So first, I’m really, really, really sorry for disappearing. Despite all the things going on, I should have reached out and communicated with you all. I know I probably led some to worry about what had become of me. That was selfish. I didn't reach out to you, and I'm sorry.
Every time I’ve sat down to write and explain where I've been, I just haven’t known what to say...
I'm doing fine. During quarantine, despite having more time at home, I became ill at ease and just couldn't find the fun in many things that I had before. Other things took their place and absorbed my time. As far as play-by-post, I had worked it into being part of my weekly schedule in such a way that the disruption in working from home just completely threw me for a loop. My interest waned. Any effort to return felt forced, and so I’ve stayed away. And the longer I waited, the more permanent my decision seemed. I wasn't ready to step away from my games, and certainly not to suspend Crimson Throne. Now, I can recognize that my decision is made. I am declaring the game indefinitely suspended.
I want to thank you for having me with you on your adventures. It’s really meant so much. Play-by-post has been such a large part of my life, and I’ve had the chance to interact with such phenomenal people that I never would have connected with otherwise. To step away has felt like leaving home. Especially this game, which has had so many wonderful moments thanks to you.
But I am still not ready to return. I might be ready again, one day. If so, I look forward to seeing what you’re all up to. I really do wish you all the very best.
The mention of Thousand Bones appears to set the Skoan-Quah at ease. ”You are the tshamek who Thousand Bones speaks of. You pulled the body of the young warrior from the darkness.”
___________________
The Kallow Mounds are a collection of hundreds of cairns. On their western edge is a small dale. Here approximately seventy-five Skoan-Quah dwell, who peer apprehensively from the darkened entries of their yurts, from atop natural rock formations, and from around carefully stacked cairns. Whispers fill the air--questions and speculations as to these strange outlanders, these tshamek, who are led by a woman marked as a Skoan-Quah, yet whose manner and presence betray her upbringing in Korvosa.
Yet, these tensions fall away once Thousand Bones appears from within a yurt. ”Ah, Speaks for the Dead! Be welcomed to our land.” His ready smile and welcoming calls do much to set the other Shoanti at ease, and their initial hostility gives way to curiosity, as many of the Skoan- Quah have never actually seen an honest-to-goodness tshamek before.
”The Kallow Mounds,” Thousand Bones explains as you walk, ”Is and has been the burial site for all three Cinderlands Shoanti tribes for the past 300 years. We the Skoan-Quah are the cairns’ caretakers.”
”Since we withdrew from Korvosa in the face of increasing hostility, I have grown more and more concerned with the future. I know that the trouble in Korvosa has poisoned the city, and fear what plans Queen Ileosa might develop for the Shoanti if she continues building power.” He frowns, looking at the dirt. ”Of course, my fellow Shoanti see the deteriorating situation in Korvosa as… what is the expression? Just desserts for a decadent people. As is so often the case, I am at odds with my brothers and sisters. My warnings that Queen Ileosa might well be as bad, if not worse, for the Shoanti as she is for the city of Korvosa have thus far fallen on deaf ears.”
You stop before the largest yurt in the dale, around which a group of several dozen Skoan-Quah have gathered. On a cairn nearby perches a creature with the features of a lion but the scales of a brass dragon, and a matching wild mane. On its back are the crippled vestiges of a pair of wings, lost perhaps to a violent encounter. ”Wicked-Claws,” Thousand Bones says with a smile. ”Friend of our chief, who saved the creature from certain death against a bulette. Crippled but proud, he honors us as protector of our clan.”
From the yurt emerges a wisened Shoanti with intricate face tattoos. The others quietly maneuver around him, giving him not only space, but a presence among the crowd that exudes authority.
Thousand Bones nods. ”May the winds sing praise, One-Life. We are gifted visitors from Korvosa.” He introduces each of you by name. ”This is One-Life, chieftain of the KallowMounds and of all the Skoan- Quah.” One-Life, a quiet and gaunt man, raises a hand in recognition. ”Be received. Thousand Bones says much in your honor.”
”Thousand Bones says much about many things.” An elderly woman hobbles forward from the crowd to stand near One-Life. ”Ash Dancer,” Thousand Bones says with a smile. ”She is the tribe’s eldest, most experienced shaman and the leader of the boneslayers, whom you have already met.”
After these brief but pleasant introductions, Thousand Bones arranges for a guest yurt for your comfort. He has plenty of food and water delivered to the tent and even visits with you for some time, as he is eager to hear about your adventures since you recovered Gaekhen’s body.
Talfryn scowls as his spell floats away in the form of motes of glimmering light and dissipates to nothing. "Should have known not to trust that tome, cheap copy of a copy, I'll never patronize that vendor again..." Rolling up his sleeves, he hesitates for a moment before his face lightens up with an idea. He casts his spell, and the ground beside the Purple Worm appears to shake then split apart as a huge golem of sand and rock tears itself free. It rise up to tower beside the worm, easily a good eight yards tall, craggy and vaguely humanoid as it smashes its rock fists together in anticipation of its battle with the Worm.
worm Will DC 19:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16
The worm drops Garvid as it reflexively wheels away from this new, sizeable opponent.
Kynes slides through the air to flank another rock gargoyle, eager to watch it fall back to the rocky earth from a single giant orb. orange down!
Li resists the urge to cheer as Garvid tears his way out of the purple worm and gasps instead as it stabs him. The worm was obviously hurt but not quite dead yet so the rogue sends another barrage of corrosive bolts flying towards the worm. Every bolt slams into the worm. With a heaving shudder, the massive creature crashes into the dirt. It heaves once, twice, and then is still. 3 bolts were sufficient, so hang onto one.
Despite Yazi's protests, Mouse continues to hover protectively over her, lashing out at the gargoyle nearest her with reckless abandon. With a forceful kick driven by the momentum behind her flight, she sends the last gargoyle’s head rolling like a tumbleweed.
Combat Over!
___________________________________________
You set up camp that night, then pick up with the journey’s final leg at first light. As you travel this deeply into the Cinderlands, you come across large rock cairns topped with animal skulls. They appear more frequently as you draw closer.
Yazi, others Knowledge (local) DC 15:
Although the Skoan-Quah are not as warlike as the Sklar- Quah, they remain distrustful of strangers, particularly tshamek who encroach upon the ancestral burial grounds at the Kallow Mounds. The Skoan-Quah mark their territories with large cairns--markers that serve as both signposts and warnings to deter strangers.
Approximately one-half mile from the Kallow Mounds, you are intercepted by a group of Shoanti. They seem to appear from the sand itself, for no sounds or disturbances indicated their presence. One holds up a hand in warning, or in greeting. ”Be received, strangers. Why do you approach the sacred place?”
Yazi, others Knowledge (local) DC 18:
These are Skoan-Quah boneslayers—women and men who patrol Shoanti burial mounds and are trained from an early age to be particularly effective against the undead.
Sorry, GM - forgot to update my AC, the bite definitely hit me with my Reckless Abandon. I'll start updating my block every post. I've changed my Stalwart to standard Combat Expertise, AC in block now correct.
