Merkas's little legs pump as fast as he can back to the graveyard, while in the distance, you can see other manholes flying into the air. Water gushes from them like a geyser and begins flooding the agricultural district, the town center, and parts of HQ and Merchant District! Cracked clay and sand turn to mud under Merkas's feet! The crowds cries of attack change to one of amazed bewilderment as water rains down on them from the various geysers.
Back in the Sewers...
Sera and Nare go for the ride of their life! Water swils them around violently, yanking them in unpredictable directions, and careerning off the walls of the secret tunnel, until they're flushed out into the sepulchre! Their bodies smash into the sealed tomb, which knocks the lid loose, and the two are eventually flushed free of the tomb, and sloshed out onto the graveyard grounds.
Sera sees that Nare is viciously battered and appears to have several dislocated limbs and a broken leg. Her sight dims from the concussive force of the impact on the tomb, and the last thing she sees are blurry sillouhettes of Santekh residents rushing up to you. Then the pain, the world, and all thought fades from Sera's mind....
Everyone gets 400 XP each for that final skill encounter.
Cutscene...
The Medical Tent: Two days pass before Sera wakes up in the medical facilities. Nare is on a cot near you, panting rapidly and covered in bandages. They look bad and don't open their eyes. A healer notices you're awake and sends a messenger. It's not long before Glynnis and Handar come rushing to the medical building. "Sera," Handar bellows, and the healer clutches his arm and puts a finger over her mouth, glaring like a librarian as she gestures to Nare. Glynnis takes a calmer approach. She smiles, a mix of relief and sadness on her face. "G'd afternoon, lass. Ye were touch an' go fer a while. The best healer in town besides ye been tendin' to ye an'... whoever that is... nearly round the clock." She says pointing a thumb towards Ne'Haredowell.
Buckeran's Palace of Wonders: Hastos, Merkas, and Ororana have been living with Buckeran the last two days while an investigation takes place, by the local guard, of the Santekh sewers. With the damning evidence of gated water, nearly 100 Dragon Army zombie soldiers, and the book that Hastos recovered listing the names of all the members of the cult, Dawnbound has been kept sequestered for trial. Since Ne'Haredowell and Sera's state has been uncertain, they've been kept watch by guards around the clock in the medical building (newly renovated and the medical tent as been restructured to be used as a bazaar. A case for a trial has been set, and Dawnbound are the key witnesses, set to expose a handful of Hachakee, nearly a third of the Santekh residents, and two members of the council. So you haven't been able to leave. Tekel has been shamed and left indignant when many of his higher ranking officers were revealed as members of the cult complicit in stealing supplies, restricting water access, and performing bizarre rituals on fallen enemy soldiers. Disgraced, and with his numbers decimated, he's resorted to taking on bounties himself, and has been out patrolling the wilderness with his remaining guild members.
Buckeran has been a perfect host, and Merkas, Hastos, and Ororana have enjoyed the highest levels of hospitality during this time. But they've been more-or-less, restricted to roam the impossibly large manor inside Buckeran's pocket-dimension house. Ororana has taken the guilded-cage experience the harshest. Her night terrors kept the rest of Dawnbound up at night, so she was eventually given her own room and access to sedatives. But she roams the halls like a caged tiger, bristling with anxious rage at having her movements restricted. When news of Sera's awakening finally comes to Buckeran's house, and you're instructed that you can go to her, Ororana is gone before Buckeran even finishes giving the news!
Bursting out the front door and stretching into a big X she basks in the sunlight for a moment, then looks around. She's used to getting attention everywhere she goes, but this was different. Residence drop to the ground, practically praying to Dawnbound! Gifts of food, blankets, holy relics and small pouches of gold and silver lign the front entrance to Buckeran's office.
Renown Score: Level 3
In an instant, guards surround Dawnbound to escort you to the medical building. The march is slow. Most of the water has soaked into the earth, but there are still puddles and small rivulets still run throughout the town. In spite of her precarious position, Rhyana and the Hachakee are working hard to make the most of the opportunity to work the soil and help the garden grow. She doesn't look up from her work as you leave towards the medical building. You make your way across town with quite a bit of difficulty as guards shove back advancing residents.
"You've become equal parts famous and infamous now." Buckeran says, with a complicated tone in his voice. "If you were the Saviors of Santekh before, I would say you've become fully revered by many in town. But there is an equal number of residents who sympathize with the cult you may have exposed. They hate you for it. But the assasination attempts have been easily foiled, since you've been under my protection!" Buckeran allows himself to beam over his boast. "Rhyanna and Verhanna await trial, pending Sera's recovery. And it would appear you've rescued an old friend of our town as well! But Ne'haredowell is under suspicion, since we don't know if he was a captive, or complicit yet."
You pass by your guild hall, which you can hear forging being done within. The building is complete, including one resident, Kasi. She has abandoned her rickety shack and moved her stuff into the guild to upkeep and protect it while Dawnbound recovers and reunites.
The center of town is bustling now as you approach it. The wells are producing plenty of water, and priests stand by to bless it for purification, due to all the bloated zombies that were discovered floating through Santekh after your adventure below. Shoppers bounce from shop to shop, filling their sacks with all manner of daily necessities. The Laughing Dwarf is quiet for now, but it tends to be busier in the evening anyway. You turn toward past the graveyard and towards the medical building near the Resident District, and notice just how much work has been done in just two days! With water for hydration, and for making clay, builders have been working overtime to finish up Santekh! Instead of a crumbling old ruin with starving refugees, it's become a vibrant miniature metropolis! Although it's far away from your path, you can see that the refugee camp has been converted into a training ground for rebel soldiers, and the ground is deeply muddy and messy from the flood. New soldiers drill in it, sweating under the hot sun. The guards continue to push through the crowd of interested citizens who fawn or curse you until you make it to the medical building.
Once the door is shut, the contrasting quiet almost hurts the ears. The building isn't too big, but it is large enough to handle up to 50 patients at a time. It's complete with a small, nondenominational altar and a small medicine shop labelled "Witchdoctor Duncan's." It's more a vending machine than an actual shop, and contains potions that purify food and water, potions of Healing (Common) and various herbs and trinkets that treat or protect against poison, diseases, etc. They escort you to Sera and Ne'Haredowell's bed and post up around you.
Buckeran clears his throat, "Apologies, but the guards can't be dismissed until the trial. Orders from the council."
This is a cutscene intermission, where you can roleplay, share information, and make plans if you choose to. The presumption is that you've been attending your claimed Downtime Activities for the last two days. You've also levelled up and fully healed. SunDial365, you'll recover when you post. Just have Nare open their eyes, and you're fully rested and recovered.
Merkas is still covered in burn scars all over the front of your body and face, though the healing potions have reduced the marks enough to where they are only visible in daylight, and can easily be covered with make-up tattooes, or magic.
Hastos has a scar on his shoulder where the Pact Knife hit him. But it looks like it will heal up over time.
Sera has minor scarring and very stiff muscles and joints. But they'll loosen up with a little stretching and excersize. Her head still hurts from the concussion, and her left eye is bloodshot and swollen from the impact. Her jaw is also sore and pops when she opens it, but the Healer assures you that will go away with time, and gives you some medicine to drink.
Nare has no scarring, but his leg is a little crooked from being healed by a lower level NPC healer, and has bald patches from where the fur was ripped off in the riptide.
Glynnis looks back towrards Hastos and Merkas and gives them both big hugs. "Good ta see you two lads," she says softly. Handar pats you two on the shoulders.
Hastos stifles a grunt as Handar pats him on his injured shoulder. “It’s good to see everyone again.” Hastos says, massaging his shoulder. Looking down at Sera, a look of concern appears on his face and he reaches down and gently puts a hand on her arm. “How are you?” He asks her.
Merkas would be as stir crazy as Ororana if he weren’t staying in the house of one of his idols. The shear amount of treasures, and the stories that go with them, keep him enthralled for a good part of his stay. Reading the book he acquired fills some of the other time. At some point he does approach Ororana about joining Dawnbound officially, being pretty sure the others would agree, though Sera may be a bit jealous. He dutifully goes through his collection of items, various tools, doing maintenance where he can and applies the oil of sharpness to his sisters dagger. “Y’know sis, if you really are watching over me then could you help me figure out what’s happening in my body, y’know, like the sudden ability to do some magic and stuff”
At the news of Sera and Mr. Nare’s awakening he runs back yo his pack and grabs a couple rings, the last two of the matching set of five he found, before chasing after Ororana. He is stopped short by the crowd of people and gifts laid out around the entrance. “Didn’t for it for all of this, just wanted noone else t’get hurt y’know. You think the famous and infamous would cancel each other out and we can just be normal again?” Bucky mentions Nare’s current positions and spends some time explaining all the ways he probed his loyalty while in the sewers.
