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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Graybeard
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Re: Port Lorrel- Puppet Masters

Post by Graybeard »

"Can I help you?" the receptionist (or her image, anyway) asked Khoo and Udo as they entered the clinic. Khoo briefly outlined the conversation he'd had at the consulate.

The woman nodded. "Let me get the thaumatic healer." A bell sounded somewhere back in the clinic, and long-haired Moe presently appeared, actually opening the door and walking into the room this time. "What can I do for you?" he asked, pleasantly enough.
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Alberich
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Re: Port Lorrel- Puppet Masters

Post by Alberich »

Udo was a little surprised that Khoo seemed to be hesitating to answer this question. Okay, he was shy with cute darlin' kobolds, hot elf babes, and even that sweet mage chick that was so stuck on him, when he should really be chasing after them, but surely he didn't get his throat choked up with thumping heart around bearded, ponytailed guys with glasses? (Then again, there was that underwear of his...) Anyway, if Khoo was going to be tongue-tied, Udo would fill the gap.

"Whazzup?" he said. "Hey, we're lookin' to face off against some evil dudes that can get us killed, or, y'know, try to take us over with their awful enemy mind-control forces. And my buddy and I here heard about how you can help with that! I mean, like, help with not that, with that not happening. Making it not happen. That sort of thing. What'cha say?"

* * *

Over in the library, Angrist saw the air of studiousness was broken by the whispered conversations on the vital political topics of the day

"...no, no, see, there's a three-story inn overlooking where the rally was. That's where the real gunman was perched. The other was just a decoy."

"So why didn't the real gunman fire?"

"Because they didn't want it to happen."

"Who?"

"They..."

"...well known fact, you can't use a pistol at those ranges, the bullets don't get their velocity for at least twenty yards, the whole thing stinks..."

"...it's got all the hallmarks of a Waffenbruderschaft operation. Why didn't the pistol go off? They know..."

"...what I hear is, he's for decency, and standing up for the common man."

"What's that mean?"

"He wants to take all the dirty books out of the library and give 'em to people who can't read..."

...at this rate, they'd never achieve the level of contemplation needed to discover the time magic for themselves. Which was probably just as well.
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Jack Rothwell
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Re: Port Lorrel- Puppet Masters

Post by Jack Rothwell »

Tamina half-ran, half-stumbled over to the glowing communications device and clawed it over her neck to listen to whatever message was being passed along the ether. Drusia couldn't help but notice that the kobold seemed to be getting over her hesitation to wear the thing when the circumstances demanded it. Tamina sat down, crossed her legs, and opened her mind.

'...safe now?'

'Yes.'
Tamina stiffened as Aleron's high pitched rasp pierced her senses. 'I've set up a block. It took a while to tune it to the crystals.'

The kobold smiled widely as she caught the elf's eye. She pressed an involuntary hand to her ear as if to enhance what she was hearing in her head.

'We're having a demonstration to the relevant parties before the final armament begins.'

'...and so to the endgame for Port Lorrel.'
The older man replied to Eli with a chuckle that made the kobold's hands tighten of their own accord.

'No sense in taking chances though. Are you sure about attending tonight?'

'I grow tired of watching this town through the eyes of my marionettes. Although the banditwoman you bound has a vigor for life which is refreshing in a primitive way.'

'You'll have a guard sent to you. They'll bring you to Drewmount Shipping after sundown.'

'I look forward to the fresh air. Bring that Priest friend of yours as well. We'll have other business to conduct at the conclusion.
'

Tamina punched a victorious fist in the air as the device went dark.
Last edited by Jack Rothwell on March 4th, 2013, 6:32 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Drusia
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Re: Port Lorrel- Puppet Masters

Post by Drusia »

"Think I'm figuring it out." She said to the elf. "We can..."
She was suddenly aware that Druisa's gaze was not on her but on something behind. Tamina turned around and saw the Ralkin amulet she'd placed on a stone near the campfire. It was glowing.


"Is that bad?" I ask Tamina, unsure if I should get between her and it or just grab her and gate as far away as I can manage. I compromise by moving closer to her. "It looks kinda t dark.

Tamina punched a victorious fist in the air as the device went dark.

"Are you okay?" I ask, frowning. "What happened?

-- Drusia

OOC: There, updated. ^^
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Jack Rothwell
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Re: Port Lorrel- Puppet Masters

Post by Jack Rothwell »

"The Ralkin messed up!" Tamina exclaimed excitedly, leaning forward and grasping Drusia's hands. "Aleron's coming out of hiding, heading to a place tonight. We can find him. We can stop him!"

She quickly told the elf what she'd heard between Eli and his master.

"So what d'you think?" She said eagerly, the gleam in her eyes reflecting the twinkle of the crystal suspended from her neck.
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Drusia
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Re: Port Lorrel- Puppet Masters

Post by Drusia »

"The Ralkin messed up!" Tamina exclaimed excitedly, leaning forward and grasping Drusia's hands. "Aleron's coming out of hiding, heading to a place tonight. We can find him. We can stop him!"
"So what d'you think?" She said eagerly, the gleam in her eyes reflecting the twinkle of the crystal suspended from her neck.


