D&D: The Qadesh Conspiracy (Group One.)

[TheRedStranger]

{I will be putting a Canonical Glossary of terms and places here as well as full map before we start.  Expect material soon, as well as our introduction to the game. This glossary will be updated for future reference, chronicling what you have experienced in your adventures. There will also be a link to the rules for clear reference.

You will be updated when this is unlocked.}

______

Synopsis:

Glossary: 

 Map:

 Locations: 

Continents:

Celtivayne:

 Oretollia: 

 [One you are in Now]

•Kiamasturia -

History/Culture:

Factions: 

Characters: 

•Players -

Indriell Istui (Played by Sorzo): A human cleric, Indriell is an Associate Professor of History at the Seminary of Hellensia. She has traveled to the city of Kiasmastauria in Qadesh in order to study at its famed archives and do research for the doctoral thesis she was been working on for the past two years, which explores the influence of geography on the art of various cultures.

Jarvis "Dawnbreaker" - A swarthy ranger who's father was a great warrior of the South-kingdom of Kerma and who's mother was a fair skinned Bacahri Gypse roaming the northern coasts of  Khiamasturia. Once a proud and seasoned tomb-raider, Jarvis life and memory has become a jumble of dark visions and abbothent visions. Haunted by a wretched darkness and a tragedy that took several he loved, Jarvis seeks only to secure the present world from the evils of Qadesh's ancient kingdom - at cost to even his own life. 

 [Mike's character]

[Ben's character]

Caleb Kayne (Played by VHS): A youthful and aspiring half-elf wizard hailing from the fair and green forestlands of  Celtivayne.

[Perry's character]

[F073's character]

[Possibly Bytor]

[Possibky Arcan]

•NPC's -

Xanadar the Liberator  -

[The Shah]

[The Sultan]

[Inquistor]

["The Cleric."]

[The Insurgance Leader.]

Noteworthy Items/ Treasures:

---

Journal:

----

 

Prologue: The Galen.

 Jarvis & Layla.

   Jarvis "The Dawnbreaker  stood at the edge of the cost-line, cerulean eyes afixed on the thin band of silver light from the waining moon. Quickly he decipher the omens men of his practice could keenly divine.  Thick clouds were swirling about the struggling light, the same way jackals circle wounded pray.  The waves were crashing with a push of chilly north wind. A tempest was brewing on the inky, writhing horizon. With a strike of lighting, he saw two struggling ships, clashing against the waves. 

In tow, tethered by a well knoted rope, a dusty woman fumbled at Jarvis's booted feet. She struck her knees against the slippery salt-stone. Her hands tied and her eyes wrapped in poultice-stained bandages, the new terrain made the once simple task of walking a painful chore.  He sighed as he watched her fumble, knowing he would have to tend to her. Her lips were cracked from scarcity of water from their long journey. The women was foolish - she had lost her own waterskin when escaping the old filth-crustedcrypt which he caught her trespassing inside, clutching at her eyes as if they were seared by the sun. He hoped his poultice had done its work, and that the Galen was truly equipped with supplies as he hoped, especially medicine.

 ___

[Jarvis & Layla can now socialize. Jarvis does not want her meddling around here anymore - half tempted to get someone to ship her out of the country for messing with an ancient tomb.]

[Everyone else make a perception check.]

 

 

 

 

[Nagol]

Jarvis "If I wasn't such a nice guy, I'd toss you freeloading butt to the sea serpents. But since I didn't, how about a name lass?" 

[Nagol]

Jarvis "The silent treatment eh? Fine. Wench for sale!" Jarvis yelled through the crackling storm "Needed for a good home or a warm bed." His laughter intensified with the storm. "Don't worry your pretty little head lass. I really wanted to toss you over I would have done it by now. All the same, when we get you your medicine you best be high tailing away from my sight. I see you again." Jarvis grasped the handle of his sword. 'I won't be so nice."

[Mike Arcade]

Layla: "Layla, the name's Layla, listen can you please give me my stuff back, you have no idea how important those belongings are, it's a matter of life and death here."

