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[DeadPhoenix]

((Warning about the spell resistance... anything with a caster level close to our level would have maybe a 20% chance of failing and if they are higher level... might only fail on a nat 1(which i don't believe is an auto fail on caster level checks, so even that may bypass it).
I just finished leveling up, gonna look at what to buy now(I will probably end up spending it all on level 8 spells, of which i will only be able to prepare 2 of at a time...). We all got 166666 each from the one mil correct?))

 

[KittenMaster]

((I'll trade out some SR for some Enhancement bonuses in that case, then.))

 

[DeadPhoenix]

((My shopping list:
Maze level 8 spell -3000
Chain Dispel level 8 spell -3000
Gloves of dexterity +6 -36000
Staff of Evocation -65000
Orange Prism Ioun Stone(+1 caster level...this will give me caster level 17 on most spells an 18 on my domain school spells... that's not to much is it?) -30000
Bracers of Armor +4(sold) +8000
Bracers of armor +6 -36000
Leaving me with 1666 left from my cut of the 1 mil(once again, not taking into account crafting discount). Also, I picked up Quickened spell feat, so more double spell rounds for me!))

 

[KittenMaster]

((I've decided to change my armor purchase to a Mithral Shirt +5))

 

[ThLunarian]

((Ioun Stones don't exist on Primaria so you'll have to pick that up in Sigil, but you were already thinking about going there so it won't be a big deal. Just no discount. The rest of the list seems fine))

 

[KittenMaster]

((Trying to figure out if I should dip into another class for some bonus since I'm probably never going to level again. Almost want to go Druid just for a bit of extra Will but I'm not sure that's fitting enough.))

 

[DeadPhoenix]

((Trying to figure out if I should dip into another class for some bonus since I'm probably never going to level again. Almost want to go Druid just for a bit of extra Will but I'm not sure that's fitting enough.))

((Try and find a ridiculous Prestige class to dip into. I'm sure there is a good one for ranger out there somewhere))

 

[KittenMaster]

((Maybe Arcane Archer if I convince ThLunarian to let me take it as a non-elf, but I don't know if the Ehnancement bonuses count separately for arrows in terms of damage dealing.))

 

[ThLunarian]

((If it were just the elf thing then I might let it slide, but you can't cast arcane spells either; rangers are Divine casters. Unless I missed something, I'm afraid ill have to disallow Arcane Archer for you))

 

[KittenMaster]

((Oh right, I forgot about those other requirements.

So yeah, no good core prestige classes for me. ))

 

[KittenMaster]

((After seeing how much of a discount I get, that means I've spent 117,450 Gold so far which means I can squeeze another magic item in there if I wanted. I might either see if there's a wand or potion that might be useful or just let Tarkus use it.

EDIT: Here's also some stuff that can either be sold or taken by someone else:

Cloak of Displacement, Minor - 1 lb.
- 20% chance of Displacement, functions continually
Ring of Sustenance
Amulet of Health + 4 Constitution
))

 

[Mike M]

((Alright, with the Alydar discount (And presuming all this is available at this level), trading in Val's gear and upgrading to Gloves of Dexterity +6, Amulet of Health +6, Buckler +5, Rapier +5, and Ring of Protection +5 only totals 60K even. Upgrading Jack to Gloves of Dexterity +6, Amulet of Health +6, Greatsword +5, and Ring of Protection +5 weighs in at 63,600. Between the two of them, that leaves a fair amount of gold left over for both of them for magic items, enough for Rings of Blinking for everyone with another 30ish thousand left over at full price. Only other magic item that jumps out to me is Cape of the Mountebank, and what will amount to a single casting of Dimension Door doesn't seem like the greatest use of 10,800 GP. Maybe another Buckler +5 to get Jack's AC up a bit more?

Also, we left a bunch of gold at the fortress where Val got the Mask, though I suspect if everyone picked up and left they took most if not all of it with them.))

 

[DeadPhoenix]

((Wasn't there a limit on the number of items we could get from Avalyra's crafting feat? Like 1 per group per time we have time to shop? Maybe one per person... Getting everything she can craft(I assumed it was Wonderous items only... does she have other feats?)at half cost, while awesome, seems like a bit much(but if I am wrong and that is the case it is a-okay with me!)))

