As you open your eyes you find yourselves in the outskirts of a clearing. As you look around you notice 4 other people in similar places spotted around the clearing. (Your characters)
As you look you notice the forest is deciduous in nature with massive oaks and pines. The clearing itself seems to be some sort of a dirt circle clearing in a forest. You feel disoriented at first noting that gravity has a lesser effect here (congrats reduce all your carried weight for this campaign by 5%, this will have many more effects later in the game as you do skill checks)
The air itself is stale dry and the ground onions are in bloom giving the area the smell of onion soup. The sun beats down as if it were high noon and summer never ends, sweat gathers on your brow as you guess it to be 85 degrees with no humidity. You do note however some clouds overhead, they slide over the sun dropping the heat to 70 degrees. That's when you notice what is in the center of the circle.
You see a tent in the center and a bonfire. A strange man sits on a stool by the fire. You note 5 highback chairs spaced evenly around the bonfire. Your stomach is uneasy as you note the chairs perfectly number the people surrounding the clearing.
He is dressed in all black but at this distance you are unable to pick out any other details about the peculiar man. He seems to be holding some sort of a violin, and you hear just the faintest hints of a tune unfamiliar to you.
(actions and intros until we get all 5 here. you can do whatever but the quests won't start until everyone enters the clearing)
((give me spot checks for the camp, knowledge arcane to anyone who can use magic. last give me listen checks, which will be used later))
Last edited by Kagehiro; 31st August 2009 at 06:02 PM..
Trodder immediatly backs away from the other people and the telt, squinting in the bright light and unfastening Ripper. He crouches, sneering at the other people and the camp and tries to make out the situation. Holding his vicious weapon before him, he readies himself to leap on anyone closening.
Desicar stands up in the bright light, squinting to adjust to this unusual lighting. He exmines around him and draws Starless, his Bastard Sword. As he comes to his senses better his rough cough erupts, for a quick second before he controls it again. He backs up to make sure his back is to no one and prepares himself for anything that could happen.
Torbold takes a look around the clearing before moving from where he arrived. A tall, rangy young man, he's dressed in light armour covered by a functional but well cared for tabard bearing the device of a Chimera. The hilt of a well made sword protrudes above his left shoulder. Though he seems otherwise hale a bandage conceals his neck.
Torbold is apparently not one with his surroundings. He is however in Hunter's Stance so he does have the scent power up. Lemme know if he smells anything funny. He'll also make note of everybodies scents.
__________________ -Andor
"Congratulations. You just invented 'negligent regicide.'" - Schlock Mercenary
Darneth takes a step back, casually places a hand on his crossbow, and quickly scans the others. He takes a stand where he can watch all of them at once without being too obvious, keeping the closest eye on the scarred elf who seems to be the most aggressive. He surreptitiously slips a hand into a spell pouch and fingers a small scrap of leather.
He decides to attempt to break the tension by speaking first. "Normally, this is where I'd start with 'Well met,' but I'm not entirely sure of that. Which of you is also here for an experiment?
__________________ "Y'know, I think my favorite thing about being a hero of destiny is that it gives you all kinds of narrative justification to just slay any ol' jerk who gets in your way." -- 8-bit Theater
"i did not serve with napolean in his artillery. but i did play wargames with him and his men." -- diaglo
Trodder stares at the human, and after several seconds he seems to relax just a little bit, straightening up and lowering his axe - but still keeping it ready for whatever might come. He gives a confirmatory nod. "Robed wizard?" he says in his raspy, strange dialect.
Torbold takes a couple of steps forward, out of the shadows. "All of us I expect." He nods towards the black clad musician. "And him the experimentor. Or at least an assistant, I'll wager." He touches his brow in a half-salute. "I'm Torbold d'Deneith." He looks at Trodder curiously and ask him a question in accented but passable elven.
Elven
"You don't look like any Valenarri I've ever met, are you from Aerenal then?"
__________________ -Andor
"Congratulations. You just invented 'negligent regicide.'" - Schlock Mercenary
((deadline is up, he can join when the next appropriate timing is))
Spot DC=15
You note this man wears
Scent
Sorry boss, ground onions cover everything.
Listen DC=10
The song is archaic in rhythm, and reminds you of the macabre songs played at a funeral.
Knowledge Arcana DC=20
You note that this man is a powerful caster. You can see the ebs of arcane veils fold around his body. It gives you a sickening feeling in your stomach. You find it hard to focus but this man fills you with dread.
The man erupts into a robust laughter with a loud grind of his violin. He packs it into a red velvet lined case and stands. You now can tell that this man stands 6'4" and is gaunt beyond normal mortal means. He walks towards the group. "I've been expecting you. Thank you for participating in my experiment. I wasn't sure if my kin would get my message through the veil. It's hard to shed the levels of the veil here."
As he gets close enough for you to see him in detail, now about 40ft away you notice in great detail this man's splendor. Unlike the party he doesn't shed even a bead of sweat, and his body is heavily scented of earth. He smiles to show a neat row of teeth and sharpened lateral incisors. However they are just a 1/8" inch longer than the canines. His suit is of fine silk that exceeds skills far beyond anything you've ever beheld. His sword on his hip is a saber about 30inches in blade length, and the handle is hand forged silver with specks of black through it. The velvet grip fused to the handle for ultimate comfort. The way it bounces as he walks seems weird as it doesn't seem to have any weight dangling carelessly.
His nails are pearly and sharpened to neat points. Around his neck dangles a fine chain adorned with a single symbol, and upsidedown sickle.
