Paridon: The Dark Metropolis (Ravenloft)

[Boddynock]

"Roses."

"Now what do we have here? Hmm, pink crystal - the perfume's definitely coming from here."

"Ah, company."

These thoughts flick through Abass' mind in a moment. His attention captured by the scent of roses; stooping to pick up a mask and examine the crystals therein; turning to look at the two women - all these actions follow on smoothly, one after another. Just as smoothly, he transfers the mask from right hand to left, then takes a scrap of silk cloth out of one of the many pockets in his clothes. Picking up a pinch of the crystals in the cloth - careful not to touch them with bare skin - he drops the mask, folds the cloth tightly, and bestows it in another pocket for later examination.

Sparing just one more glance at the couple - to make sure they are still oblivious, not merely acting - he turns to the women and says, "Yes? What is it?"

 

[kinem]

Surely that richochet was Fated to happen. It shows that I am on the right path.

Father Berman follows after the carriage as quickly as he can, though not as swiftly as his athletic companion.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

Hieran

The couple does not quit their embrace nor their rapt attention on each other for an instant. They are clearly lost in their own world.

In this one, the two women turn to each other a moment. Then, the cloak of one of them billows out, revealing her black, tight outfit--and her surprisingly skinny frame. Hieran figures he could reach around her bicep with his hand and still touch thumb and forefinger. In addition, she has a tail, and her hands end in paws. Perhaps they are part of some bizarre costume?

In any case, she nods, takes a little hop, and gestures back towards the main square. Her companion stands motionless and silent, keeping her cloak tight around her.

* * *​

Ru and Fr. Berman

Fr. Berman keeps up as best he can, and marvels as Ru charges after the carriage like an enraged ox. It may be tough to outrun a charging chariot in most situations, but the constant need for the large carriage to navigate the tight space of the street gives Ru the opening he is looking for. He leaps, clearing about thirty feet to land on the back trunk of the quickly receding carriage. He braces himself as he looks in through the carriage's rear window: two men, with white masks and long noses, wrapped in grey cloaks, sit in the cabin, and stare at Ru. They do not move from their seated positions.

The carriage careens toward the main square. It will have to turn soon.

* * *​

Torhan

The gnome in white pulls out a key. "Madripooglia, we should wait outside. It would be most polite."

"Oh, yes, definitely, can't expect one to be barefaced in polite company," the mother replies. She steps outside.

Sasha goes over to her companion. He inserts the key into the keyhole in her mask's mouth. It clicks, and he carefully takes the mask off and hands it to her. He whispers something in Gnomish with a comforting tone, and leaves the alchemist's shop.

Mask in her hands, Sasha turns to Torhan. Her smile is wide, a deep pink. Her hair is fresh, wavy, and honey colored. Her skin is slightly orange, like an unfinished redwood, and her eyes are a large, haunting cerulean. Gnomes always seems to have large eyes.

As Sasha approaches, she says, "Thank you for listening to me. I don't know what you must think of me, but... you seemed like the one I could trust. You took the time to choose a new face, and came to assist, not... accuse. I don't have anything to add to your case, but with this new year starting with a death and a disappearance, I can't help myself. I'm scared. Thank you for helping us. Thank you for protecting us. I... only wish I had more to offer you. You make me feel safe, secure."

Standing on tiptoe in front of Torhan, Sasha reaches up to grab his elbow. "Would it be... I mean, would you object if I could kiss you? It is our way, but I know the giants are very formal, and would not ask such a thing."

She looks down, nervously, at the locking mask in her hand. "I trust you. You're not as scary as that one with the mustache..."

* * *​

Darian

Darian fills the passage with his presence, and his whip. Templeton looks furtively around. The sniveling whimper in his voice sounds so strange against the confident sneer of his mask. "Y-You took Ada away. The celebrations had started, and Ada appeared at the clocktower door, screaming. The police--you came. You took Ada, and... there was this body. Covered in a white sheet. No one knew who it was. No one knew who we were. We're all celebrating, and we suddenly can't be sure of who we are anymore.... Please, what did you do to Ada?"

He cringes suddenly, realizing he just asked a question.

 

[Boddynock]

Abass raises an eyebrow at the surprising appearance of the woman, then shakes his head at the pantomimed return.

"I think not," he says drily. "My colleague has gone on ahead, and may require my assistance. If you wish to remain here, I will return with him as soon as I may."

[sblock=OOC]Knowledge (Arcana/Local/Planes) +11/+11/+5 to identify the species of the woman, or any similar creatures.[/sblock]

 

[industrygothica]

Darian

Darian fills the passage with his presence, and his whip. Templeton looks furtively around. The sniveling whimper in his voice sounds so strange against the confident sneer of his mask. "Y-You took Ada away. The celebrations had started, and Ada appeared at the clocktower door, screaming. The police--you came. You took Ada, and... there was this body. Covered in a white sheet. No one knew who it was. No one knew who we were. We're all celebrating, and we suddenly can't be sure of who we are anymore.... Please, what did you do to Ada?"

He cringes suddenly, realizing he just asked a question.

