|
Forgive me if my writing is not clear. Coming from Tian Xia, the Taldan language that is common here in the Inner Sea is still somewhat new to me.
My name is... was...
Well, let's just say that I am Nagagorjo, and most of the Pathfinders I've worked with call me "Gorjo" for short. I'll get into my name... and why it was changed... later in this story. For now, let me explain the purpose of this diary, then I will begin my story where it belongs, at the beginning.
Like all Pathfinders, I turn in reports of my missions to the Venture-Captains who sent me on those missions. Those which are seen as important or exciting will find their way into the Pathfinder Chronicles, for all Pathfinders to read. The others presumably are filed away for safe keeping, in case they are needed for reference later.
This diary is my autobiography, telling the events of my life before and between those official missions.
I've recently learned things that make me question everything I thought I knew. So I've decided to write it all down, document it, to clear my head and think about the meaning of it all. But I also ask my fellow Pathfinders to read this and tell me their interpretations. Am I right? Am I understanding this new information correctly? Was the matriarch wrong about the curse? Was my banishment all for nothing? Was ...
But I get ahead of myself. As promised, let me begin at the beginning.
|
|
I am a nagaji, a humanoid "snake man", as many mammals insist on describing my species. It is a simplistic way of viewing us, but it gets the point across in writing such as this, for those who may never have encountered my race. I am from the nation of Nagajor, in southern Tian Xia, the land of the ruling nagas and we nagaji, who they created to serve them.
I was born in a small farming village, and named Nagagorjo by my mother. I had a family name back then, but to avoid bringing dishonor to my village or my family... Actually, I cannot call either the village or the family "mine" any longer. As I started to say, to avoid dishonoring them, I will not mention the names of that family or village as I write this.
I was a big, strong boy for the son of nagaji farmers. I grew up healthy and strong, wanting to use my physical strength to become a noble warrior. At the time, I envisioned myself as the defender of my village, protecting the innocent and serving the ruling nagas as needed. This was the highest calling I could imagine at the time, at least the highest calling that the son of a farmer might aspire to.
And due to my physical size and strength, the elder nagaji and ruling nagas encouraged my ambition. I began the training to become a warrior when I was 8 years old. For more than a year, I squired with the warriors, learning to care for their swords and armor, was shown how to use them, and heard stories of great battles and noble deeds! It was all so exciting to a young boy - I wanted to be just like them.
Looking back, I think those warriors probably never traveled more than 50 miles from that village their entire lives, while I've since traveled to foreign countries, and even other continents when I came to the Inner Sea. Ironically, my younger self would have seen the travel and adventure I've reluctantly lived through as exciting. Now, I know better.
But I should get back to my story.
|
|
When I was almost 10 years old, I began actually wielding weapons as part of my training. I was so excited to be doing more than just polishing the swords and listening to stories, to actually be allowed to wear armor and grasp a real sword for use in a fight with my trainer.
I listened carefully to my master's instruction... and it made no sense! He seemed to be babbling in a language I'd never heard before, but he acted like I should understand him.
Not wanting to admit my ignorance, I took hints from his body language, and lunged at him with the sword, as he seemed to be inviting me to attack. Predictably, my attacks were unskilled and undisciplined, and he easily demonstrated techniques to defeat me. He continued talking the whole time, in that strange tongue I didn't understand. I nodded my head a lot, and continued to try and use visual cues to know when it was time to continue with the physical part of the instruction.
But he rapidly got angry with me, and yelled at me in that strange language. It was obvious from his tone that he was asking a question, and expecting a response, but I didn't know what to say. He eventually gave up, taking the sword and shield from my hands, smacking me in the head so hard that I fell to the ground. He pointed in the direction of my family's home. It was clear he was sending me away.
I finally got up the nerve to ask why he was speaking a strange language, and he looked at me strangely, obviously as confused as I was. It was only when I spoke that I realized the truth of the situation. I was the one speaking a strange language! He had been speaking my native nagaji tongue all along!
I went home in shame, embarrassed and not knowing what was happening to me. I couldn't understand anyone in my village! After hours of hiding myself away, I finally calmed down enough to join my family for the evening meal, and I found myself understanding them again. I didn't know what was going on.
Eventually, others realized that there was something wrong with me. First, my family, then others in my village. I was brought before the ruling nagas and elder nagaji, while the entire village watched. I was asked questions, but again, I couldn't understand my native language as they questioned me. So I tried to explain myself the only way I could, leading to shocked gasps from everyone around as I spoke in that weird, unnatural language.
