DM Haldhin, where are you? ;_; This campaign sank into my list of inactives already!
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Sure, sure. ^^ How about starting gold?
20-pt. buy?
I'm here and still interested. ^^
Glad to see you've returned, Haldhin. ^^
I hope this won't turn out like my first Serpent Skull game, where the DM just... vanished without a trace. o_o
My home internet has been down since yesterday evening, and I am only posting now by the good grace and hospitality of my sister. ^^; Until this problem is resolved, I can't post every day.
"Teach and learn," Belka says, firmly. "Such things works best both ways, or so said me Mum when she taught me my languages."
"Fair 'nuff," Belka says, shrugging. "Other business, then. I been setting up these diagrams, so I din't have time ta check. The Elves we brought back - if they're put up proper, I'm still volunteerin' to help figure out their language. Spells ta understand them is fine and dandy, but they'll need someone ta speak their lingo and for ta teach 'em Common. Without that, they'll not be able to communicate proper-like with the locals, and we won't know their will. Right?"
Yeah, let's hear it! :p
A Keyblade? ;) I see what you did there... If someone else takes Craft Magic Arms & Armour, we could make it special... As for the size -- if the DM is cool with it being weapon-sized, it's perfectly fine with me. ^^
"So I do," Belka says as she uncrosses her legs and rises from her chair. The Kellid girl tugs her jerkin straight and nods at Hoi Polloi. "Give 'er a shove, do." The hooded guardian pushes the blackboard to where the assembled Councillors can see and pulls off the sheet, revealing a chalked octagon, a drawing of a big key, a drawing of a much smaller key, and a series of complex-looking equations and Draconic sentences. "Presenting Belka's Door of Warding and Warning," Belka says as she points out the octagon and several of the equations. "As you can all see, the thing can be forged big enough to cover up the hole leading to the tunnel room. The lock goes in the centre, here" - a finger taps the octagon - "and it needs to be so big that the key would be the size of... well..." Belka looks about a bit, then shrugs and just gestures, indicating an object roughly the size of a club. "I'd be after recommending that Chancellor Raxus be named 'Master of Keys' fer this one," she says, "seein' as it'll take a big'un to carry the thing, let alone turn it. A key - heh - component o'the big key is the small key, seen here. With the little key removed, the big key can't be turned, meanin' the little key goes ta someone else. Like yerself, Baron. Once the lock is turned, tha warding spells goes inta effect. There´s an Arcane Lock ta help make it harder ta open the thing, there´s this here Circle Against Evil, fer ta stop critters just teleportin´ past, an´ there´s two other spells. First an´ most important is a spell of Alarm. If some blackguard starts messin´ with tha lock, whoe´er holds tha little key gets a warnin´, s´long as they´re on the same plane of reality as the door. Second is this´ere Magic Mouth spell, which´ll warn off folks from messin´ with tha door, an´ how it leads ta mortal peril.¨ Belka taps each of the equations as she speaks, and does go into a fair bit of detail. Anyone who lacks at least a solid grounding in arcane theory will find the details tricky to follow, but the Kellid girl does make an honest effort to explain such concepts as ´matrix formation´ and ´induction and fixation of arcane resonances´. ¨All´a that bein´ as is,¨ Belka finishes, ´I ´spect it´ll take about a month ta make the thing. I´m gonna need me a skilled blacksmith an´ a locksmith, mind, an´ we´ll need ta send out fer some scrolls fer what we can´t have cast by folks from the city. If´n y´all want somethin´ really fancy, we can include metals what burns specific outsiders ta make the door extra unpleasant for them ta cross. Cold iron fer Fey, silver fer devils, stuff like that. It´ll cost, mind. It´ll cost plenty! But if´n y´all will agree ta pay, I´ll do ye the work.¨
Belka leans back in one of the supplicant chairs, calmly biding her time while waiting for the mercenaries' business to be concluded so she can bring forth her own proposal -- a blackboard's worth of it, which stands waiting against the wall, covered with a sheet.
"You'll get no argument from me," Belka says, shaking her head. "Mind you, I can probably use some priestly help with what I've got in mind."
"I should've been more clear," Belka says. "I certainly don't mean to replace good guards on that gate, but to add something to help them out. And seeing as it'll be big and heavy, a basement room'd be fine -- that, or ground floor." The Kellid girl shoots Bydar a quick grin. "Don't worry, it'll only be in use for a month or so."
"Right," Belka says once the group has returned to Corbenic. "I'll be assuming you mean to put our visitors from another world up at the castle? Right here'n'now, I'm volunteering to help figure out their language. That... and I'd 'preciate it if I could set up a basement room in the castle ta make something. I'll need the help of a locksmith and a blacksmith, but I think I can set up some beautiful security for that gate. I'll make ye a formal proposal for the Council, if ye like."
"It could just be scouting, yeah," Belka says. "And this way, Lady Thorn won't know - or shouldn't - that she was scouted out by yon Baron. It's skullduggery done out in the open. With a nice little bonus of putting the wind up you, his human 'allies'. Now ye know what all the Fey are capable of, if they're riled up enough, and that this Lady Thorn is one to look out for." She shakes her head at Bydar. "Can't say I ever heard of such an item before now. Guess I could try and find out about it, maybe even construct one down the line. But how'd you propose getting it on that red-hatted, iron-booted fellow's head without starting a ruckus?"
"It's all I've got!" Belka exclaims, some distress showing in her general demeanour. "He said names have power back there! He knows my name! You had better believe I'll do my best to put the best lock on this thing that I can!"
