One by one, the Aerostratos adventurers reappeared back at JAGSS Headquarters, or at least the local HQ.

You appear back in the warehouse... not on the teleport circle itself but a few feet away, closer to the door.

The door leads to the adjoining warehouse... the one that has the table and chairs for the briefings.

Some of the workers in the warehouse notice you, and wave.

Krass pulls out a sheaf of documents. Good news he announces. Vrinda, a queen on the floating island of Aerostratos, has agreed to establishing a local chapter of JAGSS, if Jade is agreeable. There is a whole different ecology up there, as well as ruins from a previous age. He awaits Jade, so he can hand her the documents personally.

In reply to Krass (msg # 2):

Piotra appears.

Looking up from the table of refreshments, a scone in each hand, Chas waves with and elbow as each of the others arrive...while stuffing a fresh mouthful of pastry into his face. A third scone floats nearby, held aloft with a magical hand.

He is smiling broadly, piggish eyes squinting.

"Good to be back." he comments, dribbling crumbs down his robe.

Gimble was already there, but in quick succession Ace and Thrash show up. Sister Siouxsie had said she'd go last, so just waiting for Deirdre.

Gimble leads the way to the next warehouse where Ariana Jade meets you at the planning tables.

"Back a bit sooner than I was expecting, but it seemed to be going well, so I'm not surprised," she greets everyone.

She takes the documents that Krass hands her and looks them over.

"Very nicely done. I'm not quite sure that was the best way to go. Assuredly I'll send some others up there to interact with the natives, delve into the culture and history. There are secrets to be unlocked."

"However, I'm not sure any of them will want to go exploring... Down Below. Although... if they know the ring will bring them home again, that may encourage them."

"You were the ones that were dealing with them, so I trust your judgment."

"So, what have you found?"

Chas sees that there is a plate of fresh scones on the table, with honey and jam. Plus there's wine and ale.


Just had a strange thought... an adventuring party made up of the races on Aerostratos...

Krass makes his report, showing the Luckstone they were each granted, the broken pieces of the cursed staff, and the items discovered in the ruins. He also tells of the magic and skills they each inherited from each other, and the staff, while in the process of destroying it.
He asks her Have you lock-breaking tools that a guy with a new interest could buy here?
This message was last edited by the player at 05:10, Sun 22 Feb 2015.

In reply to Krass (msg # 6):

good thought, Starmaster, maybe like raptoran and avariels?

And the Wulfen and the Zebrals... you never met them...


Upon hearing of the team's adventures, Ariana lets out a great laugh.

"That's a story for the ages! I'll transcribe it into one our journals for posterity to read, but otherwise it won't go past these walls."

She looks over at Ace.

"Well, Little One, it would see as if you aren't so little any more. That's a mighty big burden you are saddled with. I won't insult you by offering to take it off your hands, but if you need any help, you have friends here that will assist you."

"I don't know if it would ever have occurred to me to use your gem to unlock the magic of the staff, but, as you discovered, the magic had to go somewhere. With more experience, I'm sure Ace could have just dispelled it into the air or ground. As it was, he had it trapped within the link you all formed."

"The team that went to Carnelian Deep discovered a stone that did the same thing... sort of. It had possessed a necromancer who raised the dead and controlled ghosts. I shall have to look into these stones."

"Now, I may be able to analyze these magic items for you."

She reaches into a pocket on her vest and withdraws a jeweler's loup. Then one by one she examines the magical items.

"Let's see now..."

"The cloak is called Wings of Flying. This one appears to be made from quetzal feathers."

"The cap is a Hat of Disguise."

"The robe is a Robe of Useful Items, improved. That means that you can replace the patches that you use. It allows you to 'itemize' anything of a reasonable size into a new patch that you just stick to the robe."

"This is a Belt of Dwarven-kind."

"Then you have a Vest of Escape. Krass, sir, I believe that might answer your request for lockpicks, as the vest has a set built in. However, if you are not the one that claims the vest, I'm sure I have a set laying around here somewhere."

"The headband is a Circlet of Blasting. Quite unusual. These are normally in the form of a tiara or crown. Elvin craftmanship I would wager."

"And then you have Boots of Springing and Striding. Quite appropriate for Ace... or Gimble."

"Did I get everything?"

"Oh, and here's your payment."

She hands each of you a pouch of coins.

"Now, is there anything else I can do for you?"

Krass keeps the Vest, and accepts the coins. If someone could provide me with some training to go along with these tools, I'd appreciate it. We need time to rest, and replenish our supplies. Possibly improve some of our equipment. After that, I think we need another job.

OOC: How much gold to add to our sheets? Seven items, for seven team members. I'll take the Vest, of course.

I think I'll need regular thieves' tools to do things like Disabling traps. So if I can get a set, I'd appreciate it.
Never mind. Just realized that open locks isn't a skill any more. It's just 'Disable Device' for both actions.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:54, Sun 22 Feb 2015.

In reply to GM StarMaster (msg # 8):

I think I would like the wings of flying.

The gelatinous necromancer eats enough to free on hand so that he can touch the finely crafted headband.  He picks it up, and in a muffled voice, asks, "Any of you fine gentlemen and ladies mind if I employ this? I find it quite...fitting."

The bright headband would likely appear incongruous on his sweaty forehead...especially with his black robes and cloak, but he seems fixated on the item.

Not so fixated that he misses Jade's reference to a necromancer that had been possessed by another stone, "Did we acquire copies of his spellbook?"

The greedy light gleams in his eyes.

---

OOC: Could be fun trying out new stuff. How about a Skraith???
This message was last edited by the player at 16:43, Sun 22 Feb 2015.

 Deirdre handed all of her notebooks and papers to Jade, explaining in a nutshell how it was organized and which would be most useful to understand Aerostratos.

  "I'll take the robe. My current garments have nothing special to them, it was just time for an upgrade. Plus I have a few ideas for items to add to the robe."

 After a few more explanations on what happened and why they had decided to come back, Deirdre asked bluntly:
  "Do you have any maritime exploration for us? I would like to go sailing. Also I'm looking forward to seeing Piotra out of her steels and into a bathing suit."

 She winked at the Dragon Scion, obviously teasing her on her ever present suit of armour.

In reply to Deirdre (msg # 12):

my mentor's hide does not impede my movement like plate maybe we can share a room at some inn some time if you are that interested.

Gimble offers to accept the Hat of Disguise.

"Ace already has a Hat of Disguise, so now we can look alike!"


Ace chooses the Boots of Striding and Springing, leaving Thrash to take the Belt of Dwarvenkind.


"A sea voyage? Well, I'll be damned!" Ariana replies to Deirdre. "The auguries I cast this morning indicated that it was favorable for searching for the Treasure of Tamar-Kaj, as well as for the Lonely Rose. I thought I'd have a bunch of sailors walk in the front door!"

"The treasure sank with the ship it was on, the Sovereign Light."

"Does that sound like something you might be interested in pursuing?"

In reply to GM StarMaster (msg # 14):

That does sound interesting

I've spent time at sea myself. And I have a few navigational tools at my disposal as well Krass admits. I'd certainly enjoy the change of pace.

Chas seems fairly uncomfortable with the notion of adventuring at sea.  His normally pale and pasty countenance blanches further, his hands wring...as soon as they are free of scones...and his sweating grows more pronounced, but he replies gamely, "I suppose a treasure hunt would be exhilarating."

The necromancer looks thoughtful, scratching at his head over the line of the brightly colored headband, "I think I may have several useful tools to employ on and under the waters...now that I think about it."

---

OOC: Chas will want to spend the hard-won gold to better prepare for the venture at sea!

 Deirdre glanced at Piotra from the corner of her eyes and played coy.
 "You know... I make a point of not fooling around on the job..."
 She turned to the others and asked:
 "What say you we take a few days off? I need to replenish my supplies, research some spells, get acquainted with this new robe... amongst other things."

 All business-like again, she turned to Jade and answered on behalf of the group:
 "We would love to go treasure hunting on the high seas. The treasures of  the Sovereign Light and the Lonely Rose shall be ours soon."
 "Chas, we'll need to talk spell preparation and repartition. There are a couple nice ones I have, and a few others I'm thinking about. Let's tune our repertoire, shall we?"

Aye. I could use some food, rest, the chance to beef up my supplies. I wouldn't mind the company of a female to relax with either he says frankly. He doubts such talk would embarass any in the company. They all seemed rather...earthy.

  "I can recommand a place," Deirdre winked in direction of Krass. It might have been surprising to imagine the young elf knew anything about things carnal, but her comrades had grown to learn that she was no ordinary elf.

 Unlike most adventurers who worked with Jade, Deirdre had grown around the JAGGS Headquarters and knew everything and almost everyone there was around there.
  "It's kind of a cabaret place, some of the girls there will make your night memorable. Not that I'm suggesting you couldn't get women otherwise, but frankly who need the hassle?"

 "Actually we should all go, unwind and celebrate our successful expedition. First round is on Krass," she winked again.

That Krass says as he takes her hand and kisses it would be lovely, my lady. He smiles, adding unless you would care to have a tumble yourself? I promise I'll be gentle he teases as he looks sidelong at Piotra, to see her reaction.

In reply to Krass (msg # 21):

Piotra looks uncomfortable for a second or two.


I would be more interested in Deidre. I guess if we were the last two on the planet and we had to repopulate.

  "He meant me, silly..." Deirdre said whilst leaning against Piotra.
  "Although Krass, it's good to know you're only a global apocalypse from getting in her pants!" she added teasingly.
  "I'll let you know if it's worth booking the Four Riders in the morning," she winked.
  "What about you Chas Flyd? Do you reckon we can find someone for you? Krass is looking for a tumbler, and I think I know just who. What is it you fancy?"

Chas looks surprisingly shy for a moment, then glances down at the pendant around his neck. The beautifully carved cameo shows a statuesque woman as he holds it out, "Momma was a lovely woman. Someone like that." His tone is serious and laced with wonderment.

The necromancer tries to smile, shaking his head, "I could support a nice drink though. A nice brandy?"

"Madam Ruby has a great collection of liquors, I'm sure we will find something to your taste," she replied.
"And we shall find someone to feed your hungers, too. Svetlana perhaps. She's bustier than anyone you've ever seen."

 * * *

 GM, Deirdre will take on the opportunity to find out a bit about the two ships they're supposed to go after.
 She'll also need to buy some magic supplies, as well as a few seafaring items.
 Do you want to RP this out or should I just make a list of things I want to buy?
This message was last edited by the player at 17:41, Tue 24 Feb 2015.

You can just make a list of things... if there's anything exotic or unusual on it, then it might require a bit of role-playing. Remember, you aren't in a big city, just a small fishing town. It's bigger than a village, though, and it is the 'backdoor' to Absalom.


The Lonely Rose is docked at the West Wharf; it belongs to JAGSS. It makes a weekly trip to Absalom, and a monthly trip to the mainland.

The Sovereign Light was a ship that sailed from Absalom about ten years ago and was lost at sea in a storm.

As they conduct their business and eventually settle at Madam Ruby's, Chas tends to hover at the edges of conversation, listening with his mouth open...piggish eyes usually blank.

