Pen gets out her notebook, jotting with agreement at the sliding scale but looking up at the amount for them. "That is unstainable" in truth she couldn't even pay it once. She wonders if that is the point, forcing a battle to loot even more and drive people away for the research. She lowers her gaze again to her book to note those theories.
Clara giggles at Arodeth's request. "Yeah, good luck with that whole extortion thing.
"If you want to try again though, you can, because I can sympathize with someone working to complete a multigenerational Great Quest.
"You see, I didn't introduce myself yet but I'm Clarabibilus Flingflopsparkfizz, the great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter of none other than Umbilicus Flingflopsparkfizz, who once walked Golarion with Nivi Rhambodazzle, and invented the Ultimate Fizzy Drink. I'd be willing to trade a flight of some of my most unique flavors for any information you've collected about rare ingredients in the area, which might be of use in my own fizzy investigations.
"...And then I guess we could leave you to your studies, while we carry on with ours?"
Visna slides her gaze over to Clara, slightly caught off guard by the conditionless live and let live offer. "As Pentella says: Your hunger is unsustainable. Your lieutenants consort with fiends and gain you enemies you cannot withstand in the search of artifacts he cannot be allowed to misuse; your arrogance is unsustainable as well. You hold this land in service to the one, and in hope that the other will prove to grant the strength you require.
"It will not.
"If you would starve the ravens of this steppe another span, you must find your leadership and find a better path. Already your cause gathers carrion feeders like your supposed accountant. Will you prove your folly, or theirs?"
Arodeth seems disinclined to acquiesce to Visna's request, but the mention of the accountant gives her pause. "Ndede? What of him? What do you mean by 'carrion feeder?'"
"He was a popobawa, a shapeshifter who fed on despair. Pentella can explain better than I.
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Briar grumbles how could this woman not know what company she kept, unless she'd been engrossed in her studies so deeply.
"With respect Arodeth, my companion is correct. For ages the Kholo of other tribes have practiced brutal and bloody work extorting the various peoples of Mwangi. This has done nothing but earn them the ire of many enemies save the very few who value their services to fight in their own wars such as those held between Nex and Geb. Their actions in our early history with the people of Garund have earned many of us a bad reputation as mercenaries and outlaws. But that is not all clans. I know that what you do is unsustainable because history has shown it to be time and time over."
She motions to the loyal seeming members of Arodeth's warband, "Please for the sake of them and all of your descendants do not continue to bring shame to yourselves nor your ancestors by denying the people of the stair of their homeland. Instead work alongside them, earn your place in their society to forge a lasting bond that will withstand the tests of time instead of slowly crumbling to ash. I may not be a bonespeaker or taleshaper, but even I can see where this all leads. Already you have those who would go behind your back and consort with daemons and devils and their actions show the cracks in the foundations of your organization. If you were to continue on your current path then it shall only lead you to ruination or worse. Please, turn back while there is still time to do so."
Pen startled when attention shifts to her. She opened her mouth to answer, but thankfully Briar answers first, with a speech that makes her nod in agreement, her heart rising in answer. "Your accountant would have agreed with her." the elf states pointing at Briar "He was a popobawas, and they feed on all negative emotions, not just despair, drinking the blood of their victims, after they are saturated in them."
"You made it a neverending banquet."
Arodeth frowns deeply. "I see. I had no idea of Ndede's true nature. He presented himself as a capable financier, willing to invest in the Band of Blades because of his faith in our skills. I am quite ashamed to have let such a monster into our midst."
The woman sighs. "You are right. I cannot continue to ignore the cracks that have formed in our organization. A restructuring is in order. I will gather my men and depart this place at once. But Drustan will be returning soon, so you will have to reckon with him. I believe the artifacts he is looking for are a collection of mysterious Harrow cards that have recently appeared in the world. As luck, or perhaps fate, would have it, one of those cards is in my possession now. I offer it to you. Perhaps it will help."
Arodeth produces a Harrow card from her pouch and presents it to you: The Rakshasa.
