GM's note: Since there appears to be a problem in keeping consistent tenses throughout a thread, this one will be in present tense, Carry on.
This message was last updated by the GM at 18:29, Fri 06 Jan 2017.

A gentle knock on the door wakes each of our protagonists in turn, as Tessa and Uldus remind them that the meeting with Zhorr has been organized for the morning.

After a rustic but sizable breakfast, Uldus accompanies the group to the the hill that dominates the tiny village.

The building at the top is not really a castle: it's not designed with defense in mind, and it has neither battlements nor arrow slits. Asidee from that, however, the manor is rather imposing.

Three stories of solid stone, looking as if they have been carved out of a single huge rock, with big windows and an doorway that would allow a giant to go through without bumping its head.

Since the owner of the manor appears to be a wizard of some persuasion, there is a good chance that magic was involved in the construction at some point.

As the party approaches the manor they notice two statues on the sides of the door, one made of white stone, one made of black stone.

From a distance, they appear to be human.sized winged humanoids.

---

As you approach the manor, you notice that the walls have many, many decorative carvings, and the two statues resolve into two angels.

The quality of the work is apparent even to the untrained eye (you can use Appraise to get an idea of the statues' worth). The angels are not wearing any clothes, or armor, but even so you wouldn't call them erotic sculptures.

Both statues are beautiful, but the white one seems to express a loving welcome, while the black one seems to regard the world with burning hatred. There are veins of white material included in the black marble, which makes the statue look as if its perfect skin is scarred.

Planes or Religion 14 to identify them. You MAY take 10 on Knowledge checks when you are not in combat.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:22, Fri 06 Jan 2017.

Leonia rises with a slightly fuzzied mind. When she joins the others,she takes the sights in as she travels in silence  (time enough to be giddy when in Zhorr's presence). When they arrive at the doors, she gazes at the statues and her demeanor breaks as she openly declaims the artistry and value of the two works of art.


Appraise 23 on d20+5.

Aran's Hangover was no trifle, but benders were nothing new to the Efreet. He makes his way with the others to the Manor in a somewhat sluggish manor, but he manages to keep up. Upon seeing the statues, he takes some time to admire the quality of the work done to create them, as well as take in his surroundings as best he can.


16:41, Today: Aran Kalisar rolled 17 using 1d20+5.  Appraise Check.
Knowledge: Planes 15 (Taking 10)

Approaching the manor, the group chats amiably about unimportant things, such as Uldus recounting the daily life of a lumberjack, and the inner workings of his wife's ice mead as best as he understands them.

Once in front of the large wooden doors, Uldus grabs a big brass ring sticking out of the wall on the right side, and pulls it hard.

Bells goes off inside the building, and several seconds later the doors open. There doesn't appear to be anybody inside, but Uldus is unperturbed.

Immediately behind the doors there is a sizable atrium, with multiple corridors leading off in various directions, each of them with a carpet of different color.

Uldus walks right in, and keeps going straight, following a corridor with a red carpet.

---

The corridor on your left has a green carpet, the one on your right blue, and the one in front of you red.

There are many doors, but they are all closed; midway through the red corridor, twin stairs on each side lead up and down. The place appears to be even bigger than you originally thought.

(Planes/Religion) Judging from context and visual cues, this appears to be the artist's rendition of an Erinyes (devils born out of fallen Angels): the white and the black statue would then represent the same creature before and after the Fall. The use of black marble is probably a bit of an artistic license (according to lore, only the wings are actually black), probably chosen because the white inclusions highlight the "decorative" scars most Erinyes bear.

(Appraise) The closer you get the more details you see, and the higher you rank the statues' worth. To begin with, any marble statue of that size is worth at least 1500 gp just for the raw materials. Poor quality statues are worth at least 3000 gp, and average quality statues sell for 4500 gp. You would put the value of these particular statues at around 6000 gp. Each.
The carvings on the walls also appear to quite the artistic endeavor - though, since they cannot removed from the walls, they add to the value of the manor rather than having an intrinsic worth. Even so, a lot of gold was turned into stone here. Or maybe it's the other way around.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:14, Sat 07 Jan 2017.

Dakash enjoys the 'sizable breakfast', as he is himself a not-quite-average specimen of his race. He smacks his lips and makes sounds of appreciation as each course or portion is completed. Some listeners may find his noises rude, though he is well aware that with the company he keeps, his enjoyment of meals is a small price to pay for the skills he brings to the table himself.

However, when they arrive at the building that is their destination, he regards the two statues coolly. Unlike his companion Leonia, he does not appraise them for value or source of origin, but rather the concept behind their creation. If allowed, he reaches out and touches each, caressing first one then the other briefly to discern if they are as smooth as they seem, and of course to see if they would animate. He's heard of such things, but not yet experienced a living statue in this lifetime.

Once inside, he pauses and watches Uldus take the red carpet path, momentarily wondering where the other two led, but since he was not a rogue by trade or in spirit, he only wondered and did not act on the curiosity, and so followed the man silently. a bit further.


Also took 10 on my Religion check for the statues [total 16].

If it will help, I'll also be watchful as I move through this [and other] new area(s) so I'll Take 10 on Perception rolls when I can [total 18].

Leonia observes the antics of the blue-hued humanoid and wryly says "Were you expecting that your touch was exciting enough to bring them to life? And here I thought Fey were too narcissistic! Live and learn, I suppose..."

"The gods work in mysterious ways..." He chuckled and removed his hand from the non-offensive place it had been and continued inside.

Uldus leads the group through the red corridor, to a closed door. He knocks, waits for an answer and, after asking everybody to kindly wait a moment, gets in.

A short while later, the door opens again, to show a fairly large room decorated with paintings, carvings, and more statues.

There is a big table in the middle, with enough chairs for everybody to sit down.

Behind the table stands a man in his forties, not particularly tall. His black hair and goatee contrast with his pale skin and clear eyes.

Particularly surprising to the arcane spellcasters in the group is the fact that he is wearing what looks like an expensive armor, and carrying a long pointy sword that the more martial-oriented types promptly identify as a rapier. His other accessories also appear to be of the expensive variety: it seems stone is not the only thing his gold was turned into.

He greets everybody with a simple: "My lady, gentlemen, welcome to Carp on the Wall, and to my humble abode. Please, have a seat."

---

(Reposted from the OOC thread, to keep everything in one place.)
The statue is as smooth as marble can get (which is to say, quite). It's also very realistic, to the point that if it actually came to life you wouldn't be surprised. So far, however, it hasn't moved. If it's alive, it's not ticklish.

If Gron decided that he would like to meet the mayor (e.g., due to an off-screen conversation with Tessa), he has been included in the group, and can politely (or less politely, if he so desires) point out to Dakash that marble doesn't react well to skin oils. As far as I know nobody else has knowledge in stone working - Gron is a dwarf, so he has some knowledge regardless of skill ranks, just by virtue of having been exposed to master stone workers in his youth.

---

The statues inside are similar to the ones at the entrance, except these ones are less than three feet tall, and made of bronze rather than marble.

The paintings depict more scenes of angels and devils, and are fairly standard, if quite varied, religious depictions.

Finally, those with knowledge in Religion will be surprised to notice the holy symbols of not one, but three gods.

The symbol of Asmodean is expected.

The presence of the Manual of City Building, the holy book of Abbadar, is not surprising in the house of a community leader, and it is in fact a good sign.

The presence of the holy symbol of Iomedea, however, is not something you would really have expected - not so openly displayed, and not right opposite the symbol of Asmodean. It's good, but definitely... Interesting

To clarify: these three deities are all lawful, and they are evil, neutral, and good respectively. As I probably already mentioned, Iomedea (much like her canonical counterpart Iomedae) is on speaking terms with exactly one evil deity (no prizes for guessing which one), while the church of Asmodean is giving her cult more freedom than any other in Chelian. As such, it's certainly possible to pray to all three deities at once without angering any of them... But it's certainly a fine balancing act. Those households that pray to Iomedea in Chelian tend to do so in a small private room, rather than openly displaying her symbol right alongside that of the ruler of Hell. Aran will know this due to being native of the region, fo everybody else is knowledge local DC 10 or geography 15.

The Manual of City Building, for those not familiar with the cult of Abadar in canon PF, is indeed a holy book, but it is also literally a manual of city building, filled with very practical advice on how to develop a strong community.

It's essentially a "project management" kind of guide for community leaders, complete with "Best Practices" and "Quality Assurance"-type sections: if it has been proven to be effective in building a community, it's in the book. The church is very proactive in keeping it up to date, adding new material as it proves its effectiveness and removing those parts that have proven to no longer work.

This message was last edited by the GM at 18:54, Fri 13 Jan 2017.

Leonia studies the three aspects of Lawful society, each represented by a different holy symbol. She turns to the man in armor and rapier, and in a puzzled voice asks "Zhorr? How are you able?-" her mind reels at possible implications. She also tries to recall if any other person has ever tried to balance the forces of the three deities in the past.


01:40, Today: Leonia Sunstorm rolled 19 using 1d20+9.  Knowledge History.

