Pretty sure Klaus is in the Scared category if that's still active. I've failed at least 3 Will saves so far.
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Klaus follows everyone to the temple to make sure Sethiel is delivered safely. Once everything seems well in hand, Klaus sighs and stands up. "I guess I'd better go make a report of my own...though I'd really rather just forget what happened and what we all saw." The mage gives a small wave and departs to find his mentor.
Running a hand through his hair, Antero’s eyes narrow on Dargys; “That is for you to figure out! You gave you word to finish the task… but what should I expect from a pit fighter…” Straightening his shirt he turns from Dargys; “When I hire someone for a task, it is unto completion. You will see to it that this is finished.” You can easily tell that the anger in his tone is pushed more by fear of what is below than Antero being a successful merchant that doesn’t accept failure. Suddenly, Klaus stands with a finger in the air and other hand on his chest. "'I am seeking skilled workers to remove the seal and explore what is beyond. Once the task is completed, workers will be handsomely rewarded.'" He blinks and looks at Rasmus who is likely still holding onto the envelope with the quest missive. "Did I get that right? Pretty sure that's a direct quote." He directs the finger towards Antero. "Kind sir, your spooky haunted basement filled with horrible magic has been explored. Aside from one impassable staircase full of rubble, we explored every passage visible. Stand and deliver unless your promises are not what you claim.
"Klaus, you had the book last. Did you put it in your pack or leave it on the table?" Alistair asks the wizard. "I've got it here, and since it was under this man's property, it and its magic seal belong to him." Klaus produces the book from his backpack and places it on a nearby coffee table.
Having suddenly reappeared in the cavern he just fled, Klaus is momentarily stunned and disoriented. He spins this way and that, but it still takes a moment to sink in that he feels no pain. He glances down as his hands begin passing over his chest and stomach and finding no traces of the wound his memory vividly recalls receiving mere moments(?) ago. "Wha...?" Klaus gasps in shock. "Ah, I..." He scrubs his hands through his hair, his eyes darting towards whoever is closest. "Please, tell me I wasn't the only one who just had a full on daymare."
As someone who has also been through this, I know there are no words. My deepest condolences. Unsolicited advice: The best advice I can give you is to be forewarned that no one around you, family and friends, is going to truly understand. They will be sympathetic and sad, but they will eventually become frustrated with your grief lingering longer than is comfortable for them. I encourage you not to hold it against them.
You and your partner will need each other now more than ever. You or she may lash out and want to assign blame for things. This is a relationship trap you may not survive. Seek grief counseling and turn your attentions to outlets for your emotions. Physical activity (if possible for you) is always a combat against depression. Do your best not to begin associating your sadness with dates and things. Once you do, they will perpetually be triggers which will cause you to spiral in the future. I'm very sorry, Shane. You have my prayers and best wishes.
As the blade cuts him, pain blossoms and his vision darkens. Klaus realizes he's only a hairsbreadth from passing out whether from pain or fright.
The fear of this strange monster fills him, and he barely registers Alistair's words as he feels the man's hand jerk him back. All he can seem to do is stare at this crazy bladed abomination. "We're all going to die here...How much are we getting paid again?" he mumbles in a daze.
So several things don't seem to work here due to some misunderstandings, I think. On retcon, Klaus ceased moving until someone with light appeared. Once this occurs, Klaus would have stayed with that person, in this case Alistair. If things had happened the way you're describing, Klaus would have left Alistair in the dark after taking his torch. So this idea of the two splitting up at all doesn't make any sense. About the torch...Alistair did not give Klaus his torch. Alistair...passes Klaus, holding his torch high, keeping an eye out for danger. I'll restructure this quoted line. Alistair passed Klaus (walked by him). Alistair held his torch up high while looking for danger. The implication here is that Klaus would not have then chosen to move down an unlighted hallway or passage given he has no light source of his own. Obviously, we can just ignore this and continue on, but these small changes definitely had an impact on what happened and what Klaus would have done...especially since he would have happily handed over the potion (his final action for the turn based on rules) and likely stuck with Alistair once he appeared with his torch starting into the next 'round'.
