I'm going to ask the admins to deactivate this game.
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Glad to see you back safe!
Best of luck to you Karmid. I will be sending positive energy your way in the next weeks. I hope your surgery is smooth and your recovery quick!
Izzy shrugs, "You missed a few dramas... and a couple tattoos."
With Ro’s disruption and Lia’s look, Izzy heads over, eyes sliding over the patrons that may be watching this scene. He ushers both women out of the tavern. ”Let’s have this chat elsewhere, please.” Away from prying eyes and ears, with Flutter and Zoe on overwatch, he says, ”Lia, you did great in there. And she wasn’t in any real danger, Ro. Karmid and I had eyes on her the whole time.” He glosses over how bad that sounds. ”It seems like this Sihedron ring is being run through that Paradise pleasure barge. I’m wondering how many of these people know what they are really signing up for when they get tattooed? That letter from Xanesha’s sister made it sound like she is playing a much subtler game. So, here’s my guess. They lure people to the barge with gambling to start. After a time, they hint at more exciting vices – like sex – that are only available to ‘exclusive’ members… those with the tattoo. Maybe some become actual members of this… let’s call it a cult. Others are just fodder for sacrifice.” He lapses into silence, considering the angles, ”We need to speak with the mayor tomorrow. He might have a list of some of the people with the tattoo or at least those that seem to be spending too much time on the barge… And we may need to visit Paradise at some point to learn more.”
Izzy's attention circles the tavern before returning to Lia.
Izzy trails her, with zero stompyness.
Izzy watches the clash of wills between the butterfly and the girl... He has the sinking feeling that this evening is going to take at least one strange turn. "Right. Should we go?"
LOL! That would have been funny as hell! Next time, feel free to paint Izzy into a corner and I'll see how well he tap-dances out and then steps right into the paint can.
His eyes never drop below her face. "Good idea. But just in case, Karmid and I will be watching. Them. Not you, not your uh..." Despite his tanned skin, the Varisian catches a shade of crimson and picks his next words with extreme care, "We'll try to figure out who is interested in the amulet, too."
Issengrim gets up and shoulders his bow. "I'll go as well." He waves a couple fingers vaguely in the direction of Lia's cleavage, "Just know that some people will be approaching you because of what's around that medallion, not the medallion itself."
He looks to the strange flying reptile. "You're on outside overwatch wherever we go. Look for folks gathering and talking about Lia."
The follow-on curse is horrible. In 6.66 months, Lia will feel an unstoppable urge to buy impractical shoes and mutter the damnable phases "Er-mah-Gerd" and "totes-ma-goats".
Stefan - Church of Erastil - on lower back - socially inept Izzy has his quill ready. "Who else goes on the list?"
Izzy mulls on Karmid's words while clarifying. "It's 'Bayden'. Lamatar Bayden commands the Arrows. He's a rock to his soldiers and one of the finest archers you'll ever see. I don't know why he'd visit a swamp regularly." "The tattoos... maybe they are part of some initiation into a group? Instead of asking why and where, maybe we should work this problem from the other direction. We build a list of who has that tattoo, then we find out what they have in common: hobbies, vices, places they go, something. It might lead us in the right direction." He pulls out paper and a quill, starting a list: Stefan - Church of Erastil - on lower back - socially inept "Things seem quiet here but I'd like to hear it straight from the Mayor. He and the head priest of Erastil won't be back until tomorrow morning. They are handling some issue in Pendaka."
Izzy returns to the team after what feels like a week of mind-numbing torture. He falls into a chair and speaks without preamble, ”Those sihedron people? They are here. I did some work around Eristil’s church with a fellow named Stefan. He had a tattoo of the seven-point star on his back.”
Izzy wanders through the town initially, trying to get a feel for the ‘air’ (vibe) of the place. Soon his path takes him to the church of Erastil. He hopes gathering information from fellow worshipers will be easier.