Visna looks less than thrilled with this outcome, even if she doesn't do anything to forestall it. "Even a blade can be an instrument of more than butchery or brigandry. If the next tales of your band to reach my ears are grim ones, this shall not be our final meeting."
***
Visna's mouth twists in distaste as the card's magic is revealed to her. "This we are supposed to believe is what fate demands? That the wages of loyalty are merely to serve as fodder to the one whose shoulders you have placed your trust and your faith upon? A bleak view indeed."
Clara is pleasantly surprised that (it seems) they've been able to avert a fight.
"And in return, I offer you a bottle of my very own green-apple-sassifrass-drake’s-blood fizzypop. May it give a fizzy lift to your attempt to clean up your organization, and to accomplish your Family Quest."
She reaches into her magical backpack and pulls out a bottle to offer to Arodeth.
***
"A gosh no, leaching off others is a rotten vision of leadership. I could see though that–if freely offered–it might help one of us protect another.
"I kinda hope we don't get in any fights while we're together, but if we do, I could see me hanging back, and using this to share some of the risk of being up and personal with whatever beasty we can't get to see reason."
Pen is also pleasantly surprised, never wishing to kill unless they needed to. Of course, need seems to come a lot more lately, with reasons of course. Her surprise turns a little worried when Clarabibulus gives over a bottle of her potent brew. The wizard simply doesn't know the pop maker well enough to know if that is a safe one or not.
At the card, Pen is practical to a fault. She nods to Clarabibulus's view "If the offer of health is consequential, the harm isn't." after a moment of thought, she adds. "I would give mine."
Visna thumbs the edge of the card, a lingering frown on her face. "I... I thank you. I will not forget the weight of this gift."
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Pen's brow furrows, worries living in that small crevice. After a moment of thought, she steps forward, resting her warm hand on the warrior's shoulder. And smiles just as warmly when Visna looks up "I trust you." she assures the other woman, hoping to banish the heavy thoughts that produced that frown.
The magic takes hold, a subtle tightening, a thread grasped between them.
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Briar frowns upon learning the power of such a card, dredging up bad memories of such things before her time.
"I'm sorry Visna, trust you as I may. I cannot readily swear fealty so quickly. But you shall have my body to bare the brunt of whatever foul cutting winds blow our way."
She returns her gaze to Arodeth and approaches the elder woman if allowed, placing both of her large hands upon the woman's shoulders.
"You need not wander forever, but thank you for seeing wisdom in our words, if there is aught you would ask of us in dealing with Drustan please speak now for I fear there will be little time to do so when the snake brings it's fangs to bare."
Visna is simply speechless a moment till Briar's words shatter her reverie; her cocky smile quickly returns.
"We have too many of the talismans he seeks for him to long absent himself, but when do you expect this Drustan's next return?"
"I expect Drustan to return from his travels at any moment, actually," Arodeth says. "You would do well to ready yourselves, since as you say, he desires what you possess. Deal with him in whatever manner you see fit. Henceforth, he is no longer a member of the Band of Blades."
'At any moment' does not sit well with Pen as an accurate measure of when, but she stiffles the unsettled unsureness that not knowing gives her and instead concentrates on casting a spell on Briar.
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Briar nods to Arodeth and turns to the elder woman's warband, "You have all made the right choice today, follow your leader. She is wise and shall lead you to glory, do your best to carry on her honor."
Moving back to Pen and the others she makes to rest her feet a moment and gather herself for the coming fight.
"Thank you Pentella."
"You're welcome, Briarthorn." the wizard answers, before getting out her notebook and making notes while they wait.
Arodeth and her men begin the process of packing up their operation as you step out to await Drustan's return. As Arodeth predicted, it isn't long after you make your preparations that Lord Drustan arrives. He approaches on horseback from the west at the base of the Storval Stairs, accompanied by a small band of mounted soldiers and two gray-skinned devils with black feathered wings.
"Arodeth! Come out and speak to me!" Drustan declares in an arrogant tone. "We have much to discuss!" He hasn't quite registered your presence yet. The imperious man is clad in intimidating plate armor, with a bastard sword and shield slung across his back. The religious symbol of Asmodeus hangs around his neck.
