You have been riding in the cramp carriage for what seemed to be in your mind for hours. Inside the carriage are four strangers, all of who seem to know nothing about each other, well, except one thing. That they all were meant to go to a place where they believed would make them better. One of them believed that it would be the salvation of his family. If he did it right. Another to learn more about the world that she is a part of, but never actual knew of other than the small part that she has lived on her whole life. Another a giant of story e, hoping to learn to control her strength. And last, but certainly not least, another who wants to forget a dark past. These four believe that the place that they are traveling to will give them the knowledge that they seek to gain these goals. Only question, is whether they are up to the task.
The young elf sits with his elbows on his knees, and his face in his hands as his amber eyes look over the other three. "Well, this is awkward." He thinks to himself as the group sits in silence while the cramped carriage bounces down the road. Sighing, he figures he should fix that. Taking his face out of his hands, he leans back in his chair and smiles. "Soooooo, are we just going to sit here in silence? Or are we going to introduce ourselves? I'll go first if that makes things better. My name is Shugo Ryu. Pleasure to meet you all." Smiling, he waits for a response.
Nargun had squeezed herself into the corner as much as she could but as things stood she still took up almost a third of the carriage and neck was cramped from bending her head forward to prevent it going through the relatively flimsy wood of the carriage roof. She craned her neck over to regard the tiny elf who had spoken.
" Nargun. Is me."
" Yes, is good to meet."
She began to move to offer her hand as Guru had taught her but gave it up quickly lest she put her elbow through the carriage door.
The very lean and lanky, 6’ 4”, half-orc turns his attention from the window of the carriage where he has been watching the world pass by to take a closer look at his fellow passengers.
When the light catches his greenish-gray skin, it’s easy to see the scars; scars across his nose, jumping across one eye, down his neck, along lean, wiry arms, and n his hands. The skin of his legs are covered but it’s likely there are scars there too.
He looks at Shugo, his brow furrowing slightly.
”I’m Huzur. Why do you say it’s a pleasure to meet us. You do not know us yet. It might be unpleasant. It might be boring. It might be interesting.”
While the words might sound combative, it becomes clear that Huzur is not asking the question to point fault at the statement but merely to understand what Shugo is trying to say.
Huzur then turns to face the goliath. He extends his hand in greeting offering it to Nargun where she does not need to move her own hand.
Huzur watches both Nargun and Shugo carefully, examining their features. While his gaze is intense, if either make eye contact with him, Huzur awkwardly smiles briefly and looks away.
"Well met, one and all. My name is Miko," says the last passenger.
At first glance, Miko appears to be a common wandering woman dressed in simple robes and comfortable boots with a pack slung over her shoulder. Covering all is a chocolate-brown poncho that has been mended again and again and again by a patient hand. She carries a wakizashi and ten hand-crafted iron darts from her belt, practical tools that hint at her readiness for action. A sleeve of images runs from the top of her neck down her right arm, depicting beautiful symbols of mingling fire, water, earth, and sky. Her pinkish hair is a unique touch, but it is faded and does not stand out brightly. And when she smiles, it is a small but genuine expression of warmth.
"Are you boring, Huzur?" she asks kindly. "You appear to be full of twists and turns like the grain of a great tree or like the hidden meaning of a lost rune. Can you tell as good a story as your scars?"
She looks to the others. "I walk in the Way of the Four Elements. What paths do you all hold to?"
Shugo grins up at the giant woman but refrains from offering his hand. Yes, it's rude not to do so, but she clearly is having a hard time moving around...and she might crush his hand on accident... Compared to the Goliath, he IS tiny as he is just the average elf after all. He's slim, but clearly fit. And though his clothing bares the wear and tear of travel, it appears to have been made from relatively fine fabric. He wears a simple shirt and baggy pants, with a golden-orange coat. He himself looks only slightly travel worn, and relatively well kept. He has mid-length black hair pulled back in a tight wolf-tail, and bangs partly obscuring his youthful face. Other than the ornate bracers on his forearms, he caries nothing very notable. He has a shortsword at his belt, a small purse, and several darts sheathed in a leather strap that runs from his left shoulder to his right hip.
