Savah Bevaniky |
Savah puts on a pouty face when Olaff speaks angrily towards her. "Olaff. Dear. Calm yourself. Why would you speak with such intensity towards me? Bevelek most certainly was the one who initiated it, I just happened to be nearby out of pure coincidence is all. I do know you better than you think. I may not speak as much, but I do have eyes and ears and listen. If it makes you feel any better, I'll stay behind tomorrow and keep an eye on him and make sure he's okay."
"Oh. And I care for both of you. I do not like the tone you are taking with me now though, please calm your emotions before you wake everyone up all over again. Get some rest, you'll feel better in the morning."
Relisha Tamm |
Relisha is at her side in an instant. She pulls off the woman's bag and puts her cloak under her head.
Heal: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
She looks over Ameiko, every inch the consummate professional healer. It's not difficult to notice her hands shaking, though.
GM ShadowLord |
With no more penis-breaking events occurring during the night, everyone eventually falls asleep at a reasonable time. Except for Bevelek, phantom pains and thoughts in his head keep him awake far longer than he would like.
The following morning, the five of you plus Sandru and Ameiko ready yourselves for the trek through the woods into Brinewall. Ameiko does not look as though she slept well, although her expression is one of deliberate intensity despite her fatigue. As she adjusts the pack on her shoulders, Shalelu and Sandru exchanging glances behind her back. When everyone is ready, though, Sandru takes the lead, pushing through the brush along the swiftly-fading track.
The trip to the outskirts of the ruins takes about fifteen minutes. Just before you get to the town, though, Ameiko raises a hand to her face, pale and weak, and says in a dazed voice, "Wait. Wait-a-min..." before her eyes roll up into her head and she collapses into the underbrush.
Ameíko Ƙajitsu |
Relisha has no idea what's going on with the Tien woman.
Ameiko's eyes flutter quickly several times before her body bolts upright almost hitting Relisha in the face with her forehead. Her body rigid, her eyes flashing open abnormally wide. Her voice speaks quickly in Tien in a croaked whisper "番目の金庫の2つのシールを超える1つの宝..." before her eyes close and her body falls limp again, collapsing to the ground.
Relisha Tamm |
Relisha jerks back as Ameiko sits up suddenly. Her face is a mask of confusion as the woman whispers out words in a language that she's still learning.
"What treasure? What vault?" Relisha asks, her voice getting more frantic. "Ameiko, what is going on?"
Without another thought, she invokes a prayer of healing, hoping against hope that it will help.
Pretty sure it won't.
When that fails, she pulls the woman's head into her lap. "We need to get her back to the wagons," she says, looking up at the others with tears brimming in her eyes.
Sɑndru Vhìskì |
Unfortunately, Relisha's healing seems to have no effect on Ameiko's state.
Sandru scoops up Ameiko, concern evident on his face. He peppers Relisha with questions as they walk. "Is she okay? What's going on? What did she say? Why isn't she waking up? What's wrong with her? When will she wake up? Why did she say that?"
Shalelu-Andosana |
Shalelu makes her way toward Ameiko when her friend collapses, but Rel and Sandru beat her there. Seeing they have it handled and knowing Rel is more than capable of treating any ailments, Shalelu instead keeps her eyes peeled on the surroundings making sure there isn't something that caused this to happen to Ameiko, a brief look of panic crosses her face as she wonders if maybe it is some kind of curse...
Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12
Relisha Tamm |
"I don't know!" Relisha replies, her frustration just as clear. "She said something about ... a treasure ... behind some locks ... in a vault. Does that mean anything to you? Anything at all?"
Sɑndru Vhìskì |
Sandru is exasperated by Relisha non-answers. ”Dammit! If you don’t know, who will? That means nothing to me! We need to help her, I’m supposed to be watching out for her!” he shouts as he kicks a large rock and very clearly injures his foot in the process when he starts screaming profanities at no one in particular. His frustration evident, he starts to limp and moves to put Ameiko over his shoulder instead. When someone offers to help he waves them off and says gruffly ”I got it.”
”Let’s just get her back. Maybe mother will know something.”
Relisha Tamm |
Relisha follows Sandru back to the wagons in silence, self-doubt eating away at her.
