arcane energies on his blade then takes a swing at Feran.
attack; damage (1d20+10=18, 2d6+8=16) used Ten's touch of good, trying to end this quickly...
Ten Foot looks for Vilya the Taker in the crowd, when he sees her near Bjorn he makes a point of meeting her gaze, he holds it for a few seconds before pointedly staring at Kung Meh and then looking back at Vilya.
Vilya nods imperceptibly, and moves into range of both of them.
Sanvoros' greatsword swings and connects solidly with Feran. the large blade opens up a large wound in Feran's left side.
Feran's eyes widen as the pain hits his conciousness. He seems a bit worried now but still resolute.
1d20+6=23, 1d4+3=5, 1d20+6=15, 1d4+3=7
The bleeding bravo's rapier pierces Sanvoros' defense, drawing a gash along the left arm.
Again, Sanvoros focuses his arcane energies for a brief moment before swinging with his greatsword
Again, Sanvoros focuses his arcane energies for a brief moment before swinging with his greatsword
Sanvoros replies to Feran's lunge with a looping cut that lays open Feran's face and shears his left ear clean off. The small bloody bit of gristle cartwheels through the air, landing in front of Vilya with a small 'splat'
Feran sways as a gush of blood comes pouring out of his cloven face. He pitches forward and lands heavily in the muddy street. The crowd roars, a few risking clapping Sanvoros on the back.
Bjorn and Kung Meh are startled, their eyes opening. They run to Feran and begin to pull him out of the street towards the higher silvered-mahogany sidewalk.
There are now five city watchmen standing about. Their sergeant walks over to Sanvoros directly after the duel.
"Look here son, I need your name and residence in case there are any complaints sworn out," The grizzled sergeant says in a bored tone.
Sanvoros nonchalantly wipes his blade clean, then answers the sergeant with his actual name and residence. Why lie to the watch? he thinks. He sheathes his blade, then if they are still present, he walks over to Kung Meh and Bjorn (slowly, with his hands up and away from weapons). "OK, I don't want any more fights. But I wanna know why you were following us. Did someone put you up to it? Hire you? Was it worth his getting killed over?"
Oh, and he eventually takes care of his own wound (cleaning it and bandaging).
Izkrael will walk up to Sanvoros and Place his hand upon his injured arm, and a pale light glows around his hand.
(Lay on Hands 4)
Izkrael will walk up to Sanvoros and Place his hand upon his injured arm, and a pale light glows around his hand.
(Lay on Hands 4)
"Thanks, Iz. This one sure degraded to a fight faster than usual, eh?"
Vilya picks up Feran's ear. She begins to saunter towards Feran, Bjorn, and Kung Meh with a mocking grin on her face.
"I believe this is yours."
She flicks the ear into its owner's face.
"Mr Howe, I am a fan of your art, it seems my dreams share some of the creations you make, I would like to discuss this with you further, I also have a painting of yours, I'd like more information about, you have seemed to have drawn a map on the back, I dance with no strings, I only hope to keep humanity safe Mr. Howe"
... he walks over to Kung Meh and Bjorn (slowly, with his hands up and away from weapons). "OK, I don't want any more fights. But I wanna know why you were following us. Did someone put you up to it? Hire you? Was it worth his getting killed over?"
Bjorn looks up when Sanvoros walks over, his face set in a fearful rictus. He speaks to San in his strangely-accented Concordant
"We dinnae want nae more trouble. Ja we were followin' yeh, sure an' we were. Yer boyo wi' the map shouted he had adventure an' all, we was jest gonna see what yeh were up to is all."
Bjorn looks down at his comrade Feran. The two are trying to stabilize him, and Bjorn has a healer's kit out and is bandaging the nasty face wound. At this moment Vilya comes up and tosses Feran's ear down. Bjorn's face whitens, then hardens.
"Yeh won tha honor match. I swear by the Drowned God we wont follow yeh nae more. Now be off wi' ye."
"Mr Howe, I am a fan of your art, it seems my dreams share some of the creations you make, I would like to discuss this with you further, I also have a painting of yours, I'd like more information about, you have seemed to have drawn a map on the back, I dance with no strings, I only hope to keep humanity safe Mr. Howe"
Howe giggles, a singularly unpleasant sound.
"If you think you dance with no strings then you are a foolish puppet indeed."
Howe looks Seven Eagle over.
"Hope to keep humanity safe? When webbed bones plot to sunder the Veil? When less than an inch from us lies elder evil? I have seen what lies behind the corners! I HAVE SEEN THAT WHICH SHOULDN'T BE! I HAVE SEEN THE FLAME THAT FREEZES!"
Howe's voice increases until he is screaming at Seven Eagle. Seven Tiger rushes in and snaps a small crystal vial under his nose. He bleats incoherently for a few moments, then sways and collapses. Seven Tiger hauls him to the bed and lies him down.
"I think Mr. Howe has had enough excitement for now friends. I am going to have to ask you to leave."
"Let me through, let an expert tend to him," Bellows Ten Foot as he pushes in next to the prone Feran.