I notice you rolled 2d6 in your post. Its bite damage, with power attack, is:
Gasping for breath, rising ever higher into the air, Lord Talfyrn forces his exhausted mind to cast his most powerful spell yet, a spell of such terrible force that his mind quails to even summon the symbols of power. One hand gestures as he draws forth a slender golden chain which evaporates in a blaze of light; a moment later vast links of glowing bands appear around the Purple Worm, seeking to constrain it in place. The worm crashes through the light barrier as though it weren’t real.
Ref DC 21:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21
"Woah, woah, wo-", is all Garvid has a chance to shout out as he quickly descends down into the worm's mouth. The man coughs out at the stench, as the grinding teeth of the creature smash into his already brutalised armour. His left hand grabs onto an unmentionable and foreign piece of purple flesh dangling from the mouth as the mandibules gnash wildly around his legs and torso. "You really shouldn't eat the first thing you see on the ground.", he spits out, as his gauntlet flies viciously into a row of teeth, sending them scattering down the beast's gullet, followed up by a vicious kick at the lashing tongue. Garvid’s gauntlet plows a hole out the side of the worm’s neck. He tumbles out onto the ground in a mess of blood, pulpy gore, and digestive juices. You’re free!
Kynes slides his body through the air at the nearest gargoyle, furiously studying its grotesque form, while whipping a balded scarf and rending it with two and claw! The gargoyle hurtles down toward the sand, crashing in a heap of rock-like flesh 4 hits, red down!
Time seems to slow down even though her body is sped up. "Garvid!" she screams as she watches the purple worm swallow the strongest person she knows whole before encircling Trinia and herself. She doesn't have time to wonder if they will suffer the same fate. She has to decide if she continues to shoot the gargoyles or try to defend the two of them with her crossbow. The rogue decides to trust Mouse and Kynes to protect Yazi and directs her shots at the worm. She reaches for the bolts marked with green and hopes that these special bolts will eat a few holes in the worm's hide and brain to make it easier to get Garvid out. 4 hits!
The bloody flying rats were determined to end her! Almost falling to one knee, Yazi draws upon hidden reserves - they already had Garvid to worry about. "I'll manage here, go help Garvid!"Hit
Mouse flies through the air, leading with her fist, which slams into the orange gargoyle!
Trinia’s images tumble backward and cast displacement on Yazi.
The gargoyles race down toward the sand, one enduring a solid strike from Mouse, and come to rest beside Yazi. They struggle to locate her through Trinia’s glamer. One hits.
The worm gurgles, recoils as Garvid tears himself loose from its neck. Still a formidable opponent, it snaps viciously at Garvid and impales him with its stinger!
bite, PA:1d20 + 23 - 5 ⇒ (4) + 23 - 5 = 22 sting, PA:1d20 + 23 - 5 ⇒ (6) + 23 - 5 = 241d10 + 10 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 10 + 5 = 21Please make a fort save against poison!
__________________________
Initiative (bold may act):
Ashwing
worm
PCs
Status and Debuffs:
Group Buffs: bless, haste, IC +2
Garvid:
Kynes:
Li:
Mouse:
Talfryn:
Trinia: mirror image x3
Yazi:
@Talfryn, I rule that you're aware your own shadow evocation is an illusion, meaning you auto pass the save. In that case, you'll only take 1/5 the damage from detonate, so 5 damage rather than 29.
The shockwave is tremendous, blasting sand away to leave a crater below Talfryn, whose clothing shreds, his very flesh splitting and sending sprays of blood in every direction.. The concussive force wave coats the Purple Worm in rime, as a piercing blast of cold blows forth.
worm Will DC 20:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6 worm Reflex DC 20:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9Great choice targeting its weakest saves. Full damage!
Kynes breathes heavily, blood slicked along his back and face. Flystepping alongside Yaz, Kynes studies and unleashes fury on green. Full damage from magical scarf, but I assume your wing attacks are non-magical and subject to DR. Let me know if that’s wrong.
Stumbling, almost falling, Yaziyah grasps for one of the healing sticks in her belt as her preternaturally lengthened hair lashes out again. "A little... help here," the Shoanti gasps. hit, subject to DR.
Trinia's touch exposes Li to a new type of magic and the rogue likes it. Her body becomes even more responsive and between the added grace and the increased speed, Li's body appears to move like water in the desert. Hearing Yazi's gasp for help, Li does whatever she can to cover the shaman with fire from her crossbow and make herself more of a target. All hit, joining Kynes against green.
"Yeah, Lordship? You want to come take a closer look?", Garvid roars as he tosses his longbow to the ground, his arm held tightly into the worm's jaw, as he turns around to see Yazi swarmed. "Don't leave Yazi alone, if the flying dogs can't eat you, they'll stop swarming." The stinger from the worm pushing past his armour, Garvid's furious facade twists to glare at the humongous creature's maw, as his armoured fist begins raining furious blows onto the creature's jaw. "Your face needs rearranging."Passed save v poison. 2 hits!
Mouse tumbles in midair and rockets back toward Yazi, hovering protectively near her and kicking furiously to try and drive the beasts away. Repositioned you slightly. 3 hits! 2 take down green, and 1 hits blue.
Trinia’s magical song continues. She casts a spell toward the worm, attempting to subdue it into submission. Unfortunately, its bloodthirst has driven it into a frenzy and the enchantment has no effect.
charm monster Will DC 17:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23
The gargoyles continue to swarm Yazi! Their flyby attacks provoke AoO’s.
The worm writhes against the blast of ice and Garvid’s attacks, emitting an otherworldly hiss that reeks of aldehyde. Its massive jaws enclose around Garvid, squeezing him nearly to the point of suffocation as it forces him down its gullet!
The worm then coils up further from the ground, circling around Li and Trinia as it anticipates its next morsel...
__________________________
Initiative (bold may act):
Ashwing
worm
PCs
Status and Debuffs:
Group Buffs: bless, haste, IC +2
Garvid: swallowed whole!
Kynes:
Li: cat’s grace
Mouse:
Talfryn:
Trinia: mirror image x3
Yazi:
Jabbing his halberd in the sand, Garvid draws the Vudran-accented longbow from his back and draws an arrow, the bow creaking in his hands. The arrow strikes a gargoyle dead one, and it hurtles toward the sand. Pink down!
Li grunts in frustration as her bolts are dodged by her targets but she's not about to give up. The familiar feel of Talfryn's magic infuses Li with magical speed and she makes the most of it by sending three more bolts hurling towards the flying creatures in rapid succession. All hit blue
Yaziyah's hair lashes out at one of the gargoyles attacking her as they swoop into range (miss). Feeling the sand shift beneath her, the shaman starts moving away from the tectonic disturbance. Now bleeding profusely from multiple wounds, she mutters an incantation under her breath as her skin toughens.
"I'm getting too old for this kind of nonsense," mutters Lord Talfryn. Gripping the edge of his cloak with one hand, he begins to cast his spell. Energy coalesces about his hunched form, wreathes of power and electricity condensing with such virulence that his frame turns monochromatic, a silhouette within the coruscating ball of magic.
