Post by TheUdjat on Apr 7, 2009 21:07:45 GMT -5
(OOC Stuff)
SEA GREEN
Ella, Gro-bug, Sean, Henrick-
Dolster listens to Ella’s request for equipment with a stolid but not unsympathetic face. “Would that we had more t’ spare,” he says heavily. “But all our resources go to th’ war, now. Not that I’d guess we have much fer th’ likes of you.” He smiles slightly, gesturing to indicate her size, then turns serious again. “Most of th’ wares we want t’ sell we send to New Ravenshead—I could send ye there with a writ, if ye like. I’m sorry, lass, I wish I could do more. Find me after this war—we of the Dwarven Kingdom owe ye and yers a great debt, and Dwarves dunnae ferget what we owe.”
He furrows his brow, frowning. “A promise that holds double fer these Deathspeakers.”
Clearly the King does not know of the difficulties in going back to New Ravenshead, and such a writ therefore of little help in acquiring more goods—unless the group should want to risk the wrath of the council. [Let me know if you do.]
Indeed, the dwarves cannot even offer magical aid for Gro-bug or Sean, it seems, and both men are left to their maladies for now. Some other community will have to be sought to aid them—but where? The Temple of Pelor spoke of unanswered prayers, and now even the dwarves cannot reach the Forge Father. Something is grossly amiss with the divine, and no doubt scrolls and potions have reached an all-time high in price… if they can even be found.
[Whatever you’re doing, I’ll assume outside to the Roc to get there.]
Going back outside the mountain is far easier than getting in has been—the days-long celebration has been halted, no surprise as to why, and the town outside of Bazarkrak is as busy as the mountain’s interior. Dwarves and humans alike rush around, cursing their over-drinking of the night before, hurrying to make accommodations for the warpath. Though the non-humans will not march with the natives, they are no doubt put to work to aid—preparing wagon trains, repairing tools and goods, and doing anything else a moving army will need. It is remarkable how quickly the whole of the dwarven kingdom mobilizes for war—it is truly an ingrained part of their culture.
Antyca is more-than-ready to get moving when she is called, perhaps even restless. It has been a day after all. The massive bird waits while the group hops aboard and gets secure, a task made longer by Sean’s blindness and Gro-bug’s curse, but eventually all are in place, ready to move on.
[Where would you guys like to go? Directly to Scaland or to try and fix up Sean and Gro-bug first? Just tell me where Roc-Rider Airlines is taking you today.]
(Character Status)
Since I don’t know current HP totals, everyone is at full. We can assume the Dwarves could at least spare some healing potions.
Ella – 77/77 HP
Sean – 47/47 HP, Blind
Gro-bug – 100/100 HP, Cursed (50% no action)
Henrick – 70/70 HP
Natsumi-
Amassu stares at Natsumi for long, silent moments, weighing her words and her request. His gaze still holds that raging fury just behind the eyes, but it is a colder sort of anger, one that might at least be turned to productive ends. The giant will never be happy with the situation at hand, surely, but at least he’s listening.
Finally, he speaks. “If it is a matter of interest to you, it is a matter of interest to me,” he intones solemnly, perhaps gravely. The words that follow come out with extreme reluctance. “I have… misjudged how important this matter of the bones is to you. I do not claim to understand it. The lower people and their struggles do not concern me, and I still do not see why they concern you now.” He grits his teeth, forcing the words to stop flowing, knowing what he would otherwise build towards.
It is another minute before the giant is calm enough to speak again. “I grant your request.”
His words hang in the air, as if the giant is worried they might take a life of their own, as if he is anticipating the need to crush them with his mace. But they remain—spoken. Final.
“I will hold you to your promise, and know that I will be watching your progress, and I will know if I am deceived. If you do not return when you are finished, there will be consequences—for more than just yourself.” Amassu frowns deeply, trying to reinforce the threat, but it is clear that whatever his words, his impressive stubbornness has bent, and he has relented—perhaps for the first time in his life.
He remains standing, arms crossed, watching Natsumi’s reaction intently.
