(OOC: If i was more awake, i'd suggest we try and find Gear's mentor - i.e whoever showed her hte basics of artificing and setting people on fire with cool tools. Also, we should get Hado a monkey)
Map not to scale.
Map Legend:
1. Tegalo Towers. Once a fortress, Tegalo is an apartment complex for regular folk living regular lives. About 100 people live here. A few relatives of Gear might be found, if you can navigate the many spires and precarious passageways.
2. Big Ugly. The tallest spire of the fortress is the secondary headquarters of this district’s patrolmen. It lacks the armoury of the main headquarters, and is instead used as an outreach point for minor disputes. Having patrolmen directly adjacent to local homes keeps this area relatively quiet for Dogabag.
3. Set inside a converted caging area for monstrosities (thankful all destroyed), the Nasty Surprise is a surprisingly easygoing tavern run by local celebrity Rufio (once known as Barefoot Fire Walk, a journey name they undertook during a bout of deep depression that ended in spiritual awakening) a retired Pahina Ina player. They’re a sauve Tunglani with blue skin that becomes darker on their arms, and a lion-like tail that swishes to and fro.
4. The Leaner. A great black tower that leans slightly. It’s architecture is especially spiky, and has been renovated into a shrine for minor gods. It’s notably graffitied with a giant painting of the God of Delight. Only one priest lives inside, Luce, but they do not own the place. No one does. Luce is a scaly Tunglani who worships all the gods of one particular star sign, Sokukia, the Shoal. She finds wisdom in all those gods associated with Sokukia, be they good, foolish or wild.
5. Lohima’s Hand. This stretch of towers is largely vacant, but it’s largest building is home to The Ripple of the Lotus, a group of questioning ascetics with no allegiance to anything but their pursue of oneness. Like all locals, they like a drink and a fight on occasion, and are far removed from the monks of Petalway.
6. Dogabag Arena. Often used to play Pahina Ina, it serves for any sport or fighting tournament as required.
7. Cucha Towers. A few Floretta live here, but overall Cucha has been left to the local wildlife. Rumours talk of a ‘monkey king’ that lords over the cheeky monkeys at the top. One relative of Gear lives at the bottom, directly adjacent to the street... but you’re not on good terms, remember? Gear, name them and say what’s wrong!
8. Today there is an open market! Stalls line the roadside and merchants shout over each other to get people’s attention. There is fruit, meat, clothing, trinkets, glass and wood jewellery and even weapons and basic healing items for sale!
9. The Rig. A jumble of suspended bridges, ladders and shoots leads to what is now the main construction yard of Dogabag. Gear’s family, which is downright vast, live in the dark, sharp towers and work below in the shade of the twisting structures. No one knows why the Vilelord built this area so, and over the years much has been added to it to make it safe. The greatest addition is a man-powered lifting machine that can take several people from the lowest pit to the highest tower. Gear, who are you closest too most? Plus they owe you a favour, right? Name them now.
Gear eyes Cucha Towers leerily. "Let's.. let's not go there" she says. "No reason!"
In truth, Cucha towers is home to Bahar, a Floretta member of gear's family. While she initially got on with Gear, one of Gear's early forreys into exploring lead to Bahar's house being flooded - an accident that could have been patched over, had Gear followed Bahar's suggestion of dedicating herself to the family trade of building and provisionerers. Gear's stubborn instance on exploring and learning more about the world rather than staying at home and building up the district turned this into a rift that's still never healed between the two - Bahar believing that Gear wont take responsibility for the family that raised them, Gear feeling that Bahar is too focused inwards.
Gear's eyes wander next to The Rig. Her family's home - she should stop here, and soon. It'd be good to see Iroh, a grandfatherly old Tunglani who took Gear under his wing. Or claws, rather - Iroh is old, but wise, and served both as gear's mentor and a reliable grandfather figure for her. He's burdened with a lamed leg, a legacy of his fiery past, and still owes gear a favor after she built him a vastly improved walking stick that eased his burdens significantly.
((OOC: THink a really nicely made walking stick/crutch, one that's got padding, grips to surfaces well, mimizes any chaffing and things - the sort of thing that resorted a lot of mobility and freedom to Iroh. Endless, if you wanna say it might have been closer to a full on prosthetic foot/leg or similar, i'm cool with that! I just didnt know if that'd be going too far or things - whatever you think is coolest, dood)
She points the market out to Baber: "We could sell your sapphire here, and it should fetch a good price. I think i might make a gift of the dragonfly to my mentor, Iroh. But first..." she points to The Leaner. "let's go pay our respects to Luce. I want to ask her about my cloak, too, and see if she has any insight. No idea if she'll have any answers for you, hado, but she might"
"Yes, and yes! A pretty sheath for a pretty dagger, and also some pretty robes for the festival, and some nice wood to carve a mask from! I also enjoy just being in a marketplace! The sights, the sounds, the smells, it's all so wonderful."