 

[KittenMaster]

((Oh geez if everyone can get a ring of blinking then I might replace my Ring of Protection with one.))

 

[ThLunarian]

((Avalyra's deal was 1 item total. I guess I'll allow you guys to do that even though Zynx is MIA. And Val, all of your stuff is okay))

 

[KittenMaster]

((Gonna do a bit of self-roleplay while we do taxes.))

In response to Tarkus' suggestion, Muun adds, "Good luck finding something more unpleasant than this washed up rag." He starts to move out on his own, saying, "There's something I want to do real quick before we return to town."

Later on, after the party finishes business inside the base, he can be seen patting down the dirt. Sprouting out of the mound is the bit of tree that had sprouted from the armor and impaled the vampire from earlier. For whoever happens to come by, he'll say, "Giving a proper burial is the least I could do this time around."

 

[Mike M]

((Alright then, Rings of Blinking for everyone on Val and Jack's tab when we do our sidequest to Sigil, unless someone decides that they don't want one. Speaking of which, Val would have a sidequest to tie up the loose end in Ruby Keep with the guy who was hiring mercenaries to take out Bertrand

Spoiler

Totally Val's last sibling...

Val's going to need to find occasion to kill some people, or suffer some serious penalties. Or maybe try and find a way to transfer the tattoo beforehand. Also, totally needs to decide what to do with Valentino. Maybe tie that in to his sidequest, by imprisoning him in Alydar and traveling to Ruby Keep to get the word out to his remaining brothers that the threat has ended/they need to reunite to pass judgement or something.))

 

[ThLunarian]

((The following occurs at some point over the next few days, probably before the trip to Sigil. We'll assume that Valentino is imprisoned somewhere very secure within Alydar, possibly in the form of a newt.))

Valgar's boots click rhythmically against the cobblestone streets of Ruby Keep as he makes his way toward the heart of the city.

Unlike the rest of the party, he'd had a wish-list of equipment for quite some time, and therefore knew exactly what to buy and where to find it upon receipt of the windfall that was the Arm of Vecna's treasury. This left him rather bored in town as everyone else took their time shopping, and so he'd convinced Quintus to summon a Phantom Steed to take him to his home city. He was pleasantly surprised to find that now the steed was capable of flight, much like the pegasi that Amriel had summoned in Sigil; this made the trip across the continent take a scant few hours, allowing Val to leave the steed waiting for him while he took his time in the city.

What was he doing here, though? There was nothing left here for him. His siblings had scattered to different corners of the continent, with one still left unaccounted for. He no longer had a home here, nor any allies; as a matter of fact, he was still a wanted man, judging by the Wanted posters which displayed a vague facsimile of both his likeness and Avalyra's. Just to be safe, Val had gone to great lengths to adequately disguise himself, though he suspected that the tattoo alone was probably enough to throw off the authorities.

As he wanders down the bustling streets of the capital, trying to figure out what the point of this excursion actually was, he is suddenly joined by a very short, yet fully grown all the same, human man whom he immediately recognizes as his roguish brother, Valdemar.

"Welcome to Ruby Keep!" he says cheerfully. "You look like an out-of-towner. May I interest you in a tour of the city? I assure you that our rates are very reasonable, and competitive with the very best that the city has to offer!"

Valgar immediately recognizes it as a framework for the secret language to which only the Fiernos (and, to a lesser extent, Ivor Fireheart) were privy. Though the sham of a sales pitch continues on and on, the actual message he conveys to Valgar is along the lines of:

"You shouldn't be here. Still too hot. If I recognized you, odds are someone else might, too. Glad to see you're well. I suggest you finish your business ASAP and then get out of here. Anything you need that I can help with?"

 

[Mike M]

Upon the sight of the last of his lost siblings, Val suddenly feels as though he knows what part of his subconscious has been gnawing at him, compelling him to return.

The Arm of Vecna has been well and truly broken, he conveys in coded signals and language to his disguised brother, we are no longer under threat of exposure. There is a matter that requires the attendance of us all in Alydar at your earliest convenience, Please try and get word to Valance.

After he and his brother part ways, Val writes a request for a apparel catalog and sends it to the last known address of a certain tailor in Northport. Just to be certain, he scarcely deigns to encode his hidden message, mostly just writing the address of the mayor's manse in particularly large, bold letters and pleading the need of a personal fitting as soon as possible.

