New guy here, so let me know if this is in the wrong place.
Our keepers are dead.
The chains are broken.
Our god has fled.
The gate is open.
---
All could see the tower, that great pillar of rock atop a snow-clad mountain. They could see the brilliant radiance that poured from its apex, ever-constant as the pale stars wheeled overhead. They could see it no matter where they were, for the tower did not dip out of sight; nor did it shrink into the distance. It was always there, rising from the eastern horizon. Never any closer. Never any farther.
All could feel the warmth it provided to otherwise dreary lands, the tower in the east that bestowed light and nourished life.
Few could see the great soul imprisoned within the tower, how its unfathomable might lit the lands and fed the crops.
Fewer knew of the tower's true purpose: It is an anchor, a stabilizer, keeping the eternal void beyond at bay.
Then the light went out.
---
The world is dark, lit only by the pale stars twinkling above. The last harvests are reaped in shadow, their fruits scarce defenses against the fall to come.
Without light, without food, and without hope, the depths of man's barbarity is revealed. Kingdoms and cities perish, ransacked and looted by roving bands of thugs, bandits, or, worst of all, warlocks. Civilization crumbles. Hundreds die by the hour.
The anchor is gone, and cracks appear. The void reaches out to reclaim what it once owned, speeding the descent into chaos.
An ancient shadow, long suppressed by the light of the tower, rises again.
And, in the depths of a long-buried library, a band of treasure-hunters find something remarkable. Plans for the great tower. Letters on how the bright soul was entrapped, imprisoned.
Or so they're told. None of them are learned in ancient linguistics. Fortunately, they've brought along their employer: A wizened old warlock with a lengthy beard, a fanatical appreciation for rare books, an oddly indifferent attitute towards the impending apocalypse, and an imminent need for a capable escort. They've been promised supplies and whatever treasures they could find in the library - not that gold is much use at the world's ending. Without the tower, the coins and gilded goblets hidden away in chests and alcoves do not even glint but lie dully in the shadows cast by the old warlock's sparking fingertips.
A thread of hope is knit there in the depths of the earth, and for a moment it seems there is a chance that the world is not so doomed after all.
"Hmm. Hmm. Ah, yes. Here it is. All you need is three incredibly powerful warlocks, the key to a door that doesn't exist, and chains that can hold a god.
Easy, yes?"
Words can be powerful things, and warlocks are those who know how to manipulate and exploit them to their own benefits. Warlocks know a number of 'Cants', strange words that slip from the minds of those that hear or see them. Cants can only be learned with magical or arcane aid and spoken, either alone or in phrases, by warlocks.
A warlock can be created in any number of ways. Magical creatures or powerful warlocks in one's ancestry, years of study and training or meditation, arcane influence during birth or formative years, and rarely extreme emotional stress can all bestow magical ability.
The speaking of Cants is not without consequence - repetitive use causes physical and mental fatigue, and with the walls of the world in such a fragile state great outpourings of power could destabilize the surrounding area to devastating effect.
And finally, names. Words are powerful, but names are even moreso. Every being with the capacity for magic - that is, all humans, monsters, and magical creatures or constructs - has a single true name. Names, if known, can be spoken as Cants, granting the speaker some measure of control over the name's bearer. The speaker's own name can be spoken along with another word, acting as a powerful amplifier for the spell. The cost of invoking one's own name is high, and most warlocks never do so.
Because of the power of 'true names', it is common practice to conceal one's name and refer to others only by code- or nicknames.
Gods, warlocks, and other powerful beings or objects generate magical fields that affect their surroundings. These fields can be deadly to mortals, though a warlock's own magic can protect him from a time against even the more powerful of them. Spells cast in the presence of such fields can be corrupted, and with prolonged exposure, so too can the caster.
Skill and attack rolls use a d10. Dice size used for damage rolls is determined by the weapon or Cant(s) used. No overshoot.
The roll required to hit an opponent is their Resilience, plus half of their Agility if they are not wearing armour. Armour does not usually prevent hits, but does help mitigate damage. Strikes that deal a lot of damage in one blow have a chance to wound the target, impairing the function of the wounded body part.
Stats are as follows:
HP: How much abuse you can endure. By default 20.
Strength: Physical might and combat prowess. By default 0.
Agility: Speed, mobility, and perceptiveness. By default 1.
Will: Magical skill and might. By default 0.
Resilience: Physical and mental endurance, defense against adverse status conditions, and protection from attacks. By default 3.
In one combat turn, a combatant can take three actions: A major action, a minor action, and a movement, in any order. Major actions are usually attacks or Cant-speaking, while minor actions are things like sheathing or readying a weapon, picking up an object, or pushing a button. The distance a combatant can move on their turn is determined by their Agility, as is the order in which combatants take turn.
"Name": What people call you. Ideally not your true name, for aforementioned reasons.
Description: What you, a human, look like.
Stats: Distribute 6 points between Strength, Agility, Will, and Resilience. Each point in the former three equals a +1 to rolls.
HP: 20/20
Strength: 0
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 3
Starting Cant: The Cant you start with, unless for some reason you don't want to be a warlock. I don't judge.
The following list of available starting Cants is composed of the word that closest resembles the Cant's effect. The actual Cants are not transcribed here for the convenience of non-magical readers.
Chill
Spark
Crack
Rotate
Pull
Steam
Mend
[b]"Name":[/b]
[b]Description:[/b]
[b]Stats:[/b]
HP: 20/20
Strength: 0
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 3
[b]Starting Cant:[/b]
Current Characters
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Starting Cant:
Steam
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Starting Cant: Mend
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Starting Cant: Crack
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Starting Cant: Pull
Waitlist
"Name": Scribble
Description: A short, young man in disheveled robes with messy red hair.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Strength: 0
Agility: 1
Will: 6
Resilience: 3
Starting Cant: Spark
Past Characters
"Name": Chīsaiko
Description: Small girl with short green hair and sapphire eyes. Wears woven clothes she made herself from nature.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Strength: 0
Agility: 1+4=5
Will: 0+2=2
Resilience: 3
Starting Cant: Mend
No need to worry! So long as you're using RTD mechanics, this section should work fine.
_____________________________________________________________________-
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Starting Cant:
Steam
"Name": Chīsaiko
Description: Small girl with short green hair and sapphire eyes. Wears woven clothes she made herself from nature.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Strength: 0
Agility: 1+4=5
Will: 0+2=2
Resilience: 3
Starting Cant: Mend
Done.
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Strength: 3
Agility: 4
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Starting Cant: Mend
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats: Distribute 6 points between Strength, Agility, and Will. Each point in the former three equals a +1 to rolls.
HP: 20/20
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Starting Cant: Crack
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Starting Cant: Pull
"Name": Scribble
Description: A short, young man in disheveled robes with messy red hair.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Strength: 0
Agility: 1
Will: 6
Resilience: 3
Starting Cant: Spark
Hey, can I join? If so:
"Name": Scribble
Description: A short, young man in disheveled robes with messy red hair.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Strength: 0
Agility: 1
Will: 6
Resilience: 3
Starting Cant: Spark
Hey, sorry, but I think five characters is about the upper limit of what I'm comfortable managing at the moment. If you'd like, I can add you to a waitlist and notify you when a spot opens.
---
Chisaiko added to the list.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
The trickle of water nearby, the occasional crinkling of weathered parchment, and the shuffling of idle feet break the still, grave-like silence of this ancient place. 'Mirthful' rests on a sturdy bench of dusty stone, one hand held aloft and casting dim sparks from its fingers as the other flips through the pages of a rotting tome. He hums to himself as he reads, sounding more like a random string of notes than any discernable tune. Of course, Mirthful is not his name. A foolish warlock that would make him. And, after trekking through the woods and delving into this ancient tomb of knowledge at his behest, none of the assembled treasure hunters would regard him as foolish.
He is elderly, hunched over, with spots on his skin and an unplacable accent to his voice. Every hair on his head seems to have migrated downwards into his bushy silver beard, which he strokes periodically whenever a hand is not required to turn the next page of the tome on his lap. Clad in a rough brown robe tied at the waist with a flaxen belt, he lacks any trace of the adornment or flair commonly associated with warlocks. Mirthful looks, at first glance, like a harmless old man.
The scars on his arms and the deep, powerful resonance of his voice tell a different story. A soldier's arm, tried in battle. A warlock's voice, well-used to the power of the Cants. The old man's magical field is strong enough that a babe could sense it, let alone a troupe of wary and magically-inclined treasure hunters. It's all rather suspicious. Mirthful clearly is not as frail and weary as his weathered appearance would suggest. He doesn't need their protection. So why are they here?
