drnuncheon
Explorer
Boss said:
What a shame it is when a concerned citizen cannot do his civic duty without encountering such suspicion and mistrust!
J
drnuncheon's Freeport Story Hour
- Status
What a shame it is when a concerned citizen cannot do his civic duty without encountering such suspicion and mistrust!
J
DiFier
First Post
Ah ha. . . wait um . . . Well. It is good that we didn't just charge over to the quill and burn it down. Someone was trying to deflect the blame. but I don't want to give too much away. Lets just say that There were a few attempts to put us on the wrong path. this wasn't the first one. if this actually was one. ahhhhrgh
drnuncheon
Explorer
Session Ten, Part Two: "Another ambush? This is getting to be a habit..."
Noon - Merchant's District
Di'Fier
All was in place. Roseshade the shuffler had agreed to her part in the plan - she was to claim that she hadn't found a buyer yet, but was pursuing some leads. Outside, Dru and Di'Fier wandered around, trying their best to look as if they were shopping.
It was Dru that spotted him first - a thatch of bright red hair above a sweaty brow, that bobbed head and shoulders above the crowd. She elbowed her partner and they ducked into an alley. Dru pulled a small vial from her cloak, and Di'Fier did the same with a tightly rolled scroll. Within moments, the two guardsmen were invisible to the naked eye.
But something was wrong - the red-haired man has turned and was walking away from the market. He must have seen something, Di'Fier thought. Or been warned. The two guardsmen slid out into the edges of the crowd, doing their best to avoid the masses of people. Ahead of them, the red-headed man turned into an alley.
The invisible guardsmen broke free of the throngs of people and dashed to the alley, just in time to catch a glimpse of a much smaller man, a blonde, exiting the other end. "That must be him...let's go!" Dru hissed, and they were off.
Tracing the blonde man's steps led them to a walled estate in the more prosperous area of the Merchant's District. "And near the Street of Flowers, too," Di'Fier noted in a low voice. "Just like we thought. Let's check the area."
The pair spread out, circling the house and meeting at the back. "I saw the front door, and a side gate," Di'Fier reported.
"No other entrances," said his partner. The pair moved back to the front of the house to plan their next move.
"If we make a distraction, one of us could slip inside," mused the mage.
Before he could expound on the plan, Dru was already fading into visibility as she mounted the steps and banged louly on the door. Di'Fier hurried into position.
"Go away."
A thin smile appeared on Dru's face. Those who knew her would know it was time to get out of the way. Whoever was behind the door did not know her.
"This is Watch-Sargeant Naïlo of the Freeport Watch. You will open this door."
A muffled conversation ensued behind the thick oaken planks of the door.
Dru was tired of waiting. "Now."
There was a click as the latch was thrown, and the door creaked open. Dru gave it a shove and stepped into the foyer of the house. Di'Fier was about to follow her when he saw the glint of steel.
"Dru!" he shouted, but the elven guard had already spotted the danger, and she twisted out of the way of the strike, her hand darting to her own blade. From somewhere inside, the sound of chanting echoed as a spell was cast.
The warrior-mage tensed, then threw himself through the doorway into chaos.
Dru
Her blade practically leapt into her hand as the elven guardsman whirled away from her unseen assailant's strike. She had but a moment to take stock of the situation - the perfumed man whose blade had just missed could only be Gil of Highgate. Another man on the other side of the door was advancing, but his side split open in a spray of blood as her partner became visible. And through it all, the sound of someone chanting.
She lashed out with her blade and caught Gil along the arm, where he was too slow in pulling back from his failed thrust. The other man rallied and struck back at Di'Fier, a blow that spent most of its force opening a rent in the cuir-bouilli armor the Watchman wore.
The chanting ceased as dark sulferous clouds began to roil in midair. From the center of the cloud came a savage growling and a hot wind. Then, as if the smoke were a doorway, a creature stepped from it: a dog, of sorts, but like no dog that Dru had ever seen. Its skin was blackened, hairless and cracked, and its eyes reflected flames that were not present in the hall. A long black tongue hung from its mouth, and the look it gave the elf was one of vile hate. Then it was in motion, and even Dru's elven reflexes were not enough to turn it aside. The creature's teeth burned in her leg as they tore into her, and she thought she could smell the stench of cooking flesh.
Di'Fier batted the tiny blade of his adversary aside and drove his own sword into him again. The man stumbled backwards, then spun and fled. Dru looked up from the hellhound to the sound of running feet - coming towards them. A pair of crossbow-weilding guards skidded around the corner and took aim at the Watchmen. Bolts flew, but failed to find their mark.
The dog-creature growled, hunkering down and shaking its head back and forth like it was worrying a piece of meat. Hot slaver dripped from its jaws, bursting into flame as it fell to the ground. Then it opened its jaws and breathed hell out onto Dru and Di'Fier. The pair dived in opposite directions, narrowly avoiding the flame. Nimbly, the creature dodged blows from both of its opponents.
Another crossbow bolt spat through the air past Dru - but this one came from the other direction! A quick glance told her that the wounded man had returned to the fight, as he frantically fitted the goats-foot to the stock of his weapon to prepare it for another shot.
Dru swapped her blade to her free hand and reached into her pouch, pulling out a soft leather bag that she sent winging towards the hellhound, even as it advanced on her partner. The sticky goo of the tanglefoot bag slowed the dog enough to make its jaws clamp on empty air, but its supernaturally tough hide turned aside Di'Fier's return stroke.
More bolts arced through the air, and one found its home in Dru's arm. Cursing, the elf spun and thrust, nearly skewering the man. Meanwhile, her former opponent had made his way unseen to pop up behind her partner. "Di'Fier!" she shouted. "Behind you!"
Di'Fier
The watchman's cloak whirled about his frame as he spun just in time to deflect the blow. With a savage grin, he stepped back and formed his fingers into the proper arcane pattern, shouting the words of his spell. Behind the hapless Gil, a globe of flame manifested itself, rolling forward to engulf the man. He screamed as the pomade and perfume he doused himself with ignited under the fiery assault.
Meanwhile, the wounded man crashed into Dru, blocking her blade with the stock of his crossbow and forcing her back into the corner. The flaming Gil dashed towards the exit, but collided with something unseen and was flung to the side. He must be invisible! Di'Fier thought, and swung his sword wide, feeling the tip scrape along flesh and clothing. Unfortunately, the desperate move left his guard down, and the sword of one of the men bit into his shoulder. With a growl, the wizard directed the flaming sphere at him.
Diving between the guards and the hell hound, Di'Fier's blade bit deep into one of the men, sending him crashing to the floor. Behind him, he could hear the growl of the creature as Dru thrust her rapier deep into it - apparently she had dealt with her other assailant. A low cut from his foe left a line of blood across Di'Fier's thigh.
