Putting the World to rights, Private room - IC party only Options

[dhurrell]

<copied from previous messages>

<<
<<from JC>>

((Keeping rich on chain as ref, but obviously this is a private chat for the grove peeps))

Boys,

Between us, I had meself a cheeky look at the head so I did.

It is part of 3, and it does have itself both a wee bit of power to manipulate fate, and also a wee bit o' sentience, which is why people thought it was bad luck - it was tryin' to escape.

It don't feel comfortable nowhere, but it don't mind the lucky few. That said it wouldn't feel safe in Tai's knicker drawer or the Inner City of Halgar where all them gods go fer tea and so.

But, and I didn't tell that Chance fella this, but this whole statue - all them there pieces combined - they used to be in the grove. And it was these Lucky Few tinkers what broke the damned thing in the first place! From what I heared, it was on account of it being too powerful to stay in one piece - too dangerous to be able to manipulate fate and destiny and luck in that way.

So, sure'n I'm happy to get the pieces back, but I got questions: 1) do we want this statue put back together when it looks like our ancestors didn't? And 2) do we trust yer man there Davie-hoe? Because he's sneaky and slippery like a feckin' eel.

Oh and what about them Twisted Fate fellas? Did the one there turn up for ya man Tirra?

Should we get Wart to have him a chat with them spirits of whatever it was what told us stuff afore?

Aedon

>>

[dhurrell]

Well look at you eh Aedon, where'd you get these smarts from eh?

Ta be sure, I don't fully trust this Chance fella either. But tha ways I see it, if he wants this thing that much an' he's got a purse deeper than Tirra's longin' for busty blondes then I reckon we take advantage of tha fact an' gets paid for what is gonna be done anyways. But I know what ' your sayin', we got ta make our call on whetha we give him tha remainin' pieces or run off with tha next one and have ta steal back tha first piece too eh?

I'm a pretty good judge a character an' all, but I just can't get my normal feel for this guy y'know?

Thad, what can ya find out?

Barra'

<copied from previous messages>

<<
<<from JC>>


((Keeping rich on chain as ref, but obviously this is a private chat for the grove peeps))

Boys,

Between us, I had meself a cheeky look at the head so I did.

It is part of 3, and it does have itself both a wee bit of power to manipulate fate, and also a wee bit o' sentience, which is why people thought it was bad luck - it was tryin' to escape.

It don't feel comfortable nowhere, but it don't mind the lucky few. That said it wouldn't feel safe in Tai's knicker drawer or the Inner City of Halgar where all them gods go fer tea and so.

But, and I didn't tell that Chance fella this, but this whole statue - all them there pieces combined - they used to be in the grove. And it was these Lucky Few tinkers what broke the damned thing in the first place! From what I heared, it was on account of it being too powerful to stay in one piece - too dangerous to be able to manipulate fate and destiny and luck in that way.

So, sure'n I'm happy to get the pieces back, but I got questions: 1) do we want this statue put back together when it looks like our ancestors didn't? And 2) do we trust yer man there Davie-hoe? Because he's sneaky and slippery like a feckin' eel.

Oh and what about them Twisted Fate fellas? Did the one there turn up for ya man Tirra?

Should we get Wart to have him a chat with them spirits of whatever it was what told us stuff afore?

Aedon

>>

[dhurrell]

Hey there fellas

I've been lubricatin' a few throats with tha local ales ta see if I could find out some more about our guy Mr
Davahoe. T'has taken me a few nights, but I finally found a guy. Drank like a fish. Or tha' time we spiked Thad's cow pie wit' those fiery little peppers. Anyway.

After shinin' this fella playing cee-lo and winnin' his last few notes (I wasn't gettin' any leads there so thought I'd might as well reline my pocket wit' his money eh?), I thought I'd make myself scarce an' went to the Old Chandler's tavern. I had bought a guy a fair few drinks when I got tha conversation to Davahoe, an' he tells me he has done some work for some Davahoe's a few years back just loading carts with expensive furniture. They were all called something or other Davahoe even though he reckoned they were clearly not related. He din't remember a Chance Davahoe though.

Then I remembered, din't Chance tell us that Chance was tha title of a rank in tha order? I tried to get him around tha' point, an' on ta whatever he could remember. So, he remembered them paying well, on time an' looked after tha folks. Weird tho... none of his friends can remember working for 'em no matter how many times he told 'em tha' they did. They only remember being paid but can't remember who by or what for.

I reckon tha's why I can't get a good sense of 'im. I reckon he's one of those fellas tha' can screw wit' people's heads.

I'll keep askin' around.

Anyone else found anythin' out?