Was it possible to be unsteady on one's feet when one was not on one's feet? An interesting question, but one Mouse doesn't have time to consider. With a slight wobble, she slices forward through the air, darting to close with the nearest gargoyle and lashing out with her fists and feet (all miss :().
Sliced open, Kynes lunges awkwardly in the air (miss). He clicks his heels activating haste and unleashes brutality against the gargoyle using the fury of a Popobola's monstrous form, producing a cloud of blood. The enemy is all but vaporized by Kynes’s attacks (purple down).
Kynes, you need to make fly checks when the fly skill indicates a DC for what you’re doing.
Trinia’s multiple images move near Li. One reaches out to touch her on the shoulder, granting her cat’s grace(+4 enhancement bonus to Dexterity, adding the usual benefits to AC, Reflex saves, ranged attacks, and other uses of the Dexterity modifier.).
The gargoyles swarm Yazi, inexplicably determined to slay the Shoanti. Their flyby attacks provoke AoO’s.
The sand near Garvid begins to collapse, forming a pit or crater in the desert floor as though the bottom has given out. From the pit arise a mass of confusing shapes, a geometric pattern of blade-sized fangs, surrounded by a great, chitinous maw. Up, up erupts an enormous worm covered with dark purple plates of chitinous armor. Its giant, tooth-filled mouth is the size of an pony. A true apex predator, it seizes the nearest prey!
Purple worms are giant scavengers that inhabit the deep and wild regions of the world, consuming any organic material that they encounter. They are notorious for swallowing their prey whole. It is not uncommon to hear of a group of adventurers vanishing down the ravenous maw of a purple worm, screaming as they disappear one by one.
This is a young worm, a juvenile “less” formidable than its mature counterparts!
__________________________
Initiative (bold may act):
Ashwing
worm
PCs
Status and Debuffs:
Group Buffs: bless, haste, IC +2
Garvid:
Kynes:
Li: cat’s grace
Mouse:
Talfryn:
Trinia: mirror image x3
Yazi:
Yazi’s hair proves surprisingly animate as a braid lashes out at one of the (blue) gargoyles. Garvid’s halberd likewise finds purchase in the stony flesh of another (purple). Kynes is less precise, his scarf flailing through the air as the creatures hurtle away.
Garvid, since brace only applies to charging attacks, and flyby isn’t a charge, I’ll rule it doesn’t apply. You can, of course, ready an attack against an enemy who comes in range.
Li, you are aware of the existence of cinder cones and their accompanying seismic activity.
Both of Li’s bolts fly up into the pale blue sky as the gargoyles deftly swerve to avoid the attacks.
Kynes, although on equal wing with his opponent, finds his claws only scrape the stone-like skin of the gargoyle. miss
Yazi produces a wand, enhancing her allies’ strength in battle.
Mouse surprises everyone by levitating upward into the sky!
With a pop, Talfryn’s arcane power ignites the air. Talfryn casts haste.
The purple gargoyles whirls on Kynes with a flurry of attacks!
Three others continue their targeted assault against Yazi, diving down low to cut her with their claws. Garvid delivers two powerful strikes against one, but all three return to the air.
Using flyby attack, so the targets or those adjacent may make an AoO as the gargoyles fly away. Garvid has made one AoO but may make up to two additional AoOs if able.
Trinia casts a defensive spell, surrounding herself with duplicate copies.
The deep rumbling grows louder. The sand begins to swell.
bless, haste, and Trinia’s IC +2 continue!
__________________________
Initiative (bold may act):
ashwing
PCs
Mouse, Talfyn, and Yazi are still up for the round (Yazi has made an AoO but still has a full round of actions). I know we've got a lot going on. I'll give it one more day before botting :).
Kynes reaches for an extract as Li releases a series of bolts into the sky above. The glare of the sun causes her to misjudge the distance, and the gargoyles easily swerve out of harm’s way.
The gargoyles rocket down from the sky to within striking range. They appear more craggy and weathered than those of their ilk who dwell in more civilized environs, resembling eroded statues or sinister slabs of rock.
”شانتي اسڪيم!” one screams, as three dive directly for Yazi, flying by in a whir of claws to strike at the shaman.
Using flyby attack, so the targets or those adjacent may make an AoO as the gargoyles fly away.
The parched sand rumbles beneath your feet, as though eager for the hydrating qualities of blood. In the Cinderlands, blood spilt upon the ground cries out for more.
Such seismic activity is known to presage the eruption of cinder cones.
Trinia begins to sing, her voice nearly magical in its clarity. IC +2
__________________________
Initiative (bold may act):
ashwing
PCs
Regarding Li's question: For this combat, I'll allow you to use the round to make ranged attacks as the creatures fly in. Not exactly RAW since they won initiative but it makes sense that if you see them coming you'd get a shot in as they approach.
Laori claps her hands, grinning like a devil. ”That would be awesome! Sial shouldn’t know, at least not yet. I’ll work on softening him up to the idea of working with others. You should go ahead with your own line of investigation. In the meantime, we can keep in touch with sending. I’ll let you know what I can, as soon as I can. Promise!” She extends her pinky to lock in the agreement.
__________________________________-
With an uneasy truce with the Kuthites simmering in the pot, the group turns its attention towards leaving the city. Trinia has obtained a set of maps of the region east. Once again, she's secured horses for the journey.
She chews a quill, looking over the terrain. ”So this Thousand Bones lives at a place called the Kallow Mounds. That’s in the heart of Skoan-Quah territory, about fifty miles east.”See map link at the top.”I’m gonna need a sun hat!”
You leave at dawn. Atop the Storval Plateau, the environs change rapidly. Odd rock formations, canyons, gullies, and hoodoos fill the landscape, separated by twisting valleys and crags. Deep gorges create natural wind tunnels; the sound of the wind howling through them can carry for miles. Many of the rock formations have alternating tiers of sandstone and ash rock, creating a stark, contrasting ambience of red and black layers. The wind’s effect is everywhere—the geological formations are smooth and curving, mimicking the sand dunes of a desert. Large areas are solid rock, but other areas have stretches of leached soil and silt. A short, weedy scrub grows in patches throughout the badlands, offset by succulent plants.
After about half a day’s travel, you come upon an unsettling display display: the rotting head of a Shoanti man is mounted on a sharp wooden pole, the other end of which has been jammed into a cleft between two rocks so that the head hangs out much like a flag on the side of a building. Bright red crossbow bolts have been driven into each of the head’s eyes. The aged condition of the head implies that the mysterious killer is long gone from the area.
DC 30 Knowledge (local):
You have heard tales of a man known as the Cinderlander. This mysterious figure, man or demon, has stalked the Cinderlands and its Shoanti inhabitants for many years. He never attacks large groups but targets only lone hunters, using a “strange screaming crossbow.”
There are plenty of legends and tales about the Cinderlander, who he is, where he’s from, and why he hunts the Shoanti. The Skoan-Quah believe he is the unquiet ghost of a Korvosan general who stalks these lands and will continue to slay Shoanti until the number of Shoanti he kills equals the number of friends and family members the Shoanti took from him. The two crossbow bolts in the eyes have become the Cinderlander’s calling card.
