The Forgotten God (Table 1) (Inactive)

Game Master Rednal

Should be back to normal posting now.

Hadran follows. Still wondering what Burkhardt thinks he found or is looking for.

The leshies screeched as you moved through the path without caution - although Midfoviing flapped her way over and, as such, was broadly ignored by the little plant creatures. Outside, the best path you could notice appeared to wind rather steeply upwards, disappearing into a rather rocky... not quite mountain, but at least a very large hill.

"HADRAN, THIS WAY!" Burkhardt called back, pointing grandly towards the path before racing again towards his destination.

Hadran moves along behind, he smiles at the excitement in his companions words.

Well, given the situation, it was easy to see why one might be excited. As you made your way up the hill, Burkhardt led the way with increasingly sure steps. Finally, you found yourselves concealed from other directions as you wound through a steep cut in the hill... and came up against a stone door, every part of which had been covered in tiny, chiseled letters from a thousand different languages. Every now and then, one of the letters glowed slightly.

"The door is warded, I have not good means to bypass this. Do you?"

He ask of Burkhardt as he moves to examine the door with detect magic.

Perception: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (7) + 17 = 24

"Force the abjurations to subside? No, no" Burkhardt laughed, a little too loudly. The pain of his lost power sharpened as he drew closer to a chance at reclaiming it. "Hundreds of scripts, each the basis for scores of languages. Perhaps I can ferret something from their meaning..." He examined the inscriptions with intensity beyond mortal kenning.

Linguistics (+ Surge): 1d20 + 14 + 1d6 ⇒ (9) + 14 + (6) = 29

Deciphering the text on the door wasn't too hard once you started really paying attention to it. The illuminated letters appeared to be a simple repeating message of some sort, spelling out a code in multiple languages that had to be deciphered into yet another tongue to make any sense: I have endless names. Only the worthy may call me before them - only the worthy may pass through these doors.

You have found a text containing information about the 1st-level pact spirit Verbose. With this knowledge, you can attempt to learn her four knowledge at an accelerated rate. A successful check only takes one minute, but a failure will take one hour.

"A message, from another old friend of mine; though I can't say for certain that it is for me, this door is exactly as it appears: a door, not our destination. Hadran, Midfoviing, Erstehund, consider getting comfortable. We may be through quite soon... or it could be a while." Burkhardt cracked his neck each way before unstopping a potion of fox's cunning, "I've forgotten much, save her name."

With a quick chug, he sets to work.
Potion lasts 3 minutes.

After grueling trial and error, Burkhardt drops to sit on the ground, exhausted. "Tell me Hadran, is it the same for you? Flailing frustration at what you once had? Tasks you once finished in less than an eye's blink now taking," he gestured to the door, "this?" He begrudgingly pulled a bit of ration from his bag, his hurried fervor now quenched. "We should get through the door now... but perhaps tomorrow is a better day to try. What do you say?"

"I feel no pull so I support whatever decision you wish to make here. There are moments of frustration, but this vessel is possible the best I could have hoped for. See for me it is not only about being forgotten, but a trial, a path to redemption. For I am forgotten because I was cast out. I was cast out for my own selfish actions. So while I have but a fraction of my previous power each labor I overcome in this form helps me to remember what I once was."

The sky was quite dark by the time you were finished, light coming only from your own sources. Midfoviing had been attentive for about five minutes or so, after which her attention had wandered, and eventually she'd started finding and stacking rocks together just because she could.

As for the door, it was still closed - merely knowing how to summon She of Endless Names was, apparently, not enough to open it. The subtle but constant mental tugging from the other side probably hadn't been helping Burkhardt's concentration, though.

Yeah, meant *could, not should. :-P

Burkhardt chuckled, "I envy you, then. Understanding and accepting the actions that've brought this upon you must lend tenacity to keep this path even when previous companions have failed. I assume myself to have been cast out too: seems more the work of a committee than an accident, but for what? My leading suspicion points to an accusation of 'heresy against the pantheon,'" he said, now taking care with the phrasing, "...but that medicament is simply punishment born of prejudice, one held by just and unjust gods alike. Am I to neglect my very being, my very reason of existence because I brush shoulders with entities the multiverse lacks answers for?

"Urrrgh... and that explanation is simply what stands above the rest currently. In this state, I'm an effect without a cause, knowing only to be myself. I've no compass, simply hope for answers on our shared path to reclaimed power." He scratched his fuzzy chin, then broke the somber mood. "So then, better things than to dwell on answers I declare! In the morning, we will see what lies on the other side of the doorTonight, we dream." He began setting up camp in front of the door.

