Zephyr: Once inside, he closes the door, placing the spear in a bracket where it falls into place with the door closed, barring it. He lights a couple lanterns and gestures you to a chair before telling you everything he knows about the circumstances of your family.
He and your father worked together, and eventually became friends, Krentor being one of the very few who was ever invited to the Wind home, where he got to know you and your mother. Your father, Storm, didn't share much about what brought their family to Circle Vale, but from what he was able to piece together, they came from the East, though he didn't get the sense that it was one of the larger cities. At first he thought your folks were just looking for somewhere more tolerant of tieflings, but what Storm told him when they left the Vale had him wondering if they were fleeing something. It would seem that Krentor is unaware of your abduction, as he makes no mention of it, only reporting that your father had approached him on evening, and said that they needed to leave the Vale. Krentor promised to honor his friend's wishes, that he tell their boss that Storm was sick and unable to come to work, and to not say anything to anyone about their departure. He did so, and that was the last he saw of your father.
The Sundered Way
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spiderwrangler
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Re: The Sundered Way
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BadgeAddict
- Saves-A-Hyena
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Re: The Sundered Way
Zephyr hangs her head in bewilderment of all of this new information, attempting and failing to ask questions, overcome by so much information. She decides to avoid telling the old dwarf of her capture and focuses on two things, where her parents may have gone and how the heck that spear appeared in his hands. Family came first.
"Surely you have some guess as to where they might have headed, or any inkling about what they were into or perhaps any organizations they may have been involved with?"
"Oh, and, how did you get that spear to appear in your hands like that, that would be a neat trick in battle to be able to call something into your hands."
"Surely you have some guess as to where they might have headed, or any inkling about what they were into or perhaps any organizations they may have been involved with?"
"Oh, and, how did you get that spear to appear in your hands like that, that would be a neat trick in battle to be able to call something into your hands."
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spiderwrangler
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Re: The Sundered Way
Zephyr: "Kinda thought you all might have been running from something in your past, so I sort of assumed that whoever or whatever they were avoiding was coming from the east. I was on the look out for any nosy individuals poking about in the weeks after you left, but while traffic's always high around the Hopefest, I didn't catch wind... err, no pun intended. I didn't catch wind of anyone asking about your folks after they left. Weren't too big on socializing, so didn't really make for much gossip even, just kind of nipped out in the night."
"Oh, that? Just a trick from my adventuring days, back when I had two arms. Still handy though, lets me keep my hand free when I leave the cabin, but still have a weapon ready if I need it.", he nods towards a warpick near the hearth, which then vanishes and appears in his hand. He grins and sets it down next to his chair.
The rest of the party: The couple of days pass until your planned meeting time, and you secure the private room at the Chalice once again. Maji returns from getting snoot bopped by the half orc, though he is starting to feel like the angrier he gets, the less it hurts. Tess informs the others of the pricing she'd negotiated on a wagon, and Randerwaith mentions to Coljin that he'd met and begun training with a member of the Garrison who worships the same goddess as the gnome cleric.
"Oh, that? Just a trick from my adventuring days, back when I had two arms. Still handy though, lets me keep my hand free when I leave the cabin, but still have a weapon ready if I need it.", he nods towards a warpick near the hearth, which then vanishes and appears in his hand. He grins and sets it down next to his chair.
The rest of the party: The couple of days pass until your planned meeting time, and you secure the private room at the Chalice once again. Maji returns from getting snoot bopped by the half orc, though he is starting to feel like the angrier he gets, the less it hurts. Tess informs the others of the pricing she'd negotiated on a wagon, and Randerwaith mentions to Coljin that he'd met and begun training with a member of the Garrison who worships the same goddess as the gnome cleric.
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NotStickFigures
- Prattles on Unremittingly
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Re: The Sundered Way
"Oh, What would be his name, Randy?" he asks with interest. (he is asking what the name of the fellow is who worships Meilikki)
And Coljin would have bought 5 vials of oil from Buckleberry, and also asks if he has Alchemist fire in stock. If so, he will buy one of those.
And Coljin would have bought 5 vials of oil from Buckleberry, and also asks if he has Alchemist fire in stock. If so, he will buy one of those.
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spiderwrangler
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Re: The Sundered Way
Coljin: Randy informs you that the other fellow is To'larel, and facilitates a meeting, if you should desire it.
Buckleburry has one vial, which he will sell to you for 50 gold.
Zephyr: "If you've got knack for it... You've likely got some innate magic, we can see what we can bring out of you."
Buckleburry has one vial, which he will sell to you for 50 gold.
Zephyr: "If you've got knack for it... You've likely got some innate magic, we can see what we can bring out of you."
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Theis2
- Moderates Controversy!
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Re: The Sundered Way
Holger would have spent his time idle at the inn playing music, fondly trying to see if his old lyre plays just as well as it used to or perhaps even better if there are some sort of etheral strands going on that allows him to play on it. He'll also fill the box with as much gold and gems as possible
"So assuming Zephyr is gone for good, it will be 5 gold for each of us for that wagon?"
"So assuming Zephyr is gone for good, it will be 5 gold for each of us for that wagon?"
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NotStickFigures
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Re: The Sundered Way
"Sure, Thanks Randy, that would be nice."
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spiderwrangler
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Re: The Sundered Way
Holger: At some point the day before the meeting, you sit down with your old lyre and fondly trace your fingers across where the strings would be. When you stand up and look outside, you are surprised to note that it is dark out. Looking to the side table, you see a note scrawled in your own hand.
Coljin: Randerwaith takes you to the Eastern Garrison and introduces you to To'larel, a lithe, stoic man in wrapped clothing unusual for the area. "You seek to honor Myl'ki? I will travel with you to shrine. Student will come too.", he says in a gruff singsong, indicating Randerwaith as "student".you wrote:My dear Holger, apologies for interrupting your day, but making more direct contact might be a bit more noticeable than would be desirable. Your chaotic vibrations will now be dampened, so you should escape notice from the other planes... at least with regard to that. While I had your attention, I took the liberty of gifting you a bit of additional knowledge. In time, I have much more to teach you, but that will suffice for today. It functions similar to the firebolt
you are already adept with, but unleashes a blast of force instead of flame. Handy for when you don't want to set things on fire. For now though, you should burn this note and go join Ulmwin and Tess downstairs. They have the common room packed, but could use a bit of your theatrical touch.
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thinkslogically
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Re: The Sundered Way
((Nemeia would be very pleased to know that a powerful fae spirit somewhat approves of her and Ulmwin's performance. If only meta knowledge existed 
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spiderwrangler
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Re: The Sundered Way
((Approval was not directly stated... only that the room was packed. ))
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NotStickFigures
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Re: The Sundered Way
Coljin doesn't hide the fact at all that he is excited that others are willing, and happy, to travel with him to the shrine and check on it's upkeep.
"When are you free to do this, To'larel. We will not dawdle once the trip starts, we do have a deadline to be back in the Vale, but it would be great to have some other followers of Meilikki along for the journey."
When opportunity presents itself in conversation he states/asks the man, "I see you garb yourself differently than many of the other guards, is it clothing from your homeland? Where do you hale from?"
"When are you free to do this, To'larel. We will not dawdle once the trip starts, we do have a deadline to be back in the Vale, but it would be great to have some other followers of Meilikki along for the journey."
When opportunity presents itself in conversation he states/asks the man, "I see you garb yourself differently than many of the other guards, is it clothing from your homeland? Where do you hale from?"
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thinkslogically
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Re: The Sundered Way
Doesn't matter! That's good enough for mespiderwrangler wrote:((Approval was not directly stated... only that the room was packed.
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spiderwrangler
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Re: The Sundered Way
((Beer was a copper that night. 
