Im going to have to pull out of the game sorry. My health is preventing me being able to commit to games any more. Sorry all, hope it keeps going for you all.
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While we're at the inn, we might as well do some asking around as well. Maybe spend some coin and buy some drinks to loosen tongues a bit. We're after information on vankaskerkin and his men.
Gern walked in stoic silence for the most part, but when the young man began to speak in traditional dwarvish, he opened up a little. He was speaking old mountain dwarf, a language steeped in tradition as much as anything else. Gern had spent the last year trying to round out his common tongue and work the brogue out of his language, but slipping into dwarvish was like a soothing balm for the fighter. He spoke about the Hammerfolds from the mountains, giving a brief history of the clan and their trials in the quest for light. Of his more recent jobs with his uncle, he didn't mention a thing. Best not trust to readily, especially to one so keen as to translate ten pages of old dwarvish into common tongue in order to redeem some deserters. "Aye weeeeel lad, we could try an' convert 'em to the true way o' Torag. Ach, but in my experrrience in human affairs, most like as not they'll fight, at which point me axe will do the convertin'. Ye ken?" He nodded to Laijiri but interjected "Best not wait till night though lass. While I be fine fightin' in the dark, most of ye cannot see as well. Plus, with things as they are, guards and Hellknights may mistake weeeeee honest folk as scunners tryin' ter sneak and loooooot. I'd rather not die over a misunderstandin with other law enforcers, aye."
Gern took the hint for what it was. He looked the human dwarf up and down one last time before shaking his head in bewilderment. "Roight then, let's offski. Tha sooner we get done wit' bringin' in yon traitors, the sooner I can ha' a drink at the pub! He led the group out of the barracks and back into the streets. He would reserve judgement on their newest member until he had seen him in battle. This was not the first human he'd heard of that claimed dwarven kinship, but he was certainly the first who thought himself an actual dwarf.
"A cleric o' me god! Aye, I'll happily take ' em along. A cleric o' Torag kens how to fight as well as take care o' tha flock, so ter speak." He moved excitedly to the door and opened it, looking around for the dwarf, and wondering if perhaps it was going to be a woman. It had been some time since he'd had the company of a good Dwarven woman and he had to admit to a bit of excitement. It took a moment before he came to the realisation that the tall man standing there looking at him had all the regalia of Torag, only somewhat bigger sized than Gern was used to. " Yer noooo dwarf! Yer a human ye ken! he couldn't help but sound disappointed. He knew that humans living close to the clans where he'd come from sometimes gave Torag worship, but he had been expecting a dwarf...and a woman at that. Sigh.
Gern responded to the woman's request. "Aye lass, that's what we're here fer. Ter assist as ye need. Ye let us know all the details and we'll be offski ter sort yer problems, ye ken."
Play what you wish to play has always been my philosophy. It's the personality of a character that defines them for me, much more so than the class. As long as we're not causing conflict that bogs down the game or upsets players overly. Having said that, Sarabian has mentioned he's an inquisitor and of a god unlikely to be overly tolerant of Asmodeus. I think this really comes down to the two of you getting it to work honestly. Cheers
Gern looks at the man for a moment before speaking calmly to him. "Every time I ha' ta swing me axe someone sees the end o' world oldster. Every city falls, tis only a matter o' time. Dwarves know this on;y too well. Best not ter bide too much on it. Live fer the now, and let the gods seeto ther future." He turns back to the group then, mildly concerned hat the man was ill and that he had coughed all over him, then he shrugged and prepared to move on again.
Evil can work if its played more towards lawful and at least reliable with the group. It won't affect Gern at all. He's lawful neutral and has done some fairly tough work for his uncle. For him its about loyalty and clan honour rather than anything else. As for me as a player, I'm fine with it.
Gern ignored the words of the old man, but moved in to drag him off his friends. He was not gentle, but he wasn't the old man either. "Take yer words ta others oldster. We ha' business ter attend as needs seein' to right noooo. Worry about he far future when it's a weeeeee bit closer, ye ken?"
Can I suggest we roll ahead with the meeting at the Barracks now to keep the main thread going. We can assume the purchasing is done off screen and it lets the story keep progressing. Lets work on the assumption we collectively bought a healing wand with not full charges, and whatever personal purchases people made. On that note, Gern will stash his share of the gold at his premises in his uncles manse. Cheers.
Gern will hang on to his gold. Saving for masterwork or better weapon. I recommend we do a party share and buy a single wand of cure light wounds. Half charges makes it 375 gold. I can chip in some of mine to make up the deadfall. Having 25 uses will go a long way in days to come.
Gern looked at the heavy box and shrugged. "Why dinnae we open yon box and a take a looksee then?". "Mayhap it's filled with gold and we can gooo shoppin' afore checkin' in with the law."
