The Forgotten God (Table 3) (Inactive)

Game Master Rednal

Melina skipped a few steps backwards as she gathered her focus and concentrated - it wasn't easy to main control over any manifested powers in this kind of high-stress situation, and battle was one thing she wasn't used to.

Meanwhile, the wave of force continued to slam inwards as psionic power crashed through the air, manifesting solely because of the will of the man behind it. The powers of the mind were not to be trifled with... as all within the chamber had proven, despite the fact that Lord Prisius had clearly been hurt quite badly by now. It was just as apparent that he wasn't giving up while there was still life left in his body.

Force Damage: 3d6 ⇒ (3, 4, 1) = 8
Fortitude (DC 13 Halves): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

Harath, bordering on death and only in the fight due to psionic bostering, renews his assault on the psychotic lord.

1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
1d6 + 3 + 1d4 ⇒ (1) + 3 + (2) = 6

1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
1d6 + 3 + 1d4 ⇒ (6) + 3 + (3) = 12

bleed, continuous until healed: 1d4 ⇒ 4

Harath then reaches deep into his waning mythic spirit and calls forth a ray of blistering fire on the man!

ranged touch: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15
fire: 4d6 + 4 ⇒ (5, 4, 2, 5) + 4 = 20

one more MP and PP spent

The bleed damage staggered him... but it was the fire that finished the job, blowing straight through his body and leaving him not just dying, but actually dead. Melina sunk to her knees, panting heavily... then slowly tightened her grip on the carpet as she looked at the remains of her father's body. The door slammed open a moment later - actually breaking the lock off - as the servants, Jacobius, and Horonimo piled into the chamber and stared pale-faced at the devastation within the room. Even the self-possessed playwright looked a little dumbfounded.

"What... what happened?" the cook whispered.

bluff: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26
profession:actor: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18

not sure if the above are TOTALLY necessary, but Harath would like to ensure that his version of the story is particularly well-received and trusted as truth. He is worried that the law may not totally be in his favor here, being an outsider in the house of a dead Lord.

"As a few of you know, in the past few hours I have been investigating the disappearance of the late Lord Prisius's daughter, Melina. You," he says, pointing to the cook, "fetch some handmaidens or something, see to it that the girl is taken care of. Looks like she needs food, water, new clothes, rest, you name it."

He pauses a moment to ensure that his command is complied with.

"While investigating this room, some paranormal-SEEMING activity directed me to the bookshelf. It was at that moment the Lord of the manor came to check up on my investigation, and as I went to investigate the shelf, he grew crazed and attacked. At first, I merely sought to placate him. It soon became apparent that would be impossible, and that he would kill me unless he was killed."

"Father was insane." Melina said flatly, brushing herself off as she stood up and finally giving you the chance to see what she looked like. The battle had been more than slightly hectic, and she ran one slightly trembling hand through her hair... but those who possessed powers of the mind tended to be very good at controlling their thoughts, and she took a deep breath as she gestured to the open door.

"He locked me in the hidden passages when I agreed to marry Jake, and my powers have never been the type that would have let me escape all on my own. The best I could do was try and move things around and cause disturbances, hoping someone would finally realize." she slowly shook her head, then turned to look at the servants. "You've all served my family very well. If you'd like to stay on while we try to rebuild the estate, you're more than welcome to. If you'd rather leave, that's fine as well. I hope you'll all sleep on it, though, and at least give yourselves some time to think things over." she let out another sigh. "I'm sorry it had to come to this... but father was only going to get worse if he kept living. It's... it's better this way."

1000 XP for the exploration and the fight.

"Did anyone else know you were trapped and not truly missing? Why would he offer a reward to find you... simply to keep up appearances?"

Melina sighed and shook her head. "He's the only one who knew." she said. "He wanted people to believe I was really gone so they'd give up and go away. I mean... look at this stuff." she walked over to her room, picking up one of the dolls. "This was cute when I was five, but he didn't want me to grow up at all or develop any interests beyond what he thought I should have. Just by demanding it, he thought he could control everything around him..." she shuddered a bit. "If he'd just acted like a real father, none of this would've happened."

"Lady Melina..." the cook whispered, tears brimming in her eyes. Jacobius was the first to move closer, though, quickly darting over and wrapping his arms around her. She took another deep breath and swallowed deeply.

