Q'Barra: Into the Emerald Forest

[Urko]

Trying to figure out the mark

Looking at it from different angles, Erin realizes it looks a bit like a stylized drawing of a road going towards a rising (or setting) sun (or moon).

 

[Yeoman]

After the initial rush of action in searching the quarters and Erin investigating Eff Flat, Xavier resumed his seat and looked towards Sanae and Erin.

"Sanae, what did you mean before 'anything strange'? Nothing has been going on here, Eff Flat and I met, I ate some food, he played a few songs, and then you came rushing in talking about 'behind the scenes' and searching the place. Did I miss something?"

He settled back and waited to be let in on the happenings of the shopping trip.

 

[Pebele]

Sanae finally relaxed a bit, moving from 'hyper-alert' to simply 'on edge', which appeared to be her typical mood. She picked at the food and made herself a small plate before leaning against a wall and looking around at her companions.

She focused on Eff Flat first. "Forgive my late greeting, I was preoccupied with the safety of our group when I first arrived. I am Sanae Jarnell, I serve The Silver Flame above all else. I am pleased to meet you, I am sure it will be comforting to have music on our journey."

She smiled and bowed her head slightly before taking a bite from her plate of food. Then she turned to Xavier.

"While we were picking up supplies, Erin, the other warforged and I all experienced a strange communication with an unknown being. It spoke in to our heads, saying that it was urgent it speak with us, that it requested a meeting and that it would contact us later. I, for one, and very uncertain of this communication and am very uncomfortable with it. Erin, do you have anyhitng to add?"

Done for the moment, she took to her plate, hungrily devouring her meal. Manners were apparently not the first thing on Sanae's mind.

 

[Yeoman]

Without looking away from the window Xavier said "Hmm....I've heard nothing of the sort. Well, let's just sit tight and wait. If something is coming let's be ready for it." Xavier's hand drifted to the handle of his sword, and he let his hand rest on the hilt while still watching the city through the window.

 

[Harvey]

Erin

"Erin, do you have anyhitng to add?"

Sanae's question breaks Erin's distraction over Eff Flat's manufacturing origins. "Oh, what?" she looks up at Xavier and Sanae, as her mind refocuses on Sanae's question. "Oh yes. We were in a shop, and after the voice spoke to us in our minds, I thought I heard the shop's door chime sound. I looked, but didn't catch anyone entering or leaving, though it might have been too late for me to notice. Don't know if the chime was caused by the person who left us the mental message, but I'm sure the two are connected."

She seems to be visibly racking her brain, trying to remember anything else suspicious. "At the time, I just assumed it was someone here, like Calabras, sending a message via House Sivis, or some similar method. I think our unnamed warforged was a little more suspicious, because he left on his own shortly afterward."

 

[Guest 11456]

Eff Flat : Male Warforged Bard 4

The warforged minstrel taps out a few more beats and then begins playing a bright sanata on his dagger flutes.

 

[Urko]

Dockside encounter (Borden, 'he has no name')

After his interview with Calabas, Devian Borden took stock of and gathered up his possessions for tomorrow’s expedition. Too excited to sleep, he decides to take a late night walk. Pier six of the riverside dock is easy to locate. There are several vessels moored there, but no one is about at the moment and it is not immediately apparent which is the one he is to meet. About a hundred yards away, Devian can see a light burning in the dock manager’s shack, but otherwise all is still.

Dockside Park, a small imitation of the Public Gardens of Sigilstar, is just across the road. It’s a beautiful night and Devian is still wakeful, so he decides to continue his walk over there – the city walls and frequent patrols usually make the park safe at night. ‘Usually’ being the operant word in this case. Devian has just crossed a bridge and entered a more heavily tree covered area of the park when a blinding bolt of light sails past him, only inches from his head. A kobold, his neck heavy with necklaces and charms, steps out from behind a tree. ”That wass a warning, human. Drop your valuabless and leave. Quickly.” A rustling behind Devian is followed by the sound of a crossbow being set.

Neither Devian nor his assailants are aware that there is another in the park this evening. A warforged with no name sits under a tree nearby, lost in his own thoughts and watching this little drama unfold.

