Thron's Rise of the Runelords Campaign

Game Master Thron

"I see..." Jeevika says with a very slow nod of understanding. "It's ultimately Zoli's decision. I just wanted to express that it was one of Setsuna's final wishes and that I am capable of fulfilling it. The others are 'Fix Shalelu', 'Rescue Ameiko', 'Find Eugeni's mom', and 'Stab Karzoug in the face'. For some reason, she originally wrote 'Xam' instead of Karzoug. I cannot say that I am familiar with anyone with such an odd name."

Jeevika thinks over what just happened; clearly, Eugeni's spell did something to clear up Zoli's mind. The little swashbuckler had said as much.

"Wait... You said, Xin-Ba... Like a Thassilonian capital? That sounds like Xin-Shalast, which was the capital city of Karzoug's kingdom of Shalast. Xin-Ba... Xin-Bakrakhan?Setsuna's notes from the Jorgenfist library mention a Bakrakhan... and Alaznist, the Runelord of Wrath and ruler of Bakrakhan! When you killed the Highlady of Wrath in the Runeforge, you 'inherited' her mantle..."

Jeevika suddenly begins to stare intently at the tattoo on Zoli's forehead.

"Zoli, I think Alaznist is trying to use you to kick start her return to Golarion."

"I was thinking along similar lines, actually. Now that you are feeling better Zoli, could you explain exactly what you remember?"

Zoli rubs her temples and shakes her head. "I...something happened when we were on Elysium. There was a voice in my head. It...we wrestled for control, briefly there, and I lost." She frowns, clearly mad at herself.

"It wanted my memories, mostly I think so that it could figure out how to get to Xin-Bakrakhan, and secondarily so that it could imitate me. Thank goodness you saw through it, Eugeni! Anyway, I don't hear it anymore. Hopefully it's over now. Do you think?"

In an uncharacteristically sheepish tone, she mumbles. "Ummm, just in case, Maybe someone should room with me for a little while. Ryllibelle? Or Eugeni? I still have your old bed made up."

"Until we know that Alaznist's influence is gone for good, I would consider doing something with your weapons while you sleep. Perhaps give them to your roommate for extradimensional storage while you rest. My fear is that Alaznist could attempt to seize control in the middle of the night, and given your combat prowess, none of us would last particularly long against you in an ambush."

Jeevika yawns.

"Tomorrow, I will be taking a trip to Magnimar to get my affairs in order and sell what the city's economy can absorb. I will also be contacting that Argor Blakros gentleman to see if he can help us again. He was quite a miracle worker last time. Mr. Silva, if you could prepare a Greater Teleport spell, that would simplify getting to Absalom. Unlike Magnimar, I suspect that I cannot use Word of Recall to travel there since I am not particularly familiar with that city. For now, if anyone needs me, I will be at The White Deer. Quite frankly, today has been the second or third most emotionally taxing day of my life. I need to rest."

With a wave to the other Rangers, Jeevika retires for the day.

As per the Inn Stay prices, Jeeves will purchase a good room at The White Deer for 2 gp. In the morning, she will prepare her spells before the altar of Shelyn in the cathedral. I will post that list later. I suspect that she will be leaving several slots open.

Zoli rubs her temples and shakes her head. "I...something happened when we were on Elysium. There was a voice in my head. It...we wrestled for control, briefly there, and I lost." She frowns, clearly mad at herself.

"It wanted my memories, mostly I think so that it could figure out how to get to Xin-Bakrakhan, and secondarily so that it could imitate me. Thank goodness you saw through it, Eugeni! Anyway, I don't hear it anymore. Hopefully it's over now. Do you think?"

In an uncharacteristically sheepish tone, she mumbles. "Ummm, just in case, Maybe someone should room with me for a little while. Ryllibelle? Or Eugeni? I still have your old bed made up."

"I would gladly stay with you, Zol. I have no where else to reside in any case." Eugeni offers the halfling a rare smile.

Zoli smiles and squeezes Eugeni's hand. "Good. Thanks.

"The thing on her list that I think really is important is seeing again if we can save Ameiko. That's been on my mind too. She got nabbed by Xamarath a while ago and taken...we don't exactly know where but it might be the star he comes from, Thay. Setsu tried to reach her before but we basically hit a dead end. If you could help with that...? Maybe you and Eugeni together are powerful enough casters to get her back?"

After leaving Jeevika at the White Deer

As Zoli and Eugeni walk back to her papa's cottage, Zoli turns and asks, "What's it like for you now, returning to the White Deer? I mean, it wasn't that long ago that you were the fuzzy hunter who helped supply them with venison. Only it was also, like, two lifetimes ago, right? How much of your old self do you still have? Do you wish that you could go back?"

