"Absolutely! You can rest here as long as you like. I will set aside a room for you."
"That is most gracious, ma'am. I thank you."
Thanking the merchant, the dwarf paid the gold for the shirt, figuring having a bit of speed up his sleeve would undoubtedly come in handy.
---
Garfaulk raises an eyebrow at charles bowing, then removes his hat and bows just as deeply, even getting down on one knee to bring himself a bit lower to match. "Really was no trouble- sorry fer not bein ere previously, the name's Mr. Slag." He gets back up, putting his hat back on with a nod. "As fer messin with the Lords O Rust, I'm game fer it. Hellion's Thralls wont know wha hit em." Garfaulk eyed the c4, wide-eyed. "Well now, aint tha sumthin" He took them and the detonators, grinning like a madman, a familiar glint in the dwarf's eye, doing his best not to cackle like a maniac as he stowed the explosives.
Despite his manners, the dwarf did look a little panic stricken for the briefest of moments "As much fun as it would be ter stay ere with our new tribe, I think there's a lass waitin fer our return" after which, he coughed loudly, looking from Zeke to Charles with a look of Let's go back to the pretty blonde with grenades
Charles harumphs. "No sex until the job is done. Keep your head in the game."
Jolga quirks an eyebrow with great interest at talk of the flying creature. "Fascinating! What can you tell me of this creature? Have any seen it an survived?"
Garfaulk coughed even louder at Charles's words "Charles, I was thinkin her tinkerin skills may be useful in terms o the seefour we just picked up, thought she might be helpuful. Get yer mind out a the goblin pile" Though very clearly Garfaulk was only half serious, teasing the halfling.
"Unnecessary gamble. We can learn of it from the ones who gave it. Too much moving around in hostile territory.""
Jolga nods. "I agree. I can not mask our tracks any longer today. I do not wish to be set upon unawares nor give away the location where we rest."
Wulf had stopped paying attention when talk of wireless energy and massive dishes starting to be talked about, he was picking as the dried blood on his chest only now realising how dirty he was.
This thoughts were filled with Val an Torch, he wondered what was going on with her and then the thoughts he tried to push away the thought of his family his people taken by the Technic league. But he trusted his friends it cant be real.
He's shaken out of his thoughts by the mention of the Arena and a challenge. "Yah... That dish thing will get smashed then we're getting right in that Arena no messing about then." He hefts up his hammer.
With talk of where to stay he moves next to Garfaulk clapping him on the back. "It's alright Garfaulk we all need our releases, I understand why you want to go back there. I'd like to stay with Dinvaya, she's mad but she's a little nicer to look at." He looks around at the small space they will be sharing. "Although I am pretty beat up."
While everyone is sitting and relaxing, Zeke brings out his pistol and continues the arcane work he's been doing on it, muttering quiet rituals over the barrel and scratching strange runes into the metal and handle.
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"Let's just stay here and take a breath." Ton says, already making himself comfortable. "We've been hitting it hard the whole time we've been here - and I blinded by a necromancer today - figure I've earned a day off."
The next morning, both Jolga and Zeke wake up loaded to heal.
Jolga spends the night awake, trying to find a crack through which he can peek and watch the night sky. In the morning, he begins healing his allies.
Then he walks over to Garfaulk "I was unable to finish honoring the dead yesterday. Would you be willing to come with me very briefly back to the lair of the Smiling Men? It would be brief and I will cover our tracks."
Late that night, after putting the finishing touches on his pistol, he dedicates it to his god in an impromptu ceremony, whispering to it while gazing into the skull-faced moon symbol shining on its side.
"O Lord Groetus, may this weapon do Your will in this place. Through this weapon, I pray You give me the strength to end those who oppose You, and to defend and protect those who serve You-- even indirectly. May this broken world cease and become Yours for all time. So be it."
He gets ready to go to sleep, and prepares his spells. He steels himself for a night of terrible visions by imagining that there are deep insights to be gained by yielding to them.
"Good idea, Ton. Depending on how this Sea For works, we might be able to hit and run before they know we're there. But recon is primary.[/smaller]"
Jolga sees Wulf acting stir-crazy and inquires "Would you like to come as well? I will be obscuring our footprints."
Whatever the response by Wulf or Garfaulk, he will head outside the den and cast pass without trace on anyone accompanying him.
Jolga heads back to the Smiler's hideout and the body of the unfortinate ogre. "We honor such as these in a different way." He places black onyx stones in the eye sockets and utters a prayer to the heavens. The flesh falls off the ogre and it rises glowing with an orange light inside its ribcage. "Do not fear. He will only aid us. This is the way of my people."
Charles nods at the old man. "Great idea. A good cleaner makes everything easier."