At his first taste of brandy, he makes a squinched face and waves his fat hand ineffectually as if to cool his tongue, "Gah! That is awful. Are you sure I am not poisoned?" He bravely tries a second sip...then a third...and finally is clutching the snifter fondly with both hands as a wrmth grows in his pallid flabby cheeks.

When it comes to the fairer gender, the necromancer is clearly out of his depth...by a long way. He barely functions in the social structure of an adventuring group.  As the others aid him in trying to talk to a 'lady' he squirms and balks.  Once alone at a table with a woman he is virtually paralyzed for several heartbeats and abruptly flees back to those he knows better.

"Momma would not approve." Chas rocks back and forth, clutching his black bag to his chest with a type of desperation with one fat arm while scooping up the brandy snifter again with the other.

 Sitting on Piotra's lap, Deirdre followed Chas' blooming romance with a nosy interest. She teased him from a distance, suggesting he stopped over-thinking and just went for it.

 When he came back, she scowled and slammed her drink on the table.
  "Aw come on! I've seen you deal with far more dangerous than Svetlana's spectacular arguments! Have an other drink and give it an other shot, will you?"

 After a few more rounds and a decent meal, Deirdre retired with Piotra, her mind set on taming the dragon.

 * * *

 The next morning they slept in, and Deidre joined Chas for brunch. She was obviously more relaxed and smiling than when they were on the job in Aerostratos.
  "I have a spell of Touch of the Sea, we should probably invest in Alter Self, Alter Winds and Buoyancy." She explained while sipping tea and copiously eating scones and whipped cream with jam.
  "As for equipment, I strongly recommend we all invest in at least a potion that allows breathing under water, if only in case of emergency."

  let's make a list of spells we need, we can then decide who takes what.

 - alter self (to adopt a merfolk shape)
 - alter winds (obviously)
 - buoyancy
 - aboleth's lung?
 - Track Ship? 

In reply to Deirdre (msg # 28):

Piotra absently played with Deidre, undressing Deidre as much as allowed while enjoying the girl/caster/current sex toy as silently as possble. Even on occassion redirecting Deidre's attention to herself with the intent on starting the grooming and enslaving process of making Deidre a bodyservant.

In reply to Piotra Clay (msg # 29):

When they are alone in a room, Piotra ties Deidre up and continues. Thus making them come down late for brunch.

 Ouch, kinky! good thing Deirdre has sill/silent spell to keep an element of surprise (and get out of there if Piotra proves to be a psycho killer in disguise;)

OOC: Is there a PF equivalent to the Armor Augmentation crystal Crystal of Aquatic Action (lesser)?

Krass enjoys his time, although it might be noted that he had a preference for blondish elven women. It takes him half the night before he is sated.
The next morning he comes down to brunch, all smiles. That was fun is all he'll say as he loads up on a meal.
When Deirdre mentions magics for Water-adventuring, Krass thinks also of augmenting his armor in some way.

In reply to Krass (msg # 32):

OOC: in the psionics unleashed book

IC : Unless Deidre objects she is sitting on Piotra's lap again feeding Piotra.

When the discussion of arcane planning for a sea-faring adventure is broached, Chas adds the Track Ship is one he is already seeking, as well as Mud Buddy.

Physical affection seems beyond Chas' ability to deal with...but he does drink, rosy hues climb in his cheeks...and his consumption of bar snacks does increase dramatically.

At some point during their recreational period, Chas is drunk enough to pull his hairless cat...dead and stuffed hairless cat...out of his black bag. He pets the dead cat affectionately and murmurs to it drunkenly, careful not to spill brandy on it.

Seeing Chas pet a stuffed cat was bizarre, but probably not the most bizarre thing Deirdre had ever seen at Madam Ruby's cabaret. Still they had agreed to not mention it in sober daylight.

The next day at brunch, Deirdre was all business-like again. No sitting on laps or riding the dragon, no teasing Chas or drinking shots with Krass. Extensive scribbling and sketching though was back in order. She has retrieved a brand new notebook from her locker at JAGGS and was working on the first page, an approximate drawing of a ship.

"An enchanted armour for underwater exploration... Smart. Perhaps Jade can provide a few necklaces of water breathing, or something similar. Do you guys know anything about the wreckage of the Sovereign Light?"

Piotra sits on the opposite side of the table from Deidre. Putting a physical distance to symbolize the emotional divide she is placing between herself and the failed acquisition.

"The necklaces of water breathing sound useful. The armor would be good for others. I have no information about the sunken ship."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:28, Fri 06 Mar 2015.

GM, should we move things forward?

Fast-track the preparation and proceed to the moment we embark?

Yes, I'll start a new thread tomorrow for the new adventure.

It might be a good idea if everyone listed here what they were trying to acquire. Things were mentioned, but it was unclear if anyone was actually pursuing these things.

In reply to GM StarMaster (msg # 38):

Piotra will attempt to acquire a necklace of water breathing.

Chas notes to his companions that he is shopping for several skulls and the corpse of an aquatic humanoid, "Preferrably fresh.  Otherwise it smells...unfortunate."

The fat necromancer chuckles at the thought of an overripe body.

"Perhaps I should purchase a seaman's trunk for transport of such important cargo too."

Piotra: You can find an Amulet of Water Breathing that costs 2,100gp at the Arcane Emporium over on Bleaker Street.


Krass: You wind up visiting Summer Wind's Seaside Sea Shoppe, run by the Sea Mage Summer Wind. You can get a greater Crystal of Aquatic Action for 3,000gp.


Chas: You have no problem buying regular skulls, but no one has the body of an aquatic creature just laying around... fresh or otherwise.

In reply to GM StarMaster (msg # 41):

Piotra buys the amulet.

Krass is  disappointed at not being able to acquire his desire (he only had 20 gold prior to the 1000 gold bonus that they were paid). He inquires at to whether Lesser crystals might be available.

Summer has the lesser and least version of the Aquatic Crystals, but neither of them bestow Water-Breathing.

"I'm open to negotiation," Summer says to Krass, noticing his disappointment. "Is there a particular reason you need to be able to breathe underwater?"

"You wouldn't, by any chance, be working for JAGSS, would you? Ariana has purchased a few similar items from me just yesterday, so I thought there might be a connection."

Yes, as a matter of fact. We're about to head out on an aquatic expedition, and I felt it was a good idea to be able to breathe underwater, especially if I needed to do any tracking Krass explains. Although I was aware the Ariana had planned some equipment, I feel that the crystal fits my style better, as it would make my armor adaptable in water, rather than merely conveying the ability to breathe. Unless JAGGS has some sort of payment plan? he inquires.

"Although Ariana didn't say what mission she was launching, I'm guessing it's the Sovereign Light she is after," Summer replies.

"If that's the case, I might be interested in a trade. In exchange for the crystal, I would like the figurehead from the ship. I'm sure Ariana will let me have it. If it turns out that it's missing or too far decayed, then Ariana will owe my a favor."

Well, I'm okay with that arrangement, but I'll need to fly it past Ariana. Let me speak with her, and I should be able to return in a few hours Krass says. He nods at the proprietor, then proceeds back to HQ to ask Ariana if such an arrangement would be acceptable to her.

Once Krass tells Ariana about the deal, she just laughs.

"Of course it's alright! She started out working for me!"

Krass laughs as well. Hah! Thought so! He heads back to Summer and seals the deal.

 Deirdre buys a few scrolls:
 - alter self
 - alter winds
 - buoyancy
 - aboleth's lung
 - Track Ship

Standard prices for the scrolls. I'm guessing you know what they are. There are none on your list that aren't reasonable for a port.

Having collected the few meager, if grisly, bits of 'equipment' he needed for the journey, Chas has settled back into a chair at the Inn, his sack of skulls on the table in front of him as he roots around in it, first examining this one, and then the next, each one replaced carefully in bag after he measured and turned it over and over in his pudgy hands, humming to himself.

He names each and talks quietly to them, almost as if introducing himself.

The first he declares to be Broderick. The second, Natalia. Then comes Brubaker, Olin and last...and most battered of all, the smaller skull he names Bethany...or Betsy for short.

He spends a fairly long time talking to Betsy as he nurses another drink.

Picking up scrolls:

Lay of the Land (x2)
Embrace the Wild

Cost = 75 gold

Appears in HQ and removes the ring "Well, that was something, though im ready for a new challenge"

"Yes, it doesn't surprise me, Ariana says. "The Spire had some bad portents originally... oh, just minor ones, nothing that screamed death and destruction. That's probably why the agents I sent didn't fare all that well."

"At least they all came back alive... so far."

"As it turns out, I have an opening that you might be interested in filling."

"Just yesterday, I sent two teams to search for the ancient temple of an all but forgotten moon god. It seems the moon god had his own agenda, though."

"Anyway, one of the members of one team has some personal problems that are calling him back. If you want to take his place, I can send you there and you can give him a message that will return him."

"If that's satisfactory, we just need to get you a new ring."

She leads Neskusar over to a table where she pulls out a display rack full of rings.

"Just pick one that fits you, activate it, and then I can teleport you to where that team is."

"A temple of a moongod ey, sounds challengig, ill take it". He followed her and put the old ring down. He picked out another ring and put it on before activating it "ready to go".

Ariana led Neskusar into the second adjacent warehouse, and down along the wall to the pentagram etched into the floor--the teleport circle.

Once Neskusar stepped into the circle, Ariana did her magic wave and Neskusar vanished from the warehouse.


He rematerialized in the glaring light and oppressive heat of a noonday desert sun. He almost fell down, though, as the deck upon which he now stood was slanted a bit. Yes, deck... the deck of ship.

He immediately spotted a man with a tiger... based on Ariana's description, this would be Shai.

In reply to Ariana Jade (msg # 57):

AJ and Augie arrive at Headquarters as AJ vomits up her last meal.

“ That was too much. ”

Awi may have found a ship away from Absalom, or at least a way aboard it. A merchant by the name of Jarvis Graynger felt he needed a bodyguard aboard a ship called Scalawag and happened to find Awi in the Endless Keg. Since it was favored by Dwarves, it seemed the least likely place someone would come looking for Awi.

Once Awi agreed to play bodyguard, Jarvis had another trip in mind. Without telling Awi about it, he led the way down the streets of Diobel to a small non-descript building. While little in Diobel is truly rundown, it all looks like it is because no one has bothered cleaning or painting anything in decades. The town is just too poor to care about it's appearance.

The building is only one-story high, and is maybe 20'x40'. No windows, and only one door. The weather-beaten wood siding has certainly seen better days. The door, at one end, is centered in the wall. As you approach the door, Awi barely notices the equally weather-beaten sign that simply reads: JAGSS.

Jarvis walks up to the door and simply enters without knocking, indicating he may have been here before.

The two of you walk into a 20x20 room that is split down the middle by a counter, although the far left corner of the room seems to have been set up as a small officer. Another door is in the middle of the rear wall... no doubt going to the other half of the building.

A gray-haired man steps out of the office and over to the counter. Though his hair is gray, he looks only middle-aged as well as spry.

"Ah, Jarvis! Good day to you, sir. Are you interested in another expedition already? I would have thought you'd had your fill after tangling with that tiger."

"But that is exactly why I wish to go again!" Jarvis replies. "The excitement! The adventure! This time, though, I've brought someone to do my tiger-fighting for me! Zarek, this is Awi. Awi, Zarek. I'd prefer something of short duration... a day or two at most. I hope that's not asking too much. We have a ship to catch, you see."

