Secret of mana IC thread

[kinem]

Ken says "That is good news, as it sounds like the cultists have already been dealt with! However, there is a related matter, which I will relay in private."

[Toliudar]

Coney

Spoiler: OOC

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If you don't mind, I'll just pretend that Coney was here all along, so that we don't need to rewind exposition and greetings.

The gravelly voiced rabite perched on a stool at the table, working to follow the back and forth of the flowing conversation.

To Jahn, about his singing: "I suppose it depends on whether you see the song as promotion or emotion. You certainly had a great deal of both!"

To Ken's offer to accompany them to the temple, Coney hefted an expressive ear. The story of a sellsword who no longer wished to sell his swords...that would be one to savour.

"Perhaps you could favour us with the story on the road to the temple, then?"

She turns to her colleagues.

"I've sent word to Pawel and that other knight that I'll need to meet them at a later date. This is of course more urgent. And I've loaded up on some dried vegetables for the road."

She smiled, and glanced up at the elf and man who seemed destined to join them.

[Ridai]

Finishing breakfast, it appears they are all set to begin their journey to the temple. "No time like the present. Shall we?"

[kinem]

Ken face reddens a bit as he realizes that he somehow didn't notice that a rabite is present, and she asks about his story.

"Ah ... hello. I'm sure we'd rather hear stories from Jahn; mine are much less impressive."

He doesn't ask her name because he already has a guess as to what it is. Once the group is outside though, with no others around, he tells her

"Are you Coney Massing? There's something you should know. From what I heard from one of my old mercenary contacts, and this was a rumor that he heard so take it with a grain of salt perhaps, but there's a price on your head specifically. And a pretty one, perhaps a hundred thousand gold. From whom, I have no idea."

[WindStruck]

"I'm ready to get going. If you two want to come along, I'm alright with that," Larimar says.

Though he gawks with some disbelief at the rumors of a huge bounty on Coney. "That's insane! Absolutely ludicrous! If it's true, sounds like we need to pay whoever is offering this bounty a visit."

[Alhallor]

Spoiler: OOC

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You can still engage in conversation along the way, I just write till a decision point.

With a fresh breakfast and the warm sun shining down it seems like a perfect weather for a little walk. You get through the doors without trouble it seems that you get through the obligatory controls quite quickly, some of the soldiers are giving a salute to Jahn.

You leave the road leading to Valsena almost immediately and you walk past several farmhouses and a vineyard with a vintner working diligently on his plants. You arrive at the edge of a forest at noon with a small settlement of woodcutters. You use some of they're ways (though you have to wait a Moment because they fell one massive tree, the Impact of it's mighty fall not only reverberates on the ground but also seems to shake you to your core.) It seems that the trees that should be cut down are marked and you see lesser and lesser trees the more you get into the forest. The (relatively comfortable) way also get's replaced way to soon by a simple deer pass, where already some plants have grown to it who may tear at your clothing or are just plainly in the way.

With Jahn's directions you have to leave the pass at a certain section (there is a subtle marking in one tree that is hard to see.) And you have to fare against thick underbrush, a giant bramble that almost seems to stick it's thorny branches in your direction and some sinister sounding animals that sound suspiciously like screaching owls. That the light slowly begins to fade doesn't make the atmosphere any nicer.

But the forest isn't without it's beauties. When it get's darker you come across a small colonies of fireflys that seem to dance in an intricate pattern. A loud hedgehog breaks through some bushes and has a pulling contest with an earthworm and a quail mother hushes her young under the roots of a giant tree to settle for the night.

When you still have around half an hour to the water temple the night has set in and you come across a small clearing, with a pretty impressive plant on it's left side. It grows over both Larimar and Coney and it's tip would at least end at Ken's chin. It kinda looks like a thistle, but instead of prickly leaves it has long, thin almost blade-like leaves. It's a Shadebloom and it's blooming part is missing!

Spoiler: Ken, Thaum, Larimar, Jahn, Coney

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You can see multiple trails around the clearing, but can't really make rhyme or reason about them.

Spoiler: Thaum, Larimar, Jahn, Coney

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By taking a second look, most of the trails seem to be going in the direction you are already going (towards the water temple) though there are two that go towards the Shadebloom, but then lose themselves in the woods.

Spoiler: Larimar, Coney

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The shadebloom is actually missing a leaf, and it seems like someone got deeper into the forest (away from the temple) and slashed some trees with it, like a child holding a stick and don't really caring what they're deeds actually do, leaving a clear (if sometimes hard to follow) trail.

[Ridai]

"My guess is that the cult's remaining members put that bounty out. But sadly, recent times have shown there are plenty of awful people out there with more power and money than sense."

