Turn 17: Gifts and SimilarSearch for a healer in the study, or failing that, a book on healing magic.
[1] You are molested by a creepy, eel-like merfolk who insists the only cure is staying right here and getting plenty of rest. You're pretty sure that's a lie, but it's not letting go.
Lituh looked at the Empress, and asked "Would it be alright for me to have one of your servants to go with me on my travels?"
Try to get the Empress to gift me with one of her servants preferably ones that can breath on land as well.
[4] The Empress snorts, and gives a short command and imperious wave of her hand. Two of her servants leave for a moment, then return with a bulky, hunched blue fishman-thing on a leash. Its face is somewhere between a humanoid's and a fish, while it's body is mostly humanoid, but covered in webbing and fins and clearly designed with its current posture in mind.
"Thissss issss a ssssimple mminnion, butt it shhhould sserve you wwell." She then turns menacingly to the creature and informs it that its new master is you now, in the scariest voice you've ever heard. It immediately gibbers and begins hiding behind you, pawing at your legs.
[1] Another servant tosses a blowgun and pack of darts at it. You get the feeling that's not a very effective weapon.
"Drzkktizz enjoys this ones strength, and even more so that it is proven meager when compared to the Empress. Can Drzkktizz use this slave at your whim, Empress?"
Action: Ask the Empress for a Slave Merperson who seems rebellious...
Free Actions?: Drzkktizz examines the Art of the Palace, Questions the Slaves about how and why they were captured, and compliments the Empress, asking her about her own history, family and opinions on rulership (willing to RP any conversations that come out of it btw 
))
[5] The Empress seems to find this amusing, and starts laughing ominously. A few commands later, the prisoner is being pinned to the ground in front of the Empress, still thrashing and gnashing her teeth.
"Sssssooo, sssslave... ddo youu know... whyy you are summmoned before mee?"
The prisoner responds with more hateful glaring and a growl of rage. The Empress seems to smile even more, though how that's possible when her entire mouth is teeth to begin with is hard to say.
"Thhhe anssswer is quite ssimple. The
hhuuumblesst of my servants has rrrequested you. Assss you are of no great connncern, I shhhall grant thisss minor boonnn."
This produces a roar of absolute fury from the prisoner, and an expression on the Empress that implies she hasn't found something so funny in ages. The servants briefly have trouble restraining her before she exhausts herself, at which point they begin swapping shackles.
When they're done, she's wearing a very thick, shiny collar with a chain attached, and has her arms manacled behind her back. She lies on the ground, breathing and seemingly conscious but not bothering to rise. The end of the chain, complete with a leather handgrip, and a ring of rusty-looking keys is handed to Drzkktizz.
"Thhissss one is rebelllious and proud," the Empress continues to Drzkktizz. "She would rrrrather die thhan submmmit, were onesss such as her givven sssuch lofty choicess. The collar enfeeeebles her, annnd can be adjusssted withhh the keysss. Onnnne for phhhysical strength, onnne for perrrceptionnn, and onnnne for freeee willll. The lassst is unnnreliable, and should not be trrusted for annnything immportant.
Shhhe iss a cccombatant, serrrvant. No trrrouble forr annn Emmmpresss, but verrry dangerousss for onnnne such asss youuu. Be waary, annd do not givve her freedom beyyond what she ccan abuse."
---
The art of the palace seems decidedly trophy-like. It's fairly varied as far as style and depictions go, and mostly hung from the walls without any noticeable attention to appropriateness, theme, or other considerations you can discern beyond "I own this." The fact that some of them appear to be humanoid skulls or potentially humanoid hides and bones reinforces this notion, as does the occasional, often damaged weapon.
[6] The slaves' stories seem to corroborate this assertion. Most were living in the general area prior to the horrible creatures like the Empress and their fishman minions utterly overwhelming them. Most are utterly terrified of her, having seen her, her kind, or their minions in battle, or at least the process of ripping open their homes and capturing them, and have no reason to suspect all of them together would so much as give the Empress' guard pause.
