2nd Epilogue: At Adventure's End

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NukeHavoc
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2nd Epilogue: At Adventure's End

Post by NukeHavoc »

The world is saved. The first of the winter winds swirls through the trees of Meiriani Forest, calling to Jorm and Cutheric. Both carry memories of the Lost Sky Citadel of Akrafell and its ruler, the great and terrible linnorm known as Fjalar.

The elves have returned to their ancient city of Celwynvian and begun rebuilding its majestic spires. You have been invited to serve as its ambassadors to the larger world.

Riddleport remains much as it ever was: a hive of scum and villainy. The Gold Goblin has done well under the stewardship of Maturin, and now turns a tidy profit each month.

So what happens next? Who retires? Who goes adventuring? Who ventures north seeking glory, gold, and a kingship?
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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EvilGenius
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Re: 2nd Epilogue: At Adventure's End

Post by EvilGenius »

Thyur will meet up with the other Wardens who he left behind in Celwynvian: Valkur (paladin) and Urraic (cleric). The 3 Wardens will then start making plans to reclaim the Keep that Thyur has inherited via the Deck of Many Things.

Thyur will also certainly help Jorm and Cuthric (if he's not a vampire) if they're going to Akrafell. But first he would ask their indulgence/aid in securing/claiming his new stronghold. Not that Thyur is expecting any trouble, per se, but who knows? :)

Also, what of Jeru's fate?
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Re: 2nd Epilogue: At Adventure's End

Post by NukeHavoc »

Jheru beat the demon lord Nocticula at her own game, earning her eternal ire but saving his soul. No doubt he has not heard the last of the Lady of Darkness and Lust.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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Re: 2nd Epilogue: At Adventure's End

Post by EvilGenius »

NukeHavoc wrote:Jheru beat the demon lord Nocticula at her own game, earning her eternal ire but saving his soul. No doubt he has not heard the last of the Lady of Darkness and Lust.
Yeah, the demon was crazily non-specific in her offer... :D
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Re: 2nd Epilogue: At Adventure's End

Post by NukeHavoc »

Who else has unresolved issues from the Deck of Many Things? Was it Gavin who got the "powerful enemy" draw?
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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Re: 2nd Epilogue: At Adventure's End

Post by NukeHavoc »

When Thyur drew from the Deck of Many Things he was granted the vision of an ancient dwarven keep, nestled between two mountains, while a soft, almost slurred voice said its name: Und-Ofan ("Watcher of the Sky"). He knew in an instant that the fortress lie in the high reaches of the Stormspear Mountains, north of of the Land of the Linnorm Kings in a place rarely visited by dwarves.

And yet ... the name teased at his memory. Upon his return to Celwynvian, he consulted with Valkur and Urraic. They were dismissive of his vision -- there were never any dwarven settlements in the Stormpeaks; the land was inhospitable and infested with linnorms, with no ore worth mining.

Thyur was insistent, and the three Wardens of the Deep spent many hours debating the vision and alternative interpretations. Even Urraic's divinations failed to settle the matter; it was as the citadel was a blind spot that not even the gods could see.

This intrigued the Wardens even more than Thyur's tales of a fortress ready for the taking. They cast their minds back through the long years of dwarven history, attempting to tease meaning from rumors and myths. They thought through cryptic references to legless wyrms, endless nights, and unending days, all of which made a certain kind of sense if placed in the context of the Stormspears.

And yet ... they found their minds wandering. War stories, retellings of heroic quests, and debates over the best brews sent their conversations down divergent paths. They would find themselves laughing heartily only to suddenly realize they'd forgotten what they were discussing. At the end of the long night they would have forgotten their entire conversation had it not been for the crude map that Thyur had carved into the fine elven table with the runes for "Und-Ofan" and "Stormspears".

Und-Ofan is a keep that does not want to be found. And naturally, this makes the dwarves want to find it all the more.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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Re: 2nd Epilogue: At Adventure's End

Post by NukeHavoc »

The celebrations in Celwynvian last for days, and during that time you are sought out by Kwava. He brings news of strife in Riddleport: Northmen -- who travelled down to Riddleport from the Land of the Linnorm Kings in a fleet of longboats -- are brawling with dwarves from a half-dozen clans. Both sides claim to be seeking "The King of the North".

