Yeah, I was sad to see this one go. Such a talented group and an interesting band of characters. There was so much to explore here.
Search Posts
An atheist, a vegan, and a girl with a gluten allergy walk into a bar... I only know because they told everyone within two minutes.
Do we have a DM?
I am still here.
"Heh heh heh, we sleep on solid ground tonight."
"I seek a return to the old ways, the old alliances, those that have allowed our people to live side by side for centuries and despite the coming and going of Tyrants, the Shudderwood endured because of it." "Me killing you, or vis versa, would only serve to make our common enemies stronger. I would serve little purpose."
"And I am Ivan Zukarov, the Droht of Vacia. I have honored the peace and balance held for centuries in the Shudderwood. Those who you took this place from sought to upset that truce. They were soft, you took vengeance. Others like them have angered and awoken other powers by breaking pacts, I believe we share enemies."
The Droht watches events unfold.
"Heh heh, yes Edward. All in. I am holding a pair of Aces and Eights."
The Droht frowns back. "My family owes the Earl our lives, the Doctor is his rightful heir. I suppose we should all walk out together, but if things go badly, do what you can to get the Doctor and yourself to safety. I will repay my debt if need be." Ivan walked out after Ky, his head held high ready to meet his destiny.
"Meh, fine." The Droht bounds off the boat after the others. "If the Doctor becomes dead then so is my cause as I will be also be. We talk to them of balance and demons, but I bend my knee to no monster."
"Well I am one of the most pleasant occupants of the forest. Thank you for noticing. Heh heh heh." The Droht lights his long stem pipe and considers what was said.
"The lodge ruined . . . And the wolves sitting court in the lawn . . ." After a while he speaks. "I don't want to unduly risk the Doctor's life."
"Speaking of returning Doctor, this servant of yours, can he be destroyed? Or does he simply return the next day if driven off like a ghost? I assume Edwards . . . extraplanar? companions can be summoned as needs be. I can see where having semi disposable combatants could be of great benefit to those of us afflicted with the condition of living." "Mircalla appears human, but there is something in her blood. My imagination about her wanders. Edward did not share the truth about her with me when I asked. I think I am understanding why, but assumptions can often lead one to ruin." Ivan looks off into the sky into which the birds had disappeared. "Heh heh, he is an interesting one that Caromarc, blessed with so much talent and intellect. A lazy streak in him though. Short cuts often lead to short comings, but his personality and way makes it hard for me to dislike him."
The Droht folds his arms and leans back against a railing. With a smug look he chuckles. "Heh! on black wings he says. Certainly no one has heard of you Edward Caromarc. Heh heh heh, yes, indeed." He turns to his remaining companions. "What do you say to my plan Doctor? Ky, you have been quite quiet of late. Does something trouble your thoughts?"
"meh . . . maybe we should have had you speak with Zstelian. It appeared that he considered you a colleague. I would suspect that we should go there largely as we are. I am your hired huntsman, you as a doctor and Edward as a professor with a young, um . . . female companion, along for the trip. Ky can either be a young rake along to show his more stiff cousins how to have fun or? Some kind of personal assistant to the Doctor." "Simple and more truthful the better. Also those roles would allow us access to the different social strata of the lodge." "Any other suggestions my friends?'
"Oh my dear Edward, you are most certainly in those circles, don't feel the need to pretend around me. You and the doctor are most interesting men, with many . . . Hmm, well I wouldn't want to call them secrets, how about enigmatic streaks of character? After the manor house it really wouldn't shock me to learn Professor Zstelian had arrived here three days hence to have one of you personaly sign his copy of your latest published work. Heh heh heh." The Droht lightly elbows Mircalla expecting her to appreciate his joke before setting his eyes on the Doctor. "Also, I was forgetting to be mentioning that I am a light sleeper at times. It is a good idea to warn me ahead of time if you are expecting visitors to our camp. Luckily I was prepared for that possibility last night." The Droht turns to the other members of the team with his palms up. "Oh, I wasn't meaning that to seem so directed at one person and I hope I cause no offense. A lifetime of growing up in and surviving the wood can lead one to develop a somewhat paranoid outlook on things. Hopefully I do not come off as unreasonably or obsessively anxious." The wolffish grin returns to the seasoned warriors face with a glint in his eye. "So, we are nearly on the doorstep of Ascanor. Our few days journey has felt like months in coming. I for one am ready to finally begin doing something of significance towards the furtherance of our goals." He gestures toward the gangplank. "Shall we?"
"Ky, you and I must stick close together. We have none of the others gifts." The Droht wants a few answers. "Doctor, what was that thing we spoke with last night? It was not human any longer, but it made no attempt to come aboard our boat. What is its motivation? It sits here along the banks of the river hiding in plain sight? This makes no sense to me. Does this being know you?"
The Droht chuckles as he carefully retouches the hone on his curved short blade. "Heh heh, yes . . . So much safer when all of ones enemies can see you clearly in the light."
Thank you guys for your kindness. I feel ready to proceed.
You guys, my mother in law passed away a few days ago in her sleep. I have two small girls and a wife struggling with the loss. I am trying to run the house and help with the estate. I haven't signed on for a few days and feel horrible for the disappearance. I hope you will accept my apologies.