[Nagol]

Jarvis- "Really?" Hangings her belongings pass the crag and into the briney water. "How important exactly?" He noticed the sincerity in the girl's eyes. The salty taste of sea air hanging in the back of his throat. "Fine." He tossed the women back her belonging. "Just you best be thinking twice about meddling, you hear?"  

[Nagol]

Jarvis- Having completely forgotten the woman was tied up accidentally ended up knocking her in the head with her belongings. 

[Nagol]

Jarvis- "Oh..I...sorry. The wind caught it...yeah...I should check on that. I, er it may of broken the skin."

[TheRedStranger]

[Layla's eyes throb and she feels sickly. She realizes she might need the man's help. Her tongue is swollen from lack of water. CON Check.]

[Sorzo]

Deep within the swaying hold of one of the galleons, Indriell Istui sat huddled against the coarse blanket the ship's crew had provided, trying to stay warm. She gave a half-amused snort at the irony of it all: she was traveling to Qadesh, a desert nation known for its searing sands, and yet here she was, freezing as the vessel she was aboard lurched first one way, then the other, buffeted about by gale-force winds. There was a scuffling movement to her left and she turned, startled, before gasping in surprise. A large rat, soaked with water, had crawled its way from elsewhere in the ship to settle down a few feet away, likely attracted by the warmth of the lantern next to her, another temporary provision from the sailors. There was a brief flash of revulsion in her mind at the sight of the creature, but it was soon joined by pity.

"I suppose you're cold too, hmm, little one? Well, there's no harm in you remaining there...provided you come no closer," she mused, staring at the animal as she ended the sentence, as if to inform it she was serious.

 Thankfully, the rat seemed content to comply. Her journey was only beginning, and the last thing she needed was to suffer some malady transmitted by a diseased rodent.

Suddenly, the creature raced toward her, biting her exposed finger. With a whispered curse, Indriell swatted the animal away, causing it to retreat into the shadows. Holding the extremity up to the light, she sighed in relief; the skin had not been broken. No chance of infection.

Settling deeper into the blanket, Indriell felt her racing heart calm after a few seconds, though she continued to keep a watchful eye in the direction the rat had gone.

As cold and unseemly as the hold was, at least it was faring better than other areas of the vessel. It was relatively dry, after all. As she thought of the rest of the ship, Indriell felt a flicker of concern for the crew and other passengers. It had been some time since she had heard from them.

Not wanting to get up and let her hard-earned warmth dissipate, she called out in a loud voice, "Excuse me? Can someone inform me as to whether we are nearing our destination?"

There was a loud creak. Indriell noticed it once again and again, much like footsteps above her head... Then, there were murmurs, sounds in a guttural cante indistinct to her ears barely piercing through the shiplap. 

 

[Mike Arcade]

[Con 16 (+1)]
Despite getting hit on the head with her belonging Layla can see with both eyes and remain conscious, however he left eye ended up bruised because of the impact.

Layla: Layla mutters incoherently and looks at the cerulean eyed "gentlemen" "Errm, you didn't have to throw it, but thanks..." as she speaks she can feel completely dry, trying to bring the words together "Could you get me some water?"

[Nagol]

Jarvis- Realizing he hit the poor girl a little too hard, Jarvis applied a cold bottle of ale to her eye along with a another bottle filled with water to wet her dried throat. 

 

Jarvis- "So...Layla....I think we got off on the wrong foot. I'm Jarvis. You heading to Lower Qadesh as well? What business do you have here? You mentioned life and death, sounds serious." 

 

Jarvis sat by the tied women as he gave her a swig of the water, whilst also pressing the ale to his lips, rotating it back and forth between her eye and his mouth.

[Wulfsbane]

Standing at the bow of the ship, Hennethwen Lakhadra gazed into the distance of the vast blue seas, touched by the lightning, while reaching for a book in her sack on her back. She opened the book and turned it into the front few pages, reading over what her assignment was in Qadesh. Hennthwen scanned over the page several times before closing her book and putting it back in her sack. Soon she turned back to the ship and walked to the stern of the ship, keeping her balances as the ship rolled with the storm. She climbed up the stairs, almost losing her balance on the 3rd step, and turned to the captain.

