Troubled Past PBEM 76 - Hunted
Fabian Benavente
Read the ooc.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Enjoy!
Fabian
Troubled Past - An Eberron PBEM
http://www.geocities.com/cfbenave/Eberron/Eberron-Page2.htm
Angie Gignac
BTW, I thought Bryn was doing the tracking, and Flask was just alongside for backup. Did she lose the trail?
There's no in-joke in asshat. It just sounds funny. Probably because you expect the word to be asshole, but instead, it's a hat. Which is a disturbing visual. It reminds me of a scene from City Slickers.
Billy Crystal (to beautiful woman walking by): Good night!
Bruno Kirby: You're a married man, you shouldn't flirt like that.
BC: That wasn't flirting, that was a friendly "good night, sleep well".
BK: No, that was "I like your ass, can I wear it as a hat?".
Fabian Benavente
> drain us of all our best defensive spells before springing the real monster
> on us? Bad DM! :)
It's all about having fun with you people. :) And the story; don't forget the story.
> BTW, I thought Bryn was doing the tracking, and Flask was just alongside for
> backup. Did she lose the trail?
Maybe I didn't express myself properly. Let me try again:
- the group got on the trail that was leading them to the 'tomb' (somewhere north of where
you landed);
- it was the same trail that the natives and faculty took;
- you are still following the natives and faculty however, you're not sure whether the
trail still leads to the 'tomb'.
Better?
Thanks for clearing up the joke. :)
L8r,
kirs...@yahoo.com
spells ;^)
REF: Although things seemed back to normal, there was still something
in the air. A sort of dread that told of a patient hunter waiting for a
better opportunity. The problem was that the ir'Valerians seemed to
be the prey.
RPG: "Bugger," Flask muttered intelligently after the ambient
cacophony of the jungle resumed and even the spooked scout was starting
to feel certain he wasn't going to end up in a snake's stomach...
just yet.
"Ain't completely brainless, that worm," he said aloud, lowering
his bow, eyeing the jungle nervously. "Best tae keep the point an'
rear best keep close tae the main group from here on. The thing mighta
be trailin' us an' waitin' tae catch one o' us alone,
unguarded."
"Sooo... we gonna keep on trailin' the weed-lovin' natives or
backtrack an' go fer that tomb?" Flask asked. "Guess the tomb's
not gonna go anywhere, but let's face it, the Morgraves ain't
exactly our problem. Who knows, they mighta end up fightin' us fer
whatever be in that tomb, given half a chance. Could be that the
natives did us a service takin' care o' 'em as they did." Not
that Flask was without pity, and finding out more about the natives
could be of use to them, but let's face it; there were many things
wrong in the world and only a fool expected to set them all to right.
Wondering how he might answer his own question, Flask's mind wandered
back to the ancient Dhakaani manuscript the University expedition had
struggled to translate.
'Harken to the tale of the Gam Trakaa, the Hooded Wanderer of the
wastes, the Bane of the Unfound.' The old scout could just imagine
the ancient author's shrieks as she argued with her peers about the
prominence of her chosen hero among all the heroes of the ancient
empire. For if she had taken to debate with half the gusto and
intensity that she put into her writing, she had likely been foaming at
the mouth to declare the superiority of the hero she had chosen to
immortalize.
The text had been a challenge to translate, but the Morgraves had
already done most of the work and he had always had quite a knack for
languages. Though the sheer pathos in the ancient author's words had
nearly made Flask tear the pages in frustration. If she had loved that
hero of hers so much, she could just have bedded him when she had a
chance and be done with it! Now that unrequited lust burned from the
pages, poisoning whatever objectivity might have remained.
TAG: Everyone interested...
-Jussi / Mel
Angie Gignac
[Flask old]
"Sooo... we gonna keep on trailin' the weed-lovin' natives or
backtrack an' go fer that tomb?" Flask asked. "Guess the tomb's
not gonna go anywhere, but let's face it, the Morgraves ain't
exactly our problem. Who knows, they mighta end up fightin' us fer
whatever be in that tomb, given half a chance. Could be that the
natives did us a service takin' care o' 'em as they did."
