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Hengist claps his hands when Karayan appears with the rabbit. "Well some! That shall feed most of us indeed." Taking a swig from his waterskin, he stands and says, "I will help Hayden find more food--one can never have too much! Perhaps he or Balgrym will know how to skin the beast." He pads silently into the forest after Hayden.
"This reminds me of camping when we were young--me and my six little bothers, and sisters. You guys ever go camping?"
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Nina stops her singing and nibbles on a mushroom of... dubious safety as she ponders.
Not exactly. Me and Monty, we're Varisian. We we're always out on the open road with the caravan. I didn't even know what a city was until Monty showed me not to long ago.
She smiles and brings her armload of firewood, kneeling next to the fire and putting some wood in.
Imagine my shock when I saw Absalom! I didn't even know cities got that big!
She turns and sets her pack with Monty on top nearby, the doll slumped and staring blankly at the fire.
Before me and Monty got together, I just walked the roads...
She suddenly seems wistful, as if remembering a happy memory.
letting the rain run down over me, so thick you couldn't see a inch in front of you, the mud in-between my toes... I do so love the rain...
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Hayden shakes his head. "I've been in the wilds a few times, but not like this. Most of the time, we had a supply train and porters to set up the tents and cook the food. This is more...rustic than I'm used to."
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Balgrym checks over his things and grumbles. "In my youth we would explore the halls of my kinsmen, often delving deep into them, learning their mysteries and falling asleep where exhaustion took hold. The mysteries of the surface are many, but can we truly say we are not in yet another cavern of immense size?"
Shrugging, he adds, "As for surface camping, I did do it on occasion when my master wanted to hunt fox and goblin in the Whisperwood. I had to keep the bows and arrows well-mended for him."
Nina giggles creepily, Monty seated to the top of her backpack.
OOOOOoooo! Stone Soup!
She starts humming and begins to sing...
"Are you okay?" Janira asks concerned "I've got potions that can heal most ills though I don't exactly know that they'll work on you."
Hayden glances at the others and nods. "I might seem like a hunter, but I'm no devotee of Old Deadeye. Still, I can try to see what I can scare out of the forest. Maybe we'll get lucky."
"So what's a noble like you-" she turns to address Karayan as well "or you, doing out here exploring caves?"
"I have dried mushrooms in my pack as well," he offers, rooting around in his backpack for rations. "Between that and some water, which you have, we have everything necessary to keep a dwarf fit."
Janira inspects the mushrooms suspiciously, then shrugs and tosses them in. "Well, no one thought to bring any stout ale."
Alexis pulls out a wheel of cheese and a bottle of tepache.
"I have this."
"Whoa, that's a lot of cheese. Aren't you afraid of what my pa would call 'gettin' all plugged up'?"
Regarding the sweet drink she asks if anyone chill it.
Hengist claps his hands when Karayan appears with the rabbit. "Well some! That shall feed most of us indeed." Taking a swig from his waterskin, he stands and says, "I will help Hayden find more food--one can never have too much! Perhaps he or Balgrym will know how to skin the beast." He pads silently into the forest after Hayden.
"Well whatever it was you have certainly kung-fu'd the crap out of it." Janira tosses it in.
"... The mysteries of the surface are many, but can we truly say we are not in yet another cavern of immense size?"
"Yes." Janira says flatly.
"So tomorrow we will be hitting some dense forest. We'll have to keep alert so we don't get lost."
Janira ladles some of the cheesy rabbit stew out with a wooden bowl, and takes a sip.
*COUGH! COUGH!* "Smooooth." She sputters.
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Hengist smiles fondly at the memory of outdoor life. "I have spent many nights out of doors, training with my Rajana. But the mountains of Jalmeray and Katapesh are nothing like these forests! They are so dense, so thickly grown...I am used to sun and stone, not trees and moss." He pats the log he sits on. "Comfortable, though! Shall we have some of this stew?"
