Master of Jade, Mistress of Iron - a World of Conclave adventure

[Dr Simon]

Passing through the ominous portals you pass into a tall open space, lined with pillars the lead up into darkness. A few feeble torches and the light from the entrance are the only sources of light and so the overall size of the chamber can only be guessed at from your echoing footsteps.

A noise to the left draws your attention, where a man steps out of the shadows, clad in a rattling necklace of bones and clutching a skull-topped staff. He seems young and strong, but there is also something old and broken about him; nothing specific in his appearance but merely an aura to him. He smiles a cold, cruel smile.

"You cannot help your friend," he says. "He belongs to the Master of Death."

 

[GlassEye]

Blue Eye Bellows, shaman

Blue stares at the young-old man of bones. The aura confuses Wild Jade Wolf; old and broken is usually prey but this man seems more rival predator. The wolf-spirit paces around Blue constantly turning to keep his attention on the man.

"The Master of Death? Then he's been told we were coming by all those we sent to the dead-house. You see, we are no stranger to Death and we choose not to relinquish our servant at this time." Blue hopes the threat is clearly enough stated, though he smiles at the thought that Hang would have stated it even more boldly.

[sblock=MiniStats][size=+1]Blue Eye Bellows[/size]
Initiative: +1
AC: 14 (touch 11, flat-footed 13)
HP: 30 Current: 22 [15 nonlethal]
CMB: +4 CMD: 15 Fort: +2 Ref: +2 Will: +5
Speed: 30 ft.

Current weapon in hand: spear
--Spear +4 (1d8+4 /x2)
Conditions in effect: none

Spirit's Advice: 5/5 remaining
Artificer's Touch: 5/5 remaining

Shaman Spells
1st level: 2/2 per day (DC 13)
animate rope, detect spirits, enlarge person, hunter's howl
0th level: unlimited (DC 12)
create water, detect magic, guidance, light, spark
[/sblock]

 

[Voda Vosa]

Hang gives a small raised eyebrow at Blue. Well done. He does not move otherwise.

 

[Maidhc O Casain]

[section]

Mal nods his head at Blue in admiration; his expression makes it plain that he's happy to allow the Shaman to take the lead here. Recon and hunting he can do, but negotiation is not in Mal's wheelhouse.​

[/section]

[sblock=Actions/Rolls]--[/sblock]
_______________
Malachite the Unfettered

 

[Dr Simon]

"The Master of Death is here," says the strange man, with a glance towards the top and rear of the temple. "He comes for you now..."
He takes a step back, and a misty figure appears before him, insubstantial in form. It bears some similarity to the cavorting demons carved into the face of the temple - man-sized with bat-like wings and a leering mouth full of fangs, its posture is hunched and its arms seem longer than its legs.

"Tasssty tasty morselssss," it hisses.

[sblock=OOC]
If you want more information about this thing, Planes, Arcana or Religion checks might help.
[/sblock]

 

[GlassEye]

Blue Eye Bellows, shaman

Blue frowns as the misty creature comes from whatever nether region of the temple it lurked in. Its form gives him pause; spirits and insubstantial creatures are difficult to combat and he loses a bit of his bravado. He lowers his spear so that it points at the demon-spirit but takes a step back.

"You have taken something, someone, that does not belong to you. Return him unharmed and we will leave this island and never return."

[sblock=MiniStats][size=+1]Blue Eye Bellows[/size]
Initiative: +1
AC: 14 (touch 11, flat-footed 13)
HP: 30 Current: 30
CMB: +4 CMD: 15 Fort: +2 Ref: +2 Will: +5
Speed: 30 ft.

Current weapon in hand: spear
--Spear +4 (1d8+4 /x2)
Conditions in effect: none

Spirit's Advice: 5/5 remaining
Artificer's Touch: 5/5 remaining

Shaman Spells
1st level: 2/2 per day (DC 13)
animate rope, detect spirits, enlarge person, hunter's howl
0th level: unlimited (DC 12)
create water, detect magic, guidance, light, spark
[/sblock]

 

[Maidhc O Casain]

[section]

Wood creaks as Malachite's bow comes up, drawn halfway in support of Blue's claim. The squat Da-Qan says nothing, however, preferring to let his bow do his talking.​

[/section]

[sblock=Actions/Rolls]--[/sblock]
_______________
Malachite the Unfettered

 

[Dr Simon]

The creature seem unfazed by Blue's words and Mal's threat with his bow. Flickering slightly, with the dark pillars of the temple showing through it, it rustles its wings. Blue notices that it glances up towards the back of the temple when he mentions "someone".

"All thingsss on thisss island are MINE," it says. "Including you."

"No-one can defy the Master of Death," says the priest, with fervour shining in his eyes.

OOC: I forgot in the previous post, but Knowledge (Spirits) can also give information about this creature. I forgot that this was a skill in the Conclave setting.

 

[GlassEye]

Blue Eye Bellows, shaman

So, at least they knew where their sailor was being held. Blue gazed at the demon-thing. It looked like a spirit to him and he scoured his mind for any reference to how he might be able to handle it.

[sblock=OOC]K Spirits (1d20+5=23)[/sblock]
[sblock=MiniStats][size=+1]Blue Eye Bellows[/size]
Initiative: +1
AC: 14 (touch 11, flat-footed 13)
HP: 30 Current: 30
CMB: +4 CMD: 15 Fort: +2 Ref: +2 Will: +5
Speed: 30 ft.

Current weapon in hand: spear
--Spear +4 (1d8+4 /x2)
Conditions in effect: none

Spirit's Advice: 5/5 remaining
Artificer's Touch: 5/5 remaining

Shaman Spells
1st level: 2/2 per day (DC 13)
animate rope, detect spirits, enlarge person, hunter's howl
0th level: unlimited (DC 12)
create water, detect magic, guidance, light, spark
[/sblock]

 

[Dr Simon]

[sblock=Blue]
The appearance of the creature, and its insubtantial nature, makes Blue think that it might be a type of spirt known sometimes as a soul vampire, but in the southern islands as a berbalang. It can send out a psychic projection of itself to feed, whilst its body lies inert elsewhere. Only by killing the body can the thing be destroyed outright.
[/sblock]