DM: Candace: "What's up, luv?"
Dianysia: "Can you help her?"
DM: Candace kneels to check out beth, and quickly shakes her head. "Sorry. She's long gone. Her patron's got a new client now."
Dianysia: "I don't think she had a patron," Dia says. "Well, do you have any healing left for me and Jayde, er, my dog?"
DM: Rithuly wanders over, stretching his neck, before kneeling down next to the dead pig and pulling out a knife, cutting free a decent-sized strip of flesh. Candace nods to Dia: "How bad are ye hurt?"
DM: meanwhile, the pigs that are left are kinda wandering away, heading back towards town at a slow amble, slowly coming together in a semblance of their instinctive herding behavior
Dianysia: "Smarting a bit... the first healing you gave me helped a bit but they smacked me with that stupid lance again.
(1936) Jefferson Harco: "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine until we take up a nights rest."
DM: C: "Right then... let's get ya patched up, shall we?" Candace concentrates a moment, before laying her hands on Dia's shoulders, letting the healing energies flow...
Dianysia: "Would you might getting Jayde too? She's not looking too hot, and she's very important to me."
Dianysia: "And thank you."
Dianysia kneels beside Beth, whispers a prayer she hopes Beth would have found fitting, and then begins looting the deceased girl.
DM: C: "Sure thing, luv. No kennel nearby, eh?" Candace concentrates again, this time concentrating her healing energies on the dog. Meanwhile, Rithuly is watching, as he holds the strip of pig meat in his hand above his head, before breathing a lance of fire 30 ft. straight up to roast the meat, grinning. "Anybody else want some?"
DM: (Candace completely heals Jayde)
Jayde looks much relieved, and licks Cancace's face in appreciation.
Jefferson Harco: "Well now where do we go? Beth had the info..."
Dianysia: "Thank you for Jayde, too, though I doubt I need to translate." She looks over at Rithuly.. "You sure it's edible? I mean, didn't remind me of the standard pig... but who rides a pig?"
DM: Rithuly: "And what's wrong with riding a pig? They're bred as mounts, obviously, just look at 'em and you'll see the breeding. Besides, once it's thoroughly roasted, what beats a good boar?"
Jefferson Harco: "Chicken..."
Dianysia: "ME? No, just cautious. I'll take some, though, if you can do well done and not just charred," Dia says, smiling.
Dianysia: "Jeff," Dia says, her tone more serious, "what do you think she'd want us to do for a funeral for her? Burried? Cremated?"
DM: Rithuly grins, and stands up from the boar. "Just everybody stand back..." Rithuly looks down at the boar, and breathes another gout of flame over the boar, turns it, breathes, and continues this for a bit
Jefferson Harco: "That's a tough decision, she did have some ties to the church. Maybe if we brought her ashes to them."
Dianysia: "She broke her ties with them long ago, if I understood her journal. Did so after someone she cared for died."
Jefferson Harco: "She may have broke ties, but she may still have believed in her heart."
DM: Rithuly is still tending the boar, when he suddenly stops, holding a hand to his forehead, but not saying anything... and Candace does the same. C: "That feels a bit..."
Dianysia: "Are you okay?"
DM: both of them wink out of existence with only a mild puff of wind as air rushes into the places where they had been standing
DM: at a second glance, you see the magical items laying on the ground where each of them had stood
Dianysia: "Man, nobody sticks around, do they Jeff?"
Jefferson Harco: "Someone should hold these for them, until they come back...
Jefferson Harco: "Well, sometimes I think you scare them off..."
Dianysia moves to loot the riders - including lances :D
Dianysia: "Is it any good?" she calls over her shoulder she loots. "The pig, I mean?"
Jefferson Harco: "Don't really know, it seems partly cooked, enough for one meal, would you like it?
Dianysia: "Yeah, I'll take some. How about yourself?"
DM: the last of the mounts are starting to wander away maybe 1/2 a mile away from y'all now...
Jefferson Harco begins to pick up loot and bring them to Dia.
Jefferson Harco: "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine.
Jefferson Harco finds the boar parts that are cooked thru and hands them to Dia
Jefferson Harco: "Is there a backpack around? Maybe I can help carry some of this stuff.."
Dianysia: "Thanks," she replies, pausing a moment to take a few bites. "Not bad. I guess we need to call him the next time we need a good meal," she jokes half-heartedly.
Jefferson Harco: "I think the items with the crystals are what we should focus on..."
Jefferson Harco starts to investigate the armor with the crystals, to see if they're any clues to them, or to the maker...
Dianysia: "I still want to know why they chose pigs? I mean, really?"
Dianysia: A"After we finish looting, we can take a moment, and I can prepare a spell. Excuse me a moment though, I need to catch a pig."
