guys I am so sorry... workload has increased exponentially - and I'm changing working hours constantly... I do hope to resume this adventure sooner rather than later, but so far I'm going to have to exted the hiatus...
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The crowd is now diminished, and among the remaining townsfolk very are those actively cheering for Lucian. Most seems just neutrally curious, and some are apologizing for their behavior and actively trying to convince the others too. Lucian, instead, seems unswayable. His rage seems to mount even more as he addresses his fellow citizens “Don’t… don’t listen to these freaks! They’re strangers! They don’t know the shadow folk like we do! They don’t know how sneaky, how untrustworthy…” the plead dies in his mouth when he sees most of the crowd turning around and going home, ashamed. Anger and desperation now equally show on his deformed face. “Please! You… you know they’re guilty! They took Olya… they will take others... our children… they will make dark rituals with their bones, we will all get sick…” One of the few citizens left look up at Lucian “Lucian, you know… we’re all very sorry for you and your girl… and we’re all weary and down ‘cause of this damn fever… but, maybe these folks really can help. Maybe you can listen to them. Just… just listen, ok? They’re freaks, yeah, but they seem wise.” Pretty much everyone left now. The three fetchlings look around as far as their restrains allow them to, hopeful and curious. Lucian grabs his mace “Fine! Fine! I’ll do it meself! Cowards! Weak, tha’s what you are.” he raises the mace, then takes it down. He raises it again. His arm is shaking. He puts down the mace and grab the older fetchling by the shirt “I’ll do it I swear I’ll do it tell me where she is" he starts punching the fetchling, but his blows are weak and tired, and he is barely coherent anymore. "tell me where she is what did you do to her you basterd I’ll kill you I’ll swear to the Midnight Lord I’ll kill you give her back to me...”
One of the fetchling, the older-looking one, raises his head towards Dario. You can all see the deep cut on his forehead, dripping a greyish blood. “None of us did, sir, we jus’” a kick in the stomach , from Lucian, shuts him up. “Keep your filthy mouth shut, boy! You’re scum, taking my girl, and won’t speak ‘till you ready to confess!” a few people in the crowd cheer at this display of force from the guardsman. “And you, lady… we don’t care about big city folks like Korsova or whatever. There’s no games, no secrets here: the only plot is th’one by these basterds” he spits on the ground near the fetchlings, and now more than ever is clearly visible the painful deformity the disease has brought upon him – the throat has swollen to the size and color of an eggplant, with bulging veins visible just below the skin. His brow is sweating profusely even with the brisk temperature of the late autumn, and his complexion is pale and sickly. “We welcomed them in our village, and this is how they repay us! They poison our food – they ‘nap our children to make strange rituals!” his voice is losing the booming tone of before, and is slowly shifting towards the desperate. Increasingly more people, among the crowd, look at each other a bit ashamed. There’s still those who shout excited at every accusation Lucian throws at the fetchlings, but there’s just as many who take a step back – some even sneak out of the square, pretending to never be a part of the lynching mob.
anyone who attempted Knowledge (planes):
You do not know of anything called “shadow fe-ver”. Whatever it is, it has never been experienced before: maybe it originated here, maybe it is not even linked to the Plane of Shadow. A few townsfolk look around, biting their lip. Lucian’s roaring accusations still spread through the square, but now there is the seed of doubt.
Even Lucian now notices you. “What’s going on? Who’s them strangers?”
Some of the townsfolk are a bit surprised at seeing you: non-humans, non-fetchling are a rarity in the town.
“Tha’s Lucian. Lucian is Great Captain of the City Guard, he is mighty!” he fakes a mighty punch in the air “I’m sorry that he got sick… mum says that I should always listen to Lucian… mister, can I touch your horns? Are they sharp?" he jumps a couple of times trying to grab Taldash's horns "Anyway, Lucian says that the shadowfolk have taken Olya, which is a shame because Olya is my friend and we play in the woods until dinnertime. But I don’t want Lucian to hurt Marius” he points at the youngest of the fetchlings “because I play with him too and he lets me play with him even if he’s older and always gives me hazelnuts when he finds them. Mum says I shouldn’t play with him ‘cause he’s shadowfolk and shadowfolk can’t be trusted and carry the fever, but he’s nice and gives me hazelnuts! Mister, you are really short!” says to Iroh “Are you a midget like the Vetsin’s cousin who lives in Yon's Hill? He’s shorter than you, but he’s a bit prettier I think! He can shave. You can’t shave because you are a midget?”
