To Walk a Dark Path (WotW Solo, Gremlin-pult) IC

[Maugan Ra]

http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/assets/188080/Branderscar_Prison.png

Act One: Prison Break

Branderscar Prison. An infamous place, to be sure - you have never heard of it before embarking on your mission of vengeance, but every native of Talingarde seems convinced that the place is an inescapable fortress, meant to hold only the very worst kind of villainous scum. Should you be flattered, that they thought you worthy of incarceration in such a place? It will not be a long stay, if the Talerians have their way - your execution is scheduled for three days hence, to be carried out in the courtyard you can see through the bars of your cell's only window.

You arrived yesterday, brought by wagon over the long bridge that connects this barren island to the mainland, escorted by grim-faced soldiers with hard eyes. Even then, you could tell that escape was going to be difficult, perhaps even impossible - the walls are high, the bridge long and exposed, and the waters beneath cold and violent. Still, at least there aren't as many guards as you might have expected - though in truth, how could you tell? Maybe this is all they need to defend something as well-fortified as this.

Everything you own has been stripped from you, from your weapons to the clothes on your back. You have been given filthy rags to wear, and your hands and feet are bound by iron manacles. Your right forearm still aches from the branding that was applied to it shortly after arrival - a runic 'F', seared into your flesh by a rather overweight guard sergeant with greasy black hair. He seemed to enjoy it.

Now you sit in your cell, your hands held above your head by your chains and your feet firmly secured to the floor by a stout spike driven into the stone. It is cold, and damp, and the only light comes from a flickering torch in the corridor outside. You are alone here, with a cell all to yourself, although the distant sounds of slow movement suggest that maybe at least one other cell is still occupied.

OK, this is just a general introduction post. Feel free to establish what Arak is doing/thinking and then we can move on to the adventure proper.

[gremlin-pult]

For the umpteenth time since arriving in the cell, Arak looks around for anything that could be used to escape. Still nothing. Just like all the other times. Arak yanks experimentally at the chains holding his arms up, testing their strength.
"Strong." He thinks. "They're stuck good. But they look old. and the could be used, if I can get free."

Arching his body and planting his feet as much as he can, Arak strains against the chains with all his strength. He lets out a grunt as the exertion makes a twinge of pain run through the arm they branded. The thought of the brand makes his thoughts flood with fury, however, and he ignores the pain as he strives to pull the chains free.

Not sure if it's possible her, but Arak very much wants to get free of the chains. So a strength check to get his arms loose first.
[roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

Despite your best efforts, the chains simply will not budge. They are old, but evidently still of somewhat decent quality, and all your angry pulling accomplishes is to make them rattle slightly as they resist the strain placed upon them.

Fortunately, the guards outside your cell do not seem to take this as any reason to come and pay a visit. You know there are always a few nearby, likely in the small room at the end of the corridor, and they have previously proven all too willing to wield their clubs against your tightly restrained form if given an excuse.

"Quite a predicament, yes?"

There was no-one else in your cell, of this you are quite sure. And yet, it is just as impossible to deny that you are quite suddenly alone no longer. There is a woman, a human woman, standing in the far corner of your cell and regarding you with eyes the colour of emerald. She steps forwards, movements virtually noiseless despite the long black dress she wears, and makes an exaggerated show of looking over the full expanse of your cell.

"Not exactly a congenial place, now is it?" She says archly, returning her gaze to you. "I expect you'd much rather be anywhere else, correct?"

http://www.firemountaingames.com/images/tiadora_preview.png

[gremlin-pult]

Giving the strange woman an appraising look, Arak grunts in contempt. "That much should be obvious, woman. Now why would someone like you come here, hmm?" He spits on the ground beside him, clearing his parched throat before continuing "Come to kick the beast, like the rest of you pathetic followers of a weak king?"

Inwardly, Arak is more disconcerted than he lets on. She came suddenly, and no guard noticed.... He muses, all the while staring intently at the woman. Is she some sort of witch? A user of magic? In his mind, the word magic is laced with as much contempt and disgust as Arak can muster. After all, Magic not deriving from the gods can't be trusted.

[Maugan Ra]

The woman chuckles throatily, taking another step closer. "Quite the opposite. I'm here to help you."

She looks you up and down, and there is something coldly assessing in her gaze. It puts you in mind of a wolf, trying to decide if the thing before it is another predator or simple prey.

"It was quite an impressive, you know - your little assassination attempt. The people of this land have an unfortunate tendency of dismissing those who live beyond the Watch Wall - you are savages, barely capable of rubbing two sticks together, certainly no threat in their mind. And yet here I see a Hobgoblin that managed to do what no other could - sneak past the defenders of the north, journey the full length of Talingarde, infiltrate the capital city and come within striking distance of the King himself."

She shrugs languidly. "You failed, true, but that was to be expected. King Markaddian is, for all his faults, not a stupid man. Still, that does not diminish the magnitude of what you accomplished, or the potential that it implies. There are people in this land, people such as I and my allies, that are always looking for such potential."

She smiles, revealing pearly white teeth, but there is no warmth in the expression. Definitely a wolf. "I am here to ask a very simple question. Would you like another chance?"

[gremlin-pult]

Arak stares at the woman, willing himself to meet her gaze without flinching. She's dangerous.... He thinks, but he knows that she is his best option for reaching his goal. Very well, I'll be her tool then. and she will be mine.

A malicious smile spreads across his face, fury and joy mixing in his eyes, and a deep, rasping chuckle rises from his throat.

"I do want another chance at Talingarde's throat. Where do I start?"

[Maugan Ra]

"With a test, of course." The woman says simply. She reaches out and lightly rests one hand against your bare chest, touching one of the many scars that mark your skin. "You have faced trials before, contests designed to prove that you are worthy of some position or reward. This is no different."

With her other hand she reaches up and unhooks the veil from around her eyes, pressing it into one of your hands. "I will break your chains, and give you adequate supplies. From there, it will be up to you to escape Branderscar, in whatever way you can."

With slow, gentle movements she takes the manacles that bind your wrists in a firm grip. "If you can, then you will have proven yourself worthy, and I will find you again. If, on the other hand, you should fall beneath the blades of the garrison... well, it would still be a cleaner death than the one that awaits you at present."

The woman makes a twisting motion with her hands, the the cold iron of the manacles tears like so much paper. The distinctive screeching noise makes you wince, but there remains no sign of activity from the guards outside. Magic, it has to be, even if you do not know what kind. She does the same for the chain around your feet a moment later, before stepping back.

"I'll be waiting, dearest. Do try not to take too long, hmm?" She says with a cold smile. Then she vanishes, like shadows before the sunlight, leaving you alone in your cell with nothing but your clothes and the silken veil.

Well, it is a start...

[gremlin-pult]

Startled by the womans dissappearance, Arak stares suspiciously at the veil, holding it first at arms length, then up close to his face.
How is this going to help me?... He thinks, before noticing the little patches sewn onto it.
Unable of thinking of something better to do, Arak pulls one of the patches of, stifling an outburst when it suddenly turns into a dagger in his hands.
damned magic! He curses inwardly as he stares at the dagger in disbelief. Then he pulls the other patches of in rapid succession, looking over the items he ends up with.
He quickly puts on the clothing, and fastens the two daggers in his belt. He pockets the money and the patch that didn't transform, thinking that it's probably best to keep it. with his prison clothes and the rope he fashions a crude sack where he places the lantern, potion and thieves tools
He then walks over to the cell door, peering out to see where the closest guards are, trying to ascertain the best way to get out of the cell.

A Perception check to see the hall, and if any guards are within earshot.
[roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

From your current position, all you can see is that there are no guards in the hallway that connects the various cells. Likely they are beyond the wooden door at the end, but you have no way of knowing how many or if any of them are intending to make a trip around the cells.

What you can see, however, is that only one of the other cells is occupied. As you move towards the bars, something absolutely huge shifts position and steps forwards into the light of the torch. You recognise the creature immediately - it is an Ogre, a huge humanoid creature with shaggy black hair and skin the consistency of leather. In the North, the smaller tribes such as yours always made sure to stay clear of any Ogres they happened to encounter, wary of their massive strength and dull cruelty. This example, however, appears to be somewhat smarter than those you are familiar with. There is a kind of cunning glint in its beady eyes, and though it wraps hands the size of your chest around the bars of its cell, it is evidently being careful to avoid making any noise that might draw the attention of the guards.

The Ogre watches you, evidently trying to puzzle out how you got free of your chains, and what you might do next.

http://711derby.weebly.com/uploads/4/6/2/6/4626950/686728_orig.jpg

[gremlin-pult]

staring the ogre up and down, Arak felt a plan shape in his mind. Another victim of these arrogant humans would surely be very well dispositioned toward one who rescued it...

Keeping his voice at whisper, loud enough for the ogre to hear without the sound carrying to the guards behind the door, Arak adressed the ogre in common.
"Do you understand me, cousin? If you do, stay silent and nod yes"

[Maugan Ra]

The ogre's eyes narrow, but it inclines its head none the less, evidently understanding the common tongue.

The door to the guard room is closed, and this whole building is made of stone. You suspect that only significant commotion would be enough to draw the attention of the nearest guards, and virtually nothing would be audible from outside the prison block. On the other hand, you do remember seeing some of the guards carrying horns - presumably to sound an alarm if there is any trouble.

[gremlin-pult]

"Good, cousin. Good" Arak whispers "Now, I am going to escape this cesspit, and have revenge on those who put me here. If you join me, and follow my lead, we will spill the blood of those who have wronged us until the sea runs red. And from then on we will be kin, a clan born in blood and fire. I will have your back, and you will have mine. You will obey me as first warrior, and I will ensure you prosper, as is my duty. What say you?"
While waiting for an answer, Arak pulls out his rope, and ties one end around the lock of his cell door, then throws the other end of the rope over within reach of the Ogre.
"If you will, try and pull the cell door of its hinges. If I get free, I can get you out as well."

[Maugan Ra]

"I think you talk a lot for a little man in a little cage." The Ogre's voice is, as expected, more of a low rumble than anything else. "Back up those pretty words with action, and we shall talk about war and blood."

Even so, the Ogre catches the rope, gently pulling on it to identify how much slack he has available. "This will bring guards, and they will call for more. Too many to fight. This does not seem like a good plan."

Editing in a dice-roll command doesn't work, I'm afraid.

[gremlin-pult]

Seeing the folly in his plan as soon as it is pointed out, Arak grunts, and scratches his chin in thought."You are right"
He says, annoyed that he did not see it himself. "Ah, I had hopes to save this, but I suppose it will do no good if I can't get out"
With that Arak takes the window and puts it against the cell bars, and waits for an exit to appear.

Yeah, I remembered that after a few tries. Damn you, editing rules. I would have gotten away with it, if not for those pesky kids. and that dog!

[Maugan Ra]

One moment, you are secured away behind bars and a locked gate. The next, there is a perfectly cut hole in your cell, allowing you to step out into the corridor.

The Ogre's eyes go wide and it takes a half-step back. Evidently your fellow prisoner has about the same level of regard for such obvious magic as you do.

[gremlin-pult]

Grinning inwardly at the ogres reaction to the magic patch, so similar to his own, Arak steps out of the cell and over to the door into the next room.
He leans forward, listening at the door and peeking through the keyhole, hoping to get an idea of the number of enemies on the other side.

stealth roll so as not to draw the attention of the guards
[roll0]

Perception roll to ascertain the situation on the other side of the door
[roll1]

[Maugan Ra]

The view through the keyhole is somewhat limited, to say the least, but it serves well enough. You can see a small table on the far side, and the stairway beyond it that is the only route to the rest of the prison. Two guards, in the blue and white uniforms of Branderscar, are seated by the table and conversing with one another in low voices.

You going to the card game tonight?"

"Probably not. Can't afford it, not until we next get paid. That Blackerley is a damned thief..."

A soft chuckle. "If you know that, why do you keep going back?"

"Eh, the ale's good."

Another laugh, this one a bit more bitter. "Lord of Light, but this place has gone right down the sewer. Drinking on duty, nightly card games... the old captain never would have tolerated this."

[gremlin-pult]

Two guards. I can take them, but I'll have to be quick...

Pulling out a knife with one hand, Arak pushes the doorhandle down slowly, making as little noise as possible, and tenses, ready to burst through at the first indication that the guards notice him.

Stealth to open the door enough to slip through without notice
[roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

Unfortunately, the door makes a harsh creak as it opens, and both guards inside look away from their conversations to see what the source was. At the sight of Arak, standing there with weapon draw, their eyes widen and they both go for the swords at their belt.

Fortunately, though, you managed to win initiative (I will generally roll for such things off-screen to keep things moving swiftly).

So, your move. There are two guards currently seated by a table, roughly 5 and 10ft from you respectively, and no environmental features that are likely to play a role in the fight.

[gremlin-pult]

With a curse, Arak leaps into action, stretching back his arm, and in a flowing motion, he lets his dagger snap from his hand towards the guard furthest away from him. As soon as the dagger is out of his hand, he steps in close to the other guard, growling menacingly.


First Arak throws his dagger at the guard 10 ft away, using the maneuver "Wyrmlings fang", which makes this ranged attack do +1d6 damage.
Then he steps up close to the other guard, limiting his movement options.

Attack roll: [roll0]
damage: [roll1]
extra damage from maneuver: [roll2]

crit confirm: [roll3]
extra damage on crit: [roll4]

[Maugan Ra]

The guard furthest away from you is already in motion, and that is what saves his life as the dagger flies towards him. The cold steel of the weapon only manages to strike a glancing blow, deflecting away harmlessly rather than burying itself in flesh as Arak might have hoped. Cursing, the guard rises to his feet and draws the heavy wooden club belted at his waist.

"I don't know how you got free, prisoner, but if you want to keep any of those bones of yours in one piece you'll surrender now." He says coldly.

The closer guard is less composed, practically falling out of his chair in his haste to stand and put some distance between himself and the angry hobgoblin. For a moment his hand rests on the longsword belted to his waist, before instead moving to draw the wooden club as well.

Mechanically, the guards spend their turns standing up and drawing weapons. Your go again.

[gremlin-pult]

Arak stands coiled to attack for a second, his hand hovering over the other dagger in his belt. He then thinks better of it, and with a feral snarl he bumrushes the closest guard, ramming his powerful shoulder into him and knocking him towards the other guard.


Ok, now this is a bit of a shenanigan, but bear with me here. First of all, I'm going to use my gatecrashers gambit, to do a bullrush on the closest guard, trying to knock him into the other one, messing them up, and hopefully doing some damage.
To make the attempt more likely to succeed, I'll combine it with the Maneuver "shoulder rush", which is also used by doing a bullrush.

GATECRASHER GAMBIT:
Risk: The warlord attempts a successful bull rush maneuver against an opponent.

Reward: The opponent is so rattled by the warlord's deft bull rush, that he suffers a penalty equal to the warlord's Charisma modifier for one round on all d20 checks.


SHOULDER RUSH
Discipline: Primal Fury (Strike); Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant
The disciple of Primal Fury uses his aggression to take
opportunities whenever possible, and a solid shoulder
into a foe at an opportune moment can tip the scales of
war in the disciple’s favor. As a standard action, the initiator
may make a bull rush or overrun attempt with a +4
circumstance bonus, and this attempt does not provoke
attacks of opportunity.

Bullrush attempt: [roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

The sudden rush catches your opponents off-guard, slamming the first into the second with brutal force. Your initial target remains standing, but while he lashes out at you with his club, the strike is clumsy and uncoordinated, allowing you to avoid it with almost trivial ease.

The second guard is bowled over by the impact, and spends a precious few seconds disentangling himself and getting back to his feet.

OK, your bull Rush succeeded, and they both took damage. The first tries to attack you, but due to the penalty inflicted cannot do much. The second is currently out of position to do anything useful, though he'll be in a better place next turn.

Your move again.

[gremlin-pult]

With a toothy grin, Arak puts one leg forward, springing towards the ready guard, putting all his body weight into an elbow strike at the mans face.

I use the crushing blow maneuver.
My attack deals +1d6 damage if it hits, and if he fails a DC 13 fort save he will be rendered flatfooted until his next turn. not that the flatfoot part will make any difference in this instance.

attack roll: [roll0]
damage: [roll1]
extra maneuver damage: [roll2]

crit confirm: [roll3]
extra damage on crit: [roll4]

[Maugan Ra]

The guard's nose, and indeed a disturbing proportion of his face, breaks with a horrible sound under the impact of your elbow. He drops to the ground, incapacitated.

"Sacred Mitra!" The second guard curses as he sees this. The club drops from his hand, discarded in favor of the longsword that practically seems to sing as it is torn from the scabbard.

More dangerously, the guard's free hand reaches out and snatches a simple looking horn from a small shelf on the wall. He is evidently preparing to summon reinforcements.

Your go once more.

[gremlin-pult]

Knowing that all is over if that horn sounds, Arak springs into motion instantly, teeth bared and all his hatred clear on his face.
He surges towards the guard in a headlong rush, drawing his second dagger as he moves, and lashes out at the guard with a vicious stab.


I charge the guard, drawing my dagger as part of the movement, and using my brave gambit.
If my charge hits, I deal damage as usual, plus my cha mod. I also regain my cha mod in maneuvers I've used. if I fail my gambit

attack roll: [roll0]
damage: [roll1]
extra damage from gambit: +2

crit confirm: [roll2]
extra crit damage: [roll3]

[Maugan Ra]

The guard makes an odd sort of choking noise as the knife slides past his armour and into his flesh. He staggers, looks down at the rapidly-spreading crimson stain on his front, and topples over.

The fight barely took less than a minute, but now it is over, and the Hobgoblin is victorious. It is your first taste of vengeance - it will not be your last.

For defeating the two guards by yourself, you get 400xp. As this is a solo game, I am aware that you will likely end up gaining xp at an accelerated rate, but I think it is balanced out somewhat by the increased danger that comes from not having a party to support you.

(If people like Grumblejack assist you, they will receive a share of the xp as well.)

Anyway, the guards have clubs, longswords and chain shirts in terms of useful loot. Combat is obviously over.

[gremlin-pult]

Panting from the exertion, Arak grins as the life fades from the mans eyes. Not wanting to spend too much time before moving on, He takes the chain shirt from the first guard and puts it on. He then straps one of the longsword on his back. "Finally a proper blade..." He mutters, before gathering the dagger he threw and putting that in his belt with the other dagger. He considers the clubs for a moment, then decides that they are of little use to him personally. He packs them up in his makeshift pack with the second longsword, and the second chainshirt. Waste not, want not, after all. Finally, he searches the guards for keys, and for any items or coins they might have. He pockets whatever he finds, and walks back to the other room, and the waiting ogre.

"I believe this would count as a good start in taking action, yes?" He says, rolling his shoulders slightly to adjust the chain shirt. "But now I find myself no longer in desperate need of assistance. You, however, still need to get out. Care to talk?"

[Maugan Ra]

The Ogre glowers down at you for a long moment, before snorting with amusement. "Not bad, little one." It allows with a toothy grin. "You can fight. That is a start. But can you fight past a whole castle on your own? Can you lift the gate, cross the bridge, avoid the patrols on your own? I am the only other prisoner here. You need help."

The Ogre tilts it's great shaggy-haired head to one side in thought for a moment. "You did not get those knives or that... magic... in here alone. You have friends outside, yes? Perhaps you or they have a plan more thought-out than just revenge. So I would not be joining you so much as them. Hmm."

[gremlin-pult]

"Someone gave me the magical means to escape the cell, yes. But I would not call her a friend, exactly. She merely said that she and her associates could have use of me, if I manage to escape this place. So no, for now you would be joining me, not them." Arak thinks for a moment, then continues "But even if we end up having nothing to do with them after getting out, I think you and I could gain much by working together, in here and perhaps after. You are not stupid, which was the case with others of your kind I've dealt with before. No offense meant, of course" He says with a grin.

Pulling out the keys to the cell, He locks gazes with the ogre once more, then looks serious. "Perhaps I can escape without you, Perhaps I cannot. No matter what, having a warrior like you at my side will be a large plus. The question is, how much do you need me? If I let you out, We'll need a clear cut hierarchy. I make the final decisions, and you follow them. Can you accept that?" He asks, watching the ogre's reactions carefully.

[Maugan Ra]

The Ogre chuckles. "You little ones are all the same. 'Rules this, orders that'. Never been much one for such things."

The Ogre considers for a long moment. "You let me out, and I will owe you a returned favor. You want to use that on making me listen to your orders? Fine. I obey until we're out of here, and then maybe we talk about the future."

He sticks one massive hand through the bars. "Name is Grumblejack."

[gremlin-pult]

"I suppose that's all I can ask" Arak says, taking the ogre's hand. "I am Arak. Now, let's get you out of there" He tries until he finds the right key, and opens the cell.

