KittenMaster
Member
<Yes. In fact most of my funds I give you will be in the form of loot you find.>
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Excalibur: a NeoGAF Pathfinder Play by Post Campaign
- Thread starter KittenMaster
- Start date
((Leveling and shopping is done!))
Dreadstone throws open the double doors to the inn and steps inside from the chill winter air. Oblivious to the cold draft he has unleashed, he holds the door open as Gnaw follows in behind him and proceeds to shake himself dry from his romp through every muddy puddle in Emerald Bay.
"Sir," ventures the clerk behind the desk, "your dog..."
"What 'bout him?"
"Sir, we do not allow dogs in here. You will have to board him in a kennel elsewhere."
"Feel free to try an explain that to 'im, then."
The clerk rolls his eyes and steps out from behind the desk. "Mister... dog," he says as he holds the door open. "Would you please... shoo."
To the surprise of everyone present, Gnaw starts to back out through the door without complaint. Halfway across the threshold, however, he wheels around and sinks his teeth into the leather boot of the clerk. "What th--oh gods! Get him off! Get him off!" wails the clerk as Gnaw yanks him off balance onto the floor.
The lobby is deathly quiet, save for the clerk's hapless scream of "Noooooooooooooooooo!" as Gnaw drags him through the door and out into the street. There's the sound of a struggle as the door swings shut behind them, followed by more panicked screaming and the sound of leather beating a hasty retreat. A few moments later, there is a scratch at the door and a single bark.
Dreadstone opens the door. Gnaw sits outside looking up at him as though what just happened was the most normal thing in the world.
Looking around, Dreadstone doesn't see any sign of the poor clerk. "What'd you do with 'im?" he asks of Gnaw. Gnaw stands up and barks happily, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. "Nevermind, I don't want to know."
Dreadstone pointedly ignores the stares and hushed whispers of the patrons in the lobby. For once, it seems to be about something other than the fact that he's a tiefling, which is a pleasant change of pace. Indeed, he's grown comfortable enough with this place that he doesn't even have his hood up, allowing his dark ringlets of hair to cascade over his shoulders and onto his newly-acquired set of rosewood armor. The rose vines seem to have soaked up the dye as much as the leather, and the visual effect of him being wreathed in thorns seems to only accentuate his demonic countenance. "They'll be calling me the Black Thorn next," he mutters as he makes his way to the common room.
Finding the party, he lays out the two options before them. "Dortumn has prioritized the monster importin' racket goin' on in Southport. We shut that down, we may be able to ensure we don't run into anymore unpleasant surprises like that spider in the sewer. However..."
Dreadstone sits down and leans in closer, lowering his voice. "We got ourselves a potential lead on Ms. Forrester. But it's been a while since we came by this intel, and the Orphans know we know about the location of their little Drowscouts camp out in the woods. So by this point, it may come to nothin'. But there is a chance..."
Dreadstone throws open the double doors to the inn and steps inside from the chill winter air. Oblivious to the cold draft he has unleashed, he holds the door open as Gnaw follows in behind him and proceeds to shake himself dry from his romp through every muddy puddle in Emerald Bay.
"Sir," ventures the clerk behind the desk, "your dog..."
"What 'bout him?"
"Sir, we do not allow dogs in here. You will have to board him in a kennel elsewhere."
"Feel free to try an explain that to 'im, then."
The clerk rolls his eyes and steps out from behind the desk. "Mister... dog," he says as he holds the door open. "Would you please... shoo."
To the surprise of everyone present, Gnaw starts to back out through the door without complaint. Halfway across the threshold, however, he wheels around and sinks his teeth into the leather boot of the clerk. "What th--oh gods! Get him off! Get him off!" wails the clerk as Gnaw yanks him off balance onto the floor.
The lobby is deathly quiet, save for the clerk's hapless scream of "Noooooooooooooooooo!" as Gnaw drags him through the door and out into the street. There's the sound of a struggle as the door swings shut behind them, followed by more panicked screaming and the sound of leather beating a hasty retreat. A few moments later, there is a scratch at the door and a single bark.
Dreadstone opens the door. Gnaw sits outside looking up at him as though what just happened was the most normal thing in the world.
Looking around, Dreadstone doesn't see any sign of the poor clerk. "What'd you do with 'im?" he asks of Gnaw. Gnaw stands up and barks happily, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. "Nevermind, I don't want to know."
Dreadstone pointedly ignores the stares and hushed whispers of the patrons in the lobby. For once, it seems to be about something other than the fact that he's a tiefling, which is a pleasant change of pace. Indeed, he's grown comfortable enough with this place that he doesn't even have his hood up, allowing his dark ringlets of hair to cascade over his shoulders and onto his newly-acquired set of rosewood armor. The rose vines seem to have soaked up the dye as much as the leather, and the visual effect of him being wreathed in thorns seems to only accentuate his demonic countenance. "They'll be calling me the Black Thorn next," he mutters as he makes his way to the common room.
