Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
The Celestial Empire (Romance of the Three Kingdoms-ish, Updated 12/09/05)
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Emperor Valerian" data-source="post: 1960255" data-attributes="member: 15043"><p><strong>You Want Me to do WHAT?</strong></p><p></p><p>Only a few moments later, Felonca found herself blindfolded, and spinning in circles as the eight thieves attempted to mess up her sense of direction. Unfortunately for them, they didn’t count on her hengeyokai nose. Despite the nausea, she knew, roughly, where she was.</p><p></p><p>At first after the spinning stopped, she smelled the hides and elixirs of the tanner’s, strong and pungent. After moving a bit, she suddenly felt the air cool, and the strong smell of tanner’s oils was replaced by something dank, and wet. </p><p></p><p><em>I’m underground,</em> she realized, hands pushing her further and further along this track. Mentally she attempted to keep track of time, and maybe five or six minutes after she got underground, the smell entering her nose changed again. Lacquer, wood, and polish were the smells now in her nostrils.</p><p></p><p><em>I’m here... I think...</em></p><p></p><p>Suddenly there was light, bright and blinding as her eyes tried to readjust to the removal of the blindfold. She blinked several times, and quickly her view came into focus.</p><p></p><p>She was now in a rather small, but elegantly apportioned room, with lacquered wood covering the walls. Several chests lay in one corner, while in the middle of the room sat a small, rather ornately carved table. On either side were silk seating pads. One of thieves urged her to sit in the one closest with a sharp shove.</p><p></p><p>“Gentle, Ling,” the voice belonging to the occupant of the other pad said. The voice was smooth and melodic, and Felonca blinked twice as she realized what it belonged to.</p><p></p><p>Sitting cross-legged in front of her was a creature that could be described as a distant cousin, in the hengeyokai realm. Leopard hengeyokai were even more rare than their panther cousins, yet possessed many of the same gifts, namely speed and the know-how of when to use it.</p><p></p><p>“Sir,” Felonca hurriedly bowed. <em>Must be the Guildmaster. Respect! Respect!</em> she thought shakily, remembering the threat of the thieves. She could still smell them behind her.</p><p></p><p>“”is one ‘ere calls ‘erself Felonca,” the tanner’s voice grumbled. “Caught ‘er snoopin’ about my shop!”</p><p></p><p>“We thinks she’s a spy!” she heard the halfling hiss. To her relief, however, she saw the guildmaster merely wave a spotted hand, and the ruffians behind her fell silent.</p><p></p><p>“Madame,” he gave her a brilliant smile with his mouth, even as his eyes showed icy distrust, “what brings you to the Thieve’s Guild of Mingzhong? I suppose that since your eyes have had the honor of seeing my face, you need to make a contribution? Something expensive, I hop?”</p><p></p><p>“Ah... um... good sir!” Felonca immediately did a kow-tow. <em>I worked on the Prince!</em> “I am but a poor and humble creature from the north! I have been forced to thievery by hunger and strife!” His eyebrow raised slightly, but the look in his eyes did not change. She panicked... and as with everytime she panicked, her mouth opened.</p><p></p><p>“I was a trainee at the Hsiu-lan Military Academy, but I ran away, and I stole some things from there, and now I’m on the run, and I’ve been a thief ever since, and I came here to get information and join the Mingzhong Guild!” she rocketed through the Common tongue, the words tumbling over each other so fast her own mind had trouble separating them. </p><p></p><p>“I am a really good thief, I’ve stolen many things from hard places! It’s true!” she rattled onward nervously.</p><p></p><p><em>Good one, Felonca! You blurted out your life story so fast that even if these people cared, they wouldn’t be able to understand!</em></p><p></p><p>When the outburst ended, and silence once again hung in the room, she looked at his eyes again. For a second those eyes looked deep into her own, as if he was trying to gauge her very soul. Then he blinked, and his eyes and face had a different tone to them. Curiosity, now.</p><p></p><p>“So you are a runaway, then?” the man said simply, stroking his whiskers as she replied. He cocked his furry head to the side, and scanned her, up and down. “Is that where that dagger came from?” he pointed towards her boot.