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Vaethic steps into the warm abode and sees the struggle amongst the half-orcs. ackfugginhellorcmatingritualsaregross... oh,heh,sheplannedthatallalong. Clevergirl. "Oh, come now let's not do this here. Take. It. Elsewhere," Vaethic punctuates the words by raising the tip of his sword-cane to the aggressor's neck.
Vaethic sees the arrow come from the side of the house. They'veflankedus. Tacticallywiseandputshiminapositiontoescapeshouldweproveoverwhelming. Timetotakeappropriateaction. "One on the side. I'm on him!" Vaethic says as he moves to close with the bandit. Once there he swings on the brigand with a cry of... "Take that!"
Takethat? Howdroll. Youcanbebetterthanthat!
"Are you a soldier of Cheliax, Vaethic?" SoldierofCheliax? Theenemyofrationalityandreason,asimpleebbandflowofpowerandthenationralliesa roundanInfernalcontractthatmayverywellhavebargainedawaythesoulsofeveryonewh osupportsHouseThrune. "No." Vaethic says with a bit more bite than he intended. The youth passes behind Sir Faux and betwixt Valgor and Zypher to attempt to hit the remaining bandit.
Oh,yegodsIknowthatIamgoingtoregretthisboldchoice. "For the Empire!" FortheEmpire,reallyhowdroll. Couldn'tcomeupwithsomethingmorerousingtoinspirethetroopandstrikefearintothe mindsandheartsofyourfoesthanajingoisticcryappealingtonationalism? Fatherwouldbedisappointed. Vaethic spots an opening for his attack and closes on the kidnapper aside from Sir Faux and once in range he swings on the cad.
IwonderwhatistakingMayumisolongtostrikeatthefoes
WhatintheNineHellspossessedyoutojoininthisfoolserrand? No,notimeforselfdoubt. YouheardthebrigndtheLadyisheresogetstepping! Vaethic holds his breath waiting to see what his companions do next.
Vaethic studies the scene; assessing his surroundings and seeing the forest and not the trees. WellitlookstobeatypicalTaldanhuntinglodgecommontotheseparts. Sturdyconstruction,wellandstablestotheside. OhandbythelooksofthingsZypheristestingthestrengthofthedoor. Ohcomenow,thathastobemadeofoakenheartwoodandasimplekicklikethatwon't... HOLYSHITHEJUSTKICKEDTHEDOOR? "Aw, Hells!" Round 1; Init 19 Vaethic twists the handle on his walking cane, draws forth the concealed blade and strides fowards towards the commotion.
CrapIgotlostinmyownthoughtsthereforbutamoment. "Well said sir Faux. I apologize for my reverie there; I seemed to get lost in thought. Vaethic straightens up and follows Faux and Haze towards the next ambush.
"Well then, shall we?" says Vaethic as he walks back towards his mount. "Incidentally, I'd advise we heed Zypher and keep an ever vigilant eye towards our surroundings. It seems these winter fey have a penchant for obfuscation and ambushes. We must be cautious."
"હા, હું ' , જૂના જીભ ' ધ બોલે છે અને હા, અમે લેડી આર્જેન્ટિઆ આપણા માટે રાહ જોઈ , પરંતુ હું કે શું છે તેની ખાતરી નથી છું ...." Vaethic quickly trails off. Surroundingsclearofallfeyactivity. Nomisplacedsoundsnoristhereanysubstantivelackoftypicalarborealauralexperien cesathemoment,clearlythethreatisgone.
A heartbeat later bows his head and quietly says "તમારા નુકશાન માટે મારી માફી." Sylvan: "Yes, I speak the 'old tongue,' and yes, we have the Lady Argentea waiting for us, but I am not sure what that has to do...."
"My apologies for your loss."
Ughsobloodycoldnow. Vaethic pants in exhaustion. "Damned... Fey... Freaking... Cold... Saps the energy... right... out of... you..."
Vaethic tries to come to attention as quickly as he can. "ક્યાં છે? તે વૃક્ષો નો સમાવેશ થાય છે? કદાચ અન્ય મરણાસન્ન?" Sylvan: "Where? Is it amongst the trees? Another fey perhaps?"