Behind him, the growling stopped as the arcane bonds holding the hellhound to this world faded. "Close the front door! He's invisible!" Di'Fier shouted, as his blade felled the last remaining opponent. Dru shoved it shut and began flailing at empty space with her blade, hoping that luck would serve where skill could not.
As he dashed into the other room, Di'Fier could see a pair of vellum scrolls floating in midair, seemingly rolling themselves up. The contracts! Before he could reach them, they vanished. His heart beat loudly in his ears as he tried to discern where his invisible foe went.
To his right, a door swung closed, and he could hear the unmistakable sound of a lock clicking into place.
Calling upon the arcane forces at his command, Di'Fier summoned the strength of magic to his muscles, hurling himself forward at the door, only to bounce away from its surface. Dimly, he heard the shattering of glass.
"Di'Fier!" came Dru's voice. "He's in the garden!"
The watchman raced back to the foyer. Dru was already charging across the lawn, aiming for the broken window. Her blade swung out - and found a target, as bright crimson droplets sprayed from nowhere.
"Zamath!" shouted a voice from nowhere - and for a moment both guardsmen could see a barely-visible disc interposed between them and where they assumed their target was.
"Dru, follow him! I'll guard the gate!" Di'Fier had not taken a dozen steps before he slowed, beneath the boughs of a vine-wrapped lemon tree. The tree smells so nice, he thought to himself. And those berries look so tasty. I've got time to have just one...
Noon - Merchant's District
Di'Fier
All was in place. Roseshade the shuffler had agreed to her part in the plan - she was to claim that she hadn't found a buyer yet, but was pursuing some leads. Outside, Dru and Di'Fier wandered around, trying their best to look as if they were shopping.
It was Dru that spotted him first - a thatch of bright red hair above a sweaty brow, that bobbed head and shoulders above the crowd. She elbowed her partner and they ducked into an alley. Dru pulled a small vial from her cloak, and Di'Fier did the same with a tightly rolled scroll. Within moments, the two guardsmen were invisible to the naked eye.
But something was wrong - the red-haired man has turned and was walking away from the market. He must have seen something, Di'Fier thought. Or been warned. The two guardsmen slid out into the edges of the crowd, doing their best to avoid the masses of people. Ahead of them, the red-headed man turned into an alley.
The invisible guardsmen broke free of the throngs of people and dashed to the alley, just in time to catch a glimpse of a much smaller man, a blonde, exiting the other end. "That must be him...let's go!" Dru hissed, and they were off.
Tracing the blonde man's steps led them to a walled estate in the more prosperous area of the Merchant's District. "And near the Street of Flowers, too," Di'Fier noted in a low voice. "Just like we thought. Let's check the area."
The pair spread out, circling the house and meeting at the back. "I saw the front door, and a side gate," Di'Fier reported.
"No other entrances," said his partner. The pair moved back to the front of the house to plan their next move.
"If we make a distraction, one of us could slip inside," mused the mage.
Before he could expound on the plan, Dru was already fading into visibility as she mounted the steps and banged louly on the door. Di'Fier hurried into position.
"Go away."
A thin smile appeared on Dru's face. Those who knew her would know it was time to get out of the way. Whoever was behind the door did not know her.
"This is Watch-Sargeant Naïlo of the Freeport Watch. You will open this door."
A muffled conversation ensued behind the thick oaken planks of the door.
Dru was tired of waiting. "Now."
There was a click as the latch was thrown, and the door creaked open. Dru gave it a shove and stepped into the foyer of the house. Di'Fier was about to follow her when he saw the glint of steel.
"Dru!" he shouted, but the elven guard had already spotted the danger, and she twisted out of the way of the strike, her hand darting to her own blade. From somewhere inside, the sound of chanting echoed as a spell was cast.
The warrior-mage tensed, then threw himself through the doorway into chaos.
Dru
Her blade practically leapt into her hand as the elven guardsman whirled away from her unseen assailant's strike. She had but a moment to take stock of the situation - the perfumed man whose blade had just missed could only be Gil of Highgate. Another man on the other side of the door was advancing, but his side split open in a spray of blood as her partner became visible. And through it all, the sound of someone chanting.
She lashed out with her blade and caught Gil along the arm, where he was too slow in pulling back from his failed thrust. The other man rallied and struck back at Di'Fier, a blow that spent most of its force opening a rent in the cuir-bouilli armor the Watchman wore.
The chanting ceased as dark sulferous clouds began to roil in midair. From the center of the cloud came a savage growling and a hot wind. Then, as if the smoke were a doorway, a creature stepped from it: a dog, of sorts, but like no dog that Dru had ever seen. Its skin was blackened, hairless and cracked, and its eyes reflected flames that were not present in the hall. A long black tongue hung from its mouth, and the look it gave the elf was one of vile hate. Then it was in motion, and even Dru's elven reflexes were not enough to turn it aside. The creature's teeth burned in her leg as they tore into her, and she thought she could smell the stench of cooking flesh.
Di'Fier batted the tiny blade of his adversary aside and drove his own sword into him again. The man stumbled backwards, then spun and fled. Dru looked up from the hellhound to the sound of running feet - coming towards them. A pair of crossbow-weilding guards skidded around the corner and took aim at the Watchmen. Bolts flew, but failed to find their mark.
The dog-creature growled, hunkering down and shaking its head back and forth like it was worrying a piece of meat. Hot slaver dripped from its jaws, bursting into flame as it fell to the ground. Then it opened its jaws and breathed hell out onto Dru and Di'Fier. The pair dived in opposite directions, narrowly avoiding the flame. Nimbly, the creature dodged blows from both of its opponents.
Another crossbow bolt spat through the air past Dru - but this one came from the other direction! A quick glance told her that the wounded man had returned to the fight, as he frantically fitted the goats-foot to the stock of his weapon to prepare it for another shot.
Dru swapped her blade to her free hand and reached into her pouch, pulling out a soft leather bag that she sent winging towards the hellhound, even as it advanced on her partner. The sticky goo of the tanglefoot bag slowed the dog enough to make its jaws clamp on empty air, but its supernaturally tough hide turned aside Di'Fier's return stroke.
More bolts arced through the air, and one found its home in Dru's arm. Cursing, the elf spun and thrust, nearly skewering the man. Meanwhile, her former opponent had made his way unseen to pop up behind her partner. "Di'Fier!" she shouted. "Behind you!"
Di'Fier
The watchman's cloak whirled about his frame as he spun just in time to deflect the blow. With a savage grin, he stepped back and formed his fingers into the proper arcane pattern, shouting the words of his spell. Behind the hapless Gil, a globe of flame manifested itself, rolling forward to engulf the man. He screamed as the pomade and perfume he doused himself with ignited under the fiery assault.