"You know her. You are close? Yes, that's it. Your concern belies you." Darian's tobacco stained teeth show themselves as the corners of his mouth upturn in knowing grin. "How close are you?" he asks as he inches closer to the gnome. "Maybe close enough to have been watching her? Or maybe you were even with her?"

Darian stands up straight and looks down his crooked nose at the cowarding Combledorn. "Honesty is your only option now, and I may forget that you've broken our deal by asking a question."

 

[jkason]

Ru Brike, barbaric human monk

Ru and Fr. Berman

Fr. Berman keeps up as best he can, and marvels as Ru charges after the carriage like an enraged ox. It may be tough to outrun a charging chariot in most situations, but the constant need for the large carriage to navigate the tight space of the street gives Ru the opening he is looking for. He leaps, clearing about thirty feet to land on the back trunk of the quickly receding carriage. He braces himself as he looks in through the carriage's rear window: two men, with white masks and long noses, wrapped in grey cloaks, sit in the cabin, and stare at Ru. They do not move from their seated positions.

The carriage careens toward the main square. It will have to turn soon.

There are times when Ru regrets trading his inner fire for inner focus. The occasional bursts of strength he had back then would come in handy right now. Still, you work with what you have, he thinks. Deciding the three people (including the driver) would be better dealt with if he could take some wind out of all their sails at once, Ru swings himself over to the closest axle and lashes out with a vicious kick, hoping to knock the wheel loose and cripple the carriage.

[sblock=OOC] I've never tried anything like this, so I'm not sure what's the best course of action: attacking the wheel/axle or trying to break it with a Str check. I'll just throw in all the stats I figure might come into play and let you decide:

Climb +7, Balance +5 (for movement)
Tumble +7 (if he falls / the carriage tips, etc.)
Str. 16 (+3)
Unarmed attack +6 (or +4/+4 if you decide angling to the wheel is only a 5' step and he can take a full round action to flurry) / damage 1d6+3 [/sblock]

 

[Boddynock]

[sblock=Go, Ru!] Nice! [/sblock]

 

[Rhun]

Torhan is immediately suspicious of Sasha's request, having heard one too many stories about men who have kissed a newly acquainted female to wake up hours later and find themselves robbed or worse. The image of his kidneys being harvested for use as spell components momentarily flashes through his mind.

Still, Sasha seems harmless enough...but that was something the paladin had the ability to check. Bringing his ability to detect the presence of evil into play, the holy warrior prepares himself for the inevitable taint from the city, hoping that the small woman before him will not overpower Paridon's foul presence.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

Hieran

Hieran marvels at the creature before him. Skeleton or other animated corpse? Skinny enough, probably, but too willful and lively. Some bizarre amalgam of evil? She does not conform to any of the standard configurations of denizens from beyond. Some form of shifter? He knows of creatures that could masquerade as human, but they never require masks...

That, more than anything, concerns him. A monster typically hides its form until it attacks. Why would she reveal herself in such a banal manner?

She responds to Hieran's statement by sticking her paws on her hips and petulantly stamping her foot (humanoid foot--she is not an animal shaper). She crosses her arms and plops herself down by the wall (ignoring the position of the tail--it is an unfamiliar part of her form), next to the oblivious couple.

Her companion lets out a muffled chuckle, looks at Hieran, and moves on down the walkway, in the direction that Darian went. She turns back to Hieran to see if he follows.

Hieran looks one last time at the pouting creature. What would it mean if she were not some fell beast, but just a gnome after all?

* * *​

Darian

"Honesty," Templeton sobs, "Very well. Ada and I were together. In the clock tower. She loves to show me how everything works inside. I could never understand it all, but it is quite beautiful. She's quite beautiful. The New Year chimes had finished, and the two of us stood up by the clock face. I... had something to ask, grabbed a chain that was pulling me up, and... that's when we noticed the body hanging above me on the chain..."

As he says this, the air around him seems to change. It is as if the mists recede at this moment, that the threat of brutality has been averted. Templeton will speak now, and fully, about what happened last night, and all it took was a light rap on the mask with the whip. In pain is truth. Templeton finishes with one last sentence.

"But not before Ada said yes. She's my fiancée."

Darian senses someone watching behind him. He turns, and sees one of the keyhole-masked women from earlier in a large cloak.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

Torhan

Edditomas' Apothecary​

Torhan steels himself as he shifts his vision. The world seems to fade and decay before his eyes as he invites the darkness into his consciousness. That accursed taint is everywhere. For a moment, Torhan hopes that Sasha appears pure, free of the corruption around them, but no. She, like his fellow policemen, is stained. Torhan thanks the Lady that at least, she does not overpower the area with evil.

Still, there is something notable about her. Her form wavers and flickers, as if a ghost of her, within her, tries to separate its identity from herself, stretching and twisting. Torhan had seen this many times before. Criminals, the dispossessed, rebellious children, anyone who felt or acted against the rigidity of Paridon society had this odd agitation of the soul. It was not necessarily evil, though... that always seemed to be well within the mores of Paridon.

[sblock=ooc]Photo by Rob Townsend.[/sblock]