Leaving the loggers to their work and entering into the town, you immediately hear a din of shouting crowd. The streets are mostly empty but for a few workers – a woman carrying a sack of potatoes, the scent of freshly baked bread coming from a baker’s stall, the rhythmic hammering coming from a carpenter’s workshop.
An inn, a smithy and a carriage house mark the three sides of this square, poorly paved with uneven and cracked cobblestones. A gnarled, leafless oak tree grows in the northeast corner. The crowd seems to be gathered around the tree, and it’s easy to see why – three ropes dangle from it. As you get close, you notice a large man close to fifty years of age, dressed with a chainmail and carrying a warmace, standing atop a crate and speaking to the crowd.
The crowd eats up the words of the man “Yes! And they bring the shadow fever! Hang’em!” someone shouts “Make them do the rope dance, Lucian! Make them pay!” another voice from the crowd. Between the crowd and the large man kneel three figures – a man, a woman and a boy – which look pretty much like thin humans but for their skin, which is a deep gray color. The hands of all three are tied behind their back.
Gordon immediately pulls his scarf up, to cover the infected flesh around his throat "Mind yer own business, boy… ain’t nobody asking you freaks fer help ‘round here." As it happened before, Brecht is way more accommodating “Shadow fever is nasty thing we have going ‘round the town, fellers… ain’t nobody who knows a thing about getting’ rid of it, but most folks thinks it’s them shadowy fetchlings who infect us good people. Ol' Gordon here is always been a grump, but th'fever ain't doing him any favors, I tell ya.”
“Heh. I guess Lucian finally got some of’em with th’ dirty hands in the cookie jar!” Brecht winks at you “It’s gonna have them kick th’ bucket, do a little hanging dance, if you know what I mean, roight? Damn shame we gotta take down them pines, it’s been a while since we had a good show here in town… heh heh!” Brecht is joined by Gordon in a cynical chuckle.
knowledge (Local or Planes) DC 10: anyone who's even remotely familiar with the region knows that Karpad hosts an unusual number of fetchlings - a race of humanoid touched by the Plane of Shadow
The logger who remained silent tightens the grip on the splitting axe he is holding. He looks at you, suspicious. “Boy, there ain’t one normal fella among you, ah?” he says “coupl’a pointy ears, we don’t see many of them ‘round here no more… and what in Kuthon’s name are you, boy? Are those horns?” his voice sounds raspy when he adresses Taldash. The one that greeted you seems a bit friendlier. He swaps the sweat from his brow while listening to Taldash “Now, now, Gordon, that’s no way to greet trav’lers! You gotta a tall stunning one here, too… from oop North, seems to me… bet’ya don’t have a beef with her, ah?” he winks at his companion and makes a sorry excuse for a bow towards Titania “You gotta forgive me friend, he ain’t too well these days. My name’s Brecht, and this ol’ grump is Gordon.” Perception DC 15:
You see that Gordon has an engorged throat, barely covered by a loose scarf. The skin on the throat is darkened and the man is showing signs of pain. Brecht continues “There’s nothing festive about them fires, fellers. They’re there ta scare off the shadow fever. Not a time for celebration ‘round here, no sir…” his mood darkens a bit “Unless you call a celebration what’s happening to them three shadow people in the big square. Heh!” he smiles a dark and cynical smile “Wish I could be there ta see them basterds kick the bucket, but I gotta work… c’mon Gordon, we need’ta take down them four pines ‘fore comes lunchtime.” he tips his hat “Nice meeting ya, fellers!”
Initially you move quite quietly through the woods, spying on the village. Besides the bonfires, it seems like one of the many small towns that dot every country in central Golarion: it probably houses no more than 200 people, and you see some of them at work – loggers tying donkeys to a cart full of timber, a few farmers that tend to the few trees still in season for fruit – mostly chestnuts and walnuts.
