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--- resources:adventure:the_still_point [2017/01/03 21:55]
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+++ resources:adventure:the_still_point [2017/01/03 22:14]
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 ===== Adventure Summary =====
-==== Part One: Batra ====
+==== Part One: The Great Desert ====
 Selphina Reese, Vermillion Magnifico and Christian Hansson meet up with Augusta Trilling, a wealthy merchant who is hiring adventurers to help her find the lost city of Naras. She explains that she is looking for something that can only be found there, something that money can’t buy... but that she is afraid to travel alone. She tells them that they must first journey to the Grand Academy in Batra, where they may be able to find some information on the city.
-With the help of a wayfinder, they begin their traversal of the Great Desert, soon encountering a group of bandits who are speculating over the ransom money they might be able to get from Augusta’s kidnapping. One fracas later and the bandits flee into the flux, but now our heroes discover a corpse in the process of being consumed by monstrous worms. The worms are easily despatched but Augusta is absolutely terrified. Panicking, she runs into the flux, closely followed by Selphina.
+With the help of a wayfinder, they begin their traversal of the Great Desert, soon encountering a group of bandits who are speculating over the ransom money they might be able to get from Augusta’s kidnapping. After a brief fracas, the bandits flee into the flux, but there is further trouble when our heroes come across a desiccated corpse in the process of being consumed by monstrous worms. The worms are easily despatched but Augusta is absolutely terrified. Panicking, she runs into the flux, closely followed by Selphina.
-The others attempt to follow in their wake, but they soon encounter a red scarf that they remember one of the bandits had been wearing. A little way further into the desert, they find a disquieting area of forest that their wayfinder assures them is certainly not flux. In the middle of the forest, they find Selphina standing next to a pile of... actually, they don’t like to ask what she’s standing next to, but it seems that the bandits may have, ahem, overreached a little in tangling with Selphina. For her part, Selphina neglects to mention the nature of the ritual she conducted, nor the tiresome part in which a flesh golem burst out of her chest and needed to be destroyed. Unfortunately, in spite of her onslaught, one of the bandits seems to have escaped with Augusta.
+The others attempt to follow in their wake, but soon encounter a red scarf that they remember one of the bandits had been wearing. A little way further into the desert, they find a disquieting area of forest that their wayfinder assures them is certainly not flux. In the middle of the forest, they find Selphina standing next to a pile of... actually, they don’t like to ask what she’s standing next to, but it seems that the bandits may have, ahem, overreached a little in tangling with Selphina. For her part, Selphina neglects to mention the nature of the ritual she conducted, nor the tiresome part in which a flesh golem burst out of her chest and needed to be destroyed. Unfortunately, in spite of her onslaught, one of the bandits seems to have escaped with Augusta.
-It seems that they will have to make a raid on the bandit camp to rescue their employer. Their wayfinder leads them to the nearest area of consensus, the ruins of a temple to some forgotten god. It is now the base of operations of a large group of bandits, many of whom are now ranged around the camp in a rather inebriated state. In their attempts to sneak past the sentry, however, the party wakes some of the bandits - they fight through a large number of them, eventually entering the temple to face off against the bandit chief, who is unimpressed by their ransom offer. Upon executing the chief, however, they hit upon two problems: (1) they don’t know exactly where Augusta is being held hostage, and (2) a large force of gradually sobering bandits is assembling outside the temple.
+It seems that they will have to make a raid on the bandit camp to rescue their employer. Their wayfinder leads them to the nearest area of consensus, the ruins of a temple to some forgotten god. It is currently the base of operations of a large group of bandits, many of whom are now ranged around the camp in a rather inebriated state. Unfortunately, in their attempts to sneak past the sentry, the party wakes some of the revelers - they fight their way through swathes of drunken bandits, eventually entering the temple to face off against the bandit chief, who is unimpressed by their ransom offer. Upon executing the chief, however, they hit upon two problems: (1) they don’t know exactly where Augusta is being held hostage, and (2) a large force of rapidly sobering bandits is assembling outside the temple.
-The discovery of a maze of catacombs under the temple solves their immediate worries. Heading down into these tunnels, they discover that the bandits have been using a section of the catacombs as a prison. Deep within, past a network of fiendish traps, they discover Augusta, who is overwhelmed with horror - not so much by her predicament as the bandits’ hostage, but more at finding herself trapped in a tomb. She… really seems afraid of death.
+The discovery of a maze of catacombs under the temple solves their immediate worries. Heading down into these tunnels, they discover that the bandits have been using a section of the catacombs as a prison. Deep within, past a network of fiendish traps, they discover Augusta, who appears overwhelmed with horror - not so much by her predicament as the bandits’ hostage, but more at finding herself trapped in a tomb. She… //really// seems afraid of death.
 Taking a secret passage out of the catacombs to a watchtower currently unguarded by the bandits (who have all flocked to the main temple), they find their way safely across the desert to Batra, stopping off at the Grand Academy. While the scholars are initially suspicious of them, the party’s focus on Naras piques their interest.
