GM Dak - Shattered Star 1

Game Master Dakcenturi

After refusing a half dozen different merchants's food offerings, she spots a building on the waters edge. With a sigh of relief she says "An establishment surely will offer high quality food then these poor fisherman out here. Let's try there." Having barely been allowed out of the most prestigious district in Magnimar, the Alabaster district, she was completely unprepared for life on the docks.

A quick trip to the in of The Salted Mermaid does not prove as fruitful as Esrisi had hoped. Growing up with the highest quality foods Magnimar had to offer did not adequately prepare her for the realities of what the common person in Varisia lived like. Realizing she is out of time and feeling like she is going to pass out from being lightheaded however, she asks for two of their finest offerings and taps her foot impatiently while waiting.

Fifteen minutes later when two seaweed covered, blue finned objects that smells like it was retrieved from the sewers below the city is pushed across to them, she immediately demands their money back. The large woman behind the counter laughs at the aasimar before disappearing to the back somewhere.

"BUT WE'RE PATHFINDERS!" she shouts into the back as if she expects it to fix everything. Turning to find sympathy in her companion who was known to enjoy the better luxuries in life as well, she takes a deep breath and shrugs her shoulders. "Here goes."

A civilized, upper class individual such as herself normally would only use the finest silver to enjoy a meal. Once upon a time, that included Esri as well. These days however, any instrument she touched only fractured and broke which complicated the process and only made it more frustrating. Turning to Caroliss with shame in her eye she says, "Look away, Car."

She reaches down and picks up the semi-warm object in her hands and begins to eat it as fast as she can, doing her best to turn her back on her companion in the process.

Caroliss looks at the blue fish with some concern as well. "Oh dear, it doesn't seem we got the freshest catch, does it?" She lets out a sigh. "Wait, you're not going to actually eat that thing are you?" Caroliss is simultaneously horrified and engrossed--she starts biting the nails on her hand, but can't seem to look away!

She stares at Esrisi's expression for clues. "Nice job, Ez. So . . . how does it taste?"

Talking through the bites, she mutters "Nort. Good. But, Immph, sho hungree mmmh."

Esrisi gets most of the fish down, but can't finish it. Her attitude changes quickly as she shoves more food in her mouth, her facial expressions finally registering the disgusting taste. An unfinished bite sits in her mouth and she is trying to force herself to swallow it because spitting it out would be too uncouth for the Oracle. Making a soured expression on her face, she forces it down in one large gulp. She drops the half eaten thing on the plate and pushes it away with her elbow, shaking her head and squeezing her eyes. "I wouldn't eat it. I think coming here was a mistake. I should have just waited for the biscuits."

Looking out the window over Caroliss's shoulder, she sees a ship pulling into port and points to it. She stands and tries to get a good view, but their angle is wrong and she can't really see too well. "Do you think that's it?"

Looking down at her plate sends a shiver up her spine and she shakes her head. "It doesn't matter, let's go check it out. We don't want to let the Venture Captain down." She nudges Caroliss's side and motions her away from this place. Note: Never eat on the docks, ever, ever again.

The duo quickly make their way back to the ship pulling in.

"Sure, we can go soon. Just a second. It wouldn't do to let this go to waste, would it?" Still holding her uneaten plate of fish, Caroliss looks around the room for someone who looked down on his luck, like he might need a bite. She spies a toothless, bedraggled old man in a corner. Was that an old sailor past his prime?

Caroliss approaches, an elegant noble lady rather out of her element. "Hi good man, nice to meet you, I figured you might want some fish maybe?" She holds out the plate uncertainly, wanting to feel like she was doing a good deed, but also a little worried how this man might react. "Fresh from the bar," she adds when the man starts looking at her funny. She seems almost ready to drop the plate and hurry out, but holds her nerve.

I've been wondering if Caroliss would end up being a good person or a neutral person who's good to people she likes. I still haven't resolved that yet, but might need to make an alignment change to CG if this sort of thing keeps up.

Esrisi watches Caroliss hand her portion of fish over to the man in need. She studies her actions for a moment, trying to understand how she arrived at that decision. When the leave and begin to walk back to the port location, she asks the cleric "I'm surprised you gave that man your food. If you weren't going to eat it, should have just thrown it away. At least I would have. Had I not inhaled half of it before tasting it.