As if on cue, a rasping scream carries across the sand. In the distance, obscured by the bright light of the sun, dark, winged shapes appear as dark spots in the sky. A flock of six fly in formation, speeding directly toward you.
Knowledge (nature) DC 16:
These are ashwing gargoyles, cousins of their urban counterparts that have become acclimated to the pitiless conditions of this wasteland. Their skin is as hard as the sandstone (DR/magic).
You have 1 round to prepare before they’re upon you. Map updated. Going to ignore the presence of the horses currently.
Happy US Mother's Day! It's been a busy few days but I plan to get a post up tomorrow moving us forward.
Li wrote:
I can understand why Laori was scrying on Kynes but is there a reason she chose Li rather than the others? Other than she's probably the weakest link. It's not like it matters, I was just curious
I disagree that Li is the weakest link. But who said it was Laori scrying on Li? ;).
"I can only speculate. We knew there might be relics in Varisia, and it was blind luck as anything that the crown would show up when I was here looking. What I can say is that Kazavon's influence appeared spontaneously all around the city, particularly in those minds already most attuned to the infinite grace of darkness. Artists. Like Salvator. So if Kazavon's influence could reach them, imagine what it could do to someone wearing the fangs. It also makes you wonder what was there that attracted Kazavon's essence in the first place. Some weakness in spirit? Or some strength."
"Got any more of those cookies? They really are quite good. Did you bake them yourself?"
”In a sense,” Loari replies mysteriously, without elaborating.
Yazi wrote:
”You say that the church of Zon-Kuton do *not* want Kazavon reborn, is that correct? Why is that? Was this Kazavon not a worshiper of the Dark Lord? Would he not bring glory to your faith?"
”He definitely was a worshipper. But Kazavaon was, like so extra. I mean, really dangerous! Him returning would be bad news. The worst! Warlords are never satisfied, you know what I mean? So in the interest of preserving order, the Brotherhood keeps an eye out. Sometimes that puts us at odds with others within the church. Like I said, secret.”
Yazi wrote:
"This Sial doesn't sound like fun. We could help you research, if you like. We are interested in this Kazavon as well, and we came here in search of knowledge."
”That would be the absolute best! So many of those books are so thick it would take years to read them. And who wants to sit around reading books all day? I actually knew you were hunting after Kazavon.” She looks a bit embarrassed, caring a look toward Kynes. ”I’ve been scrying on you for the past few days. I was just curious what you were up to. So I knew you were heading this way.”
”But that’s what I was saying about Sial. Even if I’d love to hang out, he’s got this thing about involving outsiders. Something about the corrupting influence of heretical non-believers, haha! Like I said, I shouldn’t really be talking about any of this. Secret.”
Laori’s eyes widen in surprise, two pools of black liquid that shine even in the shaded alley. She grins mischievously at the Shoanti. ”You are so bad-ass!”
Setting her implement of torture down, she replaces it with a soft chocolate chip cookie. She takes a bite. ”Mmm, yum!”
”Okay, so! Yea. When we met in Salvator’s place, I wasn’t completely honest with you. I’m part of a group called the Brotherhood of Bones. Sexist, right?! I’ve been petitioning for a change of name. I don’t care what Sial says. Anyways, we’re sort of a secret group of Zon- Kuthon worshipers from like, all across Avistan, and we collect the relics of an ancient warmonger named Kazavon. Ever hear of him? He was like, super mean. We don’t want him to be reborn or something like that. Anyway, it’s a secret, so please don’t tell! I could get in big trouble for mentioning it.”
”So. We’ve long heard rumors that maybe some relics were hidden in Varisia, but nothing concrete. So when a wanted Nidalese criminal named Andaisin was believed to have fled to Korvosa, I volunteered to travel to the city to try to track her down. Well, that’s the official version. It was really just an excuse to head to Korvosa to search for Kazavon’s relics for the brotherhood, without clueing in the Nidalese government. Who knows what the Black Triune would do with them.”
”It wasn’t too hard to find Andaisin. I mean, a trail of corpses makes a stink, you know? But I left her be so that I could milk my time in Korvosa for all it was worth to research Kazavon’s influence on the city. What I found was the proof we hoped for—seven artists and artisans whose work incorporated Kazavon’s unmistakable influence. What was really interesting, though, was that his influence was the most potent in Korvosa’s queen. When you guys defeated Andaisin and then Queen Ileosa appeared with Kazavon’s fangs displayed on her head, I was completely shocked.”
”So I waited and watched the queen, and searched for the seven artists. Unfortunately, one after the other, six of the seven proved to be dead by their own hands, so I tracked down their bodies and collected their skulls, which were the six sitting on the table in Salvator’s home. I tried speaking with them, but it was just too garbled to make sense!”
”I saved Salvator, the best, for last. Judging by his work, Kazavon’s influence was strongest with him. He had gone missing by the time I got to him but, unlike the other six, he was alive, albeit in the custody of the Emperor of Old Korvosa. I was just formulating a plan to extract him when you-know-who showed up at the doorstep!” She blinks. ”You guys. I mean you guys!”
”But then…” Laori rolls her eyes. ”The Brotherhood decided to send an assistant.” She says this while making quoation marks with her fingers. ”This shadowcount named Sial. He and his girlfriend met me here in Kaer Maga to research those fangs without drawing Ileosa’s attention. But he is such a drag! I mean, we can all appreciate a good impaling, but that guy has the biggest stick up--well, anyways!”
”So that’s about it, I guess. We’re looking through the resources in the city, and I come here to get some me time and meet new friends!” She peers at you curiously. ”So what are you up to this far from home?”
Knowledge (religion) DC 17:
Shadowcounts of the church of Zon-Kuthon serve as ambassadors between mortals and the fiendish kytons in service to the Dark Prince. Despicably cruel and equally horrible to gaze upon, kytons are evil fiends who feed on the fear and suffering of mortals through painful supernatural means. Their monstrous appearances vary, but their stoic and amoral dispositions are universal, for no kyton cares anything for the plights typical of the creatures they prey upon. They are beings wholly dedicated to metamorphosis achieved through horrific trials of self-mutilation and the mystical power provided them by their sapping of mortal anguish.
Just a disclaimer that we are using the X card in our game: info here.
If something strikes anyone as uncomfortable, for whatever reason, just post here, or send me a PM, pointing out what subject matter is making you uncomfortable, and we'll gloss right over it.
This came up once in a live game (Crimson Throne, in fact), when the group had apprehended Gaedren and one of the player's wanted to torture him.
Laori grins. "Well, sure we are! Okay, so I told a teensy weensy fib. But I'll tell you what. You like Pharasma, right? And she's all about fate, so she must have, like, known that we would find each other, yea? Aaaaand knowledge, so she'd want me to tell you the truth, right? So let's make a deal, Yazi, in the interest of learning new things."