Meanwhile, the wounded man crashed into Dru, blocking her blade with the stock of his crossbow and forcing her back into the corner. The flaming Gil dashed towards the exit, but collided with something unseen and was flung to the side. He must be invisible! Di'Fier thought, and swung his sword wide, feeling the tip scrape along flesh and clothing. Unfortunately, the desperate move left his guard down, and the sword of one of the men bit into his shoulder. With a growl, the wizard directed the flaming sphere at him.
Diving between the guards and the hell hound, Di'Fier's blade bit deep into one of the men, sending him crashing to the floor. Behind him, he could hear the growl of the creature as Dru thrust her rapier deep into it - apparently she had dealt with her other assailant. A low cut from his foe left a line of blood across Di'Fier's thigh.
Behind him, the growling stopped as the arcane bonds holding the hellhound to this world faded. "Close the front door! He's invisible!" Di'Fier shouted, as his blade felled the last remaining opponent. Dru shoved it shut and began flailing at empty space with her blade, hoping that luck would serve where skill could not.
As he dashed into the other room, Di'Fier could see a pair of vellum scrolls floating in midair, seemingly rolling themselves up. The contracts! Before he could reach them, they vanished. His heart beat loudly in his ears as he tried to discern where his invisible foe went.
To his right, a door swung closed, and he could hear the unmistakable sound of a lock clicking into place.
Calling upon the arcane forces at his command, Di'Fier summoned the strength of magic to his muscles, hurling himself forward at the door, only to bounce away from its surface. Dimly, he heard the shattering of glass.
"Di'Fier!" came Dru's voice. "He's in the garden!"
The watchman raced back to the foyer. Dru was already charging across the lawn, aiming for the broken window. Her blade swung out - and found a target, as bright crimson droplets sprayed from nowhere.
"Zamath!" shouted a voice from nowhere - and for a moment both guardsmen could see a barely-visible disc interposed between them and where they assumed their target was.
"Dru, follow him! I'll guard the gate!" Di'Fier had not taken a dozen steps before he slowed, beneath the boughs of a vine-wrapped lemon tree. The tree smells so nice, he thought to himself. And those berries look so tasty. I've got time to have just one...
drnuncheon
Explorer
Session Ten, Part Three: Betrayal
Noon - Merchant's Quarter - Kenzil's Manor
"Di'Fier!" the elven guard screamed. "What are you doing?" She thrust into the air, and the tempered steel of her rapier rang as it was deflected by a disc of force made momentarily visible by the impact. "This is no time for a snack!"
The wizard paused, his hand already reaching unconsciously for another of the purple berries. Then a strange expression came over his face, and he clutched his stomach. His face writhed, mirroring the turmoil in his gut.
"Di'Fier, he's getting away!" Dru lashed out again, and somehow her blade bit home, eliciting a screech from the invisible wizard. The unseen man yanked himself away from the blade and spat a syllable of mystic power.
Dru ran forward, her blade sweeping through the space where the wizard had been. Only the chance dislodging of a pebble made her think to look up. "Di'Fier, he's climbing the tower! Get him!"
Her partner lurched to his feet, pulling his well-used wand from his belt. Waving it in the invisible mage's direction, he shouted a command, and a brilliant streak of energy shot forth...
...only to be intercepted by the unseen disk! And still the invisible wizard climbed. Dru and Di'Fier scrambled among their potion vials to find the ones that would enable them to mimic their opponent's feat. The guards raised matched vials, grimacing at the bitter taste and the unpleasant sensation of swallowing a still-squirming spider, and then started up the wall after their quarry.
As they clambered over the top of the wall, they heard the sound of glass on stone. The stopper to a potion vial bounced along the rooftop, followed momentarily by the vial itself. As they charged forward, swords swinging, they could hear laughter...and the sound of wings, carrying the wizard out of their reach.
Five of the Clock - Old City - Guard Headquarters
Captain Donnach stared levelly at the pair of guardsmen in front of his desk. "Magus Kenzil of the Guild has filed a complaint," he said, tapping the paper in front of him. "He claims the two of you burst into his house without provocation and began attacking his manservants."
"He had the contracts," insisted Dru, sullenly.
"And we know what happened to the missing journeyman," Di'Fier added - still looking pale from his encounter with the poisoned berries. "If we can get back there, with a warrant..."
The Captain looked the two of them over. "I'm going to lose this piece of paper for a short time. I trust you can have this wrapped up within two days? Good. Now get out of my office."
"That was unexpected," Dru muttered as they left. To the waiting Guardsmen, she offered a feral grin. "Sorry...we're still on duty." Someone cursed, evidently having lost in the suspension pool.
"For now, anyway," Di'Fier muttered.
"Shh. Let's go get these wounds seen to, and then some dinner, and then we can check out that address from the crate."
"Sounds good to me."
Seven of the Clock - Merchant's District
Dru shook her head. "Verlaine's house. Why am I not surprised? And I'll bet that the sewer map leads right under it from the old temple."
"Well, that's what we're ging to find out," said Di'Fier, leading the way back towards the Old City. "Maybe then we can figure out where...Brother Egil!"
The slim figure walking toward them was indeed the priest of the Temple of Knowledge. His expression did not bode well, however - it was a mask of fear and concern. "My friends," he said, stretching out his arms. "It is good that I have found you. Lucius has been kidnapped again! I have no idea where they could have taken him!"
Dru looked over at her partner. "I have an idea."
Di'Fier nodded, and pulled Egil to a narrow side street, just inside the Old City. Bending down, he tugged vigorously on a metal grate.
"Here, let me handle that," said Dru, planting her feet and yanking the grate up with a squeal of protesting metal.
Egil looked from Dru to Di'Fier in confusion. "You think they took him into the sewers?" Both guardsmen nodded, and the young priest's face set into an expression of firm resolve. "I'm coming with you, then. I've got to help rescue Lucius."
He was certainly helpful against those skeletons, Dru thought. "All right, Brother. Let's go."
The trio crawled down into the stinking darkness of the Freeport sewers.
Sewers - Somewhere Under the Merchant's District
"Barred, just like Reed said," Di'Fier observed. "So no undesirables can get into the Merchant's Quarter this way."
Dru was already moving forward, inspecting the iron bars that blocked the passage. Beside the walkway, a thick stream of sludgy water, mixed with things best not thought about, moved sluggishly down the brick tunnels. After a moment longer, Dru reached out and grasped two of the bars, and with a firm jerk, pulled them free! She handed them to a stunned Egil and Di'Fier with a grin, and they saw how the bars had been cut at top and bottom, then carefully put back in place so as to seem undisturbed. "Come on," said the elf. "Let's go. Egil, you take the map. I'll go first. Di'Fier, bring up the rear."