Needtotimethisrightandmakesureyoudon'thitValgor. Thatwouldbeahellofafirstimpressionnowwouldn'tit? "Valgor, watch my blade!"shouts Vaethic as a warning.
Hmm. Atimedilationseemstohavetakenmeagain. Curious.
AhsweetsuccorfromZypherandNobleStead. Youknowwhattheysay...timingis... "Many thanks Zypher. You have been most helpful. And you as well Noble Stead!" huffs Vaethic trying to catch his breath."And now..." Following Sir Faux's lead Vaethic rushes to aid Valgor, hoping to help slay this fae-most-foul.
"Ah,dammit,itgotme! *GAH!* " Vaethic exclaims. Slowyourpulseremaincalm;you'regrabbedandlockedinadeathroll. DEATHROLL - The death roll is how this creature is going to separate your limbs from the body; rotating and rotating until eventually it will tear off the limb or simply chunks of you into portions the tatzlwyrm can easily ingest. Pedanticanalyticsandefinitionrecallaren'tgoingtosaveyounowarethey? THINK!
Vaethic carefully steps around the charger and moves into a more tactically sound position to strike at the armless dragon. "Ayah!"
GAHCRAPITMOVED!KILLHARMMAIM!
Round 1, Init 6 Ohthisisabadideaohthisisabadideaohthisisabadideaohthisisabadideaohthisisaba didea. MaybeifIstabit...here. "MEDIC!" cries Vaethic as he slashes at the tatzlwyrm; as much for want for a proper battlecry as well as a premonition of things to come.
Suprise Round; Init 6 "TO ARMS!" Vaethic twists the handle on his walking cane and draws forth a slender blade contained therein as he proceeds towards Sir Faux. Nowthenwhatmannerofcreatureareyou? Knowledge Checks:
Hmm. Strangemagicsmustbeallaroundusforitseemsthatwehavebeenstandinghereforaweeko rmorewithnothinghappening. Vaethic straightens his stance and begins slowly turning widdershins examining the scene. Looking for the source of the ventriloquistic voice.
Well met Gren, I don't mean to pry or be rude, but are you a stag or something else? how is it you can speak with us? "Quite right, Valgor. Where are my manners? Vaethic Brombly, Itinerant Inquirer of Intriguing Inexplicable Incidents and it is truly a pleasure to make your acquaintance Gren. I say, Valgor has posed a valid and thought-provoking inquiry and I am most interested in discovering the answer. Pray tell how is it that you came by the ability to speak Taldan?" Vaethic draws his spectacles down the bridge of his nose and gazes at Gren with wonder.
Talkingstagsinthespringtimemonthsthataresnowcovered? DidImakeanotherbatchofhallucinogenicsandaccidentlyimbibeit? No,thelastimethathappenedwastheGoblinFleaMarketin4706A.R.andIwassmartenough towritemyselfanote. Vaethic searches his pockets for any note that he may have left for himself indicating that he has indeed dosed himself. Finding none, he shakes loose the dust from his head and really looks at the situation.
Ah.Finallytherapidityinwhichthebodyadaptstotheclarioncallofcombathassubside dandtheworldcomesbackintoitsnormalpace.
Ofcoursewelooktothegroundandthesky. Howwouldoneparsetheinformationpresentedifoneneversawtheentiretyofthepicture ? Thatsoundsmorelikeprosethanthecasualobservations,hmmm...curious. In a rare showing of courtesy, Vaethic keeps his thoughts to himself. "If no one objects, I lost my dagger in my travels. And while it may delay my... the chain is would be a boon to you if I wore it." "Please, the dead have no need of it any longer and I am certain that Lady Argentea would consent for its usage in her eventual rescue. Speaking of which; eyes open ladies and gentlemen, for there might be further clues to the whereabouts of the villains who have absconded with the Lady." Vaethic says surveying the area.
