GM/Lictor Lane's Who Needs Parenting? = CoT Team 1 IC Thread (Inactive)

Game Master michaelane

Coran looks a bit funny at Jo wondering if he just called him a little girl. He heads off to the boys room "I can't wait to get the gore off of me.

Moondark glances at the boys' room and then surreptitiously slips into the ladies' room.

"Thank you," Alarra says to Janiven. "It'll be good to freshen up. Plus, I can get the rest of the zombie off of my hands."

Alarra will head into the ladies' room to do so.

A few minutes later Janiven enters the ladies' room and Morosino enters the gentlemen's, both carrying steaming buckets of water.

"Once you've had a chance to clean up, come join us down the hall where you saw the light on the way in. We have a few more people I'd like you to meet and food as well."

Moondark looks at the very dirty pile of rags she has removed and asks Janiven. "Do you have anything clean and dry I could borrow?"

Jo looks at the bucket of water puzzled.

They wants Jo to take bath in that? How Jo supposed to fit in that tiny bucket?

Not sure what his next move should be, Jo looks to Ithad and Santinel to see what they do.

Ithad has already shed his jacket, his brace for knives, and removed his shirt. He takes a wash towel and dips it into the bucket of hot water, wrings it out and then meticulously goes over every inch of exposed skin, scrubbing away any hint of grime. And once he feels he is clean, he will take the wash towel to any spots of grime on his clothes.

As Ithad is combing out his hair after donning his shirt, "Not a proper bath, but it have to do."

After her bath, Ari checks the wardrobe to find some ancient acolyte robes. With an, "Aw Hells, at least it's clean," she dons a faded black robe with a golden winged eye on the chest and looking like a freshly scrubbed initiate she enters the common room.

Jo looks at the others bathing and still is puzzled.

Jo smell fine. Head need shave but these bumps need to go down first. Hmmm, armor is a little dirty. Jo do that instead.

Jo takes off his armor, looks around, grabs a scrub brush (or washcloth), plants himself on the floor near one of the buckets, and proceed to clean his armor and hammer.

Jo needs oil cloth to shine up armor after cleanin. Jo thinks as he spends a dubious amount of time tending to his gear but not himself.

When finished he looks happily at the sparkling clean albiet dented and nicked armor.

"Throon, you gots any oil? Jo need oil to shine up armor. You gots any?"

Jo looks around for an oil skin or oil cloth. He then spots Coran. His eyes widen as he realizing "Karen" is a boy!

"Karen, Jo not know you a boy. Jo sorry for mistake. But Karens a funny name for a boy! You gots any oil?

Jo glances around looking for the little begger boy that was with them. He snickers to himself when he remembers the little boy saying he was a little girl. Jo all mixed up he laughs to himself.

"Jo not know which ways is up. Boys are girls and girls are boys. And everyone doing magic!" Jo shakes his head as he looks in a pitcher hoping to find some oil.

"Yes I am boy and the name is Coran not Karen, no I don't have any oil

Coran looks at the confusion on Jo's face and almost chuckles

"You don't do magic Jo so not everyone does it. Look on the bright side Jo you are not a girl."

Alarra bathes and discards her damaged armor. She then meticulously cleans her clothes using Prestidigitation, until they are clean and no longer smell of sewers.

Let me know if this isn't possible, in which case she will also rummage around in the wardrobe.

The smell of boiled rabbit, tomato sauce, and fresh bread wafts down the hallway stealing its way into the baths.

Bathed and sporting her freshly-cleaned clothes, Alarra enters the common room.

Jo can't seem to find any oil. He begins to get frustrated when he catches the smell of food coming from somewhere. He returns to his armor and begins to dry it off quickly.

Jo have to dry off armor as best he can. That food smells great.

"GRRRRRrrrrrrr....." Jo's stomach announces to anyone with in earshot.

Jo looks at his belly "Okay, okay, quite down dare, you get food soon enough!"

Jo dons his armor and straightens his goblin ear necklace. Picking up his hammer he looks to the others.

"Jo hungry! Lets go see what day cookin." He heads out of the bath smelling just as bad as when he entered.

Alarra enters the common room, several voices competing for attention. From what you can tell, they're trying to come up with names for an organization. Inside, you see Janiven, Morosino, and about seven more men and women who go silent as you enter. A large wooden block table sites in the middle of the room with two loaves of bread and a couple plates of delicious-looking bruschetta. Janiven breaks the silence with a chuckle, "Alarra, meet our little group. I'll do full introductions once they've all cleaned up. Perhaps while we wait, you'll tell us all about those zombies?"

