Heroes of Klouver [IC]

[savacli]

Klouver is known as the trading district for all goods alike. If there is a product to be found surely there is someone in town who has it. Commoners move out and about negotiating deals with the salesmen, visit various skill camps, or even stop at corners to watch a show put on by traveling artists. The townsfolk are friendly as they know that smiling faces and proper hospitality are what make the sales and put food on the table. Guards are found at nearly every corner of the streets making sure that transactions are made safely and that guests are treated well. For the most part the town goes by regularly without incident, a proud feature that town works to uphold. Each guest who passes by is seen as a treasure ranging from wealthy nobles who are seeking the rarest of items to those less fortunate who are simply looking for a roof to sleep under.

Lately, the town has been undergoing what they have labeled as a bad season. Seers have warned the town officials that there are no signs the season will be returning to its norm any time soon. In response to this, the king has ordered flyers and bulletins to be posted throughout town announcing the search for the mightiest of adventurers. The king himself would be revealing the details of a quest at the end of the week for those who are brave enough to attend.


Timeline wise this is the morning of the king's speech. He is making his appearance at noon though adventurers can already be seen making their way to the town's meeting hall. Go ahead and introduce your characters as you like given the settings I described in the OOC (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?389931-Heroes-of-Klouver-OOC) thread. You are welcome to interact with the townsfolk or go directly to the meeting hall.

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul walks through the streets of Klouver, his eyes glancing from flyer to flyer. It seems that this task the king wishes to bestow is either extremely important, or no one is volunteering. Razgul guesses that it's both. The half-orc stifles a yawn as he stretches, the morning sun touching the back of his neck and gently kissing away any lingering sleep.

Razgul stops by one of the market stalls and petitions to speak to a farmer. "Excuse me," he asks, glancing at the flyer in his hand. "I'm not from around here, but I heard talk of something described as a 'bad season'. Can you tell me what that means?"

[AirApparent]

A strange looking man leaves the small inn where that contained the illicit fighting ring he just recently fought at. He carries a pack of traveling gear in one hand, slung over his shoulder. The tiefling wears a dark cloak that covers his face, but it still reveals two horns, like a ram's, curving out from underneath; it also can't disguise the long barbed tail lashing out from underneath. His cloak is open in front showing that he wears no shirt, revealing his bright red skin. He wanders past the market, glancing about. He walks up to a farmer's stall with a curious looking half-orc in front holding a flyer.

-described as a 'bad season'. Can you tell me what that means?"

The tiefling claps him on the back and says, "It means people are coming in here sick every day. Crops and livestock dying of some foul blight. Good water's getting harder to come by. Rumor has it the druids have no clue what it is.

The young tiefling removes his hood, revealing a devilishly handsome face with dark red eyes. He offers his hand to shake, "Name's Mordai. Professional gladiator and ready to figure this out, for a price. You?

[savacli]

A dwarf is found behind the stall and turns at Razgul's question hopping up on a stool to meet the two at face.

"Mordai, m'boy! Ye had me frighten fer a moment. How meny times we tell ya to keep yer hood down? You be scarin away the good folk with yer shady looks." He leans in addressing Mordai directly in a softer voice, "If yer friend be lookin for a place to clean up there be a good shelter paces from here."

The dwarf looks towards Razgul but keeps himself closer to the gladiator. "Canno tell ye what be causin these crops to fail. Ev'rythin be fine 'n dandy one month, and now some families be goin without eatin. The skies not been too nice either; rain pourin and floodin our lands one day and dryin us out to a crisp the other. Evun the kind king himself be lookin for strong folk to help him with what's been causin us all trouble."


You actually heard a few guards approaching you two before Mordai had removed his hood. Afterwards, you could hear them laughing as they walked away chanting quietly after recognizing him.

[AirApparent]

Mordai turns to the friendly dwarf and naturally falls into the dwarf's accent and speech pattern.

"Och aye! But I've got n' image ta maintain, m'wee man. Cannae just go round in dresses and rainbows." The tiefling turns to Razgul, saying. "Whit say ye, lad? A bath an' a nip o' whiskey ta take the weary road off ya?" He takes two apples off the dwarf's cart, saying "How much fer these. Een fer me, and een fer the big 'un."

If the Scottish accent is a bit too strong, I can tone it down. I kinda just decided to have him naturally adopt the speech pattern of whoever he's talking with and ran with it

[LeSwordfish]

A tiefling?

Alane watched the gathering by the cart with interest. She'd seen several groups of obvious adventurers in town, but none of the others had tieflings in them. Plus, the dwarf was talking about the specifics of what was going on here, which would be useful to know. Pulling her pack a little tighter over the long coat she wore, she took a brief moment to compose herself. She rubbed the dirt at the roots of her hair, before stepping out of the alley mouth and striding towards them.

Here we go.

To the others, striding towards them was an elf, tall and striking as all of her kin. Her eyes were sharp and almond, her skin tinged with green, the fingers hooked through the strap of her bag long and dextrous. Her fingers were stained green, and mud and grass-stains were visible around the edge of her heart-shaped face. She was wearing a long coat over a woven tunic, and her dark hair dangled to the quiver on her back and the phials of what looked like tree-sap securely attached to her pack's strap, like a bandoleer.

"Alane," she said, by way of greeting. "And the dwarf tells it true. The land crawls beneath these predations. One can hear the plants cry for their own help, if one tries." That sounds like the right sort of thing to say.

She eyed the tiefling and the half-orc carefully, a curious sideways look. "We all have our images." Heh. "But the common folk do not blame some of us so readily when crops fail. A rainbow or two may be the smarter move, master tiefling."

She took an apple from the cart and bit delicately into it, her other hand reaching for her coinpurse. Her teeth were sharp and feline.

[AirApparent]

At the newcomer's words, Mordai let out a sigh.Aye, I s'pose ye may be right. Right there Mordai just takes the cloak off, allowing his skin to bask in the warmth of the mid-morning sun. He tosses the apple to Razgul and turns to the elf called Alane. He is in the process of dropping the accent he had before. "Good morning, m'lady. I s'pose ye've both come fer the King's declaration today as I have? How 'bout we head down together. I can probably get you two something to drink, if that's yer fancy. He looks Alane up and down, bites into his apple, and says, "Perhaps a place to clean off too?

[LeSwordfish]

Alane seemed politely puzzled at the "clean off" comment.

"Head down together- yes, indeed. Do we know of any others who might be going?" This was addressed to the dwarf as well.

[savacli]

"The apples cost ye a copper a piece. Normally, I dare not place a price on somethin small and common, but the times be a bit rough."

The dwarf shrugs at the elf's question, "Canno be too sure. The king made certain that ev'ryone in town know that he be lookin fer help. Though with folk travelin back and fro these roads I would bet that we see strangers from the neighborin cities 'n town as well." He eyes the half-orc ending his comment before looking at the group as a whole. "Whatevuh be plaguing these times got evun the town heads running so I be careful with the task the king asks of ye."

[AirApparent]

Mordai reaches into his belt pouch, pulls out a gold coin, and hands it to the dwarf. "Here ya are, mate. Fer the apples and the conversation. Like ye say, times be tough, an me livin' dinnae come fae the land. Good Luck."

He turns to the elf and half-Orc and says, "Shall we get going?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul absorbs the conversation in silence, before nodding when Mordai declares they should get going. "Indeed. The king awaits. Thank you for your time, merchant." He shakes the man's hand, and then heads off to the palace.

[savacli]

The dwarf takes the single coin and smiles widely, "Oh thank ya lad! May the Skies watch over ye 'n bless yer days! M'name be Thunnas." He bows slightly, humbling himself.