Dianysia runs to catch the piggy!
Jefferson Harco: "Well we are not going to be able to carry all of this... we need a wagon..."
DM: Dia, it'll take you about 10 minutes at a jog to catch up to the pigs... that's taking into account your movement AND theirs
Jefferson Harco: "We still need to figure out what needs to be done, do you think the assasin was in this group?"
Jefferson Harco: "Didn't they say they came in place of their master?"
Dianysia tries to grab a warpig's reins and pull the animal to a stop as I would a horse.
DM: the problem is... coming up jogging behind the pigs... they're gonna shy away from you... they're not really moving quickly, they're mostly ambling... but they're trying to evade you, 'cuz they don't know you
Dianysia: This'll hurt. Dodge around it
DM: alright... you've managed to catch on to the reins... and it's glaring at you with one beady red eye...
Dianysia: "Whoa," I call, watching it steadily.
DM: it tries to pull away... it's bolting, and you're holding on to the reins, only half a second to react... what're you gonna do?
Dianysia holds on, still trying to steady it.
DM: it tries to yank away... but you hold on and manage to pull its head around... yanking it slightly off balance... now what?
Dianysia: ""Stop. halt!"
DM: it recovers its feet but makes no motion to pull away this time, staring at you with its wee beady eyes...
Dianysia: "Good pig. Heel." I try and turn it and lead it back to our little hill.
DM: it follows slowly...
DM: okay... consider yourself back by Jeff, piggy in tow
DM: and on your travel you've had enough time to look at the piggy... it is less than in great condition, it's got more than a few scorched patches of hide, and it's limping slightly... this looks like it might have been one you fireballed
Dianysia: (Does he have saddlebags?)
DM: it's a military saddle... there's a small storage space behind where the rider sits... but otherwise, no
DM: until you could get a pack saddle made up for it, or adapted from a dog's pack saddle, you'll have to make-do with roping gear to the pig...
Dianysia: "Well, this gal looks like she can pack a bit... we just need to figure out HOW to get it on the pig..."
Dianysia: "Okay, so I think we can get it all, so long as we figure out how to have the pig carry most of it...I think I'll call you... Ruby, that okay?" she says, the last bit to the pig.
DM: the pig appears to be taking no notice of the speaking
Jefferson Harco: "Ok but now where?
Jefferson Harco: "Let's keep going to the tower"
Dianysia affixes equipment to Ruby. "I agree...She said South-south-west to a tower..."
Dianysia: "Mind if I take a moment and make sure this is secure?"
Jefferson Harco: sure, would you like some help?
Dianysia: Absolutely.
Dianysia: Okay, h/o... casts detect magic
Dianysia: I canrry Beth's pack, shifting some stuff to Jayde's packs, switch my spellbook to Beth's pack, and carry it, shoving my pack in Jayde's pack as well.
Jefferson Harco: "Lets move forward to the tower"
Jefferson Harco moves towards the tower looking for Dia to follow
DM: hokay... so you travel the rest of the day in relative peace... night time... what's the plan for watches?
Dianysia follows Jeff, now leading Jayde and Ruby, Onyx on his perch, and Emma on her gauntlet.
Dianysia: "Uhm.... Jeff, how much sleep DO you need?"
Jefferson Harco: um, just 8 hours.
Dianysia: Okay...h.. first shift or last?
Jefferson Harco: First...
Jefferson Harco: you'll be more use if you have spells and im asleep
Dianysia: Great... so we now start resting 16 hrs a day... GREAT
Dianysia casts alarm and goes to bed.
DM: a'ight... changeover...
Dianysia: As it lightens again, and the animals wake, I work with the birds, study my spellbook, and try to get to know Ruby better... then I feed myself and the zoo
DM: okay... you've gotten to where she's not hating you anymore...
DM: and she's looking a little better, but still much the worse for wear
Dianysia: So, I uh, ugess we travel again soon as Jeff wakes...
Jefferson Harco wakes up, and gets right to business, and starts off towards the tower...
Dianysia: As we travel... I'm working with birdies...
DM: so another unventful day
DM: UNTIL...
DM: about midafternoon... you see a strange shape on the horizon...
DM: by the time you've been moving for another half hour, you can make out it is indeed a tower on the horizon...
DM: and if what you can see is any indicator... this thing is HUGE
Jefferson Harco: "There it is..."
Dianysia: "Maybe we should approach it carefully? No sudden moves?"
Jefferson Harco follows Dia's instructions
DM: hokay... it's still at least another hour's trek before you can start making out any details on this thing... it's composed of some black material, and as far as you can see, there are NO windows in the surface... nor any sort of crennelations on top
Jefferson Harco keeps walking carfully
Dianysia still approaching slowly.
