Gameplay thread. You can dot this for now. Beginning of game will post tomorrow.
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Dotted
Date: Toilday, 27th Erastus, 4709 AR
It is the start of a warm summer day in the heavily fortified River Kingdoms town of Fort Inevitable. Located on the plains just to the southwest of the Echo Wood and not far from the West Sellen River, the prosperous town is somewhat out of step with the rest of the River Kingdom’s bastions of civilization; ruled as it is by the iron grip of the Hellknights.
Lady Commander Audara Drovust is the town’s absolute authority. As the commanding officer of the local chapter of the Hellknight Order of The Pike, she serves as the ruler of the Fort’s Citadel, high magistrate, tax assessor, director of public works, keeper of the treasury, and chief regulator of commerce. She is a cold, efficient (and, when necessary, brutal) ruler and places utmost priority on the stability and safety of the Fort.
Recently, a mounting threat has been traced back to one of the region's most dangerous landmarks: The Emerald Spire: a mysterious and ancient ruin located in the southwest reaches of the Echo Wood, just north of Fort Inevitable.
Pressed to act, and unable to commit the necessary Hellknight forces, Commander Drovust has reluctantly formed a temporary council of herself and other prominent locals in an effort to pool their connections and assemble an expedition to the Spire and put an end to the woes that plague the area.
You arrived at Fort Inevitable two days ago, accompanying your supreme commanding officer Iliara Starcloak from the Goldenfire Order’s base of operations in Thornkeep. The accomplished elven mage usually avoids dealing with Fort Inevitable in general (and Audara Drovust in particular), but she -and by extension the Order- have something of a crisis on their hands. A little over a month ago two wizards of the order, Jharun and Tiawask, set out on an expedition to the Emerald Spire and have not been heard from since.
Hearing of Audara’s plans to convene a council that would assemble an expedition to the Spire, Iliara swallowed her pride and secured herself a seat at the table to ensure the Goldenfire Order’s concerns were represented. She initially intended to head for Fort Inevitable on her own and there hire a reliable mercenary whom she would place as her representative on the expedition.
You had other plans.
Intent on hunting down some measure of closure on the mystery of what happened to your mother -who suffered the same fate as Jharun and Tiawask seem to have succumbed to- you argued with Iliara for hours before she finally relented. She didn’t want to risk a single other member of the Order in that cursed ruin, but ultimately she could not deny you your quest for personal catharsis.
Leery of the Hellknights, you have spent the past two days holed up at the Juliver Arms Inn while Starcloak met (and frequently argued with, if her mood at the end of the day was any indication) with the rest of the provisional council.
Today is the day, however. As much as it turns your stomach, there is a meeting with the council and the members of the expedition to formally commission you and begin the venture in earnest. Iliara departed about an hour ago, leaving you to a lavish breakfast as the best friendly consolation she could muster for you.
When you arrive at the Citadel, you are quickly ushered into a small meeting room. On one end five uncomfortable looking but functional chairs face a table at the other end of the room, arranged behind which are four considerably nicer chairs. One of the shoddy chairs is already occupied by a well-equipped, pale young woman. A pauldron on her left shoulder bears the emblem of the Hellknight Order of The Pike. She sits stoically and patiently.
You hear others being led into the room behind you....
Fort Inevitable is a very strange place. Nothing at all like the now far away swampy lands your tribe calls home.
You’d never met a “High Mother of Abadar” before, but your shaman assured you that she is an honorable, respectable woman - if a little too concerned with material goods. High Mother Sarise Dremagne had a long-standing trade agreement with your tribe: a rare swamp grass useful for healing poultices was provided by your shaman in exchange for crafting materials difficult to obtain in the swamp, such as metal.
When your shaman learned the High Mother was in need of assistance of the adventurer sort, he saw an opportunity for you to both make up the debt owed to your tribe as well for you to learn more about the world and temper your naivate. And so with your loyal companion Bubbles The Wonder Hippo, you set off to Fort Inevitable and the unknown.
Things certainly got a bit tense at the gates, as the Hellknights wanted just about nothing to do with a frog person riding a hippo and were just about ready to run you off when you mentioned Sarise Dremagne by name which gave the commanding officer of the guards, Maralictor Kiera Wirt, pause. She sent word to the Temple of The Golden Key who confirmed your identity. Wirt apologized and escorted you to the Temple personally.
