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When a very threatening looking barbarian wanders into the Palace and loudly demands to see a word that he can't pronounce particularly well, often times that's going to go poorly for the man who tries it unaccompanied. Perhaps accidentally and perhaps not, the first clerk that Alec asks gets a rabbit-eyed stare and flees hastily; though he searches for someone else to ask, he's soon tapped on the shoulder by a suspicious guard and asked exactly what he thinks he's up to. The misunderstanding gets straightened out after a few minutes of exasperated officials trying to figure out what's going on for themselves and often failing; eventually and after much heartache Alec is curtly informed that while the city has an official historian, it's someone who's just concerned with the story of the city and not much about wider questions. The clerks and guards don't have much in the way of constructive options to give the northman. General reaction roll is a 6 (not good) and the diplomacy roll is a 14 (also not good); Alec finds no help here. Lo'el's returned breastplate is accepted without comment by the long-suffering sergeant on duty, and the faun's request for a map is given a fishy eye; after a slightly-too-long wait, though, a harassed man's rounded up, and parchment laid down in front of the faun.  The basic geography of the area is a long grasslands cut by a number of large and small rivers flowing from the barrier mountains to the north down towards the distant sea to the south. Noah sits aside a major east-west trade road, with a spur heading north and subdividing again- the west branch of the north road heads off to the town Kat named as her hometown, while the eastern curved back up into the foothills. A pair of forests to the east and northwest are long-distant but in the area; to the east is the forest that Lord Roland referenced a monster band taking for their own. There's sparse forest or cover aside from rolling hills for much of the way, this area being the agricultural heart of the old Empire and being almost covered with farmland from riverbed to riverbed. [i]Everyone heading to the inn to decompress before the trip out tomorrow?
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Mar 29, 2012 03:44
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Alec Cherusci Alec signs as he walks away from the "Palace" as the guards had called it, frustrated but fairly accustomed to it. His search had been such the many towns before, though he was sure now he had the right words for it. This would be a Boon that would spur his quest forward. Alec did not look forward to being in dusty library reading old scrolls, but it is what he figured would give him some guidance on his larger quest. Alec trotted down into the Tavern examining his navel more than anything else around him. He figured though he had been rebuffed, maybe something about this city's history would give him information on why it had survived the chaos better than others and maybe why the army of monsters was approaching. He would do so when he returned from his next mission, he thought with resolve. Alec walked up to the bartender and motioned him forward "Hail again, but now my comrades and I will be having a feast, lots of food for six of us!" Alec holds up his fingers for the count of people "I just wanted to prepare you, of course we will give you want you need for it." Alec tries to speak plainly as this tavern keeper was harder to understand than most. Alec then walks over the a main bench and claims it for the group waiting for more people to come as he thinks on his current dilemma and his task.
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Mar 29, 2012 05:16
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Isit Errands having been run, Isit heads back to the inn to meet up with the others, intent on getting a halfway decent meal and sleep before she heads out against unknown enemies. Checking her knives, she enters the inn, and finds Alec sitting at a table, clearly waiting for them. Out in the open where everyone could scope them out. But he likely didn't have anyone after him. "So Alec, did you find an old man with stories?" Looking around the room for a moment, she takes a seat facing the door. "Why do you want that sort of thing? Most problems can be cured with an arrow, and if they can't, you're dead anyways." Sighing, she orders a dark ale. "You ready for going out into the woods tomorrow? I'm kind of afraid you'll pull that berserker thing again, and start screaming about your god. Sometimes you gotta fight and run. Or just run. We may have to do lots of running, you okay with that?"
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Mar 29, 2012 05:28
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Alec Cherusci Alec leaned in his seat and waited only drinking a little water from his waterskin before seeing Isit come and sit down in an odd position looking over his shoulder. "I did find a His-Tor-Ien, but he did not have what I needed, at least they thought so. I will find him again and find out the story of this town itself, it may hold clues." As Alec sits and drinks slowly, he listens to Isit finish and then replies very carefully. "With Sagas and stories, you can find some things thought lost. Some direction to head, doing so has led me here, though sometimes, it was on the floor of deserted burned towns. If we knew were our enemy would attack or what they had done before, we can over come them. I was taught this from time of a child. I do not know why I was when the other warriors were not, but it is not important. How would you know were to send your arrow if you do not know your foe?" Alec takes a sip and then continues" As for running... I would not run, and I do not know what "bee-sek-or" means, but I am not fool. If we must retreat we must retreat, we do not run like Farmers or Children. Swords toward the enemy not our backs."