As Klaus nears the edge of lighted vision he slows and gulps hard eyeing the shadows for any signs they are moving. Damn, I guess light isn't as overrated as it seems at times... he finds himself thinking.
As the horror in front of him starts convulsing, Klaus can feel himself creasing the scroll as his fist clenches and his hear races. It finally stops moving, and he releases the breath he's been holding. Seeing Alistair has refused the healing potion he offered, Klaus grumbles something about stubborn fighters only relying on their fists. From further up the corridor someone barks out sharply. "That sounds like Deshe!" Klaus blurts out to no one in particular. He finds his legs moving much to his surprise, and he flies headlong down the passage. Part of Klaus swells with pride that he's running to aid a comrade despite his fear. A much more honest part which lives in the back of his mind, knows Klaus would have been running this way regardless because he wants to live.
I just like the idea of a slime pony, no other IPs referenced. A gooey little horse is fun visual…until it melts someone’s face of course.
Please tell me that it is a pony-shaped slime and not just a slime using pony stats.
Klaus emits an embarrassing "Eeek!" when the lights go out and then on only to reveal the bladed terror before him.
Klaus stands petrified when Alistair's voice gets him moving, and the wizard falls back while the man rushes forward. Unfortunately for Klaus' future therapy sessions, Alistair immediately receives a devastating injury protecting him, and the man's blood splatters on Klaus' face. No amount of scrubbing would ever wash away the memory of just how pathetic Klaus had been when the chips were down.
The warm liquid reaches Klaus' lips, and the metallic taste seems to drive home that inaction is not an option. This was not the time to let others do what needed to be done. Klaus had to do more and do it now if Alistair was going to make it out of this alive. "Alistair, I think you should get behind me now!" he shouts. "There's two healing potions in my pack if you can get to them." Klaus takes a breath to center himself. "Let's see if magic works on this thing."
Klaus clutches the amulet at his next and channels power through it allowing it pull into his memory the spell he knows he needs...something that can't miss, magic missile. Chanting the words for the spell, he points a finger at the monster before them and hopes it's more fragile than it appears. With his other hand he feels for a familiar tab on his scroll box and yanks out a scroll.
...he sees Klaus take off the other way. "Dang it. Let's follow Klaus, I don't think we should split up while this is going on." Alistair says as he moves toward the mage. Sorry Alistair. :P Klaus definitely didn't know the other direction looped them back around, so he just went the way he knew goes out.
Fair point, but be warned at the moment Klaus is a pure roleplay vehicle. He trends towards lazy and uninspired and is certainly not sold on the "only we can save the world" attitudes a couple of the other characters have given Klaus has not seen anything to validate or acquired any personal instincts which would lead him to believe the random pronouncement of a rather unfriendly spirit claiming there's a world-ending doom somewhere in this "cellar". At the moment he's here entirely because he wants to support his friends and hasn't seen anything a wizard's apprentice probably hasn't experienced firsthand either in the laboratory, lessons, or done as a prank by another apprentice. Oh, the life of a magic student. I had planned Klaus to be this way given we had such an abundance of players in the game, I figured I would let the more assertive personalities rise up and drive the action. This means my posts were never intended to push the game forward, but support and/or comment on whatever is going on in others' posts. I fully expect this may change and Klaus may evolve as a character as the stakes become more real and more apparent to him as a person, but for now, he is what he is. ;)
When the lights start tripping and the darkness seems to begin moving, Klaus reflexively chants the spell for mage armor. He gulps nervously. "We should regroup, get back to a safe loca...ah, to blazes with it. Run, lads! It's never good when somethin' like this is happenin'!" As if Klaus needed any motivation, he turns and runs out of the area, but isn't able to run flat out due to the flickering light.