(Character Status)
Natsumi – 52/52 HP
DARK RED
Gildas-
Dartius and Lockheart begin to retreat with the hostage Deathspeaker, ready to interrogate him, but while his companions move on to other matters to wait, Gildas steps forward, asking for the privilege of joining the interrogation. The two clerics glance at each other dubiously, but Gildas has a clear edge over them—it was the Tertians who brought the prisoner, after all. How could they deny his request?
Still, Dartius is clearly unhappy with the proposal. “Very well, Master Arowan, it is your right after all. However, I ask that you wait to ask your questions until we have finished, though you are welcome to observe our efforts.” Meeting the clerics halfway, Gildas is allowed to accompany them back to a small, windowless cell, an engraved emblem of Cuthbert on every wall—justice and retribution, ever-inescapable.
[I’m going to cruise right through this interrogation for the sake of story mobility. Thanks for helping speed it up by laying out the questions.]
For a long time, the clerics don’t ask the man any questions at all—they merely set up implements around him, carefully explaining to him St. Cuthbert’s philosophy on torture and interrogation. The vengeful cudgel has no qualms with it, even encourages it as a means of rooting out evil and corruption, reasoning that such proven villains have brought the agony on themselves, and that the torture helps them to cleanse their souls by bringing out their falsehoods and deceits. It is a holy confessional for the priests, and their firm belief that the pain of the flesh mirrors the pain of the soul—bringing truth and information out of this Deathspeaker will save his soul.
And the clerics prove to have impressive means of interrogation. Having never interrogated a man before—it was always useless with the Yexuhl—Gildas is wholly unprepared for the spectacle and cacophony of agony that unfolds that night. All the while, the priests never lose their nerve, though Gildas’s stomach turns a time or two. The Deathspeaker resists for a long time, though what is at first stubbornness eventually gives way to fear—fear of what “The Master” will do to him for his betrayal. Then the clerics torture him with kindness—a proper burial for his body, holy sacraments and blessings to keep his soul from being wrenched out of his body, from keeping his body at rest.
It is a subtle and powerful form of persuasion, and in the end, the man gives in entirely. He answers question after question for the clerics, explaining his business in the city first and foremost. The small cadre of Deathspeakers encountered at the warehouse are only a small group among many searching the city—searching, he says, for a copper bone that is supposed to be here. The clerics do not comprehend this matter, but urge the man to continue anyway. He goes on to explain that they have been buying off the city’s underworld to find the bone for them, offering riches, but to no avail—though a recent tip has led them to believe the bone can be found at Modrock University. Somewhere.
The clerics move on to ask about the spiritual blockade, though here the man is less helpful. He admits that it is the work of “the Master” though he doesn’t know precisely how. Much coaxing and punishment brings him to reveal only what he suspects—that it might be tied to a fleet of ships that left New Ravenshead sometime ago, headed for the island of Scaland, a remote and feral place inhabited by lizardmen that few have ever desired to go to—and none have truly ventured onto. The information seems dubious, but the Deathspeaker doesn’t know of any other missions. He claims that the might of “The Master” is always at work, Deathspeakers all over the continent—most of them hunting for copper bones. But there are others, he says, and they work to “Prepare the way”, though he is uncertain what this means, only that the time is coming close: “The Stars will soon be right.”
He is even less use when it comes to Gildas’s own questions. The leader of the Deathspeakers, he says, calls himself ‘Hexus’. By a description of his armor, Gildas has seen the man himself back at Exhumt, a plate mail-clad figure with a purple plume in his helmet. He knows nothing else about this man, only that he is personally blessed by “the Master”, and that he is unstoppable, perhaps even immortal.
When asked why the Deathspeakers help Yexuhl, the response is easy enough. “They are the best tools for the Master’s plan. Strong, fierce, and ready to conquer the world.” But he also hints that the Deathspeakers have other, darker allies—he alludes to living shadows, certainly speaking of Vorkal and his brood, but there is obviously much that this Deathspeaker does not know. Tertia, he claims, is ‘a good place for bodies’, or so he has been told—the man has never fought on that front, having been ever occupied in the west. But they are everywhere, he reiterates—or they soon will be.
