Figuring he might as well take advantage of warfare being the only thing he knows, Erazire seeks out Guldar, hoping to learn his trade. He approaches the blacksmith one evening. "Hello," he begins slowly, "I wonder if you are accepting apprenticesss. I'd like to learn your trade, and I'm looking for employment while we ressst here. Are you looking for help?" While he's therem he also asks Guldar, "What do you think this ring isss worth?" He shows him his ring of protection.
** spoiler omitted **
"Not really looking for apprentices, but I wouldn't mind teaching you the basics. I'll teach you how to use the tools and work the forge. You'll need to do chores. My daughter will be pleased."
Figuring he might as well take advantage of warfare being the only thing he knows, Erazire seeks out Guldar, hoping to learn his trade. He approaches the blacksmith one evening. "Hello," he begins slowly, "I wonder if you are accepting apprenticesss. I'd like to learn your trade, and I'm looking for employment while we ressst here. Are you looking for help?" While he's therem he also asks Guldar, "What do you think this ring isss worth?" He shows him his ring of protection.
** spoiler omitted **
"Hmmm. This is quite simple, but powerful magic. I haven't seen many of these. I've heard them called "guardian rings". I'd imagine you could ask around 10 grand fairly, maybe more."
Guldar approaches Erazire and places his hand upon his shoulder.
"You weathered quite an assault from the strongest bear. Thank you."
He takes the silver chain off from around his neck, it's interlocked silver rings begin to float and a gentle golden mist spills out faintly finding it's way to your wounds.
Cure Wounds:
Healing:2d8 + 5 ⇒ (8, 2) + 5 = 15
He approaches the horses. He speaks an incantation.
Ot'dykh:
Destroy Undead: when an Undead of CR 1 or lower fails its saving throw against Your Turn Undead feature, the creature is instantly destroyed.Saving Throw:1d20 - 2 ⇒ (4) - 2 = 2
The horses vaporize, their ash blows away mixing with the snow.
"Poor creatures...."
"I'll join the group going to Haven's Cross. I miss my daughter. I'll speak with Bill."
"It sounds like it three for the Manor and four for Haven's Cross. Another 30 hours or so without real rest or shelter may be more than some can bear and we're still another 12 or so from the mansion... Not to mention the trip back.. "
Florr agrees with Erazire. "We have provisions to last us a bit, and this kind gentleman says we can help ourselves. I say we head to Rubrim Grima as well. And didn't Old Bill say he was setting up some sort of magical portal there? I can't recall the details.... Anyone remember?"
She glances at Grombar and his gutted bear. "You almost done there? Were you doing both bears?"
She looks at Rurik and the bugbear body. "My guess is that he was just looking for trouble. Do you know him?" she asks the driver.
She stows her bow and the apples. "Now, how are we going to get this cart moving? I tried offering the horses an apple, but they don't seem to be behaving like horses that are alive." She glances at Aengus. "Maybe you could make yourself big and pull the cart?" Then she looks at Erazire. "You are strong too, maybe you could help?"
"Bill is quite a sentimental and does like magic portals... But I'd haven't a clue how to use it..."
So it's 4 voting for Grima and 2 for Haven's Cross... And I didn't catch your name sir.. How do you vote? "
"If I'm not mistaken, I think the Rubrum Grima is closer. If we March until morning we could make it there to take shelter and prepare. But the snow will be higher when we leave and there's no sign of it stopping.. "
"Those injuries..they may be beyond my...Limbseed? Where did you get this? Do you have any idea how rare this is? I....even still. I'm familiar with healing through my conviction and devotion to the Dwarven All Mother but I'm not much of an apothecary. I'll do my best but even if I'm successful this will take time."
He sighs.
"Rurik, will you accompany me and keep me protected while I work?"
Towards the end of the meal, Nikolai removes several objects from his pack.
"I found this stuff on one of them elves. Anyone have any idea what it may be. Florr, these arrows are too big for my bow but I think the narrow ones might be the ones with Indigo Wasp poison if you think you can use them. Some mean looking ones in there too look like they could take down a bear."