Gern quickly reset his weapons and slings his shield ready for the walk through the riotous town. He grinned at his new companions then, feeling pretty good about the situation in general. "Weel, that went better'n I expected me lads and lasses. We took care o' one rats nest, and seems as if we now have a chance to further the honour o' ooour clans by workin' ter protect folk against more ne'er do wells." He bounced up and down on the balls of his feet once, stretching his muscles and allowing the weapons and armour to resit themselves more naturally. "Lets offsky then aye?"
Gern had stood a little awe struck at meeting someone so highly placed in the city. IT was not something he had expected to cause him to freeze up in all honesty. He had merely bowed again in deference when the queen had left, and followed mutely as the others debated the small chest and their options for the future. Finally he spoke up. "Nay yer Ladyness. Sure as sure that yon town needs more folk as ye have standin' here doin nought but standing around." He too glanced at the guards when he said that. "I reckon I can see us to the citadel withooot much trouble. Ye gae ahead and send yon shiny boys into tha streets to help keep honest folk safe, aye?"
Gern bowed to the warrior woman in front of him. Here was someone he could respect he hoped. A woman at ease in armour and weapons, and one who showed common sense in a strange situation. Aye, a lass to fight beside perhaps. As he came up from the bow, he spoke clearly Gern Hammerfold yer Ladyness". He held his hands at his side in Dwarven respect, chest out and legs together at attention. "We're really just folks as is trrrryin' ter do some thin' right by her highness. Return in' what's hers from those as had it"
Gern nodded at the guard and handed his axe and shield over to them. Even his hand axe and the small dagger he kept in his boot went over. If things went to kak here in the palace, his weapons wouldn't keep him alive long enough to be worth it. Checking himself over once more, he followed the guards instructions, allowing his more eloquent friends to lead them in. Talking in proper snob language wasn't something he'd got to grips with. He'd barely got his accent under control yet.
Really I'll atm, please feel free to NPC Gern till I'm back on my feet.
Gern listend as the others decided their own paths. It seemed to be that most wanted to return thenecklace, and for him that was enough. He spoke to them in satisfied tones, his belly now filled with fine food and good ale. "I'll be needin' me clan kilt if'n we're ter see the Quin. Probably need ter make meself a little more presentable tooo. Cleanin' blood from me kit is one thing for town walkin', but to see royalty, I'd best do someat with me beard too. Takes a dwarf some time to plait his own beard ye ken. Give me a few hours ter scrub up, then I'll be good and proper set ter meet her royalness." Looking to see if everyone was happy with that, he stood and left the room again. The cask of ale and food remained with his friends, to aid them in washing away the past. Dwarves were practiced at that particular ritual, but he found other races tended to take more forgetting once a grudge had been resolved. Mind, a dwarf would never forget a grudge until it had been reckoned either. Most folk took that as stubborn and spiteful of dwarves. Few folk realised how quickly it all got left behind once it had been sorted. He strode through the streets once more, happier than he had been in months and looking to score honour for his clan.
Gern sat and listend to the conversation with interest. The intricacies of politics had little interest for the warrior, but the thought of a little notoriety for returning the Queen's own necklace appealed to the dwarf. It might bring honour to his clan, this one simple act. He carefully broached the cask of dwarven ale he had procured for this morning and carved the haunch of meat head brought. With the food the others had brought, it was indeed a remembrance feast fit to farewell the fallen of the past. He ensured all those gathered had a tankard or at least a sample of the ale (in the case of the baerns they'd rescued from Lamm). Then he stood and made the traditional toast. "To the fallen. May they be long remembered for the deeds o' good and fame they accomplished." He drank deeply then, nodding at the others to do the same. Then he continued "Aye, and o the vanquished! May their names be stricken from all record and their spirit serve those they wronged in life, forever more in the lands beyond Pharasma's veil" And that was it. With those words and the drinking of the ale, he could put his brothers murder behind him and look once again to the future. He picked up the amulet and turned it over in his thick fingered hands.
He looked at the others. "I say we return it to her Majesty. Might be some good can from the Scunner who's soul we sent to serve the fallen. The Queen lost her husband last night no? Weeeel, maybe the returnin' o' this trinket will bring her some solace, and it might e'en bring us some honour in return. What say ye all?"
Gern moved cautiously through the streets, taking note of the change in guards and soldiers. The King was dead, and now outsiders were patrolling the streets with weapons drawn. That was a bad sign, even for someone foreign to the ways of human cities such as Gern was. When he made it to Zellara's, he knocks and waits for someone to let him in. He had brought ale and meats for the blood feast. Traditional dwarven repast to ease the soul after such deeds were done. He had a feeling that this city was getting a little more dangerous, and here they were taking care of a group of orphans with no others to turn to. He wondered if the two lads from the previous night had made it to his uncles or not. Now his vengeance was complete, his thoughts were turning to what the future held, and his feeling of companionship with those good folk who had helped him last nigh was growing.
