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'And the two continents erupted into a long and bloody civil war as The King and Ered Karlson, The Man Who Would be King battled. At The Battle of Highrock, The King's own son struck Ered with an arrow that left him vulnerable enough for The King to sever his head from his body. So that the world might heal, The King abdicated his throne and divided his kingdom into four, splitting the land between his heirs. He declared there would be no more kings, so each took the title of Prince or Princess. The war hero, 'The Wolf' Prince Tybalt, took the eastern territories of Illia and The Crescent Isles. Tybalt's erudite twin sister, 'The Rose' Princess Juliet, took the southern lands of Abalan. The obese infant, 'The Cherub' Prince Prospero, took Thalmas to the west. The King's sombre elderly brother, 'The Gargoyle' Prince Banquo was given Halbrack in the north. There was still violence in the world, still poverty, still death and disease. Even the old allies of The Man Who Would be King continued to plot in the shadows. But after years of war, the world was finally taking a breath.' - The Dawn of the Four Kingdoms      The bidding war is fast and crafty, but through skill or dumb luck, your band ends up the victors. With a smile, Blind Pete thrusts over an envelope marked with the red wax seal of The Guild. There are authentication papers inside, some details of The Goldpalm Prince's various crimes which may or may not be embellished, a contract, and the important details of how to locate the man himself. “Nobody knows where Goldpalm is,” the note reads in poor scrawl. Whoever has written it is not a classically educated man or woman. Most likely they are an apprentice clerk at The Guild. “But we have a lead. One of his men was caught by the town watch of Bridgeport. Thought he could walk in and make demands just because he worked for Goldpalm. Well, it took a lot of men to bring him down but the constables got him and without a single casualty. Knowing that holding a man of Goldpalm's crew would no doubt bring raids and slaughter, the town watch did the very smart thing of quickly and quietly transporting their prisoner to a proper city. He's in Kavath, locked up in a tower. He'll have a trial soon and no doubt they'll hang him. If you want to find Goldpalm then you need to find a way to talk to him before then. He's a half-elf called Terrence Waterwheel.”  The Tower of Kavath – a major city in Abalan. The journey south is quick, but gruelling. You arrive in Kavath by night and quietly secure lodgings at an inn. Morning comes slowly and it is just before midday that you find yourselves in the shadow of The Tower of Kavath. The front gate is manned by two men in silver armor and pink cloaks – Knights of The Rose. You might be able to fight them, but there will be others inside and your superior numbers advantage would quickly dwindle. What do you do? Usual posting rules apply, feel free to ask any questions. I plan to update Mon-Wed-Fri and anyone who has done anything will get to do a thing. Use whatever you like for rolls.
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May 30, 2016 10:48
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Darlington Rose Level: 2 XP: 0 HP: 23/23 Armor: 1 Considering his surname and family insignia, Rose found it an interesting coincidence that he shares with Princess Juliet. Oannes is located on the foothills of the boarder mountains in Thalmas just south of the Sparkling Sea fairly far from here. Rose's grandfather liked to tell a story about how his grandfather's grandfather was some bastard son of a princess who had to flee in the night only taking a single rose with him which he decided to take as his surname. It was considered a tall tale. Still he found that the roses that dotted his attire would help him blend in around Abalan. Rose clears his throat and approaches the two guards. "Greetin's fellas. Me and my group, here, have business with on your prisoners. We're here from the Guild of Adventures. All we want to do is ask 'im so some questions. Think you could let us in to chat with him?" OOC: Does this sound like a DD+CHA to you, Indigo? If we get in I may also want to roll for Wanted just in case we mess this whole thing up. haha D_W fucked around with this message at 20:34 on May 31, 2016 |
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May 31, 2016 05:05
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The Dawn of the Four Kingdoms was recent history, the abdication probably occurred three or four years ago. Feel free to edit, but at the same time, there have been other Roses before the civil war. The knights ready themselves as Darlington approaches. They move with the effortless caution of classically educated fighters. Neither draw swords, but they are both ready. From inside the helmets of one, bright blue eyes shine in the mid-day sun. The other's face is turned down. Both suits of armour seem to glow in the midday sun. "Halt!" the first guard claims as Darlington delivers his question. The other places his hand on the black handle of his sword, but does not draw it from its sheath. "You have no business here. The prisoners of this tower are political enemies of her majesty The Rose Princess Juliet. They are not targets for tombraiders and sellswords. I suggest you leave, now." It is clear that due to the incline of the path and the shape of their visors, neither of the guards have noticed the rest of the group. They will be unaware unless they step forward. Didn't need to roll DD+Cha for that, but you may well need to for any reply you give.
