The Campaign Builder's Guild

[ooc]I'd like to point out that the updated shaman class is on Raelifin.com (see sig).
Spirit Sense blocks out all other perception, so you can't see what Garak (the kiag) is doing in both words at the same time.
I'm going to work on getting excerpts from the Voodoo chapter and the Shamanism chapter up next.

Oh, I also thought I'd point out that if I stop a post when you could continue. I'm saying that this is an opportunity to select a different action than continuing. If you want to continue in situations like this, post it so I know that you just haven't read it yet. This is particularly applicable at the moment in Shaili's thread.[/ooc]

Zan: Stepping mentally into the spirit world is like leaping into a roaring fire. Screams echo in your mind's eye and you're sure for a moment that you're being torn apart. Calming yourself, you focus and form a barrier against the horrific suffering in the area. It only takes you a few seconds to realize where the source is. Standing amidst rows of insane spirits is a lone soul, untouched by the waves of pain. A horrible, gut-wrenching scream fills the air as the energy of one of the tortured is sapped, leaving a writhing husk of misery.

Kieru: You can feel the subtle flows of the ley-lines and as you concentrate further you can feel a large magical presence beneath you. Though this spot is a place of power, you can feel something else below. Taking a step forward, you realize that the pulse is stronger near the wall. You can almost hear a faint singing, a song pure and sad... "Iegakai, yanai*!" Garak's voice rings in your ears as a small thunderclap bangs just a few yards ahead. You manage to hear light footsteps of a twimi running away from the kiag, no doubt after seeing him flex his power. "You've had your moment. The runes will only last a bit."

* "Iegakai, yanai!" = I am your king/master. Lit: I rule, you submit.

Kianak: "Your path here was fate, you know. For those who can see its subtle web, it is clar that something is amiss." Puluv turns around and begins to tend the near-done stew. Puluv's large, thick tail is also patterned with the bright yellow swirls. "I am a seer. For centuries, my family has lived on this mountain." Turning back to you, Puluv asks "Would you like water or tea?"

Shaili: Fumbling in the dark, you make sure to keep your hand on one wall, so you don't turn yourself around. After a bit, the faint light behind you is hidden from view. An icy wind blows down the hall and the faintest whispers can be heard farther along. However, once the wind stops, nothing can be heard. Moving forward, you keep your antennae out for any sound. As you walk forward, you can hear a faint cracking noise, like that of grinding stone.

[ic=Kianak]Tea. A seer? Is that any thing like the witchdoctor's of the purrabok or the shaman of the faoleen?[/ic]

[ic=Kieru]"Very well, lead the way." Kieru replies before taking a few steps forward, his cloak softly rippling to the gentle breeze swirling about him. "There is no need to waste your energy on such displays, especially with this power before us. It will surely attract many beings, and you may have to defend yourself..."[/ic]

Kianak: "Similar. I am a Mopuvu, a race blessed with second sight. Though I have no connection to the spiritbinders, they also may develop prophetic ability." Puluv goes and retrieves a kettle from a shelf and pours some water into it from a stone jug.

Kieru: You approach and you can hear the crackle of electricity slowly fade. Garak's footsteps walk behind you and you hear him unfurl his wings blocking out the sun and casting you into shadow. "You are sheltered."

[ic=Kieru]Taking a deep breath, Kieru slowly pulls back the cowl of his cloak, lifting it high as he does so to allow it to clear his sensitive ears without contact. With a shake of his head the nyamm's white longhair falls into place at shoulder length, and he quickly reaches behind his head to work at the knot securing his red blindfold.

Slipping the knot free, Kieru hangs onto his blindfold in one hand as he opens his eyelids. Taking in the world through violet eyes, the witchdoctor gazes at whatever lies ahead of him, then glances over his shoulder in the direction from whence they came...[/ic]

[ic=Kianak]So are you going to tell me why fate chose this path for me? This journey may prove to be a great experience[/ic]

Kianak: "I believe that more than fate had a hand in deciding your path. The thief you sought was drawn by a will not her own, and for whatever reason, your paths were made to intersect." Puluv hangs the kettle by the fire and, after stirring the stew, takes a seat on one of the wooden stools. "However, I do know where this power resides. Have you ever heard of the Elixir of Demons?"

Kieru: Despite the shade, the light is quite bright to your unadjusted eyes. Just a few feet in front of you is a wall of stone, but all along the wall are glowing purple glyphs, writing of some sort. Garak coldly says "The writing is magic sensitive. It will fade soon. I was hoping you learned to read somewhere in that village of savages you grew up in."
Because the text is pictographical in nature, you may make an untrained Scribe check to decipher the runes. Scribe is a new skill that is effectively... literacy. It encompasses decipher script and forgery.

