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With the rapid onset of commotion, the professor steps forward with a potion in hand and spews a wave of color across the insectoid creatures. The one closest to him drops to the ground with a thud, seemingly unconscious. The other two still stand, however, now poised to attack. They begin retching and gagging as if preparing to spit something across the party. The rumbling and seismic activity has died down slightly, but the roaring water outside is still in full swing.
Bug rolls:
Haha hey they didn't make the first move! Blame the professor.
Nandita: I use photoshop and one of the low end wacom tablets. I just have the picture as 2048x2048 then crop it down and save for the google drawings maps. Also don't forget you guys can move yourselves around on the map if you are so inclined.
You all filter into the small chamber lit by the altar candles. They blaze with a deep red either supernatural or alchemical. In the southeastern corner, a small five-by-five alcove is cut into the wall with a slim window viewing out over the basin. As you enter the room, a deep rumble grows from within the mountain. Within seconds, the ground and walls are violently shaking and a quiet murmur grows into a loud roar from outside. You can hear the sound of crashing water echo in through halls behind you and from the window in the room. The commotion has disturbed the creatures in the room which are now riled up sniffing the air. The one in the southwestern corner skitters up to the writhing body of the Vanara and picks it up with its powerful arms, tearing it away from the sticky ooze. It carries the body over to the nest and drops it in a mucoid hive. They turn to you and get in a defensive position, guarding their nest...and the door. Look out to the basin:
Looking out over the basin reveals the source of the roaring violence. Each of the four bull heads looking over the cliff have begun spewing water out into the lake. The circular entrance in the entry wall has been sealed off and a boat with two robed individuals rests by the center pedestal. The excess water is contained by the sealed wall and is slowly rising. Investigating the altar:
The altar is coated in a brown substance that is extremely sticky and has a subtle pungent smell. A statue of the revered bovine god rests on the back of the altar, now covered in mucous and Vanara fur.
Are the maps working out for you guys?
Sukumar: When you enter the room, to your horror, you see that the wriggling mass on the altar is actually the body of a dead Vanara with something moving inside of it. On the west side of the room, covering a stone door is a stucco-like nest of two aberrant creatures. They appear to be a mix of humanoid and insect. Their flesh is grey and tough. Their face humanoid but devoid of eyes or a humanoid nose. Their lower bodies are an undulating mass like a termite queen's, supported by many small legs. Their torso and arms are humanoid in shape and with a perfect physique both male and female. The two creatures do not stir as you enter the room and lie coiled up. A third creature rests in the south west corner of the room and raises its head as you enter. From your skill with animals, you gather that it sniffing the air to detect you. It then lays its head back down.
Just incase it wasn't clear. The altar is in the room, not the hall. Its the bottom of the room on the map.
The narrow corridor drips with a collected dew that seeps in from the mountain ceiling. You slowly creep forward and around the left bend, inspecting every facet of the ancient temple. Evidence of foot-travel lurks in the dirt and dust on the ground. The moaning from the right corridor grows in intensity before finally calming to a hush followed by a heavy shuffle that fades to silence. The left corridor continues another a short distance before opening to a lit room. Peaking around the corner, you can see a raised altar at the opposite end of the room. Shadows dance across a altar fires and you can smell a sour odor wafting into the halls. Skittering and chittering coming from the room. Perception if looking in DC 15:
The altar is covered in a thick brown mucus and a something wriggling. The undeniable glint of gold pierces through the wet coating. Fluent in Vudrani: Engravings along the wall depict Dokhamaut shielding a horde of bizarre aberrations from the cycle of reincarnation and housing them in his splendorous home.
I've organized you guys on the map. If you want to reorganize your line-up feel free.