Vaethic's thoughts turn inward as he is gripped by body's natural inclination to hasten one's pulse as adrenalin courses through his body. Quiteanoddexperience, Icanmostassuredlyrememberthismeleebeginningbutamomentago, butitdefinitelyseemsasthoughquitealongtimehaspassedsinceIlastacted.
Valgor's speech begins to stir potent emotions within Vaethic. Howdaretheseinterlopersattackus? Dotheyknowwhoweare? DoTHEYKNOW No,Icannotsuccumbtoemotionforitisbaseanwithoutmerit,breatheandremaincalm.
"Blast! Cover your eyes!" Vaethic says choking back the anger rising in his voice. He steps towards the closest winged-creature and swings with his sword cane.
Round Suprise; Init 2 Vaethic stumbles slightly, drawing forth his sword and calls out, "TO ARMS! We are beset upon by First Worlders. Hit them with cold iron if you can!"
Vaethic beings walking around the chest, keeping his eyes on it for a time and seemingly stepping in front of anyone attempting to approach the buried chest. "Sir Faux, you are a learned one, are you not? Do you remember the tale of Lady Sasha Wartherington of Belhaim?" Vaethic says speaking more to the group than to just Sir Faux. "If the stories are to be believed on the eve of her wedding to Lord Chelidraxian Mondathero her caravan was waylaid by a small group of creatures. She only barely escaped with her life by hiding amongst the trees. It is said that Great Dreamer herself," he says nodding in deference to Zypher, "rescued Lady Wartherington by giving her a pair of gossamer butterfly wings. So instead of having to prepare to fight, the Lady simply fled."
After concluding the verbose non-story Vaethic grips the handle of his cane tight and twists the handle ever so slightly. Andthesethingsare...
Vaethic steps up to the opened chest and peers inside.
Hmmm. AnemptyvesselburiedinthedriftingunseasonablesnowbearingthemarkofLadyArgente a. Eitherthisiswherethebanditschosetodividetheirill-gottengainsorthisissimplya placetoambushwould-bepursurersandthinournumbersviaawellplacedtrap. Mymoneyisonthelatter. "Spread out and search the area. There are always clues left about. I'd wager that this is simply a method devised by the brigands to thin our numbers whilst we are in pursuit. Be cautious ladies and gentlemen - for if this is laying in wait for our arrival, they are on to our pursuit and grow fearful of our advance." And with that Vaethic beings to search the area for further clues to he direction the villians have fled.
"...and that is doubly important within the aforementioned context of arbitrage inherent in the livery industry."
IwonderifI'vebeentoochatty. Notimetoworryabouthatnow,boy. Brevity,thissituationcallsforbrevity. "Well then, it seems as though the tracks the interlopers left lead to the south - and that is where our Lady shall be found. Come then, let us be off. Shortsweetandtoothepoint. Vaethic strides back to his trusty steed, Light's Light Laughter, and leads the horse by the reigns off in the direction of the tracks.
"Well, Sir Faux, I regret to inform you that whilst my observation skills are quite keen - I, uh, lack the proper field training in matters of tracking and stalking. But let us see if I can spot... anything... of... interest... to... the... task... at... hand." Vaethic continues as he surveys the
"Thank you, sir...uh, sir..." Orc?TooBrash. Greenskin?Rude. InheritorofRovagug'sWrath? Oh,andyouthoughtGreenskinwasrude?"Sir." says Vaethic matter-of-factly gesturing at the newcomer. "It seems we were most aided by your inspiring tale of how the living will always triumph over the evils of the un-living. I seem to recall a similar tale, the details of which were significantly different, but nonetheless the moral of the story is similar enough to still ring true in the hearts and minds of men and women of all races, inspired by true events that took place in Ustalav - a typical setting for stories of the Undead. Given your heritage, Ustalav bordering the Hold of Belkzen, and the rousing story that you've told, might I surmise that you're family is at the very least, from that region of Avistan? Vaethic doesn't wait for but a moment before he begins again. "Ah, but where are my manners?" he says striding forward towards the
DecorativechasingsonthiscarriagebearTaldanheraldryof... dammitIknewIshouldhavepayedmoreattentiontoheraldricdesign. Think,maybeknowledgeofhistorywillbringtheanswer.
