Location: On the Kaava Cutter in the harbour of Pridon’s Hearth
Date: Toilsday, 18th day of Arodus (Season: Late Summer)
Time: 7.00am
Weather & Temperature: Clear for the most part; balmy, light winds, 24 deg C/75 deg. F
Moon Cycle: Almost First Quarter
==============
Eleven days had passed since the Kaava Cutter sailed out of Eleder’s harbour to transport the second wave of colonists to the upstart town of Pridon’s Hearth. The early morning had brought with it clear skies in comparison to the previous afternoon’s thunderstorm. Late afternoon seemed to be the time the storms and rainfall hit the hardest. The journey itself was not overly tedious or fraught with danger, which was welcomed by those on the ship.
The murky blue-green water had given way to the clearer blue at present. Captain Len Noradu had kept a tight ship – his sailors/crew all competent and loyal to the loud, stern but fair human male. Dropping anchor just outside the bay, as Pridon’s Hearth lacked a proper dock for larger ocean vessels; the longboats were being lowered down into water, and would be used on rotation to deliver the colonists to the smaller docks at Island Town. The Sargavan minor noble, Gallio Menius, demanded that he and his dozen labourers be the first ashore; and the Captain compiled – not really interested in who went first or last. All the colonists’ belongings were taken ahead and left on the fishing docks to be collected by the colonists once they disembarked the longboats.
When it came to the other colonists' turn to take a longboat to the dock, the fair-haired woman, holding a tiny, grey fox in the crook of her arm, looked to the west and her glacier-blue eyes took in the growing grey rain clouds. In the Common tongue, she quietly informed her male companion beside her; the swashbuckler, ”It will rain again this afternoon. The storms have not yet passed.” Her accent was unusual, yet pleasant to the ear for the melodic timbre of her voice. Scratching the tiny fox’s head in a loving manner, the woman carefully picked up the creature and placed it in the safe confines of her coat/cloak and spoke to it in hushed Polyglot as if to soothe the fox. Then she stepped into the returned longboat and made room for her companion. She was eager to reach the dock and see the colony for the first time. And her belongings were waiting for her there and she was concerned they would be snatched by another if they tarried too longer.
Primarily a Solo Game. There will be a supporting DMNPC.
Character Creation Rules:
• Level 1 character
• 25 pt buy
• Allowable Races: Human, Halfling, Dwarf, Elf, Half-Elf, Aasimar
• Allowable Classes: All Core, Base except for Shifter, Summoner, Vampire Hunter and Vigilante, Hybrid classes – the following only – Hunter, Investigator, Shaman, Slayer, Swashbuckler, Warpriest, Third Party (Tripod Machine classes): Beastmaster, Bounty Hunter, Scholar, Scout and Hunter.
• 3 traits (there are no campaign traits for this module, so choose what you would like). 4th trait allowable if Drawback is selected.
• Maximum HP at level 1; average plus one plus CON modifier on each successive level.
• Starting gold 400 gp
• Free/Bonus language at start of game: Polyglot
• Using Background Skills: 2 per level.
• No ability stat less than 10 (after penalties).
• All alignments (except for CE) are allowable.
• No crafting in this game. There won’t be much downtime to be able to sufficiently craft. (So bring and buy what you need.)
• Begin play with one M/W weapon to the value of 500 gp.
Getting started:
As Ire of the Storm begins, the PCs are on their way to the Sargavan settlement of Pridon’s Hearth via ship. This adventure assumes the PCs have never been to Pridon’s Hearth, and have heard only vague news about it in major Sargavan settlements such as Eleder*, or from recruiters throughout the Inner Sea region. Many of the adventure’s encounters involve getting to know the colony’s unique and colourful inhabitants, and this works best if the PCs have little or no prior connection to Pridon’s Hearth. Luckily, Count Narsus’s call for a second wave of colonization reached beyond Sargava to the major cities of the Inner Sea region, making almost any sort of character concept or origin appropriate for this adventure. The Kaava Cutter, a naval vessel that regularly runs cargo and passengers between Eleder and Port Freedom, makes monthly stops in Pridon’s Hearth and serves as transport for the PCs.
