The Charred Land

[Jenius]

A couple thousand years ago, the world was immersed in war. Presently, no one has a clear definition on what started the war, or why, only that pretty much the entirety of the population was involved. Only certain reclusive cultures and towns managed to stay out of it. Of those that did get involved with the war, there were no known survivors. The towns that did survive did so by virtue of being so reclusive that for the most part, the rest of the world didn't even know of their existence. Any scouts sent out got caught up in the war and never returned, it seemed that neither side was willing to take a risk and were willing to destroy anything that could be perceived as dangerous.

The story goes that eventually - presumably marking the end of the war - the planet violently shook as if there had been a global earthquake that lasted a couple of hours. The sky was reported to have been a deep blood red for a week after the quake (later titled "Impact") before reverting back to it's normal colors.

As months and years began to pass, the surviving small towns sent out more scouts and learned of the damages that had occurred during the war. It appeared that all major cities and towns had been completely razed. Corpses of commoners were occasionally found, but it appeared that most deaths were either in large clashes between armies or through the use of magic that didn't leave much more than scattered ash.

Eventually previously reclusive towns expanded or restless people chose to pioneer new towns, sometimes it was rebuilding those destroyed in the war, sometimes in new places all together. The world slowly began to go back to normal, though some marks of impact remain to this day.

Of the three continents, no life has gone back to the smaller and middle of the three. No trees or foliage, or even reports of small wildlife or critters. Every inch of the land is barren earth, the only distinguishing feature is the large crater in the center, as if some large meteorite struck. Though most believe it was caused by some sort of magical effect at the climax of the war. Some attempts have been made to establish life on the continent later dubbed the "Charred Land", but all have failed, most people either turning back when they still have rations or dying there.

The two other continents, Velwyn and Beldell, at first appear unscathed in the aftermath but upon closer inspection various nature specialists are noting that the forests are slowly withering away, lakes are slowly drying up, and lush meadows are slowly becoming similar to the charred land. These changes are gradual, and only have minor impacts even this long after the war, but the problem continues to grow and specialists are estimating that it won't be long before the land isn't fit for growing crops, the forests are too small to maintain hunt-able wildlife, and the water supply dwindles too much to sustain life in previously habitable areas.

Edit: I'm at work so I'll be posting the intro kind of slowly, basically don't post yet, as this is just the background and I'll be making the initial post that drags players into the game in a bit. Feel free to post in the other thread though.

[Cara]

Sankis Steellast
Level 1 Fighter
Dwarf, Good, Avandra
4'4'' 136 pounds, 143 years old.

14 Str +2
18 Con +4
11 Dex +0
12 Int +1
16 Wis +3
8 Cha -1

33 HP, 16 bloodied, 8 surge value, 13 surges/day

Movement speed = 5

Passive Perception 13, Passive Insight 13 (LowLight)

19 AC 16 Fort 13 Ref 13 Will


Attacks:

+4/1d10+4 (Craghammer) Brutal 2, reroll any die that comes out less then 3.
(at will) Crushing Surge : Same as above, but gain 4 temp stacking hitpoints
(at will) Tide of Iron: As above, but push it one square away if it is one size greater then you or smaller, then you can shift into said square
(Encounter) Covering attack: +4/2d10+8, plus adjacent ally can shift 2 squares
(Daily) Knee Breaker: +4/2d10+12 target is slowed, or immolbized if already slowed (save ends), 4 temp stacking hit points. Miss: Half damage.



Powers:
At will:
Tide of Iron (1)
Crushing Surge (1)

Encounter:
Covering Attack (1)

Daily Powers: Knee Breaker (1)

Feats: Dwarven Weapon Training (+2 damage + profinecny with all axes and hammers)

Class/Path/Destiny features
Combat Challenge: Mark a target on attack, target -2 to all attack roles not against you until next turn, if target moves, attack it
Combat Superiority +3 to AoOpperunity, stops moving.
Battlerager Vigor: +4 HP after a close/melee attack hits, Temp Hit points from Invigoration stack.


Skills:

Acrobatics -2
Arcana 1
Athletics 5 T
Bluff -1
Diplomancy -1
Dungeoneering 5
Endurance 9
Heal 8
History 1
Insight 3
Intimidate -1
Nature 3
Perception 3
Religion 1
Stealth -2
Streetwise -1
Theivery -2

Race features:
+5 poison save,
2nd wind as a minor action,
Prof w/ Hammer+Warhammer
Not slowed by armor or weight
-1 to forced moves, save on knockdowns.

Languages: Common, Dwarven.

Items:

Weapon: Craghammer.
Armor: Scale.
Shield: Heavy Shield.

Standard adventurer pack
Backpack containing 3 potions of healing
50g

[Cloneysocks]

Reisa Dynaja
Level 1 Sorcerer
Dragonborn, Good, Bahamut
6'6" 257 lb., 19 years old.

16 Str +3
14 Con +2
12 Dex +1
11 Int ±0
8 Wis -1
18 Cha +4

26 HP, 13 bloodied, 8 surge value, 8 surges/day

Movement speed = 6

Passive Perception 9, Passive Insight 9 (Normal vision)

13 AC 13 Fort 12 Ref 16 Will


Attacks:
(basic attack) Dagger (+3 proficiency): One creature in melee touch range, STR vs. AC, +6, 1d4+3 damage.

(at will) Burning Spray: All creatures in close blast 3, CHA vs. Reflex, +5, 1d8+7 fire damage, and the next creature to attack me before the end of my next turn takes STR (3) fire damage.

(at will)(basic attack) Dragonfrost: One creature in range 10, CHA vs. Fortitude, +5, 1d8+7 cold damage, and push target back one square.

