Ignatius tries to listen in on Starlen and the half-elf, but he can’t overhear them without getting really close. On the other hand, Harvey and Keeley aren’t exactly being quiet, so he overhears their conversation just fine.
“Well, it’s up to you,” Harvey tells the disguised silver dragon. “If you want to help, then I’ll be right there with you. We’re a party now, so you’ll have my support.”
“Thanks,” says Keeley. “I just hope I don’t mess up. I don’t have the experience that you have, Harvey.” Harvey waves his hand dismissively. “I’m pretty sure your other form will be effective enough,” he says comfortingly. “Just stick with me if you feel like you need help.”
"Harvey! Keeley! How are you? How's Butter doing? You should join us for breakfast!"
Harvey looks at Fiora and smiles. “Hi!” he exclaims. “We’re doing great! Sorry I didn’t come back with you, but Keeley wanted to ask me something before I left, so I stayed behind. Turns out, she wants to go on adventures too! So I told her that she could come adventuring with me.”
Keeley nods and adds “I’ve made up my mind to get out and see the world. Good thing my traveling companion is a druid, eh? Harvey knows a lot of things about it.”
Just as an FYI, me and my GF just broke up a month or so ago. After we bought a house. So economically we are perhaps doomed if we can't work it out somehow that one of us can own the house, or risk losing the down payment which would make us literally broke again. So whenever my ex isn't in the apartment I spend my days lying in the sofa drinking way too much alcohol. I'm just saying this, not to get sympathy, but just so you know that some days I literally don't have the energy to get out of the sofa to log in here and post, even for 5 minutes. I've become the cliché from a hollywood movie, it's almost funny. But I also just want you to know that having this pseudo-friendship with you is important since I'm in a situation IRL that I just don't have that many real friends left. They are all busy with raising their children and all that.
So, sorry for not being as active as usual, but Vaga don't want to be left behind.
When Marco eyed Vaga earlier he could a see a dwarf in his later middleages, unusually old for a novice monk. He wears nothing but a dirty loincloth. His head is shaved, or at least it was before their last adventure, and he's covered in dwarven tattoos from head to toe, even his feet and hands have lyrics and holy texts inked. Most of them look crude, perhaps even self-made. Many of the tattoos have become a mish-mash of broken sentences and symbols due to all the scar-tissue that litter his broken and mended body. He's leaner than normal for dwarves, but wiry and with obvious muscles. Not muscles meant to lift the biggest weights, rather muscles originally made for working metal in a forge, and now for fighting, running and climbing for hours after hours. His back is a patchwork of scars from constant flagellation. He has a baby blue cloth tied around his left arm and around he wears a pair of magical bracers on his forearms. Whenever they stop, Vaga kneels down in a sort of praying position, his hands resting gently on his knees. His eyes closed and his head slightly tinted downwards. He's not pretty but not ugly either, though he radiates an aura that make some uncomfortable and when he speaks he tend to be socially awkward or misinterpret situations. His eyes show a mix of benevolence and determination, a gaze not uncommon among paladins or even clerics. None of his symbols tell a story of which deity he worships, if any, but with his scars and his little clothing he bears a slight resemblance to Torm. EDIT: Dammit! I meant Ilmater and none other.
Once they reach the Inn, Vaga releases Nanna's arm and excuse himself and walk to his room. He just nods to the rest of the gang, asks for a small cup of water from the bartender and heads up. As per usual, he skips the bed and sits down on the floor in his normal position. He takes the time to enter his deep trance, a luxury he never indulge in during adventures since that locks his senses out so he can't sense danger. He contemplates their latest exploits, their battles, their run-in with the hag and the dragon. He breath slowly, goes through every decision he made, every move, every action, and learns from it. He hardens himself, creates a new compartment inside him, a small pocket of essence that cannot be disturbed by outside forces. He understands now what his old masters in the Order tried to teach him, and he ascends to a new level of body control.