You are about to get closer when Taldash scares a big flock of sparrows sitting lazily on the tree branches. The birds take the sky with much noise and agitation, and immediately a couple of loggers, both humans in their forties, turn their heads and spot you. Initially startled, they see you striding normally, abandoning every pretense of stealth. After a few seconds scratching their head and digesting the surprise, one of them spits on the ground and nods a half-hearted greeting “Fellers,” he says “If y’all looking to get in th’ town, road’s just a few yards to yar right, y’know? No need to go ‘round in th' woods scaring birds and ol’ folks.”
You leave Tiboros manor and Nisroch early at dawn the following day. In your pockets each of you carries a share of the 5000 gold coins Lord Titos paid you. Dario also has the last letter of Anya Tiboros.
=====================
Late morning, 5th of Neth (autumn), 4712 Age of Lost Omens
The dim sunlight is slowly prevailing over the morning fog when you first set foot on Geron’s way, the road that runs side by side with the river you followed to get to Karpad. You are just coming out of a thicket – at the borders of the much more impressive Uskwood – and you finally see it: a rotten wooden sign saying just: KARPAD – ½ mile. A few minutes later the village reveals itself to your sight: about sixty thatched roofs connected by cobbled streets and surrounded by logging camps and crop fields, now empty in the late autumn. The houses follow the curve of Diman’s Way, and you see that the whole village is surrounded by a large number of bonfires: looking harder, you see that most crossroads are lit by a handful of torches. Not even at nighttime a small village like this should have this much illumination: having it in the middle of the day is just bizarre. On the opposite side of the village, slightly perched upon a small hill, you see an old octagonal manor – once certainly impressive, but now its beauty fading and its paint cracking – showing the red and white banner of House Boroi – the baron family Anya married into. The manor is surrounded by bonfires just like the village it overlooks.
Lord Titos is much grateful to Dario for explaining the ideas of his religion to the blunt dwarf. “The pain is the price that the Midnight Lord ask us to pay, a reminder that an ordered society, free of rebellion, is something worth suffering for.” he adds, a bit coldly, towards Ihro and Saravyn. “The intimidation is a side-effect, much appreciated, I wager, by the militant branch of the church. For us, it is a tradition. We were taught, and our fathers before us, that pain is not something to be feared or avoided. Pain is a reminder that we are mortals, and as such, limited and in need of order. Other churches ask for your hard-earned gold, or for you to take up arms and march against their enemies: the Midnight Lord asks for a bit of your blood, something you were given freely at birth by the gods themselves.” Then he gestures at a servant, who comes with a stack of letters. “Here… most of them, I’m afraid, you’ll find terribly boring – life in Karpad, before the Baron’s paranoia, was peaceful but rather uneventful.” he explains as you go through the letters “As you can see, she says in the later letters that Stepan now spends most of his time in his quarters, barely even acknowledging his firstborn’s presence. He makes quick and distracted appearances at dinner and then disappears into his room again.” the letters, written with very nice feminine calligraphy in the Common tongue, confirm what Lord Titos is explaining “There seem to be a bit of unrest in the town, but… that’s the last letter we received. You can understand our worries…”
Paizo presents
a Pathfinder module by Sam Zeitlin ==========
Early evening, 21st of Neth (mid-autumn), 4712 Age of Lost Omens
The waning sun casts a pale light as it sets behind the roofs and down into the Arcadian Ocean: in the halls of the Tiboros Manor, the help is lighting candles while wearing metal collars with chains around their neck (as tradition for Nidalese servants), making the room even creepier. Tiboros Manor is actually quite tame and comfortable compared to the mansions of other, more fanatic Kuthonite nobles, but it is still unnerving for outsiders: the walls are decorated with metal chains holding up oil paintings depicting recognized kuthonite saints, such as Saint Martion, bound and shackled in an expression of ecstasy as blood drips from his wounds. The gentle brush strokes violently clash with the darkness of the subject, and the black and red tapestry covering most walls and floors does not help cheering up the room. However the Tiboros have been nothing but perfect hosts so far, making sure your mounts were taken care of and offering spicy red tea with dark bran cookies. You are all around a large mahogany table, a cup of scalding hot tea in front of each of you.
