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SET SAIL: VOYAGE OF THE CITY-SHIP You have never been in a place so large, and so empty. The ship - if it can even still be called a mere ship - is nearly a thousand feet long, and as empty as the open sea. The five you have made a thorough map of the vessel, tallying the complement of workshops with ancient, scuffed tables, checking the integrity of the half-dozen smithies, peeking into the doors of the dozens of townhouse-style residences. All told, you figure the floating city could support five hundred or more, fed by the top-deck farms and fish from the sea. In addition to all of that, there are extensive sets of barracks and defensive fortifications fore and aft that would turn the ship into a mighty floating fortress if restocked and restaffed. To that end, and lacking any better course of action, you have set sail to your last port of call - a rocky spit of granite known as Hennick’s Stone, where ancient tunnels dug deep into the caldera of a dormant volcano form a thriving trade port. From there, you can obtain provisions, and whatever else you might need, and plot on what to do next. Okay! Let’s get this thing rolling. Here is a map of the various decks of the ship: it’s not perfectly 1:1 but one square = 50 feet. You get the idea. If anyone has any questions or would like explanation on anything, please ask! Also if anyone has a better idea of where they’d like this thing to be headed, I am open to entertaining that!  DRAMATIS PERSONAE Hamari Seir  Solarus Rex  Vorovka “Vorya” Lichkov  Arannis Anvilhammer  Cognate  Please use the previous link & portrait for your in-character posts, it helps me a ton! Majuju fucked around with this message at 01:42 on Oct 11, 2014 |
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Sep 4, 2014 05:47
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Cognate Cognate stuck her head into one of the empty barracks, surveying the empty cots and dressers. She grinned, images dancing in her head of dozens - no, hundreds - of loyal guardsmen, ready to take her every order. Sailing around this world and bringing order to each island, harvesting the cream of the crop to serve as loyal retainers on the newly named Fist of Justice. Or maybe the Sword of Justice. Mace of Justice? It'd bear some more thinking on. The No Justice, But Just Us. Maybe not that one. The tiefling opened one of the dressers at random, frowning as she saw a deck of playing cards inside. She reached down to pick up the deck, gingerly pulling one card out from it and waiting for a few moments. When nothing happened she started whistling tunelessly, idly shuffling the cards in her hand as she headed for the meeting room. It was one of the smaller rooms on the ship, without the high vaulting ceilings or fancy accouterments of some of the nicer areas. Just a small room with a long table and some chairs, but the lack of decoration and the sense of normalcy had made it the logical place to meet. Cognate looked around when she arrived, a little surprised that she was the first one there, before taking one of the chairs and shuffling the deck anew. She started to deal the cards out in a complicated pattern - Asmodean Solitaire was significantly more complex than the usual kind, although with about the same chance of completing any single game - waiting for the others to arrive before she started a group game.
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Sep 5, 2014 18:24
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Solarus Rex Hmm. Fist of Solarus. No, Staff of Solarus. ...No Justice, Just Solarus? The titular mage rubbed his chin as he glided through twisting corridors, the soles of his feet barely a few centimetres from the ship's floor. Ah, yes. Solarus' Will. A suitable name for such a vessel. With an idle gesture he summons a minor illusion above his hand, depicting the city-ship cleaving through raging waters, polished to a mirror sheen and painted black with a gold trim to match his own attire. At the prow sits a gargantuan golden bust of Solarus himself, gazing ahead with eyes blazing with magical fire that evaporated the sea spray before it could touch his glorious visage. Solarus dismisses the image with a wave as he enters the meeting room. It had been an amusing distraction, but another lay ahead - and how amusing she was! He acknowledges her with a tilt of his head. "Cognate! I see your surveyance is complete. Third ace of knaves to the seventh pit completes the solitaire. You are welcome." He settles easily into the nearest chair with a satisfied smile. In truth, he would have preferred they hold the meeting in a more suitable location - he had been particularly taken with the ostentatious stateroom he'd discovered towards the prow of the ship, from which he could easily gaze out across the ocean. No matter. "I must congratulate you on your alacrity in arriving here before me. What have you discovered?"