Gern had been very quiet since Lamm had been slain. HE felt....empty...lost. The past few months had been nothing but focus for the dwarf. Focus on finding his brothers murderers and exacting revenge. That was done now, but he hadn't been the one to land the killing blow. Indeed he'd barely done anything of worth during that last battle. Now he had no goal, no aim. It left him hollow. The discovery of Zellara's death left no impression on him in this half melancholy. He followed the others, outwardly as stoic as ever, but inwardly struggling with the emotion. As the conversation lead inexorably towards what happened now, he grunted. "Ye damned sure we need ter meet on the morrow. When a vengeance is exacted and the blood toll is claimed, ye need ter drink togetherrrr in order ta lay ye demons behind ye." He looked at his companions, nodding to each in turn. "I dinnae care for what is done with that Scunners ill gains, but I do know that in me clan, those as do the killin together do the drinkin' together toooo. It's how we make peace and move on. I'll be here on the morrow, and I'll bring what's needed ter make sure we can say farewell to the past right proper." He turned and left then, moving into the night in a slow walk that brooked no disturbance.
I've done a fair bit of PbP DMing of this site, and your style is fine. I honestly can't give you advice, because what you're doing is working. I don't even require a map, to be honest. You give fairly adequate descriptions that we can act on. I do put in ooc comments about possible mechanical advantages or disadvantage in areas though. Things like pointing out difficult terrain, or mentioning who could and couldn't reach something. However, so far we haven't needed much of this in your game. The old saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. You're doing great.
Dropping his axe to the side, Gern quickly bent and hauled the unconscious man from the water. He rolled him onto his side, trying to bring him back around while eyeing the water for more trouble. "Priest! I think we need yer God right nooo." he exclaimed.
Gern swings his axe again, and calls to Laijiri who's near Lamm's body "Push the scunner inter tha drink lass! Mayhap the splash will cause the movin' pair o' boots ter drop Giorgio!"
Gern heard the cry and the splash as Giorgio was dragged into the water. He moves to the edge of the platform and swings his axe at the creature, hoping to force it to let his companion go before it drags him under water to a horrible death.
Gern stopped talking and focused on swinging his weapon with more accuracy. Lamm had to die so Gern could go to his companions aid with the huge water beast.
Gern seems better with words than he is with his axe. Maybe I should have made him a bard :(
Gern heard the snap of the crocodiles mouth and momentarily checked his companions. In that time Lamm had slipped away a few feet. The dwarf glowered and chose to trust his companions to deal with the beast. "Ye've lived long enough at know never at mess with a dwarf o' tha clans ye scunner. Ye knew it were ye death from tha moment ye cut his beard. Aye, and I am the face o' your death. Look on me and know that Pharasma will see and judge ye unworthy!"
Gern saw red. Here was the man who had killed his brother, and he taunted him about it. All thoughts of defense fled the dwarf, he would kill this man and feed him to his damn animal. With a roar, he charged across the planks into Lamm's face, swinging his axe with all the strength his anger could muster. sigh, the dice hate me.
Gern felt immensly better after Aerodus had let the blessing of his gods wash over him. He hadn't said much, but the bite from the dog in the first fight had taken a toll on him. Now it wasn't more than a red raw mark and lingering pain. With renewed vigour, he turned to the others and spoke "Same plan then aye? One o' ye lot open it, and I'll be ready with ma trusty shield and take tha best this scunner can give us. Onna count o' three."
Gern followed the young woman across the planks, providing muscle if she needed it. He stepped carefully though, ensuring hewouldn't fall into the water below him. It wasn't so much tha sharks that worried the dwarf as it was the lack of oxygen beneath water.
Gern tried to kill his spider again. If he missed it this time, he was going to see a certain smith about the balance in his axe. Gern had fought muggers and thieves guild in the dark streets above, surely he could beat a spider! It had to be the axe.
There was a satisfying splat as he drove his axe into the rat sized arachnid. "Stuuupid spiderrrrs" he drawled in his thick accent
Gern felt the spiders fangs sink into his flesh. He grunted in surprise even as he brought axe in again.
He still couldn't hit the damnable thing, but at least he wasn't feeling any venom in his system. "Bah! Stupid spiders!"he mumbled.
Gern swore in dwarven, a language particularly good at hard edged words. He swung his axe at the stupid spider. Thinking about Lamm had taken his mind from the real danger in the room.