He cocks his head as the half-orc next to him speaks up, then shrugs. "Dunno, never really thought of it before. It's just common courtesy I guess. Heh, and I find most people I meet to be interesting at least at first." Catching Huzar's eye as the half-orc examines him, the elf's smile never breaks even when the other man looks away. Yes, this is interesting. These are all interesting people. Surely this adventure can only get more interesting from here. This half-orc has clearly been through a lot, not to mention there is a literal giant sitting across from him. What secrets do they have?
Turning his attention to the last passenger, Shugo's smile gets slightly wider. He's not the shortest person here. Thank goodness. He laughs as Miko asks her question, and a flash of mischief glints in his eyes. "What path do I walk. Haha! That is family secret my dear! My family holds their knowledge very close, so I'm afraid I can't tell you!" He leans forward again, hands on knees, and quickly fires a return question. "May I ask where you studied? Is this...Way of the Four Elements a common art where you are from?"
Suddenly, before Miko can answer, you all feel the carriage lurch to a stop, and you hear the rider shout, "Land Ho, everyone! Off ye go!"
The passenger driver, a short but sturdy dwarf ushers each of you out of the carriage, (Everyone, make a STR check) before jumping back up on the passenger side, and the carriage rushes off in a cloud of smoke.
As you look around, you notice that you have arrived at the Monastery, where a uncountable number of other monks, students and some teachers, crisscross about going along their business, all of them waiting for the giant front doors that lead inside the monastery to open, which would be in about 5 minutes of so. You had managed to make it here in time.
Nargun almost rushed to lever herself out of the carriage door and put her bare feet on solid ground, as she stood she stretched upward with several resounding cracks as her spine and neck lengthened out again.
" Sorry, you asked before what Path I was on? I do not know, I simply follow the teachings of Guru Pak. If they had a name he never told me."
She looked around at the others waiting with interest.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Huzur considers answering but when the carriage stops, he finds there's no time as the group is quickly ushered out into the cacophony of the area around the main gate.
Huzur Strength Check: 4
Once in front of the doors, the half-orc looks around at the monks coming and going. He wasn't sure what to expect, but he's certain this buzz of activity was not it. He scans the crowd again, looking for someone who might be a gatekeeper.
Shugo nearly flies forward out of his seat as the carriage lurches to a halt. He stumbles then shifts his weight backwards in order to keep from falling into Miko's lap. "Well, that was...delightful..." He thinks with a slight bit of annoyance. The blasted driver had kept him from learning more about these people. Hopefully the woman doesn't just brush him off... Sighing, he hops out of the cart, and squints towards the giant gates. Wow, what a sight.
(Strength Check: 7 <- rolled on character sheet. May I do that?)
Miko is caught off guard by the sudden dismount and lands far less gracefully than she should have. She blushes nearly as pink as her hair, but gathers herself and stands next to Nargun.
This is it.
She awaits the opening ceremony with baited breath.
(Strength Check: 7 <- rolled on character sheet. May I do that?)
Miko is caught off guard by the sudden dismount and lands far less gracefully than she should have. She blushes nearly as pink as her hair, but gathers herself and stands next to Nargun.
This is it.
She awaits the opening ceremony with baited breath.
Miko, as the dwarf rushes the four of you out of the csrriage, you don't manage to keep on your feet, which are half asleep from being cramped up for so long, and when you get out, you end up falling down on the ground, but before anyone can even shout or say or do anything, the carriage is already gone. (Yes, you can do it on your sheet, but if I find out you're duping us, suffer the consequences *DUH DUH DUH*)
The other three of you watch them n dismay as Milk is knocked to the ground be sure of the dwarfs impatience.
Huzur considers answering but when the carriage stops, he finds there's no time as the group is quickly ushered out into the cacophony of the area around the main gate.