"Setsuna was absolutely serious with her offer, Zoli. Before you all left for the Runeforge, Setsu told me that, after getting the diamond and returning to Sandpoint, she planned to grab a shovel and dig up your father's remains herself in the middle of the night. I advised against it, but Setsuna really seemed intent on surprising you. She was plotting this long before she and Eugeni started dating. It was to thank you for saving her from Ironbriar and Xanesha. As for myself, I promise not to resurrect your father without your approval."

Seriously, that's what Setsuna would have attempted to do.

Jeevika thinks over the Ameiko situation.

"Oh, Xam is short for Xamarath. It would be difficult, but I have some ideas that could save her. Mr. Silva could attempt scry Ameiko with Greater Scrying. Given that he is much more familiar with her, he would have the best chance of success. From there, we would have to somehow teleport to her location, secure her, and then perhaps Plane Shift away immediately. However, there are a lot of unknown variables. That Xamarath strikes me as a rather smug, arrogant man, but I would not be surprised if he has some way to ward off divination. He also sounds like a powerful spellcaster, and he might have some powerful friends..."

Jeevika pauses, looks around, kneels next to Zoli, and then whispers quietly to her in Thassilonian, "...Honestly, our best bet might be if I asked Shelyn herself to directly intervene to either bring Ameiko straight home or at least get us directly to her without complication. I could Commune beforehand to see which result is better. If you could get me a Candle of Invocation that matches Desna's free-spirited goodness (Chaotic Good) more than that my Lady's balanced benevolence and at least 25,000 gp worth of powdered diamonds, then we could actually do this sooner rather than later."

With a wave to the other Rangers, Jeevika retires for the day.

As Zoli and Eugeni walk back to her papa's cottage, Zoli turns and asks, "What's it like for you now, returning to the White Deer? I mean, it wasn't that long ago that you were the fuzzy hunter who helped supply them with venison. Only it was also, like, two lifetimes ago, right? How much of your old self do you still have? Do you wish that you could go back?"

"It is...strange. Though it was a short time ago that I lived here, I feel like it was another man. That tortured, self conscious aasimar is long gone. With the knowledge and power I now possess, memories from that time are barely there. Like when trying to recall your time as a very small child. I have heard of children who through whatever circumstance were abandoned to the wild, and never learned to speak. If they are later found and taught a language, they say that their memories from before they had speech are difficult to understand or recall. Such is the disparity in intelligence and knowledge of my new self and my old selves. I have no desire to 'go back'."

"What about you? What is it like to be the High Lady of Wrath?"

Ryli switches back to her half-equine self, having grown silent and reflective during the talk of resurrecting Tanitus. It had to be Zoli's decision, she resolved, though her own heart was conflicted.

As Jeevika leaves, Ryli calls out to her, "Don't forget about restoring Lorthan in the morning. And, well, me."

With Zoli and Eugeni agreeing to stay the night, she heads back to find their two time-displaced companions as well as Kallie. The foal would probably be hungry.

When she finds them, she tries to bring the two up to speed through her spotty memory.

"So, there's probably a rescue mission we're going to do tomorrow, along with making sure Zoli doesn't fall back under the influence of the Runelord of Wrath. Then go shopping, and then we'll see," she says after the lengthy tale.

She lets Kallie nurse until she's asleep, then curls up in Grettela'a grove and sleeps herself.

"I can restore Olympus and Lorthan tomorrow, but I will need another 5,000 gold pieces worth of diamond dust to treat you. That being said, Eugeni can probably get you halfway with a Blood Money-Limited Wish-Restoration, but he would have to wait another week to finish the job."

If I am not mistaken, Olympus is also suffering some Con drain from those wraiths. As for Ryli, could you buy the 5,000 gp in diamond dust? Unless you want to wait another in-game week for two Restorations (one now, one in a week), that's what I will need to use Greater Restoration to cure both negative levels at once. Otherwise, we can just have Eugeni use Blood Money-Limited Wish-Restoration on you for free.

Jeevika sleeps like a rock. In the morning, she meditates before Sandpoint's altar of Shelyn. The only buffs Jeevika casts are Moment of Prescience and Vindicator's Shield. Once her spells are ready (most of them are open slots), the Ambassador contacts the esteemed Argor Blakros.

As agreed, Jeevika arrives at the designated meeting point at the decided meeting time.

"Between my Word of Recall and Eugeni's Teleport, I do not think that anyone will need to ride in a Bag of Holding this time. I will be transporting us to my delegation's rented embassy in Magnimar. We designated a large room especially for teleportation, and in practice, I was the only one to ever use it. As such, my staff will know that it is me returning."

"What about you? What is it like to be the High Lady of Wrath?"

