Age of Ashes (Team Alseta)

Game Master Delta Arena

Netkin is trained in Crafting. All he needs is a repair toolkit

"Netkin, it sounds like you might be most interested in the jade cat."

"Oh, I wouldn't want to take it away from anyone," Netkin pockets the talisman swiftly. "But since we cannot attach it to any armor right now, I guess I can keep it in the meantime..."

Coming out of her reverie, Ellaeaanda announces “The crystal I shall take for Yuelral, and the futures revealed within.” While they move on, continuing their exploration of the rest of the castle, she comments to Netkin, in a voice that is both off-handedly casual and supremely confident, “The cat is your spirit animal. Cherish and embrace your fate.”

Move to location on map (with usual Perception +8 for traps etc)

Ardoinel touches the medallion around his neck and bows his head for a moment in response to Ellaeaanda's words.

Then he stands and follows her.

"Lead the way."

Ellaeaanda leads the way to a room with circular tables and heavy wooden desks that have been tipped over and ransacked. Empty bookshelves lie against the wall, at the brink of falling. There is nothing of value left in the room besides the damaged furniture.

"Ellaeaanda, did you see anything? If not, I think I'll check the next room." Resa calls out. It has loog time since they had talked loudly, but she knew better than to think anything still here would be surprised by them. No point in quiet much anymore.

Netkin is not quite sure he understands what a 'spiritual animal' is, but he's left flustered by the compliment all the same.

In the next room, he examines the bookshelves, but is quite disappointed to find them empty. "Not even a cookbook? Aw."

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

Ellaeaanda casually peers around the heavily damaged room, then shakes her head. “Please reveal what awaits us next,” she says to Resa.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28

I'm assuming there's nothing to be found?

Resa, which room are you moving into? The one that conects with where the warg was? Or the one that connects with where Ellaeaanda and Netkin are?

There is in fact nothing to be found, not even a cookbook.

Just in case Resa doesn't respond, Ellaeaanda will move into the room indicated on the map, with the usual "That's Odd" and checking for traps.

I’m going to assume you are all entering that room.

This small open area with clear view of the room to the east is littered with piles of filthy blankets, half-gnawed bones, and other signs that some sort of creature is squatting here. To the south, close to the other door, there is a pile of blankets draped over some overturned desk. An awful smell of wet dog comes from there, as there are two warg puppies resting there. They are both fairly thin and extremely dirty.

From here, you see a judge’s bench, a witness stand a councilors’ tables in the adjoining room to the east, although the benches have long ago been smashed to fragments. The two sections are separated by a 3-foot-tall partition with several openings.

"Those are good puppies too, right? Right?... Hush hush, pups!"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

The two pups growl, bearing their teeth towards you. One of them even reaches out to bite you, but pulls back into the pile of blankets before it actually reaches you. A warning, perhaps.

Arloric sighs.

"Now we know why that warg was so hostile. It had something to protect."

He scratches his head.

"Let's see if we can recover something from the last room with the other warg's scent."

If you look for it, there is a broken, chewed-up chair leg that is covered in warg's mangy fur and saliva.

“Like mother, like child,” Ellaeaanda remarks as the pups seem as unreceptive to Netkin’s baby talk as their parent was. “Perhaps the children should follow the mother,” she suggests in an unperturbed voice. “Resa, you are skilled with these beasts.”

Trusting in Resa and Ardoinel to handle the pups as well as they handled an adult, she calmly strolls into the courtroom and begins searching for any sign of Alak’s ring—or anything else of interest.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

Netkin prefers to leave the pups in the care of his teammates as well, and goes to help out Ellaeaanda with looking for the ring.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

Ardoinel begins looking around for an item like he described, eventually finding a chair leg with warg fur and saliva.

He returns to the warg pups and holds it out to them to let them smell it.

"I know you can understand me. Do you recognize this smell? Bark once for 'no' and twice for 'yes,' please."