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May 31, 2016 08:46
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Ambergris HP 18/18 | Armor 1 | Load 5/9 | XP 0/9 Ambergris peered around the corner as Rose spoke with the guards. Not the friendliest looking pair she'd ever see. Ducking back, she cocked her head at her other two companions. "Dun look like we'll be goin in the front jus by asking nice-like. Didn't 'spect so, but it were worth a try." She gave an exaggerated shrug. "Might be some folk in town I can chat up. Nah the most upstanding sorts, but they keeps their ears open. Might know sumfin useful. Can't say I really fancy delayin the job to gab on wiv 'em much, though." Poking her head back out, the thief gave the scene a quick scan. She could probably slip in and scale the tower, but that was risky business by her lonesome. The flower knights weren't the sorts to be taken lightly, and if they understood who it was they were keeping an eye on, they'd know better then to be lax about security or patrols. "Whaddya think? I could run interference, distract 'em for ya." Discern Realities: 2d6+1 7 What should I be on the lookout for? (regarding the tower and its defenses)
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May 31, 2016 10:00
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Valarius DeMontefayne HP: 19/19 | Armor: 1/1 | Load: 5/8 | Focus: 3/3 | XP: 0/9 Previously Valarius had centred himself, in the way that he usually does - in a meditative position that would be incredibly uncomfortable for anyone alive to achieve, extending his thoughts outwards in order to align himself with the greater cosmos in general. With that he achieve a modicum of power. Since that however, he had wrapped himself heavily in silks, and scarves, and bandages, and today chose to wear a simple porcelain mask, affecting an appearance somewhat akin to a leper, especially with the insufferable amounts of incense he had drenched himself in, not to prevent any smell of rot - any odours of that nature had long since left him, but to merely allow himself to better appear as what he intended - it also acted as a simple mental bridge that he could utilise for making mental contact with another, if their thoughts already flicker towards things that he can except via a more mundane manner, it granted a simpler point of contact for use of psionic methods. Gaining 3 focus. Still, Valarius glanced about through the eye holes of his mask, the empty sockets indiscernible as such due to the shadow cast by the mask. "This does indeed seem to be a situation that'd require a more... roundabout manner. Let me consider the possibilities." sagely replied the psion, his hoarse voice muffled a little by the mask. With that he look about the corner and concentrated upon the knight speaking to Darlington, casting his mind forward and upon theirs, in hopes of prying forth something useful, especially as they are distracted by the wandslinger. The Heart's Sorrow: 2d6+2 12 Achieving some success it would seem. For reference: pre:The Heart's Sorrow (WIS) When you look into someone's heart in search of a secret, roll +WIS. On a 10+, choose two. On a 7-9, choose one: • The secret is presented with greater context. • The secret is something you could possibly know otherwise, however unlikely that might be. • The secret can easily be used to gain leverage for Parley. - The secret is presented with greater context - The secret can easily be used to gain leverage for Parley Additionally does Valarius perceive anything... special with his Peer Through the Veil move. For reference: pre:Peer Through the Veil You perceive phenomena invisible to mortal eyes: visible manifestations of emotions, astral creatures which prey invisibly on mortals and signs of great and terrible things yet to come. You have little choice in what you see, but you can interact with these things as well as you can interact with anything else.
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May 31, 2016 16:08
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Ambergris scales the tower with her eyes. Your experience in the world of breaking and entering comes in extremely handy as you immediately note several rocky outcrops, clumps of secure moss and crumbling window slits that your slender body would pass through without too much difficulty. You are confident you could make the climb if conditions were better, you've made harder climbs under the cover of night with lots of time to get it right, but in broad daylight and with the threat of guards spotting you, it won't be easy. Likewise, a quick glance around your companions tells you that your particular set of skills make you uniquely suited to this job. With a huge amount of luck they might be able to make it, but realistically you'd probably be the only person to make it up and in safely. Valarius, clad in his disguising ensemble, reaches out and plucks something from the hidden recesses of the knight's mind. Images and ideas come through a mess of psychic static. The Knight's name is Caleb. His companion's name is Walter. More psychic static. More diluted, nonsensical fractures of ideas. Then it comes forth, rising to the top like bubbles in boiling water. Caleb knows something. You see the scene play out before you - a wagon being raided on a long cobbled path. Bandits leap into action. The guards on the wagon, other Knights of the Rose do not raise a weapon. The leap from the wagon, hands held high as the bandits pile inside. A bound man is dragged out and stabbed through the heart. The knights wait nervously. Then the bandits leave. The knights approach the dead body. One pokes it with his boot. After some conversation, another stabs his sword through the chest and wipes it clean on the grass. It appears that Goldpalm's man is never going to make it to trial. The bandits belong to Goldpalm and the knights on the wagon are good men, but they know an attack will come and they are not going to risk their lives for a prisoner who is going to be put to death anyway. There is a crackle and you are back in the moment. Caleb knows about this, but you have no idea how many other people do. In addition, your psionic vision sees something else. The tower is muted and bleached emotionally. The people held inside are sad and tired. But in the sea of slow, thick, night blue and silver you see a thin vein of red. Someone inside is scared. It's probably your man and it seems like he his at the top of the tower.
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May 31, 2016 20:27
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Valarius DeMontefayne HP: 19/19 | Armor: 1/1 | Load: 5/8 | Focus: 3/3 | XP: 0/9 "Our mark will not survive his next trip, first guard knows as much. Their names are Caleb and Walter, they are afraid of Goldpalm's men and what they will do. Terrence reeks of fear, I can 'smell' it from here, he is at the very top of this tower. Time seems to be of the essence." relayed the undead mentalist to two of his compatriots having pulled himself back ground the corner, his expressionless 'face' hidden from view thanks to his disguise. However he looked to the other two in hopes that they might chime in with some idea, as he himself contemplated what he knew and thought towards plans.
