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 Astraea Ostraberg It wasn't surprising that Obidiah didn't know anything of her father's ancestors, if anyone knew that Lord Alexander's father was supposed to be a common fisherman then she would've certainly heard about it before. "It'd be great if you could find out more, feel free to visit us anytime you wish. Just promise me you won't put this ahead of your other duties, I think it'll be pretty hard to find out more and I don't want you to waste your time if you have important things to do." --- Astraea leans forward and listens intently to his explanations about the crown. Those voices she had heard did come from the forest! The canopy-dwellers or whatever she should call them must still be living in the Doveland wood, maybe they would show themselves if someone went there with the crown on and talked to them? But how was anyone supposed to have a conversation with so many voices echoing through their head at once? Maybe there's some way to control the crown. Wait, what did he just say? "A magical sentient axe historian?!" She blurts out in surprise. "Wow, that is amazing! I'm so sorry to hear that he's been stolen, or I guess I should call it kidnapped. We need to rescue him! Do you know where the bugbears took Petero?"
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Aug 16, 2015 15:28
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 Alonsius Ostraberg Alonsius leans forward. "Well! No need to feel shy about that, this kidnapping is very interesting. Have you brought this up with the local authorities? Maybe we can put a posse together, bugbears are hardly pleasant things to have living nearby."
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Aug 16, 2015 16:06
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"The Bugbears settled north of here a few years back. They're fascinating creatures, actually. There are reports of monsters we think are bugbears going back centuries and the way they are described is far closer to wolves or goblins - creatures with simple pack societies but relying far more on some base instinct than intelligence. Now though? They have more complex societies almost approaching civilisations! They may not yet flock to The Blue and her monster city, but one day soon they'll join dragons and the like as, and I deplore the term: civilised beasts. Take the Bugbears to the north, they've raided Brendal and some smaller hamlets, but they've positioned themselves just far enough away and taken just little enough, that nobody wants to risk their life hunting them down." He pauses then raises one finger as if interrupting someone other than himself. "Of course, after your display last night you have half the town ready to go for you. The question is how long that goodwill would last if someone got hurt or killed. As for focussing the magic of the crown, you can probably grow attuned to it if you wear it somewhere quiet for a bit." He momentarily pops it atop his own head. "There ARE voices here , but it seems like around town might be a good place to get used to it. Goodness, I wonder what this other culture could be!" He glances around as if there might be a colony of unheard of elves squatting beneath a nearby table. The crown can now be worn. It grants the normal +1 bonus in addition to the language feature. I'm not at my computer right now, but I think that it's +1 MD. Whoever wears it, don't forget to update your sheet/block."
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Aug 16, 2015 16:31
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 Sebastian Ostraberg "Gods, man, way to bury the lead. Open up with your museum and then just casually drop you know a magic sentient axe that's been kidnapped?" Sebastian listens to the professor's explanation of the bugbear society and the crown. "Say, do these bugbears have any sort of language? Now that we know what this thing does, maybe we could go talk to them for you?" he says, holding up the crown.
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Aug 16, 2015 17:03
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Astraea Ostraberg Astraea nods at Sebastian's words. "There's no way we're going to lead Brendal into a war against bugbears or anyone else for that matter. Something terrible must happen for me to even consider such a thing! But at the same time it's not like we can just let them squat in our county and launch raids at villages, it's our responsibility to make sure that stops. If we could talk with them maybe we can come to an agreement." "But when it comes to Petoro I say we just sneak in after nightfall, rescue him and then get out before anyone notices. Much simpler than diplomacy, and we can't let them feel like they have leverage on us when it comes to talking later on right?"
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Aug 17, 2015 01:04
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Alonsius Ostraberg The eldest Ostraberg leans back and shrugs. "I had hoped to avoid being known as the lords who solved everyone's problems for them personally. But Astraea's plan is best. If it was stolen, then it should be stolen right back."