A bit of Retcon here. After it taking an hour and seeing frustration Hadran would have suggested to Midfoviing to go hunt some food. He would do the same and meet back.

Survival to hunt: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31

"Very well then lets rest. Here have some food. We prepared it knowing it may take you some time. Eat then rest. So you have no memory of what happened to you. That has been common among the others. There is something at work behind all this. Finding our lost power should help reveal answers. Get some rest now."

Hunting was something Midfoviing was fairly decent at, given her tendency to simply drop from the sky on top of her prey... and it was definitely more fun than piling rocks around. Plus, your current bodies did need food. Basic camping supplies were also present - albeit not much more than bedrolls and blankets - and it didn't take too long to get things in order, start up a fire, and settle down for the night. Morning... well, "came" was probably the most generous word, given the high walls in the area and the copious amounts of shade, but it did eventually get light out.

Hadran yawns and sits up. He stands and stretches doing a few exercises in place to loosen up.

"Alright my friend what do you need to get in this place?"

"Just a moment and, if I'm right, we'll be through." Burkhardt began tracing a spiraling symbol, kneeling next to it upon completion and splashing a sweet-smelling concoction on it that he had prepared the night before. Then he quickly provided detailed account of the previous day's events.

Verbose Binding Check vs DC 19 (level+CHA+trait): 1d20 + 2 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 2 + 6 + 1 = 26

As the story ends, flowers bloomed along the seals edge in a ring, leaning inward as larger and larger ones appeared. Finally, a gnome's head formed in the largest flower from the ring, commenting cheerily on the gruesome and somewhat frightful tale. The image faded, and when Hadran and Midfoviing looked at Burkhardt again, he gazed at the door expectantly, hair under his hat turned to foliage.

Will update quickbar and such with my next post. Not taking the vestigal bond

The door didn't react - not until Burkhardt actually tried the handles, anyway. At that point, the many glyphs lit up in unison and slid aside, revealing a short tunnel. Just through that was a large chamber whose floor was covered in smooth, polished stone. The walls and ceiling were likewise polished well enough to reflect the light. Sitting on a pedestal in the middle of the room was a large book that began physically trembling as Burkhardt approached, as if it was trying to reach him. It actually started moving a second later, only to be caught by the only figure in the chamber... a barefoot young woman. She blinked a moment later and looked down, apparently having caught the book more on instinct than anything else.

"Hm? Oooooooh." she said. "This is yours, huh? I guess that explains a lot. Here ya go." With an underhanded pitch, she tossed the book to Burkhardt. As he grabbed it, a surge of power rippled into him... and echoed into Hadran.

You've both leveled up - and reached Mythic Tier 3. Note that you must take the third-tier ability Divine Source as one of your two path abilities at this tier (this is the only ability the game actually requires you to take, by the way - but it matters for plot reasons, because you can't get true worshipers until you have it).

In addition, Burkhardt has recovered the [Quixotic] Divine Ability. By spending 1 use of Mythic Power, you can negotiate with the universe, tell it that a result isn't to your liking, and reroll a d20. Using this ability is not an action.

Hadran's Battle Sense has improved to [Abrogate]. As a free action, you can spend 2 uses of Mythic Power to deny further uses of an ability you have already seen an opponent use for 24 hours. Note that they don't need to have succeeded with the ability, but you do need to have witnessed them use it, so it can't shut things down before the first use. Foes with a higher Mythic Tier receive a saving throw (10 + 1/2 HD + Cha Mod + your Mythic Tier) to negate this effect.

"I was done with it anyway." the girl added.

Good luck on the move. I hate moving. That is a sweet ability with battle sense, but it makes me wonder what kind of crap we are going to see :)

"It seems some of the latent power seeped into me as well." He looks to the girl.

"Who are you?"

"Just call me Nia." the girl answered with a smile.

"Alright Nia. What was this place? Are you a guardian of sorts?"

He looks down to his hands and feels different.

"That power. I haven't felt anything like this in some time. Do you feel it Burkhardt?"

Ugh, moving is never fun, good luck. Will work on level up over the course of the holiday weekend! Woohoo!

Burkhardt caught the book and hesitated, stunned in the moment. "Yes, I-" and his attention was snared again. Testing his hand through the air as he spoke, "I see we're on speaking terms again; not reacting, but listening. Fantastic!"

He heard Hadran's questions and nodded in agreement. "Yes. Is that how you got this book? And that it belongs to me: in what way does 'that make sense'?" He began to flip the book, skimming its contents for a sense as the girl answered.

