Search Posts
We were JUST starting to get to the part where the chemistry actually develops too. I saw it as a fantastically lopsided "cynical uncle/naive niece" kind of dichotomy, which is all the more hilarious given Jeb's like...a tenth River's age or something. I was really going for a "Dr. House" kind of vibe and when I saw River made the party I was like "oh this is gonna be GOOD." And you're a perfectly good sport about it too. Damnit all I saw this going so many great places...
and this was SUCH a great group of characters...damnit. Damn you real life for getting in the way of our imaginary cooperative story time!!
Gritting his teeth, Jebediah shudders visibly as the unknown effect chills his mind. He turns back toward the forest entrance, tugging River along by the cloth of her pants leg. "This. This is why I said we should wait for them to approach. I don't know WHAT in Azmodeus's soggy ass that was, but I don't think it was an Orc. Unless the gouged eye tribe are suddenly VERY into magic and very afraid of visitors, I think they've got neighbors who don't want us here." He shudders again, trying to shake off the disquieting unease as he thinks. "Wait. It said 'my' forest..."
Jeb jumps after River with a start. "Nonononono, wait! River!" He fumbles around with his belt and pack as he darts after her. damned waste of a dose... "River, stop!" he holds up a vial and a potion. "Drink this, then taste this and spit it back into the bottle. That way you'll at least know if they're saying "hello" or "die" before they start loosing arrows at you."
Dr. Castle steps in front of the party, holding his hand up to Crow. "Stop. We've been spotted. One Orc in the trees, just ducked away." He crosses his arms, tapping his finger for a moment. "Well if they didn't know we're coming, they're about to. I think maybe we should wait here and let them come to us. We advance on them like this and they might just take it as aggression. Either way they're bound to want an explanation. Speaking of which..." Jebediah pulls out two vials, drinks one, the sips and spits the other one back into its vial. "Speaking the local language never hurt."
Dr. Castle points out the large groups of prints tracking through the woods. "Hunting party, perhaps?" He taps his chin and digs through his bag and belt for a moment, pondering. "One way or another the orcs are involved; are we stopping by to chat or staying aloof for now? I could perform some reconnaissance first; if they're on edge we can avoid them but if they're in a mood to talk I could probably win us some favor if they have sick or wounded, hm?"
There are things that haven't blown up yet and fools whose lives I have yet to hold in my hands as I grin sadistically, leaving them to wonder if I ever meant to save them at all-- Wait. Sorry. Errr...wrong place for that. I was...writing a book. Yeah. That's it.
We all gotta juggle things; sometimes we have to put something down for a bit so we don't drop it.
COMMENCE THE NOVELLA LENGTH POSTS!
Man, I'm starting to feel like a god of the sea here. Jeb speaks and River just ebbs and flows like the tide...XD Not the first character I expected to have chemistry with but here we are!
"You know," Jebediah chimes in over his shoulder, slowing up to walk beside River for a moment, "If memory serves, the woman just recently lost a family member to a bloody end. I'd think it a bit inconsiderate to 'make her better' when she just needs time to deal with the loss. Besides, if she were ill I think Sam and his boys would be asking us for help, hm? They all saw what the lot of us can do; certainly they'd at least ask for advice if they thought it was needed. I'm sure she'll be fine."
"If the walking wall of metal stops, we stop. Got it." Jebediah checks his belt and scarf, gives everything a tug to test his fit, then motions towards the gate and the road. "shall we then? There's plants that need cataloguing, traps that need sprung and a whole missing town to find." and perhaps some rare ore to pick up...
Hell, if we had one, even I might be able to carry you. I CAN use reduce person as a formula...
Alright, so we still want to shop for horses or we just gonna hoof it? Shame I don't have overland flight but either way's fine with me.
Jebediah taps his chin with pursed lips, a nub of cheese in his other hand. "Why not? The worst they can do is say no, hm?" He pauses a moment, then his face widens into a grin that threatens to split his head from his jaw. "Besides, Teladora would probably enjoy spurring this little town onward and I would so dearly cherish the idea of that soggy cane-wagging loaf--not you, Edmund--put in his place again by yet another person half his size." He cackles madly for a moment then turns to face Crow directly, nodding emphatically. "Do it."