(* Eleder is the capital of Sargava and the country's only deepwater port. Its government remains stable and Eleder's military is capable of policing the city. The city’s incredibly wealthy trading companies contribute to Eleder's political value being capable of protecting their investments. The Aspis Consortium holds little power in Eleder due to the power of Eleder's trading companies.)
• Notable NPCs: Travelling from Eleder with you on the ship are a dozen additional passengers. They could be potential allies or simply play minor roles in the adventure.
1. Annabelle Tullia: Female Half-Elf Cleric of Shelyn 3 - garbed in radiant red dress and a constant glower. Hope to apply her skills as a painter and sculptor in the new colony.
2. Gallio Menius : Male Human Aristocrat 2 (rotund minor noble from Sargava’s capital. Purchased a parcel of land near Pridon’s Hearth to establish a papya farm. He is accompanied by a dozen indentured labourers.
3. Mr. Blackwell : Male Human Expert 4/Rogue 2 – Claims to be a prospector coming to assay the mineral wealth around Pridon’s Hearth.
4. Umuzu: Female Human Ranger 4 – Zenj woman hailing from Mwangi Expanse works as hunter and guide for travelling caravans.
An island mass breaks up the Arcadian Ocean, some still bearing the crumbling ruins of academies and towers atop them. These are the ruins of the Azlant and the lost Azlanti civilisation. The island ruins are only a small fraction of the buildings that yet exist, most of which are submerged underwater. Trade and travel ships skirt the islands, as spires or collapses hidden by the waves are a common danger. Small groups of adventurers and salvagers commission ships to carry them to the ruins, while larger expeditions sometime visit on the bankrolls of government patrons or private enterprises.
=====
After almost five hundred years since first making landfall there, the nation of Andoran is attempting to colonise one of the islands of the Arcadian Ocean.
The Andoran government in joint enterprise with the finance company, Bountiful Venture Company, have selected the island, Ancorato, as the site for the new colony of Talmandor's Bounty and put out a second call for colonists to help build and populate the settlement.
The second wave of colonists, much like the first, had to apply for membership in the expedition, and were put through numerous interviews and screenings to select the best individuals for this wave of settlement. The four of you stood out to the leaders of this expedition and you were recruited for the colony. The Peregrine, under the command of Captain Jacob Markosi, was then commissioned to transport supplies, materials and the settlers from the capital city of Almas in Andoran to Ancorato. The good crew of the Peregrine number twenty one souls and together with the fifty four passengers (including the four of you) set sail and begin the long journey across the sea to Ancorato (an island hundred of miles away from the closest civilised port).
The Andoren government recently founded a joint expedition with the Bountiful Venture Company to organise another expedition to the ruined islands that were once the legendary continent of Azlant to try to gain a foothold on the shattered land. They first sent a small fleet to survey the westernmost of the rocky islands that jut from the Arcadian Ocean. One ship discovered an island with fresh water, thick forests with plenty of animals to hunt and plants to forage, and an easy landing. They named the island 'Ancorato' after the captain who discovered it and it seemed to be the ideal location for a settlement.
The Bountiful Venture Company
offers a most excellent opportunity
for Laborers, Farmers, Soldiers, Explorers and Scholars
in the new Andoren colony of Ancorato.
Apply for the lottery now!
The expedition's funders put out a call for colonists to help build and populate the settlement. After a selection process that involved a lottery for general settlers and a more focused vetting process for the expedition's specialists, the first ship, 'Liberty's Herald', set sail to found the new colony, which was named 'Talmandor's Bounty'. Six months later, a second ship, the 'Peregrine' has been commissioned to follow and resupply the colony and bring new settlers. This is where the PCs' story begins...
==========
To the four players I've invited to join, welcome and let's have some fun! As I have mentioned to each of you, this game will not officially start until the second week of June. In the meantime, please feel free to post your concepts, ideas etc and ask questions here and on the discussion thread once I open it up. You may create backstory connections or you can be complete strangers - I leave that up to you.
Now, let's start with the character creation guidelines.
Creation Guidelines
• Starting at Level 1
• 20-Point Buy Build
• Allowable Races: Human, Halfing, Half-Elf, Elf, Dwarf, Gnome, Half-Orc, Undine, Changeling, Gillmen.
• Allowable Classes: Core, Base (exceptions: Summoner, Vampire Hunter) and Hybrid. No Occult Classes or Unchained Classes, please. No 3rd Party Publishers. The Player's Guide has some great archetypes for this AP.
