Pathfinders - Honor of the Fallen

[DarkDan1100]

Chase blinked in surprise, eyes wide as he slipped off the pillar. Thankfully for him, his Boots of the Cat pulled his body into position and he landed on his feet in front of Roland, a little annoyed at his slip up. He was a little disorientated from almost landing on his face.


It was about then he noticed someone asking him if he was alright, "I'm fine." he said, not happy that he'd slipped up so badly. He decided he'd let the ghoul run away for now, no point in charging into what could be a trap.

 

[TacoMann]

@JayTee


The tablet appears to be inscribed in Elven. It's dusty, faded, and an older dialect, requiring some inspection to really get the gist of. As the sounds of fighting rage on from the Archon and the "Ghouls", the archer scampers back, the archon taking another swing at it as the spearman thrusts once more, to which it responds with a lunging bite at the spearman.

Spoiler

[dice]18762[/dice]


[dice]18764[/dice]


The Archon's sword brutally lacerates the fleeing target's back, shearing raw flesh to expose the shrieking creature's spine as it leaps up to the rooftop for a better aim. The spearman, meanwhile, takes his lunge...


[dice]18765[/dice]


[dice]18766[/dice]


Digging deep into the prior wound, causing the hound to give a shriek of pain.


@SephirothSage


You have a view of the engagement between the outsider and the two emaciated elves.


@DarkDan1100 @Orikanyo


The sounds of the battle Chase briefly witnessed rage on.

 

[Orikanyo]

@TacoMann


Drawing out more arrows Shara-kier started towards the sounds of battle, readying his bow to fire upon anymore creatures of this foul land... In truth he'd rather find an exit but from the sound of it somebody still needed help.


Walking away from the nearby tower he'd hope to find the cause of this disturbance.


"Where could they be?" he wondered as his eyes scanned around... suddenly spotting another man he did notice before. "Ah?! Sorry!" Shara-kier stated as he saw the half-way normal looking man (@JayTee )

 

[JayTee]

Roland started as he was spotted, and was half an instant away from blasting the person with lightning before he realized that they were just as surprised as he was, and did not seem to be hostile. "Hello." He replied, not completely sure how to react. Honestly, the ghoul ambush had left him a little spell-happy.


It was then that the sound of his Hound Archon being wounded reached him, and Roland looked over at the summoned Celestial to assess it's progress with the ghouls. Seeing that it was in trouble, he nodded once to his new acquaintance. "Excuse me a moment." He said, stepping around him.


"Perish." He said. Extending his index and middle finger and pointing them directly at the ghoul spearman, Roland unleashed the blast of lightning he had been holding back.


OOC


Lightning Bolt, targeting 'ghoul' spearman.

 

[TacoMann]

The "Ghoul" yelps out loudly as lightning strikes it, shuddering and shaking as the bolt courses through its body.

Spoiler

[dice]18769[/dice]


[dice]18770[/dice]


Total damage: 13


It gives a feral, inhuman shriek, as it leaps sidelong, interposing the archon between you, and it. And itself between the archon, and it's direly wounded brother. It takes a swing at the archon, as the archon takes another at it.






[dice]18772[/dice]


The Archon swings wild as he swipes at the spearman.


[dice]18773[/dice]


[dice]18774[/dice]


The archon, meanwhile, takes another glance from the spear, as the archer lines up a shot...


[dice]18775[/dice] However, it gives a yelp of pain as it's draw strains against its wounds, both arrows falling loose from its bow.

 

[DarkDan1100]

Chase charged at the archer, moving 60 feet towards it and then covering the last 30 feet before jumping up and punching at it twice.

Spoiler

Jump


[dice]18789[/dice]


Punch 1


[dice]18790[/dice]


Damage 1


[dice]18791[/dice]


Punch 2


[dice]18792[/dice]


Damage 2


[dice]18793[/dice]


Also I forgot to change what I was rolling the dice for in each one and only changed the dice and modifiers, my bad.

 

[TacoMann]

@DarkDan1100 @JayTee


The archer scowls as it dodges your swipes, and takes two shots, one at you, and one at the hound, before scrambling onto the ground, out of sight behind the pillar you've placed yourself on. The Spearman takes another two lunges into the hound, then takes a 5-foot step, leaving a total of 15 feet between them. The hound provoking an attack of opportunity as it lunges for a desperate swing.

