This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
(( Perception 27 ))
Cailee thanked the monk and declared that she would be going to the shrine of Lugh. As she had been there many times before, she didn't need directions. Along the way, her mind was buzzing with thoughts of the old gods; though she had failed to contact Lugh before, she was determined to try at least one more time after meeting with the elders.
Having no where else to go, and not being tired enough to bed down for the night, Valyncia decided to follow Cailee to the Lugh shrine. She had never been an extremely faithful person and knew little of the gods, both new and old, beyond the common knowledge. Sorata, and to some extent Shamara, were the only exceptions to this, but Valyncia herself would admit she was hardly a model worshiper to any god. Lugh and Merveille were mostly a mystery to her.
Svent addresses the monk they came in with. "I am called Svent, what are you called?" Svent then tries to assess whether these monks are a martial order, or merely a religious one. "Do they teach the wisdom of combat here? I would learn what I can, if they do."
Jubal followed the monk as she led Vallen to the shrine of Merveille; but he'd already had his mind made up as soon as she mentioned the library.
After having the shrine pointed out to them, the bard finally approached the monk.
"Excuse me, you said that you had a library here?" Only a soft smile betrayed his giddy eagerness at what it might contain. "I'd be very interested in taking a look, if that's not out of your way."
Jubal is interested in finding three things in the library:
(1) stories of adventure, whether of the monks, or anyone else, (2) low-level arcane rituals, which he's eager to experiment with translating into bardic magical notation. He tends to think there's a much greater chance of encountering #1 than #2, but is excited at the prospect of finding either.
Also, he's looking for (3) information that may give clues as to what was going on with the monk; so, writings about a mind-control ritual, info about the obelisks, etc.
Vallen looked around the shrine with a smile and felt a little more comfortable. He would walk the outside then move to the shrine and kneel down on his knees, placing his shield and warhammer in front of him.
He is hoping to find answers to the Offering and what Merveilles role in it was and of Merveille could provide insight on the Sentinels mentioned.
Cailee finds the shrine to Lugh with little difficulty as she's wandered these halls before. She finds that here is higher presence of monks here praying today than normal and they all had swapped their normal traditional white robes for green robes as if they were declaring they followed the teachings of Lugh. Here within the shrine, Cailee felt a connection to Lugh like she hadn't experienced before. It was like his power had grown and she could feel that power emboldening herself. Perhaps the other monks here felt the same. She began to wonder if Lugh would speak to her if she prayed here within the shrine.
When Valyncia enters the shrine, she sees most of the walls within the chamber depicted life in various forms. There were sprouting tree buds and flowers. There were young babies with their mothers. The monks within the chamber were wearing green robes that matched in color to the elders wearing the green sashes. It seems like most of the monks within the monastery itself had dedicated themselves to one side or the other. Valyncia could feel a sense of power and strength inside this shrine like she experienced back in the grove. It brought her a sense comfort and resolve feeling something that reminded her of a place she often visited.
The monk nods to Svent when he questions about training. "As protectors of this monastery, we train several times a day. Most of the training is done in the clearing. I can take you there if you'd like." The monk escorts Svent if he chooses to accept the offer. Through winding tunnels with depictions of life and death along the way, the two finally make it to a large door that opens to the outside. Svent would know that this is most likely at the center of the monastery. Looking out, he can see roughly forty monks doing simultaneous maneuvers in the grass under a giant tree that seemed to have lost all of its leaves a bit too early in the season. The monks out here are wearing either green or black robes but they're all mixed together functioning as one with no regard to the colors. It's quite the sight to behold.
Jubal and Xinq are escorted to a rather large library that seems to go on forever. The books here all seem to be hand written in very similar writing styles leading them to think trained monks had either written all of these books or copied great works that others had done before them. The library here seems to contrast heavily with any they've seen in the more modern cities like Caterona or Thornwood. All sorts of books are here ranging from basic spells all the way up to grand and complicated master works. There weren't any sentries here either that policed the books which made them feel free to look through countless tomes at their leisure. Absent from the collection were stories of adventure as the monks seemed to have little time for exploring. From what they'd learned so far, it seemed that the monks raised here rarely left the monastery and devoted their lives to protecting this place for whatever reason.
Jubal also finds...
a collection of books detailing the ritual process that created the groves in the wild. From what he can gather, it was a coordinated effort between the monks here and what are labeled Sentinels that created the holy sites. It was this cooperation that allowed so many of these groves to be established creating a sort of perimeter along the forest. The books don't seem to go into much detail about how the holy sites are used but does go into detail talking about how a blessing from Lugh was required to establish each holy site and that they must be protected from all mortal threats.
