I head south to the forest. If there is a dragon there I will learn of it. It will be good to be out in the wild again instead of a creepy mansion.
[RPG] Sword and Sorcery Play-by-Post
(Grr... my post never made it.. inconspicuous filler post incoming)
I head towards the ominous forest.
[MENTION=60919]TheDarkOne[/MENTION]
Sancireph, you sense no lingering Aasimar presence beyond your own. You are relieved by this.
[MENTION=38704]mrz84[/MENTION]
Zataka, you can't seem to locate either the RANGER or the DRAGOON.
[MENTION=38796]Xyvol[/MENTION]
Malichor, you try to put a name to the sensation you are feeling from the forest, but it feels entirely unfamiliar to you. Still, your expertise in certain styles of magic is limited. Perhaps it is a power you haven't had the chance to experience firsthand, or perhaps it isn't magic at all.
[MENTION=38704]mrz84[/MENTION] [MENTION=60919]TheDarkOne[/MENTION] [MENTION=38796]Xyvol[/MENTION]
Zataka, Sancireph, and Malichor
you briefly discuss your next destination. Zataka is interested in pursuing the crossbow thief across the plains to the EAST, but suggests you go NORTH first to the city to procure supplies for the journey. Malichor, on the other hand, seems drawn to the forest and suggests you head SOUTH.
With the late hour, you agree that perhaps you should head to the city to at least spend the night so you can set out fresh in the morning.
You find an inn at the edge of town. A single light is on, which you can see through the door. The desk is unmanned with a note: "Please leave 10 gold on the counter and help yourself to a key and some refreshments - Management"
You each take a room and rest for the night. A few hours into your sleep, you feel the ground quake. It's coming from outside.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=38528]SUCCESSOR[/MENTION]
Reven, you follow the pulsing sensation south to the forest, coming to the treeline after a short walk. Before you enter, though, you sense something behind you. Turning around, you find that it is the DRAGOON. Did he follow you here? He seems just as startled as you.
[MENTION=39056]bigjoe[/MENTION]
Jerias, you set off towards the forest with Atticas, feeling drawn to the danger. The shadows of the night seem to twist in front of you, but after a few moments you realize it is not a trick of the light but rather another being moving in the same direction. It turns around and you recognize that it is actually the RANGER from before. How did he do that?
[MENTION=38528]SUCCESSOR[/MENTION] [MENTION=39056]bigjoe[/MENTION]
Reven and Jerias,
You stand at the mouth of the forest. Strange, the trees have grown in such a way that you can only enter from the footpath before you. A cloud of smoke rises from somewhere beyond, its scent medicinal and its purpose unclear. As you enter the forest you notice silence. Even in the dead of night, shouldn't there be night predators stalking the treetops? There is no motion here, and your instincts tell you to dread. You hear a slight rustle. ...Something is stalking you. As you journey deeper into the forest the sensation grows, but you can't place it.
Reven, you step on a snare trap and are abruptly hoisted up into the air, suspended by one leg.
Jerias, while trying to help him the pile of leaves beneath you gives way into a pitfall, trapping you in a hole. The sides of the pit are too soft for you to climb out with your claws.
You can hear something approaching. Its footsteps shake the ground as it walks. How did this thing get the drop on you?
What do you do?
I quickly don my armor and grab my greatsword (it is still sheathed) and glance out the nearest window. I look for any signs of the disturbance. I then quickly rush to my comrades (if they haven't found me first that is) and urge caution as we attempt to find the source of the noise, as well as protect any civilians we find from harm. During the whole time, I ready to unsheathe my greatsword at a moments notice to either attack or defend (depending on what the situation best calls for ie: if a civilian or ally is in danger, I step in front of them with my greatsword as a verticle shield of sorts to absorb the blow, and if an attack looks to be elemental based, I cast a spell on my blade of the opposite element in hopes of countering it easier)
I swiftly head outside, looking for the source of the quake. Seeing Zataka, I head to his side to see if he knows anything. I also have my heightened Elven senses to detect anything that might be the cause.
Getting caught off guard sends my reflexes into action. I immediately have a blade out and cut the cord around my ankle. Instead of dropping I hold on and pull myself up to into a point of advantage. In the tree I tie a rope I carry in my satchel onto the end of the cord and throw the end down into the pit hoping it will be long enough to reach the DRAGOON. I move into a position in the branches of the tree where I might be unseen for a moment. I coerce Texia out, who is expecting to hunt, with a quiet grunt and a gesture I tell her to fly around on the look out and she complies. The only thing left to do is wait and see what I will soon be dealing with.
