The Great Gates (In-Character)

[Paladin]

Day 1, Noon - A new world awaits... (Some of these posts will be long. If your character needs to interject anything at any point, please do. Don't feel like you're being carried along with no input. Everything is subject to change.)

"A pretty face has caused many of us to slip," Gaius says quietly, a small smile softening his hard expression. "It sounds to me like the world outside is the safest place for you, my friend." A couple of the warriors ambling behind you chuckle and elbow one another. "Women are a rare treasure here," Gaius continues. "We guard them with our lives, as so few are cast out of the city. If anything should happen to them, I fear that our small settlement will be no more."

Thalnor falls into place beside Siegfried, along with the lone dwarf in the company. The human nods his greeting. "Your axe has seen many battles, comrade. Wouldn't you say, Wulf?" The dwarf, a black-bearded block of granite with a chestplate of long bones laced together by a leather thong, nods his agreement. "Aye. You're no untried lad," he growls beneath his shaggy beard. "It's been long since I've seen such a weapon." He eyes Knotch covetously, then looks to his own stone-headed weapon. "I once hammered blades and armor in Greyhearth, if you can believe it," he continues. "Many years ago now." He falls silent and a stormcloud of bad memories brews behind his hard blue eyes.

Thalnor offers a sad nod. "He was the finest smith within those walls," he says with a gesture toward Wulf. "No man, elf, or dwarf ever made a finer blade or hammered better plate."

Wulf sniffs his disdain as he looks at the bones clanking on his chest. "No longer, Thalnor. Now we're reduced to wearing bones and hide like those blasted savages. And swinging stone clubs." He spits on the cavern floor beneath them.

Meanwhile, the magic-user approached by Briarthorn blinks and seems surprised to be addressed. He's a handsome young half-elf with sparkling green eyes and chestnut hair. "Oh...well." He fishes for words before speaking, as if carefully constructing his thoughts. "I studied under Anaximander in Greyhearth until two years ago. The pace of study was too slow for my liking, so I...borrowed a spellbook and several scrolls to learn more spells in my spare time." He frowns. "I intended to return them once I'd finished. I swear I did." He shrugs and trails into silence. "I learned much," he says finally. "And in the end, it cost me everything."

Gaius raises his hand as you approach the end of the final passage and are faced with a second wall.

"I'm on," the young mage says and darts to the front of the company. He repeats the performance from moments before and reveals a low, broad opening in the stone wall. Beyond lies the golden hue of warm sunshine. A breeze touches your face as you regard the way ahead. Gaius turns to face you, a genuine smile on his lined face. "Welcome to our home," he says in a deep bass rumble. "For now, it is your home, too. You will be given food and drink and a safe place to rest your weary bones. Tonight we'll gather around the council fire and discuss the future."

He claps Divitiakus on the shoulder. "There is wisdom in your words, shaman. We will speak more of this tonight. For now--rest." He strides through the door and into the open sunshine, stretching his broad shoulders and long arms. After the last of you has filed in, followed by the stoic warriors, the wall once more fades into the appearance of solid stone. You stand at the bottom of what looks like a great arena with concentric stone rings rising upward. Beneath your feet is white sand. A broad creek flows lazily through the center of the circle, surmounted by a crude stone bridge. On every side, cave mouths pock-mark the soaring walls of grey stone. Fires crackle at the mouths of some. At others old men rest in the morning sun while children cavort and wrestle. The whole structure resembles a terraced field on a mountain-side, only nothing grows here. You smell meat cooking and, for a brief moment in time--you're safe.

"Giselle!" Gaius calls to a woman standing near the entrance of a cave on the second level. After a brief pause, a young woman clad in dressed skins climbs nimbly from her perch above you and drops to the ground. Her long hair gleams like burnished copper in the sun and her warm brown eyes sparkle with mischief. Freckles dapple her nose. She approaches Gaius and looks from the stern warrior to the newcomers. "Yes, Gaius?" She smiles past him at Robern, giving the young warrior a quick once-over.

Gaius clears his throat until her attention is regained and motions to the motley crew behind him. "These are our guests. They come from within the gates." He sends her a meaningful look and her almond-shaped eyes widen. "See that they are taken to Silla's cave and given food, water, and a place to rest if they desire. I will send someone to collect you when the sun dips beneath the rim of the Warren." He turns to leave, but pauses mid-step. "Oh. How is our unfortunately homely friend?"

