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<blockquote data-quote="Pell-Mell" data-source="post: 3520399" data-attributes="member: 50273"><p><strong>CASE FILE 001: THE CASE OF THE MISSING HOLYMAN</strong></p><p><em>Session 4: A Girl Named Mere</em></p><p></p><p>Dirk threw the unconscious ice dragon into the cage as Case Nine bent the mangled bars back into place. The rogue rubbed his hands on his jeans, "Well that's that. Let's take a breather and see if the gobo's come at us."[sup]1[/sup] They spent the next two days resting and repairing, vigilant for a retaliatory strike against the kobolds, but none came. Deciding that it was time to continue their trek, Case Nine, Dirk, and Meepo once more entered the goblin territories.</p><p></p><p>They moved quietly and slowly through the twisting hallways of the ruin, but found no sign of the goblins. The barricades they had once held lay broken and the fire pits were cold. Continuing forward, they worked their way back into the large room where they had captured Calcryx. Here there was a door that Meepo thought would lead deeper into the goblin area. Weapons at the ready, Case Nine gave the door a mighty kick, but it refused to budge, seemingly barred from the other side. It took the robot four tries before the door finally gave way, shattering inward. Beyond the door was a long hallway, ancient dragon-carved columns holding a high, vaulted ceiling. The hall was lit with flickering torches and the air was hazy with smoke.</p><p></p><p>Goblins, clearly awaiting the noisy invaders, jumped from behind columns and launched a barrage of javelins at the robot. From down the hallway, more goblins came running and screaming, javelins shaking in their small fists. Taking out crude maces, the nearby goblins surged the robot, pounding at his armor and overwhelming him. He responded in kind, his greathammer killing with every savage arc. Meanwhile, the halls reverberated with the thunder of Dirk's pistol, goblins falling in mid-charge.</p><p></p><p>As the goblins overran Case Nine to menace Dirk and Meepo, who had wisely set up behind the warforged, another shout was heard. Goblins as big as a human, dressed in studded leather and wielding long swords, appeared at the end of the hall and charged toward the Lud-Man. Case Nine shouted a warning, "Hobgoblins incoming." Dirk cursed as he dodged a goblin's mace.</p><p></p><p>The hobgoblins came in, blades flashing in the torchlight, brutally striking at Case Nine. His thick armor dented, he began to give off smoke as systems failed and smoldered. But even as he was beaten, his hammer swung relentlessly, and one by one the hobgoblins fell before the warforged. Behind him, Dirk had dropped his gun and had his short sword out, stabbing and darting, fending off the attacks of the goblins. Meepo skewered with his spear, managing to take out a goblin, but he was sent sprawling as another clubbed him with a mace.</p><p></p><p>A few moments later, the battle was over, as Case Nine killed the last of the goblins. Seeing no further reinforcements, Dirk and Meepo quickly looted the corpses of the goblins, taking bloodstained coins and several long swords, as Case Nine kept watch. When they finished they ran off and headed toward the kobold's hold, as they were too hurt and damaged to continue.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">* * *</p><p></p><p>"Hello? Hello? Are you out there? We need help!" </p><p></p><p>They were halfway back when they heard the cry. The voice was female and both Case and Dirk recognized the accent: New Lud. After a moment, they found that it was coming from behind a door they had ignored before. Dirk kneeled and had a look, determining that there was no sign of sabotage and he picked the lock with ease. </p><p></p><p>Gun in one hand, sunrod in the other, Dirk kicked the door open, the foul stench of unwashed bodies and excrement hitting him like a fist. The harsh chemical light of the sunrod revealed a terrible scene. Chained against the walls were five kobolds, all living skeletons, too weak to even lift their heads. Against the far wall was a great cage, a pale woman blinking in the light. Her voice cracked as she called out, "I am Mere Bertik. My family can make it worth your while to get me out of here."</p><p></p><p>Dirk surveyed the room, his eyes lingering on the Bertik & Company logo stamped on the shaft of his sunrod. Jackpot. "Case, see if you can get those kobolds down. Meepo, give them some water. I'll see if I can get the lock on the cage." The robot obliged, snapping the rusting chains off the wall and lying the feather-light bodies to the ground, while Meepo carefully gave each of the prisoners a sip of water from a dented canteen.</p><p></p><p>Dirk walked over to the cage and flicked his gun toward the back of the cage. "Take a step back, I need some space." The girl did, holding up ghost white hands to show they were empty. He holstered his gun and took his lock picks out his jacket. Glancing up at her, he took in the woman. She was dressed in dirty jeans and a poncho several sizes too large. But her face was everything Dirk needed to know. Sharp nose, dark eyes and hair, pale skin.