"I got some weapons from the corpses in there. Not exactly your size, but do you want one anyway?" He asks, hoisting his bag up, showing the longsword and clubs.

[Maugan Ra]

Grumblejack takes one of the swords readily enough. It looks like an elongated dagger in his hands, but he evidently has experience wielding things built for smaller beings.

"Good enough." He says after a moment, giving the blade a few practice swings. "You get a look at the place as we were brought in? Not many ways forwards."

In this, the Ogre is correct - you remember enough of the journey here to know that you are on the first floor of the main 'keep' in the middle of Branderscar. A direct path to the exit would be to go down the stairs in the guard post, along the corridor there (which you think might pass the kitchens and the barracks) and out into the courtyard through the main door at the far end. From there, you would need to find a path out through the gatehouse and across the long bridge to the mainland.

[gremlin-pult]

"I don't think that going the direct route would be wise. Getting too close to the barracks would be risky. On the other hand, if we spend too much time looking for another way, someone is bound to notice that we've escaped..." Arak mutters, trying to remember anything else about the place. "And we'll be exposed in the courtyard. We don't want to go there until we have a better idea on how to escape. I say we leave here for now, and perhaps locate the kitchen first. If we escape, we'll need food and water, or we won't get far." He takes the bodies of the two guards and drags them into his old cell, out of sight. "Then, we should try to find out how many guards we'll be likely to deal with on the way out. If a good chance to escape comes up, we'll take it. Now, to the kitchens first."

[Maugan Ra]

Exploring the area to work out your possible route indicates two options. Going down the stairs in the guard chamber leads you to another thick wooden door on the ground floor, leading to the main entry hall. Peaking through the keyhole shows you that your memory is correct - there is a long hallway on the other side, and the large doors at the far end are likely to lead out of the building and into the courtyard. Unfortunately, there are two more guards stationed here, leaning against the walls and chatting quietly with one another. Who knows how many are behind the doors on each side of the hallway?

Alternately, the guard post also contains a large fireplace, currently unlit. It is easy enough to see that the chimney at the rear of it also connects to a room on the ground floor - likely the kitchen, judging by the sounds of cooking and happy banter echoing up through the long passage. Both you and Grumblejack could probably fit, and taking that route to the kitchen would avoid any guards... but there is a low fire burning on the ground floor fireplace that would need to be carefully negotiated to avoid being burned.

There do not appear to be any other options, short of finding some way to smash a hole in the solid stone walls of the building.

[gremlin-pult]

"Hrrn, we can't go through the main entrance. Too risky. We'll have to go through the chimney." Arak grunts, displeased at the prospect of maneuvering through the fire. "We'll have to be careful, and quiet. Come on"

When he gets to the fireplace, Arak takes a moment to study the inside of the chimney, taking note of likely handholds and the fire below. "Here goes..." He mutters, and starts the descent.

Not sure what rolls are gonna be used here, but I'm guessing either climb or acrobatics. So I'll just roll both. And a stealth roll, for good measure :smallbiggrin:

Climb: [roll0]
acrobatics: [roll1]
stealth: [roll2]

[Maugan Ra]

Hah. Fortunately for you, it's a DC10 Climb check to get down and a DC15 acrobatics check to avoid getting burned by the fire.

The chimney is old and worn, with plenty of handholds, and large enough that you have no problem navigating it. Grumblejack lets you go first, to avoid the possibility of accidentally falling on your head if he slips.

Narrowly avoiding the flames, you exit the fireplace on the ground floor to find yourself in what is unmistakably a kitchen. There are ovens, cutting boards (with numerous sharp-bladed knives) and containers full of good quality food all around the place - everything a prison needs to sustain a population of hungry guards and a few prisoners.

There are two humans working here, a large man with greying hair and a younger woman with strong arms. They are both in the process of chopping up some kind of food on the far side of the kitchen, and their backs are turned to you, giving you time to look around and plan your next move. There are two doors leading out of this room - one will take you deeper into the prison, likely into the dining hall, while the other seems to lead outside into the castle courtyard. Through a window, you can see that it has gotten dark outside - not a problem for your senses, but likely enough to trouble any patrolling guards.

Behind you, Grumblejack makes his way down the chimney with surprising grace, swinging out into kitchen and avoiding the flames much as you did. He is remarkably light on his feet for such a large creature, though that might just be good fortune on his part.

[gremlin-pult]

Meeting Grumblejacks gaze, Arak puts a finger to his lips, signaling for silence. He then points from the ogre to the woman, and drags a finger across his throat. Arak then sneak towards the man, pulling his sword as soundlessly as possible. Gripping the blade in both hands and distributing his weight evenly, He lifts the sword over his head, and when Grumblejack is in position by the woman, He lets it fall in adeadly arc towards the man neck.

I sneak over to the old man, drawing my sword as I go. When there, I go into my "Scarlet zweihander" stance, Granting me a +2 shield bonus to AC and +1d6 to all melee attacks. I then use my "Crushing blow" maneuver, dealing an additional +1d6 damage.
As far as possible, I wait for Grumblejack to be ready to attack the woman before I attack, but if they notice us, I don't wait.

Stealth: [roll0]

Attack roll: [roll1]
damage: [roll2]
extra damage from stance & maneuver: [roll3]

crit confirm: [roll4]
extra crit damage: [roll5]

[Maugan Ra]

Yeah, I see no need to turn a hilariously one-sided confrontation like this into an actual combat.

Also, while I remember, you gain 600xp for convincing Grumblejack to work with you and an additional 135xp for making it this far.

The ambush of the kitchen servants is fast, one-sided and fairly messy. Two experienced warriors with the advantage of swords and surprise, against a pair of civilian chefs that have never fought a battle in their lives is hardly a combat worthy of song.

Grumblejack flicks his sword to the side in order to remove the blood and looks around the Kitchen.

"Hmm. Enough food here to last both of us for weeks." He says, keeping his voice pitched low to avoid any nearby guards overhearing. Without needing to be asked, he pulls an old bag out from one of the cupboards and begins loading foodstuffs into it, taking care to favour items that will not be destroyed by rough treatment and will likely last for some length of time before spoiling.

"Where next?"

[gremlin-pult]

"It won't be long before someones notices this, or the corpses in the cells. We need to get out, and fast."
Arak looks out the window into the yard, Noting with satisfaction how dark it is. "We'll use the darkness to our advantage and get to the gate. From there we try to get out unnoticed, the farther we get before the alarm sounds, the better."

Grabbing a sack better suited for his items than the makeshift one he has, Arak fills some food in as well, and walks over to the door leading out into the keep exterior. He opens it carefully, and peeks out, searching for guards in the garden and on the walls.

[Maugan Ra]

The door is well-oiled and unlocked. It opens smoothly without a sound, allowing you to see out into the courtyard beyond. There is a long gravel path that leads around the side of the main building towards the gatehouse, and numerous carefully-tended lawns that will likely be less treacherous ground for someone attempting stealth.

All around you, the high walls of the prison loom menacingly in the gloom, punctuated at regular intervals by high towers. Beyond them, you can hear the distant sounds of the sea crashing against the rocks.

A careful look around reveals only a single guard in the area, patrolling the high wall around the perimeter, though there might be more on the far side. He carries a shuttered 'bullseye' lantern, creating a circle of light that he sweeps back and forth across the courtyard as he goes.

[gremlin-pult]

waiting until the lantern light has passed the door, Arak moves out and across the lawn to the other side. so he ends up beneath the shadow of the perimeter wall. He then waits for grumblejack to join him.

Stealth: [roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

Grumblejack waits for a short period to make sure that the light is far away from the door before moving. There is one close moment when the Ogre's considerable bulk causes the gravel of the path to grind loudly underfoot, but your comrade is well past the area when the lantern light swings around to investigate. It stays there for a moment before the guard loses interest and returns to his patrol.

From here, you can easily see the Gatehouse at the front of the prison. It is a large and heavily reinforced structure, the gates covered by murder-holes and each tower lined with arrow slits for the archers inside. You cannot tell how many there are, but the gatehouse is clearly occupied judging by the light streaming out through the narrow windows.

Grumblejack slides in next to you at the wall, peering around cautiously. He gestures to the base of one of the nearby towers, where you can see a door that will presumably allow access to the wall, raising an eyebrow at you in silent question.

[gremlin-pult]

Arak considers it for a moment, then nods and starts moving towards the tower door. He keeps close to the wall the whole way, looking up once to try and judge the height of the walls. Perhaps we can climb down the wall on the other side with the rope. Then we won't have to worry about the gate He thinks.
Once he reaches the door, he slows down and looks in through the keyhole, not wanting to go in unprepared.

Perception: [roll0]

How tall is the outer wall, approximately?

[Maugan Ra]

The interior of the tower appears to simply be a series of empty rooms connected by stairs, as far as you can tell completely unguarded. This entire garrison seems remarkably under-staffed and poorly equipped, come to think of it. Could the humans truly be so... well, sloppy with watching over their most dangerous prisoners? Or has Branderscar simply seen better days?

The walls are roughly twenty-thirty foot high. That said, you do know from your observations on the way in that the only way to the mainland is through the bridge from the gatehouse, or by finding a safe spot to jump into the sea and then swim.

[gremlin-pult]

Opening the door and slipping inside, Arak turns to Grumblejack. "Alright. so far, so good. Now if we can get up on the wall, and over to the top of the guardhouse, we can climb directly down to the road, and slip out of here, leaving these foolish pinkskins none the wiser"
He then walks towards the stairs, wary of any sounds from above.

[Maugan Ra]

Grumblejack simply nods silently and gestures for you to lead the way.

The rest of the tower is indeed precisely as deserted as it appears - most of the place is actually covered in a fine layer of dust. Arak's keen mind notes that this is just as well, for the architecture here has been designed so that each tower can function perfectly well as an independent fortress, allowing a small group of men to hold out against dozens of determined attackers with little difficulty.

On the level of the wall top is another door, which opens smoothly to allow you to peer out safely. For all directions around you stretches the cold waters of the ocean, and down the outside wall you can see thrashing waves and sharp rocks as the waves reach the edge of the island's rough shore.

To reach the gatehouse from here would require a fairly long and exposed journey, but the guards have little reason to be watching this area and you will likely make it intact. Of perhaps more concern is the second guard slowly approaching the gatehouse from the far side - if you and he both continue on your current route, you will likely intercept one another part of the way around the perimeter.

"Could just ambush him." Grumblejack offers, seeing the guard much as you can. "Wait just inside the door to one of these towers and get the drop on him, then pitch the body into the sea. Someone will see the blood eventually, but we've already left enough bodies behind as it is."

[gremlin-pult]

"Sounds like a good idea. But when we do so, we'll have to hurry. I think the guards will notice the lack of a man with a lantern up here before they notice anything else. So we take him out, get to the guardhouse roof, and then we get the hell out of here"
With the plan made, Arak finds a place where he can wait for the guard out of sight. Drawing his sword, he grips it in two hands, and waits.


I enter the "scarlet zweihander" stance once more, and then I guess a stealth check would be fitting.

Stealth: [roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

Grumblejack, for his part, simply waits quietly on the far side of the door. The arrival of your victim does not take long, though the tension threatens to make the minutes seem like hours as he wanders closer.

"Mitra's arse it's cold..." The guard mutters as he walks through the door, barely even bothering to look around. That costs him dearly, as you and Grumblejack step out of the shadows and swing for him with looted swords.

The lantern smashes on the ground, the last flickers of light illuminating the spreading pool of blood...

As before, not bothering to make a full combat out of such a one-sided ambush. You got a good enough stealth roll that you can basically take the guy utterly by surprise.

[gremlin-pult]

Good. Now, to the guardhouse. We can't afford delaying any longer." Arak moves out of the gatehouse onto the wall, and starts moving towards the gatehouse. His mind races with the thought of being moments from freedom, and his mouth curls up in a feral smile as he nears the guardhouse. So close now....

[Maugan Ra]

You reach the gatehouse without trouble, moving with speed and stealth along the battlements and relying on your superior night-vision to guide the way.

As before, the place is accessed by a stout wooden door set into the wall. However, light streams out through the crack in the base, and you are almost positive there will be some kind of guard presence inside.

Grumblejack looks the place over, then catches your attention with a look. Using rapid and emphatic hand gestures, he outlines the three options as he sees them:

- The two of you could simply enter through the door and rely on strength and surprise to carry you forwards.

- You could use the rope to go over the wall here, and negotiate the treacherous and narrow ground below to make it onto the path and from there the bridge.

- Grumblejack could use his strength and height to boost you onto the gatehouse roof, and from there you could use the rope to help him get up. From there, the trip down to the ground outside would be much safer and easier, but there might be guards on the roof to contend with.

The Ogre looks at you expectantly.

[gremlin-pult]

Scratching his beard in thought, Arak considers their options. The guardhouse? No, too risky. no idea what's inside...
The cliffs? Hnn, Don't want to risk it. Too large a risk of falling. I refuse to die of drowning.... It'll have to be the roof then. There may be someone up there, but we'll have to risk it...
His decision made, Arak gestures to Grumblejack to boost him up so he can see over the edge of the roof, before climbing up.

[Maugan Ra]

The Ogre nods, and kneels enough for you to place a boot in his clasped hands. One heave of his grossly oversized muscles is enough to lift you up to the parapet, and from there securing your own grasp is an easy enough feat.

There is indeed a single guard up here, wrapped up in a thick cloak and watching the bridge leading to the mainland. Following his gaze, you can see there is actually a small guard-post at the far end of the bridge as well - but one step at a time.

The guard has not seen you yet, but he has an alarm horn close at hand. If you are to dispose of him, it will have to be quickly...

[gremlin-pult]

Climbing quietly up over the roofs edge, Arak sneaks up on the guard, drawing his blade, and reaches out to steady the guard when the sword goes through his back, so as to prevent any noise when he collapses to the ground.


I imagine a stealth roll is enough like before, as long as I don't fail it horribly.
Stealth: [roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

The guard, intent on his duty, doesn't realize the peril until it is far too late. The chain-mail he wears under his cloak is not enough to deflect the carefully aimed blade, and he perishes in utter confusion and complete silence.

Incidently, 300xp for getting this far and taking care of the guards in the way.

[gremlin-pult]

Scurrying back to the edge of the roof, Arak motions Grumblejack to join him, and then goes back to the edge. He pulls the bundle of rope out of his pack, and begins to tie it securely around the parapet. He briefly consider what to do when they reach the outer guard post, but dismisses the thought quickly. When we get that far, we can simply sneak or kill our way out. We are almost free.

[Maugan Ra]

With almost casual ease, you and Grumblejack rope down across the front of the gatehouse, landing silently on the road outside. Unfortunately there is no way to recover the rope from here, but that is a small price to pay - you are outside the walls! Freedom is almost yours!

The two of you all but run down the path and onto the long bridge to the mainland, hearing the roar of the sea far below. You are halfway across when Grumblejack stops, peering ahead of you and then all around.

"I think they have another gate up there." He says grimly, gesturing to the mainland. "Probably with guards and dogs. Do we want to try our luck?"

He indicates the empty air next to you. "The sea is, what, two or three body-lengths beneath us now? And we're far away from any sharp rocks. I think we could jump and swim to shore further down. It might damage some of the food, but the meat will keep, and we'll have a better lead before anyone knows where to start looking."

[gremlin-pult]

"You are right Grumblejack" Arak answers, leaning out to observe the water below "Its not worth the risk of being detected now we've come this far, just to avoid the water." Arak turns his gaze to Grumblejack, Smiling widely.
"Well, cousin, I'll see you on the shore. And if we do not get to talk again after this swim, I want you to know it has been an unexpected pleasure. HAH, going swimming with an ogre... That's just about the last thing I expected to end up doing when I attacked the King." And with those words Arak walk of the edge, and falls toward the water.

And here's a swim check.
Swim: [roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

The fall to the water is not a long one, and you hit the surface in a surprisingly elegant dive. Unfortunately, the chain shirt you looted from the guard is not exactly conducive to swimming, and the tides here remain something to be considered. You take three points of non-lethal damage.

OK, the DC for the swim check to make it safely to shore is 10. So please make a new one, and you'll take damage every time you fail. Obviously, being reduced to unconsciousness while in the water would be... bad.

[gremlin-pult]

As he hits the water, Arak can immediately feel the armor dragging him down, and a moments panic makes him inhale a bit of seawater.
Then a red haze of anger covers his sight. Drowning? Me? HELL NO! And with what feels like a titanic effort, He pulls himself through the water, ignoring the searing pain in his lungs.

[Maugan Ra]

The swim is long and arduous, the water freezing cold and the tides strong. But you are a native of the Savage North, and an unforgiving environment is no stranger to you. Slowly, you make your way across the coast, and eventually wash up on a rough stone beach maybe ten minutes later. A minute after that, a thorough miserable looking Grumblejack hauls himself out of the ocean to join you.

You are cold, and wet, all but alone in a hostile land with only your wits and a single ally to depend upon. But you are free. The Talireans could have killed you on that fateful day, struck you down where you stood, but instead they condemned you to a slow death and torment in their most infamous prison. That was a mistake, and one day this entire nation will realize that.

Until then, you have work to do...

Congratulations! Act One is over. For defeating or evading all those other guards and escaping Branderscar Prison, you gain a total of 1,100xp. This should put you comfortably above the limit for level 2, so feel free to level up now if you'd like.

Since this is a solo game, you may roll twice and take the best result for your new level's worth of hit points. Remember your bonus 2 skill points as well.

Barely have you managed to stand up than the air echoes with a soft clapping noise. The mysterious woman from your cell stands just a bit further up the beach, smiling at you.

"Dearest, you made it. In good time, too... and you brought a friend. It seems we were correct when we judged your potential."

Grumblejack gives you a sideways glance.

[gremlin-pult]

"And you came to find me, just like you said you would." Arak remarks, wanting to smile, but keeping his expression blank. remember, this woman is quite possibly more dangerous than the prison ever was...

Turning to Grumblejack, Arak introduces them "This is Grumblejack. Like me, he was a prisoner, and we decided to work together to escape. Grumblejack, this is my mysterious "friend", who gave me the means to escape the cell."
Arak then turns to the woman again. "So now what?" He asks. "You hinted at something big when we last spoke"

[Maugan Ra]

"I did indeed, but this is hardly the time or place to speak of it." The woman says simply. She gestures behind her, and a large carriage seems to loom out of the darkness, complete with a pair of horses but no driver. "You have not had an easy time of late. Let's get you some food and some proper dry clothes. Then the Master will wish to see you, to discuss how the vengeance you crave may be achieved."

Grumblejack looks doubtful. "This 'Master' of yours got a name? Do you?"

The woman chuckles. "He has several names, so I would not wish to give you the wrong one. You may call me Tiadora."

[gremlin-pult]

Startled by the sudden appearance of the carriage, Arak regains his composure quickly. "Well, then we shouldn't keep him waiting any longer than necessary. Let's go" He says, and steps into the carriage, albeit a bit warily.

[Maugan Ra]

The interior of the carriage is surprisingly spacious, the seats almost sinfully comfortable. Grumblejack, though initially doubtful, climbs in after you and finds he has plenty of room to sit without even coming close to being cramped. Tiadora follows him in, closes the door behind her and raps on the wall. Without a sound, the carriage begins to move.

"So, tell me about it." She says with a smile, sitting down across from you and regarding you with glittering eyes. "I doubt you escaped the infamous Branderscar without some kind of violence, and yet no alarms were raised?"

[gremlin-pult]

"Hnn, from what I saw, Branderscar's reputation is largely undeserved." Arak snorts, a look of disgust on his face.
"Sure, the fortress itself is a marvel. Well-built and easy to hold. But the guard was understaffed, undisciplined and weak. We did not have to kill or avoid many on our way out. Only a few were in our way, and they died quietly, never knowing what killed them. The only ones that were slightly worrisome were the two guards just outside our cells. And those I killed easily enough with my bare hands. They did not even attempt to signal for reinforcements until it was too late. Foolish. They should have done that first."

[Maugan Ra]

"You will find that much in Talingarde follows that pattern." Tiadora says in agreement. "There are many traditions and institutions that once earned their reputation with service and dedication have grown soft and weak over years of peace and prosperity. It is something that we are looking to change."

She tilts her head to one side in curiosity. "Hmm. How much do you know of the gods? I know you come from the North, but did your people have much in the way of a defined faith?"

[gremlin-pult]

"I do not know much. My tribe never put much stock in the gods. We showed respect and offerings to those who warranted it, of course. But the details were mostly left to our shamans. As a warrior, there was no reason for me to know about the gods. I know the humans follow this "Mitra", but I can't say I approve of a god who allows his subjects to fester like this."

