Developed Relations, Divine Inspirations

Life, Trauma/ Loss

After having two days within Dul Kag to orientate them themselves and having their intial questions answer, the Fractured Pack determined to settle for the moment to achieve tasks impossible to them while on the road. Research, crafting, and relationships marked the broadest sense of their next month.

Hali's first two week were spent in research. The first week gained her information on Aberrant creatures and their relations with other entities and the Prime Material world. Her second week focused on looking into the symbol that was on her tome. This research did not go to plan as the scribe and herself continued to find nothing on it in the general archives. Prolonged searching on it did cause the priest to become ill though and even further inquiry led Hali to having another connection to a dire, whisping voice demand that she take action against the Tertalak. When Hali heard this, she decided to contact Jayden the Crude. The former pirate had gotten to New Derth and had been in the process of gaining a pass to the restricted sections the last time she had spoken to him. Now he had had time to research and even get himself kicked out despite the pass. Hali learned of the Tertalak's purpose as some kind of commandable guard hound that served mortal and immortal masters. It was itself the creation of some great Slumbering being. The creature was often used as a means of dissolving away individuals when the conjurer wanted to prevent any form of identification. Hali's attempt to find a particular scroll in her third week failed but she spent plenty of time in study.   Anna's first two weeks were of crafting and reverence. Utilizing the forge that she was provided, Anna managed to create a suit of armor out of the drake hides she had taken with incredible speed and skill. She also spent time in the Birthwrought attempting to aid the lesser priests, joining in communion and providing lyrical inspiration through the old work songs of Alecaster. While Anna did not herself gain any divine inspiration from the time spent here, she did receive acknowledgement for her skill and began to make connections amid the crafters. Anna blazed through work during her third week. The artificer cranked through two separate projects for her companions. First, she elaborated on some ideas that Buck had to attach the electrode-lugnuts he had harvested from the flesh golem above and below the grip on the Risen Caste horsebow he had taken from the Runol Pass. The enchanting process will allow the hunter to supercharge a shot before having to recharge the bow over night. The second creation was a maul for Broxon containing and inner fire. Though rare, a mighty blow from the maul will cause it to burst with a fiery blast.     Buck's three weeks were quite social. In addition to helping Anna work out his desires for the bow and aiding where he could in the crafting process, Buck also spent time with Hali. Accompanying the genasi to her treatments, the healer's time spent in the Spirit Soaring and inquisitive nature led him into descent rapport with one of the priests, Doraddac Ashbrew. The rest of Buck's time was spent trying to better understand the politics and social positioning of the city. This both satiated personal curiosity as well as gained further insight for Broxon's unsettled opinion of the folk. After learning of both The Warthog Federation (TUUF) and the Royalists, Buck chose to finish up his time focusing his attention on getting better connections with the Royalists. Schmoozing around the upper crust of the city, Buck learned of the slow government processes that relied on the long life spans of dwarves to override their general stubbornness. An elder woman Baritgrethra Hardmaster let drop that due to the harsh feelings that still linger between Dul Kag and New Derth, more of the diplomatic actions were leaning towards the desert dwarves of the Zin Zareth. The plan was to lean into deep dwarven heritage but most of it all was still theory considering how long it took action to be made. If Buck ever made Maha connections up there, he could do good for Dul Kag by putting in a good word.   Broxon's time was spent amid multiple tasks. His first week was a social one. Mods reported back in with her initial information. The PI gave more details on Bron's story. He grew up as Bron Brisson. However, after the death of Umund, he sold off everything and left Dul Kag. He sought out his own glory taking on the singular name of Brisson. This didn't even last a decade before he returned to Dul Kag alone. He worked in the mines for a few years before taking up jobs at Drowned Miners' Den, switching his employing tavern every 10-15 years. Mods also brought information on Umund but it was the same to what Broxon had gained with his own investigations. Broxon attempted to not pay for the info on Umund but this lent to a breakdown of negotiations. In the end, Mods would not be performing any other jobs for him.   The beggar provided Broxon with Bron's schedule of 16 hour shifts with only the afternoons and evenings off. Broxon then set up a his second and third week around fighting in an underground miner's fightpit with occassional stops at the The Bitter Fire. Broxon's fighting pit time was not as successful as it had been in the past based on having a hardier list of fighters: Miners that worked all day and used this as their chance to blow off steam. Still, Broxon made a bit of money, just the barest amount he spent at The Bitter Fire. He would go in about once a week when he knew Bron would be at the end of a shift to just sit and stare. Bron attempted to have guards come and deal with Broxon as an unpaying loiterer. This just led to the dwarf paying for his seat with a guard sitting at the table. While horribly confused, the guards didn't see any crime going on and didn't know of Broxon's connection to Bron. It wasn't until the third week that Broxon said anything to the bartender.   