Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Dustan Hache]

be ready to protect John in case of mob.

[Sir Knight]

And that's everyone!  Update once I feel sane.  I hope you people are used to my longwindedness by now . . .

Can I enter the waitlist?

Name: Francis
Icon color: Green
What you did before coming down here: Hunting

Welcome!  I hope you don't mind if I label that "teal" instead, as John (ziizo) claimed the color called "green" back at the beginning, and I do have to pick one single color that I draw in the ASCII art.

[Starver]

Unless John gets killed beforehand..?

[Screech9791]

And that's everyone!  Update once I feel sane.  I hope you people are used to my longwindedness by now . . .

Can I enter the waitlist?

Name: Francis
Icon color: Green
What you did before coming down here: Hunting

Welcome!  I hope you don't mind if I label that "teal" instead, as John (ziizo) claimed the color called "green" back at the beginning, and I do have to pick one single color that I draw in the ASCII art.

Got it.

[Sir Knight]

Unless John gets killed beforehand..?

I was thinking that, but two things:

1).  He could always go back on the waitlist if he wanted, keeping his old color.

2).  Somehow, single-handedly, he is the instigator for tons of plot stuff I've prepared, including things you haven't seen yet.  I don't wanna use the phrase "plot armor," but at minimum he's not gonna die for . . . oh, the next two updates.

3).  I guess point 2 doesn't really mean anything long-term then.

4).  Why am I letting this numbered list run away with me.

5).  Send help.

[Sir Knight]

Previous -- Next

Conversation!

Dustan is on guard against peril arising from these events, and Alyssa works on locating all the glass vials for their imminent need in completing the alchemists' request.  Between the two of them, they fill in Tohil about current agreements.

John presents Elena with his recent images, each one taken from a carving in the underground, copied by means of the graphite and parchment sent down in the "surface kits" with every exile.  Dwain shows an interest in the images, too.  The ones brought to town some days ago feature big ugly people with what look like shiny riches.  Now . . .

"Aye, there we go," says Elena, jabbing a finger at the first of the new ones.  It shows a big ugly person on the ground with many hands above holding up shiny riches.  "The ugly mugs, and they got something worth taking."  She glances at the second, which is a slight departure, showing a scrawny person holding up tools of some sort, standing atop riches.  "I don't know what that one's deal is, but this is just more of what's got Aurelius all riled up.  He's a crazy old man, see?  Patriarch of the Cornu family.  He got word of rumors about 'ugly mugs' and 'riches,' and launched right into his latest fantasy: he's declared a reward of 10,000 opal for 'the treasures at the heart of the Ugly Metropolis.'  Hah!"

She tosses up her hands.  "He runs the whole stupid bank, so he can do that, but why?  Half the exiles in the underground are heading off to ugly mug territory, and they're just agitating the mugs for the rest of us to handle.  What kind of person could even make their way across the Metropolis?  Aurelius is going to be mighty disappointed here . . . at least until he forgets he ever made the offer."

John had been mumbling a word or two about carvings being damaged, and going to meet this Aureli-something, but Elena looks at him sideways.  "Aurelius doesn't want anything from you except 'the treasures.'  Don't even try."  Then she sees the looks you're all giving her.  "What, are you lot thinking about the old man's money now?"

Gary is thinking nothing of the sort, and is more interested in the nearby river with its peaceful flow of dripwater.  You set off, though you have to work your way through a bit of a crowd that's gathering over here for some reason.  And why does that wheelbarrow full of provisions have SALT engraved on every wooden surface?



Tohil asks about bloodbinding and the incorporation of faith.  Elena looks relieved to change topics.  "You can ask the Theia family, but they've made themselves into a sort of all-faiths religious center.  That includes new ones people found since coming into the underground.  I stay away from the stuff; I've got business enough as a prospector.  Ah . . . "

She looks over to her new wheelbarrow, to Louis, and back to where Gary's vanishing.  "This whole thing's thrown me off my rhythm.  And one of you's wandered away already."

. . . One of the things I intend to add is a central listing of every quest you've heard mentioned so these stories don't get lost.

Tohil (randomgenericusername): would you like more real-world summary of the vials/carvings/messages situation, or are you set from what's been posted so far (which I tried to make comprehensive)?

And as I said, I'll continue to assume everybody is within reasonable earshot of each other for these updates.  Tell me where we go from here, and I'll twist it as only a GM can.