Klaus starts at such condemnation. "I'll have you know, rats of the non-pestilent variety are actually quite cute. Most magic users I've met who have chosen such a companion keep their rodents very clean and may even adorn them with accessories like that collar." Klaus lifts a hand in concession as if Rasmus had just made a counterpoint as he walks following the older man. "Having been raised a country bumpkin myself, I can easily forgive the confusion. Most people associate familiars with the witches and warlocks and other hedge magic practitioners out there. I assure you that wizard and mage familiars are nothing like such creatures which are merely conduits for some grotesque otherworldly patron of dubious occult origin."
And 'train of thought' does predate the physical train's invention by about 150 years in case anyone is worried about immersion. 'Train' as in a series or progression was the original usage. This means the term train for the mechanical device was named such since it was a "series" of cars. Your daily dose of etymology!
Klaus smacks his forehead as a sudden thought is "Rats are often used as familiars. Given this skeleton has a collar and this place is supposedly linked to a 'mad mage', we might just be looking at the 'Mad Rat' if you're following along this train of thought."
"Ah...about that." Klaus sputters looking guilty when Alistair calls out the rubble-rousers. He clears his throat, cheeks red. "I, um, I didn't prepare that spell today. So many of the others know the spell, and, uh well, Rasmus had all those backpacks with torches and stuff, so it just makes sense to use them, and you know, my mentor really always said out of all the things you'll find you need when adventuring, light is number one, but there's a bunch of ways to make it; yet if you need to make ice in a hot place or heat in a cold place or move that lever without touching the acid, there's only so many ways a body can do that and that's usually magic, so if you understand what I'm getting at..." Klaus continues to dissemble profusely to try and be excused for failing to have the magic ready which Alistair is requesting.
"We need to find something that fits that water drop impression. I bet it will act like a key and pop that puppy open. I hear some wizards will pay good money for old spells. Is that right Klaus?" Alistair asks. "It's shocking how fervent they can get. Belfer and I witnessed many a...I'll call it a 'fist fight' over some of the rarer books in the library when two or more wizards were sure they'd discovered some new ritual or cypher in the pages. Some of them even got in a few good arcane licks before the library custodians descended on them." Klaus chuckles. "You'd never guess some of those whitebeards have so much spit and vinegar in them from the refined way they try to carry themselves most of the time." As Rasmus begins clearing the rubble, Klaus brightens a bit seeing others interested in the stairs leading upwards. Thank goodness! "While it may not be much, I can help clear away the smaller bits since the space you're working is small." Klaus begins using mage hand to grab and move smaller rocks and float them to a pile off to the side from where Rasmus and Deshe are working.
Klaus figures the book may be important and places it into his pack. "Thanks, Deshe," he says when the cleric advises them they're being left behind.
Klaus looks at the rubble and wonders of the stairs take them out of this crazy place.
Klaus seems lost in thought and only casts furtive glances as Dargys and Deshe iron out splitting up v. sticking together. Alistair calls for a scholar, and swallowing nervously, Klaus moves closer to examine it. Unless the spell fails for whatever reason, Klaus will not touch the book itself but casts repeated uses of Mage Hand to hold it up, turn it, and replace it afterwards.
"I've never seen or heard of anything like this," Klaus says seriously. "Are we even sure it's a book and not just some fancy decoration?"
And to clarify one small point, my initial post is mostly pointing at everyone's seemingly instant acceptance of the spirit's unsubstantiated claim of a mad mage and the doom she is brewing. Meta: I know it's literally why we're here, so accepting it like video game protagonists is all well and good... but only if we want to have as many dimensions as said game characters. I'm happy to play along with that just as I said, but so far the RP and other descriptions have led me to think there is desire to have more facets to our game. I merely wanted to make sure we keep that going. Aside from that, whether people do or don't react to certain stimuli is not my place to say. As I said before, character behavior towards things like the haunts and what not was not at all with what I was concerned. Thank you for listening and humoring me.