No one had mentioned anything about tigers but if the man had access to beasts like those, then he was either a very strange gladiator or can deliver on his on promise.~


Awi merely nods a moment after the mention of tiger fighting. Tigers weren't his specialization but he could probably take one down, he would perfer to drive it off or avoid it. Putting a hand on his pocket he visualizes his inventory.

"I was not expecting quite that type of job when i agreed, but i am of capable of adjusting as need Mister Zarek." stretching out a hand towards the JAGSS attendant.

Awi Shelessu rolled 10 using 1d20+9. Knowledge local (Absalom) about JAGSS.

He had little reason to learn more then that it existed and he presumed it dealt with salvage operations which made tigers all the odder a occurrence for them to be discussing.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:31, Thu 12 Apr 2018.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Awi," Zarek responds.

"As for your... short... expedition, Jarvis... as you know, you can always use the ring to return whenever you want. It turns out that we have something simple in the wings, though. One of our agents stumbled across the Shrine of the Emerald Cobra. So we now know where it is. No searching required."

"We're not trying to loot it, but if we could just get some tracings of the walls, that'd be great. Okay, it's not all that exciting... at least, it shouldn't be. Sound like something you might be interested in?"

AJ sits in a sitting room of the main hall with her companion, Augie, waiting for another mission.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:38, Thu 12 Apr 2018.

"That would be up Mister Jarvis, I am here under arrangement to protect him even if i wasn't expecting quite that type of excitement imagined for today. If scribes work is what you are describing, i have a steady quill hand when needed if your willing to supply the materials." returning his hands to his sides, he turns to Jarvis to see what the man would decide.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:22, Thu 12 Apr 2018.

"Ah, yes! I quite forgot about that," Jarvis replied. "Not completely, of course; it's just that the possibilities had slipped my mind. I guess I think of it as a means to return when the expedition ends, not when someone's got tired of it."


Zarek reaches under the counter and pulls out a silver tray with a teapot on it as well as a small plate with a couple of scones on it along with two small jars--one of honey, one of preserves.

"Would you gentlemen care for a cup of tea and a scone? The preserves are plum today."

"I also have ale or wine, if you'd prefer that."

"Anyway, as it turns out, we have two other people interested in a new expedition. AJ and Augie. Help yourself to the refreshments while I see if this is something they would be interest in."

He walks to the back door and opens it before stepping through.

AJ (and Augie?) are sitting at the table in the corner of the warehouse. There are books to read if they are interested.

Zarek walks up to the table.

"I have a small request for an expedition... of only one or two days duration. We may have one. Might that be something you are interested in, AJ? I need to caution you, though, that the gentlemen need to catch a boat in two days, so if the expedition looks like it will last longer than that, they will probably return, leaving you on your own."

Awi waits for a moment before taking one of the scones and sampled it. The fresh scent of the scone was strong, and the dwarven fair he had at the inn last night and this morning had been quite short of anything besides meat and liquid grain.

 Examining his absent minded charge and pondering what kinda of madness was in store for him now. The place didn't appear to be a mage's guild or drug den, both of which were the only reasonable explanations that came to him besides utter madness. Perhaps it was some shady creature hunting club, but for the moment, they had good scones. If a Tiger was going to be coming through the door, at least he could savor the scone first.

Awi Shelessu rolled 21 using 1d20+8.  Sense Motive: Analyze prowess, Jarvis graynger.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:24, Fri 13 Apr 2018.

Finishing his scone and waiting for Zarek to return, Awi shifts his weight to his other foot to get comfortable. Then he queries jarvis "So what is this i heard about tigers, agents, and shrines. I keep my word, but if you want me to protect you it would help to know what i'm protecting you from."

In reply to Awi Shelessu (msg # 66):

“ Augie and I should be able to handle ourselves. ”

"Our ship doesn't leave for two days, assuming it even sails on time or waits for us," Jarvis replies to Awi. "I don't necessarily need a bodyguard here in Diobel, since I don't frequent those kinds of places, but I thought it'd be a good idea for us to work together a bit while we're waiting."

"If a threat pops up, you'd be better able to deal with it if you knew how I'd react. Likewise, I wouldn't get in your way if I knew what you were likely to do."

"So, I thought it'd be a good idea if we took the opportunity to... well, practice some. The best way I knew to do that is go on a short JAGSS expedition. They hire people to act as their agents on these expeditions."

"The last one I was on was in the jungle, and we got into a bit of trouble with a tiger. I think we were in his territory, and he objected to it."

"Most of the time, though, it's monsters you have to worry about."

"Ah, here's Zarek now."

Just then, Zarek returns through the door in the rear wall.

"AJ and Augie are interested, so we can go ahead," he says. "We usually like to send at least 4 people on a mission, for safety and for different points of view. It's a bit short notice to get any of our regulars here, which is why I asked AJ."

As he talks, he reaches under the counter and pulls up a small display rack of rings and sets it on the counter. There are a dozen or so plain silver rings placed in slots on the blue velvet display.

"You need to select a ring that fits you. These are special JAGSS rings. They have to be activated with a drop of blood, but once activated, it'll only work for you."

"We teleport you to the site, and the ring is how you get back. You can just will it to get back, or if you are near death, it will automatically bring you back here."

"Ariana will explain the rest to you, but I have just two questions: are you afraid of magic, and do you like to travel?"

Awi nodds at Jarvis' reasoning and turns as Zarek walks back into the room, interested in what would come next.

"That is reasonable, one is always less vunerable when they are not alone. " putting on a mild grin. ~Even Jarvis remembers that, and it would help to have extra eyes if they want me to copy things, makes my job easier.


Momentarily examining the offered rings, he takes and tries one one, before exchanging it with another. "A drop you say?" briefly drawing a shuriken from a pocket and pricking his finger reveal dark maroon colored  blood. "Magic does not bother me, it's quite useful in many ways and i've used it on occasion. Travel however is something that i am hoping to enjoy. That probably doesn't answer your question but i haven't had the opertunity to experience it before."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:17, Thu 19 Apr 2018.

Just then, someone else walks in the door. He stands behind Awi and Jarvis as if waiting for his turn, but seems to get impatient and suddenly vaults over the counter and dashes for the rear door. It was only as he put one hand on the counter that Awi notices the Mark of Norgorber. His fluidity of motion marks him as a Reaper.

Awi Shelessu rolled 18 using 1d20+4.  initiative.

Awi Shelessu rolled 28 using 1d20+8.  Sense motive on new visitor.

Something about Awi's prescence here unsettled the new comer, though why wasn't obvious. His fidgity manner put Awi on edge, and his bullrush past them caught him by surprise because he was expecting an attack instead.

Puzzled Awi pushes down the questions it raised because it was clear the intruder had his sights set on a target with no care for sublety.

Urging himself forward, he lunges himself over the counter and tries to cut the assassin off.

1 ki point, movement boost, one or two movement actions and drawing brass knuckles.

Augie walks up and grabs two rings then walks back to her mistress and kneels holding the rings up.

“ Mistress? ”

AJ picks a ring and places it on her finger then kisses Augie passionately as she places the ring on hers.

2:45, Today: GM StarMaster rolled 12 using 1d20+8 ((4)). Assassin's initiative.


The counter does not span the entire width of the building because there is a small office on the left. But that meant the door wasn't centered on the counter, which, in turn, meant the only open space was to the right of the doorway. So, while it made sense for the newcomer to move in that direction when he entered, it also meant that he was a tad bit farther away from the door at the back than Awi was, which gave Awi that split second advantage to intercept the presumably would-be assassin before he could reach the door.

The assassin is functioning as a blunt instrument, rather than as a sharp blade, and without subtlety, he's probably counting on his ability to escape instead of his ability to remain unseen and undiscovered.

The two of you reach the door at about the same time.


AJ and Augie are in the warehouse, not out with Zarek. There is a rack of rings on the shelves in the corner where the two of you were sitting at the table. As soon as you agreed, Ariana pulled the rack from the shelf and offered it to you to make a selection. She also hands each of you a pouch with 1,000gp in it.

"Remember, we pay you whether your expedition was successful or not," she explains.

OOC it's  a 10 foot doorway?

Vying for control of the doorway, Awi joisting questions in a mean voice"Sorry but i don't think you've been invited in, ever, care to tell say what the emergency is?" Ready action to attack with knuckle if he tries to get past me.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:05, Mon 23 Apr 2018.

The only way the assassin intends to get past you is to kill anyone that gets in his way.

He produces a weapon from somewhere and stabs at Awi.

17:08, Today: GM StarMaster rolled 21 using 1d20+8 ((13)).

He hits for 5 points of damage.

Awi Shelessu rolled 16 using 1d20+10.  Bluff check to feint.
Awi Shelessu rolled Hit 13, Damage 2, Sneak 9 using 1d20+6,1d3+0,2d6 with rolls of 7,2,6,3.  Attack Brass Knuckle.

Awi reaches for his sword but instead of drawing it, he brings his other fist around with a right hook weighted by his knuckles hoping to catch his target offguard.

22:17, Today: GM StarMaster rolled 18 using 1d20+8 ((10)).

Awi's feint doesn't quite work as well as he had hoped, and the assassin manages to avoid Awi's brass knuckle attack.

He still has to get Awi out of the way before he can open the door, so he attacks again, but this time, Awi is ready for it, and the assassin's sword misses.

Awi rolled a 19 bluff using 1d20+10.
Awi Shelessu rolled 19,1,7 using 1d20+6, 1d3+0, 2d6.


Focusing more on his prey, Awi brings his cloak into play trying to keep his opponent offguard. Finding his opponent isn't a push over he starts wieghing his options and Decides to kick the door to atleast alert whomever is on the otherside that something is amiss when he fets a chance.

"Mr. Zarek I'm convinced this gentleman is up to no good, what do you suggest.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:21, Tue 24 Apr 2018.

Maybe because it never occurred to him that his opponent would try a second feint just after the first one failed, the assassin really does fall for it this time, and fails to avoid the brass knuckle attack. It's not enough to take him out, but it lets Awi kick the door while calling out to Zarek.

Zarek was already doing something, though. He had a wand in his hand pointed at the assassin. A purple ray shoots out of the wand and strikes the assassin. The assassin instantly stops moving and stiffens up rigid as a board before falling over to the floor.

"I would guess he's an assassin," Zarek announced as he walks over to the still form, "and since he passed up attacking me, I can only guess he's after Ariana. She does annoy some of the other guilds... she pays better, has fewer casualties and finds more interesting expeditions."

"He doesn't know much about our operations, though. Opening the door wouldn't have done him any good as she's not in her office."

He reaches out, turns the doorknob, and pushes the door open. Awi notices that Zarek has a ring on one of his fingers.

The room beyond thus revealed appears to be an office. Book-filled shelves cover all the walls visible, and a paper-covered desk sits in the middle. A glowing lamp on the desk illuminates the room. There is no one sitting at the desk.

"It seems you are used to such occurences then. Still i doubt he came cheap despite his recklesness."

Awi returns the knuckles to his pocket and steps back,taking a good look at the man's face before returning to Jarvis' side.

Awi recognizes the man; the two of you trained together at one time.