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spiderwrangler
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Re: The Sundered Way
Zephyr: You express your interest to Krentor in learning how to supplement your fighting with the ability to make weapons appear in your hands at will. He's hesitant at first, still somewhat seeing you as the little girl he once knew. It's not long before your fiery determination makes itself evident, however, and he takes on training you as best he is able, viewing it as the least he can do to help out the daughter of a good friend. Once he agrees to take on the mantle of trainer, he proves to be quite capable, even missing an arm, and not being as young as he once was. He is demanding, challenging you again and again to be stronger, faster, and last longer. In addition to the physical conditioning he puts you through (which seems to largely involved digging rocks out of his clearing, or going hunting), the two of you spar every day for at least a few hours. Though one-armed, his remaining limb is the stronger for it, and when you aren't fast enough to avoid his blows, they ring you pretty darn hard.
In addition to the physical aspects of the training, each night you spend time training in magic, and he is impressed and proud at how quickly you are able to master the ritual and ability to bond with your weapons. The first time you manage to do it, you nearly drop your longsword in surprise. Krentor had tasked you with spending time studying every aspect of your sword, every nick, every scratch, every sweat stain on the leather wrapped handle... step by step the ritual walking you through how the weapon feels when it is swung, when it strikes something... the way it sounds, the way it smells... everything. With all of that firmly fixed in your mind, you placed your sword on the ground in front of you, and closing your eyes, thought about every nick, scratch and stain, picturing your sword in your hand.. and with a comforting weight, it was. It takes a few more times practicing before you manage to be able to do it every time.
A few days into your training, Coljin, Randy, and a dark fellow you don't recognize stop by, apparently on their way to clean up a shrine or something. They fill you in a bit on the decisions the group has made since you wandered off a few days ago. Some sort of plans to buy a wagon and travel around so Tess can dance and the musicians can play for her. They promise there will be plenty of trouble on the side though, so at least there is that.
With the ability to call your sword to your hand ingrained, your combat training picks up, each of you bonding to a blunted handaxe and having ranged matches where you dart between trees, alternately throwing and recalling your hand axes as you try to strike the other. You also learn how to access other spells you learn innately... a warrior doesn't have time to start their day flipping though pages and memorizing minutiae... better to learn every wrinkle of a spell as well as you know your blade, and know how to turn it to your needs.
You first learn shield, which comes in handy when you're not quite able to dodge a thrown hand axe, from there learning a few damaging spells, including a few that you grow to know so well and so innately that they take next to no effort to cast, adding a useful way of hunting to your trips when you can both peg a stag at a hundred feet with a bolt of fire.
It's been about a month when Krentor comes to find you out back where you've been working on digging a spillway for the tiny mountains stream that wends its way through his clearing. "Lass, you back here? Your friends are back, I guess they did what they needed to at the gnome's lady's shrine and are headed back to the Vale. If you'd like to join them, I think I'm able to finish up here. Not sure how much more I can teach you, but hope you're well set to carry on Storm's name. Oh, I got something for you... not sure it's useful, but I kept it cause... well, I kept it. Doesn't really apply to you, but it's in your da's hand and thought it might be something you'd want. Don't know as you'll get a chance to see his handwriting, unless you find them again... well. Here you go."
He hands you a pewter mug, it's a bit battered and nondescript. You look at it in puzzlement.
"Turn it over."
As you do so, you see "I'm a fat drunk." etched into the bottom in a strong, flowing script.
"That's the mug he and your ma always gave me to drink out of when I stopped by. Quite a prankster, your da, but he was so quiet and kept to himself, no one ever really suspected him. We were good friends by the time I was ever invited round, and it took a few nights of wondering what Breeze was tittering at before I ever noticed. Your da, he kept a straight face though it all, but when I finally turned it over and saw what had your ma gigglin', he finally gave in to laughing too. Of course, clean mountain living has dropped a few pounds from me since then!"
Zephyr is now Fighter 3: Eldritch Knight
((If you have not already, roll for HP and take average if you roll below it.))
Maji: You return to town to meet up with the others, but the general consensus seems to be that folks aren't in a huge rush to go off adventuring again, having just spent a month dealing with blights and bandits. You take advantage of the downtime to return to Grelka's farmstead, and resume training with her in between hunting trips. At her hands (literally), you take daily beatings, Grelka eventually instructing you to take the most durable form you can to extend the amount of punishment you can take before dropping unconscious. A supply of goodberries is kept on hand for her to revive you if she misjudges and goes too far, and you are allowed to rest long enough to have the energy to resume an animal form.
It's a struggle, and after the first day, you're unsure whether the abuse is worth it, you're being asked to stand there like a punching bag while she jabs, smacks and clobbers you. She seems frustrated as well, as much as she seems to enjoy violence, you get the sense that pummeling someone who isn't fighting back isn't all that fun for her, but she assures you that if it is going to work, this is the best chance she can see. While you're being whupped on, she is constantly berating you to ignore the pain and discomfort, but to instead focus on the anger and the rage and the rapid pulse of your blood. Use that anger, use that rage to drown out all sound but that of the blood thrumming through your body, to block out all sensation but that of your clenching muscles. Use that anger to dampen down on it all... and sometimes you're able to, sometimes it seems it is all working... and other times you're knocked senseless.
It is after one of these times that you are revived by a goodberry and you crawl to your chalkboard, in too much pain to force yourself to talk. You scrawl a question, asking her whether you two should just stop, as it doesn't seem to be helping.
She raises her eyebrows at you, "Not working? Just how lightly do you think I'm punching you? She strides over to where the carcass of one of the deer you caught the day before. A meaty fist slams into the deer, ribs snapping as the chest is caved in.
"I'm punching you harder than that, and when you're focused on the anger, you can take the punch better than that deer ever could, dead or alive. You're making progress. Learning to shrug off a hit is the first part."
Training resumes, with a newfound determination on both your parts, quickly moving away from you just getting the fork beat out of you, to sparring matches like the first pair you had, though a bit more restrained and educational that just pure no-holds barred. You're no match for hitting as hard as she does, nor being able to grab hold and wrestle, but when you have your beast shape available, being able to go through three creatures worth of damage to her one levels the field a bit, and you find yourself holding our own a bit better.
During one of the matches, you in bear form manage to claw her off your back and toss her to the ground. As you lumber up to pummel her, she jams a foot up between you nethers (something you don't have to worry about in dragonborn form), catching you right in the grapes, dropping you out of bear form. Where you otherwise might feel pain and nausea, you're over taken by a burning anger as you pounce on her in dragonborn form, slavering and vomiting acid as you chomp onto her arm and begin thrashing. She jabs you in the eyes to get your attention. "Good. That's the anger. Use it, but don't let it consume you."
With more practice, after about a month of training, you reach a point where you are able to call upon your rage at will, finding yourself able to hit harder and take more hits before going down. Grelka seems pleased with your progress, especially since she wasn't sure any of this was going to work. In fact, she seems unusually giddy... you ask her about it, and she tells you not to worry about it.
The next morning, she alters your usual routine, announcing you're going on a hunting excursion rather than training. After walking a few hours through the woods, she leads you to the edge of a ravine, grinning and barely able to contain whatever excitement is bubbling under the surface.
"Sooo.... I gotcha something! You gotta close your eyes first though!", her voice gets a bit farther away.
"Oh, and it might help if you just get angry now!", her voice says coming closer... you open your eyes, to see her barreling towards you, rage sparking within you a moment before she kicks you in the gut, sending you out over the edge of the ravine, bouncing and clattering your battered way to the bottom, only serving to flame the fires of anger.
"I don't think you have one of those yet, right?", her cheerful voice echoes down from above. "Better kill them before they kill you!"
Puzzled, you turn around to see a handful of giant badgers emerging from tunnels who seem none to happy to find you tumbling into their home. With a roar, you shift into bear form and charge with a throaty roar, claws and teeth sinking into badger, and badger claws and teeth sinking into you. Your rage blocks out the pain and you live for the attack, the only thing penetrating your awareness is Grelka's cheering from the edge of the ravine. Your bear form drops once... twice, but you are undeterred in your rage. When it is all over, you stand, panting, blood coating your scales, dead giant badgers lying still on the ground around you.