But the naga matriarch understood! When she spoke back in the same language, and I understood her, I thought I was saved!
You have to understand, nagaji are brought up to worship the nagas like gods, and to me, this was proof that she was truly all powerful. But that feeling only lasted a minute, before the meaning of her words sunk in, and life as I knew it came to a bitter end.
|
|
I was speaking the Infernal language of devils, despite never having been instructed in it. The matriarch recognized and understood my words from having intentionally studied the language herself. But my ability to speak it, and suddenly lose the ability to understand my own native tongue while under stress, had only one possible explanation. I was cursed by devils!
To protect the village, I was banished. To protect my family, I was stripped of my family name, so the devils couldn't find them through me. From that day forward, my family name became Norowareta, and I have been called Norowareta Nagagorjo, or as you'd say in the common tongue of the Inner Sea, Nagagorjo the Cursed.
My family tearfully said goodbye, and gave me what supplies they could, to help me survive on my own in the world. The warrior who had instructed me felt so bad for me that he was nice enough to donate an old short sword, so I could defend myself out in the world. It is an honorable thing to show compassion for one as cursed as I, and I still respect him for that act of kindness. If it all possible, I shall some day repay his aid.
The naga matriarch told me I should leave the nation of Nagajor altogether, and not wanting to bring further dishonor to my family or village, I complied. I soon found myself in the jungles of Valashmai to the south, where my strength and thick reptilian scales helped keep me alive, but I don't think they would have been enough without the discovery that my lingual curse also carried with it other magic.
When desperate for clean water to drink in the jungle one day, I somehow summoned water out of thin air! I soon realized I could sense poison in foods and creatures in the forest, and could magically eliminate that poison so these things became safe to eat. With very little practice, I mastered these magics, and they served me well for years after that.
In those jungles, I met mammal humanoids for the first time - humans who needed someone familiar with the terrain to help them navigate. I agreed to work for them in exchange for coins, food, and weapon training. They agreed, and although I tried to hide my shameful secret, they eventually realized I was unable to speak the normal Tien language while practicing swordplay with them. They were mildly surprised at first, but didn't seem to care too much, and mostly laughed it off. It seems the curse that ruined my life was nothing more than a joke to them.
That first group of humans actually brought me back to Nagajor, but to the capital city of Rhiu'jhilan-Hoi, nowhere near the village of my birth. From there, I frequently found foreigners passing through who wanted guides to help them navigate Valashmai's jungles as they fruitlessly followed rumors of lost riches.
|
|
For the next few years, I hired myself out as a guide to any who would pay, always agreeing to lower my price for those would throw in training with weapons and armor as part of my payment. I was quite mercenary in my dealings, and I quickly realized that many of those who hired me had no honor. While some of them were truly despicable men, I kept my bargains with them, knowing I needed the money, and also wanting to maintain my honor even among those who had none. I not only survived this difficult time in my life, but grew stronger for it.
I eventually grew to my adult height of 6’10”, much taller than any human I met, and more muscular than all but the strongest. I also discovered more powers tied to my curse, such as the ability to cast spells that made my blows more accurate in battle and protected me from evil.
Sick of serving ignoble savages traipsing through the jungles, I resolved to travel north away from Valashmai and Nagajor, to the major cities of Tian Xia, where I could find more noble work as a true warrior. Along the way, I heard stories of noble warriors from the west called Pathfinders, who had recently won the famed Ruby Phoenix Tournament. I decided to learn more about these noble Pathfinders, and possible even return with them to the Inner Sea, the farther from my homeland of Nagajor, the better.
Upon reaching the largest Tien city, Goka, I sought out the honorable Venture-Captain Amara Li, who welcomed me into the Lantern Lodge and arranged passage for me on a ship bound for Absalom. I learned the common language of the Inner Sea during that long sea voyage, and upon arrival at the Grand Lodge in Absalom, I underwent additional training to become a Pathfinder field agent.
During that time, I was mentored in my martial training by one of the Pathfinders involved in winning the Ruby Phoenix Tournament in Goka, a very strong barbarian who goes by the nickname “Mash”. While he is not the smartest Pathfinder in the Society, he is truly a force of nature in battle, and loyal to his allies above all else. I can understand why he was recently promoted to the rank of Venture-Captain. I learned much about combat under his tutelage, while trying to ignore my curse and the magic that came with it.
