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Post by TG Barighm on Nov 12, 2007 19:41:06 GMT -5
[glow=blue,6,300]UPDATE[/glow] ***************
Mobu claps his hands excitedly. "Oh, goody! You're interested.
You see, I'm a very busy gnome. I have many projects in the works, but after this little incident...I don't think they will allow me to continue working at the Inventor's League guild hall, nor will they allow me access to their useful resources. I was on shaky ground already, but this may be the last straw. I will have to retire to my tower in the mountains for now. There I'm engaged in a few of my own personal projects, but without the apprentices at the guild hall my work will greatly suffer. I'm going to need help."
I laugh. "Ha! Muscle? Is that all you need us for? You think we carry weapons and armor around all day long just to tone our bodies? I think we could do better than simple manual labour."
"Oh, please! I know it will be a great inconvenience to you kind folks, but I will pay accordingly. It will also help me out if you learn more about my work. Understand the greater good of my projects. I will need you to vouch for me if the knights decide to arrest me."
I roll my eyes, but after a few seconds, I get to thinking...
This guy is a golem crafter. They don't build those things out of any old piece of junk. The materials needed to bring these things to life cost a lot, and to get that kind of money, you need to have some clout. Namely, golden clout. This gnome has to be loaded.
If he's loaded, and he needs to hide somewhere, he must have some kind of emergency stash at his hide-out. Finally, he's a wizard, so there must be some expensive magical junk lying around. And hey, his hide-out should be just as good for us as it is for him.
Of course, rich, golem-crafting wizards are also a bit on the powerful side, so there would be no room for error. And no wizard, least of all powerful ones, is stupid, so we will need to be careful. I guess it wouldn't hurt to help him out for a bit while keeping an eye out for anything of value.
I finally nod at Mobu. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to help you for awhile. Whaddya say, guys?"
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Post by keno on Nov 13, 2007 9:24:14 GMT -5
Marvin looks at the gnome, then looks at Wynd. He suppresses a shudder at the thoughts that momentarily surface, but then turns back to the gnome.
"I think we can help you out," he says with a smile. A smile he hopes looks friendly instead of predatory.
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Post by cealia on Nov 13, 2007 15:48:15 GMT -5
Wynd nods and smiles at the gnome.
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Post by TG Barighm on Nov 13, 2007 17:46:55 GMT -5
(Btw, because this game is still new and skills haven't been used much so far, I'm going to convert skills to the new skill system I proposed in the RP Ideas thread. See utility thread for more details) * * * * *
[glow=blue,2,300]UPDATE[/glow] ***************
Mobu claps his hands in excitement. "Wonderful! To prove I'm serious about the pay, here's some coin. For goodwill."
I expect a few more gold coins to be passed into my hand, but I'm surprised to see platinum! This guy IS loaded (10pp each).
"Come on, let's go. My tower is northwest of the Razed Lands, so we will need to travel there first," Mobu explains as he jumps on his golem's shoulder and begins marching north.
Razed Lands? Great! Half way to Lazos. I stop the gnome and use these last few moments in Gold Road to ease the weight of the Bag of Holding and change a few coins. These bags can't carry everything, you have to free them up sometimes.
**All silver has been converted to gold coins, and you've received a bonus from Dagg's selling of the packhorses and valuable gear within the Bag of Holding. When I sell stuff off like this, it will be at "liquidation" prices. Characters will have to personally sell items to receive better deals.
GOLD ROAD, NORTH: To Lazos ===========================
We do not have to worry about food or water. The gnome takes care of that for us. I picked up some food and water anyway and threw it in the Bag before we left, but it's nice to have the gnome's creation spells.
About a half hour out of Gold Road, the gnome golem crafter gives us the first glimpse of his power. He casts a couple of spells, and all of a sudden, we're all able to run at enormous speed, Wynd moreso than us. The centaur has to slow down a bit for us to keep up, but in the end, we're all flying up the road to Lazos. The other spell prevents us from running out of breath too quickly.
