Canonfire! - Postfest III: Marisuda and The Cloak of Frogs

Marisuda Jannand of Krestible received a prophetic vision from Johydee three years past, a vision of destruction that she strives to prevent from actualizing. Her vision centers around a strange and powerful Wastrian relic known as The Cloak of Frogs.

Marisuda and The Cloak of Frogs
By: grodog
Copyright 2004 by Allan T. Grohe, Jr.
Used with Permission. Do not repost without obtaining prior permission from the author.

Three years ago, Johydee granted a prophetic vision to Marisuda. The vision unveiled an evil priest destroying a shrine of Daern; the priest wore a puissant magical cloak of living frogs, or toads, and employed it to devastating effect. Marisuda has neither located the Daernean shrine in peril, nor identified the priest beyond recognizing him as a Scourge of Wastri. During her vision quest, she has sought counsel from learned priests, sages, and magi who could help her to refine the significances of her revelation.

Throughout her journey, the young paladin has encountered friends as well as foes. Her most surprising meeting occurred upon waking one Starday to find a griffon standing watch over her. While praying the evening before, Marisuda had received word that aid to speed her search was en route. After her initial shock and surprise at not being eaten, Marisuda recognized the griffon as her promised ally, and befriended it. She spent a month learning to fly upon Perseverance’s shoulders, and now wings across the Flanaess in search of the learning to clarify her vision.

The Cloak of Frogs
Marisuda unearthed her first piece of lore about the Cloak of Frogs in an undated account of a battle fought somewhere in the western hinterlands of the Voll. Written in Ancient Baklunish, when translated into Common the fragment reads:

…vile [unreadable] landed amidst the bannermen of Lord Eo- [unreadable], and smote them with a [word fragment, may be hid-]-eous [two additional unrecoverable words follow] croaking---they fell in droves. As th[e?] [unreadable]-st rose from the wreckage of cataton- [-ic kni-] –ghts, sundered mail, felled horses, and shiv- [rest of word is unreadable, as is the following one] –ng, the Cloak of Frogs sang once more---he swung the Cloak about him with a flourish, disappeared amidst the multitudes of the Prophet’s hol- [-y??; the next several lines are eradicated] … rout complete, knots of giant toads and frogs pursued, some spewing venom from their eyes…. [The remainder of the account does not mention the Cloak of Frogs]

Marisuda discovered the account in a collection of water-damaged historical treatises stored in the first temple to Rao in Veluna City. She transcribed the contents with the permission of the high priestess, and set off toward Dyvers and the City of Greyhawk, in search of additional resources.

The second piece of lore recovered by Marisuda appears in an Ancient Baklunish edition of the Fables of Burdock, and will be forthcoming in a separate submission to Canonfire!

Marisuda as a Foil

Marisuda can be encountered in any location---from a sprawling metropolis such as Dyvers, Greyhawk, Rel Mord, or Irongate (perhaps arriving or departing, if the DM wishes to feature her mount immediately), to a member of a merchant train traversing the dirawaen of Ahlissa or Medegia, to a lonely camp in the wilds of Almor or the Shield Lands. Marisuda’s quest draws her gradually from west to east, and from north to south, though she does not know her final destination.

As a foil, Marisuda is perhaps best employed if she believes that a PC has in his or her possession information relevant to her mission---she will not take “no” for an answer, and will strive to gain such nuggets of information by any and all honorable means, including trial by combat. Similarly, the DM could place information in her possession that the PCs require for one of their adventures---perhaps a map to a store Iggwilv cached in the Hellfurnaces, the recipe for some lost potion of Zagig, a copy of a handbill/map by one Didro Eightfingers titled The catacombs of the Necromancers, or some other piece of lore she unearthed that is relevant to the DM’s campaign. She will only exchange such lore like-for-like, or for a Daern’s Instant Fortress (for its importance to a follower of Daern, see my Canonfire! article “Artifacts of Oerth Article: B-Sides and Errata”)---so the PCs will either need to treat with her or attempt to acquire their information through less-honorable means (read her mind, steal her journal, kill her, etc.).

