Time As Surrogate Religion (IC)

[Mornings]

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Thought and consciousness came crashing back into the flesh. Muscles twitched, unused to the need to strain and flex. Bloodied coughing and choking strangled and choked as air begun to fill mended lungs. Searing pain swelled into crippling agony, as nerves stuttered to life to hammer the mind with a hundred signals of once-lethal wounds. Confusion became fear. They were without sight. A chilling prickle begun to creep up the spike. The body wouldn't move - they couldn't move. An unsettling dampness permeated everything and the mouldering smell of rich dirt was accompanied by the CLANG of a fallen shovel.

They were being buried alive?

The mind begun to race with suddenly restored cognitive functions. Think. They could think. Move. They could move. Hear. They could hear. Something was restraining their hands and feet. The stench of mildew and sour flaxseed stung the eyes and nose. The thick burlap canvas covering the face blocked out all vision leaving them blind. A loud bang of something slamming into a wall echoed out, accompanied by a vicious growl. A muffled cry sounded from nearby, a rustling. Was there other people? A louder bang. Closer. Dust fell from above and covered the sack. Something was going on.

A muffled cry was accompanied by a woman's voice. "...Dear child, this is your last chance. Do not squander this remarkable opportunity." A very young girl's voice spoke out on the verge of tears. "Sister, I give up! Please, PLEASE! Make them stop!" - "I'm afraid, I cannot. This is not a Burden, it is a Trail issued by Our Fair Lady. You must succeed, or you must-" The girl had begun screaming her lungs out, shouting with all her might, suddenly interrupting her mysterious counter-part. "HELP ME! HELP ME, SOMEONE- UGH!" A violent hammer and sharp crack sounded out from somewhere nearby. The floor slightly shook beneath the impact. "SMITH, BRAVE, DAWN! SOMEONE, ANYONE! HELP ME, HELP ME! OH GO-" A second sharp snapping sounded out, it was the sound of thick wood beginning to give way - the sound of siege. A foul smell had started to fill the air, overcoming the mouldering flax and soil. Something decaying, something dead and rotting. The girl was screaming something unintelligible now but the hammering sounds pounded forth with a rising tempo and the splintering wood creeked and snapped. Popped and splintered. It was all dangerously close. Something was coming. Something very bad.




[Roll Initiative]



Characters are tightly bound within their respective body-bags. The tight straps are restraining the limbs and preventing further movement. Status: Characters are Blind & Helpless

- As a Full Round Action You may Attempt a DC16 Strength Check or DC16 Escape Artist check. Failure grants you a cumulative +1 bonus to the respective Check attempted as you begin to loosen your bonds.



Upon success Character notice they are wearing the exact cloths they had wore during their murder. Terrible cuts from over two dozen knife wounds have left your cloths shredded and torn: (Cloths have the Broken condition, and grant none of their respective benefits if they possess any. Cloths may be mended by needle and thread with 2 hours of work, or with a DC20 Profession (Tailor) Check.)

Unarmed & Dangerous
Characters do not have any of their equipment, to include armor and weapons.
Characters retain 1 small item secreted away on their person, or just overlooked (this may be a Familiar or Spellbook).

Primal Surge
Characters with access to a Spell List may attempt a DC20 Spellcraft Check or DC20 Knowledge: Arcana Check, revealing something strange lingering in the air. Characters without a Spell List cannot attempt these Checks.

Other Bodies
11 other body bags lay upon the dozen molding beds through out the room. Some are beginning to move. You may free another creature as a Standard Action.

The Dirt Room
the 60ft long, 25ft wide room you awake in looks like its fit to be condemned. The walls are covered with black mold and the paint has long ago peeled away revealing ugly weeping rust and termite infested wood. 12 beds fill the room, 6 on each side. A number of bodies on the left-side of the room are beginning to stir - faceless amorphous body-bags of dirt covered white burlap tied with thick bands of the same rotting material. The ground is covered with thick dirt, as if the interior of this building had been converted into some kind of greenhouse for the dead. The lighting is incredibly dim (Low-Light/Dim Light) with only a small ray of illumination creeping in from the hall at the end of the room. The north-side of the room's right side leads out into the rest of the building, but the 10ft space is partially blocked by a poorly placed bed which a still corpse-bag rests. The dirt looks remarkably higher and far more unruly outside of the room, but its difficult to make out anything else, as the source of light is unnaturally angled, perhaps by mirrors. The screams still sound from further inside.



You are pale of skin and covered with stitched wounds. While not undead, you could easily be confused with a walking corpse...


Hungerless
Character's are not Undead Creatures, and gain no benefits specific to undead. However, they will not die of starvation or thirst. Refraining from eating or drinking will Fatigue and Exhaust you normally, but you will suffer no lethal damage from this condition. Instead damage which would be received is non-lethal, but may not exceed your Hit Points. This damage will only leave you Staggered, but will render you unconscious if additional Non-lethal damage is accrued from another source. Non-lethal damage becomes lethal damage as normal if it exceeds your maximum Hit Point total.

Undead Resilience
Dying once has made you more difficult to kill. Your maximum Hit Points is increases by 3. Every Hit Die gained beyond 3rd increases this bonus by 1. Additionally when reduced below 0 Hit Points you naturally begin to heal: Every 3 Rounds the Character naturally recovers 1 Hit Point until 0 Hit Points is reached. This is a regenerative effect.

Lessened Life-Essence
You are not undead and are not healed by Negative Energy. If you are healed by Negative Energy normally, this feature is lost and replaced with this one: Characters are only healed by half from sources of Positive Energy (rounded down - minimum 1). Similarly, your resistance versus negative energy effects has increased: You receive a +4 Racial Bonus against Ability Drain, Death Effects, Disease, Energy Drain, and Negative Energy effects.

[Almighty Eevee]

Hido Asmodel


Hido's eyes shot open as he fought against his restraints, struggling to free himself before he took a few deep breaths to calm himself. The bindings restricting him, slowly loosened as he pulled himself free. He looked around as he gained his bearings, noticing the shapes moving more frequently now as the splintering of wood grew louder. He rolled off of his bed and rolled back in the other direction, hiding under the bed before whatever was coming, found it's way into this room. He looked around the room from his position to try to get a better grasp of the situation. What the hell is going on here...how the hell am I going to get out is the better question. He narrowed his dull gray eyes, surveying the room trying to determine who was the biggest threat first as he quickly made a few intricate hand seals, materializing a kunai into his hands. He bit back a gasp as he noticed the numerous stitches adorning his body from the tears in his clothes.


The character is lying on the ground. A prone attacker has a –4 penalty on melee attack rolls and cannot use a ranged weapon (except for a crossbow). A prone defender gains a +4 bonus to Armor Class against ranged attacks, but takes a –4 penalty to AC against melee attacks.

Standing up is a move-equivalent action that provokes an attack of opportunity.


Move Action: Stealth
[roll0]

Perception vs. Room
[roll1]

[flat_footed]

Asaelgash's eyes snapped open, but the darkness still stifled his senses. His thoughts raced as he tried to place where he was and what had happened to him. Bursts of red assaulted his mind as the truth came to him in the image of silver blades rising and falling in concert. He tried to shift his body, but the bindings denied all movement. With a loud snarl, Asaelgash viciously contorted his body, allowing his hardened scales to slice through the fabric in dozens of small tears. Claws ripped, muscles flexed and fangs tore through the rest of the restraints.

Rising quickly from the ruined body bag, Asaelgash notes the frenzied movements from bags similar to his. Ignoring the motions of weaker creatures, he scans the area for anything he can use as a weapon.

Looking for anything the could be an improvised weapon. If nothing is apparent, his next action would be to break something to make one.

[forg99rules]

The struggle to breath was the first think that brought him back to his senses. The air filling his mended lungs was not as sweet as it should be, the mold and mildew tainting that which should be pleasant. Opening his eyes and seeing a darkness that was not completely unknown to him. Catching his breath and trying to calm himself, he hears the voices of two women talking one sounds older and the other young. Having heard their quick conversation and the ever closer banging and crunching or metal on wood he begins to struggle against his bonds. Knowing that whatever was coming wasn't good, you could smell it on the air and taste the foulness of it in your mouth. Whatever was heading his way was not something that he wanted to deal with right now, not while he was still trying to get all his senses back in order.

Working his way out of this bag was not easy, especially while having all this noise to distract you. Twisting and turning to try and get his arms free resulted in more pain than he wanted as it seemed he was strapped in pretty tight and with no regard for his wings. The pain subsiding as he stops his struggle to regain his composure it dawns on him that if he just pulled his wings in closer he could probably give himself enough room to escape the straps, and then he would only have to work on getting out of the bag. Doing exactly that worked for the most part, he was able to get one of his hands free from the straps. With one hand free he quickly finds the buckle for the straps that covered his torso, once those were freed he began work on the ones on his legs. Having fully released himself from the straps he finds it quite easy to then get out of the bag as it didn't seem built to contain a "Living" body and wasn't completely closed shut on him.

Finally free from the bag he begins to take in his surroundings as quick as he can. Its dark in this room but that's fine he prefers it that way, makes it harder for whatever was causing that girl to scream and that banging that kept getting closer to find you. From what he can tell though the room he was in looked worse than any of the tunnels he had been through while working for the Bellflower network. Quickly checking over his person to see if he had any weapons to use he is surprised to find a lone pellet grenade still in his pocket. "Now this will be good, hopefully works on whatever manner of beast is causing this racket." Keeping the grenade in hand he begins to take in the forms of whoever else has woken up in this decrepit tomb.


Perception check to see whose freed on third round.
[roll0]

Stealth check also cause it safer that way
[roll1]

[Morbis Meh]

Delilah lets out a slurred groan before bursting into a fit of racking coughs, expelling random detritus from her lungs. Oddly enough her brain didn't register that anomaly due to its state of disorientation caused by the current deprivation of oxygen. After a few rapid shallow breaths she was able to form a single conscious thought Sweet baby Shelyn, please oh please don't let this be another one night stand with another BDSM freak from Nidal..... It was a slow process but eventually the elven witch was able to gain control over her breathing long enough to try to move yet had little to know success. What tipped her off that this wasn't a normal hangover was the fact that the dull throbbing pain was not radiating from her skull but from her chest meaning alcohol had nothing to do with it or she had somehow got her hands on and consumed Chelish Hellfire Chili whilst drunk.

A few seconds passed before she made another half hearted attempt at slipping from her non visible restraints; however, the pitiful effort yielded no success considering she was more concerned with how she got in this predicament. The last memory she could recall was chugging down a Dwelven Boilermaker (Dwarf Fire Whiskey and Elven Absinthe: Warning do not try this at home unless you are either suicidal or a seasoned alcoholic) atop of Steve her Platonic Interspecies Life Partner as a crowd of blurred faces cheered her on drunkingly. That was all and to be honest that was a pretty tame memory for the fortuneteller. The earthen taste of minerals that crept up on her tongue and the obnoxious high pitched chirps that emanated from her genital region were enough to shake her from her temporary introspective session. Grumbling bitterly, Delilah used her many years experience of 'Bedroom Yoga' and her limber form to slip free of her bonds then proceeded to tear off the bag.

By the blessings of Cayden Cailean the room was blissfully dim, even though she didn't have an ethanol induced migraine she felt like she wouldn't be able to handle sunlight at this given moment. Her initial gaze at her location was interrupted sharply by the sudden and rather vicious pecking of a quite perturbed Thrush who had been imprisoned in probably one of the filthiest places in all of Golarion.

The elf takes a weak swipe at the uppity bird "Oh piss off Yune! It's not like you haven't been in worse situations around me... OH HELL NO!" Her eyes notice the tattered remnants of her blouse.

"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE F*CKING SH*TTING ME! THIS WAS MY FAVORITE PARTY SHIRT!?!? MOTHER F*CKING SH*T EASTING DONKEY RAPING C*CK JUGGLING DOUCHE CANOE! DID THE ASSHAT THAT WENT ALL FERAL ON MY SHIRT REALIZE HOW MUCH THIS SH*T COSTS AND HOW IT WILL AFFECT MY DRINKING BUDGET? WHEN I CATCH THIS C*NTY QUEEF LORD I AM GOING TO EVISCERATE THEM!"

By now the elf was red with fury and panting heavily from her passionate outburst of obscenities though after a few seconds she realized she wasn't alone. She took a moment to assess the new figures in her immediate proximity and once satisfied that they were not the perpetrator in question she calmly addressed them "Any of you got a smoke or a flask, my buzz has worn off and believe you me I need a drink right about now."

[Mornings]

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Characters are tightly bound within their respective body-bags. The tight straps are restraining the limbs and preventing further movement. Status: Characters are Blind & Helpless

- As a Full Round Action You may Attempt a DC16 Strength Check or DC16 Escape Artist check. Failure grants you a cumulative +1 bonus to the respective Check attempted as you begin to loosen your bonds.



Upon success Character notice they are wearing the exact cloths they had wore during their murder. Terrible cuts from over two dozen knife wounds have left your cloths shredded and torn: (Cloths have the Broken condition, and grant none of their respective benefits if they possess any. Cloths may be mended by needle and thread with 2 hours of work, or with a DC20 Profession (Tailor) Check.)

Unarmed & Dangerous
Characters do not have any of their equipment, to include armor and weapons.
Characters retain 1 small item secreted away on their person, or just overlooked (this may be a Familiar or Spellbook).

Primal Surge
Characters with access to a Spell List may attempt a DC20 Spellcraft Check or DC20 Knowledge: Arcana Check, revealing something strange lingering in the air. Characters without a Spell List cannot attempt these Checks.

Other Bodies
11 other body bags lay upon the dozen molding beds through out the room. Some are beginning to move. You may free another creature as a Standard Action.

The Dirt Room
the 60ft long, 25ft wide room you awake in looks like its fit to be condemned. The walls are covered with black mold and the paint has long ago peeled away revealing ugly weeping rust and termite infested wood. 12 beds fill the room, 6 on each side. A number of bodies on the left-side of the room are beginning to stir - faceless amorphous body-bags of dirt covered white burlap tied with thick bands of the same rotting material. The ground is covered with thick dirt, as if the interior of this building had been converted into some kind of greenhouse for the dead. The lighting is incredibly dim (Low-Light/Dim Light) with only a small ray of illumination creeping in from the hall at the end of the room. The north-side of the room's right side leads out into the rest of the building, but the 10ft space is partially blocked by a poorly placed bed which a still corpse-bag rests. The dirt looks remarkably higher and far more unruly outside of the room, but its difficult to make out anything else, as the source of light is unnaturally angled, perhaps by mirrors. The screams still sound from further inside.



You are pale of skin and covered with stitched wounds. While not undead, you could easily be confused with a walking corpse...


Hungerless
Character's are not Undead Creatures, and gain no benefits specific to undead. However, they will not die of starvation or thirst. Refraining from eating or drinking will Fatigue and Exhaust you normally, but you will suffer no lethal damage from this condition. Instead damage which would be received is non-lethal, but may not exceed your Hit Points. This damage will only leave you Staggered, but will render you unconscious if additional Non-lethal damage is accrued from another source. Non-lethal damage becomes lethal damage as normal if it exceeds your maximum Hit Point total.

Undead Resilience
Dying once has made you more difficult to kill. Your maximum Hit Points is increases by 3. Every Hit Die gained beyond 3rd increases this bonus by 1. Additionally when reduced below 0 Hit Points you naturally begin to heal: Every 3 Rounds the Character naturally recovers 1 Hit Point until 0 Hit Points is reached. This is a regenerative effect.

Lessened Life-Essence
You are not undead and are not healed by Negative Energy. If you are healed by Negative Energy normally, this feature is lost and replaced with this one: Characters are only healed by half from sources of Positive Energy (rounded down - minimum 1). Similarly, your resistance versus negative energy effects has increased: You receive a +4 Racial Bonus against Ability Drain, Death Effects, Disease, Energy Drain, and Negative Energy effects.







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The gloom of the moist dank room came to the large serpentine creature first. Asaelgash's snake-like eyes popped open beneath the thick cover which was his corpse-bad. His muscles flexed and ached, twisted and struggled. The bristled scales upon his skin nipping and cutting into the fabric until he simply ripped free of the restraints. He ripped the remainder of from his face, and glanced about. It looked as if it could be some rotting grave place within an old residential house. Other bodies in laid out on his side of the room in similar full-size body bags begun to stir. It was an odd sight, perhaps more fitting in the macabre atelier of some necromancer - perhaps this was just that...







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The powerful-framed lizard-man rose from the unpleasant bed glancing around the room as the sound of the pounding intensified.

Thane had fought and struggled with the troublesome bodybag until he finally succeeded in freeing an arm with a painful gesture, and loosening the restraints. He pulled free from the bag, looking about the room's unkempt condition. An indoor graveyard. Now he'd seen it all. His body ached, and his feathers were ruffled, but aside from two-dozen or so roughly stitched together holes crisscrossing his bruised body, and his ruined closed - he seemed to be 'alright'. The crashing from further inside the house hinted that may not remain the case... He felt some reassurance with the grenade in hand, but it was one-shot he couldn't afford to waste. A great reptilian creature came somewhat into view at the far end of the room away from the hall. It looked about, as if it were searching for something. After a moment it seemed to give up before flipping over an empty bed and striking one of the bed's legs with a powerful hammering blow with its arm. The thick wood splintered, but didn't break. The sound echoed through the house...

Hido found his mind swirling, his eyes fluttering open and taking account of his situation. He shifted and squirmed, nearly escaping, yet the restraints held him firm. Resolving there was little other choice, he resorted to exercising one of his more practiced escape techniques. Dislocating his own arm, and slithering out of the bindings his movements had loosened. He pulled the body bag off himself as he slid his shoulder back into place with a silent flinch and twitch of the eye from the agonizing trick. The THWACK of a great scaled beast to the side of him thoroughly held his attention, as the lizard-creature beat upon the wooden leg of an upturned bed...





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With a mighty crack and THWAP the large lizardman broke the leg free from the bed. One end was narrowed and well-suited for a firm grasp, with a bulbous knob at the end, while the splintered squared-length made for a reasonable club. It wasn't any kind of wood his beady-eyes had ever seen, it was stiff, rigid and dense - making it particularly unwieldy from the weight. A deep brownish timber with a burled pattern that looked particularly ancient. He gave it a few test swings, it felt like it would do considerable damage, but it wouldn't be easy to use. The sharp snapping from removing the leg caused the others to visible cringe.

Hido didn't waste any time as the creature was at work testing out its crude new weapon. With a sharp well-practiced routine, she tucked in his arms and straightened out - rolling off the bed, slapping down an arm to stop his movement as he hit the ground, before reversing his movement to stow himself away underneath the bed with out a making a single excessive gesture. That noise couldn't have gone unnoticed... The big stupid creature looked like it would make a perfectly reasonable distraction while he plotted his escape. His eyes darted about, the room was fairly long, and the hall leading out could hardly be called a hall, it was a 5ft length before exiting out into another much larger room. The dim light made it difficult to see for lesser men - but he was not like lesser men. Indeed, he was unlike other humans... He closed his eyes, sharpening his focus. Opening his eyes, his iris's had taken a deep red glow as the corruption begun to fill him - the darkness parted before his vision, and his gaze pierced the shade about him. Seeing through the darkness, he could make out part of the room past this one - it was long, far too large to see from end to end. His gaze swept over the dirt floor. Rough mounds of dirt was scattered about. They were generally indistinguishable from the rest, but under his gaze, he could tell something was amiss. This low to the ground, he could make out the shape of a hand, and their a face. Bits of cloth and metal mingled and buried about in a haphazard manner. He dug down into the soil unearthing a bit of fabric, then a bag... Digging into the sack he pulled out a handful of putrid rotting organs. The maggot filled half-decayed lower intestines of a man... The flies swarmed out and fecal matter dripped into his hands. With a repulsive gesture, he threw the gore aside, overcome with the grotesque discovery. He could feel the bile rise in the back of his throat. He fought, but couldn't keep it down, spraying a stream of bloody sludge from his stomach into the earth. What was this place...


Asaelgash's broken bed-leg functions as an Improvised Club. However, due to the weight and difficult handling. It gains a -1 Penalty to hit and +2 Circumstance Bonus to Damage. This penalty stacks with those applied normally from wielding an Improvised Weapon.


Hido has partial-cover while prone underneath the bed. However his stealth is negated by creatures which have observed his movement.

Hido has been unfortunate to have recovered a rotting handful of rotting organs. The sight is so foul he's unable to maintain his resolve: Hido is Nauseated for [2 Rounds]

Nauseated

Creatures with the nauseated condition experience stomach distress. Nauseated creatures are unable to attack, cast spells, concentrate on spells, or do anything else requiring attention. The only action such a character can take is a single move action per turn.


Thane looked about the room as he took a crouch next to the bed. There was nothing to hide behind. His eyes moved about frantically, A weapon. A way out. Something. His eyes fell to the dirt. There were things... buried.

The unusual sound of chirping from one of the body-bags followed by bits of random bits of spoken internal-dialogue came from a squirming sack. It was the last bag still moving about. After a long while, the witch finally crawled out erupting into a burst of profanities as she was able to view her attire in the dim light of the corpse-house. He shouting voice echoed out and drowned the banging and crashing coming from the adjacent room. All went silent. The banging had ceased. A weak voice, the voice of the girl spoke out; "...Who are you? Who's there?" A cacophonous sinister voice rang out, speaking from some disembodied throat without form. The volume shook the very walls sending splinters cracking down their their surface as the peeling paint cracked. The words spoke both within each of their minds, in their native tongues, and outwardly from above:




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The girl was screaming out again, but this time in frustration. "WHAT CHALLENGE!? I DIDN'T CHALLENGE ANYONE! SPEAKER, I MADE NO CLAIM TO THAT!" A woman walked out from the abysmal shadows of the other room standing at the edge of the corpse-room's sole entrance and exit. "The Dark Speaker does not address you, dear child..." The woman, her skin as pale as death, smiled coldly at the souls within the room. "...He speaks to you." She was dressed in clerical vestments, which were impeccably clean and well tended despite the locale. Her eyes were cold and distant, almost detached. Or perhaps, numb. "...We were not expecting, guests. Welcome. I am Sister Helen, a Pale Sister of Our Fair Lady. It is quite unusual to receive a Challenger... Let alone, four. You may partake in The Trial. Those among you who live, may participate in The Crucible. Best you arm yourself quickly, there are various bits-and-bobs about." Her voice was sharp and curt, like the principle of a school-house. She twisted the heavy switch in her hand before swatting it in her palm with a motion of impatience. "Speaker, you may resume." The girl frantically cried out from somewhere behind Sister Helen. "Wait! WAIT!! Ugh-" The hammering resumed, horrible gargling howls and roars washed into their ears. Dust begun to fall from the mouldering ceiling planks which made the roof.

Thane retained his wits and focus long enough for his eyes to pick out the dull glint of a pommel's bearing. He dug down into the dirt and revealed the hilt of a sword. He grasped the weapon and pulled out the blade. He squinted at the sight of the worn and broken blade. Half of the longsword was simply missing, and what remained was dinged and knicked horribly. Scratches from claws ruined the polish and ran down the length of its steel recalling some horrific battle it had seen in the hands of its, no-doubt, deceased owner. The jagged tip was still fit for thrusting into something's skull, but it was in dire need of repair. He brushed off the mud from the damp soil beneath the surface after inspecting the weapon. Upon it's blade was a marred silver inlay - perhaps the name of its original owner. It read: 'VOSPER'.

]

The Founder of Seven-Arrows, Hero of The Shattered Crusade

Not everyone remembered the name of The Whispering Lord, the man-god who had stood against the full brunt of The Runelords alone in the final conclusive battle of The Shattered Crusade in the coastal town of SandPoint. Raph'æl Vosper had become both a legend and perhaps the first real proof the world had begun to change. Others viewed it as proof that perhaps Aroden himself might return if some long-dead deity from another time could walk the earth once again.

