The three return to the skimmer, and Kannic directs them to the nearest clerical/medical facility to tend to their wounds.
"So, how are we going to find Ryo and Keaton? And how do we break the illusions he's using on Ryo? I mean, do we have some kind of antimagic we can use or something like that?" she asked, pacing back and forth as the clerics worked on healing Tam and Kannic.
"So, how are we going to find Ryo and Keaton? And how do we break the illusions he's using on Ryo? I mean, do we have some kind of antimagic we can use or something like that?" she asked, pacing back and forth as the clerics worked on healing Tam and Kannic.
"Uh - I think I have something that can - AAIIGHH! COLD HANDS! COLD HANDS!!" Tam yelps from behind the curtain at the infirmary.
"That was just mean, lady. Now what was I saying...? Oh - if it comes to that, I do have a shell that would generate a field of antimagic. The downside is that it would create as many problems as it would potentially solve, since our own magic wouldn't work either. Well - those of us who use magic, anyway," he says absentmindedly.
"Another option is to separate the two again and try to talk Ryo out of his mental funk. Or we go straight to the source and kill Keaton outright - that would free Ryo too."
"If he's trying to keep Ryo ensorcelled with illusions, Keaton probably won't be doing....what he has been. That may be a blessing in disguise, as it might buy us the time we need to find them."
"So, we need to find some way to incapacitate Ryo? I mean, we don't want to hurt him. And I'm worried that the creature might hurt him."
"So, we need to find some way to incapacitate Ryo? I mean, we don't want to hurt him. And I'm worried that the creature might hurt him."
"That means we have to incapacitate both of them then, assuming we can't separate them. That's where I'm drawing a blank for ideas at the moment..."
"I can knock Ryo out if I can get close enough, but I don't know how I can get past the vampire to do that."
"I can try and keep Keaton occupied, if you want to do that. The only problem with the plan is that some of what I can do tends to mess up local real estate," Tam says as he comes out from behind the curtain, looking much healthier than he did a little while ago. The healer had already left them, and fortunately didn't hear any mention of Keaton's 'condition'.
"I may be able to focus on non area-affecting stuff though, so that might work."
"If we've got to put Keaton down for good, then we may need to do some more aggressive shopping for the appropriate tools. Though I may have something for that too, if we're backed into a corner."
He sighs.
"Heckuva night this is turning out to be..."
She sighed. "Life was definitely simpler back at the monastery. Well, right up until the end it was I guess. No, I guess it really wasn't."
"Okay. So. Plan. We need more vampire fighting stuff. What is this guy vulnerable to anyway? And we need to distract him so we can get Ryo away from him. It's a good thing Ryo is skinny. I'd have real trouble dragging him away if he were a bigger guy. And how are we supposed to find them? How dumb is Ryo when he wants to be? Do you think they went back to the inn? Or someplace totally different. I hope they didn't leave the city. That would just make them real difficult to track down."
She sighed. "Life was definitely simpler back at the monastery. Well, right up until the end it was I guess. No, I guess it really wasn't."
"Okay. So. Plan. We need more vampire fighting stuff. What is this guy vulnerable to anyway? And we need to distract him so we can get Ryo away from him. It's a good thing Ryo is skinny. I'd have real trouble dragging him away if he were a bigger guy. And how are we supposed to find them? How dumb is Ryo when he wants to be? Do you think they went back to the inn? Or someplace totally different. I hope they didn't leave the city. That would just make them real difficult to track down."
"He's vulnerable to the kind of things a cleric can do, but none of us are one, so no point worrying over that (though some nice holy energy or water would be useful). He didn't seem to be bothered by fire, and electricity isn't very effective on him. Acid and sonic energy seem to work well though."
"If I recall, their biggest vulnerability is to sunlight, but whatever equivalent to a sun this place has must be different somehow, which is probably why he can run around during the daytime here. Hmmm..."
Kannic finally breaks from his reverie. He seems to be talking to himself.
"How to call in favors without revealing Ryo's secret? Of course, stopping Keaton is more important. Lives are at stake."
