The Romance of the River Kingdoms
- Thread starter Dr Simon
- Start date
Dr Simon
Explorer
"Nothing?" says Sister Herbalist incredulously. "I think rescuing these girls is a much higher priority than some door!"
The Vashti holds up a hand.
"It's okay, Shar," she says. "I'll have a look, it won't hurt if we're quick about it.." She gives Mystal a slightly manic smile. "Show me where these doors are."
Sister Herbalist lets out a heavy sigh and puts her hands on her hips.
"Oh dear," she says. "And here was me hoping you wouldn't be like our old Vashti."
The Vashti holds up a hand.
"It's okay, Shar," she says. "I'll have a look, it won't hurt if we're quick about it.." She gives Mystal a slightly manic smile. "Show me where these doors are."
Sister Herbalist lets out a heavy sigh and puts her hands on her hips.
"Oh dear," she says. "And here was me hoping you wouldn't be like our old Vashti."
Annika watches the procedings from a bit farther back, some of her old wary ways returning at the presence of a stranger in their midst. When the plan goes off without a hitch she moves closer though, and when the door is mentioned she's quick to tell the Vashti, "It looks the same as a door near the river that led into the spirit world. We think inscribing the right mark on the lock will open it. That's how the other one worked."
At the Herbalist's remarks, Shakou giggled faintly. "You seemed to tend to the girls rather easily, without much fuss. Though, Vashti did calm them first... somehow. I'd just as soon go elsewhere and inform the farmer of what was taking his flock..." Not having the experiences of the rest of the group, Shakou is clueless about the door, and not particularly fond of the idea of investigating doors that lead to the spirit world. She had enough problems here... no need to add a whole new world of them.
Dr Simon
Explorer
"A shempo door!" says the Vashti. She hitches up her robes and climbs up into the cave like an excited child.
"Yes, an old one, although..." she cocks her head to one side, "of course the art of making them has been lost for centuries." She steps up and strokes the framed area. "You draw the correct symbol or word here, and the door opens, but I suppose you don't know the correct symbol." She glances around for confirmation. Stepping back from the door she puts a finger to her chin and continues.
"There are ways of getting past that, I believe. Trial and error, although supposedly using the wrong symbol can set of a trap if the maker made it that way. Opening magic can work, depending on the relative magical power of the caster and the door's maker. Or, quite often, they are just ordinary doors. Brute force can work.
"Shempo doors are usually used to divide those who know from those who don't. They are as much symbolic as practical. Know the right symbol, you are priviliged to pass through the door. Don't know the symbol, you are not worthy.
"I wonder where this one leads...."
Meanwhile, Sister Herbalist turns to Shakou.
"Without the Vashti's calming mantra, I doubt I could have duped them so easily." She looks the girl up and down. "You're one of those tricksters she took in aren't you? I wasn't sure about you, but I find I agree with you girl. We should get away from here as quickly as possible." She looks about her and shivers.
"Yes, an old one, although..." she cocks her head to one side, "of course the art of making them has been lost for centuries." She steps up and strokes the framed area. "You draw the correct symbol or word here, and the door opens, but I suppose you don't know the correct symbol." She glances around for confirmation. Stepping back from the door she puts a finger to her chin and continues.
"There are ways of getting past that, I believe. Trial and error, although supposedly using the wrong symbol can set of a trap if the maker made it that way. Opening magic can work, depending on the relative magical power of the caster and the door's maker. Or, quite often, they are just ordinary doors. Brute force can work.
"Shempo doors are usually used to divide those who know from those who don't. They are as much symbolic as practical. Know the right symbol, you are priviliged to pass through the door. Don't know the symbol, you are not worthy.
"I wonder where this one leads...."
Meanwhile, Sister Herbalist turns to Shakou.
"Without the Vashti's calming mantra, I doubt I could have duped them so easily." She looks the girl up and down. "You're one of those tricksters she took in aren't you? I wasn't sure about you, but I find I agree with you girl. We should get away from here as quickly as possible." She looks about her and shivers.
Neurotic
I plan on living forever. Or die trying.
Little flashback to just before or immediately after Vashti asked Mystal to show her the door. Mystal speals coldly and ignores the healer for the rest of this outing.
"We took you to take care of the girls, healer. Vashti could have remained safely in the city. Old Vashti knew when to put herself in front and when to remain safe. Same with young one. She's here because of the door. If she doesn't look at them she waster time for this."
He then goes into the cave and observes the proceedings from shadows within the cave
"We took you to take care of the girls, healer. Vashti could have remained safely in the city. Old Vashti knew when to put herself in front and when to remain safe. Same with young one. She's here because of the door. If she doesn't look at them she waster time for this."