Arak looks out the window for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. "Then I've heard of another god. He was said to be Mitra's equal, the dark to his light. But the humans outlawed his worship. I've never heard his name though. One does not speak the dark ones name without good cause."

[Maugan Ra]

Tiadora smiles. "An apt enough comparison, if somewhat flawed in the details." She all but purrs. "I am not the one best suited to explaining the matter at length, but his name at least I can divulge. He is called Asmodeus."

That is the first thing you have heard her say that does not carry undertones of amusement or sadistic delight. The woman's voice turns legitimately reverent as she speaks the name of her God. Grumblejack shifts uncomfortably in his seat, and you feel a sudden sensation as though someone is watching you... but it fades almost as quickly as it came, and there is little time for further conversation as the carriage comes to a stop.

Tiadora rises from her seat and opens the door, disembarking smoothly from the carriage. The ride has only taken a matter of minutes, but the land outside is considerably different - you must have covered miles at least, without even realizing it. Truly, the magic being displayed is of a potent kind indeed.

The carriage has stopped just outside of a stately country house, one perhaps more deserving of the title 'manor'. There are several outbuildings and a large garden, and in the distance you can see what has to be a brick wall encircling the whole compound to shield it from prying eyes. As you disembark the front door to the manor opens and a number of human servants in traditional livery hurry out to greet you.

"This man is an important guest, and he will be meeting with the master later tonight." Tiadora tells them. "Ensure that he is properly prepared. Quickly."

Something in that last word sounds like a threat, and certainly the staff take it as such, hurrying forwards to attend to you with careful deference.

OK, we can probably gloss over a fair bit of this initial stage. Basically, Arak is being given a fully furnished room in the manor house, some quality food and drink, his choice of clothing etc. The servants, who are largely young and attractive humans or half-elves, are evidently under explicit orders to attend to your every need, and you are being given an hour or two to unwind and relax before the meeting with the mysterious 'master'.

So, feel free to describe how Arak spends that hour, any questions he might ask etc.

[gremlin-pult]

Taking in his new living quarters, Arak strips of his clothes, and proceeds to wash himself. When he is sufficiently clean, he motions to one of the female servants. "You. Attend to me. Do it well and we will both enjoy it." And he then spends half an hour or so letting out some of his pent up energy, breeding with the girl. When he is satisfied, he puts on a new, simple outfit, and eats the food they brought.
When he is done Arak considers what to do next, but decides to simply relax until the meeting.

[Maugan Ra]

The servant you select proves both able and willing. Perhaps too willing - the lack of even the slightest hesitation and the utter dedication to fulfilling your wishes speaks of more than simple orders compelling her obedience. Still, the time passes enjoyably enough, and the food brought to you afterwards is of excellent quality, far beyond anything you've eaten before.

Eventually, Tiadora returns, her cruel smile and air of amusement now replaced by a calm and businesslike manner.

"The Master will see you now."

She leads you through the manor house, passing numerous other rooms and chambers without pause until you reach a plain and unadorned door towards the rear of the second floor. She gestures for you to enter.

The room is quite obviously an office of some kind, where an industrious nobleman or merchant could sit down and work in comfort. There is a thick carpet on the floor, works of art on the walls, and a fire burning merrily in the hearth to one side. Behind a large wooden desk sits a bald human male in robes of dark red and black.

http://www.firemountaingames.com/images/Adrastus_preview.jpg

"Ah, there you are." He says in a smooth tone as you enter the room. "Congratulations are in order, I hear. You are the first person to escape Branderscar Prison in many years. An impressive feat, even if you did have some help."

He gestures to the seat on the other side of his desk. "Please, be seated. We have quite a lot to discuss."

[gremlin-pult]

Never taking his gaze of the man, Arak sits down in the offered chair. He leans forward, elbows resting on his legs, and waits for the "Master" to go on.

[Maugan Ra]

If the bald man is put off by your silence, he doesn't show it. "Let us start with introductions. My name is Adrastus Thorn, and I am the last High Priest of Asmodeus in Talingarde."

He says that quite casually, though from what little you picked up on your journey south even worshipping the dark God is grounds for death by burning. "As you have no doubt guessed, I am the one who sent Tiadora to find you in Branderscar. Rest assured I did not do this out of some kind of blind altruism or pity. I did it because I am in need of agents and allies, ones with a certain skill and ambition. You, it seems, have both."

He steeples his fingers and regards you carefully. "You would not be the first of your kind to suffer loss at the hands of the Talireans. Indeed, the northern border of the nation has been a persistent war zone for centuries. You are, however, the first to respond to that loss in such a... dramatic fashion. Tell me, did you truly expect to succeed? Or were you just looking to die there, on that day in Mathryn?"

[gremlin-pult]

"I am...was... first warrior of my tribe. I led them in battle and in hunts, as was my duty. The Talireans slaughtered them, and burned their corpses. I had two choices. Kill the one responsible, or die trying. Both outcomes would enable me to go to my family and ancestors with my head held high. Then I saw what Talingarde was really like, and my anger grew. To see such weakness and decadence and do nothing would be dishonorable." Arak says with passion. "I am angry. I hate Talingarde. But that i secondary to what I know is right, which is to turn this kingdom into a place that isn't busy killing itself from inside. And the corruption starts with the King."

[Maugan Ra]

Thorn considers this, then nods. "I can certainly see why you would believe so. The King is the most visible agent of authority in Talingarde, it's most potent champion and the voice of the country in all dealings with outsiders. But in truth, he is merely a symbol."

The priest pauses for a moment before continuing. "What do you suppose would have happened, if you had succeeded on that day and King Markaddian had died beneath your blade? You would have likely followed him into the afterlife, but once that happened... nothing would have changed. A new King would have been chosen, or possibly a regent until Markaddian's daughter comes of age. Perhaps the new ruler would institute a few changes - strengthen the northern legions, or heighten the security around the capital. But beyond that, things would largely just continue as they are, and you would have achieved nothing."

Thorn leans forwards, his gaze steady and his tone unyielding. "You are not the only one who wishes for this land to change. I too wish to see Talingarde purged of weakness and made into the land that it was meant to be. As such, I have spent a great deal of time working out how this might be accomplished. And the realization I have come to is this - the corruption does not start with the King. The corruption starts with Mitra, Mitra and his church."

"It is the Mitran church that presides over each new coronation. It is a Mitran cleric that is stationed in each town and village, that whispers in the ear of every lord and preaches in every street. Likely, it was the name 'Mitra' that was on the lips of those Knights when they slaughtered your tribe."

"If we are to change this land, Arak of the North, it is Mitra that will be our enemy."

[gremlin-pult]

"Mitra..." Arak says, a look of disbelief crossing his face for a second, then changing into a smile. I see. Well, I'll admit that what you say is interesting, if nothing else. And how do you propose we go about dethroning a god, then?"

[Maugan Ra]

"To fell a tree, strike at the base. To combat a god, strike at his worshippers." Thorn says with a cold smile. "The common people of Talingarde are the prize, the building blocks of a new and greater nation that we will forge. To do that we will break the hold that Mitra and the House of Darius have upon them, and in this task you will lead the way."

Thorn's eyes practically blaze with passion, though his voice remains tightly controlled. "You desire vengeance? You shall have it. The Knights that killed your people, the King that ordered them to do it, the Church that pushed him to issue that command, they all have to die. You desire to build a new world? The weakness and corruption that afflicts this land must be burnt out, a new order raised in its place, and you shall be the agent of that change."

"I will see to it that you have arms and armour of the finest make. You will have servants and agents to carry out your will, an army to follow your commands, the blessings of the gods to empower you and infernal allies to advise and support you. Everything you need to see your vision made real I shall provide, and in return I demand only one thing - obedience."

The High Priest spreads his hands. "You were the First Warrior of your tribe, until the Mitrans took them from you. Now, be my First Warrior, and we shall see them pay for it."

[gremlin-pult]

Arak sits still for a moment, letting Thorns words sink in. Then he rises, his gaze never leaving Thorns. "Then your first warrior I shall be. For as long as your goals remain true, my life is yours. I shall guard your life, fulfill your goals and lead your armies." He proclaims.
"Say the word, and I shall do it. Stay true to me, and I shall stay true to you. Command me, My chieftain."

[Maugan Ra]

Thorn smiles, and his expression is actually genuinely warm. "Then I welcome you, first of the Nessian Knot. But first... words are all very well and good, but in the eyes of my God, better to have a permanent record made."

He reaches into a drawer in his desk, and from it withdraws two copies of a written agreement, penned in scarlet ink on some kind of dark hide. Next to them he places a small silver-edged blade, a dish and a quill.

"To sign in blood is traditional, for there is no bond so strong as one forged in the essence of life itself."



Behold on this day in the eight age of this world a perpetual Compact is made between Cardinal Adrastus Thorn (hereafter the Master) and those who would be bound to him as his acolytes (hereafter the Bound). Both the Master and the Bound shall hold fast and true to this Compact through all trial and tribulation. By blood and soul the Bound commit to the Compact and swear that it shall never be undone.

The Bound shall know and understand the Four Loyalties.

The First Loyalty is to their patron and god – mighty Asmodeus, first among the fallen, prince of the nine hells, our father below. They shall do all that can be done to further his worship and his glory.

The Second Loyalty is to their master – He who is called the Cardinal Adrastus Thorn, High Priest of Asmodeus in Talingarde. They shall do the Master no harm and obey his every commandment as long as those commandment do not clash with their First Loyalty.

The Third Loyalty is to their companions – the other Bound who serve alongside them. The Bound shall deal with each other fairly and honorably as long as doing so does not clash with their first or second loyalties. All treasure, wealth and reward garnered in their exploits will be equally shared with all of the Bound who aided in its acquisition.

The Fourth Loyalty is to themselves – for Asmodeus is the Lord of Ambition and all who serve him should strive to become great and powerful in his service as long as doing so does not clash with their first, second or third loyalties. By their weakness, ye shall know the unworthy.

The Bound swear that they cleave to and uphold the Four Loyalties even in the face of death and damnation.

The Master swears that as long as the Four Loyal- ties are upheld, he shall reward the Bound as they deserve for their deeds.

Thus it is written, and thus it shall be.

We being of sound mind and free will do so swear and let they who violates this Compact know all the wrath of Hell unending.

__________

[gremlin-pult]

Arak reads through the contract, the reads it again for good measure. Deciding that it seems satisfying, He takes the dagger, holding it up in front of him with a slight feeling of reverence. There is power in this ritual He thinks. "May the dark one take note of this and look with pride upon our conviction" He intones before slicing a deep gash in his palm. He dips a finger on his other hand in the blood, twisting it deep in the wound to bring a bit of extra pain in tribute to Asmodeus, before scrawling his name on the contract.


Behold on this day in the eight age of this world a perpetual Compact is made between Cardinal Adrastus Thorn (hereafter the Master) and those who would be bound to him as his acolytes (hereafter the Bound). Both the Master and the Bound shall hold fast and true to this Compact through all trial and tribulation. By blood and soul the Bound commit to the Compact and swear that it shall never be undone.

The Bound shall know and understand the Four Loyalties.

The First Loyalty is to their patron and god – mighty Asmodeus, first among the fallen, prince of the nine hells, our father below. They shall do all that can be done to further his worship and his glory.

The Second Loyalty is to their master – He who is called the Cardinal Adrastus Thorn, High Priest of Asmodeus in Talingarde. They shall do the Master no harm and obey his every commandment as long as those commandment do not clash with their First Loyalty.

The Third Loyalty is to their companions – the other Bound who serve alongside them. The Bound shall deal with each other fairly and honorably as long as doing so does not clash with their first or second loyalties. All treasure, wealth and reward garnered in their exploits will be equally shared with all of the Bound who aided in its acquisition.

The Fourth Loyalty is to themselves – for Asmodeus is the Lord of Ambition and all who serve him should strive to become great and powerful in his service as long as doing so does not clash with their first, second or third loyalties. By their weakness, ye shall know the unworthy.

The Bound swear that they cleave to and uphold the Four Loyalties even in the face of death and damnation.

The Master swears that as long as the Four Loyal- ties are upheld, he shall reward the Bound as they deserve for their deeds.

Thus it is written, and thus it shall be.

We being of sound mind and free will do so swear and let they who violates this Compact know all the wrath of Hell unending.

___Arak___

[Maugan Ra]

"Marvellous. Welcome to the family." Thorn says warmly, taking one of the contracts back and leaving you with the other one. "Now, you have three days to yourself - there are still arrangements that I need to make, other tasks that demand my attention. Tiadora will be remaining here for that time, so bring any questions you might have to her, although... I warn you, she does not react well to foolishness."

The Cardinal settles back in his chair. "In truth, you need do nothing for this time, other than relax and centre yourself. But if you are the sort who dislikes idleness... there is another group of my agents in this mansion. Recent recruits, like yourself, they will be the Seventh Knot to your Ninth. You might get to know them - allies are always an important resource in life. Similarly, that Ogre you brought with you... I do not know what binds you together, but it might be worth working on reinforcing those ties, now that you have the time and no common enemy close at hand."

He spreads his hands. "Of course, if there is something you would discuss with me, I can take some time now to talk."

Among other things, Thorn is also going to provide you with 200gp worth of mundane equipment that you can choose yourself. There will also be a couple of other items that will be presented as well, when the appropriate time comes.

[gremlin-pult]

Well then, could you please explain what you mean when you talk of knots? I am unsure of what that title means"
Arak asks.

After having his question answered, Arak thanks Thorn and excuses himself. He asks a servant where Grumblejack is. This is as good a time as any to have a talk with the ogre. If I can get him to pledge himself to me, my position will be that much stronger. I need someone loyal to me first and foremost.

[Maugan Ra]

Thorn nods. "Of course, I forget myself. I have always understood that this is not a plan that one man could carry out by himself. If I was to break and then remake Talingarde, I would need agents."

He pauses for a moment, considering how best to explain. "Some who serve me are little more than disposable tools. The servants in this house, for example. They are useful to a degree, for the skills and services they provide, but in the end have only limited roles to play and cannot be depended upon for anything more."

"The Knots represent those who stand a cut above the rest. True agents and lieutenants, individuals and teams who can be relied upon to carry out critical parts of the greater plan. That I refer to them as knots is... something of a personal reference, a reminder to myself of old debts and obligations. There are nine of them, one for each layer Hell, as seemed appropriate given the task I am embarked upon. You are the Ninth, the Nessian Knot."

-/-

With the conversation over with, you depart to track down Grumblejack. It is not difficult. The Ogre has taken up residence in one of the manor's out-buildings, which might have once been a guard station or workshop - considerably less luxurious accommodations than your own, but he seems happy enough with them. When you enter, he is just finishing off a large plate of meat, devouring the food with evident gusto.

"Ah, Arak, there you are! Good to see you." He says cheerfully.

Also, you gain 300xp for joining Thorn's organization.

[gremlin-pult]

It's good to see you as well, Grumblejack" Arak answers with a smile. He then joins Grumblejack at the table, watching the Ogre eat for a moment before continuing. "We worked well together in escaping the prison, my friend. But from here on out my path will lead towards the dismantling of this kingdom. I've joined Tiadoras master, Thorn, and have given my allegiance to him and, more importantly, To the dark one, Asmodeus."
Arak pauses, considering his next words befor going on. "You are free to do what you wish, of course. Neither I nor Thorn have any hold on you. But as I said, we work well together. If you agree, I would like you to consider joining me from now onwards. I would greatly appreciate having someone I can trust on my side, someone who is not necessarily bound by the same oaths as I now am."
Arak watches the ogre a while longer, then gets up. "Besides, even though Thorn and I are now bound by oaths, and he has my loyalty, He is still human. One can never tell when he will suddenly make a change in his agenda. I want you at my side, as a warrior, and as a trusted friend. But, I do not wish an answer now. Think about it, and tell me your decision. I will be here for three more days at least."
With that, Arak leaves the ogre to his food, and goes to seek out these aforementioned other "knots", curious about what they are like.

[Maugan Ra]

Grumblejack looks thoughtful as you depart, but he says nothing for the moment, evidently content to think it over.

Locating the other agents is a relatively simple business. The servants direct you to a large room in the east end of the house, which is evidently a library of some kind. Shelves filled with books line every wall, and there are several desks and comfortable chairs littered around the area to make consulting them easier and more relaxing. Inside there are four people, all humans as far as you can see.

The first two are a pair of identical twins; tall men with long dark hair and weathered skin. They are dressed in clothes evidently designed for frontier work and long days of traveling, and are discussing something with one another off to one side of the library.

The third is an absolute giant of a man in long trousers and a vest made of some pale animal hide. His bare arms are knotted with muscle, and his dirty blond hair is tied back away from his face. He is standing by one wall, and you note that he has evidently chosen the area with the best sight lines and plenty of room to maneuver - evidently somewhat on edge even in a theoretically friendly place like this.

The fourth is the group's sole woman, a pale skinned beauty with dark hair wearing warm furs of snowy white. You actually think you recognize her kind - there are human tribes in the North as well as goblinoids, mostly in the form of the nomadic Yutak who live on the ice fields and pilot their cannoes along the narrow rivers and coastline. She has the distinctive look of one of their kind, and when you enter she is busy feeding small pieces of meat to a pure white raven perched on the side of her chair.

It is the woman who spots you first when you arrive. She raises an eyebrow at the sight of you. "You must be the other new recruit." She says, her voice tinged with an unusual husky accent. "I had thought that Thorn restricted his followers to human agents, but now I see otherwise."

[gremlin-pult]

Unsure whether the woman means it as a veiled insult, or merely as an observation, Arak decides to take the diplomatic route.
"An astute observation. But if only humans were involved in this venture, you would be passing a lot of opportunities by. Plenty of us wish to see Talingarde in flames. And I dare say many of the northern non-humans have more reason than most humans. I am Arak of no clan, and newly appointed "Nessian knot", according to Thorn." He says, keeping his face expressionless.

Taking in the group once more, Arak gives an amused grunt."I must say, even though you are of the same race, you are a motley group. I am fairly certain I recognize the look of the northern humans of the savage lands in you, my lady, but the rest of you I wouldn't know from any other pinkskin, although you are clearly not like most weak southeners."

[Maugan Ra]

At that, one of the pair of identical twins chuckles dryly. "Careful now, Mr Arak. My brother and I are from Talingarde, and I would not think of our people as 'weak'."

The other twin smiles humourlessly. "One might even be tempted to say that the strong are those winning the war along the border. Though you would be hard-pressed to find many Talireans inclined to think of it as a war. Pest control, perhaps..."

The woman clicks her tongue. "Enough of that, you two. We will have enough enemies on our mission without making more among each-other." She returns her gaze to you. "Arak, was it? Hmm. My name is Elise Zadaria, leader of this little band of ours."

The fourth member of their group stays nothing, content to simply look you up and down with a warrior's assessing gaze.

[gremlin-pult]

"Hah, you have a point." Arak says to the twins, laughing softly "Talireans did catch me after all, and throw me in Branderscar. Perhaps weak is the wrong word. Complacent, then" He then turns and nods to Elise in greeting"Tell me, Elise, you are of the North as your clothing suggests, yes? If so, how do the free peoples fare? are the tribes still fighting, at least?"

[Maugan Ra]

"Fighting who, the Talireans?" Elise asks archly. "There is little point. The Yutak have learned to survive on what we have, even thrive in ways others could never understand. Why risk throwing ourselves against the border forts over and over again for no gain?"

[gremlin-pult]

"Hn, Maybe so" Arak grunts, then a small smile crosses his face "But if it is so pointless, then why are you here?" He asks innocently.

[Maugan Ra]

Elise stares at you for a long moment... before matching your smile with her own. "For much the same reasons as you, I suspect." She says slowly, with relish. "Because I am not content with the way the world is. Because I do not believe that 'what has been' is what must be in the future."

She pauses for a moment, then chuckles. "And because Thorn is paying me very well it."

[gremlin-pult]

Arak laughs, content that Elise is, if not trustworthy which hasn't been ascertained yet, then at least pleasurable company.
He then nods towards the twins and the silent giant, and asks "And who are your friends then? the nervous one and the Talirean twosome?"

[Maugan Ra]

"Nervous? Hardly the word I would use to describe Dostan." Elise says with an arched eyebrow. The muscle-bound blond man simply scowls at your words, but says nothing. "He's not the most talkative fellow, but we can't all be wordsmiths of highest calibre. He's more along the lines of my bodyguard. As for these two..."

The first twin rises from his seat and performs an extravagent bow. "Titus Rakburn, milord. And this is my brother Tallus." He says with a sly smile on his face. "We're a bit more ideologically motivated than our glorious leader, if you were wondering. Well, I am, and my brother has always ended up supporting me on my little projects, so it amounts to the same in the end."