Zoli sighs as they walk. "It's...complicated? I think I get angry more nowadays--or maybe I 'm just more aware of the anger I've always had inside me? I don't feel that different--I'm still pretty optimistic, at least compared to non-halflings. I still believe in Goodness, and Freedom, and Adventure.

"I guess it's both an honor and a burden...and hopefully a real opportunity. I mean, for millennia, since the days of Alaznist, the mantle has fallen to someone who is enraptured with the sin of wrath. Now it's on my shoulders, and I have this chance to make it something new--what it should've been all along. I get to make myself the Highlady of Righteous Anger."

She walks along a few more paces before adding, "Only it's not as easy as I'd hoped. I think Ryli was right, back on Elysium. I need to learn to keep my temper in check now. Or to focus it more on those who deserve it. And, sadly, it seems Xamarath is one of those people. He should be punished for what he's done to Ameiko. I'm not sure how, but I hope we can make that happen."

Ryli: haven’t forgotten, been busy/distracted and other things have drawn my attention away. Once you can convince people of Sandpoint you are who you are, you can attract followers from there, or they can be nature-revering npc’s like druids, Rangers, etc who have heard of you, or really whatever. Your night goes off without a problem. You awaken and find that Lorthan has sat guard most of the night. His eyes are heavy, but he is diligently watching over you, Kallie, and apparently Elthariel, who must have joined your camp in the grove at some point in the night.

Jeevika: Your night also has no issue.

Eugeni: You have no issue through the night, but Zoli seems to repeatedly have bad dreams.

Any response from ol' Argoo?

Well, this game is now “ahead” of the other by at least a day. Most likely response is that he is away on an important errand.

"It seems that Lord Blakros is away on an important errand. Evidently, everyone is having issues with liches these days. In that case, I still recommend that we visit Abasalom. If nothing else, its economy should be able to absorb what Magnimar cannot, and the selection of magical goods is probably the best in the world."

Is Olympus not enough? He played a pretty big part when the dragon attacked Sandpoint. I'd also like to think that maybe Grettela's grove might have become a big draw for nature-respecting sorts, like hunters, druids and rangers.

Ryli looks at Lorthan with concern. "You should have slept. Well, sleep now. I'll have Olympus stand watch, while I go to see if Jeevika is ready to heal you. And him."

She returns to town to see Jeevika making ready a trip to Magnimar. "Can I come this time? I missed out the last trip to the giant city. I wonder if they accept centaurs?"

Eugeni Silva wrote:

"What about you? What is it like to be the High Lady of Wrath?"

Zoli sighs as they walk. "It's...complicated? I think I get angry more nowadays--or maybe I 'm just more aware of the anger I've always had inside me? I don't feel that different--I'm still pretty optimistic, at least compared to non-halflings. I still believe in Goodness, and Freedom, and Adventure.

"I guess it's both an honor and a burden...and hopefully a real opportunity. I mean, for millennia, since the days of Alaznist, the mantle has fallen to someone who is enraptured with the sin of wrath. Now it's on my shoulders, and I have this chance to make it something new--what it should've been all along. I get to make myself the Highlady of Righteous Anger."

She walks along a few more paces before adding, "Only it's not as easy as I'd hoped. I think Ryli was right, back on Elysium. I need to learn to keep my temper in check now. Or to focus it more on those who deserve it. And, sadly, it seems Xamarath is one of those people. He should be punished for what he's done to Ameiko. I'm not sure how, but I hope we can make that happen."

"That seems a complex endeavor indeed. I confess that with all we have been through, I completely forgot about Ameiko. It really does feel like two lifetimes ago."

"Zoli....what happened with Setsuna, and now her being gone....I hope you do not take my behavior the wrong way. I slept with Ryli on a completely platonic basis. I have no emotional attachment to her other than friendship. Losing Setsuna still hurts me deeply, but I hope you know that you are also still very special to me. I should like to repair whatever rift has grown up between us...but I do not know how to show my love for you, or what it even means..."

"Romance? Friendship? Are they even different, or just parts of a spectrum..?" the arcanist trails off, clearly struggling with his thoughts and emotions.

”I beg your pardon, but this is an entirely new and strange world to us. And while Elthariel might blend in, in my experience, I am regarded as a monster. I felt being cautious was...prudent,” Lorthan says quietly in reply.

He nods in agreeance to Ryli’s Command, but even then just leans against the tree, sword still in hand. Elthariel hardly flinches as he makes himself comfortable, maintaining her meditative state.

Olympus alone will work, but explaining to the people verbally will go further. Feel free to flesh out your followers list as you each see fit, be they fledgling members of the Varisia Rangers, a delegation from Kyonin, Black Arrows, or something else entirely.

As with CDL's reminders, Zoli's relationships and issues are her own.

