# Scouting the Spires



## Greybar (Jul 9, 2005)

OOC thread.

History:

Long lifetimes ago, a secretive sect called the Abantines sought out a lake in the highlands to the north of the great cities of Haraiva.  Some say they sought the place where Abanta shed tears over the strife between her divine sisters and the loss of the earthly city she had founded.  In the middle of this lake the Abantines found an island, and  settled there, far from the eyes of other men.  The lake they simply called Highlake, and thus the island was simply Highlake island.  A great magical veil was raised about the island, a wall of mist perpentually concealing the island from the shores.  Those who sought to penetrate the mists often found themselves turned about or even emerging on the other side of the lake.

For centuries the settlers on Highlake remained isolated, peaceful, and secretive.  They remained aware of the rest of the Haraivan cities through a network of spies and contacts with their fellow Abantine temples.  When the invasion of the Dark Shores came, and the cities were devasted, the Abantines were faced with a choice.  Remain secret and watch their brethren be hunted down and die, or try to take in those who they could at risk of being discovered.  In the end, they saved who they could, were indeed found by forces of the Drahokralva, but have fought off numerous attacks with the aid of their orphaned allies.  Now they are one of the two remaining homes of Haraivan civilization.  Small villages have grown up on the outer shores of Highlake, beyond the protection of the Veil of Abanta.  Some are exiles whom Highlake will not take in, some who wish to be independant of the mysterious Abantines who control Highlake island.

Background:

To the west of Highlake stands two unusually steep and conjoined spires.  Taller than any other rise in the Haraivan highlands, their tips are covered in ice and snow year round, despite the generally temperate climate of the surrounding lands.  They are only approachable from the east, where the elevation drops off less severly.    Along this lap of the spires, an unusual berry grows known as "iceberries".  The magical and medicinal properties of these berries makes them quite lucrative to harvest when they come to ripeness in midsummer.  Harvesters must be well armed against the hostile and monstrous creatures that call the area of the spires their home.  But the creatures are a known quantity and a well prepared group can bring back crates and crates of the valuable berries while often avoiding any fatalities at all.

But not this year.  After landing, the harvested starting setting up camp, tents and firepits appearing along the lower shores while armed parties and harvested moved uphill.  But then creatures formed of ice appeared and attacked the longshoremen and their boats, punching holes in their hulls.  A terrible icestorm appeared in the middle of the camp, and warriors attacked in ambush.  Warriors who fought in the same open-handed style only known to be practiced by the members of the Monastery of the Quiet Waters near Highlake City.  A terribly huge bear devastated a scouting group, and was only just dispatched by a group of heroes.

And then the dragon came, and even the heroes fled...

Prologue:

The few survivors of the harvesters sent to pick iceberries have returned to Highlake Island, and rumors race ahead of them.  Upon hearing the news, eldest monks order that all prepare to leave the Monastery, and sends a runner to the Keeper of the Open Waters. "Tell her the time of our destiny has come.  We hope that we will again be able to call Highlake a friend in the future."

The monastery becomes a blur of activity.  Food is packed up or boiled down into rations.  The younger monks seem to have a mixture of excitement and apprehension, while the older monks are very serious.

The Keeper appears a few hours later: "What is the meaning of this?" She says, looking about the monastery.
Perlentus says quietly, "As I once told you, my name has been spoken
and our fate has awoken."
Her face is ashen, "Has my misspoken word caused this, then?".
He smiles thinly, "No, it is no fault of yours. Consider it merely a presaging."
"Are your brothers ready for this?"
"That is irrelevant"

There is a pause, and she bows in the old and proper manner.  She turns and leaves with a solemn tread, and those sharp of sight see the tears in her eyes

- - -

An elder brother stands in a relaxed pose in one of the smaller dojos of the monastery.  His simple robes are of a brown homespun, belted by a roughly tanned strip of leather.  Only the sharp of eye would see the tiny characters burned delicately in long spirals around its girth.  While he has a great presence of calm confidence about him, his appearance is unremarkable.  Even long time students find it hard to describe the specifics of his appearance to others.  Fortunately, they find this unremarkable as well.

Four students enter the dojo, and the brother turns with a peaceful smile.  "Thank you for coming.  As you know, the time for the end of our monastery has come.  We go to face the destiny we all have trained so hard for.  We must face the dragon which has awoken upon the spires, and we will do so together as one."

"You have been chosen to be our eyes and ears.  We must find a landing place upon the western shore of the lake where all of us can bring ashore supplies.  Several locations such are being checked.  You are assigned to Icecreek, a village on the northwestern curve of the lake.  Icecreek is a fishing village with sufficient docks and shallow waters for the entire monastery to land and swiftly unload.  It is also notable for being independant and organized enough to fight off a Draho slave-raid early last winter, according to information the Abantines have shared.  They have a strong leader by the name of Krolis Firebeard who lead that defense according the Abantine report."

"Your job is to is to see if Icecreek is a good landing site, and do what you can to make it a good landing site.  The first part of that is just to make sure that the physical situation is good.  The second part is to make contact with the villagers and see if they will allow the landing.  If the landing takes place without their approval, they might well treat it as an attack like that of a slave-raid.  You will communicate this information with one of us through this token."

The brother takes off a small necklace with a crystal on a leather thong, and hands it to <edit in Eric's character's name>.

"Once that determination is made, you will be ordered to either assist in the landing, move forward to scout further ahead, or undertake a new mission based on what the other scouting groups have found."

"Do you have any questions?"


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## daedalus@theworld.co (Jul 11, 2005)

*Brother Causarius's reply*

Brother Causarius looks at each of his fellow monks in turn.  His sallow face gives no hint of the thoughts going through his mind.  His unken eyes meet the eyes of the other scouts, one by one. As he draws your gaze, you once again shiver, just a little bit, at the unspoken depths of placid pain that lie in his eyes.  

After looking at each of his brothers, Brother Causarius steps forwards and addresses the Elder in a calm and monotonic voice: 
	i am not the equal of anyone in this room but I am honored to be included among them 
	i hope that my sacrifice shall be worthy of comment 
	thank you Elder Brother

(see the OOC thread for a description of Brother Causarius)


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## ericpat (Jul 12, 2005)

*Locutus accepts the crystal.*



			
				Greybar said:
			
		

> "Your job is to is to see if Icecreek is a good landing site, and do what you can to make it a good landing site. The first part of that is just to make sure that the physical situation is good. The second part is to make contact with the villagers and see if they will allow the landing. If the landing takes place without their approval, they might well treat it as an attack like that of a slave-raid. You will communicate this information with one of us through this token."
> 
> The brother takes off a small necklace with a crystal on a leather thong, and hands it to Locutus.
> 
> ...




Locutus places the crystal around his neck. "I have no questions. We shall be contacting you shortly."


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## Greybar (Jul 12, 2005)

The elder brother shakes his head ever so slightly.  "Inquisitiveness is to be prized.  Just as you have learned to ask when your form does not feel right, or if you need insight into your meditation, you must learn to ask more questions when you leave the monastary and interact with the people of this village. There will be no teacher to ask questions of once you are on your way. Let me say more and then let you ask more."

"You have choices of how to approach the village.  We cannot spare a boat for you to keep, as all of our favors for borrowing boats will be used for landing the main group.  However, we can have an Abantine friend either set you off on the shore a way down from the village, or take you directly to the docks.  Which you choose will depend on how you prefer to start your contact with the villagers."

He pauses and waits for a moment.


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## Samus_the_Lucky (Jul 12, 2005)

'Do we have any contacts in this village?', Celarus says quietly, 'Do we have any known enemies there?  I would suggest landing outside the village and discretely entering it, perhaps individually not to cause suspicious or causing them to become defensive.  Once inside we can make contacts and scope the place out; perhaps silencing... [ahem] dealing with any problems that arise.'


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## Daphna_Llassa (Jul 12, 2005)

Fera looks at her brothers, and returns her gaze to the elder. Her head seems to move more like a birds head than a human. She very respectfully asks, "Is there anything we are prepared to offer the village for use of their landing site?"


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## daedalus@theworld.co (Jul 12, 2005)

Brother Causarius responds to Fera:
if we do nothing the Spires will consume them along with the rest of Highlake  
we are offering to die so that they may live
what more can we offer them?

He then turns back to the Elder Brother:
i agree with Brother Celarus – it would alarm them less if we enter their village individually on land
perhaps Locutus should enter first? 
he is better able to judge the best tactic for ensuring a positive response from the village and is less likely to offend them.


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## ericpat (Jul 13, 2005)

Greybar said:
			
		

> The elder brother shakes his head ever so slightly. "Inquisitiveness is to be prized. Just as you have learned to ask when your form does not feel right, or if you need insight into your meditation, you must learn to ask more questions when you leave the monastary and interact with the people of this village. There will be no teacher to ask questions of once you are on your way. Let me say more and then let you ask more."
> 
> "You have choices of how to approach the village. We cannot spare a boat for you to keep, as all of our favors for borrowing boats will be used for landing the main group. However, we can have an Abantine friend either set you off on the shore a way down from the village, or take you directly to the docks. Which you choose will depend on how you prefer to start your contact with the villagers."
> 
> He pauses and waits for a moment.




Locutus bows his head deeply; "I defer to your wisdom, as always."