Devian and ‘he has no name’ need to roll for initiative. For this (and most other combats), characters can post in any order and I will do a full round recap to put it in order and make the best sense possible out of what goes on. Please use grid coordinates to describe your moves (For example, Devian is currently at M11. If he takes a movement action to go to the end of the bridge, he would be at J14).


| |A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T
01| | | | | | | | | |s|s| |t| | | | | |t| |
02| | | | |t| |t| | |s|s| | | | |t| | | | |
03| | |t| | | | | |s|s| |t| | | | | | | | |
04| | | | | | | | |s|s| | | | |t| |t| | | |
05| | | | | | | | |s|s| | | | | | | | | | |
06| | |t| | | | |s|s| | | |t| | | | | |t| |
07| | | | | | |s|s| | | | | | | | | | | | |
08| | | | | |s|s| | | | |t|2| |t| | | | | |
09| | | | | |s|s| | | | | | | | | | | |t| |
10| | | | |t|s|s| | | |t| | | | | |t| | | |
11| | | |H| | |s|s| | | | |D| | | | | | | |
12| | | |t| | |s|s| | | | | |t| | | | | | |
13| | | | | | | |s|s| |t| |1| | | | | | | |
14| | | | |t| | |b|b| | | | | | | |t| | |t|
15| | | | | | |s|s| | | |t| | |t| | | | | |
16| | | | | |s|S| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
17| | | | |s|s| | |t| |t| | | | | | |t| | |
18|s|s|s|s|s| | |t| | | | | | |t| | | | | |
19|s|s|s|s| | |t| | | | | | | | | |t| | | |
20| | | | | | | | | | | |t| | | | | | | | |

| | = 5 feet
t = tree
s = stream (takes 3 squares of movement to go through each square because of water and the drop from the bank)
b = bridge

D = Devian
H = He Has No Name
1 = Kobold 1
2 = Kobold 2

 

[Urko]

A late night visit (Eff Flat, Erin, Sanae, Xavier)

The three humans and the warforged pass the evening in pleasant conversation; getting to know one another, comparing notes on the day’s experiences, and speculations on the coming mission. Eventually, those that need sleep retire, leaving Eff Flat to wile away the hours wrapped in his world of sound, watching the vitality of the city slowly ebb until it seems he is the only being in the world left awake.

Eff Flat is engrossed in a new rhythm he has come up with when a stacatto counterpoint catches his attention. It takes him a moment to realize the sound is coming from outside. A figure in a long grey cloak, apparently standing on nothing at all, is rapping at the window. A female voice calls out, ”Please, let me in. It’s vital that I speak to you and the others.”

 

[P0L]

Old Borden, Human male Clr4

[sblock]
Devian Borden
Old Borden

Human male, Cleric 4 of the Sovereign Host
Alignment: Neutral Good
Age: 67

Str 6 (-2)
Dex 9 (-1)
Con 8 (-1)
Int 14 (+2)
Wis 19 (+4)
Cha 16 (+3)

Action Points: 7

HD 4d8-4 (hp 19)

Initiative: -1
Speed: 30 .......... [base 30, light armor]

AC 15 ... [base 10, +5 armor, -1 dex, +1 deflection]
- Touch 10 ........ [base 10, -1 dex, +1 deflection]
- Flat Footed 15 .. [base 10, -1 dex, +1 deflection]

Saves: Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +8

BAB +3, Grapple +1

Attacks:
- Quarterstarff +2 melee (1d6-2, bludgeoning 20x2)
- Crossbow +3 ranged (1d8, piercing, 19-20x2, 20 ft.)

Skills:28

+6 Concentration ......[7 ranks, -1 con]
+10 Diplomacy ..........[7 ranks, +3 cha]
+9 Knowledge(religion).[7 ranks, +2 int]
+1 Knowledge(history)..[1 rank, +2 int]
+5 Heal................[1 rank, +4 wis]
+5 Craft (woodworking).[1 rank, +4 wis]
+6 Sense motive (cc)...[2 ranks, +4 wis]

Feats:
- Scribe scroll
- Sacred Boost
- Extra turning

Turn undead:
10/day, 60ft
check: 1d20+3
damage: 2d6+7

Domains:
-Sun (greater turning 1/day)
-Healing (+1 CL healing spells)

Spells:
5/4+1/3+1

Lv0 (DC 14) 5
Cure minor wounds, Guidance, Detect magic, Light x2

Lv1 (DC 15) 4+1
Bless, Cause fear, Sanctuary, Shield of faith + Endure elements

Lv2 (DC 16) 3+1
Bears endurance, Hold person, Zone of truth + Heat metal

Posessions:--------------------->5345gp

Chain Shirt +1...................1250gp
Mwk Quarterstaff / Holy symbol....300gp
Ring of protection +1 ...........2000gp
Mwk light crossbow................335gp
Bolts x30...........................3gp
Cloack of resistance +1 .........1000gp
Wand of cure light wounds x30 ....450gp
Pocket knife........................2gp
Backpack............................5gp
-Waterskin
-Bedroll
-Rations x2
-Flint/Steel
-candles
-writing tools and parchment

Treasure:
5gp

Background:
Devian is a neutral good cleric of the Sovereign host.
When he was younger he served in the war, fighting against the Karranthi
(that's why he hates undead) but he was always in support,
healing the wounded -a thing he's always had a knack for.