*DM's note: Not LITERALLY flying
After about an hour of this, which leaves as well out of view of Gold road and brings the mountains within sight , the two spells fade. We're not tired and we've covered a great deal of ground, and that is impressive. Unfortunately, the gnome warns he's low on spells and can't do that again, so we should rest for the night. It's getting dark anyway.
Apparently we need to hide the iron golem before we can rest. The rolling foothills, grasses, shrubs, and trees aren't enough for the gnome. We need to find something more substantial. The golem can't just be out of sight, it needs to be difficult to find. This little search has something to do about curious passerby poking at the golem while we rest, and a little incident that resulted from this.
I suddenly find myself putting a bit of distance between me and the golem. The gnome has too many "incidents" under his belt. I don't want to be added to them.
[glow=red,2,300]RRRRRRRRRRRRRR-FWOOMPH!!![/glow]
The hell was that? I look up and watch a burning object suddenly sweep over my head. Is that a meteor? It seems to be. It is large and roughly round, and it is covered in fire. It passes by in half a second, and ends up smashing into the ground just beyond a nearby hill.
Mobu cheers. "Wow! Look at that. We have to investigate!"
I would argue, but this gnome pays well, so we follow without arguing. For some reason the gnome leaves the golem behind, and we proceed on foot. It only takes around 10 minutes to reach the meteor's crash site, and when we get there, we discover the rock is actually pretty small. There is a crater about 30 ft. in diameter, and the meteor itself can't be much bigger than a shield.
But screw the rock, it's the flames that are the most interesting.
They dance and weave in the most odd way. They seem to be moving independently of the flammable bushes and grasses around the meteor, almost like they're searching for something. After a few moments, they stop and face us. We're about 60 ft. away from the crater, but we can somehow feel an intelligence around the flames. They're formless, but we can somehow tell they're looking at us.
"How...fascinating," the gnome mutters.
After a few moments of staring at eachother, the flames suddenly form into small humanoids. They're roughly the same size as halflings. They point at us, then begin to jump up and down.
"Ranka ranka ranka!" they yell in a high-pitched voice.
"Geegee!"
"Ranka-bra!"
What the hell are they saying?
A ball of fire suddenly shoots forth from one of the...creatures, and bursts at my feet. These little bastards are hostile!
"Hey, we mean you no harm!" the gnome shouts, but I doubt the meteor-men understand us. They lob more fire at us.
Man, this is irritating. The little bastards smash into our land, uninvited, and get angry at us? The nerve!
"Let's just get rid of them," I draw my crossbow. "The world doesn't need more hostile meteor people."
STATUS LINE: ============================================== Wynd: Marvin: SpU-Lv.0 x2 Blaine: SpU-Lv.1 x1 Dagg: -1 HP
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Post by cealia on Nov 13, 2007 18:07:48 GMT -5
"How annoying," Wynd says. "Try and kill them from a distance."
(can Wynd understand what they are saying?)
She'll draw her lance and prepare, in case they start to advance. If they do, she'll wait til they are close enough to where she can strike at them with the lance. If she starts getting hit or nearly hit with flames she'll advance and try to kill them with the lance and step on them. (if they're small enough to her.)
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Post by Sin on Nov 14, 2007 1:00:45 GMT -5
Time to make use of my new spells! Summon Undead II to pop a big Skelly (don't recall the specific type) in their midst, then go to town with the Whip-Dagger, taking full use of its 15 ft. range.
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Post by keno on Nov 14, 2007 9:17:51 GMT -5
Marvin will unleash a ray of frost at the closest fire creature. if effective, he'll keep using them from range, if not, he'll switch to his newly acquired bow.
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Post by TG Barighm on Nov 14, 2007 13:05:48 GMT -5
[glow=red,6,300]UPDATE[/glow] ***************
*Two rounds. At least 2 rounds.
