velvetpage: (Default)
I'm tired, but not sleepy (too much caffeine) so you get a journal. )
velvetpage: (Default)
Sometimes reality can shift in a moment. One minute, you're plotting with people you trust to do something which may turn out to be for the betterment of the city, and the next you're fighting off an assassination attempt by one of the city's Templars.

Solon has been the target of dirty politics several times already, notably whenever Ghadir has tried to hire me away from his service. But that, while fairly quiet, was still known. This has a different quality, somehow.

There were four of them plus the defiler. The door burst inwards, a spell of darkness was cast on Sallah's home, and someone said, "Kill them." Axes were thrown blindly in the dark before I'd properly drawn my battleaxe.

I pulled out all the stops to fight them, as did the others. Sallah's spells were less effective than usual, as the attackers seemed able to throw them off. They also knew how to position themselves so as to flank us each in turn. While not as skilled as I am, they were nevertheless well-trained.

I dispatched two of them and nearly killed the other two, though Tak and I both flirted with death to achieve it. The defiler fled and we could not chase her. And it was during the clean-up that I discovered why they were so well-trained that they could nearly deal with a Templar, a drey city soldier, a gladiator, and whatever it is that Sallah does.

They were city soldiers. I recognized them. I've worked with two of them in the past; in fact one has been under my command on at least two occasions when Solon needed a group of soldiers as backup in the city.

Four city soldiers, out of uniform, with weapons not from the armoury, under the command of a defiler? That defiler was a Templar. The question is, who was it? From which faction did she take her direction? Which (of at least three I can call to mind) action of Solon's and mine was the impetus?

I do not believe it was Ghadir. Assassination is not his style; he works to undermine by digging pits for others to fall into. But that doesn't mean he was uninvolved; only that he may have been the front man for a deeper game against my master. (I should not call him that.) So, was it a result of Solon's rebuff of the overture by the faction we assumed was the True? Was it a result of the interview with the Princess? (I use many titles here that never cross my lips.) Are they one and the same? Did someone learn of our dabblings with the gangs, and seek to take us out before we could replace the leaders they had set in place? Is Tithian so nervous of the Princess that he's seeking to rid himself of those Templars he fears will have most cause to be loyal to her?

I believe the True is the most likely culprit, but I cannot fathom how the contact who seemed to know about Solon's orders to slip poison into the hero's cup came to be the foremost of the Princess's guards. If Solon has figured it out, he has not yet shared that insight with me.

The two attackers who did not die by my blade during the attack were both very badly hurt. One, Solon woke up to attempt to interrogate him. Our usual routine, where I frighten the man and Solon asks questions, did not work. He refused to indicate much of anything. About the only vaguely interesting thing he said was to call Solon a traitor. When the city guard who had appeared on the scene was distracted, I dispatched him in such a way that it looked like his wounds had prevailed over Solon's healing. The other we took back to the jail, but since it was by that point quite late and the Templar responsible for the jail did not wish to be woken, we did not leave him there. He is resting in the guest room of Solon's suite, and I suspect much of the day will be spent getting information out of him. I confess I do not relish the thought. The first needed to die, for he had threatened us with retribution after he returned to the barracks and that could not be allowed to stand. It was distasteful, but I did it. I hope the second sees reason and tells us what we need to know. Of course, it might not be too reasonable to tell us. If this plot goes a long way up through the Templars, then his protection from the law is assured by telling us nothing and getting to the prison quickly; whereas, if the plot is small, he's better off throwing in his lot with us. Either way, he must know he could die in our quarters and nobody would question how it had come about.

Other battles in the streets have been fought and won with nary a thought afterward. Nothing is simple anymore.

That sounds like a complaint. It is in fact merely an observation. I do not want to go back to the time when dispatching people without thinking too hard about the rights and wrongs and meanings of the deed was a normal occurance. But I cannot deny that it is more complicated now.

While I was training this morning, yet another odd thing happened. I cannot fathom if this is a single candle on the mountainside, or a single lit candle about to set off a firestorm. My heart says he was sincere, a candle on the mountainside, attempting to spread light and hope. But perhaps he is simply a good dissembler.

A man approached me. He was thin, not because he had nothing to eat but because he was built thin. He commented on my training and how effortless it looked, and then indicated that my mind needed similar training but had not received it. And he offered to train me. I asked him to speak plainly, to tell me what he wanted in return, for nothing is ever free. When he said he wanted no payment, I wanted very badly to believe him. I decided to trust him to a point, and let him train me, but I will be attempting to learn more about him. If there is one thing my life has taught me, it is that nothing is without cost, even things that seem on the surface to be done with the best of intentions. There must be an agenda. It worries me that I can discern none.
velvetpage: (Default)
[livejournal.com profile] bootler Booooooooored.

Pieter - Me too. Let's play D&D or something.

[livejournal.com profile] bootler - lol, sure!

Pieter - Um... you are standing in a forest...

[livejournal.com profile] bootler - I attack the darkness!!
No, wait, getting ahead of myself...
Uhm. I start walking.

Pieter - You see a tree. rolls It is a... rolls... tall... rolls... magical... rolls... Sausage... rolls... tree.

[livejournal.com profile] bootler - I stride forward and rolls attack it with a rolls and shuffles some paper short sword. I rolls and curses miss and stab my own foot

Pieter - The tall sausage tree rolls is in flower. Save versus Pollen.

