My, my, my! What are those leshys up to?
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(I'm assuming this is where you want us to post character descriptions? Not knowing the exact setting...)
An almost disturbingly tall, gaunt… elf…? slinks up from the shadows. Wrapped in dirty rags from head to toe, he also sports a light coat over his filthy wrappings; and in spite of his dirtier trappings, the elf’s jacket appears to be relatively clean and fairly well-made - dark blue with orange trim, sporting a stylized insignia on the back. What you can see of the elf’s skin is jet-black, laced with an intricate pattern of red runes inked across his entire body, and when you look into his face - you don’t want to look long - for staring back are pure-white eyes that lack pupils, and a set of razor-sharp teeth filed to points; which give the elf a very unsettling smirk.
"Sup, b**chs..." he hisses, "Name's Niklaas."
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The dwarven woman in the group is most easily recognized by her mass of unruly blonde hair, held back by a simple band. Her outfit of leathers and hide is practical and a bit worn, but obviously well-cared for. The blonde woman still seems rather young for a dwarf, probably less than four or five decades old, and brimming with energy. She skirts her eyes over the elf in the group and visibly winces at his introduction
"Really nice to meet all of you," she starts talking. "I'm Lux, Fairforge. I'm from Mendev, and spent my years in support of the army, up until recently. You know, fighting against the Worldwound. I wasn't in the front lines, or any of that," she holds up her hands in defense, "but I did all sorts of other things. There's always plenty of work in the army. This is my first mission for the Society, though. I've studied hard, especially with Master Westyr, and I'm really excited to be out in the field again!" She seems to realize she's rambling and closes her mouth, just for a second. "Oh, this here is Ozul," she adds as she points to a lanky coyote pup under her chair. She spares a pointed look for Niklaas. "He's not a b**. And I guess that neither are we..."
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Niklaas gives the dwarf an unconcerned shrug, "Everyone's a b**ch if ya got tha right outlook on life... an' I don't particularly tend ta discriminate; I'm an equal opportunity b*****d myself... Niklaas drops onto a stool, kicking his legs up on the table as he leans back with his hands behind his head. Heh heh heh... It's nothin' personal, Fairfart. So ya been with Ol' Westy, eh? Yer a casty-type, I take it then? The elf wiggles his spindly talons for emphasis. Then, slipping a concealed dagger out from his sleeve, he starts picking absentmindedly under his fingernails, I'm more of a blades man myself... Good ol' Far Bellows is where it's at.
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Niklaas's mockery of her family name - of which she's very proud - brings red spots to Lux's neck and cheeks. She mentally counts to ten while reciting the Pathfinder's motto. When she replies, she keeps a neutral tone. "In the interest of cooperation, I'm going to let that insult slide. But I'll let you know that I expected a better attitude from fellow Pathfinders. We're all on the same team, right?"
She looks at the rest of the group and switches back to her previous cheerful demeanor. "What about the rest of you? Where are you from?"
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Seeing the opportunity to enter the conversation, an Elf strides up, appearing noteworthy for all of the wrong reasons. Each of his facial features can best be described as either too large, too flat, too small, or some other unappealing extremity. His clothes and armor, despite being very well-worn, seems to be impeccably well-kept despite their sorry state. With a pleasant smile that feels wrong coming from his face, he will
"Why hello! You say you were in the Mendevian crusades? It's a wonder we never met! Why, I myself was a crusader there, fighting on the front lines using my incredible sorcery to tackle the demon menace head-on! There was this one incredible battle that I was in recently, in fact... ah, yes, the "Battle of Undarin," I believe it was called. Nasty battle, that one was. It was a real tragedy what happened there, but in the end it all worked out. Aaaaanyways, I'm getting ahead of myself, aren't I? My name is Fester, pleasure to meet you." Fester extends his hand for a shake.
You get the distinct feeling that, while well-meaning, Fester is likely a shameless valor thief.
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At Lux’s comment about cooperation, Niklaas thought to himself - I thought I wuz cooperatin,’ afta’ all I AM speakin’ ta tha squat, ain’t I? S*&~! What’s blondie expectin’, eh? Niklaas decided to hold back that comment though - for now. Instead, his grin widened as the ugliest elf he ever met - excluding himself of course - said some BS about Mendev. Oh... this’ll be good...