[sup]2[/sup] She was New Lud all the way.</p><p></p><p>Looking up from his work to the woman, Dirk nodded at the cage, "How'd you end up in here? Far way from New Lud." She looked at him, "I was part of exploratory crew for the family business. I came seeking a certain mystical apple with healing properties." She shook one of the iron bars that held her, "But we were ambushed and I was taken prisoner by the goblins. I managed to convince them that I was a witch and my people would be willing to barter for my safety." She looked at the robot as he worked, "Who are you? Are you adventurers or treasure hunters?"</p><p></p><p>A loud click could be heard as Dirk finished with the lock and swung the door open, "Nope. Private investigation outfit out of Asheril. Name is Dirk Chance. The robot is my partner, Case Nine. The kobold is Meepo." He tucked his picks back into this jacket, "You really a witch?" She stepped out of the cage, "No. I am acolyte of Boccob the All-Knowing, but his name is not known to the goblins. My magics were enough to dupe them and also provide sustenance during my imprisonment." Looking at the others, than back to Dirk, "If you are investigators, who are you a looking for?"</p><p></p><p>Dirk took out the creased photograph of Braford and handed it to her, "Warrior Priest of the Cult of the Seven Lords of Light. His name is Isaiah Braford. Got lost out a holy pilgrimage and this ruin is his last known location." Mere shook the photograph, "I have seen him! He and his companions were held here a while a go by the goblins. They were taken away and I never saw them again." Dirk took back the picture, "Let's get the kobolds and get them back to their people. Then we go top side and have ourselves a talk." He turned toward Meepo, "You want to come along?" The scrawny little kobold nodded his head furiously.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">* * *</p><p></p><p>They returned to the surface after dropping off the kobold prisoners, only to find the Orion '23 missing. Case Nine found it in a ditch near where it had been parked, a new dent in the front fender and the ignition crudely hotwired. They spent the better part of two hours getting it out and undoing the damage of the would-be thieves. The sun was well past its zenith when they finally rolled into Oakhurst.</p><p></p><p>In town, they resupplied the necessities with some of the loot from the ruins: bullets, canned foods, hard-rations, alchemics, smokes, a few watered down healing potions, and a new pair of jeans and boots for Mere. Chance had been hoping to spend the night in town, but he found that the townsfolk responded poorly to Meepo, who had done no more than peer out from the back of the Orion in wonderment at these strange new surroundings. So they roared out of town, raising a roostertail of dust in their wake, and made camp in a barren place between town and the ruins.</p><p></p><p>The moons were beginning to rise as Case Nine built a great fire, for the wastes grew cold when the sun set. Dirk cooked a few tins of food over the fire, as Mere and Meepo stared into the dancing flames. After dinner, Dirk lit a Belker and offered one to Mere, who took it gratefully. Sitting around the campfire, Dirk looked around, "All right then. It is time we talk." He nodded at Mere, "Why don't you fill us in a little more about what happened to you with the gobos."</p><p></p><p>The New Lud girl took a drag off her cigarette and exhaled, the smoke drifting into the clear night sky. "As I said, I was part of an expedition to retrieve a strange apple with curative properties. My family's business is in alchemics and we have an interest in various tonics and cure-alls. We had received a sample of the apple and tracked down its source to the ruins we just came from. I volunteered to lead the expedition, as I needed to get out of the city for a while." Her eyes grew distant as she said this and she paused for a moment. </p><p></p><p>"But we didn't get very far. We got ambushed by goblins just when we entered the ruins. I guess Meepo's people must have come in later, because there were no kobolds there when I arrived. Anyway, I don't know what became of the rest of the crew, as we were separated. I managed to convince the goblin leader that I was a witch and I was worth more alive than dead. I don't know how long I have been down there, but it has been a while." She paused and took a swig of water from a chipped glass Case Nine had dug out of the trunk of the car.</p><p></p><p>"I wasn't always alone though. Mostly it was kobold prisoners, but sometimes it was other people as well. Like this Braford you are looking for. The goblins got him and his two friends not so long ago. He said he was on a divine quest to slay an outcast Seeker[sup]3[/sup] named Belak, who from what I have gathered from the goblins and kobolds, lairs beneath the citadel. Isaiah said he was also to cut down a wicked tree that grew in the dark beneath the ruins and was tended by Belak."