Even Newer(er) Tavern Thread: The Hanged Man

[Luinnar]

[sblock= OOC]
>Not many groups would turn down two healers, but 2 leaders tends to make for long, slow, grindy combat- the PCs are more likely to live, but it takes a while to bring down powerful enemies.

I don't have a burning need to get into a game RIGHT AWAY, but I will keep an eye on the recruiting thread.
[/sblock]

OOC: Sharpe does have the dragon mount, which can do good damage with charge+flank; so he can always go into striker mode while someone else leads

 

[Someone]

The cleric moves to the table with two hands covering the tome. Once he reaches the table he sits at a chair so that he is facing the patrons of the tavern and waits.

A tall construct, plated in adamantine sits at the table, making the chair creak and groan under his weight. At first you think he's a warforged, but instead of the typical construction of magical fibers, metal and wood this one has whirring clockwork mechanisms visible through the spaces between plates and is entirely made of various metals.

Tiles spin on his chest, forming words.

+++ Nice book +++

OOC: character's name is Prime, virtually a pure defender role. I have another character in an adventure, though it's about to finish as we're in the final skill challenge

 

[dimsdale]

The cleric can't hold his excitement at the amount of interest that has been generated from his initial call for help. He motions to everyone to come forth. Come...come! everyone come sit. Please, listen to what I have to say. The cleric gets up and pushes additional chairs from other tables and slides them to his table, then sits back down.

As the adventurers gather around and sit at the table the cleric speaks. Before I get to the task at hand I must give you a little background of recent events. He clears hit throat and begins.

Recently the proud nobel of Daunton, Lord Weinfurter, discovered a strange mark on the forehead of his daughter Lerrick. After visiting a cleric, brother Navio, a well respected cleric of the temple of Lauto, the nobel found out to his horror that his daughter had been marked for sacrifice by the dreaded black dragon Bosch. However, much to his relief, the nobel learned that the mark could be removed by a ritual that few people know. One who knew the ritual is brother Buchta, another cleric of the Temple of Lauto. Lord Weinfurter hired a group of adventures to escort his daughter to brother Buchta’s residence so at he could preform the ritual to remove the mark from Lerrick, ending any chance of the sacrifice to take place. The last I've heard from brother Buchta is that servants of Bosch had entered his home and that he and his comrades were holding the them off until the party got there. Since my last correspondence with him, I've learned nothing more.

The cleric looks up at the party and continues...

Since that departure of the party, I have been working feverishly doing research on the black dragon, the results of which have made a bad situation into a dire one. I have discovered that the dragon is now in possession of a powerful ancient artifact called the Amulet of the Shadows. This amulet gives the one who possesses it the ability to deflect damage from spells and absorb vast amounts of physical damage, thus making the black dragon far more powerful. The party helping Lerrick knows nothing of this artifact. The cleric stops abruptly, mumbles a prayer and then speaks. I pray that the party is okay.


However, after researching the history of the amulet, I have discovered that another artifact exists that can temporarily neutralize the power of the amulet. It is a shield, which by itself, has no power. However, when seven metallic orbs are placed in the correct locations of the seven notches carved into the front of the shield, it will trigger a power, that when activated by the wielder, shoots a ray of arcane force that will render the artifact useless for a temporary amount of time. The shield is in our possession. The orbs are not.

The cleric stops and asks a waiter for a ice water. After receiving it, he continues. I've recently discovered the location of one of the orbs and have sent out one of my most trusted friends to retrieve it. Three days agao I received word from my friend that he had the orb in his possession and was on his way back to Daunton. A look of concern appears on the brother Navio's face. I was supposed to meet him at a predetermined location at a certain time. The details of which I speak are no concern to you. However, my friend, Lord Weinfurter, was not there to meet me. I suspects foul play is involved. In order for him to conceal his movements, Lord Weinfurter had to travel through territory now in the control of rival clans of goblins. The cleric fears that his friend may have been captured by one of these clans . These clans, especially the clan of the red scar, have been becoming more and more daring in raiding caravans and kidnapping.

Your task, should you accept, is to find the location of my friend Lord Weinfurter, rescue him...if he's still alive, and retrieve the orb so that I can give it to the one with the shield. Brother Navio waits for replies from his audience.

 

[Someone]

Prime quietly releases a couple streams of vapor, whirring for a while before words form on his chest, as if the construct wasn't sure of what to say.