Seeing us draw our weapons, Mobu begins hopping up and down while waving his hands. "No! Stop! Maybe we can reason with them."
Wow, what a naive dimwit. I thought wizards were supposed to be smart.
I want to make this quick, so I pull out a bolt and get it ready. Marvin and Blaine cast some spells, one that sends a ball of cold energy at a meteor man, and the other summons a bear-like skeleton among the firey people. I say bear-like because it has some weird, bird-like features on its skull. Well, whatever it is, it immediately begins attacking a nearby meteor man, one more towards the back.
Good weird skeleton thing! It shreds the meteor guy to flaming shreds in a single, well-placed swipe (Crit, -19 HP), although it does get burnt (-2 HP). As for Blaine, he begins to move closer.
Marvin's ball of energy sails wide. He then pulls out his bow.
The meteor people keep tossing fire, so Wynd goes Charging in, lance lowered and ready to skewer. As she Charges, a ball of fire sails past her head. It ends up nailing Marvin, who couldn't see it (-2 HP). The centaur easily reaches the closest meteor man and skewers it. Just like that, it blows apart (-28 HP). She continues running by.
The remaining little bastard doesn't seem to care its friends are dead.
NEXT ROUND: ==========
The skeleton gets struck by fire, but the damage is meaningless. The skeleton slashes the fiery creature with its skeletal claws, and a slash of Blaine's whip-dagger dispels the creature.
EXP: +400, Blaine +500 kickass summoner bonus
* * * * *
There isn't much else to see. Mobu is annoyed we killed the creatures instead of trying to communicate with them, but he doesn't dwell on it for very long, and soon we're gathering meteorite fragments. We're unable to find any large pieces, but there are enough to make the gnome happy.
We also use the crater as the golem's hiding place. It's not exactly a hole, but it may help make the golem more difficult to see if it lies on its back. You can't see the crater from the road, so things should be all right.
Once that's taken care of, Mobu casts a spell that conjures a heavy oak door right before our eyes. The door sits on the ground, with no doorframe in sight, as if it has every reason to be there. This doesn't bother Mobu one bit. He walks up to the door and opens it like any other door he has encountered, and as it swings open, a very pleasant sight is revealed.
"Hello, good sir, place make yourself at home," a polite voice says.
I take a look at the...room beyond the door. It is, as far as I can tell, what appears to be the grand foyer of some magnificant mansion. I lean to my right and look behind the entrance to the mansion and find the back of the oak door. It's like the door isn't even open!
"Aren't you guys going to come in? It's nice and warm in here," Mobu calls out to us.
I shiver, but follow the gnome's advice. I enter the mansion from the open side of the...portal, and begin to take it all in. And you know what? It really is quite warm and pleasant.
I now discover the owner of the voice I heard earlier and shiver yet again. These guys are creepy looking. Just imagine your typical nobleman's servant, with lacey cuffs, fancy shoes, and silk vest. Now imagine that servant's head, hands, and face as being featureless and transparent.
After we enter, the creepy servant shuts the oak door and locks it, then takes our cloaks and hangs them on pegs near the door.
"Your rooms are ready, and dinner has been prepared," the servant announces before departing to parts unknown.
Mobu leads us to the dining room, and as promised, a great feast is awaits us. The gnome has little trouble finding a seat and helping himself to the meal, but the rest of us are a little confused.
"Is this safe?" I ask. "Sleeping here, I mean. And I guess I mean the food too. Is any of this safe? How can we trust that ghost?"
"He's not a ghost, he's a...servant," Mobu replies. "The food is safe. I've eaten it hundreds of times. It is entirely under my control, and I guarantee this place is safer than the world itself. Nothing that is uninvited can get in."
Still a little uncertain, I look over the feast and settle on a plate of breadrolls nearby. I pick up the bread, take a bite, and...
"It's quite good. Very good, in fact. Easily the best breadroll I have ever tasted," I turn to Mobu. "Who made it? Is there a chef?"
