Kulan: Bard's Gate PbP Campaign (IC) [Game Cancelled]

[Knightfall]

Jagr walks in and notes the conversation about the wine with interest, but he is soon distracted by the smells of breakfast. Indeed, he has to wipe a bit of drool from his chin as his mouth opens in a particularly toothy grin at the options provided. He pats the host on the back vigorously not speaking lest he drool further. Once he is settled in with a heaping plate he joins the conversation. "I too had a most unusual dream. The sights of ancient wizards and cunning villains seeking to pry open my mind and learn my secrets. The magical face of Vectēvs appeared at the edge of his dream sight, and it sounded like it is whispering my name and the same phrase over and over again, 'Beware the wizard'. As the dream progressed, the whispering got louder and louder until the face was screaming at me. 'Jagr, beware the wizard!'" He pauses for a bite and a drink before adding. "I awoke with the sound of screaming in my ears. Normally I dream of hunting, of prey." He glances at Kisep somewhat sheepishly before continuing. "A most unusual dream for me. Do you think they might have actually been trying to invade my thoughts as I slept? I thought to ask Vectēvs about it."

 

[Knightfall]

OOC: DM's Note: One of 'Shades' posts disappeared into the Internet ethereal. Below is my reply to his post quoted as a reply in his next post after that.

Originally Posted by Knightfall
Wilie is taking a momentary break from feeding his children there breakfast. He is covered in flour, as he sits on a stool while drinking a pungent liquid that Borya knows is called caffe.

"Can it wait until later? And why wouldn't it be safe? I have to get them ready for the morning." Wilie says with a yawn. The halfling grabs a flung blueberry flatcake out of the air that one of the little ones threw towards Borya.

"Stop that," Wilie says to Bitters. "You'll get Borya all messy. He'll likely need to be at his best today."

"Aw, he's being grumpy, no fun at all," Bitters complains.

"Well, there is a good reason. Now, eat your breakfast." Wilie looks at Borya shaking his head. "I'm not going to be able to go with you today. Are you sure you can't talk about it now? I'm likely to be very busy all day. Gods, I wish I'd gotten some decent sleep." Wilie whispers to Borya. "It was, awful."

"All I can say is love your family and protect them as best as you can. Evil is afoot and might be a lot closer then we think. I will commune with my faith and confirm my suspicions." He then pauses and processes his thoughts. "Nightmares you say. tell me exactly what they were."

 

[Knightfall]

Originally Posted by kinem
Sarten replies "No, just a typical bad dream I had thought.

Let's see ... I dreamed of home at first, and then a vast desert filled with giant scorpions and cackling embermages. The sun became ice and everything froze with lots of snow. There were ice trolls killing people. At first I thought it was Bard's Gate, but then I recognized it as 'the City of Delights', Huzuz, in Zakhara. Towers of ice sprang up and a booming voice said 'Freeze forever in darkness little dragon, just like your kin'. Then I woke up."

"Embermages and ice trolls," Caius muses. "Two very different threats. I've never heard of that city; is it near here? In Yhimir, perhaps?

"No, Huzuz is many leagues to the southeast past the Center Lands," Durst replies. "It doesn't seem like these dreams are connected. Just bad dreams after a trying day. I doubt there is any prophecy in them."

Originally Posted by Scotley
Jagr walks in and notes the conversation about the wine with interest, but he is soon distracted by the smells of breakfast. Indeed, he has to wipe a bit of drool from his chin as his mouth opens in a particularly toothy grin at the options provided. He pats the host on the back vigorously not speaking lest he drool further. Once he is settled in with a heaping plate he joins the conversation. "I too had a most unusual dream. The sights of ancient wizards and cunning villains seeking to pry open my mind and learn my secrets. The magical face of Vectevs appeared at the edge of his dream sight, and it sounded like it is whispering my name and the same phrase over and over again, 'Beware the wizard'. As the dream progressed, the whispering got louder and louder until the face was screaming at me. 'Jagr, beware the wizard!'" He pauses for a bite and a drink before adding. "I awoke with the sound of screaming in my ears. Normally I dream of hunting, of prey." He glances at Kisep somewhat sheepishly before continuing. "A most unusual dream for me. Do you think they might have actually been trying to invade my thoughts as I slept? I thought to ask Vectevs about it."

"You dreamt of the face," Caius replies. "That says to me there is a connection."

"They are likely just dreams," Durst says. He seems a bit annoyed about the idea of prophetic dreams.