As they walk back she decides to rib her friend a little. She holds out her gloved right hand and waggles her finger at Caroliss a few times. [b]"You know what that fish reminded me of? I have been trying to place it and it's escaped me until now! That one time we snuck into the kitches late at night and you told me that you were a better chef then I was? That thing you made me? It tasted just like that!"

Bursting into laughter she finally starts to feel a little better with some food in her belly.

1d100 ⇒ 24
When Caroliss comes over to offer the old, worn-down man her food he looks up to her with a smile on his face "Thank ye, miss! Can't believe ye would give me such a great plate of food. May Gozreh bless ye!" The man who only had water and an obviously stale piece of bread happily helps himself to the meal, enjoying it much more than Esrisi did.

As you make your way back to the docks, you see the ship you had been waiting for is docked and they are just laying down the gangplank for disembarkation. Looking up toward the ships railings you see, what you would assume is your target, a large half-orc man and a stout dwarven woman.

"You, throw it away? Ha! You'd probably just leave it there in the middle of the table--same way you toss all your clothes about our room!" Caroliss was someone who valued having things well-ordered, though, so to her, almost anyone might be guilty of being messy.

"Anyway, it was just obvious that the man could use the fish, even if I'd never touch the thing. I mean, did you see that? He definitely liked it a lot more than we did. You could see it in his eyes. It's nice when someone appreciates you, even for stupid things like smelly fish."

She pouts when Esrisi brings up the tuna pasta she made. "It was NOT that bad! It just needed some salt! And you could just eat around the burned parts!"

She spies the two that just have to be the new arrivals. A half-orc and a dwarf. "Manners, Ez. We need to put on a good show." She waves at them and begins to approach.

The big half-orc makes his way to the gangplank, hand at his forehead to shield his eyes from the harsh sun. His gaze sweeps the docks and lands on the two women starting at him, and he squints his eyes.

Waving her hand dismissively at her messiness, Esrisi remarks "Cleaning just takes so much time that I'd rather be doing something else with! Besides, that's the best thing with rooming with you. You'll just keep picking it up for me!" Turning to the cleric she offers a wink of her left eye with slightest smirk on her upturned lip.

When Caroliss mentions manners, she straightens her posture and clasps her hands behind her back. Lifting her chin up and presenting herself like a lady, she fails to recognize how out of place she appears on the docks. Just because she's about to be a famous Pathfinder doesn't mean she's actually learned how to present herself as one yet!

Scanning the two figures, she takes note of Drask. Her brow furrows as his features spark recognition from the past. Out of the corner of her mouth she whispers to her companion "That half-orc looks strikingly familiar to someone. He resembles one of the warriors my father hired a few years back for something. Do you suppose it could be his cousin? Is it wrong to say that they all look like? Probably. Don't let me say that, I'll just get us in trouble."

Squinting, she stares at Sapher. "And that dwarf... That's a female, right? No beard means female? She has an awfully big hammer for a lady though, maybe its a young male?"

Tall, pale, blonde. Yeah, probably her. "Huh." Finding her was easier than he expected. Practically waiting at the docks for him. He nudges Sapher. "Think I found my ward."

The half-orc crosses the gangplank and begins heading towards the two women. As he gets closer more of his features are revealed. Big, mean, and ugly, with an impressive array of scars, the largest one a jagged tear from his chest up through his right shoulder. He has short black hair that looks like it was cut with an axe and a pronounced jaw that's clearly been broken more than once. The only thing about him that's soft are his eyes, which are a surprisingly pretty deep blue.

As he gets close his eyes light up in recognition. Definitely her. Still carries herself the same way, sticks out like a sore thumb. "Esrisi, right?" As he speaks it sound like the words have to force themselves out around his jutting jaw, the pronunciation of 'Esrisi' barely staying together.

It is him, those scars are hard to forget. AND he remembers my name? What was his name . . .

Completely caught off guard by this strange coincidence, she's unsure she has found the right pair of people to escort back to the lodge and fumbles her words.

"Hi?" she offers with a tilt of her head, completely unable to recall his name. Dursk? Dartsk? Derpz? "Right. I mean, yes, that is correct. We're uh-" she interrupts her speech to look around the large half-orc and his dwarf companion, expecting to find another half-orc/dwarf combo waiting around the corner. Finding none, she turns back to Drask. "Are you here for a meeting with Shelia Heidmarch by chance? We're expecting a dwarf and a half-orc arriving on this ship.
But surely that isn't you. Is it?

