D&D II Act One Scene IV(a) - The Dead in Osinzir

Fourier

Banjo wrote: »

"Aaaaand could I entice you to share such a magic, or perhaps one of you might acco- wait, what's a pen?"

"Ha, in life you must have been from primitive..."

He pauses, realising how arrogant he looks

"...lands as far as scribing alone is concerned...only scribing. They carry ink my lady, an advanced quill"

Banjo

Ooc : ah, when I asked to buy a bic earlier or a quill at a push I assumed that this was a quill n ink land. Should she know about pens?

"A quill with the ink already inside it - awesome! So how do you get the blood of the people who displeased you into the pen in the first place? Explain it so my primitive brain can understand..."

Fourier

Banjo wrote: »

Ooc : ah, when I asked to buy a bic earlier or a quill at a push I assumed that this was a quill n ink land. Should she know about pens?

OOC: No she wouldn't, Osinzir is advanced

Banjo wrote: »

"A quill with the ink already inside it - awesome! So how do you get the blood of the people who displeased you into the pen in the first place? Explain it so my primitive brain can understand..."

"Well...ehm...it's...well we pour the ink into a tube and seal it up, but it's not...well blood...not that there's anything wrong with blood"

Banjo

Ooc : so implied threat failed then?

"Sounds sweet. Show me!"

Fourier

Banjo wrote: »

Ooc : so implied threat failed then?

"Sounds sweet. Show me!"

"......."

They all pause.

"...you wish us to construct a pen in your presence...ehm...of course"

They slowly take Retula through filling the ink from a container, placing the pieces together and sealing the pen.

They all look at each other nervously, hoping they have passed whatever subtle test the messenger of death has set them.

Banjo

"hey, you know all those stories about Retula of the infinite mercy and unending patience?

NEITHER DO I!

Are you going to show me how to do your remote scribing technique or not?"

Fourier

The head scribe slaps two others on the head.

"You idiots, show her the method...."

The younger scribes quickly prepare the ritual, pouring ink into a bowl, bathing a new pen in it and saying some odd prayer, however the spell encodes a magical formulae in the rhymes of the line endings, of the kind wizards use, it's not actually divine magic.

At the end, the pen stands up on its nib. One of the young clerics quickly reads a text and the pen begins writing on the ground.

OOC: Retula doesn't have the Wizardly training to directly work out the correct symbolic form of the actual spell underneath, stripped of the trappings of a prayer.

Banjo

Fourier wrote: »

The head scribe slaps two others on the head.

"You idiots, show her the method...."

The younger scribes quickly prepare the ritual, pouring ink into a bowl, bathing a new pen in it and saying some odd prayer, however the spell encodes a magical formulae in the rhymes of the line endings, of the kind wizards use, it's not actually divine magic.

At the end, the pen stands up on its nib. One of the young clerics quickly reads a text and the pen begins writing on the ground.

OOC: Retula doesn't have the Wizardly training to directly work out the correct symbolic form of the actual spell underneath, stripped of the trappings of a prayer.

Ooc : you can't say "ritual" and expect me to let this go but since her previous experiences would push her away from enslaving an innocent soul for laughs, I guess it's enough to that she understands how to make a biro and can experiment at her leisure with the bounds of her power on unworthy souls she happens upon...
Btw, I'm struggling with how she can be a recognizable psychopomp in a land where no one dies.

"That is gnarly! Can you control a bunch of pens from one head? Wait, what if you were the pen.... No, that's horrible! Certainly not something *I* would do to you... No, not my speed at all. Is it? I mean it would definitely be wrong, wouldn't it?

Well look, thanks for the book, unless you want to give me a demo of your magic pen by using it to inscribe the exact steps involved into a tome of my choosing, I best get back to why I'm here. No, not that, the race. The cata- er.. event comes later.. "
She grabs the biro they made for her, tries not to murder anyone, and heads for the pagoda on the far side of the zigg, occasionally checking to see if her pigmentation reverts. If not she focused on making a small set of three triangles which create the impression of a fourth appear on her wrist. If that works she'll eventually get around to fixing her face ink.

