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Southern Gothic: an Iron Kingdoms Story Hour
- Thread starter ajanders
- Start date
ajanders
Explorer
Sarah
Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Sarah.
Sarah wandered out into the woods one day and saw a bunny in a snare. The rabbit was cute and fuzzy and looked just like her stuffed bunny Mr. Foofles, except the snare was hurting it.
Sarah set to work on getting the bunny out of the snare. She worked until she got an owie on her left thumb. Then she worked until she had an owie on her right thumb. Then she cried, because having an owie in each thumb is quite a lot for a little girl to deal with.
When the pretty lady came out from the tree and kissed each owie, Sarah didn't think twice about it, because kissing an owie is supposed to make it better. And when the pretty lady asked if she wanted to come inside the tree and play for a while, Sarah thought it would be nice to play with her new friend. So she did.
...
Fourteen years later, Sarah stepped out of the dryad's tree, waved goodbye to her fae friend, and set off for home, the bunny hopping along behind her. When she got home, she found her parents had moved away and everything was different. All her friends had grown up and gotten married. The babies were nearly as big as she was. And the minister stormed out of the church and said she was an accursed spawn of the Infernal, evil, and anathema. And he tried to kick her bunny.
She looked him square in the face and said three little words. Then his eyes rolled up in his head and he fell over in a snoring heap. The bunny did a little dance on his stomach while Sarah wrapped up some food in a handkerchief. Then she walked off down the road to Corvis, looking for her parents.
Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Sarah.
Sarah wandered out into the woods one day and saw a bunny in a snare. The rabbit was cute and fuzzy and looked just like her stuffed bunny Mr. Foofles, except the snare was hurting it.
Sarah set to work on getting the bunny out of the snare. She worked until she got an owie on her left thumb. Then she worked until she had an owie on her right thumb. Then she cried, because having an owie in each thumb is quite a lot for a little girl to deal with.
When the pretty lady came out from the tree and kissed each owie, Sarah didn't think twice about it, because kissing an owie is supposed to make it better. And when the pretty lady asked if she wanted to come inside the tree and play for a while, Sarah thought it would be nice to play with her new friend. So she did.
...
Fourteen years later, Sarah stepped out of the dryad's tree, waved goodbye to her fae friend, and set off for home, the bunny hopping along behind her. When she got home, she found her parents had moved away and everything was different. All her friends had grown up and gotten married. The babies were nearly as big as she was. And the minister stormed out of the church and said she was an accursed spawn of the Infernal, evil, and anathema. And he tried to kick her bunny.
She looked him square in the face and said three little words. Then his eyes rolled up in his head and he fell over in a snoring heap. The bunny did a little dance on his stomach while Sarah wrapped up some food in a handkerchief. Then she walked off down the road to Corvis, looking for her parents.
ShawnLStroud
First Post
Fae-ry Tale! Whoohoo!
Nice beginning! I'm loving the fairy tale feel to the story. Keep up the good work and I'll keep logging on to read!
Nice beginning! I'm loving the fairy tale feel to the story. Keep up the good work and I'll keep logging on to read!
Broccli_Head
Explorer
Loved the intro! Maybe I'll be a regular.
ajanders
Explorer
Mr. L Keston, Esq.
We have a diverse bunch of characters here. I was surprised to learn the Kingdom of Llael was apparently like Victorian England in some people's minds. The best way to describe the Iron Kingdoms is possibly not "Arcanum and D&D".
The offices of Humber, Totham, & Gynch, Barristers are paneled in dark oak and hung in elegant velvet. The offices of the partners are on the third floor, where they look out over the city through narrow pointed windows. A thin pale man with bright blue eyes looked absently out one of those windows and listened to Josiah Humber speak.
"...and so you see, Mr. Keston, the general slackness of trade coupled with a specific decrease in our recievables leaves us really no option but to commence a corresponding decrease in our payables."
Keston nodded idly. “Oh, I quite understand. After your secret coal cartel came apart, there’s just not as much growth as we’d expected.”
Humber’s face twitched. Keston continued on, unperturbed. “And now that your bardly friends have stopped singing about the old Reston-Marbury feud, those families have stopped feuding and dueling and dying and requiring their wills to be executed, so that’s got to slacken trade.” Humber’s faced twitched again.
“And then there was that deucedly awkward business with the vanilla beans and the honey and the assassins and that one foul-tempered swordsman who stumbled into the middle of the whole thing. I really must say I don’t envy you having to account for that to old man Gynch. Did you tell him about the decapitations?”
Humber’s face spasmed wildly until he grabbed hold of it, rubbing his jaw in an attempt to appear thoughtful.
“These are very interesting speculations, Mr. Keston. One might ask why someone with your obvious talents as a writer of fiction ever cared to work in a barrister’s office.”
Keston raised his eyebrows. “Mr. Humber, you surprise me. Uncle Monty recommended me as a confidential clerk and recorder for more reasons than my whist game. I had hoped to win a partnership in the firm. As it is, I see I shall have to go out into the cruel streets of Marywyn, selling my wits and experience as best I can to whomever purchases them.”
Humber’s face jerked so wildly he required both hands to smooth it. After a moment, he let go of his head and smiled.
“Mr. Keston, that’s entirely not so! Why on earth would you want to do that?”
“From the way you spoke of decreasing expenses, Mr. Humber, I felt I was about to be decreased.”
Humber stretched his smile wider. “Not at all, Mr. Keston. In fact, I had been about to offer you a species of partnership in the firm.”
Humber stood and stretched his arm out to the map hanging on the wall.
“You’re going to have Morrow’s own opportunity, Mr. Keston. You will be opening our first branch in the great trade city of Corvis!”
Keston blinked. “I’m sorry, Mr. Humber. I almost thought you said ‘Corvis’.”
“Indeed I did!” Humber replied. “It’s quite the largest city on the continent. You’ll do very well there, I think. I only wish I were young enough to go myself. Now, we’ll send you off tomorrow morning down the Black River—“
“I –“
“And we’ll make sure you have enough money to keep yourself in comfort…shall we say fifty goldens a month?”
“Mr. Humber –“
“And of course, Mr. Keston, as a member of the firm, you’d be obliged to maintain confidentiality about all our cases, operations, and clients.”
Keston closed his mouth, then smiled as everything became clear to him.
“That only seems fair, Mr. Humbert.”
“Good. Go home and pack your bags. I’ll send a boy around with the tickets.”
We have a diverse bunch of characters here. I was surprised to learn the Kingdom of Llael was apparently like Victorian England in some people's minds. The best way to describe the Iron Kingdoms is possibly not "Arcanum and D&D".
The offices of Humber, Totham, & Gynch, Barristers are paneled in dark oak and hung in elegant velvet. The offices of the partners are on the third floor, where they look out over the city through narrow pointed windows. A thin pale man with bright blue eyes looked absently out one of those windows and listened to Josiah Humber speak.
"...and so you see, Mr. Keston, the general slackness of trade coupled with a specific decrease in our recievables leaves us really no option but to commence a corresponding decrease in our payables."
Keston nodded idly. “Oh, I quite understand. After your secret coal cartel came apart, there’s just not as much growth as we’d expected.”
Humber’s face twitched. Keston continued on, unperturbed. “And now that your bardly friends have stopped singing about the old Reston-Marbury feud, those families have stopped feuding and dueling and dying and requiring their wills to be executed, so that’s got to slacken trade.” Humber’s faced twitched again.
“And then there was that deucedly awkward business with the vanilla beans and the honey and the assassins and that one foul-tempered swordsman who stumbled into the middle of the whole thing. I really must say I don’t envy you having to account for that to old man Gynch. Did you tell him about the decapitations?”
Humber’s face spasmed wildly until he grabbed hold of it, rubbing his jaw in an attempt to appear thoughtful.
“These are very interesting speculations, Mr. Keston. One might ask why someone with your obvious talents as a writer of fiction ever cared to work in a barrister’s office.”
Keston raised his eyebrows. “Mr. Humber, you surprise me. Uncle Monty recommended me as a confidential clerk and recorder for more reasons than my whist game. I had hoped to win a partnership in the firm. As it is, I see I shall have to go out into the cruel streets of Marywyn, selling my wits and experience as best I can to whomever purchases them.”
Humber’s face jerked so wildly he required both hands to smooth it. After a moment, he let go of his head and smiled.
“Mr. Keston, that’s entirely not so! Why on earth would you want to do that?”
“From the way you spoke of decreasing expenses, Mr. Humber, I felt I was about to be decreased.”
Humber stretched his smile wider. “Not at all, Mr. Keston. In fact, I had been about to offer you a species of partnership in the firm.”
Humber stood and stretched his arm out to the map hanging on the wall.
“You’re going to have Morrow’s own opportunity, Mr. Keston. You will be opening our first branch in the great trade city of Corvis!”
Keston blinked. “I’m sorry, Mr. Humber. I almost thought you said ‘Corvis’.”
“Indeed I did!” Humber replied. “It’s quite the largest city on the continent. You’ll do very well there, I think. I only wish I were young enough to go myself. Now, we’ll send you off tomorrow morning down the Black River—“
“I –“
“And we’ll make sure you have enough money to keep yourself in comfort…shall we say fifty goldens a month?”