 

[ThLunarian]

"Haven't heard from Valance since we separated. I'll meet you in Alydar one week from today. Here, take this. It might be useful to you."

He slips Val a small, dusty-rose colored stone that Val is fairly certain has magical properties. Their conversation concluded, Valdemar slips away, and a second later, Val loses sight of him entirely.

 

[DeadPhoenix]

Sometime after Val is done with his fun, Quintus rounds him and Avalyra up to talk. He informs the two he wants to go back to Sigil to find the poor Rhino... person or whatever, that he turned into a zombie and change him back. But he has no idea where he will find him, so will need Val particular set of skills to help find him and Avalyra has the rod which is probably there best chance of actually healing the guy, though first he will need to meet their friends over at the church of Pelor(or w/e that is) to ask Luna for help. Unless of course Avalrya suddenly learned how to use the thing herself.

((Should I stop here and wait for a response? Or just detail this whole thing out myself?
On an unrelated not, people should read over the rules on blink before using those rings. They can be turned on and off, so still very useful defensively, just be aware blink makes you miss attacks too.))

 

[ThLunarian]

After a bit of wheeling and dealing at the Seminary, Quintus and Val are able to enlist the services of a cleric/professor from the Seminary of Pelor who goes by the name Nevin. He is given permission by Luna to accompany the two of them to Sigil. He is rather quiet, but obviously excited to be able to travel - especially to another plane.

Ith's interdimensional portal is still where he left it, on an isolated sandbar some distance off the northern coast of the main continent. It may have shrunk slightly since the last time the party was here, but it's sort of hard to tell. After informing Nevin to prepare for an abrupt fall and doing the same themselves, Quintus and Val lead the starry-eyed cleric through the portal.

The fall is much less severe this time, and all three men manage to land on their feet. Val and Quintus are rather shocked, however, to find that the building onto which their entryway had been affixed earlier is gone now, replaced by a pile of rubble.

That's not the only sign of destruction around, either. Half the street is battle-scarred, with buildings in various states of disrepair, though the ones that haven't been completely totaled are still in use. There is still quite a bit of activity on the streets outside the alley, and as they emerge, they hear a familiar voice.

"That scent... I never forget smell. Is different now, though... Ah! Wizard! You cure your zombie condition. J'baana is so glad to see. And you, the man who wishes to remain hidden. You... not so good at that, yes? Tattoo stick out like sore thumb, even to those with no magic-sense."

The khajit seems none the worse for wear; as a matter of fact, his booth is larger, and his business seems to have expanded since the last time the party encountered him.

"But, is no matter! J'baana welcomes you back to Sigil, City of Doors. Much changes since you last arrive here; many landmarks gone, other new ones take place. Can sell you premium-quality, updated map for bargain price of fi--- One thousand gold! Will not find better deal in all the city!"

 

[Jackben]

((Wow I picked the worst time ever to take a day trip on the weekend. Tons of role-play stuff I want to catch up on. I just updated Tarkus character sheet here and will update his items pending approval of his shopping. Post-approval I will do a write-up tying up loose ends with Avalyra, roleplaying purchasing all these magic items and helping the others with their various side-quests.))

Item List

• 12,500 - Armor + 5
• 25,000 - Heavy Fortification
  
• 25,160 Greataxe +5
• 1000 - Defending
• 2000- Holy
  
• 18,000 - Belt of Giant's Strength +6
  
• 20,000 - Ring of Freedom of Movement
  
• 12,500 - Cloak of Resistance +5
  
• 8,000 - Hand of Glory
  
• 25,000 - Ring of Protection + 5

Total: 163,660

 

[DeadPhoenix]

"1000 gold, seriously? How about this, I give you the 1000 gold and you give me the map and some information. Last time I was here an unfortunate Rhino-man-thing... working at the [damn I completely forgot the name of the place... the tower we infiltrated] was transformed into a zombie. I need to find him? By any chance do you have any idea where he is or where would be the best place to go looking for him?"

 

[ThLunarian]

((Tarkus's wish list is fine. The Hand of Glory was the only item that warranted rolling a percentage die, and it came up favorable, so you can find it in Alydar. That's an incredibly creepy item, though, so it'd be interesting to hear about the circumstances leading up to its purchase))

J'baana raises an eyebrow at Quintus's request, even as he hands him a map. "Are you not wizard? J'baana is no expert in arcane magicks, but am certain there are ways to find things one is looking for, yes? Especially if met person before?

