Re: Troubled Past PBEM 84 - The Old Bard (Belkar)
Gary Burns
[DM-OLD]
Daram, mesmerized like any of the village males, suddenly snapped out of it. "That's Karl there! I won't let him die. We move now!"
One of the snake-women turned her head abruptly and peered through the jungle in the group's direction…
[BELKAR-NEW]
'The Traveler be damned,' thought Belkar. He needed some way to stop Daram. To keep the damn kid from ruining what he and the others were trying to do.
Catching Ember's occular's, Belkar made an abrupt movement, pointing to Daram and desperately hoping the warforged would get his message. If Ember could get the crazed human silent and away from the camp there was still a good chance they would be successful.
______
[Ember-Old]
Without pause, Ember's thick-fingered hand snapped out and took Daram by the neck. Before anyone could protest, the warforged squeezed until flesh and blood splurted out between the construct's thick fingers. After a few seconds of spasming, Daram's body hung limply in the warforged's grip.
[BELKAR-NEW]
Belkar stilled as he watched Ember's hand flip out and catch the unsuspecting student. As the unnatural sound of Daram's windpipe crushing was heard Belkar realized he had stopped breathing. 'This isn't what I meant,' he thought. Yet he still felt it was his fault.
Then, the thought came to Belkar that perhaps this wasn't Ember, but the other. What was it that the warforged had told him? A troubled past of violence brewing and bubbling to the surface. The last thing the group needed now was for Ember to have one of his episodes while they were on the outskirts of this camp.
Gesturing to the others, Belkar motioned for them to hold. This may very well be their last chance to successfully get the stone. If Ember was okay, Belkar wasn't going to let Daram's death ruin the chance. Carefully approaching the warforged, Belkar touched him carefully on the shoulder with his gloved left hand, the bones of the other ready to grab his sword if it was needed to give the others a chance to escape.
Rotating his head, Ember looked at Belkar and nodded. Though nothing was said, Belkar understood that the warforged had simply followed his instructions and had taken the most efficient and sure method of silencing the target available to him.
----
[Bryn-Old]
When she was sure that she had herself under control, Bryn turned back to the others. Leif glanced her way, clearly concerned that she was going to make a scene. She managed a small nod in his direction, letting him know that she wouldn't repeat their earlier fight. At least not at the moment. With an act of will, she turned her attention to the scout, and realized how precarious their position was.
[Belkar-New]
Moving back away from the warforged, Belkar did his best to place himself between Bryn and her view of Daram. He had caught something of her reaction to Daram's murder. For a moment, he regretted not stopping Daram himself. But then what would he have done. No, now he could simply try to ease the halfling's discomfort. Once they had found Bori's murderer, the druid would be on her way to reunite with her people.
That thought lead Belkar somewhere else he didn't want to go. What would he do after they returned. Assuming they were able to discover this evil, Lord Waldemar wouldn't be alive for ever. And with so many knowing his secret it was sure that soon the entire estate would know it. Where would Belkar go then?
[Tag-Bryn, if she caught any of this]
Angie Gignac
[Belkar-old]
Moving back away from the warforged, Belkar did his best to place himself between Bryn and her view of Daram. He had caught something of her reaction to Daram's murder. For a moment, he regretted not stopping Daram himself. But then what would he have done? No, now he could simply try to ease the halfling's discomfort. Once they had found Bori's murderer, the druid would be on her way to reunite with her people.
That thought lead Belkar somewhere else he didn't want to go. What would he do after they returned. Assuming they were able to discover this evil, Lord Waldemar wouldn't be alive for ever. And with so many knowing his secret it was sure that soon the entire estate would know it. Where would Belkar go then?
[Bryn new]
Bryn tried to focus her mind on the threat before them, but the image of Daram's murder kept intruding on her thoughts. The boy's body lay just beyond her peripheral vision, and against her will, she turned to look at it again. Her view of it, however, was unexpectedly blocked by Belkar. Wondering if the human had something to ask her, she looked at him and waited, but he said nothing. His expression conveyed his sympathy, and she realized that he had repositioned himself solely for her benefit. Glancing automatically at his tainted arm, Bryn was amazed to find such kindness in him. Amazed, and grateful. She offered the human as genuine a smile as she could muster.
Mel thought it over and grimaced, showing a set of crooked but
sharp teeth. "Can you guarantee the man never returns to spoil my
act? Can you do it without a single sound, so the rest won't come
looking? If so, I can try. But if they start asking me what I saw and
they won't like my accent..."
[Bryn new]
Bryn made her way silently over to where Leif and Mel were huddled in conversation. Though the scout was headed in the wrong direction, that could change. The others joined her, and they all crouched close together, so they could speak without being heard over the boom of the drums.