The three moved on, the darkness illuminated only by the mystical blue light shed from the blade of Dru's punch-dagger. Her eyes roved across the muck, and spotted something out of place. Lifting it free with her blade, she saw the tattered remnants of a shirt.
Even in the blue light, she could see Egil turn pale. "That...that is Lucius's shirt. We must hurry!"
Not a hundred yards farther on, Dru raised her hand for a halt. "Look here," she said, gesturing towards a section of wall that looked much like any other section of wall. "Egil, are we at the end of the trail on the map?"
The priest perused the document. "Yes...yes, we seem to be."
"What is it?" asked Di'Fier.
"A secret door," said Dru, her fingers working over the bricks. "And secret doors are made to be opened." A section of the brick wall ground aside - bricks mounted upon an iron door.
Egil clutched the map and peered into the darkness. "Maybe you had better go inside first," he began nervously.
The Watchmen crept slowly into the room. The light of Dru's punchdagger revealed strange piles of rocks, stacked against metal walls. "What kind of place is this?"
A grinding noise behind them heralded the closing of the secret door. "What the-?" Di'Fier began, as Dru sprang towards the door - but it was too late! The door had inexorably closed, and would not open from this side.
From somewhere outside the room came the hiss of steam, and a grinding noise. Rock began to fall from the tops of the piles, skittering down to the iron floor like miniature avalanches. The room began to shake.
Dru and Di'Fier exchanged glances. "I've got a bad feeling about this..."
Stay tuned for "Butchery and Bloodbath" - later tonight!
Noon - Merchant's Quarter - Kenzil's Manor
"Di'Fier!" the elven guard screamed. "What are you doing?" She thrust into the air, and the tempered steel of her rapier rang as it was deflected by a disc of force made momentarily visible by the impact. "This is no time for a snack!"
The wizard paused, his hand already reaching unconsciously for another of the purple berries. Then a strange expression came over his face, and he clutched his stomach. His face writhed, mirroring the turmoil in his gut.
"Di'Fier, he's getting away!" Dru lashed out again, and somehow her blade bit home, eliciting a screech from the invisible wizard. The unseen man yanked himself away from the blade and spat a syllable of mystic power.
Dru ran forward, her blade sweeping through the space where the wizard had been. Only the chance dislodging of a pebble made her think to look up. "Di'Fier, he's climbing the tower! Get him!"
Her partner lurched to his feet, pulling his well-used wand from his belt. Waving it in the invisible mage's direction, he shouted a command, and a brilliant streak of energy shot forth...
...only to be intercepted by the unseen disk! And still the invisible wizard climbed. Dru and Di'Fier scrambled among their potion vials to find the ones that would enable them to mimic their opponent's feat. The guards raised matched vials, grimacing at the bitter taste and the unpleasant sensation of swallowing a still-squirming spider, and then started up the wall after their quarry.
As they clambered over the top of the wall, they heard the sound of glass on stone. The stopper to a potion vial bounced along the rooftop, followed momentarily by the vial itself. As they charged forward, swords swinging, they could hear laughter...and the sound of wings, carrying the wizard out of their reach.
Five of the Clock - Old City - Guard Headquarters
Captain Donnach stared levelly at the pair of guardsmen in front of his desk. "Magus Kenzil of the Guild has filed a complaint," he said, tapping the paper in front of him. "He claims the two of you burst into his house without provocation and began attacking his manservants."
"He had the contracts," insisted Dru, sullenly.
"And we know what happened to the missing journeyman," Di'Fier added - still looking pale from his encounter with the poisoned berries. "If we can get back there, with a warrant..."
The Captain looked the two of them over. "I'm going to lose this piece of paper for a short time. I trust you can have this wrapped up within two days? Good. Now get out of my office."
"That was unexpected," Dru muttered as they left. To the waiting Guardsmen, she offered a feral grin. "Sorry...we're still on duty." Someone cursed, evidently having lost in the suspension pool.
"For now, anyway," Di'Fier muttered.
"Shh. Let's go get these wounds seen to, and then some dinner, and then we can check out that address from the crate."
"Sounds good to me."
Seven of the Clock - Merchant's District
Dru shook her head. "Verlaine's house. Why am I not surprised? And I'll bet that the sewer map leads right under it from the old temple."
"Well, that's what we're ging to find out," said Di'Fier, leading the way back towards the Old City. "Maybe then we can figure out where...Brother Egil!"
The slim figure walking toward them was indeed the priest of the Temple of Knowledge. His expression did not bode well, however - it was a mask of fear and concern. "My friends," he said, stretching out his arms. "It is good that I have found you. Lucius has been kidnapped again! I have no idea where they could have taken him!"
Dru looked over at her partner. "I have an idea."
Di'Fier nodded, and pulled Egil to a narrow side street, just inside the Old City. Bending down, he tugged vigorously on a metal grate.
"Here, let me handle that," said Dru, planting her feet and yanking the grate up with a squeal of protesting metal.
Egil looked from Dru to Di'Fier in confusion. "You think they took him into the sewers?" Both guardsmen nodded, and the young priest's face set into an expression of firm resolve. "I'm coming with you, then. I've got to help rescue Lucius."
He was certainly helpful against those skeletons, Dru thought. "All right, Brother. Let's go."
The trio crawled down into the stinking darkness of the Freeport sewers.
Sewers - Somewhere Under the Merchant's District
"Barred, just like Reed said," Di'Fier observed. "So no undesirables can get into the Merchant's Quarter this way."
Dru was already moving forward, inspecting the iron bars that blocked the passage. Beside the walkway, a thick stream of sludgy water, mixed with things best not thought about, moved sluggishly down the brick tunnels. After a moment longer, Dru reached out and grasped two of the bars, and with a firm jerk, pulled them free! She handed them to a stunned Egil and Di'Fier with a grin, and they saw how the bars had been cut at top and bottom, then carefully put back in place so as to seem undisturbed. "Come on," said the elf. "Let's go. Egil, you take the map. I'll go first. Di'Fier, bring up the rear."
The three moved on, the darkness illuminated only by the mystical blue light shed from the blade of Dru's punch-dagger. Her eyes roved across the muck, and spotted something out of place. Lifting it free with her blade, she saw the tattered remnants of a shirt.
Even in the blue light, she could see Egil turn pale. "That...that is Lucius's shirt. We must hurry!"
Not a hundred yards farther on, Dru raised her hand for a halt. "Look here," she said, gesturing towards a section of wall that looked much like any other section of wall. "Egil, are we at the end of the trail on the map?"
The priest perused the document. "Yes...yes, we seem to be."
