Southern Continent: Picking Up The Pieces

For in-universe game play. Journey through both familiar and foreign settings, explore lost ruins and forgotten cities, and try to bring light to the darkness of the world... or, you know, blow stuff up. Either way.
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Jack Rothwell
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Re: Southern Continent: Picking Up The Pieces

Post by Jack Rothwell »

OOC Awkward place to break I know. I'd intended to make the post longer but something came up and I thought you might have something to add before the detour to Ghob-topia.

Everything'll work out fine there... probably. :twisted: /OOC
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Re: Southern Continent: Picking Up The Pieces

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OOC: OK. There are two things we should probably resolve, though. One is that this behavior is very un-Ghob-like, judging from what we've seen before. They're subterranean and don't like being in broad daylight for more than seconds at a time. On the other hand, these are "Southern Continent" Ghob, so maybe the usual rules of Ghob don't apply ... but it is pushing the envelope a bit.

The other is that we should probably work to achieve some consensus as to just what the PCs know about Ghob. Tamina went to a Ghob city (or at least its cave entrance, the city was underground) with Rose and Argus in the Goriel thread complex. Rip would probably know a little about them; presumably there was a "Xenology 101" class somewhere back in his education as an anthropologist. However, he certainly hasn't been to a Ghob settlement before, and may or may not ever have seen a Ghob, although they must have wandered into human space up north. (There was even a Ghob PC for a while, although he didn't hang around long.) That might be enough for Rip to take an active role in what comes next; it might not, and I hadn't been planning on it. Shorty would know nothing about Ghob. Would any of the other kobolds?

I would prefer to do this so we're not tripping over each other's plans and characters here. You have the lead, but we would benefit from the same starting point.
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Re: Southern Continent: Picking Up The Pieces

Post by Jack Rothwell »

OOC Given that they're made up (like kobolds for that matter) I was freestyling them as an alternative type/breed. More primitive, but still possessing a tribal/conformist mentality with a lot of superstition. I can put their settlement in a cave complex if that's more in character, but I was thinking huts with huge overhangs or in the shadow of some big mountain. The kobolds know next to nothing about them. Any suggestions would be welcome. :) /OOC
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Re: Southern Continent: Picking Up The Pieces

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[OOC: OK. It turns out that the Ghob got semi-blessed by Poe and Impy Way Back When; see the following for the link to the Official Ghob. I'm going to assume that Tamina, who after all did visit the entrance to the Ghob city up north (and was politely advised not to enter, for the Ghob-ish definition of "politely"), either described her experience to Rip at some point, or at least was able to gasp out "Ghob..." as all this was shaking down. So now letting Rip's education take over; he has a D.Thm., after all, and an advanced degree from Sashi Mu ought to be good for something...]

Ghob, Rip thought. Never seen one, but it seems as though I've heard something about them ... Ah. Yes, they had been mentioned in one of his undergraduate anthropology classes twenty years ago, taught, if he remembered correctly, by an eccentric professor who always wore a weird hat with horns on it. "Vakingiel" or something like that? He wasn't sure of the sensei's name, but after rummaging his memory for a minute, he came up with one useful trivium from one of his lectures. They highly prize being "the best" at a particular activity, as that "best" person will often be the trend-setter when performing the group activity. Ghobs will often introduce themselves as "(Name), best at (Activity)" like a title. That gave him an idea.

"We come in peace," he repeated. "I am Rip, best at Fixing Things." He indicated Shorty. "This is Shorty, best at Riding a Dropla. He does not speak your language." This didn't seem like the time to tell the Ghob that Shorty was in range of the Translation Effects.

[OOC: So back over to you. Presumably these Ghob won't want to be on the surface for long. Real cave is probably best for consistency with the original Ghob description, although it need not be a very deep one.]
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Re: Southern Continent: Picking Up The Pieces

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Rip's declaration reduced the hostility from the creatures an iota or two, but it was obvious from the volume of spears being pointed at them that a detour to the ghob village was in the immediate future for the travellers.

"Chief will judge!" The speaker repeated. "Now come!"

........