OldGoat

Fourier wrote: »

The other bards roar, more energised than they've ever been.

"Come my friends, we have forgotten what music is, let us practice until we bleed, you will see us at WoodShock oh mighty Mags"

They gather up their things and head into the Ziggurat, eager to surpass every other act that might be at the festival.

The locals stare a bit at Mags, shocked at the odd music, but appreciative.

Mags smiles proudly, happy that the happening is closer to happening. He picks up his leather cap off the ground and checks to see if he managed to busk any coin.

OOC:

Current playlist for Woodshock:
Woodshock lineup

Acts:
Carlton Crayfish and the Clickers
Gunther of Tallberone
The Semi-Sentinant Orchestra of the Music Gods Temple in Zhusarrum
Ziggurat (formerly known as 'The dispondant bards of Zhulugal')

Catering:
The Kebabosaur Guy

Patrons/Endorsments:
The Once a week Ring Djinn
The God of Music - Temple in Zhusarrum

Fourier

OldGoat wrote: »

Mags smiles proudly, happy that the happening is closer to happening. He picks up his leather cap off the ground and checks to see if he managed to busk any coin.

Looking down, he sees 2GP in total in his cap.

OldGoat

Fourier wrote: »

Looking down, he sees 2GP in total in his cap.

"Nice!"
Mags pays for and collects the rest of the flyers then returns for another kebabosaur.
While he's munching he asks the vendor if there is a magical portal anywhere nearby.

"Now, where to go next. Retula seems to have this end of things sown up and I've no idea where everyone else is."

He takes out the Once a week Jinn ring and summons the efreet.
"Hya dude, or dudess. So, you know this wish granting thing. There is no limit to your powers right? If I said 'Take me to my friends' you'd do that. And if I said 'Make me Master of 7 Planes' you could do that too, right?
Hummmm, thats a lot to think about.
OK, my wish...my wish for this week...my wish is...a nice cup of hot tea, Earl Grey for preference. No milk, no sugar and don't let it stew.
I love that bergamot scent."

Fourier

OldGoat wrote: »

He takes out the Once a week Jinn ring and summons the efreet.
"Hya dude, or dudess. So, you know this wish granting thing. There is no limit to your powers right?

"Oh there are limits, I'm not a god"

If I said 'Take me to my friends' you'd do that.

"Trivial"

And if I said 'Make me Master of 7 Planes' you could do that too, right?

"Ha! No way!"

Hummmm, thats a lot to think about.
OK, my wish...my wish for this week...my wish is...a nice cup of hot tea, Earl Grey for preference. No milk, no sugar and don't let it stew.
I love that bergamot scent."

The tea is summoned into existence.

"Ha, you know how I get this stuff..."

Mags is treated to a long discursion on the fundamental magical principles underlying the material plane. To Mags, it's all just music as he sits back to have his tea.

OldGoat

"Nice chat guy. See ya next week."
Mags goes wandering around the market and the exterior of the ziggurat looking for an inn or tavern to spend the night.

Fourier

OldGoat wrote: »

"Nice chat guy. See ya next week."
Mags goes wandering around the market and the exterior of the ziggurat looking for an inn or tavern to spend the night.

A small tavern exists at the base of the Ziggurat, but is expensive. They are willing to hire entertainment for the night though, which may help mitigate the cost.

OldGoat

Mags spiels the barkeep about performing in exchange for a room&board for the night. He dresses in his common clothing including his new shiny silvery trousers (that he got in the room with the panther.)

"No. problem" he says, "I'll keep it ticking over, a few ballads, a bit of a singalong and then I'll end the set on something patriotic so every feels good about themselves. What could possibly go wrong?"

Fourier

Banjo wrote: »

Ooc :
Btw, I'm struggling with how she can be a recognizable psychopomp in a land where no one dies.

OOC: People do die, they just linger as ghosts for very long before going on to the afterlife, due to the paperwork backlog

"That is gnarly! Can you control a bunch of pens from one head? Wait, what if you were the pen.... No, that's horrible! Certainly not something *I* would do to you... No, not my speed at all. Is it? I mean it would definitely be wrong, wouldn't it?

