Chapter 1: Breathing is a Luxury

[yxanthymir]

Chapter 1: Breathing is a Luxury

It is right after dawn. The sun appeared not a long time ago, and his presence already feels oppressive in the cloudless sky. The heat is already relevant and it is promising to become unbearable later. A rag tag group of people from different origins and backgrounds encounters at the outskirts of High Watch. They have come here for various reasons, some were called through letters of a dear friend, others heard the news of problems at the village of Esker and were desperate to reach the destination, and some are here just for the adventure. It doesn't matter the reason. They have come from different places, joined at different times and united in a group who shared a single goal.

Behind the group are the massive walls of High Watch, one of the fortified cities that protect the empire from the perils of the Northern Reach, with its fifty feet ivory colored walls surrounding the whole city. Near them an empty moat and a long wooden drawbridge that they recently crossed when leaving the city. At the gate of the city, a guard post manned by a dozen soldiers in the characteristic black uniform of the place. This is the less impressive access to the city of High Watch, unadorned and devoid of the huge statues of warriors of faith and Astrid that decorate the other entrance.

At the left side of the road, a series of huge iron spikes bordering the lip of the moat. Squirming at the nearest iron spikes, three rotten zombies lay impaled from the anus to the mouth. The smell near them noxious and gut wrenching, both from the rotten meat and the burned remains piled up on the ground. Flies everywhere with an audible and irritating buzzing sound.

At the right side of the road, some ramshackle buildings, mostly abandoned, with signs of recent destruction. The nearest building is an old tavern, built with dark wood, that clearly has seem better days. It is missing the sign post with just an empty iron bar near the main door and part of the front window almost collapsed with just one hinge holding the weight of the frame.

A bald and overweight human in shabby and discolored clothes observes the group with apprehensive eyes from the threshold of the tavern. He remains immobile there observing in silence.

The sandy and precarious road follows to the North, ending in the village of Esker after a few days of trip.

 

Edited April 17, 2023 by yxanthymir (see edit history)

[Neopopulas]

Strength: 9 | Agility: 10 | Intellect: 11 | Will: 12 | Perception: 12 | Defense: 10 | Health: 13/13 | Healing Rate: 4 | Speed: 12 | Power: 1
Professions: Artist (Music, Painter), Scholar (Magic, Medicine, War, Occult), Hunter, Courtier | Languages: Common Tongue, High Archaic, Elvish, Dark Speech, Dwarfish
ShadowsightYou can see into areas obscured by shadows as if those areas were well lit., Spell DefenseYou take half damage from spells and you make any challenge roll to resist a spell with 1 boon. A creature attacking you with a spell makes the attack roll with 1 bane, Bewitching PresenceYour magical nature alters how others see you and behave around you. You make attack rolls in social situations with 1 boon. If you touch or are touched by an object made from iron, you lose this trait for as long as you remain in contact with the object and for 1 minute afterward, Immune (Damage from Disease, Diseased and Charmed condition).
Sense Magic (2/2), Control Flame (2/2), Flame Missile (2/2), Fire Blast (1/1), Sword of Fire (1/1), Harm (2/2), Face Rip (2/2), Hateful Defecation (1/1)
Darkling's Raiment (2/2), Steal Shadow (2/2)

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

                                                                                                                                             

Summer seemed unconcerned about the hot sun, it the dust, or the walking.. Or the zombies for that matter, or the dead men, or the flies, or the oppressive feeling that lay over the entire land like a wet blanket. Oft-times it seems that nothing bothered her, and then suddenly something would bother her a great deal and .. well it got intense after that.

She kept her hood up despite the heat, sometimes is paid to see exactly what you were dealing with before giving everything away, but the way the bright, shining gold eyes watched from the shadow of the hood left little to the imagination.

If anything she seemed more interested in talking to the rat she had caught some days past, holding it between her hands and whispering to it in some strange tongue. She manages to pull herself away from her conversation long enough - and tucks the rodent away in her cloak - to focus on what is going on..
"Should we perhaps.. " there is a long pause, she's full of long pauses, as if everyone had as long as she did to have a conversation - "Pause briefly here, perhaps?"