"Before I can make that choice, I must know how the villagers will view an arrival from the Abantine to their docks. My presence will be colored by their perceptions of the Abantines. If they view the Abantines as allies, they will be predisposed to me, if they do not, their animosity will spread to me. How will the village view an arrival from the Abantines?


If we do not know how the villagers view the Abantines, then we should approach their village on foot. We cannot risk the chance of starting off negotiations badly.


If the villagers don't believe that they are in danger from the spires, or that we are truly there to defend them against the danger, then our promises will be worthless. Something tangible we give to them might very well sway their decision. Do we have something of value that is of no use to us in the fight ahead, that we might offer?"


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## Daphna_Llassa (Jul 13, 2005)

Fera replies to Brother Causarius:
Fera looks at Causarius with a slight smile on her lips.
"That is a nice thought brother, and I would be happy if the village also shares it. But, there is a greater chance they will feel us using the area near their village would be targeting their homes for destruction. 
First, the area near their homes might become a battleground. Second, their homes may be targeted in retaliation because they helped us. The creatures of the spires may decide to attack anyone that had anything to do with opposing them."


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## Greybar (Jul 14, 2005)

Celarus said:
			
		

> 'Do we have any contacts in this village?', Celarus says quietly, 'Do we have any known enemies there?




"Our information is from the early spring, when an Abantine agent followed up on the tales of Icecreek fighting off the Draho raid of a few months earlier.  He worked in the guise of a fellow fisherman to learn what he could inobtrusively.  Unfortunately, we are told that this agent is not available to us at this time for further questioning."

"Krolis Firebeard appears to be the leader of the village, at least where matters of arms are concerned.  He is reported to be a stocky and strong man with black hair and a beard 'red as blood' according to the fisherman interviewed.  He was not the leader of the village last summer, when a older man named Merthus met with some iceberry harvesters and appeared to represent the village.  When the Abantine agent asked about Merthus by name and reputation, the fisherman changed the subject."

"There is a healer in the village, one Celena Orpheo, who claims to be a cleric of Harliana.  However, it appears that she was banished from Highlake island for reasons that appear to be internal to that faith."



			
				Locutus said:
			
		

> "Before I can make that choice, I must know how the villagers will view an arrival from the Abantine to their docks. My presence will be colored by their perceptions of the Abantines. If they view the Abantines as allies, they will be predisposed to me, if they do not, their
> animosity will spread to me. How will the village view an arrival from the Abantines?"




"The Abantine agent reported that Krolis Firebeard neither considered himself an ally nor an enemy of the Abantines and the others of Highlake island.  He claims descent from those who escaped the sack of Harliana.  The villagers live a largely self-sufficient lifestyle, raising goats on the foothills above them, fishing from the lake, and raising a small harvest from the fields on the northern side of the village."



			
				Fera said:
			
		

> "Is there anything we are prepared to offer the village for use of their landing site?"




"Some of the villagers trade with Abantines who come through the veil to meet them, as well as with other villages along the coast.  The villagers often desire worked metal, apparently because their village smith is not particularly skilled.  We could make available some items such as weapons for you to carry and present as tokens of trade or earnest."

"One of the fisherman who is known to enjoy trade with his Abantine counterparts is a man by the name of Garcus.  Of the three well-constructed docks on the shore-front, his is the northernmost."


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## ericpat (Jul 14, 2005)

"It would seem to me that we should arrive directly at the docks. The viallage has a history of trade with the island, so they will have no reason to view the arrival as hostile. We can leave the weapons in the boat, and offer them if they are necessary in the negotiations."



			
				Greybar said:
			
		

> "One of the fisherman who is known to enjoy trade with his Abantine counterparts is a man by the name of Garcus. Of the three well-constructed docks on the shore-front, his is the northernmost."




"If this man, Garcus, owns one of the three docks, does that mean that we need his permission in addition to Krolis Firebeard? Will we need permission of the other dock owners as well?"


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## daedalus@theworld.co (Jul 14, 2005)

perhaps we can bargain with something we do not have

He turns to the Elder Brother and asks:
would it be inappropriate to offer them a portion of the iceberries harvested by the Brothers during this trip?


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## Greybar (Jul 15, 2005)

Locutus said:
			
		

> "If this man, Garcus, owns one of the three docks, does that mean that we need his permission in addition to Krolis Firebeard? Will we need permission of the other dock owners as well?"




We are unclear about the dynamic of power within the town.  Both of those things may be true, or both may be untrue.



			
				Causarius said:
			
		

> Would it be inappropriate to offer them a portion of the iceberries harvested by the Brothers during this trip?




Since we do not intend to harvest iceberries, I believe that would be inappropriate.


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## ericpat (Jul 19, 2005)

Greybar said:
			
		

> Since we do not intend to harvest iceberries, I believe that would be inappropriate.




Hmm. Perhaps we should reconsider that.

Once we have completed our primary mission, would it not be appropriate for each of us to collect a small bag of iceberries as gratitude to the village for the lease of their property. Especially if their hospitality was integral to our success.


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## Greybar (Jul 21, 2005)

"Certainly those who help us in our quest to remove this threat from the lands will be rewarded afterwards.  I am ... cautious ... in making more specific promises."

"However, you should conduct the negotiations as you feel best."

"Are there other questions you might have?", he pauses for a moment. "I can have a brother bring some gifts - perhaps a few axes we were presented a while ago."


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## ericpat (Jul 22, 2005)

Greybar said:
			
		

> "Certainly those who help us in our quest to remove this threat from the lands will be rewarded afterwards. I am ... cautious ... in making more specific promises."




"I am also hesitant to make a promise I don’t believe I will be able to keep. But if we have the intention to keep the promise, and are unable to keep it after our primary mission is accomplished, I’m sure a renegotiation could be brokered with the village."

"I suspect that something will need to be offered to the villagers in exchange for our using their land as a staging area for our mission. They may believe, that if we fail, the beast could decide to attack the village in retribution for their aid."



			
				Greybar said:
			
		

> "However, you should conduct the negotiations as you feel best."




"Of course, but I don’t want to overstep my authority."



			
				Greybar said:
			
		

> "Are there other questions you might have?", he pauses for a moment. "I can have a brother bring some gifts - perhaps a few axes we were presented a while ago."




"Some gifts would be excellent. I have no further questions." Locutus looks to his teammates: "Shall we get underway?"


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## Daphna_Llassa (Jul 22, 2005)

Fera nods solemnly.


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## Samus_the_Lucky (Jul 22, 2005)

"Ready, let's go", Celarus state plainly, then he mumbles under his breath: "Been ready, but you people kept talking" and he sighs.

"I've got all my stuff right here", making a motion to his small pack, "so we can go right away."


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## daedalus@theworld.co (Jul 25, 2005)

Brother Causarius bows to the Elder Brother:

i need nothing more than what i have
however healing aids for the others would safeguard against the possibility that i may lack the strength to support us all


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## Greybar (Jul 25, 2005)

*Setting forth*

The elder brother bows. "Very well, gather your things.  Take the north road through the Gold Fields, and bear towards the Watcher's Tree along the coast.  A boatman by the name of Hollus has a home just to the west of the Tree.  He will take you where you ask to go."

"Keep your minds open and strong, and your body will follow.  I hope to see you again further along in our quest."

The elder brother departs and soon a peer of yours comes along with a package of three beautiful handaxes to use as a gift.

OOC: We can pretty much fast-forward through walking to Hollus' home, unless you want a chance to chat amongst one another along the way.  No surpise attacks on the road.


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## daedalus@theworld.co (Jul 27, 2005)

No, I think I"m all set.  I say, let's skip ahead to the next encounter.


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## Greybar (Jul 27, 2005)

The morning's travel along the road is a simple stretching of the legs for those used to more draining exercise.  The Gold Fields are living up to their name, filled with grain stalks reaching for the sun.  You pass various small farm houses and tiny communities, sharing the road with carts and wagons, many heading for the city.  The great towering tree of the watchers soon becomes visible, and a rough path off of the main road easily leads you around to a small cluster of homes on the shore.

A few brief chats between the personable Locutus and locals point you to a Hollus, an old man out on a timeworn dock tending to a small fishing boat. (Locutus: Gather Info: 22)  He turns as you approach the dock, a few grey hairs still clinging to his balding scalp.  He gives you a half-toothed smile.

Everyone but Fera notices a worn amulet about his neck that looks to carry the mark of Abanta.  Fera is too busy wondering if the old timbers of the dock will splinter under her - she's far bigger than the old man, and unlike the others she wears metal armor.
(Spots were 22, 20, 20 ... and 6)


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## ericpat (Jul 28, 2005)

(OOC: I'd like to psionically focus myself and my psicrystal while on the way to the docks, if I'm not already focused. I should be able to take-10 and succeed)

Greetings Hollus,

We are from the Monastery of the Quiet Waters.

We have been instructed to request your assistance in journeying to the village of Icecreek. We'd like to disembark at the dock owned by a man named Garcus, if that is possible. I believe that his dock is the northernmost.


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## daedalus@theworld.co (Jul 28, 2005)

Brother Causarius quietly hangs back and lets Brother Locutus shine.  I will take the time to look around at the physical layout of the area. I will also try to gauge the reactions of the inhabitants.


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## Daphna_Llassa (Jul 28, 2005)

Fera will be looking at the dock, still trying to decide if it can take my weight. I'll also be checking out the area, looking for danger. (people unhappy w/ brothers, strange objects, etc.)