The Empress seems pleased at your compliments, but changes the subject for most other questions. The one exception is leadership style, which she is more than happy to explain the "proper" way of things regarding. Essentially, the strong rule and the weak grovel at their mercy. Done.
He then turned to the Empress and bent his upper body towards her, holding his left hand horizontally to and up against his own chest. A common greeting of respect in Sakkguard.[/i]
"Great Empress, if I may ask for a favor. I was not able to bring my shield to here, and my fighting style relies heavily on having both a blade and a shield. I ask you please, give me a shield so I may fight to my fullest extent in your name and bring you the greatest of glories and riches, and bring to your enemies the quickest and most painful of deaths."
[5] The Empress is pleased and impressed by your formal obedience, and quickly orders a shield brought in.
It's a large shield, very light brown and quite spiky. At first glance you'd assume it's made out of a giant shark tooth, but further inspection reveals it to be all the wrong shape for that. Whatever it's made of feels organic, but you can't place it, and it seems sturdy enough.
"Athara Opanine," she said shortly. You two play sycophant all you want. I'm not about to prostrate myself before this dimwit. While the queen was distracted, Athara slipped into the library to 'take a look around.'
Loot spellbooks, as many as possible. Concentrate on wind first, but nab any and all spellbooks that I can reasonably hide about my person... two probably, three if I'm pushing it.
Witnesses: [5] The study is largely deserted as you saunter in, a previous occupant having just shuffled out.
Discretion: [5] You masterfully pilfer and hide your new acquisitions. It's almost as though you really enjoyed this!
Quality: [5] Oh, let's see. How about everything?
((This is worth a trait. It is also worth several spellbooks, which I am having trouble coming up with.))
EveryoneThe Empress has you all loosely ushered into her main chamber, if you weren't already before, and announces that she's settled on a place for you to go.
Supposedly, there's a place of great danger and great power off in the distance- a Water temple. Except, right now it looks more like a sinkhole that sucks in anything that comes near it. She's willing to provide sharks and a guide for getting in, and quite certain you'll be able to find your way out, or perhaps use that wondrous gem you create to escape.
She'd also like to send along a special something- it looks like a dinner plate sized starfish with an eye in the middle- so she can communicate and keep an eye on you. Oh, and these necklaces so you don't drown.
((Once again, most likely preliminary RP actions followed by 'actual' ones this turn.))
Drzkktizz Kothraze
10/10 HP
+1 Dodge (0/8); +1 vs surprise
---
+2 Poison Magic (3/16)
+1 Alchemy
+0 Butchering (1/4)
+0 Medical (0/4)
MINION?: ?
Maikah Moonfur, Light of the Lost
4/10 HP
+0 Dodge (2/4); Spell Absorption on 6 vs spell
Blind
---
+1 Light Magic (1/32)
+1 Polearms (0/8)
Ochita the Scholar
0/10 HP
-1 Dodge
---
+2 Water Magic (9/16)
+1 Swords, +1 dmg
Athara Opanine
10/10 HP
-1 Dodge
---
+2 Wind Magic
+1 Flight (6/8)
+0 Medic (1/4)
-1 Swords, +1 dmg (0/2)
Lituh Zangler, Traveling Blade
10/10 HP
-1 Dodge
---
+2 Swords, all range (0/16)
+1 Restoration (0/8)
MINION: Fishman
6/6 HP
+1 Dodge
+1 Attack, hampering
Blowgun, darts, leash
Pitonous Ross, Swordsman
10/10 HP
+0 Dodge (0/2), dmg on 6
---
+2 Swords, indestructible (0/16)
+1 Fire (0/8)
So. Ochita needs to figure out what he's going to do, SC needs to help me figure out what books he found (and what his new trait is), and them and everyone else needs to figure out if they're going along with the Empress' plan or what. Dwarmin and adwarf may also want to learn more about their new acquisitions.
Author
Topic: Darkmoon RTD [Turn 24: Poison and Pain] (Read 49861 times)