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[Beirus]

I guess I just need someone to let me join.
So does anyone wants to invite me to their cabal?

((You are more than welcome to join our merry band of adventurers. There's three players in our little gaggle (and 1 npc) and at the moment we're focused on adventuring. (Unless, Pan and Egan, you guys would prefer not to take in more people right now?)

Since you are inside a cave then just appearing inside would be weird yeah.

I would like to just spawn close to a lone character or another channeler then.

((If you want, you could join my cabal. Everyone else in it stopped playing. There'll probably be a whole lot of traveling so that I can find stuff for my sculptures.))

[Egan_BW]

"Well that's a thing."

It's an underground tunnel. There's like, not much to do except go forward. I would say to keep an eye open for side paths or something, but Behiar is frikkin blind.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Name: Behiar the Scribe
Appearance: Green coveralls, blond hair in a bun, dark eyes and pale complexion. Adventure often leads to death and glory! Better than sitting around doing nothing, ehe.
Strength: d6
Speed: d6
Endurance: d4
Knowledge: d8
Will: d6
Senses: d4

Ongoing effects: Warm!

Inventory:
100 Coins
Sturdy backpack
Oil lamp
Book & pen

[Devastator]

"Ayiii~, thank you!"

Hug the man.  Regular, not mana-draining, unless it feels like he's okay with a longer hug.  Then take him up on the offer, head to the new inn, and sleep.  Head out with the caravan to the west, as per it's previous destination.

[Lenglon]

Walk over to my followers. Do not follow them if they evade, especially do not go somewhere that isn't public. Just talk to the nearest one out in the open street, where plenty of eyes can watch us.
"Sir? Do I know you from somewhere? I could swear I've seen you before but I just can't place where from."

Spoiler: Nina (click to show/hide)

Name: Nina Morellis
Appearance: A young, red-haired woman, green eyes, somewhat unkempt. She's had Adam for as long as she could remember, and has a bit of a reputation as a harmless nut. The town guard are okay with Nina though, occasionally getting her help keeping a mage secured by having her drain their mana so they can't cast. Since they don't have a proper magehunter available, having a local civilian channeler they can bring in as needed is a big help. And Nina tries to be on her best behavior with them to keep their relations good. Nina herself works as a healer, living out in the poor part of town, and has an erratic schedule based on the needs of those who want her help. so she has a lot of free time, but also gets woken up in the middle of the night a lot. add in Adam's occasional antics and she doesn't get to have a stable sleep schedule.

Magic Path: Channeler, Invoker.

Materials: Sound
Mana: 5

Strength: D4
Speed: D6
Endurance: D10
Knowledge: D8
Will: D10
Senses: D6

Inventory: Backpack, padded cloak (D4 protection, Light armor), Lantern, doctor's bag, waterskin (air), hammer, 2 silver.

Inhabited by a spirit which takes the form of a floating disembodied limb that constantly melts and reforms into other body parts. She calls it "Adam."

Location: Phaganeda, a town on top of lake Limus
Cabal: None at this time.

[Pancaek]

Following Darwin and keeping ears peaked for the grindy thing. Exciting

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Name: Écalir Speedwagon
Appearance: barbarian, think Arnie from Conan the Barbarian
Magic path: Hunting flesh-scroll
Mana: 0
Strength: d10
Speed: d10
Endurance: d8
Knowledge: d4
Will: d6
Senses: d6

Ongoing effects:None

Inventory:
Backpack
100 feet of rope
Bandages
Tattoo Kit
Medium armour: d6
Quality weapon (Spear): d8

Tattoos:
Arm: "wood"

[piecewise]

Moghorn stares back at the mountains of contraptions and trinkets behind him, making a mental note to return and plunder it. He sighs, and turns to the tavern.

Enter the tavern, wary of an ambush. This is the deep, lawless South. Try and engage a guide to the pillars of lead.

Spoiler: Moghorn (click to show/hide)

Name: Moghorn the Journeyman
Appearance: Fiftyish and very weathered. Moghorn spent his youth, adolescense, and adulthood travelling according to the voices in his head and the strange compulsions he felt. Then he stumbled across a magical spirit and gained magical powers.