Sarise proved to be a kindly enough woman, though her many duties meant she left you in the care of subordinates rather quickly. It was explained that a concerning number of undead had begun being found in the area, all bearing the same sigil of a Crowned
Skull. The High Mother had cooperated with the Lady Commander of the fort and other prominent persons in order to assemble an expedition into its depths with the intent of locating and eliminating the source of these creatures. You were given room and board for the next three days -the time of your meeting with the provisional council and the rest of the expedition- though Bubbles was not allowed inside the Temple and instead stabled outside.
When the day of the meeting arrived you cleaned your armor, polished your rapier, and practiced your knightley posture and demeanor. When you arrived at the citadel you were once again, frustratingly, not permitted to bring Bubbles inside with you. Once you were certain she was stabled somewhere safe you allowed yourself to be ushered into a small room with five cheap-looking chairs at one end and a long table with four much nicer looking chairs at the other. An Elven man had been ushered in ahead of you and also stands at the entrance. One of the cheap chairs is occupied by a young woman dressed similarly to the knights.
You hear others being ushered in behind you…
You have lived in Fort Inevitable for the last two years or so, studying dutifully under Abernard Royst as his apprentice. Royst had been happy to take you on: he is constantly in need for extra pairs of hands on his many projects, and he was greatly impressed by your dedication and skill at research. Similarly, you were eager to learn from the old man: the Emerald Spire is one of Golarion’s great mysteries and Royst the closest thing to an expert on it.
Unfortunately, “knowing more than anyone else about the Emerald Spire” still meant “knowing very little overall about the Spire as a whole”. Royst’s adventuring days were far behind him, and even his great obsession with the Spire wasn’t enough for him to brave it’s depths.
Master and apprentice both saw opportunity when Commander Drovust began forming the provisional council dedicated to assembling an expedition to the great ruin. Abernard easily obtained a spot on the council, being the foremost expert on the Spire, and hoped to use his position to ensure his interests are represented in the expedition. To that end he had secured outside help, calling in a favor owed by an old friend.
Intent on entering the spire yourself and finally conducting some valuable field research, you pressed Abernard to place you on the expedition as well. He was hesitant at first, but your argument that you -the only person to read his body of research cover to cover, as it were- going on the expedition was the next best thing to the old wizard going himself persuaded him relatively quickly. And so you earned your place as essentially Abernard Royst’s surrogate on the expedition.
About five days before the meeting, Abernard’s other representative arrived. A woman hailing from Tian Xia that you were surprised to see was a planetouched, much like yourself (though of an immediately obvious different ancestry). Abernard offered her one of the unused rooms in his rooms in his house, and so she stayed with you in the days leading up to the assembly of the expedition.
When the day arrived Abernard departed ahead of you to prepare with the rest of the council. You and Liedae departed a short time after and headed to the Citadel. As the apprentice of the most prominent wizard in the region, the Hellknights recognize you by sight and quickly (if unceremoniously) escort you to a small auxiliary room in the fortress.
As you enter you see five uncomfortable looking chairs arranged on one end of the room, set directly across from a long table placed in front of four much nicer looking chairs. A pale woman you recognize as one of the Hellknight’s recruits sits in one of the five plain chairs. An Elven man and a…
...Grippli! What a rare sight! A Grippli and an Elven man stand in the room having been led in just before you.
It appears that the expedition has been assembled…
You are a long way from home.
Everything in Fort Inevitable is foreign to you. The architecture, the clothes, even the local samurai in their imposing black armor. Your mother had told you many stories about her adventures in Avistan, but seeing it all for yourself was an entirely different experience.
Your mother had teleported you directly to her friend Abernard Royst’s house. This caused a small amount of drama with the authorities, who keep a close eye on the comings and goings. Several minutes of assurances from Abernard that it was all simply a misunderstanding and would not happen again eventually diffused the situation, however you found many of the samurai looked at you with suspicion after that.
Abernard graciously offered an unused room in his house for you to stay in (although “unused” was perhaps subjective here, as your cot was crammed into what little space was not occupied by bookshelves, stacks of tomes, and piles of scrolls). You met his apprentice, Aekon, a bookworm you were surprised to find you shared a unique trait with: he too had a heritage brushed by one of the myriad beings of the outer realms. Apparently he would also be joining the expedition.
Feeling acutely like an outsider, you found little to do while waiting for the date of the meeting save nursing a drink at one of the local taverns or paging through one of Abernard’s complicated arcane texts. You did, however, make one fascinating discovery. While perusing the wares at one of the local arms merchants you were shocked to see a katana of peerless craftsmanship displayed proudly on the wall. Engravings on the blade spelled “Aegis” in Tien. Seeing you gazing at the piece, the surly half-orc merchant barked a dizzying price at you. You’d never even considered that much gold existing in one place.