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Jun 1, 2016 19:33
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Amaruq HP: 19/19 | Armor: 1 | Load: 3/7 | XP: 0/9 Amaruq's eyes narrowed as his undead companion spoke. "They expect him to die before he faces trial? Pah. They shirk their duty. Let me try." He let out a sharp, lilting whistle, and with a contented whuffle, Nanuq the ice-bear followed him towards the guards. As they approached, however, Amaruq let out another whistle, and Nanuq changed entirely, losing the placid attitude and becoming the fierce, bristling vision of horror that ill-educated southerners often imagined. "You! You call yourselves warriors of your queen!" Amaruq addressed the guards, thickly-accented as always, but understandable nonetheless. "You do not intend to bring this man safely to stand before your law-speakers, and you know it. I ought to see you fed to Nanuq, and a better job you would do defending your queen's peace inside his belly." He eyed the two of them icily, and Nanuq backed him up by helpfully displaying his array of enormous teeth. "But fortunately for both of us, friend, Nanuq is not such a violent bear, nor I a violent man. This man we will speak with only, in order to find a greater foe. So I ask you again to let us pass." Trying to Parley, with leverage: don't tell Nanuq to eat them. As he has the Intimidating strength, and the training to Fight Humans, I can add his Cunning to the Parley roll. Parley (+ Nanuq cunning): 2d6+2 8 It should succeed, though with a complication. (This could potentially have to do with Nanuq's Weakness, which is Frightening?)
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Jun 2, 2016 00:53
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Ambergris HP 18/18 | Armor 1 | Load 5/9 | XP 0/9 Valarius received wary sideyes from the thief. She hated when he did that. She lowered her head in thought for a moment before speaking again, casting her voice low. "Howziss, then? We wait 'till dark. I sneak inside and grab our man while you lot set up for a quick escape. If they knows what Goldpalm's men is plannin, they'll know this ain't how its s'posed to go down. Be kicking up an almighty fuss, have the city locked down best they can. An might be they'd remember Rose coming 'round and askin' after the bloke. Kidnappin ain't really me thing, but I reckon Waterwheel'd be a drat sight happier wiv us then anyone else. Least we ain't planning to slit his throat when we're done." Looking back up, she noticed Amaruq and Nanuq had vanished. Peeking out yet again, she saw him next to the spellslinger, and it was apparent neither of them were inclined to try a subtle approach. "Oh, bollocks. I hope one uv 'ems got a silver tongue or this'll get unpleasant." She was tempted to join in, but these guards might know her face, and that wouldn't help anyone. Besides, the best sort of backup if the kind that nobody knows about. "I think we oughtta jus' watch, see how this plays out, Val." Shardix fucked around with this message at 03:02 on Jun 3, 2016 |
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Jun 2, 2016 01:00
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Darlington Rose Level: 2 XP: 0 HP: 23/23 Armor: 1 Darlington went to speak when Amaruq came stomping up with Nanuq. He was caught off guard, but a bit relived. When Amaruq finished Rose added, "Now Gentlemen, none of us here want any violence. My friends and I just want to chat with a certain prisoner about the Goldpalm Prince. Hell, you could bring 'em down and we'll talk through the door. And if what my good buddy here says is true... Well... What you do with him afterwords is your business. Accidents happen all the time, right?' ROLL: OLD ROLL - NEW ROLL - Aid 2d6+2 = 14! - This is more of narrative roll than a mechanical one, I suppose. D_W fucked around with this message at 07:23 on Jun 3, 2016 |
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Jun 2, 2016 01:06
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The guards freeze in position momentarily as the giant north bear come lumbering towards them. Walter manages to draw his blade, but it hangs limply at his side, a very primal position of attack but lacking in the training that he has clearly received. Caleb stammers something then hammers the great door with his fist. "Gods, men! We're under attack by some beast!" he barks. There is a dragging grunt as whatever bolts are holding the door are pulled open. Two more guards step out, both clad in the same royal garb. They carry long metal spears, lowered in a defensive position and take up battle stances beside their companions. However, this level of training deteriorates somewhat the closer that Nanuq comes. One guard takes a step back, breaking the formation, the others try to compensate. The four men are now retreating into the doorway, shoulder to shoulder, their weapon arms locked. They are still better trained and better equiped than you, but they are rapidly losing their edge. "Call off your pet," Walter snaps, "he is a fine beast and none of us wish to see him slain." His voice is wavering, but sincere. "Listen," Caleb stammers. "I don't know how you know about... well I don't know what you think you.... I dont know what you think you know, but there's no way you're getting in to the tower. We guard this traitor to the crown on behalf of The Rose herself. We can't, I mean, even if we wanted to, but I mean, we can't just LET you inside the tower of Kavath!" His helmet turns as he looks into the jaws of Nanuq. He suddenly seems very claustrophobic, unwilling to step back into the tower proper, unable to step forward, and uncomforable trapped with three other men in the doorway. "Look, I mean, I suppose I could talk to him for you...he's been chatty enough so far, little runt fears for his life, and rightly so. Look, just, you get one question and I'll run it upstairs for you and tell you what he says. That's the final offer. You don''t want to be attacking The Knights of The Rose, do you?" That one roll isnt going to cut it, but the doors are open and you get a question. That doesn't mean you have to settle for that, but its something. You're making progress! Ambergris, with the guards in their new position, your shot at scaling the tower is vastly superior. Anyone watching from the main part of the town may happen to see your sillouhette climbing the building, but you'll hopefully be gone by the time they manage to get over to the tower and warn anyone. Ambergris, you can scale the tower and enter through a crumbling window half way up without a roll. Valarius, you'll need to roll if you want to go with her, but Ambergris might be able to assist. You can, of course, wait to see how things play out.