Niklaas cleared his throat - loudly - then sitting up in his stool, he spoke up loud enough to be really endearing to the other patrons in the present establishment, ”MENDEV YA SAY?! WELL AIN’T THAT A F***IN’ COINKADINK! I BEEN TA MENDEV TOO! Slapped tha king, kissed tha queen, got tha tunic! Even helped them wimps out once when demons trashed the place! THEY LUV ME THERE!”
(I have no idea how to roll in this forum, but you can probably tell that Niklaas is lying.)
A few weeks ago, you received a strange letter from the iruxi leader of the Verdant Wheel. It said the following:
Three months ago, the Green passed briefly beside the Stranger, the two in confluence for a half-turning of a moon. In Finadar’s heart, the spirits run riot. Flesh and flower flow together, and bones walk on limbs of wood. Soon, the Child shall pass beneath the aegis of the Mother. The time is auspicious for the Pathfinders to fix what was broken.
Journey to Iobarian Mishkar. At the caravansary beneath, amid the stalls, you will find Jaldan, a shaman of Redpine. She will wait for you there until the moon turns once more. Do not dally.
As Pathfinders, you're aware that Urwal is one of the newest leaders of the Pathfinder Society, an iruxi (lizardfolk) stargazer who simply showed up at the Grand Lodge one day about a year ago and made himself at home, correcting labels on Mwangi artifacts, sorting insect collections, and painting murals of the night sky as seen from central Garund. He's considered odd, even by the flexible standards of the Pathfinders, but he's clearly committed to the Pathfinder cause, and he and his supporters have proven their worth where the preservation of nature is concerned.
As pathfinders, you are also aware that the Pathfinder Society was involved in a major operation in Finadar Forest in the last year, 4718 AR. An ancient cyclopean ritual was acciedentally triggered by a group of goblins living in the dragon's graveyard, causing a massive fire. With the help from the Pathfinders, the local centaurs and druids managed to stop the fire, and since then have been working on the forest's recovery. The goblins in question have since emigrated west.
Recall knowledge checks before leaving Absalom, and therefore before slotting boons or leaving the ability to purchase items behind:
Occultism.
Nature.
Society.
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One of visitors who silently sat at the table is a Pathfinder who you might now as the Hunter. He observes his future team and growls low sometimes as a reaction to other's words.
Armagile's is a half-human with ugly face (for half-elf). His skin is pale grey as bog, covered with a bunch of scars. He is tall and thin, limbs disproportionately stretched. Dark hair ties into tress. His gray elven-like eyes are patient usually, but bulges out sometimes, being the first sign of irritation.
Armagile smells as rainy forest. The half-human, wears selfmade hide kilt and hide armor, but also got more equipment like spears, simple wooden shield and buttered backpack.
The Hunter is followed by cute juvenile brown-hide bear named Misha who now sleep in a warm corner not far.
Armagile with lips slightly moving read the letter from Urwal.
We are going to Mishkar, Iobaria. Have you got warm clothes?
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From under a table a head appears, covered in a cowl, showing a smile and green eyes. "Thought it was time I met you all, how nice it is to meet such fine fellows, Nicklearse, " he winks knowingly at Lux, "Fester, Lux and Armagile, I am ..." the voice peters out as the cogs whirl, "...hmmm...Nikebei, did you get that Nick-ee-bye. It seems I have the pleasure of your company on this excursion." Then appears a small man, barely 3 feet tall, large hairy feet and a round, cuddly belly. His eyes twinkle, in his otherwise dark and foreboding gear, dark midnight blue robes, with a tentacle pattern of some far off revolting creature.
He smiles, "Mendev, a place where I was glorious in defeating the abominations that rose in the worldwound, but that´s a story for another day. Today, we shall drink and be merry for the last time in the safety of the Lodge. What say you?"
Obviously lying about ever being to Mendev.
The names of The Green, the Stranger, the Child, and the Mother all seem foreign to you.
You recall that Iobaria's dominant religion is the worship of various nature spirits, who protect harvests, prevent forest fires, and so forth. Most religious figures are druids.
You recall that Finadar Forest, in western Iobaria, is mostly known for its Bruorsivi (or blood pines), a species of pine tree with scarlet needles that burns remarkably well and sparks small wildfires as part of its life cycle. While Finadar's blood pines make the forest highly susceptible to sudden and intense forest fires, the many druids and centaur shamans who reside there typically keep these fires from growing out of control.
