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| {{Template:AvlisCampaigns}}
| | #REDIRECT [[Avlis Campaign 4, Part 1]] |
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| ==Prologue==
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| Before The Nine came to Avlis, it was populated and ruled by various spirit races. For the most part, these were nature spirits that did little to promote civilization or societal growth, however, there were a couple of exceptions on the planet. One particular spirit race, tied to the earth, had its own system of magic. This system of magic was, of course, lost during the time of the Negerai, but a small number of individuals of this ancient race did manage to teach a few Mikonators their craft before going extinct.
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| The system pulled on the Super Magic Vortex, the one that existed before it was split into the present day Vortices, Wind, and River. Instead of being dependent on a deity or person to channel and dilute this Magic, this system used specialized stone and metal implements to channel and change the energy. The implements would be used to draw runes on surfaces or individuals for magical effects.
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| The elven, sylvan, Tyeduan, and Jechranian civilizations of Avlis speak languages that are closest to the spirit language of old, and Magya, the language of magic, is thought to be little changed from the original spirit language. However, all of these civilizations have created their own writing systems for their languages. Elven characters are used for Magya, yet no one knows the original characters used to write the language by this ancient race.
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| Scholars on the subject believe that the original characters can carry power, and if they are properly inscribed on surfaces or individuals, the words that are spelled out affect the recipient in specific ways.
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| This campaign takes place about 50 years after the [[Second Fairy War]]. It is being DM'ed by [[User:Orleron|Orleron]]
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| ==Chapter 1==
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| There are currently three players in this campaign. Lolobe is a barbarian from the Fighting Eagle tribe of the [[Benteak-Kune]] clan grouping from [[Tyedu]]. He is joined by two dwarves from [[Deglos]], one a cleric of [[Mikon]] and the other a warrior.
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| In the southwest region of [[Tyedu]], where the foothills near the ocean begin to give way to the steeper peaks and deeper valleys that are more common inland, there exists a confederation of related tribes known as the [[Benteak-Kune]]. This proud group of allied tribes shares a similar culture and outlook, albeit different identities and personal philosophies at times. Among their commonalities are the claims that they descend from the spirit-god, [[Ra-Ghul]], and that their barbarian warriors are top among the tribes in [[Tyedu]].
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| From these common roots, many traditions are shared, including the Great Meeting of Benteak held every 10th winter to commemorate the kinship of the tribes descending from [[Ra-Ghul]]. The focus of this meeting is warrior prowess and dedication to [[Ra-Ghul]]'s methods of battle, which is to say, the method is often to have as little "method" as possible. Prowess and strength are the instruments of [[Ra-Ghul]], and a properly tuned warrior is able to surrender his thought processes to the god in order to fight as one with His fury.
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| Tradition also holds that this holiday is a time for the next generation to come of age, and all warriors who have undergone their tests of manhood within the last 10 years must seal their dedication to the Tribes and to [[Ra-Ghul]] in tests of strength and might. The tests last for one week, and at the end a champion for each tribe is declared. Those champions then compete in a final test to determine which tribe is to hold the leading position in the confederation for the next 10 years. The winning tribe earns the right to possess the Hammer of Creation, a mythic relic from ancient times that has been with the [[Benteak-Kune]] for nearly 100 generations.
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| Four tribes are participating in the event this year: the [[White Bear (tribe)|White Bear]], the [[Blue Rock (tribe)|Blue Rock]], the [[Spirit Folk (tribe)|Spirit Folk]], and the [[Fighting Eagle (tribe)|Fighting Eagle]] tribe.
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| This year, the games are being held at the home hunting grounds of the tribe, a bowl-shaped mountainous valley with several well-defended paths leading in and out. Currently, in late winter, the land within the bowl is snow-covered about ankle deep on a tall man, and sparsely covered with bare trees as far as the eye can see in all directions leading up to the mountains. Because of all that cover, there is not much wind within the bowl, but when the wind does gust, it can be fierce, knocking over utensils and small children.
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| It is here the PCs find themselves assembled. For the most part, things are uneventful as the tribes gather and put up their new temporary dwellings in the area. Each tribe generally camps in a separate part of the bowl, but close to one another. The PCs spend some time walking from area to area, occasionally introducing themselves to passers-by.
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| After a couple of days, the PCs wake up to a horrible commotion outside their tents. People are chattering to themselves, pointing every which way, generally in the direction of other tribes' camps. The fur-clad elders that love to walk around the campsite randomly with their impressive regal bearing in order to talk to friendly tribesmen are nowhere to be found. In some instances, one can even spy a few fist-fights breaking out between certain individuals from differing tribes. Looking further, the fights are becoming a little more common, and sometimes opposing campfires are even getting into it.
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| Treading carefully to avoid the fights, the PCs eventually figure out that the Hammer of Creation, the ultimate prize for winning the games, has been stolen. Each tribe is blaming another for its loss, and there even some internal squabbling within tribes. Things are getting ugly fast, an the confederation looks like it may fall apart in one fell swoop.