[OOC: This is just a small section of Dogabag. You can and likely will leave this square.
New Zellatia will never have a complete map as to allow DMs to make whatever they need for a given adventure. Every group of players will likely map out a different city over the course of a campaign, with some overlapping landmarks.
I hope it comes across in my description but New Zellatia was once this world’s Mordor, a colossal black fortress, and has been turned into a city, forcing normalcy over a spiky death-trap.
In my head the city is only as big as York, England, and not quite as populated. It’s really only called a city because standards are so low as there is nothing to compare it too. What it does do is reach higher and delve deeper than most fantasy cities.
—
As for Iroh, I do believe you invented a fine cane, and a leg brace that allows him to put some pressure on it. Between the cane and the brace he can even jog for a minute, with plenty of rest needed after. The brace’s design has since been used elsewhere, but you’re pretty oblivious to your breakthrough.]
As you pass under the dim archway into the Leaner, your gaze adjusts to the spinning shape ahead of you. Luce is performing an elaborate and skilled acrobatic dance within a large ring hung from a silken rope. Bells jingle and tall wind instruments sing in time with her movements. She moves with a grace that separates her, if only here, if only now, from regular folk. Below on prayer mats and stools, standing and walking, several people commune with the gods by more mundane practises. No one is considered better than the other, you note, as a Kaburin worshiper of one god converses with a Tunglani adherent of the Divine Zodiac as a whole.
You see her land before you notice she’s leapt from the ring.
Luce grabs you by the waist Gear and lifts you up into an inescapable hug.
“Oh my Gear! Have you grown since I saw you last? Little Primodem joke there, keep up lads!”, she puts you down gently and takes your palm to kiss, “Gods walk with you, Gear, how’s things? Make anything this week? Who’s your friends? Enjoying a trip to the rough end, eh?”
The Leaner might properly be called the Shrine of All, and inside you see thousands of figurines and small clay statues of gods, their lovers, advisors, riding beasts and pictograms detailing their dramatic existence in the stars. The windows are thin and tall, slanted as the building, allowing only slices of orange light into the shrine. Incense burns, drifting higher and higher. The constant twinkle of bells and woodwinds has a calming effect.
Gear considered rapping Luce over the head with her stick, but attacking priests is generally frowned upon even when they attack you first
"Asking first on the hugs, Luce, remember?" She shucks her cloak and shows it Luce. "As to rough... We fought an Urdretch yesterday. Long story. This is Baber and Hado. Which is sort of why I'm here, we found this"
She explains what she knows about it so far too Luce. "Waves to get your advice on it. And if you've heard about any good parties tonight - I still need a costume and mask" gear wrinkles her mouth in distaste at the last
“Oh yeah! I’m sorry Gear.”, they give you a bow with their hands pressed together in prayer, “What’s one of those? Doesn’t matter. That sounds gnarly though! Hope you’re okay!”
She smiles at you all and asks if a hug is alright. Either way, she takes Gear’s hand when she speaks again.
“Oh man! The worst part about the festival is turning down all the offers, right? I’m going to The Nasty Surprise this year! It’s gonna have this cool elemental theme this year, with parts of the tavern sectioned off into different elements. Really funky idea by Rufio! Please come to it Gear, we’ve got loads to catch up on.”
“Love that cloak by the way, I’m sensing it’s magical! Real good old sorcery in it, not the work of a stuffy wizard or one of those awful god bothering clerics.”
She laughs at mocking herself, then gives you two high caliber finger guns*.
“Suits you big style.”
All she knows about your cloak is that it’s a magical item made by a sorcerer.
She’s coy about the whole mask thing, and just says, “I’ve already got my mask. I bought one at the market, it’s nothing too special, just a bird one. Money’s kinda tight lately. Um, anyway! You could go to the market right now, or visit that master mask maker at Cucha Towers. You’d have to ask around though, I’ve never met them and I’m not sure where they live exactly.”
Gear tips her head. "That could be fun." (OOC question: Is gear aware of her lighting affinity as a primodem? would other people be aware?"). "Maybe i should do a lighting costume. Just need to figureo ut how to put itgether... Iroh might have advice."
"As to the Urdretch, my advice would be stay away. Gnarly is right. The slimes were fun though! They may have disagreed when i sent a bone through both of them." Gear sniffs. "To be fair, they were trying to eat Baber and Hado. Thanks on the cloak - was about what i'd figured out already, but it's always nice to get extra conformation." Gear ponders a moment. "Two more things: One, we need an introduction to Juyo. Any advice? Or should i talk to Iroh for that? and two: You need any help with anything?"