The scribes look at each other, considering what Retula has said.

"Yes....immoral..." the head scribe muses "Kilthea, have a look into exactly how immoral it would be"

"Yes Lord Scribe"

She grabs the biro they made for her, tries not to murder anyone, and heads for the pagoda on the far side of the zigg, occasionally checking to see if her pigmentation reverts. If not she focused on making a small set of three triangles which create the impression of a fourth appear on her wrist. If that works she'll eventually get around to fixing her face ink.

OOC: So she is focusing on getting her skin to shift colour into three small triangles to give the impression of one large one?

Banjo

Fourier wrote: »

OOC: So she is focusing on getting her skin to shift colour into three small triangles to give the impression of one large one?

She's simply trying to change her pigmentation on an area of skin that she can see that's unobtrusive. Like a patch test for hair colouring. The triforce on the wrist is just me being a goofy nintentool.

Fourier

Concentrate as she might, Retula cannot alter the colour of her skin, no matter how hard she focuses.

Reaching the Pagoda, she sees statues rising out of smaller side buildings on either side of the entry passage into the pagoda itself. From here she can see the main room of the Pagoda is a large shrine.

Banjo

Ooc : I meant concentrating more in the professor X finger-to-temple way but if I can't flip black to white or white to black, it's arbitrary. Are her eyes still black iris/black sclera, btw?

She sends Hetyaro to look at the statues, see if it's the same as the one at the top of the zig or resembles o e from the bridge, then approaches a side building (on the left hand side)

Fourier

Banjo wrote: »

Ooc : I meant concentrating more in the professor X finger-to-temple way but if I can't flip black to white or white to black, it's arbitrary. Are her eyes still black iris/black sclera, btw?

OOC: Yep, I'll alter the post above in a second.

Banjo wrote: »

She sends Hetyaro to look at the statues, see if it's the same as the one at the top of the zig or resembles o e from the bridge, then approaches a side building (on the left hand side)

The statues are of different male figures in official robes.

Going near the entrance of the side building it is clear it simply contains a statue and nothing more.

Banjo

In the absence of anyone to chat to, she strides up to the main chamber like she owns the place, raven on her shoulder.

Fourier

Hetyaro immediately squawks and points his wing at the entry arch, on which are seated two birds, staring intensely at Retula.

Hetyaro then shakes his head quite firmly.

Banjo

Fourier wrote: »

Hetyaro immediately squawks and points his wing at the entry arch, on which are seated two birds, staring intensely at Retula.

Hetyaro then shakes his head quite firmly.

She approaches slowly, arms outstretched, her bird fluttering out to sit on her hand, bad hails the birds.

Ooc :Retula has never seen the Crow but I have...

Fourier

Banjo wrote: »

She approaches slowly, arms outstretched, her bird fluttering out to sit on her hand, bad hails the birds.

Ooc :Retula has never seen the Crow but I have...

The birds remain fixed on Retula, but both develop a black fire wisping over their wings.

Banjo

"Not in a chatting mood? Fire...hmmm....I can do fire, I guess?"
She casts Create bonefire at a convenient point between R and the birds, one which might allow her to thorn whip one of them into it should the need arise.

She also stops emo-posing so Hetyaro can get safely on her shoulder again.

Ooc : is lumol with me?

Fourier

OldGoat wrote: »

"No. problem" he says, "I'll keep it ticking over, a few ballads, a bit of a singalong and then I'll end the set on something patriotic so every feels good about themselves. What could possibly go wrong?"

Mags plays the house down with his new friend and instrument. The inn decides not to charge and gives Mags one of their better rooms for the night.

Fourier

Banjo wrote: »

"Not in a chatting mood? Fire...hmmm....I can do fire, I guess?"
She casts Create bonefire at a convenient point between R and the birds, one which might allow her to thorn whip one of them into it should the need arise.

She also stops emo-posing so Hetyaro can get safely on her shoulder again.