The hunters, with little better to do than wait, take stock of their surroundings. Mirthful sits in what once might have been a reading nook, a bench-lined hemispherical indent in the east wall of the main library rows. There, the dust of unfathomably old books lies atop hundreds of shelves carved from natural stone. The northern, western, and southern walls all bear archways leading into dark stone tunnels. The northern tunnel leads back the way they came, up to the surface. The southern tunnel is a set of stairs leading downwards, and faint magical fields can be felt from below. Finally, the western tunnel is short and flat, leading into what appears to be storage rooms.
At present, only the closest of the shelves can be seen past the nook for their lights are weak: Mirthful's sparks cast only enough to read by, and the bundles of luminescent moss tied to the others' belts are little better. They can, however, see their immediate surroundings: The thick coating of dust on the floor and benches, the faded murals painted onto the walls, the brittle bones scattered at their feet, and the other members of their motley crew.
A fair-haired man in a multicoloured cloak sits on the bench opposite Mirthful. Even seated, The Skald's lofty stature is readily apparent.
'Chisaiko' brushes a smear of dust from the woven clothes that rest lightly on her thin frame. Her unusual green hair is the by far most vibrant color in this dead, dreary place.
'Aegis' stands near the closest shelf, solidly built and clad in boiled armour that creaks as she moves.
The young man in the slightly-too-large tunic is Dustan. He paces the length of the reading nook, leaving an elliptical trail of footsteps in millenia of dust.
'Fifteen', leaning on the wall next to The Skald, keeps watch for any dangers that present themselves. The spun cloak in which he wraps himself provides ample defense against the chill of the underground.
Mirthful's discordant tune gives way to a series of mumbled revelations. Few words can be picked out of the quiet jumble he spouts, but a particular emphasis seems to be placed on "buried", "return", and "chasm". The warlock quiets for a moment, then looks up from his book as if taking notice of the others for the first time. "Oh. Oh, you all are still here. I'll suffice here just fine for the moment alone, if you'd please. Surely there's some of that treasure you sought farther into the archives. Erm, though perhaps do be careful. I shall need you all in one piece to escort me out of here when I am finished."
With that, Mirthful returns to his task and takes no further notice of the hunters.
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence(Resilience + 1/2 of agility): 6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Inventory
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Steam
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 4
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Inventory
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Mend
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Crack
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 6
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Inventory
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Cants:
Pull
"Name": Chīsaiko
Description: Small girl with short green hair and sapphire eyes. Wears woven clothes she made herself from nature.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 0
Agility: 5
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Mend
The Skald, however, comes upon something else of interest. A small wooden chest tucked away under a low shelf, invisible until his toe finds it with a painful thump.
He pulls the heavy oak chest out from beneath the shelf and inspeects its iron lock and hinges. An almost imperceptible magical field emanates from it - Likely preservation spells, but he's heard of traps found in places like this. In any case, the chest is locked - he will need either a key, a Cant, or a good deal of force to get it open.
---
Dustan and Aegis, meanwhile, head for the southern stairs. As they leave Mirthful behind, the old man begins his mutterings again. "Three warlocks...the key...the chains...the name...and fire? What in the high heavens is 'fire'?"
The stairs are well-made, flat and even, but dark. The stone walls are bare, devoid of the hooks that in modern buildings would hold bundles of moss by which to see. Evidently, patrons of this library were meant to bring their own light.
Dustan, acting in stark contrast to this concept, stuffs his moss into his mouth. The plant itself tastes rather like eating grass, but when chewed it releases a sweet-tasting fluid that leaves his tongue tingling and his mouth glowing.
Now guided only by Aegis' moss, they tread on. Two dozen steps or so later they arrive into a wide, dust-covered landing. The magical fields they had felt earlier are stronger now, sourced from something in this area. Dustan and Aegis pause for a moment to survey the landing.
It is unusually wide, about fifteen paces to a side. To the right of the stairway from which they entered, another flight leads deeper into the earth. The left and far walls are occupied by more dusty bookshelves, and the occasional bone or human skull adorns the floor. What's more unusual is the spectres - transparent outlines of books and tomes that fill the shelves and rest in stacks on the floor. They glow ever so faintly, just enough that the room outside Aegis's circle of moss-light can be seen.
(1d10 + agility)
Dustan: 6 + 3
Aegis: 3 + 1
A twitch of movement in the corner catches Dustan's eye. Flanking the stairway, lurking in the shadows, are the transparent forms of two large dogs. Nearly invisible and almost perfectly still, their eyes are focused on the two warlocks. Had he taken three steps forward Dustan would be standing directly between them. Perhaps that is what they're waiting for.
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence(Resilience + 1/2 of agility): 6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Inventory
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Steam
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 4
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Inventory
Cants:
Mend
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Crack
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 6
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Inventory:
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Cants:
Pull
"Name": Chīsaiko
Description: Small girl with short green hair and sapphire eyes. Wears woven clothes she made herself from nature.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 0
Agility: 5
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Mend
From the pile of dust forms a book. Old and half-rotten, but a book nonetheless. Chisaiko opens the cover, discovering text written in an outdated but legible alphabet. The book appears to be a farmer’s almanac detailing the growing times and ideal conditions of various crops, several of them unfamiliar to anything she’s ever seen. She flips through the introduction, which goes over how to measure revolutions of the stars to determine time passing before closing the tome. Unless she seeks to take up farming in this world of twilight where no plants grow, there is nothing here to interest her.
---
Dustan slowly approaches the dog closest to him, raising his hand to its head level. The creature’s eyes follow him, but otherwise it remains completely still. He touches its head and pets the dog.
Its transparent ‘skin’ is cool and smooth to the touch. Suddenly and in perfect coordination, both dogs lie down. There they remain, completely unmoving. Evidently constructs created to guard whatever secrets lie deeper within the library. And completely by accident, he’s discovered the key that grants access. They show no signs of aggression towards Dustan, but their eyes still track Aegis with an unnerving intensity.
---
The Skald steps aside as Fifteen kneels next to the chest. Probing the hinges with his hands, he whispers a Cant. The spell’s quiet echo is interrupted by a short, sharp crack. After feeling the hinges break under his fingertips, Fifteen flips open the chest’s lid.
A bright flash of light pulses from within the chest, and Fifteen stumbles backwards with his hand over his eyes. The light is not bright enough to do more than cover his vision with afterimages, but The Skald notes a small glowing circle marked on Fifteen’s forehead.
The magical field emanating from the chest is gone. Within lie two large, cleanly bound books showing no evidence of being buried down here for a thousand years. A single word is inked onto each of the leather-bound covers. The first reads “Finger”, and the second “Cloak”.
The Skald and Fifteen recognize these books. Each contains the required information and magical enchantments necessary to teach warlocks a new Cant. Such enchantments have the unfortunate side effect of damaging the pages when read, but these Cant tomes are thick and sturdy enough to be used multiple times as opposed to the single-use nature of Cant scrolls. These ones look to be in mint condition and will have no problems bestowing their knowledge on all five of the hunters.
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence(Resilience + 1/2 of agility): 6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Inventory
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Steam
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 4
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Inventory
Cants:
Mend
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Crack
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 6
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Inventory:
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Cants:
Pull
"Name": Chīsaiko
Description: Small girl with short green hair and sapphire eyes. Wears woven clothes she made herself from nature.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 0
Agility: 5
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Mend
Chisaiko speaks the Cant again, and a pile of dust reassembles into an old scroll. Her breathing is noticeably elevated from the exertion, and this scroll is filled with the illegible glyphs of a foreign tongue. It seems that the only potentially useful documents are the ones that were worth enough to have them magically preserved.
The Skald and Fifteen pass the new Cant tomes back and forth, each learning both spells. Pages suffer minor damage as their enchantments react to the warlocks' gazes, but are far from illegible. After finishing both books, they possess all necessary knowledge to cast "Finger" and "Cloak", and are confident in their ability to do so.
The Skald speaks one of his newly-found Cants. His voice rumbles through the air, and the cloak in his hands takes on an odd quality. It looks no different, but he finds himself unable to keep his eyes on it - not hard to see, merely hard to look at. This particular spell is merely a temporary imbuement and not a permanent enchantment, and he is unsure of how long it will remain.
Dustan and Aegis continue onwards past the landing and down the steps. The dust down here is thicker, the cracks on the walls wider. As they pass into a wide room filled with bookshelves, they note that every tome and scroll on the shelves is preserved. Evidently, each and every one was considered worth the effort. None are written in tongues known to them, nor do they see any that would teach Cants.
At the end of the great archives, hallways lead in three directions. The middle corridor is blocked by a great seal of granite, its end carved with the shape of a giant X above a short line of unknown glyphs. There is no obvious way past.
The left doorway is lit by a faint glow, and another magical field emanates from within. More of the spectral dogs?
The right door is dark, empty, straight, and seemingly unremarkable.
