Bogladin & Ashes

**Story Arcs**

###### **BOGLADIN HERNANDO'S PROVING TRIAL**

   **Bogladin Hernando**, a human male **Zensufi** monk turns twenty and is of age to take his **Zensufi Proving Trial** which he takes the day after his birthday.

Meeting up with his teacher since childhood and martial arts master up to adulthood the leader of the **Eastern Zensufi Monks** **High Priest Zack Krafe**, Bogladin gets led towards the **Eastern Zensufi Ziggurat**, where he takes part in and overcomes **Zack Krafe's Trial**.

Proving his worth and capability Zack gives the details of his Zensufi Proving Trial, which is to deliver an **incredibly important set of documents** to the **High Priest**(Zensufi**)** of the **Western Zensufi Ziggurat** which can be found across the world residing within the **Western Kingdoms**. Zack tells Bogladin that his first objective should be to head towards a town named **Jaskir** to take a ship heading Westward.

   Before Bogladin heads off, High Priest Zack Krafe hands him various supplies for his journey as well as a unnamed exotic looking dagger which he names the "**Dagger of Zen**".

Bogladin sets off on the journey almost immediately after being gifted with supplies, and travels a fair distance before setting up camp to rest along the **Coastal Trail**.

#### 📅**DAY TWO (PUSHING THROUGH AMERTIA)**

##### 🥋**BOGLADIN'S PROVING TRIAL - CHAPTER 2**

###### **MARCHING AHEAD TOWARDS JASKIR**

   Waking up and continuing forward, Bogladin spots various figures walking further in the distance along the same coast, they looked to be humanoid and were carrying some sort of animal carcass. Approaching where the monk spotted the figures he investigates the tracks which lead towards a path heading into the **Forests of Amertia**, a mountainous and densely forested subcontinent controlled by the **Goliaths** of **Amertia**.

Bogladin follows the tracks which leads to him a clearing where he spots two humanoid figures guarding the path which heads deeper into and presumably though the forest. Utilizing his many years of rigorous monk training, Bogladin dashes without hesitation towards the guards in an attempt to take them by surprise and outrun them through the; what looked like as he was running by, a crude military checkpoint. The guards were taken by surprise, and as Bogladin got closer towards them saw that they were indeed goliaths.

He quickly outpaced the checkpoint guards and ran deeper into the Forest of Amertia, where he would find a trail housing an Abandoned Goliath Camp. Resting within was a sleeping goliath man which he attempted to wake, only to find that he had long been dead with eyes stuck open and rigid with some sort of paralysis. After touching the body, an Amertia Forest Spider; a cat sized spider capable of paralysing its prey with vicious venom, scuttled from underneath the corpse and immediately attacked the monk. Bogladin is able to kill the beast, but not without taking some damage. He uses some of his basic medical knowledge to pull the numbing poison out from his wound.

##### ☀️**THE ASCENDANT GOLIATH - CHAPTER 1**

###### **ASHES THE GOLIATH PALADIN**

    Travelling deeper through the overgrown trails and rough mountainous terrain, Bogladin discovers a large clearing, paved over with worn stone tile with an altar of some sort planted directly in the middle. Looking closely Bogladin sees that there is a heavily armored goliath man sitting at the altar, thumbing through and reading a book quietly. Bogladin approaches and introduces himself, the goliath closing his book and greeting the monk, revealing his name to is Ashes, a devout paladin of Lathander. Ashes and Bogladin speak to each other for a few minutes and get to know each other, learning that this clearing was excavated by Ashes and is known as Lathander's Clearing.

Ashes notices the bite wound on Bogladin's leg and so gets down on his knees and uses his Lay on Hands energy to completely remove any trace of the deep bite marks found on his ankle. Bogladin feels complete trust in Ashes, and so tells him of his Zensufi Proving Trial. Ashes agrees to assist him with his duty, thus forming the adventuring party.