Les Anderson
> "Sooo... we gonna keep on trailin' the weed-lovin' natives or
> backtrack an' go fer that tomb?" Flask asked. "Guess the tomb's
> not gonna go anywhere, but let's face it, the Morgraves ain't
> exactly our problem. Who knows, they mighta end up fightin' us fer
> whatever be in that tomb, given half a chance. Could be that the
> natives did us a service takin' care o' 'em as they did."
[Bryn - old]
> "Think we should stop following tracks, should find tomb. Arianna's
> grandfather sick, dying. Needs help from us, from tomb. Need find
> Bori's killer. University people not for us to save. Right?" She looked
> around to the others, hoping for agreement.
[Lan - new]
The kalashtar took a breath. The warm, moist air filled his lungs and
as he let it out his focus went with it. Time unfolded like a fan and
he was moving in the same world as the rest of the them again.
He looked around at the jungle again, his fist still tight around the
haft of his weapon. They weren't heading for the tomb? The heat had so
drained him that he hadn't even realized they were off the trail.
Lan gave Bryn a tight smile and a nod of agreement but said nothing.
No, the Morgraves were not the reason he was here, it was the promise
of something lost in the tomb. The possibility something might be
found. Something, anything, that might lead him to the cure, the foil
to the latest Inspired scheme. Something he could take home to his
people.
[Bryn - old]
> "Leif? Flask? Ember? Can get us there?"
[Lan - new]
The healer looked to the rest of the party with an unreadable
expression on his face. Puzzlement, maybe. Surely not concern. He
hadn't even considered that they could be lost, not with a druid among
them, a set of directions, and an able tracker like Flask.
He instinctively reached out for assistance, seeking the group
consciousness that was always present among his people, the overmind
from which one could seek answers for small things such as this. But
there was no organized response, no way for him to query anything
about finding the right way.
In fact, everything seemed to have pulled itself in, to be making
itself as small and quiet as possible. Everything around them was wary
of being prey, of some threat that he could not yet sense. Lan reached
out for it, ready to shield his mind but questing for the hunter that
threatened him.
OOC: Again, more of a descriptive use of his innate mindlink power, if
you'd like to let Lan get a sense of our monster.
King, John
Bryn asked, "Can find way to tomb, if track not go there? Understand Johan's coordinates?" It suddenly seemed ludicrous that they'd left Johan behind. The artificer was the one who'd broken the code, the one who understood how the strange, invisible lines and numbers divided the world. If anybody could find the tomb it would be him. "Leif? Flask? Ember? Can get us there?"
[Lan]
The healer looked to the rest of the party with an unreadable expression on his face. Puzzlement, maybe. Surely not concern. He hadn't even considered that they could be lost, not with a druid among them, a set of directions, and an able tracker like Flask.
He instinctively reached out for assistance, seeking the group consciousness that was always present among his people, the overmind from which one could seek answers for small things such as this. But there was no organized response, no way for him to query anything about finding the right way.
In fact, everything seemed to have pulled itself in, to be making itself as small and quiet as possible. Everything around them was wary of being prey, of some threat that he could not yet sense. Lan reached out for it, ready to shield his mind but questing for the hunter that threatened him.
[Ember-new]
The warforged shifted uneasily in its stance, sending fresh sparks crackling across its upper body. Its glowing red eyes continually scanned the brush for any semblance of movement, but even the wind had stilled and the surrounding foliage remained still. The quiet of the jungle, so starkly dissimilar to the environment mere minutes before, troubled the living construct deeply. Ember knew well enough that something or someone was out there biding their time, waiting for them to make a mistake. Their predator's tactics were sound, but they did not appeal to the sense of battlefield valor instilled in the warforged. Ember preferred to confront its foes face-to-face.