Caroliss gives Esrisi a hard look as she fumbles the introduction. Turning back, she tries to talk past it. "You two know each other? What a coincidence!" She wondered if it really was a coincidence, but doesn't press the issue. "I'm Caroliss of House Kradden. Lady Heidmarch sent us to meet you, but I'm afraid she didn't tell us your names."

Caroliss wears elegant if slightly impractical clothing and a necklace bearing the three-pronged symbol of the Savored Sting.

"Drask." I'm probably just another meathead to her, her family hires a ton of men like me. "Did a few jobs for your family. Bored me, truth be told. This looked more interesting." He shrugs at her question. "They didn't tell us who to meet, but if it's Pathfinders then that's us." He says Pathfinders like he doesn't full understand or appreciate the weight that title holds.

Drask nods to Caroliss. "We weren't told much either. But if you're looking for a half-orc and a dwarf, we're the only ones on the ship."

What a coincidence, indeed.

Shrugging it off for now, Esrisi moves into hostess mode. Smiling broadly and showing off her white teeth, she nods. "Patfhinders, indeed. Well then! You must be our guests then, shall we get on our way?"

She acknowledges Sapher by turning to her, snapping out of the funk that seeing Drask put her in. "Forgive me for being so rude, where are my manors. My name is Esrisi Derexhi and Caroliss and I shall accompany you back to the Pathfinder lodge here in Magnimar. Pleasure."

Looking between the half-orc and the dwarf she asks, "Do you have all of your belongings? I'm afraid we didn't think to arrange for proper transportation back. If you're ready to go?" She turns to the side and motions you to step forward.

As she starts their approach to the lodge, she begins to rattle off all sorts of useless information that she finds particularly exciting but most people do not. "Heidmarch Manor is the first Pathfinder lodge in all Varisia, serving as the Pathfinder Society's base of operations into the rest of Varisia. Heidmarch Manor is located here in Magnimar, the so-called "City of Monuments", within the prosperous Alabaster District of the city's prestigious Summit area. The manor lies just north of the Triodea in the neighboring Naos District. The manor contains all the usual amenities of a Pathfinder lodge—including some with a Varisian twist, of course."Taking a few liberties GM. I figured she'd know this stuff by now. Slap my hand if need be.

Not at all, growing up a few blocks away from the Heidmarch manor, I'm pretty sure you would know everything you related. Just giving Sapher a chance to respond before I get you back to the lodge.

Well that was a sudden change in attitude. "Glad somebody knows where we're going. Yeah, I got everything." Drask has a backpack that seems loaded down as well as some belt pouches, and is sporting a collection of weapons. A morningstar on his left hip, a large wickedly curved axe on his right, on his back a double-axe with vicious heads on them and clearly too large to rest on a belt, and as if those aren't enough a dagger is strapped on his chest near his right armpit.

Drask follows along, nodding to her words without really listening. Long as they have booze I'll be fine.

Also wanting to give Sapher a chance to chime in.

The trip turned out much more enjoyable than she expected, company and ale being the primary catalyst she believed. Another unexpected nicety was traveling through the crowd in the wake of Drask, people just got out of his enormous way, making her grudgingly she admit to a benefit of being tall. Of course if this place was just properly organized (like dwarves would do), there wouldn't be a need to be huge in the first place.

Oh great, she winced inwardly at seeing their insanely beautiful greeter (and her companion). Just what she needs a self absorbed princess to lead them around the city. She kept her annoyances with the world to herself, as Drask, Esrisi, and Caroliss exchanged pleasantries and memories, and once again had to grudgingly change her mind about something. Esrisi had wit and guileless charm that seemed to scream LIKE ME without it being a demand. Coupled with her companions wry half smiles of sarcastic doubt and mocking glares, they both seemed downright pleasant.

"Sapher Mornshire" she offers them her hand, and with a readjustment pack says she has everything. Then settles into a comfortable silence (at least for her) as they lead them through to the lodge.

At the mention of the lodges amenities Sapher asks "What are the Varisian twists?" Her knowledge of the locals is little to none, other than they are predominately human and kind of nomadic. She hoped beyond hope it didn't involve lots of flowery speeches or even worse... 'dancing'.