-----------------

Today, Thaum gets to see more of the Valsenan countryside, quite literally off the beaten path. Once they get to the thickets, he takes off his loose robe, leaving him with his dark-blue sleeveless shirt (usually specifically for when he knows he will get his hands and arms dirty, and thus also staying close to his form) and dark pants. Getting his robe tangled in the mess would slow them down needlessly and only contribute to the amount of mendings that will no doubt need to be done (not just for him, but most likely for the other party members as well).

Along the way, Thaum imbues Coney with the usual daily spell, offering the same to Jahn and Ken, should they not already have highly enchanted armor or cloaks of resistance.

Finally, reaching the clearing, a bit of evidence already appears. "It does appear someone is harvesting shadeblooms after all. The suspicious man was not at the temple directly, but somewhere in its vicinity, so those tracks might be the ones we are looking for." Thaum points to the two trails leading to the Shadebloom and then deeper into the forest, not towards the temple. "Oh, I almost forgot. Please be careful near shadebloom. Its leaves are razor-sharp," he adds for Jahn's and Ken's benefit.

[Toliudar]

Coney

At breakfast:

Coney reacts to Ken's news of a bounty with...a blush?

"Well, I suppose it's flattering for anyone to care that much about you! And yes, the cult is indeed the most obvious candidate. Nice to know that they have those kind of reserves, or least wish others to think that they do.

"Well, Ken, I appreciate the warning. When this is all over, you can kill me and retire in comfort!"

She winks, and finishes her breakfast.

--

At the Shadebloom plant:

Coney's nose is working furiously - she is deep in thought.

"You're quite right, as usual, Thaum, but this may not be the evil mastermind I was picturing. Look at those marks heading that way. It look like someone was just slashing out as they walked with it. Maybe trying things out in a thoughtful way, but maybe just playing with it, like a child."

[Ridai]

"Hm," Thaum responds, looking towards the markings, making note of how high up they are on the trees. "Someone who helps gather the blooms, perhaps?" And since the comparison to a child's behavior was brought up, Thaum puts one of his feet next to some of the tracks, simply to see if they belong to a grown human (or adjacent races) or something smaller.

[kinem]

"Well, Ken, I appreciate the warning. When this is all over, you can kill me and retire in comfort!"

She winks, and finishes her breakfast.

Ken winks back, but his smile is a bit forced.

--

At the Shadebloom plant:

"I like this plant. An unmoving swordsman. It has style. Unfortunate that someone is twisting these to evil ends.

Now it may not be necessary to prepare for battle, but a few longer term spells might not be amiss. I can make your weapon strike as if magical, one step above the cheapest kind, for hours. I could also boost your knack for a specific aspect of combat, for about an hour and a half. I could do more but most of those last only minutes or less."

He casts a couple of spells, on his sword and himself.

OOC:
Casting Greater Magic Weapon (+2, 9 hr) and Heroics (Feat: Improved initiative, boosting his roll by +4; 90 min). Offering these spells to other PCs if requested.

[Aegis013]

Jahn's beaming smile and jovial chit-chat fill the air the entire journey until they come upon the clearing with the tracks and the Shadebloom. As the dark descends Jahn retrieves a light source from his pack.

"Since this particular bloom has already been harvested and there don't appear to be more in the immediate area, we should be safe from whoever made these tracks returning. Judging by the amount, there may be a great number of them. Perhaps it would be best if we make camp and approach the Temple at first light?"

Seeming to suddenly shift tones, his beaming smile returns, so white it sparkles even by torchlight. "Would anybody care for a song while we make camp?"

[Ridai]

Hearing Ken offering spells, he does recognize them from his mage training. "Ah, I see. I do not need either of them, they would be a little wasted on me, but thank you for the offer nonetheless. If we are talking battle preparations, in addition to the fortifying spell I cast upon Coney earlier, I can offer third tier armor and shield enchantments, going by the Altenan system of quantifying mana potency for defensive purposes, if you are familiar with it. If not, the enchantments should be roughly two steps above the weakest magical enchantment. While I am happy to cast these spells, I would kindly ask to only request them if they would offer a more than minor improvement, as they currently still are a non-trivial draw upon my mana resources." And seeing how he is a healer, having mana available to do healing is rather important.

On the matter of continuing or making camp, Thaum offers "I can still go on, but I defer to the judgment of more experienced hunters and guides."

Spoiler: OOC

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The spells are:
greater resistance, but granting a +4 resistance bonus, lasting for 24 hours
magic vestment, granting a +3 enhancement bonus to a piece of armor or shield, lasting 9 hours

Thaum's buff spells grant a higher bonus than normal due to one of his Healer class abilities.

Requesting the spell means Thaum will cast them on the character daily (in case of magic vestment, he may delay casting it a little so it does not run out too early), so be sure to make a note on your sheets.