Finding the party, he lays out the two options before them. "Dortumn has prioritized the monster importin' racket goin' on in Southport. We shut that down, we may be able to ensure we don't run into anymore unpleasant surprises like that spider in the sewer. However..."
Dreadstone sits down and leans in closer, lowering his voice. "We got ourselves a potential lead on Ms. Forrester. But it's been a while since we came by this intel, and the Orphans know we know about the location of their little Drowscouts camp out in the woods. So by this point, it may come to nothin'. But there is a chance..."
KittenMaster
Member
Moments later, the party is continuing their briefing in the chilly confines of the back of the wagon after being removed from the tavern.
Axelhortsemchi
Member
While getting forcibly removed to the wagon probably shouldn't be viewed as a good thing, Tiberious seems to view it fun with his newfound friends.
"Wooooow, it's been days since I've been kicked out of a tavern! Let's see, there was the time I saw a thief and broke his neck, the time I put a mean guy through a table for trying to start a fight, the time I got kicked out because the bartender said I was annoying, but that guy was a jerk..."
"But that's a new one! Like, I've never been kicked out of a tavern over a dog mauling someone? We should do that again! I knew we'd have a lot in common, Deadstone!"
Tiberious trails off for a minute as his thoughts return to business. As he has just joined the party, his only frame of reference is what he's been told about their options. This makes it that much easier for him to do what he would likely have done anyway: forego any efforts at critical thought and follow his gut.
"If this Forrester lady's been kidnapped for a while, she's in a lot of danger! It might already be too late, but she'll be even more likely to be hurt if we don't go after her immediately, like right now! I don't even know her, but I would not be able to live with myself if she got killed and it was our faults for being too slow. This is serious, people die when they're killed!"
<Until I find a way to type a valley girl accent that isn't horrible, I think I'm just going to leave it to you guys reading it that way in your heads>
"Wooooow, it's been days since I've been kicked out of a tavern! Let's see, there was the time I saw a thief and broke his neck, the time I put a mean guy through a table for trying to start a fight, the time I got kicked out because the bartender said I was annoying, but that guy was a jerk..."
"But that's a new one! Like, I've never been kicked out of a tavern over a dog mauling someone? We should do that again! I knew we'd have a lot in common, Deadstone!"
Tiberious trails off for a minute as his thoughts return to business. As he has just joined the party, his only frame of reference is what he's been told about their options. This makes it that much easier for him to do what he would likely have done anyway: forego any efforts at critical thought and follow his gut.
"If this Forrester lady's been kidnapped for a while, she's in a lot of danger! It might already be too late, but she'll be even more likely to be hurt if we don't go after her immediately, like right now! I don't even know her, but I would not be able to live with myself if she got killed and it was our faults for being too slow. This is serious, people die when they're killed!"
<Until I find a way to type a valley girl accent that isn't horrible, I think I'm just going to leave it to you guys reading it that way in your heads>
KittenMaster
Member
<I just discovered this .gif, and it is too perfect.>
DeadPhoenix
Member
"People die when they are... what? Forget it." Draco shakes his head at Tiberious then turns to Dreadstone "So, we know where Forrester probably is. Sounds like an easy choice to me, if it means we have to fight a couple more monsters, so be it. If we are to late, I'd rather know as soon as possible, instead of finding out later and wondering if could have saved her by acting sooner. That's not the kind of thing you want to live with."
((Alright, updated character sheet in usual place and upgraded cloak of resistance to +2, I've got 5700 gold hanging around though. Not sure what to do with it. The next things I've got my eye on are out of that price range and I could save up for that but it's still a lot of coin to just sit on))
ThLunarian
Member
The news that everyone is spending the night in town is a disappointment.
The news that Stricia wants Alf to train all evening is a travesty.
It's not that he dislikes her or what she's been teaching him. It's more that their last training session ended with him bruised, aching, and humiliated. Besides, if he was going to be forced to stay in this town, he had at least wanted to do something fun.
He acquiesces to her request, though, and is surprised to find that he is doing far better at dodging her blows than the last time. Where before nine out of ten were hitting, now the numbers had reversed.
At first he suspects that she is going easy on him, but merely looking at her face puts those concerns to rest; the monk either was not very good at deception, or simply chose not to engage in it.
When finally the session ends and Stricia congratulates him and presents him with the quarterstaff, Alf accepts it gracefully, but he looks slightly confused. He turns the weapon around in his hands. "Thank you for this staff, and for teaching me," he says, a little uncertainly. "Not my normal type weapon, but it is good for back up maybe."