• Max die roll for HP at first level. From second level onward, average rounded up.
• Max starting gold for your class.
• No evil alignments or reverence of evil deities.
• 3 Character Traits (must match background) and one must be a Campaign Trait. No Drawbacks.
• Using Background Skills: 2 per level.
• No ability stat less than 9 (after penalties).
• Level Progression Rate: I'm of a mind that when I feel the players have done enough in game to warrant a level, they'll gain a level. I advise players when it's levelling time.
• Posting rate: At least 1 to 2 posts over the week days. Weekends we'll play it by ear as I'm generally tied up on weekends with family and carer duties. I'm on an opposite time zone to my players and am aware of this fact. My Saturday and Sunday is your Friday and Saturday. As I said, we'll work out a nice, workable posting rhythm. :)
• I do like a good backstory and will use elements from each player's story in game in some way. It doesn't have to be a novel, but give me something to sink my teeth into, please (a few paragraphs is good). ;) Can you also provide me with the age of your character, physical description and a personality blurb on your profiles.
---
• There's a Free Player's Guide found here: Ruins of Azlant.
• Note: A thriving colony needs a wide range of settlers and each character class will have something to contribute to this campaign. Ideally, classes that don’t rely on urban settings are encouraged. This doesn’t mean that they can’t survive this Adventure Path, but cosmopolitan characters won’t have as many chances to shine as they would in an urban campaign. Classes that are best suited to exploration and dealing with natural hazards can find great success in this campaign, and ones that can use magic or guile to eliminate some of the hazards and challenges can excel as well. Your characters are going to get wet during the course of this Adventure Path. Most of Azlant lies beneath the Arcadian Ocean, so be mindful of this when selecting skills and talents to aid your character and party. The main focus of this AP is exploring terra incognita, delving into ancient ruins, and uncovering strange and archaic magic that the world hasn’t seen in thousands of years. It is in your best interest to future-proof your character into being good at dealing with some of the restrictions of fighting underwater.
General Notes:
• Please try to minimise player vs. player conflict in game. Working together is a must in this AP. I do realise that not every character will immediately get along; however keep in mind that it has to be appropriate or constructive "drama" and add to the story. ;)
• I like using Group Initiative for combat as it keeps combat moving with less 'wait time'. Saves can be rolled by each player.
• I enjoy proactive players. It is good when GM and players can work together to propel a game forward and not let it go idle and die. I will do what I can, too, to help keep the game moving.
• During important moments in game or in combat, I will give a player 24 hours to post and then I will bot them. If players are going to be away for more than a day, please let me know on discussion (or via PM) and I can take that into consideration and not bug you via PMs etc. I like communication and it makes for a less stressful game.
• Please keep bulky OOC to the discussion thread. This just helps keep the main game board free of clutter and people can find posts and GM responses more readily.
• I like rewarding great role playing or effort in game. Those who know me, know I prefer role play over roll play. That's because I come from a writing background. If I require certain checks to be made, I'll ask for them specifically in game. If players want to make checks, of their own volition, to gain more information or solve a mystery, then please feel free to roll to your heart's content. I'll try and provide as much information as I can.
• I am relatively new to this GM role. I will make mistakes (although I will try to minimise this as best as I can). If you feel I have erred in a rule etc then feel free to send me a PM and we can discuss it.
• I don't want to get overly bogged down in rules to the detriment of the game flowing and affecting players' fun. Fun is a high priority for me.
• My style of communication is direct. I tend to just say things in a straightforward manner while remaining respectful. Please do not take any of my words as a personal assault - for I never mean them in that way. I believe in mutual respect and understanding.
• I prefer a medium paced game. My life is full and hectic and I suspect other peoples' lives are too. This isn't a race and I don't want anyone feeling as though they are being pressured to post/game when they have other RL responsibilities to attend to. As I mentioned earlier, if a player can't post for whatever reason, then drop me a line and that character will be covered for that period of time. If I am unable to post, then I will certainly let the players know. Common courtesy is easy.
• I use spoilers for private conversations, responses to individual players, GM screens and lengthy posts. If you're someone who enjoys reading other people's spoilers, please do not use the info found within them to meta-game. If a player says it's fine to read and act on information provided in a spoiler, then go ahead.