At Sera and Nare’s room Merkas is quiet until after the greetings, smiling slightly at Handar as he pats his shoulder. “I’m sorry Sera, I tried to warn you guys, I sent a message to you be Hastos banged my head against the wall of the shaft, and then I think it can only travel so far, and I only tried it as a test because it seems I’m some sort of wizard or magician or something, isn’t that crazy?! Me with magic powers? Oh and I hope you don’t mind but I asked Ory if she wanted join Dawnbound officially, and I think Mr Nare should join us too, they both more than earned it. Did you have any crazy dreams while you were resting?”
Sera woke up in the medical tent. Nare the Haregon was next to her, asleep, his leg in a splint and patches of fur missing from injuries. She let out a soft sigh. Sore and battered, she had survived the flood in the sewage… and Glynnis and Handor had been there to greet her when she woke. That had been so nice.
“The bruises will fade,” the healer had said, leaving her with some foul-tasting medicine. She took a sip, wincing at the taste, but despite that, she felt better than she had in a long time. Overjoyed, she managed to give Glynnis and Handor warm, heartfelt hugs from her bed, even though every movement reminded her of the flood’s aftermath.
Later, when no one was watching, she quietly slipped out of bed to stretch and search for her father’s sword. Panic fluttered in her chest before she finally found the sword and the other items she liked in the treasure chamber—the sack from the cultist and her usual set of gear were still there.
“Oh, thank the Paladine,” she whispered, gripping her father’s shield. Her eyes fell on a slick black chitin armor. It looked oddly familiar, somehow both clumsy and perfectly tailored to her athletic form. Was it always this way? She touched it—it was warm, almost alive, and seemed to mold itself to her body. Curious, she donned it, and to her amazement, each piece adapted perfectly. It was so light, so natural that she hardly felt she was wearing armor at all.
She examined her new shield—a true masterpiece—and got lost in its details, forgetting about the armor entirely. The healer returned to check on her, and she hurried back to bed, lying under the blanket. It was cushioned and comfortable, and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.
When she woke again, she tried to remove the armor—but it was stuck. Tendrils of the chitin clung to her, pulling painfully as she struggled. And then she realized: it wasn’t magical. It was alive. It wanted to be part of her. Pulling hurt; letting it be felt…pleasant.
She didn’t have much time to grapple with the armor before visitors arrived. Glynnis and Handor came first, and she smiled, pretending nothing was wrong. Soon after, the rest of her friends arrived, battered but seemingly well. Hastos’ concerned words warmed her heart, and she returned a warm smile.
“I’m good,” she said. “The water flushed us out pretty thoroughly… I’m just glad we’re alive and not in jail. So I guess we came out on top? Not getting blamed for whatever Sargonnas’ cult did.” She said this from her bed, not wanting to explain the symbiote armor just yet.
“Oh, and thank you for leaving the… interesting items,” she added, thinking of Buckeran and the excitement of discovering the treasures. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret—her eagerness for nice armor hadn’t prepared her for the possibility it might be cursed.
Turning to Merkas who was eagerly chatting away she smiled at him " sure...if they dare join us. We seems to end up in trouble. If they like to join us i am happy. Oh and Orerana i hope you got to replenish your stock of potions...I belive i had a few in the sack I took from the cultist...can you not check it out and see what you need?" Sere knew Orerana liked potions. " oh and Glynni....we did find a very special cook book....in that bag. Kind of odd that a cultist was running around with it. What was he searching for against that darkness spell? " Sera shrugs "did we miss a disple magic scroll in it?"
Sera looked at Hastos with a faint smile. For a moment, she remembered how they used to share a bed, but she pushed the thought aside, hiding it carefully behind her expression.
“I’m not sure,” she admitted softly. “The healers here are concerned… but I suppose I can pray for healing, if there’s still need. I am probably the strongest healer in town…” She let out a weary sigh, then lowered her eyes before continuing.
“And I have to confess something. When I saw the items brought here… I was afraid. Afraid we might be arrested, or that the cultists of Sargonnas would come for us. So… I put one of them on.”
She rose from the bed, the blanket slipping away, revealing the new armor. It clung to her like a second skin—slick, black chitin that seemed to have been crafted for her body alone. Veins of faintly shifting light ran across its surface, giving it the eerie impression of something alive.
“I should have waited,” she said, her voice low. “But now… it’s as if it’s part of me.”
Her gaze shifted to Merkas. “And what of the other items? Have they been identified? Have the valuables been properly distributed?”
“Oh, that’s…interesting armour, wonder why it attached like that” Merkas digs through his bag and hands over one of the rings from the matching set, “Here, I brought one for each of you, that way all five of us have the same ones, like a medal for surviving that darned place” (Merkas gives Sera a Ring of Jumping) “Bucky says these are for jumping high, “he then holds out a couple more “This one is swimming and this one is warmth, that one rams, and this one is for something called amnity? Not sure what that means. Oh and that’s a mind shielding ring. But other than that we haven’t been to focussed on the stuff, what with worries about you two getting better and us also needed rest, I think Hastos slept the whole first day, Ory prowled around Bucky’s place like she wanted fight the walls, and I read a bunch and Bucky shared a bunch of the stories from his collection, y’know he has this strange rod that gets stuck in place and won’t move, like right in mid air!”
Merkas carefully doesn’t mention all the things they found as the guards and Buckeran are still with them.
Hastos reached out and touched the strange armor. To her surprise, Sera actually felt it—his fingers brushing not just the surface but something deeper. She gave a small laugh.
“It tickles… and it isn’t uncomfortable at all. I could even rest in it,” she admitted, smiling at him. His touch stirred a warmth inside her, a feeling she realized she might soon want more of. But she pulled herself back, questions pressing in from every side—the armor, the other relics, everything that had happened.
Surely Buckeran, the ever-curious kender librarian, would be thrilled to examine it.
Her gaze drifted to Nare, still lying on the cot beside her. Poor haregon… he must have taken a hard blow to the head as well.
Then Merkas’ voice brought her back to the present, the blue Kender distributing the last of the recovered treasures. When a ring gleamed in his palm, she reached for it without hesitation.
“A Ring of Swimming?” she said, slipping it onto her finger at once. A grin spread across her face. “Probably wise—since I’d sink like a rock wearing this thing.”
Hastos chuckles but then walks over to Nare and looks at his wounds. Abrasions were plenty, but clearly the damage lies deeper than he has the knowledge to understand. (Medicine: 1)
Hastos gently pats the bed next to the Harigon. “Hang in there my friend. You’re in good hands.” He says gently then returns to Sera’s bedside.
Hastos stifles a grunt as Handar pats him on his injured shoulder. “It’s good to see everyone again.” Hastos says, massaging his shoulder. Looking down at Sera, a look of concern appears on his face and he reaches down and gently puts a hand on her arm. “How are you?” He asks her.
Handar winces sympathetically against accidentally patting the wounded side. "Sorry lad..." he whispers, remembering Glynnis's earlier warning.
Merkas would be as stir crazy as Ororana if he weren’t staying in the house of one of his idols. The shear amount of treasures, and the stories that go with them, keep him enthralled for a good part of his stay. Reading the book he acquired fills some of the other time. At some point he does approach Ororana about joining Dawnbound officially, being pretty sure the others would agree, though Sera may be a bit jealous. He dutifully goes through his collection of items, various tools, doing maintenance where he can and applies the oil of sharpness to his sisters dagger. “Y’know sis, if you really are watching over me then could you help me figure out what’s happening in my body, y’know, like the sudden ability to do some magic and stuff”
As you polish your dagger, you feel a strange warmth inside you. As if your sister were sending you good vibes about your deeper understanding of yourself. It's very faint, but enough to put a little extra pep in your step.