"Looks like I hired the right man, Awi," Jarvis says as Awi rejoins him. This time, he doesn't have to go over the counter, as Zarek lifts a section of the counter and swings out the front section to create a passage.

After opening the door in the back, Zarek shuts it again and then steps forward to the counter, lifts a section of it and swings away the front to create a passage.

"Mr. Awi, if you would be so kind, could you escort our unwanted guest outside?" Zarek says.

After the would-be assassin is deposited outside, Zarek indicates that Jarvis and Awi should go through the opening in the counter.

"You've passed the two application questions and selected a ring, so you are cleared for the expedition. Ariana will explain it to you in more detail. Just go through the rear door there."

Jarvis, having done this before, steps through the counter opening and strides to the back door. Without hesitation, he grabs the doorknob and opens the door.

There is no sign of the office now. Instead, Awi sees a large warehouse with rows of tables set up in it. Piles of debris are on the tables and workers are sorting through the piles.

Jarvis steps through the door and heads to the right where there is a separate table, chairs and bookshelves set up in the corner. Three women are sitting at the table. One of them stands up as Jarvis and Awi approach.

Following Jarvis' lead and picking up a second scone from the plate that had miraculously managed to avoid being scattered, as they pass through the counter.

Awi is momentarily taken aback by the space and ammount of worker and their fixation on dirt. Returning demeanor to his face he looks ahead to find a trio of women that appear to be waiting for them or atleast otherwise in a meeting.

Instead of making a fool of himself by making assumptions he takes on the servile roll he was hired for and lets Jarvis or the others speak first.

The woman with the jade-green eyes stands up as Jarvis and Awi walk over to the table.

"Hello again, Jarvis," she says, "And Awi, is it?"

"I'm Ariana Jade. And this is AJ and Augie. Unless you have a problem with them, you'll be going on the expedition with them."

"I believe we have another new person joining us."

"Don't know if Jarvis told you, Awi, but I don't send out expeditions to loot ancient sites; I send them out to recover forgotten knowledge or fill in gaps about things we don't know."

"I'm interested in knowledge, not loot. Anything that you find that qualifies as loot you are free to keep, although I'd appreciate being able to examine it."

"We don't always know how long an expedition will take since it almost always depends on what you find... or don't find. We pay 1,000gp per expedition, whether it's successful or not."

"Any questions so far?"

Tilting his head at Ariana's use of his name to indicate correctness, Waiting for her to finish speaking.

"Jarvis hasn't mentioned much, but Zarek mentioned recording inscriptions on walls of a temple being the focus of the trip.
I'm confident in my penmanship if that adds to your planning, but i would require some supplies."
This message was last edited by the player at 07:34, Fri 27 Apr 2018.

"We provide survival packs that include 100 feet of silk rope, sunrods, tindertwigs, thunderstones, holy water and two healing draughts ((CSW)). There are also tents, blankets and bedrolls, but we don't expect you to take those if you don't want. And there is a week's trail rations for each of you with canteens of water," Ariana answers even as Jarvis heads over to the tables.

The survival gear packs are laid out down on the long sorting tables in the warehouse, the ones to the extreme right. There is backpack with each group so each person can see what is there and can pack to his own preferences. Between every two packs is a 2-person tent.

There are 10 sunrods, all held together with a wide leather strap that can be re-tightened as a sunrod is used.

The twindertwigs come in a small 'scroll case'--a small bone tube that holds 20 tindertwigs. It has a bone cap with thick wax inside. When placed over the end of the bone tube, the wax makes the inside of the tube watertight.

Each pack has folding shovel and a hatchet (hand axe). There are two dozen metal pitons and a ball of string, as well as 6 pieces of chalk.

There is a scribe's kit--a wooden box (lid open) that holds a dozen sheets of paper, two bottles of ink and four quill pens.

There is also a lantern between every two packs, and 3 flasks of oil.

There are 4 potion bottles, packed in a small, straw-filled wooden box. Two are clear with a faintly glowing liquid; this is the holy water. Two are green tinted; these are the healing potions.

Picking up and examining each set in turn, not so much for flaws as to familiarize himself with the weight, quantity, and general lethality of each piece in a pinch.
Returning each piece as he is done with it.

"Your hirelings are definantly well equip, you must be confident in your returns to invest this much into each expedition. That and this Space has me believing Jarvis will have me fighting tigers for him by tomorrow." It's clear now that Ariana was a woman of means, and power despite the appearence of her store front. The previous assassin didn't stand a chance any more then pig had assaulting a noble in a carriage. Wether her lack of reputation was by her own hand or if it was paid to be sullied by other guilds, Awi could only guess at. Any problems he risk asspciating them with they were already at risk of, and capable of handling.

Returning to the others at table, he askes "So now we wait for our next member I gather. Do you have any knowledge of the hazards at or near the temple, Zareck mentioned another party discovered it but i didn't recognize it."


How many papers does my character assume MIGHT fit in a tinder twig horn in a pinch? Can we change the box to a 'scroll box' because those are called out as water proof?

"The Shrine of the Emerald Cobra is what I call it, though that's also the name that gets bandied about by others who don't know any better," Ariana answers Awi.

"To be honest, we're not even sure it's a shrine... it just... looks like one. The emerald cobra is the carving on the door, or at least that's what those who have glimpsed the shrine have described. Usually, those people have been lost, and got more lost after they left it, often being chased by some monster."

"It's not supposed to be a very big place, maybe 30 feet on a side, 20 feet high. The door is probably bronze, but could be copper. It's ornately carved on the sides and the eaves. I've not been able to find any deity or power who uses an emerald cobra as his, her or its symbol."

"We think it's on the mainland, but we're not sure where. Once you get us more information about it, I can cast a few divinations to determine that. It's one of the drawbacks of using teleport--I can send you some place without actually knowing where you are going, only to an object that's already there... wherever 'there' is."

"It's also why we created the rings. It's the way for you to get back here. If you use the rings to do that, or if you are severely injured and the ring automatically brings you back, then you return here, so any of the gear that you don't use... well, we can usually get it back. Most folks find enough treasure and other loot that they don't give a damn about the mundane stuff."

As Awi moved over to the table with the gear, he passes an open warehouse door that leads to another warehouse that's also got tables full of debris. He also realizes that there is yet another door on the opposite end of the warehouse he's in, directly across from the one he's in front of. Altogether, there's maybe 60 people working in the three warehouses.

He can also see that what he at first thought of as 'debris' is all just rocks and dirt. There are a number of items that probably don't have much value but could easily have historical interest--so-called temple trappings... tapestries, urns, vessels, etc.

Things were better now that AJ knew Augie was all hers, and she didn't have much to say most of the time anyway, but every now and then, AJ was a bit... well, rude.

"Hi!" she said to Awi. "I'm Augie Arundel. My mistress isn't really ignoring you, she's just being... introspective."
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:42, Fri 04 May 2018.

In reply to Augie (msg # 91):

“ My Apologies, sometimes my introspection borders on outright rudeness. Tis inappropriate for a true follower of the Eternal Lord Of Law. My Servant and I, are both very honored to be working with and sometimes for Lady Jade.

In full butler fashion Awi bows his head to the ladies, "Nothing of the sort, it is a pleasure to meet your aquaintances. My skill set involves stealth, languages and speed. I hope you can make good use of me, however my focus is on protecting Jarvis first.

Is AJ red skin prominent, doesn't really matter to Awi. His trainings and life experience have confronted him with the underbelly of society and the knowledge most people aren't near perfect.


Since your a sensual player, Awi is a mix of demisexual and abuse. Hand crafted honeypot, in a Acheron(dark hunters series) way
Know: local, nobility, Stealth, Lingustics, Slieght of hand, perception, sense motive. Ki pool, sneak attack. -trapfinding, evasion
Perfers ambushes, hates contests of strength.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:18, Fri 04 May 2018.

In reply to Awi Shelessu (msg # 93):

One, AJ does not have red skin.  Two, uh thanks. Three, AJ is not the underbelly of society. AJ is a Military Scout officer. Ranger and Rogue by class.

AJ half frowns.

“ Interesting, seems like where ever I go the decadence of nobilese follows me. I am sure your abilities could enhance mine . . . ”

AJ strokes Augie’s buttocks more out of a sense of centering herself then playing with her pet.

but, I think your fawning needs to lessen as I am not a sadist. Although if you continue I can help you meet the Eternal Lord Of Law. ”
This message was last edited by the player at 06:33, Fri 04 May 2018.

i didn't imply (mean to)anything about you being part of the underbelly, merely that Awi doesn't form his opinions based on looks because of his experiences, unless someone looks too perfect and upright.

I was draw from Ooc for descriptions not a lot to go on.
In reply to AJ (msg # 34):
"My skin is more red then pink, Orc."


"I see, I will act accordingly then AJ and Augie. Forgive my formalness, i merely wished not to embarrass Jarvis." Taken aback by the creepy undertone, and unsure if she was talking to Augie or himself the second time.

Awi takes a seat at the table presumably gollowing Jarvis example. He retrieves the second of Zarek's scone and quietly savors it as he contemplates his situation and waits for the unknown 5th member to arrive.


 Awi Shelessu rolled 22 using 1d20+3, rerolling max.  Untrained knowledge religion check.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:44, Sat 05 May 2018.

In reply to Awi Shelessu (msg # 95):

Sorry, Yes. Basically her skin is so hot it looks red. Also AJ’s holy Symbol is always visible here at JAGSS. She would consider it dishonorable not to be utterly honest with Arianna Jade.

Before speaking AJ kisses Augie passionately, so that Augie knows she is not mad at her.

“ Again, my apologies. I would not want to even appear to be rude. My Lord requires the utmost of courtesy at all times. ”

In reply to AJ (msg # 96):

Augie kisses her mistress back passionately, grateful she is not in trouble.

Niko cautiously enters the main headquarters area.  This is all new for him, this building shouldn't be as big as it is, from what it looked like on the outside.

Awi examine the newcomer in the warehouse. He hadn't seen anyone else use that door since he was lead in, so he assumed this was the 5th member Ariana had mentioned. A elf by the looks of it, and one that seemed to have a pragmatic view on fashion and gear.

He doesn't address him though, Ariana and Jarvis were both his employers at the moment and had the right to speak first. Returning his attention back to the table, he waits to see if his inferences were right.

In reply to Awi Shelessu (msg # 99):

AJ pulls Augie into her lap as she realizes she didn’t fully introduce herself.


“ I didn’t fully introcduce myself earlier know that we are all here. I am Lady Lieutenant Abigail Elizabeth Jane of the House Harkness and formerly of the Chelaxian Imeprial Guard. ”

It seems rather obvious to Nikosian that the door he just went through is some kind of portal, for not only is he now in a large warehouse, but he can see that it butts up against tow adjacent warehouses, one on either side--there are large open warehouse doors that show these other warehouses.

Ariana leads him to the table and chairs set up in the corner.

"Have a seat if you wish," she directs Nikosian.

"The others going on this little expedition are AJ, Augie, Jarvis and Awi."

"As you may have gathered, I send out frequent expeditions to gather lost relics and information. Most of the time, little is know about what happened to a place. I hope the team I send can learn more about it."

"Today's expedition is going to the Shrine of the Emerald Cobra. I don't really know if that's its real name or not--it's just what I call it. It's also one of the things that I hope you can find out."