Barra'

< Sipping from a lovely pint of chilled amber ale. >

I can do a few things. I am currently in the process of trying to dredge up a dragon-glass stone from the northern mountains - I have heard that those can make your blades even sharper than normal whetstones can - but honestly? I can put that on hold for now as we seemed to fare all-right last time.

The Enclave's Library, where I study the properties of magical items, may have some dusty old tomes hidden away somewhere that I can have a peek through... Ahem, assuming I find them. Will need some words to arm myself with though.

< Produces a parchment book and a quill, begins making chicken-scratchings. >

You said the Lucky Few... Could help. But if they took the statue down they may have attempted to hide any evidence of it ever existing. Do you have a name for the Statue, and... I also forgot what the Grove is called, sorry friends. Also the town or area it was placed in would help as well. Names are really important for looking in the Library because, [----] me dead, it's like a Beserker's bedroom in there.

Less challenging will be finding out whether there exists a magical power that can stop you from remembering things. If it's not magical? I'd be willing to bet on neuron-- ahem. Mind powers, basically. Less likely is some form of domination over one's spirit but whatever, I won't rule it out.

Other thing I can do is, if you know where we are headed next, I can draw up a schematic-- that is, a technical picture... Of any of the more commonly-known locations in that area and have a deep think over it. I MAY be able to deduce what sort of spells we should take and what equipment we might need.

But yeah, I need names to help my searching!

- Jorven

Oh and before I shut up... Some of the more secretive orders out there are known for erm... Well, making people's hearts stop if they so much breathe a word of what happened. So... There's also that, which might be why they never 'recalled' what they were doing.

< He adjusts his goggles geekishly, and nods. >

- Jorven

[dhurrell]

Hey there Jorven

Thanks fer helpin' us have a look out there. We're from Venetheren Grove (just west of tha Wine River, pretty much equidistant from Bildteve an' Eldith.)

Don't you worry too much about Chance at tha moment - me gut says time will tell all there, an' although there's lotsa hush hush I reckon we're safe fer now as long as we do what feels right, d'ya know what I mean.

If you've got time, what would be really good is findin' some more about the Sons of Septka, an' tha Servants of tha Forked Tongue.

Where do they lurk, why did they split, an' how we can either get in an' out unscathed or how we bring 'em down. Chance has already said they are both incredibly evil and it can not be wise to leave the piece of luck in their hands. My understanding is that the Servants of the Forked Tongue are gifted at misguidance, lying and deceit. The Sons of Septka are gifted assasins.

Any verification of tha' would be good too. They sound more dodgy than 'Rayne's "Brewer's Surprise" barrel he tried ta sell at market last week, but worth checkin' ta be sure.

Barra'

< Returns and pops a dusty ancient-looking tome on the table with a thud. It looked like it was on its last legs, seemingly withered by age and even the title 'My Life as a Davahoe' was barely discernible. >

Been reading this. Only really got to the middle as the latter pages are either faded or rotted but basically, these Davahoes are supposed to be pretty good people. The author wrote about all the good things they were doing in the community - anonymous donations to noble causes and such. Where they get the fortunes from in the first place is actually a secret, but not all Davahoes are wealthy.

Reason it's so hard to get anyone to remember working for them? The order's secrets are so... well, secret, that it lists in this book a range of punishments or fates that befall anyone trying to divulge said secrets which ultimately all end in death.

But, if you ask me, that doesn't make them evil. Well maybe it does, but a good sort of evil. Like the Empire, kinda.

Also, sorry, had forgotten the names of those other two orders at the time. Library's quite far away and there was this lovely blonde-haired woman on the road with me for most of the journey...

I DID run into Thad though when I stopped by the local church for a bit of bread and soup. Y'know, that warrior with the spirits. I told him we were all meeting here but he mentioned that he "doesn't do meetings", but he can pray to the Spirits if someone was to send him a message at his home. He said one of us might know where he lives already, and are welcome to wander in through his back door if you have any questions.

[dhurrell]

Wart 'doesn't do meetings' because he's a lazy beggar an' can't be arsed ta walk down tha bedamned road!! Send 'im a message ta his house....

Tirra - tha upside means we can commandeer this tavern now eh

Thanks fer your time there Jorven. If you get tha chance ta peruse your library again then see what you can find out about tha Servants next? I'll do some digging around for gossip in tha taverns about tha Sons.

<turns away and mutters - 'send a message ta his house... aye I'll give Wart a private message... an' a slap ta boot! Cheeky whoreson, never knew why we bothered...' and fades away>

Barra'

< A few days later, Jorven would once again be sat in the tavern with a frothing tankard of ale. >

You'll never guess what happened this weekend. I was in Scarlene with the uh... Oh actually nevermind about that. Ahem, well, anyways, I bumped into this group of younger mercenaries, and they looked so very excited. Turns out they'd been doing battle with the Sons of Septka themselves. Learned some interesting stuff.

