Pathfinder 1E [IC] - TIDERULER OF MARAN

Archon Basileus

First Post
SHAYURI/MARIUS

As Shayuri moves the statue one more time, she grasps the same reaction from the beady eyes. It seems they are following her somehow. In a sense, the piercing glance that the statue delivers feels like the cautious, paced study of a diplomat or spy. At some point, it is even possible to imagine the idol's mouth moving, producing sound, in small, swirling patterns, almost hypnotic to the eye.


[MENTION=4936]Shayuri[/MENTION], please give me a wisdom resist check against 14. :)]
[@Neurotic, I'm bringing an easy pace to your posts, so you don't stress yourself. Feel free to post when it feels comfortable, ok? Hope you get better soon! :)]


HAGADARK

Tugg-Mhuagra turns a satisfied gaze towards the shaman. "You are a good leader to your tribe, I can see. But what will you do afterwards? You know the power of the dagger, now. And what of the Tideruler?" - her voice lowers down as she approaches, a tone of secrecy in her words.

"You haven't been told of its powers, have you, now? Your employers might even ignore its true powers... But the spirits know. The spirits are ancient, shaman." - she smiles a crooked smile as she studies Jagadark's visage. "I know, for I am the mother of mysteries, and no mystery is as dangerous as the one that involves the Tideruler." - she sits on a stone, contemplating the vastness beyond.

"I remember the days before the destruction of your kin, shaman. I remember the youth of the dwarven nations. So arrogant... So ambitious. Your lines, your kings, were killed in the wake of their ascension. I have seen a lot, shaman. And I have seen how they coveted dominion over continents, lands beyond the wide oceans. This is what they seek now, shaman. The dwarves have found their way into this land only to acquire the Tideruler, no doubt. And, once they have it, they'll rule the Living Seas, their fleets invincible, at last."

She falls silent for a moment.

"Are you willing to give them the key to their hegemony? Or perhaps..." - she continues, sinuously.


MORGRYM


As the druid steps inside the passage, the sounds become more pronounced, echoing through the many crevices on the walls. His steps are, nonetheless, firm, matching the floor's consistency, shaped in the form of a set of stairs.

"This place was conceived by a very few brave souls, long after the fortresses of this desert were abandoned." - the voice continues, away from Morgrym's sight. "A small circle of druids, such as yourself, held rituals underneath the earth, in this secluded place, watchful, considering the many ways of fate into the future."

"It is appropriate that you have come here tonight." - as Morgrym descends, he sees a corridor that turns left and, not far from his position, opens in a small chamber. There, several waterways converge, as small as the desert can make them. Together, though, they are able to form a small lake of crystal-clear waters, around which the most exquisite and delicate collection of plants grow. Some of them were believed to be lost, while others may offer the rarest of ingredients to the most mysterious concoctions. A sweet perfume fills the air, contrasting with the dry staleness of the desert air, up above.

The ferret seats on a stone, mid-lake, untouched by water.

"This place has been nurtured by the very blood of Gozreh, brought from distant lands by a furious wind storm, many years ago. In here, your brothers preserved every species they could, even some lost to the disaster that created this desert many ages ago. Anything you place here will grow almost immediately, and will face tremendous resilience. Below, it will be taken to other groves, concealed around this world, placed in communication by the abyssal waters that the God of Nature established through his own sacrificed body."

The voice continues.

"Your god brought you here, Morgrym. He preserved you for himself, long ago, when he cast you away by his own hand. He brought you here because of the crusade you now fight, along with our allies. He wishes to help you, and to help your people, but he expects you to make a choice." - the voice falls silent for a moment, and then continues. "The Tideruler might save Maran and may others, but it might bring great destruction as well. If you so choose, you can end it all now, by delivering the Enslaver to this very fountain. From then on, Gozreh himself will protect the key, and no one will be able to retrieve the Tideruler, for as long as your god exists. Still, this would doom Maran and your fellow dwarves in Gaelia, for they would become prisoners of the land they call home. If you choose to keep the dagger, though, you might save them through the Tideruler, bringing a terrible power to the world once more, though."