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## Samus_the_Lucky (Jul 28, 2005)

Celarus looks about, listening in on Locutus' discussion. He seems very relaxed, walking about the dock looking at things causually. However actually he is scanning everything carefully, to be ready for anything that might come up. Also Celarus' walking makes practically no sound at all when walking on the creaky wood of the old dock.


[OOC: Celarus will be _Moving Silently_ and _Hiding_ just for the fun of it while keeping a watch out]
</color]


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## Greybar (Jul 28, 2005)

"Yup, I thought that'd be you.", the old man says.  "I know Garcus.  He may even be up and about on the waters, if you want to meet him.  Or if you just want to set off at his dock, I doubt he'd might.  He's a nice enough fellow."

for Albus and Fera:
[sblock]
There's a teenaged boy about 100 feet away at another small dock.  He looked over curiously, but then turns away and went back to coiling a long piece of rope and net.
[/sblock]

Celarus is indeed whisper silent of foot, somehow avoiding the creeking boards that everyone else is walking on.  He manages to keep what little cover there is (barrels and the like) between him and the other docks and shore. (MvSilent well north of 30  )


(We can assume everyone is focused, I don't think it "expires" unless you lose consciousness or use it, if I remember correctly)

Hollus continues:
"Just climb on in, I'm about ready to head out."  He glances over at Fera's armor.  "I've got a good thick canvas sack if you want to take that off before we shove off."  He smiles. "Wanting to keep armor on has killed Draho and saved us fishermen more than once."


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## ericpat (Jul 29, 2005)

Greybar said:
			
		

> "Yup, I thought that'd be you.", the old man says. "I know Garcus. He may even be up and about on the waters, if you want to meet him. Or if you just want to set off at his dock, I doubt he'd might. He's a nice enough fellow."




"If he's on the waters, he's probably working. I have no wish to disturb his livelihood for a matter you feel would not be important to him."

(Ok. I just wanted to be sure I had a chance to focus myself prior to needing to expend those foci.)

Locutus climbs aboard.


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## Daphna_Llassa (Jul 30, 2005)

"Thank you, that is very kind."

(ooc: I'm assuming I have some type of clothes underneath, otherwise I'd move in a location to reduce the strip show factor.

I'd take off the armor and keep my hand on it at all times. Or, feet, when I am in the boat.

Before I put the armor in the bag I would be checking that it 1. is actually sturdy, 2. won't make things disappear if items are placed in it. All done in a non-insulting manner.)


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## Samus_the_Lucky (Jul 30, 2005)

Celarus is already on the boat.

[oo-ooc: "to reduce the strip show factor" 
_damn_]


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## daedalus@theworld.co (Aug 1, 2005)

Brother Causarius waits until everyone else is on the boat before he gets on.  He sits down in a location that is central to the other monks.  Those of you who have worked with him before recognize that he is placing himself such that he can reach as many of you as possible as quickly as possible.


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## Greybar (Aug 2, 2005)

To everyone's relief, the boat looks to actually be in better shape than the dock.  It has the smell of old fish still on it, mixed with the smell of pine tar recently used to make minor touch-up repairs.  While the dock might be a convenience, the boat is Hollus' livelihood.

Hollus pushes the boat off away from the dock.  The morning takes on a quiet, peaceful quality, with the only sound being the lap of the water on the hull and the occasional distant sound of noise from the shore.  Hollus points Fera and Albus towards oars near their seats, and the two muscular members of the part soon have the boat moving at a good clip.

"Yep, Garcus is a good man.  A clever man, mind you.  He's sharp with his deals, and though I never feel I've been tricked by him, there are others more bitter.  Then, it's every mans responsibility in trade to look out for himself, isn't it?"

"So, whatcha looking for over at Icecreek? I haven't been out that way myself for a while now.  Don't want to intrude on their fishing grounds, you know.  Besides, I found myself a nice enough nook where there aren't any settlements on the north shore anyway."

OOC: With most armors, there is a separate layer of cloth and padding that keeps the metal bits from grinding, burning, and generally being mean to your skin and/or more civilian undergarments.  So removing the armor and stripping down to the padding layer is pretty easy and non-titilating.


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## daedalus@theworld.co (Aug 2, 2005)

As Brother Causarius works the oars, he watches the nearby docks (particularly the teenager).  He is not trying to be subtle about this, but neither is he staring - just taking a healthy interest in those around him.


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## ericpat (Aug 3, 2005)

Greybar said:
			
		

> "Yep, Garcus is a good man. A clever man, mind you. He's sharp with his deals, and though I never feel I've been tricked by him, there are others more bitter. Then, it's every mans responsibility in trade to look out for himself, isn't it?"




"I couldn't agree more. Tell me, other than not to underestimate Garcus, is there anything else I need to know about him when I sit down to broker a deal with him? What about Krolis Firebeard, do you know him? Have you made any deals with him?"



			
				Greybar said:
			
		

> "So, whatcha looking for over at Icecreek? I haven't been out that way myself for a while now. Don't want to intrude on their fishing grounds, you know. Besides, I found myself a nice enough nook where there aren't any settlements on the north shore anyway."




"No doubt you've heard the tales of this past iceberry harvest. We are planning an expedition to investigate how much of the rumors are true. Since the landing site's docks were destroyed, we need to find a new location that we can use to make landfall."


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## Daphna_Llassa (Aug 3, 2005)

Before (or as) the ship gets on the way, Fera thinks about the teenager and tries to remember if she saw him before. 
Fera quietly rows as she looks out at the water. She is looking both over the water (boats, birds) as well at the water itself (large fish).


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## Greybar (Aug 3, 2005)

Hollus nods his head, "Yup, I heard from a fellow who'd been in to the city yesterday that there had been some big problem.  Iceberry harvesters have been attack in the past though, and will be again in the future.  Since I never set foot on the outer shore, I'm just fine with that."

"I don't know much about Krolis, though I heard Garcus say he's a great warrior who saved a lot of folks lives this winter.  Most folk look up to him more than that old man Merthus who used to try to run things.  I understand Merthus' family is one of those who first settled Icecreek, an' still think they ought to have everyone listen to 'em."

Albus:
[sblock]
Everyone seems to be going about their business, no particular overt interest other than some casual looks.
[/sblock]
Fera:
[sblock]
You don't think you've seen the teenager before, and he's moved somewhere you can't see him now.  You feel you have a very good eye and ear open for the waters around you, and everything looks calm and normal.
[/sblock]
Locutus:
[sblock]
Your feel for people and their motives leaves you confident that Hollus is being very open and honest with you.
[/sblock]
Celarus:
[sblock]
Just in case you were feeling left out of the sekrit messages...
[/sblock]

The boat is drawing near to the Veil, mists beginning to trail along the water.  Soon the shore will disappear entirely as you move into the wall of white.  For many (if not all of you), this will be your first trip through the Veil.


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## Samus_the_Lucky (Aug 3, 2005)

GM:
[sblock]Celarus will keep staring off into space or whatever he was doing because he obviously didn't notice somthing what with all those sekrit messages...*sigh*. 

Celarus will take the time to look over his companions in one of those montage shots where you see all the heroes before the action begins.  He probably won't notice anything that was not already mentioned in their introductions but a guy can dream can't he?[/sblock]


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## ericpat (Aug 4, 2005)

Greybar said:
			
		

> Hollus nods his head, "Yup, I heard from a fellow who'd been in to the city yesterday that there had been some big problem. Iceberry harvesters have been attack in the past though, and will be again in the future. Since I never set foot on the outer shore, I'm just fine with that."




"True, but this one is at least different in that the docks at the landing site were destroyed. Hence our need to find a new place to go ashore."



			
				Greybar said:
			
		

> "I don't know much about Krolis, though I heard Garcus say he's a great warrior who saved a lot of folks lives this winter. Most folk look up to him more than that old man Merthus who used to try to run things. I understand Merthus' family is one of those who first settled Icecreek, an' still think they ought to have everyone listen to 'em."




Locutus nods. "Merthus? I hadn't even heard that name. Do you know anything else about him?"


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## Greybar (Aug 4, 2005)

Locutus said:
			
		

> "Merthus? I hadn't even heard that name. Do you know anything else about him?"



"Not really." Hollus says as he steers the boat straight into the Veil.  "I met his son Maeror briefly once.  He's a fisherman too and had gotten pulled up northward after hooking one of the big bluescales.  I saw him struggling to pull the thing into his boat with his son so I pulled over to give him a friendly holler, but he wasn't exactly in a friendly mood.  All I got out of him was his name."

The boat pulls into the mist, and there is a disorienting feeling.  Hollus doesn't even seem to notice it, but for the rest of you it's a bit of a churn.  Albus dismisses it, having felt much worse before, but Locutus and Celarus look a bit green, and Fera looks about 10 seconds away from losing her breakfast.


----------



## Samus_the_Lucky (Aug 8, 2005)

"ugh does that that happen *everytime* you go through the veil? Does it happen on the way back as well? Hollus, how can you stand to going through this thing all the time?" Celarus turns and sees that Albus looks ok about it as well, "Albus how come it didn't affect..." Celarus seems to realize that given how Albus does healing, he may not *want* to know more about Albus' ability to stand things...