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Sep 5, 2014 22:49
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Arannis Anvilhammer Arannis' head span around as he walked around the workshop, holding still a board with parchment on it while his mage hand jotted down scrawled notes. "Ha, fascinating all 'round. Gotta remember to talk to a farmer to see how much crop those upper deck farms could sustain. Oh! And check to see if there was something storing clean water. Maybe whoever built this ship actually just used Clearwater Solution? That would leave some residue. Or had some other method of desalination using magic. Cross check with someone about it, soon..." Eventually working his way to the meeting room Arannis walks in, Mage Hand still scribbling out details Arannis sees "Wood's dense, not overly wrought with decoration, either for less important matters or to obscure it. Remarkably well kept just like most of the ship... Oh!" Finally noticing the two already in the room Arannis nods at them "Cognate. Solarus." Seating himself as his free hand pulls an inkwell out he sets his parchment out on the table, Arannis spills forth his thoughts without even being prompted, as usual "First glances say it's an impressive ship, second and third glance says it's an incredible ship. A village contained on a boat. Village might be too small? Town." His grin widens "Yes, a township! Resources and time put into this township is quite impressive, I don't think I can name a place that could put this together in secret and lose it without anyone knowing about it one way or another. Elemental to power it... Connection to the Planes? Maybe not from the Prime. Not overtly fey in nature not nearly enough magic for the sake of itself..." With that Arannis finally quiets as his begins rereading his tiny scrawled notes. ArkInBlack fucked around with this message at 06:15 on Sep 6, 2014 |
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Sep 6, 2014 06:06
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Idris Reece "What'd I discover!?" Idris barks as he stomps into the barracks after Arannis. "I discovered there ain't any food on this dang ship!" He throws himself onto a cot, grasping his stomach and grimacing, and watches Cognate as she works her way through her game. Of course, the ship was incredible: not only a marvel of modern technology, but a true work of art. Even having spent his entire adult life at sea, he'd never seen anything like it - not even The Screaming Serpent could hope to stand against the township...in its prime, anyway. Now it floats alone and abandoned on the open seas - what could have led to its desertion? The cannons have rusted, the larders are empty, and a thick layer of dust coats the delicate navigational instruments found in the bridge, mysteriously still in perfect condition otherwise.
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Sep 9, 2014 21:15
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Vorovka “Vorya” Lichkov Vorya spends some time each day surveying a number of the living quarters most carefully, taking mental stock of the size and number as well as every nook and hidden or difficult to reach corner and section of each private residence that could be walled off as well as looking for any telltale signs that this has already been done in the past. Illicit cargo aside, she figures it's just good sense to keep a few places handy where one can pull a vanish in a pinch, even on ones' own ship; she's fairly confident her own comrades never even knew about all the hidden compartments she used to have on the Beholder, though she wouldn't bet too much money on it. With a mental note to find appropriately extravagant furnishings for the area claimed as her own private quarters at the first possible opportunity, Vorya heads to the meeting room. She plops down unceremoniously in the seat across from Cognate with a creak of oiled leather, propping her feet up on a second chair and conjuring a piece of stale trail ration of indeterminate origin with a feat of legerdemain. "We are making decent time. And a good thing, because I have not had a decent meal for an age," she says, glancing down at the cards. "Besides, I need new people to gamble with for a change." Contemplating her trail ration, she pauses. "There is an idea, we could make this a traveling pleasure boat. Gambling and that sort of thing. Imagine the money we could be making." Reene fucked around with this message at 12:24 on Sep 10, 2014 |
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Sep 10, 2014 12:22
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Solarus Rex Solarus tilts his head in amusement. "Ah, Vorovka! Always with the dreams of money, money, money. You really must open your eyes to the grander designs of life. Even Anvilhammer knows this boat is meant for more than mere profiteering." He settles back in his chair, rubbing his chin. "Besides, I will not have my concentration threatened by the mundanities of pleasure." He imagines magic circles trampled on by giggling tourists, dice thrown ignorantly across ritual spaces, wands picked up and waved around by the incautious... "No, wealth for our coffers would not be undeserved, but it's through skill and will that we will claim it, not tawdry peddling. If you wish to find new gambling partners I am certain Hennick's Stone will be happy to oblige."
