Everything for Xarann should be done now.
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Doesn't seem like this has ended quite yet so I'm throwing Xarann into the mix. I tried to put up his backstory and such about three times but the internet at work is crapping out. Is it alright if I finish this up when I wake up in the afternoon?
Xarann stays quiet until the others stop talking, but the look on his face shows the big man is listening. He wasn't really much one for taking orders either, but he was pretty sure he couldn't swim as well as the other two. It was probably a better idea to stick with the others; the lot of them wouldn't recognize him as a Pathfinder, and they didn't need to exactly who he was just yet, but he could clue them in so they didn't feel the need to hide it from them. When one of his compatriots mentioned keeping his distance, Xarann finally speaks up, his deep voice cutting through the sound of the waves. "That's fine. I hit things."
Xarann spends most of his time keeping quiet and sticking to himself. He's smart enough to know that the more he talks, the more likely he is to blow his own cover; he didn't know the first thing about sailing, for one, and was lucky the Pathfinders had given him something to help mitigate the issue. Still, the more he kept quiet, the better he figured it would be. When Ramona called out on the ship, though, his curiosity was piqued. "Is there something wrong?" he asked, lumbering over to her position. "You look troubled."
Xarann just nods along when the man mentions he's made it aboard the expedition, not saying much now that he'd finished the interview. "I'll speak with the man at the inn, thank you. I look forward to our venture." At the inn, Xarann walks to the innkeep. "Mr. Smedrik send me."
"I suppose that depends on how you define 'surviving'. I've stayed in tropical ports, but never had much need to survive inland. Once or twice we had to venture in, but that was a large expedition with a well-prepared crew. There wasn't much I had to do, other than let the others do their job. Again, I wasn't really in charge of the expedition aspect, either; I'm more of a follower in that regard. I just kept people safe."
"My name is..." Xarann takes a breath for a minute, almost forgetting his cover identity. "Aenon Malas. For much of my life, I have been a wanderer; I have gone from ship to ship, port to port in search of the spark that makes life worth living. Many years ago, I spent some time aboard the Emperor's Blessing, and learned many secrets of the Tien monasteries. Not only am I an accomplished sailor... but I can keep other colonists safe." Xarann makes a gesture to his impressive physique. "I am as good a sailor as any, and thrice the warrior. I may not be a scholar, nor some sort of archaeologist, but those who are would be quite safer having me by their side."
A heads up for all my games; I'm going to be camping from Monday to Wednesday, so I won't be able to post. I should have Internet on my phone, but posting from my phone is a real chore (even ignoring the logout issue I still have on mobile) so I will be silent for a few days. I may keep up if I can get Paizo to reliably work on my phone, but if not I'll catch up when I get back.
Xarann groans when he sees the line, loathe to stand and wait for his turn to speak with those leading the expedition. He thinks for a moment about forcing his way into the line, but just shakes his head when he realizes it would be better to stay undercover for the time being. He folds his arms and puts on his best antagonizing glare, figuring it will keep any of the other hopefuls from trying to start up a conversation.
Xarann, clearly not as comfortable conversing with others, instead opts to watch some of those he recognized from the Pathfinder Society and follow them after they find their footing in the city. He watches from afar and follows them surreptitiously, making sure passersby don't realize he's following behind. He figures this will keep others on the expedition from being suspicious about his connection to the others, and keeps his anonymity a little bit longer.
DM Ruins Master: "He's my cover? Yeah, alright. Some of this seems a little... risky, but I guess that's not my place. I doubt they'll have much need for me to speak Tian, and I won't have any problems punching my way out of problems. But, a skilled sailor? Doesn't that seem a little conspicuous? I've barely even been on the boat before, let alone operated one. What if a crew member is injured and they need help? Couldn't that blow my cover?" Xarann adjusts his cover as they speak, his skin growing tanner as his hair becomes a dark brown, and Varisian tattoos creep across his exposed skin. "It just seems like we're pushing our luck, here."