By-de-way, I heard that the king be gatherin a few of he Greens 'n Storms to care to the guests who be showin up for him. You may have betteh luck there than waitin in line at the shelter."


Clerics are often given nicknames based on the domains they adopt. In this case he's referring to clerics of Nature and Tempest, respectively.

[LeSwordfish]

"Well, thank you Thunnas." Alane said, a little absently. She handed the merchant a copper and continued devouring the apple as she followed the half-orc and the gladiator towards the meeting-place. The apple was juicy despite the drought, and she ate it whole, core, seeds, and all, before licking the juice from her wrist with a pointed tongue.

[savacli]

The meeting hall is visibly crowded as the guards and clergy are organizing and pointing the king's guests to the right direction. Those who are clean and presentable are motioned immediately inside the meeting grounds while the others are shuffled out to lines on the sides. Food and drink have been laid out across various tables within proximity with guards close by making sure only guests are taking their fill.

Around the hall weary travelers are taking rest or simply leaning against the walls of the hall while more rested and readied champions are found dueling with one another.


You spot a small group of guards eyeing you suspiciously, whispering back and forth to one another.


The symbols on the guards uniforms imply that they are of higher rank and skill than those who are found commonly throughout the town. They're rotating in such a way to catch one another's blind spots.

[AirApparent]

"Naw worry, sir. May yer orchards bear nature's bounty." Mordai follows Razgul and Alane into the meeting hall. He grabs a tankard of mead and starts chatting with some of the other travelers.

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul walks over to the group of guards and holds up the flyer. "Hello boys. I'm here to help save your kingdom for you," he says, gruffly. "Be good sports and point me to your king, would ya? Seems he needs the assistance of someone with a bit more strength than you lot can manage."

[savacli]

To push over these seasoned guards I'm going to require an Intimidate check.

[NeoSeraphi]

Intimidate: [roll0] (Since this is based on Razgul's muscular appearance and he's trying to use his Strength to Intimidate, can this be a Strength (Intimidate) check instead of a Charisma (Intimidate) check? That's even listed in the PHB as an option. If it is, add 3 to the result.

[savacli]

Upon noticing Mordai enter the hall various groups chant and cheer some even clashing their weapons against their armor in rhythm of an arena.

"The Defiler is here! Everyone ready yourselves!" One exclaims.
"It's too late, we should run for it!" Another continues.
"Please, have mercy on us Champion of the Ring!" The two shout together bumping into one another and playfully acting out a death in the ring.

The hall as a whole erupts in applause for the well known victor.

[AirApparent]

Upon hearing the chears, Mordai hops up upon the table, and in a supernaturally loud voice, shouts, What fell being seeks to usurp my throne?! Hiding in the shadows with this blight and disease, no true Lord of Hell would be so cowardly. This WILL NOT STAND!!!

At those last words the flames in the room flare up and the windows and doors shut of their own accord.
The showman bows deeply, steps back down and asks the nearest person:
Now where do I sign up


Using racial Thaumaturgy ability for the 3 following effects:
*Voice booms 3 times as loud as normal for 1 minute.
*an instantaneous sound that originates from a point of your choice within range, such as a rumble of thunder,
*You instantaneously cause an unlocked door or window to fly open or slam shut.

[savacli]

Even though he looks physically like a beast (no pun intended) it would still be a Charisma based check to see if he successfully made himself look intimidating with looks alone. You can definitely make it into a Strength based check, but you would have to actively be exhibiting your strength. Bench pressing the nearest human (although highly inappropriate) would be one way of changing the check type.

The guards closest to the half-orc immediately ready their shields preparing for an attack though the sounds of colliding metals can be heard from their armor links and chains from them shaking in place. The more elderly guard in the back seems unshaken. Unlike the others he is wielding just his weapon without armor to protect him. Seeing the half-orc's skill he approaches slowly applauding.

"Now that is a warrior worthy of the king's quest!" He turns to his subordinates raising his weapon in the air. "The whole lot of you, failures. I expect to see you all back in the ranks for training. Dawn sharp! I'll find other men who are more suitable for this.". They sidestep away still keeping their shields readied before running off at nearly a full sprint away from the hall.

The remaining guard turns back to Razgul extending his hand, "The name's Charlie, and it's not everyday that I see boldness like yours around town. Tell me, where are ya from?"

[savacli]

The crowd uproars at the gladiator's show cheering even more loudly. Small show fights break out across the hall.

A scholar taps the shoulder of the showman directing his attention to the stage at the front of the hall, "Sp...sp..peech, king" before pointing to the pews and chairs set up, "We wh..w..wait." Her face smiling in attempt to be helpful.

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul takes the guard's hand and shakes it firmly. "I am Razgul, a warrior from the outlands. I live and thrive in the wilds." He indicates the bear pelt he wears. "I assure you, no matter what kinds of dark magic is causing your bad season, it's nothing compared to a winter in the tundra with naught but what you can kill to eat. I'll find whoever is responsible for this curse, and the next time you see me, I'll have a new trophy."

[AirApparent]

Mordai smiles warmly to the scholar, trying to avoid scaring her further. A rather hard task for somebody who pretended to be a demon lord, but he's had worse before. Thank you, miss. I'll sit down await the king's declaration. He does just that, grabbing a tankard and taking a full swig, carousing with the adventurers around him.

[LeSwordfish]

Oh, good lord. A eisl-gyn celebrity.

Alane slipped in past the guards while they were watching Mordai's theatrics, and began slowly circling the room, inspecting the other guests. She absently grabbed a drink from one of the tables - some people seemed to have escaped the worst of the drought - and sipped it as she moved.

Turns out that there's some competition. Nothing that can't be dealt with.

Alane is looking around to see who amongst the adventurers seems to be overly wealthy or obviously well-equipped. She's including Mordai and Razgul in this.

I guess that this is a Perception check? [roll0]

[savacli]

Charlie lets out a laugh that sounds almost like a roar, "That's what I like to hear in a warrior, always looking for that new trophy to sport around and show off to the rest of the crew. If only I were still in my prime I would have gladly come along this trip." He roars another laugh. "My mind and soul still be stirring up a will for fighting, but these old bones aren't quite what they used to be. Now, the king has me overseeing the new recruits. It's not quite the same thrill of the battle, but it warms my heart to see the next generation stepping in to take the place of myself and the other elders."

[savacli]

As Alane moves throughout the hall she begins to notice just how many people are actually crammed in this meeting hall. Some adventurers look fairly equipped with standard weaponry while others look more flimsy and unpolished as if they had gotten ready moments ago.


Despite you rolling lower your passive perception is 12 so I'm still going to use that as there's nothing that's requiring your attention at the moment. With a 12, nothing is really standing out to you. You can also roll investigation if you're wanting to see if Alane can deduce anything about the situation or the people.

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul nods. "Thank you for your words of encouragement, sir. Do you have any advice for me before I go see the king?"

[LeSwordfish]

Disappointing. Might be better to cut and run.

Alane decided to stick it out however, since there was definitely opportunities here, and helped herself to some more food, waiting for the king's arrival.

[savacli]

Charlie leans in speaking softly, "The king is truly a voice of the people, and he always does his best to keep the safety and protection of everyone else before his own. That being said my men are strong." He stops to reconsider his statement.

"Well, my real men are. Those shrimps you scared off were barely a day into their service. Back to the point though. There has yet to be a force that the king did not feel confident in the strength of his own people alone to be able to vanquish. What is puzzling is why he is hesitant and has instead decided on bringing in outsiders to take care of whatever is causing us such ills. Either the threat is much larger than anything we've seen before or..." He pauses for a moment "..the king doesn't want to send his own men towards certain death."