"Do we know if this is someone we can talk to? If it's gotta be a fight, I can lob something at him now...and Briar and Visna should probably drink those fizzy drinks I just gave you either way, just to be safe. They'll make it harder for you to get seriously hurt."
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Briar looks at the assortment of troops and it quickly dons on her that the odds of a peaceful resolution is highly unlikely. In fact this looks like a coup waiting to happen.
She kneels down and grasps the jaw dagger hanging from her neck.
Her hands tremble lightly as she thinks deeply about speaking out to her final god, foregoing it for now she stands and looks to Visna.
"These men... those devils." She shakes her head, "I fear this is a ploy to draw Arodeth out to put her to the sword. For the sake of her Warband we should intervene."
"we should attack first." Pen suggests. The holy symbol alone is enough for her, having spent years of her life in Chelax.
Visna nods grimly and swigs down the fizzypop, choking slightly at the unexpected carbonation. "How does it taste... pink?"
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Before the group engages with the troops Briar gives Pentella's shoulder a squeeze. "Dear Pentella, thank you for your aiding magic, know that I swear to safeguard you as best I can in this fight."
Kneeling next to Clara she does the same, "Clarabibulus as my mother did in years past I shall do my best to keep you from harm here as well. Do not fear what bloodshed may come."
Standing she walked to Visna and once again grabbed and squeezed her fellow warrior's shoulder. "I shall take the front of their anger Visna so that your axe may drink deep into their chests."
With that final message she walks proudly forward towards Drustan and his host. Then it becomes apparent that Briar has a trail of blood following her. Two trails to be exact dripping off the backside of her left arm and from the palm of her right hand, the same hand that she'd used to squeeze and mark each of her companions who would find a bloody handprint where she'd squuezed them.
"Drustan, you will not speak with Arodeth this day. You have wronged us by sending fiends to steal our lives and possessions. Now you march at the front of a warhost housing devils to seek yet more power. Your place among the Band of Blades has been revoked, and mine have come to claim a debt long unpaid."
While this is happening a heavily pregnant gnoll figure can be seen overcast by shadows, as if they were barely there off to the side of the oncoming battlefield. Surrounded by a pack of cackling gnolls, it seems only noticed by Briar's allies however.
She walks to within thrity feet of Drustan, "I shall not take mercy on any who stand alongside devilkind, nor this man." With a mighty swing of her left arm she flicks blackened blood at the entire retinue. "You have all been marked for death, so make what peace you can with the knowledge your gods will not save you." she folds her arm, digging her short claws into the split flesh up to her elbows and tearing down them to complete whatever profane ritual she had apparently started.
The cackling chorus rises to a fevered pitch while somehow remaining unnaturally distant. Briar's form begins expanding into a shadowy creature rising to nine, ten, fifteen feet at the shoulders. The magical shade clearing to reveal a fifteen foot tall Hyena sharing her fur pattern, which lets out an unnatural otherworldly cackle that echos across the stairs. And just as quickly the shadowy figure to the side slips away with an unnerving smile and grace that shouldn't be possible for one of her apparent state.
Briar meanwhile instantly bore down on Drustan with her massive fangs in the hopes of silencing him long before he could issue any orders.
Success: The target is unaffected.
Failure: The target is dazed and can barely vocalize. It's stunned 1 and its speech is raspy and hard to understand. It must succeed at a DC 11 flat check to use linguistic actions or supply verbal spellcasting components until the end of its next turn.
Critical: Failure As failure, but the creature is stunned 3 instead of stunned 1.
As Briar gets closer, Drustan sneers up at you. "You. You are the ones who snatched the cards from the Deck of Destiny out from under me in Absalom. Those cards are mine by right! I'll tell you a secret about them. You can't hold them if you're dead. So you can either try to keep them, and die, or you can give them to the Unmatched, and die."
He hops off of his horse as he draws his bastard sword.