"Also, I'm not going by boat? How will I know who the other Pathfinders are once we arrive? Will they know me?"
Interview with a Pathfinder: "I don't have any experience with studying object per say, but I spent a lot of time around individuals who had a strong interest in historical artifacts. I may not be a scholar, but I'm a quick learner. Under the tutelage of someone else, I could learn to identify artifacts easily enough. As for skills I already have, though?" Xarann grins, gesturing to his impressive physique. He pauses for a moment, realizing who he's speaking to. The grin fades from his face. "I can life a grown man from the ground with one arm. Imagine what I could move in a ruin? I can protect others from dangers both above and below the surface of Azlant. I learned to fight in Chelish underground fighting rings, and I'm still alive. That should say something, I think. I grew up a thief, so moving about unseen isn't off the table either." When they ask about organizing others, Xarann shrugs.
"I haven't. I'm not much of a leader of men. I'm not personable enough to have people follow me because I inspire them, and making people do what you want because they're afraid of you doesn't really work long-term. I work on my own, or I follow. I can strategize or plan with a leader, but I can't do it myself. It's just not what I do." Xarann raises an eyebrow about tropical climates. He shrugs again, and just looks around. He doesn't seem nervous, but the big man is on edge. "I've never been in one, but I grew up surviving on the streets of Westcrown. I can take care of myself, I'm not concerned about that." "Just before I left Westcrown, I found myself in a... tenuous situation involving a powerful man in the city. He was grooming me for something, perhaps to take his place or to simply lower my guard. I'll never know. He collected a lot of old artifacts. I saw one, an old compass, and I stole it. I slipped away and barely escaped with my life, but I used that old compass to escape the city and live a new life. Turns out, that old compass was a Wayfinder. That's... all I want to say about that." "I tackle the most pressing issue first. I take everything a step at a time, breaking down bigger problems into smaller ones. Anything can seem overwhelming if you look at the big picture. The minutae is where you need to work if you want to keep moving. I do that same thing to solve problems. You can't look at a problem as a whole. If you've got to deal with someone who could kill you with a glance, you don't fight them head on. You run, you go places they can't go... like a church, in my case. You exploit their weaknesses with your strengths. Simple." "A good team makes use of everyone's strengths and minimizes weaknesses. More importantly though, they can't hate each other. No one works well with people they don't like, even if their skills go well together. You'll sabotage themselves to see the other person fail." "After I stole a Wayfinder from an... ex-member of the Society, I was approached to become a field agent. They thought my skills were beneficial to the Society and that expanding on them would be worth my while. Otherwsie, though, I feel I'm suited to the expedition because I can keep others safe. I'm a warrior, even if someone tried to train me as a scholar. A wolf can't wear the wool of a sheep, his teeth will always be bloody. I can aid on expeditions but more importantly I provide an important level of security." "Complex problems? Well, once I had to deal with a guard who was patrolling my route. He had it out for me and some of the others, and I knew he could call on help so there was no point in trying to deal with him myself. I couldn't fight him or I would be arrested and thrown in prison. Instead, I had to deal with him behind the scenes. Turns out, his wife was sleeping with a disgraced nobleman; someone I knew tipped him off to that information, and he killed the both of them in a passionate rage. Not the nicest way to deal with it, but it worked out." "I want to go to Azlant because it's the farest place I can get from Westcrown as possible. No one else is there. I can get away from Ilnerik. He won't be able to follow me there, not without me knowing."
Sorry, couldn't get it today. I'm preparing for a trip to go visit my brother in Atlanta and it took longer than I expected. I have a long drive tomorrow, so I'll think on the questions while I'm in the car and I'll post when I get to the hotel.
When I get home tomorrow after doing what needs doing, I'll get to this. I just haven't had the time to sit down and devote to this specifically, I've had the same problem with one of my games. I'll get to it tomorrow though.