Calaak nods at the requests to join and gives an appreciative smile, "Good to know I'm not seen as an old crone." You bundle up all of the supplies that you feel will be necessary and begin ascending the rope. The tall cliffside blocks the early sun, offering reprieve from its merciless heat. Once everyone has made it atop the portico, you get a good look inside the entrance. Moss grows on the stone ground hugging the walls revealing the center pathway of worn decorative stone. The walls are simple sandstone bricks with minor detailing. A recessed ridge runs along both walls from end to end which are filled with skulls in single file. Each skull has a symbol painted on it matching the necklace you found seemingly in blood. The tunnel stands approximately 5ft wide and 10ft in height. It extends for nearly 30ft before forking left and right. A faint glow emanates from the left hall flickering as if from a fire. Meanwhile, a low hum can be heard from the right.
Calaak chimes in, "I agree. In my experience, something so obvious is probably a trap." You row up to the collapsed staircase of the temple entrance and survey the surroundings for a way up. The roots encasing the entrance extend down into the water and form you first option. Calaak has a few supplies prepared for the occasion, including a healer's kit and dungeoneer's kit as well as a weathered old rogue's kit that appears to have seen much use. "I have just the thing you need." She reaches into the scuffed pack and pulls out a nicked and chipped grappling hook and ties it to some frayed rope. "Looks like we might have to leave the boat and some of our stuff behind," she points the camping supplies. "On the other hand, I'm not sure how much use I'd be with you in there. I could stay with the boat and take it back ashore and guard our belongings, keeping an eye out for your return." Search pedestal for traps - Perception DC 20:
In looking over the pedestal, you detect a complex mechanism connected with the circular centerpiece that allows it to rotate. It requires some sort of key to activate.
As you row further into the basin, the pedestal in the center becomes more visible and you are able to make out more of the details. The back of the pedestal features a similar carving as the wall with the enraged bull figure. The face of the pedestal features a circular plate carved into the stone with two shapes protruding from the center. It looks like a simple bull head with a diamond above. Around them are fancy carvings featuring numerous scenes of individuals offering tribute to the god. Fluent in Vudrani: You can make out weathered carvings of the words "Dokhamaut - God of Immortality and Permanent Death" wrapped around the circular carving. It is an old dialect of Vudrani.
In the morning, you all are relieved to find yourselves in one piece. At worst, you've been a tasty meal for some small biting insects and suffer a bothersome itch, at best you're hot and sweaty. Calaak begins to prepare breakfast - a simple meal of bread and ripe melon - and spots a plump snake near the campground. With little effort, you catch the snake, skin it and toss it on the fire while you eat in an attempt to get some protein for the day. "If you've never had snake, it's a lot like chicken," Calaak jokes. There is freshly boiled water that has been cooling overnight. While everyone is eating up and preparing for departure, Calaak says, "We should be on the lookout. Sukumar saw something heading upstream, but I saw no sign of movement during my watch." Leaving in the early morning light, you gather things and make for the river. The collected dew from the night is evaporating into the air, thickening the mists worse than it had been the previous day. As you lug the boat back into the water, you can barely even make out the wall that was so clear to you before. As everyone settles into their spots, the journey begins again. As you near the wall, the carvings become clearer, as does the large statue overhead. Scenes of the brutal warpath of the bull-headed figure above cutting down hordes of demons and evil spirits. Scenes of mothers offering still-borns to the fiery god and celebrating their tribute. And the scene of the wrathful god conquering death itself. Samuel and Nandita:
As you pass through the wall, you are overwhelmed by the extreme spiritual significance of the place. Beyond the wall is a large circular basin surrounded by high mountain walls. Looking above, you can see four massive bull-head statues hanging over the cliffside some sixty feet high. In the center of the basin is a pedestal that rises from the still waters, standing alone. And looking beyond it, you can see the magnificent entrance to the temple carved into the cliff wall twenty feet above the surface of the water. Shrouded by the strangling roots of the cliffside trees, you can barely make out the dark tunnel laid into the stone edifice. The entrance juts forward into a small stone platform where two statues of enraged bulls guard the entrance. What appears to have been a staircase up to the entrance has all but eroded. The basin is silent and serene. Survival/Knowledge(Nature) DC 15: The walls of the basin are darkened from what you recognize to be higher water levels that stop at the base of the temple entrance.
