The Closed Eye (DM: Halford, Judge: garyh)

[nerdytenor]

As Palindrome investigates the grisly scene next door, Tander does his best to deal with the newly-found halfling.

"What? Who? Ah, where's Clanks?" She says clutching her forehead. She glances around furtivly and her eyes fall upon the dismembered Forged's corpse.

"No, Clanks! You hairy knuckled incestuous back ally bilge biting bastards!" She veritably howls straining against her bonds and attempting to bite at Tander.

"Easy there, easy," Tander says, attempting to placate the rabid halfling, but being careful to stay out of reach. "We've just pulled you from the brink of death, and have no desire to send you to the other side again. In truth, we had no idea we would find you when we did. We are on unrelated business. This 'forged, I take it, was a friend of yours," he says, glancing briefly at the disassembled machine. "I'm sorry for your loss, but he was already... destroyed when we came here."

"You'll have to forgive us tying you up like this, but we are having some trouble discerning friend from foe of late," he says, indicating the dead bugbears. "These are they that held you - do you recognize them? Perhaps we share a mutual enemy..."

Tander pauses, careful not to reveal too much without consulting his associates.

OOC: CHECK OUT THESE ROLLS!!! DANG!!! (WRT: halfling) Diplomacy 21, Perception 22 Insight 28

 

[Halford]

The halfling clams and regards Tander with naked suspision.

"They were always following old Clanks around, but I was the only one who could see him," her voice breaks, "he was my friend, just mine. He was a bit crazy, and he, well he... I guess they figured out that I was always around when they were near him, they've been after him ever since we met..." She bites her lip.

"Look I suppose it can't do any harm to tell you now, he wrote the Screamer. Can you untie me now please?"

[sblock=Insight]She is telling the truth, but also appears to be attempting to discern the best way to extrecate herslef from this situatiuon. She also clearly regarded Clanks with great fondness, and took a pride in the fact that she was the only one who could see him.[/sblock]

 

[Dunamin]

At the sound of the halfling now awake and angry, Woe steps back into the common room and crouches down by her side while she spins her tale.

“Listen, girl, we almost got killed while gallantly saving your tiny booty from these poseurs, so settle down and we’ll sort this whole thing out.”

If the halfling has calmed down, turned cooperative, and Tander has given the look saying “she’s giving it straight” - Woe is in no rush - he unties her, though with his spear still kept in hand afterwards and remaining vigilant in case she should try anything sudden.

“Now, you be nice and start over with the full story for your heroic saviors who are in no mood for any more crap after taking oversized spiked balls of metal to the chin.”

“Your name, how you found out about Clanks and the Screamer, what you know about the Clan, everything.”

 

[KenHood]

[sblock=Dah Dah Dun!]

OOC: Maybe.

Oh ho ho![/sblock]

[sblock=DAH DAH DUUUUUUUN!]

"Look I suppose it can't do any harm to tell you now, he wrote the Screamer."

Now we're heating food with petrochemicals![/sblock]

Palindrome enters the common room. "Hey, fellows, we can stop worrying now. I found from whence came all the body fluids. There's a dead naked chick in the bedroom."

"She was dead BEFORE I entered the room."

"And, yes, she was naked BEFORE I entered the room."

"She was wearing a--"

Palindrome's eyes widen in shock. "*****!" he shouts.

He draws his wand and rushes to the kitchen door--making sure that Adie is not hiding about the corner before he darts inside.

OOC: Adie hasn't turned into a succubus or demilich while our backs were turned, has she? *sigh* This is why we should tie EVERYONE up.​

[sblock=D'oh!]Forgot to check the halfling for loot before tying her up! Ack!

Okay: New rules...

1) After we rescue someone, we loot them.
2) Then we tie them up.[/sblock]

OOC: Hey, NT, what does 'WRT' mean?​

 

[Halford]

"Well my name is Neera, but everyone calls me Tiptoes. I met Clanks there a few months ago when he saved me from an irrate noble who was trying to cut me hand off after I retrieved the purse he had dropped and tried to return it to him - just because I am poor does not mean I am a thief, but some don't seem te feel that way."