"I don't really know, to be honest. We'll have to make it through the interviews first." Xarann leans away from the crowd, the big man finding it hard to keep his own space. "I'm not much for this kind of thing, though. Not usually very personable, you know. It's not a skill you need much, where I come from. From us Pathfinders though, I would guess not many of us will even get the chance to take our chances on getting onboard the expedition. You'll—" Xarann pauses for a minute, and shakes his head. "We'll need to our best, right? Nothing else to do. I'm sure we'll be alright."
Xarann stares at Arken's outstretched hand for a moment, then takes it in his own massive hand. "Yes, here to join the expedition. Or try to, at any rate. I'm hoping they might see fit to have some more... able-bodied individuals on board their vessel. One look at me and their colonists are already safer, yes?" Xarann hesitates to grin for a moment, until he remembers the disguise has masked his pointed teeth. "I'm sure that will count for something, wouldn't you say?"
Prologue:
"I'm not much one for pleasantries, you know that. Maybe I'll be a bit better without people gawking at the horns and the eyes and all that, but somehow I doubt it. I used to be told I was... abrasive? I think that's the word." Xarann stretches out his now tanned limbs and cracks his neck. "I guess I should venture down there, even if you've already secured a spot. Gotta keep up appearances, right? I'll see if I can't make small talk." Down amongst the others, Xarann still stands out among the crowd—however perhaps not as much as before—with his towering height and impressive physique. He mills through the others and looks around, hoping perhaps to find someone to speak to while he waits to be brought in.
Prologue: Xarann turns the hat over in his hands, the porcelain flesh of one still clad in the steel gauntlet. "You don't think I'll win them over with my sheer charisma, huh?" One of his black eyebrows arches up at the joke. "I suppose if there's anywhere Ilnerik can't find me, it's Azlant, right? Even if he knows I'm there, there's a lot of caves for him to poke his ugly little nose into." Xarann slowly pops the hat onto his head and watches with amusement as the illusion covers him; his pale white flesh takes on a tanned hue and his eyes transform to a normal color, his matching pair of red horns now obscured by magic. "So, when does the boat leave? When do I need to be ready?"
Well, I wrote up the background, and it was doozy. It's up on the profile now. I'll update his purchases ASAP, but as a monk there's not really anything he needs to purchase that he can afford right now. PS: Donkor will get the maddest loot. Just don't tell the others. It's not like another one of them in this thread could see it or anything.
Working on my background now, I had to get that first post up for Kingmaker tonight like I promised! I have it all in my head, just need to take the hour or so to get the whole thing typed up and on the alias.
Not QUITE finished, but this is JDPhipps's submission. I... ended up going with the Unchained Monk instead of Brawler. I made it work. He's not quite done, mostly on the backstory end, but I'll write that out tomorrow (since recruitment doesn't until the 5th, right?) and get it to you. I did take the Kung Fu Genius feat, which was in a Dragon Magazine issue for 3.5, I assumed that fell under 3rd party. It just swaps Wisdom for Intelligence for Monk abilities; I can ditch it if you want, but Intelligence felt more fitting for a Pathfinder.
"Pardon me for not skulking through the Darklands like some sort of... miscreant," Xarann retorts. "I shine with the light of truth, and I will not cover the flame purely because moths might be drawn to it. To do so would be to flinch from my faith, and I will not surrender to the darkness purely because I walk amongst it. I will walk as a lone lantern in a see of shadows, if that is what I must do." He snorts, then mutters a phrase in Elven and waves his free hand as he casts Mage Armor as well, having noted Mika cast it himself. "I wouldn't expect you to understand," Xarann says to Illiana. "Her light is so dim beneath the earth, so many below are ignorant to Her teachings. I will redeem you, all of you, someday if I live to have the chance." Still, Xarann remains behind as Rissi wanders down towards the crossroads, only taking his first steps down towards them once she is well away from the group. He heads in another direction, away from her, and opts to do some investigating of his own.
Xarann draws his own blade, making his way down towards the crossroads after motioning for the group to follow. "It should be... right, this way." He walks a bit farther, the location being just over the next hill of the Darklands's sprawling subterranean landscape. "There's no way of knowing if there'll be anything here to even find, but keep an eye out." When Rissi mentions the ambushers, he nods. "Right, try not to die if that happens," he comments, before heading down towards the crossroads himself.