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Mar 29, 2012 05:50
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Isit "Maybe you'll find someone who recognizes what you're looking for. I sure as hell don't." Pausing, she thinks for a moment. "Maybe a few nobles have decent libraries. But they are private as hell, and would never let a north man into them unless you did them a favor, or had something on them." Isit shrugs at his talk of foes. "All I know is you just keep throwing things at something until it does damage, then bring it down. And really, what exactly do you need to fight, that requires rare tomes, and lost knowledge. You'd figure useful information would already be out there." Raising both eyebrows, she continues. "A berserker keeps fighting, even if he knows he will die, or can retreat. You were acting like one, what with all the yells about dying at that god, Chair-us? And yeah, I'm talking about running. Our job is to get information for the city, not take on what we find. It might involve lots of sneaking around, and less fighting. If we're lucky. Basically, I want to know If you'll seek out fights we don't have to engage in." With that, Isit takes a sip of her ale. "This is rather nice. Might have some wine before I sleep, you folks get wine in the north?"
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Mar 29, 2012 05:59
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Alec Cherusci Alec nods "It is something that no one has done for a very long time, and something that has not been seen for the same amount." Alec shrugs as if that was a reply to the question. Alec smiles "What greater glory is there but to die fighting? It is a great honor. When I took that wound if I had not been here with the Healer, I would have fallen, thus I made my life worthwhile, as much as I could. I was hoping that I could fell the leader and thus allow you some relief, alas my aim was false." Alec takes a moment and considers what you say about sneaking around. "This is not a normal battle, we fight Wolves and Liars, so it would only be dishonorable, if we were to run from cowardice not to only return to give the King, the means to send us back into the fray. That is what I believe, it is not dishonorable to follow orders in battle even if they may seem... less than personal honor desires." Alec finishes a drink from his waterskin and then continues "Cherus, is my ForeFather, I pray to no "God" I only follow his example. If I die honorably in battle, then I might have the pleasure to spend death in his Great Hall. I would never bow to a Spirit, I have seen many here that do, and the good that does them no? What would you gain not doing it with your own hands?" Alec stops feeling he has told her of the way to live as much as anyone should, without risking offense. Alec looks at the wine and nods "Yes, but here it tastes strange, we have it sweeter and much stronger. Now, I cannot buy any, but it is enjoyable enough." Axe-man fucked around with this message at 17:24 on Mar 29, 2012 |
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Mar 29, 2012 06:30
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Lo'el The faun says his thanks to the rather despondent looking man when the map is eventually laid out in front of him, before fishing his newly purchased journal out of his bag. He studies the map for a moment before doing his best to copy it into his own book. At least there was a road leading straight to the village. But perhaps it should be avoided? If more attackers came after them, then the stone paths would most likely be the place they would wait. If only creatures worse then bandits weren't prowling the wilds then it might have been a good idea. After a while of rough copying, he waits for the ink to dry before closing his book and stuffing it back in the bag. He then rolls the map back up and hands it over to the nearest guard with his thanks before exiting the guard house and making his way back to the inn. It was high time to see to that wash. His ears soon pick out the conversation between Isit and Alec as he enters the room and he gives them a broad smile and wave before he quickly tracks down the innkeeper. After some brief talk and further additions to his room bill, the faun follows a barmaid up to his room where he's presented with a small wash bucket and cloth. It certainly wasn't ideal, but it would do. Wasting no time, he strips off his armor and starts washing off the day's dirt and dry blood. He waits for the water to cool before finally managing to rub off the flecks of blood, the mayor's tip seeming to do the trick. With that necessary task done, he gathers his things once more and returns down to the main room. "Sorry about that." he says, soon taking a seat next to Alec. "I had to see to a wash." He orders himself an ale, having suddenly developed a taste for it. "I returned to the guardhouse and was able to copy their map of the region. It should give us a clear view of our destination." He fishes the journal back out of his bag and lays it open on the table, showing the map to the others.