Yesterday evening, walking with Eugeni

Zoli takes and squeezes Eugeni's slightly amphibious hand. "Thank fr saying that, you're so so important to me! Ryli's great, but I get confused around her, especially in this new incarnation. She's...so many people at once, I guess, isn't she?

"And I miss Setsu terribly too. She was a weird, sweet breath of life in our little group when she joined. I'm sure her mom's a fine lady too, but I hardly know her and--I don't know, all of a sudden it seems like she's just going to stick around, isn't she? I know it's not fair for me to blame her for her not being her daughter, and someone of her caliber will totally help us against Karzoug...but she's just not the same, is she? Is that wrong to say? To think?"

She walks on a bit more in silence before continuing, "This part's awkward, I guess. I was really attracted to your old self. I understood you falling for Setsu--I think we all did--but I did feel sad when it happened. It felt like I was losing both of you. Now that seems kind of dumb, now that we actually have lost Setsu.

"I wasn't sure quite what to think of Neugeni at first--not just your body, your mind and emotions had changed. As we've gone through these last few weeks it's clear to me that you really are still you though. I...when you're ready, I think I might like to see where on that spectrum we lie." She smiles at him.

Three AM this morning

Zoli wakes with a yelp from her nightmares. She tries to go back to sleep but can't get the images out of her head. Hesitantly opens the door to her bedroom and tiptoes over to Eugeni's bed.

"Ahem. Hey, sorry to wake you but I've been having horrible violent paranoid dreams. I can't sleep at all. Can I...can I join you?"

"I do not think that anyone will bother you. Abasalom is surprisingly accepting of anyone who behaves themselves, and putting aside how you saved the city, Magnimar has been quite civil to me and my staff," Jeevika says to Ryli. "It seems that we are early. If you could give me fifteen minutes, I will have the Restoration spells for Lorthan and Olympus ready. I have the materials to heal them, but unfortunately, we will need to shop for more diamond dust before I can treat you."

Jeevika finds a peaceful environment to meditate. After fifteen minutes of prayer, she prepares two Restorations and another Sending.

"Ready when they are, Grandmother."

Ryli, you notice that Jeeves has taken to calling you Grandmother now instead of Grandma. Meanwhile, Rileon Senior was always Grandpa. After much thought, it appears that she has concluded that Grandma is just a little too close to Rileon's Grandpa. Instead, Jeevika has found Grandmother to be more respectful and unique to your new identity. It's a way to honor your past and respect your present.

As with CDL's reminders, Zoli's relationships and issues are her own.

Yesterday evening, walking with Eugeni

Zoli takes and squeezes Eugeni's slightly amphibious hand. "Thank fr saying that, you're so so important to me! Ryli's great, but I get confused around her, especially in this new incarnation. She's...so many people at once, I guess, isn't she?

"And I miss Setsu terribly too. She was a weird, sweet breath of life in our little group when she joined. I'm sure her mom's a fine lady too, but I hardly know her and--I don't know, all of a sudden it seems like she's just going to stick around, isn't she? I know it's not fair for me to blame her for her not being her daughter, and someone of her caliber will totally help us against Karzoug...but she's just not the same, is she? Is that wrong to say? To think?"

She walks on a bit more in silence before continuing, "This part's awkward, I guess. I was really attracted to your old self. I understood you falling for Setsu--I think we all did--but I did feel sad when it happened. It felt like I was losing both of you. Now that seems kind of dumb, now that we actually have lost Setsu.

"I wasn't sure quite what to think of Neugeni at first--not just your body, your mind and emotions had changed. As we've gone through these last few weeks it's clear to me that you really are still you though. I...when you're ready, I think I might like to see where on that spectrum we lie." She smiles at him.

Three AM this morning

Zoli wakes with a yelp from her nightmares. She tries to go back to sleep but can't get the images out of her head. Hesitantly opens the door to her bedroom and tiptoes over to Eugeni's bed.

"Ahem. Hey, sorry to wake you but I've been having horrible violent paranoid dreams. I can't sleep at all. Can I...can I join you?"

During our walk

"I would like that as well. That being said, I would like to avoid any romantic commitments until this business with the Runelords is finished. I can not stand the thought of losing another lover or child to this quest. Once Varisia is relatively safe again, and we aren't constantly teleporting around the globe to face certain doom, I believe would like to take you out for a play and dinner in Absalom or Cassomir."

Three AM

Eugeni wakes sleepily. One of his arms reaches out to pull back the sheets, while another pats the bed next to him. "Of course, Zol."

After a moment's thought, he speaks again. "I know of a druidic spell called Dream Feast which might be able to prevent your nightmares. It should make you dream of a lovely feast. I will ask Ryli if she can prepare it for you tomorrow."

During our walk

Zoli nods. "Every time I think we've almost solved this crazy mess, some bigger badder villain appears in the background. Funny, I thought it would all be over when we defeated Tsuto and Nualia. And then again, with the Skinsaw Cultists. And yet the mystery keeps getting deeper.