He returns to his former position, seriousness leaving his face, "But what do I know. I'm just an old man who still tells the tales of his golden years." He once again lets out a roaring laugh. "Go ahead and find a seat, the royal figure himself should be out in not too long."

[NeoSeraphi]

"Certain death, huh?" Razgul muses. "Well, we've all gotta die at some point, I suppose. Might as well be for this. It seems intriguing to say the least. And I'd rather die on an adventure than live til I'm 50 and never see true danger." The half-orc grins toothily to himself and takes a seat.

[savacli]

Adventurers all around the hall each settle in and find a place as they see the king approach the stage. Nobles bow at his entrance while the town guards and soldiers drop to one knee acknowledging their leader. The king himself is dressed fully in royal attire and is joined by two others. To his left is a seer dressed in the clothing of a scholar wearing a blindfold around her eyes. Despite her lack of line of vision she is walking gracefully and carrying what seems like a large scroll case. To the king's right is a soldier donning metal from the neck down with his weapon at hand faintly glowing. He follows the two without struggle as if his armor was of no hindrance to him.

The three assemble at the front of the stage, the king raising his arms and reaching out towards the audience,

"Champions from across the lands, I thank you for responding to the call and in such great numbers. For those that I have not met personally I am Azarah, king of Klouver."

At the statement a small group is heard chanting, "Praises to the king!"

"Now, I realize that there are plenty of questions to be answered, and I will do my best to address them. As you all can imagine time is of the essence so I must act accordingly." Turning to the scholar and extending a hand towards her, "Lia, if you would please"

The elf unlocks the ends of the case and with assistance of the solider unravels the contents, the both holding up the scroll that traverses over half the stage. The scroll illustrates what seem like three shrines each decorated differently.

The first depicts a shrine bathing under the rays of a brightly lit sun.
The second is surrounded by greenery and lively forests
The third floats on top of gentle waters with scribbles that portray winds carrying it along the waves

Shifting his position and standing to the side the king continues, "Are there any who are already familiar with the depictions?"


History, Nature, or just a generic Intelligence check (if you have no proficiency in the former two) please.

[LeSwordfish]

Magic sword. Him. I want him. That one.

As the king approached his audience, Alane settled back, curious to hear what he had to say. Kings were apparently worth listening to, after all, and he was nominally what they were here to see.

When the scroll was unfurled, Alane inspected the pictures carefully. As a ranger, she should know this.

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul gazes at the tapestry before him and shakes his head. He is a man of the wild, he has never seen art like this in his life.

[AirApparent]

Amidst swigs of mead, Mordai looks up and sees the paper unfurled. Ancient stuffy lore like this was never his thing, despite what the iron-bound tome in his pack might lead one to believe. None of it was ever very useful in the arena. The tiefling continues drinking.

[savacli]

First off, congratulations on being the only player to pass the check. Anyways..

The three shrines on the scroll are what are known as the Alters of Power:

Alter of Light
Alter of Nature
Alter of the Tempest

Once the pantheon fell these alters were manifested and are what aid in regulating the aspects that keep the plane you all are on in motion. Clerics of these aspects draw their power directly from their respective alter as well.

You are welcomed to speak up in response to the king's question. Let me know otherwise so I can continue.

[savacli]

Upon receiving no response the soldier continues the conversation. "There are three temples across our plane that hold within them the Alters of Power." pointing to the each shrines as he speaks, "The Alert of Light, Alter of Nature, and Alter of the Tempest."

Upon hearing this some of the adventurers are seen getting up and leaving,

"Not this again. We've heard it all before and don't have time for this craziness."

"Please, heroes! The Alters are what provide the source of energy not only to our devouts, but they hold the very energy that we depend on a daily basis!" Lia proclaims, "Varis, stop them!"

"I have no right to do so. Each came under his own will. We must respect their liberty if they wish to depart." Looking back to the audience, "My apologies for the interruption. The alters are hidden across the corners of the plane but are very much an integral part of our survival. Given the sudden and rather dramatic change in our environments we have come to the conclusion that one or more of the alters have fallen.

Lia interjects letting out a sigh of discomfort, "Such a disaster is unheard of, and even the archives make no mention that any alter has been disrupted since they came to existence. As is the case.." Lia pauses, "..we are not very sure what to do."

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul stands up. "That much is obvious, human. We need to go to these altars and see exactly what kind of damage we're dealing with. Then we punish whomever is responsible, and attempt to repair them. That should fix your problem on its own. I volunteer for this task. You will need someone who knows the wilds like I do on this quest, someone who doesn't get lost if you take the path less traveled." He cracks his knuckles. "However, I will need an acolyte of your faith to accompany me. Someone who understands more about these altars and how they work. And who among you," he turns to the crowd of adventurers, "is brave enough to join me on this quest? Or are you all too scared of working with a beast?"

[AirApparent]

A familiar Tiefling stands up. I too will go. I defy anybody to challenge me for that right. He looks around menacingly, making his eyes burn with an inner fire.

[savacli]

The king humbles himself down to both knees bowing before the two who stood. "From the bottom of my heart, bless you! Though I regret to admit that I do not have such an acolyte that can accompany you. All the knowledge we have of the Alters is from the archives and at most it is theoretical.

A young scholar stands, "I...I...go" She raises her shield exposing the symbol decorated across the metal, "Ac..ac..co..lyte...me."

Upon hearing the volunteer the king looks up. Though his smile and joyful tears are warped almost immediately into a face donning shock and near-horror at the sight of the symbol. Stammering the king jumps to his feet and dusts off his clothing, "That will be all. Again, I thank you all and apologize for concluding quite quickly. Those who show interest in the mission please follow me to our more private quarters to continue this conversation. Any of those who occurred expense in your travels or require further accomodation for making your appearance please meet with my clergy and they will make sure you are well compensated."

Lia and Varis rapidly snap the case back together and escort the king to the side off the stage. The king stops and looks to those who are standing motioning at them to move quickly.

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul walks over to the acolyte. "You. What's your name?" he asks in a businesslike tone.

[LeSwordfish]

Alane resisted the urge to sigh, but still stood when the tiefling did. "Any moral person would stand with this quest, beast or no. I walk with those sent to solve this."

Inwardly, Alane tried not to roll her eyes. Sure, she'd heard of the altars, everyone had, but this was a bad season. The planes weren't out of alignment, or whatever.

Sure some people were leaving. But this would still work. Hell, if they think the whole world's going to ****, maybe they'll give us some gear? Also: magic sword magic sword magic sword.

Alane hung back when the king called them through, only going after him as one of the last.

[AirApparent]

Mordai stands up and chugs down another mug of mead. He stands and heads over to where Razgul and the young nervous woman stood.

Hey there! Small town, eh? He turns to the young acolyte and bows deeply in his most showy fashion, A pleasure to meet you fair lady. I greatly apologize for any fright I may have caused you earlier. Might I have the honor of knowing your name?

[savacli]

The scholar looks back at them both smiling, "No..no..not...fr..fr..i..ight..t..t..ten" she struggles. "Tah..tah..le..lee..ah" Pointing to a piece of parchment that she scribbled on.


It reads "Thalia"

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul nods. He glances at the tiefling. "And you? You seemed keen on this mission since you've arrived. Who are you, exactly? I am Razgul."

[AirApparent]

At Razgul's comment Mordai brightly returns,
"After so much time in the ring, I figured it would be good to make a name for myself beyond a ring."

