[IC] Adventures in Haradrim

[Isocahedron]

Character rules and the setting are outlined in the first post here.

Characters will start at Level 11. I will use milestone levelling.

Everyone starts with 2,000 gp worth of gear, using the Sane Magic Item prices. Post your characters to the OOC thread.

Inactivity rules: If we are waiting on you for 24 hours, I will make a decision for you if in combat, and your character will mutely follow along out of combat. If you are gone for more than a week with no explanation, we will assume you are dead and will not wait for you before doing stuff. (If you know you'll be gone, please let us know.)

OOC thread

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

[Isocahedron]

Reserved for Future

[Isocahedron]

Game is starting now!

All of you are in Norgir, summoned to the palace to speak to one of Shar'ay's deputies on a "discreet matter of high importance, for which you will be compensated well". You're still not sure what they need you to do. Why did they pick you, how did they contact you, and why did you accept the job?

[Hemnon]

Cydril was a known person amongst many a noble and commonfolk. His deeds were praised in bardic songs but he had never himself boasted about any of it, seeing himself not worthy of such attention. He had taken an oath and he was doing what he could to fulfill it.
He'd helped save a nobleman's daughter from a vampire that had been skulking around for maidens of high birth. Alas he had to kill many of the lesser breed before he could finally reach and stop the vampire from turning the noble lady into yet another servant for his dark twisted desires. A friend of his had died in the fight - at the time he'd been travelling with another group of adventures.... a little over a year ago.
Cydril still feels the sorrow of the memories of his fallen friend. A Bard by the name of Hamir who'd come from The Conclave originally. But, through that hardship he had earned good favor with that nobleman whom's daughter Cydril and his fellow adventurers had saved. Apparently word of it had gone far enough up the proverbial beanstalk to reach even the higher nobles and administrators of Norgir.

A message had arrived for him while he was at a nearby river-hugging trade-town just due south from Norgir, barely 3 days travel away. He had no idea how they'd found him, but when you get presented with an invitation to one of Norgir's higherstanding people, you don't exactly deny the invitation unless you enjoy burning bridges - so to speak.

So he stood there, at the Norgir Palace with a group of other people just as 'odd' as himself. One of them seemed familiar to him. The oliveskinned woman with the 'serpentine' feel. He'd met her as she'd literally stumbled upon him in the middle of the desert a few years back.... If he recalled correctly she'd popped out of a suddenly opened portal, fallen straight into the sandy dunes, with some lesser demons following her through said portal before it closed.
What was her name..... hmm, Sas-something.
Cydril was eyeing her thoughtfully as he tried to recall her name.
------------------------

Cydril stands at 5'9'' tall, broad shoulders and a muscularly athletic build, his hair was jet black, and his skin heavily touched by the sun in that deserty-brown tan many nomads also sported, although in a much deeper hue than Cydril's. His eyes were vibrantly green, giving hints and ideas of verdant grassy valleys or the leaves of trees like the ones found on the Isle of Mist.
His body was covered in what looked like very desert friendly Splintmail armor, covered with desert-travel gear like a cream-white cloak and headcovering. The armor looks immaculately clean and almost as if it's alive with it's inlaid patterns various 'nature' flavored images - leaves, trees, muted browns of a fertile dirt and dark greens like leaves in spring, etc. etc.
Over his back hang a shield with an image on the front of a green-faced 'elven' being with antlers - those that knows their paladin lore would recognize it as the iconic image of the Paladin Order that holds to the Oath of the Ancients.
As his side hang a beautiful longsword, a color-changing gemstone facetted into the hilt - the colors of it changing as one looked at it from different angles.
Around his neck, displayed over the front of his armor hang an emblem, a holy symbol dedicated to the Haradrim Lords pantheon as a whole.
He of course also had a backpack hanging over a shoulder.

The fact Cydril had both facial hair (a neatly-kept beard) and his pointed eartips showing past his necklong locks of jet black hair indicated his heritage as a Half-Elf.

