Redelia's Wardens of the Reborn Forge (Inactive)

Game Master Redelia

That's true for Ranalus. He is very loyal to Count Ranalc.
Arcturus seems ready to jump to combat, which is fine with me.

Just to double check, it sounds like none of you are interested in her ritual, or making vague bargains with a servant of a sinister deity?

Nope. Arcturus is not a paladin, but, I think he would still try to vanquish agents of an evil deity.

Sorry about jumping into combat. I'm itchin' for some action!

Arush, who had some suspicions about this whole company from the very beginning, sighs. We will not accept your ritual. But there are other ways, another world. There is a path of shadows and betrayal of Count Ralnac. There is a path of Shelyn's beauty and creativity. There is a path of prediction and the noble power of my goddess Erecura. We could show you these paths... any of them... if you are ready to change your life and see something more than these tunnels. Before your death, she mentally adds. But the voice still sounds convincing and calm.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 23 ⇒ (1) + 23 = 24

However, deep down, Arush does not believe her words. These are demon cultists, they will fight and die here.

"No, it is avenging oneself against those who have betrayed you..."

Ranalus offers only the most minimal of protests to Arush's characterization.

While the rest of the Eldest insist that Count Ranalc betrayed them, it is most evidently and obviously true that they betrayed him and drove him into exile because they were jealous of the love that he shared with Nyrissa.

Just as the half-elf's parents were driven into exile for their love.

Rogar drops ashes on the ground from his cigar.

"Demon lord...NO thanks Lady!"

...After the fight, Arush will approach Ranalus and return to the conversation. I apologize. I hope we'll find time at the campfire sometime so that you can tell us all more about your faith and the ways of Count Ranalc.

Arcturus regains his composure and loosens up after hearing Arush's words. He plants the butt of his glaive on the ground.
Yeahhh... The path of Shelyn's beauty and creativity!"
He nods with a wide grin at Arush, in full agreement with her comment. He turns to the group of rivals.
"I'm sure there is some goodness in all of you. Let's forget all this talk of demonic rituals and such. We're all civil beings here. Right? I have charcoal and plenty sheets of parchment. Let's draw and paint some pictures together! An art party. Paint night! Whatever you want to call it, let's be friends and get to know each other."

Diplomacy to Aid: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (9) + 14 = 23

The woman's stance changes, seeming to soften somehow. attitude towards you shifted by diplomacy...

"You can see my artwork..." and she points to the mutants around her, clearly modified by parts of them being changed to metal.

what would you like to ask of her? It looks like you're setting up for diplomacy to make a request.

Arush raises his eyebrows in surprise.

Have these creatures seen so little kindness that even such simple words, spoken so unconvincingly, managed to soften their hearts?

I'll be honest, I can't appreciate your work. But I'm glad to meet someone here who is ready to talk, instead of immediately grabbing a sword. I have a suggestion. You've already participated in your Demon Lord's rituals many times. Why don't you take part in the ritual of the Eternal Rose, goddess of love and art OR the Queen of Dis, the second circle of Hell? I'm not suggesting that you reject Haagenti right away, but why not try something new?

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (20) + 24 = 44

Answering your question OOC, I want 1) to get as much information from her as possible and 2) give her a chance for redemption. So far, I've started with the second point. I have no goal to change her radically in one conversation, but I have a goal to give her a new experience that can become the seed that will rise in her mind over time... Although of course the maximum program is an Acturus or Ranalus who casts Atonement spell on her.

"No promises, but I will listen and also tell you what I know."

"Well, we came here looking for a colleague of ours named Arvanor. He disappeared about two months ago. You wouldn't have happened to see him wandering around, have you?"
Arcturus then frowns in dismay.
"Gods forbid, you wouldn't have happened across any dead scholarly types either, have you?"

What's your name? I'm Arush Al-Fasi. My parents once sent me to an orphanage in another country, because they did not want to disgrace their noble family with a fiendish spawn. So despite my middle eastern name, I grew up in Ustalav... Very far from the motherland and parents. As you can see, I know what rejection is. But I believe that this is a chance to develop into something more. A chance that those whose life is much simpler do not get. In luxury and love, you don't think about anything else, as soon as you keep it. Having lost everything, you gain freedom.

Arush tells all this to the woman, arranging a space for meditation: literally a few pillows against the wall to make it comfortable to sit, incense with a sweet breath, etc.

Erecura teaches that there is a hidden potential in each of us to see the past and the future. We don't need other people's answers, whether they are sorcerers, sages or even gods... We can find them in ourselves.

Tiefling invites her to sit down, and then says in a very serious voice, looking into her eyes:

The one who lives in time receives the timeless. The one who lives in eternity receives the eternal.

Then Arush invites the woman to close her eyes and conducts a ritual: guided meditation, giving her to see her future, to which she is going now and the future she really wants...

Not magic, just meditation with deep immersion and elements of psychotherapy.

Religion?: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (10) + 19 = 29 some check of how well Arush managed

"Yeah we're looking for a dead guy. Any help would be welcome"

I doubt she'll be of much help. probably wants a sacrifice

The woman listens carefully to Arush. She does not seem convinced, but like she has a lot of thinking to do.