"What is it?" asked Di'Fier.
"A secret door," said Dru, her fingers working over the bricks. "And secret doors are made to be opened." A section of the brick wall ground aside - bricks mounted upon an iron door.
Egil clutched the map and peered into the darkness. "Maybe you had better go inside first," he began nervously.
The Watchmen crept slowly into the room. The light of Dru's punchdagger revealed strange piles of rocks, stacked against metal walls. "What kind of place is this?"
A grinding noise behind them heralded the closing of the secret door. "What the-?" Di'Fier began, as Dru sprang towards the door - but it was too late! The door had inexorably closed, and would not open from this side.
From somewhere outside the room came the hiss of steam, and a grinding noise. Rock began to fall from the tops of the piles, skittering down to the iron floor like miniature avalanches. The room began to shake.
Dru and Di'Fier exchanged glances. "I've got a bad feeling about this..."
Stay tuned for "Butchery and Bloodbath" - later tonight!
Last edited:
Thorntangle
First Post
Re: Session Ten, Part Three: Betrayal
So this episode will involve investigating the local meat-handlers and bathhouses? Er, I guess not. Sounds like a lot of fun - keep up the good work Doc.drnuncheon said:
drnuncheon
Explorer
Session Ten, Part Four: Dirty Secrets Underground
Yeah, I know I said "Butchery and Bloodbath", but it took me longer to get to the butchery than I thought. So next time.
Eight of the Clock - A Deathtrap, Somewhere Under the Merchant's District
The trapped guardsmen turned their attention to the walls. "There's got to be another way out!" snapped Dru.
"This wall is hinged," grunted Di'Fier, as he pushed against it. "But I can't budge it...too heavy!" A head-sized chunk of rock rolled down a pile and slammed into his leg, nearly knocking him over. He scrambled away from the wall and over to a tiny window set in the side of the room. "There's someone out there...hey! HEY!"
The room began to tilt, and Di'Fier swung away from the window. "He's in on it. He saw me and kept going."
Dru growled, and in one smooth motion pulled her bow from her back, nocked it, and fired an arrow through the tiny window. It thudded home deep in the man's skull, knocking him over backwards. "Take that," she spat.
Slowly, the room tilted ever upwards, and more and heavier rocks bounced down to smash into the hinged iron wall. It began to swing open, pulled by gravity, and the rocks fell into the grinding teeth below, skittering and spinning until they were sucked between the massive rollers and crushed to powder.
Suddenly, the rocks under Di'Fier's feet gave way, sending the watchman sliding downwards! Dru's hand darted out and latched onto his wrist as he slid past her, but his weight yanked her off balance as well. The elf grabbed desperately at the edge of the window, catching on with her fingertips. Her forgotten bow bounced once off the floor, and then was splintered by the grinding teeth of the rock crusher, revolving scant inches from Di'Fier's boots.
"Can't hold on much longer..." she gritted. "Looks like this is it..." She could feel her grip slipping.
Then, she remembered. "Di'Fier...in my pouch...spider climb potion..." With a mighty effort she pulled him upward. "Grab it!"
The room began to shake, and she could feel the sweat making her grip slick, watching her partner dig for the potion vial...then there it was, in his hand. He flicked the cap free and swallowed it as Dru swung him over to the side of the wall, and then slipped free of the window, barely catching herself on his back. The mage climbed to the top of the box as it shuddered and shook, dislodging the last remnants of rock and pulverizing them...
...and then began slowly to settle back to a horizontal position.
"I don't believe he did that," growled Dru, as the pair worked on the concealed door back into the sewers. "When I get my hands on him..." The clenching and unclenching of her fists left little doubt as to the unspoken end of her sentence.
"He took the map, too," said Di'Fier. "But I'll bet it wasn't the real Brother Egil. It seems like everyone we run into these days hides their identity with magic." The door finally opened under his prying fingers, and he stepped into the sewers and looked around. "I'll bet he went farther on," he said. "There must be another secret door."
"Yeah, or another trap," muttered his companion - but she pulled her punch-dagger, illuminating the tunnel with an azure glow, and moved on down the walkway.
A dozen steps farther on, she slowed, then began to study the wall. "I think there's another door."
"It's a lot better hidden than the last one," Di'Fier observed. "That looks promising..."
Dru grunted her assent as she studied the door. Somewhere was the key top opening it...ahh, there it was. She fitted her slender fingers into the mortarless gap between two bricks and was rewarded with the click of a latch. The door swung noiselessly open onto darkness. Stepping forward, she nearly tumbled down the steep slope behind the door.
"What kind of idiots put a ramp right inside their front door?" she grumbled, descending more carefully. Above her, Di'Fier half-walked, half-slid down the slope, making her inch to the side. Just in case.
The narrow corridor at the foot of the ramp led off into darkness, with open archways intermittently spaced along the walls. The first led only to storage rooms, but the second was a room filled with books and papers.
"I can't read this gibberish," Dru said, tossing the book back on the desk and beginning to rifle through the drawers.
"These books are written in Valossan," said Di'Fier. "Maybe Garto could translate them for us. Hmm...what's this?" He reached out and picked up a slender volume. "The True and Secrette Historie of the Brotherhoode of Free-porte. And it's in Common." He shoved the small book into his pouch and promptly forgot about it - his partner had finished searching the desk and was fondling her throwing knives as she regarded the book-case. "Let's keep going for now," he decided hastily, and they moved off down the corridor, as it curved around in a semicircle.
Unknown to the two watchmen, their progress did not go unnoticed. A jangling of bells, unheard save for one person, marked their passage. The hearer slipped from the bed of pillows she had made for herself, and for a moment her silhouette was visible on the wall - a silhouette clearly not human. But any casual observer would think that such an impression was mistaken, for in moments the shadow had softened, changed, even as the flesh of its caster did the same.
The woman looked down at her naked form and tried to supress a shudder at the things she was forced to do in the service of the Brotherhood. A heavy, jeweled ring glinted in the dim light as she reached out for a garment to cover herself, and she slipped into a set of plain grey robes - the robes of an acolyte of the Temple of Knowledge.
There was a rustle of fabric, a creak of a door, and she was gone. Only a few stray scales left behind in the massed pillows marked that she had ever been present.
The passage curved around and opened into an enormous hall, hewn from the rock under the city - a natural cavern, enlarged to meet the needs of its present occupants. Despite it's size, the cavern was dominated by an enormous squatting statue: the tentacled reptilian horror known as the Unspeakable One - and carved into the stone above it was the all-too-familiar Yellow Sign.