Dakash is actually impressed at the proliferation of all three deities in one area...though of course his happiness is somewhat dampened by the knowledge that Asmodeus only allows things that serve his interests, or can be manipulated to do so. Still, it is good to see that there is at least the surface appearance of equality for worshippers of goodness.

"Are there laws governing the conduct and rituals of religious services? Surely the lord of the land doesn't allow Iomedea an actual foothold in the land, much less the hearts and minds of the citizenry."

Zhorr smiles at Dakash: "You would be surprised. You are not from Chelian, so allow me to explain how it works."

He takes a step back and assumes a lecturing tone that Leonia is quite familiar with - there is definitely the heart of a scholar behind that armor: "Officially, all temples in the country must be consecrated to Asmodean. Shrines to other deities may be set up in back rooms in those temples, each with a specific authorization, and those are the only places where public prayer gatherings are allowed. People may set up small shrines in their own houses, but those are strictly for use by the owner's family. There are only two deities who are excepted from that rule. One is of course the Lord Asmodean himself. The other is the Lady Iomedea."

After a moment's pause to let the surprise sink in, Zhorr continues: "In return for this concession, and a small number of other allowances, the Lady Iomedea has agreed that all of her followers will have absolute respect for the law of the land as decreed by its rulers. If a Cleric or Paladin of Iomedea willingly breaks Chelish law, no matter the reason, they will immediately be stripped of all their divine gifts. It's quite ingenious, if you think about it. Plus it's a constant source of amusement for the Lord Asmodean, and eternity has a way of becoming dull... Or so I'm told."

He snaps his fingers and continues, looking directly at Dakash: "But I almost forgot! Uldus tells me you liked the statues at the entrance. I admit they are some of my best work, if I may say so myself."

As he says so, he turns around, and a small metal statuette floats into the room. It's a variation on the angel-before-the-fall theme, similar to the statue at the entrance, but clearly meant to be a small-scale piece of art.

"This is one of my prototypes. I tend to make a few of these when I am working on something new. They are made of conjured iron, which unfortunately means they require a bit of maintenance to prevent them from rusting, and since I cannot really hold on to many of them, I made a habit of giving the best ones to people who appreciate my art." Plucking the statuette from the hold of whatever it is that is keeping it floating, he offers it to Dakash: "I would like you to have it. It does need a light polishing every now and then, but I trust you can take good care of it."

---

The diabolic hold on Chelian is relatively recent, from a historical perspective, and its situation is rather unique, so you cannot really find any previous examples.

A community leader/lord worshiping Abbadar is rarely a source of surprise: on the one hand, most deities are fine with their followers paying their respects to Abbadar, especially if they are community leaders; on the other hand, Abbadar is willing to accept just about anything, as long as it doesn't cause strife. On the gripping hand, trying to worship good and evil *at the same time* does, in fact usually cause strife. Then the good and evil deities dislike you for worshiping the other one, and Abbadar dislikes you for creating a negative atmosphere in the community.

This strange choice Asmodean made is the only reason Zhorr could even attempt this without automatically pissing off three gods at once. Worshiping Asmodean alone would have been much easier, but evidently he didn't quite wante to put the village in the hands of the ruler of Hell exclusively.

A quick Appraise check will reveal that the craftsmanship on the statuette gives it excellent artistic value, although the fact that it is made from conjured iron severely tanks its monetary worth: it could probably be sold for a hundred gold pieces, though you might be able to get somebody with appreciation for the arts to pay up to 200 gp.

Conjured iron, in case there were any doubts, is metal that comes from a Wall of Iron spell: it's relatively brittle, rusts quickly, and is generally inadequate for any use other than building a wall... And apparently making small objets d'art, although you suspect that additional magic was involved in crafting that statuette, since trying to make it with normal methods would probably not have yielded that kind of result.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:55, Fri 13 Jan 2017.

"Impressive " Leonia says. "A Silent, Still form of telekinesis, and the armor isn't causing the spell to fail. Very Impressive, indeed" the elf says with a twinkle in her eye. She knows how the mage really did it, but maintaining awe for the Art was a duty shared by all wizards.
She adds "Zhorr, I read your treatise on Exercises and Experimentations in Abjuration and Conjuring. I'd love the opportunity to discuss it with you."
This message was last edited by the player at 10:29, Wed 11 Jan 2017.

The blue warrior-priest keeps his mouth shut and merely listens and observes.

Zhorr frowns for a moment: "Treatise on... Oh dear." With a small chuckle he continues: "My lady, that book was written over a century ago. That probably did not seem like a very long time to your teachers, but that one ancestor of mine who did in fact write the book was human, and has long since claimed his reward in the afterlife."

He smiles to Leonia and says: "As it happens, most of my relatives on my mother's side were true scholars. I am, by comparison, simply a dabbler: I took more than my fair share of love for the art of the sword from my father's side. As a result, my arcane formation wasn't quite as thorough as it could have been. However, I do enjoy magical research, so perhaps I can still be of help."

---

Zhorr is, as you may or may not have guessed, a Magus. Leonia is likely to have at least an idea of what a Magus is, though she might be unaware of the finer details of the utter insanity that is Knowledge Pool. Having both Arcana and Dungeoneering, however, she probably has at least a decent idea.

Leonia can still use most of his spells: specifically, Magus spells from Paizo sources pretty much all appear on the wizard list, and Leonia can copy them directly from one of his spell books in due course.
The ones he already researched for himself, however, such as his most beloved 10 minutes/level Shield spell (not necessarily as useful for a wizard), will have to be re-researched (with an appropriate discount) to also appear on the Wizard list.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:56, Fri 13 Jan 2017.

Aran listened quietly as the scholars waxed scholarly on things that were of little interest to him. While Zhorr's religious setup here was somewhat intriguing, the Ifrit came her for a purpose.

"Master, Zhorr, they call you. Thank you for having us. I'm Aran Kalisar, and I've come her in hopes of broadening my horizons and expanding my influence through and beyond Cheliash. I was informed you might be able to aid in such endeavors."

Zhorr ponders for a moment, then replies: "I might be able to help, yes. It won't be quite as easy to transfer my knowledge to you as it would be with others," - He smiles at Leonia as he says so - " but I have seen many things in my time, and I should still be able to provide assistance. First, however, I would have your word that you will not use my help to break the laws of the land. For a man in my position, it would be unwise to anger the gods, even more so than usual."
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:56, Fri 13 Jan 2017.

Dakash had been pondering several things when the man was giving his answer to the initial question posed about allowing good deities to be worshipped. But the response he'd gotten was something new...and yet, it was an old, familiar trope: the leaders of the land were evil, but 'allowed' good cults to form in back alley shrines and hideouts. These were carefully monitored, even infiltrated, and used as focal points for exerting their influence on the populace...or, in more extreme cases, used as wells of information to hunt and assassinate their rivals, or anyone with plans to allow goodness to rise up and overtake the despotic rulers.

He came out of his reverie as the man made the comment about having seen many things in his time, and the blue warrior realized he'd absently [and wordlessly] taken the statue offered to him and been staring blankly at it for some time now.

"This really is..." he trailed off somewhat sheepishly, but also in obvious respect of the craftsmanship that had gone into the small thing. He wondered briefly if, despite being made from iron, it was brittle like porcelain. He would have to wrap it carefully if it were to take part in any of his overland journeys in the future.

"Many thanks, Zhorr. Is it customary for an exchange of gifts, or is my gratitude enough payment? I confess that you are right; I am a stranger to these lands."

Zhorr nods at Dakash and smiled: "The age-old question: how to repay a gift, how to reward a kindness, how to return a favor. Well, the truth is, there is a good chance that none of you is here by accident. Ever since Lia and I retired - for lack of a better word - we found that Fate likes to send trouble our way. Along with good candidate to take care of it."

He shakes his head and chuckles: "The gods' ways may be mysterious, but unpredictable they are not. Nor are they subtle."

A knock on the door interrupts him. A moment later, the door opens, revealing a young girl with green eyes (with a rather exotic shape), green hair, and slightly pointed ears, wearing... Nothing but a few strategically placed leaves, apparently.

"Sorry to interrupt but... Well, you know." Her accent is rather exotic as well. She smiles at the assembled guests and greets them: "Hi everyone. I'm Lia."

Zhorr rolls his eyes: "Speaking of not being subtle... Please meet my better half Lia. I assume something happened?"

Lia nods once in a strsngely precise way: "Ha-Yes. Maron is dead."

---

Take a chainmail bikini, cross it with an anime-style "nothing but leaves" poison Ivy costume, and remove leaves until you reach minimum decency. That's what Lia's outfit looks like.

Nature DC 17 will identify her as a Nymph.

Also, roll Perception.

This message was last edited by the GM at 19:33, Fri 13 Jan 2017.

Zhorr blinks. Twice. Then opens his mouth, closes it, and opens it again. Finally, he speaks: "I... Did not see that one coming. Maron? How?"

Lia shrugs; "Not know. Scarlet say: very blood, much gruesome."

Zhorr looks very much like he bit into a spoiled lemon: "Yeah, no. Your familiar is smarter than half the people in the village, I'm sure whatever she said was much more articulate, and not at all meant to make my brain hurt."

