Yeah, you can use Osric for whatever troublemaking you'd like to see done.
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Osric tries to laugh at the situation, but that just makes his head hurt more. "Ha-oww! Was the drubbing really necessary?" He tries to blink away flashing lights in his vision, convinced he has a concussion. "You're really quite clever, old friend. I never once suspected you of being a criminal element, though in retrospect it explains a lot. Good on you." he rubs the back of his head, checking for bleeding. "Thanks for saving my life, I guess, though I would've preferred a gentler touch. I do work for hire, of course. My rates are reasonable, and my track record of results has been rather brazen as of late. Surely you wouldn't come to me for anything overtly illegal, but then, you wouldn't have come to me at all unless you thought it was something I was uniquely positioned to be able to accomplish for you. If I had to guess, I'd say you'd like me to infiltrate whatever the new version of the watch is, and inform on it for you. Am I far off?" He looks around the room, trying to get a feel for where he's being held. "I'm willing to listen to what you have to say, but you must know I'm not keen on corruption as a concept."
Ah. Whoops. I've not used it much myself and missed that clause. I guess that's why you don't always spend the move action for the bonus. I'll deduct the inspiration.
I would've given you one of my CLW pots, but I never took the feat that lets me share :(
"You're too late, idiota culo! We've already sent the formula five times over to five different places! Didn't you see the birds?"
Five foot step between the guard and Byron.
"You've been holding out on us, Bryon! You're secretly the evil one in the room?" 5-foot step closer to the guard, then studied combat/strike.
Burning an inspiration to give Fi +4 to hit.
Do I get an AoO on either of the guards moving around me? If so... AoO:
By my calculations, 38 damage means that Byron is down. With not many good options at his disposal, Osric takes a moment to look over the more injured guard and aims for his weak spot
Yep, that's correct.
"Oh, no you don't!" Osric moves next to Byron, takes total defense, and (as inspiration) aids Byron for +4 AC. My AC should be 22, his should be 19 if I'm reading the taglines correctly.
Sadness. Please just don't TPK us to the temple guards! At least let it be "rocks fall, everyone dies."
I lean toward option 1, myself. I'm having a lot of fun right now. Like Byron said, if I need to slow down or write more succinct posts, I can try to do that if it'll help.
Osric will give both Entoro and Odebie +4 to hit.
Osric will stand behind and between Entoro and Odebie, sword drawn, ready to aid.
Osric doesn't really have any useful skills as far as making the place more secure, but he is familiar with the church and their historical combat tactics. He'll chug a potion that he thought would be used for helping him think more clearly about the planar issue, and instead cogitate on issues far more domestic.
"Tyranny is a plague, Ms. Instra. Running will only spread it. I believe it to be moot, as the Temple Guard is not stupid. They're going to be here before that quarter candle is up to ensure the good captain doesn't triple cross them. Isn't that right, Captain? Since they'll kill you anyway, you might as well take up arms against them and attempt to redeem your cowardly butt. Better to live an honorable life than a very slightly longer dishonorable one, eh?"
Osric speaks softly. "It would appear I'm not the only one who has made a mistake today. Continue when you're ready, Captain."
"Relax, captain. We're not the ones who'll kill you for having a shred of sense in you. I think nothing less of you for betraying the trust of your brothers given the circumstances. We want all of these unpleasantries to end as soon as possible. Now please," He gestures to the seat he was just sitting in. "take a seat and tell us what happened after Odebie left, and what chain of events lead you to the Maker's establishment under false pretenses. If you're lying... I. Will. Know."
Osric tries to deflect the Captain's sword as he draws it.
"That really would be quite foolish, sir."
"Yes. And how many surrendered to the inquisitor, my dear Captain?"
"You're not wrong, Byron, but calming that...thing down is probably a job better suited to Odebie than either of us. We should probably figure out what state the Temple is in right now. No doubt news of their actions has spread within, and they will be divided for now. I don't suppose you know the state of their internal politics, do you, Captain?"
Osric waves dismissively at the captain. "Yes, yes. Get in line. You can throw me in your finest jail, just as soon as you own it again. We can all play 'Osric is the monster for telling the truth, not the Temple for its mass killing' later, but like you said, we have better things to do right now. Do you have a way to get word to the so-called blessed? They will be instrumental figureheads in the war to come, and I'd prefer warning them before they're in the Temple dungeon."
"Harumph! I've been trying to tell her that for five minutes!"
Osric stands up, his calm demeanor uncharacteristically broken. He tosses the dead bird unceremoniously on her desk. "And what if this had been a match for your birds, Helen? Yes, as it turned out, it was an insult and a waste of time, but one of the two organized elements of this town stole Eldon's formula, and we needed to know if it was you. We couldn't just ask nicely, now could we? It was done before they had time to react to the story, so it was roughly even odds in my estimation. Would you have walked in here for help without checking, first?" He deflates back down into his chair with a heavy sigh. "Sky alive, I even self-justify like they do, don't I? I've been a lawyer in this city for too long. Let me start over, ms. Instra. And plainly this time. Like I said earlier, with the Watch in disarray, the Makers are the only organization in Hearth strong enough to resist a homicidal Temple. Their actions will ultimately anger the populous enough for it to not matter, but if you were willing to house and care for those who will fight, such as the remainder of the watch, it would hasten the end of the bloody affair to come. Furthermore, someone needs to get out there and warn those idiots that they have a target on their back now. The cwmwl seems to do the same thing to one's wits as it does to the darkspawn, and they're probably too dumb to seek shelter. I'm not asking you to risk anyone else, but I need to know this is a safe place before I head back out there."