[Ramsus]

Saskih Yuan-ti Pureblood Archaeologist & Wizard AC: 12/15 HP: 79/79 PP: 11 PIv: 19 PIs: 11 Conditions: -- Concentration: -- Saskih had been briefly surprised to receive a letter of summons from someone serving under the local ruler of a city she'd never been to before. Their motive was easy enough to guess. To employ her outstanding magical abilities. As for why her? Several reasons she could think of. The first of course, the magical abilities previously mentioned. While she had not endeavored to stand out, she had also not bothered trying to avoid attention. A fool's task that would have been. Coming from foreign lands and already possessing knowledge, experience, and talent most of the incoming students at the Grand Magister Academy would likely never manage to achieve in their lifetimes and then not rushing through to graduate to go off and make a name for herself or vie for some appointment in someone's court. Given how many students she had tutored to fund her studies, it was no surprise her name had reached the ears of those in more distant locales. The second, the fact that she was a foreigner. She had no special ties to anyone so she could be ruled out as a spy or agent of a competitor (at least of anyone in these lands). So if the matter required knowledge of her homeland, an outsider's perspective, or just certainty that whatever promised reward would buy adequate loyalty then she would be a desirable person to employ. Or perhaps they just needed someone who was not pledged to one of the gods of the local pantheon or other deities worshiped in these lands. Though that seemed a bit less likely. Third, she had made no secret of her past of having been an archaeologist so perhaps her skills in that regard may be required. Fourth, perhaps they had just seen the opportunity and seized upon it. She had been delivered the letter the day she was to depart the academy. Perhaps their aims were more broad than specific, merely needing capable people and noting that it would not be long before someone found a paying task that would interest her or that she'd find one herself. On arrival at Norgir Palace she was pleased to see a familiar face. The young man who had helped her fend off those unexpected demons and more importantly guided her out of the desert she was unprepared for. While she had made no secret of it that she felt she owed him her life, she hadn't been able to get through to him that the threat to her was the desert much more than it had ever been the fiends. Such is the way of males. Always convinced their most valuable asset was their strength and that it was superior to others'. Still, she smiled warmly and greeted him, "A pleasure to see you again, Cydrilaeon. It seems once again you've suddenly appeared to lend me your aid in an unfamiliar situation." Teasing slightly that he had been guided here for her benefit and not that it was merely a fortuitous coincidence.

[Izzarra]

Yue Divine Soul Sorceress HP: 57/57, AC: 14

Yue stands only 5 feet tall and has a slender build. She wears a long tan robe and a wide conical hat woven of reeds. Her skin is scaly and has the same white/gray coloring as the moon. Her red hair is worn up in braids and her pupil-less eyes look like silvery pearls.

After escaping the country of her birth it took many years of wandering along the Ocan Silkroute through the Enclave to eventually arrive in this land after passing through the Easgir mountains.

She has been spending her time of late traveling between cities treating the sick and injured inadvertently building a reputation for herself.

It was a complete surprise when officials of the Norgir Palace tracked her down and requested her presence.

Having grown up in a country where people of her heritage are essentially slaves of the government she goes to the palace with some reluctance. On one hand afraid that it is some sort of trap, and on the other curious as to why they need her.

[Hemnon]

Cydril's face went 'ooooo!' as it finally clicked and he recalled her name! his lips curled up into a wide, pleased smile.
"Why yes it has been quite a while Saskih. And please, just call me Cydril.... that whole elven-format naming is not done by MY choice, but I have to at least respect my parentage when in the formal circles." He chuckled at the memory of their first encounter. He had been a bit, well, enamored with her initially and possibly been a bit overprotective, but he'd meant it well and hopefully she knew that he'd simply wanted to make sure she was safe - being a total stranger to Sulkarat and all.
He was a Paladin tho, and it'd been ingrained in him during those years of training that every single female he met, be they highborn, lowborn or even indentured servants, were to be treated like a lady unless they were being actively hostile.... and even then, a little courtesy never hurt anyone even then.

But, by now he'd matured more, even gone beyond what most expects of the average adventuring person - and he still held to his Paladin Oath as is to be expected. He'd gotten to feel a lot more comfortable and it was also much more natural-feeling for him. He was not Cydril - A Paladin. He was Cydril the paladin. It was fully a part of him now and had been for almost two years by now, compared to when he'd first met Saskih and was going overboard with the paladin persona.

"So... How have you been these last, oh, what's it been little over 2 years, yes? Hopefully no more random portals with minor demons spilling out and attacking you I hope?" He said with a mirth-filled, teasing tone and a wide smile that just barely remained just a smile rather than a laughing grin.

[jesterjeff]

Shemei Uendrijj stood back and watched as the others re introduced themselves to each other. Frankly, he was more curious on how he was allowed into a palace in the first place. He'd been comfortably into two bottles of wine last night only to now find himself standing among lords and nobles.

Spoiler:

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[UselessBlob]

Gaelin Leokras dashed into the room, a bit more out of breath than an elf of the City Watch, even former, should be. He had just come back yesterday from a successful sandworm hunt, and unashamedly got blackout drunk in celebration. As elves don't sleep, he didn't actually pass out, but his trance lasted longer than it should have, and when he snapped out of it there was a letter in his pocket that he didn't remember receiving. He wasn't normally one for being discrete, but he also wasn't one to refuse the most trustworthy client to be found for miles.