"I'm not really hungry, but... I think we'll all feel a bit better if we can collect ourselves over a meal. You will join us, won't you?" she asked, looking over at you.

"certainly. "

Slowly, the members of the household dispersed, with several of them still in a clear state of shock. The food wouldn't be ready in minutes, but it did eventually arrive.

The smell of spiced lamb drifts up from the steaming dish at the center of the table as the meal is served. Melina looks around the table and smiles, seeming more relaxed than she had before. Today's been a trial in many ways for her, but it seems like she's recovered. "You," she says, lifting her glass, "have seen me through my darkest hour. I don’t know that my thanks will ever suffice, but I have to express them. I wish you could stay in our little hamlet. Please know that you will always find a safe haven here, food for your bellies, and a soft bed for your rest."

A flicker of movement from the corner of your eye catches your attention. A small head peers out from behind a curtain on the other side of the room. The head resembles Melina. It’s the doll! It nods and then emerges fully from behind the curtain. For a brief moment, it seems to float there, but then a twinkle-eyed, smiling face appears. You realize that Horonimo has the doll and thought to make a joke. He grins at you all and says, "I thought perhaps you’d like to take the doll with you – as a souvenir of your time here."

Melina's Doll: This small, stuffed doll was built to resemble Melina, the daughter of a psionic madman. After being by her side for many years - including her formative phase as a psion in her own right - it's been imbued with a small amount of energy and tends to gather mental power from those around it. Anyone who carries this doll with their gear (it does not need to be displayed, merely nearby) can benefit from its altered nature and gains a bonus of 1 PP. This bonus stacks with any other bonuses to PP, and is lost if the owner is separated from the doll for more than 24 hours, but can be regained by carrying it for another full day.

"thank you. It certainly was an... interesting time. I trust this was a fitting end to your story, playwright? It is a shame that things transpired the way they did. I had hoped you were actually missing and could be returned."

"That would have been nice." Melina agreed sadly as she began enjoying the meal. "I do believe I'd have to pity my kidnappers, though - any group like that wouldn't have been very happy by the time I was done with them." Her problem here seemed to have been a lack of abilities that would have gotten her out of the passages - but anyone gifted with psionic powers could be formidable in ways other people never expected, and it wasn't hard to imagine Melina lashing out with her mental prowess. Indeed, at least one of her abilities seemed to be something in excess of your current abilities - though she almost certainly didn't have anywhere near your number of options in a given situation.

The playwright, on the other hand, opened his mouth to respond... then shut it again and slowly shook his head. He may have been quite a self-absorbed fellow, but even he knew that there were some things you shouldn't say, especially at times like these.

"So, your family has some mastery of the powers of the mind. Was this place ever haunted?"

mostly making small talk now, cant think of any further questions, really, other than maybe some current events.

Melina shook her head. "Not that I've ever heard of - though members of my family have enjoyed pretending otherwise, just to get rid of visitors they don't like." she said. Eventually, after more talk, the meal is coming to a close - and your hosts are quick to offer you a bed in the unused guest room where you can safely lay down and try to recover from the day's ordeal.

You may not have made a great deal of progress in finding out what's wrong with the city, but at least you managed to help a family and make a positive change in the world... so at least there's that.

"I'll accept your gracious offer of a room tonight. Tomorrow, I suppose I will look into the dreams that haunt the city."

Your host merely nods - and the servant who cooked the meal is tasked with ensuring you have everything you need to enjoy a comfortable night. The night passes peacefully - there are no ghostly noises or moans, and the beds seem like they're still in relatively good shape despite (or perhaps because of) the lack of recent use. Morning dawns bright and early, with a ray of light coming through a colored window that sends a kaleidoscope of color across your bedchamber.

Harath will once again venture into the city, and look into this dream business. His first attempt to ingratiate himself with a member of the nobility ended up with the crazed Lord having a smoking hole in his chest, and now he sought to get into the good graces of another...

If you'd like to gather information, then now is a good time to roll Diplomacy. ^^ Or pursue the leads you found before, should any of them be of interest to you.

diplomacy: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

i figure ill try this, and search for what seems the better lead out of this attempt and my prior attempt.