The rest of what the man provides is limited to his own contingent. Three other groups like the one encountered in the warehouse are in the area, prepared to search the university, and he claims that they have likely gained allies in the city’s underworld. He admits that all of them have clerical powers and favor the powers of death and decay that the Master grants to them—as Gildas and his fellows have indicated firsthand. He gives locations that the other teams are based at, though he says that his band’s destruction will have them moving before dawn, certainly.
A bone in Modrock University, and ships sailing for Scaland. New Ravenshead could be a place for them to find their own ship to that port, provided they can find a captain brave enough to go there. But then, the bone is likely the more pressing issue.
Lenny-
Lenny takes a more monetary approach to the evening’s activities while Gildas interrogates, Tyrano muses, and Wanderer prays. He attempts to steal a glimpse at the church’s coffers, but with all the acolytes running around, even in the dead of night, he realizes he would be unable to peek without being spotted. He’s sure it would be a poor estimate, though—the temple is obviously stocking up on potions and scrolls and other limited-use items, what with the lack of divine magic, and has surely used a great quantity of its treasury to do so.
Instead, Lenny takes stock of his own items and their worth, especially the items wrested from the Deathspeakers. His familiarity with magic items is limited, however, to he must eventually pull an acolyte aside, offering a few friendly words to convince him to help—soon enough the young man helps Lenny sift through the items, and though he is impatient to be done, he gives an accurate assessment of each piece.
(Team Red's wealth)
Lenny is impressed with what he discovers of the group’s total worth. There is definitely an opportunity to spend money, though the buying and selling will likely take considerable time. Markets in New Ravenshead are open at all hours, but even so, it is likely to take a great deal of time—and Lenny guesses it might help the fairness of their bargains to bring along an able-bodied cleric, if the church can spare one. The city is full of swindlers and thieves…
[Like I said—go find an OOC thread and discuss your earnings and how to spend ‘em. All purchases subject to my approval. I’ll buy for Tyrano, unless Ryngo rejoins us.]
(Character Status)
I’ve put everyone at full, and per Kman’s post, have had the acolytes take care of any standing ailments (like Wanderer’s cursed-ness).
Gildas – 69/69 HP
Lenny – 61/61 HP
Wanderer – 90/90 HP
Wystfalrun – 62/62 HP
[Alright, gentlemen and Shakes, it’s finally time for my first game post—though by no means the first post in this long, epic story. It goes without saying that there will be some changes to how things are run, simply because Kman and I have differing styles, but it is my aim to keep the flavor of this as much in line with GFYD and its predecessor as I can—but I’m not K. So, regardless of what I do, I’m sure GFYD is going to feel a bit different from here on out. Hopefully it’s a change all can adjust happily to. 
Just bear with me as I get a handle on this storyline.
Bear with me especially when it comes to what the groups know. The game’s been going on a long time, and obviously I know Team Red’s storyline substantially better than Team Green’s. But I’ll do my best here. I’ve been reading lots of old game threads the past week, and feel confident enough to move forward. If I overlook something though (and I will), just let me know.
Those of you that have played in games of mine before (almost all of you, I think) know the basics—OOC is in brackets: [Like this]. I will try to keep things active, which means moving things along, which means potentially making judgment calls on what a character would do; don’t be afraid to backtrack a little if you want to add actions into something I skip over.
I will be making most of the rolls outside of the boards to avoid clutter, including hidden rolls like Disguise, Spot, Listen, Hide, Sense Motive, etc. I will show what bonuses I’m using for the rolls so you guys can make sure I don’t miss anything. If you have abilities allowing rerolls, I will try to take those into account, but these are ever-tricky in play-by-post. Note that I tend to use custom-generated or tweaked monsters, so try not to take anything for granted. I think everything’s more interesting that way.
If you have any questions about how I’ll handle any mechanical/other issues, just ask.
Now, with all that boring crap out of the way, let’s have some fun and find some copper bones!]
Just bear with me as I get a handle on this storyline.Bear with me especially when it comes to what the groups know. The game’s been going on a long time, and obviously I know Team Red’s storyline substantially better than Team Green’s. But I’ll do my best here. I’ve been reading lots of old game threads the past week, and feel confident enough to move forward. If I overlook something though (and I will), just let me know.