"Think about it, it's not like your mentor is going to go scraping down in a hole like this." Klaus knows he's right. Just trying to picture Magus Kellavia down here seemed ridiculous. She would summon an army of cleaning imps and hand each of them a wand of Prestidigitation before even considering taking one step into the sealed chamber. Eyeing the grime now trickling away with the water left behind by the strange spirit, he wishes he had his own cleaning imps. ”Klaus, listen… I don’t blame you for being confused, worried, and most especially scared. By the hells, I’m terrified. But that’s why I think we should stick it out. You say we should report to the guard, but there’s a lot we don’t know, so what do we report? We ran out on a job when a water ice ghost attacked? With what evidence? They’d like put us away in an Asylum. Then there’s the matter of this ‘doom’. Even if we’re listened to, while the guards fuss over the paperwork of whether they should take action or not, it could be too late.” Klaus feels small as Dargys hits the nail on the head. Klaus is scared. Becoming a wizard had mostly been because his father and his aunt wanted it. He'd never really thought of what came after, and now confronted with what he might be able to do with it. Even Alistair had commented that Klaus being here could be of use, arcane knowledge and all that. He chews his lip in thought. ”Sides, I’m staying down here with or with out you, if I die because a wizard wasn’t here to help me, who will marry your sister?” Klaus groans. Ulrikke! Gods above...she'd never forgive him if Dargys died because Klaus abandoned him down here. Klaus may as well just change his name and leave the city. "If you want to head out, can't blame you, and it wouldn't hurt to have one of us let the guard know, even if the rest of us keep at it. But I'm going to keep at this, and I'd be glad to have you with us." Even Deshe had kind words for Klaus both accepting whatever he decided while quietly showing the grit to continue. "I-I...well." Then he sighs. "Fine. I'll stick around if you guys aren't leaving. We can take a look at a few more rooms. Maybe we'll find some proof of this alleged unicorn tributing doom. Oh, and fortune and glory and all that." Mumbling to Dargys, "Besides, if I don't come back with you alive and well, I just know Ulrikke would make sure my death is worse than anything down here..."
Thank you all for your feedback to my post. Naturally, I did expect that there would be some feelings on this, and I hesitated greatly before actually making that post knowing that for sure, I would probably ruffle someone's feathers feeling like I may be telling them how to play. No one is at questioning player motivations or behavior. My main desire is to see the in-character chatter I now see, people talking it out and getting their characters invested instead of just suddenly being invested without cause. While I hate to be the "What's my motivation??" actor on the stage, it is important to me that my character truly has it, so later if a choice requiring sacrifice appears, there's an actual moment I can look back on to show how he started being capable of a person who could do that.
It doesn’t surprise me one bit that I have to play the foil to instant cup-of-heroes, just add hot water spirit. :P I say that in the most affectionate way possible, my dear fellow players, but part of the immersion for me is that those untested and who have no current reason to throw themselves on the sword of danger would not unthinkingly devoid themselves of life for the sake of some random, probably hostile, spirit’s unvalidated words after just witnessing some traumatic hauntings the moments before. I know we’re all here to be and play heroes, but I prefer heroics to happen organically and characters who behave like actual people. And people get hysterical, have clashes of conscience v. duty v. self-preservation v. actual and possible rational thought. Considering all the care and creativity I see in the roleplay so far, I’d like to think we’re more than “Quest giver hath spoken! No one but we can accept and complete this divine quest but those upon whose ears the prophecy has fallen! Sally forth for victory or death!” like we’re not literally in a basement 20 ft down from a town full of a lot more qualified people to handle something named a “Doom”. If you guys think I’m ridiculous to expect anymore than “instantly joining Team Heroes,” I will abide by that decision and play Klaus as just a wizard in a dungeon delve. But if you actually expect Klaus the character, we need to be a bit more than one-dimensional. No hard feelings, I swear. I’m not mad and hoping I’m not making anyone mad. Just meant to be a small request in style of play because it lets me know just how much/little I should be putting into Klaus and his evolution of character (assuming he lives) over the course of things. :) After all, I’m certain the GM has plans for reticent and reluctant heroes which will up the stakes. I’d like to Call (raps knuckles on the table) and see what the River is to get my bet’s worth for the character and the story’s sake, if you feel me.
