AAR: [4M] Falling to Pieces (2020/07/25 at 23:00 GMT)

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ChrisDDickey
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Re: AAR: [4M] Falling to Pieces (2020/07/25 at 23:00 GMT)

Post by ChrisDDickey » Mon Jul 27, 2020 9:33 am

From the journal of Mazor of the deep Servos.

We heard that a rich elf lady was looking to find out where a specific traveling peddler had gotten some of his wonderful stock. We met with the Lady Evalynne Gabo, who called us "Darlings" (but managed to put a W in the word somewhere, almost as if it fit). She was quite effusive about the peddler (Henrick Kimball) and his goods. "Find the fabulous man, and have him tell you where he found my marvelous new necklace.". 

The crazy thing is that as far as we could plainly see, her necklace was just a hunk of broken rock on a string. It did not look either lovely, nor valuable. I used Astral Sight, and saw that the hunk of rock had a spell upon it. In an effort to determine what it was that she saw when she looked at it, I asked if it was the color or the shape that most appealed to her. She dismissed the question, saying only that we should attend her ball in a few days to see how wonderful the necklace was, a comment that did not make any sense, since she had just indicated that the hunk of rock on a string was the very necklace she was talking about, we could all see it. She then left saying that her butler would handle the details. I repeated my question about the color or shape to the buttler, but he was so stone-faced I could not determine if his mind was also clouded by magic, or if he was simply unwilling to admit that his mistress was acting irrationally. LaShana Tumblesprout asked about payment and the butler really snootaly said that we would be well compensated. When she tried to nail down the exact compensation he said something about rich people being trustworthy to pay their debts, which indicated that he was either insane, or thought we were idiots. Our tentative impression was that both the Lady Gabo and her butler were mind-clouded by magic. 

So the only thing we knew was that Henrick Kimball had sold her this "necklace" in Juniper Hollow a few weeks previously, and that she loved it. Asing a few questions in the Grand bazaar and bartertown gave us the impression that many people knew of the man, but most were impressed only with his ability to get people to pay good silver for the useless junk he usually carried. His salesmanship and charisma keep people who should know better buying his goods. However nobody that we talked to in either the bazaar or bartertown had seen or heard of him recently. So we headed off to Juniper Hollow to pick up the trail. 

In Juniper Hollow we got on the wrong trail, going south towards Kampong Gajah, in Clear Creek Crossing we finally got a hold of the real trail, heading north towards Sossanopa. We also got a better description of his small canvas covered wagon, with a colorful sign extolling the virtues of whatever he was selling that day. The guard that  Vralino Hammer-Shield spoke to also said that his greeting ritual was that he sings loudly. We turned around and hurried north, and by the time we arrived in Sossanopa were only a few days behind him (he had apparently stopped in several places for market days). We crossed the river and headed after him, tracking his horse and wagon. After 2 days hard riding we heard a commotion ahead. Rushing forward we saw the peddler's wagon being attacked by 5 ice flyers. 

The fight was long and brutal. Elisen spent most of the fight encased in ice shackles, unable to fight. I felt that I was doing good dominating the ice flyers, but one of the two totally ignored my command to flee. The leader did a howling challenge at me, and I also was unable to do much except howl back at him. Finally Elisen managed to break free, Battle Shouted the leader, who was unable to continue his challenge, so the battle was quickly over. 

We spoke to the peddler, who was indeed Henrick Kimball. He thanked us for rescuing him, and when LaShana Tumblesprout asked about his wares, he sold her a ring, which he called a flibber de jibbet. When I asked where he was going he said that through mystical contacts he had learned of a place called Kaer Garowin, which he returned to periodically to perform mystic rites known only to his secret brotherhood to bind himself to the location. We said since we were heading that way anyway we would be happy to travel with him. He never asked us what business we had in that area. I did not want to ask about the Lady Gabo's neckless right up front, but wanted to work over to it naturally during a conversation. Alas the miles flew far faster than I would have estimated and we arrived at the ruins before I could bring the subject up. 

Henrick stopped outside a ruined castle, and said he needed to be alone to perform his mystic rites. He entered a building, and I heard him moving something heavy to one side, then I heard him descending.In the meantime LaShana was messing with a locked something or other in the courtyard floor. I was just about to nip inside and see what Henrick had moved, when behind me some wisps of fog coalesced into 3 dire wolves who took us completely by surprise. After they formed, they seemed like totally and completely natural dire wolves, except I could feel that somehow they did not have quite the connection to this world that they should. Moments later two more wolves formed. This fight was short, but LaShanaand and Vralino were very wounded at the end of it. When unconscious, the wolves exploded in a cloying fog, one such explosion sent me into a coughing fit. 