Before deciding to continue forward Bogladin takes notice of the various medical herbs in the clearing and gathers some of them, and Ashes also gathers a few. They both gather a decent amount of Sunclusters, a yellow herb which seems to be abundant in this clearing; and has a deep connection to the followers of Lathander for its ties with the Sun.

Gathering had unfortunately seem to have caught the attention of a few more Forest Spiders who attacked the duo, but using their combined might the party defeated the beasts with no damage sustained themselves. Ashes saw the setting sun, and his upbeat demeanor started to turn more and more nervous. Bogladin wished to continue moving forward, but Ashes insisted they made camp. Bogladin agreed and so the party set up and rested for the night.

#### 📅**DAY THREE (THE FOREST SPIDERS)**

##### 👥**MAIN GROUP - CHAPTER 1**

###### **HEN'ROOK & THE GAUNTLETS OF DELIVERANCE**

    The duo wake up and prepare to continue wandering but are met with a goliath trader named Hen'rook, who offers to sell them some supplies as well as a few other trinkets that he picked up along the way, a Webgrip Rucksack and a strange Lupine Mask. Ashes is disgusted at Hen'rook for trying to pawn off such a horrific creature as a backpack, but Hen'rook reminds Ashes that these Webgrip Rucksack Spiders are found among the Amertia Forest Spiders that the goliaths of Amertia cultivate and farm, like humans do for cattle. Ashes thanks him for the reminder and opts to buy the Lupine Mask which he chooses to wear immediately.

Before heading out, some strange phenomena occurred as a spotlight of sunlight bled through the foliage of the trees onto the altar which stood in the center of the clearing. As if being communicated with by a higher being, Ashes in a almost possessed state takes his light hammer and begins to smash apart the altar, revealing a hidden space underneath which contained a set of gauntlets known as the Gauntlets of Deliverance, wrapped in a gold and red cloth banner with the symbol of the Awakened, a title and rank given to novices within those faithful to Lathander.

Equipping the magical gauntlets and embracing the red banner, Ashes prays and thanks the Sunlight.

###### **THE UNPERMITTED AMERTIA LOGGING CAMP**

    The duo continue South of Lathander's Clearing and encounter a few more Forest Spiders along the trail, they dispatching them with relative ease and keep following the trail into a now less densely forested area. They discover a series of recently constructed tents and structures related to logging dubbed the Amertia **Logging Camp**. Ashes is immediately infuriated, as logging; especially from outsiders is considered heretical without the proper rites and rituals, and wants to get to the bottom of this.

Entering the first few buildings and narrowly avoiding stepping on a bear trap, the duo find a pair of unresponsive humanoids that look like they are sleeping in their beds. Looking closer the bodies are two dwarf men, and it is obvious at this point that they have been long dead, seemingly paralyzed by Forest Spider venom but without any signs of bite marks. Rummaging through the supplies, the duo pilfer what they can from this derelict tent and head onto the next site; a cabin and crane. This central building containing a crane which was used to presumably at some point lift and move logs.

Ashes grabs a plethora of metal ores and ingots scattered around this lumber rig, entering the building he steps on a bear trap but it clanks painlessly off his plate armor. Bogladin meanwhile climbs the lumber rig and finds a few small supplies on the rig itself, someone had stashed some coins up there. Down below, Ashes begun investigating the bodies. He identifies them as a human man and woman who in the same state as the dwarves, and he also discovers a work log titled **Jaskir Lumber Company Ledger** next to the corpse of the man.

Around the camp there is evidence of a campfire as well as a partially rotting but nearly stripped carcass of a deer. Seeing this deer, Bogladin believes that there is some connection with the goliaths he spotted by the Coastal Trail who were also seen carrying an animal carcass. Perhaps this corpse was deliberately sabotaged?