It takes an enormous amount of effort, given the shape of my hands, but I manage to climb the rope that the RANGER threw down for me. Once outside the pit I take my lance into a combat stance and prepare to face whatever beast set this trap. I instruct Atticas to guard my side, should something try to sneak up.
==================================================
Rule Clarification
Combat: ReACTion
To further smooth out the kinks that combat pose in a delayed response environment, I am introducing a new type of ACT MEDIAS RES block, the ReACTion block. These gaps will be presented in cyan and function exactly the same way as an Act Medias Res with one exception: any ReACTion block that is unused before the next update will CLOSE, meaning you can insert actions between updates but once an update comes the opportunity has passed.
==================================================
[MENTION=38704]mrz84[/MENTION]
Zataka,
Upon leaving the inn, you immediately spot a trio of OGRES walking past the building. The first is green, carrying a GREATAXE which is roughly as tall as you are. The second is red and is carrying a giant burlap sack, which seems to have things moving inside of it. Cats? The third is light blue and has a swirling vortex of cold dancing around its fingers. Anticipating a fight, you set your blade on fire.
The red ogre sees you and drops its sack. Something falls out... it's a GNOME. These things are snatching gnomes?!
[ReACTion]
Getting the Drop on some Ogres
[indent]~~~~~
Cleaving Overhead Strike
~~~~~[/indent]
[/ReACTion]
Sancireph joins you at the entrance to the inn.
Fight!
[MENTION=60919]TheDarkOne[/MENTION]
Sancireph,
Leaping to your feet, you briefly assess the state of the inn. The building doesn't appear to have been damaged by the shaking. You check the rooms. Malichor is still asleep, but you decide that you can come back for him if you need him. It might be nothing, after all. Consequently you check the other rooms. There's a DWARVEN KNIGHT snoring loudly in the room next to yours, as well as a GNOMISH COUPLE you assume are the innkeepers. Down the hall, that MERCHANT TROUPE from the mansion have packed into a single room like sardines. The last room appears to be vacant, and you confirm that the key is still behind the desk.
Seeing ZATAKA outside the inn, you join him just in time to see a band of three OGRES tromping past the inn. The RED ONE is carrying a SACK FULL OF GNOMES, while the GREEN ONE has a gigantic axe and the BLUE ONE seems to be preparing some sort of spell.
What do you do?
[MENTION=38796]Xyvol[/MENTION]
Malichor, you are cozy in bed!
=====
[MENTION=38528]SUCCESSOR[/MENTION]
Reven,
You use the snare as a rope to climb up into the treetops and then quickly lower it to the DRAGOON in the pit trap. You have to extend the rope with some from your own supply because it wasn't long enough, but you are able to pull him out of the hole and up into the trees. You send TEXIA out to scout the area but as she takes off you notice the source of the stomping: a gigantic BLUE OGRE standing roughly nine feet high. It looks at the traps, noting that they have been triggered but haven't actually captured anything. Looking around, it locks eyes with you.
[ReACTion]
Getting the Drop on some Ogres
[indent]~~~~~
Missed!
~~~~~[/indent]
[/ReACTion]
The ogre cups its hands and begins to form a swirling vortex of snow.
Fight!
[MENTION=39056]bigjoe[/MENTION]
Jerias,
The RANGER drops you a rope and with his help you climb into the canopy of the forest, raising your spear to attack the thing that's been following you, and tell ATTICAS to cover your back in case it's an ambush.
Beneath you, a single BLUE OGRE stomps out and checks the traps, finding them empty. How did this giant thing get the drop on you? It looks around, finally looking up and spotting you in the canopy.
[ReACTion]
Getting the Drop on some Ogres
[indent]~~~~~
Missed!
~~~~~[/indent]
[/ReACTion]
The ogre cups its hands and begins to form a swirling vortex of snow.
Fight!
I point out the blue ogre as being an ogre mage and mention to Zataka that it poses the biggest threat with its magic. I draw my blades and step forward cautiously. Seeing that the ogre mage's attention is momentarily distracted by something in the forest, I use the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, with any luck before it can cast a spell.
