IC [DW] From the Outside

Isida Kep'Tukari

Adventurer
Supporter
"Hiding something or not, shall you spill his blood to get him to spill his secrets?" Hawthorne says, stepping into Slice's line of sight. "Paint the grass red, and you still won't satisfy your anger. Whence it comes from, Slice? You have passion enough for three men." She steps forward, just out of his grip and raises her hands, spreading her fingers in the climbing wave blessing of Ushane. "Ushane blesses those whose passion leads them to passionate love. Do you seek to fight him purely out of anger? I rather think his reticence has plucked at deeper wounds, as I only see your passion in those who have lost loves, through distance, misunderstanding, time, or being on the wrong side of the veil." Her voice drops its sing-song intonation as she adds, "Khirynnax is not your enemy. We are all on a ship in an unknown sea."
 

log in or register to remove this ad

Binder Fred

3 rings to bind them all!
"Hiding something or not, shall you spill his blood to get him to spill his secrets?" Hawthorne says, stepping into Slice's line of sight. "Paint the grass red, and you still won't satisfy your anger. Whence it comes from, Slice? You have passion enough for three men."
"She spoke again," grunted the hulking merc, frowning her way. He turned his head towards the cropped haired and bearded rogue: "YOU talk to her, Trick," he said dismissively. Didn't have the energy to spare.

Instead he turned back (roughly) in the direction of Hengistad and his jaw-

But Hawthorne was far from done.

She steps forward, just out of his grip and raises her hands, spreading her fingers in the climbing wave blessing of Ushane. "Ushane blesses those whose passion leads them to passionate love. Do you seek to fight him purely out of anger? I rather think his reticence has plucked at deeper wounds, as I only see your passion in those who have lost loves, through distance, misunderstanding, time, or being on the wrong side of the veil." Her voice drops its sing-song intonation as she adds, "Khirynnax is not your enemy. We are all on a ship in an unknown sea."
The big man glanced down at her from his height, not bothering to turn but at least addressing her directly this time: "Like Notch said: 'the gods have not been kind to any of us'." Some of that 'passion' she mentioned flared up at the back of his pale blue eyes when he added, jaw tight: "Gods of hope and love have no power in this world, Silent Girl."

Parts of him kind of resented having to point that out, actually: as if it wasn't obvious!

(But the way she talked... It sounded, familiar...

He shook the bothersome thing away again, CERTAIN that he'd never heard that voice before.)
 

GlassEye

Adventurer
If brushing past Slice provokes attack on Trickle then so be it. Trickle turns back and his eyes are flinty: "Don't break what you can't fix, friend." It's clear he's talking about much more than just his skin and bones. "I heard what the elf said; better than you, I think. I hear what the... Hawthorne is saying, too."

Trickle turns his attention to Hawthorne. "Can't talk sense to an angry bull, priestess. Best save it for camp tonight. I'm interested in what story you got to tell; just I'm not in the mood right now."

[sblock=OOC]I propose we advance the scene to the evening camp. I'm not really interested in continuing this scene in this fashion.[/sblock][sblock=Sheets][sblock=Trickle][section]
Trickle
Human Thief (level 1; 0 xp)
Shifty Eyes, Cropped Hair, Fancy Clothes, Lithe Body

STR 9 DEX 16 (+2) CON 12 INT 15 (+1) WIS 13 (+1) CHA 8 (-1)
Max. hp: 18 Current hp: 18

Alignment: Neutral: Avoid detection or infiltrate a location.

Gear: (Load 6/9) – Base Dmg: d8
Dagger (hand, 1 wt.) and Short sword (close, 1 wt.)
Ragged bow (near, 2 wt.) and bundle of arrows (3 ammo, 1 wt.)
Adventuring gear (1 wt.)
Bloodweed poison (touch, 3 uses): target deals -1d4 damage ongoing until cured

[sblock=Thief Moves]Human: When you spout lore or discern realities about criminal activities take +1

Trap Expert: When you spend a moment to survey a dangerous area, roll+Dex (2d6+2)
10+: hold 3
7-9: hold 1
Spend hold as you walk through area to ask questions:
  • Is there a trap here and if so, what activates it?
  • What does the trap do when activated?
  • What else is hidden here?
Tricks of the Trade: When you pick locks or disable traps, roll+Dex
10+: you do it, no problem
7-9: you do it, but GM offers two options between suspicion, danger, or cost.

Backstab: When you attack a surprised or defenseless enemy with a melee weapon, you can choose to roll your damage or roll+Dex
10+: choose two
7-9: choose one
  • You don’t get into melee with them
  • You deal your damage +1d6
  • You create an advantage, +1 forward to you or an ally acting on it
  • Reduce their armor by 1 until they repair it
Flexible Morals: When someone tries to detect your alignment you can tell them any alignment you like

Poisoner: Bloodweed (touch) is no longer dangerous for you to use. When you have time to gather materials and a safe place to brew you can make three uses of Bloodweed for free.
[/sblock][sblock=Bonds and Backgrounds]
I stole something from Needles.
Slice has my back when something goes wrong.
Artur knows incriminating details about me.

