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Beth tries to comfort her friend, but feels awkward. She's never been good at this sort of thing. "Don't worry, Taya, everything will work out ok. I know they're scary, but they're just holes in the ground. And I can see in the dark, remember? Hopefully, you won't even have to go down there again. I can be in and out, quick as a flash!" She gives Taya a quick smile that she hopes looks friendly and comforting.
Beth takes her share of Daetha's coins with some confusion. She can't imagine just giving away your family's money like that, but she receives it gratefully. "Thank you, Daetha, I'll try to put it to good use." She also takes the hand, and looks it over in great detail. It's certainly gruesome, but she imagines that she can feel its latent magical power, and places the chain around her neck in the hopes it might do something to help draw forth her own nascent abilities. "Let's go then," she says. "At this rate, it will be dark before we even get down in the sinkhole!"
"Maybe, Orick. Where is it coming from?" Bethsemane tilts her head, listening intently.
"I don't think it's stealing if it's your house, Taya," Beth says. "We'll bring back what we don't use, just like with the ropes and stuff. And your mom would feed us if we were here anyways, right?." Beth smiles at her friend, but makes no move to take any food until Taya decides it's ok.
“Also, I … um, well it might be dangerous down in those holes. I have my bow and my knife, but I also … I have a sword and some armour stashed not far from here.” The youth looks a little hesitant and embarrassed. “Um, if any of you have anything else like that,” and he glances at Stagyar’s sword, “it might be worth getting them. Just in case.” "I have my staff and my crossbow," Beth says, proudly patting the stock of her treasured weapon. At the farm, she loops a coil of rope over her shoulder, excited about the adventure ahead. "Give the herbs to Taya's mother, but I don't think we need to tell anyone where we're going. Someone will just try to stop us. It's just a hole, and not very far. We'll be back before anyone knows we're gone!"
"Taya, do you think these green slugs could've been down there? If it'll help Nagy, I'll go with you. I can see in the dark with no problem!" With the failure of her "magic," Bethsemane is eager to be of use, and if her orcish heritage can actually help, then even better.
Beth is jealous of Vladimir's seeming ease with his magic. Even Taya seemed better at it than her. I'll never be a wizard at this rate, she thinks. She puts her head down and concentrates on gathering up the herbs, muttering about "green slugs" under her breath.
Unfortunately, Bethsemane is unable to remember exactly how Raggedy Sorda cast the spell. She perseveres, concentrating hard on the problem, but is forced to give up in frustration after a few minutes. I'll never be a wizard, she thinks gloomily, and sighs audibly. "I can't do anything with this stuff," she declares. "But maybe Master Sorda could. He's a powerful wizard. Sort of. If you took this stuff to him, Daetha, I'm sure he would help." She stops when she hears Orick repeating Taya's poem. "What is that? I don't think I've ever heard it before."
Bethsemane helps Daetha lift the box and other things out of the hole, then peers over his shoulder to look inside. "What is that? It's a hand! On a chain? That's weird. It's like something a wizard would do. They're always making weird things. Was your mom a wizard, Daetha? I wonder if it's magical? Maybe I can find out..." Beth realizes she's babbling again, so she shuts up, and tries to remember some of what Raggedy Sorda has shown her. She pictures him in her mind, the words he used, the gestures he made, to see if she can replicate it.
Bethsemane sighs in relief when she hears it's not an owlbear coming to eat them, only Stagyar, but she leaves her corssbow loaded just in case. She's secretly amused that Stagyar is so much older than she is, but that she's his equal in height. Fortunately, she's so preoccupied with her thoughts that she doesn't hear Vladimir's orc comment.
"Daetha, whatdja find in that hole? Do you want to take it with you?"
Bethsemane's head snaps up as the sound of the twig shatters the silence. "The owlbear's come back!" she hisses. She pulls out her crossbow and loads it with shaking hands, trying to remember everything that her mother taught her but finding her mind a confusing jumble of panicked thoughts. She backs into a corner, crossbow held at the ready, looking wildly around for a place to hide.
"I don't wanna be anywhere around here when an owlbear shows up," Bethsemane declares, also keeping her voice low. "Whatever that is. But it sounds strange. An owl and a bear together? I'll bet a wizard made it. They're always sticking two things together to make new things. But an owl and a bear? That's just weird." Beth realizes that no one's really listening to her babbling. I must be nervous, she thinks. I babble when I'm nervous. I hope it doesn't come back while we're here... "I'll help look," she tells Taya. "Daetha, what herbs do you need?"