[Toliudar]

Casting Greater Magic Weapon (+2, 9 hr) and Heroics (Feat: Improved initiative, boosting his roll by +4; 90 min). Offering these spells to other PCs if requested.

Coney also smiles her thanks, but declines Ken's kind offer.

"I'm also okay to push on a bit further. If whoever took the leaf isn't likely to return, I see no particular value in stopping here."

[kinem]

Ken says ”If there’s a trail we can follow, we should. Though it may not lead to our quarry, at least we might learn more about what goes on in this area.”

[WindStruck]

Larimar adds, "If I was to guess, most people have been passing through here, probably to and from the water temple on some sort of pilgrimage. We may yet find something there, but..."

He points into the forest where the other two trails head. "I am more interested in the tracks that diverge from the masses. It would be good to check up on them, just to be sure. Given the way the foliage has been hacked and slashed so carelessly, it makes me think it could be someone who doesn't have any respect for life. That doesn't settle well with me. Or, perhaps as Coney suggests, it could have merely been a child.. though still quite strange behavior for one, and I'd imagine plucking a shadebloom leaf and using it as a deforestation tool is no easy feat."

The chobin clasps his hands together. "In conclusion, a child or a psychopath have likely gone down that trail. Or possibly someone that falls into both categories. Either way, I think we had better check up on the trail just in case. It's not safe here for a child."

---

Larimar looks up at Ken a bit confused. "A knack for a specific aspect of combat? That's a bit vague, my friend. Can you make me faster, or see in the dark, or, uhm.. well if you can improve upon my bow, that would be great."

[Alhallor]

When Thaum puts his foot near one of the trails he can discern that one of them does seem to belong to a child and the other to a grown human. (Though if they human is more than a guess, they both have worn shoes.)

Spoiler: Ken, Larimar

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You see some insects on the shadebloom that seem to use the plant as cover from predators they don't have any story relevance, but they look quite nice, one of them has an intricate pattern on it's back that remind you of an eye.

[Ridai]

"The tracks certainly seem to belong to a human adult sized being and one the size of a human child," Thaum mentions off to the side. The general consensus seems to be to push on and investigate these two sets of tracks, so that's what Thaum gets ready to do, also casting a light spell of his own to provide more illumination.

[Alhallor]

When you follow the tracks that lead deeper into the forest, the underbrush is still there and try's to rip and tear at you. It almost seems like the trees are grouping together and watch over you. The light sources create dancing shadows that may be mistaken for movement or something sinister seems to grow up before you till it's revealed that it's just a tree that has fallen over.

After half an hour through enervating forest you spot before you a little child that seems to be hiding (very badly) behind a tree and looking at you. It has pale skin, big brown eyes and black hair and wears sturdy clothes and shoes that seem a little too big.

You shouldn't have come here. Says the child, with a clear voice, now definitely revealing his position even if you didn't realize he was here before.

You hear the howling of wolves in the distance and some small drops of rain begin to fall down.

Spoiler: Ken

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He actually has one shadebloom-leaf hidden in one of his small hands.

Spoiler: Map

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Deep in Valsenan forest. You should all be able to edit the map as you see fit. The positions are just suggestions and you can adjust them if you want. As a reminder all squares are natural difficult terrain.

[kinem]

At the Shadebloom

Larimar looks up at Ken a bit confused. "A knack for a specific aspect of combat? That's a bit vague, my friend. Can you make me faster, or see in the dark, or, uhm.. well if you can improve upon my bow, that would be great."

Ken grins. "I think that could be arranged. The spell can't duplicate skills that you already have, and can't give you tricks that you are not ready to learn, so it may take a bit of trial and error to figure out how best to apply it for you. You are quite skilled with the bow already, but perhaps not yet a true master. Let's try this. Take a few practice shots and let me know if it had the desired effect."

He casts a couple of spells: one on Larimar's magic bow, and one on the chobin himself.

OOC: Casting Greater Magic Weapon on the bow (increases the enhancement bonus to +2, 9 hr) and Heroics on Larimar (Feat: Ranged Weapon Mastery (piercing) (PHB2), 90 min; adds +2 to hit and damage with any ranged piercing weapon; stacks with the bonuses from the prereqs per the FAQ; also +20’ range increment.)

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Deep In the Forest

Ken says "Thanks for the warning kid, but we are already here. Where are your parents?"

[Ridai]

Well, this all is a little ominous. Still, may as well see how things go. "We mean you no harm. Have you seen a well-dressed man? Old black coat, red shirt?"

[Aegis013]

Jahn's smile fades as the child reveals itself. His hand drifting to the handle of his sword as his stance changes, the movement is casual, though a perceptive combatant might realize he is carefully listening to the surroundings and anticipating an attack (1d20+12)[21].