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence(Resilience + 1/2 of agility): 6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Inventory
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
1x Lightly-used Cant Tome: Finger
1x Lightly-used Cant Tome: Cloak
Cants:
Steam
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 4
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Inventory
Cants:
Mend
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Crack
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 6
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Inventory:
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Cants:
Pull
"Name": Chīsaiko
Description: Small girl with short green hair and sapphire eyes. Wears woven clothes she made herself from nature.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 0
Agility: 5
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Mend
Dustan peers through the right-hand doorway. It leads into a small room filled with large cubical objects...crates? Though it is hard to tell in the faint light cast by his companion's moss, as far as he can see it appears to be a storeroom.
Aegis leans into the left doorway. This hallway is narrower and longer than the right, and its end cannot be seen at present. Spectral books dot the floor here and there, casting an extremely faint light.
The Skald and Fifteen move deeper into the library, following the others. They soon encounter Dustan and Aegis, who stand in front of three doorways.
With the extra light provided by more bundles of moss, Aegis can see farther into the leftmost corridor. It seems to terminate in a small rectangular room full of rows of bookshelves. These shelves are occupied in equal parts by the ghostly outlines of books and actual, physical tomes. None of them have degraded into dust.
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence(Resilience + 1/2 of agility): 6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Inventory
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
1x Lightly-used Cant Tome: Finger
1x Lightly-used Cant Tome: Cloak
Cants:
Steam
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 4
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Inventory
Cants:
Mend
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Crack
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 6
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Inventory:
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Cants:
Pull
"Name": Chīsaiko
Description: Small girl with short green hair and sapphire eyes. Wears woven clothes she made herself from nature.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 0
Agility: 5
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
As Dustan and Aegis pore over their tomes, The Skald moves into the ancient storeroom. Stacks of crates and rows of barrels rise out of the darkness, interspersed between stout oaken chests. He looks into some of the containers as he passes - mostly millenium-old dust, but also rusted bits of metal and other unrecognizable shapes. Several containers radiate faint magical fields, and upon investigation seem to be preserved. A majority are filling with parchment, inkwells, and other such supplies, but some are more interesting. The Skald notes a large chest filled with military equipment - several sets each of leather, mail, and plate armour rest alongside dozens of swords, spears, knives, shields, bows, and quivers. He also comes across a barrel full of foodstuffs - easily enough to sustain half a dozen people for several weeks.
Chisaiko investigates the great archives at the base of the stairs. At least seven different languages are represented amongst the scrolls and books, and she understands none of them. There are no dust piles amongst these shelves - each and every manuscript was evidently worth the effort of preservation. A futile endeavour, if no one remains who can read them.
As the girl flips closed yet another unintelligible book, something moves in the corner of her eye. She whips around, revealing...nothing. Only deep shadows and old stone border her dim circle of moss-light. A brief feeling of being watched passes over her, and Chisaiko is left alone amongst the shelves.
Fifteen steps into the leftmost corridor and approaches the bookshelf at the end. As he nears his destination, the warlock begins to feel a strange sensation of pressure on his forehead, as if someone were driving their thumb into it as hard as they could. It is then that Fifteen remembers the chest he'd recently Cracked open, and the small glowing circle it had left on his face.
Three spectral dogs lie in wait near the end of the tunnel. Drawn by the mark on Fifteen's head, they rise to their feet with glassy fangs bared.
He has no time to react, no time even to notice the beasts before their eyes are locked onto his and their lunging jaws disturbingly close to his face.
Aegis(Will): 8
Aegis is not so careless. A short, sharp Cant echoes through the library, dragging Fifteen backwards out of danger. Legs unable to keep up with the velocity of the spell, he lands on his back at the others' feet.
The pressure remains on his forehead, and the dogs are loathe to abandon their prey. All three come barreling down the tunnel, focused intently on Fifteen.
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence(Resilience + 1/2 of agility): 6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Inventory
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
1x Heavily Cant Tome: Finger
1x Heavily Damage Cant Tome: Cloak
Cants:
Steam
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 4
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Inventory
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Crack
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 6
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Inventory:
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Cants:
Pull
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Chīsaiko
Description: Small girl with short green hair and sapphire eyes. Wears woven clothes she made herself from nature.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 0
Agility: 5
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
Chisaiko also invokes Finger, but for a more delicate purpose. The ghostly appendage that appears is no bigger than her own, and she wills it to trace over the letters inked on a random scroll. Her experiment results in failure, the parchment now streaked with lines where the finger touched its age-old dust.
1. Fifteen (4 agility)
2. Dog(3 agility)
3. Dustan (3 agility)
4. Dog (3 agility)
5. Dog (3 agility)
7. Aegis (1 agility)
Dogs' charge allows time for opponents to react, thus all dogs go last this turn.
Aegis(Will): 7
Damage(1d2[Unarmed] + 1[Momentum]) = 2 + 1
Aegis repeats Pull, this time targeting one of the spectral dogs. The Cant imparts more velocity onto the creature's body than it is prepared to handle, turning its sprint into a sliding tumble. As it approaches, she places her foot in a strategic location and catches the dog's head with a heavy thud. Though scrambling to its feet, the dog's movements are erratic and confused.
Dustan calls out to the dogs, but his pleas elicit no response whatsoever. They don't seem to be in the mood for listening.
Fifteen(Attack): 5 + 1
Damage(1d4[Sword]) = 2
One of The Skald's swords conveniently bumps into Fifteen's foot, and he hastily takes up the weapon. As the dogs charge, he steps forward into an unpracticed but effective thrust. Ancient yet still-honed steel bites into a construct's flank, tearing it open with a sound not unlike ripping paper. Faint rays of light pour from the wound in place of blood.
Dog(Attack): 4 + 1 - 1(Stunned)
The first dog targets Fifteen, but appears stunned by Aegis' blow. It takes a few unsteady steps before coming to a stop and shaking its head in confusion.
Dog(Attack): 3 + 1
The second dog bleeds light from its wound but, roused to anger by the mark on Fifteen's forehead, lunges towards him. It moves within several feet of the warlock only to shy back, faced with the point of a sword.
Dog(Attack): 7 + 1
Damage(1d3) = 2
The third dog reaches Fifteen and leaps onto him, digging its claws into his chest. The clothing there is scant protection, ripped to shreds along with his flesh. The shallow but painful wound begins to well with blood as Fifteen shoves his attacker back.
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence(Resilience + 1/2 of agility): 6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Inventory
Shortspear: 1d4 damage
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
1x Heavily Cant Tome: Finger
1x Heavily Damage Cant Tome: Cloak
Cants:
Steam
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 4
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Inventory
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 18/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Arming Sword: 1d4 damage
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Crack
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 6
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Inventory:
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Cants:
Pull
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Chīsaiko
Description: Small girl with short green hair and sapphire eyes. Wears woven clothes she made herself from nature.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 0
Agility: 5
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
Dog 1:
HP: 2/5
Defence: 3
Strength: 1
Agility: 3
Will: 0
Resilience: 3
Dog 2:
HP: 3/5
Defence: 3
Strength: 1
Agility: 3
Will: 0
Resilience: 3
Dog 3:
HP: 5/5
Defence: 3
Strength: 1
Agility: 3
Will: 0
Resilience: 3
Chisaiko casts Finger and walks around the room, tapping her spectral digit on the walls and floor as she passes. Though not finding any secret trapdoors or doorways, she does notice that the huge granite seal embedded into the near wall is engraved with a shallow series of spiralling markings that radiate out from the center. Perhaps they indicate a magical lock or trap, but no magical field catches her intention. If there was ever a spell on this rock, it is gone now.
1. Fifteen (4 agility)
2. Dog(3 agility)
3. Dustan (3 agility)
4. Dog (3 agility)
5. Dog (3 agility)
6. The Skald (2 agility)
7. Aegis (1 agility)
Fifteen(Will): 7 + 2
Damage(1d4) = 2
Fifteen Cracks the dog on top of him, causing the creature's ghostly equivalent of a femur to snap in two. The dog stumbles, allowing Fifteen to push it away and rise to his feet.
Dog(Attack): 1
The first dog has recovered from the confusion inflicted by Aegis' boot and leaps back into the fray. Its second wind does not last long; as it approaches it trips over one of its comrades and tumbles face-first into Fifteen's sword. The construct disappears in a puff of smoke, leaving no indicator that it ever existed.
Dustan(Grapple): 8 + 3
Dustan tackles the first dog, swiftly gaining the upper hand through his superior strength. He pins its head to the ground, keeping its fangs far from anything fleshy.
Dog(Attack): 2 + 1
Still bleeding light from its wounded flank, the second dog leaps at Fifteen. He performs a quick sidestep, deftly dodging the attack.
Dog(Struggle): 4 + 1
Dustan keeps a tight hold on his ghost-dog despite its fierce struggling. Translucent fangs snap harmlessly at empty air.
The Skald(Will): 3 + 2
The Skald(Attack): 10
Damage(1d4 + 2[Critical]) = 4 + 2
The Skald shouts out a Cant as he sprints towards the last standing dog. A puddle of Fifteen's blood boils, evaporating into a crimson mist that envelops the head of his target. The point of his spear rams into where its heart might be, piercing clean through the dog's chest. He pulls his weapon from the body, which quickly dissolves into nothingness.