I found out where we might need to go, what sort of defences we might be facing, and also that there might be more than one of those statues we're trying to assemble. See, these kids found a black, owl-shaped fragment, much like the one we picked up on our last little quest. Theirs was also one of three pieces, just like us.

Reportedly, there is a little base or depot, or something, belonging to the Sons, in a cave along the coastline, to the south of Venetheren Grove and Bildteve. It's got ritual-level defences, so basically stuff we can't disable or dispel without getting inside. How did our younger friends get in? An underground passage of course! Sewers, I think. So we can probably scout around the area near that cave, look for manholes or tunnels that lead below sea-level.

Stealth is gonna be key, because as far as I recall from my reading at the Enclave - at least when I hadn't fallen asleep on the books - any sort of defence with a ritual on it is not only really hard to bring down, but it's also like instant-death times a hundred to any party attempting to just... walk through. Nothing we could protect ourselves against with a couple of Plate spells, that's for sure.

I wanna take a moment here to just say, thanks for bringing me along though. I've never been on a campaign that's actually had me planning ahead before and doing extra work. It's refreshing and strangely enjoyable! Here's to the best of luck.

< Raises his tankard and drinks. >

[dhurrell]

<<The day’s dawn is a few hours away from stirring the remaining winter birds left in Bildteve, as Barra’s head pops through the window shutters in the normal private meeting room up on the 1st floor . He has a look around at whose in, finishes shimmying up the trawling vines growing up the side of the tavern, and crashes on to the floor. He’s clothed solely in a musty old potato sack, and sports a substantial bruised lump on his left temple, now starting to darken strongly. He rubs the red-raw rope burns on both wrists, which match those on his ankles, and slumps down into an antiquated armchair to stir the limp hearth flames into a more billowing blaze. >>


‘Feck me! I need a bottle a brandy, some pants, an’ a slab o’ cold ham fer ma face. In tha' order mind. I'd do it meself, but don't want ta scare tha ladies.

Of yer go!! I ain't sayin' nothin' until this bleedin' brain o'mine stops tryin' ta leak out me ears.

Barra'

[JustinC]

Err... Instant death unless we're stealthy? We're fecked then. Can't even sweet-talk a line o'death.

Aedon

‘Feck me! I need a bottle a brandy, some pants, an’ a slab o’ cold ham fer ma face. In tha' order mind. I'd do it meself, but don't want ta scare tha ladies.

Of yer go!! I ain't sayin' nothin' until this bleedin' brain o'mine stops tryin' ta leak out me ears.

Barra'

< Gently pats the item in his left hand. >

Here, cover yourself with this!




Don't despair, Aedon. Like I said, there should be a sewer or a tunnel that'll get us inside! We'll have to fight a bit and maybe work out a few other puzzles, but at least we won't die!

So where were you last night Barra? ... Learn anything good...? < Snickers. >

[dhurrell]

Well, t'all started as most nights do, I was poppin inta a few taverns, roll in' some dice an' keep in' my ears open fer some news on what we're interested in.

I happened ta buy a fella with a forked tongue branded on tha left side of his neck a drink, and makin' some small talk. I could sense tha' he was a sucker fer pale ale so after a fair few O' those I moved talk on ta brand.

I found out tha' Tha Sons of Septka an' tha Servants of tha Forked Tongue are worshippers of tha sea serpent Septka. However there's been lotsa rivalry of late as there's been some disagreement on what they should be doin' with some artefact they've got their greasy mits on. Tha Servants of tha Forked Tongue wanna use it ta gain power for themselves an' get a foothold in tha region. But Tha Sons of Septka want ta offer tha artefact ta Septka. He got all mournful look in' then, like he'd jus seen his favourite pet dyin' or summin'. Then he explained tha' tha Forked Tongue have pretty much all been wiped out, an' there ain't many of them left. Tha Forked Tongue were mainly made up of newer members you see, an' the lower priests of tha Sons of Septka. So Tha Sons of Septka have tha most powerful priests and the fully trained assassin's so you can probably guess tha' there was not much of a fair fight. Tha Sons of Septka have got what they wanted an' will most likely have offered up tha artefact ta Septka by now. Then, get this, he started ta say 'If only Master Se............", then he starts frothin' at tha mouth, clutches his scrawny chest and plonks face first inta tha table. Everyone around me stops an' stares. I laugh, clap him on tha' shoulder, call him a lightweight an' made myself scarce...