Nomatter,itisclearlywhereLadyArgentea'scaravanwasassailed. "Yes, sir Faux, this carriage is quite winsome and prepossessing. The craftsmanship is a complex blend of form and function - most likely from Wartherington & Sons Wainwrights in Oppara," Incorporatedin4612A.R.byroyalwritpresentedtothefounder...wait. Nonoise? Thegirliscorrect. Curious. "Does anyone else hear that? Or I should say 'the lack of that?' It seems Mayumi is correct in her aural observations," says Vaethic as he carefully dismounts Light's Light Laughter.
Thismustbethescene. Whatispresentandwhatismissing? Vaethic surveys the scene as Faux gallantly strides forward, to get a sense of the scene.
Allthisdamnedsnowisgoingtomaketrackinghard. Openyoureyesboy,observetheworld,thesignsarethereyoujustneedtobesmartenought oseethem. "Damnably cold and unseasonably so," Vaethic whispers with a shiver. "Prithee, Sir Faux, mayhaps you might proceed with a modicum of caution until we get a greater sense of what has transpired here this day?"
"You mistake me 'brother'. When I say the Lady will guide those in need to this lowly sum surly she will do just that. Your intervention is hardly required." AndwhoistosaythatIwasn'tdivinelyinspiredbyTheEternalRose? DoyoupresumethatsimplybecauseIhavenottakenaestheticvowsthatIamincapableof recievingdivineinspiration? Takeaneasyhand,Vaethic,thesepeoplearewetbehindtheears. Asareyou. Letitgo. Isthisreallythehillthatyouwishtodieupon? "My sincerest apologies, Zypher," whispers Vaethic in a supplicatory voice. After Zypher and Mayumi take their leave Vaethic turns to his remaining companions and cocks an eyebrow inquisitively. "Well then, shall we be away?"
"More alliteration?" Vaethic smiles and chuckles for a brief moment as they are leaving the apothecary towards the adventure that lies ahead before saying, "The professional description's use of alliteration is intentional. When one is trying to evoke a sense of wonder and awe it is best to create a memorable and distinct phrase wherein a customer will recognize and imprint that phrase upon the bearer. Alliteration is a rather banal but effective method to achieve such results. The name of my horse, however, is simply following the naming conventions set forth by the Dortrot Ranch Studbook, which was founded and recognized as the primary horsebreeder of Lastwall's military, and thereby the standard by which any horsebreeder of merit follows. The studbook, authored in 3877 Absalom Reckoning, suggests that the name of the foal should be the combination of the mare and the stud. Typically the incorporation of a pun or a sense of humor is used when the newborn foal isn't bound for service in the military. In the case of Light's Light Laughter the stud was Grace of Light and the mare was Laughing Spirit. But I've waxed philosophical long enough... come now, let us be off.' You'renervious. Youtalktoomuchwhenyouarenervious.Shutupbeforeyoutalkyourselfintoafrothingfr enzy.
"Head south down the road about 3 miles, you can't miss the ambush site, I assume if I draw you a map you could read it?" "Why, yes. Given the proper description and geographical inclinations, taking into account the most likely path you took to arrive here to convalesce, the propensity for bandits to strike in rural areas, and the presence of a wreckage - I believe that we are most apt to find the ambush site,"
Vaethic looks upon his monastic companion and his eyes widen as the pouch hits the table. Whatinthenameofallthatisempriciallyprovableisthiswindsweptmonkdoingwithallt htgold? Judgingfromtheweightandsizeofthepouch...