Just to clarify, Quixotic can only be used on your own rolls, Burkhardt. More-or-less freely rerolling an enemy's dice would be a biiiit much, even for a Divine Ability. XD

...Which do trend towards cheat-like, yeah. Gods are more than mortal, and you get abilities to match... although I wouldn't suggest over-using them. That can have unexpected consequences. Think of them as something best saved for an emergency, rather than a preferred solution to mild inconveniences. If nothing else, this helps stop you from attracting too much attention from Powers until you're able to properly defend yourselves. XD

"This place? Well, going by the altar there, I'm guessing a kind of worship and study chamber." Nia said, gazing around the chamber. "Entryway was blocked by a Spirit Door, plus layers of anti-divination and anti-teleportation... not a perfect defense, but more than enough to deter casual intrusion, and placed somewhere inconspicuous enough to not get too much attention. Smoothly polished inside, with an obvious place for a leader to stand, suggests a small but well-off group, almost cult-like in trying to unravel the secrets of the power they found." she paused thoughtfully, tapping her chin.

"And Cheliax wanted to track down the secret of the group's power, but I guess nobody cracked. Maybe one of them managed to tweak fate enough to make that inevitable, even if they couldn't overcome their loss...? Eh, no matter. They're all dead anyway. Powers like the one in that book don't just appear out of nowhere, though - if they exist, it's obvious they belong to someone. I heard Cheliax was sending people back to investigate this area, though - probably another attempt to discreetly find the power you just recovered and solidify their rule. I was thinking about keeping it out of their hands, because there's no way a nation with an infernal contract should be allowed access to a power that can twist fate itself... but it looks like that's not going to be necessary after all."

Good to know. What I had assumed, but going back and reading it I might have come away with another idea.

"An altar, you say, complete with a measure of magical defense. Interesting. You seem to know much about this place and its history: what brings you here, and did you learn all of this here... or elsewhere?"

Hadran finds Nia's knowledge curious as well, he awaits to hear the answer to Burkhardt's questions.

"Oh, I definitely stumbled across a sealed, hidden, well-warded chamber off the major roads entirely by chance and learned everything on-site." the girl answered promptly, bending forward slightly to peer at Burkhardt. "But no, seriously, most of it's pretty clear from looking around. Places like this don't appear by chance, and when you have a floor plan like this one, there aren't many likely explanations for what it was used for. ...Not that I particularly care what they were doing, really. I was just here to @#$% with Cheliax, and living people interest me more than dead ones."

Hadran smiles.

"You were correct on trying to deny them of this. If you were able to stumble upon this though I find it odd they did not. We should not waste any more time here then. So Nia what is your trade? Adventurer?

"Well, I suppose I could be described that way..." the girl pondered aloud. "But it might be more accurate to say that I'm just someone who happens to be interested in conspiracies and knowledge other people would rather keep secret. And what good is knowledge if nobody ever uses it for anything? I like to check stuff out in person when I can, though - imagine how embarrassing it'd be to make a big fuss about a discovery and have it turn out to be nothing more than rumor because you didn't go verify it like a sensible person."

"I am a seeker and holder of knowledge as well. I understand your drive. I don't believe any knew of us coming here but we should not stay if Cheliax had been looking for this place as we could have been watched as we entered. It did take us some time."

Burkhardt chuckled at the admonishment. "Stranger things, Nia, but fair enough." He agreed that they should be on their way quicker than not, but asked first, "Is there anything else that we should see before we're off, or was this book the sum of your findings?"

"What, looking for more?" Nia snickered slightly. "If I'm right, things that are meant to be found will be. Of course, if you want to know about findings..." she hopped over and bent forward until her nose was just a few centimeters from Burkhardt's. "A trade is more fair, don't you think? So... why don't the three of us make a deal? Tell me an interesting thing I don't already know, and I'll tell you something interesting in return."

Hadran looks to Burkhardt.

"An interesting tit for tat exchange, but tell us Nia what interesting things could we share if we don't know what you know. I will go one better. Tell me or show me something you wish to know more about and I will see what I can provide. If I can help you. You help my friend here."

Burkhardt looked at Hadran likewise, his face betraying bemusement. "Indeed. I've a fair bit of uncommon knowledge as well, but given we found you here with this book... well, I don't know what you've gleaned and thereby where to begin. Get us started, won't you?" He beamed. The keen wit's most delightful puzzles are found in words said and unsaid by utter strangers. That line felt familiar... was it some piece of scripture? It was so hard to recall...

