Sorry about the downtime delay. Today has been extremely long and filled with some posts already but now I'm getting a headache. I'll get a post up tomorrow.
No worries, Charles! We already had planned a slight delay here. Plus, there's a lot to do.
Barlog: Thanks for playing! I hope you enjoyed. If you're ever interested in trying again, we can bring back your current PC or bring in a new one. If not, then enjoy life and future games!
I will be on a cruise next week from 4/1-4/6 without Internet access. It will likely take me till the following Monday or Tuesday to get caught up and resume posting.
GM, please bot me as necessary.
Oh man, a cruise! I'm honestly a little jealous, but I hope you enjoy your trip.
Just a reminder that we can keep the RP going in the gameplay thread.
Sorry, post is coming. Unexpected night at work and worse I was alone for most of it. Mostly done.
It's all good. It's just a reminder.
Sometimes when I look at my Campaign List and see no updates, I just move on, completely forgetting that I'm the one everyone is waiting for.
So I like to put up reminders like that when it gets slow, to help anyone else who does the same thing I do. :)
Dwarf
Hello guys! let me know what I got!
Age: You Adult; age 31-50
Build: You stand a bit shorter than other dwarfs.
Appearance: You are a typical dwarf, hairy and portly, but well groomed.
Hated Creature: Demons
Background: You sold your soul to a devil to gain wealth. The devil betrayed you and left you penniless. You start the game with 1 Corruption.
Personality: Your honor is your life. You would never do anything to bring shame to your people.
Profession 1: Militia Member
Profession 2: Outlaw
Lifestyle: Getting By You earn enough to meet all your expenses.
Interesting Thing: A newborn baby that might or might not be yours.
Personality Traits (Pick one positive and one negative): Fair, Idealistic, Self Centered, Thoughtless.
A note on personality traits - if these don't match your idea for your PC, you can change them. Make up a single word to describe the personality traits that shines out the most. It's not meant to be all inclusive, just the trait that pops up the most in someone's mind when they describe you. For example, "Oh. Yeah, I know him - he's the one who's extra kind!" or something like that.
Next up is the questionnaire and writing a story. They may be done in any order.
For the story, it has to explain all aspects of your history and professions, but they can be done in any order. For example, maybe he was raised an outlaw as a kid, then made a deal, f**+ed it all up, and then joined the militia. Or however you like!
Yikes, sorry about that, Charles. Tesswyn is not in a good place right now.
Alright! Here he is, hope you like 'im. Let me know what to change if need be.
Hi Gärwin!
I haven't read your story or questions yet (will do that after I put the kids to bed), but a quick audit of the character sheet reveals two things. Both of which are my fault.
For professions, list them like this:
Wilderness (Outlaw)
Martial (Militia Member)
The reason is because sometimes j might say that everyone with a Wilderness profession gains a Boon, or something like that. (Boons and Banes will be discussed later).
Under the Ancestry spoiler, please include your ancestry abilities.
Darksight. You can see in areas obscured by shadows or darkness within medium range as if those areas were lit. Beyond this distance, you treat darkness as shadows and shadows as lit.
Hated Creature. Demons (or is it devils?). Your hatred grants 1 boon on attack rolls made against creatures you hate.
Robust Constitution. You take half damage from poison. You make challenge rolls with 1 boon to avoid or remove the poisoned affliction.
Your wife died from an apparent suicide.
Level 0 Adventure: You were engaged in a large battle with Fomor (goat men). Where did the battle take place? What was it like? Who initiated the battle? How did you survive (Wit? Strength? Magic?)?
During the battle, you suffered a grievous would. Although it healed, it still pains you from time to time. How did this happen? What kind of wound?
During the battle, you scavenged 1 item valued at 5 silver shillings or less. What was it?
months passed after the battle. During that time, you worked, earning a Comfortable lifestyle.
You are now Level 1. Pick a Novice Path.
Use these events to tell a story of what happened and how they led you to choose the Novice Path you chose.
(Paths will be posted in Discord, as well as equipment for you to choose from).
The goat smashed their heads together, and sadly dwarves are not quite as hardheaded as they think they are. Still gets a ring in 'is ears, he does. The other soldiers pounced on the blighter, and Gärwin made it clear the battle. As reward for his service, he got 'is hands on a brigandine and a helmet, a sort of apology for letting them through."
After that experience, he set about workin odd jobs around the the keep, trying to keep the little tot outta trouble. Gärwin even was allowed to take some guard shifts. Workin' with some of the fresher faces allowed him a small measure of relief, and the modest pay more than covered his meager expenses.
The child grew in those months, its body slowly filling out and becoming more dwarven, though it still never seemed to open its eyes. The horn on its head grew soft at the tip, part of which crumbled away to the touch, leaving nothing but ash. Little buds of teeth were forming in it's mouth, which filled Gärwin with apprehension.
Whoo! hopefully it looks good, I'm starting to tire out.
Yikes, sorry about that, Charles. Tesswyn is not in a good place right now.
No, this is good stuff. Serves Charles right for letting Tesswyn be alone for that long when she was this close.
More sorry to Drot for basically forgetting he was there too.
Also, welcome Gärwin Gildenbeard, I'm sure we'll see you soon.
Ok, finally back home! The dog is all settled. He's got his meds and is in his crate. Whew!
Now that I've read up on Gärwin's story and checked out the character sheet, I have to say that it's looking really good!
Now for the next level stuff!
You have entered the service of a knight. He or she has helped hone your fighting skills and has taught you how to ride, care for your gear, and conduct yourself in a proper and noble manner. It has been months since this service has started.
During this service, you nearly died. You have nasty scars on your body, and you are missing an ear, ld3 fingers, or ld4 toes.
Questions to answer during your story: How did this service come to be? At the end of the five months, did the service end or is it still ongoing? If it ended, how?
Downtime event: Minor Windfall! You won some money gambling. Gain Gold Crowns.
Was this literal gambling, such as a game of dice with some soldiers or even a Gentleman? Or perhaps you gambled with someone's life and walked away with a prize. Or maybe you placed a bet on a jousting event at the city (closest city is a few weeks ride).
Level up to 2!
Here's your level 2 info:
Health +5
Combat Prowess. Your attacks with weapons deal 1d6 extra damage.
Forceful Strike. When the total of your attack roll is 20 or higher and exceeds the target number by at least 5, the attack deals 1d6 extra damage.
You must also purchase your lifestyle.
