The First Adventure (1v1, PF)

[Kallimakus]

His spell finds no purchase. Caerys attacks it, to little effect.

Spoiler: OOC

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(1d20+4)[12] Attack
(1d6+1)[6] damage, doesn't ignore DR

(1d20+3)[8] Skeleton attack
(1d4+2)[3] damage

[ShadowImmor]

(((1d20+8)[12], Knowledge Arcana Check to see if the spell would have no effect, or just it resisted i.e. is the creature immune?))

Nazrael decides that it's better to use a more damaging spell, and casts Magic Missile at the Skeleton.

(1d4+1)[4] (Damage on Magic Missile)

[Kallimakus]

The spell shatters the brittle skull, and the skeleton collapses to pieces like a puppet with its strings cut. There is a final burst of darkness, and he swears he could see a face flash. A man with blank eyes and small horns growing from his temples.

The corruption dissipates, as though bad air was scattered by wind. "Nice work" Caerys says, sheathing her blade.

Spoiler: OOC

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It was immune, rather than resisting it.

[ShadowImmor]

Nazrael nods, a smile on his face.

"Though that did seem a bit too easy..."

[Kallimakus]

"It took no damage at all from my blade" Caerys says. "Maybe it's just weak to magic?"

"Or were you thinking of undoing the taint here?" she gestures to the area around them. "It should heal with time. I think we should take that dagger to be examined. It might be significant."

You head back to the road to be on your way.

[ShadowImmor]

Nazrael nods.

"Yes that seems plausible... but odd. Given that it was born of magic, unless the magic I used somehow disrupted that which was keeping it together."

He then picks up the dagger to see if there is anything odd about it.

(1d20+8)[25] ((Arcana to notice anything special about the dagger))

[Kallimakus]

The dagger clearly has arcane significance. Racking his brain, he can recall rituals dedicated to an entity something-Baal, a demon of some kind. The dagger's shape was in the inscriptions. Supposedly one can perform services and gain power in return. It isn't inherently magical, however.

You reach the road to Elming again. Out here, the wilderness and life of the forest washes away any lingering feelings from the cursed area. You settle down for the night, eating rations and fresh berries, a campfire burning between you in the warm summer night. "Only a day until we reach Elming, then a few days until the festival night." Caerys says. "I wonder what kind of town it is"

[ShadowImmor]

Nazrael puts the dagger in his backpack.

Nazrael nods.

"Yeah, it'll be good to see some civilisation, and perhaps sleep somewhere safe, rather than out in the wilderness where we keep running into dangers."

He chuckles ruefully.

[Kallimakus]

The pair reach the town soon, passing outlying farmlands. He was always told that the wilderness was dangerous. Since he was a child, he had been warned that that he should avoid the thickets. But in his travels with Caerys, they have not seen great many threats, at least from the wildlife. They had mostly traveled the road, and the state he found Caerys in was probably a testament to the dangers to be found. The town is surrounded by large fields, and a nearby river has been diverted for irrigation. It's more advanced than what his home village had, at least.

There is an excited mood over the town in anticipation of the grand event. Corvus takes flight to take a look around the new place.

[ShadowImmor]

Nazrael has his spirits lifted by the positive atmosphere in the town, a bright smile breaking across his face when they arrive, and interest being taken in the irrigation and ways they use the river, taking notes to bring back with him to his home village.

He goes with Caerys until they find an inn or tavern, where he pays for drink and food for both of them.

"So, that was an eventful journey! This fair should be good fun and a welcome rest!"

[Kallimakus]

"Yes." Caerys says. "A few days remain before the festival though. We can just rest, or I'm sure these people are going to need a hand in preparations."

You check in to the Grinning Bear Inn, greeted by the two dwarven proprietors. "Welcome, welcome" a bearded dwarven man says from behind the counter in the common room by the entrance. "Looking for a room before the festival, are ye?"

[ShadowImmor]

Nazrael nods.

"Yes please, if at all possible. Two rooms, if you have it, or a twin if you don't."

[Kallimakus]

"Pair of rooms it is" the innkeeper says. "Name is Rhian Ironhammer. Ask me if you need anything."

"Is there a bath or something?" Caerys asks. "I feel I could use one after all that time in the wilds."
She is given directions. There is a bathhouse in the town.

[ShadowImmor]

Nazrael smiles.

"A bath sounds like a grand idea! Let me go and drop my belongings off. Tell me Mr Ironhammer, what else is there to do in this town prior to the festival?"

[Kallimakus]

"There's a few sights. There's the old library, for one thing. Marvelous piece of rustic architecture. Collection ain't half-bad either. There's a museum of curios on the Ash Street. And people around town could always use a hand in preparing, if you're offering. If you want to travel a bit, the Stormstruck Tower is about half a day's travel due South-West. Big and impressive ruin." the dwarven innkeeper says.

[ShadowImmor]

Nazrael nods.

"I'll definitely check out the library, perhaps I can earn some coin helping out with the preparation for the festival before trying the curio shop... is there anything you'd like to do Caerys?"

[Kallimakus]

"I'm still Esholi. Learner. The library seems good." Caerys says, before heading out.

She heads out to the bath, taking in the sights, sounds and smells, looking happy to be in a settlement again. It is nice to have proper streets. These ones are cobblestone, a firm surface to walk on. The buildings are wooden frames and white panels, with tiled roofs, very fine. The bathhouse is an old structure, stone. You're welcomed in, and split. It's mostly a divided bath, with a small mixed area.

Pools of warm water fill the room with a light fog. There's a single other man in the baths now, relaxing in one pool, unclothed, his nudity concealed by the rippling water.