(OOC: Helping each other out very much seems the dogabag way!)
[OOC: Now that’s a question I’ve been waiting for.
Tell me, how much of a connection do you have to your heart? What do you think about it, is it you, a fuel source, a symbiotic creature?
The only people to be aware of your heart are those that have seen you draw out power from it, and even then you’d have to explain it was something other than a magic spell you’ve learned.]
The priest does a backflip from sheer excitement.
“That. Sounds. Unreal! We so need a chat tomorrow night at the party.”
She runs her fingers through her tightly curled hair, thinking.
“Juyo, that guy is scary! You’ll have to see Iroh. Did he ever tell you about the wrestling match he had against Juyo when he was younger? I mean he was still old then, but well...”, she loses her train of thought a bit, “He’ll tell you about it, he’s great at stories!”
She bows a little, her hands in prayer, then says quietly, “This place is so important to everyone. It needs to stay open, and free, but I don’t know how. I like to put on food but I’m pretty low on coin at the moment. I keep running out of food earlier than I expect! I must not being ordering things right, my fault. It’s so not your problem.”
Gear would quirk an eyebrow, but being a primodem makes that hard, and anyway, marker pens to draw one on pre-quirked haven't been invented. "Maybe you can show us where you're keeping supplies? We might be able to spot some trouble there or things. Hado's good with animals, too, if that's the problem - arent there monkeys around here? Could they be getting in and stealing stuff?"
She pokes Luce. "maybe it isnt, but that dosent mean we cant help. Or if we cant, that others cant. It is okay to ask for help, Luce"
Gear's also pondering maybe making a gift of the dragonfly ornament to Luce so she can sell it for more coin, but she'll wait and see if there's other ways to help first, ratehr than making luce stress about lossing a gift/using it poorly.
Baber is amused by how high-energy Gear and Luce's conversation is, then they suddenly say, "Of course a hug is alright!" and they grab Luce and give her a nice long hug.
Then they hold her at arm's length and say, "Don't worry, a friend of Gear's is a friend of mine, and I help my friends. We shall see what we can do."
She fumbles around in her pockets, and eventually finds a key.
“This opens up the kitchen. There is a pantry behind that where I keep my munchos.”, there is a pause, “Munchos is food. I’m trying to invent slang, you know, to improve the city’s culture. Maybe?”
“Hm. I might be forgetting something too. Oh! There’s a side room I don’t use, that’s locked up to, but the same key works for both locks so go snooping if you like.”
The kitchen is clean, but sparse and cheap. Each utensil is from a different source, given or found and mended. There’s a wobbly table in the middle of the floor with two chairs pushed under it. One of the cupboard doors is open. There’s a tall slanted window but it doesn’t open.
The door to the pantry is closed, but has no lock.
There is a short passage leading to the unused room. It has large double doors, each with a keyhole.
Gear takes a look at the table and makes a mental note to repair the wobble when she can. She'd do it now, but she hasn't the right tools with her. And it might be won't because the floor is uneven, so that would need different tools. Either way, it shouldn't be too hard to fix and would make Luces life easier.
First things first, Gear heads to the pantry and opens it, then takes a careful look around.
[OOC: Luce is a Mischief Domain Cleric (an archetype from the setting). It’s terrible for damage and has no bonuses to healing so it’s probably subpar balance-wise, but fun-wise I think it works. The other cleric archetype is Glory, which is just a classic healer-fighter, basically a different take on the war domain.
None of my sub-classes are fit to use yet, but look if you like.
Mischief Domain Cleric
Bonus Cantrip
When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain the minor illusion cantrip.
Blessings of Mischief
At 1st level, you become proficient in your choice of two of the following skills: Acrobatics, Deception, Performance, or Sleight of Hand.
In addition, if you roll a 1 on a skill check with either of these skills it is treated as a natural 20.
Channel Divinity: Sudden Misfortune
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to cause your foes to fumble as supernatural bad luck befalls them.
As an action, you present your holy symbol, and each hostile creature within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. A creature reduces their next attack roll by your proficiency bonus on a failed saving throw, and by 1 on a successful one.
Channel Divinity: Accidental Catastrophe
Starting at 6th level, you can use your Channel Divinity to cause substances to turn volatile with a glance.
As a bonus action, you can activate the effects of any potions, poisons, explosives or magical materials within 30 feet of you. You can be selective of what you activate, but must know the material is present in advance. The material will affect the nearest creature regardless of if it usually requires ingestion or deliberate action from the creature.
Switcheroo
Starting at 8th level, when cast a healing spell on a creature you can choose to switch places with them as a reaction until the start of your next turn.
Perfect Timing
Starting at 17th level, spells you cast can be set to go off on any turn after it has been cast from the position you cast it from.