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Mar 29, 2012 08:59
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Lette - The place what with them horse-drawns "That makes sense enough," Lette nodded. "The symbols change the rules of the game. But it's not enough just to make them, or else every child drawing with a stick in dirt would be painting magic on the world as much as on her own imagination." She paused, piecing together her thoughts. "On the other hand, you say 'change the symbols that are there,' so I guess they had to already be there. So they have their own existence — their own essence, I guess. I think that's what ma would say. "When we lived out east — I was real young back then — we did this thing that the locals were all doing, a tradition: we'd paint the eggs of chickens and geese using dyes. And if you wanted to make patterns, you'd use a sharp, hollow reed to draw with wax on it, so the dye only touched certain parts. I would always lose patience and just scribble around a bit for fun. The real masters, though, they would inscribe the most breathtaking figures and patterns. Some even made a living as artisans by doing that, though that usually meant they'd go off to live in the city after a time. "Anyway, the legend said that eggs were special because birds fly closer to the sun, and the sun is the 'exultant beacon' of Livny. Um, that part was weird, to me, because they had a different view of him over there than the place we were at before. But then, a farm doesn't go anywhere, and different folks'll start to get their own opinions, and time can make opinions into... cultures, I guess. Like, this place thought that the sun was the babe of Livny and Plyussa, though they didn't mention her often. Plyussa, I mean. I thought that was weird, too. "Anyway, the eggs were different things in different places. Left in the nest, an egg was as good as a bird. Taken out, it was a sort of talisman. The kind it was depended on what you drew; different symbols had different sorts of significance, but only when you put them on the egg. The egg was a different thing in different places, and so were the signs. "So, that's how I'm thinking of the runes. They're maybe not magic magic, but they're significant. In different places, I mean. And runepriests can touch into the place where they're different, where they change things. Does that make sense? "So, asking if the symbols are magic themselves is kind of the wrong question. Right?" Lette grinned, satisfied that she had articulated her thought as well as she could have. She looked to Dolan expectantly for his response.
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Mar 29, 2012 14:39
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Dolan - A magical place He nods as the girl takes in all the information he just gave her and runs with it, actually understanding it, and coming out the other side with even more information than he gave her. Correct information. She was a bright lass, but he doesn't voice that conclusion; no reason to let her head get too big too quickly. "That's almost exactly right," he says. "The symbols themselves are, in a way, not magical themselves. It's the-- interpretation-- that is magical. No more magical than your lyre, but the music you play with it, its interpretation makes magic." Dolan looks outside the door of the wagon house to see the change of the daylight's shadows. "It's starting to get late. We should catch up with the others." He hops down from the wagon, then turns to look at it again. He didn't know whether it was the talk he just had calming him down, or if something truly did change, but he felt... better. He still felt like he was missing something, but he didn't know what. Or where. With startling speed, he Draws a rune into the dirt at his feet with his staff, then Channels it. There must be something. Casting History on the rear portion of the second wagon, History 14
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Mar 29, 2012 17:10
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Lette - that selfsame magical place Lette nodded, taking Dolan's modification to her stated theory and chewing it over. "The interpretation," she repeated. Was the music an interpretation of her intent? It fit with what her da had said about what made the lyre special — not magical, but special nonetheless. She owned it, and thus it was a part of her very self, holding a place on the tapestry of her life and acting not just as an instrument of music, but one of her will. "Yes," she began to agree with his suggestion that they return, but cut off any incipient thought she may have added when Dolan began to draw in the dirt. A demonstration? She looked closely at the rune, trying to put it into the context of what they had just discussed. The figure was no doubt highly precise, since something as carefully studied and practiced surely allowed little in the way of imprecision. As she stared at the edges and curves of the thing, the word 'interpretation' lingered in her mind. Each portion of it was exact, and related exactly to each other portion. The whole thing had coherence, while each angle or segment conveyed some ineffable aspect of its sum information. Line, angle, line, curve. Taken as a whole, it was independent; an atemporal and discrete unit. But visually tracing it in the order he had created it revealed a phrase structure of sorts, and even relative ranges. There was an unquestionable order to it, and one that increasingly seemed familiar. She plucked one string without tearing her gaze away from the symbol, then another, then another. Each part made more sense as she gradually extracted the correct notes from amid the messy discord of her manual guesswork. Up a fourth, down a whole step, sweep down a minor third from a position a major tenth — no, that's not right, a perfect eleventh — above... The pattern was there. It all made sense. The only information missing was what note the damned thing started on. And then Dolan Channelled. And she Heard. A single, ringing tone seemed to emanate from the reaction, and she matched it. And then she played. As she completed the full melody once, the whole performance seemed to resonate within her own head, echoing and sustaining a mild dissonance that she found draining, but not unpleasant in the least. EDIT: Actually, now that I am able to read the books, it looks like there are prereqs I am missing. So, I guess call it a use of Wild Talent, and effective skill is actually 14. Aeolius fucked around with this message at 23:21 on Mar 29, 2012 |
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Mar 29, 2012 19:11
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Martin de Mignolet Martin strolls confidently into the inn a bit fashionably late - whether he was just taking a stroll around Noah, trying to find beggars to give his money to, or whatever else is unclear. Regardless of the reasons, he quickly sights the table where the others are and makes his way over. "Good evening, friends! I hope there is already food on the way, since I'm sure we can all agree it has been quite a long day," he states around a chuckle as he sits. "Yes, a long day, and battle. Good food and good drink, that's what I need right now." He seems to be talking to himself as much as anyone else, and as he does so he catches sight of Lo'el's copy of the map, spread upon the table. Lowering his voice slightly, he asks, "Is that the map, my friend?" Just like that, it was clearly time for Business, and Martin's pompousness is set aside like a hat.