To be continued...
|
I always find it amazing that after 10,000 years of random monkey mating these humans are as capable as they are.
I too share relief to meet my fellow vat cousins.
|
|
Continuing my diary:
As I said, during my time working as a guide in the jungles, I worked for some very dishonorable people. As a child, I'd wanted to be a noble warrior, defender of the innocent. But growing up, I just did what I could to survive. I did not rely on my employers or aid them beyond what they paid me for. I was in it only for the money, and whatever skills they could teach me, because I knew that's what I needed to survive.
When I arrived in Absalom, I hoped all Pathfinders would be good and noble, like the honorable Amara Li. But I quickly learned during my training that while there are many good people in the Society, there are almost as many who are merely seekers of treasure and glory for selfish reasons. I was beginning to believe that this was all there was to the world, and my boyhood aspirations were simply childish naivete.
Not being used to trusting others, my first Pathfinder missions were something of a change of pace. My first missions were small tasks in Absalom, running errands for Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin and helping resolve a problem at the Blackros Museum. I knew I had to prove myself and increase my skill as a warrior before I would be entrusted with more difficult tasks.
But even with such a simple task as containing wild monkeys running loose in the museum, I learned that Pathfinder agents in the field must learn to work together and rely on each other for survival. Among my other magics, I learned that I had the power to cure the lighter wounds of myself and my allies, and use a wand with such healing magic, and I offered that service to help keep my allies alive.
I also knew that I could not hide my shameful curse from those I would be fighting with side by side in battle. As much as it pains me to do so, I always reveal to my traveling companions that I will be unable to communicate with them in battle. I cannot hide this from them, for the sake of our mutual safety.
|
|
What came next was a series of surprises, some pleasant, and others that were not.
After a relatively short time in Absalom, I was sent back to Goka in Tian Xia. Amara Li needed a group of Pathfinders to recover the legendary Braid of a Thousand Masters, and find a way to activate it. Obviously, I accepted this mission.
Much to my surprise, there was a young witch among the Pathfinder agents I was working with who could speak the Infernal language of devils, so she was able to translate for me, allowing me to speak to my allies in combat for the first time in my life. While communication was still an issue, this greatly helped ease that burden, and helped me feel a camraderie with my brothers and sisters in arms that I had not experienced before.
During my time in northern Tian Xia, my group not only succeeded in our mission for the Society, but also helped defend an innocent village from ruthless bandits. Even though the villagers we protected were humans, not nagaji, it felt good to protect the innocent and fight for what's right and just. Fighting alongside a paladin of Iomedae, working with an honorable witch, rogue, and sorcerer, as well, all to defend an everyday farming village from despicable thugs - This is why I wanted to be a warrior as a young boy!
The day of that final battle against those bandits, I went an entire day without hating my life and the curse that had ruined it for the first time in over a decade. For that one day, I remembered the spirit of adventure and justice that had inspired me as a child. If I was born just to do good on that one day, to save those farmers' lives, and stop that evil from overtaking that land, then perhaps my curse has served a noble purpose, after all.
Writing that last sentence is the first time I've ever thought of it that way. Perhaps... That may actually be the answer to all my questions. But I will get back to that later.
|
|
Upon returning to Absalom, honorable Venture-Captain Drandle Dreng sent me on a short mission to Taldor, after which I was sent to Varisia to aid the honorable Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch. I must admit I have met many mammals working for the Pathfinder Society, and I sometimes have trouble telling them apart.
I have also spent much of my time just traveling on ships between missions. I always spend my rest time between missions and aboard ships training with my sword and bow, working to become a greater warrior. And once again during this time, I discovered that without my wishing it, my skill with magic had grown, as well. But this time, instead of spells to protect me from poisons, supply pure water, or aid just myself in combat, I discovered that I now had a spell to aid all of my allies in battle. I was immediately confused by this.
I understood that the devils who cursed me might have wanted to help me stay alive in the past, so they could later exploit me for whatever purpose they had in mind when they chose me for this infernal curse. But I have been doing good work, protecting innocent farmers, and recovering lost relics for a Society that would protect them from falling into evil hands. Why would those accursed devils want me to aid my allies and be more likely to succeed in my missions?
At the risk of getting ahead of myself once again, I believe I may have an answer now. But I'm still trying to make sense of it all.