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Sep 10, 2014 20:26
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Arannis Anvilhammer Perking up at hearing his name Arannis speaks "A gambling den has a pin point focus on doing one thing. Everything involved gears towards getting its 'customers' gambling and losing money. The ultimate problem with converting the ship is it's already heavily invested in doing a bit of everything needed to sustain life. Workshops, market stalls, farmland. Farmland, on a ship! Any space not dedicated to wringing gold from 'customers' would be profits effectively lost. Then the cost of converting the space into accommodating such a goal, in both financial and knowledge terms, would be staggering." Pausing a moment to scratch his chin, Arannis continues "Though a ship of this size could house a fair number of people, sailing port to port to allow the masses to save up more coin for the next time it came in. Not a terrible idea in general, just... Wasteful in this instance, I suppose."
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Sep 11, 2014 10:09
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Over the course of the next several days, the five of you spend your time arguing back and forth about names, purposes, and the possible makeup of any inhabitants of the vessel, interspersing the debates with strolls along the top deck, tests of the more of the ship's machinery, and the migration of the last of your personal effects off of the Salty Beholder. At last, one morning, you begin to spot other ships out on the horizon, an indication that you are nearing Hennick's Stone. A few approach you cautiously - you recognize them as deep-sea fishing vessels, and they maintain a goodly distance, observing your ship before pulling away and speeding off towards the horizon, without a doubt carrying word of your voyage ahead of your arrival.  Frank Att And so it is that as the mass of Hennick's Stone rounds the horizon, then draws close, you begin to notice a crowd assembled on the city's labyrinth of docks - gawkers out to catch a glimpse of this strange phenomenon that has drawn up to their homes. You bring the city-ship in as close as you can to the island, then drop the massive anchor, and close the remaining distance to the docks in the Beholder, watched the whole way. Even as you're drawing up to the pier, you can hear questions shouted at you from the assembled masses on the piers, the curious onlookers wanting to get more information. You cast mooring lines to a couple of helpful onlookers, and just as you're sliding the gangplank onto the dock, the crowd goes silent further up the dock, and some foreign influence begins cutting its way through to you. Just as you're ready to disembark, you look up to see a pack of city watch blocking the gangplank, their hulking leader addressing you with a critical eye. His ornate armour gleams in the mid-morning sun, square jaw and close-cropped blond hair framed by fine ermine trim.  "Hold there, you five. I am Piersym Quinte, Watch-Commander of the Stone, and I would have words with you."
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Sep 14, 2014 00:30
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Arannis Anvilhammer "Ah, hello Piersym, I am Arannis Anvilhammer, pleased to meet you." With that Arannis gives a small bow "I personally would be happy to chat though I can't speak for my fellows, and if it doesn't bother you I haven't had a proper mead in some time and I recall there being a fine pub that serves an excellent dwarven mead. The Hearth And Hammer I believe is its name. A fine place for a talk."
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Sep 14, 2014 04:36
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The commander bristles as Arannis' invitation, and rests a hand on the pommel of his weapon. "Our business shall be conducted here. Or if you prefer, I can have a score of my best men escort you up to the Barrier, though you might find the accommodations lacking. Understand me - I am sworn to protect the ruler of this place, and its people, from whatever unknown elements come trundling out of the sea, and I would know the nature of your vessel, and your intentions as to the Stone."