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Aug 17, 2015 12:28
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Obidiah claps excitedly at your plan to bring Petero home. "That would be marvellous!" he exclaims. "To have another historian back in town, another mind to debate, another forum of intellectual discussion! I mean absolutely no offence to my fellow men and women of Brendal, but the higher intellectual pursuits are not of much interest to the people around here! Have you got a map of Ostraberg?" Without waiting for an answer, Obidiah runs over to the front desk and rummages around on a low shelf, drawing a small fold-up map and bringing it back to the table. He unfolds it, scans the contours of the countryside, then stabs it with one finger. "Here. This is where the bugbears are. I'm speaking vaguely of course. Bugbears are not known for their cleanliness or hygeine though. If you go to about here and they aren't immediately obvious, just follow your nose or the trail of detritus they have left in their wake. Be careful!" The bugbear camp is only about 3 hours ride out of your way on the path to Northbrace. Your horses are ready and it might be time to ride on, unless there's something else you had planned?
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Aug 18, 2015 10:44
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Astraea Ostraberg Astraea nods at the map vigorously. "See, it's practically right on the way to Northbrace." She turns to look at the brother that managed to sound crankier than the one with the splitting headache. "Lighten up Al, this will be fun! And think of the things we can learn from someone that has been around for centuries. It's not like we're doing anyone's chores here, we're helping ourselves as much as anyone that's involved in this. Well, besides the bugbears that is but they deserve a lesson to not mess with our people." She picks up her pack and smiles at Obidiah. "Thanks for bringing this to our attention, I bet even I could stay focused on a history lesson if it was taught by an axe! We probably won't come back to Brendal immediately but you shouldn't have to wait too long to meet your friend again." She empties her glass of juice and steps away from the table. "Anyone got any errands left in town before we leave? If not I'll go out and pay our trusty stable master those three shiny gold coins I promised him." She waves at the barkeep. "Thanks for your hospitality, it's been great!"
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Aug 18, 2015 21:45
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Alonsius Ostraberg "No arguments here, so long as I may borrow that map? Thank you. Now let's be off!"
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Aug 20, 2015 08:46
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You are slightly surprised to find that the kid has made true on his promise to watch your horses. Not only is he still there when you return to the stables, they look as though they've been well fed, cared for and brushed down. He sits atop a short stone wall, chewing a length of straw as you come over, but he's not interested in much conversation. "Ya ever come back here, come fin' me and I'll watch them for ya again," he says as you go. With your horses so well cared for, the ride north is an absolute breeze. The countryside is a rolling blur and the cool wind in your face keeps you alert and awake. Although the little map is designed with the idea that whoever is following it will want to stick to the main roads between towns and villages, you find it relatively accurate for your purpose. You stop for a lunch of left-over breakfasts and drink from a crystal clear stream. The ride after lunch is decidedly slower and calmer, so by the time you reach the part of the road where you want to peel off into wilderness, the skies are a deep pink and orange. Wisps of cloud hang in the air like squirts of cream on cake. The path splits in two. One half continues on in a semi-paved path much like the ones you have been following all day. The other springs off at a rough angle and heads into the hills to the east. There is no paving on this second path, it is merely a track of trampled grass, footprints, and the occasional nail, piece of glass or animal bone. Looking up towards the hill you see what appears to be a simple sign of some kind - a wooden stake in the ground with a calf's skull nailed to it. The lands claimed by the bugbears most likely lay somewhere within the hills and flatlands beyond. Decision time, do you want to head straight on to Northbrace and come back later for The Historian, or do you want to cut through to the bugbears now? If so, I require a roll from each of you detailing an aspect of your journey to the bugbear lands - sneaking, tracking, trailing, etc.
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Aug 20, 2015 11:25
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Alonsius Ostraberg Alonsius hops off his horse and looks down at the trail of refuse and broken shards. "Well, this shouldn't be too hard to follow. And I can't imagine they'll be expecting us and change their camping habits." Alonsius moves along on foot, checking his map and keeping an eye out for telltale signs. But as he travels, he suddenly has self doubts. Was it hobgoblins or bugbears that preferred to camp on high hills? Historian + Wis: 1d20+8 13 wah wah
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Aug 20, 2015 15:27
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Astraea Ostraberg "They might still have guards posted, I'm not sure how organized bugbears are but let's try to move unseen. Follow me." Astraea knew the land well, or so she thought. She had been around these parts of the wood before, right? They weren't that far away from Ostraberg house. Nevertheless she couldn't quite make heads or tails of the landscape. It wouldn't be as easy as she thought to move stealthily to their destination. Sneaking through the land (Ostraberg Explorer + Dex): 1d20+4+4+2 14 Meh.