He whispers to the group: "There were at least two sets of tracks, I bet any others are nearby."

Jahn waits a moment to see if the child answers Thaum's question. Then asks "Where is your guardian, young one?"

[Toliudar]

Coney

The rabite smiles and nods at the creepy, creepy child.

"Thank you, sir. Could you perhaps tell us why we shouldn't have come?"

Consciously or otherwise, one of Coney's ears twists into the shape of a question mark.

[WindStruck]

Well, everyone else has spoken, much in line with Larimar's thought.

He won't say anything, but gaze at the child with some concern, then around at his surroundings for dangers. Wolves..?

[Alhallor]

The child takes a step out in the open and smiles at Ken. Oh, they're dead.

The child looks shocked at Thaum and then gets visibly angry clutching his fists in rage.

Spoiler: Ken

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he didn't seem to cut himself.

You're not supposed to know how he looks like. I'm the only one who is allowed to know that.

The child snaps at Jahn. I won't tell you, you smelly old...

Just to undergo a total tonal shift when he hears Coney talk, trying to talk all serious like after Coney sayd sir to him.

You're not supposed to be here because you're not allowed to. Nobody is allowed in the vicinity of my guardian. You can go away. The child licks his lips. Or I make you.

Spoiler: Ken, Thaum, Jahn

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No wolves but there is movement in the trees, looks like bat's?

[WindStruck]

So it was child and a psychopath. And probably another psychopath around here somewhere too.

Larimar looks around dumbstruck and confused, but then suddenly it's like he just discovered something important.

"Oh! This isn't the way to the water temple! Silly me, I must have gotten distracted by the shadebloom and gone down the path you so nicely cut through the forest! Welp! C'mon everyone, the water temple has to be back the other way, and it's already night time!"

bluff: (1d20+7)[18]

Larimar tries to usher everyone back the way they came.

He'll whisper to the others out of earshot, "Listen, this kid is real creepy. Let me just sneak back there and bag him. He shouldn't really be hurt by my bow and Thaum could patch him up later. And I could keep trying to track the other guy, the adult."

[kinem]

Once out of earshot of the boy, Ken replies in a whisper to Larimar "It may not be so easy. He is no normal child. I don't just mean his blatant disrespect for his elders, which no elven child would be allowed to develop. He's holding a shadebloom leaf, tight in his fist, and it didn't cut him. I think there are bats in the trees. Maybe he is a vampire? You guys said the poisoner is not undead, but ... perhaps a necromancer."

[WindStruck]

"Oh, he was clutching his fists, wasn't he..? Crap," Larimar whispers.

"Well, if he was some kind of fey, I could probably still subdue him, but if he's some sort of vampire..."

Larimar shakes his head.

"Not sure if we have any viable ways to capture him unharmed. But then again, maybe that's for the best...?"

[Ridai]

So here is Thaum, first having feared there was some new and powerful form of ghoul roaming the countryside.

Then he revised that to some nefarious man refining shadebloom to make a powerful new ghoul fever, based on the information received from Mercy.

Now he is standing here, in the middle of this forest at night, Dryad's finest shrubbery scratching at his calves, with a creepy child, wolves howling, and an added swarm of bats for good measure.

Thaum closes his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. "Oh good. We have been following vampires. I am beginning to feel we will not get to talk this shadebloom matter out, will we?"

The active threats and the lack of subtlety in regards to the trademark children of the night suggests otherwise. Thaum prepares a casting of his healing spells in case they get assaulted by an unusually pale gentleman in the near future.

Spoiler: Actions

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Thaum prepares an action to cast cure serious wounds on the attacker if the group is indeed attacked by a mysterious pale gentleman in a black coat and red shirt, possibly stepping out of sudden mists. May or may not be throwing wine glasses to the floor and ending sentences with ", bleh."

He also specifically avoids looking into the eyes of the child or any strangers.

[Toliudar]

Coney is happy to withdraw to reconsider.

"Did you notice that the boy's clothes were too large for him? Perhaps he has a gift like our friend Rina, who transforms into a fierce beast-form when needed.

"Perhaps we don't need to confront the boy at all. If we can work our way around him, we might be able to learn more at the temple itself, and be ready to deal with him on our return."

[Alhallor]

By Shade, you're so stupid, yes it's that way. He points where you came from and it seems he doesn't follow you. Though can you really be sure if he or his master is one of the fabled children of the night? Well if you go into the temple you could be safe, couldn't they only go into buildings they were invited in? Or was that Harpyies?

Spoiler: Cloths

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I really don't want to discourage paranoia but I want to point out that it is pretty common to give a child clothing that doesn't fit very well because… They tend to grow.

Spoiler: OOC

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Knowledge:Religion for some spicy vampire lore. Yes you can also roll if untrained. These are creatures were some tales exist.