Those of you that have played in games of mine before (almost all of you, I think) know the basics—OOC is in brackets: [Like this]. I will try to keep things active, which means moving things along, which means potentially making judgment calls on what a character would do; don’t be afraid to backtrack a little if you want to add actions into something I skip over.
I will be making most of the rolls outside of the boards to avoid clutter, including hidden rolls like Disguise, Spot, Listen, Hide, Sense Motive, etc. I will show what bonuses I’m using for the rolls so you guys can make sure I don’t miss anything. If you have abilities allowing rerolls, I will try to take those into account, but these are ever-tricky in play-by-post. Note that I tend to use custom-generated or tweaked monsters, so try not to take anything for granted. I think everything’s more interesting that way.
If you have any questions about how I’ll handle any mechanical/other issues, just ask.
Now, with all that boring crap out of the way, let’s have some fun and find some copper bones!]
SEA GREEN
Ella, Gro-bug, Sean, Henrick-
Dolster listens to Ella’s request for equipment with a stolid but not unsympathetic face. “Would that we had more t’ spare,” he says heavily. “But all our resources go to th’ war, now. Not that I’d guess we have much fer th’ likes of you.” He smiles slightly, gesturing to indicate her size, then turns serious again. “Most of th’ wares we want t’ sell we send to New Ravenshead—I could send ye there with a writ, if ye like. I’m sorry, lass, I wish I could do more. Find me after this war—we of the Dwarven Kingdom owe ye and yers a great debt, and Dwarves dunnae ferget what we owe.”
He furrows his brow, frowning. “A promise that holds double fer these Deathspeakers.”
Clearly the King does not know of the difficulties in going back to New Ravenshead, and such a writ therefore of little help in acquiring more goods—unless the group should want to risk the wrath of the council. [Let me know if you do.]
Indeed, the dwarves cannot even offer magical aid for Gro-bug or Sean, it seems, and both men are left to their maladies for now. Some other community will have to be sought to aid them—but where? The Temple of Pelor spoke of unanswered prayers, and now even the dwarves cannot reach the Forge Father. Something is grossly amiss with the divine, and no doubt scrolls and potions have reached an all-time high in price… if they can even be found.
[Whatever you’re doing, I’ll assume outside to the Roc to get there.]
Going back outside the mountain is far easier than getting in has been—the days-long celebration has been halted, no surprise as to why, and the town outside of Bazarkrak is as busy as the mountain’s interior. Dwarves and humans alike rush around, cursing their over-drinking of the night before, hurrying to make accommodations for the warpath. Though the non-humans will not march with the natives, they are no doubt put to work to aid—preparing wagon trains, repairing tools and goods, and doing anything else a moving army will need. It is remarkable how quickly the whole of the dwarven kingdom mobilizes for war—it is truly an ingrained part of their culture.
Antyca is more-than-ready to get moving when she is called, perhaps even restless. It has been a day after all. The massive bird waits while the group hops aboard and gets secure, a task made longer by Sean’s blindness and Gro-bug’s curse, but eventually all are in place, ready to move on.
[Where would you guys like to go? Directly to Scaland or to try and fix up Sean and Gro-bug first? Just tell me where Roc-Rider Airlines is taking you today.]
(Character Status)
Since I don’t know current HP totals, everyone is at full. We can assume the Dwarves could at least spare some healing potions.
Ella – 77/77 HP
Sean – 47/47 HP, Blind
Gro-bug – 100/100 HP, Cursed (50% no action)
Henrick – 70/70 HP
Natsumi-
Amassu stares at Natsumi for long, silent moments, weighing her words and her request. His gaze still holds that raging fury just behind the eyes, but it is a colder sort of anger, one that might at least be turned to productive ends. The giant will never be happy with the situation at hand, surely, but at least he’s listening.
Finally, he speaks. “If it is a matter of interest to you, it is a matter of interest to me,” he intones solemnly, perhaps gravely. The words that follow come out with extreme reluctance. “I have… misjudged how important this matter of the bones is to you. I do not claim to understand it. The lower people and their struggles do not concern me, and I still do not see why they concern you now.” He grits his teeth, forcing the words to stop flowing, knowing what he would otherwise build towards.