"Master Two Rabbits, this man has more to see and more to drink before he joins you in your feast hall!"
Ten chants as he casts Stabilize.
Ten then calls on the power of Cayden to Channel Positive Energy while chanting a song to his lord:
"Dough, with which I buy my beer,
Ray, the guy I buy beer from,
Me, the guy I buy beer for,
Far, a long way to the bar...
So, I'll have another beer!
La, la la la la la la!
Tea? No thanks, I think I'll have some beer,
But for that, I'll need more dough, dough, dough, dough..."
Channel positive energy, up to three times to cure every ones ills. (2d6+1=9, 2d6+1=5, 2d6+1=5)
Ten uses the power of Cayden Cailean/Two Rabbit to send good vibrations Feran's way. The wounded bravo stops bleeding, the fearsome face wound healing to a scar in less than a few moments.
The bloodied stub where Feran's left ear once hung twists and hardens into a caul of scar tissue.
Feran groans, breathing much easier, but he remain unconcious for the moment. Bjorn nods to Ten.
"That were well done priest. Thank'ee."
My out of character guess would be Haste, but that would make one of them at least 5th level, gulp!
"Now that this is settled, let's go see what our compatriots have gotten into." Izkrael says to Sanvoros, Ten, and Vilya. He then begins to head back towards the Sanitorium.
Joleesa takes a lst look at Howe as they are shuffled away by Seven Tiger.
Leaning in to whisper to Seven Eagle she says, "did you get what you were after?"
Looking to the pretty girl, Seven Eagle winks and smiles, "I think I may have done exactly that my dear" Excitedly, Seven Eagle pulls out the Howe original and turns it over, he draws a line in charcol to conect several points, What is he trying to tells us my dear, his psyche knows the truth and it is protecting his fragile mind, what does this all mean... Then as if hit by a mighty war hammer seven eagle exclaims "There dear do you see it, its like he said, Strings, feet and master, things that should not be, and the fire that freezes, of course how could I have missed that before!"
know arcana=26; know history=16;know local=13; and sense motive=25.
Seven Eagle:
Larcifer:
Joleesa:
Incidently, the Shadow Domain is in the Eberron Campaign Setting. I was thinking of doing a PFRPG version "just-in-case". I'll send it to you once I get it done.
Seven Eagle, Joleesa imparts what knowledge she knows about the Order of the Webbed Skull.
"Now that this is settled, let's go see what our compatriots have gotten into." Izkrael says to Sanvoros, Ten, and Vilya. He then begins to head back towards the Sanitorium.
Sanvoros looks down at the three toughs. He draws his blade, and salutes the fallen man with it, resheathing it afterwards. "Yeah, OK Iz. Let's go meet up with the others."
On their way back to the Sanitarium, San claps Ten on the back. "You were a great deal of help to me, my new friend. I owe you one."
On their way back to the Sanitarium, San claps Ten on the back. "You were a great deal of help to me, my new friend. I owe you one."
Ten Foot grins back at Sanvoros, "Glad to be of help matey, I'm sure it won't be the last time we will have to help each other out in a tight spot, he was fast with that rapier wasn't he?"
On their way back to the Sanitarium, San claps Ten on the back. "You were a great deal of help to me, my new friend. I owe you one."
Ten Foot grins back at Sanvoros, "Glad to be of help matey, I'm sure it won't be the last time we will have to help each other out in a tight spot, he was fast with that rapier wasn't he?"
"Yes, and I admit that worried me ... for a moment. But luckily, he wasn't able to land many of those blows. Maybe next time, he won't be so quick to challenge someone to a duel when they don't buy his fiction. Speaking of which ..." San turns to speak to all of his compatriots as they walk to the Sanitarium, "I still don't really believe them. Maybe they were just trying to 'see what we were up to', but if I was in a group of only three folks, I wouldn't pick a large group like ours to follow. I'd go after a much easier target. I think someone paid them to tail us (or one of us, anyway). Just my opinion, of course."
"We will just have to spot the next ones they send to watch us." Izkrael says as he looks around at the people they pass.
"Oh, so Howe said we're all secretly being controled by a secret society that no-one has any proof of it ever existing, huh? You know, I expected something more distinct from the guy. After all, half the people in the place must think that. So, Seven, were you able to make any more sense of that then we did?"
The group outside ambles back to the Broken House's gate, putting the Port O'Call to their back. The crowd rapidly disperses, going back to whatever business they had been occupied with before the impromptu blood match distracted them.
The gate guard still sits in his little shack, taking pulls of sugarcane juice. He regards the four friends walking up to him, his eye falling to San's bandaged wound.
"I take it you took care of your rivals?"
MEANWHILE ...
Seven Tiger escorts the four friends out of Howe's room, locking the door after her. The sounds of laughter and weeping come from many of the locked doors on the floor as they walk down the dingy corridor. They descend the grand staircase to the foyer. Seven Tiger turns to them at the bottom.
"I am sorry Mr. Howe wasn't more help. He can be very disjointed. I fear he might have gotten bit by a Nightmare Spider* while out in the jungle. He often is quite disjointed."