"Durst, you can't deny there is a forced kinship here," Caius remarks. "Vectēvs is the link. That thing out there has knowledge about all of them beyond what it should know."

"Don't get me wrong, I've seen prophecy before, but it usually takes a great sacrifice to manifest such things."

"Or a great power," Caldrin notes. "We don't know who S.H. is, this person, or being, that Vectēvs called Gezgin. It's possible that we're being tested for something more dangerous. Or maybe its a game to this Gezgin; he might be using us for his own purposes."

"I don't like the idea of being used," Caius says firmly.

"You likely don't have much to worry about," Cal replies. "I doubt you'll be in the kind of danger we'll be in, unless your commander assigns you to us permanently."

"The Tarwood won't be safe for me, or any of us," the guard replies.

"True, but I think the real dangers will come after that, if we decide to all stay together." Cal looks at Jagr, "I don't think anyone is trying to invade our minds for our secrets. More likely the dreams are a warning. Either a warning to stay away from this or to mindful of the danger. I agree that we should ask Vectēvs about your dream and who the wizard might be that we should fearful of."

"Yenejg, obviously," Caius says.

"Maybe, or maybe we should fear this Gezgin."

"You should ask the face about Sarten's dream too," Caius suggests. "Or maybe just about the City of Delights. It might have something to do with Odals Alzota. Maybe that's where he's from."

"Or he's the wizard we should fear," Cal replies.

"Or maybe you all had strange dreams because of what you went through yesterday," Durst insists.

"It's better to ask the questions and be wrong," Cal retorts. He finishes his plate of food and gets up from table. "I thank you for the meal, Durst. And thank you for keeping those bottles safe for now."

"You're welcome, my friend. Good luck to you all."

"Are we going?" Caius asks. "Shouldn't we wait for Borya and Wilie?"

"We can tell them what we learned later," Cal looks at each of the others. His eyes come to Jagr last. "Will you lead the way? Your dream could mean that we're to follow your lead in this matter, but I don't want to pressure you to take charge." Cal looks at the kenku out of the corner of his eye. "And others might, object."

 

[Knightfall]

Originally Posted by Shades of Eternity
"All I can say is love your family and protect them as best as you can. Evil is afoot and might be a lot closer then we think."

"I will," Wilie assures Borya. "You make sure you come back alive, cousin. You still owe these little ones a story."

"Yay! Unca Borya," Bitters exclaims.

"Later," Wilie says. "Now, put down that flatcake and finish eating it!"

Originally Posted by Shades of Eternity
"I will commune with my faith and confirm my suspicions."

"I believe there is an old Slavic shrine in the Old Temple District, if you want to pray there. We past through that district last night on our way to the Keep."

"Papa, Borya's not coming with us to the College Exhibition?" Kale asks disappointed.

"No, not right away," Wilie replies. "He and his friends might come around the Bard's College later in the day. They have business there too. So, you might see him there."

Uhm, okay," Kale says happily while chewing on a sausage.

Wilie turns to Borya, "If you want to meet up with the others, you'd best get going. Don't worry about us. I will take what you say seriously and watch out for Kale and Dawny while we're out today." He motions for the children to go upstairs once they've finished eating. "And I'll get someone from the Market Watch to keep an eye on the house. Here, take this," Wilie hands Borya a small sack. "It's not much, but it some of Marcie's best bread and a some cheese for the road. Take care, cousin."

 

[Knightfall]

OOC: sorry I have been absent all, pain issues. hard to type when you hand is on fire of one arm and the shoullder of the other does not want to move. It is 0023 hrs central North America time and I am in pain right now, but cannot sleep, so to forwarn you there may be typos here! I am going to get my thoughts down in this game one way or another!!

Originally Posted by Knightfall
As he exits his Lofthouse room, he bumps into one of his 'quieter neighbors' who rents out one of the other three rooms.

"Morning," the dwarf man says brusquely.

It's all the dwarf has ever said to Shrough even when the mage knight has tried to strike up a conversation. It took Shrough four days just to learn the dawrf's first name, Grodok, from another patron of the Lofthouse.

"Scuse me," Grodok grunts as he pushes his way past Shrough. "Places to go."

That, was a first.

'Peculiar' thinks Shrough, "Morning Master Grodok, May the god's bless you." He continues onto the Ogre having file away the cordial behavior of the dwarf.

Quote Originally Posted by Knightfall
Shrough arrives to find that both Kisep and Vak'tiel are already awake. Durst is there too.

