[Game Thread] Prologue: A Small Step into a Bigger World

[ShadowcatX]

A voice, a bit gruff around the edges and still full of youth comes from the mists. "I don't suppose there's any chance, any of you lot thought to bring anything tasty to this little soiree I seem to find myself in the middle of, dying and coming back is hungry work." The voice from out of the mist continues on without giving the assembled crew any opportunity to reply. "No? That's quite alright. Certainly our host, whomever or whatever that may be, will provide refreshment when we arrive."

The speaker steps from beyond the mist into view, he is a muscular youth, likely no more than 20 in human ages, with shaggy black hair spilling out from an ornate helm and disturbing solid blue eyes. He wears a breastplate with scant few marks of use and has a large greatsword strapped to his back. His arms are adorned from wrist to elbow with ivory wraps that terminate in sharp points and he moves with a deliberate caution that speaks of a lack of familiarity with them, as though he is afraid he will stab himself by accident. He carries a pack slung over one shoulder, which already carries a slight rip near the spikes.

He inclines his head slightly towards the group. "Forgive me, I haven't introduced myself, terribly rude, I know, but please, have patience with me, the barn turned makeshift orphanage where I grew up wasn't especially big on etiquette. I am Rave Krayci. Normally I would take this opportunity to mention the difference between Krayci and crazy, but given that I'm quite certain this is not Cyre, and more than willing to gamble this isn't Eberron at all, I'll just keep that part to myself for right now."

[OneDarkness]

posting interest Jenny Watches quietly from the trees, a motionless form that one would have to be truly looking for to even spot at this distance, as another figures emerges from the mist to join the slowly forming group of strangers. They all seem surprised to be in this place as well which gives some small comfort to Jenny that she is not the only stranger here, though it is always possible that one of them is lying and is the source of the magics that plucked from that alley in Westgate. Seeing two women among their number also gives some reassurance to Jenny as well, not that women can't be as cruel as a man can be but its more likely she might find some protection in numbers should it be needed. If I stay here out in the woods and am spotted, it will make me look bad She reluctantly leaves the cover of the tree to approach the group , cautiously watching for some sign that she has read this situation incorrectly and it is a trap but not seeing one as of yet. She is dressed in ill fitting hodge podge of leathers and wool, much of it dirty and worn with wear and age, and little else visible other than a rucksack secured by a strap that runs cross body. Timidly and quietly at first she calls out. "Hello..." and then once more but louder as if she found her courage. "Hello, who are you, where is this place?" Jenny is a young women a few inches shy of five feet, with visible dirt and dust upon her skin, looking very much like the street urchin she rightfully is. While she moves with a quietness across the littered forest floor, her steps are cautious and she certainly doesn't have the bold stride of one confident in her position here.

[Xian]