Magic path: Servant Sculptor
Mana: 5

Strength: d6
Speed: d12
Endurance: d6
Knowledge: d6
Will: d6
Senses: d8

Ongoing effects: Has a spirit in him

Needs:Some Black Flux (Fuel in Fearce, also naturally sourced), a lot Human blood, Alchemist's tools (just buy), A gallon of mercury (free near Pillars of Lead), Contained lightning (Fearce Battery), a fist sized crystal (Try science crystal before magic)

Inventory:
Lodestone
24-13=11 gold coins
Camping Gear
Five days of supplies
Mundane: Backpack, 100 feet of rope, Lantern
Great: Marsh Hog Leather Armour (d6 protection), Marsh Hog Bone crossbow (d6 ranged damage)
Grand: Spirit (Wants stone guide from the towers around Kaolin)

Cheap Alchemist's Tools, ample Black Flux urn, fist-sized raw crystal, fist-sized lightning battery.

Sculpture: Flamethrower Rod


Materials: "Grand Lode Stone" or rare earth magnet in our terms
Wax
Copper
Dirt
Fire
Snake

The tavern is not exactly a friendly sort of place; it too has an air of withered, dehydrated age and the people within it are much the same. The floor is either dirt or at least so covered in yellowish sandy soil that its impossible to see the floor beneath it. The bar is a long, heavily stained slab with a thick coating of scratched and potmarked varnish. Stools sit along its length, most of them empty. The room is high ceilinged and smells overwhelmingly of smoke and BO, with a half dozen circular tables and squat chairs scattered about with no particular design. The bartender is a darkly tanned man with facial hair that obscures everything but the wrinkled sockets and beady eyes that turn towards you as you step in. There are 4 other people in here, two at the bar and two at different tables. They all have the same look of being completely sunbaked and hard as nails. They wear long coats and wrappings of cloth over exposed skin, leaving not much more than a few spots of flesh and shocks of erratic hair exposed. You carefully walk to the bar, ignoring the stares, and ask the bartender about hiring a guide to the Pillars of Lead. He looks at you hard for a few seconds before grunting and asking "Why not just go there yourself? Walk that direction, you'll see'em 'fore long."

I guess I just need someone to let me join.
So does anyone wants to invite me to their cabal?

((You are more than welcome to join our merry band of adventurers. There's three players in our little gaggle (and 1 npc) and at the moment we're focused on adventuring. (Unless, Pan and Egan, you guys would prefer not to take in more people right now?)

Since you are inside a cave then just appearing inside would be weird yeah.

I would like to just spawn close to a lone character or another channeler then.

Okie dokie. You see the map in the OP? You can choose to spawn wherever you want on it or with whomever you want so long as they'll have you.  You'll need a character sheet though.

Walk over to my followers. Do not follow them if they evade, especially do not go somewhere that isn't public. Just talk to the nearest one out in the open street, where plenty of eyes can watch us.
"Sir? Do I know you from somewhere? I could swear I've seen you before but I just can't place where from."

Spoiler: Nina (click to show/hide)

Name: Nina Morellis
Appearance: A young, red-haired woman, green eyes, somewhat unkempt. She's had Adam for as long as she could remember, and has a bit of a reputation as a harmless nut. The town guard are okay with Nina though, occasionally getting her help keeping a mage secured by having her drain their mana so they can't cast. Since they don't have a proper magehunter available, having a local civilian channeler they can bring in as needed is a big help. And Nina tries to be on her best behavior with them to keep their relations good. Nina herself works as a healer, living out in the poor part of town, and has an erratic schedule based on the needs of those who want her help. so she has a lot of free time, but also gets woken up in the middle of the night a lot. add in Adam's occasional antics and she doesn't get to have a stable sleep schedule.

Magic Path: Channeler, Invoker.

Materials: Sound
Mana: 5

Strength: D4
Speed: D6
Endurance: D10
Knowledge: D8
Will: D10
Senses: D6

Inventory: Backpack, padded cloak (D4 protection, Light armor), Lantern, doctor's bag, waterskin (air), hammer, 2 silver.

Inhabited by a spirit which takes the form of a floating disembodied limb that constantly melts and reforms into other body parts. She calls it "Adam."

Location: Phaganeda, a town on top of lake Limus
Cabal: None at this time.

The men who are following you are...kind of odd looking. Not unpleasant in their expressions but just kind of bloated with big watery eyes and oversized, partially parted lips. They smile and tell you they are from the church, sent to watch over you while you're in town.