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Lux is about to make pleasant conversation with Fester when she hears him talking about the Battle of Undarin. That can't be right. She looks puzzled for a moment while trying to decide whether to call him out on his lies or go along with it. Luckily, Niklaas makes the decision for her with his over-the-top claims. She finds herself chortling at the imagery he conjures, even as she bristles at her proud countrymen being called wimps.
The coyote under her chair rises at that moment to make a move towards the sleeping bear in the corner, and Lux is very eager to take the opportunity and extract herself from the conversation by putting her companion at ease. She's drawn back to the table by Nikebei's introduction. Impressed with meeting someone who's actually fought at Mendev, the dwarven woman gladly raises her mug to him in a toast. "To the Lodge, and to the prospect of adventure in the wild!"
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After the introductions, Lux pulls our the letter that she received. "He writes as oddly as he speaks," she remarks. "I only understand about half of what's in here." She shrugs in good nature. "The important part is that we know who to meet, and where. Let's hope this shaman can really tell us more." She nods three times, eager to get underway and meet with an actual shaman.
---Public info from Lux---
Iobaria's dominant religion is the worship of various nature spirits, who protect harvests, prevent forest fires, and so forth. Most religious figures are druids.
The Green is the planet of Castrovel, associated with fertility, while the Stranger is one of the constellations of the Cosmic Caravan, associated with ill magic and typically depicted as a single, staring eye. The Child is another name for Golarion, while the Mother is another of the Cosmic Caravan, associated with protection.
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After a moment of thought, Fester appears to have an epiphany. "Ah yes! Iodaria! I have most assuredly been there before. Quite the exciting place, Iodaeria! Never a dull moment! Very explosive environment, what with the trees spontaneously combusting and the like. But no worries! I can assure you that I will, personally, refrain from using my magic in the forest's vicinity - for your own sakes, of course! I have a plethora of other talents at my behest, so the chances of myself becoming a burden on this excursion are close to nil. That aside, I would advise any magic users in our midst to be careful when using fire in the forest; flash-fires are quite the unpleasant occurrence, to say the least."
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Niklaas grinned, recognizing only the FREAKIN' THIRD professional liar in their merry little band. He then began to cackle when the dwarf proceeded to give the little liar a toast. ”Oh, I can tell this one ain’t gonna be borin’! No sir-ree!”
Raising his own drink, he then nodded knowingly to Fester and Nikebei in turn, ”Brickface… Slick…” before giving his own toast, ”TA MENDEVIVLE… an’ all a’ us that totally, definitely, ABSO-F@#%#@$#@-POSALUTLEY WUZ THERE!
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When Niklaas finally heard the dwarf’s words about that freaking letter, the freakish elf straightened up a bit. ”So I take it we all got one a them blasted things too?” Niklaas scanned the table – then noticed the big, gray, scarred elf sitting quietly to one side. Giving him a slight nod, Niklaas added, ”Sup Tiny…” before taking out his own letter, holding it up to the party, and adding, ” I got no clue what this gibberish means either. Before long, we’re gonna start needin’ some a’ them squeegee boards fer this $%^&. I mean, really? What tha heck? It's an assignment letta', an' I can't even understand my assignment!”
Leaning back in his stool, Niklaas balls up the message and hurls it disgustedly with a roll of his pure-white eyes. Regaining his composure, he gives another of his characteristic shrugs, ”Whelp, I’m with Blondie on dis one. Lookin’ forward ta meetin’ this Shaman chick. I for one...” Niklaas winks, ”-hope she’s hot.”
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Lux starts out nodding in assent of Fester's knowledge of Iodaria. "I think it's wise to be careful with fire. In any forest, really. But I've heard of spirits that look after the forest and prevent such wildfire. Unless, of course, the balance of power is really upset." She looks troubled. "Still, I think regular magic would be safe, as long as it doesn't defile the wild."
She tries to gloss over Niklaas's colourful language, but his admittance of not understanding the letter gets the better of her. She's spent a bit of time with Urwal and has gotten used to his vocabulary. Eager to share some useful knowledge, she starts to explain in rapid sentences. "Well, all of these are references to cosmic events, the alignment of Castrovel within the Stranger, which is an ill omen. And The Child - Golarion - passing beneath the Mother also seems auspicious. It's all really interesting, if you're into that sort of thing." Her voice flattens suddenly. "Which you're probably not. I'll shut up now." She manages to hold her tongue for just a second before blurting out. "Please, though, treat the shaman with proper respect. We need her to tell us what's going on in the forest. And I can tell from personal experience that calling someone a... a... you-know... isn't exactly the best introduction." She looks hopeful, if not confident, that Niklaas will see the wisdom in that.
