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[Adventure] Serpent's Skull: Souls for Smuggler's Shiv (DM: Mewness; Judge: THB)
- Thread starter Mewness
- Start date
Mewness
First Post
If the dead fellow had a key, it must have washed into the sea; he doesn’t have one now. But a key proves to be unnecessary, as the lock seems to consist more of rust than metal and breaks apart when Takahaan strikes it.
Inside the coffer are two fat ledgers, written by someone named Avret Kinkarian--the very man that Jade suspected of being in cahoots with the one who framed him. The ledgers unfortunately seem to consist of nothing but abbreviated items with dates and figures, and after a brief perusal, you learn only that the contents are indescribably boring. Perhaps they will be of some use to Jade, who may know what to look for.
The coffer contains a few other interesting objects: a nice feather pen, a gold locket on a gold chain, and a carved statuette made out of some sort of black stone with green flecks. It depicts a mammalian creature, but it isn’t very detailed.
Kane, Hú Lí, and Gelik can tell that the pen and the statuette are in some way magical. The locket is not, but it is finely made. The back of the locket is engraved with an unfamiliar name, “Aeshmara.” Inside the locket is a portrait, very detailed for such a small picture, of a beautiful young woman with red hair. From the looks of her, she is also rather wealthy: her hair is arranged in a manner that normally requires both a maid and a considerable investment of time, and she wears an expensive-looking gown.
[sblock=Treasure?]The pen is an Eternal Pen, which is like Eternal Chalk (a level 1 wondrous item), only it’s a quill pen (it stays sharp and never runs out of ink). This item wasn’t intended for anyone in particular, but if someone actually wants to claim it, go ahead.[/sblock]
[sblock=Kane]The little stone figurine intrigues you. You can’t tell what sort of creature it’s meant to be, but you’ve heard of magical figurines that become large animated creatures that must obey the person that activates them.[/sblock]
Inside the coffer are two fat ledgers, written by someone named Avret Kinkarian--the very man that Jade suspected of being in cahoots with the one who framed him. The ledgers unfortunately seem to consist of nothing but abbreviated items with dates and figures, and after a brief perusal, you learn only that the contents are indescribably boring. Perhaps they will be of some use to Jade, who may know what to look for.
The coffer contains a few other interesting objects: a nice feather pen, a gold locket on a gold chain, and a carved statuette made out of some sort of black stone with green flecks. It depicts a mammalian creature, but it isn’t very detailed.
Kane, Hú Lí, and Gelik can tell that the pen and the statuette are in some way magical. The locket is not, but it is finely made. The back of the locket is engraved with an unfamiliar name, “Aeshmara.” Inside the locket is a portrait, very detailed for such a small picture, of a beautiful young woman with red hair. From the looks of her, she is also rather wealthy: her hair is arranged in a manner that normally requires both a maid and a considerable investment of time, and she wears an expensive-looking gown.
[sblock=Treasure?]The pen is an Eternal Pen, which is like Eternal Chalk (a level 1 wondrous item), only it’s a quill pen (it stays sharp and never runs out of ink). This item wasn’t intended for anyone in particular, but if someone actually wants to claim it, go ahead.[/sblock]
[sblock=Kane]The little stone figurine intrigues you. You can’t tell what sort of creature it’s meant to be, but you’ve heard of magical figurines that become large animated creatures that must obey the person that activates them.[/sblock]
jbear
First Post
Kane takes hold of the statuette, his excitement growing.
"I h-have heard of these things. A g-gateway figurine. It opens a d-door to a true c-creature l-linked to it. I w-wonder how it activates."
Quickly losing interest in everything else occuring Kane leaves the dank, musty and oppressive interior of the wreck to examine the figurine in more detail. He sits in a comfortable spot atop a nearby rock, focusing his concentration and reaching towards the magic he feels within the green flecked stone.
"I h-have heard of these things. A g-gateway figurine. It opens a d-door to a true c-creature l-linked to it. I w-wonder how it activates."
Quickly losing interest in everything else occuring Kane leaves the dank, musty and oppressive interior of the wreck to examine the figurine in more detail. He sits in a comfortable spot atop a nearby rock, focusing his concentration and reaching towards the magic he feels within the green flecked stone.
Pentius
First Post
Noriaki searches the ship with the others, his search turning up less interesting clues and more waterlogged debris. Mildly disappointed, he pokes his head into the room where the others have found the coffer. "Found anything?" he asks, coming up behind Takahaan and looking over the big dragonborn's shoulder. Before he can be answered, he reaches out a hand toward the locket, his curiosity sparked.
Mewness
First Post
Noriaki examines the locket, the one personal object in Kinkarian’s coffer. It’s hard to tell much about the woman depicted in the portrait--young and beautiful, certainly, but she could be human or half-elven, noble or simply rich.
Outside the wreck, Kane examines the stone figurine minutely. On its flat bottom, he finds a sigil that he recognizes from his magical education, and speaks its name. In a flash, an odd creature appears before him, its overall aspect like that of a large and fierce wolverine, but with a long, flexible tail, like that of a lemur. Its fur is mostly a light silvery grey, but it has patches of very dark green on its legs. The raccoon-like mask on its face and rings around its tail are the same color. It stands with its tail sticking straight up in the air, staring intently at Kane, perfectly still, because he has not yet commanded it.