DM: another half hour's trek... and you can start to see the base of the tower... it *is* situated on a rise, which means you can now guesstimate the height, it's probably somewhere around 300 feet tall... and about half of the circumference of the tower's base is pillars of the same black material, leaving it open to the air... can't see inside it yet tho
Dianysia notes that if it's on a rise... there's no real way to "sneak up" on it
DM: okay... so you're now about 5 miles away...
Dianysia: "So... we really can't hide from anyone watching us..."
Dianysia: "You know, I really kinda miss Beth. She'd be telling us how to do properly approach this forbidding tower and expecting us to do as told...and we probably would be doing so.." Dia muses.
Jefferson Harco: "We'll its just us now, but we can do this."
Jefferson Harco: "over there is another party with what looks like a large red cat
Jefferson Harco points to the other party
DM: Dia, you can make out a large red shape... but your eyes apparently aren't as good as Jeff's, to see what he's really talking about
DM: but it's DEFINITELY headed directly for the tower
Dianysia whispers, "can you get any more descriptive? I can see a large red cat, but that's it..."
Dianysia: "Well, red shape, at least."
Dianysia is still moving, trying to get slightly closer, but not too much so.
Jefferson Harco is still moving foward
DM: they're moving at a decent pace... and as a bit of time goes by, the shapes resolve into two humanoid figures and one very red, very thin horse-sized creature that moves VERY much like a cat
Jefferson Harco: "Dia up ahead you see them? Should we keep going?"
Jefferson Harco: "Or maybe wait to see what they do?"
Dianysia: "Well, we've little choice as to whether or not to keep going. We must. Otherwise, Beth would have died in vain, and this stupid geas spell will start making a hangover seem like a blessing."
Jefferson Harco: "very well."
Dianysia: "You do realize we're geased, don't you?"
Jefferson Harco: "No, what's that?"
Dianysia: "It's a mind-affecting compulsion spell. The geiser elf put it on us back when he informed us, individually, what we were going to do and when. And if we disobey, killer headache."
Jefferson Harco: "Oh, well what are we compulsed to do?
DM: as you watch... the other group arrives at the tower, not hesitating at all to move inside... and you're now about a mile off... still no indication you've been seen
Jefferson Harco: "ok they're in, should we move to catch up?"
DM: the red thing STILL looks remarkably like a giant cat...
Dianysia: "Well, I can check my journal for the exact wording, but it's the equivalent of 'Find creepy assassin girl as quickly as possible and bring her back, preferably alive, for questioning."
Dianysia: "I don't know that I could catch up... took me ten minutes to catch up with Ruby, and she wasn't too concerned about how quickly she got anywhere."
Jefferson Harco: I got a question to you
Jefferson Harco: Let's say a creature has reflective properties...what would you think of it? because that cat just created a glare from the sun, which means it has some sort of reflective properties or bits on it...
Jefferson Harco is starting to pick up the pace
Dianysia: "It would strike me as scaly, then. Some dragons move like cats, but I see no wings, so unless it's a weird dragon..."
Jefferson Harco: "Cmon we can't lose them, I have a hunch they have something to do with this..."
Dianysia moves to try and keep pace with him, bearing in mind I'm in a group of animals... "Yes, perhaps, but we don't really want to announce ourselves.."
Dianysia: "Safe distance, perhaps, where we can maybe hear but not be seen?"
Jefferson Harco slows down...
Jefferson Harco: "Caution was always our forte"
DM: as you've approached... you've STILL seen no evidence of any openings in the tower other than the columned half of the bottom level
DM: specifically, the tower is roughly 100 ft. across, and 1/2 of that circumference is solid wall, the other half columns... the bottom floor is roughly 30 ft tall, and the columns are all about as big around as the uprights in Stonehenge, for a size comparison
DM: the columns are spaced with about 15 ft. of space between them
DM: the "center" of the columned bit faces roughly east... which means you're approaching it from a close angle, and the other group went in nearly the other side from you... of course, because it sits on a rise, you won't be able to see inside until you get much closer
Dianysia: "Wow, weird.. no openings... I'd hate to live here..."
Dianysia: "If you want, we can hurry, but just to the entrance... we can try spying in from there."
Jefferson Harco: "Awesome Idea!"
Dianysia hustles.
Jefferson Harco sprints towards the entrance.
DM: hokay... then as you approach...
DM: you both hear a strange high-pitched hum coming from inside...
Jefferson Harco: There are lights flickering in the room
Jefferson Harco: and someones chanting
Dianysia: "Can you make out any words in the chanting?"
Jefferson Harco: No...
Dianysia: "Canting usually means either meditation or spellwork of some sort,... We need to move closer...."
