The Liberation of Tenh (updated April 24)

[Plane Sailing]

Good posts, great storylines here Contact. It's a shame to see Jespo getting kicked in the nuts again and Lucius the cohort is a lot more independent minded than his predecessor.

I'm looking forward to hearing a little bit more about Tau and what he's up to now...

 

[Morte]

Jespo is warming to the story, his upper lip growing stiffer by the moment. “His name is Redgar, and he is a man. He’s always been a man, but he’s been under a curse. Something to do with trying on a girdle, in a witch’s lair.”

(contact), you are a bad, wicked, nasty, cruel man. If you weren't doing it to your own ex-PC, I'd come over the San Francisco and put whiskers and a tail on you.

In other words, I love it.

Nystul, eh? Your lot must be pretty serious powers in the land by now. The LGG has Nystul as level 17, and the junior member of the Circle of Eight 15. Have you beefed the big name mortal NPC figures up at all?

 

[(contact)]

Did any of the players see the Regda/Regar thing comming? Definately a laugh out loud moment.

No, not at all. They had a terrible time keeping a straight face while I was playing teary-eyed Jespo. It was hilarious.

(contact), you are a bad, wicked, nasty, cruel man.

Don't blame me, it was Barastrondo's idea!

Nystul, eh? Your lot must be pretty serious powers in the land by now. The LGG has Nystul as level 17, and the junior member of the Circle of Eight 15. Have you beefed the big name mortal NPC figures up at all?

Not really. We're sticking pretty close to the canon, *except* for any bad guys directly in the path of the oncoming Liberators. Lucius' trip to Chendl didn't make it into the logs, but he selected Nystul because Nystul is an expat Tenha, and Lucius reckoned (rightly) that any nosy Tenha member of the Circle of Eight would *love* to get closer to the Liberators of Tenh, if only to snoop around.

 

[Zaruthustran]

Patchwall 22, CY 593
82—Consolation prizes so rarely do.

Awesome.

“Jespo!” Heydricus jumps up. “We missed you . . . say, where’s the little lady?”

Jespo cries.

“Um.” Heydricus puts his hands on his hips, and looks courageous.

Awesome.

Jespo is warming to the story, his upper lip growing stiffer by the moment. “His name is Redgar, and he is a man. He’s always been a man, but he’s been under a curse. Something to do with trying on a girdle, in a witch’s lair.”

Awesome.

Heydricus gapes, Prisantha’s nose twitches, and Gwendolyn nods. No one laughs, except for Lucius

Hilarious.

“You’re just unlucky in love, Jespo.” Heydricus puts his arm around the smaller man. “Maybe next time, kid.” Heydricus considers chucking Jespo’s chin, then decides it would be too much.

This, combined with the courageous look above, makes me think that Heydricus and Captain Fury (of Q-Ship fame) would be good friends.

“No,” Lucius says slowly. “It’s about the money. Look at you, the lot of you—clucking like barnyard hens,” Lucius says. “F-ck your principles, where’s your stuff, Crim? All the magic items you crafted for her?”

“Well, he has them, of course,”

“’Of course’, hell! Why don’t you straighten up and act like a Liberator? Thrommel robbed you blind, and now this lying, cheating fraud of a woman is going to do the same?” Lucius moves very close to Jespo. “Look, I’ll help you get your stuff back. I think somebody should pay for this, and I think you do too.”

Lucius is just the best NPC ever.

Lucius scouts Wintershiven as requested, and gathers intelligence on the Pholtan splinter-sect. Or, to be precise, he hires out the job, and spends the rest of the time in Stoink

See above comment.

“That’s not what I asked, Crim, and you know it.” Lucius leans forward. “Are you or are you not barred from other schools of magic?”

...

Lucius is sneering now, reducing Jespo a sheath of flaccid skin dangling from bone. “Do I look stupid, Crim? Do I look like Regda?”

Jespo’s eyes moisten. “No, you do not,” he mutters, his eyes on his hands.

Lucius continues. “Then don’t f-cking lie to me. Why don’t you cast evocations?”

...

“What happened to that familiar, Crim?”

“She died in the Temple.”

“She burned to death, didn’t she?”

“Yes.”