At the news of Sera and Mr. Nare’s awakening he runs back yo his pack and grabs a couple rings, the last two of the matching set of five he found, before chasing after Ororana. He is stopped short by the crowd of people and gifts laid out around the entrance. “Didn’t for it for all of this, just wanted noone else t’get hurt y’know. You think the famous and infamous would cancel each other out and we can just be normal again?” Bucky mentions Nare’s current positions and spends some time explaining all the ways he probed his loyalty while in the sewers.
Buckeran chuckles at your complicated view of fame as you march to the medical building. "It would seem mundanity is not your destiny, Merkas, my boy! People like you tend to change the world. And change polarizes people. You will be greatly loved, and deeply hated the greater your exploits become. Be mindful that the fame doesn't make you arrogant though." He subconsciously rubs his stubs where his missing fingers were as he talks. "Risk is part of adventure, but overstepping can cost you dearly."
Oh and I hope you don’t mind but I asked Ory if she wanted join Dawnbound officially, and I think Mr Nare should join us too, they both more than earned it. Did you have any crazy dreams while you were resting?”
Ororana grins, and coils her ringlets with her finger. "It's an honor to join! It's been weird hanging out with Dawnbound. But... a good weird in a way. I'm studying ways to get stronger. I've always been a go-to for bounties in Santekh, but down there, in the sewers... I saw what real power is. As a member of Dawnbound, I'm going to train harder. Really represent the guild, y'know. Maybe if I was stronger, Ne'haredowell wouldn't be..."
She looks over at the unconscious, panting form of Ne'Haredowell.
“It’s good to see you awake. Has anyone mentioned how long you two are going to be in here?”
The healer approaches with some insight on that. "The hare- Ne'Haredowell is still under my care. They've been clinging to life, but their dreams seem to be troubled. We've had to bind their broken leg to the bed to keep them from kicking with it. Sera is free to go, however. I can send a runner when Ne'Haredowell awakens."
Turning to Merkas who was eagerly chatting away she smiled at him " sure...if they dare join us. We seems to end up in trouble. If they like to join us i am happy. Oh and Orerana i hope you got to replenish your stock of potions...I belive i had a few in the sack I took from the cultist...can you not check it out and see what you need?" Sere knew Orerana liked potions. " oh and Glynni....we did find a very special cook book....in that bag. Kind of odd that a cultist was running around with it. What was he searching for against that darkness spell? " Sera shrugs "did we miss a disple magic scroll in it?"
Ororana grinned, "I'll go through the potions and see what I need. But my pouch only carries six. Also, yeah. We found the Dispel Magic scroll. I don't really know how to use them, but I guess we're lucky the cultists didn't find it. Fighting in the dark was difficult... but it would've been a death sentence if the Heirophant would've been able to hit us. Rhyanna has been hiding some serious fire power. I've been studying up on the cult. Take a look."
“Oh, that’s…interesting armour, wonder why it attached like that” Merkas digs through his bag and hands over one of the rings from the matching set, “Here, I brought one for each of you, that way all five of us have the same ones, like a medal for surviving that darned place” (Merkas gives Sera a Ring of Jumping) “Bucky says these are for jumping high, “he then holds out a couple more “This one is swimming and this one is warmth, that one rams, and this one is for something called amnity? Not sure what that means. Oh and that’s a mind shielding ring. But other than that we haven’t been to focussed on the stuff, what with worries about you two getting better and us also needed rest, I think Hastos slept the whole first day, Ory prowled around Bucky’s place like she wanted fight the walls, and I read a bunch and Bucky shared a bunch of the stories from his collection, y’know he has this strange rod that gets stuck in place and won’t move, like right in mid air!”
Merkas carefully doesn’t mention all the things they found as the guards and Buckeran are still with them.
Buckeran's eyes sparkle as you discuss the treasure horde you found. "I'd be happy to appraise any items you wish. And I can trade with you, if you have something you don't want. I deal mostly in artifacts from ancient wars. Those that are exceptionally dangerous, or cursed, I keep safe in my mansion. But the rest are often distributed on loan for special missions."
He puts on a monacle and approaches Sera, looking her new armor up and down. If it were anyone else, it might seem creepy and invasive. But Buckeran is clearly only interested in the scientific aspect of the armor. "Living Armor..." he lets out a low whistle. "My dear, I believe, for better or worse, you are stuck with that armor. Once it makes a symbiotic attachment to its wearer, it cannot be removed while the wearer is still alive. You'll have to bathe in a special oil, which I believe Duncan can procure for you. Or... I suppose you could always bathe in blood. Living Armor feeds off it. Speaking of... bonding to it. That must've been quite painful. I'm quite curious, and fascinated! May I?" He points one of his few remaining fingers out to poke your arm.
Sera's level of comfort with Buckeran's actions will determine what happens next.
Hastos couldn’t hide his look of shock, but Merkas’ onslaught of information smoothed the moment and forced the mood to lighten.
Hastos reaches out touches the armor with his fingers. “Does it… hurt?” He asks cautiously.
Sera feels the armor writhe and bristle at Hastos's touch, making an odd squelching sound. Sera feels the alert in her mind, but once the armor understands that Sera views Hastos fondly, the suit relaxes. The texture of the suit is chitonous and rigid. Almost spiky. But it softens and smooths after a moment, allowing the friendly contact. Sera feels the armor's pleasure at the reassuring touch.
We're about to move forward in the second Cutscene. Everyone, please roll INT, WIS, or CHA checks (whichever of your bonus is higer) to determine your contribution to the tribunal. You all have Heroic Inspiration to use on the roll if you choose to.
Sera feels Buckerans touch. And she knows he might learn more about it. So she let him. A bit flustered that Hastos csress feels so pleasurable. She hope he still might desire her because she wants more later.
She rise up. Take a look at Oreranas notes and shake her head " we lucky we survived...I can use that scroll. I know the spell. It be a great back up." She then turns toward Nare and the healer. " could a healing spell wake him up?" She looks conserned. He had done his best in battle wuth her. She wkuld do all she could for him too.
Sera feels Buckerans touch. And she knows he might learn more about it. So she let him. A bit flustered that Hastos csress feels so pleasurable. She hope he still might desire her because she wants more later.
The suit remains hard and chitonous to Buckeran's touch. He taps on the hardened armor and traces his nimble fingers along the veins. Everywhere he moves his finger, the armor hardens, reflecting you lesser affection for the quirky council member. "Fascinating. It responds to your own interest and affections. You two appear to have some kind of emotional symbiosis as well. I imagine it would be hard and bristly to an unwanted touch." Buckeran flicks your arm, and the chiton bristles immediately! He shakes his hand and sucks the sore finger with a barely contained grin! "Sera... I believe this armor could be improved... no trained... to form spikes, or even tendrils that will attack those who try to grab or grapple you." He takes his monacle off. "With this device I can see magical energy and how it flows. When I flicked your armor, it rose to your defense, in anticipation of the attack! I could also see the tendrils that have worked its way into your smaller blood vessels and nervous system. Which means it possesses the ability to attack. While its current capabilities are limited, its potential is much greater!" He chuckles in giddy curiosity. "It's obvious the armor cannot be safely removed. But if you're willilng to visit me daily while the tribunal is ongoing, I can help you figure out how to train your armor."
She rise up. Take a look at Oreranas notes and shake her head " we lucky we survived...I can use that scroll. I know the spell. It be a great back up." She then turns toward Nare and the healer. " could a healing spell wake him up?" She looks conserned. He had done his best in battle wuth her. She wkuld do all she could for him too.
The healer frowns, thinking. She takes a deep breath before speaking. "Healing spells work best immediately after injury. Though fast healing magics can be excrutiatingly painful when they mend grievous wounds like these, they can set bones, mend sinew, and close flesh quicker than my medicines can. But the bones have already started to set... a little crooked, but they'll work fine. I'm not sure if healing magic beyond what I did to stabilize the poor dear would wake them, or re-break their bones in an attempt to reset the legs. Their heart is already fluttering so rapidly I thought for certain they'd die of a heart attack on this bed. Pushing their pain limits to such a degree could unintentionally cause that heart attack and kill them. Perhpas it's best to let them recover at their own natural pace."
Weeks go by in drudgery. The tribunal is obviously hesitant to arrest and depose two of their most important members, and fear the impact such a power gap can make. Sera's crass blathering puts her in contempt of court, and she spends a few days in house arrest at Buckeran's palace honing her Herbalism craft. Under Witchdocter Duncan's tutelage, she makes extraordinary progress!
