Loarim. A mixture of 1950's housewife shopping center and wishful thinking 1980's Washington DC. Wholesome, yet underlying corruption.
The group leaves Loarim and a few hours later come upon the first estate. It has brambles as walls and a wooden gate. A single Fae stands outside with a polearm.
Baris has rejoined the group with Jeffery, Circe, Orik, with Tristan leading, anyone else?
Alice finished the bread and tea, her shadow slowly stepping onto the bed and sinking to where it should be; behind Alice. She sits, hunched over, her hands limp and her forearms leaning over her knees. She looks away for a moment, "No one has ever asked me if I would like to talk."
She looked to her own hands, all lively looking and responsive to her muscles. "I like nature. When the squirrels run around and collect food, they make these funny sounds." She smiled, her teeth like soot in tomato soup, "And they grow big and strong, the ones that eat the most. Big enough to eat the other squirrels."
She looks up from her hands, studying Ms. Darkling, "Nature takes the lesser squirrel's destruction and creates something new with it. There is more food for the squirrels, more room for more squirrels. Did you know? Nature requires murder and destruction to create new things. That's why I like it."
Alice scratches at her cheek, then returns the hand to her lap, "But nature is kind to me. I do not suffer from death, nor am I dying. Nature whispers to me that this is her will; that I should be kind to her needs." There was a short pause before she took on an inquisitive tone, "Do you know where I can find more red crystals? I really like them and would like to find more; and so far, they're not inside the weak people here."
Is the Estate within the protection of Loarim defenses? Would a siege army cut the Estate off from Loarim?
Is the Estate near anything of importance, such as road/trail into Loarim that a trade route could use, the Pool of Prey, a resource that can be collected by the Estate (like Maid in Black's webs)?
How many can be housed at the Estate? 20 or 200?
Can it be defended from small groups, such as a war party during a Hunt? I assume yes to this because of the brambles and gate. May have to upgrade the gate for better defense.
Beautiful Views? Does it have elegant accommodations.
Circe peaks around the corner at the single guard, shrugging to herself, "No problem for an elite haxor." Taking another peak for a good look, she spreads her hands across an invisible surface and begins typing. First, her clothes change into that of the guard's outfit and secondly, she walks around the corner and up to the guard. Lifting a hand up, "Ho there! Captain would like to see you in his office; I'll stand guard here."
She held out her hand for the weapon, "Unless you plan on attacking things on your way to the Captain's office or assaulting his important guests, I'd rather not stay here unarmed."
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Then she asks a knowing question, "do you know of earth, cars?"
"Yes you will not find red crystals inside the Fae, they don't die like the rest of us. We might find some red crystals with the rest of the group, it would be safer to be with them, at least for me. I am sure that there are red crystals in the forest around Loarim in creatures and animals."
She then gets up letter their hands separate, "Come we will look for more red crystals."
Is the Estate within the protection of Loarim defenses? Would a siege army cut the Estate off from Loarim?
Is the Estate near anything of importance, such as road/trail into Loarim that a trade route could use, the Pool of Prey, a resource that can be collected by the Estate (like Maid in Black's webs)?
How many can be housed at the Estate? 20 or 200?
Can it be defended from small groups, such as a war party during a Hunt? I assume yes to this because of the brambles and gate. May have to upgrade the gate for better defense.
Beautiful Views? Does it have elegant accommodations.
[ooc]Wow lucky roll
The soldier looks at you very confused and then demands, "Who are you?" He aims his polearm at her waiting for a response.
Tristan looks around and sees that the group is just waiting he then whispers to the group after the strange Fae leaves the group.
Excellent! A Guard who knows his profession! We have come from Loarim seeking out an Estate of Lord Lloyd. Lord Lloyd's buildings in Loarim were empty, so we decided to venture out of Loarim into the countryside.
I am pleased you did not get fooled by my companion's disguise. I do not wish to enter these grounds under false pretenses. After all, I believe we have the wrong address!
It seems we have underestimated the time it would take to reach Lord Lloyd's Estate. Could we discuss our trip with the Master of this Estate? By the way, which Estate is this? Who owns it?
Allow me to make introductions, well met! Guard of the Polearm! I am Jeffrey Flynn, this is the Troll Lord, Baris newly on the Council of the Winter Court. This is Sir Orik and Tristan. Don't focus your attention on either of them, otherwise, your thoughts may provoke you into doing something rash.