When the day of the meeting arrived, you and Aekon departed from Royst’s home for the Citadel together. Some of the guards present were among those that responded to your sudden appearance in town, though Aekon seemed to be a well-known enough figure for it not to hinder proceedings. As you were ushered inside, you overheard one guard half-whisper to another: ”A thousand miles from the homeland and Tieflings are still causing problems!”
You are brought to a small room, sparsely furnished. To one end you see five simple-looking chairs. At the other a long table placed in front of four much more ornate seats. A pale woman sits in one of the five simple chairs, her armor and heraldry indicating affiliation with the Fort’s authorities. Two others stand before you, escorted in ahead of you it would seem An Elven man and a strange, frog-like humanoid no taller than a halfling.
It appears that the expedition has been assembled…
When Lady Commander Drovust approached you personally, you knew exactly what to do: stand at sharp attention and listen.
”Armiger Manor. I’m certain you’ve heard about the mounting issues with undead in the area. I know how much the recruits indulge in gossip…”, you detected a twinge of disdain in her voice at this, but she continues without hesitating, ”...so I am equally certain you have heard that we suspect they are coming from the Spire and I have assembled a provisional council in order to deal with it. I can’t spare a proper detachment of Hellknights, so we’ve elected to commission a group of… adventurers.” There was considerably more than a twinge of disdain as she finished the sentence.
”However, I will not trust this task exclusively to a group of roustabouts and treasure hunters.”
Drovust paused, her expression softened from imperious commander to passive assessment: something you’d never seen before. ”Do not think your professionalism and decisiveness when your field training exercise was waylaid by boggards escaped my notice. While any prospective Hellknight should be prepared to stand fast in the face of savages, they were not insignificant opponents and you acquitted yourself well.”
Her expression hardened again. ”I expect that same steadfast adherence to duty in The Emerald Spire. You will be part of the expedition to its depths. You will find the source of this unliving plague and eliminate it.”
Drovust spins sharply on one heel and begins to leave but stops suddenly. Over her shoulder she says in a much quieter voice than she typically employs: ”You are being entrusted to bring Asmodeus’ order to that den of bandits and beasts. Do not disappoint Him.”
And so you found yourself on this bright morning waiting in a small auxiliary room in the citadel, waiting for the rest of the group you would be braving the depths of the Spire with. You were here before anyone else, and quietly took a seat in one of the chairs across from the table where the provisional council would sit. The chair was uncomfortable, something you knew was by design.
After several minutes passed an Elven man is escorted into the room, followed shortly by a strange frog creature, and then two strange-looking humanoids - one of which you are certain is a Tiefling.
It appears that the expedition has been assembled…
Khathi sits erect in the straightbacked chair, even though she is alone in the room. “Early is on time”, her father often said, but her anticipation had her well ahead of schedule. Even so, with steady breathing, she kept her anxiety under control, and waited quietly, patiently.
When the door to the room opens and people begin entering, she barely stirs. Barely. Her left eye, misshapen and discolored, seems to move with a mind of its own and looks each individual up and down as they enter.
The bright-eyed one looks familiar, but she is unable to place any of the others as local citizens. Outsiders. Not to be trusted. Not immediately. she thinks to herself and is reminded of Lady Commander Drovust’s final words to her when she was selected for this assignment.
She stands and motions for the others to take a seat at the table with her. "I am Armiger Manor. I take it you all are chosen for the same mission as I, to inspect the goings on at the Emerald Spire. If we are to work together, I would have your names."
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 115 lbs
Khathi is fair skinned with straightened dark hair. She passes for human, and she considers herself human, as she does not understand the circumstances of her existence. Her fingernails are hardened into sharp claws, but she keeps them hidden under gloves. There is a dark mark under her left eye, and that eye is noticeably bigger then her right, and bulges out a little. The iris of her right eye is brown, but that of her left is black. Other than this off putting asymmetry, you could say she’s fairly pretty. She wears leather lamellar armor, and carries a heavy mace and shield. Her armor is highly decorative, and well made, with infernal prayers dutifully burned into the leather bands. An iron pauldron on her right shoulder, as well as her shield, bear the emblem of The Hellknight Order of the Pike, a dragon pierced by three lances.
Aekon arrives with Liedae just on time. The chair is much too small for him as a result of his surprising height, so etiquette be damned he turns the chair and sits in with the back facing the table.
His voice is calm, low and steady as he introduces himself, ”I am Aekon Tabrisos, representative and apprentice of Abenard Royst and the closest thing this mission will have to an expert on the Emerald Spire. Though my master’s knowledge far outstrips my own, his library on the subject is extensive, and I have studied it at length.”
