Shattered Lands IC

[tiny tim]

Just as you believe things can't get any worse, a white mist rises quickly around you and your mind goes blank. All you can see is white and you can't even hear the sound of your own breathe. It feels like eternity, and you begin to wonder if this is what death feels like until you hear a pair of voices in heated discussion.

“This is not their fate. They must die, that is the only way this can proceed.”
“Fate can shove off. How can we see these things happening and not do anything about it?”
"We can't just make these kinds of decisions. It's not our place."
"But we CAN make these decisions. And because we can we have a responsibility to do so.
“It’s a matter of balance, Aro-”
“Balance? You think this is balance? Evil is going to win. You know that, he knows that, everyone bloody well knows that. But we don’t do anything about it. What is the use of all this knowledge and power if we don’t DO anything with it?”
“If you go through with this, he will know. He always knows.”
“Yes he does. That’s the problem. He knows everything. Hells, he probably knew I was going to do this before I did.”
“I can’t stop you. But I won’t help you either. Do what you think you must, and then live with the consequences.”

The mist in front of your eyes dissipates slowly and you see yourself standing in a forest, physically unharmed, with that same fog receding away from you. You can hear again the ambient sounds, but instead of being those of your previous location they are of birds chirping and a small creek burbling along. A quick scan of your surroundings reveal 3 strangers looking just as confused and disoriented as yourself.


You can now communicate with each other. give a quick physical description of your character as well for everyone's benefit.

[Airsoft Diddles]

A young Halfling male stands in the clearing. He is wearing small armor made of general leafy shrubbery. A longspear is strapped across his back, and a small dagger hangs at his side. He has black hair, and startlingly purple eyes that almost seem to glow.

"What the... who are you people? How did I get here?"

[Masterclick]

A tall, male human, obviously of Kharumium descent from his cloths and skin color, tears his eyes away his eyes away from the human skull he is holding. In his other hand he rests a intricate hammer, too large for any normal human to wield, upon the forest floor.

"This warrior's soul has become corrupted by an evil taint. The gods must have refused my soul entry to the afterlife. This warrior can only assume that his endless punishment it to be forever haunted for his mistakes. Thy role in this warrior's punishment is not yet known but he apologizes for dragging thy soul down with him. If thou wishes to slay me to escape his taint this warrior would understand. However thou should knowest that this warrior will fight to defend whatever remains of his humanity."

[Airsoft Diddles]

The Halfling eyes the Human warily, but makes no moves that would appear threatening.

"I have no quarrel with you human. I am Dante of the free cities. Might I ask your name?"

[Masterclick]

Also I forgot to post. Checks made by my character upon entering clearing.

Spoiler for Tiny Tim's beautiful eyes.


Don't know which one would be useful, but does my character know who/what was going on with those two voices talking?

Knowledge arcana
[roll0]
Knowledge religion
[roll1]

[Masterclick]

This warrior is called Kulfoldi Gustav. However to avoid the shame of his banishment he would prefer it if you merely called him Gustav.

[Airsoft Diddles]

"So you say that you're soul was rejected from this world? That means you must have died right before you appeared it. I was in a very... similar... predicament. Perhaps our appearance here was not by pure coincidence."

[Rotaretilbo]

As the mist clears, a humanoid appears on hands and knees. Presumably male by his proportions, he looks short and rather bulky, though it's difficult to gauge his height and weight from this position. A full suit of steel plate armor protects his body, complete with a visor that entirely obscures his face, and a massive steel shield is strapped to his left arm. The shield bears the image of a longsword alight in flames in deep crimson. His right hand lays atop a heavy flanged mace. A cloak hangs loosely from his back, itself a soft almond, but also featuring the flaming sword in crimson. A sturdy leather backpack also adorns his back, with a small bedroll strapped atop it. From a chain about his neck, a well-worn musty brown tome maybe two fingers (1.75 in | 4.5 cm) thick hangs. Water droplets occasionally fall from his visor, and his breathing is clearly ragged.

As he comes to his senses, his grip on the mace tightens and plants his shield into the ground, using the leverage to stand. From this angle, one could probably tell that he stands at about fifteen hands (5 ft | 152.4 cm) and weighs roughly fifteen and a half stone (217 lbs | 98.5 kg), not counting his armor. He turns to face the three others, pointing his mace at the one opposite him, which had previously identified himself as Gustav. "More tricks? Was not my present torment enough, demon?" he shouts. There is anger in his voice, muffled as it is by the visor. And something else, as well. Desperation, perhaps? He holds his ground, however, having raised his mace above his head, ready to strike.

Readied action: Wolfgang will attempt to attack any creature that comes within melee range with his mace. He will be using Fight Defensively, so apply the +2 to AC now.

Players May Roll for Additional Information

The armor, shield, and mace are all masterwork. The backpack is also masterwork.
The mace is made of cold iron. The cloak is made of asbestos cloth.
The flaming sword symbol prominent on the shield and cloak are the mark of Thyrias, a deity of justice, honor, law, and order, and patron of the region of Antium.
The tome hanging by a chain is indicative of a follower of Saint Sigmund, one of the gods serving beneath Thyrias. Saint Sigmund is associated with law and order, but the order is best known for specializing in hunting demons. The tome itself is an miniature encyclopedia regarding all things demonic.
The armor has a very small, simple relief on the right breast of a single eye inscribed within a visored helm.

[Airsoft Diddles]

The Halfling puts himself in-between the two and holds his hands up as if warding them away from eachother.

"Whoa whoa whoa. Let us take a moment now friends, there is no need for this to turn sour."

[Chrismastree]

A young, thin elven male that appears to be shorter than normal (5ft. 2in.) with Leather armor, two daggers on his waist, and a strange mask next to him lay on the ground as he absorbs the beauty of the surroundings seemingly unaware of the transactions between everyone.

Perception check to see if the surrounding area is familiar, or notice anything unusual:
[roll0]

[tiny tim]

You have never seen or heard of anything like this mist before.

You don't notice anything in particular about the area. Though if you haven't already you may take a look at Rot's perception DC 25 spoiler.

[Chrismastree]

As I notice this, I realize that these guys are standing there and I simply wave at them while loudly saying "Oh hello there! do you happen to know where we are? I seem to be lost and I would much like to get back to my village It's rather important."

[Rotaretilbo]

"Do not presume to name me friend, demonspawn." the man growls at the interloping halfling. "You will each have a turn to feel the weight of my mace. I will not go quietly into this prison of the mind. Cast away this illusion at once!" He takes a step back, mace still held at the ready.

[Rotaretilbo]

Will Save
[roll0]
To disbelieve this obvious demonic illusion.

Knowledge Planes
[roll1]
To identify the nature of this obvious demonic illusion.

:smalltongue:

[Airsoft Diddles]

"There is no illusion sir,"

The Halfing puts a wary hand on his longspear.

"We are here, we are real, and there is no need for us to feel your mace. Stay your weapon, and let us discuss this like civil men. If you don't wish for me to call you friend, perhaps you could share you're real name?"

[Chrismastree]

confused I say "You with the eye on your armor and weapon high, what do you mean illusion?"

[Masterclick]

The Half-Elf* begins to laugh at the humanoid across from him.

"This coddled Antiite believes he can take this mighty warrior in combat? This warrior was the disfavored son of a Kharum chief before his vesztes identitás. This warrior was an acquistioner for the dwarves before his first death. This warrior's soul was rejected by the gods. This warrior has nothing left to fear, much less the useless prattling of this armored shell before him."

"If thou wisheth Dante this warrior will aide thee against this rogue. This warrior does not know whether he can trust you however he believeth that together the two may be able to find answers."

He lets go of the skull he is holding which falls to his waist. It is attached to his half-plate by a metal chain. A black mists starts to form around his earthbreaker.

Spellcraft DC 16
Gustav cast lead blades upon his earthbreaker.

To DM
Spellcraft check to see if there are any magical illusions/crap going on in the area right now.
[roll0]

*See note on my blunder in OOC thread.

[Airsoft Diddles]

The Halfling begins to back up cautiously, whilst pulling his longspear out of its sheath and holding it at the ready. He eyes the half elf, elf, and humanoid with the face mask warily.

"I do not wish to fight any of you, but I will do what I must to protect myself. If you two wish to dual it out I am sure that the Elf and I will step back and let you commence."

[Chrismastree]

before you guys kill each other, how about we figure out where we are and how we can get back.

[Masterclick]

"This warrior has no desire to fight; he sees no benefit from conflict. However he will defend himself and those around him from unsolicited attacks. Especially against those who offer him aid."

[Rotaretilbo]

"There is no illusion sir. We are here, we are real, and there is no need for us to feel your mace. Stay your weapon, and let us discuss this like civil men. If you don't wish for me to call you friend, perhaps you could share you're real name?"


"You with the eye on your armor and weapon high, what do you mean illusion?"

"By what other magic than illusion can one suddenly find one's self transported from the clutches of demons to an idyllic field, and without some mage present no less?" He slowly draws his mace across the landscape surrounding them. "I recognize not any of you, yet you all appeared here as I did. What would you propose this is, then? None present claim responsibility for our sudden departures and subsequent arrival. What magic could call forth four people from four distinct locations without access to those people and without traveling with those people? This must be an illusion, and each of you is either a figment or a demon in disguise, here to torment me further."


"This coddled Antiite believes he can take this mighty warrior in combat? This warrior was the disfavored son of a Kharum chief before his vesztes identitás. This warrior was an acquistioner for the dwarves before his first death. This warrior's soul was rejected by the gods. This warrior has nothing left to fear, much less the useless prattling of this armored shell before him. If thou wisheth Dante this warrior will aide thee against this rogue. This warrior does not know whether he can trust you however he believeth that together the two may be able to find answers."

