Seeing that the old man is not allowing them to go in the portal, Nemeroff decides to give it a try.

"We are sent by the Great Dragon himself. Would you like us to call him now?" he asks.

12:17, Today: Nemeroff rolled 16 using 1d20+11 with rolls of 5. Intimidate .

The old man looks incredulous. "Taking that tone with me and invoking a god won't help, there, shady. No way Bahamut sent you."

   Agon listened to the exchange, but his eyes studied the misty room intently - and not just with mundane senses.

   After a glance at Rachaela, he finally switched his attention back to the man. "Excuse me," he began in a quiet but firm voice, "but I am not sure I understand the reason why you refuse to accede to our request. To be clear : who do you let through this portal, and who do you try to stop from passing through ?"

"If you are trying to protect us," he went on, "you should know that while we are fully aware of the great danger beyond this portal, our need is greater. We will travel there, this way or another" the mage concluded, not harshly but with strong determination.

OOC : I'd like to study magic in the room : the mist, the man, the portal if it's visible - locate it if it's not.
Today: Agon rolled 43 using Arcana - sense/analyze magic in the room.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:56, Wed 21 Aug 2013.

At this, the old man squints. "You…can tell, can't you? You know where this leads. You know you can't come back. Why would you, such a powerful one, do that to yourself? To your companions?" His harsh resolve seems to waver a bit.

   The mage nodded at the old man's words. "Indeed, we are here of our own free will, fully aware of what we are doing. I heed your warning and respect your position, but rest assured that we are not mad. Stare into these men's eyes" he went on, waving at his companions, but his own eyes locked on the old man's, "and you will see not madness, but unwavering resolve. And also faith - faith in our chances of achieving the impossible, and more importantly faith in the necessity - and urgency - of our task. We come before you ready to risk our lives, yes, not for personal gain, but rather for the greater good."

   He paused for a moment to let the words sink in, and finished with a few words. "When we leave this room, this way" he nodded to the portal he felt nearby, " or back the way we came, I shall not bid you farewell, but only say till next we meet, for we will find our way back from Monadhan" he concluded quietly.

Zog nods. "Indeed. And what the dwarf says is true--our errand is from Bahamut. He would not send us somewhere out of spite, nor if he thought we could not escape. We will return. You need not live with the guilt of enabling our travel."

His voice is the very essence of earnestness, and the seriousness of his gaze matches Agon's claim.

12:38, Today: Zog the Faceless rolled 38 using 1d20+24 with rolls of 14. Diplomacy again.

The old man looks wildly about the room. He settles on Marice. "And you? You look like you have sense. Are you really going along with this?"

Infuriated by the old man's refusal to let him enter the portal, Harald had stood and steamed gently - or perhaps not so gently - as the others proffered their reasons for entering.  His face grew even redder than normal, his nostrils flared, his eyes bulged and the most perceptive might even have noticed wisps of steam escaping from his ears.

At last he could bear it no longer.  His axe almost flew from his belt into his hand and he screamed into the old man's face from mere inches away.

"Ye great idle ugly wart", he said. "Ye skinny, useless spawny-eyed parrot-faced wazzock.  How dare ye say Ah canna pass.  Ma axe can go onywhere Ah please tae take it, an' nae lang dreep o' lard is gonna sit there and say nae tae me, Harald Gaptooth."

He swung his axe in a great circle whisking up the clouds of mist that filled the room.

"Now!  Are ye gonna let us past or am Ah gonna have tae gie ye the closest shave ye ever had?"


20:22, Today: Harald Gaptooth rolled 26 using 1d20+12 with rolls of 14. Intimidate check (bennie 1).
20:21, Today: Harald Gaptooth rolled 17 using 1d20+12 with rolls of 5. Intimidate check.
Bennies left = 3

This completely undoes the man's resolve. He nods, steps forward and pulls out what looks like a simple stone. He taps it three times. The fog swirls about the trio, and seems to reach out to grab them.

The unearthly fog, impenetrable to the eye, suddenly parts, and you find yourself standing atop a fog-capped hill. Similar hills surround a jungle valley that stretches before you. To the north, a massive waterfall feeds a river winding a serpentine path across the valley floor. In the middle of the valley is a low rise, more a barren hump than an actual hill. You can just make out the straight edges of defensive walls near the top. Tendrils of smoke rise from what must be chimneys or campfires nearby.

Closer to you, what looks like a thin, tenuous footpath winds its way along the low ridge, just inside the fog line. A wider path heads downhill, into the jungle and in the approximate direction of that hump near the center of the valley.