A tall elf walks in and looks at the chairs and frowns. Wearing a shain shirt and rapier and dagger at his side, he slides his backpack off his shoulders and walks down to the chairs. He sits at the chair furthest from the Hellknight. He then says "I am Silvash, your expert with traps and locks. I will endeavor to make sure none of the Emerald Spire's renowned traps kill you." He then sits quietly, a little nervously and waits for the others.
Liedae walks in beside Aekon, sparing him a second glance before her eyes turn to take in the rest of the room. Kathi's one large eye slightly unnerved her, but she tried not to let it show on her face. Following Aekon over to the chairs, she pulled her own out and sat down uncomfortably, minding her tail. She rumbled her words out with a thick Tian accent. "Liedae Xia, wilderness guide and swordswoman. I'm with Aekon." There wasn't much else to say.
A chain shirt of a foreign design was worn over an equally foreign outfit, with a skirt for her tail. Resting at her hip was a katana, and a series of sharpened metal rings jingled at her other side. The most normal part of her attire was her backpack, complete with what was needed to survive a night in the woods.
I am Eko! Knight of the vast swamps. Unfortunately my Companion Bubbles can not join us in here, but i am here on behalf of the High Mother to assist with the Undead situation and whatever other physical dangers the tower may pose! Eko stands, Arm across his chest, speaking in a clear boisterous tone, annoucing himself clearly before politely sitting down
Khathi assesses this assembled team. Each seems capable in their own right, if not strange. However, she is in no position to judge. Instead, she trusts in the judgement of her Lady Commander and the provisional council.
A part of her feels the need to say something inspirational, assert a position of leadership, but she opts for a simple, "Well met."
She waits for the others to take a seat at the table before she resumes sitting herself, hands folded in her lap, posture impeccable, right eye fixed waiting on the empty chairs across the room, left lazily wandering about.
Glancing at the frog, she couldn't help her lip curling slightly in disdain. He wasn't tied in any way shape or form with her homeland, she didn't even know if his people were aquatic in any way. But the wide mouth and large eyes reminded her of the aquatic tyrants of her home. Turning her eyes back to the group, she noticed a trend. Everyone had some armor and a melee weapon.
"Is everyone here a warrior? Makes my job easier if so. Less need to worry about keeping people safe."
Liedae would have had some familiarity with Aekon’s talents but he says in response nonetheless, ”Tactical advice is my greatest skill. Close combat, however, is not a forte of mine. I can hold my own at range but if threats have gotten close enough for me to strike then the rest of you have either died or left me to fend for myself. I hope we’ll avoid both those outcomes.”
Khathi replies, "Considering what our mission is, I assume we can handle ourselves in a fight. The Order of the Pike is dedicated to hunting down and eliminating any threats to this land and its people. I have trained hard to join them and protect my home. I can swing a mace, and I can call upon the strength of Asmodeus to help us overcome our enemies."
Your introductory banter is cut short as the door opens once more. A severe-looking woman in full Hellknight armor save the helm moves purposefully to the side of the table with the ornate chairs and takes a seat in the left-center. Khathi and Aekon, you immediately recognize her as Lady Commander Paralictor Audara Drovust.
Behind Drovust follows an elderly, dignified woman draped in incredibly fine robes of gold and silver and painstakingly embroidered with complex symbols and patterns indicative of the Church of Abadar. Khathi, Aekon, and Eko know her to be the High Mother Sarise Dremagne. Khathi and Aekon, you know that she is without question the second most influential and powerful person in Fort Inevitable. The High Mother takes the center seat next to Drovust.
After the high mother a young, confident Elven woman in the practical garb of an adventuring Wizard enters the room. She stride quickly past the seated Lady Commander to sit on the far right end of the table next to the High Mother. Silvash knows this is Iliara Starcloak, the commander of his mercenary band the Goldenfire Order.
Several seconds later the last member of the provisional council enters the room. An octogenarian human in the classic, some may even say cliched, dress of a wizard: a dark blue robe and a high, pointy hat of the same color -all with silver trim- accentuates the classic bushy white beard. Aekon, Khari, and Liedae all recognize this man as Abernard Royst, the most prominent wizard in Fort Inevitable and expert on the Emerald Spire ruin. He takes the final seat to the far left, next to Drovust, offering an avuncular smile to all those in attendance.
The Lady Commander sweeps an expressionless gaze across the expedition members in attendance. "I suppose this will have to do," she states nonplussed.
