~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The air surges fierce and sweet, carrying
the clear musk smell of the woodlands.
The soft murmur of stirring leaves, of
insects, and of small animals fills the
landscape. The clear highland sky blushes with
the end of day and fades into starry sleep.
This is home.

From this rock outcropping the valley
below seems peaceful, untouched. Dense
forests of pine carpet the mountainsides,
varied only by thick aspen woods. The
mountains, deep blue in the distance,
circle the valley floor and form a soft
highland bowl.

It is a wonder that any beautiful
places are left in the world. Before the
Cataclysm, the days were calm and ordered;
nothing was unexpected. Now the world is
changed: its change has taught two great
lessons.

First, no beauty - not even that in
this valley - is safe. All the riches of the
past could not protect the ancient peoples.

Gold has no value in the world now: it is
too soft for swords or armor. Steel is the
most valued metal of all, though each
small kingdom has its own currency and
exchange.

Secondly, no magic lasts forever: true
clerics cannot be found, nor have clerics
with miraculous powers been known to
exist since the time of the Cataclysm -
nearly 300 years ago.

Five years ago, you and your friends
parted to search for a true cleric. Tonight,
you meet on the road to Solace Town.

~~ THE MAP ~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

... at this point, feel free to introduce yourself,
and describe yourself somewhat.

The adventurers all know each other.
You were a party years ago. You all went your
separate ways for five years, and are now
meeting up again.

It's a pleasant thing to meet up again,
even with the rumours of war-drums to the north ...

Sir Bartholomeu Ignatius Greenshrike (Sir BIGs):

BIGs walked the lonely road to a place named Solace, a place they five years ago had agreed to meet. When they had parted ways to find a true cleric he had been a barefaced lad of no more than 20. Now he was a grizzled veteran with the eyes of a man much older. It had been his duty to seek clerics among human, to look in higher societies and take audiences with every two bit charlatan for a thousand miles. He had become far less involved in politics, but out of necessity had been involved in some skirmishes which have been conflated into great battles. BIGs himself would not recognize these stories or his role in them.

All he had to report was failure. It is this failure that weighs heavily on him and makes him seem older than his years. He had to show his face now to his friends, whom he yearned to see again, without ever having glimpsed true cleric magic. He had learned to emulate some of that magic, he could heal with words from a distance, for instance.

BIGs now has a closely trimmed beard, and closely cropped brown hair. He wears halfplate armor and carries a shield with an eye symbolized in it's center. His weapons were a spear, a light crossbow, a pair of daggers, and his prized possession, a rod which amplified his magic. The rod was a three foot long piece of iron inlaid with interlocking spears made into it's surface. Leather wrapped around the end he held. His clothes are normal traveler's attire which are well cared for but obviously several years old. He has more muscle than he did when he left them, and beyond a heir of mystical power. He has spent his time wisely.

It had been a long five years since Anubis seen his friends, even heard from them, though their quest had been important. The search for a holy man had been one of great importance, and with the group deciding to separate to search wide, the arracokra had left and flown far north, deciding to search his former home.

The Aaracokra left idealistic and young, barely what his kind called a hatchling, coming into his powers. The five years had earnt him some wisdom and skill with age. Gone was the lanky avian humanoid, who was a clumsy flier. He was now in adulthood and sure of his own skills and powers.

Even his look had changed - back then he was shy and withdrawn, his magic hidden by most. He wore the common garb of his kind, and had a bow back then.

Now he knew his strengths.....gone were the downy feathers, replaced by feathers of light and dark brown and light tan. His hawk-like visage had filled out, making him look like a falcon. His shoulders, though looked broad, still had the lean physique he was known for. He now wore simple brown linen breeches, with a grey undershirt and a open robe-like tunic. His only visible weapon was a dagger at his hip.

---

Anubis couldn't help but smile as he approached solace - despite the disappointment of not finding anyone of clerical nature, he was eager to see his old friends again. He saw a lone traveler on the road - could this be one of his old friends? It was hard to tell - they had been apart for so long, and humans could change so much - even he had changed a little (though his friends would recognize him as few of his kind came this far south)

He decided he would chance it, and swooped down, seeing a rock ahead of the lone figure and landing near it, he stepped over and sat down on it, crossed-legged.....waiting

Satish was walking, but not seeing what was in front of him. Twice he almost stumbled on the pitch and roll of the path, but managed to avoid shame and dirt by some deep instinct unknown to him. The five years apart from his friends did nothing to quell this daydreaming behavior when it was left unchecked.

