Checking in. Hope things are getting easier on your end.
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Checking in.
Chec king in. Hope things are alright on your end.
That's ok. I'm not going anywhere. Real life comes first.
Erebus was surprised Kargeld was still there. That made things easier.
"I'll give him lessons on the way. Thanks for the tip," Erebus smiled before leading his compatriots out of the tent.
"A month? With that long I can make that silly fort eat itself. You might not have much to do at that point." Erebus handed the firework to Grumble jack without looking at him. "I suspect Captain Kargeld is trying to slip away on his ship right now. I'm going to go kill him. Care to join me?"
I doubt that was what he had in mind, but it was fun to write.
Erebus raised an eyebrow. He paused for a moment while thinking, then slowly smiled, amused at a private joke. "The vastness and volume of what is not known is incomprehensible to nearly all minds. The ego struggles to accept it's own insignificance when it finds itself contrasted with the vastness of objectivity. It rebels. Rejects. Disbelieves. It cannot escape the trap of it's own self-image." "Everything that exists has a specific nature, and possesses characteristics that are a part of what it is. No matter what dimension or plane of existence a being calls home, the fundamentals of the self are immutable." "This is true of all things, from the lowliest worms to the greatest gods, and everything in between and beyond." "This is where true knowledge begins. Once you understand the nature of a thing, you can predict it's behaviors. Once you can predict, you can control." "The greatest power you can ever hold is understanding. The greatest freedom you can ever have is to direct the course of the misunderstandings of others." "Because all minds paradoxically seek and run from the truth, lies are fragile things. Easily ferreted out. Easily turned on their creators. So, seek not to lie. Instead, learn to tell the truth in ways that reveal nothing."
Erebus glanced over at his companions and shrugged. "Something like that. The big guy knows that I'll keep him fed, and paid, and risk my safety to keep him alive. That's a better shake than most would give him. He can leave whenever he wants, but he sticks around so I figure he must be having a good time. My look-alike here, well, he's a different story. He learned that the game exists, so now he tags along because there's nowhere else he can go." "You're awfully curious for a Bugbear. I like that."
"Oh, no. Not at all. I have quite a bit of admiration for Asmodeus, but we don't see eye to eye on much. I'm just a helpful fellow," Erebus smiled.
"Oh, I dont. I was just amused that he asked for my help." Erebus said. "Same as you, I'm guessing. Thorn's motives and plans are really just an excuse to do what I wanted to do anyway. How that fits into someone elses schemes is largely irrelevant."
Erebus shrugs and jerks his thumb in the direction of Kargeld, "The Captain here is the only one who didn't really know what he was getting himself into. Ask him."
Erebus looked around the room at the madman, the ogre, and the pirate, realizing the bugbear was probably the most civilized one among them. "Don't get your hopes up," he chuckled.
Erebus followed the big black bugbear into his private quarters, glad to be in the company of monsters again.
Gotcha. Ok, I guess they can live a little longer.
Happy Holidays! That was an easy level-up. +8 HP +1 BaB +1 all Saves +10 feet to all Tentacle attacks (with a -1 penalty to attacks) Heal from Negative Energy damage, immune to Attribute damage.
"Cardinal Thorn," the second Blackerly said simply.
The second Blackerly ignored Kargeld, focusing on the bugbears. "Bəli. İkizlərimiz və mənim aramda olan böyük adam, biz yanğın axını ilə görüşmək üçün buradayıq. Qalanlar stewpotlarınız üçündür." "Gedin. İndi." There was a flicker in his eyes. They briefly split revealing two pupils in each, then rejoined, like they were blinking on the inside. :
"Yes. My twin and I, and the large one behind me, we are here to meet with Fire Axe. The rest are for your stewpots." "Go. Now." <--
As the crew assembled on the deck of the Frosthammer looking over the assembled horde, their eyes outward, Erebus slipped free of the collar and swelled. He kept mostly hidden behind the mast until he was finished. <--
When he stepped free he was Blackerly. He walked up next to his doppleganger and spoke in the language of Goblins, "Fire-Axe üçün polad gətiririk. Bir koşucu göndər. Ona Kardinal Torn salamlarını bildirir." :
"We bring steel for Fire-Axe. Send a runner. Tell him Cardinal Thorn sends his regards."
Erebus allows himself to be coddled like a scared, wet, half-frozen cat.
No problem, I understand that impulse. When that happens take as much time as you need. I'm not going anywhere. Hope things are manageable again.
Checking in. Hope everything is ok.
Checking in
"You lie, you betray me, or leave, I will find you. I have your name now. That is all I need." Erebus said calmly. Then he let the little creature go and turned back into a cat. He sat there at the top of the mast, shivering and mewling, looking for all the world like a distressed cat when the torch light found him.
"How do I know you'll keep your word?" Erebus asked quietly, ignoring the sailors below.
There was a terrible wriggling ripple and suddenly the cat was a human-sized thing holding the small creature gently but firmly in one hand. The two nightmarish lengths of flesh still pushed out of it's s shoulders and burrowed into the other creature's flesh. The monster let the dark cloak them both at the top of the mast. "They will not spare you, but I might. Make me an offer," he whispered.
Erebus began reeling in the flying creature, his other tendril snaking along the first and burrowing into flesh.
That works.
Normally I can move towards something and effetivey shorten the line. In this case that's impossible. I don't really see any rules for dragging something in once I've caught it. How's that work? Opposed strength?
I'm not sure how far away I was when I attacked, but I think that in order for it to get further away from me than that it needs to beat me in a strength check. (which it might be able to do right now, I just wanted to bring it up)
Two barbed tendrils erupted from the cat's shoulders like it was a tiny Displacer Beast.
Erebus glanced around, trying to see if he could spot whatever had laughed.
As the blast of cold hit him, he rolled his slitted eyes. It seemed he wasn't the only one who'd had the idea of sitting on top of the mast. He climbed up until he too was shrouded in darkness.
The ice creatures were clearly not the source of the laughter. Something was out there in the dark, or perhaps invisible. Obviously needing a better vantage, the cat bolted for the mast and started quickly climbing up to look around.
Erebus considered doing something, figuring out a trick to get the point across to the foolish sailors, or to just snuff the torches himself, but he decided against it. He'd spent far too much time lately saving idiots from themselves. Whatever the Storm That Laughs was, it was about to be offended.
Erebus had no clue what the teeth of aquatic beasts were worth, nor did he care. He was more sentiment. If he was going to collect teeth he wanted it to mean something. Still, he couldn't think of a reason not to have Grumble and Blackerly engage in some trade. Cats cant shrug, so he yawned and gave a small nod. Ogres weren't known for their intuition, but hopefully that would get the point across.
The cat shook the water off it's fur and found a spot in the sun to lounge in. It was utterly indifferent to the suffering on the ship.
All of the gear I don't carry on me is currently in Grumble's pack. I assume that's on the boat somewhere.
The cat climbed onto the boat after the Ogre had made it aboard.
The cat sighed and latched onto the ship to provide a surprisingly sturdy stepping point for the ogre's big foot. This is so undignified, the cat muttered to itself. It's personal exasperation was a source of great amusement to the larger part of it's many-facetted, multi-dimensional mind. It was important for mental health to be able to laugh at one's self, after all.
Beneath the frigid water, hidden by the froth and the red, Erebus extended all of it's tendrils, like a squid unfurling and reaching toward the beast attacking Blackerly. The monster's jaws split and opened all the way down it's feline neck.
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