"If not, J'baana can recommend go see contact located closer to Watchers' Tower. Fellow Khajit, like myself; goes by name of Naar. Specialize in... how you say... private investigations? Will mark office on map, like so." He uses a quill to make a circle on Almond Avenue, and writes the address.

 

[Mike M]

((Alright, given that the Rings of Blinking will incur a 20% chance of missing attacks, some might want to reconsider if they want it or not. The benefit of 50% chance of having attacks miss you would seem to outweigh it in my estimation, but I think it's reasonable to believe that the final encounter will be able to see invisible enemies, which drops it to 20% chance of missing. So it's basically a straight exchange. These things aren't cheap, so if you don't want one speak up now so we can drop that 27K on potions or something.))

Val wouldn't be especially pleased to see the quick-witted and rapier-tongued cat man again even if he did not have a stowaway in his soul that was of a somewhat different temperment than himself. "Not this one again," he mutters to himself.

While the kajhit and Quintus haggle, Val takes in the sights of the destruction wrought on Sigil in their absence. "This place looks like a battlefield," he observes to his companions. "I take it you have no qualms with a little bit of war profiteering, J'baana?"

 

[ThLunarian]

A pained expression appears on the khajit's face. "J'baana is deeply wounded by your implications, my friend," he says emotively. "It is profoundly troubling to see the results of such civil wars in this town I call home. J'baana has lost friend and foe alike from quibbles of petty gods brought into streets.

"However. Life must go on, and even in times of war and strife, people must engage in commerce, yes? J'baana provides invaluable service to these people, and if profit margins expand as a result of such services, who is J'baana to stand in way of profits? Is best way to honor those lost to violence. My friends look upon me from the Divine Treasury and smile upon my prosperity. This comforts J'baana's spirit and enriches his soul."

 

[DeadPhoenix]

"True, my abilities are quite amazing, but I've seen them fail enough to know to always have a backup plan. Now lets see if this will be one of times I need them..." the wizard says as he pulls a silver mirror out and casts Greater Scrying, searching for the rhino-zombie-man. "...The Divine Treasury? They have an after life for everything don't they?"

 

[ThLunarian]

The Khajit merely smiles at Quintus. "Warriors go to warrior paradise; merchants go to merchant paradise. Is way of things. Has been since beginning of time. Where do you go when your times comes, Mister Wizard?"

Upon the casting of Greater Scrying, an image is immediately conjured in the mirror. You see a very clear, crisp, 1080p picture of the zombified rhino wandering the streets of Sigil aimlessly. He is wearing what amounts to rags, and seems to be disconcertingly mindless.

You could easily teleport everyone directly to the rhino-man's location. Wherever he is, there doesn't appear to be any particular danger.

 

[DeadPhoenix]

"A fine question, one I do not plan to find the answer to for a long, long time... Alright, I found our target, lets move." Quintus says, then casting a Teleport to send the group to the location. Once there, he commands him to stop and says "Nevin? Here's your time to shine."

 

[ThLunarian]

Nevin takes a deep breath and nods, loosening his joints and psyching himself up before producing the Rod of Pelor from his backpack. "Blessed be thy name, Pelor. Thank you for allowing me the privilege to serve you, and wield the instrument of your will in order to save this poor soul."

His prayer complete, Nevin steps close to the obedient zombie-rhino and stands on his tip toes in an effort to reach the rhino's head with the rod. After some effort, he succeeds, and says, "In the name of Pelor, I HEAL you!"

This seems to do the trick. The rhino's partially-rotten hide miraculously comes back to life, and his eyes gradually clear as lucidity returns to him. "What... What have I done?" He laments. He sees Quintus, and recoils. "Get away from me! You... You've ruined my life! My career is over, my wife has surely moved on by now... Oh gods, what do I do? How do I fix this?! Perhaps it would be easier to just end it all..."

The rhino falls to his knees and weeps, and it occurs to Val that perhaps it would be merciful to simply end this wretched creature's suffering. Wait... Was that an independent thought, or was it someone whispering into his mind? It's getting somewhat harder to tell at this point...