Finally is Lord Titos who talks.
Ihro:
Ihro is still unsure about this. Ok, they’re treating him well, but Nine Hells, are these people weird! If this is a good example of life outside the monastery, he might as well stayed shut inside.
That morning, when a chain-wearing servant found him practicing his forms in the birch park in Nisroch, he promised a good reward for this job… but now he’s wondering if it really is a good cause… Taldash:
Titos and Leona seem to have aged half a decade in the last month. Even if Taldash initially took up a job for them in hope to convert the family to a more open and good-natured religion, in these months he learned that while sporting some very disturbing habits, happiness and family can be found even in a kuthonite household. He’s very worried that this trouble with their daughter can send them in a self-destructive spiral deep into the clutches of the more fanatical followers of the Midnight Lord. This situation needs to be solved. Saravyn:
The pay is good, the opportunities to learn something about the Plane of Shadow ample, and while sobbing and clearly distraught, the Tiboros are giving Saravyn and the others enough information on how to help. This looks like a profitable job to the wizard, even if the ragtag bunch of companions he finds himself to work with seem to have less in common with him than usual. Titania:
In her many travles as a caravan guard, Titania has been halfway around Golarion, but Nidal still looks off-putting to her. There is something unnerving about this nobility keeping good manners and gentle demeanor when their god asks for blood and pain. Anyway, she won’t be here for long. The pay is good and they’re asking them to travel through the woods to a small barony, far from this weird city. Dario:
Dario is having a field day. These crazy people in Nidal have so many weird habits to fill an entire thesis about the repercussions of the cult of Zon-Kuthon in high society. Every moment he passes here finds out a new custom.
Not only that, he’s getting paid to travel to a rural community: perfect to study the contrast with the city.
yes it does. I believe you can still work with the same concept while changing the stats a bit, right? No need to optimize.
Ok, I will be posting under this alias as a GM - I will put link to Google docs maps under the name and stuff like that. The adventure will most likely start one week from now, more or less.
Under my profile, look at my aliases, like Jorgo or Roman Tsarko: you can find an example of how I format character sheets - like Pathfinder NPCs. You can follow that template. If you use another format that's fine, but please: embolden the section, and make it so that the final value pops out. Something like this *Diplomacy: 9 = 4 + CHA Mod + 3 +1(trait); while very much appreciated during character creation to see if there's any mistake, is way more confusing than a simple Diplomacy +9 for consultation during the adventure if i need to roll for you. I will check your sheets but I trust you won't try to sneak in extra bonuses, we are all adults here; so I'd rather have a shorter and easier to consult sheet than one where every bonus is accounted for. Thank you very much for indulging me. In the meantime, tonight or tomorrow, i will set up in the gameplay thread the Prologue. This is a simple roleplay bit where you most likely won't need your sheet. Feel free to post in the gameplay prologue even with an unfinished sheet. That should be all folks!
The Captain listens to the last prayer of her man. She sings an hymn to Shelyn with him, to send him off in peace before his execution. She squints and you see a tear coming out of her blind eye upon the last word before he dies. «Now, what you wish to know…» she takes a deep breath and recomposes herself «Yes, the blackbird was ready to fly away at the moment we hit troubles. It most likely has already delivered the news of our need for help to the Knight’s command. They will send more. More than you can handle.» she smirks, trying to imagine a veil of fear on your faces. «The egg lies in the westernmost corner of the Arthfell Forest, among what was once Theristrix’s domains. The nature has begun claiming back that territory, I’d wager. I guess if you don’t die by the hands of my fellow Knights coming for the egg, you will all end up in an owlbear’s stomach.» she smiles, taunting you «That is a good thought for me. One I will cherish.»