Maybe I can get some real respect while I'm at it, too. His smile slowly fades, and he gets a distant look in his eye.

It quickly passes, "Well, shall we see what the King has to say?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul blinks. "A new name is all well and good, but what shall I call you?" he asks.

[AirApparent]

Oh, I figured you'd heard of me somewhere. The name's Mordai. And you? He extends his hand

[savacli]

"Introductions can be finalized at a later time" Varis interrupts as he closes the door once the groups have filed in guarding the door with both hands readied on his halberd, "My obstruction is towards those who wish to come in. Should any of you reconsider helping the king I shall make way."

The room is much smaller compared to the meeting hall. To where the hall was meant for seating of upwards of a hundred or so this room was built to accommodate ten. There is a table in the center of the room surrounded by four seats at each of the longer sides and one each at the narrow ends. The door is Varis is guarding in the only visible exit to this room. The door itself has a small opening that can be slid to the side in the case that someone from the outside needs to pass along a message.

Lia grabs a staff in the corner of the room and extends her hand towards the seats inviting each member to sit down. "Before we continue, as a customary precaution, I will ask two questions that each of you need to answer individually." As she speaks she weaves a few gestures in the air with her free hand, "Why did you decide to come here today? What are your intentions?" As each person replies she repeats the two questions before moving on to another.


Before you post your replies you can make an Arcana check.

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul clenches his fist. "Your kingdom is not the only victim of this bad season. The plants in the wilderness grow slowly lately, and that means less reputation for the deer, less deer for the wolves, and fewer wolves for me. I intend to restore the balance of nature, even if I have to travel with a show boat who asks me my name not 10 seconds after I introduce myself."

[savacli]

Lia had cast Detect Thoughts so post a reply tagged to me with the surface thoughts that went along with your last post.

[NeoSeraphi]

Does detect thoughts not allow a saving throw?

[savacli]

The gestures that Lia performed reminded Mordai of one of his more challenging opponents in the ring. The fight itself was looking to end relatively short as his opponent was of little skill. After completing a weave his opponent's skill increased dramatically. His opponent was able to discern and counter Mordai's movements and tactics as quickly as Mordai himself was coming up with them. Though after a short while this insight was lost and Mordai rapidly took his opponent down.

[savacli]

For surface thoughts alone, no. At this stage you also don't know that the spell caster is reading your surface thoughts. The "Stage 2" portion of the spell requires a wisdom saving throw followed by Int saving throws. "Stage 2" would be more like the spell caster is trying to force himself onto your mind for deep thoughts and emotions, then it's a battle of wits to see if you can push him back out.

[NeoSeraphi]

"Man I'm hungry. Really wish I had an opportunity to eat before the speech. Could really go for some boar chops right now."

[LeSwordfish]

The kings own chambers?

It wouldn't be her way to marvel, so Alane didn't, her face a mask without emotion. The king himself has invited me into his halls? Eh. I've seen better trees than this.

Alane paused only infintesimally when the others bounded to their feet before following them. "The land weeps. I care not for the cities that prey upon it- but I will stand with them to defend it."

Arse, piss, el-gloriel and tits - a real ranger?

OOC: In case it's not obvious, i'm spoilering Alane's thoughts when they'd give the game away to the other players, but when you as the DM probably need to know them.

[savacli]

As fate would have it Lia had cast Detect thoughts prior to her questions so you'll need to post your thoughts in a tag as they were during the answering of those questions which should be interesting for you, hehe. The spell itself doesn't make known that your thoughts are being observed so unfortunately, I can't allow you to be actively deceptive about your thoughts.

[LeSwordfish]

Alright then... it's almost 100% certain that Lia knows Alane is lying. Goddamn it, I should have read everybody's spell list, not just my own. Looking at the phrasing of the question, Alane's mind would definitely have gone to "for the money"- but depending on how Detect Thoughts works, Lia may mistake that for "there'll be a big reward."

[AirApparent]

Mordai glances in Razgul's direction at the sudden outburst.
Its true, if I leave for another country, I'll avoid this plague. But that would leave thousands out of their livestock and food. Many of these people have cheered for or against me while I was in the ring, and I will fight to let them do that again.


Haha, you got me. Reading thoughts, eh? No wonder that fight lasted so long. Well, The people are important to me, very much, but I would love their respect as a person, not a character. I'm tired of just acting.

[savacli]

As the others replied Thalia scribbles her response on parchment and hands it to Varis for reading,

"I saw my village fall to a similar plague, and I wish not to see the same happen to others."

[savacli]

Once all have concluded their responses Lia turns to the king, "They passed. Each of them are here for noble reasons though some being rather selfish others are placing their goals on a much bigger reward." glancing towards Alane at the end, smiling.

The kings replies, "And of the symbol that is etched onto the acolyte's shield? pointing at Thalia.

Lia pauses before answering, "The fact that her life has been spared and she bares such a symbol confirms my vision. This is no bad season, my lord. Death will soon wash over us all, and the very plane we live upon will decay into nothingness..." Thalia's eyes widen as the information is revealed. "I apologize for intruding upon your thoughts, but I had to be sure."

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul remains silent for now. He observes the symbol on the acolyte's shield, remembering it for later. For now, the important thing was to focus on the road ahead, and not let himself get bogged down in petty details.

[savacli]

The soldier knocks the bottom of his halberd at the ground making a distinct "thunk" to get the attention of everyone, "On task, Lia, our guests are not here for a lesson in history or to entertain your trivial visions. As the king has repeated before, time is of the essence. Let us make best use of it and explain to them the task that lies ahead."

Lia glares lightly upon Varis for his word choice but complies nonetheless, "The idea was to send groups of seasoned adventurers to each of the three alter to report on their states. My conclusion is that they have not yet fully fallen. Otherwise, we would be in much direr circumstances. Their energies have either become corrupted or blocked altogether. But..." she trails as she looks towards the four volunteers, "...the king's speech did not yield as many adventurers as I had originally factored into the plan. Being that there are only four of you it has become unrealistic to be able to concurrently report on all three of the alters. Thus, we are presented with a decision.." holding up three fingers in the air, "..which alter should we pursue first?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul cracks his knuckles. "It is your crops that are being affected, is it not? Then we must go and secure the Altar of Nature first. That is the logical choice."

[LeSwordfish]

Alane blanched visibly when the seer looked at her, but maintained composure. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."

A'vanya's arse, a mind-reader? Or can she just tell i'm lying?

"That would be my choice too." she said, settling her head. "We should bring order back to the natural world before we concern ourselves with the people."

Also, you can't run away from a sodding boat. The thought swelled in her head, and she stamped it out with an eye on the seer.

[AirApparent]

Mordai glanced at Alane when the seer made that little jibe
I don't have any problem with that, plan sounds solid to me.

[savacli]

If I may offer counsel.." Varis adds "..your decision needs to be based on two factors. The first you have already come to understand: the most impacting Alter needs to be reviewed. However, there is another consideration. Should you pursue the Alter of Nature the other two will continue to fail. Thus, what are the consequences of leaving the other two in their declining state?"

Weaving once more, Lia crafts an illusion warping it as she speaks as an aid to her explanations,

"Without the Blessing of the Tempest there will be no more rain..." A tall and brightly green crop slowly withers until it crumbles to the ground
"our water supplies will grow hallow..." A child retrieves his bucket from a well with no water to be found
"the winds will tear down our towns..." A tornado plows through a town leaving destruction in its path.

"Should our Radiating Light fall our nights will grow longer.." a shroud of thick darkness comes over the town
"the days will grow colder.." the darkness softens revealing frost and tundra in the once green land.