[gremlin-pult]

"I apologise for assuming. If you are guarding your mistress, then your alertness is commendable, Dostan" Arak says with a nod towards the large man.

He then turns to the twins, smiling a mirthless smile, not threatening, but clearly not reaching his eyes either. "There are no need for such formalities, Master Rakburn. You are a Talirean talking to a lowly hobgoblin savage, after all. I'm sure there are plenty other, less flattering terms, you would use for one such as I." Arak carefully makes sure that only a slight hint of mockery is in his voice. Time to see how these southlanders react.

[Maugan Ra]

Titus raises an eyebrow. "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. I'm sure that with great effort and the help of the gods, you too can be somewhat civilized. Dream big, oh noble savage." He says, the edge of mockery in his tone considerably more obvious. Then his brother reaches over and smacks him on the back of the head.

"Enough, Titus." Tallus says with a weary sigh, before turning back towards you. "Setting levity aside... very few Talireans are going to conform to your expectations, regardless of what they actually are. And while some of the peasantry might not know any better than to assume you are all vicious monsters, most of the soldiers manning the border forts and those who interact with them know that you are people in your own right, just as much as we are."

He shrugs. "They just don't see much reason to let that stop them when the time to kill arrives. Or do you honestly think peace is a possibility between our people by now?"

[gremlin-pult]

"Peace?" Arak says incredously, before breaking into laughter, as if the notion was truly hilarious.
"Hahaha! Peace? why would I want peace? You could say that Talingarde gave me peace when they slaughtered every one of my clan! I just want to give them that same gift." Arak near yells in a mad mix of rage and glee.
However, his outburst fades as quickly as it cames, and left is only a cold, cruel, impossibly hateful stare. "There's only one kind of peace, boy. The kind you force. The kind where the strong are in control, the weak are in chains, and the rest are dead." He says with a low, even voice. It somehow comes across much more threatening than when he roared. "Thats what I want, and why I'm here. I am going to burn it down and rebuild it, even if every "civilized" race on the face of the continent has to be burned with it."

[Maugan Ra]

"The only kind of peace you recognize, maybe." Tallus responds levelly, apparently unfazed by the sudden outburst or the thinly-veiled aura of menace. "It's not like you are much better, really. Or am I to believe that your tribe did nothing to the Talireans to provoke such a response?"

Elise rises from her chair at this point. "Well, this has been fascinating, but let's table it for now." She says, and there is nothing in her voice that sounds like a suggestion. Certain the twin brothers recognize the order when they hear it, both of them backing down after only a moment's pause. "Arak, my team and I need to discuss some of our plans for the future. Would you mind giving us some time?"

Unless you have something specific to say or do, it might be worth moving on to just covering how Arak spends his three days of downtime.

Don't forget to pick your 200gp worth of equipment.

[gremlin-pult]

"Of course I am no better. My tribe and I did plenty to deserve revenge. We left survivors, for one. Always a mistake. Then they left survivors when they attacked us, and so the circle goes on. Until there is only one left. And he will have peace"
Adressing everyone in the room, Arak gives an apologetic shrug. "I apologize for my outburst. Our own fault or not, It is still a bitter memory." He then nods to Elise with a smile "And now I will leave you. May your endeavors be fruitful for all of us." He then leaves the room.

Arak spends the next three days doing little. He recuperates from the prison break, trains daily to keep his body up to speed, and then just enjoys good food and rest while he can. He spends some of the time with Grumblejack, simply enjoying the company of the closest thing to a kinsman in the mansion.

Arak uses the 200 gold to get 4 more potions of cure light wounds. If they are also willing to trade, Arak also gives them 1 chainshirt, 1 dagger and 2 clubs for a pair of chakrams, so he has some proper throwing weapons. If they won't trade, he simply leaves the aforementioned stuff in his room in the mansion

[Maugan Ra]

Act Two: The Cruel Tutelage of Master Thorn

The days pass swiftly, time slipping away as you train and enjoy the hospitality of the manor and its staff. Virtually everyone here seems to have been instructed to attend to your every need without complaint, the sole exceptions being your fellow agents. The Seventh Knot largely remains in their own quarters, and Tiadora can occasionally be seen prowling the halls on whatever mission Thorn has given her lately.

Grumblejack never goes so far as to verbally pledge loyalty to explain his reasoning, but on the second day he joins you at training, and makes no reference to any plans for leaving in the future. Not that he has many places to go, of course - from the limited information he does share, it seems the Ogre made a living as a bandit before being caught and thrown into Branderscar, but that was in a different area of the country and with a full gang to back him up in any confrontation. One way or another, it seems you have a companion.

At noon on the fourth day, you are summoned once again to the office, Grumblejack electing to remain in the hallway outside while you meet with Thorn. The Cardinal presents to you a pair of small boxes - within the first rests four potions in small glass bottles, each neatly wrapped with cloth to prevent any chance of breaking, while the second contains an ornate metal circlet studded with small thorns that resizes itself to fit your head the moment you touch it. There is also a simple silver pendant in the shape of an inverted pentagram - the symbol of Asmodeus.

Yes, you can trade some of your looted equipment for the chakrams. The Iron Circlet is a magical item similar to a Hat of Disguise.

"As promised, the first of your equipment." Thorn says by way of explanation. "The Circlet will allow you to move among our enemies while appearing as one of them - a necessary tool for the work we will be undertaking, and one I shall provide to your cohort as well. And the amulet, well, that will serve to remind you of your loyalty."

The Cardinal stands and crosses to the window of his office, staring out over the landscape beyond. "Next comes the training. Before I assign you tutors or plan lessons, I need to determine where your current skills lie, what you are capable of and what must be improved." He continues. "Therefore, an assessment is in order. Beneath this house is a network of caverns and chambers, each containing a test of some kind. Within those chambers may be found an amulet of silver and sapphire. Tiadora will take you there, and you will have until dusk to retrieve this amulet by whatever means you deem fit."

"Any questions?"

[gremlin-pult]

"None, Master." Arak answers with an impassive expression.

[Maugan Ra]

"Then go. Tiadora will show you to the start of the course - it shall be up to you to complete it."

At those words, the door to the office swings open to reveal Tiadora standing there, a cooly evaluative expression on her face. Grumblejack stands behind her, evidently ill-at-ease.

"Come along, dearest. Time is wasting."

It is your choice whether to take Grumblejack with you or not. You'll get more xp if you go alone... but of course it would mean you didn't have any backup.

Though you could also just try it alone and then come and fetch the Ogre later if you wanted. Whatever works.

[gremlin-pult]

Arak simply nods to Tiadora, and follows her out.
"You can just wait here, Grumblejack. This test I will do alone. So feel free to relax some more until I get back." He says to the ogre as he passes him.


I'll do it alone.
Share my exp? Never!

[Maugan Ra]

Grumblejack looks momentarily uncertain, but then nods and turns to depart. Tiadora watches him go, then turns herself to lead you to your destination.

Behind a door on the ground floor of the house is a long and narrow staircase leading further down, lit by flickering torches in iron sconces. It is eerily silent, and a cold breeze seems to blow up from somewhere deep below.

"Below you will find the Nine Lessons." Tiadora says simply.

-/-

After perhaps thirty steps the way levels out into a normal passageway, which itself terminates less than ten metres later in a simple archway of solid stone. Carved on the arch are the following words:

Deception is a tool. Self-deception is death. Deceive always thy enemies, but never thyself.

Beyond the arc is a simple square room cut into the rock. It is illuminated by an old lantern hanging from a chain in the centre of the ceiling, and on the far wall stands a plain wooden door, much the same as any found in the house above.

[gremlin-pult]

Deceive thy enemies, huh? Arak thinks, studying the room. He then takes a deep breath, places the circlet on his brow, and marches into the room.

[Maugan Ra]

Nothing happens. The lantern on the roof swings gently from the air moved by your arrival, but there is no noticeable change in the room. The lone door remains shut - if there is anything on the other side, it has clearly not noticed you yet.

[gremlin-pult]

Looking around with a slight suspicion, Arak steps over to the door and tries to listen for any sounds on the other side.

Perception [roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

You listen at the door, attempting to discern what might be on the other side. Can you hear a faint creak?

A moment later, and the floor beneath your feet opens and you topple into the pit revealed there. It is no more than ten foot deep, and the spikes that line the base are made of blunted wood, but the pain is still considerable. You take eight points of damage.

Though a reflex save at DC20 will allow you to avoid falling in.

On the wall inside the pit, placed there as though to taunt you, sits a simple plaque bearing the following words.

Thou were deceived. Pain is thy reward.

[gremlin-pult]

As the floor disappears beneath him, Arak lets out a yelp of surprise, reflexively reaching out for the edges of the hole.

[roll0]

As he grabs hold of the edge, Arak frantically pulls himself up, looking down into the hole behind him. Shock and disbelief warring within him, Arak pants heavily, trying to catch his breath. "A hole... a god damn hole" He mutters, pulling himself to his feet.

As he hits the wooden spikes, Arak grunts in pain, and scrambles to get his bearings. When he spots the plaque, he lets out a growl. "I hope that those damn humans aren't watching this..." He mutters as he climbs out of the hole, painfully aware of the places that the spikes hit him.

[Maugan Ra]

It is at this point that the door swings open, revealing nothing but a bricked-up wall on the far side.

Your choice of next action. And yes, the deception there was 'this is the obvious and only available path'.

There are going to be quite a few lies in this adventure path...

[gremlin-pult]

For a second Arak simply stares dumbly at the brick wall, then puts his hands to his forehead. And since he can find no proper words for his annoyance, what escapes his lips is mostly a strangled groan of frustration. He then takes a deep breath and gathers his thoughts. Ok, the test is one of deception. That means there is probably a concealed way out.
Arak goes back to the hole, glancing down for any clues as to the way forward. He then starts gently pushing on the bricks in the doorway, looking for some mechanism. If he finds nothing, He goes on to check the wall methodically for any indications of a hidden door.

[Maugan Ra]

It takes some time, but eventually one of the stones in the north wall turns out to be a concealed button, sinking into the stone as you touch it. With a faint click the lock releases and a small compartment in the wall is revealed. Within sits a small crystal, about the size of your palm, and another plaque.

You have seen through deception to uncover a useful tool.

Behind you, a section of the south wall opens with another click, revealing a passageway leading further into the caverns.

For overcoming/surviving the first room, gain 600xp.

[gremlin-pult]

Satisfied that he figured it out without more mishaps, Arak takes the crystal and, figuring that the next test could very well be more dangerous, decides to down one of his healing potions. Annoying that I have to use one now. But they'll be no use if some thing down here kills me. He thinks while wiping his mouth, feeling the effects of the potion immediately as his pain lessens.
He then starts down the newly revealed passage, more wary of any dangers now than before.

Arak drinks one healing potion and heals: [roll0]
He also keeps an eye out for anything suspicious, so perception: [roll1]

[Maugan Ra]

The passageway leads to another doorway, once again inscribed with a riddle and warning both.

Following the herd is for fools. Fear not their icy derision. Fear only thy infernal lord.

Beyond the door is another chamber of roughly carved stone. There are three doors here, leading to the East, the West and the South, though the door to the West is largely covered by some kind of strange violet mold.

The first thing you notice about this room is the temperature. It is far colder than it has any right to be, to the point that the floor is covered by a thin layer of frost. Proceeding cautiously, your keen eyes pick out what look to be tracks in the frost, signs that many people have moved back and forth through this place. They seem to be concentrated around the East and South door - it seems whoever came through here before you was careful to give the strange mold a wide berth.

[gremlin-pult]

Reading the riddle, Arak looks around the room, his gaze fixing on the three doors in turn. The answer seems obvious. almost too obvious.... But it was the first test that was one of deception. I somehow doubt the second one would be the same He thinks, considering the tracks on the ground. Well, then the answer is simple. I shall fear nothing, except failing the dark one. And I am no sheep, to blindly follow the flock.
Without hesitation Arak steps over to the mold-covered door, and opens it.

[Maugan Ra]

As you suspect, it is not quite so easy as that. The moment that you draw close to the violet mold, it begins to glow faintly, and the temperature in the room drops even further. You take three points of non-lethal damage from the supernatural cold.

This is assuming that you pause here. Of course, you could also just bulldoze through - you only started taking damage once within five foot of the door, so progress at the cost of non-lethal damage is an option.

You can also make Knowledge checks if you desire, or even just Intelligence rolls.

[gremlin-pult]

Hmm, that hurt, as I expected... Arak thinks, stepping back from the mold and flexing his fingers, almost numb with the cold. But then, what.... He stands still for a while, pondering the situation.
Following the tracks seems wrong. that would be following the flock. Which means that this is the way, but how to pass safely.... Have I heard of something like this before?

Intelligence check, since knowledge is not Arak's forté.
Also, in case it will actually reveal something useful, a Knowledge (history) check.

Intelligence: [roll0]
knowledge (history): [roll1]

[Maugan Ra]

After a moment of reflection, you think you recall encountering something similar to this when you were in the North. Natural hot springs would sometimes become infested with a colored moss much like this, which feeds on the heat given out and creates a chill in the air as a result. Removing it from the heat would cause it to wither and die... presumably making this thing cold would do a similar trick.

Of course, in the North it was a lot easier to find ice or at least cold water...

[gremlin-pult]

Unable to figure out what to do next about the mold, Arak moves over to the other doors, opening them in turn. He then peeks inside to see if anything in there could be of use against the mold.

[Maugan Ra]

As you open the first door, there is another faint click. Fortunately, forewarned by your previous experience your reactions are quicker this time around, and you are able to dodge out of the way as a javelin comes hurtling out of the small chamber on the far side of the door and narrowly misses you. A quick inspection indicates that this one is not blunted.

I took the liberty of rolling your reflex save against the Javelin trap myself, in order to keep things going swiftly. Fortunately, you passed. Do you still want to try opening the remaining door?

[gremlin-pult]

Cursing at the javelin as it clatters to the floor, Arak glances suspiciously at the last door.
"I am starting to get annoyed with these tests..." He grumbles, before looking back at the JAvelin appraisingly. Maybe I could...
Arak picks the javelin up, and measures its length, gauging whether it could reach the handle on the moss covered door while keeping him out of immediate danger.

No, I don't really feel like opening it. My goblin-sense is tingling quite vigorously at that idea. But I gotta confess, I'm having a hard time figuring out this test out of character. I never was the best at these kinda things. But I guess I'll just go through the obvious attempts firsts. Like opening the door with the javelin. Unlikely to work

[Maugan Ra]

Although you feel the chill as you come near the moss-covered door, the javelin is long enough that, with a bit of careful maneuvering, you can scrape away enough of the growth to access the door behind it. The purple fungus almost seems to disintegrate as it comes free from the door, small flecks floating away and turning to dust.

Fair enough. Part of the purpose of this initial stage is to help me get an idea of what your character is good at doing and what you as a player enjoy. I can remove or modify some of the later events in the adventure path as necessary to make it more enjoyable.

Also, gain 900xp for overcoming the second room and surviving/avoiding the traps within.

The passageway beyond the door curves around in a vaguely U-shaped passageway, until it opens up into another chamber. There is no door here, and the expected message hangs on the corridor wall just before the entrance.

Know thy enemy. Shatter all that blinds you and burn thy adversary to ashes.

The room beyond is a small chamber, perhaps twenty foot to a side, with a single door on the far side. The door appears heavily locked and secured with a stout beam, though the design appears to prevent escape from the other direction - getting through from this side is likely just a matter of time.

The chamber is dark, unnaturally so, though your superior vision allows you to make out the general shape of things within. There is a small pedestal in the centre of the chamber, on which rests a globe of dark glass. The floor is comprised of wooden planks, each marked with several inch-wide holes that give brief glimpses of some unknown cavity below.

[gremlin-pult]

Hnn, this darkness....It's not natural. Magic, perhaps Arak thinks as he studies what little he can see.
It's probably that glass ball then, unless whatever's doing it is hidden away. But those holes in the floor... I f I enter, something might happen. a fire trap, or snakes. Best to be cautious.
Arak draws one of his chakrams, and takes aim at the orb, sending the weapon flying with a swift jerk of his arm.

I'm gonna try and break the orb without entering the room at first. So a chakram, thrown with the "Wyrmlings fang" maneuver for a little extra damage.
Attack roll: [roll0]
damage: [roll1]
extra damage from maneuver: [roll2]

crit confirm: [roll3]
extra damage: [roll4]

- By the way, I'm not saying I don't like tricky stuff and riddles, just that I'm not always very good at it. So there's no need to remove it. I like a challenge, now and again.
Arak on the other hand, is a bit different. He's not stupid, but he is pretty simple. And as a warrior, He likes straightforward and simple solutions to problems, and detests trickery and stuff like that. And I try to play him in a way that reflects that. So his solutions to these tests aren't exactly going to be complex :smallbiggrin:

[Maugan Ra]

The chakram flies true, striking the glass globe and shattering it into fragments. Instantly, the magical darkness swathing the room vanishes, and normal illumination returns.

Below the floor, there is the sound of something that sounds very much like a curse in some debased and alien tongue, followed by the sound of slithering that grows rapidly fainter. Whatever was down there is evidently unwilling to venture even into the weak light cast by the torches, leaving you free to cross the room.

You gain 800xp for overcoming the obstacle and effectively defeating the thing under the floorboards.

The next room, through the door and down a short corridor, is very distinctive and easy to recognize. Filled with spikes, braziers and assorted instruments for inflicting pain, there can be no doubt that this place is a torture chamber.

There is a sign on the door:

Cruelty is a tool, not a pastime. Be ruthless to your enemies, but reward those who serve you well.

Faintly, you think you can hear the sound of stifled breathing coming from a large cabinet off to one side.

[gremlin-pult]

As Arak walks into the torture chamber, he sheats the chakram he used, and looks around. And to think they call themselves a civilized race... but they've always been more advanced than most when it comes to creative ways of inflicting pain. he thinks.
When he reads the plaque and hears the sound of breathing, Arak immediately moves towards the sound, one hand on his sword hilt. "Come out, whoever you are. Or I will drag you out, and it will be that much more painful." He growls.

That last bit of exp actually sets me above then necessary amount for level 3. should I lvl up now, or wait until the tests are done?

[Maugan Ra]

There is something that might almost be a sob... and then the door to the cabinet opens, the occupant evidently believing your words completely.

It is a young human boy, perhaps sixteen summers of age, with brown hair and watery green eyes. You recognize the colors and heraldry he wears instantly - the Knights of the Alerion are one of Talingarde's premier military forces, the iron fist that backs up the Church of Mitra. It was almost certainly Knights of the order that slaughtered your tribe.

This boy - a squire, most likely, if you remember the terminology correctly - is evidently far from a veteran warrior, however. He looks tired, disheveled and above all, completely terrified.

"Oh god... please sir, have mercy. I'm just a squire, I have no part in... whatever this is."

[gremlin-pult]

looking at the boy, Arak stifles his thought of killing him, almost an automatic reaction.
"You've been put here for a reason, whelp. To aid me in passing to the next room. How do I move on from this place? Answer me truthfully, and I will not kill you."
Arak snaps, stroking the hilt of his sword to show he will tolerate no trickery or delays.

Intimidate roll to scare the boy into talking. Might as well start out light.
Intimidate: [roll0]

Oh, and I think you forgot to answer my previous question. Shall I level up now, or wait until the tests are over?

[Maugan Ra]

Sorry, it seems I didn't describe things clearly - there's another door to the torture chamber on the far side, easy to see.

And... hmm. Yeah, I think you can level up now, why not. I could say wait until the full training at the end of the trials, but that brings its own bonuses, and you can always use whatever strength you can obtain.

The squire presses himself back against the wall, evidently quite willing to cooperate if it will preserve his life. "I... I overheard some of the owners of this place talking. The real exit is ahead, opposite the stairs." He says nervously. "But there are guardians before that, metal cobras of some kind..."

[gremlin-pult]

"Metal cobras..." Arak mutters. He studies the boy, going over his options.
"What do you want in life, boy? What is your ambition? Do you want to go back to your home, on the off chance that you will end up the personal armored lapdog of some fat nobleman, or would you do what is necessary, should the opportunity for more show up?"

[Maugan Ra]

"I want to go home." The squire says plaintively. "To find Sir Balin and escape this terrible madhouse. From there..."

Despite all evidence to the contrary, it seems the boy might actually have a spine, as he straightens up and... well, not glares, but looks steadily at you none the less. "Do not insult my order. The path of a Knight is an honourable one."

[gremlin-pult]

"You have some courage, I see. Good. You are going to need it if we are to defeat the traps of this room and escape." Arak says with a slight smile. He draws one of his knives and throws it to the boy. "Take it. We'll work together to defeat them."

