((Hm… you know, I love the flavor of Awakened from Statis for Aloisturm, so I’ll go ahead and allow that it lowers your reconfiguration to 2 hours, as the sleep benefit is somewhat… lacking for a martial, especially one that doesn’t need sleep in the first place. I don’t really see you abusing it for silly shenanigans, and the 2 hour pause is significant enough that you can’t do it after every fight in a dungeon crawl.
I’m sort of hoping that we don’t get into PvP. A Gunslinger can be super nasty at low levels, and if he crits he can easily kill someone.
That said, let’s move some pieces on the board…))
The square before the cathedral is packed, though an open space is left in the center, and a path leading to the doors of the cathedral. Steven finds himself near the tables at the edge of the square, packed full of savory and delicious smelling food for the lunch after the ceremony.
Etoile and Zeratuu are near the edge on the square on the opposite side, the tents of the menagerie in sight. Zeratuu stays mostly hidden behind Etoile, using the taller half-elf to hide. However, Kal is standing nearby and is keeping a close eye on both of them, curious about the flash of bronze scales he had seen.
The doors of the cathedral swing open, and Father Zantus walks out, two acolytes pushing a small, covered cart behind him. They stop in the center of the square, and he looks around, murmuring to himself, his hands moving in precise gestures. When he speaks, his voice fills the cathedral square, despite being delivered in a calm speaking tone.
“Faithful of Desna, friends of the faith, townsmen and travelers alike. I would like to present to you a short parable of our faith. Once, many centuries ago, a great battle raged between Desna and the terrible Mother of Monsters, Lamashtu…”
The dwarf and gnome from the menagerie walk into the square, the gnome giving the dowsing rod a frustrated shake. He turns to say something to his companion, only to have his shoulder grabbed, the dwarf pointing at something in the crowd.
“Though victorious, Desna’s avatar was terribly wounded, and was cast down from the heavens. She fell to Golarion, and lay in a crater in the hills, immobile and in great pain…”
The two began pushing through the crowd, eyes focused on the small figure and the man standing in front of it.
“Now in these days, a blind child lived in those hills. He was cast out by his people for his affliction, and had little of his own. Despite this, when he came upon this crater in his familiar hills and found Desna, the child, with great effort, dragged Desna to his home and shared freely of what he had…”
So focused on their target, the gnome never noticed the foot that stuck out in front of him and went tumbling, dragging the dwarf down with him in a tangle of limbs and curses. They received glares and shushes from those listening around them, and Kal smiled to himself as he faded into the crowd in the same direction they were going.
“The child gave freely of what food he could find, tipped water into Desna’s mouth and cared for her wounds. In time, she recovered and asked the child whatever he desired, as thanks for his care. He smiled and said that he had only wanted to help her, and had never done so expecting a reward.
Moved by his selflessness, Desna pressed him. Surely there was something in all the world that he desired? The boy paused, and shyly admitted that he would love to be able to see the world, for while he knew its smells and sounds, taste and touch, sight had always been denied him.”
Upright, the dwarf began pushing through the crowd with greater urgency, eyes fixed on his prey as he abandoned stealth for speed.
“Desna granted him his wish, transforming him into a beautiful, immortal swallowtail butterfly so that he might explore the vast wide world for all his days, and so he might spread beauty wherever he went as he did so. In honor of this, on this day, we release Desna’s children, the swallowtail butterflies to share this day.”
As he finished speaking, the acolytes pulled the cover from the small wagon, and hundreds of butterflies spilled forth in a beautiful, multicolored swarm, dancing and darting throughout the square as they celebrated their freedom.
As the crowd cheered and music began to play, the dwarf’s shout of rage went unnoticed. His last sight before a veritable wall of butterflies swept between them was a copper-scaled face and blank silver eyes staring defiantly into his own. As the swarm passed, the kobold and her companion were gone.
Several streets away, Etoile leaned forward, hands on his knees as he panted for breath after the kobold had dragged him in a high speed run through several streets and alleyways, getting them far from the square. She was just ahead, peeking around the next corner when a hand lands on Etoile’s shoulder. “So… interesting companion you have there.” Kal says quietly.
Back in the square, Rogar Donderstem is talking with his employees, and a small pack of scarred and unsavory types. The gnome is weaving magic to display two figures as Steven approaches, and his eyes study the youth with the half-elven features and the cloaked form next to him.
“Now, we need to keep the menagerie running for this festival, so I’m turning this over to you. I need the smaller figure returned to me… ALIVE. And intact. Break some bones, I don’t care, but don’t cut off anything and it’s worthless to me dead. Bring it back, and you get 200 gold.”
“What about the boy?” one of the bigger men rumbles, cracking his hands together. Unlike the others, who have a variety of clubs, daggers and short swords, he’s completely unarmed. Then again, he looks like he could crush someone’s head with his bare hands.
“That little bastard thinks he can steal MY property? Kill him, bring me proof, make sure you get rid of the body. 100g for him.”
The men agree and begin to split up in groups of two and three, leaving Steven alone with the menagerie crew if he has any further questions, otherwise he can join the search, either alone or joining one of the groups setting out.
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Topic: Let’s Play Pathfinder: Rise of the Runelords – Chapter 1: Burnt Offerings (Read 89805 times)