"Friends sounds good though, and we can always revisit after we thwart Karzoug's sinister plot."

3 AM

Zoli gives Eugeni a peck on his cheek as she climbs in next to him, and does her best to sleep. Despite the comfort of his warmth, she finds she gets little rest.

Morning

Eventually giving up on sleeping more, Zoli rises early, leaving a note saying she'll meet Eugeni at the White Deer, and then goes to Grettela's Grove.

The memory of her old ermine--and the beauty that Rilee had worked there--sooth her tension somewhat, but she is informed by Lorthan that the druid has already headed to meet the others.

When Zoli finally catches up with her at the White Deer, she says, "G'morning! I hope you slept better here than I did. Horrible nasty nightmares about all my friends betraying me. I feel like I barely slept."

Yawning, she adds, "Eugeni mentioned a spell he knows of, that some call Dream Feast, that might help me sleep better. Do you know it?"

I'm ready to go shopping in Magnimar

"I am capable of casting that spell, Zoli; if you wish, I can prepare it for you tonight," offers Jeevika. "My eldest Sabrina often used that very same spell to get through her own rough nights."

At some point before the group departs, she heals Olympus and Lorthan of their drain.

"Lorthan, Ethariel, I wish to apologize for yesterday. I made several assumptions, and that was wrong of me. I promise to be better in the future."

Once everyone has gathered, Jeevika states, "Between my Word of Recall and Eugeni's Teleport, I do not think that anyone will need to ride in a Bag of Holding this time. I will be transporting us to my delegation's rented embassy in Magnimar. We designated a large room specifically for teleportation, and in practice, I was the only one to ever use it. As such, my staff will likely believe that it is me returning and will not be surprised by our arrival."

After everyone splits into smaller teleportation groups ("Grandmother, perhaps you should... compact yourself for the ride? Our spells would likely think of you as two individuals now."), Jeevika leads the way back to Magnimar. Wanting to see part of the greater nation of Kyonin in action, Ethariel decides to accompany her. Jeevika's group arrives without issue.

There is no failure chance for Word of Recall.

Most of Jeevika's staff consists of other Elves. After processing her arrival, they are quick to greet her and start giving her reports about the census. Interestingly, Jeevika seems to have a pride of Catfolk acting as security.

"I am not sure if it was the case in your time, but generally speaking, Elves and Catfolk get along very well; we seem to bring out the best in each other. When traveling outside of Kyonin, many delegations such as my own employ them as auxiliaries," Jeevika explains to Ethariel. "This particular tribe calls themselves the Neko, and they hail from a nation called Minkai out East. They actually introduced me to Lady Shelyn; she is very popular amongst their people in all parts of Golarion."

Jeevika taps some of her staff to help with the sale of goods. She sends a few to a nearby general store to pick up any mundane supplies. Others are used to scout around and get an idea of who currently sells what in the city. Once a general map has been formed, Jeevika herself goes to handle all the fine deals and details.

Eugeni goes to pick up a blessed book first thing, and then spends time scribing the spells he thinks he will need from Azaven's collection into the tome. Afterwards, he hands over the lich's spellbooks for sale with the rest of the loot.

I think it takes hours and hours to scribe all the spells, so I probably need at least a day for that. I also need to come up with a list of things I want...

The next day, he goes out into the city to purchase the rest of the magical gear he has been considering for his person. After his shopping is complete, he considers where in Golarion he would be likely to receive the best deal on a small two-masted brig or caravel.

Knowledge (Local): 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (5) + 26 = 31
Knowledge (geog.): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30

It took some back-and-forth between the White Deer and Grettela's grove to catch up with everyone, but finally Olympus and Lorthan were healed and they were all together ready for transport to Magnimar.

Ryli nods at Jeevika's suggestion and switches forms to a human female of Vudrani ancestry that bears a passing resemblance to her centaur upper half. Kallie squirms in her arms and she staggers a bit upon her reduced number of legs. She reduces Olympus to a statue once she gets her foal settled.

Ryli mainly stays with Jeevika as she makes her errands, at least until the diamond dust is procured and she is made whole.

With the restoration comes a great deal more information about her previous lives. As the memories come rushing back, she collapses to her knees in front of her former granddaughter.

"Oh! Oh, Jeevika, I'm so sorry. I-- I feel her loss now. Words aren't enough, they can't, they can't..." Ryli's mouth works, but she doesn't say anything else. Tears begin to fall, causing Kallie to whimper. She gathers her up and begins stroking her cheek, unable to look at Jeevika.

"I know now why I let that spell take me..." she whispers.

You'd actually be getting a Greater Restoration, Ryli. Results are still the same.