-----
The day's tasks complete, Alf decides he ought to do something with all the extra coins he's acquired. Spending money was beginning to feel fun, and he now had some understanding of why man was so preoccupied with acquiring it. Steering clear of the Mallorys' shop, he finds a store with a much less lively shopkeep.
His eyes are immediately drawn to a glowing pair of bracers. He looks down at his shoddy armor of dried leaves and frowns. He takes the armor off, plucks the bracers off their pedestal, and slams it all on the counter. "How much more to trade?"
((All leveled up, and buying Bracers of Armor +3. Also KM, that was the end of the scene, so there's no ambiguity about whether I wanted you to actually answer in character))
The news that Stricia wants Alf to train all evening is a travesty.
It's not that he dislikes her or what she's been teaching him. It's more that their last training session ended with him bruised, aching, and humiliated. Besides, if he was going to be forced to stay in this town, he had at least wanted to do something fun.
He acquiesces to her request, though, and is surprised to find that he is doing far better at dodging her blows than the last time. Where before nine out of ten were hitting, now the numbers had reversed.
At first he suspects that she is going easy on him, but merely looking at her face puts those concerns to rest; the monk either was not very good at deception, or simply chose not to engage in it.
When finally the session ends and Stricia congratulates him and presents him with the quarterstaff, Alf accepts it gracefully, but he looks slightly confused. He turns the weapon around in his hands. "Thank you for this staff, and for teaching me," he says, a little uncertainly. "Not my normal type weapon, but it is good for back up maybe."
-----
The day's tasks complete, Alf decides he ought to do something with all the extra coins he's acquired. Spending money was beginning to feel fun, and he now had some understanding of why man was so preoccupied with acquiring it. Steering clear of the Mallorys' shop, he finds a store with a much less lively shopkeep.
His eyes are immediately drawn to a glowing pair of bracers. He looks down at his shoddy armor of dried leaves and frowns. He takes the armor off, plucks the bracers off their pedestal, and slams it all on the counter. "How much more to trade?"
((All leveled up, and buying Bracers of Armor +3. Also KM, that was the end of the scene, so there's no ambiguity about whether I wanted you to actually answer in character))
KittenMaster
Member
<Everybody wants to head a different direction, Dreadstone decides the destination.>
Dreadstone hides a smirk as he offers no resistance to being escorted out of the tavern. The clerk--looking the worst for wear and missing a boot--waits at the front door. He attempts to jab a finger at Dreadstone's chest, but seems to think better of it as he can't seem to find a place where he wouldn't prick himself on thorns.
Settling for waving his finger under the tiefling's nose, he demands, "You owe me a pair of boots!"
Dreadstone looms over the man, and the clerk's resolve quickly evaporates beneath the ranger's withering glare. Only now does it occur to him that a man of abyssal heritage who swathes himself in brambles even when in the relative comfort and safety of the tavern and hunts people for a living might not subscribe to conventional notions of liability.
"Put it on my tab," Dreadstone says, hiking his hood up once more before heading out to the wagon.
Gnaw lingers behind, looking the clerk's remaining boot with hungry eyes. Surely the man wouldn't begrudge him just one more bite...
"Gnaw!" Dreadstone shouts from outside. "Heel! Confound it boy, haven't you cause enough trouble tonight?"
---
Out in the wagon Dreadstone weighs their options. Forrester is almost certainly gone from the rebel camp now, if she was ever there at all. The location has been compromised, and the Orphans aren't just some rabble with torches and pitchfork. They'll be long gone by the time the party returns.
Meanwhile, the Orphans have been augmenting their ranks with monsters, employing unconventional warfare that the dwindling military ranks of the kingdom have not trained for. If they shut down the operation at Southport, the cripple a key component of the rebellion's strategy.
The choice is clear.
"I'm gettin' soft in my old age," Dreadstone mutters to himself. Slapping the side of the wagon, he announces, "We ride for Miss Forrester."
((Ready to head out on our rescue mission))
Settling for waving his finger under the tiefling's nose, he demands, "You owe me a pair of boots!"
Dreadstone looms over the man, and the clerk's resolve quickly evaporates beneath the ranger's withering glare. Only now does it occur to him that a man of abyssal heritage who swathes himself in brambles even when in the relative comfort and safety of the tavern and hunts people for a living might not subscribe to conventional notions of liability.
"Put it on my tab," Dreadstone says, hiking his hood up once more before heading out to the wagon.
Gnaw lingers behind, looking the clerk's remaining boot with hungry eyes. Surely the man wouldn't begrudge him just one more bite...
"Gnaw!" Dreadstone shouts from outside. "Heel! Confound it boy, haven't you cause enough trouble tonight?"