(encounter) Dragon Breath: All creatures in close blast 3, STR+2 vs. Reflex, +5, 1d6+2 lightning damage.

(encounter) Tearing Claws: Each enemy in burst 1, CHA vs. Reflex, +5, 1d10+7 damage, and push target back 1 square, or 3 squares if they're bloodied.

(daily) Lightning Breath: All creatures in close blast 3, CHA vs. Reflex, +5, 3d8+7 lightning damage, and until the end of my next turn, any enemy hitting me with a melee attack takes 5 lightning damage and is pushed back one square. This effect can be sustained with a minor action.
Attack Modifiers:
Dragonborn Fury: +1 racial to attack rolls when bloodied.
Draconic Power: add STR bonus to damage of Arcane powers.
Implement Expertise: +1 to all powers using a dagger as an implement.
Dragon Soul: ignore 5 points of lightning resistance.

Powers: (see above for more in-depth descriptions)
At will:
Burning Spray (1) - PH2-138 (Arcane, Fire, Implement)
Dragonfrost (1) - PH2-139 (Arcane, Cold, Implement)

Encounter:
Dragon Breath (Racial) - PH-34 (Lightning)
Tearing Claws (1) - AP-29 (Arcane, Implement)

Daily Powers:
Lightning Breath (1) - PH2-140 (Arcane, Implement, Lightning)

Feats:
Implement Expertise (daggers) - PH2-185

Class/Path/Destiny features
Spell Source: Dragon Magic - PH2-137:
-Draconic Power: Add STR modifier to Arcane damage rolls.
-Draconic Resilience: When not wearing heavy armor, can use STR to determine AC.
-Dragon Soul: 5 resistance to lightning, ignore 5 points of lightning resistance.
-Scales of the Dragon: +2 to AC for the rest of the encounter after becoming bloodied.


Skills:

Acrobatics 0
Arcana 5 T
Athletics 7 T
Bluff 9 T
Diplomancy 4
Dungeoneering -1
Endurance 1
Heal -1
History 2
Insight -1
Intimidate 11 T
Nature -1
Perception -1
Religion 0
Stealth 0
Streetwise 4
Theivery 0

Race features:
+2 STR, +2 CHA.
Dragonborn Fury: +1 to attacks when bloodied.
Draconic Heritage: Add CON modifier to healing surge value.
Dragon Breath: See attacks.

Languages: Common, Giant.

Items:

Weapon: Dagger
Armor: Cloth


Standard adventurer pack
Dagger
98 gold pieces

[Van]

Halthar --- Dwarf Cleric 1
Good (Moradin), Male ----- Medium, Height: 4'7", Weight: 220
Low-Light Vision, Perception: 14, Insight: 19,
Languages: Common, Dwarven (Common, Davek)
Speed: 5, Init: -1


HP 24 ----- Bloodied 12 ----- Healing Surge 6 x 8

Str 14 +2 | Dex 09 -1 | Wis 18 +4
Con 12 +1 | Int 10 +0 | Cha 15 +2

Fort 12 -+- Ref 10 --+- Will 16 -+- AC 18


=== Basic Attacks ===
Str +2 | Con +1 | Dex -1 | Int +0 | Wis +4 | Cha +2

Warhammer : +4 vs. AC --> 1d10+2
Crossbow : +1 vs. AC --> 1d8-1 15/30



=== At-will Powers ===


Lance of Faith -------- Radiant (Cleric 1, Implement)
=========================
Ranged 5
+4 vs. Ref --> 1d8+4 (radiant)
====================
Hit: One ally you can see gains a +2 to his or her next attack roll against the target.
=========================


Sacred Flame -------- Radiant (Cleric 1, Implement)
=========================
Ranged 5
+4 vs. Ref --> 1d6+4 (radiant)
====================
Hit: One ally you can see chooses either to gain 2 temporary hp or to make a saving throw.
=========================



=== Encounter Powers ===


Turn Undead -------- Radiant (Cleric, Implement)
=========================
Each undead / Burst 2
+4 vs. Will --> 1d10+4 (radiant)
====================
Hit: You push the target 5 squares. Target is immobilized until end of your next turn.
Miss: Half damage, and the target is not pushed or immobilized.
Special: You can channel divinity once per encounter.
=========================


Healing Strike -------- Radiant [Healing] (Cleric 1, Weapon)
=========================
Melee Weapon
--- Warhammer ----------
+4 vs. AC --> 2d10+3 (radiant)
====================
Hit: Target is marked until end of your next turn. You or one ally within 5 squares of you can spend a healing surge, restoring hs+4 hp .
=========================



=== Daily Powers ===


Beacon of Hope -------- [Healing] (Cleric 1, Implement)
=========================
Each enemy / Burst 3
+4 vs. Will
====================
Hit: Target is weakened until end of its next turn.
Effect: You and all your allies in the burst regain 9 hp, and your healing powers restore +5 hp until end of encounter.
=========================



=== Utility Powers ===


Divine Fortune -------- (Cleric)
=========================
Encounter, Free, Personal
Effect: You gain a +1 to your next attack roll or saving throw before end of your next turn.
Special: You can channel divinity once per encounter.
=========================


Healing Word -------- [Healing] (Cleric)
=========================
Encounter, Minor, You or one ally / Burst 5
Effect: Target can spend a healing surge and regain an additional 1d6+4 hp.
Special: Can be used 2 times per encounter, but only once per round.
=========================


Moradin's Blessing -------- [Healing] (Feat)
=========================
Encounter, Free, Ranged 10
Trigger: : Your attack drops an enemy in range to 0 hp or fewer
Effect: You or an ally in 5 squares of the enemy can spend a healing surge, restoring hs+4 hp.
Special: You can channel divinity once per encounter.
=========================