*Nanna opens her eyes with the sounds and bustle of the inn awaking to a new day. She thinks about the look Marco gave her and what he would have seen...
An old decrepit, female gnome, with skin the texture and colour of dried bark, yellow teeth and long white hair tied into plats. Her thin, saggy body covered in a pale, greyish blue cloak. Rings, studded with gaudy stones festooning her fingers. Amulets covering her chest, appearing to glow with incarnate power. Earrings dangle with fetishes, visibly pulling her ears down with there weight. The smell of the grave wreathing her in a green unsettling mist...
Nanna's eyes close again, a smile forming on her thin withered lips.*
To be clear, the idea of leaving people behind only applies to those who haven’t been posting for days.
She finds Starlen and the half-elf, and asks the question. Starlen says “Well, we can have someone deliver it for you. There are several low-ranking members of our company who are willing to act as couriers. You’ll need to talk to Roan about it, though. He manages most of the business transactions.”
On the west side of town, Marco discovers the Weary Wanderer inn. In the center of town, in the market square, he sees a large building called the Satchel and Anvil. Continuing on, he finds small temples to both Sune and Ilmater.
As Marco enters the temple of Ilmater, he sees inside the disgusting Guston kneeling before the altar.
Guston’s formally broken holy symbol shakes in his shuddering hands. He sees in his mind again the faces of the people he betrayed nearly a year ago.
When they are out adventuring, his thoughts of guilt and shame flee from him, and all he knows is the thrill of adventure. His newfound friends barely glance at the puss dripping from his boils, his just curse from Chauntea for his betrayal, and they seem not to care for his past. But in town, the askance, fearful stares of parents hurrying their children past reminds him of his reality and his shame.
Kneeling before the altar of Ilmater, the god of suffering, is fitting, for he is suffering in soul, justly. He can’t forget the women who faithfully came to him with tithes, tithes that he secreted away during the famine for his own gluttony at their expense. He was fine, he was safe, but now at what cost?
Tears of anger and frustration at his curse mingle with the puss leaking from his face. His guilt is hot in his mouth, bile flowing up from his throat, and he spits in bitterness.
Then the faces of his friends enter his mind, and he calms himself, reminding himself of their loyalty and kindness. The past is the past. He must find a way to move on. Perhaps one day he can forgive himself, but that day is not today. Perhaps one day he will find a cure for his curse, or maybe even redemption. Such is beyond his dare to hope, for his bitterness at times burns within him like a fire, eating away at his guilt and chance for redemption, fueled by the blood of the innocent dead crying out against him in his mind.
Guston gains a level of Fallen Cleric. His is now level 3 cleric, level 2 thief. I’ll update the spells in the google document later.
Guston nearly jumps out of his skin when the mysterious man from yesterday greets him. He hurriedly wipes away his tears, and hopes his anger at himself is not obvious as he awkwardly responds,
“And with you,” he says, clutching his broken holy symbol. “Are you a follower of the crying god?”
Vaga wakes up from his trance and takes a sip of water. His breakfast. He stands up, warms up his aching knees and joints, and goes down and out from he inn. He walks and enters the S&A and want to see if they have shurikens for sale there.
"Ho there, shopkeeper! I'm here to browse your fine wares."
Hey @nirman, I can't find the page with the inventory in S&A. Is it safe to assume the vendor has shurikens in stock? If yes, how many and at what price?
“Then perhaps Ilmater has guided you to here,” says Guston with self pity. “I’m not as much a supplicant or follower of him, but he sure finds need to follow in my wake.
“Would you care to join me and my companions for a meal?” he asks as a boil pops loudly.
Just as an FYI, me and my GF just broke up a month or so ago. After we bought a house. So economically we are perhaps doomed if we can't work it out somehow that one of us can own the house, or risk losing the down payment which would make us literally broke again. So whenever my ex isn't in the apartment I spend my days lying in the sofa drinking way too much alcohol. I'm just saying this, not to get sympathy, but just so you know that some days I literally don't have the energy to get out of the sofa to log in here and post, even for 5 minutes. I've become the cliché from a hollywood movie, it's almost funny. But I also just want you to know that having this pseudo-friendship with you is important since I'm in a situation IRL that I just don't have that many real friends left. They are all busy with raising their children and all that.