Osric nods. "That seems wise, at least for the time being. However, as the breeze that breathed on the spark of dissention and brought forth the current conflagration, I feel responsible to see it through, for better or worse. Can you at least supply the captain with the potions he's seeking on your way out?"
"A noble goal indeed. I'll cut to the chase, ms. Instra. The main ingredients are either elens, or efreet, so mass production isn't particularly viable. However, people die of natural causes all the time, and if their bodies can be put to good use, it would merely require a cultural revolution to make weaponizing corpses a viable tactic." Osric leans in conspiratorially. "For this to occur, the Temple may need to be swept aside to make room for more pragmatic leadership. They have assaulted the civil foundation of our society, the Watch, rendering themselves no longer fit to rule. I don't know what comes next, but I can imagine the Makers being a substantial part of it, depending on what position it takes in the coming days."
Considering the rest of the watch might not be as forgiving toward Osric as Odebie was, it seems prudent to keep moving for the time being.
Osric notices the boy for the first time, and smiles at him. "Ah. Well spotted, young one. Your vigilance is truly appreciated. I suppose I was being a bit suspicious, wasn't I? I apologize for the subterfuge. There's no point in continuing the charade." He pulls the bagged dead pigeon out and shows it to Ken. "This is evidence from what remains of master Byron's lab. As best I could tell, it was either the Temple or the Makers who burned it down. Thankfully, the pigeons here are not a match, so it seems far less likely someone here was involved. I'm sure you can understand why I might not want to come out and say, 'show me your pigeons, I think you might be a murderer'. We can speak to your security personnel if you wish, but we'd prefer to get back to our friends as soon as possible."
"Ah. Well, I was going to send my relatives in Light a message bringing them up to speed, but in retrospect, I've perhaps been over-sharing recently. I should probably consult with my companions before doing anything else too rash. Could you bring me back to Helen's office? Thank you for your assistance."
Osric follows Ken wordlessly, uninterested in conversing with him. He merely wishes to compare the dead bird in his pocket to the ones in the coop to either confirm or reduce the likelihood of the Maker's involvement in the arson.
"Yes, yes, I assure you these two are perfectly respectable." "Good day to you, Ms. Instra. The formula actually belonged to our late colleague Eldon, but it was partially implemented and demonstrated by Byron. These two have respectively been murdered and rendered homeless via arson for their trouble, so this seemed a prudent place to come for a bit of safety, especially considering Odebie's report of the Temple's assault on the watch." Osric pretends as if he were going to elaborate on the discovery before suddenly changing the subject. "The discov... I apologize for the inconvenience, but I need to get a message back to Light urgently. Could you please direct me to the pigeon coop? I'm sure Byron would be better at explaining the rough outline anyway."
"Ahh, yes. Quite right. Understandable. You are mistaken, however. We're not here for wares so much as we're here to share information. One of our own was wantonly murdered this evening by sabotaging a lab, and we believe it to be related to the theft of a discovery that had recently realized." "We request entry to register the discovery as well as to log the arson. The watch is... busy... at the moment."
"Feel free to go back and ask, but I'd rather give it a chance to cool off, if that even makes sense for its physiology. We either need to move quickly or be prepared to handle an angry mob REAL soon. Personally, I'm thinking we get ourselves to the Mithril Makers and reevaluate our life choices there. Sound good?"
"Given what you now know, how loyal do you remain to the authority of the Temple? You have the most to lose out of all of us. I am convinced they have lost the right of rule, but they cannot be ousted without much additional suffering. Is it worth it?"
"Huh?" Osric is disoriented and confused why Fi is here suddenly. He shakes his head to clear it of the fog. "I don't know where you came from, but I'm glad you're here. As it turns out, the temple got more angry at my honesty than I anticipated and have begun a civil war. They have massacred the watch leadership. I was in the process of trying to decide whether to turn myself in when the tree-god Odebie planted yesterday exploded in a fit a rage. Also Byron's lab suffered arson. What tragedy has befallen you today?"
"Owwww... If I had to guess, I'd say the tree tapped into some unpleasant information buried under the city. It would not surprise me to hear that some ancient burial grounds had been desecrated. With a little luck, this is just a burst of righteous indignation, not yet another problem that needs dealing with."
Osric takes a pleading conciliatory tone. "The city was already teetering on a knife's edge, and the same thing, or a similar thing, would've happened anyway. At least this way the truth is on the table.
He goes silent for a moment, pondering alternatives. "I suppose I could turn myself in. No doubt it may cost my life, but as you pointed out, that may in fact be justice. The root question, then, is weighing the value of my continued life, and whatever I may contribute in the future, versus the uneasy detente of returning to the status quo." "I do not believe I am capable of objectively performing that valuation. What do you two think? Should my next destination be the Makers or the Temple?"