After several hours of effort, no new leads seemed to have been turned up within the city. However, the remaining rumors do exist - including the issues with the lycanthropes and the activities of slavers, though it's hard to say just how connected either would be to the strange dreams people in the city have been having.

Harath looks for an inn in the area where the dreams seem to be the worst, or at least the most guaranteed. Once he secures a room, if there is time left in the day, he will check for more information regarding the slavery specifically.

Although it appears to be legal, how does one get involved with it? What people are allowed to be enslaved? Is it indentured servitude? What are slaves used for? Building projects? Cannon fodder? Who, if anyone, is against slavery?

The dreams seem to be fairly consistent throughout the city - no one place is affected more than any others. However, there is plenty of information on slavery within the land of Molthune.

Most residents of Molthune fall into one of two distinct groups: city dwellers and laborers. The city dwellers, almost all of whom live in Eranmas or Canorate, are considered imperial citizens. Citizens may participate in local governance and foreign trade and move freely about the country. Most of the rest of the populace are laborers — indentured servants who till the great fields of the central plains and perform the common work that powers the Molthuni economy. Other servants work in the cities to build things up, and are mostly separated from the citizens.

Imperial Governor Markwin Teldas recently proclaimed that any laborer can become a citizen by serving in the armies of Molthune for a 5-year period. While this decision enjoys strong popularity with the working masses, the elite consider it an abomination - but have no choice except going along with it. The majority of slaves are in service to the state, under the eye of an appointed master or official who sees things getting done.

Very few in the nation are specifically against slavery - except for some of the slaves themselves, but even they realize that there are laws protecting them, it's not always permanent, and that it could be much worse than it is. Of course, as with any nation that has widespread slavery, there are darker rumors... and it's said that some of the richest officials have very exotic tastes indeed. Putting together the information you've uncovered, it's not impossible that something one of them is doing is related to the dreams - it may even be that some rare, hidden slave is causing them somehow, though you'd certainly need more ways of gathering information if you were to search in more detail on this subject.

Harath will sleep in his room when night falls. He spends some time in quiet meditation beforehand, ensuring his mind is clear and thoughts blank before retiring to sleep, as he is eager to be a blank slate to better allow the dreams to come in unfiltered.

As you sleep, you find yourself in a rich, vivid plane covered in near-infinite tiny, crystalline plants. Above you, lightning races through dark clouds, even as strange creatures soar through the sky, swallowing the lightning that passes too close to them. Hours of wandering the wilderness show few changes - except for a slowly-growing mountain, far in the distance, that constantly spews electricity into the atmosphere like some kind of twisted volcano.

As you wake up, only one thing is clear - the dream made no sense at all.

Useless, Harath thinks to himself.

just checking here, but I assume i have citizen status of some sort, since i have been allowed to walk around freely with a shield and weapon and armor?

Harath then tries to see if he can find a job working for a slaver, or anything that might prove to be an access to the slave trade, to find out more. Particularly in regards to those who look for exotic slaves.

diplomacy: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21 to gather more info

Think of it as closer to a visitor's visa, given when you first entered the city. You don't have all the rights and privileges of a citizen - you could not, for example, legally buy a house in the city or enter the district where the richest residents live - but you basically won't be troubled as long as you're not causing trouble first.

Getting involved with the slave trade is a relatively straightforward proposition. Selling them yourself requires a license from the government, but there are plenty of slavers who need help. Most slaves aren't too violent, so the need for guards is noticeably reduced, but that's not the same as saying they aren't needed at all...

People do look slightly nervous at the mention of exotic slaves... but eventually you manage to win a few of them over, and you're quietly directed to an inconspicuous warehouse near the waterfront. One of the people you talked to did note that slavers tend to be a suspicious bunch - if you really want to work for one of them, you'll have to prove your worth.

Harath goes up to the warehouse, and hangs out outside. Not directly outside the door, but in the general vicinity.

Anyone worth their salt will send someone out, he muses to himself.

It doesn't take very long for a well-built, slightly feral-looking man to appear. This clothes are plain but serviceable, if a little dirty, but he's clearly a working man - the muscles along testify to that. "This ain't a place for onlookers." he said bluntly. "If you don't have business here, get lost." He rested a hand on the hilt of his weapon, but didn't go as far as actually drawing it.