Mobu hesitates. After a few moments of thinking, he smiles at me. "It is better you don't know that. Too complicated an answer, very advanced magic. Just know it is real, it is tasty, and it is nutritious. I once spent an entire week eating nothing more than this food. Trust me, this place is great."
And with that, the gnome begins to dig into a roasted duck. I gotta admit, that looks good. Bread, pastries, at least 10 different kinds of cheese, stews, duck, beef, berries, baked potatoes...
The next thing I know, I'm face deep in a bowl of cherries.
"So," Mobu begins, "what brings you guys to Jumelwyn? A centaur, a bard, a spellsword, and a...er, anyway, you guys strike me as an odd bunch."
A bard? Is he referring to me? "Hey, just because I can play a flute doesn't mean I'm a bard. I have better things to do than tell stories all day long."
"Indeed," Mobu looks down at his plate. "Forgive my rudeness, but something about you guys strike me as...off."
I roll my eyes and shake my head. "I don't know. I just met these guys the other day. We have some work to do and decided it could get done much easier if we work together. That's all. I don't care about anything else."
"I see," Mobu then turns to the rest of the party. "And what about you? What do you have to say?"
"Do not reveal our secret!"
"A wizard can be trouble."
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Post by keno on Nov 14, 2007 14:09:44 GMT -5
Marvin samples several different items, eager to take advantage of this ample spread.
"Me? I'm just a traveller. Ran into these guys a couple days ago on the road, and just decided to follow them for a while."
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Post by Sin on Nov 15, 2007 0:07:01 GMT -5
Blaine shrugs dismissively, and asks what else is on the menu. Not much here is entirely to his liking.
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Post by TG Barighm on Nov 15, 2007 14:43:10 GMT -5
[glow=blue,6,300]UPDATE[/glow] ***************
Nobody else responds to the wizard. He looks us over a few times, then sighs and returns to his meal. I guess he finally took the hint.
After the meal, we retire to a small sitting area where a roaring fire awaits us. The gnome produces some pipeweed and a few spares pipes, and after a couple relaxing hours of smoking and staring into the fire, the gnome goes to his room. I decide to go out and get some fresh air. After a moment where Mobu explains how to open the extra-dimensional door, I unlock the big oak door and step out into the darkness. I leave the door open for the light.
So many strange things...a meteorite crater, a door standing on its own in the middle of nowhere, and a golem lying on its back. I'm glad nobody else is around to question this. I turn my back on the strange sight and focus on the rolling hills and swaying grasses, and I imagine the peaceful road beyond.
A thought arises. I begin walking.
"We can't leave our brothers behind."
"You can't, but I can. They're not my brothers, they're yours," I reply aloud.
"Our souls are joined. We are one."
"Quite a fancy way of describing a voice in my head. How do I know you're even real? Have you ever heard of mass hysteria? Maybe this is all in my head and I'm dreaming, or I starved to death in that dungeon cell. This could be the after-life."
"It is not. I have traveled the realms of the dead. This is very different."
"'I'?"
"We are alone at this time. The extra-dimensional borders are unbreachable, even for warriors of Soh."
"Ah. How considerate of you. Realms of the dead, eh? So you're nothing more than a ghost? Thanks for the information, you idiot. Now I can find a priest who will expel you."
"I have traveled and exited the realms of the dead, and emerged as something else. We are not ghosts. We are much, much more. A priest will not help you."
"I think I'll just go figure that out myself."
"So be it, but if I leave, you will fall."
I laugh. "Big words for such a weak voice."
"Then I will take my leave."
Have you ever felt like you were about to drown? Or freeze to death? I gotta tell you, it's not a good feeling. I once almost did both when I fell in a well as a child, so I know the feeling. And that's exactly what I feel now. Without warning, my strength seems to evaporate. I fall to my knees, and a numbness washes over me. I feel cold, oh, so cold, and I begin to feel very sleepy.