Easy to view/Summary of Campaign Traits:
Campaign Traits
1. Athletic: You reduce your armour check penalty by a number equal to one-third your character level (minimum 1) for purposes of Acrobatics, Climb, and Swim checks, and you gain a +1 trait bonus to one of these three skills, chosen when you take this trait.
2. Azlanti Scholar: You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local), and Use Magic Device checks, and one of these skills is a class skill for you. In addition,you gain Azlanti as a bonus language.
3. Eagle Knight Recruit: You begin play with a breastplate, a longsword (or some other martial or simple weapon), and an additional 100gp of gear. In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting effects.
4. Employee: You begin play with an additional 150 gp of equipment and know (at least in some capacity) one of the other company employees: Lyra Heatherly, Perrell Beys, or Ramona Avandth. Due to your association with the Bountiful Venture Company, your words and ideas may carry additional weight with the other employees
of the company. (Your GM can grant a +1 circumstance bonus on Diplomacy checks in regards to these people in certain situations.) In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff checks, and Bluff is always a class skill for you.
5. Expert Explorer: Choose one Knowledge skill when you gain this trait. You gain a +1 trait bonus to check with that Knowledge skill and Survival checks, and either that Knowledge skill or Survival is a class skill for you. In addition, you treat the machete as a simple weapon.
6. Following in the Footsteps: Whenever you use the aid another action to aid an adjacent ally, increase the bonus you grant your ally by 1. In addition, due to your positive and helpful nature, you gain a +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks.
7. Healthy: You gain a +1 trait bonus on Fortitude saves, Swim checks to prevent nonlethal damage from fatigue after swimming for more than an hour at a time, and Constitution checks to prevent fatigue. In addition, you can hold your breath for a number of rounds equal to 3 times your Constitution score.
8. Pathfinder Recruit: You begin play with a standard wayfinder (see sidebar on page 11 of Player's Guide) and you gain a +1 trait bonus on initiative checks.
9. Resourceful: Choose one Craft or Profession skill when you gain this trait. You gain a +1 trait bonus on checks with that skill. In addition, the time required for you to create a magic item is decreased. You require only 8 hours for every 1,500 gp in the item’s base price (instead of the normal 8 hours per 1,000 gp). You can create potions and scrolls whose base price is 375 gp in just 2 hours; potions and scrolls with a base price more than 375 gp but less than 1,500 gp take 8 hours to create, just like any other magic item.
10. Seasoned Hunter: Pick one of the following creature types: aberration, animal, magical beast, or vermin. You gain a +1 trait
bonus on attack rolls or damage rolls (choose one; once chosen it can’t be changed) against creatures of that type.
11. Set Mind: Once per day when you fail a saving throw against a charm or compulsion effect that would cause you to act differently than you normally would, you can immediately re-roll that saving throw as a free action. You must take the second result, even if it’s worse.
12. Skillfull: Once per day when you fail an Acrobatics, Climb, Spellcraft, Stealth, or Use Magic Device check, you can immediately re-roll that check as a free action. You must take the second result, even if it’s worse.
Info on Machetes:
A machete is a light martial weapon that deals 1d6 points of slashing damage. Cost 10gp. This tool is a wide, single-edged blade about 2 ft in length and weighing 2 pounds. Most often used to hack through dense vegetation, it works equally well as a weapon. A character proficient with a machete gains a +1 circumstance bonus on Survival checks to get along in the wild.
====
If I've forgotten to include anything in this initial post, I'll cover it in subsequent posts.
Date: 30th day of Pharast
Time: 7.00pm
Location: The Wise Piper Inn
Evening fell on Belhaim after an eventful afternoon apprehending Silas Gribb and escorting him out of town and back to Cassomir. The old cuckoo clock in the dining hall struck the hours – Seven in the evening.
The Wise Piper Inn was as rustic as the town of Belhaim, itself. It was a well-crafted structure – solid – and clean, although some of the furnishings had seen better days. It was run by the friendly and compassionate Talia Orem, a handsome, slim, brown-haired and brown-eyed Taldan woman perhaps forty winters old. In the corner, by the fireplace, a fiddler played a soft melody for the patrons.
