Typical Hellknight's page

The Citadel is clearly visible to you all as you leave the Temple. It is an inmense structure, an octagonal tower more than 90 feet tall. Round turrets at the corners of the main structure provide excellent fields of fire both inside and outside the city wall. Judging by the windows you can see, it appears to be about 4 stories tall. It's of grey stone and appears very well made.
As you approach you see 4 Hellknights standing guard and if you look closely you might catch glimpses of guards in turrets as well.
As you start to walk up the walkway leading to the tower you see one of the guards place a whistle in his lips. Two of them take up a fighting stance, ready to charge into a fight, the one with the whistle takes a look around in all directions & then keeps scanning the surrounding area, while the fourth takes a step forward with his halberd held side to side, clearly blocking the path, but in a position to take a wide swing, possibly wiping anyone from the path. In a deep, gruff voice, but loud and clearly audible. "State your business!"

If it were not for the full faced helmet, you would see the guard gets a somewhat puzzled look on his face for a moment, and then suddenly brighten up as if in comprehension. "Ah! Your from way up north aren't you? Caught me by surprise there for a moment! Let's see, if I understood you correctly your wanting to check out the Emerald Spire correct? Well, that certainly is allowed! You will need to get a license permitting you to go adventuring in the area. You can get that at the Citadel. If you look just so between the building's here you can see that very tall building almost due west and just a bit to the south from here. Largest structure in town! You can't miss it!

Now, you'll need to get some companions as well! The Spire is too dangerous to go by yourself! Even for a good sized experienced group it's very dangerous! If I may suggest, either check the message board by the fountain in the large plaza, or stop in at the Juliver Arms Inn, or The Red Shield Tavern, or The Helmed Lady. You should be able to find some others looking to go to the Spire. There always is! As a matter of fact, they make-up a portion of our town's income.

He pauses for just a moment, and suddenly kind of gives a start & a shake of his head. In a lower tone, Sorry, I'm being so talkative! It's just that you remind me of Asger. He used to be one of us, until we lost him to a certain demon we were fighting. He was from the North as well! I guess that's why I'm being so helpful to you! Mind you, do NOT expect the other Hellknights to be so helpful! Their as likely to arrest you and make you 'disappear' as they are to say g'day to you! Then in a louder, gruffer voice, obviously putting on a sudden 'show': Quit asking me all these questions you common vagrant! Come on now, move along! Can't you see there are other people waiting to get in!"

As Tangar approaches the gates, he sees five guards, in full plate armor, standing there. They are stopping each person going in or coming out. As he gets closer he can hear they basically ask each person the same kind of things, "What is your purpose for coming into town today sir?" or "Do you have a license to sell your grain at the market?" and such. (By the way, I decided that you would most likely be coming from the north, so your coming in to location # 9 on the map, "Mosswater Gate".) Once you get there a guard turns to look at you and realizes he needs to tilt his head upward a little to look you in the face, "Well, aren't you a tall, strapping fellow! G'day to you sir! And what is your purpose in coming to Fort Inevitable today please?"

Ozzy shoots the guard a sly smile and whispers Our little secret. Then, discretely patting the pocket where her last few pieces of silver sit. We could use some work. Which way is the main plaza?

The guard responds "Just follow this road until you reach the second left. Turn there and it will be in sight! Just a short distance ahead from there."

Hahaha! Your reaction wasn't there yet when I typed that previous post! Ah! So that's what a Tarsier is and looks like! I've seen pictures of them before, just didn't know what they were called and only just now bothered to look it up.

After a few more seconds of panic, the guards all start to calm down finally. This time they will be speaking in order, without going over each others sentences. Guard one turns to the other two and says: "Oh, guys, It's okay! Calm down! I just remembered how in one of our training days they told us there are magical beasts that can talk as well! Don't you fools remember that?" Guard two: "Oh yeah! I remember wondering what kind of an idiot that teacher was! 'Beasts that can talk,' SURE! And knock me over! On my 5th day since becoming one of the Knights and I go and see and hear one!" Guard three: "And anyways, look at how cute the guy is! What with those great big beautiful eyes! How could we have thought this might be dangerous? Yeah, 5 days since 'knighthood' and I get to see a magical beast already!" Guard one: "Yeah, in all our training days most of what we ever fought were just bandits on the roads and in the woods." Guard two: "They took some of us to the 'spire' once and all we fought were some goblins." Guard three: "We fought some crazy looking monsters once, but there wasn't any talking going on then! Hm, I wonder if they could talk?" Guard one: "Ummm ... guys? If it gets back to the 'sarge' that we reacted this way on our first encounter with a magical beast, we are going to be stuck on latrine duty for the rest of our lives!" Guard two: "Your right! We better keep this to ourselves and not report it at all!" Guard three: "Oh no! If 'sarge' Mcneil hears about this my days as a Hellknight are over with!" Guard one turns back to Ozzy: "Okay, you and your friend can come on through now! And in a lower tone of voice: "By the way if you would keep this to yourself then we won't give you any trouble in the foreseeable future." Guard two: "By the way if your looking for work or as he tries to stifle a laugh 'adventure' little girl, check out the message board by Victory fountain at the main plaza." Guard three turns to the townsfolk that have stopped what they were doing to gape at the guards & then had started to gather up their children & run inside in fear: "It's ok folks! False alarm! Nothing to see here! Move along now!" Guard one: I should have known when I bribed Orox to switch guard shifts with me so I could be with my two buddies from training, that this would turn out to be a bad day!

These are NOT your 'typical' Hellknights as the alias suggests! - So Mended, what do you think of my resolution?

As "Blinky" speaks up, all three guards give a startled jump! All three at the same time start yelling now and running back and forth with no idea where they are trying to go. Guard one: "Aaahh! (As if very scared!) It speaks!" Guard two: "It's a demon!" Guard three fumbled & dropped the horn when he jumped! Guard three: "Somebody call the Lady Commander!" Guard one: Has dropped his weapon! As he is holding both his hands over the area where his ears would be - if not for his helmet - "I'm NOT hearing this!" Guard two: "Somebody get High Mother Dremagne and all her staff over here now!" Guard three: "Will somebody blow that horn already!!!"

In all the sudden confusion they seem to have completely forgotten Ozzy. Ozzy realizes that once these 'guards' get themselves back to some semblance of control, it might be best to be some place else. In their current state of panic/confusion, she thinks she could probably slip on into town quite easily.

I didn't realize the eidolons can talk! Totally surprised me! And how did you like that bit of 'story-telling'?

One of the Hellknights starts asking you questions, but when he asks his first question then another guard also asks a question before you have any time to respond. They go back and forth like this for several questions. First guard: "Little girl, what are you doing with all those dangerous pointy things?" Second guard: "What kind of creature is that with you?" First guard: "You could hurt yourself or someone else, with those!" Second guard: "Is it dangerous?" First guard: "Do your parents know you have them?" Second guard: " Will it attack the cattle or chickens in town?" First guard: "Or did you steal them from somewhere?" Second guard: "What do you call such a thing?" First guard: "Maybe we need to investigate this?" Second guard: "Why does it have such HUGE eyes?" First guard: "What is your name child?"

The third guard stands ready to blow his horn if he sees any hostile activity from you.

Did that questionnaire come across as a bit confusing? GOOD! It was meant to be! And very intimidating by 'little human girl' standards as well!

At first Ozzy may seem a little confused & feel somewhat threatened, but, she's survived the plane of shadow! This is nothing to her and she can react however she wants.

EDIT: They don't notice your lack of shadows. I figure I would not be likely to notice such a thing in RL because we never pay attention to it! Why should they?