It was only a short trip from the flower picking spot to the entrance of the settlement. It was the mouth a large cave shielded by a huge overhang that the creatures had expanded further with cloth; creating a velvet black shadow that sharply contrasted with the bright sunlight piercing the jungle. Tamina felt dozens of eyes fixed on them as they entered and the distant sound of drums being played inside.

The interior was remarkable clean and oddly charming. They saw tents of hides and oversized bones laden with bedding that suggested the ghob enjoyed sleeping like sardines. Personal space seemed to be at a premium from the crowds clustered in the interior, accompanied by a cacophony of chattering speech that hushed as they were escorted through. The kobold caught the phrases 'fur people' and 'pale people' aimed at them as they approached the back of the rocky chamber.

Sitting on wide wooden chair almost the size of a bench on a raised outcrop was clearly the village chief. The obese size of their leader clearly bore testament to the proficiency of the ghobs at hunting. He was currently stuffing an already full mouth with plump grapes in a manner that made Tamina actually forget her appetite for once.

"Chief Bosmer!" Their escort called. "Found trespassers. Trying to take the dream flowers!"

Bosmer looked up from his meal to a chorus of 'workiki's' with a look that was half amusement, half incredulity. Tamina tried to illicit some goodwill.

"Umm, Mr Chief. My companions and I didn't know the flowers were sacred." She remembered how Rip had introduced himself. "I'm Tamina, best at, err, healing. We needed them to make poison to kill the chittoricks."

There came a second chorus from the ghob in attendance; the main phrases being 'armour bugs' and 'hurty hooks'. The chieftain looked to his second, and spoke with surprisingly good diction.

"Is that true Bashiir?"

"What matter? Thieves!"

Bosmer sighed, then, with no small amount of struggling, pulled himself out of his bench/throne and thudded his way to ground level.

"I'm Bosmer, best at leadership, best at talking, best at diplomacy. Can you explain what all this poison business is about?"

OOC May expand on this later./OOC
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Re: Southern Continent: Picking Up The Pieces

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Rip breathed a silent sigh of relief; maybe he wasn't going to have to try to come up with an Anti-Impalement spell after all, which was good since he didn't know one. He repeated the introductions, then said, "As my -- companion here says, there is a nest of giant bugs near here that needs to be cleaned out. Your flowers can be used to make a potion to help do that. It'll kill many, leave the others defenseless so that we can kill them in more -- traditional ways."

Now came the part that he wasn't sure about. If he remember Professor Vakingiel's course correctly, the Ghob were non-magical, but weren't actively opposed to magic the way certain (ahem) primitives from Tsuiraku's main rival for power were. They just couldn't do it. That didn't mean they wouldn't be happy if somebody else did it to go after a mutual enemy. According to Vakingiel. Probably. Maybe.

"We have certain methods to do that, but they require some magic -- either that or leaving them to soak in water for three times the lifetime of a Ghob." (He misremembered this part; Ghob lived about as long as humans, rather than the one-third-as-long that he was remembering. Still, the basic point, that they'd have to wait a long time, was accurate enough.) "None of us have time for that. We would like to use some of your flowers that way. In return, we'll leave you any left-over -- potion, in case the armor-bugs, I think you call them, come back."
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Re: Southern Continent: Picking Up The Pieces

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Bosmer listened politely to Rip's explanation, shooting meaningful looks at Bashiir, who was slowly turning a purplish colour indicated he was either angry or embarrassed.

"We've seen the armour bugs close to our territory on a few occasions recently." He said. "They have been a nuisance to our tribe in the past."

"We kill-kill the hurty bugs!" Bashiir declared, thumping the chest for emphasis.

"Indeed. But a whole nest would cost us a lot of people. Our weapons aren't the strongest at piercing their hides and the fur-people down the road are unwilling to trade with us."

This brought murmurs of discontent from the mob behind the travellers. Tamina saw a lot of hostile looks in the direction of her and her kinsmen.

"We can deal with them. Rip's got the good magics. He can make 'em dead. No more... umm... hurty bugs."

"Flowers sacred!"

