#91
|
|||||
|
|||||
The three of them continue digging through boxes, until Andrzej comments on what sorts of things get stashed in museums. "This one has more wisdom than we have given him credit for. Now if only he could tell you how to recognize those sorts of items..." Disturbed by the path of thought Orenmir is going down, Hrani chooses to ignore his blade and instead talk to his Varisian companion. "Presumably quite a few such objects end up in museums, yes. But look around you...are things really any less buried here than in a god-king's grave? Are they not safer in a museum, dwindling away in anonymity, than they would be in the hands of individuals who might actually try them out. At least in a museum nobody should be touching them. Which greatly reduces the risk of someone accidentally realizing what they are, don't you think?" All the while, Hrani gestures around him. With all the boxes piled around them, it is hard to argue with his point that things are stashed away pretty securely simply by being lost in this mess. "There is one thing we can definitely agree on though...". Hrani says, the elf concluding the sentence at precisely the same moment as Orenmir echoes the words in his mind. "It is a wonder humanity has come this far as a civilization." - "...this far as a civilization." Blade and magus are also in agreement about the next line to go through their minds, though this one Hrani does not speak out loud: 'Of course, "this far as a civilization" is not nearly as far as humans like to convince themselves...' Crowl calls out triumphantly and waives them over, interrupting the group's musings. Hrani knows better than to get excited just because the professor did. The man has quite different standards when it comes to these sorts of things. And so it is with no great surprise that he finds confirmation for what he had already expected: This is a dead end. It is unclear where exactly these items came from, which makes it even more confusing what the Whispering Way could want with them. Or how they even knew what they were looking for was here. But it matters little. Gaining information here was only a secondary objective anyway, and one Hrani had rated as likely to succeed as he would have rated the chance of finding one of those world-changing artifacts Andrzej had mentioned. Nice-to-have, but highly unlikely to find. 'Which means...back to our primary objectives.' "Professor, do you think we could still have that look at the visitor log for the collection that you promised me? The collection really is fascinating, but it would take me a lifetime to study...well, it would take a human lifetime, not mine in particular...In any case, we don't have that much time for the moment, so it will unfortunately have to wait." Which was really just a polite way for Hrani to say they weren't interested in this stuff anymore. Fortunately, Crowl, disorganized as the man's head was, would soon forget that Hrani had talked about returning to take a look later. If possible, the elf will look at the visitor's log, but again he doesn't expect to find anything. It keeps Crowl busy though, which is really all he is aiming for, and he tries to prolonge that for the most amount of time possible. Ideally until the man has forgotten all about his previous engagement, or at least until it is so late that the professor's absence must have caused a serious delay in the court proceedings. Once Hrani is satisfied with that, he seeks out Myphar, checking in with the gnome. He makes appropriate introductions for Carlo and Andrzej, potentially even sending those two on a pub crawl with the flashy duelist, if it seems workable. Hrani still thinks they need to get a feel for what the general populace thinks, as well as establish a pipeline so that they can start pumping in their own stories of the beast's good deeds. Assuming the others are convinced of its innocence after their interrogation of the thing. And that is exactly why Hrani eventually decides at least he needs to return and meet back up with the others...hours have passed and the rest of the group has a significant information advantage over them. Given that it is hard to make well-informed decisions when you have less information than everyone else, the elf feels the need to rectify this issue...
__________________
Basically on indefinite hiatus/retired at this point, see here. No guarantees you can reach me via RPGX. |
#92
|
|||||
|
|||||
__________________
Father of proud children. Expect the next 18+ years to be erratic and/or chaotic.
|
#93
|
|||||
|
|||||
Pike sighs and steps in line after Runa "Couldn't agree more but make no mistake; should we succeed I'm guessing "disappointed" is not the word I'll use to describe the mob." Murderous is more like ithe thinks to himself as they walk out of the courtroom "Time is a limited resource at the moment so best we make the most of it, I'll head to the apartment with you." his smile holds a tinge of sadness in it as his gaze lingers on the accused construct, who would create such a magnificent creature and leave it to such sorrowful fate?
|
#94
|
|||||
|
|||||
At the gates of the apartment, they can tell that there's been some movement in and out since their arrival, as plenty of deliveries have yet to be taken upstairs. Samovar has been shopping, and the crates have not been moved upstairs. Instead, a window is open, and out of it pours smoke. A gruff hum-song can be heard coming from within. What has Samovar gotten himself into? And what will they be planning?