Prologue: A Small Step into a Bigger World - Encounter! Mood Music It had tasted flesh and blood... it was intoxicating. It savored as the life like fine wine flowed from the bodies it consumed in its mouth . It wanted more... it must have more... more... over there... The confused companions made their way through the dense oppressive fog and somehow found one another. Perhaps it was the sharing of the unusual circumstances of their arrival into this strange place that made them more trusting than they may have been under normal circumstance. This made perhaps even more extraordinary since they appeared to be from places unknown to one another and from even more diverse backgrounds and walks of life. Their conversation was interrupted by the scream of absolute terror that pierced through the misty skeletal forest. It shattered the sensory dampening atmosphere of earlier and now all sounds seems amplified... it included to sound of feet. Running feet. Multiple running feet and headed towards the companions at high rate of speed. Even as the companions readied themselves, they saw shapes emerge from the mists... human shapes. The faces of the people coming towards them were panicked and wore the expression of terror. One of them, golden haired woman of remarkable beauty and dressed in noble raiment albeit tattered ran into and clung to Aurelius pleading to him as a gentleman to save her. Yana did not have time to react or speak, but the quivering point of her spear pointed to the lady's heart said all that was needed. The next trio of people emerged near where Irem was readying herself. Two were Keleshite women, one middle aged and the other a girl barely into her teens. Their looks were all too familiar to Irem. Slaves. By the dress of them, they were not from the city, but one of the poor rural villages scattered along the edges of the great desert and where women and girls were regularly sold into slavery by their own families. The man that accompanied them was also familiar to Irem. A slaver. Their slaver, by the way the way the man behaved and barked at them. Irem and the other could hear the fear under the false bravado of his abusive words. Anger used to stoke false bravery in the face of some fearful thing. Unbeknownst to Irem, but perhaps Perception Check DC 20noticeable by those nearby who cared to pay attention, Irem's shadow writhed and stretched momentarily... as if reaching towards the mists where the people had come... Nearby Archibald, a woman emerged and similar to the one that clung and pleaded with Aurelius, this one pleaded with Archie. In comparison to the one that hung on Aurelius, the woman was much plainer and older, but her appearance was still quite comely and held more than a vestige of the beauty of her prime. As Archie gazed upon the woman, a familiar memory stirred. As she embraced him, Archie felt warmth... warmth and love that he had only recalled in his distant of distant memories, but that was impossible. She... his mother was gone. This could not be her... the rational part of his mind railed at the possibility, even as his heart yearned for it to be otherwise. Near Raphael, unlike the others, the figure that emerged from the mist was not someone unfamiliar... in fact it was all too familiar. As the two men locked eyes, the recognition was immediate. Halwell Meadows. "YOU! This witchery is your doing, isn't it?!" Halwell shouted accusingly at Raphael as recognition set in and genuine rage replaced the terror that had been in his eyes just moments earlier. "I knew that you were ill-news the moment I laid eyes on you! It was not enough for you to ruin me, my daughter, and her husband's life with your grift... now you kidnapped me here to murder me! Scoundrel, how much more will you hurt my daughter?!" Even as Halwell paused for his tirade, the smaller shapes around him did not, as a pair of kids, a boy and girl probably no more than eight or nine dashed by Rave. The boy sported a deep gash on his forehead, gashes on his arms, and his bloodied clothes were torn as he had struggled with some wild... animal... but in spite of his injuries, he did his best to urge the girl to run faster and not worry about him. The girl saw Rave and innocently ran to him pleading for his help, without even consider if the stranger could be bigger threat than the unknown thing that chased them. Perhaps that was not even a question... Jenny had been watching the group before going to engage them. Her alert sense had detected movement prior as the bodies of people dashed past her. Her innate fearfulness still kept wary of joining and fleeing with the people immediately, even as a growing dread she felt from behind made her blood run cold. Jenny had sensed the incoming movement, but the fog had dulled her normally paranoid fueled perception and a body collided with her. Jenny's reflexes engaged and she tumbled into position at the ready, while the body that collided with her tumbled to ground. He raised his head. It was a boy roughly the age of Jack and there were many things about him that resembled Jack, but it was not him. He was heaving from the exertion of running from whatever it was he was running from. "Please... help!" The boy managed to gasp between labored breaths as he reached out to Jenny before he suddenly and violently was pulled back into the mist as quicky as he appeared. Then came the scream so terrible that it would sicken all but the most jaded and even those individuals would be given a run for their money. The screaming faded and in the hush that fell over the forest, the group could hear the soft but distinct sounds of chewing and crunching... OODM Team - enjoy! For rhaiber and WhiteStag, if you like you may introduce yourself like the others but you were among those fleeing. You don't know what you were fleeing from, just know that it was not good for your health... probably! Onward!

[Humble Athena]

Raphael Raphael's brow wrinkled as one of the strangers questioned him further. Had they somehow wandered into Cormyr without even seeming to know where it was, or had he been plucked out of his home somehow? It was a disturbing question, but not one that could be explored right away. More people were arriving, fleeing from something. Thudding headache aside, Raphael was beginning to realize just how... exposed they all were. With no idea of the land, the direction of shelter, or what sort of threats abounded, they were sitting ducks. His hip felt barren with nothing but a small utility dagger, but that did not mean he was completely defenseless. He began scouring the trees for a suitable branch. Finding an acceptable candidate, he began trimming off the excess bits. He stood, makeshift switch in hand, watching more people run forward. He could join the rushing crowd, but to where did they run? And from what? He strained his eyes to make out anything out of the foggy gloom behind them. If he fled, would he die without even seeing his death coming? And then he heard the voice of a man he'd have been more than happy to never see again. The same dim red energy crackled up the length of the rod in his hand, though he made no threatening gesture with it. "You're delusional, old man. If Cecelia's life is ruined, it was your doing, not mine. I would have taken care of her, made her happy, but you just couldn't let us be together. As for kidnapping you, you loon, do you think I chose to be here? Do you think yourself so important that I would put myself in grave danger to be rid of you? Look at these people around us. There's something so much bigger than our feud at play, and as much as it pains me to say it, we may need to work together to survive long enough to get home." Though his words were measured, there was a rage in his eyes. Whomever these strangers were, his name would already be tarnished in their eyes. As the screams faded into the distinct narrative of a beast making its meal, Raphael shook his head. If they were lucky, there was only one thing out there. But he didn't feel like trusting in luck. "Listen up!" He called out. "We need to form a circle. Anyone with an ounce of combat training on the outside, the young and the infirm-" he shot Halwell a derisive sneer. "- in the center. And for godssakes, if anyone knows what is going on or where we are, speak up!"