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Jun 3, 2016 10:08
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Valarius DeMontefayne HP: 19/19 | Armor: 1/1 | Load: 5/8 | Focus: 3/3 | XP: 0/9 With the guards distracted now would be a perfect time to sneak in, Ambergris would be much more suited at such a task. With that an idea springs forth, colocation might be impossible (for the moment) for someone such as Valarius, but it is very possible for him to extend his influence. Concentrating upon the illusion of distance, especially upon the mental plane, Valarius unwrapped one of his hands, the air chilling palpably as he does so. "It might be easier for you to go there alone, for now. But we should stay in contact. I'll keep watch from here and back up the others if they need it, or come find you if necessary." he said as he outstretched his bare hand to Ambergris "You know how it works." he remarks. Gonna spend 1 Focus to use the following: • Establish telepathic contact with someone you touch, skin to skin, for up to an hour. With that settled, Valarius will rebandage his bare hand, causing the atmosphere to become less chilling.
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Jun 4, 2016 18:09
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Ambergris HP 18/18 | Armor 1 | Load 5/9 | XP 0/9 "Heh. Roight." Slapping her own hand into Val's, she suppressed a shiver at the biting chill he gave off. It was strange to be on such familiar terms with a dead man, but the world was a funny place. You took your allies where you could find them. And anyway, the worst he could ever do is kill her which would pretty annoying, but that happened to everyone eventually. No sense stressing out over it. "If'n things go smoovely, I'll meet up wiv you lot behind the inn we stayed at las' night. Wossname...The Dragon's Kneecap." She idly scratched her head as she spoke. She wasn't especially thrilled about B&E in broad daylight, but this was a prime opportunity all things considered. And if the Prince wanted this guy dead that badly, he had plenty of folks to call on. Might be there was already someone aiming to handle this little problem even before Waterwheel got on the road with his 'guards'. Waiting until nightfall might be several hours too late. Cracking her neck, she gave her companion a nod. "Right then. See you later, Val." Like a swift breeze, she was off, ducking from cover to cover, watching and waiting for the right moments to continue forward. She had to hand it to Darlington and Amaruq - they made a fine distraction. Nanuq especially. Not often you saw a bear like that anywhere civilized, after all. Leastwise not one that wasn't in a circus. Ambergris will make her way to the tower and head up and inside.
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Jun 4, 2016 18:26
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Amaruq HP: 19/19 | Armor: 1 | Load: 3/7 | XP: 0/9 Amaruq's eyes flickered almost imperceptibly, noting Valarius and Ambergris's actions around the wall and out of sight of the guards. Best to keep the guards talking, he decided. "One question is good. We want only one thing he knows. But who knows if he will prove helpful?" He turned slightly to Darlington, though Nanuq kept his dark eyes fixed upon Caleb, specifically. "You are the one wise in talk, friend. What think you?"
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Jun 4, 2016 18:30
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Darlington Rose Level: 2 XP: 1 HP: 23/23 Armor: 1 "Hrmm... Hrmm... One good question, eh?" Rose said out loud while he thought. He could just ask "where is Goldpalm?" but if Rose knew anything about thieves they didn't tend to stick around in one place for too long. "What some places the Prince and his gang like to hang out?" might be better but might not get them any closer. "What is the Prince's next target?" could be worth a shot, but it's possible that Waterwheel wouldn't even know. Or maybe "Who could get us in contact with the Prince?" that might be their best option. If only he knew what Ambergris and Valarius were up to exactly. He figured Ambergris is probably sneaking her way into the tower as thieves tend to do. So perhaps it might be a better idea to delay as much as possible. Darlington sighed, "Ok boys. You drive a hard bargain, but I don't think negotiations are quite finished just yet. No offense, but I'm not entirely sure we can trust answers to any amount of questions if they ain't from his mouth directly. Especially if ya'll plan to kill the fella. Now I'm curious though. Why would make such brave knights like yourselves so cowardly ya'd kill prisoner that's on death row before his trial?" ROLL: DD+CHA - 2d6+0 = 5! Welp! First XP of the game, huh?
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Jun 4, 2016 21:13
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With the psychic link established, Ambergris slips from shadow to shadow and cover to cover like mist. Effortlessly, she scrambles up crumbling ledges, leaping and sneaking with a grace that completely obscures how hard most would find it to climb such a building. Spotting a slightly eroded window, she pulls herself into an arched opening, leaps from a crouch, swings from a gargoyle and slips silently inside the tower, landing on the stone slabs without a sound. The inside of the tower is a set of floors separated by circular staircases. A solid beam runs through the centre giving places to hide, but not many. The rooms Ambergris passes are not what she is expecting, it appears that little of The Tower of Kavath is used as a dungeon. Remembering Val's words, she glances up. Then she hears the footsteps descending. Boots on stone. --- "Hey!" Walter snaps at Darlington, seemingly forgetting the bear beside them. He reaches forward and grabs him by the scruff of the neck, pulling him face to face with teh dark slit of his helmet. "I am being reasonable with you, scumbag. Don't push your luck. You get a question for the prisoner, one, and make it quick before I change my mind. Get in here, now." He drags Darlington forward and into the tower proper. The other guards seem unsure, but remain in formation, their weapons pointing outward. Once Darlington is inside, Walter lets him go, but they are now very much in the tower. "Your question. You can wait here whilst I send someone up to ask him. Get used to the feeling of a jail so you know what you'll be in for if I ever see your face again." Despite his words, the room seems nothing like a jail. There is a long thin carpet heading towards the stairs at the back of the entrance way. A set of shelves filled with books lean against one wall. There is a portrait of The Rose hanging in a silver frame - a famous portrait seen all over the kingdom. "Your question." --- Valarius, you watch as Ambergris slips inside the tower. You take a breath, expecting to be granted a moment of peace when you hear a sudden voice from over your shoulder. "Hello." You turn to find yourself looking down at a small human child. She is perhaps four, with a short mop of blonde hair and large dull eyes. Her clothes are clean but covered in patches and stitches. She looks up at your mask curiously and with the tactlessness of youth. "You're wearing a mask," she says. Her accent is distinctly Kavathian. "Why that?" Ambergris is in, but there's someone coming from above. If she does nothing she'll be discovered. Darlington is now inside the ground floor of the tower, held by Walter who is impatient for a question. Just to spell things out, your bad roll has left you separated from your ally. Amaruq, you and your bear don't get the chance to stop your friend being dragged inside, but that doesn't mean you have to accept it. Captain_Indigo fucked around with this message at 22:16 on Jun 4, 2016 |
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Jun 4, 2016 22:14
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Valarius DeMontefayne HP: 19/19 | Armor: 1/1 | Load: 5/8 | Focus: 2/3 | XP: 0/9 Valarius let out a wheezing cough. Or at least something that sounded very much like one, a habit he had practised when coming up with costumes of a similar ilk to the one he was currently wearing. Looking down to the child, Valarius dramatically grabbed onto the wall nearby as though they needed it to steady themselves. His hoarse voice once more spoke, this time to the child. "'tis my face. People find it... disconcerting. 'tis better for them not to have to... consider it. Do you have any coin upon you, child? My condition makes finding work, let alone keeping it difficult. Anything would help." is what he said, which is all technically correct. Not that he necessarily needed the coin, but he never said that it was necessary. With that he extended a single, open, bandaged hand towards the child.