</p><p></p><p>Case Nine made a strange, unidentifiable sound, "I was not informed that Seekers would be involved in this mission." Dirk smirked, "Had a run in with an overly zealous bunch of them in Asheril. He has not been the same since." Mere nodded, "Anyway, Braford was in pretty bad shape when I talked to him, as were his companions, Sharwyn and Talgen. They had tangled with a great spider and lost one of their party. They were forced to retreat and the goblins got them when they were weak. They didn't stay long in the prison and the goblins took them away, saying that Belak wanted them. I never saw them again."</p><p></p><p>Dirk and Case Nine exchanged a look. They were going to need help with this job. Dirk spoke, "You know we can't take you back to Asheril right away. We have to finish this job." Mere nodded, "Yes, I know." She paused for a moment, "If you will have me, I would like to join your expedition. I too want to finish my job. This wicked tree Braford spoke of must be what produced the magic apple I seek." She paused, flicked the butt of the spent cigarette into the fire, and then looked up, "Besides, you three look like you could use a healer. While this is not a primary focus of Boccob the All-Knowing, he still maintains an interest in the area. In addition, I know of incantations that will repair a warforged much more quickly than the use of spells designed for flesh and bone creatures." Dirk and Case Nine exchanged a glance and it was Dirk who nodded at the woman, "Welcome aboard."</p><p></p><p>Stars and moons wheeling above in the vast dark sky, the group huddled around the fire and talked of many things long into the night.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Notes:</strong></p><p></p><p>[sup]1[/sup] Gobo is a common slang term for Goblins in Asheril.</p><p>[sup]2[/sup] Much of the look for Mere came from the artwork for the <a href="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mhbk_gallery/76942_CN.jpg" target="_blank">Healer class</a> in the Miniature's Handbook. </p><p>[sup]3[/sup] The Seekers are a large, loosely organized, quasi-religious group that eschews many technologies and sorceries, instead striving to live in harmony with the environment. They live outside the cities in their own communes and are generally a peaceful group. There is great heterogeneity within the Seekers, with some groups living an extremely primitive existence, while others accept metalworking and other more advanced concepts. Their holy men and women tap into the primal forces of the earth and are the druids of the campaign setting. In Asheril, which they sometimes visit for trade purposes, they are mostly known for their dark, somber clothing and excellent farm products and handicrafts.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Pell-Mell, post: 3520399, member: 50273"] [B]CASE FILE 001: THE CASE OF THE MISSING HOLYMAN[/B] [I]Session 4: A Girl Named Mere[/I] Dirk threw the unconscious ice dragon into the cage as Case Nine bent the mangled bars back into place. The rogue rubbed his hands on his jeans, "Well that's that. Let's take a breather and see if the gobo's come at us."[sup]1[/sup] They spent the next two days resting and repairing, vigilant for a retaliatory strike against the kobolds, but none came. Deciding that it was time to continue their trek, Case Nine, Dirk, and Meepo once more entered the goblin territories. They moved quietly and slowly through the twisting hallways of the ruin, but found no sign of the goblins. The barricades they had once held lay broken and the fire pits were cold. Continuing forward, they worked their way back into the large room where they had captured Calcryx. Here there was a door that Meepo thought would lead deeper into the goblin area. Weapons at the ready, Case Nine gave the door a mighty kick, but it refused to budge, seemingly barred from the other side. It took the robot four tries before the door finally gave way, shattering inward. Beyond the door was a long hallway, ancient dragon-carved columns holding a high, vaulted ceiling. The hall was lit with flickering torches and the air was hazy with smoke. Goblins, clearly awaiting the noisy invaders, jumped from behind columns and launched a barrage of javelins at the robot. From down the hallway, more goblins came running and screaming, javelins shaking in their small fists. Taking out crude maces, the nearby goblins surged the robot, pounding at his armor and overwhelming him. He responded in kind, his greathammer killing with every savage arc. Meanwhile, the halls reverberated with the thunder of Dirk's pistol, goblins falling in mid-charge. As the goblins overran Case Nine to menace Dirk and Meepo, who had wisely set up behind the warforged, another shout was heard. Goblins as big as a human, dressed in studded leather and wielding long swords, appeared at the end of the hall and charged toward the Lud-Man. Case Nine shouted a warning, "Hobgoblins incoming." Dirk cursed as he dodged a goblin's mace. The hobgoblins came in, blades flashing in the torchlight, brutally striking at Case