Esra leaps off of the boat and walks forward, surveying the area. He opens his palm and whispers a word, and a harmless sensory effect predicting the weather for the next 24 hours appears in his hand(druidcraft).

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION:  (Boran stands 6’2 and built like a brick. He is a 52 year old human with long grey hair. One glance at him shows his battleworn history with countless scars and crooked nose and jaw from the many times they have been broken. Despite his looks, he always seems to be in good spirits. Perhaps he is proud to just be alive and considers himself to be living on borrowed time. )

“Hello, Odysseus.  My am Boran. Other than that I cannot tell you much else. My memory seems to have escaped my mind, HAHAHA”

”This place seems unsettling. Something does not feel right, but I do think we should find shelter. Looks like the weather may not be forgiving later ... but first ...”

Boran looks at the raft and attempts to salvage a piece of it to use as a club without completely ruining its ability to be a raft.

(ooc: how do I roll on here? I would like to make a str check to break off a piece of wood from the raft)

(OOC: also I think I missed the part that we can start with armor. I don’t mind continuing without, since I deleted it from character sheet already)

Odyssues, possibly survival for the check. Regardless, it’s night, but you get the sense (with your roles) that time is kind of sideways in this place. 

Esra, your druidcraft tells you that it’s going to be stormy, then that it’s going to be cool and pleasant. The only problem is that the prediction shows both happening at the same time. Kind of like a calm storm?

Looking up, the sky seems just as confused as you must be. Swirling dark clouds but calm and stale air.

There’s nothing good for shelter that you can see in the immediate area, except for the raft that Boran is trying pull a piece for a club from.

Boran, strength check would be [roll ] 1d20+str modifier [/roll ]. No space between the start and end of the brackets and the 1d20+str modifier and no space after the word roll inside the brackets. There’s a post about it stickied to the top of the pBp threads if you need more detailed help. If I’m off anyone, please let me know.

Armor: yes pick a basic set (leather, chain, etc). 

Strength 5

Odysseus searches as well for a stick, a rod or a club around the beach.

he doesn’t remember anything but when he touches the emblem around his neck (an owl) , he can almost feel his previous life was a turmoil,  has the sensation there is something beyond: some kind of force who favors him, some other opposes him (and deep down he is convinced the second one is involved in this shipwreck). He is well interested to find out and not to loose hope: he will take revenge on who did this and he will use noble or subtle means.

ii is also natural for him, walking along the beach, to think about the sea , the wind, the weather: why, he wonders. Maybe was a sailor, a fisherman or a pirate? 

He picks the piece of wood and then goes back and asks the others

”there is no shelter, we must follow the road, at least to get away from the beach and find a safe place. Moreover, it cannot be coincidence that we all were on that raft and none of us remember anything: somebody or something wanted it to be so. Well, I want to have a chat with this somebody.”

then he starts to walk inland, following the road

”at least we can start afresh, we can start a new life, unless we die starving, I don’t know how but I feel that with the proper means I’d able to fish, I might have been s fisherman? Who knows?!”

ooc: unless the majority has something against it, shall we leave the beach?

@dm: do we know anything about magic or religion? Since some of our characters have those powers...

Nods at Odysseus. “I do not believe in coincidence and fate is a mirage created by the Gods.  Let us look for whoever brought us here and let our ...”

Boran looks at his makeshift club and laughs as he finishes his thought. “... sticks ask the questions.”

if there seems to be greenery and woods in the area, Boran heads down the path with Odysseus, otherwise, he looks at the raft again ... “firewood? Once it dries.” And looks at the rest of the group for their thoughts.

Boran, you're able to pull a club like weapon from the wood on the raft. Same for Odysseus. There's no real "road", just a barren path through the cliff face. No woods or forests either. It goes straight from the beach to cliffs. As you go, if you choose to, further into the path through the cliffs, it's about a good 15 minute walk through from what you can tell with the way it goes into darkness and twists and winds.

*Magic and religion abilities, powers are fine. You know about it (familiarized enough during training to make them work). They won’t be nerfed. 

“There seems to be only one path. If someone did bring us here, I’d like to meet that person fist to face.”

Boran begins to walk toward the opening.  

Assuming the rest of the group is on board with moving forward...

Music: [Atrium Carceri - The Dark Mother]

As you walk through the cliff face path, the air begins to thin and it gets dark. A small sliver of strained light is the only brightness as the path continues on. At the end of the path, after a good 15 minute hike, light from the blue and purple tormented sky above finally shines down in wealth, revealing a circular island looking just as dismal as the beach you recently departed.

It's cold. The lightning storm above in the sky begins to end. There's no bright colors or pretty forested areas. Instead, most of the grass is a greenish-brown. There's a few dead trees scattered around.

In the center of this island are 7 large pillars, black and grey and cracked. They reach high into the sky in a circular pattern with their tops pointed in different directions. These impressive structures are the only things that seem to have, more or less, survived the passing of time in the area.

Looking around, you see a small shack in the far left with a circle of 7 stones next to it (large enough to make them out) and a humanoid intensely studying them.

There's also small ruined tower in the area to the right that looks pretty badly run down with a humanoid sitting on its stairs, that they themselves fail to find purchase - leading to nothing. The rest of the tower is in ruins.

Another humanoid is aimlessly walking around, stopping to examine one of the pillars from time to time.