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Mar 29, 2012 20:20
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Lo'el "Hello again. Much luck at the guardhouse? I went myself, but did not see you." He says, twisting in his seat to greet Martin before turning back to his journal. "It's a copy of the map that Mr. Gudjohnson at the guardhouse showed me. I thought it might help to study it before setting off, to help those of us unfamiliar with this land, myself included of course." He takes a drink of his ale then coughs as he gulps down a larger amount then intended. "A good drink." he says between bouts of coughing. "But certainly stronger then what I am used to. Perhaps tonight will allow me to get better used to it."
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Mar 29, 2012 20:45
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Alec Cherusci Alec nodded and waved to Lor'El as he came into view, Alec looked intently at the map. "Evening both of you, surely we will feast and celebrate before we go out again!" Alec, studies the map and takes out his wooden plank and with great effort starts etching into it several markings and a brief map to it with his knife. "This will be of great use if we are lost." Alec pauses to see Marten come into view and waves with his hand "Hail, Marten, we were just talking about this map, though we have not started really until we are all here." Alec drinks from his wineskin again, it looks almost empty, and he puts it down again. Alec looks up as if remembering something "Lor'El, do you have some of your stones with you? I would like to see them for a while. Though I do not know how much I can do with my wound." Alec holds out his hand eagerly waiting for the sling stones.
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Mar 29, 2012 21:26
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Isit "You think dying in a fight is a good death?" Isit gives Alec an incredulous look, but shakes her head and says nothing more. Wanting to die in battle seemed a sort of insanity to her, a worship of death. The northerners were strange indeed. But his answer was fine for now. Shrugging, she continues to drink. Nodding at the others as they arrives, she shows little interest until a map is produced. "We'll be skirting the road then. Leading the horses and walking likely. Riders stand out on grasslands. This isn't gonna be fun if they set up ambushes."
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Mar 29, 2012 21:55
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Lo'el "Yes. It would be nice to wait for Miss Lette and Sir Dolan if we're to discuss the journey further." He takes another, smaller sip, of his ale and swishes it around his mouth before drinking. It certainly was stronger, but sweeter then anything the herd had managed to produce. "The stones?" he says, placing down the mug and fishing a couple of stones from his pouch. "Of course here you go. What do you plan to do? I would suggest avoiding using that arm of yours. I'm no expert, or knowledgeable at all, in healing magic but it might not be good for it." Nevertheless, he passes over a small pile of stones into Alec's hand.
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Mar 29, 2012 22:00
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Isit "And I'd suggest not doing magic in a tavern. Don't want it backfiring."
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Mar 29, 2012 22:06
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Alec Cherusci Alec takes another drink from his waterskin and then with smile puts all the stones down on the table. He takes up one Stone and starts chanting in verse for a few moments. Alec focuses very closely on his hand as he does, the rest of the din of the Tavern fades away. "Weß gefa ljós ţitt" The Stone in his hand starts glowing and pulsing with light first very dim. Pulsing from glowing to not. "Einn eyri af birtustigi ţitt" The Stone gets brighter and starts to light up the room in flashes becoming more frequent. "Til ađ berjast gegn myrkrinu" The Stone starts flashing even brighter, till it is almost painful to see, though it has been only a few seconds at most, Alec cups his hand around it and it seems to glow with extremely bright light. Going to cast Continual Light 13 on a sling stone for 6 fp (painful to look at bright), whether I succeed or not, I will rest 30 minutes to recover all the FP before doing anything else, beyond talking and eating, etc.
