Shackled City Epic: "Vengeance" (story concluded)

[wolff96]

Interesting game, LB. Is that from the series, or is it something you created?

Heh... I'm glad to see at least some of our gang's rivals reappear. Rival adventuring companies are always fun.

 

[Verbatim]

Any chance on getting new stats on the guys before you head out? So we can get all the "crunchy" bits to go along with the story.

 

[Stebie9173]

A pity you probably won't make it to the LOTR exhibition. Still you might want to start building some bonus points in your favo(u)r for when it goes to the Museum of Science in Boston (from 1st August 2004). It's in Singapore as well from February and Sydney after Boston but they might be a bit out of your way...

Since I'm thoroughly in unlurked mode, I'd just like to say I love the Story Hour (and the Travels before it). I know you creative types need all the encouragement you can get!

Enjoy yourself in our Green and Pleasant Land (but watch out for that London traffic!)

 

[Lazybones]

Interesting game, LB. Is that from the series, or is it something you created?

It's from the module. In the upcoming scene (which I will post later today or early tomorrow), I actually used an online random number generator to determine the results.

Heh... I'm glad to see at least some of our gang's rivals reappear. Rival adventuring companies are always fun.

Yeah, I haven't decided precisely how the rivalry will work out, but it will be dramatic. Todd Vanderboren's probably the most unpleasant of the four, as we'll find out shortly. The Stormblades are all described in the Web Supplement for Issue 98, available for free on the Paizo website.

Any chance on getting new stats on the guys before you head out? So we can get all the "crunchy" bits to go along with the story.

The stats are current at ECL5 (I just updated it slightly to reflect Arun's new magical armor). I considered using author/DM's fiat to bump them up to 6th level for "Zenith Trajectory," but ultimately came up with another solution, as we'll see in a few posts.

Since I'm thoroughly in unlurked mode, I'd just like to say I love the Story Hour (and the Travels before it). I know you creative types need all the encouragement you can get!

Thanks, and you're right about authors' fragile egos! One of the reasons I post here (even though I can never publish this story, unless WotC takes it, due to the IP considerations), is because of the positive feedback. I have written 6 1/2 novels and piled up a nice tall pile of rejection slips from publishers and agents, so this is a nice change.

Final post, and holiday cliffhanger, on its way shortly...

 

[Verbatim]

LB,

First off, I started reading this SH which led me to the other, and I want to say great job on everything so far. I'm not a publisher by any stretch of the imagination, but I can't see how they can't tell what a good writer you are...

Secondly, just as a heads up, unless I missed it, Zenna's hat of disguise isn't listed under her equipment. It isn't a complaint, but wanted to let you know. If I did miss it, I apologize.

Have a great vacation, and we look foward to your return for more SH goodness.

 

[Lazybones]

Secondly, just as a heads up, unless I missed it, Zenna's hat of disguise isn't listed under her equipment.

Thanks, fixed that.

* * * * *

Chapter 92

“Oh, I always feel lucky,” Mole said lightly, forcing herself to be at ease. It wasn’t as though the Stormblade was going to try anything here! Her friends hadn’t noticed his arrival yet, but he was definitely alone, at least for the moment. He wore his rapier, and his Stormblade sigil hung askew at a collar that showed stains on the expensive fabric. Vanderboren always had the look of a man who didn’t pay attention to how he appeared, so long as everything was of the finest quality and expense.

“Let us play,” Talia said, taking up her 4-sided die.

The four dice clattered into the velvet circle that was etched into the center of the table, an arena where the little blocks of metal did battle. Each was of a different construction, so each player’s die was clearly distinguishable from the others.

The little pyramids did not have an actual top face, so the numbers were scribed around the base where it landed. In the first toss, Evran and Talia both got a one, while Todd and Mole rolled fours. The two nobles replaced the pyramids for cubes for the second toss.

“I heard that there was some action on Magma Avenue yesterday,” Todd said, as he took up his pyramid die. He scowled as the second toss in a one for Mole, who joined Evran and Talia with the six-sided cube. His own die showed a two.

“Yes, the umber hulk,” Evran said, grinning as his third toss showed another one. He upgraded to the diamond-shaped eight-sider. Todd also rolled a one and upgraded, while the women rolled higher numbers on this cast, no help to them.

“I have heard that the creature’s sudden appearance may have been magical in nature,” Talia said. “The city’s Magical Threats team has been looking into the matter.”

“Well, if we want more information, why don’t we just go to the source?” Todd said. They made another toss, but no ones came up when the dice stopped tumbling. “You and your friends were there, were you not?” he said to Mole.

