--excerpt from the Cult of the Dragon's Scrolls of Contemplation

    The adventures took the northern road out of Galdion again, passing through the now rather familiar gate town of Sorom and before nightfall made their stop at the inn, the Serpent’s House.  This was their third visit to this particular inn and word had obviously trickled in about your deeds in nearby Kyssea, the inn was also rather packed with men and women from the Gravewatch.  Who were making their way to and from the recently besieged necropolis village.  Naturally they wanted to engage in a little celebration with their local heroes and your lodgings and food were provided for free.
  People were curious as to where you were going and what adventures you would have once you got there.  Willa tried to explain but made little to no sense to anyone and that besides she was quickly ostracised for being what she was and Phelan was simply too glad for the peace as he was treated as if he was the most dangerous creature in the inn, with far too many polite laughs and fake smiles directed at him whenever he met someone outside of his adventuring party.  Amare demonstrated a knack for playing musical instruments no-one had known before that he possessed and with his own unique talents he could play several different ones at once, he and the journeyman bard at the inn spent a good portion of the night in each other’s company discussing stories, songs and music.  Despite his monstrous appearance Jubei was treated just like one of the men though Drex was handled with some care as his intensity made people nervous.
  The following day you all awoke groggy or hungover to various degrees and only managed to take your leave from the inn around midmorning.  Taking the path further to the northwest not long thereafter.  The landscape changed from rolling hills and spares ridges wide, open plains over the next day.  The wind here was quite a force to be reckoned with, something Phelan was familiar with, having come this way not too long ago himself.  Clouds whipped and rolled past overhead rolling ever westward.  Around noon the weather settled down to a more pleasant, clouded sky with a light breeze stirring the still green grasses of the fields around them.
  You passed through a few small settlements on your way, most seemed to be way stops for travelers rather than proper villages, though there were some farmsteads visible nearby and as you walked you managed to spot some herds of cattle peacefully grazing.
  Just as evening descends upon the plains you come across another village though this one just barely has the view of Strine upon the horizon, at the time just a collection of lights.

  The next day, as you made your way to the city, you could not help but notice the towering slanted walls of dark, grey stone surrounding the city in a wide circle with sharp, pointed towers rising out of the stonework at regular intervals all along it.  The city of Strine itself was located well within the walls and there was a large area of clear terrain between the encircling wall and the city itself which had a large citadel under construction by a giant.
  The deeply purple figure was well over a hundred feet tall and far more muscular than any man could hope to be, his bulk even outstriped that of Jubei comparatively.  Though in the general shape of a man, the giant was much too wide and is waist was far too tall that and the four arms and serpentine neck cradling his woefully small head - at least in relation to the proportions of the body - made the giant look very peculiar.  Then the realization dawned that the immense creature was infact naked though it lacked any sort of genitalia you could recognize.
  At first you would have assumed the giant was attacking the city given how it loomed over it, but there were no fires or commotion.  Instead a few minutes watching the giant suggested it was infact building the citadel.  In the few hours it took you to reach the city the giant had almost doubled the size of the citadel.  More startling was that the giant seemed to be readily able to change his size as he would regularly grow smaller to work on some detail of the citadel, once disappearing from view entirely then suddenly rising over the city like some vengeful god.  Only to resume construction on the citadel.
  There were of course stories of the giants working to build great monuments yet few ever witnessed it and even less would truly believe it. This sight alone was beyond the chances of a single lifespan.

  You were still wondering about all this when you arrived at the large gate in the outer wall, which seemed to be the only way in and out of the city now.  It appeared to have been built to some gigantic proportions as well and was constructed of some peculiar sort of glittering, glassy stone which was barely see-through. The gate itself hung open above the gateway like some enormous flap held in place by two half-circular pillars of stone which jutted out of the ground in front of it.  Phelan speculated that the mechanism probably retracted into the ground and poked out behind the wall on the inner side when the gate was sealed.

  Inside the wall you saw a small encampment of soldiers, who stopped you as you entered ”Hey, you dracha what is your business coming into Strine armed like that? a guardsman backed by three other well armed humans approached you with their pikes and shields raised.

Jubei furrowed his brows at the... fairly rude welcoming and gave them a stern look. "We are travellers on our way to Tolyn, and I am a paladin of the Dragon Cults, cease taking me for a petty thug that comes to your city just to start a scuffle. Now let us pass or give a proper reason to stop us with."

17:27, Today: Iron Jubei rolled 10 using 1d20+9.  Diplomacy roll: We shall totes pass!

Well, drat.

At the sight of guards, Willa dives behind one of Iron Jubei's massive legs hoping not to be seen.  Different guards, different town - same routine.  Let the game begin!

Stealth check
17:11, Today: Willa rolled 13 using 1d20+6.  What, Guards?  Hide!  Stealth..

    The guard in front gives Jubei a disbelieving look as he scoffs at the paladin, looking over his companions he says "Petty thug looks exactly right." while another guard seems to have caught Willa's sudden movement "You should tell your little friend to step out behind you and make no more sudden moves. the guard in front nods.

  "Going to Tolyn seems like a lovely story but your here in Strine now and the Barony of Corbine and we take strange and armed folk very seriously here.  I'd like you do disarm yourselves and come quietly to the guard house so that the sergeant can look you over." said the guardsmen.

Ordinarily losing the game would have Willa running for the hills, expecting the guards to chase after her shouting, yelling and throwing things.  This time though she had an Iron Jubei between her and them.  He probably weighed a much as a warhorse in full plate barding, perhaps two.  Not that Willa had any experience of them other than in pictures.

So instead she meekly peered around the trunk-like leg she had darted behind and smiled shyly.  Feeling like she should say something, but perhaps not wanting to be friends with the guards who seemed particularly brutish, she said the first thing that came to mind.  Well, not really the first thing.  More like the only thing she had been thinking about for a number of hours now.

"Willa likes your giant."

The giant was a wonder.  She'd not met anything that was quite so large and quite so small at the same time.  It was a lot like an umbrean in the way changed size.  Though of course her race had less range.  She wondered if they were somehow related, but decided against it since it didn't leave trails of ooze behind it everywhere it went.  Or at least she didn't expect it to.  She'd learnt long ago that people tend not to like slime all over their things and if the giant was as slimy as she was, she doubted that it would be allowed anywhere near the town, let alone given a job in construction.  Unless...the building was for umbreans?  Could he be making something for the refugees from Kyssea?  She almost ran off to go and find out, but quickly realised that people didn't really like umbreans.  That probably also meant they wouldn't want them living nearby either.  Sighing to herself, she turned her attention back in the giant's direction and continued to ponder its existence.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:10, Fri 30 Oct 2015.

    One of the guardsman visibly shuddered when Willa spoke, who then pointed his pike in the direction of the umbrean warlock.  "Your little pest will be kept out of the city." the lead guardsman said as he looked down at Willa, then returned his gaze up to Jubei "Now are you going to disarm yourselves or are we going to have to do so for you?"

"It seems that your trying to persuade the wrong people, these pawns will take us to there leader and he will be the one we need to persuade. We will have to do what they say... At least for now." Drex whisperer to Jubei.

He looks at the guards. "Where do you what us to put our weapons? On the gourd here outside the gates? Where real bandits can pick them up and use them against you. And if they are stole, you and the guards of Strine will be hold liable for there loss. As member of the Adventures Guild of Galdiun created by the queen herself..." Drex shows his badge " and representative of the Aurelian Pantheon." he plants the hilt of his axe in the ground exposing the flat with the holy symbol to the Aurelians to the guards, his hands resting on top. "I will cooperate with you as will the rest of my party and disarm, but our weapons will accompany us even if you have to carry them yourselves to the guardhouse. For... save keeping. I think this reasonable, don't you."

Willa crossed her arms animatedly, along with a deep frown, much like a sulking child.  After a moment something occurred to her and she cocked her head to one side.  "Willa must go round Strine?  Meet friends other side for to get to Tolyn?"

Jubei had been frowning the whole time, but was willing to comply to their demands. That was until they made a certain statement and he let out a deep growl in return.
"How dare you call her a pest. Her name is Willa and it's thanks to her that you softskins are not yet hip-deep in undead that even your fancy little wall wouldn't have stopped. We did not save Kyssia to now be treated like rabble and thugs. So how about you rethink what you just said and I will not mention this incident to your commander." , Jubei growled at the guards, his fists clenched, only his training keeping him from just punching the man right then and there.


Spending 1 Fame token to make them back off, because fuck those guys... and RNGjesus.

In other circumstances Keela would have turned tail. Now, for some reason she felt different. With a soft walk that looked like a predator seizing her victim she made her way forward, in her wake letting her weapons belt on the ground. Once she stopped she was between Willa and the guard and crossed her arms.

This sudden outburst from Jubei startled Drex, but he tried not to show it.  This is new... Drex thought.  I wonder if he has children back home?  This could explain some of his actions, especial this one. The protective father... who would have gust.  Drex gives a smirk to this thought.  Willa is part of our party yes, but she is still and Umbrean and we should expect this reaction where ever we go.  Even if we feel differently about her. He regards Willa now standing behind Keela.

Drex though it wise to stay quite. And in support of Jubei he also stiffens his stance, nods his head and moves his attention back to the guards.

    Jubei was quite easily overheard by other folk nearby and very quickly drew a crowd.  Seeing this crowd gathering, and the overhear a few people talking about the events they had heard about in Kyssea the guardsman relented.  Though one of them was not defeated going so far as to say he would keep an eye on you.  Clearly this was just an idle threat to try and save some kind of face.

Guards at the Gate:  100 Experience Points for each player and recieve 1 Fortune Token.

  Once you were past them, and well out of earshot, Amare said ”I pity them for being unable to see your hearts.” he sighed.  Amare hardly resembled the buck-nude man which had descended from the sky less than a fortnight ago.  After little less than a day Amare had demonstrated the ability to conjure almost anything out of thin air.  What he described as manifestation, he explained that he could only manifest rather simple items for now such as clothing or crude instruments and he wore clothing he himself had brought into existence.  A dark blue, long sleeved, roughspun tunic which he wore over an off-white vest of linen.  His pants were a dull brown set of woolen trousers and he wore simple leather boots.  All of which had needed some tailoring after their initial creation as Amare was not quite as capable at making things as they should be as he would have liked to have been able to.  His other possessions included a backpack which he had at first attempted to make himself before having one given to him simply to spare him the embarrassment of failing to make anything that would actually resemble something as complex as a backpack.  As well as other items common to travelers you had pitched in to acquire for him and one final item he had made himself over the span of the last few days.  A long, sinuous staff made up of what appeared to be hardwood or bone into a fragile-looking helix which joined into a thick almost-sharp point at the bottom and a long, stylized bident at the top.  The appeared very unwieldy and flimsy but you had seen it change its shape in response to Amare’s will, as the helix would close and swell into a proper shaft for Amare to grip no matter where on the staff he held it.  It was also at least as strong as tempered steel as Amare had asked Jubei and Drex to try and break the staff to a lot of huffing and no avail.  Amare also seemed to be able to be able to make the staff vanish and appear at will which fascinated Willa to no end.  Though Amare explained he could only do that with a few specific things for now and none of those could in anyway be another living thing.  The staff was referred to by Amare as his “instrument” he he claimed he would need if he was to make more precise manifestations.

  A few minutes passed as you made your way down the main road which lead into the city of Strine, where immediately the cries of hawkers and merchants assaulted you from almost every side.  Criers expounded the wonderous wares and services of merchants and business in the city, street performers cavorted, astounded and amazed folk and yourselves as you passed by.  The main road through the city was a thoroughfare of activity impossible to take in all at once and yet incredibly delightful all at the same time.  Even music from minstrels and songs from bards could be heard mingling into a cacophony of humorously disjointed stories and themes.
  No one seemed particularly disturbed by the giant working overhead.  Despite the colourfulness of the city streets the citadel at the center was a dark and foreboding building within which no life seemed to stir, there was almost a mesmerizing quality to it you had to shake yourself to get away from.
  Not long after you entered the city the giant paused for a moment with an odd frown wrinkling the top of his snout and cast his completely sea-green eyes about the city as if looking for something and stopped his gaze in your general vicinity then he crooked an eyebrow and seemed to be in thought for a moment before giving facial shrug and resumed his work.  Only Willa and Amare appeared oblivious to the giant’s actions.

[This is the last major city you’ll find yourselves in for a while so if you want to buy stuff, or make use of any services now will be it.  I assume you will also be spending the night in the city and setting out at dawn the next day.  So please state your Inn preference.]

"Did you guys noticed that the giant was just looking at us?" Drex said as they continued down the street. "Well it seems as if it was looking at us at least."

"We are planing to stay for the evening are we?"

"Maybe the giant was just looking for a way to move. I don't think it'd want to step on anyone here.", Jubei said and yet couldn't quite help but be impressed by that being, considering how but a simple missstep could already flatten a house. "But yes, I suppose we're going to stay here, unless you'd rather sleep out in the wilderness. Which I personally would rather avoid."

Willa felt a little guilty and shy at having her friends rush to her defence, but this was quickly overcome when she discovered Amare's fabulous power!  For most of the way into Strine she continually bothered him to make her new and wonderful, but basically useless items, that she cheerfully squirreled away into her pack.  It wasn't until Drex's words reminded her of the giant that she suddenly realised how little attention she had been paying to that particular wonder!  So many exciting things happening at one time!

She didn't really mind whether they stayed at an inn or in the wilderness.  Either way brought different challenges.  Here it was the people and not getting everything covered in slime.  Outside was everything else. So she simply chimed in with, "Willa not care!"

    Finding an inn which would accommodate Jubei had you all looking well into the hours of the early evening.  It became clear quickly that Strine’s populous were very biased against kaetyma and most everyone who saw Phelan wanted to make themselves scarce, while Willa had to be saved from being shooed away at almost every establishment.

  The Witch and Flail, the inn’s sign was of a rather fairytale looking witch (black dress, pointed hat, disgusting features and broom) being chased by an enormous two headed, steel flail with the inn’s name engraved just beneath this strange bit of art.
  At first it seemed like you would be turned away, not that you would have exactly minded the inn was in a seedier part of the city roughly to the north of the citadel and the woodwork of the inn was clearly warped by age while the masonry seemed to have been laid somewhere within the previous millennium, however the innkeeper, a doola tywuar who was either the biggest of his species a mutant or just so gods damn fat, had...waddled over towards you as you had turned back onto the street proclaiming that he would be more then happy to provide you with lodgings for the night and gave you a smile so genuinely disgusting you felt your guts roil around in confusion.
  His prices was just shy of cheap and short of being average, and the common room was almost filled to the brim with other kaetyma or musadi all of whom seemed to leer at each other with murderous intent from across the room which was clearly split between the two species.  Only one table held members of neither kaetyma or musadi and that table seated two narayah and one human who seemed to be engaged in a game of dice, a board of coloured tiles upon which several pieces stood and a deck of cards to one side.  The narayah were dressed much like Phelan, in a hodgepog of leather, cloth and mechanisms while the human woman was there in little more than a revealing dress.
  As your party entered the inn there were some hisses from the musadi and shrill, husky noises as they said something in Serpentine.
  Morrey, sitting on Drex’s left shoulder, cawed nervously.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:27, Mon 09 Nov 2015.

"I feel the same way." he said to Molly as he looked around. Picking an uncouple table in the corner for them to sit.

Willa instantly loved the place.  So full of atmosphere!  Even if she had the choice of all of the other inns in the city she was sure this would be the one she picked.  Although it was possible that she would be thinking exactly the same thing of whatever inn had it been the first to let her stay.

She grinned cheerfully at the hissing Musadi and waved at the accumulated Kaetyma, who were no doubt as friendly and honourable as Iron Jubei.  Her bee line, however, led straight down the middle.  The dice game was the most unique thing in the room and therefore also the most interesting!  As she peered over the edge of the table, she tried to watch the game unfurl and see if she could grasp any of the rules.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:00, Mon 09 Nov 2015.

The search was making her uncomfortable, all this things just kept getting in the way and there was almost no helping it as this was such a city. The giant watching them hadn't helped one bit. Add to that the doola tywuar that had just offered to give them a place to stay. 'Not our day...'

The the establishment didn't look any better and the company inside seemed to just ignore it. "Was this how things played in this places?" She asked drex after taking a fool look around the place. "To tell the truth I would ratter stay outside or mount guard.." She whispered close to his ear to make the message private.

    Amare watched Willa bounce off, a faint smile on his face, while Willa herself watched the game maticulously.  The players seemed to be familiar with the rules, but barely said anything beyond either their moves or a piece of small conversation.  Whatever game they were playing it wasn't readily obvious to Willa what the goal was.
  Morrey groomed Drex's mane in lieu of something to do.

    Despite some concerns over their safety that night at the inn, the adventurers did not wake to find thieves or thugs at their bedsides.  Keela however asked that the adventurers maintain a watch, Amare volunteered given that he did not need to sleep.

  The next day you all awoke bright and early not long after sunrise as you gathered your things and made your way out of the city of Strine.

Drex was not very talkative that night, even when Keela spoke to him directly, he regarded the place before looking back at Keela and made a frowning shrug, which Keela only could identify as yes I think so sure.

The next morning Drex told the last person on watch that he is going to the Temple quarter, as he is looking for something called Sanguine Vestments, and then he is going to find someone how will sell him some other magical items. His reason being that if he does this early he might miss all the congestion in the streets.

Drex wants to to acquire Bracers of Mighty Striking (Level 2+) 1/2 wealth token, Sanguine Vestments +1 (Level 3+) 1 wealth token 1 fame Gauntlets of Blood  (Level 4+) 2 fortune (special offer) ;).

08:56, Today: Drex rolled 8 using 1d20.  1/2 wealth token. keep 1/2 wealth token
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:14, Fri 13 Nov 2015.

Jubei had socialized with his kin for a little while, even though most of the talks went always into the same direction... that Strine simply wasn't a very welcoming place for their kin. However during those talks he did learn that there were still traders that were willing to deal with a kaetyma, as long as they brought shiny coin to the table. And so Jubei briefly excused himself from the party, to do some morning shopping... as he called it.

Looking to buy the following items:
Vigilant Blade (Level 4+, D381) 1 wealth 1 fortune
Helm of Opportunity (Level 4+, AV) 1 Fame 1 Fortune

Such shopping, many expensive.

Willa had spent much of the night with the gamblers who continued their game despite her presence.  Eventually she felt she had enough of a grasp of the game to try herself.  The trio were reluctant to let her join at first.  She was an umbrean afterall and that made people generally reluctant to do anything with her.  Except throw and shout and say 'no' a lot to whatever she asked.  However, her childish demeanor won them over.  That or they saw an easy mark and an easier way to bully the unwelcome ooze by by taking everything she owned.

The little warlock had little interest in gambling for things.  She was far more interested in the fun of the game, but the gamblers refused to play with her unless she offered up an ante.  With no coin to her name, she reluctantly waged one of her prized possessions.  The torch that never went out may not have carried with it a particularly strong enchantment, but it was still quite valuable and readily accepted.

Despite everyone's expectations (her own included) she did quite well and left the table with not only her torch in hand, but a very interesting suit of leather armour.  It was just her size.  Perhaps originally made for a child, but with sinister brass studs inlaid into it.  She was a little sad at parting with her homemade armour, but she could not deny that this one seemed to offer much better protection.  It was likely the gamblers didn't realise its true worth, thinking it just a curio that they would offload for some coin somewhere.

Willa spends 2 fortune tokens to win a suit of Armour of Dark Majesty +1

    Leaving Strine through the western gate was much easier than entering the city through the southern gate had been.  The guardsman camp at the gate simply looked ever you as you passed and gave a nod, though some did cast disdainful glances at your party a few even shook their heads.

  The Westward road as you heard it called was also named called the long and winding road, it soon became clear why.  The road had a very gradual incline as it made its way between the rugged terrain and hills to the west of bowl-like plain upon which Strine was built.  Over the course of the next three days, as you passed through villages of various sizes, you found most to be occupied by soldiers, small garrisons of about a thousand men whom the villagers tried their best not to bother.  What you found was a pleasant surprise though, and Phelan pointed them out as not having been here before when he had come from the Fissure, were the small camps of the Servitors of the Far Gods.  Around a dozen priests, acolytes and clerics guarded by one or two towering knights of Atorius.  From the rumours in the villages the Servitors were a welcome sight as they helped keep the soldiers in line, the number of fights and other incidents in the villages had taken a sharp decline once they had arrived.  Though not everyone was very happy to see worshipers of the Far Gods again, there was a strong, vocal sentiment that gods who abandon their followers shouldn’t be worshiped.


  Trouble found you on your fourth day out as you had set out that morning from a little village called Byliros only to find the entire area shrouded in dense fog, making your way westward with this fog would prove challenging, even if you stuck to the road.

Skill Challenge -- Into the Fog…

Objective:  Stay on the main Westward road, do not wander off and do not get lost in the fog.
Good luck...

The moment the fog thickened to the point that it became hard to see further than a stone's throw away, Jubei let out a low growl. "You have a funny weather here in the isles... Muatal doesn't have mist like this... well, the part I hail from anyway.", Jubei rumbled as he drew his new and incredibly fancy looking sword from it's sheath. It had replaced the rather plain old battleaxe he had used previously, but the way he gave it a tentative twist from the wrist made it clear that he was just as capable of using a sword as he was at using the axe. Compared to the axe, the sword was also downright decadent in it's decoration. The hilt ending in a clenched, armored fist that held a wide open eye.
A few moments afterwards the blade began to glow rather bright. Admittedly it did not do much to see further into the fog, but it made Jubei also rather impossible to miss. "Stay close to me, at least that way we stay together in case we lose the path.", he said, looking to his companions to make sure they were still with him.