Destitute: Free
Poor: 2 Copper Pennies
Getting By: 1 Silver Shilling
Comfortable: 2 Silver Shillings
Wealthy: 1 Gold Crown
Rich: 2 Gold Crowns (or more)
You can also purchase more equipment if you like.
Choose Random or Fixed starting scores:
Random Attribute Scores. Strength 7 + 1d3, Agility 6 + 1d3, Intellect 7 + 1d3, Will 7 + 1d3
Fixed Attribute Scores. Strength 9, Agility 8, Intellect 9, Will 9
Perception equals your Intellect score
Defense 13
Health equals your Strength score
Healing Rate equals one-quarter your Health
Size 1 (may change based on rolls)
Speed 8
Power 0
Damage 0
Insanity 0
Corruption 0
Languages and Professions. You speak the Common Tongue.
Immunities. damage from disease and poison; asleep, diseased, fatigued, poisoned
Key. You have a key somewhere on your body that you cannot reach.The key determines whether you are a creature or an object. If the key is turning, you count as a creature and use your normal statistics. If the key isn’t turning, you count as an object and use the statistics in the following description in place of your normal statistics (your Health becomes the object starting number). Your key stops turning when you become incapacitated or at the end of any round in which you got a 0 or less on an attack roll or challenge roll. Any damage taken in excess of your Health applies to your Health in your object form; if you take damage equal to the Health of your object form, you are destroyed.
Object Form
Size. Based on creature
Perception —
Defense 5
Health 15
Strength 0 (+0)
Agility 0 (+0)
Intellect —
Will —
Speed 0
Immunities. attack rolls against Intellect, Will, or Perception; attacks that allow challenge rolls to resist using Intellect, Will, or Perception
Suppressed Afflictions. Any afflictions you had when you become an object are suppressed and have no effect for as long as you remain an object. However, rounds spent in object form count toward the duration of those afflictions.
Object. You cannot use actions or triggered actions, and you cannot move. You are completely insensate.
Failing Magic. If you became an object from becoming incapacitated, the magic binding your soul to your body begins to fail. At the end of each round, roll a d6.
6: You arrest the failing magic, and you are no longer incapacitated, but you remain an object until another creature uses an action to restore power to you.
2–5: Magical failure. If you get this result three times, your soul escapes your body, and you remain an object permanently.
1: Explosion! You explode in a 1d6-yard radius from a point in your space. You are destroyed, and everything in the area takes 2d6 damage. A creature that gets a success on an Agility challenge roll takes half the damage.
Wind the Clock. While you are an object, any creature that can reach you can use an action to twist your key. If you are not incapacitated, your mechanisms start working again, and you become a creature at the end of the round. If you are incapacitated, roll a d6. On a 3 or lower, you remain incapacitated. On a 4 or higher, you heal 1 damage and become a creature at the end of the round. Repair Damage A creature can use a tool kit and an action to start repairing you. If the creature spends a total of 4 hours working on you, it can make an Intellect challenge roll with 1 bane. On a success, your object form heals 1d6 + 1 damage.
|
Clockwork submission
Starting stats: Strength 9, Agility 8, Intellect 9, Will 9
: I am new, 5 years or younger.
: You were built to gather intelligence about or assassinate targets. Increase your Agility or Intellect by 2.
: You are a humanoid clockwork. You are 6 feet tall and weigh 300 pounds.
: You appear battered, broken, and in poor repair.
: You were made to be a scribe. You know how to read and write the Common Tongue.
: You search for meaning in a world in which you have no place.
Updated stats: Strength 9, Agility 8, Intellect 9, Will 11
: You belong to a religious institution. Roll a 5 d20 and consult the “Religious Professions” table to
determine your profession.
: Acolyte of the New God. You study to become a priest in the Cult of the New God. You know how to read and write one language you know.
: Religious again.
:
: Acolyte of the New God. You study to become a priest in the Cult of the New God. You know how to read and write one language you know.
As I rolled the exact same thing twice, GM let me pick Pilgrim as my Profession 2
: Getting by, You earn enough to meet all your expenses.
You have a dagger, a staff or club or sling with 20 stones, basic clothing, a backpack, a week of rations, a waterskin, a tinderbox, 2 torches, and a pouch containing cp.
: Table 3
: A bar of soap or a towel.
Gracious/Quarrelsome
Orderly/Vulgar
Dependable/Craven
Honorable/Slovenly
I'll pick Orderly as my positive and quarrelsome as my negative.
2 Crowns 8 copper left
Comfortable Lifestyle 2ss
On Horse
Horse 2ss
Saddle 5cp
Saddle Blanket 1cp
Bit and Bridle 1cp
Saddlebags 2cp
Tent, 2-person 5cp
1 torch 5bits
Cutlery 5bits
Cooking Pot 1cp
Bedroll 2cp
Oil 3 flasks 3cp
2 Sacks 1cp
On me
Holy Water 3ss
Map 1ss
Adventurer’s Pack 1ss
Tabard (vest) 1ss
Rope, coil (20 yards) 1cp
Scroll Case 2cp
Lantern 1ss
Manacles 5cp
Sword 5ss
Small Shield 5cp
Sold/Lost
A backpack
A club
The first real display of this talent was at a jousting competition. Ser Henrik handily defeated the competition without so much as breaking a sweat. Because of his pompous nature, few were willing to bet on him, which ended up winning Gärwin a couple crowns of his own. It was honestly the most money Gärwin had had in his life. So much money in fact, he was uncertain of what to do with it, and simply pocketed it for a later date. Well, after enjoying some cigars and spirits of course.
The child was proving to be a problem, Gärwin had convinced the knight that it was born with a defect, but Ser Henrik was suspicious. The child was healthy now, with the no real sign of being different from a regular dwarven child. It still kept its eyes tightly shut though, and it’s cry had a strange warble to it. It was a relief then, when it stopped crying at all. Tiny breaths rose and fell, but no sounds came from it. The tiny buds had sharpened into teethy points, the little thing had an extra set of canines!
When the news came around that a troll was terrorizing the local area, Ser Henrik was quick to challenge it. They set upon the thing as it was tearing apart a small farm, Henrik quickly charged atop his horse, spearing the beast. Gärwin saw the troll throw the knight from his horse and rushed to his aid, club in hand. The sturdy crack would have knocked out any Fomor, but the troll seemed unaffected. Enraged, it bit Gärwin’s hand, losing the club and some of his fingers to the creature’s hungry maw. Raking it’s claws across his body, the troll pushed Gärwin away, just as Henrik stabbed it. Seeing how wounded Gärwin was, Henrik demanded that he leave him to fight the troll. Henrik knew that Gärwin was looking after a child and on his honor, could not let him die. Gärwin protested, but eventually climbed onto Henrik’s horse and rode away.