Broxon started to talk about Umund, about the ways of dying and what deaths were worth it. Bron broke. He shattered a glass in his hand, shouted and spittled at Broxon. Blood flowed to the ground and shards flung through the tavern as the still clenched broken glass was never removed. Bron spoke of his love being torn from him, about serving at the Eternal Barracks ardently and meeting every dogma. Despite this, the priests claimed that he had fled from battle and denied him further service. He had desired to be granted the power to extinguish the disease so no one else would have to suffer loses from it but that wasn't seen as a noble reason to serve. Broxon opposed the man, distinguishing between nobility and honor. Tempus was not a Noble god. He was an Honorable god. Bron looked to the guard and said that Broxon was cut off. Before the guard could act, Broxon let himself out. Only a single moment of sincerity was shared from Broxon to Bron during this outrage. The adventurer let it be known that he had lost people in the past and he understood the pain.   With the three weeks of time taken for Hali's legs to heal, Broxon requested that the party finish out an entire month in Dul Kag as there was one last thing he needed to do: a pilgrimage to the Eternal Barracks. In private, he had confided in Buck that he was questioning his service to the Lord of Battle after seeing how his father had been cast out after supposedly serving honorably. If this was something he was going to devout his life to, he needed to know. His worship had already been a trigger that had led to an unneeded fight with a trapped Rakshasa that eventually led to a journey through Hell and the death of two companions, one essentially by his own hand. While Buck supported Broxon's spiritual journey, he proposed that while Broxon had used Tempus' name in the inciting incident the diety may have been more of an excuse to do what the dwarf wanted than any true service. If Broxon had been questioning his faith and desires before, being called out only fed the fires of the dwarf's inner smeltery to figure out what was at his core.   With permission from Commander Drakemace to accompany any Anvilguard that would have him, Broxon called in a much owed favor from Simdala Bonegrip to take him to the Eternal Barracks. The duo's march over mountains was long and harsh but they made the trip in just over half a week. There in, Broxon gained access to the barracks by claiming to be Tempus' Champion. A high ranking member of the Order of the Broken Blade walked Broxon through the memorial hall before questioning the dwarf on purpose and desire. In time, it was revealed that Bron Brisson had been dismissed from his charge not for any failure in service but in revealed weakness and cowardice in his past that would not pass full admittance into the Orders. Tempus demanded Bravery and Honor in all trials. Abandoning a child at the first true testing point with no plans on returning was not Brave and not Honorable. Despite that, Bron's sins had been one of the stokes in what Broxon would eventually become. When Broxon asked what he must do to prove his worthiness and truly rise to be the Champion of Battles, the priest of Tempus set his test: Do what Bron could not, face your fear and overcome it. Broxon feared losing further friends, dying in service to another god's conflicts. With the task laid before him, Broxon... laid down his claim to the title of Champion of Battles. If accepting that others, his friends, could and would die alongside his divine quest was the cost, it was not one he was willing to pay.   Back in Dul Kag, the rest of the Fractured Pack used their encore week to variable success. Hali continued her search for a particular scroll but continued to come up short. While Dul Kag had a sizable crafter community, few of them are core arcanists and even less trade brings in further options to what is readily available. One person bringing goods in, though, was Buck who spent his week out upon the mountainside foraging for herbs and roots as a temporary job for a local herbalist. Finally Anna spent her final week within the Birthwrought looking for Inspiration. While a series of epiphanies did not flood her way, taking the time to fully devout a week at the place did bring her more creative inspiration than it had a month prior.   When Broxon eventually returned, the companion's turned their gaze outward. Hali's time in research had given her motivation to begin full pursuit of the being known as the Tertalak. This caused her to push Buck to confront the truth of the pirates at Craven Cove. While he simply wanted to return home eventually and learn that everyone else was safe and untouched, that would just be optimistic denial. Broxon relished the idea of getting to hunt a large beast in the area. After all, monster hunting is where he had started this journey. Of course, Anna would be joining her friends to aid where ever she could. It was now just a matter of the Pack finding their way there...