She holds out her spiked instrument. "All you have to do, is like open yourself up to the possibility of experience, and just try this wheel. A little prick. And just accept the pain. And meditate on it for a minute, and let it remind you of your place in the universe, and of your mortality, and how you're, like, completely real, and how that pain reminds you that you're alive, and matter, and no one can take that away from you. And realize that literally everyone needs that feeling sometimes. And that little bit of pain, that little prick, is a window to a truth that's way bigger than a little ouchie."
She smiles, the warmest, most genuine smile anyone could ever smile. "If you do. I'll tell you what I think you're asking about." She gives Yazi an exaggerated wink.
Laori's lying about her purpose in Kaer Maga. She's also lying about returning to Nidal.
Yazi wrote:
"Was Salvator your main interest in Korvosa, then? Now that you mention it, I believe the Arkonas had several of his pieces in their mansion. Didn't they, Kynes?"
"Def!" Laori replies. A lie.
"Really?? Would you let me see?"
Li wrote:
"If'n ya be here lookin' fer Salvator's art, why ya be openin' a shrine? What ya be teachin' 'bout yer Dark Lord?"
"I mean, who wouldn't want to learn about him??" She beams. "Plus, as a cleric of His profane faith, it's incumbent on me to share the dark wisdom of His teachings, and to share with the world the exquisiteness of pain." She selects a tool that resembles a chirurgeon's scalpel, but with a serrated wheel on the handle's end. She guides the wheel gently over her arm. "No pleasure is too taboo, no experience sacrosanct. Let the lesser gods quibble over what is or isn't allowed. Soooooo boring. Ours is a faith of explorers, those who don't shy away from a chance to unlock our inner urges and to seek the thrill of our darkest indulgences." She chuckles. "Stuff like that!"
”Obvs because no one thought to discuss Umbral Leaves over warm chocolate chip cookies!” Laori replies to Yazi.
Yazi wrote:
"You are only visiting here, you said? Are you staying long? Heading anywhere interesting after that?"
”Right! Not much longer. Once I track a piece of art or two, I’ll head back to Nidal. I’m super stoked to get back to Pangolais (the capital city). You should come visit! I’ll totally be your guide. We can tour the Cathedral of Exquisite Agony!”
Kynes wrote:
”Do not feign that a specimen such as yourself has taken upon herself the menial task of tracking down some art, visceral as it may be. I am truly interested, surely you have a more interesting tale to share.”
Laori steps closer to Kynes, smoothing her dark hair behind her elven ear. She giggles. ”Yea, but you don’t understand. Salvator is suuuper renowned in Nidal! He’s like a celebrity, and he didn’t even know it! It’s a total honor to be associated with him in the flesh.” Laori lingers on the last word, her gloved finger strolling absently to a spike on her neck. She takes in the lamplighter with interest. ”You'd like Nidal, too. I can tell there’s a part of you that would thrive...in the darkness...” She winks.
Laori positively beams. "You like it? I was, like, completely floored there was no temple here already. I thought there might be. Did you know there are trolls here who disembowel themselves and read the future in their own guts? Cool, huh? Anyway, I decided to start a temple myself. I'm just visiting, though. That's why it's not a real church. That, and flayed skin is surprisingly hard to find in this town, so it's hard to make pamphlets. Ha!"
"After we left you in Old Korvosa, I took Salvator to some friends down in Nidal. Huge fans! They're giving him a place to stay and nurturing his artistic muse, and stuff. I came to Korvosa to try to track down some of Salvator's paintings that got sold or smuggled out of Korvosa during all that craziness."
"What about you two? Where's the rest? How's Kynes?"
Laori is speaking the truth, but isn't sharing everything she knows.
The makeshift church is little more than an alleyway sectioned off with colorful pieces of fabric hung from clotheslines with clothes pins. It's surprisingly clean, the alley's floor and walls scrubbed tidily. A large wooden shipping box takes up the middle of the space and serves as a table. It's cluttered with spiked collars, fish hooks, blades, screws, and an unsettling pair of metal boots with a set of cranks.
A soft humming is heard behind a bright yellow sheet, and a pair of black leather boots with spiked heels can be seen at the bottom. Brushing the fabric aside, Laori Vaus emerges, carrying a tray of freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies.
"Dark Blessings!" she starts, then gasps, dropping the tray of cookies with a loud clatter. "Oh my gosh, it's you! Like, WHAT are you doing here? Small world!" She moves to take Yazi into a big hug (mind the spikes). "Don't tell me you're interested in our Dark Lord? Those tattoos are perf!"
Gav, can the monks assist us if there are specifics topics we are interested in?
”Indeed,” replies your guide. With a few whispered words, you are attended by a short, sallow librarian. He listens to your requests, nods wordlessly, and disappears into the labyrinthian shelves of the library’s collections.
The Canary House
Li wrote:
”no brothels, no slaves, no undead, an' nothin' untoward!”
”But Madam,” Gav says, looking quite disappointed in himself, ”This is Kaer Maga!”
”Give me but an hour to make arrangements,” he assures, all but running out into the street.
Sure enough, within that time Gav returns. ”I called in some favors, and have negotiated a short-term rental in an apartment suite in Tarheel Promenade, and only a short walk from the lawful influence of both the Bank of Abadar and the Temple of Asmodeus. It includes laundry service and market delivery. A traveler’s dream, neh?”10gp per person.
The next day…
At The Street of Little Gods
Here on this promenade, dozens of small altars and shrines, some covered with elaborate awnings and others little more than crude statues propped up on packing crates, pay homage to lesser-known faiths from across the world. Forgotten godlings of the River Kingdoms, the Prophecies of Kalistrade, the masked god Razmir, totem creatures from the frozen and barbaric north, guiding dragon spirits of Tian Xia—all have a home in Kaer Maga, no matter how humble. All the priests who gather here to tend their shrines, from the pale and incestuous twins who staff the purple bower to Socothbenoth to the Keleshite mystic who balances on a spear-tip all day long to prove his piety, do so in the hope of attracting passersby to their cause, preaching constantly of the power of their lords. Some even conduct “miracles” for appreciative onlookers, though these individuals are sometimes revealed as con artists or occasionally as sorcerers who lack the self-confidence to acknowledge their own abilities (attributing them instead to the work of divine beings).
Yazi indeed finds what looks to be a shrine to Zon-Kuthon. A recent and temporary shrine, a human skull crafted with paper mache is wrapped in very real chains. Paradoxically, the skull is painted with a delighted grin and colored in vivid shades of blue and red. Above the skull is a hand painted sign that reads: “The Prince of Pain Wants YOU! Free cookies and refreshments!”
Kynes Will DC 20:
That first evening, you have a feeling that you are being watched, as though someone were scrying upon you.
Li Will DC 21:
On your second night in Kaer Maga, you have the skin-crawling sensation that you are being watched, as though someone were scrying upon you.
The Cinderlands play host to a desolate backdrop of scrubland and drought, famine and death. As hot as a forge and dry as a desert, the broken flats radiate a hazy, wavering heat so tangible that it robs the body of precious moisture in mere hours. What beasts make their homes there are deceptive and violent, while what few plants claw their way through the cracked ground are as nourishing as rocks. It is the next best thing to Hell on Golarion. Gozreh swelters in this parched place, repeatedly venting his fury against the unsuspecting lands in cleansing baptisms of fire.