Clearing her throat, Audara Drovust continues in a more official tone. "Recently, the area around Fort Inevitable has seen an increase in roaming undead of various sorts. Additionally, the presence of an identical brand on all of these creatures has made it impossible to consider these sightings and encounters incidental. Scouts have traced these foul beings to their source: The Emerald Spire ruins to the north, located in the southern regions of the Echo Wood. Unfortunately I do not, have the time, have the personnel resources to devote a proper regiment of Hellknights to the problem. As such, High Mother Dremagne..."
At the mention of her name, the High Mother nods to those in attendance and makes a short series of hand gestures indicating a wordless prayer to Abadar.
"The High Mother and I...", Audara continues, "...have decided to assemble a provisional council that could pool its contacts and resources for the goal of arranging an expedition to the Spire. The foremost goal of this expedition is to find the source of the undead and purify the tower and surrounding area from it's corruption. However, in exchange for their assistance in this matter, other members of the council have requests to ask of you during your business at the Spire."
Commander Drovust gestures to her right with an open palm. It takes several moments for Iliara Starcloak to realize Audara is requesting that she speak.
"Yes, right. Other business in the Spire." The elven woman fumbles briefly with her words before settling her usual soft but direct tone. "As my subordinate Silvash is aware, several weeks ago two full members of my mercenary band departed for The Emerald Spire to conduct research on the ruins. While correspondence indicates they reached the ruins themselves, we have now not heard from them for nearly a month. I would request that you recover our comrades, in whatever state they may now be in. While I hope they still have their lives, I would like to at least recover their findings such that their ill fate not be in vain. Silvash will be able to identify them." She nods confidently in Silvash's direction as she finishes her piece.
Not a fraction of a second after Iliara finishes speaking, Abernard Royst speaks up. "T-terrible fortune that. The Spire is d-dangerous in the extreme. No one has ever reached its furthest d-depths. Or if they have, they never returned to the surface. That is why it is of the gravest importance that you obtain from your expedition as much information as possible. T-to that end..., the elderly wizard rustles around in his robes for a few moments before producing a small mapmaking kit, which he slides across the table to Aekon. "...I would be supremely appreciative of you t-to map as much of each level of the Spire as possible. I will leave the mapmaking t-to my capable apprentice, Aekon, though the entire group shall be rewarded for these efforts in equal measure."
Lady Commander Drovust begins to speak again, but Abernard cuts her off. "Oh! And one more thing...", this time the mage quickly produces a small object from a hidden pocket in his sleeve. It is a small sliver of what appears to be a pale green gemstone. Aekon immediately recognizes this as Royst's most prized artifact.
"This is a sliver of a very rare metal, though in appearance it more resembles a gemstone, and it is curiously resistant to magic. It is called noqual and it can only be harvested from meteorites crashing to the surface of Golarion...", he pauses, searching his mind for a layman's comparison for those with a less academic background. "...like the Starstone. Well, not exactly. Nothing is like the Starstone. But, ah, the basic concept remains analogous." The old wizard chuckles to himself before offering the sliver of noqual to Aekon, who has never seen him allow anyone else to touch it. "This particular fragment, by my estimation, comes from a much larger structure. I suspect it is too large to be removed from the ruin by any practical means, but If you could identify this structure and learn about it as much as possible, I would be greatly in your debt."
Waiting a moment for any additional interjections, Commander Drovust continues. "The final matter is that of your compensation. Illiara Starcloak has offered to put up any of you without other arrangements at the Juliver Arms in for one week. Additionally, you will be issued official letters of warrant by me. These documents permit you to legally pillage the Emerald Spire and dispense justice to any intelligent creatures that may hinder your task. Lastly, you are entitled to whatever riches you manage to pillage from the ruins... less Fort Inevitable's fifteen percent tax on such recovered treasures, of course."
She pushes back her chair and stands imperiously over those gathered. "That concludes today's business. You have your directives. I suggest you prepare yourselves well for the tasks at hand: the Fort has several fine merchants that can provide you with arms, armor, and supplies. If you have any questions or any of this is unclear, you are free to speak to other members of the provisional council at their leisure or submit an inquiry to my office. The Hellknights thank the other members of the provisional council for their time and efforts. Dismissed." She quickly exits the room, closing the door quietly, but firmly behind her.
The other members of the council begin to shuffle about, collecting themselves to leave.
Khathi immediately stands at attention as soon as Lady Commander Drovust enters, and waits for all members of the council to take their seats before she resumes her own. She listens in rapt attention, turning to look at the other members of the team as council members call their names or hand them things.