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"Oh yes the letter, seems these folks have it all sorted, I´ll read it again sometime. Just finish this cake, nice love those dried fruits, sultanas and pineapple. Perhaps I should take one for later...hmmm." When the melodramatic Niklaas, does his performance, throwing his letter across the room, it is all Nikelei can do to not laugh. Instead he starts to clap loudly, "A wonderful performance, oh such fun, you must be our bard. Where have you performed before, marvellous." his clapping increases until he realises he´s the only one. "Well, he is isn´t he?"
The halfling smiles, rubs his chin with his small hands and thinks a moment, "Oh, Slick, I like that, you can all can me Slick from now on... Yes my name is Slick, from now on it´s Slick. Oh and Brickface, you sound an intelligent guy, I´m glad you can refrain from burning down the woods and I won´t either." He nods his head in his cowl, before touching his forehead in recognition of the Fester.
He takes a gulp from a goblet, stuffs a few grapes in his mouth and continues, "So how do we <munch, munch>..... get to this Finadar Forest then? <munch, munch, gulp> is it far? Will I need to take a packed lunch?" He looks to Lux and her dog, You know the way or does Armagile? expecting that these folks would have the answers.
After a while as the group chat, Slick adds "You know all this talk of trees makes me think of the oasis back home, the palms were beautiful and full of yummy coconuts and things, but always... I mean always there were flies buzzing around, biting and trampling on my food.... is it the same in forests?"
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"A wonderful performance, oh such fun, you must be our bard. Where have you performed before, marvellous." his clapping increases until he realises he´s the only one. "Well, he is isn´t he?"
At the first hint of applause, Niklaas nimbly springs up on his stool, giving a dramatic bow, “Thank ya! Thank ya! It’s been a pleasure! I WON’T BE HERE ALL WEEK,” Dropping back down onto his seat, he adds “-cause it sounds like we’re goin’ to a flatulatin’ forest instead!”
Then, to answer Lux’s concerns, the disturbingly tall elf leans in low and uncomfortably close, whispering conspiratorially, “An’ don’t worry goldielocks, I’m GREAT with tha ladies...” Niklaas pauses a moment, before shrugging, “‘Cept with you, I guess? You are a lady, right? Ya know, yer one a’ the first lady squats I eva’ seen without a beard...” A thought seems to occur to the rogue suddenly. Shooting bolt upright, he mutters, “...Or maybe all those other squats WEREN’T ladies afta’ all... Boy, that would explain sum things...”
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Armagile's follow the coyot for a while. Actually mostntime following when other Pathfinder preferred to exchange with sentences, the Hunter eats and then sticks out meal from teeth. And watching animal playing more than listening.
Sometimes he growls softly and adds couple words on conversation.
Do not care about Mendev. Demons and Crusaders frruuhh. Bad school of life. ....
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Castrovel - the Green. Obviously. GggHrrrh
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I am about such riddle, Lux. Not so wise, but still I am a druid. You should know.
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I know, where to go, Nikebei -Slick. If you insist. Are you ready?
After finishing dinner, Armagile grabs the letter.
To many elven blood around. Dangerous cocktail
The journey is long, spanning the course of several weeks of long boat rides and road travel, and the Pathfinders arrive without incident. Well, sort of.
Sprawling on a hilltop overlooking a broad caravansary, the town of Mishkar is an eclectic mix of steeply pitched Varisian houses interspersed with the occasional red-tiled Taldan roof. The scars of the recent fires are still visible if one cares to look, seen in the town's smoke-darkened rooftops and sooted doorways. Mostly, though, the Pathfiners see evidence of new construction and repairs both finished and in progress; it seems that Mishkar is decidedly in favor of putting the past behind it. Today, it is a city of paint buckets and ladders, of carpenters and surveyors and masons, smelling of sawdust and sounding of workers' cries.
The caravansary at the foot of the hill is equally bustling. A large caravan of merchants from Brevoy has just arrived, after all you joined them for the last bit of their expedition, and the buildin's yard is crowded with clerks and guards, horses and grooms, with curious children darting between the wagon wheels. Just about everyone seems to be at the caravansary today. Well, everyone except who the Pathfinders are here to meet. Jaldan is nowhere to be found.