Osric glowers at Odebie's revelation. "Hmph. Idiots. With a little tact, nuance, and hard work they could've made the best of the situation, but now they've gone and declared a civil war, haven't they? This changes things." He begins pacing, thinking through some of the implications. "To be clear, the only crime I actually committed was exposing their own embarrassing behavior. I revealed nothing that was told to me in confidence, and I spoke no lies. Nor did I foment sedition. I merely gave a recounting of yesterday's events to clear up the record." "But that's neither here nor there. If they're willing to destabilize the city by slaughtering its civil leaders to protect their own reputation, then as far as I'm concerned, they've abandoned their post as protectors of Hearth, and thereby their right to rule. Especially considering everything else that's going on right now. I expect they'll want all of us to die horrible deaths as an example to others, and I'd rather not give them the opportunity." "The way I see it, there are three things that need doing immediately. One, Odebie still needs to talk to the tree. Two, we need to check on Fi, though her house is probably being watched at the moment, and Three, we need to consolidate whatever allies we can. Specifically, I'm thinking of the Mithril Makers. What do you think, Odebie?"
"Ah, Odebie! We were just coming to find you. Your tree would like to speak with you in the most scintillating fashion. It called you the Tribe of Kings. I believe it will be of assistance in dealing with the planar issue we're facing." Osric notes Odebie's expression. "But that's not why you're here. Something bad has happened, hasn't it? Something other than Byron's lab being destroyed?"
Osric sends as strong a wave of reverence and gratitude as he can muster, and backs off. In Sylph: "It wants to talk to Odebie. It knows of the symbols we saw in the basement. It called that god 'the trickster', and it might explain more if we fetch him. We should probably report the arson at the watch anyway. Shall we go?"
Osric congeals his thoughts into slyphan words to Byron. It feels like it takes an age for them to ooze past his tongue. "It's remarkably blase about the whole situation. It has a substantially different perspective on what is or is not an existential threat. I believe it's asking to speak with the Oread elders, which suggests it may not be fully aware of the situation."
Always more interested in issues dealing with people related problems, Osric's geographical knowledge is less than stellar. He thinks of a map of the world in the most detail he can muster. "I believe they are up there, in the Northlands. We are way down South, here, in the Ifrit city of Hearth. You've been dormant a long time, as elens count time, and things may have changed. If you're looking for a local authority, the closest thing we have around here is currently more concerned with maintaining its own image rather than securing the safety of its citizens. Being the ancient creature you are, I wonder if, by chance, you've ever encountered this." Osric thinks at the tree about the symbols and language he saw on the altar, and specifically the concept of "LN".
Osric laughs euphorically, and he's not sure if it's his mirth or the tree's that caused it. "It communicates at the speed of thought, Byron! It's incredible!" He tries to push the boundaries of this intimate connection and projects pictures instead of words. He imagines a giant door slightly ajar, with mephits pouring through the crack. Each one widening the opening ever so marginally. Soon, shadowy flaming figures of doom show up behind the door, banging on it insistently. Eventually it slips through, raining fire and terror. Then another one. Then a bigger one. They set the tree on fire before rampaging through the town, consuming elen after elen, leaving only death and flame in their wake. "That's what this door is."
Osric jumps a little at having his thoughts invaded, but then grins uncontrollably. He thinks back at the tree in Oread. "Ah, excellent! I wasn't sure how communication would work, but this seems delightfully elegant. No doubt some certainly consider me a pest, but I have no quarrel with you. My primary objective at the moment is to gain wisdom in how to deal with the woes of the moment. These other pests do not belong here, and I wish to eliminate them and close the door to their home. Secondarily, in all forthrightness, I wish to determine whether or not you yourself present a danger to this city."
"It would seem this tree has plans of its own, wouldn't it?" Osric quaffs his resist energy extract (fire) and walks toward the tree, reaching out to it.
"Hmm, what an odd thing to do. Did he say why, exactly? If you need to rest, I totally understand, but I think I need to investigate this." Osric either drops him off first or changes course to go back to the border, based on whatever Byron decides.
Osric looks around nervously. "Regardless, we should move on from here. There's nothing more we can do standing here." Before leaving, he gathers up one of the deceased birds in an evidence bag, in case it might be useful later.
Osric, oblivious to the depth of the chaos he's caused, continues thinking through Byron's lab problem. "The Temple and the Mithril makers seem like the only possible candidates for this atrocity. If the temple did it to suppress the knowledge, which I think is most likely, then releasing it will ruin their day and offer you the most protection. If the temple did it out of impatience to gain the knowledge, releasing it will only increase demand for elenicide. If the Mithril makers did it either to gain or suppress the knowledge, releasing it will have no additional substantial effect. Either way, releasing it will shine a great deal of light on you, making it difficult to continue conducting an investigation. Should you decide not to release it, I would suggest creating and hiding several copies of the formula, both the proven and original ones. As distasteful as those components are, more lives are lost on the fronts each day than would be necessary to produce a continuous flow of white obsidian. This information is too valuable to be lost forever." |