With a hoot, Grelka bounds down the rocky ravine, tackling you with glee. "I knew you could do it, I knew it! When I first met you, those badgers would have been dining on dragonborn tonight!", she claps you on the back as you wince.
"What do you say, rest up and head into town tomorrow? You've mastered the rage, it's time to celebrate!"
Maji is now a Druid 2/Barbarian 1
((If you have not already, roll for HP and take average if you roll below it.))
In addition to the physical aspects of the training, each night you spend time training in magic, and he is impressed and proud at how quickly you are able to master the ritual and ability to bond with your weapons. The first time you manage to do it, you nearly drop your longsword in surprise. Krentor had tasked you with spending time studying every aspect of your sword, every nick, every scratch, every sweat stain on the leather wrapped handle... step by step the ritual walking you through how the weapon feels when it is swung, when it strikes something... the way it sounds, the way it smells... everything. With all of that firmly fixed in your mind, you placed your sword on the ground in front of you, and closing your eyes, thought about every nick, scratch and stain, picturing your sword in your hand.. and with a comforting weight, it was. It takes a few more times practicing before you manage to be able to do it every time.
A few days into your training, Coljin, Randy, and a dark fellow you don't recognize stop by, apparently on their way to clean up a shrine or something. They fill you in a bit on the decisions the group has made since you wandered off a few days ago. Some sort of plans to buy a wagon and travel around so Tess can dance and the musicians can play for her. They promise there will be plenty of trouble on the side though, so at least there is that.
With the ability to call your sword to your hand ingrained, your combat training picks up, each of you bonding to a blunted handaxe and having ranged matches where you dart between trees, alternately throwing and recalling your hand axes as you try to strike the other. You also learn how to access other spells you learn innately... a warrior doesn't have time to start their day flipping though pages and memorizing minutiae... better to learn every wrinkle of a spell as well as you know your blade, and know how to turn it to your needs.
You first learn shield, which comes in handy when you're not quite able to dodge a thrown hand axe, from there learning a few damaging spells, including a few that you grow to know so well and so innately that they take next to no effort to cast, adding a useful way of hunting to your trips when you can both peg a stag at a hundred feet with a bolt of fire.
It's been about a month when Krentor comes to find you out back where you've been working on digging a spillway for the tiny mountains stream that wends its way through his clearing. "Lass, you back here? Your friends are back, I guess they did what they needed to at the gnome's lady's shrine and are headed back to the Vale. If you'd like to join them, I think I'm able to finish up here. Not sure how much more I can teach you, but hope you're well set to carry on Storm's name. Oh, I got something for you... not sure it's useful, but I kept it cause... well, I kept it. Doesn't really apply to you, but it's in your da's hand and thought it might be something you'd want. Don't know as you'll get a chance to see his handwriting, unless you find them again... well. Here you go."
He hands you a pewter mug, it's a bit battered and nondescript. You look at it in puzzlement.
"Turn it over."
As you do so, you see "I'm a fat drunk." etched into the bottom in a strong, flowing script.
"That's the mug he and your ma always gave me to drink out of when I stopped by. Quite a prankster, your da, but he was so quiet and kept to himself, no one ever really suspected him. We were good friends by the time I was ever invited round, and it took a few nights of wondering what Breeze was tittering at before I ever noticed. Your da, he kept a straight face though it all, but when I finally turned it over and saw what had your ma gigglin', he finally gave in to laughing too. Of course, clean mountain living has dropped a few pounds from me since then!"
Zephyr is now Fighter 3: Eldritch Knight
((If you have not already, roll for HP and take average if you roll below it.))
Maji: You return to town to meet up with the others, but the general consensus seems to be that folks aren't in a huge rush to go off adventuring again, having just spent a month dealing with blights and bandits. You take advantage of the downtime to return to Grelka's farmstead, and resume training with her in between hunting trips. At her hands (literally), you take daily beatings, Grelka eventually instructing you to take the most durable form you can to extend the amount of punishment you can take before dropping unconscious. A supply of goodberries is kept on hand for her to revive you if she misjudges and goes too far, and you are allowed to rest long enough to have the energy to resume an animal form.
It's a struggle, and after the first day, you're unsure whether the abuse is worth it, you're being asked to stand there like a punching bag while she jabs, smacks and clobbers you. She seems frustrated as well, as much as she seems to enjoy violence, you get the sense that pummeling someone who isn't fighting back isn't all that fun for her, but she assures you that if it is going to work, this is the best chance she can see. While you're being whupped on, she is constantly berating you to ignore the pain and discomfort, but to instead focus on the anger and the rage and the rapid pulse of your blood. Use that anger, use that rage to drown out all sound but that of the blood thrumming through your body, to block out all sensation but that of your clenching muscles. Use that anger to dampen down on it all... and sometimes you're able to, sometimes it seems it is all working... and other times you're knocked senseless.
It is after one of these times that you are revived by a goodberry and you crawl to your chalkboard, in too much pain to force yourself to talk. You scrawl a question, asking her whether you two should just stop, as it doesn't seem to be helping.
She raises her eyebrows at you, "Not working? Just how lightly do you think I'm punching you? She strides over to where the carcass of one of the deer you caught the day before. A meaty fist slams into the deer, ribs snapping as the chest is caved in.
"I'm punching you harder than that, and when you're focused on the anger, you can take the punch better than that deer ever could, dead or alive. You're making progress. Learning to shrug off a hit is the first part."
Training resumes, with a newfound determination on both your parts, quickly moving away from you just getting the fork beat out of you, to sparring matches like the first pair you had, though a bit more restrained and educational that just pure no-holds barred. You're no match for hitting as hard as she does, nor being able to grab hold and wrestle, but when you have your beast shape available, being able to go through three creatures worth of damage to her one levels the field a bit, and you find yourself holding our own a bit better.
During one of the matches, you in bear form manage to claw her off your back and toss her to the ground. As you lumber up to pummel her, she jams a foot up between you nethers (something you don't have to worry about in dragonborn form), catching you right in the grapes, dropping you out of bear form. Where you otherwise might feel pain and nausea, you're over taken by a burning anger as you pounce on her in dragonborn form, slavering and vomiting acid as you chomp onto her arm and begin thrashing. She jabs you in the eyes to get your attention. "Good. That's the anger. Use it, but don't let it consume you."
With more practice, after about a month of training, you reach a point where you are able to call upon your rage at will, finding yourself able to hit harder and take more hits before going down. Grelka seems pleased with your progress, especially since she wasn't sure any of this was going to work. In fact, she seems unusually giddy... you ask her about it, and she tells you not to worry about it.
The next morning, she alters your usual routine, announcing you're going on a hunting excursion rather than training. After walking a few hours through the woods, she leads you to the edge of a ravine, grinning and barely able to contain whatever excitement is bubbling under the surface.
"Sooo.... I gotcha something! You gotta close your eyes first though!", her voice gets a bit farther away.
"Oh, and it might help if you just get angry now!", her voice says coming closer... you open your eyes, to see her barreling towards you, rage sparking within you a moment before she kicks you in the gut, sending you out over the edge of the ravine, bouncing and clattering your battered way to the bottom, only serving to flame the fires of anger.
"I don't think you have one of those yet, right?", her cheerful voice echoes down from above. "Better kill them before they kill you!"
Puzzled, you turn around to see a handful of giant badgers emerging from tunnels who seem none to happy to find you tumbling into their home. With a roar, you shift into bear form and charge with a throaty roar, claws and teeth sinking into badger, and badger claws and teeth sinking into you. Your rage blocks out the pain and you live for the attack, the only thing penetrating your awareness is Grelka's cheering from the edge of the ravine. Your bear form drops once... twice, but you are undeterred in your rage. When it is all over, you stand, panting, blood coating your scales, dead giant badgers lying still on the ground around you.