[Maugan Ra]

The squire looks rather uncertain about all of this, but evidently feels at least somewhat better about having a weapon to hand. He follows you out of the room without any complaint.

Through another short passage, you quickly arrive at the next room in this seemingly endless procession of challenges and traps. This chamber seems plain and unadorned, lit by a single guttering lantern on a chain attached to the ceiling. There is another door on the south wall (you are entering from the West), secured with a heavy-looking cross beam. Lifting it does not look like it would be difficult, provided you can do so unmolested.

Forewarned by the squire's words, you easily spot the room's guardians before anything unfortunate happens. There are two of them, and they do indeed resemble serpents - Cobras, to be precise, long and sinuous with flaring hoods around their heads. They appear to be made out of some kind of strange silvery metal, and their eyes glow with a pale blue light as they regard you, hissing menacingly.

The sign on the wall next to you makes it quite clear what manner of test this is meant to be.

The Chosen are revealed by their might. The weak deserve no sympathy.

"I saw them before." The squire says nervously. "They don't seem to go beyond this room... do you think we could get through the other door quick enough? Or... trap them or something?"

This one is pretty much a straight combat encounter, though you might be able to work out an alternate strategy of some kind.

Since they won't do anything unless you step into the room, you effectively have automatic initiative here.

[gremlin-pult]

"You want to leave? Then show your worth. Defeat them" As he says it, Arak takes a step back, and aims a kick towards the boys back, sending him towards the snakes.

This is Basically just my "shoulder rush" maneuver, intended to throw the boy in so the snakes will get him, and I can continue on while they are distracted. The maneuver does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Bullrush: [roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

"What? No!"

The squire screams in fear and anger as you propel him forwards, his light frame entirely unable to resist the force behind your blow. The snakes react instantly, lunging forwards with such speed that they almost seem to blur.

While the guardians are distracted with their prey, you find it comparatively simple to unbar the other door and progress through.

Well, good to see you embracing the fine traditions of villains everywhere - sacrificing minions for personal gain.

Gain 400xp for obtaining information and 'aid' from the squire, and another 800xp for getting past the snakes.

The Sixth chamber lies once again past a small passageway. The sign on the door reads as follows:

Suffer not the fool. Stupidity is our faith's cardinal sin.

There are two features of note in this room. The first is a small podium in the very centre, upon which lies a silver amulet in the shape of a small dragon. The dragon's eyes are sapphire, and the amulet is presented as though to be staring at you when you enter.

The second feature is a long staircase in the eastern wall, leading back up towards the manor house above.

[gremlin-pult]

Arak steps forward as he takes in the room, his gaze stopping at the amulet. "Sílver and sapphire. The object Thorn wanted....." He mutters, but does not reach out for it. "No, this is too easy. Besides, this is only the sixth room. And he kept jabbering about nine knots, nine layers of hells. So why not nine tests? It would be stupid to assume this is the end."
Walking closer, Arak draws his sword, and uses it to test the floor around the pedestal, wary of more traps. He then looks closely at the amulet, looking for any signs trickery.

Take 20 on Perception to notice foul play. Unless its gonna take hours to do it. If so, then Arak just picks it up and throws it on the ground to see if its real. And then he scratches the sapphires with his dagger. fake jewels should be much easier to make scratches in than real ones.

[Maugan Ra]

Carefully testing the floor around the pedestal reveals nothing in the way of traps or other problems. However, a close inspection of the amulet itself reveals that while the silver appears genuine, the 'sapphire' eyes are really just pieces of blue glass.

[gremlin-pult]

"A fake" Arak says "Which means the way up is wrong as well. a secret door then."
With uncharacteristic meticulousness, Arak starts searching the room for hidden doors.

Perception
[roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

I'm just going to assume that you keep looking until you find the other exit, rather than making you roll over and over again.

Also, 800xp for not being fooled, and thus not triggering the trap by the stairs

It takes you a long time to search the room properly, but recalling the squire's words about the 'real exit' you manage to locate a section of the wall opposite the stairs that slides away at your touch.

Heading through the passage, you come to another chamber, this one unlit. It would be completely dark to most creatures, but your keen eyes allow you to make out the sight of a large fungus in the centre of the room, as well as another door on the far side.

The sign on the wall reads:
Secrecy is our greatest ally. Exposure brings death.

The fungus is of a fairly well know species, and is often referred to as a 'Shrieker'. Approach too closely and it will create a loud and piercing wail - not dangerous in and of itself, but quite likely to bring attention from whatever else is around here.

Hobgoblin tribes have been known to use growths of these things as a crude alarm system for their settlements.

[gremlin-pult]

Exposure brings death... Arak thinks So I have to sneak past the fungus, then.
settling his weight equally on each leg, Arak stalks forward along the edge of the room, as far out of reach of the fungus as possible.

Go Go Gadget stealth check.

[roll0]

Oh, and knowledge checks? please. Arak is a warrior. uneducated and proud of it.
So yeah, Imma gonna have to spread the next levels skill points between perception and maybe knowledge (nature). He's only got a bit of knowledge (history).

[Maugan Ra]

Sticking to the walls and carefully avoiding going anywhere near the fungus, you manage to navigate around the area and reach the door on the far side of the room without incident.

Once more, a short passage leads to another chamber, the entrance decorated with a deceptively simple message:

Beware even the fallen, for they may rise once more to threaten you.

Inside the room are eight sturdy wooden coffins, their timbers swollen with sea-water and encrusted with barnacles and other remnants of the cold ocean depths. They are arranged somewhat haphazardly throughout the room, but there is no way to reach the door on the far side without passing close to at least one of them.

[gremlin-pult]

Seeing that the only way through is to pass close to one of the coffins, Arak simply leaps into a sprint, drawing his sword as he moves, and rushes in between the middle coffins, straight towards the next door.

[Maugan Ra]

As you pass, two of the coffins practically explode from the force of some great impact. Within, the dead stir - drowned sailors, their legs bound by heavy iron manacles, pull themselves free from their confinement and rise to their feet. They carry massive axes in their hands, the metal corroded by seawater but the edges still wickedly sharp. The harsh stench of salt and dead flesh assaults your nose.

On the far side of the room, the passageway leads to another door, this one reinforced with iron bands and tightly locked. There is a key hanging from a small hook by the wall, however, but no sign that you can see.

Unfortunately, it does not appear that the dead are bound to remain in the chamber they were found in, and with low moans they begin to shuffle after you.

So, the two zombies (Draugr, to be more specific) use their turns breaking free of their coffins. It is now your turn. Unlocking the door would be a full-round action, so definitely something you could do, but it would mean that you could be attacked while fairly defenseless.

On the upside, the tunnel is fairly narrow - only two people can fit down it side by side at any one point, so if there are more than two zombies fighting here would negate some of the advantage posed by superior numbers.

[gremlin-pult]

Not wanting to test his chances against all of them at once, Arak focuses on opening the door and getting into the hallway before turning and facing the corpses. "I've come this far. No restless abominations are going to stop me now" He snarls.

Ok, to optimize my chances of NOT being chopped by the deadies, Arak moves into a stance with his side and sword arm turned towards the draugr, using a full-round action with the other hand to grab the key and open the door.
Going into my "Scarlet Einhander" stance is a swift action, and the stance persists until I end it, switch to another stance, or lose consciousness. The stance grants me a +2 shield bonus to AC and +1d6 damage on all attacks, so my effective AC against them is now 18.

[Maugan Ra]

On the far side of the door is a simple room, perhaps twenty feet on each side and lit by guttering torches. There is no further route through - this is the end of the maze, it seems, the final challenge.

Standing in the room is a human. A knight, specifically, clad in heavy metal armour and wearing the blue and white tabard that denotes membership in the Alerion Order. His hair is dark, and his craggy expression that of a veteran fighter, a fact backed up by the numerous small dents in his armour and the well-used look of the sword in his hand. This must be the 'Sir Balin' that the squire mentioned.

Around his neck hangs a medallion in the form of a starburst, wrought of silver and sapphire.

"What in Mitra's name..." He begins to say, instinctively adopting a defensive stance as you open the door.

A moment later, the first of the Draugr reaches you, dead muscles propelling the great axe in its hands around in a great arc. Fortunately, you manage to deflect the strike away from you, and it rebounds from the stone wall with a shower of sparks. The second Draugr is just behind, moving up and preparing to join the assault, dead eyes focused on you in endless hunger...

A moment later, the heavily armoured form of the Knight smashes into it, longsword shearing through the air and delivering a great slashing wound to the zombie's chest region. The dead man staggers back but does not fall, and the Knight glances over at you.

"I do not know how you came to be here, warrior, but the dead are a threat to us both." He says bluntly, before turning his attention back to his chosen opponent.

So, amusingly, Sir Balin of Karfeld is mostly intended to be a 'final boss' in this little run of tests. He is also a pious servant of Mitra and a veteran soldier, so his reaction to seeing even a Hobgoblin assailed by the walking dead is going to be quite straightforward. Good choice.

Your turn now.

[gremlin-pult]

"Agreed" Arak says, before charging the second draugr, and slicing upwards from the ground with his sword towards the chest and head of the undead.

Arak makes a charge attack, using his "brave gambit" and the "Devastating rush" maneuver.

BRAVE GAMBIT:
Risk: The warlord attempts to make a successful charge attack against an opponent (if the character has the ability to make multiple attacks at the end of a charge, the initial first attack must be successful for this gambit's success).

Reward: The warlord's actions embolden his allies and sets his spirit alight with courage; the warlord and his allies gain a morale bonus to damage equal to the warlord's Charisma modifier on the next attack they make or until the warlord's next turn.

DEVASTATING RUSH:
The disciple performing this attack executes a powerful attack that rushes in past a foe's defenses to shatter them completely. The initiator inflicts an additional 2d6 points of damage upon a successful attack and his strike ignores the damage reduction of a subject or the hardness of an object he is attacking.

Attack roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
extra damage from stance+maneuver: [roll2]

crit confirm: [roll3]
Extra crit damage: [roll4]

So if it hits, lots of damage that ignores damage reduction.
if it misses, I fail my gambit and get -2 to all d20 rolls the next turn.

[Maugan Ra]

The sword in your hand cuts through flesh like water, slicing the Draugr almost completely in two. It topples backwards, whatever fell energies that animate it unable to withstand that level of trauma.

The second zombie makes a horrible gargling noise and swipes at Sir Balin with its axe, scoring a solid hit on his side and sending the soldier staggering. Still, the knight's armour is thick and he is far from beaten. Inspired by your success, he puts all of his weight behind a return blow and cuts the head from his opponent, causing it to drop to the ground in a broken heap.

In the room ahead, two more coffins are torn apart as the undead within stir and heft rusted weapons. You are not out of this yet...

Your turn again. Also, I'll let it slide for now, but remember that you cannot charge when your enemy is adjacent to you. I can't remember the exact distance required, but you need a run-up to build a proper degree of momentum.

[gremlin-pult]

Not wanting the undead to gain any momentum, Arak charges forward once more, a feral roar bursting from his lips.
He bears down on the nearest draugr, lifting his blade high and chopping down in a powerful strike more fit in a butchers shop than anywhere else.

Ah, I misunderstood the description then. I thought that my movement into the room, combined with the knights attack on the draugr had given me the 10 ft required to make a charge attack. Anyway, I assume there is sufficient space for a charge on the second pair of draugr.

So once again I use the brave gambit, this time using it together with the "crushing blow" maneuver.
If I succeed, we once again get my charisma mod to damage, and I'll regain the "devastating rush" maneuver I used before.

Attack roll: [roll0]
damage: [roll1]
extra damage from stance+maneuver: [roll2]

crit confirm: [roll3]
extra crit damage: [roll4]

this attack does not ignore DR or Hardness.

[Maugan Ra]

Before the force of your charge, the third Draugr is forced back and rapidly hacked apart, unable to stand before the sheer ferocity of the onslaught.

Sir Balin follows you, engaging the fourth undead with a relentless determination but unable to bring it down quite so easily. The Draugr retaliates, delivering another powerful blow to the Knight that dents the armour and draws a grunt of pain.

Your turn once more, only one heavily wounded zombie left.

[gremlin-pult]

moving over to the knight and the draugr, Arak makes a simple strike towards the undead, hoping to put it down without having to use too much energy.


Just a normal attack this time. together with the extra damage from my stance, it should be enough.

Attack roll: [roll0]
damage: [roll1]
extra damage from stance: [roll2]

crit confirm: [roll3]
extra crit damage: [roll4]

[Maugan Ra]

Already engaged with one opponent, the Draugr is unable to defend itself properly from your attack, and the tightly controlled blow severs its arm at the shoulder. The dead man looks dumbly down at the injury for a moment, and then collapses.

Sir Balin immediately raises his sword and shield into a guard position, pivoting to face the other coffins... but nothing happens. After a long moment, the knight takes a chance, stepping forwards and pushing the lid off of the nearest one.

"Dead." He says, peering in. "Truly dead, it seems. Perhaps whatever reanimated these poor souls only had so much strength..."

We could drop out of combat now, or we could remain in it if you want to attack the Knight. Your choice.

[gremlin-pult]

Glancing at the knights exposed flank, Arak tightens the grip on his sword.
"Yes. Truly dead. And now you join them, Talirean." He says calmly, before lashing out with another blow using all his strength.


Arak uses the "devastating rush" maneuver once more. I'm not sure if I get any bonuses to the attack roll since he's turned away from me, so I'll just roll with my standard bonuses.

Attack roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
extra damage from stance+maneuver: [roll2]

crit confirm: [roll3]
extra crit damage: [roll4]

[Maugan Ra]

Unfortunately, the Knight's armour is well made, and your attack winds up simply glancing away with a dull clang.

"Treachery!" Sir Balin roars, turning and bringing his sword and shield to bear. "I was a fool to think you would recognise honour and obligation! Well, by the Shining Lord I shall see you pay for your duplicity!"

With that he lashes out, a quick strike aimed at testing your defenses. Fortunately, the advantage remains yours, and you are able to deflect the strike to one side with your own sword.

[gremlin-pult]

"HONOR?" Arak roars as he bats aside Sir Balin's sword, fury lending him strength. "Was it honor that led you mighty knights to slaughter and burn my clan? You think yourselves better than others, but the only difference between you and I is that I don't pretend to be anything other than a killer and a raider!"
Turning his side to the knight, Arak rushes forward, in an attempt to ram his foe with the full weight of his body and strength
"You die now at my hand. Arak son of Tarlok takes your head for the honor of the Stonefang!"

Arak uses the "shoulder rush" maneuver, combined with the "Gatecrashers gambit", to bullrush Balin backwards.It does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
If it succeeds, Arak recovers the "Crushing blow" and "devastating rush" maneuvers, and Baling takes a penalty to all d20 rolls for 1 round equal to Arak's charisma mod (2).

Bullrush: [roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

"Aye, honour!" Balin retorts, gritting his teeth and bracing as best he can against your offensive. His feet slide across the ground as you force him back, to the point where he actually slams into the far wall with a muffled grunt. "A concept that a barbarian such as you could never understand!"

With a short, sharp motion the knight slams his shield into you, causing you to take a step back. Then, using the space provided, he brings his longsword around and delivers a mighty slash down your torso, inflicting thirteen points of damage.

[gremlin-pult]

Falling back a step with a howl of pain, Arak glares at the knight with all his burning hatred, gasping from the pain and thick stream of blood pouring from his chest. "hah...haah... You are nothing but a worm, too...unghh.... craven to admit that you are a murderer. Just as savage as me." He gasps, blood dripping from his lips.
With a frenzied howl, Arak throws himself forward into a suicidal attack, desperate to destroy this embodiment of his pain and hatred. Asmodeus. Great Dark One, I beseech you. lend me the strength to strike him down He desperately prays in his head, the wordless howl the only sound escaping his lips.

Arak uses "Devastating rush" again, ignoring any DR he might have. really hoping this one hits. that previous hit pulled me from 18 to 5 hit points. I dont think I'll survive another one like that :smalleek:

Attack roll: [roll0]
damage: [roll1]
extra damage from stance+maneuver: [roll2]

crit confirm: [roll3]
extra crit damage: [roll4]

[Maugan Ra]

Driven by pain and hate and rage, you call out to the Dark Prince for aid. And in that moment of need, you are answered.

Infernal power flows through your limbs, burning like fire and endowing you with incredible might. The sword in your hand flashes forwards, all of your strength and weight placed behind it, and strikes Sir Balin high in his torso... directly over the spot where the Draugr struck a blow not minutes ago.

Steel buckles under the force of your attack, and your sword powers through armour and into vulnerable flesh beyond, fully impaling the knight with enough force to push him back into the wall. Blood pours down his side, and Sir Balin coughs wetly.

With slow determination, he raises the sword in his hand, the cold steel glinting menacingly as he glares at you. The fury and determination of a true fanatic burns in his eyes... but it is not enough to overcome such a grevious wound, and a moment later the sword falls from nerveless fingers to clatter on the stone floor.

"Mitra... curse you..." The knight gasps out, before at last falling still.

You have won.

You gain 1200xp for defeating the Draugr with Sir Balin's help, and another 1200xp for defeating Sir Balin himself. Congratulations.

[gremlin-pult]

panting and gasping in with fatigue, Arak staggers over to the knight. "A worthy death. You honor the Stonefang, Balin of Talingarde." He then rips of the amulet from the knights neck, weighing it in his hand.
Arak then drops to one knee, using his sword as support. "Asmodeus. Lord and master. I gave my oath to serve. If I had any doubts before, they are now gone. I am yours, body and soul. In this life and the next."

He then rises and staggers back through the rooms, and up the stairs, back to the mansion. It was time to give Thorn his prize.

I now have enough ex to be lvl 4. but I'll wait with leveling up until we've finished the last of this testing stuff.

[Maugan Ra]

Your wound burns with every step, but it is a pain well worth bearing - a mark of victory and valour, proof of your strength and skill. Nothing bars your way as you make your way back through the caverns - even the gleaming metal snakes slither aside to grant you the room to proceed.

Tiadora meets you at the top of the stairs, and there is a look of genuine respect in her eyes as she studies your battered yet triumphant frame. Silently, she turns and leads you through the mansion, back to the office where you first spoke with Thorn.

The Cardinal awaits you inside, hands folded before him and an approving look on his face. "You have returned. In excellent time, no less."

[gremlin-pult]

Without a word Arak throws the amulet over to thorn, then sits down in the nearest chair. He then proceeds to rip of the shirt he is wearing, bundling up the cloth and holding it against the wound on his chest to slow the bleeding. He then watches the cardinal in silence, waiting for what comes next.

[Maugan Ra]

Thorn makes a deceptively simple gesture with one hand, a strange light flickering around his fingers, and your wounds immediately begin to knit shut. It is a strange sensation, divine power flowing through your body and restoring it to peak condition, but it leaves you much healthier and fully revitalized in just a few seconds.

The magical healing may or may not leave an impressive scar across your chest from Balin's attack, at your discretion.

That done, the Cardinal picks up the amulet, letting it spin freely by the slender chain. "A pretty enough thing, I suppose. Devotional icons of this kind are often favored by members of the Knights of the Alerion. Though, of course, you already knew that."

Casually, he tosses it back to you. "Keep it. A memento of your triumph, and perhaps an aid to disguising yourself in the future."

He smiles. "That was an impressive performance down there. It seems I chose well when selecting my First Warrior. Escaping Branderscar, defeating Sir Balin... yes, you are ready. Now, your training may begin in earnest."

Guess what? It's time for a TRAINING MONTAGE! Which I shall put in the next post so that I have time to work on it properly. Go ahead and level up, though.

[gremlin-pult]

catching the amulet as it is thrown back, Arak looks at it for a moment, then brushes a hand over the long scar left from the knights strike on his chest. He then puts the amulet away, and locks eyes with Thorn, smiling evilly.

"So glad to have pleased you, Master."

I'm definitely keeping a bad-ass scar. Anything else would just be plain wrong. Arak isn't some silk skinned elven pansy, after all.

And ooh. A training montage! I can't wait :smallbiggrin:

[Maugan Ra]

Adrastus Thorn keeps you in that manor for three months, training you relentlessly in all manner of skills and techniques. The man himself repeatedly displays immense magical power, divine might drawn from the Devil God himself, but he is far from the only one to educate you during those days.

-/-

The candle on the table flickers slightly, illuminating the room with soft radiance as you struggle to digest the contents of the large tome on the table before you. You cannot serve as a champion of Hell without knowing at least a little bit about the Planes and the theology of the Pit, and this is one of the few ways that you can pick up such knowledge with any real success.

And, of course, it helps to know what kind of Devil the Cardinal has called forth from the Pit before he has you fight it...

You gain a rank in Knowledge: Planes and in Knowledge: Religion.