</p><p></p><p>“Um... yes,” Felonca stumbled, her own eyes looking at the ornate silver dagger she stole from Master Hsiu’s quarters. <em>He probably wants it,</em> she thought. <em>It is rather pretty, even though it feels funny whenever I hold it. If that’s the price for me to stay alive though...</em></p><p></p><p>“It once belonged to the Headmaster of the Academy, Master Hsiu,” she pulled it out. “The day I fled from the Academy, I stole it from his very quarters.” <em>That’s it! Good, Felonca! Let them know you have skills!</em> </p><p></p><p>“Hmmm.” She had heard that tone before... it wasn’t a grunt of stalling, but one of appraisal. For a second, the guildmaster looked her up and down again, before a smile came to his lips.</p><p></p><p>“Aha! Splendid!” He started to rise, which Felonca took her cue to mean she should stand up as well. “So you are a very good thief then! I think the guild should need another excellent pickpocket and burglar!” he pronounced, patting her shoulder. “Especially considering you have seen my face, and seen our headquarters, you <em>must</em> join... or we’ll have to silence you permanently.”</p><p></p><p><em>That’s.... it? I’m in?</em> she wondered momentarily.</p><p></p><p>“Um... yes! I would be delighted to join!” she sputtered happily. <em>Another threat of death avoided!</em></p><p></p><p>“Excellent!” the guildmaster laughed. “Then, you shall need to be initiated! And I have just the thing for a thief of your skills! Ling, would you be so kind as to bring some steamed wine in, if you please? Ah, yes,” his attention returned to her. “As you may know, the old Prince Hu, Governor of Langya, passed away a few days ago, and his state funeral is tomorrow. Unfortunately, he had an item in his possession we want.”</p><p></p><p><em>Ok... this shouldn’t be too bad. Nayu is going to be dressed up as the son of the dead man, and acting as the son of the dead man... surely he can just request that piece of property as the son, and then hand it to me?</em> As Felonca’s mind came to an affirmative conclusion, she gave a grin.</p><p></p><p>“Ah, so you think such a thing is within your power! Good!” the guildmaster patted her again. “You see... Prince Hu Lun had a ceremonial sword... of solid gold.”</p><p></p><p><em>What?</em> “Come again?”</p><p></p><p>“The sword is solid gold. Useless in combat, for sure... all the gems in the hilt would make it nigh impossible to wield for any length of time... but it is real and belonged to him. We want you to steal that.”</p><p></p><p>Felonca gave a nod. <em>Surely Nayu can get that for me?</em></p><p></p><p>The guildmaster then laughed. “My, aren’t we an overconfident little kitty!” He gave a loud guffaw as Felonca’s eyes narrowed at his remark. “Oh, you have not heard yet where this sword is! It is with the body... and the only time it will be displayed in public is during the funeral service!”</p><p></p><p>Felonca’s frown turned to a gape.</p><p></p><p><em>WHAT?!</em></p><p></p><p>“Um... so... I have to steal this sword. And the only time and place you all can tell me where it will be is on the dead man’s chest during <em>the middle of his funeral?</em>”</p><p></p><p>“Um... yes.” The guildmaster’s cycle of faces changed again, now becoming a frown. “For someone who stole from the famous warrior Hsiu who has lived this long, this should be a trifle! Especially,” he leaned close to her, the leer in his eyes now plain, “when that person wishes to join the guild!”</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><em>Join or die! Join or die!</em></p><p></p><p>The phrase kept ringing in Felonca’s ears long after the blindfolds had been pulled from her eyes and she found herself in the middle of the Mingzhong streets. Imprinted in her mind were the directions the guildmaster had given her... after she stole the sword, meet him at dusk tomorrow outside a butcher’s place, on the eastern edge of town.</p><p></p><p><em>How the hell am I supposed to pull this off?</em> her mind whined. <em>I’m IN the damn funeral! How am I supposed to steal it, while sitting on my mat in view of hundreds of people!</em></p><p></p><p><em>I can’t,</em> she realized. For a second, she wondered if Nayu could do anything.</p><p></p><p>And then she thought of a better plan.</p><p></p><p>She ran the rest of the way to the inn.