As we play, occasionally we'll close a thread and open a new one to keep the size of threads (and relative complexity) down to a dull roar. Here's where we store the closed posts from the history of Errant Road.
Jack Rothwell wrote:OOC Anyone know where Sareth got to? Difficult to continue the action without him, especially since everyone's favourite molestable kobold is currently nowhere near finding Jun./OOC
Sareth hasn't logged onto the Forum in close to three weeks. Here's hoping nothing bad has happened to him.
If you or Alberich (btw, where'd he go?) want to gently nudge Jamie and/or Jasmine in some interesting direction, feel free; Sareth has had prolonged absences before, and at those times made it clear that it's OK for someone else to be creating the chaos for that pair, or vice versa.
Because old is wise, does good, and above all, kicks ass.
[OOC: A Series of Irritating Distractions, mostly over now. Or so I hope. Things were going to get bizarre if Tamina ate that mouse, but decency saved her from that.
Jamie was the center of this adventure, but if Jasmine manages to take her off and Tamina gets involved in something else, like joining these performers, Udo would likely go after Tamina and take this part of the adventure a new way. That makes more sense to me than playing out the assassination plot in too much detail. Thoughts?]
OOC: I'm also groping for a way to proceed in the absence of Sareth and the ladies. One thought: we may be heading in the direction of a merger of this thread and the Veracian threads, possibly of a temporary nature while the Blaise weirdness gets dealt with. Maybe for now, Tamina and Udo have random stuff happen to them while I maneuver Blaise to set up the merge, but we'll need to explore what happens in the long term when we see how that develops.
Because old is wise, does good, and above all, kicks ass.
OOC Either a merge or putting the thing on hold sounds like the best way to deal. Tamina running off with the circus is unlikely given her emotional attachment to Jamie and, ironically, we're at a spot with Jamie and Jasmine where they're actually working together and Jaime isn't showing the inclination to run either. It would've been an easy way to account for Sareth's absence with the option to rejoin at a moment's notice.
[OOC: Yeah, I'm worried about the good sergeant too. However, we can still do a couple of things here, to prepare for the airship coming from Getsemiel if nothing else...]
For some reason he couldn't name, Keyes wasn't too surprised to notice Tamina in with the performers when he and Father Blaise reached the magic troupe. It just seemed like the kind of place where she might pop up. However, there was someone else there who caused quite a different reaction.
A middle-aged Veracian priest was watching proceedings, distaste on his features. That wasn't a big surprise; Keyes, never having seen either Reformed or Calfornican clergy in action, had become pretty accustomed to that facial expression from Veracian priests. Well, they were foreigners in this country, and not very successful ones, from the size of the Veracian churches Keyes had seen here. The grouchy-looking clergyman might grumble about the heathen, non-Luminositan performers (and probably about the fact that the spectators were generally looking as if they found those performers more enjoyable than smiting day in the Veracian temple...), but he couldn't do much more than grumble; quite a few of the onlookers were armed, after all. (Eisenfaust? Keyes had spent enough time in Lorrel to know how things worked here, but there was no way to be sure.)
He wasn't prepared for what the man did next.
The priest's disapproving glare turned toward sailor and passenger, and suddenly all the blood ran away from his face. He made the Sign of Luminosita and -- knelt in front of Blaise. "Y-your E-e-eminence?" he stammered. "W-w-what is Your Eminence d-d-doing here? Your humble Servant of Luminosita is at your command..."
Blaise glared back at the man, open hostility on his features. "I believe you've mistaken me for someone else, my good man," he said, the words cordial but his tone definitely not. "Now leave us alone, please." And Keyes noticed just the very slightest red glow to Blaise's eyes.
Because old is wise, does good, and above all, kicks ass.
Tamina turned in her seat at the sound of the new arrivals, saw Keyes, and beamed. Her hand shot up and she waved happily at the man, then turned backwards and scrambled over the back of her chair with a thump as it tilted backwards and struck the ground.
