Turn:1.5*this consists of just Gerald, Marcus, Bree, and Jims actions (aka Dwarmin, Narsis, Raijinkit and Unholy+Pariah) I will post Iawatooshort's turn next once it's done. Then once i know nothing that Gerald, Marcus, Bree or Jim does affects Richards turn I will post his and finish theirs off. Also your character sheets are being consistently updated on the first page. Generally your characters are carrying anything listed there, plus clothing. As well there are some things there that you didn't put in your character sheet but I instead gave you, so check it out
Jim slumps heavily upon a chair at the table with his drinking buddies and sighs heavily before ordering a drink and joining the conversation
sorry i don’t remember a damn thing... last thing i can recall is we were all having a laugh over a ghost story and then i wake up in my fireplace with this big ol' tooth hanging round my neck and no pants in sight... did you guys wake up with a random trinket as well?
after finishing the conversation follow Gerald and Bree
Inspect my amulet meticulously on the way to the ruins
When we get there look for books and tablets
Downing the last of the bottle of gin you work up your nerve to follow Bree and Gerald. ! Looking at the amulet on the way through Rutsett, you determine that it is most definitely a single tooth though the more you look at it the more something feels wrong. ! After not too long, about the time that you finally get outside of the village you realize that it’s warmer than your hands or the cool outside air. Deciding to submerge it in a cold trickle of water running alongside the path for a minute you let the others get a bit ahead before removing the amulet from the water. To your touch it still feels warm as though alive. ! Enraptured by the heat within the amulet and the silence of the calm night you walk as though in a trance following just behind Bree and Gerald. Slowly you begin to hear whispers in the darkness, ! and failing to look away or move your attention from the amulet they get louder until a single guttural voice rises above the noise. “You are weak but I can make you strong, give in to my influence child so that I may grow and teach you.” ! Fighting against the influence you attempt to break out of the trance, sensing your struggle the voice whispers, “I’ll show you what you could become in such a short time, and then you will either serve or die as well.”
! The feeling of your body disappears and all you can do is watch as a shadow overtakes you. Staring out from your eyes, and trapped within your mind you attempt to scream though your body doesn’t obey. Looking up you see the backs of Gerald and Bree walking ahead of you through the forest, the ruins looming in the distance. ! Your hand raises up holding the Tooth Amulet ahead of you as the lips that are no longer yours mutter indecipherable words. A language that sounds like grating metal and the snarling of beasts gives form to the evil intent controlling your body as the voice whispers “You could do this, given power. But it matters not, I’ve already decided to kill you and everyone else who wronged me.” ! Stones pull themselves free of the ground and merge into a spinning orb above your hands as dark flames lick down your arm and ignite the sphere. Just before the final syllable would escape your throat an arrow pierces your shoulder, the sphere crumbles and falls to the ground.
! A daemonic scream escapes your lips and you regain control, ! trapping the shadow within yourself you bring your will down on it as if it was a hammer onto glass. ! For a second you stand outside of your own body gazing upon a desiccated ancient man before ramming your hand through his chest. The shadow surrounding you shatters and dissolves. Returning to yourself you see the darkness around the amulet shatter, though the warmth remains. ! The strange feeling you had before is gone and it feels like the amulet is now a part of you, entirely controlled by your will. With the return to your own body comes the pain from the arrow in your shoulder, and ! you stagger a bit before Marcus comes up behind you and steadies you from falling. You think you hear Marcus ask what that thing was before you slip into unconsciousness.
Drifting into a dream, you walk through a barren landscape with your bare feet upon the broken ground. Each step you take leaves a burning imprint, and picking up one of the stones you try and throw it as far as you can. It shoots from your grip and doesn’t stop flying for as far as you can see. Dead man’s knowledge seeps from broken essence into your mind giving you a sense of how this is being done.