Sera has completed 60 days worth of training towards master Herbalism (Doubled for downtime, Doubled again for having a mentor). 4 days of Training remain. 1 Day with Duncan's help.
Merkas and Hastos presented damning evidence of Rhyanna, who was listed as the Heirophant, and 3rd in command in the cult. But Verhanna was exonerated. While she knew of Rhyanna's ties to the cult, she wasn't on the list of members, held no identifiable rank, and has no apparent financial ties to the organization. But she offered to step down and threw herself on the mercy of the court to lighten Rhyanna's sentence. Rhyanna's defense was fairly solid as well. Although she did try to have her minions kill Dawnbound, none of them actually died. And all the zombies found in the sewers were proven to have been Dragon Army soldiers. The crimes she did receive judgement for had more to do with embezzlement and fraud than anything... skimming from the supplies to arm and feed cult members, withholding water and food from the city, and extorting tithes from desperate citizens. Consequently, she was removed from office and imprisoned in an anti-magic cell until a proper punishment could be decided.
But the bomb was dropped when Kasi stepped forward to testify. She explained that Rhyanna covertly explained to her that if Kasi attempted to make a trade deal with Letni Inhelk, it would be good for both Kasi and Santekh. Kasi would be welcomed into the kobold clan, where she would be amongst her people, and Santekh would have an open trade route with the clan who had access to a thriving subterranean agricultural supply.
However, once the deal was made, Rhyanna sent a spy to negotiate a secondary deal with Letni Inhelk... that the traders would peacefully acquiesce the supplies coming in, if they met the traders at a specific drop point. Traders were then paid to stop at a campsite, allow the supplies to be retrieved, and then return to their home town. After the drop was made and the traders made camp, Sargonnas soldiers (armed with weapons commonly used by kobolds), slaughtered the traders in their sleep. The whole thing was set up to make Letni Inhelk look like raiders, and Kasi the betrayer that caused it all. This was intended to spark outrage at the kobolds. With revenge firing up the hearts of the broken people of Santekh, Sagonnas's influence would only grow stronger. It backfired when Dawnbound so completely annihilated the clan and returned with all the supplies, replacing vengeful hatred with joyous celebration.
Another investigation was made into how deep the cult's involvement influenced Santekh activities. In all, 50 members were found and arrested... 7 of which were in the Hachakee clan as well, which broke down trust between the two factions. Hachakee leaders demanded that the seven cult members be dealt with by the tribe, while the Santekh council wanted to mete out their own punishments, and had doubts that the Hachakee would punish them appropriately. This caused a powerful political schism, and the Hachakee withdrew into the desert, giving Santekh the option to surrender the 7 prisoners willingly, or by force. With the numbers advantage, and their political power in a state of disarray, Santekh had no choice but to release the 7 prisoners into Hachakee custody.
Tekel was found innocent of charges of collusion with the Sargonnas cult. His only real crime was being a fool. Although Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the scythe that was bonded to Tekel, had some loose ties to the cult's activities, it wasn't recognized as a cult relic, and Tekel was physically incapable of relenquishing it anyway, so they let him keep it. Disgraced, however, he vowed to win back the people of Sargonnas by doubling down on desert and mountain skirmishes against the Dragon Armies: a dangerous task previously reserved by the Hachakee. He said he wouldn't return until he had personally claimed 100 Dragon Army lives. He's been sending back regular reports of his success, but can offer no proof of his activities, besides eyewitness testimony from the runner. Unfortunately, every time he slays someone with the scythe, there are no remains left behind from the attack to send as proof of claim, which has left the remaining council members skeptical.
Exonerated by the tribunal, Amelista redoubled her efforts to gain a seat on the council, and was finally awarded the seat that Verhanna once held. In a show of her gratitude, she has moved the bounty board into Dawnbound's newly complete Guild Hall! They are ranked by difficulty (and consequential reward value) and posted up in the main hall. Lower priority missions, or missions that fit outside the capabilities of Dawnbond, or that don't fit on the bounty board remain at HQ to be distributed by Amelista. Witchdoctor Duncan and Dana were both offered seats on the council, but both refused. Duncan was busy expanding his business, and finding his replacement on guard duty. And Dana preferred to stay out of politics. So, in a bizarre turn of events, Kasi (who has been wronged so many times by the people of Santekh) was offered the position. The people's reaction to the offer was... mixed. Many still distrust kobolds, even if Letni Inhelk did nothing wrong in that specific scenario. But, historically, kobolds did side with Takhisis in the war. But the council thought Kasi could serve as an emmisary for local kobold clans that remained neutral (or left the Dragon Armies) to rally them to Santekh's true cause... the rebellion against the Dragon Army empire. Having the overwhelming numbers that kobolds can provide would be a game-changer in the war. Kasi said she would consider the offer, but hasn't made a decision yet. Instead, she's been focusing on forging Merkas's Ring of Animal Influence.
Merkas gains Ring of Animal Influence. Amelista is now a Patron. Dawnbound has two: Buckeran (financier and trader of magic items), and Amelista (quest giver and liason for guild growth).
Ororana spends her time training and in therapy. Her experience with the cults brought up some traumatic memories, and her trances have been unrestful. She's been agitated lately, and pops out of her trance screaming. She accidentally punched Buckeran when he woke her from her trance, and has decided to work on herself to control her behavior. She's learning to control her rage and use it in battle. But her process remains ongoing. On the surface, she's still the vibrant, flirty, and full of life. But Dawnbound has seen her at her worst. And the house arrest during the tribunal has definitely brought out her worst. She's battered several practice dummies to splinters then broken down sobbing. Startling her is dangerous, and she's accidentally taken a swing at several of you. But moments later, the mask is back on, and she appears to be fine again. You learn that she was born into slavery, a child of the Kagonesti Elves, they were oppresed, even by other elves. She was sold to a death cult and trained to hunt and execute those who attempted to leave the cult, or those the cult thought were infidels. The assasinations she commited were on frightened people, running to escape the violence her cult lived in. Innocents who were coerced or even forced to do unspeakable acts. Her guilt haunts her. And when she finally found a way to escape, she assumed a new identity and ran as far as she could. When she learned about the Santekh revolution, she found her chance to use her skills for something good, and joined up as a fairly anonymous bounty hunter, collecting the heads of oppressors instead of sobbing victims.
Ororana has become Barbarian 2/Fighter 3
The tribunal ends with one seat on the council open, Rhyanna and 50 other people in prison. The Hachakee have moved back into the desert. And Dawnbound is the official guild of Santekh.
Your time in house arrest has ended. Merkas has completed his training in Smithing under Kasi's tutelege, and has gained Proriciency in Smith's Tools. You've also become proficient in Kobold.
Merkas spends time during the wait reading over the book of demonology. Upon finishing it he finds he has a better understanding of the tricks and subtleties that fiends tend to use.
(After the allotted 5 days, Merkas now has adv against fiends for INT CHA and WIS checks)
Wandering the halls he hears Ororana smashing at practice dummies and heads in to watch her fight. After watching her from a perch on barrel as she savagely destroys a dummy and stand there looking defeated over the carnage. “Yeah, I felt like that for awhile too, I wanted nothing more than to hunt down all the wizards and warlocks and sorcerers and mages that created that crazy place that took my sister from me snd turned me blue.”He pulls Splinter from its sheath and holds it out in his palms. “This connection to my sister was the only thing that kept me from sneaking into the houses of anyone that practiced magic and trying to slit their throats or smother them in pillows. Over time there was something about having mu sisters dagger that showed me to guide my rage and hurt towards helping people instead of revenge.”Smiling empathetically he continues. “I have no idea the hurt and rage and damage you’ve gone through, nor would I try so say I know how you feel, but I can say that the path I see you attempting to walk is a good one, it’s one that I walked to get here, helping Santekh and Gramma Kasi, it’s the one that finally got me back to being happy and enjoying life again, with no need for a mask.” He puts the dagger away and stands on the barrel to look her in the eye. “It’s also the one that brought you to us. We’re new to guild matters, and you’re going to be our experiment on how to do it well. So ultimately I want you to have the freedom to choose the jobs you want and not be reliant on us, but first lets work through some of this together ok? I am here to spar with, yell at, through soft plush toys at or just hold onto and cry. While we’re stuck here let’s help each other.”