=== Skills ===
+ 2 . Acrobatics
+ 0 . Arcana
+ 1 . Athletics
+ 2 . Bluff
+ 7 T Diplomacy
+ 6 . Dungeoneering
+ 2 . Endurance
+ 4 . Heal
+ 5 T History
+ 9 T Insight
+ 2 . Intimidate
+ 4 . Nature
+ 4 . Perception
+ 5 T Religion
+ 2 . Stealth
+ 2 . Streetwise
+ 2 . Thievery


=== Features ===
----- Combat features
Dwarven Resilience : Use Second Wind as a minor action
----- Defense features
Cast-Iron Stomach : +5 racial saving throws vs. poison.
Stand Your Ground : Move 1 square less with forced movement ; when knocked prone may immediately save to stay up

----- Applied features and feats
Low-Light Vision, Dwarven Weapon Proficiency, Encumbered Speed, Healer's Lore, Moradin's Blessing

=== Feats ===
Moradin's Blessing : Gain encounter power
Ritual Caster : Perform rituals of your level or lower.


=== Equipments ===
Melee Weapon : Warhammer
Ranged Weapon : Crossbow
Off-Hand: Heavy Shield
Body : Chainmail
Adventurer's Pack
3 Potions
Crossbow Bolts (100)
85g

[Jenius]

You all arrive at the gates of Prynn. The sun had set a few ago, and as promised by your benefactor, you arrived the day before your scheduled meeting. His preference for punctuality was apparent, as cost did not seemed to be spared on your comfortable and professionally handled carriage. As your transportation heads into town, likely towards the stables to rest the horses, you notice the distinctive clop of hooves on cobblestone.

As you look into the heart of the city, you see that it's far more pristine than the various other towns you had passed on your journey here. The houses are large, the stores appear well kept, and a large Church stands dead center, with it's bell tower pressing into the soft night sky.

A local guard by the entrance calls to you. He's young looking and doesn't seem to have experienced many troubles of the world. His grin tells of how peaceful the town is.
"Welcome to Prynn, the capital city of Velwyn. If it's lodging you need, I'd recommend the Foggy Lantern down there, it's not first class, but the rooms are homey and comfortable. Enjoy your stay here."

OOC: You can assume the same carriage took you three here from the adjacent town not far away (a couple hours or so), but that you hadn't ran into each other prior to then. So at most, you've been talking for a few hours, or you could have been sleeping for the last jaunt of the journey, I don't really care.

[Van]

Perception, Religion, and History checks. I'm particularly looking for anything pre- or immediate post-Impact, and current status of the church

Halthar stirs in his seat, the final arrival at Prynn interrupting his possibility of a short nap. His prematurely wizened face lifts off the hilt of hammer, tired eyes freely exposed by an unusually clean shave by Dwarf standards.

[Cloneysocks]

Reisa smiles back at the naïve guard as she passes him by to take a stroll around the city, stopping when she can to listen to conversations, and taking special note of what temples are in the city.

(OOC: http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2062870/ accounts for my Streetwise roll, Jenius)

[Jenius]

Unfortunately, you don't seem to know much about Prynn. It's the capital of Velwyn, but the guard just told you that not two seconds ago. Perhaps the fatigue of traveling has taken its toll on our mind. You do know that religiously, it's somewhat equal opportunity. The church here is large enough that it actually houses many different rooms for all the commonly known gods, because it's the capital, the government felt it might be biased to have a church dedicated to just one god be hosted here.

Your eyes pan lazily throughout your field of view, but nothing jumps out as out of the ordinary, it's late enough that people aren't bustling around except for a few stragglers here and there.

Edit: OOC this was for halthar, though the church comment applies to Clone's check too.

[Van]

Damn. I suppose I shall just grab a drink and call it a night then.

[Jenius]

Resea: The conversations you hear are notably boring. People seem laid back and pleasent here. The populace generally appears to be on the higher end of middle class, the city must be a host to those with money.

Your darting eyes don't seem to catch anything special, but at points you felt eyes on your back. Perhaps those just curious to see a dragonborn.

[Cara]

Sankis looks at the two other people, shakes her head, and follows the tall scaly one. At least this way she can get a decent look around the city, and find a good tavern.

[Cloneysocks]

Reisa goes to Bahamut's chapel in the Pantheonic Temple, prays to Bahamut, her Platinum Muse, for wisdom and inspiration in the carrying out of and from the experience of the quest she has undertaken. She leaves an offering (2gp) and walks down to the Foggy Lantern, hoping to meet her fellow adventurers there.

[Jenius]

(OOC: I rolled passive perception for Cara, 19+3=22)
Sankis: As you follow Reisa towards the church, you feel a slight shiver. Out of instinct you happen to glance at a close by alleyway see a cloaked figure leaning against a wall. It doesn't quite look like he's observing you, but after your glance the figure seems to slowly meander away.

[Jenius]

Resei and Sankis: You recognize the Foggy Lantern from it's distinct signboard. You see a few lanterns on in the upper stories, but it looks like most people are turning in for the night. As you approach the doors you don't hear the distinctive murmur of a busy tavern, and upon entry you see that there are indeed only a few people still drinking. It would appear Prynn is too proper to have a bubbling nightlife.

The tall barkeep smiles at you as you enter and asks if your looking for a drink, a place to stay, or both. He's an aging human and it looks like his speckled hair is beginning to desert him. As promised by the town guard, the room is cozy and everything has a familiar feel to it. Aside from the chatter of a few remaining patrons, the only notable noise is the light clatter of the barkeep's daughter cleaning and buffing some of the unused tables.