###### **SURVIVORS FROM THE CREW OF THE SHINING LIGHT**

    Heading outside and into the last tent, the duo go into the tent together and Bogladin is able to disarm the two bear traps set in this tent. The pair inspect the corpses, but notices them to still be alive in their beds but near death. The two survivors are a male dwarf named **Dinhk Donhk** and a female tabaxi named **Valorous Flame**. Ashes with the assistance of Bogladin aid the two back from the cusp of death, and pry some details and information from the two survivors regarding what happened in this camp. The tabaxi speaks and they learn that after eating the deer they found already dead in the forest, the entire camp was subject to some sort of paralysing poison which would have killed them both.

The dwarf then speaks, stating that the duo were recent hires that only supposed to work at this logging site for just a few weeks to earn some money to use on repairs for the ship they're part of a crew on, **The Shining Light**. Several other crew members have also taken on odd jobs to help with the maintenance cost. The survivors beg to be escorted back to **Jaskir**, where they can regroup with their crew mates who have been docked for the foreseeable future due to unexpected damage during a voyage.

Bogladin and Ashes both agree without dispute to help the duo back to Jaskir, as they were heading that direction anyway; but take notice to the rising afternoon sun and thus make camp and rest for the day, preparing themselves for their upcoming trek through the **Realm of Conflict**.

Ashes makes a surprising decision towards Bogladin, telling him that he's going to get to the bottom of this mystery and thus begins to head Westwards towards the **Silk Skinners** Spider Cave, and that he should start setting up camp for the group.

##### ☀️**THE ASCENDANT GOLIATH - CHAPTER 2**

###### **ASHES, AND THE SILK SKINNERS**

    Ashes continues travelling West, eventually hearing some strange skittering and scuttling as a massive forest spider dropped from above in front of the paladin. Quickly arming himself in defense, the two brawl for a few moments; Ashes viciously cuts one of the spider's mandibles before a sudden whistling calls both their attention towards a goliath woman, repeatedly telling them to stop fighting.

The two stop, Ashes puts away his weapon once the spider retreats behind the woman who calls the spider by the name **Throrkir**. She introduces herself as **Throrkir the Wise**, a **Silk Skinner**.

Reminded that the goliaths of Amertia make do with what they have available, Ashes remembers eating plenty of spider meat growing up as a kid and not questioning where the meat was sourced from, connecting the dots and coming to a small realization.

Ashes apologizes for attacking her spider, but she pays it no mind thanking the paladin for not slaying the beast. The goliath is then led by her towards the Silk Skinner Spider Cave, a man made set of stairs leading into a natural cave which acts as the nesting grounds for the Amertia Forest Spider.

Heading down into the man made structures found inside this natural cave, Ashes meets another member of the Silk Skinners, a man named Earthwalker who is around the same age as Throrkir the Wise. Earthwalker pays no attention to Ashes, focusing on his butchery of a dog sized forest spider, removing certain gore, offal and other products the spider produces into different containers.

Throrkir the Wise tells Ashes that to truly be forgiven for attacking her pet Throrkir, he would need to do some work for them inside the caves as they are a bit short handed. Agreeing to the task, Ashes goes into the cave and gathers up some spider eggs for the leader of the Silk Skinners.

Finishing his task, Ashes and Earthwalker are the only two people inside the small area dedicated towards butchery and preservation of materials. The two exchange a few words before Earthwalker notices the emblem emblazoned on the shield Ashes carries, a crudely painted symbol of Lathander.

Acknowledging this detail, Ashes asks of his interest regarding his faith. Earthwalker reveals to Ashes to have always been a quiet yet devout follower of the Sun God, unfortunately losing his religious tomes many, many years ago somewhere in Amertia.

Ashes pulls out the book he found as a young man, the book which helped convert the godless goliath to respect and enforce the teachings of Lathander. As if seeing an old friend for the first time in centuries, Earthwalker smiles and slightly tears up, ecstatic to see the book he lost so many years connect with such a devout believer like Ashes.

Ashes happily returns the book back, despite Earthwalker insisting him to keep it. Ashes tells him that he has written everything that book has inside his heart and mind.

Finishing his task here, Ashes begins to head back towards the campsite where Bogladin is waiting.

**Story Arcs**