"Blue Goose! 5 s.p I show you! Blue Gooooose!"
One gaptoothed urchin pronounces.
Who wants to go to there to the Blue Goose?
(Riese thinks it's gross; he wants to go back to the ship which Stiggy is guarding and get stuff in order...)
And where in Sasserine do you wanna stay/how much dinero are you willing to part with per night?
"Ah! The local burlesque! I would love to see the local talent, if anyone's game. I wonder if they have drink and drown rules here."
“Has it got ladies in their scanties? Let’s go.”
As he sets off, Beldan has a thought, and asks Altai, “So, did you actually know that horribly scarred fellow, or was he just trying to scam you? How did he get burnt like that?”
Going to the Blue Goose,....
for location purposes,
it's in the seedy section of town. Called Shadowshore, the place awakens when the sun sets. On the map find O3; it's a finger's width away to 10:00; a t-shaped building surrounded by nothing but alleyways.
As you plunge into the capillary streets, they're clogged with rubbish, living and otherwise.
A mongrelman with a halfdog head proffers a beggar's bowl with a crabclawed hand.
You see the building; a three-storied affair of filth spattered whitewash and shingled roof of slats of fired clay.
On the wall, covered with graffiti, can be seen a shield devise with a rampant blue goose, angry eyed, with a lightningbolt in his bill.
This must be the place.....there's a doorway on the east side; two rough halforcs, each a good 145 kilogrammes, that look mummified to the wall by the humidity stand there swigging.
There's a band in there; hurdygurdy, fluting; strings and horns loll forth a cantankerous sound.
Who's there? Who's going in?
the urchin proffers his hand; "5 silver please, meestors," to the party, not the two burly half-orcs.
"Where titties? Me see no titties. Me give no money until me see titties!"
"Can me feel titties?"
Oso will pay for everyone to go in and give the urchins some money too.
"Need to let off some steam, let's go have some fun. I'm looking for a two hundred pound big black mamma with her own teeth. Pip do you remember that tasty pie we saw dance in Sweet Williams. Gods but she fair took the eyes out!"
It's not that crowded....yet.
There's a stage all the way down the middle of the "t" shape of the building with a bar at the north.
The halforcs shrug, take money and allow you in without a word; they continue with their conversation in orcish.
If anyone speaks orcish, you still don't know what they're talking about.....
first player to show up; roll 4d6 keep the high 3. That's the charisma/comeliness of the girl up on stage.
The woman up on stage looks N'pujuk (the 'k' is actually a "clicking" sound; it's not on my keyboard.
In Hepmonaland the elders say "woe to the man touched by a N'pujuk woman's tears." She's beautiful and dangerous looking.
When you guys walk in, about 6 people are staring straight at you....they all look like the types that watch the door. They all look like the types that choose seating purposely so they can watch the door.
One man sticks out.
He wears a breastplate of black steel with a black dragon head motif on the front; real nice work.
He has a bastard sword strapped to his back; an expensive holy symbol of Kord on a chain around his bull neck.
He's old and balding, but his muscles still look hard chiseled like rough woodwork; not polished or sanded the least.
Huntsman's eyes seem to look upon (whomever is there....I know at least Gittik, Bel, and Oso....)
and they come to rest on Gittik as if mesmerized.
He stares at Gittik. Hard.
"Yeah - what you want? Me want look at titties, not you."
The music stops.
The man stares hard; his face gets red;
then he starts laughing.
Then stops.
It's silent for a few moments. His blue piercing eyes look spears at Gittik, then,
"No harm meant, friend. Barkeep, buy this one and his friends a round on me."
"Hey, free beer, you OK. So, why you look at me?"
<looks at the girl on stage> "She OK, but she no Jane."
"I'm here to look at everybody. I'm looking....for talent. A specific type, which I instinctively notice you exude."
he holds forth a strangler's meaty hand.
"I'm Dagbarr, of Kord. Do you strive with Kord for perfection in conflict? In all things? Have you asked Kord into your heroic heart?"
The Hepmonish Hottie's number ends; and a new girl struts out on stage.
5d6, keep the highest three, whoever shows up next, for her cha/comeliness.
"Doan think so. They do not talk religion much but Kord ain't been mentioned. I is a priest of Kelanen so my faith is firmly in my Prince of Swords. Why you ask, we are just off'n ship and came here looking for titties but you want us for a job? We are Regulators."
Oso watches to see if the Hepmonaland woman goes backstage or hits the bar.
"Not really a job, more like an event. We're looking into starting our own Champion's Belt here in Sasserine.
I'm looking for bruisers for the pit. Your halfling friend looks interesting, sir."
