D&D II Act One Scene II(b) - The Dread City

Fourier

Sarric and Karinth journey across the desert for only an hour and a half, such is the massive speed of the Cargulok, the great worm, beneath the sands.

Soon Sarric sees a city in the distance, rising out of the desert like a mountain, watched remotely by enhanced sentries.

A smog covers its towers, steam from the Vivamantic vats mixing with emissions from the many factories, technology from another plane.

"Behold Elf, my home....Othegregrad"

sKeith

"Wow, impressive enough looking city. What form of government does Othegregrad use? Is there a tourist information center that I can go to first to get a map or guide book so that I don't miss a single museum. I'm giddy with excitement."

Fourier

sKeith wrote: »

"Wow, impressive enough looking city. What form of government does Othegregrad use? Is there a tourist information center that I can go to first to get a map or guide book so that I don't miss a single museum. I'm giddy with excitement."

Karinth looks at Sarric with a mix of confusion and a laugh.

"Government? All are subservient to the will of the great One, the Progenetrix, a council rules in her stead when she is deep in research.

He pauses, looking deflated.

"Museums are in block 5B, tourist office on 4F"

sKeith

"What's up?, had you got other plans? I would be glad of your company, and if you are not busy, maybe you could be my guide"

Fourier

sKeith wrote: »

"What's up?, had you got other plans? I would be glad of your company, and if you are not busy, maybe you could be my guide"

"No, I just fear what I might face on my return. I have been away a while and I stole some items I wasn't supposed to.

However I believe the council will listen to my plans."

sKeith

"I'm intrigued, any chance this is not too private a matter that i shouldn't tag along with you, i'd gladly aid you in whatever challenges the council put forward against you in retribution for your actions. If i'm not being too forward, I think we could be friends, that minister in zassan is a fool. If he just came to talk to you himself, instead of sending envoys of adventueres to assasinate you, he might learn a thing or two.

If its a private matter, send me on my way, and i'll visit the art you spoke of, and hope to bump into you again soon."

Fourier

sKeith wrote: »

"I'm intrigued, any chance this is not too private a matter that i shouldn't tag along with you, i'd gladly aid you in whatever challenges the council put forward against you in retribution for your actions. If i'm not being too forward, I think we could be friends, that minister in zassan is a fool. If he just came to talk to you himself, instead of sending envoys of adventueres to assasinate you, he might learn a thing or two.

"No, the matter is not too private. Perhaps an outsider like yourself can keep things objective.

Karinth dismounts the worm and heads into the city's market district. From the worm, Sarric can see that the market forms a annulus around a massive wall. On top of that wall is another district, which again terminates in a wall. On so on for ten levels, until at the center is a massive tower reaching into the sky.

sKeith

Sarric thanks the worm whilst dismounting and quickly follows Karinth into the market district.

Fourier

The market district sells various desert animals, spiced, skewered, raw, cooked. About any way they can be served. A stall serves "Dwarf Flesh" at a discount rate, with an ethical notice that meat is mostly sourced from the cities flesh vats.

Sarric and Karinth come to the first gate, leading to the next level.

"The next few levels are mostly residential, it is the palace we seek"

And so up and up they go, until they reach the palace gates. Three guards, four times the height of a man, and of trollish extraction by looks, though too articulate to be true trolls, stand in front of the entrance. One steps forward.

"Karinth, you are on the council's blacklist, though they will see you. Who are you?" he says pointing at Sarric.

sKeith

"I have come with Karinth to see he gets a fair hearing. I am of no threat, you can hold onto my longsword until i return if that makes you feel better." Sarric removes his longsword and offers it to the guards.

Fourier

"No worries visitor, just to know."

They open the gates and Karinth marches forward into the entry chamber. Sarric can see a twin set of golden stairs, lined with vats and tanks, between twin sets of pipes separately pumping organic tissue and magical energy.

One of the guards turns to Sarric.

"Know that if you enter, you cannot leave until granted permission by the council.

sKeith

Fourier wrote: »

One of the guards turns to Sarric.

"Know that if you enter, you cannot leave until granted permission by the council.

Sarric looks at the guard, "Be careful of making absolute statements like that, they may show you up to be a fool, if i was to leave and was not granted permission to do so by the council, and you'd be standing there trying to figure out how i done that, instead of just doing you job." Sarric bows to the guard, then proceeds into the entry chamber following Karinth.

Fourier

sKeith wrote: »

Sarric looks at the guard, "Be careful of making absolute statements like that, they may show you up to be a fool, if i was to leave and was not granted permission to do so by the council, and you'd be standing there trying to figure out how i done that, instead of just doing you job." Sarric bows to the guard, then proceeds into the entry chamber following Karinth.

The guard looks bewildered, to which another replies "I suppose logically he's right, it's highly unlikely he'd be able to leave might be better"

Sarric enters the chamber, Karinth ascend the double stairs through a massive golden door.

Looking around, Sarric can see three priceless jewels embedded in the golden door.

sKeith

Sarric hurrys along through the door, never letting it be seen that he had observed the jewels.