"I kind of always had Flutter. I don't know what it's like to be alone. But she felt she had no one. No matter if it was true or not." ”I might be remembering it wrong but… she had a boyfriend for a time. She got pregnant and he abandoned her and fled Sandpoint. Then all she got was scorn and ridicule. That’s the sad part. Had he stayed, had her father not castigated her, would her life have turned out differently?” "You left a long time ago...maybe you also felt alone? I am glad you have Zoeye to keep you company. I never got to meet you, but Karmid was happy to see you. So I think you are a good person. Thank you for helping us." Izzy’s answer hesitates at times, ”I guess I felt… apart from other kids. Never really fit in and... with this face… no one gave me a chance to.” He shrugs, ”I got some friends, in the end… it just wasn’t where I was expecting to find them. That was a good lesson. And, uh, you don’t need to thank me. This is a worthwhile cause – that’s all I want.”
…and Issengrim to tell stories of Nualia Tobyn
Given that Lia and Izzy both spend more time on deck than below it, a conversation inevitably happens one evening. ”Nualia? She was a fair bit older. To me, she seemed lonely and maybe a bit sad. We were kind of like two sides of the same coin. Her beauty was a gift and a curse. It made her popular with some but there was a lot of envy, jealousy, tricks, and teasing too. Because of her celestial blood, even adults looked at her like she was a prize. I had sympathy for at least half of her life. I got my share of teasing and being treated like I was cursed… except by Karmid.” He shrugs and pulls the cloak tighter around himself, warding off the cold, or possibly his surfacing feelings. ”I’m not excusing what she did with the rest of her life, but I can understand some part of her rage.”
"Agreed. At this moment, my thinking is that corruption in town is likely slow-moving. Whereas, if Fort Rannick is compromised - especially if it isn't accidental - giants could move on Turtleback and other settlements quickly. Businesses failing worries me far less than giants stomping on townsfolk."
The night before reaching Turtleback Ferry, Izzy speaks with the team. ”Grobaras said that Mayor Shreed of Turtleback Ferry hadn’t heard from the Black Arrows in a few weeks. Maybe that’s all he knows. I’ve been in contact with Sister Thea and there is more to be said…” ”Maelin Shreed is a priest of Erastil and Thea’s close friend. Shreed is also close with Brother Balache, the Eristilian priest serving the Black Arrows at Fort Rannick. Shreed has not heard from Balache in some time. That’s not normal, Balache is chatty and quick to reply." He smiles. His last comment seems more anecdotal than something Thea wrote. "Initially, Shreed was concerned that Balache might have been sick. We’ll have to see if that’s the case. I did hear last night that giant tracks were seen in the Valley of Broken Trees a few months back. That doesn’t mean there’s a problem at Fort Rannick… but it worries me.” “According to Thea, Shreed is also worried about some strange goings-on near the town that is causing ‘spiritual decay’ among his flock and is ruining some of the town’s businesses financially.” ”I won’t go into the tax legalities, unless you are curious… but there is a floating gambling parlor and pleasure barge on the lake between Turtleback and Pendraka, called Paradise. It’s drawing money and customers from the towns and giving nothing back to the communities. Shreed asked Thea for ideas on how to ‘discourage’ that. I’m not saying that’s our business BUT given the corruption of the Skinsaw cultists and Xanesha’s sister working around Turtleback… maybe it is related.”
LOL! Sorry! Didn’t realize I had played Guess-the-DM’s-Nefarious-Plot so well.
And if you crank up Xanesha, well... I mean her boss can't be less dangerous than his/her minion, right? XD Why do I have a feeling we're going to run into a Runelord with the Fiendish, Swarm, Psychic Vampire, and Void Creature templates?
Izzy is updated. I took the Blessed story feat.
Still mulling over an appropriate Story feat... but it reminded me of your questions about Virtues, Vices, and Campaign Traits. Were we supposed to add the Campaign Trait to our character sheets?