So, sorry for not being as active as usual, but Vaga don't want to be left behind.
@Skatan It must be a tough time for you, and the situation you're in is indeed stressful and demoralising. Yet, don't lose hope, my friend. Don't let depression and alcohol consume you.
I'm sure you'll find a way out of this. We all face testing times. It is important not to break, but stay strong and take heart. We are all friends here, and sharing our happiness and sorrow with each other really helps a lot.
Ignatius, seeing everyone busy with themselves, gets bored, and wavers off out the inn, being still invisible. He makes his way to the mayor's house. What does he see?
Vaga wakes up from his trance and takes a sip of water. His breakfast. He stands up, warms up his aching knees and joints, and goes down and out from he inn. He walks and enters the S&A and want to see if they have shurikens for sale there.
"Ho there, shopkeeper! I'm here to browse your fine wares."
Hey @nirman, I can't find the page with the inventory in S&A. Is it safe to assume the vendor has shurikens in stock? If yes, how many and at what price?
This vendor has all the different kinds of weapons.
Kaiser looks up from hammering away at something large on the Anvil just long enough to produce a pouch containing about 20 shurikens. “1 gp,” he says as he starts working again.
Ignatius, seeing everyone busy with themselves, gets bored, and wavers off out the inn, being still invisible. He makes his way to the mayor's house. What does he see?
Ignatius sees several guards posted around the building. There are roughly eight of them outside. Looking in through a window, he sees that Emeril and Roan are standing in the foyer, around a table covered in a large map and talking. Another four guards are also standing at the entrance and the bottom of the stairs leading up into the familiar hallway from before.
"Then I will take two. Vaga gracefully puts his hands down the back of his loincloth, scrambles about a bit, and produce two shiny.. two not so shiny coins and hands them to Kaiser". He takes the bags of shurikens and ties them to his cloth.
"I would also like to purchase a rope." Vaga will pay the smith for the rope if he has one (the price will be reasonable), roll and tie it around his waist and then return back to the inn.
*Fiora returns to Harvey and Keeley* "Sorry about that, I remembered I had something that needed to be done. What brings you guys to town?"
“Well, there is still an orc warband on its way, right?” Harvey says with a chuckle. “Or have you forgotten that whole business? All jokes aside, we’re here to figure out what’s going on, and to defend the town, if it comes to it. Naturally, someone has to be here to open the portal to the forest so that the animals can come to your aid.”
"Then I will take two. Vaga gracefully puts his hands down the back of his loincloth, scrambles about a bit, and produce two shiny.. two not so shiny coins and hands them to Kaiser". He takes the bags of shurikens and ties them to his cloth.
"I would also like to purchase a rope." Vaga will pay the smith for the rope if he has one (the price will be reasonable), roll and tie it around his waist and then return back to the inn.
Vaga returns to the inn and groups up with those that are there. Before he joins them, he goes back up to the room and fashions himself a new loincloth out of his bright baby blue cloth. The size of the fabric is small so it ends up more like a demonspawn hybrid between a diaper and a thong. Vaga gazes down and marvel at the creation. It really do match his eyes. He wonders what his friends will say, will they like it? He tries to push away his vanity, it rhymes badly with his old oaths and creeds. He also fashions a necklace out of braiding the greasy hag hair, tying intricate knots in a symmetric shape and form. This will be a marvelous gift, he thinks to himself. He smells the hair.. it's pungent. Maybe I need to wash it first.. He has tied his two new bags of shurikens on to his waist rope, on his lower backside. He has also ritually cleaned himself up best he can in the room so he no longer smells of "too many nights sleeping in mud mixed with blood and gore". He feels rejuvenated.
Vaga leaves the room for now and walks down looking for the others.
