[Game Thread] Part 1: Cold Reception

[SophieValentine]

A Series of Unfortunate Events Brother Damien 'Voss' was really beginning to think he ought to do inventory of his life. Maybe of the last week? Something needed to be done to figure out what exactly he'd done to so thoroughly piss off Fate herself as to land himself in the same predicament twice. 'Was it because I haven't been working on this 'vampire' situation? Is that it?' He mused to himself, head buried in sheets, next to the shaking side of the darling woman - currently trying to stifle her giggling - that he happened to be nearly entangled with. 'How could it? I've certainly slacked off before now and never had this problem.' He had talked and cajoled and worked his ...supposing you count 'Remove Disease', this statement would be both figurative AND literal...hmm.magic on the young lady, but now - just now - there was a tapping on the door. Sighing, he clamored out of bed, an amused look on his face as he put finger to lips to shush darling Ida. Playfully, he jerked the bedsheets nearly over top of her, as though it was anything like a hiding place. Pulling his pants back up, he wrestled with the things to get them tied, and scooped up his shirt. "Coming!" Sighing again, he padded across the room on bare feet; he leaned against the wall and cracked the door, nearly about to put an arm through the shirt - rather expecting Bauden to have come to retrieve him for something. Or else expecting a report. Before he could attempt to get dressed further, his brain registered the young noblewoman there, and he immediately slipped through the door, crowding her out of the doorway and into the hall, hand still clutching his shirt. Letting go the door, having pulled it shut, he rubbed a hand down his face, leaving an easy grin behind, "What...ah..." Voss gave the young woman an appraising once over, "What can I do ya for, Miss...Miss...say" Voss affects a look of disappointment, "I'm afraid the introductions got tossed around before I got there - made an ass of myself, and I didn't even catch your name, dear lady."

[Aethera]

The mercenary glanced at the young lady opposite her, Elizabeta's neatly styled hair and well-kept clothing nearly the polar opposite of Mina's own bloodstained and gritty image. So why do I feel a certain kinship to her? Is it because we fought more or less together? she wondered. But she shoved those thoughts aside to reply with as gracious a smile as she could manage. "Thank you, no. I did eat dinner, I've just done a fair bit since that sad excuse for a meal. One can't exactly eat well while sneaking about in a frigid bog." She looked down at the two empty plates and sighed. "I can only hope my manners are in better shape tomorrow, Miss DeVeyra."

The curtain was pulled aside to reveal the girl who had been waiting on her (or her sister, Mina wasn't paying close enough attention to know the difference), beckoning. Mina rose and nodded to both Elizabeta and Haytham. "Goodnight to you both." So saying she took the saddlebags she'd tucked behind her chair and followed the girl out of the dining room and down the hall, where the girl unlocked a room and then handed Mina the key. "Thanks," Mina told her, accepting the key and holding it tightly lest her weary fingers drop it. Her bags were dropped next to the bed to be dealt with in the morning, the mercenary falling into bed fully clothed and just as quickly asleep.

OOC In case it wasn't obvious, I'm going to consider this my "Mina's dead to the world and I don't need to post till the IC AM" post. Outplay is draining my soul, I can't even describe. Better that I not slow you down, even if that means that Mina "sleeps in" and causes that much more drama after her insistence upon meeting Brother Voss before his morning devotions so she could assist in helping him choose spells.

[Talula3ll3n]

Elizabeta could not help but smile at the priest as he greeted her. Granted, his appearance was once again disheveled. Does this man even know how to dress? she jested with herself. As he moved through the door, shutting it behind him, the distance between them closed. Reflexively the young woman gasped softly, the aroma of woodsmoke dancing on the air. She felt the heat in her cheeks from the blush that crept in, once again, due to the man’s proximity.

Gathering her wits, she extended a delicate hand as she introduced herself. ”My name is Elizabeta DeVeyra. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Brother Voss. I came by to offer apologies. We all have had such a taxing day, I fear my patron may have come across a bit sharper than he meant to.” She was rushing a bit, her words slightly jumbled. His smile was warm and somewhat infectious, and Elizabeta found herself returning it in kind.

