Dark Sun, Pathfinder Edition (Inactive)

Game Master tribeof1

<<Woki. Use your thoughts.>>

I'm envisioning that he speaks kind of how the dragons in Eragon speak, except less intelligently.

"We need go to Balic then...?"

Is our current location actually on that map? I've forgotten what this place is called.

Translation: Pretty much most halfling look out for other halflings in the Forest Ridge, not with standing minor inter-clan squabbles. Woki is asking that don't non-halflings take care of their own like even ____ (insert animal here, using kanks for the above example) take care of one another? Cause if you folks with height issues don't look out for one another under the Athas sun nobody else is going to.

Woki shrugs and thinks real hard. <<This one finds it odd that tall-ones don't look after their own. Tribe should look after tribe. To not is to join the spirits long before appointed hour.>>

<<They do, but they fear she was a threat to the community. People fear what they do not understand.>>

"<<girl not same tribe. tribe of this town not like pale sister tribe.>>

For reference, the village you are in is an unmarked trading post called Crossroad where the trade routes split west of Balic.

The old dwarf stares at Woki in confusion, turning to Daina for help understanding the halfling. Seeing the half-elf perplexed, as well, he turns to Raun.

"I don't know where you need to go, but Balic is about three days march to the east, along the Road of Legions. The Dictator, Andropinus, keeps the road in good repair, but that doesn't keep the giants from raiding inland whenever a legion's not around. The Dragon's palate is east of that, a few days with a fast skimmer and good weather, but more than a week if the silt is up or you have to avoid giants. The Mountains of the Teeth are at least that far beyond that, and from what it sounds like, the ones that slaughtered our village aimed to keep on east from there. The map shows names like Waverly and Arkhold, but I've never talked to anyone who's been that far - least no one I didn't think was pissing through their teeth."

"Ask around in Balic and you might find a captain who will take you that far, but it will cost you."

The old dwarf waits around a few moments to see if there are any other questions, then folds up the map and hands it you.

"I figure we'll get new traders with new maps before long. You can take this - you earned it, killing whatever it was down below and healing those of us that survived. And take care of the girl - she's not a bad child, but she's got no future here. Maybe find some more of the sisters who'll take her in, or leave her at a house of the mind in Balic - most have an agreement with the sisters to keep young ones til they can come retrieve them."

The dwarf leaves and a few moments pass before the voice of the The Warden echoes through the collective.

<<We need to talk, all of us. It is time we shared with you some of which we have withheld. But first The Champion and The Seeker and I must confer - can you bring us close together, somewhere private, and join hands?>>

Daina listens intently to the directions. "Some of these people who you think were pissing through their teeth...could you point us their way?"

She gives a nod and a sad look to the child. "She will recover from what she experienced, but it will take time. We will do what we can with her." She bids the old dwarf farewell.

<<Of course.>> Daina does as requested, ushering the others to do so as well. A private room in an inn should do nicely.

Gorkhan frowns at the idea of bringing the girl along in their dangerous travels. She could slow us down, get in the way, or worse, distract us, and result in our harm or mission failure...

<<Yes, yes, of course,>> he broadcasts to the Warden, looking around for a private location.

<<yes>>

Grit shakes off his tigone form and stands as a Mul again. <<Withheld?>> he projects. <<I do not like the sound of that. Have we proven so untrustworthy?>>

This is not a surprise Grit :p They've said on a couple occasions that they can't tell us what secrets they're worried about getting out, just that it has to do with something he may have learned from the Seeker while he had her imprisoned, and that it was some duty they'd all agreed to when they were still mortal and why they put themselves in the stones.

Raun lets out a grunt, following the others, taking Nnn and Gorkhan's hands with a certain grumpiness.

Woki reaches into the stomach bag and pulls forth another spider eye, popping it into open maw. A squishy pop and sounds of enjoyment come from the halfling as Woki follows after the others to look for a private place.