"Those that live on the border of the Dark Lands cannot be called 'coddled' by men. You tip your hand too early, demon." The man bashes his mace lightly against his shield. "Come, then, if you dare. See how a demon fairs without overwhelming numbers!"

[Airsoft Diddles]

Now as much as I love a good torment, I don't see it being in everyone's best interest. Indeed there is no mage here, but perhaps it is some other source that has brought us all together. I am no demon. My name is Dante, and I'm a Halfling from the free cities. Now please, stow your weapon so we may talk in a civilized manner. If you don't I'm afraid force may be required.

The Halfings eyes seem to be glowing an ever brighter purple

[Chrismastree]

We are all in the same situation friend. None of us know each other, yet we were all brought here. As you said there is no mage here that we see, but magic is like the gods. it can do almost anything. Besides, who's to say it isnt the gods looking out for us... lucky individuals. I say as i stand up and grab my mask.

[Masterclick]

"Well knight thou art obviously outnumbered. If thou refuseth to stand down the three of them before you have no alternative but to defend themselves. This warrior is no demon however he has been told he fights like one."

Runes on Gustav's earthbreaker begin to shine through the black mist that surrounds it.

Note to DM
Gustav just activated legacy weapon. His earthbreaker is now a +1 weapon.

[Chrismastree]

excuse me umm guy who... talks... funny. umm if its all the same to you ill just watch if this ends up a fight.

[Rotaretilbo]

"A pattern emerges. Three have drawn weapons and threatened force, yet only I am being accused of being 'uncivilized' or causing a stir. Three have drawn weapons and threatened force, yet only I am instructed to put up my weapon. You demons do a poor job at obfuscating your alliance. Cast aside this illusion! It is spoiled already."

[Airsoft Diddles]

"When the first thing you do is threaten my life my only instinct is to draw my weapon. Let us all stow our weapons"

The Halfling lowers his weapon

[Masterclick]

"If this warrior recalls correctly thou were the first to draw a weapon. This warrior was merely regretting his failure to save his family when thou appeared and raised thy weapon. This warrior does not understand why thou keep confusing him for an illusionist. None of his mystic arts permit him to work sorceries from that school of magic."

Gustav spins his weapon down so that the head lies upon the forest floor once more. However the earthbreaker still is covered in glowing runes and shrouded in a black mist.

[Rotaretilbo]

"My first action was to take a defensive stance, my second to warn you all to keep your distance. These abnormal circumstances do not lend themselves well to trust." Slowly, he lets the mace handle slide in his hand, until he holds it just under the head. "But as we stood here, locked in our standoff, I realized something. If this is an illusion, your intent is not to kill me. If you wanted me dead, you could achieve it without going to the trouble of all this. So as long as it is understood that I have not fallen for this ruse, but cease my struggles out of futility...well, that's enough for me." Bending to one knee, he lowers himself into a sitting position, his legs loosely crossed with the shield resting over his lap and the mace on the ground, not in hand, but in easy reach. "A name, you asked earlier? I am called Wolfgang." Leaning back slightly, supporting himself with his right arm, Wolfgang seems to take a deep breath, and visibly relaxes.

Canceling the readied action to attack the first creature to come within range. Instead, on the off chance that this goes mostly uninterrupted for an hour, I am starting quiet contemplation to regain my spell slots. Spells to be prepared are as follows:


Orisons

Detect Magic
Guidance
Resistance
Virtue

1st-Level

Obscuring Mist
Protection from Evil
Sanctuary
Shield of Faith

[Airsoft Diddles]

The Halfling returns his long spear to his back, and the purple glow in his eyes subsides.

"Now that those unpleasantries are over maybe we can get somewhere. Elf, you have not yet brought forth your identity, what is your name?"

[Chrismastree]

oh how rude of me, if you would not have said anything Dainty the half-ling from the free cities i would have completely forgotten so my thanks to you! I am Fuma an elf from the great forest. it is a pleasure to meet you all. umm before we head out i was wondering mister wolfgang, is the offer to hold your mace to see how heavy it is still available?

[Rotaretilbo]

Wolfgang shifts his position briefly, reaching out for where the mace is. It takes him a couple of tries to actually grasp it, though. Are his eyes closed? Once he's grabbed it, with a non-commital grunt, he rolls it in the general direction of Fuma. It doesn't quite roll straight, nor does it get particularly far, but the intent is clear enough. After that, he feels around once more, selecting two small, round stones, which he begins working back and forth in one hand, grinding them against one another, like overly large prayer beads. His focus seems elsewhere.

[Chrismastree]

Fuma goes to pick up the mace. unaware of how heavy it actually is it takes him by surprise that he has to use so much effort to pick it up. wow it IS heavy you are right! this is the first time i have held one before thank you for the oppertunity! Fuma puts the mace down right next to wolfgang.

[Airsoft Diddles]

Dante ignores the halfwit elf and looks around.

"Now the question is, where are we?"

[Chrismastree]

I'm not sure this place does not seem familiar to me.

[Airsoft Diddles]

"I hear water over that way. A river maybe. That's a good a place as any to start"

[Masterclick]

A faint hint of a smile crosses Gustav's face as he watches Fuma lift Wolfgang's hammer.

Fuma if thou findest that weapon cumbersome thou should try lifting this warrior's earthbreaker sometime. Thou shouldst wait for my enchantment to wear off though. "

The smile disappearing, Gustav turns towards Dante.

"Where there is water there is life. This party should ascertain the necessities of survival while they search for where exactly they are. This warrior wonders if one of you wishes to take point. If this warrior is chosen to lead he could withstand a surprise attack however if some foe comes upon us howevere he doeth much better if he is forwarned of his adversary."

[Airsoft Diddles]

Fuma, you seem like the perfect candidate to lead the way. Gustav can follow behind him for support, I'll be in the middle, and Wolfgang may take up the rear. Shall we get started?

[Chrismastree]

I don't mind leading the way just make sure to give me some space so i can scout properly.

[Rotaretilbo]

With a bit of a grumble, Wolfgang drops the stones he was toying with and shrugs his right shoulder, pulling his arm out of the strap for his backpack and the leaning to let the backpack slide down his left arm and onto the shield. Opening it and perusing the contents, he looks to the others. "I have enough food to last the four of us nearly two days, for what that's worth." Latching shut the backpack, he pulls it back up his left arm and then works his right arm back through the strap. He pats a waterskin at his left hip to see how full it is. "And enough water to keep the four of us going for maybe a few hours." Taking hold of his mace and once more planting the shield, he pulls himself to his feet. Making a simple gesture to Fuma, he adds "Well? After you."

Looks like I'll have to prepare spells later.

Survival
[roll0]
To get a better idea of what time of day it is.

Perception
[roll1]
To look/listen for signs of civilization nearby, which would include people other than the four of us being nearby, so it doubles as looking/listening for a potential ambush.

[tiny tim]

The party walks for about 20 minutes before reaching the source of the water noise. It's a small creek only a few feet across and a few inches deep at most.


The trees around the creek thin slightly and looking up you believe it to be about 11 AM. You also believe the creek to be running roughly East to West.

[Airsoft Diddles]

"I may have exaggerated the river"
Dante says with a monotone voice

[Chrismastree]

I'ts ok dainty we all make mistakes. You found us a water supply and that's important.

[Airsoft Diddles]

"It's dante," the Halfling replies

[Chrismastree]

Oh Dante! see that makes more sense. I assumed your name was Dainty to match your size so you wouldn't forget it. Dante is a better name.

[Airsoft Diddles]

"So should we go up or down the creek? I would assume down"

[Chrismastree]

alright lets go down the creek. Fuma starts walking along the creek following the water flow.

[Masterclick]

Gustav continues to follow the halfling and the elf.

[Rotaretilbo]

Wolfgang continues to bring up the rear.

[tiny tim]

Moving downstream for several hours, the party eventually reaches a small pond, maybe a quarter of a mile across. There are several smaller streams like the one you've been following feeding into it, and then one larger river running off of it and continuing downstream. It is approximately 3 in the afternoon. As you take a moment to look around in the clearing surrounding the river, you can see in the far distance behind you the tips of mountains poking above the treetops.

You both notice that just into the wood line adjacent to the path you are taking along the pond is a large bloody pile of something. You can't make out what it is clearly from here though.

[Chrismastree]

hey guys there seems to be something over there in the wood line across from us i think we should check it out, but cautiously it looks like blood from here. Fuma stops and turns to everyone else to get their input.

[Masterclick]

"This warrior is concerned by the existence of such a mound. This warrior would prefer to not be caught unawares by whatever caused the that mound to have come into being. He wishes to investigate. Would one of the two nimble members of this party wish to investigate using stealth? If this party wishes to utilize a more forward approach, this warrior is willing to lead the advance."

[Chrismastree]

I can go check it out just make sure to have my back if things go south, i would not like to be caught surrounded and alone if i can help it. Fuma attempts to stealth his way closer to the mound.

[tiny tim]

As the two draw closer, they initially believe that the piles is several smaller creatures. Possibly something the size of foxes or small canines. Upon a more detailed inspection, however, it appears the separate pieces all belonged to one creature torn into multiple distinct pieces. It may have been a truly massive elk or moose before it was killed, but now it is mangled and mostly eaten beyond recognition. Looking at the area immediately surrounding it, Gustav sees some clear signs. The undergrowth is too thick to check for footprints, but he can see bark scraped off of nearby trees and a few saplings that are practically uprooted. Something very large, much larger than the prey in front of you, moved through here and deeper into the forest an unknown time ago.

[Rotaretilbo]

Wolfgang follows a bit behind the others. "Well? What have you found?"