I hope you’re prepared for the 2nd dungeon: The Ordinary Series of Rooms in a Local Shrine... of Doom]
You slowly, carefully open the door, keeping your wits and weapon ready.
A bag of nuts takes its sweet time to fall off a shelf, scattering them across the floor. Besides that the pantry is empty...
...but you’re a damn good detective.
Behind a hefty bag there is a small square slightly offset from the wall. A secret tunnel is behind it! It’s so small you’d take a great deal of time to fit onto it, and would leave you quite vulnerable too. It’s not a great idea to just climb into it.
The tunnel would reasonably lead to the unused room.
You also access the fallen bag of nuts. It’s ripped open at the top by what you assume must have been teeth, not that sharp, more like chewed open.
Gear groans softly, and then unlocks the door carefully. "Monkeys. It's going to be monkeys, and we're going to have to visit Bahar, or probably get past her."
She then swings the door open and looks into the room
The door swings open and wind takes it the rest of the way ‘round. Your cloak ripples against your back and settles the way the sea settles before a storm.
The room’s as dusty as a trapdoor spider’s hole put up for vacancy. There’s an old bed in here, some scattered pots and a great damn window like a tall mouth in shock smashed in at the bottom. Small sized hole, a couple hairs stuck along a sharp edge.
You figure monkeys, those little bastards.
From the window you see out over your district, a district you’ve got to protect. To bring justice to these streets. Revenge for a humble priest, against monkeys. Damn dirty monkeys. Your eyes are lead across the black spires painted with crisscross hues of sea blue and leaf green, the occasional dangerous red. A warning, you think, to villainy, like a poisonous frog to predators. In the distant you see Lohima’s Hand, six jagged and curved blade-like structures poking out above the rest of the towers like a beggar hoping for coin. Or a cut-purse in disguise.
“Oh my stars, those monkeys get in everywhere! I was sure I had everything locked up tight.“, sighs Luce.
She brightens in an instance.
“Free blessings if you can teach ‘em a lesson? If you show me how they got in I’ll see if I can cash in some favours with your family Gear, and get things patched up.”
“Maybe just a scare mind you, they’re only monkeys, right? I’ll give you all an incense candle, light it once you’ve spooked them and they might get the idea not to come here.”
Luce has no idea if that’ll work, but it sounds okay, it’ll make the area you light it smell like the shrine.
1. Invade not just their territory, but find their nest (bedding area etc.).
2. Fire!
3. Loud noises.
4. A few bonks on the head to the biggest one.
5. Show them you’re agile enough to chase down the fastest one. You don’t have to do anything after you’ve caught it, you can let it go.
(serious question: how much of a fire risk is the city? Would we be aware it's a fire risk if so? I know you mentioned fire fighter crews in the setting.
Anyway I don't think I've got anything more to say right this moment, wanna narrate is heading to the monkey tower, or?)
[OOC: A moderate amount. The buildings already in place are stone, newly build ones around this area are brick, with wooden ones by the coast. Buildings are pretty close together, but the roads are wider than a medieval city.
Dogabag has a volunteer fire service but it’s yet to deal with anything major.
Old traps and large weapons are still around in places, mostly set off or broken.
—
I’ll give everyone chance to post once more. They might have a particular plan or idea they want to put forth.]
It’s not far from the Leaner, but it feels like you’ve entered another land. The tall towers are dull black and covered in wild flowers and creeping vines. Light rain has set in, and with it the greenery is lusher, more vibrant.
There’s dozens of entrances to Cucha, but the one you pick is the most commonly tread by its few residents. Two torches burn on stands attached to the outer wall even this early in day, but they’re swiftly going out. Birds nest in gargoyle mouths and squirrels glide between thin trees rooted to disarmed giant crossbows.
The door before you is closed. It’s round, and rolls away into the wall when touched. Old magic still at work. The overall design of Cucha differs from other parts of the city, being the work of enslaved dwarves. A sentence in Dwarfish has be scratched out around the door, in its place ‘Cucha Towers’ has been scrawled in orange paint.
Gear stares at the door, pondering a: the chances of running into Bahar (A bad thing), and the chances of scaring off the monkeys accidentally rather than intentionally (Comical, but not really a solution). Which... is scaring the monkeys really going to work? Seems like a quick fix to Gear...
"Hado, any thoughts on solving the monkey business more permanently than just scaring em off... without resorting to monkey murder?" ((OOC: I figure Tynann can just claim Hado was mulling it over and speak up when they're back from their trip)).
"So, Baber, what do you wanna do? Just head in main entrance, or should we go around the side?"
