Homontel, and beyond

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: Homontel, and beyond

Post by Graybeard »

"That's ... extremely interesting," Sister Rose said, her head whirling with possibilities. She knew the Tsuirakuans had gotten spooky about the capabilities of familiars. The given reason that she'd picked up from the grapevine, that they were nervous about familiars being used as animated smart bombs, just didn't make sense. Might there be more to it? Things involving espionage, blackmail, extortion? She'd still be pondering that a few months later, when the Tower of Artifex Incident brought the subject into sharper focus.

Back to the present. And if so, how can we take advantage of it? the special-ops part of her mind wanted to know. Well, this wasn't the time to worry about that. She wasn't active-duty any more, these were friends, and there was a church problem to get dealt with. "Two questions," she said, as a buggy passed them, heading north; no hostility this time, since Brother Miguel was driving, but no interest either. "First, Harker, exactly how might you use these 'connections,' seeing that we're a thousand miles from Tsuirakushiti or more?"

She turned to Sasha. "And second, I'm getting an idea here. Is there any possibility that your brother might have a familiar?"

[EDIT: A very belated retcon to fix a timing problem that came up much later. Not even sure why I'm doing it, attention to this game having pretty much vanished, but just for consistency's sake...]
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Sareth
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Re: Homontel, and beyond

Post by Sareth »

Lillith curled a lip in disgust. Immoral and untrustworthy, as well as unnatural. Harker really wasn't helping her attitude about familiars improve any.

The discussion turned to Sasha's brother, and Lillith stopped listening. She was too busy worrying about what came next. Her plans had become seriously derailed ever since she had seen the gollum. She didn't know what to do next. Traveling with these people felt uncomfortable, and yet... what more was there for her to do?

She sighed as she watched the lights of the next town grow in the distance bit by bit.
Last edited by Sareth on April 3rd, 2009, 5:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Drannin
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Re: Homontel, and beyond

Post by Drannin »

Harker shrugged. "Wait until the 'desk' you were mentioning gets to Tsuirakushiti. Get me a crystal ball somehow. I'll do the rest. They never even have to hear your names."

Argus frowned. "I... know a spell that can boost the range of communications. If we could just figure out a way to get a crystal ball... or some method of communication... I'd need a day or so to set things up, but then Harker could."

"Have a chat with Beebee." Harker seemed on the verge of explosive laughter.
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Graybeard
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Re: Homontel, and beyond

Post by Graybeard »

"A crystal ball ... hmmm," Brother Miguel thought aloud. "That's going to take some doing."

As far as he knew, Crystal-net only extended into Veracia as far as Saus; the old fossils in Emerylon had refused to let the Tsuirakuans extend it beyond the country's one contact with the outside world. At least the one acknowledged contact, and that gave him an idea. Lorenzel was still at least a day's journey away, but there'd probably be a second-hand store (or, if you prefer, pawn shop, or even fencing operation) there where an old, used ball could be found; the place was rumored to have far odder bits of thaumato-technology than that. It'd be worth a look on the way to Egbert's old digs.

Were there alternatives? Probably not. Special ops' highly classified comm system surely wouldn't be compatible with the Tsuirakuan crystal balls, and even if they were, he and Sister Rose would be in big trouble if they exposed it to a Tsuirakuan, even one in exile. A Tsuirakuan expat wandering the countryside might have one, but where were they going to find somebody like that...

Wait a minute. They had one of those, right here in the wagon. "Sasha?" he said, wishing his Truth spell was still in effect. "Any chance you might have a crystal ball on you?"
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Re: Homontel, and beyond

Post by Viking-Sensei »

"Lucas does have a familiar... sort of. He's got one of those discount 'Everkittens'. And for a crystal ball... I think the GPS has a little one in it. Maybe Argus can get it out..."
How could a plan this awesome possibly fail?
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Drannin
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Re: Homontel, and beyond

Post by Drannin »

Argus grumbled. "Not much to go on... but I can manage." He sighed. "Let me make some calculations. If the bas- if Dirienzal is involved in the examination, it'll take him some time to learn something. And he WILL be involved, mark my words. At the least, he'll weasel his way into anything half-interesting." The bitterness in Argus' voice indicated that he knew this well.