At-Will Minor Action: Turn on the flashlight! (Vigilant Blade)

19:55, Today: Iron Jubei rolled 19 using 1d20+8.  Perception roll: Is anything amiss already.
I.e. if everyone is with him and if the path already disappeared... or something :|

"Willa not see fog like this before," The little oozling responded to Iron Jubei.  "Maybe should go back to village, Byliros?  Wait for skies to clear?  Maybe ask peoples about?"

It seemed like a sensible suggestion to her.  They did not know this place.  Maybe the fog was just the beginning?  Could it be the start of something worse, like a massive storm, or something?  Surely the locals would know.  Also, what if she lost her friends here?  It had taken her such a very long time (in umbrean terms at least) to find them!  It was be horrible to lose them now...she stepped closer to Iron Jubei, determined to stay as near to the giant reptilian lighthouse as possible.  "Umm," She quested nervously and shifted shyly from foot to foot, "Should maybe, uh, perhaps can to tie friends together?  So as not to get lost?"

As they gradually moved forward, whilst considering their options, Willa began thinking that the the air itself had become tangible.  She reached out and swiped at it, as if trying to push it away.  "Perhaps needs big wind?  Iron Jubei big.  Maybe if blows very hard?  Or waves blanket?  Or maybe Mr Phelan Sir's pushy magic?"  Magic?  That thought stirred something inside the little umbrean.  Remembering something she had encountered not so long ago, she instinctively drew her rod and shut the visor on her helmet.  "Also, also, reminds Willa of cloud from Kyssea?"  She shivered and quested out with her limited magical sense seeing if she could find anything more sinister behind the phenomenon.

11:52, Today: Willa rolled 25 using 1d20+7.  Arcana - checking the weather.

"I don't like it either." The Doola Tywuar accentuated her point by trying to push the mist away with a wave of her hand. A useless action as cutting it would prove next to impossible. "This is going to last a while... do we stop?. No, didn't think so... Okay, if you want to push it I can be of help.... But keep in mind I advised against this." With that she took point looking mostly down and the closest trees as she guided them slowly .

00:17, Today: Keela rolled 21 using 1d20+9.  Nature check.

    The fog slowly creeped in as the morning wore on though it had not seemed particularly dense before you had left the village.  Now on the Westward road the fog appeared much thicker than you had expected.  So much so that Byliros had faded from view.  The fog obscured the surroundings considerably and the low hills and ridges of the area where now vague silhouettes which could have been nearby or far away.  Distance was completely skewed by the fog’s presence.

  Fortunately Jubei seemed to keep his wits about him as he lead the way, keeping you all upon the road as his blade shone brightly within the gloom.
  Keela kept just ahead of Jubei using the faint traces of the weather peaking through the fog to help keep herself and her companions on track.  Though the fog’s presence and behaviour struck her as odd, the air was heavy and cold but not as wet as she would have expected from so heavy a fog and it stank a little of a metallic tang like that which you would smell around a smithy.
  Focusing her mystical senses upon the grey haze about them Willa found to not be the product of any spell however that did not rule out a magical origin as all of the Crystal Isles weather was affected by the great tempest which swirled about the center of the Isles and this fog was unusually saturated with a power which resonated with the rod Willa carried at her side.

"This is weird... I can lead keep up with the way, but somehow this feels different from normal fog... more metallic? Any ideas" She asked between looking ahead and turning for the ones behind her. If this was something else she wanted to know... for her was better to be the hunter than the prey.

OOC:
Okay, that wasn't too bad.
17:42, Today: Keela rolled 17 using 1d20+9.  Nature check.

Willa kept close to Iron Jubei and shrugged in response to Keela's question.  She's already expended her one area of 'expertise' and didn't have a lot to offer on others.  Growing up in a city, or rather underneath and in the walls of one, had not been an educational experience for her in all things natural, weather or otherwise.

"Maybe is a, um, a lot of smiths?  Could be party?"

She noted the strange interplay between the fog and her new rod.  Drawing it, she waved the implement around in the air experimentally, wondering what, if anything, would happen.

"Willa, I think you actually made an excellent suggestion earlier. We should totally use a rope to make sure that we all stay together.", the paladin said and pulled the bundle of rope he had stored in his backpack forth from it. His partymembers permitting, he would then go around and make sure that everyone was bound around the waist, making sure to make full use of all fifty of the feet he had brought to allow a modicum of free range movement in the case... something happened. "As for suggestions and ideas... I have none. I never encountered something like this...", he said and then furrowed his brows as he watched how Willa were waving the rod around, but passed on giving any kind of comment in that regard, given that it wouldn't help them further.


Action: use rope to connect everyone, now let us dance the conga \o/

    Tying on ropes to either the waist, or an arm took a few minutes as did making sure there was enough slack between each of you that none of you would just be pulled down by those infront of you.

[Please decide on a marching order before the end of the next round.]

  Swinging her Rod of Corruption around in the air, Willa did not immediately notice anything peculiar about it [Everyone may roll Perception reflexively to perhaps notice something, this roll does not count towards success or failure for this skill challenge.] though she could sense some connection between the rod and the fog.

  While Jubei tied around ropes and Willa was experimenting with her rod Keela tried to keep an eye on the road only to catch herself wandering off, she could have sworn she had been on the road.  Fortunately she could still see the not-yet-silhouettes of her friends.  If the party had not been moving at a snail's pace at the moment and had indeed followed her they might have just lost the road.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:59, Thu 26 Nov 2015.

"I have outdoors experience. If you allow me I will take the lead." Keela commented as she watched Willa wave her rod on the air, the movement almost hypnotic.
"And I don't like the idea of being surrounded by smiths..." After tying a firm knot she drew a pair of daggers from her scabbard her side. "Better safe then sorry"

OOC:
16:54, Today: Keela rolled 25 using 1d20+9.  perception.

Willa was suddenly even happier with her new armour as Iron Jubei's rope found itself tied around her waist.  Had it been her old gear, the rope would surely have gotten a least a thin layer of goo on it.

Whilst the group paused to make sure they were all tied down, she remained distracted by her rod and the fog, focusing on it.

17:11, Today: Willa rolled 17 using 1d20+2.  Perception - Fog it.

With her declaration to be in front, Keela was of course the first that got rope slung around her waist, which was then followed by Phelan, arguing that his crossbow and magic would be best used there as it can cover a wider area. Then Jubei wrapped some of the rope around himself, even though for a moment he entertained the idea to somehow put it around his larger lower body, but quickly forsook that idea due to a certain lack of... manual dexterity in his front paws, reach with his upper arms and the amount of rope that would take.
On he went to then bind it around Willa, and indeed the armor helped a good bit, as without it, the rope could have well glid through her gooey body without actually finding hold at all. And finally it was turn for Drex, whose mobility probably made it irrelevant if he was in the front or back of the chain.

"Well, with that done...", the kaetyma rumbled and then furrowed his brows as he looked around. The feathers that adorned his head suddenly rising as if startled by something.


11:16, Today: Iron Jubei rolled 24 using 1d20+8.  Perception roll.
11:21, Today: Iron Jubei rolled 9 using 1d20+5.  Religion Roll. Discerning the transmudane fog! Or not...

  Shifting silhouettes out in the fog, and distant voices at just the edge of hearing for a moment a wave a nausea passed through you as you each spun about as if drunk.   
[Make a Saving Throw with your Constitution modifier as either a bonus (or a penalty if its negative).  Upon a success you stand and keep your breakfast, a failure results in your falling down to your knees and vomiting from the disorietation.]

  Fortunately the rope kept the adventurers from stumbling off into the fog.  Even though a few tight yanks went through the line as each of you stumbled about for the moment.  Before being able to reassert yourselves.

  Breathing heavily Amare said "I think we should move, get clear of this as fast as possible."

[Jubei, Keela and Willa, having succeeded on your reflexive Perception checks you have Advantage on your next check.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:09, Mon 30 Nov 2015.

10:21, Today: Iron Jubei rolled 15 using 1d20+3.  Constitution saving throw.

Maybe it was thanks to their little teleportation gigs that the Kaetyma remained mostly unfazed by the sudden nausea, maybe it was a simple unwillingness to repeat the indignity he suffered when they opened the necromantic lab. Either way, Jubei managed to keep his wits, and stomachcontents, together and let out a low growl.
"Yes, we should. There is something foul and evil here, I can... hear its voice... and I heard something similar back in the demonic temple of Hecatomb.", the paladin snarled and shook his head, pointing his glowing sword at the fog ahead. "Begone, monsters! You will find no prey here!", he called out, before intoning a prayer to ward those creatures away... or piss them off enough to show themselves.


11:15, Today: Iron Jubei rolled 11 using 1d20+5.  Religion roll: warding prayer stuff!

The sudden swaying of the world caught Willa totally off guard.  With a pained squeak, she doubled over and seemed to deflate uncomfortably.  Although there was no visible regurgitation, psychic essence spewed forth from her innards as she struggled to overcome her moment of weakness.

16:44, Today: Willa rolled 9 using 1d20+3.  Saving Throw - travel sickness.
ADVANTAGE:
06:55, Today: Willa rolled 7 using 1d20+3.  Saving Throw 2 - Travel Sickness Returns!
This message was last edited by the player at 06:55, Wed 02 Dec 2015.

"I hate unnatural things!!" She couldn't help but scream as the voices and vertigo assaulted her. "Thats sounds like the plan!! Don't stop okay?" With her hate and fear boosting her determination she pushed herself to go forward.



OOC:
22:42, Today: Keela rolled 2,19 using 1d20+1,1d20+1 with rolls of 1,18.  Con. saving throw (advantage). Taking 19
22:46, Today: Keela rolled 22 using 1d20+9 with rolls of 13.  Nature check.

    Though quick Jubei's prayers are not without fervour and even in the thickness of the fog he could feel power well up inside him and radiate outwards, Drex was still recovering from the nausea so to him it went unnoticed though Amare frowned for a moment then looked over at Jubei and shrugged.
[Iron Jubei's prayer allows him to grant Advantage to a single check made by either himself or another until the end of the challenge.]

  With a more tangible fear to drive her Keela managed to keep the party on the road for a while even at the rush they were moving at.  Despite their haste it did not seem like the fog was clearing up though it was not hard to realize that it was often difficult to realize the boundary of a fog while one was inside it.  Even so there was a dreadful sense, aided by the distant voices and the shifting shadows out in the fog, that you were being followed - or worse - hunted...

Things looked tough. But that was the way things had been for Keela since she started her travels and that was not going to stop her now!! She knew she just needed to stop the treat before it was upon them and deal with it. Adrenaline pumping on her blood helped her push her senses and her experience did its work on on trying to keep her on the road.
"I think we might have company... Lets disappoint them." She shouted back. Wishing the others heard her as she continued to guide them.

OOC:
22:31, Today: Keela rolled 24 using 1d20+9.  perception.
To find what was stalking them.
22:31, Today: Keela rolled 27 using 1d20+9.  Nature check.
Stay in the road.

As Willa's stomach settled, her inquisitive mind returned.  This fog was very interesting!  She suddenly found herself wishing she could stay and learn more about it.  It was like her rod and so Vito's arm too.  That meant it could be a curse - one of her favourite subjects!  But her friends really wanted to leave and, remembering what she had read before, perhaps that was the sensible thing to do.  Still she wished she could do more, like maybe taking some of the fog with her!  To study later?  Or just...to have?  Such a shame she didn't have a pot, jar or flask she could grab some in...

"Uh," Willa spoke up, "Mr Phelan, Sir?  Drex, Iron Jubei, Keela, or Amare?  Does have something empty that Willa can use?  With a lid!  Oh!  Friend Amare can to make a jar?  Should to be air-proof."

As she waited hopefully, she pondered more on the fog.  If it was some sort of curse, it was a strange one.  She thought all curses were magical, but already knew that the fog wasn't cast by a spell.  All she did know were the random snippets she'd read in the village before.  And those were weird.  Like they had been written by a crazy person.  She shrugged and decided to focus more on what she could hear now than what she had seen earlier.  Perhaps she could understand what the voices wanted?

11:31, Today: Willa rolled 12 using 1d20+2.  Willa's Insight - voices' intent?
This message was last edited by the player at 11:36, Sun 06 Dec 2015.

Jubei furrowed his brows at the suggestion of getting a jar for Willa, but then shook his head. "I'm not sure how that would help us... but okay... we have to double time it though.", he rumbled, given that the brief pause to make that jar would cost them valuable time to get through this fog.

Thankfully though, Jubei was pretty big, which would allow him to pick up either Phelan or Willa... or both, so they could get through the fog at a faster pace.


17:05, Today: Iron Jubei rolled 19 using 1d20+3.  Athletics roll: Because I fucked the first one.

    Willa had not even finished speaking when a small glass jar with a top which had an overlap ring around its edge attached to a screw to seal it tightly, shimmered into existence with before Willa.  "That is as much as I can come up with." Amare said as he quickly explained how the lid worked followed by Willa taking her fog-sample though it was a bit hard to tell how much she got inside the jar.

  Grabbing his companions and hurrying the rest along, Jubei followed Keela who was just ahead of his radiantly glowing blade. 

  "I think I know what is so strange about this fog." Amare spoke even as he huffed from the jog they were moving at.  "It's very similar to the manifestation haze which accompanies not just psychic powers but pretty much any sort of conjuration."

Willa recoiled in horror as Iron Jubei tried to grab her.  The message, received loud and clear, shocked the little oozling into hurrying along. Unfortunately, she was so flustered that she forgot just how much faster than anyone else she was and ended up constantly tugging and pulling against the rope.  Like a leashed puppy.

17:53, Today: Willa rolled 16 using 1d20+3.  Athletics - taking the ooze for a walk?
Just a roll to see how much Willa pulls on the rope as she tries to appease Iron Jubei
This message was last edited by the player at 18:00, Tue 08 Dec 2015.

Drex just caught his breath before the group made their way deeper into the fog. "Now that was unpleasant it I say so myself." Double checking the tightness of the rope as he follows the group. "I think I heard something about mystical,psychic,conjuration fogs..." Drex said as they continued deeper. "I'll let you know if I remember anything."

14:43, Today: Drex rolled 17 using 1d20+1.  History check, myths and legends about mystical fog.

15:11, Today: Drex rolled 23 using 1d20+10.  Perception check. (If I'm alowed more than one role this turn, if not ignore this roll)

Jubei gave a nod as he did not pressure Willa further, it was after all enough to remind her of the urgency of their... situation. His gaze briefly turned to Amare, although his attention lingered. "So this mist is... made by someone? Can we dispell or banish it somehow?", he snarled, as his gaze was stuck on the road, making sure that they would not stray from it in their hurry.


20:36, Today: Iron Jubei rolled 19 using 1d20+8.  Perception Roll: Keeping way.

"You just don't want t know... but I can almost assure you... WE are being hunted, played by this things..." She couldn't help but let her indignation show on her voice as she led them. The toll of her task and making sure they where not about to be ambushed was showing. But she wasn't about to quit just now.

OOC:
21:58, Today: Keela rolled 25 using 1d20+9.  Nature check.
21:57, Today: Keela rolled 22 using 1d20+9.  perception.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:11, Thu 10 Dec 2015.

    Daylight blinded you as suddenly you came rushing out of the fog.  The bright blue sky and the warm sunlight was a bit much to take in for a moment but a welcome relief after what had seemed like an endless trek through the strange gloom.   The edge of the fog went on for miles to the north and south, skirting or hugging the low hills within it which had now become long foothills leading up to the cloud enshrouded Rossa, or Red, mountains to the north and to the south the fog disappeared into the great forests which lay between the mountains, down the coasts and surrounded Orestes and the mountains to the north of that city.

  Looking back at the fog nothing of the sinister shapes could be seen and the voices now seemed little more than the whistling of the winds amidsts the crags of the hills.  Perhaps you had never been in as much danger as you had believed? the thought crossed your mind.

Skill Challenge -- Into the Fog...Completed

Wealth Reward: 1 Fame, 1 Fortune
Experience Reward: Each Player receives 150 Experience Points.

The visible parts of Willa's gelantious body erupted into brilliance as she stepped into the glorious sunlight of a beautiful day.  However, it took her a few moments to realise they'd escaped the meteorological phenomenon.  Still driven by her shock from Iron Jubei's actions, she continued to pull and tug against the cord after the others had stopped.  Eventually she realised that she was no longer moving forward, paused and looked around uncomprehending, as though waking from a deep sleep.

"Oh!" she exclaimed at the sight of the fog wall behind her.  A little surprised but also, perhaps, a little disappointed. "Is out?  Friends okay?  Willa okay."  She surveyed the rest of the environment.  "Where is?"

A sudden shine almost blinded her as they finally reached the end of the mist. In a reflex she had swiped the air before her with one of her daggers a couple of times before her eyes adjusted. Once she was feeling *safe* she turned back and with irritated eyes from too much effort looked from where they had been. The voices a faint, almost like if they had been just a passing nightmare.

"I don't know and I don't know" She answered the last two of Willa's questions without turning as she inspected the *wall*. Almost expecting it to open and whatever is inside to reach them. "But we shouldn't stay here long." Only the dragons know exactly what this is. She tried to move forward but was reminded of the rope when it suddenly stopped her.

"It would seem that we are all okay Will." Drex said as he too looks back at the fog. "I do recall stories of places shrouded in fog... The Accursed City is one of them, lest hope its not hunting us. Because if it is, we are surly doomed. The island of Appirga is the other one..." Keela was right, they have a joinery to complete and standing here is will not accomplish that. Loosening the rope around his waist he remembers something Willa mentioned while they were in the fog. "Willa, did you not say that your rod reacted to the fog?"

Jubei gave a snort as they stumbled out the fog and was promptly blinded, but that soon turned into a sigh of relief as the large quadrupedal dragonblood looked around and gave a nod, before he went out around and help the others undo the rope around their waists again, if they needed help with doing so that is.
"Hmm... yes, I think we have a bit of spare time to ... reflect on what happened there now. This fog was clearly unnatural."

Willa slipped out of the rope tied around her waist with such casual ease it was as if it never held her in the first place.  Indeed, it seemed like she had forgotten it even existed as the loop fell to the floor apparently of its own volition.

She turned to look as Drex ponderously and shrugged.  "Is like rod but also not."  She gently waved her rather unsettling implement around.  "Fog no curse.  Arm demon from Appirga.  Maybe is demon fog?  Like clouds in Kyssea?  Fog and rod res, uh, res-on-ate? Like friends maybe?" She reached into her pack to take the small pot from inside, but came out with the Guild badge instead.  After a puzzled paused she waved it about, "maybe can to ask Musthavealonelyass..?"

    The fog seemed to be moving away from the adventurers, moving eastwards, following the steady wind which gusted from time to time though it was mainly a soft breeze.

  Morrey took the opportunity to take off from Drex's shoulder giving a loud kaw as he did so, circling overhead.

  Amare was looking over at the fog, then at the mention of Willa's rod he seemed to catch himself and asked "Resonance?" then, his brow furrowed, turned to Drex asking "Accursed City? Appirga? What happened?  I remember Appirga had somehow fallen near the end of the war-" Amare shook himself. "I mean, Kendal's memories recall the Capitol having fallen to some kind of sorcery but I would think after a few centuries it would have been reclaimed and rebuilt.  Appirga was the greatest city in the Isles, it resisted the undead's siege until almost the end of the War and it had housed millions.  There was more magic put on that one city than anywhere else in Isles, the Grand Alchemists themselves built most of it.  How is it possible for such a place be cursed?" Amare's seemed both confused and concerned.

Jubei furrowed his brows a little, probably as he scoured through his mind for what he knew about Appirga. After maybe a minute he gave a snort and nodded. "It is cursed alright. And it has been for long enough that the dangers present on it have fallen into myth and legend again and again. Its sweet siren call of treasure and knowledge have lead... expeditions by my people into their doom time and again. Most of the time they never return, but those who do have... withered. In body and mind. I have seen one of them myself, once a proud warrior, not unlike yours truely. He left with nearly a hundred others. Only two made it back and he had become a geriatric wreck, his mind broken and forced to relive the horrors he witnessed. That those who die there, will not stay dead, their bodies stolen by those that came before them, leaving their maddened spirits to wander the isle. And that's just scratching the surface of Appirga's story, its said that there are demons and even worse nesting within the city itself. I'm sure when we are back in Galdion, you can find a scholar to tell you the full story.", the paladin ended the grisly elaboration and stared after the fog that slowly drifted off frurther into the distance.

20:28, Today: Iron Jubei rolled 13 using 1d20+5.  History roll: Because I felt it proper. .
This message was last edited by the player at 19:45, Wed 16 Dec 2015.

    Amare looked utterly taken aback by what he heard from Jubei then frowned as he said "That is frankly horrifying.  I had hopped that through some act of heroism we might have had a chance to access the Eye of Truth but that now seems a distant, shattered fantasy." he sighed.  "My quest just became much, much harder." looking rather defeated the man walked on ahead, keeping a bit of distance now between himself and the rest of the party.  It was clear he wanted to be alone with his thoughts for now.

  The day wore on as the landscape continued to slope and just after nightfall you arrived at a small village amongst the foothills of the Argentis mountains, or the Silver mountains as the common folk called them.