Edited April 17, 2023 by Neopopulas (see edit history)

[fabulist]

 

---

Fiona Devany (Rogue) | Str 10 Ag 11 Int 11 Wil 11 | Per 11 Def 11 | Health 16/16 | TalentsNimble Recovery (Rest) | You can use an action to heal damage equal to your Healing Rate and then move up to half your Speed without triggering free attacks.

Trickery (Round) | You can make an attack roll or challenge roll with 1 boon. If you attack with a boon from this talent, your attack deals +1d6 damage.

Exploit opportunity (Round) | When the total of your attack roll is 20+ and exceeds the TN by 5+, you can take another turn at any point before the end of the round.

Roguery Talent: Magic | +1 Power, Transformation (Mask, Animal Shape)

---

Fiona didn't like the sun here, or the smells, or shabby environment, and she made small grimaces and cast disgusted glances at the 'sights'. She spent long enough time in more lively wilderness that she got used to it, and shook her head several times when thinking about the way ahead. "It better be worth it!" - she whispered to herself soon after exiting High Watch, and then concentrated on the task. Her eyes darted left and right, again and again as she searched for signs of potential danger.

She also watched and listened to Summer intently, trying to hide her burning curiosity so as not to be rude. As the golden-eyed woman walked in front of her, the red-haired scout caught up with her, and after half a minute of walking close, addressed her.

"Ummm... you want to buy something from the tavern?"

Edited April 17, 2023 by fabulist (see edit history)

[yxanthymir]

---

Leon Bosh (Warrior) | Str 12 Ag 11 Int 10 Wil 10 | Per 10 Def 15 | Health 22/22 | TalentsCatch Your Breath You can use an action or a triggered action on your turn to heal damage equal to your healing rate. Once you use this talent, you cannot use it again until after you complete a rest.

Weapon Training When attacking with a weapon, you make the attack roll with 1 boon.

Combat Prowess Your attacks with weapons deal 1d6 extra damage. 

Forceful Strike When the total of your attack roll is 20 or higher and exceeds the target number by at least 5, the attack deals 1d6 extra damage.

---

Leon is right behind them. He mumbles loudly trying to bring attention of the group to him. He points towards the road, and makes a motion with his hands indicating movement. Then he points towards the sun, he swirls his fingers and make a movement that appears an explosion. He doesn't know if they understood him, but this is the best he could do to make himself understood. 

Being a mute is difficult.

---

 

[VolsungaSaga]

---

Dun (Warrior) | Str: 13 | Agi: 10 | Int 9 | Will 9 | Per 10 Def 15 | Health 23/23 | TalentsShadowsight


Catch Your Breath: You can use an action or a triggered action on your turn to heal damage equal to your healing rate. Once you use this talent, you cannot use it again until after you complete a rest.

Weapon Training: When attacking with a weapon, you make the attack roll with 1 boon.

Combat Prowess: Your attacks with weapons deal 1d6 extra damage.

Forceful Strike: When the total of your attack roll is 20 or higher and exceeds the target number by at least 5, the attack deals 1d6 extra damage.

---

Dun took up the rear guard of the group, lumbering across the drawbridge like a tumbling boulder. It had been quite a while since he last saw this castle-town -- it was in that dreadful year when the very walls of this fortress were painted with the blood of his comrades. He thanked the Heavens that Rhiannon had been sent away -- she'd be about seventeen winters old by now, if Dun reckoned right. A great deal of awkwardness had been avoided, although it was hard to distract himself from all the bad memories. The coming return to Esker (and the prospect of well-paid work, however vague the specifics) was the highlight of the day, and Dun beams an oafishly toothy smile to the blazing sun. Though his nose tickled at all the intriguing scents, he thought very little of them. The castle town was about as filthy anyways.

He indeed saw the terribly shabby tavern, but profoundly disagreed with staying there. Dun yells past Leon, "Why'd we want ta go there? S' dirty and bad-smelling. Probably nuffin' to eat 'cept maggoty bread. An' we've only been walkin' fer short time, too. Let's get some miles in 'afore we rest!"

The loud mumbles of Leon draw the attention of Dun's floppy ears, and he pays close attention to his gesticulations. Dun nods sagely, then magnanimously interprets for the group, again bellowing past Leon: "An' Leon says: 'The sun's gonna explode if we don't get a move on!' So, that's three reasons to keep goin'!" Dun wasn't very sure if Leon was right about the sun exploding, but there wasn't any sense in rolling the dice.