No sooner had I recovered from the coughing fit, than Henrick came back. He had not been gone very long at all. He had with him a sack, from which spilled a black bound book. Engraved upon the cover was a scene of a mounted rider leading a pack of dire wolves. This book was closed with triple clasps, each with a lock. He said he found it here in the ruins, along with a lot of other loot. He has been coming here and taking stuff from here for 6 months and selling it. When questioned sharply about the necklace he sold to Lady Gabo, he said he found it here, and that it just felt right to take it, and to sell it to her. I checked some of the contents of the bag, and of the first 7 items, only the book was magical. Of course not being magical is in no way an indication that it is not cursed. 

I am still not certain what the others thought was going on, but I was getting very concerned. Mind fogging magics. Henrick saying it felt "right" to take certain items here and sell them to certain people elsewhere. I admit that there might be other possible explanations, but I was very, very concerned that Henrick might be spreading cursed items. To my mind, the only question was whether to deliver him up to the elders in Sossinopa, or Throal, but to my shock the others argued as to the correct course of action! They seemed to be concerned that the elders of Sossanopa or Throal would put the peddler to death out of hand on the merest rumor of a suspicion, with no real investigation or attempt to discover the truth! What type of barbarian civilization have I moved to when I left the Servos? 

In the small kear where I grew up, we young ones were constantly taught signs to watch out for. And were taught that if somebody was acting strangely, you MUST inform the elders of the kear. And if it was the elders who were acting strangely, then you must inform everybody. We were told stories of villages, towns, and even cities that were lost to horrors prior to the closing of the kears. And that often the horror marked people who had doomed those places had acted strangely. The thought that people that I had been traveling with for weeks, and had thought were sane and rational would even for a moment consider just ignoring the things we had seen and NOT reporting them was amazing and terrifying.  

As I said, I was all for taking Henrick back to Sossanopa or even all the way back to Throal (we were going there anyway) and reporting all that we had seen. The others were mostly in favor of ignoring it all! One even seriously suggested that we should simply suggest to the peddler that he should avoid cities and large towns (as if having the residents of villages and small towns cursed was in some way OK - I mean at least Thraol has ways to defend itself from infestation! Small towns do not!) In the end we compromised. We would not take Henrick in, but would let him go, with his wagon and all of his possessions except the black book. We carried the black book to Throal and gave it to a horror stalker of some renown, and reported that we suspected the book and the necklace of Lady Gabo might be either cursed, or be some sort of baleful magic. If this Henrick is spreading horror cursed items, this action is totally insufficient. 

I was worried that my companions' attitudes might be borne out, and  that the elders of Throal might really be so lazy and irresponsible as to not do a full investigation of suspected horror taint. Or that they might be so cruel as to put to death all with even the mildest of suspicion falling upon them. Fortunately their fears were, in our case, groundless, and an adequate investigation was conducted that concluded that we, at least, had not been horror tainted. But why were my companions so univercily sure that the elders of Throal would not investigate? How common is their almost suicidally casual attitude of "see no evil" and that if a possible horror infestation is ignored with sufficient conviction that it will simply go away? I am troubled. 

sigfriedmcwild
Posts:335
Joined:Wed Nov 13, 2019 6:59 am

Re: AAR: [4M] Falling to Pieces (2020/07/25 at 23:00 GMT)

Post by sigfriedmcwild » Tue Aug 18, 2020 9:49 pm

From the Songs of Passion by Elisen of clan Adorjan, Haressa-tis

When lady Gabo of the expensive tastes bought a rock as a jewel
And she thought it was a prize beyond compare
And her greed sought more
And the adepts joined for for they felt it was a danger
And the adepts were Thorkell father of weapons
And the adepts were LaShana of the stealthy ways
And the adepts were Mazor of the many pets
And the adepts were Vralino of the stabbing spear
And the adepts were Elisen rider in the silent wind
And the adepts sought to allay their fears

And the journey took them to Juniper Hollow
Juniper Hollow where the lady had bought from the tramp

And the adepts sought the tramp

And the journey took them to Clear Creek Crossing
Clear Creek Crossing where the tramp had gone through

And Vralino asked the captain of the guard
And Vralino found a fresh trail

And the journey took them to Sosanopa
Sosanopa where the tram crossed the Serpent

And the adepts followed suit

And the journey took them into the mountains
In the mountains where the tramp's journey was about to end
End at the claws of ice fliers

And the adepts fought the monkeys
And Elisen was frozen in the sky
And Mazor was challenged for dominance
And the adepts prevailed after long struggle

And the journey took them to the tramp
The tramp who was looking for a place of power
A place of power where to renew his magic
And the adepts joined him for trust was short
And fear loomed long

And the journey took them to a ruin
A ruin from before the scourge
And the tramp hid to perform a ritual of power

And the adepts scouted the ruins
And the adepts found a door
A door sealed to an underground mystery

And ghostly wolves as large as horse appeared
Wolves guarding the door or sent to kill
Wolves waiting for an age or summoned in the moment

And the adepts fought the wolves
And the wolves kept appearing
And the wolves would strike even in death
And the adepts suffered grievous injury
And the adepts scattered the phantasms

And the tramp returned from his rite
And the tramp denied all knowledge
And the tramp carried prizes
Prizes stolen from the ruin
And the tramp carried a book

