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Message: <blockquote data-quote="airwalkrr" data-source="post: 6224431" data-attributes="member: 12460">The day before the festival is a busy one, far busier than the day you arrived. Everyone in town is hurrying about, seeming to be up to something. Several caravans have arrived it seems just in time and their masters are barking orders while the porters and teamsters hustle to get the goods to their appointed locations. As such, it is difficult to get anyone to give you a word edgewise.Your party goes to visit the new cathedral, and it is grand. It is reminiscent of some of the marvelous cathedrals you have seen in Magnimar and other large cities, only on a smaller scale. Easily the largest structure in Sandpoint, it is also the most recently constructed. Sandpoint Cathedral is not dedicated to the worship of a single deity. Rather, it gathers under its eaves the six most commonly worshiped deities in the region: Abadar, Desna, Erastil, Gozreh, Sarenrae, and Shelyn. The building provides chapels for all of these deities in a communal forum--in a way, Sandpoint Cathedral is six different churches under one impressive roof.The core of the new cathedral is an open-air courtyard surrounding a set of seven standing stones, which themselves surround a circular stone altar. Varisian oral tradition maintains that the seven stones represent the seven towers of Desna's otherworldly palace.[sblock=Knowledge (history) or (local) DC 15; +5 bonus for natives of Sandpoint or those of Varisian descent]Even the previous chapel wasn't the first holy site on this location. The core of both the original chapel and the new cathedral is the same open-air courtyard with the same seven standing stones and circular stone altar. These stones served the Varisians for centuries as a place of worship; they generally venerated Desna and various Empyreal Lords at these stones.[/sblock]It takes a while before you can get an audience with the new high-priest, Abstalar Zanthus, and when he does meet with you, your time with him is brief.<a href="http://s898.photobucket.com/user/samthedagger/media/RotR/AbstalarZanthus_zps9e89ee51.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i898.photobucket.com/albums/ac185/samthedagger/RotR/AbstalarZanthus_zps9e89ee51.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></a>"Well met, and do call me Father Abner; all the locals do. I'm afraid I don't know anything about rumors of arson," the priest admits. "Quite frankly I'm shocked anyone could have started such a nasty rumor. The Old Chapel was beloved by all in town. It was not just a place of worship, but it was a place where people came together, conducted business, and shared in feasts and festivals. When the town was founded, it was agreed upon by the settlers that the native Varisians of the area would have their holy sites kept sacred, and it was done. The burning of the Old Chapel was a painful experience for everyone. And Ezakien Tobyn was a friend to all. He was my mentor and never in my youth did I ever hear a soul utter a disparaging word to him. And his daughter Nualia was such a delight. Never have I seen a more beautiful girl. I can't imagine why anyone would wish the two of them harm. I apologize if I have not been of much help, but I must get back to preparing my homily for the festival tomorrow. And there is much other work to do besides."With that, Father Abstalar begs your pardon and departs. The cathedral is open for all to see, but there are many acolytes and other workers putting up streamers and lights, setting up tables and chairs, and otherwise busying themselves with preparing the cathedral for its grand opening. You look about some, but by all appearances there has never even been a fire here. The carpenters and masons did excellent work in restoring and rebuilding. Talashia barely recognizes the place  [MENTION=4936]Shayuri[/MENTION]. It has changed so much over the years. And many of the nearby buildings, allegedly damaged in the fire as well, look to have been restored or rebuilt to look like new quite recently as well. You ask around at some of the other places nearby. You speak with a somber Shoanti named Garridan who owns the White Deer, the Kesks, who run the town jeweler shop, a woman named Risa who owns a tavern called Risa's Place, and the Rovanky Tannery, where you speak with Larz Rovanky. You even stop by to say hello to Veznutt at the Way North (much to Marcas' dismay, the old gnome