"Let's clean what we can quickly clean, and then start tracking down our friends in the black car."
Search Posts
Shaking off the effects of his divination, Remington blinks as if he's waking up. "Okay. That was enlightening. We can repair the wards. It won't stop them from being desecrated again, but it may buy us some time." He then shares the information he's learned about how the wards are formed and how to repair them. "Could we trap one of the wards?" he muses. "Maybe catch someone who will lead us to whomever is responsible?"
I'm more or less back and functional. How is everyone else doing over this fine festive period? Just like every year I stay home for the holidays, I have had little intention of disappearing from any of my online activities; and just like every year, I'm kept surprisingly busy. As I said in another of my online campaigns: I'll be around, but most of the next 10 days will be like the weekend, which means that most of my time will be devoted to keeping the kids occupied and exercised (aka "family time") and then convincing myself that I'm not too tired in the evenings to take time for myself. Glad you're doing okay, Jon.
Remington moves closer to inspect the chunk of rock. Does the actual rock look broken? Are there inscriptions or other sorts of markings on the rock beneath the deer guts? Is there anything unusual about the deer guts?
"Let's go."
"It's not a bad plan, but it assumes that this organization isn't already a step ahead of us. If it backfires, then we are suddenly on a 'Vine-e-o' that makes the rounds. "We still have the option of tracking down a wardstone that's been deactivated and seeing what we can learn from it."
Remington does his best to parse out useful information from the stream of facts and analytical theories the heavy-duty TV is offering. Then he displays his forebearer's skill in trying to solve large-scale problems for a supernatural community. "There's two ways I know of to fight a large organization. The first way is to have a large organization of your own. That would mean mobilizing the hidden side of Fever, which is time-consuming and is probably going to attract the same sort of attention we don't want. The second way is to find the head of the organization and cut it off, also cutting off any new heads before or after they sprout. "We haven't had much luck getting information out of anybody we've captured. Probably because we keep capturing the grunts. Maybe we'll get a shot at those two people we met at the garage. Are we able to track them down based on their car information?"
"If we can't get at the head right away, the next-best thing we can do is start fixing Fever's wards. It's just maintenance instead of solving the problem, but we may find more information. I suggest we head to a broken ward, next." After a moment, he addresses the Thinking Engine. "Big TV, who's uploading the problem videos online?"
My condolences, Jon. I won't hold any manic updates or mistakes against you.
"I know I'm out of touch with current technology, but if I asked for a TV at Best Buy I wouldn't be offered something like this."
"Is this... is this a TV? I just wanted a TV."
Remington shrugs. "I'm not exactly getting any on-the-job-training, here."
"So you're basically immortal, regenerating in the painting? "Sort of. I am the painting. The first Remington Pike--some would say the 'real' one, but that's bordering on offensive--died in Fever in 1904. During one of his many terms as Fever's mayor, he had this painting commissioned. The night of his death, I first became... alive? Animated? One shaman in the 60s referred to it as 'zoetic,' which I like. Anyway, I awoke in this frame in City Hall in the middle of the night. I had none of Pike's memories but all of his skills. (I may be one of the few people alive who reads Rongorongo, incidentally.)" Placing his hand on the guns at his hip, Remingtom continues, "There are much worse skill sets to inherit, to be honest. "I wandered City Hall the first few nights until I figured a few things out. I'm sure I started a number of new ghost stories, what with appearing the same night that the old Mayor died. City Hall is haunted, by the way. That ghost has issues. "Anyway, I've changed hands a number of times over the previous century, each new benefactor affording me varying levels of freedom. I don't even know who had me locked away before I moved to Valda's. So, thanks for that. "Anyway, it seems Remington Pike has come full circle. A weird, Möbius circle, maybe. But Fever's all I've ever known, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let anyone tear it down." "Soooo, what's our next step? Looking to repair the Wards?" "We need to borrow one of your large TV screens," Remington says to Valda. Addressing everyone, he continues, "Someone suggested earlier that there could be a clue in some or all of the videos online that shouldn't be online. We watch the videos, finding connecting themes, common people in the background, even a connection to the people putting them online. The more eyes we have on the screen the more likely we'll notice something. "Also, I feel confident that I could lead us to one of Fever's actual wards, now. We could see about repairing the Wards, but that's just buying time until they're attacked again. There may be a clue who the enemy is at one of the deactivated wards. "And I'd still like to know who our Worried Friend is who tipped us off."