[SophieValentine]

...touch the hand of the man... Gently taking ahold of Elizabeta's hand, Damien locks eyes with the Lady, as he slowly brings her hand up towards that still-smiling mouth of his. Warm lips meet flesh, though only for a moment, and he swipes a thumb over her knuckles, as though to seal his embrace in. "The pleasure", comes the low, rumbling purr, "Elizabeta", he lowers their hands and holds onto her hand a moment longer, "is all mine." Letting his hand fall away, he speaks more conversationally, "Apologies to you for havin' to witness my shortness with ah...the mercenary." He scratches the back of his head and looks down at his feet, before looking up, sheepishly, letting his hand drop, "Not bein' able to find the source of all this suffering is starting to wear my nerves thin...I shouldn't'a snapped. I'll have to tell her that tomorrow." "Speaking of...I have to admit...I didn't much notice your...patron? Did you say? Being rude. He seemed pleasant enough. The offer to check his books for anything helpful was right generous of him...I hope he's not planning on doing that tonight? It's rather late." A roguish grin, and he adds, "Time for all good girls to be in bed." Half a chuckle, "Priests, too, for that matter."

[Talula3ll3n]

Elizabeta took in his appearance once more. He was disheveled once again, and it left the young bard wondering if the priest had a mirror. Having been raised as she was, she found it interesting that anyone would allow themselves to be seen even once in such a state, let alone twice. She had to remind herself that it was late and he probably had been getting ready for slumber. If he is so… disheveled, then why can you not cease smiling?

”Well, I just wanted to be sure that Lord Dulmoric’s hasty departure from the dining room had not offended. Elizabeta let her eyes hold his gaze for a moment, their color a bit smoky and dazed. ”As for Ms. Crowe, she may be more amiable tomorrow if our ride is successful. In my humble opinion, I would not put too much weight upon her words from tonight. We all have had an extraordinarily difficult day.”

She let her voice trail off, unsure of how to continue. She was flustered and confused, and it was such an odd sensation. It was her job to be well and easy spoken, to smooth over tense situations, to move others’ perceptions of a situation. But here… in this moment, with this disheveled man in the run down hallway of the tattered Inn…

She shook her head just slightly in attempt to clear her thoughts. ”I am glad that no offense was taken, Brother Voss. I shall leave you now to your slumber. Until the morrow, good sir.” With that, she gave a slight nod and made her way down the hall to her own chambers… with a grin that just would not depart.

[Aeternis]

Damien Damien's conversation in the hall doesn't go unnoticed. Ida greets his return with a concerned, questioning look. Still, she doesn't ask about the interruption as long as Damien doesn't mention it, even if it's highly probable that she heard at least part of the conversation.

Gavril Gavril's books were sadly not very forthcoming on the history of the region, but then, the Great Swamp's vastness didn't seem to have much in the way of history. Most of the towns eking out a hardy life on what little outcrops of dry land could be found in the marsh were small, no more than a few hundred souls, and so poor as to be ignored by even the most enterprising traders. Even towns on the old roads, like Ruthgow itself, seemed largely untouched by history. With the exception of the outlandish but probably semi-historical account which had brought him to this place, Gavril cannot find any reference to Ruthgow or to the region surrounding it in any book of history. Whichever noble family once built a manor house in such a remote, inhospitable place might have been wiped out during the wars, or it might have merely abandoned this place during tumultuous times. Perhaps a family name might be discerned from examining the premises more closely.

Carramina The lodgings are meager, but in this case, Carramina is informed that they are paid for by Master Dulmoric. Despite the lumpy and probably somewhat infested bedding, Carraminia is soon asleep. Not even the sounds of conversation in the hall penetrate her exhaustion.

Elizabeta Elizabeta seems to have been given the second room in Gavril's suite for lodging, a common arrangement for families of means. When she arrives in the chllly, run-down rented space, Elzabeta finds her caretaker sitting in the common room at the front, sifting fruitlessly through a stack of books brought from the carriage.