__________________
he/him\his
In Repose |
#95
|
|||||
|
|||||
Even having been expecting it at this point, there is still a sense of disappointment that sets in at the finality of giving up the search of the university. The promise of the visitor log is a last sliver of hope, but it is a faint one. More for the sake of completeness than out of an actual belief.
"A very sound plan, Carlo. I approve." Hrani nods in agreement with the Varisian's suggestion, even if Andrzej's attention already seems to be elsewhere. Introductions are made to Myphar, new drinking companion to the two men, glorified messenger to the professor, and to Hrani? It is hard to say, but there is certainly respect there for the gnome's intelligence. There is a reason the magus thought of Myphar as potentially useful in helping the group reach their goals. Whether or not it will be enough to compensate whatever disorder Carlo and Andrzej will cause if they don't stay on task...well, only time will tell. Originally, Hrani heads back in the direction of the courthouse. They had planned to interview the beast once all of the returned. But the elf reconsiders when he realizes how long they have in fact been busy stalling the professor. Surely, by this point, the others must be through with all their research and interrogations, including that of the beast. So Hrani changes his course and heads in the direction of the apartment instead. If the others aren't there...well nothing is stopping him from going to the courthouse then. His thoughts turn out to be right, however, and his timing is excellent, as he arrives just in time with the others. "Ah, good, I was hoping you people would be back here. I am afraid the university side of things is about as big of a dead end as we were afraid it would be. We didn't learn anything relevant to the case. But we did very well on our secondary objective, and the two Varisians are taking care of the third thing we wanted done." The likelihood of the opposition listening in on their conversations if they have them here in the middle of the street is close to zero, given that they are so confident in their case that whatever the defendants are up to is of little interest to them. But Hrani, paranoid elf that he is, cares little for odds and probabilities, and elects to not give out unnecessary details while the group is out in the open. "I hope you were more successful? Perhaps you can tell me what you have learned once we have carried all of these things Samovar has acquired inside. Or are we loading them straight onto the wagon?" The implicit question, of course, being whether they are departing this evening for a new destination or not... |
#96
|
|||||
|
|||||
__________________
Father of proud children. Expect the next 18+ years to be erratic and/or chaotic.
|
#97
|
|||||
|
|||||
Samovar comes back down, smoking a handy cigar. Pike, too, now smokes the same kind, causing Mara to cough as she backs away. "Sold 'bout everything we've got so far. Got two thousand coins from the whole of it, all of it gold. We're pretty much ready to buy a few Kellid tribes with that kind of money." Mara, fanning in front of her face, keeps her smile. "If they smell like this, I'm not sure we'd want to." Samovar doesn't say anything, instead taking a drag and another drag. "Want me to come?" He offers, but Mara shakes her head. "No, no, I think we'll... we'll manage. No, I think, for their sake, you need to defend Jamir and Kendra. If not from Adivion Adrissant, then from the angry mob. They won't be happy." She quickly explains the delay tactic and Samovar shakes his head. "If we were back home, the Beast'd be dead by now." Mara smiles. "Thankfully we are not." The Kellid sighs. "Gonna go get my stuff. Use the time well." He turns and goes back up the stairs. The horses gathered, the carriage drawn, Mara takes her place. But who will drive them? Now, they are Hrani, Pike, Mara, and Runahildr. Without Samovar, they have no proper driver, but Kendra does not protecting. Pike offers, and so they take him up on it. It is a rocky start, and they head towards the main square shakily. The main square of Lepidstadt is alive with anger, with people absolutely flabbergasted at the results, which means that it's become common knowledge that the strategy of the defense is to not just delay, but obstruct legally, and the people of Lepidstadt are not happy. Heading this way was a mistake; however will they negotiate a way through? Fortunately for them, a certain creature manifests: the Wolf Child appears, looking up at Mara through the window of the carriage. She smiles back, and it howls, which summons the Bearded Lady of the Crooked Kin. "Hell of a business, isn't it?"