The sword was perhaps a fine weapon once, masterly forged and well balanced. Yet, now it was just mangled steel in need of far more than a little spit and polish. It would take a great deal of work to restore, but perhaps there was more to this weapon than met the eye. Strangely enough however, it was well known that Vosper himself never wielded actual weapons in combat, and overcame both god and man with his voice and command of song. It was a mystery. A piece of history forgotten? Or perhaps there was other more complex answers lingering beneath the surface of this paradox.






Post in any order, actions are resolved by the following stack:

Thane: (1d20+4)[19] (1st)
Asaelgash: (1d20)[19] (2nd)
Delilah: (1d20+4)[18] (3rd)
Hido: (1d20+8)[16] (4th)



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[Round 4 Begins]





(Pale Sister)
Sister Helen

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[flat_footed]

As the woman's words cut through the room, Asaelgash seems to find an acceptable balance within the bedpost and lowers his arm. Turning the the right, he allows the club to swing lazily at his side with the motion. As his arm drifts back and forth with the weapon, Asaelgash pauses at the foot of the last bed. With a wet THUD, he allows the club's circle to swing his arm out wide and crash into the middle of the unmoving body bag. Growling to himself, he wanders down the line of beds, absentmindedly sending his club into the middle of each bed. A small hiss escapes as he passes by where Hido is hiding, the sounds of retching obvious. A small curl edges upward from the side of his mouth as he drives the club into the bed opposite Hido's.

Continuing his steps forward, he approaches the bed across from where Thane is rising from the filth. Noting the broken sword, Asaelgash locks his gaze with Thane. The club's macabre dance never slows as words flow over fangs and another THUD is dampened by ruined bedding. "jikmadator laraeki ihk jikmadator mamissi."

Asaelgash moves to M3, and then to K3 and I3, ending at G3. Each time, he's allowing the club to impact the midriff of the person inside the bodybag. He's listening for a solid response, to indicate if the corpse within is wearing armor of any sort. I had him move at his standard rate, hitting the beds at L4 K4 I4 and G4, which would leave him opposite Thane's current location.

Should any impact provide a solid response, Asaelgash will stop to tear into that bag presumably next round) to see if anything inside is salvageable. I can update my actions if need be to address such a discovery.

The words are spoken in Draconic.

[Morbis Meh]

The elf stopped her growling and looked at the odd woman, noting her garb the witch wrinkled her nose "Ah hell no, this better not be a convent dammit. There is no way anyone is going to make me wear a penguin suit."

The scaled chicken rasped out in a tongue Delilah was not used to hearing from others "You're lucky you didn't pull that with me or I would shove it straight up your cloaca... As for the sword, meh, it's not like we have the luxury of being choosy at this moment. Praise be to the heavens I don't have to harvest bat sh*t right now."

She stretched for a moment before scanning the room for anything usable for components, she already had access to wool from her destroyed blouse but what she needed and that would be obtainable was powdered iron/rust or some spider web. She stomped towards the corner of the room in search for the latter item on her list. In a pinch she could go without spells but it wouldn't hurt to have something to fall back on in case the others she was stuck with me a grizzly fate that forced her to flee for her life.

Looking for spell components in B1 so perception [roll0] primarily looking for a couple of spider webs and any rusted metal she can scrape off for the rust.

[Almighty Eevee]

Hido Asmodel

Hido listened as best as he could but soon after abandoned all pretenses of stealth as his mind reeled in disgust at being surronded by even more viscera. He wiped his mouth clean of bile as he pulled himself out from under the bed. He shook shook his head slowly, trying to clear his mind of the sight, while trying to get away from it as quickly as possible. May not have been... my brightest move. "The hell was she going on about, 'Challengers'." He asked towards the closet 'living' individual, choosing to ignore the brute, beating on the motionless bags. He held his stomach with a small wince as he steadied against the bed, as another rush of bile threatened to escape his lips.



Hido crawls out from under the bed and stands up next to it in J2

[forg99rules]

"The Pale Lady, Wait I've heard that somewhere before... if its who i think it is we are boned." Taking the broken sword up from the floor and seeing the name Vosper on the hilt was really confusing. The only Vosper coming to mind was The Whispering Lord, Raph'æl Vosper, but he never used a sword or any weapon for that matter, so why the hell was his name on this broken blade. Determining that this was the least of his worries and that he can figure it out later he stood up from his bed and made his way over towards the Sister. Pointing the sword at the Sister he decides that he needs to set her straight and get some answers. "None of us made any such challenge to your "Pale Lady", Now how about you tell us what the F*ck is going on, Last i remember i was killed by a bunch of F*ckin halfling Sh*ts and now I'm here with your B*tch *ss telling me that us four are making some sort of challenge. And could you please shut that other B*tch up she is really getting on my nerves right now with all that f*cking screaming."

Keeping the broken blade pointed at the Sister he begins looking around the room checking out the three people that had woken up. "Aight got a Girl with a bird and an Alcohol addiction, A Lizard that looks like he just wants to beat something to death, And a Human that can't stand gore. Great this bunch is gonna be some fun." Looking back towards the sister he tries to catch a glimpse of what is going on in the other room.



Moving from G2 to D5 (G2>F3>E3>D3>D4>D5)

Perception for looking into the next room
[roll0]

[Mornings]

http://i.imgur.com/mFWEMDF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/1CNVcN4.jpg



http://i.imgur.com/Cw8wpac.jpg


Characters are tightly bound within their respective body-bags. The tight straps are restraining the limbs and preventing further movement. Status: Characters are Blind & Helpless

- As a Full Round Action You may Attempt a DC16 Strength Check or DC16 Escape Artist check. Failure grants you a cumulative +1 bonus to the respective Check attempted as you begin to loosen your bonds.



Upon success Character notice they are wearing the exact cloths they had wore during their murder. Terrible cuts from over two dozen knife wounds have left your cloths shredded and torn: (Cloths have the Broken condition, and grant none of their respective benefits if they possess any. Cloths may be mended by needle and thread with 2 hours of work, or with a DC20 Profession (Tailor) Check.)

Unarmed & Dangerous
Characters do not have any of their equipment, to include armor and weapons.
Characters retain 1 small item secreted away on their person, or just overlooked (this may be a Familiar or Spellbook).

Primal Surge
Characters with access to a Spell List may attempt a DC20 Spellcraft Check or DC20 Knowledge: Arcana Check, revealing something strange lingering in the air. Characters without a Spell List cannot attempt these Checks.

Other Bodies
11 other body bags lay upon the dozen molding beds through out the room. Some are beginning to move. You may free another creature as a Standard Action.

The Dirt Room
the 60ft long, 25ft wide room you awake in looks like its fit to be condemned. The walls are covered with black mold and the paint has long ago peeled away revealing ugly weeping rust and termite infested wood. 12 beds fill the room, 6 on each side. A number of bodies on the left-side of the room are beginning to stir - faceless amorphous body-bags of dirt covered white burlap tied with thick bands of the same rotting material. The ground is covered with thick dirt, as if the interior of this building had been converted into some kind of greenhouse for the dead. The lighting is incredibly dim (Low-Light/Dim Light) with only a small ray of illumination creeping in from the hall at the end of the room. The north-side of the room's right side leads out into the rest of the building, but the 10ft space is partially blocked by a poorly placed bed which a still corpse-bag rests. The dirt looks remarkably higher and far more unruly outside of the room, but its difficult to make out anything else, as the source of light is unnaturally angled, perhaps by mirrors. The screams still sound from further inside.



You are pale of skin and covered with stitched wounds. While not undead, you could easily be confused with a walking corpse...


Hungerless
Character's are not Undead Creatures, and gain no benefits specific to undead. However, they will not die of starvation or thirst. Refraining from eating or drinking will Fatigue and Exhaust you normally, but you will suffer no lethal damage from this condition. Instead damage which would be received is non-lethal, but may not exceed your Hit Points. This damage will only leave you Staggered, but will render you unconscious if additional Non-lethal damage is accrued from another source. Non-lethal damage becomes lethal damage as normal if it exceeds your maximum Hit Point total.

Undead Resilience
Dying once has made you more difficult to kill. Your maximum Hit Points is increases by 3. Every Hit Die gained beyond 3rd increases this bonus by 1. Additionally when reduced below 0 Hit Points you naturally begin to heal: Every 3 Rounds the Character naturally recovers 1 Hit Point until 0 Hit Points is reached. This is a regenerative effect.

Lessened Life-Essence
You are not undead and are not healed by Negative Energy. If you are healed by Negative Energy normally, this feature is lost and replaced with this one: Characters are only healed by half from sources of Positive Energy (rounded down - minimum 1). Similarly, your resistance versus negative energy effects has increased: You receive a +4 Racial Bonus against Ability Drain, Death Effects, Disease, Energy Drain, and Negative Energy effects.





Asaelgash's broken bed-leg functions as an Improvised Club. However, due to the weight and difficult handling. It gains a -1 Penalty to hit and +2 Circumstance Bonus to Damage. This penalty stacks with those applied normally from wielding an Improvised Weapon.



Hido has partial-cover while prone underneath the bed. However his stealth is negated by creatures which have observed his movement.

Hido has been unfortunate to have recovered a rotting handful of rotting organs. The sight is so foul he's unable to maintain his resolve: Hido is Nauseated for [1/2 Rounds]

Nauseated

Creatures with the nauseated condition experience stomach distress. Nauseated creatures are unable to attack, cast spells, concentrate on spells, or do anything else requiring attention. The only action such a character can take is a single move action per turn.


Post in any order, actions are resolved by the following stack:

Thane: (1d20+4)[19] (1st)
Asaelgash: (1d20)[19] (2nd)
Delilah: (1d20+4)[18] (3rd)
Hido: (1d20+8)[16] (4th)

The apparent 'nun', Sister Helen smiled softly as Thane waved his broken sword in her face. "I do apologize. I know this must all be somewhat confusing..." The walls shook as an exceptionally powerful blow rang out from further inside. Thane squinted his eyes, and while he could see out in the darkness, the room was much larger than his vision would allow. Indeed, this rotting residential house possessed an enormous interior. Yet, it was filled with dirt. Decaying limbs and remains lay strewn about half buried, and a young child's arm lay defiantly reaching up from a mound, with an outstretched hand frozen in rigor mortis. Though he could only make out roughly half the shape from the distance some 60ft away, he could see the large ceremonious alter baring the likeness to some robbed woman. An impeccably fine work rendered in marble. A large basin filled with coagulating blood in which small ghostly fires heating iron spikes rested, mirrors of glass reflected the light away from the interior of the room. The carved figure held the basin in her stone hands as if collecting something. "The Favored Children, those who have accepted the teachings and the blessed word of The Pale Lady had chosen each of you - watching you, measuring your worth. You were found suitable, and thus were your lives offered up in tribute as an offering to Our Fair Lady... However, in accordance with our sacred tenets the bodies must lay at rest for 7 days within The Buried Hall, before the remains are minced and buried to nurture the earth. Upon completion of this holy rite, the sacrifice is accepted, and The Favored may become a Pale Blade of Our Fair Lady. Yet, the truly worthy gifts... The exceptional. They do not always remain, dead. All in accordance with Our Fair Lady's design. The Risen demanding their life, may live again should they contest The Favored's claim. You have risen - your right to contest your murderer validated... But before that, you must first, survive." Thane could barely make out a young girl fighting back against a heavy wooden door. A heavy darkwood beam blocking entrance was splintered in two behind her. The wooden blanks were lined with steel rims and bolted, yet twisted metal and fractured wood left a fourth of the portal's closure shattered. A series of sharp rasping rakes bit into the metal - thick claws, as if made of some strange bronzed and blackened metal carved through the surface with vicious fury. The girl, just outside his range of vision, fought and struggled frantically, sliding back in the dirt and hammering herself against its surface in a futile contest of strength. A thick gray miasma begun to flow in through the cracks and holes in the door as the gapes widened. A horrid stench beginning to slowly mingle with the air that threatened to blind and suffocate him from its oppressive musk. His skin begun to bristle and itch, as if small incests ran down his exposed flesh. The girl begun to thrash about, pinching her nose and closing her eyes to summon the strength to keep the door closed while the putrid mist washed over her... " Ah, so the time has come. I trust you've made your preparations? The girl has bought you more time than you justly deserve. Do try not to waste so precious a gift. "

The young woman raised a hand out behind her, a deep purple light beginning to surround her hand. She traced an arcane sigil in the air, then another, followed by a rounded winded crest. She choked out the last verbal component of her spell a prismatic ripple of chaotic energy shimmered across the walls, and a pulse of reality bending translucent waves crashed into the world as the magic begun to take shape.


"Mother Moon; Starsong of all nights!"
"Here all dark gathers to quell your sacred light!"
"Let not life pass before all unliving... Let not dreadful eyes rest upon your faithful!"

The symbols spun into life surrounding the girl with an aura of lightly pulsing energy before she completely vanished from sight, leaving neither footprint nor trace she had been- The doors exploded open in a shower of wood and steel beams. Roiling 30ft wide clouds caustic choking mist drifted into the room. The gleam of some terrible creature's eye briefly reflected in the dim light before vanishing completely in the cloud-bank. A howling guttural growl unlike man or animal pierced his ears. It felt as if the temperature had begun to drop slightly, from cool to cold. A second bank of cloudy mist begun to roil into the room in slow approach. He had a very bad feeling about this.



- Journal Entries Received In Kintargo, dated the 1st day of Desnus; AR 4683 -

First Entry
Deep in the woods—any woods and every woods— lived a witch known as The Pale Lady or The Flower Mistress. So the song sang, but The Fair Lady was no witch at all, but a faerie queen—an evil faerie queen of The Winter Court. As you can imagine, the finer points of that distinction are lost on the peasant farmers who lose their children to her malicious ways. Her domain is sealed away most of the year, but every spring the veil between worlds is thin enough that the Pale Lady can send out her army of emaciated animal thralls to steal the sons of honest people in a grand ritual they do call, The Masque of Flowers. Animals are men—animals wear the skin of men, and children. Passing unnoticed before the eyes of the ignorant.

Second Entry
She is callous and cruel to human eyes, but in truth she simply has no more concern for men than men have for goats or chickens. They are domesticated beasts and little more. Only magicians and elves are worthy of her hospitality, and she is eager to host them should they heap the proper levels of flattery upon her glory. She never wears any adornment or clothing, save one piece. While entertaining she wears a simple crown woven from the thorns of a white rose bush. She does not understand the symbolism, only that it seems to be an important symbol to men and thus she has adopted it. She is a polyglot who fluently speaks a dozen human languages and even more nonhuman languages. She is faerie queen and peerless sorceress, who commands Words of Creation. She has a desire for power and considers herself a minor goddess—A notion not misplaced. For she is one of The Eldest. Goddess of The First World, and Queen among the fey-kind. She had previously endeavored greatly to find even more of these words, but, after finding (and learning) the first, she lost her stomach for it. She desperately seeks those schooled in the ways of the most ancients of magics, that she might resume her task to claim greater measures of this transcendental force.

Third Entry
Almost two years ago, one of those sons made it back.
He spoke of how many of the children were taken away never to be seen again. He spoke of his grueling labor as a slave, working her vast fields of flowers. He spoke of emaciated rabbit men who acted as mute overseers, able to make no noise beyond a warbling scream. He also spoke of a vast cube of stone, sealed in the back chambers of the Great Hall, of vast riches, and of visiting magicians who made pacts with The Pale Lady for training in the dark arts. He learned the secret ways in and out of her domain. He has told all who will listen, but only the nuns of the abbey have ever believed him.

The nuns of the abbey ask the wrong questions and pass unnoticed. They don't know I'm watching—I'm always watching.

Fourth Entry
More are returning—enchanted—enthralled. The nuns only come back once a year, and more children leave with them. What of the ritual, what of The Masque? Or perhaps, I've missed something, perhaps we all dance to her tune. She is cunning. The days of rabbit-men are over. Something darker lingers at the edge of my mind.

Fifth Entry
She's taken me. I couldn't have known. It was a trap. But she can't stop me now, even without The Flame. I went back in the past, though I couldn't find Raph'æl in time, I did the next best thing. I found Gal'bertel S'Sisery—The Witch of Undercity—the boy who returned. Vospher has to know. The Pathfinders will make it in time, before Seven-Arrows falls. Now that she has Mellyn—I fear for The Swallowfeld Children.

~ DEVIL MAKER

The great lizardman had begun his sauntering approach to the far end of the room intent of checking each body for armor or other vestments he might use as the assassin emerged from his hiding place and the witch ranted on as she moved to the corner of the room. The walls shook, and the words of the spell reached their ears along with the distorting wave of power which seemed to pass through both the air and walls without concern, bending their vision like running water before returning to its original shape. It was as if the released magic had distorted something in the very world about them. "A convent? I suppose it is something of the sort... Though not intended for individuals of your, quality... It would bring great satisfaction if you were to accept the merciful glory of Our Fair Lady. Though, I suspect this to be particularly unlikely. First I suppose, you may wish to focus on completing this trial, and besting your Challenger in Sacred Combat." The large lizard brought his club down on the body with a resounding wet THUD.


Beginning and ending a movement is a Move Action - therefore, you cannot move > perform action > move, in a single round of combat without specific feats that allow you to do just that. Further, interacting with the beds and such is atleast a Move Action. Moving a bed would be, though attacking a bed would be an Attack Action (Standard Action). You cannot perform more than two standard actions during a round.

Originally, I was contemplating just letting you whack everything, and then telling you this. But, for the sake of fairness. I decided against it. :smallamused:

The body bag exploded beneath the solid impact like a ripe fruit. Sharp hissing streams of blackened ooze flung out as the bag exploded open. A shower of gore splattered him, the thick muck seeming to bubble and freeze at the same time chilling his scaly skin till black. The sharp numbing pain of the unexpectedly violent pop of the bodies chest cavity leaving him slick with the foul grime. It burned and covered his skin with ice as it begun to freeze him under its touch. massive husks of black gory sacks stirred on the ground, beginning to clatter and gnash rows of sharp teeth. Then another, another - and even another... Massive fleshy bags of rot like maggots from within the thing chittered out from the bloated organs of black freezing blood. They skittered forward oozing streams of puss and black sludge like grotesque parasitic insects. The gore was thick on him, and was seemingly only getting worse the longer it sat on his skin. The sticky substance running down his face and limbs.


Asaelgash is covered with a blast of thick gore and is dealt 4 Points of Cold Damage
In addition Asaelgash contracts BloodBlood Blight I:

BlackBlood Blight I:
Receiving Blight: Blight is inflicted in 'Stacks', represented by the current Blight's number. Each number applies an effect independently
Removing Blight: Removing Blight requires a creature spend time cleaning the blood off of themselves. Consuming an action to clean removes all Stacks of Blight for Stacks below 4. Being Blighted makes receiving additional blight easier, as the DC becomes more difficult, and additional penalties or damage is applied. Penalties do not 'tick' until the end of the effected creature's round.

I Stack: Swift Action
II Stack: Move Action
III Stack: Standard Action
IV Stack: Full Round Action
V Stack+: Full Round Action to Reduce Stack by 1

The wretchedly large maggots wriggled and squirmed within reach to reel and nip at the lizard man, hungry for more flesh. The sudden slight of the strange dripping creatures as the lizard was caught in the burst of gore and black sludge caught Hido off-guard, but not unaware. The creatures looked common enough, but mutated to some degree. The hissing and chill smoke rising from the lizardman's skin didn't inspire an abundance of confidence. He couldn't be sure just what kind of creatures he was looking at. Delilah plucked at the corner finding 4 spiderwebs lingering in the corner, but looking about she couldn't find any manner of rust.. the whole of the place seemed to be made of wood. Yet, something caught her eye in the soil... She bent over and brushed off the dirt revealing what she first thought to be a rusty pipe, pulling the metal up from the ground, much to her surprise she retrieved an old rusted pistol. It indeed had the rust she needed, yet it still had good powder and a single round loaded in the barrel. The sudden movement behind her didn't go unnoticed, she keenly caught sight of the strange maggots and the lizardman's precarious predicament.


"Damned fools, use this!"

Thane looked out as a gruff old man's voice called out from across the chamber. He couldn't make it out with the short range of his vision, but from far out across the way a double-barreled musket fly through the air before landing across the room in the dirt. A loud crash as a door slammed shut closely followed. That weapon didn't look rusted or old. It very well could have been new, and was rather heavily decorated and gleaming with a soft magical glow...


[Round 5 Begins] - Players Win Initiative!



Moving in the knee-deep soil is far too difficult to be done competently. The Main Chamber (Beginning at Row 7) counts as Difficult Terrain. However creatures may attempt to move full speed. Moving half speed requires a DC14 Acrobatics Check to safely move without tripping on buried debris. Failure knocks the creature prone. Moving below half speed requires no Check. For every 5ft traveled beyond half movement, the creature must attempt another Acrobatics Check with a Cumulative +1 to the DC of the Check. If the creature fails after moving 10ft or more beyond half their movement speed, they suffer 2 Points of Bludgeoning Damage as they trip on the stones and buried materials under the soil.

- Creature's may attempt a DC20 Acrobatics Check to attempt a 5ft Step. If this check is failed, the movement is not completed and the creature falls prone in the square they are currently occupying.



[STANDARD MAP]


http://i.imgur.com/H5AIB6s.png





http://i.imgur.com/mjsPXov.png

[flat_footed]

Gonna be a busy day for me. Going to get my action posted and update with more RP later.

Asaelgash moves to F3, sloughs off the nasty stuff and readies an action to strike at the worms if they come within reach.

Asaelgash looks at the filth coating his already ruined outfit and at the worms that burst from the corpse. With a dismissive gesture, he turns from the monstrous worms and walks down the room past Hido, stopping only when he gets past a pair of beds.

"sjek wux shilta ti resksik wer slathalin, leor doutan de coi."

Turning to face the worms once more, Asaelgash hisses a challenge and waits for them.

[Almighty Eevee]

Hido Asmodel

"For the love of Desna. Bags with maggot-ridden entrails, corpses with large maggots and then 'THIS CHICK' comes in here telling us to kill our murderer. Could today get any better?" Hido growled out as he followed behind the lizardman. He felt his stomach calming down as he regained his senses. He gave an obsecne gesture towards the Pale sister as he turned back to the threat at the end of the room.


Hido moves to E3

[Morbis Meh]

Delilah gave a tired sigh, she constantly wondered why she always seemed to end up in these horrible situations. Why couldn't she wake up in a luxurious mansion surrounded by exotic libations and man servants instead of a condemned hell hole and rotting corpses. She rolled her eyes at the limp challenge issued by the scaled one before she gingerly sauntered closer to put an end to this silly farce.

"Step aside boys, let a woman show you how these things are handled." Taking out one of the webs she holds it up as an offering to the arcane powers that be, channeling the awesome force of the cosmos through her stunted body. A soft chant slowly escaped her lips as she entered a brief trance. The power rushed through her and burned the web as its price.

Instantly thick strings of sticky web materialized out of the nothingness and shot out covering the back of the room where their supposed challenge awaited.

Delilah will move to D3 and cast web targeting M3 forcing all of the things to make a reflex save DC 17 lest they be grappled!

[forg99rules]

http://i.imgur.com/A8rs4xd.jpg

Looking past the Sister into the room he couldn't help but wonder what the hell this place really was. Watching the girl struggle against the door he knew that whatever she was holding back was not going to be fun to fight. "A gift you say, Sh*t this seems more like a curse. A gift would have been giving us more of a fighting chance." Standing in awe as the girl performed her magic, and flinching slightly as the door exploded, He felt some fear creep into him as he caught the glimmer of Red eyes and heard a roar of an animal he could not place. The chill in the air was causing him to shiver slightly as he was not expecting it.

Hearing the old man call out and a rifle fly threw the air, he heads straight for it as it is definitely a better weapon right now than this old broken sword. Moving in the filth was easier said than done, it was a struggle most of the way. Thinking back on what the Sister said, about how the bodies are ground up and buried, he couldn't help but wonder "Am i walking through the ground up remains of dead bodies right now?". This thought caused him to miss a step and lose his footing, slipping on what felt like a smooth round stone he lands on his back on the soil. to most this might have caused them some issue but he had been knocked down enough that he had learned ways of getting up quickly. Rolling out of the fall he continues to make his way to the rifle. Finally making it to the rifle he looks around quickly trying to spot the old man or even the door that he had heard. "Where you at old man?F*cking people man, can't anyone give us weapons we know how to use."