[OOC: It’s inhabited by several people! Mostly Floretta. You’re literally nervous to open the front door of an apartment! However, the folks here, while living in a city, aren’t urban, you know? The rebels that took the massive fortress that would become New Zellatia weren’t necessarily aware it was going to be like this after the rebellion so a counter-culture has took root in here.
And as we know, monkeys live all around too.]
Having a look at the place, the idea strikes you that you could just... climb up the tower!
Are you that willing to avoid a family argument?
The light yellow squares are windows. They have no glass.
The darker lines under some windows are balconies.
The dark green areas are easier to climb; they’re vines.
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Tynnanseldom correct, never unsureRegistered Userregular
Hado twirls his sagebrush focus between his fingers, and the stem ends briefly glow like embers. "If fire frightens them, then we have the right tools for the job! Right, Gear? Haha!"
((I think Hado is probably less concerned with the risks of fire to the city than he perhaps ought to be. In his mind, fire is a useful and necessary thing. It brings renewal! Never mind that buildings don't grow in the same way that grasslands do.))
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Map not to scale.
Map Legend:
1. Tegalo Towers. Once a fortress, Tegalo is an apartment complex for regular folk living regular lives. About 100 people live here. A few relatives of Gear might be found, if you can navigate the many spires and precarious passageways.
2. Big Ugly. The tallest spire of the fortress is the secondary headquarters of this district’s patrolmen. It lacks the armoury of the main headquarters, and is instead used as an outreach point for minor disputes. Having patrolmen directly adjacent to local homes keeps this area relatively quiet for Dogabag.
3. Set inside a converted caging area for monstrosities (thankful all destroyed), the Nasty Surprise is a surprisingly easygoing tavern run by local celebrity Rufio (once known as Barefoot Fire Walk, a journey name they undertook during a bout of deep depression that ended in spiritual awakening) a retired Pahina Ina player. They’re a sauve Tunglani with blue skin that becomes darker on their arms, and a lion-like tail that swishes to and fro.
4. The Leaner. A great black tower that leans slightly. It’s architecture is especially spiky, and has been renovated into a shrine for minor gods. It’s notably graffitied with a giant painting of the God of Delight. Only one priest lives inside, Luce, but they do not own the place. No one does. Luce is a scaly Tunglani who worships all the gods of one particular star sign, Sokukia, the Shoal. She finds wisdom in all those gods associated with Sokukia, be they good, foolish or wild.
5. Lohima’s Hand. This stretch of towers is largely vacant, but it’s largest building is home to The Ripple of the Lotus, a group of questioning ascetics with no allegiance to anything but their pursue of oneness. Like all locals, they like a drink and a fight on occasion, and are far removed from the monks of Petalway.
6. Dogabag Arena. Often used to play Pahina Ina, it serves for any sport or fighting tournament as required.
7. Cucha Towers. A few Floretta live here, but overall Cucha has been left to the local wildlife. Rumours talk of a ‘monkey king’ that lords over the cheeky monkeys at the top. One relative of Gear lives at the bottom, directly adjacent to the street... but you’re not on good terms, remember? Gear, name them and say what’s wrong!
8. Today there is an open market! Stalls line the roadside and merchants shout over each other to get people’s attention. There is fruit, meat, clothing, trinkets, glass and wood jewellery and even weapons and basic healing items for sale!
9. The Rig. A jumble of suspended bridges, ladders and shoots leads to what is now the main construction yard of Dogabag. Gear’s family, which is downright vast, live in the dark, sharp towers and work below in the shade of the twisting structures. No one knows why the Vilelord built this area so, and over the years much has been added to it to make it safe. The greatest addition is a man-powered lifting machine that can take several people from the lowest pit to the highest tower. Gear, who are you closest too most? Plus they owe you a favour, right? Name them now.
Rufio, ex-sportsman turned bartender
Luce, priest of Sokukia
What do you do?
In truth, Cucha towers is home to Bahar, a Floretta member of gear's family. While she initially got on with Gear, one of Gear's early forreys into exploring lead to Bahar's house being flooded - an accident that could have been patched over, had Gear followed Bahar's suggestion of dedicating herself to the family trade of building and provisionerers. Gear's stubborn instance on exploring and learning more about the world rather than staying at home and building up the district turned this into a rift that's still never healed between the two - Bahar believing that Gear wont take responsibility for the family that raised them, Gear feeling that Bahar is too focused inwards.
Gear's eyes wander next to The Rig. Her family's home - she should stop here, and soon. It'd be good to see Iroh, a grandfatherly old Tunglani who took Gear under his wing. Or claws, rather - Iroh is old, but wise, and served both as gear's mentor and a reliable grandfather figure for her. He's burdened with a lamed leg, a legacy of his fiery past, and still owes gear a favor after she built him a vastly improved walking stick that eased his burdens significantly.