“Mr. Humber –“
“And of course, Mr. Keston, as a member of the firm, you’d be obliged to maintain confidentiality about all our cases, operations, and clients.”
Keston closed his mouth, then smiled as everything became clear to him.
“That only seems fair, Mr. Humbert.”
“Good. Go home and pack your bags. I’ll send a boy around with the tickets.”
Broccli_Head
Explorer
Re: Mr. L Keston, Esq.
Great dialouge. I guess you got me hooked and these are just the intro's. I like the steampunk/fantasy feel.
Have you checked out the Monsternomicon for Iron Kingdoms? Great Art and interesting monsters.
ajanders said:
Great dialouge. I guess you got me hooked and these are just the intro's. I like the steampunk/fantasy feel.
Have you checked out the Monsternomicon for Iron Kingdoms? Great Art and interesting monsters.
ajanders
Explorer
I told my players "Write me a good background for your characters and I'll start you as something more then first level." Sarah, for example, actually started as a Druid/Sorceror 1/1. Kenston started with an income. And then along came the Flie brothers: a character with a henchman. I trimmed the levels, but left the relationship mostly intact. I do play Shubert sometimes. but Hiram's player is pretty good about keeping the character up.
Rain dropped on the porch roof as Hiram and Shubert Flie leaned back in their chairs.
For a long time, neither one spoke.
Finally, Shubert broached the uneasy silence.
"Reckon we's out o' whiskey, Hi?"
Hiram hawked and spat off the side of the porch.
"Reckon you made us so, little brother."
"Now don't git all worked up, Hi. Y'all liked it when I did m' firebreathing act."
"If y'all had jest stuck to breathin' fire, I'd a not had a problem, Shue."
"Well that's awful thirsty work, Hi. Y'all should try it some time."
"Might could be I will, iffen we take up lodgin's in a cookstove. Until then, you an' I need to leave the firebreathin' alone."
"Reckon it's a good thing it 'uz rainin' last night, leastways, warn't it, Hi?"
"Praise Morrow fer little blessings n' pass the whiskey, Shue. 'Ceptin' we're out o' whiskey."
"I said I was sorry, Hi!"
"So'm I, Shue. So'm I."
They sat and looked at each other silently for a long while. Finally, Hiram stood up.
"Reckon this problem ain't gonna git solved less'n we go find some payin' work. You with me, Shue?"
"Sure am, big brother. Reckon there's a caravan hiring in town?"
"Sure hope so, little brother. You leave anything inside?"
"Reckon it's not worth going in to find out."
"Git a move on then..."
Hiram shouldered his pack and helped his brother settle his on his arms. Then the two of them jumped off the side of the porch and walked down the back trail towards town. As they did, they walked past the charred side walls of the cabin, stepping around fallen bits of the collapsed roof.
"An' the next time you have a yen to perform a firebreathin act, Shue, y'all do it outside."
"I said I was sorry, Hi..."
Rain dropped on the porch roof as Hiram and Shubert Flie leaned back in their chairs.
For a long time, neither one spoke.
Finally, Shubert broached the uneasy silence.
"Reckon we's out o' whiskey, Hi?"
Hiram hawked and spat off the side of the porch.
"Reckon you made us so, little brother."
"Now don't git all worked up, Hi. Y'all liked it when I did m' firebreathing act."
"If y'all had jest stuck to breathin' fire, I'd a not had a problem, Shue."
"Well that's awful thirsty work, Hi. Y'all should try it some time."
"Might could be I will, iffen we take up lodgin's in a cookstove. Until then, you an' I need to leave the firebreathin' alone."
"Reckon it's a good thing it 'uz rainin' last night, leastways, warn't it, Hi?"
"Praise Morrow fer little blessings n' pass the whiskey, Shue. 'Ceptin' we're out o' whiskey."
"I said I was sorry, Hi!"
"So'm I, Shue. So'm I."
They sat and looked at each other silently for a long while. Finally, Hiram stood up.
"Reckon this problem ain't gonna git solved less'n we go find some payin' work. You with me, Shue?"
"Sure am, big brother. Reckon there's a caravan hiring in town?"
"Sure hope so, little brother. You leave anything inside?"
"Reckon it's not worth going in to find out."
"Git a move on then..."
Hiram shouldered his pack and helped his brother settle his on his arms. Then the two of them jumped off the side of the porch and walked down the back trail towards town. As they did, they walked past the charred side walls of the cabin, stepping around fallen bits of the collapsed roof.
"An' the next time you have a yen to perform a firebreathin act, Shue, y'all do it outside."
"I said I was sorry, Hi..."