-/-

"The pronunciation is 'Ish'kar'von'rak, not... whatever that pathetic attempt was." Tiadora says archly, pacing around the room while you kneel in the centre and attempt to work out how that is different from what you just said. "Perhaps I should give you something that will help you remember, hmm?"

Despite everything, those words are still enough to inspire a cold sweat across your entire body. Whoever or whatever she is, there is no doubt that Tiadora possesses both a skill and an appreciation for the fine arts of agony beyond anything you might have imagined. Nothing she does ever leaves a physical mark or impairs your ability to function, but you will remember some of her more creative examples of discipline for years...

You gain a rank in Linguistics, and learn how to speak Infernal.

-/-

"Some enemies will always be beyond your ability to fight."

At your side, Grumblejack swallows nervously and begins to back away, his eyes rising ever higher as he takes in the form of the creature that Adrastus Thorn has summoned for this little demonstration.

"When such a situation occurs... run. Come back later and better prepared, if you must, but never forget that retreat is often a more viable option than you might imagine."

Eyes glowing like fire, the Tyrannosaurus Rex lets out a roar that shakes the ground, and you turn to follow the Cardinal's recommendation. Run.

-/-

You relax in the hot waters of the bath, feeling the stresses and strains of a long day's training slowly melting away. Thorn has recently assigned you a new combat instructor, the dark knight known as Marcellus Wolfram. Under his tender care you have been battered and bruised, pushed to the very edge of your body's endurance and then beyond... but oh, the things that you have learned. How to attack, to defend, to channel the very powers of Hell itself through your body... yes, there are certainly advantages to this method of training.

Of course, not all of them are martial in nature, a fact you are reminded of by the two beautiful servant-girls currently running slender fingers over the dense muscles of your chest...

You gain two new maneuvers above and beyond your normal allotment, and gain access to the Black Seraph discipline. In addition, you may also exchange any of your existing maneuvers for other ones at your discretion, including Black Seraph ones.

[gremlin-pult]

During the three months of training, Arak tries to spend some of his free time getting aquainted with the members of the other knot, mainly Elise. It is comforting for Arak to be around someone who is also from the Savage lands, and he enjoys conversing with her about life in the north. And she is an attractive woman, with a strong personality Arak appreciates, without the arrogance he so often sees in humans.

-/-

Arak breathes out deeply as the power of hell once more rushes through his body, manifesting in wispy black smoke rising from his body. With a thought he sends it forward, a sharp black projectile of concentrated evil energy piercing the leg of Arak's opponent in the days training session. As the enemy falls to the ground with a scream, Arak
s lips draw back in a feral smile, and he sends out his senses the way Marcellus taught him, finding the currents of his foes fear, and feeding the fear to the ever hungry forces boiling inside him. He once more marvels at the power he has access to, watching as his cuts and bruises disappear when he feeds on the fear of others. Remarkable... He thinks, before turning his gaze to the cowering wretch, and raising his sword to end it...

-/-

"Well, they are odd. true, but their goals are the same as mine. And we serve the same master, so they must be quite competent, despite being humans and elves." Arak answers Grumblejack as they sit at the table, drinking and talking. "In any case, no matter what we might think of them, we have to be careful, of course. Thorn himself wields mighty powers. He must be much favored by the dark one. Then again, I guess that makes sense, since he is His high priest."

-/-

"May you find joy and good hunting on the other side, brothers and sisters." Arak intones, sitting alone in the courtyard of the manor. As he continues the traditional chant of the dead of his tribe, He thinks back to the time before they were annihilated. Could some of them have survived?... He thinks, but shakes away the thought immediately It does not matter. The tribe is gone, and I am The Dark ones now. To him I owe loyalty. He is my everything. And he will grant me the power to destroy all those who took you away. This I am certain of. You will have plenty of good prey sent to you before I am done, my tribe.

-/-

As he once more pores through the theological scripts on Hell's hierarchy, Arak sighs in frustration and rubs his forehead. So much reading... How can there be a place with so much contradiction, so many factions and so much intrigue... He thinks, desperately missing the simple but efficient hierarchy of the Hobgoblin tribes.
But it truly is a testament to the Dark ones power that he can impose order on such a realm. He is indeed a master without equal.

[Maugan Ra]

Act Three: Burning Balentyne

Eventually, your training comes to an end. While you remain convinced that there is always more you could learn, especially given the resources and knowledge at Thorn's command, you did not sign that pact to be an eternal student and his plans will not wait forever. So it is that, three months to the day after you first arrived at this manor, that you are summoned to stand before Adrastus Thorn once more.

The Cardinal awaits you in his office, much as before, but this time there are no books or piles of letters spread across the desk. There is instead a large map, detailing the northern border of Talingarde - you can see the icons that represent the string of fortresses known as the 'Watch Wall' clearly marked.

"Welcome, my child." Thorn says in a deep and resonant voice as you enter. "Your training has come to an end. It is time to put your new abilities to use, and to start down the path that lies before us. It is time to bring war to Talingarde."

He taps lightly on the map, indicating the far-less detailed regions north of the Watch Wall, the cold and harsh lands that you once called home. "Tell me. What do you know of the other creatures that inhabit the north? The trolls, the Giants, the bugbears?"

[gremlin-pult]

"Not much, master." Arak answers "The bugbears are tribal hunters and raiders, not unlike us Hobgoblins, but they do not possess our well-ordered and law-governed mindset. They are lazy and chaotice, which has made them no great threat to my tribe, unless they greatly outnumbered us. Trolls are wickedly strong, but dumb as rocks. They are almost impossible to talk with, and even harder to drive off, so we generally kept our distance. Giants come in two categories: Big, stupid and violent, and thus dangerous, or big, clever and violent, And thus extremely dangerous."

[Maugan Ra]

"A fair assessment." Thorn says with a nod. "But as with most things, there are exceptions - individuals that stand out from the throng, that defy the limitations placed upon them by species and society. In this case, that exception is a bugbear known as Sakkarot Fire-Axe."

Thorn turns and paces over to the window, staring out at the rolling grasslands of southern Talingarde. "Sakkarot is ruthless, charismatic, a genius tactician... and completely loyal to Lord Asmodeus. With my help, he has spent the last few months gathering every bugbear tribe and pack of monsters he can find into one great horde. At his last report, they now number in the thousands."

The Cardinal turns back to face you, his gaze intent. "They shall be our weapon, the blade which we will turn against Talingarde. We must break the stranglehold that Mitra and the House of Darius have on this country before we can forge it anew, and Sakkarot's army will be the instrument of that transformation."

He paces back over to the table. "That said, the Watch Wall is strong and the bugbears poorly equipped. If Sakkarot's invasion is to succeed both of these things must change. This is the task I will entrust to you."

[gremlin-pult]

"Then I shall see them clad in iron and the wall reduced to rubble. I assume you have an idea where to start, master?" Arak answers, studying the map.
Thousands... To think there would come a day where the north stood united against Talingarde... We will be an unstoppable horde, a wave of death. He thinks, already imagening a vast, roaring army sweeping across the land.

[Maugan Ra]

"Indeed. There is a small dock near to this house, currently playing host to the good ship Frosthamar, under the command of a human captain known as Kargeld Odenkirk." Thorn says with a nod. "It is presently being loaded with the last of the weapons and supplies for Sakkarot's force. The ship will travel up the coast and through the northern rivers to reach Lake Tarik, where the horde is encamped. I would have you go with it, to guarantee that the cargo reaches its destination. Once he has delivered the weapons he will take you to the southern shore of the lake, which will place you back within Talingarde."

Thorn pauses. "Unfortunately, I do not think Captain Odenkirk can be trusted beyond that point. He was always a mercenary, but he has grown even more greedy and treacherous of late. Once his usefulness is concluded, kill him, his crew and burn his ship to the ground. After that..."

The Cardinal indicates one particular icon on the map, just to the east of Lake Tarik. "This is the Watch-Fortress Balentyne, built to defend an old dwarven bridge that is one of the few ways for any serious force to pass into the South. It is here that we will break the Watch Wall."

"You are strong, skilled, trained in the arts of stealth and have a keen understanding of soldiers and the ways of warfare. Infiltrate the fortress and do all that you can to weaken it. Poison, sabotage, a bit of arson - I leave the exact methods to you, but at the very least the commander must be slain if the attack is to have any real hope of success. Sakkarot will give you a way to communicate with his forces. When you believe that the defenses are weak enough, signal the attack."

[gremlin-pult]

"Understood master. When we arrive at the lakeshore after delivering the goods, the captain and his crew will die. But if it is possible, I would ask that you arrange for a well trained horse and some papers marking me as an official of the king await me when I arrive at my destination." Arak pulls out Sir Balin's amulet, holding it up. "I have an idea how to get inside. and with this disguise, I could perhaps make them fight amongst themselves."

[Maugan Ra]

Thorn raises an eyebrow. "If I had the means to acquire genuine examples of such authorization, I would not be relying on a plan such as this. And if you intend to bluff, I should recommend going without paperwork. Forged documents can be viewed at length and discrepancies noted, but it is something else entirely to doubt the word of a royal emissary to his face."

At your second point, the Cardinal indicates a small icon just south of Fortress Balentyne on the map. "Unfortunately, I do not have a network of agents in place in every town and village throughout Talingarde, so having supplies waiting for you will be... difficult. That said, the market town of Aldencross lies less than a mile from the Fortress, and will likely have just about anything you need, or else a way to acquire it given time." He considers for a moment. "Captain Odenkirk has just been given the last installment of his payment for this job, some six thousand gold pieces. He will have no opportunity to dock and spend it before reaching Sakkarot's camp, so make sure you recover the funds before you set fire to anything. That should serve as a more than adequate operating budget for this mission."

He reaches into his desk, and withdraws a small disk of red clay, marked with the symbol of Asmodeus surrounded by a ring of thorns. "Once you have completed the mission... or, should things go truly and utterly wrong... break this seal to inform me of your progress. I will have Zadaria and her Seventh strike at other targets in the surrounding regions in the mean-time, to confuse and delay any Talirean response."

[gremlin-pult]

"As you say, master. Forgive me for making assumptions about your sphere of influence." Arak say, meaning every word of it. He continues "But master, do you know how large Odenkirks crew is? How many crew members he has?"

[Maugan Ra]

"He has but half a dozen men, and they are sailors, not warriors. Odenkirk himself is an experienced raider, but hardly a true challenge for one such as you. With the Ogre along - Grumblejack, was it? - I do not expect much in the way of difficulty tying up loose ends."

[gremlin-pult]

"Very well, then. I shall not fail you master. Yours and the dark ones faith is not misplaced." Arak exclaims with a smile, thumping his right hand against his chest in a warriors salute. "I shall go at once." Arak then turns and makes to leave the room, and go to the ship.

[Maugan Ra]

Thorn nods as you leave, already turning his attention back to the map, his mind fixed on whatever elaborate schemes he has running elsewhere in Talingarde.

Grumblejack meets you in the corridor outside, his own Circlet perched proudly on his massive brow. "You look eager. We have a mission, then?" He asks in his deep, rumbling voice.

Incidently, with the Circlet Grumblejack can look like a particularly large human if required. Just to reassure you that he doesn't have to be hidden if you want to take him anywhere in public.

Also, he'll probably start taking levels of his own around about now, in order to remain relevant as you level up. Right now he's either going to be a Fighter or a Barbarian - do you have any preferences for which? He's basically an advanced type of cohort right now.

[gremlin-pult]

"Indeed we do, cousin." Arak answers. "We are going to board a ship bringing supplies and equipment to our homeland. After that we will sail back to Talingarde, and continue our mission. Oh, and when we have safely arrived in Talingarde again, we will dispose of the ship and its crew. We are finally going to start unraveling this sorry excuse for a kingdom." He finishes with a smile, gesturing for Grumblejack to follow him to the ship.

Well, Grumblejack is huge and strong, so we might as well build on that. So Barbarian I guess. He'll be an excellent shocktrooper.

[Maugan Ra]

"Hmm. Sounds interesting, at least." Grumblejack says thoughtfully, before falling silent and following you towards your destination. The Ogre has received equipment of his own over the days and weeks of relentless training, most notably a gigantic two-handed axe of gleaming steel. Sized for his bulky frame, the weapon looks easily capable of cutting through a tree with a single stroke, never mind what it will do to any mortal opponent foolish enough to stand in his way.

From the Manor, a small track leads out across the countryside and down to the nearby shore. There, you quickly locate a natural cavern that has been converted into a makeshift docks, where ships can come and go safe from the prying eyes of the Talirean costal patrols.

Moored at the docks is what can only be the Frosthamar, a long and narrow ship with a large square sail, the prow decorated with a carving of an armoured warrior.

For reference, it's basically a viking longship, built slightly wider to allow for more cargo space. There is only one cabin.

Half a dozen rough looking humans are currently in the process of loading a number of large chests into the ship, watched over by a great bear of a man with dirty blond hair. This must be Captain Odenkirk.

The crew notice your arrival soon enough, pausing in their work to stare at you. Odenkirk barks an order at them in some foreign tongue, then turns to stalk over towards you.

"Hmph. I was told to expect an escort." The scarred human says, looking over you with eyes like northern ice. "That would be you, yes?"

[gremlin-pult]

"Yes" Arak answers, meeting the captains gaze. "We will escort you and your cargo to the north, and then you will take us to the southern shore. If you are ready, we'll set out immediately."

[Maugan Ra]

Odenkirk glances back at his men, who are now loading the last of the cargo onboard, then nods. "Pick somewhere to sleep and stay out of our way. The waters of the north can be treacherous enough without the land-bound getting in the way."

With that, he turns and stalks back to his ship, evidently having said all he wishes to say. Grumblejack watches him go.

"Nice man." The Ogre says dryly, though there is a predatory gleam in his eyes.

-/-

Within the hour, the Frosthamar slips it's moorings and makes for open water. The sail opens wide, and the slender ship picks up speed until it practically slices through the waves, the Captain and his men moving back and forth across the deck with easy confidence as they fall into the regular routine of sailing.

None of the Northern races have much experience with the sea, and several groups are known to hate the concept of sailing with a passion, but as your vessel makes its way up the coast you cannot help but see the value. It took you months to work your way south from the lands of your tribe to the capital city of Mathryn, but the Frosthamar travels an average of fifty miles or more every day, heavily laden at that. Given how many of Talingarde's major settlements are located near a coast or major river, it is little surprise that they have managed to build such an extensive trade network to support the growth of their nation.

Captain Odenkirk keeps his ship close to the coast for the entire journey, and with little else to do you and Grumblejack often find yourselves passing the time by observing the landscape as it rolls past. Miles upon miles of picturesque countryside seems to comprise the bulk of Talingarde, dotted by small villages and populated by simple farming folk. The natives often wave to the Frosthamar as it goes by, and Odenkirk makes a point of waving back as well.

"Wouldn't want to look suspicious now, would we?" He says with a fearsome scowl.

At one point, you pass the city of Daveryn, the jewel of the East Coast and the third largest settlement in Talingarde. There are a considerable number of ships going in and out of the city's sprawling dockyards, but Odenkirk refuses to go make port, on the grounds that you are carrying tons of quality weaponry without any kind of official paperwork, and that is just asking to get arrested.

Eventually, after a week of constant sailing you pass the menacing bulk of a Talirean castle on the shore and officially cross the country's border. You are in the North once again, and it does not take long before the temperature and changing scenery makes the distinction exceptionally clear.

The Captain and his men are wary as you continue northwards, and you know he is right to be cautious. There are any number of hazards in your homeland that could claim the lives of the small crew, even before you count the two passengers they carry with them...

Feel free to describe how Arak spends the journey (only Odenkirk has a cabin, everyone else sleeps on the deck), and then make me a Perception test please.

[gremlin-pult]

Arak spends most of the trip watching the landscape and the other ships they see on the way. Talingarde truly is a peaceful kingdom He notes to himselfBut so lax in the way they live. With what they have, they could be so much more. I cannot wait to see how mighty it will be under proper, disciplined rulership.

Over the course of the trip, Arak grudgingly admits to himself that sea travel is an excellent concept. It is pity that we of the north never utilized it. It may be odd and dangerous, but the possibilities are endless. No wall to think about, and much faster travel. With a proper sea force, We of the north would be unstoppable.

A the weather starts getting colder, Arak draws in a deep breath, relishing the thought of seeing his homeland again. He had not realized how much he missed the stinging cold sharpening his senses, or the pure beauty of the snow clad lands.

Perception roll: [roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

The first sign of trouble comes the same night that you first pass into the North. Studying the coastline with fond nostalgia, it is Arak that first spots the other ship. It is relatively small and does not appear to have any mounted weapons, but it is undeniably in pursuit of the Frosthamar and flying the flag of Talingarde.

Assuming you notify someone else of this...

Captain Odenkirk follows your gaze and curses as he spots the ship closing on you from the stern. "Talirean patrol boat. Probably here looking for raiders, pirates and smugglers." He says grimly. "She's seen us, no doubt, and there's no way we'll outrun her as heavily laden as we are."

He lays one hand on the hilt of his axe, then glances at you. "I don't suppose you have some cunning plan to avoid a fight? I expect we can take them, but if a patrol boat goes missing, they'll send others to look for the reason why."

[gremlin-pult]

"I have one that might work" Arak says, and touches the circlet on his brow, summoning an image of Sir Balin in his mind. When the magic activates, He pulls out the knights amulet, and hangs it around his neck under his shirt. "I want you and your men to go about your business, acting normal. I will handle this. Grumblejack, disguise yourself as a human and follow my lead."
Arak then steps over to the bow of the boat, and watches the other ship approach with his hands clasped behind his back.

So yeah, Imma gonna trick'em. :smallbiggrin:

[Maugan Ra]

Grumblejack nods, and a moment later is replaced by a towering human packed with muscle, all wrapped within the standard uniform of a Talirean soldier. Odenkirk looks a little surprised at the display of magic, but nods and does as commanded.

As predicted, the patrol ship closes on quickly, and before ten minutes are up it is near enough that you can read the name emblazoned on the hull - The Blade of Saint Martius. Talirean sailors line her deck, and as the ship closes one of them puts roars out an order.

"Heave to in the name of the King!"

Odenkirk, playing the obedient civilian, complies and before long the two ships are floating side by side. A large plank is placed between the two hulls, and a small group of soldiers cross to board the Frosthamar, their eyes wary and their hands near their swords. At their head is a tall man with dark hair just starting to go silver at the edges. From Thorn's lessons, you recognise his uniform as that of a captain.

"You are in charge here?" He addresses you, having evidently identified you as some kind of knight.

[gremlin-pult]

"That I am, captain. I am Sir Balin" Arak answers, pulling the silver amulet out from under his shirt and holding it up for the captain to see. "And I must implore you to let us be on our way. We are on an important assignment, and cannot afford any delays."

[Maugan Ra]

"Of course sir, won't take long." The Captain says with a polite nod. "Ship name, cargo and destination please."

You may need to roll Bluff when you come up with an answer, though more plausible ones will of course earn bonuses to the roll.

[gremlin-pult]

"Of course, captain. But, I must ask that you and I speak about it in private. Some of this information is quite sensitive. I will tell you alone. If you will come with me, please." Arak answers with a smile, and walks down toward an empty part of the ship.

Assuming that the captain follows me.

When they are out of earshot of others, Arak turns to the captain. "I am using this ship, the Frosthamar, to bring a load of weapons and armor to a specific destination in the Savage north. You may have heard rumors that the tribes of the north have been causing trouble of late. That is true, and our agents have discovered that they are very likely being aided by conspirators within Talingarde. Therefore, a special contingent of soldiers have been gathered beyond the wall, to spy on and hamper the enemy. They need proper equipment, but since it was uncertain who could be trusted, it was decided that the cargo was to be transported of the books. So you can see why I will need you to stay silent about this. We cannot allow our nation to be put in jeopardy."

I'm thinking that the story gets more believable if peppered with as much truth as possible, without really revealing anything.

Bluff roll: [roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

The Captain willingly follows you away from the other men, evidently not considering that a Knight could be anything less than trustworthy. He listens to your story attentively.

"One... does hear rumors, in this job." He says cautiously, slowly digesting what you have told him. "The men on the Wall haven't seen nearly as many Bugbears around lately as normal. That they are massing, preparing for something, I can well believe, but being assisted by Talireans?"

He shakes his head wonderingly. "What kind of madness would drive a man to such an act? Do not take this the wrong way, Sir Knight, but I hope you are wrong. I shall sleep easier knowing that no-one in this world is so foolish or vile. In the mean-time... I'll just put you down on the records as a trading ship then, shall I?"

Lucky! He rolled a total of 20 on his Sense Motive, and the disguise and reasonably plausible story were enough to make him believe it.