((OOC: THink a really nicely made walking stick/crutch, one that's got padding, grips to surfaces well, mimizes any chaffing and things - the sort of thing that resorted a lot of mobility and freedom to Iroh. Endless, if you wanna say it might have been closer to a full on prosthetic foot/leg or similar, i'm cool with that! I just didnt know if that'd be going too far or things - whatever you think is coolest, dood)
She points the market out to Baber: "We could sell your sapphire here, and it should fetch a good price. I think i might make a gift of the dragonfly to my mentor, Iroh. But first..." she points to The Leaner. "let's go pay our respects to Luce. I want to ask her about my cloak, too, and see if she has any insight. No idea if she'll have any answers for you, hado, but she might"
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[OOC: Endless, is this all of Dogabag? Or just the part where Gear's family lives? It's not important, I'm just curious]
"And yes, let us go see your friend. But after that, we shop!"
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New Zellatia will never have a complete map as to allow DMs to make whatever they need for a given adventure. Every group of players will likely map out a different city over the course of a campaign, with some overlapping landmarks.
I hope it comes across in my description but New Zellatia was once this world’s Mordor, a colossal black fortress, and has been turned into a city, forcing normalcy over a spiky death-trap.
In my head the city is only as big as York, England, and not quite as populated. It’s really only called a city because standards are so low as there is nothing to compare it too. What it does do is reach higher and delve deeper than most fantasy cities.
—
As for Iroh, I do believe you invented a fine cane, and a leg brace that allows him to put some pressure on it. Between the cane and the brace he can even jog for a minute, with plenty of rest needed after. The brace’s design has since been used elsewhere, but you’re pretty oblivious to your breakthrough.]
As you pass under the dim archway into the Leaner, your gaze adjusts to the spinning shape ahead of you. Luce is performing an elaborate and skilled acrobatic dance within a large ring hung from a silken rope. Bells jingle and tall wind instruments sing in time with her movements. She moves with a grace that separates her, if only here, if only now, from regular folk. Below on prayer mats and stools, standing and walking, several people commune with the gods by more mundane practises. No one is considered better than the other, you note, as a Kaburin worshiper of one god converses with a Tunglani adherent of the Divine Zodiac as a whole.
You see her land before you notice she’s leapt from the ring.
Luce grabs you by the waist Gear and lifts you up into an inescapable hug.
“Oh my Gear! Have you grown since I saw you last? Little Primodem joke there, keep up lads!”, she puts you down gently and takes your palm to kiss, “Gods walk with you, Gear, how’s things? Make anything this week? Who’s your friends? Enjoying a trip to the rough end, eh?”
The Leaner might properly be called the Shrine of All, and inside you see thousands of figurines and small clay statues of gods, their lovers, advisors, riding beasts and pictograms detailing their dramatic existence in the stars. The windows are thin and tall, slanted as the building, allowing only slices of orange light into the shrine. Incense burns, drifting higher and higher. The constant twinkle of bells and woodwinds has a calming effect.
"Asking first on the hugs, Luce, remember?" She shucks her cloak and shows it Luce. "As to rough... We fought an Urdretch yesterday. Long story. This is Baber and Hado. Which is sort of why I'm here, we found this"
She explains what she knows about it so far too Luce. "Waves to get your advice on it. And if you've heard about any good parties tonight - I still need a costume and mask" gear wrinkles her mouth in distaste at the last
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She smiles at you all and asks if a hug is alright. Either way, she takes Gear’s hand when she speaks again.
“Oh man! The worst part about the festival is turning down all the offers, right? I’m going to The Nasty Surprise this year! It’s gonna have this cool elemental theme this year, with parts of the tavern sectioned off into different elements. Really funky idea by Rufio! Please come to it Gear, we’ve got loads to catch up on.”
“Love that cloak by the way, I’m sensing it’s magical! Real good old sorcery in it, not the work of a stuffy wizard or one of those awful god bothering clerics.”
She laughs at mocking herself, then gives you two high caliber finger guns*.
“Suits you big style.”
All she knows about your cloak is that it’s a magical item made by a sorcerer.
She’s coy about the whole mask thing, and just says, “I’ve already got my mask. I bought one at the market, it’s nothing too special, just a bird one. Money’s kinda tight lately. Um, anyway! You could go to the market right now, or visit that master mask maker at Cucha Towers. You’d have to ask around though, I’ve never met them and I’m not sure where they live exactly.”
*Guns haven’t been invented yet.
Gear tips her head. "That could be fun." (OOC question: Is gear aware of her lighting affinity as a primodem? would other people be aware?"). "Maybe i should do a lighting costume. Just need to figureo ut how to put itgether... Iroh might have advice."
