Solaric Zekkaran's page

That's right! The Shark Pool! How could I forget such a name!

The city is a miserable sight compared to the bustling place it was about a year ago. The streets mostly empty, the few people you meet haggard, pale and armed. Guards and militias at every corner, the windows dark no music coming out of tavern doors...

"The city feels like it is in mourning. Ever since my beloved Sassandra passed away, the city has not been the same. She was such an inspiring person and now hope is beginning to feel too much of a rare commodity. This simply tell me that we still have much to do!"

To Solaric, "Thank you. I shall not have need enough to bother you during your prayers."

"Please, my dear. I assure you that it would be no bother to be interrupted. My life is guided by the Inheritor and I am here to serve. When the call comes, I rise to my feet and declare 'here am I, send me, use me!' For indeed the safety and welfare of all the people of Karcau are always on my mind!"

""I have something to attend this evening, if you would have questions needing answers please inform me so I can divine answers"

"If you can find out more about Bjöldur, Gjöldur, and Mjöldur. I would like to strike the enemy at the heart of their evil, and that sounds like it is coming from those three. Is there a way we can get behind the enemy lines to their camps? I have no interest in fighting the entire army on our own, but is there a way to catch each of them alone and unprotected?"

"M'lord, perhaps you could point me in the direction of an inn that would be the most accommodating to Sundaymah's presence. I will see what I can do to aid the people in town before retiring for the night."

"We often meet at the Shark's Den. I don't know how good the accommodations are, but we have often shared meals there. I will retire to the House of the Vigilant Flame for the evening and enter an evening of prayer. if you need me for any reason, please come and find me."

"Evil has a nasty habit of continually needing to be battled! I shall lend my arm and blade to your cause!"

"We accept your offer! There is much that needs done, and we are always looking for people who are willing to fight for the cause of good."

"Karcau's chosen? Is this a moniker of your own choice or one bestowed by another?"

"We were chosen by the masters of the academy just after our graduation. We were given the task of finding the Rag Man. We finished that initial task, but we have kept the name and continued our work of fighting evil. It has simply grown to a level none of us had ever imagined."

"So, my friends, we need to decide on our next steps. I suggest we get a good nights rest, stock up on gear and we make our way out to battle. We have three targets, Bjöldur Frostbeard, a big blue man, likely a frost giant who is the leader. He wields a massive two-handed warhammer with whiche he can shoot rays of frost and cones of ice. Then we have his two brothers Gjöldur and Mjöldur. From what we've learned, thanks to Krisga, the latter one is a shaman who commands the powers of the northern wastes, while Gjöldur is master of trickery and deceit. The golbins says that he can become invisible at will! Mjöldur commands the ice trolls while Gjöldur is lord of the goblins. The goblin claims that none of them can be bested by humans, but I would like to think that he is just bluffing."

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

"Well met , indeed, Lord...Zekkaran? Did I pronounce that correctly?

"Yes, that is it. It is a very well known name in the darklands, but it has recently become a household name when I began competing in the recent tournament. The winner was to take the Countess Livgrace in marriage, but it did not end the way I hoped. The evil that threatens Karcau has robbed me of that path!"

My condolences on your loss, your grief must be great."

"The Countess was a remarkable woman and all of her people loved her! The loss is felt by the entire city. For me, it has strengthened my resolve to destroy the evil that has come to it. We have many tasks to attend to, the least of which is an army threatening to take down Karcau."

"I am Loric Bentha, and no , Bannon here is usually as steady as a mountai. Must have been that over sized cat that spooked him.". Loric's mouth twists into a sardonic smile, like one who has realized that the joke was on him.

"Well, if you are able with a sword, steady on your mount, and are willing to put your life in great danger, then you are welcome to join Karcau's chosen. We could use another to help us battle the forces of evil!"

"Yes, we are finished with the goblin! He has served his purpose and told us a good deal. We now need to determine our next course of action. I suggest we prepare to take down each of these leaders. If we strike at the heart of the evil, then it should not survive long."

Solaric approaches Loric and introduces himself. "Well met, sir. I am Lord Solaric Zekkaran. I was betrothed to the late Countess Livgrace until her recent untimely death. Forgive me if I was abrupt with you. I have not been myself since her passing. I noticed that you were having trouble staying up on your horse. Do you fall off of it often? At the very least, it does seem very fond of you."

