Adventuring 101: Part 1 - Around The World In...We'll Decide Later.

[Helepolis]

Panitari raises her eyebrow "Uhh....that's some questionable biology you have there. I can't say for certain either way, but I wouldn't bet on that"

[Meek]

"Hmm." Karin jots all of that down. "Well, I'm done eating. Let's rest for a while, before setting off."

[Flame_Excess]

Fhil is standing like a marble statue and has been like this for a while now. He blinks from time to time and seem to be fixing the void. His blue eyes are glowing, empty, contemplative.

[Lepre_Khan]

"Rest? Why rest? My spells are ready, let us head off and brave the world!" As he says this, Richard stands swiftly up with his arm outstretched--his pencil held proudly towards the heavens.

[MorkaisChosen]

MLE grins. "Spells prepared? That's good. Of course, I don't need to bother, but still..."

He glances round and adds, "I suppose when we get to the adventuring I'll need to take guard duty, seeing as I don't need to sleep and all..."

[Meek]

"Well, I just wanted to digest." Karin says. "But if everyone's eager, we can start on the road of adventure right now!"

She stands up, and almost immediately falls down. The grounds begins shaking violently, the table rocking on its legs, houses tilting. The world becomes a blur around you all from the shaking and you fall helplessly prone. A nearby cottage collapses in on itself, and suddenly a thin, splintered crack begins to form across the village.

Just as suddenly, it all stops.

[Helepolis]

Panitari stands up, slowly, and dusts herself off. "So...what in the nine hells WAS that?"

[Flame_Excess]

Mocking, Fhil answers to Panitari while he skillfully stands up:

We call it an earthquake where I live. Are kalashtars coming from so far that they don't even know that or is it you?

[Lepre_Khan]

Somewhat frightened by the shake and more than a little irritated with Fhil's insult to a party member--the poets all agree that loyalty to your party is essential--Richard snaps at the woodsman with uncharacteristic heat in his voice, "If you're so used to it, elf, why come back to us? Too scared to be on your own? Or were you simply concerned for our well-being while dining with an epic level hero? I'm not even sure that it was an earthquake. At least, I don't think it's a natural one. Don't they last longer and have secondary tremors? Karin, you didn't try to cast any spells--did you?"

[Helepolis]

Panitari sighs, and resists the urge to shoot him in the face with a mind laser. "I am well aware of what earthquakes are. I just didn't think this area was prone to their occurence. Nor are they generally that abrupt'

[Meek]

"That was not me." Karin says, "If I tried to cast Earthquake I'd probably summon Earth Elementals or something." She looks around. "Whatever it was, I agree it wasn't natural. I'm not very familiar with this area beyond its Gnomish paragliders though..."

[Flame_Excess]

Oh, I see. I realize that behind your looks, you have some nerve. I didn't expect that... I would be most pleased to venture and to follow you, then. I am remarkably talented and I'm sure I'll be a great add to the party. That is, if you did not already include me in it. Or if I was considered out after second thought. I'm sure the god master would agree on that one.
Fhil takes a breathe.
My friends, we have a lot to do. This earthquake is incredibly dangerous for us to stay here and if there is anything to do to stop it, we should work together and investigate to understand that problem in order to solve it. I'm sure the quest will be worth a lot of gold, too, once an end is put to it.

[Lepre_Khan]

Richard looks flabbergasted at Fhil, "Riiiight." Turning pointedly back towards Karin he explains himself, a little sheepishly, "Actually, truth be told dear, I was concerned that you had tried to summon Earth Elementals or something else that resulted in the Earthquake. Still, if it wasn't you do you have the foggiest clue as to what it could have been?"

[MorkaisChosen]

MLE replies, "Well, there's one obvious possibility. A wizard did it."

[Helepolis]

Panitari shrugs "As a rule, don't wizards do things for reasons? This doesn't seem to have changed anything, or not drastically anyway"

[MorkaisChosen]

"Depends on the wizard, to be quite honest. The most powerful ones... well, "Because I felt like it" is a reason sometimes."

[Lepre_Khan]

"MLE is right you know. Do you remember Sirthanio from Ellen's Five Quintets? He was very powerful, but very whimsical. The debate in the piece is whether or not his absent minded death dealing was evil or simply chaotic. That said, another problem with the anti-wizard theory is that we don't actually know that it didn't change anything. Let's go have a look, shall we?"

Richard then leaves the restaurant and enters the wide world, looking around to see what damage had been caused by the earthquake.

[Meek]

"Good idea!" Karin says. She follows behind Richard.

Spoiler

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Thanks Lepre. I was just coming to have Karin sugest you check around, but I'm glad you did it. I don't like having the GMPC point out a course of action all the time, especially since so far it's felt like I'm railroading everyone really hard. I apologize if anyone else felt this way. Anyway, I like people who take a nice active stance on cues of this nature, so thanks.