"What...what are you...?"
"I am beginning the process of abandoning this ward."
"Wait, wha...? No, stop it!"
"You want me to leave, so I will honour your wish. I am not without honour, but you will be left unprotected."
"Gah...what...what are you talking about?"
"I see. You believe you are sheltering me, protecting me. You believe I need you to survive in this form, but this is not true. I do need you to function in the material world, but my survival is ensured. Your survival, however, is not. Without me and my brothers, the curse will consume you."
"Curse? What...curse?"
"The curse placed on me and my brothers. The curse that follows us everywhere. We no longer have physical bodies it can consume, so it can't harm us anymore, but it will destroy you. Without us, the curse has no other choice."
"Ahhh...you bastards. You didn't say anything about a curse."
"There was no need. You were already affected, so there was no point telling you about it. As long as you help us, the worst traits of the curse shall remain...subtle."
My strength suddenly returns. I rise to my feet. "So...I'm pretty much screwed. How do we remove the curse? If it doesn't affect you, why do you even care?"
"It is an injustice me and my brothers must correct. When we do, the curse may be removed."
"You don't even know if you can remove the curse?"
"We can only hope, but we must try. It will take a lot of work, and I will need my brothers' help. We will reward you for your aid. And do not try to take advantage of my brothers. If you refuse to help, we will find somebody else."
I grumble for awhile, but I eventually agree with the Soh. My instinct tells me the Soh isn't telling me everything, but clearly my life is at stake here, so what choice do I have?
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Post by TG Barighm on Nov 15, 2007 14:47:21 GMT -5
* * * * *
Back in the mansion's sitting room, I find my comrades still sitting around the fire. I don't have the heart to tell them they're walking corpses, so I suggest something I've been thinking about.
"You know, that gnome said he used his spells today, and his golem is sitting outside," I suddenly shake my head. "Ah, nevermind. He's still pretty powerful and his tower might be full of goodies."
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Post by keno on Nov 15, 2007 14:56:43 GMT -5
Marvin looks up with a glint in his eye. He doesn't say anything however, simply stands and looks around.
(He's looking for a book shelf, if he doesn't find any, he'll continue to search other rooms)
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Post by TG Barighm on Nov 15, 2007 16:25:53 GMT -5
Marvin does find some bookshelves, but they hold fake books. There are many in the room they're in now, and one in each of the rooms at the top of the stairs in the foyer (very basic floorplan).
(Know: Arcana) Marvin is not a wizard, and his experience with spells such as the one fueling this extra-dimensional mansion is little, but he does know just enough about magic to figure it may be a bad idea to leave your belongings in the mansion after the spell expires; thus, Mobu didn't fill the shelves with any real books.
**If you're wondering how this experimental skill system affected that check, it worked like this: you automatically succeeded, I just rolled to determine whether someone of your skill rating did a good job for that particular skill rating.
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Post by keno on Nov 15, 2007 16:35:14 GMT -5
Marvin returns to the group, and whispering, voices his concerns about remaining in the tower.
(Basically Marvin is concerned that if the spell ends while they're inside, it will be "bad" and he has no idea how long the spell will last.)
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Post by TG Barighm on Nov 15, 2007 16:59:23 GMT -5
(OOC) Dagg blinks a few times, a confused look filling his face. "Huh? This is the tower? I thought this was just some extra-dim...er, wizard jargon and all that...sort of...place. I expected an actual tower. You might be right though. I doubt Mobu would sleep here if the place was in danger of collapsing, but would it collapse if he was removed?"
(Know: Arcana) Marvin thinks a little harder on this dilemma, but try as he might, he simply doesn't know enough, if anything at all, to answer the question. He simply doesn't know anything about Mobu's mansion spell, or the magicks that govern it.
**In this case, I'm making a judgment call, which is relative to every DM. Long story short, he isn't a high level spellcaster or a scholar of magic, so Marvin wouldn't know how the spell works.