"so gentlemen, if you'd like to take a seat. I'd be glad to explain the situation. please, please come join me."
Last edited by Kagehiro; 2nd September 2009 at 01:26 AM..
Desicar holds his ground, still in a stance to strike any who approach him. His sword, Starless, is black and dark with its Bastard sword handle firmly strapped with more black leather. He holds it high, prepared to drop a globe of darkness upon himself if need be. He is still wary, unwanting to trust any of these new beings. He tried to hold down his cough, to concentrate on whats going on around him and to not show any weakness.
Torbold takes a moment to absorb the sight of the man in front of him. That man is the freakiest thing I have ever seen in my life. And I've seen changelings skinnydipping. he thinks to himself. Outwardly he smiles in greetings then advances to take the middle of the 5 chairs. "Come along gentlemen, if you weren't willing to take the risk, you shouldn't have said yes." he comments to the others.
__________________ -Andor
"Congratulations. You just invented 'negligent regicide.'" - Schlock Mercenary
Darneth takes a seat as well, but now his attention is clearly focused on the stranged man, whom he watches very carefully.
"Nice weather today, isn't it?", he asks the strange man.
__________________ "Y'know, I think my favorite thing about being a hero of destiny is that it gives you all kinds of narrative justification to just slay any ol' jerk who gets in your way." -- 8-bit Theater
"i did not serve with napolean in his artillery. but i did play wargames with him and his men." -- diaglo
Trodder slowly walks towards the chairs, muttering something unintelligable to himself. He slowly opens his mouth and says to the man in black "What is it that you want from us?"
He half-sits on a chair, letting the axe rest to the ground but ready to raise it should the situation turn bad.
Last edited by Stringburka; 2nd September 2009 at 02:00 PM..
the man laughs looking at Desicar. he raises his hand up. The ether tendrils of ruptured veil stretch toward Desicar like a torrent of steam as it distorts the air around you. Desicar lifts off the ground. Now floating a food off the ground. The man's hair blows behind him as his eyes light up. "I have no problem shattering your soul child!" "I could deflate you like a bag. Now do you want to listen to me? If not we'll see how long you breath when I rip your lungs out, and shatter your body like blown glass!"
Desicar
You can feel the air slide through the pores of your skin and into your body. Like fingers you feel this arcane energy grab to every cell of your lungs. It feels like a hands are crushing your lungs as the air leaves your body. Unable to take even the smallest breath, you begin to choke but the magic keeps you from showing outwardly that you're unable to breathe. Then you feel the magic leave your body and feel a massive gathering of energy begin to pull you towards the dirrection of the chairs.
He waves his hand and Desicar is flung into a chair, the chair neither moves nor breaks as he slams into it. The wood harder than steel, and heavier than adamantine. "Thank you for sitting, I knew you wanted to listen to me. I paid you that sword to listen to me. Don't steal from me. If I pay you, carry out your services.."
He looks now at the rest of the party. "Now if no one else wants to play Mr. Hero, this conversation will continue. Now where you sit is the center of the ancient trade routes, dating back to my Master's empire. I am Lord Macarius of the 1st Reaver Company. At this time there is not 1st Reaver Company, you've been drafted. You are the 1st Company. We have a nasty little Lycan problem in our lands. You see Lycans fancy the flesh of my people, seems it's sweet to the tongue. Rare arcane crystals that keep us from aging beyond the day we last saw the sun, and increases our capacities in all ways. I myself am not one of the undead however I am given immortality in exchange for my services as a commander in intellegence. Now, I am the only one of the city that can walk the light, but I alone wouldn't get much further than maybe 2 paladins before I'm struck dead. Now if you'd like to follow me I can take you to your employers, they are 20 days horseride away. Luckily for you, my magic will cover your food and travel by horse. Would you be interested? Or do I have to show you how easily replaceable you are?"
Trodder nods, and fastens the axe at his side again. "It's not exactly like I have a choice." He seems far more relaxed now, but still keeps an eye on everyone present.
Torbold rubs the left side of his bandaged neck as he thinks. "I'm interested but I have questions. First: Where are we?"
The man looks behind him and speaks to the air "I'll tell them, just hold up!"
He then turns to look at everyone else. "When.... where... who. It's all so many questions that cannot really be answered with just words. It's not so much a where persay. You are where you where, but you're here. This existence is inbetween two existences. This is in between the future and the past, and no smart ass it's not now. Though relative we are in the now aren't we? I'm not actually sure when I am."
the man produces an hourglass. you watch as sand goes up through the hole instead of pouring down "Now as you can see we are moving forward into the past, or backwards into the future. Which one is the debate of scholars. All I know is where you are, no one leaves. Think of this as a place where all of existences are moths, and this is the flame... or rather a whirlpool and there are fish. Ok so really they are all bad analogies. This is really our slice of existence, the backwaters of time and space. Everything ends up here. You were paid to go down the drain and come here. Because frankly once we fix this situation we can let time flow again. Perhaps you noticed that the sky has a moon and a sky all at the same time. Only on this half, the other has no moon or sun. So time got split with it. One side heads fowards into the past, and the other side goes backwards into the future. What my masters want is to cure it, and so do many outsiders my freinds. How would you like to be an angel drawn here and unable to return? However once time flows... many fear we won't know the affects. However if your immortal what does time effect? You'll notice that people here don't age, nor do they give birth. Suspended in the now we are."
you notice this man seems to be talking past you to, the nothingness behind you. power has been known to derange a mind.
))
Linear Mode
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