In between his times with Ororana he catches up with Bucharan, chatting about the items they found and sorting out the different values of the more precious ones. “….So yeah they had this bag full of rings, and this room that was guarded by some undead thing that didn’t like us taking things away from it, anyway, with all the rings I think this one isn’t really needed as much anymore, so I figured I would give it back to you, on account that the thing you traded it for is no longer in your possession anyway, doesn’t feel right keeping it after all the other stuff that’s happened. Oh and this Ring of Amity, pretty sure it would help Barkly and I to build a closer bond but the stuff in the books you have says that I need to be near her for it to work properly the first time, could you send word to the smiths and ask them to send Barkly by one of these nights?”
With Kasi stopping by from time to time he gives her some crafting items an asks for a ring to help him communicate with Barkly, he gladly helps as much as he can during the process and when she come by with the completed ring he says to her “Y’know I think if you want to be a part of the council you can, Me or the others don’t want to force you to stay just with us, but having you at the guild hall as den mother will be really good. Maybe you can do that as your side job like the other council members have? Either way I am glad that you’re getting more of the respect you deserve, Gramma”
(Merkas will give back the Ring of Protection to Bucky, attune to the Ring of Amity and bond to Barkly and, along with the Ring of Animal Influence, he would have multiple conversations with her about her home and how she likes it here, overall building a stronger relationship)
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Loyalty Begets Honour
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Merkas's little legs pump as fast as he can back to the graveyard, while in the distance, you can see other manholes flying into the air. Water gushes from them like a geyser and begins flooding the agricultural district, the town center, and parts of HQ and Merchant District! Cracked clay and sand turn to mud under Merkas's feet! The crowds cries of attack change to one of amazed bewilderment as water rains down on them from the various geysers.
Back in the Sewers...
Sera and Nare go for the ride of their life! Water swils them around violently, yanking them in unpredictable directions, and careerning off the walls of the secret tunnel, until they're flushed out into the sepulchre! Their bodies smash into the sealed tomb, which knocks the lid loose, and the two are eventually flushed free of the tomb, and sloshed out onto the graveyard grounds.
Sera sees that Nare is viciously battered and appears to have several dislocated limbs and a broken leg. Her sight dims from the concussive force of the impact on the tomb, and the last thing she sees are blurry sillouhettes of Santekh residents rushing up to you. Then the pain, the world, and all thought fades from Sera's mind....
Everyone gets 400 XP each for that final skill encounter.
Cutscene...
The Medical Tent: Two days pass before Sera wakes up in the medical facilities. Nare is on a cot near you, panting rapidly and covered in bandages. They look bad and don't open their eyes. A healer notices you're awake and sends a messenger. It's not long before Glynnis and Handar come rushing to the medical building. "Sera," Handar bellows, and the healer clutches his arm and puts a finger over her mouth, glaring like a librarian as she gestures to Nare. Glynnis takes a calmer approach. She smiles, a mix of relief and sadness on her face. "G'd afternoon, lass. Ye were touch an' go fer a while. The best healer in town besides ye been tendin' to ye an'... whoever that is... nearly round the clock." She says pointing a thumb towards Ne'Haredowell.
Buckeran's Palace of Wonders: Hastos, Merkas, and Ororana have been living with Buckeran the last two days while an investigation takes place, by the local guard, of the Santekh sewers. With the damning evidence of gated water, nearly 100 Dragon Army zombie soldiers, and the book that Hastos recovered listing the names of all the members of the cult, Dawnbound has been kept sequestered for trial. Since Ne'Haredowell and Sera's state has been uncertain, they've been kept watch by guards around the clock in the medical building (newly renovated and the medical tent as been restructured to be used as a bazaar. A case for a trial has been set, and Dawnbound are the key witnesses, set to expose a handful of Hachakee, nearly a third of the Santekh residents, and two members of the council. So you haven't been able to leave. Tekel has been shamed and left indignant when many of his higher ranking officers were revealed as members of the cult complicit in stealing supplies, restricting water access, and performing bizarre rituals on fallen enemy soldiers. Disgraced, and with his numbers decimated, he's resorted to taking on bounties himself, and has been out patrolling the wilderness with his remaining guild members.
Buckeran has been a perfect host, and Merkas, Hastos, and Ororana have enjoyed the highest levels of hospitality during this time. But they've been more-or-less, restricted to roam the impossibly large manor inside Buckeran's pocket-dimension house. Ororana has taken the guilded-cage experience the harshest. Her night terrors kept the rest of Dawnbound up at night, so she was eventually given her own room and access to sedatives. But she roams the halls like a caged tiger, bristling with anxious rage at having her movements restricted. When news of Sera's awakening finally comes to Buckeran's house, and you're instructed that you can go to her, Ororana is gone before Buckeran even finishes giving the news!
Bursting out the front door and stretching into a big X she basks in the sunlight for a moment, then looks around. She's used to getting attention everywhere she goes, but this was different. Residence drop to the ground, practically praying to Dawnbound! Gifts of food, blankets, holy relics and small pouches of gold and silver lign the front entrance to Buckeran's office.
Renown Score: Level 3
In an instant, guards surround Dawnbound to escort you to the medical building. The march is slow. Most of the water has soaked into the earth, but there are still puddles and small rivulets still run throughout the town. In spite of her precarious position, Rhyana and the Hachakee are working hard to make the most of the opportunity to work the soil and help the garden grow. She doesn't look up from her work as you leave towards the medical building. You make your way across town with quite a bit of difficulty as guards shove back advancing residents.
"You've become equal parts famous and infamous now." Buckeran says, with a complicated tone in his voice. "If you were the Saviors of Santekh before, I would say you've become fully revered by many in town. But there is an equal number of residents who sympathize with the cult you may have exposed. They hate you for it. But the assasination attempts have been easily foiled, since you've been under my protection!" Buckeran allows himself to beam over his boast. "Rhyanna and Verhanna await trial, pending Sera's recovery. And it would appear you've rescued an old friend of our town as well! But Ne'haredowell is under suspicion, since we don't know if he was a captive, or complicit yet."
You pass by your guild hall, which you can hear forging being done within. The building is complete, including one resident, Kasi. She has abandoned her rickety shack and moved her stuff into the guild to upkeep and protect it while Dawnbound recovers and reunites.
The center of town is bustling now as you approach it. The wells are producing plenty of water, and priests stand by to bless it for purification, due to all the bloated zombies that were discovered floating through Santekh after your adventure below. Shoppers bounce from shop to shop, filling their sacks with all manner of daily necessities. The Laughing Dwarf is quiet for now, but it tends to be busier in the evening anyway. You turn toward past the graveyard and towards the medical building near the Resident District, and notice just how much work has been done in just two days! With water for hydration, and for making clay, builders have been working overtime to finish up Santekh! Instead of a crumbling old ruin with starving refugees, it's become a vibrant miniature metropolis! Although it's far away from your path, you can see that the refugee camp has been converted into a training ground for rebel soldiers, and the ground is deeply muddy and messy from the flood. New soldiers drill in it, sweating under the hot sun. The guards continue to push through the crowd of interested citizens who fawn or curse you until you make it to the medical building.
Once the door is shut, the contrasting quiet almost hurts the ears. The building isn't too big, but it is large enough to handle up to 50 patients at a time. It's complete with a small, nondenominational altar and a small medicine shop labelled "Witchdoctor Duncan's." It's more a vending machine than an actual shop, and contains potions that purify food and water, potions of Healing (Common) and various herbs and trinkets that treat or protect against poison, diseases, etc. They escort you to Sera and Ne'Haredowell's bed and post up around you.
Buckeran clears his throat, "Apologies, but the guards can't be dismissed until the trial. Orders from the council."
This is a cutscene intermission, where you can roleplay, share information, and make plans if you choose to. The presumption is that you've been attending your claimed Downtime Activities for the last two days. You've also levelled up and fully healed. SunDial365, you'll recover when you post. Just have Nare open their eyes, and you're fully rested and recovered.
Merkas is still covered in burn scars all over the front of your body and face, though the healing potions have reduced the marks enough to where they are only visible in daylight, and can easily be covered with make-up tattooes, or magic.