Her first instinct was to speak against the plan....to send Flask into the village would be terribly dangerous. On the other hand, his ability for disguise was amazing, and the others seemed pretty distracted by what was going on. If the scout was willing, it was as good an opportunity as they were like to get.
"We can stop man," Bryn whispered. Surely between the lot of them they could silently dispatch the native. "But natives not go in cave." Bryn felt certain that the egg would be there, but understood that they couldn't risk assuming that. "You look in village, I look in cave."
"What?" Leif whispered back. "How? They'll see you a mile away."
"Can change. Be bird, fly in, or big lizard, crawl in. Natives busy with ceremony, not see. Can check in cave, then come back." She didn't mention that if the egg was in the cave, she had every intention of stealing it then and there.
[tag]
King, John
[Bryn]
"Can change. Be bird, fly in, or big lizard, crawl in. Natives busy with
ceremony, not see. Can check in cave, then come back." She didn't mention
that if the egg was in the cave, she had every intention of stealing it then
and there.
[Ember]
As the others discussed the plan, Ember watched intently as the native entered the dense foliage screen. The man might yet find them if he swept wide enough, but the group still could evade him if they gave the man wide berth. If the warrior had the ability to alert the rest of the village, their mission would end a failure. And, if they were psychic as Lan and Leif had eluded to, the natives could be alerted in more than just one way. “Consider possible mindlink between male and female. If capture, village may know, even without sound. Or, Flask perhaps unable to reproduce mental identity of warrior. Both dangers, best avoid. Recommend Bryn search cave, rest move toward rocks away from village and sentry. When Bryn returns, make plan with improved reconnaissance.”
[tag]
[ooc – I’ll throw in more later, but I wanted to get this out asap. I think messing with the natives could be a bad idea. Could it be possible that killing/knocking unconscious one could sever a link between the male and one or more of the females, thus alerting them to further disturbance? So long as they continue to send out one person at a time, it may not be a big deal, but if they stop their party and send out a more formidable hunting group, we may have some complications. If we do still want to take this guy, how about this – if Flask has another pocket dimension available, we ambush the guy, Ember grabs him while Flask pops it right behind Ember, then Ember drags/falls back into the pocket dimension, thereby preventing him from crying out at all. Then all we have to deal with is beating the guy down in the pocket dimension until he poses no further threat.
Oh, and btw, loved the reactions to Ember’s battlefield decision. I wasn’t sure how people were going to receive it, but I really enjoyed reading the responses. I hope to have a little something out while Fabian is away that will help justify his calculation.]
kirs...@yahoo.com
be a bad move. So Mel will stay put and in the case the native spots
them, try to lead him on into the jungle and give the rest of the group
a chance to avoid being noticed.
-Jussi
kirs...@yahoo.com
village may know, even without sound. Or, Flask perhaps unable to
reproduce mental identity of warrior. Both dangers, best avoid.
Recommend Bryn search cave, rest move toward rocks away from village
and sentry. When Bryn returns, make plan with improved
reconnaissance."
RPG: The hobgoblin nodded his head thoughtfully. Ember had a point, and
so did Bryn. The natives were immersed in their ritual and even if Mel
was accepted back as one of their own he would have to wait until the
ritual's conclusion before making any attempt to get into the
caves... and who knew what would happen by that time? No, better for
the druid to do her bit.
"You go," Mel whispered to Bryn. "Perhaps you can carry Leif's
little spider with you to keep contact." Mel gave the long-legged
thing a most wary look; it still looked too much a spider for comfort
to his eyes, no matter what the others said.
"If we circle around and can get close enough, and if you can provide
directions through that thing," Mel pointed a shaking finger at
Leiflet, "I could teleport myself in to help. If there is need."
TAG: Everyone interested...
-Jussi / Mel
Angie Gignac
[Mel old]
"If we circle around and can get close enough, and if you can provide
directions through that thing," Mel pointed a shaking finger at
Leiflet, "I could teleport myself in to help. If there is need."
[Bryn new]
The pale druidess nodded, glancing back at the strange ritual before them. In truth, the snake-man terrified her. It was a creature against nature, something beyond the ken of even her childhood terrors. She hated the idea of going anywhere near it, but knew it had to be done. If not for Bori, then for Daram. She wouldn't let his sacrifice go in vain.
The question was, what form to choose? She'd only wildshaped twice, and both times she'd taken bird form. However, she was constrained by size; any bird large enough for her to take shape of would be noticable flying into the cave. Perhaps a bat; a large black bat might go unnoticed. On the other hand, wings would do her little good inside the cave. No mammal that she knew of would be able to get up that cliff-face and into the cave unnoticed. Which left precious few options. She decided.