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Mar 29, 2012 22:09
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Lo'el His ears perk up as Isit mentions magic and he turns to question Alec just as he starts chanting. He then simply stares at the man, words caught in his mouth as the stone begins glowing. As it starts to flash, the faun edges away in his seat, grabbing his journal up in his hands as he does so. So another of their group could use magic aswell. It certainly seemed he was in for a few surprises on this journey. He moves his sight away from the Northerner as the light becomes almost painful to watch, throwing the hand holding the journal up to his eyes to shield himself from the light. A Velociraptor! fucked around with this message at 22:25 on Mar 29, 2012 |
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Mar 29, 2012 22:23
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Isit As soon as Alec starts chanting, the elf backs her chair up, stands, and heads to the bar.
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Mar 29, 2012 22:28
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Martin de Mignolet Responding first to Lo'el, he smiles. "I was probably gone by the time you got there. I've arranged for a pack mule, as well as rations and blankets. There will be armor available if we want to borrow, as well. It is not anything too major, but it will make things easier - especially the mule, as we can travel more lightly that way and make better time..." Martin begins to trail off as Alec begins his chanting. "What...exactly are you doing," he inquires with a concerned and furrowed brow, not expecting an answer.
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Mar 30, 2012 00:18
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Dolan, after the digression into comparative magical theory and practice, casts a spell to show Lette how it's done. The rapidly-becoming-familiar surge of warmth behind his eyes flares as he writes the runes, and then he begins to see the past of the wagon as seen by a section of the wagon's rear. The image starts to coalesce in his mind, of frightened people packed tightly, but as soon as his last rune is written the lines warp and writhe, distorting themselves and turning his vision to mush. Someone or something has countered the spell; Dolan knew such a spell very well, meant to make it difficult to magically obtain information about something. It usually wore off after half a day, but could be made permanent at great cost. Before a warning can go out, Lette tries to mimic what she sees and turn it into something she can play. The notes are from the beginning ever so slightly wrong, but the lyre resisted her attempts to shape the notes to what she could clearly see in her head. It was as if the lyre was retuning itself after every note just enough to distort the melody- but the distortion was inside Lette's own head. Persisting, the farm girl tries to brute force through the interference, and to an extent does; she can see hazy images of the refugees in lots, and then a wave of static and the refugees herded off the wagon, and another wave of static and the wagon empty save for the form of a young girl crawling under a seat- Kat, presumably, but the details of the small pale form are difficult to discern in her mind's eye as it tries to batter through the mist. Dolan passed his spell roll, but lost a quick contest of spells to a Scryguard that has been placed on Wagon #2. Lette exactly tied it, which I'm going to rule gives hazy and detail-lacking information. The words come easily, and the magic flows for the northman just as readily as it ever has; the instant the last syllable is said, the stones begin to glow painfully bright. Cries of annoyance from other tables ring out before he can cover the bright stones- even so, the light is still visible from underneath cover. Alec's spell roll succeeds.
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Mar 30, 2012 02:00
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Dolan Dolan's eyes widen as the vision fails to come. He had been blocked from seeing, but by something that he knew, and knew well. The shock of that, and of the sound from behind him, makes him once again forget all about the strange sensation behind his eyes. "You do learn fast, lass," he says. "Like I said, talented. A book-learner like me would have to spend hours learning basics before even attempting a spell like that." He turns back to the wagon. "But, you likely didn't see much, if anything at all. We were blocked. Somebody doesn't want us seeing what we tried to see." He begins to Draw again, then stops, and turns back towards Lette. "Think you can pick something up that quickly again? Come. I'll show you something very useful." Gonna cast COUNTERSPELL! Skill 14. Gonna do it slowly enough so Lette can watch and maybe pick it up if speed matters.
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Mar 30, 2012 02:18
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With a flare of warmth, Dolan begins trying to wave away the magical obscuration that has been placed on the wagon's past; as he does, though, the spell he thought he was countering seems to waver and shift under his senses. Whoever cast the spell is... formidable. Dolan fails to win the quick contest of spell rolls.