---
Out in the wagon Dreadstone weighs their options. Forrester is almost certainly gone from the rebel camp now, if she was ever there at all. The location has been compromised, and the Orphans aren't just some rabble with torches and pitchfork. They'll be long gone by the time the party returns.
Meanwhile, the Orphans have been augmenting their ranks with monsters, employing unconventional warfare that the dwindling military ranks of the kingdom have not trained for. If they shut down the operation at Southport, the cripple a key component of the rebellion's strategy.
The choice is clear.
"I'm gettin' soft in my old age," Dreadstone mutters to himself. Slapping the side of the wagon, he announces, "We ride for Miss Forrester."
((Ready to head out on our rescue mission))
KittenMaster
Member
<And by "rescue Miss Forrester" you mean "go to the camp on the slim chance she might be there?">
Jackben
bitch I'm taking calls.
((This exchange was hilarious))
Niko smiles politely at the elven secretary and thanks her before addressing the headmaster. "Thanks for taking time out of your day, preparations for winter semester and the military breathing down your neck are probably keeping you busy. Truth be told I'm at a crossroads of sorts in the development of my abilities." Sighing, he untwists the bronze clasp holding his cloak attached and drapes it over a chair before taking a seat.
"My experience in the sewer..." Letting his words trail off, he stares at a nearby bookshelf momentarily before continuing. "The dark cleric Savis...He seemed to know me in some way. I haven't made many contacts since I left home besides Zoltan." Looking to the headmaster, his eyes are mix of curiosity and fear. "What's more worrying is that his powers were not only formidable, but quite unlike anything I've ever experienced."
The sorcerer's eyes are downcast as he relays the nature of the sewer skirmish to Aurius. He winces as he recalls the burn of the dark energy and the terrifying wraiths. The fear that made him question his own frail flame in the face of pure dark, his illusion & conjuration magics being insufficient to aid his allies. As he finishes, Ozzy whines unhappily from underneath his cloak.
"I've never had to study magic formally to grasp its nature since the talent awoke 4 years ago. My travels allowed me to see a lot of different magic and I mostly found success in mimicking sounds and shapes for deception as well as creating traps using what your school calls conjuration. But this dark force was something on another level altogether, completely unaffected. Necromancy, the others called it."
"Something tells me I must grow stronger to confront this power if it exists to oppose my will. Even if that means learning to wield it for myself, though I fear to do so."
- - - -
((Flash-forward to wagon briefing.))
"Even if the chance is slim, we should try. As Draco says, I'd rather live without regrets. Though I fear we may only be walking into a trap, Savis having doubtlessly informed his peers of our discovery of the base." Niko shivers uncomfortably, more from the thought of confronting the dread necromancer once more than from the cold of the wagon.
((We have an investigator and a manhunter, hopefully we can pick something up
))KittenMaster
Member
Aurius gives a very concerned look as the young man explains his newfound plights. Fingers lift away glasses as he takes a moment to find the thoughts to console the aspiring sorcerer on a misison. "I.. don't know what to say about that man seeming to know you. I'm afraid that will have to be something you'll have to discover on your own, independently of your arcane development or our help; but be wary of what it might mean, as there are certain kinds of pains... emotional pains that no magic, not even the gods' themselves can undo."
"We saw what he was capable of. He should not have been able to summon wraiths so easily and on such a whim, but his energy channel was very much possible innately. Wherever he had trained to become a negative channeling Cleric, he would have had to do so in secret while continuing to work as a politician. Either that, or he had already learned much of what he does at a younger age."
He takes a breath when the young Sorcerer begins to doubt his abilities, "It is true that Sorcerers take longer to develop their spells, but allow me to help how I can. If you come back later today, I'll give you some wands crafted by some of our students as part of their training for you to use."
As he finishes, he looks to Niko putting his glasses on, "I hope you fare well on your missions, as difficult as they may be. Though you are a Sorcerer and not a student here, it has been a long time since I have seen someone so passionate and curious to learn the magical ways. You would have made one of the finest wizards for sure." He smiles at that last remark.
<I still need to plan some hard mechanics and figure out what wands to give Niko (he should be able to cast any Wand even if he didn't actually learn the spell), so I'm gonna wait for his response.>
"We saw what he was capable of. He should not have been able to summon wraiths so easily and on such a whim, but his energy channel was very much possible innately. Wherever he had trained to become a negative channeling Cleric, he would have had to do so in secret while continuing to work as a politician. Either that, or he had already learned much of what he does at a younger age."
He takes a breath when the young Sorcerer begins to doubt his abilities, "It is true that Sorcerers take longer to develop their spells, but allow me to help how I can. If you come back later today, I'll give you some wands crafted by some of our students as part of their training for you to use."