"We need ta do more'n that, methinks," Belka says, eyeing the door suspiciously. "There's naught ta prevent something from passing out of that forest to here, and naught to prevent anything from here ta come tearing out of that forest and inta your city! At the least, I'd suggest putting a guard on that door." The young Kellid girl's brow furrows in thought. "Look, I think... I think I might be able to set up some kind of magical protections. I'd need stuff, though. Expensive stuff, sad to say. Scrolls, materials, a place to work... Can we call it a government commission, s'long as I'm living in your town?"
Belka turns towards the Elves and makes shooing gestures, chivying them back through the gate. "Let's go, let's go!" she exhorts the others. "Time to go home!
"This gentleman has informed me that these are the private lands -- to be specific, the garden -- of one Lady Thorn," Belka tells Bydar. "Uninvited visitors are not welcomed, and we are asked to leave. I recommend we do so. I'll ask whether we can get an invitation, and then we need to beat feet. If you say 'noble', you usually say 'guards', and you didn't say anything about starting a war here when we left home. Besides, there's the Elves to think of." Sylvan: "I thank you for your kindness, good sir, and if I might have the honour of your name, I shall remember it fondly. We'll leave now. When you report our presence to Lady Thorn, would you tell her we should like to secure an invitation to tour her lovely estate? It's fine if you don't want to; I just wanted to make it clear that we wish to offer our respect to the Lady. Good day and good rest to you, sir."
"He does want to know who we are and what we want here," Belka says, without breaking eye contact with the offensive little fey. Her eyes are narrowing. Sylvan:
"The man who just spoke is his lordship, the Baron Bydar of the City of Corbinus. My name is Belka, may it please you. We wish to explore the First World a bit. If that answer suffices, might we be honoured to hear your own name and station, and would you tell us where in the First World we are and what the local sights might be?"
"He said, you mean," Belka mutters, gently elbowing Bridgette. "Have a care. I care not for the look of that scythe." Raising both her hands, palms forward in a peaceful gesture, Belka replies: Sylvan: "We come in peace and mean you no harm."
"Something off about the plants?" Belka asks, surprised. "Hmm. Lessee, here..." Now that she's been alerted to a possible discrepancy, Belka takes a closer look at the plants and tries to identify them properly.
I'd like to somehow get involved with an academy for arcane magic, but right now Belka isn't even on the council - and she's struggling to set up a magic shop. ;) I think I'll go for an item creation feat at my next level. Which would be more useful? Craft magic arms & armour, or Craft wondrous item?
"Tch," Belka tsks, scratching her head. "Where do they go, indeed. It's gonna take me a while to get the hang of their language... Could we take them to Corbenic as guests until I do and we can help them get home, wherever that may be?"
How's everyone doing?
Belka just smiles and approaches the Elves, holding out the rations.
Once the food is gone, she turns back to the first Elf-woman to approach her, and taps her own chest. "Belka," she says. "That's me. Belka. You?" She points at the Elf-woman.
"Wouldn't know about all of that," Belka says, shrugging. "But underfed, I can help do something about." The young Kellid woman reaches into her pack and takes out her pack of trail rations. In full sight of the Elves, she bites into one, chews and swallows it, then offers the rest to them.
Once the neogi is subdued, Belka slowly 'holsters' her morningstar and makes her way towards the slaves, her hands raised in a placating gesture. "Can you understand me?" she asks.
"Best listen to my partner, 'less you want to go the way of your eight-legged kin, bug," Belka says, running up to flank the neogi with Hoi Polloi. She bounces her morningstar on her palm a few times and grins. "Don't think I wouldn't enjoy it. Yield."
I'm glad you're doing better now. I've managed to avoid the flu this year. *knock on wood*
HAPPY NEW YEAR! ^^
MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE! ^^
The only time I felt pity for a neogi in the old Spelljammer novels and boxed set was when I read about what happens to the old masters. >_<;
"Spite!" Belka roars as she staggers back and away from the droog who struck her -- taking care not to stray too close to the edge of the platform. "Die, you ugly piece of snake-feces!" the Kellid girl shouts, and she targets the neogi who just attacked her with another spell of confusion.
The neogi's looks aren't even the most repulsive things about them. Their eating habits and reproductive strategy are
I'm glad to hear your kid is doing better, DM. Sickly little ones are no fun at all...
Please accept my condolences, Arianna. I hope you'll all be alright?
"Tarry a bit, ugly," Belka suggests, as she casts a spell directly on one of the neogi who escaped the effects of her Glitterdust spell.
"Wait on me!" Belka hisses, and then she chants a brief spell, directing its effects at the neogi and their droog heavies. "Pulveris nubens occaecans!" A cloud of glittering, sparkling dust erupts out of nowhere in the middle of the slavers.
"If it's happening behind one of those hell-doors, then... maybe not," the Kellid girl says. She unslings her morningstar. "If someone's being brutalized out on the stairs, though... Am I right?"
"One good thing," Belka says as she moves on, following the ivy's growth while Hoi Polloi follows her, "looks like there's a code of conduct on these stairs. Any denizen from Gehenna should'a been lusting for our blood, but it passed with a nod! Might be some rule ta do no harm 'xcept to those who does it to you, first. Helpful, that."
"It's just a very far place," Belka says, reaching up to pat Raxus as far up the back as she can reach. "When you're on Golarion, there are places so far away you can't see them all the time, right? This is like that, just even further. Don't worry about it. You won't have to go to that horrible place unless you decide to become a mass-murdering bastard for the sole sake of killing. Let's just move on."
"I almost feel like I should know it," Belka mutters in reply, "but it escapes me. Maybe it's headed for the hot door?" Belka's brow wrinkles, and she gives Bydar a look. "Something... Umm, what was it? 'The sequence of extra-planar beings recognition is as follows... Xa, Ya, Ta, Va, Ka, Na, Ga'... You know, the Codex of the Planes! Standard work. I'm sure this thing is in there somewhere..."
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