+++so, to summarize, we have to bring back Weinfur or what's left of him, and that orb+++

+++I'll abstain on comments about other predicaments+++

+++I have one question though+++

+++what's up with the huge book?+++

 

[Luinnar]

Lord Weinfurter? That boring old coot? Never was fun at parties. The goblin's brains probably melted the minute they captured him. Sharpe says. Sharpe's father, Lord Wellington, is a powerful lord of some infamy in these parts.

So some girl does not want to be sacrificed to a dragon. Personality if I were the dragon I would not want her anyway. She was always a prissy little snob. There are plenty of girls around to be sacrificed, it is not like there is a shortage.

So we find this artifact and keep it for ourselves? Sharpe goes on without being corrected. Sounds fun, I always wanted to be invincible (not that I am not nearly so now).

Bosch...I think I heard that name before...did my father have a dragon named Bosch...? Hmm... he trails off.

 

[MetaVoid]

"Shut up for once Sharpe. Try letting your brain guide your mouth at times!" says sharp(e)ly a man? a boy would fit better.
"Dragons should not require such sacrifices from humanoids of any race. It leads only to conflict as Gloomwing discovered long time ago. I will go if you'll have me."

Somewhat lower tone, almost whispering, to Prime:
"And someone needs to keep an eye on Sharpe so the dragon does not come to harm."

OOC: dimsdale, neurotic is still on vacation, should be back tomorrow. His char is starlock, not sure of the name. We both have characters in adventures (as you know) so not a priority

 

[Luinnar]

Who would pick a girl anyway? Sharpe continues, not paying attention to Drew. If I were a dragon I rather eat a nice plump cow or something of that nature. I bet that girl planned this, she wants a handsome hero to rescue her so she can run off with him afterwords. Poor dragons, always getting the way of the dark schemes of maidens.

 

[dimsdale]

Silence you fool! the cleric hisses at the bard. There may be spies present. If the dragon knows the power of the amulet, he likely knows its weakness.

[sblock=Sharpe] You find that you can't speak
[/sblock]

I can only hope that your blade is as potent as your mouth. Turning to Drew. You know this one? Don't worry. His condition is only temporary. (referring to the bard). Brother Navio then shakes his head in disbelief. I've never met a person so rude... the clerics voice trails off as he sees the metallic fighter pose his question about the book. Oh yes, the book! Yes...It is in this book that I discovered the history of the amulet. He opens the book and rapidly turns the pages to one that is mark. Speaking in a lower voice According to this, there is a pattern of events that always seem to take place. The Amulet of Shadows seem to have a history of appearing in the possession of powerful evil beings...from warlords, kings, giants and other dragons. I believe that the amulet chooses its handlers. The cleric continues turning the pages. History shows that all of these evil beings have been defeated, and that in each case, the Amulet of Shadows was neutralized by the shield. When this happens the shield orbs on the shield disappear. Looking back at the gathered group It looks as if it is a terrible cycle. Amulet appears. The one who possesses it achieves great power and reaks havoc on the world. The orbs appear and the shield is essembled. The shield neutralizes the amulet and the evilness is defeated. The orbs disappear until they are needed again. It seems as it is our turn to essemble the shield.

OOC: Level 3: Sharpe: Bard (Luinnar) Level 5: Prime: Fighter: (Someone) Level 4 Name?: Warlock: (Neurotic) Level 5: Joy: Bard/Adrent Leader (Pathfinderq1) Level 4: Vermitrax: Necro Mage: Controller (Voda Vosa) Level 3: Drew: Monk (MetaVoid) Level 5: Zharne Redcloud: Druid (RedBeardJim) Level 5: Gellan: barbarian: striker (Ozy) I'll take anyone who wants to go. I know that there is a concern about so many in a party. I have a have a plan to deal with that. If you want in, talk to the cleric.

 

[Voda Vosa]

"That seems useful. You'll surely need a practitioner of the arcane Art to go in this expedition. My knowledge of ancient artifacts and my superior intellect would come in handy I assure you. Specially to compensate the void of it from some bard." Vermitrax smiles at Sharp, who seems to struggle to speak. "Retrieving the orb from goblin carcasses should not be extremely difficult."

OOC: Reporting Vermitrax for duty.

 

[Luinnar]

Finding that he cannot speak Sharpe draws his sword, you think he is about to attack when he starts to carve letters into the table "I'm in you blasted arcane hac-" before his companions hull him away from the table.