[@Neurotic [MENTION=4936]Shayuri[/MENTION] [MENTION=87106]MetaVoid[/MENTION] [MENTION=6801311]KahlessNestor[/MENTION]
 

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Archon Basileus

First Post
SHAYURI/MARIUS

As Shayuri moves the statue one more time, she grasps the same reaction from the beady eyes. It seems they are following her somehow. In a sense, the piercing glance that the statue delivers feels like the cautious, paced study of a diplomat or spy. At some point, it is even possible to imagine the idol's mouth moving, producing sound, in small, swirling patterns, almost hypnotic to the eye.


[MENTION=4936]Shayuri[/MENTION], please give me a wisdom resist check against 14. :)]
[MENTION=24380]Neurotic[/MENTION], I'm bringing an easy pace to your posts, so you don't stress yourself. Feel free to post when it feels comfortable, ok? Hope you get better soon! :)]


HAGADARK

Tugg-Mhuagra turns a satisfied gaze towards the shaman. "You are a good leader to your tribe, I can see. But what will you do afterwards? You know the power of the dagger, now. And what of the Tideruler?" - her voice lowers down as she approaches, a tone of secrecy in her words.

"You haven't been told of its powers, have you, now? Your employers might even ignore its true powers... But the spirits know. The spirits are ancient, shaman." - she smiles a crooked smile as she studies Jagadark's visage. "I know, for I am the mother of mysteries, and no mystery is as dangerous as the one that involves the Tideruler." - she sits on a stone, contemplating the vastness beyond.

"I remember the days before the destruction of your kin, shaman. I remember the youth of the dwarven nations. So arrogant... So ambitious. Your lines, your kings, were killed in the wake of their ascension. I have seen a lot, shaman. And I have seen how they coveted dominion over continents, lands beyond the wide oceans. This is what they seek now, shaman. The dwarves have found their way into this land only to acquire the Tideruler, no doubt. And, once they have it, they'll rule the Living Seas, their fleets invincible, at last."

She falls silent for a moment.

"Are you willing to give them the key to their hegemony? Or perhaps..." - she continues, sinuously.


MORGRYM


As the druid steps inside the passage, the sounds become more pronounced, echoing through the many crevices on the walls. His steps are, nonetheless, firm, matching the floor's consistency, shaped in the form of a set of stairs.

"This place was conceived by a very few brave souls, long after the fortresses of this desert were abandoned." - the voice continues, away from Morgrym's sight. "A small circle of druids, such as yourself, held rituals underneath the earth, in this secluded place, watchful, considering the many ways of fate into the future."

"It is appropriate that you have come here tonight." - as Morgrym descends, he sees a corridor that turns left and, not far from his position, opens in a small chamber. There, several waterways converge, as small as the desert can make them. Together, though, they are able to form a small lake of crystal-clear waters, around which the most exquisite and delicate collection of plants grow. Some of them were believed to be lost, while others may offer the rarest of ingredients to the most mysterious concoctions. A sweet perfume fills the air, contrasting with the dry staleness of the desert air, up above.

The ferret seats on a stone, mid-lake, untouched by water.

"This place has been nurtured by the very blood of Gozreh, brought from distant lands by a furious wind storm, many years ago. In here, your brothers preserved every species they could, even some lost to the disaster that created this desert many ages ago. Anything you place here will grow almost immediately, and will face tremendous resilience. Below, it will be taken to other groves, concealed around this world, placed in communication by the abyssal waters that the God of Nature established through his own sacrificed body."

The voice continues.

"Your god brought you here, Morgrym. He preserved you for himself, long ago, when he cast you away by his own hand. He brought you here because of the crusade you now fight, along with our allies. He wishes to help you, and to help your people, but he expects you to make a choice." - the voice falls silent for a moment, and then continues. "The Tideruler might save Maran and may others, but it might bring great destruction as well. If you so choose, you can end it all now, by delivering the Enslaver to this very fountain. From then on, Gozreh himself will protect the key, and no one will be able to retrieve the Tideruler, for as long as your god exists. Still, this would doom Maran and your fellow dwarves in Gaelia, for they would become prisoners of the land they call home. If you choose to keep the dagger, though, you might save them through the Tideruler, bringing a terrible power to the world once more, though."
[MENTION=24380]Neurotic[/MENTION] [MENTION=4936]Shayuri[/MENTION] [MENTION=87106]MetaVoid[/MENTION] [MENTION=6801311]KahlessNestor[/MENTION]
 

Neurotic

I plan on living forever. Or die trying.
OOC: I'm feeling fine, I'm just with extremely limited mobility. Full post tomorrow (Yes, I know I said that before)
 

Shayuri

First Post
Shayuri's eyes open in surprise as she starts to realize something's amiss...but too late. Too late.