 

 

[TheShadyRaven]

Taran Vol (Priestess) | Str: 11 | Agi: 10 | Int 11 | Will 11 | Per 11 Def 13 | Health 18/18 | TalentsShadowsight


Catch Your Breath: You can use an action or a triggered action on your turn to heal damage equal to your healing rate. Once you use this talent, you cannot use it again until after you complete a rest.

Weapon Training: When attacking with a weapon, you make the attack roll with 1 boon.

Combat Prowess: Your attacks with weapons deal 1d6 extra damage.

Forceful Strike: When the total of your attack roll is 20 or higher and exceeds the target number by at least 5, the attack deals 1d6 extra damage.

---

Taran Vol paid more attention to the squirming zombies than to her companions. Not only it was a disgrace to see those corpses twisted into a mockey of life, they had been further defiled by the impalers. She watched the undeads' helpless limbs twitch as the creatures struggles to free themselves. There would be no release for them - not until what remained of those bodies rotted away, and the bones at last crumbled under the assault of the elements.

This had to be the guards' doing, so it would be the guards to undo the damage. Vol's gaze wandered, searching for the black uniforms so common within the walls of High Watch. There were some at the gate, that she knew. Still, a larger group might have not been easily swayed by a simple rebuke - even one given by a member of the Solemn Brethren. Perhaps, two or three guards would have been easier to direct.

The priestess' attention focused on the squalid place that Dun had just dismissed. Where else would guards gather to drink and wind down, so close to the gate? Taran looked at the overweight man. A keeper fit for that tavern.

The woman kept her gaze locked on the man standing at the entrance of the shabby building, like a snake did as it approached a mouse. The priestess walked towards him at a slow pace, one deliberate step after the other. She walked past Dun. Even as she spoke to the orc, Taran's attention remained on the tavern keeper.

"Go ahead. I will catch up in a moment."

 

[Neopopulas]

Strength: 9 | Agility: 10 | Intellect: 12 | Will: 12 | Perception: 12 | Defense: 10 | Health: 13/13 | Healing Rate: 4 | Speed: 12 | Power: 1
Professions: Artist (Music, Painter), Scholar (Magic, Medicine, War, Occult), Hunter, Courtier | Languages: Common Tongue, High Archaic, Elvish, Dark Speech, Dwarfish
ShadowsightYou can see into areas obscured by shadows as if those areas were well lit., Spell DefenseYou take half damage from spells and you make any challenge roll to resist a spell with 1 boon. A creature attacking you with a spell makes the attack roll with 1 bane, Bewitching PresenceYour magical nature alters how others see you and behave around you. You make attack rolls in social situations with 1 boon. If you touch or are touched by an object made from iron, you lose this trait for as long as you remain in contact with the object and for 1 minute afterward, Immune (Damage from Disease, Diseased and Charmed condition). Sense Magic (2/2)
Fire Tradition: Control Flame (2/2), Flame Missile (2/2), Fire Blast (1/1), Sword of Fire (1/1),
Forbidden Tradition: Harm (2/2), Face Rip (2/2), Hateful Defecation (1/1)
Shadow Tradition: Darkling's Raiment (2/2), Steal Shadow (2/2)

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

                                                                                                                                             

She makes a languid turn to face Fiona and she reaches up to pull her hood out of her way. Her fingers are slim and her nails long and dark. She was remarkably clean, she was always clean. No matter what dust she crawled through, no matter what mud pulled at her boots, it never seemed to stick. "If we are to be traveling too much further it would be best if we had supplies, no?"

She makes a little nod to the others "They don't seem convinced though and honestly, i probably have enough for myself but.. I wouldn't want you to suffer." Summer turns the other way to watch Taran pass, heading towards the man at the door "Perhaps it won't be much of a question for much longer.."

Edited April 19, 2023 by Neopopulas (see edit history)

[yxanthymir]

The bald tavern keeper at the threshold of his establishment yells to the group, noticing their indecision to enter his establishment.

You, people, here fer de burnin'. Only at nigh. He moves closer to the group at the edge of the road, while rubbing a glass with a piece of rag. He spits on the rag to improve its cleaning capacity. I can save a spot fer you. Best place in all High Watch!