It is another minute before the giant is calm enough to speak again. “I grant your request.”
His words hang in the air, as if the giant is worried they might take a life of their own, as if he is anticipating the need to crush them with his mace. But they remain—spoken. Final.
“I will hold you to your promise, and know that I will be watching your progress, and I will know if I am deceived. If you do not return when you are finished, there will be consequences—for more than just yourself.” Amassu frowns deeply, trying to reinforce the threat, but it is clear that whatever his words, his impressive stubbornness has bent, and he has relented—perhaps for the first time in his life.
He remains standing, arms crossed, watching Natsumi’s reaction intently.
(Character Status)
Natsumi – 52/52 HP
DARK RED
Gildas-
Dartius and Lockheart begin to retreat with the hostage Deathspeaker, ready to interrogate him, but while his companions move on to other matters to wait, Gildas steps forward, asking for the privilege of joining the interrogation. The two clerics glance at each other dubiously, but Gildas has a clear edge over them—it was the Tertians who brought the prisoner, after all. How could they deny his request?
Still, Dartius is clearly unhappy with the proposal. “Very well, Master Arowan, it is your right after all. However, I ask that you wait to ask your questions until we have finished, though you are welcome to observe our efforts.” Meeting the clerics halfway, Gildas is allowed to accompany them back to a small, windowless cell, an engraved emblem of Cuthbert on every wall—justice and retribution, ever-inescapable.
[I’m going to cruise right through this interrogation for the sake of story mobility. Thanks for helping speed it up by laying out the questions.]
For a long time, the clerics don’t ask the man any questions at all—they merely set up implements around him, carefully explaining to him St. Cuthbert’s philosophy on torture and interrogation. The vengeful cudgel has no qualms with it, even encourages it as a means of rooting out evil and corruption, reasoning that such proven villains have brought the agony on themselves, and that the torture helps them to cleanse their souls by bringing out their falsehoods and deceits. It is a holy confessional for the priests, and their firm belief that the pain of the flesh mirrors the pain of the soul—bringing truth and information out of this Deathspeaker will save his soul.
And the clerics prove to have impressive means of interrogation. Having never interrogated a man before—it was always useless with the Yexuhl—Gildas is wholly unprepared for the spectacle and cacophony of agony that unfolds that night. All the while, the priests never lose their nerve, though Gildas’s stomach turns a time or two. The Deathspeaker resists for a long time, though what is at first stubbornness eventually gives way to fear—fear of what “The Master” will do to him for his betrayal. Then the clerics torture him with kindness—a proper burial for his body, holy sacraments and blessings to keep his soul from being wrenched out of his body, from keeping his body at rest.
It is a subtle and powerful form of persuasion, and in the end, the man gives in entirely. He answers question after question for the clerics, explaining his business in the city first and foremost. The small cadre of Deathspeakers encountered at the warehouse are only a small group among many searching the city—searching, he says, for a copper bone that is supposed to be here. The clerics do not comprehend this matter, but urge the man to continue anyway. He goes on to explain that they have been buying off the city’s underworld to find the bone for them, offering riches, but to no avail—though a recent tip has led them to believe the bone can be found at Modrock University. Somewhere.
The clerics move on to ask about the spiritual blockade, though here the man is less helpful. He admits that it is the work of “the Master” though he doesn’t know precisely how. Much coaxing and punishment brings him to reveal only what he suspects—that it might be tied to a fleet of ships that left New Ravenshead sometime ago, headed for the island of Scaland, a remote and feral place inhabited by lizardmen that few have ever desired to go to—and none have truly ventured onto. The information seems dubious, but the Deathspeaker doesn’t know of any other missions. He claims that the might of “The Master” is always at work, Deathspeakers all over the continent—most of them hunting for copper bones. But there are others, he says, and they work to “Prepare the way”, though he is uncertain what this means, only that the time is coming close: “The Stars will soon be right.”
He is even less use when it comes to Gildas’s own questions. The leader of the Deathspeakers, he says, calls himself ‘Hexus’. By a description of his armor, Gildas has seen the man himself back at Exhumt, a plate mail-clad figure with a purple plume in his helmet. He knows nothing else about this man, only that he is personally blessed by “the Master”, and that he is unstoppable, perhaps even immortal.
