It’s a talky-talky turn! Nothing much happens except the Baron does some yelling. Next turn will be much the same. You don’t have to post actions for the next turn if you don’t want. I decided to split it into two so as to not dump walls of text. I promise that next turn is the last talky turn for a long time!
- Turn 9: Shriekwind Bastion -
The mayor has decided to pawn his problems off to the Baron of the district, who makes his home in the fortress overlooking the town. You have decided to peacefully accompany the Guard to meet with the Baron."Guess we better go, then," Lyu said, smiling widely. From where he comes from, they often wondered where the good priest got his honest smile and boundless cheer from.
Oh, if only they knew.
Go where I'm supposed to go. Happily beam as a result of my wonderful dream.
"Oh, he's awake now."
Smack Lyu.
"Idiot."
Then head out and follow the guards.
Cheerfully get out of those cuffs and away from the town of overreacting whiny bumpkins.
Then follow the group.
"Mountains....always mountains...why can't these things ever be build near the sea..."
Follow the group
Baldur chuckles at Lyu and Ekoka and follows the guards. "So what does the Baron want with the likes of us?"
After some slapstick, the five of you decide to follow the Guardsman to find out what the baron of this accursedly cold place wants. You decide by unspoken agreement that one of the Cylenians in your party should speak to the Cylenian nobleman; he is not known for his love of ‘outsiders’. Further unspoken agreements decide that the cause of the trouble, Lao, should stand well at the back.
You are led into the courtyard. The wide road passes through the middle of the fortress courtyard; there are a few small wagons waiting at the customs station. Trade has been slow to resume since the Ten Day Night, but capitalism will always find a way. A small hostel on the Eastern side of the fortress complex provides lodging for merchants and their teams of oxen, but the Guardsman leads you across to the western side.
The main entrance to Shriekwind is nothing short of ‘massive’. The door looks to be nearly a foot thick, made of some dark wood and strapped together with bands of brass and rivets the size of your fist. The Guardsman leads you into the fortress. The interior is lit by large braziers mounted along the wall every six or eight feet; the glowing coals keep the passageways warm and comfortable. The main entrance hall is quite large. Twin rows of pillars run the length of it. Along the walls on either side you can see wooden doors that presumably lead to other sections of the fortress. He leads you to the back of the main hall and into a spiral staircase. As you wind upwards, he begins to talk. “Be careful what you say to the Baron, lads. He’s been a mite testy of late. If you annoy him he might just throw you in the dungeon.”
Finally the five of you pass into a hallway. It runs back towards the east. At the end of the carpeted passageway is an oak door about ten feet tall guarded by two men armed with spears and swords. Your escort snaps a salute to the guards. “Here they are, the men Captain Regnis sent word about.”
The rightmost guard nods. “The Baron’s waiting inside.” With a grunt he shoulders the door open and stands aside. “In you go, then.” You walk into the the Baron’s office. A wide oak desk dominates the centre of the room, the legs covered in ornate carvings. The similarly ornate chair is empty, however. Behind it all you can see a tall man standing at the eastern floor-to-ceiling window. The glass must have been prohibitively expensive, but there it was. He was watching something out in the courtyard.
Presently he turns to face you. He has a well-kept beard and moustache and the rugged face of someone used to living in the mountains. Baron: So, you are the troublemakers. An itinerant priest, a Southlander mage, a sailor, a Solvarion acolyte and a mercenary, by the looks of you. I heard about the chaos you five caused thanks to some… creative methods.
Baldur: What? No, we-
Baron: I don’t like chaos. It’s noisy, time-consuming and messy. Ordinarily I wouldn’t even deal with you lot and leave it all up to Mayor Neshalt’s discretion. He’d just toss you all into jail until everything was sorted out.
Baldur: Just let me-
Baron: But he doesn’t have the facilities to deal with errant mages, and right now if you lot were thrown into the town jail there would be a riot. Gods damn the blasted spineless, quivering populace!
His voice has risen into a roar. It’s quite uncomfortable on your ears.
Baldur: EXCUSE ME!
The baron looks like he’s about to speak, but says nothing. Instead he raises one bushy eyebrow.Baldur: We didn’t do anything wrong! Eight patrons got into a brawl. We simply did our jobs and removed them from the damn tavern. 'Swhat we were hired to do!
Baron: As I understand it from this report…
(He taps a thick finger onto a sheet of paper on his desk) You were ineffective in preventing the breakage of… three tables, six chairs, four mugs and two windows. One patron suffered broken legs, another dislocated his arm and a third was magically altered into some kind of monstrosity. Thankfully he has gotten his mind back.
Lao shifts his feet guiltily.Baron: Well. I have no desire to deal with any of you and I don’t have the resources to spare at the moment. So here’s what is going to happen. You five are going to go on a little ‘quest’ for me.
Oh yes. You just know this is going to go well.
Lyu Brak (Harry Baldman)Profession: Priest
Status: Listening
Inventory:Staff (Bronze-Capped)
Religious Necklace
Warm Priestly Robes and Pants
Warm Priestly Shoes
180 gold
Wounds/Status: You're perfectly healthy!
Abilities: [Boundlessly Cheerful] [The Good Priest] [Not that faithful] [Righteous Litany]Baldur Bergfalk (USEC_OFFICER)Profession: Mercenary
Status: Getting interrupted
b]Inventory:
Broken greatsword
Worn leather jerkin (and normal clothes)
Worn leather boots
Bear fur cloak300 gold
Wounds/Status: [Broken rib (2/2)]Abilities: [Skilled Bargainer] [Guileless] [I'm Not Right Handed]Lao Thuun (BFEL)Profession: Warrior Mage
Status: Listening
Inventory: Blunted bronze sword
Leather armour and boots
Acolyte's Suncloak210 gold
Wounds/Status: [Heavily Torn Muscles (3/5)] [Swollen Jaw (1/3)] [Exhaustion (1/3)]Abilities:[Enduring] [Atoner] [Spellsword]Spells:[Life Spell: Wisp]Magical Experience:[Ea: 0] [Wi: 0] [Fi: 0] [Wa: 0] [Li: 2] [Fo: -1] [Lt: 0] [Sh: 0]Felice Nasib (Pancaek)Profession: Seaman
Status: Listening
Inventory: Cracked Shortbow
Seven Arrows
Really Blunt DirkNautical Longcoat and Boots
370 gold
Wounds/Status: [Tender left arm (1/3)]Abilities: [Fearless] [Not a Landlubber] [Trick Shot]Ekoka (GreatWyrmGold)Profession: Wanderer
Status: Listening
Inventory: Cracked shillelagh
Wanderer's Cloak
Sturdy Clothes and Boots
Length of Rope
Flint and Tinder
380 gold
Wounds/Status: [Headache]Abilities: [Survivalist] [Dual Focus] [Maladjusted to heat] [Guiding Spirit]Spells:
[Wind Spell: Alacrity]Magical Experience:[Ea: 0] [Wi: 1] [Fi: 0] [Wa: 0] [Li: 0] [Fo: 0] [Lt: 0] [Sh: 0]