Knowledge (Planes)
[roll0]
WAS IT A DEMON (the thing that killed whatever we found, not the thing we found)!?

[Airsoft Diddles]

"I'm not quite sure, but whatever it is its large. I would suggest caution as we proceed. Forest can be prickly foes, something I've learned from experience."

[Chrismastree]

I agree with Dante on this one i think we should be extra cautious from here on. Whatever it was that came through here seems vicious. We can follow the broken branches to the beast or we can continue on our way down the river. Which is it Fuma takes his daggers out while saying this.

[Masterclick]

"This warrior feels like he has become too intimate with death over the last few days.he would prefer to avoid whatever caused this. He would prefer to travel down the river away from this beast."

[Rotaretilbo]

"If it's not a demon, what business is it of ours? Mind that we have limited daylight. Let us continue."

[Airsoft Diddles]

Dante shrugs, and continues on towards the river flowing from the pond

[tiny tim]

The party continues onward down the path of the river. After several more hours twilight is approaching and the idea of making camp for the night is brought up just before the party sees the trees thinning out ahead. Rushing forward you can see the forest you have been walking through is on something of a plateau. In front of you is a large, flat plain. Only a short walk from your current vantage point, you witness a small village bustling with activity. Far in the distance beyond that you see a rather large walled city upon a hill overlooking the area.

[Masterclick]

"Do any of you recognize the following town and do any of you have any reason to suggest why this party should not go there? If not this warrior believes that would be the best location for this party to find answers."

[Rotaretilbo]

"My feet are tired, but seeing such a cozy-looking village fills me with determination. I know not where we are, but let us press onward and sleep indoors this night."

[Chrismastree]

I think setting up camp a little bit back into the forest is a good idea and we will go to the village in the morning. the village is still a long distance away and we do not know this area very well. if we were to continue on while already fatigued and were to get attacked, we could all die.

[Masterclick]

"This warrior was talking about the small village merely a short distance away not the city. After seeing the mound of death this party found in the wilderness he believes this party would be safer among the shelter of others. That village may be filled with the worst kind of humanoid but this warrior prefers the devil he has experience with than the unknown horror he does not."

[Chrismastree]

well lets hope this small village can provide some answers along with lodging. Fuma starts towards the village.

[Airsoft Diddles]

Dante looks wary of the village, but follows regardless

[Rotaretilbo]

Wolfgang continues to bring up the rear.

[tiny tim]

The party descends down the slope towards the village. Drawing closer, it becomes apparent that the village is preparing for some manner of event. Even at this late hour there are people busy setting up a large tent and moving large tables and benches around. Several of you notice a torch or lantern lit at the top of a bell tower from what is either a church or a town hall building. Just before you reach the village that light goes out. Several people seem to have noticed your imminent arrival and are waiting for you when you reach the outskirts of the town. You see one man standing in front, obviously a leader, wearing work clothes and with a longsword belted to his waist. The other 4 men with him are each carrying a torch, and are dressed similarly to him.

The leader of the group flashes a disarming smile and greets you, "Greetings friends! It is not often we see strangers coming from the forest. Especially a group composed of... a human, an elf, a halfling and what appears to be a walking suit of armor! My name is Torsen, mayor of this small town. To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit this fine evening?"


You have never seen a village in this style before, but you can tell it is likely not of elven design, and it's certainly nothing you would see in or near the great forest.

[Chrismastree]

Hello good sir! we are a group of travelers that are very lost. So lost that we have no idea what this fine city of yours is called or what region we are in. would there possibly be a place that we can stay the night here?

[tiny tim]

"Well, I'm certainly sorry to hear that. It's easy to get lost in the forest. You find your self in Yedenton on the eve of a very special day. We live under the auspices of King Vedric."

Torsen thinks for a moment at your question, "Well, I suppose something could be arranged. We can put you up in the boarding house, it's got a couple empty rooms. We'll put you to work tomorrow to pay for it."

[Chrismastree]

We thank you for your hospitality toward a group of strangers, and we will gladly accept your offer. perhaps tomorrow when we have some time after the labor, we can talk some more if you'd be so kind as to answer some other questions.

[tiny tim]

"Well we may not have much time tomorrow. But we shall see. Still, I am sure you would not begrudge me your names before I let you into my village."

[Rotaretilbo]

"I am known as Wolfgang. You have my thanks for this consideration."

[Chrismastree]

My name is Fuma. Fuma gives a thankful head bow.

[Airsoft Diddles]

"Dante " the Halfling says with disdain

[Masterclick]

"This warrior is known as Gustav."

[tiny tim]

Torsen studies each face as they state their name, with the exception of Wolfgang's covered by his helmet.

"Good to meet all of you! If you would follow me, I can take you to where you may spend the night."

Assuming everyone follows, he leads you through the village, making cheerful idle banter along the way. "It's too bad you're not from around here. This is a great little corner of the kingdom. We get the occasional monster attack or bandit incursion, but we're far enough from any borders that we haven't seen war in these parts in... must be decades now. We're also close enough to Vedrin that anything that does threaten us is usually dealt with pretty quickly. Yes, we've got it quite nice out here. You can hardly tell the entire world is out to kill you. But here we are." Torsen gestures to the building you have arrived at, the largest in town. "This is Madeline's place. It functions as our general store, bar, and inn when we have the occasional visitors. It's actually almost full, but I seem to recall there being two rooms available." He leads you inside and you see a fairly well stocked, though small, country store with a bar at one end. The place is vacant except for one woman, apparently just as cheerful as Torsen, standing behind the bar. "Madeline, it appears we have some last minute arrivals. Just wandered into town I was thinking we could put them up in the last two rooms. I'll be paying for their stay."

"Oh, and how long will they be staying for?"
"Well, we haven't decided that yet. But I would say at least through tomorrow night."
"Very well, I've got some stew on that I can serve up. Rooms six and seven, just down the hall there. Doors are unlocked, each room has two beds. Doesn't matter to me how you split them up. You can leave your bags there and get out of all that clunky metal armor. By the time you're done, I'll have your dinner ready." Madeline points down a hallway where you can see several doors. Catching a glimpse through another open door you see a crackling fire in a small, empty dining room.

You notice that when Torsen speaks of how safe it is here, there is an almost regretful tone to his voice. As if he wishes, somewhere deep down, that there was a little bit more danger here.

You notice that Torsen walks with an almost unnoticeable limp on his left leg. You think it is from an injury that healed long ago, and that he is very used to dealing with.

[Masterclick]

"This warrior appreciates your hospitality Torsen."
Gustav turns to the rest of the party.
"This party may be happiest and safest if one of the warriors shared a room with either the the elf or the halfling. Fuma wouldst thou be willing to share a room with this warrior?"

[Airsoft Diddles]

"Someone seems smitten"
Dante says under his breath. He proceeds to walk back to room six and looks around the room with an appearance of incomptempt

[Chrismastree]

Oh Torsen speaking of wild animals, on our way in we did see a carcass of a large animal shredded up pretty bad by what seemed to be an even larger animal.

[Chrismastree]

"This warrior appreciates your hospitality Torsen."
Gustav turns to the rest of the party.
"This party may be happiest and safest if one of the warriors shared a room with either the the elf or the halfling. Fuma wouldst thou be willing to share a room with this warrior?"

I have no issue with that

[Rotaretilbo]

Wolfgang shrugs. "I don't have a preference between the three of you, so I see no reasonable objection to sharing a room with Dante. However," Wolfgang turns to Madeline, "I would prefer to take my meals in my room. Is that acceptable?"

[tiny tim]

"That can be arranged. I'll have your roommate bring it in to you when he comes out for his."

As everyone goes to their rooms, you notice that the door to each bedroom has what appears to be a holy symbol affixed to it, though none of you recognize it. It resembles a circle with one half of it a sunburst, the other half a moon. The rooms themselves are comfortable enough for 2 people, with 2 beds in each room and a table with 2 chairs.

Anyone got any plans while they are in the rooms?

[Rotaretilbo]

"Once again, I appreciate the consideration." Wolfgang retires to his room.

[Masterclick]

Gustav tries to spend part of the night getting to know those of his companions better. He tries to talk to each of them individually.

I took some liberties writing your characters doing very minor things that would place them in a situation that would allow this conversation to take place. I have done this in order to speed up the post by post so that we don't have use up two posts with one of you opening a door, greeting me and letting me in to talk. If this bothers you let me know and I will not do it again.

This warrior requested you room with Wolfgang for a specific reason. If thou art willing this warrior asks that thou wouldst spy on Wolfgang tonight. This warrior is apprehensive about having a compatriot who has not revealed his face. Furthermore Wolfgang's shield and cloak bear the symbol of Thyrias, a god of Justice. This warrior believes a follower of the God of Justice would show his face, not hide it behind a mask. This warrior typically would not ask another to do his dirty work however from what this warrior has gathered thou art more suited for this task than he. In addition you were also present when Wolfgang threatened to attack this party unprovoked. This warrior understands how disconcerting a jump this party experience, nevertheless he would prefer not to be taken unawares.

Perchance thou wouldst be able to catch a glimpse of his face and insure he is actually a follower of Thyrias and not some other god's worshipper in disguise?"

OOC note: I'm making a knowledge check on how a cleric/paladin/warpriest of Thyrias would commune with his god to refresh his powers. If Gustav succeed Gustav will pass the information on to Dante.