"I pay 1,000gp per expedition whether the expedition is successful or not."

"In addition, we provide supplies, which you can find over on those side tables."

"When you are ready, meet me in the next warehouse, in the corner."

Niko thanks Miss Jade and heads over to the equipment table.  He looks over the supplies to determine if there is anything that he needs.

What supplies are available?

See Message #88 above for details on what supplies are available.

Niko finishes his evaluation of the gear.  He takes the survival gear but leaves the backpacks, blankets, bed rolls and tentage, as he already has that equipment. He starts packing the extra gear into his backpack and says, "You ensure that your agents are well equiped.  I appreciate that."  He hefts his pack back on his back, smiling as he notices that there is no change in weight.  This has got to be my most prized possession. Money well spent. He thinks to himself.
With his gear in place, he hustles over to the appointed warehouse, eager to get on his way.

===== For Hidari C'athyl and Vatra Praxx =====


You find yourself in the harbor town of Diobel, on the island of Absalom, in the island nation of Absalom. Absalom is considered the City at the Center of the World, so it isn't surprising that you may have headed there. It's a huge city, though, and easy to get lost in.

Diobel, on the other hand, is a busy trade town generally considered as the backdoor into Absalom. For unexplained reasons, the town looks tired and dirty. Fresh paint hasn't been put on anything for over 20 years.

You've heard from a fellow traveler or perhaps a serving wench at a local pub that the place to find adventure is JAGSS. You aren't sure what it is or where to find it, but they supposedly have an office somewhere in Diobel.


((OOC: No reason you two have to be together, but you could have met at a pub.))

Hidari walked the docks slowly taking in the new city. He looked casually around at his surroundings not wanting to look too much like an uninitiated visitor. The ride on the ship hadn't been that long but he found himself happy to be in more open spaces. One of the other passengers on the ship had mentioned this JAGSS organization. It seemed as good a place as any to find some honest work and replenish his coin. The man had given only rough directions but assured him that anyone he asked would know where the office was located. After a little searching and inquiring he found himself at the entrance and tested the door to see if it was open.

Vatra stands at the rail, on the port side of the ship, as it glides slowly to the wharf of the trading town of Diobel. The journey had been amazing for the first while as it was his first trip on a boat, but eventually the undulating motion of the swells had lulled him asleep. The sorcerer viewed sleep as a necessary evil but subtly disliked it for the experiences it stole from him. He moves to the gang plank as the sailors herd the passengers off with indifferent direction.

Once on the streets, he takes in his surroundings with great zeal. He soaks in the harbour like a sensual sponge. The sounds of fish merchants barking out their wares, seagulls crying out, the ship bells ringing, and the docks creaking have him looking around excitedly. Over the oceanic scent of warm seaweed, a thin tendril of smoke wafts the smell of cooking beef to his nostrils. He hoists his pack over his thin shoulders and weaves his way through the crowd.

Being a Gnome, albeit a very tall one (4’1”), he uses his agility to skirt around the bigger races as opposed to bull rushing through them. Eventually, he makes it to the kabab vendor and, in short order, is walking the streets eating his lunch, his infectious smile luring looks from all types of city dwellers.

The sorcerers’ eyes, irises dancing and moving like the red embers of a fire in a midnight darkness, fall upon a seemingly temporary, dull equipment shop. After purchasing a few trinkets, Vatra smiles disarmingly.

“Tell me,” he says staring in an almost uncomfortably intense way, “I’ve heard much about a place called JAGSS during my short walk through the town. Where might I find it?”

The shops owner, a blue skinned, obese Tiefling smirks slyly. “Of course I know where JAGSS is, my little friend! For a couple of coppers, I’ll tell you the fastest way to get there…right quick!” His voice is high pitched and louder than it should be.

Vatra counters immediately, "You know… my friend… sometimes forgoing a few coppers with the knowledge there is much more coming from a consistently profitable adventurer type is a good idea. An investment in the future.” He casts a friendly but critical look at the shop. “You are planning on having a future, aren’t you?”

The owner straitens his back with pride and puffs out a little. “Of course I am! Please, my little friend, take my directions…on the house! Tell everyone Jahrl’s Wares has the best wares in town and we’ll see you back here soon, yeah?!”

The Gnome nods in affirmation and gets directions. Soon he is approaching the JAGSS headquarters and enters, barley slowing down to open the door.

The easiest direction to JAGSS was that it was across the street from the Endless Keg alehouse. That was easy to find. Finding the street it was on was a little trickier, but you manage that.

The problem is that all the buildings in Diobel have the same brownish-gray weathered look. Expecting a larger building, the windowless JAGSS building is overlooked twice before you spot the same weathered sign hanging at one corner.

The door in the end is unlocked and you walk in without incident, Hidari a minute or so ahead of Vatra.

The small building seems to be divided in two, with the front half a type of reception area. It is then split in half by a counter than runs across it.

A middle-aged gray-haired man steps out of a small office on the left.

"Greetings! I am Zarek!" he says as he walks over to the counter. He reaches under the counter and pulls up a silver tray with a silver tea pot and a plate of scones.

"Care for some tea or a scone?"

"Now, what can I do for you two gentlemen?"

Vatra enters the building and glances around at the interior as he approaches the counter splitting the room in two. For a few moments he stands beside another male not-Gnome with black and white hair and ear tips similar to, but shorter than, those of a tree hugging elf.

He studies the other briefly, nodding a friendly greeting, before another grey haired man enters the room and offers food and drink.

As soon as the sorcerer lays eyes on the scones his eyes narrow and his lips purse.

"A scone you say?" he inquires, picking the biscuit-like treat up and, holding it over his head, studying the underside with great apparent interest. Seemingly satisfied with whatever curiosity he needed satiated, the odd Gnome takes a bite.

"Why thank you kindly Zarek!" he says enthusiastically, nodding his head towards the tea in a not-so-subtle 'I'm not certain if you're going to pour it for me' kind of way.

He pushes his head towards Hidari and takes another bite before rambling on, speaking between thoughtful mastication. "I'm not sure about the fellow with the small armoury on his leg but I'm looking for work...and knowledge..." He pauses very briefly before feeling he might have to add, "and some tea."

The magic user opens his mouth as if to say something else, waits a moment, and clamps it shut. He stares at the grey haired man with intense, fiery eyes. His head tilts slowly while he awaits the answer he knows, using his conversational history with not-Gnomes as a reference, must be coming.



OOC: Vatra sees the races of the world pretty simply. There are Gnomes. All the other races are not-Gnomes.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:54, Tue 03 July 2018.

The door handle turned freely and Hidari entered the nondescript building into the reception area. It seemed odd to him that there were no windows but Hidari filed that in the back of his head as he looked around the room. After a moment he heard the door open behind him and turned to see a smaller gentleman walk in. Hidari took notice of the small pouches on the his belt and his unique appearance. Hidari had dealt with all manner of people in the past but took notice of this person's eyes as they almost seemed to change color. ~A hafling? Hidari thought to himself. ~No. He seems more gnome....ish.

Not wanting to stare he quickly and politely nodded back in silent greeting as an older man came from the office offering refreshments. "No thank you sir. My name is Hidari. I was looking for the JAGSS office and like this this gentleman I am looking for work, he said turning his attention to Zarek and smirking a little in response to the comment about his throwing blades on his thigh.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:35, Tue 03 July 2018.

"That's what most folks come to JAGSS for," Zarek replies as he pours tea for you.

"In case you didn't know, JAGSS stands for the Jade Archaeological, Geographical and Submarine Society. Yes, that's quite a mouthful, which is why most people just refer to it as JAGSS. It was founded several years ago by Ariana Jade, and, like it says, we dig up the past and explore the unknown, even if it's under water."

"We send teams of between 4 and 8 people to a site that we find out about. Now, we aren't looters. We're not interested in loot. What we are interested in is knowledge... of the past, of the world. We explore ruins looking for signs of the people that once lived there."

"That's not to say that if you find any loot you can't keep it. All we ask is that you give us a chance to examine it for its historical significance."

"Ariana does pay 1,000 gold for each mission you complete, though that's not based on how successful you might be."

"If you are still interested, then I have two questions to ask you: do you like to travel, and are you afraid of magic?"

Hidari shifted the pack that was slung across his back and leaned against the counter. He listened intently as Zarek poured the gnome some tea. The light fragrance of the herbs wafted up and filled the air. Hidari considered the terms. It seemed that this organization was benign enough and the pay seemed good. Hidari nodded and said, "Thank you Zarek. The terms seem fair enough. My sword is yours. I have no qualms with traveling and although I do not fear magic I do most certainly have a strong respect for it. My I ask what it is we are to be reporting back on and who else will be in our party?"

Hidari wondered how trustworthy his companions would be. Although not a distrustful sort, Hidari was used to an earned camaraderie while he was in the military that he found hard to replicate anywhere else.

After Zarek pours the tea, the leggy Gnome takes it in his left hand with a appreciative nod. The moment he touches the cup, his pinky finger shoots out involuntarily and his chin raises slightly.

As the grey haired man speaks the sorcerers' ember red eyes stare intensely. He scans every facet of Zareks face, nodding and biting the corner of his lower lip as he does.

Once the man behind the counter is done speaking, Vatra looks down and seems to mutter a few words (about licorice?) into his tea before taking a slurping sip. The nomadic sorcerer then looks up and answers the questions posed to him.

"I've never stopped traveling. I have been on the move longer than most of the young races have been alive. If life were a book, I've read a ton of pages!" The magic user grins at the thought before continuing, "As far as magic...."

There is a pained look that flashes across the Gnomes face before bursting into a gaudy smile of all teeth, "Of COURSE I'm afraid of magic! The wild power that lies within... the fiery expulsions of arcane energy consuming all that fuels them! Unpredictable and untrustworthy at the worst of times..."

Then there is a shine that replaces the violent embers that had become his eyes. His baritone voice calms and he looks at Zarek wistfully, "But in the best of times..." he pauses to collect his thoughts. "In the best of times magic is like a soothing friend that quells your fears. It gives you confidence to make your way through the world. It is contained chaos you can comprehend in a universe full of chaos you can't."

In as much time as the emotional roller coaster that had just run through the odd Gnomes mind had taken, it is gone. There is a moment where he looks perplexed as he smacks his lips loudly. "Is there licorice root in this tea? Boy, oh boy I hope not... it gives me a rash right under my left eye. He points under his left eye to accentuate the point.  "Yet it just tastes...sooooo good." He takes another slurping sip.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:59, Thu 05 July 2018.

"I could say that you passed the test, which you did merely by answering the questions, but that wasn't the purpose of the questions," Zarek says then. "Ariana uses your answers in her auguries of what mission is the most propitious at the moment."

As he talks, he again reaches under the counter and brings up a small black velvet-clad rack with a dozen plain silver rings set in slots.

"Please select a ring that fits you. These are JAGSS' rings of recall. Ariana uses a teleport circle to send you on your mission, and the ring is your way back. It has to be attuned to you with a drop of blood, and once attuned, it can't be used by anyone else. Also, if you are close to death, the ring will automatically bring you back here to be saved. Otherwise, you can activate it to return at the end of your mission or at any other time you want."