Lia pouts; "Fine... She said that she found the body at the far end of the field. Whatever killed him, ate most of the flesh and made a bloody mess of the body, but left no obvious bite marks on the bones. But! We can rebuild him-"

"Stop. Right there. Just... No."

He sighs and shakes his head: "Well, that's not unsettling at all, now, is it?" He turns to his guests and continues: "There is really no point in involving the local authorities: they would do little, and that little would probably be bad. Lia and I can no longer actively take an active role in this kind of situation... But I can appoint special advisors to help the village with various matters. Now, I offered my assistance to you all, and I will keep my promise regardless... But as I said the gods act in rather unsubtle ways, and it seems to me that they are making you an offer of their own. What do you think? Would you be willing to assist in finding whoever or whatever killed poor Maron Yeoman?"

---

Dakash! 27 perception? Well, you see straight through Lia's disguise: she is not an actual Nymph, she's just... Well, essentially cosplaying as one.

With expensive illusion magic, but still. She's a half-human of some description, probably a half-elf, and while you couldn't quite pinpoint her age you would guess that she's actually older than Zhorr.

At this point, Gron is still at the inn. He's a ranger, so Zhorr will ask Uldus to go and see if he could be convinced to lend a hand.

Just to clarify: Lia the character does not come from 21st century Earth and did not actually reference the doge meme or the six million dollar man. Consider those to be "translated for the reader's convenience" - the alternative was to make up something and then explain it.

This message was last edited by the GM at 23:12, Sat 14 Jan 2017.

Responding to Zhorr, Leonia says "Well, I was more interested in an abjuration effect granting protection closer to that of half- or full plate, but any research you could share, or work on with me, would be appreciated. As for solving this death, I'd be glad to help. I'd need to see the body first, but I already have a few ideas of what could cause that sort of corpse."

The 'leafy' woman had caught his eye, though to be sure, every red-blooded man who viewed such a sight would probably be interested, at the very least. Unfortunately, Dakash was not red-blooded...though he was indeed a man.

Doing his best not to stare, the big warrior took several opportunities to glance at the clothing and makeup of the woman - for that's what it was, in the end - just clever uses of fabric and cosmetics. Reflections showed the same thing from a different angle; this woman was not what she appeared (although that did not mean she was any less beautiful).

"So..." he said, bringing his mind and thoughts back to the present, "this woman must be of some importance to have us investigate her death. My condolences if she was a close friend or relative." He may have sounded a bit callous, but among his people, life was a gift to be treasured while it lasted and celebrated when it was over. He sometimes forgot that among other races, they were quite the opposite, and mourned the loss of their loved ones. Adding that he felt empathy for these people should, hopefully, cover that possibility.

Leonia slaps Dakash upside the head. "Dolt! Lia said 'whatever killed him'. Him! Does that sound like a woman to you?" Turning to Zhorr, she adds "Sorry about that. Sometimes he loses his focus when confronted with a beautiful woman. I get the feeling you two", indicating Zhorr and Lia, "always keep each other entertained. That's good for a long-term relationship."

Dakash seems genuinely confused. "Maron is a man's name?" He shrugs, unfazed by the tap to the head he's just received, and returns his attention to the man before him.

Zhorr smiles broadly at Lia: "What do you say, do we keep each other entertained?"

Lia opens her mouth to say something, then blushes slightly and seems to think better of it.

Zhorr shakes his head and turns to Leonia: "Forgive my beloved, she occasionally falls victim to one-track mindedness. Not that I would have it any other way... So, you were interested in force shields? As it happens, they are rather important for Magi, and I have a pretty good one... But it would take some work to make it accessible to a proper Wizard: it was one of the first spells I researched and I didn't really put too much thought into making it accessible at the time. I will look into it."

Then he sobers up: "But, back to more pressing concerns.  This is a small village, mostly farmers: Maron Yeoman is... Was, I suppose I should say... The head of the family with the largest fields. He was a respected member of the community, and I can't think of anybody who would wish him harm."
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:01, Sun 15 Jan 2017.

Dakash ponders this for a moment. "Perhaps someone who wants his lands. Does...did Maron have any heirs or will his lands revert to control by the state? Or maybe someone wants to import what he made locally. Profit is always a good source of conflict, in my experience." He didn't like the direction his mind was heading, but there it was.

Aran frowns grimly as the news of murder is brought to the group's attention. Despite the bad news, he is somewhat distracted by it's bearer... if only briefly.

"I'm not much of an investigator, but I will do what I can to ensure justice is done. If you are deputizing us as investigators in this matter, I think we'll do well to begin with questioning the townsfolk... particularly with his heirs and other landowners who would benefit from his death. This Dakash fellow is of the right mind."

Leonia shakes her head in the negative. "I think you're both wrong. I'm thinking animal attack, possibly burrowing animal. Like giant ants or ankhegs. Won't know until we examine the body for ourselves. Might turn out you two are right after all, but questioning neighbors can wait until we've had a chance to examine the body and the crime scene" the scholar says.

"A farmer as successful as Maron ought to know if there's a predator on his lands, wouldn't you think?" He'd thought of a wild animal attack initially, too...bloody mess and partially eaten...but then, if it was an obvious animal mauling, what's the sense in conducting an investigation by outsiders? No, Zhorr had suspicions, and he wanted to see them either vindicated or laid to rest.

"And if it was just an accidental death, then we've got a short walk and we'll be back in time for more of that delicious alcohol." He smiled disarmingly, knowing Leonia would now hope that it *wasn't* a wild beast, so that Dakash wouldn't wake up at noon after a good night of drinking.

Aran Shrugs.

"Either way, we should quicken our steps and make way to the scene. While I enjoy this place as much as anyone, I'm pretty sure we have a limited amount of time before the trail gets cold."

Zhorr ponders on Dakash's words for a few moments before replying: "Well, I was thinking goblins, more than people: they tend to be a nuisance around these parts. While they have avoided us so far, they might have changed their tiny minds. I don't think somebody would want Maron dead: he has... Had.... Children, yes, and his firstborn stands to inherit, but he's in no hurry to: he's young, unmarried, and by all accounts loved his father very much. Still, he's now the leader of the family. Unless of course Maron is Raised. Not that the family could afford, even if we did have a cleric - which we do not."

Lia pipes in: "I can rebuil- Sorry. Reincarnate. I can reincarnate him. I'd have to do the Gentle Repose thing, at least while I collect all the materials, and maybe throw in a few hundred coins for the stuff I cannot grow myself. But then... Bam! New body. Better, stronger, faster! OK, stopping now." She adds meekily seeing Zhorr's scowl intensify.

He just shakes his head: "He'd hardly be better or stronger if you reincarnated him into, say, a svirfneblin. Also, legally speaking, a reincarnated person is not the same person. They are recognized as next of kin if nobody else stands to inherit, but that's it: he would essentially be his own bastard son. And, while you could make a case that Esta would be happy to have her husband back, again, legally he wouldn't even be her husband anymore. Even without considering the age gap that a reincarnation would create."

Pouting, Lia replies: "I could use the other reincarnate. Or the... Other other reincarnate. Then he'd be human...ish."

"And he'd still have most of those issues, plus you would need a lot longer to put together the materials... But we can discuss that later. For now, I think you should accompany our guests to the scene. If possible, without making a scene of your own." He gestures vaguely at her outfit.

Lia's pouting only intensifies: "Spoilsport."

A moment later, her Nymph disguise drops, revealing more elvish features, and then her non-clothes shimmer, revealing themselves as armor - still made of leaves, but actual, proper armor - rather than scraps of lingerie.

"You can still do the 'gentle repose thing', as you so eloquently put it. No harm in preserving the body for the future. Ask Uldus, would you please go along and provide assistance?" He asks the quiet Varana.

Uldus bows slightly before replying: "Of course, master."

---

No prizes for guessing Lia's class. And yes the easy reincarnates do mean that you have access to a "back in the game" option. Still, do please try not to die, it puts you on shaky legal footage and too many reincarnations might anger some deity or another. Also, if you ever strike a bargain with a devil reincarnate will no longer suffice.

OOC: Not sure what happened to Gron. We will proceed with the cast as-is. Unfortunately, that means I might have to drop a nast... I mean, a nice surprise I had for you. :P

This message was last edited by the GM at 16:10, Wed 18 Jan 2017.

The Yeoman field is... Well, a field. Tilled and sowed, for those who care.

Very much the same as every other field.

Except for the mostly-eaten corpse on one side of it, of course: most fiels don't have one of those.

It's hard to determine exactly what killed Maron, since the skin s completely gone, and with it most of the flesh.

The scene, however, is not quite as bloody as initially described. There is blood, yes, and it looks like Maron tried to flee from his attackers, whoever or whatever they were, but he didn't go very far.

Roll Perception and Heal. If you have a heightened sense of smell, add that bonus.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:15, Thu 19 Jan 2017.

Aran turned his nose up at the sight of the mostly-eaten corpse of the Maron fellow. While he was prepared for action, he was not, unfortunately, keen on making sense of anything that he saw.

