A lot of stuff is gonna happen now. We can do roleplay and you can take care of levelling up and such on the side while it happens your not gonna have another fight for a good while. Your also gonna get the chance to buy and sell very soon before any fighting happens so you can do that now while you level.
Loot you find as you search the rest of Drezen:
adamantine battleaxe, 50 +1 arrows, an arrow of human slaying, a +2 breastplate, a +1 keen longsword, a masterwork composite longbow (Str +2), a masterwork f lail, a mithral heavy shield, and a suit of +2 elven chain. +1 frost rapier, +1 spell storing warhammer, +1 vicious Dagger, +2 shadow studded leather, wand of death knell (39 charges), scroll of dimension door, scroll of dispel magic, mwk dagger, cloak of resistance +2, headband of vast intelligence +2 (grants ranks in Sense Motive), ring of forcefangs UE, ring of protection +2
7070 cp, 2743 sp,16539 gp, 1376 pp
This section you might have found I'm not sure...Sound familiar?
a bag of holding (type III) containing a small library of rare books that grant a +4 bonus on Knowledge (planes) checks when they are referenced (these two dozen books are worth a total of 2,000 gp) along with an empty blessed book, an efficient quiver containing two javelins of lightning and 19 +2 magical beast bane arrows, an elemental gem (earth), a dose of silversheen, a potion of lesser restoration, a scroll of dimension door, a scroll of move earth, a +1 flaming heavy crossbow, and a suit of +1 ghost touch full plate.
Also touching the banner you know the following.
SWORD OF VALOR MAJOR
ARTIFACT
SLOT none CL 20th WEIGHT 3 lbs.
AURA strong abjuration and evocation [good]
The Inheritor herself carried this crimson banner into battle during the Shining Crusade. An army commander who carries the Sword of Valor increases the attack and defence of her army by 4 against armies of undead or evil outsiders. Yet the Sword of Valor’s greatest power lies not in offense but in defense. Mounted firmly upon a wall in a visible, public place, the Sword of Valor creates a 10-mile-radius area that bars demons and those who worship demons from using teleportation spells and effects and imparts on such creatures a –4 penalty to Armor Class and on all saving throws. Once per month while the banner is mounted on a wall, a worshiper of Iomedae within 30 feet of the banner can use it to summon a planetar to protect the banner and its surroundings for 1 day. Any nonevil creature that sleeps within a 1-mile radius becomes immune to fear effects from demons and demon worshipers for 24 hours.
"We have done a great thing here today and Othello paid the heavy price for our success."
Aeron sits down and puts his sword across his knees. He looks so very tired.
As the army moves into the citadel, Tessai makes a point of spending time with the soldiers, knights, clerics, and others to establish a rapport with them. This has been a great victory, and she shares the glory with the common troops as much as her companions. She wants to make sure they know and trust her, knowing that in the future she may have to send some of them to their deaths at the hands of the demonic horde.
As for cohort choices, Sociel Veanic the cleric of shelyn, Aeron Kir, the rogue/templar or Irabeth the paladin would be good choices.
The troops are cleaning up Drezen and collecting all kinds of gear and valuable documents of information.
You also get into contact with the main force of the Mendevian crusade. The queen orders you to Secure Drezen and hold your position she would like to try and hold the keep and reclaim it. She is sending you troops as reinforcements and additional supplies. The first group of which arrives soon later by a magical gateway and with them is none other than Horgus Gwerm.
"Well then we meet again! The queen has put me in charge of getting you the provisions you need! I will buy any gear you find you do not need from you at a most fair sev...sixty percent of market value! I will of course find anything you wish you purchase and have it brought here forthwith as well."
"A pleasure to meet you! Glad to be of service! Simply ask and I will deliver. Speaking of which I bear a message to you from Queen Galfrey I'm supposes to deliver to the heroes of Kenabres" Seeing one of the heroes who saved him he passes over the note. "I have another for Irabeth as well" he says handing her the note as she seems surprised.
"A note from the queen to me?" she says seemingly shocked.
Your note reads:
To the Heroes of Kenabres
Words cannot convey my gratitude for what you have done. I wish I could say the worst is over but you must surely know this is but the first step of many. While the war rages on here we are holding the demon horde back as best we can. However you are poised to serve in a way that no other crusaders can. Use Drezen as a base of operations and set out to explore the lands to the south and west of your position for anything we can use against the demons. Having secured Drezen you have doubtless already isolated several possible leads to investigate and I want you to look into the source of the Nahyndrian crystals you found and what they are for. It sounds like they are somehow being use to empower demons to unheard of levels of strength. Do not hesitate to seek the council of those that went forth with you. Irabeth, Sosiel, Aeron and Arvashial will help guide you on your mission.