“Yes, we fought the creature,” Mole said. She watched Todd carefully as they made another toss. Even before Todd’s die settled to the felt cover of the table, a single pip showing on its top face, her suspicion was confirmed; the Stormblade was trying to influence the roll of the die by the way he held and cast it. She recognized the tactic, as she’d been doing something of the sort herself almost by reflex, having played more than a few dice games in her day. Evran and Talia appeared completely oblivious to the tactic, however.

Evran was looking over at Dannel and Arun, an interested look on his face. “You were the ones that battled the creature?” he asked. “I heard it took the head off a guardsman in one bite.”

“We’re just lucky that our brave heroes were there to put a stop to the creature’s rampage,” Todd said, his voice like a slithering snake, the title a mocking slur. “Funny how you four always seem to be right there, whenever something terrible happens in the city.”

“You are holding up the game,” Talia said, hefting her palm with the die inside. Once more Evran scored a one, upgrading to the ten-sided die, while the others got nothing. To Mole’s sharp eyes it looked like Todd was eschewing subtlety and all but dropping the die on the table, trying to get that one.

“I don’t think my friend the paladin found it funny,” Mole said. “He charged into battle with it even though he wasn’t wearing his armor at the time—one doesn’t expect a deadly melee in the midst of a leisurely walk through the city!—and it nearly tore him apart. Luckily he’s not the sort to chatter about when it’s time for action.”

Todd glared, and lifted his die as they prepared for another cast. Mole interrupted them, however, and held up her hand.

“You know, it may be silly of me, but can we use a cup for all four dice? I love the sound that the dice make when they clatter together before the roll, makes me feel lucky.”

The hostility in Todd’s stare deepened, but he didn’t respond; he was smart enough to know that any complaints would only make the implication in Mole’s words worse. Evran and Talia were quick to voice approval for the plan, each stealing a quick glance at Todd as they placed their dice into a leather cup that the young nobleman produced from the storage drawer under the table.

The next cast was a push, with no one rolling a one. They paused for a moment then as a waiter came around to take drink orders. Mole ordered something fruity that Talia recommended, while Evran and Todd’s beverages were of a more basic purpose. The waiter nodded, took their orders and empty cups, and departed silently.

Todd leaned back, tilting his chair back precariously on two legs as he scanned the room. “It seems like the Cusp just doesn’t have the same aura it used to,” he offered. “Used to be, you could expect a certain... refinement when you came here.”

Mole almost had to bite back a laugh. In a way, Vanderboren had an almost refreshing lack of subtlety, she thought. She remembered the way that he and his friends had looked at them in their first encounter, in the Drunken Morkoth, and sobered.

Evran did not restrain himself. “I know exactly what you mean,” he replied, his own gaze fixed squarely on Todd.

“Roll,” the Stormblade said, lunging forward to all but hurl his die into the cup. It was Talia’s turn to shake the cup, and her toss revealed another one for Evran, who upgraded to the twelve-sided die, the last one before the bronze dodecahedron.

“Ah, luck favors me tonight!” the young nobleman chortled. But on the next toss he rolled a three, while Talia’s one allowed her to upgrade to the eight-sider. Now she and Todd were tied with eight sides, while Mole still had six and Evran twelve.

“Speaking of treasure,” Todd said, although they hadn’t been talking about it at all as far as Mole could recall, “did you hear, the Stormblades found a cache in the tunnels under the city? After what happened yesterday with the umber hulk, the Mayor asked us to close an opening to the Underdark that had been found in the tunnels under the city. Seems the place had been used by the slavers connected with those abductions we’d had some trouble with last month. ‘The Malachite Fortress,’ I think they call it. Anyway, closing the tunnel was easy enough, but afterwards we were poking around a bit, and found a hidden cache... gold, silver, jewels... the ill-gotten gains of the slavers.”

Mole felt sick—not another missed treasure! Talia raised an eyebrow and asked, “And what will you and your little crew do with this newfound largess?”

“Oh, you know Annah, and her good heart—she insisted that we make a donation to the orphanage, and to the families of those who had suffered at the hands of Kazmojen and his evil allies. Those poor children... they’ve suffered enough, I think.”

His voice was so thick with false sincerity that the knot in Mole’s stomach threatened to boil over into bile. She refused to let him successfully bait her, however, so she simply said, “Oh, is it my toss?”

The next two rounds came up without any ones. As the cup passed to Todd, he twirled it in his hand and said, “This game grows tiresome. Shall we raise the bet, say, to ten times face value?”

“The rules for this table are clear,” Talia said sternly. “Let us continue the game.”

“Ah, so rare to find individuals of stout heart in these troubled times,” Todd said, shooting the dice onto the table. When they settled, Talia had another one, bringing her up to the ten-sided die. The next toss resulted in a one for Mole, and she swapped out for the eight-sider.

“Blah, this is just like last game,” Ezran complained, as he rolled yet another false roll on his next play, a five. “Get stuck on the twelve-sider...”