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Niklaas is going to use Society to try and ask around/eavesdrop to see if anyone knows anything about the missing druid. He’ll also ask around to see if she’s hot. “So, I mean, on a scale a’ one ta’ Calistria, what er we talkin’ ‘ere? Cute? Homely? Smokin’? Be specific, an’ leave out no measurements…”
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Ugh, manual labor. Best to try and leave before I get roped into it like some common boor.
Strolling through the town, Fester will keep an eye out for anything unusual (Perception +6) as he makes his way to the caravansary, looking for anyone who appears to have their wits about them. Anyone who was not a part of the Brevoy caravan is of particular interest, but he'll start talking to them as a last resort if required. His script goes roughly as follows: "Why excuse me, my dear (madam/ sir/ friend/ child/ pet/ elder). I am relatively new to your small town of Mishkan, and was hoping you could provide some assistance. You see, I have recently discovered that a long lost (cousin/ sister/ daughter/ aunt/ old flame, picked based on what Fester thinks will resonate the best with his audience) in fact lived/lives in/around these parts, but as I know only their name, my chances of finding them are unfortunately narrow at best and impossible at worst. After all the effort I went to to ensure that my great-grandfather's estate went to its proper recipients, it would truly be a shame if I were thwarted at the last opportunity in such a banal way. So please, if you perhaps (know/knew) of a woman bearing the name Jaldan, whom I've heard is of a more shamanistic persuasion, any help you could offer me in my search would go a great way to ensuring that my great-great grandfather may finally rest in peace.
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During the journey, it becomes apparent that Lux feels at home on the road. She's practical and hard-working and makes every effort to pull her weight in the group. She makes a few awkward attempts at small-talk, but has some trouble finding the right tone. Ozul makes a number of careful attempts to get closer to Armagile's bear companion and lure it out to play, despite being thoroughly intimidated by the bear.
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The dwarven woman seems to take quite naturally to the atmosphere of Mishkar being rebuilt. "This reminds me of Mendev," she confides to her companions. "People who won't be beaten down by misfortune, but who band together and move forward." She looks a bit glum when it becomes clear that their contact is nowhere to be found. "We aren't late, I'm sure of that. Urwal's letter said she'd be here for an entire moon." She sets her jaw and moves past the disappointment. "Let's see what we can find out."
Lux then moves to a few different stalls, making some small purchases to replace items she's had to use on the journey. Meanwhile she tries to find anyone who looks to be at home in a forest: a druid would be ideal, but a trapper, hunter, or logger would do. "Euhm, hello. We came here looking for a shaman. A woman named Jaldan... Have you seen her, perhaps recently? Or do you know where we could find any of the druids? I heard they stayed behind to help the forest recover from the fire."
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So hot-tongue creatures. Care, among people words bite, harm and even kill sometimes. That's why I love flora and fauna, not urban life. Anyway. Good story to perform among relevant listeners.
Armagile is planning to walk nearby Brevoy merchants first, and hear rumors and news from all over the world. He also wanna take a look how animals here live in and pets be cared of.
The Hunter gives a suggestion to follow if anyone wanna to. Or throw another plan to discuss.
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During traveling the Hunter often finds food just nearby. Berries and fowl. He rare start conversation but become a bit talkative if being answered by good question.
Misha greatfully and just absent minded play with Ozul completely forgetting about surroundings and that his weight much more than Coyot.
After a week of travel Armagile starts showing sympathy towards Lux and even show silly flirt. Once when all the camp felt asleep the Hunter says Lux.
I watch you. It's rare to feel such emotions. But I feel some natural gravity between us. Maybe I, smell ovulation. Would you like to copulate with me? I hadn't connections with females for a while. And really like you, Lucretia.
Armagile seems confused a bit, it's obvious he steps over habits by asking.
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Upon arriving Armagile also find as a good idea to find the shaman.
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(Ewwww… ovulation… And for the record - since Lux and Armagile mentioned what they were like during the trip - Niklaas would’ve been incredibly loud and raucous whenever he thought anyone else was around, going so far as to follow some people about for days at a time, just to pester them by asking stupid questions like, “Er we there yet? Er we there yet? How ‘bout now? Now? Whut ‘bout now? Now? NOOOOOOW? or “Whatcha doin’? Mind if I join? I’m jus’ so BOOOOOOOORED!!!” He also had a habit of attempting to scare people by sneaking up right behind them - typically either before yelling, “SUP!” or whispering something similar in their ear in an attempt to make them jump. If he HAD been aware of Armagile & Lux’s flirtation, he totally would’ve interrupted it at the worst possible moment - but that’s only if you guys would be cool with that out-of-character.