"It's been a pretty busy day. We'll fill you in over a drink." Remington leads the group inside to the kitchen, where he finds some frosted beer mugs or perhaps some old-timey beer steins or maybe just some plain old pint glasses. As the group relates today's events to Valda, the new King of Fever then leads the group to a nearby hallway where hangs a six foot portrait frame that Nurai and Aurora have seen before, only the painting inside now only has the chair and footstool. Remington draws his usual rapier; any who didn't notice before now sees that the hilt is shaped like a tankard, and he pours beer from said hilt into each glass or stein. When everybody has a drink, Remington kisses the blade almost reverently, reaches into the painting, and leans the sword against the chair. Out of nowhere, the Sword of Fever appears in Remington's hand and he sheathes it in his old sword's scabbard. Finally, he raises his glass to the others for a toast. "To making history." After drinking, he pats the picture frame and turns to Valda. "It might be best if this was put away somewhere safe. If anything happens to me, you should find me back here in a few days."
Sorry for the slow posting. Lots of stuff going on, not the least of which was hosting my and my wife's family for American Thanksgiving this year. Hey, so do we have any reason to believe that this invisible guy is also under a geas? I don't particularly want to hang on to him; anybody else?
They get in a car and go. To Valda's.
I thought it was the antagonist's car, also.
Jon, if Remington were to target "the closest Fever wardstone," would find the path be able to lead us to it? Or is that not prominent/specific enough?
"Figure out where his pockets are and see if you can find any car keys. We need to move, but this car is probably traceable, so we just want to make sure nobody else uses it. In fact, remove any electronic device from him you can find."
"Are the videos showing Fever's supernatural side still up? I think it might be worthwhile to watch some TV. I'm sure Valda has a nice big one we can borrow, and I need to drop something off, anyway."
Still adjusting to his new senses and a sense of urgency to control this situation before the sniper shoots again, Marten again strikes at the invisible attacker.
His hesitation that might be taken as Remington's surprise that the Sword has bonded to him is actually Remington's body adjusting to the rapid transformations it has just undergone. His mind is trying to process everything, but all Remington wants it to focus on right now is that when the invisible assailant spoke and crashed into the car, the new King of Fever could tell exactly where he was. When he could finally force himself to react, Remington darted around the parked car to lunge, ignoring any lingering flames from Jim's greek fire.
Yes, I'm sorry. I figured as much. Work and life stuff are crazy. Quick questions:
I'm assuming that the Sword is not +1 because we're using Automatic Bonus Progression, correct? Also, base damage is as the weapon it takes, so in this case, a rapier. Correct?
Remington is a construct?
That is all awesome. I will get Remington updated ASAP. What is with the PM system? Between half of them not being sent and no notifications popping up for the recipient... Technology, AMIRITE?! regeneration 5 First off, that's awesome. As a construct that can't heal, I was expecting Remington to "die" at some point this adventure, discorporating into a puddle of paint, with only his borrowed pistol, ancient flip phone, and a debit card clattering to the ground. A King gains a +10 racial bonus on Knowledge (nature) Is this intended, or is this a holdover from the Green Warden template?
"Plus, I don't think there are snipers. If there were, they'd have taken us out already." Remington stops scanning their surroundings and looks at the speaker. "Whatever your actual plan is, it's probably riskier for you than you realize. I suggest you re-think your strategy and listen to the lady before you get the Sword through your eye."
Also, it might explode. Valda probably puts nitrous oxide in her cars. That seems pretty on-brand for her. Anyway, Remington doesn't believe that there are snipers, since why would this guy even engage them to begin with? His dwarf friend was a shoot-first kind of guy, so it's very possible this guy would be fine with that tactic also. I'm a little thrown off by simultaneous plans of action: Jim's bluffing and everyone else's negotiating. Remington's more than ready to attack.