  While staying at the inn you found one interesting traveller spending the night there as well.  You saw him as you entered the common room of the in, a great deep brown behemoth of scales rawn over taut sinew which rippled at every movement of his gigantic body the musadi dominated the room with mostly its long tail and lay curled up against the wall and ceiling  for which even Jubei had to hunch over not to bump his head into.  As scantily clad as most musadi this one wore what looked like an apron at least a dozen buttoned pockets upon it some small - that is to say small for the musadi's more-than-Phelan-sized hands - and others as large as big sacks.
  After you had arranged to spend the night at the inn the great serpent was right behind you, for the most part it was difficult to see the hooded head from beneath the wall of his stomach but the thick hissing tones carried well enough.  He introduced himself as Big Bilby, he laughed as you all reacted to the unusual, and surprisingly pronounceable name.  He explained that is was an assumed name, as his actual musadi name was about three times longer and would make your short tongues flail in an embarrassing fashion.
  Bilby said he was a traveling trader, in search of rare and unusual items, particularly relics and artefacts from decades and centuries or even millennia past.  If you had any items of interest he was willing to trade for either some extra items he had that might interest you or pay you in Federation Ducats or pure Polorica if you had something of particular interest to him.

[Basically you can buy rare magic items from this guy or trade in magic items for Akonix - that's the stuff Federation Ducats are mostly made out of.]

Willa felt she should add what she had learnt to Iron Jubei's information.  When Amare seemed a bit more approachable, she cautiously approached him and added her own titbits of knowledge.  Perhaps something she knew could give him some glimmer of hope?  "Uh, friend Vito say Appirga attacked by Lich, Phazion.  But Lich Phazion beaten.  So Lich Phazion cursed Appirga with Nemesis.  Also, friend Mardigras - who Willa not seen for a while and wonder where is - say lands being made sick."

On the road, she wondered about this 'Eye of Truth' thing that Amare had mentioned.  It sounded like something straight out of a story book!

13:06, Today: Willa rolled 24 using 1d20+4.  History - The eye of what-now?
Sooo that'll be a natural 20 :P

At the inn, she apologised to the giant Musadi explaining that she was most happy with the items she had recently obtained and proudly showed them to him.  She did wish that they could be friends though!  And maybe trade in the future?

"Willa wonder where to find Big?  Is always at inn, or also travels around?"

This message was last edited by the player at 21:55, Mon 21 Dec 2015.

    Big Bilby said that he was traveling Aria for now but that he planned to make his way all across the Crystal Isles, visiting all the towns and cities - as well as any villages enroute - on each island.  He had recently rose from the deep into the harbour of Tolyn and headed toward Strine.  He spoke like he had a route worked out already for traveling the Isles but he did not wish to share it as he was wary of bandits and pursuit as he had already met with some brigands in mountain passes coming from Tolyn and he warned you to keep an eye out.  Some of them were simple barbarians others were very well organized and he had been fortunate to escape due to his many trinkets although he lamented that many a javelin had struck his tail and though the wounds had healed the phantom pain still lingered.

"We will keep that in mind...", Jubei said and gave a nod to the musadi before he turned to his companions. "It might be worth to try and clear those brigands out, if they get too uppity... and since they're on the way anyway." The paladin rumbled and leaned a little back. His large lower body pretty much in place of a chair or bench, it worked just as well.

Willa looked sympathetically at the Musadi's tail.

She had experienced a lot of abuse at the hands of bullies in her time, but none had left any lasting damage and she was quite tiny.  These brigands had not only hurt Big, but his tail still hurt!  They must have been really nasty to have injured him so badly.  Imagine what might have happened to someone smaller!

"Poor Big's tail.  Still hurting?  Maybe to feel better if give nasty brigands payback lesson?  No to worry.  Iron Jubei will give what for.  With Willa's help of course!"

    Bilby was touched by Willa's concern and told her he would be alright eventually though he did add that you all should be were on the roads near Tolyn.  You had noticed that caravan's you saw traveling in that direction tended to have quite a few guards and some scouts.

  After an evening well spent in the inn's common room you retired for the night and while sleep was not to difficult to achieve you were disturbed by nightmares of being lost somewhere in an endless fog and you weren't alone in there.  Something was stalking you.  Watching you just out of sight and when you shot awake as whatever it was caught up to you there was that terrifying moment between sleep and awareness of something out of place in your room.  Only for it to be dispelled a moment later by the almost silent sirens of insects, or the distant cries of some animal.  The darkness was a welcome companion against the greyness of the fog.

  On the road early the next morning Amare seemed in better spirits than he had been the day before.  Though he seemed far more interested in asking each of you a bit about the world, where you had come from your history, nothing terrible intimate he simply wanted to see how different the world was from what he knew from his now centuries old memories.

[Those who want to share a little of their background or explore it a little are welcome to do so here for a post or two, feel free the break the usual posts-per-day limits and respond to each other post's if you like really take the chance to build or setup stuff about your character either for yourself or for others.]

Willa was both happy and wary when Amare asked about her.

"Umm...Amare want to know Willa's life?  Hmm.  Okay.  Willa guess can do, but is not very interesting." She shuffled nervously from side to side as she took time to decide exactly what she would and should not recount.  "Willa, uh...born?" She paused on the word, not really sure whether it applied to her or not, that bouncily shrugged it off as though it didn't matter.  "Two and a half years old is. Lived first Galdion.  Big city with Big Magicademy.   Willa not begin in 'cadamy, but move to there.  Good foods!  Much psionics.  But also teachings.  Willa not student.  Live in Walls.  Hiding and running lots from grumpy, old wizards.  But also learnings.  Listen lectures, watch classes, copy practicals.  Willa try magic, but not good at.  Much worster than students." The little oozling said shyly, embarrassed to admit it.

"But one day is strange practical.  In class Willa not go before.  Teacher talk 'bout curses, pacts and other powers.  Different, um, power source?  Was strange, but interesting.  Lots of fun pictures of fire, skulls and strange men-creatures with wings, claws and sharp teeths.  Willa liked.  Practical that day was to, um, make contact and, uh, contract."  She paused, not entirely happy with her phrasing, putting a pensive finger to her chin and she pondered.  "May be was not practical?  More like exam, or, or coursework?  Was needed young students to progress, not just to try.  If fail go other class, stay back year or gets kicked out from 'cademy.  Willa think depends on how much monies students parents have, may be?  Many fail.  Seem difficult even for best in class.  Teacher say success not 'bout talent, but 'bout being worthy.  'Bout source liking you.

Willa thought to try, like other times.  But think to fail even more.  No one like Willa.  Willa have no friends.  Never had.  So think source also to hate.  First Willa choose source to ask.  Thought to try all, but teacher tell class not possible.  Must choose one, others get angry if asked second or later.  Choice was simple for Willa, though.  Did like pictures of big angry wing men and fire, but loved beautiful distant, sparkling stars the most.  And test was so easy!  Willa not know why so hard for others.  Source came to Willa so quick!  Almost before all steps done.  So strange, but Willa so happy - get first ever friend!  Oracle so nice."  Willa clasps her hands together and looks wistfully up to the heavens before continuing.  "So friendly.  Not know why other students not to make friends with.  May be stupid?  Asking other source?  Not know.  Willa too happy to worry.  Have friend at last!  Willa so lucky an umbrean!

"Afterwards Willa talk Oracle lots.  Always listen.  Not just first friend, but best friend!  Also bestest teacher!  Helps Willa to learn.  Grumpy old wizards no hold candle to.  So Willa learn fast.  Become magic powerful.  Soon to be better than oldest students.  No more to learn from 'cademy and good foods not enough to keep Willa happy anymore.  So Willa leave.  Follows roads.  Tries to make friends, but no find.  Then comes to 'venturer's house.  Full of interesting peoples.  Willa stays.  Wants to be part of club too.  Sees new peoples getting potion and badge-thing.  So Willa take...uh...Willa becomes part of club too!  Then story of problem in Kyssea and so Willa go to help.  Is 'venturer now afterall.

"So Willa follow other venturer's.  Keeps distance, stays small.  Not want others unhappy.  But others ambushed by skeletons!  Willa not let club members to get hurt, so rushes to help.  But 'venturers too strong.  Willa should no have doubted.  Kill all stupid undeads before Willa gets to help.  So Willa stand stranded and exposed.  Must to say hi - expect lots of anger, shouting, throwed things.  Normal stuff.  But no.  'venturers accept Willa.  Become new friends to Willa.  Willa shocked but also happiest umbrean!"  She grinned the widest smile she could and looked at the others, starry eyes and enamored.  "Willa not to think other would ever like her.  But not true.  There be goods people and Willa finds more!

So stuff happens.  Kyssea saved and Willa and Willa friends meet Amare and Keela.  Goes on new 'venture!  Goes on many new 'ventures!  Beats many nasty things.  Saves world.  Becomes heroes!

"Uh...unless puddlifies first..."  The oozling whispered quietly to herself.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:33, Sun 27 Dec 2015.

Jubei listened with genuine interest to Willa's story and he quite noticeably raised a brow when she mentioned becoming friends with the Oracle. If he had been a local he might even have known who that refers to, but as it stood...

"I will have to admit that I did not expect something like that when I first saw you. Though the way you called down... pure radiance, made it very quickly clear that you were special.", the big kaetyma chuckled after the goopling had finished.

"My own story is... I suppose you could see it as the other side of that. I was a squire to a grumpy old paladin.", he chortled and shook his head as he reclined to reminiscence. "Khan Gerel was a great man however. He stood above the... usual quarrels of my kind. As you may know, my people on Muatal are... warlike to say the least. Until the Musadi resurfaced they commited regular raids on the Crystal Isles for loot and... bragging rights. And there's a number of people who haven't forgotten that either, as evidenced by our visit to Strine."

He let out a low sigh and took a swig of his drink. "I can understand them though. For... those in charge, war is more of a contest, a way to establish a pecking order. Those with the most victories, the most loot, would have a greater claim to becoming Great Khan. Gerel though would have none of that. During my time with him, I learned that most people cared more about not having their homes burned down, rather than how much gold someone they barely get to see managed to rack up."

"I guess that makes it kind of ironic that I am here to find a way to break that cycle. By finding the greatest treasure there was to dragonkind.", he muttered then and gave a shrug, leering down at his empty mug.

    Amare listened to your tales with genuine interests and though he said he was tempted to tell of his own origins, he admitted that he'd have to explain it as a parable and that might only serve to confuse you all more about him.  "I guess if you really want to know where I am from I'd say you could call my home the Transcend.  Think of it as being located on the far side of the Immaterial Beyond. As the moon lies upon the far side the sky." was all he volunteered on the subject as he gestured to the faint half-moon which hung low in the mid-morning sky with his free right hand.

The Narayah raised an eyebrow slightly at Amare's description.  However he said nothing until the male finished before beginning to talk, his voice sounding distant. "I still can't believe how long it's been. ... Originally the Crystal Isles was a singular island, Ursang. A little over three thousand years ago, I was writing a paper explaining how the various energies of the world worked, and how different Sophonts could use them. All of us utilise it in some way."

He shook his head. "I disgress. I doubt you wish to hear about that, it was... Extensive. Over three thousand years ago, before the island broke up, the Narayan people were well-established. I was a recent graduate from the Narayan Academy, a full Bejpsef-Pedjmeag. Or... 'Gearcaster' in the common tongue. I studied both machine and magic, and was able to combine the two. I still am able to do so, although the pristine materials of the past are no longer so easily found."

He took a breath, then continued. "I had a fairly normal childhood. Ursang was beautiful and our city luxurious by current standards. I wanted to learn how to make things even better. We had limitless magical energy at our clawtips, what else could we do with it? So I went to the Academy, graduated, and was set to improve my status to more than just a worker. I wanted to create new things to improve our society further."

His voice, having grown more exited as he spoke, suddenly became subdued. "But... The Cataclysm happened. We... Left. When we came back, three thousand years had passed for the word, although it was almost like we had just woken up from a sleep. Our home, our cities, destroyed. Everything was gone. The Ulh blamed us for what happened to Ursang. Our lands were now in the control of beings who, when we had last seen them, were using excrement to build their own huts. It was barely a season since we've returned, and we have had to adapt very quickly to our new world. At least our alliance with the Musadi remained intact."

He trailed off a bit, his eyes distant. "The worst part is? It was like we had just experienced it. We remember what it was like when the cataclysm happened. We were there. At the heart of it. It's why the Ulh hold us to blame for what happened. Most of our society consisted of civilians, can you imagine the sheer terror and despair as our world was falling apart around us?" He cut himself off before continuing, taking a deep breath.

"I'm... Sorry. I got carried away. Suffice to say, the world has changed in the last three millenia. I am lucky that my skills are still of use in this new world; I have had to adapt them however." He gave a light chuckle. "It's very bizarre though. So many people thought we were myth, fairytale. It's been humorous to watch their reactions upon actually meeting us."

He looked at Amare, his eyes piercing. "The Transcend... Another world? How did you, or rather, how did Kendal get there?"
This message was last edited by the player at 15:24, Thu 31 Dec 2015.

    With a distant look, as if his gaze was turned to a different scene than that which lay before him, Amare said "I remeber your homeland, through Athum, and I remember it's breaking through him as well.  The view from his crater was spectacular to say the least.  Though he had only known you people in aeons past, his memories are clear though few in number with immense gaps in between them." he focused again and looked at Phelan "Kendal did many things to save his home from the scourge of the undead, he did not even begin to grasp exactly how he had managed what he had done and what we know, what I know now  though considerably more than what he did it still doesn't give an entirely satisfactory answer to me. But-" Kendal shrugged "-to answer your question, Kendal made use of the Conduits, like the one at Nizamean to try and understand what he had become through his union with the colossus Athum and in so doing learned of our existence though he never managed to contact us directly because he never found a solution to the aperture problem.  Although someone clearly did and that is how I came to be here." Amare finished.

Jubei stared, blinked and generally looked somewhere between fascinated, confused and dumbfounded. Suuuure, he had a rough understanding of what happened with the Narayah, though he had not expected that Phelan had been 'there'. That kind of surprise was well visible in the look that he gave him too.

Though it again turned to confusion as Amare embilished on his story and he could only shake his head. "Those are names I haven't heard before. Athum, Nizamean. And Athum even was a collossus... that Kendal somehow had a union with? I don't have to emphasise that I have trouble to... understand this. I thought giants kept to themselves? That we saw one in Strine was already fortuitous."

    Furrowing his brow for a moment Amare then responded with "Ah!  I can see how you might be confused, the giants and the colossi are about as much related to one another as yourself Jubei, and Phelan are by blood." Amare sighed a little resigned "Those of us, that is to say my kind from the Transcend, created the colossi as instruments of our will within this plane."

"As for Kendal's union with Athum, it is yet another mystery I do not yet fully understand." Amare looked over at Drex, "I should however note that I have what you would call family alive and well, right here.  Drex, you and all your kind are more directly my descendants then anyone else here."
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:29, Wed 06 Jan 2016.

"How so?" Drex asked Amare, then taking another spoonful of stew. The travailing made Drex very hungry, and the warm food seems to calm him. He seems content at the moment.

  "Your kind are the result of Athum's blood joining with another creature specifically unicorns.  Their more spiritual nature would have allowed them to survive contact with his blood." Amare said then gestured to his palm.  "The curious, soft, glass-like nodules you have in your hands and feet are attempts to form the organ that constitutes the core of my being."

"Though I would never suggest you come into contact with my blood or that of a giant for the sake of your own health." he shuddered "What giant's blood can turn you into does not bare thinking about."

As Amare spoke, Phelan had his journal out and was taking notes in his mother tongue. "That's... Actually rather illuminating. Some of the League had been curious as to the origins of the Deseekay; they weren't around before the Cataclysm as far as we know." His eyes narrowed slightly at Amare as the 'man' mentioned glass nodules. The knowledge the man had and his descriptions... It was interesting.

"That is fascinating... also I'll keep in mind to be careful with where I put my hands, should I need to heal you.", Jubei chortled a little in response to Amare's elaboration. "So... how come that you're... inhabiting a human body and yet have that kind of blood without it affecting... your body?"

Willa dropped in and out of listening to the conversation the others were having as her attention, like always, skittered from one thought to another.  As such, she thought she had grasped the main gist of what was being said though it was somewhat confusing.  As far as she could tell, Amare was explaining how he was apparently constructed from stuff found between Drex's fingers and toes - presumably after a long walk in a muddy field or some intensive manual labor?  Apparently this was possible because Drex himself was some sort of  unicorn.  She didn't know a lot about them.  They featured a lot in fairy tales!  She recalled stories of horses coming to the aid of fair maidens and whisking them away from the clutches of evil.  That certainly sounded like something Drex might do.  He was very heroic after all.

It led to the inevitable question - what else could Drex make?  Amare was able to conjure things out of thin air, after all.  Did he use Drex's finger-stuff for that?   Perhaps she'd ask later when the others had finished their conversation and assuming she remembered.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:35, Mon 11 Jan 2016.

    Favouring Jubei with a shrug Amare said "Honestly, I have no idea why my body isn't fashioned after Athum's.  But from what I've seen so far in my own examinations his flesh was dying and had become diseased something that should not be possible.  Our creations were designed to be eternal so I would suspect whoever aided in opening the way back in Kyssea might have unintentionally, or otherwise, have tampered with Athum and Kendal's corpse." he sighed as he gave a look at the back of one of his hands.  "Oh but don't threat its not a sickness that will kill me or threaten anyone else, it's just another thing that will take time to adjust.  Much like everything else on this expedition."

"If I could find an Instrument of Creation that would synergize perfectly with my other Instrument."  Amare held up his dark, off-crimson staff.  "Once it's finished anyway, I still have a lot of refinement to do on it.  Much like this body!" he chuckled. Then remembering himself "As for my blood, you shouldn't be in any danger, as I am in control of it.  It will not interact with anything unless I instruct it to nor would it be immediately lethal if it somehow did, I will write down what you would need to fashion the anti-toxin for it once we make camp again if I am not around to help you with it."

"... Impressive historical knowledge, partially from the ability to take in the memories of others. Knowledge of the Portals. Of... What happened." Phelan was murmuring quietly to himself before his brows came together in an almost audible snap as his eyes shone with clarity. He slipped in his native Narayan tongue, unintelligible to the others as the typically smooth tone grew slightly strained, his words coming rapid-fire at Amare.

    Caught by surprise Amare's short brow furrowed in concentration, a smile spread across his face and he burst out laughing. He stopped walking for a moment, causing the party to pause as the man almost howling from the laughter and he bent forward a bit.  As he recovered a bit he spoke but with a few interspersed chuckles "You know Phelan if I wasn't telepathic I would have had no idea what you had just asked, but to answer you, no I am not.  If I had been the opening at Kyssea would have been utterly unnecessary.  No the Denizens of the Deep Spaces are strange even to my kind though admittedly they made us aware of your existence by their motions through the Transcend.  As you are curiosities to us so even we are to them."

Phelan blinked, then grinned wryly. "You have no idea how much a relief that is. That could have made travelling a bit awkward. I can discuss other theories with you later." As he relaxed, Amare's other words came to him and he nodded. "Those notes on an anti-toxin would be useful. I was taught how to brew at the Academy so with the notes I should be able to synthesize an anti-toxin if it becomes needed."

Drex finished his leftover stew while listened to Amare and Phelan as they were traveling down the road. He didn't feel like talking so kept an eye out for any possible ambushes.

12:45, Today: Drex rolled 20 using 1d20+10.  Perception check.

"This is kind of quite a lot to take in at once.", Jubei muttered and leaned back as he slightly shook his head and rubbed over his long nasal bone. "But it's valuable insights anyway... good to know that you can.. somehow control your blood. So there's that at least.", he chuckled deeply and gave a rumble as he too started to look around. "Guess we should start keeping an eye out for those bandits now."

  Morrey squawked from overhead as he came to land on Drex's shoulder.  Amare had turned to look up at the sky. "Yes, it is."

  Remaining ever watchful as you approached the mountains you passed through villages less frequently, and they were also much larger and had walls of wood and stone.  The one they spent the night in particular, had what the locals called a castle but it was a small, squat, blocky building with a lone tall tower rising out from one of its northernmost corner while the others had simple turrets.  It was also quite apparent that the stonework had been built upon, patched and reworked many times.
  The villagers were pleasant enough, in spite of the fortifications or maybe because thereof, as they greeted you with either word or nod as you passed and Jubei managed only a few leers and scowls rather than the usual angry glares and occasional curses that he's had to endure since Strine.

  The night at the inn was almost unremarkable save for a few tales told of a local legend which seemed to have everyone of the locals attention that night, the Dreadknight.
[See the Lore article on the Dreadknight for some details.]

    The very next day as you made your way into the low mountains of the pass which would lead you in the long snaking valley of Tolyn, Willa stopped for a moment seemingly lost in thought as she looked entranced upon a lone peak  which jutted out from the mountain range like the curved talon of some fossilized beast tearing at the low clouds.

Willa looked about the area in confusion, trying to make sense of what she was...remembering?  Maybe?  She wasn't sure, but this place seemed familiar.  Disorientated, she couldn't tell whether she was walking the same way as her vision, or in the opposite direction.

She dropped to the floor and started crawling about, scrabbling at the ground, searching for something. "Was umbreans.  So many.  Exodus, maybe? Is danger?  Or some place?"

Was it a memory?  Or a dream?  A portent of things to come?  She wasn't sure, but felt that it was either important now, will be or had been.

21:50, Today: Willa rolled 8 using 1d20+2.  Perception - Scratched it?
Looking for Darken markings

Derx regards Willa as she crawling about, scrabbling at the ground. He then looks to the others questioningly.