[Cloneysocks]

Reisa, now retiring into intoxication on a barstool in the Foggy Lantern, carouses the place lightly, looking especially for adventurers that might also be in repose there, and mentioning the name Tyrias Myrastin in passing as her reason for being here.

(OOC: A streetwise check may not be necessary to realize that Cara and I have both been called here recently, but if it is, I make one)

[Jenius]

"Ha, is Tyrias up to something again? We occasionally get those that look like you and that dwarf over there, and if they mention it, it's almost always because of him. At first I was curious about it, but it seems he sometimes just needs adventurers to help him. As the head of the church he can't get out much." The barkeep shrugs and goes back to cleaning his mugs.

[Cloneysocks]

Reisa 'ah's understandingly and, her violet eyes wide with curiousity, says to the barkeep, "Yes, Tyrias wrote me that he'd been experimenting with the effects of Impact. Sounds like dangerous stuff to me. You say he traffics with mobile people, I say perhaps a high turnover rate is involved in the work he's carrying out." She pauses a moment, drawing out the tension and, with the tiniest bit of electrical magic, heightens it, bringing his hairs to stand on end for the slightest second. "How many have you seen come to him, simply to pass along? Why is it he and none other pursues this course?" Reisa stares him dead in the eye long after she finishes speaking.

(OOC: an intimidate roll to gain a bit more information from the barkeep. http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2062891/ )

[Cara]

Sankis puts her hand on Reisa's shoulder.

"Don't anger the one who is serving us drinks."

[Jenius]

The barkeep takes a step back and hesitates for a bit. There's an eerie silence in the room as no one wants to break the tension. After a minute long second, the barkeep seems to regain his resolve and his eyes flash a bit of anger before returning to it's original calm. He chuckles a bit.

"Settle down girl, I'm not sure how life was where you came from, but Prynn here is the capital of this entire continent. We do not tolerate ruffians here and if you made too big of a display, the guards would seek to maintain our peace and quiet with whatever means were necessary. Now, as you're clearly not from around here, I'll forgive you, but I'll have to ask that you go to your room now and to not disrupt any of my patrons."

The man hands you your room key and smiles, it's doubtful he has any power to resist you but it appears his faith in the City's peace and safety is unshakable. He's had too many quiet years to doubt that. It's fortunate he was kind enough not to kick you out.

He also hands a key to the dwarf, "Thanks for the assistance, may you have a restful night."

[Cara]

Sankis rolls her eyes and gets to bed.

[Jenius]

The next morning you three are roused from your beds by the sound of the other occupants getting ready for the day. It's quickly apparent why the residents of Prynn weren't up too late the night before as it looks like dawn has yet to break, though you feel that this city expects everyone to be early birds by nature and you might not want to keep Tyrias waiting.

[Van]

The Cleric of Moradin rises unhappily from his bed. He makes himself presentable before slinging his warhammer across his back and heading out into the street. He follows the throng of people toward the church. Along the way, he asks nearby locals about the event soon to come

OOC: Diplomacy roll (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2064064/), 4 + 7 = 11

[Cara]

Sankis follows, not sure what to make of what is to come.

[Jenius]

The local stares bewilderedly at you, having no idea what you're talking about, before mumbling something about having work and rushing off without a second glance.

(OOC I rolled passive perception for all of you, you all failed).

When you reach the office, a clerk ushers you to Tyrias's room quite quickly, telling you to hurry as Tyrias is fond of punctuality.

When you reach the waiting area in front of Tryias's office, you see his
door open while he scrawls on what would appear to be paperwork. When he hears your footsteps he glances up and beckons you in. There are three chairs provided in front of his desk, and he waits not a second after everyone sits down to begin his speech.

"I'm not sure how well versed any of you are in the history of this world, but I'm sure you at least know about impact. Furthermore, I'm going to guess you've heard news about our current worldwide crisis. While initial estimates indicated we wouldn't have to worry too much about a disaster in our lifetime, more recent findings indicate that the problems seem to increase faster the longer it's been around. That is to say, it's like an avalanche, it begins slowly and without much power, but given time to build it will destroy anything in it's path. While we've hidden this information from the general public to prevent panic, given a few decades only the blind and deaf won't know about it."

He pauses a bit to let the information sink in before continuing.

"That is not to say that hope is already lost. You see, myself as well as other prominent researchers are all looking into solutions, and though our paths are different, we've been sharing good news with each other. Recently, I believe I've stumbled across an ideal solution, and that's why I've called you. You see, I hypothesis that the degradation of the world is caused by an imbalance of the four elements, earth, wind, fire, and water. I believe impact was a large magical effect, magic no mortal was meant to wield, and though it was powerful enough to end the war, there were ramifications to it's use. I think the spell was so strong that it shook the very foundation of the world and the energy within it, and that our current crisis is the result of the planet trying to equilibrate itself. However, as intervention caused this problem, intervention needs to end it."

"Throughout the world, there are four orbs, one for each element. Through ancient scriptures I've found out about these stones, and that they were housed in the shrines in their time. Some were in reclusive hard to find locations, with only a few caretakers, whilst others were housed in larger temples but guarded quite well. These orbs were said to house great power for each of the elements, and I believe the collection of them is the key to restoring the world's energy and balance. This is where you come in."

Tyrias glances around the room and detects some dubious looks.

