(033) Life in the Fast Lane

[waysoftheearth]

mushgnome wrote:

The Deacon is a servant of Thuul, as is Josiane.

Oops, my mistake... anyhow, Highbough's world-view might be a bit too nihilistic for the order of the Guardian Path. [img]images/smiley/smiley.png[/img]

[waysoftheearth]

tombowings wrote:
If Josiane will agree, Pelenwin would like to study and look over her spells. He is willing to do the same with her.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Gustave, Desmond & Pelenwin

Pelenwin sees that Gustave and Desmond are becoming sicker each day, and thus puts his mission on hold in order to petition the Sisters of Mercy to see his friends.

(1d6=4) fortunately, due only to his good stead as a righteous templar, he convinces the crabby old Matron to tend to the vice-ridden and morally bankrupt "adventurers" so that they might become "better Men". A difficult thing indeed for Desmond/Mondes, but after a day of supplications, a delegation of half a dozen Sisters leave the convent and see to the sickly pair in the Temple (no Men are permitted in the convent).

The treatment is dastardly, and Gustave and Mondes are sure the Sisters have made their medicines as foul as can be, and their ministrations are scientific rather than tender.

The pair a forced to lie abed for (1d6=6) six whole days, but at the conclusion of this treatment the debilitating sickness has been flushed from them.

The Sisters extract a "donation" of 30 silver shillings from each.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Gustave

On the seventh day, Gustave returns to the Anvil and Hans on bow street to see his armour done. It is the most excellent, shining suit of field plate that ever there was, surely?

He spends half a day with the smith getting fitted and adjusted, and then happily pays Hans the outstanding 165 sp (lightening his purse significantly) for his armour.

Gustave looks and feels quite simply, Magnificent.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Desmond

On the seventh day, Desmond/Mondes (adorned in his great hooded cloak) goes shopping for a mule at the market, and before lunch he has found just the animal. A fair tempered and stout little beast called Murphy, purchased for 16 silver shillings.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Pelenwin


After seeing his friends into the able care of the Sisters, and his purse lightened by 30 silver, Pelenwin gets back to the task set him by the Deacon.

Firstly he investigates the graveyard for himself; and he finds here exactly what those before him have already noted. Apparently there are some dozen or so graves that have been exhumed recently... within weeks perhaps. Most of them are toward the back of the bone yard, near to the ominous sepulcher, but Pelenwin find a few other examples also.

As for the sepulcher itself, after an initial look to confirm what the others have reported, Pelenwin wisely decides that a full strength company should be brought hither, and contents himself to take a watch over the boneyard by night from the steeple.

Throughout his vigil he does not espy the robbers in action, but frustratingly, one morning he awakes to find another grave has been turned!

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Josiane

Josiane joins Ulric and Highbough at the Traders' Concourse library, but she seeks a different kind of knowledge. Eventually she finds her way into the manifold archives, wherein she searches high and low for names she might recognise... who were Gunter Wiesel, Bartholomaus Kries and Katrin Hiesel?

Josiane is not skilled in the lore craft (intelligence 11), but she is mightily persistent! (1d6=3,3,2,5) at last, after 13 long hours in the dusty archives, she finds what did seek on the morning of the third day.

The annuals of the high executioner do record all three names of the names she seeks; with their crimes being noted succinctly as "treason". Their death warrants have been signed by one... Ludwig Grumolg. Whom ever that may be.

After a brief respite, and some much needed sunshine, Josiane digs further, investigating the grave plot records for any indication of whom the sepulcher might belong to.

(1d6=5) This time she finds what she is after in merely a single afternoon! She must be getting good at this "research".

No matter... it happens that the sepulcher is the family crypt of the Gottfried's, who were among the founding families who first tamed the wilds hereabouts, brought peace to numerous squabbling fiefdoms, and establish Ket as a center of free trade.

She spends the next day researching their heritage, and learns that their great forebear was a knight named Arnhold Gottfried. His sons were Bastian, Franz and Gothilff. The lineage is somewhat confusing, for a generation or two thereafter, but one of their descendents was the infamous Helfried -- a Black Knight whose name is greatly feared even now, a century after his death. He had a son of his own; Manfred, whose son, Ingo, is by right the present ruler of these parts.

Surely then, this crypt must belong to one or some of the Gottfried line?

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Dieter & Olaf

The two "serious" fighting Men find their way to the Concourse, and navigate its passages until they locate an office wherein the management of real estate done. Several clerks are on hand to help them discovered properties which are available for lease. Interestingly, there are none to be had for outright sale.

However, Dennis the clerk is an unassuming fellow with a stoop, who ends up showing the pair potential properties about Ket for two days, in which time they view a dozen potential properties.

In the end, it boils down to three choices;

1) A large warehouse in the backstreets of the caravan district which comprises an enormous open floor plan almost 100ft by 50ft with only a single "office" to the toward the rear. It is in reasonable condition for a twenty year old timber warehouse, but it is by no means "properly" secure, but it is out of the way, and has potential. It can be leased for 30 silver pieces per month.