When Laijiri pointed out the unusual wood work that showed the concealed door, Gern grunted at his inability to see it. IF it had been stonework, he'd have surely picked it up, but wood was as foreign to him as the forests it came from. "Right then, ye open tha damnable door from the side Laijiri, I'll stand central to it and move through immediately. That way me shield will take tha brint o' whatever yon skunner plans to throw at us." He turned to the others,
Gern looked around the room once they had entered it. "Bah, another dead end. This scunner's as slippery as a cave wrasse." He eyed the curious spider that was staring at them. His axe shifted slightly into a more comfortable grip in case the damnable thing came at them.
Gern spoke in his gruff whisper, which wasn't much different to his normal speaking voice unfortunately. "There's many a crate, some as looks like they're bein' used fer a table. There's also some critters with many legs runnin' aboot. Big as rats and not trryin' ter hide at all. IF we go that way, twould be best fer me to lead aye." He hefted his shield, ready to move in through the hole in a defensive manner in order to take whatever shots where waiting for the party. "There's a good chance they knows we're here already. Best get that light up so we all can see. I dinnae think we'll be losin' any advantage fer it now."
no worries GM. Take care of yourself before the games. Always been the case. Best of luck mate
Gern looked at the deck of the ship with some distrust. "I be thinkin' I'd go through yon timber like a hot knife through butter lass. The wood fare sags at the weight o' tha night air!" He looked to where she had shown the gap in the side of the ship. It looked as if a gangplank could be slid into that location, and he was all for using that method of entrance rather than traipse across rotten wood. "Do we have a handy piece o' timber we can use? Aye, movin' along a ganglplank 'd be much preferrrrable than runnin' o'er rotten wood." Gern had seen rotten timbers collapse under the weight of armoured men before in the mines of home. The reults were rarely fun.
Gern watched silently from the entrance to the warehouse. His dwarven vision allowed him to see clearly in the night, but even he lost sight of Litsy when she slid onto the boat. The little one was like a shadow given breath. He grinned to himself. With companions like these, Lamm was a man as good as dead. He merely waited for the signal to cross, but did note the unstable nature of the planks as Kazadarin had crossed. "Might be best if we cross one at a time, methinks. Those planks yonder dinnae loooook like they could support a handful of pixies, let alone a mass of armoured folk like us."
Gern nods willingly at the plan to close in and kill Lamm. He hefts his axe and readjusts the shield on his arm as well. "You light feet might want ter wander a wee bit ahead o' me. I tend ter rattle a tad bit in me armour. It may give ye a chance ter surprise the scunner if'n ye ain't standin' too close ter me ye ken? If'n trouble comes though, ye fall back behind me shield and I'll keep ye safe." He said the last part looking directly at Litsy. He was worried that we slip of a lass could get hurt in all this. Dwarves were large and robust by nature, even their women folk. Gern was struggling to reconcile such a small lass engaging in combat.
Gern looks around the place, then turns to the others. "Let's be sure 'n search this here wee hut fully. Twould be a poor stroke o' luck ter be leavin' enemies behind us noooo wouldn't it. Let's be thorough. The scunner taint run yet, so we make sure he ain't got name place ter run too if'n he's on youn boat."
Gern stood patiently inside the building, waiting to hear a sound that would give away Lamm's position in the warehouse. His inspection of the hole hadn't garnered much, and from what the prisoner had said, Lamm wasn't on the boat outside either. That meant he probably had another room somewhere below this level, but the dwarf had no idea how to get down there without exposing them all to danger. He shifted slightly, waiting for his new companions to return, or for someone else to act.
Gern scowled but nodded at the ones with children to care for. "Dinnae be long, ye ken. If he escapes, I'll nae be happy."
Gern shook his head at the request. "Nae lad, I still need ter finish business here. If ye two need ter go with the baerns though, I uderstand. Family is important" After he finished talking, he edged towards the hole in the floor to see if he could see a boat down there. Deep water and heavy armour did not make for a good combination in his limited experience so far. Falling in to the bay would most likely end his vendetta rather quicker than he had hoped for. "Ifn' he uses a boat, mayhap he's livin in yon ship we saw outside? Is there a way onto the ship that ye might ken lad?" The last part was asked of the man still trapped in the tangle foot bag.
Gern touched his injured leg from the first fight a little gingerly. It was starting to ache now that the momentum of the raid was slowing. The dog had torn a sizable chunk of muscle and flesh in his leg, the strips of it hanging loose a little through his blood soaked breaches. In the end he shrugged it off and grunted away the pain. Lamm was still alive and his brother still needed vengeance He looked the prisoner in the eye and asked bluntly "Where's Lamm, laddy. I need ter meet that scunner and send 'im ter the Lady o' Death to walk me brother through the shadow vales. Ye'll be havin' the knowin' o' where he hides laddy, so fess up eh."
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