"Your voice sounds odd, like many raised as one. Come no further and reveal yourself, so that we can see your face as easily as you see ours."
The Conversation: The Drohts eyes flash a bit and his face reddens.
"Tell me Edward, I have seemingly accepted that you summon demons from the abyss and that Aldous has a travesty to Our Lady of Graves tied to him that appears at odd times. Would you seek to spare me the truth of something more sinister than that? Or perhaps you are not yet finished speaking your tale and I have so rudely interrupted? If I have, I would like to afford you the opportunity to continue."
The Conversation: "I suppose I should not be surprised that men descended from men of power weild powers of their own . . . Edward, is Mircalla some kind of magical being like your beast that pulled at the nooses or Aldous's dead boy? She seems a bit . . . birdlike? At times."
The Droht shakes his head, taps out his pipe, then digs for his pouch to fill it again. "Ehhh! I don't like this, it's going to take me a while to digest it." After a quick light he takes a deep draw. "I remain loyal to the group and our cause." The Drohts eyes speak loudly, "But I will be watching you."
The Droht looks to make sure they are not being watched. "I see you are both students of and users of dark arts. Beware you do not become of the dark yourselves. You walk slippery paths."
Sweet brother! I am glad you are back on your feet.
The Droht doesn't want a trail to lead back to the party's He knows Amos has at least one powerful ally and he doesn't trust devil worshippers. In truth, when he prepares the body to give to the deep he is going to take steps to make sure Amos doesn't rise from the dead. Water burial is a real burial. When Ustalv was under the fist of the undead the people had to console themselves that their bodies would be corrupted and taken, but that the Lady would care for their souls. Ivan thinks that hiring a coach means more wasted time and greater threat to the doctor, but he will ultimately honor the Doctors wishes.
"A waste of money." "I will go get some rocks someone find a bag. Oh, I almost forgot." The Droht hands Ky the mithril chain shirt. "I think you would benefit from this. It's good armor, but a bit too light for my style."
"Why not give him to the river? This is just his body, the Lady has his spirit."
"This is exactly what the palatines have failed to address. Evil grows, monsters prowl the woods stalking the small folk while the bloated false nobility seeks out thrills such as this hotel." "We should not even pause to burn it down, we should proceed to our original destination after caring for Amos." "You have earned notoriety and respect for ascending the stairs. Be hard men, delare that your hired man expended himself in your service."
Ivan drags his former companion. "Yes, one did find his way to the lady."
"This place is being run as a hotel. I think our presence here is making it what it is. Let's just try to leave."
The Droht places the cloak from the downed warrior on Aldous's shoulders, then begins to try and drag the fallen comrade out with them to the stairs. Ivan tries to avoid looking at the at the hanging bodies. "Those are just spirits right? Are they going to attack us? Or are they the victims of what we drove out of this room?---I can't believe we came up here without vials of holy water even."
"This is madness! We are not clerics. You wouldn't send scribes to lead the vanguard nor knights to run an archive. If we are over our heads then let us begone from this place. You have proven, to whomever cares, that we were brave or brash enough to come up here. I fear we are risking the future of our nations nobility by continuing this." "Tell me if I am wrong."
Ivan mummers. "As I stare at death it stares back at me. You were as I am and I will be as you are some day. The Lady of Graves sheppards my soul, from birth through life and unto death, may her crook lead me to green pastures and help you find your rewards as well."
Ivan attempts to push Aldous aside. "I will not have my future Count go first."
"Uh . . . Was that the expected result?"
The Droht glares, but complies. "Have I consented to join a coven? Such dark magics smack of such."
"Heh, heh, he also believed the strong would triumph and the weak deserved to grind under any boot heel they couldn't escape from. I am a Son of Usalav, I am a survivor, and as such I am saying does this body have anything on it effective against spirits. You are a magician Edward. Is anything here magic." The Droht begins dragging Amos to the stairs.
"Amos is dead and beyond help. We have driven off the spirit, why would we abandon this victory now? I don't want to risk coming back day by day chancing another death. If we have business here let us do it now." "Does he have anything on him we can use in this venture?"
"Hummm, he has some good gear I suppose the living should use it right? Hopefully he passed on knowing I tried to save him at least. Hopefully he is enjoying the fruits of his contract with the Arch-Devil, but I will still offer up prayers to our Lady of Graves that she lets his soul go where it most deserves and his rest remains quiet." "Shall we clear the other rooms?"
Ivan sheaths his blades and rushes to check on Amos. "Was that a ghost? Or the house itself that attacked us!?"
Ivan growls with frustration as he lets Amos go to better engage the ropes seeking to snare him. He draws his ancestral Kindjal with his off hand and went to work with both blades targeting the ropes in conjunction with his allies.
"We must make short work of these. And we must talk about these strange . . . powers you posses." The Droht turns away another rope with the long curved blade. "After we ensure our survival that is."
Ivan strains to keep Amos from strangling. Seeing the doctor has no blade he makes a one handed slash at the rope hoping to sever it.
Okay good to hear.
I hope we can get our momentum back. How is your schedule going Bel-Sullulim?
"What the!?" Ivan runs forward and bear hugs the devil worshippers legs and lifts upwards in an attempt to take the weight off the Warriors neck. "Cut the rope! If his neck doesn't break first the lack of air will kill him! Be quick about it!"
|