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Sep 14, 2014 05:21
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Arannis Anvilhammer Seemingly oblivious to the Watch-Commander's threatening posture and tone Arannis scratches his chin. "Suit yourself, though I find business goes better with a pint in hand. The nature of the vessel... That's a fair question isn't it? Not too sure on the answer myself... It floats, it's larger then any boat I've seen before. But beyond that..." with that Arannis simply shrugs. "Now our intentions are simple. Get off the sea for awhile, resupply, and enjoy a better drink then we have on the ship!" Diplomacy through "We want to give you gold for goods": 1d20+16 22
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Sep 14, 2014 13:12
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"Hrhnh." Quinte issues a half-satisfied grunt at Arannis' explanation, and while his demeanor does not soften any, you think you perceive the slightest of nods in your direction. "All right, elf. You may go about your business. But know this: you will be watched. Closely." With this, he inclines his head slightly, motioning at something upslope. Your eyes track towards a pair of ballistae, massive four-vaned arrowheads glinting in the sunlight. "Welcome to Hennick's Stone." He turns, motions to his men, and begins heading back up the dock with a shout to the crowd: "Clear off, all of you! You're blocking an exit route!" The crowd obliges, and you are left standing on the deck of the Salty Beholder as the city resumes its day-to-day life.
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Sep 15, 2014 22:14
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Solarus Rex Solarus sweeps past the mundane, barely acknowledging his words. Naturally, Solarus Rex is watched wherever he deigns to visit. A mere ballista would perhaps provide a moment's amusement, little more... but he realises his allies may not disregard the wooden toys quite so easily. He rubs his chin thoughtfully as he glides onto the dock. There were, of course, none equal to Solarus Rex, but those he chooses to travel with could perhaps be said to be comparable to him, and thus deserved respect by proxy. "Come, Anvilhammer. We shall play by their rules for a time, but this place could be a valuable asset to us both in resources and in manpower, if not the arcane. Even Solarus Rex cannot run the entirety of the ship by himself."
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Sep 16, 2014 03:16
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Arannis Anvilhammer Scratching his head as the commander leaves Arannis turns to group and asks "...Was he threatening us?" silently accepting from the stares that yes, that just happened, he responds to Solarus "Ah, yeah? But the port'll be here after a pint and it's been awhile since I've had a proper mead... Oh fine, Imperius Rex. Where shall we start? The manpower or the supplies needed to maintain the manpower?"
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Sep 16, 2014 09:23
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Idris Reece "Yep. That was a threat if I ever did hear one," Idris says, scowling as he descends the gangplank. "Let's start by lookin' for a good inn, yeah? We've been at sea for so long I drat near forgot dry land even existed. Business can wait a day or three!" He casually walks off, savoring the look of indignation that's surely crossing Solarus's face right about...now.
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Sep 16, 2014 10:10
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Cognate Cognate took out a pen and a large, heavy notebook notebook. She tapped on the paper for a few moments before writing "Piersym Quinte - Hennick's Stone - rude, impertinent. Might be useful if properly managed? One star." and putting it back into her pack. "An inn sounds like a good idea, at least to start with. We'll need to find some hands, and there's no better place for than than a dockside tavern. Or to figure out the lay of the land."
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Sep 18, 2014 00:38
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Vorovka “Vorya” Lichkov Vorya slowly drags her hand down her face and huffs out a sigh, staring after the guard. "Right," she says with a small amount of forced brightness, "Libations. If I remember this tomorrow I will count tonight a failure." She heads in the likeliest-looking direction, intent on finding gamblers to bilk out of their gold and enough rotgut to keep things extremely interesting.
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Sep 18, 2014 11:38
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Solarus Rex Solarus Rex laughs his booming laugh as he sweeps along next to Idris. "You continue to amuse, Reece! Surely not even you assumed I meant us to conduct business and leave without pause? Come! We'll find a public house, and beverage enough for all, though the infinite paradoxes of the arcane are intoxication enough for Solarus Rex."
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Sep 18, 2014 13:07
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Arannis Anvilhammer Shrugging again Arannis steps forward "Or back to the original plan I guess? Nevermind, to The Hearth And Hammer!" Taking the lead Arannis begins to work his way past the still dispersing crowds and into the port to The Hearth And Hammer.