 

[DeadPhoenix]

"Whoa, clam down! Look I'm sorry about what I did to you. I don't think I fully realized what I was doing to you at the time, or myself for that matter, but I knew enough that I can't really use that as an excuse. If you need help, I could you some money... We got some friends in a temple of Pelor that might be able to help you out, if they are still there, or hell, a big guy like you could probably make good money back on our home plan as a guard or something, I probably know a few people who'd be willing to give you a shot I think. Just... if there is anything I can do to make this up to you... Please..." Quintus asks the rhino, pleading for a chance to make up for what he has done.

 

[ThLunarian]

It takes a good few minutes to calm the rhino-man down; there are obviously a lot of pent-up emotions to release that he couldn't express in his undead state. When he finally does stop crying, he says, "I guess I'll just go with you. There's nothing left for me here anyway. I think I need a new start. My name is Stanley, by the way." Even though he's not crying uncontrollably anymore, he still seems pretty depressed.

 

[Mike M]

((Republic of Thieves releases today! Nobody read it until we're done so you don't just sit there marveling at what a terrible rip off of Locke Lemora Val is : ())

Val shakes his head to dispel the impulse to euthanize this pitfu-- no, to murder Stanley. He has not disclosed his... Condition to the rest of the party, but surely the must suspect. It's not as though he can hide his failing strength and waning charisma forever. Given the lack of handy Vecna cultists to slay and keep him flush in power, Val reckons they need to find a way to rid himself of the Mask sooner rather than later.

"We are more than happy to have you in our company," Val says with what he hopes is a friendly smile to the pachydermal man. "We are on something of a hurried time table to secure supplies not available to us back home, and Sigil seems neither as safe or the same configuration as we left it. Will you lend us your aid as a guide?"

 

[ThLunarian]

"Oh. Well there's a pretty big emporium with magic items that's pretty close to the tower. I don't really know where we are now, but..." Stanley stands up and looks around until he spots the tower, not terribly far away. "Okay... let's see. Yeah, it's just a few streets this way. Come on, follow me."

Stanley leads Quintus, Val, and Nevin through the streets of Sigil, and in about two hours they come upon an enormous warehouse that's nearly as big as the entire town of Alydar, filled entirely with garments, armor, weapons, supplies, and just about anything an adventuring party could possibly want.

"I uh... I kind of need some new clothes, if you don't mind," Stanley asks Quintus sheepishly, as the shopping commences. Nevin is speechless and completely in awe of the sheer scope of this place.

((You can buy any item you can think of that's less than 100,000 gold. If you want anything that costs more than that, I'll do a percentage roll, but I don't think anyone had such a thing on their list so we should be okay.

After shopping, when you're ready you can just cast Plane Shift and you'll be back on the home plane, unless there was anything else you wanted to do in Sigil))

 

[Mike M]

((Jackben's passing on the ring of blinking, can anyone think of something worthwhile to get with the 27K that frees up, or should we just stock up on potions?))

 

[DeadPhoenix]

((Potions sounds like a good idea. Possible some wands as well, or other consumables. Or with 27.5k, you could get a manual to permanently increase a single stat by 1. Totally not worth it at this point though(unless you really need one last point of str or something)))

Quintus shells out the cash for Stanley's new clothes, making sure to get him some nice ones, then does his own shopping and waits for Val to finish his an prepares to Planeshift them all back home.

 

[ThLunarian]

((Quintus, Val, Nevin, and Stanley make it back to Alydar.

Did Tarkus and Muun have anything they wanted to take care of?))

 

[KittenMaster]

((I dunno, I feel like any relevant drama on Muun's end can be brought up as they're getting ready for the final part.))

 

[Jackben]

((Tarkus wants to check and see if the Orc he turned around in the fortress was able to make it to Martok as well as see an Orc Reformation Party meeting. Will also do a write up for my shopping tonight.))

 

[Jackben]

As the relic hunters return to Alydar with their spoils, even Tarkus’ rock solid muscles quiver in strain at the bulging weight he carries to the reception area of the Mayor’s mansion. Having filled their magic haversacks to the brim, the items leftover are slung in burlap sacks over his shoulder in the old fashioned manner. With a grunt, he heaves his load to the ground and takes a deep breath before looking at Val incredulously. “Not know how you Fierno ever do large heist without aid of magicks. Impossible to sneak under this weight.”