Alright! I'm feeling good, bring on the next level!
Comfortable Lifestyle:
No additional money saved.
Events that happened while at Level 2:
During your next adventure, you were poisoned by a trap or a monster. It took you five months to fully recover.
What happened?
Level up to 3! Assuming you take the Knight Expert Path, then this is how you became a knight:
You found a dying knight, tended to him as he departed the world, taking his armor and gear upon his death. You have since dedicated yourself to hone your fighting skills to be worthy of the armor you wear.
This knight can be Ser Henrik, and you can tie in the whole event back to the troll fight, if you like; expanding upon it. Perhaps you went back and rescued him, but he died on the way back to civilization. Or it can be a second knight... Tell your story!
Downtime events:
You lost some money gambling. Lose 1d3 silver shillings.
Gärwin is turning out to be quite a gambler!
Tell the story of what happened.
And don't forget to purchase another Lifestyle. We do so at every level.
ss
Lost/Sold
Demon Baby
1 sanity
Part of the way through his journey, Gärwin stopped in a small, reclusive village to resupply. He stayed in a small tavern named Wylden Heath which rested next to the forest. The locals were friendly and had a selection of rare ales that Gärwin was too tempted to pass up. The following morning, however, Gärwin fell ill. The local doctor was called and he determined that Gärwin had simply been exhausted and would need bed rest. He had been injured not too long ago.
The child had been growing, far faster than seemed natural and had begun to walk on its own. It’s gait was awkward, but what toddler’s wasn’t? The little thing had been more energetic than before, often moving about Gärwin’s room when it left his side. The innkeeper would bring Gärwin his meals and play with the child, She and everyone else seemed taken with it. A week passed, and Gärwin was not getting better, he felt riding his horse might be beyond him. The doctor was again called, but he seemed baffled, and left to consult his books. An odd feeling started to creep into Gärwin, one that he couldn’t quite place. After another week, the doctor still had not returned, but Gärwin was content to wait.
An entire month passed, and Gärwin noticed something was odd, but couldn’t quite place it. He took a stroll around the little tavern a bit to clear his head when he realized something. He and the child were the only visitors this place had had in almost two months. While rural, traders should pass through sometime, if only to keep the town afloat. Gärwin tried to gather his things and leave, but was stopped by a local farmer. The dwarf almost collapsed and was forced back into rest. For the next two months he faded in and out of consciousness, barely noticing when the innkeeper took custody of the child.
He awoke alone one morning, unable to get out of bed. Turning his head to look out a window, he saw nothing but forest. Forest, that on closer inspection, had an unnatural color to its greenery. He felt he had seen this somewhere before, and later he realized he had. The food that was being brought to him had the same odd tint. That night, he heard a slight scratching sound, and after realizing it wasn’t the child, looked outside. It looked to him that the trees were shifting in the wind and brushing up against the building. As he lay awake, he heard the innkeeper talking to someone. “The vessel is here, just as the was foretold! We may finally see our god come forth!”
The next day, Gärwin only pretended to eat the food he was given, hiding it in his room. Though he starved, his strength began to return to him. They had been poisoning him all along! After the fourth day of fasting, Gärwin felt strong enough to make his escape. That night, he broke down his door and was immediately set upon by the innkeeper. As Gärwin struck her, her face collapsed with a dry crack and she crumbled into a gray powder. As the dwarf made his way outside he noticed a light of indescribable color amongst the swaying trees. Fearing the worst, Gärwin made his way to the source of the light.
What he found was an altar, hidden deep in the woods. The entire village surrounded it, kneeling in worship to a child, his child! The little one stirred, and cried for the first time in many months. And then it’s eyes opened. A strange gelatinous fluid flowed out of the baby’s eyes sockets, floating as if gravity had no meaning to it. It pooled and coalesced above the altar, the same hateful color as had been plaguing Gärwin since he arrived. A small trickle of light flowed from the villagers into the ever-growing pool and one by one they collapsed into dust. This was when Gärwin noticed that the trees were swaying toward the pool, and tiny flecks of light flowed from them as well. There was, in fact, no wind that day.
A small stream of light flowed from his own body as well. As everything around him crumbled to dust, he watched the pool of light gather into one powerful burst and fly into the stars beyond. As it streamed off, He thought heard his child giggle one last time and it was gone. Gärwin collapsed amidst the deadened land and lost consciousness. When he awoke, there was nothing around him but the altar and the corpse of the thing he had called his child. It’s body was it’s eyes and mouth lay open revealing nothing within, as if the body was simply a hollow container. No organs or even spine was to be seen.
Gärwin left that clearing and never looked back, drowning his sorrows in booze, cigars and gambling. He successfully returned Her Henrik’s armor and was even allowed to serve in his stead. As a knight, He took an oath to destroy any demon he would come across, no matter the form.
Based a bit of one of my favorite Lovecraft stories, can change details if required. What do you think?
In addition to everything else, you've heard some rumors that the previous supplier of food and other goods - a local commune - went crazy. You've always years the rumors that they were a cult who cut out their own tongues, and it turned out to be true! They were worshipping some sort of demon or crazy God and acquired a demonic plant; they were implanting the plant seed into victims in hopes of birthing their God.
They were discovered after the shipments stopped and a couple of locals were hired by Commander Rabi. The locals discovered the same semi-intelligent demonic plant seeds nestled amongst the most recent grain shipment; if it had been left undiscovered, it's likely it would have infected the entire keep and all the soldiers within. The commune was burnt to the ground and all the demonic plants were destroyed. Those same locals then went on to establish a new trading route with a nearby farming community, and both the community and the keep have been thriving since.
One of those locals, an orc, stayed on at the keep for the fall and winter helping rebuild and retrain. Two others stayed at the farm; one became a teacher and priest of the Old Gods, while the other has faded from public view. The last set up a security detail to escort the shipments through the forest.
Import Info: Your Level 3 event will end at the end of last summer, and it must end at the keep or the farm. Your downtime events will take place over the six months of Fall and Winter. If you stayed at the keep, then you will know Drot'ook, the Orc magician and warrior who stayed at the keep. You may also know Charles, a priest and paladin of the New God who set up the security detail and travels with the shipments to protect the people in the caravans.
