The Selgaunt Campaign

[glincaelin]

Marduke

“Well, don’t everyone speak at once!” Marduke give a quick wink to Tal before turning back to the stunned Follies, “ Let me say ‘well met’ to all of you. Introductions are quite a bit more pleasant than outroductions, I’ve found! You seem to have found a rather un-hebitudinous hovel here.” Marduke give a look up and down the hall, taking in the setting. “Nice little portal you had there…too bad is was broken.”

“I see some raiment of musicians…Tal and I have found we both share a predilection for stringed instruments,” Marduke’s left eyebrow inches up nearly imperceptibly before he continues, “Is it the same with you merry-makers?”

OOC: Marduke will use a cursory Search on the immediate area when he looks up and down the hall. Search = 5 (3+2) BAM!

 

[Artemis Blade]

"I'm sorry for the moment of silence, I'm a little in shock." Artemis exclaims. "Too much strangeness has just happened in the span of a few short moments."

"We had returned to the complex Tal may have mentioned to you on your travels for more private exploration, and we recovered an artifact from some flying beasts that attacked us. That allowed us to explore further." Artemis points to the arm.

"We were also able to figure out some of what the different symbols mean in the Portal chambers that Tal has seen. Some of the symbols denote one-way or two-way transport, and some suggest specific items that we need to activate the portals. Like this arm or the key we acquired earlier." Artemis explains.

"The arm also seems to point to something. We don't know what, but if you hold onto it, it points you in a specific direction - which changes if you go through a portal."

"As we were exploring this fairly empty section of the complex, out of nowhere your portal pops up, the portal creature starts howling in pain, three of our party members seemingly teleport to Evermeet, and a whole bunch of crap happens all at once. Since we can't easily follow them, we're sort of at a loss of how to help them."

OOC: Artemis describes what he heard when he neared the portal man. See earlier post.

"...And so now we are here, and I am confused about what to do next." Artemis looks puzzled, and glances around.


OOC:Artemis looks around, and begins investigating where our ex-party members were standing. - search and spot. Search, 7+9=16. Spot, 12-1=11.

 

[dharmabum]

There was NOT a sale on vests

Tuggle, a bit disgruntled at being eyed askance by a somewhat disheveled and verbiose dwarf, takes a moment to shoot an arched eyebrow toward his new companion before opening his mouth.
"Nice sword-work Tal...I knew those hours spent in practice slicing red-fruits in half would pan out for you eventually...that blue ball of light did not look friendly. Do we have to worry about the hand behind the missile pursuing us here?"
Turning to Marduke.
"Introductions may be better than outroductions, but explainations are better than both! How did you come to meet Tal and what do YOU know of US?"
Predjudice is always ugly, and Tuggle tries to temper his intrinsic dislike of dwarves, who are really just overgrown, musclebound gnomes without the benefit of subtlety and wit.

 

[haiiro]

OOC: Marduke's eyes are still a bit blurred from the sudden transition -- not only from sunlight and twittering birds to tomb-like silence and torchlit dimness, but also from his passage through the sparking blue membrane of the portal.

In other words, your search result was: 1. not the Abyss, 2. bare walls of pink stone, 3. carpets of dust, recently disturbed, covering every inch of the floor.

Artemis, apart from the expected smears and rills in the thick dunes of dust the cover the floor, there's nothing different about the places where Olo, Milo and Jaehn were standing prior to their transition.

-----

A couple of other summary points, to hopefully jog some memories from late July (again, apologies for not having written the journal -- I haven't been in the mood for that much concentrated writing):

- The arm you wrested from the stone beasts -- smoothly interlocking plates, mainly of copper and brass, graven with Netherese runes -- tugs slightly towards the door-panel at the far end of the corridor. For Cupric, who is holding the arm, it's a stronger tug than he has felt thus far.

- Before returning to the tower, the Follies helped Sefilia Blackbright fight off Feverrik and his dire boar. Sefilia is a fellow Harper, a tiefling who was involved in protecting an important Harper relic: a sword named Elmelendia, once worn by Storm Silverhand, and recently used to assassinate Valos Selkirk -- brother of the leader of the Silver Ravens, and one of their best Harper hunters.

At present, all is quiet in this section of the tower. Nothing is screaming, glowing, teleporting, etc. Now would be a good time for introductions -- already entertainingly underway -- and deciding where to go next. Options include the door-panel, back through the portal to the water barrier corridor, further exploration of this empty region, and so on.