...thatlookstobeaboutonethousandpiecesofgold!!! "Well then. It seems as though our 'brother' wishes for your speedy recovery, Yuln of the North." Vaethic sets his heels with a militaristic precision, turns to the Apothecary and says flatly, "Mrs. Willowbark, I am most certain that this offering is for Yuln's recovery and well being. Please see to it that all of Zephyr's coin goes towards Yuln's care. Should there be an excess of coin remaining after Yuln's care would that you treat any survivors that we may find as is the right, just, and honorable deed. Should we not find any survivors I'd suggest that remainder of the cache be distribute amongst the various shrines and faiths here in town." There,thatshouldendeartheknight-wannabe,themonk,andtheapothecary. "We will require horses." "Nay, sir." Heh,pun. "Light's Light Laughter brought me to this bucolic paradise, and she shall take me ever forward into our investigations into this heinous act of cowardice on the part of these fae-inspired highwaymen."
Yeh - Vaethic can use it and probably will if no one else wants it, but I just felt it more flavorful if he just absently passed it on during his interview of Yuln.
ColdforgedironnotasgoodassteelbutanathematothefeyifYuln'sstoryholdtrue.
Vaethic relieves Yuln of his sword and absently passes it back to whomever takes it and proceeds to lean down to whisper to the wounded Ulfen. "Prithee stout warrior, before you find yourself in Desna's sweet embrace, could you elucidate upon your whereabouts so my compatriots and I might rescue Lady Argentea from the clutches of villians most foul."
As Yuln speaks, Vaethic's eyes dart back and forth over the Ulfen's imposing frame, examining the foreign warrior for tell-tale signs of deception. Fey,winter-touched,hmmm...
Knowledge Checks:
Pupils-normal,heartrate-increased,butthatisprobablyduetohiswounds, bodymovement-normal,gaze-intense.
Vaethic ceases his observations and withdraws his note taking equipment from his pack. "My good sir, you say that upon first encountering the aforementioned creatures it was your assessment that they were simple brigands and not a force organized by these fey creatures. Can you tell me what it was that lead you and your compatriots to said judgement? Secondly, as evident by your sole presence, your mercenary company was slain to the man, and yet here you are - what was it, pray tell, that allowed you to escape whilst your valorous brethren honored their commitment and died in service to Lady Argentea?"
Vaethic scratches his thin Themonasticbrotherequatesnaturalphenomenaasasignfromhispatrondeity, curious. Wouldthatthewindalwaysbaretheanswersthatweseek. Theelf, heiscurtandterse; perhapsIwastooharshinmycritiqueofhisverbalaccumen. Agentileapproachisneededinthefuture. Vaethic snaps from his reverie with a shutter and offers his hand and a shallow bow of his head to the gathered group.
Forgive me for bypassing the social niceties usually due in transactions such as these, but my employer would most appreciate our haste in this matter. Please, if you will, follow me and make your introductions as we go. If you are indeed concerned about the typical social contracts wherein unfamiliar persons need divert all mental acuity towards the speaker, so as to gleen all that need be learned in a limited time, please take comfort in the fact that I am listening, quite intently, and will most assuredly recall any proffered personal information as if it were being scribed on a web of æther and kept here," he gently taps the side of his head with a gloved finger,"for future use."
Interestingthisoneseemstobeaexhuberantone. Hmmmmthearmorheiswearingseemstobenew, clearlythemarkofauntestedwarriorbuthisexcitementisrefreshing. Thehuman, no, accentsuggestsTianormaybeMinkaianbutdefinitelynothuman,somethingelseperhaps sheisclearlyinafightitormatewithitmode, curious. "I have been commissioned..."bestnottorevealthesourceyet, beobtuse."well, that is to say I have come by information that a lady of some regional renown has been assailed somewhere here in bucolic Heldren whilst in-transit to her domicile in Oppara. Concerned local parties are quite distressed and forthwith require the heretofore succor. Wouldst that be amenable to you coterie?"