Huzur Strength Check: 22
Once in front of the doors, the half-orc looks around at the monks coming and going. He wasn't sure what to expect, but he's certain this buzz of activity was not it. He scans the crowd again, looking for someone who might be a gatekeeper.
Shugo nearly flies forward out of his seat as the carriage lurches to a halt. He stumbles then shifts his weight backwards in order to keep from falling into Miko's lap. "Well, that was...delightful..." He thinks with a slight bit of annoyance. The blasted driver had kept him from learning more about these people. Hopefully the woman doesn't just brush him off... Sighing, he hops out of the cart, and squints towards the giant gates. Wow, what a sight.
Perception: 27 (nat 20)
Meanwhile, Huzur, Shugo, your perception does not fail you, as you notice how lush green is, and near the two tall double doors, stands two statuez,one on each side (HIS Check with disadvantage if you want to try and see they are from this distance, Shugo. Huzur, since you walked straight up to the front doors, which is about 50 ft away, you have advantage on your roll).
Shugo, Huzur, both of you notice that the statue on the left is one of the Great Monk Jashin "The Seeker," while the other one seems to also be of the God of Peace, Eldath.
Huzur, finally recognizing the two figures represented in the statues bows his head slightly to both, hoping this is a good omen for the journey he hopes to complete.
He turns to Shugo, his eyes making only fleeting contact with the other monk.
"Do you know much about this place?" Huzur asks. "What are we waiting to happen?"
After a moment of squinting at the statues, nods then cocks his head at the half-orc, "Haha, probably not much more than you. It's called the Monastery of Universal Knowledge so I figured attending would help me with my quest. Right now, I guess we're just waiting for the doors to open." He looks around, "Hey, where did those other two go...Oh" he stops seeing the Giant approach the statues. "I mean where did Miko go? I thought she was right behind us..." He continues looking around, he still had questions for her and he doesn't want to loose any potential information. If he catches sight of her, he'll wave her over.
Smiling, he turns back to Huzar asks, "So if you don't know anything about this place then why did you come here?"
Huzur smiles back at Shugo. As he does, the scar across his mouth can be seen more clearly.
”I have done much that I need to make amends for,” Huzur says. “But I find it hard to quiet the voices and images in my head. I hope that somewhere that is the home of Universal Knowledge will have answers that can help.”
You have been riding in the cramp carriage for what seemed to be in your mind for hours. Inside the carriage are four strangers, all of who seem to know nothing about each other, well, except one thing. That they all were meant to go to a place where they believed would make them better. One of them believed that it would be the salvation of his family. If he did it right. Another to learn more about the world that she is a part of, but never actual knew of other than the small part that she has lived on her whole life. Another a giant of story e, hoping to learn to control her strength. And last, but certainly not least, another who wants to forget a dark past. These four believe that the place that they are traveling to will give them the knowledge that they seek to gain these goals. Only question, is whether they are up to the task.
The young elf sits with his elbows on his knees, and his face in his hands as his amber eyes look over the other three. "Well, this is awkward." He thinks to himself as the group sits in silence while the cramped carriage bounces down the road. Sighing, he figures he should fix that. Taking his face out of his hands, he leans back in his chair and smiles. "Soooooo, are we just going to sit here in silence? Or are we going to introduce ourselves? I'll go first if that makes things better. My name is Shugo Ryu. Pleasure to meet you all." Smiling, he waits for a response.
Nargun had squeezed herself into the corner as much as she could but as things stood she still took up almost a third of the carriage and neck was cramped from bending her head forward to prevent it going through the relatively flimsy wood of the carriage roof. She craned her neck over to regard the tiny elf who had spoken.
" Nargun. Is me."
" Yes, is good to meet."
She began to move to offer her hand as Guru had taught her but gave it up quickly lest she put her elbow through the carriage door.
The very lean and lanky, 6’ 4”, half-orc turns his attention from the window of the carriage where he has been watching the world pass by to take a closer look at his fellow passengers.