Upon seeing the true extent of Ryli's grief, Jeevika seems to lose an unspoken edge that she has been carrying since the group's failed efforts to retrieve any remains.

"And all this time I thought I was the only one who truly cared," Jeevika mutters softly, her voice laced with disbelief and regret. A sigh. "When will I ever learn?"

Jeevika gently embraces Ryli and Kallie. She too seems to be struggling to find any words.

After breaking the hug, she produces the diamond meant for Mr. Tileani's resurrection that she purchased from the local Church of Abadar. "Just 15,000 gold pieces more of diamond. Eugeni can use Fabricate to either merge everything into one massive diamond for True Resurrection or reduce the entire sum into powder for a Grand Miracle."

Jeevika tucks the gem away.

"And here's the secret. You know those magic candles I wanted? For a period of four hours, they would allow me to cast those mighty spells," Jeevika confuses quietly. "If anything is going to work, I could probably bring Setsuna back tomorrow morning. And yet I'm terrified to even try; I didn't even bother to buy half the materials! ...Part of me wishes to continue investing in the lovely idea that she is in a better place with her sister. Why would Setsuna want to return to this awful world? And that's assuming that her soul wasn't just obliterated outright..."

Ryli listens patiently while Jeevika speaks, eyeing the diamond and its implications. Her heart shared the same sort of terrified hope that the elder Kailani no doubt had. The diamond represented the hope that she could be brought back, but to use it would either confirm that hope -- or dash it for good. So long as the diamond wasn't used, the hope could remain alive.

Ryli lets go of Kallie and watches as the foal tries to stand on stunted legs. She wobbled and slid, but was very close to standing.

"You don't have to use it. No one would fault you for deciding that Setsuna is in a better realm, and is reaping the rewards of a life well-lived. She made mistakes, but she righted many of them, and atoned for the rest."

She puts a hand on Jeevika's shoulder. "There's no need to call her back to this life if you see her mission through. Defeating Karzoug can be your gift to her."

Her attention again is pulled to Kallie, who has just flopped over once more and is again trying to push herself up. "She doesn't just want to stand. She wants to run."

Watching Kallie reminds Jeevika of another baby.

Shion...

There is not a day that goes by that Jeevika goes not think of her youngest. Currently, Shion is safe with her grandparents in Erages. Unlike Vince, they at least know how to care for an infant. Regardless, Jeevika still feels awful for being away for over week and vows to go visit her baby soon.

"In hindsight, I am happy that Kallie ended up with you in her current form. Setsu... was not ready to be a mother," Jeevika admits quietly. "She never expected a child so soon; Sabrina was sterile, so we all assumed that Setsuna was too. She intended to give up the child for adoption. Most likely, Vince and I or one of my brothers would have taken them. And then Mr. Silva expressed happiness at the prospect of being a father. She had no idea what to do next. With you, Kallie gets a loving, experienced parent who has likely raised many children over many lifetimes. Moreover, a centaur is much more hardy and independent than whatever Setsuna and Eugeni's blood would have yielded. Speaking of Mr. Silva, he still gets to be a father."

Ryli looks up, blinking in the realization. "Oh, you're right. I haven't been including him much in Kallie's rearing. We came back together, and in my mind, it felt like it was simple; she was mine and mine alone. But she's really not even mine at all -- I'm just a midwife and nursemaid."

She runs her hand along her smooth legs and massages her bare feet. "I could even choose to be someone else, not the Mawari centaur at all." She scoots begin to give herself space, then returns to her current incarnation. Her tail flicks as Kallie reaches toward the large equine lower half. "I'm going to need to find a centaur herd. She'll need to learn to be one, since she can't just... change when something is difficult for her. But that will take her away from Eugeni."

Lorthan and Elthariel follow along quietly. Ryl (whenever in her natural form)i, Eugeni, and Lorthan are given wide berths and are eyed with suspicion, and the group is more than once stopped by guards until one of the more normal looking Rangers speaks up on their behalf.

Elthariel pulls Jeevika aside, ”Lady Kailani. This is all so strange, this bustling new world. I fear Lorthan, Ryli, and Eugeni are going to attract too much unwanted attention in their baser forms. Do we have any sort of means to alter the men’s appearance? I’ve seen Lady Ryli and Lord Eugeni do so before...perhaps a gentle reminder to them? And perhaps...some sort of magic for Lorthan as well?”

There are a select few merchants in town who can help with some of the various items the group request, but such an expensive and varied shopping list is likely going to take several metropolises to meet all the needs. Few crafters are capable of such magic, and they are scattered across Golarion.

1d100 ⇒ 100 O.o

Eugeni, luckily enough, finds an auction being held in the docks of Magnimar for a Brigantine vessel that had been taken for piracy. The captain of the ship that had claimed her managed to get it back to the nearest port of call and plans for the proceeds to go towards upgrading his own vessel to a larger seaship and more crew.