Wulf takes some time to heal up thanking Jolga for his help, he really isn't comfortable in the small room the ratfolk gave them but he's thankful. When he's offered to leave he feels all but obligated. Saying his goodbyes to the others he heads out.
Getting back to the smilers hideout was easy. While there he steps aside as Jolga goes about his normal business, the boredom getting to him here also.
But he is quick to act as the ogre comes back to life as some undead monster. "Woah! Jolga... what the hell?!" Wulf begins up his hammer expecting it to attack, not giving up any ground. "What's going on?!"
Jolga holds his hand out to Wulf to calm him "It is well, it is well. Fear not. This was the way of my tribe." He points to the large skeleton, standing calm and still beside him and hands him his backpack to carry. "You see? We honor the strength of a fallen enemy by using it. To leave an enemy's strength to the dust is to imply they were worthless. This truly is a fate worse than death." He smiles as the skeleton accepts his pack and carries it with ease for him. "It is bound to follow my orders and will harm none but our enemies." He makes a gesture and the skeleton puts down its club in the dirt and steps up to Wulf, arms behind its back to demonstrate that it will do no harm.
When they return to the the Redtooth Raider's warrens, the ratfolk make it very very clear that this... monstrosity may not enter their caves. It is allowed to stand outside and provide a watch.
The day passes in rest, otherwise....
"New friend, old man?"
Jolga nods to the ratfolk "Of course. He will guard all night. He likely would not fit inside anyhow. I am unsure who would be friend or foe here so I will merely instruct him to make noise should any near your entrance." He then covers the skeleton in debris as well as he can. He turns to Charles with a nod. "This should help somewhat."
Wulf leads from the front not wanting to stand to close to Jolga's new friend. As they get back he moves into the Ratfolks den turning back. "I'm going to get the others." Finding the others he think's it's best they find out sooner rather than later.
"So Jolga brought back a friend, you all might want to go out front and take a look." He leads them all out.
Zeke will cast cure spells on everyone to make sure we are all at full strength the next day.
Ton wipes his eyes blearily and stretches, hearing his back crack loudly and satisfactorily.
He stumbles outside yawning and unceremoniously scratching his butt when he suddenly runs into an 8 foot tall, heavily muscled ogre.
"££@£&&&**(!!!*(£@£^^*&)&$)(......!" the stream of curses is barely even understandable as he rips his pistol from it's holster and points it at the thing's chest.
With some dim recollection, before he fires, he recognises the thing not as an ogre - but as a zombie and when it doesn't immediately try to chew through his neck, starts to put 2 and 2 together.
"Jolga...! Is this you?"
Jolga nods with a smile. "It will do you no harm. It is here to carry things for us and draw a little enemy attention away from Wulf and the rest of us. Hence the glowing light." He looks at the others with concern "This is not a problem, is it? I thought that we wished to destroy the other honorer of the dead and strange fetishist because she had kidnapped our friend."
Garfaulk gave Jolga a bit of a skeptical look, but definitely understood the value of honoring the dead. "Aight Jolga, I'll come with ya fer sure-certainly interested in learnin more bout yer rituals." and happily followed long, though still had Crescendo in the back of his mind-she'd need an hour of elbow grease to fix, and wanted to plan his time accordingly
"Well now aint tha sumthin. I mean, I knew it could happen, but figured a kid, or a dog, or a virgin was required in sacrifice first. S'long as yer not plannin on sacrificin Wulf ere, and as long as yer controllin em to the fullest extent, I think a trial run is on order." Upon mentioning attracting attention, Garfaulk snorted with laughter "Said the man with the metal skin" But then, more seriously to Jolga, he furrowed his brow "But really old man, you have him under yer total contol, right?
---
That night before before drifting off, he makes sure to be up late, using what tools he and the ratfolk have to fix up Crescendo after that misfire-no damage, mostly just cleaning out the internal worksings, bending a few things back into place, as well as just giving her a good ol shine-the dirt and sand in this place was not good for his baby girl. Still, he managed to get her in prime working condition before passing out at th work desk, missing the days back in the empty bar, when he'd be passing out with bourbon in his belly.
---
Still, the following morning, he was woken to a wonderful sound-that of a panicking elf. Chuckling, wiping his face off, he gets up and heads outside to watch Ton and Jolga
Jolga nods with a smile. "It will do you no harm. It is here to carry things for us and draw a little enemy attention away from Wulf and the rest of us. Hence the glowing light." He looks at the others with concern "This is not a problem, is it? I thought that we wished to destroy the other honorer of the dead and strange fetishist because she had kidnapped our friend."
"Listen, I can't say I'm wild about it. Necromancy is a pretty dark art from what I've seen, but I can definitely see the uses." Ton says, sliding the pistol home again.
