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Seeing the gratitude of the crowd makes Jin feel comfortable enough to shed his invisibility spell. He looks around him before he does so, to make sure nobody notices him suddenly appearing in his table's chair. Thankfully, as a halfling, he often escapes immediate notice.
"I, too, am new in town," the halfling states, calmly. Behind his mask, he has had an elevated eyebrow whenever he glanced at Mae. He acknowledges the retiring old man's exit with a short nod, and an upraised hand of farewell according to the custom of his tribe. "We should reconvene at the tentacle-made tunnel, at dawn," he suggests to the old man, before he leaves. Turning to the dusky cleric, the halfling gestures in the direction of a hospitality district he noticed earlier. "If we're to rest until the morrow, I would be...happy to discuss the nature of my masks with you." Using sleight of hand that he has practiced over his entire lifetime, the halfling has swapped out his mask mid-sentence to his mask of Ecstatic Joy, which is a rather disconcerting mix of garish yellows and greens. If Bolgrond and Mae agree, Jin will lead them off toward the nearest Inn, that they may have some dinner and find a place to spend the night. When they arrive at an inn and before they go inside, Jin will turn to the others. "I'll find us a table inside. Meet you there." With a small chuckle, the halfling touches a finger to the forehead of his grinning mask and goes invisible. He's noticed that most inns here in the city have a door charge, and he wishes to avoid that.
Hey all, just letting everyone know that I feel very refreshed and revitalized after taking a week away from the forums entirely. I've got a lot to catch up on, but I've begun working on just that, and I hope to have updated every campaign I'm part of by early afternoon. Thanks for your patience once again.
Hey all. Since you're all so patient with me (and I do very much appreciate that), I've made a decision. Rather than half-ass this break and come back today, before I feel fully ready to, I'm taking the rest of the week off. Updates will resume in full next Monday. I promise, I'll be fully 100% again by then, and my posts will continue as normal. Just need a bit of a break week to let my brain relax and re-gather some creative inspiration. I'll be spending the free time this week reading, mostly, and collecting ideas that I can use in characterization, plot, and setting. Thanks for your patience everyone.
I was on a 3 day weekend vacation yesterday. I'm trying to get caught up, but I've been struggling at work lately and it's killing my creative energy a little bit. Will post asap.
I was imagining something like this.
(Assuming the two of you come into view shortly) "Here, hello there! We were just looking for you," the halfling says from behind his mask. "We were just about to go hunt some more of those goblin invaders, so I can test more of my magics on them." he wiggles his fingers a little. "Care to join us?"
Can Bolgrond and I see where Mae and Marcan are from where we're standing? If we can, I make my way immediately over to them. If not, I simply move toward where the most noise is coming from.
Jin shakes his head at the continued misconception, but shrugs. What can one expect from a species of their intellectual capacity? the halfling thinks to himself. "Well met, Bolgrond," he says, tacking a more diplomatic tack, which was unusual for him. The enormous red sword might have something to do with that. "I am Jin'roku, the C-...just Jin'roku. You may call me Jin." The diminutive masked mage offers a bow without taking his eyes off the bugbear.
"What's the plan then?" the "goblin" asks Bolgrond.
Jin glances left and right before addressing Bolgrond. "Wow, these tunnels seem to go on forever. Now we know how the goblins got here. Should we explore in one of these directions or go back up top and rejoin the others? There were other goblins attacking and you...uh...might be able to "convince" them to stop."
"I'm a halfling...it's just a mask..." Jin explains, continuing to speak as he follows Bolgrond below...
Jin looks at Bolgrond. "Shall we?" he asks him, gesturing in an "after-you" swing of his arm at the hole in the street.
Going to have to use magic not strictly related to trickery. How bothersome! the halfling mage thinks to himself. Focusing on preventing more damage being done to the buildings surrounding the street by the tentacle, Jin sets about reinforcing the wooden warehouse's walls with his magic.
I hear ya. I'll think of some other way to fix this problem. :)
Jin rubs his chin, looking at the problem of the tentacle blocking the way. He thoughtfully considers the nearest big sharp implement - Bolgrond. His magic was, for the most part, limited to illusions; but illusions could be used in creative ways. By tricking Bolgrond into thinking that he had far more strength than he actually did, Jin could "inspire" the hobgoblin into trying harder than he normally would be able to, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. Hmm. It might work, it might not...worth a shot.
Switching to his Mask of Abundant Sorrows, Jin focuses more of his magic on the strangely benevolent hobgoblin. Truly goes the saying that "battle makes strange bedfellows," the halfling thinks to himself as he casts. [dice=""Illusion of Strength" on Bolgrond]2d6+2[/dice] Sparkly magic dust settles on Bolgrond's muscles, to give it added illusory effect. He feels strength well up within him. The halfling shouts a lie, "I've imbued you with the strength of ten giants, hobgoblin! Sever the tentacle!"
Jin's magic is of little use against a tentacle that cannot see or hear. Instead, he focuses on keeping other townspeople far away from the danger, waving his hands about and warning them off if anyone comes too near.