A good-sized tapestry hung across the top of the fireplace depicting a songbird with rainbow plumage, and, each oaken table in the small dining hall had bowls filled with fragrant wild roses. The stranded adventurers were seated at a large, oaken table situated by the hearth lit with welcoming flame, and, candlelight flooded the interior of the Inn. There were pretty paintings hanging on the walls - painted by Talia herself.
Upon the table sat a tall jug of watery mead and a bowl laden with freshly-baked bread. On a longer platter sat two small wheels of local cheeses, and two smaller bowls of local honey – one made from clover which was dark amber in colour and had a mild, floral sweetness with a sour aftertaste – and the other honey produced from orange blossoms – light and fruity. A short, sturdy iron pot sat in the middle of the table; it was filled with a fragrant stew of garden vegetables, strips of venison and cranberries.
There were no other patrons eating in the dining hall – Of the locals the only people present are Talia Orem, a pretty, young serving girl of fourteen winters named Delfi, the Inn's barkeep – a haggard, quiet man in his early 50’s, named Jax, and the elderly fiddler, Jorje. There were six humans working at the Inn (including the Proprietor herself). There were eight living chambers in the Inn – three taken by the locals/workers and five reserved for patrons. They were small living quarters, but comfortable and secure.
Opening the floor for some social rp. The PCs are free to talk among themselves at this point – get to know each other better and discuss the events of the day and what they will do now they are stranded in Belhaim.
Closed Group - My apologies to other players who may stumble upon this thread. Happy gaming on the boards to you.
------------------------------
For your own, respective reasons, you found yourself in Cassomir. An urgent call for adventurers and mercenaries was issued – Caravan Guards were needed for a well-to-do merchant headed into the Verduran Forest. The merchant was a portly, middle-aged, human male named Silas Gribb. He offered each guard 100 gold pieces to be paid once the caravan was safely delivered to Wispil. For your respective reasons (coin, experience, reputation, boredom, etc), you decided to become one of the caravan’s escorts. You were not given much information regarding the cargo you were protecting – merely that it was “delicate cargo” and Silas Gribb would not see it stolen on the road to its final destination.
The journey from Cassomir to the dangerous Verduran Forest was uneventful and the weather held up – fine days and semi-cool nights.
Late afternoon, in the very early days of mid spring (30th day of Pharast), your caravan arrives at the southern gates of the town of Belhaim. Upon arrival, the town’s Sheriff, Sir Pelle Benhovy, and a handful of his most skilled deputies, seize the caravan and arrest Silas Gribb on a warrant for smuggling. You manage to convince the local authorities that you were ignorant of Silas Gribb’s criminal activities and you are not arrested. Within an hour, the sheriff and his best deputies ride out of Belhaim to escort Gribb back south to Cassomir, leaving your group stranded and unpaid in town. The friendly Proprietess of The Wise Piper, a human woman named Talia Orem, takes pity on you and offers you all free room and board at her inn for a few days until you figure out what you will do next.
Courageous and displaced adventurers, welcome to Belhaim. Founded by a famous dragonslayer, Belhaim is a small, rural town located on a tributary of the Verduran Fork in the Verduran Forest of north-central Taldor, on a minor trade road between Wispil (a gnomish city) and Dunholme (a ruined settlement). The tributary runs along the side of the town, connected to the main road by a covered wooden bridge. This is a settlement where everyone knows everyone and strangers are the talk of the town.
This is my first foray as a GM on the Paizo boards - exciting and humbling at the same time.
Character Creation Rules:
Character Level: 1st
Allowable Races: Core + Changeling, Aasimar and Skinwalker.
Classes: Core, Base and Hybrid Classes only. No Third party, please.
Abilities: 20 pt buy (no ability lower than 8).
Alignment: Any non-evil.
Wealth: Roll per class, but if lower than average gold, then take average.
Character Traits: 2 traits of player’s choosing. May take a Drawback for a third trait, however this is not mandatory. Those who choose a drawback will be asked to play it out accordingly/appropriately in game.
Drawbacks permitted: Attached, Avarice, Forgetful, Headstrong, Hedonistic, Loner, Paranoid, Pride, Sentimental, Sheltered, Superstitious, Unlearned, Vain, Xenophobic, Zealous and
Amended Naïve: You take a -2 penalty on Sense Motive and Bluff and a -2 penalty to CMD against Dirty Trick Combat Manoeuvres.
