Dot in.
You arrive in the town of Ashima to meet your contact Mai Chun.
The screen door opens on an unassuming house tucked in the small town of Ashima. Filling the doorway is an elderly woman of regal bearing who wears a lopsided smile. Long white hair meets her waist over colorful robes that would not be out of place in the salons of Tian Xia’s largest cities. The grandmotherly woman speaks with a deep, rich voice.“What fates and fickle winds bring blooming lilies to our forest island. With such winds does history ebb and flow.”Having introduced herself with this couplet, she bows and adds, “Yes, yes you’ll do perfectly. I hope you’re fond of bears.” She grins and steps aside, raising a welcoming arm. “Quickly, come in. And off with your shoes! Any Questions?"
couplets as a form of communication that highly educated people use in many parts of Tian Xia, particularly in regions like Shokuro that have experienced Minkaian influence. Such couplets are often meant to be complemented with an equally poetic reply.
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”Ah yes, taking off my boots! Don’t want to track mud all over everything. When you travel a lot, you do collect mud,” the little halfling prattles on, excited for her mission. She has a gleaming starknife at her back, easily identifying her chosen god, Desna.
”Its so nice to meet you. I’ve never had a mission in this area before!”
"It's nice to meet you as well. What is our mission?"
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If I recall correctly, removing one's footwear is customary when entering someone's home...I might be mistaken, however. It has been a while since I was here in Tian Xia. A most interesting experience, that was... the young Taldan priest says. He bears a a traditional wayang piercing with a golden earring in the shape of a sun. A scarred tattoo peeks out from his shirt as he removes his boots, also in a wayang style.
What can we do, madam...we are at your disposal.
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A gnome with pink and blue hair flounces into the room, wraps an arm affectionately around Seltyiel's legs briefly and says, "Hello, everyone, I am Gnagnatsu♥!" She then hops up onto a chair to shake Yen Wu's hand enthusiastically. "Can't wait to see what the powers that be have for us this time!" She takes a seat and winks at Goran.
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A dwarf with black hair and pale skin wearing hide armor stomps in, grumbling.
Questions? Oh yes, I have one...
"Why did I have to take off my shoes? My feet do not like to be naked. Feels so vulnerable..."
He nods at everyone and introduces himself briefly.
"My name is Dimak Doomhammer, by the way. What's our mission?"
The barbarian is certainly not the best at Diplomacy...
Seltyiel's eyebrows raise at the embrace of the gnome and says, "Hello Gnagnatsu, well met."
I must've really angered someone to be sent out with this motley bunch...
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"Thank you!" she says joyfully to Goran. "It means 'dawgn chrysagnthemum'. I was adopted by the hereditary rule of my clan in... well, you wouldn't know it, but it's in a part of Tiagn Xia that doesn't get many visitors. I think the Taldane word is 'prigncess'. Anyway, to prove that I should ascend to the throgne, I need to travel the world and make my fortune, and I couldn't find a better way to do that than with the Pathfignders! Of course, I don't just want to rob people or set up a shop. Bo-ring! I want to create so much joy and affection in the world that I am showered with gold. 'Brigng love, take money' is my motto!"
You are not sure how she manages to pronounce the silent G's, but somehow it is clear that they are there.
Your mission is simple, investigate the ruined estate of General Chiang Zhen. You are looking for relics, though I don't know specifically what is there, so I can't give more details. Just watch out for bears in the courtyard spotted and seen by others, but it looks like you can handle that.
All so confident are we? Did I say bear? Well, did I say it is a dire bear? Be afraid, be very afraid. Just kidding, you can handle it, but to be more specific, a dire bear.
Later on...You see a tower,
Seltyiel climbs the tower.
As you are about ready to leave, Mai Chun does some poetry.
"Daylight spends like merchant’s coin, but so much
slower in old Li Sho. Where old dreams have died, ours may yet grow.”
Later the landmarks that Mai Chun mentioned are easy to spot: corroded lantern poles overgrown with ivy, an empty hunter’s shack, and finally an old military watchtower.
You climb to the to of this watchtower. The top of the watchtower contains a sturdy waterproof box with a longbow, a quiver with 10 arrows, and an old letter from a child to the soldier who stood guard here decades ago. You get a good view from the top of this watchtower, but all you can see is more trees and more road. You still have a few miles to go.
You finally reach the ruined state six hours after you left Ashima.
Gaps in the forest canopy allow shafts of light to fall on the ruins of a once opulent manor. The manor’s facade is covered in leafy vines, and the once-neatly manicured shrubberies of the courtyard now wildly overspill their bounds. An acrid stench assaults the senses as corpses of humanoids and beasts alike litter the grounds. Map is up
Seltyiel scans the area to see if he can find what made all these corpses.
"Indeed Perrine. I suggest now would be the time to prepare for battle."
Seltyiel draws his scimitar and casts Shield upon himself.
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Dimak takes a few wands out of his backpack. He hands two of them to the magus, explaining the activation phrases.
"Seltyiel, when we get into a fight, could you use this wand of enlarge person on me, please? Also, with this other wand of infernal healing you can do some slow but efficient healing, whenever you think that's a good idea."
The barbarian then turns to Perrine and hands over another wand while telling her the command word.
"During a fight, this wand of CLW doesn't do me much good sitting in my backpack. You may use it whenever you see fit."
Afterwards, Dimak draws his longhammer and steps forward, looking for any signs of trouble.
Seltyiel eyes the Wand of Enlarge Person and says, "If I should run out of spells to fight, of course."
You open the door and you see the bear in the bushes.
you can tell it is not a dire bear, but it will attack.
Roll init and go if you beat his init.
Yen stabs the bear hard in the arm and it roars out in pain.
[dice=init]1d20+1
Gnignja gets a shuriken stuck in its rear leg and it roars in pain.
the bear tries to claw and bite yen
claw attack miss.
claw attack 29 beat your CMD? You are grabbed.
bite attack, miss.
All heroes are up
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Dimak lets his anger rise and charges forward.
"Take this!"
The barbarian has been marked by the spirits, as indicated by an impressive tattoo, scar, or birthmark she possesses. Once per rage, as a swift action that costs 2 rounds of rage, the barbarian can call upon the spirits' favor. Using auspicious mark grants her a +1d6 bonus on one d20 roll she has just made. She can call on the auspicious mark after seeing the result of the d20 roll.
Seltyiel moves into the room and prepares to strike next round.