Move Action: Move from D6>D7>D8>D9>D10>D11
Swift Action: Ki Stand
Move Action: Move from D11>D12>D13
Free Action: Perception check: [roll0]

[Mornings]

http://i.imgur.com/mFWEMDF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/1CNVcN4.jpg



http://i.imgur.com/Ej2oaGz.jpg


Characters are tightly bound within their respective body-bags. The tight straps are restraining the limbs and preventing further movement. Status: Characters are Blind & Helpless

- As a Full Round Action You may Attempt a DC16 Strength Check or DC16 Escape Artist check. Failure grants you a cumulative +1 bonus to the respective Check attempted as you begin to loosen your bonds.



Upon success Character notice they are wearing the exact cloths they had wore during their murder. Terrible cuts from over two dozen knife wounds have left your cloths shredded and torn: (Cloths have the Broken condition, and grant none of their respective benefits if they possess any. Cloths may be mended by needle and thread with 2 hours of work, or with a DC20 Profession (Tailor) Check.)

Unarmed & Dangerous
Characters do not have any of their equipment, to include armor and weapons.
Characters retain 1 small item secreted away on their person, or just overlooked (this may be a Familiar or Spellbook).

Primal Surge
Characters with access to a Spell List may attempt a DC20 Spellcraft Check or DC20 Knowledge: Arcana Check, revealing something strange lingering in the air. Characters without a Spell List cannot attempt these Checks.

Other Bodies
11 other body bags lay upon the dozen molding beds through out the room. Some are beginning to move. You may free another creature as a Standard Action.

The Dirt Room
the 60ft long, 25ft wide room you awake in looks like its fit to be condemned. The walls are covered with black mold and the paint has long ago peeled away revealing ugly weeping rust and termite infested wood. 12 beds fill the room, 6 on each side. A number of bodies on the left-side of the room are beginning to stir - faceless amorphous body-bags of dirt covered white burlap tied with thick bands of the same rotting material. The ground is covered with thick dirt, as if the interior of this building had been converted into some kind of greenhouse for the dead. The lighting is incredibly dim (Low-Light/Dim Light) with only a small ray of illumination creeping in from the hall at the end of the room. The north-side of the room's right side leads out into the rest of the building, but the 10ft space is partially blocked by a poorly placed bed which a still corpse-bag rests. The dirt looks remarkably higher and far more unruly outside of the room, but its difficult to make out anything else, as the source of light is unnaturally angled, perhaps by mirrors. The screams still sound from further inside.



You are pale of skin and covered with stitched wounds. While not undead, you could easily be confused with a walking corpse...


Hungerless
Character's are not Undead Creatures, and gain no benefits specific to undead. However, they will not die of starvation or thirst. Refraining from eating or drinking will Fatigue and Exhaust you normally, but you will suffer no lethal damage from this condition. Instead damage which would be received is non-lethal, but may not exceed your Hit Points. This damage will only leave you Staggered, but will render you unconscious if additional Non-lethal damage is accrued from another source. Non-lethal damage becomes lethal damage as normal if it exceeds your maximum Hit Point total.

Undead Resilience
Dying once has made you more difficult to kill. Your maximum Hit Points is increases by 3. Every Hit Die gained beyond 3rd increases this bonus by 1. Additionally when reduced below 0 Hit Points you naturally begin to heal: Every 3 Rounds the Character naturally recovers 1 Hit Point until 0 Hit Points is reached. This is a regenerative effect.

Lessened Life-Essence
You are not undead and are not healed by Negative Energy. If you are healed by Negative Energy normally, this feature is lost and replaced with this one: Characters are only healed by half from sources of Positive Energy (rounded down - minimum 1). Similarly, your resistance versus negative energy effects has increased: You receive a +4 Racial Bonus against Ability Drain, Death Effects, Disease, Energy Drain, and Negative Energy effects.





Asaelgash's broken bed-leg functions as an Improvised Club. However, due to the weight and difficult handling. It gains a -1 Penalty to hit and +2 Circumstance Bonus to Damage. This penalty stacks with those applied normally from wielding an Improvised Weapon.



Hido has partial-cover while prone underneath the bed. However his stealth is negated by creatures which have observed his movement.

Hido has been unfortunate to have recovered a rotting handful of rotting organs. The sight is so foul he's unable to maintain his resolve: Hido is Nauseated for [0/2 Rounds]

Nauseated

Creatures with the nauseated condition experience stomach distress. Nauseated creatures are unable to attack, cast spells, concentrate on spells, or do anything else requiring attention. The only action such a character can take is a single move action per turn.





- Journal Entries Received In Kintargo, dated the 1st day of Desnus; AR 4683 -

First Entry
Deep in the woods—any woods and every woods— lived a witch known as The Pale Lady or The Flower Mistress. So the song sang, but The Fair Lady was no witch at all, but a faerie queen—an evil faerie queen of The Winter Court. As you can imagine, the finer points of that distinction are lost on the peasant farmers who lose their children to her malicious ways. Her domain is sealed away most of the year, but every spring the veil between worlds is thin enough that the Pale Lady can send out her army of emaciated animal thralls to steal the sons of honest people in a grand ritual they do call, The Masque of Flowers. Animals are men—animals wear the skin of men, and children. Passing unnoticed before the eyes of the ignorant.

Second Entry
She is callous and cruel to human eyes, but in truth she simply has no more concern for men than men have for goats or chickens. They are domesticated beasts and little more. Only magicians and elves are worthy of her hospitality, and she is eager to host them should they heap the proper levels of flattery upon her glory. She never wears any adornment or clothing, save one piece. While entertaining she wears a simple crown woven from the thorns of a white rose bush. She does not understand the symbolism, only that it seems to be an important symbol to men and thus she has adopted it. She is a polyglot who fluently speaks a dozen human languages and even more nonhuman languages. She is faerie queen and peerless sorceress, who commands Words of Creation. She has a desire for power and considers herself a minor goddess—A notion not misplaced. For she is one of The Eldest. Goddess of The First World, and Queen among the fey-kind. She had previously endeavored greatly to find even more of these words, but, after finding (and learning) the first, she lost her stomach for it. She desperately seeks those schooled in the ways of the most ancients of magics, that she might resume her task to claim greater measures of this transcendental force.

Third Entry
Almost two years ago, one of those sons made it back.
He spoke of how many of the children were taken away never to be seen again. He spoke of his grueling labor as a slave, working her vast fields of flowers. He spoke of emaciated rabbit men who acted as mute overseers, able to make no noise beyond a warbling scream. He also spoke of a vast cube of stone, sealed in the back chambers of the Great Hall, of vast riches, and of visiting magicians who made pacts with The Pale Lady for training in the dark arts. He learned the secret ways in and out of her domain. He has told all who will listen, but only the nuns of the abbey have ever believed him.

The nuns of the abbey ask the wrong questions and pass unnoticed. They don't know I'm watching—I'm always watching.

Fourth Entry
More are returning—enchanted—enthralled. The nuns only come back once a year, and more children leave with them. What of the ritual, what of The Masque? Or perhaps, I've missed something, perhaps we all dance to her tune. She is cunning. The days of rabbit-men are over. Something darker lingers at the edge of my mind.

Fifth Entry
She's taken me. I couldn't have known. It was a trap. But she can't stop me now, even without The Flame. I went back in the past, though I couldn't find Raph'æl in time, I did the next best thing. I found Gal'bertel S'Sisery—The Witch of Undercity—the boy who returned. Vospher has to know. The Pathfinders will make it in time, before Seven-Arrows falls. Now that she has Mellyn—I fear for The Swallowfeld Children.

~ DEVIL MAKER


Asaelgash is covered with a blast of thick gore and is dealt 4 Points of Cold Damage
In addition Asaelgash contracts BloodBlood Blight I:

BlackBlood Blight I:
Receiving Blight: Blight is inflicted in 'Stacks', represented by the current Blight's number. Each number applies an effect independently
Removing Blight: Removing Blight requires a creature spend time cleaning the blood off of themselves. Consuming an action to clean removes all Stacks of Blight for Stacks below 4. Being Blighted makes receiving additional blight easier, as the DC becomes more difficult, and additional penalties or damage is applied. Penalties do not 'tick' until the end of the effected creature's round.

I Stack: Swift Action
II Stack: Move Action
III Stack: Standard Action
IV Stack: Full Round Action (Action Provokes)
V Stack+: Full Round Action to Reduce Stack by 1 (Action Provokes)



Moving in the knee-deep soil is far too difficult to be done competently. The Main Chamber (Beginning at Row 7) counts as Difficult Terrain. However creatures may attempt to move full speed. Moving half speed requires a DC14 Acrobatics Check to safely move without tripping on buried debris. Failure knocks the creature prone. Moving below half speed requires no Check. For every 5ft traveled beyond half movement, the creature must attempt another Acrobatics Check with a Cumulative +1 to the DC of the Check. If the creature fails after moving 10ft or more beyond half their movement speed, they suffer 2 Points of Bludgeoning Damage as they trip on the stones and buried materials under the soil.

- Creature's may attempt a DC20 Acrobatics Check to attempt a 5ft Step. If this check is failed, the movement is not completed and the creature falls prone in the square they are currently occupying.


Post in any order, actions are resolved by the following stack:

Thane: (1d20+4)[19] (1st)
Asaelgash: (1d20)[19] (2nd)
Delilah: (1d20+4)[18] (3rd)
Hido: (1d20+8)[16] (4th)

The rifle tossed out from the dark held Thane's eye as readily as the waves of mist. There wasn't any time. He shoved past the nun and bolted for the firearm, he didn't know how to use the weapon, but he knew what guns could do and the thought of having a functional weapon seemed a preferable fate. The roiling mounds of dirt were far more difficult to traverse than he initially thought. His first step sunk him down to his knee in soil and buried debris. He pulled himself up , found a foothold upon a stone and crossed a narrow path skipping between rocks until the solid footing ran out. With little other option he sprung out, he landed upon a moist patch, slipping and falling into a pool of grime and decaying filth - the general outline of a foot was visible below him, but he paid no mind. Following the momentum, he rolled with the fall before springing to his feet to continue his mad dash.

He stood above the firearm looking it over. It was an exceptionally made weapon - barrels of mithril and a stock of darkwood with outrageously detailed carvings filling its surface. The first barrel of the doubled weapon ended in a cawing raven's head from which the ammunition would be discharged. It had the look of a collector's display piece, more for aesthetics than function. The mist begun to creep in even further as his ears picked up a distance voice seemingly growing in audibility, as the sword in his hand began to emit a dim glow of sapphire light;

"....Stumbling, he stood before the weapon as the creatures stalked about him. They gnashed their fangs, and shook their terrible heads in anticipation for the kill as the girl watched from a distance. It was plain upon her face, why should she brave certain death for those who showed no desire to aid herself. She was certain she could defeat the creatures after - They did become so fat and slow after they had just eaten... There was little choice, there was no escape from this place. Not until all the creatures were slain, or they each laid dead. The walls were made of rotting wood, but these halls might as well have been endless. There was no exit. There was no.. escape. The Dark Teller had seen to that..."

The voice stopped in confusion, an echo resounded as if the voice were being repeated elsewhere at a distance. It was coming from the sword. Thane couldn't be sure what to make of it. It was as if he were tapping into the monologue of some displaced narrator, the voice of some aloft god looking down upon his dire circumstance, and if what he said as true. There was no running. Either these creatures had to die, or they would.

"...Curious. He could hear me through Mellyn's sword. Somewhere in the past, when it still retained a measure of its ability. It was without a doubt a temporal paradox fabricated from both it- and my own, state of dissociated presence, and disjointed absence. Much like myself, it both was-and-wasn't, there. Here. Was. Though perhaps he was unaware to step before the alter- he had the inclination. Words seemed to come to mind; 'Thane Kurick accepts The Trail, and requests...'. Well, requests, whatever he pleased. The rules were simple. Those who braved the challenges and contested their murderer's could request an article of their arms, their armor, or the miscellaneous tools they had lost. Most other Children simply acquired their equipment by amassing Fervor from completed burdens and slaying enemies recognized by The Dark Speaker... Most Children did this. But Candlelight wasn't like the others, she was shy, scared easily and never adjusted to combat. But something terrible lurked inside her, a fire that could drown the world under the curtain of death. It was a gift well known to The Pale Lady, and she intended to break the child and bring her into the fold. One way, or the other. But, not all men were so blessed. Thane would need the aide of daring men like Harvold Corval to manufacture the weapons he would need to contest his murderers, The Pale Lady and the pretense of fate. He couldn't have known just how far this would go, and that The Pale Lady was only the beginning. Though he didn't know who or what that strange voice was, DEVIL MAKER would come to tell him it was a man named Professor Kardimine Kell Eron. A man he knew very well, the answers lay with him."

Much like an old recording, the voice muffled and was drowned out by static. It was as if a vox recording from some where else, from some other time was cut open briefly by the sword and played in his mind. He knew he wasn't hearing anything physically. It was something projecting into him. The glow of the sword begun to fade. It was without a doubt something far more than a sword, and the names were familiar. The same names he'd seen in the journal. It has been a stolen book from The Decemvirate's Libraries. A precious tome. He didn't understand the significance of it at the time, aside from reference to some obscure deity, but now it seemed to be coming full circle. The voice said he could reclaim a weapon, armor, or the various tools he had once carried from the alter before himself. He had the feeling he might have discovered that if the girl who vanished had found him a suitable friend, instead of a fitting sacrifice. There were a millions things he didn't know - but he didn't have time to think. Just as the voice had said, he could see the glint of burning eyes pass through the smoke as it rushed inside like a stream of smog. The great cloud of stinking musk ended directly in front of his face. The guttural growls seemed to come from no-where and everywhere at once. He needed to act quickly if he didn't want to end up as another corpse in the soil...

He couldn't see where the old-man was, but he could barely make out another hall, and possible a door far across the main chamber which he stood. Before, perhaps was the door which the great flumes of smoke and mist poured out from. He couldn't stay where he was for long. He had to keep moving.

Asaelgash walked out from amid the creatures as they squirmed about. The things looked troublesome in more ways than one, dripping the putrid black ooze from their porous skin. The elven witch walked up from behind him with a word and grand flare. As the arcane energies filled her body and consumed the web, a sudden lurching surge ripped through her limbs. A wave of confusion and sickening confusion shook her as the magics threatened to disintegrate internally before they could spring into the world in their imagined form. She wrestled with the spell, streams of prismatic light shimmered from her fingertips as she actively re-wove the magics as they escaped her fingertips as wisps of dancing gray light. She bound the energy to arcane sigils in the air, giving it tangible form to combat the destructive-chaotic hammering which twisted and contorted the energy, threatening to release an unprecedented explosion of raw magic into the material plane. It was Wild Magic. She could feel it in her skin, as the light took on form, they were too close to something - standing upon the precipice of a thresh hold connecting to the Prime Material and Elsewhere. It took a grunt and strain until the completed spell shattered forth into the world releasing a near identical distorting surge which twisted the air and passed through walls and the insubstantial like a transient metaphysical wave. The magics fabricated limbs of thick string which exploded outward exactly where she had imagined it, catching the maggots in her snare. Hido looked on in surprise as the magic snare exploded into reality in a great 20ft blast that ended directly before him. Thick strings as thick as arms of the arresting white material loomed directly in front of his nose. Resolving his movement was all the more justified, he turned away and moved back further into the room with the others.

Sister Helen gave a quiet applause. "Very impressive, dear elf. Magic is exceptionally difficult to form here while the veil separating ours and Our Fair Lady's world is so thin. No doubt your mastery will win you great favor, but I do wonder how long you can maintain this resolve. Magic is a commodity which Our Fair Lady greatly values, and tends to judge critically. There are a number of difficulties you will need to learn to overcome. I look forward to seeing your flourishing prosperity, assuming you survive this Trial." The maggots squirmed about, but only one of the creatures managed to wrangle free of the sticky walls of goo before moving forward a step and getting stuck again. The things looked like they would be firmly held for quite some time.





[Round 6 Begins] - Players Win Initiative!


[STANDARD MAP]


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[Almighty Eevee]

Hido Asmodel

He looked back to see the maggots wriggling around inside of the webbing and gulped in slight realization that he could be trapped among them. Sure would be great if I had my gear... Not the worst situation I've ever been in, looks like I'll just have to improvise. He slid behind the witch and moved over the wall. He readied his Kunai as he drove it into the wall repeatedly to peel away chunks of wood into sharpened pieces.


Hido moves to D1 and proceeded to chip at the wall to make Wooden Stakes.

[flat_footed]

With a wicked grin, Asaelgash locks his gaze onto Delilah and inclines his head slightly. Striding towards the robed woman, he notes the quickly spreading cloud in the next room. Glancing down at his ruined clothes, Asaelgash tears a large portion free and ties it over his snout. Facing the woman, he seems to size her up and glances askance to the other members of the returned.

"You would find me a more worthy gift by returning what's been taken from me. By our very deaths, and return to life, our right to demand has already been recognized. I do not think my Nuwa'jimos" Asaelgash spits this word out in Draconian, "would accept less."

[forg99rules]

http://i.imgur.com/A8rs4xd.jpg

Hearing the odd voice resounding in his head should have been the weirdest thing to ever happen to him, Yet haven woken from the dead still took the cake on the weird scale. "Don't think anyone would believe me if i told them of this damn voice, Well it said i could get some of my gear back at the Altar. Guess that's where I'm going to head to." Swiftly picking up the musket in one hand while still holding the sword in the other he makes his way over to the Altar. Looking up at the Altar he thought back to what that voice told him "Well, Let's see if im crazy or not."

"Thane Kurick accepts The Trail, and requests his miscellaneous tools."

Having said what the voice had spoken, he takes another look around for anything else that could be of use.


Move Action: Pickup Musket
Move Action: Moving from D13>D14>D15>D16>D17
Free Action: Perception: [roll0]

[Morbis Meh]

The elf's breathing was laboured, she had not expected this twist in her current predicament. She managed an overly sweet smile when the priestess opened her mouth "Oh, why thank you, how lovely of you to notice. You should give it a try..." The last sentence came out as a snarl.

Noting that she was successful at halting the progress of the figures in the corner, the witch turned her attention to their true threat which had yet to properly manifest itself before them. She casually sauntered up to the priestess and prepared herself for what was to come. She looked at what she hoped was a woman and decided to press her luck for some information about what the were about to face.

"So any useful hints or tidbits, it seems you wish for dear old me to survive so giving me a little info on the situation wouldn't tamper with the trial since I still have to survive it."

diplomacy? [roll0] moving to E7 and if I am able I will ready an action (hex) if the thing comes in close

[Mornings]

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Characters are tightly bound within their respective body-bags. The tight straps are restraining the limbs and preventing further movement. Status: Characters are Blind & Helpless

- As a Full Round Action You may Attempt a DC16 Strength Check or DC16 Escape Artist check. Failure grants you a cumulative +1 bonus to the respective Check attempted as you begin to loosen your bonds.



Upon success Character notice they are wearing the exact cloths they had wore during their murder. Terrible cuts from over two dozen knife wounds have left your cloths shredded and torn: (Cloths have the Broken condition, and grant none of their respective benefits if they possess any. Cloths may be mended by needle and thread with 2 hours of work, or with a DC20 Profession (Tailor) Check.)

Unarmed & Dangerous
Characters do not have any of their equipment, to include armor and weapons.
Characters retain 1 small item secreted away on their person, or just overlooked (this may be a Familiar or Spellbook).

Primal Surge
Characters with access to a Spell List may attempt a DC20 Spellcraft Check or DC20 Knowledge: Arcana Check, revealing something strange lingering in the air. Characters without a Spell List cannot attempt these Checks.

Other Bodies
11 other body bags lay upon the dozen molding beds through out the room. Some are beginning to move. You may free another creature as a Standard Action.

The Dirt Room
the 60ft long, 25ft wide room you awake in looks like its fit to be condemned. The walls are covered with black mold and the paint has long ago peeled away revealing ugly weeping rust and termite infested wood. 12 beds fill the room, 6 on each side. A number of bodies on the left-side of the room are beginning to stir - faceless amorphous body-bags of dirt covered white burlap tied with thick bands of the same rotting material. The ground is covered with thick dirt, as if the interior of this building had been converted into some kind of greenhouse for the dead. The lighting is incredibly dim (Low-Light/Dim Light) with only a small ray of illumination creeping in from the hall at the end of the room. The north-side of the room's right side leads out into the rest of the building, but the 10ft space is partially blocked by a poorly placed bed which a still corpse-bag rests. The dirt looks remarkably higher and far more unruly outside of the room, but its difficult to make out anything else, as the source of light is unnaturally angled, perhaps by mirrors. The screams still sound from further inside.



You are pale of skin and covered with stitched wounds. While not undead, you could easily be confused with a walking corpse...


Hungerless
Character's are not Undead Creatures, and gain no benefits specific to undead. However, they will not die of starvation or thirst. Refraining from eating or drinking will Fatigue and Exhaust you normally, but you will suffer no lethal damage from this condition. Instead damage which would be received is non-lethal, but may not exceed your Hit Points. This damage will only leave you Staggered, but will render you unconscious if additional Non-lethal damage is accrued from another source. Non-lethal damage becomes lethal damage as normal if it exceeds your maximum Hit Point total.

Undead Resilience
Dying once has made you more difficult to kill. Your maximum Hit Points is increases by 3. Every Hit Die gained beyond 3rd increases this bonus by 1. Additionally when reduced below 0 Hit Points you naturally begin to heal: Every 3 Rounds the Character naturally recovers 1 Hit Point until 0 Hit Points is reached. This is a regenerative effect.

Lessened Life-Essence
You are not undead and are not healed by Negative Energy. If you are healed by Negative Energy normally, this feature is lost and replaced with this one: Characters are only healed by half from sources of Positive Energy (rounded down - minimum 1). Similarly, your resistance versus negative energy effects has increased: You receive a +4 Racial Bonus against Ability Drain, Death Effects, Disease, Energy Drain, and Negative Energy effects.





Asaelgash's broken bed-leg functions as an Improvised Club. However, due to the weight and difficult handling. It gains a -1 Penalty to hit and +2 Circumstance Bonus to Damage. This penalty stacks with those applied normally from wielding an Improvised Weapon.






- Journal Entries Received In Kintargo, dated the 1st day of Desnus; AR 4683 -

First Entry
Deep in the woods—any woods and every woods— lived a witch known as The Pale Lady or The Flower Mistress. So the song sang, but The Fair Lady was no witch at all, but a faerie queen—an evil faerie queen of The Winter Court. As you can imagine, the finer points of that distinction are lost on the peasant farmers who lose their children to her malicious ways. Her domain is sealed away most of the year, but every spring the veil between worlds is thin enough that the Pale Lady can send out her army of emaciated animal thralls to steal the sons of honest people in a grand ritual they do call, The Masque of Flowers. Animals are men—animals wear the skin of men, and children. Passing unnoticed before the eyes of the ignorant.

Second Entry
She is callous and cruel to human eyes, but in truth she simply has no more concern for men than men have for goats or chickens. They are domesticated beasts and little more. Only magicians and elves are worthy of her hospitality, and she is eager to host them should they heap the proper levels of flattery upon her glory. She never wears any adornment or clothing, save one piece. While entertaining she wears a simple crown woven from the thorns of a white rose bush. She does not understand the symbolism, only that it seems to be an important symbol to men and thus she has adopted it. She is a polyglot who fluently speaks a dozen human languages and even more nonhuman languages. She is faerie queen and peerless sorceress, who commands Words of Creation. She has a desire for power and considers herself a minor goddess—A notion not misplaced. For she is one of The Eldest. Goddess of The First World, and Queen among the fey-kind. She had previously endeavored greatly to find even more of these words, but, after finding (and learning) the first, she lost her stomach for it. She desperately seeks those schooled in the ways of the most ancients of magics, that she might resume her task to claim greater measures of this transcendental force.