"Drewmount Shipping, eh?" I repeat, making sure I remember the name. It might matter later. Tamina nods, confirming that I got it right.

"I think we should be there to welcome him," I tell her. "Quietly. And by welcome, I mean decapitate." The only question is Durus or steel? Choices, choices.

-- Drusia
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Graybeard
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Re: Port Lorrel- Puppet Masters

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"Hey, we're lookin' to face off against some evil dudes that can get us killed, or, y'know, try to take us over with their awful enemy mind-control forces. And my buddy and I here heard about how you can help with that! I mean, like, help with not that, with that not happening. Making it not happen. That sort of thing. What'cha say?"


Long-haired Moe looked first puzzled, then chagrined, then puzzled again at this monologue. "I-- I'm not sure you've come to the right place," he finally got out. "We're--"

"A thaumatic healing clinic," Khoo interrupted smoothly. "We understand that. We were told that you might be able to help us with something that will prevent mind attacks. Don't worry about the 'face off against some evil dudes' part. That's our problem, not yours. But do you have any prophylaxis against mind control?"

Now that was language that an aspiring D.Thm. with no interest whatever in the battlemage corps could understand. "I think so," he said. "Be right back." He stepped back through the door and returned a minute later with what looked like a necklace with a glowing amulet hanging off it.

"This is expensive," Moe warned. "Do you have Tsui-care?"

Khoo rolled his eyes; a continent away, the bureaucracy of the Tsuirakuan medical system couldn't be escaped. He produced his card, and the transaction was completed.

"Just wear that," the healer said, "and it'll keep you safe against mental attack out to a radius of about ten feet or so. You should be able to protect not just yourself but a small group with it. I have to warn you, though; it'll lock down all mental magic in your vicinity, not just mind control. If you or the people you're with have familiars that you want to hide, for example, the Obfuscation spell won't work near the amulet. Same with other mind magic. And if you try to use any yourself while you're in range, there can be ... side effects."
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Alberich
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Re: Port Lorrel- Puppet Masters

Post by Alberich »

"Hah!" said Udo. "The side effect is we can't do what we can't do! Let's get back to the others!"

[OOC: Will do Udo's reaction to the news from Tamina later. Busy day.]
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Graybeard
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Re: Port Lorrel- Puppet Masters

Post by Graybeard »

"It's not quite that simple," the long-haired man said. (But why try to explain such things to a mere layman? The thought crossed his mind, but he hadn't received his D.Thm. yet, so it wasn't fully ripe and he did not express it.) "Detection magic won't work right while it's in use. Control of golems, if you have any, will become ... erratic." (Now that could be a problem, thought Khoo. A Wind Sprite isn't technically a golem, but the same magical principles apply. I'll have to test that before I use one.) "Commands, Charms and Domination spells won't work for you or against you. Astral Projection spells, like we use at the front desk, won't work unless specific countermeasures are taken. We're fine here, but you may not be in the field. Staffs pre-loaded with mind magic may malfunction. And so on. Just be careful." He bid the pair farewell and returned to his office.

As it happened, he was forgetting one very important mind-magic use, which would be discovered soon enough.
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Alberich
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Re: Port Lorrel- Puppet Masters

Post by Alberich »

Udo and Khoo returned in good time to their companions - and if Angrist wasn't there he soon would be.

Udo didn't like the sound of what Tamina was telling him one bit. His recent experience with the Ralkin was that they were full of tricks and power, and his recent experience being robbed inclined him to be more suspicious than usual anyway.

He liked less the fact that she seemed to be wearing one of the enemy's magic commo rocks - the ones that he and Angrist had previously stuck to Angrist's own magic-suppressing amulets to stop it from sending signals back to the enemy. He guided Khoo and his new mind-speech-suppressing amulet close to Tamina, in the hopes it would disrupt any signal to the enemy, and urgently made gestures like a man removing an amulet, laying it aside, and folding his hands to say "please." Udo had no training as a mime but the kindhearted kobold got the message obliged him at least for a moment. [OOC: I think that would be in character anyway.]

"Earlier on," said Udo, stage-whispering for no obvious reason, "didn't you tell us they knew we we could listen in on them? That only makes sense, 'cause they didn't know we had the stone from the old elf temple, but sure as hell they know we whacked Gabriel. Then the next time we hear from them it's a message of their super-secret plan to be out in the open? I think if they were going to do something that dangerous they'd just talk to each other in person, not use these commo rocks when they know we can listen. This tastes like a trap! Magic trap, ambush trap, I dunno, but I'd hate to walk into it. I'd rather tell the Eisenfaust about this one and tail that priest they were telling us about tonight. Or at least scout 'em out, find out what the trap is.

"And I don't think we ought to be carrying that thing around - if that's how Aleron was projecting his magic to blast us down south, who's to say he can't attack us through it right when we're least expecting it?"
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