“And it was the best thing to ever happen to you. You should have been issued a sack with rocks in it when you graduated to wizard. Now look here, I know you’ve had a hard life—but your life ain’t got nothin’ on mine, are we agreed?”

“I suppose,”

“’I suppose’ is a pussy way to say ‘no’, Crim. Do you or do you not think that my life has been six shades of trouble?”

“Well, yes.”

“Then do you or do you not think that I know a thing or two about a thing or two about pulling your own ass out of a fire?”

“I . . . I do.”

“Good. Then trust me on this one. I’ve arranged for a real mentor for you, Jespo. His name is Nystul. He’s a very famous man, and he could probably take out Prisantha’s candy-ass wizard’s academy single handed. He’s agreed to teach you evocations, Jespo, and you’re going to learn them and say thank you.”

“I don’t think . . .”

“A smart wizard says, ‘thank you.’ Say it.”

Jespo looks down. “Thank you.”

“Good. We go to Chendl tomorrow, you start your training, and when you’re finished we’re going to get your goddamned stuff back.” Lucius stands up. “Stop crying, Crim, makes you look like a woman. Besides, I just put you on the winning side. If I were you, I’d be whistlin’ like a halfling.” Lucius leans in close to Jespo’s ear. “And a smart wizard keeps his mouth shut about where he’s going.”

This whole bit reminds me of the Samual L "Jules" Jackson scene in pulp fiction--the one with his famous "Does-Marsellus-Wallace-look-like-a-b*tch?" speech.

Before today I never pictured Lucius as an intense, scary black man. It works.

-z

Pulp Fiction scene:

BRETT
I just want you to know how sorry
we are about how ed up things
got between us and Mr. Wallace.
When we entered into this thing, we
only had the best intentions --

As Brett talks, Jules takes out his gun and SHOOTS Roger three
times in the chest, BLOWING him out of his chair.

Vince smiles to himself. Jules has got style.

Brett has just sh*t his pants. He's not crying or whimpering,
but he's so full of fear, it's as if his body is imploding.

JULES
(to Brett)
Oh, I'm sorry. Did that break your
concentration? I didn't mean to do
that. Please, continue. I believe
you were saying something about
"best intentions."

Brett can't say a word.

JULES
Whatsamatter? Oh, you were through
anyway. Well, let me retort.
Would you describe for me what
Marsellus Wallace looks like?

Brett still can't speak.

Jules SNAPS, SAVAGELY TIPPING the card table over, removing
the only barrier between himself and Brett. Brett now sits in
a lone chair before Jules like a political prisoner in front
of an interrogator.

JULES
What country you from!

BRETT
(petrified)
What?

JULES
"What" ain't no country I know! Do
they speak English in "What?"

BRETT
(near heart attack)
What?

JULES
English-motherf*cker-can-you-speak-
it?

BRETT
Yes.

JULES
Then you understand what I'm
sayin'?

BRETT
Yes.

JULES
Now describe what Marsellus Wallace
looks like!

BRETT
(out of fear)
What?

Jules takes his .45 and PRESSES the barrel HARD in Brett's
cheek.

JULES
Say "What" again! C'mon, say
"What" again! I dare ya, I double
dare ya motherf*cker, say "What"
one more goddamn time!

Brett is regressing on the spot.

JULES
Now describe to me what Marsellus
Wallace looks like!

Brett does his best.

BRETT
Well he's ...he's...black --

JULES
-- go on!

BRETT
...and he's...he's...tall --

JULES
-- does he look like a bitch?!

BRETT
(without thinking)
What?

Jules' eyes go to Vincent, Vincent smirks, Jules rolls his
eyes and SHOOT Brett in the shoulder.

Brett SCREAMS, breaking into a SHAKING/TREMBLING SPASM in the
chair.

JULES
Does-he-look-like-a-bitch?!

BRETT
(in agony)
No.

JULES
Then why did you try to f*ck 'im
like a bitch?!

BRETT
(in spasm)
I didn't.

Now in a lower voice.

JULES
Yes ya did Brett. Ya tried ta
'im. You ever read the Bible,
Brett?

BRETT
(in spasm)
Yes.