Could this be one of Willa's moments again or is this something of worth, most likely the former then the latter, Drex thought to himself. But the quicker we get this over with the better.

So Drex asked Willa: "What are you looking for, did you drop something? If you tell us maybe we could help you find it. And what is this now about an umbreans exodus?"

Willa started at Drex's questions as she suddenly remembered that she wasn't alone.  Remembering how secret the Darken signs were meant to be, she panicked a little and blurted out a quick explanation that she hoped would be enough.

"Uh uh, um, Willa, uh, see something. Like memory or dream or vision and think maybe has been here before in previous life?  Was many many umbreans.  Willa think should be happy.  Never with one umbrean before.  Now with so many!  But instead felt scared.  Not for Willa but for something else.  Seemed like umbreans were going far away. For good maybe?  Willa wonder if leaving old home, so look for tracks.  Many umbreans make many tracks.  But tracks long gone.  Or not even made yet?"

As she recovered, something suddenly occurred to her.

"If umbreans did leave maybe bandits be there?"

Jubei furrowed his brows as he followed Willa's... elaboration. "Well, I'm not sure if we're going to find those Umbreans by standing around. Bandits however... well, they will find us if we keep in the open like this long enough.", he gave a grim chuckle and crossed his arms before his chest, seemingly unimpressed by the notion of bandits. After all... they had faced greater dangers than cutthroats already and prevailed as well. "But if you want to look for them, maybe we can help?"


19:00, Today: Iron Jubei rolled 14 using 1d20+8.  Perception assistance if Willa wants to look again.

  The area was rugged and well traveled if there had been any umbreans passing through recently the criss crossing of travelers and caravans would have all but destroyed the tracks for any but the most seasoned of trackers.

  Besides that there were no peculiar signs to the area and even as Willa looked back towards the mountain which had drawn her attention before she felt nothing particular towards it any further, no drive to visit or flee from it.  Only the memories of what she had seen not so long ago drifted in her mind slowly melting away like faint shadows on the wall from scrutiny of a lamp.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:22, Fri 22 Jan 2016.

Willa was shocked by Iron Jubei's ambivalence towards the bandits and, for once in her life, actually angry with him.  She glared at and chastised him with her arms flung outward behind her back.

"Iron Jubei!"  She reprimanded, sounding like a mother scowling her child.  "Bandits hurt Big's tail!  Others too.  Need to be made to stop!  Are bad people.  Willa and Friends should to help! Is right thing.  No maybe.  Just do."

Jubei was... suprised by Willa's vehemence towards him and raised a hand in a reassuring manner. "Yes, I know. They need to be stopped. However, we don't exactly have many leads in that regards and this area isn't exactly... accessible.. to my kind at least. We barely know it, while they probably know it like the back of their hand. We'll be hard pressed to find them, unless we make them find us instead. And others will only take their place anyway.", he said and then shook his head. "But that said, you are right. We should knock some sense back into them, that should give the traders a bit of a breather for a while."

Really Drex thought to himself. "Please don't tell me that we are going to hunt bandits. I really think that is a bad idea. And anyway that is not why we are here, if you can remember." Drex looks towards the mountain as he said this.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:41, Mon 25 Jan 2016.

Willa turned to Drex.  She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"But..." She held back a sniffle, "Willa thought Drex and friends good people.  Want to help others less strong.  Also, what if...what if Drex, or friend of, or loved one of gets hurt by bandits.  Or Worse.  How Drex feel then?  Could stop here and now.  Before more worse happens."

"Also why is here?  Willa remember why is here!  Here to help friend Iron Jubei!  Here. To. Help.  Not see why not also help others."

The little oozeling sulkily folded her arms across her chest and turned away from Drex, gaze boring a hole in the floor a few feet in front of her,
This message was last edited by the player at 16:59, Mon 25 Jan 2016.

Jubei grimaced a little, before he let out a deep sigh. "Willa, listen, even if we could find these bandits. Taking them out would at best be a temporary solution, they are a symptom of a troubled system. Nobody robs others just because they want to. The very same system that spawned them will make more. And as it stands, we hardly have the means to make such grand changes. It is the same thing with my people, many do what they do because our traditions say so. But either way, we won't be able to change anything if we just stand here... so shall we move on?"

"Yes we should. And Willa remember the Tale of the Dreadknight will always make the bandits on the road think twice before they attack anyone. If we do come upon someone in need we will aid them or if it is bandits we will act accordingly." Drex hopes this might calm Willa down.

"Willa not know Dreadknight." The little oozeling spoke reflectively for a moment, but quickly invoked her angry voice again.  "But know bandits not be bandits if not do bad things!  Bandits hurt Big's tail so no, not worry about Dreadknight-whatever-not-so-scary." She paused for a moment and then blurted out, "Or maybe Dreadknight also think bandits no important and so also let bandits free to do bad stuffs...

"Also also," she looked meaningfully at Iron Jubei, "Willa thought was someone's job to fight bad peoples.  Help the weak."

Deciding that she wasn't winning this argument (no matter how sure she was that she was in the right), Willa slammed down her visor and started powering off down the road,  kicking up shadows and moving at a pace the others would have trouble matching.  The black clouds, hellish skull-face and sinister studded armour making her look something like a miniature Dreadknight herself.

Its probably not important but, Willa is using Shadow Walk in anger.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:22, Tue 26 Jan 2016.

Phelan had remained rather quiet during the argument. As the Umbrean stormed off in anger, the Narayah looked up at Drex and Jubei, eyebrows raised. "Well then. How interesting. You do present a logical argument about the system breeding discontent and leading to banditry and violence. That's a logical conclusion to be drawn. In fact..."

He paused, letting his words hang in the air before continuing. "It's a conclusion I expected to be spoken by me, not either of you. My focus is on the mission, and while I do desire to help others out, if it is not reasonable feasible to do so due to longer-term problems, I will object. Consider, I only helped Kyssea because it was our mission. The girl was a secondary concern; had she not been immediately saveable, I would have removed her myself. Too many lives would have been lost, delaying with her in order to erect an attempt to save her. While I would have gone ahead with the plan to exorcise the demon, I would not have been happy about it as other innocent lives could be lost."

His usual quiet, but light, tone had grown very cold. He shook his head. "I expected better of both of you. Do your 'Gods' not expect you to help those in need? I was under the impression that you specifically, Iron Jubei, were meant to represent a paragon of good. A defender powered by the gods. Instead the both of you claim that it is a result of the system, one that you could be poised to help change. You talk about the 'Dreadknight', a tale with no verifiable proof behind it. You pass the buck to someone else. It may not be the responsibility of Willa and I, but is that the case with the two of you? For that matter, could you not investigate the bandits themselves to see if they might need assistance, which in turn could assist the town? Not all banditry is born out of need, it can also be born of greed. Of rebellion, both justified and not."

There was a smile on his face, but it had no warmth to it. His eyes were icy. "Perhaps if they permit this ambivalence, your 'Gods' are not as great as they are claimed to be. While I personally have no interest in attempting to fix the system on my own, I still would have investigated further and reported this to the Guild. You remember these, right?" He indicated the Guild badge he had. The same as the ones each of them, save Amare, possessed. Shaking his head again, he began following Willa at a more sedate pace.

"But that is just my opinion. Your "Gods" are meaningless to me if they see no issue with this. Even my ancestors would cry foul if I did nothing here. I don't know enough of the social structure to make a difference, nor are my skills in that area. But I would be interested in getting Willa to help me investigate. As for you two... Are you craven or are you callous?"

His voice floated to them as he continued moving away. "What will you do?" It had a mocking tone to it.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:26, Wed 27 Jan 2016.

The grimace that Jubei pulled seemed to say that the answer to Phelan's question would be "Strike you down." or something similar. But it lasted only for a few awfully long seeming moments before it cleared, but a stern expression remained.
"I will applaud you. You are right. My gods might be dead, but that does not free me of their judgement.", he sighed and looked to where Willa was rushing off to, before his gaze drifted over the land around. "I have... no. Nevermind. There is nothing that could excuse my lapse in duty. Lack of discipline is what made my people into the nomads they are. Let us find these bandits and bring them to their senses, be it with word or steel.", he spoke before he trudged off to follow Willa... lest she gets lost or something.

    Conversation winded down a great deal after that, with most of you either absorbed in your own thoughts or carefully scanning the countryside.
  As your path began cut between the hills and eventually the mountains the road became increasingly more rough and stretches of the usually closely compacted bricks gave way to dirt and rock clearly this route saw little use, nor did you pass through anymore villages or hamlets on the way it seemed now that you had thoroughly entered into the wilderness and as evening began to fall you realized that for the first time since the long night in Kyssea you would have to set up camp.

[You can roll a DC10 Nature check to find a suitable campsite (you can also take 10 if you'd rather not risk it) alternatively for each 5 points points your nature check is above 10 the better spot you'll find.  Furthermore you would set a watch so please outline the order and duration of each person's watch over the night.]

"Tread lightly Narayahn, do not assume you know anything about the desires of the Gods I worship. Or of my loyalties for that matter." Drex said with strain in his voice. "If they ask me to do something in accordions with their virtues I will do it without restraint. But be warned you are treading on a knifes edge between logic and blaspheme."

Drex moods suddenly changed, "Ah I found a spot we can set up camp, what do you think?" He said in a far lighter tone of voice than a moment ago. "I am willing to take the last watch."

13:20, Today: Drex rolled 10 using 1d20+5.  Nature check finding a camping spot.

    You settle in for the evening in a small rocky crag just off to the north of the road, it’s a little cramp and setting up a tent would be impossible but it would provide shelter from the elements regardless.  Only a few hardy grasses and bushes so shy of leaves as to seem dead dotted the crag otherwise loose dirt and rock was all else you could find upon the floor.  You quick fire provided warmth a warm dinner and some drink before you settled in for the evening.  In the stillness you discovered an unnerving feature of the crag.  You could very clearly hear the noises of the wilderness around you.  So much so that it felt almost like the yowls, cries and screams of gods-alone-knew-what were coming from nearby rather then from far away.  Morrey roosted up on a high out cropping of rock with a thick outgrowth of grass and Amare meditated on as comfortable a boulder as he could find, sitting legs crossed and his arms resting on his lap, his staff propped up against a wall nearby.
  As such rest was broken in fits and starts by sudden loud noises only for the one of you on watch to shake your head and point out that nothing was wrong.  The overcast sky and the perpetual howl of wind did not make matters much better and when morning came it was met with mean clicks, groans and grumbling.
  After breakfast you set out on the road again,  and before the sun had even risen a span over the hills of the western horizon you caught the smell of something foul on the wind.  As you walked it only grew worse until you stumbled across a gruesome sight.
  A dozen or so bodies of armed men, most dressed in loose hides and leather though some wore incomplete sets of plate and some chain mail shirts, each was armed with a sword and a shield, occasionally also some javelins or spears.  Their corpses were swollen and bloated from decay yet not a mark of injury was apparent nor a drop of blood was to be seen upon the earth.  There was no sign of any beasts or scavengers having come by to feast upon the dead in fact a calm and quiet was about the place that would befit a graveyard.  Some were human, others were doola yet all were men and though their bodies were coloured by death their skin was abnormally pale and their faces were drawn taught in fear as if they had died while consumed by an unspeakable terror.

Willa squeaked with surprise upon spotting the morbid collection of once-were-men and stepped back.  She said nothing and looked to the others for reassurance, or at least some sort of explanation.

Jubei had drawn his sword upon already smelling the stench. But once they came across those corpses, and the lack of an immediate danger, he sheathed it again. With heavy trudges he stepped up and closer to those corpses to investigate.
"I would be so bold and assume that these were bandits... some of them at least, given their... ramshackle equipment.", he rumbled as he looked over them. "I wonder if they fell victim to a fog similar to what we met along the road? They seem to have died of fright and that could fit the bill."
His gaze drifted over the bodies, and then the surrounding area, before he stepped back from the corpses and sat down, eyes closed. Trying to discern if their death was supernatural or... spiritual in nature.

17:49, Today: Iron Jubei rolled 21 using 1d20+5.  Religion check: A supernatural cause?

"Or it could be the Dreadknight..." Drex said as he moved closer, to inspect the gruesome seen from up close.

09:20, Today: Drex rolled 13 using 1d20+10.  Perception check, looking for more clues if any.

    Drex inspected the bodies near the road and he found little to explain to him what he saw, the degree of decay suggested that the corpses had been exposed to the elements for almost a full day if not more yet it was a bit odd that animals hadn't yet come by to eat the corpses or that no-one else had relieved the corpses of their belongings.  Perhaps they were the first travelers to pass here since this incident had happened?  They had not passed any travellers coming from Tolyn the day before and animals might avoid the roads.  As Drex bent down to touch one of the corpses, Morrey - who had been sitting on Drex's shoulder for a while now - bit Drex's ear and squawked at him loudly then said sharply "Don't touch it!"

  Weary, Jubei carefully took in his surroundings and filtered them through his teachings, he realized it wasn't just these bodies of the men around them which were dead. The grass, the scant brushes and a lone tree were equally as dessicated as the corpses.  Furthermore every body had their mouths open not in ways that suggested screams or crying but as if their last action had been to vomit.  Whatever had struck the live down in this area had done so, most likely, by drawing out their souls and quite possibly their spirits in the process.  A more heinous act Jubei could not imagine.

  Yet the question remained, what exactly had happened here and how?

  An eerie, cold wind blew down from the mountains, stirring the pale grass and the loose leaves.  Amare held his staff up, on guard and gazed about and hissed "What magic is this?"

Jubei silently recoiled with such revulsion that he nearly fell over backwards as his front seemed intent to get away much faster than his rear could react to. But he regained his composure and posture swiftly, still he seemed... shaken.
"The most foul of magics. The kind that poisons the land and steals soul and spirit alike. These men are beyond any help, not even a miracle could bring them back.", he stated and shook his head. "Whoever passed here must have been a master at manipulating life and death. Maybe... it was the Necrothurgist from Khyssia? He eluded us after all, maybe we have picked up his trail by sheer luck again? We should ask in the next town we come across if an Ehuron has passed through in the last few days."

Phelan examined the land, his face ashen even through the fur. "The life... It's all... It's all gone." He took a moment to try to collect himself, attempting to try to find any magical traces to help him; but his horror broke his concentration and he shook his head. "Willa... Can you detect any magical traces here?" He knew the Umbrean, despite her bubbly personality, seemed to possess a keen focus on magical detection. One that could help.

Instead he walked, carefully, around the corpses as he examined the scene of horror, grimacing in disgust. In his mind, the gears were turning as he tried to recall if these symptoms could be linked to any magics he had heard of in the past. The help of Jubei's knowledge provided extra information for him to use.

Detect Magic: 17 Arcana. Nope!
Analyze scene: 21 Arcana [take 10]

    Stepping carefully forward Amare held his staff at the ready yet was looking about the scene with a careful eye, trying to make sense of it all.  "I am not particularly familiar with the arcane arts but this place makes what you might call my spirit nervous as if something foul lingers here."

  Phelan could sense the presence of magic in the area and though he could not quite pick out its energy he felt the sense of it to some degree but he had some trouble even putting it into words in his own mind.  There was a fundamental wrongness to the magic which felt to Phelan like he was miscalculating, as if the variables, the elements of power about the magic were utter non-sense.
  Jubei was indeed correct, Phelan noticed the area was devoid of any of the sort of natural magic produced by spirits which could only imply that spirits were absent from the area.  Wrestling the soul from the dying was not unheard of though not the easiest thing to do.  Stealing it outright was difficult under even the best conditions and the spirit was even more troublesome almost impossible. It would be as if grasp at the vacuous void itself.

Willa was in a quandary.  More disturbed by her own thoughts than the site in front of her.  This seemed awfully familiar.  Not that she had seen anything like it before.  But she had been accused of it.  And not just her, but the entire umbrean race.  It was apparently one of the reasons why people were so nasty to her kind.  They believed them to be like vampires.  Sucking the life from those around them.

Seeing the dead expanse in front of her, she gained a little understanding of why people might not be particularly welcoming of her kind and why it could be so hard for her to make friends!  This wasn't how umbreans worked.  She was sure of that.  They were more like cleaners than anything.  Living off of the psychic energies that others flooded the world with.  She guessed people didn't know the difference.  So may be she should teach them!  Then everyone could be friends!  Also, from that perspective, maybe umbreans were even essential to life?  What would happen to the world if they weren't around to siphon the excess psychic energies away?  Would they just grow and grow?  Accumulate until the whole world was flooded and cause everyone to suffocate on them, or worse?

Willa shook her head.  Such musings were beyond her.  Big things were big and she was very small.

But this - it was something quite different.  Deadly and terrible.  Not that it meant that it was made by something evil.  Perhaps whatever did this had to do so just to survive.  Like the man that hunts?  Which made Willa wonder all the more: the hunter probably doesn't consider himself evil.  Doing what he must to feed himself and his family.  But what does the deer think?  Surely to them the hunter is very evil indeed!  After all he wants to kill them, eat their flesh, wear their skin and make gruesome objects from their bones.  Even mount their heads on his wall...

Willa was brought back from her musings by Phelan's question.  She was surprised that he was asking her about the arcane.  He was much better at it than she!  But perhaps he had also drawn some sort of connection between this and her umbrean physiology?  If so, she hoped he didn't think she could, or would, have anything to do with it!  At his request, the little oozeling opened her mind as best she could to the mystical powers around her.  She thought to find not the cause of whatever this was, but perhaps some lingering trail. Like the blood of the deer's carcass that the hunter dragged behind him...

17:34, Today: Willa rolled 20 using 1d20+7.  Arcana - Psychic Tracking?
This message was last edited by the player at 17:41, Fri 05 Feb 2016.

    Gather her wits about her, Willa's attention turned inward through the lense of strange psychic senses she carried as part of her umbrean heritage.

Willa blinked and shyly looked about.  "Willa, uh, Willa think thing went that way."  She lifted a stubby little arm and pointed down the road, Westward. She then turned to Amare: "No like four arms?  Why hide?"

"Huh...?" Drex blinks and looks to Willa from his hunched position close to the dead, but not touching them. He stands up and move away from the corpses. "Don't tell me you mean to follow whatever did this."

  Casting a sidelong glance at Willa, Amare only said "Now is not the time to discuss that Willa." as he swept his gaze around the hills searching for something.

"While I would say that we have a terrible danger prowling these hills and mountains. I suggest that we mase use of the better part of valour and retreat from here for now. We have to find out more about this threat before we can engage it, otherwise there's no telling that we won't end up like these poor sods have.", Jubei growled and motioned over the barren field before he shook his head. "Shall we be on our way now and discuss... our findings in a place that is a little more hospitable maybe?"

Willa started to object - they were going to run away from something again?  But she shook her head and gave up before she said anything.  She already knew how that discussion would go, instead just stating:

"Is direction Willa and friends were going.  Now where go?"

At least we got her off that idea quick. Drex thought to himself

I agree. I'll take up the rear, as you lead us, Jubei." He dusts himself of giving a sigh of relief.

"Wait... what do you mean? It went into the direction we were heading?", Jubei went a bit wide eyed at that and then promptly furrowed his brows again and mused, before he shook his head. "We... have to follow it then... if the town is in danger or the expedition for that matter... it could make the mission a lot harder."

"I missed that part... I thought she meant something else. If that is the case and I hope its not, then hopefully we are ready to face whatever caused this." Drex seemed worried as he said this.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:11, Thu 11 Feb 2016.

"Well, there is hoping. Don't waver and we can do this. We bested the hecatomb, we can best this. Onwards!", Jubei said and drew the bastardsword, pointing it westwards, the direction they had wanted to go anyway, before he started to trudge off, waiting just long enough to make certain his companions followed.

Willa drew her rod and followed along behind Iron Jubei, still wondering exactly what it was that had done this and if, when she found it, it would be like looking at her own reflection through a twisted mirror.

    Wary of what might lie in wait for you upon the road you all keep a watchful eye on your surroundings while still maintaining a solid walking pace.  The road gets ever steeper as it cuts between two tall mountains to the north and south the high peaks shrouded by clouds and flanks of white streaked by darker stone giving way to thick blankets of tall, needle-like, green trees stretching across the horizon.

  By the later afternoon your party has stopped climbing and has actually begun going down a slow, gradual slope leading into a long, thin valley through which a small river flowed towards the west.  You also spot a plum of smoke rising from somewhere beside the road, but recall that no-one had mentioned that there weren't any proper villages between your last stop and Tolyn.  Much of this land was lawless and independent of the Kingdom of Aria.

Jubei furrowed his brows as he spotted the plume of smoke and motioned the others to stop. "A fire? Somebody is making camp there, be it bandit or not... we should investigate, if only to ask if they saw any trace of... what ever did that atrocity back there.", Jubei made an almost dismissive gesture back into the distance from where they had come now.

As the gradient of the slope changed from incline to decline, Willa started experimenting with the road - see how far her slippery slime would allow her to slide before coming to a stop.  Things weren't going well so far.  It needed to be steeper before she could get any real sliding distance out of it.

At Iron Jubei's words she stopped and looked curiously over in the direction he had indicated.

"Okay!" She replied with more chirpiness than she had been expressing for a while now.  The prospect of meeting more new friends was always a good one!  And arguably as good was one of teaching a lesson to those who had hurt Big's tail.

"We should." Phelan said shortly, having already drawn his crossbow. He was obviously expecting a fight, although not planning to start one without further information. "Carefully though. For all we know, whatever did that is what we will find there."