"I am sorry Jo, I have no oil with me. Perhaps the kitchen can spare some for you?" Ithad will finish dressing and follow the tantalizing smells into the common room, he will hang back and try to look like he belongs.

"You probably right Throon. Kitchen have some. Come on lets go get some food. Killin fings makes Jo hungry."

"Oh...Jo sorry for yellin at you before. Jo not like magic. Jo knows you meant well, but jus ask Jo before. Den we good. You know, Throon, you pretty brave for skinny little guy." Jo smiles a toothy grin at Ithad. He will then head into the common room.

"Jo's here. Let's eat!

Coran get dressed in his cleanest of his clothes and heads out to the rest of his companions.

" Perhaps while we wait, you'll tell us all about those zombies?"

Moondark swallows a mouthful of bruschetta, "Zombies? Is that what the dead things were? Hell knights, goblins, bug cults, shadow beasts; what wasn't down there?"

"You heard about the zombies?" Alarra asks, taking a seat at the table. "I was scouting ahead of the main group and rounded a corner. Right ahead of me were three corpses. Moving corpses. Ashamed as I am to admit it, I panicked a little and ran back to the rest of the group. The zombies followed me, and we fought them. The fight started out at range - you know, thrown daggers, crossbows - we weren't doing much damage to them. Then they reached us. Franco and one zombie traded blows for a bit, while Jo smashed one pretty thoroughly. I snuck around behind the one that hurt Franco and tore out its heart. Jo got the last one." She looks around for a moment, before saying "Err, sorry if that isn't the best dinner table conversation. I don't know what came over me..."

Janiven's mouth drops open, "Oh my, it sounds like we may be up all night with stories. It sounds like the zombies were only the beginning. Do tell."

Just then, Jo explodes into the room, followed by the rest of the men.

"Or maybe after dinner?" says Janiven with a chuckle. Continuing to laugh, she turns to a jovial, incredibly muscular man with curly black hair, a thick black beard and the perpetually blackened hands of a smith, "Ermolos, you've met your match for eating with this one. Meet Jo. I'd better grab the pasta, veggies, and rabbits. Wait for me for that story Moondark!"

She ducks out into the kitchen through an open arch to the south side of the room.

A black-haired Tian woman, easily one of the most beautiful women you've ever seen gapes at Alarra as Janiven ducks out of the room, "You tore out it's heart? Wow. I would have run in terror." Your attention drawn to her, you see that she has a lute slung over her back. "By the way, I'm Amaya. It's nice to meet you."

Franco scowls, "Hey, I had it on the run."

A scarlet-haired female gnome at the end of the table pipes up, "Zombies, goblins, cults, AND shadow beasts. I find that a little hard to believe. The Hellknights at least we know are true thanks to Janiven and Morosino. I seriously doubt you met up with them again. If you did, the Badger would have you by now."

Franco rolls his eyes "Meet Yakopulio, our little ray of sunshine."

Moondark stink-eyes Alarra. "Hi Amaya, yeah the heart ripping was um, strange. She forgot to mention that I burned a couple of them down also. I'd rather not get blood under my nails."

"Well Yaki-whatever, you're welcome to head into the sewers to check out our story. Knock yourself out, kid. What's the badger anyway? Your little pet? Don't you little people run around with little furry creatures all the time?"

"Yakopulio little boy...or is it girl? You're so flat-chested I can't tell. Looks like you're a fan of the dead god...better that than these sops like Sclavo here that fawn over the supposed living ones." She gestures dismissively toward a tall, dark-haired Chelaxian man who until now was standing quietly near the arch. Now he raises his hand to his throat and fingers a chain with a longsword surrounded by a starburst. He looks a little nervous over the attention being drawn to him.

"Anyway, you're fools if you don't know about the Badger. Word on the street is that he was leading the Hellknights chasing after you all at Vizio's. His real name is Maralictor Flavian Chillarth, but he's better known as the Badger for that tenaciousness in hunting down malcontents like you for the Rack. You didn't run into more Hellknights. You wouldn't have gotten away twice."

Moondark flushes a bit at the jibes at her anatomy and unfortunate attire and then blanches quickly at the description of the Badger.

Ithad moves closer to the table, and chuckles out loud.

"Leave it to a gnome to ask for proof, well for some seeing is
believing.", Ithad reaches into his belongings and removes the mask from the altar and hands it to Yakopulio. He unslings the crossbow looted from one of the hellknight recruits and places it on the table.