With a hoot, Grelka bounds down the rocky ravine, tackling you with glee. "I knew you could do it, I knew it! When I first met you, those badgers would have been dining on dragonborn tonight!", she claps you on the back as you wince.
"What do you say, rest up and head into town tomorrow? You've mastered the rage, it's time to celebrate!"
Maji is now a Druid 2/Barbarian 1
((If you have not already, roll for HP and take average if you roll below it.))
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BadgeAddict
- Saves-A-Hyena
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Re: The Sundered Way
Satisfied with her training, Zephyr hugs the dwarf firmly before leaving with the group.
(She chooses to have had the javelin and sword bonded)....I don't think I even have a handaxe anymore...I think I lost them both, no still have the one..but still, javelin and sword.
(She chooses to have had the javelin and sword bonded)....I don't think I even have a handaxe anymore...I think I lost them both, no still have the one..but still, javelin and sword.
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spiderwrangler
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Re: The Sundered Way
Coljin and Randy: To'larel responds to Coljin's question about his homeland, "I came from the East. Teysala. Few worship Myl'ki there."
The two of you, along with To'larel, make the journey a day and a half north to Meilikki's shrine. Along the way, you stop by the cabin of the one armed dwarf that Zephyr ran off to visit. She seems in good health, and from what you gather, he is an old family friend she is reconnecting with, and he looks to be getting her to help with all kinds of odd jobs around the place that might be a bit challenging with one arm. Leaving her to her reunion, you continue on a few more hours to a secluded glen tucked between a few mountainsides. ((It is a bit larger than a hockey rink, just for size comparison.))
It seems to have gone untended for some time, with weedy underbrush and brambles covering a fair bit of the area. At the far end, you can make out a small rivulet of a waterfall that is split by the stone ledge sheltering the likeness of a unicorn that was long ago carved into the face of the stone beneath. The narrow stream runs along the western edge of the glen, and is crowded round by assorted trees.
As Coljin goes to check on the shrine itself, Randy and To'larel begin work on clearing a campsite for the evening. The moon lit night is particularly beautiful as the glow is reflected in the spray of water and the enclosed end of the glen, and you wake the next morning to find a small pile of nuts and berries waiting for you. The next few weeks pass in relative tranquility, the source of the gifts revealed to be a few local assorted birds and rodents, that seem drawn to Coljin. The cleric to Meilikki works over the next few weeks to return the bedraggled shrine to a state more befitting his goddess, resting to pray, meditate, and converse in what limited ways he is able with the local wildlife. As weeks of grueling labor and reflection on his divine goddess pass by, Coljin finds a sense of calm and peace, an inner reserve of strength that could only be granted by his deepened connection to Meilikki.
Coljin is now a Cleric 3
To'larel, while a worshiper of the same goddess, is a lay person, and has no training in any of the rites, but does join Coljin in daily prayer and brief meditation. If the cleric asks anything of him, he will assist as needed, helping to remove vegetation, move rocks, and anything else. Otherwise he tries to quietly keep out of the way so as not to interfere with the communing of Coljin with their goddess.
Randy also willingly pitches in with daily tasks to help his friend and instructor, aiding in helping get the glen back in proper shape. The rest of the time, he trains tirelessly with To'larel. The Teysalian is an exacting perfectionist, showing Randerwaith precise forms with his scimitars, and modifying them to better suit the shortswords the ranger uses. He runs Randerwaith through the forms again and again and again, correcting and adjusting each time. While a demanding instructor, Randerwaith would likely expect no less, and would himself be as precise were he instructing a novice. With each passing day, the corrections and adjustments become fewer, and the terse nods become more frequent.
From there training accelerates, with To'larel using two sections of recently removed sapling as targets. "Your blade is to touch only the end. That is your target. Hitting bark is a failure."
He directs you to the starting position of the first form. Standing in front of you, he extends the two poles, each presenting a target no more than two fingers in diameter. With a nod from him, you begin, moving through the blade forms, striking to each side as he shifts the position of the poles, and thus your targets. Each time your blade misses the end of the pole, or strikes along its length, he calls a halt, and has you return to the starting position. You go again... and again... and again. Over the course of days, your awareness of the position of targets improves, and your strikes become more precise. To'larel picks up the pace, weaving the poles back and forth as your blades thunk into the ends, small chips of wood flying. With each strike he shifts position, eventually the two of your fluidly weaving back and forth, blades chipping away at the ends of his poles and he flows and moves in front of you. Having mastered the first form to his satisfaction, you move on to the next, picking it up more quickly, being able to strike almost instantaneously at two targets with unerring precision.
Over the weeks, the weedy saplings removed from the glen for targets are reduced to chips that form a path that winds its way into the glen from the path outside, and Randerwaith has gained an impressive level of blade speed and precision.
Randerwaith is now a Ranger 3: Hunter: Horde Breaker
The three of you eventually depart the glen, stopping by the dwarf's cabin to see if Zephyr is still around.
((Zeph: Yeah, I kind of figured you were going sword and javelin. Since bonding can be swapped with time, the handaxes were just for training purposes.))
The two of you, along with To'larel, make the journey a day and a half north to Meilikki's shrine. Along the way, you stop by the cabin of the one armed dwarf that Zephyr ran off to visit. She seems in good health, and from what you gather, he is an old family friend she is reconnecting with, and he looks to be getting her to help with all kinds of odd jobs around the place that might be a bit challenging with one arm. Leaving her to her reunion, you continue on a few more hours to a secluded glen tucked between a few mountainsides. ((It is a bit larger than a hockey rink, just for size comparison.))
It seems to have gone untended for some time, with weedy underbrush and brambles covering a fair bit of the area. At the far end, you can make out a small rivulet of a waterfall that is split by the stone ledge sheltering the likeness of a unicorn that was long ago carved into the face of the stone beneath. The narrow stream runs along the western edge of the glen, and is crowded round by assorted trees.
As Coljin goes to check on the shrine itself, Randy and To'larel begin work on clearing a campsite for the evening. The moon lit night is particularly beautiful as the glow is reflected in the spray of water and the enclosed end of the glen, and you wake the next morning to find a small pile of nuts and berries waiting for you. The next few weeks pass in relative tranquility, the source of the gifts revealed to be a few local assorted birds and rodents, that seem drawn to Coljin. The cleric to Meilikki works over the next few weeks to return the bedraggled shrine to a state more befitting his goddess, resting to pray, meditate, and converse in what limited ways he is able with the local wildlife. As weeks of grueling labor and reflection on his divine goddess pass by, Coljin finds a sense of calm and peace, an inner reserve of strength that could only be granted by his deepened connection to Meilikki.
Coljin is now a Cleric 3
To'larel, while a worshiper of the same goddess, is a lay person, and has no training in any of the rites, but does join Coljin in daily prayer and brief meditation. If the cleric asks anything of him, he will assist as needed, helping to remove vegetation, move rocks, and anything else. Otherwise he tries to quietly keep out of the way so as not to interfere with the communing of Coljin with their goddess.
Randy also willingly pitches in with daily tasks to help his friend and instructor, aiding in helping get the glen back in proper shape. The rest of the time, he trains tirelessly with To'larel. The Teysalian is an exacting perfectionist, showing Randerwaith precise forms with his scimitars, and modifying them to better suit the shortswords the ranger uses. He runs Randerwaith through the forms again and again and again, correcting and adjusting each time. While a demanding instructor, Randerwaith would likely expect no less, and would himself be as precise were he instructing a novice. With each passing day, the corrections and adjustments become fewer, and the terse nods become more frequent.
From there training accelerates, with To'larel using two sections of recently removed sapling as targets. "Your blade is to touch only the end. That is your target. Hitting bark is a failure."