There would’ve been times when minor items went missing - typically just to be annoying.
And at other times, Niklaas would break out a needle and thread and just start sewing. If anybody asked him about the habit, he’d say - “Yeah. That’s right. Ya betta believe I sew. Ya wanna make sumthin’ of it?” If things didn’t escalate, he would’ve eventually patted his cloak and added, “Threads like these, ya can’t jus’ buy ‘em in any ol’ store. They’re custom. Made ‘em myself.”
Also - and especially since he’s an elf, he wouldn’t sleep much, and would spend a lot of his time at night doing who-knows-what...
Sometimes at night when he thought no one was watching - and typically after going some distance from the caravan - he’d take out a small packet of letters, pull one at random from the stack, and read over it, muttering quietly to himself.
He could also be convinced to help out in the caravan when needed - most readily when his ego was thoroughly stroked. But surprisingly enough, he did tend to help out most when he thought no one was watching - which was typically at night. If there was a kid crying about a stuffed toy that had ripped, he might swipe it while the kid was asleep, and swap it back before the kid woke up - good as new, maybe better. If the wagons got damaged, he might patch them up without telling anyone, so that when people realized the wagons were fixed, they’d have no idea who had fixed them. Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera...
^It’s possible that no one in the party noticed any of this extra stuff - Niklaas does have a +8 in Stealth - but I’ll leave it up to each player to decide if they noticed or even cared.)
Niklaas and Fester get the WEIRDEST of looks as they start asking around for their contact. Strangers give almost disgusted looks to the group instead of answering.
Lux (I will allow the Nature check) manages to discern from some of the reactions around town that the weird looks are due to the fact that Jaldan is a centaur.
With this information, you may now go about looking around with Perception or trying to find and follow hoofprints with a Survival check.
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Lux returns to the group with her new-found information. "Well, that explains some things. Jaldan is a centaur. Which they're not so fond of here, apparently..." Her face brightens. "But that does make it easy to find her tracks, assuming she's been here recently. You see, centaur hooves are actually slightly different from normal horse hooves." Her brow furrows. "... I think."
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The journey was on the whole pretty boring, save for the strange antics of Niklaas. To keep himself interested in the journey, when darkness came, Slick would let his magics make lights appear through the trees, and eerie sounds fade into the distance. Sometimes a light would pulsate and a howling would be heard. Yet whenever anyone went to investigate the disturbance it would stop. Slick made the fun last as long as he could, be even that got boring, until eventually they reached there destination.
Once he arrived and saw the construction going on, the state of the place, he resisted the urge to do some light pilfering from the caravan and went to help the residents. It was after all something he had had to do for himself, so knew the sweat that was involved. Whilst he helped with the reconstruction he would ask if the townsfolk knew Jaldan, and whether he or she was a friend or foe of the settlement? Or if they knew the whereabouts.
After only a few minutes, Lux finds some obviously equine tracks heading out of town.
Just past the east wall of MIshkar is the peculiar sight of a freckled, teenaged centaur yelling at an apple tree. Upon closer inspection, it is clear that she is actually yelling at a pair of human children who have climbed the tree: a boy and a girl, each about ten years old, with matching red hair and homespun clothes. The girl nonchalantly eats an apple while the boy rifles through a decorated leather satchel.
"YOU LITTLE DEMONS, GIVE THAT BACK!" the centair yells, flicker her tail in profound irritation.
"Not until you show us how to make those dead squirrel monsters!" the boy calls down.
"Sure, I'll show you! Come on down, I'll make two dead monsters! Little devils, with RED HAIR!" the centaur shouts, then spots the Pathfinder's approach. "... Oh no." she utters. "You're...did Urwal send you? Oh no. Um. Can you just...I'm sorry, could you come back in a half hour? Please?"
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(With that “teenage” descriptor, I’m assuming the centaur’s too young to be legal? Niklaas isn’t into stealing ‘em from the cradle. In any case...)
For a long moment, all Niklaas can do is double over with obnoxious cackling. Then, wiping a tear from his eye, he steps up, grinning at the horsewoman. “Yo! ‘Sup, Seabiscuit? I take it yer our contact, eh? Not ‘xactly what I wuz expectin’, but whatevs. So, uh… Niklaas flicks his thumb up nonchalantly at the two kids perched in the tree, “Ya want sum help with that? I can tend ta be pre-T persuasive…” Niklaas draws a shortbow, his grin widening, “AN’ GOOD OL’ JERRY HERE,” he raises his voice, loud enough for the runts to hear, “IS JUS’ GREAT WITH KIDS!”