2) A stone walled villa on the opposite side of town which is perhaps one sixth the size, comprising a kitchen and long hall on one side of an open courtyard, and a series of six berths on the other side. It has an 8ft high wall and an impressive iron gate, and can be leased for 90 silver pieces per month.

3) A proper manse; one of the smallest places on Eagle Street, the finest in town. It is almost a fortification in its own right, with gardens, a tower, crenelated walls, three levels with a dozen separate rooms, including a grand dinning hall, as well as its own dungeon. It comes with a housekeeping staff of six, and would cost a rather steep 600 silver per month.

The Men have some thinking to do on this...

edit: correct monthly rate for the manse.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Highbough

Highbough has invented the following new magic, and penned it (in the infernal tongue) in The Infernal Amicus;

Highbough's Torrefaction (2nd level):
At the sweep of a hand metal heats to a glowing red-orange hot. Swords, helms, shields, rings and so on can be thrown down immediately to avoid harm, but worn armour cannot be stripped so quickly, and deals 1d6 points of burning damage per round. Fortunately, light, medium or heavy armour will sear through its leather straps and belts and fall off within 1, 2 or 3 rounds respectively.

A metal mass equal to 2d6 cloves +1 clove per caster level will be affected (swords, shields, helms and so on weigh 1 clove each, light armour weighs 2 cloves, medium armour 4 cloves and heavy armour 6 cloves). The least mass of metal is always affected first, though the heat will last for as long as the caster concentrates and must cool for a full turn thereafter. Ordinary soft metals (lead, silver, gold and the like) will begin to melt after three rounds of heating.

Highbough then pursues a meeting with Trader Eduard, but (reaction roll; 1d6=2) is unable to impress the man despite his lucid advances. He gives up after a day, and seeks out other Elves for himself.

With his intelligence 13 (1d6=5) he decides to shadow Eduard to find out whom of the Elves he actually deals with, and (1d6=2) two days later his efforts are rewarded when he finally observes Eduard dealing with a party of three slim, cloaked figures at his rooms in the Jolly Noose.

The next day Highbough quietly introduces himself to these folk, who are Elvish merchants from the Westrim of Wild Wood, only four days or so distant from Ket. (Reaction roll; 1d6=3 +1 for Highbough's Elvishness = 4) However, Highbough finds even the Elves polite but aloof. Their names are Aeron, Lewellan, and Rhonwen, and they share a simple meal with Highbough and talk pleasantries, but are not prepared to offer much in the way of affirmative action, lest not without further incentive.

Highbough has a nagging worry that the Elves might suspect his own (forbidden) profession...

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Ulric

Ulric has invented the following new magics, and penned them (in the draconnic tongue) in the Grimoire Lusus Naturae;

Ulric's Lyre of Inveiglement (2nd level):
Causes one person with no more than 1d6 hit dice (or levels) +1 hit die (or level) per caster level to fall under the influence of the caster. the enchanted subject thereafter treats the caster as a trusted friend and ally €“ but has no such misconceptions about his company. If the caster acts other than a trusted friend and ally the subject is allowed a saving throw to break the spell, and will react accordingly. Otherwise, the spell is permanent unless it is dismissed or dispelled.


Ulric's Comburent Phlogiston (3rd level):
The caster flings a fistful of blue-green fire outward as if it were a sling bullet, and causes it to explode upon impact. The resulting fireball fills a radius of 20ft, or whatever space is otherwise available, and deals 3d6 hit points of damage +1 hit point per caster level. Inflammables at the blast perimeter are ignited, although torches, candles and the like within the blast area are extinguished.


He also wishes to investigate the following sources...

1) The Abridged Tongues of the Underworld,
2) Flewellen's scrolls,
3) Flewellen's journal,
4) Flewellen's concoctions,
5) The runes copied form the dungeon floor.

Ulric's intelligence of 16 gives him a 4 in 6 chance of successfully solving each of these mysteries.

He opens the Abridged Tongues of the Underworld for the first time, and immediately realises it is a spellbook penned in the Archaic script which (1d6=5) Ulric can of course read. He sets to work at solving the first spell therein...

(1d6=3) After 3 days of study he has cracked the mystery of...

The Effable Apperception (1st level):
Enables the recipient to divine the meaning of glyphs and inscriptions written in languages otherwise unknown, including the reading of indecipherable magical spells. It does not solve puzzles, nor does it imbue any ability to communicate verbally. Lasts for as long as the recipient concentrates upon the symbols to be deciphered.

There is another, far more complicated (4th level) spell therein, which Ulric leave aside for another day. He instead tackles the first of Flewellen's scrolls, which is penned in Merovingian, another tongue (1d6=4) which Ulric is familiar with.

(1d6=3) After another 3 days of study, Ulric has solved the mystery of...

The Trammel (1st level):
Shuts and magically bars any one portal until the caster next rests or sleeps, or until dispelled. The magic-user may open a portal so barred by himself at any time, automatically ending the dweomer. Other magic using creatures have a 1 in 6 chance for each HD (or level) they have of dispelling the magic simply by attempting to open the portal.