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>“Much better!” the scholar smiled at Nayu. The previously rare occurrence had happened rather frequently today, as Nayu was finally putting together all the various bows, kow tows, and words of respect and courtesy that had been shoved into his mind.</p><p></p><p>“Nayu, you look the spitting image of a scholar!” Chou goaded with a grin. “Prim and proper... I think if I poked you I could make you cry!”</p><p></p><p>Both Nayu and the scholar shot a dirty look at the young soldier, who merely laughed. Before any rejoiners could be launched, the door to their room was almost knocked off its hinges as Felonca burst in.</p><p></p><p>“Hey Nayu, nice outfit,” she said breathlessly, before turning directly towards the scholar. For a second Nayu expected the long held in outburst to come. He was pleasantly surprised when he didn’t have to rescue the scholar from her, however.</p><p></p><p>“Hi, sir. I was wondering... how does the ceremony go for the rest of us? How does it work in general?”</p><p></p><p>The scholar’s face held a look of surprise as well, before breaking into a smile of utter delight. “At last, another seeks civilization as well!” the man practically beamed. “Well, the funeral ceremony will go as thus...”</p><p></p><p>Nayu had known the scholar only four days... he didn’t even know the man’s proper name... but somehow he suspected that Felonca’s questions had marked one of the happy moments in his life. While she peppered him with questions and inquiries, Nayu continued to practice his voice, his demeanor, a little giddiness and worry in his mind as well.</p><p></p><p><em>The EMPRESS DOWAGER is going to be there! The mother of the Son of Heaven himself! I must act proper! Ahem... ok... kow tow, head fully to the ground. What was the speech? ‘Mother of the Jade Throne, Follower of Eternal Heaven, this servant welcomes you in his hour of grief!’</em></p><p></p><p>“So... what if someone dies with something valuable on them? What happens to their stuff?”</p><p></p><p>Nayu’s practice immediately stopped, as alarms went off in his head. The tone of the words coming from Felonca’s mouth was completely naive and innocent, but he knew her far better than that.</p><p></p><p><em>Felonca... please... for the love of all that is right in this world... please don’t tell me...</em></p><p></p><p>“Oh! His belongings? Well, it depends on the item. Some things go to his heirs, some things will be burned, and some will be buried with him, to assist him as he joins the ranks of Heaven’s legions!”</p><p></p><p>“So, would his son get his ceremonial sword, for example?” she asked again, and Nayu’s eyes narrowed even more.</p><p></p><p><em>No... Felonca. No!</em></p><p></p><p>“Well, no. See, that weapon, at least in Hu Lun’s case, has religious significance. He cannot serve in the legions of Heaven if he is not armed, now can he?” the scholar babbled away, oblivious to the undertones now raging in Nayu’s head.</p><p></p><p>“In proper form, are the belongings going with him placed on his person just before the funeral ceremony, or way way before, such as during embalming?” Her head was cocked slightly to the side, and Nayu suspected that if he didn’t know her, he’d only think she was a curious student as opposed to a wily thief.</p><p></p><p>“Well, you’re right, its placed on his person just after embalming!”</p><p></p><p><em>Here comes the kicker question...</em> Nayu thought with an inward groan.</p><p></p><p>“Now... where do they keep the body beforehand? I mean, to keep it pure from contaminants within the palace and the like?”</p><p></p><p>It was Nayu’s turn to gape slightly as the scholar shrugged. <em>The man doesn’t know something!</em></p><p></p><p>“I don’t know. Every palace has a different layout, so I can tell you only loosely that it is somewhere in the palace. Do not worry, you do not have to contend with this like the embalmers!” the scholar smiled reassuringly. Thankfully, only Nayu saw the disappointed look in Felonca’s eyes.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>“Nayu?” Felonca asked a few minutes after the scholar left, nearly an hour after she arrived.</p><p></p><p>“I <em>don’t</em> want to know!” her friend snapped back, his hand upraised.</p><p></p><p>“Nayu, please! I...I have a major problem!”