[gremlin-pult]

"You are an honorable servant of your kingdom, captain." Arak says with a kind smile, putting a hand on the mans shoulder. "When this has been taken care of, you will be remembered."
He then leads the captain back to the others, and waits patiently for him to finish up and leave.

[Maugan Ra]

With the captain convinced, there is little more to be said. The soldiers do a cursory check of your ship, but nothing they find clashes with your story, so a few minutes later they return to their own vessel. The Blade of Saint Martius separates from your ship, pulls about and begins heading back to its original patrol route.

Grumblejack watches them go.

"I... cannot believe they bought that." He says, looking both bemused and vaguely disappointed that he won't get to try out his new axe.

For conning your way past the sea patrol, gain 1200xp.

[gremlin-pult]

"Patience, cousin." Arak murmurs with satisfaction as he watches The blade of Saint Martuis sail away. "It wasn't the time for a fight. You'll have plenty of opportunity to use that axe. Besides"
His mouth widens in a cruel smile "Like I told the captain, he is a good servant of Talingarde. He will be remembered." Arak chuckles, then turns back to watching the landscape flowing by.

[Maugan Ra]

With the threat from the Blade neatly averted, the Frosthamar continues on her way.

Two days later, Captain Odenkirk approaches you on the deck. This in itself is unusual, since the captain and the crew have generally made a point of avoiding or ignoring you when they can, but at least he isn't trying to smile. That truly would be worrying.

"We're running a little low on fresh water." He says to you. "Fortunately, I know a good place nearby to restock - it's called Seal Isle. Won't take more than a day or so, and in the meantime we'll be in some of the finest seal-hunting grounds this side of Talingarde. Figured I'd put together a little expedition or two, hunt some game. Interested?"

[gremlin-pult]

"If it won't delay us anymore than getting fresh water will, then you are welcome to hunt seals. I will join you. It is a good opportunity to stretch my legs." Arak answers after a moments consideration. "But remember that we are on a tight schedule." He then walks over to Grumblejack. "You heard him, Grumblejack. We will be stopping for water, and for them to hunt.I want you to stay and guard the ship." Arak lowers his voice so only Grumblejack can hear him. "Keep an eye on them. they may be planning something. I will make sure they don't try anything on the island."

[Maugan Ra]

Grumblejack nods seriously, accepting the duty given to him. In truth, you doubt the Ogre would particularly enjoy the challenges of fitting in a small hunting raft and trying to catch the nimble seals.

As it turns out, when Odenkirk says that Seal Isle is 'nearby' he is actually speaking of a detour that takes you off your projected route for several hours. Eventually, however, you reach the intended destination - a small island in the middle of a natural bay, which is indeed heavily populated by yapping seals.

With an eager grin, Odenkirk orders the two small hunting boats - little more than oversized kayaks, in truth - lowered into the water. He boards one with a member of his crew for support, leaving you to decide if you want to get involved by boarding the second.

If you do, it'll be a Survival check, with a +2 bonus for the assistance of one of the sailors.

[gremlin-pult]

With careful, deliberate motions, and no little nervousness, Arak steps down into the kayak.

Survival: [roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

Although it seems small and fragile at first glance, the Kayak turns out to be perfectly bouyant, and with the aid of one of Odenkirk's sailors you are soon skimming over the small waves of the bay.

Hunting the seals proves to be something of a challenge - there is nowhere to hide on the open water, and your prey is faster than you and has the option of diving to safety under the waves. After a while, though, you manage to get the hang of it, utilizing fairly rapid turns to surprise the seals and making the most of the short window of opportunity this creates to spear or otherwise catch them.

Before too long, you manage to make a kill yourself, and with the sailor's help drag your prey onto the kayak.

"Good eating on one of these." The sailor says approvingly. "The pelts will sell for a decent amount as well, if you take them to any reasonable port."

Before you can respond, however, your kayak rocks slightly as though disturbed by the passage of something just beneath you...

[gremlin-pult]

Not at all used to being at sea, Arak looks down with a start.
"What was that?" He exclaims "Something hit the boat. Something in the water."

A perception roll to locate what it was. Arak is slightly paranoid right now :smallbiggrin:
[roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

The waters of the bay are deep and dark, but with luck and practice it is possible to peer through the waves and discern the forms of those things that swim beneath the surface. As you search for the source of the disturbance, your eyes catch a glimpse of a particular section of the water perhaps twenty foot away, where the waves part and are displaced by something large moving at speed just beneath them.

Then you see what is the source of the ripples, and your blood runs cold.


http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/288/5/1/bunyip_by_scottpurdy-d30gbcn.jpg

The sailor in the boat with you follows your gaze, and curses as he catches sight of the creature as well a moment later.

"Bunyip." He says grimly, already seizing the oar and turning your kayak around as quickly as he can. "Drawn by the blood, no doubt. They don't attack large vessels, but something as small as a kayak..."

At that point, the man's words are proven almost prophetic. Still under the water, the aquatic beast makes another pass at your boat, and this time the shuddering movement is considerably more violent...


Please make a DC 10 Acrobatics check to remain on your kayak. And in case you fail, a Fortitude save (the water is absolutely bloody freezing...)

[gremlin-pult]

"Dammit all!" Arak roars as he desperately tries to get a hold of the sides of the boat "I will not be done in by water, or an overgrown seal!"

Acrobatics: [roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

Fortunately, you manage to keep your balance in the wildly rocking boat. Just as fortunately, the sailor paddling the boat back towards the Frosthamar is equally steady, and you continue to make good progress. You can already see the other members of the crew on the deck of the ship watching your journey anxiously, with the exception of Grumblejack, who is somewhere out of sight.

"They're really more like sharks, I think..."

The sailor with you attempts some dry banter, but the pale cast to his face indicates how unsettled he truly is. In the distance, you can see that Odenkirk's kayak appears to be having similar problems - there are two of the beasts then, at the least.

A moment later, the animal attacking you surfaces not far away, leaping through the air with a curious kind of heavy grace. It seems to fix you with scarlet eyes before it hits the water again, and at the last moment lets out a horrifying roar.

The sound is far louder than something that size has any right to produce, and it seems to touch something deep within your soul that sets your mind to gibbering with primal fear...

And a DC 13 will save please, or you will become Panicked for a few rounds and likely overturn the kayak.

[gremlin-pult]

As cold sweat starts running down his forehead, Arak looks at the boat.
"No, no, no. Dark one please. This is no way to die..." He mutters, desperately trying not to panic.

Will save: [roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

Recalling your training, you manage to resist the urge to panic. Perhaps inspired by your example, the sailor in the boat does likewise, and a moment later you reach the Frosthamar, where a long rope awaits you.

The moment you grasp the rope, there is a sharp tug, and you are lifted clear from the Kayak and deposited onto the deck in a single smooth motion. There is only one individual you know strong enough to do that so easily, and a moment later your expectation is confirmed as Grumblejack claps you on the back before lowering his rope down for the sailor as well.

You have a few moments to gather yourself, as not far off Captain Odenkirk's kayak rocks dangerously in the water, it's passengers desperately trying to remain afloat...

[gremlin-pult]

Seeing the kayak rocking back and forth, Arak curses. Can we sail to our destination without him? It would make my task easier... He thinks. Arak looks out at the boat a moment more, then curses again Cant risk it. The shipment is more important.
Seeking inside himself, Arak locates the well of dark, roiling energy his master has granted him. Forcing it through his body, he gathers it in his hand until a visible mist of darkness manifests around it. Arak then takes aim and wills the energy to fly towards the Bunyip.

Arak uses the "Shadow feather strike", sending a feather-like projectile of dark energy out to a range of 30 ft. Since you wrote that the other kayak isn't far away, Im hoping its close enough for me to hit the Bunyip.
Oh, and a perception check to locate the Bunyip in the, since you haven't stated exactly where it is. If I can't see it, Arak doesn't fire the shadow feather strike.

perception: [roll0]

ranged touch attack: [roll1]
damage: [roll2]
the damage from this strike is profane damage.

[Maugan Ra]

What happens next almost seems to occur in slow motion. The second Bunyip, a solid mass of muscle and gleaming teeth, leaps free of the water with a single powerful motion, diving through the air towards the Kayak. Odenkirk looks up at it, eyes widening. And the arc of dark energy released from your hand smashes into the beast, knocking it sideways in a shower of blood.

The bunyip falls back into the water of the bay, seriously wounded, and does not return to the surface again. Taking advantage of the reprieve, Odenkirk's men propel the remaining kayak back towards their ship, abandoning the hunting expedition in favour of the safety offered by the Frosthamar's bulk.

As the humans clamber back on board, Grumblejack takes you aside for a word.

"I checked the water." He says quietly, making sure that none of the crew are within earshot. "He was lying. There's plenty left, enough to make it to the camp and back at least."

[gremlin-pult]

Arak's eyes narrow as he watches Odenkirk paddling back to the ship. "Is that so..." He mutters, his voice flat and without emotion. He then walks over to the sailor who was in the kayak with him, and puts a hand on his shoulder. "Tell me, sailor, how many men are needed to sail this ship?" He asks, still showing no emotion whatsoever.

[Maugan Ra]

"Uh... three, maybe?" The sailor responds with a frown. "I wouldn't want to try an ocean crossing with just that, but for coastal work it would probably be fine. We're not a skeleton crew, if you were wondering - only an idiot goes somewhere like this without planning for possible casualties."

[gremlin-pult]

"Thank you." Arak says, and he then steps over to wait for the captain to arrive on board once more.

When the captain is on board the ship again, Arak calls out. "Captain, please gather your men over here. I have something to say to all of you."

[Maugan Ra]

"We're all here, goblin." Odenkirk says roughly, gesturing around the deck. And indeed, the full complement of the Frosthamar is assembled, most currently occupied bringing the kayaks and the caught seals on board. "Don't expect us to stop working for some pretty speech, though."

[gremlin-pult]

¨"Of course not, captain. We wouldn't want anything to delay our trip, would we now?" Arak answers a smile playing across his lips. He walks over to stand next to the sailor who was in the kayak with him, and who answered his question before. "You are a good crew member, my friend. You do your job well, kept your head when the Bunyip was after us, and answered my question without delay before." Arak says kindly. "Now I'm sure we can both agree that the only reason we made this detour and stopped here was because good captain Odenkirk said we needed fresh water." Arak pauses, looking around to see if he has everyones attention before continuing "And now my companion, My trusted cousin Grumblejack here, tells me that there is plenty of water in the hold. Which means that the captain lied. That this detour was completely unnecessary."
Arak then puts a hand on his shoulder, and looks him in the eye. "Now what can we do about that, my friend?"
And with a smooth motion, Arak gathers the dark energy in his hand once more, until it crackles like black fire, and plunges his straightened finger into the sailors abdomen, releasing the energy inside him.

Arak uses the Inner demon strike, dealing his unarmed damage, and an additional 4d6 profane damage to the saior. Arak also takes 1d6 damage himself. Since this attack is mostly a theatrical way to put some fear into Odenkirk, I'm not sure if you'll want the rolls, but I'll make them just in case.

Attack roll: [roll0]
damage: [roll1]
profane damage: [roll2]

crit confirm: [roll3]
extra crit damage: [roll4]

damage to Arak (normal damage, not profane): [roll5]

[Maugan Ra]

Under the surge of profane energy, the sailor almost seems to come apart, various body parts separating from one another in a spectacularly gory mess.

At the sight of this, Odenkirk lets loose an incredibly virulent-sounding string of words in his native language, drawing his axe. All around him, the other crew members let out cries of horror and rage and go for whatever weapons they can find to hand

The captain looks, quite simply, utterly furious. He stalks towards you, brandishing his weapon.

"My ship. My men." He all but growls. "You pay."

So, unless I'm reading this wrong I'm pretty sure you've misread Odenkirk's character somewhat. You have precisely one chance to avert violence here, or I'll have to ask you to roll initiative.

[gremlin-pult]

"This happened because you lied, Captain!" Arak roars, not retreating an inch from the furious man. "You were hired for one thing, to get me and the cargo to our respective destinations. YOU lied about the need for water, to go on your seal hunt. YOU did this, knowing full well that it was a breach of your agreement with Thorn. This man is dead, Because of YOUR lie!" Looking the man straight in the eye, Arak continues in a lower voice "Do you really expect to do something like this, and not receive any retribution when it is discovered? This is no ones fault but yours. He died, because of you. The only reason he is on the ground instead of you, is because you are more vital to this task than he is."
Walkin forward until he stands up close with Odenkirk, Arak hisses "Did you truly believe you could make a fool out of a servant of Asmodeus and walk away scot free? You got of easy. Now Stand. Down. Captain."


I know I probably read this guy completely wrong, but hell if I'm backing down. I'll try an intimidation check, to see if I can make him back down

intimidate: [roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

For a long, exceedingly tense moment, you and Captain Odenkirk square off in the middle of the deck. The human is almost insane with fury, his muscles bulging to the point where his weapon trembles in his grip. And yet you do not back down, do not flinch in the face of his anger, meeting his gaze with your own until the air almost crackles with the tension created by the clash of wills.

Some of the crew look like they might weigh in, but Grumblejack simply looks at them and places his massive axe on his shoulder, the sight of which seems to convince them to leave this one between the two of you.

Eventually, however, Odenkirk lowers his weapon. He nods to you, albeit grudgingly.

"No more delay." He says, each word unwillingly wrenched from between clenched teeth. "Two days to river. One more to journey's end."

Then said, he turns and stalks away, already barking orders to his crew in his strange foreign tongue. Grumblejack watches as they scramble into action, and chuckles slightly to himself.

"Might want to sleep in shifts." He offers dryly, glancing down at the blasted corpse of the sailor. "In case anyone thought him a good friend."

That, on the other hand, was pretty much the perfect way to handle Odenkirk in that situation. Mentioning Asmodeus, Thorn and the fact that you are clearly a dangerous bastard, all of which he respects, and not backing down.

Good job. Gain 800xp.

[gremlin-pult]

"Agreed" Arak says, watching Odenkirk walk away. "While I don't believe any of them would have the guts to try anything after their captain backed down, we won't take any chances."

[Maugan Ra]

As is perhaps to be expected, the rest of the journey passes with considerable tension. Frequently you will spot crew members glaring at you, or shying away out of fear, but none of them make any kind of move to avenge their fallen comrade. All the same, Grumblejack and you make sure to sleep in shifts, always making sure at least one person remains awake at all times to ward off treachery.

Eventually, you reach the most difficult stage of your journey, the broken section of the landscape where the river Taiga joins the sea. The waters here are hellishly cold, and an icy wind whips at your ship with relentless intensity every hour of the day and night. The water is filled with icebergs, great slabs of ice like small hills drifting with deceptive peacefulness back and forth across the coastline. Leaving Odenkirk alive proves to have been a wise decision, as he barks out an endless series of orders to guide the Frosthamar through the exceedingly precise course it needs to take to access the river. You are painfully aware that even a single mistake with see the ship smashed to kindling and all of your dreams crushed beneath the uncaring ice.

After several agonizingly close calls, however, the vessel makes it through and begins its passage down the river. What follows is mile after mile of untamed wilderness, snow-covered pines rolling past on either shore in the thousands. The harsh winter is drawing to an end - indeed, it relinquished its grasp on southern Talingarde some time ago - but it will be some time yet before animal life returns to these lands. Anything with any sense is hibernating still, hidden deep within their lairs and burrows and waiting the touch of spring.

With the aid of the current you make much better time, and before long you pass the seemingly-endless forests and reach one of the imposing mountain ranges that dot the North with their savage beauty. Massive peaks rise all around you, casting your small ship into shadow for hours at a time, but fortunately the more vicious inhabitants of such regions take no notice of your passage and you reach the other side unmolested.

'Lake' Tarik is, as it turns out, poorly named. When the Frosthamar finally arrives, you cannot help but think for a moment that you have somehow crossed the entirety of Talingarde and come out the other side. A quick check of the map reveals the truth - Lake Tarik is in fact closer to an inland sea, some sixty miles or more from east to west and at least thirty from north to south. An excellent defensive landmark, it has for years formed part of the effective border of Talingarde - on the south coast you will find the kingdom of the humans, watched over by the imposing fortresses of their Watch Wall. And to the north...

"You would look at that..." Grumblejack breathes, something very much like awe in his tone.

On the north shore is encamped the army of Sakkarot Fire-Axe. An endless parade of crude tents and small fires sprawls out over several miles of shoreline, populated by what might be every monster in the North. Bugbears by the thousands move back in forth in small groups, filling the air with the scent of damp fur and the sound of harsh growling. Entire tribes of goblins skitter to and fro, clad in crude furs and jabbering to one another in their debased tongue. Occasionally you glimpse the pale forms of the Naatunak, the awakened Polar Bears, their nimble hands working on crafting projects and their snouts marked with war paint. Around the perimeter you can even see the towering forms of Hill Giants, brought into service by means you cannot even begin to guess at.

And there are the Hobgoblins, entire tribes forming their own little communities in the middle of the wider throng. Red Claw, Black Hand, Cold Fang... but no Stone Fist, never again. It is a sight both bitter and inspiring, and for the first time you begin to truly appreciate the scope of Thorn's ambitions. This is no mere raiding party, this is an army of invasion and conquest.

And, as the Frosthamar angles in towards the small dock set up on the lakeshore, it is time to meet its leader.

[gremlin-pult]

"Incredible..." Arak breathes, just as spellbound by the sight before him as Grumblejack.
"To think there would come a day where We of the north would gather like this... It is like a dream turned to reality." He turns to Grumblejack with an almost gleeful smile "And just think, cousin! When we do our part to weaken the wall, this horde will fall upon Talingarde with the unstoppable force of a tidal wave."

[Maugan Ra]

"Been meaning to talk to you about that." Grumblejack says with a nod, then pauses, looking at the gathered horde. "Later, though. One thing at a time."

Slowly, the Frosthamar pulls in to the small dock on the shore, the crew burying any nervousness they feel under the professional routine. They bring the ship to a halt and begin tying it off, while you and Grumblejack disembark.

Your arrival draws some attention, dozens of bugbears turning scarlet eyes upon you and the ship as they size you up. There are numerous hungry-sounding growls from those nearest, and one of them - a great brute wielding a crude club made from a fallen tree branch - steps forwards.

"What do we have here..."

You recognise the danger instantly. Everything from your equipment to your bearing marks you an outsider here, and you have arrived in the company of humans. It's probably only the fact that you are a Hobgoblin which has kept the horde from instantly attacking, but any show of weakness or doubt here will likely result in violence.

Of course, so might appearing too confident and dismissive of the threat...

[gremlin-pult]

Turning to the bugbear, Arak straightens his back, and smiles confidently.
"Greetings, cousin. If you would be so kind, please direct me to where Fire-axe is. I have something he expects." Arak says, with a respectful nod to the force around him in general.
"And please don't touch the humans. I need them for later." He adds, as if an afterthought

[Maugan Ra]

The bugbear lets out a short, barking laugh. "Oh, you want to see the Fire-Axe?" He says with a grin. "Well, he didn't say he was expecting guests. So how's about we just eat you now, save him the trouble later?"

That earns the bugbear a round of amused laughter from the rest of the warriors nearby.

[gremlin-pult]

Letting out a tired sigh, Arak takes a step forward.
"Eat me. Right. Lets play it your way then. Sure, you and your friends could attack me. You'd win, of course. I'm vastly outnumbered. But that would make no difference for you, and at least three of your friends. Because you would fall before I do." Arak looks around at the assembled bugbears, then draws slowly upon his dark energy, manifesting it as a black, wispy smoke rising from his body. He then smiles menacingly at the bugbear who threatened him.
"Or you could tell Sakkarot that an ally has brought the weapons he needs. I will tolerate no more delays, and I swear upon my oath to the dark one that no one will miss a blustering fool like you!"

Intimidate roll. Oh, and the black smoke is Arak going into a black seraph stance. Mostly for dramatic effect.

Intimidate: [roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

The Bugbear snarls, and begins to step forwards to meet you, when...

"HOLD"

The roar has an almost physical force behind it, setting shockwaves through the ranks of the gathered barbarians and sending them all scrambling aside, forming a path of empty space through the throng. Along that path comes the single largest and most vicious looking bugbear you have ever seen. He is eight foot tall and packed with muscle, striding forwards with the kind of implacable confidence that suggests anyone foolish enough to get in his way can expect to be crushed under heel. Unlike the rest of the gathered forces he wears armour, a battered looking breastplate that can only be a battle trophy, and in one hand he carries a massive axe that seems to burn with unholy fire constrained just below the surface.

Sakkarot Fire-Axe glares at the bugbear accosting you, who suddenly seems to think better of his plan and shrinks away back into the miling crowd. That done, the warlord turns his gaze on you, scarlet eyes assessing everything from your weapons to your stance with the air of veteran experience.