"Leiflet can come, but I will not be able to talk with her," Bryn warned. Unless the devil-rock spoke reptilian, which she doubted. "Cannot be very small animal. Distraction would help. Not big, don't let them see you. Something small? Make them look away, few minutes?" She didn't know what, if anything, the others would be able to do without compromising their position.
[tag]
The druid took a shaky breath, refusing to think about the dangers ahead. Closing her eyes, Bryn centered herself. She reached down to Eberron, an easy task in this living jungle, and touched the wildness there. Keeping her new form firmly in mind, she relaxed her defenses and allowed the raw power of Earth Mother to sweep through her. The others saw her form shimmer and darken. A moment later Bryn was gone. In her place stood a grey-skinned monitor lizard. It flicked a tongue lazily at them and winked.
King, John
"Leiflet can come, but I will not be able to talk with her," Bryn warned. Unless the devil-rock spoke reptilian, which she doubted. "Cannot be very small animal. Distraction would help. Not big, don't let them see you. Something small? Make them look away, few minutes?" She didn't know what, if anything, the others would be able to do without compromising their position.
[Ember-new]
"Not better distraction than ceremony. Most looking at ground, then others, then sky, then others, then ground, then others, repeat, repeat. If shift to dark enough body, should be able to blend in with rock face of pit, be verily undetectable." Ember again tried to imagine Flask's description of the cave system. The caves had been in the rock face at the bottom of the pit. Provided that the pit itself was wide enough, very little, if any light from the village campfires should even reach across the expanse to provide illumination. The only way Bryn would be detected is if she gave herself up through careless actions, or perhaps thought. Depending on the sensitivity of those natives, she might still emit some sort of intelligent signature that they could pick up if she got within range. "Give village widest possible berth. And think like animal."
[tag or continue]
[Bryn]
The druid took a shaky breath, refusing to think about the dangers ahead. Closing her eyes, Bryn centered herself. She reached down to Eberron, an easy task in this living jungle, and touched the wildness there. Keeping her new form firmly in mind, she relaxed her defenses and allowed the raw power of Earth Mother to sweep through her. The others saw her form shimmer and darken. A moment later Bryn was gone. In her place stood a grey-skinned monitor lizard. It flicked a tongue lazily at them and winked.
[Ember-new]
The warforged would have smiled if it could. Shape-changing was such an amazing ability. Ember wondered if warforged could do the same thing. Would they become construct creatures, animals of rock, metal, and wood?
Ember watched as the lizard turned around and headed towards the pit. Motioning to the others, Ember called, "Follow, put distance between sentry and us." Then the warforged began to move, pushing brush out of the way as he followed Bryn towards the cliff face.
[OK, hope I'm not making too bold a decision here, but we haven't had much discussion in this regard. Let's follow Bryn towards the pit, staying in the jungle and out of sight for now. This will place us in closest proximity to Bryn without revealing ourselves and stay clear of the native searching in the brush. If anyone wants to amend/counter/debate the plan, that's cool. I just figured we should get things rolling.]
Tom Andry
A moment later Bryn was gone. In her place stood a grey-skinned monitor
lizard. It flicked a tongue lazily at them and winked.
[Leif / new]
Leif didn’t like this plan. Mostly because it risked Bryn’s life and not one
of theirs. Leiflet went to follow the lizard as it turned but Leif stopped
her with a thought. He spoke for the benefit of the others, “You stay, a
lizard may draw curious looks, but a walking crystal will raise alarms.”
Leif turned to the others, “Circle the village as Ember said, but be as
quiet as possible. Flask and I will stay behind and make sure this native
doesn’t notice you. If Leiflet gives you an order, I’d suggest you follow
it.”
[ooc – Leif will use Leiflet to relay any warnings if it looks like the
group is going to be discovered.]
Flask looked at the shifter inquisitively, “We’ll just wait behind a few
meters. If the native needs distracting or eliminating, we’re the best ones
for the job.” Flask, in the guise of a native, looked convinced, but barely.
“Plus, I wanted to ask you a question. You speak these people’s tongue?”
Flask nodded. “How do you say, ‘We are friends you can trust. Go about your
business and think no more of us.’ In their tongue?” Flask translated and
Leif practiced the phrase over and over until they both felt sure he got it.
Leif explained, “If I have too, I can use a power to send him on his way,
but I’d prefer to silence him permanently. If they have a mindlink to their
thralls, they’ll sense the use of my power and the thralls death. But if
they don’t, they still may sense the use of my power. The least risk comes
from the death of the native. At least the way I see it.”
[tag]
[ooc – if it looks like the group will get safely away, Leif and Flask will
follow behind them. Basically, they will watch the native and the party in
progress for any sign of trouble.]
Tom Andry
Associate Editor
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