Xinq finds...
there are many spell books here that ranging from basic spells to very intricate master works. He does find references to mind control style spells and learns that they often deal with the charisma of an individual. The spells often target one or more people and it is very hard to tell if someone is under the influence of the spell. In order to cast the spell, the magic user must be able to see the target or have an enchanted item in contact with the target.
he also finds a very interesting leather bound tome that has a large tree on the front. Opening the book, he finds that it is a sort of creed for followers of Lugh. It details how the person must preserve life and nature to the best of their abilities but to never impose on the natural order. It goes on to talk about the duty of guarding groves and the importance of the assignment within the order. Only the most trained and firm believers of Lugh were granted the title of Warden and allowed to guard a grove. These Wardens were required to defend the grove from any threat especially from anyone that seemed to want to cause harm to the grove's obelisk.
Xinq finds a wide abundance of books detailing the origins of magic. There seems to be a book dedicated to each school as well as possible ways one can find and attune their gift. Most of the books detail the process as a rather positive experience as the initiate finds magic as a gift from their god or patron. The books detailing the makings of sorcerers seem rather limited as those born with the power had little to share about their experience. One journal seemed to stand out to Xinq that was written from a young sorcerer that seemed to have many of the same things happen to him as he was growing up. It might be worth reading more.
Vallen enters the shrine to Merveille and is greeted with a very odd feeling. Looking around, this shrine seems almost exactly like the one he spent countless days in while he learned his duties. It was like being in his old room but hundreds of miles away. There were a large number of monks here all dressed in black robes. He felt such a strong connection to Merveille, that Vallen almost felt ill with excitement.
Xinq is able to find a place to rest and look through the journal which seems to be a sort of diary that the young sorcerer kept as he struggled to understand where his powers came from and how to properly use them. It has its moments where it all seems too familiar as you may have had similar problems or successes in the past.
(The book didn't detail the number of groves. What are you hoping to learn from the journal?)
Svent watches intently as the monks train, trying to take in all he can. After a while he tries to find someone not currently engaged to ask for basic instruction in their fighting style. If no one is around or willing, he will do his best to mimic the actions along with the monks as they train.
((Just as an FYI, I'm not expecting any benefit from this, just acting out Svent's interest in martial pursuits.))
Cailee's eyes panned over the monks currently worshiping, and finally gazed upon the shrine of Lugh. She had been here before, but something felt different; whatever the reason, Cailee somehow felt closer to Lugh than ever, even compared to when she had discovered the shrine in the forest. As usual, Cailee began her meditating position, praying as usual, inaudibly calling out to reach Lugh spiritually and speak with him.
Valyncia was happy to stay within the Lugh shrine for the moment, finding the place unusually relaxing. She couldn't help but let her gaze wander around the room, looking at all of the depictions along the walls.
Eventually she would want to look outside to see if the storm had passed yet.
Jubal frowned. The trip to the library hadn't been a bust... he'd found a few low-level ritual Wizard spells he intended on practicing with his newfound conversion technique at some point. But while he'd also discovered information about the shrines, there didn't seem to be much regarding their purpose, or how to activate them. And certainly nothing tying them to any sort of trance-like operations.
"Hmm. That could have just been a simple enchantment spell. But still, the fact that NONE of the elders batted an eye at it...."
Frustrated somewhat at his inability to decipher anything new, he decided to switch gears as he sat down and started hand-copying a spell from one of the books he'd pulled, adding enough modifications and notations that it was more akin to re-describing the spell, rather than copying it. There was a certain unease at having "borrowed" a few sheets of parchment that he'd found on a shelf; but he quickly dismissed it, as it didn't seem as though the monks were running out any time soon. Perhaps he'd even make a donation before leaving... provided everything wound up being on the up and up.
Svent finds a monk separate from the group that's taking a short rest from the training while drinking water from a large pitcher. When the monk notices Svent mimicking the maneuvers, she smiles and does what she can to try and smooth out the edges of his technique. There's a sort of comfort in the routine and clears Svent's minds of the trouble the group has faced thus far.
Xinq would find that the journal seemed to detail experiences much like the ones he had growing up. It didn't take long for Xinq to see that this person's powers seemed to originate and manifest the same as when Xinq's did. It was one of the first times that he'd experienced a detailed account of someone using the same type of magic that he'd grown up with.
Vallen finds a place within the shrine to Merveille to pray and meditate. The feeling here was rather strange as the connection seemed to be exceptionally strong.
