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The Psionicle, Part V

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Jansson's Goin' Shoppin'!

Jansson takes a long walk around town, looking through the windows at the wares of various shops in hopes of finding what he's looking for.

Masterwork sling - 300 gp
20 Masterwork sling bullets - 140 gp


Jansson comes across a small shop that appears to be carrying a small assortment of ranged weapons. A small, scratched sign hung on the door appears to have once held a name, although it does not now.

"So, what can I get you?" An aged man asks as you enter. As you tell him, he slowly and carefully pulls out the indicated items.

"That'll be 340 gold..." He mumbles. Once you pay him, he wanders off, fidgeting with several items as he passes them behind a counter.

---

14 days small trail rations - 7 gp
Tent - 10 gp


A shop just inside the north gates bears a large sign, reading "Travelers' Guidance."

Upon entering, a large, tall man with a long beard greets you. "Welcome to the Travelers' Guidance! What can we do for you today?"

As you tell him, he nods enthusiastically. He then heads off to a back room, and returns with all that you need in a large canvas sack.

"Seventeen gold, please." He says as he hands you the sack. He takes your money and goes to the backroom once more.

---

3 vials of antitoxin - 150 gp

You journey back to Tristam's shop. A young dwarven woman meets you. When you tell her what she needs, she nods at you, and says, "I'll be back in a moment."

She shuts the door, and it remains closed for around half a minute. She then opens the door again, and hands you a small leather case that clinks with the sound of glass.

"Three vials of antitoxin." She says, giving it to you. "Gently, now, those are breakable. I'll need 150 gold from you for those."

As you pay her, she turns, enters the door, and closes it.

---

4 potions of Cure Light Wounds - 200 gp

After being directed by a passing halfling, you find the shrine to Kolaita in the southern part of town.

"Welcome to the shrine of Kolaita, goddess of healing." A priest in white robes greets you, bowing slightly. "What is it that you require?"

As you tell him, he nods knowingly. "Ah, yes. The church can supply you with what you need."

He leads you to a small room off of the main worship area. He opens a small case, pulls out four light blue-colored vials, and hands them to you. "These will do what you need."

As you leave, he follows you.

"We, as the priests, have no use for material goods. The church, on the other hand... requires dues for services and items. Your potions require dues of 200 gold."

As you give him the indicated amount, he bows deeply.

"Much thanks. When you are in need of healing, please return here, and our priests will tend to you."

---

5 packets of scentbraker (if I can find it) - 25 gp

You ask a passing man on the street about this unusual commodity.

"Scentbreaker, eh?" He says, looking around. "I don't know... you might try the Travelers' Guidance. I hear that stuff is used for hunting sometimes, so they should carry it."

As you venture once more to the shop, the man you saw earlier greets you once more.

"Ah yes, scentbreaker. We do indeed carry that. Wait here."

He goes to the backroom, and comes back bearing five small bags of scentbreaker on a leather ring and hands it to you.

"Twentyfive gold, please."

He nods as you pay him, and he goes off to help another customer.

---

...I'll also try an untrained Gather Information check to see if I can find out anything about the situation with the yuan-ti...

*rollroll*

As you ask around for information on the topic of the yuan-ti, you gather a few pieces of information.

- The yuan-ti are immigrants to this continent, having only come here in the last twenty or so years.

- They live in a slightly tropical area far to the south, although it still gets cold there.

- Rumor has it that the yuan-ti have in their posession a psionic artifact of some sort. What is said that this item is capable of, however, varies wildly from person to person.

- The yuan-ti simply want sacrifices for their deity, whoever that may be, and that the delegates sent there will become the sacrifices.

- The yuan-ti want to learn as much about the natives to this continent as possible, so as to understand the weaknesses of the people and be better prepared to conquer the whole continent.

There are many other wild rumors, though they are far too bizarre to be taken as truth. The above are some of the more generally accepted rumors and ideas.
 

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Great post there Gnome. Made just going to the shops really interesting.

Jansson returns to the inn, feeling a great deal more informed. He finds his friends and hands their gear over to them.

"Well, there are quite some tales about the yuan-ti going around town. I'll have a few questions for the council tomorrow."

If he gets the chance, Jansson will try to find out what anyone might have heard about mind-flayers. It's a long shot, but worth a go.
 
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Jansson hunts for word on illithids...

You venture out onto the street again. You ask a passerby about mind flayers. She gets a stricken look on her face, and instantly begins walking away from you in the opposite direction she was going before, ignoring you and looking around nervously.

*rollroll*

You wander around the inn for a few minutes, until a young githyanki passes through. When you ask him about illithids, he eyes you with an unusual look. He then says in a raspy voice, "Those who seek information on such creatures usually seek the Slayers. However, their branch here is currently... occupied with other matters." He looks around. "I know a few things about the illithid. I shall share my knowledge, which few others would know, for a price... of twenty gold."

He moves so as to be able to lean against the wall of a building. "Of course, you may find that price a little steep. Perhaps, a free sample would help you in your decision..."