</p><p></p><p>“A problem for you is automatically a problem for me! No, I don’t want to know! I want no part of this whatsoever!” </p><p></p><p>Felonca’s mouth opened a bit, before she suddenly clamped it shut. <em>He won’t help me?</em> She could feel her eyes growing a little wet as Nayu started to pace nervously about the room, looking odd in his flowing temporary robes. Suddenly, he spun back around.</p><p></p><p>“Why? Why Felonca? <em>Why do you want to steal the dead man’s sword?</em>”</p><p></p><p>“I...I have to...otherwise the Thieves’ Guild will kill me,” she sputtered. </p><p></p><p>It took only a few minutes of explanation. By its end, Chou was threatening to march out and burn down the tanners, with Liu and Captain Li holding him back. Nayu merely stared out the window, towards the darkening sky of evening.</p><p></p><p>“So... you have to steal this sword during the middle of the funeral?”</p><p></p><p>“How the hell are we going to do that, Nayu?” Felonca asked, worry and panic in her words. “You heard him! There’s going to be three <em>hundred</em> people there, including all sorts of nobility and their guards! I’m quiet, I’m hard to see sometimes, but dammit, Nayu, I can’t hide in the open in broad daylight!” She started to pace herself. “How can we do this...”</p><p></p><p>Nayu closed his eyes, his mind cycling slowly through the powers flowing in his blood. Finally, he felt the one he wanted, and let the magic flow from the depths of his soul, down his arm, and out through an outstretched hand. Gently, the tall scholar’s hat that Nayu had been practicing his carriage with rose off of his head. As Felonca gaped, it fluttered through the air, before setting down gently on her head.</p><p></p><p>“I think that might be the start of something,” Chou said after a moment of gaping as well. “Can you make other things float, Nayu?”</p><p></p><p>“Yes... and I’m pretty sure I can make a dead body float too,” the sorcerer smiled. Felonca’s eyes lit up, as she immediately understood the idea. Li, however, furrowed his brow in confusion.</p><p></p><p>“Why would making the corpse float help? Other than attracting attention to it and scaring the willy-nillies into everyone...”</p><p></p><p>“Bingo,” Nayu replied. “The nobles and scholars will probably run away screaming when the corpse starts floating. Their guards will run with them to protect them from whatever is causing it.” He then looked at Felonca. “That’ll give you a couple minutes to get that sword and run off, before we have to join the fleeing mass.”</p><p></p><p>“Nayu! That’s crazy enough it might just work!” Felonca jumped happily.</p><p></p><p></p><p>====================================</p><p></p><p>Yes, that's right, ladies and gentlemen, they're planning on <em>levitating</em> a corpse during the middle of a funeral so they can loot the body when everyone is busy running away. </p><p></p><p>I gave them extra XP for creativity on that one. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Emperor Valerian, post: 1960255, member: 15043"] [b]You Want Me to do WHAT?[/b] Only a few moments later, Felonca found herself blindfolded, and spinning in circles as the eight thieves attempted to mess up her sense of direction. Unfortunately for them, they didn’t count on her hengeyokai nose. Despite the nausea, she knew, roughly, where she was. At first after the spinning stopped, she smelled the hides and elixirs of the tanner’s, strong and pungent. After moving a bit, she suddenly felt the air cool, and the strong smell of tanner’s oils was replaced by something dank, and wet. [i]I’m underground,[/i] she realized, hands pushing her further and further along this track. Mentally she attempted to keep track of time, and maybe five or six minutes after she got underground, the smell entering her nose changed again. Lacquer, wood, and polish were the smells now in her nostrils. [i]I’m here... I think...