Diplomacy (Make an Impression?): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25

"I do think we should let them go on to their mother, and perhaps some kind of arrangement could be met if they are hers. We never did figure out if it was a female, but evidence seems likely. We are not here to hurt you little ones. Just passing through it seems." Resa makes an attempt to calm the pups down, hoping between her and Ardoinel, things will go peacefully.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Warg’s room

The warg pups bark once. Nonetheless, they start wagging their tails as if ready to play with the stick. Then, they bark curiously at Resa. It is a lively bark, but not one meant to intimidate.

Now that both you are closer, you notice that the two pups are rather famished.

Courthouse

Through several empty doorways to the north, a large, ragged opening in the citadel’s wall is visible. Visible to Netkin, is what appears to be a corpse wearing silvery armour. The body is lying on a muddy lump in the centre of a pool of water that has filled much of the collapsed section. Netkin points this out to Ellaeaanda, who is looking in the opposite direction.

The crumbled outer wall allows entry to the citadel from the ouside, and the rubble strewn across the north rooms makes it difficult to walk through them.

"Look!" Netkin grabs the elf's arm. "Mm. It looks like this armour is in good shape."

"But shouldn't it have... You know, sank? Do you think this one is going to get up too?"

“Indeed,” Ellaeaanda agrees with the halfling, “the armored dead drown. But so too should undead sink under the weight of metal. Either metal is not metal, or something else is amiss.” For a long moment, she scrutinizes the corpse with her inner sight.

Cast Detect Magic/Read Aura.

If there is no magic in the vicinity, she stoops down and picks up a pebble, cautiously lobbing it at the corpse to see if there’s any reaction.

"Resa, they're hungry. Take some provisions from my pack and lay it down for them," Ardoinel says.

Courthouse

There is no sign of magic, or of any auras, but the water does stir underneath the surface after the pebble bounces into it.

Warg’s room

The two warg pups start barking eagerly at Resa and Ardoinel.

Resa would infact take some food from both her and Ardoinel pack, saying "Friends share the load to make it lighter. We shall split mine and yours, and give them both more. Besides, they are cute. Look at their faces!"

"Mm. Is there something underneath the surface?" Netkin takes a few steps forward to have a closer look.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

Cerrus has been distracted by perusing books on esoteric topics like a history of Chelaxian colonies in Garund and rousing tale of Third Mendevian Crusade through eyes of a unit tasked with finding traitors in the ranks of the crusade force.

As Resa and Ardoinel attempt to make friends with pups, Cerrus notices Netkin examining a pool of water. "What are you looking at, friend?"

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

“Something stirs beneath,” Ellaeaanda answers for Netkin as she, too, peers more closely at the water.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

Ardoinel looks at the two pups and a small frown forms on his face.

"The one you smell on this...they've left this place to find new territory. Do you want to follow them?"

Wrag’s room

The two pups eagerly partake of the rations, devouring them in a couple of bites without even chewing them properly.

Once they are done they look at the questioning Ardoinel. They only bark once as a response to his query.

Courtroom

Cerrus has been distracted by perusing books on esoteric topics like a history of Chelaxian colonies in Garund and rousing tale of Third Mendevian Crusade through eyes of a unit tasked with finding traitors in the ranks of the crusade force.

As Resa and Ardoinel attempt to make friends with pups, Cerrus notices Netkin examining a pool of water. "What are you looking at, friend?"

"I'm not sure, exactly,"/b] Netkin squints. [b]"A skeleton, and... I could have sworn I saw bubbles over there..."

“Like the tortoise that bears the world, a turtle holds the corpse afloat,” Ellaeaanda informs the others. “Unlike the lonely great tortoise, a fellow turtle keeps this one company.” She moves away, respecting the reptiles’ space. “Unless you would disturb the dead, let us leave them in peace.” The elf skirts around the room towards the broken-down portion of the eastern wall, where she examines the door before opening it.

Perception +8 for traps etc

"You...don't want to go with the other warg..."