"For what lies that dance on the living tongue, are prove truth from the loot of dead men. If further proof is needed I think Coran has a shadow beast's heart stone and Jo has the goblin's ears. Careful with the mask, I plan on sending it to a chapter house at the first opertunity."

Turning to Amaya, a his smirk turning to a dark little grin, "Tian, why not play us a melody while Ari bedazzles each of you with our tales of daring exploits!"

Buoyed by Ithad's rejoinder, Ari digs into her pounch and pulls out the Heart Stone. "Not that I really need to prove anything, but here's a shadow beast's heart and I had a Hellknight's helmet until I got tired of carrying that paperweight around."

"Be fair to da little red head kid. Days wasn't so tough what we met down in da sewers. Jo seen a lot worse in Da Pits."

Jo puts his hammer on the table. Even though he spent time cleaning it, there are still bits of zombie and goblin flesh in the crevices of the hammer's head.

"Dems was not real hellknights we mets. Dayz wearin leather armor not real metal hellknight stuff. Dayz only kids. If weez met real hellknights, weez not fair as good Jo tinks. Tings could have been a lot worse."

Jo wanders over to Ermolos "You got oil clof for Jo to clean armor?"

Ithad is careful to pack away the mask again.

"Jo has a point that things could have went much worse for us, but it seems the devil takes care of his own."

A tiny halfling woman (yes, tiny even for a halfling) in the livery of one of the noble houses steps up and pokes Yakopulio in the chest, "Shut up and get over yourself Yako! Don't be such a snot. Are you blind? And quit picking on Sclavo and that girl."

A raven-haired woman with pale skin sitting next to Morosino on the far bench stares at Ithad throughout the exchange, "Hey, I recognize you. You're that guy that climbed to the top of Aberian's Folly the day the king died. Janiven, you didn't tell us we were going to have a celebrity among us tonight!" You note she's wearing an understated, delicate, but beautiful gold necklace.

Franco whispers, "And meet Fiosa and Tarvi..."

Ermolos stands and calls out to Jo, "Sure big guy! I do have an oil cloth. C'mon, I'll show you...did you really just say you slew a shadow beast and have proof?!?"

Just then Janiven walks back into the room with a huge bowl of steaming pasta in one arm and a platter with two boiled rabbits in the other.

Knowledge - Nobility to recognize the livery: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Ithad will approach Tarvi, perform a deep bow while kissing her hand, "Ithad Thrune, at your service m'lady." Grinning broadly, "It is always a pleasure to meet an admirer, especially such a beauty."

Knowledge - Local anything to jog my memory: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25

perception 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21

Moondark smiles at the small halfling, "Thank you, Fiosa. My name is Moondark. Are you acquainted with Mother Muddlum?."

know local about pin 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

Coran looks at the halfling woman trying to remember why she looks familiar.

Coran nods a hello to Tarvi, then walks up to Fiosa "Good Evening Lady Fiosa, always a honor to meet another halfling who doesn't like to be left out of the action.

"Meh, wasn't tough really. We gots a good crew here. Some can really fight!"

Jo lowers his voice to a "Jo" whisper...."See da pretty one over dare. Her name's Alarra and she likes Jo. But Jo not wantin to start any romance right now. Jo wants to adventure a little. You know, see da world some. Jo still a young guy. Plenty of time for girls later. Besides Alarra got claws. And she knows how to use em. One day Jo gonna haf to break her heart, but it will haf to be. Jo needs his freedom."

"Now about Jo's armor and hammer. Jo tinkin maybe a nice chainshirt and a bigger hammer. What's da biggest ham....." Jo stops talking mid sentence. He sees the food come in and heads right for the table leaving Ermolos standing at the exit of the room.

"Mmmmmmmm! Smells good! More rabbits. Jus what Jo needed!"

Jo digs in immediately.

Tarvi blushes and giggles at the attention from Ithad, "You have a grace that belies your years young sir."

Fiosa starts visibly at Moondark's question, "My, aren't you forward young one. You're among friends here, but be careful throwing that name around. Now, I might happen to know a tiller that goes by that name, but pardon me if I'm a little cautious sharing it. Shall I assume from the question, that you might know her too."

At Jo's speech, most of the group, including Ermolos simply stand dumbfounded watching him. Then Janiven calls out, "That's for sure folks! Dig in before he eats it all. You all look starved."