By far the most exasperating aspect of the badlands is the wind—ceaseless, unrelenting wind. To say it has played havoc with our research material is an understatement. Just yesterday, we lost an entire month’s worth of geological notes. If it were constant, the wind wouldn’t be quite as much of a nuisance, but the continuous pattern of extreme buffeting followed by a few seconds of stillness is maddening. The dust and ash get into everything: backpacks, canteens, boots, eyes, nostrils—you name it, sand gets into it.
—The Cinderlands Expeditions
The Cinderlands rest on the southern Storval Plateau, bounded by the banks of the Kazaron River and the Kodar Mountains in the north, the Storval Deep and Wyvern Mountains in the west, the Mindspin Mountains in the east, and the Storval Rise in the south. The Kazaron flows from the Kodars following the southwest tilt of the plateau, meanders through the broken foothills and grasslands, and eventually empties into the Storval Deep. The Yondabakari flows south from the Mindspins and cuts a stubborn path right through the heart of the Cinderlands, providing the lands just enough water to prevent desertification.
These badlands are rugged, inhospitable terrain formed by long periods of drought and heavy wind erosion. Odd rock formations, canyons, gullies, and hoodoos fill the landscape, separated by twisting valleys and crags. Deep gorges create natural wind tunnels; the sound of the wind howling through them can carry for miles. Many of the rock formations have alternating tiers of sandstone and ash rock, creating a stark, contrasting ambience of red and black layers. The wind’s effect is everywhere—the geological formations are smooth and curving, mimicking the sand dunes of a desert. Large areas are solid rock, but other areas have stretches of leached soil and silt. A short, weedy scrub grows in patches throughout the badlands, offset by succulent plants.
The Cinderlands are spotted with cinder cones—hills of volcanic fragments built up around volcanic vents. The larger ones near natural gas seeps are capable of lava flows and extreme explosive eruptions. Seismic activity accompanies these magma fountains, and the small volcanoes vent incredible amounts of ash through their flanks and summit craters. Large cinder cones can produce deadly debris known locally as Sarenrae’s Tears— buckler-sized globs of half-cooled molten basalt and trapped volcanic gases—that eject with enormous force, potentially shooting great distances. Cooling as they fly through the air, the volatile rock solidifies into elongated tear-shaped rocks, making them aerodynamic enough to travel up to a mile. The impact of one of Sarenrae’s Tears often causes it to shatter explosively. Hundreds of these natural powder kegs litter the grounds surrounding cinder cones. If damaged or disturbed, these deadly rocks can still explode, blowing glass shrapnel in all directions just as the airborne variety. Sarenrae’s Tears the size of wagons with proportionately scaled destructive capabilities have been recorded, but are fortunately rare.
During the peak of summer, when the wind is at its driest, an emberstorm can form in the aftermath of a particularly large wildfire. Because the generated heat is so great, the surrounding oxygen burns instantly, creating inward-facing wind currents. Once this occurs, a perpetual cycle of oxygen, ash, and embers feeds the fire and intensifies its heat, giving it its own renewable source of fuel. The winds produced by this phenomenon can reach hurricane-force gales that cause the emberstorm to grow to devastating sizes. With a good wind behind it, the storm can travel hundreds of miles, appearing from afar like a black blizzard that flickers with fire. Emberstorms are massive areas of moving, deadly weather, easily measured in miles.
Gas seeps emit odorless, volatile organic compounds that the naked eye cannot perceive. While these vapors are non-toxic, they are composed of a highly flammable compound that combusts in the presence of any heat source. These methane seeps fuel the Cinderlands’ natural wildfires and keep them burning even in areas of sparse vegetation. A methane seep might take the form of an isolated gas vent or an entire gas field hundreds of feet in diameter. Some of the larger geysers have depleted their gas stores, leaving sprawling caverns deep below the surface. What creatures inhabit these murky cavities is unknown, but extensive veins of raw diamond and underground lakes of crude petroleum draw prospectors from all over. Attempts at mining are fraught with peril, however, as the underground passages interconnect, comprising a vast network of tunnels, tubes, oil reservoirs, and gas chambers that permeate the entire shelf. If a combustive chain reaction were set off, it is unlikely that anything would survive. When the rare summer thunderstorm travels into the central areas of the Cinderlands, lightning can combust an entire gas field and set it ablaze, producing what is known as rockfire—large sheets of blue flame that whoosh through gas fields in the blink of an eye.
”There’s a shrine to everything, Madam. Somewhere.” Gav considers, rubbing his half-beard. ”Zon-Kuthon is a peculiar one. There’s not a dedicated temple, but then again, some of our ‘temples’ are little more than glorified residences housing a few faithful worshipers and a modest shrine. Kaer Magans aren’t afraid of the darker gods. Asmodeus is one of the most popular, next to Abadar. And for those gods without a devoted congregation there’s always the Street of Little Gods. There you’ll find all manner of shrines and proselytizers, many for deities you’ve never even heard of--including, I’d wager, the Midnight Lord.”
Mouse wrote:
”Gav c'n ask 'round 'n see if there's anythin' else o' the like as can be foun' too, righ'?"
”Gav shall not fail you. I will direct you first to the Arcanists’ Circle’s Wheel Unbroken, and to the Therassic Spire, our glorious library. No doubt your journey has been long, and so we will visit upon the Canary House to taste the delights on offer by Alaeh.”
At The Arcanists' Circle:
”The circle has always been the most powerful shape,” Gav explains as he leads you into Tarheel Promenade. ”Endless, eternal, without corners to focus strain and with every point equal and carrying a matched burden, it is the shape of the world and the wheel upon which civilization turns. Or so goes the rhetoric of the Arcanists’ Circle, Kaer Maga’s foremost guild of magic-users. Established centuries ago, the power of the Circle has waxed and waned with its membership, but the current guild is strong and vibrant, with over a dozen full members and at least as many apprentices swelling its ranks.”
”The Arcanists’ Circle is an elite group of wizards and sorcerers who band together in support of a common idea: that shared knowledge benefits all involved. Within their guildhall here in Tarheel Promenade, a multistory affair dubbed the Wheel Unbroken, the scholars meet to debate, compare notes, and share expensive equipment. The results are twofold: in addition to vastly accelerating their individual research projects, this approach has made them a formidable mercantile power. By sharing duties and workspaces, the wizards have been able to streamline and standardize many time-consuming aspects of item creation, and the first floor of their establishment sells enough of these mass-produced charms and potions to fund whatever research its members can imagine. What’s more, the vast amounts of experience represented by the guild as a whole means that those seeking unique or untested magical items can often commission them directly from the Circle, provided the would-be customer can offer enough cash to draw the members away from their individual research.”