JULES
There's a passage I got memorized,
seems appropriate for this
situation: Ezekiel 25:17. "The path
of the righteous man is beset on
all sides by the inequities of the
selfish and the tyranny of evil
men. Blessed is he who, in the
name of charity and good will,
shepherds the weak through the
valley of darkness, for he is truly
his brother's keeper and the finder
of lost children. And I will
strike down upon thee with great
vengeance and furious anger those
who attempt to poison and destroy
my brothers. And you will know my
name is the Lord when I lay my
vengeance upon you."

The two men EMPTY their guns at the same time on the sitting
Brett.

When they are finished, the bullet-ridden carcass just sits
there for a moment, then TOPPLES over.

All is quiet.

 

[Schmoe]

Neither Pris or Jespo could find two schools that they could give up without giving up "signature" spells.

Why didn't Jespo give up the School of Big Cajones and the School of Kicking Ass? I can't remember him casting any of those...

 

[Schmoe]

By the way, do have any idea just how perfect this tiny exchange is?

“I don’t want her back,” Jespo says. “It isn’t about the curse, it’s about the lying.”

Prisantha and Gwendolyn murmur agreement.

It made me teary eyed.

 

[Sejs]

Lucius

Lucius scouts Wintershiven as requested, and gathers intelligence on the Pholtan splinter-sect. Or, to be precise, he hires out the job, and spends the rest of the time in Stoink, cross-checking Elenthal and C’min’s information, and making contacts of his own. In short, he establishes a coven of interested business leaders, rogues, thieves and thugs, and sets himself above them all. He instructs them on how to organize themselves, and assures them that when the time comes, they will be called upon to Run the City.

That settled, he returns to Wintershiven, de-briefs his informants, kills a few Pholtans, and returns (via teleportation) to Nevond Nevnend.

“Tau’s story checks out,” he reports. “But no one knows much else. It was a slow month.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“No,” Lucius says slowly. “It’s about the money. Look at you, the lot of you—clucking like barnyard hens,” Lucius says. “F-ck your principles, where’s your stuff, Crim? All the magic items you crafted for her?”

“Well, he has them, of course,”

“’Of course’, hell! Why don’t you straighten up and act like a Liberator? Thrommel robbed you blind, and now this lying, cheating fraud of a woman is going to do the same?” Lucius moves very close to Jespo. “Look, I’ll help you get your stuff back. I think somebody should pay for this, and I think you do too.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Good. Then trust me on this one. I’ve arranged for a real mentor for you, Jespo. His name is Nystul. He’s a very famous man, and he could probably take out Prisantha’s candy-ass wizard’s academy single handed. He’s agreed to teach you evocations, Jespo, and you’re going to learn them and say thank you.”

Wow, Lucius really took being a foot note in the "Pholtan's Big Book o' Badguys: Liberators of Tenh" section hard.

I say godd*am we love that assassin!

 

[the_mighty_agrippa]

“Good. Then trust me on this one. I’ve arranged for a real mentor for you, Jespo. His name is Nystul. He’s a very famous man, and he could probably take out Prisantha’s candy-ass wizard’s academy single handed. He’s agreed to teach you evocations, Jespo, and you’re going to learn them and say thank you.”

“I don’t think . . .”

“A smart wizard says, ‘thank you.’ Say it.”

Jespo looks down. “Thank you.”

“Good. We go to Chendl tomorrow, you start your training, and when you’re finished we’re going to get your goddamned stuff back.” Lucius stands up. “Stop crying, Crim, makes you look like a woman. Besides, I just put you on the winning side. If I were you, I’d be whistlin’ like a halfling.” Lucius leans in close to Jespo’s ear. “And a smart wizard keeps his mouth shut about where he’s going.”

This is the best.

 

[Joshua Randall]

I think at this point it's best if I disguise my bump as a reply, by quoting (or paraphrasing, depending upon how good my memory is) my favorite Lucius line. (Also Wulf Ratbane's favorite line from the ToEE story.)

"... a short but murderous foray to re-establish the party's reputation as people not to be trifled with."

Oh yeah. Go, Lucius!

 

[(contact)]

"Several of the Shieldlanders were captured before the mob was driven off, and Lucius sets to work on one of them. After a rather lengthy ‘session’ during which he wrests forth the names of the civic leaders in the refugee camps, he proposes a killing spree. A quick, and murderous foray into the refugee camps to repair the party’s reputation as people not to be trifled with.

The party shoots this down."