Well...almost too late. She hastily turns the idol to look away from her as she twists her face aside as well.

Will save: [roll0]
 

KahlessNestor

Adventurer
Near Maran
Night
Round 0

Morgrym gazed around him in awe at the luxuriant grotto. To have such things growing beneath the desert, without sunlight, meant this place must be magical. He glanced at the white ferret sitting on the island.

“Seems like yer choice is either doom or destruction,” the dwarf replied grumpily. He opened his armor and pulled out the dagger. “Tha’ isnae much o’ a choice. Wot, exactly, is this Tideruler s’posed t’ be keepin’ at bay, or releasin’? Seems like naebody knows much o’ any o’ this but doom an’ destruction.”

Undecided on what to do yet, Morgrym sheathed the dagger again. He opened his satchel and pulled out one of the Gather’s seeds. “This, at least, is somethin’ I know,” the dwarf said with a sigh. He missed his goats. He had never asked for the damn weight of the world to be placed on his shoulders.

Morgrym waded across the water to the small island. Crouching down next to the ferret, he lovingly used the dagger to dig a hole into which he placed the seed. He covered it and patted it lightly. He watered it from the pool and stood again.

“I’m no’ certain jus’ chuckin’ the dagger intae a pool is wise,” he admitted. “Even intae the deepest ocean. The Icthians certainly cuild get it, as they tried when we first found it. An’ if it saves me people, even better. I think might be better if it keeps movin’, if nae one knows wot or where ‘tis.”

It was tempting, though, and Morgrym looked back up the steps, back toward where his companions rested.

[sblock=Actions and Rolls]
Move:
Action:
[/sblock]

[sblock=Ministats]
HP: 59/59 NL: 0
AC: 17 FF: 11 T: 16 (+4 vs Giants)
CMD: 16 (+2 vs bull rush, trip)
Fort: 8 Ref: 2 Will: 8 (+2 vs poisons, spells, SLA; +4 v fey and plant effects)
Armed: MW Cold Iron Battleaxe
Ammunition: 9/10 bullets
Storm Burst 6/7/day
Wild Shape 1/1/day

Conditions:

Spells Prepared
0: Create Water, Detect Magic, Light, Stabilize
1: Obscuring Mist (Domain), Cure Light Wounds, Produce Flame, Faerie Fire*, [Summon Nature’s Ally 1 (Spontaneous)]
2: Fog Cloud (Domain), Barkskin*, Flaming Sphere*, [Summon Nature’s Ally II (Spontaneous)]
[/sblock]
3: Call Lightning (Domain), Cure Moderate Wounds, Protection from Energy, [Summon Nature’s Ally III (Spontaneous)]
 

Neurotic

I plan on living forever. Or die trying.
Marius takes his attention off the surroundings and for the first time notices that Shayuri holds dragon statue. His love and expertise!
"May I see the statue? I know a thing or two of dragons."
 

HAGADARK

Tugg-Mhuagra turns a satisfied gaze towards the shaman. "You are a good leader to your tribe, I can see. But what will you do afterwards? You know the power of the dagger, now. And what of the Tideruler?" - her voice lowers down as she approaches, a tone of secrecy in her words.

"You haven't been told of its powers, have you, now? Your employers might even ignore its true powers... But the spirits know. The spirits are ancient, shaman." - she smiles a crooked smile as she studies Jagadark's visage. "I know, for I am the mother of mysteries, and no mystery is as dangerous as the one that involves the Tideruler." - she sits on a stone, contemplating the vastness beyond.

"I remember the days before the destruction of your kin, shaman. I remember the youth of the dwarven nations. So arrogant... So ambitious. Your lines, your kings, were killed in the wake of their ascension. I have seen a lot, shaman. And I have seen how they coveted dominion over continents, lands beyond the wide oceans. This is what they seek now, shaman. The dwarves have found their way into this land only to acquire the Tideruler, no doubt. And, once they have it, they'll rule the Living Seas, their fleets invincible, at last."

She falls silent for a moment.

"Are you willing to give them the key to their hegemony? Or perhaps..." - she continues, sinuously.
Hagadark considers the words of the malignant spirit. He knows what she wants (or at least, he thinks he does)...but right now, that cannot be. He just needs to survive informing her of that.


