Gameplay thread
Sukune pauses and looks around, the traveling, especially in his hot armor, he looks slightly miserable.
Standing just shy of 6' tall with dark hair, Sukune doesn't look as though he is the type to messed with...but at the same time he isn't a quick tempered warrior, either.
The fellow looks as if he has some Minkaian blood and his Mammoth lord blood.. A huge hammer is strapped across his back. He appears to be ready to travel.
Following a summons by Venture-Captain Shiela Heidmarch, the six of you have traveled not to the normal opulent Hiedmarch Manor but instead to a small, wooden cottage deep in the foothills of the Fenwall Mountains. As you approach it, faint grunts and banging noises creep out from behind its walls. Opening the door, you see captain Heidmarch standing at the foot of a large bed in the center of the room. Strapped and bound tightly to that bed is a man in purple-checkered nightclothes, whose fitfully struggles against his restrains even as his eyes remain closed and his expression stays vacant.
Cocking her head at the sound of the door swinging open, Shiela Heidmarch calls out. ”Yes, yes, come in. You’re letting in the draft. And don’t be shy: despite appearances there’s nothing sordid going on here. I’m not Ms. Dralneen.” She says to last statement with a bit of a snort as she runs a hand along the rustic cabin's wall. Once you all enter, Heidmarch glances out the window at the last rays of twilight fade away behind the mountains before addressing you.
"This," the venture captain says, gesturing to the man thrashing around violently, straining against the bonds that lash him securely to the bed, "is our colleague, Kalkamedes. Every night for several weeks now, he has fallen into a deep slumber and tried to sleepwalk right out of his cottage. If not restrained, he marches straight north, eventually falling off a cliff or into a bog as if trying to get himself killed in an attempt to reach an unknown goal." As though he were expressing disagreement, the man tied to the bed suddenly begins pumping his limbs even harder, the violent spasms threatening to smash the bed into splinters.
"There are those who have recently criticized the Pathfinders for our indifference to the plight of our fellow field agents. It's time to show that's not true. I want you to help Kalkamedes, whether he wants it or not. Several of our best spellcasters have attempted an extensive list of magical cures, but whatever sleepwalking curse or effect he's under tenaciously resists our efforts. All we can do is keep him safe." Heidmarch pats him with a degree of professional affection, and Kalkamedes rewards her by trying to swat her with his head. The Venture captain sighs and turns back to you.
" Kalkamedes's friends are at their wits' end, so we are going to attempt the only thing that we have not tried: we're going to let him go tonight. That's where you come in. I want you to follow him and keep him safe and in one piece. Let him get to wherever his addled brain thinks he needs to go so badly. Maybe, just maybe, if he gets there, you can find a way to help him. Maybe you can determine who or what did this to him and find a way to undo it." Heidmarch pulls out a serrated knife. "Now before I cut him free, does anyone have any questions or last minute preparations?"
|
"Just wait a second, please. I have an idea. We are going to the wild, probably we can tie Kalkamedes and one of us. But, we need someone strong enough to control Kalkamedes, if he wants to jump from a bridge, a cliff and also this will help us to follow him. ¿what do you think?" Baphos looks around to see the oppinion of his fellows.
|
Stepping into the cabin is a tall lithe Human with tanned skin, deep blue/black hair tied backwards with a single strand over his face and kept out of his eyes by a pair of smoked-lensed goggles. His uncovered eyes are a very pale lilac colour and he has the faint smell of gunpowder and oil about him.
He wears dark gray clothing with many pockets and bandoleers and a long hooded cloak swept out of his shoulders, on a strap held by his right hand is a dark wood musket with blackened metal, at his waist hangs a porcelain white mask with gold around the eyes and gold lips. He will have introduced himself whilst they answered the venture captains summons.
"Killia of Chesed, a sniper and scout"
He listens to the Captains tale leaning on the wall of the cabin, peering out of the window. At her request for questions he speaks up, his voice his halting as if not often used and with an odd accent.
"How long has he had this, affliction?"
It is hard not to hear the shifting of the large man. "I can hold him...unless he is particularly strong." Having infused his armor with Strength in the morning, the big man is anything if not strong. "And as it seems he has been mostly in retirement, studying runelords and such...he is likely not going to be a match for my strength." Pausing for a moment, he nods to the rest. "Sukune."
|
|
Baphos smiles confident and scratches his head while looks at the other fellows. "My bad. What I was thinking? I thought that I met you before. My name is Baphos." Looking back to Sukune "I am sure you can do it big fellow. I hope you don´t bother, If I call you so. We can go following to Kalkamedes and facing any problem."
Sheila arches an eyebrow at the hulking man. ”You certainly do strike an imposing figure. And likely stronger than him in this state. Though I wouldn’t underestimate Kalkamedes: semi-retired or not, the man is an experienced fighter and Pathfinder. Still, you won’t be able to just strap him to your back and head north on your own. That’s the first thought I had myself, originally. Unfortunately, while we know he marches north, we haven’t been able to find anything out in that direction that sheds any light on the situation. For this to work, we'll need Kalkamedes to be your guide and show us exactly where he's trying to go."