15:36, Today: Aran Kalisar rolled 5 using 1d20.  Heal Check.
15:36, Today: Aran Kalisar rolled 7 using 1d20.  Perception check.

This close to the community, Dakash would normally have felt safe enough to stride out in his travelling clothes and take a gander at whatever it was that had occurred in the field. But, having heard about the state of the victim's corpse [even secondhand], he feels it is a much wiser move to put on his chainmail shirt and carry his weapons, in case the reason for Maron's death is still lurking in the area.

Plus, he's almost always up for a challenge.

"Looks like the man was alive long enough to know what was attacking him" he says as he walks the short distance from encounter to demise. He takes a knee occasionally, poking the ground or turning his head from a new vantage point, trying to get the most information possible.

"A shame I have not been blessed with the gift of spirit-speaking yet. Perhaps I will have to prove myself against a greater foe or challenge."



19:16, Today: Dakash Szagdala rolled 26 using 1d20+8.  perception.
19:15, Today: Dakash Szagdala rolled 15 using 1d20+8.  heal check.

Leonia has a serious mien on her face as she looks at the grisly scene. Reaching into her pack, she withdraws some vials and papers, as well as a pair of soft gloves. Donning the gloves, she examines the body, taking notes of the damage and locality of each wound. When her preliminary examination is done, she sprinkles some chemicals on the half-dissolved flesh, and notes the skin and fluid reactions. She makes notes in a small journal.


00:55, Yesterday: Leonia Sunstorm rolled 20 using 1d20+9.  Craft Alchemy . Checking for animal toxins and digestive acids.

13:05, Thu 19 Jan: Leonia Sunstorm rolled 19 using 1d20+10.  Perception .
13:05, Thu 19 Jan: Leonia Sunstorm rolled 20 using 1d20+1.  Heal check.

Noting what his travelling partner is up to, Dakash points to the ground off to one side. "That's a bee. And another there, and more there. Will your test reveal if their stings were toxic enough to kill him? Obviously they aren't the reason for the...state of the body right now." He gestured at the dead man's corpse, pointing out that although the skin and most of the flesh have been removed - but not by conventional methods - the are no clear bite marks.

"That's either a dastardly magical spell, or someone...something...went to a great deal of trouble to take an unusual trophy." He sniffed at the air around where he was squatting, leaning over the body and sniffing again, but shaking his head.

"Can't quite place the smell. Might be a spell component. Might be the scent of the killer. A shame I can't summon a hunting dog to track it for us." He looked over at the obvious wizard that was Aran and raised an eyebrow.

"Actually... That's a wasp." Replies Lia, sounding worried. "And that species does feed on small animals. Their poison paralyzes the victim, and then the entire swarm feeds. Unless it's the mating seasonm in which case they just lay their eggs in the victim, so the larvae can feed after the eggs hatch. In those cases, it's advisable to burn the body rather  than just bury it. They don't usually go so far as to attack a human, however. This swarm was either very large or very very hungry."

She approaches the body carefully, and pulls out a wand: "Good thing I was already thinking about using Gentle Repose. It should also kill any larvae, or at least hibernate them. Would anybody like to do the honors? I am not particularly adept at using that particular spell."
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:06, Sat 21 Jan 2017.

Leonia gingerly takes the wand from Lia. "Normally I wouldn't try this. Gentle Repose is Necromantic from an arcane standpoint. But if I can emulate a Cleric's mindset..." Leonia gestures, and the spell envelopes the body, warding its state and preventing decay.

Leonia rolls 22 on d20+9. Use Magic Device to operate wand.

"That had the chance of backlashing. I was lucky."

Aran furrows his brows as he allows his newfound companions to examine the scene. When Dakash looks over to him,  he shrugs.

"I hope you don't think I can summon hunting dogs... I'm not much one for summoning without the right equipment. But spells, I can look into. Can you describe the smell you can't make out for me? I'm afraid all I can smell is decay. If it's a spell component, I might be able to figure it out."

Lia pipes up: "If you want somebody with a good sense of smell, I could ask Scarlet. She's my familiar: cutest compsognathus you'll ever see, very smart, and with a great nose. I mean, assuming I can figure out where she's run off to. Bet you she's at the inn, making puppy eyes to Tessa for some meat."
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:24, Mon 23 Jan 2017.

"Compsognathus? Never heard of one before. Is it a type of bird? No, no, can't be...not with a scent ability. Some sort of land animal? Well, I can summon creatures, but not for any time beyond a few seconds. Maybe this Scarlet would be a good idea, and I'd love to meet her" Leonia states.

Dakash shrugs. "I've never heard of it either, but if it can help track blood trails and..." he paused to sniff the air again, "...whatever fruit or flower or vegetable it is I think I'm smelling here, then it will be a big help."

He gets up from his crouch and looks down at the body, then in the direction of the man's run, from beginning to end. From the starting point, where Maron first seemed to notice he was in danger, the warrior-priest looks to the closest treeline.

"I can't imagine that a swarm of deadly insects had built a nest so close to this field and gone unnoticed until the moment of attack. Could there be a giant variety nearby that agitated them? Or a predator that recently displaced them...or a watchman of nature - druid or the like - that has a proverbial axe to grind against this community?"  He listed off the most obvious things he could think of that might lead to such an event.

"Just give me a few minutes: we never got around to getting a proper telepathic link, so I have to rely on the normal master-familiar empathy... And she might not pay much attention to her mistress while eating Tessa's best sausages." With that, Lia moves a few steps away from the others and closes her eyes.

"Fruit, flower, or vegetable, that's also a spell component that could be responsible for this... hrm?"

Aran rubs his chin as he thinks of the possibilities.

"There was also an alchemical component used. Whether on the body or in the air, I cannot say. The sample has degraded too much." Leonia observes.

Lia comes back to the others after a minute or so: "So... Scarlet is resigned and slightly irritated, which means she's coming. It's going to take her a few minutes. I've been thinking bout what you said and... Yeah, something is not quite right here. Unfortunately, Zhorr and I cannot get involved beyond this. It's... Complicated. We need sombody to track down this swarm and get rid of it, and find out if there was some kind of.., Intelligence... Behind this attack. You would be rewarded for your help, of course."

"Then the first thing we should do is work on something to help against the venom of their stings, should we be attacked during the investigation." He made a point of looking at Leonia while she was still holding her alchemical devices.

Lia looks pensive: "Antitoxin? We have a couple of those... I think... I have to check with Zhorr. Anything else?"

"Vermin repellent, if we can whip one up, I'd think. In case of scavengers nearby, too" Leonia suggests.

Lia nods: "I think we can get a couple of vermin repellents and an antitoxin by tomorrow morning, but probably not today. However, the sooner we can deal with this swarm, the better: until we know it's safe to go outside, everybody should stay indoors, and you can't very well tend to your fields from inside your house."

A chirp announces the arrival of a... Green, scaly, wingless bird? Or something?

"Scarlet! Good to see you girl. Sorry about your lunch, but we have a problem, and I think we need your nose." Lia quickly explains the problem to the... Little dinosaur?

The familiar nods, and examines the body, then chirps something to her mistress.

"Right, so... Something floral, yes. It's a smell that the swarm would be attracted to, but it's hard to tell whether the wasps live among those plants, and so the swarm carries that smell around, or somebody used herbal oils to draw the swarm to this place. Either way, Scarlet can track the smell. I think maybe we can rush the vermin repellent by this afternoon... And we should have an antitoxin or maybe two in the house. But you won't have a lot of sunlight left."
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:02, Thu 26 Jan 2017.

"I can help with that. I'm pretty skilled with alchemy" admits the elf.

"I see then. What should we do in the meantime?"

"It hadn't occurred to me that someone might create the scent that attracted the insects - if that's what happened here. Very ingenious. And rather diabolical, I might add." He observed the small beast that was, apparently, the familiar companion of their employer.

"I suppose that depends on Leonia. If she can help speed the process along then I'm sure waiting until tomorrow won't be a problem, so long as we can inter Maron somewhere to keep this quiet for now. Still, I see no reason why we can't follow Scarlet here and see at least in which direction we will be searching, when we do."

"I'll take care of the body. It won't spoil as long as we can keep it under gentle repose, and I think I can reincarnate it in a few days if his family agreesI will talk to Zhorr and see if we can get you the things you need by this afternoon. Now, if you want to try and follow the swarm, I would advise you to stay together: in my experience, splitting up leads to bad things finding you. "

Turning to Scarlet, Lia continues: "What do you say girl? Wanna help these nice people?"

The little dinosaur shrugs in a way that is surprisingly human-like, and chirps something to her mistress.

"Right. Your call then. Scarlet won't help you fight, but she can help you track down the swarm."

---

Just to be clear: with a cost of 500 sp and a DC of 25, making antitoxin requires slightly less than a week.

To make it in one day, you would need to hit 2500 sp per week, or 50x50, and that actually means 55x55 since you increase difficulty in increments of 10. Zhorr can hit some pretty high notes, when you account for buffs, but even with an assistant he's not going to get a 50 (an assistant is only a +2 under the standard rules), let alone a 55.

Vermin repellent, OTOH, is only 20 sp, so if you can make it at all (i.e., hit its DC exactly) you can make 20 a week, or 4 per day.