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Post by Sin on Nov 15, 2007 22:47:57 GMT -5
"Well, if this is his tower, and he can conjure it up at will, why in the Nine Hells did he hire us? Personally, I think this is just a pitstop on the way to his real abode."
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Post by cealia on Nov 16, 2007 0:38:09 GMT -5
"Of course it isn't his real tower. He wouldn't be able to keep anything longer then however long this spell lasts - including all his expensive materials he must use to create giant golem things."
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Post by keno on Nov 16, 2007 8:39:55 GMT -5
(my appologies, I thought the place where we are was tower-like on the inside)
"Look, the books are fake. The food seemed real enough, I'll agree, but just look at the books."
He finishes by tossing one to Dagg.
"This whole thing makes me uncomfortable."
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Post by TG Barighm on Nov 16, 2007 12:14:18 GMT -5
Dagg examines the book for a minute. "Umm...I don't see where you're going with this."
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Post by keno on Nov 16, 2007 13:33:50 GMT -5
"What if this whole thing is a trap?" Marvin whispers. "What if he plans to leave and have this place collaspe on us?"
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Post by TG Barighm on Nov 16, 2007 14:27:22 GMT -5
"I don't see why someone would give us money and then kill us, but if you're suspicious, we can sleep outside. It's not raining or anything."
*Brownie points for the RPing, btw
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Post by keno on Nov 16, 2007 14:52:24 GMT -5
Marvin shifts uncomfortably, "Look, I don't want you to think I'm scared, but you know, it might be a good idea to sleep outside. Right now, if someone stumbled upon the golem and the door, we'd never know about it until they opened the door."
With that, Marvin heads out the door.
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Post by TG Barighm on Nov 16, 2007 15:56:08 GMT -5
[glow=blue,6,300]UPDATE[/glow] ***************
I don't know what Marvin is yapping about, but the whole extra-dimensional thing makes me a little uneasy anyway, so sleeping outside may be a good idea. We move our stuff outside, set up camp as normal, and spend the night under the stars.
We wake up at daybreak and begin to break camp. Mobu appears shortly after that through the mansion door. "What are you guys doing out here?"
Our faces are blank.
Mobu chuckles. "Don't worry, you're not the first to feel uneasy about my spell. Come, let's have breakfast. The food may not be warm anymore, but it can't spoil as long as it doesn't leave the mansion."
We take up Mobu's offer, and after breakfast, we depart the mansion and prepare to depart. The door winks out of existence minutes after we abandon it.
"I mentally locked it. The mansion is still there. It will eventually disappear, like in a few hours or so," Mobu explains.
We return to the road shortly after that. Mobu casts those two spells that allow us to run at blinding speed again, and we do so for about an hour. The spell eventually runs out, and we find ourselves looking upon the lofty mountains and forests of the Lazos region. The Razed Lands are near.
"We can't run through here. We don't want the knights in the area to get suspicious of us," Mobu explains as we walk along.
After about 20 minutes of walking, we come across a Hands patrol. The patrol consists of 4 Hands soldiers on horseback, 3 of which are armed with halberds and crossbows. The fourth has a shield and a rod at his side. He must be a battlemage of some sort.
One of the halberd-armed Hands waves to Mobu. This soldier is dark-skinned, probably of Cayarni descent, and he seems to be the patrol's captain.
"Hail, travelers! Hail, wizard! Business in Lazos?"
Mobu waves back. "No. I'm returning to my tower for awhile. We're just passing through."
"Be that as it may, we are under orders to inspect any traveler who passes through these lands. You, of course, may continue on your way," the soldier gives Mobu and his golem another wave.
"I'll meet you guys at the outpost in the Razed Lands," Mobu says before taking off. We watch him march away in silence. He is nearly out of sight in just 5 minutes. The golem can really cover some distance when it wants to.
I suddenly realize what is going on with this inspection. My gaze drifts to the slips of paper in my belt pouch.