@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 The scholars inform them that Naras is a sacred city, built around a temple dedicated to two gods - they can’t remember which ones, though. It’s weird, actually - looking in the archives, someone seems to have obliterated certain parts of every account of Naras in every relevant text. There has been scarcely any travel to and from Naras for many years, and nobody has managed to travel between Naras and the Serradic Empire since the Upheaval; the city is assumed to have disappeared into flux.
-The archivist does furnish them with a map from before the Upheaval. It shows the location of Naras, together with its shape - a series of concentric circles with a huge circular temple in the middle. The temple utterly dominates the city.
+The archivist does manage to furnish them with a map from before the Upheaval. It shows the location of Naras, together with its shape - a series of concentric circles with a huge circular temple in the middle. The temple utterly dominates the city.
-They decide to spend a few days enjoying the sights of Batra - there’s a beautiful mausoleum, and the museum has a fascinating display of funerary masks… oh, and of course it’s the Festival of the Dead right now. The adventurers enjoy a well-earned break (Vermillion purchases some art to sell on when he returns to Acryn), while Augusta cowers under a blanket in her room at the inn. At last, refreshed for the journey ahead, they set out once more into the desert, this time towards Naras….
+They decide to spend a few days enjoying the sights of Batra - there’s a beautiful mausoleum, and the museum has a fascinating display of funerary masks… oh, and of //course// it’s the Festival of the Dead right now. The adventurers take a well-earned break (Vermillion purchases some art to sell on when he returns to Acryn), while Augusta cowers under a blanket in her room at the inn. At last, refreshed for the journey ahead, they set out once more into the desert, this time towards Naras….
-==== Part Two: Naras ====
+==== Part Two: The Lost City ====
-Caught in a huge dust storm, they encounter a number of huge inquisitive cats with human faces. These sphinxes ask question after question, refusing to let the travellers pass until every question has been answered and threatening to eat anyone who fails to answer. The questions gradually become more and more nonsensical until the party gives up and kills them all.
+Caught in a huge dust storm, they encounter a number of huge inquisitive cats with human faces. These sphinxes ask question after question, refusing to let the travellers pass until every question has been answered and threatening to eat anyone who fails to answer. The questions gradually become more and more nonsensical (while probing the nature of mortality in a way that sets their employer on edge) until the party gives up and kills them all.
-It is difficult to see their way in the dust storm, and when their wayfinder suddenly disappears with a cry of shock, they cannot at first work out what has happened. But then, the wayfinder’s voice rings out from ahead and some way below: “I’ve fallen down some kind of… no, it’s a wall; it’s… it’s consensus. I think it’s Naras!”
+It is difficult to see their way in the dust storm, and when their wayfinder suddenly disappears with a startled cry, they cannot at first work out what has happened. But then the wayfinder’s voice rings out from ahead and some way below: “I’ve fallen down some kind of… no, it’s a wall; it’s… it’s //consensus//. I think it’s //Naras//!”
-It seems that the dust storm is centred around the city; sand has piled up around the walls on every side, but within the bounds of the city, the sand hasn’t intruded. Beneath the dust storm, the city is perfectly preserved.
+It seems that the dust storm is centred around the city - sand has piled up around the walls on every side, but within the bounds of the city, the sand hasn’t intruded. Far below the tumult of the dust storm, the city is perfectly preserved.
 Each adventurer makes their way down the edge of the wall into the city; they entirely fail to catch Augusta when she falls, but she seems unharmed. They wander along beautifully preserved streets, past avenues of statues and dry fountains. But then the desert wind stirs the dust in a vortex from the storm above, clearing at last to reveal a woman who smiles altogether too much; she seems emaciated and her skin is peeling. She asks them if they dance. When they ask for further clarification, she explains that all flesh must dance; to dance is to live, to wear one’s body truly. This is what life is: the wearing down of a body through usage and time. And, in time, the dance moves on through the flitting of flies and the spiralling of dust motes….
-Augusta becomes terrified and warns the party that this person is dangerous - they have to escape. When Christian tries to talk to the entity, she offer him her favour. The dust fills his vision; he sees an emaciated copy of himself emerge from the haze, and then he is fighting himself as the copy decays before his eyes. It disperses into dust but he feels that same dust enter his lungs - he feels… odd. The others try to attack the smiling woman - she disperses into dust motes, summoning more dust to attack them. When they emerge victorious, they hear her voice on the air: “Well danced! You will return to me, in the end - I know it!”
+Augusta becomes terrified and warns the party that this person is dangerous - they //have// to escape. When Christian tries to talk to the smiling woman, she offers him her favour. The dust fills his vision; he sees an emaciated version of himself emerge from the haze, and then he is fighting himself as the copy decays before his eyes. It disperses into dust but he feels that same dust enter his lungs - he feels… odd. The others try to attack the smiling woman - she disperses into dust motes, summoning more dust to attack them. When they emerge victorious, they hear her voice on the air: “Well danced! You //will// return to me, in the end - I know it!”