This is probably the most important thing that I have to say to you... Don't give us an excuse. Be courteous and kind, be helpful, and please put away the polearm. It is too crowded for you to use that effectively anyway. You should use a longsword within this bramble-filled area. The better you please us with hospitality and answers the more likely we continue on our quest to Lord Lloyd's Estate.
You see, I talked up looting Lord Lloyd's estate. I want to do the right thing by looting the correct place. As I purposely interpret the laws, Lord Lloyd' estate is fair game, however, at the moment this Estate may be safe.
The Fae soldier is a bit perplexed at the onslaught of Jeffery's words. It takes him several moments before responding. He holds the polearm back and salutes the Troll Lord, briskly he states, "The Lord of the estate is not in at the moment and I am under orders not to reveal who. I can tell you it was the Master Wizards before but is in new hands now. With the lord away I am not suppose to let others in. Lloyd's estate should be another 5 hours down the path. Take the first fork in the road to the left and ignore the cheshire along the way. Lord Lloyd's estate is covered in black roots."
Why did the Wizard give up his Estate to Nameless? Is there a Cheshire? Wonderful... Do you have any food and drink to offer us as we take a break from walking... For this being a Fae Realm, I have been walking and running more than I thought I would be.
Flynn will begin to head towards Lloyd's. pulling up his map to confirm the truth of the Guard's directions.
Titus looks to Delman with a quizzical look "Hmmm..... Well.... We are going to have to speed through, then. Can you run?"
Titus says this as he goes through the traps himself "If I can trigger them then perhaps you can follow suit and not get hurt!"
As he does another trap comes flying from the corner of the room- though this one is a simple dart flying after the dragon scaled dragonfolk-
The dart gives a small pelt into the dragonfolk's hand as he continues to sprint to the door. He hurls it open as he braces himself for another trap- but nothing falls.
He turns back to Delman "Well.... I'd imagine you could run the same path I did, then.... I don't hear any clicking, do you?"
"Dont know and have no one to ask. Yes a chesire makes his home along that lane. Not much to give only rations or a swig from my water canteen." He states plainly.
Circe held a strange look towards the guard, her hand lifting upwards and pulling upon her hair. Like a zipper, she pulled down and became a very old crone of a lady, "My my my, you're very perceptive for a young fellow. My smooth words must be growing dull...maybe you can help me practice, sonny?" She lifts her eyebrows suggestively.
As Delman follows Titus' path he hears the traps whir and click back into place, but none fire. It appeared that Titus had activated all the traps on his path- or rather, the one.
He points to the rock based chute that appears just in front of the door "So.... down there.... Are deadly skeletons. If it's the same. If not... Much worse awaits for us. I can climb it normally with a great amount of time, but if you slide down.... The slick throws you against the gate. It alerts the skeletons to our presence.... Any ideas?"
The soldier looks at the old crone a bit confused and realizing what she might mean he merely steps back.
Baris plucks a strand of grass from the ground and slowly chews on it, apparently not caring about this interaction. After the soldier takes a step back he comes up close and says suggestively, "You never know what you might learn or catch." Then he quickly walks down the path.
Down the path he looks at Circe and asks, "So what is your true shape?"
Eventually seeing a pink or purple cat he stops and looks at it, motioning his hand to the others to continue. In a happy tone he says, "Greetings, how are you this fine day?"
The purple and pink fur ball rolls on top of a branch waiting to see if others will stop.
If not then they have a private conversation...
Greetings Cheshire Cat. I have a hat and travelling boots for you.
Alice's blood drips from her chin, in a very small amount, onto her clothing in her lap. She looked down upon Ms. Darkling's hands, her own hands vibrantly warm, "Why are you holding me." Alice also trailed off at the same time, perplexed for a time. She eyes Ms. Darkling, "I have dreamt of those things. But they are just mad dreams and mean nothing."
As Ms. Darkling stood up, Alice regarded the information with the same stoney stare, "But they aren't going into the woods. They won't find any red gems here, and I won't find any gems with them right now." After a while, Alice pushed herself off of the bed, "Okay. If you fear death, stand behind me. And if my body perishes, run." A little pep talk before an adventure never hurt no one...
