Trials, Tribulation, and Treasure

Nov 7, 2023 1:24 am

Rhidon shakes his head adjusting from the effects of the magical energies. He has been transported to many places recently, but can't say he's fond of how it feels in his body.

With Vaun talking the lead on introductions, he looks the guards over to ensure none of them look especially aggressive.

Barley

microtheMacroBear

Nov 7, 2023 11:58 am

Trials, Tribulation, and Treasure

"You're doing great, I can hear you clearly. Take the lead, you have this.", Barley thinks to Vaun as he holds back observing the gnome and his compatriots. He relaxes his manner as he scans the nervous guards, the furrow browed old man, and the friendly gnome.

He reaches out with his elven spirit hoping the portal's effect has dissipated enough that he can detect any other magical sources in the area. "Prehaps the old man, he looks wizardly, still best not judge a scroll by its parchment", he thinks to himself.

OOC:

Spirtual - dectect magic and unnatural forces

Last edited November 7, 2023 11:59 am

Fiznik

Psybermagi

Nov 7, 2023 2:46 pm

Trials, Tribulation, and Treasure

The gnome passes the card to the old man.
The guards seem almost relieved. Perhaps they feared the tiles might bring something worse than a man, elf, and dwarf.
The tiles are magic as are a few things on the old man and gnome as well as a tent a couple dozen feet back.

Fiznik

This is a Matrix Node address the old man exclaims as he looks at the mark on the card. Eldergrove you say? Hmm we will have to check the archives for records of that place. The of thing is, we have already sent some people there but they left saying it was abandoned. Who, if I may ask, sent you to help the place? he asks starting at you intently

Stalker05

Nov 7, 2023 5:08 pm

Trials, Tribulation, and Treasure

Vaun pondered whether to tell the old man that they were given a quest by a spectral guardian hero who is also a thief. But then again, if the card worked, maybe it was better to tell the truth. He bowed to the wizardly old man and said, "I think a spectral guardian hero who introduces himself as 'the thief' sent me and my companions here. Apparently, this is a trial to prove our mettle and receive his gift. He mentions that people here are in dire need of help. If so, we can provide assistance. My name is Vaun Kaiser and I am a doctor. This is Barley and Rhidon Axehorn. You can call us adventurers, and we would love to provide any help, though our sole target is to complete our quest which is somehow related to Eldergrove. Something about a sickness needs to be cured."

Psybermagi

Nov 8, 2023 12:14 am

Trials, Tribulation, and Treasure

Valpip

The gnome speaks up While we do require help, if you were sent to the aid of Eldergrove, that is not here. Come let us consult the records and maybe we can get ths all straitened out.

The elderly and kindly gnome leads you through the caverns with a few guards to help "escort" you at the insistance of the wizard who remained behind. It takes some time to travel through the caverns along a path that look relaativley new but getting high levels of recent traffic. You eventually arrive at a guarded gate that opens at Valpip's command. After another couple of minutes you assend some stairs to an odd guard room that looks new and like a gate house built to blockade the stairs.

A moment after that you are outside and in what looks like a village or small city, but with a high number or schollars, guards, and adventurers. Valpip guides you to a comfortable litle shop, that he identifies as his, before writing a note and sending it off with one of the guards.

Welcome to the expeditionaly base of Paphos. We are working to recover the lost city and hoepfully recover some of the knowledge lost during the Dawn War. Unfortuanately the city has become a point of contention with orcs, hobgoblins, and a dragon with its minions. As you can imagine we do have need of brave adventureres here. However if, as I believe is the case, the card you handed us allows us to acceess Eldergrove we can send you on your way. Fitrst however I would like to hear fom you more agout these "Specrral Guardians" that you say send you here.

As you chat he serves cool mild wine or mead and he ask each of your your story. After sevral more minutes a half elvn scholar returns with the guard. You are introduced to her and she to you by Valpipl Myreana is the lead archeologist and knows quite a bit about ancient cities in the area.

Please indicate, in a sentence to two, how much you share with Valpip about yourself and your adventures.