Aegis(Attack): 9 + 3 + 1(Grappled)
Damage(1d2) = 2
Aegis trots over to Dustan, who still holds the last dog tightly. She places her boot on its throat and, taking the head in both hands, snaps its neck.
The last dog vanishes as the magic that sustained its false life unravels. Fifteen's wound has mostly stopped bleeding, and the mark on his forehead that drew the dogs has faded. For a moment, they are alone again.
Footfalls sound behind the party, leather shoes tapping quietly on the old stone. Mirthful steps forward, with half a dozen scrolls and manuscripts tucked under one arm and the other still sparking with electricity.
"Fine work, fine work. A good decision hiring you good folk, I think. What's this, then?"
The old warlock steps up to the giant stone slab that blocks the middle tunnel. "Ah, yes yes. This is what we're looking for."
He holds up his sparking hand, examining the marks on the stone.
"This used to be a gate, if I know my locking magics. Shoddily done; the spell's degraded with age. No way to unlock it, now. Shame, shame. Well then."
Mirthful sets his scrolls down on one of the nearby shelves. "We shall use a rather more barbaric method to gain entry. I see some of you have found weapons. Good, good. You should all arm yourselves. I don't believe you'll need them down there, but one can't be too careful. No, can't be too careful."
He flexes his fingers, eliciting loud popping noises. "It has been quite some time since I've done something like this. Equip yourselves while I prepare, and then stand back please. Wouldn't want to hurt any of you, no, wouldn't want to hurt anyone."
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence(Resilience + 1/2 of agility): 6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Inventory
Shortspear: 1d4 damage
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
1x Heavily Cant Tome: Finger
1x Heavily Damage Cant Tome: Cloak
Cants:
Steam
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 4
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Inventory
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 18/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Arming Sword: 1d4 damage
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Crack
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 6
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Inventory:
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Cants:
Pull
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Chīsaiko
Description: Small girl with short green hair and sapphire eyes. Wears woven clothes she made herself from nature.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 0
Agility: 5
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
Chisaiko looks around for large piles of dust to Mend, but her eyes catch instead on several bundles of cloth folded neatly on the bottom of the weapons chest. Cloaks, and fairly high-quality ones at that. Too large for her small frame, but then again, most are.
Aegis takes up a round shield of leather on wood and a flanged mace. She then picks out a spear - one of the shorter ones available, but stout and easier to carry on the back.
The Skald and Fifteen equip themselves with sets of boiled leather armour, and Fifteen with a scabbard for his sword.
Mirthful nods to himself, shoos the other away, and flexes his hands again. Then, standing up straight and tall, he begins.
Three words, three Cants, spoken quickly and fluidly, merge into a single spell. Though not understanding the intricacies of the words necessary to actually cast them, the hunters can understand the meaning: Break, Split, Push. Spoken together, the phrase is greater than the sum of its parts.
As Mirthful's voice thunders through the library, he thrusts forth his open palms. The air ripples like water disturbed by a great wind, and a shock wave crashes into the ancient seal of stone.
The sound of shattering stone echoes in their ears, and a cloud of rock dust is thrown up. Fortunately the others are far enough away to avoid inhaling the dust, but Mirthful and the seal are lost from view. The old warlock's spell sounds again, and another cloud of dust arises.
It takes almost two full minutes for the particulates to settle down. Mirthful is standing in the same spot, covered in dust and hunched over once again. He coughs several times and appears fatigued, but otherwise is unharmed.
The seal is gone, now little more than a thick scattering of dust on the ground. The tunnel it guarded stands open, dark and menacing.
"Well well, that worked almost as well as expected! Now, if you'd all mind leading the way. It could be dangerous down there, and I shall need you to defend me."
Mirthful pauses for a moment.
"I'm sure we'll be fine, of course. Just a precaution, you understand. Now, lead on."
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence(Resilience + 1/2 of agility): 6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Inventory
Shortspear: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
1x Heavily Cant Tome: Finger
1x Heavily Damage Cant Tome: Cloak
Cants:
Steam
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 4
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Inventory
1x Bow: 1d3
1x Dagger: 1d3
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 18/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Arming Sword: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Crack
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 7
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Inventory:
1x Flanged Mace: 1d4 damage
1x Shield: +1 Defense
1x Shortspear: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Pull
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Chīsaiko
Description: Small girl with short green hair and sapphire eyes. Wears woven clothes she made herself from nature.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 0
Agility: 5
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Cloak
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
Fifteen mutters a Cant, magically camouflaging himself. Watching gazes drift away from his form that, though looking exactly the same as before, does not immediately register as a human silhouette. Fifteen follows Dustan into the tunnel, leaving everyone else to enter at their own pace.
Without light of his own, Dustan is soon forced to slow to Fifteen's speed. The tunnel through which they travel is rather unremarkable, bare stone devoid even of dust. Though strangely bright, it is not long and the pair soon step out into a larger cavern.
This room takes the shape of a half-sphere with a diameter of some thirty feet. The center is occupied by a raised section of floor atop which sits a cylindrical pedestal, the top of which seems to bear a network of delicate carvings. Opposite the entrance, a sturdy wooden door is reinforced with iron bands and barred with a length of thick oak.
At the center of the roof, a short iron chain is anchored. A large, orange crystal hangs from it, ten feet off the ground and casting a warm glow that illuminates the entire area.
On the left side of the room a set of shelves bears a dozen scrolls, five of which are particularly ornate and trimmed with gold. On the right side, a locked display case holds a number of objects. Though they cannot be made out from this angle, the display case emanates several weak magic fields.
"Oh, yes! Finally!"
Mirthful enters the room, paying no heed to Fifteen or Dustan. He moves quickly to the pedestal, leaning over the stone and examining the carvings with a furious intensity. Whipping out a blank scroll and charcoal, the old warlock begins to scribble out notes and diagrams.
The others filter one by one into the room, but even with six people the large space does not even begin to feel crowded.
The faint sound of a rock falling in the distance can be heard from the tunnel through which they entered. Mirthful peers into the tunnel for a moment before returning to his work.
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence(Resilience + 1/2 of agility): 6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Inventory
Shortspear: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
1x Heavily Cant Tome: Finger
1x Heavily Damage Cant Tome: Cloak
Cants:
Steam
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 4
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Inventory
1x Battleaxe: 1d6 damage
1x Bow: 1d3 damage
1x Dagger: 1d3 damage
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 18/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Arming Sword: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Crack
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 7
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Inventory:
1x Flanged Mace: 1d4 damage
1x Shield: +1 Defense
1x Shortspear: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Pull
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Chīsaiko
Description: Small girl with short green hair and sapphire eyes. Wears woven clothes she made herself from nature.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 0
Agility: 5
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Cloak
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
Fifteen quickly identifies his to be Cant scrolls, each containing the necessary knowledge and enchantments to teach a single person the corresponding Cant. The spells pertaining to each scroll are as follows: Lash, Hard, Glint, Push, Lift.
Most of the plainer scrolls are written in an unknown language, but three are of more interest: Each bears, sandwiched in between lines of foreign glyphs, a crude map. The first map shows a mountainous region, with a red 'X' marked at the base of a small foothill in between three peaks. The second map depicts a forest, with an X located on the inside of a sharp bend in a mighty river. Finally, the third map shows a ridge with some sort of large structure atop it - a castle or keep, perhaps?. The X here is placed at the base of the southern wall.
Though the maps are fairly clear and one could easily find their way to the marked locations if in the area, none show more than a few square miles of terrain and are useless without context to tell where the shown areas actually are.
Dustan reaches up to try and grab the crystal, but it is situated well out of his reach. Perhaps he could grab it if he stood on the pedestal, but Mirthful gives him a dirty look when he gets near.
Dustan(Marksmanship): 8 + 3
Falling back to plan B, Dustan nocks an arrow and shoots it at the iron hook mounted in the ceiling. His shot flies true, striking the chain at the exact point it meets the hook. The force of the arrow shifts the chain just enough that it slips from the hook, and down falls the crystal.
It hits the ground and cracks in two. Though each half still emits warm orange light, the room darkens by several degrees. The look Mirthful gave him earlier is nothing compared to his death glare now, and the old warlock snatches up one of the halves by which to continue his work. Dustan takes the other half - about as large as his closed fist, and still attached to the chain - and hangs it from his belt.
Aegis(Perception): 9 + 1
Aegis stares back into the tunnel through which they entered, trying to make out any shapes in the darkness. There is nothing there.
As she turns around to inspect the display case, however, something catches her ear.
Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap. Tap tap tap. Tap tap tap...tap tap tap tap.