He directs you to the starting position of the first form. Standing in front of you, he extends the two poles, each presenting a target no more than two fingers in diameter. With a nod from him, you begin, moving through the blade forms, striking to each side as he shifts the position of the poles, and thus your targets. Each time your blade misses the end of the pole, or strikes along its length, he calls a halt, and has you return to the starting position. You go again... and again... and again. Over the course of days, your awareness of the position of targets improves, and your strikes become more precise. To'larel picks up the pace, weaving the poles back and forth as your blades thunk into the ends, small chips of wood flying. With each strike he shifts position, eventually the two of your fluidly weaving back and forth, blades chipping away at the ends of his poles and he flows and moves in front of you. Having mastered the first form to his satisfaction, you move on to the next, picking it up more quickly, being able to strike almost instantaneously at two targets with unerring precision.
Over the weeks, the weedy saplings removed from the glen for targets are reduced to chips that form a path that winds its way into the glen from the path outside, and Randerwaith has gained an impressive level of blade speed and precision.
Randerwaith is now a Ranger 3: Hunter: Horde Breaker
The three of you eventually depart the glen, stopping by the dwarf's cabin to see if Zephyr is still around.
((Zeph: Yeah, I kind of figured you were going sword and javelin. Since bonding can be swapped with time, the handaxes were just for training purposes.))
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Arch Lich Burns
- Will NOT Shut Up!
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Re: The Sundered Way
Maji nods to Grelka.Tonight we feast! He wipes the blood off of his face before pulling out his scimitar and starts dressing one of the giant badgers. After he is done he slings it across his shoulders to carry it to her house.
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NotStickFigures
- Prattles on Unremittingly
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Re: The Sundered Way
Reminding him a bit of home, being in the secluded glen and forest, makes Coljin very at peace.
Though clearing the area of unwanted overgrown vegetation was hard manual labor, he was very content to do the work.
And on down time, watching Randerwaith learn from To'larel was very interesting.
Before leaving the shrine, he will create a wreath. He searches for vines and vegetation that he can easily braid and dry. Using the wiring he bought from Buckleberry, he will take all the time needed to fashion the wreath.
Once it dries, he will find an appropriate place to place it. Securing it somewhere near the image of the unicorn.
He knows it is not a long-term addition to shrine and it will in time and weather, slowly disintegrate, but he is intent on making his small addition to the shrine.
Once he finds that the animals are leaving berries for them to eat for breakfast, he puts out the wooden bowl he also bought for this journey.
Using his ability to talk to woodland creatures he explains that he is leaving the bowl here when he leaves, and he tries to convey that the bowl will be left behind for future travelers to the shrine to use. He tries to explain that the bowl eventually will be removed by someone or something but until that time, if it could be filled with nuts for visitors to the shrine, that would please him.
The day before leaving he will spend time foraging for food for the animals who had been feeding them. And then after finding however many of the birds and animals as he can, he will wish them all goodbye, and hope to see them again soon, and leave them a bounty of nuts and food that they will not have to forage for, today.
He is then ready to go find Zephyr and head back to the Vale to find some more adventure!
(I rolled back a whlie for HP, and rolled pooly, can you please add my half+con to my sheet.)
Though clearing the area of unwanted overgrown vegetation was hard manual labor, he was very content to do the work.
And on down time, watching Randerwaith learn from To'larel was very interesting.
Before leaving the shrine, he will create a wreath. He searches for vines and vegetation that he can easily braid and dry. Using the wiring he bought from Buckleberry, he will take all the time needed to fashion the wreath.
Once it dries, he will find an appropriate place to place it. Securing it somewhere near the image of the unicorn.
He knows it is not a long-term addition to shrine and it will in time and weather, slowly disintegrate, but he is intent on making his small addition to the shrine.
Once he finds that the animals are leaving berries for them to eat for breakfast, he puts out the wooden bowl he also bought for this journey.
Using his ability to talk to woodland creatures he explains that he is leaving the bowl here when he leaves, and he tries to convey that the bowl will be left behind for future travelers to the shrine to use. He tries to explain that the bowl eventually will be removed by someone or something but until that time, if it could be filled with nuts for visitors to the shrine, that would please him.
The day before leaving he will spend time foraging for food for the animals who had been feeding them. And then after finding however many of the birds and animals as he can, he will wish them all goodbye, and hope to see them again soon, and leave them a bounty of nuts and food that they will not have to forage for, today.
He is then ready to go find Zephyr and head back to the Vale to find some more adventure!
(I rolled back a whlie for HP, and rolled pooly, can you please add my half+con to my sheet.)
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spiderwrangler
- Game Master
- Posts: 21091
Re: The Sundered Way
Ulmwin: Merril promises that the College of Lore isn't all about reading books in dusty libraries... right before he assigns you a stack of books of required reading. He explains that these are subjects it would be expected that a member of the College be knowledgeable in. Eventually he does provide you with some more hands on training, staging rooms with puzzles and clues, timing how long it takes you to crack the puzzle. The two of you play a game where you take turns telling a series of truths and a lie, he is very good at it, and at first you were doing little more than guessing. Eventually, you pick up on small changes in inflection, a blink of the eye, shifting of hands, that betrays one of the statements as the lie, and get better and better at discerning which was the odd one out. Of course it is only later that Merril tells you with a grin that they were all lies, but that you did good in picking out which was the one he planted intending you to call it out.
During evenings in the Chalice, both during and in between sets, you spend time observing people, watching their behavior, the way they speak, where they look, and begin to notice and gain a knack for gauging someones intent and demeanor just from observations. You also practice under his tutelage, the skill of convincing someone to go out of their way to do things for you, from servers, to merchants, to people you just meet on the street. He cautions you not to push it too far, everyone has their limits, and someone who feels they are being taken advantage of may balk, no matter how honey tongued you are.
You play nightly sets at the Chalice, enough to keep the room and board provided for you, occasionally joined by Tess and Holger, with Merril sitting in on occasion as well, your tutor using even this time to challenge you, expecting you to observe and notice the ebb and flow of conversation even in the midst of performance. Are the baker and the blacksmith on good terms? Why didn't the Andersons dance tonight? How drunk was old man Wek when he left with those caravan guards?
Over the weeks, the pile of books for you to study dwindles, and Merril gets access to some of the more 'restricted' areas of the library to further your study of the arcane. He gives you a book or two on theory, but the two of you spend a fair bit of time... throughout your training, but particularly on this topic... engaged in long conversations and discussions. You put some of it into practice, with Merril beginning the casting of spells and you trying to discern what sort of spell is being cast. The Abbey has a few magical items on hand that are provided for you to study, and you gain skill in being able to discern the arcane nature of them.
At the end of your month long intensive course, you are a bit mentally exhausted, but feel like you've learned a lot... but at the same time, now truly understand just how much there is to know, and how little of it you currently possess.
Ulmwin is now a Bard 3: College of Lore
((Don't recall if you've rolled HP... you've learned a new spell, and can swap out an old one for another new one if you wish. The majority of your lifestyle expense will be offset, and I doubt you're doing a lot of heavy drinking while in study mode, so we can call you even there.))
Tess: After you decide on whether to purchase the wagon or not, you spend most of your mornings and afternoons in reasonably quiet (most of the time) study, poring through your book and trying to first make sense of the arcane diagrams and markings, secondly to get to where you can enact those scribblings in some actual effect, and finally to commit them fully to memory. You still get the sensation of pressure behind your eyes while studying and working to learn, so take the occasional break to avoid fatigue. You are pleased to note, first with your mage hand, and then with others as you master them, that once you've learned a spell well enough to command every time when needed, that the pressure is no longer a lingering annoyance.