[ReACTion]
Getting the Drop on some Ogres
With my fire-enchanted greatsword, I leap at the ogre mage and attempt an overhead verticale slash. I attempt to press my advantage on the ogre mage, while keeping a close eye on the other two. If the chance presents itself, I make a break for the sack of gnomes in an attempt to rescue them.
[/ReACTion]
Wondering why the ogres are interested in gnome-napping, I do everything in my power to rescue the gnomes. I focus my attacks on the ogre mage as its icy magic will have less of an effect on my due to my pendant's magical abilities (see my character's introductory post on the first page)
Exhausted from recent events and the stress of my craft changing, I sleep soundly though the rumbling. In my dreams, dragons made of crackling gold energy chase bunnies across an open field, darkness billowing behind them. They devour any they catch. Then comes a terrible shaking. The ground opens up and we are all swallowed whole. Falling through the darkness, bunnies and dragons fade away. The falling sensation ceases, but there is no bottom. For a while I just float. Then something new emerges from the darkness...
[MENTION=60919]TheDarkOne[/MENTION] [MENTION=38704]mrz84[/MENTION]
Zataka gets the jump on the blue ogre, cleaving with a vertical slash of his great burning blade. The ogre only has a moment to react and barely shifts before the blade is upon it. So... rather than splitting it in two like a loaf of bread, the sword simply removes the beasts's left arm. It grabs the freshly cauterized stump and squeals, both startled and agonized by the attack.
Sancireph takes the opportunity to scissor the beast's other hand off with his blades, sending it into a screaming panic. It turns to Zataka and spits out a blast of cold from its mouth, but the frozen vortex mysteriously evaporates as it approaches the paladin (you know why). Pausing for a moment in awe, it shouts something in a language you don't understand and then begins to sprint away, towards the mountains. The RED OGRE follows.
The GREEN OGRE remains, no doubt to assure its friends' escape. It raises its great axe into the air and pounds it against the ground, causing another quake. Bolts of green electricity dart down the axe's handle to the ground and bounce out in radial vectors, climbing your legs and briefly paralyzing you with the jolt. The green ogre then raises his axe, as if he is preparing to make a devastating attack.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=38796]Xyvol[/MENTION]
Malichor, the darkness is broken suddenly with a flash of brilliant light. You are standing in a castle hall, at the back of a long line. At the front, you can see a man dressed in regal garb, as well as a blinding beacon of light that seems to have the form of a woman. She is chained by her hands and feet but you cannot make out any other characteristics. The people standing in line appear to be sick and weary, and you notice that this place feels unnaturally cold. You focus your attention at the front of the line. A peasant woman is bowing before the regal man with an offering... from here it looks like a bar of silver. He nods and she sets it next to his throne, along with an impressive pile of treasure. She then reaches into her own chest and pulls out a pearl, glowing dimly RED. The regal man grabs the GLOWING BEACON's hand and presses it against this orb. You are blinded by the resulting flash, but looking again you see it has been filled with flames and is now burning a bright orange. The peasant woman bows and places the orb back into her chest, leaving the front of the line. She walks past you as she departs; her eyes are tired and she looks defeated. The line shifts forward.
You are very cold. It is almost unbearable. Suddenly you feel a warm breeze blowing from your right. There's a crack in the wall letting sunlight in. You try to pass through it but you are too large to do so.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=38528]SUCCESSOR[/MENTION] [MENTION=39056]bigjoe[/MENTION]
Reven and Jerias, you are caught off guard by the Ogre's approach, partly because you are unfamiliar with them and partly because you did not know they could cast spells. Before you can react, a blast of freezing cold envelops you and you find your limbs frozen solid. You fall from the tree branches and crash to the ground, where the ogre approaches to gather you up. Suddenly, Texia swoops down from the left and Atticas dives up from the right. The former bites the ogre with her teeth before being swatted away and the latter trips it with a jolt of electricity before being punted into a nearby tree. The ogre scratches at the bite wound and begins to approach, but before it can reach you it succumbs to Texia's poison and collapses.
Your limbs are frozen but you think you might be able to crawl, at least a little. Perhaps you can break the ice somehow. Looking around, you note that Atticas and Texia are both unconscious.
What do you do?
