Leafturn the 7th: Cenobite Night Life & The Trials of Arms

General Summary

Taking in some much needed rest and relaxation means different things to different people.
To Shrub , apparently it means spending more time out in the woods beyond the walls of the Cenobium. There he forged a bond with Quoth, his new raven friend, who is much larger than the average raven but smaller than the largest eagle. Upon calling out to the spirit of a raven with his bond to nature, Quoth was more than eager to get his beak on one of Shrub's Shineshards.
As for Mountain Storm, he took the opportunity to curl up (in a ball I assume) with the Collected Scholarship on Sleight of Hand, managing to study nearly a third of the contents. His paws twitching to the rote excercises from the book, he set about catching up with Shrub outside the walls.
Tao set his mind to learning more about his magic, which has been growing in power lately and is still not something he fully understands. In fact, sometimes he feels the power overtake him and the loss of control is a concern. He remembers passing the The Mage's Beltpouch a few weeks ago, and decides to stop in and see what he can learn. Benoit, the tiefling proprietor of the shop, barely lifts his nose from his spellbook to help him out. Beyond a little browsing of the shop's contents, Tao doesn't feel much of a sense of kinship with this wizard. It's clear to him his power is different, even if the outcomes are often the same. He comes away from the experience feeling that he'll need to look elsewhere to understand the source of his magic.
Croaker Norge decides to learn what she can from the local watering holes. Unfortunately for her, Niiro, a local drunkard who has an annoying habit of repeating everything you say before responding, takes a shine to her and won't leave her alone. The only upside is that he repeats other things he's heard too, and he repeats a rumor that the scouts who were sent to Rainstar Island haven't returned yet, though they should have by now if he's to be believed.
Upon ditching Niiro successfully one day, Croaker visits the home of Minci Brassbands, a local dwarven woman who is throwing a small party. She's familiar with Croaker and the party, and finds an opportunity to strike up a conversation with Croaker to get to know her better. Though she knows much about magical items, and informs her that the breastplate they found if from an ancient, pre-Empire time, she knows little in the way of specifics about it. She does however agree to come along on the expedition in a few weeks. She's heard tell that the lake in the center of Rainstar Isle was created by a meteor, and is eager to find out the truth of the matter.
On Sunsday, the group approaches the Fortress of the Red sun with Tao, who seeks more knowledge about his magic there. They see Abbot Sada speaking with Palasan the Red at the base of the steps, as they watch the Flashing Spears perform military maneuvers. They're informed that they are invited to fight in the Trials, a no holds barred, full contact martial contest between members of the Cenobium for the purposes of martial training, status in the organization, and leadership roles. The Abbot oversees the competition, and awards stand out participants with personal rewards and status. It is also used as a way to induct new acolytes into the order. Once a member is blooded in the Trials, they are considered a full member and allowed to wear the red sash of the order.
As the group accepts the honor of the challenge, they are surprised the next morning to see they will be fighting Palasan, Enomoto the White, head of the Fortress of the White Sun, and their apprentices Ryuuzouji and Kajiwara, respectively. As if this were not enough, 4 Flashing Spears march out and take their places in formation, brandishing their wicked Naginata and forming a line between the party and their Marshall.
Battle commences, and is a back and forth affair with many injuries, near death experiences and the unfortunate instant incineration of Kajiwara of the White Fortress, the tiefling woman who is second in command to Enomoto. It seems that Tao's power surged and in an uncontrollable blast of fire, her body was completely consumed. This is uncommon, but deaths do happen in the Trials and no fault is laid at his hands. After this blow to their morale, the rest of the Cenobium's champions are felled until only Palasan is left standing. Outnumbered, Shrub (as a wolf) knocks her off her feet, and she graciously concedes defeat.
After a moment of silence and some healing for the still surviving contestants, the Abbot has prizes brought forth for the party. He has these distributed individually as he launches into a speech...

Rewards

Items:
• Mountain Storm:
  Homebrew

  Gloves of the Duelist

  Adventuring Gear

  Rare Requires Attunement

  1. Attunement to the gloves allows any edged, one-handed weapon to be used as if it had the finesse, parry and riposte properties.
  
  
  2. Additionally, whenever you successfully make an attack with the riposte ability, you may make an additional attack with the same weapon.

  A pair of soft white doeskin leather fingerless gloves, with red embroidery down the backs which look like small drops of blood spatter. Other than this decoration, they're always pristine and look freshly tanned and bright white.

  Cost: 5000 gp
  Weight: 2 oz
• Croaker Norge:
  Homebrew

  Flail of the Suns

  Adventuring Gear

  Rare Paladin Requires Attunement

  Flail, bludgeoning, shield wrap, versatile (2d6)
  The flail has 3 charges, and regains them on a long rest. You can expend a charge to use one of the following effects:

  1. White Sun:On a successful Smite, the target is stunned until the beginning of your next turn.
  2. Red Sun: On a successful Smite, the effect of that smite is increased by 1 damage die.

  
  Bludgeoning. When you miss by 1 with this weapon, you deal half damage instead.
  Shield Wrap. You gain a +1 to attack rolls against opponents wielding a shield.
  Versatile. This weapon can be used with one or two hands. A damage value in parentheses appears with the property—the damage when the weapon is used with two hands to make a melee attack.

  With a handle wrapped in alternating silver and red binding, this flail is no ordinary peasant's weapon. The chains are topped with two orbs. One is white mithril so bright it's almost mirrored, with a perfectly smooth finish. The other, a dark, almost blood red bronze spiked with wavy sun rays.

  Type	Damage	Damage	Range
  Martial Melee	2d4	Bludgeoning	Melee

  Cost: 5000 gp
  Weight: 2 lb.
• Tao Redsun:
  Homebrew

  White Sun Ring

  Ring

  Rare Spellcaster Requires Attunement

  While this ring is on your person, you can use an action to speak its command word and regain one expended spell slot. If the expended slot was of 4th level or higher, the new slot is 3rd level. Once you have used the ring, it can't be used again until the next long rest.
  It also increases your spellcasting statistic (INT, WIS, or CHA) by 2 while attuned.

  

  A simple platinum ring set with a perfectly round, oversized white pearl in the center. When closely observed, movement like white waves can be seen just under the surface of the pearl.
  

  Cost: 8000 gp
  Weight: 4 oz
• Shrub:
  Homebrew

  Irontree Heartwood Staff

  Staff

  Rare Requires Attunement

  staff, uncommon, Versatile (1d8), parry (versatile), riposte
  Carved from the exceptionally dense heartwood of an Irontree, this Ironwood staff can not only serve as a spellcaster's focus but also as a blunt weapon in melee combat.
  

  1. Spellcasters who attune to the Heartwood Rod also gain +1 to their spell save DC and spell attack rolls.
  
  
  2. Any spell that modifies the damage die of the weapon is increased to the next damage die, i.e. a d8 becomes a d10.

  The Rod may be used as a focus without attunement, but the user does not gain any of the additional benefits.

  

  A perfectly straight and well balanced staff crafted from the strong as steel heartwood of an Irontree felled by a massive lightning strike on the slopes of The Last Mountain by skilled Cenobites.

  Type	Damage	Damage	Range
  Simple Melee	1d6	Bludgeoning	Melee

  Cost: 2000 gp
  Weight: 5 lb

Report Date

17 Sep 2021