[triedtherest]

This is why I don't like House-calls! Archie was confused! So much was happening simultaneously. Two people claimed to be from places that he was sure existed outside of Golarion, and nobody amongst the growing crowd seemed to know where this place was or how they had gotten there! Oh yes, and there seemed to be some kind of monster (or monsters) eating people out there! Wonderfull! At least one fellow seemed to have his head on his shoulders: Listen up!" The one who had identified themselves as Raphael called out. "We need to form a circle. Anyone with an ounce of combat training on the outside, the young and the infirm-" he shot Halwell a derisive sneer. "- in the center. And for godssakes, if anyone knows what is going on or where we are, speak up!" Archie nodded, then turned to Dr Aylmer: "We should get into the centre of the circle!" He called out. "We can set up a triage point, and get those who are strong enough to work but not strong enough to fight to drag any wounded to us!" He gets to where the circle us forming, and stands in the centre of where it would be.

[ShadowcatX]

Rave Krayci At the first sound of the scream Rave drops his pack at the foot of the tree he was propping himself against and reaches up drawing his blade. As he does so, something shimmers along the blade, wrapping around it. Likewise his old iron helm, arm bands, and even his boots shimmer in time with the blade, as though a power had awoken in each of them. When the first woman enters the circle, Rave sneers slightly, of course the beautiful noble woman would run straight from the mist into another noble's arms, but when a trio and then another woman enter their little party Rave's mind turns from the injustice of missing out on being the one the beautiful woman ran to and onto figuring out why a beautiful noble woman and a slaver with a pair of slaves would be running through the same forest. The only conclusion he can quickly come up with is that they, like he and his compatriots, were likely drawn here from elsewhere. And then the drama unfurls. Talk of witchcraft and daughters, kidnappings and lives ruined, it was all quite exciting. Almost enough to eclipse the other events going on around them. Almost. But it's that interaction that first causes Rave to question events, after all that would be a hell of a coincidence to happen at random. And then the children. Up til now everyone who had showed up were adults, or at least almost adults. But two children enter the group, and one runs up to Rave and he realizes two things at once. First, that the people showing up in the circle aren't random. He's not certain about the slaves or the other woman, but the noble woman running into the noble looking gentleman with the jealous, whatever she is, was a minor coincidence, then the drama, and now, directly to him, children. Someone, or some thing, is playing with them. The second thing he realizes is that it doesn't matter, for now at least. Play thing or not, toy or not, he still cannot allow these two children to come to harm. Rave steps between where the children emerged into his group and where the children are now. "Get into the circle kids. We've got this." Raves eyes dart among his compatriots for just a moment and softly under his breath he adds "I hope," before he fixes his gaze the direction from which the children emerged, his back to the circle and the children within.

[dbaque]

Aurelius & Yana The discussions soon reveal that those gathered hail from lands very far afield. The good doctor had a grasp of geography enough to know that some of these lands mentioned did not exist in their realm. The cold possibility worms into his mind; they might not even be in Golarion anymore. These realizations were just dawning when a scream snatches away the attention of all. All at once, others emerge from the mists. Rather than the cautious, wary folk of before, these are in a panic, clearly running from some primal terror. Yana silently fumes that one of the panicked is a gorgeous blond lady. She practically threw herself into his arms like the classic damsel in distress. It is like this lady also read about it in her favorite trashy romance ... ahem, novel of peculiar taste and culture that Yana studied diligently while her master slept. Did this strumpet have any idea how long she had been waiting for a chance to do that?! ... And this stranger may be a threat ... YES! A threat, that's it! Aurelius stumbles over his words at the lady's pleading. He also performs a remarkably poor job extricating himself from her grip despite how focused he is upon her. He is only saved by the echoing of another even more harrowing scream. The ominous predatory sounds afterward offer nothing of comfort after the scream fades. "My word," gasps Dr. Aylmer. He turns at the other physician's prompting and nods. "Yes, yes! Quite right, Dr. Reynolds." Visage hardened with purpose, he advises the damsel, "Miss, prithee, back here behind the defensive line." Pulling her back, oblivious to the imminent threat a moment ago, Dr. Aylmer turns to his assistant and asks, "Yana dear, we have patients. Prithee, hold the line. I'll check on them and join you right afterward." Stepping back from the gathering warriors, he starts with the lady half-clinging to him. Pulling out some tools from his visit, Dr. Aylmer ... Not like that Dice Perception, Heal to diagnose: d20+11 (16)+11 Total = 27 d20+19 (18)+19 Total = 37 checks her out and tries to Dice Diplomacy: d20+10 (9)+10 Total = 19 calm her down and get her talking, "Miss, my name is Dr. Aylmer; you'll be safe here. Prithee, what is your name? Are you injured anywhere? From what were you fleeing?" He works with a professional's grace and alacrity. Triage now, stories later. After her, he moves on to Dice Perception, Heal to diagnose: d20+11 (2)+11 Total = 13 d20+19 (16)+19 Total = 35 examine the other gathered newcomers. Yana huffs, but she knows better than to question her master when he is in 'professional mode.' And she won't be able to "accidentally" to fall into his arms later if he gets eaten now. She stands along with the defensive wall with spear brandished toward the masticating noises.