In an act of desperation, I enchant my greastsword (this time with an element that is best to counter electricity, most likely an earth element) and lunge it at the ogre in a last ditch effort to prevent it from attacking. A thought crosses my mind. Perhaps my elemental enchanting magic is not limited to my weapons. I try to cast an earth elemental enchantment on myself (ie: my armor/legs to be specific) in an attempt to gain resistance to the green ogre's electrical attacks. Otherwise I try to find a way to quickly dispel the paralysis if I can recall a healing spell to do so (as quickly as I can).
Trying to regain my ability to move, I strain to roll to the side to avoid the axe's strike, timing it so that I move away just as it should have hit. The ogre should need to take a moment to recover from his missed blow, and that gives me time to regain my feet as the feeling comes back into my legs. My blades still lie on the ground where I fell but thankfully the ogre's axe misses them. Thus disarmed, I must rely on my wits. I circle behind the ogre as he recovers. Ogres are not terribly smart, so as long as I can stay behind him, he won't be able to locate me, but I hope that Zataka has also recovered from the paralysis and can keep him occupied.
My curiosity wants me to investigate what is going on here, what the beacon and the chests pearls mean, and why the people are so down. However, my emotions get the better of me. The unnatural cold gets to me, I've never liked being cold. I claw at the wall, trying to make the crack larger to let the warmth and the sunlight in. As I do so, I have a suspicion that's what these people want as well, trading in their treasures for heat to warm their bodies. The thought pushes me to try harder at tearing the wall open.
[MENTION=38704]mrz84[/MENTION]
Zataka, as you attempt to enchant your weapon with an Earth element, you find that it will not stick to the blade. Instead, it runs down the edge of your weapon and crashes into the ground, causing a quake with fissures radiating out from your position. This causes the GREEN OGRE to stumble, granting you an opening to stab him. With one powerful thrust you run the beast through. He stares at you, dumbfounded, before slumping to the ground.
...Hey, where did Sancireph go? Oh, and those other ogres are getting away, you can see them climbing the mountain pass.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=60919]TheDarkOne[/MENTION]
Sancireph, you struggle to break free of your paralysis and time your dodge to confuse the ogre. Just as you begin your roll the ground begins to shake. Startled, you quickly scamper to your feet and try to find out where you landed. You're behind the ogre, but further than you intended. You sprint to hide on his back as you planned, but just as you reach your destination Zataka's giant blade pierces through the beast, nearly hitting you in the head. While you contemplate discussing tactics for situations like this, the ogre slumps over and falls on top of you.
You're pinned under several hundred pounds of fat green ogre.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=38796]Xyvol[/MENTION]
Malichor, you tear at the wall with all of your might, trying desperately to make an opening large enough to let you escape. Some of the peasants in the line notice what you are doing, abandon your position, and join you in breaking the wall. Eventually you manage to make the crack wide enough to accommodate you and you crawl through, emerging in a glorious field of summer warmth. You turn back to see if the others are following you, but instead of a castle wall you see a terrifying tear of darkness torn into the very fabric of the field. A few rabbits hop by, paying the tear no mind. It is as if they cannot see it. They do see you, though, and as soon as they do they flee.
There's a single tree in the center of the field. It has a beehive in its boughs. You are tempted by the prospect of honey, but you wonder why the peasants didn't come through with you.
Suddenly, something else emerges from the tear. It is a dragon, roughly the same size as you. As soon as it sees you it shrieks and tries to run back through the tear, but upon seeing the vortex of darkness it recoils and begins to run perpendicular to your both, off in the direction the bunnies fled.
Two more dragons emerge from the tear. They have similar reactions, but when they turn towards each other they flinch just as suddenly. This pair does not flee, though. Instead, one calls out to the other inquisitively, and the second responds in the affirmative.
Another rabbit hops by, and the two give chase. You feel inclined to follow them. Odd, isn't this where the dream started?
You feel the ground begin to shake and you are abruptly knocked to the ground. You awaken on the ground in the room you rented.
You want to dissect the particulars of the dream, but you suspect that the swallowing darkness might have been planted by these quakes. You poke your head out of the room to investigate.
The MERCHANT TROUPE, a DWARVEN KNIGHT, and a GNOMISH COUPLE are all standing in the hall. The dwarf pipes up, "What the hell is all this racket?!"
You believe the sound might be coming from outside.
What do you do?