Bethsemane realizes what she said and a look of horror comes across her face. She sidles up next to Orick as they go inside, whispering, "I can't believe I just said that! With everything going on, I completely forgot about what happened to his family. I feel so bad. D'you think I should tell him I'm sorry?"
"You used to live here, Daetha? What happened? It looks like nobody's lived here for - ooh! What's that smell?" Beth wrinkles her nose in distaste and takes a step back.
"Lemme run home to get my stuff, and then we can go." Bethsemane tears off before anyone can stop her, returning a few minutes later out of breath, but with her staff and crossbow. "Anything dangerous comes along, I'll be ready." FW:
Spoiler:
"I'll go. Taya, do you want to come too?" Maybe it'll take her mind off Nagy...
"They've not forgiven Movuum. I wish there was something we could do. Do you feel helpless too? That's the worst part for me. I'm used to doing things, not thinking about them too hard." Beth nods solemnly. "Me too. Maybe someday, when we're real wizards, we can do something. Or maybe not. Wizards don't have that kind of magic. Why haven't any priests come to town, to see what they can do?" She pauses for a moment, and then says in a very low voice: "Sometimes I wonder if the gods are really real, you know?"
As usual, Bethsemane feels out of place among all the townspeople. She thinks they're always staring at her, or worse, talking about her behind her back. At least she had a good night's sleep last night, even though that horrible monster spider was once more in her dreams. Maybe when I'm a wizard, I won't be scared of those kind of things, she thinks. Spoiler:
Bethsemane's reverie is interrupted by shouting from the Tulall family, angered and saddened by their grandfather's death. Then she remembers Nagy and his illness. She's been so busy recently, studying with Master Sorda and running errands for her mother with Orick, that she had forgotten all about the poor boy. She notices Taya sitting to the side, crying, and decides to go over to her. Reaching the tearful girl, Bethsemane suddenly realizes she doesn't know what to say. She's heard that Nagy is really sick, and so many people have died recently, and he's so small. She almost turns around and goes back, feeling almost painfully uncomfortable. No. Taya is my friend. Maybe that's all she needs right now. Beth sits down nexts to Taya, and gives her a small smile, but says nothing. I wish there was something I could do... she thinks.
Changed training prestidigitation to ray of frost to fit my planned Evocation specialty and to be more effective on adventures!
Bethsemane should be ready to go as well. It's all in her profile. One more question: With skills and weapon proficiencies and class abilities/spells, and only two more periods of training to go, how will I have I everything I need to be 1st level when I get there? Or will I start without all of the abilities of a normal 1st-level character?
More questions: Now that my Con bonus is +0 (up from -1), do I get +1 hp?Also, my next training was going to be to try for a 1st-level spell. Can I do that, or do I need to learn a 0-level spell first?
Whoo - looks like I missed a lot with that fight! Event rolls:
Second event: 14 (good event); 6: gain Perform (stories) as class skill
Bethsemane listens in rapt attention to Raggedy Sorda's lecture, only yawning once when he's not looking. Still, it's all very interesting, and she is secretly pleased that he either doesn't know or doesn't care about her background and the stories it has spawned in the village. When he finishes explaining the schools, she pauses to think about his question. Which of the Schools interests you and why? I have to give the right answer to this, she thinks. This may be the most important question I've ever been asked. "I think," Bethsemane begins hesitantly. "I think...Evocation interests me the most, Master. Because it seems like true magic. Calling forth power. Creating something out of nothing. It's not dark, or dirty, or secret. It's magic, and everyone knows it." Satisfied with her answer, Bethsemane goes to the door. "Thank you, Master Sorda. It was a good day for me too! I'll be back tomorrow! Bye!" And with that, she heads back into the forest, happier than she can ever remember being in her whole life.
"Come back in the morning and you can meet Taya. I have things to do. Go. Come back." "But Master Sorda, it is morning. I just got here. Isn't there anything you can teach me today?"
"You already have a life? She isn't like me?" His mind really must be scrambled. Bethsemane thinks. "But yes sir, please can you teach me? I promise I'll be a good student. I want to learn everything I can about magic!"
Slowly the eyes open and the man squints up from the floor. "I thank you. Whoever you are? I owe you something for saving me from that phantasmal killer. That blue dragon trap nearly killed me! Ha but no I live!" "My name's Bethsemane. I live in the village. I came here to see if maybe you could teach me some magic. I have my own book and everything! SO will touch me? Please?" Bethsemane smiles, trying to look like an eager young student.