Finally having traveled far enough to be free of the duergar patrols, Xarann looks around for a moment before scratching his chin. "Well, I'm fairly certain I actually know where we are now, so that's more than a bit relieving. That said... I don't know that any of these places scream 'supply ambush' either, so I suppose that's just sort of a wash. Shall we just continue until we find the latest ambush site and see if we can track them from there? That seems as good a plan as wandering about like fools."
"I wouldn't expect to find anything for the next several days, until then we'll be too close to the city. The duergar patrol this area heavily, so we shouldn't need to be too concerned until then. Typically, they're searching for intruders, but I have a feeling these--" he says, gesturing to the bracer magically attached to his forearm "--will serve well enough as the necessary paperwork. There are other caverns marked as off-limits to anyone without direct permission from the king, and... well, I don't exactly know if these would count for that or not. I'm going to with no, err on the side of caution. Let's go, shall we?" Xarann pauses every couple words to repeat himself in Undercommon for Illiana to understand, and then to assure Urf he's simply translating, before he heads off onto the Walk. "We've got a long way to walk!"
Xarann, finally out of the duergar city, finally seems to be more in his element. Without a word, he takes a place at the front of the group and quietly takes stock of the area. "I don't know that I've ever been here before," he comments, trying to wrack his brain for everything he knows about this particular area of the Darklands. "Still, that shouldn't be much of a problem; I know most of the paths through the Darklands, even if I haven't traveled them personally. Let's see if we can't find some evidence of these attacks, see what we can track down."
"Urf, they are not all his name. He is a Fetchling, much like you are a goblin. And relax, he won't be stealing any souls." Xarann sighs, looking down at the little man as he left the room. "In truth, I'm quite rested, I can leave whenever you all are ready. Should we head out now, then?"
I thought we already rested? Urf left and was gone for 7 hours, unless you're ruling that took way less time. Technically we need eight, but Xarann at least had been resting to recover his spent spell slots in that time. I'm just a little confused on the timeline.
First, I agree on the wand. Second, I think unless I'm mistaken we're all ready to go.
"Ah yes, here he is now." Xarann gives the fetchling a knowing look, his eyebrows raised as if to express his sympathies. "I was just telling our newest companion about you, actually. I was telling him about your... unique talents."
"Yes, a goblin. He goes by Urf, and apparently believes himself to be rather important. I believe he wandered off in search of a healer... strange, considering we had one here already." Xarann shrugs, now ready to go. "He's a rambunctious little creature. Surprisingly enough, he isn't entirely full of bluster; the little creature can fight."
Xarann has... 1,029 GP left. Also, I have a +13 UMD at the moment, so I can also handle it quite well.
"She's right, you know. It does us no good to be rude to one another, considering we're not in much of a position to request any sort of reassignment. Moreover, fighting amongst ourselves is foolish." Xarann locks eyes with Tlugos as he speaks, the half-drow either feeling self-assured or simply not realizing the lack of social grace in doing so--perhaps a bit of both. "We'll be stuck together for quite a while, I would think, so it's in our best difference to at least attempt to live with one another in relative peace. I for one have no intention of remaining a slave to the Duergar any longer than necessary, but for the moment our only means of attaining freedom is leveraging our current position to attain the gold to buy it for ourselves. The more we bicker, the longer that takes. Somehow, I suspect you don't wish to remain chained either."
I've had that happen with several of my games lately, it's incredibly irritating.
Assuming we have nothing to do before we've regained our spells, I'm ready to move on. Is everyone else still around? I was waiting on some of the others to introduce themselves, but I thought at this point it'd be better to post in and keep us moving.