When Sapher offers her hand, Esresi awkwardly does not extend her hand. Keeping her hands clasped behind her back, she looks left and right quickly, trying to come up with a way to over come this awkward situation. She decides to just keep speaking until Caroliss takes the hand of the dwarf, at which point Esrisi responds "Pleasure to meet you Sapher." She plants her heel and twists her legs to execute a half-spin as she begins to move forward.

While they were tasked to escort these two individuals back to the lodge, they still don't know why or of what importance they are. Deciding she wants to leave a last impression, Esrisi stays fairly chatty the whole way back, but tries not to talk too much (Though you can tell this is difficult for at times when she fills awkward silence with more information). She occasionally lets Caroliss get a few words in, but not too many before she takes over playing tour guide again.

Pointing out the various monuments and intricacies of the Varisian culture along the way to their newcomers, the foursome makes their way through Dockway, up through the Capital District and eventually returning to the upper class district of Alabaster.

When she isn't busy talking about the city, she asks several questions about who they are and what they are doing here. Thing such as "What important missions have you been on?", "How you uncovered any famous artifacts?", or "Tell me some things of your homeland." are just a few of the number of curiosities that cross her mind and get asked before they reach their destination.

Esrisi points out the lodge just ahead. "Here we go!"

Esrisi asks "What important missions have you been on?"
Sapher answers briskly from behind her "None"

Another attempt, "Have you uncovered any famous artifacts?"
A matter of fact answer "No"

"Tell me some things of your homeland."
Sapher shrugs "We have lots of dwarves."

Sapher obviously will not be much help in filling gaps of conversation.

Oh she also doesn't seem to take offense at not wanting to be touched. Sapher does assume it is her, the reluctance comes from, but is used to it.

After the third or fourth answer comes back short and vague, Esrisi clucks her tongue as she tries to not get frustrated with the complete lack of insight.
She eventually gets the hint that either the dwarf has had a long trip and clearly isn't in the mood for talking, or more likely, this is what dwarves are like.

At least, that is the assumption she makes.

Sighing she TRIES, realizing social niceties are probably expected, even if they are so tiring...

"Listen, I'm new, just graduated before they sent me here. No great adventures, or brooding past. Just hours upon hours of training, and listening to lectures about training, and occasionally dreaming about training, or what I'd like to shove up the train----" Sapher stops, realizing that isn't a social nicety.

Step two of conversation skills 101, or so she has been told, ask questions to enage the other party. "And you? You're a pathfinder?"

Veltariel hardly finishes her statement when her face goes slack, like she has seen a ghost.

”ઓહ, કેલિસ્ટ્રિયાના ચાબુક દ્વારા. કૃપા કરીને આ જૂથ ન થવા દો...” she mutters.
Elven: ”Oh, by Calistria’s whip. Please don’t let this be the group...”

Through the window, she can see the overly chatty human and her companion returning, now with a dwarf and half-orc in tow.

”એડોડેલ, મહેરબાની કરીને મને કહો કે આ એક ખરાબ સ્વપ્ન છે. મહેરબાની કરીને મને જણાવો કે તે જૂથ નથી કે જેની સાથે આપણે જોડાયેલા છીએ ...” she asks desperately.
Elven: ”Adorellan, please tell me this is all just a bad dream. Please tell me this isn’t the group we are being saddled with...”

When she mention she just became a pathfinder herself, Esrisi seems surprised and issues a brief "Oh.", letting the dwarf finish speaking before she engaged again. When she does however, she is beaming with a prideful smile once more. With barely contained excitement almost squees in exuberation. "Not yet, but Caroliss and I are going to graduate very, very soon. One of the first graduating classes from the lodge here in Magnimar."

Leaning in closer she takes her tone from excitement down to boastful exaggeration. "Trained by the famous Shelia Heidmarch herself, infact."

As she leads the group down the corridor to the common room, she waits for the dwarf to be impressed.

Of course she will be impressed, she is a Pathfinder you know.