[ic=Kieru]"I am not familiar with this sort of writing...I have no idea what it says." Kieru replies with a sigh. His eyes still adjusting, he glances about and asks, "Is there anything else here other than these runes?"[/ic]

[ooc]Scribe check: [dice]1d20+3[/dice][/ooc]

[ooc] Rolling to see if he knows anything about it.
Knowledge(History): [dice]1d20+4[/dice][/ooc]

[ic=Kianak]No I can't say I've heard of it.[/ic]

Kieru: "Yes, there is space beyond the wall. I believe the runes indicate some sort of door, but I can't find it. The rock itself is stronger than normal, these pathetic beings have no idea how to go past it or what it guards. They think that their precious star metal is valuable, untold treasures wait beyond this wall."

Kianak: "In the elder time, there was a great war. A demon of a size unfathomable rent through the walls between worlds and sought nothing but darkness and destruction. The elders, beings of light and harmony stood against the demon and used their power to turn him to ash. The demon, sensing death approaching, tore out his heart and cast it to Phaedoras. Though his body was destroyed, the demon began to regenerate from his precious organ. Kinpar, king of the elders felt the growing evil and smashed the heart into a pulp which turned to rock. The land itself wove barriers around the stone heart, preventing the evil from ever returning.

Though they are ignorant to its history, the neighboring tribes call this stoneheart mountain. The nexus of earth magic is what caused my family to journey here in generations past. However, the earth magic was not enough to overcome the evil of the rock, simply to hold it and over the years the heart of the mountain has become filled with terrors beyond the imagination and treasures from heroes who sought power.

You see, the demon's blood, also known as the elixir of demons, has the ability to grant unimaginable strength, power and immortality. Countless champions have sought the elixir for one cause or another, but the blood has a terrible price, for anyone who drinks it becomes a living spirit and severs their tie to the earth opening themselves to the horrors beyond."

[ic] What does this have to do with me? Kianak's interest has certainly been peaked.[/ic]

Zan: Soon, another spirit approaches, followed by a smaller cacophony of wailing souls. Through force of will, you are able to condense the two clusters into two individuals... Witchdoctors.

Seeking peace of mind, you try to encompass the surrounding area, feeling the multitude of plant and animal spirits around you. Aside from the two unwanted pricks of evil, the land seems whole and healthy. However, at the edge of your mind, something seems wrong. After searching for a short period, you cease your efforts.

As you open your eyes and return to your body, you can see the two witchdoctors talking between themselves, the kiag granting shade to the nyamm with his wings. On the previously blank stone wall there are now a multitude of glowing runes. You think you may be able to sort them out, given a moment or two. Natynas has apparently left you alone with these two, who defile the sacred for nothing more than personal power.

[ic=Kieru]"And I am to take it that you know whatever 'treasure' may be sealed behind this wall?" Kieru half-heartedly asks the kiag with a raised eyebrow and a skeptic tone. Glancing over his shoulder, Kieru sees that the shaman is coming to, but quickly dismisses Zan for the time being.[/ic]

[ic=Zan]
Coming to, he'll look at Lady Natyas and say, "I think we found something."
Zan will look about himself and observe the runes on the wall.
Scribe:[dice]1d20+2[/dice]
Spiritcraft:[dice]1d20+6[/dice]
[/ic]
[ooc]
OMG! the con was awesome. CBC radio (canada's news radio station) interviewed us while we were playing Cthulhu... in a church... yeah...

BTW, I'm having trouble determining what I just saw (cuz you're campaign is a little confusing still). The spiritcraft check is for that.
[/ooc]

[ooc]Okay, I'll spell it out. Garak (the kiag) and Kieru (the nyamm) are both witchdoctors. Witchdoctors capture spirits in totems where they gain the ability to torture them to produce what are, in effect, spells. To simplify the conflict between shamans and witchdoctors, pretend you're a druid and witchdoctors are  animal testers. That is, if testing animals gave you the ability to cast spells. @_@

Also, Natynas isn't there.[/ooc]

Zan: From what you know, the runes don't seem to be modern. It is likely that they were written in an old dialect.

Kieru: "If you can't feel the power, you are weaker than I thought. Now, if you have no skill at reading this, I may be forced to break through. Close your eyes." Garak folds his wings and pulls on his furs.

Kianak: The ketle begins to wail and Puluv gets up to take it off its hook. While taking out some polished stone cups and a box of herbs and spices, the mopuvu continues talking. "As I said, your fate and the fate of the thief have been tampered with. The girl who stole from you was pulled under the mountain by a force hidden from me. Your meeting, if you could call it that, was not pure chance and I believe that whatever lies beneath stoneheart had a very specific goal in its plotting. If its purpose was an item you carried, your danger may have been passed onto the girl. However, if the goal was to ensnare you, you may be in further danger... I hope you like mint, I'm low on everything else." Puluv walks back over to the table and hands you a steaming mug of tea.