A few minutes later, Argus was staring into the opened body of the GPS. It was small, but... "I can manage... barely. I'll need to pull to ball... it can be returned," this to Sasha, "And I'd like to hook it up to something reflective, like a common mirror. That's so we can actually communicate. As for the rest... Harker, I need a sketchpad."

Wordlessly, Harker handed his Master a pen and a pad of paper.

"I need some time to calculate. This... is gonna be complicated. Give me some time to work things out, see how I can get it functional." This said, Argus started scribbling furiously on the pad, working out odd formulae and rough sketches of equipment. Harker watched carefully over his shoulder. To them, the rest of the world may as well have vanished.
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Re: Homontel, and beyond

Post by Graybeard »

"I hope you folks can work while we're on the move," Sister Rose said. "This is exactly the kind of thing that would raise suspicions if some of the ultra-Orthodox saw what you were doing." Brother Miguel put the wagon in motion; fortunately, the road was good, and so was the wagon's simple suspension, so things weren't too bumpy.

Harker and Argus were still working on the improvised crystal ball when the group came to a sign on the outskirts of town, welcoming visitors to "Mazantzel, the Friendly Village." Miguel raised an eyebrow in Rose's direction, then both shrugged their shoulders. "Never heard of it," Rose said. "Still, probably better a village that calls itself friendly than one that doesn't. Do we try to settle here for the night, or push on? And how close are you to done?"

Argus didn't get a chance to reply before Miguel called out, "Party inbound. I'm not sure about this. On guard, everybody."

Mazantzel may have been the "friendly village," but judging from the light of the setting sun that glinted off the four mounted men's lances and swords as they galloped from town toward the wagon, not all of the natives were as friendly as the village was...
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Sareth
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Re: Homontel, and beyond

Post by Sareth »

Lillith double checked her ears, making sure they were covered, and huddled in the wagon trying to look like a good penitent girl. So long as she kept quiet and didn't call attention to herself, then one could hope that the oncoming armed guards would focus on the two clergy.

As much as she wanted to quietly pray or meditate, it would likely just call attention to her.
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Graybeard
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Re: Homontel, and beyond

Post by Graybeard »

The men on horseback galloped to a halt 50 yards or so from the wagon, brandishing their weapons. The largest man pulled slightly out in front of the others. What's that that he's wearing? Sister Rose and Miguel both wondered, as he shouted at them with a thunderous voice.

"INFIDELS! Your kind is not welcome here! Leave or die!"

This challenge may have impressed his colleagues, who tried to look stern, but most of the people in the wagon just found it amusing. The riders weren't terribly imposing (their handling of the lances could reasonably be described as "awkward"), and they were facing ex-special-ops clerics who'd just dispatched a spider golem; a powerful Tsuirakuan mage; and a woman who wasn't particularly magical, but had described herself earlier as a "crack shot." (Plus Lillith, of course, but Rose and Miguel suspected that she'd be better in a fight than she was letting on ... she just didn't want to fight, reasonably enough.) What were these people thinking? Something didn't look right, didn't feel right here.

"Can we take them down non-lethally if it comes to that?" Rose muttered to Miguel, who nodded subtly and caught a similar nod from Argus. Miguel cleared his throat and started to say something, but was interrupted by another stentorian shout from the big man.

"This is your last warning, heretics!" And now Miguel figured out what was incongruous about this encounter.

"Whoa," Miguel muttered sotto voce. "That guy's wearing robes of the Orthodox Church, with vestments and all ... which must make him the parish priest."
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Sareth
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Re: Homontel, and beyond

Post by Sareth »

Lillith arched an eyebrow. She leaned a bit closer to Sister Rose. "Welcome to my world, infidel." She actually sounded like she meant it to be mutual humor, rather than a cut at a foe. "What is their problem with you? Is it just that we're here?" She then gave a little smile that was a touch less pleasant than one might have expected on her feminine face. "Can I stop pretending now?"
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