Fourier

Within the chamber, twelve beings, around seven foot tall sit at the top of pillars of various hues. They are of no obvious race, having subjected themselves to decades of vivimancy, they come in various forms, one is tree like, another having crustacean features. One, whose body appears as a liquid out of which his face has cohered, speaks.

"Karinth, you have returned. Is this high elf meant to be your payment for what you stole? Their race is uncommon, but we have many tissue sample in the vats. Unless this one was born in the Feywilds? All we have are colonists, as you know, being born in our plane taints them somewhat."

"No..." comes Karinth's reply "...this one is not a payment, he is a possible ally who wished to see our city."

"Really? And what is you wish to see high elf?"

Sarric can sense that their Ki is distorted, weak. Their fundamental life force corrupted.

sKeith

"I wish to see anything i have not seen before,
I wish to see Karinth recieve a fair hearing from this council,
I wish to see the artwork Karnith has told me that this city holds,"
Sarric pauses,
"and after being talked about, as if i'm some poscession to be bartered with, i'd especially wish to see my next birthday."

Fourier

"Well, that is all reasonable I suppose..."

"Enough" Karinth shouts, interrupting the figure "Where is Othegre, have her judge me"

"She is off plane, dealing with Borys, a Lord of Athas. Their magic works differently, in a way we have been trying to replicate to no success...we are enough to deal with you...though this does suggest a possible resolution.

We have many extraplanar issues undealt with. Would your companion here, be willing to assist us with them, as your aide? He will be paid, as a foreigner rendering service to us. You will be his underling, with no reward, as punishment for your crime.

What say you High Elf, we have five such contracts outstanding, would you have any interest?"

sKeith

Sarric speaks to Karinth, "Is this a satisfactory outcome for you or would you prefer to wait for Othegre to pass judgement? If it is fine with you, its fine with me, but I will not go ahead if you think you are being treated unfairly."

Fourier

He leans into Sarric.

"Truth be told, this is the better outcome, Othegre can be erratic and unpredictable."

sKeith

Fourier wrote: »

.

What say you High Elf, we have five such contracts outstanding, would you have any interest?"

"I'm interested and will comply."

Banjo

Fourier wrote: »

He leans into Sarric.

"Truth be told, this is the better outcome, Othegre can be erratic and unpredictable."

Ooc : SLANDER!

Fourier

"Wonderful, as the tasks are of equal danger, as far as we can tell and you have expressed an interest in seeing things beyond your previous experience, we will tell you of the planes they lie on and a simple description.

To Athas, to free an inhabitant of our city
To Eberron, to meet with a fellow vampire in a tomb raid
To the city of BlackMoor on the plane of Mystara, to find a sword of unusual properties
To the demiplane of Revenloft, to retrieve a stolen tissue sample
Or to the plane of Greyhawk for an assassination?"

sKeith

Sarric says "Oh, this is exciting,

my order of preference from the little you describe of the adventures, Mystara, Atlas, Revenloft, Eberron and lastly Greyhawk."

He turns to Karinth, " What do you think Karinth, any preferences?"

Fourier

sKeith wrote: »

Sarric says "Oh, this is exciting,

my order of preference from the little you describe of the adventures, Mystara, Atlas, Revenloft, Eberron and lastly Greyhawk."

He turns to Karinth, " What do you think Karinth, any preferences?"

"Mystara and Eberron are the safest options and Mystara tends to hold greater wonders, most of Eberron is inhabited and explored, but much of Mystara is unmapped."

OOC: Typical interplanar stuff, rules will slightly change, play style may also change slightly (Blackmoor is more free form and less rolls based).

sKeith

"okay, let go to mystera and find this mystical sword, then we can regroup and figure out what to do afterwards"

Fourier

The council figures glance at one another. The main figure then speaks.

"Karinth, take him to the plaenshifting chambers"

Karinth bows, heading out of the chamber via a bio-mechanical door.

sKeith

"I dont thing i should take this art work planeshifting with me" says Sarric, showing Karinth the painting of old Elven queen Tholicra, "or this old bell, maybe there is some place I can put them until I return"

Fourier

Karinth turns to look at the artefacts.

"Indeed, best to be unencumbered with them. The planeshifting chambers have storage units, you can leave them there"

He leads Sarric into the chambers, a set of strange frog like creatures welded into the walls with various items in front of them. A sword, a staff, a rock. All objects from various planes to focus the shifting.

Karinth picks up a large berry and places it in front of one of the frogs. A large gateway then opens up.

"After you Sir"

sKeith

Sarric find the storage units that Karinth mentioned and stores his lngsword, the bell and the artwork in it.
He then hops thru the gateway Karith opened up.

Fourier

Sarric and Karinth step out into a grassy plain, above them, on a hill is a small castle.



"It doesn't look like much, but only a brave few will venture through the dungeons that lie beneath, which hold some of the greatest trasures in all the planes. Even Othegre herself could not make it to the lowest levels when she came here a century ago.

Behold Castle Blackmoor."

sKeith

"any idea where we can find the sword, and please don't say in the lowest level of the dungeon."