She stands again as Lady Drovust leaves. For a moment, there is a beaming smile upon her face, but she quickly regains composure. She is suddenly full of questions, but the first is directed to her new companions, "So, when shall we leave?"
Otherwise, Khathi will approach Abernard and Aekon and ask to see the shard of noqual. She asks, "If we can recover more of this material, what do you plan to do with it?"
Khathi has all that she could need or afford for our first foray to the Spire. She will spend what time she has before leaving supping with her father and telling him all about the mission ahead.
Aekon gives a warm smile to Abenard. The old man understanding and supportive of him in a way that few others had matched, and it was no small amount of trust that Abenard would give him the noqual shard, "I am honored, master. I will keep it safe. Hopefully we will even find more of it. And of course, I will be sure to tell you all that we see and find there."
He turns to Khathi and says with a perfectly straight face, "Well, I for one plan to use it to conquer Avistan and cackle upon the ashes of fallen gods and kings." He almost holds it long enough to seem serious. Almost.
Silvash nods to Iliara when she mentions his name. He listens as Abernard speaks to learn whatever he can about the Spire. When the hellknight speaks again his face goes blank as if bored. He rolls his eyes when she mentions them stealing 15 percent of what they find there and again when she dismisses them. Silvash laughs loudly at Aekon's jest at the little hellknight's expense.
Silvash approaches Iliara and says to her "I will bring back what I can from our lost friends. The sooner I get out of this hell hole the better."
i will endeavor to resolve this situation Post haste ! Eko speaks with vigor and salutes, I believe we should scout the tower and gather any possible information!
She gave Abernard a nod as he entered the room, but didn't do much beyond that for the briefing. It seemed fairly simple to her, though that depended on what the Spire itself was like on the inside. Map everything they found, figure out where the undead was coming from, find the two missing mercenaries. Maybe find the giant hunk of rock if they got lucky. Looking over at Kathi as she spoke, she just shrugged. [/b]"I can leave whenever. Brought all of my equipment with me."[/b]
Pushing herself upright, a thought came to her while the others were... doing whatever it was they were doing. Approaching the High Mother, she nodded her head and asked a simple question. "What kinds of undead have been spotted? Anything particularly dangerous"
Abernard chuckled at Aekon’s jest. ”My apprentice is the finest student I’ve ever had, but he has a mischievous streak almost equal to his studiousness.” The old wizard place a knobby, reassuring hand on Khathi’s shoulder. ”I am not after the noqual so much as the object made out of it. And I can reassure both you and your commander I would not use it for anything foolhardy, merely to plumb further secrets of the Spire.”
Illiara Starcloak offers Silvash a warm smile. ”I know you have your own reasons for wanting to investigate the Spire, and you shouldn’t hesitate to take advantage of the opportunity. I trust you to find our friends and see to your own business as well.” She then leans closer, and in a low voice: ”I am no more enamored to be working with the Hellknights than you are, but for now our goals align with theirs and we will succeed in our tasks more easily with their cooperation than without. And remember that not everyone in town is a Hellknight, Fort Inevitable has many good folk protected by its walls, just trying to go about their lives.”
Pulling back, she clasps Silvash on each shoulder. ”You’re a talented elf, Silvash, and shaping up to be a fine member of The Goldenfire Order. I have little doubt this expedition will succeed with your skills at their disposal. I’ll be be back at the Juliver Arms if you need me.”
High Mother Sarise Dremagne offers Liedae an appreciative smile. ”So far mostly just skeletons and zombies, the occasional ghoul or two. The troubling part is their number and the brand that marks them - the Crowned Skull. It implies organization, the power of a greater hand at work.”
She then looks the Tiefling up and down, taking in Liedae’s garments and equipment appreciatively. ”My my, I never would of thought our little fort’s woes would draw help all the way from Tian Xia. I visited once, you know, decades ago now. Spent most of my time in Amanandar, but I toured other parts of the continent as well. I took a lifelong liking to your teas, and I import them whenever possible to this day. I’d be happy to let some go -for a fair price of course- if you’re ever feeling in need of a reminder of home.” The priestess beams at you with satisfaction, as though she has already done you a great favor.
Eko’s call to action cuts much of the conversation in the room short. A warm laugh escapes Iliara, and she remarks: ”Ive heard worse strategies. I think you may have a budding field commander on your hands.”
Khathi realizes a joke has been made at her expense, but she tells Aekon in all seriousness, "It’s best not to joke about such things."
Her left eye, however, gives him a wink.
I simply mean that there must have been other expeditions in to the area before us, as such others could stored information which in turn could help in establishing a base camp. Failure in any way is not all that bad, so long as it is learned from. Eko who is normally quiet loud, speaks in a normal person tone, explaining his thought on the matter in a seeming switch of personality.