The faint noise of...something, lightly striking the stone floor. Several somethings. There is a pattern, but that pattern is repeatedly broken as if caused by something alive. From the coordination of the taps and the fact that they never overlap, Aegis suspects that the source is only one being. With seven legs. She can't think of any creatures with seven legs.
No one else has heard anything. The old warlock still leans over his carvings. The taps are quiet, light, but they sound as if they are emanating from the archives where Mirthful broke the seal.
And they're coming closer.
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence(Resilience + 1/2 of agility): 6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Inventory
Shortspear: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
1x Heavily Cant Tome: Finger
1x Heavily Damage Cant Tome: Cloak
1x Treasure Map: Mountains
1x Treasure Map: Forest
1x Treasure Map: Citadel
Cants:
Steam
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 4
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Inventory
1x Battleaxe: 1d6 damage
1x Bow: 1d3 damage
1x Dagger: 1d3 damage
1x Orange Crystal: Provides radial light
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 18/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Arming Sword: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
5x Cant Scrolls: Lash, Hard, Glint, Pull, Lift
Cants:
Crack
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 7
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Inventory:
1x Flanged Mace: 1d4 damage
1x Shield: +1 Defense
1x Shortspear: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Pull
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Chīsaiko
Description: Small girl with short green hair and sapphire eyes. Wears woven clothes she made herself from nature.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 0
Agility: 5
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Cloak
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
[spoiler=Combat order]
1. Lesser Fiend of Swords (5 Agility)
2. Fifteen (4 agility)
3. Dustan (3 agility)
4. The Skald (2 agility)
5. Aegis (1 agility)
Fiend's charge allows time for opponents to react, thus it goes last this turn.
The party takes their positions as company approaches: Fifteen and Aegis flanking the corridor, The Skald in between and a few paces back, and Dustan behind him. The Skald and Aegis ready their spears, Fifteen draws his sword, and Dustan nocks an arrow to his bow.
The tapping sounds steadily increase in volume. Drawing closer.
Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap
Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap
TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP
It bursts out of the darkness and into the light: A creature larger than a horse, covered in lumpy gray flesh. Seven spindly legs taper into blade-like protrusions of bone that tap against the stone floor: Three on each side, and one in place of a tail. It has two 'arms', both of which also end in bony spikes. No head crests its long, snake-like neck: only one large round eye, black as coal. A profound, almost palpable sensation of wrongness surrounds this abominable creature, this affront to nature.
The hunters waste no time in considering the thing's ugliness. The Skald wets his lips and draws a breath, preparing to recite a Cant. Aegis and Fifteen step forward into lunging thrusts, and Dustan looses an arrow from his bow.
Fifteen: 10
Damage(1d4 + 2[Critical]): 6
Fifteen's strike is a good one: The tip of his sword pierces deeply into the chest of the fiend, ripping through flesh and whatever organs it crosses paths with. Even more damage is done as he pulls the blade out, and the victim comes to an abrupt stop with seven spurs of bone skittering against the ground.
Dustan: 6 + 3
Damage(1d3): 3
Dustan lands an arrow in the seven-legged beast's neck, where it lodges itself. Pale white fluid seeps from the wound - not a lethal wound, but doubtlessly an irritating one.
Aegis: 4 + 3
Aegis thrusts into the fiend with her spear, but the angle is too shallow and her weapon is deflected harmlessly off its ashen flank.
Lesser Fiend of Swords: 3 + 3
(Damage, 1d6): 2
Lesser Fiend of Swords: 2 + 3
The creature retaliates, lashing out simultaneously at Fifteen and Aegis with its pointed arms. Fifteen parries the blow, knocking it away from his vital organs, but fails to sap the spike of enough momentum to prevent it drawing blood from his thigh. Aegis meanwhile pivots, allowing the fiend's arm to bounce off the shield she's hooked to her back.
A look of abject horror crosses Mirthful's face as he turns to look at the commotion. "No, no, no, no, no! He's found us!"
The warlock's movements become quick and hasty as he copies details from the pedestal into a series of scrolls he's laid out. "Time! I need more time! Buy me time, hold them off for as long as you can!"
From the dark corridor, tapping. More fiends. Farther away, but slowly nearing.
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence(Resilience + 1/2 of agility): 6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Inventory
Shortspear: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
1x Heavily Cant Tome: Finger
1x Heavily Damage Cant Tome: Cloak
1x Treasure Map: Mountains
1x Treasure Map: Forest
1x Treasure Map: Citadel
Cants:
Steam
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 4
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Inventory
1x Battleaxe: 1d6 damage
1x Bow: 1d3 damage
1x Dagger: 1d3 damage
1x Orange Crystal: Provides radial light
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 16/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Arming Sword: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
5x Cant Scrolls: Lash, Hard, Glint, Pull, Lift
Cants:
Crack
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 7
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Inventory:
1x Flanged Mace: 1d4 damage
1x Shield: +1 Defense
1x Shortspear: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Pull
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Chīsaiko
Description: Small girl with short green hair and sapphire eyes. Wears woven clothes she made herself from nature.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 0
Agility: 5
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Cloak
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
Lesser Fiend of Swords:
HP: 11/20
Defence: 8
Strength: 3
Agility: 6
Will: 0
Resilience: 5
1. Lesser Fiend of Swords (5 Agility)
2. Fifteen (4 agility)
3. Dustan (3 agility)
4. The Skald (2 agility)
5. Aegis (1 agility)
Lesser Fiend of Swords: 2 + 3
Lesser Fiend of Swords: 3 + 3
Damage(1d6): 5
The fiend is fast, very fast. It skitters past Fifteen and Aegis to attack the others behind them. One arm scythes towards The Skald, who quickly ducks beneath the edged bone spike. Undeterred, the fiend raises it's 'tail', pivots on four legs, and brings the raised appendage down hard on Dustan.
The warlock falls backwards away from the blow, quick enough to avoid having his skull pierced but not so quick as to prevent the spike from tearing a bloody gash down his torso. Dustan stumbles, a worrying amount of blood seeping from the wound, but remains on his feet.
Fifteen: 8 + 2
Damage(1d4): 3
Fifteen lowers his sword and recites a Cant with practiced ease. The wound already marring the fiend's flank widens considerably, eliciting a steady flow of white fluid.
Dustan: 4 + 3
Despite his bloodied chest, Dustan draws and shoots again. This arrow goes wide, embedding itself firmly in the wood of the empty bookshelf.
The Skald: 8 + 2
Damage(1d6): 6
The Skald steps back, inhales, and shouts out not one but two Cants. His words boom like thunder in the confined underground space: Finger, Steam. Scorching vapor materializes before him and, coalescing into a finger-like shape, lances deeply into the fiend's gash. The creature flails wildly, consumed by heat from the inside out.
Aegis: 7 + 3
Damage(1d4): 2
With careful aim and two steps forward, Aegis sends her spear flying directly into the fiend's massive pupil. For a moment it continues to struggle, but one by one its seven legs give out and the beast collapses dead to the ground.
From the tunnel, tapping. More fiends on the way, dozens of legs striking the ground in a discordant cacophony. And something else. A magical field, by far more powerful than any the party has ever experienced before. Whatever sources it is at least two hundred feet away, several rooms back in the library, but already its presence can be felt in the room. Faint feelings of fear, hopelessness, and despair creep into their minds. The shadows around the corners of vision move and shift, twisted forms dancing at the edge of perception. The temperature drops several degrees, and clouds of ancient dust swirl in vortexes around the cavern.
Mirthful still hunches over the pedestal, scribbling madly on a piece of parchment. Before he'd seemed oblivious to the carnage happening behind him, but at the coming of this new presence he fumbles his charcoal. A torrent of curses escapes his lips, and snatching up his utensil he returns to work somehow even faster than before.
"He's here. Barricade the entrance! Collapse the tunnel if you have to, just keep them out! Quickly, quickly, we have no time. No time!"
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence(Resilience + 1/2 of agility): 6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Inventory
Shortspear: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
1x Heavily Cant Tome: Finger
1x Heavily Damage Cant Tome: Cloak
1x Treasure Map: Mountains
1x Treasure Map: Forest
1x Treasure Map: Citadel
Cants:
Steam
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 15/20
Defence: 4
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Inventory
1x Battleaxe: 1d6 damage
1x Bow: 1d3 damage
1x Dagger: 1d3 damage
1x Orange Crystal: Provides radial light
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 16/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Arming Sword: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
5x Cant Scrolls: Lash, Hard, Glint, Pull, Lift
Cants:
Crack
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 7
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Inventory:
1x Flanged Mace: 1d4 damage
1x Shield: +1 Defense
1x Shortspear: 1d4 damage Currently disarmed
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Pull
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Chīsaiko
Description: Small girl with short green hair and sapphire eyes. Wears woven clothes she made herself from nature.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 0
Agility: 5
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Cloak
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
Aegis: 7
Working together, Fifteen and Aegis Crack and Pull the ceiling of the tunnel. At first their efforts succeed only in bringing down a shower of pebbles and cloud of dust, but after concentrating their efforts on a few strategic points they manage to destabilize the roof enough to cause a partial cave-in.