”Of course if you have to restrain the man once circumstances change, do what you must. But go easy on him! Remember, the entire point of this exercise is to help Kalkamedes.”
Sheila then turns to answer Theirn and Killia’s questions. ”As best we can tell, this strange behavior has been going on for about two weeks. After the third night in a row of Kalkamedes waking out of his bed and nearly-drowned in a pond he reached out to his old allies; who knows how many nights before that it may have been going on without him even realizing it.”
”Kalkamedes could not think of anything unusual about his recent past that could have triggered this, and all of our spells can’t detect any curse of compulsion so we are sadly stumped. Hence this new scheme.” She pauses and looks pensive. ”When I arrived his friends did mention he had muttered something about dreams. But who wouldn’t feel restless given the cricumstances.” She nods towards a stove in the corner full of dying embers. ”He himself didn’t seem to think much of it: he tossed some of his own scribblings in there a bit before getting tied down for the night.”
|
|
When Sheila ended, Baphos replied. "I did not mean to tie Kalkamedes to Sukune´s back . My intension was to let to Kalkamedes to walk by himself, so he can show us the direction where to go. But, I think, if he is tied, we can rescue him from ponds or cliffs or other danger. Probably he is not conscious when he walks. We are going behind him at our own pace, protecting him. But, If you think this could be a problem, we can look for another solution. If we tie him, we should take his weapons, so he can not cut the rope." Then Baphos was in blank for a moment "Dreams, dreams, dreams. Those can be the problem, I can tell you about dreams and bad events, but in another time. Now, we have to help to Kalkamedes."
"Ah, yes." Shiela says as Baphos explains himself. I suppose if you feel it would be needed. Just please show the man some respect. Even in this state, he is a loyal agent, not a leashed dog."[/b]
"As for weapons, I've taken everything dangerous off him. Though if you'd like to look around be my guest. I believe Kalkamedes would forgive you for making use of anything in his cabin if it was used to help cure whatever this is."
[ooc]Therin can also not determine exactly what is wrong with Kalkamedes. Looking at the man struggling against his restraints it appears to be a strangely aggressive case of somnambulism.
|
A lithe half-elf with long blond hair currently tied in a top knot watches the group and listens with his arms folded while leaning against a nearby wall. He wears a curved bade at his hip and studies the thrashing man with intense green eyes. As the rest of the group discuss their options, Idril walks over to the fire and peers in, specifically looking for any remnant of the man's writing that were not consumed by the dying fire.
As Idril pokes around the stove, he finds a crumpled wad of paper. It's slightly burned, but the half-elf carefully unfolds it to reveal a fairly impressive charcoal sketch.
As he points this out to his colleagues, Therin looks at the stove more carefully and notices a lever hidden within. Pulling it, you hear a click and a bit of the floor behind a water barrel rises slightly. Prying it up further, the six of you see a locked metal chest within this hidden compartment.
"No disrespect was meant. We must always respect those who came before, whether they be retired or passed on. Else, I would not be as strong as I am. However, people do tend to slow down when they are retired. That is all...though...he would not be on a leash...it would be a lead...completely different," the harsh looking man says with an awkward smile.
Seeing the box, he grimaces, "Ummm...hidden and locked...someone is worried about what is in there. Anyone good at picking?"
Looking into the Shiela's face. "Did you know about this? Any idea what is inside? Do you know where is the key?"
[b]"Hmm, That would hold some of his gear I suspect. I thought this cabin seemed a bit light on supplies given his excursions. Sadly I'm at as much of a loss about a key as you are.
She seems sincere when talking to Baphos. Meanwhile, Killia looks around, but can't seem to find a key either.
"Is anyone in our group learned in picking locks?"
|
Venture Captain Headmarch, it's a pleasure....
The young man with the bushy beard and fancy clothes was smiling at the Venture Captain, and gallantly tries to kiss her hand
May I ask you a question? The name and fame of Karkamedes isn't unknown to me, but I don't know much about his previous adventures. Is there a place in the north where he could have some particuliar memories? Something his heart would love to visit again, even if his brain isn't aware?
Turning to the mountain of a man
I'm sorry, but picking locks isn't my forte. Maybe I should try to learn a few new tricks when I have the time. I could always try this key...
Lukaas starts to hum, then sing, until a magical note glitters near the lock
Staring at the sketch, Baphos can't make out much details from the vague drawing. Meanwhile, Lukaas makes an impressive display of hand moves and noise, but the lock barely shakes before the spell fizzles.
"I'm not a common sneakpurse." Shiela replies coolly to Baphos, though his naive tone seems to keep her from taking offense. "If you can open it quickly then do so, but if not I would suggest getting this scheme underway. You have to get the job done by dawn. Once he wakes up, he remembers nothing and becomes downright useless as a guide."
Poking and knocking at the chest, Therin can tell that there are objects inside, but the container seems solidly constructed. The lock is a bit less so however, and could likely be broken by a single powerful blow, or smashed off by less subtle hammering from a weapon.
Shaking his head, "Your key is cute. Mine is better. I will buy Kalkamedes a new lock..."