Third Entry
Almost two years ago, one of those sons made it back.
He spoke of how many of the children were taken away never to be seen again. He spoke of his grueling labor as a slave, working her vast fields of flowers. He spoke of emaciated rabbit men who acted as mute overseers, able to make no noise beyond a warbling scream. He also spoke of a vast cube of stone, sealed in the back chambers of the Great Hall, of vast riches, and of visiting magicians who made pacts with The Pale Lady for training in the dark arts. He learned the secret ways in and out of her domain. He has told all who will listen, but only the nuns of the abbey have ever believed him.

The nuns of the abbey ask the wrong questions and pass unnoticed. They don't know I'm watching—I'm always watching.

Fourth Entry
More are returning—enchanted—enthralled. The nuns only come back once a year, and more children leave with them. What of the ritual, what of The Masque? Or perhaps, I've missed something, perhaps we all dance to her tune. She is cunning. The days of rabbit-men are over. Something darker lingers at the edge of my mind.

Fifth Entry
She's taken me. I couldn't have known. It was a trap. But she can't stop me now, even without The Flame. I went back in the past, though I couldn't find Raph'æl in time, I did the next best thing. I found Gal'bertel S'Sisery—The Witch of Undercity—the boy who returned. Vospher has to know. The Pathfinders will make it in time, before Seven-Arrows falls. Now that she has Mellyn—I fear for The Swallowfeld Children.

~ DEVIL MAKER


Asaelgash is covered with a blast of thick gore and is dealt 4 Points of Cold Damage
In addition Asaelgash contracts BloodBlood Blight I:

BlackBlood Blight I:
Receiving Blight: Blight is inflicted in 'Stacks', represented by the current Blight's number. Each number applies an effect independently
Removing Blight: Removing Blight requires a creature spend time cleaning the blood off of themselves. Consuming an action to clean removes all Stacks of Blight for Stacks below 4. Being Blighted makes receiving additional blight easier, as the DC becomes more difficult, and additional penalties or damage is applied. Penalties do not 'tick' until the end of the effected creature's round.

I Stack: Swift Action
II Stack: Move Action
III Stack: Standard Action
IV Stack: Full Round Action (Action Provokes)
V Stack+: Full Round Action to Reduce Stack by 1 (Action Provokes)



Moving in the knee-deep soil is far too difficult to be done competently. The Main Chamber (Beginning at Row 7) counts as Difficult Terrain. However creatures may attempt to move full speed. Moving half speed requires a DC14 Acrobatics Check to safely move without tripping on buried debris. Failure knocks the creature prone. Moving below half speed requires no Check. For every 5ft traveled beyond half movement, the creature must attempt another Acrobatics Check with a Cumulative +1 to the DC of the Check. If the creature fails after moving 10ft or more beyond half their movement speed, they suffer 2 Points of Bludgeoning Damage as they trip on the stones and buried materials under the soil.

- Creature's may attempt a DC20 Acrobatics Check to attempt a 5ft Step. If this check is failed, the movement is not completed and the creature falls prone in the square they are currently occupying.


Post in any order, actions are resolved by the following stack:

Thane: (1d20+4)[19] (1st)
Asaelgash: (1d20)[19] (2nd)
Delilah: (1d20+4)[18] (3rd)
Hido: (1d20+8)[16] (4th)


Thane trudged through the dirt and debris grabbing the elaborate rifle as he went. The weapon was lighter than he would have thought, it was a curious thing. As he stepped down from the elevated piles of dirt and corpses he took a good look at the thing, a name was depressed into the stick in a silver relief 'CORVAL', the voice had mentioned a man with that last name... He was sure it couldn't be mere coincidence.

Stepping unto the massive partially buried prayer mat, he saw the deep black surface begin to turn and lighten with shades of green. The flood of mist crashed in around him, seemingly held at bay by some unexplainable field of force running around the consecrated ground. There was something unique about this place, the stature of the angelic figure of stone carved before him held a basin of burning blood filled with long and cruel looking spikes heated in basting flames. It was a young girls face while looked down upon him, almost life-like in its artistic quality. With no better option, he spoke the words...



The mist was banished from about him. From before the alter a great void yawned open, consuming the world about them within its terrible black maw. A whirling stream of wind screamed out in deafening cacophony as if all the air in the plane were being sucked into the pitch-black vacuum of space. It keened and screeched in agonizing choir - then... silence. There were no walls. There was no mounds. No maggots. No corpses. No smoke. No creatures. No sound. They stood within a gazebo of clear crystal, surrounded by the infinite expanse of dim stars of emerald light. It was like that time. When they were falling. When they had died. A voice brought them back from the Infinite Stairs within Pharasma's court, back to the living. Dragging them out from the steel jaws of death. They each stood within that dark, under the gleam of countless green freckles of light. Sister Helen and the rest stood on nothing but the dark surface of space like each of the others except for Thane. Their positions had remained exactly as they were, as they had been within the corpse-house. Somewhere behind them, a younger girl stood within the deeper dark near where the corpses had been placed at rest. Her features were obscured, blurred like a portrait with the acrylics of a visage melted by heat of days under the sun. Her vestments were evidently clerical in nature, and a Wayfinder hung from her belt. The large staff in her hand ended with the markings similar to another woman standing before Thane. The deep gray of her cloak seemed to contrast the darkness. She lifted a gleaming lantern which burned with a rich sage light identical to the stars, as if the celestial body had been contained within the vessel. Her lips moved, but no voice reached his ears. Instead, the voice pierced through his being, soundlessly and without spoken phrases. The raw intent she wished to express was conveyed across some sympathetic cognitive reciprocation fabricated between them - he needed not hear words, such a thing seemed so inefficient - so trivial and flawed. He simply conceived that which she desired to speak.




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With that final word a gleam of small light, like a firefly with that same eerie greenish glow flickered out and entered his chest. Quietly. Undramatically. He felt no different as the expanse of stars quickly dissolved leaving each of them back in the dirt-buried confines of the decaying building. Just like that, it was over. They could no be sure of what had just transpired, yet Sister Helen seemed to have not been phased in the slightest. The smoke had returned, though still held at bay by the sacred aura of the alter. Thane's miscellaneous equipment slowly materialized on the floor in two piles. The one nearest him was all of his carrying containers, his pack, belt pouches, his now-empty Efficient Quiver, and mounds of neatly arrayed arrows. Nothing was in its proper place, each item now individually freely laying upon the thick prayer mat. The second pile another 5ft away was al his other various items and tools. His eyes darted about trying to get a grasp on his surroundings once again, his eyes came upon a human femur that looked like it might due as a solid improvised club, but aside from that nothing stood out, almost all of his surroundings was completely obscured, as if by clouds. A deep and throaty cackle sounded from over his shoulder, as if some invisible entity were leering down upon him - he felt a breath, and the stench of warm rot tickle his ear before sliding away. The mocking laughter became a voice as something- someone, spoke out in a bestial tone.


"Hehe.... Destroy, me? Amusing. Interesting... I knew I chose wisely. I shall let my children feast upon the others. How will you entertain me, I do wonder? L'Drada."

"Do not bore me... Or I shall grind your bones into dust."






Devouring Time

The L'Drada has learned the fundamental innate abilities of the Mylthar Draeval, a sentient time-destroying Calamity.

✥ The L'Drada may now deal damage to an Aegisir or other Ascendant Creature normally. The L'Drada is treated as possessing a Mythic Tier equal to half their Character Levels for determining effects and bypassing DR/Epic. Mythic Effects which negate the abilities of non-mythic creatures do not effect L'Drada. Effects which only target non-mythic creatures cannot effect L'Drada. For all purposes in resolving such abilities, L'Drada function as Mythic Creatures, and this Mythic Tiered resistance stacks with any actual Mythic Tiers the L'Drada possesses. L'Drada gain the Divergent Subtype.

✥ The L'Drada may retain both pools of Perdition and Condemnation which may be spent on acquired abilities.

✥ The L'Drada begins play with the 1st Level Mylthar Draeval ability: Tempus Edax Rerum

Tempus Edax Rerum (Ex): As a Standard Action the Mylthar Draeval may attempt an Ego Check versus the current plane he is on. If he is a native of the plane which he is attempting this check, the DC is reduced by half (Ego DC: 10+1d100). Each time he attempts a new Ego Check versus the plane, he receives a +10 Circumstance Bonus, but all subsequent checks after the first are as a Full Round Action. Upon success, the Mylthar Draeval has a 50% chance of creating either a Calamity Key or Apocalypse Key. Each key is a sentient artifact with a will of its own and cannot be destroyed by any means L'Drada or Aegisir can control. The Mylthar Draeval cannot communicate with the Key, but if it chooses to, it may communicate with him. The Mylthar Draeval is given a single sentence or phrase which encompasses the Key's objective or personality in addition to if the Key targets either the Past or Future. Each Key can only be activated by being used in a DEVIL DOOR. Upon use the Key creates Divergence and functions as a Greater Wish spell. The Wish cannot target a specific creature or entity unless the Key's objective targets a specific entity, if so, it does so by default.

✥ Calamity Key's will attempt to provide the closest possible outcome to the L'Drada's Wish within its objective and persona, but the Wish will be negated after a random amount of time as a second persona of the Key is created after use called a Calamity Edge. This second persona is a duplicate of the activated Calamity Key which is actively working against all objectives of the original Key and is granted a Wish of its own upon creation. An activated Calamity Key and its Calamity Edge always negate each other in the end, often leaving untold suffering in its wake. The Calamity Key and Calamity Edge are part of the same persona and share all memories and knowledge as they work to destroy one another in a contest neither can win.

✥ Apocalypse Key's are inherently evil and wicked creations, born of a maleficence and malignant persona. Each Key is different, but will come in one of two forms. The Apocalypse Key will actively work to assist the L'Drada to ensure it is activated, and reward him with his wish - while bringing about terrors and doom which will threaten to consume existence within the plane. Or, alternatively, actively lie and betray the L'Drada for its own destructive ends. This form of Key can disguise itself as another persona, objective, or even another form of key, such as a Calamity Key. Apocalypse Key's are exceedingly dangerous because of this and due to their power and elusive nature, it is impossible for Lesser Mylthar Draeval to even know what evils they are ushering into the world.

Each key possesses boons which they may grant to the Mylthar Draeval unique to them. In addition to their own unique Ego Checks. Each Key is competing against one another, and only 1 of each Key may be created upon a plane at a single time. Keys may be lost or stolen by other Mylthar Draeval, or the Key may abandon their creator in search of another Mylthar Draeval if they suspect one may exist. Keys are not physical objects, but may be stolen by other Mylthar Draeval with a Key Calling Combat Maneuver. This is a Combat Maneuver with a range of 10ft, and uses the Mylthar Draeval's CMB. If it exceeds or meets the targets CMD the Mylthar Draeval may steal a single Key. Boons are not lost for loosing a Key, but are lost if the Key retracts its own blessing. A Key cannot grant its various blessings multiple times, but only has a handful of unique enhancements and powers it may grant to a single creature. Keys will usually grant these benefits to those they feel are most likely to assist them in accomplishing their objective.

As Keys can determine the mode of communication between themselves and their host, and if two-way communication is even possible - Skill Checks against them are normally not possible, and an Ego Check must be attempted in its place unless otherwise stated. Unless the Mylthar Draeval possesses an ability to identify a Key's true type, only DEVIL MAKER can identify a key with absolute accuracy. This ability may be used to create a Key on the current plane a number of times per day equal to 3 + the Creatures' HD.



The Lizardman was back in the halls after the sudden cosmic displacement, those around him seemed equally confused by the sudden shift in planar existence only to be suddenly returned. He'd spoken the words, but he had almost forgotten what he'd said after the world-shaking bend in the recognizable. The nun gestured out to the smoke filled room, billowing clouds had begun to filter through the holes and gaping spaces in the walls filling the back of the room with the mist. "As you can see, that much is within your own power. If you are brave enough... Strong enough, to claim it and take back what is your own. Your hesitant response is the only thing to blame now for the vast difference between you and him. " Her outstretched out pointed out at the streams of diminishing emerald light which pierced the smoke briefly like bolts of electric energy. Hido shook his head, he was confused but he didn't let it diminish his focus. His kunai stabbed into the wood, again and again. The rotting wood cracked and chipped off a wooden stake. The wood was bad, vary bad. But it was something. He pryed the stake off the wall looking it over. It would have to do.


The wood is incredibly rotted out, making the thing fragile to the point of almost being unfit to be used as a weapon.

The Wooden Stake functions as a (Wooden Stake) and is not an improvised weapon:
1d4 x2 10 ft. 1 lb. P - Special: 75% Chance to be destroyed after use

Sister Helen gave a soft smile at Delilah's words, they were evidently well received. "Yes, I'm sure Our Fair Lady would be pleased to receive an individual much like yourself. The Pale Sisters exist to aid those chosen to compete for her favor and facilitate The Dark Speaker's Burdens and Trials. We have every liberty to provide you information at our own discretion. Some more than others... " She glanced at the lizard. "The smoke is noxious and caustic to living material. Your lizard-companion does have the right idea. Breathing in the fumes can render creatures unconscious, or if left in the miasma for long enough, death. That man, Thane Kurick faces possibly the most dire of threats - an immortal magician named Visionary. His beasts, The Wolves of Timberline are what linger in the mists - soon to be upon you. Treacherous beasts which guard and prowl The Pasture keeping the Children in-line and other creatures out. Their bones and claws are as metal. Their blood, black as tar. They do not tire. Nor rest. They do not ill, nor think. They follow the orders of their master with unerring precision and are filled with only hunger. Wretched creatures to be sure, but they are no better than beasts... They fear fire and are dangerously vulnerable to flame, but without Candlelight's aid that is likely no longer a concern any longer. This Trial is to defeat these beasts, not Visionary. Though if he were to fall the beasts would as well. Though that would be a far more difficult task - he would not have revealed himself had his interest not been piqued." She pointed at the barely visible alter. "Speak your name and the words '-accepts The Trail, and requests her..' - you may ask to be returned a weapon, an article of armor, or all of your items which are not either of those two, much like your friend. I recommend you decide quickly, the choice will soon be lost. There is no safety from the creatures here."

It was so subtle, no one truly noticed the girl tip-toeing past them. She was laughably short, almost childlike with the visage of a doll. Her clerical vestments were crisp and impeccably clean despite the dirt. It was her. The one lingering at the edge of the darkness of the cold lifeless vacuum of stars without a face. Her attire gave her petite form the appearance of a bell, with her feet barely visible trudging through the muck. Though Thane didn't see her, he could feel her. She tip-toed around the big lizard while hefting around a large prayer rod inscribed with numerous shifting words in a strange languages which fluctuated and slithered as if they were not physically carved into the surface but played along it in an animated dance. Sister Helen's face filled with confusion as her brow furrowed "....Impossible, how could-" The short girl raised her staff into the air and released it as it spun to life pinned in place as it seemed to take on life. "Amarillis, if you would. Banish this dismal shade." A whirl of condensing light crashed into existence blowing the smoke about her away in a sphere of semi-physical light that swirled about like wind. She pointed above her and the staff belched forth a small sphere which erupted into the blazing luminescence of a star. A cascading nova of burning light washed over the buried halls and rooms, piercing both walls and their eye lids to burn itself into their retinas as the sun's rays vanquished the fog and revealed sinister beasts lurking under its once-protective cover. Their features were hardly visible, but their lumber quadruped forms fitted with massive ripping muscles and a maw fitted with teeth as large as daggers was evident... The enemy had been revealed. In the dizzying blast of light Thane could see the fierce creature looming in the corner by the alter, waiting for a chance to strike - but then the light stole his vision. They all recoiled in pain as the massive blast blinded them, some more than others. The creatures stumbled about, dazed from the sudden flash. Delilah could feel the mist strike her as it roiled in, only to be swept aside and dispelled by standing within the edge of the whirling tempest of wind-light. The sting of the mist was painful and further evidenced by the lizardman besides her. Some of his scales had begun to crack as the acidic cloud burned at him.

Though Kurick was blind and reeling from the burning gleam that seared itself into the back of his retinas. Though the world was dark and spinning, filled with dipping prismatic shapes, blurred and spinning. He could make out the formless golden silhouette of the girl - The Calamity Key. Her name was....


All creatures within the 120 ft blast are blinded for 1 round. Creatures with Darkvision are blinded for an additional 1d6 Rounds. Creatures with Low-Light Vision are blinded for an additional 1d4 Rounds. Creatures which can dismiss their source of Darkvision or Low-Light Vision suffer this duration while that vision-effect is active, but do not suffer the blinded condition while using normal vision. Creatures without eyes are not effected by this spell.



[Asaelgash] Mist Exposure (1 Round - Masked): [1 Point of Acid Damage]



[Round 6 Begins] - Players Win Initiative!


[STANDARD MAP]

http://i.imgur.com/kUGArFc.png



http://i.imgur.com/VmnYjSc.png







http://i.imgur.com/8OP6nzq.png

[Almighty Eevee]

Hido Asmodel

Hido recoiled from the bright light and instinctively threw a hand over his eyes as the red drained from his eyes, slowly changing them back to a dull gray. He slowly lowered his hand as his eyes were starting to adjust while he looked towards the sudden light. The acidic mist seems to be warded off thanks to the light and judging from the hiss of the Lizard's scales he had to move quickly. He secured the cloth around his mouth and tucked his arms in as he ran through the mist, gritting his teeth as he hurried towards the glowing orb of light."When is the latest we can accept this challenge? Don't really feel like grabbing my gear while getting bitten by hounds.

Hido moves to D8
[roll0] vs. DC14
[roll1] vs. DC15

[forg99rules]

http://i.imgur.com/A8rs4xd.jpg

"Aegisir, L'Drada, what the hell is that? F*ck it whatever will figure that out later, for now i gotta kill these creatures where ever they are." Sensing something moving from where he had come he turned slightly only to be met with a blinding light. As he turned back to shield himself from it he caught sight of the hound like creature at the edge of the altar. Then all was white, unable to see he moved slowly positioning himself below the bags that had once carried all his gear. Dropping the sword to the ground he lifted the musket up to his should and aimed at where the creature was. Feeling he had a good aim on the creature despite not seeing it he pulled the trigger of the musket.



Free Action: 5ft step from D17>E18
Standard Action: Shoot at Creature in CA1 with musket - [roll0] - 50% miss chance Calling high to hit [roll1]

[Morbis Meh]

Delilah's smile soured... She really didn't want to join this bloody cult but at this point in time she didn't have much choice in the matter since she needed any edge to survive this nightmare.

She bit the inside of her cheek as she spewed out the hateful words in the most sarcastic tone possible "Oh great and powerful Pale Lady on the First World, I humbly accept your offer and step upon the path of thr trail... Now goddamit gimme something to shoot these bloody wolves!"

She glared at the thing south of her, conjuring the negative forces of the world and focusing it upon the creature in hopes of wrecking its day before stepping back into the other room.

Misfortune hex on wolf that is dirextly below her then moving 10ft to her left

[flat_footed]

A sharp cry cuts through the air as Asaelgash's eyes are blinded. The brilliance defied any attempt he made to protect himself from it and the club came up in front of him instinctively. With an unsteady left claw, Asaelgash struggled to stay on his feet and clutched onto the bed post closest to him. Once that single point of stability was found, his grip shifts slightly on the makeshift weapon. A savage snarl builds in his mind and erupts from his mouth in defiance of the piercing light that stole his vision. The club comes up suddenly and hisses through the air, warding off any who dared approach.

Asaelgash steadies himself against the bed frame at E2, before lashing out at E3.

[Mornings]

http://i.imgur.com/mFWEMDF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/1CNVcN4.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/NNd9YK1.jpg


Characters are tightly bound within their respective body-bags. The tight straps are restraining the limbs and preventing further movement. Status: Characters are Blind & Helpless

- As a Full Round Action You may Attempt a DC16 Strength Check or DC16 Escape Artist check. Failure grants you a cumulative +1 bonus to the respective Check attempted as you begin to loosen your bonds.



Upon success Character notice they are wearing the exact cloths they had wore during their murder. Terrible cuts from over two dozen knife wounds have left your cloths shredded and torn: (Cloths have the Broken condition, and grant none of their respective benefits if they possess any. Cloths may be mended by needle and thread with 2 hours of work, or with a DC20 Profession (Tailor) Check.)

Unarmed & Dangerous
Characters do not have any of their equipment, to include armor and weapons.
Characters retain 1 small item secreted away on their person, or just overlooked (this may be a Familiar or Spellbook).

Primal Surge
Characters with access to a Spell List may attempt a DC20 Spellcraft Check or DC20 Knowledge: Arcana Check, revealing something strange lingering in the air. Characters without a Spell List cannot attempt these Checks.

Other Bodies
11 other body bags lay upon the dozen molding beds through out the room. Some are beginning to move. You may free another creature as a Standard Action.

The Dirt Room
the 60ft long, 25ft wide room you awake in looks like its fit to be condemned. The walls are covered with black mold and the paint has long ago peeled away revealing ugly weeping rust and termite infested wood. 12 beds fill the room, 6 on each side. A number of bodies on the left-side of the room are beginning to stir - faceless amorphous body-bags of dirt covered white burlap tied with thick bands of the same rotting material. The ground is covered with thick dirt, as if the interior of this building had been converted into some kind of greenhouse for the dead. The lighting is incredibly dim (Low-Light/Dim Light) with only a small ray of illumination creeping in from the hall at the end of the room. The north-side of the room's right side leads out into the rest of the building, but the 10ft space is partially blocked by a poorly placed bed which a still corpse-bag rests. The dirt looks remarkably higher and far more unruly outside of the room, but its difficult to make out anything else, as the source of light is unnaturally angled, perhaps by mirrors. The screams still sound from further inside.



You are pale of skin and covered with stitched wounds. While not undead, you could easily be confused with a walking corpse...


Hungerless
Character's are not Undead Creatures, and gain no benefits specific to undead. However, they will not die of starvation or thirst. Refraining from eating or drinking will Fatigue and Exhaust you normally, but you will suffer no lethal damage from this condition. Instead damage which would be received is non-lethal, but may not exceed your Hit Points. This damage will only leave you Staggered, but will render you unconscious if additional Non-lethal damage is accrued from another source. Non-lethal damage becomes lethal damage as normal if it exceeds your maximum Hit Point total.

Undead Resilience
Dying once has made you more difficult to kill. Your maximum Hit Points is increases by 3. Every Hit Die gained beyond 3rd increases this bonus by 1. Additionally when reduced below 0 Hit Points you naturally begin to heal: Every 3 Rounds the Character naturally recovers 1 Hit Point until 0 Hit Points is reached. This is a regenerative effect.

Lessened Life-Essence
You are not undead and are not healed by Negative Energy. If you are healed by Negative Energy normally, this feature is lost and replaced with this one: Characters are only healed by half from sources of Positive Energy (rounded down - minimum 1). Similarly, your resistance versus negative energy effects has increased: You receive a +4 Racial Bonus against Ability Drain, Death Effects, Disease, Energy Drain, and Negative Energy effects.





Asaelgash's broken bed-leg functions as an Improvised Club. However, due to the weight and difficult handling. It gains a -1 Penalty to hit and +2 Circumstance Bonus to Damage. This penalty stacks with those applied normally from wielding an Improvised Weapon.






- Journal Entries Received In Kintargo, dated the 1st day of Desnus; AR 4683 -

First Entry
Deep in the woods—any woods and every woods— lived a witch known as The Pale Lady or The Flower Mistress. So the song sang, but The Fair Lady was no witch at all, but a faerie queen—an evil faerie queen of The Winter Court. As you can imagine, the finer points of that distinction are lost on the peasant farmers who lose their children to her malicious ways. Her domain is sealed away most of the year, but every spring the veil between worlds is thin enough that the Pale Lady can send out her army of emaciated animal thralls to steal the sons of honest people in a grand ritual they do call, The Masque of Flowers. Animals are men—animals wear the skin of men, and children. Passing unnoticed before the eyes of the ignorant.