 

OODM Just a small update to move things along. It's my understanding that the following is planned before morning: Elziabeta brings Carramina's request for help to Gavril's attention. Gavril goes out wandering in the dark. If there's anything else, this is the time to mention it. Gavril's excursion shouldn't take more than a post or two to resolve.   All the characters have quarters on the same hall. Gavril and Cordula have what passes for a two bedroom suite at the end of the hall. This is customary lodgings for a well-to-do family. Haytham has the room immediately next door, and Carramina the one after that. Damien's room is near the other end of the hall, with several probably-vacant rooms in between. As far as anyone can tell, the characters are the only people actually staying in this place - everyone else to be met here is a local. Rooms have simple locks, lumpy but serviceable mattresses, a minimum of bedbugs and roaches, rickety tables or desks, and a pervasive chill only slightly mitigated by peat-burning braziers or small, moveable iron furnaces. This wing's rooms face north/northeast, toward most of the village and the road, so the morning light will filter in the windows only indirectly. The other side of the hall has no doors.

[Humble Athena]

As Gavril flipped through his books, he was not overly surprised at the lack of information on the region- but at the same time, he had grown accustomed to sifting through irrelevance for the barest hint of relevant information. The secondary purpose of his commitment to his books was never realized, as the only person to come to the room was darling Cor. There were some words exchanged on how to put off the strangers, the hunters, but in the end it would fall upon Cor's skill to mislead them.

Now that they had spoken, he bookmarked his page and closed the tome. Rising, he strode over to the window he had not covered- the one in the 'room' that would be Cor's sleeping chamber. Quietly, he worked the lock and opened the window. Quietly, he leaned out, once again checking to be certain of no witnesses. He bid his ward goodnight, then began the descent.

[Aethera]

Zzz... Carramina had slept in worse, so ultimately was asleep even as her head hit the pillow. Unpacking would have to wait for the morning, after she caught up on at least a little of her rest.

 

OOC Aethera reporting for duty. I be here, if distracted. I hope I'll be able keep up this time, as my Outplay duties are going to be wrapping up shortly.

[Talula3ll3n]

Elizabeta took her leave of the priest, shaking her head and chuckling almost imperceptibly as she did. Musing to herself as she strolled down the hall to her shared room with Gavril, she contemplated the young man further. ”I wonder how frequently, if ever in fact, that man has heard the word, ‘No.’”

Upon entering the room at the end of the hall, Elizabeta found herself chuckling once more. ”That, sir, does not appear the most comfortable of positions.” She walked slowly around the room, inspecting the apparently hastily assembled space as she continued. ”Not that you seemed bothered, but Brother Voss did not find offense in your rapid departure, nor do I think he is suspicious of anything.” The young woman paused to look behind the partition that dictated where she would sleep that night. ”At least, not yet.”

Unknown to the girl, her cheeks tinted red as she spoke of the rascal Voss. She sighed as she moved to stand nearer the nobleman's seat. "I am sure I will be able to create a convincing tale to explain to Ms. Crowe your absence on the morning ride." She glanced at the windows before turning her gaze back to Gavril. "Will you be needing anything further from me this evening, m'lord?"

 

Apologies for the delay. I had a few mental hangups. Thank you again, Humble, for helping me demolish them.

[Aeternis]

 

Excursion: Gavril As Gavril slipped outside into the cold, he noted the lack of stars on the southwestern horizon, a sign of overcast weather which would probably be making its way toward Ruthgow by morning. The town was dark, lit only by pools of light near the manor-inn and a few smaller buildings. Between these, the streets and rooftops were the domain of the stars and shadows, giving the undead nobleman a clear field to explore with little chance of being detected. If the country priest's suspicions were true, there might be another vampire around, but of course Gavril has no capability of detecting others with his condition, except perhaps for the one which once had him in thrall - and even then, it didn't always work. If another vampire had staked a claim to Ruthgow's population, then Gavril hunting in the town or around it would certainly get its attention one way or another.