Along with the arrows he shows the group the jar with the waxy substance and vials of powder.
"I expect there probably more where these came from on the others. Speaking of bodies, in my line of work we generally don't leave them lying around. But if we're in a hurry we're in a hurry. What do you all think?"
The waxy substance seems the most odd to me, I'm not quite sure. May just be food. The arrows are indigo wasp stingers. The poison is debilitating but...from what I could tell from my last run in with these elves, there aren't much more of them that survived. Their last village was a disgusting place. It should have been burned down. Terrible things happen there. I'm glad my wife was killed and not taken."
Guldar stretches, he moves his fingers and toes and rolls his wrists and ankles.
"I must say...not my proudest moment. A Dwarf thwarted by Elven poisons. I suppose I'm a bit rusty when it comes to adventuring..Indigo Wasp poison, a cowardly means of assault. Thank you Florr."
He places a hand on Grombar's chest. "Nikolai, you should be commended for your bravery. So badly wounded you ran from protection to ensure we didn't lose Grombar. The Revered mother smiles on you."
He inspects Grombar's arrow wounds and with practiced hands shoves each shaft through to the otherside, he cracks the arrowheads off the arrows with his fist, then pulls the arrows through. "These elves use wicked tools.."
Cure Wounds:
2d8 + 5 ⇒ (7, 3) + 5 = 15
He stops.
"These woods are dangerous."
He swallows hard.
"My wife lost her life here. Those elves killed her. I tried to burn this place down. Recently I found peace. I tried to forgive and understand but.. I don't think it's wise to rest here long, I think we should press on after a short rest. We're close, those elves were certainly going to find reinforcements. I destroyed their last village, I'm prepared to finish the job."
He reaches into his pack and withdraws a intricately bejeweled crown.
"Berronar, prepare a feast fit for these brave warriors. We can't eradicate evil on an empty stomach."
With that the crown disintegrates into dust. An alabaster table stretches out between you. On it is prepared the most amazing bountiful feast. A roast pig, thick cuts of bacon, fresh fruits, loaves of warm fresh bread, a wheel of dark yellow cheese, a scrumptious fish stew steams and all manner of pastries and deserts including a crumbly yellow cake with a dark chocolate icing.
He smiles with satisfaction. "I haven't cast this spell to feed my adventuring companions in over a decade...The last ones to eat it were Lord Haven, Bill and...." his smile fades.
"Aengus! Seems I've forgotten beverages. Would you mind? Perhaps a song to boost our spirits?"
Hero's Feast Effects:
You bring forth a great feast, including magnificent food and drink. The feast takes 1 hour to consume and disappears at the end of that time, and the beneficial effects don't set in until this hour is over. Up to twelve other creatures can partake of the feast.
A creature that partakes of the feast gains several benefits. The creature is cured of all Diseases and poison, becomes immune to poison and being Frightened, and makes all Wisdom saving throws with advantage. Its hit point maximum also increases by Temporary Hitpoints:2d10 ⇒ (2, 5) = 7, and it gains the same number of hit points. These benefits last for 24 hours.
Guldar is wearing a breastplate embossed with the image embossed with the image of a Rose laid through two interlocked silver rings. It's edged with a similar overlapping rings.
His hammer matches this motif, it hands free at his belt.
He mutters over a loaf and bread. "Blessed be our breakfast. Thanks to the Revered Mother. Please grant us your protection."
Guldar stands in back doorway taking everything in. Many onlookers have been staring at him since Grombar's explanation started, looking for his reaction.
"I have...unfinished business with those elves. I need closure."
He looks down at his daughter.
"I cannot let another fall to their poisons. I cannot."
When Bill or Lord Haven return, I will be ready to go.
Erazire hears some voices and feels himself being carried. You smell hot metal. A kind old voice and the sound of a little girl. "He's like the one from the battle! The dragonman that ran away!"
"Yes honey. Don't touch. He's poisonous."
"Berronar, show this warrior your love." You feel hands pressed against your skull.
[dice=Cure Wounds] 7d8+5
Erzazire comes to, his wounds remain only in memory, some of your scales are cracked but your ribs click back into place and your teeth realign.