"Can't learn everything about alchemy from a single lab; gotta get out there and identify some herbs, observe some venoms at work, learn how many drops of an explosive chemical is one too many and how quickly each kind of predator panics when they catch fire. Oh and uh...I guess it helps the whole "healing" business to actually BE where the ill or wounded are..." Jebediah bites off a hunk of bread. Hmm. Good baking. Been awhile.
"Fate and Fire," Jebediah corrects the lad reflexively. "The House of Fate and Fire. And I'd say we're more adventurers than mercenaries. We do all sorts of things; mercenaries mainly just fight battles in my experience." He looks over the feast with disinterest but chooses courteous appearances and picks up a slice of bacon, tossing it into his cavernous, goblin-sized maw. "And yes, from the looks of things, they'd be a bit out of your league as of now. As for the city?" He shrugs, picking up a roll, "Well, one way or another you'll end up missing home sooner or later."
Everybody okay? Got real quiet in here...
Stupid browser was the problem. Had to wipe Chrome and ALL it's data to get away from the login loops. Should FINALLY be back to normal now. I think.
Jebediah successfully suppresses a snicker when Samuel caves to River's entreaty. Absorbing the story, he lifts a brow at the mention of the relatively courteous orcs. It's too convenient to be coincidence. Orcs don't change swiftly as a culture; they usually don't live long enough to be very progressive-minded. It'd have to be quite the event to suddenly cause a whole tribe to upend their customs like that. As for the bulettes? A leader among them could be changing their stance and trying some new tricks; it could also be that someone simply bungled his task of managing the beasts. It could also be some disgruntled tribesman protesting or--" He chuckles aloud, "could even be some mischievous goblin out for a good prank. I could think of a few who'd go for that kind of entertainment..."
Still a no go on my chrome; at least I can get in with another browser.
Jebediah rolls his eyes surreptitiously as food is further discussed. Unmoved by the thought of eating, he passes the walk by thinking aloud a bit. "Orcs grafting metal onto bulettes... this begs the question of whether these were escapees...or if they were turned loose. Impressive enough that they managed to get a bulette to hold still long enough; if they've managed to start controlling these things in even the most nominal way, it'd make their tribe fearsome indeed." Well, I suppose a bite wouldn't exactly hurt...just have to pay attention and not eat the entire table's worth. No hunger means no satiety, after all. Wouldn't do to have the goblin who doesn't need food absentmindedly eating them out of house and home...
Apparently Chrome is in a mood; haven't been able to sign in after I cleared my cache and stuff (whole computer was being a little S&%$ so I had to do some troubleshooting) but apparently another browser does the job. Vexing.
Dr. Castle scratches his chin, floating up just a bit to get another look at the horses. "Weeeeelllll...they did just survive a near death experience; I'd hate to throw the poor things into danger again so soon. Besides," he muses, drifting over to River and leaning in almost conspiratorially, "Imagine all the scenic views we'd not have time to enjoy..." And the gold that'd never find its way into the pockets of this insufferable ingrate...what I wouldn't give to know a formula to turn HIM into gold... "Now then!" Jebediah claps his hands, rubbing them together, "What say someone call whatever passes for a local armorsmith and start peeling the plates off those beasties? I hear Bulette hide is a wonderfully durable material and I'll wager there are some perfectly good innards to study, despite the slashing and bashing they just took. I wonder if they have a local glassblower? Those eyes probably won't fit in a vial..." He then moves off to examine the bulette corpses up close, reaching into his haversack for his medical tools.
Aside from losing one already (we all know that pain,) no, I have no objections.
Jebediah floats over to River and pats her on the shoulder, grinning and chuckling. "Don't be sorry, girl. I don't regret a thing. Pompous nobles need a good tongue lashing on occasion or they start to forget they're mortal like the rest of us." He glances after the retreating Augustus, then smiles. "Besides, we're the adventurous sort, aren't we? The House of Fate and Fire doesn't run from trouble; we run toward it. A little trouble once in awhile is what makes life interesting, wouldn't you say?"