Barely suppressing a grumble, Ember turned to its captain. "Commander Greygoods. Request permission to enter jungle with Flask to search perimeter." The warforged pointed directly into the trees that Daram had been walking towards in his trance. "Scout can pick up trail, I will provide support, cover back."
[tag any]
Fabian Benavente
There haven't been too many post and I need a definite direction.
So... game on!
L8r,
Tom Andry
totally waste]
[Leif / new]
Leif considered the options… abandon the search for the Morgrave party or
turn back and concentrate on the tomb. At this point, Leif would take
anything that offered some relief from this heat. Looking back behind them,
Leif didn’t relish the thought of backtracking but the look on Flask’s
gnarled face didn’t inspire confidence that the road ahead would be any
shorter.
Daram looked perplexed, which was a far cry better than he had looked since
they had stumbled upon him. Leif growled, “While I’m not one to abandon the
University group…”
Daram interrupted weakly, “What? What happened…”
Leif continued undeterred, “…it seems to me that we have little choice. I
don’t want to be out here with that snake…”
Daram exclaimed, “Snake?!” His face paled and he looked as if he wanted to
faint again.
Leif seemed not to hear or notice the man’s plight, “…any longer than we
have to. If the option is to wander around this armpit of a jungle hoping
that we run into whoever kidnapped the expedition…”
Daram swooned, “Kidnapped?! What is going on…”
“…and that we’ll be able to overpower them… It just seems that it is in our
best interests to find some shelter and some water. We’re good to no one
exhausted and thirsty.” Leif paused, Daram’s breathing was labored and
wheezing. “I agree that we should focus on the tomb. If we run across that
creature again, we let him,” Leif motioned over his shoulder to Daram, “lead
us to it. He seems to have a connection to it.”
Daram’s mouth opened and closed a few times soundlessly. His eyes darted to
and fro frantically as if he were lost and in search of a common landmark.
Finally, his eyes closed and he visibly swallowed. “Tomb? You are looking
for a tomb, right? And water?” Daram’s eyes opened slowly, “We have lots of
water back at the camp…”
Leif turned slowly, his feral features shutting the man down momentarily,
“There is no camp, human. Try again.” Leif’s tone was serious but
non-threatening. He sounded as if he were ordering food at a restaurant –
completely devoid of emotion. It didn’t invite questions or comments but it
also didn’t panic the man. Leif’s eyes, on the other hand, burned with
intensity. Daram couldn’t hold them. He had to glance away, searching for
warmer eyes.
The metal construct? It was unemotional and cold plus it was obviously built
for violence. It conjured images that Daram found… disturbing. Next the
Kalashtar… whatever was behind those eyes was unreadable, aloof. It was only
a moment before he had to continue his search. Something about the man was
so alien, detached. It seemed as if he were looking down on him, mocking his
plight. He skipped right over the human with the skeletal arm. There could
be no sympathy within a man that would willingly do that to himself. He
wanted the pale Halfling to be a safe haven but he couldn’t forget that it
was her that first suggested that the “University people weren’t theirs to
save.” He didn’t know what that meant but it certainly didn’t invoke warm
feelings. He didn’t believe what they had all been saying… implying… They
couldn’t be all gone. It wasn’t possible. Lastly, his eyes fell upon the
oldest member of the group. Strangely, he looked to be the most comfortable
of them all. But as he smiled, his visage contorted into a gruesome
facsimile of a human face. The brown and rotted teeth only served to
complete the transformation. Fortunately, Daram turned his eyes to his feet
and only heard the human spit. The sound was so… intense. It was as if he
chewed it.
[ooc – this next bit is subject to Fabian’s approval]
Swallowing back a bit of bile, Daram continued, “I’ve been to the tomb…
well, not been to it but I know where it is. Our group is going…” the
shifter’s growl caused the student’s eyes to dart up, his voice quivered.
“Um, anyways, we have been planning this for a while. My job was to outline
the route. If you get me to something I recognize I should be able to help
you get there. I’m sure that’s where the rest of my friends are.”