Remington snatches the large knife out of the air. Right away he notices how heavy the knife is. Not exactly unwieldy, but a swing or thrust will have a more power behind it than expected. Looking down from Cerise he's surprised to see that three curving thin bars of metal have stretched from where the quillons meet to the pommel, forming an elaborate knuckle guard. The quillons themselves are thicker than he's used to seeing and curve forward toward the Sword's tip. As he's noting how that will subtly affect certain maneuvers and how he'll need to compensate, a mesh of metal springs out from the blade, the criss-crossed metal flowing to form bas-relief-like images of important personages of Fever over the years, all of whom he's considered friends. The blade itself has grown long and thin, over three feet long with a fierce tip. Finally, in the pommel, a perfect diamond rests. It has no color or luster or any distinguishing feature. It is completely empty. Just like him.
Remington had his gun drawn even before he fully identified where the new voice was coming from. The sooner they created a Mexican standoff situation, the better. First, he'll need to--
"Hey, Remy! Hold this for me." Cerise added as she tossed the blade his way.
"Cerise is attacking the new King!"
"But even if we find somebody, is that person going to know how to fix Fever's wards? Finding a new King is important, but the immediate concern is protecting Fever. "I wish we knew more about these wards in the mean time."
Well, if everyone agrees but Remington wouldn't do it automatically in character, I do have an idea for pushing him to take up the sword. "Oops! Did someone drop this? Whoa, what's happening?!" (I'm really good at this, guys.)
So I hate to even bring this up because of how it sounds, but I'm not planning on using Remington again after this adventure AND he's patterned after a Fever historical figure AND he uses a sword... But he's not the kind of guy who's going to ask for an artifact and/or a position of leadership (although he won't shy away from it). And I'm also completely fine if the adventure or other PC's plans take things in a different direction.
"I've heard that the Sword chooses the new King. I hope we can help it do that, Chief. "And I hope you can find your peace."
Oh, good point. I missed that. Well, he's probably totally reasonable then.
I'm wondering if this ghost even knows he's dead. It's a classic ghost trope (a "ghope" if you will) that the ghost is so deranged that it doesn't realize it's dead.
"No, Chief. Someone is destroying Fever's wards, and we don't know where the Sword is so that we can fix the wards. We came here hoping we can convince whomever has the Sword to help us fix things. "I'm... sorry for what happened to you here."
"I don't think we asked what the actual cause of death was. We know he died here in a fire, but was it the fire that killed him?"
This is just in time until we go to the exchange?
Sorry guys, I've been checking in every day, but the combination the boards slowing down posting so much and stuff going on at home and work is making it hard for me to follow along. Is the room that we're going into right now where the trade is supposed to happen? Or is this just where the dwarf is being kept? Or both?
I'm here! I'm ready for the party to try and contact the other party for the exchange.
Remington shrugs. ”Even if we find the Sword, it seems like we won’t know for certain until we find a worthy candidate for King.” He indicates the dwarf’s gun, which is now back in Jim’s possession. ”I wish we knew more about past Kings and how they rose to power. Maybe we could suss out a pattern.”
Remington's mouth twists. "I'm not completely on board with this plan, but if this is what we're doing...." He points at Jim. "I think you should stay invisible the whole time and try to follow where they go after the exchange. Magic can do amazing things, but if they can block a spell that would let us follow the Sword, a back-up means of tracking them is the smart play." Next, he addresses everyone. "We've been kind of general about what we're exchanging the dwarf and Sword for. We're asking for information about Fever's Wards, correct? I suggest we ask them to name the Wards they know of (active or not), which ones are still active, how they've deactivated the ones they've already visited, and to explain why their benefactor is destroying the wards. For that last one, we may have to insist on their best guess. "They mentioned a zone of truth spell. Do any of you know that spell or something similar? Or someone we can bring in for that? A place to buy a scroll?"
Well, Remington doesn't like the idea, but I was wondering how the others felt about Jim's idea. I was waiting for more opinions.
|