Klaus submits himself to Rasmus’ “Alright then,” Klaus announces, slapping the side of his thigh. “Ghost children, water spirits, a less than reputable medical treatment station–” a gesture to the torture table, “–Looks like we’ve done what was asked. We found out what’s down here. Plus, we know there’s something breaking horns and likes to eat unicorns. Pretty sure we don’t need to find that!” Klaus nods at everyone and gives Rasmus a thumbs up. “Time to get on out of here and let some of the ultra wizards and the Guards know about what’s going on, so they can get all this sorted, right?”
Unsure of what to do while the spirit seemed almost reasonable...Klaus certainly did not like the words it was speaking. "Wait a second! What horn? Who has a unic-"
Klaus gets a mouthful of angry spirit water and sputters noisily, only just managing to stuff the hand holding the magic scroll into his robes before the sudden spray of water struck him. He almost retches again as he pictures the damp shape on the wall before it grabbed Sethiel. Dank dungeon water in sentient form had just entered him. "It's in my mouth! It's in my mouth!" Klaus whines, spitting noisily. "Please don't possess me! I just started this wizarding thing, and I don't want to go down like this!"
...as the chilly looking mist man tries to give Sethiel a hug. ...or mist woman, or mist neuter. Klaus recognizes the Adventurers' Adversary Guild is an equal opportunity organization open to any and all future nemeses of adventuring heroes. Ah, I didn't read discussion thread until after I posted in play by post. Not sure how this changes things for Dargys' action Well, probably doesn't change it. It would be weird for Sethiel to just go poof and suddenly not be there, so either cold patch seepage monster is going to straight eat Sethiel or he just became a GMPC would be my guess.
Klaus has a flashback to a prank one wizard's apprentice played on another using an Unseen Servant to douse another glue. For the briefest moment he'd swore he could see the Unseen Servant outlined in the glue. This odd person-shaped "seepage" grabbing Sethiel seemed just like that. Dargys calling his name snapped him back to the present. "Right, ah," Klaus racks his brain watching as the chilly looking mist man tries to give Sethiel a hug. "Well, it just gives off a cold vibe—is it cold, Sethiel?—which means fire should be good(?)...but I don't have any fire spells ready let alone that I know which wouldn't be catastrophic to let loose in this tiny room." "Could try hitting it with a torch perhaps, or...!" Klaus suddenly gets excited and pops open his scroll box and selecting a scroll. "Come here and present said sword, dear Dargys. I have something which could help." He holds a neatly bound scroll in one hand and begins to untie the ribbon with the other. The ribbon says Magic Weapon in simple script.
"Yeeeah, that doesn't look too natural," Klaus swallows nervously. "W-what are we getting paid again?
I'm definitely on the same page, which is why I'm hoping we can recalibrate here in Discussion. It kind of feels like some possible reactions are getting lost in all the wonderful narration and lengthy roleplay posts, so I want to make certain everyone is responding with all knowledge of activity in mind. Certainly within the scope of actual group activity that some folks aren't paying attention to what one side or another is doing, but some things feel like they wouldn't or couldn't be ignored, like the very noticeable screaming haunt and possibly a very excited Deshe rejoining the group with his experience. Of course, if Deshe enters the room stoic as a cucumber and mentions child spectre experience in an off-hand, you'll-never-believe-what happened-to-me-today kind of way, whose to say anyone even noticed?
Rasmus does realize we can still hear him, right? Technically there's no need for him to write novels (that last entry he wrote would have been very loooong in terms of waiting for him to finish it) on the wall. We just need to write to him unless he has Linguistics (Lip Reading) or whatever the correct skill would be for that. Edit: Also, I think Belfer made the hard Perception check to see the angled floor or whatever it is. Do we need to kind of reset and agree on what everyone is doing? Alistair's the only one who moved down the hall and triggered the Will Save I believe, yet Dargys is rolling for it. Deshe just returned with news of being attacked by a child spectre/illusion from the cave, and Belfer may have noticed the floor in the We kind of have a lot going on here with a lot of split attention at this point. The little strike-through was not meta-gaming I promise. I don't know anything about this module/adventure, and that was purely meant as humor from a what's-actually-amoral wizard perspective. :P
Klaus looks around blearily. "Sorry about that...I may have had too much mead last night."