"And it ain't my place to question your beliefs but just do me a favour and don't 'honour' me like this if I croak, ok?" he adds before turning to the halfling in their group.
"Charles? Sam? One of you up for a little recon today?"
Jolga reassures Garfaulk "He is as under my control as any of us are under our own control."
As they return to head back to the ratfolk hideout with the new addition, Jolga recasts pass without trace to include the skeleton's big feet.
Jolga bows to Ton gravely. "Indeed I would not. This is how my people honor monstrous enemies, not humanoids. But I would be happy to honor you according to the rituals of your own people, if such a thing should ever be necessary. I would be interested to know what those are, if you have time later."
"Just get me to my family if I croak. Don't burn me."
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Zeke looks shocked. "That spell is evil," he breathes with disbelief. He looks around at the others. "Casting it brings more evil into the world. That thing is worse than a Smiler, because it is not human and cannot do good without being forced." He stares Jolga in the eyes. "I'm surprised at you, Mr. Jolga. You should have talked to us about this before you did it, tradition of your people or not. You certainly know better."
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Jolga bows to Charles solemnly. "May it never come to that. I wish to be honored in the way of my people, should this arise."
He turns to Zeke thoughtfully.
He asks aloud "I appreciate your concern. But I have found it harder to call a tool "evil" or "good" than its outcome. Does your own god even oppose undead? I have heard of his believers cooperating with worshipers of Urgathoa, Queen of Undeath. Far less than that, I do not do this to seek undeath. This is merely a tool and honors the strength of the fallen enemy by valuing it."
"Nobody's here to discuss theology, Zeke. This thing is useful and can help us. Don't care about your personal ethics. Just results."
Zeke looks troubled and haunted by Jolga's response, and closes his mouth fearfully. An expression of doubt crosses his features, and he stammers "I-- I don't think... I must-- I have to..." as he stares at the flaming undead creature. Then with a look to the others, he hunches his shoulders and retreats back into the warrens by himself.
Wulf scratches at the back of his head, feeling like he should stop Zeke but letting him go for now. "Yah see, this thing isn't good if we're not all happy with it." He has had time to look at it closer now and be around it. "It really puts me off how it just stands there..." He waves a hand in front of its face. "I ain't going to tell anyone what to do." He throws up his hands. "You're one of us Jolga, you've made a place in our group you've helped us a lot." He stares up at the undead again. "But this thing is only for scrapwall. We use something like this to scare thing place, this is the message I wanted to send maybe to an extream but it works. They have to fear us, what they had planned what they wanted to do to torch..." He thinks of Val and what she would think of him standing so close to such a monster.
"I'll talk to Zeke, but we all need to be on the same page here." He says clearly not wanting to preach at anyone. Stepping over to Jolga he pats him on the shoulder.
--
"Zeke!" Wulfs heads down into the warrens. "Zeke wait up!" He looks around for his friend, not wanting him to feel cast out.
As he half trips into a small room he spots the half-elf. "Zeke, let's talk. I'm not here to pick any side, I said what I wanted to say up there Jolga has gone to an extream. I don't like it but I ain't against it. In a place like Scrapwall, we have to become like them, we use that thing to sow fear and bring this place down." He sits next to Zeke then placing a hand on his shoulder. "All I can think of when I'm standing next to that thing is what would Val think... What would your father say? But nothing like that is coming with us back to Torch."
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Zeke listens to Wulf and shakes his head, troubled. "I don't know, Mr. Wulf. I know quite a bit about those creatures, and I've never seen myself as someone who could use one of them as a... a tool, a servant or the like. They are dark, twisted things that hate life, even if they are well-yoked and beaten into submission. They are the opposite of us. I-- I don't like them, Mr. Wulf! But I must pray on it, th--think about it, search myself for what is true.
"I don't know much about what Lord Groetus commands, I guess. I heard someone say once that the Lady of Graves opposes the undead because each one damages a soul. Surely our Lord Groetus doesn't want damaged souls polluting the world when He inherits it? Won't He destroy them like He destroys everything? Won't He remake them better, as He will remake all of us better?"
Zeke stops, embarrassed. "Sorry, Mr. Wulf. I don't mean to... to preach. I see us as family now, all of us traveling together. We are the heroes of Torch! And, I don't like the... the thought that our family could be tainted with evil. Did you see the way that Redtooth looked at me when I came back in? Or at you? I want to believe we're better than that. That we don't need to use those kind of tools."
He sighs. "I just need some time. Time to think about it. Oh, I'm so tired, Mr. Wulf, ever since we left Torch it's been so hard! But I find staying up late and working with my arts very calming. I've been tinkering with an idea for a magic headband, something that might make it easier for you to control your, your metal skin?" His eyes become slightly more focused, hopeful. "Let me show you tonight?"