«I see there is no depth you would not sink to» The Captain spits out between her gritted teeth «I should have expected it from the followers of fiends. Your attempts to intimidate me are pathetic - you are a disgrace to the soil you walk upon.» she takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. «Know this: there is none, among my men, who would not endure stoically a dozen of your tortures, if this means thwarting your plans. They may scream, and they may beg, but their heart will remain pure.» She sighs, her tone more submissive «However, a good Captain thinks of her soldiers. I can sentence myself to suffer, but not my men... not because of my pride.» you see she starts to give in «I do not believe you to be capable of mercy – I know our days have come to an end. But maybe some of you still have an ounce of honor.» She lifts her chin, proudly «Promise us a warrior’s death: a clean and quick execution, and a funeral pyre for my men – I won’t see their bodies used as puppets by the lot of you!» «Spare us your cruel games, end this quickly – and I will tell you what you want.»
The Captain cringes as her mind fights Leknep's incantation. Her blind eyes stare empty before her as she replies «I see no friend before me, nor I see anything else, you disgusting vermin; your blasphemous companions saw to that.» she grins, determined as she forcibly blinks to underline her sarcastic comment «Your mischievous magic pales before the mighty challenges that an Eagle Knight overcomes during training. You’ll have to do better if you wish to break the elite of Andoran!»
The coalition of threats, and scary faces making said threats, are enough to break the Knight’s spirit. «No… NOOO!» he says, retracting as far as the chains let him, trying to get away from Bru’s huge skull, Leknep’s teeth and Ichabod’s scars and pustules.«Please, please, I’ll talk!»
Knowledge (nobility, local or religion) DC 25:
The High Aruspex is part of a soothsaying and divining order, and belongs to the Twilight Talons – the intelligence branch of the Eagle Knights. Knowledge (local or arcana) DC 15: Theristrix the Treescourge was a mighty green dragoness that had her nest in the woods south-east of the Aspodell mountains. A delegation of Eagle Knights and adventurers slayed her, months ago, before Dagor Morthis was considered a serious threat by Andoren.
«The spawn of the devils shall not hurt me, for the Eternal Rose and the prayers of my brothers are with me. The spawn of the devils shall not hurt mmmmuuuaaAARGH!» the knight starts reciting his mantra but when Zexil rips off his nail he lets a scream go «f-for… for the Et…t…t…eternal Rose and the prayers of my brothers are with me. The-the spawn of the devils…» eyes staring empty at the ceiling, body shaking with pain, forehead drenched in sweat for the terror, he bravely awaits for the psychopathic gnome to resume the torture.
When Lillianna leans upon him, his mind is ready to believe her «No! No! They… they do not know anything! Yes! Let them go! I will talk!» Sense motive DC 13:
he’s lying about them not knowing anything, of course.
The dungeons of Everdusk Fortress are actually just the large cellar and winery of what once was called Jarmille Manor. It is a large and square stone room, cold but not too damp – Louis Jarmille cared about his estate before he become a mindless zombie in Dagor Morthis’ army. A few lanterns cast wavy shadows on the walls. The door that once led to the pantry is now heavily reinforced with metal bars, and the pantry hosts Growl, whose characteristic roaring noise welcome you as you chain the prisoners to the table in the middle of the room. From the north wall hang rows of hooks, knives, bonesaws, and scary instruments – while the south wall hosts several rows of good Taldan reds and a small cabinet with Chelaxian brandy, Galtian cognac and elven pear cider. The unconscious soldier opens his eyes and it takes him a while to understand where he is. Then his sight falls upon the lot of you «Monsters! You better just kill me now!»
The walk back with the unconscious bodies on your backs is slow, and the higher you get in the Aspodell the more the sun fades into the fog. You get to the front gate of Everdusk Fortress, and enjoy the grunts of admiration that comes from the guards and serfs of the master; you triumphally dump the bodies in the atrium, letting the diabolical décor of the house loom over them. For you, the door to the dungeons and interrogation is always open… and it’s been a while since Growl, the master’s pet abomination, had company down there.
Zexil: The sword is a regular +1 longsword. You recognize only two of the arrows, but you can imagine that the third is of the same kind. They are +1 dragon bane arrow.
