D&D II Act One Scene III - The Lost World

Fourier

They place their hands on their axes. Tardin spins up a small ball of flame in his right hand.

"That's blasphemy lass" he takes out a knife covered in runes with his left hand and points it in Retula's direction "Take it back!"

Banjo

Fourier wrote: »

They place their hands on their axes. Tardin spins up a small ball of flame in his hands.

"That's blasphemy lass" he takes out a knife covered in runes and points it in Retula's direction "Take it back!"

Ooc : sorry! Got TV to myself for a bit, that doesn't happen, was mesmerized. Accidentally watched 20 minutes of Legion series 2 thinking "this is ****ing genius use of cut up and call-back, no! This is ART!" and then realised it was an episode from series 1.

"Guys, this isn't going to work if you're gonna be so touchy. Besides, I'm technically a minor! You're threatening a child and you know it or you'd be queuing up to bend me over the table and give a thumbs up to the sky!

Now look - I killed 12 dragonborn, a warlock and 21 tentacle beasts yesterday. And I don't remember any of you pulling daggers and magic balls out when THEY were closing in - not exactly chapter 1 verse 1 of the book of "**** it, I'm going to bone this dragon and cut her head off" is it? - so how about you sit the **** down and shut the **** up and help me plan how I get away with the 34 murders I just confessed to at the top of my voice. Or do I have to make it a nice even 40?"

Ooc: btw, um... persuasion?
I'm so dead

Fourier

One of the dwarves pauses.

"Come on, she's obviously a foreigner, didn't the Glorious Ash of Dwarrowtown teach us that other races might not understand the creed, Retula has helped us find glory"

Tardin casts a foul look in the dwarves direction.

"Then ye can die with her, nobody insults BandyLegs while I stand idly by, now ye either take that back girl, or else..."

Banjo

Ooc : is Tardin the fancy dagger guy or the ball of magic guy?

Also, did they take approximately 6 seconds to consider backing down by any chance?

Fourier

Banjo wrote: »

Ooc : is Tardin the fancy dagger guy or the ball of magic guy?

Also, did they take approximately 6 seconds to consider backing down by any chance?

OOC: Sorry the original should have said he spins up the ball in one hand and has the knife in the other, same guy.

And yes definitely six or more seconds.

Banjo

Ooc : so summoning Mr H as an action during that time is legit? Sweet.

She stands.
"Gentleman, you have been good and true travelling companions, and if my words have caused you offense, I apologise.

But you!" She excaims pointing a treated bolt at Tardin, "you pulled a knife and a whatever-that-is on me! You're getting your ass kicked, buddy. Outside! What I do is messy and I'm not losing my bed or my security deposit over you!"

She rises to leave.

"You think Randylegs would stand over this? Let's go ask him together. I have nothing better to do!"

She heads for the street. Let me know if she makes it.

Fourier

She reaches the street safe and sound. There is some shouting inside as the dwarves have a heated argument. Tardin comes out with his head down.

"Lass, I've been uncouth, me faith gets the better of me at times, I just want ta live up to de ideal he set for us."

He extends his hand.

"The others have convinced me I was wrong...friends?"

Banjo

Ooc : sounds a lot like I get surprise....

"Friends?"
(Eldritch Blast)
"There's no friends after that! Just the ticking of the clock till one of us smothers the other in their sleep. And I don't sleep."

Fourier

The blast, hits Tardin dead on, killing him instantly by shattering the front of his skull. His corpse falls backward with smoke rising from the face.

The other dwarves rush out to see what the commotion is.

"You...you...monster..." says the one that defended Retula earlier.

They charge.

OOC: Init

Fourier

Retula runs into the village and slings curses and blasts of energy summoned straight from the Raven Queen's domain of death at the dwarves. One impacts a dwarf's stomach, ripping it open, his guts spilling onto the village ground, the other gives its target third degree burns as he then dies from the hex rotting his flesh, he screams in pain loud enough to wake the village.

The villagers begin to become incensed. Those who ride a unicorn are pure of heart, obviously these dwarves are evil, corrupted. A small mob forms around them and beats them to death. One dwarf stands, bloodied. With every once of strength he roars.

"I WON'T GO OUT LIKE THIS, BANDYLEGS, HEAR ME, I AM YOURS, DOURRUMI DIMBREAKER WILL FIGHT AS YOU DID. MAY I MEET YOU IN YOUR HALLS!"

He undoes a clasp on his clothes and faces the villagers nude, like a true dwarf. A cutlass gets him a few moments later.

Banjo

Retula spurs Mr H into rearing, an illusion of light appearing behind her head at the zenith. (Minor illusion)
"Good people of Hamarqu! I thank you for your assistance. Without you we might all have been overrun and enslaved by these fiends.

It saddens me that like you I was deceived by this Nakeromancer and his thralls, but good has prevailed, order has prevailed. And if I might implore you for a favour further, I must sanctify these bodies before sundown, to prevent him becoming reenergised. Make way! I must recover the sacred dagger and begin the ritual as soon as is possible!"

She begins gathering up body parts and weapons, starting with Tardin, and starts dragging them to the edge of town, where she will burn the dwarves ensuring they're clothed.

Fourier

The villagers help Retula heap the bodies onto the fire.

"Just glad we could help miss!" one of the townsfolk says tossing a dwarf into the flame.