Gaelin looked at the other people that he presumed had been summoned for the same quest. Three mages of some sort and a paladin, judging by their gear. He didn't remember doing any jobs with them before, but he never bothered remembering things like that, so it didn't mean much.

[Ramsus]

Saskih Yuan-ti Pureblood Archaeologist & Wizard AC: 12/15 HP: 79/79 PP: 11 PIv: 19 PIs: 11 Conditions: -- Concentration: -- "Cydril it is then. Hmmm, I believe it's been closer to three now." she replies with a shrug. "No more than you'd expect from tutoring ambitious and impatient young students at the academy." she replies to the later part and gives a jovial smile meant to imply she's being factitious and the answer is no. But in truth the answer is that it certainly did happen in the manner you'd expect if you took her statement seriously. Thankfully the young wizards-in-training lacked the power or knowledge to summon any fiends that even approached being anything more dangerous than an embarrassing lesson in attention to detail or the dangers of messing with forces you aren't adequately prepared for. "I trust you've been well yourself? You seem to have all your bits intact at least." she asks as she looks him over. It's unclear whether she's merely checking him over for friendly concern, as part of her general studious nature, or if she's appreciating his physique. Pausing this to look at the others assembled she asks, "I don't suppose you're acquainted with any of these others?"

[Hemnon]

Cydril just chuckled a little in response to Saskih's words with regards to training youths with interest (and money) to become arcane magic wielders. "Well I happen to know for a fact that the odd accident does happen... usually nothing worse than what a little healing magic can deal with - There's a reason the Academy happily sponsor the odd cleric or paladin when one happens to visit Sougir. How'd your own examination go, btw? I guess you passed-with-honours, seeing that you seemingly have taught youngsters in the arcane magical arts." he replied back with a raised eye brow.

"I sadly can't say I've been entact all the time.... I um, lost a comrade a few years back in a fight with a vampire. Half a leg missing myself before we finally got that horrid abomination slain. I was healed of course, but the expenses to get that fallen comrade resurrected in time... we weren't able to do so. My leg's back tho, so not like it's a wooden pegleg or anything." He said a little wistfully, recalling those memories that still haunted his dreams, even to this day.

His melancholic moment was cut short (luckily) as Saskih asked if he knew any of the others. "Hm? Oh, no I do not. Would YOU happen to know any of them?" Cydril asked curiously, lightly correcting on his one-shoulder slung backpack with a light grimace since the strap had found it's way in between the shoulderpads and neckguard so the strap dug in against his collarbone - so a little adjusting and it was back out on top of the splintmail shoulderpad.

[Ramsus]

Saskih Yuan-ti Pureblood Archaeologist & Wizard AC: 12/15 HP: 79/79 PP: 11 PIv: 19 PIs: 11 Conditions: -- Concentration: -- Saskih frowns. She hadn't expected her only friend in these lands (or any lands she supposed) to have lost life (even if it wasn't his own) and limb (even if he regained it) while they'd been apart. Not really sure what to say she replies, "Well..... I'm glad you're in good health now at least." Then she changes the subject to the other he brought up, "Yes, graduating was no great hurdle given how advanced my studies were coming in compared to most others. But funding my time there.... thus the tutoring." by the time she finishes she's back to having a self-confident smile on her face. At the later question she just looks them over again. A few of them could have passed her in the halls she supposed but nobody stood at as someone she could say she actually recognized. She shakes her head and says, "No, I don't believe I do. Though that's not surprise really given how new I am to these lands and how little I've explored them yet. So.... who are all of you then since neither I nor the esteemed Paladin know you?" addressing the end to the others around as if they somehow owed her and Cydril an explanation of themselves as a matter-of-course.

[UselessBlob]

Gaelin looked upon the human (as far as he could tell) woman and frowned momentarily. One of those people, he thought. It was never pleasant to work with those types, but they sure were fun to annoy.

"Gaelin Leokras, humble doer of deeds and slayer of things you would not like to find in your closet, my lady." Gaelin did a heavily exaggerated bow towards Saskih. "But enough about simple old me. Who are you, who clearly knows everybody who's anybody in Sulkarat?" he asked.
"A noblewoman? No, such elegance! Clearly we are in the presence of the Sultana herself!" Here Gaelin bowed even deeper, showing off his above-average flexibility, before rising again and presenting Saskih with the smug grin of someone truly convinced that they are hilarious. It was only slightly ruined by his long black hair whipping around to hit him in the face.