"Ah, you may be wondering why you haven't heard about this, or why I'm highering a band of miscellaneous adventures as opposed to recruiting more well know powerful people. It's of course, reasonable to be suspicious. However, I assure you I do have some perfectly reasonable explanations that aren't malicious by nature. You haven't heard of this because I haven't made this information public yet. Furthermore, I don't want this information public yet, and highering world renowned wizards or such would undoubtably draw attention. As to why I don't want this information public, there are numerous reasons. The first being that the state of the world is no secret, other cities, other governments, other churches, they're all worrying about it. And much like myself, they all want to solve the problem. Sometimes political fights ensue when different people have different plans that require a large amount of resources or a large amount of manpower, figures question each other's motives and point fingers. I simply seek not to get caught in the crossfire, my solution is small scale and it would be easier on everyone if this could simply be covertly acomplished, we can make anouncements when we know it works. Which brings me to the next reason, my research indicates this will work, that we can stop the decay or even reverse it, but my sources could be wrong, I could have made a mistake, there's no good reason to bring people's hopes up when there's a chance this might not work. It could shatter moral, or make people less receptive to helping for future solutions in the event that they would be needed. And lastly, while I believe these gems can do great good, I haven't really spent much time researching their other capabilities. Someone who knows more may try to take them for their own purposes, which would undoubtably be bad."

"Now, my research has led me to find the general whereabouts of the water temple. It will take you a day or so's journey to reach the town of Iselia. From there, if you take the southern exit, travel along that road for half a day's journey, and cut through some brush, you should reach the temple fairly quickly."

"Should you choose to accept, I'll provide you with some supplies, but first if you have any questions feel free to ask."

Tyrias waves his hand in the general direction of the left wall, where you see three satchels.

[Cara]

Sankis searches through the pack and examines what is inside.

"What exactly do you expect us to find in these temples? The orbs, yes, but what is going to try and prevent us from getting the orb? And how much will it hurt?

[Jenius]

"I can't say to be honest. Ideally, they will simply be deserted due to the toils of time, their guardians long since passed. I believe the water orb was the most accessible to the general public, hence me learning about it first, so if any of them weren't dangerous, it'd probably be this shrine."

"I can tell you that I've sent out a few groups similar to you on various other similar expeditions, and they were normally able to achieve what I wanted. It's unfortunate that those projects lead to dead ends. Another reason I've been hesitant to speak about my newest idea. I don't imagine you'll encounter too much trouble, you're really just pillaging ancient sites."

Tyrias notes Sankis sifting through the bags first and watches as she finds three potions of healing and 40 gold.

"The potions are there just in case, as I'd feel guilty if something did occur and I hadn't given you any protection. The gold is there as an upfront free and a means to buy transportation should you so desire it. Upon return of the first orb, assuming I have information where the next lie, I'll provide you with further reward and possibly more tools should you report them necessary."

[Van]

Halthar has trouble keeping his thoughts straight. The initial shock of such artifacts existing would have been enough for most men. Yet the power they could hold...return the magic of our world to balance? Correct the decay? And not to mention...the possibilities for his own research...

"Tyrias...sir...what else do you know about these orbs?" He picks up his pack and does a quick glance of the contents just to make sure he didn't get shafted. "could one command raw energies with possession of such artifacts and a keen enough knowledge?"

[Jenius]

"Observant question, Halthar was it? Unfortunately, I can't say I know much about them. Like everything else recorded before impact, most information on them has been razed, it's a miracle I've managed to find what I have. The potential for using their latent energy is there, a previously mentioned reason for keeping this low profile, but it's also possible they're nothing but lucky trinkets that people merely remembered fondly."

Tyrias shrugs his shoulders, appearing genuinely unknowledgable.

[Van]

"Aye...I suppose we'll just have to find out when we get them, won't we?" Halthar nods in acknowledgment. He brings his hand up to support his chin, becoming slightly lost in his own thoughts and theories concerning the new possibilities this discovery opens.

[Cara]

"And who built these temples?"

[Jenius]

"Specifically who is unknown, I'm not entirely positive even on the size or scope of them. I believe the host of the water orb is more a shrine of sorts, with public access. If I had to guess, I'd say whatever nation discovered them built their containers through the government, and how open or sealed they were was also the choice of said government. If they do possess power, it's likely they were kept a tight watch on, but as I've mentioned, it's also possible they were religious relics of sorts."

[Jenius]

"Well, if there's nothing else, I am a busy person. Please be on your way and do your best to return hastily, I would like to know what may come of this as soon as possible."

Tyrias gets up from his chair and dismisses you with a wave of his hand.

[Jenius]

Leaving the church, the party discovered it's still quite early in the morning, plenty of time to begin their journey to Iselia. From the direction their ride wandered to last night, one could guess where they might procure more transportation, but that could be potentially expensive and Tyrias seemed to indicate it wouldn't be a bad trip on foot.

The bustling town life and cries of merchants also raise the possibility for picking up a few items before departing, though you'll be stopping at Iselia before you reach the Shrine.

[Cara]

Sankis looks at the other two.

"I'd rather walk."

[Van]

"Aye, no sense in being so eager to spend our money. A walk would do me good, anyways."

[Cloneysocks]

Reisa takes a long look back at the city of Prynn, and wonders how long it will be before she sees it again. She then sets off on the road to Iselia, if the two dwarves are as ready to leave as they seem.

[Jenius]

As you leave the town Sankis catches another glimpse of the cloaked figure. Due to the daylight, his figure was more discernible and if you had to guess, you'd say his decent was elven.

(OOC: Van and Clone got okay rolls, Cara got a natural 20)

The tidy road quickly becomes more disheveled as you move farther from Prynn. The underbrush on either side of you appears to gradually close in, but the path is still somewhat spacious. In the distance you see see four figures. As you close in, it appears to be four fully armed half elves, and when they get close enough to you they stop.

"Yeah, it's them, two midgets and one lizard. All in a day's work."

The two in the back reveal bows and begin knocking their arrows, while those in the front heft large axes.

