Tangent Loki
First Post
The mounts pawed the ground anxiously. For miles around the peaks of the city of Tricondus could be seen, and the black keep that arched its towers toward the sky like grasping claws.
It had once been ruled by vampires. Driven out by the first of the kings of men. The first of the Banehills.
Outside the gates of the keep were a motley assortment of folk, among the beggars come to petition daily for bread, but they were here with purpose.
Each one of these marked five, had clutched a summons, sealed with the regent's seal.
The King is dying. Ten years ago the Prince went missing, but rumors now infest the land that he lives, and will return. No one has heard from Deepgreen in a few months, it is on the edge of this kingdom and shares a border with the elves of legend, although few claim to have seen them in the intervening centuries.
One of this group is a man, inflicted with the curse, or as he views it blessing, of lycanthropy, his powerful orcish muscles worn stronger by the might of the beast within him. The bear is his totem. His name is Wolf.
Nearby a girl stands, tomboyish and young. She has worked in many fields, and studied in many locales. Raised a ranger, bred a wanderer. She studied with the monks near shadow mountain, for a time, the longest she ever rested, then sought out the masters of the mental arts, wherein she learned to float above the earth, rather than to set he feet on it. She spent time in a school for swordsmanship, but dropped out after her first lessons. She is torn by wanderlust.
A pace up closer to the gate, is a woman in the shadows, more cat than human, plying her trade, a coin here, a bauble there. Her hands work they're magic, claws much more dexterous than any knife at cutting purses.
dressed in clothes of sable-black they are fine. He knows the dark streets, and is used to the noble clients. next to him there is a small boy wide-eyed and plain looking. He wears an ornate dagger at his hip. He is a master of spells as well as the sword.
They meet a gruff voice at the door and are ushered in to the marble halls. Their guide ushers them past scores of guards in plate mail. It is a hot summer day. They pity the poor soldiers.
The make their way into a cloistered sanctuary. A soft voice instructs them to wait. The guide leaves.
from behind a statue emerges a cowled shape. He lifts it to reveal himself. It is the Regent. Benedict Chaultier. As the king lies dying of a consumptive illness and the Prince's bastard heir is too young to rule it is he who has assumed the mantle of leadership. he has not been a good ruler, but he has not been a bad ruler. taxes have not been changed, but there are less patrols these days. Less aid coming from the crown to secure the outlying territories.
He addresses them in his voice, soft as whisper-silk.
"I surmise you know why you are here?" Benedict asks.
"Let me put it in the clear" he asserts. "The Prince has been presumed dead these last ten years. this you know. he went to slay whatever the creature was that was threatening the people of Deepgreen. He apparently succeeded, but it cost him his life, He was never seen again. "
He pauses.
"There are rumors spreading from Deepgreen that he lives. That he has been seen. A shadow here, the glint of armor there. The flash of the Banehill sword."
"I need you to find him. I need this to be done quietly. He needs to be brought back home. If he is alive conducted in secret so we can arrange his triumphal return. if he is dead, to be arrayed in state at the proper time."
"you have all shown prowess in your fields. I am well connected and have eyes everywhere."
"Will you help me? "
The question hangs in the air for a brief moment as eyes meet across the void. Before assent can be given it is known.
"you will of course be paid. here are two thousand crowns, each now. More when you complete your mission. You horses have been given provender, there is food and bedrolls strapped. Make for Deepgreen and from there begin your search. although I do not believe you will be well received there. they haven't sent tribute in the last two months."
"Raid, come with me."
The rest step out of the room. And are guided to the horses. Wolf's Pegasus has received a fine brush down.
They split up into the marketplace. to hit up the bazaar's for last minute supplies. Valence, the little girl, goes to get potions, and is joined in her quest by wolf.
The female catperson curls up on some hay to rest.
meanwhile Raid and the regent confer.
[D]
--------------------------------------------------------------------(bars are for secret info, to keep in the player mindset skip between the lines, one player only present)
"Raid" smiles the chancellor. " There are certain factions in this government willing to pay well for the prince to return dead."
"This is your specialty is it not?"
Raid answers " it is".
"then make it so". Another down payment of a thousand crowns, more on your return of course.
"And here" he says tossing a bag, you might want these.
He whirls and leaves the room.
Raid examines the bag, inside are some stale smelling crackers, salted.
He looks up quizzically. Then ties them onto his belt and makes his way to the stables.
[/D]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They make their way out for the first day. It is slow and un-eventful the sun bakes down wearily , and they eat their rations.
The second day is more troublesome. there isn't much road banter happening. No one wants to begin introductions.
the third day is different. About mid morning they spy a boy on the road. He is please and clammy. Barely a whisper wheezes from his lungs. It has words to it. he is crying 'help me'.