Nine. His thick armor dented, he began to give off smoke as systems failed and smoldered. But even as he was beaten, his hammer swung relentlessly, and one by one the hobgoblins fell before the warforged. Behind him, Dirk had dropped his gun and had his short sword out, stabbing and darting, fending off the attacks of the goblins. Meepo skewered with his spear, managing to take out a goblin, but he was sent sprawling as another clubbed him with a mace. A few moments later, the battle was over, as Case Nine killed the last of the goblins. Seeing no further reinforcements, Dirk and Meepo quickly looted the corpses of the goblins, taking bloodstained coins and several long swords, as Case Nine kept watch. When they finished they ran off and headed toward the kobold's hold, as they were too hurt and damaged to continue. [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] "Hello? Hello? Are you out there? We need help!" They were halfway back when they heard the cry. The voice was female and both Case and Dirk recognized the accent: New Lud. After a moment, they found that it was coming from behind a door they had ignored before. Dirk kneeled and had a look, determining that there was no sign of sabotage and he picked the lock with ease. Gun in one hand, sunrod in the other, Dirk kicked the door open, the foul stench of unwashed bodies and excrement hitting him like a fist. The harsh chemical light of the sunrod revealed a terrible scene. Chained against the walls were five kobolds, all living skeletons, too weak to even lift their heads. Against the far wall was a great cage, a pale woman blinking in the light. Her voice cracked as she called out, "I am Mere Bertik. My family can make it worth your while to get me out of here." Dirk surveyed the room, his eyes lingering on the Bertik & Company logo stamped on the shaft of his sunrod. Jackpot. "Case, see if you can get those kobolds down. Meepo, give them some water. I'll see if I can get the lock on the cage." The robot obliged, snapping the rusting chains off the wall and lying the feather-light bodies to the ground, while Meepo carefully gave each of the prisoners a sip of water from a dented canteen. Dirk walked over to the cage and flicked his gun toward the back of the cage. "Take a step back, I need some space." The girl did, holding up ghost white hands to show they were empty. He holstered his gun and took his lock picks out his jacket. Glancing up at her, he took in the woman. She was dressed in dirty jeans and a poncho several sizes too large. But her face was everything Dirk needed to know. Sharp nose, dark eyes and hair, pale skin.[sup]2[/sup] She was New Lud all the way. Looking up from his work to the woman, Dirk nodded at the cage, "How'd you end up in here? Far way from New Lud." She looked at him, "I was part of exploratory crew for the family business. I came seeking a certain mystical apple with healing properties." She shook one of the iron bars that held her, "But we were ambushed and I was taken prisoner by the goblins. I managed to convince them that I was a witch and my people would be willing to barter for my safety." She looked at the robot as he worked, "Who are you? Are you adventurers or treasure hunters?" A loud click could be heard as Dirk finished with the lock and swung the door open, "Nope. Private investigation outfit out of Asheril. Name is Dirk Chance. The robot is my partner, Case Nine. The kobold is Meepo." He tucked his picks back into this jacket, "You really a witch?" She stepped out of the cage, "No. I am acolyte of Boccob the All-Knowing, but his name is not known to the goblins. My magics were enough to dupe them and also provide sustenance during my imprisonment." Looking at the others, than back to Dirk, "If you are investigators, who are you a looking for?" Dirk took out the creased photograph of Braford and handed it to her, "Warrior Priest of the Cult of the Seven Lords of Light. His name is Isaiah Braford. Got lost out a holy pilgrimage and this ruin is his last known location." Mere shook the photograph, "I have seen him! He and his companions were held here a while a go by the goblins. They were taken away and I never saw them again." Dirk took back the picture, "Let's get the kobolds and get them back to their people. Then we go top side and have ourselves a talk." He turned toward Meepo, "You want to come along?" The scrawny little kobold nodded his head furiously. [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] They returned to the surface after dropping off the kobold prisoners, only to find the Orion '23 missing. Case Nine found it in a ditch near where it had been parked, a new dent in the front fender and the ignition crudely hotwired. They spent the better part of two hours getting it out and undoing the damage of the would-be thieves. The sun was well past its zenith when they finally rolled into Oakhurst. In town, they resupplied the necessities with some of the loot from the ruins: bullets, canned foods, hard-rations, alchemics, smokes, a few watered down healing potions, and a new pair of jeans and