Tigrisclawu wove in and out of his steps as he moved through the fog hovering in the air, the slight light of dawn giving just enough light to make his movements through the mud easier.
"So, did you expect what happened to Johan and Nym?" Tigrisclawu asked purring.
"Did anyone?" He paused, and swallowed, then shook his head, he had heard about the Crinti slaves, but hadn't expected the truth.
Two years prior.
As Nym and Johan examined the names on the shipping manifests near the Crinti they found few names they recognized. A few belonged to some of few nobles in Neverwinter and a few former ministers of
Waterdeep. However, these names were far from the standard as the general names were numbers presumably standing for merchant quarters and shipping sections of Neverwinter.
Along with the destination addresses and numbers were rows and columns filled with statistical numbers of height, weight, age, and a few other numbers intended to hide any names or humanizing features.
Still, despite the dark reality, the list was nothing more than a normal shipping document - aside from the dark reality that the numbers and facts represent. As they were searching the captain of the vessel - apparently on a late night guilt trip - worked down and sobbed outside of one of the boxes.
"You." Johan shouted raising his fist.
"Ahhh…" The captain shrieked and turned tripping on the steps. Johan slipped into mistform and appeared in front of him. With a sneer he grabbed his shoulder and tossed him back toward Nym.
"I'm sorry.. I know it's wrong, but the money's good and the magicks of Neverwinter - they are terrible!" He sobbed, turning to face Nym, Nym. "They threaten all of us and they are in league with the foulness that haunts the ruins of Waterdeep. I have heard that..." He said between sobs. "That they are turning these slaves into automotons that are then sent to join the army of the dead that surrounds Waterdeep!"
"Great." Johan said restraining the urge to kill the man in case he had more information. "More monsters on the west coast." Johan said cracking his fingers as he eyed the captain.
"We need a solution."
"Drop us off near Daggerford and then turn this ship around and sail to Baldur's Gate and free them." Johan said drawing his sword. "I'll know if you don't."
The Captain nodded, squealed, and then got up and hurried away.
The next day the Captain dropped them off north of Daggerford - he even helped to row the dinghy personally to the shore before promising that he'd follow through and free the captives. Johan and Nym gave him glares but let him go on his way.
The region north of Daggerford had once been a collection of hamlets and independent farm-holds. Yet, as Nym, Esme, and Johan made their way foward they were met with naught but barren lands and abandoned buildings.
"This place is creepy, even for a vampire..." Johan observed. "It reeks of death and of the undead." He paused then reflected. "The other undead I mean."
Nym nodded gloomily.
Sunday, February 3, 2019
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Updated 2.9
ReplyDeleteNym pulls out the map to the cabin Baroness deHaville provided before they left. "Well, let's hurry up then and get to the cabin. I'm not keen on being outside after nightfall." Nym nudged Nesme into a canter to quicken their speed.
ReplyDeleteHow long will it take us to get to the cabin?
Also, I'm going to be VERY angry if you kill my character. She's important to me.
Johan nodded, carefully tugging his wide-brimmed hat and reapplying a layer of sun balm to the exposed skin on his wrists between the edge of his gloves and his long ruffled sleeves. "Nightfall will be a bit of a relief from the scorching heat," he says in the tepid evening afternoon breeze, "but will likely be followed by all manner of sun-fearing beasts that I'd rather not have to bother with."
ReplyDeleteStraightening to follow Nym, he glanced around the homesteads, feeling a pang of familiarity to the lands of the Riopel family's holdings that he had fled from all those years ago.
Rolled a 17 + 8 for 25 History check, trying to determine if any of the buildings here seem out of place for a farm or similar piece of land, from the viewpoint of someone raised as a noble.
[ As I told Nick about Darvin - I'm not planning on this being a tragedy. The only way that sort of death would occur is if some really bad decisions are made. Like, really bad. That'd only occur during the final confrontation anyway - this is still in the past so you know you are alive until for another 24 months at least.]
ReplyDeleteYou'll arrive by the evening
It's hard to tell if the farms are out of place - they are ruined. Some are scorched, others are in decay. All are collapsed and likely abandoned.
The previously well kept fields and orchards of the farmsteads were a mixture of broken limbs, burned fields, and decimated buildings as Nym and Johan made their way north from Daggerford.
ReplyDelete"Are we sure this child is still alive?" Johan asked as they hurried. "It looks like the entire region is abandoned..."