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Jun 5, 2016 19:15
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Ambergris HP 18/18 | Armor 1 | Load 5/9 | XP 1/9 Getting in had proven simple enough. But then, it usually was. It was the getting back out part that always wound up getting complicated. She crouched after her landing to catch her breath and strained her ears for any sounds. Quiet for now. She glanced about, taking in the layout before moving on. There were a few hiding spots, but none she would trust her life too. Rising, she took a step when the sound of boots echoed down the staircase. Val. I'm in but I got company. Gonna let 'em pass by. Turning quickly, she silently sprinted towards the nearest room and prayed it was unlocked. She put her shoulder to it and pushed, aiming to slip inside and close it. Defy Danger...by acting fast (Dex): 2d6+2 5
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Jun 5, 2016 20:52
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Darlington Rose Level: 2 XP: 1 HP: 23/23 Armor: 1 "uhh.. ugh! Fine!" Darlington lets out as he is let go. He still hadn't thought of a good single question but figured he should say something considering his situation. "My question... Ahh.. Just ask him who could get us in contact with the Goldpalm Prince." Rose looks around the entry way while Walter walks further into the tower. "Nice place..." He says to himself. Roll: Discern Realities - 2d6+1 = 7 What should I be on the look out for? D_W fucked around with this message at 23:55 on Jun 8, 2016 |
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Jun 7, 2016 03:06
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The girl stares up at Valarius with eyes as big as plates. She watches your hand clutching at the wall and wrinkles her noses at the bandages. He mouth opens and closes a few times as she seems to ponder over questions, then she puts her basket on hte floor and lifts the lid. A kitten sticks out its face and blinks at the sun, but the girl rummages past it, shuffling what looks like a packed lunch, then retrieves three dull coins. She strokes the kitten's face, carefully closes the basket again, then gently holds out the coins, holding them by the rim between pinched fingers. " 'ere you go," she says slowly. "I got to go. I've got to give daddy lunch." She walks off in the direction of the tower. From her position she cannot see the huge bear, or the stand off occuring at the gates. Ambergris, your shoulder nudges against the door and it creaks open with a sound that you know cannot be as noisy as it sounds in your ears. You leap inside and roll into the shadows. You watch the door slowly closing, a single tiny sliver of light remaining just as a figure rounds the stairs and comes down to your floor of the tower. You wait, expecting any minute for the figure to burst in after you, but soon your senses catch the footsteps continuing down. It appears you have avoided detection. Looking around the room you find nothing of interest. It is a functionally decorated chamber of some kind, perhaps a study. The walls and floor are bare and a sleeping cot fills one corner. You go to leave. The door doesn't open. It appears the door does not open from this side. You've imprisoned yourself. The remaining guards keep a careful eye on Darlington as his question is quickly run up to Terrence. "The Tower of Kavath has served as a symbol of justice in this city for many years," Caleb responds dryly. "It has held all manner of prisoners from lowly cutpurses up to political conspiritors. When his men owned this land, The Man Who Would be King held the daughter of Lord Kavath himself in the finer rooms. Fortunately, those times are gone and it once more exists to protect the true rulers of this land. I'll be honest with you, you're wasting your time here. The man in that cell knows exactly what's going to happen to him, but still he won't speak a word about Goldpalm. He knows that if the thief prince doesn't kill him, he's going to hang anyway, but he's still not interested in any discussion." You look around the room as Caleb continues. You tell me, what should you be on the lookout for? What do you find? What do you see?
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Jun 8, 2016 18:27
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Amaruq HP: 19/19 | Armor: 1 | Load: 3/7 | XP: 0/9 "Vuluk," Amaruq swore as he watched his companion disappear behind a wall of bristling spears. This was not going well. "If he is harmed, you will to me and to Nanuq answer," the large snowy-haired man stated flatly, making eye contact with each of the guards through the slits in their visors, making certain they saw the cool certainty in his icy grey eyes. Then he turned, giving a sharp whistle, and with a cheerful whuffle Nanuq followed on his heels, towards Valerius. Time to regroup, he thought-- and if the interior of the tower was beyond the reach of a man and his bear, it would not be beyond the reach of, say, a cat or a crow. He barely even saw the little girl approaching, so intent was he on considering his options.