Edited April 18, 2023 by yxanthymir (see edit history)

[fabulist]

  

---

Fiona Devany (Rogue) | Str 10 Ag 11 Int 11 Wil 11 | Per 11 Def 11 | Health 16/16 | TalentsNimble Recovery (Rest) | You can use an action to heal damage equal to your Healing Rate and then move up to half your Speed without triggering free attacks.

Trickery (Round) | You can make an attack roll or challenge roll with 1 boon. If you attack with a boon from this talent, your attack deals +1d6 damage.

Exploit opportunity (Round) | When the total of your attack roll is 20+ and exceeds the TN by 5+, you can take another turn at any point before the end of the round.

Roguery Talent: Magic | +1 Power, Transformation (Mask, Animal Shape)

---

Fiona looked back at Leon as she mumbled. "Yeah, better put as many miles behind us as we can, before the Sun starts beating down in earnest." She wondered at the mute warrior and considered asking him what happened to make him mute, but discarded the idea. Maybe later, when we have some story together.

She shrugged a little at Summer's remark about supplies. "Yeah, we'll need them." She then scratched her head at the tavern keeper's cleaning method. "But maybe not from here."

---

OOCI suppose we have food and drink for the journey we planned for. Or should buy enough now?

Edited April 21, 2023 by fabulist (see edit history)

[TheShadyRaven]

Taran Vol (Priestess) | Str: 11 | Agi: 10 | Int 11 | Will 11 | Per 11 Def 13 | Health 18/18 | TalentsShadowsight


Catch Your Breath: You can use an action or a triggered action on your turn to heal damage equal to your healing rate. Once you use this talent, you cannot use it again until after you complete a rest.

Weapon Training: When attacking with a weapon, you make the attack roll with 1 boon.

Combat Prowess: Your attacks with weapons deal 1d6 extra damage.

Forceful Strike: When the total of your attack roll is 20 or higher and exceeds the target number by at least 5, the attack deals 1d6 extra damage.

---

Hearing the words of the stranger, Taran Vol looked once more at the impaled undead.

"What burning? The zombies? Who decided to make a show out of those creatures coming from the Desolation?"

Vol tried hard not to let the thought spark her anger. In the end, Father Death would have the last word, she reminded herself.

For now, a little more information was required. If the undead were to burn tonight, that would have been acceptable. It would have taken longer than she would have advised, but not so long to truly make a difference, in the grand scheme of things. Still, the eagerness she heard in the man's words was worrying. It spoke of unholy sacrilege being turned into a macabre circus.

Edited April 19, 2023 by TheShadyRaven (see edit history)

[VolsungaSaga]

---

Dun (Warrior) | Str: 13 | Agi: 10 | Int 9 | Will 9 | Per 10 Def 15 | Health 23/23 | Talents

---

Dun had smelled enough burning, rotten flesh during that dreadful year within these very walls to know that such a grisly theatre would be quite unpleasant to the nose, if Taran's suppositions were right. Since when did the humans want to be within a mile of such flaming offal? Dun could swear they got crazier every year.

In any case, Dun trudges up to where everyone seemed to be deliberating, gazing rather critically at the innkeeper's chosen method of dish-washing. "Highly unsanitary!", the old household butler would say, although he was referring to Dun and his fellow Orcish house-guards. The fact that Dun and his Orcish fellows weren't allowed in any bathhouses, nor possessed much washing facilities aside from perhaps a shit-filled aqueduct, seemed quite lost on that hoary idiot. Ah, bad memories.

Addressing both the black-haired elf and the crimson-haired human, Dun suggests, "Well, if ya think that shabby joint's got somethin' to give us fer the road, no harm in takin' a look. But Esker's only a few tens o' miles thatta way--" A thick finger points "thatta way" "-- an' we won't need so much 'til we get over there. So get a day's worth of supplies, whatever ya need."