"Revered Mother Claria was right: this was the best ship to Qadesh." She turned to face the rest of the crew who were carrying out their duties. "You run a strong, confident crew. The heavens will surely reward you, the crew and the ship upon completion of this journey, weather and all." She turns back to the captain, "You need to drop that 'stern' expression though." She laughs at her bad pun then realized that no one else was laughing and slowly slouched into her armor.

-

 Atop the upper deck stood five men, three common swarthy-skined sail-hands that upkept the joists, knots, and grunt work from aft to stern. The other two were  in blue and gold frock coats. One a slender man with a ruddy-blond hair set with a pony-tail under his tree-pointed hat. The man was fooling around with a scuffed up old telecope, polishing its lens clean as to see the coast. The other, the captain, his silver hair cropped close to his head and slicked back, was at the helm with an indeed a stern expression. Seeing that his gaze was unflinching as stone, signified to  Hennethwenn that this may not be the time for jokes.

 "You are up early, Milady," the man said. "Tell me, are you always this...chipper...when rollin' out of bed?"

The young first mate plugged the telescope to his eye, scanning the horizon. "Our sister ship is a good four hundred podiles off the portbow." He said in a listless, half-awake tone. "Ay...though captain, still don't see this famous lighthouse all the men've been chewin' off tales about..." 

 "Ending a sentence in a preposition, not very apt for an officer, mister O'wyn. Fit your rank, son. You are in the prescence of a initiate of a very respectable order..."

The young man jerked up straight and thumped his right fist against the left side of his chest in a salute. "My apologizes, Milady."

-

"Usually I am, It's always going to be a good day!" Hennethwen cheerful said. "And dont worry about your officer here, he meant no disrespect."

"Again," O'Wyn insisted, "I'm..."

 She turned to face the officer. "Dont worry about it, but just be wary of your words, ending sentences in prepositions is a bad habit to form." Hennethwen walked gingerly to the aft of the ship to appreciate  the distance of their trek. "How many more days at sea, sir?" She bellowed over the wind. "I thought we would have arrived by now but I never expected this storm to hit!"

"It should be today, Milady!" The man bellowed back from a far. "The sun will break the dawn soon enough. Hopefully will see land soon, despite the weather. Perhaps you would do us a favor and take to the mast! Perhaps you can see something we don't."

 [If you go up there make a wisdom (perception) check.]

-

"Indeed I will, A little climbing wouldnt hurt." Hennethwen walked down the stairs and strolled on over towards the mast and began to climb up the netting of the mast that leads to the Crow's Nest. It was a rather difficult climb as she had to anticipate the roll of the ship but she made it nevertheless.

[Rolled a 15+1=16]

Gripping the netting of the rope tightly she reached a free hand to the crowsnest, railing. Lifting into the Crowsnest, she looked out into the frothy and vague blackness of the ocean night, the only illumination the faint silver sparkle of the reflecting half-moon. She was greeted by a brisk chilly wind which mingled with the hot, humid air with a swirl, tossing her hair. Before she could accoust herself with the surrounding darkness, there was bright seering blue flash. She was forced to half-squint, yet used the light to get advantage as illuminated the jagged coasts in the distance. There she spied two ambiguous figures staring back at the ship, one tall and broad, the other hunched over. As soon as the flash came it faltered back into darkness, leaving the two people once more unseen. Yet then another light pierced the darkness, warm firelight, then another, and then another in the bottom corner of her eye. All of the lights came danced back and forth in direction of their sister ship.

--

"LAND HO!" She yelled down to the captain. She checked back towards the coast. "WE'RE OFF COURSE, I DONT SEE THE PORT!" She looked back in the direction of where the two figures were. "Who, or what, were those figures... we could be in danger."

-

O'wyn shouted back as if to keep her in ear-shot. "She's right Captain! I don't see anything but...but... cliffs!"

"Details, Mister O'wyn." The captain gruffly insisted. "Is there anywhere toss felt run aground if need be? This ol' sloop can handle the shallows. Our friends aboard the Galen...aye, that's a whole different animal, it is."