Sorry about the delay. Worked 6:30am-11:30pm. No fun =(
The nighttime air is much more comfortable than the hot and humid midday cover. The temperature fluctuates within the 70s and the humidity has dropped significantly. The bugs are drawn to the fire and seem to largely ignore you, but many are still drawn the carbon on your breath and seek to feed. Samuel:
Your watch is mostly composed of shoo-ing the bugs that have come inland from the river to rest in the brush. You can hear the far off rustling of nightlife all around, but you don't feel threatened yet. Luckily you get to enjoy the fire in it's brightest blaze. Lanhan:
During your watch, the large millipede that crossed your path before appears to have returned back to camp. It mozies through camp, heading from the river brush to the tree and disappearing in its thick cover of vines. Sukumar:
Your watch is just as uneventful as the last. The most excitement being a fatal encounter between some small worm-like bug and hunting spider. Suddenly, a flicker of light catches your eyes. It is coming from the river. You can see a small fire like that of a torch light traveling upstream. There are two dark figures on the boat. They appear to have rowed out from the wall. Every now and then, you hear a muffled bark coming from their direction. Nandita:
Your watch is starts just as the sun begins to rise. You get to see the beautiful rainbow lightshow of the early morning light reflecting across the dew and mists. Sadly, the humidity seems only to rise as the dew begins to evaporate and you're quickly reminded of its sticky discomfort.
Haha love the squabble. I'll have an update in the morning. Need some much needed sleep now. Starting a new project at work as lead developer that's keeping me more busy than anticipated. So it looks like the watch order will be Samuel -> Landhan -> Sukumar -> Calaak -> Nandita?
Very beginning of the post, there is a link to an image and youtube for the music. The links are called MAP/SCENE and MUSIC.
Aye, sorry about that. Never intend to ignore anyone. I think I answered your second question and forgot about the first. Though you did play it off nicely. +1 for roleplay
With the group's approval to stop before the wall, Calaak thrusts an oar into the waters on the right of the boat and starts a hard turn for the shore. By the time you make it to land and hoist the boat out of the waters, you are approximately 100ft upshore from the wall. As you clear your way past the brush to keep out of sight of anyone traveling along the river, you can see and hear hundreds of animals and insects fleeing your path and rustling in the surrounding bushes. A particularly large millipede, potentially twice that of the centipedes you fought earlier, steadily crawls in front you and ducks into the brush. You find a relatively clear area tucked inside the curling embrace of a massive vine. The area rests between the river and a large tree some 20 feet in diameter. It is draped in vines and ivy that hide the trunk entirely. You are able to see the river through the thick cover of the underbrush, but not the wall from your current position. "Sukumar, I'll just take watch after you. Although, with the condition of my eyes, there's no knowing if I'll just be chasing shadows." Calaak responds. As you gather your senses and take notes of the area, you come across a couple surprises. The first is a nearby Sticky Fruit plant that is quite messy to eat by a sugary treat favored by the Vudrani. The second is the familiar the scent of the valuable Dalchini spice, a splindly wooden shrub that grows in low creeping patches and fetches a pretty penny at the Spice Market of Radripal. Survival DC 10:
You recognize the Sticky Fruit as the poisonous counterpart known locally as "icky fruit". When the skin is broken, it releases a terrible stench that lasts for days.
GM Rolls:
After the party gives their input, Calaak nods, "Press on we shall." You continue with your easy journey down the river for another half hour. The surrounding land rises in elevation as you approach the base of a small mountain. If you had traveled past the jungles before, you certainly never noticed any mountains. By now, only a faint glow of light remains from the setting sun. Finally, you spot something of note. Ahead of you, stretched between the flanking mountain cliffs is a large wall constructed of stone. It is intricately carved with stone murals and bas reliefs depicting all manner of scenes. At the peak of the wall is a grand statue, maybe 15 feet in height, depicting a many-armed, bull-headed figure with a fiery third eye and skull necklace. Beneath it, a perfectly circular opening in the wall allows the river to funnel through, coming to a rest on the other side. Beyond the wall, you can make out the large mountain cliffside that encircles the water below. The glimmer of firelight can be seen at the top of the cliffs. The river flow is once again picking up pace as it is funneled through the large opening in the wall. "Looks like this might be our last chance to turn back..." Calaak says.