Giselle laughs and returns a helpless shrug. "He sleeps at Silla's fire. It seems the spell will never wear off."

Gaius chuckles and says nothing more. He strides away to a cave on the bottom level and moves aside the skins that cover the entrance, then disappears within.

Giselle turns to her new charges and smiles. "Well. It isn't often that we're graced with such company." She motions for you to follow her and moves with sinuous grace toward a cave set apart from the others. The mouth is lit with several flickering tallow candles and fire-shadows dance off the inside walls. "I am Giselle, as I'm sure you heard. Welcome to the Warrens." She looks over her shoulder and flashes a heart-stopping smile before ducking into the cave. "Come."

Divitiakus 6/6
The Violet Chaplain 3/6
Robern 5/7
Briarthorn 3/6
Valkur 4/7

Any who'd like to bind wounds, go ahead and make your roll and I'll update your HP next turn.

[Modric]

Robern

Wound roll: [3d6] = 12

Robern follows Giselle into the cave, giving her a wide, swarmy smile.

Giselle, my name is Robern. Could you tell us more about this place? What dangers lie outside these walls? Are there any other places like this settlement? Are there any ruins that we may explore?

[Karaunios]

Divitiakus

The shaman comes along, studying everything and everyone with genuine interest. He greets everyone they come across with a severe demeanour. "Thank you, Gaius and thank you all of you." He says to the rest of the people around. "This means a lot to us. Things are rough out there. I can't imagine how you've survived all this time in this violent land. It's good to have a regufe such as this. I thank you everyone for accepting us here."

He turns to Gaius before they separate way and follow Giselle: "Yes. We'll talk later about all this. There's much we need to do if we want to improve our... life for everyone here."

He follows their attactive guide, althoug he doesn't seem to notice her attitude.

[Cougbeav]

Siegfried

Sieg will follow everyone else, not really interested in the guide but keeping his eye open for a chance to relax without red eyed demons breathing down his neck.

[Paladin]

Day 1 - Noon - Beauty and the witch...

Giselle looks over her shoulder with a cat-like grin, her brown eyes warm and inviting. "You'll find out everything you need to know soon enough, handsome," she assures the charming rascal before turning her attention to the cave before them. Thirty feet beyond the mouth you find yourself in a spacious room some twenty feet wide by thirty long, the walls uneven and roughly-hewn.

A many-hued fire burns in the center of the room, the thin trail of green smoke vanishing as it rises toward a low ceiling. A woman sprawls upon a thick bed of furs near the blaze. Fine features compliment the richness of her doeskin attire. A mane of long, wavy gold spills across her shoulders and ornaments of flint, bone, and wood dangle from her arms, wrists, ears, and neck. She sits upright as you enter the cave, her savage finery clinking softly.

Intricately-painted patterns of deep blue decorate her face. You'd place Silla in her early forties, though her visage somehow retains much of the softness of youth. But the dark knowledge gleaming in her narrow, almost-serpentine green eyes belies the innocence of her wide smile.

"Welcome to my home, travelers," she says in a rich, musical voice. "Please--" she gestures to several other mounds of soft furs encircling the fire--"make yourselves comfortable. Giselle, fetch something cool to drink and filling to eat for our guests." She smiles like a hungry cat as she examines each of you in turn. Toward the rear of the cave, a sleeping dwarf snores loudly.

Giselle laughs quietly as she pads past him and disappears into the rear of Silla's abode.

"I am Silla, as you must know by now," she says. "I looked into the fire and saw your coming. I saw your battles, as well. You fought bravely in coming here, though your party is much reduced. Some are dead, some have vanished into the chaos beyond the spire. But you few remain to face the horrors which yet await you."

The witches skin is pale and smooth, and her sparkling eyes fix you with a knowing gaze.

(We roll 1d4 to bind wounds after a battle, for those who've forgotten. I'll say Robern is topped off after that roll. I may restrict binding wounds to once per day after this. Multiple attempts seems to reduce the tension from one encounter to another. We'll see.) )


The Violet Chaplain 3/6
Briarthorn 3/6

[Modric]

Robern

Fully healed and ready to go, sits on one of the fur mounds.