<<Take it as a sign of our faith in you that we are considering whether to break thousand-year-old vows to tell you>> The Warden broadcasts in response to Grit's question.

The voice goes silent while the group searches for a relatively intact structure away from the rest of the villagers. Once settled, Gorkhan, Raun and Nnn'tkklik'l clasp hands, the gems in their torsos beginning to glow.

A whispering rush of sound bleeds into the collective, but the details of the communion are impossible to make out. Minutes pass before the mental drone abates. You feel the weighty presence of The Warden enter again into the collective, followed by the buzzing strength of The Champion and the nervous energy of The Seeker.

<<We are agreed. The signs are clear and the threat is too large - by maintaining our silence now we would only endanger that which we were sworn to protect. We must reveal our charge so that you can help us fulfill our vows.>>

Images of men meditating in stone towers and fighting with shining swords on green fields swirl into the collective as The Warden continues.

<<Ours is an ancient order, forged ages ago when the world was green and the magic of the defilers was unknown. But we did not gain a purpose, or our name, until the Cleansing Wars. The Warbringer armed his Champions with magic, but many sought to expand their knowledge, experimenting with ever more destructive spells that drained the land as they eradicated Rajaat's enemies.>>

<<One such experiment went awry, or perhaps it succeeded, unleashing a creature of terrible power and darkness. Uyness of Waverly, the Orc Plague, was responsible. And while the creature succeeded in exterminating her foes, it quickly escaped her control.>>

<<Our forebears in the order were among those who defeated the beast, locking it away behind five great seals. The order swore an oath to ensure the creature remained locked away, eternally. We were not alone, of course. Another sect, the Sisters of the Willing Key, were part of the ritual, ensuring that the beast would not be freed even if our own knighthood was destroyed or corrupted. You know those sisters as the villichi.>>

The scene shifts and you see a fortress built high on a spire of rock. Around it, black waves crash and thunder in the moonlight.

<<It seems certain now that Dote Mal Payne ascertained the nature of our burden, and the horror contained by the seals, during his interrogations of The Seeker. His attack here, and abduction of the villichi sister, show his purpose - he intends to break the seals and release the creature, perhaps as a pawn, perhaps only to cause destruction. Whatever the reason, he must be stopped.>>

<<Our citadel, where the creature is imprisoned, lay in the Sunlit Sea, many leagues east of Waverly. The necromancer will not go there directly, however. Even with a villichi sister to open the way, he'll need a copy of the Argent Codex to ensure the rituals are conducted in the proper order, and the sword of one of the original knights to pierce the seals themselves.>>

<<The fates of many of our brothers are lost to the ages. But if the necromancer was able to pierce The Seeker's defenses, he likely knows of at least one tomb where he could find a copy of the codex and a brother's blade. Several of our order were laid to rest in a tomb in Arkan's Hold, an ancient port that survives on your map as the ruin of Arkhold. Past the Dragon's Palate and the Mountains of the Teeth, it seems the likely destination the villagers overheard.>>

<<By voicing these things we have betrayed a solemn vow. Will you help us keep those that remain?>>

/exposition. Discuss!

Daina grows solemn as she realized the gravity of the situation. <<Well I assure you, you can trust us.>>

She listens quietly to the story, committing names and events and locations to memory. At the end she asks a few questions.

<<Can you tell us anything else about this creature?>>

<<Is it possible to control such a creature?>>

<<Is destroying what they are looking for a viable strategy? Or does that give up more than it gains?>>

<<will pale girl help us help ancient brothers?>>

one part i am not clear on as a player, do the bad guys have a villichi girl that we know of? and is one needed in their quest?