What do you do? It looks like a couple days' walk to get to the shantytown, though you could conceivably fly or teleport there if you had the means.

   Like he always did when he found himself in an unfamiliar environment, Agon focused his senses outward and studied the ebb and flow of magic around the place.

   "Tell me Harald," he began, "back at the portal, was it just an act ? Or were you really furious enough to seriously consider killing the man ?" Agon asked, his neutral tone not revealing his opinion on the matter.

   Waiting for the dwarf's answer, the mage took in his surroundings. A lush jungle under a clear sky - this was not really how he had pictured the Shadowfell. Were they at the right place, or had the old man gotten rid of them by sending them to a remote location ?

   His magic would answer the question soon enough.

"Ach no!" grinned Harald.  "Ah widnae hae killed him.  Ah was richt angry wi' the wee bissum so Ah would probably hae just gi'en him a guid skelp."

"After a', when a god gies ye a job it shouldnae be up tae a wee jobsworth like that tae try tae put his spoke in."

As he spoke he joined Agon in surveying the land before him.

"So!  Do wee head along that wee path or dae we head straight doon towards yon village?"
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 00:27, Sun 25 Aug 2013.

The plain-looking fellow shrugs. "I think that fellow seemed motivated by genuine concern for our well-being, honestly. He did not want to send us from whence we could not return. I think he may be underestimating this group, hand-picked by whom it was, but I appreciate his concern."

He shrugs. "The wider path seems more favorable to me."

"I agree Herald. The guy was only doing his job." he says.

Any path goes for me.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:37, Mon 26 Aug 2013.

   Agon simply nodded at Harlad's answer and Zog's comment.

   While his companions discussed their plan, he began the arcane ritual to invoke phantom steeds for them.

   His magical orb began floating in front of him, tracing strange patterns and leaving a silvery glow in its wake. Reaching into the opposite sleeves of his robes, the mage's hands came out with small fistfuls of a glowing powder. Whispering ancient words of power, he slowly opened his hands, the residuum disappearing before it touched the ground. The magical runes he had conjured out of thin air were now pulsing and throbbing, as if gathering momentum.

   Within a few minutes the ritual was over, and six creatures stood in front of the group, awaiting their riders. They looked like beautiful gray horses with large white wings, and seemed identical. Two of those may have been sturdier, and one shorter than the others, but maybe it was just a trick of the eye.

   Agon stepped closer to one of the magical mounts, the only one with a horn on its head, patted it fondly, and easily mounted up.

   "The path through the jungle it is" he said, his mount already floating above ground.

Zog stands back and blinks. "Well, very well, then. I think with THAT option we could perhaps just fly in a straight line to the village. We will make a rather obvious entry, but I suspect we will survive it. However, let me do us a favor."

He closes his eyes, and sticks out his hands. Golden light explodes from his body. A moment later, the man before you is very different. Taller, with jet-black hair and a sharp beard, and very good looking, he bears no resemblance at all to Zog.

He pulls out a change of clothing out of his backpack and rather rapidly changes his clothes, which are too small for him now. A few moments later, this fellow, dressed in much nicer traveling clothes, mounts one of the flying creatures.

In a booming voice, "I am ready. When we reach town, entering in this form will allow me to shift shape later and move among the people incognito if necessary."

"Bluidy horses!  What's wrong wi' the good feet the Gods gave ye?"

Harald continued to grumble as he headed for the smaller looking of the creatures.

"Here you" he grumped "bend doon a bit and let a fella get on."

As if understanding the dwarf, the steed bent its front legs and lowered its head, allowing Harald to clamber aboard.  Harald carefully arranged his equipment and wrapping the reins around the pommel of the saddle he held on for grim death.

"Ready when youse are." he yelled, gritting his teeth in nervous anticipation.

Nemeroff mounts one of the horse and starts flying, following others and staying in the back row.

The group takes to their conjured, winged steeds and launches rather quickly over this land. They fly over the thick jungle over a set of waterfalls. These spectacular, cascading falls are a beauty lost upon the inhabitants of Monadhan. Wreathed in ever-present rainbows, the water tumbles breathtakingly through the air as it descends It then breaks into a multitude of streams that sparkle brightly as they plummet down the sheer rock face and, with a sound akin to rolling thunder, plunge into a deep lake at the base of the falls before continuing the journey along the river below. It is quite beautiful and a bit comforting to see in this strange place.

Past the falls, the group sees a small town ahead at the end of the winding path and near the river. There are two clear portions to it: a large shantytown of ramshackle huts, and one solidly built outpost of some kind.