If you stayed at the village, you would grow to know the local community and know the dwarf Barlog Flamebeard - he is a druid who built a house in the village and set up a small temple to the Old Gods. You will know Daphiel, a woman who was voted to be sheriff and is close friends with Charles, Drot, and Tesswyn. You probably would not know Tesswyn, the final local who saved the Keep, as she became a recluse for the months following the burning of the commune.
And now for your events.
Level 3 Event: You witnessed a Miscarriage of Justice. What was it? How were you involved?
Post-story Downtime: You worked. You only earned enough to live a Poor lifestyle. What did you do? Why were your lifestyle funds so minimal?
You automatically get the Poor lifestyle. If you want a better lifestyle, you must purchase it, subtract the cost of the poor lifestyle from any other lifestyle you wish to have.
You have a new Interesting Thing!
A set of clothing that can change appearance once each day at dusk.
Please include a story of how you acquired this item; it can be acquired at any point during any of your stories. For example, it could be that you stole this item and framed someone else, having them suffer the legal consequences, or it could be that your work was creating this item and it was actually a success! The remaining funds from working only allowed you to live a Poor lifestyle. Or something else!
Additionally, at some point during all this, your armor was ruined. Why? If you want new armor, you must purchase a new set.
Once you're done, level up to 4 and join the roleplay in the Gameplay Thread. If you wish to speak with any of the NPCs, I will respond. Otherwise, it'll be fun to get to know your fellow PCs.
Level 4:
Characteristics. Health +6
You either learn one spell or gain Shake it Off.
Shake it Off. You can use an action to heal damage equal to your healing rate and remove one of the following afflictions: fatigued, impaired, or poisoned. Once you use this talent, you cannot use it again until after you complete a rest.
Purchased
Brigadine
Lost/Sold
Lantern
Brigadine
With the cursed child gone, they were much more accepting of Gärwin, and he made plans to stay for the foreseeable future. He met Drot’ook and they spoke at length about the plant monsters they had both encountered. Gärwin was impressed by the Orc’s courage in seeking out the demonic forces and considers him a possible ally. The Orc also mentioned his compatriots, but Gärwin never encountered them during his stay.
Having been away from Bleak’s Faste for a full year, Gärwin regularly patrolled the county, seeking to defamiliarize himself with the land. In one of these patrols, he came across a mob of farmers setting up some form of pyre. While questioning them about this, he discovers they have captured someone they claim is a witch. The townsfolk were a suspicious lot and it took some convincing to let Gärwin see the girl. She was well dressed and did not appear very threatening. When pressed further, farmers claimed she had tried to cast a spell upon them and her “spell book” was locked away. The farmers refused to let him see the book, but the girl claimed it was just a story, written in Darkspeech. Gärwin managed to convince the farmers to hand over custody of the girl in exchange for most of his money.
As they rode off, the girl told him she was the niece of a local Baroness Quinnet Daedlus who’s small manor was nearby. The dwarf found his way to the manor without issue and the girl was returned to her family. The Baroness, after graciously accepting Set Henrik’s armor, declared Gärwin a suitable replacement for the fallen knight, and awarded him a tabard of the Deadlus family. The magic garment could change form at dusk, one as representative for the family and the other for when discretion was needed. Though employed by a baron, Gärwin didn’t quite make up the money he had lost, instead bunking in the keep.
Phew! I think this it!
"Now that the winter is nearly over, I believe I'll be heading to the village soon. I don't know exactly what will happen next for my family and me but we have a knack for finding the worst of the darkness... Or maybe it follows us. In any case, if you're in the area you'll always be welcome, I'll always have a bed and a meal to offer if you need one.
Once I get this cannon design prototype'd I'll have a lot of spare time. I'm always looking for people to train with and you're one of the best warriors I've seen in a long time! Perhaps one day we'll fight on the same field; until then, safe travels friend!"
Life gets in the way! Welcome back!
Your next step is to write up a story explaining all your rolls, as well as to answer the questionnaire. The questionnaire is an abbreviated version of what you can find on pages 27-28.
Branding, you can dot and delete on the gameplay to add this game to your campaign list, if that will make it easier to see updates.
You'll have five total stories to complete before you can join the game. Once you have your opening story complete, I'll let you know what events unfold for Level 0 and what happens during your post adventure downtime. You'll write a story for those and level up to 1. We'll repeat the process until you're at level 4, then you can join the game proper.
Thanks for your interest Branding. I think it's best we part ways. Two sequential segments of three day absences without word or notice is too much for me, especially for someone who I have no history with. Best of luck with your future games.
Might as well have some fun with the... What did Tesswyn call him? Arsewipe! Ha...
As the party begins leaving the house Drot takes up the rear guard. He notices Billy leaning down to Gärwin, whispering and glancing back at him. Of course he's asking if the Orc is safe, or if he's their slave or something like that... Drot can play that game!
This was an interesting sight to see. The tall, upright and thoughtful looking Orc began to slouch his shoulders excessively and jut out his lower jaw. It took a mere moment for him to transform into a thuggish troglodyte. He stepped his way through the group up to Charles and did his best "First Orcs" voice.
"Chawls, dis uhn fr ta eet afta' we beat up da magic laidy?"
Drot points his huge hand at the boy's face, much closer then would be comfortable. He grins a snarls at him before suddenly and completely dropping the act, standing up straight and wiping the slobber from his face.
He draws up his note book and beings to read, still keeping stride with Charles, smirking at himself for being so childish.
Ah! What the hell! See! I told you he-. Oh. Oh ha ha. Very funny. A&%$++%.
Charles looked at Drot'ook with a hard look. "Was that really necessary, Drot'ook? Okay, now you're just showing off."
It occurred to me that Drot'ook could use sense magic to determine where any magical items might be hiding. May be too late now I suppose but if there was anything magical to find we missed now would be the time.
That's a good point. Instead of rerolling, I'll let the group to two more perception checks.
I mentioned this in Discord. Tesswyn rolled both and succeeded twice. I'll add two more items to the list.
The Staff. A crooked length of black wood festooned with eldritch signs, this relic functions as a staff. Must have a Power Score of 1 or more to use. Use an Action to spout a burst of flame as far as Medium range. Make an intellect Attack vs the Targets Agility score to deal 1d6 + 1d6 per power score in fire damage. The target must make an Agility Challenge Roll to be lit on fire and continue to take 1d6 fire damage every round until someone uses an action to douse the flames. Each time the staff is used, roll a d6. On an odd number, you cannot use the staff again until you take a rest.