Varis steps to meet the rest of the group at the table, "We will honor whichever Alter you wish to pursue first, but I wanted to ensure you all were aware of the repercussions."

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul narrows his eyes. "You have no proof that all three altars have even been attacked yet. For all we know, only the Altar of Nature is currently in trouble. If we go somewhere else and it turns out that there's no danger there, then your crops will dry out and the animals will die."

[AirApparent]

Mordai, looking a bit concerned, pipes up, "But if we go to the Nature Altar and its the Tempest Altar that is falling, then rain will stop, crops will fail, and livestock will die. Same thing if the Light Altar is the issue, just from a big freeze." He looks to his companions. "I don't know much and I'll leave those smarter than I to that decision, but it looks like if we pick the wrong one, the others will destroy everything."

[LeSwordfish]

"It sounds as if there is no obvious answer." Alane was settling herself now. "Which is nearest, geographically? Do we know their locations?"

[savacli]

Reaching for her pack, Thalia shuffles through its content until she produces a scroll and reads its contents, "Li..light...n..n..not..t...far. She manages.

[NeoSeraphi]

"Light it is, then. Shall we get going?" the orc asks his companions.

[LeSwordfish]

Alane looked very slightly put out by the choice but nodded. "I'm ready to set off as soon as everyone else is, though if there's any other information we can get I'd appreciate having it before setting off. How many days travel, for example."


I would see if I could persuade them to give us money for supplies, but i'm on thin ice already... yeah, leave it.

[savacli]

Shrugging and raising her brows in uncertainty Thalia holds up her hand shifting from three and four fingers in response to Alane.

The king, having been silent, speaks up. "We can, of course, supply you with vehicles to traverse the lands more quickly. Lia and Varis will offer to you from our resources as well: the library and armory respectively."

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul snorts. "Armor is for weaklings. A real man blocks arrows with his CHEST." He flexes demonstratively.

[AirApparent]

Mordai scratches his still-bare chest. "As much as I wish I could agree with you, I have not the tough hide from living in the wilds. I have my armor from the ring, but it has... accessories that would probably might not work well for life beyond it. I also might need to look at the library for some magical texts."

[savacli]

Opening the door Varis motions the group out, "We shall round up everyone by the end of the hour. During that time I ask that you quickly seek the resources you need. I will have one of the squires ready your transportation meanwhile."


Free roam at this point. Varis and Lia are going to their respective areas. If you're looking for something else outside of the destinations I mentioned you'll need to ask around to see if such area is available.

[LeSwordfish]

"Right." Alane said, distracted. "I'm gonna... best to research where we're going." She turned to Thalia. "Would you be able to help me find these on a map, if we were to use the library?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul says, "I'll be back in a bit, I need to go get something to eat." He waves to his colleagues and heads into town, looking for some food to fill his stomach.

[savacli]

Thalia nods towards Alane in response to her question.
Lia, noticing that a few are needing to visit her sanctum speaks up, "Those who wish to see the library follow me please."

The library itself is large taking up nearly the size of an arena. It is broken up into various levels each seeming to hold a collection of archives. As Lia passes through with her guests visitors pause their reading and greet her at attention. At the very center of the first floor is a desk occupied with a few staff members, gnomes neatly dressed in uniform to indicate their position. No doubt this is where visitors can come with their questions.

"Lady Lia" the receptionist bows, "To what do we owe this honor?"
"I am afraid today my visit is strictly business. The gladiator is in search of magical text. Please escort him to the where we have shelved our spellbooks and allow him to borrow as needed."

Immediately, the receptionist, shuffles from behind the desk, "Right this way, gladiator."

Turning to the remaining two, "What you seek is going to be on the right down the aisle under our geographical archives." pointing in the direction of a collection of bookshelves not too far away.

[savacli]

As Razgul returns to the streets of the town he immediately notices that there are a lot more folks crossing the roads than before likely due to most everyone taking a break from their busy schedules to find a meal as well.

At one of the nicer looking eateries Charlie is sitting down at a table arguing with his attendant. Upon noticing Razgul, he eases his tension and greets the savage, "Looks as if he did stick around after all. Ha! How about you sit down and fill me in on what the ol' king had to say to the lot of you earlier today! The old soldier beckons.

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul nods and takes a seat. "The king believes that the recent trouble is caused by outside interference at the sacred altars. He fears that utter chaos will fall upon this kingdom if they are not secured. So I and my three companions will travel forward to stop whatever dark creature or mage is causing trouble, and restore the altars to their original state." He orders some wine and takes a long drink. "I am worried that the acolyte who is to be our guide will hinder more than help us, unfortunately. But it seems like everyone else believes our quest to be a fool's errand, and not the impossible kind. That does not matter to me. I must restore the balance of nature."

[AirApparent]

Mordai follows the receptionist to the spells section. Thank you very much. He grabs a book that looked promising and rummaged through his lack for his own book. He pulls out a book made of black leather, bound in iron and smelling just slightly of sulfur as he riffles through the pages. He finds a blank page and rummages through his pack again. He pulls out a quill and an ink bottle. He tries to write, but only before realizing the bottle is out of ink. Damn, out again?. He looks around hopefully for some ink to use.


I wanted to get a ritual or two into my tome, but I just realized I lack the money for the ink. So I'm guessing I could at best window shop unless they provide the cost (not that I'm expecting them too). I mainly wanted to get Animal Messenger to keep our employers up to date, and maybe Augury.

[savacli]

Taking a long drink of his own Charlie once again lets out a long hearty laugh, "Already got you grouped up with a bunch of tag-alongers it sounds like. Though, they're lucky to have someone like you to lead the charge." He grabs the attention of one of the attendants and points to his carte indicating he wants double the order for his friend and himself, "So, you have this aco-whatever person. Who else you got joining you on this adventure?"

[savacli]

The gnome who escorted you is standing nearby. Given the size of the library she knows to stick around to escort you back.

You only have an hour before everyone regroups which unfortunately wouldn't give you enough time to copy something over (assuming you made the Arcana check). The gnome NPC is a Wizard, and wizards are really good bookworms. So if you're looking for someone to help you....hinthintnudgenudge

[NeoSeraphi]

"A show-boating spellcaster and a quiet but somewhat knowledgeable woman. I don't know what to think of them, but, I'm not sure they'll be any real use to me yet," Razgul admits, looking down at the wine in his glass. "Still though, bravery counts for something."

[savacli]

Charlies nods, "Indeed it does. Be patient with them, though. You have a long journey ahead of you and forming bonds with them is what will keep you alive out on the field." As he speaks several attendants arrive with plates full of food setting them at the table where the two are chatting. The meal before them is an assortment of meats, tender, and is barely cooked enough to a sanitizing standard. The red in the meat clearly visible as if it were just freshly slain. Veggies and greens decorate the plate though they are more for show than for nourishment.

Looking down at the meal Charlie frowns slightly, "Hard to believe that something is plaguing this town.." He stops and smiles at Razgul "Now, why don't we take a break and chow down before this food gets cold. Ha!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul nods and gets started chowing down. The raw meat and greens mix perfectly with the wine he chose, and the meal is very well prepared, leaving the half-orc very satisfied. He sighs in contentment and stands up, wiping some blood off his tusks. "Truly, a meal fit for a hero. Well then. I need to go and meet my party. I will see you again, friend." He bows and heads back to the palace, looking for Mordai and Alane.

[savacli]

As she walks down the aisles Thalia eyes the labels of the different documents,

Nope.
That's not it.
Not it either.
Still not what we're looking for.