Descriptions of Respective Drawbacks found here
Deities: Those found in Golarion and applicable to your selected alignment.
* Characters/PCs are NOT native to Belhaim.
* No Crafting in game as there is little downtime in which to do so in the adventure.
* There are 4 pre-selected PCs and possibly a DMNPC, if there is an unfilled/necessary role in the game and the PCs are happy to have one.
* I’m into roleplay and not necessarily roll play. There will be times where checks are necessary and I will advise you where they are required in the adventure. I will go ahead with group initiative vs monsters initiative to simplify the process and not hold up action/posting. I want people to enjoy themselves in this adventure.
* Posting Rate: Not set in concrete, but we’ll go with 1-2 times per week day and NO posting on weekends (family and individual time is important).
* I do require a decent backstory (it doesn't have to be a novel *winks*), personality and description of your character.
* No Player versus Player, please. You will need to work together to the best of your ability.
* Drama will not be tolerated. I’m pretty forthright in my communications. If there is any issue, it will be handled off the board, via private messages, whether between me and a player or between the players themselves. Detailed/lengthy OOC (more than three sentences) should be placed on the discussion thread so as to not clutter the main game thread, please.
* If a player will be away from the boards for any extended period (2 or more days), please advise us on the discussion board, so I can take that into consideration. I will extend you all the same courtesy. It can derail a game if people (including the GM) “disappear” without reason and I’d like to see this adventure through with you all.
------------------------
As this group has already been selected, you will have three weeks to create a character and nut out all the final details before we formally start the game. This will also give me time to get my stuff together and also look over your respective characters and make any changes.
You can use the recruitment thread to toss up ideas and talk amongst yourselves during these three weeks. I will attempt to give you as much information as I can in the meanwhile without giving away too much of the game/plot/story. Please don’t read spoilers online as I think that ruins the fun and mystery. It is, afterall, about FUN. ;)
Have Influence on:
Amir, Kilt, Miss Moxie
___________________
Team Moves
___________________
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, ask them what gives them hope for a brighter day and give them Influence.
When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, ask them what they would do something dark for and gain Influence over them.
___________________
Advancement
___________________
Write down any current advancements.
___________________
Backstory
Young Valerie Tepe was a sickly girl with a rare blood disease. A mysterious doctor who called himself Dr. Sange offered to give her an experimental treatment. It worked, in a sense. However, she discovered that to stay healthy, she needed to absorb the life force from others. Becoming a vampire of sorts, but with no need to actually drink blood, she was forced to help her family's debt to Dr. Sange. He hired her out to various gangs and criminals who needed to incapacitate guards without leaving incriminating marks. She willingly participated, because it sated her cravings and not only repaid the debts for her family, but made them rich.
___________________
• Who mentored you in supervillainy? Dr. Sange, initially. After that, she worked as a mercenary with a variety of villains
• Who first showed you that you could do good?
Lucidity gave Siphon a wake-up call that her life was doomed to inevitable betrayal and misery. She indicated that it was possible to do good, but didn't mention it was going to be difficult.
• What was your goal as a villain?
Paying off her family's debts to Dr. Sange, and then later making them rich.
• What caused you to switch sides?
Seeing the past self of Moxie confronting her future wreck of a person.
• Why do you care about the team?
No one else would have her -- everyone else sees her as a villainous energy vampire.
___________________
Relationships
___________________
I’ve earned the (tentative) trust of Manifest, and I follow their example of what a hero should be.
I did something terrible to Miss Moxie/Mad Moxie once. I hope they can forgive me one day.
___________________
*Any Other Abilites Unique to your Playbook
___________________
When you create your character, mark two obligations on one villain, and mark one obligation on another.
When you come to them for help with your problems, mark obligation on them and they’ll help out within their specialty. If all their boxes are full, then they won’t help you until you help them.
When time passes, roll + your highest obligation. On a 10+, they come crashing into your life with a crisis. On a 7-9, they call for a favor. On a miss, they don’t come knocking yet, but mark obligation with them—the debts are getting heavier.
When you help one of these villains with their problems, erase two obligations on them.
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Reformed Moves
Wrong side of the tracks:
You always get to ask an additional question when you pierce the mask of a villain, even on a miss. When you pierce the mask of a hero (your call), add this
question to the list:
- what was your darkest moment?