 

[Xen]

Tal

"I don't think he'll be a problem," says Tal. "The thing he threw was a kind of tracking stone - once it was here he could have found this place again by following its signal. Maybe the arm thing you found is attuned to something similar?"

"And i wouldn't worry too much about Marduke," Tal says on a side note, looking at Tuggle. "He's on our side. Not to mention that he doesn't seem to mind hearing about Torm's great deads - which, by itself, would be enough for me. So... what's with all the doors. You guys had a look around this place yet? And, can I have my stuff back?"

 

[glincaelin]

Marduke

Marduke’s brow furrows ever so slightly under his ancient bushy eyebrows as he listens to the Follies and straightens his robes. If I didn’t know better, I’d reckon that this Gnome suffers from the common Gnomish delusion that Dwarves are really just overgrown, musclebound gnomes without the benefit of subtlety and wit. Lucky for me I’m not a Dwarf! I better make with the charm anyway.

“So, nice vest…I hope it was cheap,” Marduke begins, falters but recovers quickly.

“Ah, yes… Father Tal is right; I’m not much to worry about – just a man, a traveler, a walker…as for what I know of YOU the answer is not much…just the obvious!” A broad smile suddenly softens his features, “You travel with a eloquent brute and a mute Elf; just the opposite of what I would expect!” Marduke switches to Gnomish before finishing, “And you Sir Tuggle remind me of a companion I had once upon a time….your family name isn’t ‘Butterknees’ by any chance, is it?” Marduke looks around at the group and says in Common, “The real question though is ‘how may I be of service?’”

 

[Artemis Blade]

"I guess I didn't introduce myself. I'm Artemis, your local eloquent brute."

"Well, since we were exploring these ruins, perhaps we could get back to doing that. Perhaps we can find the portal man and diagnose what is wrong with him. Or maybe we can find some more clues to what this complex was used for and how it could be used again." Artemis suggests.

"I'm concerned with the voices I heard through the portal man. It seems like we may be up against some other unknown antagonist. I think if we can explore the complex and secure more door and portal activation items, perhaps we can slow anyone trying to reach this tower through other means."

OOC: Artemis will wander over to the door where the arm is pointing and start searching for traps & door mechanism activation. Roll for me. He will continue to pay attention to the conversation.

 

[haiiro]

After introducing himself to Marduke, Artemis takes a look at the metal arm Cupric is holding. Raising one hand, fingers extended, he points in the same direction as the arm, sighting along his hand -- and settles on the door-panel at the end of the corridor.

Padding through the dust while Marduke and the other Follies talk among themselves, Artemis checks the door for traps. He finds none.

Not long ago, Artemis and Vicktor spent a great deal of time examining the latch mechanisms of the door-panels in the cylinder room. Having done so, it's easy for the barbarian to tell that this one looks exactly like the ones that opened with mage hand. If he's right, that's all it'll take to open this one as well.

OOC: I rolled you a shiny 23 Search ([14]+9). No roll needed for determining the activation.

 

[thedangerranger]

Cupric's eyes snap to focus as if suddenly breaking out of a reverie.
"Tal! Good to see you well. Was your mission successful? Oh and Marduke, is it? A pleasure to meet a fellow traveler. If you have earned Tal's trust then I am happy to have your urgosh and sturdy self on our side."
Cupric takes his pack off and starts rummaging around in it.
"Here we are Tal, I believe this is everything you entrusted us with.", Cupric says as he re-shoulders his pack and offers Tal the gear he left with the Follies.
"Now about this arm and these ruins, I think this arm may be homing in on the rest of its body. Perhaps the rest of the automata will allow us to open even more portals.", Cupric says while walking back and forth across the room.

OOC: Cupric is attempting to ascertain the general distance that the target of the arm is from where the Follies are by walking back and forth and seeing how much movement it takes to affect the direction the arm pulls. He would also like to see if he can dredge up any info from the Knowledgebank BardThousand on any of the amazing stuff that has happened in the last few minutes.

 

[Xen]

Tal

"So, uhh - is everyone feeling ok?" asks Tal. Then a small light seems to turn on in Tal's head. "I suppose since you had my wand, there's no reason anyone should be wounded."

"In that case... where to?"