So, vermin repellent for everybody is a thing that's going to happen by late afternoon on the same day (8 hours later), antitoxin for everybody is not a thing that's going to happen in any way shape or form.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:40, Fri 27 Jan 2017.

"I say we waste no time. Let's follow up on what we can, while we can."

"So long as Scarlet will help us track down the swarm. Best we know what we face before diving in, right?" Leonia points out.

The big man nods. "I agree. If this was indeed a wild animal issue, either something has laired too near town, or there's an odd new predator in the area that should be dealt with. If it's just a matter of selfish humanity or jealous merchants, we can do ourselves some good with clearing up the matter."

Dakash wasn't a stranger to the wilderness, Leonia knew this. He was no ranger, mind you, but he had a decent grasp of where to go and what to look for when he put his thinking cap on straight.

"Scarlet...you understand us, right?" He looks at the small(ish) beast and unconsciously cocks his head sideways as he'd seen dogs and other pets so often do. Glancing up at the woman who'd summoned it to their aid, he raises an eyebrow, silently redirecting the same question to her.

Lia smiles at Dakash: "Scarlet is smarter than most people, speaks multiple languages when in human form, and will probably want a word with you later." Looking at Leonia she continues: "She's a proper familiar, not an animal companion."

Scarlet chirps something to Lia, who responds in kind, then adds: "She can also read and write. You'll be fine!"

Scarlet nods, and starts smelling around.

OOC: In order to speed up the process, I assume you will follow Scarlet. In case Leonia had doubts about the "in human form" comment: you can cast Alter Self on your familiar. On your animal companion too, but it doesn't grant them a non-animal intelligence score, so it's not quite as useful.

The trail leads away from the fields, but it seems to describe a large circle, and after about an hour of sniffing and walking, you find yourself not that farm from the village.

Scarlet taps her nose and points at a nearby patch of trees. At this point Dakash can clearly smell the same flowers/plant/herbs that were in the field.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:02, Sun 29 Jan 2017.

Leonia says "Thank you Scarlet. Dakash, swarms ignore weapons, but a torch or flaming oil works fine. Given that this swarm is all flyers, I think a lit torch is a good precaution when we face it. Now, the scent came from here. So whoever put the scent on Maron had to collect it here. We need to try to find signs of that collection, and track the collector without obscuring the trail. Let me send my owl in to spot the tracks from above."

"Actually, I'll not risk my familiar. If the swarm is in there...Dakash, I can alter the scents of all of us, negating them. Are you up for going into the trees with me, to see if the swarm is there? There's some risk involved." the elf says as she casts Prestidigitation to negate their scents, Scarlet's as well.

Dakash shrugs and nods, agreeing that the torch idea has as much merit as anything he could have come up with himself. He begins to prepare some loose twigs and fallen leaves for tinder, then holds out his hand for the required torch, and flint.

"When I set out this morning I had no intention of delving into a cavern or fighting a swarm of bees. I am not carrying the required items at this time." He grins sheepishly.

Aran snaps his fingers together, and the tinder gathered by Dakash is instantly set ablaze.

The group enters the patch of trees carefully, noticing that the smell definitely intensifies.

As it turns out, the trees form something of a ring, and there are some flowery bushes in its center. In the middle of the bushes, there is some sort of structure.

---

Please roll perception and knowledge (nature).
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:07, Wed 01 Feb 2017.

09:09, Today: Aran Kalisar rolled 20 using 1d20.  Perception.

Knowledge Nature 12 on d20+9.
Perception 19 on d20+10.

A noise from behind one of the trees alerts everybody that something's afoot: a short blue humanoid creature with a huge ugly head is trying to sneak past the group and catch them by surprise.

Unfortunately for the ugly little thing, and fortunately for the heroes, it just stepped on a twig.

---

Everybody rolled at least 16, so the bad guys don't get a surprise round. Good for you.

- Perception 16 will spot one ugly blue creature.
- Perception 17 will spot two ugly blue creatures.
- Perception 18 will spot two ugly blue creatures *and* hear a buzzing from the center of bushes.

Roll init, post your actions for the round, and remember: you win this, you wake up in the morning with an extra level. You lose this... Well, we'll burn that bridge when we get to it. Roll nature to identify the ugly little things. Identifying the structure at the center of the bushes was Nature 13, but you've probably guessed what it is.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:45, Thu 02 Feb 2017.

Aran sees all  of the gathered enemies converge on the group and immediately jumps into action. He positions himself so that he is a full 25 feet away from the closest of the creatures. He then yells something in an aggressive and fiery tongue and makes an arcane gesture.


15:46, Today: Aran Kalisar rolled 3 using 1d6.  Ear-Piercing  Scream damage.  Fort Save of  17 or dazed.

Leonia pulls a vial of alchemical grease from her pouch. She casts a Grease spell under the feet of the two uglies, causing them to lose their footing.

Initiative 18 on d20+4.
Knowledge Nature 20 on d20+9.

Grease spell with alchemical power focus. Reflex Save DC 16 or fall.

The muttering of his companions alerts him to the 'others' in their vicinity much better than he snapping twig did. Little blue humanoids...critters...whatevers, moving about the little glade they'd discovered. Seeing that they were blue, he initially wonders if they might be distant cousins of his, through some offshoot of their genetic lines, but mentally shakes his head and dismisses the thought.

Then he wonders if they were the creators of the structure in the middle of the clearing, or just inhabiting it. Or perhaps they were usurpers of the place, causing mayhem and mischief to more than just poor old Maron.

Then he wonders why the little dinosaur tracker hadn't smelled these things along with the flowers and perfumes, and warned them earlier. Perhaps they were able to mask their own scent? Or were magical in nature and so had none?

Then he realizes he should get himself ready, as his partners begin defending themselves with spells. A quick glance at the waterproof script he'd plastered to the back of his shield, a few muttered words of prayer and thanks, and a faint aura coalesces around Dakash's form.


Eh...initiative roll of 3...my ability to roll a 1 when the DM needs me to seems right on track! No clue what's up with the K:Nature result of 7.
Cast Shield of Faith on self.

Aran's spell hits the closest creature, and the thing's ears start bleeding. The creature drops to one knee with a yelp of pain, then, a moment later, as Leonia's spell takes effect, it drops flat on its face.

The second creature's feet slip every which way, but, after a comedic moment of flailing its arms, it manages to stay standing. It points its fnger at Leonia, and its eyes bulge open, looking as if they want to explode out of its head. A feeling of dread washes over the wizard.

Out of the seemingly wooden structure in the middle of the bushes, a buzzing dark cloud rises, and flies over to envelop Aran. Hundreds of angry insects bite and sting at the young sorcerer trying to permanently stop his spellcasting, along with his breathing and his living.

A moment later, the same feeling that hit Leonia slams into Aran and Dakash as well, as two more creatures jump out from behind the trees and perform the same finger-pointing motion.

Dakash, who was preparing to defend against the ugly blue creatures, hesitates for a moment, then moves closer to Aran and touches him lightly while casting a spell.

---

Aran, this is not your lucky day, though it could have been much worse.
- You take 7 points of damage. You are staggered and cannot take strenuous actions.
- You must attempt at a DC 13 Fort save or suffer an additional point of Dexterity damage.
- You must also succeed at a Fort save DC 1 to avoid being nauseated until the beginning of the swarm's next round.

Finally, roll willpower everyone. DC 10 to avoid being shaken. This is before Dakash's turn.

Init:
Aran  29
Leonia 18
Mite C 15
Swarm 13
Mite A 10 (on the ground)
Mite D 5
Mite B 5
Dakash 3

This message was last edited by the GM at 12:22, Sat 04 Feb 2017.

With the raw elemental power of fire running through his veins, Aran does not yield before the distracting swarm. Though he knows that it will cause him to fall, the young sorcerer does what he does best; he sets it on fire. He takes a step away from the swarm and shoves his hands forward in a violent motion and once more speaks something in a fiery tongue. A gout of flames bursts forth from his hands and burns the swarm that had enveloped him.

13:38, Today: Aran Kalisar rolled 2 using 1d6.  Shock Shield Release Damage.
0:50, Today: Aran Kalisar rolled 11 using 1d20+2.  Will Save vs. Shaken.
10:50, Today: Aran Kalisar rolled 14 using 1d20+1.  Fort Save vs Nausea.
10:48, Today: Aran Kalisar rolled 14 using 1d20+1.  Fort Save.


Edited to do burning hands instead of shock shield b/c I forgot I don't have fire resistance yet.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:42, Fri 03 Feb 2017.

"What the-" The swarm was much faster than he'd anticipated, seemingly appearing out of nowhere and rushing them...the least armored and robust of them...without warning.

Stopping in mid sentence of his protective spell, the warrior-priest instead calls to mind his prayer for disarming a foe, and reshapes the magic to assist in the mending of wounds. He reaches Aran's side and grabs the man's shoulder just long enough to make contact, but the biting swarm repels his actions, and contact is broken before much actual healing can be done.

Spying the vicious little spellcaster that hadn't remained prone during the attack, Dakash hurls his scimitar at the thing, calling upon his deity to allow it to strike home and vanquish his foe.