The Bracelet. A simple bracelet made from copper with a bezoar center piece. You can use an action to extinguish all flames within 10 yards of you. The object has three uses. You regain expended uses once each day when you douse the object with water.
The Pendant. You can use a triggered action on your turn to activate this object. Increase the number of actions you can use on your turn to 3. Activating this requires the destruction of the pendant.
The Red Vial. A vial of Royal Water. Royal Water is one of the most corrosive substances known on Urth. It must be kept in specially treated glass. You can use your action to attack with royal water by pouring it out of the bottle or throwing the bottle to a point within short range. If you pour the royal water from the bottle, it spreads across a surface with a 1-yard diameter. If you throw the bottle, it shatters when it hits a solid surface, causing the contents to splash within a sphere with a radius of 1 yard. A creature in the area that gets a success on an Agility challenge roll avoids the splash. Anything that fails to avoid the royal water takes 6d6 damage, plus plus 3d6 extra damage at the end of the round if still in contact with the substance. A creature can use its action to wash away the royal water with a water- or alcohol-based liquid, ending contact with the substance.
The Long Curved Knife. This functions as a Long Knife weapon. A dwarven rune explains the properties. It roughly translates to "Bad Luck's Bane." The magic reduced 1 bane to a minimum of 0 when the knife is used as a part of a weapon attack.
That's it for now. The rest will take further time and examination.
Without opening his eyes, Drot reaches up and plucks the cigar from the his knightly companion. He sticks it in his mouth while the Dwarf lights it, inhaling much slower this time.
"Yes, Charles, I feel great, except for all the parts that got caught by the blast."
Half covered in rubble and completely covered in soot, Drot points to a spot between his Right ring finger and little finger that was bright green, contrasting the black skin around it.
After a moment of respite, he stands and examines the room briefly.
"I shall look while my special eyes actually!"
Drot musters a word and breathes deep. The air concentrates into Energy as enters his nose and his eyes glow an arcane blue.
As everyone discusses how to move the barrel, seemingly as if they expect he the orc to do it on his own.
Say something about me being an orc Billy, you little s%+@... I guess I am the biggest one here...
Drot interjects, using a tone that sounds like he's said this all before.
"I know this might be something you don't want to hear, but this is a prime example of why your education is so important. Learning how and why the world works is crucial..."
He laughs and begins constructing an improvised stretcher out of branches and anything he can find to tie them together, to fit the barrel and the chest. Drot and Charles take turns dragging it and lift it off the ground over the deepest waters.
"I used to live out on the road with a... small group of... travelers. We had to do this on occasion when someone got hurt or there was too much loo... supplies to carry around. It's a handy trick and can really save a life. Imagine if Gärwin or myself were mortally wounded and Charles didn't have a divine being granting him amazing healing power? There's not too many ways to carry a heavy load, this is one of them."
This last comment was directed at the boys while Drot worked quickly on his project.
Even as the ethereal witch fades there is still conflict within Drot's mind.
See! You've done almost nothing! It took the clever mind of Charles to defeat the Witch! The only thing you can to is swing a hammer and you can't even do that! YOU DO NOTHING, YOU SWING NOTHING! YOU DIDN'T KILL WITCH! WHAT GOOD ARE YOU!? I was here! I was just fine before you, and I'll be fine AFTER!
All you can seee is rage is in his as he looms over the carnage, frozen in place but shuddering; it's as if he can't decide what to do or trying he's trying to go two places at once.
Charles approaches Drot but the orc strains to the even look at him out of the corner of his eyes. After Charles' comment Drot roars a bestial howl and pushes the man, hard. As he did so he bounded away in an odd skip/run movement, clumsy and unnatural.
As the day breaks and the work force beings their toil, anyone who passes the area will find construction has begun on a section of wall. Fired clay and mortar, reinforced with straight and sturdy branches, a thick wall has been, and is being, erected by one of the past day's heroes. Five feet high and approaching twenty feet in completed, the wall is sturdy enough to keep most beasts in the area at bay but constructed in a way that lets reinforced material to be added or replace what is there already, for a sturdier structure. The orc is found now, falling asleep as he sits watches the briks in the kiln he fashioned or even dozing off as he smooths another mortar layer. He doesn't speak; he welcomed assistance through the night, but anyone who offered was eventually driven away by the orc's fury as the smallest mistake is made. If they weren't driven off then they were forced away, physically removed from the area.
Eventually he can be found, asleep on the shady side of the wall, caked in mud and mortar, his gear is piled haphazardly a couple yard from him and the construction remains precise up until the half wall where he was forced to stop from fatigue. Anger still present, he is in a restless sleep.
Over the next few months, Tesswyn does her best to make a living as an upstanding member of the community. She gets a job as a shopkeeper's assistant in the village, going back to her roots from when she lived in Asylum. She makes enough to get by, which is good enough for her. She knows that something horrible will inevitably come along to disrupt the quiet life sooner or later, but tries to enjoy the peace while it lasts.
Tess continues to hone her roguish talents, becoming even more tricksy and incorporating all manner of dirty tricks into her fighting style.
Charles was utterly taken by surprise from the howl and then the vicious shove Drot'ook gave him, which sent him sprawling back to the ground a few feet away. He was dazed for a few seconds and when he finally sat up the orc was already bounding quickly away in a strange loping gait.
Charles had not immediately set out to find Drot'ook. He was angry by his friend's actions but he had other things to worry about then. He'd gone about making sure people weren't about to die from bleeding wounds and once he'd determined that despite the ghost hag's attack, no one would succumb, he finally went to find the orc.
He took his time, he was still wounded from before as his own faith magic no longer worked on him, but he eventually found his way.
"Drot'ook, what was that about earlier?"
"I can't really say Charles. I have found a rage in me that I think stems from my family, being an orc. I don't think that's how orcs should be, how they should be, but I can't help it. He's strong, physically and mentally, not smart per se, but willfully strong. I do apologize."
There is a long silence; Drot is as still as the night as the festivities go on in the distance. He slowly stands and begins inspecting the ground in the area. There wasn't too much distance between the barn and the swamp and the tracks on the ground were certainly newt.
"There should be a wall here. All around the town. Yeah, I'll get a wall built. Again, I do apologize... If you would, speak to someone about the wall, I can't do the whole thing alone... I can, but I shouldn't need to. I don't want to. I need to focus on mind, you know that now, as I do. I'll begin here if you're okay with that, did you need anything more from me?"