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Aug 20, 2015 22:13
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Sebastian Ostraberg "I still think we should try to talk to them before resorting to outright thievery," mutters Sebastian as they leave Brendal. "I'm putting the crown on, just in case we end up encountering any that aren't outright hostile." Sebastian puts the crown on his head and hopes he becomes acclimatized to the voices before they reach their destination. "If you guys are dead set on sneaking in, we should at least try to blend in to the forest. I learned a couple things about camouflage running with some wood elf shamans." Sebastian takes a few minutes to gather some local flora and make some pastes to smear onto everyone. "Now remember, it's important to pick the most vibrant forest colors you can find." Putting on the crown. +1 MD for me. Forest camo (TITACOT+Int+Lvl): 1d20+3+0+2 12 We are so good at rolling. Once it becomes obvious that they're going to see us coming, but before we get ambushed and killed by the bugbears, I would like to cast Disguise Self on myself to look like a bugbear, if possible.
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Aug 20, 2015 23:29
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The plan to sneak through the camp goes awry quickly. Alonsius loses confidence in his knowledge, Astraea feels like she's treading on every dry branch, and Sebastian's dark camouflage leaves him standing out against the pink-bathed grass. They trio find themselves quickly lost in the long weeds and bushes and although it is simple enough to head in the direction of the bugbear grounds, it is much harder to work out where they are in relation. Slowly, they are greeted with a thick and unpleasant stench. It's a meaty, greasy smell, like an unclean barbecue pit. There is a sour undercurrent - probably from where the bugbear have been marking their territory. A voice suddenly barks out from up ahead. "Hey! Hey you! Stop there! Who goes there! Who are you? I can smell human! Turn away human! Not welcome here! Go before I kill you!"
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Aug 21, 2015 00:26
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Sebastian Ostraberg "Blast. Alright, plan B," whispers Sebastian to his siblings as he begins casting a spell. As Astraea and Alonsius watch, Sebastian's ears get longer and pointier, his teeth grow sharper, and hair grows out all over his body. In just a few quick seconds, he goes from incredibly handsome human to ferocious bugbear. He whispers to his siblings, in a much more guttural tone, "Okay, how are we doing this? Are you prisoners? Random hikers? I've only got about 10 minutes before this disguise wears off."
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Aug 21, 2015 20:53
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Astraea Ostraberg "Oh, neat spell. That would've been insanely useful on a number of occasions... Prisoners make more sense I think, if we were just some random hikers they'd probably just want us to go away." Astraea makes sure that her weapons concealed as quickly as she can. "At least this will save us the effort of infiltrating?" Conceal Weapons (Dex + Astral Cat Burglar): 1d20+4+5+2 15 Whew, hopefully that's enough.
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Aug 22, 2015 10:03
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With Alonsius' weapon disguised as a cane, and Astraea's hidden about her person, the new bugbear marches them over towards the barking voices. As you march through the grass, you come to face the two guards. They are armed with clubs and shields but wear no armour other than tatty rags. They practically ignore Sebastian in order to stare at the two humans. "Ahhhh, what we got here, brother?" one of them asks, drooling. "You been spying on us, you horrible little monsters," the other says, poking Astraea in the stomach with the end of his club.
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Aug 22, 2015 10:30
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Astraea Ostraberg "Ow, please don't hurt us." Astraea holds her stomach where she was poked and forces some tears down her cheeks. "We haven't been spying at all, we were just out foraging for berries and mushrooms I promise!" She drops to her knees and pleads. "Please let us go, we'll never come back I swear!" We're *totally* not spies. (Cha +Charitable Celestial): 1d20+3+4+2 22 Needless to say we're trying to get in so the intent is not to make them release us but to appear feeble and to get us inside.
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Aug 22, 2015 10:46
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Alonsius Ostraberg Alonsius joins in with the pitiful party. "We're just little folks from Brendal. Ain't got nothin' to take, not since the last raid. Please, just let us go." Cha + Historian: 1d20+6 22 Bluffing using what I know about the bugbears.