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| Eventually, the PCs are cornered by a tall man from one of the tribes. He points to them and demands that the three of them follow him. Not wanting to end up a casualty of all the fighting, the PCs comply. They are brought to a non-descript looking wigwam-like dwelling with one distinguishing feature: four of the biggest men the PCs have ever seen are standing outside, and it looks like there is one man from each of the four tribes assembled at the games.
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| Upon entering the tent, the PC's display their weapons to all the people inside, as tradition demands, and they take a seat in front of the tribal elders. The elders explain that the Hammer of Creation has been stolen, and only a few horse tracks leading out of the bowl are left as a clue. The PCs have been chosen by the elders to recover it. The two dwarves had been chosen because they are a good "neutral" third party, and Lolobe had been chosen as a representative of the confederation because of his honesty and non-political reputation.
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| After asking various questions, the PCs are given gear for the trip and sent off in the direction of the tracks. They track the trail for many days, leaving the bowl after only a day and a half to enter the mountains beyond. Mostly, their tracking is uneventful, except for a small encounter with two murderous ogres one evening.
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| Eventually, Lolobe spies the smoke of a small camp in the distance. The dwarves approach the camp while Lolobe circles around. Inside the camp are what appear to be to human warriors and their two horses off to the side. The dwarves stroll right in and join them.
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| The humans are taken aback somewhat, and more than suspicious of the dwarves' questions, but after sharing some of their spirits with the men, the dwarves get them to talk a little bit. The men say that they are simply on a fishing trip, from the [[Kaj'ilel (tribe)|Kaj'ilel]] tribe, going after Tyeduan steelheads. Much of the conversation revolves around that fact, until eventually one of the PCs spots a strange dagger carried by one of the humans. Having some knowledge of weapon-making, the dwarf could tell it was not made by any dwarven, elven, or Tyeduan smith. When he quizzes the human about the dagger, both humans become very defensive and stop answering questions.
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| Eventually, the dwarf warrior simply asks them point blankly, "We're looking for a hammer. Did you steal it, by the way??"
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| Naturally, a fierce combat starts from this, whereby Lolobe, who had been waiting hidden in the woods, charges out to eliminate one of the humans, while the dwarves take care of the other one quickly, but leave him alive. (A few small birds also die in the incident.)
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| The PC's question the human to find out that there is a larger group to the north who is part of their contingent, and they know more about the hammer's whereabouts. It turns out that the person in charge of the heist is an earth spirit-folk named Kirith-Fa. After gaining this information, the PCs squabble briefly about whether or not to leave the prisoner alive and agree to simply tie him up and leave him in the woods.
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| Being the proud new owners of two horses, the PCs continue off in the direction the trail leads, eventually coming to yet another smoke plume visible in the distance. This time, they decide they will follow the same plan. They ride the horses up and tie them off about a mile from the camp, and then creep up the rest of the way cautiously, hoping to allow Lolobe to get around them again from behind. The dwarven cleric of Mikon takes up a position about 50 yards away with a crossbow, and the dwarven fighter once again strolls into camp.
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| This camp is a little larger. There appear to be two more humans dressed the same exact way as the last two, ironically, and there are three yurts surrounding their fire. This time around, however, the two humans are in disbelief that there is a dwarf walking into their camp and they immediately stand up with clubs drawn. The dwarf and humans share hurried questions back and forth, as a third human-looking figure steps out of one of the yurts to join in the quizzing.
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| Just then, the PCs hear a call from the woods and look over to find Lolobe with someone holding a dagger to his back saying, "Don't move!" The fight begins. Lolobe is stabbed in the back for a devastating wound, and the dwarves rush the two humans, killing one instantly. The third human that came out of the yurt begins casting a spell as one of the dwarves shoves the still living human enemy into him, but missing his intent of disrupting the spell. The dwarf still manages to shrug off the fear effects caused by the magic, however.
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| Meanwhile, Lolobe turns on his attacker and kills him quickly. Shortly after that, the two dwarves finish off the remaining cleric and fighter enemies.
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| Upon reflection and inspection of the bodies, the PCs find that the cleric was wearing a holy symbol of [[Sharistracterus]], which was curious because all of the enemies seemed to be dressed as barbarians. The PCs also realize that the human enemies all had black hair, and never once really showed emotion, even in the first fight when the PCs were questioning and threatening to kill their human prisoner. Nevertheless, they search one of the yurts and find a satchel with the Hammer of Creation.
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| After an uneventful trip back, the PCs relay their information to the elders who are incredulous about the new developments. For one thing, they have never heard of any deity named Sharistracterus, and they are no closer to understanding who took the Hammer of Creation, or why. All they have to go on is a name, Kirith-Fa, who is supposedly an earth spirit-folk.
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