Spoiler

[dice]18811[/dice]


[dice]18812[/dice]


The archer's shot at Chase flies wide, but the arrow into the hound proves effective


[dice]18813[/dice]


[dice]18814[/dice]


[dice]18815[/dice]


One spear stab grazes, the other lands, the last one sways wild...


[dice]18816[/dice]


[dice]18817[/dice]


[dice]18818[/dice]


The archon falls, dead, as it lunges the elf. Its corpse does not fade as it should. It is not recalled to the heavens. The moon hangs in the starless sky. It is abandoned. The elf pulls out a net, and grins broadly, pulling it over the hound's corpse, before diving into an alley, dragging what it would call a bounty from heaven behind it as it takes off at a run.

 

[SephirothSage]

The Tiefling licks her lips as she stands up- and notes that the hand holding her sword has outstretched to point at something.


She squints- frowning, as she listens to what she could learn of the soul in her 'feast', even as she licks the blood from her lips. A tree..? Why a tree...


She rises up to stand- keen eyes peering out of the shadow towards anything else of note nearby.


[dice]18819[/dice]


[dice]18820[/dice]

 

[TacoMann]

@SephirothSage


In addition to the tangled willow of the garden pointed out, you see another of the feral elves dive behind a pillar, as Chase leaps after it. You hear the death cry of a hound, mixed with another feral shriek, as you spy another elf sprint into a different road, as fast as it can with a blood-dragging sack behind it.

 

[DarkDan1100]

@TacoMann


Chase scowled at the archer 'ghoul', starting to get annoyed, he unleashed a flurry of fist strikes at it, intending on putting it down for good with his attacks, he spent a ki point in an attempt to finish it off for good.

Spoiler

First attack


[dice]18830[/dice]


Second attack


[dice]18831[/dice]


Third attack


[dice]18832[/dice]


confirm crit roll


[dice]18833[/dice]


Fourth attack


[dice]18834[/dice]


confirm crit roll


[dice]18835[/dice]


Fifth attack


[dice]18836[/dice]


Damage 1


[dice]18837[/dice]


Damage 2


[dice]18838[/dice]


Damage 3 (crit)


[dice]18839[/dice]


Damage 4 (crit)


[dice]18840[/dice]


Damage 5


[dice]18841[/dice]

 

[TacoMann]

@DarkDan1100


As the other elf retreats into the depths of the city, a sack of heavenly mana in tow, his brother is turned into a fine, screeching, pulpy mess by your flurry of anger and indignation.

 

[Orikanyo]

Staring at the scene that just transpired Shara-kier looked to the mage beside him in disbelief of what the other man just did. "I...is... that man your friend?" he asked the wizard whom seemed largely unharmed, thankfully. The knight was having not to nice a day to say the least now stuck in a strange place with two people he really didn't know, he had a lot of things to think about, however, the first of all was to make certain they were indeed, safe.


"Can you see any others? if we have a time to breath might I ask exactly where we are? And why these... things are attempting to harm us?"


"Well they are definitely evil Shara-kier, that much is for certain." The cassisian spoke from the perch it sat atop of the angelic knight's head. "And they probably aren't going to just let us go."

 

[DarkDan1100]

Chase sighed, breathing deeply to calm himself, ignoring the blood on his hands and the slight splatter on his face for a moment as he calmed down. The monk was pretty sure all the hostile creatures had been killed, unless the other intelligent humanoids wanted to fight him he felt like he could relax a little bit. He'd figure out where he was in time, and brutally murdering something he was justified in killing helped calm him down after his slip from the top of one of those pillars.

 

[TacoMann]

@SephirothSage


The Sin-Eating ritual is complete.


@SephirothSage @DarkDan1100 @JayTee @Orikanyo


The wind howls, and faint screams and cries echo from the distant rims of the village once more. The cobalt spires that loom over the singular garden have their shadow grow, as the moon takes its slow, lonesome wane down towards the horizon.

 

[JayTee]

Roland cursed under his breath. He had wanted to interrogate those creatures. Information was paramount in this unknown situation. Resisting the urge to blow something up out of frustration, he instead raised his hand and allowed Krim to settle on it and crawl to his perch on Roland's shoulder.


At the very least, he was making the acquaintance of people who did not appear immediately hostile.


"Not a friend, but not an enemy." Roland replied to the knightly looking figure. "I met him as soon as I met you. Given the opportunistic nature of our attackers, I suspect we are all knew arrivals, and they make a habit of preying on the unwary." He said.