"So many come here to receive knowledge of the deep but are turned away by the meddling of blasphemers. Or worse yet, spoil it for themselves. We're here to make sure that doesn't happen. Worry not, little sister of muck, we will not intrude upon your wanderings. Unless we must."

That last part is said in an ever so slightly harsh tone.

"Ayiii~, thank you!"

Hug the man.  Regular, not mana-draining, unless it feels like he's okay with a longer hug.  Then take him up on the offer, head to the new inn, and sleep.  Head out with the caravan to the west, as per it's previous destination.

You take him up on the offer and spend the night with the caravan. You notice they've lost a few members during the night's events and in the morning the Caravan leader pulls you aside.

"I don't rightly like asking ya this after all ya done, but we lost 3 good guards last night. Are you an able fighter, by chance? I'll pay you handsome if ya  are."

Following Darwin and keeping ears peaked for the grindy thing. Exciting

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Name: Écalir Speedwagon
Appearance: barbarian, think Arnie from Conan the Barbarian
Magic path: Hunting flesh-scroll
Mana: 0
Strength: d10
Speed: d10
Endurance: d8
Knowledge: d4
Will: d6
Senses: d6

Ongoing effects:None

Inventory:
Backpack
100 feet of rope
Bandages
Tattoo Kit
Medium armour: d6
Quality weapon (Spear): d8

Tattoos:
Arm: "wood"

"Well that's a thing."

It's an underground tunnel. There's like, not much to do except go forward. I would say to keep an eye open for side paths or something, but Behiar is frikkin blind.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Name: Behiar the Scribe
Appearance: Green coveralls, blond hair in a bun, dark eyes and pale complexion. Adventure often leads to death and glory! Better than sitting around doing nothing, ehe.
Strength: d6
Speed: d6
Endurance: d4
Knowledge: d8
Will: d6
Senses: d4

Ongoing effects: Warm!

Inventory:
100 Coins
Sturdy backpack
Oil lamp
Book & pen

I guess I just need someone to let me join.
So does anyone wants to invite me to their cabal?

((You are more than welcome to join our merry band of adventurers. There's three players in our little gaggle (and 1 npc) and at the moment we're focused on adventuring. (Unless, Pan and Egan, you guys would prefer not to take in more people right now?)

One problem however is that we're currently inside a cave complex searching for sweet treasure, so actually joining us might be a problem. As I see it you have three options:
1) take over the npc we have with us if PW is ok with it. This is what Egan did as well, his character Behiar was an npc scribe we had recruited over which he ASSUMED DIRECT CONTROL.
2) ask pw if it's ok to just appear near us with a new character. Would be a bit weird though.
3) spawn in the game world and wait for a little while until we're out of that cave, then join us. You could explore one of the nearby settlements for example, perhaps even find us a possible next adventure?))

The grinding noise seems to hover there for a moment before continuing on past, moving downstream, in the direction you were going to go. After it has faded into the the distance, Rufus leans in and whispers "Fossil Vampire".

We sneak onward. Ask Rufus if he can tell me more about what this thing is, but only if we can whisper quietly enough. If he motions to stay silent, do so.

Should that bloody thing continue to block our path, is there any way around it?

Spoiler: Darwin Zeppeli (click to show/hide)

Name: Darwin Zeppeli
Appearance: An old medicine man.
Magic path: alchemist gut-reader
Strength: d4
Speed: d6
Endurance: d6
Knowledge: d10
Will: d8
Senses: d10

Mana:0
Ongoing effects: None

Inventory:
Small or rudimentary weapon (dissection knife): d4
Lantern
small amount of thaum
Alchemist’s Gear
Medium armor: d6
Sealer Suit: d4 (vs magic)
several hundred feet of rope
climbing crampons
a grappling hook
iron stakes

Magical materials: Vacuum!

"Undead of some kind. Not sure how they spot prey. They're beasts from ancient times, compressed down here and turned to stone. They hunt the living out of some perverted instinct to survive, even though they can't actually eat them.  Their organs have petrified into precious gems- mostly opal. They're quite beautiful to look upon and valuable, but getting them is hard."

A quick check shows that the vampire is still walking down the riverbank in the same direction that you were headed. Following it seems a possible course of action, though its moving slowly and it seems a very good way to accidentally alert it.  Rufus has two possible plans: Avoid it by trying to move to the other side of the river bank of there is one, or just kill the thing.