"As to the Urdretch, my advice would be stay away. Gnarly is right. The slimes were fun though! They may have disagreed when i sent a bone through both of them." Gear sniffs. "To be fair, they were trying to eat Baber and Hado. Thanks on the cloak - was about what i'd figured out already, but it's always nice to get extra conformation." Gear ponders a moment. "Two more things: One, we need an introduction to Juyo. Any advice? Or should i talk to Iroh for that? and two: You need any help with anything?"
(OOC: Helping each other out very much seems the dogabag way!)
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Tell me, how much of a connection do you have to your heart? What do you think about it, is it you, a fuel source, a symbiotic creature?
The only people to be aware of your heart are those that have seen you draw out power from it, and even then you’d have to explain it was something other than a magic spell you’ve learned.]
The priest does a backflip from sheer excitement.
“That. Sounds. Unreal! We so need a chat tomorrow night at the party.”
She runs her fingers through her tightly curled hair, thinking.
“Juyo, that guy is scary! You’ll have to see Iroh. Did he ever tell you about the wrestling match he had against Juyo when he was younger? I mean he was still old then, but well...”, she loses her train of thought a bit, “He’ll tell you about it, he’s great at stories!”
She bows a little, her hands in prayer, then says quietly, “This place is so important to everyone. It needs to stay open, and free, but I don’t know how. I like to put on food but I’m pretty low on coin at the moment. I keep running out of food earlier than I expect! I must not being ordering things right, my fault. It’s so not your problem.”
She pokes Luce. "maybe it isnt, but that dosent mean we cant help. Or if we cant, that others cant. It is okay to ask for help, Luce"
Gear's also pondering maybe making a gift of the dragonfly ornament to Luce so she can sell it for more coin, but she'll wait and see if there's other ways to help first, ratehr than making luce stress about lossing a gift/using it poorly.
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Then they hold her at arm's length and say, "Don't worry, a friend of Gear's is a friend of mine, and I help my friends. We shall see what we can do."
She fumbles around in her pockets, and eventually finds a key.
“This opens up the kitchen. There is a pantry behind that where I keep my munchos.”, there is a pause, “Munchos is food. I’m trying to invent slang, you know, to improve the city’s culture. Maybe?”
“Hm. I might be forgetting something too. Oh! There’s a side room I don’t use, that’s locked up to, but the same key works for both locks so go snooping if you like.”
The kitchen is clean, but sparse and cheap. Each utensil is from a different source, given or found and mended. There’s a wobbly table in the middle of the floor with two chairs pushed under it. One of the cupboard doors is open. There’s a tall slanted window but it doesn’t open.
The door to the pantry is closed, but has no lock.
There is a short passage leading to the unused room. It has large double doors, each with a keyhole.
What do you do?
Gear takes a look at the table and makes a mental note to repair the wobble when she can. She'd do it now, but she hasn't the right tools with her. And it might be won't because the floor is uneven, so that would need different tools. Either way, it shouldn't be too hard to fix and would make Luces life easier.
First things first, Gear heads to the pantry and opens it, then takes a careful look around.
Geth roll 1d20+5 for investigate
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None of my sub-classes are fit to use yet, but look if you like.
Mischief Domain Cleric
When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain the minor illusion cantrip.
Blessings of Mischief
At 1st level, you become proficient in your choice of two of the following skills: Acrobatics, Deception, Performance, or Sleight of Hand.
In addition, if you roll a 1 on a skill check with either of these skills it is treated as a natural 20.
Channel Divinity: Sudden Misfortune
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to cause your foes to fumble as supernatural bad luck befalls them.
As an action, you present your holy symbol, and each hostile creature within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. A creature reduces their next attack roll by your proficiency bonus on a failed saving throw, and by 1 on a successful one.
Channel Divinity: Accidental Catastrophe
Starting at 6th level, you can use your Channel Divinity to cause substances to turn volatile with a glance.
As a bonus action, you can activate the effects of any potions, poisons, explosives or magical materials within 30 feet of you. You can be selective of what you activate, but must know the material is present in advance. The material will affect the nearest creature regardless of if it usually requires ingestion or deliberate action from the creature.
Switcheroo
Starting at 8th level, when cast a healing spell on a creature you can choose to switch places with them as a reaction until the start of your next turn.
Perfect Timing
Starting at 17th level, spells you cast can be set to go off on any turn after it has been cast from the position you cast it from.
I hope you’re prepared for the 2nd dungeon: The Ordinary Series of Rooms in a Local Shrine... of Doom]
You slowly, carefully open the door, keeping your wits and weapon ready.
A bag of nuts takes its sweet time to fall off a shelf, scattering them across the floor. Besides that the pantry is empty...
...but you’re a damn good detective.