GM ShadowLord |
Sandru limps for the next ten minutes and is relieved when they finally makes it back to camp. He lays her down on the ground as everyone gathers by, concern evident but unspoken as the elders move in to get a closer look.
Helvinius: 1d20 ⇒ 6
Koya: 1d20 ⇒ 7
Unfortunately neither Helvinius or Koya know exactly what is plaguing the woman once they return. Helvinius suggests "I have never seen anything like this before. If I had to make an educated guess, I would state it sounds like a magically induced coma. One moment."
He takes a step back and casts a spell. He holds his hand out of her body, sweeping it back and forth. After a few moments he says "Alright. I'm pickup a lawful aura coming from her body. As if some form of lawful spirit has invaded her body. What exactly happened? Did she touch anything? Did anyone give her anything?"
When the group explains that they saw no exchanges between her and anything else, he nods with a sigh. "Okay one moment."
Knowledge Planes: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (10) + 15 = 25
"Hmmm. Interesting. I'm thinking that this could possibly be a kami. A spirit that is typically associated with the protection of an animal, object or location. But why it would have merged with a living human is something I have never heard of or thought possible."
His analysis done, he steps away and it's Koya's turn to talk. "It's her legacy. Something to do with the Kajitsu legacy hidden somewhere in this area of Brinewall. There is something here like Relisha mentioned, something to help her from this state perhaps?"
Looking to the group she finishes "You must find it, whatever it is and help-" her voice is interrupted when Ameiko stirs again.
Ameíko Ƙajitsu |
Ameiko rests peacefully during the examination. While Koya is talking however, a scene from earlier repeats itself. The woman bolts up, eyes opening unnaturally wide and without blinking states "あなたが求める鍵は、片手持ちのグリップにあります。彼の恐怖
あなたの最大の味方です..." before collapsing back to the ground. Everyone looks to Relisha for guidance.
Relisha Tamm |
As everyone turns to look at Relisha, she seems to shrink in on herself. "Uh ... we haven't got around to a lot of those words yet," she says in a small voice.
"Something about a key? Someone with ..." she pauses as she seem to be counting to herself in Tian, "Ten? Ten limbs? Hands? We want him to be afraid? We want to find out what he fears?"
She shrugs, helplessly. "That's the best I can work out."
Most of Relisha's Tien instruction, so far, has been along the lines of pillow talk. :)
Shalelu-Andosana |
Shalelu is out of her depths with her friend infected by some spirit? She clenches her bow tightly and her muscles tense as it seems like no one has any particular answer and finally shouts out at the group "Well standing around here talking isn't going to help! Let's go see if we can find some vault or ten-handed thing and kill it or whatever, so we can fix Ameiko!"
She turns and starts to head back the way they had come and pauses to make sure the others are following "COME ON!"
Shalelu-Andosana |
Shalelu just rudely laughs "We don't need your help. We will take care of this. Stay here."
Without waiting for a reply she starts to walk back into the forest calling out behind "Olaff, Rel, Ahreni, Than, let's go..."
Relisha Tamm |
The tiefling seems torn. She wants to stay here to look after Ameiko, but she also wants to help find whatever will heal the woman. She debates for a moment longer before leaning in close to the comatose woman.
"I'll be back," she whispers, before kissing her cheek.
She takes enough time to make sure everything she needs is in her bag before following Shalelu.
Thanara Stormborn |
Thanara looks to Savah and Olaff and says ”I have to help. I can’t leave her like this if what can help her is out there. Will you help watch over her?”
She doesn’t wait for an answer before turning and running off after Shalelu and Relisha.
(Cue fight between Olaff and Savah about who stays behind...haha!)
Relisha Tamm |
Really? You expect her to translate that?
"I-I'm not sure. Something about being afraid of a bird that can't fly? We can find help in a quiet love?"
Relisha looks just as frustrated as everyone else. "I'm not sure, ok?!"
Ahreni, Fallen Angel |
Ahreni follows the conversation like an animal, her head swivelling back and forth to each speaker.
"What did she say?" She asks, emphasising the last word strangely. "Can you make sounds she made?"
Assuming Rel can repeat the Tien fairly well.
"One treasure, behind two walls, in the third deep hole in stone."
"A key you are licking for grip of ten handed man. His fear is your good friend."
"Look for small no honor f**k bird with no flies. Silent, broken love is first aid."