Second Entry
She is callous and cruel to human eyes, but in truth she simply has no more concern for men than men have for goats or chickens. They are domesticated beasts and little more. Only magicians and elves are worthy of her hospitality, and she is eager to host them should they heap the proper levels of flattery upon her glory. She never wears any adornment or clothing, save one piece. While entertaining she wears a simple crown woven from the thorns of a white rose bush. She does not understand the symbolism, only that it seems to be an important symbol to men and thus she has adopted it. She is a polyglot who fluently speaks a dozen human languages and even more nonhuman languages. She is faerie queen and peerless sorceress, who commands Words of Creation. She has a desire for power and considers herself a minor goddess—A notion not misplaced. For she is one of The Eldest. Goddess of The First World, and Queen among the fey-kind. She had previously endeavored greatly to find even more of these words, but, after finding (and learning) the first, she lost her stomach for it. She desperately seeks those schooled in the ways of the most ancients of magics, that she might resume her task to claim greater measures of this transcendental force.

Third Entry
Almost two years ago, one of those sons made it back.
He spoke of how many of the children were taken away never to be seen again. He spoke of his grueling labor as a slave, working her vast fields of flowers. He spoke of emaciated rabbit men who acted as mute overseers, able to make no noise beyond a warbling scream. He also spoke of a vast cube of stone, sealed in the back chambers of the Great Hall, of vast riches, and of visiting magicians who made pacts with The Pale Lady for training in the dark arts. He learned the secret ways in and out of her domain. He has told all who will listen, but only the nuns of the abbey have ever believed him.

The nuns of the abbey ask the wrong questions and pass unnoticed. They don't know I'm watching—I'm always watching.

Fourth Entry
More are returning—enchanted—enthralled. The nuns only come back once a year, and more children leave with them. What of the ritual, what of The Masque? Or perhaps, I've missed something, perhaps we all dance to her tune. She is cunning. The days of rabbit-men are over. Something darker lingers at the edge of my mind.

Fifth Entry
She's taken me. I couldn't have known. It was a trap. But she can't stop me now, even without The Flame. I went back in the past, though I couldn't find Raph'æl in time, I did the next best thing. I found Gal'bertel S'Sisery—The Witch of Undercity—the boy who returned. Vospher has to know. The Pathfinders will make it in time, before Seven-Arrows falls. Now that she has Mellyn—I fear for The Swallowfeld Children.

~ DEVIL MAKER


Asaelgash is covered with a blast of thick gore and is dealt 4 Points of Cold Damage
In addition Asaelgash contracts BloodBlood Blight I:

BlackBlood Blight I:
Receiving Blight: Blight is inflicted in 'Stacks', represented by the current Blight's number. Each number applies an effect independently
Removing Blight: Removing Blight requires a creature spend time cleaning the blood off of themselves. Consuming an action to clean removes all Stacks of Blight for Stacks below 4. Being Blighted makes receiving additional blight easier, as the DC becomes more difficult, and additional penalties or damage is applied. Penalties do not 'tick' until the end of the effected creature's round.

I Stack: Swift Action
II Stack: Move Action
III Stack: Standard Action
IV Stack: Full Round Action (Action Provokes)
V Stack+: Full Round Action to Reduce Stack by 1 (Action Provokes)



Moving in the knee-deep soil is far too difficult to be done competently. The Main Chamber (Beginning at Row 7) counts as Difficult Terrain. However creatures may attempt to move full speed. Moving half speed requires a DC14 Acrobatics Check to safely move without tripping on buried debris. Failure knocks the creature prone. Moving below half speed requires no Check. For every 5ft traveled beyond half movement, the creature must attempt another Acrobatics Check with a Cumulative +1 to the DC of the Check. If the creature fails after moving 10ft or more beyond half their movement speed, they suffer 2 Points of Bludgeoning Damage as they trip on the stones and buried materials under the soil.

- Creature's may attempt a DC20 Acrobatics Check to attempt a 5ft Step. If this check is failed, the movement is not completed and the creature falls prone in the square they are currently occupying.


Post in any order, actions are resolved by the following stack:

Thane: (1d20+4)[19] (1st)
Asaelgash: (1d20)[19] (2nd)
Delilah: (1d20+4)[18] (3rd)
Hido: (1d20+8)[16] (4th)

The short cleric trudged forward as the whirling light around her slowly begun to diminish in size. Her short stature did little to aid her in crossing the rough and slick patches of tainted earth but she moved forward with purpose stopping where she could and continuing where she may. She turned around while producing a silver stake shaped in the image of a veiled praying figure. With a sharp motion she tossed the figurine at the witch's feet. A second orb of wind-light, wider than the first.

Thane reeled back from the blinding flash but could recall where he had seen the strange toothy beast. He stepped out to the side drawing a line of sight with the place the thing had been patiently waiting to spring upon him, leveling the weapon, briefly stopping to steady the barrel. He pulled the trigger-


http://i.imgur.com/dCCxeeE.jpg

People. Faces. Nameless places. They all came tumbling into his mind like some roiling stream, as if a sudden bout of amnesia had been lifted- but he could not recall any of these things. As if he looked through the eyes of someone else, another him, he witnessed a great deal of woe. Sadness filling his thoughts for some unknowable misery visited upon himself and those he knew. A field of graves under dismal skies left him choking and gagging for breath, the knot in his throat wouldn't budge. His hands shook and the weapon didn't discharge a round. The hammer fell and struck something with a jarring blue spark and nothing more.

Asaelgash swung his stick blindly in a stupor. The lizardman's skin burned and cracked. Lines of dead flesh begun to trace its way up and down his arms and scales flaked and fell from his flesh as the air burnt him. It had begun becoming difficult to breath through the smog and his vicious-wild motions only served to aggravate the condition. He felt a wearyness creep into his limbs, a subtle sluggishness easy to dismiss, but evident.


[Asaelgash] Mist Exposure (2 Round - Masked): [1 Point of Acid Damage] & [Speed Reduced 5 ft]

Delilah called forth the subtle energies which she commanded gesturing with a stern gaze at the shape of the dark murderous creature slinking forward through the mist. Though her vision was blotted and distorted from the flash, she remember where it had been well enough. A silent hum followed by a dim gleam washed over the beast. It shook its heavy body, stopping briefly as the energy was dissolved seemingly without the slightest hint of effect. The smog roiled in further, she could feel the moisture in the air move past her . The new orb of moving light kept the burning fumes at bay for now, but by how it felt. She imagined it would begin to shrink and diminish in a short time as well. Then she would burn, just the same. Sister Helen shook her head. "...I'm afraid you've thoroughly failed in your phrasing. Any less or more than what I have spoken will render your decree invalid, but you may only accept the trail upon standing before the alter... Unfortunately, you've other problems now." Her comment was somewhat cold and dismissive as if her opportunity had already come and gone.

The assassin scampered forward. He'd made it a point to take good measure of the room and commit it to memory before he'd been blinded, but that seemed like it may have been less of an issue versus the burning fumes fastly flooding the room. He dashed off in the direction of the cleric. He kicked off into the mounds of soil of the room, hurtling over large stones and debris before slipping and tumbling down into the soil where he was intending to stop. The cleric looked down at him "...As long as you're alive, you've the opportunity. Perhaps, you may be of some help. There is a beast upon the alter, destroy it!" She pointed down at the masked man, the heavy staff twitched and spun to life scooping him up and tossing him away towards the alter as a gurgling creature lunged out at Thane. The monstrous looking thing was heavy flapping fur and skin placed over the frame of preserved and sickly muscle and calcified bone which gleamed like steel. Hido's vision had already begun to return to him. Though his sight was filled with blue spots, that didn't detract from the vision of a wild bloody eyed creature crashing into the Aasimar. It crashed into the ground from its perch at the side of the alter, wildly flailing blindly in deathly fury, kicking up small items and tossing them about. Fangs, claws, and wild movement smashed into the black winged man throwing him to the ground. The creature's dripping maw found a firm grasp on his arm, its body coiled and thrashed left and right to tear into flesh. Thick black ooze dripped from tainted dagger-like teeth. Blood spurt from the puncture wound which dug into Thane's arm, but the pain manageable, until-

Every tendon in his body stood on end. Each muscle tightened until sharply taught. His mind reeled and his eyes rolled back into his head as the waves of agony beat him into paralysis. His limbs begun to grotesquely twitch and spasm. He rolled on the ground as every nerve misfired and contorted him strangely in a twitching writhing ball of blood. Frothy suds ran down his chin and his head twitched back and forth in either direction as the toxic sludge blackened the skin where he had been bitten. The foam from his mouth mixed with the blood from his nose and eyes as his figure suddenly broke into sharp convulsions. Hido couldn't help but flinch at the disturbing sight as the wild beast torn into the feathered man before casting its cold dead gleaming eyes at him.


~ Paralyzed: 4/4 Rounds
~ Blind: 3/3 Rounds
~ Prone

Sister Helen's words seemed to hold some kind of meaning, but it didn't take long to understand. The distant vision of the pouncing creature and the terrible fate of the angel-blooded man seemed like a horror which would soon be visited upon her as a wild snarling beast came crashing from around the corner and into her. Its massive jaw snapped and snarled but the monstrocity fumbled around blindly, rolling and growling, clawing at everything almost like the lizardman. The creature found its footing, sniffing the air before belching forth a sinister snarl. The black ooze from its rabid maw hissed as it touched the ground, freezing the soil and rock beneath its feet.


Creatures who don't roll their rounds of blindness will be given the maximum duration for their form of vision.



The acidic fog seems to be having other effects in the room.
- Creatures in the room may make a DC15 Perception
- Creatures outside the room may make a DC20 Perception

Upon success you realize the maggots are beginning to dissolve due to the acidic air, leaving pools of black blood to seep into the soil.




[Round 6 Begins] - Players Win Initiative!



[STANDARD MAP]


http://i.imgur.com/vAiZVrf.png


http://i.imgur.com/M2VwNwF.png




http://i.imgur.com/1OQzdvL.png

[flat_footed]

Asaelgash blinks rapidly as his sight gradually returns to him. Although the air is thick with poisonous fumes, he can make out the form of a wolf squaring off against the witch. A smile creeps across his reptilian face and his eyes show his eagerness. Now this is more like it! Wolves had, and always would seem to be, an issue in the swamp where Asaelgash's tribe lived. They could be an issue in large numbers, and it was rare to ever catch one on its own like this. With so little on hand, it seemed as though they would eat well tonight. The wolf's pelt could also form some value without his customary armor on hand. Roaring a challenge, Asaelgash thunders forward towards his prey, salivating at the thought of roast wolf once again. After a few steps, though, the form of the wolf started to shift drastically. The fur seemed too large for the form that wore it, and bones and muscles seemed to prod out of it from the wrong angles. As the last of his vision cleared, Asaelgash realized just how foolish he was to think a wolf would be down here amidst other horrors. This creature, though out of a nightmare, was simply the perverted dream of a deranged mage.

He had known far greater horrors and had no fear of this one. With no more reason to protect the pelt from damage, Asaelgash drops the club behind the witch, in case she needed to do more than wave her hands around. Armed only with the tools he was born with, Asaelgash closed the last few steps and struck hard at the beast.

Move to D5, dropping the club at D4. Using Combat Expertise for -1 Att/+1 AC and attack E-6.
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll=Righty]1d2+5[roll]

[Almighty Eevee]

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y310/Dondrel_Pedescleaux/Hido%20Asmodel.jp_zpshuo5gq0e.jpg (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=968891)


Hido flinched at the sight of the grotesque sight in front of him. Once he got a hold of his nerves he noticed it seemed the creature was acting on instict as if it were still blinded by the light from before. Moving quickly he stood over the downed Aasimar and swung his kunai at the Ghoul, hoping to put it to rest once more.


Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]
Sneak Attack Damage [roll2]

[Morbis Meh]

Delilah yelped as the searing light burned her sensitive eyes, which caused her already not so stellar mood to further plummet, but she kept somewhat calm. Taking a step back she glared again at the wolf, adding her own growing malice to the over all effect.

She growled to the lizard "About bloody time you decided to come over and do something."

5ft step back and redo misfortune DC16 will save... who knows may get lucky for once.

[Mornings]

http://i.imgur.com/mFWEMDF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/1CNVcN4.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/J57vIig.jpg


Characters are tightly bound within their respective body-bags. The tight straps are restraining the limbs and preventing further movement. Status: Characters are Blind & Helpless

- As a Full Round Action You may Attempt a DC16 Strength Check or DC16 Escape Artist check. Failure grants you a cumulative +1 bonus to the respective Check attempted as you begin to loosen your bonds.



Upon success Character notice they are wearing the exact cloths they had wore during their murder. Terrible cuts from over two dozen knife wounds have left your cloths shredded and torn: (Cloths have the Broken condition, and grant none of their respective benefits if they possess any. Cloths may be mended by needle and thread with 2 hours of work, or with a DC20 Profession (Tailor) Check.)

Unarmed & Dangerous
Characters do not have any of their equipment, to include armor and weapons.
Characters retain 1 small item secreted away on their person, or just overlooked (this may be a Familiar or Spellbook).

Primal Surge
Characters with access to a Spell List may attempt a DC20 Spellcraft Check or DC20 Knowledge: Arcana Check, revealing something strange lingering in the air. Characters without a Spell List cannot attempt these Checks.

Other Bodies
11 other body bags lay upon the dozen molding beds through out the room. Some are beginning to move. You may free another creature as a Standard Action.

The Dirt Room
the 60ft long, 25ft wide room you awake in looks like its fit to be condemned. The walls are covered with black mold and the paint has long ago peeled away revealing ugly weeping rust and termite infested wood. 12 beds fill the room, 6 on each side. A number of bodies on the left-side of the room are beginning to stir - faceless amorphous body-bags of dirt covered white burlap tied with thick bands of the same rotting material. The ground is covered with thick dirt, as if the interior of this building had been converted into some kind of greenhouse for the dead. The lighting is incredibly dim (Low-Light/Dim Light) with only a small ray of illumination creeping in from the hall at the end of the room. The north-side of the room's right side leads out into the rest of the building, but the 10ft space is partially blocked by a poorly placed bed which a still corpse-bag rests. The dirt looks remarkably higher and far more unruly outside of the room, but its difficult to make out anything else, as the source of light is unnaturally angled, perhaps by mirrors. The screams still sound from further inside.



You are pale of skin and covered with stitched wounds. While not undead, you could easily be confused with a walking corpse...


Hungerless
Character's are not Undead Creatures, and gain no benefits specific to undead. However, they will not die of starvation or thirst. Refraining from eating or drinking will Fatigue and Exhaust you normally, but you will suffer no lethal damage from this condition. Instead damage which would be received is non-lethal, but may not exceed your Hit Points. This damage will only leave you Staggered, but will render you unconscious if additional Non-lethal damage is accrued from another source. Non-lethal damage becomes lethal damage as normal if it exceeds your maximum Hit Point total.

Undead Resilience
Dying once has made you more difficult to kill. Your maximum Hit Points is increases by 3. Every Hit Die gained beyond 3rd increases this bonus by 1. Additionally when reduced below 0 Hit Points you naturally begin to heal: Every 3 Rounds the Character naturally recovers 1 Hit Point until 0 Hit Points is reached. This is a regenerative effect.

Lessened Life-Essence
You are not undead and are not healed by Negative Energy. If you are healed by Negative Energy normally, this feature is lost and replaced with this one: Characters are only healed by half from sources of Positive Energy (rounded down - minimum 1). Similarly, your resistance versus negative energy effects has increased: You receive a +4 Racial Bonus against Ability Drain, Death Effects, Disease, Energy Drain, and Negative Energy effects.





Asaelgash's broken bed-leg functions as an Improvised Club. However, due to the weight and difficult handling. It gains a -1 Penalty to hit and +2 Circumstance Bonus to Damage. This penalty stacks with those applied normally from wielding an Improvised Weapon.






- Journal Entries Received In Kintargo, dated the 1st day of Desnus; AR 4683 -

First Entry
Deep in the woods—any woods and every woods— lived a witch known as The Pale Lady or The Flower Mistress. So the song sang, but The Fair Lady was no witch at all, but a faerie queen—an evil faerie queen of The Winter Court. As you can imagine, the finer points of that distinction are lost on the peasant farmers who lose their children to her malicious ways. Her domain is sealed away most of the year, but every spring the veil between worlds is thin enough that the Pale Lady can send out her army of emaciated animal thralls to steal the sons of honest people in a grand ritual they do call, The Masque of Flowers. Animals are men—animals wear the skin of men, and children. Passing unnoticed before the eyes of the ignorant.

Second Entry
She is callous and cruel to human eyes, but in truth she simply has no more concern for men than men have for goats or chickens. They are domesticated beasts and little more. Only magicians and elves are worthy of her hospitality, and she is eager to host them should they heap the proper levels of flattery upon her glory. She never wears any adornment or clothing, save one piece. While entertaining she wears a simple crown woven from the thorns of a white rose bush. She does not understand the symbolism, only that it seems to be an important symbol to men and thus she has adopted it. She is a polyglot who fluently speaks a dozen human languages and even more nonhuman languages. She is faerie queen and peerless sorceress, who commands Words of Creation. She has a desire for power and considers herself a minor goddess—A notion not misplaced. For she is one of The Eldest. Goddess of The First World, and Queen among the fey-kind. She had previously endeavored greatly to find even more of these words, but, after finding (and learning) the first, she lost her stomach for it. She desperately seeks those schooled in the ways of the most ancients of magics, that she might resume her task to claim greater measures of this transcendental force.

Third Entry
Almost two years ago, one of those sons made it back.
He spoke of how many of the children were taken away never to be seen again. He spoke of his grueling labor as a slave, working her vast fields of flowers. He spoke of emaciated rabbit men who acted as mute overseers, able to make no noise beyond a warbling scream. He also spoke of a vast cube of stone, sealed in the back chambers of the Great Hall, of vast riches, and of visiting magicians who made pacts with The Pale Lady for training in the dark arts. He learned the secret ways in and out of her domain. He has told all who will listen, but only the nuns of the abbey have ever believed him.

The nuns of the abbey ask the wrong questions and pass unnoticed. They don't know I'm watching—I'm always watching.

Fourth Entry
More are returning—enchanted—enthralled. The nuns only come back once a year, and more children leave with them. What of the ritual, what of The Masque? Or perhaps, I've missed something, perhaps we all dance to her tune. She is cunning. The days of rabbit-men are over. Something darker lingers at the edge of my mind.

Fifth Entry
She's taken me. I couldn't have known. It was a trap. But she can't stop me now, even without The Flame. I went back in the past, though I couldn't find Raph'æl in time, I did the next best thing. I found Gal'bertel S'Sisery—The Witch of Undercity—the boy who returned. Vospher has to know. The Pathfinders will make it in time, before Seven-Arrows falls. Now that she has Mellyn—I fear for The Swallowfeld Children.

~ DEVIL MAKER



Moving in the knee-deep soil is far too difficult to be done competently. The Main Chamber (Beginning at Row 7) counts as Difficult Terrain. However creatures may attempt to move full speed. Moving half speed requires a DC14 Acrobatics Check to safely move without tripping on buried debris. Failure knocks the creature prone. Moving below half speed requires no Check. For every 5ft traveled beyond half movement, the creature must attempt another Acrobatics Check with a Cumulative +1 to the DC of the Check. If the creature fails after moving 10ft or more beyond half their movement speed, they suffer 2 Points of Bludgeoning Damage as they trip on the stones and buried materials under the soil.

- Creature's may attempt a DC20 Acrobatics Check to attempt a 5ft Step. If this check is failed, the movement is not completed and the creature falls prone in the square they are currently occupying.


Post in any order, actions are resolved by the following stack:

Thane: (1d20+4)[19] (1st)
Asaelgash: (1d20)[19] (2nd)
Delilah: (1d20+4)[18] (3rd)
Hido: (1d20+8)[16] (4th)


~ Paralyzed: 3/4 Rounds
~ Blind: 2/3 Rounds
~ Prone

Thane continued to squirm uncontrollably on the ground as if possessed. The darkened cursed flesh on his arm seemed to deepen as the putrid inky gel seeped into his veins causing them to pulse strangely under his skin. The kicking and thrashing as the beast loomed over him was a strange sight. The large reptilian beast hulked across the room, tossing the massive club to the side as he snapped out at the flailing beast with his snarling jaw. He bite down into the mangy creature and shook his jaw in bloodied glee. His teeth and gums soaked in the black goo and the taste of decay and bile filled his mouth with a chilling frost. He reeled back as the gelatinous fluid covered his mouth and face filling him with pain. Releasing the creature from his jaw, it staggered and swayed as it bled from the holes piercing its rotting face, but that did little to alleviate the simple fact, the blood was dangerous.


Asaelgash is covered with a blast of thick gore and is dealt 1 Point of Cold Damage
In addition Asaelgash contracts BloodBlood Blight I:

BlackBlood Blight I:
Receiving Blight: Blight is inflicted in 'Stacks', represented by the current Blight's number. Each number applies an effect independently
Removing Blight: Removing Blight requires a creature spend time cleaning the blood off of themselves. Consuming an action to clean removes all Stacks of Blight for Stacks below 4. Being Blighted makes receiving additional blight easier, as the DC becomes more difficult, and additional penalties or damage is applied. Penalties do not 'tick' until the end of the effected creature's round.

I Stack: Swift Action
II Stack: Move Action
III Stack: Standard Action
IV Stack: Full Round Action
V Stack+: Full Round Action to Reduce Stack by 1

Delilah slid back in hasty retreat, the snapping beast snarled and gargled blood from the wound as Asaelgash recoiled from the chilling retaliation to his bite. She waved out a hand as gouts of darkened light simmered out from shade into the world. The beast twitched as its shadow seemed to lighten and distort oddly as the pseudo-magic finally took hold upon the beasts vary fate.

From across the room, Hido could see things quickly beginning to cascade and surmount. The battle had begun in full, the beasts had stolen the offensive from him, but he didn't need to relinquish the initiative. He'd seen what the creatures could do, and the twitching spectacle of Thane's form could have just of easily had been himself. It was clear whatever this madhouse was, he was going to require assistance to escape with his limbs and sanity intact. He stepped over Thane with a swift skidding step and led with a hard elbow to the beasts face to push it off balance in it's blinded stupor. It shuddered in surprise, staggering back before he brought an arm around the creature's snout, lifting its head and stabbing it in the neck- again, then one more time until he could feel the keen point of his blackened steel kunai pierce into the lower cranium just above the spine. He twisted and ripped the weapon free, splattered with freezing blackened gore. He left the body sloppily flop to the ground with a wet THUD as his muscles tightened and his skin burned from the life stealing frost of the black blood across his skin. The beasts were dripping sacks of deathly gore. The pain was great, perhaps even enough to cripple or maim lesser men, but he fought back the sensation with grim determination. There was more killing to be done.


Hido is covered with a blast of thick gore and is dealt 4 Points of Cold Damage
In addition Asaelgash contracts BloodBlood Blight I:

BlackBlood Blight I:
Receiving Blight: Blight is inflicted in 'Stacks', represented by the current Blight's number. Each number applies an effect independently
Removing Blight: Removing Blight requires a creature spend time cleaning the blood off of themselves. Consuming an action to clean removes all Stacks of Blight for Stacks below 4. Being Blighted makes receiving additional blight easier, as the DC becomes more difficult, and additional penalties or damage is applied. Penalties do not 'tick' until the end of the effected creature's round.

I Stack: Swift Action
II Stack: Move Action
III Stack: Standard Action
IV Stack: Full Round Action
V Stack+: Full Round Action to Reduce Stack by 1


The well of wind-light diminished from the holy device the cleric had cast behind herself, and likewise the barrier around her only surround herself now as the original sphere continued to diminish in its size and intensity. The witch begun to cough and hack as she struggled to breath. It was the first time she'd been caught by the smog, but Asaelgash was shielded as they traded places. She could feel herself tire, and her movements slacken. She had no time to think more on it - A second beast dived through the mist in a blind fury, it tumbled bit and growled but could not find the lizard as it crashed into him and bounded back. The wolf which had attacked Delilah belched out a defiant cry and flew into a wild rage of claws and teeth, which, much like its companion failed to find its mark.