Gorkhan looks down and rubs the bridge of his nose in irritation, cursing softly. Once again it's up to us to stop something heinous. I'm a bard damnit, why can't I just do bard jobs? {{You are of the Seeker now, as I am of you...}} With a defeated sigh, he looks around. <<Well, at least I'll get out to see more of the world...>> {{That's the spirit!}

<<So we have to stop the creature from being freed as there is no way, now, of stopping the creature itself. Daina has a point. It's a pity that they didn't just destroy all codices and blades at the time and save the world from this preemptively...>>

<<So either we try to catch up to him in the tomb of Arkan's Hold... do we have a way of getting ahead of Payne? ... or, I suppose, we could just set up an ambush in the Sunlit Sea.>>

Nnn: DMP's group killed one of the adult villichi and took the other hostage, although that was a bit unclear as relayed through the fragmentary memories passed on to the villichi girl. Per the Warden, villichi were involved in the ritual that created the seals and one is required to "open the way" if the seals are to be broken.

I'm going to wait to hear from a few of the others, then will have the Warden respond to questions.

Raun seemed unimpressed, or possibly just unaware of the scale of potential destruction that the defiler was seeking to unleash. "Does gladiator monster have anything to do with rituals? Went to a lot of trouble to make him." she observes. As usual she seems content to allow the others to determine their next course. She does nod to Gorkhan however. "Would be good not to get ahead, not chase any more."

"Need find way to stop defilers disappearing every time." she adds, recalling how many times they fought the apprentice previously only to have her disappear before they were able to finish her.

Woki frowns and makes a warding motion at the mind-talk. <<Unnatural creatures not of the spirits must be eradicated. Bound, it can be released. Dead, it can pose no danger.>>

<<If the creature is released and we can destroy it, we will. But the best the ancients could do was contain it, so let us hope it does not come to that>> the Warden says, responding to Woki's thought.

<<As for what it is, we know little. The Codex does not name it, calling it only the Caged. It is described as a thing of black fire that burns but does not consume. It walked upright like a man but stood as tall as the Diviner's Tower in Waverly. Horns rose from its head like forks of heat lightning and its arms were tipped with scythes. Where it bled, shadows rose and took the shape of men. Uyness set it against the orcs and it destroyed them to the last but she could not control it after that. Dote Mal Payne may try, or he may intend to simply loose it on the world.>>

<<I don't know what role the necromancer plans for his undead champion. As for the girl, her fate depends on how you wish to proceed. We would need a villichi ourselves if we were to pass the seals, but I see no reason to do so. She might be able to help restore them if the necromancer succeeds in freeing the creature, but that may or may not be worth the risk ... I leave it to you to decide.>>

The Warden's presence seems to fade into the collective as the Champion's voice pushes to the fore.

<<I agree with Raun and Gorkhan and share their frustration with the chase. If we can get ahead of the necromancer and his servants, we should, and take care to stop them from escaping. But I'm afraid the land has changed since we walked it in the flesh - the very Sunlit Sea is gone, replaced with silt. Landmarks we knew are gone ... we'll have to find someone to take us to Arkan's Hold and from there, perhaps, to the Black Isle.>>

<<Perhaps we can seek help from your friends among the preservers, or in this city by the silt, Balic.>>

<<So, we must be proactive instead of reactive.>> Daina gives a mental flash of satisfaction, akin to her smiling. <<I like being a step ahead. This is good.>>

<<A being of fire, of epic size, with horns and natural weapons and inhuman anatomy? This sounds like a demon. Unfortunately my education does not cover them, although I doubt it would help in this particular circumstance.>>

<<We should learn more about the necromancer and his plans. Perhaps a spy or a double agent, or some detective work. As for the villichi girl, I don't want to make decisions about her fate until she is conscious and healed of her ailment.>>

<<So first things first than, we need to find somebody who knows the land we intend on traveling. Balic sounds like a good place to start.>>

Wooo, balrog-type critter :p

Raun frowns down at the unconscious girl as the Warden brings up her fate again. Her status as a mind-wielder counted against her, but... she was just a girl. Travelling with them would not be safe. "Let her decide. If she wants to come, I will protecct her." she states, adding her voice to Daina's

"We know where we need to go, then do it."