Given Jubei's expression, he didn't seem to like the thought that whatever monstrosity comited the atrocity they had witnessed just earlier was also intelligent and... civilized enough to know how to make a campfire. He simply gave a nod after a moment's consideration and motioned the others to follow as he headed towards the plume of the fire, intend to use his bulky form to shield his smaller allies from any potential hostilities they might encounter.

    As you traveled the dirt road, you could make out that the smoke came from a rough but large camp.  Its tents were a hodgepodge of hide and canvas with wooden palisades and sharp, wooden barricades forming a perimeter around the camp.  Cautiously you approached and shortly a thick set doola, wearing thick fur hides, carrying a shield and sword rode towards you upon a landeel.  A creature which seemed aliken to a salamander though with longer, sturdier legs and a more supple body these amphibians were often used as mounts in the Crystal Isles.  They were terrific swimmers and could suddenly sprint a good hundred yards in a few moments. 

  The rider stopped a few yards away but within earshot as he shouted "Hello there travelers!  What brings you to these lands?" now that he was closer you could see a long scar running against the of h face was a long, thin scar of mottled, dark-grey scales.  The rider's expression was guarded and sharp while the mount turned its head this way and that, sniffing the air with it's large nostrils flaring after every few breaths.  Then the landeel coughed and hissed at the party it's large black eyes turned on the party even as its fangs unfolded as long as knifes, as it spat just shy of you.  The rider seemed to be taken by surprise by this behaviour from the landeel which began to back away slowly.

Jubei regarded the landeel with a raised brow, given its reaction, before his attention turned back to the doola riding it. "A journey to Tolyn. However... we found a very disconcerting sight along the path there...", he said and pointed with his sword towards the direction they had come from, before he kept the blade facing down again, signaling his... willingness to not use it without given a reason. "The land was dead and we found several corpses who were... quite thoroughly dead. The tracks lead into this direction. You wouldn't happen to know what kind of... creature might have done that? After all...", he said and his gaze drifted over to the palisades. "It seems like you've been in this area for a while now."

    Reining in h mount the doola replied, between glances between h mount and Jubei "I'd wager you stumbled across the work of the knight.  Damn fools probably killed a man which gets you a visit from just about the only justice around here."
  "We come from Tolyn ourselves, we are trying to settle around here.  We have it on good authority there are several springs in the valley but the bandits and wilderkin make it hard and you seem to well dressed to be either of those and you keep company with a splatter and tree skunk so you don't seem to be trouble.  Follow me and keep your weapons stowed else you'll have more arrows in you then the needles of a pine." the rider turned the landeel about which seemed very reluctant to face away from you but was more than eager to run a tad ahead to get some distance from you. Every now and then it would turn its head backwards, while walking to look at the party with a venomous glare.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:26, Wed 17 Feb 2016.

Phelan's brows had drawn into  heavy frown as the rider had spoke. "I don't like this..." He murmured. "The legendary Knight engaging in such abominations? Justice is being wielded to shield horrible behaviour." His voice was too low for the rider to easily pick up. It wasn't too hard to guess whom the 'tree skunk' and 'splatter' comments were aimed at. Regardless, his crossbow was stowed to prevent the rise of hostilities.

He frowned at the mount as well, for an entirely different reason. "... These things were not on Ursang. Amare, would you happen to know when creatures of that ilk came to Urs-the isles?" He corrected himself as he used the old name for the location.

"Aye, maybe a monster is using that guise to feed without drawing repercussions. Or maybe someone took the concept of deterrence to a real extreme. Either way...", he rumbled and sheathed his sword. "... lets take advantage of their... hospitality. Shall we?"
The kaetyma spoke and then slowly trudged forward to follow the rider and the incredibly anxious seeming mount.

    Thoughtful for a moment Amare replied with a shrug "I don't know.  From what I understand of this world so far it could be the product of the druids, those you call the Ancients or maybe someone else with sufficient knowledge and ability."

  It didn't take long for you to reach the camp, as you entered you noticed a number of doola and and humans aremed with worn out bows near the perimeter of the camp, most kept a keen eye on your party as you wormed your way between the palisades.  The camp itself was a knobby cluster of twenty or so tents ranging from long steeples to large round ones.  Everyone here carried a weapon of some description and wore armour ranging from hide and leather to chain.

  One of the tents caught your attention as being new and guarded by a towering knight in full plate with a sword and shield as long as Drex.  The heraldry on the tent suggested it belonged to some priest or cleric of the Far Gods and the knight was probably one of the legendary Artorians.

  The rider had gotten off the landeel by the gate and was guiding you  towards one of the larger tents, the rider said that the camp's chief would most likely like to see you given that few folk travel the roads this far from Tolyn.

  The tent was remarkable tall,  granting enough clearance for Jubei's head.  Inside you saw two lanterns of glowing crystal hung from pegs on the tentpoles at the extreme opposite ends of the tent.  The floor was covered by a thick canvas which supported three tables, one just behind the pole at the center of the tent and the other two lay against the sides of the dent near the lanterns. The table in the middle was the widest of the three and all of them where quiet high.  For seared by the one in the middle, on top of a several cushions, was a kaetyma.  looked up as you entered and the rider introduced you.   had dark green scales and finely kept plumage running from the crown of  her down to  upper back.   wore a suit of leather armour and against the table lay impressive though worn battleaxe with a jet black blade.  The rider introduced the  as Sisi, the chief of the expedition from Tolyn.
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:33, Mon 22 Feb 2016.

Feeling brave, Willa wobbled forward towards the massive Kaetyma and introduced herself with a curtsey.

"Willa is.  Be friends?"

Jubei relaxed a little when he saw that looming knight and the little tent that no doubt served as a makeshift church. Surely they would no accompany any sort of bandits. It gave him... some assurance that this was a legitimate expidition and so his mood turned slightly more jovial when they entered that tent. Though that didn't stop him from seeming rather surprised to find another kaetyma, and in the position of the leader no less.
Though he regained his composure quick enough while Willa wobbled forward, and he regarded the leader with a small bow as Willa introduced herself.
"Well met. I am Iron Jubei.", he introduced himself... and then the others, assuming of course they didn't want to do it themselves.
"You're on quite a daring endeavour it would seem, from all I've heard of this region so far."

    Sisi nodded at the adventurers and said "You are a strange one." while looking at Amare.  "Who are you?  Where are you from that you have such a strange and ornate staff yet wear clothing not to different from commoners?" Sisi's eyes narrowed in curiosity "Your eyes are as red as that staff and blacker than night all around, what manner of creature are you?  Surely you can't be a human?  I doubt a demon or devil would go about so out of place either."

[Amare is about to speak up so any of you can interject, with either Deception (formerly Bluff) or Diplomacy.  Deception to misdirect and basically lie about Amare's nature given that if what he said is true you're walking around with the avatar/vessel of an overgod.  Diplomacy if you want to draw attention away from the subject of Amare's nature.]

"That is what happens when you spend your gold on getting a fancy staff rather than fitting clothing.", Jubei rumbled and gave a shrug. "What do you know about that Dreadknight? We found one of his... handyworks further down the road and whatever he did is so absolutely abhorrent that I wonder just what... kind of being the knight may be."
He tried to distract instead.


09:46, Today: Iron Jubei rolled 11 using 1d20+9.  Diplomacy roll: Divert attention.

Gonna need help on this, someone try again with advantage since mine ain't more than an assist xD
This message was last edited by the player at 09:12, Thu 25 Feb 2016.

Willa was patiently waiting for Amare to answer Sisi until Iron Jubei interrupted and she completely forgot about the question.  The way this 'knight' had killed those people was still weighing on her mind.

"Willa want know about knight also!"  She piped up.  "Is very bad.  People might think was umbreans and get angry at umbreans.  Or, more angry at.  But Willa no believe umbreans do such bad. Even if want, get full too quickly.  Oh - Sisi know if umbreans here?

"How Knight do?  Also, why do anyway?  Willa think knights use weapons.  But Death Knight no use sword, or mace or...lance?  Oooh Does Death Knight have steed?  Steed have armour too?  Is same as knight armour?  Also where find Death Knight?  How Willa know is if meets?  What Death Knight look like?  May be should go see.  Can ask if was him.  Death Knight is bad?

"Who death knight kill?  Will kill all who kill?  So no can be fighting in mountains?  What if kill by mistake.  Death Knight still kill?  What if was justice?  Knight still kill then? What about animals.  Animals eats animals for foods.  Death Knight hurts them too?"

Pumped from her ever increasing curiosity about this entity, she turned to Iron Jubei and Drex.  "We go find knight now?"

18:06, Today: Willa rolled 25 using 2d20+7, dropping the lowest dice only.  Willa - Accidental Diplomacy (+advantage test).
This message was last edited by the player at 18:09, Thu 25 Feb 2016.

    Aghast, Sisi almost gapped for a moment at the speed and relative coherence of Willa speech which has so suddenly followed Jubei's that the chief could only reply "I know very little about the Dreadknight, as does most anyone save for those like Niusen.  If you want to know more about the Dreadknight I would suggest you go and ask him, you will find him easily enough if you ask around the camp.  Is that why you are here in the valley?  Do you seek to slay the Dreadknight?" finished with a very startled expression, one eyebrow crooked high and autumn yellow eyes confused.

Jubei listened and then slowly shook his head at the question. "Not... exactly. We are actually on our way to Toryn as I heard that there's a mostly untouched Weyr in the mountains and a Narayahn expedition was on its way to uncover its secrets. We want to join them. We just happened to have come across this whole Dreadknight thing... on our journey, and being the... adventurous lot we are.. we couldn't help but investigate.", he sounded a teeny tiny bit sarcastic there. Really just a tiny bit. "I guess we'll talk to Niusen first and learn some more before we determine if it needs to be slain. From what I heard... the knight targets anyone who spills blood, indescriminatly of why it was spilled?"
This message was last edited by the player at 10:11, Fri 26 Feb 2016.

    Sisi answered with a wry grin "That is half true, from what I have seen the dreadknight is drawn to blood spilling onto the earth however it only seems to kill if the blood was spilt in vain.  As with murder and brutality." Sisi looked out the doors of the tent "A few in the camp have claimed to have seen the dreadknight move through the camp at night.  It has never been seen during the day."

Jubei tapped his chin as he thought about that and gave a nod.
"Very well... that is curious. On one hand... it seems to be... good, but on the other hand, it employs absolutely horrific methods. I guess we'll talk with Niusen.", Jubei said and then looked to his companions, if any of them had further questions or objections.

Willa looked about in apprehensive silence.  She felt that there was an important question left unasked and expected one of the more important people to ask it, but since no one seemed to want to, that that perhaps she should instead.

"Uh...Why, um, why leave Tolyn anyway?"

She felt oddly nervous asking.  Perhaps it wasn't as important as she thought, or perhaps she had just missed it earlier?

  "This expedition was commissioned by the dukedom of Tolyn to secure a permanent settlement to civilize the overland route between the Tolyn and the surrounding territories on Aria." Sisi answered will, crooking an eye down at the umbrean.  "Given how mountainous the territory is it has been hard to civilize so the duke and duchess decided instead to simply fortify a single route through the mountains.  Some in Tolyn believe there might be a watchtower or fortress hidden around here that might be able to reinforce and build a settlement around.  As you can see we haven't found one yet, but Nuisen assures me that there is something significant within this valley he only needs time to discern its precise location." the chief finished while eyeing Willa curiously.

Willa wasn't quite sure why Sisi kept making all those strange faces at her, but it didn't matter.  He'd answered her question and done it well.  She'd been worried that perhaps something bad had happened in Tolyn.  But the real reason was much better.  She bounced up and down and with a curt nod, happily declared:

"Okay!  Willa tell Sisi if finds place in mountains!"

She thought about her strange vision before of the umbrean exodus and wondered if the place these people was looking for was the same place where they had come from.  If so did that mean it was now empty or...

"But, what if peoples living there?"

Drex thought it best to just listen, as he does not trust their hosts. Not that they meant him or his party any harm, but one can never be too careful.

As mush as Drex can gather from the conversation the dreadknight seems to akin to a force of nature as it motives are unknown and as a "force nature" needs to be avoided if possible and if not needs to be approached with the utmost of care. If this Nuisen fellow could provide them with information on the dreadknight, he needs to be questioned. Whether he tells the truth, now that is a entirely different question.

Drex checks to see what the other people in the tent are doing and if the exits are blocked. He smiles as he does this, remembering an event like this from before he joined the Adventurers Guild.

"Well, as it stands we have another expedition to join first. However once that is concluded, we might be able to lend you a hand for a few days in finding this... fortress that you've been speaking of.", Jubei said and gave a nod. "Now, if there's nothing else left... we'll go talk with Nuisen?"

    "That may complicate things though right now it is not a concern nor is it something I believe you have to worry about." Sisi said dismissively.  "I will keep you no longer adventurers. Farewell."
  With that you leave the tent and with little need to ask directions you quickly found yourselves at the tent claimed by Nuisen.  The tent was much alike the other common tents though it was different in that in front of it stood a large makeshift table upon which was stacked a few books and rolls of paper with a folio and at least two very worn tomes laying on the table.
  A human stood closest to the table with the tent behind him, his hair was silver with hints of yellow at the edges and though short cut and his hair line clearly receding it did not seem very well kept as loose strands hung about his face and stuck out at odd angles.  His face looked like weathered leather dotted dotted by a long stubby nose, eyes that seemed a little too small and a mustache that appeared to be his upper lip.  He was very well tanned for an isleborn human and even in the cool weather wore a simple off-white linen shirt which had its sleeves rolled up and bundled about the elbows revealing dark, hairy arms and worn though dexterous hands.  His pants were a dark, tawny brown and stained with some mud from his thick knee-high, hide boots.
  The man seemed occupied pointing out things on the large yellowing canvas before him, it seemed to be a map, and he was talking to two other men both considerably younger.  Infact you would guess that if you added both of their ages up it would probably not even amount to half of the older man's age.  The two men at each side of the older man only shared their apparent age with each other as the one was remarkably short, barely five feet tall and seemed to rather hefty or maybe a little fat given the way his off-olive coloured robes fell about him.  His face was ruddy and a bit puffy as if he was experiencing more heat then he was comfortable with.  Though his eyes were cool and sharp, though scowling a little as his gaze followed the older man's hands on the canvas.  His mouth was drawn in a thin line.  The other man was taller than both the older man and his peer, even if the older man wasn't bent over the table he would stand at least a full head taller as he was about six and a half feet tall and looked almost as worn as the older man though his tan was far lighter his hair was a much darker shade of blonde and a stubbly beard grew from his cheeks to his neck.  He wore a simple suit of leather armour with a sword at his side and a blockish, steel-rimmed wooden shield swung over his back.  He held his chin with his bare, right hand.  Paying some attention but his expression was rather neutral as he gazed down from on high at the table.

  As you approached you could here the old man saying in some of the most slurred Common you have heard in some time, "-dowsing might be worth another try if it can lead us to another site like the stone-" at which point the old man broke off as the shorter man at his side interrupted him "We have visitors Nuisance." the later spoke with the sort of crisp and precision you'd come to expect from nobility.  The older man only turned his head up, looking at your party with eyes that might once have been blue but now seemed halfway between green and brown.  His brow arched in curiosity while the taller man simply lifted his eyes to you.

Jubei approached with the heavy steps that were inevitable not only with his build but also the fact that he wore a fairly sizeable set of armor, he stopped at small distance from the table and gave a nod to the three men.
"Hello. I am Iron Jubei, and these are my companions.", he one more went on to introduce everyone of the group. "The leader of your little expidition told us that you would know more about this... Dreadknight. Maybe something in regards of potential origins, or what it is? A demon, a curse, something else entirely?" The kaetyma then asked.. somewhat straight to the point.

    The older man stood up from the table as you introduced yourselves and did the same, the older man confirmed himself to be Nuisen and introduced the shorter man by his side as Ganfri Montle a diviner and the taller man as Coleo Tempua the sergeant of the company of soldiers who protected the expedition.  "Dreadknights to be precise.  The product of some infernal dating back at least two centuries.  Most of them were destroyed during the invasion a few years ago so there are not as many around now as there used to be but I am certain their master will make more of them.  So if you are looking for glory in trying to eradicate them I can assure you that you will fail.  Either by the knights themselves of the people of these lands who see the knight's justice as the only order here." he said with a hrumpf, beside him Ganfri rolled his eyes and shook his head before mumbling "I'll go see what I do do about the rods." and walking away.

Drex cleared his through, thinking that this conversation was going into the wrong direction. "Not glory no, but survival. We are not familiar with the Dreadknight and thought it merely to be a story which it might still be... We came across corpse and we assumed it to be the doing of something unnatural and need to prepare ourselves for what ever did this. And if this was the work of the Dreadknight then we need to know to what extend does its territory extend, what provokes it to attack and what can we do to defend ourselves against this thing."

"If this was not the Deathknight what else could course such a macabre scene."

    "Yes the impaled, bloodless corpses that the Dreadknights leave behind are definitely not for the faint of heart." Nuisen admitted as he nodded, apparently a tad distracted as he passes a look over the smaller members of the party, pausing on Willa.

"Impaled and bloodless? That is... actually not what we saw. The corpses we found looked more like the people had died of pure terror with nary a scratch on them. Upon... examination it seemed like their very souls had been ripped out, and even the land around where it happened was just... dead. So was that a Dreadknight as well... or is some new creature stalking the lands here?", Jubei asked before he furrowed his brows, his hand waving about in a somewhat dismissive seeming gesture. "Uhh... that was what we found, right? I'm not misremembering things?"

"No. That is a fairly accurate summation of what we discovered. Their souls were likely ripped out of their still-alive and very much awake bodies, which would explain the looks of terror. If the Dreadnights' style consists of bloodless, impaled corpses, then there is a larger issue." Phelan's face looked very grave as he spoke.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:28, Thu 10 Mar 2016.

Willa put a chubby finger to her chin as she considered the scene.  "Willa think was like place emptied.  Not just of peoples, but of all lifes.  Like fire, but without burns maybe?  Also, think scary-whatever came this way.  Mr Newson, see or hear anything like?  Perhaps is hidden nearby, or went Tolyn?"

    Nuisen looked startled by what the adventurers said and he cast a worrisome gaze at Coleo "That..." he paused and turned back towards the adventurers "That is another story from this season we thought was just another bards yarn but you are the first to give some confirmation at least which means the fearful fog is another thing to be concerned about." he grew angrier as he spoke and then cursed loudly, causing a few folk around the camp to cast a glance at Nuisen.

  When you asked about the fearful fog Nuisen related the story he hard heard from a journeymen who claimed to have spent the summer traveling Tolyn's hinterlands and learning all the small and unusual stories and songs the peoples of the mountains and the valleys had.
  The fearful fog was a strange incident of thick fog which would seek out travelers upon the roads, often at hours where there should be no fog.  The fog was a great and malicious apparition, so the story went, that fed upon the souls of the living and those fed upon by the fearful fog would have their spirits trapped within.  Forced to wander within the fog, lost for all eternity.

  "As you can hear it has all the hallmarks of a nightwatch tale, I enjoyed it as much then we had a uh-a sea snake merchant tell us he had found some bodies up the road headed to Tolyn.  Can you believe he even asked us if it was our custom to leave out dead out on the road?" Nuisen shook his head and mumbled something about "Scaley barbarian." under his breath.  Then he asked "Are you one of the dark kin Willa?"


[Willa please roll Intelligence to recall something familiar.]

Willa was ready to blurt out a question asking what a Dark Kin was, but stopped short, blinking blankly at the scholarly man.  Something about the phrase seemed familiar.  The umbrean language was known as 'Darken' - did that have something to do with it?  She felt like she almost knew.  If she could just remember a little harder...

10:12, Today: Willa rolled 19 using 1d20+2.  Intelligence - Dark Memories?
(Willa has Int bonus +1, but I added +2 to the roll for the proficiency bonus.  Obviously if that was wrong, she got an 18 instead).
This message was last edited by the player at 10:23, Sat 12 Mar 2016.

    Nuisen was using the almost literal meaning of the name Umbrean to refer to their kind.  As it meant the 'kin of deepest shadow' usually synonymous with darkness.

"A fearful fog? Well, it would seem that luck had been on our side then... we happened to have... met it. But we managed to pass unscathed. It had some... traces of a conjuration though. As if someone had created it.", he scratched the nape of his neck before he gave a shrug. Looking on with furrowed brows at Nuisen's interest with Willa. "She is Umbrean, if you mean that...", he helpfully stated, given that Willa didn't respond. "Though the way she wields light, I'd call her lightkin instead.", he joked then.

    Nuisen gave a chuckle then said "Then you are most fortunate to be unharmed, I have hypothesised that the fog one of the particular sorts of magical weather spawned by the foul tempest which lies just to the north of Aria's shores."he paused then added as he moved papers around his table "I would like your help Willa in translating writings your kin left behind a cavern not far from here.  It seems to be a code of some kind." Nuisen finished.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:19, Tue 15 Mar 2016.

Willa seemed distracted, pensive even, but still responded to Nuisen's question.  Shuffling  about and looking away sheepishly she replied:

"Umbrean stuff is, um, is secret."

The little ooze felt quite guilty at not being more helpful.

"Willa help with other things, maybe?"

Nuisens' answer seems to prove that they know as little about this area, which is still more than Drex and his party know. But this is still useful information. Drex thinks to himself.

Drex interrupts the conversation between Willa and Nuisen. "I mean no disrespect, but could you give us a moment to discuss this between ourselves. If you don't mind."
This message was last edited by the player at 09:26, Wed 16 Mar 2016.

