Adventure: Food of the Gods (DM: ryryguy, Judge: renau1g)

[ryryguy]

[sblock=Jynxx]

Jynxx embarks on his tale with his usual public flare. He highlights the details of their first encounter, slightly exaggerating the amount of foes they faced. He uses this interlude to introduce their newfound and somewhat reluctant companion, Krassus. He tells of the betrayal of the man, taking care to not embarrass him by saying too much. Instead he highlights the act of betrayal, making seem as though the man almost sold his soul to an evil god in exchange for nothing.

So do you say he was planning to give away some of the zocalti, and whom he was going to give it to? Or just leave that part vague, like he was actually working with the zocaltiplaca?

(I'll be posting Castofle's response soonish, if I don't get an answer on this I'll assume you did not give those details, but please clarify if you do get the chance. Thanks!)
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[OnlytheStrong]

[sblock=ooc] Jynxx wasn't going to tell that part, simply to spare Krassus any further humiliation. If it comes out he is not going to deny it though. [/sblock]

 

[ryryguy]

[sblock=Krassus]Ooops, I had totally forgotten about Krassus! I imagine he would have wanted to head straight for Fulcrum-isle, but it's too late, so he probably went with the group to the inn. He got a room and went off to sleep right away.

Also assume the mule is stabled here, and the bushel of zocalti is inside with the adventurers. Probably Chaku since it's a bit of a heavy load. [/sblock]

Politely addressing the inkeeper, "Vegetable stew sounds delicious. I would also appreciate a breadroll, if there are any available, and a mug of light ale. A room for the evening is also desirable: my own, if there are enough available."

The inkeeper nods. "There are plenty of rooms, enough for one each if you like. And I will have some meals set out for you when you are ready. May I also say - you are a deva, aren't you? You will be the first of your kind to stay here at my humble inn. It is an honor." He glances over towards Cillani. "Um, yours too, miss, I think... Um, not to be rude, but do you require any special preparations for your room? Regarding, uh... our regular beds are quite flammable, I'm afraid. I can see what else I might do..." He looks a bit flustered.

Papolstaanas doesn't appear to notice that Castofle isn't paying much attention. "B-b-but what are you doing in, in the kitchen? You don't work here, do you?"

Indeed, Castofle doesn't seem to make much of an effort to make sense of the kobold's fractured tale. He continues to look distracted, toying with his knife handle. But at the kobold's final query, he flinches. "Uh - no! This isn't my kitchen, no, and I'm being very rude to the innkeeper to set up in here like this... I know that! It's just that... I heard something very upsetting and cooking can help calm my nerves but..." The chef does not look very calm. He suddenly throws up his hands. "He is here. Here! On the Isle!" He turns back to the counter and begins chopping furiously again.

When Jynxx launches into his tale, Castofle pauses, and after a while, puts the knife down and turns around again. The bard's skillful storytelling and soothing, rich voice gradually pull him out of his anxiety. He expresses concern at the attack on the plantation and the loss of the zocalti... "Glad you got the one bushel at least! And that Krassus is okay! But those poor people from the village..." He appears intrigued, though confused, by the tale of the lich - it's not clear if he quite understands exactly what a lich is.

Jynxx finally comes to the end of his tale...

Jynxx skims through the combats and the trip of the return voyage. "And so, Castofle, we have come to see the man who holds the repuation of the best cook of zocalti in the land. We have sought you out and ask you humbly to return to with us. We have little time before our deadline, and would like for us to leave as soon as possible."

Again, the chef flinches as if slapped. "'Best cook'? Are you taunting me? No, I'm sorry, you probably don't even know - but I'm not the best cook in the land. Not even the best cook on the Isle. He is. Everyone knows it, everyone says it! Balsamae. Balsamae Bellora. He is here! He's gathering ingredients, recipies - I'm sure he's gotten zocalti already, along with everything else I've discovered here, and..." Once again, Castofle is distraught. He glances back towards the cutting board, twitching.

[sblock=Reminder]You've heard that name before: http://www.enworld.org/forum/living...-dm-ryryguy-judge-renau1g-30.html#post5103734
[/sblock]

 

[Mewness]

"But you're a great cook!" Papolstaanas babbles, cheerfully missing the point (and also the fact that he, Papolstaanas, has never tried any of Castofle's food; Castofle might be incapable of boiling an egg, for all he knows). "And you could totally prove it if you found a way to help the--I bet you're better than Balsamae, and he doesn't have any zocalti, either--that's the problem, you see, no one does except this head man, it's mostly been offered to the king back in the Valley of Bone. Because you see we ran into these thugs that were working for Balsamae and they were looking for zocalti as well so we know he doesn't have any. And it was so weird, one of them knew my--! But never mind about that."

[sblock=ooc]Seems as though there's a clear line of negotiation with Balsamae, if we decide to seek him out; assuming Krassus is not an idiot and he is actually trying to get a supply of zocalti, then if we found him we could convince him that the local head-man is the guy who needs to be dealt with.[/sblock]

 

[LadyLaw]

"The pleasure is mine, I assure you," she said to the innkeeper.

