Port Lorrel- Puppet Masters

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.
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Jack Rothwell
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Re: Port Lorrel- Puppet Masters

Post by Jack Rothwell »

"Don't worry." Tamina said, nudging the darkened amulet with her finger. "Gabriel was a... vessel? That the right word? Had to co-operate with Aleron to make the magic work, seen him do it before, had something to do with the stones in him as well, but... you're right, should smash it... though... could make our magic stronger. You lost your staff..." She eyed the thing meaningfully.

"Don't know 'bout an ambush." She continued. "But... we got any other leads? Maybe if it's an ambush, and Eli, or the Priest-man is there we could ambush the ambush and find out where Aleron is? Or maybe they did make a mistake and Aleron's there... could be a chance to end this."
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Re: Port Lorrel- Puppet Masters

Post by Alberich »

There was still time to think and plan - it was only midafternoon. "Trouble is," said Udo, "I think we have to assume they said it for our benefit. Since you overheard 'em say they knew you could overhear. We don't know if they'll bait the trap with real bait. Other trouble is they can detect elves, so if we bring Drusia and Ross they'll know we're coming. Other trouble is if they can detect elves, the way Ross was saying, they'll know if we're bringing Ross and Drusia, and be ready to spring their ambush with however many snipers and hired wizards they've got. Hmmmm." His newly-naked jowly face scrunched with thought.

"Okay, well, the Eisenfaust have the manpower and the scouts that we don't. And Khoo and me are not elves and are nothin' special to detect, and Sensei - if I getcha he isn't an elf exactly. And from what we saw he can move really fast.

"So what if we three go into town early, let the Eisenfaust know what's up fast as we can. They can put eyes on the street fast, find out what that ambush looks like, get a bead on that stupid priest, help us figure what's where.

"And....could we draw one of those teleport runes you do on something we could carry, like on a piece of paper or something? See, then we take it to the right place without getting detected, once we know where that is, lay it out all sneaky-like, and send you back a signal to zoop in where you're not expected. Like Sensei running back at full speed, or if Khoo could shoot us up a firework or something."
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Jack Rothwell
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Re: Port Lorrel- Puppet Masters

Post by Jack Rothwell »

OOC Aleron's the only member of the group who's been established as having illusion-detection skills, and even then he only spotted Jargalan when the guy was standing right in front of him. The Ralkin wouldn't automatically know if Dru/Ross decided to investigate./OOC
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Re: Port Lorrel- Puppet Masters

Post by Alberich »

[OOC: It's fine by me but Jargalan didn't know that and he's the one who misled Udo. Please feel free to have anyone point us the right way.]
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Graybeard
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Re: Port Lorrel- Puppet Masters

Post by Graybeard »

OOC:
Jack Rothwell wrote:OOC Aleron's the only member of the group who's been established as having illusion-detection skills, and even then he only spotted Jargalan when the guy was standing right in front of him. The Ralkin wouldn't automatically know if Dru/Ross decided to investigate./OOC
Khoo and Udo would probably have them, if cast as a spell; various vignettes in Errant Story suggested that the ability to cast such a spell is fairly widespread in the more magically-adept parts of the Errant World, and becoming more so even in magically-backward Farrel. I would certainly expect both a battlemage (such as he is...) and a Sashi Mu grad student to have the capability.

Incidentally, we should probably consider whether the gadget Khoo just bought would suppress Illusion detection, casting of the Illusion spell itself, or both. My intention in having them give out the gadget, and therefore my preference going forward, is "both" -- in which case not only could interactions with Jargalan, Aleron and others get weird, but there could be all manner of other, unforeseen consequences. There's a reason why both Sarine, in-story, and Drusia-the-elf (as well as baddie Bauti), here, rely on non-magical means for their disguise!
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Jack Rothwell
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Re: Port Lorrel- Puppet Masters

Post by Jack Rothwell »

OOC A non-magical disguise for the elves would make sense moving through town, even Tamina can conceal her feral nature with enough covering up.../OOC

"Still want to see if Aleron's there myself." Tamina said stubbornly. "If we can get high, get a clear shot... won't matter 'bout the other men, then we just have to smash the artifact and the whole falls apart like a cramcray* in a boiling pot."