After a year and a day of service the Witching Troll will teach Trickle the secret of Witch's Tears.

In the course of his work Trickle came across a poisoner’s tome (no longer in his possession) that described a potent poison called Witch’s Tears. The poisoner learned the formula for the poison (frustratingly not written down in the book) from a powerful unseelie sorcerer, a troll…
[/sblock]​
[/section][/sblock][sblock=Khirynnax][section]
Khirynnax Skinchanger, AKA Khir
Elven Druid (level 1; 0 xp)
Wild Eyes, Messy Hair, Practical Leathers

STR 15 (+1) DEX 12 CON 13 (+1) INT 9 WIS 16 (+2) CHA 8 (-1)
Max. hp: 19 Current hp: 19

Alignment: Neutral: Eliminate an unnatural menace.

Gear: (Load 3/7) – Base Dmg: d6
Token of the Mire: the Copper Coil, age-blackened armband in shape of snake
Hide armor (1 armor, 1 wt.)
Staff (close, two-handed, 1 wt.)
Poultices and herbs (2 uses, 1 wt.)

[sblock=Druid Moves]
Elf: In addition to any other attunements, the Great Forest is always considered your land.

Born of the Soil: Attuned to the Stinking Mire—when shapeshifting you may take the shape of any animal who might live in your land. Your tell (a crown of ivy) remains no matter what shape you take.

By Nature Sustained: You don’t need to eat or drink. If a move tells you to mark off a ration just ignore it.

Spirit Tongue: The grunts, barks, chirps, and calls of the creatures of the wild are as language to you. You can understand any animal native to your land or akin to one whose essence you have studied.

Shapeshifter: When you call upon the spirits to change your shape, roll+WIS.
10+ hold 3
7-9 hold 2
On a miss hold 1 in addition to whatever the GM says.
You may take on the physical form of any species whose essence you have studied or who lives in your land: you and your possessions meld into a perfect copy of the species’ form. You have any innate abilities and weaknesses of the form: claws, wings, gills, breathing water instead of air. You still use your normal stats but some moves may be harder to trigger. The GM will also tell you one or more moves associated with your new form. Spend 1 hold to make that move. Once you are out of hold you return to your natural form. At any time, you may spend all your hold and revert to your natural form.

Studied Essence: When you spend time in contemplation of an animal spirit, you may add its species to those you can assume using shapeshifting.
[/sblock]
[sblock=Bonds and Background]
Trickle smells more like prey than a hunter.
The spirits spoke to me of a great danger that follows Slice.
I have showed Needles a secret rite of the land.
Artur has tasted my blood and I theirs. We are bound by it.

After a year and a day of service the Witching Troll will reveal a secret of the fae's primordial essence.

Khirynnax was an outsider, too fey for the humans, too unseelie for the elves. He didn’t care because he sensed a deeper essence, pure and powerful, that he needed to understand. When a halfling told him there was one who could put him on the path that might lead to his understanding Khirynnax didn’t hesitate. He made his way to the Witching Troll and readily accepted the bargain of service that the troll required as payment.
[/sblock]​
[/section][/sblock][/sblock]
 

Isida Kep'Tukari

Adventurer
Supporter
The big man glanced down at her from his height, not bothering to turn but at least addressing her directly this time: "Like Notch said: 'the gods have not been kind to any of us'." Some of that 'passion' she mentioned flared up at the back of his pale blue eyes when he added, jaw tight: "Gods of hope and love have no power in this world, Silent Girl."

Parts of him kind of resented having to point that out, actually: as if it wasn't obvious!

(But the way she talked... It sounded, familiar...

He shook the bothersome thing away again, CERTAIN that he'd never heard that voice before.)

Hawthorne cocked her head at him. The man looked vaguely familiar, but he had such a scowl on him it was obscuring his entire face. "Love can be hopeful or hopeless, returned or unrequited, the cause of saving a life or ending it. I do not serve an easy Goddess, and she has quite an interesting sense of proportion to entangle me with the Witching Troll's plots. But none of us shall get what we are seeking by coming to blows in the middle of the wild!"
 

Binder Fred

3 rings to bind them all!
Assuming Trickle strides off towards Engistad about then.

"What's his problem?" Slice inquired of their third member.

Needles gave him a silent shrug but didn't otherwise comment, instead going on ahead into his sometimes scouting position, brushing past Trickle on the way:

"The babbling stream?" the cloaked youth whispered to the rogue, gesturing first in that direction, off to the left, and then parallel to it with a gloved and heavily bandaged hand (old bandages on both of them, not from yesterday but instead long-faded into darkish greys). <see note below>

Hawthorne cocked her head at him. The man looked vaguely familiar, but he had such a scowl on him it was obscuring his entire face. "Love can be hopeful or hopeless, returned or unrequited, the cause of saving a life or ending it. I do not serve an easy Goddess, and she has quite an interesting sense of proportion to entangle me with the Witching Troll's plots. But none of us shall get what we are seeking by coming to blows in the middle of the wild!"
At least she wasn't claiming her god was all-powerful or something. That earned her... something.