Leif was about to object when Belkar’s skeletal hand materialized on his
shoulder. A voice whispered in his ear, “Who knows? He could be right.”
[tag]
Tom Andry
Associate Editor
HYPERLINK "http://www.audioholics.com/"www.Audioholics.com
Over 1 million readers a month and growing!
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kirs...@yahoo.com
"Commander Greygoods. Request permission to enter jungle with Flask to
search perimeter." The warforged pointed directly into the trees that
Daram had been walking towards in his trance. "Scout can pick up trail,
I will provide support, cover back."
RPG: "I'll find the tracks if the li'le Lady can follow it,"
Flask grunted, relieved that a consensus had been reached so easily. He
kept his bow and arrow ready in case the creature that had just spooked
them decided to return or if another hungry predator made an
appearance. Even if all the trees and bushes did cut down the effective
range of an arrow, it sure beat getting up close and personal with
something that could eat people whole.
He was more than happy to let the shifter deal with the errant student
they had been burdened with. Sure, Flask could sympathize, but they
were here for a purpose, to find help for the old ir'Valerian lord,
not to save some overconfident students on a fieldtrip gone to Dolurrh.
TAG: Everyone interested...
NRPG: Search +12 to locate the tracks, but it falls to Bryn to follow
them, Flask lacking in the necessary Survival ranks. And if tracks of
that supposed snake-thingye can be found while we are at it...
-Jussi / Mel
Fabian Benavente
--------
Swallowing back a bit of bile, Daram continued, “I'm going to the tomb… well, I don't know
'exactly' where it is, but I'm sure Uriel knows. Our group is going…” the shifter’s growl
caused the student’s eyes to dart up, his voice quivered. “Um, anyways, it was professor's
Uriel's job to find it. She never did explain why. I can tell you that it had to be done
in a hurry, that's for sure. I mean we hardly had time to equip ourselves properly and we
were off. And in an airship nonetheless! Whatever professor Uriel may be, she can sure
find some rich patrons.. My job was to outline the route. If we find the professor, I'm
sure she could help you
get there.”
Leif was about to object when Belkar’s skeletal hand materialized on his shoulder. A voice
whispered in his ear, “Who knows? He could be right.”
-------
Game on!
Angie Gignac
Swallowing back a bit of bile, Daram continued, "I'm going to the tomb… well, I don't know
'exactly' where it is, but I'm sure Uriel knows. Our group is going…" the shifter's growl
caused the student's eyes to dart up, his voice quivered. "Um, anyways, it was professor's
Uriel's job to find it. She never did explain why. I can tell you that it had to be done
in a hurry, that's for sure. I mean we hardly had time to equip ourselves properly and we
were off. And in an airship nonetheless! Whatever professor Uriel may be, she can sure
find some rich patrons.. My job was to outline the route. If we find the professor, I'm
sure she could help you
get there."
Leif was about to object when Belkar's skeletal hand materialized on his shoulder. A voice
whispered in his ear, "Who knows? He could be right."
[Bryn new]
Bryn sighed. It seemed that they would have to track down the University team after all. Although, from the sounds of it, the Morgrave Big Folk were involved with their enemies, witting or not. If that was the case, then it was probably better to deal with them before they carried on to the tomb.
Ember looked up from his self-appointed post at the rear of the group. He seemed to want to find the monster first, and was waiting for a command from Belkar. Bryn hoped that the tainted human would choose to leave the creature for later; with luck, they could avoid it permanently. As curious as she was about the giant snake, Daram's fear was certainly not unfounded.
Flask was already looking around for the tracks they'd been following, which proved not too difficult to find. If the choice was find the snake or find the University staff, she'd choose the second. To Belkar, she said, "Very well, will keep follow tracks. Find Uriel, then find tomb. Maybe can find Uriel and not fight natives?" She didn't feel too hopeful on that score; it seemed that Eberron had decided that this would be an arduous journey, and was throwing every obstacle in their path. At least her new companions were up to the challenge.