"I have to warn my friends. Ryo knows too much. Of course, the 'shop' has already moved. But there are others..."
He focusses on the two
"I realize you don't know these people but I do. Family and clan."
"I don't want to complicate this but we need to find these boys before anyone else gets hurt. Both boys would be targets then."
"And Keaton might be willing to sacrifice Ryo in order to get away from any authorities trying to stop him...great."
"If you need to get the word out, Kannic, then I guess that needs to take priority for the moment. It might also give us a little bit of time to figure out our next move. I'm assuming you can do that more efficiently if we're not riding on your coattails...?"
"And Keaton might be willing to sacrifice Ryo in order to get away from any authorities trying to stop him...great."
"If you need to get the word out, Kannic, then I guess that needs to take priority for the moment. It might also give us a little bit of time to figure out our next move. I'm assuming you can do that more efficiently if we're not riding on your coattails...?"
"Yes, but I'm loathe to spread the word too far. Between the opportunists and zealots and vengeance for hire sorts more people could get hurt. I think we give it a day to try to sort it out ourselves."
"I do need to upgrade some equipment, though. Aggressively if need be. And I need to find out where the new storefront is." He looks at the puzzled expression on Aananda's face, and scans the room for scrying. "The store we visited moves. That's how it stays hidden."
"Yes, but I'm loathe to spread the word too far. Between the opportunists and zealots and vengeance for hire sorts more people could get hurt. I think we give it a day to try to sort it out ourselves."
"I do need to upgrade some equipment, though. Aggressively if need be. And I need to find out where the new storefront is." He looks at the puzzled expression on Aananda's face, and scans the room for scrying. "The store we visited moves. That's how it stays hidden."
"Alright. We all need to find some gear. Stuff to protect us against lifeforce-draining and restrict teleportation are on the top of that list. Then there's finding appropriate offensive gear. How long will it take you to find the new shop, do you think?"
"How long will it take you to find the new shop, do you think?"
"How long will it take you to find the new shop, do you think?"
"Alright. We all need to find some gear. Stuff to protect us against lifeforce-draining and restrict teleportation are on the top of that list. Then there's finding appropriate offensive gear. How long will it take you to find the new shop, do you think?"
"Not too long. We can head back to the Juggling Dwarf and I can put the word out."
"Perhaps the church has some of the basics, like holy water."
"Sounds good. If we can stock up on some things before we leave, let's do so and head back to the Dwarf."
"Ummm, not to be a pain guys, but what if Ryo went back to the Juggling Dwarf? I mean, it would kinda be a logical place for him. It could be a trap."
"Ummm, not to be a pain guys, but what if Ryo went back to the Juggling Dwarf? I mean, it would kinda be a logical place for him. It could be a trap."
"Very public kind of trap, but a good point."
"We can track down a runner to find out. I'd really hate to get Klem's place all messed up with a fight like that."
"Ummm, not to be a pain guys, but what if Ryo went back to the Juggling Dwarf? I mean, it would kinda be a logical place for him. It could be a trap.""Very public kind of trap, but a good point."
"We can track down a runner to find out. I'd really hate to get Klem's place all messed up with a fight like that."
"Okay. That makes sense."
Her eyes widen as something else occurs to her. "Oh no. You don't think he'd hurt Mr. Thorg do you?" she asks, looking worried.
"Ummm, not to be a pain guys, but what if Ryo went back to the Juggling Dwarf? I mean, it would kinda be a logical place for him. It could be a trap.""Very public kind of trap, but a good point."
"We can track down a runner to find out. I'd really hate to get Klem's place all messed up with a fight like that."
"Okay. That makes sense."
Her eyes widen as something else occurs to her. "Oh no. You don't think he'd hurt Mr. Thorg do you?" she asks, looking worried.
"Keaton seems to like public venues. If they went there, it would be to flaunt his ego rather than to start a fight. We wouldn't be able to do much to him either, though."
"As far as going after anyone we know - I would say he seems fixated on Ryo's pursuit. But he did try to get in your good graces at the shop, so it's anybody's guess. We can try to go there instead and check on Thorg, or use Kannic's idea of a runner to check on him too."