"With 4 of us, especially with that friend of yours, I think we stand a good chance. Plus." He says while eyeing the path the vampire walked down "A pair of opals as big as your lungs will do a lot for our guild....We'll split everything equally, of course."

[Lenglon]

"Oh, okay, um. Is there anything you want me to make sure I don't do? What do you mean about spoiling things for myself? What's the worry?"
ask

Spoiler: Nina (click to show/hide)

Name: Nina Morellis
Appearance: A young, red-haired woman, green eyes, somewhat unkempt. She's had Adam for as long as she could remember, and has a bit of a reputation as a harmless nut. The town guard are okay with Nina though, occasionally getting her help keeping a mage secured by having her drain their mana so they can't cast. Since they don't have a proper magehunter available, having a local civilian channeler they can bring in as needed is a big help. And Nina tries to be on her best behavior with them to keep their relations good. Nina herself works as a healer, living out in the poor part of town, and has an erratic schedule based on the needs of those who want her help. so she has a lot of free time, but also gets woken up in the middle of the night a lot. add in Adam's occasional antics and she doesn't get to have a stable sleep schedule.

Magic Path: Channeler, Invoker.

Materials: Sound
Mana: 5

Strength: D4
Speed: D6
Endurance: D10
Knowledge: D8
Will: D10
Senses: D6

Inventory: Backpack, padded cloak (D4 protection, Light armor), Lantern, doctor's bag, waterskin (air), hammer, 2 silver.

Inhabited by a spirit which takes the form of a floating disembodied limb that constantly melts and reforms into other body parts. She calls it "Adam."

Location: Phaganeda, a town on top of lake Limus
Cabal: None at this time.

[Radio Controlled]

"Undead of some kind. Not sure how they spot prey. They're beasts from ancient times, compressed down here and turned to stone. They hunt the living out of some perverted instinct to survive, even though they can't actually eat them.  Their organs have petrified into precious gems- mostly opal. They're quite beautiful to look upon and valuable, but getting them is hard."
A quick check shows that the vampire is still walking down the riverbank in the same direction that you were headed. Following it seems a possible course of action, though its moving slowly and it seems a very good way to accidentally alert it.  Rufus has two possible plans: Avoid it by trying to move to the other side of the river bank of there is one, or just kill the thing.
"With 4 of us, especially with that friend of yours, I think we stand a good chance. Plus." He says while eyeing the path the vampire walked down "A pair of opals as big as your lungs will do a lot for our guild....We'll split everything equally, of course."

Darwin huddled down a little with the rest of the team and whispered.
"Friends, should we go for it and assault this creature of the deep? It looks formidable, but perhaps, if we can ambush it we might be able to do it... We have the initiative, if nothing else, and Écalir here is like a savant with that spear of his. We could also use our rope and climbing gear to make a trap of some kind, perhaps limit his mobility so he can't get to us. What say you, my intrepid companions?"

((I'm not entirely sure this is a good course of action, but after so long I'm craving a little bit of action or payoff for our cave adventures. Besides, it's a vampiric stone subterranean horror, what's the worst that could happen? Still, if you guys wanna keep playing it safe that's cool by me.))

Could you give me Rufus' exact inventory, and perhaps statline if possible (to plan our attack, if the others agree on fighting it)?

In addition, do I know anything else about this thing? Rumors or old stories? Particularly interested in any potential weaknesses, of course. If the old man knows anything else, be sure to ask him.

Finally, using our rope (we still have lots) and climbing gear (grappling hook and iron stakes and such), could we devise some sort of (rope) trap in this cave? I dunno how exactly this cave looks, but perhaps a tripwire or net to haul it up with or something?

Spoiler: Darwin Zeppeli (click to show/hide)

Name: Darwin Zeppeli
Appearance: An old medicine man.
Magic path: alchemist gut-reader
Strength: d4
Speed: d6
Endurance: d6
Knowledge: d10
Will: d8
Senses: d10

Mana:0
Ongoing effects: None

Inventory:
Small or rudimentary weapon (dissection knife): d4
Lantern
small amount of thaum
Alchemist’s Gear
Medium armor: d6
Sealer Suit: d4 (vs magic)
several hundred feet of rope
climbing crampons
a grappling hook
iron stakes

Magical materials: Vacuum!