[WhiteStag]

...to set the mood.

"Any last words before my men oh-so eagerly run you through with their dull and unkempt blades? HA!" Jonathan Rawncer listens quietly to this question posed before him while lying on a table, face up to a wooden ceiling, chandeliered with candle light, his arms spread tightly apart, wrists shackled to iron bars all around him. The guards with said unkempt blades can only snicker audibly around him… "WHAT SAY YOU FOOL!?! As is your last words before your gruesome death at the direct order from the Queen herself?!" A moment lingers further as the chandelier above swings slightly from the sudden outburst. Rawncer holds for a time gathering his thoughts softly despite the intensity of the situation, looking rather unimpressed come to notice. He then finally speaks…"...uhh," --CRACK!!-- A brawny dagger is quickly drawn and SLAMMED hard into the table just flanking Rawncer's neck. Recovering from the sudden gesture, Rawncer's eyes are now peeled wide very much at attention, and beaming directly back into the eyes of his opposition. Rawncer then speaks again, "... … You can’t run, Turner. Your stink fills the streets. Your ugly face stands-out head and shoulders in a dense crowd. And your squeaky voice, your loathsome voice, can be heard over the shrieking wails of the rotting dead." He ends in a smile. The guards around the room snicker again even louder. Rawncer continues, "Bring your face closer so I can speak directly into your petty eyes." Turner, intrigued, still gripping the pommel of his dagger stuck in the table, does so. "When I find my wife and tell her how you squealed like a stuck pig, flailing lifelessly with your neck in my suffocating grip, she will look at me with a flush, and then demand we go to bed this very instant…" The dagger is ripped from the table(!), catching Rawncer’s ear with his blood springing about in all directions. Turner slowly stands upright with this, a smile creeps across his face in return looking strangely, quite satisfied despite Rawncer's cutting words and the chiding from his own guardsmen. He takes his time with what he’s about to say next… "ha. ha. ha.... Your wife may already be dead you shackled fool …"   ”RRAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!” In the blink of an eye, Rawncer rips his shackled arms free as the chains burst in mid air! Rising from the table faster than a snapping snake, his arms have swollen to double the size into golden scaled, Dragon Claws of brawn and terror. In sheer might, he’s got Turner wrapped in a bear hug as the two men soar through the air reeling from Rawncer’s direct bull rush. The two crack to the ground as the surrounding guardsmen gasp in fright as they can not believe their astonished eyes! A golden claw winds up and perches high above in the air as Rawncer prepares a devastating coup de grace down on Turner’s exposed neck.---- Then FLASH, the room is gone! Mist fills the air! Mud cakes around his knees. Rawncer blinks. Turner has completely vanished. Green grass and moist dirt are all that can be seen under his eyes now! "This can not be! THIS CAN NOT BEEEE!!!!!" "RAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Random fleeing villagers quiver at the sudden sound and appearance of Jonathan Rawncer wailing at the top of his lungs, contorted in torment, crouching down on all fours in the tall grass and wet mud. He continues to cry in agony. His roar rings out continuously in all directions undeniably, contrasting his new surroundings of the quiet and stillness of this new dark forest that rears up before his eyes, amongst these watching trees, these ominous, lifeless, and indifferent, skeletal trees that have now suddenly appeared…

OOC It’s good to be back, Xian.

 

Current Modifications Active Spells/Buffs/Conditions:: AC:: 18 normal HP:: 95of95 Rage:: 14of15 rounds available. Spells:: Level1 - 2of2 spells available.