----------



## daedalus@theworld.co (Aug 8, 2005)

Brother Causarius grins at Celarus and does a very good imitation of Elder Brother Repititus spouting one of his favorite bits of advice:

remember to breathe, little one

He then turns to Hollus and asks:

i have heard that crossing the Veil becomes less physically demanding
is that true or do you just notice the strain less and less each time?


----------



## Greybar (Aug 9, 2005)

"Yup." Hollus nods. "It's just like a little twist now.  Maybe the Veil knows I'm okay."

He looks over at Fera.  "If it's going to come, just lean over the side and let it happen girl."


----------



## ericpat (Aug 10, 2005)

"oof. That was unpleasant."

Locutus turns to Hollus. "I'm sorry. I've forgotten where we left our conversation. We were talking about Icecreek, and the folks that you know there. I'll most likely be dealing with Krolis, possibly Garcus. You've said that Garcus was a skilled dealer, but fair. Who else have you had dealing with in the village. I've never been there myself, so I don't know anyone there, really."


----------



## Daphna_Llassa (Aug 10, 2005)

Fera nods and gives a slight "I'm ok" smile as she continues to row.

She also has oriented herself so if she does vomit it will be out of the boat. Feet still on her armor.


----------



## Greybar (Aug 10, 2005)

For a few moments Fera has to concentrate on nothing more than keeping her food down, unable to contribute with the oar.  It seems a close thing, her face growing green, but she forces her way through it.

Then the mist parts and the wider world appears.  It seems a bit unbounded for those used to seeing the soft barrier of mist on all sides.  The sunlight sparkles off of the waters.  A cool breeze blows from the impressive sight of the Spires. A few other fishing boats can be seen, small against the larger backdrop of the lake.

"I haven't had much dealing with anyone other than Garcus.  Krollis sounds to be a tough man, perhaps more used to dealing with other warriors than us common folk."

"I could take you to Garcus, he probably knows the people more than anyone else.  He's a talker."

The breeze helps lessen the discomfort of the Veil.  Fera becomes able to exert herself rowing again, even if her stomach continues to tumble a bit with each lurch of the boat.

OOC - I never realized now nasty the mechanics for the _nauseated_ condition were until I ran into the wrong side of it in an arena combat.  Only can take one move action per round, no spells, no attacks, just stumble from place to place.  Of course, that also makes it a great defense for the Veil.


----------



## ericpat (Aug 19, 2005)

Greybar said:
			
		

> "I could take you to Garcus, he probably knows the people more than anyone else. He's a talker."




"Why don't we find Garcus. If he's not interested in speaking to us, he can stay on the lake, and we can continue on to town."


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## Greybar (Aug 24, 2005)

"Let's see.  He runs a little blue flag from his mast..."  Hollus stands and peers around the lake, using a hand to shadow his eyes like the bill of a cap.  "He'll probably been off that-a-way somewhere.  Just keep on pulling and I'm sure we'll see him in a bit."


----------



## daedalus@theworld.co (Aug 24, 2005)

Albus keeps his eyes peeled for a blue flag, and will point it out if he sees it, but otherwise has little to say.  The effort of rowing, combined with the fresh lake air, seems to have improved his pallid complexion and he appears to be basking in the sunlight.


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## Greybar (Aug 31, 2005)

The boat pulls along until the village of Icecreek appears along the shore.  Hollus looks about and then with some surprise says, "Ah, he must not be about today.  That's his boat there pulled up to his dock."

The village is not too large in number of buildings, but is quite spread out.  It extends from the shores up the immediate rising hills towards the northernmost spire.  As the village grows north it appears to have more widely spaced buildings with grazing fields of a sparse green amongst scattered large grey outcroppings of stone.  Off to the far left (south) the land does seem more green and fertile, with trees and planted crops surrounding homes that appear to have been added to and expanded by multiple generations.  To the right the land gets rockier, with only a few buildings, and some of them look abandoned.  The center of town (such as it is) is a cluster of a dozen or so buildings, surrounded by a low wall of stone and wood.

The dock you are approaching doesn't extend too far out into the water, just enough to have a shallow place to pull a small boat up to.  And indeed a small boat is there, with a wide strip of ragged blue-grey cloth on the mast.  The flag feebly waves out towards the lake in the cool breeze that seems to sweep down from the spires.


----------



## ericpat (Sep 1, 2005)

Well, first things first.

We were told:



> Your job is to is to see if Icecreek is a good landing site, and do what you can to make it a good landing site. The first part of that is just to make sure that the physical situation is good.




So:  Does the villiage apear to physically satisfy our landing requirements?


----------



## Greybar (Sep 1, 2005)

The beach directly on from the center of town and a little ways south should be more than sufficient, particularly if two or more docks were free to allow any larger boats to pull up while smaller ones simply run aground.  The northern beaches (to the right) are too rocky to want to land without considerable caution and deliberation.

So in summary: With usage of two docks, excellent.  With one dock, good.  With no docks, acceptable, though larger items may have to be waded in from boats unable to beach themselves.


----------



## Daphna_Llassa (Sep 1, 2005)

ooc: How is Fera feeling at this point?


----------



## Greybar (Sep 2, 2005)

OOC: Fera has fully recovered from her earlier nausea.


----------



## daedalus@theworld.co (Sep 2, 2005)

What can we see of the village from here?

I'm looking to see how much space there is visible.  We've got a lot of monks, plus assorted equipment - if we had accesss to both docks, could we land everyone in one wave?  Or would we need to stagger the landings?  

Also, from what I can see from here, how amenable would the village be to setting up a camp hospital here? (Let's assume everyone in the monastery was wounded but saveable and needed somewhere to bunk until we healed enough of them to re-assault the Spires...)


----------



## ericpat (Sep 6, 2005)

Greybar said:
			
		

> So in summary: With usage of two docks, excellent.  With one dock, good.  With no docks, acceptable, though larger items may have to be waded in from boats unable to beach themselves.




Locutus scans the village while nodding to himself. "This looks more than adequate for our needs. Thank you Hollus, for bringing us here, and for the companionship on our voyage."

"Is it unusal for Garcus to not be on the lake? You seemed surprised that he was here."


----------



## Greybar (Sep 7, 2005)

Causarius said:
			
		

> What can we see of the village from here?




From lake-level, much of the middle and center-back of it is obscured by buildings, and the rising slopes to the west do have enough rise and fall that its possible that some small buildings or items of interest might be concealed.



			
				Causarius said:
			
		

> I'm looking to see how much space there is visible.  We've got a lot of monks, plus assorted equipment - if we had accesss to both docks, could we land everyone in one wave?  Or would we need to stagger the landings?




The monastery has less than 100 monks, minus however many of you are on special missions such as your own.  With the boats you've seen (which aren't too big), the whole band will have to come across in waves no matter what.  The wider the span (and the more docks), the more reasonable it gets.  From what you know of the plans, the biggest boats will be reserved for the supplies necessary to field 100 people for perhaps a month in inhospitible (cold and rocky) terrain.  Those supplies are why the docks are most needed, and why having more than one will make a big difference.



			
				Causarius said:
			
		

> Also, from what I can see from here, how amenable would the village be to setting up a camp hospital here? (Let's assume everyone in the monastery was wounded but saveable and needed somewhere to bunk until we healed enough of them to re-assault the Spires...)




If you assume all 100-ish were wounded then it gets unreasonable fast, but for a smaller number you have some options you can see from here.  Options that might not be feasible once you've talked to the residents of course.
1) Take over a building in the center defensible looking area for use as a hospital, displacing the local residence if there isn't one standing empty.
2) Set up a tent-hospital in one of the fields to the side or up-slope.  There are both grazing-fields and crop-growing fields visible that would be large enough to set up tents for everyone simultaneously if needed (and the residents were controlled or mollified)


----------



## Greybar (Sep 7, 2005)

Locutus said:
			
		

> Locutus scans the village while nodding to himself. "This looks more than adequate for our needs. Thank you Hollus, for bringing us here, and for the companionship on our voyage."
> 
> "Is it unusal for Garcus to not be on the lake? You seemed surprised that he was here."




"Oh, no problem at all.  Glad to help out after what your people have done for us in the past."  He smiles quite genuinely.  "Yes, with a beautiful day like this I'd expect Garcus to be out and either fishing or trading."  He guides his boat to pull up alongside Garcus' dock on the opposite side from the blue-flagged boat. "I'll come along with you and see how he's doing then."

"Any of you know how to tie a good rope?" He starts to clamber back towards where tie-ropes lie alongside.


----------



## ericpat (Sep 13, 2005)

Greybar said:
			
		

> "Yes, with a beautiful day like this I'd expect Garcus to be out and either fishing or trading."  He guides his boat to pull up alongside Garcus' dock on the opposite side from the blue-flagged boat. "I'll come along with you and see how he's doing then."




"That sounds like a good idea. Could you introduce us to Garcus, please?"



			
				Greybar said:
			
		

> "Any of you know how to tie a good rope?" He starts to clamber back towards where tie-ropes lie alongside.




Locutus shakes his head sadly. "Sorry. I'd probably take such a long time you'd probably be better off doing it yourself."


----------



## Samus_the_Lucky (Sep 15, 2005)

Celarus will help the old man out with the ropes.  He doesn't have directly applicable skill but he is good with his hands.  Mainly however he wants off the boat, so he'll help with the knots on the dock side of things.


