Kaer Maga, the City of Strangers indeed. You've never seen so many wonders and horrors and different types of people. Ogres and undead walk the street, along with all manner of humans and humanoids. You've even seen Naga in the back alleys. The massive walls of this city are perplexing and frightening from the outside, and inside they are hundreds of feet thick and filled with tunnels and rooms which make up the majority of the city. The large areas in the city center are open to the sky and this is neutral zone in this fabulous city. The walled areas are strictly divided into areas controlled by various gangs and factions, but today you find yourself in Downmarket.
This may not only be the largest marketplace you've ever seen, it also seems to have anything and everything that could ever be sold in stock. The rarest of magical goods, the most holy or vilest unholy relics on display, weapons of the mightiest nature to the crappiest piece of metal tied to a stick with dog guts at a goblin merchant. Slaves, undead and living, as well as mystical beasts and the most common of work animals. Everything is available if you have the coin and desire.
You reflect on this frightening and exciting city, fingering a voucher for a free divination at the Augur Temple, as you wait in a curtained off area with five other people.
A half-elf clearly recently arrived with the dust of the road still clinging to him.
A young human with a hawk clinging to his shoulder.
A humongous lizardfolk warrior, clearly topping 7 feet tall.
A cute little female gnome with a very beatup and thoroughly used hammer.
A grizzled human man.
And a twitchy tengu, festooned with swords
The troll said the Augury would begin shortly and to have your question ready when they open the curtain...
Vorg still tries to understand how a city that special and weird can work, and for one of the rare times in his life, he doesn't feel that abnormal. Still trying to figure out what question he will ask at the temple, he checks on the gnome and wonders about her hammer. Trying hard to figure a way of breaking the glass, he kind of stumbles in his words, not daring to look into her eyes while talking to her :
"Hehe, looks like you used this hammer quite often ?"... and he steps aside, half regretting that he spoke, not knowing what kind of reaction he will get.
Spike stands off to the side slightly isolated from the others, a little overwhelmed by all the sights of the city, especially all of the different species' inhabiting its walls. As he starts feeling more comfortable in his own skin after thinking about how many unusual beings he's seen walking in the same streets as each other, he hears the young human male awkwardly attempt conversation with the gnome. Feeling intrigued, and a little noisy with nothing better to do while he waits, Spike listens for the gnome's response.
"You're not one of those perverts, are you? I mean I'm open to relationships of all sorts , but those men who only go for halfling or gnome women give me the creeps.... ", begins the little gnome. She takes a quick breath, and continues,"well yes my hammer is very useful at bashing the kneecaps of frisky humans, pounding in nails and general tinkering! I can demonstrate the knee bashing if you'd like, but to show you the other uses you'd have to come back with me the Temple of Brigh! Oh! The name's Esmee Drimplegatto! Nice to meetcha!"
Blushing to the point of being almost out of breath while the gnome speaks to him, then calming himself and shaking off the embarassment, Vorg remembers to offer his name, too, because that's what you do !
"Oh, no, my... I wouldn't want to be seen as a pervert, m'dam. Sorry if I offended you. I'm Vorg Palan, and this is Thunder, my faithful companion."
Vorg notices the lizardfolk watching, very much on his guard, not sure if that creature will attack them or not. Then he remembers also that the gnome said something at the end.
"Oh, and I'm glad to make your acquaintance!"
He then stares at the lizardfolk, kind of waiting to see what will happen.
Not being able to help himself at Esmee's response, Spike begins to smile, showing off rows of sharp teeth. Then, noticing the human's uneasiness towards him, decides his smile might be intimidating to the man and closes his mouth. Spike steps forward, trying to appear friendly, and holds out a claw in welcome.
"Hello"
The tengu perks up a bit as you featherless people begin having a conversation, she tilts her head to the side appears to be quietly absorbing the confirmation. You can feel a sense like she is hungrily devouring and savoring each word spoken.
When there is a lull in the conversation she introduces herself, with a rough start then moving into strangely accented but perfect common,"Kaas... sqwa... Hello! Allow me to introduce myself. I am Aikio Highroost, I've traveled far to find my relatives that went to explore the world. I crossed over the Crown of the World to reach these far lands. You have not found anyone like me in this city? It would seem a welcoming place for those roguish nephews of mine."
A young and thin looking, almost emaciated, green-haired half-elf stands in the corner of the room, unobtrusively eying each "folk" in turn as they speak.