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Pen's eyes shine in avid interest, tracking every motion of Briar's ritual. Her ear twitched slightly to catch each inflection. She was memorizing it all as best she can. So enthralled, the violence of her dear companion's teeth rending into the man jars her, making her gasp in sudden fear.
Her cheeks heat at the slip.
Over the centuries she has encountered many horrors that never made her make that sound. The fact someone she trusts so much induced such a primal reaction was... interesting? Maybe an instinct buried deep. Of prey in the presence of a predator?
Pen's mind contemplates this as her hands weave out a spell while multiple circles of runes rotate around her. Her voice rises to complete the incantation, no tremble or gasp in it now, perfectly plain but strong.
A split second later, a shock of blue lightning shatters the air past the hulking dark fury of Briar who was tearing into her victim, Drustan. Past them, the blinding bolt whips then cracks with a thunderous boom in the mass of soldiers, sending pain and death, solidifying Pen as an agent of Briar's proclamation of No Mercy.
Pen's lightning bolt strikes Drustan square in the chest, then arcs out to the soldiers around it. It wreaks havoc on the mounted brigade, completely annihilating them! The electricity then leaps to the two devil, slightly wounding each one.
Briar's jaws clench shut around Drustan's neck, badly wounding him, but he resists being silenced.
"Argh! By the Lord of Hell, you'll pay for that!" Drustan shouts. He raises his shield and brandishes his sword as he moves in on Briar, flames erupting along the length of the blade. He then strikes at the enormous hyena, scoring a critical hit!
The two devils take to the air, shooting flaming arrows at Briar. Only one manages to hit.
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Trigger- A creature damages you with a melee attack.
Ignoring your pain, you reach out and grab the creature or weapon that caused you harm. Attempt an Athletics check to Grapple the triggering creature or to Disarm the creature of the triggering weapon.
Briar's head snakes back after the burning gash, though the burn doesn't seem to phase her at all.
She quickly bites down at Drustan's hand attempting to rip away his petty fang.
Visna sneers at the devils' cowardice. "Think you that timorousness will safeguard your infernal person from our wrath? Then you would benefit from greater study of my saga."
Visna brushes her fingers across an emerald rune carved into the thighs of her armor, and leaps into the sky! Seizing one of the devilish archers in her mighty grasp she rides it back down to the earth, hammering it again and again with the gleaming silver of her gauntlet!
Pen frowns at the whole scale death she just caused. The soldiers might have made a choice, but the horses had not.
...
Pen recognized that the last statement was just an attempt to justify and dehumanize what she had just done. Neither of these can or should is truly possible.
...
The battle continues, as she blinks. Briar rips and tears, is burned and screamed at. Visna is somehow flying and ripping down a devil from the sky. Pen needs to continue to do her part as well.
Even though all she wants to do is sit down with a cup of tea, in the quiet of her room full of cats, and think about something better.
She sighs as she grasps her staff, pulling on its divination powers, waiting until Visna sees her pointing her hand out toward her. Then fires her sickly green beam that breaks apart flesh and bone into sludge, just as the warrior woman pulls the devil archer up like a shield before death.
Clara quickly reaches into one of the many pouches slung across her chest, mixing up two jars that bubble with a neon-blue glow.
"Good things are coming your way, my dears!" she chuckles as she throws the two fizzypops at the flying devils.
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Briar uses her large head to knock Drustan back slightly as he flees from her disarming jaws. Licking up the branding blade and fling-spitting it behind her massive bulk to clatter near Clara. She whirls around and snaps at the flying devil that doesn't have Visna grappling with it, missing at first before snapping back the opposite direction with surprising speed.
Clara scores a direct hit on one of the devils, blasting it with good-aligned energy, but she only splashes the other one. Visna leaps high into the air, snagging the wounded fiend and dragging her back down to the ground. Then Pen strikes the devil with a deadly beam, causing the fiend's body to disintegrate and crumble into dust!
Meanwhile, Briar tears Drustan's sword out of his grasp and hurls it away! The barbarian then delivers another crushing bite, causing Drustan to react with an imperious command to kneel before him!