Just chiming in to sing DM Yorick's praises! He's great. Dungeon World is a really, really fun game, too.
Jin slaps his palm to his mask's forehead as he remembers something his mother taught him about Bugbears - they always remember their first impression of you. Always. "Right, so...I hear the sounds of battle nearby. I think there are more goblins...the bad kind," he clarifies, glancing at Bolgrond. "Perhaps there's more hero-ing to be done?"
Jin runs up past the nobleman, whom he understands is known as Aldren. "Stay put, human," he advises the cringing man. "These brambles won't hurt you" - he sweeps a hand through them to demonstrate - "but they will keep the goblins at bay for a short while. Just keep yourself safe and we'll deal with the greenskins." He runs further after Bolgrond. He sees the big hobgoblin speaking in Common as he battles the goblins. "Well, now I've seen just about everything," he mutters. "Still, the enemy of my enemy is my friend." Picking his mask from the ground, he enchants it again, drawing on its power. What terrifies a small goblin, he thinks to himself, before hitting on the answer. Simple answers to simple problems. Those dim-witted goblins would probably run if they saw their opponent grow to ogre size. His mind made up, Jin touches his fingertips to the mask and channels some of his energy to cast a spell on Bolgrond. If the spell succeeds, Bolgrond will appear to grow to enormous size, over twice his normal height - though, he won't notice the transformation himself. It will only appear as if he grew that tall, to the goblins attacking him.
Once again, his headache interferes from casting the spell perfectly, drawing negative attention to the small halfling as he prepares his magic.
Jin's mouth hardens into a thin line as the nobleman's dog is slaughtered. The halfling likes dogs. Focusing on the endangered nobleman, trying to spoil some more of the goblins' fun. Touching his forefinger to his mask's forehead, he empowers a spell and infuses his mask with it. He takes off the spell-bound mask and throws it at the nobleman hiding behind the barrel. An illusion will sprout around the mask's impact point when it lands at the nobleman's feet - creating a thick wall of brambles, thorns, and nettles in a 10 foot radius around the man to discourage any of the goblins from trying to attack him. Of course, the brambles are completely illusory, but they LOOK like they would be very painful to touch.
The spell almost goes off as planned, but his headache interferes with his spellcasting and he bungles it somehow. The fake brambles will only last about 45 seconds to a minute - after that, they'll fade away and expose the nobleman again.
Jin removes his mask of sorrows, dispelling his goblin illusion and returning to halfling form, before swapping to the Mask of Ecstatic Joy, peering down at the poor, foolish goblin. Then he remembers that the goblin was a murderous pyromaniac, and he shakes his head, dispelling any traces of pity from his heart. This world was hard and creatures like these made it harder. Then, he jumps up to a non-burning part of the wagon in an attempt to peer inside for anything to grab that the original owners won't be needing anymore. If it's not safe to jump up on the wagon because it's completely ablaze, he won't do it. It's not his intention to search it carefully - just a cursory glance. Once that's done, Jin's going to look for Bolgrond and try to make his way back to him. Shouldn't be too hard with him slaying the drinking goblins.
In response to the mad pyro's giggling, Jin's goblin disguise feigns a grin. He half-dances, half-walks his way over to the other goblin and points at the fire, laughing madly. He tries to get within easy arm's reach of the trusting goblin, and stab him in the back so he doesn't get a chance to resist. If he doesn't suspect anything of me, that should be an easy kill without a roll needed - if he does discover what I'm trying to do, and try to stop me, let me know, and I'll roll a Hack and Slash.
I'm enjoying it so far, looking forward to the chance to do some real RP, so we can fight together as a unit. Despite my trickster persona I'm really a very cooperative kind of halfling.
Ignoring the overturned ale, Jin the "goblin" runs across the square, staying out of arm's reach of anyone in his way, and tries to find the source of the cackling. He stays at a good 30 feet or so away from the flaming wagon, but he tries to loop around the side to get a good view.
"Put away your weapons"? "New ways"? This hobgoblin speaks like no other hobgoblin I've seen before....this calls for a closer look. Jin pulls out his Mask of Anguish and concentrates on it while holding it in his hands. He succeeds, but the casting saps his energy. His mind feels more sluggish after intensely focusing on the casting of his spell. He feels a headache coming on as he finds an unobtrusive spot and puts the Mask of Anguish on his face. (-1 to Int until I've had a chance to clear my head.) Bolgrond, you said you were looking in my direction, so you may see all this happening. Depends on how distracted your character is. When he switches masks to the Mask of Anguish and puts his Mask of Ecstatic Joy away in his backpack, the illusion from his enchantment drapes over him and his appearance is just like one of the goblins approaching Bolgrond. Sneaking up behind the group, the false goblin joins with the other goblins and waits to see what happens next. He stays toward the rear of the goblin pack and tries not to get noticed.
Considering that the only PC I've interacted with has left the campaign, I'd request that we wait on bonds. ;)
Behind his mask, Jin's eyes go wide. Thinking quickly, he relies on a spell he has cast numerous times, over and over, specifically so he could cast it in emergencies. Cunning Duplicate...