<<Yeah.... I'm good with stopping it from getting out in the first place. I don't need to test my mettle against something like that. Out of curiosity... are the seals all in the same place or are they spread across the land. Could we restorte the seal before the next one is opened? Perhaps if Payne thinks he's opened all the seals, he may believe his attempt to free the creature has failed.>>

Woki sits and plants chin in hand. <<Yes, to hunt a hunter one must know what they are hunting and where it can be found. Once there, lay trap for the hunter baited with the thing hunter wants. Simple.>> The halfling looks to the girl. <<Might be spirits have big plan for little tall-one.>>

Grit listens to the three and then to his friends. <<Our goal must be to prevent the creature's release and to kill Payne. If we can prevent him from getting the copy of the codex and a brother's blade that would be best. But can we beat him to the tomb in Arkan's Hold? It is not sufficient to meet him on his way out of the tomb as he will teleport away. We must take and hold what he needs to force him to fight us.>>

"Better chance of beating him to citadel than keep on chasing him. Then can force him to fight, not matter if he have book and blade if we kill him." she suggests.

"Send word to governor in Altaruk, get alliance people to meet us at citadel, use their magics to stop Dote and apprentice-woman from teleporting past us, or run away." she adds after some thought. "Sick of woman getting away." the sound of Raun's teeth grinding is clearly audible.

Nnn'tkklik'l listens to the conversation, adding nothing but a confirmatory chirp upon Grit's comment.

<<The seals all lie within our fortress on the Black Isle, so I'm afraid trickery is not possible in that respect>> the Warden says, responding to Gorkhan's question. <<Sorcery may be required if we are to get ahead of the necromancer and hold him in a trap. Can you contact your friends in Tyr? And do they have friends in Balic? If the necromancer has hired a silt skimmer, we won't catch him by doing the same. I know that accomplished mages and practitioners of the way can use their abilities to travel great distances in the blink of an eye, but only if they know their destination well. It may be difficult to find someone with that knowledge, but I see no other way of getting ahead of Dote Mal Payne and keeping the Codex and a blade from him.>>

<<Wisdom. This must be our course. Falling that we will need to head directly to the Black Isle I think.>>

Do we have a way of contacting people back in Tyr? Grit could fly, but its a long way.

I think sending is on Woki's spell list.

Woki nods at the Warden's words. <<Great magic must to harnessed to beat deadheart. If one is known to this one then spirits will let us speak to one another briefly.>>

Yep, fourth level spell. I have to be familiar with the person I'm sending to, so can't be a complete stranger, and it has to be 25 words or less. They will get to immediately reply in 25 words or less as well.

I can do Animal Messenger. But that is likely way too slow, even with a fast flying bird. Maybe if a scroll of Teleport were available for sale. Daine could use it.

Nell would be the obvious person to contact, and Woki's met her. As to the message...

Still following Necromancer. Need magical aid to get ahead of him, and trap him to stop from releasing ancient evil. Heading to Balic now.

That's 24 words I think, and says the pertinent bits.

Ok, sounds like there's a consensus on sending word to the Alliance and heading toward Balic, with the idea of trying to get Arkhold ahead of Dote Mal Payne and his crew - which in turn means finding someone who knows the area and can teleport or use some other transportation magic. Anyone else have input on the sending?

I like it, sounds good!

sounds good, it is a better plan than i would have thought of

Grit can send multiple animal messengers to help ensure the message gets through.

We're going with sending aren't we? It's instantaneous and the messenger isn't likely to get eaten on the way :p

You bed down for the night in the abandoned building, several doors away from the trading house where the rest of the villagers take shelter. The old dwarf brings a cloth-wrapped bundle of flatbread made by one of the surviving bakers, but even he seems reluctant to linger long in the presence of the villichi girl, who sleeps fitfully, crying out in disjointed voices.