Tin Crawford - rolls) (double checks stats) uhm, 13?

Pieter - Hmm. You are unaffected by the sausage pollen. The tall sausage tree stands silently, grim and unmoved by your foot-stabbing. Out of the corner of your eye, you spy a rolls... green... rolls... Davenport.

[livejournal.com profile] bootler - Somewhat hobbled, I glower as I limp my way towards the davenport. I sheath my short sword and pull a (checks equipment sheet)... roll of cloth out of my bag to serve as a makeshift bandage. I sit down and perform (rolls)... haphazard first aid on my foot.

Pieter - The Davenport attacks. What sort of armor you got?

[livejournal.com profile] bootler - (looks at equipment sheet) looks like a upturned pot on my head, leather chestpiece, and metal greaves +1

Pieter - Oh, you've played through the Chamberpot Chronicles, I see! Right... so, that gives you an AC of 3. (rolls) The Green Davenport bites you in the hindquarters as you sit down, dealing (rolls) 32 points of Subdual Cushion Damage.

[livejournal.com profile] bootler - I cry out in (rolls) more shock than pain as that cuts my HP by (double checks) a quarter. I leap up, pull out my short sword and (rolls) thrust the sword into the Green Davenport's cushions. (rolls) critical hit! I deal 40 Sharp Stabbing Damage

Pieter van Hiel - The Davenport spills crimson polyfill stuffing all over the forest floor, gabbling and gloaming forlornly as it shudders out its death throes. Searching the corpse, you find $1.76 in pennies and nickles in its belly, along with 3d6 broken crackers and the universal remote.

Silence falls on the forest.

[livejournal.com profile] velvetpage - My students want to know why I'm giggling through French class.

[livejournal.com profile] bootler - (writes down loots on sheet, rolls a 16 for number of broken crackers)

Munching one on of the crackers, I examine the universal remote. Curiously, I press the button for (rolls) "healing"

Pieter - The crimson polyfill glurms and schlurps back into the Green Davenport. It blinks its buttons, and then ROARS....

[livejournal.com profile] bootler - I give a high pitched shriek and reflexively press a random button on the remote. Looking down I see I've hit (rolls) video input

Pieter - The world flickers and shakes, and suddenly, you find yourself in a forest, looking at a female warrior with a chamberpot on her head, carrying a polyfill stained sword. You jump back - and so does she! But you find your view getting closer, nonetheless...

[livejournal.com profile] bootler - Horribly disoriented I close my eyes. "Who are you?" I demand of the female warrior.

Pieter - The female warrior (who looks strangely familar) seems be mocking you, mouthing your words as you say them. Also, you get even closer to her, and then..(rolls)... bite her very hard for (rolls)... 63 points of Subdual Cushion Damage.

[livejournal.com profile] bootler - (rolls an intelligence check; 18) finally cluing in to what has happened, I try desperately to push "video input" again and get back inside my own body. (rolls; 16)

Pieter - Hang on... are we playing 1st edition, 2nd edition or some unholy blasphemous variant of the game that was released after 1989? Peers over the DM screen at you

[livejournal.com profile] bootler - Uhm, 4th edition? holds up books it's the only one I know!

Pieter - Oh, fer.... rolling high for Intelligence checks is bad! Except when it's good! Also, the lower your AC, the better. Perfectly sensible, I'm sure you'll agree. All right, I'm willing to allow the INT check success.

Hitting Video Input again, the world flickers and shakes once more, and then the forest is replaced by a crude stone hut. A deformed woman with red hair and coal black eyes approaches.

"Fred, did you put the sabertooth out for the night?"

[livejournal.com profile] bootler - (writes a few notes next to the skill check & AC area)

"Uhhhhmmmmm," I stare at the deformed woman in confusion. "Yes?"

Pieter - Terrible pain wracks your body as you answer the woman, as though you'd just been gnawed for 15 more points of Subdual Cushion Damage. She does not acknowledge your reply, but a horrible frog-like voice emerges from you...

"Awww, Wilma, me and Barney were going out to play pool!"

[livejournal.com profile] bootler - Panicking I lash out randomly with whatever weapon comes immediately to hand (rolls; 3). At the same time I press a button on the universal remote, with no idea what button it might be (rolls; 14).

Pieter - You wave your sword (not that you can see it) and miss by a wide margin. You mash the (rolls) Power button. You are standing in a silent forest next to an immobile Green Davenport and a menacing Sausage Tree. Searching the dead Davenport, you find nothing.

[livejournal.com profile] bootler - In a tremendous amount of pain, I take my paltry 10 hit points and shuffle a few feet away from the Green Davenport and Sausage Tree before sitting down on the ground. I rifle through my bag and (double checks equipment list) pull out a small healing potion. I drink it gratefully.

Pieter - A warm glow fills your body, and you feel as though angels are massaging your every limb. Wounds close, and bruises fade...

You heal (rolls) 1 point of damage.

Hmm. I probably should have rolled for the HP before describing it so elaborately.

[livejournal.com profile] bootler - (mutters under breath while updating my HP)

Resolving to be more cautious in the future - and breathing a prayer to Kord to look kindly on a lowly warrior - I continue hobbling my way deeper into the forest.

Pieter - Annnnnd, thus ends the Adventure of the Davenport, Part One. :)

May 2020

S M T W T F S
     12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31      

Syndicate

RSS Atom

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags