(Casual D&D III) The Man in Black

[dpdx]

Fendric looks askance at the odd ceremony, instinctively reaching an arm out [as if Hiritus were riding shotgun] to halt Hiritus' progress inside. "Should I beseech our God to detect Taint, I wonder... Oh, yes, you can see it plainly, I keep forgetting. Is what they're doing... evil?"

Waiting a while for Hiritus' answer, regardless of what it is, Fendric quickly looks around for a Head Cleric's chambers, or a donation pot. Finding either, he will gift the Temple with 20 gold. Turning his attention back to the ceremony afterwards, he will wait for Hiritus to answer before deciding to act.

 

[Sparky]

Oliver sits quietly while this Kester fills their heads with his arcane and oblique ramblings. I knew a man like you once. He nods at the memory. He ended up with a dagger in the base of his skull. As the conversation winds down Oliver is no more or less convinced of Kester's trustworthiness. He nods at Raven's request, moving to flank the man should he accompany them, though he well suspects the man does not want to be seen by any of his certainly legion enemies. Oliver snorts at his inner dialogue, amused, and sniffs his runny nose loudly.

He retreats from the room memorizing the man's face, scrutinizing it, trying to pierce any disguise the man might have raised to conceal his identity. His focus is searing, rolling off him like the waves of a magic spell. An off-putting trick learned in the streets of Hedrogura, perfected in the Arena and ruthlessly wielded in the underbelly of Hedrogura's highest circles.

Hmmm...

He follows the others silently, wrapping his cloak tight around his thin form tightly to help his shivering. He pauses the group to step inside the pungent dim of an Alchemist's store. He returns swiftly with a small paper envelope that he tucks inside his jacket. Eyes red-rimmed he urges the others on gruffly muttering about 'a tree full of owls.'

At Gilter's shop Oliver runs his hands admiringly over the wares displayed. Nodding approvingly, "A fine stock."

Spotting a light, curved blade of exceptional balance and craftsmanship he notes the swirling and mottled bluish metal. He raises his eyebrows seeking permission, "May I?" He smiles as Gilter waves the large-lipped man to fetch the blade. Oliver holds it gingerly, flat across his palms "Where did you come by this?"

*********

The old man chuckles at Shavah's dilemma. He wanders over to inspect the objects of her admiration. In low tones he asks, "How much short is your purse?" When her brows draw together, Oliver doesn't wait to find out if it's her oft seen temper or puzzlement, though his slightly raised hands indicate he expects that it will be the former, "You fight like a wildcat, young woman. Who am I to let a few coins get in the way?"

 

[Guilt Puppy]

Gilter's shop:

Gilter grins as Oliver admires the dagger.

"Most of what you see is made in my workshop, just east of town -- tax reasons. What I take in on trade, stays in back 'til I get around to fixing it up, or someone ends up buying it anyway..." He gestures toward the splint mail he has laid out, at Shavah's request. "And I usually don't get around to fixing things up."

Shavah, meanwhile, concedes to Nurthk and Aerda's advice, too busy shooting a half-pestered, half-amused yeah-I-caught-that glance at Aerda to get too offended by Oliver's offer.

"Thanks," she says, "but I just remember I need to get a horse, too, and I may need to borrow for that... It'll have to be some animal not to slow down under the weight of all that," she says, gesturing toward the armor.

Meanwhile, on examining Hiritus' coinpurse, Raven finds just a few coins over 280 gold...

The Temple of Pelor:

Hiritus shakes his head. "No, what they're doing isn't evil." He almost grins. "It's a Safecoming."

The parishioners notice your entrance, but don't seem a bit disturbed or offended by it. The speaking priest continues right along with what he's doing... Moving on to a door on your left, you find what should be a door to the Cleric's chambers -- although it is empty inside. Given the size of church, it might be assumed that the man speaking is the one in charge.

 

[dpdx]

The Temple of Pelor:

Hiritus shakes his head. "No, what they're doing isn't evil." He almost grins. "It's a Safecoming."

"For an egg?" Fendric whispers furtively.

"I'll just drop off my tithe, then. Pelor Guard Them in the Light, but I've never seen one for an egg.

Is Eivanrach desperately short of chicken?"

The parishioners notice your entrance, but don't seem a bit disturbed or offended by it. The speaking priest continues right along with what he's doing... Moving on to a door on your left, you find what should be a door to the Cleric's chambers -- although it is empty inside. Given the size of church, it might be assumed that the man speaking is the one in charge.

Fendric opens the door to the chambers. Familiar at once with the stark accoutrements of even a Temple High Priest, Fendric quickly locates the sun-fired ceramic bowl favored by most Temples in this part of the land as a collection plate, and drops his twenty gold inside. Rejoining Hiritus outside the ceremonial area, he stops to respectfully observe the Safecoming for a while longer, before giving up, saying a brief prayer of gratitude to Pelor, and stepping outside.

"He looked... occupied. We shall call on him later, as our time permits it.

So, I don't even know what I need or wish to purchase, short of a horse, tack and some traveling food. If I must eat every day only that which I create through prayer, I think I shall go insane."

Fendric permits himself a brief chuckle at his "humor."

[If you've got a map all laid out, GP, feel free to mention the shops between the Temple and Gilter's, as well as anywhere Hiritus might wish to stop.]