"My name is Roland." He said to both the knight and the man with the bloody knuckles, if the latter had returned. "What are your names?"

 

[SephirothSage]

Mira sighs, as she sways upright- the soul consumed, fed to her mother. She sighs, not bothering to sheathe her weaponry as she stalks out of the shadows- a figure to whom the shadows cling, clad in silver-grey breastplate and form fitting black leather beneath it.


Her blade, gleaming wickedly. Her shield, black and solid- shaped like a scale as she sways towards the group.


"....Hail and greetings- I saw you fight the same things I was." The bloodsoaked figure intones calmly- face grim and stoic as she peers over them all; reading their alignments and physical health with her eyes that gleam so bright- her hair molten gold dirtied by soot and stained by blood, framing an ashy dark skinned face- from which demonic red eyes peer. "Names Mira. You lot are?"

 

[Orikanyo]

"Tsk!" the man gasped almost ready to fire out of surprise, but remained still as the figure started to speak, coherently as well for someone soaked in blood. "I.. err. Ehmn, I appologise. You took me by surprise." he admited honestly, but finding his que to state his name.


"I am Shara-kier, angelic knight, charge of the cassisian. I... Understand that it is a mouthful, Shara works fine. I... suppous you all found yourselves here as well? Uncertain of where you are not how you got here?" he asked the others, looking abit warry of this place, it was indeed quite frightful... And abit cautious with the woman who appeared, something... didn't seem quite right... But he wasn't to judge, he was tainted far worse then any, and even he found purifying light.


"It is a pleasure to meet you all, even in these dire times. I trust if we work towards it we can find a way out of... where we are..."


He paused for a moment thinking on what lead him to be here.


"A... question if you will, I was going through the gates of mensus when I appeared here, have any of you have the same experience?"

 

[DarkDan1100]

Chase listened to the others speak now that he had calmed down sufficiently, "My name is Chase, I walked through those gates too, I assume there must have been magic on them." he said, flicking some of the excess blood onto the ground, not clean but at least they weren't likely to stain everything he touched like this,


"I'm content to work together with all of you, as long as we can trust each other, we'll be fine." he said, though truthfully he wasn't sure he could trust these strangers, he knew that inciting distrust in a strange place was not good for his immediate health.

 

[JayTee]

Another stranger, this time a woman covered in blood. Roland twitched and surpassed a reflex to start casting again, but was otherwise able to compose himself and converse with the others.


"I, too, passed through those gates not long ago." He said. "Whatever magic on them must have placed us here. Although I cannot say why, unless..." Roland trailed off, thinking back to what he had read about Mensus.

Spoiler

Doing some Knowledge checks


[dice]18890[/dice]


[dice]18891[/dice]


[dice]18892[/dice]


[dice]18893[/dice]


[dice]18894[/dice]

 

[TacoMann]

@JayTee


You recall very little, from what you can gather. The basic stories of "The Cobalt Grove" spring to mind. The absence of stars brings to head that the gods have abandoned this place. Your extraplanar knowledge, and arcana, provides the modest explanation that you've been teleported against your will by some sort of powerful event neither purely arcane nor divine. All in all, it would seem you have not so much been teleported actively, so much as... Dragged here. Like fresh air next to the seal of a vacuum. Indeed, a vacuum is what the place calls to mind. A chaotic void. No true inhabitants in sight. Simply the energy cast off from distant events, and the occaisional dangerous entity.


@JayTee @Orikanyo @DarkDan1100 @SephirothSage


The wind blows through the city streets. Dust crosses your waists as the shadow of the greatest spire continues to grow. Beyond the spire, to the far north, mountains can be made out. A forest, just barely visible over the city's edge, to the west. From the view of the streets, nothing can be seen of the east and south. The plaque on the solitary tree shines brightly in the moonlight, as a distant creature howls.

 

[Orikanyo]

@TacoMann


Pulling forward another set of arrows Shara-kier advanced upon the plaque that shined in the all covering darkness. "let us see what this reads, perhaps it shall provide us some form of enlightenment in this dark trial." he spoke to the others as he slowly marched his way forward, keep an eye to the darkness and out for any that may lurk within... And an eye upon his bloody companion as well... well.. more like both of them, the other man, Roland, seemed stable enough.


