You can fight your battles alone

[sageaqua]

Ka'lion forces it open. He's exspecting a shadow creature on the otherside.

[at]

Ka'lion forces the door open, inside he can here things scraping along the floor and falling over and when he finally creates enough of a gap to peer through he finds - a dusty antechamber, lit by torches on the walls with no sign of shadows or the undead.

It is clear that somebody has been here recently and had piled furniture against the door but nobody that Ka'lion can see or hear inside.

[sageaqua]

"Promising." says Ka'lion as he forces the door open enough for them to get inside. Once he does he'll close the door and block it again."Don't move around inside. Dusty rooms are very easy to track in."

[at]

There has been a lot of activity in the room, and with the furniture moved around little to track here. But all indications are that two exits from the room - a corridor and staircase - were used by the recent visitors.

Other doors and items on the walls such as paintings and the torches have been left largely undisturbed - Ka'lion suspects the latter at least are magical flames.

[sageaqua]

Ka'lion compares the tracks in the room to the barbarians boots - the landscape outside suggests to me muddy or at least dirty feet. And I wouldn't be surprised if the tracks want both ways. But shoe makers are going to be few in a barbarian kingdom. The soles should be seemlier. All shoe I buy are custom made - off the stand shoes just don't fit me correctly. Back in this time frame. All shoes would be custom made but that means some of the barbarians tread is going to look the same even if it's different size if we are in the right place.

[at]

The soles of the barbarian's hide boots are flat hide, not treaded. The general shape of the isolated footprints suggest barbarians however as they are wider than the footware Ka'lion had seen commonly around Clearwater.

[sageaqua]

"It look's like we are on the right trail. Just keep in mind the barbarians are not friends or allies. Their kin attacked Clearwater - and I killed a number of them during the attack to protect the innocent from them. I make no apologies for it. But this a rescue mission. Their women and children are being hunted by the ibaxian and they have been routed from their kingdom. Their king and prince are dead and their people are on the run. I've fought the ibaxain. They are going to die unless these barbarians put aside their pride and help them."[/s] said Ka'lion, "Any questions?"

[at]

"If there are any survivors here Ka'lion they will make no difference to the war. I came to aid them simply because I could."

"They boy said their leaders name was Gorignak, the rock."

[sageaqua]

"I'm trying to help them because they are fellow barbarians and their children need them. As fare as the war. I don't care about the war anymore. Not since the high priest I nearly killed myself to save tried to bully me. I wasted my time." said Ka'lion

[at]

The archer, who has been paying little note of their conversation, states "I smell burnt flesh"

[sageaqua]

"Let's take a look." say Ka'lion turning into a wolf.

[at]

The group moves through into a large open dining room, judging by the outside of the building it takes up at least half of the ground floor. The source of the smell is immediately apparent as the shape of a barbarian lies unmoving under a fur cloak, surrounded by a scorch mark that appears to have originated from a sword held on brackets on the wall.

A magical trap no doubt, and clearly another survivor had been here to cover the body.

Other valuables are hung from the walls and on the table itself a partially eaten food perhaps a day old, meagre trail rations abandoned mid-meal.

[sageaqua]

remove the fur cloak
arcane natrue +6+roll

and relign check +5+rollzFfbponSp_1-20=1-20

[at]

He's dead, Jim.

You only made one roll so applying it to your first skill - arcane - Ka'lion determines that the barbarian was the victim of some form of fire spell, most likely an arcane trap emanating from the hanging weapon.

[sageaqua]

That's what Ka'lion wanted to know as he recovers him. They contene to search for servivers and Ka'lion considers where to hold up for the night. He wouldn't of servived that kid of damage.

[at]

The barbarians are easy enough to follow - they have avoided opening many of the doors. The group follows their trail up two flights of stairs before coming to a room that contains a single large landscape painting that stretches from floor to ceiling, an ornate oaken frame surrounding it.

Judging by the trail only three barbarians made it this far, none appear to have left.

[sageaqua]

"Looks like they entered the painting. Let's get some rest." says Ka'lion

[at]

Blocking the front door once more the group makes camp in the antechamber - away from what Elika confirms is indeed a powerfully magical painting and what Ka'lion suspects are heavily trapped ornaments in the dining room.

While the tower has many other doors none have been disturbed by the cautious barbarians who came before them and the party do the same for now.

No creature, undead or shadow, approach the tower as they rest but while on watch Ka'lion can see a growing darkness around them - perhaps the tower's ancient magic holds them at bay but their presence has been noticed and acted upon.


Still, some spark of adventure had driven him on this seemingly mad hunt for lost strangers and against all odds Ka'lion had found something quite unexpected and powerful, the tower is awash with power far beyond his understanding but simply lingering here fills his mind with new thoughts.


[Level 5]

[sageaqua]

+1 level normal druid
4x525M3Vp_1-8=+2 con+8 to hit points. Current hit points 38 / injured 25
skills 8 more points

+7 diplomacy
( he has been getting a lot practice this level.)
+1 constentation

+1 combat level - now qualified to train as a shapchanger next level (Oriental adventure book)

+1 will save

woodland stride


current number of spells

4 cantrips and 2 first level as a druid

3 cantrips and 1 first level as a masked druid

Any objections?1-8

[at]

Ka'lion's status page entry has been updated, please make sure his sheet is up to date.

You get a +1 fort save in addition to the +1 will save for reaching druid lv2

Shapeshift from the oriental adventures book needs 10 ranks of concentration - that may influence your choice to take ranks in regular or shifter druid (or other classes) until then.

'Warshaper' is available to Ka'lion should he repair and enhance his mask in some form, or via alliance with the eldeen.

While Ka'lion has practised diplomacy he has managed to insult or aggravate every other person he has met, and triggered a number of conflicts including the one that sent these barbarians down here after misidentifying an uncommon zombie as a lich... Sadly there isn't a skill for 'sow chaos' or you'd get a bonus to it.