(016) Of Knaves and Men

Waysoftheearth's Hinterlands PBP

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Post by waysoftheearth » Sat Jan 22, 2011 11:50 am

(016) Of Knaves and Men

waysoftheearth wrote:
Koch, your adventure begins... now.

Koch scratches his finger-nails idling along the grimy stone floor of his dark, tiny cell -- not for the first time. He had long since ceased to count the dark days of his captivity...

At least it was clear that Saxxon wasn't going to kill him in a hurry. Not until whatever ransom had been asked was returned wanting. And Koch knew it would be. For though his father had a fine reputation as a mercer and tailor, he knew the family fortunes did not extend to ransoms for sons caught out on foolish adventurers. He also knew that the commission on the Lady Idylle's wedding dress had stretched the family resources to the fullest. When Saxxon's brigands had raided that last caravan of silks and fabrics, the family was all but ruined, Idylle commission or no. So it was that Koch and taken up the spear and set out to sort matters out himself. That had turned out to be a mistake.

And so here he was. Rotting in a distant cell in Saxxon's gaolhouse, another liability to his father's ailing business...
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]

Posts: 16902
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 1:15 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Post by waysoftheearth » Sat Jan 22, 2011 11:57 am

(016) Of Knaves and Men

waysoftheearth wrote:
Nidhogg, master Kirby -- a scruffy old feller with a slight limp -- leads you from the mess hall into the adjacent kitchen, and then down a flight of stone stairs to the underground pantry.

A half light from above and a sputtering torch burning in a wall scone combine to illuminates the place. Kirby takes the torch from the wall and says, "Thru 'ere," indicating a low door that descends even further into darkness. "It's the cellars," he explains with a shrug.

Nidhogg's nose tells him it must be damp and unclean in those cellars...
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]

Posts: 16902
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 1:15 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Post by waysoftheearth » Sat Jan 22, 2011 4:18 pm

(016) Of Knaves and Men

Guest wrote:
"As you say, " Nidhogg enters the low door indicated by Kirby, "Ser, tell Master Copernicus that I would be grateful to attend him at meal time and regale him with some more yarns!" Nidhogg glances about the room. "Where might I find my bunk?"
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]

Posts: 16902
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 1:15 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Post by waysoftheearth » Sun Jan 23, 2011 1:02 am

(016) Of Knaves and Men

waysoftheearth wrote:
From where he sits, squinting into the offensive torch light that suddenly washes into the dunjon, Koch can barely make out the shape of a small Man descending the rude stair toward him.

The fellow says something about the infernal Copernicus over his shoulder, which Koch doesn't quite grasp, and then asks -- of all things -- where his bunk might be.

"Kip anywhere ya like," smirks the fellow above, "but don't disturb tha prisoner!" before smartly slamming a trapdoor closed over the stair, filling the room once more with a near-total darkness.

The sound of the trapdoor being swiftly barred from above fill the the small space, and then there is quiet once more...
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]

Posts: 16902
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 1:15 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Post by waysoftheearth » Sun Jan 23, 2011 2:50 pm

(016) Of Knaves and Men

Professor P wrote:
KOCH

(OOC: Is the only opening to the room the trapdoor in the ceiling? Any small windows? What is the room made of: wood, stone?)

Koch thinks to himself for what seems like the thousandth time:

His train of thought comes to a stop as the trap door opens,

He sees blinding but glorious light, and hears the voice of the one called Kirby, but then the second voice that mentions something of the bastard Copernicus. The glorious light fades and the trapdoor slams locked. Once his eyes readust to the dark, Koch is faced by a small man, no a dwarf,

KOCH to dwarf: "Heh, seems that d**ned Copernicus has a new prisoner. Why did they capture you, ransom? knowledge of some untapped gold mine? Name's Koch, by the way."
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]

Posts: 16902
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 1:15 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Post by waysoftheearth » Sun Jan 23, 2011 9:26 pm

(016) Of Knaves and Men

waysoftheearth wrote:
Professor P wrote:(OOC: Is the only opening to the room the trapdoor in the ceiling? Any small windows? What is the room made of: wood, stone?)
The room is all hewn of the natural bedrock beneath the gatehouse. It was probably well carved once, a long time ago. But now it is damp and grimy with age, rough and crumbling in places, and fissured in others.

The only light here are the tiny shards of grey that filter down through cracks between the boards of the trap-door above. Nidhogg sees well enough in the dimness, but Koch can barely see about him in the dark.

There are no other obvious exits, although the cellar does extend a good long way back into the darkness... Koch has not had the opportunity to explore it further, due to the manacle around his ankle that fixes him to a heavy iron ring on the wall.
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]

Posts: 16902
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 1:15 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Post by waysoftheearth » Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:45 am

(016) Of Knaves and Men

Guest wrote:
"Capture !?! " Nidhogg says with obvious mirth. "Nay, Lad, I am a guest of the Good Master." Nidhogg paces back the length of the cellar looking about as he goes. "Surely, you good ser, are not the prisoner I am to leave unmolested?" His eyes dart back and forth and he rubs his bald head. Under his breath, " There is no other here and these accommodations do not even meet what I once had in this place." He sits upon the floor a caricature of confusion and upon realizing his face points toward the one called Koch he turns his back and begins to mutter touching his fingers as if doing sums.
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]

Posts: 16902
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 1:15 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Post by waysoftheearth » Mon Jan 24, 2011 9:46 am

(016) Of Knaves and Men

waysoftheearth wrote:
Nidhogg spies by his Dwarfish eyes -- long accustomed to dim illuminations underground -- that the bullish young Man called Koch is manacled to the wall by a heavy iron chain. He sits confined in a tiny alcove of stone, mayhap a pair of yards square, but with no gate or enclosure. The rest of the cellar is cluttered with old crates and barrels, many of which appear ransacked, and covered in grime and cobwebs. A few -- those nearest the trapdoor entrance might have been accessed more recently. An off-putting tang of ruined foodstuffs on the damp air seems to confirm this.

Nidhogg continues to pace as he figures, and soon finds the cellar to be a lot longer than he had suspected... in fact, now that he searches earnestly, he cannot truly spy the farthest wall. It must be back here somewhere, behind this stack of crates, or that, but no. The cellar seems in fact to be connected directly to a low, arched tunnel that winds awkwardly farther into the darkness...
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]

Posts: 16902
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 1:15 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Post by waysoftheearth » Mon Jan 24, 2011 10:59 am

(016) Of Knaves and Men

Professor P wrote:
KOCH

"Well as far as I can tell, I'm the only one left down here," KOCH sadly says with a sigh. He sits down, legs crossed and wipes his hands down his face. "All the others have been taken up for torture, death, or god knows worse."

Koch pauses as in prayer to the now departed prisoners, or himself, and continues, "But let me ask you good dwarf, if you are no prisoner, why are you locked down here with me?"
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]

Posts: 16902
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 1:15 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Post by waysoftheearth » Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:16 pm

(016) Of Knaves and Men

Professor P wrote:
KOCH tugs on his manacles chain, hoping beyond hope that it has loosened.

OOC: I am assuming from the description that only one leg is chained and arms are free. Is that right?
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]

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