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Mar 30, 2012 02:36
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Alec Cherusci Alec stops chanting and turns to Lor'El and smiles "Now, if we are against bowmen, you can toss these in front of us to use against them. It won't hurt them but it will make it harder to hit us. I will do a few more tonight, they last for two days at most. I will hide them in my pouch and give them to you in the morning." Alec smiles and sits down, waiting for Lette and Doran to come to the table and join them. Drinking a little water from his waterskin. holding until I can do the math on uses more clearly Axe-man fucked around with this message at 03:07 on Mar 30, 2012 |
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Mar 30, 2012 02:39
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Lette Unused to having empathic scenes projected into her mind, Lette gasps and nearly drops her instrument. "I saw them! I saw... ooh," she sighs, rubs her temple. "Yes, it was hard to see. Like having my eyes crossed. And foggy. But there were people, and then they were forced off, and then there was Kat — uh, I think — hiding." She blinks, feeling as if she needed to adjust to the light level again, even though her vision was fine at that moment. Odd effect, that. "I wouldn't say I learned it; I can barely remember what I played, now-... "Blocked?" She bit her lip, eyeing the cart. Something else she hadn't the first clue about, but she watched Dolan's actions carefully. "Maybe. I'll try to remember what I play this time." Musical Comp 13 to figure out a melody to associate with the rune. If I succeed, I will blow 1 CP (yay no prereq) on it and use it as is [IQ 12 -2 (1cp hard) +2 (magery) = 12] If I can, I will use my second WT/day to do an ON-THE-FLY reversal of the song, simulating knowledge of it for this action at ES 14. Since my counterspell is lower, that's my roll. Aeolius fucked around with this message at 02:47 on Mar 30, 2012 |
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Mar 30, 2012 02:41
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Isit Drinking from another mug of ale, Isit catches Alec's explanation, and laughs before leaning forward. "Alec. A glowy rock ruins night vision, and will serve as a loving beacon to archers. Especially at night. And if the archers are armored, the rocks won't do poo poo. I killed two dozen men who had the bright idea to cast those on their weapon, and use it to find the trenches at night. Do not make any more. Please." Dropping her voice to a whisper, she continues. "And you have gotten the attention of everyone in this place. If we were to have a relatively private conversation, our chance is gone now. Stealth remember?" NoControl fucked around with this message at 04:07 on Mar 30, 2012 |
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Mar 30, 2012 02:46
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Lo'el He turns back to Alec as the flashing light is covered. "Amazing, if a little concerning at first. If I could ask, where did you learn such a talent?" At Isit's words, he turns in his seat to regard the other patrons. Despite the faun's eye-catching appearance, most eyes did seem to be falling on Alec and none looked all too pleased either. "Perhaps, something that doesn't threaten to blind everyone around us could wait for later. And, it would seem, that something that flashes so brightly would be just as harmful to us as it would our enemies. Maybe it could be better served as a distraction if ever we had to make an escape?" He takes another small sip of his drink and lowers his head slightly, hoping that the other patrons would turn their eyes from them by the time Lette and Dolan arrived.
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Mar 30, 2012 10:51
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Martin de Mignolet "Never mind that for now," says Martin dismissively, unconcerned with the utility or non-utility of brightened sling stones. His voice is low. "I know not everyone is here yet but we really ought to start trying to figure out exactly what we are going to do once we leave the city, hm?" Taking a small sip of ale, he gestures lightly towards the map. "Besides, aside from making a scene, I have doubts that we're in any danger here." "Does anyone have any thoughts on the matter? This sort of excursion isn't quite my area of expertise, being this far outside the confines of cities and towns. I was hoping someone might have some ideas."
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Mar 30, 2012 21:52
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Isit Isit stares, stone faced, at Martin, before shrugging and speaking quietly. "You should nurture a bit more paranoia Martin, you'll live longer. Can we at least move to a private room if they have one, or a a secluded table? You might not mind the spotlight, but some of us do." Spending some of my crapiforgottobuythat CP on: Survival Plains 2cp Survival Forest 2p Tracking 2 cp Total 6 NoControl fucked around with this message at 01:34 on Mar 31, 2012 |
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Mar 30, 2012 22:08
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Lette begins to play, calling to mind how she would structure a tune meant to conceal an object from prying magical eyes. That in itself is a difficult task, demanding the young woman stride several paces past what she's learned and try to turn it on its head; compounding that is the minor issue that Lette's trying not to play that tune, but to play a tune out of phase to cancel that tune at least well enough to let herself or Dolan do what the tenacious remaining magic won't let them do, see once more into the past. Frustratingly, what Dolan found holds true for Lette as well. The tune Lette's trying to find changes even as she thinks of it, causing every fourth or so note to jangle discordantly and help spoil the rhythm. Enough notes fail that the farm girl can't quite manage to dispell the scryguard. Lette succeeds her roll, but the original caster of the Scryguard succeeds by one more.