Thunder rumbled and Hennethwhen could feel a drizzle tap against her armor. A storm was brewing and they were heading in the wrong direction, towards a rocky coast with crags that scrape the two ships hull as easy as a steel knife could whittle yew. The paladin knew this could not be the fate of the adjacent ship or its escourt alike. People were counting on the supplies the Galen had loaded in its belly and there were innocent passengers aboard the other ship as well. Still both it and the Sabre were still at full sail, and the wind was picking up... They would only be moving faster any minute now.

[White or Black?]

---

[White]

"We got a Storm brewing as well!" She observed the coast for a suitable landing spot. "We have crags that would tear this ship to shreds. We're going the wrong way!"

 She heard the quick clatter of boot-steps, then a crash if thunder of set by the jingle of a warning bell. "All hands on deck! Set the sails at half-mast!" She heard him roar over the waves. "We need to warn The Galen! Lady Hennethwhen, I must help with the sails - if the wind turns into a gale full-sail, we will be dashed across the rocks faster than our friend's to our port." 

 "Captain!" The paladin spied young O'wyn, clutching to his hat in the brine-misted wind. "The signal lamps! One of them is gone!"

"Heaven asunder!" Cursed the Captain as he tugged on a rope with some of his men to furl a wind-swept sail.  Dammit boy, then find them! Lady Hennethwheen will go with you!"  

[White or black.]

---

[Black, Perception check [Rolled a 18+1] to use my location to look for the lamp on deck. If I see it I will point it out/go down to help out. If not I will go down to look or go below deck to find it]

"Wait, I see some boats leaving the Galen! We might be getting attacked!" Hennethwen looks around and begins to descend back to the deck to find the lamps and notices a woman in green and yellow robes run into the galley of the Galen. Just as the elf's boots hoped down on the deck she heard a choking, spluttering shout close to one of the masts. It was a stifled sound, one shut up surely by an unseen force. With that acknowledgment came a faint hissing grouse. "Quiet you...move dat jawl an' I'll damn well rip it off, I will...Some keep that sail full..."

Hennethwen turned to the sound of the hissing and investigates the threat [rolled a 15, no bonus]. She kept quiet until she could full gauge the situation and assess what to do next, goal being to save the chocking crewmen.

[Mike Arcade]

"Yeah, I was born in Upper Qadesh, Kiamasturia,  just going back home; figuratively speaking," she raises her cloth tied hands and drops them back down "Might as well head back to the monastery, I didn't find what I was looking for, only that mechanism and more questions."

She motions to the strange machine in the sack of her belongings "As for Life and Death I'm talking about myself, simply put there was a...miscalculation I made with my Alchemy and so now I'm paying the price for it.

[Wisdom check, 17(+0)]

 A faint splash and flicker of light shook Layla from her pensiveness. At first she thought the point of lights dancing across her periphery was a trick of her injured eyes, but then she she saw the flickering light brighten and remain. Top side fire-lights of what must have been torches or lamps hovered like giant fireflies across the top deck. A sour feeling began to tighten in her stomach...

Layla groaned in pain, her stomach only felt worse with the lights flashing in her eyes. Faintly she could hear the shouting of someone in the distance.

"Jarvis...the ship. Something seems...wrong..."

[Nagol]

[Perception check, 8(+3)]

 

Jarvis observes strange figures dance around the ship. The storm obscured what was unfolding but Jarvis noticed something coming forward. He heard the sounds of an oar making contact with the salty sea. 

Jarvis-"Seems like I'm going to be needing your assistance after all." Jarvis cut the ropes that bound Layla. "Don't try anything funny."

[Mike Arcade]

Layla stumbled and stands up, noticing the ship among the storm, gives a sign for her situation and turns to Jarvis.

Layla: "Rather then worrying about my capture we should focus on the task at hand, now Jarvis is there anything we can use to sink their ship before they get here?"

[Nagol]

(Initiative 17+3) 

 

Jarvis throws Layla her belongings as he quickly grasps the bow clinging to his breast. With one twist the bow is readied with an arrow pointed toward the upcoming mass. 

Jarvis: "All I need is to see the whites of there eyes. This arrow will be the last thing they see."