"Damn it, this is a necromancer shakedown," I whisper to my comrades. "Remember? They're looking for necromancers in Lazos, so the knights are trying to stop them."
Wynd, Marvin, and I glance at Blaine.
"This can be trouble."
* * * * *
This inspection is designed to reveal necromancers. Blaine is most definitely a necromancer...sort of.
Actions?
============================================== NEW QUESTS: I'm changing how quests and propositions are handled. Check the utility thread for details.
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Post by Sin on Nov 17, 2007 4:03:13 GMT -5
Blaine grudgingly agrees to the search, knowing that nothing overtly necromantic will be found on his person. Torture implements, yes, but nothing necromantic. He then struggles greatly with himself to avoid turning this minor incident into a bloodbath, as much as he would like to.
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Post by TG Barighm on Nov 17, 2007 12:53:44 GMT -5
[glow=blue,6,300]UPDATE[/glow] ***************
The guards go through Wynd, Marvin, and I very quickly, but they stall when they reach the creepy-looking Blaine.
"My, aren't you a suspicious looking one. Why are you dressed like an executioner?" the captain of the patrol continues to look Blaine up and down. "I feel a little uneasy around you. Why is that?"
"Maybe he channels negative energy?" suggests another guard.
"Maybe," the captain nods as he begins to feel around Blaine's character. He finds the torture implements.
"What are these? They look suspicious. Are they tools?"
The battlemage suddenly cuts in. "He's got a very dark aura around him. All of them do. Something is up with these folks."
The captain gives us a dark smile. "You wouldn't happen to be headed to Lazos, would you?"
"No, we're working for Mobu," I interrupt. "Good pay too."
The captain gives me a stern look, but his expression softens a bit, and he nods. Looks like he believed me.
"Hmm...still, something isn't right here. We're going to escort you to the outpost and question you further. We need to talk to Mobu to clear this up," the captain explains as he and his guards begin to surround us.
Damn it! This is all Blaine's fault. Those bastards at the outpost have very powerful persuasive magic. How the hell are we going to get out of this?
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Post by keno on Nov 19, 2007 9:31:28 GMT -5
Marvin looks at Blaine, then at the captain, then at Dagg.
He wonders to himself whether the captain would be likely to let them go if he told the truth about Blaine. He also wonders if Mobu would be likely to help if the group attacks the patrol.
Silently he kicks himself for not having worked out a signal ahead of time with the others for just such an occasion.
"If it'll make you feel better, we'll come with you," Marvin says.
If anyone else attacks, or the guards move to confiscate our weapons, Marvin will cast firebolt on the captain.
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Post by TG Barighm on Nov 19, 2007 13:48:34 GMT -5
[glow=blue,6,300]UPDATE[/glow] ***************
It looks like Blaine is going to go quietly. I guess that's the best thing to do here. No need to get killed over the way someone is dressed. Maybe Mobu will help us out.
The Hands escort us to the outpost in the Razed Lands. It only takes about a half-hour for us to reach this battle-scarred region, and another 10 minutes after that to reach the outpost itself.
THE RAZED LANDS, Holy Knight Outpost ======================
The Razed Lands are a scene from a bard's horror story of war and devilry. They are the staging grounds for the centuries long, ever-lasting battle between the Holy Knights and the necromancers of Lazos. The ruins of long-abandoned fortresses, walls, and other defenses mar the lands for miles, and gravemarkers of many types and styles, age and make, litter the land. Withered and dying plants join the ruins, and in some areas, no plants grow at all. The constant exposure to blood has caused some of the remaining plant-life to evolve into groteque, carnivorous species. Seeing the grasses and trees of the foothills suddenly transform into these snapdragon-like plants and blood-red, blood-sucking tentacled bushes is...jarring to say the least. This is assuming a small portion of the region was lucky enough to survive in this unholy place. In most areas, the ground is charred black or covered in salt.