Daring not to pursue the ogres alone, I check for my comrade around the ogre's vicinity. I also keep an eye out for anything the ogres may have left behind that could either be of use, or tell me what is going on. I also call out to those in the inn for any assistance they are willing to grant as well as explain what has happened.
Using a momentary strength boost (one of my aasimar traits), I manage to push the ogre's body off me and get to my feet. I walk over to where I dropped my blades to retrieve them, commenting to Zataka as I do so, "Next time, we should probably plan our attacks better. Should we bother to pursue the other ogres? I highly doubt they will return here for quite some time."
The merchant troupe looks to be the ones we rescued from Talivar's mansion. I do not recognize the others. I go to knock on Zataka and Sancireph's doors, but seeing them open and the rooms empty, I suspect trouble. I tell the merchant troupe and the gnomes that they had better return to their rooms. To the dwarf, I explain that there might be trouble outside, and I might need his assistance to deal with it. I introduce myself by name only, I'm still unsure if I can call myself a mage. Carefully we make our way to the front door of the inn to find out what's going on.
I put on my robe and wizard hat.
Enter Rosaria, the elf huntress.
I go hunting in the woods.
I spend a long time trying to free myself from the ice. As a last resort I try magic. I know a great deal about magic, and about performing magic. Actually doing magic is another matter. I concentrate my mental efforts on the logical fire spell but with a great deal of will I only manage to raise my body temperature and feel a feverish wave flow through me. I decide to focus this to one arm and soon the ice around it starts to melt. This is taking too long. I get my left arm free enough to reach behind and grab the Kris. The fire spell I was performing suddenly intensifies violently. The ice upon me explodes off and my body is engulfed in flames. The flames feuled by magic do not harm me or my clothing and the excess heat doesn't seem to effect me either. A violent rage flows through my veins like the flames across my skin. It begins overtake me but another stronger thought grasps me. Texia is in danger. I focus my will solely on a new goal: letting go of this Kris. I slip the blade into my belt and intently remove one finger at a time.
[MENTION=38704]mrz84[/MENTION]
Zataka, the dead ogre begins to move and you raise your sword again. It flies several feet to the side, whereupon you notice that Sancireph was pinned beneath it. But he seems to have tossed the thing aside just fine on his own. He fetches his dropped weaponry and suggests it might be better to plan coordinated attacks in the future, you almost stabbed him in the head. He looks to the ogres in the distance and suggests that you just let them leave, since they wouldn't likely return after sustaining a loss like this. You say that isn't a good idea because they had a sack full of kidnapped gnomes.
You call to the inn, asking them if they can help in the recovery of the stolen gnomes. Malichor emerges first, rubbing his weary eyes, and then a DWARVEN KNIGHT nods and goes back to his room. He returns shortly with a broadsword and some half-plate. Finally, the GNOMISH INNKEEPER turns to his wife and tells her to inform the city council. He throws on a WIZARD HAT and some MYSTIC ROBES and joins you as well.
You seem to have taken charge of the crisis.
What are your orders?
=====
[MENTION=60919]TheDarkOne[/MENTION]
Sancireph, you toss the ogre corpse to the side and tell Zataka that he should be more careful with his blade, since he almost hit you with that last jab. You suggest that the ogres should be ignored since they are not likely to attack again after such heavy losses, but Zataka informs you that they escaped with a sack full of KIDNAPPED GNOMES. He goes to the inn and tells them what has happened, asking for help. Malichor emerges first, looking groggy. He is followed by a DWARVEN KNIGHT clad in HALF PLATE and finally by a GNOMISH WIZARD.
It seems like Zataka intends to stage an assault on the ogres in the mountains.
Are there any provisions you wish to procure before you climb the heights, possibly into an ambush? What preparations can you make to counteract the ogres' apparent magical prowess?
=====
[MENTION=38796]Xyvol[/MENTION]
Malichor, you suggest that the merchant troupe and the gnomes return to their rooms, but the gnomish innkeeper refuses. He says he's a talented MATH WIZARD and if someone is damaging his property he will deal with it. You introduce yourself to the dwarf by name and he does so in kind: GRINGHAM. Apparently he came to the region to visit his cousin in the dwarven city under this mountain, but he misplaced his passport during the trip and they won't let him in.