[Mike Arcade]

[Inititive 15 (+2)]

With an unatrual flash of her eyes, Layla notices four men in a row boat, each of them have a faint red color like a heat haze drifting off of them to her sight. As she blinks the glow fades away, but in the bottom of her gullet  she senses a strange feeling that these are foul people... They are all carrying cargo from the ships. One has pockets stuffed with food and copper coins while sizing a tri-point hat speckled with dark splotches.
She knows what they are up against, privateers, or to put it more honestly, pirates...

[Nagol]

Jarvis: "We're in luck. Pirates. By the rules of initiating battle conduct *Which I may or may not have wrote just now* any stolen good looted by a pirate becomes fair game to whoever kills said pirate.

(Pirates POV) Tim the pirate never really cared for the life of piracy. Though the plundering had its moments and the rum was always a welcome sight, In his heart Tim always wanted to be a dentist. That was until that fateful encounter that claimed his good eye, forever ruining his chances of getting into dentistry school. 

Tim felt the cool brush of sea water kicking back from his rowing. In an attempt to keep the salt from coming up and hendering his vision, he tilted his head slightly down towards his feet. By the footing of one of his fellow crewmen was a single gold coin, unclaimed by anyone. 

Tim: "Tooday Musst Be me lucky d-"

Attack (13+2) Jarvis felt his muscle tense to the strain from pulling back his bow. Once the four pirates came into view, the arrow was released. It found itself lodged into one of the pirates eye sockets. The pirate rose to his feet, laid off a horrified scream before tumbling over the ship and into the deep blue.

Jarvis: "Three left." 

[TheRedStranger]

 

"We're in luck. Pirates!" Jarvis said with a grin. "By the rules of initiating battle conduct - which I may or may not have wrote just now - any stolen good looted by a pirate becomes fair game to whoever kills said pirate."

{(Pirates POV) Tim the pirate never really cared for the life of piracy. Though the plundering had its moments and the rum was always a welcome sight, In his heart, Tim always wanted to be a dentist. That was until that fateful encounter that claimed his good eye, forever ruining his chances of getting into dentistry school. 

Tim felt the cool brush of sea water kicking back from his rowing. In an attempt to keep the salt from coming up and hindering his vision, he tilted his head slightly down towards his feet. By the taloned foot of one of his dragonborne crewmen was a single gold coin, unclaimed by anyone. He chuckled to himself, grinning ear to ear.

"Tooday Musst Be me lucky d-"}

Jarvis felt his muscle tense from the strain from pulling back his bow. Once the four pirates came into view, the arrow was released.  With a hissing cut through the air, It found itself lodged deep into one of the pirates eye sockets. The pirate rose to his feet, laid off a horrified scream before tumbling over the ship and into the deep blue. Small outlines of fish greeting a blossoming patch of scarlet.

Jarvis: "Three left..."

There was a shout and furious commotion aboard the boat. They boat began to speed against the crashing waves with renewed vigor, nearing the coast at grueling pace.

"Were gonna have to throw stuff overboard!" Shouted one of them half-seen assailants.

"Then throw away yourself..." Hissed another in reptilian growl. "Feed yerself to the quippers with ol' Toothy-Tim, or pull out yer cross-bows! I am getting my cut of the loot tonight, come the Nine-Hells or high-waterssss!"

 

[Mike Arcade]

Layla, upon seeing her temporary ally finishing one of their newfound foes thought best to wait for them to come to her, she takes her sword out of her sack and prepares for combat, looking upon them and awaiting her their first move.

She notices that one of the pirates is loading a Crossbow, rather then moving forward she takes out two of her darts and aims. She contracts her arm and like a spring extends her arm out, throwing the darts toward the Crossbowmen.

[20 (2nd Roll 20, hence the 2nd Dart)] [1st Dart 4, 2nd Dart 3 +2 Dex, 9 Damage] [White or Black, Black]

As he loaded a bolt, the grey skinned Half-Orc in the Peacock Feathered Cap feels a sharp, unbearable pain which he never thought was physically possible. Though Layla was originally aiming towards his eyes she overshot it...and miraculously both darts ended up firmly placed in the Pirate's Crotch. His wail a hoarse cry that no man on the ship has ever heard from an Orc before, in his pain he stumbles backwards and overboard into the ocean. As he falls a swarm of Quippers surround him...