“You still have the lead,” Talia said, “and the odds of rolling a one on the twelve are rather longer than on the smaller die.” The elfess’s distinguished façade cracked into a smile, however, when on the next toss she achieved a one, upgrading her to the twelve. Her pleasure was drowned out by Todd, however, who loudly declared, “FINALLY!” as he moved up to the ten-sider. Now Mole was alone in last place, on the eight-sided dice, as the cup passed to her.

“Looks like your luck has deserted you today,” Todd chortled. “Might want to be careful, bad luck tends to come in streaks.”

Mole shot him a venomous look despite herself, and rolled. In fact it seemed as though bad luck had descended upon the table, for the next five tosses were all pushes, with no ones deigning to appear. Evran grew cross as his twelve-sider produced a twelve and three elevens in those five tosses, although the arrival of his drink brightened his spirits somewhat. Mole didn’t see the point of his anger, since any result not a one was the same in the rules of the game, but she supposed she could see the mental effect of rolling a number far from the desired objective.

Todd drained his liquor noisily and belched. “All right, let’s get this game over with,” he said, taking the cup and making his toss. And in fact, his ten-sided die showed a one. Now three players had the twelve, and Mole had the eight.

“What say you to a little side wager?” he said to Mole, leaning over the table until she could smell the alcohol on his breath. “If I go up on the next toss, you’re mine, for a night.”

Evran looked shocked, and even Talia betrayed clear disgust at the suggestion. Mole, however, had gained control of herself, and only wrinkled her nose in disgust.

“I’m tempted to agree, if only that I could demand that you bathe, if I should win. But sadly, I promised my parents that I wouldn’t lay with vermin, so I must decline your bold offer.”

Evran chortled. Talia said, “Let us finish this game. I suddenly find myself quite tired of the present company.” She took up the cup, and rolled. Her die came up with a one, and she took up the bronze twenty-sider. The others placed their dice into the cup, and without bothering to pass the cup to Todd the elf woman went ahead and made the final toss. There were no ones, and Talia’s fifteen marked the settlement of the wager. Mole and Evran counted out fifteen gold, while Todd ungraciously shoved a pile of coins in her direction.

“And now, I think I will adjourn,” Talia said, standing. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Mole. I hope we may resume our acquaintance under better circumstances.”

The Stormblade stood as well. “One final wager,” he said, leaning over the table, leering down at Mole, his voice thick. “If you are not too cowardly to refuse.”

“Well, as long as it doesn’t involve... touching... you,” Mole suggested.

“No, you’ve missed that chance, my little dear, though... who can say, in the future?” He reached down and took up the twenty-sided die. “I propose this. One toss each. High toss wins, winner collects the face value... times one hundred gold.”

Evran started, and a few others who had heard the declaration turned toward the game. Todd sneered down at Mole, as if awaiting her rejection of his offer.

Mole hesitated, genuinely uncertain. She wanted nothing more than to show up the weasely noble brat, but the possible sums involved in this wager were considerable. She could cover the bet, most likely—though she might have to lose her new earrings or necklace if he threw high—but was it worth it, really? She imagined that she could hear Zenna’s voice, berating her for even considering the reckless...

“We accept,” Zenna said, her voice cutting through Mole’s musings. Mole looked up to see all of her friends standing around the gamers at the table, along with about a dozen other nobles. The games at the other tables had come to a temporary halt, as everyone watched to see how this showdown would conclude. Mole thought it was silly, actually—the table with the platinum bars had far larger wagers than this one! But she felt a surge of excitement as she stood atop her chair (she hated all these big folk looming over her) and nodded.

Vanderboren hefted the heavy bronze die. Too late Mole realized that she should have required the dice cup as the nobleman launched the die onto the table with a snap of his wrist. It bounced off the raised edge of the center gamespace, then spun to a stop.

Revealing a seventeen.

Todd Vanderboren smiled, but there was nothing pleasant in it.

“Your roll.”



[Story Note: just FYI, I played out the entire game using an online random number generator (including the final wager, which will be concluded in the next post). I skipped a few inconclusive rounds at the end of the gemsnatcher game where no ones were rolled, but other than that I did not change any of the dice results. I adjudicated the attempts to affect the roll as a Sleight of Hand vs. DC25, with success allowing a reroll of that particular cast. Since Mole had a far greater modifier (+9, including her bluff synergy) than Todd (+5), going to the dice cup may have actually hurt her chances more, but he hit the 20 and rerolled a one on the 5th round, so who’s to say...]

Happy holidays, and see you all in 2004!

 

[Broccli_Head]

Thanks LB for the well wishes and the great story!

Have a great vacation & Happy Holidays!

 

[Lazybones]

I'm back!