""WHaaaaa.....Oooof!" Loric utters as he falls flat on his back. Groaning, he manages to lever himself onto his side, only to fall back on his back once more, chuckling at his predicament, or at least trying to chuckle, having been winded from the fall.

"We are in the middle of an interrogation! Could we have a little quiet please?! We are trying to get some information here! Enough of these interruptions!"

"It can come with me, I have a task needing done and it shall be the perfect tool"

"Dare I ask what you have proposed with this goblin? I cannot imagine what further use you have for it, unless of course you are you sending it back to its boss with a message to deliver?"

"Krisaga. Not Krishna. You can call me Kris if that is easier."

"I beg your pardon, my dear. Krisaga it will be. I must admit, I am most impressed with your translating. I don't think we would have received half of this information if it was me trying to rip it out of him."

As the rider approaches, Solaric greets him politely. "We'll met, Sir. If you have a helmet, I would recommend you wear it. Karcau is not as safe as it use to be, and there are many enemy about as you can well see."

"We'll, I suppose it is a good thing that I am not human then, because these three clearly need besting! Krishna, see if you can find out any weaknesses or ways to strike them right in the heart. By finding the heart of our enemy, we find victory!"

"This has been most helpful, Krisga. Can you find out the location of Bjöldur's two brothers and the names of their regiments? Perhaps if we can take them down, then we will have a better chance of defeating Bjöldur himself."

"Start by trying to find the whereabouts and the defenses of this Frost Giant. If we can strike at the heart of this evil, then maybe we have a chance at victory!"

"A pleasure, M'lord. Place him on the ground, please?"

"Naturally, we could do that." With no further wait, Solaric picks up the goblin and places it on the ground next to Krisga. "If you value your life, I suggest you answer the lady's questions truthfully!"

"Krisga, forgive my lack of manners. I am Solaric Zekkaran, Lord of Karcau." The dark elf politely extends his hand. "I do not mean to brush you off, but I have a great deal on my mind. If you can speak goblin to this creature, I would be most grateful. We are trying to find out as much as we can from the creature. We are looking for their base of operations and information on their command structure. Thus far he has revealed to us that a Frost Giant by the name of Bjöldur Frostbeard is in charge. We could use more information on his whereabouts and the status of their forces."

"My dear Countess, I hope you are not implying that I am dismissing this offer of help due to this lady's social standing and racial heritage?! Clearly one with a heritage such as mine cannot possibly show such prejudice! I just know that where we are going the challenges are going to be deadly and the risk of death will be very high. If she wishes to help, I have no doubt that one of the healing houses will welcome her offer with open arms, especially once the battle begins. Forgive my assumptions, your Grace, but I do not presume that any traveling stranger we meet at the side of the road would be willing to put their life at such great risk by accompanying us! Naturally, I did the polite thing and wished her a good day and assured her that the plague was no longer a threat!"

"Mam," Solaric replies, "I appreciate your offer for help, but healing waters have come to the city and the plague will soon be eliminated. You have nothing to fear from the plague. The coffins here belonged to a group of vampires who have come to see the light of the sun and now their end. We are restoring the holy justice of Iomedae to Karcau and at present we are finding some answers regarding the enemy's forces. You need not worry yourself. I bid you a fine day and may the Inheritor light your way."

At last, some real information!

"Headchop, where is Frostbeard? Do you hear your orders directly from this giant?"

As the passerby stops to watch, Solaric takes notice of the half orc but does not stop his interrogation of the goblin.

Solaric has little patience for the filthy goblin, but tries to makes his next questions simple and easy to understand."Yes, yes, I have no doubt that you give commands, but who gives you the commands? Who is your boss, goblin?!"

Solaric looks at the goblin incredulously. "What do I want to know?! Everything, but you can start by telling me your name and your company. What group are you in and how many of there are you? Can you explain to me your command structure. How do you get your orders and what tasks have they assigned to you and your company?"

Hit Points: 1d8 ⇒ 8
+1 Cleric = Paladin 2/Cleric 7

"Tell all tell all...no kill, me friend!"

"Go ahead and speak, you wretch! Let us hear what you have to say! Go ahead and tell us all that you know!"