She has a sparkly gold robe on now; ambles up to the bar.
"Hey, you have nice titties. Me do you you want."
roll a diplomacy(?)
or not...
"lil Babbytoe," she says in a thick exotic accent, "let a gil git a drin ferst. I got a catch my breat'."
The next act comes out in full plate mail and helm, doing cartwheels; then starts lasciviously losing her armor class...
"Heh, so this big fight you do for Kord, me can do. Who you want me kill?"
<meanwhile, Gittik casually lifts the table up and down while having both hands clasped behind his head, waggling eyebrows at Hepmonachick>
She smiles; ambles over sitting between Gittik and Oso.
"Whatchoo wan' lil man?"
The Kordpriest explains the rules of the Champions' Belt....
they're in the adventure in Dungeon magazine of the same name; no spoilers really as I'm stealing it for a template as it were...
"Well...uh, you're not expected to kill anyone,....unless your group gets to the semifinals and fights the surprise beast..... though, kills do happen. It's part of the games, acceptable risk and all..."
I'll pop the Champion's Belt rules up somewhere's when I get home for the poor soul who doesn't have that issue...
OOOH! OSO! YOU'RE BOY'S GANKING YOUR CHICK!!!!!
Pip looks over the lovely armor shedder.
"Ahh, so cute, but so tall .."
Pip checks to see what rum drinks they got here. He also scopes out the musical talent.
rum and mango juice......rum and coconut juice.....lotsa juices vailable here in the tropics.
The band is serviceable but not great; hurdy gurdy, squeeze box, fiddlers, pipers; couple drumerss and trumpets.
They're humans, gnome on the hurdy gurdy.
Spiced rum. Cinnamon rum.
Pip grabs a mango and rum and ambles over to the band
"Mind if I sit in for a few?"
Pip does a little instrumental work with Lucille to accompany the group
They all look at you like they looked at Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future when he started up......but somebody finds the note and the drummers slide into the tempo and then about 6 more dancing gillies come out and start all at once.
And the joint starts hopping, man, hopping. More and more people come strolling in.
And then a human guitarist strolls in.....he looks Sea Princish, and he asks if he can sit in.
He tells the drummers to get this beat, and they do; and then the notes start flowing out gently lilting.
And more and more people come in.
And he tells Pip to dig this beat....
The guitarist throws a 33 perform, and he starts following Pip's hobbit riffings, trying to dig them and throw Sea Princish flourish onto the lively hobniz rhythm.
"I didn't know you could get plate armour in a size 0..."
Until the girl gets down to about AC 13, Bel keeps one eye on the show and one ear on the conversation about pit fighting.
“Well I can see Gittik here, and maybe Stig (if he’s not too plastered) getting into this fighting gig. Maybe Oso. But what would the rest of us want with it. I’m a lover, not a fighter.” He catches the dancer’s eye and grins.
Elgan seems to be like a ghost. He's always with the group, but never seems to be in a direct line of sight. But when one of the gang idly looks for him, he;s there. Watching the people watching the Regulators, watching the dancers, watching the impromptu 'Dueling Guitars' over in the band,... His little elvin eyes are just about spinning around in his sockets trying to keep up with all that's going on around him.
Finally he stops moving his head like a ball in a basket, closes his eyes, puts his hands on his forehead and mutters,...
"Aw knows dat dese peeples wuz crazee, but dis take deh sugared slugs chere'!" He mutters. The elf sighs, and opens his eyes once more, starting his observations afresh with the rather pleasant sight of the dancing contest happening onstage.
"But at least dese uncivilze' barbarianz have sum good idears,..." He smiles at the girls, downing the Preacher of Kord's gift of drink in a single gulp.
"Oh wow, check out what she's doing with that sabaton!"
She smiles; ambles over sitting between Gittik and Oso.
"Whatchoo wan' lil man?"
"Me show you good time. Me mighty warrior, kill many enemies. See kukri? Me take from dad, him try kill me, but me beat him too. In tribe, me just take girl. But now me civilise, me ask first. Now me roe-man-tick.
"So, you want get jiggy?"
The guitarist throws a 33 perform, and he starts following Pip's hobbit riffings, trying to dig them and throw Sea Princish flourish onto the lively hobniz rhythm.
Pip smiles at the newcomer and weaves Lucille's notes into his skillfully. He picks up a new rhythm and smiles.
"This is what we call the Furry Foot Stomp where I come from." Pip says, launching into an old hobniz tune:
"Ah caught you smiling at me,
That's the way it should be,
Like a leaf is to a tree, so fine.
Ah all the good times we had,
I sang love songs so glad
Always smiling, never sad, so fine.
As we walk down a country lane,
I'll be singing a song,
Hear me calling your name.