She nodded her head as Sarise explained what exactly was coming out of the Spire. Skeletons and zombies, she knew what those were. Ghouls... She was pretty sure she knew what those were. Some words were still a bit murky to her on the meaning. What she wasn't expecting, was the comment about visiting Tian Xia. Blinking, she offered a small toothy smile. "I am from Wanshou, if you ever visited there. As for the offer, thank you. I'll make sure to come to you if need be."
Hearing the words from Eko drew her attention, and she let out a small snort, her tail curling about her waist. "The vaguest of plans, yet we have not much to go off of. Let us go see what we have to work with then."
Silvash picks up his backpack and gives it a little shake, "All ready here."
While the expedition was already proving to be a disparate bunch, they certainly shared drive and determination to tackle their quest with haste.
After leaving the Citadel, a few minutes were spared to double-check supplies and for Eko to retrieve Bubbles before the group headed to the Mosswater Gate at the north end of the fort.
Maralictor Kiera Wirt, who Eko recognizes as the Hellknight who helped verify his identity when he entered the city, is the commanding officer of the guards at this gate. She nods in acknowledgement to Eko as she hands each member of the party a parchment containing several paragraphs of comprehensive legal text and the signature of Lady Commander Drovust. "These are your letters of warrant. Please be prepared to present them whenever re-entering the city with spoils from the Spire or whenever reporting on your activities there." Maralictor Wirt speaks directly and matter-of-factly, but without the harshness you were subjected to when meeting with the Lady Commander. "Be careful at the Spire. Sometimes victory means retreating in order to return with an improved strategy."
The Spire is roughly six miles north of Fort Inevitable, with the last third of the journey being directly through the Echo Wood. Travel is easy when moving along the road and plains, but slows somewhat when you reach the forest. Fortunately, Eko and Liedae both prove themselves capable wilderness experts, even more so when working in tandem. Identifying both the easiest pathways and signs of creatures to avoid, the party reaches its destination without trouble and in good time.
The forest stops suddenly as you approach the tree line of a large clearing. Though never having been here himself, Aekon immediately knows you have reached your destination, for this is the Spire Glen.
From the tree line, you find yourselves staring up at a ruined keep guarding a broken central tower, all made of smooth, green glass. It's obvious that a grand battle took place here many years ago, and the clearing around the ruin lies barren, with sickly weeds struggling to rise from the magic-blasted earth. Melted chunks of twisted glass pepper the ground, lending a green hue to the clearing's light. Despite the damage, however, the glass of the keep itself seems to have avoided the ravages of time, with those pieces that survived the initial cataclysm unmarred by pitting or cracking, clean of moss and other clinging debris.
The blasted remains of what once must have been a grand stairway leading into the Spire terminates in an archway covered in twisted masses of green glass, the remnants of a great doorway. At the top of a steep dirt path winding up through the rubble, a doorway opens into darkness, its entrance seeming to seal light into it's inky depths.
Khathi frowns as she nearly avoids stepping in a fresh pile of hippo dung, and opts to walk alongside Eko and Bubbles, "This is a strange beast, indeed. Where is it you said you are from, frog-man?"
Also, she keeps an eye out for signs of roving undead.
Khathi stops short of the clearing. "If there’s anyone home, they’d surely see us coming."
"Should we take a look around? Maybe there’s a back door."
My name is Eko, I am from Garund. it is Irrelevant now, Bubbles and i cannot return. He says from atop his mighty steed, not with his seemingly usual brand of loud speech.
Liedae leads the group alongside Eko, becoming even warier of the frog-man after Bubbles joined the group. At the very least, he knew his stuff in terms of wilderness survival. It made the trip relatively quick. Stopping alongside Khathi as she spoke up outside the clearing, she nodded her head and turned her eyes to her surroundings. "Pretty sure they cut all the trees down around it. Keeps line of sight clear..."
Crouching down near one of the pieces of glass scattered around, she pokes it with a finger. Maybe it would make good material for a sword...
Liedae:
Taking a closer look, you realize that if trees were present in the glen at any time, it had been many hundreds of years ago. Nothing larger than a small weed or bush grows in the glen, and the grass is short and rough.
Inspecting the glass, you suspect it's just that: glass. It appears to have no special properties, other than having been worked in some fashion into the once-grand structure at the center of the glen. Though you would need the aid of magic to be certain.
Khathi + Everyone else:
While you happen to be facing what seems to pretty clearly be the front of the structure, it sits in the dead center of the glen. There doesn't seem to be anything preventing you from circling around.