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"So what's a noble like you-" she turns to address Karayan as well "or you, doing out here exploring caves?"
Hayden looks at Karayan. He could hardly believe the man was nobility, but nobility was something you were born with, rarely by choice. If he was, then perhaps they could work together. They owed each other that at least.
"After years at court and growing up with Lord Kelsey, I found something more fulfilling than roasted boar and fine wine. Sarenrae gave me a new purpose, and I turned my upbringing to her service." He pulls out his holy symbol of the Dawnflower.
"As to here, specifically, it's because I was asked. The Church had me investigating the disappearance of Lady Anilah Salhar. I joined forces with some Pathfinders and it seemed they were good people. I decided to join to further the Dawnflower's reach as well as to find those like-minded nobles. " He nods to Karayan.
Now they tell me I need to accompany you on this little journey. I simply hope I can be of help." He smiles and then picks up a piece of stewed rabbit to bite off a piece.
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The edges of his mouth drop a bit, as if he had tasted something foul but he has not even touched the cheesy rabbit broth.
He looks at all of you for a moment, takes a deep breath and then starts "I would not call myself a noble, although I suppose I might be one. I am one of the progeny of Count Ionacu. I assume you have not heard of him."
He looks up, into the dark woods, as if to reassure himself that nothing is there.
"He is a Moroi. The taldane word is a vampire."
He is silent after that, looking at the others what their reactions are.
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Nina's body freezes. Her body tense as she looks up at Karayan through her wet hair.
A vampir huh... So.... are you one of the ranks of the undead then?
She turns to him, her voice taking on a odd timber, almost a reverberation, as if echoing from somewhere deep and dark. Her hands curl into fists as she stands, her body hunched and swaying.
Have you died? Do you need to be laid to rest.... again?
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"This is all rather new to me. I like the cooperate motto of the Society and really want to believe Golarion would be a better place if we were all friends. Whether that is possible is something else entirely. I am trying."
"I know I do not react well to normal curative magic and react the same way as the not-living to things that hurt the living. Does that make me not-living? I do not think so, I bleed the same as you would do when hurt. Fact is that I prefer it if you would use this on me if I were wounded"
He retrieves a slender ivory wand from his pack and shows it.
"But do not use it on yourselves, as it will hurt you."
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Nina stands in front of him, her hunched, tense posture unchanged. "Prove it then. Bleed. The undead do not bleed. So show us that your heart beats like the living, show us red blood. Before I do what I exist to do, and usher you to the grave." Her tone is stern and unyielding.
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Nina stands in front of him, her hunched, tense posture unchanged. "Prove it then. Bleed. The undead do not bleed. So show us that your heart beats like the living, show us red blood. Before I do what I exist to do, and usher you to the grave." Her tone is stern and unyielding.
*Cough, cough* "Bloodyskeleton!" *Cough, cough*
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Creepy_Nina wrote: Nina stands in front of him, her hunched, tense posture unchanged. "Prove it then. Bleed. The undead do not bleed. So show us that your heart beats like the living, show us red blood. Before I do what I exist to do, and usher you to the grave." Her tone is stern and unyielding. knowledge (religion): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11 *Cough, cough* "Bloodyskeleton!" *Cough, cough* perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20
Nina growls almost like a wild animal.
"Then how, exactly, are we supposed to trust him? I will not travel with a undead... Thing! Either he proves he's not undead somehow..."
She turns to face him
"or I put him back in the ground where he belongs so we can get back to the mission."
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"Quiet, Nina," Balgrym spits, from his crouching spot by the fire. "It's not like you're from here, either."
The dwarf stands, walks over to Karayan, and grabs his hand with his own. "Here, Nina. Touch his skin. Sense the course of his blood. Feel the life flowing through him. Or heck, do it from over there. You know the difference between life and unlife."
Turning to Karayan, he adds, "If you don't mind being touched by something from beyond."