    Nuisen shrugged and motioned over to an area not too far away from the tent but devoid of people as only a few pack animals stood their tethered to a makeshift stable.

Jubei furrowed his brows as they walked away from Nuisen. His large bulk providing a pretty good wall to have a conversation from out of sight and earshot of... Mostly anyway.
"Well. I have no idea why you'd want us to talk this out over here instead. But have it your way, I guess.", he shrugged, a motion which rolled down to his taur shoulders as well.
"You know, those writings that he talked off could help lead to this fortress, or give... other useful information. You should read it at least, even if you're not going to share what it says. I reckon it worth it either way."

Willa followed along, apparently as confused by this as Iron Jubei.  She looked at the Dragontaur with a puzzled expression when he spoke to her.

"Is...is not bad to say no, then do anyway without tell?"

Drex gives a stern look at Willa, his voice charged with emotion but not showing it in any physical manner."NO its not! But the fact remains that we might benefit out of this if you help them. Like Judei said you can have a look at this writing. It might even contain useful information about this fear fog that we encountered, which we would not know it you do not read the writings, and might put us at a disadvantage in the future. But it is up to you. WHO do you deem more important, us your companions and FRIENDS or your own kind that you haven't even met..." He breaths deeply awaiting a response.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:03, Mon 21 Mar 2016.

Willa took a couple of fearful steps back from Drex, her eyes wide and tear-filled.  "W...Willa just one umbrean.  All Umbreans k...keep secret for...forever!  But Willa dead soon.  Maybe next year, maybe next month, maybe tomorrow!  SO WILLA NOT TELL!  NOT BE REMEMBERED AS TRAITOR!"

Angry, confused and betrayed, the little oozeling fled the group to who knows where, disappearing between the tents at a pace none of the others could hope to match.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:28, Mon 21 Mar 2016.

Jubei had been about to say something, but came a little too late as Willa bursted out and fled, leaving the kaetyma to stare after her, only to then stare at the deseekay in turn. "Well done. You could have worded that better, but what's done is done.", he mumbled and shook his head. "I guess we're done here for the day, we got the answers we wanted."
Then he trudged off to follow where Willa had darted off to. He had no illusions about being able to catch up... or to even find her if she hid. But at least he would be easy to find for... whenever she calmed down again.

Willa hadn't gone too far.  Just far enough to get out of site amongst the tents.  After her initial shock at Drex's accusations, she flopped to the floor, poking it with her rod.  A blank tearful stare on her face.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:54, Wed 23 Mar 2016.

"Will-" But she was gone, testament to her speed. Phelan had reached a hand uselessly to her as she fled, before letting it fall. He looked at Drex, then sighed. "Well done. You've bullied someone who is essentially a child. I hope you feel proud of yourself." He shook his head and muttered something  in his mother tongue before following swiftly after Willa. He was tempted to climb the tents for a vantage point, but realised that clawholes in the cloth would be unappreciated. Instead he followed his nose to track Willa down, occasionally calling her name quietly.

    Amare, who had until now been standing back quietly moved to stand in the direction Willa had gone.  He turned his head to the side to give a backwards glance at Drex "There is something that doesn't make sense here.  Darkin is not a magical language, a simple ritual can divine its meaning and these people have an augur.  Why would they need Willa to translate a text?  Unless that text was in some kind of code." he turned back towards Drex "I may be an immortal but that-" he looked up the way Willa had gone "-was callous, I'd suggest you invest some time in improving your social skills." he then turned and walked back towards Nuisen, clearly intent on something.

Drex sees only red and there is a ringing sound in his ears. He is furious, he hasn't been this angry since that time on the boat... a bloody scene flashes through his mind. No Drex forces the feelings back into the shadows of his mind. I will not. Gods give me strength.

The ringing subsides and his vision clears up as the presence of the Aurelians washes over him.

He joins Amare at Nuisen, his outward appearances still calm.

The rest of the group is already looking for Willa and Drex is sure he is the last person Willa wants to find her. But she wants to be found that is the point of this whole thing that just happened. Then they will comfort her and tell her that I was wrong and "mean" and that I will apologies for what I said. I will abnegate and do as they ask and even if they don't I will do it, not because she deserves a apology but because the group needs to function as a whole. All I ever did so far was for the benefit of group not like... Drex knew there these thoughts were going, thinking about them will just make him angry again and Nuisen's Umbrean writing is of possible importance. So he gives his undivided attention to the to the exterior events that are unfolding.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:56, Wed 23 Mar 2016.

Jubei continued to trudge through the rows of tents.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:01, Fri 25 Mar 2016.

Willa briefly looked up at Iron Jubei when he arrived, before returning her blank stare downwards.  There was a long silence after he had finished finished speaking, as she continued to prod the floor with her rod.  When she finally responded her voice was quiet and sullen.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:34, Sat 26 Mar 2016.

Phelan continued to scurry around the tents, attempting to track down Willa.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:13, Mon 28 Mar 2016.

Willa's eyes welled up again, after Phelan finished speaking.

Phelan blinked,
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 11:24, Tue 29 Mar 2016.

Willa couldn't meet Phelan's gaze, looking anywhere and everywhere he wasn't.

Phelan shrugged, looking unconcerned.

The big kaetyma gave a slow nod.

On the way back, Willa made a confession.

Jubei again gave a nod.

    Willa and her friends made their way past sleeping tent Jubei had knocked over and the two men working to fix it, who just waved for them to pass before resuming their work.  Drex and Amare had been talking to Nuisen and had just finished their conversation when the three of you returned.

  Amare said "I am glad to see you didn't really run away Willa." he knelt down onto one knee to be about at Willa's height.

Willa looked away, not wanting to meet Amare's gaze and responded quietly with:

"Willa promised friend Iron Jubei.  Promised to help find weigher."

    Amare was concerned as he rose he seemed pained before he spoke more casually to the party "Even if you had been interested in reading the writings Willa I doubt you'd be able to comprehend them, they are indeed written in a code.  One beyond the skill of this expeditions diviner to reveal which means the code itself is either very old or obscured.  There are some pictograms and diagrams as well which are equally as mysterious except for one.  An old alchemical symbol for the moon." he glanced at Phelan before he finished.

  "I have little knowledge of alchemy and your people are the ones the isleborn learned it from Phelan, is there some special connection to the umbreans and the moon I am not aware of?" Amare asked.

Moon.  Why did that sound so familiar?  Had she not recently seen or heard something about the...Willa eyes opened wide as she suddenly became a lot more animated. "M...moon?"  She started looking about the floor, head swinging from side to side as though searching for something, all the whilst mumbling to herself.  "Is...is co-inci-dence?  Or..." She looked up quickly and over at Nuisen and then between everyone else.  Her visor up, everyone could see her panicked face.  She seemed to be extremely conflicted, before shutting her mouth and going silent.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:25, Sun 03 Apr 2016.

The kaetyma raised a brow as he looked from Amare, to Phelan, to Willa. It was practically visible how the gears were grinding in his head. "Is this... in any way related to when Willa dispelled the Hecatomb with the help from that... celestial being?", he asked.

Phelan looked thoughtful at the mention of the moon. "Admittedly I haven't looked into the natural sciences for some time, so I would need to do a bit of further reading into the moon." He confessed. "But at face value... Umbreans and the moon..." The artificer thought to himself briefly, searching his memory for what it might be related to from what he had read of what happened in the past. Then thinking further back.

"I wonder... Could it be related to the Umbrean Relocation Project?" He mused aloud, though not seeming to aim his question to anyone.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 12:35, Mon 04 Apr 2016.

There was a strange squeak just at the mention Phelan mentioned an Umbrean relocation project.

    "It doesn't seem to be part of any arcane formula I could recognize as there were no other symbols I could decipher near it.  Nuisen hoped it would lead them to the watchtower as the augur dated the writing to be no more than twenty years old.  The cave he found them in is further up the road and I am told it is a common stop for travelers not long for Tolyn.  It's not hard to spot the cavern entrance as someone long ago sculpted the rock into the shape of a dragon's mouth.  As long as you don't mind the fear emanating from the cave it is a pleasant enough place to rest although sleep might be difficult due to the nightmarish visions." Amare said matter of factly before frowning for a moment, turning to Phelan then he asked; "Phelan, did your people or anyone else over the past hundred millennia ever find a great hollow within the moon?"

"... No." Phelan's voice sounded slightly hesitant. "I never heard if Tovyandé discovered such a thing; I was not part of the Astronomy Committee and instead spent most of my time with machinery." He offered an apologetic shrug to Amare.

    Amare frowned, looking at the sky he said "I'll have to take a look myself then, sooner hopefully rather than later, maybe the vessel is still in some way intact." his expression cleared when he asked "So what do you wish to do now?  Shall we continue on our journey?  There is still a bit of daylight left.  We might make another mile or so before sunset."

Willa quietly whispered to Amare and Phelan, hoping Nuisen would not be able to overhear her.

"Umm...Mr Phelan, Sir or uh," Somehow simply calling this strange person by his name didn't feel right to Willa.  She needed some sort of honorific for him, "Master? Amare.  Either know alchemical symbol for sun?  Is also on wall?  Then suddenly, louder, "Oh!   Willa forgot .  Has fog in pot.  Is any help?"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:44, Thu 07 Apr 2016.

    Thoughtful Amare held out his hand and above it red lights shimmered before forming a symbol.  A point surrounded by a circle which in turn was surrounded by another circle.  "Unless memory fails me this is the symbol for the sun." he said with some amusement while he quirked a smile then continued; "And no I hadn't seen it in the writings Nuisen had.  He also claimed those were the only ones he found in the cave."
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:43, Sat 09 Apr 2016.

Willa smiled with relief.  If what Amare said was true, she couldn't have helped even if she wanted to.

Jubei followed along more or less silently, given that this discussion about alchemical symbols and so on was well outside of his area of expertise. "Just to add my opinion, I'd say we should travel that extra mile and take the stop in the cave... after what we've been through already, that bit of ambient unease shouldn't keep us from anything."

    Decided your party departs the encampment and moves further westward along the road and by the setting sun you easily spot the cave which Nuisen described.  It required a great deal of imagination to see the overhanging rock face as being reminiscent of a dragon's mouth.  Upon approaching the overhang a pang of fear suddenly gripped your gut the warm breeze coming out of the cave reminded you eerily of breath.

  Beyond the mouth of the cave was a chamber roughly the size of a cottage, the rock was very smooth and the floor suggested someone had carved some of it.  Compacted dirt and debris helped provide something of a flat floor for the cave.  A large hole at the back of the cave lead to another cavern and a small, narrow crack in the wall beside it was the only other real feature of the cave.

Willa was feeling better and more like her curious self.  Eyeing the crack in the wall, she enquired of the others whether or not they were stopping here, all the while wondering if an unencumbered umbrean could fit through the gap...

"Well, I admit I am not too sure if I want to camp inside of the cave, but its shadow should provide ample enough protection from the elements if we put up our tents here.", the kaetyma rumbled as he used his sword as a makeshift torch, after all it could cast a bright enough light at a moment's notice.

"I kind of want to know what lays in that other cavern though.", he spoke as he pressed on to find out how large that cavern might actually be.

    The crack in the cave wall was large enough that Willa believed she could fit through, the only problem was she wouldn't be able to bring anything thicker then an inch or two with her and looking through the crack it appeared to worm its way down and it was simply too rough to see further then maybe a foot into it.  It was unfortunate that there weren't any darkin marks in the immediate area to tell her if it was safe or not.

  The passage leading deeper into the rock was straight but worn into rough edges with numerous depressions and protrusions along it perhaps thousands of years ago the passage had been properly cut into the rock though now it was difficult to tell if was natural or not.

  Beyond the short passageway, which was just large enough if not quite tall enough to fit Jubei, lay a large cavern.  Big enough that your lights only illuminated the what seemed to be the immediate surroundings.  Stalagmites and pillars rose from the floor to the ceiling and even though it was high above the tips of rows and clusters of stalactites were clearly visible.  The ceiling was perhaps 40 to 50 feet above your heads.  The whole place smelled of water and moist earth and the noise of a low howling wind echoed through the cavern otherwise there was only silence.

  A chill, shrill shudder runs across each of you...

[Please make a save against fear.]

For some reason, perhaps due to everything she had been going through recently, Willa could not help but feel uneasy in the cavern.  Where had her spirit of adventure gone now?  She shivered with fear.

13:33, Today: Willa rolled 2 using 1d20.  Willa save vs Fear - Super Scary!

Phelan flinched, his fur standing on end, tail bristling as a surge of fear shot through him.

Saving through: 7. Even Narayah get scared sometimes!

Jubei tensed up at this sudden sensation and his gaze quickly darted around, taking this sensation for some kind of premonition that something bad was about to happen.
"What was that?", he muttered, sword at the ready to defend himself against... well... nothing?

11:45, Today: Iron Jubei rolled 11 using 1d20.  So spooky, many scare. Wow.

Drex was unsure of what made his main stand on end.

17:09, Today: Drex rolled 14 using 1d20.  Save against fear.

    Though they could shrug it off the worrisome feeling still lingers within Drex and Jubei.  While Phelan and Willa drew close to their looming companions.  Amare shuddered and shook himself "Uhm, I wonder what and why this dreadful feeling lingers here?" he asked to musty air which seemed to be the only thing that stirred in this cavern.



[Willa and Phelan, please note on your characters have acquired the status frightened.  As this status effect does not normally exist in the core game I've improvised a simple version, you are functionally Slowed outside of combat, in combat you take disadvantage on your first roll on your turn.  Upshot however is you gain advantage (once-only) on any Perception checks.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:53, Tue 19 Apr 2016.

"I don't know, but I do think we should rest in here. This place makes me feel uneasy..." Drex looks outside. "We might be exposed out there, but I think it is saver... saver for our souls." he says in a wisper

Phelan looked like he was choking down a whimper of terror as he remained close to Jubei, his crossbow harmed. He looked and pointed the weapon around rapidly from time to time. "I really don't like it here. I would vastly prefer taking my chances with the elements and exposure than... This."

"I agree... we should rest outside... but I still want to know why this place is the way it is.", the big kaetyma responded. "But... I guess we can still do that in the early morning, a few hours probably won't make too much of a difference when it comes to the expedition, considering how long we've been travelling already."
He slowly proceeded to back out of the cavern again, careful not to step on his companions that kept so close.

Unwilling, or unable, to leave Iron Jubei's side, Willa followed him out staying as close as she could despite nervously looking back at the strange cave every other step.

    You retreat from the cavern as fast as you dare with with Willa and Phelan being most eager to leave the cave entirely.  The forest next to the road is not well kept and shows a lot of neglect.  You had to spend at least an hour clearing an area just large enough for you to make camp.  There was an air to this area of just being there for people to hurry through on to somewhere else rather then staying around to do anything in.  Animal and bird noises were distant and echoed through the empty woods in an eerie way which the near silence and absolute darkness around Kyssea had never managed to achieve.

  Even though the fear subsided you were anxious, nervous, and sudden pangs of abject terror.  Crippling sensations fear, of something somewhere amidst the scattered trees watching you made the mood around the camp tense.  Sleeping was very difficult with frequent nightmares startling you awake, their contents fleeting memories lost to wakefulness.  Amare refused to sleep and kept guard with each of you as you each moved through the shifts of the night's watch until dawn.

Jubei looked fairly grumpy in the morning, no doubt a result of the... bad sleep they all seemed to have and he practically glared at the cave. "Okay. Are we going back in there or what? It bothers me to no end that it seems to be so... eerie for no obvious reason. The last time we had something similar, we found a demon at the heart of it, and if I have a say in the matter, I'd rather stomp this out now before a crazy cult starts to form again. Especially considering how they're making a camp and soon a village not even an hour away from here. The quarry with the hecatomb was only a few hours away from Kyssia as well and I think we all remember what happened there, don't we?"

Phelan looked exhausted, and more than a little frustrated with himself. " I have no idea what is bothering me about this cave. It is infuriating. But the fact it has such a presence makes it a threat, as you say Jubei. We need to endure and investigate it. At least we are well rested for anything that might happen." Nevertheless, his paw rested on his crossbow every time he so much as looks in the general direction of the cave.

Willa bobbed around anxiously the next day.  Sleep had not come easily to the little umbrean who had tried unsuccessfully to ignore the looming presence of the nearby cave.  Made worse by the dreams she'd had.  She tried to put on a brave face for the others, smiling and looking enthusiastic about the expedition, but she was uncharacteristically quiet. Her rod always in her hand.

Jubei gave a slow nod, then proceeded to wrap up the camp again. "Well then... we go back into the cave, unless there are any objections to doing so.", he said and then his gaze drifted to Willa. "Are you alright? You seem a little more... twitchy than usual."

Willa nodded quickly, but awkwardly at Iron Jubei, then shut her visor, hiding her face from the others.  The action made an unusually loud clang.  It drew the group's attention to her armour that seemed a less well fitted than normal.  The helm rattled in place and the pieces of hardened leather bumped together as she moved.  Almost as though she had shrunk.

Jubei gave a slow nod as well, probably attributing it to the strangeness of the cave that they were about to reenter again. His sword already shining with light even though it was plenty bright outside. "Okay... are we all ready to go back and find... whatever it is that plagues this place?"

    Amare nodded and said "Let's go take a look." as he walked off towards the cave with the rest of the party joining him shortly thereafter.

  As you walked into the cavern beyond the short passage from the cave entrance you each feel a pang of fear creep into you.

[Make a saving throw against fear.]

As the party approached, Willa once again stayed extra close to Iron Jubei, trying to draw strength from him.  And it seemed to work.  The cave felt less dreadful when she was close to the mighty paladin.

11:41, Today: Willa rolled 13 using 1d20.  Be afraid.  Be very afraid...
(Save vs fear)
This message was last edited by the player at 19:44, Sat 30 Apr 2016.

Jubei meanwhile seemed... shaken by it. Maybe unpleasant memories of what had happened back in Kyssia haunted him. Still... he could not stop, not after how he had pushed for entering the cave.


21:33, Today: Iron Jubei rolled 9 using 1d20.  Deep into the darkness peering..

Phelan once again looked terrified, his eyes darting around as he clutched his crossbow like a lifeline. He bit his lip, stifled a whimper, and pressed on, keeping close to Jubei.

    The cavernous darkness yawned about the party like the gullet of some great beast, warm, humid and smelling of earth.  Drex and Amare stood solemn and cautious against the fear they felt.

  Willa had seen the writings against the far left-sided wall, from the entrance, though little else was visible to her in the glare of the lights her friends brought with them.

[Yes night blindness is a thing folks and applies to you lot with Darkvision too.  My rule is to treat darkvision like an extended low-light vision band if it has to deal with a bright lightsource nearby otherwise, in dim or dark conditions it can see well enough.  It's not CLEAR but its good enough to make out your surroundings and details on things, so think star-light camera vision.]

  Most of the cavern was as yet unexplored.

[Please note how you want to go about exploring the cave.]

Unable to see clearly because of other people's lights, but also knowing that she couldn't ask to be placed into darkness, Willa rummaged around in her pack and drew out her ever-burning torch.

She was apprehensive leaving Iron Jubei's side, but really needed to know what was written on that wall of Darken markings, now that she was so close.  She slowly and cautiously moved towards it, all the while keeping her eye on the rest of the cave, half expecting it to slam shut on her and become food for the dragon.

10:06, Today: Willa rolled 6 using 1d20+2.  Perception - Dangersense?
Checking for traps/dangers etc
This message was last edited by the player at 09:07, Mon 02 May 2016.

"I have a suggestion, To keep us from getting lost we pick the left or right wall and keep following it until we explored the whole cave system. It will take long, but it will be worth the effort. What do the rest of you think?"

It has been a day sins the incident, Drex knows he will have to speak to Willa sooner or later. "But I'll do it when we are alone." Drex nodes to himself to confirm this decision.

Jubei seemed a little distraught to actually step too far away from the entrance, that was until Drex made his suggestion and he gave a nod to that. "An excellent idea, its definitely a better plan than to just walk blindly into the dark.", he said. "And once we know the expanses, we can still decide to walk... blindly around." He smirked a little, but it could be seen all too easily that it took a lot of effort on his part.

    Amare nodded then asked "Which way then?  Left or right?"

Drex looks left and then right, "Left, I think. Lest keep close I don't think this is the best place to get split up. This place really gives me the creeps."

    With Drex's choice the party moved, along the wall of the left-handed side from the cavern entrance.  For Drex, who was running his hands along the rockwall, he was keenly aware of how warm to the touch the wall was.  He had not been in caves much but he was not comfortable at all with the unexpected warm and general smoothness of the wall.  not far from the entrance the wall rounded off forward and this is where the party found what was probably the writings Nuisen had copied.

  The writings were carved deeply into the stone and had been coloured with a sort of lavender-white paint to make it stand out against the cavern wall, Willa noted, now so up close to the writings that they had a different sort of visibility to them then when she had seen them faintly in the darkness.  She wasn't immediately certain why that was though.

  For Darkin writing and despite the deformities of the wall the symbols were well ordered in neat, precise columns and rows of text nothing like the hasty poorly made scratches normally associated with the language.  It was clear that a lot of care had gone into making this writing and drawing the accompanying icons and diagrams.

  The writing extended up from almost level with the floor to about four feet off it.  Implying that this had been made by someone of small stature.  The texts and drawings made perfect squares each only a few inches apart running along the wall further into the darkness.  Giving it the length of at least eight feet.

Willa could not help but be intrigued by the strange markings on the wall.  It felt a little wrong to her.  She had said that she would not help that man, so she felt a little bad about reading it now.  However, it was too big a temptation for her not to.  She stood there for a few long moments, looking over the markings again and again.