Behind a hefty bag there is a small square slightly offset from the wall. A secret tunnel is behind it! It’s so small you’d take a great deal of time to fit onto it, and would leave you quite vulnerable too. It’s not a great idea to just climb into it.
The tunnel would reasonably lead to the unused room.
You also access the fallen bag of nuts. It’s ripped open at the top by what you assume must have been teeth, not that sharp, more like chewed open.
(Ooc: having had pet rats the sort of things they can cut through with their teeth is terrifying. Like macadamia nuts! Which they love as an aside)
Gear backs out of the pantry and heads to the door of the disused room, then lands her ear agaisnt it
Geth roll 1d20 + 3 for perception
(Whoops, that didn't count my modifier
Looks like a 18)
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Could have been two or more creatures moving.
Then silence.
She then swings the door open and looks into the room
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The door swings open and wind takes it the rest of the way ‘round. Your cloak ripples against your back and settles the way the sea settles before a storm.
The room’s as dusty as a trapdoor spider’s hole put up for vacancy. There’s an old bed in here, some scattered pots and a great damn window like a tall mouth in shock smashed in at the bottom. Small sized hole, a couple hairs stuck along a sharp edge.
You figure monkeys, those little bastards.
From the window you see out over your district, a district you’ve got to protect. To bring justice to these streets. Revenge for a humble priest, against monkeys. Damn dirty monkeys. Your eyes are lead across the black spires painted with crisscross hues of sea blue and leaf green, the occasional dangerous red. A warning, you think, to villainy, like a poisonous frog to predators. In the distant you see Lohima’s Hand, six jagged and curved blade-like structures poking out above the rest of the towers like a beggar hoping for coin. Or a cut-purse in disguise.
The clouds are getting heavy, looks like rain.
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She brightens in an instance.
“Free blessings if you can teach ‘em a lesson? If you show me how they got in I’ll see if I can cash in some favours with your family Gear, and get things patched up.”
“Maybe just a scare mind you, they’re only monkeys, right? I’ll give you all an incense candle, light it once you’ve spooked them and they might get the idea not to come here.”
Luce has no idea if that’ll work, but it sounds okay, it’ll make the area you light it smell like the shrine.
You each get one ceremonial incense candle.
Geth roll 1d20+5 for nature (thinking about ways to scare monkeys)
"Right, let's go beard a bunch of monkeys. And get past Bahar somehow..."
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1. Invade not just their territory, but find their nest (bedding area etc.).
2. Fire!
3. Loud noises.
4. A few bonks on the head to the biggest one.
5. Show them you’re agile enough to chase down the fastest one. You don’t have to do anything after you’ve caught it, you can let it go.
Anyway I don't think I've got anything more to say right this moment, wanna narrate is heading to the monkey tower, or?)
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Dogabag has a volunteer fire service but it’s yet to deal with anything major.
Old traps and large weapons are still around in places, mostly set off or broken.
—
I’ll give everyone chance to post once more. They might have a particular plan or idea they want to put forth.]
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It’s not far from the Leaner, but it feels like you’ve entered another land. The tall towers are dull black and covered in wild flowers and creeping vines. Light rain has set in, and with it the greenery is lusher, more vibrant.
There’s dozens of entrances to Cucha, but the one you pick is the most commonly tread by its few residents. Two torches burn on stands attached to the outer wall even this early in day, but they’re swiftly going out. Birds nest in gargoyle mouths and squirrels glide between thin trees rooted to disarmed giant crossbows.
The door before you is closed. It’s round, and rolls away into the wall when touched. Old magic still at work. The overall design of Cucha differs from other parts of the city, being the work of enslaved dwarves. A sentence in Dwarfish has be scratched out around the door, in its place ‘Cucha Towers’ has been scrawled in orange paint.
What do you do?
The place generally looks like this.]
"Hado, any thoughts on solving the monkey business more permanently than just scaring em off... without resorting to monkey murder?" ((OOC: I figure Tynann can just claim Hado was mulling it over and speak up when they're back from their trip)).
"So, Baber, what do you wanna do? Just head in main entrance, or should we go around the side?"
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You’re looking at the tower not just to see what’s in front of you (which would be Perception), but how best to go about things.
Geth roll 1d20+1
(Also if I can assume Hado casts guidance on me... Disregard if you'd rather not)
Geth roll 1d4
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And as we know, monkeys live all around too.]
Having a look at the place, the idea strikes you that you could just... climb up the tower!
Are you that willing to avoid a family argument?
The light yellow squares are windows. They have no glass.
The darker lines under some windows are balconies.
The dark green areas are easier to climb; they’re vines.
((I think Hado is probably less concerned with the risks of fire to the city than he perhaps ought to be. In his mind, fire is a useful and necessary thing. It brings renewal! Never mind that buildings don't grow in the same way that grasslands do.))