Puffing on his short ebony pipe, Satish looked odd coming to a Solace with splint armour, a shield, and a pack. No visible weapon can be seen on his person. His beard had grown too. With grey and white now growing at the roots. He sported a new small scar over his right eye, but as a whole, did not change much in appearance over the time searching. It was a product of being born in the mountains, where physical ageing came slow, until it hit like a boulder.

He was not looking forward to admitting failure to his friends. Satish had searched amongst the quiet places of the land to hopefully find a Cleric that may have taken to hiding. He had no such luck. His searching in solitude, however, had allowed him to become proficient at his own magical abilities. Which he was sure would surprise his friends. He had left merely a fighter, but proficient with his favoured flail.

So lost in his thoughts of failure at not having found a Cleric, Satish nearly walked past the Aaracokra that was waiting on a rock, speaking to another figure standing by it. It was only the faint scrape of talon on stone that brought Satish from his reverie.

He stopped suddenly, glazed eyes looking at this cross-legged figure. Until he blinked, and said rather loudly and abruptly, "Anubis, is that you?! BIGs?!"

Feel free to acknowledge this post after you two have your initial greetings.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:43, Wed 14 Dec 2022.

Anubis watched as the two figures approached. One he didn't recognize, but the swager of Satish was not mistakable. He had grown a little older, his beard greyer and a new scar, but it was him. The aaracokra shifted from his half-crouch, half-sitting position and stepped off the rock. The beak made it difficult for none of his kind to know his emotions - to most he had the look of a bird of prey, but his friends knew his expressions were in his wing movements and his eyes.

....and they were ones of excitement and happiness.

"Satish...are you still puffing on that pipe - you blow more smoke than a irritated dragon" He folded his wings on his back and stepped forward, his hands grasping Satish's shoulders and placing his forehead on his - something the group knew as a aaracokra greeting. He stood back and looked at him. "A little grey in your beard now....suits you, my friend." he frowned as he looked at the scar. "...you were lucky with that from the look of it - you could have lost the eye."

He let go and looked at the other human. BIG had changed more than Satish, though (Like Anubis) was younger when they parted ways. But it was not only age that had changed him....something mystical had touched him.

"You look stong now BIG - gone is the lean friend i knew."

Satish took in both of his old friends with a warm smile on his lips. He hadnt expected this much change from them.

Anubis filling out and losing the down. BIGs gaining muscle that could rival a bear.

Satish said humorously "I may puff like a dragon but at least I don't smell like one! By the Gods its been a while. You both look more matured! How happy I am to see you two. Once we see to the business of the day we will have to find time to spar again. I wager I've picked up some new tricks you wouldn't have thought possible of this old dog!"

BIGs could only give a hint of a smile as he realized he had nearly walked into two of his friends. "Yes, it is I, BIGs. I've learned a thing or two as well Satish and I'm sure Anubis has picked up some as well." His smile was lost then, "I am afraid I have failed. I can only hope one of you has met with success."

As the adventurers talk and walk ...

--- make a perception check, if you
believe you are being actively perceptive,
otherwise we'll use your passive perception.

( Most of the time adventurers
  are not being actively perceptive. )

If you get 15 - 19, you'll notice evidence of
other recent travel on the road (not unusual).
With 20+, you'll notice more ...

Satish is being Passively Perceptive at the moment, focusing on his friends.

He replied in kind to BIGs.

"I too, have failed. But let us discuss this more away from open areas and prying ears."

The Aaracokra nodded at the two men, his arms still crossed as he stood there. "It seems the three of us had similar luck as each other, but Satish is right - not a thing to discuss here. We should wait until we rest, and the others have arrived.... maybe they had more luck"

He walked over to the two and held a hand out. He smiled as an image appeared of a glass sphere, floating above his hand. "I have learnt to control my magic a bit better over the years - i have a few surprising tricks. and a tale to tell"

Part of BIGs training was in keeping others as safe as possible. As such he was always alert when others were in his charge, doubly so since there were among those he counted as true friends. As such his attention is more on what is around them than in what is being said.

08:06, Today: BIGs rolled 22 using 2d20+9, dropping the lowest dice only.  Perception w/ advantage because of shield.

A glint of metal catches BIGs' eye.

Laying in the dirt,
at the side of the road,
amongst twigs and leaves,
are a few very-small pieces of
interlocking chain.

BIGs only needs to lean a bit closer
to clearly see these small pieces of
metal fell from a piece of chain armor.

The eye on BIGs shield, did it move or was it some kind of trick of the light? Whichever hardly mattered as BIGs stopped and knelt allowing his spear to touch the glinting chainmail.