I'm a bit off, Ignatius is away I think, but I must have missed where Fi met up with Keeley and Harvey, are you guys in the inn? I think Marco and Guston is at the temple still, so that leaves Khaled and Nanna whom I don't know where they are. Perhaps Khaled being abscent is what you talked about above Nimran.
Vaga, ever socially inadequate to determine what should be asked and what should not, walks up to Marco, gives him his customary light punch on his arm and asks "So Marco, what's the deal with your eyes? Are you shy?" Vaga looks around the room anticipating some smirks, as if he said something witty in his trademarked cluelessness.
Humm.. it seems cluelessness isn't a word? Ah, you understand what I mean. Common isn't Vaga's first language anyways
After the party spends some time to eat breakfast and relax, Starlen comes over to them and says “Best that you all head over to the mayor’s house when you’re done. Emeril will want to speak to you about our next move.”
"Ay, and me too.. " Vaga eyes himself, holding up his arms and flexing his muscles a bit. "I can feel your pain, but do as I did and pledge yourself to a creed of celibacy. It's hard dampening the sexual tension I send out, but I try my best."
Vaga is sincere as death itself. There's not even a hint of joke.
"It's ok lad, let old Vaga here teach you how to deal with the swarms of lasses and throngs of lads. First, grow a beard, that's always the first step. Once you've done that, come back and I'll tell you the second step."
Comments
Ignatius tries to listen in on Starlen and the half-elf, but he can’t overhear them without getting really close. On the other hand, Harvey and Keeley aren’t exactly being quiet, so he overhears their conversation just fine.
“Well, it’s up to you,” Harvey tells the disguised silver dragon. “If you want to help, then I’ll be right there with you. We’re a party now, so you’ll have my support.”
“Thanks,” says Keeley. “I just hope I don’t mess up. I don’t have the experience that you have, Harvey.” Harvey waves his hand dismissively. “I’m pretty sure your other form will be effective enough,” he says comfortingly. “Just stick with me if you feel like you need help.”
Keeley nods and adds “I’ve made up my mind to get out and see the world. Good thing my traveling companion is a druid, eh? Harvey knows a lot of things about it.”
So, sorry for not being as active as usual, but Vaga don't want to be left behind.
When Marco eyed Vaga earlier he could a see a dwarf in his later middleages, unusually old for a novice monk. He wears nothing but a dirty loincloth. His head is shaved, or at least it was before their last adventure, and he's covered in dwarven tattoos from head to toe, even his feet and hands have lyrics and holy texts inked. Most of them look crude, perhaps even self-made. Many of the tattoos have become a mish-mash of broken sentences and symbols due to all the scar-tissue that litter his broken and mended body. He's leaner than normal for dwarves, but wiry and with obvious muscles. Not muscles meant to lift the biggest weights, rather muscles originally made for working metal in a forge, and now for fighting, running and climbing for hours after hours. His back is a patchwork of scars from constant flagellation. He has a baby blue cloth tied around his left arm and around he wears a pair of magical bracers on his forearms. Whenever they stop, Vaga kneels down in a sort of praying position, his hands resting gently on his knees. His eyes closed and his head slightly tinted downwards. He's not pretty but not ugly either, though he radiates an aura that make some uncomfortable and when he speaks he tend to be socially awkward or misinterpret situations. His eyes show a mix of benevolence and determination, a gaze not uncommon among paladins or even clerics. None of his symbols tell a story of which deity he worships, if any, but with his scars and his little clothing he bears a slight resemblance to
Torm. EDIT: Dammit! I meant Ilmater and none other.Once they reach the Inn, Vaga releases Nanna's arm and excuse himself and walk to his room. He just nods to the rest of the gang, asks for a small cup of water from the bartender and heads up. As per usual, he skips the bed and sits down on the floor in his normal position. He takes the time to enter his deep trance, a luxury he never indulge in during adventures since that locks his senses out so he can't sense danger. He contemplates their latest exploits, their battles, their run-in with the hag and the dragon. He breath slowly, goes through every decision he made, every move, every action, and learns from it. He hardens himself, creates a new compartment inside him, a small pocket of essence that cannot be disturbed by outside forces. He understands now what his old masters in the Order tried to teach him, and he ascends to a new level of body control.