[Neopopulas]

Strength: 9 | Agility: 10 | Intellect: 12 | Will: 12 | Perception: 12 | Defense: 10 | Health: 13/13 | Healing Rate: 4 | Speed: 12 | Power: 1
Professions: Artist (Music, Painter), Scholar (Magic, Medicine, War, Occult), Hunter, Courtier | Languages: Common Tongue, High Archaic, Elvish, Dark Speech, Dwarfish
ShadowsightYou can see into areas obscured by shadows as if those areas were well lit., Spell DefenseYou take half damage from spells and you make any challenge roll to resist a spell with 1 boon. A creature attacking you with a spell makes the attack roll with 1 bane, Bewitching PresenceYour magical nature alters how others see you and behave around you. You make attack rolls in social situations with 1 boon. If you touch or are touched by an object made from iron, you lose this trait for as long as you remain in contact with the object and for 1 minute afterward, Immune (Damage from Disease, Diseased and Charmed condition). Sense Magic (2/2)
Fire Tradition: Control Flame (2/2), Flame Missile (2/2), Fire Blast (1/1), Sword of Fire (1/1),
Forbidden Tradition: Harm (2/2), Face Rip (2/2), Hateful Defecation (1/1)
Shadow Tradition: Darkling's Raiment (2/2), Steal Shadow (2/2)

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

                                                                                                                                             

"I have enough to last that long..." She thought for a moment about Esker, it had been some time since she had been there last.. or the first time.. "But if we want to see the burning we'll have to hang around..."

[fabulist]

 

---

Fiona Devany (Rogue) | Str 10 Ag 11 Int 11 Wil 11 | Per 11 Def 11 | Health 16/16 | TalentsNimble Recovery (Rest) | You can use an action to heal damage equal to your Healing Rate and then move up to half your Speed without triggering free attacks.

Trickery (Round) | You can make an attack roll or challenge roll with 1 boon. If you attack with a boon from this talent, your attack deals +1d6 damage.

Exploit opportunity (Round) | When the total of your attack roll is 20+ and exceeds the TN by 5+, you can take another turn at any point before the end of the round.

Roguery Talent: Magic | +1 Power, Transformation (Mask, Animal Shape)

---

"The smell of burning corpses? No, thank you." Fiona said with a disgusted frown.

"I'm good for the journey, Dun."

"So, you ever been to the woods south of here?" She turned to Summer, but a strange impulse stopped her from using the name. "I've met some elves there ... so to say."

---

 

Edited April 22, 2023 by fabulist (see edit history)

[Neopopulas]

Strength: 9 | Agility: 10 | Intellect: 12 | Will: 12 | Perception: 12 | Defense: 10 | Health: 13/13 | Healing Rate: 4 | Speed: 12 | Power: 1
Professions: Artist (Music, Painter), Scholar (Magic, Medicine, War, Occult), Hunter, Courtier | Languages: Common Tongue, High Archaic, Elvish, Dark Speech, Dwarfish
ShadowsightYou can see into areas obscured by shadows as if those areas were well lit., Spell DefenseYou take half damage from spells and you make any challenge roll to resist a spell with 1 boon. A creature attacking you with a spell makes the attack roll with 1 bane, Bewitching PresenceYour magical nature alters how others see you and behave around you. You make attack rolls in social situations with 1 boon. If you touch or are touched by an object made from iron, you lose this trait for as long as you remain in contact with the object and for 1 minute afterward, Immune (Damage from Disease, Diseased and Charmed condition). Sense Magic (2/2)
Fire Tradition: Control Flame (2/2), Flame Missile (2/2), Fire Blast (1/1), Sword of Fire (1/1),
Forbidden Tradition: Harm (2/2), Face Rip (2/2), Hateful Defecation (1/1)
Shadow Tradition: Darkling's Raiment (2/2), Steal Shadow (2/2)

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"The south? The south is huge my dear.. Which woods do you mean?"

[fabulist]

 

---

Fiona Devany (Rogue) | Str 10 Ag 11 Int 11 Wil 11 | Per 11 Def 11 | Health 16/16 | TalentsNimble Recovery (Rest) | You can use an action to heal damage equal to your Healing Rate and then move up to half your Speed without triggering free attacks.

Trickery (Round) | You can make an attack roll or challenge roll with 1 boon. If you attack with a boon from this talent, your attack deals +1d6 damage.

Exploit opportunity (Round) | When the total of your attack roll is 20+ and exceeds the TN by 5+, you can take another turn at any point before the end of the round.

Roguery Talent: Magic | +1 Power, Transformation (Mask, Animal Shape)

---

Fiona caressed the medallion on her neck. "Well, not far from High Watch, a few day's walk from here. The Old Wood, they call it, if I remember correctly." - she explained, a little embarassed.