"I see," Xarann replies, before packing up his things into his bag. "I've been of the opinion that there are quite enough shadows being cast about down here, natural or otherwise, for quite a while; still, I suppose I'm a bit of an outlier in that regard. Few people worship the Dawnflower where Her radiance is so hard to observe, so I shouldn't be surprised," he continues, his hand reaching up to the Sarenite pendant that dangled around his neck and rubbing it between his fingers. "Regardless, another mage amongst our ranks is hardly a bad thing. I believe I've meditated long enough, if the rest of you are quite ready to go?" Xarann hikes his bag up over his shoulders and heads towards the door, before stopping. "Oh, except for that damnable goblin. Where has he gotten off to?"
"It's good to meet you," Xarann replies simply, as he begins putting out his sticks of incense with a few wet fingertips. [b]"My name is Xarann, it's... hopefully a pleasure to work with you. What is it that you do, exactly?" His question doesn't seem rude, just forward; it seems that the half-drow doesn't have much of a sense of tact.
So, when are we expecting to get this moving again?
While these submissions are fine on their own, I personally don't know that I think any of them REALLY fit our party, if you know what I mean. If I were you, I might bump the Recruitment thread and see if anyone else posts in. I know someone who didn't even realize the recruitment was open, so you may get a few more applicants. Up to you, though.
Gotcha. I'm fine with waiting until we get some fresh blood in the party before we move out. That said, I'm ready to move on; Xarann has nothing else to do before we leave after his spell slots are refreshed.
So, I guess that means we'll be looking for some new players? I know we've got at least one person missing. Have you tried to contact Illiana at all, GM?
Xarann opens one eye as the goblin rants about wanting to fight, and begins to open his mouth to say something until Rissi suggests the 'quiet game'. He closes his eye and nods, resuming his chanting. 'That was quite smart.'
As far as I can tell, it's not actually "night-time", we just decided to head out tomorrow. Also, technically speaking, I require 8 hours of REST, not sleep, to regain my spells. Meditation would count towards rest.
Xarann watches as the tiefling chooses a corner for himself, before setting his pack down on a bed. He rummages around within it for a while, before pulling out a few sticks of incense and a bowl to contain it in, before gently setting it aflame. The sweet smell of the burning incense slowly wafts through the room, as the smoke unfurls from the holding pot and sits low around the floor. Xarann sits cross-legged in front of the incense burner, his sword in his lap and his hands resting upon the blade. He breathes deeply once, before repeatedly chanting something in Elven quietly, his breathing remaining steady. "وسوف حماية حلفائي في حياتي. فهي بلدي الضوء وقوتي، وأنا على ضوء وقوتهم. نرتفع معا. وسوف تسعى إلى تدمير تفرخ من الخام الوحش. إذا كنت لا يمكن إلحاق الهزيمة بهم، وسوف تعطي حياتي تحاول. إذا سوف تضيع حياتي في محاولة، وسوف تجد حلفاء. إن وجدت سقوط بسبب بلدي التقاعس عن العمل، وفاتهم تكمن على نفسي، وأنا سوف تكفير لكل منها. أنا نزيهة للآخرين. أتوقع أي شيء لنفسي ولكن ما أنا في حاجة إلى البقاء على قيد الحياة. أفضل المعركة هي معركة فزت. لو أموت، وأنا لم تعد قادرة على القتال. أنا أحارب إلى حد ما عندما المعركة عادلة، وأنا أضرب بسرعة ودون رحمة عندما لا يكون. وسوف تخليص الجاهل مع كلامي وأفعالي. إذا أنها لن تتحول في اتجاه الضوء، أخلصهم بالسيف. وأنا لن تلتزم الشر، وسوف مكافحته مع الصلب عندما الكلمات لا تكفي. أنا لا تتوانى عن إيماني، ولا خوف الحرج. روحي لا يمكن شراؤها لجميع النجوم في السماء. وسوف تظهر أقل حظا ضوء زهرة الفجر. سأعيش حياتي كما لها شفرة مميتة، مشرقة بنور الحقيقة. كل يوم هو خطوة أخرى نحو الكمال. وأنا لن تتحول إلى الظلام." The mantra continues for several hours, his monotone voice never changing or faltering as he recites the lines over and over again. Finally, he breathes one last large breath before dousing the flames of the incense with his fingers. "Each day is another step toward perfection. I will not turn back into the dark," he whispers, before packing his things together and going to sleep. Elven: I will protect my allies with my life. They are my light and my strength, as I am their light and their strength. We rise together.