When asked why the Deathspeakers help Yexuhl, the response is easy enough. “They are the best tools for the Master’s plan. Strong, fierce, and ready to conquer the world.” But he also hints that the Deathspeakers have other, darker allies—he alludes to living shadows, certainly speaking of Vorkal and his brood, but there is obviously much that this Deathspeaker does not know. Tertia, he claims, is ‘a good place for bodies’, or so he has been told—the man has never fought on that front, having been ever occupied in the west. But they are everywhere, he reiterates—or they soon will be.
The rest of what the man provides is limited to his own contingent. Three other groups like the one encountered in the warehouse are in the area, prepared to search the university, and he claims that they have likely gained allies in the city’s underworld. He admits that all of them have clerical powers and favor the powers of death and decay that the Master grants to them—as Gildas and his fellows have indicated firsthand. He gives locations that the other teams are based at, though he says that his band’s destruction will have them moving before dawn, certainly.
A bone in Modrock University, and ships sailing for Scaland. New Ravenshead could be a place for them to find their own ship to that port, provided they can find a captain brave enough to go there. But then, the bone is likely the more pressing issue.
Lenny-
Lenny takes a more monetary approach to the evening’s activities while Gildas interrogates, Tyrano muses, and Wanderer prays. He attempts to steal a glimpse at the church’s coffers, but with all the acolytes running around, even in the dead of night, he realizes he would be unable to peek without being spotted. He’s sure it would be a poor estimate, though—the temple is obviously stocking up on potions and scrolls and other limited-use items, what with the lack of divine magic, and has surely used a great quantity of its treasury to do so.
Instead, Lenny takes stock of his own items and their worth, especially the items wrested from the Deathspeakers. His familiarity with magic items is limited, however, to he must eventually pull an acolyte aside, offering a few friendly words to convince him to help—soon enough the young man helps Lenny sift through the items, and though he is impatient to be done, he gives an accurate assessment of each piece.
(Team Red's wealth)
[Recounting everything that’s been gained in recent memory, including items gained from the Deathspeakers and the money from the dwarves (but not Skullsplitter), the Red Team has a pooled 62,090 GP-worth of stuff. Skullsplitter added to this is worth 32,300 GP, if you want to sell it.
To avoid giving myself a headache over amounts and specific items kept/bought, and because this is New Ravenshead, I will allow this equipment to basically be sold for what it’s worth. So, 62,090 to split. All items are worth their listed amounts, though major magical items are unavailable, and only minor healing items are available at double the price.
We can assume the group will discuss what to buy and dividing up the money and such. Just go to a thread and you guys figure it out—and Ryngo, if he pops back in here. I can speak for Wanderer, but since he’s got Skullsplitter, he’ll basically be happy to get anything from the cut.]
To avoid giving myself a headache over amounts and specific items kept/bought, and because this is New Ravenshead, I will allow this equipment to basically be sold for what it’s worth. So, 62,090 to split. All items are worth their listed amounts, though major magical items are unavailable, and only minor healing items are available at double the price.
We can assume the group will discuss what to buy and dividing up the money and such. Just go to a thread and you guys figure it out—and Ryngo, if he pops back in here. I can speak for Wanderer, but since he’s got Skullsplitter, he’ll basically be happy to get anything from the cut.]
Lenny is impressed with what he discovers of the group’s total worth. There is definitely an opportunity to spend money, though the buying and selling will likely take considerable time. Markets in New Ravenshead are open at all hours, but even so, it is likely to take a great deal of time—and Lenny guesses it might help the fairness of their bargains to bring along an able-bodied cleric, if the church can spare one. The city is full of swindlers and thieves…
[Like I said—go find an OOC thread and discuss your earnings and how to spend ‘em. All purchases subject to my approval. I’ll buy for Tyrano, unless Ryngo rejoins us.]
(Character Status)
I’ve put everyone at full, and per Kman’s post, have had the acolytes take care of any standing ailments (like Wanderer’s cursed-ness).
Gildas – 69/69 HP
Lenny – 61/61 HP
Wanderer – 90/90 HP
Wystfalrun – 62/62 HP