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Ton leans against the wall, eyeing the towering undead for a time.
In response to Jolga's question about his beliefs, the grizzled elf lights up yet another dog-eared cigarette - the one resource he seems to have an endless supply of - and draws deeply.
"Thing is Jolga, my people have all kinds of beliefs and rituals and magic practices going back ten thousand years or more. Fascinating if you're an historian or priest - kind of a headache if you ain't into it. My Mother was. She was about as stereotypically wood-elf as you can get. Wore flowers in her hair right up to the day she died."
"You wouldn't believe all the different crap I had to go through whenever we visited the Old Family outside the city. What a pain in the ass all that was." he shakes his head.
He takes another long drag on his cigarette.
"Over the years I seen an' done enough sh*t to myself and the people I loved most not to believe in much of anything. 'Cept Cayden, if I was on a lucky streak or I needed to bum liquor offa one of his priests - can't deny you a drink, it's one of their tenets." he adds knowingly as if sharing a secret.
He strolls casually up to the undead and feels the heat radiating off it, causing him to grimace somewhat.
"Listen, I ain't one to say that thing's evil. That's just a word anyway, mostly banded about by people who got a guilty conscious themselves in my experience. May as well say a sword is evil. Or a gun. But one thing I do know...."
He takes the cigarette and presses it against the thing's chest. It sizzles for a moment before stubbing out. The creature doesn't move an inch.
"....that's messed up. It's going to be a Hell of a thing in that arena, no denying that, but I don't want to head back to Torch with that thing or another like it in tow carrying all our gear." he is tall when he can be bothered to draw himself up and his leg isn't hurting like the Devil and he does that now, almost squaring up to the undead thing. The he shakes his head and gives Jolga a not unfriendly clap on the shoulder.
"You're full of surprises, Shaman, I'll give you that."
He heads back inside to grab the camera and talk Charles through it's use.
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Jolga nods to both Ton and Wulf. "That is wise. Powerful tools that inspire fear belong in a place such as this. Not a peaceful town. We will easily destroy this tool and any like it before entering a civilized area." He nods sagely "Yes the lost goodwill would do more harm than could be outweighed by the added strength." He finishes covering the skeleton in scraps of metal and other non-flammable material to make it less obvious.
Jolga's disguise on the creature certainly doesn't make it look at less fearsome. It is now a giant skeleton covered in rusty metal, and sure to make any wise or stupid person pause in their tracks.
The next morning the Heroes of Torch are back on the job. There is work to be done, and theirs is the duty: To head east into the Thralls of Hellion territory, and to blow up that blasted dish that is surely responsible for many of Torch's woes.
You head east through the narrow rust trench out of Redtooth territory and into a new section of the city you have not yet seen.
About two hours into the maze of the rusted metal trench, you come across a slight clearing, and you come across a tower.... it rises higher than any wall or heap you have yet seen in Scrapwall, vertically up, at least 50 feet.
Surely this is home of the flying creature Redtooth mentioned. You see no sign of it. Is it home? Is it gone?
Jolga offers Wulf some cookies as the group prepares. "These will make you stronger."
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Garfaulk looks to Charles as the others are talking about their beliefs and ideology. "Huh. I mean sure, it's a bit off-putting, and I wouldnt bring one round the family, but like Crescendo or Slagbreather, it's less about the weapon and more bout the wielder, right?"
Looking up at that tower, Garfaulk couldnt help but whistle. Elbowing whoever was next to him, he chuckled. "Wonder if whoever made tha was compensatin fer sumth-" but cut his own joke short when he realizes his elbow hit something hard and hollow. Looking next to him, he sighs, realizing he'd been telling it to the metal-coated skeleton "Ah. Right. Sorry mate" before pulling Crescendo out, watching the skies in case this was the home of the flying creature.
HP=43/43
PREPARED PER DAY: L0: 4 | L1:5 L2:3
0: Acide Splash, Detect Magic, Light, Mage Hand
1: Shield, Silent, Image, Grease, Snowball, Snowball,
2: Bull's Strength, Invisibility, Mirror Image
Arcane Pool 7/7
Current Buffs: Shield (AC 22), Arcane Pool, Mirror Image (2 images), Prayer
Current Debuffs:
Current Battery: 10/10 remaining
Charged Batteries 14/19
Depleted Batteries 5/19
Pearls of Power L1 2/2
As they pass by, Ton stops before the tower and looks up, squinting against the sky.
"Hey Charles, you up for a climb? Figure if that thing is home you can just slip out if you're invisible. If it ain't, it might have built a nest up there with all sorts of stuff in it."
The elf shrugs. "Just a thought."