Ahreni reels each sentence off expressionlessly as Relisha stumbles her way through the sounds.
"Not all right words." She comments once the oracle is done, "But meaning clear? Key to vault held by creature with many hands. Scare it with love from a f**k bird." She pauses. "Is that really right word?"
Relisha Tamm |
"No not ... that," Relisha says with a blush. "More like ... betrayed bird? Bird that was cheated on? I don't know how that would translate."
GM ShadowLord |
While Relisha and Ahreni discuss the correct word for f+!%bird, the party moves on.
Shalelu leads Ahreni, Olaff, Thanara and Relisha back towards they way they had been taking earlier. It takes a half hour to recover the ground, but nothing untoward occurs in that time. The "track" ends abruptly, and you step out of the trees onto a low ridge, looking down onto the ruins of Brinewall.
The village surrounds a small harbor, where the Steam River empties into Bunyip Bay. A low ridge surrounds on the village on all sides, giving you a good view across most of the town. What was once Brinewall Castle is on the far side of the harbor, where the ridgeline meets the river; on the near side, just a few yards away from where you have stepped out of the trees, the desolate shell of an old lighthouse watches over the abandoned town. A half-cobbled road circles the town along the top of the ridge, with branches that lead down to the town and harbor below.
Relisha Tamm |
"I-If there's something in a vault then it's probably in the castle," Relisha offers in a soft voice.
Ahreni, Fallen Angel |
Ahreni shakes her head. "Tall light first. See ruins better, so no sneak traps."
Unless someone stops her she sets off for the lighthouse with the intent to climb it.
Relisha Tamm |
"Uh ... ok?" Relisha agrees half-heartedly before following after the shifter.
GM ShadowLord |
The tall light is a lot less taller the closer you get. This stone lighthouse is now little more than an empty shell after its roof caved in many years ago. While searching the rubble around the structure, Ahreni locates a partially crushed strongbox containing 93 gp and a single rusty key.
With the search of the lighthouse complete, the group moves back east along the old road and eventually begins to wind their way south after a few hundred feet. As the path continues south and begins to turn southwest, you see a ruined building up ahead in the distance. The closer you get, the more you can see all of the buildings here are in as terrible shape as the lighthouse.
To the northwest a naturally deep harbor has formed where the waters of the Steam River flow into Bunyip Bay to the west. Two ruined piers extend into the only relatively shallow portion of the harbor here, and once served all of Brinewall as moorings for visiting ships. While both piers are now mostly collapsed, the westernmost one has what appears to be a relatively recent visitor: a Linnorm Kingdoms longship is tied to the pier. The longship seems relatively new, but the vessel is partially destroyed and half-sunken.
To the central area is ruined buildings around the village.
To the south is the village cemetery.
North to harbor, west to village or south to cemetery?
Relisha Tamm |
"Let's hide in the cemetary!", "Good idea!"
Relisha would like to continue on to the castle, but she's no strategist, so she defers to the others.
She spends most of her time as they walk examining the rusty key Ahreni found.
Olaff Olaffson |
Before, with Thanara and Savah
As Savah speaks, Olaff becomes even more angry. He throws his hands in the air in frustration and to hold himself from strangling Savah right there. He then lowers them in his head, passing it slowly along his face. "I have not thought I vould be saying this so earrly, but I guess I'm getting too old forr this s**+." He turns his back to Savah and returns to his patrol. The girls could for sure hear him cursing first in Taldoran and then in Skald, for even if the language was different, the intent was obvious.
In the morning, before first trip
Before departing to Brinewall, Olaff notices Bevelek entering the woods, probably to gather some firewood and silently follows him. Once outside the view of the others, he speaks to him. "Hey Bevelek... vhat the f*#% vas that thing yeasterrday?" He asks, serious. "Tell me the trruth. That s~$$ vas too farr frrom ourr jokes. I considerr ye a good friend and I vould not vish to fight ye... so do. Not. Make me."
Intimidate: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25
Olaff doesn't want to make Bevelek an enemy of his, far from it, but he wanted for him to understand there were limits the he should not cross.
First trip and back at camp
Much like the others, Olaff was worried about Ameiko, mostly because he suspected her state had been caused by some witchcraft. However, with Sandru and Relisha taking care of her, he though he had nothing more to add so he remained silent.