He then goes into the cave and observes the proceedings from shadows within the cave
Walking Dad
First Post
AC 15 (T15, FF13), HP 29/39, F +5,R+3,W+6 (Spells: 0:3/5, 1:3/4, 2:2/3)
Ape Form (AC: 17, Touch: 17, Flat Footed: 13)
"I will help as best as I can to save them."
[sblock=ooc]
Spells (CL: 3, DC: 13+spell level)
5/Day Level 0: Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic, Light, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic
4/Day Level 1: Produce Lightning, Shillelagh, Summon Nature's Ally I.
3/Day Level 2: Summon Nature's Ally II
Baboon Traits:
AC: 17, Touch: 17, Flat Footed: 13
Fort: +6
Refl: +5
Will: +6
Move: 40', cimb 40'
Init: +4
Listen/Spot: +9
[/sblock]
Ape Form (AC: 17, Touch: 17, Flat Footed: 13)
"I will help as best as I can to save them."
[sblock=ooc]
Spells (CL: 3, DC: 13+spell level)
5/Day Level 0: Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic, Light, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic
4/Day Level 1: Produce Lightning, Shillelagh, Summon Nature's Ally I.
3/Day Level 2: Summon Nature's Ally II
Baboon Traits:
AC: 17, Touch: 17, Flat Footed: 13
Fort: +6
Refl: +5
Will: +6
Move: 40', cimb 40'
Init: +4
Listen/Spot: +9
[/sblock]
Dr Simon
Explorer
Sister Herbalist looks at Mystal and opens her mouth as if to say something. Nothing comes out, until he turns away to look in the cave.
"Hmf!" she snorts. "I wasn't the one who said she should come out here!" Shifting her cape around her shoulders she turns to help Three Flowers and Growling Ape with the girls.
The Vashti shakes herself out of her reverie regarding the door. "We should get back," she says. "This door looks like it's been closed for centuries. Another day won't hurt."
Later, back at the narvinda, you are all sharing another rice-and-fish based meal with the Vashti. The two feral girls are sleeping a peaceful (drugged) sleep under the care of Sister Herbalist. The Vashti pours out some tea.
"Shakou," she says, "I'm afraid I rather strong-armed you into helping, but thank you for your assistance. You have paid your debt and what you do next is up to you." She turns to Mystal. "Mystal, you were volunteered for this by Jar'Thol and, again, I hold you under no obligation to stay if you don't wish to, although I understand you showed great skill and bravery." Looking to the rest of the group, she continues.
"Indeed, all of you are under no obligation to stay. The narvinda runs mainly on charity, and although we will happily offer you food and shelter, we can offer little in the way of monetary incentive. There are mysteries as yet unsolved, and troubles as yet unfixed, but it is your choice whether you attend to any, or none, of them.
"Shakou, Mystal, you weren't named in the Old Vashti's legacy, so you are not aware of the full story. These others," she indicates Annika, Three Flowers and Growling Ape, "were first called here in the will of my great aunt, Vasu Leng, the former Vashti of Cormondal. She asked them to retrieve a lost statue, with the promise of a reward for doing so. This they did, admirably, and incidentally rescued me from some violent men who also wanted the statue.
"But my great-aunt had left behind a trail of mysteries. The statue contained a clue that led them upriver to Ropoko Island, where they found another of these shempo doors that you saw in the girls' cave. This led them to a part of the Spirit Realm ruled by the River King. The old River King had gone travelling with my great aunt, and Three Flowers' grandfather, and had been missing for forty, fifty years. The new River King had outlawed contact between the Spirit Realm and our world, and left administration to his nine children.
"These three evaded one of the children, a Prince Flood, but learned that the scroll that my great-aunt intended them to find had been taken by his older brother, Prince Oxbow. The River King's family can detect mortals, so they escaped and decided to find the legendary Jade Elixir to disguise them, or even grant them immortality, according to some legends. If they had this, they could infiltrate the River King's court and find the scroll, follow the trail left by Vasu.
"Thus for my great-aunts legacy. Other matters have arisen in the course of these adventures. A mining outpost upstream seems to have fallen to a sickness that turns men into acidic slime, and the Merchant's League are offering a reward to solve this. Whilst you were out fighting spiders, I had two letters. One invites me and my "assistants" to dinner with the local Magister Administory, the other is a request for help from a poor neighbourhood in Cormondal, who are having trouble with a Paper Lantern Gang. Further, the body of one of my attackers has gone missing from our infirmary.
"On top of this, new mysteries have now arisen. This shempo door in the spider canyon. And now these girls. Can we civilise them? Can we restore the wombtwisted one? Is their mother still alive on the Island of the Moontouched? Is there anything more behind their sorry story?"
The Vashti pours herself another tea.
"As I said, I hold none of you under any obligation to help with any of these problems, although I would welcome anything you could offer. And as far as payment goes, only working for the Merchant's League will guarantee anything other than food and shelter.
"So, my friends, what are your thoughts?"