Hastos has a scar on his shoulder where the Pact Knife hit him. But it looks like it will heal up over time.
Sera has minor scarring and very stiff muscles and joints. But they'll loosen up with a little stretching and excersize. Her head still hurts from the concussion, and her left eye is bloodshot and swollen from the impact. Her jaw is also sore and pops when she opens it, but the Healer assures you that will go away with time, and gives you some medicine to drink.
Nare has no scarring, but his leg is a little crooked from being healed by a lower level NPC healer, and has bald patches from where the fur was ripped off in the riptide.
Glynnis looks back towrards Hastos and Merkas and gives them both big hugs. "Good ta see you two lads," she says softly. Handar pats you two on the shoulders.
She/her, DM and Player.
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk
Hastos stifles a grunt as Handar pats him on his injured shoulder. “It’s good to see everyone again.” Hastos says, massaging his shoulder.
Looking down at Sera, a look of concern appears on his face and he reaches down and gently puts a hand on her arm. “How are you?” He asks her.
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
Merkas would be as stir crazy as Ororana if he weren’t staying in the house of one of his idols. The shear amount of treasures, and the stories that go with them, keep him enthralled for a good part of his stay. Reading the book he acquired fills some of the other time.
At some point he does approach Ororana about joining Dawnbound officially, being pretty sure the others would agree, though Sera may be a bit jealous.
He dutifully goes through his collection of items, various tools, doing maintenance where he can and applies the oil of sharpness to his sisters dagger. “Y’know sis, if you really are watching over me then could you help me figure out what’s happening in my body, y’know, like the sudden ability to do some magic and stuff”
At the news of Sera and Mr. Nare’s awakening he runs back yo his pack and grabs a couple rings, the last two of the matching set of five he found, before chasing after Ororana. He is stopped short by the crowd of people and gifts laid out around the entrance. “Didn’t for it for all of this, just wanted noone else t’get hurt y’know. You think the famous and infamous would cancel each other out and we can just be normal again?” Bucky mentions Nare’s current positions and spends some time explaining all the ways he probed his loyalty while in the sewers.
At Sera and Nare’s room Merkas is quiet until after the greetings, smiling slightly at Handar as he pats his shoulder. “I’m sorry Sera, I tried to warn you guys, I sent a message to you be Hastos banged my head against the wall of the shaft, and then I think it can only travel so far, and I only tried it as a test because it seems I’m some sort of wizard or magician or something, isn’t that crazy?! Me with magic powers? Oh and I hope you don’t mind but I asked Ory if she wanted join Dawnbound officially, and I think Mr Nare should join us too, they both more than earned it. Did you have any crazy dreams while you were resting?”
Loyalty Begets Honour
Sera woke up in the medical tent. Nare the Haregon was next to her, asleep, his leg in a splint and patches of fur missing from injuries. She let out a soft sigh. Sore and battered, she had survived the flood in the sewage… and Glynnis and Handor had been there to greet her when she woke. That had been so nice.
“The bruises will fade,” the healer had said, leaving her with some foul-tasting medicine. She took a sip, wincing at the taste, but despite that, she felt better than she had in a long time. Overjoyed, she managed to give Glynnis and Handor warm, heartfelt hugs from her bed, even though every movement reminded her of the flood’s aftermath.
Later, when no one was watching, she quietly slipped out of bed to stretch and search for her father’s sword. Panic fluttered in her chest before she finally found the sword and the other items she liked in the treasure chamber—the sack from the cultist and her usual set of gear were still there.
“Oh, thank the Paladine,” she whispered, gripping her father’s shield. Her eyes fell on a slick black chitin armor. It looked oddly familiar, somehow both clumsy and perfectly tailored to her athletic form. Was it always this way? She touched it—it was warm, almost alive, and seemed to mold itself to her body. Curious, she donned it, and to her amazement, each piece adapted perfectly. It was so light, so natural that she hardly felt she was wearing armor at all.
She examined her new shield—a true masterpiece—and got lost in its details, forgetting about the armor entirely. The healer returned to check on her, and she hurried back to bed, lying under the blanket. It was cushioned and comfortable, and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.
When she woke again, she tried to remove the armor—but it was stuck. Tendrils of the chitin clung to her, pulling painfully as she struggled. And then she realized: it wasn’t magical. It was alive. It wanted to be part of her. Pulling hurt; letting it be felt…pleasant.
She didn’t have much time to grapple with the armor before visitors arrived. Glynnis and Handor came first, and she smiled, pretending nothing was wrong. Soon after, the rest of her friends arrived, battered but seemingly well. Hastos’ concerned words warmed her heart, and she returned a warm smile.
“I’m good,” she said. “The water flushed us out pretty thoroughly… I’m just glad we’re alive and not in jail. So I guess we came out on top? Not getting blamed for whatever Sargonnas’ cult did.” She said this from her bed, not wanting to explain the symbiote armor just yet.
“Oh, and thank you for leaving the… interesting items,” she added, thinking of Buckeran and the excitement of discovering the treasures. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret—her eagerness for nice armor hadn’t prepared her for the possibility it might be cursed.
Turning to Merkas who was eagerly chatting away she smiled at him " sure...if they dare join us. We seems to end up in trouble. If they like to join us i am happy. Oh and Orerana i hope you got to replenish your stock of potions...I belive i had a few in the sack I took from the cultist...can you not check it out and see what you need?" Sere knew Orerana liked potions. " oh and Glynni....we did find a very special cook book....in that bag. Kind of odd that a cultist was running around with it. What was he searching for against that darkness spell? " Sera shrugs "did we miss a disple magic scroll in it?"
“It’s good to see you awake. Has anyone mentioned how long you two are going to be in here?”
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
Sera looked at Hastos with a faint smile. For a moment, she remembered how they used to share a bed, but she pushed the thought aside, hiding it carefully behind her expression.
“I’m not sure,” she admitted softly. “The healers here are concerned… but I suppose I can pray for healing, if there’s still need. I am probably the strongest healer in town…” She let out a weary sigh, then lowered her eyes before continuing.
“And I have to confess something. When I saw the items brought here… I was afraid. Afraid we might be arrested, or that the cultists of Sargonnas would come for us. So… I put one of them on.”
She rose from the bed, the blanket slipping away, revealing the new armor. It clung to her like a second skin—slick, black chitin that seemed to have been crafted for her body alone. Veins of faintly shifting light ran across its surface, giving it the eerie impression of something alive.
“I should have waited,” she said, her voice low. “But now… it’s as if it’s part of me.”
Her gaze shifted to Merkas. “And what of the other items? Have they been identified? Have the valuables been properly distributed?”
“Oh, that’s…interesting armour, wonder why it attached like that” Merkas digs through his bag and hands over one of the rings from the matching set, “Here, I brought one for each of you, that way all five of us have the same ones, like a medal for surviving that darned place” (Merkas gives Sera a Ring of Jumping) “Bucky says these are for jumping high, “he then holds out a couple more “This one is swimming and this one is warmth, that one rams, and this one is for something called amnity? Not sure what that means. Oh and that’s a mind shielding ring. But other than that we haven’t been to focussed on the stuff, what with worries about you two getting better and us also needed rest, I think Hastos slept the whole first day, Ory prowled around Bucky’s place like she wanted fight the walls, and I read a bunch and Bucky shared a bunch of the stories from his collection, y’know he has this strange rod that gets stuck in place and won’t move, like right in mid air!”
Merkas carefully doesn’t mention all the things they found as the guards and Buckeran are still with them.
Loyalty Begets Honour
Hastos couldn’t hide his look of shock, but Merkas’ onslaught of information smoothed the moment and forced the mood to lighten.
Hastos reaches out touches the armor with his fingers. “Does it… hurt?” He asks cautiously.
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
Hastos reached out and touched the strange armor. To her surprise, Sera actually felt it—his fingers brushing not just the surface but something deeper. She gave a small laugh.
“It tickles… and it isn’t uncomfortable at all. I could even rest in it,” she admitted, smiling at him. His touch stirred a warmth inside her, a feeling she realized she might soon want more of. But she pulled herself back, questions pressing in from every side—the armor, the other relics, everything that had happened.
Surely Buckeran, the ever-curious kender librarian, would be thrilled to examine it.
