(CSDGH) Demon with a Glass Hand [IC]

[Creamsteak]

"Yes, trust, commodity, exchange. I get it. My name is Harlan Skarrald."

He fidgets a bit.

"Ah, there it goes. Sorry you had to witness that. Anyway..." He starts looking around the room left and right, slowly turning his head and scanning the ceiling. "Alright so let's see... oh right... you're the strangers from abroad."

He pulls a small crude looking dagger from somewhere within in robe and points it at Shard. "Anton says we had aught make considerations to protect our precious assets so that the frog-man doesn't get his hands on it. I'm sure you can respect why such a transaction must occur. The frog-man's voice has been quite loud of yet."

He fidgets again, a slight shake of his whole body.

"And THAT IS WHY... we need to get IT out of here."

"Sullivan Davis, at your services... so what can I do for you two?"

Confused at the knife in his hands pointed at the stranger, "Now how did that get there?" He puts the knife back where it came from. "Let's get on with this. Anton says that this city is being watched by the sins. Not just that, but the wraiths are already sneaking into this territory. There's also one worshipper of the frog-hemoth coming for me. Apparently once the sins break the walls, everyone else gets greedy to steal some of the treasure burried within. We have, at most, a day before the first attack. I've heard rumors the gnomes might be involved. Either way, it won't be fun."

He pauses and stares intently at Haros, "So, will you do it? I can offer some slight compensation."

He begins to draw a scroll-case from somewhere in his robe.

 

[Psion]

"Yes, trust, commodity, exchange. I get it. My name is Harlan Skarrald."

He fidgets a bit.

"Ah, there it goes. Sorry you had to witness that. Anyway..." He starts looking around the room left and right, slowly turning his head and scanning the ceiling. "Alright so let's see... oh right... you're the strangers from abroad."

He pulls a small crude looking dagger from somewhere within in robe and points it at Shard. "Anton says we had aught make considerations to protect our precious assets so that the frog-man doesn't get his hands on it. I'm sure you can respect why such a transaction must occur. The frog-man's voice has been quite loud of yet."

He fidgets again, a slight shake of his whole body.

"And THAT IS WHY... we need to get IT out of here."

"Sullivan Davis, at your services... so what can I do for you two?"

Haros looks askance at this whole exchange, and casts Shard a curious look.

Confused at the knife in his hands pointed at the stranger, "Now how did that get there?" He puts the knife back where it came from. "Let's get on with this. Anton says that this city is being watched by the sins. Not just that, but the wraiths are already sneaking into this territory. There's also one worshipper of the frog-hemoth coming for me. Apparently once the sins break the walls, everyone else gets greedy to steal some of the treasure burried within. We have, at most, a day before the first attack. I've heard rumors the gnomes might be involved. Either way, it won't be fun."

He pauses and stares intently at Haros, "So, will you do it? I can offer some slight compensation."

He begins to draw a scroll-case from somewhere in his robe.

Haros considers the speech momentarily and then offers "I am a bit confused by the nature of your speech. But a moment ago, you offered yourself by a different name."

"You are saying there are more attacks to come here in the city? Or here in your extra-dimensional abode? Having grappled with what someone else has called a wraith before, I can see why it would be in our interest. What have you to offer? And what more information can you give us?"

 

[Shayuri]

"If they're going to attack...shouldn't we help?" Shard asks plaintively.

"I mean...we can get you, all of you, to safety, then come back and help can't we?"

 

[Creamsteak]

"All of who? Well, I expect you'll want to get involved in the cities affairs, but I'm leaving. I can pack up my tent and be out of here by nightfall. I just want some assistance with the frog man. The locals don't know about me, when I leave here I go by a different name and different appearance. If they knew who I was, I'd be kicked outside sooner or later. Probably by the merchants association."

He turns his head so that it's sideways and looks towards the entrance.

"So here's the deal. I give you some payment, and you bait the frog man for me. There's no way I could fight something like that, but I bet you can. He'll be drawn to the scent of knowledge, and supposing I give you this book, he'll definitely aim for you first. I'll pay you with this scroll. It's quite valuable. It's said that it was enchanted with a wish intended to be granted by Anton."

He cocks his head back to it's normal position...

"So that's the deal. I'm entrusting you with a book, to be reclaimed at a later date. In exchange, I give you a powerful scroll. That's all. In most of the perceived instances of the future detectable by the greater arcane network, this will lead to you being attacked by one of the frog-man's assassins. I'm essentially paying you in the hopes that drawing this attack will result in his death."

"As far as the information goes, I have quite a bit. It's just not particularly useful yet. Undine surely can see all the eyes watching her. That's why I hear she woke up. She doesn't know when it's coming, nor do I, but at some point one of those monsters is going to attack, and as soon as that happens the rest of them will jump in like pirahnas. If the gnomes come first, the walls will fall. If the sins come first, Undine will die. If the wraiths come first... well that won't be to bad I think. I can't figure out why the scythe-guy is still looking at this city. I thought he didn't care. Either way, they're close. Maybe a day or two will pass, but sooner or later someone will get nervous, and as soon as that happens we'll be watching a fight. And as soon as one person picks one, the frog man cometh."

He fidgets again, then stretches out his arms on both sides.

"The book is dated from a thousand years ago. It's difficult to read, even if you know the language. It's a code or something. However, the great frogs REALLY don't like old Harland having access to them. So they want to kill me and destroy the book. What do you think? Can you do me that favor?"

He then begins to stretch his legs.

 

[Creamsteak]

(My appologies if this guy is a bit on the hard-to-understand side. I find writing "crazy" fun, but somewhat difficult.)

 

[Psion]

"Sounds like a reasonable exchange," Haros says, looking to Shard for affirmation. "What more can you tell me about this 'frog man'? Where is he? Is it just a single being, or does he act through servants?"

 

[Creamsteak]

"I'm not really sure on that. I think if I knew, I'd be dead already. How does it go? Six frogs, seven heavens, eight dogs, nine hells? Is that the order? I had a vision, and in it there was just one toad man, about twice my height, with big pointy teeth. I've heard stories that a long time ago, Anton had a lot more followers, and there were a lot more monsters out to get them. I don't know though, so-far I've managed to stay out of trouble."

He hands over the scroll-case and goes to a ladder along one of the bookshelves. He climbs up to the top of it, and procures a small rod with a crooked end and reaches back into the bookshelf. He pulls, quickly, and a huge green-leather-bound tome comes tumbling down. It crashes onto the floor, openning in the middle. The visible pages are blank.

"That's the book. That's the one the frogs after."

 

[Shayuri]

Shard just nods, indicating her acquiescence. She gathers up the book when it falls and asks, "Why do they want it so much? They just don't want you to have it?"

 

[Creamsteak]

"I think they want to eat it. It tastes good or something. I hear they have a habit of doing that."

 

[Creamsteak]

Assuming you take the scroll and examine it, it is indeed exactly as he said. It's a Wish spell, with the minor alteration that it is to be granted by a divine being named Antonidas.

The book is blank, every page. If asked, Sullivan replies, "Well, last I looked it had the stellar coordinates of something called 'The Egg.' Yeah, even I have no idea what's going on with it. When I acquired it, it was blank too. The more time you spend with it, the more text seems to get added."

All of that said, the balls in your court. I'm curious if you have developed any interests of your own yet, or if you want to head anywhere particular. Once that's decided I'll move on to incorporating the rest of the group.