The woman reveals to you that the man you are looking for is a prisoner. Assuming you ask, she sends one of her assistants to go retrieve him for you.

She also explains to you that this mine is collecting a dangerous mineral called eidite. This mining operation collects and processes the eidite ore needed. She does not know the name of her employer, but she does tell you about him. He is a minister on Alkenstar’s High Parliament, and she describes him as “a pale man with a gaze sharp enough to claw your eyes out.”

know:nobility might ID him from the description

Metruni further explains that she doesn’t know what the minister intends to do with the eidite, but she does know that he has acquired the abandoned outpost south of the mine’s exit and probably the nearby dwarven factory as well.

"What's eidite?"
...
...
"Ah. Okay. Poisonous. Gotcha."

"Prisoner? Why is Arvanor a prisoner here? This woman better not have hurt the poor man."
He thinks to himself.

Arush listens to the woman's story with understanding (by the way, what is her name? Arush will definitely ask for the name in the conversation). Every tiefling experiences something similar and not everyone copes. Despite the fact that as a paladin, she can only blame the connection with the Demon Lord, but as a person with a similar fate... The world is a very complicated thing...

Nobility: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (11) + 19 = 30

When Arush hears about the minister, she squints and her eyes seem to darken a little. A sure sign that she's angry. Corruption in the courts is the greatest corruption of civilization, she softly recites a quote from her paladin code. She does not continue the thought, but this in itself sounds weighty and menacing.

Ranalus listens quietly.

"My master, Count Ranalc of the Eldest, is a patron of exiles and outcasts. Such as myself.
I am not unsympathetic to your plight, and I do understand that you accepted help from those who offered it."

At Arush's comment, he merely rolls his eyes a bit. He as a cynical follower of a CN deity has far less regard for civilization than the paladin does.
Corruption in courts is to be expected.

Her name is Metruni.

Arush is unable to identify the corrupt minister.

Her name is Metruni.

"Can you give us anymore info on the dwarves in the factory? Are they still there?"

No, sorry, I don't have anything to do with the factory. You'll have to look around there yourselves.

I don't want to rush you guys, so waiting a bit in case anyone has anything else to ask, say, or do.

Arcturus is waiting for them to bring Arvanor, their prisoner. He'll probably attempt to free Arvanor in some way. Either by blade or diplomacy.

The prisoner is brought to you. He has clearly been mistreated, but you have no evidence that Metruni was involved. Metruni happliy turns him over.

We will bring your employer to justice. Which means you'll be out of a job. Where will you go next? What do you want to do? Arush is looking for a way to show Metruni a different world and other possibilities in life besides worshipping the Demon Lord in a mine forgotten by the gods. Perhaps when she sees more good and beautiful things in the world, she will find other ways for herself?

"I don't know what I will do. I probably will go find a quiet place to think. Seeing your companions who have not rejected you does suggest that there might be a place for me where I won't be being used."

OK, team, that's it for the next chapter. I'll work on your chronicle sheets, and then we can move on. Can you please post anything I need for you sheets that I don't already have in discussion, such as day job rolls?

"We'll take Arvanor off your hands. It looks like he could use some help."

Arcturus leads Arvanor away to a corner and helps him to lay down, using a pack to rest Arvanor's head. Arcturus uses his healing skills and curative magics to help the man. While tending to Arvanor, Arcturus tries to learn all he can about the man's experiences down here in the mines.

Arush will offer to meet the woman in a week at the agreed place, and if one of them does not work out, she will leave her contacts. The letter will definitely find the addressee. The world is a much better place than you've seen before. I'd like to show you this.

And now Arush is ready to find that minister and bring him to justice.

"I don't know what I will do. I probably will go find a quiet place to think. Seeing your companions who have not rejected you does suggest that there might be a place for me where I won't be being used."

Hmm. Well, the Society accepts outcasts of all sorts, but it is true that they use them as well. That Shadow Lodge had a point, after all. Then again, they do pay ludicrously well. So if she can deal with being accepted but also being used, she might find a home in the Society.

He doesn't interfere with Arush's attempts to persuade the demonic cultist to find a better path.

"I can bring this Arvanor to safety if we wish, once we are done questioning him."
Ranalus has Shadow Walk as an SLA 1/day, Teleport as a domain spell, and Wind Walk as a cleric spell. He's got a lot of mobility options.

"I can bring this Arvanor to safety if we wish, once we are done questioning him."

"I think I got this, my friend."

"Let's all just rest for some time."

Following Metruni's suggestion, you follow the way out of the mine that you discovered recently (the one guarded by golems), going to investigate an old mill that is nearby.

You find yourselves in a vally. Strong winds rush through the valley, scattering debris about. Lightning lashes out in all directions. Beneath the storm-rent skies, arid hills give way to a sloping valley with a meandering river running through it. Not fifty feet to the east, three massive lifts deliver ore to equally impressive conveyors, which transfer the material to a nearby water mill several hundred feet away. Farther off, orange and red smog bellows into the sky from the long pillars jutting from a large stone fortification. The road to get to the water mill is well-worn and easy to follow.