Effect: Drustan commands the triggering enemy to kneel before him in obedience. If they dare to refuse, they must pay the price in pain and anguish. The triggering enemy and each other enemy within 15 feet of Drustan must choose one of the following options.
* The enemy kneels, dropping prone as a free action.
* The enemy refuses, and Drustan deals 4 mental damage to the enemy (the triggering enemy instead takes 4d6 mental damage and 5 persistent evil damage).
Drustan also deals an additional 2 evil damage with his Strikes against the triggering enemy until the end of Drustan's next turn.
Infernal energy crackles along Drustan's fingertips as he reaches out to blast Briar with it. Then he snaps his fingers and a Harrow card appears in his hand--The Fiend! Drustan waves the card, creating a vision of destruction around him!
The surviving devil drops her longbow and draws her greataxe, then dives down to attack Visna! Visna is able to dodge the attack!
Drusan continues to bleed.
Pen switches elements again, concentrating on the bright embers of a campfire, she sends two beams of scorching flame at both remaining enemies.
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Others might crumple under the weight of Drustan's commanding presence but Briar has tangled with Tyrant kings and dragons in her short life allowing her to resist the urge to kneel and push past the pain. The veil of her ancestors flairs around her, several spectral kholo appearing to redirect the oncoming wave of negative energy away from her from Drustan's spell.
And while her soul is assailed still by his further magic of the Fiend card she shakes off any lasting ill effects and goes for the kill with a series of three bites though only the first catches meat and bone. The minor gashes in her hide continue to bleed and they will make fine additions to her already scared flesh.
Visna reaches out and snags the devil before she can fly off, whipping the fiend off balance and then seizing it in a silver grip.
Clara notes that Drustan seems nearly worn down so she lobs a spicy fizzypop at him, taking care to not let to splash beyond him.
Then she hustles up beside Briar and pours a more soothing fizzydrink over the warrior's wounds, hoping to help soothe Briar's injuries, but she finds it difficult to do so in the thick of battle.
Clara's bomb burns Drustan and sets him ablaze! Pen scorches him further with a fiery ray, then Briar finishes the tyrant off with a powerful bite! He groans and crumples to the floor. Meanwhile, Visna batters the remaining devil about, grabbing a hold of her.
The fiend strikes out with her greataxe, but Visna's armor turns aside every strike!
The devil doesn't last much longer as you all converge on her and focus your attacks to take her down!
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With one last crunching flick Briar makes sure to break Drustan's neck so he won't be getting back up anytime soon. Shortly after the conclusion of the fighting she shrinks back down to her usual form and collapses to her hands and knees, the previously small bleeding wounds much more pronounced on her smaller frame. Though the bleeding has stopped on it's own.
Trembling from the exertion and stress more than the pain she takes quite some time to come back to her senses.
After the battle ends, Clara slows down to try to help bandage Briar up as well.
As she works, she says, "Y'all are an impressive bunch!...And there seems to be an impressive amount of interest in those cards you're collecting.
"I'm still not sure I totally understand what the fuss is about the cards–it's not like you could make fizzypop out of them or anything–but if a bunch of devilworshippers want them, I'm happy to help yall find'm first."
Pen was using the time needed for bandaging as she always does in her notebook. She does look up when Clarabibulus offers to help them. She did have a card on her when they found her, without any idea how it arrived. Like destiny had decided for her long ago.
Pen looks at Briar, Visna, and then the mountain of bodies, a small frown on her lips. "If you are sure..." she says with a wary weight.
With your goal here accomplished, you open a portal back to Harrowheart, taking Clara with you for the first time into the magical realm. Shortly after arriving, your newly collected Harrow cards glow as they epitomize themselves within the Harrow Court!
The Liar: A liar moves in to the village surrounding Harrowheart, but this shifty simulacrum has little interest in deceiving the PCs. In fact, they eagerly offer their aid in the deceptive arts. A character who visits the liar’s home can take advantage of their expertise and tools—doing so grants a +2 item bonus to checks made to Create Forgeries or to assume a disguise with Impersonate. The liar also knows how to cast the uncommon spells discern lies, glibness, and zone of truth, and can teach these spells to PCs.
