Czlaplon Quest

[TarlimanJoppos]

Both of you, make a Half-Magic (PER) Test.

[arcomniflash]

I got a 19 on the half magic perception test. (Step 9: d6+d8 5+8+6=19)

- Isaac

[Kasbak]

I too got 19 (Step 11: 5+9+5(karma))

[TarlimanJoppos]

Isaac: You spot an entry in one of the adventurer's journals, a recent one, with the last entry being only eight years ago. It was written by a dwarf Swordmaster Named Inessa of Clieve, who says in the last entry that she is starting a new journal and will sell this one for the coin she needs to take her companion's bones to Kratas for burial. The entry that catches your attention was made a bit over nine years ago, and details a Horror like the one in Paykar's journal, a collection of flat, ribbon-like tentacles with razor-sharp edges. It cut one of the adept's companions to shreds, the one whose bones she was carrying, but skin-shifted two others before the team was able to bring it down. The journal describes the conflict as being north and east, in the region you're traveling to, and gives the Name of the village, but then says that the surviving adepts burned the village as one large funeral pyre, there being nobody in it left alive.

Alston: You spot an entry in a Nethermancer's scroll, an otherwise surprisingly dry catalog of the means by which Horrors enter the world and remain, that describes a Horror much like the Czlaplon propagating itself in the process of dying. Apparently a team of adepts had it cornered, had blocked it from escaping into astral space, and were beating it to death with weapons and fire spells, when the Horror balled up one of its tentacles and launched it, the tentacle unfurling a bit as it flew over the heads of the adepts and landing some distance away. The Horror then collapsed in on itself, and a great rustling in the distant trees came, followed by one of the adepts being skin shifted and drained of karma, and then something large hurrying away. When the adepts gave pursuit, all they found was a trail of slashed plants and cut-up trees leading to the edge of a cliff. They speculated that the Horror either threw itself off the cliff, hoping it would survive the fall, or fled into astral space once it was out of range of the blocking spell they'd used.

[arcomniflash]

Once I'm finished with the journal, I'll pass it along. Then once we're mostly done for the night, I'll pick it back up. "This one seems to have relevant information, the name of a village that the horror was spotted at, as well a detailing of some of its attack methods...unfortunately the village was burned according to the text, but at least there's a name, and the region looks to be the same as the one we're going to - so at least we're headed in the right direction. Anyone else see anything of interest?"

[Kasbak]

I'll take notes for what I find in which reading materials so that I'll have something my size for quick reference later. I'll also make sure to take mental note of some of the more general information on Horrors that doesn't directly relate to what we're looking for. I'll have the basic information on Horrors that adepts get just through adventuring, but I haven't done the specialized hunting of them for very long, and I'm sure there will at the very least be new tidbits that I'm not aware of (If time on this can be applied to a Horror Lore or some equivalent skill, please let me know).

"I'm not coming across anything else that will narrow down where our target is," I'll offer to Isaac's question. "However, I do see something else to watch out for. This entry here speaks of a similar Horror to the one we're looking for that was able to escape death essentially by re-birthing itself. The team had it cornered and blocked from escaping Astrally, and it balled up and launched one of its appendages. The main body deflated, while the new one seems to still have been able to use at least some of its powers. The sprout then fled and jumped off a cliff, apparently either hoping to survive the fall or escaping into Astral Space once out of range of their blocking magic." I'll pause and consider the implications for a bit. "Without having recovered the body, it's difficult to say exactly what happened there. It could have been a construct that the Horror could be reborn through. Or the whole thing could have been a distraction in order to buy the trapped Horror time to escape from its damaged body while the adepts chased the ruse. Either way, we'll need to be prepared for that tactic when it does come to the confrontation, and make doubly sure victory is absolute in case the Horror can rebuild itself."