After spending some time assisting Mrs. Heidmarch in Varisia, I returned once again to Absalom. This time, I spent my training time between missions not only working with weaponry and lifting weights to improve my strength, but also with my nose in books, to increase my knowledge. People call me an "oracle", though I never wanted to be more than a simple warrior. But I finally realized that if I was going to have access to this magical power, and apparently more power emerging over time, I should probably try to understand it.
The Society's honorable Master of Spells, Aram Zey, was most helpful in assisting my study. He rightly pointed out that I should be ashamed of my ignorance of the magical abilities I wield, and recommended books that would help me to understand my curse, spells, and to know more about oracles in general. I was somewhat frustrated reading these books at first, since they are written in the Taldan language that is the Common of the Inner Sea. But I saw it as a challenge to overcome, good practice with this language so I can better communicate with my fellow Pathfinders, and I eventually learned quite a bit from his books.
I learned that oracles generally can cast many of the same spells as those clerics who pray to their deities for power. Since these powers come from divine sources, this makes sense, and I naturally assumed from my Infernal curse that the divine source of my magical power must be Asmodeus or some other devil. I resolved myself to continue being good and honorable in the use of my magic and sword, just to spite the devil who'd cursed me and ruined my life.
I also learned the names and more detail on the spells that I had been casting for some time now, to better understand how each works and why some of them have become more effective as I've grown more experienced at using them.
It was during this time, just a few days ago, in fact, that the magical spells I'd finally gotten used to and come to accept... changed.
|
|
I know it may seem paranoid, but ever since my childhood in the jungles of Valashmai, when I first discovered I could cast magical spells, I would always cast the spells known as "Detect Poison" and "Purify Food and Drink" on every meal before I ate. It's actually been years since I've found any poison in my food, since I left the jungles, actually. But my years of exile made me untrusting, so I continued the ritual of it, and felt safe in the security of that meal time routine.
But just this past Moonday morning, as I sat down to eat breakfast, I found that I could no longer cast the spell to detect poison! It was as if that magical ability was gone, the spell no longer known to me. I was still able to cast the spell to purify the food and drink like normal, and given my recent reading on the subject, I realized that would eliminate any poisons, even if I didn't know they were there. But it did seem odd to me to suddenly lose the ability to cast one of those spells I'd been using for years.
I spent much of that day studying my magic, determining if I still had the ability to cast my other spells, and I discovered that I now have several new spells that I hadn't been able to cast before. A new spell that creates a cloud of fog seems useful for providing cover from arrows in battle. But I also can now cast a spell of guidance, and a spell to stabilize a fallen ally in battle, to prevent them from bleeding to death. Like the Bless spell that surprised me, these also seem surprisingly selfless for magic granted by devils.
But then came the real shock, which sent me back to the books looking for answers, and led me to write this diary to try and understand it all.
One of the new spells is much faster to cast than others, and guides my sword to strike more accurately in battle, allowing me to push back enemies when I hit them. I wanted to know the name of this incredibly useful power, and I discovered it in a book of spellcraft that Aram Zey had recommended. It's called "Inheritor's Smite".
Apparently, this spell is the invention of a good and holy goddess named Iomedae, and only her divine worshipers can cast it!
|
|
I had heard of Iomedae before, of course. The paladin I'd worked with on my Society mission back to Tian Xia had been among her worshipers, and he was a good and honorable man. But I don't understand how a devil could grant me the power to cast a spell that only Iomedae's worshipers should be able to cast. So this is what got me thinking.
I know I've never been the smartest nagaji. I'm big and strong, forceful in personality when I need to be, but I've only ever considered myself average in mental capacity. But it seems to me that if only Iomedae can grant this spell to mortals, and I can cast this spell, then does that mean she could be the source of my magical powers? And would that mean that she's the one who cursed me to speak this Infernal tongue, and got me kicked out of my village, never to see my family again?
Why would a good and noble goddess destroy an innocent child's life like that? Was she really so good as everyone said? I went to Aram Zey for books on history to learn about her, and everything I've read confirms that she was a great and valiant paladin in life, and a major force for good since becoming a goddess. So why would she ruin my life this way? Why would she do this to me?
Or am I interpreting this wrong? Is she not the source of my curse?
But the more I think about it, the more it adds up. I've always tended to prefer swords over other weapons, settling on a longsword as my primary weapon as an adult warrior, and that's the favored weapon of Iomedae. As a child, I wanted to be a strong, noble warrior, a protector of the innocent, just like she was as a paladin in life, and like she inspires her followers to be today. Perhaps that's why she chose me. But why curse me this way? I still don't understand.