Zexil: This region, right below Everdusk Fortress, is like your home. You frequently come down here looking for poisonous herbs and seeds, and there’s nothing new for you.
Looking among the corpses of the knights you find little of relevance. Their breastplate and sabres are of excellent craftsmanship but nonmagical in nature, and in the saddlebags there’s nothing more than outdoor equipment and trail rations, along with a handful of coins. Much better you fare with while searching the captain. Her longbow, dagger and armor are mundane, but you find two magic items that pop up on your arcane vision: the longsword shows signs of a basic magical enhancement, and in the quiver you find three arrows who shine up to your magic-enhanced vision.
Under the combined power of Baalzaebul’s blasphemous energy, channeled by Lillianna, and Bru’s mighty blow, even the brave steed Brightstar falls, whinnying in pain as the thick dark blood gushes out of him. What just half a minute ago was a quiet roadside thicket is now the stage of a massacre: the three knights lie on their backs, covered in wounds of different nature but equal direness, their armors shattered and their sabers lying useless. The brave horses so carefully trained either shared their former masters’ fate or fled in horror after being attacked by your vile group. Side by side, Brightstar and the Captain lie down on the blood-reddened grass, their groans increasingly fainter, their breath feebler, fighting with the cold death quickly approaching.
The horse's muscles freeze up as Lillianna's touch imbues the animal with ghoul stench. The horse stops mid-bite, panic growing in his eye.
Still trying to defend his dying master, Brightstar renuvates his attack against Zexil - still to no result.
GM rolls:
The last knight struggles under Bru’s hold: his half-hearted menace gets suffocated when the orc forces his face into the dirt and blocks his hands behind the back. His will to fight back is further weakened by another wave of negative energy that sucks off another bit of life force. But his trusty steed doesn’t take well the demise of his master: again he bites Bru, and this time the large teeth of the beast close on the orc’s clavicle with enough force to snap it in two. At the same time the Captain and Brightstar launch their last assault. You hear her pray «In the name of Shelyn, the Eternal Rose, I keep fighting for freedom and beaut… nngggh! » she grits her teeth as Lilianna’s channeling invests her «In the name of the God of Men, Aroden, who shall one day return in all his glory, I give my life for Andoren…aaahh! » Zexil’s bolt hits her in the gut. Blood gushes out of her mouth. She looks up to the sky with her blind eyes «I pledge my life and blade to the Golden Legion, and to the free republic of Andoren. I shall fight… nnngghh… tiran...tiranny and-anaaAAAAHH! » Ichabod’s projectile finds a weak spot in her armor and impact in her sternum. The brave captain falls off the horse and hits her head, unconscious, grasping for air, the mouth full of her own blood. Brightstar whinnies in despair and rage, and he stomps all around Zexil, missing him by few inches with every hit. GM rolls:
The remaining knights scream in pain as dozens of tiny cuts appear on their skin as a result of the negative energy wave sent by Lilianna. Even Zexil feels a bit uneasy – but he is only grazed by the blasphemous power.
As Leknep retreats into the bushes, both the captain and her horse face Zexil. The gnome’s necromantic ray is shrugged off by the knight, who renovates her attacks. Thankfully the blindness and the many wounds made her imprecise, and once again she fails to impact. Better luck has her horse, who closes his jaw on Zexil’s forearm and bites off a piece of flesh. Leknep:
Score! While around you the battle keeps going, you find a rotten tree stump hosting half a dozen crunchy stag beetles!
GM rolls:
The terrorized knight doesn’t have the lucidity to choose the best escape route: Bru is quick enough to catch up to him and bury his axe in the knight’s back. He was already wounded, and this hit is enough to cripple him and make him fall from the saddle, unconscious and dying. His paralyzed companion finally manages to break free of Lilianna’s spell, only to succumb to another mental manipulation from Dagor Morthis's own femme fatale. The knight's eyes burn up of a red rage, he unleashes a mad scream and spurs his horse towards his dying teammate. The scene is brutal: the horse tramples the already dying cavalier, his hooves reduce his face to a disgusting red pulp. «What… have I done?» a look of terror appears in the cavalier's eyes as the compulsion ends. «Oh gods… Edmund! Nooo! You'll pay for this, spawn of evil!» he yells at Lilianna. Meanwhile the Captain and her horse are uncontrolled furies. The horse once again avoids Leknep’s small blade and retaliates with animal rage: two kicks and a bite, all land a few inches from Leknep’s face. The horse neighs loudly in frustration.