Nia didn't move out of Burkhardt's personal space as he spoke - but she did look increasingly amused (although exactly what she found funny was a little harder to pinpoint). "Well, I could tell you about the locations of useful weapons and tools, or perhaps how to access exotic demiplanes where the right rituals can get you answers and information. Or I could go political and chat about the politics of Cheliax and how to screw with the government's plans for that little rebellion happening. But if there's one thing to get you started... I have something like what you just recovered." Beaming, she pulled away from Burkhardt. "And I might be willing to part with it... for the right price."

"You play games even still. Tell us do you know of us or what we are? I grow tired of the back and fourth. If you have such an item can we see it? And tell us what is your price. We carry not much in wealth, so perhaps a favor, perhaps in knowledge if there is something you seek. It seems you hold the cards here friend. Lay them out for us and don't waste any more of any of our times."

As a gatherer and keeper of knowledge himself these talks interested Hadran, but he never tolerated being toyed with and as the God of Valor it almost seemed as if his raged boiled from within the longer he was kept away from battle.

Burkhardt did not find impatience welling within himself, but could tell his comrade felt differently. "And the price is something that you do not know? Perhaps you have interest in words such as these: ɐıu 'ǝɯ oʇ ǝɯoɔ."

Attraction Recitation (+1 not incorporated from level-up yet): 1d20 + 12 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 12 + 1 = 27
DC 19 Will save or pulled 10 feet towards Burkhardt, stopping in an adjacent square.

Their acquaintance feels an indescribable pull towards Burkhardt...

Will Save: 1d20 ⇒ 19

Maybe it was the fact that Nia was already mere inches from Burkhardt's face, but the words of power failed to budge her. She pulled backwards a moment later, though. "Please don't do that again." she said, still smiling and not sounding upset at all. "It's a little rude to cast on people without their permission. As for what I want... well, honestly, I want a lot of things. I wouldn't go around collecting interesting objects and bits of knowledge if I didn't. What I'm more interested in is the kind of offer you can come up with. I'll accept pretty much any deal as long as I think it's fair... so what's it worth to you? Laboring at a cause? Tracking down a valuable item? Shaking me down and threatening me? Ooh, on second thought, that could be fun..."

To be fair, end of your last post described her as pulling away :-P

"That was not casting." Burkhardt stated matter-of-factly. "It was describing you drawing closer to I in the language of the universe, and the pull you felt was an attempt to comply. It bears similarities to magic in more ways than one, but what you heard is certainly the purer predecessor; when you asked to be told of an interesting thing but offered no more details, I was left to hazard a guess." He pulled his cap off, looking sheepish as he ran fingers through his botanical hair. "That said, in the misreading of your intentions I HAVE acted rudely. So you have both my apologies, and my word that I will not speak to you in such a way again without your prior consent."

He turned to Hadran. "Given this item would bear more interest for myself, Hadran, what would you consider fair?"

"Oh, no, Hadran would definitely be more interested." Nia piped up. "I don't want you to misunderstand that."

Just FYI don't confuse Hadran's impatience with mine. As long as we are posting I don't care how fast things move. Hadran though :)

"So you say. You play games further suggesting it would be fun for us to threaten you. I believe there is much more to you then you are sharing. Show me what you have and I will make a fair offer."

He says almost as if giving an order.

No worries from me. You've got a predilection for impatient characters, I've noticed. :-P

"Huh. Well you've piqued my curiosity further by that acknowledgement. Well then, out with it."

Nia peered at Hadran for a few moments, clearly thinking it over, then shrugged. She reached into the empty air a moment later - as she did, half of her arm simply vanished into a ripple in the air, and she rummaged around for a few moments before pulling out a crystal about the size of the balls used for divination magic. Encased within was a single gleaming white feather.

"Pretty sure this is it... although I could be wrong." she mused.

Hadran's eyes widen. With uncanny speed he darts to Nia, his left hand around her throat with his right on the pommel of Valiant Fang.

"Only the servants of Moloch have known so much and of my return. Choose carefully your next words. Who do you serve?"

His eyes lock and gaze at her almost as if trying to read her soul.

Nia had returned this tome to me a mere moment before, unlocking the first taste of my true power and, however unintentionally, allowing it to reverberate through Hadran. That would be utterly foolish, yet she seems no fool...

Burkhardt freed his axe from its holster but retained a reserved stance. He appeared to crack a joke to ease the tension, but underneath his words he attempted to read the girl's intentions. "I see we've decided on 'shaking down and threatening' then?"

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (19) + 21 = 40

"I don't know, have you? I mean, he's doing the shaking, but I don't think we've actually gotten to the threatening bit yet. I'd probably enjoy that more than you, though." Nia said, still sounding cheerful and looking at Burkhardt before turning back to Hadran and staring him right in the eyes. The crystal sphere vanished a moment later, apparently back into the space she'd taken it from. "I don't serve Hell, or any who dwell there." she said - and as far as Burkhardt could tell (which was pretty far indeed), she wasn't lying. "...Which you may have noticed from the whole 'not letting them get their hands on your friend's power' thing. I mean, that's a little too valuable for me to just give up if I had something against you, don't you think?"