Tom Andry
[Bryn / old]
She didn't feel too hopeful on that score; it seemed that Eberron had decided that this would be an arduous journey, and was throwing every obstacle in their path. At least her new companions were up to the challenge.
[Leif / new]
Much to Daram’s dismay, Leiflet took this opportunity to materialize from the jungle. He jumped a bit, his skin turning ashen at first. Leiflet crawled over to her creator and up his arm which was resting palm down on the ground. Leif smiled at the crystal’s touch, his pointed teeth radiating hunger more than pleasure. He spoke, “Leiflet will continue to search for the creature. She’ll be using the treetops as much as possible. It is midday now but in an hour or so, she should be able to tell us which direction we are headed. Then we can adjust our heading if necessary. As long as we are waiting, perhaps attempting to find this Uriel is a good backup plan.”
[Tag]
Tom Andry
Associate Editor
Over 1 million readers a month and growing!
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Gary Burns
Barely suppressing a grumble, Ember turned to its captain. "Commander Greygoods. Request permission to enter jungle with Flask to search perimeter." The warforged pointed directly into the trees that Daram had been walking towards in his trance. "Scout can pick up trail, I will provide support, cover back."
Fliniching as sweat trickled into his eyes, making everything blurry, Belkar grimaced. "I don't like it, guardsman. What ever is out there could simply be waiting for you."
Flask was already looking around for the tracks they'd been following, which proved not too difficult to find. If the choice was find the snake or find the University staff, she'd choose the second. To Belkar, she said, "Very well, will keep follow tracks. Find Uriel, then find tomb. Maybe can find Uriel and not fight natives?" She didn't feel too hopeful on that score; it seemed that Eberron had decided that this would be an arduous journey, and was throwing every obstacle in their path. At least her new companions were up to the challenge.
Swatting a bug too large to be natural, in Belkar's opinion, he nodded at Bryn's words. "The sooner we can find the tomb the sooner we can get back to the estate. Let us not forget that both Bori's death and Lord Waldemar's illness may be tied to the secrets this jungle contains."
kirs...@yahoo.com
venture out there now?"
RPG: Flask grimaced. "No it ain't, Commander. But it ain't safe
tae hang 'round here either. The enemy be out there, an' it be
smart 'nuff tae have figured out it didn't have the advantage, so
it retreated tae wait fer a better opportunity. This ain't a
particularly defensible a place, so we ain't gonna win anythin' by
stayin' put. If we manage tae reach the ruins, however, we mighta be
able tae fight the worm - or whatever it be - on ground o' our
choosin'."
"Gotta keep our eyes open, but that ain't any news," he went on,
turning his head to spit out the piece of tree bark he had been chewing
for the last ten minutes, hitting a beetle poised on a fern's branch.
The old scout grunted with evident pleasure of a task well done and
took another shaving of bark from his pocket; he was developing a taste
for the stuff. And with any luck it would turn out to be only mildly
toxic.
"At least new we *know* there be somethin' out there tae git us;
gonna keep us awfully sharp fer a long time tae come, knowin'
that."
TAG: Belkar, everyone interested...
-Jussi / Mel
Gary Burns
kirs...@yahoo.com
Steven Erikson's "Tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen" series.
"Gardens of the Moon", "Deadhouse Gates", "Memories of Ice", "House of
Chains", Midnight Tides", "Bonehunters" and more to come. My favourite
fantasy series ever! First book is a bit so-so, but the rest are pure
gold.
-Jussi
Fabian Benavente
L8r,
Fabian Benavente
I put the turn together, but I still don't have a clear undersanding of what you all want
to do.
Options are:
a) look for the tomb;
b) look for the natives; or
c) other.
Angie Gignac
Fabian Benavente
Game on!
Tom Andry
Tom Andry
Associate Editor
www.Audioholics.com
Over 1 million readers a month and growing!
Game on!
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