With the palisade planned out and the town back to some relative normality, Drot begins to think about what he needs to do to work on his mind; on the Berserker.
I need a book on the mind... Maybe one on physiology... Traditions of course... Arcane spells, other... spells.. probably won't find books on that... I need a place to do research, I can't stay here at Charles too much longer... These kids are pretty... Slow... The berries, racism, Pell is as bad at talking to people as I am... They really need a...
"A school! A Library!.. My own house... CHARLES!
I'm building a school, well you are. If I do it, no one will trust it. You don't actually have to do anything except the opening and stopping by. Sound alright?"
The plans are drawn, naturally by Drot, and the proper people are informed. He recruits anyone interested in furthering the education of the town and all of the able bodied young people who don't have farming families. Pellius, to his disdain, Billy when he wasn't training with Gärwin , and Gärwin himself were all members of the main construction crew. It's an interesting process as the building does not have any traditional architecture for the time, and the foundation is considerably stronger then any other building in the town as Drot wanted it to withstand the wear and tear of the swamp. To the astonishment of most, Drot's ingenuity allowed for a raising that was rather fast in regards to building in swamp land.
The small house was the first thing to be completed, it was on the same grounds as the other planned building. This was the first place Drot ever made his own. Placing out his artifacts and trinkets, he was pleased with what he had done. The demonic cup he saved from the ogre, seemingly so long ago, brought back the memories of his lost friend. Rage filled his gut and boiled into despair. Another night of drunken gambling with Gärwin was ahead of him. This time there would be a brawl, he hoped no one ended up dead.
When Charles mentioned going into the city Drot was the first to agree to the expedition. He was going to need a lot material for the town yet. He also wanted to look into the school and library to see what he needed for his own. Most immediately he wanted to learn more of the steam technology he had heard of that the trains used. Much time would be spent with the engineers who cared for and drove the trains. It was to be an exciting trip that Drot looked forward to.
She was warm. He hadn't really known what to expect but sharing the kiss with Tesswyn sent a feeling of electricity coursing through Charles. His chest began beating with his quickened pulse and his breathing became excited. Instinctively he tightened his grip and lifted her off the ground. Somewhere in the back of his mind he was vaguely surprised at how light she was.
But as he held her the pain of his wounds shot thorough him again and he reluctantly broke contact, trying to catch his breath. "Right, no rush. No rush." He set her down.
Afterwards the night between Tesswyn and Charles passed with the two of them sitting next to one another talking about what they knew of relationships and what they wanted to do. They took their time, until they eventually succumbed to their fatigue from the days events.
Charles did not sleep fitfully that night however. Nightmares plagued him. Screaming, images of buildings on fire, blood, and the bodies of those he knew being ripped apart by monstrous silhouettes and shadows plagued him.
He awoke early the next morning next to Tesswyn and very quickly the images faded from his mind. She was curled up fitfully in her blankets and had not been disturbed by him in the night. He smiled at her, shaking his head that he had confessed his feelings but right then he needed to get up and get some air.
He quietly left her house and proceeded across town in the early morning light. To his surprise, a handful of the townsfolk were still celebrating. He hiked around town just to make sure nothing untoward had occurred in the evening.
Charles found Drot'ook and his dog, A. William Scott, next to the beginnings of a palisade wall the night after the celebration but the Orc had clearly gone above and beyond the normal call of duty with creating it partly out of mortar and stone. The dog began yapping loudly as Charles approached, waking Drot'ook up.
"Drot'ook, this is amazing. Did you do all this by yourself in one night?! You must have used a quarter of the wood supply that was meant for repairs doing this." he said looking at his friends work.
As Drot'ook explained how he'd managed to accomplish such a feat, Charles quickly became lost in the haze of explanation and began nodding occasionally as was distracted by thoughts of what had happened the night before.
”By the way, Charles. I’m going to be living with you until the school gets built. Thaaaaaanks." He was brought back form his reverie as the clever Orc had noticed his distraction and began interweaving his plans.
"Wha- Huh?"
"So you'll see a lot of me… in your house… and Willy… he sleeps on me and will bark at you any time you walk into a room he is in. It's very annoying."
”You don’t say.” Charles said, sounding nonplussed while looking down at the dog. "You might want to add doghouse to your list of things to do and put it on top. The dog will not be staying in the house."
" He just sleeps on me Charles; otherwise he's out of the house. Literally one quarter of an entire worldly revolution does he spend indoors and only 6 seconds do his feet touch your floors. Isn't that right, A. William Scott."
" If that is an unacceptable amount of time, I will remove him from the premises. " A. William Scott begins to look sad and lays his head on Charles' foot.
Charles rolled his eyes. ”Surprisingly clever…”
With the palisade planned out and the town back to some relative normality, Drot begins to think about what he needs to do to work on his mind; on the Berserker.
I need a book on the mind... Maybe one on physiology... Traditions of course... Arcane spells, other... spells.. probably won't find books on that... I need a place to do research, I can't stay here at Charles too much longer... These kids are pretty... Slow... The berries, racism, Pell is as bad at talking to people as I am... They really need a...
"A school! A Library!.. My own house... CHARLES!
I'm building a school, well you are. If I do it, no one will trust it. You don't actually have to do anything except the opening and stopping by. Sound alright?"
Charles blinked at the sudden turn of events but nodded. "Uh okay, yeah sure Drot'ook."
And so it went over the next few months.
Charles felt he had gotten hornswoggled by Drot'ook into letting him and his annoying Dog stay at his house while the Orc effectively moved out of Bleake's Faste and laid out his plans for constructing several more buildings there.
"The bedroom is mine, but you can have the living room or make arrangements in the storage room if you'd prefer. I recommend you build that house of yours first. You can have Pellius come over to practice magic but no destructive spells in the house. Do that outside if you have to."
Charles helped with the building projects his friend came up with, he still made the occasional run of supplies to Bleake's Faste just to keep up with the soldiers but he did so less now that there were a more soldiers on hand.
He made sure to keep up his sword practice with Garwin when the Dwarf came to him to help train Billy. Although Pellius wasn't necessarily open to learning about religion directly he was interested in seeing all kinds of magic and had Charles teach him simplistic prayers for the magic.