You're in a warm cottage by a forge. You see a late middle ages dwarf looking down at you, and a young half dwarven girl clinging to his leg peering at you.
"You're alright my child. I heard your match with Samuel was the best in recent memory. You should be proud. You should also go get some food. It's dinner time. After a good meal you should feel fine."
He motions to the emerald axe which has been placed carefully on a blanket by the hearth.
"That's a fine blade. Not dwarven make, but quite impressive. Something real special."
Erazire grunts in response, but a discerning eye might see a hint of a smile when Guldar compliments him before it quickly fades.
"So. Am I in?"
"Yep. Sam said dinner's on him. Let's go get some food. I hear it's minced meat pies tonight. My favorite."
He holds his hand out to the young girl who takes it and excitedly runs towards the tavern.
Erazire hears some voices and feels himself being carried. You smell hot metal. A kind old voice and the sound of a little girl. "He's like the one from the battle! The dragonman that ran away!"
"Yes honey. Don't touch. He's poisonous."
"Berronar, show this warrior your love." You feel hands pressed against your skull.
Cure Wounds:7d8 + 5 ⇒ (8, 5, 4, 5, 5, 4, 7) + 5 = 43
Erzazire comes to, his wounds remain only in memory, some of your scales are cracked but your ribs click back into place and your teeth realign.
You're in a warm cottage by a forge. You see a late middle ages dwarf looking down at you, and a young half dwarven girl clinging to his leg peering at you.
"You're alright my child. I heard your match with Samuel was the best in recent memory. You should be proud. You should also go get some food. It's dinner time. After a good meal you should feel fine."
He motions to the emerald axe which has been placed carefully on a blanket by the hearth.
"That's a fine blade. Not dwarven make, but quite impressive. Something real special."
Florr follows Guldar during his rituals, watching with wide-eyed wonderment. "That was beautiful," she says after he finishes for the day, gently touching one of the tiny flowers. "Tell me when you learned to do this. Valkur has not yet allowed me into his deep secret of hallowing. And tell me about Barronar Truesilver and I will share with you about Valkur's might."
Florr continues talking to Guldar. "Once I found my way to Valkur, after he saved my family and entire fleet of fishing ships during a storm, he blessed me with the powerful strength of water, thunder, and lightning." She shoots a spark of lightning from her fingertips as she touches her amulet with her other hand.
"I am so impressed with your holy power from Barronar Truesilver. This hallowing of the ground...." She looks up at him. "And saving your daughter. I was so sorry to see the wyvern attack her. But Barronar granting you the power to save her, what a beautiful miracle. I don't mean to bring up sad memories, but I would love to earn and access that sort of gracious, holy power to help others in need. Would you help me?"
Florr's goal is to learn more cleric/religious things from Guldar.
Guldar looks at you with a somber smile.
"There are many ways to hallow a ground. Berronar's isn't the only way, just mine. I learned it like I learned all the gifts of the Revered Mother. I spoke with her and lived her way and she granted me the abilities she thought I was worthy of. Divine magics don't work like the arcane. I'm not sure what you'd like to know, but I can tell you much about the Revered Mother of Dwarves but teaching spells isn't really something I can do. Old Bill would be who you're looking for with something like that."
Guldar hallows the burial grounds. He drinks holy water before he speaks, letting much of it spill from the ornate silver plated cask onto the ground.
"Revered Mother. Please bring the souls of those who were lost defending their community from wickedness into the arms of their patrons. Let them be remembered for what they loved. Let their families revere them. Let them find eternal life in memory." he finishes his words and takes another drink. The fresh grave dirt springs to life with tiny pearl white wildflowers everywhere the water touched. He steps back.
"Mother of Safety, keep us safe, for we do not know what has infiltrated out community to spread destruction and deception. Help us to see through the masks and falsehoods such beings surround themselves with. Please stop them from crossing our walls with their magics."