"Okay, okay, no dara gum. Maybe it's not a seizure. Maybe it is the book." Bethsemane is talking to herself, but doing so out loud. She looks closer at the laughing skull on the cover. "Is it trying to eat you?" she asks. Without waiting for a reply, she reaches down and tries to pull the book from the old man's grasp, closing it at the same time.
Watching Sorda spasm, Bethsemane thinks Ooops, guess I should'nt've poked him... "Oh dear, I'm no healer! What can I do?" Bethsemane suddenly realizes he might be trying to tell her something. She runs to the shelf of jars, looking for anything that's labeled something like "dara gum" or anything else that might be able to help him. Over her shoulder, she asks, "Am I in the right place? Or is it the book? Did the book do this to you? What is dara gum?!?"
Bethsemane gently prods the old man with her staff. "Master Sorda, are you all right?" she timidly asks. "Are you ill? What just happened?"
"Oh no!" Bethsemane rushes forward, trying to aid the old man in any way she can. A jumble of thoughts races through her head. Maybe some invisible monster is attacking him! Or a ghost! Is that Raggedy Sorda? His house must be haunted! Or he's ill. Having a seizure. Fairies could be attacking him! "What should I do?" she cries. She flails about at the air to see if anything is there attacking him, ready to turn and run if a ghost suddenly shows itself from beyond the grave.
Overcome by curiosity, Bethsemane pushes the door open wider to get a better look at all the bottles and jars. There must be some amazing spell components in those! she thinks, and before she knows it she's inside, inspecting the labels on the jars, breathing in the spicy, herby aromas. Almost as an afterthought she says, "Your door was open. Hope you don't mind if I come in. Wow, look at all these things! What are they used for?"
Bethsemane pushes the door open a little farther. "Master Sorda...?"
Going for wizard at the mo. Possibly a specialist, but not sure. Then again, Tricaster is rather short on the arcane casters, so I could end up being a anything.
Having spent all night in the Square, Bethsemane set out early in the morning. She had stayed up all night, trying to focus her mind and find that little spark of magic that she just knew was inside her somewhere. In truth, she as a little surprised at how easy it was - she was so excited she would have gotten very little sleep anyways. Today she was going to become a wizard! In the predawn hours, she quietly went through the house, gathering together what she needed: her mother's crossbow, the few bolts she'd been practicing with, the pouch she had cobbled together to hold all the mystical spell components she would someday need (it already held a few strange-looking leaves and flowers, some flour from the kitchen, a couple of dead bugs, and a shiny, polished stone), and the big book, full of blank pages ready to record amazing and wondrous spells. And lastly, she took a bottle of her father's best wine. She put all of the items into an old sack from the barn, and picking up her trusty walking stick, headed out into the forest. Early mornings, with the cold and the damp, always made her bad leg ache, so Bethsemane walked with a limp, but she soon fell into an easy stride as her muscles loosened and the morning warmed. Now in the forest clearing, actually faced with doing something about her dreams, Bethsemane is nervous.
It takes only a few minutes to gather her courage. Nervously, Bethsemane steps up to the door, and reaches out to knock. Again, she hesitates, dropping her arm, and rearranges her hood and dress for the umpteenth time. Deep breath. Okay. She reaches out and bangs the knocker on the door, shattering the morning's silence. "Um...Master Sorda?" she calls, her voice breaking. She clears her throat. "Is anyone home? It's Bethsemane, from the village."
Reposting IC (not sure if you saw it the first time around...}
Bethsemane would definitely discuss it with Orick. Probably not Mother, as I don't want her telling me not to go. Also, should I choose a specific 0-level spell I want to try and learn, or do I leave it open and take what I get?
Bethsemane's skills now updated (curse you full-blooded humans with your -1s across the board!) Also updated my training plans. FW, didn't really see any good ways to train in my skill or spell, so I tried to come up with something. Is that ok, or do you have better ideas for how to train in those skills?
Here's Bethsemane, character sheet in the profile. I've decided to go straight wizard rather than warmage. The warmage's spell list is just too limited, and I want to be more than just a blaster. She'll most likely specialize, in either evocation or transmutation, but haven't decided which yet. Background still subject to change, of course. And finally, apologies for the avatar. I could find NO female half-orcs in 22 pages of avatars, so just imagine the pic with greenish skin and maybe a tooth or two poking out. But I think Bethsemane would keep herself wrapped up like that to try and hide her features as much as possible. |