Bloodrager Class , Blood Conduit(Archetype) , Primalist(Archetype) , Dragon Disciple Prestige Class

[rhaiber]

Princess Luminara Starshimmer Lulu Lulu couldn’t help but smile to herself. It had been a good day. They’d helped set to rest a vengeful spirit that had been plaguing the people of Rainbow Falls. Now, not only were the local people free from the imminent danger that had hung over their heads, but Lulu had actually helped a tortured soul find peace once and for all. And they’d done it all without anyone getting hurt. This was definitely a good day. “Nice job out there today, Princess Luminara Starshimmer,” Lulu spun about to catch sight of Nardi striding along easily beside her. Lulu nearly dropped her sword in surprise (she’d almost forgotten she was still holding it, but it was far from being “an extension of her arm” the way Nardi described her own rapier). Lulu still wasn’t used to her full and formal title. Up until this year, she’d always just been Lulu. She’d assumed her last name was Fallwether, just like her Uncle Leon. After all, who thinks to ask the man who raised you if you have a different last name than literally everyone else in the family. And she had long ago accepted that the idea of farm-girls finding out they were secretly princesses was the stuff of fairytales. That didn’t actually happen to anyone … except her apparently. “You might just yet live up to the legacy of your mother.” This was high praise indeed. No one knew Lulu’s mother better than Nardi. The slender half-elven warrior had been her mother's traveling companion and closest friend since before Lulu was born. What Lulu hadn’t known until recently was that the two had been sisters-in-arms, freedom fighters dedicated to defending the downtrodden and restoring justice to the kingdom - a job that now fell to Lulu after her mother’s death. Her mother had served as a symbol to inspire and unite people, and now Lulu was expected to take over that role. She had spent most of the past year training under Nardi, learning to wield both her sword and the mystic powers she’d inherited. She was pretty sure she still needed more training before directly confronting the despot who’d taken over the kingdom, but Nardi had decided that it was time for Lulu to start getting her feet wet, going out on minor excursions with other freedom fighters to help protect those in need, like the trip today to Rainbow Falls. Unfortunately, the Baron still had eyes and ears everywhere, so they could not stay long to enjoy a job well done, which was why she found herself hiking back up into the mountains when the dank mists rolled in. ”Luminara!!” The voice within her head snapped her out of her reverie. It was odd how accustomed she’d become to the otherworldly spirit that was able to project its thoughts directly into her brain. But this time, they were not the typical words of sage advice or benign coaching that she usually got from Nyxx. This time there was apprehension present in his thoughts that bled into her own, and it seemed to be a reaction to the strange mists that were rolling into the deep ravine they were running through. ”This isn’t right, Luminara! You have to get out of here before …*” ”Nyxx?” Lulu asked aloud, unable to hide the concern in her voice. ”Nardi, I think something happened to Nyxx.” Lulu turned to her side to ask the seasoned warrior for her advice … but couldn’t find her anywhere. There was nothing there but the dense fog. Lulu spun about, looking for any sign of her friends … but found herself all alone … alone in the mists … in the cold damp mists. Lulu stopped dead in her tracks. Wait a second. Why did she feel cold and damp? She looked down at herself and suddenly noticed that the gleaming ethereal armor that always surrounded her when she called on Nyxx was suddenly missing?!? Instead she stood, clad in the simple peasant dress she had been wearing that morning. This never happened. Nyxx didn’t just disappear. Not without some sort of moralistic speech, or an accompanying fanfare and bursts of pyrotechnics. ”Nyxx?” she called out into the darkness, her voice seeming to be swallowed up by the fog around her before it even traveled a half dozen yards. ”Come on Nyxx, this isn’t funny. Where are you?” Lulu stood stock still, staring into the fog. She thought about the last words Nyxx had said before he vanished. This place certainly wasn’t right. A moment ago, she’d been jogging through the arid mountains in the summer sun. Now, she was surrounded by a damp chill that felt like late autumn. The sodden ground squelched beneath her feet. The dense fog sucked all color out of this place, leaving everything a pale and sickly shade of grey. While the mist seemed to swallow up her voice when she called out, she could now hear all manner of sounds around her, though their origins remained a mystery. They could’ve been animals … or something far more sinister. A deep low groan coming from somewhere far off sent a chill down Lulu’s spine. She had no way of judging how far away it was or even from which direction it came, but it did make one thing abundantly clear to her: she could not afford to stay here. Lulu stumbled through the marshy gloom, for what seemed like an eternity. The sunlight was completely blocked out, leaving her with no idea of what time of day it was, or even if it was still day. Occasionally she encountered stunted trees that never rose above a single story, but whose disproportionately wide trunks rose up suddenly in the mist while their leafless branches hung sullenly downwards, as though they had lost all hope of ever touching the sky. She jumped at every sound, each one made strange and unfamiliar in the gloom. A somber feeling permeated the atmosphere, as though the air itself was in mourning, cursed with knowledge of some impending doom that it was powerless to prevent or even give warning of. Lulu hugged her own shoulders tightly but the chill she felt in her bones could not be banished. She wandered this way for what might have been hours, with her only landmarks being the horrid trees, she was never certain if she was making any progress or just meandering in circles. Finally, just as she felt herself ready to succumb to the despair that threatened to leech up out of the ground and into her very soul, she heard it - something that stood out from all the terrifying ghastly sounds of the fog - voices. Real voices. From real people. She couldn’t quite make out the words, but her heart leapt at the knowledge that at least she was not alone out here. Lulu turned in the direction the sounds seemed to originate from and was about to make her way towards them, when she froze. The voices were coming closer. No. They were racing toward her. Figures darted past her, dark shadows in the mist. The fog obscured their features, but could not hide the sense of terror that radiated from them. One of the figures, running in blind panic, collided directly into Lulu. ”oof!” Lulu had the wind nearly knocked out of her by the impact, and stumbled back a step or two, but managed to keep her footing. The young man (for she could now see that it was a young man) who had run headlong into her did not fare quite as well, rebounding from the unexpected impact and landing flat on his back. ”Are you okay sir?” The young man’s panic-stricken eyes turned to Lulu and she saw the gaunt, hollow features of his face. He was clad in what might once have been finery, but was now tattered and ragged. ”run,” the single word was little more than a hoarse whisper. ”Wait, what?” Lulu stammered as she leaned forward to offer the man a hand up, ”What are you running from?” ”No time, just run!” the haggard young man pleaded urgently, brushing Lulu’s helping hand away as he scrambled to all fours before regaining his feet and charging off to disappear into the fog once more. Lulu was about to call after him, but her voice stuck in her throat when she heard a scream in the distance, followed by a sickening crunch. Before Lulu even knew what she was doing, she was running along with the others, fleeing unseen horrors, headed into the unknown darkness. She could almost hear Nardi scolding her. This was not how a Mystic Knight should act. A Princess would have the courage to stand her ground. A Defender of the Realm would protect these people in need. … But a Mystic Knight would also have her guardian spirit, and Lulu had no idea where Nyxx had gone. She found it difficult to be brave when she lacked the confidence that the spirit would return when called. She wasn’t sure she even had the focus to summon him. And so she ran.