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Jun 8, 2016 22:58
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Darlington Rose Level: 2 XP: 1 HP: 23/23 Armor: 1 Darlington picks up a book off the shelves titled "Modern Legends True Adventures, Volume 67." It is a collection of highly embellished stories of various adventurers and people of note from across the Four Kingdoms. He notices one of the stories is dogeared. It title, "The Rose and the Bull." From a quick skim, it seems to retell his encounter with Big Buck Stanton albeit completely fictional and far from what actually happened. Still, it mentions him by name. Rose sighs and gives a little half grin. He isn't exactly please the writers used his name without permission, but that's just what happens with these sorts of books. "You folks get a lot of reading done, huh" He says offhanded before continuing, "Well... It's sounds to me like you ain't to happy about the situation with the so-called prince, eh? Look, we got off on the wrong foot and don't have to be antagonistic. We could even help each other out. Hell we haven't even introduced ourselves. I'm Darlington Rose, some have heard of me." He then out stretches his hand.
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Jun 9, 2016 01:20
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Valarius DeMontefayne HP: 19/19 | Armor: 1/1 | Load: 5/8 | Focus: 2/3 | XP: 0/9 Valarius quietly watched the child leave, basket of goodies in tow, idly playing with the coins that he was given. The ancient mentalist considered these things, but was not one to assume coincidence - the threads of fate tie things in a manner that many would rather not comprehend. However Valarius was not one to make too grand of an assumption, there after all were too many possibilities that had yet to be accounted for, and the girl's father could be someone relatively innocuous. With that concern amongst his feelings, the dead man concentrated - reaching out his will and gently pushing into the mind of the little girl before he lost line of sight of her, hoping to wrench away something that might allow him to draw conclusions rather than making assumptions. The Heart's Sorrow: 2d6+2 12 Choosing: • The secret is presented with greater context. • The secret can easily be used to gain leverage for Parley. After all she could be here for one of the guards, Caleb for instance... or she could be here for Terrence. An uncertainty that Valarius would need to dispel as soon as possible, in order to facilitate plans, especially as the shapeshifting wildman began to return.
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Jun 9, 2016 16:41
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Valarius reaches into the mind of the young girl and plucks at the strings he finds there. She continues on her way, blissfully unaware at the cold dead hands reaching inside her mind. Valarius sees through her eyes, sees the face of her father. He has a handsome man, older than you would expect for a daughter of her age. He is talking to a woman, the girl's mother, his wife. The words are muted and lost to psychic static, but Valarius can hear their intention, can read their meaning regardless. He is the guard for the door to Terrence's cell. He hates his job, not because of the danger but because it is boring. Terrence Waterhouse will not speak, will disclose nothing, but will also not even make idle chit-chat. His guardshifts are boring. The only joy he gets is the visits from his daughter. They aren't really allowed to have her inside the tower, but she likes the crumbling building and the long flight of stairs and Terrence is practically the only prisoner in there anyway. She is his light. She is his world. She is a pawn for the likes of Valarius. Amaruq watches as the girl rounds the corner. The guards are too focused and too cautious to notice her approaching until she is suddenly standing beside him. She looks up at the huge bear without obvious fear. She takes a few nervous steps aside, like a girl her age might be expected to side-step a bee or friendly but unknown dog. Her hands clutch at her dress and her face scrunches up in to a look of mild annoyance. "I have to take lunch up," she says with a tone that suggests she already is expecting to be turned away. There is a redness to her cheeks. Inside the basket, a kitten mewls. "Go home sweetheart, its not safe here," one of the guards says, unwilling to break formation but clearly concerned for her safety near the bear, and near you. There is a ripple of panic through the guards as they watch to see what you will do. Darlington, Caleb shakes your hand, but its a move of habit and instinct at seeing it outstretched. He looks at your face and breaks into a deep chuckle inside his helmet. "Nice try, friend," he laughs, tearing his hand away. "Everyone knows that Darlington Rose is 9 feet tall and just as wide. He's a demi-god. You look like...well no offence, but you don't look like a demi-god."
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Jun 9, 2016 20:30
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Darlington Rose Level: 2 XP: 1 HP: 23/23 Armor: 1 "Is that what they're saying about me now? Well I'll be... Friend, you've been reading too many of those funny books," Rose says with an amused grin, "I can't imagine what they'd say about Amaruq and Nanuq if we survive this." He pauses for a moment and draws his wand showing it to Caleb. "Now surely those tales tell of my signature weapon, don't they?"
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Jun 10, 2016 00:09
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Ambergris HP 18/18 | Armor 1 | Load 5/9 | XP 1/9 Bloody brilliant. A thief locking herself inside a prison. Saints wept at the irony. Ambergris let out a quiet snort of disgust and knelt in front of the door. Running a hand along the frame, she eyed what she could of the hinges and latch. She could probably pry the pins out, or fiddle the catch back open. Hopefully. She pulled out her toolkit, unrolled it on the floor next to her, and got to work. Silent moments passed as she concentrated on the job, tongue stuck out the corner of her mouth. "Come on you wee bastard, me fingers are too talented for the like 'o you." She muttered. Tricks of the Trade: 2d6+2 11 With a twist, the probe came free and the door popped back open. She permitted herself a smug grin as she rolled her tools back up and hid them away, careful to keep a toe in the door so it didn't swing closed again. Keeping low, she poked her head out and scanned the area before carefully creeping back into the hall. That had been an annoying delay, but it was far and away preferable to being caught. Unconsciously fingering the hilt of her shortsword, Ambergris silently made her way to the stairs up. Val. Had a bit uv a tight spot but I'm in the clear. Making me way further up.