Myreana

Eldergrove was an elven satelite city of Paphos and should be located somewhere within a week journey of her. Most likely to the north west. Legen has it that it was governed by a council of druids and tried to stay out of the Dawn War. unfortunatly this failed and they suffered a immortal attack towards the end and the druids unleashed a powerful curse as they lost their city.
From the short descriptions of the previous party that went there, saying the city was in a thick forrest and overgrown with plants, the probability of the location being Eldergrove is quite high. Your elven friend should be able to read the marking within the city and identify it for sure. If you were sent to help the city then I assume it means finding some way to end the curse. If you are able to do so then on top of whatever rewards those that send you prommised I believe I can get you an additional reward from the nearest elven kingdom and the Expedition as well. Provided of course that those that sent you do not mind us going to the city to investigate and possibly retake it as well.

OOC:

See the Base Thread if you wand details on the town. If you want to explore we will move the story to that thread. If you want to continue your adventure we will just keep going here.

Barley

microtheMacroBear

Nov 8, 2023 12:15 pm

Trials, Tribulation, and Treasure

"We're here", thinks Barley to himself as he listens to Valpip, occasionally glancing at Rhidon with barely contained glee.

During the chat, Barley keeps the information about himself brief, summarizing the journey, but not leaning heavy into details. He does however mention several times that he is a bit of a scholar himself, maybe a little too many times.

After listening to Myreana Barley thanks her.
"I for one am not sure of our spiritual benefactors motivations, but the only said we had to cure the city of a disease. They didn't mention anything past that. Take that how you will", he says to Myreana shrugging.

Turning to his compatriots Barley says "I for one am eager to finish the trial set to us. I still have yet to receive my boon. The city is grand, but I think our business lies in the ruined city of Eldergrove. What say you?"

"Plus who knows if this is actually an illusion or not", thinks Barley, but does not project it.

OOC:

I vote Eldergrove.

Last edited November 8, 2023 12:15 pm

Barley

microtheMacroBear

Nov 8, 2023 12:25 pm

Trials, Tribulation, and Treasure

OOC:

But if everyone wants to explore town first, that's fine. I just don't want to forget about the last trial.

Psybermagi

Nov 8, 2023 1:51 pm

Trials, Tribulation, and Treasure

OOC:

You can do a bit of shopping now if you want and will be able to return here if desired later at any point. I just am giving option to move straight to the quest/story not trying to force anything

Stalker05

Nov 8, 2023 2:25 pm

Trials, Tribulation, and Treasure

Vaun was overloaded with the experience. He couldn't believe that he had reached the expeditionary base. His mind wandered back to Garret, Shank, Prank, and Gossip. How is it that he has reached here and they are still waiting there? He looked up to the gnome and said, "Master Valpip, is it? I am a travelling doctor who wants to know more about this world and research the variety of flora and fauna it has. But, currently, I have been given a quest by this spectral guardian named Thief, who sent us here. I must say, I had a travelling companion named Garret who travelled with me and is an expert craftsman. He is currently waiting outside the crypts of these spectral guardians. He is a very competent and expert fellow who also planned to reach this expeditionary base and provide his skills as aid. So, I humbly request that you send someone and help him reach this place."

A few moments later, when they were introduced to the scholar Myreana, he listened to all the information she offered and then replied, "We are also looking forward to recovering Eldergrove. Maybe that is where we will set out?"

Vaun replied to Barley mentally, "Yes, I too want to complete the trial of the Eldergrove."

Stalker05

Nov 8, 2023 2:26 pm

Trials, Tribulation, and Treasure

OOC: I don't know how much currency I have.

Last edited November 8, 2023 2:26 pm

Psybermagi

Nov 8, 2023 2:32 pm

Trials, Tribulation, and Treasure

OOC:

I don't worry about money at the beginning of this game but now that you are in the thick of it everyone can have 5 gold as travel money and go from there
In tht ~Tiny Info~ sheet you can find a stores spoiler invert the Price Guide header. Store sell at normal and buy at cheap unless ornate stated or negotiated

Rhidon Axehorn

CurtFactor Inactive for 4 months

Nov 8, 2023 4:45 pm

Trials, Tribulation, and Treasure

Rhidon is fairly honest with Valpip, but emphasizes more of his work helping others than the trading. However he is very interested in anything Myreana has to say about the expedition she is undertaking and explains the second vision to her in detail to see if it matches anything she has heard about.

"I too want to make to Eldergrove quickly. Maybe we can pickup some rations and get going... what time of day is it, anyway?" he asks while looking around at the sky.

OOC:

Yeah I think it's a good idea to head to Eldergrove without much delay, but might be worth resting here if its already late and head out at the start of the day.

