Sunday, January 31, 2016

Dinner Party - Violet's Story

As Beranhond finished his story, Violet began to fidget a lot, obviously not sure exactly how to tell her story. Odin patted her knee and stood up, nearly banging his head on a beam before sitting back down again and beginning to talk.

"I was in my armorsmithing apprenticeship on Llewellyn when the druid temple was destroyed. In fact, I was working the forge that day when Master Aerilon, my mentor, started hearing the destruction and rushed in to tell us that we needed to flee. I quickly and efficiently banked the fires and put all of my tools in order before grabbing the small bundle of things that was my belongings. I expected that whatever was happening would soon be over, and I hoped to return and help rebuild as soon as possible."

He gave a chagrined smile to the group, "Of course, my decision to spend time packing up meant that I was one of the last to leave the village. As I walked through the door and started toward the water, I heard cries of anguish coming from the direction of the druids' meeting hall, and saw what looked like a small bundle of dark purple cloth until it moved. It was Violet, dragging herself across the ground out of the tunnel. One of her legs was not working correctly, and was causing her extreme amounts of pain."

He put his large hand back on Violet's knee, "I picked her up as gently as I could and carried her out of the town and into the jungle to a small cabin where she could recuperate and heal from her wounds."

Violet added in a haunted voice, "That was the most frightening and painful day of my life. My leg was badly infected, and I was forced to use my magic to remove my leg and cauterize the wound so that the infection wouldn't spread and kill me." She shuddered and withdrew into herself.

After another squeeze of her knee in support, Odin continued, "Once she was stabilized, I crept back back out to check on the village, but didn't get far before I saw the smoke billowing above the jungle canopy. Realizing there was nothing I could do for Llewellyn, I foraged for foodstuffs and firewood, and took care of Violet for a week before she was able to travel. I had studied medicine in Evermeet several years, and I was able to put some of that training to good use."

"We traveled slowly overland to Caer Calidyrr, where we were able to find passage back to Baldur's Gate. I was able to set up this shop and start anew with my tools and inventory after losing everything at Llewellyn. And I have been here ever since," Odin finished.

He looked at Violet questioningly, "Violet, I'm sure your friends would be interested in your story, as well." 

Violet responded to his prodding by laying her much smaller hand over his hand and giving it a small squeeze. She gathered her courage, and went on from where he left off, "With Odin's help, I was able to get an first artificial leg made and begin my rehabilitation. Of course, after my failure to stop the high priest of the Dark God, word began to spread that I'd lost my touch as an assassin, and work began to dry up. It didn't help that I walked with the help of a crutch and had to rely heavily on magic to see the job done, where before I'd been able to count on a quick stab if everything else fell through."

Violet sighed, "I took a series of small jobs, and though I was successful in them, it was obvious that I would not be able to return to my former renown. I began looking for alternative sources of income. I eventually settled on treasure hunting, as it uses a large cross section of the skills needed in my former profession, and have been happily building my new life here with Odin ever since."

Violet continued, "I kept an eye on the events here as I could, and sent what information I found to Beranhond in an attempt to give the party a chance to reconvene, but mostly, I've just tried to get the edge back in my skills and be prepared for whatever comes."

24 comments:

  1. Nym was surprised to hear that Violet had been an assassin. This new information made her a bit uncomfortable with the woman, but much less so than it would have before the Influence and her choices when fighting the druids.

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  2. Just as a point of reference, she did say when she first joined Darvin and Nym that she was "hunting" the high priest of the Dark God. Of course, Nym was pretty flustered by all of the double entendre, so it could easily have been missed.

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  3. Looking at her leg, Johan spoke up, his tone curious. "Surely there's some ritual available that could regenerate the limb? With the wonders mages and clerics claim to perform and demonstrate, I would have thought restoring a lost limb to be child's play for them."

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  4. "Well, it could be, if the clerics around here had any ability to access the higher levels of restorative magic." Beranhond interjected. "The Gods are not responding to our pleas."

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  5. Johan snorted. "Well, does anyone know if they disappeared, or have simply become aloof? Did you lot forget to burn enough incense, is that the problem?" He smirked, although the expression partially serves to bury the unnerving thoughts of silent and possibly absent gods and the long-term consequences.

    "Still," he thinks as the smirk widens slightly, "Maybe this means less worrying about holy symbols and blessed water in the future."

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  6. Nym rubbed her temple in annoyance at Johan. "Of course I found the biggest jerk in Faerun to introduce to the party."

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  7. I feel regret as a standard action.

    (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧

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  8. Darvin listened to Violet's story and was again slightly annoyed that she hadn't contacted him but he had already made his point so he said nothing. He was sad she lost her leg and her skills.

    "Violet, I am truly sorry about your leg. I know you weren't with us long but I am glad we have reunited," Darvin said with intendment. However he quickly developed a mischievous gleam in his eye, one that hadn't been there for a long time, and added,

    "You can explain your relationship with Odin to us later!" He threw his head back in laughter and then took a big swig from his mug.

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  9. I wanted to clarify real quick, Johan tends to be abrasive/a dick as a subconscious defensive habit when he's uncomfortable or worried. In this case, he's both worried about the implications of the gods being gone, as well as trying to cover his self-consciousness about his lack of knowledge regarding the strengths of various types of magic users.