Silla, it is a pleasure. Thank you for your hospitality. Since we are tasked with setting up a colony beyond the walls, I had a thought. Are there any ruins nearby we can explore? If we can clear them, they may make a good base for us to set up a settlement. Both our groups may benefit if we can set up another safe zone.

[Karaunios]

Divitiakus

The shaman takes places, sitting down on one of the beds. "Thank you for your hospitality, Silla." He looks around. "So, you're a seeres? You can see what happens in other places... Yes, we lost many of our companions in the fight. One of them we even lost twice."

To Roberns comment: "That's a good idea. But I think it'd be advisable to also know what surrounds the place before we decide to start a settlement over there... And, also, maybe there's some problems to be solved first. Didn't Caius speak of a warlock that leads these undead? As long as he's around, I think founding a settlement here out in the open will be an almost impossible task.

Look at this people here." He signs with his hand at the room and the fire. "They survive because they found a good place to hide from the outside world."

[Modric]

Robern

While planning is important, no amount of planning can replace dumb luck! Yes, let's kill the Warlock and take his tower, or wherever he lives, for ourselves!

[beniliusbob]

Briarthorn and the Chaplain settle in to bind their wounds...

Bind wounds: [1d4] = 4

"Only a flesh wound!" says the elf.

Bind wounds: [1d4] = 3

"Live to fight another day," the Chaplain murmurs.

Briarthorn Brightwater

"Well, Silla, it seems you are a competent magician! This land is riddled with sorcery. I am a seeker of ancient objects and knowledge... are there places near The Warrens where we might uncover such treasures?"

[Paladin]

Day 1 - Noon - Beauty and the witch...

Giselle returns moments later bearing a heavily laden tray. She distributes ceramic cups filled with cold, clear water and strips of dried fish. "It isn't much, but eat your fill. You must be weary after slaying so many walkers." She brushes Robern's bicep as she withdraws the tray and sends him a meaningful smile.

"Ruins, treasures, and settlements," Silla muses, gazing into the oddly-colored flames. She is silent for the space of several heartbeats. It almost seems as if she's forgotten your question or lost interest in the subject entirely. Giselle opens her mouth to speak, but the elder witch emerges from her trance and raises a hand to forestall any speech.

"For centuries beyond measure, Greyhearth had another name." She pins Divitiakus with a narrow gaze. "It is forbidden to speak it aloud. The tongue of the Old Ones is blasphemy and horror. I will not utter it here." She lapses into pensive silence once more, then stretches out her hand and tosses a pinch of something into the fire.

It flares blue for a brief moment, then fades to a soft glow. Within the glow, you see humanoid creatures going about their daily lives. Their forms are muddled, but they look vaguely human. Their dress is crude, their tools and weapons of stone, wood, and bone.

"Many peoples lived here after the dawn of this world. Many tribes have come and gone. For millenia, the oceans rose to claim even the highest peaks. Then ice covered the land. Then fire raged here from the highest mountains." All of this you see played out in the flames, as if a hazy dream is projected there for you to watch.

"But through it all, through every age and despite each new wave of barbarians, the Old Ones, the first to tread these stones, remained. They are but dim memories now in the minds of men and elves. Dwarves half-remember them as a lurking menace in the blackest of deep caverns." She smiles faintly at Siegfried. "But no one truly knows their origins or their nature. Who they are and what they want."

"They left nothing behind which survived the march of time save their stone temples where sacrifices were offered to now-forgotten gods. These are of dry-laid stone cunningly-fashioned to require no mortar. Cyclopean blocks of odd shapes and titanic dimensions hewn by means unknown to modern man."

She points a finger at Robern. "Your ruins." She glances at Briarthorn next. "Your magical treasures." When her gaze lands upon Divitiakus, she seems uncertain. "I've felt for some time that the sorcerer binding the walkers to his service has discovered such a temple and made use of the profane secrets buried there."

Her expression sours. "But I have no way to confirm this. He blocks my sight. And we have so few men to risk. Every man who falls in battle with the nightwalkers is one we can't replace. We grow ever-weaker as they grow stronger."

Everyone is back at max hp.

[Karaunios]

Divitiakus

The shaman listens to the seeres attentively, no muscle in his body moving even an inch. When she finishes, he starts asking questions. "There must be something we can do about this. Do you know where such a temple might be or, is there any way we could get there? And if not that temple, someone to some place that might hint at a temple of this Old Ones?"