11:46, Today: Willa rolled 18 using 1d20+2.  Willa Insight Check - Understand the purpose of the Darken Markings.

  Gazing at the text Willa thought she could make sense of some of it, but rapidly realized it was gibberish to her.  She'd never seen any umbrean writings encoded like this.  Whatever these walls held someone had made them to be certain that either only those who knew the cipher could figure it out or that it would be very difficult to next to impossible to puzzle them out.  Despite her ill feelings there was some...attraction to the text, like some distant voice echoing her name through the ages and speaking in words that her current self was unable to understand.

Drex looks at the markings "Amare, Phelan what to you think?"

    "I am not familiar with the umbrean's language nor do I posses the capacity to translate it in any form at the moment though older things than myself either here or elsewhere may know its meaning." Amare said.

Phelan also shook his head. "I never made a study into Darken, unfortunately. I can't really provide much help." He looked over at Willa in curiosity as she looked over the writing.

Jubei meanwhile simply... stood there and waited while his companions tried to make sense of things. His eyes darting through the darkness fairly nervously, expecting a danger that might well not be there.

"Well it might or might not be important for our quest, but looks like and interesting puzzle to be solved. I think we should copy it over to something and see what is in the rest of the cave." There is a pause, as Drex looks to Jubie in the dim torchlight. "And I don't think we should stay any longer than we need to."

"Phelan will you be able to copy the symbols?"

"Yes, I should be able to copy it down. Please give me a moment." The narayah peered at the writing before kneeling in front of it with paper and charcoal, begging to note down the characters. While he couldn't read it, it could be gone over later with Willa. "There's a lot here, so this could take some time." He warned the others.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:23, Fri 13 May 2016.

  Phelan went to work copying down the text on the walls, he was working as fast as possible but it was clear you would be here for a while longer.

  When Jubei noticed a strange white filament glistening wetly in the light dangling just an inch or two above Drex's head...

"Watch out!", Jubei called out as he noticed a glint and twisted with a surprising speed for his bulk, swinging his sword at the air above Drex, to cut a strange white string that was slowly lowering itself towards his head. "Giant spiders!? Or what is this nonsense?"

Willa spun around, startled at Iron Jubei's bellow.  She thrust her everburning torch as high into the air as she could (not very) and gripped her rod tightly.

"May be is dragon spit.  Cave be hungry?"

It was something she'd been wondering ever since she'd arrived.  The unusual shape, the strange wind, like breath, now this.  Could the cave be alive somehow?  She'd never met a dragon before.  Surely they must be big things.  And if one went to sleep for a very long time (no one had seen a dragon for may be a million umbrean lifetimes, or so she thought she had heard or read somewhere), would it turn to stone?  Like cake?  Or may be this was some sort of giant construct made in the shape of a dragon?  An enchantment perhaps? Or may be it was nothing.

Best to try and find out once and for all.  She took a moment to test the surroundings with magical feelers.  See if she could find anything out there...

19:47, Today: Willa rolled 19 using 1d20+7.  Arcana - detect magic - mystical mysteries - mysticeries?

    Drawing part of her awareness inward so much that it somehow flipped and came back out again.  The cavern was aglow with magic, it was faint but it was certainly there.  All of it was old, the sense of countless rituals were muted echoes of power, their purpose long fulfilled one however was ancient and of a kind Willa could not recognize for its strangeness.  But she knew this much, that ancient magic maintained the dread that assailed herself and her companions.

  Looking upward into the darkness above, against the ceiling of the cavern above them Jubei and the startled Drex could make out dark, many limbed bodies, three at least, crawling amidst the scattered stalactites.

[Please roll initiative and add comments to who is carrying the light sources and what king of light it is (lantern, torch).]
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:37, Sat 14 May 2016.

"Spiders!", Jubei called out and swung his sword, that still was bathing the surroundings in radiant light... even though it could maybe have shed more.


21:37, Today: Iron Jubei rolled 8 using 1d20+1.  Initiative roll.
Vigilant Blade provides 4 Squares of Bright Light.

Willa frowned and made a very unhappy face at the spiders.  "Thought New-son say was good camp place?"

She held her rod tightly, but wondered what to do about the torch in her hand that lit her up like a golden lamp.

23:28, Today: Willa rolled 10 using 1d20+2.  Initiative - Rocks, no, Spiders Fall!
Carrying an Everburning Torch

Drex puts down his lantern and takes his axe, ready to stick.

Lantern in K35
16:08, Today: Drex rolled 19 using 1d20+4.  Initiative.

Phelan looked up in surprise at the cries of alarm from the others, hands still occupied with taking notes.

Initiative: 12.
Phelan does not currently have a light source out.

Round 1 Begins

  The dark insects scurried over the ceiling above you, throwing their head back as from their long trunk-like noses thin gossamer filaments, glistening with some viscous fluid flew down towards you.
??? I moves from 36J to 37J and attacks Phelan Drixos with Filament Strangle and misses (17 vs Ref).
??? II attacks Drex with Filament Strangle and hits (23 vs Ref) dealing 8 damage, you are pulled 3 squares vertically and you are restrained (save ends).
??? III attacks Amare with Filament Strangle and hits (18 vs Ref) dealing 6 damage, you are pulled 3 squares vertically and you are restrained (save ends).

  Suddenly two masses of rock on the ceiling reveal themselves to be not rock upon the ceiling but two creatures similar to the first three though with carapace which blends them into the rock of the cavern.
??? IV attacks Jubei with Filament Wrap and misses(8 vs ref).
??? V attacks Jubei with Filament Wrap and misses (10 vs ref).

[Your turns.]

Willa was both impressed and curious about these strange insects that were, seemingly, attacking her friends with their snot!  She'd pondered their existence for a moment and would have been even more fascinated, if the constant howling had not continued to unsettle her.  Trying to ignore it as best as possible, she muttered a half-hearted curse at the thing that had attacked Amare and tried calling the radiance of stars upon it.  Then shuffled away.


Free Action - nature check - knowledge - snot beetles - Roll = 3
17:06, Today: Willa rolled 21 using 1d20+2.  Nature check - What are snot-beetles?? (disadvantage).
17:05, Today: Willa rolled 3 using 1d20+2.  Nature check - What are snot-beetles??

Minor action: Curse ???iii
Standard Action: Dire Radiance Vs ???iii
To Hit: 23 vs Fortitude
17:13, Today: Willa rolled 38 using 2d20+9* with rolls of 14,15.  Dire Radiance (with disadvantage) - Sparklies!
(1d20 +Cha: 4, +Expertise: 1, +Prof: 1, +Disquiet: 2, +1 rod enhancement)

*Could be +10, but since Amare has been lifted off of the ground, I assume he counts as being closer for my 'Prime Shot' class feature.  Also having a little difficulty working out how to roll disadvantage, in case you hadn't guessed ^^.

Damage:  12 (10 Radiant, 2 Untyped)
(1d6+Cha: 4, +1 rod enhancement, +1d6 curse)
Secondary Damage: 9 (Radiant) - if the target moves closer to me
(1d6+Cha: 4, +1 rod enhancement)

Move Action: Move to H39

In the unlikely event of ???iii dying, I will use my corrupted rod to spread my curse to every enemy within 5 squares of the target, instead of getting my normal pact boon.

Save vs frightened condition: 8
Flat D20 roll

This message was last edited by the player at 16:37, Thu 19 May 2016.

"Amare! Drex!" Phelan looked up in shock as his companions were entangled, narrowly avoiding the same fate; he dropped the writing utensils to the ground and drew his wand, pointing it at Amare. The 'human' was esconsced in a field of sound before it blasted the thing holding him back up toward the roof. Drex was an experienced fighter, he'd be fine. Amare was less suited for being in the thick of things.

Free: Drop writing stuff
Move action: Draw Master's Wand of Thundering armor

Standard: Thundering Armor
Target:Amare
Effect: Target gains +1 AC until end of my next turn
Secondary Attack:
Target: Thing holding Amare
Attack: 15 vs Fortitude
Hit: 10 Thunderdamage and the thing is pushed 3 squares from Amare.

Jubei was... distracted... so to speak. The foes were well out of reach and yet pulled his companions up to them and out of his protection as well. Unsettled as he might be by this cave, these... monsters were an actual, tangible threat that he could focus on. Even though it was still hard with thoughts scrambling over each other.

Which might explain his strange course of action as well as he grabbed for one of the filament nets that had missed him.



Standard Action: Basic Melee Attack: GRAB THE STRING.
Hit:
21 using 1d20+5
23 using 1d20+5
DISADVANTAGE OH NOOOOO.
Effect: Strength Check to pull enemy: 3 using 1d20+2
Yank the chain (or string.

Well that failed.


And found that despite their stickyness, it was all but impossible for him to get a proper grip to actually pull properly on it.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:35, Fri 20 May 2016.

Round 1 Ends

    Quick to action Willa’s spell takes hold on the creature as it screeches in agony trying to shrinking away from whatever had stung it so.  All the while Willa tried to identify the briefly, brilliantly lit creature and all that they reminded her of where spiders crossed with scorpions only without the tail and much stranger heads, and of course far larger!  Even so she could shake off the fear that clung to her.  Perhaps felling these monsters would help improve her spirits?
  Amare, freed from the filament hoisting him up, landed on the cavern floor with a sickening thump though not so much as groan as he fought to free himself from the gross filament spun about him.  Drex managed to free himself, only to fall to the ground like Amare did as well though he did let out a soft, pained groan.

Round 2 Begins

    The arachnoid creatures are not yet dissuaded from killing their prey and renew their assault against their original targets.
??? I attacks Phelan with Filament Strangle, hits (18 vs Ref) dealing 4 damage and pulling Phelan 3 squares vertically and restraining him (save ends).
??? II moves from 36L to 35N and attacks Drex with Filament Strangle, misses (11 vs Ref)
??? III moves from 39J to 40K and attacks Amare with Filament Strangle, hits (17 vs Ref) dealing 9 damage and pulling Amare 3 squares (2 vertical and 1 horizontal, moving him to 39J)
??? IV attacks Jubei with Filament Spike, hits (26 vs Ref) dealing 10 damage
??? V attacks Jubei with Filament Spike, hits (27 vs Ref, Crit) dealing 13 damage
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 20:03, Sat 21 May 2016.

Though Willa's attack had struck home, Amare had been grabbed again!  She wanted to help him, but it seemed likely that whatever she did - unless she killed it - Amare would continue to be caught and injured.  And now her friend Phelan had been caught too!

She took a moment to think - one of the problems was that these things were stuck on the ceiling.  If they could be knocked down, then Drex and Iron Jubei could finish them off.  Willa didn't think she knew any spells that would help with that.  But Phelan did!  Or might have...he could knock enemies around.  She'd seen him do it before.  Maybe that would dislodge the snot-things?  Whispering an apology to Amare, she changed targets and burnt her brand into the hide of Phelan's assailant.  Again she called on the stars to punish these unfriendly enemies.

Minor action: Curse ???1
Standard Action: Dire Radiance vs ???1
To Hit: 16 vs Fortitude
(1d20 +Cha: 4, +Expertise: 1, +Prof: 1, +Disquiet: 2, +1 rod enhancement)

Damage:  11 (10 Radiant, 1 Untyped)
(1d6+Cha: 4, +1 rod enhancement, +1d6 curse)
Secondary Damage: 6 (Radiant) - if the target moves closer to me
(1d6+Cha: 4, +1 rod enhancement)

Save vs frightened:17
Flat D20

"Apologies Amare" Phelan said sheepishly as he dangled in the air after Amare had slammed into the ground, followed by being hosted up once more. He scowled at one of the creatures, cogs turning in his mind as he attempted to identify them, before managing to (somehow) pull out a wad of spiked wire that he tossed at the creature. The wad expanded and attempted to wrap around it and dig the spikes in painfully.

He dropped his wand, finding it to be of little use at this stage. It fell and clattered on the ground below him as his nimble arms managed to work themselves and his crossbow free. Before fully drawing his crossbow, he puled out a vial and uncorked it, allowing it's magical restorative essence to flow over to Amare, healing some of the pains and bruises from the fall. Then he drew the crossbow and loaded it, watching the creatures carefully.

Amare meanwhile looked somewhat relieved as his wounds were mended and focused on an area between the creatures. What appeared to be a rift opened up there, beginning to slowly pull at the creatures. He struggled at his bindings, letting out a gasp of relief as he squirms out, before grimacing as he plummeted toward the ground.

PHELAN
Non-Action: Knowledge (Dungeoneering) on enemy: 17
Standard: Spike Wire
Target: ???V
Attack: 15 vs Fortitude (Had Int mod as +4, not +5)
Hit: 7 Force damage, target takes +3 damage from all attacks until end of my next turn.
Free: Drop Master's Wand of Thundering Armor
Minor: Healing Infusion: Curative Admixture
Target: Amare
Effect: Amare recovers Surge+3(10) HP.
Free: Fast Hands
Effect: Draw Superior Crossbow
Minor: Load Superior Crossbow

CONTINGENCY: Shocking Feedback on first creature to attack Amare/Willa.
Attack roll: 1d20+5 vs AC (1d20+7 with Knack for Success)
Hit: 2d10+5 lightning damage, targeted ally gains Resist 5 all against the attack.

AMARE
Healed for 10HP.
Standard: Warp and Rend
Target: M39
Effect: ???IV and ???V are slowed at the start of their turn. Further effects next turn.
Minor: Knack for Success
Effect: Phelan gets a +2 power bonus to his next attack roll.
Save against Restrained: 14.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:51, Tue 24 May 2016.

As Drex hits the ground the orbs in Drex hands start to visibly glow as well as his main, as Drex seems to be unphased by the fall.
Immediate Reaction: Aspect of the Wild (Strength of the Wild): gain 5 temp hit points.

"Drex leaps to his feet."
Free action: Stand up

YOU Will be destroyed foul creature!
Minor Action: Oath of Enmity on ???I

Drex realizes that he won't be able to reach the creatures with any of his weapons his possess so he moves to one of the stalagmites and attempt to clime it.
Move action: Drex moves from K36 to I36
Second move action: climbing Stalagmite: 19 [Axe in one hand, thought that might give me disadvantage on the climb check. 19 was the lowest of the two rolls.]

Non-action: Dungeoneering to identify the spider-elephant-beetles: 14.

Jubei was bewildered by the seeming intelligece these beasts had, given that they had seemed to realize that he had tried to pull them down via their strings and were now using projectiles against him instead.
He watched what Drex was doing, climbing onto one of those stones to reach further up... and he himself obviously immediately discarded the idea of doing something similar given his size. However, it gave him a different thought.

"Drex! Don't you have climbing gear? Try and use the grappling hook to pull them down to us!", he called out to the Deseekay while he... still had the massive urge to make himself useful somehow.

Lacking any means of proper ranged combat, he could at least try and distract those beasts.

Minor Action: Pick up rocks, we're in a damn cave, there are buckets of them.

Standard Action: THROW ROCK!
Target: ??? I
Attack roll: 20 vs AC usind 1d20 (Nat 20!)
Damage roll: 6 blunt

The spinning rock strikes the hideous rock spider in the lower jaw, bruising the muscle and bruising the bone!

Free action: Cheer.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:03, Tue 24 May 2016.

Drex did not think of using using the grappling hook.That might just work, Drex thought to himself. Instead of climbing the stalagmite he drops his axe next to it and loosens the rope and hook from his backpack ready to hook one of the creatures down.

Cancel climbing. Free action: drop weapon.  Standard action: take rope and grappling hook. That is if I can still change my actions.

Round 2 Ends

    While another one of the creatures withered under the assault from Willa’s magic, so too did Phelan’s apparatus find its mark only it was actually one of the rocky outcroppings against the roof and not really the creature.
  Unwinding the prongs of Amare bident joined together briefly casting off a twirling ember before resuming it's usual form as the rift he conjured formed while he managed to free himself from his bindings.  Jubei’s rock bounced off one of the monsters with a solid kathunk even as Drex quickly scrambled to get out a grappling hook from his pack.  Drex and Phelan both shout at roughly the same moment, when they realize what these creatures were, ”Cave Fishers!”

[Knowledge roll for Cave Fishers is Nature.]

Round 3 Begins

    With its prey still caught by its string the Cave Fisher scurries off, as it hauls Phelan further up ever closer to its waiting pincers.  Meanwhile the others continue to try and claim their prey.  Jubei was surprised to be suddenly wrapped up in a mass of string one of the Cave Fishers had spit out all of a sudden, covering his face and causing him to suffocate.
Cave Fisher I moves from 37J to 33N (as a consequence Phelan is moved as well), sustaining Filament Strangle on Phelan, pulling him up 3 more squares (putting him at 30 feet above the ground) and dealing 5 damage and continuing to restrain him (save ends).
Cave Fisher II moves from attacks Drex with Filament Strangle, missing (12 vs Ref).
Cave Fisher III moves from 39J to 40K and attacks Amare with Filament Strangle, hits (26 vs Ref – CRIT!, also triggers CONTINGENCY: Shocking Feedback from Phelan Drixos) dealing 10 damage (reduced to 5) and pulling Amare 3 squares into the air.
  When Amare is wrapped up by the filament a surge of electricity travels up the line and strikes the Cave Fisher, causing it to muffle a screech as the smell of cooking meat quickly fills the air.
Cave Fisher IV attacks Jubei with Filament Spike, missing.
Cave Fisher V attacks Jubei with Filament Wrap, hits (13 vs Ref) immobilizing Jubei and dealing 5 ongoing damage (save ends).
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:01, Tue 24 May 2016.

Willa gasps in horror as Phelan is dragged off to disappear into the distance.  Instinctively, she charges after him, whipping up shadows as she goes.  As soon as she is in range, she prepares to unleash fiery vengeance upon her foe, but is momentarily distracted by another so called 'Cave Fisher' nearby.  She quickly curses it, burning yet another brand into a third creature, before shouting after the other.

"Willa no let you to take Mr Phelan, Sir!  Nasty snotbug!"


Move:  Move to L35
Gains Shadow Walk
Minor Action: Curse: ???II
Standard Action: Dire Radiance vs ???I
To Hit: 10 vs Fort (missed)

Phelan let out a surprised yelp as the ray of light narrowly missed his dangling body. Seeing Amare get picked up again in spite of his electrical discouragement, Phelan quickly sent another cloud of healing energy toward the 'human'. Then he turned his attention to his own predicament. Wearing the politest smile he could manage, the Narayah loaded and fired his crossbow at the one he was slowly being pulled toward, but his bolt flew wide and he swore. Frantically he began struggling with his bindings, seeing a stalagmite below. Easily he slipped out of the hold, plummeting to the ground below and praying that he had done it right.

As he fell, he opened his arms out to slow his descent, before slamming his claws into the stalagmite, easily catching himself.

Amare was dealing with his own problems as he found himself ensnared once more. At least the fall had been relatively painless. He looked directly at the rift before allowing it to rip at the creatures caught around it, though at least one had found the burst easy to evade. One of the others suffered a nasty blow, however.

Taking a moment to think, he copied his consciousness to stand beneath him as an image of himself. As he struggled free successfully and began to fall, he attempted to direct his other self to catch him.

Phelan
Minor: Healing Infusion: Curative Admixture on Amare.
Effect: Heal for Surge+3(10)HP.
Move: Reload Crossbow
Standard: Magic Weapon
Misses.
Saving Throw: 18
Acrobatics to catch self: 21 (Nat 20!)

Amare
Free: Warp and Rend secondary
Attack: 12 vs III Reflex, crit (24) vs IV Reflex, 6 vs V Reflex
Hit: 9 (15 on IV) Force damage.

Standard: Warp and Rend
Target: M39. IV and V are slowed when they start their turns.

Minor: Shared Consciousness
Target: M34, 6 squares above the ground
Saving Throw: 13
This message was last edited by the player at 17:14, Thu 26 May 2016.

Drex found it difficult to keep up with the Cave Fishers, due to the uneven ground. One seems to be just in range of his rope. He starts to swing it and launches it at the Cave Fisher, hooping that it lands its mark.

Move action: From 63I to 63L

Standerd action: Basic range attack with grappling hook.
Target: CF II
Attack: 19 vs AC
Hit: 1

As it sticks the hooks sinks into the creatures hide.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:40, Wed 25 May 2016.

These despicable creatures would not get the better of him. Jubei snarled as he mobilized his... not inconsiderate anger over the situation.


Standard Action: Second Wind
Regain 13 HP

But that wasn't all of course, considering that Amare had yet again been pulled up and dropped. In... strange display of divine manifestation, Jubei's tail actually began to glow as it deliberatly bumped into Amare to heal his wounds.

Minor Action: Lay On Tail
Effect: Target regains HP equal to their Healing Surge Value (7HP)

Use Action Point to regain Standard Action.

In his anger at being restrained by this disgusting web like... gunk, he again began to pull on it. But he just couldn't get a hold of the stuff.

Standard Action: Basic Melee Attack
Target: Filament String
Attack roll: 6 usind 1d20+5 (Nat 1 \o/)

But at least his flailing managed to free him of the restraints again.

Saving Roll: 12

Round 3 Ends

    Amare’s power shudders, collapsing with a force which casts small rocks from the ceiling and causing the cave fishers to squeal as they try to get away from its source but find their movements oddly slowed.
  Drex’s grappling hook catches onto the cave fisher, now he had to test his strength against that of the creature.
[Drex make a contested Athletics check against Cave Fisher II.][Future GM here, scratch that, good news is you still got the rope…for all the good it does you…]
  Amare barely catches himself, by himself before his falling self hit the ground upon which his other self stood.