"We need to hurry back then. I just...I'd really hate for anything to happen to someone just because they'd been nice to me, you know? I hope I'm just worrying for nothing, but I'll feel better when I can see for myself."
"Let's go then."
Kannic heads outside. At several points in the trip he makes barely noticeable gestures at passerbys. Unless, of course, you know what those gestures mean.
"Let's go then."
Kannic heads outside. At several points in the trip he makes barely noticeable gestures at passerbys. Unless, of course, you know what those gestures mean.
When the skimmer pulls up near the inn and the shop, Aananda jumps out, not even waiting for the vehicle to come to a complete stop. She races into Thorg's repair shop, needing to reassure herself that he's there and okay.
When the skimmer pulls up near the inn and the shop, Aananda jumps out, not even waiting for the vehicle to come to a complete stop. She races into Thorg's repair shop, needing to reassure herself that he's there and okay.
"Okay, let's see - hey!!"
Tam gets out of the skimmer once he's parked it and rushes inside after her, Kannic not far behind him.
Kannic surveys the area, ready for screams inside the shop. When there are none he heads next door and peeks in the window of the Juggling Dwarf. He breathes a sigh of relief.
Getting inside the shop, Tam looks around to see if the place has been tossed, or if it looks like a fight broke out here.
"Aananda? Thorg? Everybody okay...?"
Kannic heads in and verifies that Ryo and Keaton aren't around. He then sends the kitchen helper on an errand.
Getting inside the shop, Tam looks around to see if the place has been tossed, or if it looks like a fight broke out here.
"Aananda? Thorg? Everybody okay...?"
"Yeah," she said, sheepishly, "everything is fine here. I was totally panicked for nothing."
"Yeah," she said, sheepishly, "everything is fine here. I was totally panicked for nothing."Getting inside the shop, Tam looks around to see if the place has been tossed, or if it looks like a fight broke out here.
"Aananda? Thorg? Everybody okay...?"
Tam follows her voice and finds Aananda.
"You had to make sure, Aananda - there was no way to know otherwise. This guy's really got us jumping at our own shadows all of a sudden."
He looks around the shop as he walks over to her.
"It's entirely possible that this guy isn't as smart as we're giving him credit for. He's still relatively new to this 'unliving' thing - maybe we need to try and take advantage of that if we can."
"So, how can we do that? I mean, you're right, it would definitely be good if we could get a step ahead of him. But I don't really understand what he can do either. Ryo was the one who did all the....research! We need to go check Ryo's room right now! Maybe he left some of his books there! Come on!" she said, grabbing his hand and dragging him after her as she raced over to the inn.
Kannic settles down for a meal while he waits. During the 2nd course the kitchen boy returns with a small box and a note. After reading the note, Kannnic deftly reloads his pistol with rounds from the box, stowing the box in his belt, and finishes his snack.
"So, how can we do that? I mean, you're right, it would definitely be good if we could get a step ahead of him. But I don't really understand what he can do either. Ryo was the one who did all the....research! We need to go check Ryo's room right now! Maybe he left some of his books there! Come on!" she said, grabbing his hand and dragging him after her as she raced over to the inn.
Tam does his best to keep his feet under him (and avoid getting slammed into people/furniture/architecture) as Aananda catapults the two of them back to the Juggling Dwarf.
"HiKannicberightbaaaaaaack!!"
Aananda and Tam get upstairs and enter the mess that is Ryo's room. The place is still in disarray from Ryo's divinations earlier in the evening.
Aananda and Tam get upstairs and enter the mess that is Ryo's room. The place is still in disarray from Ryo's divinations earlier in the evening.
Kannic follows them upstairs, standing behind them at the door.
"Careful, you two. Look, but be slow to touch."
Kannic's eyes turn a shade of blue as he scans the room from the door.
Conserving his magic, Tam just carefully looks around the room for anything that might be useful - without touching anything unless necessary.
Conserving his magic, Tam just carefully looks around the room for anything that might be useful - without touching anything unless necessary.