As he finishes, he looks to Niko putting his glasses on, "I hope you fare well on your missions, as difficult as they may be. Though you are a Sorcerer and not a student here, it has been a long time since I have seen someone so passionate and curious to learn the magical ways. You would have made one of the finest wizards for sure." He smiles at that last remark.
<I still need to plan some hard mechanics and figure out what wands to give Niko (he should be able to cast any Wand even if he didn't actually learn the spell), so I'm gonna wait for his response.>
ThLunarian
Member
In the wagon, Alf is busy picking fleas off of Lady. He doesn't much care where they go next. Southport and its monsters sound sort of interesting, but nothing he couldn't pass up.
He looks up and scratches his own head, snagging another flea while he's up there. "Miss Forrester. Who is that?"
After being reminded, Alf nods. "You say they take her as a trap to lure us, yes? Then we going to find something where they say she is taken, guarantee. Maybe her, maybe not, but won't find nothing. Be ready for trap."
He looks up and scratches his own head, snagging another flea while he's up there. "Miss Forrester. Who is that?"
After being reminded, Alf nods. "You say they take her as a trap to lure us, yes? Then we going to find something where they say she is taken, guarantee. Maybe her, maybe not, but won't find nothing. Be ready for trap."
KittenMaster
Member
<So let me confirm again just to make sure, are you guys going to the camp or Southport? I don't want dodgy answers like "wherever Forrester might be", I want a real destination.>
Axelhortsemchi
Member
((I can't speak for everyone, but I assumed the camp was what "go try and rescue Forrester" meant))
KittenMaster
Member
<The party doesn't even know if Forrester is there or not despite seeming to claim to, which is why I don't want "the place where Forrester is at" for an answer.>
KittenMaster
Member
<Okay. After I get a post from Niko, and I get more planning in, I am going to start you off on that path. You also don't get to skip the inns like you could last time.>
DeadPhoenix
Member
((Got myself a Ring of protection +1, a circlet of persuasion and a quick runner's shirt. I am now poor again.))
Jackben
bitch I'm taking calls.
((That's cool. I actually don't have any real concern for Niko's effectiveness because A) I just thought his relative weakness in the last battle was justified and presented a good role-play opportunity and B) I've saved enough gold up now to purchase him a charisma +4 item which has significantly increased his spell power and abilities not to mention new spell focus feats etc. He also picked up magic missle, which he will now use with considerable bluff power & special trait to convince nobles they were hit by a freak meteor shower.))
Following their consultation, Niko is relieved, if only to know someone else in the magical world can identify Savis magic for what it is. 'If he can be named, he can be shamed.; The sorcerer is resolved to focus upon his own strengths and defeat the dark without succumbing to it. "Seems like you always give me a lot to think about, headmaster. I may not be an official student, but I appreciate your wisdom. Thank you for your help. I believe....I can and should beat this dark cleric in my own way, instead of resorting to his art."
KittenMaster
Member
<Niko will eventually receive a wand of Halt Undead and a wand of Dimension Door as help from the Headmaster.>
Once everyone appears to be ready, Uqualek, an armored centaur that has been acting as their coach waves over to the back with his usual outspoken demeanor, "So we're going back to Rosewood to look for that camp, right? This travelling job is a lot harder than I thought especially now with a bigger load to pull! Giddy up!" He hoists the two horses beside him into moving, and begins to take everyone out of the city once more.
At the first checkpoint inn which accepts travelers, has suddenly begun becoming more crowded, and the noise from outside louder. Uqualek explains that he needs to rest for a bit before continuing on, so it will be found out what is going on.
Music
The air is heavy and warmed by the large cluster of visitors in the room. Bards and entertainers are well active playing pleasant tunes for the large amount of visitors. It is clear that something had begun to happen shortly after you have arrived in the city.
Once everyone appears to be ready, Uqualek, an armored centaur that has been acting as their coach waves over to the back with his usual outspoken demeanor, "So we're going back to Rosewood to look for that camp, right? This travelling job is a lot harder than I thought especially now with a bigger load to pull! Giddy up!" He hoists the two horses beside him into moving, and begins to take everyone out of the city once more.
At the first checkpoint inn which accepts travelers, has suddenly begun becoming more crowded, and the noise from outside louder. Uqualek explains that he needs to rest for a bit before continuing on, so it will be found out what is going on.
Music
The air is heavy and warmed by the large cluster of visitors in the room. Bards and entertainers are well active playing pleasant tunes for the large amount of visitors. It is clear that something had begun to happen shortly after you have arrived in the city.
ThLunarian
Member
When the music becomes audible, Alf and Lady both tense up. The muted melodies are putting them both on edge, but the poor wolf lacks the developing social skills to cope with it. Alf is still curious enough to see what's going on, but he decides it would be best to leave her in the room.