"Hmf!" she snorts. "I wasn't the one who said she should come out here!" Shifting her cape around her shoulders she turns to help Three Flowers and Growling Ape with the girls.
The Vashti shakes herself out of her reverie regarding the door. "We should get back," she says. "This door looks like it's been closed for centuries. Another day won't hurt."
Later, back at the narvinda, you are all sharing another rice-and-fish based meal with the Vashti. The two feral girls are sleeping a peaceful (drugged) sleep under the care of Sister Herbalist. The Vashti pours out some tea.
"Shakou," she says, "I'm afraid I rather strong-armed you into helping, but thank you for your assistance. You have paid your debt and what you do next is up to you." She turns to Mystal. "Mystal, you were volunteered for this by Jar'Thol and, again, I hold you under no obligation to stay if you don't wish to, although I understand you showed great skill and bravery." Looking to the rest of the group, she continues.
"Indeed, all of you are under no obligation to stay. The narvinda runs mainly on charity, and although we will happily offer you food and shelter, we can offer little in the way of monetary incentive. There are mysteries as yet unsolved, and troubles as yet unfixed, but it is your choice whether you attend to any, or none, of them.
"Shakou, Mystal, you weren't named in the Old Vashti's legacy, so you are not aware of the full story. These others," she indicates Annika, Three Flowers and Growling Ape, "were first called here in the will of my great aunt, Vasu Leng, the former Vashti of Cormondal. She asked them to retrieve a lost statue, with the promise of a reward for doing so. This they did, admirably, and incidentally rescued me from some violent men who also wanted the statue.
"But my great-aunt had left behind a trail of mysteries. The statue contained a clue that led them upriver to Ropoko Island, where they found another of these shempo doors that you saw in the girls' cave. This led them to a part of the Spirit Realm ruled by the River King. The old River King had gone travelling with my great aunt, and Three Flowers' grandfather, and had been missing for forty, fifty years. The new River King had outlawed contact between the Spirit Realm and our world, and left administration to his nine children.
"These three evaded one of the children, a Prince Flood, but learned that the scroll that my great-aunt intended them to find had been taken by his older brother, Prince Oxbow. The River King's family can detect mortals, so they escaped and decided to find the legendary Jade Elixir to disguise them, or even grant them immortality, according to some legends. If they had this, they could infiltrate the River King's court and find the scroll, follow the trail left by Vasu.
"Thus for my great-aunts legacy. Other matters have arisen in the course of these adventures. A mining outpost upstream seems to have fallen to a sickness that turns men into acidic slime, and the Merchant's League are offering a reward to solve this. Whilst you were out fighting spiders, I had two letters. One invites me and my "assistants" to dinner with the local Magister Administory, the other is a request for help from a poor neighbourhood in Cormondal, who are having trouble with a Paper Lantern Gang. Further, the body of one of my attackers has gone missing from our infirmary.
"On top of this, new mysteries have now arisen. This shempo door in the spider canyon. And now these girls. Can we civilise them? Can we restore the wombtwisted one? Is their mother still alive on the Island of the Moontouched? Is there anything more behind their sorry story?"
The Vashti pours herself another tea.
"As I said, I hold none of you under any obligation to help with any of these problems, although I would welcome anything you could offer. And as far as payment goes, only working for the Merchant's League will guarantee anything other than food and shelter.
"So, my friends, what are your thoughts?"
Walking Dad
First Post
AC 15 (T15, FF13), HP 29/39, F +5,R+3,W+6 (Spells: 0:3/5, 1:3/4, 2:2/3)
Ape Form (AC: 17, Touch: 17, Flat Footed: 13)
Ape coughs surprised and asks: "Which body is missing?" He looks rather concerned.
[sblock=ooc]
I stay human in the city.
Spells (CL: 3, DC: 13+spell level)
5/Day Level 0: Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic, Light, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic
4/Day Level 1: Produce Lightning, Shillelagh, Summon Nature's Ally I.
3/Day Level 2: Summon Nature's Ally II
Baboon Traits:
AC: 17, Touch: 17, Flat Footed: 13
Fort: +6
Refl: +5
Will: +6
Move: 40', cimb 40'
Init: +4
Listen/Spot: +9
[/sblock]
Ape Form (AC: 17, Touch: 17, Flat Footed: 13)
Ape coughs surprised and asks: "Which body is missing?" He looks rather concerned.
[sblock=ooc]
I stay human in the city.
Spells (CL: 3, DC: 13+spell level)
5/Day Level 0: Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic, Light, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic
4/Day Level 1: Produce Lightning, Shillelagh, Summon Nature's Ally I.
3/Day Level 2: Summon Nature's Ally II
Baboon Traits:
AC: 17, Touch: 17, Flat Footed: 13
Fort: +6
Refl: +5
Will: +6
Move: 40', cimb 40'
Init: +4
Listen/Spot: +9
[/sblock]
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