She lets out a sigh, Wait, maybe one of my scrolls has something that I can show to someone who's familiar with where everything is. She sits down and shifts through her pack until she finally picks out a small size scroll tied together with a ribbon. Excellent! She hears short shuffling of feet in the aisle over similar to the gnomes who were behind the desk.

"Heh..heh..help?" She manages loud enough for those around her to hear. Shortly after, a gnome pops his head off to the side of the aisle, "May I help you, Miss?"
Smiling she points to the image on her scroll and points to a random book she had grabbed, looks back and forth at them in confusion, and acts out an obvious sigh as she drops her shoulders and head in defeat. The gnome thinks for a moment before realizing that Thalia was looking for a book matching her text. Chuckling, he walks over, "Let me see what you have there."

[AirApparent]

Mordai turns to the gnome woman who guided him. While her back is turned he pockets a vial of ink. Then he gets up and as politely as he can. Excuse me miss? I'm looking for two particular magical rituals. One of them a small ritual designed to compel animals to deliver messages, and the other a rudimentary fortune-telling method. Could you perhaps help me find them?

[savacli]

"Oh silly, you don't need to compel animals to help you. You can just ask them, especially the smaller ones!" Jumping up and down in a bubbly manner at the idea before realizing that Mordai's appearance alone might scare off woodland creatures that would normally be drawn to her.

"Err, on second thought, you're going to need the extra help. Now, are you seeking magical texts that describes those rituals in particular, or are you needing the spells in raw magical format? The latter we don't have too many of." She leans in and whispers to the gladiator, "Our Lady Lia tends to have all the good fortune telly-welly texts to herself."

She clears her throat slightly "Now, if you're wanting to take notes we have basic inks and parchment at the tables. If you're needing that fancy ink.." She wiggles her fingers in a sprinkling manner, "..we have vials of those as well I can grab for you."

[AirApparent]

"Uh..." Taken aback by the gnome's sparkly demeanor and manner of speech, Morday takes a moment to collect his thoughts.

"I'll need the rituals themselves, thank you. And also some of the special ink. And if you just get me one of the minor future-telly texts, I would be forever most grateful." He tries his most humble voice and face, and at the "grateful" bit he takes a deep bow.


[roll0]

[savacli]

"Sure thing!" She turns around and walks away holding her arms out to the side acting as if she were a bird.

After about fifteen minutes Mordai hears from afar the gnome quickly making her way back bumping into others regularly and apologizing. As she appears around the corner she is empty handed, but a handful of books and ink vials round the corner with her floating on an invisible disk about three feet from the ground. She stops at Mordai only to see the disk not quite with them. She sidesteps a few times inching the disk closer and closer.

"There!" Raising her hands in victory, "I wasn't able to find quite what you wanted nor did Lia return her favourite books" scrowling lightly before being bubbly again, "Buuuuuuuuuut, I did manage to grab a few rituals you might like! Take a looksie!"


You can choose up to 3 rituals spells that are from the Wizard's 1st level pool.
Alarm
Comprehend languages
Detect magic
Find familiar
Identify
Illusory script
Tenser's floating disk
Unseen servant.

[LeSwordfish]

Alane calmly ignored the gnome, letting Thalia take the lead in the search for the map. When it became clear that the acolyte was unwilling to put herself forward in such a way, Alane sighed and began searching the library for an atlas or similar. She wouldn't speak to the gnome unless she absolutely had to.

[AirApparent]

Mordai looked mixed amounts of disappointed at not having the ones he wanted and excited anyway for the choices. He pauses for a moment to swallow his pride yet again.That Lia lady can't read 'em anyway, why bother!? Oh well I'll take what I can. He looks through each one briefly, picking up three of them, "Why thank you! I'll borrow these three. I'll also need some of that ink." He takes three bottles of the ink on the disk and bows again.


I'm taking Comprehend Languages, Detect Magic, and Find Familiar.

[savacli]

Having the gnome provide her with books Thalia looks through the pages frowning at a few, Some of these books are in terrible condition. She thinks to herself as one of the books nearly falls apart at her hands. Grabbing the torn book in one hand and grabbing her shield with the other she whispers, "Uurusva.." A dim white glow emanates from the book causing the failing stitching to meld back together holding the book much sturdier than before.

Finding a promising map she peeks around looking for her gnome helper. Upon failing to find him, likely due to him putting back books that Thalia had rejected, she spots a familiar ranger down the aisle. She holds a book with a map on it in one hand and holds a blank book and pen in the other, "Al..Al..Al.." struggling to make out the rest of her name.


The library was quiet enough to hear her whisper "unbroken" in elvish, and it wasn't in her normal broken speech as you're used to hearing.

[savacli]

She jumps up and down once more clapping quietly, "You chose one of my favourite ones!"


Before returning the others the gnome had you open the books you chose and showed you the unique styling of the written texts of the spells as well as walking you through the base weaves/gestures and their commanding words to complete the spells.

No need to make an Arcana check since she held your hand through teaching you the spells (more literally than figuratively at some points). You'll still need to spend the required time to copy the rituals to your own book though before they're usable (my interpretation of your feature being you can only cast rituals if they are present in your own book). Also, please add those spells to your sheet with a ritual/pact tag of sort.

[AirApparent]

After the tutoring session from the gnome wizard, Mordai was tiring of the pint-sized mage's voice. Still, that was useful. He puts on his most genuine smile and bows again, "Thank you again for your instruction, madam. Might I have your name? And could you escort me back to the entrance?"

[savacli]

"My name is Ella!" she states twirling around as she changes direction. She takes the gladiator's hand and tugs him through the various lanes and aisles until the two arrive back at the front desk. "Annnnnnnd, that concludes our tour! Let me know if you need anything else!" She skips back to where she was originally found.

From down the aisle a familiar voice is heard, "It never ceases to amaze me how they, small in stature, contain within them the biggest of hearts." Returning a book back onto the shelf the elf meets with Mordai at the desk. "You made mention earlier of wanting tougher armour to fight in. Did you find all that you needed here?"

[savacli]

The same guards that Razgul had scared off before had returned to their post once more. Though upon seeing Razgul they instead stand at attention still somewhat shaken, "S-Sir! We were requested to pass along a message from the General." The one closest to the savage handing over a note:

Charles had sent word that you were having a meal with him. I have asked the guards to guide you to the armory to meet with me once you have returned.
-Varis

[AirApparent]

"Well the way I see it they need big whatever they can get." Mordai turns to the elf.
To be honest I didn't find what I came here for but it wasn't entirely fruitless. I can survive.
And yes, I could probably use a different set of armor. I only go out like this, Mordai gestures at his bare chest, when I'm not in the ring. Survival is secondary to showmanship in my line of work, and my armor has chains and holes designed to sell the character of an Archdevil, one I play well in the ring. It probably would be best if I had armor for the world at large that didn't pose an easy target for grabs and weapons.

[LeSwordfish]

Alane raised an eyebrow. Seems someone else is hiding something too. "Alane," she said. "Its okay. Is this the map with the shrines on it? We should make a copy."

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul reads the note and nods, looking up at the guards. "Sounds good. Lead the way to the armory then."

[savacli]

Varis pats the plate across his chest eyeing Mordai and his lack of, well, everything. "Fear not, my fellow warrior. I am sure we can find something that can meet your needs."

Varis grabs the attention of a few gnomes behind the desk to which they respond by returning the weapon he had checked in when he arrived. He readies the weapon and heads towards the exit with the gladiator.

[savacli]

Upon Razgul opening his mouth one of the guards drops immediately to the ground covering himself with his shield as if anticipating some devastating attack. The one who handed the note lets out a sigh before turning to Razgul, "Right this way.." He motions the savage forward as he makes his way inside.