He looks like a well-worn traveler the colour of autumn leaves, with his woolen cape, his studded armor, his rawhide trousers and his knee high leather boots. He carries a quiver full of vicious looking black and red arrows, and a longbow as tall as he is.
His gaze lingers a while on the lizardman, then on the falcon perched on Vorg Palan's shoulder.
When the tengu speaks, he twitches involuntarily.
"I am Lamtheer" he finally offers, to no one in particular.
Then, speaking to Aikio Highroost: "You're the first bird-woman I ever saw. I never met one like you in the roads treaded by men and their beasts of burden, nor in the glades haunted by the fey, and neither in the deep forests where wilds beasts run, as hunter and prey."
A little pause.
"But I just arrived in this strange city, and I wouldn't know if your... nephews... are in there or not."
What does she mean by "roguish" ?
"My people do appear to be rather uncommon on this side of the world. We aren't as well spread nor prolific as the humans, who envelop all lands they see, but there are significant populations of my people in Goka, Minkai, and other places. We prefer to be called Tengu, rather than bird-person. Lamtheer, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I do hope these trolls can tell me something useful in finding these nephews of mine."
"Hi Lamtheer! Aikio I saw a pair of Tengu a couple of weeks ago, they were heading into the Ankar-Te!"
Lamtheer looks at the pretty female gnome with a hammer, his face straight.
She looks friendly enough, but is she, really ?
He frowns.
Am I a pervert if I fancy her, being myself an half-elf ?
Then he smiles, and it's as if a little beam of sunshine crossed his face, and he looks just like a good natured youth.
"Hello, Esmee Drimplegatto" he says, adjusting the quiver and the bow on his back with a practiced unconscious movement.
After the one called Vorg Palan and the lizardman have introduced themselves to each other, he greets them politely too.
"It's a seemingly plain, but in truth really strange bird you've got on your shoulder, Vorg Palan."
Vorg shakes the hand of the lizardfolk, a bit uneased but relieved that that creature seems friendly. He tries to determine the good amount of time to not seeming rude before going elsewhere, but "saved by the bell", the tengu asks a question to the group and Vorg feels this is his chance to break the awkward silence between him and the lizardfolk.
He turns to the tengu and mumbles "Unfortunately, didn't see any..."
Then, he seens Lamtheer, and envies his people skills (in his opinion, at least). He smiles as he nods at his presentations, not thinking to do the same himself.
When that half-elf asks him a question about his hawk, he is more than happy to talk about him, all the while making sure he's not too close from the lizardfolk, but in a way that doesn't looks like he's avoiding him either.
"Oh, he doesn't seem plain to me at all, Lamtheer, he never did. I found him not so long ago at my window one night, and since, we've been... not friends, but very close. I consider him my spiritual teacher sometimes, it's... complicated, you wouldn't understand. What brings you here ?"
"Complicated ? It may well be. I'm not that familiar with human spiritual concerns."
The half-elf takes on a contrite air, as if something just occured to him.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to pry."
He strokes his chin.
"Anyway, since you asked, not long ago I tired of being in the simple company of wild beasts, in the forests ; but I was unsure of confronting myself with the intricacies of human society. So I set out for Kaer Maga, , because I heard that everyone here is a stranger and forgiving of his fellow traveler."
As Vorg turns his attention to the tengu, Spike watches as Vorg seems relieved and wonders if the handshake made the man feel more comfortable. He then listens in on the people in the room talk, having his interest picked after learning how far Aikio has traveled.
After returning Lamtheer's greeting with a nod, and seeing Vorg and Lamtheer in conversation, Spike turns his attention towards the tengu. After looking the tengu up and down, he deems her to not be as easily intimidated as others, and decides to approach.
"I have also never seen anyone who could be conssssidered a nephew of yourssss, though I have not traveled very far. However, I'm wondering if you have every run into any kin of mine in your journey. You ssssee, I have yet to meet anyone of my kin before, and was raised by a ssssmall human family."
Ragnar steps forward from the shadows -- but just barely. His eyes shine like cold steel, teeth clenched, as he takes in the scene playing out before him.
Looking from adventurer to adventurer, a small growl emanates from the back of his throat. He looks at the Lizardfolk, hawks, and spits onto the floor.
"We all done with the niceties?" he growls. "This place -- well, I'm kinda pissed off."
Beyond a small gesture with his left hand, twisting and kneading his thigh, he stands motionless -- just... staring.
The half-elf looks at the rude man but says nothing.
He just makes sure he can see him at all time during his wait in the curtained off area.