Burkhardt cast a glance to Valiant Fang, the weapon so ready to slip forth from Hadran's scabbard. He returned his axe to its resting place and stepped forth to place a reassuring hand on his ally's shoulder. "Take it as you will. Hadran, every instinct I possess insists she's telling the truth. She returned to us power an adversary could have smuggled away from here. She is no enemy. Release her," he pleaded.

Hadran shrugs the hand off.

"Don't give me orders."

He meets Nia's gaze without flinching.

"Either way you know what you have and what you had. The knowledge you have may be the most dangerous thing you possess. So tell me. How is it you know who or what we are?"

He reigns in his rage and sits Nia back to her feet realizing he had lifted her from the ground. He releases his grip and brings both arms to rest at his side.

"Forgive me. So I will offer you this. My tale. I will then ask for what you have. Come sit."

Hadran takes up a seat on the ground. He looks to Midfoviing.

"Come you have waited to hear this as well."

He then gives his story. He starts at the beginning as he came to be. From there the love between he and Sarenrae and their accent to God's. Soon then consumed with pride after defeating the great beast Rovagug. Then his fall, being cast out. To awaken millennia later in this vessel. He awoke to find the servants of Moloch trying to siphon his power and kill him. He talks briefly of the others and to the adventures to get to this point.

Finally he stands.

"So Nia, you see what you have is not yours to offer. Yes you may possess it, but it is a piece of what was taking from me. Mine is a path of redemption and as such I will ask you now for what is mine,but if you desire more then the information I just gave ask for it now."

"You know, most people would say you were insane." Nia opined as you finished your story - Midfoviing, on the other hand, had obediently sat down to listen. "I suppose that does explain a few things... although if you want my honest opinion, then I think you might want to consider how your path of redemption is going if your instinct as a lord of valor is to grab and get very close to assaulting unarmed people who've been trying to help you." Thoughtfully, she added, "Of course, perspective has a lot to do with morality. Speaking of perspectives, mine is that I don't quite feel safe around you, given the hostility you've already shown. How about the two of you take an oath to never hurt me, and then I give it back?"

"Perspective indeed. Do you presume to lecture me on Valor. My fall was due to pride. What you experienced is my hostility and now my mercy. For my valor came from love, but do not think me week for it. As my victories came from strength and ruthlessness in battle. Now you are still foreign to me. While I strive to be upright and good, I have no compassion for those that stand against me or those I love. No it is my pride and self worth that caused this. So do not speak to me of valor Nia. Now on to what you ask. An Oath? A serious request. While I would take such a thing for a friend you are not such yet. While you may question your safety it is my duty to protect those that can not protect themselves. I know what you are thinking. Who protects those from you? I have given my apology. You will not get another. You still bargain with my power as if it is yours to do so. I will ask you to share now with us, as I have shared. Perhaps a friendship will be made and the Oath you seek can be given, for now you are another that knows much even before I shared. Up to now the only others that knew so much have proven to be enemies. If you don't understand why I acted as I did, then perhaps you don't know as much as I presume you know."

Trying to get back into playing in God mod and not just adventure guy. It is harder than you think. :)

"You went blind with anger there, Hadran. I assessed the situation and I understand your goals. I told you to do what you needed to do when you couldn't see it, as your ally, and it was pride that prevented you from seeing my words as such."

"Nia, It would seem Hadran has little interest in such an oath, but you have no veiled motive here, do you? Oaths are my business, my reason for being: as Hadran was once a god of valor, so was I once a god of pacts and promises... though my circumstances are not afforded the same cause-and-effect clarity that Hadran knows. If you deem me sane, then, what would you say were I to swear such an oath and yet go further? What, were I to swear that you could count me your assured guardian should Hadran again mistake you as our enemy?" Burkhardt had, of course, formed an agreement with Hadran that each would help the other reclaim their place among the gods. The fact that Hadran currently acted in spite of his own goals in no way released Burkhardt from this promise.

Hadran laughs.

"You have not been on this path long. You have not the opposition of a god like Moloch trying to stop you. Well now you may as you travel with me. This one had knowledge that none other than my enemies have had. If you thought any of that was anger then there is much even to reveal still to you. You want to swear a pact to something that has yet to share with us its motives then by all means do so. I will hear Nia speak before engaging in such foolishness."