Thinking back, the earliest magics I could use with my curse were those I couldn't deny were useful, even though I didn't initially want them. But I grudgingly accepted them, and eventually came to rely on them. More recently, I've been granted access to spells that are useful in an unselfish way, to aid my allies as much as myself - Stabilize, Bless, Guidance, and a more powerful cure spell. The types of spells you'd expect to be granted by a good and noble goddess. And now that I'm studying the magic to understand it for the first time, I can suddenly cast an incredibly useful spell just in time to realize that it must come from her. Is this her way of revealing to me that she's my ... patron? Is that the proper word?
So I put this out there for the rest of you, my fellow Pathfinders. What do you think? Is there any way my use of that Inheritor's Smite spell could come from any other source? Could this be some sort of devil's trick to mislead me? Or is Iomedae truly the source of the magic I wield? What do you think of my interpretation of these events?
And if this is the truth, if Iomedae is the one who cursed me...
Should I be thankful that it wasn't devils all along, or curse her name for ruining my life?
|
|
As a Paladin of Iomedae, your story disturbs me greatly. I have never heard of Iomedae or similar deities afflicting their followers thusly, and the idea of the goddess I worship doing anything like this... Of course, could it not be that it was indeed devils that cursed you, but now Iomedae seeks to correct the injustice done to you by bestowing new powers? After all, you said you lost several of the powers you had had before -perchance your inner nobility has caught the attention of Iomedae, and now she's trying to help undo your curse gradually.
|
OOC: So here's the metagame of it all, in game terms. I went through and pulled direct quotes from the diary above, then added the explanations after them.
I am a nagaji
Yes, I have a race boon that allows this in PFS.
I grew up healthy and strong, wanting to use my physical strength to become a noble warrior. At the time, I envisioned myself as the defender of my village, protecting the innocent and serving the ruling nagas as needed.
He means this literally. This character would have been perfectly happy growing up to be in the NPC warrior class. But he's also lawful and good about it all, wanting to protect the innocent and serve the benevolent rulers. That's why Iomedae chose him, though his personality at the time was more in line with Erastil. More on that later.
...
lots of stuff I'm not bothering to quote here
...I was speaking the Infernal language of devils, despite never having been instructed in it.
Obviously, an oracle with the Tongues curse, which causes him to speak Infernal in combat and times of stress. And the curse itself caused extra stress when first revealed, which is why it lasted for hours that first day. He has since learned to not get so stressed out, so the speaking in Infernal goes away immediately after battle these days, and rarely affects him outside of combat.
I was speaking the Infernal language of devils, despite never having been instructed in it. The matriarch recognized and understood my words from having intentionally studied the language herself.
...
To protect the village, I was banished.
And this is why Iomedae chose Infernal for his curse language. She wanted the language of the curse to be one that the matriarch of the village would recognize. She also used the curse to force Gorjo to leave his home village and explore the world, seeking out greater evil to fight, rather than being complacent and just protecting his home village his whole life.
But she also knew that the villagers were too nice to actually kill him or something. They'd just shun him, and/or banish him.
She knew that with his strength of body and character (high strength and charisma, LG alignment), he'd make a great warrior for good as an oracle. He just needed motivation.
I soon found myself in the jungles of Valashmai to the south
Valashmai Veteran trait, though not for the pure cheese reason of getting perception as a class skill. Battle Oracles already have that. I just figured it fit his story, and the extra +1 to perception, along with survival as a class skill, would work for him.
When desperate for clean water to drink in the jungle one day, I somehow summoned water out of thin air! I soon realized I could sense poison in foods and creatures in the forest, and could magically eliminate that poison so these things became safe to eat.
His first level 0 spells known were Create Water, Detect Poison, and Purify Food and Drink.
I was quite mercenary in my dealings, and I quickly realized that many of those who hired me had no honor. While some of them were truly despicable men, I kept my bargains with them, knowing I needed the money, and also wanting to maintain my honor even among those who had none.
Focused on survival, his alignment changed from LG to LN during this time of his life, and remained that way through the start of his adventuring career as a Pathfinder.
I eventually grew to my adult height of 6’10”,
That's only slightly above average for a nagaji. I figured with his starting strength of 19, being a little bigger than average for his race made sense.