(OOC, Roll initiative. Green Terrain is difficult terrain, brown is the dirt row. B1 and B2 are the two with the axes (Brute 1 and Brute 2), while A1 and A2 are the two with the bows (Artillery 1, and Artillery 2)).

[Jenius]

The two in front heft their axes and begin to move. They appear somewhat trained as they intuitively know to split up. They stop briefly about 25 feet away, one at each end of the path before charging at Reisa and Halthar. Their axes deftly avoid your guards and bite deeply into your sides. Reisa's attacker bellows in triumph as his blow seemed particularly effective.

(OOC: Brutes move to E and I 7, respectively, then Charge to E and I 12, 24 vs AC on Reisa, 17 vs AC on Halthar, 13 damage on Reisa, 8 on Halthar. Black Represents movement, Pink represents attack)

[Cloneysocks]

Reisa shifts to her right, bloodied, and whispers a chilling incantation punctuated by a sharp yell as she points at the half-elf who wounded her. Frost launches from her fingers at him.

(OOC: Shift from G to H 13, cast Dragonfrost on B1. Rolls and other statistical information in other thread.)

[Jenius]

The brute staggers back as the frost lashes over his body. Meanwhile you can see the two archers getting into position shortly before releasing two arrows at Halthar. One misses it's mark by a few inches, while the other is a perfect shot into his chest, piercing straight through him with it's power.

(OOC, Archer 1 Moves to D6, Archer 2 moves to J4, Archer one misses halthar, Archer 2 crits for 11 damage)

[Van]

Halthar roars with fury, summoning up reserve strength within him and calling down blessings of the Heavens. He becomes a pillar of holy light, shining renewed energy upon his allies before blasting a ray of divine fury at the fleeing attacker.

(OOC: Second Wind, Beacon of Hope, popping action point to Sacred Flame B1 and powering Reisa. Rolls incoming)

[Jenius]

The Brute closest to Halthar clutches his eyes and roars. The one by Reisa reels as flame strikes him. His body appears severely battered after the two spells find their mark. The one near Halthar tries to take advantage of the Cleric's spell, but his axe swings wildly off target in his weakened state.

(OOC: Flames provoked an AoO from B2, but he missed so it's all good).

[Cara]

Sankis yells "Yer supposed to hit ME!" while charging the left-most bandit, and swinging his pick.

[Jenius]

The Brute attempts to Shrug off Sankis's blow before returning one of his own as he smashes his axe into her side.

At the same time, the second brute appears to retreat a bit from Halthar. Halthar swings with his warhammer at the opening but it's just barely deflected off the brute's shield. Once the brute has positioned himself a few paces away, he charges again and swings his axe fiercely at the dwarf. The blow lost some of it's power due to the Brute's weakened state, but the ferocity still left a mark.

(OOC: Brute 1 just takes a swing against Sankis total was 21 for a hit with 9 damage as the result. Brute 2 Moves back a bit, halthar wiffs with 12+4 = 16 against AC AoO, and then the brute charges, scoring a hit with 19 vs AC for 13/2 = 6 (round down) damage.)

[Jenius]

The brute sees Reisa preparing to launch a spell and pulls up his shield as it pelts futilely over the wood.

The two Archers ready another shot and fire at the Cleric, the first shot misses while the second hits it's mark with another sickening sound.

OOC(First shot misses with 12 or so vs AC, second shot was a crit for 11 damage.)

[Van]

Halthar grabs his warhammer, blessing it with his righteous fury. The symbols carved in its face glisten with holy power as he swings his hammer at the foe before him.

"Ya damn fools, ya expect me to take 'em me-self?!"

[Van]

Halthar grunts in frustration as his swing misses his target by a mile. "Damn...Moradin save me..." The dwarf utters a prayer, bathing him in healing light as he heads for protection in the woods past Reisa.

[Jenius]

OOC(Map)

[Cara]

Sankis grunts and swings again, preparing for the recoil. She then looks over at the other one, and runs over to the other one, swinging the weapon in her hands.

(OOC, Crushing surge and mark him, charge over, attack the other one, miss, and mark him.)

[Jenius]

The remaining brute easily sidesteps your wide swing leaving you open against him.

(OOC: Grant combat advantage against Brute 2 until the end of your next turn)

[Jenius]

Taking advantage of the opening, the Brute buries his axe into the Dwarfs shoulder, roaring as he does so.

(OOC Brute hits Sankis for 10 damage)

[Jenius]

Reisa tries to engulf one of the archers in lightning but fails due to his nimble feet. The archers return fire and delivery a glancing blow.

[Van]

Halthar charges over the rough terrain, landing a crushing bow on the nearby archer with his mighty warhammer.

[Cloneysocks]

After Sankis gives the brute to her right a great whallop, and he futilely tries to fight him off, Reisa brings a frosty whirl to her fingertips. She looks the artillereer before her in the eyes, smiles, and bring it down right into his chest. A freezing crackle is heard and he gasps for air as his lungs cool into crystal.

[Jenius]

(OOC a bunch of combat happened over aim, long story short, you win).

Clone's claws knock the brute unconscious, giving the party time to search the unconscious bodies for any notable clues as to why they attacked. They're carrying 150 gold among them, and as they recognized you, it's likely they were hired for this.

Upon waking, the group doesn't divulge much information, not due to lack of persuasion, but simply due to ignorance. He can tell you they were paid to attack a group of two dwarves and a dragonborn that would be traveling from Prynn to Iselia, but that was all he knew.

They plead for release, saying that they fight for work, and have no reason to go after you as they'll likely be fired.

When you untie them, they quickly grab what belongings you didn't confiscate and go on their way.