Perception DC 20: You can just make out some figures through mist and dim light ahead located by the fires. High up on the cliffs beyond the wall, you can see four large bull head statues that crest out over the water. You guess that they must be at least twenty feet wide and deep. Their mouths hang agape.
Also Landhan, I see the prepared extracts that you have but can't seem to find the rest of the starting extracts that you know. Are they in your profile? It looks like you should have 6 1st level starting extracts.
Nice work there Sukumar. I figured it'd be easy, but not that easy.
Seeing the wound Nandita has suffered, Calaak drops the weapon and frantically scrounges through her bags. Disappointed, she stands up holding nothing more than bandages and offers to wrap her arm. "Thirty years ago, these bags would have been full of serums, salves and poultices for just this occasion." Turning to Samuel, she responds, "I agree. Hopefully this amulet will prove to be of use, or at the least some value. Strange that there would be a warrior caste's caravan this deep in the jungle, though. Must have been on a mission." As you stand on the river bank, the humidity hangs heavy in the air and you begin to sweat after your quick burst of action. To make matters worse, the small biting insects find you in your stillness and begin swarming.
Nandita and Sukumar:
Your survival skills pick up on the slowing river flow, indicating that a still body of water is ahead. How far ahead, however, is hard to tell. Perception DC 15:
Hidden within the deep brush, you begin to notice stone statues spotted about every quarter mile. They are only about two to three feet tall and depict a seated bull-headed figure with a blazing third eye that glistens in the evening light. Knowledge(History/Local) DC 10:
Over a century ago, the Matra river was plagued by kidnappings that would snatch travelers and merchants and carry them deep into the Skittering Mists. Citizens of Radripal and Liprol made claims they were taken as sacrifices to a dark god. Some even say the mists didn't appear until the kidnappings...
Harvest Tiger Centipede Venom: Survival/Handle Animal DC 10
Very cool Nandita, I can't wait to see it! Samuel, thanks for catching those things, makes my job a lot easier. =)
As the large centipede burst from the trunk, Samuel's reflexes took over. With a blinding flash of light, Samuel summons a bursting flare that ignites in front of the centipede's sensitive eyes. It falters just so, giving Sukumar the perfect shot. His bow already drawn, he launches an arrow clean into its head, pinning it to the ground. He stows his bow in preparation of drawing his hammer. As the second centipede emerges, Landhan prepares to defend himself with a simple ray of frost, but the agility of the arthropod makes it impossible to line up a shot. The centipede now whipping towards Nandita, she hoists her crossbow and looses a bolt, but it only makes contact with the ground. She stows the crossbow in preparation for her scythe. Calaak crouches on the boat, hoping to line up a shot with her crossbow, but her impaired vision and the hectic combat halts her from loosing a bolt. All she can do is shout warnings from the side-line, "Watch the fangs! They have a nasty venom!" The centipede closes in on Nandita, raising it's head to strike with it's large fangs. She raises her arm to block her head from the bite and its pincers sink deep into her arm. The venom enters her bloodstream and its effects are immediate, causing her to feel sickened. The centipede lets go and prepares for another strike.
Nandita:
Any signs of battle have been washed away in the frequent rains or marred by the foot traffic of the creatures. The caravan, however, appears to have suffered damage beyond that of natural weathering however. Something sharp from the looks of it. After a brief moment of inspecting the wreckage and body, the stillness around you is disturbed. Shooting out of from beneath the felled log are two giant centipedes with alternating red and black segments. Their antennae whip back and forth in search of the prey that it can sense in the area, honing in on Samuel and Nandita. Their large venomous forcipules clamp open and closed in anticipation for the upcoming fight. From Landhan's warnings and the general sense of danger raising your awareness, you are on your toes and ready to act first.