[Isocahedron]

It is at that moment that a deputy, clad in simple robes, enters the chamber. "Er, hello." They cast a glance at Gaelin before muttering "Right. Adventurers." After a pause they look up. "I'll get right to it because it's quite urgent. We have a package that needs to be delivered to a Nuvarian-Valar. Name of Nylyar. Currently living about six leagues due south of Sulkarat, in a small commune."

The deputy withdraws the package from their robes. It's hidden in a cloth bag, but whatever it is it's a cube roughly twenty centimetres to a side. "This is to be delivered to Nylyar directly. No one else -- including you -- may open it. Your payment will be two thousand gold pieces each, five hundred in advance."

The deputy waits for a reply.

[Hemnon]

Cydril coughed for attention from everyone as the deputy did his spiel and waited their replies.
"I would recommend one of the spellcasters of the group to carry the package. I am a frontline protector so carrying it around would just invite accidental damage to it should we all end up in a fight with some beast or bandit. Sir Deputy, is there any way to be informed about what the package contains? I am not keen to courier around unmarked packages that I have no idea what the contents are... I am fully willing to take a vow of silence about it's contents... if they rest would trust me to make a judgement on if it's something we'd even want to be involved with." Cydril said with a 'this is highly suspect' expression.

Spoiler: For DM

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Want me to roll some Persuasion for this?
Maybe some insight on how trustworthy this Deputy fella is?

[Isocahedron]

"Ah, its exact nature is highly secret, but I suppose I could say it is a stone with magic properties, held within a locked and warded case. It isn't very fragile, though it is weak to acid by design." The deputy holds out a bag of vials. "Empty the contents of one of these onto it and it will be destroyed within ten seconds. You are to do so if anyone other than Nylyar would otherwise take it."

The deputy pauses.

"This information is, of course, highly classified, and I stress again the discreet nature of this operation. If we find that it is by your tongues that others learn of this, you will be killed slowly and painfully.". They say the last bit in a rather perfunctory way.

[Izzarra]

Yue Divine Soul Sorceress HP: 57/57, AC: 14

Keeping her arms tucked into the sleeves of her robes and her head tilted forward so her hat covers most of her face Yue bows and replies to Saskih's demand for identification:

"Greetings, I am Yue, apothecary by trade."

Yue was half expecting some powerful figure wanting to retain her as a private physician. Being hired as a currier was unanticipated, but if fighting was to be expected it would not hurt to have a healer on hand.

Knowing very little of the politics of this land Yue wonders if there may be some nefarious plot going on. Why trust a group of random people to carry such an item?

"Who is this Nylyar and how will we recognize them."

[Isocahedron]

"Nylyar is known in this commune, and it is unlikely that anyone will mislead you once you find it. I'm told that he is unusually short for a desert elf, but I've not seen him in person. He should also know that there is a package being delivered to him -- we've tried to keep this very hush-hush, so with any luck he'll be the only one who knows of it."

[Ramsus]

Saskih Yuan-ti Pureblood Archaeologist & Wizard AC: 12/15 HP: 79/79 PP: 11 PIv: 19 PIs: 11 Conditions: -- Concentration: -- "You mentioned we're not to look at it. Is the stone warded in some way? I wouldn't want to cast something that interferes with protecting it from discovery." Saskih asks, hoping the man will tell them it's not so she can simply satisfy her curiosity and ensure they're not being duped into delivering something into the hands of someone whose it shouldn't be in. "And that's it? No explanation of why you picked an archelogist, an apoethcary, a paladin, a rude elf, and an apparently mute dwarf for this task?" she asks, no longer able to contain her annoyance at the abrupt and basically dismissive introduction after having come all this way. Perhaps if the payment they'd been promised was more impressive (though she's sure it might be enticing enough to people of lesser talent) she'd have been more willing to go without comment. Then again, perhaps not. She does take on of the vials of acid though.

[Isocahedron]

"The stone is not warded, but the box that contains it is. It cannot be tracked at a distance with magic, cannot be opened destructively without enormous force, and cannot be identified with magic. Should you accept this job, I will entrust you with a power word that opens the box so that you can use the acid to destroy the stone in the event that it is about to be captured."

"As for why we selected you... we've been doing some background checks. None of you are beholden to any other interest, nor should you be under their surveillance. Essentially, you are not what others will be looking for, nor will you go straight to others and tell them about your job."

[Hemnon]

Cydril couldn't stop himself from chuckling at Saskih's annoyed tone of voice. He was sort of in agreement with her. Especially since that Deputy fella had nicely brushed off the.... 'request', to actually see what was in it. They still only had that Deputy's word for what the package contained.