"It is not the great pyre that brings hope Solaric, it is the candle, hence why they put them in churches - and on cakes"

"I've heard the old saying that stars shine brightest when it is darkest out, but I am not familiar with your custom of candles on cakes. I had no idea that gave such hope to the downhearted. Are you sure that more of a small thing isn't better. I mean, wouldn't it be a good thing for the candle to set alight the bonfire and watch it burn?!"

"So what of the Horde? For that is now the great issue"

"Well, we had some fun when we came in on horseback and overtook a goblin patrol. We destroyed them all except for this one goblin tied up and laid across the horse. Perhaps you would care to questions the little humanoid and see if it has some information that we could put to use."

"Your plan was brilliant, truly! May the Inheritor bless you all your lives for this service you have rendered Karcau. You have taken us one step closer to bringing about the everlasting peace that we must bring to Karcau. Step by step, little by little, Karcau shall become that beacon of light for those who travel in dark places. Today, you have all helped make this one step closer to that reality."

"Well met, Cairn! How did you make this happen?! I knew you were going to try and negotiate with Lucretia, but I did not expect you to persuade her to come out here in the sun! I know I should never underestimate Victoria's skill at diplomacy, but this is above and beyond anything I ever imagined!"

"Solaric, I believe this is good news to you, no?"

"Johenric, my friend. If Indeed this is Lucretia turned to dust by the sunlight, then I am well pleased, for these vampires have preyed too long in my city. I just do not understand how this came to be? Is this too good to be true or is this some sort of deception? Here in Ustulav, I've learned to be cautious."

Solaric takes an interest in the strange cargo and heads over to observe.

Does he find Victoria and Cairn there already?

"Johenric, is this a strange sight to you? These wagons were transporting coffins? What do we have here?"

"Greetings, comrades!" He declares as he pulls up on Dart. "In the name of Iomedae, what do we have here? Have our vampires found justice at last?! My dear Victoria, did you have something to do with this?"

"This behavior is from an nature perspective a good strategy to survive. The only thing that matters is, if a living being adapts to a new situation. The qualities the mankind and the elfs value and are proud of - such as intelligence, might, etc. - represent only ways to adapt to a situation."

"Sadly, it is my own failings that have caused these fine folks to flee the city. Clearly they do not feel the protection that we offer. I should not blame them, for my time has been taken up with quests and many pressing matters, and the evil upon our gates is great. This is just an indication that our work is far from over!"

Solaric, now as we have tested the horse theory about goblins fear, what is our next step?

"With some reluctance, I have let Victoria negotiate peace with Lucretia. Our next step is to determine the status of that meeting. I have no doubt in Victoria's skill at charm and grace. she can clearly handle herself in any debate or conversation dealing with tact and subtley, but I do not trust Lucretia all that much. All in all, we have threats from within and threats from without the city. If he can keep the threats from within at bay, then we may have a chance at fighting the battles outside! This is where I have great concern around Lucretia and her minions. I simply wish that I had not involved myself with her in the first place."

Zyren, you always put me in these dilemmas regarding playing what Solaric would do versus what I would do! Whenever I play what Solaric would do, I cause so much trouble for myself! I would say good riddance to the vampires and thank Victoria for dealing with them. But what would Solaric do? Well, that is a different situation!

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

I'm not sure I like asking this, but does Solaric notice the wagons? If the answer is yes, does he think that it is unusual for a couple of full wagons to be traveling north?

Solaric takes great satisfaction in crushing goblins. A slight smile crosses his face as he feels that the Inheritor's will moving through his veins.

"We should take the injured one to Karcau m'lord...

"That is a wise decision, Captain. I will stay my sword long enough to keep him alive, but if he attempts to cause any harm, I will have little mercy on him."

"We'll charge them...on horseback...these snow goblins fear horses, I've seen them flee before. I will shoot one down...though not wounding him lethally...that one will give us some answers."

"I am happy to ride in and slay as many as you like. My longsword, Warden, is quite good for lethal wounds, but perhaps they will submit before I need to use it too much. I am ready at your word."

"A goblin patrol does not seem like much of a threat? " Solaric mentions to Gregori quietly as he looks over the abandoned wagon carefully.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

"Although I would love to simply slay them in haste, I will stay my hatred for the vile creatures if it might give us some insight into what the enemy is doing. Any suggestions on how we can get over there to listen in on them without being seen? I confess my stealth is not very good nor is my goblin. Perhaps capturing one and forcing it to speak might be a better option."