At the sight of the body on the table, Klaus' stomach spins while his hangover headache worsens. He whirls away and takes a few steps to noisily make rainbows in a corner away from the table and its mummified resident. Perhaps this unfortunate state is actually a blessing as the change in his own sinus pressure seems to buffer him from the worst of the magical/supernatural screaming. "Ugh," Klaus moans. "That felt awful. Even my ears are ringing." Maybe he didn't even notice the terrible sound? He retrieves his kerchief and wipes some of the sweat off his brow and traces of rainbows from his lip.
"What the blazes?!?" Klaus' mouth drops open as the door opening induces agonizing screams. "Morden and Mother protect us!" Klaus had been keeping it together until now despite the topsy turvy response to the brandy his stomach had been having. As the screams wash over them, he looks decidedly green. "Wha...what are we getting paid again?"
@Alistair: any specific reason you wouldn’t want Klaus to use his no touch magic to throw open the door? I kind of already indicated Klaus is literally casting the spell, but now you’re pre-empting it by manually pushing it open. Not upset, just curious if there’s a reason I’m not thinking of.
Klaus' profile is current with today's prepared spells. I plan to get his profile cleaned up and easier to read soon.
Klaus is one of the last to move further down, and he is happy to let the others do most of the checking and perceiving. After Rasmus spooks a bit at what he says may be children laughing, Klaus raises an eyebrow. "Welllllllll...personally, I feel like not at least checking the partially open door is more of a risk as once we start descending, if someone—or something—comes out of the room above us on the stairs. They would have the high ground on us stacked at best two-by-two on the stairs." Klaus ackshuallys. "Since it really won't be that difficult to open a door to verify the other side," Klaus begins the hand motions to cast open/close, "plus at worst we would be able to retreat into and defend the room on the other side better than an open stairway, I'd like to vote for clearing at least the easily opened room first." He fishes a small uncut brass key out of his component pouch. "Besides it stands to reason that rooms at the top the stairs would likely give some kind of hint as to what that cave portends. If they're full of mining equipment or other adventuring gear, that would be a good clue, right? Could just be an old pantry, but much rather be sure it's empty of anything that likes to snack on wizard brains, you know?" Unless stopped, Klaus completes the spell and his arcane power should hopefully easily open the door without issue.
When I’m running live at the table, I prefer the players “rolling their own fate”. But obviously I can respond in real time, and there are no delays. With PbP, if the GM is up for it, “secret rolls”(spoilered if you want to prove you’re not fudging) work better to keep up the flow. I’ll admit once in awhile if I need to slow the pace down due to RL keeping me from the boards, I might ask my players to roll knowing the full set will likely be 24 hours or more out, giving me time to get my shit together and post again. That’s more of a hybrid: a lot of auto-batch roll (Perception/Initiative block rolls) or secret rolls (Knowledge, etc) while occasionally having the players do it themselves as either a pacing tool or just to make them feel more involved with creating their own destiny. If you’re able to keep up the post flow without overwhelming yourself, secret rolls are fine for me to a point. One of my biggest annoyances with PF2 rules is how often it feels like the GM is really the only mechanical player, and I’m just voicing one of their characters for flavor.
"You're welcome. Missy was right nice about it. And you offered your sister up in marriage, again." "Heh, well, you know. Can't blame a big brother for trying." Klaus greets the other party members with a wave and a nod and blearily looks around for Belfer. Once the group is ushered inside, Klaus can't help but notice the decorating as it reminds him of often his mother changes out the furniture in her sitting room and other places where guests may be received to keep up with the current trends.
Klaus arrives at the rendezvous point looking haggard but alive, his feet dragging slightly. He blanches a bit when looking at all the heavy equipment Rasmus laid out and sighs. He wishes he had managed to convince his father to purchase him a bag of holding, an item he desperately wants to own and possibly learn how to make, but so far his pleas had been denied. "Ah, Dargys," he says to the fighter a hand raised in greeting. His expression is a bit sheepish. "Thanks for seeing me home after a tad too much mead...again."