When the light catches his greenish-gray skin, it’s easy to see the scars; scars across his nose, jumping across one eye, down his neck, along lean, wiry arms, and n his hands. The skin of his legs are covered but it’s likely there are scars there too.
He looks at Shugo, his brow furrowing slightly.
”I’m Huzur. Why do you say it’s a pleasure to meet us. You do not know us yet. It might be unpleasant. It might be boring. It might be interesting.”
While the words might sound combative, it becomes clear that Huzur is not asking the question to point fault at the statement but merely to understand what Shugo is trying to say.
Huzur then turns to face the goliath. He extends his hand in greeting offering it to Nargun where she does not need to move her own hand.
Huzur watches both Nargun and Shugo carefully, examining their features. While his gaze is intense, if either make eye contact with him, Huzur awkwardly smiles briefly and looks away.
"Well met, one and all. My name is Miko," says the last passenger.
At first glance, Miko appears to be a common wandering woman dressed in simple robes and comfortable boots with a pack slung over her shoulder. Covering all is a chocolate-brown poncho that has been mended again and again and again by a patient hand. She carries a wakizashi and ten hand-crafted iron darts from her belt, practical tools that hint at her readiness for action. A sleeve of images runs from the top of her neck down her right arm, depicting beautiful symbols of mingling fire, water, earth, and sky. Her pinkish hair is a unique touch, but it is faded and does not stand out brightly. And when she smiles, it is a small but genuine expression of warmth.
"Are you boring, Huzur?" she asks kindly. "You appear to be full of twists and turns like the grain of a great tree or like the hidden meaning of a lost rune. Can you tell as good a story as your scars?"
She looks to the others. "I walk in the Way of the Four Elements. What paths do you all hold to?"
Shugo grins up at the giant woman but refrains from offering his hand. Yes, it's rude not to do so, but she clearly is having a hard time moving around...and she might crush his hand on accident... Compared to the Goliath, he IS tiny as he is just the average elf after all. He's slim, but clearly fit. And though his clothing bares the wear and tear of travel, it appears to have been made from relatively fine fabric. He wears a simple shirt and baggy pants, with a golden-orange coat. He himself looks only slightly travel worn, and relatively well kept. He has mid-length black hair pulled back in a tight wolf-tail, and bangs partly obscuring his youthful face. Other than the ornate bracers on his forearms, he caries nothing very notable. He has a shortsword at his belt, a small purse, and several darts sheathed in a leather strap that runs from his left shoulder to his right hip.
He cocks his head as the half-orc next to him speaks up, then shrugs. "Dunno, never really thought of it before. It's just common courtesy I guess. Heh, and I find most people I meet to be interesting at least at first." Catching Huzar's eye as the half-orc examines him, the elf's smile never breaks even when the other man looks away. Yes, this is interesting. These are all interesting people. Surely this adventure can only get more interesting from here. This half-orc has clearly been through a lot, not to mention there is a literal giant sitting across from him. What secrets do they have?
Turning his attention to the last passenger, Shugo's smile gets slightly wider. He's not the shortest person here. Thank goodness. He laughs as Miko asks her question, and a flash of mischief glints in his eyes. "What path do I walk. Haha! That is family secret my dear! My family holds their knowledge very close, so I'm afraid I can't tell you!" He leans forward again, hands on knees, and quickly fires a return question. "May I ask where you studied? Is this...Way of the Four Elements a common art where you are from?"
Suddenly, before Miko can answer, you all feel the carriage lurch to a stop, and you hear the rider shout, "Land Ho, everyone! Off ye go!"
The passenger driver, a short but sturdy dwarf ushers each of you out of the carriage, (Everyone, make a STR check) before jumping back up on the passenger side, and the carriage rushes off in a cloud of smoke.
As you look around, you notice that you have arrived at the Monastery, where a uncountable number of other monks, students and some teachers, crisscross about going along their business, all of them waiting for the giant front doors that lead inside the monastery to open, which would be in about 5 minutes of so. You had managed to make it here in time.