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Sep 18, 2014 13:53
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Weathered planking creaks beneath your boots as you make your way down the dock towards solid land. All around you, packs of labourers are busy loading and unloading countless cargo vessels, while captains and merchants haggle back and forth, each trying to eke out a better deal for whatever exotic item they are transporting. Muscular stevedores ferry crates of colourful fruit along the docks, while a massive crane hoists an entire sirim tree trunk off of a high-sided carrack. Huge flocks of gulls wheel over piles of fresh fish as net-ships dump their catch, waiting workers quickly packing the silver shapes into barrels loaded with salt. You receive any number of sidelong glances as you follow Arannis towards the Hearth and Hammer, but nobody confronts you directly as you make your way to the squat building a few hundred metres from the docks. It is a tall building, set partly into the mountainside, its entire front wall consisting of a multitude of windows, which are currently open and admitting the salt breeze. The din of convivial merriment emanates from within, along with the smell of grilling fish, and you make your way inside. A genial halfling seated behind a large, well-worn anvil inquires about the size of your group, then sends you along to a plank table, where your drink orders are quickly taken by a young elf with a multitude of facial piercings. As you sit waiting for the waiter to return, you take a look around the half-full room. The crowd consists fairly exclusively of overall-clad labourers and tradespeople with stuffed tool belts, engaged in lively conversation over bowls of steamed shellfish or plates of fish. They seem to pay you no mind - which is more than you can say about the half-dozen rubbernecking passersby, who slow down to shoot quizzical looks through the tavern's open windows before hurriedly changing directions. One even pokes his head in through the door before the greeter shouts some curse at them and they bolt, terrified. Your drinks are returned not by the elf who took your orders, but by a tall, impressively-muscled woman, who pulls up an extra chair and sits down, leaning forward onto the table, fingers steepled.  (ignore the sword (FOR NOW)) "Allow me to introduce m'self," she begins. "Name's Alais, and this is my place. And I'm guessin' you're from that great floatin' monster anchored out in the harbour. Now, whatever you're about ain't my problem, unless you somehow don't have the coin to pay for these drinks. But in about an hour, that's not gonna be your problem: a whole lotta 'interested parties' will be buyin' the drinks, so just a word of advice: if you're not prepared for 'em, you'd best figure out your stories right quick."
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Sep 19, 2014 04:28
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Arannis Anvilhammer Taking a swig of the mead, Arannis looks to the group "Story? It's not much of one, found it, fixed it, sailed it. Looking to stock it..." Finally he notices the attention the group as a whole has drawn. "Oh, they're not just staring at my arms? ...Yes I suppose I'd be very much interested in a big ol' ship like that sailed up as it pleased. And would want to learn as much as I could about it. Probably a lotta folk would want to know more." Tapping the side of his mug, Arannis ponders a moment, and then shrugs "Ah well, don't put the cart before the mule. Gotta focus on one problem at a time. Current problem bein' I don't got nearly enough mead in me!" And with that Arannis takes a hearty swig
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Sep 19, 2014 11:36
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Solarus Rex Solarus leans back in his chair, contemplating the small mug of mead sitting in front of him. He did not cloud his mind with alcohol as a matter of habit, but he had to admit there was something fascinating about the drive to intoxication. Holding one hand above the brim, he turns to Alais. "You seem to assume we intend to hide. Why should we fabricate some tale about ourselves? We have come to this place with a goal in mind." He makes a gesture and the mead begins to rise from its mug, leaving a rippling brown sphere gently rotating in the air. Solarus doesn't look at it. "Whether people may object to that goal is not our concern." He twirls his finger above the sphere and it silently blooms. Each particle in the mead seems to seperate from the other as the ball begins to flatten and expand, until it resembles nothing more than a small brown galaxy floating above the table, every atom of dirt and debris standing out like a tiny star. And there is quite a lot of dirt and debris. "Unless you believe there is someone in this town who can truly threaten us?" AXE COP fucked around with this message at 16:05 on Sep 19, 2014 |
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Sep 19, 2014 16:01
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Alais is unperturbed by Solarus' display. She leans back from the table, scratching her head in thought. "Well, hey, I don't know what you've got out there on that ship. Maybe a legion of troops in the best armour money can buy, just sittin' below decks, sharpening their axes. And if you've got that much steel to throw around, then more power to all of ya. But somehow I think that's not the case. Anyhow, from what scuttlebutt I've been hearin', we've got three members of the Sevenfold Council in the city, an envoy from the Kingdom of Mists, and some High Sea-Druid, and that's just the ones comin' immediately to mind. They could help you, or be right terrible enemies, all."