[sblock=Tander]
You can vaguely recall a childrens story from when you were a lad - though not who told you it or where - in which a puppet wanted to be a real boy and every time he lied his nose grew. If this young lady were a puppet she could pole vault with her facial protrubulence.

Or, more to the point, she stole the noble's purse.[/sblock]

She scowls fiercly at this remembered slight to her honor and continues,

"Anyways suddenly his belt unbuckles and his trousers are around his ankles, and I hear this dead faint clanking noise like someone running in armor. Since running seemed like a good plan and cause I wanted te meet my savior I followed the sounds inte a back ally, and then I was talking to an invisible fellow. Thought I was barking for a while, but then he touched me and I could see him. Anyways we became friends and I started helping him distribute the Screamer and he helped me with my quota and we got along just fine."

She furrows her brow in thought,

"Then we began te see Bugbears every now and then, sniffing around. Its like they knew where he was, but not exactly like. They would know what district we were in, but not where we were holed up and all. Clanks said he got the eye from them back when he was an adventurer, said it cost him everything and he meant te keep it. Made him invisible, gave him visions, but I think it made him a little crazy to. Poor Clanks."

Neera rubs her head,

"Anyways last thing I know he was watchin some fancy cult or some such, said they worshipped the eye, or thought they did. They had a big jones on for the Screamer almost worshipped it, and he kept coming up here to watch them at it. Said it was funny, but that one of them scared him, the snake lady. I was out on my own when they nabbed me, said I was always around, think they caught me watchin' 'em, then they made me tell them where Clanks 'd be conked me on the head and I woke up here."

 

[Dunamin]

Woe pays close attention to Neera’s account, nodding in thought and taking mental notes of just about everything.

“That answers quite a few questions, shortie - you have my gratitude for sharing, for what that’s worth (and it usually turns out quite worthwhile for the dames).”

“As our friendly healer here hinted at, we’re none too fond of these Eye fanatics, either. In fact, when we’re done with ‘em Clanks will probably be avenged at least thrice over, so anything else you can recall would speed up the process.”

“Where did the two of you first encounter the bugbears or other cultists? Did Clanks mention where he originally met them and got the eye? Did he have any idea where on the nearby isles the cult is camped out now? Finally, did he ever speak of visions about a kid with description matching this?” Woe displays the illustration of Arnest, as he picked up after the Glasstons had it brought over to Doddoddod’s tower.

[sblock=OOC]Wow, that halfling just uncovered some sweet information!

If L4W wasn’t using its own pantheon, I’d say this screams Eye of Vecna![/sblock]

 

[Halford]

"Oh I know him. Not seem him around for a while and he looks a bit meaner in real life. He was out at their other meeting place, the Marn Mansion. If you untie me I will take you out there. Some of them are just spoiled rich kids wanting to play with the occult, but Clanks always said that snake lady and her inner circle were bad news. And before you ask I don't think he meant a literal snake, he was an odd duck - Hermethis guide him and Hadeys have mercy."

 

[Dunamin]

OOC: Woe has already untied her, if you recall just a few posts ago.

 

[Halford]

OOC: My bad, thanks Dun, I will edit.

 

[KenHood]

[sblock=Human flirting with a halfling...]

“...what that’s worth (and it usually turns out quite worthwhile for the dames).”

Eeeeew![/sblock]

Palindrome returns to the common room, leading Adie by the hand.

He points at a couch, "Sit."

He raises a hand. "Stay."

"Good Adie."

"Did I miss anything?" says Palindrome, "And am I invisible? I hope I'm invisible. Or at least blurry."

"I found a magic necklace on <elf chick's> body."

OOC: <elf chick> because I don't know if everyone else can hear her name properly.

[sblock=Next Leg of the Tour]

"He was out at their other meeting place, the Marn Mansion. If you untie me I will take you out there.

Y'all want to head back to Dod*3's to recover our dailies before heading out? We could pick up the thief when we report to tubby.

Also, we need to loot the place before we go. I want to take the box with the rocks. Why? I don't know.[/sblock]