The relic hunters quickly form an assembly of sorts as they sort through their stash. As Tarkus and Muun unload bag after bag of treasure, gold and equipment, they pass each item off to Quintus for magic identification. As the archmage’s glowing eyes finish identifying each item, Val appraising each item’s sale price, a special kind of glow in his eyes that appears akin to a man dying of thirst coming upon an oasis in the middle of the desert. As Val shoots off prices with a joyful glee, Jack keeps impeccable tally, factoring in regional taxes and offering up investment options.

After a quick trip to the market, Val returns and deposits a hefty satchel of gold into the half-orc’s hands. As he repeats the amount in his head over and over, Tarkus is dumbfounded.

‘One-hundred sixty-six thousand, six-hundred and sixty six gold pieces.’

Such an amount is unfathomable to the half-orc who thought the win from the Emerald Bay tournament months ago was pay to retire upon. Only a little over half a year ago he lived on a guard’s wage at the Tarley farm. And before that even his mercenary wages in the Storm Crows did not hold a candle to this small fortune.

Grunting, he quickly clears his head of wonderment, determined to make use of this in as practical manner as possible. Sitting down with Jack, he is able to use the Warforged’s superior intellect and organization to draft a list of investments, based on what he needs to buy most. Or as Jack would say in his cold monotone: “prioritizing and capitalizing on the need to forgo reliance on the power of the holy relics.”

Tarkus responds grimly. “Have walked many miles with Fharlanghn. Slain many enemy with soul of Erythnul. But before we end quest, I must take up the strength of men, of mortals alone. For is upon us, after all, fate of all realm relies.”

Changing into his traveler’s clothes for the first time in a long while, Tarkus heads first to the artisan blacksmith. The stout gray-bearded man is already smiling as he approaches, but bursts into a hearty laugh as he eyes Tarkus bulging satchel of gold. As the half-orc peers into the blacksmith’s private collection of immaculate and powerful weapons, the man praises him and the other relic hunters as saviors of his commerce and inspiration to his craft.

“Aye master orc. My shop had nary but small business repairing the odd longsword for the city guard, save for few special request for Klaus rangers.” Tarkus unhooks a greataxe from the wall, impressed by the sheen of its axehead , quality of leather on the shaft and the sparkling blue sapphire encrusted in the hilt. As he holds it in both hands, a shockwave ripples through his upper body but passes through him without harm.

“You’ve been found worthy by Perun. He’s Dwarven make, though I dunno how tha short bastards ever wielded such a brute that’d best even the biggest of untrained men. It cleaves with a holy bite and the sapphire bestows a powerful charm to its wielder.”

Entranced, Tarkus swaps Perun with the relic axe upon his back and stows the latter in a leather sheath and then in his haversack. Retrieving his platemail he stacks it upon the smith’s counter. “Need upgrade. Was also told you know master enchanter…Can pay for best fortification, need strongest shielding layer for breastplate and arms.”

Nodding, the blacksmith snaps his fingers twice, and both of the apprentices scramble over and carry his armor to a back room. “I’ll total ye up over here. Armor should be ready in two days time.”

As gold is exchanged for Perun and his upgrade requirements the blacksmith continues to wax about his good fortune, which is just as well to the fighter, as he is more entranced by the craftsmanship of his new weapon than what the man has to say. “Yep. Ma days were spent churnin’ out horseshoes until you lot came to town. All the gold spent, the arms ye sold and traded me have allowed me to hire on two apprentices, import special ores and powders from the Keep and save my time for th’ master arts. I’ve crafted mithril for the first time in years. ‘Tis a beautiful thing!”

Accounts settled, he departs to lighten his fortune further by purchasing a plethora of magical equipment. The next day, before Quintus, Avalyra and Val depart for the seminary and a sojourn to Sigil, Tarkus requests a teleport to Ruby Keep. He has a small but sizable amount of gold left and is determined to use the last for a very special investment.

Asking if Muun would like to come along, he describes his intention to meet with the Orc Martok, the rebel commander ‘Half Moon’ they met in the future, and hopeful merchant Tarkus first met six moons ago. Anxious to hear news of Barog and if any of the orcs in service of Vecna were persuaded with him, he marches with haste to the building indicated on the Orc Reformation flier.