Alice marched downstairs, lifting her hand upwards to chest level. The beast standing in the middle of the base floor stirred and opened the door for them to leave. Once outside, the sun showed Alice's shadow, which slowly separated from her, walked behind Alice.
Circe scuttles after Baris, tapping a cane along the cobblestones. She smiles to herself, slowly shifting into a long haired blonde with a large blue bonnet and a white, evening dress, "Have you evah laid eyes upon an errah box before, sugah? It ain't no bon-bon, that's fah certain."
Approaching the Cheshire cat, she reaches up and tips her hat, her body rapidly shifting to shorten her hair into a pink, punk fro with cat ears. Her outfit became a vibrant mix of pink and neon green, coming with a cat tail and cat charms, "Meow do you do? Meow have you been?" She pawed at the air with her over-sized paw gloves.
His mental list was growing faster than he liked.
Ironfist returned, and Augrok looked at what was being carried by him, trying to make sense of what was in his hands before it was explained to him. '...Training equipment?'
Errah Box? He responds curious of Circe.
As others begin to interact with the cat, he shakes his head and sits down rubbing his head furiously.
"A hat and boots you say?!! How marvelous..." The cat fully materializes and floats down looking for said items which he paws suspiciously. Distracted it turns its attention to the cat folk, "Meow is good, good food, good company, good direction. Meow is you?"
Then turning back to Jeffery asking, "Why?"
Tristan takes the distraction and keeps on walking, turning his eye to the other side of the lane.
Orik stops and ponders for a few moments before asking, "Jeffery, are you even apart of my pledge? Miss Darkling, Garret, Baris, Aien, and the other fellow that just faded from view perhaps but I dont think you were part of that group I pledged to guide? Am I correct?"
He looks up as the girls come down and then leave with the hulk. He looks down then to Augrok then back to the items he then furiously says, "How does it always look like bondage?!"
Respectfully, he responded like he did not hear Ironfist's exclamation. "A combination of the three would be fine." He had expected to be rubber-stamped into the Familia, and then back to the starting area to sort things out, but this was something else entirely. Its significance he had yet to figure out.
Alice mostly stared at the ground when she passed the two men, but once outside, she lifted her head, "They're doing something strange in there." She shrugged her shoulders and walked through the city. If there was anyone who attempted to stop her leaving the city, she'd threaten them with her pointy stick. If she wasn't stopped, her body would wiggle about in an erratic fashion, bones popping in her neck and shoulders and her body making short, quick motions.
With an easy breath, she settled, "Where do the creatures live? We could kill them in their sleep."
Titus gives a wide and awkward dragon's grin "Oh... I didn't even know we could get one of those...." Looking over the slide and the edge, Titus nods "That should be more than easy enough."
Titus begins to make his way down the rope first, holding onto it as he slides down the stone slide. It narrows into a tunnel, but the rope is more than long enough to reach the selective exit. "Hm. It changed again... But it did not do so as proactively as the traps...."
"Delman!" He hoarsely echoes up the tunnel slide's entrance "The rope does fine work! Come on down, I'll retrieve it after we have dealt with this!"
Smiling at Sir Orik.I was with the group that went into contract with you as a guide, Sir Orik Vancasterkin Silv of House of Ballads. That group was made up of Ms Darkling, Garret, Aien, Ise'dranl, Board, Baris, and myself. That group agreed to have you as guide through the Heartwoods in agreement to allow you to accompany us outside for a week's time. At which point you were allowed to lie. As a down payment you provided Garret with the ability to create water. Me, I am more of a whiskey man. But the water creation is handy when it comes to food prep! Flynn gestures towards Orik, then to himself while talking, moving from sunlit area to another.
As for Cheshire Cat, I felt his presence around as we travelled. These items are what he asked for a compensation for being a guide through Loarim. A subtle, but legal difference... The reason is, we need two guides at this point. Mainly due to the size of our group and the danger that the Awakening has caused. But more importantly, we need allies. Loarim is like a wounded animal after this last Hunt. Too many soldiers and Hunters were put into the Cycle because of Vellcrax. His smile doesn't quite meet up with his blue eyes, as he takes a step back.