Banjo

Retula gestures a bit with Tardin's dagger, chanting good sounding things about divering townsfolk and quelling evil. Then she pockets it.

"So, I know I saved the town but I also feel responsible for not stopping them sooner. Is there something I can do to make it up to you fine people?"

Fourier

The mayor speaks to her.

"To tell you the truth, not so much, things have been pretty peaceful around here. We've gotten funding to repel dinosaur attacks in the last few months, so plain sailing!"

Banjo

"Right so

Well.... Bye...?"

Retula rides off on Mr H. Towards the port. Too early for sunset.

Fourier

She arrives in the port around midday. Busy enough, ships going in and out, hustle and bustle.

Looking along the coast, she sees an interconnected chain of large towns, fourteen in total.

Banjo

"Well... here we are... 14 interconnected towns, guys. 14. And we don't know a Lolth-damned soul in any of 'em! So many ships, strangers going to strange lands... Hey Mr H! Did you know that apart from you and feather-face here, everyone I know is dead, missing-presumed-dead or hollowed out like a ****ing pumpkin? And you’re just some hex-bound ghost who can’t leave even if you want to, and I’m starting to think she’s actually just an externalisation of myself but with wings and ****. Yeah. So. Um....."

She gazes out to sea for a while.

"I was right though, wasn't I? You weren’t in the room but Hetyaro was, tell him girl - I mean it was always going to end in a bust-up, there would never have been better than an uneasy truce would there? Like, he pulled the knife, you don't do that 'less you're prepared to use it. He knew... I gave him his chance to back down, it was 6 on 1, it shudda been easy for him, but no, he had to push me around. **** him, **** his pride, and **** his bull**** perv god. Those deaths are on him.”

There’s no response.

“Say something you beaky geek! Is she still mad at me? That stretchy betch’s patron making noises behind my back ‘cause I blew up his oddjobber? Well? Come on! Why won’t she talk to me? She hasn’t asked for anything. She hasn’t offered anything. I’m picking up all this weird magic junk like I’m supposed to and you’re not taking any of it back to her – I mean how am I helping to open The Way if you don’t take any of it? I mean look at this!"
She waves around a boxed elfen hair.
"What am I 'sposed to do with this if not put it on the pile, build her power, help open the path? And If I’m not helping, what the **** am I doing? Am I just some psycho hose-piece roaming the Material stealing hoodoo, blowing people up and rotting their faces off in the street if they talk out of turn, for nothing?

Just tell me! Is she ending the pact?”

She watches the ships. Maybe one could take her back to Zassan, start over? What, with those council pricks who ignored her and paid off everyone else around her? Shwah! As if they’d pay out on any of the work they’d done without the rest of the group there. And where were they now? Burned alive, drowned, lost in the jungle, at the bottom of some ant pit. Nah - Zassan could suck a choad.

To distract herself she finds a quiet area where she can attempt to Identify the properties of the dwarf’s dagger.
Then she reviews her finances and lack of any prospects or direction.

“Guys…. I think I need to get a job…”

Fourier

Banjo wrote: »

She waves around a boxed elfen hair.

....

Just tell me! Is she ending the pact?”

.....

She watches the ships. Maybe one could take her back to Zassan, start over?

.....

“Guys…. I think I need to get a job…”

A raven symbol burns itself into the box within which the hair lies, at the same moment Hetyaro takes off and flies over the bay, circling an incoming galleon upon which lies the symbol of a raven.

Banjo

She stairs out to sea forlornly.

"A sign ... That's all I need. Just show me a sign ..."

Banjo

(joking aside, set intercept course for that boat, Mr H!)

Fourier

Mr. H carries Retula down to the shore, where the massive galleon has pulled in.

A large tanned man with a robotic arm stands looking out onto the harbour.

Banjo

Hetyaro to do a quick flyby, count visible crew and note any other augmentations. Then dismiss Mr H and approach with a game and hearty "Ahoy!"

Fourier

Crew numbers only nine in total. Bit of an odd bunch. The guy in the crow's nest is a devil and ship's cook is a fire elemental.

The three humans all have augmentations.

"Ahoy!" the man waves back and lowers the plank.

"Retula I take it?"

Banjo

She backs up, points at the man and says "yes. Explain yourself, 41"

Fourier

Banjo wrote: »

She backs up, points at the man and says "yes. Explain yourself, 41"

"My name is Larons.

I said Retula because that's your name ain't it?"

Banjo

"That it is is of no relevance, chum. No, you said Retula because you're expecting a Retula. Why, 41? "

Fourier

"You call me by my real name and maybe I'll tell you, ain't no 41 around here"

Banjo

Fourier wrote: »

"You call me by my real name and maybe I'll tell you, ain't no 41 around here"

"You keep not telling me why you're looking for me there will be. Everyone who knows my name is currently dead or missing, a lot of em by my hand for better or worse, so I'm curious where you heard it and why you're here.
I'm having a very good run of bad decisions, Larons so if you don't mind...."

Fourier

"We were sent to pick you up, by the King of Osinzir, he said he foresaw need of a raven haired Elf from beyond this world. You're bald, but I guess you fit the bill."

Banjo

"I don't know any kings. But that's such a terrible reason to be here it must be true. Permission to come aboard sir!"