Immeadiately at worry for plague, the party fans out. Raid continues passing by on the side of the road. His boy-servant, Acacius, moves forward, fingering the necklace he wears, His page-like glasses glinting in the sunlight. He notices an asp curled about the boys legs.
before he can act a sling stone whirls through the air striking the asp.
A smile caress the boy's face. He sings:
for the kindness you showed this day
the fauns will help you on your way
and vanishes into the summer heat.
There is nothing but tall grass and a few scrub trees as far as the eye can see. it is savannah land.
Valence immeadiately begins to look for deer.
The rest of the party ponders for a few miutes. then mounts up and continues the journey.
That night rain is coming. Hard rain. They search for a place to stay. passing a twisted and blackened tree stump, that looks hollowed out and ten feet in diameter. If it hadn't been so damaged it would have dominated this part of the plains. They look for other shelter. they continue, and try the surrounding hills, striking off the path to try to find an animal cave. They find only one what is only small enough for a few dogs.
Wolf flies ahead. he scans the surrounding country side, neither he nor his pegasus able to find much. They go back towards the others and see the stump.
They head towards it. landing a couple hundred feet away. Wolf begins to approach it cautiously. Into existence before him whip two vaguely human shapes. Composed of swirling eddies of air. They are frantic gesutring for him to stay back from the tree.
he tosses them a gold coin, and backs off. They continue to ward him from the perimeter of it.
he leaves.
He returns to the rest of the adventurers. Who have located a grove of trees.
The pegasus finds his way comfortably under the boughs. the horses are itched and everyone settles in. During the first watch the party cannot help but feel they are being watched, something is just outside of sight and sound. Just outside the campsite. Wolf is wakened in the night to two sharp squeals, upon investigation he finds the bodies of two goblins.
In the middle of the night. the Catperson sees a shape enter the glade. it is raining now hard.
he leaves five pheasants. He draws a few runes on the ground.
he leaves, ducking quickly out of the grove and into the brush.
The catperson moves over to the tent of Raid. She whispers softly two him. Purring into his ear.
he awakes.
She takes him out and explains what she saw. The rain is making a mess of the writing. he sketches it quickly and grabs a few of the pheasants.
If he has to be woken up in the middle of his rest and meditation he feels he should be amply rewarded.
he goes back to sleep.
It had once been ruled by vampires. Driven out by the first of the kings of men. The first of the Banehills.
Outside the gates of the keep were a motley assortment of folk, among the beggars come to petition daily for bread, but they were here with purpose.
Each one of these marked five, had clutched a summons, sealed with the regent's seal.
The King is dying. Ten years ago the Prince went missing, but rumors now infest the land that he lives, and will return. No one has heard from Deepgreen in a few months, it is on the edge of this kingdom and shares a border with the elves of legend, although few claim to have seen them in the intervening centuries.
One of this group is a man, inflicted with the curse, or as he views it blessing, of lycanthropy, his powerful orcish muscles worn stronger by the might of the beast within him. The bear is his totem. His name is Wolf.
Nearby a girl stands, tomboyish and young. She has worked in many fields, and studied in many locales. Raised a ranger, bred a wanderer. She studied with the monks near shadow mountain, for a time, the longest she ever rested, then sought out the masters of the mental arts, wherein she learned to float above the earth, rather than to set he feet on it. She spent time in a school for swordsmanship, but dropped out after her first lessons. She is torn by wanderlust.
A pace up closer to the gate, is a woman in the shadows, more cat than human, plying her trade, a coin here, a bauble there. Her hands work they're magic, claws much more dexterous than any knife at cutting purses.
dressed in clothes of sable-black they are fine. He knows the dark streets, and is used to the noble clients. next to him there is a small boy wide-eyed and plain looking. He wears an ornate dagger at his hip. He is a master of spells as well as the sword.
They meet a gruff voice at the door and are ushered in to the marble halls. Their guide ushers them past scores of guards in plate mail. It is a hot summer day. They pity the poor soldiers.
The make their way into a cloistered sanctuary. A soft voice instructs them to wait. The guide leaves.
from behind a statue emerges a cowled shape. He lifts it to reveal himself. It is the Regent. Benedict Chaultier. As the king lies dying of a consumptive illness and the Prince's bastard heir is too young to rule it is he who has assumed the mantle of leadership. he has not been a good ruler, but he has not been a bad ruler. taxes have not been changed, but there are less patrols these days. Less aid coming from the crown to secure the outlying territories.
He addresses them in his voice, soft as whisper-silk.