Ardoinel crouches down and extends his hand, letting the pups sniff it, and offering scritches if they allow it.

Netkin

Maybe it was just the breeze?

Ellaeaanda

You don’t recognize the creature, and don’t have any knowledge about its behavioural patterns.

You open the door to the little office space to the northeast. The space is not nearly as damaged as the rest of the courtroom, nor as empty. Sitting on one of the otherwise empty bookshelves, you see a couple of scrolls. And, underneath the scrolls there’s a couple of coins as well. The scrolls are a Scroll of Alarm and a Scroll of Fear, and the coins amount to 5 silver pieces and 40 copper pieces.

Ardoinel

The pups sniff your hand. One of them sneezes as it gets too close. But neither allows you to scratch them. Backing further into their den when you attempt it.

“Like the tortoise that bears the world, a turtle holds the corpse afloat. Unlike the lonely great tortoise, a fellow turtle keeps this one company. Unless you would disturb the dead, let us leave them in peace.”

"Oh! That... wasn't as dangerous as I had imagined," Netkin sighs in relief. "Not as a dangerous as a living skeleton, at least. I don't think I quite like what is neither dead nor alive. It's... philosophically challenging."

He has to stand on tiptoe to see what the elf has discovered on the damaged shelves. "oh! Cerrus will like that!" he exclaims, pointing at the scrolls.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11
After examining the small office for any other objects—such as Alak’s ring—Ellaeaanda gathers the scrolls and coins and, following Netkin’s suggestion, hands them all to Cerrus. The notion of undead as a philosophical conundrum seems to pique her interest; her large violet pupils turn and gaze kindly upon—or through—the shorter alchemist.

“A strange fate undeath is. Accursed anathema to the Lady of Graves, they pervert both nature and destiny, and the threads they would prolong to infinity must needs be cut. Not alone are you in such sentiment. Yet I believe they are not without purpose. Those who choose the forbidden path are already doomed, for their attempt to escape fate is itself fated, but the threads of rebellion unraveled may lead to consequences unforeseen.”

Without skipping a beat, she idly glances over at Ardoinel. “Are the pups now bound to your fate? Shall we continue?” she asks in an utterly detached voice.

If everyone is ready, Ellaeaanda can move into the next room (I’ve moved her token next to the door I have in mind). But I’m also cool to just continue roleplaying too.

Just to set expectations on the pups, it takes several in game days to actually change the pups attitude away from Indifferent and towards friendly. They are wild animals after all. But today's (in-game) efforts were a success counting towards that goal.

"A strange fate undeath is. Accursed anathema to the Lady of Graves, they pervert both nature and destiny, and the threads they would prolong to infinity must needs be cut. Not alone are you in such sentiment. Yet I believe they are not without purpose. Those who choose the forbidden path are already doomed, for their attempt to escape fate is itself fated, but the threads of rebellion unraveled may lead to consequences unforeseen.”

Even with his quite extensive vocabulary, Netkin is not quite sure he caught all of that. "Yes, it's..." He gives it some thought, and adds, lamely: "... Bad. Frankly, you know more about this stuff than I do. Never came across something like moving skeletons before!"

“Are the pups now bound to your fate? Shall we continue?”

"They won't bite... right?"

"I say we keep feeding them. Or I will at least if they follow. They seem sweet enough. Never had a pet before. And they are cute. That one looks like it will be a big tough girl one day." Resa seems confident in their ability to handle the pups, even as they back away.

"They don't want to follow the other warg out, but they're obviously slow to trust," Ardoinel replies. "They haven't tried to bite, at least."

He stands.

"We can return later, maybe with the Bumblebrashers too once we've got the place secured. I imagine they'd get along with these pups well too."

He turns to the others.

"What have you found?"

“Scrolls of Fear and Alarm, and some coins,” Ellaeaanda answers Ardoinel, while gesturing at Cerrus to indicate that he has them now. “Come, let us see if the pups stay or follow.” The elf moves on to the next room.

Perception +8, check for traps etc and open door

Ardoinel nods.