The Locksmith: A talented if somewhat shady locksmith moves into the village surrounding Harrowheart. This simulacrum is nameless, and the building they bring to the village is more akin to a strange museum of obscure and unusual locks and keys (none of which, of course, have any use beyond being strange displays). Their equipment can’t be removed from the museum, but PCs who bring devices and locks to this building can take advantage of their tools to gain a +2 item bonus to checks made to Disable a Device or Pick a Lock. The locksmith knows the formulas for how to create chimes of opening, keymaking tools (Secrets of Magic 186), rings of maniacal devices, skeleton keys, traveler’s any‑tools, and any other lock- or puzzle-themed magic item you might wish to include, and can teach these formulas to the PCs. Characters who use the locksmith’s gear to craft such items gain a +2 item bonus on Crafting checks.
The Mountain Man: When you epitomize The Mountain Man, assign it to a point of interest in the Harrow Court’s mountains. This marks the location of a remote cabin that serves as the home of a self-sufficient but very intimidating simulacrum who appears as a towering giant of a man. This hearty specimen welcomes visitors who bring stories of their accomplishments fighting monsters, as long as they’re backed up by physical trophies. A character who visits the mountain man and presents to him a trophy harvested from a monster they fought and defeated can seek a reward. The trophy need not be much more than a horn or a claw, but should be something significant and identifiable from the defeated monster, and the PC presenting the trophy must have been involved in that monster’s defeat.
If the trophy is from a monster whose level is equal to or greater than the PC’s level, the mountain man is impressed and rewards that PC with two consumable magic items, each of a level equal to or lower than the PC’s level (the PC can request specific items, but the GM has final say in what items are offered). If the trophy is from a monster whose level is lower than the PC’s level, the mountain man mocks the PC for being “proud of defeating a weakling” and offers no reward. Once a reward is given, the mountain man warns the PC, “Now don’t you be going off to sell that thing for gold, and don’t even think of coming back for more rewards until you’ve used these all up!” The mountain man has an eerie ability to know if a PC hasn’t used a current reward, or if they sold it for a profit—PCs who fit either category cannot receive new rewards from the mountain man on subsequent visits.
The Publican: A tavern appears in the village surrounding Harrowheart, run by a jovial one-eyed bartender. The tavern is always bustling with a rotating cast of different patrons and performers. The bartender knows the heroes’ feast ritual (Advanced Player’s Guide 242) and can teach it to the PCs. Skill checks attempted at the tavern to perform this ritual gain a +2 item bonus. If The Juggler has been epitomized, and the town square is linked to a city, the patrons of this tavern trade gossip from that city as if they were citizens there, allowing a character to Gather Information in the tavern as if they were doing so on the streets of the linked city.
The Rakshasa: A simulacrum of a tiger-headed rakshasa moves into a decadent chamber in Harrowheart’s basement. While sinister and prone to cruel comments, this rakshasa does not plot against the PCs and is content to idle away their time in their underground pleasure chambers. Once per day, a visitor to the rakshasa can pose them a question that they can use their Occultism +18 skill to attempt to Recall Knowledge about. The rakshasa also knows several uncommon spells and rituals that they can teach spellcasters—these spells and rituals all involve the intrusive manipulation of sapient minds. Among the spells it can teach are dominate, mind probe, mind reading, and modify memory; rituals it can teach include geas and inveigle. Feel free to add similar spells to this list as you see fit.
All of the six arches within Harrowheart's throne room remain clouded. No new Harrow cards have revealed themselves at this time. You now have an opportunity to rest, learn about your new cards, and explore more opportunities in the Harrow Court. But you have the feeling adventure will find you soon enough...
Home settles into Pen as soon as they step into the portal. The elf still feels a little like it all will be taken away from them at any moment, that this safe warmth will be shattered in blood and fire, accompanied by the screams or soft whimpers of those she has grown to love.