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Aug 23, 2015 03:51
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Sebastian Ostraberg Sebastian shoves the two roughly and shouts, "Hey, I didn't say you could speak!" He growls menacingly for effect, then turns to the bugbears. "Found these two poking around the forest. You know, I was thinkin'...instead of killin' 'em, what if we tried to trade with them? They might have some medicine or something we could use. I dunno, just a thought." Bugbear impersonation (LoTP+Cha+Lvl): 1d20+4+3+2 22
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Aug 25, 2015 15:11
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"Tradin'? You havin' a laugh?" one says, his face wrinkling in confusion. "Well now think about it..." the other says, scratching his chin. The hairs that protrude from it are jet black bristles and there are puckered warts lining his mouth. "Maybe if we trade a bit, get medicines, get healthy, THEN we raid and take everything back!" "You're not supposed to think," the other snaps back. They wave you through as they get into an argument, the sound of which trails you as you go into camp. It never quite breaks out into blows, but it comes close. The inside of the camp is actually a very large space which includes trees, long grasses and a stretch of stream. The bugbears seem to have ignored all conventional wisdom and marked their tribal lands as out in the open. There is no cave to defend from within, no rushing river to cut off an enemy attack. Instead it is very open and has many places to hide. It is great if people don't know you are there and you can ambush them, but it also makes sneaking into the camp a lot easier. You pass a few more bugbears, including women and children. The children are darker than the adults with less hair, but equally scrunched up faces. At one point you pass a mother feeding her baby and the baby is actually pretty cute - like a human baby with ocre skin and the beginnings of a soft mane around its face. The stench of the camp is thick and unpleasant and grows both earthier and more acrid the deeper you head inside. It is an extremely organic smell and you shudder to think what the cause might be. You find some flimsy tents of bent wood and animal skin around a fire and the increased number of crude trinkets and totems laying around suggests this is a place of importance. There are several bugbears, larger ones, sat on wooden logs around the fire, barking and yelling at one another in a combination of Common, Goblin, Dwarvish and something else. They laugh, they fight, they roar, they drink something thick and sticky from wooden pots. By this point however, the transformation spell is reaching its end. You need to work out what you want to do. You've only had the chance to take a quick glance, but you do not see any of these bugbears holding an axe.
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Aug 26, 2015 12:35
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Sebastian Ostraberg "Okay, Astraea, you should probably should sneak off and try to do some recon. Alonsius, stick near me but hopefully out of sight. I'm gonna try to use the last minute or so of this spell to find out where the axe is. If I get into trouble, do some, I don't know, shadow stuff. Make me look really spooky." He shrugs. Sebastian heads into the camp alone and makes a beeline for the closest bugbear he can find. "Hey, you remember the weird talking axe? I can't remember where we put it. I wanna go look at it again, it's just so weird, you know?" He attempts a barking laugh, to ease the tension.
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Aug 26, 2015 17:50
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Alonsius Ostraberg Alonsius thinks twice about heading out. "Hold a moment. Maybe I can save Astraea a bit of running about..." Alonsius focuses for a moment, and slowly tendrils of shadow begin to snake between the clutter and mess of the camp. Alonsius doesn't mention its not technically him doing the looking and listening, but hopefully the being would prove useful here. Wis + Void Secrets: 1d20+3+5+2 26 using shadows to look around.
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Aug 26, 2015 18:13
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Astraea Ostraberg "Ok! You guys figure out where it is and I'll go and grab it." Astraea stands at the ready to commit some thievery, should her brothers find the axe. If you want a stealth roll for just standing around let me know.