Knowledge DC 20: After seeing the bull headed pendant in combination with your destination, Dokhamandir, you recognize the symbol as belonging to the long forgetten god of immortality, Dokhamaut. You have seen depictions of him with a fiery mane and many arms, wearing a necklace made of skulls.
Calaak turns to Sukumar and shrugs, "Looks like we're going ashore." She heaves the oars forward, sending the boat steadily forward towards the body. The boat slides easily onto the muddy bank and with a solid tug, you pull the boat onto land. Ferns and rotted undergrowth soften your steps but release the putrid stench of decay. Whatever the source of the death, it has seeped into the ground. "No way this is just from that one body," Calaak says. Ahead of you lies the mushroom and moss covered log that supports the half-bovine corpse. At a closer glance, you can tell that the bull head is in-fact a mask. It's painted blue fur has faded to brown in the thick humidity. The body beneath the mask belongs to a Vanara. It looks to have been here a while since it's beyond the stages of bloat and any sort of carrion bugs have come and gone. Its now hairless skin sags over its bones and you can see patches of frayed red robes. A rusted kukri lies in the growth just outside its grasp and around its neck hangs a golden pendant in the shape of a bulls head with a hollow carved in the center. Calaak stands back by the boat, grabbing a light crossbow from underneath the boat seat.
Searching the Body:
You spot a small pouch tucked under the fallen log and mostly covered in moss. Inside is 1 rations worth of dried fruit, a vial of centipede poison and small ruby. Searching the Caravan:
Searching the remains of the caravan, you find a broken pair of shackles and a ceremonial knife emblazoned with the symbol for the warrior's caste. Perception DC 23:
You see a bright flash of red zip through the dense jungle cover and underneath the log. Whatever it was, it was long and slender and stayed low to the ground. GM Rolls:
Landhan sits in the back of the boat, resting his oar on his lap. Keeping an eye out in the trees and bushes, he lets out an unsatisfying grunt. Calaak drops the oars back into the water, preparing either to continue down the river or steer ashore. "I can say with confidence that Bull's Head Basin will not be found by that body. But if you're saying it's got the head of a bull, maybe it will provide us a clue of what's to come. Or..." her voice trails off as she recalls a past adventure, "Or it's a trap." Calaak pans her gaze across the boat waiting to see the party's opinion.
Samuel, I agree that psychics should have its own knowledge, and knowledge(planes) is a perfectly fitting. I will adjust the campaign page to include this. I was hesitant to use the "psychich magic artwork" argument because, like you said, they likely over-do things. My initial thoughts for spellcraft checks were to have only other psychics capable of using it to identify spells. @Nandita If you are a Vudrani Human, then you start with both Common and Vudrani.
Samuel:
You direct your attention to where Nandita is pointing and can see the body she is referring to lying beneath a felled log. It is only about twenty feet ahead off to the left bank. You struggle to identify the body as it has a large bovine head and a slender decomposing humanoid body. You also spot evidence of a broken and rotting wagon against the log. Sukumar:
There is no immediately surrounding signs of the creature's death, but you do hear the faint echo of rustling bushes and the delicate taps of a thousand legs clattering against wood. It is coming from all around you and seemingly both near and far. Calaak perks up and looks in the direction of Nandita's outstretched finger, clearly struggling to find the person. She signals to halt rowing. "Alive or dead?" she asks, her voice calm and calculating. "Sukumar, keep your eyes peeled and your bow drawn."
Thanks for the character info Nandita. As far as knowledge skills go, I would keep psychics as knowledge(arcana) for the most part. I think understanding gaining a better understanding of your spirit would fall under knowledge(planes) however, since they are outsiders. And to identify a psychic spell being cast, it would still use spellcraft. If it were taking place outside of Vudra where psychic magic is so prevalent, I might have given a penalty to such things or raised the DC. But I feel like Vudrani would be very familiar with psychic magic and identifying it. Samuel it seems like you have a good grasp on the new occult material, if you have any thoughts, let's hear em. This is the first time I'm using occult material in an adventure, so I'm still learning as well.