"I heard this was the place to find some business." Harath says in a practiced tone. Although he assumes a fight is inevitable, he ensures his tone is not malicious or facetious, and attempts to feign the tone of one who is genuinely looking for a job and who is not a mole guard or investigator.

bluff: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

The man merely crossed his arms, looking you up and down. "Really." he said - not making it into a question. "And what kind of business are you looking for?" It was a serious question - and, perhaps more importantly, included a significant detail... in the grand scheme of things, he didn't really care, but he did seem like the type who'd ask for proof from anyone before trusting the things they said.

"I heard some folks down here in the import/export business were looking for some spare hands, and willing to pay."

At the moment, Harath appeared to be a simple warrior. His clothes were remarkable in that they were unremarkable. His boots spoke of hard-packed dirt, his cloak of the dust from caravan travel. Fine chain shirt, shield and spear... the accoutrements of a warrior.

"Pay's good... if those hands are reliable." the guard acknowledged. "You want a job, you take the test. You pass the test, and maybe you get a chance to convince the boss to hire you." He gestured to a small door in the warehouse, inviting you to walk through.

Harath listened to the brute speak, looking for any sign of duplicity.

sense motive: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12 assuming he found none, see below

He nods, then travels through the small door, but not before looking for any sign of traps.

perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

It would be a stretch to call the guard nice, but he doesn't seem to be lying - nor does there seem to be any reason for it. The inside of the warehouse is fairly spacious, with a number of large holding cells located around the room. Even the most cursory glance reveals a few details - the slaves within are separated by gender, though several of the women have children with them, and each cell has a pile of blankets and pillows stacked neatly on one side. The inhabitants don't look terribly hungry, though few of them seem outright happy, and several other guards pause to look at you before going back to their duties.

It isn't long before you're shown to a small office, where what looks like a Continual Flame spell is used for steady lighting. The guard leaves you with another man - smaller, less muscled, but clearly at least somewhat higher on the organization's ladder. "You've come at a good time - your test is quite simple." he said, getting right to the heart of the matter. "We'll be moving a shipment of cargo from one of the ships at the dock to our warehouse... and we have it on good authority that some of the local thugs are planning to ambush our men and take off with our things. They'll know if we're hiding any of our usual men in the area, but a stranger can sneak in unnoticed. Stop this theft from happening, make sure the cargo gets to this office, and we'll see about getting you a job. Think you can handle it?"

"Likely. If i may ask, how many men do you expect to attack? Where are they expected to attack, if known? Do you expect extraordinary ones such as mages? And if i may be so bold, does your cargo travel by foot or carriage?"

also what is the distance from the docks to the warehouse?

About two miles.

"This cargo's going by foot." the man said. "Can't really keep horses 'round this area. Our informant figures the attack is going to happen away from the docks and once the cargo reaches the warehouse district, since it'll be much easier to get lost in the crowd. Figure at least half a dozen, probably one or two magic types providing distractions. They won't be using deadly spells - smoke and sound are one thing, but the guards won't let that kind of nonsense go in the middle of a business district."

"How long until the delivery?"

once he finds out, Harath will head out, using his sleeve of many garments to look more like the locals in terms of dress.

They'd be making the delivery in the next few hours - the exact time was up to the men carrying the boxes, in what everyone seemed to agree was a probably-futile attempt to catch the would-be thieves off their guard. It isn't long before you're out in the crowds of the city and able to get much closer to your destination - a solidly-built freighter that a group of eight men eventually come off of, carrying two large chests between them. Two of the men are clearly standing guard, with their weapons already drawn, and they look just a bit nervous as they begin heading forward.

They're not off the docks yet - on one side, other ships float in the water as they're tied to the dock, but after the open transport space, it's not long before a cluster of buildings and alleyways fill the view. Thieves could come from just about anywhere here, though the current guards are at least making it very clear that nobody is to get anywhere close to them - and the other workers on the dock are staying well away. From here, you should be able to shadow or observe them somehow - where you do this from is up to you - and it should be at least ten or fifteen minutes before they're far enough from the dock for the attack to happen.

perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
sense motive: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

Harath sticks ahead of the group, looking for anyone who is paying undue attention to the group, making signals to others, or readying attacks. He basically tries to move ahead of them at speed, screening their path for adversaries. He will not move so far ahead that he loses sight of the group, ideally no more than 90-120ft from them. He looks back every few seconds to ensure they have not changed paths.