Spike glances at the gruff man, flicking his tail once agitatedly, but otherwise pays the man no mind.
Addressing the spitting man,"That looks like you are experiencing some discomfort along with a bad case of the grumpiness. I am a skilled healer as well as a tinkerer. Can I provide some healing relief to your injured leg?"
Lamtheer's gaze go back and forth between the gnome and the crippled human, and he chuckles...
Yeah, some hammer knee-bashing could do him some good, I'm sure !
... but stays silent otherwise.
Vorg stares at that human and stays silent, then goes back to waiting.
Ragnar looks at each one in turn.
"Ain't no healer alive can fix what that dead wizard did to me. But since yer so nosy..."
Taking a step into the light, Ragnar's left leg comes into view. Not shrivelled, not really mangled,just oddly shaped. His foot is completely black, full of pustules, puffy and tumorous - and bare of any kind of boot or protection.
"Go ahead, all of you! Have a GOOD LOOK! I killed better men than ANY of you for staring at it!!" Ragnar's eyes blaze with fury, small beads of sweat form on his brow, and his grip tightens on his left thigh.
"Since I've been summoned here with the likes of all of you, you might as well get an eyeful." Looking at each adventurer, who wear looks of disinterest, wariness, agitation -- and curiosity, in the case of the gnome -- Ragnar suddenly deflates, anger spent, and loosens his grip on his rage.
"They call me Blackfoot. Ragnar Blackfoot. And damn if this ain't the strangest group I've ever seen."
Vorg thinks to himself :
"Maybe a joke would calm him down... or not. Maybe if I offered him a cure light wound, but no, it seems a lot more serious of a wound and he would probably laugh at me and my little spell. Well, I'm gonna stay silent, he doesn't seem someone to mess with..."
So he tries to not look too long at his foot, which is relatively easy because of the disgusting view.
" That is a very unfortunate injury, I'm sure the tale is extraordinary. Someday perhaps you'll share it with me?" pausing with a head tilt and an inquisitive look,"Summoned? I came of my own will, I have this coupon for a free divination. Who summoned you here? Could there be some sinister purpose for getting us all here?"
"Well, it's one of the strangest presentations I've been treated to" says Lamtheer matter of factly to Ragnar.
"It's obvious you've been through many hardships. I hope the gods will be kinder to you in the future."
If you deserve it... the half-elf restrains himself from saying.
After watching Ragnar's outburst, Spike forgives his rudeness for now, thinking him to be quite insecure with his condition. The lizardman takes a step away from everyone to return to pondering what his question should be:
"Do I ask about what I am and where I come from, or should I worry more about my future and what I should be doing?"
Spike glances occasionally at the others in the room, but otherwise proceeds to be lost in thought.
Without a lot of fanfare, a large female troll opens the curtain, and leads out a much smaller troll. The larger troll carries a huge and wickedly hooked knife. The little troll seems really agitated but kneels down on the little stage. The big troll says,"Your coupons," then waits for you to display them. After a couple of moments, satisfied that everyone has their coupons, she instructs the people in the room,"In a few moments, Derderieas will perform the augury. Please keep your question firmly in your thoughts. Esmee are you ready?"
Esmee moves up to the stage and starts getting some materials out of her spell component pouch and readies her holy symbol. "She is young for this ceremony is she not?"
The large troll responds,"Yes. But when the time comes it comes. Be ready."
Clearly the young troll is a child and appears to be terrified.
The young troll while terrified also has a mix of emotions, excitement, pride, worry. The larger troll is also displaying a mix of pride and worry, but is hiding it well.
Lamtheer eyes the large armed troll warily. Then he looks at the much smaller troll and Esmee, trying to understand what is taking place there.
He clears his throat and keeps away from the stage for the moment.
Spike looks up as the trolls enter the stage, interrupting his thoughts.
As the three stand at the stage Spike feels uneasy, flicking his tongue constantly tasting the air. He slightly twitches, not knowing what is going on, and looks around to see the others' reactions before returning his gaze back to the stage.
sense motive 1d20 +2 = 11 + 2= 13
Ragnar's eyes narrow; pupils small beads, he senses something that makes his spine tingle, and the hairs on the nape of his neck stand. His hand grips his thigh, but otherwise doesn't move a muscle. He is almost transfixed by what is on display before him.
"Concentrate on your question, we will begin now!"states the larger troll. She then hands the wickedly hooked dagger to the younger troll,"It is time little one. Let the augury begin, channel the divine through you to answer the desires of these people."