(OOC you get 50 gold each)

The rest of the trip to Iselia goes uneventful, you reach there at nightfall after camping only once, and head into an inn to sleep almost immediately. After a fight with a bunch of hired henchmen went so roughly, you hope the shrine doesn't provide much resistance.

[Jenius]

When the city awakens, so do you. It seems Iselia's residents are notably less punctual than Prynn's as dawn looks to have risen a bit ago when you get out of bed. The city begins to become quite active and noisy in a short amount of time, but it lacks the organization of Prynn. The shops also look considerably more hobbled. It appears the wealth of the capital does not stretch far on Velwyn.

According to Tyrias, the Shrine is not far off from here, he gave you a map of sorts and it probably won't take more than a day or so to find it if you set off soon. Though with your coin purse slightly more weighted from the thugs, marketplace goods are looking more attractive.

[Cloneysocks]

Reisa arises at dawn, and after a long moment's meditation, she goes out into the town marketplace to look around, hoping to find a magical dagger.

[Van]

Halthar wakes up with some of the after-effects of his wounds still bothering him. Tis a sad day when a dwarf can't rely on another of his kind to help 'em out in da tide of battle! I need some protection...

He walks to a local armorsmith early in the morning and purchases one of the finest shields he can find. He tests his new shield and hammer combination - a slight disappointment over the lack of strength to his swings, but pleased with the considerable protection offered.

[Jenius]

The smith waves as you leave his shop, happy to have another customer. And a dwarf no less, with such a keen eye for fine armor it speaks well for his shop.

The road leading out of Iselia looks quite similar to the road leading in, while Tyrias warned you of ecological decay, the shrubs here don't look much other than the bland green you've been seeing for the past couple of days. Diligently following your map, you eventually are forced to go through the brush. It didn't take you much longer than a day to reach the general area, but as Tyrias had warned, the exact location wasn't quite known. Another day passes in search of the shrine, but eventually you find what looks like it may have been at some point a clearing.

A medium sized lake is flanked by the thick growth on all sides, it does not look like eyes have been set on it for years. Near you, there's a few crumbled stone pillars. On closer inspection, it looks like they were the front to a bridge. you see the sunken remnants of the rest of the bridge resting slightly below surface, and as you follow it's path, you see a small building made purely out of stone in the center, it's outline plunges deep into the lake. It would appear only the opening is above the water.

The bridge should take you part of the way there via forging, but the lake is deep enough that you will be forced to swim at some point.

[Cara]

Sankis looks at the river.

"I ain't afraid of the water."

[Cloneysocks]

Reisa looks at Sankis, looks at the lake, then looks ahead at what remains of the temple. She sets forth, wading along the sunken bridge, to enter the temple. She does this in silence, with an air of reverence.

[Jenius]

As you descend through the opening a slight breeze blows from withen, the wind's caress feels unnaturally cool as it sends chills to your core. Your damp clothes provide no protection against the elements as your spirits are sapped.
(OOC: Everyone loses one healing Surge)

Your footsteps echo on the ancient stone stairs as the smell of mold assaults your senses. Before long, you find yourselves in a small entryway. The walls are of the same decor as the floor, an expressionlessly hard stone. The only distinguishable features on the walls are small indents, likely for torches or other such lightning. Any other decorations must have been lost in the passage of time. On your right you see the remains of a decaying wooden door, in front of you you see stones doors.

[Cloneysocks]

Reisa opens the shambled wooden door to the right, her sacred dagger drawn.

[Jenius]

As you enter the room the first thing that stands out are four large pillars. It's hard to tell if they're for support or merely ornamental because as you follow their height up your vision becomes obscured by spiderwebs.

In the center of the room there is a large basin. Perhaps for ceremonies, surprisingly, it appears to still have water in it, but it may simply be some other liquid, it's hard to tell from this distance. In one of the back corners you see a pile of rags and what might be bones. You see no armaments on the body so it's possible it was merely a caretaker that died of natural causes, it does appear quiet ancient.

(OOC: You can ignore the R in the upper right, it's a typo of sorts that was hard to get rid of due to the texture underneath. The bottom one is where the body is. The circular grey blobs are the pillars and the blue one is the basin. I'm going to assume that Cara and Van followed clone in, so Clone is at A3 and cara and van are at A2 and A4 respectively.)

[Cloneysocks]

Reisa approaches the basin cautiously, plucks a hair out, and dips it in to see if it reacts.

[Van]

"Ye damn fool!" Halthar bellows. "Do ya think yer invincible or somethin'?! I ain't gonna be the one ta drag your scaly half-dead arse back to town, I be tellin' ya now!"

[Cara]

Sankis covers up her mouth and prodes the body, examining it and trying to get a good
look at what it was.

[Jenius]

The basin seems fairly mundane and ordinary, though it does seem strange it'd still be full after all these years. Perhaps the climate of the temple kept it preserved. As you dwell on that thought you hear movement from above, but it's too late for the unperceptive group as three large spiders point from the ceiling landing on each of you, knocking you prone.

They sink their teeth into your bodies, the bite doesn't feel that painful but you can feel hot venom pumping into the wound.

(OOC you are all knocked prone and take 5 damage, you are also poisoned, and take 5 damage at the start of each of your turns, save ends (save on a roll of 10 or better). I'll post initiative and stuff in a bit, for now here's the map.)

[Cara]

Sankis takes a look at the room, takes a step back, and swings at the closest spider.


(OOC: Shift one step back and to the right, swing at S3 for 8 damage and gain 4 HP, and mark it.)

[Jenius]

(OOC map for you)

[Jenius]

Pursuing it's prey, the spider Senkis moved from attacks at her back, sinking it's fangs into her once again. Seizing the moment, the spider Senkis attacked likewise lashes back.