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Aug 26, 2015 19:08
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The occult shadow slips silently and undetected around the camp, extending so far that it leaves only the thinnest fibres connecting it to Alonsius. The occultist does not so much see with the shadow's eyes, as known what the shadow knows, and eventually it returns with the knowledge you are looking for. The chief of this particular bugbear tribe is within the largest of the nearby tents, and he holds a huge blood-red and frozen-silver axe on a leather strap around his back. There are two other bugbears in the tent with him, but to get to the entrance will mean walking directly through the camp-fire. There may be another way in around the back, but even that will mean getting pretty close. Meanwhile, Sebastian marches directly into the campfire light and addresses the nearest bugbear. The monster looks up at him with a furrowed brow and sniff. "What, you mean Denett's? What you talking about? He's probably got it like always. Why did he want you touching it? Who even are you?" Captain_Indigo fucked around with this message at 14:05 on Aug 27, 2015 |
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Aug 27, 2015 14:02
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Astraea Ostraberg "Big tent, two guards inside and the chief? Got it." Astraea keeps low and sneaks up to the tent without making a sound. Before she has to stop she has gotten close enough that she can hear the soft crackling sounds from the campfire over the louder voices of the bugbears. Uh oh, sounds like Sebastian might be getting himself into trouble. Well, he'd have to fend for himself for now. She stays out of sight behind the canvas of the tent then closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. The air around her begins to shimmer softly and a split second later she blinks out of existance! She's still sort of there, but at the same time not. The world she can see through her eyes is basked in a blueish white light and everything is a bit out of focus, likewise any sounds are ethereal and muffled. She doesn't waste any time, she knows that she only has a few seconds before she would phase back into the real world. She kicks into a sprint and rounds the tent then enters it right in front of the bugbears. Just a couple seconds left now, she needed to hide! She dashes through the tent and hides behind what must be the chieftain's throne, it looks like some sort of clunky asymmetrical chair made out of wood, animal bones and leather. She barely has time to crouch down as the world returns to normal in front of her eyes, but she's hidden for now. She exhales as quietly as she can and listens closely to her surroundings, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Sneak to tent (Dex + Astral Cat Burglar): 1d20+4+5+2 22 Shadow Walk (Cha + Astral Cat Burglar): 1d20+3+5+2 27 If you want this to be a normal attack vs MD instead (like it'd be during a battle) it's a 22. Doubt anyone will be able to resist that anyway. Hide inside tent (Dex + Astral Cat Burglar): 1d20+4+5+2 21 Hahaha how did that even work. Sockerbagarn fucked around with this message at 19:45 on Aug 27, 2015 |
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Aug 27, 2015 19:39
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Alonsius Ostraberg Alonsius watches Sebastian confront another Bugbear, and watches Astraea get into position with surprising panache and, Alonsius feels, a bit of luck. He ponders a moment. Sebastian was certainly good at talking his way out of trouble, but he was probably in more immediate danger than Astraea. On the other hand, if something were to go wrong... well if something went wrong out here then Astraea might be better placed to take advantage of it than the other way around. Alonsius nods to himself. Always good to think things through he adds in his head, somewhat smugly. The shadows retreat to Alonsius (though one tendril does stay near Astraea) and once again, the light around Sebastian seems to dim. The shadows begin to take weird shapes around him, and he begins to exude an aura, one that says 'I am not to be trifled with'. Alonsius puts a bit of pressure in the shadow's presence. Hopefully Sebastian would know what was happening and take advantage of it. Cha + Void Secrets: 1d20+1+5+2 23 make Sebastian spooky
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Aug 29, 2015 11:55
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Astraea finds herself within a richly (by comparison) decorated interior. There are scrappy furs hanging from the walls and carved wooden figurines 'guarding' the corners. There are enough rooms and alcoves inside for her to slip silently into a hidden space and watch as the chief, a larger bugbear, takes a seat atop his thrown. With only an instant left, she darts behind the chair as the darkness dissipates and she is left visible once more. The chieften sits with his legs wide apart, some kind of wet meat clutched in his claws. He takes large bites that seem to comprise of equal parts meat and bone, then tosses a handful of remains over his head to land in Astraea's hair. "SO. Ready to talk?" he says. There is a warbling sound. You have heard something similar before. In one of the temples you have visited in your travels, the monks and clerics ran fingers around pearl bowls to make the same ringing echo. This sound has a voice contained within it however. "I have told you," it says. "I may be magical, but I am not omniscient. I only know what I have seen. I cannot answer any more of your questions!" The voice is highly strung and irritated, but the bugbear seems unimpressed. "Fine. We wait. But I got cleverest of my tribe working on the problem. You may not have a body, but we will find a way to hurt you. And when we can hurt you, all the secrets come pouring out." Back outside Sebastian is suddenly cloaked in a thick layer of darkness. The bugbears step back uncertainly. This looks like dark magic and they are wary of any bugbear capable of dark magic. Magics mean smarts and smarts means business. Now it relies on Sebastian (or Alonsius) to push the advantage.
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Sep 2, 2015 09:25
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Astraea Ostraberg Astraea makes a grimace and sticks her tongue out at the chieftain's back as she picks the wet chunks of food out of her hair. Some people just do not have any table manners! As she lets the pieces fall neatly to the ground she notices that she had put her knee in a pile of discarded rotten mystery meat. Well, at least that makes her confident that nobody pays too much attention to where she chose to hide. That must be Petero he's talking with! Is he holding the axe in his hands? That would make it pretty hard to steal without him noticing it, better wait a moment longer to see if he gets distracted.
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Sep 6, 2015 13:39
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