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Sep 19, 2014 21:25
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Solarus Rex "Hmm." Solarus closes one eye and gazes at the mead galaxy thoughtfully, idly twirling a finger to make it spin faster. "Tell me about this Sevenfold Council. I don't believe they ever sent an envoy to the Solarus Isles. Are they the local ruling power?" Misty kingdoms and old men of the sea did not concern him overmuch, but he knew leadership, and leaders, and how they thought. Perhaps there was something in common to exploit there. Or perhaps not. The idea of adding another title to his repertoire was quite appealing. Solarus Rex, the Sole Triumvur and Sole Sevenfold. Or would that make him a Sole Decemplar? Hmm.
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Sep 21, 2014 19:02
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Streetwise for local government and powers that be: 1d20+17 25 Vorovka: as a necessary result of your background, you are well-versed in the identities of the powers that be, and the powers they might be in possession of. Staying well-informed of local governments and higher-level power-brokers is simply smart business, after all. You recall that Hennick's Stone is presently ruled by a shrewd, greedy man who goes only by his title: the Mogul. Known for ostentatious displays of wealth, he occupies a grandly-appointed citadel inside the Stone's caldera where, it is said, deep vaults burrow towards the core of the earth, filled with taxed gains and rarer wealth. Of the Sevenfold Council, you are similarly well-aware: seven ancient aristocratic families from the Verdant Isles that have leveraged their merchant savvy and the bounty of their homeland to fund a powerful mercantile & military empire - even more remarkable considering the infighting and skulduggery often taking place amongst the high echelons of nobility. With one of the largest fleets around, they are a known presence on the seas, and many an upstart power has regretted attempting to muscle in on the interests of the Seven.
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Sep 25, 2014 02:56
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Vorovka “Vorya” Lichkov Having kicked up her feet on a nearby chair and cultivated an air of supreme unconcern, Vorya produces a coin from somewhere on her person and begins casually walking it across her knuckles while she thinks, studying Alais out of the corner of her eye. Glancing over at Solarus she responds, "More or less. They have enough reach and muscle to make it so. It would be good for us to be delicate. We are, as the wise woman says --" she nods to Alais "--an unknown. Unknowns are dangerous in this business, are they not?" She turns to face Alais directly. "The information is appreciated, but my cynical heart wonders at your generosity." She leaves the question of why Alais would be so forthcoming unstated but hanging in the air.
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Sep 25, 2014 12:42
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Alais gives you a bemused smile at the question. "Yer right about that: unknowns are right dangerous. And like I told you, this is my place. It's a place I'm well attached to. I built it up from nothin'. And while I'm glad for your custom, I'm also not inclined to lose this place over trouble with the guard. The Stone's a hostile place, of late, and tensions are high, and if folks are meetin' up here, I'd prefer they do it on polite terms." She affects a stern expression over the course of her answer, and after a pause, continues. "Does that satisfy your curiousity, then?"