When Zarek produces the rack of silver rings a small gasp and an audible "Oooooooo" escapes the diminutive sorcerer. The moment their greeter speaks the words '...with a drop of blood...', Vatra whips out a dagger and pricks his right pinky, mouthing the word 'Done'.

The Gnome sizes the rings up, seemingly using considerable concentration to do so. He slowly sinks down and views the rings from a horizontal viewpoint and then looks away, quickly looking back as if they were trying to pull a fast one on him.

Finally he chooses a ring and slides it onto his left ring finger. "Nope....this one doesn't fit," He observes, noting it is too big. He then slides it off and replaces it onto his thumb. "Ahhhhhhh...there you go. This will be your new home, little ring,"he whispers conspiratorially.

With a touch from his bleeding pinky and a theatrical "BOOP, FLASH, BAM!" the goofilly grinning Gnome nods his great approval to Zarek.

"Oh snappin' turtles! This is gonna' be fun, isn't it Arthur Brown?" He taps his pack and a pure black weasel pops it's head out and looks around sleepily. Vatra gestures to the weasel and looks to Zarek. "This is Arthur Brown.... but his friends call him Artie. Artie...this is Zarek and Hidari," bobbing his head towards each respectively. Artie looks at each with little interest and, not shockingly, says nothing.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 20:22, Thu 05 July 2018.

As Vatra rushed up to the counter and examined the rings Hidari took a step to the side afraid that he might be bowled over by the quirky gnome. Not in any particular rush Hidari watched as Vatra tried on the rings finally settling on one that fit his thumb. He was impressed by the organization already. ~Indeed they must have great resources to be able to equip their adventurers with such items~ he thought.

Hidari's head tilted back a bit when the weasel emerged from its resting place. He gave it a quizzical sidelong glance as Vatra "introduced" the two of them. Hidari had spent a fair amount of time around animals and the outdoors but had never quite taken to them as much as other scouts and rangers had. Hidari remembered back to one of the scouts he had served with who even had a lupine companion that was trained to stalk alongside him. He had admired and respected him but had never himself felt compelled to get close to an animal.

When Vatra finished Hidari tried a few rings on until he settled on one that fit his left middle finger. He drew a throwing blade from his right hip and quickly pricked his finger touching the small drop of blood to the ring before placing it back on his finger and deftly sliding the throwing blade back in its proper place. Thinking about the additional items he might need Hidari said, "My thanks for the extra measure of insurance. Once you give us a brief idea of where we will be going I will most likely have to purchase some additional supplies and equipment."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:07, Thu 05 July 2018.

"We provide typical adventuring gear, if that's what you need, Hidari," Zarek replies.

He puts the ring rack and the tray back under the counter, and then raises a section of the counter and swings aside the matching front section.

"That's all the preliminary stuff. As to what your mission might be, Ariana will decide that. She uses auguries to determine which potential missions have the greatest chance of success, with the least amount of danger."

"Just go through the door in the back wall there."


By the appearance of the building from the outside, the door should lead to the other half of the building... presumably Ariana's office.

However, when you open the door, you see a large warehouse beyond. There are dozens of rows of tables set up in the warehouse, about half of them covered with debris... dirt, rocks, lumber, pottery and similar materials.

"Greetings, Hidari and Vatra. It's a pleasure to meet you," says a woman that greets you. She has red hair and jade green eyes.

"I'm Ariana Jade. Have a seat over there in the corner. Feel free to look through any of the books or help yourself to the food. I'll be with you in a moment."


Stepping through the door, you can see that there are large open warehouse doors at either end of this warehouse, and another warehouse is visible through the doors.

In the corner indicated, there is a table with several chairs around it. Low bookshelves are against the wall, and there are a number of books on the shelves, plus food and drink on the top shelf--cheese and crackers, sausage, water, ale and wine.

On the wall above the shelves is what appears to be a map of the world.

Aye good sir. Those are the type of supplies I was referring to, Hidari replied. "Many thanks for the generous support." With that Hidari moved through the opening in the counter and opened the door.

As Hidari walked through the doorway and into the warehouse he was a bit taken aback at first as to the size of the space. Clearly a dimensional pocket of some sort, similar to his pack, he quickly surmised. "Well met Ms. Jade," Hidari said in greeting as he walked over to the corner taking in all the different items strewn about on the tables. "Thank you for your hospitality. Hidari took off his pack and placed it on the ground next to one of the chairs. He then grasped the container of wine and poured himself a goblet of the dark crimson liquid. He took a sip of the wine, enjoying the delicate melange of flavors as it passed over his tongue. Although far from an expert, Hidari knew enough to know a quality wine when he tasted it. He looked over to Vatra and picked up the container of wine again gesturing to the gnome. "Do you care for a portion? It really is quite good, he offered.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:46, Fri 06 July 2018.

Vatra watches as Hidari exchanges words with Zarek and moves through the opening in the counter. "Yes Zarek," the Gnome says almost awkwardly, "Thank you for greeting us so well." He begins to follow The Half-Elf but stops abruptly before the threshold of the counter. What was it my not-Gnome friend told me about etiquette? Riiight.... always leave with a compliment...

"Ummmm Zarek..." the sorcerer begins, turning to the grey haired man, "I think it looks really great how your nose fits so well on your face. I've seen some freaky faces in my time, but yours seems to fit everything together quite well."

There is a slightly-too-long stare before Vatra spins on his heels and makes his way into the seemingly impossible warehouse. That went well, he thinks, smiling proudly to himself.

Once he steps into the warehouse he sees Ariana and his lower jaw drops, mouth agape and eyes wide. "Whoa! Your hair is so cool! Like fire," he exclaims, the irises of his eyes flaring up and moving like embers in a soft breeze. He watches her face way too intently as she speaks. Once she directs Hidari to the corner, he follows along, craning his neck to see whats going on in the far warehouses on either end of the room.

When Hidari offers him wine the Gnome peels back his lips from his teeth in a eerily terrifying,mock grimace. "Eeeeeeeee....no, no, no ,no. If I drink the booze," he leans in and stage whispers somewhat loudly, "I get a little weird" He pokes the center of his forehead a few times to accentuate some unknown point.

Artie, Vatra's weasel familiar, looks on from the tall Gnome's dark, leather pack with a perpetually bored expression.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 06:20, Fri 06 July 2018.

Part of Hidari wondered what "I get a little weird" meant; especially since it seemed the tall gnome was quirky enough to begin with.

Putting the bottle back down, Hidari shrugged and made his way to the bookshelf. He examined the books for something interesting that might be of some import or use as he continued to enjoy his wine.

02:44, Today: Hidari C'athyl rolled 12 using 1d20+11. Perception check to see if there is anything interesting in the bookshelf.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 06:22, Sun 08 July 2018.

Returning to the JAGSS Headquarters' teleportation circle is always disconcerting.  Chas looks about, head swiveling on his fat neck, piggish eyes sharply taking in the familiar scene.

He sighs contentedly and clambers awkwardly from the large...obviously undead...horse he arrived on.  His heavy burlap sack rattles with heavy bones as he gains his feet and waddles out to the warehouse.  He shuffles about, humming to himself while he files his report on the burial and the actual remains of the Butcher of Seville.

Returning to the supply rack last to replenish his few needs...primarily food, but also to recharge his ring.  He seems to have a poor sense of personal space as he pushes in close to reach things from the shelves.

He smiles at all he meets though, and once he has a scone from the snacks available, he chews, and announces to the new agents also equipping themselves, "Hullo. CHas Flyd, retired mortician, at your service."

((OOC: Was just waiting for the other two new players to get on board. If they are still interested, they'll just have to catch up...))


Ariana returns in 15 minutes or so.

"I was just doing some last minute auguries," she explains. "That's if you are ready to go right now?" She makes the last sentence a question, not because she's expecting anyone to back out, but in case they had something else they had to do.

"The auguries were not good for the Ruins of Ral'Thaggorym, only slightly positive for Tower of Vergeron, and just a bit more for retrieving the Green Sword from the Swamp of Doom. Don't you just love the names locals come up with for places?"

"The only really positive result was for Novo Vereker, so that's where I will be sending  you."

"Novo Vereker lies in the Valley of Mists, but no one is quite sure where the Valley lies. It was the personal stomping grounds of a dozen wizards, so rumors persist that the Valley moves. It seems likely, though, that the mist was created by one or more of those wizards."

"Each wizard is supposed to have a private retreat, residence or secret laboratory somewhere in the Valley. All indications are that these places are all up on the walls of the Valley, rather than down on the floor of it."

"Each wizard is also rumored to have a specialty... or theme... for his place. We think that Thanik Ym is the wizard who built Novo Vereker. He was reputed to be an accomplished alchemist, but the them of his place is hexagons. I don't know what that might mean, other than that each room is supposed to be hexagon-shaped."

"Any questions so far?"

A quick staccato of knocks drums on the door of the JAGSS headquarters door, and a brawny looking human lets himself in after a moment's hesitation.

"Excuse me, please," he said, his face coloring a little with embarrassment. "I'm looking for the JAGSS headquarters, and was told this was the place. Hopefully, the few copper I paid for that info was well spent."

He peered around the room, looking for someone who seemed to know their way around the place, and who could direct him to someone in authority.

"With whom should I speak?" he inquired, brushing back a lock of light brown hair that flopped over his right eye.

Chas leans over and puts a heavy sweaty hand on Ather's shoulder, "That's Mistress Jade.  looks like you are just in time.  She's got us an interesting investigation for us."

Chas otherwise listens intently to the result of Ariana's divinations, awkwardly inserting himself among the others looking for new assignments.  His poor personal hygiene is evident...magnified by the fact he had only just arrived from his own recent mission.

"Are we likely to encounter these other wizards from the Valley of Mists at the Novo Vereker?  I would love to meet these specialists if there is an opportunity."

"Greetings, Ather," Ariana says to Ather. "Please, join us."

"Some cataclysm devastated the Valley. Again, not sure how badly, or what it was, but the few wizards that survived have mentioned it, and a few of them think it may have been magical in nature."

"We also provide equipment. You can help yourself to whatever is over on the end tables there." She indicates the last row of tables along the same end of the warehouse where the meeting table is.

"Survival packs include 100 feet of silk rope, sunrods, tindertwigs, thunderstones, holy water and two healing draughts ((CSW)). There are also tents, blankets and bedrolls, but we don't expect you to take those if you don't want. And there is a week's trail rations for each of you with canteens of water."

The survival gear packs are laid out down on the long sorting tables in the warehouse, the ones to the extreme right. There is backpack with each group so each person can see what is there and can pack to his own preferences. Between every two packs is a 2-person tent.

There are 10 sunrods, all held together with a wide leather strap that can be re-tightened as a sunrod is used.

The twindertwigs come in a small 'scroll case'--a small bone tube that holds 20 tindertwigs. It has a bone cap with thick wax inside. When placed over the end of the bone tube, the wax makes the inside of the tube watertight.

Each pack has folding shovel and a hatchet (hand axe). There are two dozen metal pitons and a ball of string, as well as 6 pieces of chalk.

There is a scribe's kit--a wooden box (lid open) that holds a dozen sheets of paper, two bottles of ink and four quill pens.

There is also a lantern between every two packs, and 3 flasks of oil.