Gustav knocks on room six without any weapons visible on his person. Once Wolfgang opens the door Gustav asks him, "Wouldst thou give this warrior a quick moment of your time? This warrior has a few questions he would prefer to ask you in quiet."
Once Wolfgang lets Gustav in and closes the door Gustav begins, "This warrior understands that thou art one who does not appear to be incredibly fond of conversation so this warrior will get to his point quickly. To put it bluntly, this warrior is not sure he can trust you. Do you still consider this warrior, Dante and Fuma to be devils? Do you still pose a threat to our party? You wear the symbols of Thyrias, a god I am not very familiar with. However from what this warrior understands of Thyrias he would not approve of one of his followers attacking fellow compatriots without warning. Is this true?"

Sometime when Gustav and Fuma are alone together in their room Gustav begins to ask Fuma about his elvish heritage. Did you spend your entire life living among the elves? Are you from the Great Forest? If so what could you tell this warrior about it. It is strange; this warrior's elvish heritage" Gustav waves at his pointed ears has played a huge role in his upbringing and banishment from his human tribe. However he knows very little about it. This warrior does speak the elvish language so that he could be the translator for any elves that visited his tribe but that is it."

First off knowledge check: religion to know what the daily religious rituals/devotions that a cleric/warpriest/paladin/etc. of Thyrias would have to preform to maintain his religious powers.
[roll0]

Secondly, Gustav asks Madeline if there is a library of some sort in the town where he could find a book on the gods of Antium. If Gustav is able to find one he tries to preform research on Thyrias to try to make sure Wolfgang is what his religious iconography claim him to be. Gustav also tries to find out what is Thyrias's opinion on undead.

Finally, if you want to read all my spoilers knock yourself out.

[Chrismastree]

Fuma stays and makes small talk with Madeline until his meal is ready, which he then goes to his room and talks with Gustav.I have lived with elves all my life, this is actually the first time i have ever met anyone that is not an elf. I first lived in the northern part of the Great Forest that is divided by the Everlasting Blaze. in fact i lived right next to the Everlasting Blaze. then due to a group of..... undesirables I found myself crossing over to the southern side of the Great Forest, again right next to the Eternal Flame, with the help of... someone i can't remember. A village took me in and gave me a home. They were the nicest people i had ever met. you suddenly see Fuma's expression go from his normal happy go lucky self to a form of shocking remembrance and looks to be in a trance. Then they came again.... I... I tried to stop them but i couldn't i wasn't strong enough. you notice Fuma starts holding on tight to the mask he has. After a little while he snaps out of his trance like state and looks at you with his normal expression you see him have. What about yourself Gustav. Where did you come from?

[Rotaretilbo]

At some point in the night, I imagine that Dante will be in Room 6 at the same time as Wolfgang, particularly considering that Wolfgang doesn't intend to leave said room and Dante presumably intends to sleep there, so I'll just put this here.

Having removed and set aside his armor, Wolfgang is revealed to be...human, perhaps? He appears completely hairless, all visible skin (that of his head) being entirely constituted of scar tissue. The skin itself is a sort of soft slate purple. Small metal prosthetics serve in place of ears. His eyes are a dull emerald, but his face is difficult to read, between the scars and absence of eyebrows. He's probably too bulky to be an elf or half-elf, he lacks the tusks of a full-blooded orc, and his proportions don't lend themselves to a hobgoblin, but you can't really rule out human or half-orc.

He wears cloth pants, a simple cloth tunic, and a thick cloth cloak with a simple cowl and copper clasp, all a soft almond. As before, the cloak bears the image of a longsword alight in flames in deep crimson. Solid tanned leather boots adorn his feet, supple leather gloves cover his hands, and a simple leather belt wraps about his waist, all a smokey gray. The musty brown tome still hangs by a chain about his neck. A leather pouch, which looks to contain maybe four score coins, and a small waterskin rest on his belt at his left hip. There is a simple leather loop at his right hip, but his mace leans against a nearby wall alongside his armor and backpack.

You May Roll for Additional Information
The wavy patterns of the scar tissue indicates that these are burn scars.
His tunic and pants, like his cloak, are made of asbestos cloth. His boots, gloves, and belt are made of shark skin.

Having removed and set aside his armor, Wolfgang is revealed to be...human, perhaps? He appears completely hairless, all visible skin (that of his face and arms) being entirely constituted of scar tissue. The skin itself is a sort of soft slate purple. Small metal prosthetics serve in place of ears. His eyes are a dull emerald, but his face is difficult to read, between the scars and absence of eyebrows. He's probably too bulky to be an elf or half-elf, he lacks the tusks of a full-blooded orc, and his proportions don't lend themselves to a hobgoblin, but you can't really rule out human or half-orc.

He wears cloth pants, a simple cloth tunic, and a thick cloth cloak with a simple cowl and copper clasp, all a soft almond. As before, the cloak bears the image of a longsword alight in flames in deep crimson. Solid tanned leather boots adorn his feet, supple leather gloves cover his hands, and a simple leather belt wraps about his waist, all a smokey gray. The musty brown tome still hangs by a chain about his neck. A leather pouch, which looks to contain maybe four score coins, and a small waterskin rest on his belt at his left hip. There is a simple leather loop at his right hip, but his mace leans against a nearby wall alongside his armor and backpack.

Wolfgang rests on a chair, ruminating. After a pause, he responds, "Whether or not you are demons is a matter that will be settled soon, but I will not act on my beliefs until I have confirmed them. If you are as you say, you have no reason to be concerned."

You May Roll for Additional Information
The wavy patterns of the scar tissue indicates that these are burn scars.
His tunic and pants, like his cloak, are made of asbestos cloth. His boots, gloves, and belt are made of shark skin.

Let's try preparing spells again.


Orisons

Detect Magic
Guidance
Resistance
Virtue

1st-Level

Obscuring Mist
Protection from Evil
Sanctuary
Shield of Faith

[Airsoft Diddles]

Dante spends most of his time outside of the inn, but does eventually come inside to warm up. It seems like he isn't a very big fan of spending time indoors, and much prefers the crisp air of the night.

"Wolfgang seems to check out alright. I'm not sure what he is exactly though. Could be human, or maybe a half orc. His face is scarred, his skin a grayish purple. I haven't seen anything that sets of any alarms, other than that he is one ugly soul."

During the night Dante continually comes in and out of the room. When he is in you notice that he oftentimes seems to talk to himself, or rather someone he thinks he is there.

Whenever Dante begins talking to himself his eyes start shining an even brighter purple.

[Masterclick]

"This warrior is sorry if this memories have brought you discomfort. This warrior comes from the desert of Kharum. A harsh and unforgiving place. He comes from the tribe of Kleilax. The chieftain was my mother's husband. Neither of them were elves. This warrior left that place as soon as he turned sixteen and could take care of himself.

This warrior found a group of mercenaries for the dwarves in the dwarven hills. Those men were my family. Among them I was truly happy. However they are gone now due to this warrior joining their band. Nevertheless," Gustav holds up the skull attached to his armor, "they are still with this warrior and still grant him guidance."

"Thank you for checking for me."

"This warrior appreciates that. This warrior does not begrudge you for thy aggressive behavior when these two met. He just does not want you to betray him in battle.

On a different subject of conversation, this warrior assumes you are a holy warrior of Thyrias. Are you beholden to him or one of his saints?"

[Rotaretilbo]

"I serve the Order of Saint Sigmund, given the holy task of protecting Antium from the evils of the Dark Lands, be they demons, undead, or the foul necromancers that consort with demons and create undead." Reclining in his chair, Wolfgang adds, "And what of you, Gustav? You mentioned something before about the dwarves, but I must admit I am not familiar with the lands beyond the crater."

Perception
[roll0]
Whatever Dante's spoiler is for.

[Chrismastree]

You carry one of their skulls with you? That's very poetic. I think they are happy to still be able to help by guiding you along. Why did you leave? They had a band?! were you the singer?

[Masterclick]

"This warrior was banished from his tribe in the Kharum desert as a result of his elvish heritage. He found kinship among a group of mercenaries in the dwarven lands. Unfortunately that band is no more. It was slain by a horde of undead. Thus this warrior no longer has home or kin."

"My band was betrayed by an employer. We were sacrificial lambs so our employer could accomplish some goal of his own. This warrior was on the ground bleeding out with his fellow warriors before being summoned to this party."

[Chrismastree]

That is very strange. It is very similar to my situation... I wonder if that's what happened to everyone here..

[Rotaretilbo]

"The undead are a scourge upon us all, it would seem."

[Masterclick]

"Most necromancers do seem to create undead with the intention of destruction and misery that seems to be true. Thank you for your time good knight. However this warrior is beginning to tire and wishes to be well rested for whatever job this party's host asks of us tomorrow. Is there anything else you wish to discuss before this warrior leaves?"

"That is strange. Maybe we should ask the rest of this party tomorrow if that is the case. Thinking of tomorrow this warrior thinks he should get rested so he has sufficient energy for whatever the day brings us. Is there anything else you wish to discuss?"

[Chrismastree]

No I think it is time we get some rest

[tiny tim]

At some point in the evening Madeline comes by your rooms and hands you a silver pen, asking you to sign the guest book for the inn. The next morning is welcomed by shining sun and a knock on each of your doors. You notice as you are stepping out that just outside each of your doors is a line of salt. Madeline is waiting to greet each of you as you step out to take your breakfast, a hearty meal of blood sausage, eggs, and toast. Shortly after you finish up, Torsen appears to see how your night was, "I'm glad to see you all awake and up and about. Was your stay here last night to your liking? Madeline is a great host from what I've seen. We're just waiting for everyone else to wake up and then we're going to finish preparations. We'll find something for you to do. Any questions for me before I head out?"


It's approximately 7 AM right now. This is a good opportunity to ask any other questions you might have for Torsen, or to go about anything you want to do in the morning before you get to work for the day.