He slowly traces the outside of the walls of the town, paying particular attention to the gate. The water spills out with a seemingly endless flow. Everywhere the water touches is covered in thick patches of tiny flowers. He'll continue casting this spell over weeks, eventually covering the gate and all the ground within the walls.
Hallowed Ground Spell:
You touch a point and infuse an area around it with holy (or unholy) power. The area can have a radius up to 60 feet, and the spell fails if the radius includes an area already under the effect a hallow spell. The affected area is subject to the following effects.
First, Celestials, elementals, fey, Fiends, and Undead can't enter the area, nor can such creatures charm, frighten, or possess creatures within it. Any creature Charmed, Frightened, or possessed by such a creature is no longer Charmed, Frightened, or possessed upon entering the area. You can exclude one or more of those types of creatures from this effect.
Second, you can bind an extra effect to the area. Choose the effect from the following list, or choose an effect offered by the DM. Some of these effects apply to creatures in the area, you can designate whether the effect applies to all creatures, creatures that follow a specific deity or leader, or creatures of a specific sort, such as ores or Trolls. When a creature that would be affected enters the spell's area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it can make a Charisma saving throw. On a success, the creature ignores the extra effect until it leaves the area
Extradimensional Interference: Affected creatures can't move or travel using teleportation or by extradimensional or interplanar means.
In typical Florr fashion, she runs over to Samuel and hugs him after he talks to Guldar. "Oh I'm so glad you are ok Mr. Samuel! Leaving you out there.. we thought..." She turns to the guard and hugs him too. "Do you need any extra healing? By Valkur's might, you were spared!"
After listening to Nikolai's description, Florr thinks. "Must be some sort of magical creature, to do things like that." [dice=Knowledge arcana]1d20+1 "Have any of you heard of anything like that? Something that speaks with its mind?"
She looks at Guldar. "Since we don't need to save anyone, let's go take this book - er, grimoire - and broken staff to Mr. Bill's place. Did you say he was returning from Rubrim Grima soon? We should wait for him, unless there is a way to send him a message. He'll want to see this." She remembers his quick reaction when they brought the tablet. "Maybe this'll help him shed some light on the situation."
"Don't know when Bill will be back honestly, said he was working on something for you folks. Can imagine he's be much more than a few more days. Not like there's anything to eat out there, and it's getting cold. Lord Haven's probably heading back from Blasingdell, he was organizing some sort of trade deal of surplus grains for building stones and metals. "
Nikolai Barleyburrow wrote:
Quote:
Anyone have any idea what that thing was?
Nikolai's anger and adrenaline begin to fade. He begins to start looking tired and slightly shaken.
"I've never seen anything like it. Got a nice close look at it though. Was lucky to get out of that basement. Creepy eyes, like it's lids were always covering them. Nose was flat like his head was just a skull. Mouth was taller than it was wide like a fish and it was surrounded by tentacles, filled with small sharp teeth and a forked tongue."
"That boy seemed to be talking with it but it never talked back. I think it was communicating with with its mind. Said he was trying to make it stronger. Hate to think of it getting stronger while we regroup."
Guldar listens to your description with all manner of grumps, glowers and grimaces. "I must say, I've never been so positive in all my life that I had no idea." he scratches his beard. "I GUESS it could be some kinda telepathy using squid demon..but it seems a bit too crafty and sly to be a demon to me." he scratches his beard a little harder. "Maybe you're more gifted in academics than I am..Bill probably wouldn't mind you using his library, considering the circumstances. He keeps quite a bit of books up there about creatures from all sorts of places. I just wouldn't know where to start."
"Anyone have any idea what that thing was? I can hallow the ground around the city, if would take awhile, but it would prevent fiends and undead. I could also stop anything that would try to use extradimensional travel, but that would go for anyone.."
"I'm very doubtful Mallark started with evil intentions. Many arcanists make agreements with powerful forces in exchange for increased capacities and a faster path to mastery. The staff and that grimoire likely hold more clues as to their relationship. I think that is what has happened here. They risked being in our midst because the creature had been injured in some sort of altercation. The festival allowed for them to take victims that wouldn't be noticed as missing and such a huge hussle and bussle assured attentions would be occupied. "
" The guards are doing their jobs well and Rurik and Aengus will continue to assist. Lord Haven should be returning soon from Haven's Cross and I believe Bill was at the mansion. I'll go with you to find the Captain."