Since Drot'ook was now staying at his house, when Charles wasn't working he found himself off seeing Tesswyn at her place more often than vice versa. The young priest had fought monsters, beasts, murderers, and other things often too horrible to talk about but he found himself surprisingly uncomfortable around his friends, showing any kinds of affection.
Things between Charles and Tesswyn went well. The two of them kept things going along steadily. Taking walks, also practicing with weapons, stealing kisses here and there, talking with each other about their past.
It was during this time that Garwin was commended by the local Lord Felgrin and Baroness Quinnet Daedlus and invited all of them to go. Charles wasn't terribly keen on the idea but was convinced by Tesswyn that it was important enough they should attend.
After he got over himself, he insisted that they acquire new clothing to attend with. Given that there would be a dance afterwards, he began teaching Tesswyn the handful of dances he knew from his days in court.
The awarding of the medal was a polite affair with Charles mostly standing silently with a fairly neutral expression but clapping loudly as Garwin was awarded for his bravery.
When it came time for the dance, Charles was only a little nervous. He was clumsy as he had always been while actually moving around, Charles was pleased that at least he could perform the strength related tasks easily enough. Tesswyn was every bit graceful and her poise was second to none as she moved around, having quickly learned and even improved upon what Charles had remembered.
"You look lovely Tesswyn. I'm glad that you convinced me to come now."
The relationship with Charles had been good for Tesswyn. Having a partner to talk to and share things with helped ease the burdens that weighed on her heart and mind. She found herself smiling more than she could ever remember doing so before. Her rough edges were beginning to smooth out, the growing madness caused by her glimpses of the future alleviated by the grace of the New God. It still wasn't enough to sway her religious beliefs, but she was forced to admit that the magic the god provided was a useful tool.
Tesswyn blushed when she saw the dress Charles had picked out for her. From the ruffled hem to the delicate embroidery, it was easily the most expensive outfit she had ever owned. She had tried to protest the unnecessary extravagance, but not too loudly, and she was secretly pleased when he insisted upon it.
She took to the dance lessons with gusto. She'd always dreamed of fancy parties and courtly romances, but never thought she'd actually be able to live those dreams one day.
After Garwin's medal ceremony, Charles lead Tesswyn out to the dance floor. She laced her fingers in his, the touch still causing her heart to beat faster. She swirled and stepped, eyes half-closed as she lost herself in the movements. In her mind, she wasn't that plain peasant girl, but a beautiful princess at her debutante ball.
When Charles spoke, she opened her eyes and smiled up at her prince, a slight blush coloring her features. "Well, what else were you going to do tonight? Sit around and jerk off while the whole town was celebrating? Now spin me!"
He grinned as she made her comment. There was no false words or courtly niceties, just her.
"As you wish." Charles said to Tesswyn taking her hand as the music picked up and he began raising his hand above her head side stepping as she twirled beneath him. It wasn't lost on him how much easier it was to move with her as they had been practicing.
"It's almost enough to make me wish this sort of thing did happen more often."
The music helped keep the rhythm and they fell into the fairly simple but quickening steps for several rotations until the music reached a crescendo where Charles easily sweeps Tesswyn off her feet with a spin. He found himself meeting her gaze as the rest of the world seemed to drift away and there was a spark in his eyes, a determination that had not been there before and he kissed her as the music came to a close.
He set Tesswyn back down. "You know Tess, I've always admired your willingness to dive headfirst into dangerous situations and attempt to set right things that had been so wrong in our world. You really helped me to be more courageous than I think I ever would have been before. So if..." he took a deep steadying breath. "If you're ready to try again, then I am, too."
A pleasant warmth suffuses Tesswyn's body as Charles kisses her. Her heart's already beating fast from the exertion of the dance, but it speeds up even more when he suggests taking their relationship to the next level. She grins up at him. "Yes. Hell, yes. I'm ready."
Charles eyes lit up as Tesswyn responded positively with enthusiasm. "Heh, good answer." he said smiling.
"Should we leave now?" he said, glancing around at the rest of the gathered people when another instrumental piece started up.
In response, Tesswyn simply takes Charles's hand and leads him away from the dance floor...
Once back at the house, Tesswyn stood by the bed and looked over at Charles. "So... I didn't get too far the last time I tried this.... You're not gonna try to sacrifice me, right?"
Charles stared at her for a few seconds blinking. "Well gosh, Tesswyn. You know how the New God is ALL about her blood sacrifices..." his voice had a mock tone and was dripping with sarcasm. "But considering what happened to the last guy, I thought I'd give that a break for once. You've earned it."
Tesswyn smirked. "I just had to make sure." She kissed Charles and started to remove his shirt.
There was a chill to the air as Charles shirt crumpled onto the floor, but his body warmed as he pulled the red strings to loosen the bodice keeping Tesswyn's dress tight. His heart was racing for her and he had never felt this way before about anyone. He gently caressed her cheek and lifted her chin up before he kissed her fiercely, tilting her head back as one arm reached around to her left side, the other traced down along the fair skin of her neck and shoulders. He then began to pull down the sides of her dress, exposing the delicate dips of her clavicles and then her pale, slender shoulders.
Tesswyn felt her own long simmering passions suddenly igniting. She wass surprised by Charles's sudden ferocity in his kiss, but in a good way. She ran her hands over the hard muscles of his chest and stomach as he slowly tugged down her dress. Normally, she would have been feeling self-conscious now, second-guessing herself, wondering if she would be good enough, pretty enough. But all of that burned away, leaving only desire behind.
At her touch, Charles desire only intensified. He eagerly, no, at this point impatiently pulled the dress down the rest of the way; past her breast, navel, and hip lines until it fell to the floor. His own clothes fell away and his gaze took in all of her and then looked down to her bed. His breathing was heavy, he wanted to let go then, to lose himself in the torrent of emotions he felt. The last vestiges of restraint were rapidly disappearing. "Is... is this alright with you Tess?" he asked her.
Tesswyn let out a little gasp as Charles almost ripped her clothes off of her. A hot blush colored her cheeks as he stared at her naked body. She could feel the heat of his desire radiating off of him. As he finished stripping as well, she glanced down between his legs and was quite satisfied with what she saw. She gave him a little nod. "Yes... I want you to take me now, Charles."
There was no more hesitation in his mind and he became lost in a haze of emotions. Charles stepped in and wrapped his arms around Tesswyn, planting one hand on the small of her back and picking her up to kiss her. Their tongues met as they began exploring each other, but Charles felt like he was one step behind her. The way they danced was so alive and electric. Tesswyn bit his lip lightly, while Charles ran nails up along her spine making her back arch in response. Her breath was hot against his ear as she pressed her body to his and as their gazes met he pinned her down on the bed.