[Delilah] Mist Exposure (1 Round - NO MASK): [1 Point of Acid Damage] & [Speed Reduced 5 ft]

~ Blind 3/4 Rounds





[Round 9 Begins] - Players Win Initiative!



[STANDARD MAP]


http://i.imgur.com/tmGvqFl.png


http://i.imgur.com/H3ki4Ds.png


http://i.imgur.com/xG1Ti5X.png

[Almighty Eevee]

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y310/Dondrel_Pedescleaux/Hido%20Asmodel.jp_zpshuo5gq0e.jpg (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=968891)


Hido stepped back from his position over the Aasimar as he used an arm to wipe off the chilling black blood. He surveyed the room to see where the nearest threat was when he noticed the girl witht he heavy staff that threw him here. "Who are you exactly?" He narrowed his eyes while still attempting to look to where the mist was originating, to see if anymore monsters would crawl from it's murky depths.

[flatfooted]

Even as the freezing blood burned his mouth and dripped from his jaws in a line of cold fire, Asaelgash could not hold back a feeling of fierce joy. Visibly injured, the creature attempted a few lackluster attempts at striking the witch. The beast was unable to provide much force behind the strikes as the elf slinked away uninjured. A second creature, drawn by the pained cries of its ilk, appeared suddenly out of the mist and seemed unaware of Asaelgash. He set his feet under him and simply allowed the stupid thing to bound off of his toughened scales and corded muscles. A toothy smile crossed his reptilian features as he turns to regard Delilah, slumped on the far end of the bed in her haste to move away from the things. "If you ask nicely, I may even save one of them for you. It seems you prefer to face challengers in bed."

Facing the creatures once again, a savage gleam enters Asaelgash's eyes. With a swift motion, he clears his scales of the things' filth, only to bathe in their blood again a moment later.

Swift action to wipe off the blight, then full attack. Target D6 first and then E6 with any remaining strikes. Combat Expertise once again. Should the protected area be moved from where Asaelgash is standing, he will hold his breath. If both beasts are dropped, 5' step forward to D6 to survey the next room more clearly.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

[Mornings]

http://i.imgur.com/mFWEMDF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/1CNVcN4.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/YYiLdnH.jpg


Characters are tightly bound within their respective body-bags. The tight straps are restraining the limbs and preventing further movement. Status: Characters are Blind & Helpless

- As a Full Round Action You may Attempt a DC16 Strength Check or DC16 Escape Artist check. Failure grants you a cumulative +1 bonus to the respective Check attempted as you begin to loosen your bonds.



Upon success Character notice they are wearing the exact cloths they had wore during their murder. Terrible cuts from over two dozen knife wounds have left your cloths shredded and torn: (Cloths have the Broken condition, and grant none of their respective benefits if they possess any. Cloths may be mended by needle and thread with 2 hours of work, or with a DC20 Profession (Tailor) Check.)

Unarmed & Dangerous
Characters do not have any of their equipment, to include armor and weapons.
Characters retain 1 small item secreted away on their person, or just overlooked (this may be a Familiar or Spellbook).

Primal Surge
Characters with access to a Spell List may attempt a DC20 Spellcraft Check or DC20 Knowledge: Arcana Check, revealing something strange lingering in the air. Characters without a Spell List cannot attempt these Checks.

Other Bodies
11 other body bags lay upon the dozen molding beds through out the room. Some are beginning to move. You may free another creature as a Standard Action.

The Dirt Room
the 60ft long, 25ft wide room you awake in looks like its fit to be condemned. The walls are covered with black mold and the paint has long ago peeled away revealing ugly weeping rust and termite infested wood. 12 beds fill the room, 6 on each side. A number of bodies on the left-side of the room are beginning to stir - faceless amorphous body-bags of dirt covered white burlap tied with thick bands of the same rotting material. The ground is covered with thick dirt, as if the interior of this building had been converted into some kind of greenhouse for the dead. The lighting is incredibly dim (Low-Light/Dim Light) with only a small ray of illumination creeping in from the hall at the end of the room. The north-side of the room's right side leads out into the rest of the building, but the 10ft space is partially blocked by a poorly placed bed which a still corpse-bag rests. The dirt looks remarkably higher and far more unruly outside of the room, but its difficult to make out anything else, as the source of light is unnaturally angled, perhaps by mirrors. The screams still sound from further inside.



You are pale of skin and covered with stitched wounds. While not undead, you could easily be confused with a walking corpse...


Hungerless
Character's are not Undead Creatures, and gain no benefits specific to undead. However, they will not die of starvation or thirst. Refraining from eating or drinking will Fatigue and Exhaust you normally, but you will suffer no lethal damage from this condition. Instead damage which would be received is non-lethal, but may not exceed your Hit Points. This damage will only leave you Staggered, but will render you unconscious if additional Non-lethal damage is accrued from another source. Non-lethal damage becomes lethal damage as normal if it exceeds your maximum Hit Point total.

Undead Resilience
Dying once has made you more difficult to kill. Your maximum Hit Points is increases by 3. Every Hit Die gained beyond 3rd increases this bonus by 1. Additionally when reduced below 0 Hit Points you naturally begin to heal: Every 3 Rounds the Character naturally recovers 1 Hit Point until 0 Hit Points is reached. This is a regenerative effect.

Lessened Life-Essence
You are not undead and are not healed by Negative Energy. If you are healed by Negative Energy normally, this feature is lost and replaced with this one: Characters are only healed by half from sources of Positive Energy (rounded down - minimum 1). Similarly, your resistance versus negative energy effects has increased: You receive a +4 Racial Bonus against Ability Drain, Death Effects, Disease, Energy Drain, and Negative Energy effects.





Asaelgash's broken bed-leg functions as an Improvised Club. However, due to the weight and difficult handling. It gains a -1 Penalty to hit and +2 Circumstance Bonus to Damage. This penalty stacks with those applied normally from wielding an Improvised Weapon.






- Journal Entries Received In Kintargo, dated the 1st day of Desnus; AR 4683 -

First Entry
Deep in the woods—any woods and every woods— lived a witch known as The Pale Lady or The Flower Mistress. So the song sang, but The Fair Lady was no witch at all, but a faerie queen—an evil faerie queen of The Winter Court. As you can imagine, the finer points of that distinction are lost on the peasant farmers who lose their children to her malicious ways. Her domain is sealed away most of the year, but every spring the veil between worlds is thin enough that the Pale Lady can send out her army of emaciated animal thralls to steal the sons of honest people in a grand ritual they do call, The Masque of Flowers. Animals are men—animals wear the skin of men, and children. Passing unnoticed before the eyes of the ignorant.

Second Entry
She is callous and cruel to human eyes, but in truth she simply has no more concern for men than men have for goats or chickens. They are domesticated beasts and little more. Only magicians and elves are worthy of her hospitality, and she is eager to host them should they heap the proper levels of flattery upon her glory. She never wears any adornment or clothing, save one piece. While entertaining she wears a simple crown woven from the thorns of a white rose bush. She does not understand the symbolism, only that it seems to be an important symbol to men and thus she has adopted it. She is a polyglot who fluently speaks a dozen human languages and even more nonhuman languages. She is faerie queen and peerless sorceress, who commands Words of Creation. She has a desire for power and considers herself a minor goddess—A notion not misplaced. For she is one of The Eldest. Goddess of The First World, and Queen among the fey-kind. She had previously endeavored greatly to find even more of these words, but, after finding (and learning) the first, she lost her stomach for it. She desperately seeks those schooled in the ways of the most ancients of magics, that she might resume her task to claim greater measures of this transcendental force.

Third Entry
Almost two years ago, one of those sons made it back.
He spoke of how many of the children were taken away never to be seen again. He spoke of his grueling labor as a slave, working her vast fields of flowers. He spoke of emaciated rabbit men who acted as mute overseers, able to make no noise beyond a warbling scream. He also spoke of a vast cube of stone, sealed in the back chambers of the Great Hall, of vast riches, and of visiting magicians who made pacts with The Pale Lady for training in the dark arts. He learned the secret ways in and out of her domain. He has told all who will listen, but only the nuns of the abbey have ever believed him.

The nuns of the abbey ask the wrong questions and pass unnoticed. They don't know I'm watching—I'm always watching.

Fourth Entry
More are returning—enchanted—enthralled. The nuns only come back once a year, and more children leave with them. What of the ritual, what of The Masque? Or perhaps, I've missed something, perhaps we all dance to her tune. She is cunning. The days of rabbit-men are over. Something darker lingers at the edge of my mind.

Fifth Entry
She's taken me. I couldn't have known. It was a trap. But she can't stop me now, even without The Flame. I went back in the past, though I couldn't find Raph'æl in time, I did the next best thing. I found Gal'bertel S'Sisery—The Witch of Undercity—the boy who returned. Vospher has to know. The Pathfinders will make it in time, before Seven-Arrows falls. Now that she has Mellyn—I fear for The Swallowfeld Children.

~ DEVIL MAKER



Moving in the knee-deep soil is far too difficult to be done competently. The Main Chamber (Beginning at Row 7) counts as Difficult Terrain. However creatures may attempt to move full speed. Moving half speed requires a DC14 Acrobatics Check to safely move without tripping on buried debris. Failure knocks the creature prone. Moving below half speed requires no Check. For every 5ft traveled beyond half movement, the creature must attempt another Acrobatics Check with a Cumulative +1 to the DC of the Check. If the creature fails after moving 10ft or more beyond half their movement speed, they suffer 2 Points of Bludgeoning Damage as they trip on the stones and buried materials under the soil.

- Creature's may attempt a DC20 Acrobatics Check to attempt a 5ft Step. If this check is failed, the movement is not completed and the creature falls prone in the square they are currently occupying.


Post in any order, actions are resolved by the following stack:

Thane: (1d20+4)[19] (1st)
Asaelgash: (1d20)[19] (2nd)
Delilah: (1d20+4)[18] (3rd)
Hido: (1d20+8)[16] (4th)


~ Blind: 1/3 Rounds
~ Prone

~ Blind 2/4 Rounds

The cleric stepped unto the alter just as the aura of light diminished and winked out of existence. She nodded at the assassin, though her face looked less pleased about his choice of words. "Yes, what indeed... You may call me Mrs. Bridgeman, Assassin. I'm a Chronicler for The Society for the HavenGuard Lodge in Caliphas, and Cleric of Hensa." The last bit was enough to furrow his brow, he'd never heard of such a deity. Perhaps it was some obscure god from ancient times, the faith wasn't what he got paid for, and the flesh-cutting-skin-piercing traditions of the Nidalese showed him all he needed to know about religion. The girl bent down and touched the wound in Thane's arm. The putrid inkor drained itself out of his veins and the muscle and skin of his mangled arm begun to knit itself back together. Tendons touched tendons, and the pink threads of tissues and nerves wove back together. The man's thrashing finally ended and he groaned as he came to.

Asaelgash bellowed over the scampering beasts, the dark shadows still lingered over the one which he had bitten into, but it was all the same to him. He came upon the first beast grabbing the creature by the throat and biting off its head before tossing aside the displaced skull to the ground with a wet THUMP. Waves of black goo jet out from its fleshy neck-hole as he smashed the carcass back down to the ground. He came upon the second beast in a roaring bloodied frenzy. His first raking hand ripping off the creature's snout and front-end of its dog-like skull and threw it to the ground in a fist-full of gore. He didn't relent, following up with an even more brutal assault. His second strike drove into the decaying wolf's beast, lifting it off the ground, before hammering it into the wall. Sprays of violent blackened gel shot out and froze his skin. With a great effort, he smashed his other hand into the body. His body flecked and his corded muscles bulged as he hissed out with murderous glee. CRACK, then a SNAP, he ripped the creature in half tossing both parts to either side of himself in frenzy.



Asaelgash is covered with a blast of thick gore and is dealt 4 Point(s) of Cold Damage
In addition Asaelgash contracts BloodBlood Blight I:

BlackBlood Blight I:
Receiving Blight: Blight is inflicted in 'Stacks', represented by the current Blight's number. Each number applies an effect independently
Removing Blight: Removing Blight requires a creature spend time cleaning the blood off of themselves. Consuming an action to clean removes all Stacks of Blight for Stacks below 4. Being Blighted makes receiving additional blight easier, as the DC becomes more difficult, and additional penalties or damage is applied. Penalties do not 'tick' until the end of the effected creature's round.

BlackBlood Blight II:
Asaelgash is covered slick in black freezing gore. It burns his skin and makes it difficult to move as the feeling and warmth is stolen from his body. Fortunately, it's not too much to bare, but a matter of moments could find him just as dead as his victims if left untreated.
- Damage+
- Damage Die+
- Black Blood DC +1
- Speed -5 ft


I Stack: Swift Action
II Stack: Move Action
III Stack: Standard Action
IV Stack: Full Round Action
V Stack+: Full Round Action to Reduce Stack by 1

Sister Helen clapped slowly at the display before raising her hand into the air. The miasma cleared and vanished, cleaning the air of the blight. The maggots in the corner of the room rotted and deflated before crumbling away into a fine dust. "Victory to the Challengers. The Trial is complete!" A pale gray light flickered in her palm as she gestured tally marks in the air, as if upon some virtual scoreboard. "First Blood, Enemy Kill - 3 Fervor to the one known as Hido Asmodel" She gestured with her hand and three orbs of light spun out across the room and merged with him. "Two Enemy Kills - 2 Fervor to the one known as Asaelgash." The same gesture sent small becons of light to the lizardman. "Four Bindings, one Curse, one Spell Manifested - 6 Honor to the one known as Delilah." Glints of starry energy shimmered and dissipated into the witch. "Three enemies held at bay, three escapes - 3 Honor for Candlelight." A small glint shimmered out across the room and collided with the wall, dismissing the magical effect as the girl's shape came back into view far across the room. "Seven assists to protect an ally, display of bravery, recovery, and summoned greater ally - 12 Honor to Thane Kurick." A dozen whirling motes of gray light shimmered out and melded into the fallen Aasimar. Sister Helen gestured to the door, the wood and steel mended and snapped open. The girl called Candlelight bolted for the exit, nimbly crossing the dangerous mounds with hardly a thought or effort. "...My, that child is nimble." The Cleric looked down at Thane "The battle is won, but this is far from over." She offered a hand. "If you will aid me, Master. I will lend you my strength."

Sister Helen begun her slow walk towards the door leading out. She gestured to the door on the far side of the room which opened as well."You have earned you right to compete, Challengers. Welcome to The Pasture. You may go where you would like, but do not wander into the forest if you value your lives... It is not yet the appointed hour." The mounds of dirt seemed to level out and become less obtrusive towards movement. "I shall be with the rest of them in The Pale Chapel. When you are prepared to proceed, come. If you would like to learn of the Fervor and Honor you've earned, speak with DEVIL MAKER down the path." She slowly crossed the room and sauntered out of the door. The light of day seemed to gleam through the rotting walls, as if a fog had been lifted and the building itself had been placed back in the world. A crow cawed.... Then, nothing. Only the wind and the bristle of leaves from a stiff breeze broke the silence. The small village could be seen about them. The walls them-self were dilapidated and could even be crossed through by a thin enough man. There was no movement about the sunshine lit clearing. The buildings were immaculate, and each blade of grass seemed like it had been painted a brighter green. The plants were vibrant, but the world was deathly still, as if some tense hush had choked everything about them. The old man Thane hadn't been able to make out clearly hobbled out of the far door of the room, his clouded vision had recovered, just as the bloody pools on the lizard begun to turn into wisps of mist and fade away in a smoking display.


As The Trial Ends, your status effects (including Black Blood Blight) are cured.

The man had a well groomed white beard and hair tied to fit an elaborate lens contraption strapped on his head. Though he was silvered with age, his face and eyes held a certain youthful twinkle that hadn't been stolen by time. The old man leaned against the open doorway with a heavy arm. He was missing a leg, but the rest of his physique was still surprisingly strong. He had a broad chest and strong arms that hinted at a life of toil and vigor. "You kids did well to survive. Though, you best git it through ya heads now that it won't always be that easy." He grunted as he pulled out a strange metal crutch from the side and leaned on it. "The adults don't git to go by names here, so you can call me what the rest of them do - The Smith. If you got the materials I'll outfit you with arms and armor, or the modifications to either of the two you'll need to survive. If you got the Fervor to spend, then I can give the Pale Sister's a Maintenance Request to have the supplies you want brought into this little slice of hell. If you want to survive longer than a day, you're going to want to frequent my workbench here. I recommend you take a walk around first - it's a lot to take in." The old man turned about and limped back into the far room, leaving the door open. The soft hum of a steam-motor and hiss of smoke sounded from inside.






THE SMITH

http://i.imgur.com/aUaY7vR.jpg

[forg99rules]

http://i.imgur.com/A8rs4xd.jpg

Having stopped thrashing he lays there catching his breath. Feeling the hand on his arm he reaches over and pats the hand. "Thank you for that my dear." Hearing the Sister call out that the trial was complete he is happy to finally regain his sight. Hearing Fervor and Honor being given out he is slightly confused as to what they mean exactly. Watching the girl that was called Candlelight take her leave and hearing the voice next to him, "That she is, I believe I owe her an apology for my attitude earlier." Taking the hand that was offered to him he stood up and looked down at the little girl whom was a Calamity Key. "Thank you for the assist my dear, Also i believe i just heard you call me Master, Would you mind explain exactly what you meant by that?"

Listening to what the Smith had just said, he was slightly more confused as to what was going on. Having heard the Sister though he knew that he should be able to get some Answers from this Devil Maker that was down the path somewhere. But before all that he needed to gather up his equipment. Bending down to start packing up his equipment that was laying on the floor before him he turns his attention towards the other person standing next to him. "I don't believe we have been properly introduced, I am Thane Kurick. Apparently I am an Aegisir of the Pale Lady, Or a L'Drada I am not completely sure exactly what I am anymore. But surely we can get some information from these people. By the way, Anyone know whom killed the beast that attacked me?"

[Almighty Eevee]

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y310/Dondrel_Pedescleaux/Hido%20Asmodel.jp_zpshuo5gq0e.jpg (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=968891)


Hido nodded to the Aasimar as he looked down at his tattered clothes. "My name is Hido. It might be best to all stick together since we are in this mad house together. I was the one who finished the...creature that was on you. Now if you will excuse me I think it might be in out best interest to head over to this 'Devil maker'. Perhaps I might be able to find a Tailor in town as well." He pulled his hood down over his face more, feeling uncomfortable in the lighting as he pocketed his Kunai and the Wooden Stake.

[Mornings]

http://i.imgur.com/mFWEMDF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/prY7Eg4.jpg

The short cleric nodded to Thane when acknowledged. "You are a vessel of The Lady of The Black Veil. As L'Drada you may accept a contract between Keys, who will lend you their strength with the understanding you will guide us to a Door and our wish fulfilled. As you have, by all accounts, declared war against The Pale Lady - It would seem you are in dire need of such aid." She spoke while the Aasimar gathered up his possessions, placing them in their proper receptacles and retrieved the broken sword and slung the jammed rifle. The assassin said his piece and made for the exit. He had other things in mind.








http://i.imgur.com/138XF1u.jpg

Hido walked out into the street. There was only a single paved road running through the small town. Not a soul was in sight, though two of the mangy toothed wolves sauntered past him in the street - near identical to the creatures he had fought and killed moments ago. They paid him no mind as they patrolled the road. A massively dense forest surrounded the clearing, nothing was visible through the foliage, not even a glimmer of light cut through the penumbra of lightless void which seemed to wait behind the trees. It was unlike darkness, it was simple absence, as if this place had been swallowed up by the maw of some unfathomably great beast. The sun shined down from a cloudless sky and the bitter smell of ferns and pine choked the air. The road was massively wide, 35 ft across and stretched off to the end of the clearing where a deathly gathering of dead-rotting trees seemed to block the path. The road both begun and ended in the trees - as if the land had been surgically removed from the world and placed in a pocket amongst this forest. The great stone chapel across the street loomed before him, a modestly dressed Pale Sister nodded as she closed the door behind him. A group of children were briefly visible inside, one particularly well-armed in shimmering plate mail. There would be time for that. It was there Sister Helen had instructed them to go upon their exploration of the small circle of buildings which dotted either side of the road. The assassin kept his cowl pulled low and walked on down the road until a strange looking house of brick and mortar came into view. It was a quaint cottage with a bellowing chimney. Above the door was a sign traced in strange neon-lights. A weird and unusual contraption he'd never before seen, helium and argon gases contained in shaped glass discharge tubes. He couldn't understand why the shaped glass glowed and changed color, seemingly without any magical components... The sign read DEVILS CHANCE. Evidently, he'd come to the right place, one building over from the hall filled with dirt - the place another sign had referred to as The Buried Hall. He stepped up to the entrance, but instead of opening the door, it simply sprung to life by its own violation. A soft electrical DINNG -DING sounded from somewhere he couldn't see, as if he'd walked into a shoe store from some modern time vastly displaced. The interior was simple and sparse. Rows of various workbenches and tables showcased various tools and displays along the walls from LED monitors mounted on stainless-steel racks. Rows upon rows of herbs and strange plants grew about in the rear, while tools of a more Andoffran origin lay about. The pictures showed various devices, ranging from a crowbar to compact bracelets with images projecting from a minuture display. A young man sat in the corner working on some alchemical project being transfused to a glass vial. He briefly looked over his own raised hands with a raised brow, then went back to his work. "Oh, you... I was wondering who'd be the first, this time. Not terrible, though you forgot to search the alter. Helen always leaves those spikes in the fire, they make fairly good weapons, and the material is rare... Oh, I guess I forgot - Welcome to DEVILS CHANCE, or whatever. I'm DEVIL MAKER. I already know who you are, so save the introductions. What do you need this time? I would personally recommend something to give you concealment for this next Burden. Taking a bolt might kill you - again." He put the small glass vessel down before dipping it in blue wax. "...Anyways, I don't know what you do-or-don't remember, so feel free to ask."





DEVIL MAKER


http://i.imgur.com/lr0B0Fz.jpg

[Almighty Eevee]

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y310/Dondrel_Pedescleaux/Hido%20Asmodel.jp_zpshuo5gq0e.jpg (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=968891)


Hido stared around the room for a moment in silent awe as he marveled in the technology lining the walls. He was shaken out of his stupor when his mind registered the words that the man had said. So I've been here before...How long have I been trapped here, or rather how many times have I died? He took another step in and looked at the man hoping to get what he needed to make it past the next Burden. "I'll head back to the alter after this and see if I can bring you some of those spikes. Since you already seem to know me I'll let you know that I don't remember much... In fact all I can remember is waking up that strange building and killing that ghoulish creature. My head feels like Zon-Kuthon decided to leave a few presents. Since I don't really have my armor is there anything you can do to help me out with the next Burden? I have...'Fervor' If that should help in any manner." He decided to be upfront, knowing we would need help if he wanted to survive here...though to a small hidden part of his mind, that bolt did seem tempting.

[forg99rules]

http://i.imgur.com/A8rs4xd.jpg

Watching the man named Hido walk away "So he is Hido, Seems like he could be very useful in a fight." Looking back towards the little girl standing next to him, "Declared war on the Pale Lady... Hmmm... guess I'm alright with that. Well since that's that I will definitely take any aid that you can provide me. Is there anything that you require?" Gesturing for Denise to follow him as he begins to make his way out through the same exit that he had seen candlelight go. "Well if we are going to be working together i guess it would be best to know each others strengths. Myself, I am an archer, but not just a normal one. I prefer to use my archery to control the battlefield. Either by tripping my opponents or by disarming them of their weapons. I can already see that you are a cleric of some sort. What kind of aid can you provide?" Making his way through the town towards the Devil Maker he keeps his eyes out for any sign of candlelight or anyone else that looks like they could be of use to him.