Emerging in the lobby, Alf grits his teeth. Suddenly the songs are inescapable, and coming at him from all sides. His heartbeat quickens.
He has to get out of here.
Alf makes a beeline for the front door and exits the inn. His two objectives are to find out what all the commotion is about, and to find a less busy area.
Emerging in the lobby, Alf grits his teeth. Suddenly the songs are inescapable, and coming at him from all sides. His heartbeat quickens.
He has to get out of here.
Alf makes a beeline for the front door and exits the inn. His two objectives are to find out what all the commotion is about, and to find a less busy area.
Axelhortsemchi
Member
Tiberious has been to enough inns to suspect that something is amiss here. As he gets ready to talk to the group again, Alf runs out of the building for reasons beyond Tiberious's comprehension.
"Huh, I guess he didn't like the music or something. Anyway, I'm kind of wandering why there's so many people here, I'm going to go see what I can find out, maybe people need our help or something! Let me know if any of you find out anything."
Tiberious will then walk off into the crowd and start trying to figure out what's going on by asking random people. Since talking to strangers as a normal person would be a travesty, it's time to get back into character.
((Huh, I guess he'll be especially manly today or something, go figure that would be the thing I get a nat 20 on))
Exuding manliness from every orifice, all of the clothes Tiberious was wearing from the waste up are inexplicably lost temporarily as he struts into the crowd. Tiberious walks up to someone who looks like they were part of the influx and slaps them on the back, practically shouting a greeting at him.
"HAIL CITIZEN! As I'm sure you have noticed, there are an unusually high number of people in this inn. Would you know what is going on with this?" Tiberious will stop to flex and sparkle in between sentences. He'll repeat this with however many people is necessary in order to figure out what is going on.
"Huh, I guess he didn't like the music or something. Anyway, I'm kind of wandering why there's so many people here, I'm going to go see what I can find out, maybe people need our help or something! Let me know if any of you find out anything."
Tiberious will then walk off into the crowd and start trying to figure out what's going on by asking random people. Since talking to strangers as a normal person would be a travesty, it's time to get back into character.
Code:
perform (act): [url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=61088]_: 1D20 + 13 = [20]+13 = 33
[/url]((Huh, I guess he'll be especially manly today or something, go figure that would be the thing I get a nat 20 on))
Exuding manliness from every orifice, all of the clothes Tiberious was wearing from the waste up are inexplicably lost temporarily as he struts into the crowd. Tiberious walks up to someone who looks like they were part of the influx and slaps them on the back, practically shouting a greeting at him.
"HAIL CITIZEN! As I'm sure you have noticed, there are an unusually high number of people in this inn. Would you know what is going on with this?" Tiberious will stop to flex and sparkle in between sentences. He'll repeat this with however many people is necessary in order to figure out what is going on.
KittenMaster
Member
The man Tiberius grabs the attention of is quickly startled by the exaggerated presence before him. Assuming the highly characterized personality is meant to be a presentation of sorts, the man says, "Oh, a lot of us are from Rosewood." Seeing muscles being flexed for... no apparent reason, he asks, "Are you another act that's arrived to put on a show?"
Axelhortsemchi
Member
"An act, fair citizen? I am TIBERIOUS THUNDERFACE! Savior of the needy, nightmare to villains, and veteran of bloodied arenas!" At the conclusion of declaring who he is, he will strike a pose, feeling that this confusion clearly comes from not having adequately wowed the man before him with his presence.
"Many of you are from Rosewood, you say? Has something happened to displace you from there?"
Tiberious vaguely recalls hearing about a city named Rosewood from Dortumn's briefings, and decides that he will relay whatever this man tells him to the rest of the party.
"Many of you are from Rosewood, you say? Has something happened to displace you from there?"
Tiberious vaguely recalls hearing about a city named Rosewood from Dortumn's briefings, and decides that he will relay whatever this man tells him to the rest of the party.
KittenMaster
Member
Feeling off put now at the display, maybe even a bit scared if this really isn't an act, he tries to muster some words, "Ord... orders to evacuate because of the war going on."
Axelhortsemchi
Member
Tiberious offers his thanks, along with an exaggerated bow, and abruptly turns around to return to the party, saying something about the manliness of civic assistance in the process.
When Tiberious finds someone from the party, he will state what he found, no longer in character. "So, from what I gathered, a lot of these people are from Rosewood. They had to evacuate because of a war, it sounded like."
At this point, Tiberious will realize that he's still not wearing his clothes and armor, and will put those back on.
When Tiberious finds someone from the party, he will state what he found, no longer in character. "So, from what I gathered, a lot of these people are from Rosewood. They had to evacuate because of a war, it sounded like."
At this point, Tiberious will realize that he's still not wearing his clothes and armor, and will put those back on.