-4 Hp
-4 mana
Gained Knowledge;
Minimal-Inflame
-Earth Shot
Action: Imbibe some honey wine, along with a potato and beef strips for dinner. Afterwards leaving the bar, go to try and buy a sturdy blunt weapon, like a large mace or hammer. If explanations are needed, say I've got some rats in my cabin that need extermination.
Then, Poke around the ruins that night if time permits, accompanying any friends who wish to go.
Feeling a strange mixture of excitement and nervousness you glance about the inn and begin thinking of explanations as to why you are buying a blunt instrument after the suns already gone down. ! You can’t help but think that maybe you see a few people at the end of the bar closest to your group listening in, and then get up and leave before you. You may be just a bit paranoid is all, but they did leave without finishing their drinks. Trying to think if you’ve ever seen them before, and coming to no conclusion you finish your drink and food, drop the payment for the evening on the table and head out. Agreeing to meet back up with the others in a minute, you split off to head over to the market district. It is less of a district, and more of a few trade shops with the occasional booth, but it matters not since the tool shops still open. Since there’s no demand for armor or weapons in the town, the best you’ll hope for is a maul for pounding fence posts or maybe a blacksmiths hammer. ! Luckily there is a sturdy smith’s hammer made of solid iron, and a well wrapped leather grip all for only 12c. Handing over the money you thank the store keeper before quickly heading back out to the meeting spot. You weigh it in your hand, and despite an actual weapon it’s the next best thing, having been designed for repetitious heavy blows and to withstand heat and iron. ! This time you could swear you saw someone out of the corner of your eye staring at you, then realizing you are carrying a large hammer in the middle of town you shrug it off and go to meet with the others.
The walk is quiet with everyone walking behind you and even Bree standing well behind you back. You can’t help but feel that everyone is relying on you to be the brave and strong person of the group, though some nagging feeling is making the back of your neck prickle. ! Once out of the village your apprehension continues to grow, and the night being one of the darkest you’ve seen in a long time with the thick overhanging clouds and only occasional moonbeams to light your path, is certainly not helping you keep up your courage. ! Before too long you think that you can see shadows moving at the corner of your vision and you start to sweat even though the night is very cool. ! Suddenly you can hear a voice muttering something incomprehensible and you just freeze in place, too nervous to move. It is cut off by a sharp scream that goes from a beastly roar to a normal human’s cry of pain which shatters your state of inaction. Hurrying back down the path you rush past Bree, and seeing Jim with an arrow in his shoulder raise your hammer to attack whatever shot him, ! barely managing to stop the swing as Marcus comes out of the shadows and catches Jim.
“What the hell was that thing, Gerald?” Marcus asks in a hushed whisper.
“Erm… what thing?” You almost immediately feel like an idiot for playing parrot, and rectify by saying “I didn’t see anything, I felt right creepy and then I heard a scream. So what shot Jim anyways did you see it?”
“Jim… was the thing, or whatever it was, Jim was being controlled by it. I shot him to stop him throwing some sort of flaming rock ball at you and when I did, I saw Jim standing outside his own body with some old white skinny dude. Then the… ghost Jim? Well he punched through the other guy, that’s when Jim fainted.”
“Oh, so… are we safe?”
“I think we should… umm... Where is Bree?”
“I’ll go look, you hold Jim for now.”
With that Marcus takes off up the bath, leaving you holding a slowly bleeding and unconscious Jim. You walk up the path and nearly step on Marcus who is kneeling down on ground level looking at something. “What is it man? Where did she go?”
“Someone’s grabbed her, I can follow them but not quickly. You come behind me with Jim, we don’t know how many people are in the woods tonight.”