Blowing off steam:
When you commit a
misdemeanor or small “victimless” crime, you
may clear a condition of your choice.
Seeing Things:
Faces, unrecognized, floated across her vision. They were smiling, laughing -- or are they crying? Sometimes in pain, sometimes comforting. Sometimes scared, sometimes brave. There was warmth, a touch, a kiss...
Siphon blinked and the vision was gone, but she still had to reach out to grab a wall to steady herself. This was crazy; she'd never been so out of whack by snaring someone's power before. But this was different. This was --
Faces, again, but different ones. These were harder, meaner. But often full of fear, and sometimes hate. She saw hunger, lust, greed in their eyes. They were familiar to her. She'd seen the same looks all her life, cold and calculating.
She stumbled, clutching a chair to keep from falling to the floor.
"What's wrong?" Despite the question, the voice had no compassion.
Siphon looked at the demon-masked figure with a scowl. She straightened, trying to cover her momentary weakness. She wasn't sure how long she would be plagued by these visions, but she wasn't going to let them think she couldn't handle them. "Nothing. Flashes of the power, that's all. You hired me to get them, remember?"
The figure leaned forward, menace radiating off him. "I hired you to get the information, girl. Now you will use the power to know where it is. Then you will tell us."
She tried to glare back, but another vision struck just then. She felt she was in a carnival mirror funhouse, seeing hundreds of variations of the cultist before her, stretching on to infinity. She glanced down at her hands. Like a trippy music video of the 1970s, hazy afterimages repeated themselves over and over. However, she could detect subtle variations -- a different colored nail polish, a bandage, a cut, a scar. Looking at the rest of herself, she could see even more images and variations. Always her, but in a million different permutations.
"SIPHON!" her mother screeched at her over the video phone. At some point during her vision, the cultist had apparently connected and set it in front of her. "You do what you are told! You are coming dangerously close to damaging your reputation! Do you know what that will cost us if you fail??"
She pinched her brow to try to regain focus. "Yes, mother. It's... different. But I'll--"
"I don't want to hear about different! I want to hear that you got results!"
Siphon submitted, and let her mother begin negotiations with the cultist over the disappearance of Lucidity. She wasn't sure how she could be blamed for that, but somehow she was. She stumbled over to a table and lowered herself into a chair. On the table was a grainy, black-and-white picture of what looked like a couple European explorers holding a thick, leather-bound book.
She tried to focus on just the book, willing the power to see where it was now, or somehow trace its path from the Codex Maleficarum to the present day. The best guess about Lucidity's power was that she could see... everything. But that's a lot to sort through.
Another vision hits. Siphon is standing on a path, like the one she saw when she first touched the seer. She tries to think about the book, but the path suddenly grows dark and twisted; branches tangling and looming over the ground, roots twisting and coiling. Though a current of fear runs through her, she pushes on ahead, forcing away visions -- her father being shot execution-style in front of her; her mother lying in a tiled bathroom dead of an overdose; the clanging of doors with thick bars slamming closed in front of her face; someone bleeding in an alley (is it her?); hands holding a dead child; people screaming; people begging prostrate in front of her; crowds fleeing in terror from her; a blade sticking into her chest --
She pushed herself hard away from the table, sending it crashing on its side as she fell backwards as well. Feeling moisture on her face, she hastily turned away from the cultist and tried to wipe the tears from her cheeks without being obvious. Get a grip! she chided herself as she stood.
She slowly returned the table to its legs and gathered the papers from the floor, ignoring the stares of the cultist. She sifted through the papers, tossing aside various Celtic symbols and a drawing of a black dog with what looked like burning eyes -- hard to tell in the black-and-white drawing. Again she found the picture of the book, and tried again.
The vision returned. She saw the path again, but resolved to focus on the book later. The path stretched, with many forks and branches leading off into unseen distances. She realizes that she can see off in the distance of many of them, though before too long most of the paths veer out of sight. The faces return, shimmering and dancing with their myriad expressions in the different directions of the path. She sees moments, too. In one, she is playing a video game, but it looks like she is in the game. Another has her digging through a pile of sand trying to find someone buried. Choosing one of the branching paths which seemed to have more positive than negative, she follows that path for a while, seeing people and places that are comforting and nurturing. Once safely along the path and surrounded by loved ones, she concentrates on the book.