Zataka enters the inn and says that he and Sancireph were attacked by OGRES, two of which escaped with a plundered SACK FULL OF GNOMES. At this, the INNKEEPER dons his WIZARD HAT AND ROBES and storms outside. Gringham runs upstairs and grabs his gear, returning in a set of half-plate with a wide broardsword in his left hand. You too go to your room and grab your gear before emerging outside.
There's a dead ogre on the ground, it's bright green and clutched in its rigor mortis grasp is a gigantic axe. You don't have a whole lot of experience with ogres so you're not sure what to suspect.
Zataka seems to be taking the role of commander here. Will you refute his claim? Or more importantly, are there provisions you require before pursuing a band of ogres?
=====
[MENTION=40755]ctrl-alt-delete[/MENTION]
Grab your hat, put your armor on, and set out for adventure!
You weren't feeling well this evening, so you decided to go to bed early. The wife left a note at the check-in counter for any stragglers looking for a room to rent, but it's the slow season so you figured nothing would come of it. You had a lovely dream about building mechanical sheep to jump fences. Then, they abruptly exploded and you were jolted back into consciousness.
The ground is shaking. You live in the shadow of a mountain, so quakes aren't entirely unheard of, but this is SEVERE for the region. You get out of bed and poke your head out into the hall. There's a MERCHANT TROUPE parading around in a stupor, some DWARVEN KNIGHT complaining about the racket, and a MAGE in a daze looking around the hall. Geez, you close early one night and the freaking circus comes into town!
The lot of you make your way to the entrance of the inn to see what's going on. That MAGE has the gall to suggest you go back to your room. You, a mighty MATH WIZARD, hiding in your room from some shaking earth? Please!
Some PALADIN barges in and says that a pack of OGRES has fled to the mountains with a sack full of kidnapped gnomes. You'd heard about local disappearances lately... is this what's been happening?
You grab your hat and robe and step out into the frigid night of the first snow. The cold air nips at your nose as you look towards the mountains. An ELVEN RAVAGER stands next to the corpse of a great GREEN OGRE, looking impatient.
Is there time for introductions before you set out on a rescue mission? Perhaps swapping names with this band of misfit adventurers will calm the rising acid reflux in your throat at the thought of adventuring again. You and the wife opened this inn to get away from this adventuring crap. But can you ever quench the hunger?
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=56506]Mero[/MENTION]
Rosaria, you find yourself in the AUDAMAR region. It is one of several areas you work for your fur trapping business. It is the fullmoon midnight of the first snow of the season and you have just arrived at the mouth of the Audamar forest. But there are many a suspicious omen this night. For one, a great MANSION sits ominously north of the forest. You're certain it wasn't there the last time you were here, but it's been quite a while since you were in the area; perhaps it is a new build. More disturbing, though, is the eerie silence of the forest. In the glow of a midnight moon owls should be calling out to their prey; rodents should be scampering from tree to tree; crickets should be making their dance of love. But you hear nothing, not even a rustle of leaves. You take to the treetops for safety and prowl the forest floor. There's a pair of guys walking the forest, just as perplexed as you are by the silence. One's a human RANGER, though there's something disturbing about him. It's almost as if your mind is trying to erase him from your perception as you watch him. Next to him is a DRAGOON deep in the thralls of DRAGON CORRUPTION. You've heard of this sort of thing before but you've never actually seen a specimen. Aren't these guys usually hostile? And when there's a corrupted dragon, its dragon master is bound to be nearby. Still, you cannot sense any latent hostility in him. In fact, he is almost as undetectable as the ranger, save a strange sensation of heat emanating from his core, as if from the hearth of a fire.
The two of them blunder into a trap, the former caught in a leg snare and the latter falling for a pitfall. You almost snicker but manage to contain your mirth in silence. Then, you see a BLUE OGRE creeping upon them from below you. How did you not hear this thing coming? It must weigh as much as an elephant and yet it steps with the softness of a master hunter.
The RANGER and DRAGOON quickly slip their traps and take refuge in the trees. You hide, unsure if you can trust them.
The OGRE gets the drop, launching a vortex of cold and encasing the two in prisons of ice. It is abruptly assaulted by two PINT SIZED DRAGONS, though, and after being bitten by the one it collapses, dead.
You wait, and watch. The DRAGOON quickly frees himself from the ice by letting lose a blast of flames from his mouth. What the RANGER does is more interesting, though. It almost looks as if he lights himself on fire. No... it's more like he transforms into a being of fire to melt the ice. You've seen some magic before but this is NOTHING like what you're familiar with. Who ARE these guys?