”Though all members meet at the guildhall to resolve problems or confirm new members, and though they may also make use of the assorted group-owned equipment and texts found in the shared libraries and laboratories upstairs, for the most part the members of the Arcanists’ Circle maintain their own residences elsewhere, some not necessarily within the city walls. The day-to-day business of potion-making and staffing the storefront is delegated to the members’ apprentices, often young but sometimes respectable magic users in their own right, hoping to earn their entry into the guild. While not expressly limited to arcane spellcasters, membership in the guild tends not to favor clerics or mystic theurges, as each member’s first priority, after themselves, of course, must be the advancement of the guild, something few church hierarchies are willing to condone. Instead, the Arcanists’ Circle has numerous friendly contacts within the city’s major churches and contracts with them when needed for their mutual benefit.”
At The Therassic Spire:
A sixteen-story-tall, cacophonous hive of steeples and Minarets towers above you in Highside Stacks. ”The Therassic Spire of Kaer Maga, often referred to by locals simply as “The Great Library,” is believed by some scholars to be the oldest repository of knowledge in Varisia,” Gav says proudly, ”Though our archivists neither confirm nor deny such claims. Many of our texts date so far back into antiquity as to be unreadable to most, and new tomes are added all the time by those seeking immortality through the written word, or so the rumors say.”
”Please note the narrow, perfectly circular tower six stories tall, yet the Therassic Spire also extends at least that far underground, and perhaps farther. Care of the books is left to a nameless and monastic sect of librarians. Most of these nominally worship Irori and Nethys, but it’s whispered that after closing on certain nights the strangely stunted sages perform rites honoring another master, a mysterious being known only as the Peacock Spirit. Whatever the truth, the librarians’ primary allegiance is clearly to the library itself. These ancient men and women live somewhere in the bottom of the tower, and rumor has it that the wizened and withered figures have used the knowledge contained in their collection to greatly extend their life spans, though new recruits are still occasionally admitted.”
”The library constantly acquires texts without bias or scruples—no knowledge is forbidden, no matter how powerful or profane, though locating it within the maddening maze of tomes is another matter entirely. Wizards often come here to learn new spells, as do cultists seeking dark rituals or righteous paladins seeking the secrets of apotheosis. Thieves, too, frequently visit the Therassic Spire, for it’s widely known that the monks have no qualms about purchasing stolen spellbooks or holy texts.” Gav considers you, perhaps wondering which you are.
At The Canary House:
”Ah, your inn!” Gav grins as you approach the inn, located within Hospice. ”A welcome sight for weary travelers! The epitome of Kaer Magan class, this five-story inn and bistro contains the most exclusive accommodations in town—an irresistible experience for those with means, and a simultaneously opulent and discreet place for the covert assignations of the wealthy. So successful is the proprietor, Alaeh A’kaan, that despite his comparatively lowly position as an innkeeper, numerous wealthy merchants and would-be aristocrats curry his favor. I advise good manners.”
Inside Canary House, the smell of succulent roasted pheasant wafts from the famed kitchen. The walls are elegantly decorated in avian themes representing the birds of A’kaan’s native Garund, yet these are not what give the inn its name. Rather, the moniker comes from his famed Songbirds—slave girls chosen for their talent and trained from the time they could speak to sing in unbelievable harmonies, each word a chord with a dozen voices spanning several octaves. These girls, while carefully cared for as the investment they are, swing from trapeze perches in gilded cages, and lest the audience be fooled by their elegance, thin chains around their ankles provide a constant reminder that the golden bars are still very real.
@Talfryn the timeline is really up to the group and I'm okay with a stay-over if the group wants it (see my response above to Garvid).
As to learning new spells, it's likely the Therassic Spire (The Great Library). The library is an attractive destination to many sages (and worth the hefty sum the caretakers charge for admittance [the cost of scribing]) because it constantly acquires texts without bias or scruples—no knowledge is forbidden, no matter how powerful or profane.
I believe there is room in the narrative for an extended stay in Kaer Maga, if the rest of the party is okay with it (Li's armor will take four days to craft, afterall). During this time conditions in Korvosa would worsen, which is entirely consistent with the line of the story. In that case, it might be wise to ask Yazi to cast a sending, lest Cressida worry that you've fallen into harm's way.
On the other hand, if a sense of urgency compels it, it's also possible to enter the Cinderlands now and return to Kaer Maga to claim your order after the passage of the requisite time.
@Li, you can. The cost should be (cost of +2 light fortification shadow studded leather) - (cost of +2 light fortification studded leather) = (12,925) - (9,175) = 3,750 gp and 4 days of crafting.
@Garvid: am I understanding correctly? Walk me through it if I've got this wrong...
srd wrote:
For most other items, GMs should use the multiple different abilities rule to determine the item’s new price: increase the cost of the new ability by 50%, add that to the total price of the item to get the new price. Then subtract the old price from the new price to determine the difference, and determine how many days of crafting it takes to cover the difference.
Example: Lisa’s paladin has horseshoes of a zephyr and wants to hire Patrick’s wizard to add the powers of horseshoes of speed to her current horseshoes. Their GM, Jessica, decides that this is a suitable item and tells Lisa and Patrick they can proceed. The price of horseshoes of speed is 3,000 gp, increased by 50% for the multiple different abilities rule to 4,500 gp. Patrick’s wizard must spend 5 days and Lisa’s paladin must pay 2,250 gp (half the 4,500 gp price difference) to add the new property to the horseshoes, resulting in an item worth 10,500 gp (6,000 gp originally + 4,500 gp for the new property).
Garvid has a +2 belt of mighty strength and wants to add the powers of a cord of stubborn resolve. The price of the cord is 15,000, increased by 50% for the multiple different abilities rule to 22,500. Crafting takes 23 days and Garvid must pay 11,250 (half the 22,500 price difference) to add the new property to the belt, resulting in an item worth 26,500 (4,000 gp originally + 22,500 gp for the new property).
The pickpocket is surprised to see her own trick so well countered, but as Li presses the coins into her hand she grins mischievously and disappears into the crowd.
Yazi wrote:
"Well met, Gav. Five gold coins... is that five sails? If so, that is rather a steep price for a day's work, but if your information is good you will not find us stingy. Tell me, this "Wheel Unbroken", do they also purchase items?"
”Five Korvosa Sails, yes Madam. Gold is gold, whatever picture is stamped onto it, neh? But you aren’t like to find better help in all the city. That's the guildhall of the Arcanists' Circle, in Tarheel Promenade. The scholars meet to share expensive equipment. The first floor of their establishment sells enough mass-produced charms and potions to fund whatever research its members carry on upstairs.” Gav shrugs. ”Wizards. What’s more, those seeking unique or untested magical items can often commission them directly from the Circle, provided you can offer enough sails to draw the members away from their individual research. And yes, they do purchase items, especially those of a magic nature.”
Yazi wrote:
"We are not looking for brothels, but what of places of worship? Especially those of deities less... popular in places like Korvosa or Magnimar."
”Pilgrims! Well, each gets their jollies in their own way. Religion here is as varied as our populace. For every god big enough to warrant a temple, half a dozen are quietly recognized within individual homes, entreated with prayers or served their meager offerings of spice or blood. From the enigmatic child-goddess of Ankar-Te to the myriad deities of the Impossible Kingdoms and the heroic ancestor spirits of the frozen north, Kaer Maga is open to all sects and cults willing to live and let live. Did you have one in mind?" He considers Yazi’s tattoos. "The Godsmouth Ossuary of Pharasma is located in the Bottoms."