Dr. Castle's expression turns deadpan as the noble starts up his condescending tirade. "Seems to me the only ones who 'owe' anything here are the metal plated eating machines who tried -to some success- to devour your horses." He turns his full body around to look pointedly at the dead bulettes, then turns sharply back to the noble to accentuate his point, "Oh wait. They seem to have paid with their lives. Let's see, we paid in extracts and spells we'll have to replace tomorrow, the very real risk of injury and death, plus time lost to a much bigger mission that we are getting paid for, Samuel paid with a son, these stout young lads paid in a fair bit of blood and a near death experience..." Jebediah scratches his chin in mock contemplation. "Even the horses paid with a lost sibling and an unhealthy dose of sheer terror." Jebediah slowly floats up to eye level with Augustus, eyes wide and unblinking. "You've paid with a condescending temper tantrum, an exhausting trip down the stairs and a pair of dirtied shoes. But please, do go on about everyone else's debts."
"It's okay...We'll wait." <--- Stares expressionless and unblinking at campaign alerts for the next three days
Jeb drifts down to the ground near the survivors, offering just a nod in greeting as he looks them over for serious injuries. "Dr. Jebediah Castle. You two," he says, gesturing over the two bloodied sons as he reaches for a pair of vials, "Come here. Won't do to have the both of you half-dead if something else decides to make trouble." He holds up first one vial to Samael, "Drink this," then the potion in his other hand, "Then pour this in your mouth and spit it back into it's container for me. Do not swallow it. Clear?" he makes sure both of the lads are on the same page before handing him the vials, repeating the process with the other brother, supervising closely.
Once the process is done, the wounds close and Saman hands the potion back, Jebediah then begins to examine the field for the dropped potion...two for one seems a fair price, I think; nice to make a deal where everyone wins...
Jeb drifts down to the ground near the survivors, offering just a nod in greeting as he looks them over for serious injuries. "Dr. Jebediah Castle. You two," he says, gesturing over the two bloodied sons as he reaches for a pair of vials, "Come here. Won't do to have the both of you half-dead if something else decides to make trouble." He holds up first one vial to Samael, "Drink this," then the potion in his other hand, "Then pour this in your mouth and spit it back into it's container for me. Do not swallow it. Clear?" he makes sure both of the lads are on the same page before handing him the vials, repeating the process with the other brother, supervising closely.
Once the process is done (and Saman hands the potion back) Jebediah then begins to examine the field for the dropped potion...two for one seems a fair price, I think; nice to make a deal where everyone wins...
If the horse is already dead we lose little by letting the last one go unless someone's planning to use some form of resurrection on a horse, which seems doubtful...we keep hitting it and it's likely to just turn around and cause more harm...on the other hand, the corpse could provide some VERY useful materials and not just to me...plus the owner will likely NEVER stop complaining if we let one get away...damn you, practical dilemmas! Dr. Castle turns another bomb vial over in his hands as he drifts through the air toward the final bulette, lost in thought for all of three seconds. "Oh, to the nine hells with it; in for a copper, in for a gold!" He flicks the vial, tapping it with a finger and then throws it at the beast.
Jebediah exhales a sharp, exasperated sigh as he pulls out another vial, calling out to the guardsman below. "Save your potion, man!
As the vial crashes down and releases its mist on target this time, mending wounds and stopping life-threatening blood loss, Dr. Castle nods and moves to stay with the action, frowning at the now bloody, probably-lifeless horse and grumbles under his breath about how the stable owner is likely to throw a temper tantrum. If that was his prize stallion or favorite brood mare we won't hear the end of it all day...on the other hand, this might be an opportunity... he can't help but grin at the plan forming now in his head.
Grimacing slightly at the now-savaged guardsman, Dr. Castle flies over to the nearby barn, alighting on the roof. He pulls another vial from his belt, shakes it up and throws it at the now dying guard...
and glares in annoyance as his bomb once again goes errant and lands on the monster instead of the guard. "Stop hogging the medicine, you metal-mawed moron! I will NOT be charged with malpractice for your benefit!"
Seeing the lone soldier in tatters, Jebediah flies north, staying well above the rampaging landsharks. He pulls a vial, taps the glass, shakes it violently, then throws it directly at the beleaguered guard. "Guardsman! Healing!"
Rounding the corner and assessing the situation, Jebediah's eyes widen in exasperated disbelief for a moment. "Oh wonderful..." At the (presumed) landowner's insistence, Dr. castle smiles. He pulls out a vial from his belt, gives it a quick shake and drinks it before lifting into the air to get a better view. Surely a flying goblin is less strange than a trio of horse-eating monsters around here...