There are 4 potion bottles, packed in a small, straw-filled wooden box. Two are clear with a faintly glowing liquid; this is the holy water. Two are green tinted; these are the healing potions.

"Well met," Hidari stood and replied to Chas as the large unkempt man appeared. "My name is Hidari." He continued to sip on his goblet of wine until Ariana approached. At which time he quickly finished the portion and placed the goblet of wine on the table. He didn't know how long he would be gone but he had a feeling that it would be a while before he was in a good quality tavern, or even a dodgy one, in the near future.

"I'm prepared to leave as soon as I can grab a few supplies for the journey," he stated as he moved to the equipment and quickly surveyed the items. He began to grab select items and throw them into his bag/pack that had been slung across his back, forgoing the pack on the table. Once he had packed the items he needed Hidari thought for a moment and asked Ariana, "Ms. Jade, are we expected to be in any harsh climates on this journey?"
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 03:47, Tue 10 July 2018.

"Not that I'm aware of," Ariana answers. "The Valley of the Mists is... or at least was... in a temperate region. Even if Novo Vereker has slide down the Valley sides to the floor, it should still be temperate forest... though it might be swamp."

"No desert, no arctic wastes, no underwater location, no jungle, no extreme mountain elevations. My auguries would have indicated something like that."

Once Hidari stands and speaks with the piggish eyed, pink skinned not-Gnome, the diminutive sorcerer follows suit. His fire ember eyes scan the new comer with interest and when the retired mortician introduces himself, small bits of food are thrown from his mouth. The quirky Gnome leaps backwards, using a seat as cover. "Whooooa.... incoming!" He peeks over the chair, his discerning gaze unfiltered and unapologetic.

As the woman with the cool hair returns, Vatra turns his full attention to her and listens with a great focus, seemingly digesting each word visually as it passes her lips. When she mentions hexagons, the quirky Gnome raises an eyebrow quizzically.

Before he can say he has no questions so far, yet another not-Gnome (this one he's pretty sure is one of those super short lived races) approaches the group. After a short introduction and a run down of the equipment JAGSS supplies, Ariana continues to reveal the Valley has been devastated.

Vatra joins Hidari and begins placing equipment he might need in his perpetually light pack. His eyebrows knit as he seems to form a question before blurting, "Are these wizards still alive? I thought you went after the old stuff."

"Hullo Hidari.  I am Flyd.  Chas Flyd, at your service, as it were." Flyd fails to make proper eye contact, but beams a simpleton's smile none the less.

He chuckles at the gnome and chews even more enthusiastically. Chas points with his elbow since his hands are full, "Who're you little man?"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:43, Tue 10 July 2018.

After asking about the wizards, Vatra casts a glance back towards Chas. "I'm Vatra Praxx," the sorcerer replies, turning his body towards the rotund Investigator, "and I'd shake your hand, like not-Gnomse like to do sometimes, but you're grubby and I want my hand to be clean." The sorcerer smiles warmly and stares, keeping an almost uncomfortable level of eye contact as he does so.

It seems, upon first impression, the Gnome sets all his attention to whatever task or whim is present in any given moment. This moment is no different.

A black weasel looks languidly around Vatra's head, it's eyes half mast in an almost hypnotically bored expression. "Oh! Chas...this is Arthur Brown...but his friends call him Artie." He eyes the brutish adventurer, red eyes dancing slowly. "You might have to call him Arthur Brown for a little while yet, though. He's sensitive to strong smells, so the jury's out on you."

Again, the charismatic sorcerer smiles disarmingly, leaving no doubt his words are simply blunt and have no cutting intent.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:18, Tue 10 July 2018.

Ather's head spun as he processed everything that happened after entering the building.

He vaguely remembered being ushered into an office, where he was interviewed by an older man and told to select a ring, which now adorned his left hand. His finger still stung where he pricked it to activate the band's magic with his blood.

After entering the back room, he listened quietly as the red-haired woman described what - to him - sounded like a great opportunity for adventure.

"A valley where a dozen magicians studied and experimented with their spells? Sounds like a wonderful place!" he exclaimed. "I'd be glad to help explore that area -- and perhaps learn a bit more of the mystic arts."

He turned to Chas, Hidari and Vatra in turn, bowing slightly to each, and introduced himself.

"I'm Ather - as you probably heard - and just recently left my apprenticeship behind. In my travels, I heard about JAGSS, and it sounds like it's reputation is well-earned. Is this the first mission for everyone else?"

While awaiting responses from the others, he turned to the tables where the gear was displayed, and selected items to fill his own pack.

Satisfied with Ariana's answer Hidari quickly threw in the scribe's kit as the last item for good measure, cinched up the bag, and slung it across his back. As a force of habit his hands lightly and subtly went to where his weapons were in order to double-check their placement and that they were secure. "Much thanks Ms. Jade, Hidari said as he strolled over from the table to the others in the group. He nodded to Ather when he introduced himself. "I believe with the exception of Chas it is our first excursion," he said simply.

Although not rude or curt Hidari kept his words short and efficient most of the time, a left over remnant of his time in the military. A good wine or ale surely loosened his tongue on a occasion but those times were best spent after the work had been done and now it was about time to get to work.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:57, Tue 10 July 2018.

Chas looks a little perplexed at the gnome and lifts his hand to his face and sniffs carefully.  He squinches up his eyes and pulls the hand away, shrugging.

"Oh! Arthur Brown!  So adorable!  I would very much love to pet your weasel." Flyd's puffy face is alight with interest, much like a child's.

He cannot take his eyes away from the little animal as he also confirms Hidari's statement, "Yes, I have been on a few of these little excursions...never boring.  Always snacks when you get back."  He scoops up scones from somewhere and holds them up in his fist to illustrate the point, then tries to coax Arthur Brown with a tiny piece.

The bulky man has surprisingly dexterous fingers.  He switches tactics and a ghostly hand appears and pokes the bit of scone at the weasel tactlessly.

Artie looks at the scone with apathetic eyes and yawns before sliding back down into the sorcerers' dark, leather pack. Vatra looks back at his retreating familiar and shrugs, "I suppose the jury is no longer out...This just in!!" The odd Gnome shouts, splaying his hands before him and staring at a point on the horizon that doesn't exist...intense eyes searching.

"Weasels don't like scones..." He accentuates each word as if he were pasting a giant headline onto a wall.

A grin takes over the magic users' face, lighting up at an indiscernible thought. "That's another thing I can add to my don't-feed-Artie-these-things list. So far I have scones, broccoli pate, and anything with ghost peppers."

"No, the wizards are no longer alive," Ariana answers Vatra. "The cataclysm happened around 1,000 years ago. Some of the wizard's retreats were probably destroyed, some damaged and remain in ruins, and a few possibly escaped unscathed. It is uncertain what happened to the wizards. Some may have died in the cataclysm, but I suspect most survived... being wizards and all."

"On the other hand, if the cataclysm was magic-based, it's always possible that the wizards did it to themselves. That's something I'm hoping you can determine."

"I've got one more member for your group."

At that moment, a woman walks in. While she is dressed in typical adventuring garb, it's rather obvious that she's a cleric.

"May I present Sister Xanthe."

The man who informed Archibald of career opportunities in Diobel was right. "Finding the right street here was confusing", but once he had the street, the signage above the doors was a relief that he was close.

Straightening his elven dress, making sure the proper amount of buttons were done, he stiffens up his posture and tucks his rod under his left arm as he pushes open the door to JAGSS and introduces himself before he even sees who he he is introducing to.

Hello good sirs and madams. I am Archibald Lewis the Third. 
He looks around to make eye contact with whom he believes to be in: charge, the oldest, or gentleman (in that order)

As Sister Xanthe is introduced, Vatras eyes scan her clothing. The moment he realizes she is a cleric his eyes go wide and his gaze slowly slides over to the (what he has now concluded to be a half-Ogre) mortician. His head then snaps back and forth between Chas... Xanthe...Chas..XanthaChasXanthe. "Oh snap! You two are going to go together like fine wine and cheese," the Gnome observes, nodding emphatically.

"If fine wine was a delicate porcelain and cheese was a rampaging bull!" The sorcerer laughs mirthfully and does a little happy dance, looking at the woman with the cool, red hair. "Oh Ariana...this trip is sounding more and more eventful by the moment!"

Vatra throws a wink at Chas before completely changing his facial expression to discomforted annoyance. He shoos the ghostly hand away from him with a loud PSSSSSTT!, as if he were chasing a cat of a porch. "Get outta' here, ghost hand!"

As the magus finished packing up gear in his now bulging pack, he hefts it to his back, and settles the weight evenly across his shoulders.

"Ooof, that's a bit more of a load that I'm used to," he muttered to himself.

He watched with amusement as Chas attempted to coax the gnome's animal friend out, and Vatra's running commentary.

When Ms. Jade introduced the cleric who'd be tagging along, he strode over to make his introductions. Never hurt to make friendly with the healer, right?

The appearance of yet another prospective party member brightened his mood even more -- the more bodies, the more hands to perform the humdrum chores of adventuring. "Hi there. Grab some gear, we're just about ready to move."

"Greetings, fellow travelers!" Xanthe says to the others. "I normally work over on the sorting tables, but I'm one of the people Ariana keeps on stand-by... in case a particular skill set is needed for a mission."

"It's been awhile since I've been on a mission, but I think I still remember how it's done. And I've got my pack all set."

"Well, then. If everyone is ready, follow we into the next warehouse," Ariana says, and leads everyone over to the warehouse door and through into another warehouse. Going to the right and following the right hand wall, she leads you to the corner where a magic pentagram has been inlaid into the stone floor in silver.

"Everyone step into the pentagram, please. It's a teleportation circle, and it's how I will transport you to the location. If you aren't familiar with teleport, it's perfectly safe. You cannot be teleported into a location where you are in danger, such as burning fire or in mid-air over a chasm. On the other hand, you could appear in the middle of a hobgoblin picnic... but that's not too likely."

After everyone has stepped into the magic pentagram, Ariana makes sure no on is panicking, and then makes an arcane gesture as she recites some arcane formula.

There's a bright flash of blue light, and then everything around you has changed.

Avoiding eye contact at all costs, and certainly not qualifying as in charge, oldest, or a gentleman, Chas Flyd offers "Grab a pack Mr. Archibald Lewis the Third. We are just starting out."

To Sister Xanthe, Chas implements a completely inappropriate but effective curtsy, "Greetings Sister.  Most pleased to make your acquaintance!"

Then he waddles into the teleportation circle with a horse and overfull pack...and...POOF.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:42, Thu 12 July 2018.

Taking a look at the equipment and the bags, Archibald leaves out most of the iron and steel items, taking a few extra supplies and repacks.
Grabbing one of the rings that catches his eye (even if they all appeared the same). He heads confidently for the teleportation circle.

The group had grown quite quickly in a short amount of time. Hidari was glad there was a cleric in the group now. A good healer was always welcome. He nodded to the newcomers in turn introducing himself as well.

He followed Ariana into the next warehouse and to the pentagram. He strode inside and took a breath ready to make the quick but distant journey. He felt a twinge of excitement that he usually felt before a battle or adventure. The instructions were fairly open ended but he felt confident that their path would unfold without too much effort.