Mokhasi claps his hands and looks happy for Veltariel, ઘણુ સુંદર! તમારે મને પરિચય આપવો પડશે. નવા પરાકાષ્ઠાને મળવું હંમેશાં સારું છે, અને મને ખબર છે કે તે તમારા માટે દુર્લભ છે.In Elven:"How nice! You'll have to introduce me. It is always good to meet new elves, and I know they are all to rare for you." He then peers out the window when Veltariel points out people approaching the lodge.

Mokhasi to the the window of the common room, and nurses his coffee - watching the four motley folks amble up to the lodge. He then moves back to the table in the center and sits.

He turns his head to Veltariel, જુઓ, વેલ, તેમાં ફક્ત એક જ માણસ છે. તમે નસીબદાર છો.In Elven:"Look, Vel, there is only one human among them. You got lucky." His face is inscrutable.

Sapher, while not a great conversationalist, is pretty good at reading people. Helps that most dwarves have a small emotional gambit, and wear them all openly. So she notices Esrisi's anticipation for a response... but for the life of her, she has no idea what that might be.

So she goes with a "Huh" which could be an impressed sound, or a confused sound, or... gas. She even throws in a sagely nod.

”એક ખૂબ જ છે,” she mutters.
Elven: ”One is too many.”

”બાકીનું વધારે સારું નથી. એક અનૌપચારિક વામન, અર્ધ-ઓર્કનું સંભવતઃ દુર્લભ, અને કમનસીબ અર્ધ-જાતિ. અને હું તમને ખાતરી આપી શકું છું કે, મનુષ્યો એકલા તેમના દસ પ્રકાર માટે પૂરતી હેરાન કરે છે,” she adds in a rant calling out common stereotypes.
Elven: ”The rest aren’t much better. An uncouth dwarf, a likely dullard of a half-orc, and an unfortunate half-breed. And I can assure you, that human is annoying enough for ten of their kind alone.”

Taking Sapher's comment as affirmation, she concludes with excitement. "I know, right? Caroliss and I are both incredibly lucky!!!" She lets Caroliss get in a few words here as well, knowing how much Shelia means to her.

Once they make their entrance into the common room, she throws her arms wide and with a proud toothy grin she sweeps the room with a spin. "Welcome to-". Her words trail off as she catches sight of Veltariel standing near another tall, darkskinned elf.

For the first time in nearly forty-five minutes, the tall blond oracle falls silent, letting her arms fall flat to her side as if she were a balloon that was just popped. Her smile fades to a panicked look of fear and her tall 5'11" frame looks like it shrivels by at least six inches as she is caught flatfooted and speechless.

Veltariel’s icy green eyes meets Esrisi’s from across the room. She crosses her arms and turns back to Adorellan.

Veltariel’s reference image is in her stat line.

Mokhasi stands up, and smiles at the assemblage. In accented Taldan, he says "Good day to you all. I am Mokhasi Kpu'unde. This is Veltariel." He puts his coffee down, and approaches everyone, extending a hand in greeting.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all, please have some coffee if you'd like. I brought the blend with me from home." He points at the warm pot on the table and the assembled mugs.

Sapher cranes her neck to the side, to see past the suddenly not chatty Esrisi, to see an overly hostile elf woman staring daggers into their bubbly tour guide.

"Is she an enemy? Did you two fight over the same mate or... oh is that him with her?" she asks, while secretly hoping beyond hope that that tall elf over there isn't the famed Shelia Heidmarch she is supposed to recognize.

The above will be muttered to Esrisi before Mokhasi arrives, and not disproven by the offer of coffee... but still it is coffee

"Coffee" the plain faced dwarf perks up. "I had some of that in Absalom. Nice stuff, better even with a bit of stout added. Thank you." Sapher moves into the room, and to the steaming mugs.

lol, very nice Sapher.

"Uhhhh.... Hi." is all she manages to get out while she backpedals a few steps from Mokhashi, letting his hand hang out there while her still hang at her side limply.

When Sapher asks complicated questions about fighting over a mate, Esrisi turns to address the dwarf with a shake of her head, at first not really understanding what she said as she is still stuck in a daze. When it finally hits her, she turns and looks at the dwarf shocked "No. WHAT?! No. No. I uh ran into this elf, the evil looking one, earlier this morning. I think she wants to hurt me. Badly."