(And don’t worry - Niklaas isn’t actually planning to shoot them. He IS ready to intimidate the heck out of them though, unless anybody would prefer a different approach. Some of our party might be against intimidating small children, in which case bluff could be another fun and viable route, considering how many liars we have in this group...)
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In the tree opposite the children the faint sound of light and playful jingling bells are heard, that get louder to be audible, even up a tree. The small figure in the darkened cowl and robes speaks, "Children, come down now and I can show you what's making that intriguing ringing in the branches. Give the satchel to me, that way you will not get into any trouble."
Slick casts Dancing Lights so that 4 different coloured lights dance in the tree and continuing with the jingling sound by sustaining the magic of the two spells. One by one Slick calls the blue, yellow, green and red lights over, so that the lights come down from the tree and land in his hand. As they land the jingling stops. "There children, tell Slick what you think of that? What are your names, so we can tell you parents how clever you are to climb so high. And if you are good, maybe my friends here will let you meet their pets, but you must be good and promise not to take things that don't belong to you. Now this is magic and just as they appear, the lights can disappear." With that the magic ends, "If you want to see them again, when next we pass, I will show you once more." And the halfling claps his hands with glee.
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Fester approaches the amassing crowd with half-lidded eyes before reciting his script in a tired monotone.
"Why excuse me, my dear madam. I am relatively new to your small town of Mishkan, and was hoping you could provide some assistance. You see, I have recently discovered that a long lost cousin has in fact lived around these parts, but as I know only their name, my chances of finding them are unfortunately narrow at- Oh? What do we have here? Fret not, I have experience as a volunteer fire fighter, and am quite adept at climbing trees. I will see them out most handily!"
Fester will be here for awhile.
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Lux isn't terribly fond of kids. She's not quite sure how the rest of her group would fare with them (not too good, would be her best guess), but she has the impression she'd be even worse. Instead, she tries to distract Jaldan. "Euhm, yes. We're the Pathfinders. Urwal sent us. And things sounded pretty serious indeed, from the letter he sent us. So maybe we shouldn't bother too much with these troublesome children for the moment...?" She looks hopeful.
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After all the tricks, performance and deeds his teammates perform during past journey, Armagile has no doubt: these kids got me chances.
Armagile waits for a while staying afar, giving opportunity for children to calm down and react to Lux approach.
Meanwhile Armagile approach to the centaur... I am not asking how this happened. But why you call them devils?
If children won't go down after Lux politness, Nikibei performance or Niklaas force, then the Hunter will act and climb for them.
Alright. One at a time.
Niklaas draws his bow and the kids just take cover while continuing to throw apples.
We'll get to Nikebei last, as he succeeded.
Fester approaches the tree, but can't even find a foothold to begin climbing.
The centaur then looks to Lux for a bit. "But those little twerps stole my bag! It's got my books and my tools and my food and it's got the money I was supposed to give you for travel costs, and...and..." Jaldan trails off, then puts her head in her hands and moans, [b]"THIS IS A DISASTER!"
That also answers Armagile's question.
Nikebei then casts his spell, and the children are thoroughly fascinated by the effect! "WOOOAAAHHH!" the shout in unison to the obvious sounds of magic. The hop straight down and immediately approach Nikebei, dropping the bag as they do. "More! MORE!" the kids shout while tugging at Nikebei's cloak.
Jaldan quickly grabs her bag and begins rifling through it, obviously counting things.
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Misha, go play with kids. Be gently! suggests Armagile and the bear carefully approach Nickibei and provides children opportunity to touch and groom him. May be Misha even find and eat smashed aplles around.
Meanwhile Armagile continue to talk with Jaldan.
That is not disaster. Look. Kids are fine. You lost few apples. Are you alone? Where is your relatives, or a tribe? , - Armagile take a look what is there in the bag, while the centaur inspecting things, - Wanna advice? you should own a sling if you cannot do magic.