Round 4 Begins

    While some of the cave fishers appear to be backing away they appear to not be ready to give up their meals just yet.
Cave Fisher I attacks Phelan Drixos with Filament Strangle, hits (23 vs Ref) dealing 4 damage restraining (save ends) Phelan and pulling him 3 squares into the air.
Cave Fisher II moves from 35N to 35O and attacks Drex with Filament Strangle, hits (21 vs Ref) dealing 7 damage, restraining (save ends) Drex and pulling him 2 squares horizontally (placing him in 36N) and 1 square off the ground
Cave Fisher III moves from 40K to 43N and attacks Figment Amare with Filament Strangle, missing (8 vs Ref).
Cave Fisher IV moves from 38N to 37P and attacks Jubei with Filament Spike, hits (22 vs Ref) dealing 11 damage.
Cave Fisher V moves from 40M to 41O and attacks Jubei with Filament Spike, missing (10 vs Ref)
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:42, Thu 26 May 2016.

Phelan grunted as he felt himself being lifted again. He sighted his crossbow on his captor once more and missed, again. Trying to struggle free, he began to get a little more frantic as he found himself much more securely bound.

"Begone!" Amare yelled, focusing all his power into the unstable warp. It moved slightly, then gave off a massive explosion, engulfing all three cave fishers in it once more. He then sighted his eyes on one of the creatures that was approaching Drex and Phelan and sent a unpleasantly invasive thought into its head.

PHELAN
Magic Weapon
Attack: 16 vs AC (MISS)

Move: Load crossbow.

Save against Restrained: 4 (FAIL)


AMARE
Free: Warp and Rend: Augment 2 Move to N40. EXPLODE.
Attacks: 27 on III Reflex (Crit), 15 on IV Reflex, 26 on V Reflex
Damage: 11(19 on III) Force damage.

Standard: Invasive Thoughts
Attack: 13 vs IV Will
Hit: 11 Psychic damage.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:25, Thu 26 May 2016.

Willa scowled menacingly from beneath her skull visor, as the cave fisher once again attempted to drag Phelan away.  "Stupid bugs!  Phelan friend not food!" Again she tried to teach the nuisance a lesson with her patron's brilliant light, only to miss once again.  Not used to failing so much with her magic, she grumbled, "lucky" and glided a few steps back to ensure her shadows did not dissapate.

Dire Radiance vs CF1
To hit: 12 vs Fort
Move to: I36

"Will you goddamn things stop this already!?", he shouted as he rushed over to Drex, given that the deseekay wasn't pulled out of reach immediately... though his attempts to actually grab him prove... less than fruitful.

Move Action: Move to L-M 36-37

Standard Action: Melee Grab "Attack"
Target: Drex? String holding him?
Attack Roll: 3 using 1d20+2
Natural 1 AGAIN

Minor Action: Lay on Self
Target: self?
Regain 13 HP
This message was last edited by the player at 10:05, Fri 27 May 2016.

Drex looses his grip on the rope as the sticky filaments yank him of the ground. He'll have to free himself again and get to the rope before the thing moves out of range. Or maybe Jubie can get the rope. "No, get the rope and pull this damn thing down!" Drex yells at Jubei as he flies past him into the air.

Focusing now on the cafe fisher that has ensnared him. "Your will regret waking up to day, I will choke the life out of you with your own snot string!"  Rays of light shoots out of his eyes toward the cafe fisher.



Non Action: Nature check to gain more information an Cave Fishers: 23

Minor Action: Oath of Enmity on Cafe Fisher II

Standard action: Avenging Shackles
Target: Cave Fisher II
Attack: 7 vs. Will. (d20 + 4 - 2)
Hit: 5 radiant damage
If the target is your oath of enmity target, the target is also slowed until the end of your next turn.

Save vs Restrained: 10
This message was last edited by the player at 16:09, Sun 29 May 2016.

Round 4 Ends

    After two of Amare’s psionic assaults two of the cave fishers plummet from the ceiling and hit the ground hard, twitching for a few more moments as the battle continued to rage but apparently no longer a threat.
[CFIII and CFIV are now dead.]

Round 5 Begins

    The battle rages as the rest of the party is unable to provide further momentum for the moment though the remaining cave fishers appear to continue their attempted retreat.
Cave Fisher I moves from 33N to 33S sustaining Filament Strangle on Phelan Drixos dealing 8 damage restraining (save ends) Phelan and pulling him 3 squares further into the air.
Cave Fisher II attacks Drex with Filament Strangle, hits (22 vs Ref) dealing 5 damage, restraining (save ends) Drex and pulling him 3 squares into the air.
Cave Fisher V moves from 41O to 40P and attacks Figment Amare with Filament Spike, hits (16 vs Ref) destroying the figment.

As one of the cursed Cave Fishers fell, Willa corrupted rod bubbled and popped in her hand, sizzling with eldritch power.  Similar welts appeared on the fisher's corpse, covering the brand the little ooze had inflicted upon it.  As they too ruptured dark energies sprayed across a wide area, splattering all nearby foes but dissipating before hitting anything else. New brands emerged wherever the foulness struck flesh.

Cave Fisher 1 dying, triggers Willa's pact boon.  But instead of gaining +1 to hit, the cursed rods spreads her cursed mark to all enemies within 5 squares.  Cave Fisher 5 is now therefore also cursed.

Willa giggled as the implement in her hand tickled her, but suddenly squeaked in alarm as she realised Phelan was being dragged away further into the cave.  As she was about to give chase she kicked something.  Drex's Axe!  What was that doing here?  He should have it!  She thought about taking it to him, but it was far too big for her to carry and would slow her down. Phelan needed help now!  Hopefully the Deesekay could do without it.

She took off into the cave as quickly as she could but came to a grinding halt when she saw Drex hanging from the ceiling.  She was momentarily stunned - unsure about what to do next.  After a moment's hesitation, she decided to explode the thing attacking Drex as much as possible.  She knew she was fast and hoped she could catch up to Phelan later.

She ran into the cover of some stalagmites.  They were tall and awkward to clamber over, so she couldn't make it out of the other side, but it did offer her some protection.  From inside, she spied the nearby, so called, Cave Fisher and threw her magic at it.

Move Action: Move to O34 (2 squares of movement needed to enter O34)
Standard Action: Dire Radiance at CFII
To Hit: 21 vs Fortitude
(1d20 +Cha: 4, +Expertise: 1, +Prof: 1, +Disquiet: 2, +1 rod enhancement)

Damage: 15 (10 Radiant, 5 Untyped)
(1d6+Cha: 4, +1 rod enhancement, +1d6 curse)
Secondary Damage: 8
(1d6+Cha: 4, +1 rod enhancement)

Minor Action: Psychic Parasite vs CFII
To Hit: 20 vs Fortitude
(1d20 +Cha: 4, +2)

Damage: 12 (12 Psychic Damage)
(1d8+Cha: 4)
Effect:  Gain 12 temp hp

If the Cave Fisher dies: Trigger Star Pact, Pact Boon (+1 to a d20 roll next turn).

This message was last edited by the player at 20:53, Mon 30 May 2016.

The orbs on the Deesekay as  well as his horns start to glow with vital energy, as Drex is ensnare once more by the cafe fisher.

Immediate Reaction: Vital Surge
Trigger: Your hitpoints are reduced to equal or lower then your bloodied value.
Effect: You immediate spend a healing surge and instead of hitpoints you gain regeneration 5 until the end of the encounter or you recover hitpoints equal to or higher then your bloodied value.  You also gain a +1 bonus to all attack and damage rolls you make until the end of your next turn.

---

Regeneration 5

Rays of light erupts from drex's eyes, with Divine fury.
Standard Action: Avenging Shackles at CFII
To Hit: 19 vs Will
(1d20 + Wis: 4, +1 Vital Surge, -2 Restrained)

Damage: 15 (9 Radiant, 1 Untyped)
(1d8 + Wis: 4, +1 Vital Surge)

Target is also slowed until the end of your next turn (target is your oath of enmity target).

Save vs Restrained:11

As Phelan was brought closer to the creature, his eyes widening slightly at the pincers the size of his body, he felt himself beginning to panic. However that feeling lessened as he looked up, gears turning in his mind.

Narayah were good at climbing, and thus it was no issue for Phelan to reach up with his free paw and crab onto the rough ceiling of the cave, bringing himself to cling to it with his feet. Looking at the creature that had him tied, the Narayah gave an amused smile, made more eerie by him being upside-down. "Goodbye." He waved the hand holding the crossbow and the familiar barrier of sound manifested around him, before blasting the creature back. He attempted to wriggle out of his bindings, to no avail.

On the other side, Amare looked satisfied as two of the creatures crashed to the floor, looking very dead. He let out a gasp of surprise as he felt the figment he had conjured wink out of existence and turned to glare at the attacker. Waving the rod, he sent another, much more aggressive, painful thoughtstream into the creature's mind.

PHELAN
Move: Acrobatics to grab onto roof: 16
Standard: Thundering Armor
Effect: +1 Power bonus to AC for Phelan
Secondary attack:
Attack: 15 vs CFI Fort
Hit: 8 Thunder damage and CFI is pushed one square.

Saving throw: 4. Again.

AMARE
Standard: Invasive Thoughts
Attack: 19 vs CFV Will
Hit: 16 Psychic damage.

Jubei uttered some profanities that possibly were rather unbefitting for someone of his stand as Drex was 'finally' pulled from his reach by these dastardly things, leaving him once more unable to do anything but watch. That was until his foot bumped into something.
"Oh... huh?", he muttered and then grinned as he leaned down to pick up a javelin that had, no doubt recently been lost here, given how it wasn't covered in dust... though he was slightly displeased that the hand of the previous owner (or their glove at least) was still clinging to it. He shook it off grinning as he could feel a slight magic on the weapon.
"Haha, my luck turns!", he laughed as he promptly proceeded to fling the javelin that he had just found at the thing that had caught Drex.


Spend 1 Fortune token to conveniently find a javelin +1.

Minor Action: Pick Javelin up

Move Action: M-N 34-35

Standard Action: Basic Ranged Attack
Target: CF II
Attack: 9 using 1d20+4


Only to promptly miss the target, mostly because of the darkness of course... but it didn't matter, the javelin magically appeared back in his hand, much to his pleased surprise.

Round 5 Ends

    Drex’s cave fisher explodes in radiant light, pieces of it showering down nearby as he falls to the ground and manages to free himself from the now ichor stained strands.
Drex takes 6 falling damage.
[CFII died this round.]

Round 6 Begins

    Another one of the cave fishers fallen the remaining two both press their attack on their prey and try to flee.  Though neither succeed in their attacks against the adventurers.
Cave Fisher I moves from 33T to 33S and attacks Phelan Drixos with Pincers missing.
Cave Fisher V moves from 40P to 37S and attacks Jubei with Filament Wrap missing.

Phelan, still clinging to the ceiling, gave a sigh of relief as those pincers missed him. Feeling a little uncomfortably cramped in, he waved the crossbow-holding hand again.. The same barrier of sonic energy game around him, before clasting the creature back once again. Sadly he still wasn't able to wriggle free of his bindings.

Meanwhile, Amare was continuing to hound the other creature. He sent another painful probe into the creature's mind, but unfortunately his divided focus between Phelan's situation and the other target rendered the attack ineffective.

PHELAN
Standard: Thundering Armor
Effect: Phelan gains +1 AC
Secondary Attack: 22 vs CFI Fort
Hit: 8 Thunder damage and CFI is pushed one square back.

Saving throw: 7

AMARE
Move: J38->N37
Standard: Invasive Thought
Attack: 11 vs CFV Will

Another one down!  Things were definitely looking better now, but Phelan was still in trouble.  Willa slipped out from between the stalagmite formation, skidded across the open floor and dived into another, where she could hopefully find decent vision of the most annoying of these creatures (so far anyway).  Her curse already placed, she took aim at the roof-hugging nuisance and summoned her magical brilliance again.


Move Action:  Move to R34 (costing two move to enter square)

Standard Action: Dire Radiance vs CF1
To Hit: 29 vs Fortitude
(1d20 +Cha: 4, +Expertise: 1, +Prof: 1, +Disquiet: 2, +1 rod enhancement, +1 Star Pact)

Damage:  16 (11 Radiant, 5 Untyped)
(1d6+Cha: 4, +1 rod enhancement, +1d6 curse)

Secondary Damage: 9 (Radiant) - if the target moves closer to Willa
(1d6+Cha: 4, +1 rod enhancement)

If CF1 dies this round: Gain Star Pact
This message was last edited by the player at 17:03, Wed 01 June 2016.

Probably enjoying his new find a little too much, Jubei was more than eager to try it out yet again, especially after learning that it didn't even matter if he missed or not, the thing just comes back to him.

Move Action: O-P 37-38 via O-P 34-35

Standard Action: Ranged Basic Attack
Target: CF V
Attack: 9 using 1d20 + 4 (WITCHCRAFT! WITCHCRAFT!)


Alas, enthusiasm was no compensation for actual ability or training, and so the javelin once more soared off into the darkness without hitting its intended target. Well... given enough time and tries, he would probably start hit somewhat reliabily.

Regenerate 5

Drex picks up the rope and grappling hook from the now dead cave fisher moves into position to help Phelan, seeing as the other one is being scared of by Jubei.

Move action: Pick up Rope and grappling hook.

Second move action: Drex moves from 36N to 35Q.

Round 6 Ends & Round 7 Begins

    When the only other cave fisher fell in a shrill screech it sole survivor turned tail and ran into the darkness.
Cave Fisher V runs (double move) from 37S to 35 AG

[You can chase the last one down if you want, just be mindful of your vision.]

Willa was not prepared to let the creature escape her wrath!  It and its buddies had conspired to take her friends away from her!  Plus who knew how many others might be lurking in the shadows?  Perhaps it was going to get reinforcements.  She ran after it at an incredible pace, moving much faster than normal, weaving between the problematic rock formations, her ever-burning torch lighting the way ahead.  She then summoned her last reserves of energy in an attempt to bring the creature down...

Move to Y35*
Standard to Move: Move to AF34*
*Asterisks on map mark the path Willa took, if its relevant
Action Point: Dire Radiance on CFV
To Hit: 19 vs Fortitude
(1d20 +Cha: 4, +Expertise: 1, +Prof: 1, +Disquiet: 2, +1 rod enhancement, +1 Star Pact)

Damage: 11 (7 Radiant, 4 Untyped)
(1d6+Cha: 4, +1 rod enhancement, +1d6 curse)
Secondary Damage: 6
(1d6+Cha: 4, +1 rod enhancement)

Just in case there are more enemies here - if the Cave Fisher dies and triggers Willa's Pact Boon, she'll forgo the +1 Star Pact to spread her curse mark to every enemy within 5 squares of CFV


...The magic light was less dramatic than normal, probably owing to her hurried incantation, but it seemed to be on target at least.  Well, hopefully anyway.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:14, Mon 06 June 2016.

Encounter Ends

    Besides herself and the now twitching, though thoroughly deceased, cave fisher nothing stirred.  It seemed that for the moment at least there was no other danger in the immediate vicinity.

Cave Fisher Ambush:200 Experience Points for each player involved in this encounter.  In addition the party receives 2 Fortune and 2 Fame tokens.
[As Keela is presently in limbo I can’t in good conscience let her gain expy here.]

"I am rather grateful I'm not afraid of heights." Phelan murmured as he looked the long distance back to the ground. Carefully he clambered cross the ceiling to the nearest pillar, re-orienting himself to scale down the pillar back to ground level. He had already shown off enough for one day, no need to tempt fate!

With the last beast turning into a torch and falling onto the ground, Jubei gave a low huff and shook his head, before he looked for a place to stow the javelin away. He then furrowed his brows as he heard further shuffling, for a moment he worried that more of those things could be in the darkness... before he realized that it was a Phelan who tried to climb down from the ceiling.

He moved over to the spot and looked up, admittedly the darkness made it somewhat hard to see, but he gave a nod nonetheless. "Don't worry, I'll catch you, if you fall."

Feeling the familiar urge to take a souvenir, Willa pried the small part of the last Cave Fisher's carapace off that her curse mark had appeared on and stowed it away in her bag.  Later she'd polish it up and make it pretty.  She also grabbed a chipped off rock piece and shoved that away too.  For good measure.

Her collecting done, she conducts a quick search of the dead beast (on the off chance it has something interesting), then slips happily back to the rest of the party for a little 'r and r' before continuing on.

Back with the group, she cheerfully announces: "All dead!"

Taking a short rest
This message was last edited by the player at 16:25, Wed 08 June 2016.

Despite concerns from both Jubei and Phelan himself, the Narayah climbed down the pillar with little difficulty, jumping off as he neared the base. "Thanks Jubei." He rubbed his neck from where the filament had wrapped around it. It still ached from the attempted strangulation.

As he saw Willa taking a rest, he decided to follow suit. "Let's take a moment to recover before we continue. Jubei..." He trailed off before holding up a familiar device, the one he had been using to draw Jubei's blood. "I need some of your blood again."

Short rest. Spend two healing surges to recover 16 HP. Requesting two healing surges from Jubei to refresh healing powers.

"As usual... take what you need, I haven't been bruised thaaat badly.", the paladin spoke and shook his head... even though he was technically bleeding a good bit anyway. Not that it seemed to dismay him too much currently. "But yes... a rest, I would not mind."


Give two surges, use two surges to recover 26 HP and get back to full.

Somberly Drex rolled up his rope and rappelling hook tying it back on his backpack."So it would seem Willa. A moment to recover before we continue is a good idea." He gathers the last of his belongings and hands Phelan his before taking up a seat next to Jubei. "That was surprising but not unexpected, considering where we are."

Short rest: Drex spends two healing surges to get back to full hit points.

After having rested and prepared his vials once more, Phelan remembered what he originally had been distracted with. "I will try to take this time to finish copying the Umbrean script... Before anything else happens." The Narayah moved back to the wall with the writing, using the light from the lantern to read as he continued copying the text.

    Tension dissipated slowly but not completely as Phelan resumed his work.  The agonizing moments spent watching the darkness in near silence, save for the noise of charcoal on paper, was a strange torment.
  Then, suddenly with a relieved huff, in spite of himself Phelan announced he was finished.

Phelan stood up, dusting himself off and looking at the writing on the parchment critically, before carefully folding and storing it in his backpack. "We can go over this later." He paused, sounding reluctant. "... Should we continue?"

Jubei gave a... slightly reluctant nod to that. "Yes, let us keep following the wall and head in deeper. This place still holds... a darkness beyond the physical after all.", he rumbled as he had drawn the sword once more, since that was his stand in for a torch now, before he nodded along to lead the group further.

    Moving along the wall containing the encrypted darkin text you found a natural ramp, just over 5 feet wide leading up against the wall to around 30 feet off the cavern floor where it became a ledge which ran against that cavern wall and into the darkness ahead.  A few regular holes in the wall at the top, each around 5 feet wide, lead out from this part of the cavern.  These holes were not evenly spaced an you could see at least 3 with perhaps more hidden further into the cavern.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:34, Tue 14 June 2016.

Having apparently overcome her fear of the cavern during the fight, Willa's attention kept being drawn back to the crack she'd spotted earlier.  She knew she was likely the only one who could investigate it and that made it all the more alluring to her. "Willa could, uh, check over there?" She said with distraction.

"I am not sure if we should split up...", Jubei spoke and shrugged. "But at the same time... it might be worth a shot, just be... very careful, especially if there are more of those fisherthings still around."

"Willa not be long!" She assured the massive draconic centaur. "Iron Jubei watch Willa's stuff?  Must leave here." Before he could offer any agreement or argument, Willa had shrunk down out of her gear, dropping all of her items and conceding her once humanoid shape for a more primordial appearance.

The little oozeling seeped into the cave's prominent crack, hoping to find something more interesting than a dead-end inside.

    Moving around as just an ooze was slow going, as seeping forward through the crack was an arduous and claustrophobic process.  As Willa’s awareness shrunk down to so small a space, cramped when so much of the world was wide and open to her.  She rarely had to stay in this form for very long and as such discovered a whole new world of difficulty that existed only when you spent a long time as a goo and made your way around the world.
  Though one problem she was sure was unique to umbreans was a growing sensation, not unlike an itch, which seemed to encourage her to retake her form.  Along with that came a low, persistent noise as if from a creaking wagon wheel always in the background and it was growing gradually louder.  Willa couldn’t tell if it was only in her mind or if she was actually hearing it.
  The itching grew worse.
  A desperation began building a fear she couldn’t quiet put a name to grew but she wanted to get out of the crack now.  She was growing certain that she was going to die here.  Then she pooled out into a small, jagged cave.
  It would be a small fissure to anyone else but to Willa it was a haven, there was barely room for her to reform herself but there was at least that much.
  At first just happy to be herself again she look around in the near, absolute darkness, which was dark even with her eyes but at least she was accustomed to it now after who knows how long in that crack.
  There was writing on the wall, darkin, very-very rough as if writer was either in a hurry, weak or drunk.  The scratches were arranged in a poorly drawn grid but a grid nonetheless.
  What the grid represented were equations, of that Willa was sure but she did not understand the mathematics it used at all and Willa had been very proud of the fact that she had managed to learn algebra at the Arcane University while she had still called that institution her home.

  Meanwhile, Jubei, standing by the crack you waited, and waited, and waited.  It wasn’t clearly how long Willa had gone in there but she was now gone at least a lot longer than you believe “long” would have implied.