I made my way ta Tha Green Man tavern next an' after doin' some rounds found a man with a tattoo of a serpent on his neck - tha same place tha' tha other guy had his brand. He didnt seem ta have any weapons but I reckoned he was an assassin, he just had tha' I could kill you before you could blink kinda look about him. Anyway, ever one fer a challenge, I offered him a drink an' after a while he gets talking. A lot of what he said was utter garbage but I did notice tha' his hands were covered in small cuts, an' there was a smell of explosives about him. It took a while but Ineventually caught sight of a dagger covered in black dust, which I reckon was his way to conceal it a bit beta. But I obviously stared at it fer a heartbeat ta long as tha next thing I knew 'Twas quiverin' in tha beech table a hairs breadth away from ma pinky... I took tha' as my que ta leave...

I went a coupla streets over ta tha Comely Wench, downed a few more brandies, an this curvy blonde lass catches my eye an' gives me tha' look, you know, tha' look... after a bit o'slap n' tickle at tha table, an' after the evenin' I had I thought it only fair ta give her the Barra' special an' enjoy myself ta boot. So there we were, me teasin' her while carryin' her up ta tha sleepin' quarters, when I top tha stairwell an' round tha corner ta a blacksmith's hammer ta tha head. Now as tha bare knuckle champion of IM1014 I've taken a fair few knocks ta tha head. Tha' knocked me clean out.

I stirred wha' was some hours later tied ta tha bed, all clothes gone, with a note stuck ta tha wall by a pin with a serpent handle. Tha note said....

"This is your only warning, we know you are coming and we know that the Davahoe's have sent you. The Davahoe's think they can save Venetheren Grove but it is too late once we have the statue of Chance the prophecy will be fulfilled and what is rightly ours will be ours again. Interfere and you, your friends, your loved ones will meet the same fate as will soon befall the Davahoe's"...

Can't say I blame you though. Always been a sucker for curvy blondes... D'you reckon we can maybe ask Chance for more money... Y'know, since we're basically protecting his order now.

This is a handy talent you have though for gathering information, your iron constitution. Very handy... Does it make you more resistant to other poisons as well? It's funny how much people say when they're drunk... I'll bet that Servant of the Forked Tongue had a conditioned heart-stop although when you mentioned he was frothing he must've been poisoned. But you were buying his drinks so how...

Doesn't matter I suppose.

I happen to know a guy called the Cartographer. No other names, he's a bit weird, but he can draw any map of anywhere. And for more grulls, he can make it a magical map which does some other stuff like show you where to find treasure.

Want me to go have a word with him and come back to you guys with an invoice?

[dhurrell]

Let's invite Chance in one evenin' this week an' have a word eh?

He'll probably wanna see this note anyhow. We can also see if he'll foot tha bill fer this catrographer. I dont believe in footin' tha bill fer an employer's expenses eh?


Jorven - how sure are you about all tha details of tha account you heard? It fits tha broad pieces I've heard, but some o'those details don't stack up ta a couple of accounts I heard. Fer instance, I get tha bit about not gettin' through tha front door, an' I hear tha sewers were trapped (good job we got you eh!) But I heard they were trying ta find a statue fer a little village called Bortrand, an' tha statue used ta protect tha village an' grant tha occupants long life. But this statue had been smashed inta three pieces an' each piece was at tha centre of a ritual. There were 3 rituals an' these were powering tha ritual defences.

Does tha' fit?

An' I also heard they managed ta destroy tha rituals an' bring down tha defences, at least for tha time being. They retrieved tha 3 pieces of tha statue an' took 'em back ta Bortrand so tha statue could be repaired an' placed back in the village. The statue looked like a black owl...... curious eh? Maybe we ought ta go there first?

I'm gonna stay outta tha taverns an' lay low fer a bit - don't wanna get my head in a noose. Once a week is enough eh...

Barra'

Weeeeeell... I'm sure that there's got to be more than one of these statues. 'Cause we still have that Owl right? So yeah, we should definitely go to Bortrand and check out the statue, see what benefits it offers and maybe what negative effects it also has. It would give us a fairly clear indication as to what's going to happen when we build this one.

And yeah, do invite Chance over! Would be good to sit down with him and share what we know.

[JustinC]

Still don't much trust yer man there Chance.

Aedon

[faulyfaux]

<'Hatter' would enter, look around confused and then look at the floor spinning around whilst pulling the two sides of his beanie somewhat ritually. After this he'd go sit in the corner and remain quiet.>

Well look who it is! Still not talking to us, Hatter? We're trying to work out what sort of properties the statue may have when we find the other two pieces. Would be nice to know in case we accidentally bring down a whole load of bad luck on the townsfolk just by building the thing.