Agreeing, Marcus leads you through the forest for about 9 or so minutes before arriving at a decaying old farmhouse. For a second you think that he’s lost the trail before you hear two men’s voices arguing. ! Setting Jim down against a tree stump, you take out your hammer and prepare to follow Marcus, he signals you to go around to the other side while he heads towards the door. You just get to the far side of the house when you hear a man inside scream in anger and then pain, walking back around while being careful not to be ambushed you arrive in time to see Marcus helping Bree out of the house. She’s soaked in blood though it doesn’t look to be hers, glancing into the house you ! promptly vomit all over the ground. You’ve never seen a dead man in this type of state before, his skin looks like it had been cut hundreds or even thousands of times with a small knife and blood has pooled over a large portion of the floor. ! In a bit of shock you go back to the forest, pick up Jim and then walk back over to where Marcus and Bree are standing. The 4 of you are now standing outside the abandoned farm house, with two dead men inside and it is currently around midnight.
-12c
Action: Finishes the meal and leaves the tavern, heading over to the bookshop to pick up a Bible and the sharpest letter opener I can find. I go along with Gerald, treading behind him the entire way to the ruins. Bree searches the ruins carefully, having read her share of books on demons, pagan rituals, and symbols.
You pay the modest amount for your meal before hurrying out the door with the rest of the group. You plan a meeting spot with the others before you split off and jog quickly over to the bookshop. ! Gathering up a bible, your shoulder bag to keep it in and the letter opener off the desk you head back out the door, locking it behind you. Only Gerald and Jim are waiting for you on the edge of the village, you guess that Marcus and Richard were serious about not coming to help. Traveling together you head out towards the ruin, which takes you a ways up the road to the mines before splitting off on an ancient forest path which is hardly used. It’s exceptionally dark and you are having a hard time seeing much more than just Gerald’s back, the moon being blotted out by clouds and the dense overhead growth. ! You continue through the forest desperately trying not to trip on any exposed roots, nor to fall behind at all, almost forgetting that Jim should be behind you to keep pace.
Suddenly, causing you to nearly shriek there is an ear rending scream from behind you, and Gerald goes running past you swinging his newly bought hammer. ! Taking the opening, two men wearing masks run out from the side of the path and grab you. Struggling you try and break free or to yell for help, however the large one has you in a neck lock, while the smaller ties a gag that is so tight you cannot even breath through your mouth. ! Binding your hands, the larger man throws you over his shoulder and when you try to kick yourself free the smaller one waves his knife in front of your eyes, the look on his face clearly saying that he wants to have any reason to hurt you. The last thing you see before he puts a blind-fold on you is a determinedly evil grin shining in the moonlight from the smaller man.
After only 10 minutes or so you are thrown into a chair, and then tied firmly down before the blindfold is removed. ! Looking around it seems that you are in some type of abandoned farmhouse with the moonlight from the newly unveiled moon shining down through holes in the ceiling. The only furniture in the house is the chair you are tied to and a table that the larger man is standing at while he goes through your bag, there is a stack of papers and other items that aren’t yours on the table as well. You jump when the larger man speaks,
“So, we heard your friends talking about some sort of treasure they found? One of the dudes had this necklace thingy that looked pretty nice and another had a bloody silver coin. Do you know how much I could buy for a silver coin that big? Now if you want your pretty little face intact tell me where you lot got that shit!” His threats seem really half-hearted but the smaller man gets giddy at the mention of violence.
“Hey Harold, why don’t we just start cutting her till she talks?” The younger one of the two says, he looks demented and you get the strangest feeling that grabbing you was his idea, and that he doesn’t care about any money.
“First off idiot, if you want her to say anything take out the damned gag and secondly don’t use my name. I hate being called Harold! The boss told us to gather information on the town, and you had the bright idea of getting her to give us info on the town and possibly an extra pay, so at least calm down till she does.”
Looking dejected the smaller man walks over to undo your gag, just as he starts to walk behind the chair you hear a dull ‘thunk’ and the man called Harold collapses to the floor. The smaller man runs over and flips Harold over, an arrow is sticking directly out of his heart having killed him instantly.
“WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO??” ! The smaller man draws his knife and leaps at you, your eyes go wide in terror and suddenly the amulet hanging around your neck flashes. You immediately feel stabbing pain all over your body, and the man suddenly staggers backwards. Seconds later a similar effect as what happened with your books begins at the man’s feet, a swirling wind picks up around him and appears to tear off little pieces of his skin and he begins to scream and flail. ! It rips at his clothing and exposed skin for only a few seconds it reaches his neck, blood runs red and drips to the floor as he hangs there helpless and his skin is torn to pieces. ! Finally he falls to the floor and the door bursts open with Marcus staggering in. He nearly pukes before he can manage to walk over to your chair to undo your bindings. ! Grabbing your belongings you move quickly outside into the fresh air, the stench of fresh blood making you nauseous. Once you are outside Gerald comes walking out of the woods carrying Jim with an arrow sticking out of his shoulder. Checking yourself over, it appears as though a large amount of the blood landed on your clothing and skin. You now stand outside the abandoned farm house, with the two men dead or dying inside and the time is around midnight.
Lost 4 Life
Gained Knowledge
Air Razor-Minor Wind, 4 mana start, channel
-2 c
Then, remembering what happened the last time we went to the ruins I feel guilty about leaving my friends. Sighing I grab my bow, quiver and knife before slipping out of the tavern and heading out after them.
With a sudden guilt trip from within, you decide to gear up and then follow them out. However, by the time you manage to get away from Dern’s complaining about how there always seems to be hunting and drinking to do when the inn’s really busy, your companions are long gone. At least knowing their destination you are able to jog and catch up fairly quickly, ! however by the time you do you can see that there is something wrong with Jim. His skin is pale and he keeps staggering on flat ground, carefully hanging back you notch an arrow and follow along quietly. ! You notice some type of shadow hovering over him and as you watch it descends into his body. ! Reacting quickly you walk out onto the path and take aim, Jim raises his arm and begins using some type of magic. It looks like he’s going to fire something into Bree’s back, who is currently quite a bit farther up the path. You say a quiet prayer asking Jim to stop, and then for your arrow to be true ! with an elegant draw and release the arrow cuts the still and dark night, piercing into Jim’s shoulder. The arm drops to the ground and you begin to notch another arrow when you see something strange, it appears as though there is a ghostly apparition that looks like Jim staring down an ancient and emancipated man. As you watch the version of Jim shatters the old man and then returns into Jim’s body. Putting the second arrow back in your quiver you dash up the path and make it just in time to catch Jim as he falls.
Seconds later Gerald arrives confused and nearly clubs you to death before you manage to explain what happened. ! It takes only a minute but by the time you realize that Bree isn’t there as well, you can no longer see where she has gone. Shouldering Jim over to Gerald you rush up the path, checking along either side for tracks or any sort of mark. ! Not too far ahead you can see where two or more men ran out of the underbrush, grabbed Bree and dragged her back in. Signaling for Gerald to follow you move through the brush as quickly as you can, and before too long arrive at an abandoned farmhouse. ! You can see on the inside two men talking and what appears to be Bree tied to a chair. ! You think you could have a clear shot, and so tell Gerald to go cover any escape routes. ! Moving into position you notch an arrow, breathe deeply and let the shaft fly. ! It instantly kills the larger of the two men, so you take out your knife in preparation for the other one to charge out the door. He screams, you brace, and then he screams again but this time in pain. You rush to the door and kick it open; you can see the other man caught in a torrent of wind that is tearing gashes and small cuts into all his exposed skin. Once it reaches his throat blood is flying everywhere, by the time he is dead you move in and attempt to not vomit. Barely containing yourself, you manage to get Bree out of the chair and back outside, choosing to just leave your arrow in there for now. Gerald comes out of the trees with Jim, having apparently either seen what happened as well or having just decided you could handle it.
You stand there with Bree, Jim and Gerald outside of the abandoned farmhouse, having just killed one man, shot your friend, and witnessed another man’s death. What a night.
-2 Arrows
Author
Topic: Hunted Magi -Turn 7 (Read 7906 times)