__________________
he/him\his
In Repose |
#98
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
"Alright then, off we go." Hrani says, after the others let him know it would be best to get moving as soon as possible. What they tell him mostly confirms the suspicions the group had already had. The beast is most likely innocent, of most if not all of the crimes it is accused of. The biggest issue that the group can come up with in respect to it is the fact that it was brought into creation. "A true work of art, surely. I wonder how its creator managed it...and whether it is expensive. Why would the creator have stopped after one such creature if he could have made several instead. A whole army's worth...?"
A disturbing thought that makes even the ice cold elf shudder. He can only hope that Orenmir's hunch is as far off as can be and that the beast really is unique. The group goes about loading their carriage as the magus still ponders the creation of such a golem - perhaps he should have stayed with Carlo and researched the matter more thoroughly instead of going with the others...? - and then, once a driver has been named, the group sets out once more, to leave Lepidstadt. Unfortunately, they do not get very far before they encounter a minor road block. Hrani, sitting besides Pike because he refuses to be confined to the carriage if not absolutely necessary - too many options to be ambushed - Dice Perception:
Dice Intelligence Check to find the quickest route:
Dice Using 'Tireless Logic' Trait to roll a 2nd time, use better result:
"It's certainly a big mess." Hrani agrees with the Bearded Lady. "How is the show going for you guys? Are the crowds eager for your stories? They definitely seem to be...hungry." Last edited by Inem; Jul 6th, 2017 at 03:11 PM. |
#99
|
|||||
|
|||||
With a relaxed smile that belies the tense anger percolating through the crowd, Mara leans her head out of the carriage window and nods in agreement. “Indeed it is,” she acknowledges the Bearded Lady in a calmly smooth voice that seems less concerned than annoyed by the throng surrounding them. Or perhaps her annoyance stems from Pike's rocky driving—based on his short stint behind the reins thus far, she is hard pressed to decide which of the Kellid and the dwarf is worse.
Nonetheless, the bumpy ride is still too short to dampen her spirits much. Certainly having the entire carriage to herself has buoyed her mood. Subconsciously the songstress gives Hrani another warm, thankful smile, deeply grateful for the elf's sense of decorum in affording her this privacy. If only the chain smoking members of their party would have even half of his social skills! Of course, the primary reason for her relatively relaxed demeanor is the pretty pink flower adorning her long tresses, a pale delicate orchid that used to be a small blue hat. Most of her time in the carriage has been spent exploring the powers of this truly wondrous item—with the aid of a hand mirror, acquired together with the hat, that is rather larger than the small compact of her grooming kit, Mara has attempted a number of different outfits and hairstyles and ... other modifications. The verisimilitude of the disguises is uncanny. For the first time since transitioning to a life on land, the soprano feels truly at ease, knowing that her magical chapeau will ensure that her secret remains safe. “Hesse certainly knows how to tell a tale,” she admits, building off Hrani's reply to the Bearded Lady, “but—and this is simply an observation—there seems to be a certain sameness in the telling, don't you think? Perhaps I am mistaken—you have certainly been exposed to more of his repertoire than I—but all I've heard are stories of a big, scary monster, meant to shock and frighten and rile up the crowd.” The singer demurs, gently shaking her head. “Of course, he does it well—of that there is no doubt—but still, one risks losing one's audience with such limited fare. And even if the masses clamor for the same flavor over and over again, like a child insisting upon the same bedtime story, is it not our professional duty as performers to give them more? To expose them to a breadth of what is possible; to broaden their palate; to uplift and inspire?” Her eyes shine with a zeal that reflects a loftier goal for her art. “Are there not other tales, of how the ...” Mara pauses, catching herself before saying the B-word, “... the prisoner ... Sulliviani, I believe he is called by some ...” she glances up at the mounted paladin with a knowing smile, “has helped the general populace? Of how he has bravely rescued lost children? Surely you have heard of some of these other tales? Surely they are worth telling?” “We ourselves seek new tales to tell, and will gladly share our discoveries with you and your kin. But first,” she glances disapprovingly at the crowd, “we must make our way out of the city. Perhaps you could aid us in this endeavor? Could you divert some of the people away with your performances, to create a path for us? You could attract their attention with the promise of a brand new tale, of a noble but misunderstood soul who protects a lost child from harm, comforts him with poetry, and returns him to his family.” The singer looks meaningfully at the Wolf Child. “After all, there is a longstanding precedent—and demand—for such stories of children being cared for by so-called 'beasts'.”
