AAR: [2][M] Shadow's Call (2020-06-04@23:00 GMT)

[bronzemountain]

Vol. 1, Entry 1

The diplomatic mission of which I am the junior-most member has started well. I have met several new Adepts - one of whom is from the Cliff City! - and befriended them. They are as follows:

• Azurea. A Troll. Childlike innocence. Warm and friendly. Exhibits a most unusual Discipline that involves shadow weapons. Raised in some sort of communal creche-based Kaer.
• Sek'thi. A T'skrang. Like me, comes from the Cliff City. A thief. Quite deadly. Fond of kicking people with hidden knife blades in his boots.
• Ursal. A Troll. Axemaster. Solid and straightforward, unusually so for one of his Discipline. Likes axes a lot.
• Icarus Wolf-Swift. A Human. I believe him to be an Air Sailor. Fond of drink. Potentially dangerously depressed.

Azurea received a curious invitation from a secretive individual named Montak, who invited her and her friends (us) to join in something called The Shadow Challenge. Notes to Self: Investigate this Montak. Clearly a pseudonym. Multiple people unrelated to us also participate in challenge. What is its purpose? How often does it run? Most curious.

Challenge held at the edge of the Servos Jungle (Attached map sketch: Hex 41.14). On road just east of jungle edge, found a lovely flower with unusual coloration, especially at the petal edges (Flower pressed into opposite page of journal.). Apparently we were also attacked by Ork ambushers. They were dispatched before I noticed, so I shall assume they were not particularly noteworthy.

Upon reaching the place of challenge, a secluded clearing with a cave entrance to the north, and a rock formation in the center, this Montak appeared. (Note: Illusionist? Spirit?) He explained nothing about the challenge, save that we had to survive the test.

Disfigured, desiccated figures emerged from cave mouth. Further cross-referencing reveals them to be some sort of Cadaver Man. They were fragile - the lightest of blows seem to break their fragile bones or cause them to shed entire chunks of flesh. However, each wound drove them to greater fury. (Notes: Animating spirit enraged at loss of integrity? Horror-infused sense of pain lasting beyond death? Loss of integrity allows for concentration of magical power? Must investigate further).

Individually, they were easy enough to disable. All allies proved remarkably and reassuringly competent. Sek'thi was caught on his own as he attempted to flank. Brave maneuver, but costly. Wounded Cadaver Men nearly killed him.

Undead came in waves. Mix of these fragile Cadaver Men and at least one true Cadaver Man, recognizable by its flurry of attacks upon being wounded. Party quite damaged. Personally, sprained left wrist, bruised #7 and #4 ribs on right side, muscle cramp in tail.

Montak reappeared. Congratulated us on passing the test. Provided both payment and special training. Curious. How does have access to these trainers? Wave of his hand replaced rock formation with campfire. Many revelers revealed. They have also completed the challenge. Stories were told around the fire, shadow puppets were cast, stories were recounted, and also enacted. One wooden axe was carved. (Note: Further data point to suggest Illusionist? Must not make assumptions. No tested effects or objects were illusions.)

Return to Throal uneventful. Shared one final drink with new friends.

[LadyDragoon]

Dear loving family,

You were right. The outside world is an amazing adventure ready to be explored. I am having so much fun and I am learning so much. I took your advice and made some friends. The first friend I met was a wise monk who I found while I was walking the halls of the library. O.k. maybe not walking the halls but kind of got lost. The wise monk helped me out and we became fast friends. Their library is so big and beautiful. Much bigger than ours. Uncle Nashtac would never leave if he came and visited.

I then went to the tavern and met up with a legendary warrior. He told me all about the adventures he did. He is so experienced and brave. He said that he saw a dragon. Can you believe it?!? A DRAGON!!! I am so lucky he honoured me with accepting my friendship. Oh, what a day! It even gets better. While listening to his tales of wonder I was introduced to another guest at the inn. He wore the most interesting outfit. He had blades on his boots. Since I am new to this area maybe this is the new fashion. I should look into it. I would not want to be sticking out too much.