----------



## Greybar (Sep 16, 2005)

*And then Garcus*

As the ship is tied up to the dock, Hollus clambers out and offers a hand to Fera.  Celarus' nimble hands make quick work of the ropes, to the approving smile of Hollus.

Right at the end of the dock is a small home, looking a bit worse for the wear and the weather.  As the last of the characters get onto the dock, the door flies open and a whip-thin man in greys and subdued blue strides out.  His feet are set towards the center of town, but then his head quickly turns to regard the group on the dock.  He stops and raises a hand to hail you, a broad smile on his face.

"Hollus, old man, whatever brings you here?"
Albus
[sblock]
Garcus' expression is one of great surprise for a brief moment 
[/sblock]
Celarus
[sblock]
Garcus' hand jumps briefly to a fold of his cloak before rising in friendly greeting.
[/sblock]


----------



## ericpat (Sep 22, 2005)

Locutus will position himself a step behind Hollus, and wait politely for introductions to be made.


----------



## Greybar (Sep 22, 2005)

"Oh, we were just coming to meet you", Hollus says in a friendly, honest manner.  He turns a bit, gesturing with one arm towards the collective group.  "I just brought over some folks from Highlake.  From the monastery, actually.  This fellow here is Locutus, and that's Fera, and Albus, and there's one more... oh there you are, yes this is Celarus."

"And my friends, this is Garcus."


----------



## Samus_the_Lucky (Sep 22, 2005)

Celarus is seems to be staring at some particular part of Garcus' cloak when he says flatly, "Are we... interrupting... you?"

DM:
[sblock]Celarus is trying to at least determine if Garcus was reaching for a weapon or something else when he saw us.  He is also readying to jump back and Hide if Garcus makes some hostile movements.[/sblock]


----------



## Greybar (Sep 22, 2005)

Garcus' smile never falters, though his face does take on a more serious demeanor.  "Welcome, welcome.  Friends of Hollus' are friends of mine."

His eyes shift to Celarus.  "Actually, I am in a bit of hurry.  I've been summoned to meet with Krolis on some local matters, as it were.  I'd love to chat further, but I need to be going.  If it's not too urgent, perhaps Hollus can show you to the Cold Fire and I can catch up with you there later."

Celaraus:
[sblock]
You do see a glimpse of slender dagger along his belt on the left side, but you're not 100% sure his hand (he's right handed) was truly going for its hilt
[/sblock]


----------



## daedalus@theworld.co (Sep 22, 2005)

Albus looks to Locutus to see what his stance is going to be.  Will he agree to meet Garcus later, or wil he try to detain him briefly?

GM:
[Sblock]Can i tell what he was surprised about?  Was he surprised at seeing us? Or Hollis?  Or something else entirely?[/Sblock]


----------



## ericpat (Sep 28, 2005)

Greybar said:
			
		

> "Oh, we were just coming to meet you", Hollus says in a friendly, honest manner. He turns a bit, gesturing with one arm towards the collective group. "I just brought over some folks from Highlake. From the monastery, actually. This fellow here is Locutus, and that's Fera, and Albus, and there's one more... oh there you are, yes this is Celarus."
> 
> "And my friends, this is Garcus."




Locutus politely declines his head towards Garcus at the mention of his name.



			
				Greybar said:
			
		

> Garcus' smile never falters, though his face does take on a more serious demeanor.  "Welcome, welcome.  Friends of Hollus' are friends of mine."
> 
> His eyes shift to Celarus.  "Actually, I am in a bit of hurry.  I've been summoned to meet with Krolis on some local matters, as it were.  I'd love to chat further, but I need to be going.  If it's not too urgent, perhaps Hollus can show you to the Cold Fire and I can catch up with you there later."




"The matter that brings us to Icecreek is pressing, but it can wait a short while. It will also concern Krolis and the owners of those other docks - ", Locutus motions to the other two large docks, "Would you prefer to bring the others when you meet us at the Cold Fire, or would you like to hear what we have to say first, and tell them yourself."


----------



## Greybar (Sep 28, 2005)

Garcus' head inclines slightly to one side.  "Indeed.  I am always interested such matters of commerce.  I would be glad to convey your message to Krolis and the other notables who may be at this meeting."

Albus
[sblock]
Surprised to see someone standing on his docks, certainly, but you're not sure if the surprise is specific to you or Hollus beyond that.  So it's not like "Hollus, I thought you were dead!" or anything.
[/sblock]


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## daedalus@theworld.co (Sep 28, 2005)

Brother Causarius leans towards Locutus and says quietly:

we might generate more interest if you gave Garcus a quick synopsis

GM:
[sblock]As I say this, my eyes dart in the direction of the Spires.  My voice is low, but not so low that Garcus can't hear me[/sblock]


----------



## ericpat (Sep 29, 2005)

Greybar said:
			
		

> Garcus' head inclines slightly to one side.  "Indeed.  I am always interested such matters of commerce.  I would be glad to convey your message to Krolis and the other notables who may be at this meeting."




"No doubt you've heard the tales of this past iceberry harvest. We are from the Monastery of the Quiet Waters. We are planning an expedition to investigate how much of the rumors are true. Since the landing site's docks were destroyed, we need to find a new location that we can use to make landfall. That is why we have come to talk to you and the others. Your village controls an excellent landing site, and your docks make this location even better. We wish to negotiate the use of your beaches and docks."

Locutus reaches into the boat and takes out one of the axes. He presents it to Garcus.

"This axe is for you. As a thanks for considering our request, and for conveying it to the others."


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## Greybar (Sep 29, 2005)

Garcus walks forward and accepts the axe from Locutus with a bow and a flourish of his free left hand.  "In the very small way in which I can speak for us, I thank you and welcome you.  I have heard of the harvest, and of your monastery.  I am sure that we can come to an arrangement."

"This is great news, but I must be going.  Please do enjoy the hospitality of the Cold Fire, and let Vanik know that you are my friends and that I'll be joining you."

He gives a smile and a nod to each of you, and makes ready to depart...


----------



## ericpat (Sep 30, 2005)

Greybar said:
			
		

> Garcus walks forward and accepts the axe from Locutus with a bow and a flourish of his free left hand.  "In the very small way in which I can speak for us, I thank you and welcome you.  I have heard of the harvest, and of your monastery.  I am sure that we can come to an arrangement."
> 
> "This is great news, but I must be going.  Please do enjoy the hospitality of the Cold Fire, and let Vanik know that you are my friends and that I'll be joining you."
> 
> He gives a smile and a nod to each of you, and makes ready to depart...




Locutus waves, "I am looking forward to speaking to you again soon."

Locutus turns to Hollus, "Could you guide us to the Cold Fire?"


----------



## daedalus@theworld.co (Sep 30, 2005)

Brother Causarius leers at Fera:

you're going to be quite popular - walking into a bar in your undergarments
perhaps we can pause here while Fera puts her armor back on?

After that, Albus won't have much to say or do until we get to the bar, so he'll spend the time rubbing a salve onto a large scab on his right arm.


----------



## Daphna_Llassa (Sep 30, 2005)

ooc: I was waiting for the conversation to die down...I didn't want to seem too threatening.

Fera will be putting her armor on before we head out.


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## ericpat (Oct 1, 2005)

Daphna_Llassa said:
			
		

> Fera will be putting her armor on before we head out.




DM:
[sblock]While Fera is donning her armor. Locutus will take a momment to manifest _Mindlink_ on Fera. I'll Augment it by 2 points to include Albus and Celarus. And I'll take-10 on the concentration check to manifest a power without a display (which is only mental, but what the heck) It lasts 10 min/level, so we should have just under an hour to silent communication. I'll have my psi-crystal warn each of them via telepathic speech that I am doing this.[/sblock]


----------



## Greybar (Oct 3, 2005)

There is a sound like a small, clear bell amonst the minds of our heroes, along with a slight mental pressure.  It is the familiar feel of a _mindlink_, a very common power used tactically in your training.  Each of you can now speak to one another mentally, without any distance limits, for a time limited by Locutus' mental prowess (a little less than an hour in past practices).

(OOC - please make sure you note what conversations are verbal and which are mental in your posts... I suggest italics for telepathic talk)

 * * *

Garcus quickly strides away, heading for the center of the town.  To say that he follows streets would be to overstate the sophistication of the town.  There are paths between the buildings, many of which are lined up relative to one another, with their faces on the most worn of the paths.

Hollus leads you in the same direction, if not as quick, but the town's small size keeps Garcus from getting out of sight as it might in Highlake City.  Indeed you can see Garcus stepping through the front doors of a large building ahead as you round the corner of a building.  The building seems clearly a public hall, meant to be a bit more impressive than the extremely functional and basic ones around it.  It has four large wooden columns holding a porch to shield double-doors - large by local standards, though the columns look to be only medium-size tree trunks shaved down a bit.

The town is quiet, very much so compared to Highlake.  There is a muted rhythmic hammering back towards the waters and towards your left (to the north), and the cry of a baby somewhere farther ahead (and uphill).  You see the figure of a woman, a child a few steps behind, crossing from one building to another carrying a large basket in the distance.  There are maybe only a score of buildings in the village, as best you can judge.  The wood of most of the buildings has been weather-beat into a dark grey, making recent repairs and additions stand out brightly.

Hollus chats with Locutus as you walk along.  "I really should be heading on back, but having a drink with Vanik won't be too much of a delay, now will it?  I'm well and glad that Garcus is interested in your business.  He's just the man to make sure you can get Krolis' ear, I'm sure.  Yes, indeed, a good man."