[Wulfsbane]

[Waiting for my part]

[Wulfsbane]

[Just going to start a new post cause the old one was getting long]

"Wait, I see some boats leaving the Galen! We might be getting attacked!"

Hennethwen looks around and begins to descend back to the deck to find the lamps and notices a woman in green and yellow robes run into the galley of the Galen. Just as the elf's boots hopped down on the deck she heard a choking, spluttering shout close to one of the masts. It was a stifled sound, one shut up surely by an unseen force. With that acknowledgment came a faint hissing grouse. "Quiet you...move dat jawl an' I'll damn well rip it off, I will...Somein' keep that sail full..."

Hennethwen turned to the sound of the hissing and investigated the threat. She kept quiet until she could fully gauge the situation and reckon what to do next. She had to save the choking crewmen, by her honor, that had to be her first priority.

  She peaked beyond the mass to see a disheveled, half-dressed crewman half lifted off the ground by a swarthy arm, knotted with thick muscle. The crewman was struggling, having waken and still in just his pants. He kicked his bare feet hanging above the brine-soaked shiplap, groaning as he hung on to the arm. The main mast was still at full sail, if the rigging remained unchanged the storm's winds would rush them head long into the rocky coast. It looked like the unknown assailant wanted to keep it that way....

Hennethwen crept closer, hand on the hilt of her blade. She locked onto the assailant, looking for the perfect moment to gain a good spot to strike her opponent and save the crewman. As she crept closer, she used her dark-vision to see clearer in the stormy night. When she at the best spot, she put her free hand near her mouth to prevent the rain from coming in. "Put him down." she spoke in hopes the assailant turned his attention toward her.

[Stealth roll is 15]

[TheRedStranger]

"Gil'!" One of the pirates screamed over the waves. "No! You'll just loose a hand! Get the oar and pull him out that way!"

 There was a loud click as the shillouette of a tall, slender human crouched in a ready, determined stance. "I've got the woman..."

 [ @Mike Arcade White or black?]

[Mike Arcade]

[White, Saving Throw 7, -6 HP]

Layla felt a sharp cut from her left shoulder and saw too late the crossbowman from the pirate's boat, the bolt latched firmly to the mast of their ship behind her.
She grunted from the mark, blood spreading down her arm washed with the rain. Layla rolled over behind the mast for cover, holding out for the guard to give her some backup.

[Nagol]

Jarvis peeking out from the cliffs waited for his opportunity. As the crossbowman loaded another bolt Jarvis let his arrow fly. Attack (8+3) The arrow Jarvis released found its target, taking the man's head clean off. Blood gushed from the opening in an eruption of blood. Those whom were too close became drenched in the hot fluid.

 

Jarvis turned to Layla "Don't loose your head" He appeared pleased with himself.

[Wulfsbane]

[Waiting]

[Mike Arcade]

[First two paragraphs from Red Stranger, taken from Skype]

Scarlet liquid splattered and gushed in the light of the silvery moon whilst shillouettes of quippers arched out of the sea to feast of the spray. It would almost be beautiful if was not so bizarrely grotesque. Drenched in brine and blood the grubby and chubby halfling, slipped down in the boat. Hands quivering, he dropped his weapons and began to weep low in the belly of the stern. The headless human all the while swayed with the waves whilst still standing for one fleeting moment and then crashed overboard. The quippers made quick work of the corpse, thrashing and bubbling over it, distracting them from the maimed and overboard orc.

[Roll white or black.]
[Black]

The orc, skin chewed and trickling maroon, pushed his hand upwards in a torrential thrash as he gripped the edge of the boat. The halfling squealed, rolling about in gore-stained loot and under jumping quippers, whilst the boat rocked wildly as the orc tried to pull himself back aboard.

[Okay here's my part]

Layla heard the mangled cries of the half-orc she had a hand in mutilating. She had to make sure she didn't have an enraged, half-orc wanting her head.

She sprinted over to his cries and peaked overboard to see what she had done to him. The grotesque form he had become was stomach turning, she could barely contain the vile in her stomach at what she caused, pirate or not it was unthinkable she caused someone so much pain. She took a dart out and aimed for his head to finish him off...