((I’ll make the post about the hand of glory later, I feel like this one got too long. Sorry for wall of text dudes.))

 

[Mike M]

((Shit, if you're worried about walls of text, you ought to see what I've got on tap once we wrap this up...))

 

[KittenMaster]

Muun follows Tarkus into the blacksmith's shop, hoping to find a new Mithril shirt to make up for the possibility of losing Ehlonna's armor as he had to explain to Celia. Here he first sees the introduction of the great axe named Perun, he crosses his arms and leans against a wall, "So powerful crafted weapons get named like children?" He chuckles, "I suppose that's not such a bad thing, they're like companions and they last longer than most people." He pulls out his bow, "Mine has a lot of writing on it, but I can't read it."

The blacksmith gets wind of this chatter from him, and turns over to look, "Aye, that is indeed a fine bow for being made of natural wood." Looking over the writing he explains, "Allow me to fetch one of my assistants to translate the Elven writing for you." When the assistant is brought out with a book for translating the glyphs, he takes his time to help with the inscription while they wait to prepare his new armor:

With my kiss
I light thee arrows like candles
To light the darkness of your heart
May you find not victory nor glory
But rather the way forward
I am Rialian, who chooses that who seeks wonder
And for they I will remove all who stand in their way

Unsure of what to think of what is said, he settles with saying, "Well, at least it's not named 'Snowball' or 'Sparkle' or something like that." When asked to come along, he nods, "It'll be safer to have somebody come with you."

 

[ThLunarian]

Ruby Keep appears surprisingly orderly, considering that their princess was recently kidnapped. There are some wanted posters that seem to have artists' renderings of Val and Avalyra plastered judiciously over walls and bulletin boards, but that's the only sign that anything in town has been amiss. Certainly no one gives Tarkus or Muun any trouble as they stroll through the city.

The pair doesn't have much difficulty finding the headquarters for the Orcish Reformation Party. The building is modestly sized, with a section for offices in the front, and a large gathering room in the back half.

The small, orcish receptionist greets them as they come in, and explains that a meeting actually only started ten minutes ago. She ushers them to join the group, giving Muun a sidelong glance, but she doesn't say or do anything to suggest that he wouldn't be welcome.

As Tarkus opens the door, he is greeted by the sound of an argument. Rows of chairs are filled with well-dressed orcs of grayish skin tones, while a group of green-skinned orcs who are fully equipped for battle are standing on the opposite side of the room. Standing on the stage are Martok - who looks decades younger than he did in the future when Tarkus last saw him, and significantly less battle-scarred - and Barog, the fiery-tempered orc that Tarkus managed to win over in the stronghold of the Arm of Vecna.

Barog whips his head around at the sound of the door opening. "TARKUS!" he growls in Orcish, "Tell this p'takh that we no answer to pink-skins any longer! Must act in OWN interests! Barog not let them enslave orcs anymore!" (To Muun, this all sounds like gibberish. To Tarkus, even in Orcish his speech is broken and his accent suggests a lack of education).

Martok narrows his eyes and squeezes his fists as the insult leaves Barog's lips, but he restrains himself. "Barog," he says in Common, "I wish not to speak for Tarkus, he who is with honor, but I believe he agrees with me that we Orcs, of all skin colors, must learn to live side by side with humans, elves, and other races, so that--"

Barog interrupts, once again in Orcish. "How DARE you speak of honor, coward?! You dishonor us ALL by speaking in pink-skin tongue! Tarkus SHOW us what they capable of. Kill orcs and keep skulls as trophies! Must exact VENGEANCE on humans, elves, ALL pink-skins!"

The standing, battle-ready orcs cheer for their leader, as the rest shift uncomfortably in their seats.

 

[Jackben]

((Channeling inner Thrall))

Glad to see Barog and his armor clad followers, Tarkus relief soon turns to anger as Martok’s honor is insulted in front of all those gathered in the chamber. As the several of the armed cheer at these words, the half-orc walks quickly forward and onto the stage, standing between Martok and Barog.

Turning to the gray-skinned leader, he gives a cross-armed salute. “Honor and glory follow you, for allowing us audience Martok.”

Turning to the battle-clad orc, he admonishes him in Orcish with an intense ferocity in his presence held barely in check by his measured words.