[Airsoft Diddles]

Dante leaves the inn quickly after eating his breakfast. He heads for the forest. Before he leaves he whispers something to Gustav.

I will be back soon, there is someone that I need to talk to face to face. He leaves without another word.

As Dante is leaving his eyes are glowing a dark purple color, and it's obvious that this tint is not a natural color.

Dante is heading out to the woods so he can talk with Coron about everything that has transpired that day. He will return before the chores for the day begin.

[Chrismastree]

Fuma thanks Madeline for the food. Torsen what kind of predators lurk in the forests here? Fuma begins eating as he is waiting for Torsen's response

[Rotaretilbo]

Spells prepared this morning.


Orisons

Detect Magic
Guidance
Resistance
Virtue

1st-Level

Obscuring Mist
Protection from Evil
Sanctuary
Shield of Faith



Once dressed, armed, and armored, just before leaving his room, Wolfgang casts Protection from Evil on himself. Duration will be 3 minutes, and most notably will prevent Evil Outsiders from making physical contact with him. He's going to head straight downstairs and attempt to bait one of the others into trying to make physical contact with him. So if whichever one that takes the bait happens to be an EVIL DEMON, this should make it immediately apparent.

Oh, and I should probably roll for Dante's thing.

Perception
[roll0]

Wolfgang, having donned his armor once more, makes his way to the common area. Seeing Fuma and (presumably) Gustav, he approaches. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday. I hope it has not poorly colored your opinion of me." He extends an arm, offering a handshake to either Gustav or Fuma.

[tiny tim]

"Predators? Well, there are plenty out there. The closer you get to the mountains, the more dangerous they are. You're going to have a lot of normal animals. Wolves, mountain lions, things like that. Occasionally we'll get truly beastly versions of them wandering out of the corrupted regions. Then there are the more unnatural creatures. Very rarely we'll get some lycans moving through, but drakes, wyverns and trolls are not unheard of. And then once you reach the mountains proper you get ogres, orc clans, and a few giants. Generally anything more dangerous than an animal knows better than to leave the forest, as they'll be hunted either by the King's men or the nearest lodge."

[Chrismastree]

Fuma shakes Wolfgangs hand no offense taken sir

[Chrismastree]

If that is the case, I should go check on our little friend that just headed into the forest.
Fuma heads after Dante keeping his distance, but staying close enough to where if something happened he could get there in time. stealth check to remain hidden:
[roll0]
You notice Fuma in the distance watching you in a protective manner.

[Masterclick]

Gustav also shakes Wolfgang's hand.

Gustav turns to Torsen, "Do you have any idea what type of job you are going to assign this party to do?"

[tiny tim]

"Well, I haven't quite decided yet. We'll have to see what still needs to be done, but I'm sure we can come up with some manual labor fit for your particular talents. You've still got a little bit of time to prepare though. Give me about half an hour and then find me out in the field. It will be obvious which one."

Torsen goes to leave and begin organizing preparations.


You head back to a small grove of trees you saw on the way into town, only about 10 minutes out. After focusing for a minute, Coron appears walking out of one of the trees. Just as beautiful as you remember her. "These trees are strange, I do not recognize them. We are far from our home now. I have seen these new companions of yours. I do not trust them. The metal man reeks of civilization, and the warrior from the strange land has a deathly chill about him. The elf though... He understands nature. I do not believe he is a threat. But we don't know if we can trust him to keep his mouth shut. Don't reveal my presence unless you have to. We need to buy more time to train, so we can kill your sister."

You follow Dante for about 10 minutes to a small grove of trees. As you watch he is there for about a minute before you see a beautiful elven woman in the grove with him, though the trees block your vision enough that you don't see where she came from. They appear to be discussing something, though you're too far away to hear any words.

Though at first you believe the woman to be an elf, her features are even more graceful and elegant than any other elf you have seen. And there is something very primal about her. You also notice that her eyes have a similar purple glow to those Dante shows on occasion.

[Chrismastree]

Fuma stays and watches. Not in a "curious what is going on" manner but more of a protective manner.

[Airsoft Diddles]

Dante heads back to the village shortly after leaving. He doesn't say anything upon arrival other than a small nod of the head

[Chrismastree]

Fuma arrives a couple minutes later. So where are we tasked to work? directing his attention to Gustav and Wolfgang.

[Masterclick]

"This party will be working in the fields. In about 25 minutes they are to journey to one of the fields looking for Torsen."

[Chrismastree]

well we have some time how about we go look at the village before we head to the fields. Fuma heads out to look throughout the town.

[Airsoft Diddles]

"Sounds good to me." Dante answers

[Masterclick]

"This warrior is content to just wait to begin." Gustav sits down near the fields in quiet contemplation.

[tiny tim]

Stepping outside, you see the quite town just starting to wake up. Taking a quick walk around, there doesn't appear to be too much that stands out. You can see that the building you saw the night before with the bell tower does seem to be some kind of church, with the same holy symbol you saw on the doors in the Inn prominently displayed on the front of the building. Beyond that, it seems the only other notable feature is Madeline's, where you had stayed the night, and the tents and large tables currently read to be set up in a large field just behind the church. A few of the other visitors at the inn have also awoken and are breaking their fast.

After wandering the town for a short while, you do see a new set of visitors arriving. Three newcomers ride in, with an important air around them. The first is a knight, clad in gleaming silver plate armor, intricately wrought with elaborate designs. At his side is a long sword and on his back a similar shield, polished to a mirror shine. At the back of the group is another knight in matching armor, though colored black as pitch. On his back he wears a greatsword as black as his armor. In between them is a joyful but tired looking middle aged man clad in a cloak of black cloth that seems to have silver motes appear and disappear at random inside it. As they draw closer, you see the man in the center has an almost unnoticeable shadow clinging to his immediate surroundings. Every villager that the trio passes instantly stops whatever they are doing and drops to their knees, bowing their heads deeply as they do so. They quickly ride to the church and dismount their horses before entering, with only a quick wave from the robed man to the crowd now gathered outside.

[Chrismastree]

It seems like that fancy looking man is rather important. Well, shall we head to the field to get our work done? Fuma says to Dante.

[Rotaretilbo]

As the group wanders outside (before the knights show up), Wolfgang casts Detect Magic; duration is 3 minutes. He'll spend the necessary 18 seconds inspecting Dante, then 18 seconds each for Gustav and Fuma. He'll leave the spell on, as he prepared it primarily to try and discern if this was all an illusion. He'll take the time to inspect anything else that appears magical in nature. He doesn't have Knowledge (Arcana), so he won't be able to determine school types, though.

Wolfgang brings up the rear of the group, plodding along quietly. His attention seems elsewhere as he seems to be reading from the small tome about his neck. After a few moments, he closes the tome, letting it hang once more from his neck, and seems to be more alert.

When Wolfgang was reading, he was also casting a spell.
The spell was Detect Magic.

[Rotaretilbo]

Knowledge (Religion)
[roll0]
Identify possible purposes for a line of salt.

Knowledge (Religion)
[roll1]
Is that dude undead? And if so, what sort?

Knowledge (Planar)
[roll2]
Is that dude a demon?
Disregard if not; I can only use this untrained against demons.

Not being able to preview a post once dice rolls are coded in is really annoying.

[Airsoft Diddles]

You're right Fuma. I don't like the look of that guy. No man should bow to another, it's just not right.

Dante leaves for the fields to commence his work.

[tiny tim]

And so the party of clueless chumps brave heroes sets off to their day of work.

You easily find Torsen in the field behind the church, organizing preparations. Throughout the rest of the morning and early afternoon he sends you all on varying tasks. Fuma helps chop some vegetables, Gustav works carrying heavy boxes and even single handedly frees a cart that got stuck in the mud, Dante is sent to find some flowers for decorations, and last but not least Wolfgang... stands on one corner of a tent when it gets really windy while people try to get it fastened down. Several more small groups of attendees arrive throughout the day, and by listening to the people around you talking you find that the event later tonight is a long awaited wedding. The townsfolk are also very excited that someone named "Azen" will be doing the rites in person. Towards the end of the work, Torsen disappears for a while. When he returns he is wearing an old and battle-worn, but very well taken care of, suit of armor emblazoned with an emblem of a horse on it's back legs and a treeline behind it. He is practically beaming with pride. He approaches each of you to thank you for your work and invites you into the church for the ceremony, as well as stating there should be enough room at the feast afterward for everyone.

[Chrismastree]

Torsen it has been a pleasure working with you to get this happy occasion ready, but I fear we should not over extend our welcome and continue our journey to get back to our respected homelands.

[tiny tim]

"I absolutely insist you attend. We don't have much occasion to be happy around here, so a wedding is a great opportunity. It would hurt my pride greatly if you were to decline an invitation to my daughter's wedding."

Torsen thinks for a moment, "Besides, you're next destination would probably be the capital. At the speed you move, it would take almost two full days travel to arrive. If you stay and leave in the morning, you'll only have to spend one night on the road instead of two. The nights are not always kind out here."

[Airsoft Diddles]

I would not be opposed to staying for dinner, however I would prefer not to stay the night here again. The sooner we are on the way the better.

[Masterclick]

"This warrior is not opposed to staying the night and would gladly accept Torsen's offers."

[Chrismastree]

Fuma takes his words in and remembers the carcass we found. You do have a point we are unfamiliar with these lands it would be best to leave in the morning.

[tiny tim]

"I can't tell you how happy I am that you've taken me up on my offer."