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Sep 28, 2014 20:25
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Arannis Anvilhammer Setting his mug down, Arannis taps his chin a few times. "Kingdom of Mists... That sounds familiar... Perhaps related to the Lord of Spring's Morning? A fey lord said to have the ability to cross the boundary between worlds by walking the morning mist, among other things. I recall the title was recently passed down to another a mere... Two hundred years ago? It's said the previous lord grew bored with life and decided to try and capture the essence of being claimed by old age." Pausing to take another swig of his mead, Arannis resumes tapping his chin. "Perhaps I can recall more about the actual kingdom." Let's have some more historical knowledge about some of these guys History on the Sevenfold, Kingdom of Mists, and Sea Druids: 1d20+12 21
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Oct 2, 2014 15:00
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Of the Sevenfold, the history is well-known: the first Compact of Seven, where the Verdant Charter was signed. The years of prosperity, the insurrection and following civil war among the Houses, and the extensive process of Reformation that followed. The intervening century has seen little of catastrophic note from the Sevenfold - rebuilding, re-establishing their place in the world, and returning to former heights of power, mostly. For as long as there has been civilization, there have been sea-druids. Devoted stewards of massive kelp forests, they tend to keep to their watery domain, engaging only infrequently with landbound empires. As for the rest... The barkeeper fixes Arannis with a puzzled look as he starts reciting times long past. "Eh, I'm not big into th' history business. Not ancient history, at any rate. But if whatever yer spoutin' off has something to do with the spook armada, I'm not gonna question it. I guess they got a lot of elf ghosts floatin' around. Might have some truth to it."
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Oct 3, 2014 21:55
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You make a few more moments of small talk before Alais departs from your table, and you are able to get in some personal time among yourselves. The food and drink are a welcome change after weeks of barreled food and stale water, but the respite is short-lived. Before long, you glance over at the entrance to the bar. The doorperson is engaged in an increasingly-heated conversation with a tall figure, face barely visible beneath the hood of its deep green robes. An eclectic collection of trinkets and decorative finework adorns his outfit, marking him as a person of great status. As you observe the exchange, Alais finally shouts from behind the bar. "LEAVE THE BLOODY SUPPLICANTS OUTSIDE. AIN'T SERVIN' PARTIES OVER SIX." The robed figure bristles, turns, and addresses someone outside, then makes a plaintive gesture towards the furious bar owner. "YEAH, THIS ISN'T AN AUDIENCE CHAMBER," she yells again, before turning back to furiously scrubbing at a tankard. It is only a moment's time before the druid makes his way over to your table. Tall, blue-skinned, and sporting any number of piercings and a fine set of ritual scarification, he speaks in a deep baritone, hands steepled in a gesture of greeting. "Grace of the Deeps give strength to you, sailors. May you pass on calm seas. You may address me as Haunan, and I speak on behalf of the druids of the Glittering Reach." 
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Oct 4, 2014 21:29
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Cognate Cognate dips her head in greeting, bringing her fingers together and arching them in front of her. The way the druid moved made himself out to be a person of great influence, the somewhat surly barkeep's reaction aside. Best to be cautious for the moment. "Greetings, Haunan, Druid of the Glittering Reach. I am Cognate, Paladin of Justice, and these are my, erm, companions. What brings you to our resplendent table?"
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Oct 5, 2014 06:57
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A wave of bliss spreads over the druid's features - here is someone who clearly respects his office, and the formalities that go along therewith. "Ah, well met, noble Paladin. Well met, companions. As to my intentions: for the past week, a tale has been spread through the druidic high councils, carried by twisting currents and the song of the great whales. They have seen a great island, moving, making its way through the sea unlike anything they have seen. The whales consider it a sign - something passed down through generation after generation, ingrained into their cultural songs. It is a herald of great change, an omen of shifting currents. And, having heard their message relayed, I have come to bear witness. It is a rare thing, to meet the turners of tides."
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Oct 6, 2014 20:37
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Hamari Hamari tries to hide a smirk. Only a druid could describe whale noises as 'cultural songs' with a straight face. Her mind wanders to the question of whether the druid can somehow hear whales from above water or spends his evenings sticking his head into the sea to listen. She figures it best not to ask this question. After all, for all the druid's flowery language, Hamari's best guess as to his purpose is that he's come to size them up. Someone like him would surely be interested in what the world's 'turners of tides' are up to - and Hamari doesn't doubt that his order could bring considerable strength to bear against them if he thinks they're up to no good. "You honour us with your words, Haunan." She decides to say. "I'm no reader of omens, but I am familiar with the power of change. We'll be sure to wield that power with measure." Hollow words, perhaps, but Hamari hopes her companions take note of the somewhat deferential tone. Particularly Solarus.