I learned the common language of the Inner Sea during that long sea voyage
Common is not a default known language for nagaji, according to the Dragon Empires Primer, which I used to create him. But all Pathfinders in Society play get it as a bonus language if they don't already know it, so I wrote it into his story as the most recent language he has learned, after Nagaji, Tien, and Infernal.
Along the way, I heard stories of noble warriors from the west called Pathfinders, who had recently won the famed Ruby Phoenix Tournament.
...
During that time, I was mentored in my martial training by one of the Pathfinders involved in winning the Ruby Phoenix Tournament in Goka, a very strong barbarian who goes by the nickname “Mash”. While he is not the smartest Pathfinder in the Society, he is truly a force of nature in battle, and loyal to his allies above all else. I can understand why he was recently promoted to the rank of Venture-Captain. I learned much about combat under his tutelage, while trying to ignore my curse and the magic that came with it.
This is a reference to my level 14 PFS barbarian, Mash, who played in the Ruby Phoenix Tournament module and Eyes of the Ten retirement arc. There's a minor reference there for those who have played EotT, but I won't include spoilers here.
My first missions were small tasks in Absalom, running errands for Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin and helping resolve a problem at the Blackros Museum.
GM credit for First Steps, part 1, and played this PC for the first time in Mists of Mwangi.
Amara Li needed a group of Pathfinders to recover the legendary Braid of a Thousand Masters, and find a way to activate it.
Quest for Perfection trilogy. He got the GM credit for part 1 (I'd previously played it with another PC), then I played Gorjo in parts 2 and 3.
Much to my surprise, there was a young witch among the Pathfinder agents I was working with who could speak the Infernal language of devils, so she was able to translate for me, allowing me to speak to my allies in combat for the first time in my life.
One of the other PCs in parts 2 and 3 of QfP.
For that one day, I remembered the spirit of adventure and justice that had inspired me as a child. If I was born just to do good on that one day, to save those farmers' lives, and stop that evil from overtaking that land, then perhaps my curse has served a noble purpose, after all.
Writing that last sentence is the first time I've ever thought of it that way. Perhaps... That may actually be the answer to all my questions.
That's pretty much why Iomedae cursed him, in a nutshell. To get him to leave his home village and seek out evil to destroy like a good crusader.
I always spend my rest time between missions and aboard ships training with my sword and bow, working to become a greater warrior. And once again during this time, I discovered that without my wishing it, my skill with magic had grown, as well. But this time, instead of spells to protect me from poisons, supply pure water, or aid just myself in combat, I discovered that I now had a spell to aid all of my allies in battle.
He levels up between missions. At level 3, Iomedae gave him Bless as a known spell, to start encouraging him to be more of a team player.
His earlier spells had been obviously useful stuff to entice him into using them despite not wanting any magic power, but they'd been somewhat selfish in their usefulness, as they were single target stuff that he'd cast on himself most of the time (Divine Power, Protection from Evil,Enlarge Person).
Although he did enlarge a paladin of Iomedae ally in one of his adventures at level 2, which probably showed the goddess that he had the capability to work well with others.
The Society's honorable Master of Spells, Aram Zey, was most helpful in assisting my study. He rightly pointed out that I should be ashamed of my ignorance of the magical abilities I wield
Aram Zey has been described as constantly looking down on the Pathfinders he has to instruct, so this just seemed to fit. But Gorjo took his criticisms to heart!
But just this past Moonday morning
Not a typo. That's Moonday, not Monday, per the Golarion calendar.
...as I sat down to eat breakfast, I found that I could no longer cast the spell to detect poison!
At level 4, and every even level after that, an oracle can trade out a known spell for a different one. I gave him Detect Poison because it worked with his back story, then traded it out at the earliest opportunity, because it's really not that useful in PFS play. Besides, Iomedae has more important spells for him to know, like Stabilize (again, encouraging him to be more of a team player).
A new spell that creates a cloud of fog seems useful for providing cover from arrows in battle. But I also can now cast a spell of guidance, and a spell to stabilize a fallen ally in battle, to prevent them from bleeding to death.
Fog Cloud is the mystery spell that all Battle Oracles get at level 4.
Guidance and Stabilize are his new known level 0 spell and his replacement for Detect Poison.
One of the new spells is much faster to cast than others, and guides my sword to strike more accurately in battle, allowing me to push back enemies when I hit them. I wanted to know the name of this incredibly useful power, and I discovered it in a book of spellcraft that Aram Zey had recommended. It's called "Inheritor's Smite".