Something pulls at Vallen spiritually like he'd never experienced before. Something needed his help. It was here in the monastery but it wasn't here in this room. He could feel it calling to him like a wounded animal that needed put out of its misery. The call seemed to original deep within the monastery and the longer he prayed in this shrine, the more the feeling pulled at him. Looking at the others praying here, they didn't seem to act any differently. They didn't seem to have this connection. What made Vallen so special? Or was something trying to lure Vallen into a trap.
Cailee begins to meditate and offer her prayers to Lugh. The feeling here was rather strange as the connection seemed to be exceptionally strong today compared to her previous time spent here. It felt like Lugh had awoken and was actively listening to her but there is no reply.
Cailee can feel a feeling of warmth and life like she's never experienced. This shrine seemed to be empowered as she can feel her body rejuvenated and refreshed like she'd had the best sleep ever. She felt strong and determined but uncertain of where to proceed. Something about this place offered her sanctuary from all the stress and worries she had. The feeling was rather odd like she was being prepared for a fight with an unknown enemy. She continued to pray and her connection grew stronger still. Suddenly, she hears a voice. It says, "Warden. Balance must remain. War is coming. Protect life. Defend the shrines. Remain vigilant." Cailee looks around the room trying to figure out who was talking to her. No one seems to be addressing her. Was the voice in her head? Was she losing control and being possessed like the monk in the forest. No, this was different. Was that Lugh?
(( Perception 27 ))
Cailee thanked the monk and declared that she would be going to the shrine of Lugh. As she had been there many times before, she didn't need directions. Along the way, her mind was buzzing with thoughts of the old gods; though she had failed to contact Lugh before, she was determined to try at least one more time after meeting with the elders.
Having no where else to go, and not being tired enough to bed down for the night, Valyncia decided to follow Cailee to the Lugh shrine. She had never been an extremely faithful person and knew little of the gods, both new and old, beyond the common knowledge. Sorata, and to some extent Shamara, were the only exceptions to this, but Valyncia herself would admit she was hardly a model worshiper to any god. Lugh and Merveille were mostly a mystery to her.
Svent addresses the monk they came in with. "I am called Svent, what are you called?" Svent then tries to assess whether these monks are a martial order, or merely a religious one. "Do they teach the wisdom of combat here? I would learn what I can, if they do."
Jubal followed the monk as she led Vallen to the shrine of Merveille; but he'd already had his mind made up as soon as she mentioned the library.
After having the shrine pointed out to them, the bard finally approached the monk.
"Excuse me, you said that you had a library here?" Only a soft smile betrayed his giddy eagerness at what it might contain. "I'd be very interested in taking a look, if that's not out of your way."
Jubal is interested in finding three things in the library:
(1) stories of adventure, whether of the monks, or anyone else, (2) low-level arcane rituals, which he's eager to experiment with translating into bardic magical notation. He tends to think there's a much greater chance of encountering #1 than #2, but is excited at the prospect of finding either.
Also, he's looking for (3) information that may give clues as to what was going on with the monk; so, writings about a mind-control ritual, info about the obelisks, etc.
Whistler
Titus - V. Human Battle Master Fighter 3 - [Pic] - [Pic2] - [Traits] - in Shadowglass
Locke - V. Human Shadow Monk 3 / Undead Warlock 2 - [Pic] - [Traits] - in FOW - DMless West Marches
Flèche* - V. Human Swords Bard 10 - [Pic] - [Traits] - in The Scarlet Mist
>> New FOW threat & treasure tables: fow-advanced-threat-tables.pdf fow-advanced-treasure-table.pdf
Vallen looked around the shrine with a smile and felt a little more comfortable. He would walk the outside then move to the shrine and kneel down on his knees, placing his shield and warhammer in front of him.
He is hoping to find answers to the Offering and what Merveilles role in it was and of Merveille could provide insight on the Sentinels mentioned.
Xinq, also curious about the library, follows Jubal, allowing the silver-tongued bard to do the talking.
He is interested in:
[Update will be coming this afternoon! Lots of things to cover in this monastery with all the places we're exploring currently.]
Cailee finds the shrine to Lugh with little difficulty as she's wandered these halls before. She finds that here is higher presence of monks here praying today than normal and they all had swapped their normal traditional white robes for green robes as if they were declaring they followed the teachings of Lugh. Here within the shrine, Cailee felt a connection to Lugh like she hadn't experienced before. It was like his power had grown and she could feel that power emboldening herself. Perhaps the other monks here felt the same. She began to wonder if Lugh would speak to her if she prayed here within the shrine.