After listening to Castofle, she thought maybe all he needed was a little encouragement.

"That man may be a good chef, but perhaps he is too caught up in fame to really care as much about the experience as you are. After all, you had all sorts of questions for me about food on other planes when we first met. No one has ever asked me anything of the sort before. Just think what a challenge it would be to cook for one who no longer breathes. What sorts of things would such a creature find enticing? I think you're just the man to figure it out. And just think of the type of business and fame it could attract for you upon your success. All sorts of beings from distant lands or other planes may begin coming to you."

 

[ryryguy]

"...

Because you see we ran into these thugs that were working for Balsamae and they were looking for zocalti as well so we know he doesn't have any. And it was so weird, one of them knew my--! But never mind about that."

This news just makes Castofle more agitated. He tugs hard on his beard with both hands. "Balsamae was trying to get zocalti? That just confirms it then, he's had some and he must have already figured out some killer recipe... They wouldn't like the straight stuff in the Imperium I'm sure, so he must have found something new for it!"

"That man may be a good chef, but perhaps he is too caught up in fame to really care as much about the experience as you are. After all, you had all sorts of questions for me about food on other planes when we first met. No one has ever asked me anything of the sort before. Just think what a challenge it would be to cook for one who no longer breathes. What sorts of things would such a creature find enticing? I think you're just the man to figure it out. And just think of the type of business and fame it could attract for you upon your success. All sorts of beings from distant lands or other planes may begin coming to you."

The deva's encouragement does seem to calm him down a little bit, or at least get him thinking about other things. "Well... the thing is, Balsamae already has cooked for all sorts of weird beings from other planes and stuff... he's so old, he's probably cooked for a dozen of those lich things already... but... That conversation we had, do you remember I also told you about how we used to talk about the perfect food? And how our teacher mocked us and told us there couldn't be a perfect food? That was him. Balsamae. He was my teacher."

Castofle begins pacing. He is still clearly upset, but a bit of determination is mixed with his anxiety now. "I always hated that. I always wanted to prove him wrong... still do. Make the perfect food that 'melt away on the tongue like a mirage', like he said. Show him something that he's never seen, that would surprise him..."

He stops and looks up with a weak smile. "Well... maybe someday I'll do it. But for tomorrow, okay, I'll try to cook for this lich guy. But I don't know what I'll do. I'll try, but... I'm sorry, it's just so hard for me to think and concentrate right now. So... I know I'm the chef, but did you find anything out about his tastes, what he might like? Or see anything, hear anything about different ways to do zocalti, stuff you might put with it? Damn! I wish I knew what Balsamae is doing with it... not that I'd just copy him, you know. Of course not! But to get the ideas flowing, you know..."

[sblock=ooc]Ok, so there might be some things you could tell Castofle now, there was what you read in the books at the lich's library for one, and you might think of other things. But you get the sense that if you don't provide a little more, Castofle's chance of success is iffy at best, because he will freak out if nothing else. Nothing will boost his confidence better than actual ingredients/recipes for him to try.

You do have a couple of possible leads (I've hinted, but if you're totally lost let me know and I can re-hint. ) Again, you can take pretty much the whole day tomorrow to try to find or to follow leads. As long as you make it back to Newhill by tomorrow evening, you should be able to make your deadline.

Feel free to roleplay more here and possibly discuss what to do next. When ready, we will move on to tomorrow. (Don't forget to level up too!)[/sblock]

 

[Mezegis]

Chaku quietly followed the group on their return to Fulcrum, attempting to think of a way to teach a young insane bard the proper way to treat a man you thought was inferior to you. Alas, he cannot come up with the words before they arrive and the group begins making themselves at home and chatting up Castofle. The large man casually sits at a corner table, thinking about the days events. Before long, the goliath’s eyes begin to droop, and shortly after that, a low rumbling of snoring can be heard.

 

[Mewness]

He stops and looks up with a weak smile. "Well... maybe someday I'll do it. But for tomorrow, okay, I'll try to cook for this lich guy. But I don't know what I'll do. I'll try, but... I'm sorry, it's just so hard for me to think and concentrate right now. So... I know I'm the chef, but did you find anything out about his tastes, what he might like? Or see anything, hear anything about different ways to do zocalti, stuff you might put with it? Damn! I wish I knew what Balsamae is doing with it... not that I'd just copy him, you know. Of course not! But to get the ideas flowing, you know..."

"Umm..." Papolstaanas says, thinking. "Well, there was lots of food put out when we arrived. This flattish sort of bread and lots of fruity spicy sauces and things like that." He tries to describe the spread that Hulgrimi had in his audience chamber as best he can, and how Bwarli combined the stuff when he was eating. "But the head man didn't eat any of it. It didn't seem to interest him. And he didn't like the zocalti he offered us, even though Bwarli said that the cook who made it had come all the way from the Valley of Bone and was really excellent. I don't think he likes food that--that's made the traditional Magari way anymore. He was really interested in other places. He wanted to know what was going on in Daunton, and he wanted Kaeysari to tell him all about the Imperium... He-he really seems to want novelty. Like maybe the food's having a strong association with some new interesting place would be even more important to him than how it tastes? I don't know. And there was some stuff in the library but I can't remember..."