He was thinking that they should have quickly discussed their backgrounds so the group could understand what each member was trained in when the blue light flashed and caught him by surprise.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:05, Thu 12 July 2018.

Vatra taps the dark, leather pack with his elongated finger. "Hold on to your fur, Artie... we're going for a ride!"

He steps into the pentagram and stares at his feet for a moment. "Wait..... Hobgoblins have pic....."

And then he was gone.

After Ariana sends the others to their mission location, it's time for Archibald.

"Just making sure I understand this... you want to join Awi Shelessu on his mission, correct? And he does know you, right?"

"I only ask that because when you appear, he might attack you if he doesn't know you."

"Step onto the teleport circle if you still want to go."

Once he steps on the circle, she makes her arcane gesture and cants her magic words.

There is a burst of magical blue light and Archibald vanishes.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:40, Sun 30 Dec 2018.

As Taika wandered through the streets of Diobel, she heard rumors and even tales about a place called JAGSS. A place for stouthearted adventurers and brave explorers, the 'society' supposedly paid people to go on expeditions for them.

While just about everyone knew where the JAGSS office was, finding it was a horse of a different color... a drab, gray-brown heavily weathered color.

It was only the benchmark of the Endless Keg alehouse across the street that allowed Taika to finally spot the equally weathered sign hanging off the corner of the one-story building. The door was on one end, and after knocking and then opening the door, Taika found herself at one side of small 20-foot wide and 10-foot deep office, split down the middle by a counter. The front left corner was an even smaller office, and an elderly white-haired man stepped out.

"Greetings!" he says rather enthusiastically. "Welcome to the Jade Archaeological, Geographical and Submarine Society. I am Zarek. How may I be of service?"

Peering up at the man was a tiny gnome female, with delicate features, mischievous green eyes, and hair the red of summer flame. Clad in well-crafted leathers, a pack slung over one slender shoulder, she looked the part of an amateur adventurer.

"Hi!" she exclaimed exuberantly. "I heard this is the place to sign up for adventures. I love adventures! They're always filled with new experiences and inspiration. So where do I sign?"

"Then you've come to the right place!" Zarek replies.

"We have a need for adventuring types and they, apparently, have need of our services."

"Would you care for some tea and crumpets?" he asks as he reaches under the counter and pulls out a silver tray with a tea service and a plate of crumpets on it.

"Our application only has two questions: do you like to travel and are you afraid of magic?"

Taika holds out one of her hands as the old man asks a series of questions.

"Yes, yes, and no." she replies, counting off on her fingers with a studious expression, before cracking into a broad smile. To illustrate her last answer, she wiggles her fingers and a spectral hand appears, delivering crumpets directly to her waiting mouth.

"Yes, I know it sounds silly, but Ariana assures me that it is necessary for her auguries, which she casts to determine the best expedition to send you on," Zarek replies.

"Ariana Jade is the 'J' in JAGSS. She created the company."

"Her intent is to recover and record historical knowledge and art that might otherwise be lost. She's not interested in loot, unless it pertains to the former category."

"Thus, any loot you find you can keep, although she would like to examine it in case it is otherwise significant, but you can still keep it."

"In addition, she pays you 1,000gp for participating in an expedition... whether you are successful or not."

As he talks, he pulls out another item from under the counter. This one is a small black velvet-covered rack with four long slots and a dozen plain silver rings tucked into the slots.

"The next step is to select a ring that fits you. These special JAGSS rings will automatically return you here if you are on the point of dying. They can also bring you back here whenever you wish, such as when the expedition is over."

"The ring you choose must be activated with a drop of your blood. Once so activated, it won't work for anyone else but you."

"Do you have any questions?"

The little gnome rolls her eyes a bit as Zarek does his introduction to the organization, before fixating her emerald eyes on him when he's finished.

"Nope!" she responds, sticking out a finger in preparation for any pricking that needs to be done.

Zarek selects a ring that he thinks will fit Taika, hands it to her, and then pulls out a pin and pricks the outstretched finger.

He then raises a section of the counter, and beckons her through.

"Just go through the door at the back here. Ariana will meet you on the other side."

When Taika opens the door, she finds it leads into a large warehouse. She's pretty sure there was no such structure on the outside... not even any other building that butted up against the JAGSS building.

Stepping through, she can see two more warehouses through the warehouse doors on either of the side walls.

Rows of tables fill the interior of the warehouse, many of which have piles of debris on them and people are carefully sorting through them.

A red-haired woman approaches Taika, but the most striking feature about her are her jade-green eyes.

"Hello," the woman says to Taika.

"I'm Ariana Jade. Welcome to JAGSS."

Sticking her pricked finger in her mouth, Taika looks around in wide-eyed wonder at the expansive space, filled with all kinds of objects both shiny and dull. She almost doesn't notice the woman until she's right in front of her, towering over the diminutive gnome.

"Oh! Hello! Quite the place you have here. Much bigger than it looked from the outside. And there's certainly a whole lot of...stuff." she remarks, taking her finger out of her mouth.

"I believe Zarek explained everything to you already," Ariana replies. "It doesn't always work that way if there are more than one person."

"The questions were pertinent because I use a teleport circle to send people to far away locations sometimes. The rings are useful, but they aren't an absolute. If you lose a ring, for example, you might not be able to come back easily."

"Depending on the expedition, I'll expect you back within a reasonable amount of time, though, and if you pass that time, I send someone to check on what's going on."

"I also use auguries to find a good fit for each adventurer. The one that seems to be best for you is the Dangerous Isles. Up until recently, these islands were unknown and unexplored. It's been a tough going; I've sent over a dozen adventurers out there that have come back after getting a bit of treasure. Not that I mind. There are still five agents out there that have stuck it out."

"If it doesn't sound like something you'd be interested in, you don't have to go."

"Anyway, if you still want to go, we offer some adventuring supplies. Over on those tables at the end are an assortment of gear. Feel free to help yourself. When you've geared up, meet me in the next room, in the corner to the right."

Taika nods along as she pokes through the assorted adventuring equipment, hefting a few bits with a frown as she shrugs her already-laden pack off her shoulders. She finally decides that she only has room for two potion vials, which she slips into her pack before slinging it back over her shoulders.

"Okay! Let's go!" she says, without a hint of trepidation.

"You'll teleport some place safe, close to one of the other members," Ariana explains as Taika enters the next warehouse, moves over to the corner with the magic circle enscribed onto the floor, and steps into it when Ariana gestures for her to do so.

"I've yet to figure out how to alert the others that you are coming. Perhaps the next generation of rings will do that. So, to keep them from attacking you, just hold up your hand with the ring on it. The gesture and the ring should reassure them, especially since so many others have come before you."

Ariana chants a few arcane words and phrases, and suddenly Taika is engulfed in a flash of blue light. When it clears, she realizes she is standing somewhere else.

~Another day, another adventure!~ Ariana thinks as she enters the warehouse.

Already waiting for her at the meeting tables in the corner are Deirdre, Krass, Kinnon Shininglight and a new face.

"Hello, everyone! Long time no see, Deirdre! Hope you've been having a good time."

To the new person, she adds: "I'm Ariana Jade. JAGSS is my adventuring company. You are most welcome."

"So, am I to understand that you four are interest in another adventure?"

"As it so happens, I've recently run across an inscription on one of the relics a team brought back. It speaks of something called 'The Eye of Malligar'. Frankly, though, it does not really tell me what this Eye is. However, a search through a couple of libraries has suggested that Malligar was a cyclops from the Old Days."

"Yes, it does seem strange that the inscription would refer to his real eye, but maybe it did. Maybe it had some mystical property, such as the eyes of a beholder."

"In any case, I think I've found where this Eye might be... or at least more information about it or about Malligar. I've found reports of the ruins of a temple on the Red Isle. No one is quite sure why it's called the Red Isle, but it's known to bloom a lot of red flowers in the spring and there are shoals of red coral around the isle. That makes it hard for a ship to get to it, but there are almost always a passage or two through the shoals for those who know where and how to look for them."

"Fortunately, I won't be sending you there via ship."

"So, is this something you might be interested in exploring?"

 A petite woman walks into the headquarters, her elven features not hidden, but clothes and hair suggest she has been trying her best to fit in human environments. It is obvious she has been here before, although she has not visited in a very long time.

 She seems young. Perhaps not by the number of seasons she has seen –elves mature slowly– but in her cheerfulness, naiveté and optimistim.

 "Ariana! Long time indeed... I have been busy, between research and pleasure. But now I am looking for a new mission!"

 As the head archaeologist and JAGSS owner clarifies what she had in mind, Deirdre smiles.
 "This sounds exciting! I am keen, and happy to not spend time on a ship."

 She turns to the tall half-orc in armour, and her smile broadens:
 "Krass! You're still about and kicking, what great news! Let's have a drink and you can catch me up on what you have been up to."

  ooc: hey! are you still the original player behind Krass? I've been on a 5-year hiatus, but I'm back :)

"Greetings, everyone," the stranger responds to Ariana's comments.

"I am Karena Karnaki. I've heard much about JAGSS from some of my friends. It sounds like a quite a deal."

"Naturally I wouldn't be here if I wasn't interested in participating on one of your missions. Hunting for a cyclops' eye is certainly a new twist for me!"

"Deirdre!" exclaims the OG Krass. "I hope this next venture is as unusual as that necromancer, what was his name, Chad?, Chas? Weird one, but really useful."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:07, Wed 30 Sept 2020.

Deirdre shook hands with the swashbuckler, clearly intrigued by her attire.
“Nice to meet you!” she said with her broadest smile. “What is your expertise? Stabbing things, I would...” she interrupted herself mid sentence when Krass arrived

“You old branch, happy to see that you are still up and about. What have you been up to? How long has it been? I haven’t see anyone from that era, not in years I think. How is everybody?”

She seemed too excited to carry on talking to the young swashbuckler, but she kept glancing at her every now and then.

Krass says "pardon the familiarity, but after the last couple of groups I was with..." he trails off as he sweeps Dierdre up in a hug. He says "after the Sky Islands I had some aquatic adventures including some lost Isles and a colony of harpies, just to mention a few key points. Never thought I'd get emotional over seeing a friend again."

"Ah! Here's the last member of your little group," Jade announces as Kinnon walks in.

"If you've all got your rings and whatever equipment you want, I can teleport you whenever you are ready."

 Deirdre turned to Kinnon, she waved a flashed a friendly smile.
 "I don't think we've met. You can call me Deirdre," she called out. A very human-sounding name, for someone looking resolutely elvish.
 "A fellow arcane caster, I see!"

 She checked her ring, and patted her satchel, happy with the items she had added to h her collections.
 "I am good to go," she cheerfully said.

---

ooc: I've picked some items, added to my sheet.

Krass pats his own Healer's Satchel. "I've picked up some new skills as well."


OOC Is the feat Signature Skill available to take next level?

Yes, Signature Skill is available.

With everyone ready to go, Jade leads you into the next room, which is another warehouse. All but Karena have been there before. In the nearest corner on the right is the magic circle inscribed on the floor.

Once the four of you have stepped into the circle, Ariana makes a few magical gestures and chants some magical phrases. The teleport circle suddenly flares up with a blue light and when it clears, you are standing in a small meadow...

TO BE CONTINUED IN.... Eye of Malligar thread.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:53, Tue 13 Oct 2020.