"I surmise you know why you are here?" Benedict asks.
"Let me put it in the clear" he asserts. "The Prince has been presumed dead these last ten years. this you know. he went to slay whatever the creature was that was threatening the people of Deepgreen. He apparently succeeded, but it cost him his life, He was never seen again. "
He pauses.
"There are rumors spreading from Deepgreen that he lives. That he has been seen. A shadow here, the glint of armor there. The flash of the Banehill sword."
"I need you to find him. I need this to be done quietly. He needs to be brought back home. If he is alive conducted in secret so we can arrange his triumphal return. if he is dead, to be arrayed in state at the proper time."
"you have all shown prowess in your fields. I am well connected and have eyes everywhere."
"Will you help me? "
The question hangs in the air for a brief moment as eyes meet across the void. Before assent can be given it is known.
"you will of course be paid. here are two thousand crowns, each now. More when you complete your mission. You horses have been given provender, there is food and bedrolls strapped. Make for Deepgreen and from there begin your search. although I do not believe you will be well received there. they haven't sent tribute in the last two months."
"Raid, come with me."
The rest step out of the room. And are guided to the horses. Wolf's Pegasus has received a fine brush down.
They split up into the marketplace. to hit up the bazaar's for last minute supplies. Valence, the little girl, goes to get potions, and is joined in her quest by wolf.
The female catperson curls up on some hay to rest.
meanwhile Raid and the regent confer.
[D]
--------------------------------------------------------------------(bars are for secret info, to keep in the player mindset skip between the lines, one player only present)
"Raid" smiles the chancellor. " There are certain factions in this government willing to pay well for the prince to return dead."
"This is your specialty is it not?"
Raid answers " it is".
"then make it so". Another down payment of a thousand crowns, more on your return of course.
"And here" he says tossing a bag, you might want these.
He whirls and leaves the room.
Raid examines the bag, inside are some stale smelling crackers, salted.
He looks up quizzically. Then ties them onto his belt and makes his way to the stables.
[/D]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They make their way out for the first day. It is slow and un-eventful the sun bakes down wearily , and they eat their rations.
The second day is more troublesome. there isn't much road banter happening. No one wants to begin introductions.
the third day is different. About mid morning they spy a boy on the road. He is please and clammy. Barely a whisper wheezes from his lungs. It has words to it. he is crying 'help me'.
Immeadiately at worry for plague, the party fans out. Raid continues passing by on the side of the road. His boy-servant, Acacius, moves forward, fingering the necklace he wears, His page-like glasses glinting in the sunlight. He notices an asp curled about the boys legs.
before he can act a sling stone whirls through the air striking the asp.
A smile caress the boy's face. He sings:
for the kindness you showed this day
the fauns will help you on your way
and vanishes into the summer heat.
There is nothing but tall grass and a few scrub trees as far as the eye can see. it is savannah land.
Valence immeadiately begins to look for deer.
The rest of the party ponders for a few miutes. then mounts up and continues the journey.
That night rain is coming. Hard rain. They search for a place to stay. passing a twisted and blackened tree stump, that looks hollowed out and ten feet in diameter. If it hadn't been so damaged it would have dominated this part of the plains. They look for other shelter. they continue, and try the surrounding hills, striking off the path to try to find an animal cave. They find only one what is only small enough for a few dogs.
Wolf flies ahead. he scans the surrounding country side, neither he nor his pegasus able to find much. They go back towards the others and see the stump.
They head towards it. landing a couple hundred feet away. Wolf begins to approach it cautiously. Into existence before him whip two vaguely human shapes. Composed of swirling eddies of air. They are frantic gesutring for him to stay back from the tree.
he tosses them a gold coin, and backs off. They continue to ward him from the perimeter of it.
he leaves.
He returns to the rest of the adventurers. Who have located a grove of trees.
The pegasus finds his way comfortably under the boughs. the horses are itched and everyone settles in. During the first watch the party cannot help but feel they are being watched, something is just outside of sight and sound. Just outside the campsite. Wolf is wakened in the night to two sharp squeals, upon investigation he finds the bodies of two goblins.
In the middle of the night. the Catperson sees a shape enter the glade. it is raining now hard.
he leaves five pheasants. He draws a few runes on the ground.
he leaves, ducking quickly out of the grove and into the brush.
The catperson moves over to the tent of Raid. She whispers softly two him. Purring into his ear.
he awakes.
She takes him out and explains what she saw. The rain is making a mess of the writing. he sketches it quickly and grabs a few of the pheasants.
If he has to be woken up in the middle of his rest and meditation he feels he should be amply rewarded.
he goes back to sleep.
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