*-a bulbous ground berry from the southern continent.

OOC Eli's looking for Tim on the next post, Al. /OOC
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Re: Port Lorrel- Puppet Masters

Post by Alberich »

"Well, then, I'm with you!" said Udo -- because if there was anything worse than walking into the Ultimate Trap, it was letting a lovely kobold walk into it without him. The fact that he might be less than useful at dealing with this trap simply didn't enter into it. "But I'd still like to let the Eisenfaust know early what's up so they can at least be watching both ways."

* * *

Tim rested half the afternoon - his time with the "Black Guard" underlings was not so important as his evening meets with Eli. Normal sleep wasn't easy these days -- silkafear and galdyrage fought it out with a deeper fear of infernal corruption -- yet he did not complain of this even to his own soul. When sleep became easy, he would be truly and finally corrupted. He sought solace in prayer. Even this was tinged with fear. What chance did he have for Luminosita's Mercy, if he signed on under the banner of His enemies? He prayed, then, that the crisis might come soon.

When the time seemed right, he strode purposefully from his chamber, and the fear fled from his face and mind. "Have a bath ready when I return," he ordered a novice.

"When will that be, Brother?"

"Don't know. Midnight, after. Have it ready anyway."

"Can't be drawin' a bath when I don't know when it is, Brother."

Tim's face twitched. "Be ready to have it ready, then." He caught his temper rising and walked away in silence.
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Re: Port Lorrel- Puppet Masters

Post by Graybeard »

"But I'd still like to let the Eisenfaust know early what's up so they can at least be watching both ways."


"We know," said a voice from deep shadow between two buildings at the edge of town, startling Tamina, Udo and Khoo alike. [OOC: At least I think they're at the edge of town. They're not going into town proper until later tonight, right? /OOC:] Khoo reflexively looked over to where the voice had been, seeing nothing but a gritty passageway ... although there was a shadow on the ground that didn't seem attached to anything. Invisibility? Of course, with the amulet, he couldn't cast a detection spell to find out for sure. The shadow moved back into the deeper shadows and was lost from sight, although Khoo thought he heard footfalls in the distance.

"It seems they have more capabilities than they've told us about," he mused as the walkers continued. "Wonder what they can do for us -- or to us -- when it hits the fan?"

-----------

A few minutes later, a visitor knocked at the door of the workers' entrance to the Veracian temple, and was admitted without a word.
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Re: Port Lorrel- Puppet Masters

Post by Alberich »

"Plenty!" replied Udo. "And that's just how I like it! But we've not nothing to worry about from them, 'slong as we stay out of debt in this town. Out of debt and out of trouble. Except, you know, the trouble we want to get in, which is perfectly not troublesome." Udo was ready to head to the Eisenfaust Rendezvous, get the latest intel, get a pointer, and get after some Ralkin!

"Well, what could be clearer than that?" said a voice behind them - Jargalan's, naturally. The disguised elf was well rested and moved like a predatory cat,* languid with the confidence of hidden power.

Udo, despite his recent exploits in the southern jungle, could still feel a thrill of fear at the upcoming fight if he paused to think. (Which he was not in the habit of doing.) Jargalan's self-assurance was borne of elvish arrogance and centuries spent spilling lakes of blood. The thought of ending a dozen more lives, or a hundred, did not ruffle him.

*Is there another kind?

[OOC: I thought we were out of town since we're with Drusia & all and didn't want to risk being spied on by the Ralkin. But two buildings, two hillocks, two big rocks, it's all the same to me! As far as I'm concerned we can move forward to the rendezvous or past it, with the assumption that the Eisenfaust have pointed us the right way or given us enough info to get to where there's a decision to make, or where something interesting will happen. Meantime Tim's ready to be snagged up or made to be wherever he should be, bearing in mind he wants to stick by Eli as much as possible.]
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Re: Port Lorrel- Puppet Masters

Post by Browncoat »

[I'm still here, but I'm keeping Angrist in the library for a while longer. Just fyi]
They kicked me out of the asylum. I miss the jello.
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