Related Information to Aericsteele’s D&D 5e RPG Main Thread

Aericsteele’s D&D 5e RPG Main Thread - Page 91

Zinna eyes the Father as he and Leo talk. She tries not to look at him scornfully. Everyone keeps talking about the Maker. Seems like the Destroyer is more likely to answer any calls for help than the so called Maker. There is no proof of the Maker. Only deluded individuals like the Father claim any contact with the Maker.

Where was the Maker when she called for help. She received no answer. Fortunately, Queen Inasyah answered. If not for her, Zinna would still be imprisoned. The bard finally had something to believe in. Zinna dreaded parting with Corren but also longed to go beyond the Veil and meet her Queen. Surely she wouldn't be gone long. Seeing the priest eyeing her as he and Leo talk she smiles a fake smile at him to be polite.

Thread Main RPG e Dragons and Dungeons Aericsteeles

When they get to the elven tree city Mradoric relaxes and once again will go to one of the trees in the city and hug it and then sit at its base in meditation with the trees. He will listen to the sounds around him as he meditates.

Aericsteele’s D&D 5e RPG Main Thread Archive Pathfinder / D&D

Corren thanks Father Marcellus for his work. "Do you wish to report all this to Clear Creek yourself, or have you prepared a written report? We will leave in the morning for Clear Creek. Some of us, at any rate." He glances at Leo and Zinna before continuing. "I think we can convince Asendar that not only should we ally with the Lighthair against the orcs, but against the Illiosani. What Zinna has told us is appalling. And I am fairly sure that with such threats, we can convince Asendar that rampant expansion in this direction is unwise, and they will be best served making useful allies."

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The Maker says...

Father Marcellus tells Corren that he will conduct much of his business through written correspondence and he does give Corren a sealed letter that he says must get to Tywin as soon as possible. "I would caution you about revealing too much about the Illiosani or even the orcs to anyone" the priest warns "The Emperor is looking for an excuse to send his army to expand the Empire's borders. At the same time the Imperial Church is looking for an excuse to launch a crusade and build an army of its own that will rival that of the Emperor. The Illiosani making sacrifices to worship their ancestors would have the leaders of the Church frothing at the mouth, especially since they used a citizen of Asendar for their evil purposes. A crusade may be inevitable, but we should stall as much as possible I think."

Father Marcellus tells Leo to go with Zinna and to keep her safe, both physically and spiritually as he worries about the state of her soul. "She was resistant to the light of the Maker before all of this happened. It is a very dangerous time for her spiritually speaking. As a holy knight you must guide her back to the true path Sir Leo. This Inasayah is dangerous, do not let her bring poor Zinna further into darkness."

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The Scout of the Deep Wilds says...

Carrick seems to want to say something at the Father's words, but thinks twice about it and goes to Jae'dyn to inquire about the potential ramifications of the Illiosani being somewhat thwarted with them losing Zinna and a few others for their barbaric rituals.
The dwarf then pledges he will aid in any way he can to both Jae'dyn and his tribe, not just with the Illiosani, but with Bloody Axe as well, "There be sumthin' of a bit of unfinish'd bus'ness wit' a certain orc that I be itchin' t' finish… "

Edited: Brandonfett on 6th Feb, 2017 - 7:00pm

Aericsteele’s D&D 5e RPG Main Thread

Leo spends much of the next year on the move, rarely staying in one place for more than a few weeks. He continues to work with the defenders of Clear Creek from time to time and otherwise helps as he can around that settlement, but also acts to protect travel between there and the elvish community as relations between the two develop. Father Marcellus occasionally calls for his assistance, and he also spends an increasing amount of time in the company of the Fey.

At first, that last was to ensure the wellbeing of Zinnathrya, but as his concern about her situation faded, his fascination with the Fey and their realm increased. Their realm was an inspiring aspect of the Maker's creation that he had barely known existed before, and he wished to learn all he could.

It is through them that he first heard of the Calesill, an ancient order of elven and fey warriors devoted to protecting life, light, and most of all, hope. Their numbers were few, and they were sworn to Queen Inasyah, but their traditions and the primary portion of their oaths sang to Leo's ideals. In speaking with one of their number, Leo decided that a path much like theirs was worth dedicating himself to.

And so it was that the young Paladin spent a night in prayer at the foot of a great tree revered by the elves, asking the Maker to guide him. The path seemed righteous, but he felt that Marcellus and others of the church wouldn't understand if they knew the source of his inspiration.

As the sun began to rise through the trees, he knelt in a patch of light and spoke in a clear voice, "Through acts of mercy, kindness, and forgiveness, I swear to kindle the light of hope in the world, beating back despair. Where there is good, beauty, love, and laughter in the world, I swear to stand against the wickedness that would swallow it. I will not allow the light to die in my own heart. Fear, rage, and despair shall not snuff out the joy and hope in me. I swear to let the light of my joy and my courage shine as a beacon for all who live in despair. By the grace of the Maker, I, Leo de Ecclesia, swear to uphold these vows for the rest of my days."

Leo did not tell others of that morning, that he and the Maker know the vow had been spoken was enough. But others noticed that he became more confident, less willing to question his ability to act. He did not cease to seek the Father's advice, but no longer relied upon it. And he began to teach the Maker's word himself where others were willing to listen, always with a few simple and kind words, never preaching.

Aericsteele’s D&D 5e RPG Main Thread - Page 91

Corren looks at Father Marcellus, then down to the sealed report. He looks back up and asks, "Can you tell me what is in here? I have no desire to give my own report contradicting yours, unless I feel it absolutely necessary."