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  10. Evelaen pursed her lips and thinking back to the shop.
    "Well, judging by the custom craftsmanship of that new leg of Violet's I think we can agree that at minimum they are very close." She grinned. "Though, with that skill at knots, bindings, and leatherwork I'm sure that Violet would prefer to keep the details of their intimacies rather private."
    Beranhond's eyes flashed open a bit wider for a moment having not considered what some of the outfits and clothing in that store could have been intended for.
    "Ah... I was wondering what you meant by sporting goods. I get it now."

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  11. Chuckling, Johan mutters "'Sporting'? So that's what they're calling it nowadays..."

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  12. Nym's brow furrowed, and she opened her mouth to ask what Evelaen meant before thinking better of it. "I'll ask Illuvaen later..." she thought. Sometimes having grown up in the wild alone made it difficult to understand more intimate jokes.

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  13. Violet was quiet and introspective for a moment before responding to everyone. She responded to Johan's first comments about the limitations of magical healing first, with anger, "Don't you think I would have tried that if I could have? I've not been able to discover if it's the absence of the gods, the nature of the wound, or the nature of the way the leg was severed by my magic, but it was not able to be healed 3 years ago, and I've gotten past that to embrace having an artificial leg. You'd be surprised what I can do with this thing when I want to." She said as she winked at Johan and gave Odin a sly grin.

    Then she responded to Darvin, Evelaen, and Johan's comments by throwing back her head in laughter, and couldn't help but add, "Have you ever seen the things a good mage hand or alter self can do for livening up the bedroom? I've had a lot of time 'laid up' to think about it, and the possibilities are endless!" She laughed uproariously at her own joke as Odin simply shook his head.

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  14. I assume that the implications are obvious, but here are the spell descriptions for mage hand and alter self.

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  15. Berandhond's eyes wide ed as he blushed and Evelaen grinned.
    "oh yes, there are some delightfully magical ways to liven up the bedroom. Lets just say that Eth sometimes jokes that he misses his sanctuary after my magic has had its way. What about you and Illuvaen Nym? I'm sure you've enjoyed the benefits of a magical touch yourself..."

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  16. "I-We-Uh-Oh my-" Nym stammered as her eyes grew big as saucers and her face flushed beet red to the tips of her ears. She grabbed her wine and downed it with a wince and looked down at the floor like it had suddenly become intensely interesting.

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  17. Johan snorts and then fails to hold back a hearty laugh. He turns to Violet, the grin becoming a bit more neutral as he says somewhat stiffly "My apologies; I was curious and spoke in haste. Would there be some learned sage somewhere who could investigate the nature of the prevention of regeneration magics, or would it be more effort than it's worth after this long?"

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  18. Beranhond quickly interjected quickly. "You don't have to answer that. She's probably is just trying to steal ideas and or measuring up how willing..." He stopped suddenly as Evelaen stepped on his foot. "save that for later dear..."

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  19. "Did I die? Is this hell?" Nym wondered, her horror intensifying. She suddenly found herself picturing everyone in the room naked, which would have caused her to turn beet red if she wasn't already. "Um, I've gotta, do a thing..." she said, awkwardly excusing herself to the deck for some fresh air.

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  20. Violet quickly called out to Nym before she could leave, "Please stay, we can change the subject!"

    "Actually, I've been meaning to ask the three of you how your magic has been affected by the silence of the pantheon. I am a mage, but my training in more martial pursuits kept me from advancing in my studies too far. I would be interested in hearing how it has affected both the innate magic of the two of you sorceresses, as well as the your holy magic as a cleric." she said, gesturing to Nym, Evelaen, and Beranhond.

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  21. Nym made a weird, strangled noise like a confused cat and then slowly returned to her seat, her face still extremely flushed. "Fineit'sfinemagic'sfineI'mfine," she answered Violet, now staring at her soup spoon to avoid eye contact.

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  22. Evelaen nodded as well. "I haven't had any problem with my magic. "Eth on the other hand..."
    Beranhond gave a strangled kind of sound in his through. "Ba, ba, ba..." he started. "Er..." Before finally clearing his throat.
    "The thing is..." he started again, before clearing his throat. "I have no divine powers anymore. I've been relying on my martial training and my military experience." His face turned a bit red. "So, that's part of the reason for my subterfuge back east. The name Iocabes is usually preceded by the title 'commmander' and he is known as a very reasonably priced, but talented, tactician and leader."

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  23. Having calmed down a bit, Nym listened to Beranhond's story with pursed lips. She looked the tall human over for a moment before saying in Elvish, <"I am truly sorry for your loss, Ethelred Beranhond. May you find what you have lost in this life or the next.">

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  24. He nodded. <"I am filled with gratitude for the gifts I have been given. I shall strive on with what remains to me and shall seek to remedy that which has been lost.>
    He nodded briefly. "Still, I know not every cleric has lost their power - my Goddess was rather limited in followers and breadth, so I suspect my diminished status is in part a result of that. I do retain some basic magic, but nothing more than minor rituals and cantrips."

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