Returning to the camp, Helvinius words about spirits possessing Ameiko only serve to put him more on edge. He can't help but suggest that it would be safer for everyone if Ameiko was tied with rope but upon receiving weird looks from everyone, he decides to remain quiet once more and takes some distance from them. As it is decided that they will be returning alone to Brinewall, Olaff joins Shalelu quickly, not even considering the possibility he would stay behind. "Savah vill stay. She has some s!$$ to solve."
Arriving at Brinewall
As they emerge from the trees, Olaff takes some time properly studying the place before rushing in blindly. As Ahreni goes for the lighthouse, Olaff curses but follows along. He is not against looking at it first, for it would be also his decision, but he was against rushing things. In his mind, there was time for action and time for thinking.
As Olaff notices the familiar vessel, he draws his sword and extends it towards his companions in a clear sign for a halt. "Carreful now... this could be trrouble." He says as he points to the ship. "Come, lets get avay frrom view as I explain to ye." As he says this, he moves west, away from the main road.
Olaff Olaffson |
Assuming the others follow him
"Have any o' ye everr seen that kind o' ship? It is a longship frrom me home and ve don't build ships forr trrade. Vhen ve, Ulfen, sail avay frrom home, ve arre vikings... rraiderrs. Ve look forr gold, fame and some times slaves as vell."
"This means that there are probably many unfen around this place, vhich could be trrouble forr us. If theirr campaign has been poor so farr, they might look at us as enemies... howeverr, if they arre in trrouble and ve can help them, they can prrove themselves as good allies." He explains. "On both situations, if ve end up being surrrounded, it is imporrtant that ve do not fight them, forr doing so could be ourr death. Even if therre could be some young among them, I bet most of them arre seasoned fighterrs."
"Hoveverr, I'm also vorried about somethin' else, forr that damaged and abandoned longship is strrange. Unless somethin' is terribly vrrong, an ulfen vould neverr abandon a longship, even a damaged one." He continues to explain. "If they verre caught in a storrm, therre should be many o' them guarrding the ship vhile the others look forr materrials to fix it. Forr that ship to be abandoned, it means something chased avay orr killed many strrong varriors."
"Anotherr possibility is that these varriors arre now inside the castle... which is still veirrd forr that ship to be left abandoned. In this case, if ve try to enterr the castle against their vill, it could also mean ourr death..."
He then frowns his forehead, thinking about the best course of action. "Let me go ahead vhile ye keep hidden herre. I'll inspect the vrreck and see if therre is somethin' else I'm missin'... if I'm spotted, the chances I'll end up being killed orr capturred arre smallerr since they arre me kin."
GM ShadowLord |
Bevelek is mad that Olaff addresses him at first about the incident, but that quickly turns to embarrassment. It's clear he doesn't want to talk about it, but he sees Olaff is going to persist. "She's a devil woman! One moment she's taking off her clothes, the next she's taking off my cock! She asked me to f##& her like a horse, so we were going rough at it. I swear she did it on purpose though. F#*&ing whore."
He looks to Olaff and shrugs "No offense to you of course."
- - -
A search of the ship reveals significant damage to the ship in the form of tremendous claw marks and what appear to be scorch marks from a powerful electrical attack. There are multiple dead bodies on board, but Olaff can't make heads or tails of it. Deeming it clear, he signals the party to advance. Relisha examines the bodies and determines that they have been dead less than a month, maybe as recent as a week and a half. They likely were all ripped apart by whatever made those marks to the boat.
Olaff Olaffson |
"So... i vas as I fearred. Somethin' killed them..." He points to the claw marks. "Those scorrch marrks could be some storm if they verre rrealy unlucky, but no storrm have claws... a drragon orr a linnorrm, perrhaps?" He asks, not really expecting an answer.
He then inspects the bodies, looking for a leader. "Help me check the bodies... I'm looking forr someone olderr, vith many rrings and many arrmlets. He vould be the commander o' this ship and if he is not among the dead, then therre is a good chance he is nearrby and prrobably vith a couple morre o' me kin vith them."
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12
Relisha Tamm |
Not completely inured to the sight of so many dead bodies, Relisha still offers what assistance she can in the examination of the victims.
Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
GM ShadowLord |
The group searches the sunken ship to the best of their ability but finds no one as Olaff describes. If he existed, his body is elsewhere. With the ship searched and nothing else useful to be found, the group moves south through the village.
Among the ruined buildings that once composed Brinewall Village, the you find what likely were barracks, a smithy, several homes, a glassworks, a trading post, and a stable. The two largest ruins are located in the eastern part of town, and consist of a town hall to
the north and an almost completely collapsed temple of Desna to the south, near the entrance to the cemetery.
Relisha Tamm |
"Um ... can we ...? Can we look closer at the temple?" Relisha asks hesitantly.
Shalelu-Andosana |
Shalelu follows along more tense then usual. It’s one thing to kill something you can see, it’s something very different if there are spirits around taking over people. As opposed to the others when she sees the claw marks she lets out a breath in relief. Spirits don’t leave claw marks like that she thinks.
GM ShadowLord |
Relisha moves to the temple but is quite dismayed to find almost nothing relevant remains. Whatever happened here, happened to the whole village in fact, was vicious and thorough. Buildings long ago were burned down to the ground and all that remain are fragments of charred wood from dozens of decades ago. Looking around there are various humanoid bones scattered in the ash among the ruins.
A broken and upturned alter lay in the corner, numerous bodies piled behind it. Glistening in the pile of ash is a silver holy symbol of Desna, washed clean from the recently rains.
Searching the remaining buildings finds much of the same. Destroyed and burned buildings with nothing of value left due to the fires and time wearing away at them.
Relisha Tamm |
Relisha moves through the gutted temple with a look of sadness on her face. When she sees the holy symbol she picks it up gently and then says a prayer over it. She looks at the overturned altar and turns to some of the stronger members of the group.
"Would it be possible to put that to right?" she asks. Once the altar is returned upright, she places the holy symbol in the middle of it with reverence.
"After we finish with the castle and Ameiko is better, we need to return here and give these people a proper burial," she says to the others.
Shalelu-Andosana |
Shalelu is dismayed at the sight of the temple to Desna. Before Rel even asks she moves to go right the alter and whispers a prayer to Mother Moon. When Rel places the symbol back on the alter she snatched it up, and wipes it clean. ”We don’t leave this... the temple has been defiled, and I will not leave her symbol for some thief to take...”
When Rel mentions coming back to bury the dead Shalelu gives her a brief smile and a nod before moving on.
GM ShadowLord |
Leaving the temple, you continue west and pass by the cemetery gates to the south. A rickety wooden fence surrounds the clearing beyond, but the gates here are made of iron and flanked on either side by statues of a beautiful woman with butterfly wings.
Leaving the gravestones and crypt beyond alone, you move further west along your path towards the castle. As you progress, you begin to pick up a foul stench from the algae-choked lagoon to your north. Have submerged in the water and shore is a rotting corpse of a bright green large reptile with finned, winglike arms and a draconic visage.
Ahreni, Fallen Angel |
Ahreni crouches by the gates for a moment and pulls something from inside her tunic. She pushes it through the bars and then stands to rejoin the group without a word to explain what she did or why.
As the sight of the large green reptile she sniffs once, lets out a sound of clear disgust and proceeds to hold her nose for as long as the group examines the body.
Knw Nature: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
GM ShadowLord |
As Ahreni moves closer to the water to check out the dead creature, three sea monsters with blood-red spines that run the length of their frightening back burst from the water nearby. They resemble a lobster in the front and an eel in the back with very sharp claws. Ahreni's senses allows her to react quickly and get the jump on them before they can move in to attack her.
R1: Ahreni, Sea monsters!, Relisha, Olaff, Shalelu, Thanara
Perception: Ahreni: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Perception: Shalelu: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20
Perception: Olaff: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14
Perception: Relisha: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13
Perception: Thanara: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21
Init: Ahreni: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Init: Olaff: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
Init: Shalelu: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19
Init: Relisha: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20
Init: Thanara: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12
Init: Reefclaws: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20
Ahreni, Fallen Angel |
Ahreni leaps on the nearest creature to savage it with tooth and claw!
Assuming she can't 5ft step, she'll go for one where she's less likely to be surrounded and eaten!
Bite: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17 Damage: 1d4 + 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + (3) + 3 = 7