Piddly heal for 2 wounds, Aran...but thank you GM for allowing the swap!
09:02, Yesterday: Dakash Szagdala rolled 24 using 1d20+6.  will save.

09:03, Yesterday: Dakash Szagdala rolled 15 using 1d20+5.  hurl scimitar at caster.
09:04, Yesterday: Dakash Szagdala rolled 7 using 1d6+2.  damage.

Leonia casts Prestidigitation. At her gesture, streamers and confetti of brightly-colored cloth eject from her raised hands to shower the swarm. Soon the swarm is covered in tiny square cloths.


OOC : can she add scents to the cloth pieces?

A burst of flames blinds and scorches the swarm, and a moment later a party grenade explodes in its midst. Confused, enraged and distracted, the wasps focus on the annoying bits of paper and light cloth rather than the party.

One of the mites pulls a tiny shiny object from a belt pouch, and throws it at Leonia, hitting her in the neck. Despite the small wound, the amount of blood on Leonia's robe looks rather worrysome.

The mite Aran wounded stands up slowly, but makes no moves to attack.

Its two remaining brethren, on the other hand, do their best to turn Dakash into a pin cushion. One dart flies past the warpriest, but the other hits him in the knee.

In response, the warpriest's scimitar flies from his hand, slicing and dicing the mite that just hit Leonia. The creature falls on its face in a pool of blood.

---

Aran, please roll damage for burning hands (1d4; the swarm will take an additional +50%).

Leonia, you take 3 points of damage from the mite Dakash just downed. You can add scent to the party grenade, but it won't really do much as a combat tool. It's mostly useful for actual parties :P

Dakash, you take two points of damage from the other mite, who seems more than a little worried that he might be next on your to-kill list.

Init:
Aran 29 (2 hp left)
Leonia 18 (5 hp left)
Mite C 15 (slowly bleeding on the ground)
Swarm 13 (distracted until the beginning of Leonia's next turn)
Mite A 10 (standing and slowly limping away)
Mite D 5 (metaphorically crapping its pants)
Mite B 5 (strongly considering a career in accounting)
Dakash 3 (8 hp left)

This message was last edited by the GM at 17:22, Tue 07 Feb 2017.

08:02, Yesterday: Aran Kalisar rolled 2 using 1d4.  Burning hands damage.

Aran moves to distance himself as far away from the swarm as possible. "Thanks, Priest!" He yells to Dakash as he begins intoning another spell, which he casts at one of the Mites attacking Dakash.


Aran does 6 damage to a mite
23:57, Today: Aran Kalisar rolled 6 using 1d6.  Ear-Piercing Scream [Fire] damage. Must make a dc17 Fort Save or Dazed.

Leonia maintains the flower shower covering the swarm. She hopes the others can take the mites down, though she cannot spare the concentration to check.

"You force our hand, small ones!" Dakash, perhaps seeming larger than life to these diminutive [and rather annoying] creatures attacking them, shouts as Aran and Leonia move out of the line of fire.

"Was it not enough to slay an innocent farmer? Must you make us harm nature's bounty as well?" Seeing the effect the wizard's spell was having on the swarm of wasps, the warrior-priest, still near them, thrusts the torch he's carrying into their midst, hoping to disperse the insects with the combination of magic and fire.


Since I ended my turn next to Aran to heal him and haven't moved, I'll just 'attack' the swarm. If it is nonmoving I don't know what bonuses I get, or if it will even be there when my initiative rolls around...so I'll stay online and let the GM instruct me on what dice to roll, if any, then edit them into this post.

Aran yells at a mite, and its ears catch on fire. Literally. Then its head follows suit, and it falls to the ground dying.

The last mite hesitates for a moment, giving Dakash time to thrust his torch at the swarm... And at the stream of very light, very flammable items created by Leonia.

The resulting burst of flames kills more than a few of the swarm's members, causing the remaining ones to move away from the source of the fire.

The last unharmed mite suddenly remembers an urgent previous engagement and runs away as fast as its little legs can carry it, while its wounded companion slowly limps away.

---

Dakash, roll reflex DC 10 to avoid one point of fire damage. The swarm has been burned for 3 points (2 + 50%) by Aran's burning hands first and the result of Dakash and Leonia's combined efforts then, so it's down 6 points.

This message was last edited by the GM at 10:48, Fri 10 Feb 2017.

The unexpected ignition of the 'confetti' almost catches Dakash off-guard, but his instincts kick in and he is, thankfully, not singed.


07:06, Today: Dakash Szagdala rolled 21 using 1d20+2.  reflex save.

Once Dakash accidentally sets Leonia's party bomb on fire, Aran gets an idea (and a big scary smile) and decides to start setting it on fire on purpose - from a safe distance, and using a simple cantrip, in order to avoid being caught in the blast.

The concerted efforts of the two spellcasters, with additional help from Dakash's torch, quickly destroy most of the wasps, and the scattered remains of the swarm eventually decide to retreat to the center of the clearing, into the structure amidst the bushes.

What at first sight appeared to be a wooden structure is, on closer inspection, revealed to actually be a large wasp nest, even though its shape and placement are more than a little peculiar.

The strong smell from the bushes in the center of the clearing is very obviously the same that Dakash had originally picked up at the site of the attack.

Once reassured that the area is safe, Scarlet heads over to the dead mites, and confirms that indeed that is the smell she had been following.

Apparently, they covered their tracks very well, as there is no trace of their passage outside the tree patch, but they seemingly forgot to wash the scent off their path.

---

The two dead mites carry a total of (value in cp in parentheses):

- two daggers (400 cp)
- eleven darts (550 cp)
- 5 gold pieces (500 cp, natch)
- 3 silver pieces (30 cp)
- 12 copper pieces (12 cp)
- two pewter medals with a weird symbol (roll Appraise)
- five leather shoe laces (1 cp if you sell something else along with them)
- a chipped bit of something that could possibly at one point have been a button (roll Appraise)
- a small wooden replica of an archery target (which the arcane spellcasters recognize as the focus for True Strike) (you can probably get a few cp if you roll a good Diplomacy)
- what looks like a burnt wooden holy symbol... too damaged to tell which deity it was consecrated to (same as the TS focus)
- bits and pieces of tattered cloth stitched together into something you could try to call "two outfits for a small-sized creature" (roll Appraise)

If and when you roll Appraise, please specify for which bit of... Treasure... Each roll is.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:50, Tue 14 Feb 2017.

"Is this nest something that can be moved to a better place, or should we destroy it and force the wasps to relocate?" Dakash wasn't one to unnecessarily go about making things homeless, even when they'd attacked him first, but clearly the things in this clearing were not going to get along with their neighbors. Something had to be done.

Going over the items they'd discovered, he pays more attention to the pewter things than anything else. He felt like he'd seen things like this before, but couldn't quite be sure.

"Do you suppose any of this used to belong to Maron? Or other victims from a previous location they've preyed upon?" He wasn't even really sure what 'they' were, or where 'they' were from, but he had a feeling he wasn't going to learn much by questioning the mites.


19:27, Today: Dakash Szagdala rolled 15,3 using d20+2,d20+2.  Appraise: pewter & 'chipped bits'.

14 on History for the pewter stuff [or 17 if Religion is more appropriate], too.

Dakash, you lose a random spell - which, considering you burned a spell earlier to heal Aran, means you are now out of spells (you forgot to tick the spell you converted in the consumables thread) - and take a point of Intelligence damage. The pewter thingies now look shiny, like polished silver, and the engraving on them is much clearer - except your thoughts hurt if you look at it too much. Which also means you cannot recall anything about it.

I'll also mention that Dakash is the only one who has a proper "mai brane hertz" effect when looking at the pewter/silver/whatever that is medals: everybody else feels very mildly disoriented, and unsure as to why these simple thingies would be of any interest.

They look like worthless pieces of junk that should be tossed away and propmtly forgotten. Yes they do. Let's just forget about them.

As for the nest, it would of course be a Knowledge Nature roll.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:21, Wed 15 Feb 2017.

"Junk. Toss it away except for the coins." Leonia,says as she looks at the nest.


Knowledge Nature 16 on d20+9.

"No. It's..." The man squints and shakes his head slightly, as if fighting off a headache. "It's...different. Something is...here." He sets the pewter item down and feels only slightly better. Perhaps it was an aftereffect of fighting the magical mites.

He stands, his face bearing a deep frown. "Whatever property it holds, it has drained some of my magical reserves. Whether by trap or design, I do not know." He looks down at the thing lying on the ground now at his feet.


Does this entitle me to an Arcana roll or something? Already got the 17 Religion check from before hovering in the air.
10 Arcana or 12 Spellcraft if appropriate.

Aran shows little interest in the random bits of loot, and does nods his head in agreement with Leonia's assessment.

"What do you mean something's 'Here'?" He asks Dakash, as he sets the pewter item down. "And as for the hive, well. those things got away. As long as they are still around to cause trouble this hive is a danger to the town."

Dakash, you lose all remaining uses of your Blessings for the day.

Everybody else no longer feels completely and entirely disinterested in the pewter thingies, though they still look rather forgettable.