Psybermagi

Nov 9, 2023 3:38 am

Trials, Tribulation, and Treasure

The researcher and gnome artificer ask you many probing questions and are later joined by a priest who confirms with a spell that you are not possessed by any spirit or malign entity. You are given a meal and a place to sleep as well as an escort for the remainder of the day while the local leaders discuss your case. They seem willing to send you you on your way but would like you assistances with the tiles, which they call Matrix Nodes. They can provide you an item that will allow you to return to the tiles in the cave under the base once. The item will need to be recharged by Valpip or or Fiznik each time. In exchange for this they ask you to keep them appraise of the conditions there and they may send others behind you once you have made safe some of the area there. This is a tentative offer and many details are still being discussed by the local leaders. The final decision will be announced in the morning

OOC:

You can read the Base thread if you want to get more info on the expedition

In regards to Vauns request to find his companion along with Rhidon and Barleys descriptions of where the mound was likely to be they can only promise to tell the river captains and caravan leaders to keep an eye out.

Barley

microtheMacroBear

Nov 9, 2023 11:32 am

Trials, Tribulation, and Treasure

"What kind of help do you need with the matrix nodes? Do you need some sort of navigation device for them, I could not help but to over hear Fiznik complaining earlier.", asks Barley to Valnip and Fiznik.

OOC:

Are we going to track rations and torches? If so, that's what I'd like to use some of the gold on while we are being escorted around.

Barley can make fire and we are going into an overgrown city, so we might be able to make torches.

If we are tracking rations:
2 gp - Cheap rations (6 days)
3 gp - Cheap Healers kit

If we are not:
1 gp Cheap shovel
1 gp Cheap crowbar
3 gp Cheap healers kit.

Last edited November 9, 2023 11:33 am

Psybermagi

Nov 9, 2023 2:20 pm

Trials, Tribulation, and Treasure

They explain that they are on contact with someone who had more knowledge on Node control but learning to use it is taking time. What they want from you is to help with dinner tests and gather any information you find. The Nodes allow communication and travel between them but the specifics are still being worked out.

OOC:

I don't normally track rations at long as you are in an area you can get food. So do not worry at long as each of you had at least a couple days of food.
Buy at normal pricing, sell at cheap.

Stalker05

Nov 9, 2023 2:37 pm

Trials, Tribulation, and Treasure

ooc: I will store gold for now in order to buy expensive stuff later. Also, does the dagger that Vaun picked have any special properties? Or is it just a normal dagger?

Psybermagi

Nov 9, 2023 2:51 pm

Trials, Tribulation, and Treasure

OOC:

normal dagger

Rhidon Axehorn

CurtFactor Inactive for 4 months

Nov 9, 2023 8:33 pm

Trials, Tribulation, and Treasure

Rhidon, thinking internally to his compatriots, I don't like the idea in being in any prolonged debt to these people, but see no issues with the sort of temporary arrangement they're describing. I guess we'll see for sure what they say in the morning.

Valpip

Psybermagi

Nov 10, 2023 4:06 am

Trials, Tribulation, and Treasure

Quietly when you have time to talk amongst yourselves you decide to take the Expedition up on its offer in the morning and continue your journey and quest to Eldergrove. Pooling your resources you buy a shovel, crowbar, a healer's kit, and enough rations for each of you for three days. You are provided a meal free and it is explained that as long as you contribute you are given a pallet to sleep and 2 meals a day.

In the morning you meet with and accompany Valpip and Fiznik on their trek down to the Matrix Node. They explain that there will be focusing on learning to secure the site from outside travel so you may be blocked. Luckily they have learned to activate the communication function of the tiles. They spend a few minutes showing Barley how to use his mental powers to alter the tile pattern to create a connection to this site and how Vaun can help speed the process up by sharing his healing power with Barley.

Valpip

Handing Barley a small metal cube Valpip says. This will help you activate a single return transportation. I am working on a short range relay so that we do not need to be her to receive communications from the tiles. But for now we will have to be here to receive any communication. If you arrange the tiles properly and activate the return device and the tiles do not transport you then simply try to contact us. We will be here every day for at least the next week. Now the site was already located by the earlier group but they did not explore it much. What we would like is any writing you may find. You can make copies or charcoal rubbing with this and he hands you a large loose leather bound folder with several sheets of parchment. We wish you luck.

When you are ready the Wizard has you stand on the tiles as he pours power into them followed by a wave of light that washes over you and fades to reveal a new sight.

OOC:

Moving the Story to the Curing Eldergrove thread

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