"I will not give The Tideruler to the hegemony. I will give them to Marans to live free. That includes the orcs too. With me along the heroes who recover it, we will return to the civilized lands and, in time, we will rule again. Besides, at this point, the fleet around Maran is less of a problem than snake people. Even with you leading us directly, we don't have the power to defeat everyone else. And I don't want another carnage of our people. We suffered and endured. We always do. But right now, we area vulnerable, spread out and fractured. We need to play this as a long game, Great One."
 

Shayuri

First Post
Shayuri looks at Marius, startled, then glances at the idol for a second before wrenching her gaze away.

"It's...maybe not such a wonderful idea until we know more," the sorceress says. "It has some kind of a spell on it, or in it...I'm not sure exactly what it tried to do, but we should assume the worst. I do have access to a spell that can suss out its secrets though, given some time."

She twists the ring on her left index finger around so the gem faces down, and grasps the statue firmly...careful not to make eye contact with it's gemlike eyes.

(Gonna cast Identify on the thing! Spellcraft (at +10 from the spell) to identify item's properties: [roll0]. DC is 15+item's caster level. The process takes 4 rounds total.)
 

Archon Basileus

First Post
SHAYURI/MARIUS

Shayuri pulls the ethereal energies and conjures her spell. The designs contained within the telluric composition of the small idol begin to appear before her eyes. As the spell takes effect, the dragon seems to move slightly, almost as if it was alive. The eyes shine once more, but this time Shayuri does not surrender to its seductive ways. On the contrary, she contemplates the stone gaze as a message of ages past, a prophetic touch attached to the statue. It wasn't enchanted, but sculpted with magic and to house it as well. In fact, it seems like something's essence, or soul, if you will, is intertwined with the stone fibers, living within its fissures and pulsating within the image. The glance that escapes through the stone seems to represent the limited, yet potent, array of actions it still can accomplish within this plane of existence. And all its focus is directed to one thing alone: to call out for those kin spirits, those sister souls that somehow share with it a common origin. The statue's power resumes itself to identify those that descend from a particular set of draconic bloodlines, hiding a second-hand effect as well, one that can be both beneficial and dangerous. If the exchange suggested by the statue's glance had completed itself, it might be possible to contact the spirit within. But it might be as well that the spirit could try to possess the one that held the statue.

Marius contemplates the scene with ease, and as the effects rise from the piece, he confronts Arvana's puzzling gaze. She seems surprised, maybe even a bit concerned, but still, it seems she somehow expected something to happen. Could she know something?

[The statue contains a variation of the 'detect creature' spell, summed up with 'identify magic' and 'telepathy' effects, workable only upon those that glance the eyes of the idol. Additionally, it seems to hide a few effects, which Shayuri is able to identify as a soul prison and the possible effect of soul exchange, to be completed according to the way the statue is handled - eye-gazing being the trigger to such effects]


Arvana seems to realize the danger in Marius' eyes, and as the spell is cast she begins to explain what she knows of it.

"I heard they used this thing for a set of rituals. I don't know exactly what they expected to accomplish with it, but they brought every single member of the tribe to the statue, allowing the person to glance at the eyes and collecting the responses obtained." - she shrugs, as if unaware of any further details.

HAGADARK

"Very well." - if Tugg-Mhuagra's intentions are as Hagadark considers them, she has accepted defeat for now. Still, she doesn't seem prepared to just let the topic slide away.

"You are a good leader, Hagadark Half-Blood, almost too good to be trusted." - she laughs, contemplating the shaman directly. "And I know you'd be ready to hold the legacy of the Tideruler, knowing it's secret." - she smiles deviously. "The Tideruler is a device that can only be employed by a certain set of bloodlines. You'll see. Your Adalous Dram will confirm it, if he trully understands the nature of the artifact everyone covets so much. Even if you find it, you'll still need an heir to the legacy of the Tideruler to find it and yield its powers. The dwarves might not know of it, or they might know of a heir."

She pauses for a moment.

"What if you could bring the power of the Tideruler to the tribes? No other would tolerate the idea. But you, my adorable Half-Blood, you know what it means to strength your own bloodline. You wouldn't refuse to mix your blood with the Tideruler's bloodline, should the need arise, would you? No, you are not like Ho-og or the others... You, and strong Klutha, are half-breeds." - she pauses, reading Hagadark's reactions.