Vaethic turns and regards Hazé for a moment, a look of disdain dances across his face for but a moment before he composes himself long enough to to reply. "You get good marks for your astute aural observations, sir, but I am afraid that you've fallen into the role of the
A bespectacled, fit youth, barely sixteen winters from the stubble on his chin, walks into the tavern eying the crowd. The snap of the metal tip to his snake-headed cane a shocking cadence to his otherwise calm appearance. The long leather overcoat seems to be a mixture of elegance and function; well made with an abundance of pockets that strain to contain their contents. A crisp and bleached cravat lies impeccably set upon his gray shirt, a bronze clasp stylishly holding the necktie in place. Bloused brown trousers tucked into his thigh-high riding boots mark him as a seasoned rider, if not a professional courier but the road does not seem to cling to him on this day. He walks around the room addressing the other patrons in quiet tones, leaning in to speak with them as a confidante would. Occasionally he hands a sheet of paper to those that don't dismiss him outright, but it seems that most of the patrons of this establishment want to return to the imbibing of their libations or they aren't buy what he's selling. Finally the man begins to walk slowly towards the gathered group. "Well then," he says in with only the barest hint of a Chelish accent to his otherwise crisp Taldan, "by the look of you all you might just be the type of people I'm looking for on this fine day. I'm seeking those of stout-heart, sound mind, and with bravery in their soul. Would you be interested in joining me in my investigations into a matter of great importance?"
Round 2, Initiative Order 3rd "This ladies and gentlemen this is a creature of the Darklands known as a Darkmantle. As you can see, they prefer to drop on the unsuspecting."
"And we must be cautious as it has the ability to dampen the ambient light of an area as well as to extinguish light sources within its presence."
Vaethic momentarily freezes as his mind races to determine what this creature is... Knowledge (Arcana):
Knowledge (Local):
Knowledge (Nature):
Knowledge (Planes):
Knowledge (Religion):
...and with a flick of his wrist disengages the locking mechanism on his cane and withdraws a long thing sword blade hidden within.
Vaethic's eyes dart back and forth during the descent, trying to process all of the information presented. Itisratherdrearyhere. Wowthisstaircaseislong. Howsoonuntilwegetthere? Oh,thatlookslikeoldOsirianiwritting - nopejustaninterestingcrackinthewall. Crackscrackclicklityclack. Toodarkinhere. IbetVorg'shawkcanseebetterthantherestofus. Poorbirdstuckdownhereamongstthedead. Theformulaforkeenssensesrequiresasinglehawk'sfeather. Bythelooksofthehawkitisa...
Wellit'sahawkinanycase. ThatmuchI'msureof.
Vaethic arrives around the same time as Esmee. After giving Esmee the once over Vaethic exclaims "Well now, don't I feel underdressed." He stands there in his leather armor. The occasional roll of his shoulders shows that while the armor fits well enough, clearly this isn't attire that Vaethic is used to wearing. IshouldprobablyleteveryoneknowthatI'mbadinafight. ActuallyIwouldn'treallyknow,nowwouldI? Oh,wow,thisarmorissnug. DidIpackthatextractsfortheday? 6people,2humans,agnome,2halfelves,alizardfolk. Whatamotleycrewarewe. Ishouldhavespentmoretimeresearchingthis. Notimebutthepresent. Howdidthatboytoyknowaboutmylackoffaith? Crap,didIpackthetea? Oh,Ishouldprobablysaysomethingmotivational. Howabout... "Um, so to put everything on front street, I am not that good in a fight so I'll volunteer to take the torchbearer position." THATwasmotivational? Tryagainasshat! "But you all seem to have that handled. The physical part that is. Oh, and I am sure that you'll all do fine." SHUTUPYOUFOOL! He quickly looks around at the faces of his companions and begins to force a smile upon his face.
Vaethic thanks the Cryptmistress for her hospitality but takes his cue from Esmee and chooses to stay at a place a little Vaethic will return to a few of the other taverns that may still be open, inquiring about any rumors pertaining to the Godsmouth Ossuary.
After which he will sit down with a nice cup of Thuvian Mint tea, thinking over everything he may know about the legends of Godsmouth Cathedral, and retreat into his journal before heading to bed.
"Before we delve into the Ossuary I would prefer to gather necessary supplies and get a good night's sleep so that we may tackle the task that lies ahead with a calmed mind and a strong rested body." The investigator turns to his companions and finishes, "If that is alright with you, of course."
"Cleaned often, huh?"
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