Ulmwin being busy at the Abbey much of the time, Holger finds himself to be the (usually) good natured recipient of a fair number of your practice attempts, once you were certain you could do it without harm. Everything from a whispered message, to an illusion of a chair where this is none, to numerous other ways you are able to practice your new abilities, Holger is the recipient. One morning, as you are preparing your daily disguise, you wonder whether you would be able to us magic to alter your appearance. Thumbing through your book, you eventually come across a spell that you think might be able to do just that. You spend another few days working it out, eventually to the point you are able to alter your appearance to that of anyone else. Putting on the face of one of the serving girls, you check your reflection in a bowl of water and head to Holger's room, knocking and announcing yourself in your best imitation of her voice. Hearing no reply from Holger, you crack open the door and find him sitting on his bed, facing away from you, a lyre you don't remember seeing in his hands. As you are about to open your mouth to say something, his head turns to slowly look over his shoulder at you.
"Not now Nemeia, we are busy.", he flicks his hand and the door slams shut in your face, and seems to be wedged completely shut. A bit dejected that he was able to see through it, and hurt and puzzled at his dismissal, you return to your room. When you see him later that day, he seems happy to see you, and makes no mention of before.
You spend more evenings than not enjoying yourself with Holger and Ulmwin, performing in the common room, which gives you plenty of opportunity to practice some of your more subtle magics... slipping a gold from the surly patron's coin pouch to leave as a tip for the beleaguered server, creating the sound of flatulence every the obnoxiously drunk guy opens his mouth to rant about something no one cares about, watching Ulmwin's tutor and messaging him a few answers to questions he'll be asked later.
You manage to learn a few more spells, one of which lets you 'encourage' someone to think you're one of their best friends. You're a bit hesitant to try it out, as you suspect that once it wears off they will know they've been tampered with, and are not sure how the Abbey would take to manipulating folks in that manner. You eventually do try it out on a caravan driver who you noticed being overly friendly with one of the staff, and circumvent him knowing you'd fiddled with him by using the duration of the effect to get him completely blasted on drinks from the bar for the two of you (of which, he of course, picked up the tab).
The other spell you learned was one that would allow you to summon a spirit familiar. ((If you want to have done this, you'd need to buy 10 gp in herbs and incense, and buy or borrow a brass brazier as you do the spell. Buckleburry would have had all of that stuff, a portable brass brazier would run you, say... 3 silver.))
Tess is now a Rogue 3: Arcane Trickster
((HP and all that, let me know if you're buying the wagon at the beginning of the month, you (the part) would need to stable and feed the mules during that time, or you could wait and hope they are still available when you are ready to leave town. You might be able to offset personal lifestyle expenses in some fashion, but otherwise would owe for room, board and drinks if you're staying at the Chalice.))
((I hope to have Holger and Rudy up tonight.))
During evenings in the Chalice, both during and in between sets, you spend time observing people, watching their behavior, the way they speak, where they look, and begin to notice and gain a knack for gauging someones intent and demeanor just from observations. You also practice under his tutelage, the skill of convincing someone to go out of their way to do things for you, from servers, to merchants, to people you just meet on the street. He cautions you not to push it too far, everyone has their limits, and someone who feels they are being taken advantage of may balk, no matter how honey tongued you are.
You play nightly sets at the Chalice, enough to keep the room and board provided for you, occasionally joined by Tess and Holger, with Merril sitting in on occasion as well, your tutor using even this time to challenge you, expecting you to observe and notice the ebb and flow of conversation even in the midst of performance. Are the baker and the blacksmith on good terms? Why didn't the Andersons dance tonight? How drunk was old man Wek when he left with those caravan guards?
Over the weeks, the pile of books for you to study dwindles, and Merril gets access to some of the more 'restricted' areas of the library to further your study of the arcane. He gives you a book or two on theory, but the two of you spend a fair bit of time... throughout your training, but particularly on this topic... engaged in long conversations and discussions. You put some of it into practice, with Merril beginning the casting of spells and you trying to discern what sort of spell is being cast. The Abbey has a few magical items on hand that are provided for you to study, and you gain skill in being able to discern the arcane nature of them.
At the end of your month long intensive course, you are a bit mentally exhausted, but feel like you've learned a lot... but at the same time, now truly understand just how much there is to know, and how little of it you currently possess.
Ulmwin is now a Bard 3: College of Lore
((Don't recall if you've rolled HP... you've learned a new spell, and can swap out an old one for another new one if you wish. The majority of your lifestyle expense will be offset, and I doubt you're doing a lot of heavy drinking while in study mode, so we can call you even there.))
Tess: After you decide on whether to purchase the wagon or not, you spend most of your mornings and afternoons in reasonably quiet (most of the time) study, poring through your book and trying to first make sense of the arcane diagrams and markings, secondly to get to where you can enact those scribblings in some actual effect, and finally to commit them fully to memory. You still get the sensation of pressure behind your eyes while studying and working to learn, so take the occasional break to avoid fatigue. You are pleased to note, first with your mage hand, and then with others as you master them, that once you've learned a spell well enough to command every time when needed, that the pressure is no longer a lingering annoyance.
Ulmwin being busy at the Abbey much of the time, Holger finds himself to be the (usually) good natured recipient of a fair number of your practice attempts, once you were certain you could do it without harm. Everything from a whispered message, to an illusion of a chair where this is none, to numerous other ways you are able to practice your new abilities, Holger is the recipient. One morning, as you are preparing your daily disguise, you wonder whether you would be able to us magic to alter your appearance. Thumbing through your book, you eventually come across a spell that you think might be able to do just that. You spend another few days working it out, eventually to the point you are able to alter your appearance to that of anyone else. Putting on the face of one of the serving girls, you check your reflection in a bowl of water and head to Holger's room, knocking and announcing yourself in your best imitation of her voice. Hearing no reply from Holger, you crack open the door and find him sitting on his bed, facing away from you, a lyre you don't remember seeing in his hands. As you are about to open your mouth to say something, his head turns to slowly look over his shoulder at you.
"Not now Nemeia, we are busy.", he flicks his hand and the door slams shut in your face, and seems to be wedged completely shut. A bit dejected that he was able to see through it, and hurt and puzzled at his dismissal, you return to your room. When you see him later that day, he seems happy to see you, and makes no mention of before.
You spend more evenings than not enjoying yourself with Holger and Ulmwin, performing in the common room, which gives you plenty of opportunity to practice some of your more subtle magics... slipping a gold from the surly patron's coin pouch to leave as a tip for the beleaguered server, creating the sound of flatulence every the obnoxiously drunk guy opens his mouth to rant about something no one cares about, watching Ulmwin's tutor and messaging him a few answers to questions he'll be asked later.
You manage to learn a few more spells, one of which lets you 'encourage' someone to think you're one of their best friends. You're a bit hesitant to try it out, as you suspect that once it wears off they will know they've been tampered with, and are not sure how the Abbey would take to manipulating folks in that manner. You eventually do try it out on a caravan driver who you noticed being overly friendly with one of the staff, and circumvent him knowing you'd fiddled with him by using the duration of the effect to get him completely blasted on drinks from the bar for the two of you (of which, he of course, picked up the tab).
The other spell you learned was one that would allow you to summon a spirit familiar. ((If you want to have done this, you'd need to buy 10 gp in herbs and incense, and buy or borrow a brass brazier as you do the spell. Buckleburry would have had all of that stuff, a portable brass brazier would run you, say... 3 silver.))
Tess is now a Rogue 3: Arcane Trickster
((HP and all that, let me know if you're buying the wagon at the beginning of the month, you (the part) would need to stable and feed the mules during that time, or you could wait and hope they are still available when you are ready to leave town. You might be able to offset personal lifestyle expenses in some fashion, but otherwise would owe for room, board and drinks if you're staying at the Chalice.))
((I hope to have Holger and Rudy up tonight.))
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thinkslogically
- Game Master
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- Location: Florida
Re: The Sundered Way
I'll take the average (5hp) again:
Level 3 HP: 1D8 = [3] = 3
Nem will buy the wagon and spend a bit of time taking care of it. Her performer background should take care of her lodgings and lifestyle expenses, and she will certainly spend the money to summon the familiar as well as the brazier, and a spare supply of components to resummon it if necessary.