Hollus leads you to a building which would be kitty-corner from the main hall, if there were roads to be across the corner from.  Dimly foggy glass windows flank a simple door with a painted emblem of a mug with blue firey contents upon it.  The paint is very weathered and scratched. Hollus rests his hand upon the door, about to push it open: "Ah, the Cold Fire.  I hope you like a taste of the strong stuff."


----------



## Samus_the_Lucky (Oct 4, 2005)

Greybar said:
			
		

> There is a sound like a small, clear bell amonst the minds of our heroes, along with a slight mental pressure.  It is the familiar feel of a _mindlink_, a very common power used tactically in your training.




Celarus attempts to quiet his mind as much as possible.  (ooc: the intent of course to 'hide' as much as possible)

As the group heads towards the tavern Celarus stops for a moment in the middle of this 'square' and looks around, assessing hiding places, ambush points, etc.  He even scouts the immediate area briefly before entering the tavern a step or two behind the rest of the group.   Of couse, if he did things right, no one noticed.


----------



## ericpat (Oct 5, 2005)

Greybar said:
			
		

> There is a sound like a small, clear bell amonst the minds of our heroes, along with a slight mental pressure.  It is the familiar feel of a _mindlink_, a very common power used tactically in your training.  Each of you can now speak to one another mentally, without any distance limits, for a time limited by Locutus' mental prowess (a little less than an hour in past practices).




_"There. Can you all hear me clearly? I wanted us to be able to silently converse while negotiations are taking place. I welcome your insights."_



			
				Greybar said:
			
		

> Hollus chats with Locutus as you walk along.  "I really should be heading on back, but having a drink with Vanik won't be too much of a delay, now will it?  I'm well and glad that Garcus is interested in your business.  He's just the man to make sure you can get Krolis' ear, I'm sure.  Yes, indeed, a good man."




"Excellent. I hope that Krolis will be as receptive as Garcus seems to be."

_"I just realized that I have brought no coin. I didn't think there would be an oportunity to spend it. Have any of you brought money with you?"_



			
				Greybar said:
			
		

> Hollus leads you to a building which would be kitty-corner from the main hall, if there were roads to be across the corner from.  Dimly foggy glass windows flank a simple door with a painted emblem of a mug with blue firey contents upon it.  The paint is very weathered and scratched. Hollus rests his hand upon the door, about to push it open: "Ah, the Cold Fire.  I hope you like a taste of the strong stuff."




"Thank you again, Hollus." Locutus says with a smile and a bow of the head.


----------



## daedalus@theworld.co (Oct 5, 2005)

Across the mental bandwidth comes:
_Locutus: i have some money on me
you are welcome to use any that you need_


----------



## ericpat (Oct 6, 2005)

daedalus@theworld.co said:
			
		

> Across the mental bandwidth comes:
> _Locutus: i have some money on me
> you are welcome to use any that you need_




_"Thank you Albus. I was just thinking it would be kind to offer to buy Hollus a drink. I would be unable to do so without the means to pay. Since it is your money, you may make the offer to him yourself, if you wish."_


----------



## daedalus@theworld.co (Oct 6, 2005)

Albus looks genuinely perplexed.  His brow wrinkles, showing off the network of poorly healed scars on his forehead.  He opens his mouth to speak, stops, and then re-focuses inward:
_it is not my money
i just happen to be holding it
you speak for us Locutus 
so you should be the one to offer him a drink_​


----------



## ericpat (Oct 7, 2005)

daedalus@theworld.co said:
			
		

> _it is not my money
> i just happen to be holding it
> you speak for us Locutus
> so you should be the one to offer him a drink_




_"All that you have said is true. I wished to give you the oportunity to make the offer yourself, in your own manner. If your wish is for me to make the offer, I shall."_


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## Greybar (Oct 12, 2005)

Hollus pushes the door open and enters into the Cold Fire.  A smoky warmth exudes from the open doorway, compared to the cool breeze that has begun coming down from the spires.  The tavern is a small one, with only three round tables separate from the bar itself.  There is an internal door at the far wall, at the end of the bar.  The bar is a simple, small thing itself, with only a half-dozen stools before it.  There is a fireplace which is coasting on coals at one end, and a few oil lamps dimly light the room.

Built into the wall next to the fire is a series of brass tubes and chambers that appears to be a still of some kind.  A short, heavy-set man with oily black curls of hair is tending and polishing it as you enter.

"Ho there, Vanik."  Hollus calls out, and the man turns with a smile somewhat at a loss for teeth.

"Ho yourself."  He squints a bit at the sight of more of you behind Hollus, pausing for a moment  "... and welcome."


----------



## ericpat (Oct 14, 2005)

Greybar said:
			
		

> Hollus pushes the door open and enters into the Cold Fire.  A smoky warmth exudes from the open doorway, compared to the cool breeze that has begun coming down from the spires.  The tavern is a small one, with only three round tables separate from the bar itself.  There is an internal door at the far wall, at the end of the bar.  The bar is a simple, small thing itself, with only a half-dozen stools before it.  There is a fireplace which is coasting on coals at one end, and a few oil lamps dimly light the room.
> 
> Built into the wall next to the fire is a series of brass tubes and chambers that appears to be a still of some kind.  A short, heavy-set man with oily black curls of hair is tending and polishing it as you enter.
> 
> ...




Locutus smiles, and gives a small wave of greeting to Vanik. "Well, Hollus, where shall we sit to wait for the others to join us?"


----------



## Samus_the_Lucky (Oct 26, 2005)

Celarus enters the bar shortly after everyone else; he scans the room and heads for the bar.

On the mind-link you hear his quiet thoughts:
Looks like i didn't miss anything... did I?  I'm a bit parched, I'll just get myself something to drink, maybe some juice

His mind said juice but his mouth whispers 'wine'.

GM:
[sblock]Let me know if Celarus saw anything interesting outside, or in here as he heads to the bar.[/sblock]


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## Greybar (Oct 26, 2005)

Hollus sits down at one of the tables, replying to Vanik as he does so.  "We're got a bit to wait for Garcus, so we thought we might drop by.  And I wouldn't mind a shot of the fire, myself."

Vanik nods his head with a smile and heads back to the bar, giving Celarus a nod as well as he comes in.  "How goes things within the Veil then?  Folks still feel safe behind the fog?"

Celarus
[sblock]
As you were stepping into the bar, a man stepped out of the great hall doors, his eyes immediately looking over at the Cold Fire.  He then stepped right back through the doors.
[/sblock]


----------



## daedalus@theworld.co (Oct 26, 2005)

As Brother Causarius enters the bar, he stops just inside the door, off to the side.  He leaves his hood up and looks around the room.  How many people are here?  Are they paying a lot of attention to us?  

After a quick scan of the room, Albus will sit down next to Celarus.


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## Greybar (Oct 26, 2005)

No one else is visible in the room save for our heroes, Vanik and Hollus.


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## ericpat (Oct 26, 2005)

As we arrive at our table, I'll mindlink:

_
"If possible, please seat yourselves to my sides, and leave the empty seats opposite me. It will be easier to read the thoughts of the villagers if they are adjacent to each other. If it becomes necessary. Hopefully it will not."
_

Locutus takes a seat at the table, facing the entrance, then he turns toward the bar, "Vanik, do you serve mulled cider?"


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## Daphna_Llassa (Oct 28, 2005)

Fera would scan the room for people. If she doesn't see anything suspicious she would sit down at one of tables. If possible would like to see door, and where Locutus suggested.


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## Greybar (Nov 13, 2005)

Locutus, Hollus, and Fera sit down at the table.  Naturally enough, Hollus seats himself right down on Locutus's left, while Fera sits to his right.  Locutus is facing the door, and Fera is then the one closest to the door at the table.

Hollus replies to Vanik's question.  "Things are well enough on the island, though people have heard terrible tales of the spires and the last iceberry harvest."

Albus and Celarus are seated at the bar, which puts them in profile to the door, by the by.  We'll say Albus is sitting closest to the door.  The two of them can see that behind the bar is a sparse collection of earthen mugs, along with a number of mismatched smaller glasses.

"Ay, mulled cider is good when the breath blows down from the spires."

Vanik takes one of the earthen mugs and roughly fills it with a ladle from a cast iron pot that sits over a small flame.  Then, moving with considerably more care,, he takes one of the smaller glasses and draws from a tap on a large brassen vessel.  The liquid looks thin and volitile, clear with a hint of blue, and seeming to have a slight luminescence to it.

He smiles up at Celarus at the bar as he lifts it, a slight shine perhaps in his eyes.  He steps around the bar to bring the cider and liquor to the table.  As he steps back, he pauses next to Celarus. "I don't have that much in the way of wine, unless you have a spot of gold on you.  Would you like to try some of this to warm you instead?"

Celarus: [sblock]
You hear the sharp sound of wood smacking on wood, like a door slamming in the distance, and some shouted voices.
[/sblock]


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## daedalus@theworld.co (Nov 14, 2005)

Brother Causarius looks with interest at the care with which Vanik decants the clear, blue, glowing liquid.  With a smile, he asks:

what is that liquid you added to the cider?