[/i] Suddenly there was light, bright and blinding as her eyes tried to readjust to the removal of the blindfold. She blinked several times, and quickly her view came into focus. She was now in a rather small, but elegantly apportioned room, with lacquered wood covering the walls. Several chests lay in one corner, while in the middle of the room sat a small, rather ornately carved table. On either side were silk seating pads. One of thieves urged her to sit in the one closest with a sharp shove. “Gentle, Ling,” the voice belonging to the occupant of the other pad said. The voice was smooth and melodic, and Felonca blinked twice as she realized what it belonged to. Sitting cross-legged in front of her was a creature that could be described as a distant cousin, in the hengeyokai realm. Leopard hengeyokai were even more rare than their panther cousins, yet possessed many of the same gifts, namely speed and the know-how of when to use it. “Sir,” Felonca hurriedly bowed. [i]Must be the Guildmaster. Respect! Respect![/i] she thought shakily, remembering the threat of the thieves. She could still smell them behind her. “”is one ‘ere calls ‘erself Felonca,” the tanner’s voice grumbled. “Caught ‘er snoopin’ about my shop!” “We thinks she’s a spy!” she heard the halfling hiss. To her relief, however, she saw the guildmaster merely wave a spotted hand, and the ruffians behind her fell silent. “Madame,” he gave her a brilliant smile with his mouth, even as his eyes showed icy distrust, “what brings you to the Thieve’s Guild of Mingzhong? I suppose that since your eyes have had the honor of seeing my face, you need to make a contribution? Something expensive, I hop?” “Ah... um... good sir!” Felonca immediately did a kow-tow. [i]I worked on the Prince![/i] “I am but a poor and humble creature from the north! I have been forced to thievery by hunger and strife!” His eyebrow raised slightly, but the look in his eyes did not change. She panicked... and as with everytime she panicked, her mouth opened. “I was a trainee at the Hsiu-lan Military Academy, but I ran away, and I stole some things from there, and now I’m on the run, and I’ve been a thief ever since, and I came here to get information and join the Mingzhong Guild!” she rocketed through the Common tongue, the words tumbling over each other so fast her own mind had trouble separating them. “I am a really good thief, I’ve stolen many things from hard places! It’s true!” she rattled onward nervously. [i]Good one, Felonca! You blurted out your life story so fast that even if these people cared, they wouldn’t be able to understand![/i] When the outburst ended, and silence once again hung in the room, she looked at his eyes again. For a second those eyes looked deep into her own, as if he was trying to gauge her very soul. Then he blinked, and his eyes and face had a different tone to them. Curiosity, now. “So you are a runaway, then?” the man said simply, stroking his whiskers as she replied. He cocked his furry head to the side, and scanned her, up and down. “Is that where that dagger came from?” he pointed towards her boot. “Um... yes,” Felonca stumbled, her own eyes looking at the ornate silver dagger she stole from Master Hsiu’s quarters. [i]He probably wants it,[/i] she thought. [i]It is rather pretty, even though it feels funny whenever I hold it. If that’s the price for me to stay alive though...[/i] “It once belonged to the Headmaster of the Academy, Master Hsiu,” she pulled it out. “The day I fled from the Academy, I stole it from his very quarters.” [i]That’s it! Good, Felonca! Let them know you have skills![/i] “Hmmm.” She had heard that tone before... it wasn’t a grunt of stalling, but one of appraisal. For a second, the guildmaster looked her up and down again, before a smile came to his lips. “Aha! Splendid!” He started to rise, which Felonca took her cue to mean she should stand up as well. “So you are a very good thief then! I think the guild should need another excellent pickpocket and burglar!” he pronounced, patting her shoulder. “Especially considering you have seen my face, and seen our headquarters, you [i]must[/i] join... or we’ll have to silence you permanently.” [i]That’s.... it? I’m in?[/i] she wondered momentarily. “Um... yes! I would be delighted to join!” she sputtered happily. [i]Another threat of death avoided![/i] “Excellent!” the guildmaster laughed. “Then, you shall need to be initiated! And I have just the thing for a thief of your skills! Ling, would you be so kind as to bring some steamed wine in, if you please? Ah, yes,” his attention returned to her. “As you may know, the old Prince Hu, Governor of Langya, passed away a few days ago, and his state funeral is tomorrow. Unfortunately, he had an item in his possession we want.” [i]Ok... this shouldn’t be too bad. Nayu is going to be dressed up as the son of the dead man, and acting as the son of the dead man... surely he can just request that piece of property as the son, and then hand it to me?