Which one do you head to?

Zog the now-handsome smiles. "The shantytown would be more comfortable for me, but I somehow feel you all would prefer to talk to someone in charge. Am I right?"

   The flight had gone smoothly : no threats, no harsh weather, and no riders falling from their mounts. The scenery was beautiful too, though Agon was too preoccupied with their mission to really notice.

   As they neared their destination, the mage led the group closer to the ground, stopping for a moment to choose a course of action.

   "We'd better leave our mounts before we get too close, and finish the trip on foot" he said, hoping to avoid a conspicuous approach.

   The mage nodded at Zog's words. "I think that's as good a place to start asking questions as any."

"And that'll gie ma arse a chance tae rest" groaned Harald as the group touched down.

"We dwarves are no' exactly built for horseback ridin' - especially when the bluidy horses can fly as well."

The party lands their mounts and start to make their way into the shantytown en route to the keep. This wretched "town" is a sight to behold. It is a collection of ragged tents, crude lean-tos, and shoddy huts cobbled together from rubbish. Tiny, twisting paths run hard against the hastily constructed buildings that hem them in, making fatal ambushes amid the piles of filth and refuse a common hazard and fact of life. These streets are packed with bodies, but they give this new set of visitors a bit of berth, causing much cursing as people leap out of Harald's way as he leads the group down a path.

The party is, unsurprisingly, quickly noticed. Everyone on the path that the party is on scatters when a tall, skinless giant shouts from across a nearby bridge. "Oh, ho, finely dressed newcomers. I wonder who this lot betrayed. I think that soft one in the middle looks like good food for my pet, and the rest of you will come in for questioning!"

With a roar, a rather abnormally large chuul pulls itself out of the water under the bridge and roars...

Roll initiative!

Key map elements:

1. During the first round of combat, assume all squares are difficult terrain due to people trying to flee in all directions.
2. Assume that if you do an area-effect attack your first round that doesn't land entirely on the giant or the chuul's square, that you're hitting non-combatants.
3. Terrain details:

Illumination: The bonfires marked on the map,
plus Monadhan’s ambient light, are the sources of
light here. Even in the middle of the day, it’s not
considered direct sunlight that would suppress the
vampires’ regeneration.

Walls: The shanty walls provide cover, but they’re
flimsy. Any attack that hits a wall, even an unarmed
attack from a weak PC, creates a hole roughly 1 foot
in diameter. Once there’s a hole, a creature can attack
creatures on the other side of the wall and gain the
benefit of superior cover (incoming attacks suffer a –5
penalty). A second hit in the same section of shanty
wall makes the hole big enough to function as a
doorway.

Wrecked Shanty: The debris from collapsed
shanty walls is difficult terrain.

Low Wall: The low wall provides cover. A DC 20
Athletics or Acrobatics check is needed to jump or
vault it at full speed. Those who fail the check get
over the wall but end their movement in the square
just beyond it. Creatures can also put holes in the low
walls as if they were shanty walls.

Shallow Water: The squares marked as shallow
water are difficult terrain.

Bonfire: The bonfires, which are used by the shantytown
denizens to stave off a little of the domain’s
pervasive gloom, deal 10 fire damage and 5 ongoing
fire damage (save ends) to any creature that starts its
turn in the same square as the bonfire.

Map:
https://docs.google.com/drawin...Q50-wFOAK6P78Lk/edit
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:59, Tue 03 Sept 2013.

"Jings!" said Harald "they're a wee bit on the large side."

He smiled grimly.  "Still; the bigger they are, the harder they'll fall."

He spat on his hand as he drew forth his axe.



17:12, Today: Harald Gaptooth rolled 24 using 1d20+18 with rolls of 6. Perception check. (I meant of course initiative!)

Having seen too much battles, Nemeroff quickly takes his fighting position, taking his glaive with two hands.

Initiative:  28

12:35, Today: Nemeroff rolled 26 using 1d20+12 with rolls of 14. Initiative.

Forgot +2 from Combat Leader class feature.

EDIT: On the first round of combat, you all have +2 to attack roll if you are within 10 squares of me.(Cry Havoc)
This message was last edited by the player at 17:47, Tue 03 Sept 2013.

Zog draws his dagger and shouts, "I recommend that you stand down now, giant. Whatever you think you are facing, you are in for a surprise."</orange>

Initiative 28 with Nemeroff's modifier, forgot to add that.

13:12, Today: Zog the Faceless rolled 26 using 1d20+14 with rolls of 12. Initiative.