As long as he doesn't respond: "It's poison!", then Brother Causarius will further say:

if you don't mind, i'd like to join my brother in a mug


After he serves it, I will smell the mug appraisingly.  Partly, I am checking to see if it smells like any poison I've ever encountered.  But mostly, I'm appreciating the aroma.  After that little ritual has been satisfied, I will suggest a toast to Brother Celarus:

to temperance!


and take a fair sized schlug of booze.

GM:
[sblock]After that initial chug, I'll nurse the same mug for the rest of the encounter, while trying not be be obvious about that.[/sblock]


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## Samus_the_Lucky (Nov 14, 2005)

Celarus gives the bartender a mock disappointed look.  "No wine? Well i guess i'll just have to _settle_ for that other drink".

(on the mind-link:
Note: someone was about to come out of the meeting house next door but quickly ducked back in after he saw us enter the bar. Also note: there seems to be some door slamming and shouting happening near by.  Perhaps a safe conclusion is that the discussion of our presence is making some people angry, and those people may be making an appearance soon.)

Celarus turns toward Albus (and thus facing the doors) and returns the toast: "Temperance!"


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## Greybar (Nov 14, 2005)

GM Clarification: the cider and the liquor were dispensed and served separately, so there isn't any additive (that Albus could see) to the cider.

If Albus was trying to suggest that Vanik should add a bit of the liquor to the cider to punch it up, then both the GM and Vanik weren't subtle enough to understand.


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## daedalus@theworld.co (Nov 14, 2005)

Ah, sorry.  My mistake - I missed the fact that they are in separate containers.  Brother Causarius will still inquire after the nature of the potent potable, and will order a small glass in addition to a mug of cider.  And will furthermore toast Brother Celarus on the virutes of temperance as we throw back a shot of whatever-it-is...


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## ericpat (Nov 15, 2005)

Locutus thanks Vanik as he receives the cider, and warms his hands against the mug. After a few moments like that, he blows the steam away from the top and takes a sip.

GM
[SBLOCK]I plan to nurse this one drink for the duration. I would like to do so in a non-obvious manner, even if the bartender is undoubtedly used to patrons doing exactly that.[/SBLOCK]

"Vanik, have you made the trip to the island? Or are you too busy serving Hollus" -- Locutus smiles and winks to Hollus -- "and his colleagues to take a day off for travel?"

_"Celarus, thank you for the update. Please let us know of further developments, so that we may prepare ourselves."_


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## Greybar (Nov 15, 2005)

(Stepping back in time slightly)
Vanik smiles at Albus's curiousity about the pale blue liquor.  "This is the cold fire - straight from iceberries, with my own additions.  There is nothing like it."

In reply to Locutus, Vanik snifs with some disdain.  "I have no desire to ever cross that foggy veil.  I'm quite content to let others do that for me and leave me to my freedom and my home."

Celarus[sblock]
There are footsteps pounding on the dirt outside heading towards you.  You'd say they'll reach the door in say... one round.
[/sblock]


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## Samus_the_Lucky (Nov 15, 2005)

Celarus downs his drink and sits up a little straighter, shaking off the burn of the drink, or perhaps he is getting ready for something?

(on the mind-link: We will be having some people joining our party soon.  Right...about...now.)

OOC: of course if the doors don't slam open right then, Celarus will look like a dope.  If so he'll just put his head down over a mug of cider and be embarrassed...


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## Greybar (Nov 15, 2005)

Celarus and Albus down their respective shots in the name of Temperance, but have rather difference responses to the strange liquor.

Celarus [sblock]
Cold fire seems an appropriate name.  It's like someone took a hot ember out of a fire and jammed it down your throat along with a ice cube chaser.  Your throat feels like it is burning, and a chill is racing along your limbs and making your chest feel tight.  You feel a little shaky right now.
(OOC: Bad time for a Fort SV of 9 (rolled a 1).  Celarus has taken some minor cold damage, subdual damage, and his Str and Dex are down a hair.  I'll let you describe how Celarus looks and reacts to that.)
[/sblock]

Albus [sblock]
Cold fire seems an appropriate name.  It's like someone took a hot ember out of a fire and jammed it down your throat along with a ice cube chaser.  But given what Albus has felt before, its actually a pleasantly exhilarating experience.
(OOC: Good time for a Fort SV roll of 17.  No ill effects.  No obvious positive effects. I'll let you describe how Albus reacts.)
[/sblock]


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## daedalus@theworld.co (Nov 15, 2005)

Brother Causarius takes the shot of Cold Fire, toasts with Brother Celarus, and downs the glass in one gulp.  As he swallows, his eyes unfocus for a moment, his whole body trembles, and a slow smile engulfs his face.

wow
it feels almost exactly like swallowing a hot ember and a cold chunk of ice at the same time

And you know Brother Causarius enough to suspect that he might have direct experience in this matter.

Brother Causarius closes his eyes, swallows again, and breathes out slowly through his nose.  His eyes pop open then, and quickly dart to Brother Celarus.  He stares at Celraus appraisingly and asks:

how did it taste to you, brother?

GM
[sblock]It suddenly occured to Albus that perhaps Celarus was less able to resist the strength of this drink, so he is appraising Celarus's current condition.  I'm assuming that's just a Heal roll, right?  Does he appear to be in distress?[/sblock]


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## Samus_the_Lucky (Nov 15, 2005)

Celarus doesn't look like he took the drink too well and his attempts at looking like that the drink didn't effect him is not very successful.

"Oh that's *cough* good stuff *coughcough*.  Whew... wow... *coughcoughcoughcough*"


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## Greybar (Nov 15, 2005)

Albus [sblock]
Celarus looks a bit pale and bloodless in his face, and his hand seems to have a tremor to it.  He doesn't look like he's about to faint or anything though.
(OOC: possible ability damage to Str and/or Dex)
[/sblock]


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## daedalus@theworld.co (Nov 15, 2005)

Brother Causarius leans over and puts one hand on Celarus' chest and then gently, but firmly, whacks him on the back with the other hand until he stops coughing.

you drank too fast and it went down the wrong pipe
next time you should savor it more

GM:
[sblock]
I'm using my ability to absorb Ability Score damage from someone else.  I believe that transfers 1 point per round.  Let me know if anything transfers and i will narrate the results to Celarus.

Also: Does the mind link allow us to 'speak' to someone without the others 'hearing' it?  In other words, is it just a party line, or can it be a person-to-person call?
[/sblock]


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## ericpat (Nov 16, 2005)

Greybar said:
			
		

> In reply to Locutus, Vanik snifs with some disdain.  "I have no desire to ever cross that foggy veil.  I'm quite content to let others do that for me and leave me to my freedom and my home."




Locutus nods solemnly. "I can understand why you would be loathe to leave your home."

GM: [SBLOCK]Logistical questions: How high is the ceiling in here? About what is my distance to the door, and the dimensions of the room?[/SBLOCK]


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## Daphna_Llassa (Nov 16, 2005)

Fera wouldn't have ordered anything, since she has no money with her. If it would be considered rude for her not to drink, she would have some cider, if the others would loan her some money.

She would be watching the conversation, and the door, glad she already has her armor on.


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## Greybar (Nov 17, 2005)

The door to the Cold Fire burst inward and a burly man in leathers and furs comes rushing and shouting through the door.  "VANIK YOU TRAITOR!"  He slams into Vanik, knocking him back a few feet.  His fists are clenched, his teeth tight.  "YOU SOLD OUT MY FATHER AND YOU'RE GOING TO PAY".

He reaches beneath his furs, and each massive fist comes out with a axe in hand.


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## daedalus@theworld.co (Nov 17, 2005)

As Brother Causarius pounds on Cerlarus's back, the rest of you see Albus's face twist in a grimace of pain.  His hands shake violently and a ragged gasp escapes his lips.  Almost immediately, he raises his hand to whack Celarus on the back again -- and the axe guy bursts into the room.

As the burly axe guy advances on Vanik, Brother Causarius backs away from the imminent battle.  He places himself out of the immediate location of the upcoming fight, but close enough that he can reach either Vanik or the burly axe guy quickly.

Celarus (and GM):
[sblock]
Here a little more narration on the Albus Heimlich Maneuver.
Albus puts his hand on your chest and uses the other hand to whack you on the back.  As his hand hits your back ---

_you jam your hand into his mouth and push down down into his chest where you grab something tight and rip it back out of his mouth  _ 

-- and the unsteadiness in your hands disappears.   You still feel weak, and Albus starts to whack you on the back again, but is interrupted by the entrance of burly axe guy.

[Much less poetically: You get back one point of Dexterity that you lost from drinking the Cold Fire]
[/sblock]


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## daedalus@theworld.co (Nov 17, 2005)

Wow....first initiative!  freaky.

Over the mindlink, Brother Causarius will say:

this appears to be a private matter of the heart
i do not intend to stand between the two of them
however i will step in if one appears to be critically injured
does anyone feel the need for more direct intervention?


And I will reserve my action.  If anyone gets down to about 1/4 health, then I'll jump in and give 'em the Touch of Albus.


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## Samus_the_Lucky (Nov 17, 2005)

Celarus stays on the barstool and picks up a mug of cider (Albus') and takes a drink.  He looks a bit better after Albus helped him clear the cough but now he just looks a little sick.

Reserving his action, Celarus is currently playing the part of the guy in the western who sits at the bar while the fight rages around him until it is _his_ cider that gets spilled


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## ericpat (Nov 18, 2005)

Locutus will turn to Hollus and quietly ask "Is this unusual? Should we call the guard?"