Well, where there's one ogre there's more. They could be driving off the local ecosystem, and that's bad for business. Maybe these two could help you deal with the problem.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=38528]SUCCESSOR[/MENTION]
Reven, you have never attempted magic before. In fact, you've only ever examined it in an intellectual context. Still, surely making the leap from theory to application couldn't be THAT difficult. At least, that's what you thought until now. Finally releasing your grasp on the kris, you kneel down and gasp. Your heart is racing and feels like pins and needles. It almost feels like you've accidentally dosed yourself with Texia's poison, but you check and none of the darts have punctured you. Is this how wizards feel all of the time? And that explosion of inferno... does everybody have magic like that waiting to erupt? It must be a terrible burden controlling the release of such power when it is waiting to pour out like flood waters behind a ruptured dam.
You go to Texia. She is unconscious and has a gash on her foreleg. It seems she struck a spike trap when the ogre smacked her aside. You fetch some bandages from your cloak and wrap her wound.
While you were tending to Texia, Jerias searched the ogre and found what appears to be some kind of grocery list. It also has a crudely drawn map which seems to lead deeper into the woods.
Just before you depart, you notice an ELVEN HUNTRESS is perched in the trees above you. She doesn't notice that you've noticed her, though.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=39056]bigjoe[/MENTION]
Jerias, your limbs are uncomfortably trapped in blocks of ice, but such is no problem for you. You let loose the primal fire within and in short order the frozen water is no more than steam. You tend to Atticas, who has a small bump on his head but is otherwise unharmed.
"Geez, what the heck was that thing?" he asks. You explain it was an ogre.
"Really? I thought they were supposed to be more... well... more like us. You know, scaly."
You also explain that there's a difference between an ogre and a dragon-ogre.
"Oh. Man, this place is weird. So... what now?"
You search the ogre's body. Tucked in a pocket you discover a list of apothecary ingredients and a crudely drawn map to a hut somewhere in these woods. If you can find a landmark to get your bearings you should be able to locate the hut with little difficulty.
You give these to Reven, who is tending to his partner. The two of you agree that it is probably best to search for this hut, since the ogre was clearly acting under orders and there are probably more lurking nearby. Reven pauses as you are about to leave the clearing, though.
You can feel someone watching you.
What do you do?
[MENTION=38528]SUCCESSOR[/MENTION] [MENTION=39056]bigjoe[/MENTION]
I jump off the trees and approach the orge and pull out a small knife and carve out a piece of meat and plop it in my mouth. "Chewy, as always. not my preference either." Would be better cooked, now that this ogre is out of my way I can investigate that mansion."
All of a sudden the urge to devour more flesh overcomes me, and I strip off my clothing and assume my Dire Wolf form. I think to my self "I hate the moonlight as much as I do my gluttinous hunger but a meal is a meal" I start to devour the corpse of the orge but my wolf sense of smell does not betray me so easily. I raise my and turn around.
"I see I have guess. I wish you no harm, you must of sensed it as well. The disturbance in this forest on this full moon night. The silence in the air."
I assume my Elf form and put my clothes back on. Pull out a handkerchief and clean off my face. Then I just smile a dark smile of delight.
I inquire if those wishing to aid me in the rescue of the gnomes need to gather any provisions, etc before we depart. The trek into the mountains itself will prove to be perilous enough despite the fact the ogres will most likely be waiting for us in an ambush, if not having traps ready for us. I let everyone know that this mission could prove deadly and that I won't think less of any that wish to remain behind. As for myself, I acquire some climbing gear and any healing potions/items I can find. Once everything is taken care of, I take the lead (knowing full well that at least one of the ogres has access to magic that my pendant can nullify, I also let my companions know that my pendant can nullify water/ice magic/attacks. I only let them know of that though as I prefer to keep the knowledge of its dimensional travel abilities to myself and how to access them) and we depart for the mountain ;air of the ogres there.
I remind Zataka that my natural elven senses enable me to detect traps and sense a possible ambush more easily (my assiamar blood enhances these abilities but I prefer to keep that part of my ancestry to myself for now). I offer to take the lead in order to watch for anything out of the ordinary. If I can detect the presence of the ogres before they spring their attack, then we may not need the magic-nullifying properties of Zataka's pendant. Before we depart, however, I stock up on food rations and water, as well as healing kits. I also make sure to introduce myself to the newest members of our group (the dwarf and the gnome) and ask their names.