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Oct 10, 2014 13:30
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Haunan issues a rumbling noise of assent. "Hrmmmmm. This is a welcome thing to know. I shall relay my feelings back to my elders, and they will be passed through our forests. And know this - speaking only for myself, I do not know what to make of this prophecy. High druids are inscrutable enough, to say nothing of whalesong. That said, I wish you all safe travels upon the water, and may the sea's grace smile upon your selves." With this, he makes a deep bow, and exits the tavern. You watch outside the window as he departs, a handful of robed acolytes in tow. You are left to your table with an implacable sensation of bliss, as though the druid's words carried some greater weight. Independent of this, however, is the realization that you are likely to be visited by more concerned parties if you remain in this place, to the probable chagrin of Alais.
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Oct 10, 2014 21:52
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Cognate "Hmmm." Cognate throws her head back, lazing in the surprisingly comfortable inn chair. "Perhaps we should set up a greeting booth in a more comfortable place, to receive the petitioners we're bound to attract. It's common practice for supplicants to bring gifts with them when they come calling, at least in most civilized cultures." She sighs. "Or perhaps we should just start walking. Trouble will find us soon enough, I've got a sense for these kinds of thing. It would be impolite to get this tavern destroyed in the process."
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Oct 11, 2014 23:04
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Arannis Anvilhammer "Ah, well, I rather would like another pint, but I suppose if the place gets trashed because everyone wants to oogle us it'd be my last good pint for some time..." pausing to finish his drink, Arannis lets out a contented sigh "Well that'll be good enough to get some work done. Shall we go look for supplies while being badgered by the throngs of interested parties?"
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Oct 13, 2014 19:42
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Solarus Rex Solarus yawns before dropping his chair back onto its feet. "Oh, fine." With an offhand wave he sends the mead shooting back into its mug (causing a substantial portion to explode out and splatter across the table) before unfolding upwards. "I was rather enjoying the procession, but I suppose we cannot spend all day receiving the tribute of old whales."
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Oct 15, 2014 11:45
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Having reached a plurality as to the next course of action, you square your bill and pay your regards to Alais, who returns them warmly, but looks nevertheless glad to see you go. Exiting the Hearth and Hammer, you resolve to head inward, through the ornately-carved tunnels towards the heart of the Stone. The broad passage is straight enough to navigate, but you note the presence of a number of side passages branching off, many of which feature tight staircases leading up or down, or sharp turns a short ways in that reveal only blank stone walls. It would be trivially easy to get lost here, you realize, if you weren't paying close attention. Without a particular destination in mind, you simply follow the main street, heading away from the shore and taking in the sights and sounds of Hennick's Stone. The population is diverse, mostly working-class, and as you travel for a few minutes, you start to take note of a collective weariness on their features. An orc pushing a cart towards you tries to get out of the way too quickly and stumbles, nearly spilling the load. As he picks himself up, you see him furtively glancing around the corridor before hurrying on. A huddled group of halflings discusses something in hushed tones before darting into one of the side passages. Rounding a corner along the street, you notice some out-of-the-ordinary commotion up ahead: a mid-sized crowd of around thirty are gathered against some sort of obstruction blocking the passage, clearly unable to proceed further. Closer inspection reveals the obstruction to be a number of overturned wagons, their colourful roofs forming an incongruously cheery obstacle.
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Oct 17, 2014 17:28
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 18:06 |
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Arannis Anvilhammer "Ah, jeez... Wonder what's going on here? ...What if someone got hurt?" Arannis upgrades his pace from leisurely walk to brisk jog as he makes his way up to the nearest person of the crowd and asks them "Excuse me, what's going on here, is anyone hurt?"
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Oct 22, 2014 15:24
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