Intellectual discussion w/ Belfer (Last Night): "Good evening Klaus! It looks like you're enjoying yourself. What was all that excitement about?" "Brambler!" Klaus bursts while lifting his empty hand in excited recognition. "Glad yer here. Eyz wuz thinkin' 'bout tat ooze ratio youz talked 'bout...other day. I tink the slime diffur-eshal cud be adjushed same as mead! Like wif fowers and fuits and stuf!" Then he blinks, "Oh, and yeah, we're..." Klaus waves at the table now full of people surrounding the paper received from the out-of-town adventuring group, "...going ta shumbody's housh to look at a wall. Ya shud *hic* come, too...alsho. Walls er good fer oozhe testing."
@Klaus - Belfer could have crossed paths at the library and/or been introduced to each other through Saini. As an apprentice, Klaus would most likely have been in the library frequently. As Klaus is lazy, he almost always has Mage Hand and Unseen Servant prepared, and I could see him nonchalantly assisting Belfer obtain an out-of-reach book from a top shelf when Belfer finds the rolling ladder for that wall already in use. Such ease of convenience and Klaus' absolute willingness to use the spell prodigiously could have made for an easy library comradery between the two such that even on days when almost zero words are exchanged, they still seek out each other's table. I'd also imagine Klaus willingly engaging Belfer in discussions about his slime magic theory as theorizing and other armchair wizarding would be right up Klaus' alley.
This Morning:
While Klaus wasn't old enough to remember the times before the wealth with any great impact, Melissalynn-Augusta or 'Missy' certainly did, and there was little doubt what types of remedy for a lazy drunken layabout's hangover she approved.
Klaus was sound asleep, dead to world and drooling, when he was suddenly drowning. After several coughs and sputters, Klaus came to understand he wasn't drowning, but merely had taken a bucket of water to the face as he rolled over onto his elbow panting gasping. Several broken memories of the night before come rushing back to him all at once resulting in a pounding headache and a how-did-I-get-home? confusion. "Nanny.." he began to whine. "Please...just let me sleep." "No can do, young master," Missy mother henned. "One of your last remaining friends said you agreed to help him with something so he can keep his family afloat, and you're going to do it." Missy abruptly pulls open the drapes sending spears of light into Klaus' eyes prompting a pained moan from the wizard. "You need to get to your daily studies if you're to be worth anything to young Dargys or anyone else. I've got your 'Wake Up and Work!' Tonic right here as well as a hearty meal once you've finished." She gestures to a goblet full of something even Belfer would question the consistency and a plate full of fried eggs, cheeses, potatoes, toast, and a cup of applesauce. "Same as I made your daddy and his brothers and sisters when they also thought they were more powerful than the Undefeated Morning After. You quaff that whole draught, wait a spell, and if you haven't tossed it, clean this whole plate. I'll be back in an hour." Missy pats Klaus' cheek and whisks out of the room. Klaus manages to sit up and forces down a retch from the sight and smell of the food. He reaches out a shaky hand for the goblet (did it just bubble?) and brings it to his lips. After a deep breath, he begins to chug the whole thing. It is thick and pungent, but surprisingly not terrible. It isn't the first time he'd had it, and possibly not the last. Klaus isn't completely convinced it works, but what he does know is just how much grief Missy would give him if he didn't finish it. While it doesn't completely remove he sourness of his stomach nor do anything for the headache, Klaus does find the smell of the food more tolerable, and soon he's eating with gusto, a fear of the wrath of Nanny Em playing no small part. As he eats, Klaus vaguely recalls the commission the ragtag table of tavern goers had agreed to take on. He studies his spellbook with that in mind while he spoons the applesauce topped with cinnamon into his mouth.