Richard and those that follow through the village note the 1/5th of a square wide crack running through the center of the town and across its length. It seems to lead up the mountain side, running ride along Karin's cottage, up the trail, and disappearing into the adjacent mountain's side. Some houses have collapsed – other villagers are helping with repairs, and Fhil (if he follows) recognizes Minerva from the government office conjuring some huts for people to reside in, and helping clear debris with Telekinesis. In total, some nine homes seem to have been ruined by the quake. Across from them are gatherings of people. Should you approach, you hear a number of explanations from the villagers, which they discuss amongst themselves. Perhaps, some think, there's a guy up there who rolled a really catastrophic natural 1. Maybe there is a Great Wyrm Red Dragon in the volcano and some psycho is trying to get it to destroy an artifact. Or it could be the goblin miners are using some unorthodox new techniques for harvesting minerals.

But they all seem rather solid on the idea that this earthquake had something to do with the mountain.

Spoiler

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I covered a lot in that post, but feel free to talk to people or stop in places. It won't change what you see later on, after all, since the sequence isn't truly very linear.

[Helepolis]

Panitari's eyes narrow..."That's strange. I'm no expert, but naturally occuring earthquakes and tremors don't GENERALLY cause cracks which run in straight lines for long distances, with nigh-uniform width..."

[Flame_Excess]

Fhil follows the party and stares at the atrocity before him.

That is impressive.
He does nothing more but to look around him.

[MorkaisChosen]

MLE looks at it and says, "Impressive..."

Whistling softly (if you look closely, there is an actual whistle within his mouth- probably designed so he can say some of the ancient mechanics' ritual phrases), he adds, "A plumber who could do that would be able to lay pipes without having to dig up the ground!"

[Lepre_Khan]

"I'm not sure that really counts as not digging the ground up, Master Mechanicforged. I think this is another point in our 'Wizards did it' theory. I wonder...

Trailing off Richard mutters something under his breath. A small pop can be heard and then, remarkably--magically one might say--his eyes begin to glow.

Spoiler

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Detect Magic

[Meek]

Richard, there are no lingering auras save for those around Minerva's huts, and Minerva herself. The crack itself shows no magic, nor really anything around. So whatever it was that caused the earthquake, it's magic, if any, does not extend this far. Perhaps the crack was a side effect.

[Flame_Excess]

Gnomes are so brilliant with their paragliders and gigantic explosions! Yay-hoo!
Fhil does a few dancing steps and reenters the restaurant in a hurry and comes out of it very shortly after with a few radishes.

Spoiler

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Note: I understood that the restaurant never disappeared.
Fhil makes the vegetables appear with his thought thanks to the magical table.

If you have some time later, MLE, remember to talk to us about that toaster you have in your backpack since we didn't talk about it over breakfast.
Hustling, Fhil jumps over the debris like a child would do and heads to the fey-like creature, Minerva.
Minervaaaaaaa! Hey-ho-Minervaaaa!

[Helepolis]

Panitari sighs, and shakes her head again. "Richard, do you happen to have like, Detect Crazy on your spell list? I want to see if targeting him would knock you out"

[MorkaisChosen]

"That's an interesting idea, actually..."

MLE adds to Richard, "If you want, I can take over magic-detecting- you could save your power for, I don't know, making gruel palatable or something."

[Lepre_Khan]

"Thank you M, that would be wonderful. Though I don't see how you think Gruel is unpalatable. Even the name--gruel--pure melody. Magical, mystical even. Panitari, as much as I'd love to be able to try out that little experiment, I'm a sorceror. Our spell lists aren't all that hot, I couldn't waste a slot on a spell like that."

Richard lets Detect Magic go and thoughtfully chews on his lip for a second before continuing, "So, do you guys have any ideas? If not, I'm all for just heading towards the Mountain and seeing what's going on."

[Meek]

Karin cheerfully declares. "No ideas! Mountain climbing it is! Oh I haven't climbed a good mountain in a long time. Not since I wrote that book about the consequences of rolling a Natural 1 on given activities. I died a couple times."

Meanwhile, Minerva sighs quite loudly and exasperatedly at the appearance of Fhil with radishes. She puts down a rock with Telekinesis. Antennae drooping considerably she turns to meet him. "Yes, what do you want?"

[Helepolis]

Panitari nods "That seems like a good course of action to me...these people don't seem to have 2 clues about what went on"

[Flame_Excess]

You are doing a good job for your citizens. Here, take this as a reward.
Fhil hands the radishes to Minerva and smiles.
I am sure you will like that, he adds. ...as the book coming from the martial justice #5 mentioned. Oh, if that does not please you, I will have to talk with Karin! I want to hear you: are you glad to receive these?