When you weave a spell to help solve a problem, describe it and roll +INT. Spells cast this way can never deal damage directly. On a 10+, the spell certainly helps, but choose one.
To the goblin, it looks like he had struck a lethal blow on the halfling. The masked halfling image is cut deep into the shoulder, gasps, writhes around, and dies messily on the goblin's blade. But it was all a trick. Masked by the spell by a temporary invisibility that led credence to the duplicate, the halfling bolts away from the wagon as fast as he can, only resuming visibility a few seconds later. He flees into the crowd, not in a specific direction, but mostly just away from the goblin. If he sees Bolgrond's head above the crowd, Jin will assume that the bugbear is the ringleader of the goblin attackers, and will make his way toward him to thwart his evil plans. (He will revise his opinion of the bugbear once he sees the fighter's noble actions, I'm sure)
Welcome to Sbodd and Bolgrond!
Sparkle sparkle!
Jin is relatively short and barely has to duck to peer underneath the wagon, looking for what may have killed the dog. If he sees nothing, he will scramble up on top of the wagon in order to get a better vantage point to see the crowd with. He'll never be able to find out where the screams are coming from if he tries looking around at Halfling height. I can roll Defy Danger with Dexterity if climbing to the top of the wagon is challenging enough to warrant it.
Jin giggles to himself as he lifts his mask back up and pops a cracker into his mouth. "Oooh," he murmurs to Anduil, "Did you taste this curried salmon? Shak-ti-lay!" he exclaims, in ancient Halfling. He goes on, "My tribe has very little fishing, and what little fish we add to our diet is imported, dried, and salted. Nothing like this! So fresh, so succulent!" he kisses his fingertips in appreciation - mwah - before putting his mask back on and wandering off somewhere else, in a random direction. He heads in the direction of the most commotion and flashy colors, mainly interested in the spectacle of the festival.
Sounds good! Even if a few people have dropped, I'm still interested in continuing.
Jin's eyes widen behind his mask at the array of food laid out before him. Many of the spices and proteins made available are completely unlike anything the tribe has ever cooked or eaten, and Jin is the kind of halfling that lives for new experiences. Traditionally, in his tribe, mealtimes are one of the few times that masks are not worn. Instead, halflings rely on their facepaint that they always wear beneath their masks to obscure their true faces. Therefore, the halfling mage (with some trepidation) removes his mask, revealing his painted face, and begins to sample a little bit of everything. His plate laden with food, he beckons Anduil to follow and approaches the roaring bonfire. He dons his Mask of Ecstasy, and feels the flow of magic through it as he puts it back on. With a twinkling of his fingers that he keeps concealed beneath his plate, the mischievous mage casts a spell on the fire, seeking to cast an illusion upon it that would make the fire a technicolor rainbow flame instead of orange and red.
If he fails to see anyone interesting enough to talk to, Jin'roku will give Anduil a beckoning wave and move toward the ringing bells in the center of town also.
Yes, or failing that, someone who looks wealthy enough to attract trouble.
The short witch-doctor produces a small staff from within his backpack and begins using it as a walking stick as he walks through the crowds with Anduil. As he walks, he carefully takes in the situation around him. He's unused to being around so many people at once. So many exposed faces...it's a bit overwhelming for the halfling. He tries to get a feel for the ebb and flow of circumstances in the crowd, listening and looking carefully with all senses.
The halfling switches to his mask of sorrow, briefly revealing his face, completely covered by white paint, in the interim. "Cursed? Cursed? No, I don't know anything about any curse," the halfling mentions, casually. "Come on then. We followers of Desna should stick together, eh? As the, uh, Lady, recommends?" Leading the way, the halfling walks in front of the elf on their way to the busy bazaar.
"Perhaps we can look for one together," the halfling suggests. "I need a wizard to follow up on some training of mine. I'm afraid I've learned all I can teach myself of the arcane arts, and I wish to find an instructor; or failing that, an adventure to sharpen my skills upon." The halfling's voice is slightly muted by the mask he wears, which covers his mouth, but his voice is confident for all that. The small, strange little man indicates the gathering at the center of town with an incline of his head when Anduil brings it up.
My tribe does do trade with the outside world, but you have to come to us. Our primary exports are "spirit paint" - a type of mystical pigment that can be used in the application of spells into scrolls, masks, even skin. We also trade in the usual produce and weaponry. Jin, unsure of the custom, taps his mask's mouth with his palm twice before drawing his hand downward, in the customary greeting of his tribe. "I am Jin," he says, introducing himself, "and I am in dire need of a wizard. Do you know any?"
Sorry, post coming soon.
Jin is unafraid of the Tall Folk crowd parting around him and the attention of the Elf, and stands defiantly with his arms crossed over his chest. He nods curtly in acknowledgement of the Elf staring at him, and speaks. "Hello, fellow follower of Desna." He wasn't truly a follower of Desna, but sometimes Jin lied merely for the simple pleasure of deception; and to see what he could get away with. The halfling's exile from his home tribe appears not to have dampened his incorrigible lust for trickery and deceit.
The little halfling is noticeable in the crowd due to his startling mask.
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