boots for Mere. Chance had been hoping to spend the night in town, but he found that the townsfolk responded poorly to Meepo, who had done no more than peer out from the back of the Orion in wonderment at these strange new surroundings. So they roared out of town, raising a roostertail of dust in their wake, and made camp in a barren place between town and the ruins. The moons were beginning to rise as Case Nine built a great fire, for the wastes grew cold when the sun set. Dirk cooked a few tins of food over the fire, as Mere and Meepo stared into the dancing flames. After dinner, Dirk lit a Belker and offered one to Mere, who took it gratefully. Sitting around the campfire, Dirk looked around, "All right then. It is time we talk." He nodded at Mere, "Why don't you fill us in a little more about what happened to you with the gobos." The New Lud girl took a drag off her cigarette and exhaled, the smoke drifting into the clear night sky. "As I said, I was part of an expedition to retrieve a strange apple with curative properties. My family's business is in alchemics and we have an interest in various tonics and cure-alls. We had received a sample of the apple and tracked down its source to the ruins we just came from. I volunteered to lead the expedition, as I needed to get out of the city for a while." Her eyes grew distant as she said this and she paused for a moment. "But we didn't get very far. We got ambushed by goblins just when we entered the ruins. I guess Meepo's people must have come in later, because there were no kobolds there when I arrived. Anyway, I don't know what became of the rest of the crew, as we were separated. I managed to convince the goblin leader that I was a witch and I was worth more alive than dead. I don't know how long I have been down there, but it has been a while." She paused and took a swig of water from a chipped glass Case Nine had dug out of the trunk of the car. "I wasn't always alone though. Mostly it was kobold prisoners, but sometimes it was other people as well. Like this Braford you are looking for. The goblins got him and his two friends not so long ago. He said he was on a divine quest to slay an outcast Seeker[sup]3[/sup] named Belak, who from what I have gathered from the goblins and kobolds, lairs beneath the citadel. Isaiah said he was also to cut down a wicked tree that grew in the dark beneath the ruins and was tended by Belak." Case Nine made a strange, unidentifiable sound, "I was not informed that Seekers would be involved in this mission." Dirk smirked, "Had a run in with an overly zealous bunch of them in Asheril. He has not been the same since." Mere nodded, "Anyway, Braford was in pretty bad shape when I talked to him, as were his companions, Sharwyn and Talgen. They had tangled with a great spider and lost one of their party. They were forced to retreat and the goblins got them when they were weak. They didn't stay long in the prison and the goblins took them away, saying that Belak wanted them. I never saw them again." Dirk and Case Nine exchanged a look. They were going to need help with this job. Dirk spoke, "You know we can't take you back to Asheril right away. We have to finish this job." Mere nodded, "Yes, I know." She paused for a moment, "If you will have me, I would like to join your expedition. I too want to finish my job. This wicked tree Braford spoke of must be what produced the magic apple I seek." She paused, flicked the butt of the spent cigarette into the fire, and then looked up, "Besides, you three look like you could use a healer. While this is not a primary focus of Boccob the All-Knowing, he still maintains an interest in the area. In addition, I know of incantations that will repair a warforged much more quickly than the use of spells designed for flesh and bone creatures." Dirk and Case Nine exchanged a glance and it was Dirk who nodded at the woman, "Welcome aboard." Stars and moons wheeling above in the vast dark sky, the group huddled around the fire and talked of many things long into the night. [B]Notes:[/B] [sup]1[/sup] Gobo is a common slang term for Goblins in Asheril. [sup]2[/sup] Much of the look for Mere came from the artwork for the [URL=http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mhbk_gallery/76942_CN.jpg]Healer class[/URL] in the Miniature's Handbook. [sup]3[/sup] The Seekers are a large, loosely organized, quasi-religious group that eschews many technologies and sorceries, instead striving to live in harmony with the environment. They live outside the cities in their own communes and are generally a peaceful group. There is great heterogeneity within the Seekers, with some groups living an extremely primitive existence, while others accept metalworking and other more advanced concepts. Their holy men and women tap into the primal forces of the earth and are the druids of the campaign setting. In Asheril, which they sometimes visit for trade purposes, they are mostly known for their dark, somber clothing and excellent farm products and handicrafts. [/QUOTE]
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