[OsmundCinderholt]

Under Her Wings More and more people continued to arrive, all of them from even more far-flung places that were not of Avistan, Casmaron or Garund, not even from Tian Xia. These mists then are something far fouler than she thought, Irem considered gravely. Perhaps they (the mists) are bringing people from a multitudes of worlds, across the solar system. Jameel once showed her through a telescope specks of different colored blips in the night sky that he claimed were other planets, just like Golarian. There were far stranger explanations. Though to what end would all these people be brought here? There had to be a purpose... Irem wasn't allowed any second longer to ruminate on that, being interrupted by an ear-curdling scream. The screams were approaching them, and fast. A hand reflexively went to the handle of her curved short sword, it's shape likened to a scimitar if only perhaps less curved. What came out of the mists was just people, terrified and fleeing a much more pressing threat, still unrealized. Three people running from the mist immediately struck familiarity with the Inquisitor, however. It was not hard to spot the tell-tale signs of enslaved people, for they ran with broken dignity. Irem knew it well, having lived it for half her life. The other was a man clearly their master, who even now slung cruel words at them. Rushing out to intercept the two women, Irem called out to them in Kelish, saying "Beloved sisters, hide behind me! I will protect you."الأخوات الحبيبات ، اختبئن ورائي. سأحميك. She would then grab the hand of the teen girl and usher the mother along to stand in the now forming circle, meaning to place them directly in the centre behind her. Irem would then draw her blade in a smooth motion, turning her steely gaze now onto the Slave-Master now. Again she spoke in Kelish, and to those that didn't understand, it was abundantly clear it was a threat. "If you hinder me in protecting these women, I will cut off your hand and feed it to you."إذا أعاقتني في حماية هؤلاء النساء ، فسوف أقطع يدك وأطعمها لك. Her blade was held level towards the man's throat a moment, giving the foul beast a moment to consider what she said... then perhaps begrudgingly she lowered the blade. The Inquistor still kept herself prepared however, eyes scanning outward, feet light. There would be time to deal with the man later. Speaking out now in common for everyone's benefit, the Inquisitor said "This Raphael is right, we need to form a defense, and quickly. Every blade pointed outwards, every direction we can. The screaming may be a diversion, to draw our attention..." Irem would gaze about herself now, scanning even up above in the tree tops. "Stay vigilant." All the while, her shadow danced towards the sound of the unseen beasts in the Mist. It's as if the shade had a mind of it's own, and it simply Y E A R N E D to be closer to the darkness. To be with whatever evil laid in wait out there. But who would notice such a thing like that, especially with more pressing things at hand.   I would roll for things like intimidate and perception. But I've not made my character sheet yet. I'll do so if/when I get selected, so sorry for not joining in the roll-a-palooza!