On the way there, Razgul and the guard cross paths with Varis and Mordai, "Ah, good timing. We were on our way to the armory." The soldier continues leading the pack as the guard turns around to return to his assigned area. As they get closer to the armory sounds of the smiths hammering metals into shapes can be heard through the walls, and the overall temperature is notably hotter than the rest of the paths they walked through. At the entrance of the armory two large metallic doors stand closed. Varis approaches the doors and knocks with his gauntlet, "Knight plus two guests" The doors creak and gears start to turn slowly parting the doors.

The heat of the armory pours out as the doors open washing over the three. The primary work areas have dwarves manning different stations dedicated to the various stages of equipment creation, armor and weapon each having their separate teams. Beyond the metal workers, animal hides are being carried over to tanners where they are then handed off for stitching. Finally, in the corners of the room warriors are dueling with one another as a means of testing the integrity of the equipment as well as bettering their own skills.

Stepping before the two Varis speaks, "I present to you the core of our arms production. Feel free to look through our racks to see if there is anything you would like to requisition. If have equipment of your own we can clean, polish, and sharpen them."

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul nods and presents his axe to the knight. "Since you're offering, it has been a while since my weapon was properly maintenanced," he requests, with a smile.

[savacli]

"Cah..copy...ye..yeh..yes." she manages.

The book handed over to Alane contains a map of a desert west of Klouver. The images themselves do not show a shrine of any kind on the map, but there's a small torn piece of parchment with the picture of a sun on it that Thalia had drawn placed neatly on top of the map. The picture is placed in such a way as if to imply it needed to be there to begin with.

[LeSwordfish]

Alane traced her finger carefully across the map, plotting out a route, before grabbing a quill and ink and carefully copying the map in a messy hand.

"You don't talk much, do you?" she asked Talia as she worked.

Alane is also plotting out a good place to ditch the party- somewhere near but not too near a town or city, perhaps with cover such as trees or rocks to hide in. She'll make sure this is also on her map.

[savacli]

"Maintenance we can offer. If you would present your blade to the dwarf in a red.." waving to one of the older smiths in the distance directing Razgul's attention, "..he will be able to examine your weapon and offer services accordingly."

[savacli]

Looking up from her studying Thalia scribbles a quick note passing it to Alane frowning slightly:

Not so much. I don't hold conversations aloud very well.

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul hands his weapon to one of the dwarves with his thanks, and then looks around in disgust at the armor. He shakes his head. He'd never be caught dead wearing metal of any kind. If bears and lions could be the top of the food chain with just their fur and skin, so could he.

[AirApparent]

Mordai looks through the various pieces of armor and settles on a burgundy set of leather brigandine armor. He tries it on, and says, "I'll take this."


That's a set of Studded leather armor if I'm allowed it.

[savacli]

That's fine. With your armor proficiency it was really a choice between this piece of leather or that piece of leather. Yay spellcasters...

[savacli]

The elder dwarf picks up Razgul's weapon and holds it up to his eyes twisting and turning it in the air examining its exterior. He then holds the blade to his ear and flicks near the core of the metal as if listening for a particular sound grunting in disapproval as he carries through with the inspection,

"Oye! Where have you been swingin this axe aroun'? It's not just a big choppin axe it's a weapon ye'know." his accent mostly normalized though a few hints of his origins apparent, "It looks like you have been hackin away at nothin but trees an' skinnin away the skins o' animals! "

Lifting his head he gets a good look at Razgul, "Oh..." he says upon realizing that's exactly where the weapon had been, "Well, I can clean it up a bit if yer in a hurry but, as my craft is my pride, I'll have teh ask that you leave this here with me so I can perform quite a deal o' service to it."

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul chuckles. "I apologize, craftsman. I would very much like you to be able to work to your heart's content, but I am on a mission for the king. I must take my weapon and leave as soon as possible. So please, just take the quick option and return my weapon to me soon."

[savacli]

The dwarf strokes his beard as he ponders the situation, "Is the weapon personal to you? If so, I can completely understand the attachment you have fer it. Otherwise, I have other large axes that are weighed and balanced to about what this one is. That way you have a quality weapon out on the field while I improve on yours."

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul hesitates. "This weapon is very important to me, but the mission is too vital to fail. Duty before sentiment. Give me one of your axes."

[LeSwordfish]

"Okay then." Alane said, kindly enough. "Why is that? You seem smart enough."

[savacli]

Smiling, the dwarf walks back Razgul's weapon and places it on a shelf. He adds a small card to it to jot down a few notes of the services needed, "I promise to have it ready fer you the next time we meet so don't you go dying on me out on teh field." He extends out his hand to the savage, "We will meet again." He states reassuringly with a serious look to his face.

[savacli]

Alane's question was uncomfortable for Thalia as she drops her head to break eye contact, "I..I...her..hur.." hiding her tearing eyes from struggling to form the words. She stops to take a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. She then looks back up to the ranger with a tear running down her cheek speaking very slowing,

"I...am...h..hurt. Speech...i..is...hard." Covering her mouth the scholar manages to catch her sob. Composing herself, "I...have...try..tried...to...heal." tears escaping her eyes. "Can't..t...fi..fi..fix."

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul nods, taking the dwarf's hand and giving it a firm shake. "Count on it," he replies with equal conviction.

[savacli]

The dwarf nods in return. He takes a look at the weapons rack beside him picking out several axes of different sizes weighing them before he settles on one, "This should work for you." placing the weapon on his work bench.

Varis, still waiting at the door, notices that his two guests have found their fit speaks up, "Well then, shall we get going?" He pulls on the lever behind him activating the gears to the doors causing them to part once more.


The weapon is a greataxe. Nothing special other than it's noticeably cleaner than your original one though.

[savacli]

Walking around the corner of the aisle, Lia appears. She knocks lightly on the edge of the bookshelf politely drawing the attention of the Alane and Thalia, "I apologize for the interruption, but Varis has recently notified me that he has readied the other members of the team and is waiting with them outside." Scanning over the books on the floor, "Were you able to find what you needed? If so, we must move quickly to meet with the others."

Upon hearing Lia's question Thalia wipes the tears from her face and moves to pick up the various books she had scattered around her, "Y..yes...d..do..done." She stands up and makes her way back to the front desk to drop off the books she had pulled to be returned properly by the gnome staff.

[LeSwordfish]

Alane had been really very taken aback by Talia's response. "No, listen, sorry, I didn't mean to..." She was abruptly cut off by the seer, and stepped away from the weeping adept as if she was red-hot. There was a moment of awkward silence, before she nodded mutely, and headed outside to meet the others.

[savacli]

Lia leads the other two out of the intricate library and down the halls. As they make their way towards the outdoors Thalia was looking downward to the floor hiding her face still. Upon reaching outside the group was reunited with one another. Varis is seen talking with his squire and marking off a checklist making sure that all was in order.

The king too is among them. Though, rather than being in his usual royal attire he instead dons a breast plate, carrying with him his shield and longsword. His hair is pulled back and tied into a ponytail, revealing his pointed ears. Unlike Varis' green eyes the king's shine brightly blue under the sun's light.

Kneeling before the king, "My lord, the cart has been readied as per your direction." standing to his feet, "The warriors have been equipped with the proper arms, and our Lady has provided them with guiding text."

"You both have done well." turning to the four volunteers, "Now then, before I offer a prayer to bless your journey, is there anything I can offer within my power to assist you on this quest?"