Woki rises with the dawn and climbs onto the roof of the structure to commune with the winds. Coming back down, he carefully goes over the phrasing of his message with the others before casting the sending spell and whispering the words into the wind.

An hour later, Nell's voice responds, her words carrying through the collective.

<<Tyr at war with Urik. Alliance occupied. Seek aid in Balic. Steward at Orlantes estate will help. Say you seek olive leaves for silkwyrms.>>

The villichi girl wakes as you are packing your kanks. She seems dazed, asking only for water and food before falling back to sleep. Her slumber seems less restless this time, which you take for a good sign as you secure her to one of the kanks.

Balic is about three days east, according to the trader's map the dwarf gave you, although you think you could make it in two days using Arisphistaneles' wand.

The old dwarf meets you at the outskirts of the village, looking a little shame-faced to be the only one.

"Don't think the rest don't appreciate what you did. They're just shocked, is all. Coming out here, beyond the city walls, you think you know this can happen. But you're never really prepared to see your family and most of your neighbors cut down like that ..."

He shuffles his feet, then pulls something from his pocket - a pale blue crystal pendant on a beaded leather thong.

"Got this from the first mate of the skimmer I shipped on. He was retiring as I joined up, said I was too stupid to stay alive long without it. Kept me breathing once or twice when I got knocked off the ship during giant attacks ... If you're going to be sailing the silt, you'll make better use of it than me out here in the desert."

He turns and starts to head back to the trading house. "Again, thank you. And try to find the girl a home. She deserves better than she's got."

The dwarf gives you a necklace of adaptation, which I've added to the undivided loot tab along with the spoils from the dark spider lair. Let me know how or if you want to divide that loot now, along with travel plans, any response to Nell, etc.

"Thank you for food, dwarf. Thank you for keep otherrs from girl. We leave, you lead your clutch good in future."

Daina makes sure she's protecting the girl at all times. Superstitious and unfounded beliefs can cause distress, and she wants no violence to come of it.

<<War? This is getting more complex than we originally thought. At least we are set up for some help, thank the stars for that.>>

Daina jumps as the villichi girl wakes, running to her side and giving he some food and water. She gets ready to ask a dozen questions which are foiled as the girl falls back asleep. Well, at least she's eating.

<<Should we use the wand to get there quicker? Time is of the essence.>>

Daina gives a sad smile. "It's understandable. We help people to help people, not for the glory or reward. I'm worry we couldn't have done more." She studies the necklace with a smile. "This is a wonderful gift, thank you." She nods. "We will do everything we can for the girl. Thank you again."

What are the electrum coins again?

if i remember correctly, electrum is like a $5, i just dont remember if it is (silver < electrum < gold) or (gold < electrum < platinum)

Just to clarify, we're hoping to get a teleport from Balic? Or were we hoping to get teleported there?

Gorkhan rolls his eyes at Daina's assertion of not looking for reward. Speak for yourself. I just got pulled into this thing and it seems like the best route for my survival is to complete this bloody task. <<Yes let's use the wand. Time is of the essence. The sooner we get to Balic the sooner we can try to get ahead of Payne.>>

Electrum is an alloy of Silver and Gold, and is normally worth 0.5 gold or 5 silver, which in this world would be 500 ceramic pieces.

We're hoping to get a teleport from Balic to either Arkhold or else the Sunlit citadel which is somewhere off the right edge of the map I believe (East of Waverly, which I can't see on it). Arkhold is where we believe Dote is headed to get the codex containing the rituals to remove the seals, and also a blade of the order which the three gems used to belong to. The sunlit citadel is where the actual critter is sealed away and where the rituals need to be performed.

We want to grab a teleport to one of the locations in order to get ahead of Dote, and (I think anyway) also some scrolls of Dimensional Lock, or at least Dimensional Anchor to stop them from bypassing any traps/ambush we set, or fleeing as the female apprentice has in the past.