 

Dreams: Carramina For the mercenary, sleep arrived all but instantaneously and was unbroken until dawn. Her rest did eventually bring dreams, however - she woke remembering the impression of being chased through the cold swamp, as she had been when escaping her band's encirclement. The dream, though surprisingly vivid, was not quite a retelling of the day's events. In the dream, Carramina was perhaps not herself - she was faster and untiring, even though she was carrying a heavy burden. The frozen swamp seemed to be an ally rather than an obstacle, and the dry, dead thickets of scraggly hedge seemed to part for her and then weave together to form barriers to whatever was chasing her. Of this pursuer, Carramina remembered only that it was something far beyond her ability to fight - more of a force than a creature. It would never give up, she remembered. In the dream, Carramina could only delay the inevitable - stay ahead of it for as long as possible, to prevent it from destroying her and obtaining the thing she carried. The dream seemed to go on for days, and featured several periods of brief rest, during which the pursuing force steadily closed the gap.

Dawn A cold westerly wind rose in the hours before dawn, and the sun, when it finally peeked over the horizon, was veiled behind an unbroken ceiling of gray cloud. The wind, as it gusted fitfully around the ancient masonry of the manor-inn, seeped into the seams of the old manor, and made itself felt even under layers of bedding. The early winter chill, combined with the wind, promised an unpleasant day to be outdoors, but already the sounds of activity echoed up Ruthgow's dilapidated streets as the villagers started their day. Damien woke to find the space next to him empty. Ida, already shrugging back on the articles of clothing which she had misplaced since sundown, hurriedly explained that she would be expected to help her family with the household's usual livelihood now that her vampire-born ailment had ended. She promised to return to Damien's lodgings for regular "examinations" as often as he thought necessary. Elizabeta woke shortly after dawn to a knock at the shared suite's front door, and the voice of one of the tavern-girls announcing that she needed to attend to the braziers which heated the room. She never heard Gavril return through the window, so it's possible he never did, and the inn staff learning about his excursions would be most inconvenient.

OODM Certain things should be noted. Despite Elizabeta promising to bring it up with him, it looks like Gavril is, at the time of his leaving for a nightly adventure, not aware that Carramina requested his aid in rescuing her compatriots from bandits after daybreak. Elizabeta mentioned obliquely a ride in the morning, but nothing about a rescue attempt. Thus, it can be assumed that when Carramina comes to collect him in the morning, it will be the first he has heard of it. Gavril's entire adventure will not be covered "on-screen" - Humble Athena, give me an objective and a set of rolls (for example: Survival, Stealth, and an attack roll to hunt for prey). The results will be presented in my next post, but we are going to assume that none of his adventures rouse the attention of any of the other PCs, for the purposes of not getting bogged down in an endless array of posts between Athena and myself. Whether he's in the room at dawn, we'll shortly find out. You may "back date" sections to cover anything you think you've missed, within reason. There's been a bit of a gap since my last post. As such, if you think I failed to address any points, let me know - it's entirely possible that I missed something.

[Humble Athena]

[Talula3ll3n]

Before the Window As Elizabeta readied herself for the night, she and her patron chatted. Some was inconsequential drivel – the state of their rooms, of the entire hotel, the company they held at supper. The latter was one thing the young woman made sure to bring up, though she knew his answer before she spoke. ”Ms. Crow requested a morning ride with you back to where she was attacked, Gavril. I told her I would bring it to your attention, so here I have. I will form a sufficient excuse for your lack of presence when I meet up with her to ride out in the morning.” With that, she bid the nobleman a goodnight and safe adventure and fell fast asleep.

Elizabeta stretched beneath the covers of the bed, her eyes still closed, and listened to the chamber girl tend to her duties. The curtain was still drawn around her bedside, providing the necessary privacy as she moved about and made herself presentable. The young bard wanted to be ready to receive Ms. Crow - and head her off from attempting communication with Gavril herself.

Speaking of Gavril, Elizabeta wasn't sure he'd returned last night. Once dressed and having pinned her hair back properly in anticipation of the ride, she slipped out of her space and went to look in on her patron.

 

OOC & Apologies I realize I hella messed up with the long pause, and I will never find the words to accurately portray my apoloties for it. I'm SO still in it if y'all are. Aeter: I hope the caveat regarding the ride conversation is good enough? I can edit if need be.