Regardless, he marched forwards, remembering the words of a friend of his long ago. "Courage must be had to travel in the darkness, but only a fool goes in without care." it was times like these he found his words most true, but... was the shadow their friend on this day? Time will tell that much, for now, he had a light to investigate.


Coming closer to the plaque he aimed to investigate it, hoping that it would shed about as much light on their situation then it did on the scenery.

 

[JayTee]

So, they were in some type of... aborted Plane. One comprised of garbage and spare refuse from other planes. Roland did not like the sound of that, as it meant any rhyme or reason in what they encountered would be thin indeed. "Damned Outer Planes." He muttered under his breath.


Letting the others walk ahead of him as they investigated the plaque, Roland pulled out the cobalt tablet he had picked up earlier and began to inspect it.

 

[TacoMann]

@Orikanyo


As you cross through the withered, brambled garden towards the tree, a low hum takes to the air. Two floating wisps of light illuminate the cobalt tile as you approach. Scrawled in Elven, in an elegant font upon the tablet, is the following:

Our First True Tree






Planted by the elders, to celebrate the birth of the first child.




The fruit of this tree shall be shared to all who wish to join our land.




Around this tree, a garden of our hopes and love shall grow.




With the growth of this tree, so too, shall we grow.




As a community. As a people. And as a Family.




No longer shall we be survivors, clinging to life desperately out of our spires.




We shall be a family. Accepting all in need with open arms.




We are not the women and men of blue metal.




We are the family of The Cobalt Grove.




And as long as this grove lives lush, there shall be hope.







-

Lysandir Tyrsif, The Eldest, The First Sower





-

Meyalla Ceilfenne, The First Harvester





-Victoire Naizen, The First Shaper





-Lysandra Odnyr, The First Hunter





-Aerii Lonalli, The First Brewer





-

Lyanna Wylfreyyr, The First Author





-Iirella Lonalli, The First Soothsayer




-

Naelai Ceilfenne, The First Healer





-Lochanall Tyrsif, The First Seer




-Amell Naithanal, The First Gardener





-Asyrai Skyfair, The First Mother, and First Guardian.







The bark, creaks softly as you read.


@Orikanyo @SephirothSage @DarkDan1100


[Perception Check, DC 20]


@JayTee


It rapidly becomes apparent the tablet you hold has little in the way of direct historical or philosophical meaning. Also scrawled in Elven, upon the old blue tile...

My Darling Arrasyd,





The lost children are numerous, and I fear I may not return from my journey to the Crystalline Palace in time. It is said that the Maiden of the Shards can work miracles, but even so, I must beg you, my love. Please. Do not become lost. No matter how it pains us both, we must hold our honor. We must stay true. Survival is not as important as family, and I would sooner waste to ash, than risk you seeing me as the beast so many of the children have become. If I do not return, know this: I love you. I've loved you since our first shaping together. All I do from now on, I do with you in heart and in mind. I dreamed so much of my life that perhaps one day we could be married before the first tree. That we could grow to Eldhood together in a small pillar by it, after travelling the lands outside the wastes. If I do not return by the decade's end, and you still live, please, flee the grove. Flee to the woodlands. Flee to mountains. Do not linger here.





With much love, and a heavy heart,





Taelan










I hold you with me in my heart, no matter how far I travel, or how long.







From the mummified state of the corpse holding this tablet, it would seem Arrasyd died clutching it centuries ago. Likely starvation.


(Will you hang on to the tablet? Or cast it aside?)

 

[Orikanyo]

@TacoMann


"Amazing... guess this place is more then a simple hive of monsters..." Shara-kier stated as he took a small step away from the tree to get a look at it, their first tree, abit odd to record the first tree, when there were already trees around... right? or.. was this place different? Perhaps it would be best to take a small look around.


"So many names... makes me somewhat thankful for the perfect recall you grant Cassisian, makes things much easier to remember." "Take it not for granted, we have much to do still, take a look around, perhaps there is something else we can figure out about this area, go on now, get to it." the angel ordered to the man it sat atop of, it's wings fluttering as it did so.


"yes yes of course, remain calm I know what i msut do.." the paladin sighed sightly at the incessant barking of the angel.

 

[JayTee]

Roland's expression turned somber as he read the note. He had helped illiterate men in the army draft their own death letters like this on several occasions. Young warriors, doomed to die in foreign lands for unknown goals and uncaring masters. Even if it had no value to him, Roland didn't feel right just discarding it, so he put it in his Haversack.