@Landhan, got it. I sent out an email to those I have right now. Nandita I think your email is the only one I don't have at the moment. No rush though. =)
Calaak nods at Sukumar, granting his request. She rolls up the map and slips it back into its leather case and takes Sukumar's spot at the oar. "The map won't be of much use here, we have to navigate by sight. And with this cover, I am of no use." She gives the oar a deliberately strong row, trying to prove she is more than capable of pulling her weight. "I do agree with Samuel though, we need to find our landing soon. We should take advantage of the swift travel that the river affords and make it to the Bull's Head Basin. Both Manjit Sandhu and Kalkin "Fortune-Seeker" wrote about the reservoir in their journals as "the first of many challenges" into Dokhamandir."
Ahh, you are correct. I thought she meant bonus starting spells, but, spiritualists only begin play with 4 0-level spells and 2 1st-level spells and that number is fixed and not increased by higher wisdom scores.
I don't necessarily have a problem with it. Let's just limit it to one swapped though.
@Sukumar No problem. Since Nandita won't have stats immediately I'm not planning on any stat reliant stuff right away. Also, I'm adding some of the house-rules and other info in the campaign info tab just to keep track.
It was going to be a 15 point buy, but everyone showed interest in 20 so I OK'd it. Plus it should help being a party of 4 rather than 5 with a few new classes being played. Also, Gameplay has started! And I sent messages to everyone with my gmail.
You have spent well over an hour coursing down the easy Matra river, taking in the sites that surround you and greeting the merchants and travelers you pass. Coming to a fork in the wide river, you turn further south where all merchant travel seems to avoid. The signs are everywhere - Warning! Jungle dangers ahead! Travel at your own risk!. But you press on. Calaak pulls out the map and rolls it across one of the benches, weighting it down with a compass and knife. We are here and need to get here-" she draws a line from the fork in the Matra through a simple maze of forking and rejoining rivers. Her finger ends where the map does. "Where everything fades, that is the Skittering Mists." Despite having only one half-good eye, Calaak manages to guide you through the jungle river without err. The rocky plains that surrounded the Matra have begun to grow into dense forest cover. The sounds of wildlife are growing louder. You continue forward, following Calaak's guidance for almost another hour. Coming to a sharp turn in the river, Calaak stands up and lets out a large sigh of relief. Before you, the river creeps forward for almost two-hundred yards where it fades into the eerie mists of the jungle ahead. The lush forest growth has transformed from a vibrant green cover to a putrid yellow field of dying plants. The jungle still looms around you, but the stench of rot accompanies the dying mass of vegetation. The jungle cover grows thicker farther down the river, but so does the stench. "Here we are. The Skittering Mists. Prepare yourselves, for anything could be waiting for us in there."
Landhan It looks like you've still got a 15 pt buy and have 5 points left to spend. I'd like to put a min at 6 and max 19 if you don't mind. Also could you note on your character sheet what your starting spells are, not just the prepared ones. Should have 6 1st-level spells. Samuel Just a reminder, but it looks like the myth-weaver link is still for the 25 pt buy. Sukumar You also have a 15 pt buy with 5 more to spend =)
Psychic Component RAW:
Psychic magic originates from the distinctive qualities of the caster’s composite being, rather than through arcane formulae or rote supplication to divine entities. Therefore, psychic spells never have verbal or somatic components, and have only expensive material components. Psychic spells are purely mental actions, and they can be cast even while the caster is pinned or paralyzed. Focus components work the same way with psychic spells as they do with other spells. When a spell calls for an expensive material component, a psychic spellcaster can instead use any item with both significant meaning and a value greater than or equal to the spell’s component cost. For example, if a spiritualist wanted to cast raise dead to bring her dead husband back from the grave, she could use her 5,000 gp wedding ring as the spell’s material component. Instead of verbal and somatic components, all psychic spells have components related to the caster’s inner being. The two psychic components are called emotion components and thought components. If a spell’s components line lists a somatic component, that spell instead requires an emotion component when cast by psychic spellcasters, and if it has a verbal component, it instead requires a thought component when cast by psychic spellcasters. Psychic spells cast by non-psychic arcane and divine casters use any listed somatic and verbal components as