Marisuda can also be employed as a distraction or a random encounter/curiosity to players en route elsewhere---if the PCs are of good alignments, she may attempt to pick their brains about her visions, and recruit them to her cause. Her plea could be particularly effective if any PCs worship Daern, Johydee, or Phaulkon. Alternately, Perseverance may decide that one of the PCs’ horses would make a good meal…

d20/3.5e D&D statistics follow.

Marisuda Jannand of Krestible, Female Oerdian Human (28 years old), 6th Level Paladin of Daern and Joyhdee: CR7; (8 with Perseverance); Medium size humanoid (human); HD 6d10+6 (hp 47); Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 17 (touch 11, flat-footed 16); Base Attack +6/+1; Grapple +7; Attack +8/+3 melee (1d8+2, +1 longsword Innomín), or +7/+2 ranged, or +7/+2 melee (1d8+2 lance), or +7/+2 melee (1d6+1 shortspear); SV Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +6; Alignment LG; Str 13, Int 14, Wis 14, Dex 12, Con 13, Cha 15.
Class Features: aura of good, detect evil, smite evil (2/day), divine grace, lay on hands (12 hp/day), aura of courage, divine health, turn undead (as Cleric 3; 5 attempts per day), special mount, remove disease (1/week)
Spells: (caster level 3) 1st - Bless, Cure Light Wounds
Skills and Feats: Diplomacy +10, Handle Animal +11, Heal +5, Knowledge (History) +3, Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) +10, Knowledge (Religion) +8, Listen +2, Ride +12 (+14 if check to remain in saddle, due to military saddle), Search +2, Sense Motive +4; Spot +2; Animal Affinity, Blind Fight, Combat Reflexes, Mounted Combat (bonus: Power Attack, Cleave while fighting using Innomín).

Notable Possessions: The magical longsword Innomín (see below), four light lances, four half-spears, banded mail, gold holy symbol (3” round disc of green and red gold; in relief, it depicts a silhouetted parapet upon which a shield is mounted; the coat of arms on the shield is an onyx mask; 250gp value), holy water (5) in steel flasks, exotic military saddle, two saddlebags, sunrod (3), healer’s kit (6 uses remain), a 100 page parchment journal with several quills and two ink wells (about two-thirds full, it details her travels from Krestible to wherever she is when she meets the PCs), several maps of the Flanaess (including two that she has penned herself), 120 gp in change, two matched spinels (200 gp each, 475 gp for the set), and two fragments of artifact lore about the Cloak of Frogs (see below).

Innomín
Innomín is a Baklunish longsword. The entire blade curves slightly, while the central width flares to half-again the width of the blade at the tang. It bears a very slight guard. Forged from alloyed meteoric-mithral steel, light sea-green whorling patterns of Baklunish characters and symbols are worked along the entire blade’s length. The hilt is covered with deep-red leather (tanned and stained dragon turtle hide).

Innomín is a non-sentient longsword +1 that grants the Power Attack and Cleave feats if wielded by a character of Lawful Good alignment. If wielded by a paladin of the Exalted- or True Faiths it will grant additional powers (to be determined by the DM). According to legend, Innomín belonged to one of Azor-Alq’s captains. In the hands of a non-LG, non-evil character, Innomín functions as a non-magical longsword; in the hands of any evil character, the blade acts as a –4 cursed sword. Marisuda is somewhat aware of her sword’s lineage from reading its runic inscriptions, but does not know its full history or powers.

Marisuda rides an advanced griffon named Perseverance, a boon granted from Daern to assist with her quest. Perseverance is not Marisuda’s special mount, which she does not employ, in deference to the griffon.

Perseverance, griffon, large magical beast; CR6; HD 10d10+30 (87 hp); Init +2; Speed 30 ft., fly 80 ft. (average); AC 17; (touch 11; flat-footed 15); Base Attack +7 Grapple +15; Attack +11 melee (2d6+4 bite); Full Attack +11 melee (2d6+4 bite) and 2 claws +8 melee (1d4+2 claws); Space/Reaxh 10 ft./5 ft.; SA Pounce, rake 1d6+2; SQ Darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision, scent; AL N; Fort +8, Reflex +7, Will +5; Str 18, Int 5, Wis 13, Dex 15, Con 17, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Jump +9, Listen +6, Spot +12; Flyby Attack, Iron Will, Multiattack, Weapon Focus (bite).