Vaga has gained immunity to disease.
An old decrepit, female gnome, with skin the texture and colour of dried bark, yellow teeth and long white hair tied into plats. Her thin, saggy body covered in a pale, greyish blue cloak. Rings, studded with gaudy stones festooning her fingers. Amulets covering her chest, appearing to glow with incarnate power. Earrings dangle with fetishes, visibly pulling her ears down with there weight. The smell of the grave wreathing her in a green unsettling mist...
Nanna's eyes close again, a smile forming on her thin withered lips.*
Ah yes. I don't blame him...
He fancies me...
*FIora goes to find the barkeep to ask where she can have a letter sent*
She finds Starlen and the half-elf, and asks the question. Starlen says “Well, we can have someone deliver it for you. There are several low-ranking members of our company who are willing to act as couriers. You’ll need to talk to Roan about it, though. He manages most of the business transactions.”
Guston’s formally broken holy symbol shakes in his shuddering hands. He sees in his mind again the faces of the people he betrayed nearly a year ago.
When they are out adventuring, his thoughts of guilt and shame flee from him, and all he knows is the thrill of adventure. His newfound friends barely glance at the puss dripping from his boils, his just curse from Chauntea for his betrayal, and they seem not to care for his past. But in town, the askance, fearful stares of parents hurrying their children past reminds him of his reality and his shame.
Kneeling before the altar of Ilmater, the god of suffering, is fitting, for he is suffering in soul, justly. He can’t forget the women who faithfully came to him with tithes, tithes that he secreted away during the famine for his own gluttony at their expense. He was fine, he was safe, but now at what cost?
Tears of anger and frustration at his curse mingle with the puss leaking from his face. His guilt is hot in his mouth, bile flowing up from his throat, and he spits in bitterness.
Then the faces of his friends enter his mind, and he calms himself, reminding himself of their loyalty and kindness. The past is the past. He must find a way to move on. Perhaps one day he can forgive himself, but that day is not today. Perhaps one day he will find a cure for his curse, or maybe even redemption. Such is beyond his dare to hope, for his bitterness at times burns within him like a fire, eating away at his guilt and chance for redemption, fueled by the blood of the innocent dead crying out against him in his mind.
“And with you,” he says, clutching his broken holy symbol. “Are you a follower of the crying god?”
"Ho there, shopkeeper! I'm here to browse your fine wares."
“Would you care to join me and my companions for a meal?” he asks as a boil pops loudly.
I'm sure you'll find a way out of this. We all face testing times. It is important not to break, but stay strong and take heart. We are all friends here, and sharing our happiness and sorrow with each other really helps a lot.
Never accept defeat. Life's battle is never over.
Kaiser looks up from hammering away at something large on the Anvil just long enough to produce a pouch containing about 20 shurikens. “1 gp,” he says as he starts working again.
"Sorry about that, I remembered I had something that needed to be done. What brings you guys to town?"
"I would also like to purchase a rope." Vaga will pay the smith for the rope if he has one (the price will be reasonable), roll and tie it around his waist and then return back to the inn.
Vaga leaves the room for now and walks down looking for the others.
I'm a bit off, Ignatius is away I think, but I must have missed where Fi met up with Keeley and Harvey, are you guys in the inn? I think Marco and Guston is at the temple still, so that leaves Khaled and Nanna whom I don't know where they are. Perhaps Khaled being abscent is what you talked about above Nimran.
Marco! I have the exact same problem!
Vaga is sincere as death itself. There's not even a hint of joke.
"It's ok lad, let old Vaga here teach you how to deal with the swarms of lasses and throngs of lads. First, grow a beard, that's always the first step. Once you've done that, come back and I'll tell you the second step."