KittenMaster
Member
what
Axelhortsemchi
Member
KittenMaster
Member
<Oh, I didn't notice that line (could have reacted to it if I did). I thought you were literally naked for a second there and there would be quite a few IC problems.>
Axelhortsemchi
Member
((Yeah, I figured that with the nat 20, he should go full Armstrong. Not sure if the picture showed up or not))
KittenMaster
Member
<I saw both Armstrong and the Jojo dude. You need to link to the actual image and not the gallery page when using
Axelhortsemchi
Member
((Yeah, no problem. I'll see if I can get the images edited, I'm still not too well versed in image linking, and just figured I needed to upload to imgur to avoid hotlinking issues.))
Stricia's eyebrows shoot up as she sees Tiberious' performance. She starts to wonder if he has any actual combat skills because what she sees is an entertainer playing at being a warrior rather than a warrior.
In any case the information he comes back with is good. "Rosewood is being evacuated? It makes sense."
In any case the information he comes back with is good. "Rosewood is being evacuated? It makes sense."
Jackben
bitch I'm taking calls.
Hearing from Tiberius regarding Rosewood's evacuation, Niko nods. "I suppose it makes sense to take some of the citizens out of the area in case the Orphans still plan to stage an attack from the sewer area." Still, this news comes at a dangerous time, considering the already simmering anger from the town's residents. He looks to Dreadstone for confirmation.
"Any mention of this from your briefing with Dortumn, chief?" After discussing matters with the others, Niko decides to take the initiative and follow Alf & Tiberious out into the crowd. Pulling down his cloak, he steps out into the chill winter air to observe the proceedings. Based upon the music and livery of the scene he begins to surmise what may be happening.
"It appears local performers and bards are taking advantage of the crowd to make a quick coin. There is quite a crowd and if many are refugees from Rosewood, some light entertainment would go a long way toward easing their troubled minds." Reminded of a certain singer from Emerald Bay, the sorcerer begins to scan the crowd for a familiar face. "I wonder..."
Perception check: Search (For Lovegood or the bouncer from her troupe) (1d20+6=17)
"Any mention of this from your briefing with Dortumn, chief?" After discussing matters with the others, Niko decides to take the initiative and follow Alf & Tiberious out into the crowd. Pulling down his cloak, he steps out into the chill winter air to observe the proceedings. Based upon the music and livery of the scene he begins to surmise what may be happening.
"It appears local performers and bards are taking advantage of the crowd to make a quick coin. There is quite a crowd and if many are refugees from Rosewood, some light entertainment would go a long way toward easing their troubled minds." Reminded of a certain singer from Emerald Bay, the sorcerer begins to scan the crowd for a familiar face. "I wonder..."
Perception check: Search (For Lovegood or the bouncer from her troupe) (1d20+6=17)
No sooner does the party enter the inn than does it splinter. Alf and Lady immediately quit the place, while the newcomer Tiberius sees fit to strip himself down to his small clothes and shout a lot.
The Dortumn and Dreadstone Traveling Circus had apparently arrived.
"Why don't you go an' wait outside, boy," he says to Gnaw. There is a palpable sense of anxiety in the crowded common room, no need to let a feral alley dog drag someone else out of the inn and kick up a ruckus. Gnaw certainly doesn't seem to mind as he bounds out the door, barking up a storm as he pursues imaginary prey in the darkness.
He avoids mingling with the crowd, instead sticking to the periphery of the room. This is both the product of being a habitual outsider and awareness that his thorny armor would probably not be well-received if he tried to press deeper into the throng. Even on the edges of the room, he picks up snippets of conversation, and eventually pieces together what is transpiring in Rosewood.
He's not sure what to make of it. On the one hand, the rebels may not have been able to abandon their encampment and might be too occupied with the regular military to see Dreadstone and the others coming. On the other hand, they may have been prompted to take especial care to erase all trace of their existence.
No way of knowing until they arrived.
The Dortumn and Dreadstone Traveling Circus had apparently arrived.
"Why don't you go an' wait outside, boy," he says to Gnaw. There is a palpable sense of anxiety in the crowded common room, no need to let a feral alley dog drag someone else out of the inn and kick up a ruckus. Gnaw certainly doesn't seem to mind as he bounds out the door, barking up a storm as he pursues imaginary prey in the darkness.
He avoids mingling with the crowd, instead sticking to the periphery of the room. This is both the product of being a habitual outsider and awareness that his thorny armor would probably not be well-received if he tried to press deeper into the throng. Even on the edges of the room, he picks up snippets of conversation, and eventually pieces together what is transpiring in Rosewood.
He's not sure what to make of it. On the one hand, the rebels may not have been able to abandon their encampment and might be too occupied with the regular military to see Dreadstone and the others coming. On the other hand, they may have been prompted to take especial care to erase all trace of their existence.