In a guttural, slurping language the young troll speaks,"ਬਜ਼ੁਰਗ ਦੇ ਆਤਮੇ, ਇਹ ਲੋਕ ਦੀ ਮੰਗ ਦੇ ਜਵਾਬ ਲੈ ਕੇ. ਇਸ ਨੂੰ ਇੱਕ ਦੀ ਨਾਲ, ਸਾਨੂੰ ਇਹ ਫਿਊਚਰਜ਼ ਦਿਖਾ"
"Spirits of the elders, bring the answers these ones seek. With the entrails of this one, show us the futures."
With a quick motion, the young troll stabs herself in the lower abdomen. Blood and foul smells rush out of her body. She twists the hook several times in her body then rips it out of her, dragging intestines and viscera, splashing the stone floor with gore. Raising the dagger holding her entrails above her head, she begins to dig around in them with her off hand.
She begins to shake and a look of intense panic comes over her face. She begins to scream, a screeching painful wail. Suddenly, she calms and then repeats in a bare whisper the same phrase over and over,"ਡਾਊਨ ਡਾਊਨ ਡਾਊਨ ਡਾਊਨ ਡਾਊਨ ਡਾਊਨ,"then faints.
The older troll rushes to her, and carefully and gently removes the dagger from the girls guts, dropping it to the floor. "Ahh! What went wrong? Oh my poor girl!" She then begins to stuff the organs and tubes of slimy flesh back into the opening on the young girl's stomach cavity. As you watch, the wound begins to close.
Picture of troll performing this type of Augury(very gruesome)
"Oh my! Oh my! I told you she was too young for this sort of thing! exclaims Esmee!
She then reaches over, grasps the girl's hand and shouts,"აქ ჩემთვის Brigh! შეაკეთოს ეს ბავშვი, იგი არ კეთდება ფუნქციონირებს." Her holy symbol crackles with electrical energy arcing all over it, as she releases the spell into the troll. Instantly the wound closes and the tortured breathing and whimpers of the girl stop and she begins to be resting peacefully.
Lamtheer's eyes are seemingly on the verge of dropping from their sockets, and his face has taken the tinge of his hair.
"What could go wrong when a child eviscerates herself, in front of her helping mother ?" he mutters.
He looks at the door, as if he's tempted to leave the room, but can't help being fascinated by the drama unfolding before him.
Her knife's angle of penetration wasn't quite right if she intended to spill her guts clean out of her belly his hunter's mind supplies him oddly.
"What did the little one keep repeating at the end ?" he asks the lizardman as if he somehow knew.
Vorg is completely still, almost forgetting to breath as the horror show unfolds in front of him. He looks at the others as well, forgetting that he found the lizardfolk intimidating.
"What is going on here? Is it always supposed to be like that?"
"No, Vorg Palan", Lamtheer says to the human with the falcon "something evidently went off the rails here."
He takes two steps towards the stage.
"Is the child going to be all right ?" he asks the female gnome.
When reassured, the young half-elf turns to the troll mother:
"As divinations go, this one was particularly unauspicious. What did the poor child say at the end of her ordeal ? It seemed... meaningful."
"I think the young one will be all right. That was particularly intense for a first reading. The trolls usually ask for my assistance on first readings to help jump start the healing process, some trolls get very into the readings and forget to put their intestines away in time. Bit messy and all that."explains Esmee.
She then pauses her explanation for a significant amount of time.
The pause appears to be for anyone to say something. It seems unlike most gnomes, she understands that she has a tendency to talk too much and too fast, and is purposefully trying to let someone else interject.
"I've never seen one like this, this girl is far too young and whatever message she received was very powerful and terrifying!"
Vorg kind of feels empathy for the troll child, in spite of the fact that it's a troll.
Then, he follows Lamtheer to the trolls, very curious about the whole thing.
Spike watches the events unfold, mesmerized by how the young troll is able proceed with the ritual until she starts screaming, at which point Spike feels like something has gone wrong. Spike looks at the young half-elf when questioned, but not knowing what to say he returns his look to the stage, watching everyone worry over the young troll.
"ਡਾਊਨ," muses Aikio, "That seems like such a familiar term, very much like a word meaning deep in the tongue of the oni, in Tian Xia."
Leaning back against the wall in the chamber, the tengu doesn't seem particularly bothered by the spectacle of the ceremony. Realizing that a few of you may not have expected this she explains,[b]"They are trolls. They regenerate from most wounds that would kill normal people. How else would trolls perform an augury, reading the entrails of a sheep?"