So far the factions are tolerated because they reserve their ire for one another, and are spending their gold freely in the city's taverns, brothels, and shops, but the confrontations are growing more intense and its only a matter of time before Overlord Gaston Cromarcky will have to send in his gendarmerie to deal with them. Whether they are up to the task is another matter.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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Re: 2nd Epilogue: At Adventure's End

Post by setanta14 »

Skender and Carlila will retire, and take up the offer from the elves to become ambassadors. They plan to settle in the town of Galduria (a Magnimar dependency) on the shores of the Ember Lake, and become patrons of the new arcane college, The Twilight Academy (and perhaps send their children there one day). Perhaps the elves are interested in influencing how magic is taught in human lands? Having a wealthy family as patron to the college who represents elven interests might be the type of subtle influence they would seek.
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Re: 2nd Epilogue: At Adventure's End

Post by EvilGenius »

Ok, so obviously we should head back to Riddleport and collect all of Jorm's new followers. :) Or at least tell them not to tear the town down or anything ...

Und-Ofan sounds sweet! We have to gather some supplies and put together an expedition, if we can remember it long enough. :)
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Re: 2nd Epilogue: At Adventure's End

Post by EvilGenius »

And Thyur will politely decline the offer of ambassadorship, as he has pressing things to accomplish in reclaiming his keep and then helping to reclaim Akrafell.
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Re: 2nd Epilogue: At Adventure's End

Post by Jonkga »

As I suggested in my post on the other thread, Jheru will take up residence with the elves as an ambassador, effectively retiring from adventuring. He will also make the elven leadership aware of the situation with Nocticula, not that he exactly fears immediate reprisals, but just so he is not inadvertently jeopardizing them in the future without their knowledge or consent.
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Re: 2nd Epilogue: At Adventure's End

Post by EvilGenius »

Ken, Thyur is also going to write a journal of his travels in the the Darklands and record what he's learned of the Drow and of the Orv Vault. When he's recorded the entire tale, with extensive notes of the terrain, flora, fauna and inhabitants, along with as many and as accurate maps as he can produce, Thyur will present the work to the Pathfinder Society. I think I'll include "Not-A-Bard's" notes as well. His formerly-living self would have wanted that. :D

With Thyur's ridiculously high skill bonuses in things like Knowledge: Dungeoneering, Engineering, Nature, Geography, History, and Religion, Survival, Perception and Healing, he should be able to put together a pretty kick-ass travelouge. (Like the Best Ever Wasteland Survival Guide from Fallout 3)
Last edited by EvilGenius on Mon Dec 16, 2013 6:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 2nd Epilogue: At Adventure's End

Post by Lars Porsenna »

Since Cutheric is no longer allowed to be a vampire, he will definitely go north to slay and drink and wench, possibly not in that exact order...

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Re: 2nd Epilogue: At Adventure's End

Post by EvilGenius »

I think Ken is saying that you're allowed to be a vampire. But you have to expect that there will be, erm ... complications. Like you may no longer be a PC. Ooooor, and I'm just throwing this out there, Thyur and his best buddies PallyDwarf and ClericDwarf are going to track you and un-undead-ify you.
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Re: 2nd Epilogue: At Adventure's End

Post by NukeHavoc »

EvilGenius wrote:I think Ken is saying that you're allowed to be a vampire. But you have to expect that there will be, erm ... complications. Like you may no longer be a PC. Ooooor, and I'm just throwing this out there, Thyur and his best buddies PallyDwarf and ClericDwarf are going to track you and un-undead-ify you.
Right. You can stay a vampire. When I wrote this...
Damon: If you'd rather stay dead for tax reasons, let me know. We could have you escape from the clutches of the elves and into the night. That said, you *not* being a vampire would make any northerly adventures a lot easier. It also has the nice side benefit of Thyur not constantly wanting to kill you...
... I suppose I should have said "undead for tax reasons", but the original Hitchhiker's line always amused me.

Anyway, you wouldn't get the stat bump (that being a reward from the elves, but hey, you already got a bunch of stat bumps as a vampire, so it sort of balances out). If you want to run off into the north to raise a vampire army to conquer Arkafell on your own, you can do that. If it wasn't clear (this having been a throwback to the visions you got in the Crimson Bowl of Charavin) those barbarians in Riddleport are looking for a leader. Could be Jorm. Could be Cutheric.

I woudn't say he'd go to NPC status, but it would be a lot harder to run him as a PC, and as Bob points out the Wardens of the Deep would likely take issue with his continued vampire status, as might certain vampire-hunting sects.

Anyway, the choice is yours. I didn't want you to feel you had to be a vampire if you didn't want to. As Bob says, there will certainly be complications from taking the darker road.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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