Her gaze drifted to Nare, still lying on the cot beside her. Poor haregon… he must have taken a hard blow to the head as well.
Then Merkas’ voice brought her back to the present, the blue Kender distributing the last of the recovered treasures. When a ring gleamed in his palm, she reached for it without hesitation.
“A Ring of Swimming?” she said, slipping it onto her finger at once. A grin spread across her face. “Probably wise—since I’d sink like a rock wearing this thing.”
Hastos chuckles but then walks over to Nare and looks at his wounds. Abrasions were plenty, but clearly the damage lies deeper than he has the knowledge to understand. (Medicine: 1)
Hastos gently pats the bed next to the Harigon. “Hang in there my friend. You’re in good hands.” He says gently then returns to Sera’s bedside.
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
Handar winces sympathetically against accidentally patting the wounded side. "Sorry lad..." he whispers, remembering Glynnis's earlier warning.
As you polish your dagger, you feel a strange warmth inside you. As if your sister were sending you good vibes about your deeper understanding of yourself. It's very faint, but enough to put a little extra pep in your step.
Buckeran chuckles at your complicated view of fame as you march to the medical building. "It would seem mundanity is not your destiny, Merkas, my boy! People like you tend to change the world. And change polarizes people. You will be greatly loved, and deeply hated the greater your exploits become. Be mindful that the fame doesn't make you arrogant though." He subconsciously rubs his stubs where his missing fingers were as he talks. "Risk is part of adventure, but overstepping can cost you dearly."
Ororana grins, and coils her ringlets with her finger. "It's an honor to join! It's been weird hanging out with Dawnbound. But... a good weird in a way. I'm studying ways to get stronger. I've always been a go-to for bounties in Santekh, but down there, in the sewers... I saw what real power is. As a member of Dawnbound, I'm going to train harder. Really represent the guild, y'know. Maybe if I was stronger, Ne'haredowell wouldn't be..."
She looks over at the unconscious, panting form of Ne'Haredowell.
The healer approaches with some insight on that. "The hare- Ne'Haredowell is still under my care. They've been clinging to life, but their dreams seem to be troubled. We've had to bind their broken leg to the bed to keep them from kicking with it. Sera is free to go, however. I can send a runner when Ne'Haredowell awakens."
Ororana grinned, "I'll go through the potions and see what I need. But my pouch only carries six. Also, yeah. We found the Dispel Magic scroll. I don't really know how to use them, but I guess we're lucky the cultists didn't find it. Fighting in the dark was difficult... but it would've been a death sentence if the Heirophant would've been able to hit us. Rhyanna has been hiding some serious fire power. I've been studying up on the cult. Take a look."
She shares a page of notes on a Cultist Heirophant.
More coming... I have to walk the dogs. Sorry!
She/her, DM and Player.
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk
Buckeran's eyes sparkle as you discuss the treasure horde you found. "I'd be happy to appraise any items you wish. And I can trade with you, if you have something you don't want. I deal mostly in artifacts from ancient wars. Those that are exceptionally dangerous, or cursed, I keep safe in my mansion. But the rest are often distributed on loan for special missions."
He puts on a monacle and approaches Sera, looking her new armor up and down. If it were anyone else, it might seem creepy and invasive. But Buckeran is clearly only interested in the scientific aspect of the armor. "Living Armor..." he lets out a low whistle. "My dear, I believe, for better or worse, you are stuck with that armor. Once it makes a symbiotic attachment to its wearer, it cannot be removed while the wearer is still alive. You'll have to bathe in a special oil, which I believe Duncan can procure for you. Or... I suppose you could always bathe in blood. Living Armor feeds off it. Speaking of... bonding to it. That must've been quite painful. I'm quite curious, and fascinated! May I?" He points one of his few remaining fingers out to poke your arm.
Sera's level of comfort with Buckeran's actions will determine what happens next.
Sera feels the armor writhe and bristle at Hastos's touch, making an odd squelching sound. Sera feels the alert in her mind, but once the armor understands that Sera views Hastos fondly, the suit relaxes. The texture of the suit is chitonous and rigid. Almost spiky. But it softens and smooths after a moment, allowing the friendly contact. Sera feels the armor's pleasure at the reassuring touch.
We're about to move forward in the second Cutscene. Everyone, please roll INT, WIS, or CHA checks (whichever of your bonus is higer) to determine your contribution to the tribunal. You all have Heroic Inspiration to use on the roll if you choose to.
She/her, DM and Player.
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk
Sera feels Buckerans touch. And she knows he might learn more about it. So she let him. A bit flustered that Hastos csress feels so pleasurable. She hope he still might desire her because she wants more later.
She rise up. Take a look at Oreranas notes and shake her head " we lucky we survived...I can use that scroll. I know the spell. It be a great back up." She then turns toward Nare and the healer. " could a healing spell wake him up?" She looks conserned. He had done his best in battle wuth her. She wkuld do all she could for him too.
The suit remains hard and chitonous to Buckeran's touch. He taps on the hardened armor and traces his nimble fingers along the veins. Everywhere he moves his finger, the armor hardens, reflecting you lesser affection for the quirky council member. "Fascinating. It responds to your own interest and affections. You two appear to have some kind of emotional symbiosis as well. I imagine it would be hard and bristly to an unwanted touch." Buckeran flicks your arm, and the chiton bristles immediately! He shakes his hand and sucks the sore finger with a barely contained grin! "Sera... I believe this armor could be improved... no trained... to form spikes, or even tendrils that will attack those who try to grab or grapple you." He takes his monacle off. "With this device I can see magical energy and how it flows. When I flicked your armor, it rose to your defense, in anticipation of the attack! I could also see the tendrils that have worked its way into your smaller blood vessels and nervous system. Which means it possesses the ability to attack. While its current capabilities are limited, its potential is much greater!" He chuckles in giddy curiosity. "It's obvious the armor cannot be safely removed. But if you're willilng to visit me daily while the tribunal is ongoing, I can help you figure out how to train your armor."
The healer frowns, thinking. She takes a deep breath before speaking. "Healing spells work best immediately after injury. Though fast healing magics can be excrutiatingly painful when they mend grievous wounds like these, they can set bones, mend sinew, and close flesh quicker than my medicines can. But the bones have already started to set... a little crooked, but they'll work fine. I'm not sure if healing magic beyond what I did to stabilize the poor dear would wake them, or re-break their bones in an attempt to reset the legs. Their heart is already fluttering so rapidly I thought for certain they'd die of a heart attack on this bed. Pushing their pain limits to such a degree could unintentionally cause that heart attack and kill them. Perhpas it's best to let them recover at their own natural pace."
She/her, DM and Player.
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk
Weeks go by in drudgery. The tribunal is obviously hesitant to arrest and depose two of their most important members, and fear the impact such a power gap can make. Sera's crass blathering puts her in contempt of court, and she spends a few days in house arrest at Buckeran's palace honing her Herbalism craft. Under Witchdocter Duncan's tutelage, she makes extraordinary progress!
Sera has completed 60 days worth of training towards master Herbalism (Doubled for downtime, Doubled again for having a mentor). 4 days of Training remain. 1 Day with Duncan's help.
Merkas and Hastos presented damning evidence of Rhyanna, who was listed as the Heirophant, and 3rd in command in the cult. But Verhanna was exonerated. While she knew of Rhyanna's ties to the cult, she wasn't on the list of members, held no identifiable rank, and has no apparent financial ties to the organization. But she offered to step down and threw herself on the mercy of the court to lighten Rhyanna's sentence. Rhyanna's defense was fairly solid as well. Although she did try to have her minions kill Dawnbound, none of them actually died. And all the zombies found in the sewers were proven to have been Dragon Army soldiers. The crimes she did receive judgement for had more to do with embezzlement and fraud than anything... skimming from the supplies to arm and feed cult members, withholding water and food from the city, and extorting tithes from desperate citizens. Consequently, she was removed from office and imprisoned in an anti-magic cell until a proper punishment could be decided.
But the bomb was dropped when Kasi stepped forward to testify. She explained that Rhyanna covertly explained to her that if Kasi attempted to make a trade deal with Letni Inhelk, it would be good for both Kasi and Santekh. Kasi would be welcomed into the kobold clan, where she would be amongst her people, and Santekh would have an open trade route with the clan who had access to a thriving subterranean agricultural supply.