Esrisi closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. When she exhales, she blows it out slowly and forces a smile back to her face. She speaks with noted less enthusiasm than earlier, barely maintaining a flat neutral tone "I'm sorry Mr. Mokhasi, I did not mean to be rude. I'm Esrisi Derexhi, this is my fellow companion Caroliss Kradden." Turning to the dwarf and half-orc, she introduces Sapher and Drask as well. "Welcome to the Magnimar Lodge."

Turning to Veltariel, she tries to figure out how to make some headway. "I hope you are feeling better ..." S$#~... What was her name again? I was too distracted! "... Val."

When the coffee offer is made, Esrisi raises her had politely, not thinking about the potential issues that are going to occur with it due to the anxiety she is feeling. "I would love some."

Mokhasi watches Esrisi curiously, and then says "Mokhasi is fine, and please, take what you'd like. I like mine black, but other people in the north seem to like it sweet. I should warn you, you may not be used to how strong it is!" He chuckles to himself. "It is a pleasure to meet you, I assume you are the Pathfinders that the Captain mentioned?"

Veltariel doesn’t acknowledge Esrisi, though she does note that the human considered herself too good to shake Adorellan’s hand. Veltariel leaned against a wall and watched the exchange quietly.

On the walk Drask shows himself to be much more comfortable with silence than Esriri. He grunts in acknowledgment whenever addressed, and answers questions (if briefly), but mostly seems content to take in the view of the city.

Once at the building the half-orc ducks under the doorway, careful to make sure his double-axe doesn't catch. He frowns, his beat up mug looking between his escorts and the elves. Already something I don't get. Good. And it looks like the dwarf is the closest to being able to stand toe to toe with me. Probably magic types, most of 'am. Though that elf is lean, bet she knows how to use that bow.

As the others begin ordering drinks his painfully sober brain cries out to him. "Something strong, no coffee." He grumbles.

Mokhasi's words have a strangely settling effect on Esrisi. Venture Captain Heidmarch was talking to them about us! Straightening her posture and moving her hands behind her back, she takes the compliment with a soft nod of her head. "Yes. Well, not actually. Caroliss and I are almost Pathfinders. We're graduating shortly."

Esrisi eyes the steaming mugs and then looks to Caroliss who missed her coffee earlier, offering a wink of her left eye "Sapher, would you mind pouring one of for Caroliss please? She missed hers earlier and she gets a big grumpy without it."

Finally feeling like herself again, she loosens up and begins to ask Mokhasi questions. "Are you a Pathfinder? Is Val your wife? What brings you two to Magnimar?" Is she always a b!#*# in the morning? Stop it Ez.

When Sapher returns with coffee for all, she thanks the dwarf and asks her to just sit hers down on the nearby table instead of picking it up with her hands.

After he shakes hands with whoever is willing, he sits down at his previous seat, and attempts to answer the questions that were posed. "Yes, I am a member of the Exchange, though I am a relative novice. Veltariel and I are friends, she prefers to speak Elven, and she is not a member of the Society. I came to Magnimar at the request of Venture Captain Sheila Heidmarch, to help investigate some sort of Thassalonian artifact. She indicated that there were rumors of such a thing emerging from a long-forgotten place, though just rumors, and that they were shorthanded. So here I am, and Veltariel has joined me." He folds his hands and waits for a response, or to answer any other questions anyone might have.

"Oh, and congratulations! Are you all graduates or were there field promotions among your ranks?" He peers at the assembled motley crew.

When Drask asks for something strong, Mokhasi shakes his head, "I am sorry, this is all I have. You may be able to find something in the kitchen, it is through there." He gestures towards the kitchen area.

"I'll just share with Esrisi," says Caroliss, covering for her friend. She knew that Esrisi wouldn't be able to drink much by herself. Caroliss inhales the aroma of the coffee before taking a sip. "It's strong, yes, but very good! Not too bitter. Fine quality."
Bluff: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
Caroliss is absolutely lying. She would really like to pour in endless amounts of sugar and cream, but resists the urge to do so.

"It's great to meet not one but two elves." She slides a chair toward Vel as she is standing on a corner.

"તમે બેસશો નહીં? અમે અહીં મિત્રો છીએ, હેઈડમાર્ક મેનોર બધાને આવકારે છે."

Elven "Won't you sit down? We are friends here, Heidmarch manor is welcome to all."

Her elvish is tinged with human accent, but is not that bad. Caroliss had good tutors.