[sblock=Kane]Something isn’t right here. Normally, when one uses a magical figurine like this, it vanishes--the conjured creature is the figurine, a sort of magical construct. But the figurine is still in your hand: this creature is no construct, but a living being that has been magically trapped. Its expression seems sad and fatalistic.[/sblock]
Outside the wreck, Kane examines the stone figurine minutely. On its flat bottom, he finds a sigil that he recognizes from his magical education, and speaks its name. In a flash, an odd creature appears before him, its overall aspect like that of a large and fierce wolverine, but with a long, flexible tail, like that of a lemur. Its fur is mostly a light silvery grey, but it has patches of very dark green on its legs. The raccoon-like mask on its face and rings around its tail are the same color. It stands with its tail sticking straight up in the air, staring intently at Kane, perfectly still, because he has not yet commanded it.
[sblock=Kane]Something isn’t right here. Normally, when one uses a magical figurine like this, it vanishes--the conjured creature is the figurine, a sort of magical construct. But the figurine is still in your hand: this creature is no construct, but a living being that has been magically trapped. Its expression seems sad and fatalistic.[/sblock]
jbear
First Post
Kane cocks his head to one side and after a moments consideration he hops down from the rock where he is sat and approaches the rare creature. "C-come" he says softly waiting to see if the creature moves.
"W-what are you my s-sad friend?" He stares at the figurine. "And how d-did you become s-so imp-prisoned?"
Kane's thoughts return to the abondoned camp near the coast and the woman's face lost somewhere between life and death. "You are n-no better than the d-dead woman ... t-trapped. N-not dead. N-not alive. How can I f-free you f-friend? W-what will break your ch-chains?"
"W-what are you my s-sad friend?" He stares at the figurine. "And how d-did you become s-so imp-prisoned?"
Kane's thoughts return to the abondoned camp near the coast and the woman's face lost somewhere between life and death. "You are n-no better than the d-dead woman ... t-trapped. N-not dead. N-not alive. How can I f-free you f-friend? W-what will break your ch-chains?"
Mewness
First Post
Although Kane's words seemed more like a request than a command, the creature moves toward him as one compelled. It stands close enough to be touched, now focusing its gaze on the figurine. It appears to be unable to speak; surely the compulsion would force it to answer Kane's questions if it were able.
[sblock=Kane]You think that destroying the figurine would free it, provided that it was outside the figurine at the time.[/sblock]
[sblock=Kane]You think that destroying the figurine would free it, provided that it was outside the figurine at the time.[/sblock]
jbear
First Post
[sblock=OOC] Hmmm ... I'm thinking that this is Kane's chance to aquire a theme. But I really don't think Kane would be okay with having a real creature enslaved, especially one he senses is sad because of its condition. Kane hates slavery in any form. So at the risk of losing out on the chance to control the creature I'm going to just run with what I think Kane would do as Kane doesn't know that if he keeps the creature he will gain the Feybeast Tamer theme and benefits. And that would mean freeing the creature. Even if it means destoying such a coveted magical item. 
[/sblock]
"I know the m-meaning of f-freedom, s-sad f-friend. Worth m-more than magic t-trinkets. Your s-slavery ends now."
Kane walks slowly to the rock where he sat a moment ago and places the figurine. He looks back at the creature. His longing look turns to guilt. "Damn it!"
His sword flashes in the sun as he brings his blade down upon the back of the figurine with all of his power.
[/sblock]"I know the m-meaning of f-freedom, s-sad f-friend. Worth m-more than magic t-trinkets. Your s-slavery ends now."
Kane walks slowly to the rock where he sat a moment ago and places the figurine. He looks back at the creature. His longing look turns to guilt. "Damn it!"
His sword flashes in the sun as he brings his blade down upon the back of the figurine with all of his power.
Mewness
First Post
As the figurine shatters, the creature flinches in shock. Its tail whips around, puffing out grotesquely, as a cat’s tail does when the animal is threatened, and its mouth twists open to reveal a set of vicious-looking teeth. Then it launches itself at Kane, knocking him to the ground, planting its front claws in his shoulders, snarling in his face.
Kane feels a sharp pain as the claws penetrate his flesh and draw blood, but the creature’s fury quickly subsides. It closes its mouth, meeting Kane’s gaze with an expression of frank curiosity. (It continues to dig its claws into his flesh, perhaps not realizing that it is hurting him.) Then it simply vanishes.
[sblock=OOC]Kane gains an ally in the feywild.
It’s funny that you assumed that keeping the creature enslaved would get you the theme, when I intended precisely the opposite. I would not be so cruel as to force a character to become a slaver in order to acquire a theme. (It actually never occurred to me that Kane might want to keep it in its enslaved state.)[/sblock]
Kane feels a sharp pain as the claws penetrate his flesh and draw blood, but the creature’s fury quickly subsides. It closes its mouth, meeting Kane’s gaze with an expression of frank curiosity. (It continues to dig its claws into his flesh, perhaps not realizing that it is hurting him.) Then it simply vanishes.
[sblock=OOC]Kane gains an ally in the feywild.
It’s funny that you assumed that keeping the creature enslaved would get you the theme, when I intended precisely the opposite. I would not be so cruel as to force a character to become a slaver in order to acquire a theme. (It actually never occurred to me that Kane might want to keep it in its enslaved state.)[/sblock]
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