"It does m'lord...but I fear we will be wishing for shadows once eternal night has fallen...that was what the Ragman wanted, right? Turn Sinaria into a land of darkness..."

"Yes, the Ragman spoke of a land of darkness, but as long as I breath life, I will do everything in my power to stop that wretched villain. I have slain him once before and I will do it again until there is no further hope of his returning! It is easy to be overwhelmed at the thought of such dark evil, but we must keep light and hope in our hearts. We have a great task before us, but with the Inheritor's guidance we will prevail! We must live in the moment and take on this evil one step at a time. It is better to not think of the magnitude of what we are facing, but know that little by little, our acts with persistence will take down this Ragman and his minions!"

"M'lord, are the shadows our friends or foes? Aren't they creatures of the sun for that they can't exist in darkness?"

"You are quite the thinker, Captain. Let me tell you my thoughts on the matter. Shadows are foes that can be dark and dangerous and we must always be weary of them. They have a way of entering our lives when the light is shining brightest. They try to cut us down and drain us of strength when we least expect them. Their methods are stealth and surprise, and they are not likely to attack us in any way other than with a stab in the back. However, through the grace of the Inheritor, we are given the opportunity to be of service when we find shadows in our lives. It is by overcoming the shadows in our lives that we climb the ladder of ascension that takes us closer to Iomedae's realm. We must use these opportunities to take down the shadow and show others the light of the kingdom to come! Does this make some sense to you, my friend?"

Solaric rides up front at Dumitru's side. He remains strangely silent as he ponders the recent events in his life. He is still haunted by the fact that he was too late to save his beloved Sassandra, but he puts that under his own lock and key as he tries to focus in the present. He is eager to take out his wrath on the enemy, and he remains observant, in the hopes of finding them.

As they make steady progress outside of the city, he finds comfort in the rocking motion of Dart's steady gait. Finally, he is able to open himself up to that inner dialogue he offers to his deity.

"Iomedae, I was too late for my beloved, but I thank you for guiding me along a path that I may still work to save your people. I take comfort in the fact that many people were saved by the healing waters from a wretched plague the enemy has brought down upon Karcau. For Sassandra, please guide her safely to your home that I may rejoin her in a glorious realm when my work here is finished. In the meantime, I once again seek your guidance and strength that I may push forward in the darkest places to bring your light to the blackest shadow. Let me take my grief and sorrow and transform it into a tool, a weapon, that you may use to bring your realm to pass. Not my will, but thine, oh mighty Inheritor, be done in and through me. Let my going in and coming out be in accord with all that you would have me do. I ask this in your name. Let it ever be so!

"Well met, gentlemen! I'm glad to see you all here! Are we all up for a little scouting mission to find out what this enemy of ours is up to? Before we go, make sure you've got all of the equipment you need. The Inheritor always favors the prepared!"

"So Captain, where do you propose we strike off to?"

"Gorion, you bring me comfort. I would be honored to have you at my side. Let us cling to the hope that this world will be a better place some day, and that through our actions and the grace of the Inheritor, we will see it come to pass!"

Solaric turns from the view. "I will see you at the stables, my friend."

The dark elf departs and makes his way out to the stables to prepare Dart for the ride.

"That is well, Victoria, for if I heard more discussion of Lucretia, I might be tempted to draw the warden and finish the work I started. No, my plan is to do a little scouting with Gregori. A little intelligence on the enemy's movements will never go amiss. If we get lucky, I may even have a chance to strike a few down!"

Solaric steps up next to his friend, Gorian, and comments, "I remember that island well. It was like a rock that stood firm against the tide. I also remember a dear friend rowing us safely out there in the midst of a dangerous storm. I will never forget your kind acts and the bravery you have shown ever since I first met you."

Gregori snaps open his pistol and takes a look down the barrel

I'm set for scouting...I'd suggest going by night, I got a trinket that enables me to see in the dark and I think you are able to do that anyway, right?

"I grew up in the darklands and I will have no trouble seeing what creatures dwell in the shadow."

He snaps it shut again and nods to the door.Gorian is outside, he'll accompany you to the Shark Pool.

"Then, I will not keep him waitingl. I'll see you tonight, Captain. Come find me at the Shark Pool or if my duties require it, the House of the Vigilant Flame."

Solaric exits through the door ready to join Gorian.