"Who sent you?" He asks, his voice surprisingly calm and controlled.

[gremlin-pult]

"Cardinal Thorn sent me to ensure that this shipment of weapons and armor reached you safely, Fire-axe. As sooner as you have confirmed that everything is in order, I will leave for the southern shore with the ship. I have a Wall to ready for your arrival." Arak answers with a slight, but respectful bow.

[Maugan Ra]

"I see." Sakkarot nods, and turns to face the rest of the horde. "These are my guests! If any harm them, I will eat your hearts!"

The gathered horde, most of whom look as though they were preparing to storm the boat, look generally confused and maybe a little disappointed by this pronouncement. Sakkarot turns and stalks over to the edge of the dock, where some of the sailors have been unloading the ship in the hopes of getting out of here as fast as possible. The bugbear tears the lid off of one of the crates, pulls a finely-crafted axe out from inside, and tosses it to a nearby warrior that previously only had a crude club to fight with.

"Behold! They bring us STEEL!"

That announcement, by contrast, goes down exceptionally well. The gathered bugbears cheer and thrust clawed hands in the air, a chorus of brutal celebration torn from a thousand different throats that washes over you like a wave.

Under the cover of that clamour, Sakkarot approaches you and speaks quietly. "My lieutenants will supervise the distribution. In the mean time... walk with me. We have much to discuss."

[gremlin-pult]

Arak nods and falls in beside Sakkarot. "I confess I am impressed, Sakkarot. I expected to see my kind and yours here. But even the great Bears and the Giants bow to your will. The Dark one Chose well to have you lead this army. My blood sings with joy at the thought of us scouring Talingarde." He exclaims while gazing out over the assembled mass

[Maugan Ra]

"Indeed. It will be a joy unmatched to see their armies break before us and their cities set to flame." Sakkarot says with a fierce grin, walking back through the ranks of his army. Just about everyone makes sure to get out of his way as quickly as they can, and you attract curious looks from many purely by virtue of association. "Though you might wish to keep your descriptions of our shared patrons - on both planes - suitably vague. Most of the horde remains ignorant of both."

All around you, those bugbears marked by personal insignia or finer equipment are busy distributing the cargo brought with you from the south. One after another, bugbears come forwards and exchange their crude and salvaged gear for fine weapons and armour, all marked with the icon of a burning axe. Where once there were a thousand savage marauders, now there is an army, well equipped and driven by common goal. What a terror you have helped to create.

"In truth, I too am surprised. All of the other agents I have met have been human. How did a Hobgoblin come to serve as one of Thorn's blades?"

[gremlin-pult]

"I tried to stab Talingardes king in the gut. His guards stopped me right in front of him. Then they threw me in some cesspit of a prison, Branderscar. I escaped, and Thorn offered me the position. And more importantly, the master offered me the opportunity to finish what I started" Arak answers.

[Maugan Ra]

"That sounds familiar." Sakkarot says with a thoughtful expression on his face. "It seems Thorn prefers to recruit from those with no other options. And..."

"Arak? Arak Stone-Fang, is that you?"

Sakkarot pauses, turning to regard one of the warriors gathered by the side of the path - a Hobgoblin with a badly wounded leg, his leathery skin marked with old burn scars. Most would balk under the gaze of the bugbear chieftain, but the one who spoke barely even seems to notice, his gaze fixed upon you. You recognise him instantly.

It is Tabul.

[gremlin-pult]

As he stares dumbly at the other hobgoblin, it seems to Arak that everything around them fades. "Tabul?.." He mumbles, and his face widens in a heartfelt smile "Tabul armsmaster! My teacher, you live. I thought for certain the pinkskins burned you with the others" he exclaims as he marches over and grips Tabuls arm and shoulder in a warriors embrace. He lets go, and looks him in the eye as another thought strikes "Are there others? Did more Stonefang survive?" He asks hopefully.

[Maugan Ra]

Tabul returns the grip, his leathery face split into a wide smile. "It is you, you little whelp! Hah, I should have known you'd find a way to survive even that. As for what happened to me, well, that is quite a story."

His ears droop slightly in sorrow. "And... no, lad. Until today, I had thought myself the last of the Stonefang tribe." He shakes his head. "To think that I was wrong... where have you been, lad? And what brings you back here now?"

"Arak Stonefang has been working with my allies to bring us the weapons we need for our work." Sakkarot interjects with a surprisingly mild tone. Still, it remains enough to remind Tabul of where he stands, and the old warrior immediately drops to one knee in respect before the war chief. "Oh, get up. I'm not going to deny you the joy of seeing an old comrade thought dead alive again."

The bugbear turns to look at you. "Tabul Fireborn, as I know him, is one of my valued lieutenants. He swore himself to my cause in the name of vengeance... vengeance that will be provided soon enough."

"I thought I was the only one left." Tabul says, still sounding vaguely awed by the fact that he has found surviving kin once again. "And... well, something led me to the Fire-Axe. I'm not sure what, nor do I truly care. He promised me blood and fire for what the Talireans did to us, and in the absence of legacy that was enough. Now..."

The warlord nods. "Indeed. We have much to celebrate. Allies revealed, a goal brought closer, old friends returned from the dead. I will have a feast thrown in your honour tonight, Arak of the Stonefang, and you may converse with your old teacher until the sun comes up."

"Now, though... time is short, and we need to agree the next stage of the plan." He glances at Tabul. "My apologies, old friend, but this talk must be private. Too much rides on it for any chances to be taken."

The old warrior nods. "Of course, warchief. I will await a briefing at your convenience." He looks back to you, his old eyes shining with emotion. "Arak, my student... I'll save you a seat. We have much to speak of."

[gremlin-pult]

"Aye, let's get on with the plan. I don't think the captain wants to stay here any longer than necessary. And I do need his ship" Arak says with a smile, patting Tabul once more on the shoulder befor moving on with Sakkarot. As they walk, he glances at the bugbear. "I must thank you for taking Tabul as your lieutenant. I know you probably did it because he is a clever old hound, but seeing him again has brought me untold joy. If you would allow it, I would pronounce you clan-friend of the Stonefang. Technically it can only be done with the unanimous vote of the whole clan, but thats just me and Tabul now, and I can't imagine he would object" he says with a chuckle.

[Maugan Ra]

Sakkarot seems to hesitate for a moment at the prospect. "I would delay such a pronouncement for now. If I am to be friend to the Stonefang, I should prefer it to come from more than two warriors." He says at last. "There will be glory and renown to be won in the war to come, and new lands to be seized in the aftermath. With resources and slaves, it would not be impossible to build a new tribe in the future, one that remembers the ways of their predecessors and honors the departed."

There is an oddly melancholic tone to Sakkarot's voice as he speaks of these things. Clearly he has his own scars that he carries with him, even if he will not speak of them.

Together, the two of you walk until you reach the centre of the camp, where the largest tents are set up. Two bugbears stand guard outside one of the tents, but Sakkarot makes a gesture and they depart, giving the two of you some privacy. The interior of the tent is fairly sparse - there is a bedroll, a weapon rack and armour stand, and a large table for conferences, but little else.

"So. Balentyne." Sakkarot says once he is convinced that no one is here to spy on your discussion. "I've had my more competent scouts take a look at the place from a distance, and it's a well built fortress. There's a gatehouse on our side of the river, with murder holes and siege weapons, and the bridge itself has been modified so that a section can be raised to deny us passage through. At the very least, you will need to make sure that the main gate is opened and the drawbridge down, or I could attack with ten times this number and still fail."

[gremlin-pult]

"Getting in shouldn't be too much of a problem. I will be apporaching from the other side, and I will be in disguise. They will think me one of their knights, there to check on their security." Arak says thoughtfully.
" I will do as much damage as I can while there, but I will put my focus on disabling their gates and bridges, and on incapacitating their commander."

[Maugan Ra]

"I have no great skill at infiltration or sabotage." Sakkarot says with a shrug. "If you think that is the best way, I will take you at your word. What I can do is prepare."

The bugbear seems to consider the matter thoughtfully for a moment. "I will remain here for a single week, to allow for the arrival of those still en route. Then I will move the horde to a staging ground close to Balentyne - my scouts have identified a valley that will serve well enough. To move the full force that far will take another week. There we will remain, and await your signal. I believe I can hold the horde together for perhaps another two weeks at that point, before squabbling breaks out among the less disciplined and key elements start drifting away or challenging my authority."

He looks at you, his red eyes serious. "You will have a month, from the day you leave, to break the Watch Wall. Thorn has said you will prove up to the task, but I want to hear it from you directly. Can you do this?"

[gremlin-pult]

Arak smiles confidently "Before receiving Thorns tutelage, I came within striking of the Talirean king before they could stop me. I escaped the so called most secure prison in Talingarde as soon as I was brought there. On the voyage here, I tricked a talirean patrol ship into thinking I was a knight on a secret mission for their king." Arak lifts his arm, the dark mist flowing lightly from it. "And now I have Thorns training, and the blessing of our dark master. I can do it."

Things are gonna go horribly wrong after I bragged like this, but I couldn't resist :smallbiggrin:

[Maugan Ra]

Sakkarot grins fiercely. "Very well then. I shall be the axe to their front, and you will be the blade in their spine, and together we shall see Talingarde burn."

He moves over to a chest by the side of his tent and from within extracts a strange looking tube wrapped in cloth. "This is a flare. Strike the trigger here and point it to the sky, and it will send a signal that will be seen for miles. I will have sentinels watching for it from the moment we arrive at the staging ground, and when they report it, I will lead the horde in immediate attack."

He pauses for a long moment in thought. "You can take Tabul with you, if you wish. He has always served as a lone agent in my cause rather than a leader of soldiers, and I suspect you will find his abilities useful."

[gremlin-pult]

"I would be happy to take Tabul, if you can spare him. His duty is to you first." Arak answers, slowly pacing the tent. "But I think I will keep you no longer, Sakkarot. My path is clear, and those poor sailors are probably dying of nervousness right now amongst so many of our kind." He continues with a chuckle.
"I shall take my leave, and will meet you next when you enter Talingarde triumphantly." Arak says, holding out his hand to sakkarot.

[Maugan Ra]

"You will not stay for the celebration?" Sakkarot asks with a raised eyebrow. "Even the most disciplined warrior needs to blow off some steam every once in a while, and if I know Thorn you will be kept very busy even after Balentyne has fallen."

[gremlin-pult]

"Oh yes, you did mention a celebration. It actually slipped my mind, now that we were discussing the next step." Arak says, scratching his beard. "I suppose the humans we can leave the humans to sweat nervously a while longer before I move on. Their captain is an arse, so I have nothing against it. By all means, lets celebrate. Its been too long since I last feasted with kin."

[Maugan Ra]

"Then let us make this night one to remember."

-/-

The sound of drums fills the air, competing with the stamping of feet and the cries of bestial voices raised in celebration. At Sakkarot's order, great supplies of meat and drink have been distributed, and now the horde is in the full grip of gluttonous revelry. Mighty bonfires have been lit at regular intervals, casting harsh light on shaggy-furred sillouhetes and gleaming red eyes by the thousand.

You have been given a place of honour near the centre of the throng, surrounded by Sakkarot's chief lieutenants and supplied with the very finest meat and ale. The air is full of the scent of woodsmoke and well-cooked meat, and the sense of celebration and anticipation is almost an almost physical sensation.

You find Tabul sitting by one of the fires, smoking from a long pipe stuffed with some kind of strange herbs. The older hobgoblin looks up as you approach, before gesturing to a space by his side.

"Been a while, hasn't it lad?" He says, looking at the fire but seeing something else entirely. "You remember your ascension feast, when you were named First Warrior? It seems so long ago, now, but I still remember the sound of laughter, and how jealous Zark looked."

[gremlin-pult]

"Hah, yeah I remember. He was so sure he was gonna be first warrior. tried to suck up to you for months, the little kiss-arse...." Arak says, looking into the fire as well. In his mind the laughter around turns into the voices of old friends, the tribe now gone. "Damn, but I never thought I would miss the bastard. I miss them all so much..." He smiles bitterly, before letting out a barking laugh Look at me, sobbing like a halfling pup. You'd have cuffed me instantly if I acted like this back then. But its good you survived, old dog. I still want revenge, but it somehow feels more meaningful now..."

[Maugan Ra]

Oh yeah, while I remember - getting the cargo all the way here and dealing with those bugbears is worth a total of 1000xp.

"Aye. Blood begets blood, but sometimes it's nice to know that there's still something left in the world aside from vengeance." Tabul says reflectively, then grins. "Even if it is the mewling of a halfling pup."

The old warrior takes another puff on the pipe, breathing out a long stream of smoke before speaking again. "Of course, I might have to rely on you for most of that vengeance. I'm not quite as spry as I used to be. Getting old for one thing, and the attack... well, it wasn't particularly kind to me."

Tabul indicates his leg. In the light of the fire, and with a bit more time to actually look at it, you can see the wound there is grevious indeed. The blood might have stopped flowing, but there's no doubt the damage to his muscle and possibly bone was severe. Indeed, you doubt the old hobgoblin will ever really run again, and will probably be a fair bit slower than most even if he's just walking.

[gremlin-pult]

"Hmm, I can see that." Arak says "Sakkarot said I was welcome to take you with me to help in readying the wall for his attack, but...." He hesitates, not wanting to say anything to insult Tabul
"I'll only take you if you think you can handle it. I won't lie, only I and my companion have magic to disguise us, and even with that it will be dangerous. I'm not saying you aren't capable. I know your have both the skill and will to do it. You taught me that, after all." Arak moves a bit, adjusting his position so he can sit more comfortably before continuing.
"But there will be no shame in it if you would rather stay here and help Sakkarot. We are part of more than just the clan now. Besides, he wouldn't have made you his lieutenant if you weren't a big help. So I know you are valued here."

[Maugan Ra]

Tabul chuckles quietly. "Sakkarot doesn't keep me around because I can swing an axe. He's got plenty of people who can do that." He says companionably. "He keeps me around because... well, you heard what he calls me. 'Tabul Fireborn'."

The older hobgoblin stares into the bonfire in front of you, the flames reflected in his eyes. "The Talireans are very fond of fire. They worship a sun god, after all. So they didn't want to just cut us down and leave the bodies for the wolves, as another tribe might do. No, they made pyres."

He sighs. "I was still alive when they threw me on there, though I doubt they noticed. It shouldn't have mattered. The amount of blood I'd lost, I was waiting to die even without the flames. But, somehow... I didn't."

Tabul stretches out one hand towards the fire. He doesn't say anything, doesn't make any unusual gestures or scratch strange symbols in the ground. All the same, the bonfire seems to flare brighter for a moment... and then a small tongue of flame leaps out from the main body of the fire, slithering through the air like a living thing to coil around Tabul's arm.

"I don't burn easily, anymore." The old warrior says in a contemplative tone, turning his hand over and watching the fire coil around his wrist. "Don't fear fire much, either. I can't do anything truly spectacular with it, not yet, but generally all I have to do is think of something and it happens. And when I sleep... my dreams are filled with the roar of flames."

In case you haven't already guessed - yup, he's an Oracle, though he wasn't always. Mystery of Flame and the curse of a crippled leg.

I love it when player backstories come with useful hooks like this. And yes, Arak is well aware that Asmodeus is highly associated with fire and can grant divine Magic to his chosen servants if he so desires - Thorn and Tiadora are both immune or at least highly resistant to flame, for example. Your choice if he makes any kind of connection between that IC.

[gremlin-pult]

Staring for a moment at Tabul, Arak clears his throat. "Hnn, it would seem that the Dark One tested you as well. and found you worthy, if your new abilities are any indication. I would be a fool not to make use of that."

[Maugan Ra]

Tabul pauses, then looks over at you.

"'Dark One'?" He says, a questioning lilt in his voice. "You go and get religion or something while you were away, pup?"

[gremlin-pult]

So he doesn't know... Arak thinks, looking at Tabul for a moment.
"Something like that. I'll explain some other time." He answers, deciding to broach the subject at a more opportune moment.
"Anyway, as I said. If you want to, You'll come with me to take down fort Balentyne."

[Maugan Ra]

"Balentyne..." Tabul says slowly, as though savouring the name. "So that's where we're going, is it? Can't say I know much about it, but we can probably work something out eventually."

He chews the end of his pipe for a moment, looking thoughtful. "You said you've got magic for disguise, huh? I think I can probably get something similar. There's a fair number of shamans and the like in the horde - no-one truly mighty, but they should have some supplies I could borrow. Most of them won't think of magical disguises as being too valuable, so I reckon they'll hand it over without too much fuss, 'specially if they already know me."

[gremlin-pult]

"Good" Arak says. "Then be ready tomorrow morning. At dawn, we sail for the southern coast of the Lake. We Shall then approach the castle from their side, disguised. It should be easy to get inside"

[Maugan Ra]

Tabul frowns slightly. "Not sure about 'easy'... but I suppose there's nothing lost by trying."

The old warrior goes back to smoking his pipe, while in the distance you can see Grumblejack staggering about with a small barrel full of ale. The ogre appears to be singing. Badly.

-/-

The next morning, the three of you rendevous near the shoreline once again, stepping cautiously around the piles of snoozing and variously inebriated bugbears. There are still guards and perimeter patrols - the Fire-Axe seems to have instilled at least that much discipline - but the majority of the horde evidently isn't going anywhere for a few hours.

Grumblejack is rubbing his brow and evidently in a foul mood from what must be a truly titanic hangover, but while he doesn't seem keen on the idea of getting back on a boat he also doesn't make any real protest.

Tabul, by contrast, seems positively cheerful. The old hobgoblin seems to have acquired a staff from somewhere that helps compensate for his wounded leg, as well as a crude headband of woven hawthorn liberated from an unconscious bugbear covered in talismans and fetishes. He stumps along in your wake with a broad smile on his wrinkled face, evidently looking forwards to what the future will bring.

You reach the small pier, and find Captain Odenkirk sitting at the end of it, his gleaming axe resting across his knees. The human seems to be glaring at the horde in silent challenge, daring anyone to try anything untoward with his precious boat, and he grunts when he sees you.

"We can go now, yes?"

[gremlin-pult]

"Yes, let us be off" Arak answers, giving the horde one last look.
Soon... He thinks, then turns to Odenkirk. "How long will the trip to the other shore take, captain?"

[Maugan Ra]

"Across these waters?" Odenkirk turns and looks back at the relatively placid waters of Lake Tarik. "We'll be there by nightfall."

With that, the Captain rises to his feet and begins mustering his crew, generally through liberal use of swearing and a bit of moderate physical violence.

"Hmph. Ships." Tabul grunts, looking distinctly unimpressed with the concept. "Don't like them. Not even slightly natural."

"If you don't like it, you can always walk." Grumblejack says with a toothy grin, looking down at the lamed warrior. "Probably get there, what, next winter?"

"Maybe I'll just hit you with a stick until you carry me." Tabul ripostes, and the two of them board the Frosthamar, bickering in a companionable fashion the whole way.

[gremlin-pult]

Smiling at his two companions chatting, Arak boards the boat as well.


O, by the way, I chose power attack as my extra feat. Merry late christmas. And a happy new year when we get that far.

[Maugan Ra]

True to Odenkirk's prediction, the passage across Lake Tarik does not take long. Without the heavy crates of arms and armour weighing it down, the Frosthamar practically seems to fly across the water, sails straining as they catch the strong northern winds.

The sun is dipping towards the horizon as you come within sight of the far shore, the Captain directing his ship with the ease of long practice as you head for a small and natural harbour in the shadow of the soaring cliffs. The land beyond, accessed from the bay by a small track running up the hills, seems rich and verdant compared to the harsher northern lands you left behind.

The Frosthamar pulls to a stop in the shallows, just shy of grounding itself on the shore, and the crew drop the anchor. Captain Odenkirk scans the surroundings bluffs for any sign that you've been spotted, then turns and nods to you.

"All right, we're here. Nearest settlement is a place called Aldencross, near the Fortress Balentyne. About five, six miles east along the coast." He says gruffly. "Don't know what you want there, don't much care. Either way, we're done. Get off my ship."

[gremlin-pult]

Yes, captain. we're done." Arak says, exchanging a look with Grumblejack and Tabul. "Thank you for your work, but I'm afraid your services are no longer required."
As the words leave his mouth, Arak gathers dark energy in his hand, and launches it toward Odenkirk.

Dunno if I get a surprise attack here, but I'm hoping. Arak also goes into the "Black seraph's glare" stance as a swift action. Anyway, He throws a "Shadow feather strike" at Odenkirk.

Touch attack roll: [roll0]
Profane damage: [roll1]

crit confirm: [roll2]
extra crit damage (profane): [roll3]

Free Intimidate/demoralize attempt on Odenkirk if the attack damages him: [roll4]