[Devastator]

"I'm no fighter.  I don't have any weapons, and I put people back together, I don't hurt them.  There's a couple things I could probably do with my magic, like maybe keep the caravan silent, or summon a big ape to fight, but I don't hurt people."

"Are there going to be bandits on the route, like people, or is it just creatures?  I could summon a big ape to fight creatures."

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Saeko Hirahara

Japanese girl with a long black braid and a white and red dress with long gloves and stockings.

Invoking Empath

Str  d4
Speed  d8
Endurance  d10
Knowledge  d4
Will  d10
Senses  d8

Items:

Extra Material
//
11 Mana
113 coins (gold)
//
Backpack
100ft Rope
Waterskin
Compass
Hat
Sun Goggles
Light Armor: The outfit, naturally.

Materials: Ape, Sound.

[randomgenericusername]

Just spawn anywhere that has players or people and start existing already. Maybe start near the weird lake at the bottom of the map or in one of the nearby towns south, if there are players there.

Spoiler: Randolf Osborn (click to show/hide)

Name: Randolf Osborn
Appearance: Ugly as hell. Smells like rotten fish. Very brutish.
Magic path: Channeler Ascetic
Mana: 0
Strength: D6
Speed: D6
Endurance: D12
Knowledge: D4
Will: D12
Senses: D4

Ongoing effects:

Inventory:

Sealer Suit D4
Shield
Wooden Club D6
Backpack
Lantern
100 feet of rope

[NJW2000]

Moghorn sighs, and casually drops a few gold coins onto the bar.

"Now, I got to pick up something a man left for me a while back. Something that has cost me a great deal of time and effort, not to mention a lot of money. And this man told me about a veery particular place at the start of the pillars: The Catspaw Dune. And that's where this thing is buried, for safety. He went by the name of Jack Smith, says the folks round here know him. Jack said I could get a guide here, an honest and hardworking man. And I got plenty more gold to pay you, don't worry about that. Easy money if you don't mind a bit of digging. And Jack said everybody who was anybody would know where the Catspaw Dune is, if there was a purse of gold in it for 'em."

The idea here is to look like somebody who's been had and sent out on a fool's errand to die, convincing one of the toughs here to take me out to a fictional location and murder or at least rob me. Naturally, I'm going to shoot them in the back as soon as I get within feasible body-dragging distance of the pillars and out of sight of town. If somebody explains to me that they have no idea what I'm on about, disagree with them and offer more money.

Spoiler: Moghorn (click to show/hide)

Name: Moghorn the Journeyman
Appearance: Fiftyish and very weathered. Moghorn spent his youth, adolescense, and adulthood travelling according to the voices in his head and the strange compulsions he felt. Then he stumbled across a magical spirit and gained magical powers.

Magic path: Servant Sculptor
Mana: 5

Strength: d6
Speed: d12
Endurance: d6
Knowledge: d6
Will: d6
Senses: d8

Ongoing effects: Has a spirit in him

Needs:Some Black Flux (Fuel in Fearce, also naturally sourced), a lot Human blood, Alchemist's tools (just buy), A gallon of mercury (free near Pillars of Lead), Contained lightning (Fearce Battery), a fist sized crystal (Try science crystal before magic)

Inventory:
Lodestone
24-13=11 gold coins
Camping Gear
Five days of supplies
Mundane: Backpack, 100 feet of rope, Lantern
Great: Marsh Hog Leather Armour (d6 protection), Marsh Hog Bone crossbow (d6 ranged damage)
Grand: Spirit (Wants stone guide from the towers around Kaolin)

Cheap Alchemist's Tools, ample Black Flux urn, fist-sized raw crystal, fist-sized lightning battery.

Sculpture: Flamethrower Rod


Materials: "Grand Lode Stone" or rare earth magnet in our terms
Wax
Copper
Dirt
Fire
Snake

[Pancaek]

"Écalir is ready to fight."

Did I have a look at the thing? Did it have any noticeable weakspots?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Name: Écalir Speedwagon
Appearance: barbarian, think Arnie from Conan the Barbarian
Magic path: Hunting flesh-scroll
Mana: 0
Strength: d10
Speed: d10
Endurance: d8
Knowledge: d4
Will: d6
Senses: d6

Ongoing effects:None

Inventory:
Backpack
100 feet of rope
Bandages
Tattoo Kit
Medium armour: d6
Quality weapon (Spear): d8

Tattoos:
Arm: "wood"

[Egan_BW]

"I don't actually have any weapons. Or know how to fight."