* * * * *

Chapter 93

Mole took up the bronze die, which felt unnaturally heavy in her small hand. She looked up at the gathered onlookers, including her friends. Zenna met her gaze and smiled, and nodded, sending the message, Whatever happens, we’re in this together.

Mole cast the die. When it settled to a stop, the crowd let out a cheer. The number showing on the die’s top face was clear.

Twenty.

Todd Vanderboren looked down at the table in disbelief.

“I believe that’s two thousand gold pieces,” Mole said.

The young man looked taken aback for the first time since they’d encountered him. “I... I do not have that much on me...”

“I am sure that the club will be happy to advance the funds, in your name,” came a voice from beyond the circle of onlookers. Everyone turned to see Celeste, the woman who had contacted Dannel yesterday, standing near the main entrance of the chamber. “After all, we all know the Vanderboren name... and that they honor their debts.”

Todd snarled, but there was nothing he could do but agree. A member of the club staff brought Mole a stack of the platinum bars on a tray, twenty of them. He was a bit surprised when Mole bade him bend low, and within a few seconds tucked all of them into her magical haversack. Todd remained only long enough to slash his name onto a receipt provided by the club, then slunk quickly out of the place through the far exit.

“I have to say, I’m quite pleased that I came when I did,” Celeste told them, once the nobles had returned to their activities and the four adventurers had moved to greet their hostess. “That young man has an ill favor about him.” She frowned briefly, looking toward the arch where the nobleman had departed, but quickly shifted her gaze back to the adventurers, a warm smile returning to her face. “Come. You haven’t eaten already? Well then, I am certain you will enjoy the fare offered by the Cusp.”

She led them to one of the side wings of the structure, to a private dining room set off from the main corridor by a short hall and a stout wooden door. At Celeste’s urging the companions sat around the room’s primary feature, an oval table of considerable size that had been carved with various designs of leaves and vines about its perimeter. The chairs were plushly padded and of various sizes to comfortably accommodate all of them, and the table was already set with cutlery and dinnerware that shone brightly with the reflected light of the room’s several glimmering lamps.

“Wow, this is some nice stuff,” Mole commented as she seated herself, holding up a crystal goblet that caught the light and spread a rainbow of colors onto the linen tablecloth.

“Please, enjoy yourselves, and do not hesitate to notify the waitstaff if you require anything,” Celeste said. She waved her hand, and as if summoned magically by her gesture, a quartet of servers in the white and gold livery of the Cusp appeared from a subtle side door, laden with platters of appetizers and chilled bottles of wine.

For a moment the adventurers admired the foodstuffs that were placed before them. Mole sampled the vintage and declared it excellent. Finally, as the servers retreated back through the side door, Zenna turned and asked, “So, Celeste, why have you...”

But the woman was gone, as if the air itself had swallowed her up.

“Perhaps she means to speak to us after we have dined,” Dannel suggested, taking a fair helping of thin breads and cheeses from a nearby platter.

“I hope they intend to have real food after this,” Arun said, dubiously examining a plate containing a variety of sliced fruits.

“It’s called a ‘first course,’ friend dwarf,” Dannel said, deftly spiriting the fruit plate out from under the dwarf’s doubtful gaze. “You should try a few of these, they won’t kill you.”

“I’ll take my chances against umber hulks and giant spiders,” the dwarf muttered under his breath.

But Arun’s fears were misplaced, for the appetizers were only the first in a series of courses that included simmering onion soup accompanied by fat slabs of black bread, a quartet of roast pheasants drowned in spicy mushrooms, a lamb haunch that sizzled in its own juices as it was brought out, a fair dozen selections of vegetables prepared in a variety of ways, and a breaded stuffing fat with chips of fresh bacon and pine nuts. When the plates were finally taken away, Arun leaned back in his chair contentedly, belching loudly.

“You men and your noises,” Mole said chidingly. The gnome had consumed as much as any of her larger companions, and more than a few choice selections had somehow made their way into one of the side pouches of her haversack for later snacking.

“I hope you saved room for desert,” came Celeste’s voice from the far end of the table. They all turned to look at the slender woman—she had returned as silently as she had departed, though there was nothing untoward in her manner. “The caramel custard is superb.”

“We’re really quite stuffed,” Dannel said, “But our curiosity remains unslaked; perhaps you could now tell us why you’ve asked us here?”

“Of course. If you’d come with me, please, I will show you.” She gestured back toward the hallway door. Mole lingered behind, a slightly wistful look on her face.

“Caramel custard?”

 

[wolff96]

Now *that* is a feast.

Welcome back, LB! Hope you had a good time on vacation and got to see some fantastic sights.

And, of course, I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next!

 

[Black Bard]

Welcome back, Lazy!!!
I've been away for some time too, but now I'm back again...

Man, that gemsnatcher game was really something!!!
A "critical" victory for Mole!!!

Your story is marvellous, so keep writing, man!!!