The party files into the church, which is absolutely packed with people. You notice that the pews on one side of the room are made of a white oak, while on the other side they are made of a darker ebony wood. Looking around, you estimate at least 200 people have managed to fit inside. Sitting towards the front you see many people in finer dress, most likely visitors from out of town, and several in what could only be considered fine dress by peasants, likely close relatives to those being married. You find seats far in the back on the white oak side of the room. At the very front of the church there is a large altar with a massive version of the holy symbol you've seen before hanging above it. Matching the furniture, the silver knight you've seen is standing on one side and the dark knight on the other.

After everyone takes their places a slender, tanned man in a dark suit takes up position between the altar and the dark knight, and then the same robed man you saw earlier exits one of the back rooms and stands in the center as an unearthly silence falls upon every man, woman and child in the room. Music begins playing from an unseen organ as the main doors open and Torsen enters escorting a young woman in a dazzling platinum dress. They walk up the center aisle together until they stand in front of the silver knight.

The robed man speaks in a voice that is soft, but commanding and seems to reverberate from the walls of the stone building.

"We meet here today to welcome the joining of two beloved souls. On this day, we honor the wishes of Fitch Weaver and Lady Jasmine Fastwood. They shall be joined as one in spirit until the twilight of our world. Fitch Weaver, do you extend your offer to Lady Jasmine Fastwood to share your life, wealth, and happiness with her?"

"I do extend that offer."

"Lady Jasmine Fastwood, do you accept Fitch Weaver's offer and in return agree to love and support him and any children you might bear?"

"I gladly accept this offer."

"Lord Torsen Fastwood, do you welcome Fitch Weaver into your family? Extending the name Fastwood to him and gladly calling him son?"

"I do welcome my new son."

"Then these souls of Lady Jasmine Fastwood and Lord Fitch Fastwood are bound now and forever in the holy name of Azen. Let them be granted long life, many happy years, and fertile fields."

As he declares that, each knight presents a dagger to one of the newly wed. You watch as they each make a cut in their own palm and present it to the other to drink of their blood.


With the ritual complete, all of the attendees stand in a wonderful cheer and several rush forth to offer personal congratulations. Working your way out through the crowd you can now see that the preparations you have been doing all day have paid off. The tables set up in the large tent outside are already being set to receive the first round of drinks. Taking their places at the very front table you see the people closest to the family. From left to right are seated the dark knight, the man in the robes, the silver knight, three men you aren't familiar with but readily take up drinks with Torsen, Torsen himself, Fitch, Jasmine, and 7 more people that you do not recognize.

Your seating is again near the back, but as the feast goes on and the front table gets their first dishes, you do see at one point one of the men speaking with Torsen waves a server over and points to your table. Shortly afterwards a whole, steaming suckling pig is placed in front of you.

Alright, enjoy the feast guys! It's... THE LAST ONE YOU'LL EVER SEE! MWAHAHAHA! *cough* Anyway, ya. So what's everyone going to do? There are multiple people sitting near you, as well as plenty of people wandering around drinking. After the main courses are finished, an area is cleared out in front of the tent for dancing while a small band plays jaunty folk music as well.

[Chrismastree]

Fuma Picks at the pig confused and fascinated as he has never seen this kind of dish before. He takes a bite eventually, and eats his share of it. lightly mingles with the people around him, but has no interest in dancing.

[Masterclick]

"This is the the first wedding this warrior has attended since outside his native tribe. There is a far too much pomp. Do you suppose Torsen would appreciate this warrior starting a drunken brawl? It was always the most popular part of the wedding in this warrior's home tribe. This warrior has read about foreign weddings but he had always assumed that the brawls were just expunged from the record like they are in his tribe. This warrior always avoided those brawls unless they started with him getting attacked however, since Torsen has been such a gracious host this warrior would be willing to initiate one. What do this warrior's companions think about him starting a brawl out of generosity?"

[Chrismastree]

I am not familiar with human weddings, but a few of them do seem to be dressed as if ready for a brawl. Why not give it a try?

[Rotaretilbo]

Wolfgang looks down at the food, but can neither eat nor drink without removing his helmet. "I do not believe it wise to make any assumptions, here. Our weddings typically feature neither drunken brawls nor the exchange of blood as drink. We should let those in the know take the lead."

[Chrismastree]

You seem to know a lot about these rituals Wolfgang. I admit I thought the blood drinking was strange, but know not about such human rituals. You say this is not how it is suppose to go?

[tiny tim]

As you discuss whether or not to start a brawl at the wedding, a strongly built man with several visible scars approaches where the 4 of you sit. You recognize him as one of the three men that Torsen was engaging with up at the main table. "I understand you're not from around here. I was wondering how you're liking your first time at one of our celebrations?"

[Masterclick]

"This party was discussing whether or not starting a brawl would be an appropriate way to show our appreciation to Torsen for the hospitality he has shown us."

[tiny tim]

He laughs heartily at your dilemma, "Well, I wouldn't say it is a requirement. There are certainly those of us here that can handle themselves in a fight, myself included, but it's not exactly standard. I only recall one wedding I attended where that was a tradition. It was for a Kharumite princess. Boy was that a good fight, but it was many years ago. I haven't had a real nice fist fight since then."

[Chrismastree]

Interesting... I am unfamiliar with Human rituals, can you explain to me what the drinking of blood was about?

[Airsoft Diddles]

"I too am curious. In my early life I spent some time around humans. None of them ever drank each other's blood. This is most unsettling to me if I may be so honest "

Throughout the ordeal Dante has seemed uncomfortable, even more so than normal.

[tiny tim]

"I can't really blame you for thinking it's a bit odd. We don't really do that in the city, but out here people tend to be much more devout followers of Azen, and that's how he conducts his marriages. He says that blood has it's own magic to it, and when used in part of a ritual like this it carries the vows eternally. I'm not sure how much faith I put in that though. Or in an afterlife at all, really. So what are things like in the places you've come from? I admit I haven't spent much time outside of the kingdoms."

[Chrismastree]

The village I grew up in was a farming village that produced food for all the neighboring villages since our land was the most fertile. Our ceremonies were short and of lower quality so we could get back to work easier.

[Airsoft Diddles]

"I lived in the free cities for a few year, but grew up by myself in a forest for most of my life"

[Masterclick]

"This warrior comes from the deserts of Kharum. Perhaps brawls are a tradition native to the Kharumite culture."

[Rotaretilbo]

"In retrospect, the rituals of my people were rather quaint as well."

[tiny tim]

"I thought you looked like a Kharumite. It's terrible what's been happening there, and I've heard the trade routes are getting more dangerous by the day. So where were you guys planning on heading to next?"

[Airsoft Diddles]

"At the moment I'm going wherever these fellows are going. After that I plan on tracking down my sister"

[Chrismastree]

I wish to head back to where I am from in the Great Forest for I have some... unfinished business. With that being said, I think the best way to do that is to stick together with these three until I have found my way there.

[Masterclick]

"This warrior is unsure. He has no reason to return to any of his homes. There is no one there for him. He will probably wander these lands looking for a new family."

[tiny tim]

"Well, I'm not sure a trip to the forest would be an easy thing to do these days. This time of year the storms start getting bad. Even if you got to the coast, you're not likely to find a captain willing to take you out. Tell you what though, if you happen to be in the city in... let's say 4 day's time, head to the castle and tell the guards 'The bottom dog swings the hammer'. They'll let you in and we might be able to figure something out."

[Chrismastree]

Fuma writes down in elven what the man says, but instead says back to him The top hat thrusts the axe got it. Fuma throws up a smile as to let the man know he's pulling his leg. His smile fades as he then begins to ask How far away is the Great Forest? you said we'd have to get off this island so i know now that it is not very close.

[tiny tim]

"Sounds like you got it. As far as how far away it is, I'm not really sure. Never been much for ocean travel. I can say the nearest port that might get you there is at least a few weeks away by horseback. Anyway, I should probably get back to my meal. Have a great night all of you."

And the man who's name you never asked heads back to the main table. The noise in the tent has gotten rather loud at this point, and if you did want to speak to each other you would likely not be overheard if you were quite.

[Rotaretilbo]

Wolfgang turns his head towards Fuma. You can't see his face, but the way it remains there, still and without word, is probably a sign of unhappiness, at least. After an uncomfortable moment, he speaks, "I don't believe we should be broadcasting our situation to people we've just met. I can't speak for you, but where I'm from, four strange outsiders claiming such a bizarre situation would be met with suspicion and fear, for who else has cause to lie about their origins and intent but brigands and criminals? Not to mention that I cannot condone exposing our weakness, our ignorance regarding our present location, to strangers." His head inclines to the others. "I believe we would all do well to discuss our situation in private before revealing anything further to the inhabitants here. I am fairly confident that none of you are demons, but how can we know that we can trust the people of this town? We should, at the very least, seek to understand how we came here and, if possible, why, before we reveal our circumstances to others, let alone our goals."

He pauses for a moment, his head turning back forward and down, staring at the food he hasn't touched. "As Gustav noted, I am from Antium, and as you all might have guessed, I was in the custody of demons before I found myself in that forest. Based on what you all have said, I believe that Dante is from the Free Cities, a place I'm familiar with, Gustav is from Kharum, which I've heard of, and Fuma is from some 'great' forest, which I've not heard of. Where were each of you before you found yourselves in that forest?"

[Airsoft Diddles]

"I was having a lovely.... get together with my dear sister. I hadn't seen her in so long. I was born in the free cities, but didn't spend much time there after I left at a fairly young age."

[Chrismastree]

I grew up in a small village hidden away so we never had any strangers. I will trust you're judgement on this as you would have more experience with this than I. I was stopping an attack on my village by a group of elves that called themselves the "Flames of Rebirth" their goal is too rekindle the spark of war in the Great Forest. Fuma's face is noticeably sad as he says this.