says Karzoug the Destroyer is not for sale, though he does offer to show it to him in detail after the festival  [MENTION=29558]Mowgli[/MENTION]). None of them seem to recall anything about anyone getting away from the Old Chapel before it burned down, though they are happy to regale you with stories of heroism of various townsfolk in putting the great blaze out and the town's misery at the loss of the high-priest and his daughter.You decide to retire early that day. It seems many folk are too busy to give you much time anyway. And for once, you find the Rusty Dragon is fairly sparsely occupied, in the early evening that is. By late night, it is hopping with folks from all over town. In fact, there is barely room to move around with all of the out-of-towners mingled together with so many townsfolk. The festival mood has already taken to the air. You meet so many new faces you cannot possibly remember them all, but you receive many assurances that you will see them again tomorrow. There is much talk of games, feasts and more!As dawn breaks on the next morn, it is difficult to believe, but many of the people who were up late celebrating last are already busy as beavers putting the last touches on the festival. As soon as you have gathered your things, making certain to prepare yourselves for anything as Marcas warned, you make your way to the town square for the welcoming speeches. The Swallowtail Festival begins promptly, as scheduled, on the Autumnal Equinox. The square before the church quickly becomes crowded as locals and travelers arrive, and several merchant tents featuring food, clothes, local crafts, and souvenirs are there to meet them.The turnout for the opening speeches is quite respectable, and the four keynote speakers each deliver short but well-received welcomes to the festival. Mayor Deverin's friendly attitude and excitement prove contagious as she welcomes visitors to town and jokes about how even Larz Rovanky, the local tanner (and notorious workaholic) managed to tear himself away from the tannery to attend, much to everyone's amusement (except Larz's). Sheriff Belor Hemlock brings the crowd down a bit with his dour mood, his reminder to be safe around the evening's bonfire, and his request for a moment of silence to remember those who lost their lives in the fire that claimed the town's previous church several years ago. The next speaker is scheduled to be local nobleman Lonjiku Kaijitsu, but a sudden illness has prevented him from attending the ceremony (this isn't something that surprises the locals, as they gossip of Lonjiku's well-known dislike of frivolity and festivals). Sandpoint's town showman Cyrdak Drokkus is more than up to the challenge of bringing the crowd's mood back up with his rousing anecdotes. He delivers a not-completely-irreverent recap of the long process the town went through to finance and construct the new cathedral. He throws in a bit of self promotion at the end, as is his wont, inviting everyone to stop by the Sandpoint Theater the following evening to check out his new production of The Harpy's Curse, revealing that the lead role of Avisera the harpy queen will be played by none other than the famous Magnimarian diva Allishanda! Finally, Father Abstalar steps up to give a short speech thanking everyone for coming before declaring the Swallowtail Festival underway![ooc]Things to do at the Swallowtail FestivalNumerous games and contests take place during the day before noon, including sack races, games of hide-and-seek, weight-lifting challenges, balance beam contests, and tug-of-war events. Your characters may participate in as many as you like. Make your rolls and feel free to narrate events as they happen, but wait until everyone has had a chance to post before narrating the results. Winners  of these games generally win nothing more than bragging rights for the rest of the day, but for many of Sandpoint's residents, this is a fine prize indeed!