__________________
|
#100
|
|||||
|
|||||
Pike never took his eyes off the crowd gathered before them, still he listens as Mara uses her charms on the two members of the Crooked Kin Now there's a dame that can talk a fish out of the water he thinks to himself with a sly grin behind the fuming cigar in his mouth, but his attention is on the crowd - on the structure of the gathered mob, it's ebb and flow and possible openings where he can safely guide the wagon through.
It's easy to read a person when you know what to look for, a crowd is harder to understand but the motions of people and their composition give insight into how they will react at various points, the structure and the weak points if you will. This he studies for a while, getting ready to move the wagon through the crowd should the opportunity rise "Runa when I start moving this thing stay as close as possible so we don't get separated. I got a bad vibe from this crowd, one wrong move and we could end up surrounded by people we don't want to draw weapons on." he looks at the paladin and then back to Hrani at his side "Need the both of you two be on the lookout for potential troublemakers, they are usually the cowards goading others into action. A good, solid stare indicating we have them in our sights usually makes them slip back into the shadows." he puffs one last time on his cigar before spitting it on the ground. "Right, let's see what the good folk of the Kin will do for us, then we're moving." |
#101
|
|||||
|
|||||
Pike takes a lay of the land after their departure, looking over the crowd. Numbering in the hundreds, at least, they are incensed. Angry, to say the least, flabbergasted, and dumbfounded. Why is this happening? Who did this? Rumors are abound on that one, but no one seems to suspect the carriage, which moves along at a snail's pace. Travelers and businesses, all life must go on beyond the disappointment. Closer to the Courthouse, the guards look to be dealing with the angrier of the bunch, but no one looks or casts fingers just yet. No one has put together this bunch that left the Courthouse were responsible yet. But Pike knows it's only a matter of time.
The bearded woman smiles at the Elf, shaking her head a bit. “Hungry in the wrong kind of way. Normally we’re keen on playing against their expectations, but this is so cut and dry…” And then enter Mara, with a retort to such a comment, to dig deeper and find such tellings as might portray a different kind of Beast. She is careful, recasting the Beast, telling the tale that has gone untold at Hergstag, and the bearded woman considers. “There are… rumors, of course, but we hadn’t put much stock in them. Maybe they’re worth looking into. Maybe we’ll get better fare that way, or at least, more interactions. And if you find anything, you know we’re more than willing to tell them, as long as we get first rights.” The bearded woman can’t help but smile. “Alright, sister, you’ve got yourself a deal.” She hands Mara her gigantic hand, larger in every way than Mara’s own dainty minnow of a hand. While Hrani looks for a best route, Mara has another plan. The bearded woman of the Crooked Kin grins, glad to have made such a deal, and now prepared to serve her end of it in order to get more later, holds up a finger to Mara’s plotting. “I have just the thing.” She turns and makes a clear path for herself, not a hard thing to do, and heading back to the group of Kin, slowly moves between each of them, performing in their way, and discusses with them something which seems to ensense them. Trollblood of them seems the most keen on it, the group from Ravengro seeing the casting of Sullivani among the Kin quite easily. As the crowd continues to churn angrily, the Crooked Kin stop their showings, save for the fire-blowing and fortune telling from the Human Worm and the Vudrani Princess, and a curtain is drawn. This draws curiosity but also loses a few souls, before Hesse reappears, a crimson-pink wooden bullhorn in his hands. “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MORTALS OF ALL STRIDES AND BREEDS, LET ME SPIN YOU A TALE THE LIKES OF WHICH NONE OTHER CAN! FOR WE, THE CROOKED KIN, A COLLECTION OF MISFITS, HAS BEEN PRIVY TO INFORMATION THAT WILL DELIGHT, DAZZLE, AND DEFUMBLE YOU! For we have learned of the true name of the Beast of Lepidstadt, and have found a story which you would all like to hear: how the horrible Beast, child-killer, man-eater, and grave-robber, among his many infernal mechanisms, is none of these things! He has a name, a heart, a mind, and a soul, like you or I, and is merely a twisted, patchwork of a man! Forsooth! Let me tell you the tale of the Dipplemere Horror, the Beast of Lepidstadt: SULLIVANI OF VIELAND!” Almost instantly, a path is cleared by the sudden, and perhaps angry and curious, crowd. Better to take advantage of it while they can, the Wolf Boy howling. Pike rides onward, up to the northernmost road, and following directions etched into his brilliant mind, takes them onward to Northgate.