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Jun 10, 2016 00:25
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Valarius DeMontefayne HP: 19/19 | Armor: 1/1 | Load: 5/8 | Focus: 2/3 | XP: 0/9 Valarius quickly contemplates these things as he waited for Amaruq to return. Valarius replied to Ambergris's communication in turn. The guard to Terrence's cell has a young daughter who is seeking entrance to the tower right now. She wants to bring him his lunch, and has a kitten in her basket for some reason - probably a childish indiscretion. Regardless she could be used as something to extort the guard with, even if you don't have her on you - knowledge enough might suffice as a threat, if you're good at bluffing. Or even less bluffing, since Amaruq and I are down here with her, and we could carry out any threats that you might leverage if necessary. Use this knowledge how you will, but let me describe her in case he asks questions. Following this, Valarius will indeed give a mental description of the appearance of the little girl and her effects to Ambergris.
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Jun 11, 2016 00:33
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Darlington, the guard steps forward, his eyes widening visibly behind the slit in his helmet. "Where...where did you get that? Is that a replica? Are you... are you serious? Are you him? Are you actually THE Darlington Rose?" His hands shake for a second before he manages to regain his composure. "What on earth are you doing here?" His hands reach out as if he might take the wand from you, before he seems to remember what he is doing and steps back. "I mean... this changes nothing. You can't just get access to the prison floor simply for being Darlington Rose... I mean... why are you here?" What does your wand actually look like? Ambergris, your skills once more prove perfect for any breaking and entering situation and you are quickly free from the room. With a barely audible click, the door shuts behind you and there is no evidence you were ever there. You hear footsteps coming back up the stairs however, so you quickly dart up and away, running higher up the spiral tower. You pass paintings of various quality and a number of small tapestries that have been woven for the bare stone walls. The tower of Kavath, or whoever is in charge of it seems not entirely sure whether it is a historical monument, or a functioning jail. As you reach the top of the stairs you come to a trap door. Peaking up through the slits in the side you can see flickering candlelight. This probably leads directly to a tiny room with a door to the cell rather than into another guard room. At that moment the voice of Valarius seeps through. On the other side of the trapdoor is the guard. However, the footsteps coming from below are not slowing or turning away. A voice calls up, reverberating around the cold stone. "I've got a question for our friend Terrence! Terrence! I've got a question for you!" From the other side of the trapdoor you hear a mumbled voice, the guard to his cell. "No funny business for the Captain, alright son? I expect you standing nice and straight against the back wall when he gets up here or we'll have to teach you some manners again, won't we?" You're trapped...again! What do you do?
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Jun 12, 2016 11:04
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Darlington Rose Level: 2 XP: 1 HP: 23/23 Armor: 1 Rose is never excited to use his undeserved fame to impress, but when it helps the mission how could he complain? Rose notices Caleb admiring the wand before speaking. The detailed petals and vines of hand crafted sliver shimmer as a beam of sunlight lands from a small window of the jail. It's large rough quartz crystal glowed faintly in its rose-like cage. Smaller gems of various types run down the top side comfortably nestled in silver cages of their own. The chimera leather handle is worn from use but well kept. All of that sat upon a bleach white driftwood from the Sparkling Sea covered in a lacquer of moontree sap and Rose's own blood. He knows, without reading them, that no story could do his wand justice. "It's a beauty, right? Made it myself," He says. "Now I've already told you why I'm here. It's to get info on the whereabouts of the Goldpalm Prince." There's a slight air of frustration to his voice that he didn't mean to let, but becomes more apparent as he continues. "Now unlike my storybook counterpart, I still need to pay the bills, eat, all that crap!..." He settles down. "Sorry for the outburst. Life just ain't like the fairy tales. Any fairy will tell you that! Anyway, this guy is my next assignment. The Guild didn't give the specifics of the bounty, so I don't know who ordered it, but it doesn't make any difference. My team and I are to bring him in dead or alive." For a moment he wonders how the others are doing and wishes he get a message that things are looking mostly favorable in here.
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Jun 12, 2016 14:15
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Ambergris HP 18/18 | Armor 1 | Load 5/9 | XP 2/9 A little girl... Ambergris shook her head as she received Valarius' message. She couldn't fault his logic, but levying threats against a child didn't sit well with her - bluff or not. She might be a career criminal but there were some lines she was not prepared to cross. She would just have to make sure it didn't come to that. Continuing up the steps, she gave a glance at the paintings and tapestries. A pity she was on the clock and needed to stay light. The paintings were likely junk, but the tapestries looked well made. Might fetch a decent price to the right buyer. Alas. As she crested the landing, she glanced about. Regrettably bare, aside from the stairs and a trap door. She crept quietly forward and paused as she heard the guard speak. Sounded like this was her man, alright. The footsteps from behind were not slowing, however. That was a problem. Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Val. Got a problem. I'm at the top uv the tower but 'm sandwiched. Gonna hav ta go loud but play it cool-like for now, eh? Think I can maybe finagle me way outta this. Silently stepping back, Ambergris did her best to stay out of immediate view of the man coming up the steps and slowly drew her blade. As his head came into view, she brought her arm down lightning fast, smashing him in the forehead with the pommel. Surprised and off balance, she was easily able to slip behind him and bring her blade up to his throat. Backstab: 2d6+2 4 Well, that was what she intended to do. Somehow in the split second between planning her takedown and actually acting on it, everything went wrong.