"It kind of makes sense, yes - in a twisted way" retorts Lamtheer to the female tengu.
Lamtheer scratches his head.
"A powerful and terrifying message which has something to do with "deep"... This does not bode well."
He looks to the mother troll as if something just occured to him.
"We're not supposed to pay for this augury, aren't we ? It would feel kinda weird paying to have doom delivered to ourselves !"
Damn ! I need to earn some money fast.
After Lamtheer's comment about paying, Spike looks at the last few silver coins he has, then looks at the troll and thinks to himself:
"If this is how they perform an augury, how would they make someone pay off a debt they couldn't afford?"
He decides not to share that thought out loud.
Vorg is somewhat relieved to learn that trolls can regenerate, and feels a bit less bad about all this. He looks at Thunder, trying to calm himself and backing a bit to meditate a few seconds.
"The coupon you brought was for a free experience. The first augury is usually really weak and not that useful, so they give away coupons so as to not harm their reputation by charging for an expensive divination and getting bad results."explains Esmee as the mother troll comforts her daughter who seems to be finally coming around.
9th of Lamashan 4714, 11:20:00AM | Augers Temple, Downmarket
After a couple of minutes the young troll begins to stir and whimpers,"Mama..?"The big troll, tense and in clear anguish, has been gently stroking the girls forehead and muttering this whole time. With the girl waking up, she finally relaxes and helps the girl sit up. The troll girl looks at all of you and says,"Down. You must down."
The mother looks at all of you,"I know not what this means, but you should heed this prophecy as I've not seen one so strong since Aroden's disappearance. I wish you luck on your quests, you're going to need it. Now please leave."
Everyone knows about Aroden, the god of of human culture, innovation, and history. Most importantly you know he died/disappeared in 4606 AR. It is currently 4714.
Vorg turns towards Lamtheer.
"What do you think of all this ? What question had you prepared, if you don't mind me asking ?"
"I don't mind your asking, but" says Lamtheer while adjusting his quiver and his longbow on his back and heading rapidly for the door leading out of the augury's room "a nice troll lady just asked us to leave, and I intend to do exactly that."
"Where's home ?"
Lamtheer looks at Vorg Palan first, and then at Thunder, as if trying to find some meaning in the animal's round eyes.
"That was my question."
He passes the tip on his tongue on his dry lips, and then extracts a goatskin from his backpack. He drinks from it, before offering it to Vorg Palan.
"Thirsty ? Take a swig."
"Down..." he muses. "Must we lay low and let ourselves die ?" asks the half-elf with a smirk. " No. I doubt it. It doesn't sound much like the stuff of prophecy."
The half-elf sighs.
"Truly, I don't know what to think. Must we go down ? In a dungeon, perhaps: I heard it's a thing adventurers do sometimes... But I never considered myself an adventurer - more like a survivor, to be honest."
He shrugs.
"Well, maybe the fellow recipients of this wretched divination will have some insight into this nebulous and foreboding matter."
Lamtheer looks expectantly at the other members of their group, including the malcontent Ragnar Blackfoot.
Spike bows respectfully to the trolls and heads out behind Vorg and Lamtheer, pondering what down could mean. As Lamtheer looks expectantly at everyone, Spike thinks for a second:
"Wherever thissss down isss it appearssss to be of importance, though I know not where it could be. I've jussst arrived here not too long ago, and am unfamiliar with thisss region."
"Come along everyone, lets follow this elfkin's example and leave the young lass to her mother. I know a great tavern just a few blocks down the road that will provide us a comfortable place to discuss our results, dubious as they may be. First round is on me!"the short gnome begins to herd you out of the augury chamber. She then takes the lead and marches down the street to the Hairy Stoat.
She signals to the bartender and your group is lead to a private area near the back of the bar. Comfortable chairs and cushions abound, with tasteful art, landscapes of amazing locales decorate the wall. The gnome turns to you and asks,"What'll ya have? Harv here is a good friend and won't do anything odd to your drinks. Please sit and place your orders."
Vorg follows Lamtheer and gratefully drinks from his goatskin.
"Down, I really don't know, but you may be right that it's a dungeon that lies in front of us in the future..."
He then thinks for a while.
"Where is home, that's a good question, thanks for sharing with me. I'll be honest, I don't know what I would have asked yet, maybe because I'm not quite involved with my own life for now... I feel lost sometimes..."
He goes to the tavern with the group, and humbly asks for a light beer.