<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Sack Race: Roll a Dexterity check. You receive a -1 penalty if you Spd is less than 30 and a +1 bonus if your Spd is higher than 30. The scores of the other twelve competitors are listed below. As many PCs as are interested can participate. [sblock=Competitors] 1d20 → [18] = (18) - Naffer Vosk, Boneyard groundskeeper 1d20 → [17] = (17) - Arika Avertin, baker's daughter, twin sister of Anika 1d20 → [15] = (15) - Tulin, a bouncer at Cracktooth's 1d20 → [14] = (14) - Vonn Hammer, local mason 1d20 → [13] = (13) - Katrine Vinder, General Store owner's daughter 1d20 → [12] = (12) - Olmur Danvakus, halfling grocer 1d20 → [11] = (11) - Anika Avertin, baker's daughter, twin sister of Arika 1d20 → [11] = (11) - Bilivar Wheen, wheelwright 1d20 → [11] = (11) - Tanya, courtesan at The Pixie's Kitten 1d20 → [9] = (9) - Fayven Rock, local farmer 1d20 → [6] = (6) - Ibor Thorn, miller 1d20 → [4] = (4) - Turch Sterglus, retired fisherman[/sblock]</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Hide and Seek: Roll a Perception check and a Stealth check and combine them. The scores of the other ten competitors are listed below. As many PCs as are interested can participate. [sblock=Competitors] 2d20+1 → [18,9,1] = (28) - Anika Avertin, baker's daughter, twin sister of Arika 2d20+1 → [8,13,1] = (22) - Kunar Sand, butcher's bastard son 2d20+1 → [7,11,1] = (19) - Arika Avertin, baker's daughter, twin sister of Anika 2d20+1 → [3,15,1] = (19) - Felsi, wench at the Rusty Dragon 2d20+1 → [12,5,1] = (18) - Minsk Haladan, grandson of the owner of the Curious Goblin 2d20+1 → [15,2,1] = (18) - Jormy Sand, bastard child of Kendra Deverin 2d20+1 → [3,13,1] = (17) - Jurrie Botts, guard at the town jeweler 2d20+1 → [6,7,1] = (14) - Lanalee Magravi, wench at Risa's Place 2d20+1 → [6,2,1] = (9) - Turch Sterglus, retired fisherman 2d20+1 → [2,5,1] = (8) - Katrine Vinder, General Store owner's daughter [/sblock]</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Weight-Lifting: Roll a Strength check. The scores of the other twelve competitors are listed below. As many PCs as are interested can participate. [sblock=Competitors] 1d20+2 → [19,2] = (21) - Aesrick Battlehorn, dwarf carpenter 1d20+2 → [19,2] = (21) - Das Korvut, Red Dog Smithy owner 1d20+2 → [18,2] = (20) - Gilye, courtesan at The Pixie's Kitten 1d20+2 → [18,2] = (20) - Savah Bevanky, armorer 1d20+2 → [16,2] = (18) - Tulin, a bouncer at Cracktooth's 1d20+2 → [13,2] = (15) - Banny Harker, miller 1d20+2 → [12,2] = (14) - Anika Avertin, baker's daughter, twin sister of Arika 1d20+2 → [11,2] = (13) - Jormy Sand, bastard child of Kendra Deverin 1d20+2 → [9,2] = (11) - Bilivar Wheen, wheelwright 1d20+2 → [8,2] = (10) - Ven Vinder, General Store owner 1d20+2 → [6,2] = (8) - Julius Scarnetti, young son of Titus Scarnetti 1d20+2 → [2,2] = (4) - Turch Sterglus, retired fisherman [/sblock]</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Balance Beam: Roll an Acrobatics check. The scores of the other eight competitors are listed below. As many PCs as are interested can participate. [sblock=Competitors] 1d20+4 → [20,4] = (24) - Jubrayl Vhiski, Feedbag regular 1d20+4 → [18,4] = (22) - Arika Avertin, baker's daughter, twin sister of Anika 1d20+4 → [16,4] = (20) - Garridan Viskalai, White Deer owner 1d20+4 → [14,4] = (18) - Felsi, wench at the Rusty Dragon 1d20+4 → [13,4] = (17) - Anika Avertin, baker's daughter, twin sister of Arika 1d20+4 → [7,4] = (11) - Tanya, courtesan at The Pixie's Kitten 1d20+4 → [2,4] = (6) - Passang, Foxglove's paymaster 1d20+4 → [2,4] = (6) - Turch Sterglus, retired fisherman [/sblock]</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Tug-of-War: Pick a team, A, B, C, or D (you should pick a team before looking at their scores). Then roll a Strength check and add it to the team roll. Teams must be even in number. If a PCs join teams and leave one or more of the teams short a member, a townsperson will join in on that team as the "kicker." Team A: Turch Sterglus, retired fisherman, Felsi, wench at the Rusty Dragon, Savah Bevanky, armorer, and Jormy Sand, bastard child of Mayor Kendra Deverin. Felsi encourages Vandalin to join her team,  [MENTION=11520]Scotley[/MENTION]. Team B: Belven Valdemar, shipyard owner, Arika Avertin, baker's daughter, twin sister of Anika, Das Korvut, Red Dog Smithy owner, and Aritha Valdemar, Belven's daughter. Team C: Cracktooth, Cracktooth's Tavern owner, Jayden Hawk, local ranger, Tulin, a bouncer at Cracktooth's, and Markin Dale, local farmer. Team D: Tanya, courtesan at The Pixie's Kitten, Gilye, courtesan at The Pixie's Kitten, Lanalee Magravi, wench at Risa's Place, and Besk Magravi, dishwasher at Risa's Place. [sblock=Teams] 5d20+4 → [13,2,17,20,14,4] = (56 or 70 w/kicker) - Team B 5d20+4 → [18,13,16,5,13,4] = (56 or 69 w/kicker) - Team D 5d20+4 → [2,9,13,9,17,4] = (37 or 54 w/kicker) - Team C 5d20+4 → [3,1,7,3,12,4] = (18 or 30 w/kicker) - Team A [/sblock]</li> </ul>[/ooc]</blockquote>

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