Realizing he has essentially been manhandling Karayan, he lets go and walks away, muttering, "No one wants to touch a devil, after all..."
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Realizing he has essentially been manhandling Karayan, he lets go and walks away, muttering, "No one wants to touch a devil, after all..."
"Well, how else would one know what they feel like?"
"Nina, may I point out that true vampires don't eat rabbit stew? Particularly not with cheese."
As an afterthought, Alexis walks up and gently prods Nina.
"Neither flesh nor linen nor porcelain...fascinating."
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"Nina, calm down. I can help settle this." He approaches Karayan as he's being held by Balgrym. He closes his eyes and breathes slowly, using the Dawnflower's power instead of his own muscles. He opens his eyes and allows her divine sight to pierce the man's flesh and seek out his soul.
With a long sigh, he closes his eyes again and then opens them. Hayden is back to himself. "He may have been sired by a vampyr, but he's not evil, Nina. Whatever his flesh is and how it responds to healing, that is enough for me."
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Nina looks at Karayan as she feels his wrist and then.... Blushes? As she yanks her hand back. She looks supremely embarrassed, and when Sir Greyrun confirms that he's not evil, she hangs her head even lower.
I'm... sorry Karayan. I'm.. I'm not very smart. I didn't think of those things. It wasn't fair of me to treat you that way. I just... don't like undead things. It goes against my nature. But the others are right. Your not undead. Just weird. She gives a happy, almost peppy grin.
And weird I can handle.
Suddenly, she stops and looks at Balgrym.
Wait! What do you mean! I'm absolutely from around here! I don't know what your talking about!
As Alexis Prods her she jumps back putting her hands out.
Hey! Quit it! I'm.. stop that! I don't know what your talking about! I'm just a... a ordinary girl! What are you talking about linen or porcelain? Stop that, it tickles!
As people's attentions move from karayan, the observant might pick up that Mr. Monty is now sitting on the log behind him instead of on the pack where he was.
Night passes, and the party is awaken by bird song, butterflies, and sunlight.
Janira nearly rolls out of the tree she finds herself in. Her eyes come to rest on land-filled sky, and cloudy blue earth. "The Hells?! Why is everything so bright?" She moans. Janira vaguely recalls a swirl of dreams from the night before. Insane but strangely realistic dreams so vivid, and frenzied as knot her stomach, and put her in mind of a madly twirling, clown dervish.
After a moment Janira finds up, and lifts herself groggily toward it, one hand clutching her sore head. Somehow, her bedroll, and blanket are up with her as well.
"Ohhh.... Pharasma, please snuff me now."
She slowly climbs down.
"Balgrym! What in the ass-end of the Abyss was in those mushrooms?!" She looks in the cauldron sitting over a cold campfire pit. "And who ate my stone? Crap! Was anyone even on watch?! Everyone sound off!"
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The group finds Sir Hayden sitting several yards away with his back to a fallen log. The knight seems to have been giggling for the past 3 hours. "I can't really control it....hehehehe. I just keep thinking of things and they all seem amusing. hehehehe. Like that bird over there. Look how funny he's acting. hahaha."
"And see my bow here. Look at how the edge is getting warn. hehehehehe. It's ridiculous!"
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Hengist mostly just watches the conflict the night before, looking amused, especially once it's clear that the danger of anyone killing their teammates has passed. Then the big half-orc stretches out next to his log and snores the night away.
The next morning, Hengist (like Balgrym) seems relatively unbothered by the vile slop they were served for dinner the night before. He looks on as the others wake, and when Hayden starts babbling he sympathetically helps the other man up. "Well, thy nerves are the better for being in a relaxed state! Let us hope," he rumbles. "I am here, Janira! Let us march onward to find these caves and gillwomen! Do not trouble her, Karayan; she has had a hard night, as it is clear we all have."
The party finishes their morning preparations and readies itself to move out.