I will seek out and destroy the spawn of the Rough Beast. If I cannot defeat them, I will give my life trying. If my life would be wasted in the attempt, I will find allies. If any fall because of my inaction, their deaths lie upon my soul, and I will atone for each. I am fair to others. I expect nothing for myself but that which I need to survive. The best battle is a battle I win. If I die, I can no longer fight. I will fight fairly when the fight is fair, and I will strike quickly and without mercy when it is not. I will redeem the ignorant with my words and my actions. If they will not turn toward the light, I will redeem them by the sword. I will not abide evil, and will combat it with steel when words are not enough. I do not flinch from my faith, and do not fear embarrassment. My soul cannot be bought for all the stars in the sky. I will show the less fortunate the light of the Dawnflower. I will live my life as her mortal blade, shining with the light of truth. Each day is another step toward perfection. I will not turn back into the dark.
"Yes, of course. 'Risen above'", Xarann says, his tone at odds with his stoic facial expression. "You've bound us, where are we to stay? The sooner I begin my meditations, the sooner we can head out tomorrow and discover who it is that has been stealing from your King. It leads to sooner, uh, glory," the half-drow says, with a half-nod towards Urf.
"That hardly seems like something you'd be concerned about," Xarann says, shrugging. "I don't suppose these serve any sort of... alternative purpose, in addition to marking us as the king's 'property'?" While it's slight, Xarann's tone leaves no mistake that he finds that idea abhorrent. "It's all well and good that we'll have room to sleep, but I've worked as a guide through the Darklands for years; I can find my own food and shelter if need be." Xarann offers his arm to the quartermaster regardless, knowing he doesn't have a choice at the moment. "Still, I can't help but notice I haven't heard of a way for the king to keep track of us."
"I could use my blade, but my magic will render me far more effective," the half-drow says plainly, folding his arms across his chest. "I don't need it, much like yourself, but it allows me to be far more potent. Perhaps you too would be more effective with some amount of magical prowess; given your people's hatred of books, however, I find such an event unlikely at best." Xarann shrugs, looking at the others. "If we must leave today, I will. However, I believe it might do us well to learn what we can of the previous attacks."
Without a word, Xarann reaches into the crate to retrieve all of his things. After rummaging through all of their belongings, he tucks all of things under his arm before walking a small distance from the others. He pulls off the clothes given to him by their captors and replaces them with his own robes; he also straps a finely crafted sword to his back and hangs a number of talismans about his neck, before finally tucking the rest of his belongings back into his pack. "When are we expected to leave?" Xarann asks the duergar, waiting for the others to find their own belongings. "I have cast several spells today, and would prefer to rest before we disembark."
"Very well," Xarann says, turning to leave with Rissi. He gives a curt nod to the king, and then strides out of the hall back to the gray dwarf who had escorted them there. His expression was neutral, but he was ready to leave; he was used to the Underdark, and had traveled through it for months at a time. This task, as important as it may be, would be a trifle compared to what he had done on his own.
"You wish for us to track down your thieves, then?" Xarann asks plainly, taking in the information. "I will need my own things to be of the most use to you, Your Highness. While I am not... incapable without them, my efficacy in battle is heightened even beyond what I displayed in the arena. They will make the task you ask of us much easier, and I would think the items owned by my companions might do the same for them." Xarann, while clearly not skilled with such things as negotiation or honorifics, is obviously doing his best to be respectful if nothing else. "However, Your Highness, I cannot kill the perpetrators if they offer me an honest surrender, and I will not suffer my compatriots to do so either. As long as their surrender holds, I cannot abide any harm coming to them; it is against the way of the Dawnflower to cause such undue suffering."
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