Tesswyn moaned with pleasure as Charles carried her to the bed. His strength and confidence were alluring, his fingers on her spine making her shiver.
Tesswyn's moans encouraged Charles further, he wanted her and now that he had her, he didn't waver. He took her right then.
As they began making love to each other, thoughts of his time since meeting her came to the surface. So much had happened to them since he'd first met her as an abrasive assistant shop keeper in village of Refuge over 3 years ago. The evils of this world had seemed set on destroying not only them but everything around them. But despite that the two of them had managed to overcome and survive those obstacles.
The two of them moved slowly together, Charles released her arms, feeling her, watching her intently, and touching her everywhere.
Tesswyn likewise couldn't help but think about how far the two had come together. When they first met, she had found Charles annoying and insufferable. Between his holier-than-thou attitude and his pretty boy looks, she had pegged him as little more than a fool. But over the course of many trials and tribulations, she had developed a grudging respect and admiration that slowly built up to outright attraction.
She had danced around it at first, but now there was no more denial. No more need to try to hide her feelings. This was a long time in coming, a culmination of all they had been through together.
As she writhed under Charles, she pulled his face down towards hers, their lips meeting in a slow, sensuous kiss. She shivered with ecstasy as the two of them became one...
***
Some time later, the two laid in the bed, exhausted but content. Charles was breathing hard, trying to catch his breath. "That was... You were... I've never done anything like this before, Tesswyn."
"Neither have I," Tesswyn pants. "It was... I liked it."
He gave her a sensuous kiss, mimicking the one she'd given him earlier. "Me too. I liked it a lot," he said with a small laugh. "You are beautiful."
Tesswyn blushed. "Oh, go on. You already got in my pants, you don't have to keep trying to flatter me."
"That's hardly a good enough reason to stop. Complimenting you only when I want to get something is insincere. You're smart, Tess. You'd see right through that." He reached up and traced a hand along her shoulders as he spoke.
Tesswyn was quiet for a few moments. "Nobody's ever called me beautiful before," she said softly. Charles could see a few tears rolling down her cheek.
His eyes widened and he gave her a searching gaze. "I've only known you several years now but I can see that growing up must have been difficult for you. You probably had to work a lot and were only fed enough to get by. You're used to being alone, so there's a reason for that. Your features are hard now, and you've got a biting tongue," As Charles spoke, he reached up to brush the tears from her eyes. "But now I've seen you in those moments when you don't have to be. You are beautiful though, even if you can't see it."
Tesswyn smiled through her tears. She kissed Charles again, this time more tenderly, then laid her head against his shoulder. "Thank you," she said. "For everything."
Charles wrapped an arm around her and then just laid there with her for some time, taking all that had happened. His older memories had been coming up more with Tesswyn as the two had shared bits of their past with each other recently. He remembered when he'd been 12 and his mentor had noticed the way Charlemagne had been increasingly distracted by girls. He'd given Charlemange the talk, but then he'd begun teaching him the right and proper way to act in relationships and to not become a whore-monger. At 13 years old, he then began the earliest bits of training regarding Charles as a squire, drilling into him that his duty was more important than his emotions. He told Charles that as someone of his station he should not get too emotionally involved and that it was likely he would have an arranged marriage someday. Art had been a romantic however and had told Charlemagne how to act accordingly if he ever did find someone he should love and devote himself to.
"Tesswyn," he said at length. "You don't have to give me an answer right away... but what would you say to coming to live with me?"
Tesswyn seemed surprised by the question. She thought about it for a while before nodding. "Yeah, okay. This place is kind of a s%#&hole anyway. But you have to give Drot his stupid dog back. It hates me."
He nodded. "Right, speaking of Drot. He's kind of staying at my house right now. He talked me into it a few months back. Said it would be easier to work from town instead of Bleake's Faste. Seemed like a good idea at the time. I'll have to make him get his own house soon."
"That's between you and him. I'm not getting in the middle of your drama."
"I guess that's a problem for tomorrow, then."
"What should we do with the rest of the night?"
Charles smiled and rolled over on top of Tesswyn. "Oh I'm sure the two of us can come up with something."
Tesswyn giggled and pulled him down for another kiss...
Of course I will! Please don't die.
The day they rode home form the demon cave is one that will forever remind Drot that;
"Go! Ride! Pellius, don't stop riding no matter what happens; ride until you get to the city! Don't bother fighting Gär, this isn't for us!"
The boy's horse was fastest, gaining distance on the other two with ease. The knight's horse; born, bred, and trained for this task kept a steady pace without falter and Drot was able to extend his magic unto his stead to increase its speed two fold. It seemed as though the rest of team was well on their way to safety but a point of detail that was forgotten in the sudden scramble was the lead that A. William Scott was attached to; it was attached to Drot's horse.
Without a thought, Drot kicked his mount into an unnatural gallop. The horse sped up quickly and Willy fought to keep pace as the lead slowly pulled taut. It wasn't until the first yelp that the chilling realization hit the orc, but it was already too late. The small hound tripped from the force of being dragged forward and the sudden impact broke his thinly worn collar. The pup tumbled to the ground and as Drot turned to help the poor animal he saw him. Dazed and struggling to stand, the roar of hooves and combat overtook all sight and sound. Never again was the feisty and zealous A. William Scott heard again.
"Uh... Hey guys, I don't mean to interject, I was just listening to you talk and wanted to say something about what, like, "the point" is and... even though Charles, you did say it better than I could hope to. Also, you're absolutely right that Gar and myself are here for you."
He clears his throat while he searches for the words that seem to be just out of reach.
"Well, my point is, uh the point is, I suppose. The last time I saw you actually smile out of happiness... Well its been a while. I think that can really burden a person's mind, when they're not happy I mean. Personally, I think the time I saw either of you really smile was..."
Drot steps toward his friends, bends down, and scoops them both up into a bear hug. He stands and lifts them off the ground, this time bracing himself for the potential whacks he'll receive from Tess. A lesson he remembers from so long ago.
The dwarf snored softly as he had already fallen asleep. The sight of the him resting, even in this haunted tomb, was oddly comforting.
Tesswyn is surprised by the orc's sudden hug. She squirms a bit but laughs, an honest, genuine laugh.
"Aw, you big lug!"
She hugs him back.