Mouse wrote:
"A good inn's what I'd like t' see. As good as the city's got.
”’N here is where your investment in Gav rewards you, for most guides would send you to the Sorry Excuse. But what you’d find there is a rat hole, with actual rats. The poshest inn is the Canary House in Hospice, run by Alaeh A’kaan.”
Mouse wrote:
An' if I was t' sen' ya after a couple o' thin's for me, y' think y' could find 'em? Y' bring those t' hand, y'll have somethin' else t' your hand."
”My lady. I am bound to your service.”
It strikes Talfryn that one of the most beautiful structures he has ever seen rises from the tangled and filthy mass of the Warren, but such is indisputably the case. Here, in a small circular clearing that extends all the way up to the sky, stand two twin crescents of an unknown black metal, rising from the hard-packed earth thirty feet apart and curving together until their points almost touch, twenty feet in the air. Covering both are exquisite raised designs that seem more grown than carved, their edges liquid-smooth and reflecting less light than they ought to. The pictures inscribed on the sides never seem to repeat, and clearly represent stars and the swirls of nebulae and galaxies, though upon inspection he would find that the sky depicted is not visible from Kaer Maga—and perhaps not from Golarion at all. The pillars are not identical; where the northernmost blade bears a sun as its largest design, its rays seeming to shelter the nearby stars, the patterns of the southern blade fade away toward the bottom, apparently absorbed by an ominous blank patch. Perhaps most unnerving about the pillars is the fact that the blank patch appears to be slowly growing, but at second glance it returns to its former size.
Both pillars emit a subtle hum.
Gav notes Talfryn’s interest. ”Ah, the Pillars of Dream. Numerous theories on the pillars hold sway in the city: the pillars are the horns of a great helmet, the crown of a warrior as tall as the Storval Rise itself. Or they’re the sails of a strange vessel propelled by starlight in ages when our cliff was still a coastline. Or else the pillars are somehow related to the catastrophe that broke the city walls. Yet the one thing everyone knows for truth is the quality that gives the pillars their name—anyone passing between them falls instantly asleep and is subjected to all manner of strange and colorful dreams, details of which can never be remembered afterward. Since the pillars also seem to negate any need for food or water on the sleeper’s part, only the district’s most paranoid members worry about potential side effects, and children, drunks, and ne’erdo-wells are regularly found unconscious here, sleeping contentedly until more practical locals shove them out of the affected area with brooms and long sticks.”
I'm not sure any character gets to 11th level without some kind of record-keeping error. XD
I know that's true!
Last call to claim loot. I'll be cleaning up the sheet and announcing a distribution tomorrow. You'll be able to shop before heading out into the Cinderlands!
”They ain’t usually that big…” Abra rubs his head, wincing. ”And if there’s a breach, we send a band. It were lucky we had you lot with us. I knew you’d handle yourselves!”
Abra nudges Kynes with his knee to rouse him while Yazi conjures a wall of brambles to block the tunnel.
---------------------------------------
See [Kaer Maga Map] at the top of the campaign page.
The Half light Path terminates in a stone bunker just outside the city walls, near the district called the Warren. Upon your arrival, Abra immediately informs the other Duskwardens of the encounter with the seugathis, then recovers your half light charms. Grumm and his sons, now adding anger to their terror, take off for the city at a run, shouting insults over their shoulder regarding the Duskwardens’ competence.
Before you can leave, however, Abra takes you aside and thanks you again for your assistance in fighting the seugathis, praising your skills. To Garvid he hands a greater half light charm, instructing him in its use.
He also notes that you would be well served to find a local guide in the Gap, and if you should ever need him during your stay in the city, you can contact him either here or at the Duskwarden Guildhouse in Bis. With this small speech finished, he turns and disappears back down the Half light Path.
From the exit of the Half light Path, the most obvious entrance to Kaer Maga is through the Gap, a massive break in the ring of Kaer Maga’s walls where, it appears, some ancient explosion must have torn away thousands of pounds of stone. This carnage has been mostly filled in by the district called the Warren, a many-storied shantytown of rickety scaffolding and makeshift shacks, yet a wide corridor still runs through the center and plays host to a constant stream of traffic in and out of the city.
The Gap is also the best place in the city to find local guides. As soon as you enter the Gap, you’re swarmed by mobs of local children offering themselves as guides (and doing their best to quietly pick your pockets while you’re distracted.). One, however, immediately distinguishes himself by locking eyes with Mouse and hailing you as adventurers. Perhaps 16 years old, the boy is skinny and wears ragged clothes, yet carries himself with a confidence his compatriots recognize, getting out of his way and leaving you to him. ”Well met! I’m Gav, Gav Nahli, the best guide in the city! I wish to congratulate you on having the perspicacity to engage my services for the laughably low price of 5 gold coins per day.” He bows, then takes his place walking beside Mouse.
”Those who pass through the madness of the Warren quickly realize the true strangeness of our great city. Rather than being bordered externally by stout defensive walls, most of Kaer Maga lies literally inside its walls.” He gestures to the enormous outcropping of gleaming, white stone extending straight up from the cliff ’s edge, its 80-foot-high walls forming a seamless, six-sided ring and its squared-off skyline broken only by a cluster of towers and minarets at the south end. ”Hundreds of feet thick, the walls are mostly hollow, riddled through with chambers large and small and housing most of the city’s population. In places the chambers are large enough that structures rise up the sides or stand free like those of a conventional city, while in others its interior is split into distinct floors, with entire neighborhoods stacked one on top of each other. These areas are collectively known as the Ring and are generally avoided by outside merchant caravans, which instead move swiftly into the bustling open-air commercial districts, the Core.”
”The Core is the only part of the city to receive natural light and is the source of our water, the Core is safest, considered neutral ground by most of the gangs. I you’ve ready coin and strong stomachs, you’ll find anything your hearts desire, from obscure magical items and exotic pleasures to occult knowledge and even human chattel.”
”I can help you find anything you need. For magic trinkets, The Wheel Unbroken is good for custom work, but if you want cheap, it’s Gadka down at the corner of Fever Street and Half-a-Chicken Walk. If you’re looking for brothels, well you have the luxury of choice. If you want them cold, it’s the White Lady up in Ankar-Te—there’s some things you just can’t do with a live boy or girl, neh?”
Garvid stalks forward, slamming the blade of his halberd into the seugathi’s head. As Talfryn dismisses his acid pit, Yazi kneels down to help Mouse crawl up from vestige of the bubbling pool. She keeps her head and immediately rushes toward the remaining creature, unleashing a barrage of blows. Her fourth strike, a vicious uppercut, removes what is left of the creature’s head and sends it slamming into the tunnel wall with a disgusting splatter.
Abra and the Grumms soon regain their faculties. Abra argues vehemently against exploring the tunnel, citing the need to reach the end of the Halflight Path and warn the rest of the Duskwardens so that the tunnel can be closed and a full team can be sent to investigate it. The Grumms beg you to accompany them to the surface immediately.