Word of your success in recovering the Banner and the liberation of Drezen has already begun to spread and already I see the results in the faces of my soldiers. They fight with renewed moral and tenacity because now they feel that we are winning instead of fighting a hopeless battle.
Our increase tenacity at the southern border will keep the eyes of the enemy generals in our direction so take the time you need to fortify Drezen and move behind their lines and do what damage you can. With your aid I know victory is something we can hope for.
~Galfrey
Orlando helps the army explore and clear out the rest of the citadel area, then sits down to pen the story of the Knights of Kenabres so far.
But then, in the middle of the night, he got up, took a torch and ventured down into the lowest complex.
He approached the cells and looked down at the multiple layers of arcane sigils scribed into the floor, lintels, and even the barred door. While the symbols around the western cell door glow with red light, those to the east do not and its prison door hangs open. Venturing inside the open cell, he looked around at the hundreds of butterflies carved into the walls with claws. He looked on the inscription on the floor.
HEAR MY PRAYER, LADY LUCK. FOR IT IS
LUCK I NEED IN ESCAPING THIS CELL. NOT
JUST THE LIFE BEHIND THESE BARS, BUT AN
ETERNITY SPENT SHACKLED TO THE ABYSS
ITSELF. IF YOU TRULY ARE THE TENDER
OF DREAMS, THEN TENDER UNTO ME A NEW
EXISTENCE. LET ME SING THE SONG OF THE
SPHERES, SEE THE STARS WITH NEW EYES, AND
ESCAPE THE PIT INTO WHICH MY SOUL WAS
CAST. BRING ME GOOD FORTUNE, MY LADY.
BRING ME A NEW SPIRIT MADE CLEAN. AND
I WILL FOREVER BE YOURS, IN LIFE, AND IN
FAITH. I AM READY. FINALLY READY.
Again he felt the strange warmth and calmness in the air, and wondered at what happened here.
Varn greets Horgus coolly, remember the pompous man's attitude during the fall of Kenabres. "Ah, the return of Goodman Horgus. Welcome to our humble abode. I hope that you will not find the comforts lacking as you did in the tunnels beneath Kenabres."
You know they are made from the crystallised blood of a demon lord asa for weaknesses and uses...Make knowledge a arcane roll with a +10 bonus (for time books and other available resources).
Whenever you guys are ready we can begin the next chapter.
Also Varn still needs to roll.
The banner should stay in Drezen yes.
In the morning at the breakfast table, you see Orlando surrounded by scraps of paper with the scribblings of various play scenes you had lived through, though with an exaggerated twist to them.
He looked lost in thought.
As you all started to sneak a look at the unfinished play, he abruptly came back.
"Bide a moment my lords and ladies, for I had a most remarkable dream..."
Varn and Arvashial are able to determine that a holy weapon should be able to damage the crystals.
You also examine the research by Staunton vane and find that the crystal are the key ingredient in a potion that grants mythic powers to demons. The potion is still in the experimental phase but The shadow demon and the succubus you battle here had both taken it and gain great by power by doing so. It seems they were getting ready to mass produce this potion here and at two other nearby sites. A place called the Ivory tower and another known as the ritual mound.
Tessai nods. "We have to keep them from producing this potion."
Varn nods. "Agreed. If they are able to mass produce such a thing, it would spell the end of our entire world. Short of the gods themselves becoming embroiled in this conflict, I cannot see any force on Golarion being able to hide back such a tide. We should destroy all but one of these crystals. I would like to keep one for further study, perhaps find a way to convert the evil energies contained within to further our forces."
"We are in agreement, there Tzad; however, I am now one of the last few Riftwardens left. Arvashial and I may very well be the last two left on Golarion for all we know. The amount of knowledge lost in Kenabres was a travesty that will take centuries to reclaim. If I can aid in that, I will do whatever I must to preserve and provide all knowledge that I can to combat these demons." He sighs. "How about this as a compromise; should you or everyone in our group feel the crystal is affecting me in a negative way... or anyone else negatively, it is to be immediately destroyed."
"In the dream, I heard a bell ringing..." Orlando continued slowly, his eyes gazing into the distance.