"I still feel at least one of us ought to be shown what it contains. I may be a paladin, but I'm not stupid and I've had years of experience already with how dangerous blind trust can be." Cydril replied, his humour gone from his face.
"I also do NOT appreciate being threatened with violence - You're the one that called US here, not the other way around. So what possible reason would you have for threatening us with being killed painfully and slowly if we disclose of classified Information. If you do not trust us to do the job and not blabber to everyone about it.... why call us here to begin with?" He added in coldly to the Deputy.

He did not feel he was being unfair in the least with regards to actually getting to SEE what they are gonna be transporting. From what he knew of his own experiences, it was usually only those with less than legal and devilish desires in mind that wanted something transported without letting the couriers/smugglers know what exactly it is they'll be transporting.
Had he known the need, He'd have prepared the day with his Zone Of Truth spell and thusly everyone could give a vow, the Deputy could state what was in the box, and he would know if everyone was being truthful about their words... Cydril WAS pondering with regards to asking for a day's preparation so just such a spell could be prepared and used. Call it 'Trust But Verify' if you wished.

[Isocahedron]

"It's not that we don't trust you. It's that we want to impress upon you exactly how serious this is."

The deputy pauses for a moment.

"I do not understand why you want to see the stone. It's a smooth, flattish, grey rock, and if I open the box it will take a few hours to find our wizard and for him to reseal it."

[Ramsus]

Saskih Yuan-ti Pureblood Archaeologist & Wizard AC: 12/15 HP: 79/79 PP: 11 PIv: 19 PIs: 11 Conditions: -- Concentration: -- Saskih notes the deputy has twice now refused to just tell them what they're carrying and that his answer is satisfactory for why this group of people would be chosen. She assumes further pressing won't acquire the desired result so instead a compromise must be reached. "As a compromise, I suggest we deliver the stone as requested but shortly before handing it over we will do what we deem necessary to ensure the stone isn't something we feel should not be in the hands of this Nylyar. Both in the sense of identifying it ourselves and by doing what we can to judge this Nylyar's character and intentions. Does that work to everyone's satisfaction?" she asks. Admittedly she's mainly only looking at the deputy and Cydril, the agreement working for the other three would mainly just be convenient.

[Isocahedron]

Ramsus, please roll Charisma (Persuasion).

[Izzarra]

Yue Divine Soul Sorceress HP: 57/57, AC: 14

Yue steps forward keeping her head lowered so her hat continues to obscure her face.

"Please forgive our bluntness, but we want to be sure that we are not being used as a disposable means of carrying out nefarious plans."

Spoiler: OOC

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Persuasion: (1d20+9)[12]

[Isocahedron]

The deputy thinks for a moment, then nods. They withdraw a wooden box and touch the centre of the lid. "Flufional." The box opens with a click, and they withdraw the stone. It is as they said, flat and grey, although it seems to shed a very dim light.

[Hemnon]

Cydril narrowed his eyes at the little stone.... thingy, trying to sense if there were any particularly 'evil' vibe from it. Or at least if there was any sort of fiendish or necromantic 'feel' to it.

Spoiler: For DM!

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Gonna spend a use of Divine Sense.

I'll know the location of any celestial, fiend, or undead within 60 feet of you that is not behind total cover... so anything in the room more or less, including the other teammates. I dunno if it can sense 'bad vibes' from items like the stone, but I feel like if we are talking the arch-stone of The Primordial's Heart - and it can literally summon the ruler of the Abyss into the Material Plane... I think it oughta be saturated in Fiendish magics.

[Ramsus]

Saskih Yuan-ti Pureblood Archaeologist & Wizard AC: 12/15 HP: 79/79 PP: 11 PIv: 19 PIs: 11 Conditions: -- Concentration: -- Saskih doesn't waste a moment and doesn't say a word as she immediately begins ritually casting Identify on the stone. Spoiler: For Cydril Show There is a celestial creature hiding under Saskih's collar wrapped about her neck.

[Isocahedron]

The deputy steps back and taps a ring on their finger, speaking into it. "I'm going to need Lairiosin to recast the wards on a secure box I had to open, as soon as possible. Sorry for the inconvenience."

[Hemnon]

Cydril just raised a hand in a placating fashion.
"No worries with regards to that. We were the ones that needed to see the object we are to carry around. I for one have no issues accepting this bit of work. I have an obligation to travel around as per my Paladin Oath, so having a destination in mind to travel towards.... well, it makes it easier to figure out what direction to go." He said with a light, wry smile.