"Enjoying the sights?" one of the guards ask. I have traveled through these lands many times before, but the desolation is so horrible I stare in awe every time. Assuming you can convince the patrols to leave you alone, it's pretty easy to travel through the Razed Land...if you stick to the road. Out there, in the middle of the wastes...survival is not guaranteed.
After passing a couple of abandoned walls and fortresses, both of which supplied for retreat, we reach the outpost. For the most part, the outpost is nothing like the defenses we have passed. It makes you wonder how a simple outpost of tents, watchtowers, and the odd bunker can survive attack for so long. A simple wooden wall encircles the outpost. The outpost seems to have been built to accomodate thousands of soldiers, but only a few hundred seem to be present.
There is some interesting chatter around the camp.
"Blasted corpse-gatherers! How can we be expected to fight off this undead menace when the damned necromancers have those things gathering bodies day and night?"
"Don't worry. Exemplar West has put a reward out on those things. Anyone who manages to kill one, and prove it, will get 1000 gold pieces. No questions asked."
"Why doesn't West just pull out that mystical bow of hers and torch the damned things? Firebreather, is it? Shouldn't she be doing something instead of walking the walls all day?"
"Hey, managing a scattered regiment isn't easy. She is very busy. I'm sure she'd love to go out and slay zombies if it didn't mean leaving the outpost vulnerable. Sometimes I think she's the only reason the necromancers haven't overwhelmed us."
The Hands leave us in the care of a few new guys. Mobu and his golem are waiting near the entrance of the outpost. He gives us a wave, then a confused stare when he sees us being led to a nearby tent. We are ordered to sit down on some chairs, and after a few moments, a fairly young man with short, blonde hair wearing a Holy Knight tabard appears. He holds a wand in either hand.
"Okay, this is how this is going to work. See these wands? One tells me when you're hiding something, and the other one forces you to tell the truth, so there will be nothing kept from me. If you are honest with me, I'll be lenient with you no matter how grave your crimes may be. Lie, and you'll regret it. Hopefully you haven't committed any crimes, but I'm afraid you look like the sort who have. Yes, I've spoken to Mobu, but that doesn't satisfy me.
So, let's begin! You are traveling with the gnome wizard, yes, but why? Aren't you afraid of the golem?"
"Do you plan on heading to Lazos once you're finished with the wizard?"
"Are any of you necromancers, criminals, or spies working for the necromancers?"
Oh, boy. I do my best to resist.
**NEW PROPOSITIONS ADDED:
--Seek out and destroy a corpse-gatherer for the reward --Find and obtain Firebreather from Exemplar West
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Post by TG Barighm on Nov 19, 2007 13:59:53 GMT -5
Here goes nothing...
"What's the big deal? He wanted help for his next project and offered us gold. He's the one in trouble. You should be questioning him. And yes, the golem scares the crap out of me. Why wouldn't it?
Lazos? I don't know. We're not sure yet. We were just sitting in Gold Road when this wizard's creation went berzerk and began killing people. Honestly, any plans 'we' have in the future are shaky at best. Depends on how things go...assuming we continue to work together. It's not like these guys are my best friends or anything.
I'm not a necromancer and I never will be! Give me the creeps. I'm quite happy playing my flute and traveling the roads. And if the odd person wants me to deliver a message or two during my travels, why not? That doesn't make me a spy."
The young knight nods at my words. Whew. Left a few things out, but it looks like I'm in the clear. Let's hope the others are as lucky.
**Everyone has to respond to this
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Post by keno on Nov 19, 2007 14:52:11 GMT -5
"Frightened? Well, now that you mention it, I guess I am a little frightened. Hadn't really thought of it before. But he's paying well."
"Yes, we were planning to go to Lazos, but then we ran into Mobu. Truth be told, those necromancers make me nervous. The dead should stay in the ground, I say."
"And for the record, I'm not a spy, and nor do I intend to work for the necromancers."
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