[/i] As Felonca’s mind came to an affirmative conclusion, she gave a grin. “Ah, so you think such a thing is within your power! Good!” the guildmaster patted her again. “You see... Prince Hu Lun had a ceremonial sword... of solid gold.” [i]What?[/i] “Come again?” “The sword is solid gold. Useless in combat, for sure... all the gems in the hilt would make it nigh impossible to wield for any length of time... but it is real and belonged to him. We want you to steal that.” Felonca gave a nod. [i]Surely Nayu can get that for me?[/i] The guildmaster then laughed. “My, aren’t we an overconfident little kitty!” He gave a loud guffaw as Felonca’s eyes narrowed at his remark. “Oh, you have not heard yet where this sword is! It is with the body... and the only time it will be displayed in public is during the funeral service!” Felonca’s frown turned to a gape. [i]WHAT?![/i] “Um... so... I have to steal this sword. And the only time and place you all can tell me where it will be is on the dead man’s chest during [i]the middle of his funeral?[/i]” “Um... yes.” The guildmaster’s cycle of faces changed again, now becoming a frown. “For someone who stole from the famous warrior Hsiu who has lived this long, this should be a trifle! Especially,” he leaned close to her, the leer in his eyes now plain, “when that person wishes to join the guild!” [i]Join or die! Join or die![/i] The phrase kept ringing in Felonca’s ears long after the blindfolds had been pulled from her eyes and she found herself in the middle of the Mingzhong streets. Imprinted in her mind were the directions the guildmaster had given her... after she stole the sword, meet him at dusk tomorrow outside a butcher’s place, on the eastern edge of town. [i]How the hell am I supposed to pull this off?[/i] her mind whined. [i]I’m IN the damn funeral! How am I supposed to steal it, while sitting on my mat in view of hundreds of people![/i] [i]I can’t,[/i] she realized. For a second, she wondered if Nayu could do anything. And then she thought of a better plan. She ran the rest of the way to the inn. “Much better!” the scholar smiled at Nayu. The previously rare occurrence had happened rather frequently today, as Nayu was finally putting together all the various bows, kow tows, and words of respect and courtesy that had been shoved into his mind. “Nayu, you look the spitting image of a scholar!” Chou goaded with a grin. “Prim and proper... I think if I poked you I could make you cry!” Both Nayu and the scholar shot a dirty look at the young soldier, who merely laughed. Before any rejoiners could be launched, the door to their room was almost knocked off its hinges as Felonca burst in. “Hey Nayu, nice outfit,” she said breathlessly, before turning directly towards the scholar. For a second Nayu expected the long held in outburst to come. He was pleasantly surprised when he didn’t have to rescue the scholar from her, however. “Hi, sir. I was wondering... how does the ceremony go for the rest of us? How does it work in general?” The scholar’s face held a look of surprise as well, before breaking into a smile of utter delight. “At last, another seeks civilization as well!” the man practically beamed. “Well, the funeral ceremony will go as thus...” Nayu had known the scholar only four days... he didn’t even know the man’s proper name... but somehow he suspected that Felonca’s questions had marked one of the happy moments in his life. While she peppered him with questions and inquiries, Nayu continued to practice his voice, his demeanor, a little giddiness and worry in his mind as well. [i]The EMPRESS DOWAGER is going to be there! The mother of the Son of Heaven himself! I must act proper! Ahem... ok... kow tow, head fully to the ground. What was the speech? ‘Mother of the Jade Throne, Follower of Eternal Heaven, this servant welcomes you in his hour of grief!’[/i] “So... what if someone dies with something valuable on them? What happens to their stuff?” Nayu’s practice immediately stopped, as alarms went off in his head. The tone of the words coming from Felonca’s mouth was completely naive and innocent, but he knew her far better than that. [i]Felonca... please... for the love of all that is right in this world... please don’t tell me...