"If you prove yourself worthy, maybe you can have a home with the Hellknights."
"Let’s sweep the perimeter. Make sure everything is clear."
Humming in thought, she tried to break a piece off of the glass, to take with. Even if she couldn't manage it, she looked over at Khathi as she spoke and nodded her head. Pushing herself upright, she started circling the glen from the woods, ready to draw her sword if need be. Her eyes peeled for any potential trouble that might be lingering around the area.
Aekon shrugs. He wasn’t aware of any other entrances to the spire but he figured he’d let the Hellknight have her fun.
He smiles softly to himself as he ponders if the Hellknights are even allowed to have fun while he surveys the area and starts jotting down a map of the exterior.
Eko looks at Khathi, Oh no, thank you. If i were to stay in one place how could i help all those in need? Eko follows looking around carefully. As if on Patrol
The six of you (mustn't forget Bubbles!) walk the perimeter of the glen, sticking to the treeline. Heading in a clockwise direction, within about 15 minutes you've covered about half the radius and find yourself at the rear of the Spire.
Eko: unfortunately the glen is entirely flat, open, and unobstructed. There are no hills save for the one the Spire itself sits atop and no cover more significant than the occasional bush or shrub.
However, what all of you -except for Khathi- do notice at the rear of the spire is an extremely poorly disguised entrance at the top of a small, rubble-strewn path up the hill. It appears constructed of hastily-assembled planks of wood, and is half-covered by by some tattered pieces of cloth and dead branches.
However, what all of you -except for Khathi- do notice at the rear of the spire is an extremely poorly disguised entrance at the top of a small, rubble-strewn path up the hill. It appears constructed of hastily-assembled planks of wood, and is half-covered by by some tattered pieces of cloth and dead branches.
She quirked an eyebrow at the sight of the hidden entrance. "That's odd... Why would someone try to hide an entrance... And why so poorly. I believe we have our first place to investigate?" She asked, drawing her blade from its sheath as she did so. Was it an entrance to the Spire itself, or a small little hideaway for undead? Liedae didn't know, but she was going to find out!
"Aha!" exclaims Khathi as the others point out the hidden entrance, "I knew it!"
She sets down her gear and starts arming herself with shield and mace, "Someone’s taken the time to obscure it, so we must be prepared to meet resistance. Sneaking up on it might be difficult across the field, but I think infiltrating the back is better than an assault on the front."
Hoisting her gear back on, she doesn’t look too sneaky herself.
If anyone wants to stealth ahead, she can offer a touch of Infernal Guidance.
Silvash looks at the entrance and says, "I'm going to move to the side out of sight of the opening and try to sneak in from the side. Once I'm there you can advance from here unless I signal you to hold back. Sound good? Once there don't enter until I get a chance to look for traps."
Go forth and check, be careful friend. If you see anyone or anything, come back Eko calls
"May Hell’s fire light your way," prays Khathi, and reaches out to touch Silvash, but he’s already gone. She shrugs and casts the spell on herself, instead.
She reaches out, stopping Khathi from casting the spell on herself. She instead puts the hand onto her own shoulder, accepting the guidance before starting after Silvash. Going alone could could prove extremely dangerous, he'd need support.
Silvash creeps up the small path to the poorly disguised entrance, with Liedae following several feet behind. Both are quiet as a specter, but they find that even for a "path", there is rubble everywhere. Rocks, potholes, bits of Spire glass litter every inch of the ground.
Movement you make while you are jumping ignores the terrain you’re jumping over. Some abilities (such as flight or being incorporeal) allow you to avoid the movement reduction from some types of difficult terrain. Certain other abilities let you ignore difficult terrain on foot; such an ability also allows you to move through greater difficult terrain at the normal movement cost as for difficult terrain, though it wouldn’t let you ignore greater difficult terrain unless the ability specifies otherwise.
Silvash, while navigating the path up is frustrating, you do your best to keep your wits sharp and don't notice any traps or other hazards. Reaching the door safely vindicates your assessment. When you scrutinize the door, it appears similarly devoid of security measures.
You are surprised however, to notice Liedae has followed you. It appears you aren't the only member of the group light of step.
Aekon waits for a few minutes for his comrades to scout the entrance, and then heads in when he knows it’s safe. Just before stepping in, Aekon mutters a few words in Celestial as his senses and reactions heighten
Seeing Silvash and Liedae arrive at the door unharmed, Khathi too moves across the field to catch up with them. From the bottom of the path, she whispers up to Silvash, "Well? What do you see?"