nerdytenor's The Missing Warlock

[PennStud77]

Todarr, after sitting and absorbing the entire tale with patience, ponders: We should all get some sleep, but before we do... I believe finding all of the stones and their source is too daunting a task for the amount of information we currently have. Presently, our most immediate course of action should probably be to protect Mardrick as he returns to Greensfen. Once there, he can begin to breed the plants and make his potion to free his wife from her subjugation... and hope that once freed, she can perhaps provide us with more information towards discovering more about these stones and the plague. Any other thoughts?

 

[BlueLotus]

"Mardrick spoke of others who may be held prisoner to these stones. Perhaps we should find out if he's confident that there are still people bound to them. If he is, then I say that we should at least try to free them as well before we return. They could be dead by the time we get back to town, sort everything out, and then try to mount a rescue."

"But only if he can confidently say so," Moreen continues. "Frankly, I'm no longer inclined to trust him any more than his wife. He could be lying himself, but his story matches what we have seen and what we already know."

"In either case we do need a few hours of rest. It won't do anyone any good if we get slaughtered because we overexerted ourselves."

[sblock=ooc]If we rest, Moreen will rest with her shield, helmet, and breastplate in easy reach and with her sword in hand and in its scabbard.

I posted in the OOC thread, but just to be sure I'll repeat it here. One of my good friends is in town for 2.5 weeks. There may be days where I'll not be able to post, but I'll still be around =)[/sblock]

 

[The Digger]

"If it were only a few people I would agree with you, dear Moreen, but Mardrick spoke of many of them. That to me smacks of a long term project. Before we decide which road to travel I suggest that after we have slept we ask Mardrick how long it will take to brew his potion."

Joshua slumped down onto the floor and pulled his cloak around him - the better to be instantly ready should assailants come upon them - and continued.

"If the potion idea can be quickly carried out then it were probably best that we help him to do it. His idea of growing the plant will obviously take a long time, time that we could then use to seek out the other stones."

"Well anyway that's my opinion. And now to bed."

 

[covaithe]

"If these stones are supplying strength to some other enemy that is behind this plague, then destroying or disabling the stones may weakin them," Karis muses. "And free the victims, too," she adds as an afterthought.

"On the other hand, if this enemy is drawing strength from the stones, it may have noticed that we freed Mardrick before he died. If we take him back to Greensford or whatever, we'd best be prepared for an ambush."

 

[nerdytenor]

Everyone gradually settles in for bed while mulling their options for the next day. Twice in the middle of the night, you are awakened by an awful howling sound. It sounds like wolves, but somehow darker. Unnatural. The second time, the howling comes close enough for all of you to reach for your weapons, and then the wolves (or whatever they are) pass on.

You all awaken somewhat groggily to find light peeking in through the many cracks now visible in the shack. You rouse Mardrick, who awakens with a grunt. As he gets up to stretch, you can see that his condition has improved markedly. All of the black blotches on his skin have begun to pale, and he no longer seems to wobble on his feet.

"I feel as though I could eat this entire shack. You don't mind if I borrow something to eat, do you?" As you watch, half amused and half disgusted, he rummages through your belongings, eating whatever he can find until he sits down and lets out a loud belch.

 

[covaithe]

Karis looks on with amused tolerance. This Mardrick fellow was beginning to grow on her, a thought which immediately darkened her mood. Great, she thought. Way to go, Karis, making friends with someone who will probably be dead before sunset. Nice work. To distract herself, she mused aloud, "What's-his-name in Greensdown said that everyone who caught the blight sickness died. At least I think he did. To be honest I wasn't really paying attention. But you seem to be recovering pretty quickly. A different sickness? Or is there some other reason the blighted people didn't recover... Where are the rest of these stones, anyway?"

 

[nerdytenor]

"It is strange, isn't it? My best guess now is that the townsfolk were somehow continually connected to the blight. It could be that they were somehow attached to stones repeatedly for short periods of time. But then they would have a memory of it, wouldn't they? Or perhaps the mysterious undead presence in Greensfen has something to do with it. Who knows?"

"As for the stones," he says, "I wish I could tell you where they are. But I have no idea."

"Speaking of things I can't find, it occurs to me that I don't have any of my potion making equipment with me. I don't suppose any of you have anything like that? No? We'll have to improvise. Elloen, I mean, the dark thing controlling Elloen told you the truth about one thing - I did have most of my supplies with me when I last left Greensfen, and my captors did not do me the courtesy of leaving them behind for us to find."

"But never mind that," he continues, strangely cheerful. "I'm making this up as I go along anyway! Perhaps the plant itself will be enough. We shall see when we get to the flower patch. Come, let's get ready to go."

He steps outside the tent and into a small clearing in the forest. "Ah, it is good to be outside again! I feel some life in my veins once more." He points his hand at a low bush and mutters something in an alien tongue. Blue fire crackles from his fingers and singes the bush. It is a relatively minor display compared to Joshua's powers, but impressive nonetheless. "And it looks like I won't prove totally worthless to you in battle should we come across any trouble. Are you ready to go? It is no more than an hour's walk to the plant patch."

[sblock=OOC]
OK, just to get this out of the way. Mardrick is not a hero, and thus not a full PC (don't want to play one since that might get obnoxious fast). He's more like a lvl 0 warlock . I'm giving him some very rudimentary fighting powers in case you get in a fight with him. Here's some stats which I am basically making up on the fly (what else is new).

[sblock=Mardrick Battle Stats]
Speed 5
AC 10, Fort 10, Ref 12, Will 12
HP 16, surge value 4, 4 surges/day

One attack power:
Blue flame - ranged, +2 VS Ref; 1d4+2 damage.

No melee weapons or melee attacks.

Curse, minor action - nearest enemy, get 1 tmp hp when dead

No action points. Nothing fancy.
[/sblock]

Let me know if you have ?s or concerns.

[/sblock]

 

[nerdytenor]

"I mean," he added hesitantly, "assuming you are willing. I can't force you to come. But I mean to go, with or without you. I would do anything, anything to get my wife back. This plant is all I've got to go with. How we get back to town with it, well, maybe you have some clever ideas."

"I haven't come up with anything," he adds, sheepishly.

 

[The Digger]

Joshua looks down his nose at Mardricks magicking "I suppose every journey starts with but a single step. And I suggest we start hours now."

He looks to the others "So are we going to help Mardrick get started? The sooner we do that the sooner we can get on with looking for the rest of these stones."

 

[covaithe]

"Yes, let's get going. I would have liked to deal with the other stones first, but it sounds like we don't know where those are. To the forest, then, to get some of this blight-growing plant?" Karis proposes. She stretches and prowls the windows and doors, trying to get look outside from as many angles as possible before stepping outside.