normal. Emotion Components: Emotion components represent a particular emotional state required to cast the spell. A psychic spellcaster marshals her desire in order to focus and release the spell’s energy. It is impossible to cast a spell with an emotion component while the spellcaster is under the influence of a non-harmless effect with the emotion or fear descriptors. (The emotion descriptor was originally introduced in Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic.) Even if the effect’s emotion matches the necessary emotion to cast the psychic spell, the spellcaster is not in control of her own desires and animal impulses, which is a necessary part of providing an emotion component. Thought Components: Thought components represent mental constructs necessary for the spell’s function, such as picturing a wolf in vivid detail—down to the saliva dripping from its jaws—in order to cast beast shape to transform into a wolf. Thought components are so mentally demanding that they make interruptions and distractions extremely challenging. The DC for any concentration check for a spell with a thought component increases by 10. A psychic spellcaster casting a spell with a thought component can take a move action before beginning to cast the spell to center herself; she can then use the normal DC instead of the increased DC. Just as spell-like abilities never require verbal, somatic, or material components, these abilities also don’t require thought or emotion components. A psychic spellcaster can replace verbal and somatic components with thought and emotion components only for the purposes of the spell components themselves, not for the purposes of any other rules elements that relate to verbal and somatic components. She can’t use Silent Spell to ignore the thought component of a spell, for example. The new feats Intuitive Spell and Logical Spell serve a similar function for these new components, and appear in Chapter 3. Nandita:
As you creep steadily down the river into the sweeping fog bank, Landhan draws your attention to the dying vegetation on the shore. Slumped against a mossy log, you spot a broken and rotten wagon wheel...and a body. Sukumar As you scan the surroundings, you get an uneasy feeling that you're being watched. But jungles being such as they are, teaming with things eagerly awaiting their next meal, that feeling is sure to stick.
I sent the spiritualist player a message and he will be getting his character finalized by the weekend. In the meantime, I will work on getting a little preamble to the adventure going in the gameplay thread so that you guys can start roleplaying and getting into character. For now, I will leave you with the results of your random rolls. They were meant for mundane "random encounters", but not in the traditional sense. I will tell you what your character has encountered on his journey down the Matra river and ask for a little explanation. Feel free to get creative and world build. For some quick context, you guys left from Radripal around noon, with the hopes of making landfall within the Skittering Mists by sunset with time to make camp. About 6 miles down the river, thick jungle growth begins to surround and envelope the river shores. Taking several winding splits in the river, you can finally see the uncanny fog banks ahead - the Skittering Mists. You gently row forward, at this point relying on the faded map to guide you through the obscure jungle-river complex. (More detailed into to come when I open gameplay) Sukumar:
As the mist surrounds the boat, you hear an earsplitting stridulation from within the jungle, followed by the sound of clattering legs echoing in the distance. Landhan:
You have seen this picture before - the foreboding stretch of river leading into the unknown that lies in wait past the mist. It was in one of your texts, but something is different... Samuel: Just before entering the mists, you looked to the shores and spotted a cluster of broken and shattered arrows. In fact, they were scattered all over the shoreline.
At quick glance, it appears that all the psychic spell casters are spontaneous casters and just need 8 hours of rest.
Hmm, I haven't come across much going deep into their relations with other countries, but from the way they're described, it sounds like they are a very amiable lot who would be on good terms with just about everyone. The way they're described is people who enter into relations with Vudran with a negative disposition are usually swayed because they're so friendly. So I would say they're at least neutral if not friendly. As for actors, they would love it. Vudra is big on theatrics, dance and display so actors are in a good spot. As far as detecting and understanding psychic magic, that's a great question. I'll check the Occult Adventures when I get home to see if they discuss it. If not, we can come up with something. I like the idea that outsiders aren't fully aware of how it works or what it looks like though.
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