For 30 years he's been content with being a small town cleric,
helping refugees and people fleeing from the fronts.
He never wanted profit and will heal anyone who needs it.

Now that the war is finally over, he intends to fullfill a
promise made to a halfling friend who died in his care, to
find out what happened to his family, a young dragonmarked
halfling of house Jorasco with a wife and infant son who
dissapeared in one of their travels 20 years ago.

For the last two years Devian has been joining bands of adventurers
and honing up his skills, he discovered that he enjoys life on the
road and adventure makes him feel younger.

Appearance:
Tall and thin, Old borden has weathered olive skin. He is completely bald, but keeps a short and thick white beard he usually strokes while thinking.
His green eyes look intelligent and happy.

He wears loose priest robes, tied by a sash on the waist from which the silver holy symbol of the Sovereign host hangs. Underneath the robes a fine chain shirt can be seen.
Borden uses a quarterstaff bound with mithril and with an embedded holy symbol as a focus for his power, walking aid and ocassional weapon. When he travels he hangs his crossbow and a small backpack on his back.

Personality:
Old borden is wise and kind. He has seen a lot of good and bad in the world, and since the days of the war he dedicated himself to selflessly help those in need. He is a positive fellow, always in a good mood. He preaches the Host's teachings but is no fanatic, he accepts that many are faithless or neglect their worship, Borden hopes that by his acts of good he will set an example and win them over.

He doesnt tolerate liers and is a very good judge of character.

You can always find with him a small pocket knife that he uses to carve wood when he has time, and candles for a nightly prayer.

He prays for spells and guidance at night before sleeping or first thing in the morning. He prefers praying at night for spells of a more agressive nature.
[/sblock]

Borden is quite angry by this attack.
-By the Host! You dare assault a servant of the Gods? Have you lost all respect for your elders??
He steps with his back to the tree, to have both kobolds in his field of vision.
From a pocket in his robe Borden extracts a small piece of parchment, as he crumbles it into his fist he recites its words from memory:

... and in the heat of battle, Dol Dorn watched over his righteous servants. Blades would miss and arrows be deflected by the shield of their faith...

ooc:
initiative 16
5' step to L10
cast shield of faith

 

[Urko]

A late night visit (continued – Eff Flat, Erin, Sanae, Xavier)

(I think we were all waiting for Eff Flat to let the visitor in, but I just noticed a post on the setup thread saying that he will be gone until May 16. I’ll NPC him for now.)

Erin is on a vast, level plain, strewn with humanoid corpses and broken warforged. The clouds form a menacing black roof over her head and she can hear thunder in the distance. She notices a man squatting over one of the 'forged. He stands and turns to face her and she realizes with a shock that it's old Quellam, her first tutor. Erin runs up to hug him. At her touch, Quellam bursts into flame. She turns away in horror and finds her parents standing behind her, with outstretched arms. Erin takes their hands and screams when they, too, are consumed in fire. The world seems to spin around her, bringing up faces from the past: schoolmates, friends, House factors she always looked up to. She tries to avoid touching them, but can't help herself and the result is the same every time - flames and cries of agony. The thunder above becomes a hammer blow, punctuating each death she cannot keep herself from causing.

Erin awakens with a gasp and realizes that the thunder was actually someone tapping rhythmically on her door. A groggily muttered "What is it?" brings the tapping to a stop and Eff Flat answers quietly. "Soft one who is called Erin, forgive me for waking you. A stranger came in through the window and wants to talk to all of us.”

Sanae and Xavier are similarly awakened. In a short while, the three of you are assembled, yawning a bit, in the drawing room. The cloaked stranger stands near the window, as if trying to avoid intruding further into the room without invitation. Eff Flat sits in a chair, rocking it back and forth on its two back legs, engrossed in the creaking noise this creates. When you are all assembled, she throws back her hood.

She is a human woman, about thirty years old, you would guess. She has red hair, pale blue eyes, and even paler skin. She is very thin, with sharp, almost androgynous features. There is something about her that each of you finds (except perhaps Eff Flat, immersed in the sounds around him) vaguely repellent, although you would be hard pressed to say why. She speaks with a rich contralto, with an slight accent none of you can place. ”Please forgive my coming at this hour. I wanted to speak to you privately, without attracting attention and possibly putting you in danger. My name is Aldinis and I am a student of the Prophecy.”