However, once the deal was made, Rhyanna sent a spy to negotiate a secondary deal with Letni Inhelk... that the traders would peacefully acquiesce the supplies coming in, if they met the traders at a specific drop point. Traders were then paid to stop at a campsite, allow the supplies to be retrieved, and then return to their home town. After the drop was made and the traders made camp, Sargonnas soldiers (armed with weapons commonly used by kobolds), slaughtered the traders in their sleep. The whole thing was set up to make Letni Inhelk look like raiders, and Kasi the betrayer that caused it all. This was intended to spark outrage at the kobolds. With revenge firing up the hearts of the broken people of Santekh, Sagonnas's influence would only grow stronger. It backfired when Dawnbound so completely annihilated the clan and returned with all the supplies, replacing vengeful hatred with joyous celebration.
Another investigation was made into how deep the cult's involvement influenced Santekh activities. In all, 50 members were found and arrested... 7 of which were in the Hachakee clan as well, which broke down trust between the two factions. Hachakee leaders demanded that the seven cult members be dealt with by the tribe, while the Santekh council wanted to mete out their own punishments, and had doubts that the Hachakee would punish them appropriately. This caused a powerful political schism, and the Hachakee withdrew into the desert, giving Santekh the option to surrender the 7 prisoners willingly, or by force. With the numbers advantage, and their political power in a state of disarray, Santekh had no choice but to release the 7 prisoners into Hachakee custody.
Tekel was found innocent of charges of collusion with the Sargonnas cult. His only real crime was being a fool. Although Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the scythe that was bonded to Tekel, had some loose ties to the cult's activities, it wasn't recognized as a cult relic, and Tekel was physically incapable of relenquishing it anyway, so they let him keep it. Disgraced, however, he vowed to win back the people of Sargonnas by doubling down on desert and mountain skirmishes against the Dragon Armies: a dangerous task previously reserved by the Hachakee. He said he wouldn't return until he had personally claimed 100 Dragon Army lives. He's been sending back regular reports of his success, but can offer no proof of his activities, besides eyewitness testimony from the runner. Unfortunately, every time he slays someone with the scythe, there are no remains left behind from the attack to send as proof of claim, which has left the remaining council members skeptical.
Exonerated by the tribunal, Amelista redoubled her efforts to gain a seat on the council, and was finally awarded the seat that Verhanna once held. In a show of her gratitude, she has moved the bounty board into Dawnbound's newly complete Guild Hall! They are ranked by difficulty (and consequential reward value) and posted up in the main hall. Lower priority missions, or missions that fit outside the capabilities of Dawnbond, or that don't fit on the bounty board remain at HQ to be distributed by Amelista. Witchdoctor Duncan and Dana were both offered seats on the council, but both refused. Duncan was busy expanding his business, and finding his replacement on guard duty. And Dana preferred to stay out of politics. So, in a bizarre turn of events, Kasi (who has been wronged so many times by the people of Santekh) was offered the position. The people's reaction to the offer was... mixed. Many still distrust kobolds, even if Letni Inhelk did nothing wrong in that specific scenario. But, historically, kobolds did side with Takhisis in the war. But the council thought Kasi could serve as an emmisary for local kobold clans that remained neutral (or left the Dragon Armies) to rally them to Santekh's true cause... the rebellion against the Dragon Army empire. Having the overwhelming numbers that kobolds can provide would be a game-changer in the war. Kasi said she would consider the offer, but hasn't made a decision yet. Instead, she's been focusing on forging Merkas's Ring of Animal Influence.
Merkas gains Ring of Animal Influence.
Amelista is now a Patron. Dawnbound has two: Buckeran (financier and trader of magic items), and Amelista (quest giver and liason for guild growth).
Ororana spends her time training and in therapy. Her experience with the cults brought up some traumatic memories, and her trances have been unrestful. She's been agitated lately, and pops out of her trance screaming. She accidentally punched Buckeran when he woke her from her trance, and has decided to work on herself to control her behavior. She's learning to control her rage and use it in battle. But her process remains ongoing. On the surface, she's still the vibrant, flirty, and full of life. But Dawnbound has seen her at her worst. And the house arrest during the tribunal has definitely brought out her worst. She's battered several practice dummies to splinters then broken down sobbing. Startling her is dangerous, and she's accidentally taken a swing at several of you. But moments later, the mask is back on, and she appears to be fine again. You learn that she was born into slavery, a child of the Kagonesti Elves, they were oppresed, even by other elves. She was sold to a death cult and trained to hunt and execute those who attempted to leave the cult, or those the cult thought were infidels. The assasinations she commited were on frightened people, running to escape the violence her cult lived in. Innocents who were coerced or even forced to do unspeakable acts. Her guilt haunts her. And when she finally found a way to escape, she assumed a new identity and ran as far as she could. When she learned about the Santekh revolution, she found her chance to use her skills for something good, and joined up as a fairly anonymous bounty hunter, collecting the heads of oppressors instead of sobbing victims.
Ororana has become Barbarian 2/Fighter 3
The tribunal ends with one seat on the council open, Rhyanna and 50 other people in prison. The Hachakee have moved back into the desert. And Dawnbound is the official guild of Santekh.
Your time in house arrest has ended.
Merkas has completed his training in Smithing under Kasi's tutelege, and has gained Proriciency in Smith's Tools. You've also become proficient in Kobold.
She/her, DM and Player.
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk
Merkas spends time during the wait reading over the book of demonology. Upon finishing it he finds he has a better understanding of the tricks and subtleties that fiends tend to use.
(After the allotted 5 days, Merkas now has adv against fiends for INT CHA and WIS checks)
Wandering the halls he hears Ororana smashing at practice dummies and heads in to watch her fight. After watching her from a perch on barrel as she savagely destroys a dummy and stand there looking defeated over the carnage. “Yeah, I felt like that for awhile too, I wanted nothing more than to hunt down all the wizards and warlocks and sorcerers and mages that created that crazy place that took my sister from me snd turned me blue.” He pulls Splinter from its sheath and holds it out in his palms. “This connection to my sister was the only thing that kept me from sneaking into the houses of anyone that practiced magic and trying to slit their throats or smother them in pillows. Over time there was something about having mu sisters dagger that showed me to guide my rage and hurt towards helping people instead of revenge.” Smiling empathetically he continues. “I have no idea the hurt and rage and damage you’ve gone through, nor would I try so say I know how you feel, but I can say that the path I see you attempting to walk is a good one, it’s one that I walked to get here, helping Santekh and Gramma Kasi, it’s the one that finally got me back to being happy and enjoying life again, with no need for a mask.” He puts the dagger away and stands on the barrel to look her in the eye. “It’s also the one that brought you to us. We’re new to guild matters, and you’re going to be our experiment on how to do it well. So ultimately I want you to have the freedom to choose the jobs you want and not be reliant on us, but first lets work through some of this together ok? I am here to spar with, yell at, through soft plush toys at or just hold onto and cry. While we’re stuck here let’s help each other.”
In between his times with Ororana he catches up with Bucharan, chatting about the items they found and sorting out the different values of the more precious ones. “….So yeah they had this bag full of rings, and this room that was guarded by some undead thing that didn’t like us taking things away from it, anyway, with all the rings I think this one isn’t really needed as much anymore, so I figured I would give it back to you, on account that the thing you traded it for is no longer in your possession anyway, doesn’t feel right keeping it after all the other stuff that’s happened. Oh and this Ring of Amity, pretty sure it would help Barkly and I to build a closer bond but the stuff in the books you have says that I need to be near her for it to work properly the first time, could you send word to the smiths and ask them to send Barkly by one of these nights?”
With Kasi stopping by from time to time he gives her some crafting items an asks for a ring to help him communicate with Barkly, he gladly helps as much as he can during the process and when she come by with the completed ring he says to her “Y’know I think if you want to be a part of the council you can, Me or the others don’t want to force you to stay just with us, but having you at the guild hall as den mother will be really good. Maybe you can do that as your side job like the other council members have? Either way I am glad that you’re getting more of the respect you deserve, Gramma”
(Merkas will give back the Ring of Protection to Bucky, attune to the Ring of Amity and bond to Barkly and, along with the Ring of Animal Influence, he would have multiple conversations with her about her home and how she likes it here, overall building a stronger relationship)
Loyalty Begets Honour