Ryli:

"Knowing Setsuna, she would be absolutely fine if you took Kallie. As for Mr. Silva, I would speak with him then," Jeevika advises. "Eugeni has a good head on his shoulders. I am certainly that you two will reach a reasonable conclusion."

Ethariel:

"Eugeni can use a Veil spell to mask our appearances for most of the day. He has actually done that before. The possible disguise could be any living creature, but I think normal humans should be sufficient," Jeevika remarks. "I will be sure to ask him."

Jeevika locates the tusked arcanist and asks, "Mr. Silva, could you start casting Veil on our more... exotic-looking Rangers? Ethariel has raised some concerns about recent reactions to our group."

Auction scene:

A small crowd of fairly wealthy buyers are gathered around the dock, studying the ship. It is damaged, and in need of some repairs, but still can sail. The captain, a brown haired, well dressed woman, stands by the ship and is answering questions. ”Aye, she floats ye daft fool! She’s floating now, ain’t she? Open yer bloody eyes ya damned land-lover!”

A half-orc approaches her and asks ”How’d ya take her?”

The captain smirks, ”A gal can’t give away ‘er secrets, can she?” she replies with a wink.

Off to the side, a wealthy man surrounded by guards and attendants sends a man over to her. The aid whispers something in her ear, gesturing to his lord. She scoffs and says, ”Tell yer Master he can wait to bid like e’ryone else! I ain’t takin’ no flat sale!” She sends the man off with a shooing kick at his backside.

”FIVE MINUTES!” she yells out before flipping a small hourglass resting beside her on the rail she is leaning on.

Disregard earlier mention of captain being male. They are officially female.

Whether under a veil or not, Ryli remains in her centaur form as much as possible, for the simple fact that Kallie was getting bigger and it was easier to carry her as a large centaur than a two-legged humanoid. Plus, outside the veil, she looked more natural as a centaur with a filly than a human carrying one.

She follows the group to the docks and watches with attention as the auction begins. She moves over to Zoli and leans down as best she can to whisper, "Why is Eugeni buying a ship? Is Xin-Shalast on the ocean? That doesn't seem right."

Zoli looks up at Ryli with clear surprise. "Huh? Because ships are awesome and swashbuckly!" She explains.

At that she whips out the Scimitar That's No Longer Baern's Breath and begins to fence with the air, and does an effortless flip. "Imagine how cool that would look while swinging from the rigging of a pirate's brigantine!" Zoli smiles, clearly thinking that that would be explanation enough for anyone.

When she sees that doesn't appear to be the case, she adds, "In terms of the whole water thing, I think he was planning to create simulacra of flying beasts that could carry it through the air for us. Doesn't that make it even more badass?!?"

Ryli just stares, speechless, trying to picture huge air elementals or perhaps full-size rocs straining against ropes to keep the vessel aloft.

After a few moments of bewilderment, she turns to Jeevika (if she's there) with a questioning look in her eyes.

lol, missed your post, Ryli. Guess Jeeves isn't there.

After seeing that it will take visits to several metropolises, Jeevika starts thinking over the group's approach. Before the others depart for the ship auction, she announces her plan.

"I will be making a trip to Iadara, the capital city of Kyonin. I strongly disagree with the policy, but most of the nation is not open to outsiders; as such, this trip will be consist of me and some of my more seasoned staff. Iadara is only about a fifth the size of Absalom, but when you scale to Elven terms, that counts as a metropolis. Additionally, as part of Her Majesty's court, I suspect that I can access unique resources there. If nothing else, this trip could lighten the economic load for Absalom. Probably quite significantly.

"I will meet you all at the embassy here at around... let's say noon tomorrow. Eugeni can then teleport us to Absalom. Ethariel, do you wish to accompany me? Officially, you are still a Ranger of our nation."

Jeevika winks at her sister elf.

After she prepares her Word of Recall (Iadara), Jeevika gathers her entourage, the shopping lists, and whatever the Rangers want her to sell and then utters a single word, which takes her group to the heart of Kyonin.

Just reread that spell, and I know you are just using it for out of combat travel, but it is limited to one location at a time. It always refers to “the sanctuary” singular. So I’ll let you use it to either get to Kyonin, or back here from Kyonin. Your sanctuary needs to be one set location.

Really? I believe that the second sentence states otherwise: "You must designate the sanctuary when you prepare the spell, and it must be a very familiar place."

Teleport defines “Very familiar” as "a place where you have been very often and where you feel at home."

By RAW, you can set a sanctuary for each prepared instance of the spell, and the only criteria to designate a sanctuary is that it must be "a very familiar place." It's a sixth level spell, so it should logically be more potent than Teleport (no chance of failure) but less potent than Greater Teleport (it can't be anywhere without failure; just very familiar places).