"They're not... Bashiir, we've been over this." The chieftain rolled his eyes. "They ARE used for certain ceremonies, that's true. But mostly..." He swept an arm in the direction of an alcove in the cave, where the 'guests' could see thin plumes of smoke rising. The ghob in this area were touching lit twigs to wooden pipes with white petals sticking out of their tops, inhaling and making noises best approximated as 'bllllaaaarrrrgg'.

"Sacred!" Bashiir repeated. "Saw my grandmother again!"

"She went on a trip to see her other family over the mountain range and came back when you were stoned out of your gourd." Bosmer palmed his face. "Just... take what you need and leave what you can. The seeds if possible."

"I come with!" Yelled Bashiir. "No taking too much! See return of sacred potion!"

"Workiki!" Chorused the rest of the strange clan.


OOC :D The ghob may or may not be a factor in a later part of this story. So the main point of this was to bulk up the group and establish them as an outside force to the Uran tribe. I'll leave it there for now. If Rip/Shorty have further questions or just wish to skip to getting the flowers I'll leave that to you./OOC
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Re: Southern Continent: Picking Up The Pieces

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[OOC: Ready to move on here. Just one little bit before we go, and then feel free to advance as you see fit:]

Rip was relieved; this scheme was going to work, not just to create a weapon against the bugs, but to get away from this not-very-appealing place and its occupants. But before they left ...

"One thing, " he said. "It isn't completely necessary, but it'll help with the magic, help the potion last a little longer." He looked around the cave, not excluding Shorty and the kobolds from the question he was about to ask:

"I don't suppose there's any chance that one of you might have a small bit of alcohol you'd be willing to contribute to a good cause? Like, say, the amount in a beer?"
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Re: Southern Continent: Picking Up The Pieces

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As it happened the scout ghob was picking up a pack that clinked after his declaration. It was clear his value as an addition to the group was uncertain at best.

"Best Ghob babooshka onna continent!" He said, pulling out a warped bottle that uneven reflected the low light of the cavern. "Puts hair on chest and fire in belly! Makes ghob the best warriors!"

.....

A few minutes later the group was back to the flower spot with Bashiir taking a janky lead. He skidded to a halt by the large patch and wagged a finger at Rip.

"No take too much. Spare seeds like chief said."

"Umm... Mr Bashiir?" Tamina said, resolving to get on the humanoid's good side for reasons completely unconnected to the bottles he carried. "What are you best at? You never said."

"Best at visions! See the future! See many things!" He leaned over and sniffed white petals with a pleasant shiver. "Saw war in the future, fur people fighting fur people, before also saw trees walking, and cages, lots of cages."

It was easy to dismiss the scouts rambling as utter nonsense of course, but the kobold felt the fur stand up on her arms.
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Re: Southern Continent: Picking Up The Pieces

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[OOC: Just a short one to get the word out that the forum is back working properly. Assume that there is magical strangeness going on in conjunction with the following ...]

"So what are you planning on doing with that beer, Rip?" Shorty asked in his curiously soft voice, as soon as the two humans were out of earshot of the others.

"Use it in the spell, of course," Rip answered. He would have preferred not to say anything more, concentrating (or pretending to concentrate) on getting enough of the flowers, without getting so many that the ghob looked restive. Unfortunately, Shorty persisted.

"But I don't get it. Last time we used that magic, we didn't neeAAOORUWGH!!" Shorty doubled over, clutching his groin area.

"Sorry, my bad," Rip said mildly. He'd meant to elbow his friend in the ribs, to get him to stop talking about "last time," when indeed there was no need for alcohol in preparing the poison. It wasn't really his fault that Shorty's ribs were a foot higher off the ground than a normal person's, and that the volume of space normally occupied by ribs, appropriately for fielding a shut-up elbow, was occupied in his case by ... other parts.

Remarkably, Shorty's outburst didn't seem to have got the attention of their fellow adventurers, so as soon as he was able to stand upright again, Rip continued, but now using mind-speech. <"Ceremonial use. As in, when the spell is getting about to its finish, you drink it.">

<"You're really going to drink that stuff?"> The expression on Shorty's face suggested skepticism overlaid on pain.

<"I didn't say me. I said you.">
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