[Masterclick]

"This warrior was investigating..." Gustav pauses for a good five seconds in the middle of his sentence "some ruins in Kharum with his band of acquirers when his party was betrayed by his employer and the party was left to die at the hand of soulless skeletons."

[Rotaretilbo]

"I see something of a pattern, that three of us were in dire situations, but it isn't enough. Surely, at any given time, there are scores of men in such positions, and Dante serves as a clear outlier. What else... I remember a white mist, and then... voices! There were voices. But I was so confused, I wasn't really listening to what they were saying. Were there voices for you three as well? Does anyone remember what they were saying?"

[Masterclick]

"This warrior remembers two voices arguing fate and how saving who this warrior assumes is this party goes afainst fate. One voice argued that they should not abuse their powers to break the balance of things. The other argued that evil had already won and it was only through cheating that evils victory could be prevented. This warrior could not determine who the two voices were but, with access to a library he has the talent and skill to potentially figured out who they are which could give a clue to their motives."

[Airsoft Diddles]

"This particular meeting with my sweet sister would definitely be considered a dire situation. I'm no outlier, and I agree that the four of us must be here for a reason. But by who's hands? Possibly the voices that were heard?"

[Chrismastree]

So we all heard those voices? I thought it was a message from the goddess Shade trying to tell me something.

[Rotaretilbo]

"I think it is safe to assume that the voices are responsible. I still do not understand why us, though. Even if Dante is not an outlier, I do not see a clear connection..."

[Airsoft Diddles]

"We all got dragged here in a moment of dire need. These voices must be responsible, but you are right. There is no clear reasoning, if I were to guess it's because we are all capable fighters."

[Chrismastree]

Fuma puts a hand over the mask he has strapped to his waist.

[Masterclick]

This warrior feels that, unless some of his companions are hiding something, this party will not find the solution to their current problem at this time. Even the theory that they are skilled warriors who were defeated is not a strong enough reason for them yo be saved. When this warrior was slain there were 19 other brave warriors who perished with him. This warrior was not even the strongest of his brothers."

[Rotaretilbo]

"How shall we proceed, then? I do not think it wise for us to simply ignore what has happened and go our separate ways, though I imagine each of us wishes to return to his own business. In the meantime, at least, I think it would do well for us to tread with care when speaking of our situation with others. It is possible there are already enemies arrayed against us, and until we better understand our position, we may not be able to identify them."

[Chrismastree]

You have a good point. I say we figure out our next move in the morning. We are at a wedding party so lets enjoy ourselves while we can. What do you say?

[Airsoft Diddles]

I say that's poppycock. There is something wrong here. I've never seen or heard of a wedding like this, and I don't like how it is going. I think leaving would be our best option; perhaps finding a new place in the safe forest to rest for the night.

[Chrismastree]

I admit it is strange, But that man said its normal for these people that are very devoted to Azen. Are you suggesting he's lying?

[Airsoft Diddles]

I'm suggesting he isn't telling us the whole truth.

[Chrismastree]

But he seems like such a good guy!

[Rotaretilbo]

Wolfgang turns to face Dante, adding, "While I find these marriage rituals strange, it is hardly enough to concern me. The man from before might not have been telling us the whole truth, but neither are we telling the townspeople the whole truth, so that's hardly indicative of anything nefarious. And let us not forget that mutilated animal corpse we found in the forest you just named safe. I would much prefer to take my chances sleeping in town than with whatever did that."

[Airsoft Diddles]

Dante glares at Fuma and says in a sarcastic voice

"But whatever did that to the animal seemed like such a good guy"

[Chrismastree]

Now you're judging an animals table manors? Predators leave things like that all the time it's called the circle of life. I'm not sure what these Free Cities are like, but do they not have wild animals around? Like in a forest?

[Rotaretilbo]

"I think there's a pretty clear distinction between something humanoids do that makes you uncomfortable, and something a beast does that makes you dead. To compare the two events as if they were equivalent is folly." Turning to Fuma, he adds, "It may be the circle of life, but it's a circle that I do not want to get caught up in."

[Chrismastree]

Agreed. So what shall we do then? I purpose we mingle here in groups, go back to the inn and sleep a little, then leave for the castle before dawn.

[Rotaretilbo]

Wolfgang holds up his arms, gesturing at his current attire (which is his full plate armor, in case anyone forgot). "I am afraid I am not much for mingling. It would be rude of me to leave early, so I think I would prefer to remain here until the event is over."

[Chrismastree]

oh come now, I do not think they mind what we are wearing. I'm sure they know we were last minute guests.

[Masterclick]

"This warrior is not inclined to mingle. If Fuma wishes to mingle, this warrior will remain with Wolfgang. This warrior has spent enough of his life as an exotic outsider that he doesn't wish to be this town's intriguing cultural experience of the week. He has found that,once a foreigner has sated a populace's desire for new things, that foreigner is, at best, extorted for his upbringing to, at worst, violence and persecution.
Nevertheless he does feel that staying in town tonight would be safer than the alternative."

[Chrismastree]

Fuma lets out a disappointing sigh and says Well I do not think separating myself from the rest of you is a good idea. so shall we head back to the inn and get some rest then?

[Rotaretilbo]

Wolfgang gives a little wave, a dismissive gesture. "Go. Mingle and have fun. Perhaps Dante can accompany you. We'll be here if you need us."

[Chrismastree]

Fuma tries to hide his excitement as he gets out of his chair and starts walking around, attempting to dance, and talking to people.

[Airsoft Diddles]

Dante glares at wolfgang, but a small grin does reach his face.

"I'll stay with Fuma, but don't expect any dancing"

[tiny tim]

Fuma and Dante begin their mingling with the crowd. The interior of the tent is slowly quieting down as meals as concluding. Most of the loud, boisterous people have already moved outside the tent and are engaging in dance and various games outside. The largest area is roped off for the dancing with a small band playing fast paced traditional music. Surrounding that are several smaller attractions primarily a group of people testing their might at arm wrestling, several games of chance (mostly cards or dice), a small carriage that appears to house a fortune teller, and around the side of the main tent is a king looking gnomish man that appears to be telling stories to a gathering of folks both young and old.

[Chrismastree]

Fuma checks out the carriage with the fortune teller.

[Rotaretilbo]

Wolfgang casts about to see how many people remain in the tents. "Perhaps we'll have some privacy after all," he comments. Carefully removing his helmet, he tears into the otherwise untouched meal in front of him.

[Masterclick]

"Perhaps the two present will. It is times like this that this warrior misses his possessions that he lost before the incident. He was reading a book that he planned on finishing later. It was a story of a young heroine who accidentally got involved with a group of villains on accident. She had mystical power over bugs and she, along with her villainous allies, kept accidentally getting mixed up in heroic deeds. This warrior was excited to discover if she was ever going to find redemption however he probably never will.
This warrior is sorry. This is on of the first times this warrior has had to just sit and be at peace in the last few days. It has lead to his mind and conversation wandering. This warrior will stop bothering you and let you eat in peace."
After saying these words Gustav settled onto the bench absentmindedly watching those remaining in the tent.

[tiny tim]

You walk up to the wagon and before you can even knock, a female voice reminiscent of crumpled paper floats out of it, "Enter, child. Let me see your face."

What are you doing while Fuma is checking out the fortune teller?

Wolfgang gets little reaction from his helmet being taken off, with the exception of the knight in black armor sitting at the table who now appears to be staring intently at Wolfgang. You notice that through the meal neither knight has eaten anything or even removed their helmets.

[Chrismastree]

Fuma walks in and takes a look around at everything.

[Airsoft Diddles]

Dante walks over to the old man spinning his tale to listen in

[Rotaretilbo]

Wolfgang ignores the black knight and continues eating.

[tiny tim]

As you pull open the door to the wagon, a wispy fog gently flows from the interior and as soon as you step inside, the door slow creaks closed behind you. Sitting on a cushion in front of a low table is an elven woman older than any you have seen before and her eyes lock onto yours. You can tell, even at a glance, that they are full of centuries of wisdom. She beckons for you to sit on the cushion opposite her and as you do she begins, "I have seen your face before. Not in person, but in the visions. A vision of 4 strangers in a strange land walking through a forest shrouded in mist. None of them know where they are or where they are going. But I know where they have been." The woman takes your hand in an iron grip you would not expect from one her age, "I must read you. Read your past to know your future." She begins tracing her fingers over the ridges on your hands, inspecting each and every one carefully by touch, but never taking her gaze from your eyes. "I see. You are you, and yet not you. A boy with two lives, but no direction." She withdraws her grip, freeing your hand, and takes a stack of thin ceramic tiles from a shelf by her side. "I feel that your future will be difficult to predict. There is something... different about you. Something that blocks knowledge of your future. I have seen such a thing only one other time. But I shall attempt to read the future for you regardless." For the first time since you entered she removes her gaze from your eyes as she shuffles the tiles and flips the top one over to reveal the image of a skull drenched in a pool of blood, "The first tile represents your past. You have some connection to death. Perhaps you have known many who have died, or you have killed many." The second tile she lays down shows a lake shrouded in mist, "I am not surprised to see this one. This represents your present. The symbol is easy to decipher. You are lost." The third tile she turns over is a single road that branches into three different paths, "The third tile is for your near future. You will have a decision to make soon, and there will be a wildly different outcome for every path." The fourth tile she flips shows several figures surrounding a crimson bonfire rising high into the sky, "The fourth tile represents your far future. Some great flame burns bright. Whether it is a flame inside you, or one you shall face." She flips the fifth and final tile over revealing a golden shining figure standing in front of a mass of people, "The final tile is your destiny. This tile in particular represents a great hero leading people into the light. All very interesting tiles, but the only way to draw the true meaning from them is to dig deeper." She draws a pouch made of some odd golden leather from a finely carved wooden box, "Knuckle bones from a sovereign dragon. Ancient relics from a far away land, they hold their own sort of magic." She whispers an indecipherable incantation and scatters the bones, each several inches long, across the table. She examines the jumble of bones and the odd runes carved into them with a worried expression, "No, this doesn't make sense. Something is interfering. None of these make sense." Even as she says that, some of the bones move themselves across the table into different positions. "Ah, fate has smiled upon you! These make far more sense now. You see, this bone on the death tile means 'Birth'. Very interesting. Perhaps it means you have died and been revived again afterwards. This other bone with the rune for 'journey' crosses from the veiled lake to the tile of the hero. This must mean that your present circumstance has some close tie to your ultimate destiny. Your destiny itself is still rather uncertain. It could mean that you are destined to be the hero, or your destiny is to help create one. The most interesting piece, however, is the interaction between the split paths and the fire. On the central path lies the rune for 'home', but laying on top of that bone is another with the rune for danger. I suspect this means that of your possible paths the most direct path to your home is the most dangerous. The rune for danger also crosses over onto the fire tile. The fire must be something you will face, and something connected to your home. And it will be dangerous. The two other bones that lie on the fire tile bear the runes for "ancient" and "evil". That is all the meaning I can glean from this. But if my reading is correct, you will have an interesting future. You may leave now."