As the collapsing roof forms a barrier across the tunnel, Dustan and the Skald haul over the empty bookshelves. They prop the sturdy wooden furniture against the pile of stones to reinforce it as the terrible presence nears.
The dust settles. The tapping has stopped. For a moment, the only sounds that can be heard are the scratching of Mirthful against his paper.
Boom.
Something throws its weight against the barricade, something heavy. The barrier trembles, shedding smaller stones.
Boom.
Again. The room shakes, and the bookshelves that support the barricade topple over. The pile of stones won't take much more.
Finally, Mirthful finishes his transcriptions. Tossing his charcoal to the ground, he swiftly rolls up the parchment he was writing on and stuffs it into a leather satchel. He looks up, and the fear on his face is plain to see.
"You! Dustan! Come here. The rest of you, do something useful. Quickly, quickly, we only have seconds left."
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence(Resilience + 1/2 of agility): 6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Inventory
Shortspear: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
1x Heavily Cant Tome: Finger
1x Heavily Damage Cant Tome: Cloak
1x Treasure Map: Mountains
1x Treasure Map: Forest
1x Treasure Map: Citadel
Cants:
Steam
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 15/20
Defence: 4
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Inventory
1x Battleaxe: 1d6 damage
1x Bow: 1d3 damage
1x Dagger: 1d3 damage
1x Orange Crystal: Provides radial light
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 16/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Arming Sword: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
5x Cant Scrolls: Lash, Hard, Glint, Pull, Lift
Cants:
Crack
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 7
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Inventory:
1x Flanged Mace: 1d4 damage
1x Shield: +1 Defense
1x Shortspear: 1d4 damage Currently disarmed
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Pull
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Chīsaiko
Description: Small girl with short green hair and sapphire eyes. Wears woven clothes she made herself from nature.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 0
Agility: 5
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Cloak
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
Mirthful presses a hand against Dustan's chest and mutters a Cant. The pain of his wound fades away and, looking down, Dustan watches the torn skin weave itself back together. Not even a scar is left behind, only the bloody rip in his tunic.
Aegis takes a step back from the display case and Pulls the hexagonal ring. With the crash and tinkle of breaking glass, the ring becomes a projectile that smashes through the glass cover and jumps out into Aegis' hand. She turns the object over in her palm - it emanates a faint magical field. She isn't quite sure what the enchantment does yet, but with more time to study the aura she likely could discern its effects. At present, all she can make out is that is has something to do with...agression?
Fifteen jogs over and reaches his hand carefully through the hole punched by Aegis' ring to pull out the feather necklace. This, too, is enchanted. As he puts it on, the warlock notes that he feels...lighter, all of a sudden. As if the feather removed fifty pounds of weight from his frame.
Boom. Boom.
Two more impacts on the makeshift barricade send tremors through the floor and walls. The dark presence beyond is overpowering now, making it hard to think. Hard to breathe.
"We have little time," Mirthful says to Dustan, leaning over the pedestal to whisper in his ear. "The one beyond the wall is listening. Do not retell what I am saying until you are well away from this place. Do you understand?"
Without waiting for a response, the old warlock continues in a low, hushed tone. "There were more of us. Three. We were searching for a way to enter the great tower. For our own purposes, of course, but now..." He grimaces. "Now there are more pressing matters at hand. The information in this satchel is this world's only chance. The tower must be found, and its must be prisoner brought back, dragged if need be. Take it."
Mirthful presses the leather bag into Dustan's hand. He can feel the shapes of several scrolls and parchments jostling inside.
"Redfoot's Retreat. It's a settlement, a few days to the north of here. Find the river, follow it upstream until you reach the mill on the edge of town. I have a friend in the village - Hemlock is her name. Her house is cobblestone - shouldn't be hard to find, it was the only one in the area the last time I was there. Show her the scrolls. She'll know what to do next."
Boom.
Mirthful raises his voice, speaking to the entire party. "Everything rests on the five of you now. Go. Go now! Run as fast and as far as you can. You've bought me the time I needed, and now I return it to you. Go, and do not look back."
He begins to speak, Cants spilling from his tongue like rolling thunder. Four, five, six words join into a single spell, and he shows no sign of stopping. A far larger exertion than is safe, especially for one of his age. The air crackles with power, and the aura of magic surrounding the old warlock almost seems to match that of the great terror behind the barricade.
Almost.
Rocks begin to fall from the trembling ceiling. The old wooden door at the back of the room cracks and splits as its doorframe shifts, revealing a stairway behind it. The stairs lead upwards, their steps wide and flat. Though not, perhaps, for long.
The vibrations shaking the room intensify with every passing moment, the sound is deafening, and powerful magics set in opposition to each other assail the very mind itself. Time runs short.
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence(Resilience + 1/2 of agility): 6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Inventory
Shortspear: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
1x Heavily Cant Tome: Finger
1x Heavily Damage Cant Tome: Cloak
1x Treasure Map: Mountains
1x Treasure Map: Forest
1x Treasure Map: Citadel
Cants:
Steam
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 15/20
Defence: 4
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Inventory
1x Battleaxe: 1d6 damage
1x Bow: 1d3 damage
1x Dagger: 1d3 damage
1x Orange Crystal: Provides radial light
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 16/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Arming Sword: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Gray Feather Necklace: Someone wearing this necklace weighs considerably less with than without.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
5x Cant Scrolls: Lash, Hard, Glint, Pull, Lift
Cants:
Crack
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 7
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Inventory:
1x Flanged Mace: 1d4 damage
1x Shield: +1 Defense
1x Shortspear: 1d4 damage Currently disarmed
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Red Stone Ring: Unknown effect.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Pull
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Chīsaiko
Description: Small girl with short green hair and sapphire eyes. Wears woven clothes she made herself from nature.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 0
Agility: 5
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Cloak
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
Thrusting the glass knife through her belt and leaving her spear where it lies embedded in the eye of a fiend, Aegis sprints towards the wooden door. She rams it with her shoulder at full speed - snapping the few splintered planks that still remain - and runs up the stairwell.
The Skald hastily places the bracelet on his wrist and follows Aegis, taking the steps two at a time. Fifteen follows, one hand clutching the bronze snake and the other steadying his bag. It weighs heavy, filled with gilded scrolls.
Dustan isn't sure if Mirthful can hear him anymore, so great is the din that fills the room and assaults the ears. But, standing in the middle of it all, filled to bursting with power, dust and wind swirling around him, the old warlock looks at Dustan.
And nods.
A great crack sounds from the ceiling above, and Dustan escapes into the stairwell.
The stairs spiral upwards, upwards, ever upwards. Their legs burn with exertion, but they do not stop. The roar of combat below still echoes in the narrow hall, and the sensation of powerful magics fade slowly as the party distances themselves. Still, they can feel the dark aura, the old magic that enthralled the fiends. They can feel it growing steadily in power. They can feel it eclipsing the other aura as Mirthful fights a losing battle.
And then, a single word. Not a Cant, but spoken as one. A name, shouted out with Mirthful's voice. His name.
Gallius!, he says.
An explosion shakes the earth, forcing the party to steady themselves against the walls of the stairwell. Another explosion, and then another. Still they climb.
And then, silence. No further explosions sound. Nor do rocks fall, or wind howl. Their feet strike the stone steps without a sound, as if their ears had been deadened. Even the two magic fields have gone.
Still they climb.
Cracks appear - narrow fissures in the steps, the walls, even floating in the air. Nothing can be seen beyond, not even darkness. Simply...nothing. Still they climb, dodging the cracks as they form.
Had they looked back, they would have seen the cracks expand and merge together. Had they stopped, they would have seen the stairwell disappear, consumed by the black.
But they do not look back. And they do not stop.
Finally, the stairway ends in a narrow landing. A ladder affixed to the wall leads up to a wooden trapdoor in the ceiling - once sturdy, but now almost rotted through. Aegis climbs the ladder and shatters the trapdoor with a few awkward swings of her mace. As the old wood collapses, she quickly covers her eyes to shield them from the layer of soil that falls through.
One by one, the party climbs the ladder and leaves the ancient library behind.
---
They stand on thick dirt and fallen leaves, surrounded by the trunks of thick trees. It is dark. It is always dark now, since the fall of the tower. In the open beneath the stars, there is enough light for one to navigate by, but not here. Branches and leaves form an unbroken canopy above their heads, and the only lights are the dim glow of moss and the warm, bright glow of Dustan's crystal.
The hatch through which they've come lies open at their feet. Beyond lies complete and utter emptiness, as if their eyes simply did not process that small square in the ground.
A void. Mirthful...Gallius, had poured out every drop of his power to hold back the fiends and their master. So much magic in such a small area, when the tower was gone and the world's foundations so fragile. He'd opened a crack, and the void had done the rest.