[Starver]

To those still here "To anyone thinking of rushing off after those treasures, bear in mind that others have already started ahead of us. The best you could do is to plan properly, and not just run off to who-knows-where. Let us do our trading, and other things, and know that there are other things to do out there that may well be less fools' errands and more profitable."

Soft aside, while Elana is beyond earshot: "We've seen some minable rocks, out there. Do you think our friend the Prospector would appreciate a tip? Assuming she can make use of our directions, that is. I doubt we'll find them again outselves, as quickly, except by accident while we're out there looking for treasures or more vials or bandit camps or enlightenment in general."

(I vote for starting to relieve ourselves of bulky trade-goods and making ourselves expedition-fit, not forgetting Gary. Then we've got our individual time here to 'work' our stay in town, and other chances of interactions. Also, having lost a(nother) barrow, I wonder if we ought to shell out for one here rather than hope to grab one (back) out in the wilds next time we're overloaded with loot.)

[randomgenericusername]

"I don't really care about this treasure. Riches are worthless by themselves after all, and I would prefer a good blade over all the gems in the world."

"Talking about that, we should sell our mined goods somewhere. While this sword is quite fine and well made, I would like something more heavy."

[Dustan Hache]

"Wait, so you're saying that there's an entire city of the uglies we got the Salt wheelbarrows back from? It's already quite clear to me they have a language of their own, and military organization to boot. what's keeping them from just storming this place and killing everyone!?"

[randomgenericusername]

"I fought in a war once, and I think I know why: In a war, there is only losers. The death toll would be too high considering how common weapons are and how rare and expensive armor and bandages are. Money and riches are easy to lose and gain, but death is forever."

"Whatever these "Ugly Mugs" are, they are sentient and have reasons to not attack. They might not care or maybe they wouldn't win anything from destroying a city. Or maybe it's just not worth the possible deaths of hundreds. If they are that rich, they have no reason to fight for resources."

[Dustan Hache]

"I fought in a war once, and I think I know why: In a war, there is only losers. The death toll would be too high considering how common weapons are and how rare and expensive armor and bandages are. Money and riches are easy to lose and gain, but death is forever."

"Whatever these "Ugly Mugs" are, they are sentient and have reasons to not attack. They might not care or maybe they wouldn't win anything from destroying a city. Or maybe it's just not worth the possible deaths of hundreds. If they are that rich, they have no reason to fight for resources."

"the last part can't be true, because they wouldn't go out of their way to steal two wheelbarrows loaded with salt if that were the case. Also, they're better armed than you think. I got my chainmail off one of their "Sargeants" and it's pretty good at deflecting sharp objects, even with the damage we dealt to it. All it would take is them  getting tired of being attacked by hordes of treasure hunters and this place could go up in splitter-wand smoke!"

[Sir Knight]

(Yay, talking!  Your reactions are making me consider and reconsider my info-reveal plans, but if we're lucky it's more "refining into a better form" than "argh, the players went that way??")

I've seen lots of votes for "why aren't we selling our goods already?" so in the next update I'll assume everybody starts walking unless you tell me otherwise.  I'll still fit in your conversation, but I might make it into a super-long info dump with goods for sale and whatever you learn when you make the delivery for vials.  Plus interruptions along the way.  Because of course.

[randomgenericusername]

"Even then, it's easier to forge a weapon to kill that crafting armor. And we have been running low on bandages. How do we even make more of them?"

Also, If we get ore/loot from doing the vials thing, we should trade them first with whoever gave us the quest. Then we can sell our stuff and get different stuff.

Of course, pray to the sun and ask about bloodbinding. Is it good or bad?

"I don't deny that these Ugly mugs might be better armed than what we thint, I just say that only one of us has proper armor, we lack means to cure severe wounds and everyone is very, very well armed. Weapons have been far more common and cheaper than protection."

[ziizo]

"unless bloodbinding makes me invisible and inaudible I don't plan in going into the ugly mugs city"

"now Onward to the magical employer! faster we learn magic the faster we know what of our stuff became superfluous"

[Rautherdir]

"unless bloodbinding makes me invisible and inaudible I don't plan in going into the ugly mugs city"

"now Onward to the magical employer! faster we learn magic the faster we know what of our stuff became superfluous"

"We'll see. I do agree that I would like to learn the practices of bloodbinding myself."