Hear the whisper in the trees,
Telling Mother Nature 'bout you and me.
Well if the sunshines so bright,
Or on our way it's darkest night
The road we choose is always right, so fine.
Ah can your love be so strong
When so many loves go wrong
Will our love go on and on and on and on and on and on?"
Elgan seems to be like a ghost. He's always with the group, but never seems to be in a direct line of sight. But when one of the gang idly looks for him, he;s there. Watching the people watching the Regulators, watching the dancers, watching the impromptu 'Dueling Guitars' over in the band,... His little elvin eyes are just about spinning around in his sockets trying to keep up with all that's going on around him.
Finally he stops moving his head like a ball in a basket, closes his eyes, puts his hands on his forehead and mutters,...
"Aw knows dat dese peeples wuz crazee, but dis take deh sugared slugs chere'!" He mutters. The elf sighs, and opens his eyes once more, starting his observations afresh with the rather pleasant sight of the dancing contest happening onstage.
"But at least dese uncivilze' barbarianz have sum good idears,..." He smiles at the girls, downing the Preacher of Kord's gift of drink in a single gulp.
(lol) Stiggy's trying to get sobered up, back at the ship....
(transl: Kruelaid hasn't posted in 2 weeks.....poor feller....)
She smiles; ambles over sitting between Gittik and Oso.
"Whatchoo wan' lil man?""Me show you good time. Me mighty warrior, kill many enemies. See kukri? Me take from dad, him try kill me, but me beat him too. In tribe, me just take girl. But now me civilise, me ask first. Now me roe-man-tick.
"So, you want get jiggy?"
On that,.....Gittik, who needs to be written out for about a week realtime, scores th' doxy and goes upstairs for the nonce. Oso got his bike stole.
The guitarist throws a 33 perform, and he starts following Pip's hobbit riffings, trying to dig them and throw Sea Princish flourish onto the lively hobniz rhythm.Pip smiles at the newcomer and weaves Lucille's notes into his skillfully. He picks up a new rhythm and smiles.
"This is what we call the Furry Foot Stomp where I come from." Pip says, launching into an old hobniz tune:
"Ah caught you smiling at me,
That's the way it should be,
Like a leaf is to a tree, so fine.Ah all the good times we had,
I sang love songs so glad
Always smiling, never sad, so fine.As we walk down a country lane,
I'll be singing a song,
Hear me calling your name.
Hear the whisper in the trees,
Telling Mother Nature 'bout you and me.Well if the sunshines so bright,
Or on our way it's darkest night
The road we choose is always right, so fine.Ah can your love be so strong
When so many loves go wrong
Will our love go on and on and on and on and on and on?"
The guitarist laughs; "your music is sublime. I'm here in Sasserine, trying to come up with a new thing.....
do you know the Sasserine salsa?In this new thing, I try to......modulate the rhythm. Carry it with the guitar. Smooth it out, man; it's really nice.
Then flourish on what I'm laying down."
The guy on the hurdy gurdy seems to be picking it up.
The Priest of Kord hands Gittik a contract for the Sasserine games; suggests a nice inn for you guys, about 5 g.p. a night per; it's in the Merchant section....I'll look it up later maybe. He says he'll come find you guys there tomorrow night at dinner at 7 bells (unless you have a better time)....and takes off.
Champion's Games
Rules
*8 gladiator max per team. familiars don't count. summoned animals don't count. Tenser doesn't cout ;)
*Team designates a leader and a name
(the Kordsman said Gittik's Hemolytics had a nice ring; or if Gittik would change his name a little maybe the Attack of Gaddak).
*The tournament goes for 4 rounds of elimination over 5 days.
*round 1--6 different matches consisting of 4 teams in a freeforall brouhaha (i.e. your team fights 3 other teams at the same time; it's not like you fight six combats in one day).
*day 2-rest
*day 3 round 2-the winners of the 6 matches duke it out in three team-versus-team matches.
*day 4 round 3-two of the teams fights eachother; the third team fights a special exhibition match against......something.
*day 5-the championship.
You get money every time you win;....I haven't worked that out yet.
Since they haven't run a Champion's Game yet, well....they don't know what the money'll be. It'll be good though.
*there's a no-magic zone about 40 feet above the arena floor; it screens the seating too; don't want the first row to get fireball'd after all.....
*the arena's pretty big; sand floor; a combat map won't cover it all so I'll probably just give an "a to z, 1 to 30 section and go from there for any arena battles.
*finally I noticed Beldan's reticence. I'll throw something in there to make it interesting for the rogue; don't know what yet but I trust in my abilities.