"And do you mean to say," says Florr, "That they've been here before? We saw that man when we first visited the Guild. My friend Oleksandr talked to him, and he appeared to be a young man with little magic. How was he allowed to run free?"
"I don't really understand what you mean Florr, Mallark Buckman was a registered guild member and had gone on a number of jobs with us. Of course he's been here before. I was suggesting that if there was something in the town they wanted or were looking for (beyond the brains of innocents) they might use a search party chasing them as an opportunity to double back to a largely empty town."
Florr wrote:
She motions to the gate. "Samuel and a guard are still out there, alive. Please, we need to go save them. Is Bill here? Guldar, can you help now?!"
"Storm Surge is the only horse we have at the moment, but I'll make the trek out with you and another. I have a feeling it's either far too late, or the fugitives took it as an opportunity to get away."
"I apologize that I was not fast enough to offer my help. It seems things happened very quickly..." he shakes off his guilt a bit.
"We were concerned that the priest and the creature would return, with so many gone. Especially after we found these..." he motions to the ground between each of you, there's a long staff that looks like it's made from a strong purple glass, on top looks to be...A hook? A claw? It's hard to tell at first glance and it seems it's been broken. There's also a black grimoire with a feather sticking out like a bookmark.
"Guldar! I got bit by one of those rat goblins in the fight yesterday. Well... more than one. A few really. Lots o times I guess. Whaddya do for rat goblin bites? I gonna turn inta one?"
"One more thing. You may feel very strange tomorrow night. If you do, drink this." he hand you a large flask of clear liquid.
"Guldar! I got bit by one of those rat goblins in the fight yesterday. Well... more than one. A few really. Lots o times I guess. Whaddya do for rat goblin bites? I gonna turn inta one?"
You notice a significant change in guldars demeanor however. He's smiling widely and is warm and friendly. He's wearing a priests collar and two silver rings interlocked on a chain around his neck.
When he places his hands on your neck you feel a great heat start to build to the point of almost pain and then a great feeling of relief. You see his eyes grow wide and he goes pale. His lips grow white and after a few seconds his color returns and he smiles. "You're good as new cousin. The next time you saw the moon, you'd be transformed yet. It's good you weren't."
Oleksander wrote:
Me too.
He peers at the hole in your neck. "Eesh. Something laid a worm in you. I've seen flies do it in jungles. Their babies grow up in there then eat their way out. Hard to get them out in once piece if it's early but you'll be alright. You might want a bath though. Wash it clean, pat it dry. Let it see the sun and wrap it at night. You'll be alright. May the mother watch over you."
Guldar runs to his daughter falling to his knees and lifting her up.
He speaks in dwarven:
"No! This can't be happening again. I can't lose you too. Berronar. Mother of Safety. This is my punishment. I never should have left your light. I understand. I forgive. Please Berronar, punish me no further. Restore your gifts and I'll serve you with all I am."
Bill Wiseman and Lord Haven, seeing the civilians are under no more threat join Guldar in silent helplessness. As the weight of the cold rain finally hits you. Your bodies feel pushed to their brink. Your bite wounds, cracked bones and burned skill growing sore and ragged. Your breathing slowly returning to normal, you look on the scene as Olias and Ruhhk return with the escapees. A silence falls as everyone is unsure of what should happen next. The rain slows. Two glimmering, interlocked rings slowly grow bigger through the dark mud. Surrounding everyone. The father and daughter begin to float subtlety. Suddenly you're all awash in a gentle coppery light. You feel renewed. Your wounds and body feeling almost back to normal.
You hear the strong voice of a dwarven female say with an almost maternal tone.:
"Alright my child. Alright."
Guldar finishing casting:
Raise Dead
The young girl floats to an upright position, her eyes open with a sleepy look. She stumbles over to her father confused. Guldar scoops her up, looks up at all of you and runs into his home, closing the door.