-Augusta urges the party towards the entrance of the temple - if the Yielding Breath has escaped, she explains, they are in great danger. The adventurers, however, want answers - what does she know, why has she really led them here, what is she really looking for? She is at first unwilling to answer, fleeing up the steps of the temple and begging them to follow if they want to live. Vermillion is no longer willing to trust her, but Selphina approaches and tries to get her to open up. Trembling, Augusta reveals what she has been told - this temple is a prison for the Yielding Breath, god of decay, the entity who attacked them. It is guarded by the Constant Stone, god of permanence. Only the Constant Stone can protect them; only the Constant Stone can protect her, Augusta, from dying, soon, to an ailment that even the Tender Church couldn’t heal….
+Augusta urges the party towards the entrance of the temple - if the Yielding Breath has escaped, she explains, they are in great danger. The adventurers, however, want answers - what does she know, why has she //really// led them here, what is she //really// looking for? She is at first unwilling to answer, fleeing up the steps of the temple and begging them to follow if they want to live. Vermillion is no longer willing to trust her, but Selphina approaches and tries to persuade her to open up. Trembling, Augusta reveals the information she has been given by her contacts - this temple is a prison for the Yielding Breath, god of decay, the entity who attacked them. It is guarded by the Constant Stone, god of permanence. Only the Constant Stone can protect them; only the Constant Stone can protect //her//, Augusta, from dying, soon, to an ailment that even the Tender Church couldn’t heal….
 Before she can reveal any more, a figure appears behind them on the temple steps. “You invoke me? Do you call yourself one of my devoted?” Augusta turns, startled. “I… I wish to become so.”
@@ Line 49: / Line 49: @@
 The Constant Stone turns to the rest of them. “And you? Are you all here to dedicate yourselves to me? All things strive to persist, to continue through the ages. I can offer you that - a gift that money cannot buy, the opportunity to live - in kind - for all Eternity.” As the god speaks, they notice shackles coiling up through the ground like snakes, ready to strike at them. Selphina fights her way past the shackles and into the temple, followed by Christian. Vermillion, meanwhile, challenges the god to a sculpting contest.
-There on the steps of the temple, Vermillion and the Constant Stone compete to create the greatest statue. Each works according to their own sensibilities, but when their labour is complete, neither can agree on which is the greater. Vermillion’s piece is beautiful - a perfect, intricately detailed statue of himself. The Constant Stone’s statue, by contrast, is rough, undetailed, a simple monolith. While Vermillion argues that his work is the most aesthetically pleasing, the Constant Stone refuses to grant him the title of winner - beauty is fleeting, while the stone carved by the god will last throughout the ages. That, in the Constant Stone’s estimation, is the true mark of greatness. Nonetheless, the god accepts that there is something interesting about Vermillion’s statue….
+There on the steps of the temple, Vermillion and the Constant Stone compete to create the best statue. Each works according to their own sensibilities, but when their labour is complete, neither can agree on which is the greater. Vermillion’s piece is beautiful - a perfect, intricately detailed representation of himself. The Constant Stone’s statue, by contrast, is rough, undetailed, a simple monolith. While Vermillion argues that his work is the most aesthetically pleasing, the Constant Stone refuses to grant him the title of winner - beauty is fleeting, while the stone carved by the god will last throughout the ages. That, in the Constant Stone’s estimation, is the true mark of greatness. Nonetheless, the god accepts that there is something //interesting// about Vermillion’s statue….
 Meanwhile, Selphina is standing in the entrance chamber of the temple. All around her, she can hear the sound of stone groaning against stone. Ahead, there is a number of doorways, although each of these entrances is constantly opening and closing again, now revealing a dimly lit room beyond, now a blockade of shifting stonework, and now a different room to before. Temple or prison, this building seems to be a great circular mechanism whose rooms act like cogs, spinning about one another in bewildering patterns as the whole internal construct rotates about a central axis.
@@ Line 55: / Line 55: @@
 This looks complicated. Just as she did in the desert, Selphina invokes the power of Tuireann. With a growl of tortured stonework, the part of the mechanism she is standing in grinds to a halt as vines snake through the gaps in the walls. That ought to simplify matters.
-Christian is having a hard time - while the others indulge their hobbies, he’s been left to fend off the bulk of the Constant Stone’s shackles. Overwhelmed, he falls under the onslaught, opens his eyes to see himself before himself, cast in stone, an immovable statue. He strikes at the thing but feels his own arms numbing as stone crawls up his flesh. His thoughts and motions become sluggish... but then he’s back in the entranceway of the temple having his wounds healed by the others. That was rather too close for comfort.
+Christian is having a hard time - while the others indulge their hobbies, he’s been left to fend off the bulk of the Constant Stone’s shackles. Overwhelmed, he falls under the onslaught, opens his eyes to see himself before himself, cast in stone, an immovable statue. He strikes at the thing but feels his own arms numbing as stone crawls up his flesh. His thoughts and motions become sluggish... but then he’s back in the entranceway of the temple having his wounds healed by the others. That was... rather too close for comfort.
 ==== Part Three: The Still Point ====

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