But not today, not yet. Destiny is still waiting to claim its price.
Puck flies his pudgy self off her shoulder, slow and ponderously moving to say Hi to Pen's many cats, all safely tucked away in her room.
Speaking of rooms "Clarabibulus" she looks down at the gnome "I can show you to your rooms if you wish."
Clara nods and looks around, wide-eyed. "What is this place?"
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Briar seems exhausted on approach through the Harrowcourt gateway holding her sore gut. "This is Harrow Heart, our not so small sanctuary between while we rest between gathering the cards. A place granted access to us by collecting the first few of them. There is food, drink, and plenty of places to sleep. Even false people abound in the town to speak with, though only a few are good conversation. With the addition of yet more of the deck there are sure to be even more to join the world."
She winces for a moment before her body slacks, "It seems that the price of my recent exploits are starting to take their toll. I am going to retire to my room for the evening to sleep it off. I shall speak with you all in the morning."
With that Briar shuffles off, not in the same manner she had the last time she had come back to the heart defeated and filled with sorrow, but honest exhaustion that pulled at her entire form.
With gritted teeth Briar fetched bandages and herbs to mix into a paste to force the wound to clot, glaring at the statue representing the great mother herself. Gnoll"You'll not take your prize yet. That strength was once ours and I'll not pay you to reclaim it."
After fixing her wound she disposed of the bandages that Clara had used to mend her wounds in a small pile and slowly lowered herself into her hammock to sleep
"Good night" Pen says at the retreating form of her friend, fretting internally if she should follow to see if she is truly okay or just trust.
She should ask Sanjana later, is what she decided.
"It is demiplane created by the unique magic of the cards. " she starts and then continues with so many facts and figures that a happy magic nerd could get lost in for weeks. As she does so, she directs Clarabibulus down a hall, then another, and another until she reaches a door.
"I believe this is yours. It will adjust to 'You' I believe once you open the door. Adjust subconsciously to what you will be most comfortable with, which may or may no be too personal for another's eyes." Pen is of course curious but wishes to give the newest cardholder their privacy, if she wishes it. "There is a dining room and bath that will do the same, though we have all been sharing those spaces." Pen's spaces were all small nooks, so the vastness of Visna's bath or the sheer heat of Briar's were welcoming.
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Visna nods with a small smile. "There is, as well, a workshop attended by a dwarf of brazen clockwork, Lumi. They will aid you in the construction and use of any laboratory spaces you require - laboratories who may have more tools and uses than those to which you are accustomed know that Visions of hidden knowledge have alighted within them."
***
Shelves and tables along the walls carry curios from her travels: a ceramic swirl of white, black, and a dot of white again, crystals that glow with the the Aurora Iobara, two halves of a broken crown, a scale amulet with inset amber, and across several other shelves a slightly heapish load of books alternately carefully sealed against the elements or creased and re-creased penny dreadfuls and cheaply printed folios.
At the center of the room a gameboard sits atop an oak table. Two opposing bands of warriors surround a Linnorm King, perched atop the head of her conquest. The pieces are delicately carved, their shape suggesting their role, but the inset spirals of the ivory are preserved in preference to a less abstract depiction of the pawns.
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Pen does offer to show the gnome her own room, if she wishes and thinks it will provide some context before she opens hers.
Pen's door is down the next hall, and across from their companion, Sanjana Nirman Niraimadhi, who will greet them with tea and wisdom from time to time.
When the heavy plain wood opens it reveals an octagonal room with high ceilings and a single tall window. The walls are covered in irregular shelves peppered with nooks and crannies, covered in so so so many books and the occasional hand-drawn pictures. Several desks are built into shelves, each with a book or two or three open with a journal out with copious notes.
Other than the desks there is a lovely robin egg blue chair, so fluffy that someone could laze in it for a week doing nothing but reading, and a bed, bigger than one person needs.
Besides that, there is nothing else... other than cats. All over the place, a half dozen cuddled in the bed with her plump elephant familiar, another kneading the chair, and four up so high on the shelves it is a wonder if they can ever get down.