Jefferson Harco: I can make out some words but they all are nonsense
Jefferson Harco: "lets go
Jefferson Harco: "It's no language I've ever heard before"
Dianysia sighs, then moves on towards the entrance....Well, what languages do you speak? Perhaps I may know it..."
Jefferson Harco: Common, Elven, Draconic....
Dianysia: "IS that all?" she asks, genuinely surprised.
Jefferson Harco: "Yeah, I never did take much interest in other languages..."
Dianysia: "Oh, I'm sorry... I didn't mean it like that. I just have always studied languages...."
DM: okay... cresting the rise... you see a human female, dressed in a simple robe, standing in front of what looks like a spear made of solid crystal stuck into the floor and glowing (producing the strange lights on the ceiling that you saw, Jeff) in odd colors, some of them ones you don't even really have a name for... on the other side of the glowing cyrstal is the red shape seen previous... now close up, you can see it DOES very much resemble a wingless red dragon... clearly, scales, and the facial structure is similar... it is simply standing there staring at the crystal unblinkingly... the tower itself is completely open space, with a ramp leading up the inside of the solid part of the wall into the upper tower... the only other feature inside is a MASSIVE freestanding stone arch, about 20 feet tall and equally wide, that is covered in strange symbols too difficult to make out from this distance
DM: the human's back is to you
Jefferson Harco: whispering to Dia "Should we make a stand? or just watch?"
Dianysia whispers, "Watch and listen... no telling what we can learn..."
DM: okay... you've been watching for less than a minute before you notice a crackling bolt of energy shoot along the outer edge of the arch from one end to the other... the woman chanting falters for a second, but continues strong...
Dianysia whispers, "wasn't there two people when they came in?"
Jefferson Harco: "Yeah I'm pretty sure..."
Dianysia is still whispering, "well, I only see one..."
DM: a few seconds later, the archway crackles with energy again... this time racing in both directions at once, and not disappearing... in fact, it seems to be getting stronger... and there's a DEFINITE waver to the chanting now
DM: you BOTH can tell... this woman is SCARED about something...
Jefferson Harco: "I think it's time we made our presence known."
Dianysia whispers, "this girl is terrified... should we help her?"
(1922) Dianysia: "Let me handle this...."
DM: the energy crackling around the arch continues to build... and...
DM: a flash of light suddenly comes from the archway, bright enough to blind you for half a second, as you blink away after-images... the strange crystal has stopped glowing, the woman stops chanting, the arch is no longer crackling... and there's someone ELSE in there, right in the middle of the archway...
Braids: A young woman becomes visible after the flash wearing a leather suit of armor, which seems to be custom made to be worn over the blue dress she is wearing. A few of the leather pads have been dyed a dull green color, adding a little more color diversity to her attire. Her brown hair is fairly long, and none of it hangs free, with a long braid framing each side of her face, and the rest of her hair coming into another tightly braided length of hair that runs down her back. A small dagger hangs off her belt (which also has a lit of braided cords hanging off of it) as well as a sling, and what is obvious a pouch for bullets. She also seems to be covered in pouches and pocket belts which hold various things, some easier to identify then others, and a scroll case slung over her shoulder. Next to the girl a seemingly ironclad dog stands next to her, a frightening looking animal, but also strangely unnatural.
DM: the first woman falls to her knees, obviously fatigued, before looking up, her face (only visible to Braids right now) plastered in horror as she looks at the red critter... and the other two, you can see the red critter shake its head, a strange look crossing its features...
Dianysia whispers, "Let's wait a moment... something's not right here."
Jefferson Harco waits
Braids: "Well that did something guys," Braids says, the dog thing suddenly standing firm as if it were going to attack as Braids starts to turn her head, "Any ideas Terry... guys? Ahh crap."
DM: please note, for Jeff and Dia... that is spoken in the Common from BIT
DM: (which you've only heard from each other since trist left)
Dianysia: "Yeah, that was our Common... something is weird here..."
Dianysia prepares a spell, watching red-dragon...
Braids: "So... anyone have a map... I didn't mean to interrupt your little thing, can I get some directions to a tower, kind of like this one, about a months walk from Bernsville?" Braids says, her left hand unclasping the scroll case buckle.
DM: the other woman starts scrabbling backwards, getting to her feet quickly as she shouts out in some dialect of Common you've never heard before... sounds something like... "GABI! HEAT YOU HAIR NEW!! THE RAKE'S LEASE!"
Braids: "I guess that is a no," Braids says starting to pull out a piece of parchment from the case.
DM: the red thing turns its head to glance over its shoulder as Braids talks, then turns back to focus on the woman... suddenly lunging forward with jaws open to pounce at the woman, only to see her vanish and reappear at a different place along the wall, over by where the rampway is about at head height...
TO BE CONTINUED...
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