Below, dwarfed by the idol: a black altar of basalt with a figure strapped to it, and another, robed figure pacing back and forth. The robed figure droned a chant as it swung its thurible back and forth, clouds of smoky incense pouring from the metal ball at the end of its chain. Beside the altar stood a brazier filled with glowing coals, and the handle of an unknown implement projecting from it indicated that it was not merely to warm the chill air of the room.
The Guardsmen hunched in the entryway long enough to take in the scene - until Dru recognized the figure on the altar. "Egil!" she gasped, and in one motion she was charging across the room at top speed, her rapier ringing as she pulled it forth from its sheath to strike at the acolyte. With a startled squawk, the priest dove out of the way, shouting for help and leaving the thurible to bounce and spin on the cavern floor.
Di'Fier drew his blade with one hand, the other already bent in the mystic pattern that would conjure forces to protect him from harm. He spoke the familiar words of the spell and for a moment was surrounded by a blue shimmer that quickly faded to invisibility. Thus defended, he moved forward into the center of the room. Behind him, he heard the clacking of claws on stone, and whirled to face a pair of the vile serpentmen as they entered from the hallway.
The second time, Dru did not miss - her blade found the acolyte's heart. But it was too late - the alarm had been raised. Moving to Egil's side, she pulled a potion from her pouch and poured it down the unconscious priest's throat, then began sawing at his bonds.
Meanwhile, Di'Fier was holding off the serpentmen - but more were emerging from the tunnel. A second of the creatures crashed to the floor beside the first, but two had already gotten past him and charged towards his partner and Brother Egil.
Dru shoved the battered priest out of the way, but for her trouble one of the spears found a home in her side. The blood only seemed to make her angrier, and her arm thrust forward, sending steel six inches through the ophidian warrior's skull and out the other side. The other serpentman raised his spear to strike as Dru struggled to free her blade - but it suddenly staggered. The hiss of pain blended with the hiss of burning flesh: Egil had delivered a two-handed blow with a red-hot branding iron!
Di'Fier moved forward to hold the doorway as another pair of the creatures entered. "How many of them are there?" he wondered to himself as his heavy blade knocked aside their spear-thrusts. His riposte staggered the creature, and it managed one last feeble thrust at him before it expired. Its partner had already gone to the aid of the serpentman attacking Dru and Egil. Seeing no more appearing, Di'Fier followed.
Dru had leapt upon the altar, her blade a shining arc of steel as she parried the creature's thrusts. Egil's weakened state made his mighty swings with the branding iron go wide. But Di'Fier's charge from behind turned the tide, and the two remaining serpentmen were quickly dealt with. The stone statue of the Unspeakable One stared impassively down at the carnage.
Half Past Eight of the Clock - Temple District
In the city above, wheels were set in motion and plans advanced. But Brother Harmon, acolyte of the Temple of Knowledge, knew none of this. He was returning from an errand, hurrying, because the sun had already sunk below the horizon, and the brother firmly believed that the streets of Freeport were not safe after dark.
In this, the brother was perfectly correct.
A pair of shadows detached themselves from a nearby doorway, and moved to flank the unsuspecting priest. Before he could even cry out, a hand was fastened over his mouth, and the luckless acolyte was half-dragged, half carried into the shelter of a nearby alley.
Moments later, Brother Harmon emerged. His robe and tunic were askew, torn and bloody. He looked pale and disheveled. As he hurried towards the temple, one hand slipped inside the robe to caress the knife hidden there.
The scene repeated itself, all across the city.
Meanwhile, Dru and Di'fier had searched the blood-splattered temple. Di'Fier studied the paper he had found with a frown. Dru returned from her inspection of the statue to look at it. "What is it?"
"I'm not sure," the young mage replied. "It's in Valossan - or most of it is."
"Most of it?"
Di'Fier extended a finger. In more than one place on the page, words - or rather names - were written in the Common tongue: Verlaine...Drusillia Naïlo...and "Di'Fier". "I'm not sure what it says, but it can't be good."
"Well, come and have a look at this. There's a back entrance to this place." Dru led the others behind the statue, where a ramp twin to the one they had descended lead upward. "I think we should find out where this leads," she said. Di'Fier and Egil nodded their agreement.
As her partner struggled up the slope, Dru remained behind to help the battered Brother Egil with the climb. She extended a hand to the priest. "Come on, I've got you." Grasping his hand, she moved to pull him up, but even as she did, her foot slipped. Egil, his support suddenly removed, tumbled back down the ramp into the temple. "Egil!" she cried, running headlong down the ramp.
The priest lay in a moaning ball at the bottom. Dru fumbled another vial of healing elixir from her pouch and poured it into his mouth. As she watched, the scrapes and contusions he had suffered vanished, and the priest sat up. "Come on," she said again, but Egil held upa hand to forestall her.
"Thank you, I think I will climb on my own." On hands and knees, he made slow, laborious progress up the ramp.
Di'Fier waited at the top. "We're in some kind of wine cellar," he reported. "Again. There's more of those Bierce Vintner crates that the serpentmen had, but they're all empty." He paused a moment, then took a deep breath. "I think this is Verlaine's house."
Dru shrugged. "Wouldn't surprise me at all. Shall we check it out?"
Di'Fier nodded. "There's a stairway at the far end of the room. I haven't checked it out yet."
As quietly as possible, the trio crept up the stairs. Verlaine's home was well-appointed - lavishly so - but there was one thing missing.
"Where is everybody?" asked Di'Fier. "No servants, no guards...I don't like this."
Dru frowned. "He's left his dinner uneaten," she said, looking into the dining room. "I really don't like this. Let's check out the second floor."
Again, the trio crept up the wooden stairs, passing by paintings of merchant freighters owned by the councillor. As their heads reached the level of the floor above, Dru looked to her left - and froze.
Three doors opened off of the upstairs hall. From underneath one of them oozed a slowly spreading pool of red. A coppery tang permeated the air - a smell all too familiar to both watchmen...the smell of blood.
What fate has befallen Councillor Verlaine? What sinister plots were set in motion when the Watchmen discovered the serpent temple? Who yet lurks in the shadows ready to betray the Temple of Knowledge? Find out in our next episode: "Butchery and Bloodbath (for real this time)"!
Yeah, I know I said "Butchery and Bloodbath", but it took me longer to get to the butchery than I thought. So next time.
Eight of the Clock - A Deathtrap, Somewhere Under the Merchant's District
The trapped guardsmen turned their attention to the walls. "There's got to be another way out!" snapped Dru.
"This wall is hinged," grunted Di'Fier, as he pushed against it. "But I can't budge it...too heavy!" A head-sized chunk of rock rolled down a pile and slammed into his leg, nearly knocking him over. He scrambled away from the wall and over to a tiny window set in the side of the room. "There's someone out there...hey! HEY!"
The room began to tilt, and Di'Fier swung away from the window. "He's in on it. He saw me and kept going."