Meanwhile Halthar continues to be assaulted by his foe.

[Cara]

Sankis braces for the attack, swings while yelling "Back away, you moron!" Missing the swing, looks at the scaled one.

[Jenius]

Halthar imbues his warhammer with magical energy before crushing it into the spider before him. He roars in triumph at the solid blow and it's clear his moral has been bolstered.

He quickly mumbles through a small prayer and shines his holy symbol towards Senkis, relieving her wounds.

The spider returns Halthar's favor, pumping it's venom into him once again. Meanwhile Senkis fends off one spider only to be bitten from behind by the other, it seems these beast refuse to let their prey go.

[Cara]

Sankis gestures at the Cleric to run, then bashes her shield against the spider, and goes for an easy hit while the spider is stunned, attempting to push it back, but swings to far, and misses completely.

[Jenius]

Halthar finishes off the spider he was facing before giving himself some breathing room with the one behind. He funnels some of his last energy into mending some of his wounds.

The sole spider desperately bites Sankis, clearly realizing how grave the situation has become after it has lost two of it's allies.

http://tasteslikespam.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=153&d=1242374060

[Jenius]

Reisa finishes off the last spider with a blast frost. And the party enjoys a brief reprieve.

OOC(Spider dies, you can assume encounter powers are recharged, and you may take as many healing words (assume your surge value +7) as you want, though you must spend surges as normal to do so).

[Cloneysocks]

Reisa leaves the side room into the entrance hall, and examines the stone door on the north wall. She does not enter it, however.

[Jenius]

It appears mundane and ordinary. It is however, locked. You may deduce that the previous room was for more general public guests and beyond this point it was for more important people.

Perhaps the key you acquired in the guest's room is what will open the door.

[Cara]

Sankis searches around the room, keeping an eye out on the room.

"Damned spiders."

[Jenius]

(OOC Clone grabbed the key out of character, there's nothing else in the room, basically move on. I just didn't want to open the stone door until you asked to)

[Cara]

Sankis pokes Reisa

"You have the key. You put it in and turn. What are you waiting for?"

[Van]

"Ye got a head of rock or something?" Halthar grunts in dissatisfaction and walks to the door himself. He presses his ear near the door and listens for any activity, not wanting to get caught in another trap again. He keeps himself aware of the dungeon environment, attempting to draw on gleaned knowledge of classic dungeon trappings and the environment.

((OOC: Perception check, trying to hear things in the next room. When we do enter, Dungeoneering check.))

[Jenius]

The room appears silent aside from the light whisper of the wind.

[Cloneysocks]

Reisa, after drifting away into a strange fantasy about a manticore attacking Halthar, comes back into awareness. The scarlet sorceress tilts her head, blinks five times, and takes a drink from her waterskin. Much better. She takes the key she must have found during her fugue, inserts it in a notch in the stone door, and stands back as it slides open.
(OOC: I open the door, but someone else can go in first)

[Cara]

Sankis steps in the door, and takes a look around, up, down, left, right.

"Of course I have to go first."

[Jenius]

As you enter the room, nothing appears notably out of place and it's as bland as the lobby for the shrine. There's two closed wooden doors on your right and left, each appearing in varying states of decay but surprisingly still standing. Straight ahead you see an opening, but it's difficult to tell where it leads to as you only see darkness.

OOC (I forgot to place a grid but brown are the wooden doors and the black up top is the dark opening. The black outline over grey at the bottom is the stone door you just entered.)

[Van]

Halthar follows Sankis close behind, clutching his warhammer in one hand as he pulls a sunrod from his pack and activates it. He approaches the darkness ahead and holds the rod at arms length, trying to light the opening ahead of him before he ventures too far into the cavern. He motions for Sankis and Reisa to follow along and keeps his eyes open for any surprises or traps awaiting the adventurers.

(OOC: Perception and Dungeoneering checks, obv. If Cara wants, I'll hand the sunrod off to her and she can take point.)

[Jenius]

Even illuminated it's unclear what's within. You can tell it's a ramp of somesort, but it's steep enough that you can't see far into it from a distance.

(OOC: You must be basically at the ramp entrance to see down).

[Van]

Halthar approaches the slope, peering down it with heightened caution and awareness. His muscles tense, expecting an unpleasant surprise as he approaches the pathway.

[Jenius]

As Halthar approaches the ramp he searches for anything out of the ordinary. He notices the floor is a bit damp so he treads lightly, but it fails to help him as the slope starts sooner than expected. Between the small amount of pooled water and the slick plant life growing within, he slips and slides into another room.

(OOC you take 2 damage).

Halthar:
As you stand up and glance around the room you appear to be in somewhat narrow corridor, beneath your feat are the remains of what was probably an expensive carpet of sorts. It's path leads to a large set of stone doors in front of you. To your right, there's a far more modest wooden door.

[Van]

"Damn my slow feet!" grunts Halthar as he gets up, surveying the room in front of him. He calls up to his companions he left behind, [i]"just a bit of a bump, nuttin' serious. There's two doors here...one straight ahead, another to the right.

"I'm gonna be headin' right. Ye can fallow me down here, but watch yer step if ya do. Ye can try the right door in your room and hope we meet up. I'll be fine for a little while."

[Cara]

(OOC: Does the ramp go to the wall?)

[Jenius]

(I have no clue what you mean, if you mean what square does the ramp originate in, the one before the opening, if you mean what square does the ramp end in, the square at the exit).

[Cara]

(OOC: I want to look behind it. >_>)

[Jenius]

(Look behind the ramp? I still don't get what you mean. If you want to look at where Halthar went you can go up to it, but that doesn't really seem like "behind").