Aericsteele’s D&D 5e RPG Main Thread D&D / Pathfinder Archive - Page 91

The Maker says...

Zinna and Leo are taken to the Nexus point by Celodhil which turns out to be little more than slight visual distortion set among the trees and has the appearance of heat waves gently rippling through the air. Here they are met by Lorilys as well. Celodhil prompts the three to step through after him and when they do so they are briefly overcome by a wave of confusion, dizziness and nausea. It takes several moments for them to steady themselves and when do they realize that they are surrounded by a dozen elven warriors armed with bows and spears.

This is the danger of crossing over without escort or approval, Celodhil explains, those who cross over uninvited are disoriented and incapacitated at which point Inasayah’s forces are quick to kill first and not bother asking questions.

Zinna and Leo find the other side of the Veil is very similar to that of their own realm with the biggest difference being that there is no visible sun, the sky itself seems to emanate a warm light making the surroundings brighter and more crisp. Zinna can feel a slight hum of magic that seems to infuse the very air itself.

They find that this part of the Fey Realm is a land of perpetual light, devoid of the cycles of day and night, though during their stay they are told of other lands where darkness reigns. Lands they refer to as being under the domain of the UnSeelie or Dark Fey. These lands are avoided when possible, but Leo and Zinna are told not to fret over it as the Queen’s court is a great distance from any dark realms.

Zinna and Leo stay in the realm of the Fey for only brief time and this time seems to fly by. Only a month after arriving Celodhil escorts them back through the Nexus which, during their time at the Queen’s Court, they learn are actually more like rifts between the worlds, believed to be brought about somehow by the gnomes. In fact they find that Lorilys is referred to as being from the Codraisc (“COD-REESHK”) people or “Lost Ones” and many of the fey approach her with caution for they believe that it was through some form of mischief perpetrated by her kind that the rifts were formed and tore the Veil between the realms. But as a reward for her part in Zinna’s rescue, Lorilys is given a place at Inasayah’s court as something akin to a “lady-in-waiting”

Inasayah reveals to Zinna that these rifts actually pose a danger to her world, not only because it gives potential enemies access to the inner parts of her realms but also because the two worlds seem to be bleeding over into each other. The areas around these rifts or nexus points are prone to wild magic on Zinna’s side while it seems to be bleeding muted magic into her own realm. Her ultimate goal is to seal these rifts eventually if and when they are able to determine how to do so, but in the meantime she utilizes her forces to secure the nexus points on both ends to prevent intruders.

Because the realms are connected by these nexus points Inasayah needs people like Celodhil and Zinna to do her will in their own realm to ensure that the Fey people are protected. Zinna undergoes a ritual wherein the Fey Queen in a manner of speaking connects Zinna’s spirit to her own which allows some communication between them, primarily during dream states. Zinna is taught a form of meditation and lucid dreaming which allows her a greater chance of contacting Inasayah, at least briefly, upon either sleep or during a trance-like state.

Upon their return to their own realm Celodhil takes Zinna to his home, actually more of a den dug into the ground buried deep in the forest where he continues her training for another two months, teaching her how to control and direct the newfound powers given to her by the Fey Queen. Celodhil is a harsh instructor at times who demands near perfection and discipline from her insisting that without this discipline she could be overwhelmed by the forces she is attempting to handle.

The members of the Inasayah’s Calesill seem to take to Leo as something of a kindred spirit and the time he does spend among them he is able to pick up on a few Sylvan words and phrases though he is hardly proficient in the language (You can mark that he is partially proficient in Sylvan on Leo’s character sheet).

Trade begins to trickle back and forth between Durmista and Clear Creek, and after a few months a trail as formed between the two settlements. Durmista’s ground settlement expands somewhat as a handful of humans set up there including the construction of a proper inn/tavern called “The Clay Tankard” a reference to the fact that the elves will not permit the construction of buildings from dead wood; the ground settlements consists of clay huts and buildings.

The elves import primarily foodstuffs and grains from the farms surrounding Clear Creek and from the City of Vollandar, fish, ores, metals and some textiles while they export mostly herbs and berries, pelts/furs, and medicines. Leo helps with escorting the traders through the forest, which happens generally once or twice a month. One of the most recognizable and frequent traders is a portly and sweaty man who goes by the name of Carl Vildegger who says that he comes out of Vollandar usually to bring medicines to the Loggers of Clear Creek and ship back timber to the city; he added Durmista to his route to try and expand his business, even building a warehouse in Clear Creek to facilitate his trade. Though he seemed pleasant at first Leo quickly noticed Carl’s quick temper and tendency to bark orders to other members of the caravan, even Leo who is not employed by the trader. When barked back at though he quickly becomes meek and does little more than pout for a while before identifying someone else that he thinks he can intimidate.

Corren
“Nothing in your report should contradict anything in this message as long as your report to Tywin matches what you told me” the priest replies, “but it is important that no one but Tywin see the contents of this message. If you are uncomfortable with that I can have a courier from the Lighthair deliver it.”

Out of Character: : I am going to allow Kyrroeth to describe her interaction with Inasayah as well as any ritual that she undergoes to help develop this NPC/Patron a little bit more. Basically I would like to take know how Kyrroeth envisions her Patron and then build off of her vision when I’m playing this particular NPC. I have already noted a couple of motivations for Inasayah, mostly around the nexus points and protecting her people, but Kyrroeth can suggest other motivations as well for her to work with, especially as they relate to why Inasayah had chosen Zinna.

I really like Daishain’s idea of the Calesill and will add that to the player contributions section of the SRD soon.