[Modric]

Robern

Well then! Large rock structures, evil curses, no mortar... perfect!

He gives Giselle a wink, Now, where can we find the nearest temple? And, are there any local lads who want to join the fun?

What are our options for hirelings?

[Paladin]

Manpower is pretty slim here. It's hard to replace good fighters when felons are your only replenishment. The chances of getting Gaius to let anyone go seem slim. But you can certainly try.

[Modric]

Robern

We'll see how the sorceress replies... How many players do we have in the group? Looks like 4 total.

[Paladin]

Active party members...down to four. Our new cleric had some RL issues and may be gone. Not sure.

[Paladin]

Day 1 - Noon - Beauty and the witch...

A slow, knowing smile tugs at Silla's full lips. "A savior from Greyhearth," she purrs, her eyes drifting over the shaman's chest and shoulders, then back up to fix him with her penetrating gaze. "Our men leave the protection of The Warrens to hunt and to scout for a way out of these interminable mountains," she continues. "But the land is, as you know, rife with dangers. Hordes of red-eyed savages are the least of them," Silla adds in a grim voice.

"Beasts from every cavern and high eyrie are drawn through our pass and to the Great Gates as if compelled by the very forces of chaos which rent this world apart in ages past. We encounter mighty lizards, great tusked monstrosities with shaggy fur, scaled dragons, and a myriad smaller, though no less deadly, foes."

She looks into the flames and releases a helpless sigh. "We cannot survive beyond these walls long enough to discover a way out. There is almost no water above ground and few things grow here. And yet--" her eyes glisten in the firelight and she looks at the lot of you as if measuring your resolve. "We have stumbled upon the temple where I believe the sorcerer resides. During a hunt some weeks ago, Gaius foolishly ventured out alone to find meat."

Giselle nods rapidly. "He was very brave," she remarks. "No man goes alone and returns to tell the tale. But Gaius can do anything." Her admiration for the stoic warrior is obvious. "But shouldn't we let him tell the story tonight?" She sends Silla a questioning glance.

The older woman chuckles and nods. "All right, we'll allow the men to stroke their egos and tell tales around the cookfire. Until then you all should enjoy your food and rest. I have burdened you with far too many of our problems already." She motions for Giselle to come close.

"See to the comfort of our guests, Giselle." She turns back to you. "If you wish to see more of this place, Giselle is an adept guide. And I don't know that you will find warriors willing to accompany you, as most of them are engaged with hunting and fishing each day, but you may ask it of Gaius tonight. I must go, but I will see you at what passes for a feast here tonight."

With that, she rises and politely excuses herself before heading deeper into the cavern. The smell of jasmine lingers in the wake of her passing.

[Karaunios]

Divitiakus strikes his chin, listening with full attention to what Silla has to say. "Fine. Let's take that rest for the time being. I surely need it." He looks at his companions. "We risked our lives more than once today. Some of ours lost theirs." The shaman looks back at Silla. "We'll do that. Tonight we speak with Gaius and the rest of your warriors. I'd like to make my acquintance with them. All the information we can gather is essential." His gaze goes back to his companion. "But I don't think it will be an easy task. Surely I would think we're not yet prepared for it. A warlock of such prowess, who controles so many minions... We're probably no match for him at our current state and numbers. Some scouting will be in order for starters and then we'll have to assess our situation. What say you?" He looks at Robern, The Chaplain and Briarthorn in turn.

[beniliusbob]

The Violet Chaplain

"Agreed. We should reconnoitre the land nearby carefully. We were nearly obliterated on our way here. So many dead..."

I think we should slowly blaze the trail to the rumoured temple, making sure we understand the lay of the land so we don't get ambushed. Also, if we can hire any Warrens-folk, even a torchbearer, that could come in handy when we need to throw someone to the bee- er, when we need someone to hold the light.


Briarthorn Brightwater

"Are there multiple exits from the Warren?"

[Modric]

Robern

Shrugging his shoulders, Scouting is fine by me. The first rule of avoiding a trap is knowing of its existence.

I agree about trying to scope out the temple.

[Paladin]

Anything to add before I advance us, Cougbeav? Don't want to leave you out. Knotch has saved everyone's bacon too many times.