GM rolls:
The unfortunate knight who is fighting Bru raises once again his blade, only to stop mid-blow. A chilling sensation of fear radiates from the eerily beautiful woman just a few step to his left. He is paralyzed for a second, then screams «Aaaah! Away from me, you creature of the night! Run, Hurricane, run!» he buries his spurs into the horse, and Hurricane whinnies loudly and then starts galloping away, so fast that Bru’s axe misses his exposed back. His two companions would probably flee too at this point, but one lies in an increasingly larger pool of his own arterial blood, while the other can’t seem to shake off the effects of Lilianna’s holding spell. Meanwhile Zexil aims his spell for the flying bird, only to curse under his breath when he notices the volatile is too far away. Angered by this, he unleashes the spell on the poor Captain, whose wounds are now taking a severe toll. She shakes off the freezing sensation of Zexil spell, though «Ride, Brightstar!» she pushes her horse «Bring me to them!» The horse avoids easily the poor attempt by Leknep to injure him and rides towards Zexil. You kind of have to admire the captain's courage. As Brightstar approaches Zexil, she flails wildly and blindly her sword at the gnome, missing him by inches. Brightstar too attacks, trying to bite off Zexil’s face, but his attack is as imprecise as the captain’s. «Evil creatures! I may die today, but I’ll bring one of you with me! For Andoran and the Eagle Knights!» RECAP:
GM ROLLS: -2(shaken) = 6
In a few seconds the knights see their death approach. The one that rode beside the Captain unsheathes his sabre and makes for the bushes screaming a war anthem, but Lilianna’s spell shuts him up and stops him cold on the spot. He sags a bit on the saddle, and the horse stops his charge, no longer feeling pushed by his rider. Meanwhile, Bru is making his way through the ranks of the knights in the back like a cleaver. His blow hits the second knight right amidst the breastplate, which cracks, exposing the knight’s soft skin. As a gush of blood dirties the once splendid uniform, Bru’s terrifying presence makes the knight even more uneasy.
Closer to the bushes, the captain doesn’t fare better. Confused and angered by the blindness, her scream turn from rage to pain when her longblade becomes red hot, melting the skin off her palm. She holds her grip bravely, though. A second later, the skeleton’s polearm opens a large wound on her thigh. «Ah!» she screams in pain «Anders, retreat! Leave me here and run!» she yells at her companions, not knowing their condition. She reaches inside her coat, pronounces a brief arcane formula and opens her hand: a blackbird flies out of it, taking the sky.
Perception DC 20: the blackbird has a message tied to his leg Spellcraft DC 16:
she used the spell Animal Messenger recap for my tracking:
GM rolls: -2 (shaken) = 15
As Ichabod’s dart flies off a good two feet above her head and Leknep’s sinister rhyme fills the air, the Captain stops her mount and looks towards the bushes. «It’s an ambush! Men, form the line and chanrge those bushes!» she pronounces two arcane words, then as her horse charges towards the bushes, she unsheathes her longblade and a knife from her belt. Her men are slower to react to the danger, trying to turn their horses in the same direction. The first one opens his mouth and tries to yell an order, but much to his surprise no sound comes out of his mouth.
The captain screams in rage, as she looks over her shoulder and sees one of her men slain. She keeps on charging, but the her scream of rage turns into fear and confusion as all of a sudden her eyes fail her. Zexil grins, satisfied of his spell.
Recap for tracking:
All is set. The trees around you fall silent, small animals scared away by your menacing presence. The quick clop of the Knights’s steeds is about the only sound that can be heard. All of you (but for Bru) hold your breath in anticipation. Then the Captain is finally in front of the bushes you're hiding in. She turns her head startled «Did you hear th…?» but she’s too late.