[TarlimanJoppos]

Gudrun adds the location of the burned village from Isaac's comments to the map. "The rebirthing technique could theoretically be blocked, but would require extensive preparation. We are much more likely to encounter this Horror with very little warning, based on the accounts that we all have read. Kolbeinn, I would suggest you keep a Fireball loaded in one of your matrices, so that you have a ranged attack with considerable power and a large area of effect. Casting that at anything flung by the Horror should at the very least interfere with it."

Kolbeinn nods, but is busy getting all the scrolls back into their cases and the books packed up in a bag so he can take the documents to his room for the night.

"Don't forget," says Mekhitar brightly, "we're going out in the morning to get people some new clothing! Oh, and it's more of a negative result than usually gets reported, but something I saw missing was fear. Horrors usually have a fear attack, a magical ability to make people so scared they can't move. From the accounts I read, either this type of Horror doesn't have it or doesn't bother to use it."

"I'll need to do a few karma rituals before we meet up with any of them," says Garsevan. "The old Parry-and-Riposte standby ought to work quite well against a Horror that uses physical attacks, but I'll need to be prepared for an extended battle."

"From what I read," says Shaliko, "we don't have to worry about battling more than one at a time. I'm convinced that what we're after is a class of Horror, like bloatforms or slipshades, and not a unique Named Horror, but they seem to be solitary hunters. I'd be interested in seeing what happens if two of them meet."

"Hating or mating?" Garsevan chuckles snidely, making a reference to a crude joke some of you have probably heard from the deckhands on the t'skrang riverboats.

"Rest now." Gudrun stands up. You're all going to have to get out for her to get to the door. "We have much more work to do before the ship departs." She turns her attention to Mekhitar. "When do we board?"

"Afternoon of the 27th. The captain wants an evening reception before sailing on the 28th. Best clothing, best behavior." This last rather pointedly to Isaac.

"So we have tomorrow and half the next day to make our remaining preparations." She takes a step toward the door, forcing the issue of departure for the rest of you.

[arcomniflash]

"Yes." I'll get up and get out of the way, moving into the corridor. "I'm going to go bed down for the night. I assume we'll be going shopping in the morning, Mekhitar?" I don't like the idea of buying clothing for no reason, but if it gets us passage on a ship then there's really no reason not to. After hearing his response, I'll head down the corridor and find the room I'm staying in. Really, research is fine, but I for one feel unprepared for actually meeting the horror. The other Adepts are skilled and mostly higher Circle than I am, so I'll probably be looking to get some meditation in when I can - though I don't know how much time I'll have to myself on the boat. I can explain this to Mekhitar in the morning, perhaps he can cover for me.

[Kasbak]

"I could also try my Stopping Aim Talent if we encounter the re-birthing technique. Try to halt the escaping sprout in its tracks while someone else tries to land a death blow on it." That could also be useful if, as Shaliko says, it's a solitary hunter. Less useful to halt a single target if there's a horde, but if we'll have only a single strong opponent, holding it fast could be decisive. "That of course assumes I can beat its defenses. Currently I only have that Talent at Rank 2. I can work on raising that when I'm able. Legend spreading on the trip will be helpful there."

A day and a half before we set sail. And I'll be going with for clothing, so effectively two half days. That suits me fine, I don't spend a lot of time in cities. Cities are where you stop to resupply, and I much prefer to be in motion.

But yes, sleep, definitely a good idea. I'll fly out with the rest to allow Gudrun passage. "Speaking of rest, where should I bunk?" I'll ask while we're out in the hall. As has been discussed, I don't take up much space, but it's best to make sure there is space available.

[TarlimanJoppos]

Alston, you end up in Kolbeinn's room, where one of the maids rigs up a hammock in an upper corner. Pay a silver piece for the roof over your head.

In the morning, instead of the maid coming round, Mekhitar knocks on Alston and Isaac's doors, and sings out "Good morning!" in an annoyingly chirpy tone. "Time to make the pratas!"

Anybody doing anything before joining the rest of the party at table?