You take a seat just as the man is beginning a new story, "This is a story I picked up from my time in the Free Cities. It is a story from many centuries ago that had been passed down by bards throughout the ages. Once upon a time, there was a young boy and a young girl. They were the best of friends and they grew up living across the road from one another. They would play all day and listen to the village elder tell them stories at night. One day, when they were old enough, they set out from their small village on the path of adventure! As they trekked across the land helping villages and towns, they felt their life was good and they enjoyed doing good things for people. Before long the girl had turned into an accomplished warrior and the boy into a spectacular mage. Eventually the two of them decided it was time to take on greater and greater challenges together. They defended a mountain village against an entire tribe of orcs, and drove off the hill giants threatening the farmland of a major city. They even slew their fair share of dragons, as this was so long ago that even those great beasts still filled the skies. But no matter how great their adventures became, they always returned to their village. Until one time they returned and found it gone. A necromancer had come through with an army of undead and killed every man, woman and child. The duo swore they would have their revenge. They tracked the necromancer to his lair and furiously tore their way through his army until they reached his underground fortress. Through the necromancer's trickery the two were separated, but they were soon reunited. But instead of embracing each other, the girl attacked the boy! He was taken by surprise as she swung at him with more fury than he had ever seen from her before. He tried to defend himself but he could not bring himself to strike back as he had always loved the girl, but had never had the courage to tell her. As she struck the killing blow, the girl snapped out of the spell that the necromancer had placed on her. Looking down at what she had done, she fell to her knees in tears. She took the dagger from her dead friend's belt and plunged it into her own heart, as she had always loved him, but did not have the courage to tell him. And she could not see a reason for life without him. With her last breath she cursed the necromancer that had forced this upon her. But as the necromancer celebrated his victory over the heroes, something strange happened. The two rose together once more to fight him. The furious engagement was close, and the necromancer barely managed to pull off a last trick and escape his lair. In doing so, however, he managed to seal the heroes into what was once his fortress. According to the legend, the heroes still wait in their eternal dark home for new heroes to arrive and take up their cause to slay the necromancer. Of course that's just a story. There is no way they or the necromancer have survived the centuries since this story would have taken place.

The man carefully scans the small assembled crowd as he stands and stretches, "Does anyone else have a request for a story? There are many legends in this world, and with my experience I just so happen to know most of them."

[Chrismastree]

I thank you elven oracle you have no idea how much that helps. As i get up i lay down 5 GP on the table, then bow and walk out.

[Airsoft Diddles]

Do you have any stories of the great cataclysm? Dante asked the old man.

[Masterclick]

Gustav watches the black knights closely but makes no move towards them.

[Airsoft Diddles]

Dante twiddles his thumbs patiently.

[Rotaretilbo]

Wolfgang is probably done eating now, so he puts his helmet back on and stands from the table.
Wolfgang exits the food tent, but pauses at its entrance, taking in his surroundings. After a long moment, he takes a step towards the arm wrestling, but falters as he hesitates, and then ultimately walks over toward the storyteller, taking a seat in the back when he arrives.

Stealth
[roll0]
Trying not to make a scene as he takes his seat.

[tiny tim]

Wolfgang takes a seat at the back of the crowd, but he is hardly noticed as the next story begins.

"Now that is an interesting and quite old story. And I may be one of the few that can tell it to you truthfully. I've met many people in my travels, and one day I met someone that knew the full story. Or as close to it as could be passed down over the years. So I bring you the story of what was nearly the doom of this world. Centuries ago, there were two forces. On one side, there was a group of brave heroes representing good. They were small in number, bout stout of heart and full of devotion to their cause. On the opposite was a sprawling, shadowy cult that was no less devoted to their cause. Their names are lost to time, but one of the brave heroes of this story had received a vision from his god. The vision showed that he was destined to lead his comrades into a fight against the apocalypse. And so he gathered his team and set out to uncover as many powerful artifacts and as much forgotten knowledge as possible to fight this coming evil. But evil was not exactly sitting around waiting either. In forgotten desert temples, ancient necromancer tombs, and secret cultist lairs in the hearts of the largest cities they studied and they searched. And finally they found what they were looking for. A ritual that would call down a primordial being of pure evil to rule the world, and they would be it's servants. So the time came for the sides to meet. In one of those desert temples the ritual had begun, and the heroes arrived to stop it. The first obstacle they had to overcome was the army of undead raised outside the temple itself, more of a means to buy time for those casting the ritual than an actual threat. Beyond that was arrayed a horde of demons and devils, which had put aside the millennial war they had fought for this purpose. It is said that one of the heroes fell in that fight. From there they descended into the temple. No one is sure exactly what happened inside, but the heroes did not emerge." Sadness appears to overtake the storyteller for a moment before he continues, "Indeed, they were not even fully successful it seems. Shortly thereafter a great darkness was seen streaking from the sky and impacting the temple, shattering the world. Some have wondered what happened in there. Perhaps the heroes were too late to stop the ritual, or perhaps they only stopped it partially. Maybe they performed a ritual of their own and used their lives to seal the evil force in place to keep it from dominating the world. I suspect we will never truly know. Anyway, that story really takes a lot out of me. Think that's enough for one night."

The crowd in front of you rises from their seats and shuffles off to enjoy other parts of the wedding.



You see the crowd around the storyteller disperse, leaving Dane and Wolfgang sitting there. It seems to take several seconds for them to realize that everyone else had already got up and left.

[Masterclick]

Is anything happening inside the tent right now?

[tiny tim]

Nothing other than Wolfgang leaving

[Masterclick]

Gustav stands up from the table and begins wandering the town looking for someplace not filled with people where he could perchance find something to read. He would first head for a library, a bookstore and finally the local church. If he doesn't find anything in those places he would start aimlessly wandering the town looking for something that would interest him i.e. something academic or what would appear to have somewhat historical significance.

[Chrismastree]

how was the storyteller?

[tiny tim]

After a short search you find a small open library next to Torsen's house. A brief look indicates the library contains weather and agricultural records, as well as books relating to them. There are a few other books about the history of local conflicts however.

[Masterclick]

Gustav starts perusing through the History books looking for anything that could help the party get a better grasp of the city they are in and any potential threats on their upcoming journey.
History Check
[roll0]

[Rotaretilbo]

Wolfgang turns to consider the approaching Fuma, then notices that Dante is among the now dispersing crowd. "I do not like tales where demons win," he states. "I can accept them if I can learn from them, but this story was incomplete, so I did not like it. The telling itself was alright, but the..." he pauses, searching for the right word... "purpose of telling the story, I disagree with." Rising from his seat, he turns to face Fuma. "I think we can leave without being rude now. I would like to return to the inn." He looks to Fuma and Dante, but makes no move to leave on his own.

[Chrismastree]

Sure you seem a bit shaken anyways, But lets see if we can find our other compatriot. Fuma starts to search around for Gustav.

[Airsoft Diddles]

I really liked the story teller. I have an itching to go find him and ask for another... but if you wish to return to the inn than we may do so. Dante begins walking back to the inn.

[tiny tim]

Looking through some books you do eventually find an old untitled journal. You aren't sure who it belongs to, but it seems to be a first hand account of a war against a kingdom to the west called Kerstland. Unfortunately you don't get much farther than the beginnings of troop movements before the rest of the party finds you and you head back to the inn.

Gustav is eventually found inside a small library. Everyone heads back to the inn for a good night's rest. Assuming no one does anything weird and vampiric in the night, you wake up a couple hours after sunrise the next day. What do?

[Chrismastree]

Fuma gets a light breakfast, then goes outside to the edge of the wood line to practice his knife play. sets up wood logs as targets on the ground, in the trees, around tree bends, etc. his practice consists of quick hits then disengaging and heading to a different target pretending to dodge attacks. The targets in the trees he uses to practice stealth-fully taking one out then throwing a dagger at the other target in the tree across from him. Lastly, there is one target that stand out among the rest. bigger with some humanoid features including a crudely drawn face and the name "Asher" on the forehead.

[Chrismastree]

Also, Fuma has his mask on when he does the training.

[Rotaretilbo]

Wolfgang doesn't really do anything exciting?

[Airsoft Diddles]

Dante goes downstairs to eat breakfast and wait for the others.

[Chrismastree]

Those that go downstairs for breakfast barely see Fuma leave.