Dru growled, and in one smooth motion pulled her bow from her back, nocked it, and fired an arrow through the tiny window. It thudded home deep in the man's skull, knocking him over backwards. "Take that," she spat.
Slowly, the room tilted ever upwards, and more and heavier rocks bounced down to smash into the hinged iron wall. It began to swing open, pulled by gravity, and the rocks fell into the grinding teeth below, skittering and spinning until they were sucked between the massive rollers and crushed to powder.
Suddenly, the rocks under Di'Fier's feet gave way, sending the watchman sliding downwards! Dru's hand darted out and latched onto his wrist as he slid past her, but his weight yanked her off balance as well. The elf grabbed desperately at the edge of the window, catching on with her fingertips. Her forgotten bow bounced once off the floor, and then was splintered by the grinding teeth of the rock crusher, revolving scant inches from Di'Fier's boots.
"Can't hold on much longer..." she gritted. "Looks like this is it..." She could feel her grip slipping.
Then, she remembered. "Di'Fier...in my pouch...spider climb potion..." With a mighty effort she pulled him upward. "Grab it!"
The room began to shake, and she could feel the sweat making her grip slick, watching her partner dig for the potion vial...then there it was, in his hand. He flicked the cap free and swallowed it as Dru swung him over to the side of the wall, and then slipped free of the window, barely catching herself on his back. The mage climbed to the top of the box as it shuddered and shook, dislodging the last remnants of rock and pulverizing them...
...and then began slowly to settle back to a horizontal position.
"I don't believe he did that," growled Dru, as the pair worked on the concealed door back into the sewers. "When I get my hands on him..." The clenching and unclenching of her fists left little doubt as to the unspoken end of her sentence.
"He took the map, too," said Di'Fier. "But I'll bet it wasn't the real Brother Egil. It seems like everyone we run into these days hides their identity with magic." The door finally opened under his prying fingers, and he stepped into the sewers and looked around. "I'll bet he went farther on," he said. "There must be another secret door."
"Yeah, or another trap," muttered his companion - but she pulled her punch-dagger, illuminating the tunnel with an azure glow, and moved on down the walkway.
A dozen steps farther on, she slowed, then began to study the wall. "I think there's another door."
"It's a lot better hidden than the last one," Di'Fier observed. "That looks promising..."
Dru grunted her assent as she studied the door. Somewhere was the key top opening it...ahh, there it was. She fitted her slender fingers into the mortarless gap between two bricks and was rewarded with the click of a latch. The door swung noiselessly open onto darkness. Stepping forward, she nearly tumbled down the steep slope behind the door.
"What kind of idiots put a ramp right inside their front door?" she grumbled, descending more carefully. Above her, Di'Fier half-walked, half-slid down the slope, making her inch to the side. Just in case.
The narrow corridor at the foot of the ramp led off into darkness, with open archways intermittently spaced along the walls. The first led only to storage rooms, but the second was a room filled with books and papers.
"I can't read this gibberish," Dru said, tossing the book back on the desk and beginning to rifle through the drawers.
"These books are written in Valossan," said Di'Fier. "Maybe Garto could translate them for us. Hmm...what's this?" He reached out and picked up a slender volume. "The True and Secrette Historie of the Brotherhoode of Free-porte. And it's in Common." He shoved the small book into his pouch and promptly forgot about it - his partner had finished searching the desk and was fondling her throwing knives as she regarded the book-case. "Let's keep going for now," he decided hastily, and they moved off down the corridor, as it curved around in a semicircle.
Unknown to the two watchmen, their progress did not go unnoticed. A jangling of bells, unheard save for one person, marked their passage. The hearer slipped from the bed of pillows she had made for herself, and for a moment her silhouette was visible on the wall - a silhouette clearly not human. But any casual observer would think that such an impression was mistaken, for in moments the shadow had softened, changed, even as the flesh of its caster did the same.
The woman looked down at her naked form and tried to supress a shudder at the things she was forced to do in the service of the Brotherhood. A heavy, jeweled ring glinted in the dim light as she reached out for a garment to cover herself, and she slipped into a set of plain grey robes - the robes of an acolyte of the Temple of Knowledge.
There was a rustle of fabric, a creak of a door, and she was gone. Only a few stray scales left behind in the massed pillows marked that she had ever been present.
The passage curved around and opened into an enormous hall, hewn from the rock under the city - a natural cavern, enlarged to meet the needs of its present occupants. Despite it's size, the cavern was dominated by an enormous squatting statue: the tentacled reptilian horror known as the Unspeakable One - and carved into the stone above it was the all-too-familiar Yellow Sign.
Below, dwarfed by the idol: a black altar of basalt with a figure strapped to it, and another, robed figure pacing back and forth. The robed figure droned a chant as it swung its thurible back and forth, clouds of smoky incense pouring from the metal ball at the end of its chain. Beside the altar stood a brazier filled with glowing coals, and the handle of an unknown implement projecting from it indicated that it was not merely to warm the chill air of the room.
The Guardsmen hunched in the entryway long enough to take in the scene - until Dru recognized the figure on the altar. "Egil!" she gasped, and in one motion she was charging across the room at top speed, her rapier ringing as she pulled it forth from its sheath to strike at the acolyte. With a startled squawk, the priest dove out of the way, shouting for help and leaving the thurible to bounce and spin on the cavern floor.
Di'Fier drew his blade with one hand, the other already bent in the mystic pattern that would conjure forces to protect him from harm. He spoke the familiar words of the spell and for a moment was surrounded by a blue shimmer that quickly faded to invisibility. Thus defended, he moved forward into the center of the room. Behind him, he heard the clacking of claws on stone, and whirled to face a pair of the vile serpentmen as they entered from the hallway.
The second time, Dru did not miss - her blade found the acolyte's heart. But it was too late - the alarm had been raised. Moving to Egil's side, she pulled a potion from her pouch and poured it down the unconscious priest's throat, then began sawing at his bonds.
Meanwhile, Di'Fier was holding off the serpentmen - but more were emerging from the tunnel. A second of the creatures crashed to the floor beside the first, but two had already gotten past him and charged towards his partner and Brother Egil.
Dru shoved the battered priest out of the way, but for her trouble one of the spears found a home in her side. The blood only seemed to make her angrier, and her arm thrust forward, sending steel six inches through the ophidian warrior's skull and out the other side. The other serpentman raised his spear to strike as Dru struggled to free her blade - but it suddenly staggered. The hiss of pain blended with the hiss of burning flesh: Egil had delivered a two-handed blow with a red-hot branding iron!