__________________
he/him\his
In Repose |
#102
|
|||||
|
|||||
__________________
Playing - High Risk, Heist Reward | The Grand Tour
Last edited by PopCultureBard; Jul 23rd, 2017 at 01:53 PM. |
#103
|
|||||
|
|||||
Whatever pleasure Mara took, from her handiwork in escaping the crowd, suddenly evaporates as the carriage rumbles to an unexpected stop. Her hand flies out instinctively, bracing against the wall as she nearly tumbles out of her seat. She leans her head out of the window, about to admonish Pike for his even worse-than-usual driving, when the gnome-like obstruction in the road redirects her ire.
The soprano's anger turns to a mixture of confused hope and wondering suspicion. Was this Phidolis really offering to help their investigation, to help defend the Beast? Just like that, out of the blue? It reminds her of how a cocky young singer might barge unannounced, and uninvited, into a rehearsal, expecting to be lauded as if she were Shelyn's daughter, entitled to nothing less than the lead role, without any references or recommendations of any kind. The gnome's offer smacks of something similar, only worse—at least the starlet would showcase her voice, so that a decision could be made based on talent. Still, the defense could use all the help it could get. Unfortunately, Angestril commits an even greater mistake. Mara's eyes narrow at the sight of the cigarette case. “For someone who has nearly caused an accident, you would do well to speak plainly. As a professional courtesy.” she adds, throwing the gnome's words back at him in a voice of honeyed steel. “What exactly is your business with the trial? Did Barrister Kaple send you?” Her mind flits back to the Varisians' encounter with the Whispering Way, and how the cultist seemed to know their plans even before they were made. She swallows uneasily, her gaze flitting to Signy before returning to the gnome. “How do you know of our plans? Which places would you visit, and what questions would you ask?”
__________________
|
#104
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
#105
|
|||||
|
|||||
Pike pulls on the reins to stop the carriage as the gnome steps into their path "Woah there..." he says, to both gnome and horse. Then the gnome speaks, introduces himself and offers to team up. As predicted Mara is quick to stick her head out the window to say her bit, then the dwarf appears - drawing a raised eyebrow from Pike as he fishes for a thick cigar from within his vest which he lights in one swift motion, puffing blue smoke to blow out the match used for lighting it. For a moment he sits with a ghost of a smile on his face as the duo introduce themselves, he even catches the look on Mara's face as she notices the cigarette case, holding in a chuckle but grinning even wider. "Mister Phidolis, I have heard your name dropped once or twice before and Lady Signy, the pleasure is surely mine." he nods towards them with a wide smile made manic with the cigar clenched between his teeth "I'm afraid we are running short on time, we have places to be and all that as you surely know so let's make this quick." he winks at the pair "Since your interests coincides with our own and you will be going the same places I see no harm in you tagging along. However, that decision is not mine alone to make." he nods his head towards Hrani and Runa "Master Hrani and Sis...erhmm, Runa as well as Miss Mara in the back will have to give their approval before we take you on." He hesitates for a moment, then offers his opinion to his companions, speaking plainly for all to hear "We could use the help and they seem to be telling the truth. But what I'm more concerned about is them running around and possibly altering evidence through their investigation." |
Thread Tools | |
|
|