“Urge you and comrades here for learning, to share STRENGTH and KNOWLEDGE with your brothers. You dishonor us all with your insult to brother Martok!” He takes a breath before continuing, his eyes and tone soften. “You have much to learn. Your courage cannot be denied. But to survive you must learn acceptance.”

He then turns back to all those gathered, but speaks in Common, loud enough for all to hear.

“To speak in common is not shame. Nor is standing side by side with other race. It is salvation.” He gestures to Muun and speaks with pride. “My companion is man I trust with my life. He hail from world where men are hunted and slain by undead. It is same in all lands, because men and orc alike are beset upon by evil.”

“What we see in Vecna dungeon…is not product only of man. Have seen such atrocities committed by Orc warlock in the marshes of foreign lands. They are alike a product of evil, born of darkness. This evil allowed to breed by words of hate you have spoken, Barog! By shutting out all others to our life and our ways we enslave the fate of our people to hatred.”

He looks upon each member of the audience one at a time, his eyes pausing heavily upon green-skin and gray orc alike. “Our people have been manipulated, enslaved and slain. But we are not weak. We must return to ways of honor and brotherhood. By standing with men we can build a new future.”

“Greatest vengeance we will ever know is to carry on our legacy of honor and defy tyranny of evil beings. Strike fear into hearts of those who would control us and inspire respect in those who would stand beside us.”

 

[ThLunarian]

Barog does not seem to like what just happened one bit, but Tarkus's words and body language seem to quell his belligerent nature for the moment.

The seated orcs react extremely favorably to Tarkus's speech, as they applaud him; the standing group seem unsure of how to react, clearly having been swayed by the content of the speech, but also pulled in the other direction by their loyalty to Barog.

"All orcs, green and gray alike, can benefit from Tarkus's words of wisdom," Martok announces to the room. "All must come together, so that we can learn from each other, and face challenges set upon us by man and god alike. Barog," he says, respectfully stepping around Tarkus, "Please, we are not the enemy, nor are the ones you call pink skins. There is good and evil among all living beings. Only by forging alliances with one another can we stand tall and strong against the forces of darkness. I offer you my sword, if you offer me your trust." He clutches one hand against his chest and extends his other at Barog.

The angry Orc fidgets for a moment, glancing out at the crowd here and there before finally, begrudgingly accepting Martok's handshake, clutching his other hand to his chest as well.

That seems to do the trick, as the armored orcs erupt into orcish cheers of celebration even as their more mild-mannered gray skinned brethren erupt into more applause. Someone starts passing around tankards of ale, and before too long the whole room is commemorating the coming together of the orcish people. If Tarkus and Muun stick around, assuming they're sober enough they eventually see Barog seated with Martok and engaged in lively, good-natured discussion over a pitcher of grog.

 

[ThLunarian]

((Val, if you want to try and do something about the Mask before the trial (considering that it'll be about a week in game-time before the trial will even happen), you can do that now. Like I said, you guys return to Alydar easily after you finish shopping in Sigil))

 

[Mike M]

((Val, if you want to try and do something about the Mask before the trial (considering that it'll be about a week in game-time before the trial will even happen), you can do that now. Like I said, you guys return to Alydar easily after you finish shopping in Sigil))

((I had a write up for the trial where Val just suffers the debilitating effects, though if you want to make the ruling that the urge to kill can't be resisted short of extreme measures beyond just not carrying his weapons I can adjust accordingly))

 

[KittenMaster]

((Can something like Restore Ability help Val out?))

Muun isn't sure what to do as Tarkus single handedly brings his kin to terms, and he can't understand one side of the conversation that is happening.

If he ever finds a chance, he'll make a comment of his own, "I think this warring between living races is... quite dumb. It blinds people to the true evils."

 

[ThLunarian]

((I had a write up for the trial where Val just suffers the debilitating effects, though if you want to make the ruling that the urge to kill can't be resisted short of extreme measures beyond just not carrying his weapons I can adjust accordingly))

((Oh that's completely fine then. I just wasn't sure what exactly you had planned, is all.

Random note: Consider there to be a deleted scene where a group of drunken orcs start trying to play "Catch the Pixie", with Celia as an unwilling participant. I couldn't really find a place to fit it into my last narrative post, but it was too funny a picture in my mind to let it go to waste))