It took Siphon several minutes before realizing that she had been the one screaming. The plague of nightmarish visions faded mercifully from her mind, but the impression they left -- horror, pain, loss, regret -- gnawed viciously on her mind. Trying to sit up, she realized she was tied to a stinking mattress. Worse, her parents were standing over her.
"What. the. Hell." her mother stated imperiously.
Her father rubbed his wife's shoulders. "Now, honey. She's clearly been through a lot. Sweetie? How are you feeling?"
She wriggled out of the straps that had apparently been holding her down and rubbed her eyes. "Okay, I guess."
"Good," her father said. "So, did you find where the book is?"
Siphon tried her hardest not to flinch at being reminded of the Codex. Her mother picked up on it. "Don't tell me we went through all that, had to come all the way here through morning traffic, and you didn't get it?" she chided.
"Mom, it's different, it's--"
"No excuses!" her father shouted, slashing the air with his hand. "We already had to pay them back a third of the price for this delay. You will get them the location!" He loomed over her, causing her to pull her knees up to her chest as she scooted back to the wall.
Her mom slid in between Valerie and her father, and placed a soothing hand on her forehead. "Now, dear, remember: you're Siphon. At just seventeen, you've made millions with your power. There's no do-gooder in Panurgic who can withstand your touch. Are you going to let that spaced-out b&%@$ get the better of you?"
A surge of wounded pride ran through her. Valerie shook her head. "No. She won't. I'm Siphon. I take their powers the path and I use them the path better than they ever could! I just need to the path, um, focus some more."
Her father straightened. "That's my girl. But this setback is coming out of your allowance."
Shoving that concern aside for the moment, Siphon sat up on the mattress and crossed her legs. She caught the presence of the cultist hanging around nearby, but she ignored him, too. She closed her eyes, and willed the visions back.
The path reappeared. She retreated from it, pulling back. I won't go that way. She laid a trap for me. That's all she did. Remembering the hall of mirrors effect, she willed the infinite images to appear around her. Seeing all the different realities and possibilities within herself, she began concentrating on the Codex.
Reality trembled. She saw variations of herself, with blackened clawlike hands groping and grasping at some leathery pages. Fearing a reaction similar to before, she pulled farther out, mixing the infinite mirrors to the path, and suddenly she saw it: a web, stretching out into infinity. It wasn't a perfect spider's web, having twists and tangles and snapped threads, but it was beautiful.
She again concentrated on the Codex Maleficarum. The gossamer threads began to blacken and grow taut. She saw -- no, felt -- several threads snap -- branches of her life doomed the more she let the grimoire affect it.
She recoiled again in fear, but the vision held her fast. She needed a way out, the web had trapped her. She pulled and tugged at the strands herself, seeing strange, unfamiliar faces. Wait, she'd seen them before. She pulled herself out of the twists, away from the infected black strands and onto a new thread. She could see the faces on it vaguely, but saw that the strand led to a nearly intact web. Fearing the fraying, infected web behind her, she seized the strand desperately. She pulled, tugged, but the dead threads clung to her hard. It was as if she was being pulled in two. It was excruciating, and she had to scream once more.
================
Siphon woke up again on the dirty mattress. She saw her parents in a heated debate with several of the cultists, and one large... thing... in heavy armor with spikes and horns. Oh, yeah. Him. The DaemoKnight.
All heads turned to look at her when she stirred. The look on her parents told her that they had lost more money, probably wouldn't get as much for the next job or three, and that they were going to take it out of her hide. The visions were gone, she realized with a jolt of relief that was suddenly replaced with fear when the implication struck her that she wouldn't have anything for them. She wondered if she could make a break for it. Something moved next to her, and suddenly she saw a psychotic-looking mime staring at her with its crazed eyes. Great. Just great. They brought in Moxie. She wasn't going to be able to run, so she was as good as dead.
Wait. There was something, something clear within the haze of the fading visions. A name. Salvo. Henry Salvo. But she couldn't say what it meant.
But she could bluff.
Before anyone could say anything to her, she blurted out, "The book's too well protected. It has some kind of defense mechanism. But I found the name of someone who knows. Henry Salvo.