No way of knowing until they arrived.
KittenMaster
Member
Soon slender hands wrap around Niko's face and cover his eyes completely, and a soft voice exclaims, "Guess who it is!" Once Niko turns around, it is the girl he was looking for, Lovegood, "You have a knack for missing my singing for someone who always finds me."
Jackben
bitch I'm taking calls.
Smiling at Lovegood's antics, Niko turns to speak with her. "Hey! Looks like you got the drop on me, and yeah my luck hasn't changed too much since we last met, but the scenery sure has." Ozzy, perched atop the sorcerer's shoulder, takes one look at the singer and bites Niko's neck. "Ouch...what was that for?" He senses a general emotion of frustration from the critter before it scurries off.
The sorcerer rubs his neck and gestures towards the livery happening in the area. "Seems like your group is having a good time with the crowd here from Rosewood. How long have you been here? I hear talk that it's so crowded because of an evacuation. Tough times, but at least folks have some good music to ease their travel."
Pondering how much to reveal, he figures he doesn't have to worry about secrecy with Lovegood. "We're just about to head north on another expedition, but I don't know how this mass exodus is going to affect those plans. Are you on your way to Southport?"
The sorcerer rubs his neck and gestures towards the livery happening in the area. "Seems like your group is having a good time with the crowd here from Rosewood. How long have you been here? I hear talk that it's so crowded because of an evacuation. Tough times, but at least folks have some good music to ease their travel."
Pondering how much to reveal, he figures he doesn't have to worry about secrecy with Lovegood. "We're just about to head north on another expedition, but I don't know how this mass exodus is going to affect those plans. Are you on your way to Southport?"
KittenMaster
Member
"We're coming back from Southport. It's been... oh... nearly two weeks now?" She looks up at the older person and then reaches up to his face, "It seems that you're trying to impress me, but come now do you honestly need this to look well?" She slips off the circlet of charisma he is wearing and sets it aside on a table, "There, that is more like it!"
Jackben
bitch I'm taking calls.
"Hey, I need that!" Niko grabs the circlet back but hesitates on placing it on his head. "I know you work in show business, but not everything is about impressing people." He places a hand on the ground, and as he lifts it up, a duplicate image of himself springs from the ground. ((Silent Image)) The duplicate looks just like him except without a circlet.
Placing the band back on top of his head he shrugs. "It's complicated but...this allows me to tap into my powers more easily. It's kinda like..." He makes the silent image of himself appear to cast magic, a small, green flame appearing in one hand as it waves at Lovegood with the other.
"I know you have a beautiful voice, but isn't it a lot better when you are accompanied by instruments? Well this is one of my instruments." He nods again at the duplicate image and the enchanted band appears on the duplicate's head. Now the flame in its hand grows huge, complete with green sparks leaping out and fizzling into the air.
"I don't perform very often anymore with my tricks though. I mostly use them for battle, which is life or death so it's way more serious and important." Feeling a scratch at his ankle, he looks down to see Ozzy again. Feeling immature and sidetracked, he dispels the image and tries to pluck some more useful information from their conversation.
"How was your experience in Southport? My companions and I still need to visit the area for business. Anything dangerous or unusual happen down there?"
Before he departs to report back to the others, he asks the singer where she is headed next, intent on eventually seeing a full performance and bringing along the others to watch too.
KittenMaster
Member
A bit struck by the realization that his tricks are fun to watch, and that there is an entertaining side of him that wasn't apparent at first, she says, "I never realized you used magicks to entertain people. When you first came up to me in the city you boasted about being at the tournament; I took you as a mere brute then."
After hearing his justification for wearing the circlet, she responds, "Oh? Surely you don't need to be all powerful right now, do you? And I'm sure your new clothing you're wearing also makes you more powerful?" Talking about the illusion he put on his garbs.
"Not that I know of. I'm far too busy to listen to gossip around cities, and I'm sure most of the talk is usually about me anyhow."
After hearing his justification for wearing the circlet, she responds, "Oh? Surely you don't need to be all powerful right now, do you? And I'm sure your new clothing you're wearing also makes you more powerful?" Talking about the illusion he put on his garbs.
"Not that I know of. I'm far too busy to listen to gossip around cities, and I'm sure most of the talk is usually about me anyhow."
Jackben
bitch I'm taking calls.
"I used to do puppet shows of sorts to make money on the road during my travels. Magic helps a lot with creating a spectacle that stands out." Realizing she probably doesn't know much that can be used in their mission, Niko prepares to return to the others. "Well it was fun running into you again, I wish you luck wherever your travels take you next. Perhaps I will finally see a performance someday."
KittenMaster
Member
<Everyone except Alf saw that scene, btw. I should write up something for Alf now.>