You're not able to sense anything out of the ordinary as you make your way through the town - the culture here is just too foreign, and you haven't had the chance to really understand what's normal and what isn't. As a result, there's nothing that gives thing away beforehand - one moment you're searching, and the next, a cloud of fog erupts around the men carrying the chests and you can hear frantic yelling from inside.

Harath hurries that way.

figure no outright enemies are obvious this round, so I guess I just head that way.

A few brief flashes of light erupted out of the expanding cloud, a clear sign that something was happening inside - and a scream rose high before being abruptly choked off. After that point, there was no sound at all coming from within the cloud, even as you got much closer to it and should have had no trouble with hearing anything.

As you closed to within ten feet of the fog, the body of one of the men carrying the chest flew through the air and slammed against the pavement a few times. A faint groan made it clear he was still alive - if likely to need some serious help after this - but he didn't seem to have any obvious external injuries aside from those caused by hitting the ground.

Harath manifests Biofeedback and steps into the mist cautiously.

All sound is completely muted as you step into the mists covering the area - it's impossible to see more than five feet ahead of you, aside from the odd flash of light. As you move, the light grows stronger, until you can see it swirling and gathering together about fifteen feet ahead of you. A vague humanoid outline can be perceived, though no more than that - it's impossible to tell if anyone there is friend or foe, even. Rushing forward is an option, as is trying to manifest something that could blow the smoke away. The main priority is the chests - finding out what's going on with those is probably the most important thing here.

already looked at all options for blowing the smoke away. next level is the first time i get anything of that sort.

Harath tries to move around the humanoid, heading to where he thinks the chest should be.

You almost trip over one of the chests before you see it in the fog - it's been opened, and more importantly, the person who opened it is still rummaging through it. One of their hands darts out and pulls out a golden collar with a blood-red ruby hanging down from the front, which they quickly pull out... just in time to see you standing there, your own approach hidden by the muffled sounds.

Initiative (Opponent): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19
Initiative (Opponent): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

As you do, the one you're facing tightens her face slightly, concentrating - and a flash of light erupts out of her body in an attempt to dazzle you.

Fortitude (DC 14): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

unarmed: 1d20 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (18) + 4 - 1 = 21
dmg: 1d6 + 3 + 1d4 ⇒ (2) + 3 + (3) = 8

First, Harath moves to strike the enemy to draw blood. may need a trail to follow later. Then, he attempts to overload the neural pathways of his target, hoping the combined assault will put them on the ground.

Will use a mythic point to Wild Arcana a Mind Thrust on the target, 4d10 ⇒ (8, 2, 3, 8) = 21 damage, DC 16 Will negates

Ack, forgot to mark the second one as yours. XD;

The attack strikes the girl, easily pushing through her defenses and dealing a significant blow to her.

Will: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

It was nothing at all compared to the mental assault that followed, however, instantly overloading her mind and sending her crashing to the pavement, blood pouring out of her nostrils as her eyes rolled towards the back of her head. Sound abruptly returns to the area, and you can hear the sound of combat still going on around you as the golden collar falls to the stone pavement.

"Get back into position, you lazy bums!" a coarse, male voice called. "Find the chests, NOW!" One of the men you'd seen carrying the chests before staggered through the mist just ahead of you, then whirled to face you as he noticed you, clearly alarmed.

i got the idea, added the -1 to my attack for dazzled condition

Harath points his spear at the girl to both indicate her and to show that he wasn't going to attack the man.

"Your boss sent me to ensure you make it. This one was trying to steal that collar. How many enemies remain?"

Harath manifests Empathic Connection on the man, DC 15 will negates, to make him believe they are friends.

General rule of thumb: Opponents are always rolled first.

Will: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

"Two or three, at least." the man said, nodding to you. He pushed the girl's collapsed body away with his foot, then grabbed the collar, tossed it into the chest, and closed the lid before securely locking it. "Grab that end and let's get out of here!" he said, gesturing to a large handle on the side close to you.

"any other chests?" Harath asks as he grabs his side.