As the darkness fell they final approached the cabin that the Baroness had described. Yet, as they looked toward the small cabin they saw a golden shimmer in the air.
Nym swung down from Nesme's back, walking the horse into the stables. She glanced around, wishing Illuvaen had been able to meet them. But the sea has her own schedule, and he said he wouldn't be able to meet them until the following day.
ReplyDeleteNym's attention returned to the task at hand and caring for her animal companions. "I'll brush you in a bit," she told Nesme, as she lit several hanging lanterns. Piper whined softly and Nym shot the fox a stern look. "No, stay with Nesme." Piper made an angry noise at Nym as he lay down in Nesme's hay with a huff. Nym then pushed the large, oak stable doors closed and bolted them. The other horses in the stable watched her curiously, their eyes reflecting the light of the lanterns that were lit in the stable, providing plenty of light. The sound of Johan's impatiently tapping foot reminded Nym she wasn't alone. She turned, noting that Johan was waiting by the stable entrance to the cabin.
"Sneaking in the side, then?" Nym stated, not really expecting a reply. The stables were immaculate, which was a shock compared to the ruins they'd ridden through all day.
Nym readied her staff as Johan pushed open the door. It swung inward effortlessly, light from the stables fantly illuminating a kitchen. Then the smell hit them. Johan's eyes narrowed as he stepped forward into the cabin, claws at the ready. Nym took an involuntary step back, gagging. The smell was familiar, but she never got used to it. Death.
Nym and Johan stood, waiting. Somewhere in the house, a clock ticked. A floorboard above them creaked. Nothing happened.
ReplyDelete"So... inside then?" Nym suggested, releasing her orb lights into the house. She stepped past Johan as the wispy orbs zipped from room to room.
Johan stepped forward, the light of a passing orb casting a harsh upwards shadow on his face. "Indeed. I'd prefer to find out how the source of the stench met their end, to be sure we won't be at risk for winding up the same way."
"You're so fucking dramatic," replied Nym in Elvish, half to herself, knowing Johan couldn't understand her. Johan ignored Nym. He was used to Nym talking to herself in a variety of languages he couldn't speak.
The pair quietly walked from room to room, following the smell, until they found the source. "The Baron?" asked Nym, leaning nearer the severed body on the floor. She waved over one of her orbs to get a better look.
Johan whipped out his blade, using it to gingerly lift up a decayed arm to get a better look with as much enthusiasm as a housemaid evicting a dead rat. "It appears so."
Nym stood up fully and looked around the room. The orbs floated slowly around, casting eerie shadows as the moved. Something was written on the wall near the baron's body, and Nym waved over the orbs to get a better look. Nym read the note out loud, "Khrefja Mregshi Blgesh." "Abyssal?" Nym wondered, furrowing her brow and looking toward Johan, who just stared back at her, waiting for a translation. "It means... "loved the pleasure from the bargain I hope I love the pain too." More or less," Nym said.
"What do you suppose that means?" she said, as they heard a clunk from the floor above. Nym and Johan looked at each other, and then silently moved to the staircase to the second floor. Nym extinguished her orbs as Johan began creeping upstairs. Nym followed, staff ready.
At the top of the stairs, Johan could see light escaping from under the door at the end of the hallway. Looking to Nym to make sure she was ready, he twisted the handle and burst into the room in a single motion, ready for anything.
A shocked little boy and a pale man are sitting in the room. Nym notes that the boy is the baroness' son, but the man? Johan looks from the man to the boy and back before asking, "... are you the baron?" to the man. Nym rolls her eyes and sighs at him. Vampires are a breed of their own, she thinks, exasperated.
The child stopped playing and then looked at the man. He nodded and then the child sat back down, resuming his play. The man turned to look at the two of them. His eyes flicked from Nym to Johan and back. They were completely dark - without color in the pupil or white in the iris. His clothes were of a rich heavy dark brown cloth and his hair an electric blue.
ReplyDelete"The baron? He's downstairs enjoying his reward." The man said in a surprisingly light hearted voice with a bit of a lilting song. "But you two... you are very much alive." He paused. "To a degree." He said looking back at Johan. "You're fake alive. But it'll do." He turns and pulls a glass of thing air and puts it to his lips and has a sip. "Thank you for making it to my... special little pocket of the astral sea. I could use your assistance with a little project."