"One rumor that I find particularly interesting says that the illithids are beginning to increase their power by turning themselves into psionic liches, also known as 'illithiliches', or something similar to that. I have seen no proof of this myself, though, and it seems a little outlandish - but I wouldn't put anything past the illithids."

He nods. "Still interested? I assure you that the rest of my information has either been confirmed by or taken from the Slayers, a group that has dedicated itself to destroying the illithids. I ask again - still interested?"

---

OOC:
OOC: Just trying a different style of gathering information. The yuan-ti are something that the populace is aware of - but the illithid are another case entirely.
 

Jansson counts out twenty coins to the githyanki.

"I'm interested. What have you got? And any idea what the Slayers are doing?"
 

Jansson buys information...

The githyanki nods politely at you, and pockets the money in a pocket somewhere on his person.

"As for the illithids... little is known about them. A person knows this little bit, another knows a different little bit... but take them all together, you get an idea of the bigger picture. Like a jigsaw puzzle, almost."

"The Slayers have confirmed that the illithids are on the move. There have been a few attacks in the southern areas around Koltir*, and the remains showed that the illithids were taking slaves. What these slaves are being used for is unknown, although a few remains were found after an intense battle between the Slayers and a raiding party... the corpse had been mutated, and was excreting psionic energies like carrion excretes maggots when crushed."

Koltir is the capital city of Kahasal.

"None know what this means. However, the Slayers think they have an idea - the illithids are experimenting on changing the humanoids again, to make them more capable of gaining psionic ability."

"The Illithids also seem to be hunting for psionic items. Word from the Slayers has it that they are systematically destroying these items to fuel their changes into illithiliches, but even they are uncertain as to what happens to the artifacts."

"The mind flayers are also getting more bold. One was found a few months ago, masquerading as a goblin in a village around Cara'nor. He wasn't killed, though - he managed to get out almost immediately after he was found out. Word from the Slayers has it that he is still out there, acting as a humanoid for an obscure purpose."

"And as for the Slayers... they are following the illithid I just mentioned. Evidently, he is extremely powerful, and it would be very dangerous to let him live. The chapter here in Garanasseur - around six or seven people - is mainly a research group, studying the Thri-Kreen and the other psionic monsters and attempting to find ways to better combat them. Training for battle with the illithids, I guess."

The githyanki shrugs. "You might ask around for more information, or go to the Slayers, but I wouldn't recommend it... you'll draw attention to yourself. Be careful - never know who's watching you..."

With that, the githyanki nods at you, then slinks off to the shadows, leaving the area quietly and stealthily.
 
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Jansson returns to the inn, having found out perhaps more than he feels safe knowing.

"Do any of you know anything about a village called Cara'nor?" he asks his friends. He takes a seat with a mug of ale. "I've got a bad feeling about all of this..."
 

Waiting patiently in his room, Niko looks over the schematics with great interest...

(OOC-I may have missed it, but will I have time to 'scribe' in the schematics? if not I will simply wait, otherwise i'll start drawing them in, taking 10 on my checks if possible.)
 

Niko
It will take you 3 days to scribe the schematic into your notes. You can start that today, or once you get out on the road.

Taking 10 and having a +11 on Techcraft gives you a 21, more than enough to 'scribe' in the schematic successfully.

---

Jansson
Tori'shel looks up as you ask about Cara'nor. "It's a large port city, southeast of here. Tristam is heading there to take a ship back to Mechanicus. Why do you ask?"
 

"I've been talking with a githyanki outside the inn. He seemed to know much about the Slayers and their activities. Apparently they found a mind flayer in Cara'nor disguised as a goblin. And they didn't catch it, so it might still be around that city." Jansson pauses to think for a moment. "I doubt Tristam would be in any danger, since he is a technologist, but it's worrying none the less."
 

Moving right along...

Assuming that no one who is not doing anything that will take all day wants to do something, we'll skip ahead to the next day.

---

The council meets you, once again, in the clocktower.

"The Greater Council has sent us some information that will be of use to you." The human says as you enter the room.

"First," The githyanki says, "you will travel in two different carriages. These carriages will be drawn by four astral constructs capable of flight, and they will last until you get to the yuan-ti encampment. The journey there will take two weeks."

"The Council has also told us that the yuan-ti wish to present a gift to our messengers. We do not know what this is - but be cautious. There seems to have been a moderate number of dissidents, so the 'gift' may be a trap or ambush. Do not openly show distrust, however, as that will more than likely encourage the yuan-ti to be suspicious of you and less likely to sign the treaty."

"You will be carrying a treaty with you." The blue says, and a piece of rolled-up parchment appears in his hands, which he hands to Syld. "You will not leave the yuan-ti until it has been signed by their leader and yours - who your leader is must be designated before you arrive at the encampment. The yuan-ti will not trust a leaderless group, or a group whose leadership shifts in the span of only a few days."

The halfling nods. "Are there any questions? We will tell you as much as you need to know, within the bounds of what we are aware of and what we deem that you require."
 

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