Suddenly, a severe thunderstorm pops up. You know enough to realize that this must be a mana storm. mechanically, there are strong winds, see pages 438-439 of the Core Rulebook if you want to read the details, as well as rain. Clouds of roiling arcana thunder with insane eldritch energy and threaten to undo the fabric of reality at any given moment.

Please tell me what you would like to do. We need to act in rounds at this point. The mill is 200 feet away from you. After you act, please roll D% for something related to the storm.

Ranalus is not overly alarmed by the weather. Winds and rain are not too dangerous to him, and he unfortunately lacks the requisite skills to understand what a mana storm can do.

He doesn't have any ranks in Knowledge (Arcana), and has only 1 in Spellcraft.

Yes, the crackling magic looks scary, but he may not understand just how much of a problem it is.

Ranalus considers using Shadow Step or Teleport to get the party to the mill faster, but it doesn't seem so far away. He just takes a double move (so 80').

1d100 ⇒ 1

"Thank Shelyn we're out of those horrid mines."
Arcturus says to himself, sighing in relief.

He cups a hand above his eyes to shield them from the wind and rain as he surveys the landscape.
"Don't any of you even think of casting a spell!" he shouts over the roar of the arcane thunder.
"There's the mill over there!" he points.
"All I can say is... RUN!!!"
Arcturus takes off as fast as he can, hurrying down the trail to the mill.
1d100 ⇒ 53

If this effect can be understood by spellcraft, then Arush can understand what it is (+20).

Arush looks around for a few seconds, squinting his eyes. Great idea, Arcturus, LET's RUN.

If it's possible to run in a straight line here, then I'll do it.

1d100 ⇒ 28

Arush not only realized that casting spells is a really bad idea, he also knows that there is a small chance of weird magic happening just by being present in this area. The primal magic becomes more likely the longer you're exposed to the storm.[ooc]

[ooc]also, I forgot to declare this, but my usual convention on percent is the bad things happen on high values.

Rogar and Slash?

Do not cast anything! It's deadly in this storm!, tiefling shouts as she runs.

"Go underground?"

Rocky pops up and nods his head.

Rogar, how mechanically are you getting Rocky to appear?

OK, so we don't get really bogged down here, I'm going to make the best conclusion I can as to the team vote/consensus. It appears that most of you want to run as fast as you can to get out of the storm.

Rogar percent for being in storm: 1d100 ⇒ 17
Slash percent for being in storm: 1d100 ⇒ 11

Everyone manages to avoid triggering anything nasty from the storm.

Slash and Ranalus move forward a lot (160/200 ft).

Arcturus moves not quite as much (120/200 ft).

Rogar and Arush, and move forward the least (80/200 ft).

After a second turn of running, Slash, Ranalus, and Arcturus have reached the outpost and so are safe from the magic of the storm.

Rogar and Arush are almost there. The storm has grown even more eerie and intense, with strange colored lights in the sky and ominous sounds.

Rogar percent for being in storm: 1d100 ⇒ 59
Arush percent for being in storm: 1d100 ⇒ 22

Once again, the team's luck holds, and you are all safely sheltered from the gate to the outpost. please place your tokens in the red box on the first slide

Looking around, you see that the guards are all cowering in fear from the mana storm, and so paying absolutely no attention to what is going on around them. They will not be able to hear anything going on because of the almost deafening noise of the storm.

The gate in front of you is closed, and looks like it is barred or locked from the inside.

Arcturus pushes on the main gate with all of his strength but soon realizes the gates are too sturdy.
"We gotta get in there quick!"
Arcturus shouts quietly as he begins to panic.

"Rogar! Send Rocky under the door so that he can unbar the other side!"

waiting for response from Rogar to Arcturus's request, or for another idea how to get in

"Rocky get in there buddy!"

The Earth elemental quickly nods then goes under the earth and pops out and unbars the gates.

The team sees Rocky disappear into the earth, then hears banging on the doors on the other side. Luckily, the storm noise seems to be preventing the guards from hearing. After a few moments, the door swings open. Evidently, the bar did not simply pull out of the way, and Rocky had to break something, but he had plenty of strength to break the mechanism easily.

Impressive! Arush nods and blesses her bow.

Divine Bond: Speed property, 14 min.

What else are you guys doing?

Arcturus helps push the gates open.
"Good job, Rocky!”
He then runs towards the first set of doors he sees.
"Hurry, everyone! We gotta get inside!"

Once inside Slash vanishes and then rises off the floor with overland flight. Happy to scout. he offers.

"I know you are in a great hurry, Arcturus, but once we are out of the storm may we take some more time to proceed?
I have, as you may recall, the ability to see through doors. It takes a minute of concentration.
Feel free to ask me to look through the next door we wish to enter. I would not want the elemental to be killed needlessly.
I would have offered outside, but you seemed quite alarmed by that mana storm. I confess that I do not know much about such phenomena, so perhaps I should have been as worried as you had I known about it."

I'm hurrying to get out of the storm! I don't want to get hit by mana lightning or whatever it is.