Ermolos hops down on the bench next to Jo and dives in like its a race. A new voice calls out from the arch where a lean, but tough-looking young Varisian man stands laughing, "Ha, Ermolos, you've met your match for sure. I hope Janiven used all the pots!"

"Yeah, thanks Rizzardo, go right ahead and encourage them," says Janiven. So, let's start by hearing about what happened when Morosino..." she glares at him sternly until he flinches and then sticks her tongue out"...bolted from the Helknights."

"The lady is a flatterer as well." Ithad will retake his seat at the table with a grin, hopefully in time to snare a small portion of meat and some bread for the big eaters.

Fiosa starts visibly at Moondark's question, "Shall I assume from the question, that you might know her too."

Moondark smiles, "Sorry, I was just hoping for a real connection to all...this." She gestures to all the strangers. "Mother has been a light in the darkness for many." Moondark reflectively rubs the shadowbeast heartstone in her hand and puts it back in her pouch.

perception 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

As she sits down next to Fiosa, Moondark asks her, "Hey, where did that obnoxious gnome go?"

"*BURP!*"

Fiosa puts her hand on Moondark's, "Yes, she has." She lowers her voice, "It's good to meet another who knows Mother. Not everyone here is associated with her cause, but we share many goals. Arael in particular has been instrumental in helping our cause in Westcrown. I hope he's going to be ok."

She looks around the room, "Yakopulio? Yes, obnoxious would be one word for her. I don't know what Arael sees in that one. She's probably just gone off to pout."

Janiven looks around at the group, "Well? Let's hear about the Hellknights? How did you all get away? And, then let's hear all about the rest of the tale. It sounds like a doozy."

"Day not no problems down dare. Tell her Throon, you like to talk." Jo says while sucking the gristle off the remains of a rabbit leg.

Coran gets distracted by Jo's eating not just the amount but the noises that come with it and seems to have missed an opportunity to smoothly weave back into a conversation with Fiosa. But he decides to add in "I do wish there was a way to get more of us motivated to act rather than sit on our laurels accepting things the way they are."

Janiven looks around at the group, "Well? Let's hear about the Hellknights? How did you all get away? And, then let's hear all about the rest of the tale. It sounds like a doozy."

Moondark shrugs while slurping up her pasta. "Ithad can tell it better than me."

Fiosa turns to Coran, speaking loudly enough to include Moondark while the three wait for Ithad to tell the tale to the group. "Well, that's definitely what we're trying to accomplish and why Arael and Janiven recruited you all to the group. We're bringing together like-minded people. People that want to change Westcrown for the better. Not a rebellion mind you. Simply actions that improve the city. Turn bandits over to the dottari. Reveal smugglers and racketeers. Raise money for the poor. We don't have a name yet, but I'm trying to convince people that 'Children of Westcrown' would be a good name. What do you think?"

Across the table Sclavo snorts with a stifled laugh, "Not wasting any time trying to convince them of that name are you Fiosa. C'mon, 'The Knights of Westcrown' has a much better ring to it."

You get the impression that this debate has been going on for a while.

Moondark considers,"I do like 'Children' better than 'Knights'. I mean we already have the Hellknights and I don't want to be anything like them. What about something more like the Nightwatch?

Maybe we can just assume Ithad told the story in his usual eloquent way and move one until he is able to post again...

[spoiler=GM]Coran will note all the religions of all the those who show it. He will also note the Noble House Fiosa is from and talk to the group about it later.[spoiler]

"I think I like Children better as well it give the Hellknights less of a reason to come hunting and well when we do something and the Hellknights don't catch us. it is more embarrassing for them to have been beaten by children. Just my thoughts."

Alarra, who has been quietly listening to the conversation as she eats, speaks up and says "'Children' has a less militant ring to it than does 'Knights.' On that basis alone I favor the former."

"That's my thinking too," chimes in Fiosa. "After all, we're not trying to come off as rebels. But I like Ari's suggestion. The Nightwatch suggests protection and offers hope of release from the shadow beasts. Wouldn't that be something?"

"I suppose," acknowledges a deflated Sclavo. "I had thought the Knights of Westcrown was so uplifting. It was inspired by Iomedae's Knights of Ozem who seek out undead to destroy and battle the demons of the Worldwound. Children sounds so...well, childish."

Rizzardo interjects, his voice smooth with the melodic Varisian accent, "I too am inspired by young Ari. How about the Eyes of Aroden?"

But the debate will have to wait for later, for just then Ithad begins his tale of the battle against the Hellknights and all are captivated by his storytelling magic.