Uuuuuuuuuuh.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Name: Behiar the Scribe
Appearance: Green coveralls, blond hair in a bun, dark eyes and pale complexion. Adventure often leads to death and glory! Better than sitting around doing nothing, ehe.
Strength: d6
Speed: d6
Endurance: d4
Knowledge: d8
Will: d6
Senses: d4

Ongoing effects: Warm!

Inventory:
100 Coins
Sturdy backpack
Oil lamp
Book & pen

[piecewise]

"Oh, okay, um. Is there anything you want me to make sure I don't do? What do you mean about spoiling things for myself? What's the worry?"
ask

Spoiler: Nina (click to show/hide)

Name: Nina Morellis
Appearance: A young, red-haired woman, green eyes, somewhat unkempt. She's had Adam for as long as she could remember, and has a bit of a reputation as a harmless nut. The town guard are okay with Nina though, occasionally getting her help keeping a mage secured by having her drain their mana so they can't cast. Since they don't have a proper magehunter available, having a local civilian channeler they can bring in as needed is a big help. And Nina tries to be on her best behavior with them to keep their relations good. Nina herself works as a healer, living out in the poor part of town, and has an erratic schedule based on the needs of those who want her help. so she has a lot of free time, but also gets woken up in the middle of the night a lot. add in Adam's occasional antics and she doesn't get to have a stable sleep schedule.

Magic Path: Channeler, Invoker.

Materials: Sound
Mana: 5

Strength: D4
Speed: D6
Endurance: D10
Knowledge: D8
Will: D10
Senses: D6

Inventory: Backpack, padded cloak (D4 protection, Light armor), Lantern, doctor's bag, waterskin (air), hammer, 2 silver.

Inhabited by a spirit which takes the form of a floating disembodied limb that constantly melts and reforms into other body parts. She calls it "Adam."

Location: Phaganeda, a town on top of lake Limus
Cabal: None at this time.

"You need not worry about anything, little sister. Some people are just over cautious, you understand. They never let things flow as they should. They make plans to try and outsmart enemies that don't exist and tie themselves in knots." He rests a huge hand on your shoulder, "Do not fret. Do as you wish. We will be here to make sure you do not stray from the right path. It is our duty for a seeker of truth such as yourself."


BTW are you ok with

Just spawn anywhere that has players or people and start existing already. Maybe start near the weird lake at the bottom of the map or in one of the nearby towns south, if there are players there.

Spoiler: Randolf Osborn (click to show/hide)

Name: Randolf Osborn
Appearance: Ugly as hell. Smells like rotten fish. Very brutish.
Magic path: Channeler Ascetic
Mana: 0
Strength: D6
Speed: D6
Endurance: D12
Knowledge: D4
Will: D12
Senses: D4

Ongoing effects:

Inventory:

Sealer Suit D4
Shield
Wooden Club D6
Backpack
Lantern
100 feet of rope

Showing up with you?

"I'm no fighter.  I don't have any weapons, and I put people back together, I don't hurt them.  There's a couple things I could probably do with my magic, like maybe keep the caravan silent, or summon a big ape to fight, but I don't hurt people."

"Are there going to be bandits on the route, like people, or is it just creatures?  I could summon a big ape to fight creatures."

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Saeko Hirahara

Japanese girl with a long black braid and a white and red dress with long gloves and stockings.

Invoking Empath

Str  d4
Speed  d8
Endurance  d10
Knowledge  d4
Will  d10
Senses  d8

Items:

Extra Material
//
11 Mana
113 coins (gold)
//
Backpack
100ft Rope
Waterskin
Compass
Hat
Sun Goggles
Light Armor: The outfit, naturally.

Materials: Ape, Sound.

He makes a pained face. "I cannot say for sure there will not be bandits. Beasts are more likely but men playing that part may come. I will not force you, you have done right by us already and the only debt here is my own to you. If nothing else, please keep your eyes open. The wastes are dangerous and with fewer guards we will be a more appetizing target."

Moghorn sighs, and casually drops a few gold coins onto the bar.