When Valyncia enters the shrine, she sees most of the walls within the chamber depicted life in various forms. There were sprouting tree buds and flowers. There were young babies with their mothers. The monks within the chamber were wearing green robes that matched in color to the elders wearing the green sashes. It seems like most of the monks within the monastery itself had dedicated themselves to one side or the other. Valyncia could feel a sense of power and strength inside this shrine like she experienced back in the grove. It brought her a sense comfort and resolve feeling something that reminded her of a place she often visited.
The monk nods to Svent when he questions about training. "As protectors of this monastery, we train several times a day. Most of the training is done in the clearing. I can take you there if you'd like." The monk escorts Svent if he chooses to accept the offer. Through winding tunnels with depictions of life and death along the way, the two finally make it to a large door that opens to the outside. Svent would know that this is most likely at the center of the monastery. Looking out, he can see roughly forty monks doing simultaneous maneuvers in the grass under a giant tree that seemed to have lost all of its leaves a bit too early in the season. The monks out here are wearing either green or black robes but they're all mixed together functioning as one with no regard to the colors. It's quite the sight to behold.
Jubal and Xinq are escorted to a rather large library that seems to go on forever. The books here all seem to be hand written in very similar writing styles leading them to think trained monks had either written all of these books or copied great works that others had done before them. The library here seems to contrast heavily with any they've seen in the more modern cities like Caterona or Thornwood. All sorts of books are here ranging from basic spells all the way up to grand and complicated master works. There weren't any sentries here either that policed the books which made them feel free to look through countless tomes at their leisure. Absent from the collection were stories of adventure as the monks seemed to have little time for exploring. From what they'd learned so far, it seemed that the monks raised here rarely left the monastery and devoted their lives to protecting this place for whatever reason.
Jubal also finds...
a collection of books detailing the ritual process that created the groves in the wild. From what he can gather, it was a coordinated effort between the monks here and what are labeled Sentinels that created the holy sites. It was this cooperation that allowed so many of these groves to be established creating a sort of perimeter along the forest. The books don't seem to go into much detail about how the holy sites are used but does go into detail talking about how a blessing from Lugh was required to establish each holy site and that they must be protected from all mortal threats.
Xinq finds...
there are many spell books here that ranging from basic spells to very intricate master works. He does find references to mind control style spells and learns that they often deal with the charisma of an individual. The spells often target one or more people and it is very hard to tell if someone is under the influence of the spell. In order to cast the spell, the magic user must be able to see the target or have an enchanted item in contact with the target.
he also finds a very interesting leather bound tome that has a large tree on the front. Opening the book, he finds that it is a sort of creed for followers of Lugh. It details how the person must preserve life and nature to the best of their abilities but to never impose on the natural order. It goes on to talk about the duty of guarding groves and the importance of the assignment within the order. Only the most trained and firm believers of Lugh were granted the title of Warden and allowed to guard a grove. These Wardens were required to defend the grove from any threat especially from anyone that seemed to want to cause harm to the grove's obelisk.
Xinq finds a wide abundance of books detailing the origins of magic. There seems to be a book dedicated to each school as well as possible ways one can find and attune their gift. Most of the books detail the process as a rather positive experience as the initiate finds magic as a gift from their god or patron. The books detailing the makings of sorcerers seem rather limited as those born with the power had little to share about their experience. One journal seemed to stand out to Xinq that was written from a young sorcerer that seemed to have many of the same things happen to him as he was growing up. It might be worth reading more.
Vallen enters the shrine to Merveille and is greeted with a very odd feeling. Looking around, this shrine seems almost exactly like the one he spent countless days in while he learned his duties. It was like being in his old room but hundreds of miles away. There were a large number of monks here all dressed in black robes. He felt such a strong connection to Merveille, that Vallen almost felt ill with excitement.
Did the leather bound tome give any indication of the number of warded groves, or their locations?
If there is opportunity to do so now, Xinq will settle himself and peruse the young sorcerer's journal further.
Xinq is able to find a place to rest and look through the journal which seems to be a sort of diary that the young sorcerer kept as he struggled to understand where his powers came from and how to properly use them. It has its moments where it all seems too familiar as you may have had similar problems or successes in the past.
(The book didn't detail the number of groves. What are you hoping to learn from the journal?)
Svent watches intently as the monks train, trying to take in all he can. After a while he tries to find someone not currently engaged to ask for basic instruction in their fighting style. If no one is around or willing, he will do his best to mimic the actions along with the monks as they train.