Do you know that axes are really important in this city? My last friend I had the honour to meet told me all about the power of axes. Here I thought it was mostly for use for cutting wood. He showed me differently by craving an axe with his axe but that is a story for another time.
So here we are all best friends and I get a letter to go and check out something about Shadows. I remember Papa Thunderbear telling me to investigate learning more about my shadow talents. Of course, my best new friends wanted to learn more about it to. So they decided to join me on my first adventure.

Did you know that there are orcs out there that just jump out of the bushes and attack you? Something called Scorch something… something? Anyways, you should have seen how brave I was. I did just as cousin MisMah’n showed me. I concentrated and brought out my knives and I was able to save my friends from these nasty orcs. Of course, they did a lot of work too. After a week's journey, we ended up at a cave where the true adventure would start.

I won't lie I was scared. When we got to the cave these things came out. At first, I thought that they needed medical attention due to their faces looked like they were falling off. I found out later that that’s how they look. I mean no cream or ointment would work on them. How sad. They were not that friendly either. So much that they hurt one of my friends to a point that I had to use what Mamma Shiranth showed me to patch them up. Oh, don’t worry we killed them all and are all safe and sound.

The adventure was so successful the guy who gave us the task through us a giant party. There were so much food and drinks. I think I can get used to this adventuring thing.

Well, that’s it for today's letter. I will write soon with more tales of the great wide world. I am so excited.

Give all my love to all the family. I will givin’ a copy of my letter to the library. They seem to like knowing what we did.

Love always,

Azurea

[Icarus-Wolfswift]

So there I was just sitting in the Pale T'Skrang like I always am, listening to gossip and telling anyone that will listen to me about my ideas for carts. When I saw a would be adventuring group starting to form, two trolls and two T'Skrang. If anything in my 25 years of being a human has taught me something it is that I should just interject myself into any culture, tradition, or adventuring group.

I could tell by what they were talking about that they were new adepts in Throal, and one of them the Troll Shadow Azurea had a job offer and needed some adepts. I knew exactly what I needed to do to get on this job, I approached the party and started telling them tales of my adventurers and "might" of embellished a "little" bit. However I must of struck a cord with Azurea, probably because she was the youngest but she said she needed such a brave and experienced adventurer like me. Man if the higher circle adepts heard that they would of busted out laughing but I kept with the part of a hardened adventurer.

When we got to the gates of Throal Azurea looked around until she found a man in a black suit and a black "top hat" or I guess it was, I have never actually seen one with my own eyes; them are for fancy folk. He told us to travel to clearing above the Servos jungle. and without a moments notice Me, Azurea, Sek'thi the thief T'skrang, Ursal the Troll Axe dude, and a monk named U'rungies??? I was a little sauced up after my second bottle of wine but I was good to navigate, I mean who hasn't charted via the stars with double vision? We made it there eventually!!

Arriving at the clearing we saw a large rock formation and far behind it a cave entrance, the man from Throal who revealed himself as Montak explained that the first trail will begin. he then walked off, I was not really amused because one I am not a shadow and all this mystery and intrigue is making my head spin, that and the hang over. We were deciding what to do when I said a very great idea, "Lets go into the Cave" upon walking up to the cave, fucking Cadvermen started flooding out of it like rum out of a tipped barrel. We went to fast work and hacked up the undead fiends.

After the battle Montak came back out and told us we earned a party, about damn time someone threw a party for us. The closest thing I have had to a post adventure party is going to the Pale T'Skrang and getting wasted, this was a pleasant surprise. The party goers asked us to regal them with tales of our adventurers, and since I was the only "seasoned" adventurer I went ahead. In my excitement and possible drunk ramblings I might of told everyone in the party I Sailed an Airship and nearly wounded the Dragon Mountain Shadow. I am sure I will never face repercussions from this, I mean it is not like the dragon could ever find out I talked down about him......... oh shit