"Now, I got to pick up something a man left for me a while back. Something that has cost me a great deal of time and effort, not to mention a lot of money. And this man told me about a veery particular place at the start of the pillars: The Catspaw Dune. And that's where this thing is buried, for safety. He went by the name of Jack Smith, says the folks round here know him. Jack said I could get a guide here, an honest and hardworking man. And I got plenty more gold to pay you, don't worry about that. Easy money if you don't mind a bit of digging. And Jack said everybody who was anybody would know where the Catspaw Dune is, if there was a purse of gold in it for 'em."

The idea here is to look like somebody who's been had and sent out on a fool's errand to die, convincing one of the toughs here to take me out to a fictional location and murder or at least rob me. Naturally, I'm going to shoot them in the back as soon as I get within feasible body-dragging distance of the pillars and out of sight of town. If somebody explains to me that they have no idea what I'm on about, disagree with them and offer more money.

Spoiler: Moghorn (click to show/hide)

Name: Moghorn the Journeyman
Appearance: Fiftyish and very weathered. Moghorn spent his youth, adolescense, and adulthood travelling according to the voices in his head and the strange compulsions he felt. Then he stumbled across a magical spirit and gained magical powers.

Magic path: Servant Sculptor
Mana: 5

Strength: d6
Speed: d12
Endurance: d6
Knowledge: d6
Will: d6
Senses: d8

Ongoing effects: Has a spirit in him

Needs:Some Black Flux (Fuel in Fearce, also naturally sourced), a lot Human blood, Alchemist's tools (just buy), A gallon of mercury (free near Pillars of Lead), Contained lightning (Fearce Battery), a fist sized crystal (Try science crystal before magic)

Inventory:
Lodestone
24-13=11 gold coins
Camping Gear
Five days of supplies
Mundane: Backpack, 100 feet of rope, Lantern
Great: Marsh Hog Leather Armour (d6 protection), Marsh Hog Bone crossbow (d6 ranged damage)
Grand: Spirit (Wants stone guide from the towers around Kaolin)

Cheap Alchemist's Tools, ample Black Flux urn, fist-sized raw crystal, fist-sized lightning battery.

Sculpture: Flamethrower Rod


Materials: "Grand Lode Stone" or rare earth magnet in our terms
Wax
Copper
Dirt
Fire
Snake

The bar keep looks at the coins and the back up to you with a sort of slow and deliberate smile.

"An honest, hardworking man eh?" He says, his tone not quite mocking but almost. He looks out the window nearest the bar and shakes his head. "Will be night before long. What say you stay the night here, and I get you a guide in the morning?"

"I don't actually have any weapons. Or know how to fight."

Uuuuuuuuuuh.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Name: Behiar the Scribe
Appearance: Green coveralls, blond hair in a bun, dark eyes and pale complexion. Adventure often leads to death and glory! Better than sitting around doing nothing, ehe.
Strength: d6
Speed: d6
Endurance: d4
Knowledge: d8
Will: d6
Senses: d4

Ongoing effects: Warm!

Inventory:
100 Coins
Sturdy backpack
Oil lamp
Book & pen

Rufus hands you a rock hammer, one matching his own.

"Écalir is ready to fight."

Did I have a look at the thing? Did it have any noticeable weakspots?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Name: Écalir Speedwagon
Appearance: barbarian, think Arnie from Conan the Barbarian
Magic path: Hunting flesh-scroll
Mana: 0
Strength: d10
Speed: d10
Endurance: d8
Knowledge: d4
Will: d6
Senses: d6

Ongoing effects:None

Inventory:
Backpack
100 feet of rope
Bandages
Tattoo Kit
Medium armour: d6
Quality weapon (Spear): d8

Tattoos:
Arm: "wood"

You didn't see it, but thinking back to the noises you're pretty sure its bipedal, judging by the footsteps. Crippling one leg would be a good way to put it down.

"Undead of some kind. Not sure how they spot prey. They're beasts from ancient times, compressed down here and turned to stone. They hunt the living out of some perverted instinct to survive, even though they can't actually eat them.  Their organs have petrified into precious gems- mostly opal. They're quite beautiful to look upon and valuable, but getting them is hard."
A quick check shows that the vampire is still walking down the riverbank in the same direction that you were headed. Following it seems a possible course of action, though its moving slowly and it seems a very good way to accidentally alert it.  Rufus has two possible plans: Avoid it by trying to move to the other side of the river bank of there is one, or just kill the thing.
"With 4 of us, especially with that friend of yours, I think we stand a good chance. Plus." He says while eyeing the path the vampire walked down "A pair of opals as big as your lungs will do a lot for our guild....We'll split everything equally, of course."