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Mar 31, 2012 02:31
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Dolan - Two Wagon Garage The runes form perfectly, but they resist when he Channels them. He tries to force them to obey, but eventually they fade, leaving unmarked ground beneath them, and his opponent's spell remains. One look to his side tells him that Lette has faced the same fate. "Come on, lass. We could spend all night slamming our foreheads into this bloody mess. It will likely have faded in the morning, but the past will still be fresh." Dolan turns for the door, pulling out his logbook as he goes. quote:Second wagon protected by Scryguard. Estimate it will have faded in the morning. Caster of Scryguard may be considerably powerful. With a brief stop at the palace, he sees that his report will be delivered to Captain Dirksen before heading back to the tavern to join the others. If he woke early enough, he would be able to finish his investigation before leaving. The Tavern Dolan strides into the tavern, quickly locates the others, and joins them at their table, nodding silently in greetings to each of them. "They had a mage with them. The centaurs, that is." He turns and spits, narrowly missing a serving girl as she delivers a round of ales to a distant table and earns a fiery look for his lack of manners.
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Mar 31, 2012 02:46
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Lette - The Unfortunate Garage Her fingertips tingled as she rushed to match the notes she heard, but in the end it was a puzzle too complicated for her. At the very least, her effort to recall the melody of Dolan's final rune succeeded. She plucked it again with no investment of will; she simply wished to hear it once more. The magic had taken its toll; this was the most she had ever used it at once, and to what may be the most complicated end. The girl found herself mentally exhausted, doubtful she could call it forth again if she had to. For the moment, she needed to rest, in every respect. "Yes, I think I've done all I can. Nearly nothing, at that." She smirked, regardless; her failure had not dulled her excitement at learning from one more experienced — and mayhap even a new friend, at that. Sheet updated. Lette - Tavern "Hi, hi!" She settled down near the others. "Mr. Dolan was showing me some runes. They're a bit different from what I saw Mr. Alec carving, earlier." Her gaze was drawn to something Alec held — something emitting light, despite his efforts to conceal it. "What've you got there?"
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Mar 31, 2012 03:24
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Lo'el "I have a room here Lady Isit, we could talk more privately there if you would like. T-that is to say, we could all talk more privately there." He lowers his eyes to the drink in front of him before quickly turning to greet Lette and Dolan as he hears them arrive. Hopefully the lady elf would not get the wrong impression. "A mage? Mayor Roland did suggest this might be more then just a band of centaurs." He takes another sip of ale. "I'm glad we did not run into this mage at the wagons, I'm not sure how long I would last against magic." He raises his eyes to Lette as he spots her viewing the stones. "Ahh, speaking of magic, Alec here was infusing a sling stone to emit a bright light in the hopes it would distract our foes. Although it seems to be distracting our fellow patrons more then anything, perhaps I'll play soon to raise their spirits."
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Mar 31, 2012 10:32
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Alec Cherusci Alec looks at the stone and is rather fatigued by the effort, since it took so much out of him to do it in his weakened state, Alec leans against the chair and shrugs, putting the bright stone in his pouch and moving the other stones next to Lor'El. Alec spends much of the conversation just eating slowly and thinking over the map. It wasn't until he word mage that he seemed to come back into focus enough to clearly talk. "It does not matter, with my wounds, I am too weak to do more. If it of no use then I will simply keep this one till it no longer glows. As for going against a Mage, can we combat him? I have never fought a mage at all." Alec looked over the map and cringed, the flat lands he was not use to, rather the woodlands of his home. "If we want to avoid them, we would need to get out of these flat plains as fast as possible. In the forest, we can hide, or fight properly."