"We're just here for the child," replied Nym, warily watching the strange man. "Did the baron also help you with a little project?" she asked calmly moving toward the boy while keeping an eye on the man. "Because I don't think we'd like to enjoy a similar reward."
ReplyDeleteInsight Check - what are the man's motives & is he telling the truth when he answers my questions
D20+12
19+12 = 31
Perception Check - does anything seem out of place (other than this weird pale dude)? Does the child seem normal? Do I recognize any of the man's clothing/features?
D20+10
14+10=24
Nature Check - Do I know what race/species the man is? Where he might be from and why he might be here? Since he speaks Abyssal, is he a demon, and if so, what type?
D20+9
15+9=24
History Check - Same Qs as nature but from a history perspective
D20+9
5+9=14
Diplomacy - I dunno, just seems like I should roll dat shit.
D20+14
18+14=32
"No, he's not a good servant to himself or me." The man said in his high voice. "And I daresay, don't blame me for what happened to him - that was all himself." Seeing the doubt on their faces he continued. "To be frank, you mortals might call me evil - but I'm not a clishe evil like you see up North. I'm modern, I'm sophisticated. I'm a newer type force that shows people their own ends." He sipped his drink and shook it away. "For example, the man down there, the baron as you call him, stole the child and sought to bargain with me for the child soul in exchange for non earthly delights." He paused and shook his head, "Mind you, I have no interest in the soul of a child - way to old fashioned and macabre for my tastes. However, I was willing to bargain with him in order to bring a band of heroes my way with which I might be able to reach an accord."
ReplyDeleteThe child continues to play, perhaps in a little more calm fashion than you'd expect considering the circumstances.
The man himself is hard to place - it's as if his features are avoiding your efforts to place them. His language too seems to be both common and yet extraordinary. However, he doesn't seem natural - you're positive that Beranhond, or a cleric/paladin, could give you some more understanding of whether the energy coming off of him is divine or not. It's clearly not arcane or natural.
The mention of bargains does strike you as something a demon, or demi-god might do.
Ok, tryin' a religion check.
ReplyDeleteD20+9
20+9
29
Fonk yarsh
Dredging your memory of Beranhond's talks on proto God's, demons, and spirits, it suggests to you that this creature is either a strong spirit, perhaps a near-proto-Demi God, though in both situations, bound by complicated rules - much like those Narath faces when interacting with the world - and presumably the reason for the golsen shimmer of a planar boundary.
ReplyDeleteJohan relaxes slightly, sheathing his claws but still keeping an eye on the strange man. As he wanders over to the window, he says off-hand "Well, eviscerating a kidnapper seems like less of an 'blackest evil' act, and more of a 'smudged grey' in my opinion." He peers out the window (What does he see? Is it still the fields + golden shimmer, or is he looking out onto a starscape or unknown plane?), before turning back to the man, a reassuringly fake smile on his face revealing his overly-pointed teeth.
ReplyDelete"So, a 'project'? Color me intrigued? What's the job, and what's the catch?"
Now for some rolls:
6+11=17 for Perception. Johan's trying to learn as much as he can about this stranger from his appearance and how he carries himself.
12+6=18 for Insight. Again, trying to infer whether this person is an imminent untrustable danger, or at least if they're safe enough to hear him out for now.
18+16=34 for Diplomacy. Johan wants to try to convince this stranger to be open and honest with them, telling them as much as possible. He's going to hardball it slightly, not as far as an Intimidate check, but definitely to make it clear that "Oh don't you worry about that" answers require clarification.
Oh, and 10+8=18 for Religion, as a brief scan to make sure there aren't more unlit holy candles, ensconced deific symbols, or other such undead-impeding implements or effects on the room. As he looks around for this, his forehead itches involuntarily.
As he talks Johan is able to look around he doesn't spot anything out of ordinary for the main room of a manor estate. Compared to the downstairs this room is positively pedestrian. Out the window the stables and fields continue to remain present - even as the shimmer in the distance continues.
ReplyDeleteAs he looks closer he can see that the man is wearing a long, wealthy, robe spun of gossamer cloth and a pattern of everchanging shades of light and dark greys. As they talk he remains remarkably still - without any of the usual slight shifts, shakes, or movement that are normal in a creature.