"If you wish to follow us, rest assured, we will not hurt you, nor let you come to harm," he says to the warg pups before rejoining the rest of the group.

The pups don’t follow the party, for now, deciding to remain in their den. They seem rather content having eaten.

The last room in this level of the citadel is in tatters, there are warg scratches and bites everywhere. The crimson curtains have been shredded, and there are scuff marks on the wall where paintings might have hung. Trash and rotted food lies in heaps on the floor like tiny mouldering corpses, and the smell of wet warg fur fills the entire room.

The room is, nonetheless, empty.

Netkin does a quick examination of the room.

"Well, if your ring isn't there somewhere, Alak... I just hope one of the wars hasn't swallowed it!"

"But if they did, at least it will come out... eventually..."

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

"Must have been where the older warg made their lair. We probably encountered it foraging," Ardoinel comments. He nods at Netkin's assessment. "And if it isn't up here, we may find it in the Cinderclaws' ill-gotten gains. It would not surprise me if they started ranging out into the upper Citadel after driving the Bumblebrashers out to find more supplies and secure their foothold here."

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

Ellaeaanda casually surveys the room. “Another possibility exists. We did not have time to search all of the rooms adjacent to the bugbear’s lair. The ring may be there.”

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14

Cerrus agrees with the assessment the rest of the group has made. "We should probably do a little backtracking to ensure we didn't miss anything, but I think we made a thorough search of this floor. I assume our goblin friends can show us the way down, right?"

Cerrus searches with the party, hoping to uncover anything they missed before heading to the goblin tribe.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

Ardoinel grimaces at Ellaeanda's suggestion.

"That...could be awkward, given how Yolechta felt even that minor intrusion was pushing things."

He leans in a little closer.

"Especially if she's come into possession of the ring...that would likely at least provoke a fight between her and Alak."

Netkin

”I had not considered the possibility, but you are right. It might have been swallowed by some manner of creature. Although I do expect my parents left it somewhere secure.”

Ardoinel

”That seems more likely. If the Cinderclaws do have it, I’ll make sure to make them pay for it.”

Ellaeaanda

”The bugbear lair?” He sounds disgusted. ”I hope not. I believe it is more likely for it to be in the basement level.”

Cerrus

Helba did mention a secret way in, through the hillside west of the citadel.

Ardoinel

”I’d be happy to test my metal against a bugbear.”

Everyone

You do a quick search of the safe rooms in the citadel. In the process, Cerrus finds a treatise on Chelish and Isgeri laws in the room where you encountered the adult warg. The book contains different interpretations of the laws and case studies on how they apply against local criminals and what the protocols should be for the Order of the Nail when dealing with such criminals. The blank page at the beginning of the book also has a dedication that reads “To Lictor Acillmar, with thanks for your interest in my work. Together we shall quell savagery. —Hellknight T. Stagram, Esq.”

Other than that, the party finds nothing else that stands out in their backtracking search.

"So we go straight to the basement then? Quietly?" Netkin is not quite sure about not asking for permission - but on the other hand, it'd be the first time of his life he'd actually do anything daring... Grandma wouldn't even tolerate stealing cookies. Not that she had those.

"I think we'd all like to avoid crossing paths with Yolechta, the bugbear, again. Let's investigate the basement first. And only return to the bugbear's lair if necessary."

After inspection of the writings on Chelish and Isgeri law, Cerrus asks Alak if he'd like it. "Alak, this book was written by a fellow Hellknight. Would you like the book? If not, I'd like to add it to my collection. Never too much books, I always say!"

Then, Cerrus turns his attention to the main objective - finding the basement. "I imagine the goblins can help us find the secret entrance. Let's tell them that we cleared the rooms of enemies but left the bugbear. They should be able to make livable arrangements here while we explore down below." Before heading towards the goblin tribe, Cerrus asks the group if anyone needs a rest. "We've been fighting a lot today. Maybe a night's rest is in order before continuing?"