[savacli]

King Azarah stands patiently waiting to see if someone would pose a question or concern. Hearing no voice he continues, "Well then, let us pray." He unsheathes his longsword from his side holding it high. Upon placing his second hand on the hilt the blade brightens and emits a strong light.

"Aspects of our planes, hear my cry.
I implore You to watch over these heroes.
Where their journey will take them I do not know,
But I ask that their travels be gentle and kind
Guide them to roads that will fulfil their quest,
And guard them from harm and temptations."

He walks around to each of the four continuing his prayer as he places his blade gently on each one's shoulders

"I pray for wisdom to know when to use words and when to use force.
Give them favour when they seek aid and shelter.
Above all I ask that You bring them back safely.
Amen"

Concluding his prayer he stores his sword dissipating its radiance. Varis motions everyone towards the cart as he makes one last check to see that it was prepared correctly.

[LeSwordfish]

Alane couldnt help but flinch as the sword touched her. She was half expecting it to burn. With the prayer over and done with, she moved toward the cart and hopped up into the passenger's seat at the front.

"I hope someone knows how to make these move." she said simply.

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul nods respectfully. "I will honor you wishes and restore peace to your lands, good king. I will show you that your faith in me was not displaced." He rises and nods for the others to get ready as well. They have a world to save.

[AirApparent]

Mordai kind of stands noncommittally as the King prayed over him. Religion was always a nervous matter for him, especially given his heritage and his arrangement with darker forces. But nothing burned him, so he (silently, for once) got on the cart to leave.

[savacli]

Varis walks to the front where two horses are strapped in to pull the cart, patting one of them affectionately on the side, "The companions I requisitioned for your travels are from the breed that accompanied my men in previous battles. They do not frighten as easily and are well accustomed to working with the various races. As such, they can comprehend most spoken direction so long as you provide a manual tug of sort on the reigns."

Making his way to the back of the cart he grabs one of the packs that was placed in the back rows, "We have also provided you with supplies for your travels which you can familiarize yourself with while the roads. If you will ready your maps I believe this is where we part ways."

[savacli]

Thalia steps onto the cart and takes a seat in the back with Mordai sitting her pack on her lap with her arms wrapped around it. She rests her chin on the top on her sack, her face slightly stained from her tears.

"We...geh..go...nn..now? Lots...of...suh..suh..un...leh..left." She manages as she points to the sky while staring off into the distance.

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul sits next to Thalia. "What is your problem, acolyte? Why are you so nervous and stammering all the time?"

[savacli]

Thalia lets out a sigh of frustration before looking through her pack and grabbing her quill and a sheet of parchment. She jots down her response handing the sheet to the savage:

I am not at all nervous. It is just a matter of me not being able to speak easily. I have a speech impediment of sort.

[LeSwordfish]

Behind the woman's head, Alane mouthed "Don't Ask" at Razgul.

Ready to move on.

[savacli]

Varis salutes them as the horses step into a walk as they pull the group westward.

At this hour the town folks return to their posts and stalls and are tending to their customers once more. The diners are cleaning after tables and picking up after the spills from their lunch rushes. Even the farmers are back out on their lands seeing as to whether or not any of their crops survived the "bad spell". The group goes unnoticed by the commoners despite the royal symbol that the cart bares. Upon seeing the symbol guards part a path as they recognize the group is traveling on official business. The horses continue in their direction weaving through the town and its people. As they approach the border two tall towers at the sides of a gate can be seen. The guards standing atop the tower salute the adventurers as they pass through. Once they pass the gates, the horses begin their canter pulling the cart at a much quicker pace.

Behind them they leave the town slowing becoming smaller and smaller in the distance. The day is still young, and the sun is at its peak.

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul reads the sheet of paper and looks at her, surprised. "Trouble speaking? Is it some kind of ailment? Surely one of your superiors at the church could use the touch of your God to remove it from you."

[LeSwordfish]

Behind Thalia's head, Alane made an exaggerated "you blew it" gesture.

[savacli]

Thalia drops her head and buries it into the top of her pack to hide her new tears, "N..not...ill. No..no...chur..ur..urch. No...guh..god." she muffles as she hides her face.

Sure Thalia, let us tell them exactly what's wrong with you. Oh, that's right, you have absolutely no clue. That, and why not tell them how you should be dead. I'm sure that will go over quite nicely. She thinks to herself.

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul blinks in surprise. "Whoa now. No need for tears, little lady, I was just...h-hey, maybe if we fix the Altar of Light you'll be able to speak normally again!" he says, fishing for any way to cheer the woman up.

[AirApparent]

Realizing this conversation was probably doomed for failure, Mordai decided to divert the conversation,So what do you think we'll find at the Altar? As he says this, he takes out a quill, his tome, and the scrolls of the rituals the gnome had gotten him, and started to transcribe them. As he etched each letter, the ink quickly catches fire, burning the arcane formulae into the pages.

[LeSwordfish]

Alane clicked her tongue and jerked the reins hopefully. "Walk on!" That was what you said to horses, right?

[savacli]

Animal Handling check please.
(Your modifier is 0 for that in case you're away from your sheet).

[savacli]

The horses nicker in response to Alane's pulling on the reigns but continue their quick pace and direction as if ignoring any command she was trying to give.

[savacli]

As the afternoon carries on the three of them go back and forth as to what they believe is waiting for them at the alter. Thalia still has her face buried and remains quiet as the others converse though a light snoring is heard from her.

The town of Klouver is now out of sight, and the horses begin to slow down to a trot as the roads begin to look chipped and broken up. No other town is visible, and the scenery instead is replaced with forestry and a dirt path. The greenery of the path is vibrant and livened by the sounds of the woodland creatures.


It's been just over two hours.


You can see a trap covered in dirt on your path, and the horses are going to step right on it given their current direction.

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul leaps off the cart and slams into the ground, glaring at the horses and raising his axe. "Stop right there, beasts! You are in danger if you come any closer!"

Once the cart has stopped, Razgul turns around and examines the dirt to see if he can trigger the trap without actually touching it.

[savacli]

The horses slide to a halt as they see the savage obstruct their path causing the cart to jump from the sudden stop.

Upon examination, Razgul notices that the trap has already been tripped. However, as he looks further down the dirt road he see similar mounds that could be hiding traps as well.

[LeSwordfish]

"What's going on?" Alane asked, from the cart's front. She stood, gingerly, and inspected the road. "Is something wrong?"

Perception test: [roll0]+i-can't-see-my-bonus-when-i'm-at-work-but-she-has-a-pretty-good-one-i-think

[savacli]

Animal traps are hidden underneath parts of the dirt road. Given the maintenance on this road draft animal would be the preferred method of transportation over foot. The traps look recently placed, and there are enough placed across the path as if to guarantee they would catch any passing travellers. Though, there would be no use in impeding the travellers unless there were criminals nearby to take advantage of such an event...

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul frowns and turns around, raising his axe. "Damn fiends! Harming animals just so they can harm people? I'll kill the lot of them!"

He slams his axe into the ground, attempting to create a small shockwave to set off one or two of the traps.

[LeSwordfish]

Alane had opened her mouth to say "Let's do this subtly..." but she closed it again, sighed, and drew her bow, turning her attention on the treeline and anyone who might be waiting within.

Again, Perception: [roll0]

[savacli]

As Razgul's axe hits the ground it sinks a bit into the dirt that covers the road.

Thalia pops up her head and takes a moment to interpret the situation as her head feels heavy from her slumber , "We stoh..stop..teh?" she asks sleepily.

[NeoSeraphi]

Razgul frowns. "Guess that wouldn't work...hmm...do any of you have any experience disarming traps?" he asks the group.