From where you entered, you can see that this is only a small island. Beyond the island is a vast sea that's churning unnaturally.

All of this reminds you of a purgatory of sorts. It's oddly inviting though, in a weird and creepy kind of way.

Strangely, it begins to lightly snow. The wind around you picks up a little, letting the little flakes of white fall so beautifully from the dark sky. The lightening storm is over, replaced with heavy clouds.

Another humanoid, a woman, tall and pale skinned, approaches as you enter the area. She has stringy white, half-there hair. Many of the strands fail to find root anymore, looking half like a corpse herself.

“Welcome, you poor wretched things. I am the Dark Mother. Myself and my companions here...”

(she motions to the other humanoids on the island)

“We lament the woes of the half dead and the half alive. For our persistence is ever a weather of the Astral Planes. You are welcome to stay here for as long as you like. Your fate is your own to choose, after all. However, if you wish to leave this realm, you must cross the Sea of the Dead...”

(she motions to the unnaturally churning sea behind her - directly north of where you entered)

“And obtain the Black Blade and the Hallowed Text. Then you must find the Machine at the heart of the Decrepit City and stop it."

She offers a weak smile, toothy and odd - as if she hasn't smiled in quite a many years.

I tried to upload a photo below. It doesn't look like it went though. I'll just do a link.

Images to give you an idea of what it looks like:
[Island Concept]
[The actual area you're in], from afar, with the ruined black tower in view. Couldn't find a creepy photo of 7 pillars but you get the idea

Odysseus takes in the whole strange place and his dwellers, but he is not convinced at all about his feelings.

Especially at the mention of half-alive, he thinks about something he did not, so far:

Am I dreaming? Am I....alive?

ooc: @DM: do our characters feeel the urge every alive being feel? I mean: are we thirsty, hungry or else?

You realize, upon really thinking about it, that you’re not thirsty or hungry.

You do feel pain and emotion and retain your intellect and personality. 

But you’re very tired. 

Odysseus

Odysseus feels strange and lost, he addresses the woman:

"Dark Mother?! strange name...anyway...woman, all you say sounds new and nonsense, at least to me.

We are very tired and We shipwrecked here, or at least that's what we know.

Please explain your self: where are we? and, we are to believe: somebody dragged us here, didn't he? and why?"

Perzival says: "Decrepit City? Where is this?"

“Dark Mother, you say?  We will not be staying long.  As my companion said, we shipwrecked here if that’s what you call it. What keeps you here and have there been others to come through this pass?”

Boran looks at the humanoids walking around. Do they seem to notice we are here? Any curious glances our way? Or do they seem oblivious to our presence?

”Also, how can we cross this sea you speak of?  Is there a ship that can take us? Is there a bed on the ship?  I’m feeling a little weary”

The Dark mother looks at each of you in turn before answering. She has a high, raspy voice, like air pinched too tight through a straw. “The Machine brought each of you here. It is this realm. It breathes us in and breathes us out. As to why, I do not know.”

She looks at Odysseus with pity in her eyes. “In a way, you came of your own accord.”

She looks to Perzival. “The Decrepit City is across the Sea of the Dead.” She motions behind her, to the unnaturally churning sea. “You must cross if you wish to leave. Collect the Black Blade and the Hallowed Text. Only then do you hold hope to leave and stop the Machine.”

To Boran, she says “Dear wretched friends, you are not the first to pass and you will not be the last. Those around you have come before you. Some have gone beyond, past the Sea of the Dead, but I cannot remember how they did so. Jemrosh…” she points to the half-orc thing by the small circle of stones “is trying in earnest to learn the secret to pass through the Sea of the Dead. Perhaps he may be able to help you. I am simply a guide to the wretched, like yourselves, that wash ashore.”

Note: The other people on the island notice you. They glance every once in a while as you’re conversing with the Dark Mother, then go back to their musings. You also get the feeling that there's no ship available to cross the Sea of the Dead, as there's none on the island and none of the humanoids look inclined to retrieve one.

Perzival strides towards the half orc and asks Jemrosh whether they know a way across the sea.

Over by the collected 7 stones next to the shack you see what looks like the remains of an orc. Tall, almost black in skin color by now. He’s studying the small rock formation. Upon being approached, he looks your way.

As you approach, he speaks. Low and deep and harsh is his voice, like a great lion scraped over hot coals for too long. “Such a waste of my talents. Trivial, I’m sure this puzzle here is a trivial one once properly snuffed out.”

He motions to the stones.

“My body cage will whither before I figure this out, though I’m sure! Friends, the Machine must be stopped, else ruin and rebirth becomes us all. Oh, but do look out for the Cowled Seekers! Seekers of truth, they are, but at what cost, I say! What cost is too much!?”

To the question, he answers; “Oh, yes indeed. That is my prize! The answer is within the pillars, you see? I’ve arranged them, I have.”

He looks to the pillars then back to his stones.

”What is the secret? The arrangement is perfect! Perhaps your eye is more keen than my own, wretched one. What am I missing?”

Perzival says: "What are you missing about what? And how do we stop the machine?"

(I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to leave the group. Stuff has come up, and I have to cut back on how much time I waste in the infinite wonders of D&D. Bye.)

@WoobyDoobyDoo: ok, no worries, it happens

@squeabs: since we barely started, we can wait for replacement, it shouldn't be difficult to recruit, there plenty of players waiting to join