[OneDarkness]

posting interest The sound of running, a large number of running people or creatures, behind her caused her to wheel about to see what was happening. More humanoids appeared to be emerging from the mist and were spilling past her moving quickly towards the others that had gathered just ahead of her, they ran as if their very lives were in danger but there was no indication about what they were running from. Only to bowled over by a youth a few years younger than herself, a young boy that immediately reminded her of Jack, even though she could feel and tell that it wasn't him. As jenny climbed to her feet the young boy reached out to her with his desperate plea for help. "Please... help!" She was about to help him up when something in the unnatural mist yanked the boy with a great deal of force back into the mists, the look of absolute terror that was etched upon his face in that moment was something that would haunt Jenny for years to come. The scream that followed and then the sudden quiet was enough to stir Jenny into action and she ran as fast and as wild towards the others, for as much as she feared what others might do to her there was something out there far far worse. Where her hands had been weaponless before two daggers had appeared, and while confusion and some fear remained at least now there was a hint of grim determination as well.

[Xian]

Prologue: A Small Step into a Bigger World - Encounter! Mood Music Raphael rebuked the father of his now former lover and Halwell for all of his anger and fear nodded in agreement as the logic of Raphael's rationale sunk in. "Aye, a scoundrel you may be, but you make sense... even you would not be as short sighted and suicidal as to cast yourself into this creature's way knowingly. Recriminations will be for naught if this creature has its way with us." Halwell relented but the anger and resentment still thick in his voice. He drew his sword and stood at the ready. "For the record, Cecelia's life is not ruined. She has a good hearted and reliable man that she will be able to rely on and one that I know will make her happy and keep her safe. No matter your posturing, deep down you and I both know that you could never do the same... no matter the sincerity of your intent." Archie and Aurelius begin their work as they pull the people into the center and begin treating them. None of the women appeared to be injured in any significant way. They are nearly incoherent with terror though as they try to describe the threat. They speak of so many things... a rumbling sound, eldritch tentacles, numerous unblinking eyes, a unnatural cold, and so many other descriptions and who could tell which were real and which were the ramblings of a terrified mind. As they continued their triage, the doctors two notice the only truly wounded among them, the young boy that now knelt with ragging breath behind Kracyi. The physical wound itself was ghastly, but non-life threatening and one that could be mended with a simple bandage and gauze. What both doctors and those with senses so inclined could detect was the unmistakable spoor of negative energy. As they contemplated this, the younger of the two ladies continued to cling to Doctor Alymer desperately, an embrace that was being watched all too closely by a certain spear wielding companion and whose gaze struggled to remain outward on the unknown threat that prowled in the Mist. Archie for his part still could not shake the memories and the vibes of his long lost mother from the woman as she thanked him for his care. Even as the two doctors dealt with this situation, they were all startled by the arrival of a man roaring... not simply yelling... roaring at the top of his lungs. He looked human and sounded human, but under it something... else... sounded like it was there. Jonathan felt the pain of his entry into this forsaken place and the tormented memories of the events just preceding his arrival. Or was it? His mind was hazy and something in it seemed to want out and felt like it would split his skull to do so. Still through it, he heard clear battle commands... now whether he responded to them would another matter entirely. Right behind him was a azure eyed and blond girl that tread the line between adolescence and adulthood dressed in noble dress, though none like any in the group had ever seen. She has an unusual aura to her for those that could sense things, they could see that she was much more than just a terrified noble girl. Luminara had run and there were a group of people there, their eyes showing the same fear that she felt. Just may be they could ban and fight off the awful thing in the Mist... whatever it was. Luminara was the first person that Jenny saw before the roaring of Jonathan grabbed her attention. She pulled up next to them as the circle tightened around the group that gathered into some form of a defensive wall. "Woman, do not presume to tell me what to do with my property." The slaver replied with a derisive snicker at Irem's threat in Kelish. Irem would notice that his accent and dialect were one used by those from the southern border regions. While distasteful and despicable the man was to Irem, she could tell the man was an experienced fighter and outwardly seemed to be powerfully built. "I paid the debts for these women's family fairly and in accordance with our laws. Their lives are thereby owed to me. With whose authority do you presume to circumvent that? Your own...? Presumptuous indeed... returning these women to their families or getting them killed here will only mean that their debt will be owed to me. So in the end what do you hope to accomplish?" "All of you, standing to fight against this creature is folly... This foe is beyond all of you!" The slaver announced in a heavily accented Common to the rest of the gathered circle. "It decimated effortlessly, in a matter of minutes, some of my best men... you would be best served to run." He motioned for the cowering women and whatever hold he had them was strong as they meekly moved from behind Irem and intent on joining the slaver as he prepared to continue his flight. It had been too long since it had a meal this. It delighted in the fact that the food had decided to gather conveniently in a cluster. It was typical... wound a few and the rest would cluster around in a futile attempt to protect them... like sheep. It could smell it... fear. Fear gave its food such a wonderful flavor. OODM Team - enjoy! No worries on the dice rolling - if needed you can roll just a d20 after an action and I will use that as a basis for determining its effect if you do not have a character sheet made yet. Those that had been a part of this game previously do have the benefit of their adjusted character sheets, but do not feel pressured to make a sheet because of that!