[ShadowImmor]

Nazrael gets in the bath himself, and allows the warm water to flow over him, and for him to relax, releasing a deep sigh as his aching muscles are soothed by the heat.

"It's been too long since I've had a bath..." he says to no one in particular.

[Kallimakus]

"Might be a while until you get the opportunity" Corvus remarks. Nazrael takes his time relaxing in the bath, a well-earned break from the travel that had become a constant over the last week. It'll do him good to sleep in a soft bed too, rather than uneven ground.

"You new in town?" the other man asks suddenly. "Don't want to presume youngling, but that remark kind of implies it."

[ShadowImmor]

Nazrael chuckles.

"Is it that obvious? Yeah... my travelling companion and I heard about the festival and thought we would check it out. Anything you can recommend?"

[Kallimakus]

"Well, I've always liked the wife-carrying run, personally." the man says. "Good to watch if nothing else. The festival's the day the town comes alive and we're free from work. You'll find something to do with your companion."

There's going to be games, fun and eating and drinking, from the sound of it.

[ShadowImmor]

Nazrael smiles brightly.

"That sounds like a lot of fun! I'm looking forward to it."

[Kallimakus]

The bathtime comes to an end. Nazrael meets Caerys outside. She looks clean now, hair properly washed, if still a little wet from the bath, not flowing as it usually does. She's changed clothes too from her wilderness ones. A loose shirt and a skirt, instead of her more practical outdoors clothing.
"That was nice" she says. "Warm and relaxing. How do you feel about a bit of a romp through the library? This place looks big. They might know something about Beacon too there."

Spoiler: OOC

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I'm on vacation now, hence the lengthened waiting period.

I have not been keeping much track of money yet this game. Do you think we can approximate cost of living and any small odd jobs you might do, or do we want to go into detail?

Also, what spells have you prepared? And do you leave empty slots for filling later?

[ShadowImmor]

Nazrael nods.

"A look at the library sounds good... yes they might have some guidance on how to get there and what happened... it'd be useful to find out."

Spoiler: OOC

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No problem! Hopefully you've been enjoying it! As for money, it's entirely up to you how much detail we go into. I don't mind extrapolating/approximating for general living costs, unless you want to make a story point out of at. (I.e. we pretty much ignore it unless you suddenly say "You find yourself without enough gold to purchase some food" or something to that effect to use as an adventure hook.) I have no personal preference.

[Kallimakus]

The pair goes to the library. As the dwarven innkeeper had described, it is quite magnificent. Wooden walls, sturdy and exemplifying craftsmanship better than in most houses of Elming. Large windows paned with glass to admit in light. It is not very large, but the pomp of its construction prevents the small size from diminishing its profile. The doors are open on the summer day, helping to air the space.

Tall shelves spread in the interior space, lined with books of various sizes arranged by subject. Great tomes and slim volumes in topics varying from collections of ancient legends like the Unremembered Empire to philosophical discussions on nature of the gods.

There's a librarian, elder man, that ambles towards Nazrael and Caerys. He has a kindly smile on his face. "Welcome to Elming Library friends" he says.

[ShadowImmor]

Nazrael smiles widely, apparently in awe of the size of the library.

"This place is amazing!"

His eyes widen in childlike wonder as he looks around a little.

"Do you have any books about the Beacon?"

He says, barely looking at the librarian and still looking over the size of the library and number of books.

[Kallimakus]

"Beacon, you say? Yes. We have some classics here, like the Chronicles of Saint Sabbat, detailing the founding and early stages, and the Journeys of Mark Blouse, a famed traveler." he explains. "There are many other books and journals that relate t it in some fashion too"

"Do you have something unique to Elming?" Caerys asks. Seeking to broaden her knowledge with something found only here.

The librarian takes Nazrael to the section on histories. Two long, tall shelves. Many of the books are journals and personal accounts, rather than collected and verified history. It was the style in earlier years, when the idea that knowledge might not be easily accessible was unthinkable.

[ShadowImmor]

Nazrael nods.

"Wow this place is amazing!"

He immediately starts looking at books, trying to focus on information about the Beacon

[Kallimakus]

He picks up the recommended books, as well as a few other related to the topic.

Histories of Gods and Men lays out the story of the founding of Beacon. The nomadic People, at the end of their rope and without food or water came upon a great rock inscribed with a mark. They prayed for guidance and help, and their prayer was answered. There, at the Oathstone, could beings travel from the divine realm to the mortal one. They caused water to spring from the earth and for the land to grow fertile, turning the arid desert into lush plains. Each of the divines gave their gift to the mortals. Writing, agriculture, justice, safety... All are said to be given by the deities that blessed the land. Around the Oathstone rose the first city that the People built. Their prosperity grew and they spread across the plains, all the way to the mountains and forests.

Chronicles of Saint Sabbat tell of the exploits of a heroine, a chosen of the divine, among whose acts was the blessing of the eponymous Beacon, the light that guides the faithful. She died against the Usurper long ago.

Journeys of Mark Blouse describes the journey of the eponymous explorer, with Beacon described as a bustling city, the god-given water channeled across the town in streams, fountains and artificial features. Grand temples to honor the gods, prosperous people and strong walls to guard it. This book also has plenty more that could allow one to place Beacon on the map relative to a known location with further study another time.

Spoiler: OOC

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I decided to use People to refer to the conglomerate races of the world.

[ShadowImmor]

Nazrael smiles as he leafs through the books quickly, reading small excerpts to get a rough idea what the whole books are about. He begins to get excited about the prospect of finding things.

"How would one borrow these books, or even purchase them if possible?"

He looks to the Librarian with an easy smile on his face.