He greets Shrough happily, "Glad to have you back." Durst listens to Shrough's order . . . . .

"Well, you're welcome to join your friends here. I'll have to charge you 5 silver for a plate since you're not staying here. While I can get the kitchen to put together exactly what you want, I'm sure you'll find something suitable on the table. No potatoes this morning, unfortunately. But there is a nice bread pudding. I'm sure I can find something for your friend here, no extra charge."

Durst steps away to the kitchen and brings back a bowl full of milk. "It's goat milk. All I have right now." His puts the bowl down near a corner table and then takes a small plate and finds a big slice of roasted boar's meat and, for added treat, breaks a large hen's egg over it. He puts the plate down next to the milk. "Here you go, little fella."

"Don't trouble yourself for my special order. I will pay the 5 silvers for this fine hearty breakfast you have here." He says with a smile. He looks down at Zarr and inquires about the goat's milk and the fox gives a toothy smile, "He says the Goat's milk will work perfectly for him. Milk is a treat for us as we are quite oft on the road anyway."

Originally Posted by Knightfall
Turning to Shrough, "For you and the tiefling's friend, Cal, I think that's his name, right?" Durst looks at Vak'tiel. "I was able to procure a fine morning wine of elvish origin. Something called Zintalistra. You and he can each have one glass on the house with your breakfast. More will cost 5 gold a glass. 50 gold if you want the bottle. There is also a local elvish dish already on the table called Wina Talla. I've never had it myself, but the local elves swear by it. It does have meat in it, elk I believe, and something a half-elf trader called Egariath Toria. I hope you'll try it."

OOC: Egariath Toria > A rare truffle that elves know how to cultivate and gather. However, the 'truffle' that Durst acquired isn't a true Egariath Toria. The dish is still good, however.

Shrough does indeed try the dish and finds it close enough to bring back memories of home. something about that name of the wine though . . . .

Originally Posted by Knightfall
"Ah, Caldrin." Durst says with a big smile. "I've made something special for you. There is something called Wina Talla and an elven wine called Zintalistra. The first glass is free. After that, you'll have to pay 5 gold per glass."

"Wina Talla, never heard of it," Cal replies. "And I doubt its real Zintalistra. That is... impossible."

"Really?" Durst points out the bottle and the elven dish.

The Wina Talla smells very familiar to Caldrin. He immediately flashes back to his earliest childhood memories. "It cannot be," he gasps. "Tassarvene! The meat is, different, but it's definitely Tassarvene." The elf grabs a plate and fills it with the elven dish and some seeded bread to eat with it. He almost forgets about the wine. He picks it up, examines it, and nearly drops it on the floor.

"Careful," Durst says.

"Wh- where did you get this bottle?" Cal's tone is immediately serious. . . . . .

"Dreamland . . . . . " Shrough gives Cal a sideways look, "I had a weird vision . . . disturbing even. Zarr was even disturbed by what my mind was perceiving."

"It started with me seeing an associate of mine holding an object of personal interest. He laughs at me and when I reached for the object, it turned into the . . . . ITEM . . . . . We all saw last night. Then the great evil showed his face to me, laughing wickedly while the demoness became alive and tried to slice me up. I heard what I perceive to have been the treasurer falsely accusing me of darkness in my heart. I could not see him, but I knew it was Alzota; I could hear him while the estate of Kailer Galoda burned down around me, then I saw the treasurer standing before me in the center of the fire and he says to me, 'find m killer'. The floor gives out next and he falls to the abyss and I fall to the Underneath."

After taking a breath, he drinks of the non Elvin wine brought by Durst to replace what he had offered at first.

 

[Knightfall]

OOC: DM's Note: Last one for tonight...

Kisep is somewhat relieved to hear the innkeepers reasonable explanation and shoos away his raven familiar to eat from his plate. After a few bites, the kenku hears Jagr speak of dreaming about prey and Kisep is suddenly hungry no more. He puts down his fork and thanks Durst for the well-prepared and hearty meal.

"It seems most of us had bad dreams last night. Whether these nightmares are warnings, prophetic -- I pray to the gods they are not! -- or a reaction to our interaction with the possessed item, I do not know. Time will tell. Inquiring about it with the magical face is a good idea, but we should not rely solely on its possibly biased words. Let's continue our plans to gather information and then proceed to the woods."

With a nod, the bard signals to Jagr to take the lead.