With that, he takes the Earthbreaker from his back and swings.
"That should do."
|
|
While his fellows hit the box, Baphos looks for something useful under, around and on the bed. Probably a key or something else they could use in their trip.
Then, he sits on the bed to wait. "Fellows, We should move, time is passing, we have to tie Kalkamedes or see how to protect him and start our trip."
|
|
Idril looks at the strange halfling and nods to him as he shows him the item recovered from the fire. "You may call me Idril, though such matters are fairly irrelevant." Baphos can tell that while curt, Idril is fairly goal orientated rather than rude. He cuts to the matter at hand rather abruptly. "It appears our afflicted fellow here drew something. A master of arts he is not, but it appears to be some sort of structure, perhaps a house or a temple. The obvious inference is that poor Kalkamedes there is trying to reach this place, though I cannot surmise its location from this drawing."
Idril pauses a moment and rests a finger on his chin as he loses himself in thought. He speaks to Baphos as he fleshes some of his thougths out loud. "Though good Captian Heidmarch and her assets were unable to detect magic at work here does not make that a fact. There may be a more powerful force here that is able to avoid detection from lesser practitioners. As much as I hate to say it, I believe at this juncture we have to other options other than to escort this man to wherever his compulsion directs. We should ready ourselves as best as we are able." Idril nods once to Baphos and checks the blade at his side.
Idril flinches as he hears the loud thump of Sukune's giant mallet. He turns to regard the man. "Well, I certainly know who to call if I encounter any mithril coated walnuts. Is there anything left of that unfortunate box?"
|
|
His search fruitless, Killia leans back on the wall to watch his fellows go about the strange reasoning of a Hammer and a Key being interchangeable and like most others, gives a slight wince as the Earth-breaker cracks into the floorboards. He looms over to the Venture Captain as Therin begins tying ip the sleeping man.
"Venture Captain, you mentioned cliffs and swamps, what is the terrain like in the area? Any known threats or dangerous terrain we should be aware of?"
Sukune assists Therin, as needed.
Therin gives the luck a strong blow with his Morningstar, but the hard metal absorbs most of the impact. Elbowing past the cleric however, Sukune wallops the object. When he lifts his hammer again, the lock lies utterly smashed, and the chest has a few more dents than it did before.
Lifting the lid, you see the container holds a set of leather bracers, a mud-splattered cloak, a dried gourd (that when lifting you can hear liquid sloshing around in, and a vial of a blue ointment, and an oddly-shaped mithral flask with jagged, razor-sharp edges that make it difficult to hold. Wrapped carefully within the cloak is a beautiful mithral longsword, whose fine sheen and intricate construction is marred by a rippling crack that runs down the blade.
As you pick through Kalkamedes’ gear, Shiela answers Killia’s question about the terrain. ”A lot of the Fenwall Mountains is still unmapped: in fact, that’s much of what Kalkamedes has been doing out here. That said, from what we know the nearby area is your typical foothills: plenty of forest and undergrowth, some crags and crevasses. The Fenwalls also cover some marshland as well, though mostly to the south. And wildlife of course, but if there are any particularly strange monsters roaming about here I haven’t received word of them.” Her words seem to track with what Lukaas has heard in his travels.
|
|
When the box is opened Baphos jumps from the bed and run to the chest. Looking at the loot. "Wow! This is amazing. I have never seen too many things gathered in a box." Taking the Mithral long sword raising it to the sky "Now! I got power!... I´m just kidding, I don´t use weapons. This would help more to you, big fellow" talking to Sukune.
|
|
Killia looks at the opened case and looks through it caredully for any clues, finding none he takes the strange mithral flask in his gloved left hand. He finds a space for it on his bandolier and starts to affix it. He seems to think for a moment before seemingly remembering that he is not alone.
"I plan on scouting, so this may come in useful should we spit any undead, I can report back. If I do not need it, I will of course return it to Kalkemedes. I am not great with swords"
|
|
Baphos sits again on the bed. "I think Idril should take the sword, Sukune is ready with his key as we all saw it just few seconds ago. I would tell that the cure potion should take someone who won't be fighting, because my little experience tells me that if the fighter falls unconscious won't drink the potion by himself. The other potions can be used as they come needed. I could use the cloak, but if someone else needs it more than I do, I am glad to give it. Now, we must take things quickly, it's time to start our trip." Baphos smiles to the group.
"I am not the best when thinks attack the mind...or I have to dodge, but I tend to be rather resilient. That cloak can go to anyone as far as I am concerned. I agree, the potion would be lost on me. There is none of it that I am in particular need of. I think having the potion of swimming or the hide potion ready to force feed Kalkamedes wouldn't be a bad idea...you know...if I have to restrain him before he gets into bad trouble..."
|
|
Idril smirks as he sees the gear spread out and tries to piece together any meaning from the items gathered, any hint of Kalkamedes destination. He politely shakes his head when offered the mithril sword. "Thank you, but my training is rather specific. Besides, this blade has a special meaning to me and would use no other in any event."
Idril readies for the coming excursion.