"I looked and saw a lone church out in the waste. I don't know why, but I KNEW it was somewhere to the south-west of Drezen.
"I saw it was surrounded by demons. And, at it's top, I saw a lone woman with a black cloak with a blue butterfly on the back. She was standing next to the bell, looking out to the demons with a sad look on her face."
He leaned forward.
"I saw that the woman had small horns on her forehead and... I think she was a Succubus.
"Probably.
"Anyway, I could see the demons could not get closer because they feared the bell; but it didn't seem to bother the woman. Still she couldn't leave either."
He shook his head.
"I don't know why, but I KNOW it was a real vision!"
Ready to venture out? Also someone should probably reply to Orlando.
"That's quite the dream you had there Orlando. I'm not so sure that it's a vision, but I don't see any harm in venturing to the south to investigate."
Orlando shook his head.
"I truth, I don't know whether it be sent by god or demon. But I am filled with certainty that I must go see the truth of it, and aid the woman if I can." He said musing aloud.
Tessai nods. "The Inheritor often touches my dreams. I find I am too focused on the here and now during my waking hours. It is easier for Her to talk to me when I am asleep."
Varn remembers that there was once a town in that area that feature a prominent church of Desna with a sacred bell that was supposes to ward it from demons however the demons were able to besiege the town and starve the people out and they sent cultist and other non-demons to finish them off the town has been abandoned ever since. However if the woman was a succubus as Orlando claims she should not have been able to get within a mile of that bell.
"...although," He continued thoughtfully, "I recall butterflies in my dream. Lots of blue butterflies. Perhaps that means something."
When Varn mentions the town with the demon-warding church bell...
"Yes! That must be the place in my dream! THAT is where we must go!"
Tessai nods. "And if we could recover that bell and return it here to repair it could be a strong defense for this citadel."
"If this vision is true, then we best prepare ourselves. It sounds as if it is besieged."
Let me know when you proceed and what preparations you make.
"Does anyone here have any personal experience with travelling the Worldwound? Do we need to take clean water with us? Can we take horses with us without them dying?" Orlando wondered aloud as he looked at his companions.
|
I do not have the experience you seek Orlando, but through my lady Milani, water can be provided anywhere magic can reach. And any food or other drink we find or carry can be purified to be safe for our consumption.
Tzadkiel considers further. I can also ask for guidance from my lady for what might await us through divination if you all can help me word a question to ask.
Tessai shakes her head. "I am sure there are soldiers here who can answer your questions, though, Orlando."
For the most case the Worldwound is baron rock. Very little plant life remains. What does remain is corrupted by the foul energy coming from the abyss.
Any water you find will be poisonous to drink and will need to be purified.
Many demons, spirits and undead roam the worldwound be prepared for all three.
After seeing to mounts food and water, Orlando considered carefully.
"Alright, we have weapons capable versus Demons, weapons capable verus Undead... Ah, do we have any weapons capable against spirits?" He asked his companions.
Tessai shakes her head. "It's expensive, but I've heard ghost salt will let a normal sword cut down a ghost like any flesh and blood creature. We can ask around."
Tessai nods. "That reminds me I need to find a good bow."
You've made all the necessary preparations and you leave Drezen to Irabeth, the order of the rose and the other survivors from kenabres. While your gone fresh supplies and troops are expected to be brought in and Drezen will be fortified to act as a frontline outpost.
You enter the waste and head towards the town Orlando saw in his vision however the town is quite a ways away and it will take several days to reach it ad there is a volcano between you and there..
You out of Drezen heading West towards the village in Orlando's vision.
The land is mostly arid stone and the air is hot and dry. However as you travel there is not signs of life anywhere. After travelling nearly half a day you reach a cliff were a spectre appears before you.
A translucent form, a ghost. Apparently an older man in his sixties wearing full armour. A crusader of Iomedea by his gear. He walks up to you but doesn't appear hostile.
"I was awakened..." he says "I sensed something I have not felt in a very long time...It is faint but I can feel my blood calling out to me." He fades a bit nearly vanishing altogether.
He points north.
"Blood of my blood I need your help...Come." and he disappears
Backing up, Orlando pointed at the vanished ghost with a trembling finger.
"What. The hell. Was THAT!?" He exclaimed to his companions.
Tessai frowns at first but after a moment simply stares. "That's my father." She spurs her horse northward without a moment's hesitation.
Orlando sat there, stunned for a moment, then shook his head and spurred his mount to pursue Tessai.