Apparently, this spell is the invention of a good and holy goddess named Iomedae, and only her divine worshipers can cast it!
Swift action +5 to hit, with a free bull rush attempt (also at +5, with no AoO) if you hit. Only usable by clerics, oracles, and paladins of Iomedae.
Now here's the key. Gorjo got that spell at the same level that he put skill ranks in Spellcraft and Knowledge (Religion) for the first time. This was Iomedae's way of telling him outright that she's the source of his divine power, after waiting to make sure he'd understand the message.
He also took a rank in Knowledge (History) for the first time at that level, which is also a class skill for him. That's because he started researching Iomedae's past at the same time.
He also bought a copy of her holy text (The Acts of Iomedae), but has yet to buy a holy symbol, because he's still not sure what to make of her or this new revelation that she's probably the source of his power. He's not really a worshiper.
|
|
I am still not sure what to think of my curse.
I have just returned from another trip to Tian Xia in service of the honorable Amara Li, where I helped in her dealings with the Way of the Kirin. While I expected this new Inheritor's Smite spell from Iomedae to be useful, my sword wouldn't strike true, even with this supposed divine aid. If anything, I was fighting less effectively than I have in years.
I don't think I've ever rolled so many 1s and 2s in a single session before. It was truly pathetic. I think I hit maybe 3 times in combat the entire session, out of at least 15 attacks, despite having high enough strength and all sorts of buffs that should have had me hitting 75% or more of the time.
So I'm going to play it up in character, which will make it take longer for Gorjo to accept that Iomedae is his patron deity.
I begin to suspect that maybe this isn't the spell I thought it was. Perhaps, it is a trick by the devils who cursed me to make me think that my curse was actually a blessing by the holy goddess Iomedae, when in fact, it really is an infernal curse, as I believed all along. The devils are toying with me, and I don't like it one bit. I will test this spell again on my next mission, but I don't hold out much hope for its usefulness at this point.
Luckily, my noble Pathfinder companions were more successful in combat than I was. It was my first time working with a druid who can change into mighty beasts to attack with claws and fangs in battle, and he was very effective. I wasn't sure what to make of him at first, when he asked my aid in talking to a shop owner before we began our mission. But I try to always aid my fellow Pathfinders, so I assisted him in procuring a healing balm for his friend, Grandmaster Torch. He certainly returned the favor in the way he and his trained war pig companion attacked our enemies once combat began.
It was also my first time working with a wayang in the Pathfinder Society. This one was very sneaky, as one would expect from their race, but he was helpful to our group, throwing many alchemical weapons to burn our enemies. He also speaks Infernal, so he was able to translate for me during combat, to help us coordinate our attacks better.
But now, Amara Li is returning to Tian Xia permanently, and closing down the Absalom branch of the Lantern Lodge, so on top of everything else, I have to decide what faction to ally myself with in the future.
|
|
[OOC - my character's still going to be confused and troubled by this, but at the same time she feels a proprietary interest in anyone who may incline to Iomedae. And there's another motive for her intervening here]
It's good to see you again, but I would not be so inclined to dismiss Iomedae. She inspires...but she also tests. On my third mission for the Society, in Riddleport, it was as though she had utterly deserted me. The only foes I could match were animals - the pirate scum we fought moved like quicksilver, and every move I made seemed sluggish and slow. More than that, I...it was like I'd never fought before, I was so bad. But my faith stayed true...and after that, my ability returned. If anything, it returned improved. So try to remain steadfast - I'm sure this is but a trial, to see if you stay the course.
Also, I am sorry to hear about the closure of the Lantern Lodge. However, Andoran and the cause of Freedom are always looking for those of pure heart...
|
|
I am sstill not sure what faction to join now that the Lantern Lodge hass left Abssalom. I thought about perhaps the Shadow Lodge or Grand Lodge, to sstay loyal only to my fellow Pathfindersss, but recent experiencesss have reminded me of why I wanted to be a warrior to begin with. Protecting othersss is an honorable profession, and if I have the sstrength to help, I should lend my ssword to a worthy cause.
Noble Ssichelgaita, tell me more about the nation of Andoran. I have recently begun to sstudy the hisstory of the Inner Ssea region, and learned a little of your nation. The cause of sspreading freedom and ending sslavery seemsss very noble.
I have alsso been conssidering looking into the Ssilver Crussade. They do sseem more focussed on helping othersss in more non-combat waysss, though, which isss not my area of expertissse.