 

[Festy_Dog]

Nurthk chuckles at Aerda's advice for Shavah.

"Another valid point," he says mischeviously.

He slings his backpack from his shoulder and rummages around in search of things not there. He adjusts his long leather coat before taking a more serious approach than he did before, buying riding equipment and supplies. Of note is a length of rope and a grappling hook.

"Better to be prepared, just in case," he reasons as he hands over the coinage for the lot.

 

[Guilt Puppy]

Fendric: "For what it's worth," comments Hiritus, as you head along. "I'd judge a few of the participants in that ceremony evil... But by no means the ceremony itself." He shrugs. "If they choose to abide it, then let that be their choice."

After a short walk you find yourself reunited with the rest of the group, Shavah sporting her new (though less than new-looking) armor, engaged in the necessary haggling with a horse-dealer.

That, and Aerda is showing off the new map he's had a chance to put together during his stay in Eivanrach -- it's a large scale map of the continent, useful to place in context rumors of raiders from Dalmar, but not much else.

(OOC: I love having PCs with ranks in Craft (cartography) -- it gives me a chance to dump maps on you guys, and blame your characters for the shoddy attempts at old-fashioned-looking handwriting, and other gross inadequacies. Hooray!

BTW, those little burrito-looking things are supposed to be icons for the leather-bound letters... Indicating where they're intended to go, although which one is which shouldn't be tough to infer from context. Maybe.

Anyway, a road-laden close-up of the Free Cities should be forthcoming, hopefully ready before you take any roads -- so if you have any requests for that, speak up.)

 

[wings]

Speaking of horses...

Aerda grins, flipping the dagger over his hand before placing it back on the rack he picked it from. He also buys some general adventuring supplies at this store or another before they leave the market area.

When the need for mounts were expressed, he figured now was a good a time as any to call his own steed. He shrugged Astrule off of his shoulder, which instead took roost on a sign post as Aerda moved into the street. Closing his eyes to slits, he summoned magic energies there in the middle of the street, enjoying the side-effect of the commoners moving away in a surprised rush.

His clothing rustles as his hands grip the shapeless air before him, a soft glow building as his whispered incantation echoes off of every surface, forming a string of ominous syllables. The wind picks up slightly, affecting those near him as well before a neigh is heard on the wind, and over the crest of the hill a night-coloured horse appears, with a fine black saddle and all accoutrements. Aerda grins as he climbs up onto the called steed, "Who pays for horses?"

 

[DrZombie]

[sorry guys, work's been total hell, will post later]

 

[dpdx]

"For what it's worth," comments Hiritus, as you head along. "I'd judge a few of the participants in that ceremony evil... But by no means the ceremony itself." He shrugs. "If they choose to abide it, then let that be their choice."

"As long as one of those was not the Head Cleric, May the Light Prove It True." comes Fendric's shuddering response.

"I shall remember that for a good long time, I think. An egg, and a rather large one at that - can you imagine?! I cannot for the life of me begin to think of what should need a Safecoming that comes in a container such as that - perhaps the evil ones you saw were for food upon its emerging!

Pelor Burn My Hair, I can only guess at the incantation: 'O, Radiant Light, Bless and Keep this... Giant Chicken, so that Your Radiance Most Holy may see to it that we are not hungry over the winter. The Hill Giants would not be comfortable on our benches, or they would be here to beseech You, too.'"

As they arrive at the market area, Fendric notices the stables, and heads immediately there. Selecting the healthiest riding horse he can find, Fendric tries to remember how Sunray had been equipped, and attaches the normal extras to his horse purchase (except saddlebags). Upon arriving at Gilter's, the horse is saddled, bridled, packed and tied to a post outside.

"Hiritus, you should go back to there and buy a horse! You are a Knight! It does not suit a man of your stature to travel on foot!"

 

[DrZombie]

Raven looks over the many items for sale. With a neutral face he glances at the bows, picking out a large composite bow, strings it and tests it's pull, chuckling softly when he automatically overpulls it, being used to the massive pull of his own enforced bow. He strings and unstrings the various bows, and finally decides on an unornamented plain composite longbow, wich, despite its plain look, seems to have the best balance. That should do for a beginner.

Arows are next. Knowing he's got one full quiver of hunting-arrows left, he looks for something more "exotic", the sturdy armorpunchers he knows from his military days, one quiver for Hiritus and one for himself. Next is a plain hunting knife to replace tho one he gave to the hillmen, and last but not least the sword Shavah was looking at.
"Now, are we going to haggle for an hour, or considering the fact that we cleared the passes of bandits, giving you extra trading opportunities, and the fact that our good friend the priest got ripped-off bigtime, will you give me, say, an additional discount of 20% just to save you and me the trouble?" He says with a big grin, getting ready for some serious insulting of one-anothers ancestors, greed and thieving prices.

[OOC : GP : I seem to remember having about 200GP left from my starting money, not enough to buy a masterwork greatsword with. Let's just say that after this I've got enough gold left to buy a light riding horse and still have some 30 GP left, if that's OK with you, I'm not much of a bookkeeper. And yes, I presumed Raven was hnting for the group. I've got some survival equipment on my charsheet, you want a list?]