Darwin huddled down a little with the rest of the team and whispered.
"Friends, should we go for it and assault this creature of the deep? It looks formidable, but perhaps, if we can ambush it we might be able to do it... We have the initiative, if nothing else, and Écalir here is like a savant with that spear of his. We could also use our rope and climbing gear to make a trap of some kind, perhaps limit his mobility so he can't get to us. What say you, my intrepid companions?"

((I'm not entirely sure this is a good course of action, but after so long I'm craving a little bit of action or payoff for our cave adventures. Besides, it's a vampiric stone subterranean horror, what's the worst that could happen? Still, if you guys wanna keep playing it safe that's cool by me.))

Could you give me Rufus' exact inventory, and perhaps statline if possible (to plan our attack, if the others agree on fighting it)?

In addition, do I know anything else about this thing? Rumors or old stories? Particularly interested in any potential weaknesses, of course. If the old man knows anything else, be sure to ask him.

Finally, using our rope (we still have lots) and climbing gear (grappling hook and iron stakes and such), could we devise some sort of (rope) trap in this cave? I dunno how exactly this cave looks, but perhaps a tripwire or net to haul it up with or something?

Spoiler: Darwin Zeppeli (click to show/hide)

Name: Darwin Zeppeli
Appearance: An old medicine man.
Magic path: alchemist gut-reader
Strength: d4
Speed: d6
Endurance: d6
Knowledge: d10
Will: d8
Senses: d10

Mana:0
Ongoing effects: None

Inventory:
Small or rudimentary weapon (dissection knife): d4
Lantern
small amount of thaum
Alchemist’s Gear
Medium armor: d6
Sealer Suit: d4 (vs magic)
several hundred feet of rope
climbing crampons
a grappling hook
iron stakes

Magical materials: Vacuum!

Rufus' has a lot of climbing gear (ropes, crampons, metal spikes, grappling hooks,  etc) two rock hammers (now one) an round bladed ax and a metal helmet and spectacles.

His stats are  quite similar to yours.

Strength: d8
Speed: d4
Endurance: d6
Knowledge: d10
Will: d8
Senses: d8


In terms of weaknesses Rufus tells you that the thing is made of stone so blades are probably next to useless on it. Blunt weapons, or rather things like pickaxes would be the best possible, a sharp  point with  a lot of weight behind it to shatter stone.

The cave, as far as you can see since your lights can't illuminate everything at once, is a tunnel with a hemisphere roof and mostly flat ground. There are stalagmites and stalactites scattered all over and a river running either through the center or along one side (you don't know because you haven't explored the other side. The problem with traps is having places to set them up. Most rope traps and nets use a tree to whip up and catch something. You might be able to weave together a net and just throw it on the thing though. Or set up a tripline to literally trip it. But rigging a bit complex thing seems pretty damn difficult.

[Lenglon]

I'm fine with him spawning near me, though I don't think I know him do I?
"Sir, please take your hand off me. I do not like being touched."

Spoiler: Nina (click to show/hide)

Name: Nina Morellis
Appearance: A young, red-haired woman, green eyes, somewhat unkempt. She's had Adam for as long as she could remember, and has a bit of a reputation as a harmless nut. The town guard are okay with Nina though, occasionally getting her help keeping a mage secured by having her drain their mana so they can't cast. Since they don't have a proper magehunter available, having a local civilian channeler they can bring in as needed is a big help. And Nina tries to be on her best behavior with them to keep their relations good. Nina herself works as a healer, living out in the poor part of town, and has an erratic schedule based on the needs of those who want her help. so she has a lot of free time, but also gets woken up in the middle of the night a lot. add in Adam's occasional antics and she doesn't get to have a stable sleep schedule.

Magic Path: Channeler, Invoker.

Materials: Sound
Mana: 5

Strength: D4
Speed: D6
Endurance: D10
Knowledge: D8
Will: D10
Senses: D6

Inventory: Backpack, padded cloak (D4 protection, Light armor), Lantern, doctor's bag, waterskin (air), hammer, 2 silver.

Inhabited by a spirit which takes the form of a floating disembodied limb that constantly melts and reforms into other body parts. She calls it "Adam."

Location: Phaganeda, a town on top of lake Limus
Cabal: None at this time.