As they ride towards your ambush point, some of you manage to hear the knights’ conversation. Perception DC 12 – which is to mean Lilianna, Leknep and Bru:
«Shouldn’t we move faster? » asks one of the knights. «The High Aruspex saw it clearly, it’s just sitting in the nest. It’s not going anywhere. » replies the Captain over her shoulder «I don’t want to fatigue our horses. These hills can be dangerous: right above us lives that madman that slaughtered Harridan’s troop. » «Is he really that dangerous? I mean… Harridan has always been a foolhardy and impulsive commander – everyone knew he would have led his guys to the disaster sooner or later…» The Captain turns, furious «Don’t talk about your superior this way, Falk! We are not here to assess what happened in that battle. The sooner we get away from this peak, the sooner we can deal with our mission, the better. The egg must be destroyed. Now, ride!» Bru manages to hear this just before the silencing spell is cast on him. Lilianna still has time to interrupt the casting if so she wishes.
You’re all set and suited up, and walk out the front gate of Everdusk with clear intentions. You follow the southern pathway down to intercept the Knights – it’s a familiar walk, one you’ve taken many times when leading a raid in Dagor Morthis’s name.
All that green and lusty vegetation has his use, though: hidden in the thick bushes on the side of the street, you wait for the Knights to come in range. Finally, after almost half an hour squatting in hide, you see them, all riding slender bay horses at a sustained walking pace: three knights wearing the usual blue jacket with golden shoulderpads above the engraved breastplate, armed with cavalry sabres; and their Captain, lightly armored and covered with a cowl, a longsword on her back. The knights are chattering loudly among themselves, and seem very excited.
With a fearsome darting of his gaze Dagor Morthis silences the chatter of his minions. He makes for his boudoir, then almost as an afterthought stops, looks back towards Lillianna and Zexil. He whispers two words, opens his hand and a scene made of dust and arcane colors takes form in front of all of you. You see the rock formations and flora typically found at the feet of the mountain, five miles south of the villages that Dagor’s zombies raided a few weeks back. There, four knights in high uniform ride in square formation. Knowledge (nobility or local) DC 12:
You recognize the uniforms of the members of the Golden Legion – the branch of Eagle Knights that operates on domestic soil; One of the four – a tall woman with tanned skin and dark hair - is a Captain. Dagor snaps his fingers and the image disappears. «Enough questions. Go. And make a message out of these fools.» he walks back to his quarters, leaving you in the Sundeath Chamber.
It is almost dawn now at the Everdusk Fortress.
Ichabod has been in the salon for a while now, cleaning. Lillianna lies down on a soft and dusty sofa a few feet away, and the rest of you just got in.
«AGAIN?» a raging scream in Dagor Morthis’s voice comes from behind the curtain «What are they still doing here? Haven’t they had enough?» many arcane words follows from Iubhal, interrupted by blasphemies and insults from your master.
Spellcraft DC 14:
You recognize the incantation as some sort of scrying spell After a while, between the screams of your master you hear Iubhal whimper «Th-this is not… » he stutters «Master, I am su-sure we can try agaaAAHH!» a bright white light flashes in the minuscule opening between curtain and floor, then you hear a soft thud. Dagor Morthis comes out of the study, his face hidden by the cowl «Lillianna, my dark flower! Where are you?» he flashes his gaze around the room until he sees her. «Oh, here you are! Grab Bru and these two dancing monkeys» he points at Leknep and Zexil «Take the southern path down to Crow’s Nest. Those Eagle buffoons think they can keep trespassing in Dagor Morthis’s Territory.» then, almost as an afterthought «Ezekiel, you should probably join them. But clean the study first.» he says at Ichabod.
Ok, so... it's time. It's been as hard as I anticipated. My (un)lucky minions will be: Ichabod - oracle of butlery!
Thanks so much to everybody for the applications. Your dedication almost made me reconsider my evil plans. Almost. Since I'm a bit swamped today and I don't want to half-ass the first post, don't be worried if it takes a while until I set up Gameplay and Discussion threads - could be as soon as an hour from now, or as late tomorrow at this hour. |