Soon enough, Missy returns just as Klaus is strapping on his boots. He straightens, just in time for Missy to pop the "official" wizard's hat onto his head. His mother had insisted on purchasing it to celebrate Klaus completing his apprenticeship. "You know she'd be heartbroken if you didn't wear it on your first official wizarding adventure, Master Klaus," Missy says with a nod. "Now off you go before the Mistress Ulrikke or Master Todd catch wind of your departure. You know you won't be able to get rid of them as soon as they discover you're off to adventure with young Dargys." "Ah, that's true..." Klaus shoulders the pack he stuffed with some useful things, his spell component pouch, and his scroll box full of fun spells he'd purchased. "I'd best be off then." He pauses at the door as Missy begins to strip the wet sheets and pillows from his bed. "...thank you, Nanny Em." Missy sniffs and waves a dismissive hand. "Off with you now. And come back with a good story to tell at the family dinner table." After Klaus leaves, Missy allows herself a smile and begins to hum a very old tune.
Last Night:
Nurlon makes his way over to the table and places a hand on Klaus’ shoulder. "This one here seems to be in rough shape. Who’s seeing him home or does he need a bed here tonight?" As Dargys tries to rouse Klaus, the young man mumbles, "Jes won mor..." And when Dargys' response to this is to try and sling him over his shoulder, Klaus feebly pushes him off. "I ken wok, I ken wok!" He clearly cannot. Klaus stumbles around until Dargys gets a firm grip on him and escorts him out.
"Nanny Em ...she's wait- *(hic)* -in'..." Klaus gestures off towards who-knows-where, but definitely not the main gate of the Reiser's city estate.
Klaus is unfortunately too insensible to understand, but some part of him seems to hear Dargys' words. "Ya shud jes marr' Ulrikke...finly haf a brovver who likes me..." Klaus gibbers.
Sorry for running a little quiet. I was all set to post again last night, but had an unexpected trip to the ER when a family member had a little food trouble. Not life threatening, just uncomfortable. All's well now. My apologies for the delay.
@DM-Shane Joseph: And another thing...I hope I don't presume too much regarding Klaus' ability to pay the group's food & drink tabs and other generally simple expenses. If you want the spending of each copper accounted for, I will refrain from such generalities, but I figured our boy whose family is literally spilling money from every pocket currently would be very generous in most social settings for his friends. I definitely am not expecting you'd approve Klaus to suddenly be an endless source of wealth allowing the party to kit out with epic gear or anything! Just kind of handwaving cheap stuff as being covered by Klaus (assuming he's present) that comes up as he doesn't really have any sense of the value of a mere 1 or 2 gold these days. @Dargys: How would Dargys feel about Klaus giving him money? Like straight up charity basically.
@Belfer Bramblewood: What connections does Belfer have to the resident magic community based on our illustrious GM's description?
Figured maybe it's a possibility, albeit only a remote one, that Klaus and Belfer may have crossed paths or be aware of each other. @DM-Shane Joseph: Exactly how vast is the Sagacious Masters of the Eldritch Nexus? Are we talking like a grand network and hierarchy similar to a guild or like a few super-wizards and their disciples and henchmen, but relatively low in number? Also, do you want to kind of assign the Master Wizard (are they called wizards/mages/magisters/other random fantasy world title?) under whom Klaus trained, or would you prefer me to make that up myself? I don't think I know enough about the world yet to understand how Klaus fits in to the magical order yet aside from—money talks, and there's usually always a wizard who needs it for some crazy research.
Klaus shrugs. If he notices Dargys' redirection, he makes no comment. "What elsh do I haf to do? O-fishly 'grazhuated' from apprentishe." He makes air quotes with his non-mead-mug hand. "Mom, dad, and Aunt Olga couldn't be mer proud." Klaus face turns sour and his tone sarcastic. "Thunk I gotta achual grunt from Dad and a bare nod from Auntie when I toll 'em." Klaus inspects the depths of his fermented honey drink; whatever flowers or spices had been added make the liquid a deep purple color. "I'm shure they'll find sum place or biznesh partner to hand me off to fer sum kinda deal that jes makes the Reishers even richer." His smile returns somewhat crooked as his gaze returns to Dargys'. "Dun begrudge me the meads, mah friend. At leash the mead doesn't judge me," he slurs with a laugh. |