GM:
[SBLOCK]I'll also manifest _Conceal Thoughts_ on myself. I'll attempt to manifest without display. I realized I should have done that sooner, it lasts for 5 hours...[/SBLOCK]


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## Greybar (Nov 18, 2005)

Vanik stumbles, his arms coming up in a futile attempt to ward off the axes of the angered man.  The battleaxe crashes down on Vanik's left forearm with the unmistakable crack of shattered bone, and the handaxe slips under the other arm to cut into ribs and side.  Blood is as evident as Vanik's screams.  Vanik falls to the ground on his back, pushing himself away from the man with his legs, holding his shattered arm to his chest.  His side is soaked in blood pooling out on the floor.
"No, No, it wasn't me.  It was Garcus.  IT WAS GARCUS!"

Hollus leaps from his chair towards the man, both of his hands up and palms out.
"Maeror, NO!"
(Which is as much of an answer as Locutus gets)

Almost unnoticed in all of this is a dull, deep bell like sound that isn't quite perceived in the ears... our heroes recognize this as an effect that often happens when Locutus turns his mind to a power.

Much more noticed is the appearance of two men in the doorway of the Cold Fire, both with raised weapons.  One has a large curved swordlike weapon raised, the other a battleaxe.

Albus [sblock]
One more blow like either of those and Vanik will certainly die.
[/sblock]

Locutus [sblock]
*Just* missed the display suppression with a check of 15 needing a 16.
[/sblock]


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## daedalus@theworld.co (Nov 18, 2005)

As Vanik falls to the ground, Albus leaps into action.

GM:
[sblock]
OK, first off, Maeror is my Dodge buddy.
I'm going to Tumble to Vanik (don't forget I've got Mobility) .
When I get to him, I'll do Empathic Transfer.
And, hopefully, I'll have enough movement left over to use Spring Attack to get out of the way of the next round of axes...

The way I'm envisioning my powers is, if I'm successful in taking some of the damage that Vanik has sustained, then I'll also sustain the injury related to that damage.  So, in this case, if all goes well, I'll roll away from Vanik with a broken arm and his won't be broken anymore...until next round, of course..
[/sblock]


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## Samus_the_Lucky (Nov 19, 2005)

Celarus finshes the cider, spins around and slams the mug down on the attackers head; then he fades away toward the backdoor, raising the hood of his cloak and slipping into the shadows.


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## Daphna_Llassa (Nov 21, 2005)

Fera thinks _"Hold on to something"_

GM
[SBLOCK]
I want to do a "stomp", with the following show: Instead of my eyes glowing, I want my leg that is stomping to look thinker and more like an elephant. Instead of the buzzing sound, I want it to sound like the trumpet of a elephant. I wanted it to be okayed by you before I posted it.

Basically, I'll be arranging myself so the cone can hit the guy with the axe and the two people at the doorway.

Here's what I hoped it would look like:

Fera takes a step to the side and raises her leg. It may be your imagination, but it seems to get wider as she brings it down to the ground. You try to keep your balance as the earth trembles underneath you, with the sound of a trumpeting elephant in the air. 
[/SBLOCK]


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## Greybar (Nov 21, 2005)

Fera takes a step to the side and raises her leg. It may be your imagination, but it seems to get wider as she brings it down to the ground. You try to keep your balance as the earth trembles underneath you, with the sound of a trumpeting elephant in the air.

Vanik bounces on the floor a bit, and chairs topple all around him.  He scrambles to try to use them as cover from the angry Maeror.  Maeror spreads his feet a bit, for a moment looking like a fisherman standing on a boat in choppy water, but does not fall.

Albus appears to fall out of his chair, but keeps rolling along the floor, his arms in the classic iron hoop shape.  At the end of his roll he reaches out and touches Vanik, who cries out in surprise and pain as his left arm appears to reshape and straighten.  At the same time, Albus' left sleeve becomes dotted with blood.  Albus ends on the floor next to Vanik, but with a grim smile on his face.

Celarus steps off his stool, smashes his ceramic mug over Maeror's head, and whips back into the shadows next to the bar.

Maeror ignores the cider and wobbly floor, and persues Vanik.  Vanik interposes a chair leg between him and Maeror's handaxe, but takes the battleaxe full on the thigh as he tries to wiggle away.  He screams incoherently and loses yet more blood upon the floor of his own bar.


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## Daphna_Llassa (Nov 23, 2005)

Fera looks directly at Maeror with a menacing look in her eyes. 

"I suggest you stand down NOW!"

It may be the room, but Fera seems to be getting bigger.

GM
[SBLOCK]I'll be using "expansion" now. Are there gorillas in this area? I'm looking to look like a large animal that has good coordination and holding power.[/SBLOCK]


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## ericpat (Nov 23, 2005)

Locutus turns to Maeror, "Maeror, please, sit and explain your grievance with Vanik, I'm sure that a resolution can be reached that we can all *live* with. I'd be more than happy to arbitrate for the two of you. I'm sure Vanik will agree."

GM:
[SBLOCK]I'll manifest _Inflict Pain_ on Maeror, no augmentation[/SBLOCK]

_"I'd like to settle this as peacefully as possible. I believe Vanik is being truthful when he says it wasn't him, and that it was Garcus, whatever that action was. I'd hate to lose the support Garcus can give us with the village."_


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## Greybar (Dec 6, 2005)

Fera does get bigger, until she has to duck her head just a bit to avoid the beams in the ceiling.  And that certainly does seem intimidating.  Hollus back pedals from the whole scene, towards the fireplace, a look of concern mixed with fear on his face.

Maeror's face contorts with pain, his fists tightening and growing white-knuckled on the handles of his axes.  He looks around, squinting through the pain, and coming to focus on Fera.

"You're all in league with him, aren't you.  I've seen your kind before."

(OOC: Fera's close enough in size that she won't suffer any squeezing effects, I'll say.)


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## daedalus@theworld.co (Dec 6, 2005)

GM:
[sblock]I'm basically doing the same thing as last turn: Maeror is my dodge buddy, and I'll heal Vanik.  I'm also going to maneuver so that I can see the two new guys, too.  

If Vanik struggles and tries to avoid my grim clutch of health, I'll smile and say:

don't worry
this really does hurt me more than it hurts you
and if i hadn't helpd, you'd be dead already
[/sblock]


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## Samus_the_Lucky (Dec 6, 2005)

Celarus attempts to stay unnoticed as he skirts the melee toward the door and the two newcomers.  He hopes he can get behind them and then wait to see what action they take.  If they are agressive he'll try to take them down with a quick attack.


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## Greybar (Dec 13, 2005)

*Round 3 of the obligatory bar fight (in progress)*

Albus reaches out to Vanik, whispering to him as he touches him, and quickly the wound on the barkeep closes even as Albus' trouser leg becomes bloodied.

Celarus fades into the background and generally people's focus is elsewhere... wherever he went to.

Maeror whirls his faces into motion as he lunges at Fera.  She easily knocks the blows aside with practiced motions - it's almost as if he's doing exactly the attacks the trainers use in the lessons on how to deal with a double-axe wielding opponent.  She is effortless in her parries.

But then she decides to wrap one now-large arm around him, and Maeror manages to bite the battle axe into her arm.  Fortunately, the blade doesn't hit straight on, only enough to make her wince lightly and leave more of a deep bruise than a rough cut.  Then her arms close around him in a grapple, holding him steady.  "Please stand down. I do not want to hurt you." she says confidently and calmly.


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## Greybar (Dec 14, 2005)

Fera wraps Maeror up quite efficiently, placing his arms in a hold.  "The cold take your lies." he spits as wriggles ineffectively.

The fellow with the large curved blade smiles and says to his partner: "You take the smaller axe."  And then both step forward and with quick blows smash the weapons from Maeror's hands.

"We'll take him now. He will have to answer for what he has done."


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## daedalus@theworld.co (Dec 15, 2005)

I'm going to stay near (but not too near) Vanik.  It's been a while since I've healed someone who hadn't known about it ahead of time - I want to watch his reaction to it.  Of course, if he's totally freaked out, I'll try to calm him down.  I'll try to engage him in conversation about what just happened, and why that axe guy was attacking him.


I also want to not move much, until my own wounds are healed.


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## Samus_the_Lucky (Dec 15, 2005)

Celarus stays hidden by the bar doors for now; keeping a close eye on the guards.  But for now, he will take no other action.  He feels that this _could_ be a simple case of the local guard coming to take away someone who is dangerously misguided; or they could simply be moving into the bar to get a better position to do some harm themselves.

(Plus, given Celarus' *ahem* hobbies, he does not look favourably on the police. [grin])


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## ericpat (Dec 19, 2005)

Greybar said:
			
		

> "We'll take him now. He will have to answer for what he has done."




_"I think it would be best to allow the guards to take him into custody. I have no reason to doubt that the leaders of this village will deal with him justly, nor do I think it will help our petition to opose them."_

Locutus turns to the guards and says, "Let us know if we will be required to testify at his trial."

GM
[SBLOCK]What kind of reaction do they give at the mention of testimony and trial?[/SBLOCK]


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## Daphna_Llassa (Dec 21, 2005)

Fera will wait until the guards seem to have a good hold of him, and will then release him.


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