"Keyeth!" She exclaimed, as she hurriedly crossed the tavern to him. "Glad you're here! Forgot to ask the last time I seen you. Umm... the big lizard thing you made appear that bit the monsters, Can you... ahh... show me again? How'd'you do it? Can you teach me? Buy you a beer!"
The kobold looked into Keyes' eyes hopefully.
"I'd show her a 'big lizard thing'" Someone muttered, almost too low to hear.
The priest examined Blaise closely, as a stricken look spread across his face. "S-s-sorry, sir," he stammered. "M-m-my mistake." He retreated at speed, in the direction of the Veracian temple in Lorrel.
Meanwhile, Keyes couldn't help but smile at Tamina; he'd found the kobold a curiously charming, appealing character when they'd met on the Southern Continent. Unfortunately, he could only give her discouraging news. "Torry," he said, "but it take a long time to reload Old Tarlie apter I ude him. I don't tink he'd ready yet."
Tamina's open face left very little doubt that she was disappointed, and Keyes could barely bear it. He took a deep breath, smiled again. "Well, on de oder hand, it can't hurt to try. Jut a minute..." He took off the figurine, set it on the ground, rallied his energies, cast magic at it.
Once again, there was a blur of energy, and the amulet vanished. This time, however, it wasn't replaced by a thirty-foot-long, man-eating monster, but rather by a much smaller bipedal lizard, maybe four feet long from head to toe. It looked around as the crowd gasped -- magic like this was rare enough in Farrel to make an impression, never mind how much more impressive it could have been -- and expertly snapped a passing moth out of the air. The unfortunate moth devoured, the lizard emitted an incongruously thunderous belch (to the immense amusement of the crowd), and then with another puff of magic, it disappeared, leaving the amulet.
Keyes was actually quite taken aback by the round of applause he got as he picked the thing up. He'd probably been a bit indiscreet showing Old Charlie in this setting, to be honest ... but Tamina was so cute. "Dat all por now," he said, re-fastening the figurine on the chain around his neck. "Old Tarlie id going to hape to tleep for a couple ob day bepore I can do dat again." He smiled at Tamina. "But I'll take you up on dat beer." The crowd laughed and applauded again ... as the priest returned from the temple, his facial expression quite different this time.
Because old is wise, does good, and above all, kicks ass.
The performers at the table were entranced and envious of Keyes' performance. But he soon made it clear he wasn't going to join them to provide new material for their act. Udo, naturally, stayed with Tamina, quizzing the performers as best he could in the hopes of finding this Jun Oshima character (though for just a moment, he'd been ready to shift his self-image from Mystery Man of Doom to Showman Without Peer). No one who looked like Oshima seemed to be turning up. He swilled beer and hoped for inspiration.
OOC Ok guys, I'm going to need a couple of days grace because... well... Mass Effect 3 got released yesterday........................... yeah, g2g./OOC
Afterward, Keyes remembered that he'd only heard Blaise's name, a muttered conversation, and a scream.
What had happened, however, was that unobserved by the crowd that was focused on Keyes, Tamina and Old Charlie, the priest from the temple had come to stand by Blaise with a serious, almost militant look on his face. He had addressed the traveler abruptly, but so quietly that no one but Blaise could hear -- at least any of it but the last word. What he said was:
"Father Blaise, Your Eminence ... the Abbot commands that I bring you back to the temple immediately. He earnestly requires that he ask Your Eminence some questions as directed by theeeEEEEEUUUGGGHH!"
And then the priest collapsed on the floor of the tavern, no longer passing without notice.
"Quickly!" Blaise shouted. "This poor man is having a heart attack! Anyone with life magic, rally to my side, for Luminosita's Sake!" He knelt over the inert form of the cleric as Keyes, among others, sprang to his side ...
... But, of course, it was too late.
Because old is wise, does good, and above all, kicks ass.