Perception check as I'm walking through the town.
[roll0]

If i see candlelight i will approach her to apologize for my actions during the trial

[Mornings]

http://i.imgur.com/mFWEMDF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/138XF1u.jpg

The young man nodded. "I suppose that would make sense. Fortunately, its only the second time we've had the pleasure of meeting. The first was due to the strangeness of the enemy, and the second was due to certain... contingencies. Things didn't go well, but instead of dying then, you came back to now. Things changed. I don't think it was some much an alteration of time, as it was a change in the world. Regardless, you've bought yourself a second-start. I imagine you can't remember anything before now, because it simply never happened here. You've traded your past for a second chance, try not to squander your sacrifice." He stood up from the chair he was working in and begun digging around behind the large counter which crossed the room. "Information is free, but I sell just about any other service you'll need to get ahead. Fervor and Honor are the currency here, you'll need one or both if you want a service provided here. The rules don't allow for free hand-outs, but we're free to determine the worth of the Fervor offered." He placed a thick leather pouch on the counter-top and untied it revealing a set of three glinting knives. One had a silvered, blued-hue, while the others were darkened and seemed to slightly smoke. The razor sharp blades didn't have anything except a sparce leather wrap for a grip. "You didn't get a chance to take these last time. These are daggers made from those spikes you actually took last time. It's better than nothing, and Siccatite has some good uses. Though, i'd be careful you don't light yourself on fire." He left the pouch on the desk and moved back to his chair. "I can modify, or reinforce your equipment. Though my primary trade is manufacturing devices I call DEVILS. Like the name implies, its not all positive and there's a degree of chance involved - but they can give you the edge you need to win. They're all different, maybe one might turn you into a ghost, but too long might kill you. Maybe you can breath underwater, but you may end up turning into a fish. No one really knows what'll happen. I just bind the souls that will accomplish a desired task, and after that, it's in the hands of luck... If you're out to destroy some Aegisir, I also build DEVIL DOORS, though that'll be a bit expensive." The door at the far end of the shop opened.

Thane walked out of The Buried Hall with the short Cleric. The eerie quiet outside was still undisturbed. The ghoulish wolves patrolling the street didn't even pay them any mind. "I am able to control the Ley Magic of The First World and heal others. My companion, Amarillis..." She gestured at the heavy staff which floated next to her hand " Is capable of controlling Ascendant Deep Magic, though all of her Dark Fey Magic is explicitly evil and I forbid it. If too much of such a thing is released it can cause unforeseen consequences, especially here where Wild Magic and the veil between The First World is so thin. It has been the duty of my family and church to ensure the entities bound to these Jandelaian Scepters are not unleashed upon this plane again. Ley Magic is weaker some places and stronger in others. At times, it may be inaccessible. It demands that I am not too far separated from a Ley Line to use. If we are to work together, I simply require you take no evil actions which may provoke Amarillis. Her magic is too strong to be contained by anything less than a Cleric of Hensa who has been bound to the Scepter, but it is a very precarious relationship. Careless actions could rouse her needlessly as a L'Drada." She gestured at the colorful sign with a frown. They walked inside.

The young-man in the corner and the man known as Hido were not the only ones in the building. A young Tian girl and a boy a few years younger were at the counter. A tense silence choked the air as the girl glared into Hido's face with a stern look, the scars which crossed her youthful visage seemed out of place on someone with less than half his own years of life. He features were hard, and icy cold disposition that hinted at experience and mental age far beyond her years. The boy who was no doubt her brother had a day-dreamy air about him that trailed off, seemingly unaware of what was even going on about him. The Minkaian lamalar armor she wore was tailored for her size and frayed with blade-scars and marring ugly patches from fire or worse. It was heavily worn by battle and could have possibly been older than she was. She didn't speak a word, only pressed down on the assassin as if he were some offensive presence. DEVIL MAKER cleared his throat. "Easy. This is one of the new guys." She spoke something in a foreign tongue before spitting on the floor in the assassin's general direction. "Now, now. You know better than to judge a man by his wardrobe. Not every man in a mask is a 'back-stabbing whore's son'." She grunted something that sounded equally offensive in Minkaian that made MAKER grin and snort sharply. "...Alright, alright. What can I get for you." She spoke softer this time in a lower tone, as if she didn't want to be overheard. "Hm, alright. Come back in an hour, and that'll be 20 Fervor." She nodded sharply before turning away and moving towards the door, stopping as her gaze met with Thane. She looked at his wings and started sizing him up before turning back to DEVIL MAKER, speaking a few words. "No, he's an Aasimar. I don't think they can usually fly." She waved a hand dismissively with his last words seemingly loosing interest in the man, though nodding at the Cleric. The scar-faced girl and her brother left the building. DEVIL MAKER shook his head.

"Welcome to DEVILS CHANCE, friends. Looks like you've already gotten a chance to meet the competition. " He stood up from his chair and begun gathering dried regents and herbs from about the collection in the back of the room. "Much like you, there's other Challengers, and they're just as much competition as they can be allies. Emerald Phoenix and her brother, Burning, are our top contenders - save for the current victor. Despite their differences, the two of them make for a very formidable adversary."





Emerald Phoenix & Burning

http://i.imgur.com/yj1QZ1u.jpg

[Almighty Eevee]

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y310/Dondrel_Pedescleaux/Hido%20Asmodel.jp_zpshuo5gq0e.jpg (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=968891)


"Is she that hostile to everyone or did I do something in the previous life to piss her off?" Hido asked as he took the daggers and pockted them with a nod toward the man. "Since you said we might need some concealment for the next Burden, what else can you tell me about and do you have anything that I could get to help with that for only 3 Fervor." He made a note to find out the the value of Fervor and Honor. It seemed like they were the only currency in this world and since he didnt have his old gear, he would have to see what he could Appropriate.

[forg99rules]

http://i.imgur.com/A8rs4xd.jpg

Nodding to Denise "Good to know, Ley Line magic seems like it would be interesting. I don't personally know much about it myself but it does seem like it could come in handy. As for Amarillis, I will try and not commit evil acts as i would not want to release some sort of evil upon this world." Having headed inside and watching the reaction that the young Tian girl gave towards Hido he couldn't help but get a little pissed off at the girl. Who is she to judge someone that she just met and knows nothing about. Her reaction to him having wings was curious though, he wondered if she might make a decent ally if she wasn't being such a b*tch towards others.

Walking up to the counter, "Nice to meet you, I take it your the Devil Maker? Was told that you could explain exactly what is going on with us right now. Not sure exactly what i should be doing with myself, Or what this Fervor and Honor is or could be used for. Was also wondering if you could tell me more about Aegisirs and L'Dradas, seeing as i am one, I would like to know more about them."

[flatfooted]

Asaelgash, his back arched and arms still spread wide from the kill, felt the last of the rent creature's blood slide off of his claws. He allowed himself this moment of exultation as the air swirled around him changing their perspective. Lowering his gaze, he's pleased to see that the filth from the creatures' demise was already removed from his scales, though he scratches absentmindedly at the ones destroyed by the miasma and a few dead scales float their way to the floor. A smile graces his lips as he sees the twisted and torn forms strewn about him, though he is shocked back to he present by a pair of lights sent spiraling towards him. Before he can get a claw up in defense, they fade into him, and Asaelgash finally latches onto the words the woman is speaking. "Fervor..." Two dead enemies to his count and not a single scratch to show for their attempts against him. His smile grows deeper and begins to border on savage glee.

As the words prattle on, Asaelgash makes his way towards the now clear altar. Assuming the rules haven't been changed by their decisive victory, he aligns himself with it and calls out the words shown to him. "Asaelgash, Forsworn to the Chosen of Zzhiao, accepts The Trail and requests his weap--" A sudden thought clamps down on the final word just as it threatened to come out of his mouth. The lizardman's eyes bulge as they dart from side to side, his mind working at a furious pace. With a final scream of frustration, the chant is completed. Gone now is the bravado, replaced by an apathetic glaze to his eyes and a slumped posture. "Asaelgash accepts the trail and requests his armor."

Asaelgash was going to request his weapon, then changed his mind at the last moment. It's pretty obvious this decision was far more affecting to him than it should have been.

Depending on the timing, Mornings, Asaelgash would not care if his words overlapped the end of Sister Helen's.

[Mornings]

http://i.imgur.com/mFWEMDF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/prY7Eg4.jpg

Asaelgash approached the alter and the transformed room. It was not so foreboding now. His passing remarks were seemingly dismissed as the others turned to make their own way out. The ruined walls and the near-silence outside as the sun crashed in through the loosely standing planks of wood and mangled tar. Her spoke his words before the alter.

The air stilled and the sound of the rustling breeze from outside died away once again. He felt a chill run through his limbs and his body went stiff. The silence remained, perhaps for a minute, then an hour... He couldn't tell. Standing before the stone figure at the alter, carved with an angelic likeness, he noticed the flames in the basin no longer moved about in their heated dance. Time stood still. Or perhaps it was simply too slow to notice. There was no response, no grand vision. Only the twitching of the light as a small child's shadow rose from the ground as if cast upon some invisible wall to prance about. A small girl's laughter plagued his ears, mockingly, playfully. She skipped about his rigid body without a word before skipping off, existing the building.

The crackle of the flames returned to his ears and air filled his lungs once again. The tension seemingly imprinted upon his subconscious nerves. The air was suddenly more chill, as if the life from the air had been bled away. A wrongness permeated his senses. Before him, a coil of stone and shade condensed and twisted forming a familiar sight. He looked down upon his armor... Yet, something was wrong. The metal of the half-plate's gleam had faded away, perhaps centuries ago. It was thickly rusted and tarnished from perhaps a dozen decades or more without use or care. It was his. It was not his. He recognized it, yet it was alien. Taking a glance about him, all seemed distorted. The stone angelic angel was cracked and grown over with vines and moss. The decay of scattered fleshy limbs was now only bones and dust buried in the soil. The walls hung and draped low in tired sagging angles. This place had been made.... old.




http://i.imgur.com/138XF1u.jpg

DEVIL MAKER nodded at the assassin, "She's a handful, but in your case... Call it an occupational hazard. She's not fond of the sneaky-stealthy types. As you'll soon discover, there's none left in The Pasture. They're either dead, or graduated, as it were... If you want to spend your Fervor this is the right place to do it. Simple and general mundane items are fairly affordable. I have kits prepared for the next Burden that cost one Fervor. Sorta' like grab-bags with general tools and what-not you'll want to have on hand. The Pale Sisters' aren't going to be announcing this one like normal, so preparations are somewhat spontaneous for most of the other Challengers right now." The young man nodded at Thane, "New face. That's right, I'm DEVIL MAKER. The short-and-sweet answer is that you're more-or-less a contestant or sorts. Your objective is to undertake a number of challenges with your respective group, if you have one - hope you have one. To beat the other Challenges. You're not fighting the others so much as trying to win the Burden - which is like a contest, but there's only 1 victor. Win enough and you'll win the ability to claim Passage through The Deepwood. The Deepwood isn't an actual forest, it's every forest that's been overtaken by The Pale Lady. You don't get in or out, you're either removed, or displaced. Fervor and Honor is the currency here. Gold is worthless, it makes a poor knife and its too soft for most functions except as capacitors in some of my fancy Andoffran toys." He stood up from his seat and took a stretch as he begun gathering various vials from behind the shop's long counter which spanned across the room. "I try not to get involved with all the Holy War stuff, but a very generic summery of your whole L'Drada thing is Deities don't really fight each other directly anymore, and influencing a plane directly means your enemy will too - it's a never ending cycle of escalation until it gets out of hand. Some gods still like to duke it out, but those tend to be Lesser Deities without much influence or consequence to consider. There are.... greater gods. Nameless entities which span over our planes and time, over our multiverse like some omniscient presence, or law. Defining, calculating, observing - all of it. Gods far, far unlike our own. Gods, true gods, who allow those entities we worship to be - to exist as some insignificant presence which bares no influence upon their own work. The Aegisir and L'Drada represent various agents of those Greater Deities who resolve their conflicts indirectly in Games, or sorts. Wagers and Challenges using entities like you as the betting pieces. Much like a game of high-stakes divine Poker, a great deal of winning relies on misleading your enemy. Though each side has pawns, one does not necessarily place their wager on their own pawns alone. L'Drada are the Dark Knights of the two, representing an agent which introduces chaos and disorder to muddle the odds. L'Drada never serve good ends, but bring untold death and destruction to tip the scales in unforeseen manners. Aegisir are the warring knights on the proverbial Chess Board, doing most of the heavy lifting and hard hitting. Every Greater Deity has both Aegisir and L'Drada, sometimes the pawns aren't aware of which side they are even fighting for. Though they are pawns, many of the named and veteran of them are often vastly stronger than any deities man possess. It's a violent and cruel game you've gotten involved in. If you haven't been given any direction, then likely your benefactor is wagering on what chaos a Wild Card can produce, rather than your contribution towards their ends."

[Almighty Eevee]

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y310/Dondrel_Pedescleaux/Hido%20Asmodel.jp_zpshuo5gq0e.jpg (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=968891)


"I'll take one of those kits if you don't mind. How would we know which side we are on, or if we are a wild card? Though I assume it wouldn't matter much since they are just betting on us." Hido marked a mental note that there were no other Sneaky-stealthy types which meant that he would either have an advantage...or be horribly maimed if he tried to go solo. He swallowed his pride and decided to stick with Thane. Better paired up with someone you know rather than die alone. "Helen said something before about getting our gear back from the altar in the building we came from. Would anything...'bad' happen since the challenge is over?"

[flatfooted]

Sighing to himself, Asaelgash hefted his aged armor over his right shoulder and continued where the other two had gone. Lost in thought, he was startled to see the same creatures he had just defeated, walking around. With a shrill hiss, he glares at them with teeth bared, as if daring them to test his mettle. There's no real threat behind the gesture, however, as he still lacks the bravado of his earlier actions. Spying two familiar forms ahead of him, Asaelgash wordlessly joins them. Wit a thump he takes a seat on the ground and tears the mask off of his face. Balling it up, he spits a thick wad of mucus into it and begins to polish the age off of his armor.

[forg99rules]

http://i.imgur.com/A8rs4xd.jpg

Nodding as he looks around the room at the different Gizmos and Vials filled with strange liquids. Listening absent mindedly to most of what was being said. "Contestants, Great just what i needed to be in this odd place." His attention once again returning to the Devil Maker as he got up and began grabbing vials. He began to intently listen to the man tell him about L'Drada's and Aegisir's. "So basically i was picked by some god to be his champion of sorts, and i dont even get to know what god i serve. That is just fan f*cking tastic. Is there any way for me to find out who i am a L'Drada for?"

Listening to Hido ask for one of the kits it suddenly dawns on him that he never got told what Honor was used for. "So you said that the Kits cost one Fervor, But how much honor would it cost to get a kit, or would i not be able to spend my honor on the same stuff that you can with Fervor? Because if i could i would love to get one of them kits also, can't ever be to prepared for stuff that could end your life... again."

Looking around the shop again he remembers that he still wanted to find that girl that had been holding the hounds at bay with the door. "Devil Maker would you also perchance know where i can find that girl that helped us out, i believe her name was candle light? I kind of owe her an apology for my attitude during the trial."

[Mornings]

http://i.imgur.com/mFWEMDF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/138XF1u.jpg

The young man nodded at the assassin's request. "I'll have it read, just approach one of the alters again and you can exchange the Fervor. It's quite simple. As far as that other bit... You don't know. You don't get to know, unless your respective patron deems it appropriate to allow you to learn that much." DEVIL MAKER cleared his throat as heavy footsteps thudded around from outside accompanied by the clatter of metal. "Yes, like Helen mentioned - you can recover pieces from the Alter. You were slain by Pale Children, trained and hand-selected killers which have graduated from these vary trials. Some call them Pale Blade Assassins due to their typically murderous commands... Being killed by one of them isn't the same as just getting your head crushed in by a Hellknight's mace. You're - removed. Forgotten. Deleted. You become something akin to a ghost, in that your soul has no real body or signature left upon the world. There's nothing to resurrect - There's no Hido, and there never was. You become part of... Something else. Obviously, even a great mage or cleric capable of wishing for divine powers to return you back to the living has no effect - as no one even remembers you ever were. Praying at the alter can return back some of those things which you have lost and have become Part of The One. During a Burden or Trail there is a clear connection established with these Greater Deities, something the Pale Sisters call Communion. But when they end, things get murky. Things get drawn out... Think of it like, pulling a stick from a lake or pulling a stick from thick mud. You'll likely get a clean stick from the lake... But the mud assures you'll be getting more than you bargained for. You'll still get the stick, but who knows what else. You'll need to be as careful as possible - there are terrible.... dark, and terrible things in the depths of that void. " He crossed his arms as the large lizard shoved himself into the door. "....I can't really explain it any better then that right now. But you should just keep that in mind, and never, ever, summon from the alter after a Burden or Trail unless you've absolutely no other option." He watched the lizard take a seat on the floor and begin polishing his rusted and supernaturally aged armor before glancing at Thane. "Honor is a lesser form of Fervor. Every 3 are worth about 1 Fervor, though, the conversion can shift slightly depending on who you're dealing with and how much Honor you have to trade. There's no hard conversion, as it's not an actual currency and it's more a matter of bargaining and trade. Also, Fervor and Honor have certain types of energy each can be converted into respectively - energy which is not transparent. Honor will never be Fervor, and Fervor will never be Honor. But as far as trading for items from other individuals goes, it can be exchanged for verious amounts to equal one-another. Ultimately, you'll need both as you acquire more abilities which consume types of energy exclusive to one or the other. " He scratched his head at Thane's comment. "Candlelight would be in The Pale Chapel with the rest of them. She's not much of a combatant, and she scares easily, but there's something evil in that girl - In Ustalav they call it being a 'Haunted One', and her Rider is some Infernal spirit who can command storms of fire freely. Most of the other Challenges rightly fear her. You'll have to do some homework of your own if you want to learn more."

DEVIL MAKER reached down and passed Hido a stiff cut of thin wood shaped like a business card. "Burn this at any alter and you can begin the exchange to purchase your kit. I've got work to do, but It's my recommendation you get yourselves together and prepare to head to the Chapel. The Burden will begin with, or without you, and you don't want to get caught in the middle of that and receive no credit... Also, think very carefully on which Cloister you choose. There is a ritual which must be preformed before you can continue. It will change you, but it will not change any equipment you do not currently possess - so you may wish to gather what you can on your person in the event you get a little shorter. You'll have to just take the hint - it's forbidden to speak of it." The young man pulled out a metal rod with a glowing green button on the end. With a small beep the device activated after the switch was pressed. The various objects and materials suddenly and spontaneously disintegrated and the dust vanished without a trade, leaving the entirety of the interior bare, without even a leaf of a herb. The young man through a thick black cloak made of some rubbery-like material over his shoulders, pulling the cowl over his head. "I've got some things to do, but if you want one of my kits, I've given Sister Helen more of those Request Cards. Just ask for one and you can buy one also. I'll be back after this Burden - try not to die." DEVIL MAKER's form seemed to blur and distort - then he was gone, leaving only an empty and bare room of thick wooden walls.

Denise clutched her staff nervously as an awkward silence begun to fill the air. "....My.... He was quite... Insightful. Do you think he builds these 'kits' because he knows what each challenge already is? I wonder how he would go about learning such things? Thane, It may be in our favor to pay The Smith a visit if things are changed after performing this strange ritual the Devil Maker mentioned. What will you do? "

[Almighty Eevee]

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y310/Dondrel_Pedescleaux/Hido%20Asmodel.jp_zpshuo5gq0e.jpg (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=968891)

Hido pulled his own cowl over his head and pocketed the thin piece of wood as he headed for the door. "Suppose we outta hurry if we want to get everything done in time." He quickly made for the door, backtracking to where the last burden was held to use the only altar he had seen. If we are going be resized, best to get that kit now. Though with the chance of something going wrong, I suppose I'll keep it at that until the next burden. No need to cause more trouble then I'm already in. He walked into the room and decided to look inside of the alter again to see if he could find the Material that the Devil Maker talked about.

[flatfooted]

Keeping his eyes trained on the armor, Asaelgash's head never the less angles at the words being said around him. The unfamiliar words forced him to shift his focus away from the half-plate, and with a small start, he realizes he's spent too much effort on one patch of the armor. A small circular patch around the right hip shines as though the armor were new, whereas the area immediate around it showed obvious signs of grunge and wear still. Cursing at himself, Asaelgash slides the armor over his head and begins to work at the various clasps and belts as he rises and follows Hido.

"My armor seems to have suffered for asking for it outside of the fight, another arbitrary rule of this place, and I mistake I will not risk on my weapon. Where can I go to use floating lights as currency for my weapon?"

[forg99rules]

http://i.imgur.com/A8rs4xd.jpg

Listening to the Devil Maker explain everything to them, he can't help but wonder who his Patron might be. Turning his head to the door as the Lizard man walks in carrying in his arms what looks like a set of worn out armor, he makes a mental note to not request any of his old gear from the Altars unless its during an event. Turning his attention back to the Devil Maker, as the Maker glances at him. He begins to mentally note that he will have to ask every person whom he can use his Honor at what their conversion rate is for it. Nodding at the Maker as he explains it all and paying even more attention to him as he explains where candlelight could be found, he begins to makes some plans for his survival. "Alright, First i need to get a Bow. Especially if what he said about things changing after this burden is true. Next thing to do is find sister Helen and get one of those kits that Hido just bought. After that i think i will talk to Candlelight and try and get on her good side, even if she doesn't like to fight it sounds like she could be very useful in the times to come."

Watching as the Makers pressed a button on a rod he had pulled out. He was amazed to see all of the items in the room start to disintegrate, it made him wonder if they were actually being destroyed or if they were just somehow being transported to another location. He would have to ask the Maker another time as just when he was going to open his mouth to question it the makes himself Blurred and Vanished before him. "Well that was a lot of useful information, Really would like to know how he did that. A question for another time perhaps."

Looking down at Denise as she began to speak, he was stunned slightly by what she said. "How does he know, because he surely would have to know to make kits for the burden." Turning to watch as Hido and the Lizard man left the building. "Good observation there, hadn't really occurred to me yet that he somehow has knowledge about what is to come. Might be that he has the ear of whoever is running this show, could be that he is actually the one running it to. We will have to wait and see i guess, but for now my dear i will go pay the Smith a visit and get a weapon, after that i would like to speak to Helen about getting one of those Kits and then lastly speak with Candlelight. Hopefully all this can be accomplished before this Burden kicks off. Seeing how quickly the Maker left i feel like it might be sooner rather than later though." Having said this he then heads out in search of The Smith.

[Morbis Meh]

Fear began to take hold over the elven witch, her breathing would have increased if it wasn't for the caustic sting that accompanied each lung full of air. The cold reply that was offered to her less than sincere decree was frustrating that only served to stoke the fires of her panic. Blind, burned and frightened, Delilah almost wished she hadn't come back from whatever fate she couldn't remember. At the edge of defeat, the pain and blindness abruptly ended, she held back a sob of relief not knowing if it would prove to be a blessing or only a prolonging of her suffering. The random declaration of 'Honour' from sister Helen perplexed the elf but nonetheless she held her tongue and allowed everyone who had any idea of what was going on speak.

She watched the others that had awoken with her as they slowly left the room before steeling herself. She trailed behind far enough to not get the chance to speak with the one called 'Devil Maker' but had been close enough to catch the information he provided. She was slightly disappointed that the currency that she had accumulated counted for less in comparison to the other but it was only momentary. If she understood the odd man child's advice it would seem that her best chance at survival lie with acting as a part to a larger whole which meant what she managed to earn would be better served helping the group. She watched the maker disappear before she turned back to find that cold, hateful woman called 'Sister Helen'.

She didn't have a clear idea of where the Pale Chapel would be but she did her best to limp over to the place to find the priestess so she could get her hands on a kit to better aid her new team.

[Mornings]

http://i.imgur.com/mFWEMDF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/prY7Eg4.jpg

Hido quickly backtracked towards the direction he had come as the familiar face of the seemingly bewildered witch briefly came into view just long enough to watch her wander off. There wasn't an abundance of time if what DEVIL MAKER had said was true, so he pressed on with the large lizardman at his side. Coming back into the massive wooden structure of The Buried Hall, the thought couldn't help but cross his mind that the place should be condemned. The walls visibly swayed under the wind, though they refused to collapse. He approached the alter, taking care to look for the device the man had mentioned.