Standing in shadow of the great trees A wounded animal curls up in a dark corner and lashes out at anything coming too close. Loarim is a far more dangerous place than I originally planned for. Cheshire Cat, if bound to the Group that stands here now, can assist our efforts in Loarim. Moving back into the light, Flynn blue eyes sparkle with a conspiracy that include everyone in it.
First things first. We take advantage of the opportunity to loot Lord Lloyd's estate before others do. It is by Baris's duel we have legal right. Is it distasteful, probaby. But the household we have cannot be maintained without extra furniture, supplies, bedding...
Circe pawed at the Cheshire cat, "Meow is Circe, oh!" Turning to Baris, she rubs at her cheek and licks at the air, "It's so bright and colorful! So kawaii-ee!" She wiggles and sways to and fro, before she stops and watches Flynn speak. With a little sound of Ooph! she bursts into a cloud of pink and cat-faced clouds and waved the stuff away with a patchy, multi-skin-toned hand.
Circe stepped out of the cloud, in her favorite body. Looking between the houses, she mused openly, "They are rather tacky buildings. This Lloyd's estate is probably just as bad; I could have done a better job painting than whoever he hired." Smiling, "And trust me, he couldn't have hired me if he wanted to."
The Cheshire responds to Jeffery a bit flippantly, "Me Meow, Not the Cheshire you met before Meow. You want guide meow? For boots? What else and guide where?" He continues to rub against people as he talks.
Baris rolls around a bit before he shakes his head and leaves the conversation to follow Tristan. He then shows up again confused he goes and sits in the tall grass beside the path.
As Delman finishes at the bottom of the tunnel he would easily notice dim lighting revealed four armed skeletons patrolling in and out of the darkness, in rotating fashion, around what appeared to be four or more pillars.
To the right of the gate was a level that seemed to be used to pull open the gate. Titus stood nearly just in front of the gate though shrugged to the wall so that the skeletons wouldn't see him while on patrol "Here we are... we did not make it past this point last time... Any ideas?"
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Round 1
With a smirking smile spreading from ear to ear he giddily says, "Hey you wanna see something really cool?! Now unless the dungeon chooses to mess with us this should be good. If that gate opens you step in and I will shoot around you but until then... POW!" He puts his finger between the bars in the gate and shoots at the nearest skeleton.
Round 2
Between shots he looks around and asks, "Hey Tank what happened to the healer?" He continues to blast through the gate...
Should the gate hold up from the skeleton attack he should be able to smash those bones into piles.
probably drunk off fey whiskey.
Boots and a hat for a guide through Lord Lloyd's places of value.
Alice approaches the edge of the city and stops, turning her head slowly towards Ms. Darkling, "I..like that idea. All these plans and ideas...they fill me with hatred. Maybe a walk to nowhere will calm me."
Turning back to the exit, her facial muscles pulsed, her upper lip aggravated. But it simmered to only wanting to snarl, her beast leading the way out of the city, "We should have left Flynn a note."Like it was some obscure after-thought. When they were outside, she shrunk her shoulders and her quiet laughter scraped itself out of her throat, "Let's go have some fun." She skipped for a short distance, changing to walking quickly like a dagger to a book's spine.
After another half hour walk you stumble upon a boar. It squeals as it sees you and snarls.
BOAR CR 2
XP 600
N Medium animal
Init +0; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +6
DEFENSE
AC 14, touch 10, flat-footed 14 (+4 natural)
hp 18 (2d8+9)
Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +1
Defensive Abilities ferocity
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.
Melee gore +4 (1d8+4)
STATISTICS
Str 17, Dex 10, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 4
Base Atk +1; CMB +4; CMD 14
Feats Toughness
Skills Perception +6
ECOLOGY
Environment temperate or tropical forests
Organization solitary, pair, or group (3–8)
Treasure none
Alice stopped and took a side glance around her beast, eyeing the boar hungrily. She lifted her hand and the beast moved to attack. She proceded to lean on her pointy stick and watch.
Them her shadow dashes over the grass and takes a swipe with its claw at the boars side.
The second d6 is bleed damage.
Alice will take her turn after Ms. Darkling.
Round 1
Alice's pets smash and claw into the boar, and even with the most grievious of wounds it stays up on sheer will power. It tries to gore the wall of flesh before it but the thick hide is too much for the bleeding boar.
Round 2