Slice ungraciously gestured her forward with a grunt, two-fingered, as he himself started walking after Trickle through the woods.

<If she follows:
"And how did you come to serve a Troll?"

He went so far as to pause from warily scanning between the twisted, leafy boles to flash her a warning glance, see if she learned anything from the confrontation just past. (There was... disturbingly steady intelligence in his blue eyes right now, although most might call it plain animal cunning instead. His overly square jaw still hadn't relaxed though; and maybe it never did.)


[sblock=The stream]Doghead: I'm thinking maybe they splashed through it sometimes during their wild night-escape, maybe even tried a bloody stand there that cost them Bulky (their legendary fifth Beatle, don't you know) and a bunch of Eogan's men? Say it's flowing in about the right direction for Hangistead and its banks are rocky enough to simplify travel. (And it would give Isida's PC something to control if we run into any problems today :cool:).

If Trickle agrees and they can find it again, that is...[/sblock]
 
Last edited:

Isida Kep'Tukari

Adventurer
Supporter
Slice said:
"And how did you come to serve a Troll?"

"I was traveling back from helping a young noble find his way to his true love's arms, where upon a stream appeared in my path that had not been there before. For a brief moment, it was no stream at all, but the shore... I could taste the salt, and I could hear the waves. I turned aside to follow the shore, and realized I had ducked into a grove as dark and dangerous men went pounding down the path. I would have been trampled, or perhaps worse, for they had the look of those who cared not for love. And the author of this vision was not Ushane, but the Witching Troll. She had lured me into safety, and offered me a great boon should I serve her. She, at least, held some honesty in her stones. And between one sparkle of twilight and the next, I am here, amongst the cantankerous and the inexplicable." At the last she bows, taking some of the sting from her words.
 

Binder Fred

3 rings to bind them all!
"Urm." If there were insults in there, then they'd sailed right through Slice without a ripple. Besides, he had his own: "It's your own fault, Silent Girl, a woman travelling alone... And going around talking about 'love' to men away from home, no doubt." Her lack of curves (and womanly hair!) had probably helped a lot but still, she WAS probably protected by something...

He wasn't really in the mood right now anyways.

"Those men. Dark blue armbands, white cormorant rising?" (*)


* = Earl Tahnurson's coat of arms. Doghead will correct me eventually, I'm sure.
 

Isida Kep'Tukari

Adventurer
Supporter
"Urm." If there were insults in there, then they'd sailed right through Slice without a ripple. Besides, he had his own: "It's your own fault, Silent Girl, a woman travelling alone... And going around talking about 'love' to men away from home, no doubt." Her lack of curves (and womanly hair!) had probably helped a lot but still, she WAS probably protected by something...

He wasn't really in the mood right now anyways.

"Those men. Dark blue armbands, white cormorant rising?" (*)


* = Earl Tahnurson's coat of arms. Doghead will correct me eventually, I'm sure.

"I go where Ushane's high priestess tells me, and I was counseling a young man who desired my advice. Hardly a whimsical gallivanting into hostile territory, Grumpy One. Do I control the road and all those who travel upon it? Surely not, and Ushane's faithful are not so numerous that we travel in great packs. It is not my fault for being alone, it is the fault of family to have given those soldiers, who indeed bore a white bird upon their breasts, to think that a woman alone is something to be used. The fault lies with their unkindness, not with my solitary travel." She points her staff at Slice. "The same applies to you. My existence is no cause for your unkindness. And your hard heart, a challenge for me to persuade, but not to force."

Hawthorne grounds her staff and bows.
 

Binder Fred

3 rings to bind them all!
"Hm?" Slice's attention drifted back from the woods for that last part.

"So you've got no friends... And no family who cares a damn about you," 'translated' the big man with what looked like a bitter taste in his mouth. (Or it might have been a desire to spit.)

Maybe she'd fit right in after all...

But enough of that: "When was this?" he carefully asked instead, referring to the incident. And there was a feeling of gathering... 'passion', somewhere at the back of him...
 

Isida Kep'Tukari

Adventurer
Supporter
"Hm?" Slice's attention drifted back from the woods for that last part.

"So you've got no friends... And no family who cares a damn about you," 'translated' the big man with what looked like a bitter taste in his mouth. (Or it might have been a desire to spit.)

Maybe she'd fit right in after all...

But enough of that: "When was this?" he carefully asked instead, referring to the incident. And there was a feeling of gathering... 'passion', somewhere at the back of him...

"I have family by blood who loves me very much, though they wait for me on the other side. My family by faith also loves me, though we share the words of love across the lands with many. And I have many friends." She smiles at Slice, oddly winsome in such a thin and exposed face. "You are one; though you are short of temper, you are also compassionate enough to leave me to speak, which is more than I can say for those who would have ridden me down. And that was not more than a day before the Witching Troll placed me here."
 

Remove ads

Top