[/i] “Oh! His belongings? Well, it depends on the item. Some things go to his heirs, some things will be burned, and some will be buried with him, to assist him as he joins the ranks of Heaven’s legions!” “So, would his son get his ceremonial sword, for example?” she asked again, and Nayu’s eyes narrowed even more. [i]No... Felonca. No![/i] “Well, no. See, that weapon, at least in Hu Lun’s case, has religious significance. He cannot serve in the legions of Heaven if he is not armed, now can he?” the scholar babbled away, oblivious to the undertones now raging in Nayu’s head. “In proper form, are the belongings going with him placed on his person just before the funeral ceremony, or way way before, such as during embalming?” Her head was cocked slightly to the side, and Nayu suspected that if he didn’t know her, he’d only think she was a curious student as opposed to a wily thief. “Well, you’re right, its placed on his person just after embalming!” [i]Here comes the kicker question...[/i] Nayu thought with an inward groan. “Now... where do they keep the body beforehand? I mean, to keep it pure from contaminants within the palace and the like?” It was Nayu’s turn to gape slightly as the scholar shrugged. [i]The man doesn’t know something![/i] “I don’t know. Every palace has a different layout, so I can tell you only loosely that it is somewhere in the palace. Do not worry, you do not have to contend with this like the embalmers!” the scholar smiled reassuringly. Thankfully, only Nayu saw the disappointed look in Felonca’s eyes. “Nayu?” Felonca asked a few minutes after the scholar left, nearly an hour after she arrived. “I [i]don’t[/i] want to know!” her friend snapped back, his hand upraised. “Nayu, please! I...I have a major problem!” “A problem for you is automatically a problem for me! No, I don’t want to know! I want no part of this whatsoever!” Felonca’s mouth opened a bit, before she suddenly clamped it shut. [i]He won’t help me?[/i] She could feel her eyes growing a little wet as Nayu started to pace nervously about the room, looking odd in his flowing temporary robes. Suddenly, he spun back around. “Why? Why Felonca? [i]Why do you want to steal the dead man’s sword?[/i]” “I...I have to...otherwise the Thieves’ Guild will kill me,” she sputtered. It took only a few minutes of explanation. By its end, Chou was threatening to march out and burn down the tanners, with Liu and Captain Li holding him back. Nayu merely stared out the window, towards the darkening sky of evening. “So... you have to steal this sword during the middle of the funeral?” “How the hell are we going to do that, Nayu?” Felonca asked, worry and panic in her words. “You heard him! There’s going to be three [i]hundred[/i] people there, including all sorts of nobility and their guards! I’m quiet, I’m hard to see sometimes, but dammit, Nayu, I can’t hide in the open in broad daylight!” She started to pace herself. “How can we do this...” Nayu closed his eyes, his mind cycling slowly through the powers flowing in his blood. Finally, he felt the one he wanted, and let the magic flow from the depths of his soul, down his arm, and out through an outstretched hand. Gently, the tall scholar’s hat that Nayu had been practicing his carriage with rose off of his head. As Felonca gaped, it fluttered through the air, before setting down gently on her head. “I think that might be the start of something,” Chou said after a moment of gaping as well. “Can you make other things float, Nayu?” “Yes... and I’m pretty sure I can make a dead body float too,” the sorcerer smiled. Felonca’s eyes lit up, as she immediately understood the idea. Li, however, furrowed his brow in confusion. “Why would making the corpse float help? Other than attracting attention to it and scaring the willy-nillies into everyone...” “Bingo,” Nayu replied. “The nobles and scholars will probably run away screaming when the corpse starts floating. Their guards will run with them to protect them from whatever is causing it.” He then looked at Felonca. “That’ll give you a couple minutes to get that sword and run off, before we have to join the fleeing mass.” “Nayu! That’s crazy enough it might just work!” Felonca jumped happily. ==================================== Yes, that's right, ladies and gentlemen, they're planning on [i]levitating[/i] a corpse during the middle of a funeral so they can loot the body when everyone is busy running away. I gave them extra XP for creativity on that one. :) [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
The Celestial Empire (Romance of the Three Kingdoms-ish, Updated 12/09/05)
Top