@SUCCESSOR @Mero
I carefully size up the newcomer and then turn to Atticas, speaking with a slithery tongue "Can we trussst this one?" I'm a bit wary of all the attention I've fallen into, and my lizard instincts are flaring with excitement. I climb into the tree and turn to the others.(As if to address Atticas as well) "A tessst. If you can endure with me, I will endure your companionssship". I begin to hop off in a direction, the map fresh in my memory, looking for a landmark by which to gauge the direction of the hut.
[MENTION=38528]SUCCESSOR[/MENTION]
Luckily I was able to catch the scent of the Dragoon before he took off and turn into my wolf form and turn towards the strange man.
"Get on my back. I can easily track this baffoon. he shouldn't underestimate one blessed by Lady of Moonlight so easily."
Having already dispatched an ogre, Zataka seems to know what he is doing. I do not mind following his lead, for now. Even though the forest still incites me, I agree with Zataka that we need to rescue the captive gnomes. In addition to the supplies already mentioned, I suggest we obtain some warm clothing. We don't want to find ourselves stuck in the mountains during the snows without proper protection.
=====
(SUCCESSOR has informed me that I am not portraying his character correctly. As such, when it is necessary for other players to witness his actions I will leave it to him to explain the situation, or to the relevant player to extrapolate the situation from his previous post.
Also, the format of this RPG is beginning to fatigue me. I am considering switching to the Flash RPG format [as presented in the other thread, each player acts as game master for the previous player]. I've been thinking about this for a while and I even suggested it to Mero in chat, which led to the creation of the other game. If you object to this change, please make a note of stating such in your next post. If the format does not change, we will still likely need a new game master [as I am fatigued and continuing to squeeze the stone will only produce powder, swept away by the breeze].)
=====
[MENTION=56506]Mero[/MENTION] [MENTION=39056]bigjoe[/MENTION] [MENTION=38528]SUCCESSOR[/MENTION]
Rossaria, Jerias, and Reven...
Jerias has proposed a test of hide and seek, taking off in the treetops towards the depths of the forest. Rossaria transforms into a dire wolf and takes Reven on her back, dashing through the brush. The scent of the dragoon is mild, like dry kindling, but Rossaria is able to keep a bead on him. You come across a lake, whereupon Jerias pauses, as if testing his memory. The water is uncomfortably still, just like the forest in its entirety. You can see a twisted root sticking up from the center of the lake. The strange scents of disease and boiling antiseptic mix in the air around you.
Jerias begins to hop again, as if he is going to travel east from here, but he pauses when the root in the water moves.
What do you do?
(Keep in mind that you may introduce events and creatures that haven't been established yet, as well as manipulate creatures that are unlocked. And I've established very little about the forest.)
=====
[MENTION=38704]mrz84[/MENTION] [MENTION=60919]TheDarkOne[/MENTION] [MENTION=38796]Xyvol[/MENTION]
Zataka, Sancireph, and Malichor...
You acquire the necessary provisions to climb the mountain: heavy winter clothes, a pack goat, climbing pitons, and various other materials to make the trek safe. Unfortunately as the hour is late you pay a premium for these services and your wallets are left a little light in the process.
You begin your trek up the mountainside, accompanied by the dwarven warrior GRINGHAM and the as-of-yet nameless GNOMISH MATH WIZARD. Following the trail of blood and ogre footprints, you make good time until a blizzard forces you into a cavern for shelter. The place is warm and there's firelight coming from deeper in the cave. Perhaps the ogres too are waiting out the storm here.
You can hear the faint sound of machinery in the distance. There are five tunnels branching out from the chamber that you occupy: two slope down, one much more steeply than the other. A third appears to be level and turns abruptly. The final two slope up, with one almost looking like a staircase.
What do you do?
(Keep in mind that you may introduce events and creatures that haven't been established yet, as well as manipulate creatures that are unlocked. And I've established very little about this cave. ...And the ogres are unlocked.)
=====
[MENTION=40755]ctrl-alt-delete[/MENTION]
I take it my counter-gag was not as funny as I thought. Anyways, if you're interested you can flesh out the gnomish math wizard.