Aran, note that the wasps retreated *inside* the nest, so essentially they are still here, just no longer that eager to fight.

Leonia, it's possible to move the nest in a place where the wasps won't pose a danger to human settlements, a druid would be able to do so with little to no risk. The shape of the nest puzzles you, however, though you couldn't tell why.

Also note: the only bits your characters were totally and utterly disinterested in let's just leave them here and forget about them are the pewter thingies, anything else you see just about the way I described them.

(Since you the players cannot see the nest nor the engravings, know that the nest's shape vaguely resembles the engravings. Your characters aren't quite aware of that fact, except in that the shape of the nest bothers them for some reason.)
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:09, Thu 16 Feb 2017.

Leonia, puzzled for some reason by the shape of the nest, casts Detect Magic, wondering if the fey mites altered the nest in some fashion.


Detect Magic


01:14, Today: Leonia Sunstorm rolled 23 using 1d20+9.  Knowledge Arcana.
01:13, Today: Leonia Sunstorm rolled 13 using 1d20+11.  spellcraft to ID magic properties.

Leonia, you detect magic behind you, specifically in the small pile of bits and stuff that the party is evaluating. The chipped bit of something that may possibly have been a button? It's crystallized mana, a single-use naturally occurring crystal which allows spellcasters to cast a single spell they know or have memorized. It can also be expended to add a charge to a spell trigger item whose highest spell level is no higher than the crystal's own. You use the crystal as you cast the spell, which must be a spell you either know or have memorized and not yet used, depending on how you cast spells, and your slot is not expended as a result. consider it a single-use runestone of power that is not only for spontaneous casters.

They are considered trade items among wizards and can be traded to other wizards for 200 gp per spell level squared. This is also the price for which you can buy them from shopkeepers, should you be fortunate enough to find one selling any. Given its size, this seems to be a first level mana crystal. Yes you can search for them if you so wish. No they are not easy to find. Yes there will be powerful enemies guarding them.

Some of the rags the mites were using as clothes also appear to come from a magic item of some kind, though it is hard to tell what exactly they did when they were intact.

It is interesting that they still carry some magical power, normally broken items, let alone torn up ones, do not retain any magical ability.

You also notice an aura around the pewter medals, but it doesn't belong to any school of magic. Closest you would point to is universal, but that doesn't quite feel right.

It's probably nothing important, though. (Roll willpower)

This message was last edited by the GM at 17:04, Thu 16 Feb 2017.

Dakash, somewhat perplexed at the effect he seems to be experiencing, refuses to believe that such a small thing can possibly have the power to sever his connection with his divine guide. He remains in place, stooping to pick up the pewter items again and study them more closely.

A moment later, Dakash follows up on his intention to carefully look at the pewter medals... By picking them up along with everything else and just throwing the whole bunch in a sack.

He is not sure how or why, but in the back of his mind there is this little voice telling him he just narrowly avoided a rather unfortunate end.

At this point, the entire party is starting to feel tired, and are starting to have half a mind of just setting the hive on fire an calling it a day. Aran especially, as one might imagine.

As far as they can tell, the entire patch of trees is isolated enough that it is very unlikely to cause major problems if they decide to follow that particular course of action. On the other hand, Lia is a druid, so setting trees on fire is bound to make her less than perfectly happy.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:37, Fri 17 Feb 2017.

Leonia moves to Scarlet. "Scarlet, please let Lia know that she is free to move the wasps nest away from the settlement, unless she would prefer we destroy it by burning."

The party returns to the village without incidents, though with a strange feeling that they may have missed something important.

Lia thanks everybody for the help, and offers a place to rest and heal, as well as some rewards - she does not specify exactly hat they are, but she has a rather conspiratorial smile. She also assures them that, now that they have made sure that there is no supernatural influence at work, the hive will be dealt with, in a way that doesn't disturb the natural order.

When Dakash mentions in passing that something in the mites' possession had a strange effect on his spells, she asks for the entire sack containing the items the party found, guaranteeing that she will return all those that are not dangerous - and then some.

She also puts a cloak on Scarlet's shoulders, sized specifically for the familiar, and a moment later the little dinosaur casts a shower of sparks spelling: "Finally!"

A few seconds later, a disembodied voice says: Good job everyone. Sorry I couldn't help but... I really really can't."

---

Due to the strange effect on the pewters, you end up more distracted than you might otherwise be, and can't very well describe the details of what you found out.

This of course is not ominous at all and has nothing to do with the rest of the campaign. Also, I have a bridge to sell you if you are interested :P

Leonia, you recognize the cloak as an item occasionally gifted by old, rich wizards to their former apprentices in recognition of some major milestone (e.g., reaching a 5th level, or crafting their first major (i.e., a Wondrous, Weapon, or Armor category) magic item, and so on), which grants prestidigitation (at will), one cantrip (at will), and a minor spell (once per day).

If you have something to add, please do so, otherwise, you can get some rest in Zhorr's manor. The rooms are large, nice, and have some of Zhorr's art in them.

There are no servants in the castle, but Zhorr will dispatch an Unseen Servant to each of you.

The rooms do include a bath tub, and the manor actually has indoor plumbing, so you can take a bath if you'd like.

Next scene will be dinner at the manor.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:54, Sun 19 Feb 2017.

Leonia says "I have two questions, Lia. First, where did you encounter Scarlet. She's quite the fascinating creature, and I'd love to learn more about her type and environment. Secondly, am I correct in assuming that the crystalized mana we found is like a single charge, RECHARGEABLE tune stone?"

"I bought her, actually. From a merchant in Garund, when Zhorr and I were searching for an ancient temple in... well, that's kind of a long story. They are pretty rare, and they fetch a rather high price as exotic pets. I of course had something different in mind." Lia smiles affectionately patting Scarlet on the neck.

"I will have Zhorr go through the entire pile and check it out, but... I am not entirely sure what you mean by rechargeable crystallized mana. The only crystallized mana I know of is a naturally occurring gemstone that appears in places with high natural magical energy concentrations. I never heard of anybody recharging a spent mana crystal. Mostly because, once you expend them, there's nothing left."

---

I don't know in what way I suggested that the mana crystal would be rechargeable, but it's essentially a generic material component that takes the place of a spell slot. You cannot recharge a material component.

Greatful that the strange (read: ominous) pieces of pewter were finally out of his locality, Dakash holds a hand to his brow, massaging his temples. Clearly, he feels the aftereffects of his divine severing.

"I must retire to my room and ask for guidance in this matter. I hope this is not a portent of things to come in this region." He did not need to add that in a region where a duke of hell was the leader of the people, anything that interfered with holy powers was something to be examined thoroughly.



Caught a bug so this is the best my shivering lets me do right now.

"Yes, I think I'll retire for the night as well, though I am curious about Leonia's discovery. Perhaps we can talk about it in the morning?"

Aran then makes his way to his quarters, and takes a long, relaxing nap.

"Or tonight at Dinner" Leonia says as she opts for a relaxing bath in her room. As she heads for it, she says to Lia "I'm curious at what Zhorr will say of the items. These were natural Fey engaged in something evil. Not something the fey usually do."

Hocos Pocus

Hocus Pocus

Detect Magic

Detect Magic

"Alright, let's do this."

As Lia gently empties the sack on a marble desk in one of the manor's laboratories, Zhorr starts sifting through the pile of disparate objects.

The first one to catch his attention is the small button. He flips it in the air like a coin, catches it with prestidigitation, and studies it as it floats gently to the palm of his hand.

"Crystallized mana, enough for a basic spell. Worth a couple hundred gold pieces to the right buyer." He gently sets it aside on a different table, then proceeds with the next item, a piece of cloth.

He cleans it with Prestidigitation, then asks Lia: "What do you make of this?"

"Odd... It's missing some pieces, but it's not broken. Is that even possible?"

Zhorr picks up another piece of cloth: "I think these are pieces of an Artifact. From the looks of it, it was actually made to split into multiple... Um... Rags? I have no idea. I'll put it in safe storage, maybe we will find some other pieces."

He sets it aside, and picks up another piece from the pile.

By the end, the entire pile has been sorted: magic items, valuables, pieces of the unknown artifact, and junk.

"Alright, we're done. Let's go make some dinner."

"Wait! You forgot these," Lia reaches forward to pick up one of the pewter medals, and immediately crumbles to the ground when her finger touches it.

The pewter medals explode in a flash of brilliant light, momentarily blinding Zhorr.

When he is finally able to see again, the medallions are gone.

Nothing else has been affected, the room doesn't seem to have suffered any damage, and a few minutes later Lia is awake again, though complaining of a headache and without a single spell left, other than her cantrips.

---

...and that's what Zhorr and Lia tell the party at dinner, after listening to their account of the day't findings.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:10, Wed 22 Feb 2017.

Dakash refrains from the ever-present 'I told you so' that might have otherwise been on his lips. He couldn't have told them, because something in his mind made him forget...or at least feel indifferent about the effect the pewter objects might have on someone else.

He wonders briefly if they store the energy they siphon, or just disrupt it....and where they have gone off to now.