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“Tiny gotz a point there, kid,” Niklaas cracks his neck nonchalantly, then shrugs. “Now, I know whut yer thinkin’ - ‘But Nikky, I luv tha feel a’ cold steel in my palm, an’ that thrill I get runnin’ a blade across a #%^*+’s throat? There’s nothin’ else like it!’” Niklaas draws his rapier and gives it a few test slits at the air, cackling to himself in satisfaction. “Well, right ya are kid! Rightja are!” Caressing the blade’s edge, he whispers, “Nex’ time, Shirley… Nex’ time, fer sure…” Sheathing his sword, he adds, But even stone-cold close-range killas like ourselves ‘ave ta ‘ave a trusty backup, an’ that’s where my man Jerry comes in. Any little monsters cum ‘round ME tryin’ ta swipe MY kit? They gotta answa’ ta tha bow-man, man! If ya know whut I mean? Heh heh heh...”
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As the centaur looks through the bag, Slick looks questioningly at her, "All there?" then turning to the children, "Now what are your names? Tell me why did you do that? And what do you mean the dead squirrel monsters? Can you tell me more what you think our friend here can do? And tell me the truth, so I can make the magic work again." He pushes the children away from Niklaas and Fester.
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lux makes an awkward attempt to console the centaur. "There, there..." she tries. She holds out a hand, but isn't quite sure to put an arm around a centaur's shoulder. "See, it all worked out. You have you belongings back. I gathered back in the town that people like you aren't well-liked around here. What nonsense were those the children saying about you making dead squirrel monsters?"
To Armagile and Niklaas, the centaur recoils a bit. "I...I wouldn't ever mean to hurt them. This town would have my head!"
To Nikebei, she responds a bit more naturally. "Yes. Yes, it's all here."
Now what are your names?
I'm Alayn!" calls the boy, brightly. "And I'm Linnit," the girl adds. The siblings beam.
Tell me why did you do that?
"She's a forest witch, see, and we want her to make us one of those scary squirrel monsters. Or show us how to make a scarecrow walk!" Alayn says, as if this is the most reasonable request ever made. "Then we'll give it back!"
"We're not thieves!" the girl adds.
And what do you mean the dead squirrel monsters?
Alayn responds first again. "It's like, a dead squirrel, with a bunch of branches stuck in it, and it moves kinda like a centipede, and it's got burning eyes with bloodpine sap, and it's the most awesomest thing I've ever seen!"
"I think they maybe saw one of the polluted nature spirits." Jaldan says to you, quietly. "And before you ask, no, I can't make one! Not that I would if I could!" She sticks out her tongue at the kids.
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"I might actually survive." The centaur says. "Thank you. Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!!! You just saved my hooves. Uhh......when we get back to the camp, could you maybe, uhh....not mention this to anyone. Please?"
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To the centaur, Niklaas grins from ear to ear. “Oh… Ya want me ta’ be quiet, do ya? Heh, heh, heh… Whelp, today jus’ so ‘appens ta be yer lucky day, sweet’art! ‘Cause I NEVA’ know when ta shut up! People try ta make me all tha time, but they ‘aven’t found a thing that werks! I jus’ keep goin’, an’ goin’, an’...” Niklaas freezes - then turns slowly towards the two kids, “Did ya jus’ say yer names were ‘A-LAME’ and ‘POCKET LENT’?!” Niklaas cackles, “Man, you brats got sum STUPID names! Oh - and what was that part about ungodly forest mutants? Kinda’ sounds like my dear, ol’ granny…” and Niklaas adds under his breath, “Thank tha gods she’s dead…”
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Nikebei grins at the children, "Alayn, Linnit, you'd best run off home now, you've caused enough trouble for now. I don't want to have to tell your parents how naughty you've been. This centaur is not the forest witch, so don't be nasty to her again. You know if you are nice to her, she may be able to show you some of the treasures of the forest, edible fruits and fungi next time. So be off with you, go home!" the little halfling shoos the children back towards the village.
He looks back to where Niklaas is standing, If there aren't enough scary things in the forest, along comes Niklaas and the ghost of his dead grandmother. but from his mouth he says, "Losing your loved ones can be very traumatic, if you need to talk about it Niklaas, I'm sure we'll find someone in Absolom when we return who can soothe your mind and give you some peace and comfort." He turns his head away quickly.
He walks to the Jaldan, wiping his hand across his brow, "We are glad you have your belongings back. But tell us more of the problems besetting this land. Polluted nature spirits, what else has been corrupted here? How can we help you stop any evil growing in this forest, where is it's source if you know. We have a lot to discuss. Perhaps you can tell us, my friends here are keen to help and bring their different talents to bare on the problems you have."