"Fate brought you here, Hagadark the Shaman. Fate brought you here. I know who holds the blood - no secrets are hidden from me. And I can ease your quest, find a way to bring you into the fold. As long as you bring the bloodline that can claim the Tideruler into your tribe... Think of it: they'll hold its power for generations. The tribes will rise, and no one will be able to deny them. Not any more... And the dwarves" - she smiles - "...the dwarves will have to accept your people for as long as they hold the power of the Tideruler." - she silences, waiting for an answer.

MORGRYM

As the druid plants the seed and waters it, the ferret contemplates in silence. Soon enough, their dormancy is broken, and a small sprout reaches out, a faint noise coming from the ground as the plant rearranges the grains of soil to grow.

"You realize how this will play, I take it..." - the ferret continues. "By placing this here, of all places, the seeds will travel everywhere. They'll mingle with other plants, fight with them, survive amidst them and face the judgement of your god, in the end. You could have saved them for a garden, isolated, where no consequence would come of their flourishing... You could have used spells to carry it with you... And you chose this place. I can sense it, Gozreh is happy. He'd have accepted your decision, but he smiles. The one that created this..." - the ferret rises its head as the plant grows to a strange, flexible tree, taller than the dwarf, even taller than the brutal orcs that now travel with the companions. Once more, it is as if the winds coursed through the branches, producing the familiar crackled voice of the Gardener.

"I thank you for keeping your end of the bargain... BUt I fear we are not alone."

The ferret interrupts once more.

"The entity doesn't know, but it was created to defy Gozreh, to conquer what the god would have left behind - as the master assumed. Gozreh felt pleased by the notion. He wishes for the confrontation. And it might be" - the ferret glances at the thing - "... that the creature gets its wish, becoming a voice for all lands, for all woods... Or it might become another whisper within Gozreh." - the ferret's tone seems to mock the creature.

"As for you, druid, I assume your choice is made... And know that Gozreh will make you a prophet among your people." - as the ferret continues, the tree crops up buds all over its branches, and as they open, movement can be seen within the petals, flowers of transcendental beauty. "Should you choose to try and save them, Gozreh will be with you. He will be your oracle, and he will send you signs of what is to come. He will guide you and your companions. Be attentive." - from the flowers, small creatures, shaped as dragons, but with soft wings, colored like the petals that bred them, begin to crawl, and eventually fly in erratic patterns. "Take one of the creatures with you. They'll serve as a beacon... And you might see what is to become of it as well, after Gozreh passes judgement." - the creature falls silent as one of the small dragons float towards Morgrym.

@Neurotic @KahlessNestor @MetaVoid @Shayuri
 
Last edited:

KahlessNestor

Adventurer
Near Maran
Night
Round 0

Morgrym stares at the tree, putting his hand on the trunk. “I ain’t n-n-nae prophet,” the uncouth dwarf stuttered. “N-Nae one will listen t-tae me.” But he did as requested, putting out a stubby, thick finger out for the little dragon to land on, curl its tail around. “I ain’t g-guid at speakin’.B-But I s’pose I dunnae really ‘ae a choice.” With another finger, he pet the fresh scales.

[sblock=Actions and Rolls]
Move:
Action:
[/sblock]

[sblock=Ministats]
HP: 59/59 NL: 0
AC: 17 FF: 11 T: 16 (+4 vs Giants)
CMD: 16 (+2 vs bull rush, trip)
Fort: 8 Ref: 2 Will: 8 (+2 vs poisons, spells, SLA; +4 v fey and plant effects)
Armed: MW Cold Iron Battleaxe
Ammunition: 9/10 bullets
Storm Burst 6/7/day
Wild Shape 1/1/day

Conditions:

Spells Prepared
0: Create Water, Detect Magic, Light, Stabilize
1: Obscuring Mist (Domain), Cure Light Wounds, Produce Flame, Faerie Fire*, [Summon Nature’s Ally 1 (Spontaneous)]
2: Fog Cloud (Domain), Barkskin*, Flaming Sphere*, [Summon Nature’s Ally II (Spontaneous)]
[/sblock]
3: Call Lightning (Domain), Cure Moderate Wounds, Protection from Energy, [Summon Nature’s Ally III (Spontaneous)]
 

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