Thane strode inside the dirt-covered building, glancing about before moving back towards the area the old man had been with the cleric following behind him. He could hear the squeak and whirl of gears and machines the closer he came to the door, until a series of strange devices came into view. Various boxes and crates filled with seemingly discarded scrap lay about the room along with intricately sketched diagrams scattered across the floor boards and desks. The old man could be seen in the corner fiddling with a vice-like device which looked like a wood-turning lathe, but instead spun rods of metal which the lathe shaped with slow and careful motions of the man's hands.

Hido finally found the objects he was searching for in the burning basin which the angelic figure held. The pool of burning oil held a number of fully submerged metal spikes at the bottom of the 6 inch deep pool within the basin's bowl. He could feel the heat radiate out from the basin and the flames, the oil which the bowl held was no exception. It seemed far too hot to safely retrieve, if he wasn't lit on fire, he would at least be severely burned by the scalding oil, and perhaps even the hot metal which lay submerged. The metal glinted strangely in the light, a prismatic hue. It wasn't going anywhere. He turned and moved towards the old-man's door to get a better look inside.

The Smith looked up at Thane, taking the lathe's blade off the metal rod he was working to mute the deafening buzz and shower of sparks. "Came back, eh. What do you need? You'll need materials if you want any work done."




http://i.imgur.com/KWZQfjO.jpg

Delilah wandered through the small village. It didn't take long to distinguish The Pale Chapel from the other 5-or-so other buildings which made the entirety of the village. It was a large circular mosque-like structure of white marble. A young Tian boy exited the building, pushing through the great stone doors before closing them behind himself. His husky face and puffy cheeks seemed slightly out of place; his eyes were unblinking and plastered with an emotionless expression, as if staring off at nothing. He placed his back against the wall next to the door, slowly sliding down into a sitting position, slugglishly, like a dying man slammed into the side of a building. He pulled out a small snuff-box and begun rolling some powdery substance into a cylinder of paper before stuffing it in his mouth and lighting it with a tindertwig. It made for quite the odd site watching the boy, who was perhaps 12 or less years of age smoking. The stink of the smoke made her reel from the smell, that was not tobacco. It was Pesh. The highly addictive, highly illegal narcotic was not a common sight this close to the Varisian Coast - assuming they were still on Golarion. The young man didn't seem to pay the witch any mind as he seemed completely absorbed in his own personal tasks. The exterior of the plain building seemed unwelcoming and stern, much like Sister Helen. Though it was brief, she remembered seeing the young-man's face walking with the young Tian-girl with the scarred face who left the DEVILS CHANCE soon after she arrived outside. He seemed completely intent on smoking, displaying no visible intention to return inside.

[flatfooted]

Asaelgash's steps slowed as he realized the small human was backtracking to where they just came from and spits a curse out; "Hofiba!" He turns away from Hido and recognizes another of the group entering a different building. Seeing the small man fixated on a basin filled with flaming oil, he realized there was something within the flames that the man wanted to get to. Asaelgash started a low chuckle as he recognized that the man was unable to retrieve the items and began walking to the building where Thane had entered.

On the path, it's still unnatural for Asaelgash to see the foes he just reduced to various piles of limbs and organs. His clan, and most species he's had to deal with, were very xenophobic. An assault against one of not of your own kind was met with fierce resistance from the others. It was unthinkable they were ignoring him, but here it was. These creatures seemed to care as little about each other as they did about his presence there.

The fourth member staggered through the village, removed from all of her bluster from earlier. She looked half dead already and seemed to be trudging forward as though each step took great effort. He paid her no mind. Even in a place such as this, it seemed the strong and the weak quickly separated themselves into survivors and fodder.

Stepping through the doorway, Asaelgash barely acknowledges Thane as he shouldered him aside and addresses the old man. "I wish to participate in your absurd ritual of trading lights for items. I have two Fervor and demand he return of my Axe."

[Almighty Eevee]

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y310/Dondrel_Pedescleaux/Hido%20Asmodel.jp_zpshuo5gq0e.jpg (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=968891)

Hido rolled his eyes at the large lizard and gave him a dismissive glance as he walked off. "I'd love to see that overgrown reptile stick his hand in here." He placed the thin slip of wood into the basin and tensed, waiting to see what would happen. The rods slipped to the back of his mind as he wondered where the kit would come from or what it would even look like. How much more time do we even have before this starts...why are we even doing this? He sighed and dismissed the thoughts as he tried to formulate a plan regardless of how or what they were up against.

[Morbis Meh]

Delilah watched the young man with silent empathy, she knew exactly what if felt like to be so absorbed in need and despite her vices being legal she couldn't judge the boy. Her gaze only lingered for a moment, knowing full well she probably looked creepy standing in front of an adolescent drug addict, before she ventured towards the portal of the uninviting building.

Please let the Sinister Sister not be so disturbing this time around? Maybe the next trial will be a drinking contest instead of being mauled by acid mist demon wolves from beyond the grave! A smirk crossed her lips sardonically, inwardly she was wondering what she did in her former life to deserve being stuck in this hellish purgatory but it was only a fleeting moment of melancholy.

Reaching for the door she finally noticed the extent of her filthiness and began longing for the serene solitude of a hot bath. Sure there were plenty of times where she reeked of stale booze and vomit but the smell of decay and grave soil enveloped her like a funeral shroud and it disturbed her profoundly. A pervasive sense of hopelessness washed over but she shrugged off its heavy weight, once again resolved to push forward and make something of her granted second chance.

[forg99rules]

http://i.imgur.com/A8rs4xd.jpg

Entering the building again he turned his eyes back over towards the Altar, "I wonder if you can make multiple requests during challenges." Walking into the area that The Smith had entered, looking around the room at all the strange devices and then finally landing his eyes upon The Smith himself. He couldn't quite tell what was being made, but whatever it was it sure looked nice. "Yeah I'm back, I was hoping to get a Bow made preferably a Composite Longbow with a Rating of Three. Not sure what materials you would need for it and i doubt i have any. I do have 12 Honor though if that would help at all. I also wouldn't mind having a Kusarigama and Kyoketsu shoge made, but again I'm not sure what materials you would need."

Looking down at Denise he is suddenly surprised when something shoves him out of the way. Turning to see what shoved him he is slightly enraged to see the Lizardman standing there spouting nonsense of trading lights for goods. "Watch where the f*ck your going you overgrown Iguana, and it's not the trading of Lights for goods the lights were just Helens way of displaying what we got from the trial. Now how about you back up and wait your turn as myself and Denise were here first."

[flatfooted]

Asaelgash grins at Thane's outburst drawing a step closer to him as the man's words echo throughout the room. The lizardfolk leans forward on one foot to lower his head and bring his gaze level with Thane's. "I seem to remember you going belly up against just ONE of those creatures and had to be rescued. Perhaps your bark and bluster were enough to shake the hearts of lesser things, but I am not them. Nothing matters down here more than getting the task completed and carrying your own weight. You've proved yourself barely able to survive from moment to moment, so focus on what's to come and don't rush headlong to death. I intend on meeting the Nuwa'jimos that put me here in the first place, and I won't hesitate to pass through any challenge in my way."

Asaelgash takes a step back, straightens up and crosses his scaled arms over his armor, taking a more calculated and appraising look at Thane as he takes a few steps to the side and circles around the man. "Please, choose what paltry items you believe would prolong your life. Pray to whatever gods may be listening to your futile wails. You will find that Fervor will get you further in the Trails to come than Honor will." Asaelgash chuckles lightly, honestly amused by what he sees. "At this moment, the man who took pity on you and rushed to save your life is trying to get items to help us all from the room where you fell. My Axe, once returned to me, can help him claim these. I am not without honor, though it is earned by deed and sealed by the enemy's blood across your blade. Should you manage to do anything but prostrate yourself at the feet of our next enemy, then we'll see if you've earned the right to keep your own place."

[forg99rules]

As the Lizard man drew closer he slowly pulled out one of his pellet grenades, if this lizard wants to go at it he will be in for a nasty surprise at the start. Listening to him talk was like listening to some thug trying to rob you off the street. He thought that just because he succumbed to whatever that wolf had done that he was weak, boy was he wrong. "Oh so you think that i did nothing, If it wasn't for me Denise here wouldn't have gotten summoned to assist us. Without her y'all idiots would have been still standing in the room trying to kill MAGGOTS that some r*tarded oaf released from the other bodies in the room. The way i see it you bunch of idiots were d*cking around in the room not doing a damn thing." Pulling out the broken sword he points it at the Lizard, "If it wasn't for me finding this Sword i wouldn't have known what to do at the altar and neither would you. You would still be without your Sh*tty *ss armor, hell even without the maggots and dogs you probably would have died to the fog that was taking over the room. I saw what it was doing to y'all, and i also saw that the Altar was the only place that wasn't being affected by it. So before you start calling me weak how about you realize that strength isn't all in brawn and Fervor. That if i hadn't used the knowledge that i was being provided and instead went out bashing anything and everything like some R*tarded brute, that you all would be dead."

[Mornings]

http://i.imgur.com/mFWEMDF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/prY7Eg4.jpg

The Smith looked at Asaelgash with a blank expression as he demanded his axe. "...None too bright, are ya' ? Don't know how many times I need to say this, but I ain't here to sell weapons, I make them. If you have the materials, the service is free of charge. If you want me to make you an axe, go dig up some steel and lumber and I can put something together. If you want your axe, the alter's right behind you, if you can live with the consequences. I'm sure by now you realize the alters aren't exactly safe outside of the Burdens." He didn't bother looking up at Thane as he spoke, he went back to work on the long metal rid set spinning in a pair of vices. He ran the lathe across the length of the metal decreasing the diameter of the pole with each sweeping motion.

"Wooden weapons aren't a problem. You got wood all around you. Could pull it off the walls, though can't vouch for the quality. You'd be better off getting wood from the forest. Composite bows, much like their name implies are made of a composite of wood, sinew, horn and a glue or similar solvent. The grade of the bow's limbs is determined by the amount of materials used to make them more robust. Those are things you don't have right now. You could buy 'em if The Stalls were open, but with the Burden about to begin, not much in the way of local services is available. Regardless, I wouldn't have it done until the next Burden anyways. If you have other weapons or items you don't need I can break 'em down into materials or use 'em to craft something else." He gestured to the corner of the room. "If you need something quick, feel free to help yourself to extra junk in the bin over there."

The wooden barrel had a number of crude weapons and tools, each made out of oak or similar sturdy hardwood. They each looked well-worn but in good enough condition to still be practical if employed as a weapon. Some of the objects in the bin weren't weapons at all, but that didn't mean they were completely devoid of value.



- Quarterstaff x4
- Sling x2
- Shovel
- Nunchaku
- Shortbow
- Arrows x5
- Wooden Stake x5
- Wooden Shortspear
- Waster (Greatsword)
- Waster (Rapier) x2
- Waster (Longsword) x2

[Wasters:] Wasters are wooden training weapons which are made to resemble a particular weapon. They weigh double the weapon they are in the form of, and may be used as an improvised version of that weapon in combat. These training weapons only deal bludgeoning damage.

The Smith rolled his eyes as the two of the men began to bicker. "If you're gonna throw a fit, get out of my workshop. I don't have to listen to you two idiots squabble. If you want to fight, i'd save it for the Burden. They'll just kill ya' both for starting trouble outside the games." The woman next to Thane seemed to take the hint as she grabbed the floating staff at her side and poked the Aasimar in the chest stiffly with the heavy rod as he drew his broken sword in one hand and a grenade in the other. "That's enough of that! If they invalidate your Challenge than you will be useless to my cause. Follow the rules, Thane Kurick."

She turned towards the giant lizardman, shaking a finger to berate the creature easily towering over her at double her own height. "You would indeed have perished during that Trial if not for Thane's actions! You had no defense against Visionary's mist, and while you were standing around doing nothing, it would have paralyzed you as well! If the caustic air did not kill you, the creatures which would be summoned when those maggots melted away surely would. Pasture Wolves are a joke and would pose no threat if not for their tainted blood. If you feel that fight provided an adequate measure of your strength, then you'll all the friends you can find." She turned around and poked Thane in the chest again, like a mother swatting her child in the back of the head. "...And you need to learn to use your words." She turned back around and picked up the lizardman with her free hand and carried him back to the soil-filled room before placing him down again, shaking a finger at him in lecture. "Now you sit here and think about your actions, mister! Your carelessness could have killed yourself and everyone else, and smashing an animal or two is no excuse for causing a fuss! If you want to show how much of a great warrior you are, how about you defeat something better than a dog." She grabbed the door and closed it in front of him with a soft latching sound. The bewildering oddity of it took a moment to process, along with being carried about by a petite 4ft human female.

Hido waited before the fire as he watched the absurd spectacle and the lizardman being lectured by the short cleric. The fire sprung to life, turning a greenish-blue. A large wooden parcel manifested in the flames. Though no one spoke to him, he could hear a voice fill his mind with knowledge of the contents of the parcel and its cost - 1 Fervor. He simply had to take the box from the fire and the transaction would be complete.



MIST-HUNTER KIT

- MWK Light Crossbow x1
- MWK Silver Crossbow Bolts x5
- MWK Cold Iron Crossbow Bolts x5
- Cold Iron Dagger x1
- Silver Dagger x1
- Smokestick x2
- Smoke Pellet x3
- Smoke Cover x1
- Can of Compressed Air x1
- Twitch Tonic x2
- Troll Styptic x1
- Bloodblock x3
- Troll Oil x2
- Potion of CLW x2
- Potion of Shield x1
- Copper Wire (6ft)
- Cold Iron Pitons x2
- Cold Iron Iron Spikes x2
- Steel-Goggles x1
- Silk Scarf x2
- Leather gloves x1
- Leather Cloak & Cowl x1
- Frost-ward Gel x1




http://i.imgur.com/KWZQfjO.jpg

The displaced witch pushed open the doors to the Pale Chapel. Slowly, steadily, the doors swung open. Though she had heard speech, and even saw the shape of peoples inside when the boy had left... There was now nothing. It was a long empty hall. Statures of strange fey creatures lined both sides of the large church. The floor was an elaborately carved marble with a great central dais which was slightly depressed into the floor. Strange arcane markings of some otherworldly nature circled around a central stone which lay at the heart of the dais and the far wall held a massive alter nearly identical to the previous she had seen, but doubled in size. The room slowly begun to shift, running translucent and fading away, leaving a large white expanse of an empty interior.

The boy next to her didn't bother moving, continuing to sit and smoke his pesh, but his low sodden voice did reach her ears. "The Chapel has, Chambers. Places connected by that door. You're not welcome in the other Chambers until you've made your Pact." He lazily turned his head, not having once looked at her until now, his eyes slowly climbed up from her feet to her waist before reaching her face. A sleazy grin growing on his face as his visual inspection climbed its way up. "If you want to survive here, don't trust Elizabeth. She doesn't like other girls. She doesn't like elves. She doesn't like anyone that might get more attention than her from The Pale Lady. She's not even a Pale Sister, she's a liar." He turned away again with a lethargic gesture, taking another long draw from the butt of the short stick.

The interior of the Chapel was unwelcoming, almost as if it had been condemned. The walls were peeling white paint upon their cement surface. The floor was covered slick in pools of black inkor. A black-clad nun stood near the rear of the room, a handful of corvids we set about flapping throughout the room. A large mural upon the furthest wall depicted men walking up a large hill to a Hanging-Tree where bodies lay upon the boughs before a crimson sun. She faintly smiled, gesturing for the witch to enter.



http://i.imgur.com/5TxzmFp.png

[Almighty Eevee]

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y310/Dondrel_Pedescleaux/Hido%20Asmodel.jp_zpshuo5gq0e.jpg (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=968891)

Hido felt a grin tug at his face as he grabbed the box and pulled it out, completing the transaction. It's not all I had, but this is a really good kit. Though if I have all of this, does this mean the kit's contents reflect the difficuly of the burden? Hido let out a sigh and stepped away from the altar and set the box down and opened the box with his Kunai. I can't spend time worrying about this. I've got to survive and find out why I'm here. He looked down into the contents of the box as his eyes hardened into an icy cold glare. He didnt know who brought him here but he knew, god or not. He would make them pay. He went to work equipping the contents of the box onto his person, folding up his old torn cloak and cowl, before storing it with the rest of his gear. He looked back as the Lizard was thrown out of the room as the door slammed in his face. He looked back to the altar and sighed internally. "I heard what the Smith had said. If you are looking for Materials you could ask him to get the rods out of the altar, if not I could help you gather some materials. Whatever you choose I would do it soon, with time being an unknown factor here." He looked outside one of the windows, hoping he still had time to get some answers from someone. His eyes flicked back to the altar as a crazy thought snuck into his mind. If I touched that...and called out, would anyone awnser?...Am I ready for them to?

[flatfooted]

Asaelgash couldn't hide a grin as he was placed outside by the girl. Well, well, there are some challenges to be had here after all. A lesson to learn now while it costs nothing; nothing here should be underestimated and a vulnerable facade may obscure the room's greatest threat. Asaelgash chuckles as he stares at the door. At least anything that was here already! While fun, it is useless to goad that lesser being that awoke with me. Why she chose to stand by his side may be the only reason he remains alive. Perhaps she pities him? Or needs a man sized dog to run around at her heels. Laughing aloud, Asaelgash turns to see Hido approaching him with a box in hand. The grin is stolen from his face as he contemplates both Hido's and The Smith's words.

"I'll not need that old man's help!" Asaelgash stalks back to the building and opens the door to The Smith abruptly. Stepping in, though, he allows it to close behind him gently. Walking over to the weapon barrel, he removes the shovel along with the four quarterstaves and the Greatsword. Silently standing in the back of the room, Asaelgash maintains an apathetic stare at Thane, maintaining mute eye contact whenever possible, until the man completes his business. Once done, the lizardman walks up to The Smith.

"Are you able to reinforce the wooden handle of this tool with the extra wood from the Quarterstaffs? I specifically am looking to limit its flammability, or significantly increase its durability."

[Mornings]

http://i.imgur.com/mFWEMDF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/prY7Eg4.jpg

The Smith nodded as the lizard made his way back into his workshop, he glanced at Thane but saw no response forthcoming. "Looks like our friend here is lost in his thoughts, so you can go first my scaly-friend." He paused for a moment to listen to his request. He shook his head. "Yeah, I could do all that, but It'd take me an hour or two, and you got about 5 or 10 minutes. But for now, you can give this a whirl..." He placed a small vial down on the counter from his belt. "There's about 2 doses of the stuff, my own variation of Fire-ward Gel. It's rather nifty, but keep in mind that burning is probably the least of your worries this time around. Try not to die out there, things've changed recently and the game's gotten that much more difficult." He motioned towards the door "I wouldn't idle for too long, no one cares if you're ready or not. You should head to the Chapel."

Hido garbed himself in the new attire and equipment. The cloth was heavy and felt slightly moist - an paraffin-based oil finish covered the scarves and various pieces of attire in the box. The additional weight seemed strange, but it seemed to block out the air and the sensation of the breeze. No doubt, the Mist-Hunter attire had been designed to fight in the strange abnormal caustic clouds which they had encountered earlier. The finely steel-polished goggles seemed to stick to the face with an almost suction-like function. The gloves were multiple layers of well padded leather lined with an insular second glove made of a strange, almost waxy material that absorbed the moisture and oil from his hands. They appeared to be completely water-proof. It would likely even be safe from the chilling touch of the black inkor the wolf-like beasts had bled. Looking at the contents of the kit, he had an increasingly bad feeling about the challenge to come. Each item like like a hint of what the future would hold... Could someone without a kit even complete the Burden? The echo from The Smith's voice from further inside conveyed a sense of urgency. They didn't have long. A sudden giggle of a young girl filled his ears. Something passed by in the corner of his vision before fading from sight. Here, in this place, he was fairly certain that everything was not good - and the laughter of ghost children was particularly dreadful.

[flatfooted]

Asaelgash lifts the vials in one claw and inspects the liquid within. Nodding to himself, he leaves the quarterstaffs on the counter and exits with the shovel, Greatsword and vials. As he shuts the door behind him, he sees Hido standing close by and propels him forward with an outstretched arm. "Come with me." Asaelgash's stride lengthens and his clawed feet slap with every step, not allowing Hido any chance to catch his balance or change direction. Once they near the burning basin, he held the shovel and a vial out to Hido. Turning his attention to his own wooden item, the Lizardman raised the second vial to his mouth and tore the stopper out with a growl. With care, he upended the vial on the blade of the wooden Greatsword, taking care to ensure all of the wood was coated in the viscous liquid. Inspecting his work, Asaelgash favors Hido with a toothy grin. "How well do you perform under fire?"

More to post, but I don't want to assume another PC's actions. Once Eevee posts, I'll continue.

[Almighty Eevee]

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y310/Dondrel_Pedescleaux/Hido%20Asmodel.jp_zpshuo5gq0e.jpg (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=968891)


Hido looked around to see if he could locate the girl but his focus was quickly yanked away as the lizard shoved him from behind. "I think you'll see I can perform just fine." he glared at him and thrust the shovel and vial back into his arms. You just heard that we have Five Minutes. Now I'm not sure about you but I'm going head to the chapel. There's something off about this room. He shrugged his way past Asaelgash as he headed for the door, using his memory of the town to quickly head towards the chapel, not wanting to be caught out when the burden began.

[flatfooted]

Asaelgash takes two quick strides and grabs Hido's shoulder, allowing his claws to sink slightly into the fabric and just barely grazing his skin. "Five minutes that we need to use well! So stop your dallying and apply the vial to the shovel. If we work together, we can claim the material within the flaming basin, but we have to hurry."

[forg99rules]

http://i.imgur.com/A8rs4xd.jpg

Getting poked in the chest sent his mind reeling, he couldn't function he kept getting sent back to his past whenever he tried to think. Images flashed through his head, all of them had meaning but none of them mattered anymore. Upon hearing that they didn't have that long left he managed to pull his mind back to his control. Looking down as Denise “I have never been good with words, Besides I've got some problems with people like him. They always think that they are better than everyone else, That if you aren't as strong as them then they have the right to walk all over you. Now I guess we only a few minutes and I still need some things, we can talk about what happened later but for now I need to get a weapon and that Kit.” Heading over to the barrel that The Smith had pointed out he proceeded to grab the Shortbow from it. “Alright now over to the chapel to get one of those kits from Helen.”

Walking out the door his eyes pass over the Lizardman and Hido, they were doing something with a shovel and greatsword but he wasn't sure exactly what was going on. Looking behind him to ensure that Denise was still following him he proceeded to make his way out of the building. Taking a quick look around for the chapel that the Devilmaker said Helen would be at he proceeds to make his way in its direction. He knew that if he didn't get one of those kits then whatever happened during the burden would be a huge pain.

[Almighty Eevee]

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y310/Dondrel_Pedescleaux/Hido%20Asmodel.jp_zpshuo5gq0e.jpg (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=968891)



Hido felt the Lizard's claws pierce through his cloak and graze his skin, then felt a rush of rage and anger course through him. He dropped the shovel and dropped a Kunai into his hand holding it at Asaelgash's throat. His breath came in short gasps through the small cloth covering his mouth as blood red eyes glared through the cowl as the sheer hatred in his gaze bore into the other's sight. Hido quickly sheathed the kunai again and grabbed the offending arm holding it against his chest. Calm down. Calm down... This one isn't him. Save your hatred, save your anger, save your rage until you find him. He himself mentally to calm himself as he took a step back letting the color drain our of his eyes, returning them to their dull gray.

"Don't...Do not attempt to grab me like that again. This shall be the one time I warn you." He straightend out and shook his head slightly as he clenched his fists, his anger at the one who gave him this curse. "We don't have enough time to grab the material. You would need at least 5 minutes to retrieve them with such tools, then you would be late regardless of how quickly you attempted to make it to the chapel. I'm not aware of what happens to those who aren't ready but I'm not waiting to find out." He quickly walked with a purpose out of the door to follow Thane and Denise to the chapel. He dropped a dagger from his sleeve into his hand in case Asaelgash tried to stop him again. He would leave even if he had to do it by force.