Level 3 HP: 1D8 = [3] = 3
Nem will buy the wagon and spend a bit of time taking care of it. Her performer background should take care of her lodgings and lifestyle expenses, and she will certainly spend the money to summon the familiar as well as the brazier, and a spare supply of components to resummon it if necessary.
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The Wandering Archipelago (D&D 5e)
The Wandering Archipelago (D&D 5e)
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M0rtimer
- Global Moderator
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Re: The Sundered Way
"Heh... And then the wise man spoke- I am wisest of all, for only I know, that I know nothing..." is one of Ulmwin's occasional humorous remarks as they continue their training...
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spiderwrangler
- Game Master
- Posts: 21091
Re: The Sundered Way
Holger: While many of your companions depart to pursue various training opportunities, you spend the next month in a similar fashion to Tess, and for the most part, have an unspoken agreement that while you come together in the evenings to perform with Ulmwin, both of you keep your mornings and afternoons relatively solitary. You are certain that she's been using her quiet time to practice with her own form of mage hand, at this point her dexterity with the minor spell has exceed that of your own, and you occasionally are subjected to her 'practice' with various cantrips and spell. Some of the spells you'd already mastered would give you means to return the favor and pull pranks on her... but the knew knowledge you've been gaining during your days is of a more serious nature... and not the sort to practice on a friend.
Speaking of your days, whatever she has done to fix your broken lyre has made it something other than an instrument. You were able to string it, but any attempt to play it results missing time as you come back to your senses a few hours later, with new nuggets of information rattling around in your brain. Your daily pattern eventually resolves itself, wake up, have a big breakfast before retiring to your room to 'commune' with your repaired lyre. Wake up for lunch, return for a few more hours, wake for dinner and performing for the patrons of the tavern. Your trio of performers have each been given small single rooms... not luxurious, but enough for your needs, and comfortable enough. Importantly, they give you the privacy to zone out for hours on end without being disturbed.
With experience, you do have a sense of time having passed, just with no distinct memory of what transpired, each day feels like a full day. It is not physically tiring, but you do find it to be mentally taxing, and when you surface after each session, you've developed quite an appetite.
In addition to the blast of force you learned first, you gain the knowledge of other offensive spells, as well as means to twist the perception and emotions of others. While crime is generally well stamped out by the presence of the Abbey, you do find yourself in a dark alley where you are stopped by a pair of toughs, likely having come in on one of the rougher caravan crews. One steps out in front of you, and another behind.
"That were some fancy tricks you did there."
"Yeah, folks seemed to like it real good. Saw the coin that ended up in your pocket."
"I'm thinking he's got enough to share, don't you?"
"You know, I think you're right. Why don't you let us count it out for you, fancy man?"
Standing up, the shadows cluster around you as you seem to grow in size, your voice bellowing out at them, "DO NOT TAKE ME FOR SOME CONJURER OF CHEAP TRICKS!"
Cowering back, they turn and flee from you, stumbling into the night. You report the incident (at least the attempted mugging portion) to Lailum, the tavern owner promising to keep an eye out for men of that description, and passing along word to the Abbey.
After a few weeks, you rouse from a trance to find another note written in your hand. This one is short, merely stating that you've done well, and that you need to put your new abilities to use before more can be imparted.
Holger is a Sorcerer 3: Wild Mage... yup, totally just a sorcerer.
Or possibly a Sorcerer 2: Wild Mage/Warlock 1: Fey Patron
Rudolph: Troubled and ill at ease after your conversation with Scribe Kel, you return to the room you secured at the Emerald Chalice. The first week or so back, you keep largely to yourself, having meals and drink... particularly drink, delivered to your room. After a month-long bender, you are woken in a panicked sweat by The Dream. It is the same as it was last time, the new, altered, and profoundly disturbing form of The Dream rattling you out of your drunken spiral.
You come to the realization (one you already knew, but having been crystalized in this moment) that the drink does nothing more than dull the barest edge of your distress, and that more direct action is needed on your part.
Groaning, you stumble out of bed, gathering up the half finished bottles of wine and spirits, throwing open the shutters and emptying them on a befuddled patron who had stepped outside. Returning to your room, you light a candle on the end table and kneel before it in quiet contemplation. Hours upon hours you kneel, rising to change the candle when it burns down, but lost in your own thoughts, regrets and desires swirling about one another. Eventually the drink leaves you, and your thoughts lose the fuzzy layer that has been preventing you from taking any directed action.
You find new resolve while staring into the flickering flame, the fire consuming both the wax of the candle and a measure of your self doubt. Stuck a middle child, you had struggled over the years to find your purpose, having though to have found that when you and Rowen wed, and even more so when Glorian was born. To have them torn from you has left you aimless and drifting through life... and now The Dream has changed for you... has it changed for the other Beaumont men? If only you'd arrived at the Vale earlier, and been able to meet up with Teek.
And the disappearances that Kel spoke of... they may not be connected, but you feel empathy for the families, knowing what they must be going through. You aren't quite sure what is a more disturbing thought... that they might be due to the same individual or group, or that there are multiple factions responsible. You are aware that human trafficking for various reasons exists in the world, from slavery to more nefarious ends, but it is not something that you have experienced directly.
Something must be done. Someone must do it. You know yourself to be a capable fighter, your nobility opening doors to investigation that others might not have... something must be done... and you can be the one to do it. You can make a difference. For your son. For your wife. And for the sons, daughters and spouses of others who are being taken advantage of. You can fight the greater evil, rooting out those who would harm others, and show no mercy for the wicked. You can be the one to stop them, by any means necessary, and save those who they would harm, and provide restitution to those who have been wronged.
You rise the next morning, clearer of mind and purpose than you have been in years. Summoning a servant, you send for breakfast... without the customary flagon of wine... and some parchment.
Rudolph is now a Paladin 3: Oath of Vengeance
Zephyr: Krentor tearfully gives you a one armed hug, reminding you not to be a stranger, and to stop in to visit if you should find yourself in the neighborhood... especially if you discover anything more about your folks.
Maji: She grins and takes the time to dress out the other badgers, and between the two of you, you transport them all back to her place, where you hang, skin and butcher them.
"The fur will get a good price once it's cured, other than dinner we'll dry the rest of the meat, there isn't much demand for badger in the Vale."
A dinner of badger meat isn't that bad, you savoring the meal a bit more with the knowledge that you'll be able to assume the form of a giant badger now.
Coljin: You find some wild grapes clinging to some of the neighboring vegetation, and harvest some of the vines, taking care not to damage the plants beyond their ability to continue to provide food for the local animals. Using that as your primary construction material, you fashion a wreath big enough for you to walk though, decorating it with various other bits of vegetation and feathers, placing it near the shrine. There is an older squirrel, fur grizzled at the tips of the ears and tail, who seems to understand your desire to have the bowl remain filled for any visitors, as you place it on a small shelf under the protected overhang near the carving. It should stay dry there, and you search the rivulet to find a pair of stones just the right size for cracking nuts, leaving them by the bowl as well.
The animals seem appreciative of your efforts and the forage you left them, a few following you a short ways down the trail before returning to the glen. Glancing over, you notice that To'larel has tears welling in his eyes before he carefully wipes them away, his expression stoic once more.
Tess: Wagon in hand, you spend some time checking it over, it is in good shape, and seems to be a good buy. The Chalice has stabling, and as you're able to put both mules in the same stall, cuts you a deal at 16 gold for the month, including daily feed and exercise.
You stop by Buckleburry's and procure the assorted herbs and whatnot, buying enough for backups, and heading a bit outside of town to go through the prolonged ritual that requires burning the incense and herbs in the brazier, eventually calling forth a spirit familiar.