As they back away from the hatch, their hearing slowly returns. Only then do they notice that, while six warlocks entered the library, only four remain. Chisaiko is not there.
Only four warlocks, four treasure hunters left. Mirthful's satchel, despite containing only parchments, feels heavy in Dustan's hands. And an unpleasant realization strikes them - though the old warlock's field had vanished in an instant down there, along with all sound, the other had merely faded away. As if it had not been consumed by the void, but merely fled.
They have an enemy.
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence(Resilience + 1/2 of agility): 6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Inventory
Shortspear: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
1x Heavily Cant Tome: Finger
1x Heavily Damage Cant Tome: Cloak
1x Treasure Map: Mountains
1x Treasure Map: Forest
1x Treasure Map: Citadel
Cants:
Steam
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 4
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Inventory
1x Battleaxe: 1d6 damage
1x Bow: 1d3 damage
1x Dagger: 1d3 damage
1x Orange Crystal: Provides radial light
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 16/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Arming Sword: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Gray Feather Necklace: Someone wearing this necklace weighs considerably less with than without.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
5x Cant Scrolls: Lash, Hard, Glint, Pull, Lift
Snake Charm: Unknown effect.
Cants:
Crack
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 7
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Inventory:
1x Flanged Mace: 1d4 damage
1x Shield: +1 Defense
1x Shortspear: 1d4 damage Currently disarmed
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Red Stone Ring: Unknown effect.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Glass Dagger: Unknown effect.
Cants:
Pull
Finger
Cloak
The Skald pulls out his map of a forest and checks it against the surrounding scenery. No such luck; the map shows mostly flat terrain while the trees around him grow on a series of gently rolling hills.
Fifteen extracts the Glint scroll from his bag and quickly commits the knowledge within to memory. As he finishes reading the last and perhaps most critical section, the entire scroll disintegrates in his hands.
Aegis takes off her ring and examines it, not just with her eyes but with a warlock's carefully-attuned sensitivity to magic. After a few minutes of study she determines that the ring has a provocative effect on those interacting with its wearer, who will see her in a more negative light and be more likely to attack her in combat. It does not seem to affect those who already have a friendly relationship with the wearer.
Dustan stops after a short distance. He can no longer see the dim light of the party's moss behind him, though they can make out his orange glow with ease. Ahead, farther north, he can hear the faint noise of rushing water.
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence(Resilience + 1/2 of agility): 6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Inventory
Shortspear: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
1x Heavily Cant Tome: Finger
1x Heavily Damage Cant Tome: Cloak
1x Treasure Map: Mountains
1x Treasure Map: Forest
1x Treasure Map: Citadel
Cants:
Steam
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 4
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Inventory
1x Battleaxe: 1d6 damage
1x Bow: 1d3 damage
1x Dagger: 1d3 damage
1x Orange Crystal: Provides radial light
Mirthful's Satchel: Contains several parchments and scrolls providing information on how to find the tower.[/b]
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 16/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Arming Sword: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Gray Feather Necklace: Someone wearing this necklace weighs considerably less with than without.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
4x Cant Scrolls: Lash, Hard, Pull, Lift
Snake Charm: Unknown effect.
Cants:
Crack
Finger
Cloak
Glint
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 7
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Inventory:
1x Flanged Mace: 1d4 damage
1x Shield: +1 Defense
1x Shortspear: 1d4 damage Currently disarmed
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Red Stone Ring: Provokes enemies and neutral onlookers.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Glass Dagger: Unknown effect.
Cants:
Pull
Finger
Cloak
Aegis stands up, puts on the ring, and heads off with the others. She she walks, she takes out the smoky glass dagger and begins to discern its secrets. It is more difficult when walking - avoiding the trees requires taking her focus off the task at hand - but she manages. Upon striking a foe, it seems that the knife will shatter and magically blind the victim for a short duration. She also notes that it was not intended to be a single-use weapon and, after breaking, will eventually return to the hand.
Dustan waits until the others have caught up to him and resumes walking, leading the group north.
Fifteen's sword darkens after a few minutes of travel. Glint is longer lasting than Cloak, it seems. At least when used in this way. The sound of water grows steadily in their ears.
Soon after, they come across the river. The water is clear, cold, and fast-running, the other bank perhaps twenty feet away. It flows from the northeast to the southwest, and holding his crystal high Dustan can see a narrow trail on the far side running parallel. The near bank is largely mud and brush, but in a few places the forest grass slopes down to meet the rushing water.
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence(Resilience + 1/2 of agility): 6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Inventory
Shortspear: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
1x Heavily Cant Tome: Finger
1x Heavily Damage Cant Tome: Cloak
1x Treasure Map: Mountains
1x Treasure Map: Forest
1x Treasure Map: Citadel
Cants:
Steam
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 4
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Inventory
1x Battleaxe: 1d6 damage
1x Bow: 1d3 damage
1x Dagger: 1d3 damage
1x Orange Crystal: Provides radial light
Mirthful's Satchel: Contains several parchments and scrolls providing information on how to find the tower.[/b]
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 16/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Arming Sword: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Gray Feather Necklace: Someone wearing this necklace weighs considerably less with than without.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
4x Cant Scrolls: Lash, Hard, Pull, Lift
Snake Charm: Unknown effect.
Cants:
Crack
Finger
Cloak
Glint
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 7
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Inventory:
1x Flanged Mace: 1d4 damage
1x Shield: +1 Defense
1x Shortspear: 1d4 damage Currently disarmed
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Red Stone Ring: Provokes enemies and neutral onlookers.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Glass Dagger: 1d2. Upon dealing damage, shatters and blinds the victim for one turn. Returns to hand at end of combat.
Cants:
Pull
Finger
Cloak
The Skald scans the riverbank for traps.
Skald: 5 + 2
Though he spots no tripwires and senses no magical fields, his efforts do reveal something strange: Small bits of charcoal scattered here and there along the riverbank. So sparse and tiny are they that he would never have found them were he not examining the area so closely. Though they can be found the length of the bank, none are more than a few feet away from the water's edge.
Dustan checks the river. It doesn't look very deep, but the temperature and speed of the water makes wading an unappealing prospect at best. No crossing can be seen up or down-stream, though visibility in the dark woods is less than ideal.
Fifteen finishes studying the snake charm - when worn, it sharpens hearing.
The Skald identifies the gray bracelet, which seems to allow Cants to be cast more times in a short period before tiring.
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence(Resilience + 1/2 of agility): 6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Inventory
Shortspear: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Gray Bracelet: Allows several more Cants to be cast before tiring.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
1x Heavily Damaged Cant Tome: Finger
1x Heavily Damaged Cant Tome: Cloak
1x Treasure Map: Mountains
1x Treasure Map: Forest
1x Treasure Map: Citadel
Cants:
Steam
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 4
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Inventory
1x Battleaxe: 1d6 damage
1x Bow: 1d3 damage
1x Dagger: 1d3 damage
1x Orange Crystal: Provides radial light
Mirthful's Satchel: Contains several parchments and scrolls providing information on how to find the tower.[/b]
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 16/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Arming Sword: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Gray Feather Necklace: Someone wearing this necklace weighs considerably less with than without.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
4x Cant Scrolls: Lash, Hard, Pull, Lift
Snake Charm: Sharpens hearing. +1 to perception rolls.
Cants:
Crack
Finger
Cloak
Glint
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 7
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Inventory:
1x Flanged Mace: 1d4 damage
1x Shield: +1 Defense
1x Shortspear: 1d4 damage Currently disarmed
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Red Stone Ring: Provokes enemies and neutral onlookers.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Glass Dagger: 1d2. Upon dealing damage, shatters and blinds the victim for one turn. Returns to hand at end of combat.
Cants:
Pull
Finger
Cloak
Aegis steps in between the river and the tree, which sways alarmingly to and fro. With the addition of "Finger", her Cant exerts a more concentrated and intense pulling effect. Aegis steps quickly out of the way as the tree falls, its top crashing down onto the underbrush across the river.
The tree is heavy, but with Dustan's help they nudge it into a position where it will be able to support their weight without rolling or budging. Though it now effectively bridges the river, the top side of the log is covered in slippery-looking moss and lichen.
The Skald picks up a nearby river rock and tosses it into the water. It disappears with a quiet splash, the ripples caused by its entry swiftly swept away by the powerful current.
The forest, shrouded in darkness and without the warmth of the Tower, is fairly cold. Their clothes and cloaks keep the party at a comfortable temperature, but that will change quickly should they get wet.