"Oh, I didn't eviscerate him or do any of the ruins downstairs. He asked for endless carnal pleasures - and he spent the last six months indulging himself in every single one even as the acts became, through completely normal human means, boring, until he started." He shrugged his shoulders. "Found joy only in bringing about his own death. But before you start to accuse me of being an everyday Genie I did warn him - I directly said, 'are you sure? I can give you a lot more than just pleasure and that sounds like you'll grow tired of it' but the Baron was an arrogant and unimaginative man." He shook his head.
"But, what I'm looking for is completely different. I'm looking for someone to assist in undoing the damage up in the north - that evil is the fire brimstone and end the universe kind. Very different than the sort of evil I promote. I'm not about to try to end the world or even to bring about the terror of the world. I'm evil in the sense that I want to preserve choice and freedom in the world and prevent the rise of any hegemony."
He quickly held up his hand. "Before you argue that evil doesn't preserve freedom and choice please reflect on the Good Gods you know - don't they generally promote a singular way of life? Even your companion Beranhond had this triumphalist view of the world doesn't he?" He shook his head. "No, what I want is an open market of faith, belief, and action. Of course, I also, unlike so many of the forgiving good Gods, want my followers, and their followers, to actually face the consquences of their actions." He paused. "Anyway, rather than talking philosophy, I want to talk about what I can provide for you and what you can provide for me. But... before I prattle on I want to know if you are interested at all - and it won't involve any contracts, any binding oaths, or any archaic magical tricks. If you aren't interested you can go your merry way back into the plane of Faerun."
Nym was uncertain what was the best course. This.. being was admittedly evil but wanted the north free as well. It can't hurt to hear what he wants... can it? she wondered, uncomfortably. "What are you asking of us?" Nym asked quietly.
ReplyDeleteJohan crossed his arms, a slight frown crossing his face. He was willing to hear he entity out, but wasn't swayed to jump in and help out just yet.
ReplyDeleteThe entity smiled and started to lay out his plan and what he needs from them.
ReplyDelete"Basically, I just need you to return this child, take the reward, and use it to fix your ship, get more allies, all the usual stuff you need. At the final battle, I'll send my followers, devotees, and minons to your aid. All I ask is that at the end, when the final blow is being struck against the army, one of you two strike a final blow against the dark demi-god himself and say my name. It won't hurt you - but it will help me to absorb some of that energy and reright the balance of dark gods in Faerun."
Alrighty, Johan is suspicious: Almost never are agreements this light on obligations to either party, and he's trying to wrack his brains to see if such a power absorption would possibly just make this entity an overpowered demigod themselves:
ReplyDeleteReligion: 9 + 8 = 17.
Arcana: 2 + 8 = 10.
Welp.
"That doesn't sound right, but I don't know enough about dark demigod power sources to dispute it." He turned to Nym.
"What do you think? Does this smiling creep sound on the up-and-up to you?"
The creature laughed "I suppose I am smiling too much. I've heard it puts mortals at ease!" he clasped his hands and frowned instead. "is this better?"
ReplyDelete"No..." mumbled Nym, half replying to Johan and half replying to the creature. Nym wondered if this being would actually let them refuse his task and leave. She was also torn by the proposition it made. On the one hand, we need all the help we can get up north, but on the other, I'm in no hurry to give more power to any evil creatures, she thought.
ReplyDelete"I think... we need to think on this offer," Nym replied after standing lost in her thoughts for a moment. "I wish to bring it to our companions so we can make a decision together." Nym frowned, "If we decide to follow your plan, how will we let you know? What is your name?"
The creature frowned, keeping up with his new pattern. "but of course, you need not make the decision yet - you'll just want to make it before you try to rally and fight up north. If you want to reach me just call for..." he tapped his chin. "Barhana. That'll do as well as any. At any rate, please do return this child to his mother. I'm not intending on being a foster parent as gods have a weird history of offspring coming back to kill and usurp their place later in life. Im not trying to be that classical epic! "
ReplyDeleteyou are about a month behind Darvin and Talathel and BH. But I'll use the magic of story telling to get you there in the city around the same time. Unless there was anything else you wanted to do first? Illuvaen is in the area so Nym could meet up with him before hand. Just let me know and I'll give you the details.
Use the magic of storytelling, DM!
ReplyDelete" I'm not intending on being a foster parent as gods have a weird history of offspring coming back to kill and usurp their place later in life.": Was that a Baldur's Gate reference?
ReplyDeleteAlso, no complaints here either about fading to black and fast-forwarding to present day