Must be a PC bug going around because mine and my internet were acting all kinds of stupid yesterday.
Dr. Castle's ears catch the cry for help and he can't help but smile a little. "finally...some excitement." He follows behind Crow, moving from cover to cover as is his habit. As he moves, he pulls a vial from his belt, sprinkles a little something in the top, gives it a quick shake and quaffs it down.
Dr. Castle shrugs. "None at all. However there is also nothing to suggest it has nothing to do with us or our situation. The timing is rather convenient, don't you think? This ship was heading to Pol with this 'weapon,' with or without us. Make of that what you will. You lot are doing a fine job earning goodwill; I'll keep my ears to--" he looks down at the planks and taps his foot, then smiles. "To the deck."
For myself, I caught a fun little 24-hour bug the other day so I spent pretty much the whole day (night, I guess) in bed making WAR on the little bugger. I won and I'm good now so...BACK TO ADVENTURE!
Jebediah spares River an eyebrow as she departs, then waves the others in closer, dropping almost to a whisper (for a goblin, at least.) "So would anyone be the slightest bit curious or concerned as to what sort of 'experimental weapon' is on board and why it's heading to Pol? Because that seems to be what we've got and somehow I doubt it's a peace offering for the Orcs."
Using our pictures as tokens makes perfect sense to me; continuity removes a mental step which reduces confusion and speeds things along. As far as resolving things goes, like all things, there's a balance to be had. I don't mind it so far; it feels to me (and mind you, this is just me) that so far your...let's call it "micro-botting" has been mostly unobtrusive and fairly in tune with the characters. Reading the audience is important and players who describe their actions and behaviors with more open ended-ness seem to have a tendency to not mind when a bit of creative license is taken when describing the results and followup. The better we read each other's intentions, the better we adapt to each others' behaviors and the more seamless the story becomes. @Edmund, your character's voice will now be officially played by Sir Richard in my head, thank you.
"Quite a tale indeed and quite the telling," Jebediah chimes in, appearing in the midst of the dispersing crowd. "I've met a bard or two who could take pointers, though most of them have slightly more aversion to public nudity," he snickers. As Gossman leaves immediate earshot, he motions for the party to huddle up a moment, lowering his voice a bit. "Looks like we may be dealing with orcs after all; word is they're spoiling for a fight with the city, which seems to be a first. Might be someone in town did something very stupid."
As Jebediah takes in the loose talk of the crew, he has to forcibly suppress an ear to ear grin to keep his teeth from giving him away as amusing notions form and events fall into place. An evening show, is it? Perfect... you didn't see ANYTHING...right?: As evening approaches, Dr. Castle moves to position himself close to the hold unseen. Once the crew gathers topside, he'll scout the place, first for guards. If there are none or if it looks possible to bypass them unnoticed, he'll sneak in and try to get a peek at this "experimental weapon" and get back out, hopefully before River's 'show' is over.
fluff matters. Pillows would just be an empty sack without the fluff. Then again, without said sack giving it shape, it's just a mess. It gets everywhere; in your eyes, in your hair, in your clothes and sheets... Sorry; analogy started wandering off on me. I'm a "read the audience" kind of guy when it comes to fluffing it out. I adapt to the flow when I can and if I have a great plothook that really grabs me I'll run with it and try not to leave the party behind. Balance in all things, you know?
Dr. Castle might not have much to do, honestly. He's no sailor, he doesn't need to eat or sleep much and if nobody has any illnesses there's no one for him to scam--TREAT! No one for him to treat is what I said and what you read. Do not question further. He'll probably wander about the ship...sneakily. Just to see what people do when they don't know he's there. He's a goblin after all; got a reputation to protect.
Holidays, amirite?
Dr. Castle sneers at the mention of corsairs. "ah yes...them. In all honesty I almost hope they do try something stupid. If they're still trying to make trouble for the House then clearly they haven't gotten the message..." he pulls a couple of vials from his pouches, swirling the liquids and smiling proudly at his work, "and I would so love to pass on a good, harsh lesson." He stows his vials and follows the procession to the bunks, appraising the accommodations. "A bit rustic, but I've lived with much worse."
|