( Str. Check: 21 )
Nargun almost rushed to lever herself out of the carriage door and put her bare feet on solid ground, as she stood she stretched upward with several resounding cracks as her spine and neck lengthened out again.
" Sorry, you asked before what Path I was on? I do not know, I simply follow the teachings of Guru Pak. If they had a name he never told me."
She looked around at the others waiting with interest.
Huzur considers answering but when the carriage stops, he finds there's no time as the group is quickly ushered out into the cacophony of the area around the main gate.
Huzur Strength Check: 4
Once in front of the doors, the half-orc looks around at the monks coming and going. He wasn't sure what to expect, but he's certain this buzz of activity was not it. He scans the crowd again, looking for someone who might be a gatekeeper.
Perception: 13
Strength check: 16
Shugo nearly flies forward out of his seat as the carriage lurches to a halt. He stumbles then shifts his weight backwards in order to keep from falling into Miko's lap. "Well, that was...delightful..." He thinks with a slight bit of annoyance. The blasted driver had kept him from learning more about these people. Hopefully the woman doesn't just brush him off... Sighing, he hops out of the cart, and squints towards the giant gates. Wow, what a sight.
Perception: 27 (nat 20)
(Strength Check: 7 <- rolled on character sheet. May I do that?)
Miko is caught off guard by the sudden dismount and lands far less gracefully than she should have. She blushes nearly as pink as her hair, but gathers herself and stands next to Nargun.
This is it.
She awaits the opening ceremony with baited breath.
Miko, as the dwarf rushes the four of you out of the csrriage, you don't manage to keep on your feet, which are half asleep from being cramped up for so long, and when you get out, you end up falling down on the ground, but before anyone can even shout or say or do anything, the carriage is already gone. (Yes, you can do it on your sheet, but if I find out you're duping us, suffer the consequences *DUH DUH DUH*)
The other three of you watch them n dismay as Milk is knocked to the ground be sure of the dwarfs impatience.
Meanwhile, Huzur, Shugo, your perception does not fail you, as you notice how lush green is, and near the two tall double doors, stands two statuez,one on each side (HIS Check with disadvantage if you want to try and see they are from this distance, Shugo. Huzur, since you walked straight up to the front doors, which is about 50 ft away, you have advantage on your roll).
Huzur eyes the statutes carefully.
History: 15
Shugo examines the statues with great interest.
History: 17 (with advantage)
Shugo, Huzur, both of you notice that the statue on the left is one of the Great Monk Jashin "The Seeker," while the other one seems to also be of the God of Peace, Eldath.
Huzur, finally recognizing the two figures represented in the statues bows his head slightly to both, hoping this is a good omen for the journey he hopes to complete.
He turns to Shugo, his eyes making only fleeting contact with the other monk.
"Do you know much about this place?" Huzur asks. "What are we waiting to happen?"
Nargun admires the quality of the stonework but has little idea of the meanings of the carvings or the identities of the statues.
After a moment of squinting at the statues, nods then cocks his head at the half-orc, "Haha, probably not much more than you. It's called the Monastery of Universal Knowledge so I figured attending would help me with my quest. Right now, I guess we're just waiting for the doors to open." He looks around, "Hey, where did those other two go...Oh" he stops seeing the Giant approach the statues. "I mean where did Miko go? I thought she was right behind us..." He continues looking around, he still had questions for her and he doesn't want to loose any potential information. If he catches sight of her, he'll wave her over.
Smiling, he turns back to Huzar asks, "So if you don't know anything about this place then why did you come here?"
Huzur smiles back at Shugo. As he does, the scar across his mouth can be seen more clearly.
”I have done much that I need to make amends for,” Huzur says. “But I find it hard to quiet the voices and images in my head. I hope that somewhere that is the home of Universal Knowledge will have answers that can help.”
OOC: bros just literally ignoring the fact that Miko got pushed over by a dwarf. lol.