Wartle… Izzy smiles as Wartle comes into view. A few years back, he had spent a good amount of time in the rough-and-tumble little town. The frontier people were much like him – what they lacked in polish they made up for with honest talk, honest trade, and no pretense. When he sees Karmid dragging Drasven into town, Izzy decides to join them. He acts as an unofficial guide, pointing out the 'highlights'. Ilsurian: Semere Arms Around the time Karmid and Izzy arrive at the Semere Arms, the archer has just about had his fill of the Chelaxian ‘stink-eye’. When Vea moves the sour-faced customers off, he chuckles and says quietly to his companion, ”Normally, I get those kinds of looks because of my face… It’s almost a joy to be treated with straight-forward racism. No wonder I spent very little time here.” Ilsurian: Two Waters Tavern Izzy enjoys the atmosphere at Two Waters considerably more. He buys a few rounds for interesting groups and is jovial in a quiet sort of way. He spends most of his time listening for any rumors or news of the goings on at Turtleback Ferry or Fort Rannick.
Sweet! On it!
Just so I'm crystal clear on this... I have Eclectic already, so applying that and my 4 levels of ZAM and 3 levels of Sorcerer: For the ZAM, I will get +4 HP, +4 SP, and 1 Ki Point (4 x 1/4 pts)
In addition to all that (which I LOVE BTW) I also get a free feat? Am I reading that correctly? Or is the free feat in the case I don't want all those free HP, SP, and Bennies?
In Ilsurian, Karmid will want to visit the 'Locked Box' pawn shop as well as the master weaponsmith at the Semere Arms smithy... He ask his friend 'Grimmie' to see if he will go with him browse the unique local shops!
Issengrim spends most of his days walking the ship’s deck, vastly preferring miserable wet weather outdoors to being shut in a stuffy cabin. Wrapped in his most weather resistant clothes and his magical cloak, his constant companions are the bow slung over his shoulder and the quiver on his hip. Izzy isn’t unfriendly or aloof, he offers a scarred half-smile to everyone he sees. But he is so comfortable with silence, he leaves it to others to break it.
Status: HP: 54 / 54 | AC:25|21 / T:20 / FF:21|17 | CMD:28/24 – Mage Armor
Arrows (50): Blunts (50): 1st Spells (7): x Ki Pool (7): Perfect Strike (4): Blood Intensity (1): Inspired (1): Touch of Good (8): Protection from Evil (1): Align Weapon (good only) (1): Magic Circle Against Evil (1): Dancing Lights (3): Hero Points (1): Effects:
"We've met before, squirt, but it's been nearly twenty years. The Anhana introduced me to you. Briefly." ”I remember… but I saw no reason that you would.” It’s a strange sort of compliment. She tilts her head to see the bow strung on his back, changing topic with scarcely a breath or change in tone in between, the separate thoughts almost sounding connected. "I see you took up Deadeye's favor after all. Sister Thea says hello." ”I’m sure that’s the least of what she’s said,” he replies with clear affection for the Sister. ”But to that point, before arriving at Turtleback Ferry we – all of us – should have a chat about some of Thea’s insights in addition to what we have learned from the Lord-Mayor and the lamia, Xanesha, in the past few days. Threats come from multiple directions.”
Issengrim arrives at the dock with a spring in his step, the newly healed Zoe clinging to his shoulder and head. Despite a self-described ‘shopping spree’, his gear looks much the same as before… only with a couple extra quivers emerging from his pack. His step falters as he sees Shalelu. He knew her by reputation more than anything else. He offers her a stiff bow. ”Issengrim. A pleasure to meet you, Miss Andosana.”