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The World's Most Interesting GM wrote: Marching order 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Alexis
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The forest grows deeper, and blotting out the spires of the ancient siege towers left behind by the islands numerous invaders.
Janira leads at a quick pace.
Janira points to one fallen fortress. "Wouldn't it be something to find one of those towers unplundered? Why some of them date back to the Siege of the Archmage Nex, over 45 centuries ago. Of course after last night I would not be surprised to find them inhabited by marauding fuchsia pachyderms." She sighs and massages her temples.
As the forest canopy thickens Janira pauses a moment and pulls out an intricate silver compass emblazoned with the Pathfinder Society logo: the Glyph of the Open Road.
“I received this wayfinder when I successfully completed my Confirmation. Should we be successful on our journey, you'll each get your own.” She flips open the device and holds it in front of her; the initials J. L. are engraved into the inside of the device’s lid.
After studying the compass inside for a moment, she remarks, “We’re on the right path. We need to keep heading northwest past those large rocks up ahead.”
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"How far do you think it is before we reach those caves?"
He has been looking at the wilderness as if it will gorge out horrible beasts at any moment.
"If these siege towers are that old, why wouldn't they be plundered? I was once told that Absalom has never fallen to an invasion, that seems very unlikely with all those siege towers out there."
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"How far do you think it is before we reach those caves?"
"We want to get there before dark if possible."
He has been looking at the wilderness as if it will gorge out horrible beasts at any moment.
"If these siege towers are that old, why wouldn't they be plundered? I was once told that Absalom has never fallen to an invasion, that seems very unlikely with all those siege towers out there."
"They weren't just offensive weapons, but defensive bastions as well--some of them had magical defenses. Wards, camouflage, that sort of thing. I can't tell you the number of time some invisible floating keep's magic failed, and it fell out of the sky somewhere over these forests and plains. Why once there was this old witch. 'Which old witch?' you ask? Why the wicked witch, of course. Well, you see this farm...."
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"You heard rightly, Karayan," Hengist says soberly as the group troupes into the trees. "Absalom has never yet fallen to invasion! Those are the shattered shells of the armies that tried." He claps a fist over his heart for a moment, head bowed. "Much blood was spilled in these woods over the years."
Then he looks up and grins. "But no need for that gloom! Let us strive onward to these caves! I have a great desire for a silver compass of mine own!"
Something catches Karayan's eye, a dull gray-brown, banded carapace one might expect to see on an armadillo. It is poking through the hedges the party just passed by. The problem is though the thing--whatever it is--is too big to be an ordinary armadillo, and probably weighs about 40 lbs. Second, as it rises its blunt head frilled with intricately-feathered mouth parts it is apparently an insect of some sort.
Before he can do more than note the tremendous parasite, it and its unseen fellows launch themselves at the party!
Janira (having seen all of the fleas) shouts "" and roughly shoves Nina in the gut, pushing her back a step or two.
Round 1! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
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__ Karayan (Surprise round action--one action only)
__ Sir Hayden
__ Mr. Monty
__ Bugs?!
__ Balgrym
__ Alexis
__ Janira
__ Nina
__ Karayan
__ Hengist
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A deep, gravelly, smoke hardened voice calls out.
By the stars! Nina, get the bastards! Don't let them pin us it!
Much to anyone's shock who hasn't figured it out yet, Nina lets Monty drop, and the doll lands on his feet, pulling a dagger from his pocket as he lands and steps forward to the beast.
Come on you blighted insect, you want some food? I'm bite-sized!
He doesn't attack the beast, but holds his dagger in a defensive position, watching them to prepare for incoming attacks.
The creatures slam into the party!
Not finding the target it imagined it might find the second one slams into the creepy Mr. Monty!
Round 1! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Karayan (Surprise round action--one action only)
__ Sir Hayden
__ Mr. Monty
__ Bugs?!
__ Balgrym
__ Alexis -2 hp
__ Janira
__ Nina
__ Karayan
__ Hengist