When Lia relates what happened,  Leonia mentions how she had overlooked or dismissed the pewter utterly. "Some sort of Aversion enchantment?" she asks.

Zhorr nods: "And seemingly less effective on divine casters... Targeting them, perhaps. That... Cannot be good."
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:00, Thu 23 Feb 2017.

"One wonders on its potential effect on a local deity worshipper? Would it also affect such a person, or be keyed to 'accept' her?" Leonia posits.

"Interesting, though, that these magical mites would have them in their possession and remain unaffected. Could they have been holding them for months or years but the 'indifference enchantment', for lack of a better term, made them avoid actually touching them in their hoard? The way they disappeared makes me think they were under the direct control of someone else, or had a purpose that, once triggered, sent them back to their creator." He frowns deeply at the implications.

"I don't know much about Mites, but they didn't seem like the type to be master schemers, so I'm with ya there." Araan adds his two cents while thoughtfully rubbing his chin. "Maybe we should follow up on this, see where they came from?"

Zhorr nods: "Master strategists indeed they are not. However, there is little strategy here: mites are spiteful creatures who can control vermin. A mite attack on a settlement is uncommon, but then again they didn't go for a direct attack. Instead, they suborned a local wasp nest and pushed the swarm into attacking a lone farmer."

An Unseen Servant delivers a covered platter ("Ah... Dinner is ready."). Zhorr opens it and Mage Hands a portion of what looks like a vegetarian meal to each guest.

When it's done, and with the customary dinner formalities out of the way, he continues: "If it had ended there, we would have deemed it a normal mite attack, albeit slightly more brazen, and somewhat more cunning, than usual. Those things you found on them... Worry me. It could be that they only target non-evil spellcasters, it could be that mites do not qualify because their abilities are innate and don't have a divine source, or it could be something else entirely."

He takes a spoonful of his meal (which actually tastes pretty good) and takes a moment to properly chew it.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:42, Sat 25 Feb 2017.

Leonia enjoys her meal quietly. About midway through the meal, she asks Zhorr "Don't some types of enchantment have a type of signature, indicating clues about the nature or methodology of the enchanter? Much like a Master Craftsman can be noted by a particular flair or technique used? Even if the enchantments have dispersed, perhaps a minute study of the materials enchanted might yield a clue or two. I offer my assistance in any such investigations."

Zhorr raps his fingers on the table for several seconds, then replies: "Technically, you are correct. Crafters leave a signature, of sorts, on the items they make. However, it's hard to recognize it, even more so with only a few samples. And since those pewter medallions actually disappeared after the explosion, we cannot really study them anymore. If we found more, perhaps... But it sounds like a dangerous proposition."

Then he brightens up: "However! If you are interested in spellcraft, I assure you there is no shortage of interesting things to study. It has been a passion of mine for several decades. Items, spells, even just basic research, in the tradition of my illustrious ancestors. In fact, I have a certain research on bog nixies that you might find interesting..."

"Not at dinner, dear." Lia says quietly.

Zhorr nods meekly: "Yes. Yes. Sorry. Back to the matter at hand: there is clearly something unusual going on around here, and Lia and I cannot really take a hands-on approach to such matters anymore. However, if a group of keen young adventurers decided to take an interest in the matter, we would be able to provide them with an appropriate amount of supplies for the task, as well as appropriate recompense. A good deed may be its own reward, but I have yet to find grocers who accept good deeds as coinage."

Dakash nods at the front half of the man's speech. Indeed, spellcraft and the weaving of powers is something I do find fascinating. I've often wondered if there's a connection, at its most basic form, between divine magics and those of the arcane. Perhaps my future studies will help me learn how best to combat dark energies being directed at myself or my friends."

The second half of the comments were not lost on the big blue warrior, though he was somewhat less vocal about his own role in the days to come. "Would it be of any use, wise or not, to inform the local authorities of these pewter objects? Could it be considered a threat to those who rule in Asmodeus' name? Or are we better off on our own, as the objects have disappeared?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure these guys are the local Authorities, Dakash, " says Aran as he indicates Zhorr and Lia.

"I'm a Spellcaster, but not much one for studying. I suppose I can help out if there's any research about this to be done, but if I had a specialty, it would have to do with extraplanar things. I'll be happy to lend my services as an adventurer though."

Zhorr makes a vague gesture: "We are... Close enough, and calling in hellknights is always the last resort: if we can deal with this on our own, we should."

He smiles broadly, then adds: "Which brings me to the first of your rewards... Since you are all spellcasters, I have something I think you will find more valuable than a handful of gold coins. Back when I was a young adventurer I always felt that a spell such as read magic, important as it is, is not something I tend to use a lot during a fight, so one of the first things I did when I learned to make was one of these."

He pulls out a small orange prism, which promptly flies up and starts floating around his head. "I wouldn't necessarily use one of these for more combat-oriented magic, since a canny opponent can always try to destroy them, but there are some minor spells that grow in power with the caster, and I often found myself wanting to prepare half a dozen of them every day. These little stones made my life much easier. So here is my offer: name your spell, and I will make one of these for you. Of course, it has to be an apprentice-level spell, and it has to be one you could normally cast: these stones are simply not powerful enough for high-level magic, let alone granting you entirely new abilities."

Lia then pipes in: "As a second reward, you will be given your own room here in the manor, complete with a nice bathroom with a large tub, a full size mirror, a big chest for your personal belongings, a safe for your valuables, a large wardrobe, a queen size bed, and dulcis in fundo, a personal Unseen Servant."

---

"Cracked orange prism" ioun stones. The cantrip can be from an opposition school, since the stone simply adds it to your prepared spells, it doesn't add an extra slot. Slightly less useful for a sorcerer, but an extra cantrip is not a bad thing. Note that the spell still has to be on one of your lists in order for you to be able to actually cast it.
You will also get 100 gp each in coins, which you will find in the safe in your room, and can start working on a project with Zhorr or Lia at your conveinence. You will get full use of the labs in the manor, which include crafting rooms of various kind and two alchemical labs.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:09, Thu 02 Mar 2017.

Leonia mentions something else to Zhorr and Lia. "You two might want to actually look at the wasps' nest. Something about the shape of it...bothered me for some reason. Maybe one of you could tell me why?"

Lia nods: "I'll check first thing in the morning. Now that you cleared out the mites, it's just a wasp nest, it should be fine for me to handle it."

"In the mean time, I will start working on the stones. It will take me three days to finish them. I will ask each of you to prepare the spell you want me to add to your stone, and assist me in the crafting. I also asked a friend to come back, at her earliest convenience: she's not exactly a keen fighter, but she can hold her own, and she has a knack for finding traps that may be useful." Zhorr smiles at the group: "Until then, I hope you will enjoy our hospitality."

---

On the following morning, Lia dons a swarmsuit and goes to check the nest. A few hours later, she returns to announce that the wasps have been relocated to a safer place. She confirms that the shape of the nest is definitely unusual, and voices her suspicions that it has something to do with the mysterious pewter medallions. It may be worth checking the area more carefully once preparations are complete.

---

On the evening of the third day, a short girl sporting brown hair in a bob cut walks into the dining room. It takes the group a moment to realize that she looks like a teenage version of Lia, only without the green hair.

"Akane!" Lia runs to hug the girl and kiss her on the cheek.

A moment later, Zhorr, at a more sedate pace, does the same. "Welcome back. Any luck?"

The girl smiles ruefully: "Well... Do we count the bad kind?" She sighs then continues: "Not giving up, of course, but... This may take a while."

Zhorr nods. "Sorry I called you back, but I do believe your help will be important. These are Leonia, Dakash, and Aran. This is our bard, Akane."

Akane gives the group a small bow: "Pleased to meet you."

---

Make sure to mark which stone you opted for in your character sheet.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:06, Tue 07 Mar 2017.

When the time comes to enchant the gem with a cantrip of his choice, the warrior-priest makes his selection and watches with rapt attention as the process unfolds before his eyes. He is, as he's said before, fascinated with magic, particularly the interaction between divine and arcane energies, and so the magic item powering process is something of a mystery to him.

Spell chosen is Enhanced Diplomacy

---

"A bard? A troubadour? A teller of tales? Does this mean someone thinks we are going to be performing deeds worth telling future generations?" Dakash seemed somewhat uncomfortable with the idea that they might be heading into world-altering paths. Or perhaps he just wasn't ready for *this* particular incarnation of his soul to be subjected to the terrible side of the universe just yet.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:02, Tue 07 Mar 2017.

Akane blinks: "I'm not... Well... I suppose I am... But I don't think those are the talents Dee... I mean, Zhorr, wants me for. Are they?" She asks looking at the aforementioned Magus.

Zhorr chuckles: "Not quite, no... Though, I suppose, if this does become a tale worthy of legends, you will be in a prime position to chronicle it. Also, you can regale them with the occasional grand tale around the campfire. Or sing everybody else to sleep on your guard turn."

"Yeah, that's gonna happen. Well, as I said, a pleasure to meet you all."
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:43, Tue 07 Mar 2017.

"A pleasure. Of course, if you know some boring stories, you can talk us to sleep" Leonia says with a snigger.