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Jun 13, 2016 17:41
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Ambergris, your attack would easily have knocked out the likes of bandits, crooked land-lords, and the lecherous drunkards that you find yourself fighting with on a regular basis, but the knight rising the stairs is better trained. As you bring your weapon down to stun, you see a flash of recognition in the eyes inside the helmet. Rather than tilting away from the blow, dooming himself to be knocked down the stairs, the knight's training conquesrs instinct. He leans forward, allowing his helmet to take the brunt of the attack. There is a loud clang that echoes down the stairwell and reverberates hard up your arm. You try to twist away, but the knight is already moving. "You picked the wrong place to trespass, miss!" he snaps, drawing his sword in a single clean motion. He thrusts and lunges, keeping you squarely before him, stopping you from sliding away or getting behind. "Guards! Guards!" You hear footsteps coming for the trapdoor above you as well as general fuss from the base of the tower. What do you do? Darlington, you feel like you are beginning to make headway with the guard just as the cries echo out from above. He glances nervously at you, then at the door. The knights blocking off the druid and the bear seem immediately torn as to the best response. It appears there is no Captain to tell them what to do. A few take nervous steps back, lowering their spears gently, ready to leap back into formation if either man or bear make a move. One steps back and then charges for the stairs and begins running up to where Ambergris has accidentally raised the alarm. You have a moment where you could act. You can wait and see how things develop, or you can attempt to charge the stairs and get up ahead of the other knights, perhaps evening the odds. You also note that in the confusion, you can probably try and slip away to elsewhere in the tower without anyone noticing straight away. What do you do?
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Jun 14, 2016 18:49
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Ambergris HP 18/18 | Armor 1 | Load 5/9 | XP 3/9 Oh, this was not good. She was a skulk and a blackguard. Her forte was surprise and ambush, and a stand up fight with a knight of all things was a losing proposition. Shifting to an underhand grip, she brought the blade into a defensive position. The man behind the trap door was coming to back his commander up, and that might provide the opening she needed. But for the moment, the commander in question was about to lay her open if she let him. Dancing around his blows, she lashed out lightning quick in response, not really aiming to harm him. Only hoping to keep him from pressing the advantage. Defend Self: 2d6+0 3 The gods cannot see Ambergris. Consequently, she enjoys none of their beneficence
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Jun 15, 2016 00:37
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Darlington Rose Level: 2 XP: 1 HP: 23/23 Armor: 1 "Ah poo poo," Darlington says to the situation. "That's probably a friend of mine gettin' in trouble," he says in an oddly calm tone. Darlington then instinctively chases after the guard who ran up stairs without waiting for a reply.
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Jun 15, 2016 01:35
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Amaruq HP: 19/19 | Armor: 1 | Load: 3/7 | XP: 0/9 About then was the moment when Amaruq decided he was getting nothing done sitting down here. "Nanuq, guard," he murmured beneath his breath, nodding towards Valerius. The bear obediently padded over towards the undead mentalist, hopefully to preserve him from anything that could actually harm him. The pale-eyed druid glanced about, searching for... ah, there. A spot just in the lee of the tower walls, where he could... A slight thrum filled the air as Amaruq bent his head, murmured in his spiky language. Ice-fathers and snow-mothers, in this land of running water heed me, his lips shaped as his mind fell inward, and with a faint whoomph of inrushing air, a fairly unseasonal but otherwise incongruous white seabird sat blinking on the pavement, and with a whir of wings, sped upward, seeking a window and entrance-- or at least information.
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Jun 24, 2016 02:59
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Valarius DeMontefayne HP: 19/19 | Armor: 1/1 | Load: 5/8 | Focus: 2/3 | XP: 1/9 Valarius called to Amaruq briefly before he left. "Ambergris right now is near the top of the tower, but she might be finding trouble. Watch out." is what he said, his hollow voice as coarse as ever. Amaruq is going into to the tower, in the form of a seagull I think. Some kind of white bird like that. He might be able to help. is the message that he telepathically sent to Ambergris before his attentions once more focused on his more immediate surrounds. Valarius was a little unimpressed at being given a guard. Normally he would have appreciated such backup, but it doesn't really mesh well with his current cover, and it is not remotely subtle. With that in mind Valarius had to make a choice, sitting sentry around the gates had its benefits, especially while under watch by some mighty beast - but no, with increasing amounts of his compatriots ending up inside the place he had to make better use of his time. So it was the vagabond creakily rose to his feet, dusted himself off slightly and hobbled around - but away from the gates rather than towards, trying to circle bout the walls and the surrounding buildings in hopes of finding something of interest - another entrance in the form of a broken section of wall would be good, for instance. Moreover, the long dead man would try to ascertain various truths regarding the tower and its inhabitants, in hope of at the very least having information that could be of use to his fellows. With that in mind Valarius would keep his wits about him, carefully scoping out the walls and any attention that they seem to have currently, as well as what he could see from outside. All the while coughing at dramatically-appropriate times and trying to keep his 'face' on. Discern Realities (Wis): 2d6+2 6 Or at least, that was the idea. Sometimes a beast like that can be more of a burden than anything else. Marking XP.
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Jun 26, 2016 21:38
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