As Daina lingers near the unconscious girl, she finds herself sharing company with Raun, though the giantess seems at times to be looking off into the distance, or staring through the slumbering villichi, a slight frown curling her lips.

The news from Nell just earns a frown and a harrumph from the woman. She nods impatiently at Daina's question of using the wand. "Of course. If can't get help we need at Balic, need all speed we can get."

After acting as message relay for the rest of the group, Woki talk to Lon in sing-song Halfling tongue for a time. The girl waking and going back to sleep draws the Halfling's attention for a while as the others ready to start on the road to Balic. Woki looks at Däina at her query on speed. <<Spirits say time is growing short. Speed must be quick. Deadheart must be stopped before time of awakenings. Many old dark spirits sleep restlessly. Must not allow deadheart to start end of all things.>>

Yea, sorry for my confusion. I could swear I ready that Sending was NOT on Waki's spell list. Sending is much better.

Grit also fusses over protecting the girl, tasking his tigone to guard her when he is not doing so.

He greets the old dwarf with a firm handshake and, speaking in dwarves says They are scared and in shock. They will come around in time. Go to them and be their rock. We will use this gift to fight those who attacked you. You have our thanks.

He is in agreement that the group should use the wand. He does not need it as he can move quite fast in bird form. As usual he will scout above and slightly ahead of the group.

Thanks for you patience everyone. Three days of the flu, then a day at work trying to fit four days into one is exhausting. But back to it!

As for questions: Daina, an electrum coin typically is worth half a gold piece, but they are rare enough on Athas they could be worth considerably more than that to a collector - you'll have to try to sell one to find out! As for the potions, I'm happy to move them to your possessions, but I've not been too concerned about tracking who is carrying group consumables. If you need to use something, you can pull it from the "group stash" with just a normal action.

Gorkhan: The idea was to walk (quickly) to Balic, then find someone capable of teleporting you to Arkhold. The odds of finding someone who could teleport you to the Black Isle, where the knights' citadel rose from the Sunlit Sea (now the Sea of Silt) are slim to none, as the existence of that place has mostly passed from living memory. Otherwise Raun's info is correct.

You bid your final farewells to the old dwarf and Daina makes a circuit with Arisphistaneles' wand, blessing Raun, Nnn'tkklik'l, the tigone and the group's two kanks with enhanced speed. Gorkhan has not trouble keeping up and Grit keeps pace with the group from the air.

The first night's travel is largely uneventful. The mountains to the north are crowned with clouds of silt from the estuary beyond that glow in the moonlight and the road is in far better condition than those you followed from Tyr and Altaruk.

You pass several argossies stopped for the night, as well as a few smaller caravans still moving, taking advantage of the cooler temperatures and well-kept road to cover the miles. Platoons of Andropinus's templars and soldiers are stationed at regular intervals, half resting while others keep watch on the signal fires that stretch into the darkness on either side of the road. Most pay little attention as you pass, having reduced your speed to something more closely approaching a normal gait.

You move beyond the mountains into dry scrubland before dawn and make camp as the light haze of silt in the air seems to catch fire in curious shades of green and violet.

Daina repeats her ritual with the wand the next morning, burning another five charges. About an hour after you begin traveling, the villichi girl opens her eyes. She seems more alert, curious but not alarmed.

Her thoughts brush tentatively at the collective.

<<Where is my sister. Not Usha, I know she is dead. Zainam. Did they take her?>>

<<They took one of your sisters young one. They hope to use her as a key, We will try to win her back.>> Grit responds mentally as he feels her presence. <<It is good to see you awake and alert. You are among friends. I am Grit, a druid of the wastes.>>

<<i am nnntkklikl, keeper of the clutch. Do you know ritual they will do?>>

"They need her to let beast out. They won't hurt her until that done, and we going to stop them. We save your sister." Raun adds her own attempt to comfort the girl in her gruff way.

"If you want to come with us we may need your help to stop them, but will be dangerous."