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence(Resilience + 1/2 of agility): 6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Inventory
Shortspear: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Gray Bracelet: Allows several more Cants to be cast before tiring.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
1x Heavily Damaged Cant Tome: Finger
1x Heavily Damaged Cant Tome: Cloak
1x Treasure Map: Mountains
1x Treasure Map: Forest
1x Treasure Map: Citadel
Cants:
Steam
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 4
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Inventory
1x Battleaxe: 1d6 damage
1x Bow: 1d3 damage
1x Dagger: 1d3 damage
1x Orange Crystal: Provides radial light
Mirthful's Satchel: Contains several parchments and scrolls providing information on how to find the tower.[/b]
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 16/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Arming Sword: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Gray Feather Necklace: Someone wearing this necklace weighs considerably less with than without.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
4x Cant Scrolls: Lash, Hard, Pull, Lift
Snake Charm: Sharpens hearing. +1 to perception rolls.
Cants:
Crack
Finger
Cloak
Glint
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 7
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Inventory:
1x Flanged Mace: 1d4 damage
1x Shield: +1 Defense
1x Shortspear: 1d4 damage Currently disarmed
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Red Stone Ring: Provokes enemies and neutral onlookers.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Glass Dagger: 1d2. Upon dealing damage, shatters and blinds the victim for one turn. Returns to hand at end of combat.
Cants:
Pull
Finger
Cloak
With dagger in hand, Dustan crawls onto the log and begins making his way across. All seems to be going well as he stab and scrapes handholds into the slick, mossy bark.
Until, perhaps a third of the way across and already well over the river, he misses. The point of the knife stabs painfully into the back of his hand, which spasms and leaves him precariously off-balance. Only his knees locked around the tree trunk are insufficient to keep him upright, and Dustan topples off the side of the bridge. His foot catches in the crook of a branch and leaves him hanging upside-down.
His head, shoulders, and chest plunge into the freezing water, triggering an involuntary gasp that inhales water into his throat. The current rips at his hair and shirt, his hand throbs with pain, and his foot remains firmly wedged above his head. Blinded, deafened, and stuck, the hilt of the dagger miraculously remains in his undamaged hand.
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence(Resilience + 1/2 of agility): 6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Inventory
Shortspear: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Gray Bracelet: Allows several more Cants to be cast before tiring.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
1x Heavily Damaged Cant Tome: Finger
1x Heavily Damaged Cant Tome: Cloak
1x Treasure Map: Mountains
1x Treasure Map: Forest
1x Treasure Map: Citadel
Cants:
Steam
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 19/20
Off-hand injury: -1 to actions making use of the off hand
Defence: 4
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Inventory
1x Battleaxe: 1d6 damage
1x Bow: 1d3 damage
1x Dagger: 1d3 damage
1x Orange Crystal: Provides radial light
Mirthful's Satchel: Contains several parchments and scrolls providing information on how to find the tower.[/b]
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 16/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Arming Sword: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Gray Feather Necklace: Someone wearing this necklace weighs considerably less with than without.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
4x Cant Scrolls: Lash, Hard, Pull, Lift
Snake Charm: Sharpens hearing. +1 to perception rolls.
Cants:
Crack
Finger
Cloak
Glint
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 7
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Inventory:
1x Flanged Mace: 1d4 damage
1x Shield: +1 Defense
1x Shortspear: 1d4 damage Currently disarmed
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Red Stone Ring: Provokes enemies and neutral onlookers.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Glass Dagger: 1d2. Upon dealing damage, shatters and blinds the victim for one turn. Returns to hand at end of combat.
Cants:
Pull
Finger
Cloak
Aegis casts Pull on Dustan, but her location off to his side renders the effort only minimally helpful.
Dustan: 5 + 3
Fifteen: 2 + 4
Utilizing the handholds Dustan has carved into the wood, Fifteen makes his way over to his entrapped comrade. Dustan, head and upper body still hanging in the water, flails his hand around in an attempt to catch the branch. Fifteen grabs the hand, and together they haul Dustan back up to the branch. Though soaked and freezing cold, his wound is not serious and his dagger remains in hand.
The Skald: 8 + 2
The Skald steadies the log by pressing an ethereal Finger against it, then nimbly scrambles across it. With some deft movements he bypasses the roadblock created by Dustan and Fifteen, who remain seated in the middle of the trunk. He then shimmies quickly across the remaining distance of slippery moss and plants his feet firmly on the opposite bank.
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence(Resilience + 1/2 of agility): 6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Inventory
Shortspear: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Gray Bracelet: Allows several more Cants to be cast before tiring.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
1x Heavily Damaged Cant Tome: Finger
1x Heavily Damaged Cant Tome: Cloak
1x Treasure Map: Mountains
1x Treasure Map: Forest
1x Treasure Map: Citadel
Cants:
Steam
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 19/20
Off-hand injury: -1 to actions making use of the off hand
Defence: 4
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Inventory
1x Battleaxe: 1d6 damage
1x Bow: 1d3 damage
1x Dagger: 1d3 damage
1x Orange Crystal: Provides radial light
Mirthful's Satchel: Contains several parchments and scrolls providing information on how to find the tower.[/b]
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 16/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Arming Sword: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Gray Feather Necklace: Someone wearing this necklace weighs considerably less with than without.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
4x Cant Scrolls: Lash, Hard, Pull, Lift
Snake Charm: Sharpens hearing. +1 to perception rolls.
Cants:
Crack
Finger
Cloak
Glint
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 7
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Inventory:
1x Flanged Mace: 1d4 damage
1x Shield: +1 Defense
1x Shortspear: 1d4 damage Currently disarmed
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Red Stone Ring: Provokes enemies and neutral onlookers.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Glass Dagger: 1d2. Upon dealing damage, shatters and blinds the victim for one turn. Returns to hand at end of combat.
Cants:
Pull
Finger
Cloak
Though not quite as gracefully as the Skald, Aegis crosses the log without further incident. He holds the log as she dismounts the bridge, followed closely by Fifteen.
Dustan hastily opens Mirthful's satchel and peers inside. Though the bag's exterior is wet, the leather is waterproof and fairly bouyant. Thankfully only a small amount of water has leaked in around the top of the bag, and most of the documents inside are unharmed.
Save one - a small piece of folded paper near the bottom is half-soaked with riverwater. Dustan unfolds the paper, which seems to have been a letter. Some of the lettering has been washed away, but the first few sentences remain, hastily scrawled with charcoal.
"Hemlock
The Foe is here. Sending accomplices and documents recovered from library. Other half of the key is interned in crypt. Forge is nearby. Marked on accompanying map. Send accomplices to Umber. Missing element is-"
No more can be read.
Fifteen passes out the Lash and Hard scrolls to The Skald and Aegis, respectively. They read through the parchments, which disintegrate into ash just as they finish.
"Name":
"The Skald"
Description:
A tall, blonde-haired man, clad in a motley colored cloak.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence(Resilience + 1/2 of agility): 6
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Will: 2
Resilience: 5
Inventory
Shortspear: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Gray Bracelet: Allows several more Cants to be cast before tiring.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
1x Heavily Damaged Cant Tome: Finger
1x Heavily Damaged Cant Tome: Cloak
1x Treasure Map: Mountains
1x Treasure Map: Forest
1x Treasure Map: Citadel
Cants:
Steam
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Dustan. no, that is not his true name.
Description: A young man, barely of age with light brown hair and a loose fitting wool tunic. he seems adventurous, but more than a little headstrong.
Stats:
HP: 19/20
Off-hand injury: -1 to actions making use of the off hand
Defence: 4
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Will: 1
Resilience: 3
Inventory
1x Battleaxe: 1d6 damage
1x Bow: 1d3 damage
1x Dagger: 1d3 damage
1x Orange Crystal: Provides radial light
Mirthful's Satchel: Contains several parchments and scrolls providing information on how to find the tower.[/b]
Cants:
Mend
Finger
Cloak
"Name": Fifteen
Description: Average build and height with charcoal-coloured hair and eyes. Wears a leather vest over a linen tunic, along with a cloth cloak to shield himself from the elements.
Stats:
HP: 16/20
Defence: 5
Strength: 1
Agility: 4
Will: 2
Resilience: 3
Inventory:
1x Arming Sword: 1d4 damage
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Gray Feather Necklace: Someone wearing this necklace weighs considerably less with than without.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
4x Cant Scrolls: Lash, Hard, Pull, Lift
Snake Charm: Sharpens hearing. +1 to perception rolls.
Cants:
Crack
Finger
Cloak
Glint
"Name": Aegis
Description: A sturdy looking female with short black hair and brown eyes. Wears light leather armour.
Stats:
HP: 20/20
Defence: 7
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Will: 0
Resilience: 6
Inventory:
1x Flanged Mace: 1d4 damage
1x Shield: +1 Defense
1x Shortspear: 1d4 damage Currently disarmed
Leather armour: -1 damage taken from attacks. Negated by piercing strikes.
Red Stone Ring: Provokes enemies and neutral onlookers.
1x Bundle of Moss: Provides dim radial light
Glass Dagger: 1d2. Upon dealing damage, shatters and blinds the victim for one turn. Returns to hand at end of combat.
Cants:
Pull
Finger
Cloak