((What have you summoned? Bat, cat, crab, frog (toad), hawk, lizard, octopus, owl, poisonous snake, fish (quipper), rat, raven, sea horse, spider, or weasel? Also, it is either celestial, fey or fiend in nature. Do you wish to have painted the wagon yourself?))
Ulmwin: "Indeed! And the wiser he got, the more he didn't know."
Speaking of your days, whatever she has done to fix your broken lyre has made it something other than an instrument. You were able to string it, but any attempt to play it results missing time as you come back to your senses a few hours later, with new nuggets of information rattling around in your brain. Your daily pattern eventually resolves itself, wake up, have a big breakfast before retiring to your room to 'commune' with your repaired lyre. Wake up for lunch, return for a few more hours, wake for dinner and performing for the patrons of the tavern. Your trio of performers have each been given small single rooms... not luxurious, but enough for your needs, and comfortable enough. Importantly, they give you the privacy to zone out for hours on end without being disturbed.
With experience, you do have a sense of time having passed, just with no distinct memory of what transpired, each day feels like a full day. It is not physically tiring, but you do find it to be mentally taxing, and when you surface after each session, you've developed quite an appetite.
In addition to the blast of force you learned first, you gain the knowledge of other offensive spells, as well as means to twist the perception and emotions of others. While crime is generally well stamped out by the presence of the Abbey, you do find yourself in a dark alley where you are stopped by a pair of toughs, likely having come in on one of the rougher caravan crews. One steps out in front of you, and another behind.
"That were some fancy tricks you did there."
"Yeah, folks seemed to like it real good. Saw the coin that ended up in your pocket."
"I'm thinking he's got enough to share, don't you?"
"You know, I think you're right. Why don't you let us count it out for you, fancy man?"
Standing up, the shadows cluster around you as you seem to grow in size, your voice bellowing out at them, "DO NOT TAKE ME FOR SOME CONJURER OF CHEAP TRICKS!"
Cowering back, they turn and flee from you, stumbling into the night. You report the incident (at least the attempted mugging portion) to Lailum, the tavern owner promising to keep an eye out for men of that description, and passing along word to the Abbey.
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Holger is a Sorcerer 3: Wild Mage... yup, totally just a sorcerer.
Or possibly a Sorcerer 2: Wild Mage/Warlock 1: Fey Patron
Rudolph: Troubled and ill at ease after your conversation with Scribe Kel, you return to the room you secured at the Emerald Chalice. The first week or so back, you keep largely to yourself, having meals and drink... particularly drink, delivered to your room. After a month-long bender, you are woken in a panicked sweat by The Dream. It is the same as it was last time, the new, altered, and profoundly disturbing form of The Dream rattling you out of your drunken spiral.
You come to the realization (one you already knew, but having been crystalized in this moment) that the drink does nothing more than dull the barest edge of your distress, and that more direct action is needed on your part.
Groaning, you stumble out of bed, gathering up the half finished bottles of wine and spirits, throwing open the shutters and emptying them on a befuddled patron who had stepped outside. Returning to your room, you light a candle on the end table and kneel before it in quiet contemplation. Hours upon hours you kneel, rising to change the candle when it burns down, but lost in your own thoughts, regrets and desires swirling about one another. Eventually the drink leaves you, and your thoughts lose the fuzzy layer that has been preventing you from taking any directed action.
You find new resolve while staring into the flickering flame, the fire consuming both the wax of the candle and a measure of your self doubt. Stuck a middle child, you had struggled over the years to find your purpose, having though to have found that when you and Rowen wed, and even more so when Glorian was born. To have them torn from you has left you aimless and drifting through life... and now The Dream has changed for you... has it changed for the other Beaumont men? If only you'd arrived at the Vale earlier, and been able to meet up with Teek.
And the disappearances that Kel spoke of... they may not be connected, but you feel empathy for the families, knowing what they must be going through. You aren't quite sure what is a more disturbing thought... that they might be due to the same individual or group, or that there are multiple factions responsible. You are aware that human trafficking for various reasons exists in the world, from slavery to more nefarious ends, but it is not something that you have experienced directly.
Something must be done. Someone must do it. You know yourself to be a capable fighter, your nobility opening doors to investigation that others might not have... something must be done... and you can be the one to do it. You can make a difference. For your son. For your wife. And for the sons, daughters and spouses of others who are being taken advantage of. You can fight the greater evil, rooting out those who would harm others, and show no mercy for the wicked. You can be the one to stop them, by any means necessary, and save those who they would harm, and provide restitution to those who have been wronged.
You rise the next morning, clearer of mind and purpose than you have been in years. Summoning a servant, you send for breakfast... without the customary flagon of wine... and some parchment.
Rudolph is now a Paladin 3: Oath of Vengeance
Zephyr: Krentor tearfully gives you a one armed hug, reminding you not to be a stranger, and to stop in to visit if you should find yourself in the neighborhood... especially if you discover anything more about your folks.
Maji: She grins and takes the time to dress out the other badgers, and between the two of you, you transport them all back to her place, where you hang, skin and butcher them.
"The fur will get a good price once it's cured, other than dinner we'll dry the rest of the meat, there isn't much demand for badger in the Vale."
A dinner of badger meat isn't that bad, you savoring the meal a bit more with the knowledge that you'll be able to assume the form of a giant badger now.
Coljin: You find some wild grapes clinging to some of the neighboring vegetation, and harvest some of the vines, taking care not to damage the plants beyond their ability to continue to provide food for the local animals. Using that as your primary construction material, you fashion a wreath big enough for you to walk though, decorating it with various other bits of vegetation and feathers, placing it near the shrine. There is an older squirrel, fur grizzled at the tips of the ears and tail, who seems to understand your desire to have the bowl remain filled for any visitors, as you place it on a small shelf under the protected overhang near the carving. It should stay dry there, and you search the rivulet to find a pair of stones just the right size for cracking nuts, leaving them by the bowl as well.
The animals seem appreciative of your efforts and the forage you left them, a few following you a short ways down the trail before returning to the glen. Glancing over, you notice that To'larel has tears welling in his eyes before he carefully wipes them away, his expression stoic once more.
Tess: Wagon in hand, you spend some time checking it over, it is in good shape, and seems to be a good buy. The Chalice has stabling, and as you're able to put both mules in the same stall, cuts you a deal at 16 gold for the month, including daily feed and exercise.
You stop by Buckleburry's and procure the assorted herbs and whatnot, buying enough for backups, and heading a bit outside of town to go through the prolonged ritual that requires burning the incense and herbs in the brazier, eventually calling forth a spirit familiar.
((What have you summoned? Bat, cat, crab, frog (toad), hawk, lizard, octopus, owl, poisonous snake, fish (quipper), rat, raven, sea horse, spider, or weasel? Also, it is either celestial, fey or fiend in nature. Do you wish to have painted the wagon yourself?))
Ulmwin: "Indeed! And the wiser he got, the more he didn't know."
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spiderwrangler
- Game Master
- Posts: 21091
Re: The Sundered Way
One evening at the end of the month, Tom the barkeep approaches Ulmwin, Tess and Holger while they take a break from performing.
"Evening, milord Beaumont gave this to me this morning, asked me to make sure you got it.", he remarks as he hands you a folded parchment, sealed with the Beaumont sigil.
"Evening, milord Beaumont gave this to me this morning, asked me to make sure you got it.", he remarks as he hands you a folded parchment, sealed with the Beaumont sigil.
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Arch Lich Burns
- Will NOT Shut Up!
- Posts: 17412
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Re: The Sundered Way
Maji constantly grins as he is helping Grelka out, happy and giddy of his accomplishments. He claps her on the back after they lug the badgers to her house. Thank you. He looks for some liqour to celebrate, but it doesn't matter if he does. He helps her cook the badger, baising it in some of the liquour. After dinner he gently punches her shoulder, mostly in a friendly matter. That's for pushing me.