*
"We will just have to spot the next ones they send to watch us." Izkrael says as he looks around at the people they pass.
"Well Tobias, we need to see if the boogey man is real, do these secret societies exist, the map may lead us to them, we know what we face, cultists, the undead, liches. arm yourselves brothers and sisters, it will be a long day!"
The group outside ambles back to the Broken House's gate, putting the Port O'Call to their back. The crowd rapidly disperses, going back to whatever business they had been occupied with before the impromptu blood match distracted them.
The gate guard still sits in his little shack, taking pulls of sugarcane juice. He regards the four friends walking up to him, his eye falling to San's bandaged wound.
"I take it you took care of your rivals?"
"More or less. They decided following us wasn't a good idea, so they're gonna keep an 'ear to ground' for other opportunities now. Do you mind if we go in to meet up with our colleagues?"
Egan silent up to now turns to Seven Tiger. "I know that what he says are mainly the ramblings of a madman, but sometimes important things are said even in rambling". "Can you think of any phrases, or names he mutters during your care, that stuck out"? "Any thing repetitive or unusual". "And as an artist has he sketched or drawn anything in his room or elsewhere"?
"I take it you took care of your rivals?""More or less. They decided following us wasn't a good idea, so they're gonna keep an 'ear to ground' for other opportunities now.
At this, Vilya cracks up.
The guard looks at San
"Sure buddy. Just head up to the main door."
The guard unlocks the gate and allows the group to enter.
Seven Tiger frowns in concentration
"He has muttered many things. Mostly about a temple, and a flame that freezes. He also talks about walking bones, but that's almost commonplace with these poor souls. Watchers in the dark, some sign he waits for, things like that. As I mentioned, he mostly scribbles. We have sold most of his paintings to defray our expenses here. His art brings good coin in the market. A picture he did a week ago fetched us 100 Galleons if you can believe it."
"More or less. They decided following us wasn't a good idea, so they're gonna keep an 'ear to ground' for other opportunities now. Do you mind if we go in to meet up with our colleagues?"
Ten Foot bursts out in a fit of the giggles that lasts a good several minutes.
"Sister, do you have any of his artwork here that you haven't sold yet? May we have a look at it if you do? Please it is very important."
When we arrive at the main door, San will knock, and tell whoever answers that we are with the group of four who came in earlier, then ask where they are so we can meet up with them.
"Sister, do you have any of his artwork here that you haven't sold yet? May we have a look at it if you do? Please it is very important."
Seven Tiger looks to the party.
"There is one piece that was going out. Let me see ... I think they put it in the spare pantry. Follow me."
Seven Tiger leads the group down a corridor towards the kitchens. The smell of roast pork fills the hallway and the group can hear the clank and rattle of pots and pans further down. Seven Tiger stops at a door and opens it. Inside there is a rolled up parchment leaning against some empty shelving. Seven Tiger unrolls the large paper and reveals a picture of a strange being. The back of the paper is scribbled on with a lot of nonsense marks and a few phrases similar to the ones on Seven Eagle's painting:
O Gods the flame that freezes!
What if the Xoltecs didn't build the temple?
What was the temple built for?
Who slumbers in the cocoon of fossilized flame?
When we arrive at the main door, San will knock, and tell whoever answers that we are with the group of four who came in earlier, then ask where they are so we can meet up with them.
The party arrives at the front door just in time to see the other four in their party following a young female priestess out of the room and down a corridor. Another priestess walks up to the group:
"Yes can I be of assistance?"
San asks where his friends are, and the woman turns.
"They were just headed towards the kitchens, if you go down that corridor you shuold catch them."
The party walks into the corridor and sees Egan and Tobias standing in the hallway by an open door peering inside.
Tobias leans against the door-frame, looking vaugely bored. When he notices the rest of the group approaching, he smiles and walks over to greet them.
"Oh, hey guys. Anyway, according to Howe we're all being secretly manipulated by a secret cabal of liches. We're looking at some of his other paintings right now. Weird stuff. So, how did things go with those guys following us?"
"They will not be following us anymore. Sanvoros convinced them it isn't in their interest to do so." Izkrael answers. He looks at the picture thinking what strange beings this tortured mind sees.
After Seven Tiger shows the group the drawing she rerolls it and puts it back where it was resting. She then leads them to the door.
"I hope this has helped. I must get back to my duties, but let me warn you: If you seek to follow in Mr. Howe's footsteps be very careful. I'd hate to see you returning here as a patient."
The young priestess bids them farewell.
"Farewell, Sister."
2. What effect would breaking a vial of Alchemist's Fire on someone while the two of you are grappling have?
3. Would being lit on fire require a Concentration check to cast spells if it doesn't deal any damage?
The group departs the Broken House and enters the fragrant confines of the Driftwood District once again. The sun is shining brightly in the dark blue heavens, nary a cloud in sight now that the wet season rains have moved on. The day is nearing noon, and the city will soon be disappearing indoors for siesta time.