((Just as an FYI, I'm not expecting any benefit from this, just acting out Svent's interest in martial pursuits.))
(just general sorcerer stuff, and whether this junior sorcerer also drew his energy from the shadows)
Vallen would spend sometime meditating and praying to Merveille.
Cailee's eyes panned over the monks currently worshiping, and finally gazed upon the shrine of Lugh. She had been here before, but something felt different; whatever the reason, Cailee somehow felt closer to Lugh than ever, even compared to when she had discovered the shrine in the forest. As usual, Cailee began her meditating position, praying as usual, inaudibly calling out to reach Lugh spiritually and speak with him.
Valyncia was happy to stay within the Lugh shrine for the moment, finding the place unusually relaxing. She couldn't help but let her gaze wander around the room, looking at all of the depictions along the walls.
Eventually she would want to look outside to see if the storm had passed yet.
Jubal frowned. The trip to the library hadn't been a bust... he'd found a few low-level ritual Wizard spells he intended on practicing with his newfound conversion technique at some point. But while he'd also discovered information about the shrines, there didn't seem to be much regarding their purpose, or how to activate them. And certainly nothing tying them to any sort of trance-like operations.
"Hmm. That could have just been a simple enchantment spell. But still, the fact that NONE of the elders batted an eye at it...."
Frustrated somewhat at his inability to decipher anything new, he decided to switch gears as he sat down and started hand-copying a spell from one of the books he'd pulled, adding enough modifications and notations that it was more akin to re-describing the spell, rather than copying it. There was a certain unease at having "borrowed" a few sheets of parchment that he'd found on a shelf; but he quickly dismissed it, as it didn't seem as though the monks were running out any time soon. Perhaps he'd even make a donation before leaving... provided everything wound up being on the up and up.
Jubal will wind up "re-describing" Alarm, Detect Magic and Find Familiar onto the purloined parchment.
Whistler
Titus - V. Human Battle Master Fighter 3 - [Pic] - [Pic2] - [Traits] - in Shadowglass
Locke - V. Human Shadow Monk 3 / Undead Warlock 2 - [Pic] - [Traits] - in FOW - DMless West Marches
Flèche* - V. Human Swords Bard 10 - [Pic] - [Traits] - in The Scarlet Mist
>> New FOW threat & treasure tables: fow-advanced-threat-tables.pdf fow-advanced-treasure-table.pdf
Svent finds a monk separate from the group that's taking a short rest from the training while drinking water from a large pitcher. When the monk notices Svent mimicking the maneuvers, she smiles and does what she can to try and smooth out the edges of his technique. There's a sort of comfort in the routine and clears Svent's minds of the trouble the group has faced thus far.
Xinq would find that the journal seemed to detail experiences much like the ones he had growing up. It didn't take long for Xinq to see that this person's powers seemed to originate and manifest the same as when Xinq's did. It was one of the first times that he'd experienced a detailed account of someone using the same type of magic that he'd grown up with.
Vallen finds a place within the shrine to Merveille to pray and meditate. The feeling here was rather strange as the connection seemed to be exceptionally strong.
Something pulls at Vallen spiritually like he'd never experienced before. Something needed his help. It was here in the monastery but it wasn't here in this room. He could feel it calling to him like a wounded animal that needed put out of its misery. The call seemed to original deep within the monastery and the longer he prayed in this shrine, the more the feeling pulled at him. Looking at the others praying here, they didn't seem to act any differently. They didn't seem to have this connection. What made Vallen so special? Or was something trying to lure Vallen into a trap.
Cailee begins to meditate and offer her prayers to Lugh. The feeling here was rather strange as the connection seemed to be exceptionally strong today compared to her previous time spent here. It felt like Lugh had awoken and was actively listening to her but there is no reply.
Cailee can feel a feeling of warmth and life like she's never experienced. This shrine seemed to be empowered as she can feel her body rejuvenated and refreshed like she'd had the best sleep ever. She felt strong and determined but uncertain of where to proceed. Something about this place offered her sanctuary from all the stress and worries she had. The feeling was rather odd like she was being prepared for a fight with an unknown enemy. She continued to pray and her connection grew stronger still. Suddenly, she hears a voice. It says, "Warden. Balance must remain. War is coming. Protect life. Defend the shrines. Remain vigilant." Cailee looks around the room trying to figure out who was talking to her. No one seems to be addressing her. Was the voice in her head? Was she losing control and being possessed like the monk in the forest. No, this was different. Was that Lugh?