[triedtherest]

This is why I don't like House-calls! "Facing this thing may he suicide as you say!" Says Archie to the Slaver. "But running off alone into the mist enshrouded forest when that thing is out there, is just plain STUPID!" He opened up his arms. "Run, and it'll just pick us off one by one. Hell! None of us even know where we'd be running to! Standing together, we d at least have a bloody chance!" Likely to be VERY bloody! He thought, but didn't say. His expression changed slightly when he realised that the taint of Negative Energy was present in the wound. "Is it Undead or a Negatively charged Extraplanar Being?" He wondered out loud. "I have a couple of vials of Holy Water, if it would be helpful." His attention is diverted by the frantic/thankful woman, and he finally addresses her. "I'm sorry, but you remind me of someone dear to me. Does the name "Mary Reynolds" mean anything to you?"

[OneDarkness]

posting interest Jenny seethed at the Slaver trying to assert his ownership of the woman and her daughter, reminding her very much of those that had attempted to take her that one time in the alley, despite his use of words over force. "Its not right that you own them, people shouldn't be property, and I wouldn't be surprised if the debt was not of their own doing they are just the ones that have to pay." A mix of fear at what was stalking them in the mist and anger at the slaver was leaving Jenny on edge, but she hoped whatever was out there got the slaver next. She was torn though about what the man said about his guards being cut down by the creature with ease, while a few of those here looked like warriors, looks could easily be deceiving. Her eyes nervously watched the rolling mists for some sign of the creature, but she also kept a close eye on the slaver who she trusted not in the slightest.

[WhiteStag]

The stink in the air begins to choke his own voice even. The mist seeps into his lungs and begins to squeeze with supernatural sensations and force. His wails become stifled! His roar quenched. His eyes begin to water, a watery pain that blurs his focus. Trees all around, now barely visible through his obscured sight. In and out of visibility, black trees as thin and sickly as those that would linger in a decrepit swamp, that stare back at intrusive wanderers in silence, in cold disdain… and nothing more. He begins to panic! He can not breathe! Like a boisterous dog flexing his own bravado, then suddenly strangled silent by its own choking collar, Rawncer grasps at the mud tightly between his fingers, gasping, choking for air! He reaches out for the faint sight of a ring of people as it looks, just a short distance away from him through the gray mist. Then Eyes, more like the sense of being watched, creeps into his mind as he flicks around immediately to examine his backside, bracing himself for a sudden assault from a thirsty beast! But nothing there! Just silence. Just looming trees that sway slowly in non-existent wind! Taunting him! Goading him! Whispering to him in fell voices. THEN AGAIN!-- The feeling of a hungry beast at his back on the other side! He whips around once more to NOTHING! Nothing is there!!!! "AHHHHH!!–eesk" His throat is strangled! His voice silenced. He can not wail as he did before. Sheer panic wells up in him again! "HELP HELP! WHAT IS THIS PLACE!?!?!" Rising to his feet and darting now for the enclosed circle of people a short distance away, galloping frantically, frightened beyond belief having his once masculine bravado stolen from him suddenly, calling his bluff as if a complete fool. He trips on some underbrush and grinds to the floor, sliding through the mud ending at the feet of Archie as the doctor converses with the Slaver. "PLEASE!" grasping at Archie’s trousers, "PLEASE! I can not breathe!" His voice is cut short again as he indicates his own throat while shedding eyes of sheer terror. "*COUGH*-- And there is a beast in the forest all around us!!" He strains to talk. "Can you not hear it!?!! Can you not feel him?!?!? WHAT IS THIS MADNESS!?!?!"

 

Current Modifications Active Spells/Buffs/Conditions:: AC:: 18 normal HP:: 95of95 Rage:: 14of15 rounds available. Spells:: Level1 - 2of2 spells available.

Bloodrager Class , Blood Conduit(Archetype) , Primalist(Archetype) , Dragon Disciple Prestige Class