*really finally; iffin you guys take this gig I don't think this'll happen for at least a week since like 3 out of 8 of the players are otherwise occupied; I'll try to come up with something to entertain the remainder of the party in the meantime though; it'll give me time to slap together some gladiator crews anyhow.
Rules synopsized from Dungeon #128; The Champion's Belt; no spoilers in the adventure coz I'm just using the rules from it really. Oh, and there's a part in there about all the gladiators staying there on the grounds; I'm not going with that.
Any questions, let me know.
Oh and......
for the next while;
At the bar:
Oso, Pip, Elgan, Beldan
Upstairs:
Gittik
at the ship:
Riese, Stiggy
just need to know what Altai's up to.
Allrighty.....
Pip's up on stage, jammin. In between sets, one of the bartenders comes up to him; says the owner's had to hike the door and the beer coz of him; and any time he wants to play he'll give Pip 10% of the door that night.
He wants to hire the guitarist too; the guitarist says he'll think about it.
Beldan's off in the corner with the girl who's no longer wearing full plate or much of anything at all.
Elgan's next to Oso by the long dancing platform.
Three men walk into the bar dressed in fine silks and chainjacket vests; they all wear bastard swords, hilts to the left shoulder. They approach Oso, abling up on the left; Elgan's on the right.
"Kelanen bless your blade, brother," the one nearest Oso speaks. He's a northerner; Furyondian accent. His hair's rather extreme, a "mohawk" it would be called, if Oerth had Mohicans.
He has a bad old scar. Ear-to-ear. He's survived something in this life, though his voice is raspy for it.
"Art thou housed? Invested?"
Oh, and I guess I don't know where Altai is, but if he shows up and wants to be there that's cool.
Same for everybody.
As the burnt-up hunchback unerringly identifies Riese, Altai's suspicions go into overdrive. He only shrugs as Elgan and Beldan asks about his relationship with Krexin and quickly heads back to the ship. Odd things were afooot. If only he had paid more attention in divination classes...
Gittik can have the stick thin heartbreakers, Oso wants a big woman, I mean built like that running back for the Chicago Bears, William Perry the Fridge, with a waist that he can't get his arms round.
You know something special.
"Ma man is going toe to toe there. He is a star that Pip. Wonder if they got some proper women in Sasserine, you know, summat like a bear at winter's start."
"Count me in for that there Champion's Belt, If the rest are in, then so be I."
Oso grabs a few more drinks and starts chatting to the locals around him, just to be friendly.
"This place is great, first day in Sasserine and we gets to hear these sweet tunes. What's happening in town?"
As the burnt-up hunchback unerringly identifies Riese, Altai's suspicions go into overdrive. He only shrugs as Elgan and Beldan asks about his relationship with Krexin and quickly heads back to the ship. Odd things were afooot. If only he had paid more attention in divination classes...
Yeah; go for it.
Gittik can have the stick thin heartbreakers, Oso wants a big woman, I mean built like that running back for the Chicago Bears, William Perry the Fridge, with a waist that he can't get his arms round.
You know something special.
"Ma man is going toe to toe there. He is a star that Pip. Wonder if they got some proper women in Sasserine, you know, summat like a bear at winter's start."
"Count me in for that there Champion's Belt, If the rest are in, then so be I."
Oso grabs a few more drinks and starts chatting to the locals around him, just to be friendly.
"This place is great, first day in Sasserine and we gets to hear these sweet tunes. What's happening in town?"
Everybody's tweaking about the Champion's Belt.
A merchant's ship two days ago got jacked by the Scarlet Brotherhood.Elves....disappearing....
one guy thinks it's the Scarlet Shroud doing it.
And there's three men with swords asking you questions in terms you don't understand quite....
As the burnt-up hunchback unerringly identifies Riese, Altai's suspicions go into overdrive. He only shrugs as Elgan and Beldan asks about his relationship with Krexin and quickly heads back to the ship. Odd things were afooot. If only he had paid more attention in divination classes...
You're given access to the library.
The librarian is a stooped old biddy with bifocals dangling off her nose..."Mindreading? Why? what do you have in mind?"
straight dry delivery, like she isn't aware of what she said....
"Ah, very clever... Um, yes, my associates and myself have met a person we have no previous shared history with, but who seems to have detailed knowledge of us - knowledge of a rather personal nature. I'm suspecting that some sort of thought-reading effect is going on Any, um, thoughts?"
"Well.....they could've detected your thoughts, perhaps scryed thee with a more potent magic. The possiblilties are endless.
Are you sure this sharp wasn't just cold reading you?"
she sends you to a section detailing divination magic.
"did you detect any active magic? Hmm.....it's difficult to say exactly without knowing details."