Di'Fier moved forward to hold the doorway as another pair of the creatures entered. "How many of them are there?" he wondered to himself as his heavy blade knocked aside their spear-thrusts. His riposte staggered the creature, and it managed one last feeble thrust at him before it expired. Its partner had already gone to the aid of the serpentman attacking Dru and Egil. Seeing no more appearing, Di'Fier followed.
Dru had leapt upon the altar, her blade a shining arc of steel as she parried the creature's thrusts. Egil's weakened state made his mighty swings with the branding iron go wide. But Di'Fier's charge from behind turned the tide, and the two remaining serpentmen were quickly dealt with. The stone statue of the Unspeakable One stared impassively down at the carnage.
Half Past Eight of the Clock - Temple District
In the city above, wheels were set in motion and plans advanced. But Brother Harmon, acolyte of the Temple of Knowledge, knew none of this. He was returning from an errand, hurrying, because the sun had already sunk below the horizon, and the brother firmly believed that the streets of Freeport were not safe after dark.
In this, the brother was perfectly correct.
A pair of shadows detached themselves from a nearby doorway, and moved to flank the unsuspecting priest. Before he could even cry out, a hand was fastened over his mouth, and the luckless acolyte was half-dragged, half carried into the shelter of a nearby alley.
Moments later, Brother Harmon emerged. His robe and tunic were askew, torn and bloody. He looked pale and disheveled. As he hurried towards the temple, one hand slipped inside the robe to caress the knife hidden there.
The scene repeated itself, all across the city.
Meanwhile, Dru and Di'fier had searched the blood-splattered temple. Di'Fier studied the paper he had found with a frown. Dru returned from her inspection of the statue to look at it. "What is it?"
"I'm not sure," the young mage replied. "It's in Valossan - or most of it is."
"Most of it?"
Di'Fier extended a finger. In more than one place on the page, words - or rather names - were written in the Common tongue: Verlaine...Drusillia Naïlo...and "Di'Fier". "I'm not sure what it says, but it can't be good."
"Well, come and have a look at this. There's a back entrance to this place." Dru led the others behind the statue, where a ramp twin to the one they had descended lead upward. "I think we should find out where this leads," she said. Di'Fier and Egil nodded their agreement.
As her partner struggled up the slope, Dru remained behind to help the battered Brother Egil with the climb. She extended a hand to the priest. "Come on, I've got you." Grasping his hand, she moved to pull him up, but even as she did, her foot slipped. Egil, his support suddenly removed, tumbled back down the ramp into the temple. "Egil!" she cried, running headlong down the ramp.
The priest lay in a moaning ball at the bottom. Dru fumbled another vial of healing elixir from her pouch and poured it into his mouth. As she watched, the scrapes and contusions he had suffered vanished, and the priest sat up. "Come on," she said again, but Egil held upa hand to forestall her.
"Thank you, I think I will climb on my own." On hands and knees, he made slow, laborious progress up the ramp.
Di'Fier waited at the top. "We're in some kind of wine cellar," he reported. "Again. There's more of those Bierce Vintner crates that the serpentmen had, but they're all empty." He paused a moment, then took a deep breath. "I think this is Verlaine's house."
Dru shrugged. "Wouldn't surprise me at all. Shall we check it out?"
Di'Fier nodded. "There's a stairway at the far end of the room. I haven't checked it out yet."
As quietly as possible, the trio crept up the stairs. Verlaine's home was well-appointed - lavishly so - but there was one thing missing.
"Where is everybody?" asked Di'Fier. "No servants, no guards...I don't like this."
Dru frowned. "He's left his dinner uneaten," she said, looking into the dining room. "I really don't like this. Let's check out the second floor."
Again, the trio crept up the wooden stairs, passing by paintings of merchant freighters owned by the councillor. As their heads reached the level of the floor above, Dru looked to her left - and froze.
Three doors opened off of the upstairs hall. From underneath one of them oozed a slowly spreading pool of red. A coppery tang permeated the air - a smell all too familiar to both watchmen...the smell of blood.
What fate has befallen Councillor Verlaine? What sinister plots were set in motion when the Watchmen discovered the serpent temple? Who yet lurks in the shadows ready to betray the Temple of Knowledge? Find out in our next episode: "Butchery and Bloodbath (for real this time)"!
Last edited:
drnuncheon
Explorer
Base slander by Freeport creator!
Excerpted from the Chris Pramas chat:
Question for Chris: What is the strangest thing you've seen happen in a Freeport-based adventure?
Oh, one player thought he could solve a problem by reporting it to the authorities! That was pretty funny. Freeport isn't that kind of town.
Harrumph. Clearly Mr. Pramas is not aware of the sterling efforts of the Freeport City Watch, whose vigilance and stern, watchful eyes have prevented innumerable dastardly crimes from occurring in the Rusty Lantern tavern, countless doorways, and all manner of other places where one can grab a quick smoke out of the wind and rain.
And then there's Dru and Di'Fier...
J
Excerpted from the Chris Pramas chat:
Question for Chris: What is the strangest thing you've seen happen in a Freeport-based adventure?
Oh, one player thought he could solve a problem by reporting it to the authorities! That was pretty funny. Freeport isn't that kind of town.
Harrumph. Clearly Mr. Pramas is not aware of the sterling efforts of the Freeport City Watch, whose vigilance and stern, watchful eyes have prevented innumerable dastardly crimes from occurring in the Rusty Lantern tavern, countless doorways, and all manner of other places where one can grab a quick smoke out of the wind and rain.
And then there's Dru and Di'Fier...
J
drnuncheon
Explorer
Re: Base slander by Freeport creator!
Actually, I'm a reasonably frequent poster over on the GR boards as well...so he's probably seen my incessant advertisements there. Whether he's read the SH or not...anyway, we just started a rather altered version of his free "Holiday in the Sun" adventure.
Hello to anyone from GR who's reading. Still waiting to see the Freeport HB at my FLGS.
Anyway, it's back to the land of short serial-style updates for a while - not because of any pressure on my part, just because I want to see how it goes. I'll be experimenting with some other stuff in the coming weeks as well, including trying to get some more writeups from the actual players. Stay tuned...
J
Horacio said:
ROFLOL!!!
That was funny!!!!
Really, you should mail him and point him to this Story Hour
Actually, I'm a reasonably frequent poster over on the GR boards as well...so he's probably seen my incessant advertisements there.
Whether he's read the SH or not...anyway, we just started a rather altered version of his free "Holiday in the Sun" adventure. Hello to anyone from GR who's reading. Still waiting to see the Freeport HB at my FLGS.
Anyway, it's back to the land of short serial-style updates for a while - not because of any pressure on my part, just because I want to see how it goes. I'll be experimenting with some other stuff in the coming weeks as well, including trying to get some more writeups from the actual players. Stay tuned...
J
- Status