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Mar 31, 2012 16:39
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Lo'el He idly plays with one of the stones passed back to him by Alec, rolling it over the table a few times before stowing it, and the others, back into his pouch. "Sadly, I cannot be of much help" he replies. "Today was the first time I had even seen magic up close. Although, it would probably be best to avoid fights with an obvious mage if possible." He looks over to his journal, studying the map a bit more. "We are to be following the centaur's trail the scouts report back with yes? I am sure that I can guide us easily enough no matter what direction they may have taken. A large amount of hooves can leave some distinctive tracks, even if this storm does manage to wash most of them away." His stomach grumbles rather loudly as he finishes speaking and he turns to the others with a grin. "I think some food is called for." After everything they had been through today, a good meal and some drinks could do them all some good. "And I cannot think of a better thing to spend my money on." He turns and finds a passing barmaid, ordering enough food and drink for them all before attempting to count out the correct amount of coin on the table. $30 spent on food and drinks.
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Mar 31, 2012 18:23
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When Lo'el manages to flag down one of the long-suffering servers and relay his request, her brow furrow. "I'm sorry, but... the gentleman in the corner already paid for your round of food and drink." She cranes her head, and then quizzically says, "Where did he... never mind, I'll get the ale." As the server turns away, both the faun and Alec make eye contact with a man in the entrance to the pub; tanned, craggy skin with salt-and-pepper hair close-cut and the hard gray eyes of a combat veteran. Seeing that two at the table have spotted them, the man smiles tightly, touches his brow with a half nod of acknowledgment, and turns and heads out the door with his bland brown cloth clothes disappearing into the growing twilight. The mugs arrive. On the bottom of one is a rather damp, ragged square of paper, with the words. "Don't trust. Traitors are everywhere." written in what appears to be ash. Just because you're paranoid~ Lo'el does not need to pay.
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Mar 31, 2012 19:50
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Alec Cherusci Alec looks at the note and then looks at the man, and starts to get up. Alec whispers to the rest of you "What service does he think we will do for him by being so forward? Helvíti úlfur og fjandanum of Hell what is wrong with these people?! They aren't even safe in their own Halls?" Alec sits back down and looks rather cross at the implication and almost insulted by the idea of a traitor against such a basic threat. This was something all children were told about and trained to fight! What in Hel would cause others to be traitors to their own people against such a dark scourge? Alec shook his head and drank from his waterskin again and looked at the beer, wondering on the message.
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Mar 31, 2012 20:06
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Martin de Mignolet "Steady there, Northerner," insists Martin sharply, voice low. "Whoever it was just did us a favor. Perhaps Isit is right and I overestimated how safe we are here." They were all new here; it hadn't occurred to Martin that there would be anyone out to get them as a group. Individually, he supposed that he himself could be in some danger for reason of his departure from his native lands, but they had not collectively dealt with many people since their arrival. Two conclusions: either whoever sent the centaurs had contrived to have the city infiltrated as well, perhaps some time before, or someone in Noah was a sell-out. Or, technically both. "Well, we know a lot more now than we did before. That we are in danger even here; that our enemies can use magic as well. I don't like either of those. I agree with what Lo'el said before. We should go somewhere away from prying eyes and ears."
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Mar 31, 2012 20:35
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Lo'el "Twenty...Twenty-five. Wha-?" He looks up mid-count as the barmaid points out the man across the room and turns in his seat to get a better look. He didn't think he had ever seen the man before, but in a town with so many people it was hard to be sure. He watches the man leave before turning back to the others, coin still in his hand and on the table in front of him. "Who was that?" It was a silly question and he knew it, but he'd never been warned from danger in such a way before. "I-I think we should move to my room or somewhere more private." He says, stuffing his coin away again. "Where can we be safe if not here?" His ears droop down on the sides of his face sullenly as his eyes nervously shift to those sat near them, his actions clearly showing his emotions.
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Mar 31, 2012 20:49
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| # ? May 5, 2024 16:49 |
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Isit The elf picks up the note, and grins briefly, before tucking it into her pocket. This was more like it, subterfuge and back stabbing were things she knew. Still smiling like a shark, she whispers once more. "Eat, and we will plan tomorrow once outside the gates. I have hunted men, been hunted, and dragged corpses through the wilderness to get my bounty. You all will learns ears are everywhere. For now, eat and act like old acquaintances. " Grinning, she plucks a chunk of bread off her plate, and resumes a conversational volume. "Alright Martin, I forgive you for not liking my bow, but can we just agree that dagger fighting is dumb? I mean they end up with more scars than veterans the way they go." Raising an eyebrow, she looks to Alec and Lette in turn, hoping to return to some sembalance of a common conversation. "You both agree, yes?"
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Mar 31, 2012 21:13
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