Night of the Fete… Issengrim leaves the soiree as unobtrusively and as quickly as he can. He’s had more than enough of what passes for Magnimar’s ‘polite’ society. He walks back to the party’s flat to give himself time to cool off. By the time he reaches the flat, he’s calm. He carefully folds and packs his fine clothes, swaddling the midnight doublet in a protective sheet. Day 1… Having quizzed Karmid a bit in off-hours, Izzy finds Drasven and asks – potentially begs – a couple favors from the Abadaran cleric. The first favor is helping to heal his wounded familiar. Izzy uses his god-granted abilities to help Zoe throw off the taint of the undead that struck her down. Then, with Drasven’s powers, she can be restored to full health. The second favor is bigger and more likely something Drasven would refuse. Clearly embarrassed to be asking, Izzy nevertheless presses on, ”This pile of coins from the Mayor… I’d like to bank it with the Church of Abadar. I heard that, in some cases, the Church will keep accounts that gain interest on the sum. Well, I’m not good at convincing people or particularly… personable. I was wondering if you would be willing to speak to the Church officials on my behalf?” Day 2… Izzy crafts an update letter to Sister Thea and sends it off. While out, he goes shopping for some mundane goods – especially more arrows given where they are going – and possibly a magic item or two depending on how he is feeling about the Most Holy Bank of Abadar. Thinking about Thea, Izzy mentally notes that he needs to discuss his letter from Thea with the team. Perhaps on the boat when everyone is focused on the journey ahead not the distractions of Magnimar. Day 3… Pirate-y Adventures!
Izzy is all for heading out to Turtleback Ferry quickly and boat trips are always fun. I'm not sure there is anything I absolutely need to buy with my 7k GP. Is it possible to bank it for later use so I don't have to lug it around? Also, I'll be doing a quick post the next day to try to amp up Zoe's save to improve her chances of getting rid of that negative level. That's pretty much all I need to do before we bail town.
I feel you, Karmid. When my father was dying, gaming was a necessary break from the reality of it.
Something like 7000 GPs just fell into my lap to fund the campaign. :P OOPS! Just noticed that my character sheet (here) was a mish-mash of my pre-ABP build and my post-build. I've fixed it and double-checked it against my offline cheatsheet. They are both correct now. My combat numbers were spot on but some skills were off as were some stats, my init, HP, AC, and one save.
Still fuming silently, Izzy fails to observe the Mayor's emotional state...
It’s all good! Characters are going to have different approaches and opinions. It all becomes interesting RP opportunities.
The look on Issengrim's face says he vehemently disagrees with the butterfly's blithe assessment but he says nothing, letting the rest of the conversation play out.
Izzy corrects Flutter on one point, "IF Rannick has fallen, it isn't 'troublesome', it's a disaster - rolling slow or fast - towards Turtleback Ferry and the lands between there and Magnimar."
Izzy can do penance. :)
Izzy is debating how much his alignment would change if he beat the mayor into a fine paste just once... Well played, Poly, he is a total ass. XD
Izzy is about to return the bag of coins he hadn’t earned, and then the Mayor opens his mouth… The Eristilian archer schools his face to neutrality even as his anger grows at the insults. You bloviating, half-wit, son-of-a… In the end, his monastic self-control rules. Despite a deep desire to pummel the lord-mayor repeatedly, he sits stiffly at the table and nods his agreement… while taking the bag of coins and considering ways to repay the mayor’s insults.
Folks, I'm going to be traveling tomorrow through Tuesday. I will try to keep posting but it may not work out. Bot me as needed. Cheers!
Issengrim wasn’t comfortable with opulence or the upper crust. But he understood the value of camouflage in any environment. To that end, he dug into his pack and pulled out bland but tasteful clothing. His goal is to draw so little notice that he vanishes into the background at this fete. His boots are polished. His coal-grey trousers and white tunic are clean. Over it he wears the finest item he has… a hip-length black doublet with a stiff collar accented with some conservative gold piping at the neck and cuffs. It gives the archer a somewhat military bearing. Upon entering the manor house, Izzy realizes he’d far prefer to be out in the garden… despite how overly-manicured it is. "The Five Saviors of Magnimar!" At the Mayor’s announcement, he quietly mutters a counterpoint. ”Four. Four saviors of Magnimar.”
I'm good with that plan and you hitting the Fast Forward button on anything uninteresting. :D
Whatchya got against getting a little murdery? Lamiae have hobbies too!
Izzy nods, casts, and studies Fran for several moments...
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