Eugeni uses his alter self to take on a half-orc appearance, as close to his old body as he can make it. He informs Jeevika he will prepare a veil for their trip to Absalom, wondering aloud why the Rangers should care what normal people think of their appearance.

At the auction, he floats to the front of the crowd, and makes ready to bid.

The captain nimbly hops up onto the railing of the dock and yells out ”Alright! Time for the auction to get started! Biddin’ is to be done in fifty gold increments at minimum! Biddin’ starts at one thousand!” as she paces along it, the narrow footing seeking not to bother her.

Immediately bids start flying in, much to her glee. The number is soon above 3,000. The wealthy lord then calls out ”Five thousand!”

A silence falls over the crowd, and the captain calls out ”Going once!”

Muttering between people in the crowd, but no bids. ”Going twice!”

”Six thousand!” calls out a voice from the crowd that hadn’t bid as of yet. The crowd turns to see the new bidder, which turns out to be an elf in dark brown leathers with a cutlass at his hip. He scowls at the captain, but nothing else.

The lord, quite perturbed, leaves the auction in a huff.

”I have six thousand! Do I have any other bidders!?”

Silence. ”Going once!”

"Seven thousand, five hundred," Eugeni speaks up.

Shocked muttering rolls through the crowd at a new bidder at such a high value. The elf shoots a stabbing glare at Eugeni, while the captain’s eyes gleam with excitement. ”Seven thousand seven fifty!” calls out the half-orc from earlier.

”Eight thousand!” shouts the elf.

"The Varisian Rangers, saviors of Magnimar and this whole damned land; in conjuction with the ambassador to Kyonin, bid eight thousand one hundred! Woe to any who would stand in the way of us protecting Varisia!" Eugeni declares in an aggressive tone. He gives the elf a death stare.

The crowd falls silent, and the elf just glares back at Eugeni. The half-orc waves it off.

”Going once!” the captain calls out.

Silence.

”Going twice!” the elf scowls, turns with a flare of his cloak, and walks off.

”Sold!” the captain says with a broad smile as she hops off the rail. She walks straight over to your group.

”Captain Alaria, at yer service. I trust you have the coin?” she asks. A pair of sailors approach from her own vessel, carrying an empty chest.

Due to the logistics of carrying that much weight in gold, I can't imagine Eugeni has it on his person. I assume it's either in my room or one of our extradimensional spaces.

"Of course. I am not dragging it around the streets; but if you will accompany me, we can retrieve it forthwith." Eugeni offers a shallow bow. "My name is Eugeni Silva by the way. These are my companions and fellow Varisian Rangers, Zoli and Ryli."

”Ne’er heard of ya. But then again, I’m not from around here. But honored ta be sure,” she says as she adjusts her sword belt. ”So long as yer good on yer coin, that is. I have big plans for it.”

While Eugeni and the others head to the auction, Jeevika and her entourage appear over six hundred miles away.

"We're actually in Erages right now," she clarifies to everyone. "We will need a Wind Walk spell to reach the capital. While I prepare it, see what you can find or sell here; contrary to what many might think, Erages is actually considered a small city, so its economy is surprisingly robust. We will meet here again in an hour. If necessary, feel free to inform whoever that you are with me. My family is fairly respected in these parts, so that could help grease some wheels."

Small city is the third highest category in terms of settlement size. If nothing else, they could certainly lighten the load here.

After her staff depart, Jeevika immediately turns around, produces a key from her pocket, and heads toward a nearby manor.

"Mom? Dad?" she calls out after unlocking the door and going inside.

Approximately an hour later, Jeevika reunites with her entourage.

"I hope your ventures were productive. Now, let's get flying; it will be about two hours to the capital. Do not worry; with this magical wine sharpening my senses, we will not get lost! ...Wow, that's quite an oxymoron, isn't it?"

With Tears to Wine, Jeeves automatically makes all the Survival checks needed to not get lost.

Approximately two hours later, the Kailani group stumbles into Iadara and quickly gets to work selling, buying, and commissioning magical goods. Several hours later, Jeevika gathers everyone she brought and collapses on a bench in a local park.

"Is Ethariel with us?" Jeevika asks suddenly, recalling that she made her new friend an offer to come with her to see Kyonin, "I apologize for my obliviousness; I have been awfully distracted today."

One of the elves with you pulls back their hoods. ”Yes, ma’am. I’ve just...Ive just been taking it all in...” Elthariel mutters, her eyes brimming with tears and wonder.

Basically waiting on you guys. Let me know if you would rather move right on to the final book (!!!), or do a bit of downtime RP here. It's entirely your call. Set the stage with what you want to do and I'll push things along as appropriate.