And the adepts has questions
And the tramp's answers were worrying
And the tramp's lies kindled Vralino's fire

And the adepts had a choice
A choice to about fear
Fear for themselves
Fear for the tramp
Fear of the past

And the adepts argued for trust was short
And fear loomed long

And the adepts chose to fear the past most of all
And the brands of the past were on them

And so the journey ended
And the adepts gained nothing
And the fears were not defeated

And so the the horrors of the past still shaped the world of today

Lashana
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Re: AAR: [4M] Falling to Pieces (2020/07/25 at 23:00 GMT)

Post by Lashana » Tue Aug 25, 2020 8:04 pm

Man, I managed to get this wicked cool looking new bow. It's almost like it isn't there, unless you touch it and then it has these neato carvings on it. It doesn't seem to shoot any better than my other bow but I'm gonna have Throkell look at for me. Cause I wanna see about getting it forged and making it BETTER than my current bow. Cause if it LOOKS cool then it should BE cool, right?
Soooo, anyways, I was bored and wanted to get out of town and I heard tell that ya know there might be a party going to meet some old lady about some pretty gem stones she had and that she wanted to get more of. Weeelllll, you know what happened when they mentioned old lady and gem stones in the same sentence? My already pointed little ears perked up even more. I had to get a piece of this action. So I signed up to scope out I mean ...errr...ummm....assist the party in their endeavors. ;) And off we went to meet Lady Gabo. And man, she was something. She was SOOOO curvy. I have no curves, none really and that may be because she had ALL of the curves. I've never seen one of her kind with so much ... curve to them. I told her I wanted to be just like her when I grew up. There was a lot of jibber jabber about the job, I was too fascinated with her curves and the food (it was really good...no wonder she had those curves). The stones were really just regular old rocks as far as I could tell. But she clearly had some gold to spare so if she wanted to send us after rocks...meh...who am I to complain.
This trip seemed to take us everywhere. Juniper Hollow, then to Clear Creek Crossing, then Sosanopa and then on over the river towards the mountains. We were always a step behind this guys. Until we weren't, which happened to be right as he was running into some honest to goodness flying monkeys. They were attacking him and his wagon. Like for real. And they were not monkeying around (ha ha ha) or we had gotten sloppy after so many days of just plodding along. These monkeys had many tricks up their sleeves. They were able to fly, cause us to be frozen and several attack styles. And while my new bow was pretty we were alittle at odds with each other..which seemed alittle weird but well....it was right in the middle of battle so who had time to think about such things.
Once we finally took care of these blasted monkeys (that was crazy hard) we had to barter with Kimball to let us go with him. I bought a really pretty little sparkley that I'm currently wearing as a smidge too tight bracelet since it is WAY too big to be a ring. Well, the rest of the trip to his ruin/foraging grounds were pretty uneventful and once we got there he said he had to go underground to do some ritual thing. I don't know, I wasn't really listening because there was this really cool building thing with runes and locks all over that I was itching to try to break into. But as I was giving it a thorough inspection I was ambushed from behind by what I found out (when I was able to ACTUALLY turn around) were these wifty smokey wolf things. luckily I was able to avoid being grabbed by his giant teeth. They were a giant PITA to take out and they did knock me out there at the very end. But once they are gone and I am awakened from my befuddled state Kimball returns above ground with a book and did something that made Vralino (she of the nether region retention of her enemies) so mad she nearly flew into a rage so I flew over and place as much of my poor battered body over his heart, throat and face as possible and said she would have to go through me. Between me and several others in the party we were able to calm her enough to have her walk away.
The party was split almost 50/50 on whether he was horror marked or not and what to do with him. Throknell and I on one side and Mazor and Vralino on the other. Elisen was leaning with us towards letting him go, so a compromise was made to turn him over to the guards and let them deal with him - this was done so that Mazor would let us leave WITHOUT killing Kimball.
And because of that....WE paid the price. We got thrown in lock up for 13 days. Luckily, Mayday is super crafty and between the food I left out/in the house and his own resources he was fat and happy when I got home. Of course my meager cupboards were bare and my "neighbor" may have mentioned thinking they have a rodent problem, but Mayday is okay. Also, the law charged me for the care and feeding of Ophelia. Like dude...you locked me up. But I had to pay because otherwise they would have kept her. :(
But I still have my pretty ring and Throknell is going to look at my bow because again, during that fignt with the smoke wolves my bow just seemed to have a mind of it's own.

yankeeschic
Posts:3853
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Re: AAR: [4M] Falling to Pieces (2020/07/25 at 23:00 GMT)

Post by yankeeschic » Sat May 24, 2025 5:28 am


yankeeschic
Posts:3853
Joined:Fri May 23, 2025 6:44 am

Re: AAR: [4M] Falling to Pieces (2020/07/25 at 23:00 GMT)

Post by yankeeschic » Mon Jun 02, 2025 3:05 am

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