The Jade Frontier (DM: Ukingsken, Judge: Lord Sessadore)

[ukingsken]

As everyone wakes up and gathers in the main room Brenwar relates his nightmare. Just as he finishes there is a knock at the door, and a commanding voice booms from the other side.

Lord Hastesh requests your presence this morning at his estate for nodate. We will escort you there promptly.

The voice makes no further comment but you can hear the occasional shuffle of mailed feet outside the door.

 

[Rapida]

Still a bit shaken after his vivid nightmare Brenwar seems almost startled by the knock on the door. However, he quickly regains his composure and answers, "One moment while we gather our things then we will meet with your lord."

 

[Malanore]

Over the last year Shayla has become quite adept at preparing herself quickly in the morning as one has to be light on their feet in the wilderness. This morning the early knock on the door makes it appear to be no different, only much better facilities than she is use to.

Quite chipper she makes her way to the front room with a new perspective on Patronis' demon, a servant on the inside could prove quite valuable in their investigation, until Brenwar relates his Nightmare and puts her in a disturbed mood yet again.

"This doesn't appear to be getting any better. While it might just be using things familiar to us, it's still "getting" to us and I don't like it, although at the moment I have no idea what to do about it. Unless we can find some way to combat these demon's on an even playing field, I say let's finish this job and leave the Jade Frontier as soon as possible."

 

[Fragsie]

Cheysuli Sage

"A sentiment i'm beggining to feel myself Shayla; I thought myself ready to face the darkness in the wider world; but maybe i'm not... Yet."

Lord Hastesh requests your presence this morning at his estate for nodate. We will escort you there promptly.

Chey looks dissapointedly toward the door, an exagerated sob escapes her throat.
"But I haven't even had breakfast yet!" She mutters to herself as she begins collecting her things together.

 

[pathfinderq1]

Miranna had slept well enough- far better than she expected. The physical toll of the day had trumped the strangeness and eerie events- but while she had slept solidly, she awoke still sore and out of sorts. She woke with the sun, as was her custom, and worked through her morning exercises (albeit a bit slowly), shaking out the lingering stiffness from yesterday's injuries.

She also availed herself of the convenience of a civilized household, no matter how spookily abandoned the place was. She tried not to think where the owners might be, but it was nice to wash with something other than stream water, and she had a chance to sew up the renst in her jacket. She was just finishing her tasks, and buttoning the jacket over her armor, when their 'visitor' made his errand known. With a soft growl, she strode to the door- then turned to regard her compatriots. She paused, with one hand one the bar which kept the portal closed. "Ready?," she asked in her soft snarl of a voice.

 

[ukingsken]

Worry not madam, Lord Hastesh is not so inconsiderate as to deny his guests a meal along with nodate.

The guards voice carries an almost imperceptible note of dismay, as if shocked that anyone would imagine such a level of discourtesy.

 

[Rathan]

Patronis had not slept much this past night... only being awoken to Brens distress added to his rather snippy mood thus far this morning... he tried to shake the thoughts of the night before but could not and only replayed the events and the information gathered that caused it over and over in his mind... as he heard Miranna ask her question of readiness he nodded and stood from his packed up belongings and tossed what he could on his back to carry... As ready as one can be after last night..." the warlock said with a low hushed tone....

 

[ukingsken]

As Miranna opens the doors two Dragonborn, one with bronzed scales and the other whose scales seem to be made of polished silver, snap stiffly to attention. Their uniforms confirm your suspicion that it is indeed the town guard.

By invite of Lord Hastesh you are to attend Nodate this morning at Silverflame House. Follow us.

The guards turn in unison, every movement the epitome of precision and perfection. As if by unspoken command they both step off towards the gates Mr. Bricks and Brenwar investigated the night before.

As you approach the gates they swing inward and the guards never miss a step, although the silverscale acknowledges the gate guard with a loud salute, claw smashing on breastplate. Inside the gate lies exactly what Mr. bricks described, a small courtyard with three buildings. You move towards the largest of the three and through another gate, this one iron wrought. Again the silverscale salutes as you move past.

Finally you begin moving around what must be Lord Hastesh's home, though it looks like it's actually the original keep that stood here before the town cropped up in it's bailey and around it's walls.

Rouding a corner you pass through a small archway into a beautiful garden. A pool of water in the center drains through a small brook down a gentle slope to the back before disappearing through a grate in the wall. Surrounding the pond are beautiful arrangements of exotic flowers and bamboo groves offer privacy and shelter from prying eyes. Near the gardens center a large area is covered in stones and a regal dragonborn of the same polished silver hue kneels in silence, his hands folded on his lap. A small stone basin of water rests on a pedestal near where you stand.

Go and kneel with the Lord, he will address you when he is ready. I have been informed you are not aware of Nodate. I would hate to see the lord's morning so disrupted so allow me to briefly instruct you. The silvered guard very quickly explains what will occur during the Nodate and then quickly adds Our lord is benevolent and your earnest effort should be sufficient. Now go quietly and join him.

Bowing toward their lord the two guards turn and quietly leave the way you came in and the party is left facing the paved flagstones.

[sblock=Nodate] Each of you is to wash you hands and mouth in the stone basin and kneel before Hastesh. He will prepare tea and serve it to you. As you each receive your tea in turn bow to lord Hastesh then bow to the next guest in turn before raising the tea as a symbol of respect, rotating the bowl and drinking the entire cup. Return the bowl to lord Hastesh and wait patiently as each person partakes in order. Then lord Hastesh will serve some food and it is during this time you may speak casually but politely. Once food is served the utensils will be cleaned in front of you, it is custom that you all examine the utensils as they are cleaned. You will then rise, bow once more, and exit the way you came in.[/sblock]

[sblock=ooc] I thought about running this as a skill challenge but since you already have one going on I thought that might get complicated if we had people trying for success in two different skill challenges. Instead if each of you could simply roll an intelligence check to ensure you remember the instructions, I think it will go just as well to play it out RP style, and let you have some chances to earn success in your ongoing skill challenge.

And don't worry if you fail the int check, as long as not everyone fails you should survive [/sblock]

 

[Fragsie]

Cheysuli Sage

As the group walks through the archway and into the garden, Cheysuli's mood visibly alters; where there was a slightly grumpy morning face, there is now nothing but calm contentment.
"Oh!" She gasps through her smile, "The Spirits like this place, I can feel them close by."

In awe of finding such a harmonious place in the middle of a built up town, Cheysuli walks slowly over to the dragonborn lord and kneels before him. In her thoughts she remembers the little garden in the embassy courtyard back in Daunton and finds a new respect for a people who take the time to create and tend such natural havens within their communities.

As she waits patiently for the others to sit and the ceremony to begin, she closes her eyes and breathes heavily of the garden air; examining the individual scents of her surroundings as the sound of trickling water teases at her conciousness.

When the ceremony begins Chey focuses her attention on the task, while trying to hold on to her calm openess to her surroundings.

[sblock=INT Check]INT Check (1d20+3=6) [/sblock]

 

[ukingsken]

[sblock=ooc] I feel like that Int check plays perfectly for Chey. She was so distracted by the serene beauty of the grove that everything kind of went in one ear and out the other. If one of the others gets a really solid check I'll let her try a perception to follow their lead or an insight to "guess" whats appropriate.[/sblock]