[sblock=ooc]I'm assuming that Papolstaanas didn't do much reading in the library because he's not so bookish, but the stuff we learned from it is here, to save everyone the trouble of chasing it down [/sblock]

 

[Mezegis]

As the barbarian slumbers, his rhythmic snoring is occasionally interrupted by the occasional heavy snort, and a slight shifting of his weight against the wall. However, in dreamland, things are not so passive.

The hunter’s breath came hard and fast as he crouched over the print. He’d been tracking the beast for 2 days time, and he was gaining. Hefting his jagged spear, he leapt across the small stream it had stopped to water itself at, and resumed the hunt. Tree’s and vines lashed out at him, but he barely felt their sting as his legs eat up the distance with ease. As he rounds a copse, a fallen limb blocks the path, but it doesn’t even slow him as he clears it with a single bound. The jungle quiets as he pursues, until even the insects have ceased their buzzing, awaiting the end.

A ruddy splotch of dried blood on a leaf clues him in that his quarry is near, and the hunter slows, eyes and ears straining for a hint of the prey’s location. Ahead, the path widens into a small opening, and the hunter takes to the jungle, an unseen lurker in the morning mist. It lay, wounded near the far end of the clearing, shattered haft of the hunters first spear still imbedded in its flank. The hunter smiles a feral grin as he creeps around, ready to land the final strike. His family would eat well, the beast would feed them for a while, and the skin would provide a measure of protection from the elements.

As the hunter approaches, a feeling washes over him, a feeling of kinship with the beast that lay before him, waiting for the final blow to end its misery. Warily, he scans his surroundings, spear held before him ready to strike. At first, he sees nothing, but then a shadow moves, stalking towards his prize. The hunter shifts his grip, and lets the spear fly into the underbrush, burying it’s tip into the ground as the shadow seemingly melts around the haft. A feral cry of anger breaks the silence of the jungle, and the hunter dashes towards his weapon. The spear whirls in his hand as haft rises to meet claw, and the two begin the dance of death. Spear meets claw and fang, and soon, blood begins to flow as punishment for being struck. Every time the hunter strikes the shadow, it seems to melt away and strike else where. As the battle rages, anger boils, and the hunter begins to waver from his fighting stance.

Again and again the hunter puts all his strength into a killing blow that never lands, and the shadow does not tire. Howling in rage, the hunter brings his spear down hard in an overhead chop, and is greeted with a sound other than that of rushing air, wood cracks and splinters as the tip flies free, but still the hunter fights on, anger now with himself as well as with the shadow that will not die. The hunter could feel himself slowing, the accumulation of wounds taking their toll, and the shadow sensed it too. It came in low and fast before darting around to shred the hamstring of the hunter. One leg out of commission, the hunter quickly fell to his knees, but the shadow was gone. Kneeling there in the middle of the clearing, the hunter cursed his ineptitude and the primal sprits that toyed with him. Across the clearing, the shadow approached the fallen beast, and growled in triumph. His prey taken, and his will defeated, the hunter knelt there as his life-blood flowed from his many wounds, thinking of his life, and his only regret that…

With a loud snort, the goliath wakes, eyes darting in a panic. Slowly, the massive man calms himself as he realizes there are no immediate threats. Rising to his feet, he returns to the group, rubbing sleep from his eyes. We good to go? Bring Castofle to the bald man?

[Sblock=OOC]Not trying to push us along, just a confused Chaku waking up from his nap. A little story to try and symbolize him swapping Bloodhunt for Swift Panther.[/Sblock]

 

[Mewness]

"He's coming with us tomorrow," Papolstaanas replies. "He just needs to know as much about the head man as possible so that he can, he can prepare."

Papolstaanas is thoughtful for a minute, thinking of the island as it appeared to him once in a vision, as he was approaching it for the first time. One island, two transplanted peoples. "M-Maybe this is stupid," he says hesitantly to the others. "But half this island is people from the Valley of Bone and half is people from the Kingdom of Jade, right? And they eat different things where they're from. And some of those things grow here, I guess, because of the magic, but they probably use stuff that's already here as well if it seems, I don't know, close to what they would have at home. S-s-so there must be stuff that the Jade people use that's completely unfamiliar and exotic to the Magari even though it grows right here, either because it's been transplanted from the Kingdom of Jade or else it's native to this island but the Magari would never think to, to use it. Maybe Castofle could make something that combines the traditions... Because the head man likes ex-exotic things from far away, doesn't he? I mean he seems to think he should like traditional Magari things but he really, he doesn't."

[sblock=dream sequence]Nice dream sequence. I've been trying to decide what to do for Papolstaanas. Dream? Training montage? Hmm.[/sblock]