Ooc : is lumol with me?

OOC: Yes

The birds scatter at the magically summoned bonfire and take to the skies.

Banjo

She watched them go, then asks Hetyaro
"Happy?"

If the raven no longer seems spooked, Retula enters the temple.

"Relax! I'm immortal now. As long as I don't leave osinzir and there's no bull**** about old borders and new borders... Okay you have a point. Let's go careful. Watch our backs."

Fourier

She enters the shrine, standing about are four camel like guardians with green skin and electric currents running over their necks.

"Look and do not to..." one begins before stopping itself "...sorry Great Retula, she who guides the rivers, I thought you were a foreigner, my apologies."

Also within the shrine are statues of three gods. To the West, a set of cobbled stairs going up.

Banjo

She takes a closer look at the 3 statues

Fourier

Banjo wrote: »

She takes a closer look at the 3 statues

They seem to be the three patron deities of Zhulugal. Aside from the nice floral offerings from the locals there isn't anything much more to them.

Banjo

Ooc : do they confirm to obvious stereotypes, eg father/mother crone/maiden vocation etc? If I'm going to pretend to be local I'll need to throw vague references in occasionally.

Addressing the electric camels, she bows, dismisses her bonfire and affects her formal voice.
"Sir you have me at a disadvantage, I don't believe I've had the pleasure...?"

Fourier

Banjo wrote: »

Ooc : do they confirm to obvious stereotypes, eg father/mother crone/maiden vocation etc? If I'm going to pretend to be local I'll need to throw vague references in occasionally.

The figures are all middle aged women in grassy dresses. All are agricultural goddesses of various parts of the harvest.

Banjo wrote: »

Addressing the electric camels, she bows, dismisses her bonfire and affects her formal voice.
"Sir you have me at a disadvantage, I don't believe I've had the pleasure...?"

"Glythio I am, I serve Pyzin, goddess of the fruit harvest"

Banjo

"Well met Glythio. Seems we're in the same business, though my berries... are souls! Still, when it's ripe it must be plucked all the same, lest it wither... Oops! Getting maudlin again! So, many visitors to the temple recently?"

Fourier

Banjo wrote: »

"Well met Glythio. Seems we're in the same business, though my berries... are souls! Still, when it's ripe it must be plucked all the same, lest it wither... Oops! Getting maudlin again! So, many visitors to the temple recently?"

"A few have sought the booster though..."

He looks at the Sun in the sky outside the pagoda.

"...the race begins in four hours, so there is not much time remaining"

Banjo

Ooc : 4 hours? The race was in 2 days earlier 'today' and shes been checking the light as she goes -how long has she been awake?

"Yes, the booster - I'll admit that's why I'm here too. The hour grows late, I'll just head upstairs and face whatever challenge awaits. Nice to meet you and I hope to see you again rather than, like, getting smushed into a paste or turned into a slug. Hey, what's the deal with the birds outside? They were giving me serious evils!"

She'll head upstairs asap, and worry about the blackouts and time loss later!

Fourier

Banjo wrote: »

Ooc : 4 hours? The race was in 2 days earlier 'today' and shes been checking the light as she goes -how long has she been awake?

OOC: You'll see little one

Banjo wrote: »

"Yes, the booster - I'll admit that's why I'm here too. The hour grows late, I'll just head upstairs and face whatever challenge awaits. Nice to meet you and I hope to see you again rather than, like, getting smushed into a paste or turned into a slug. Hey, what's the deal with the birds outside? They were giving me serious evils!"

"Agents of one of the race judges, we also weren't sure why they'd be here"

Banjo wrote: »

She'll head upstairs asap, and worry about the blackouts and time loss later!

Up the stairs is a long curving corridor. A fruit elemental wanders the corridor, leading up to a room closed with a paper door.

Banjo

Ooc : fruit is an element??? Which fruit?
What colour is the corridor?

Retula pauses at the top of the stairs. Hetyaro, as a raven, is an excellent mimic. She requests he make a noise like a monkey, which he heard in the jungle he was in earlier this week.

Fourier

Banjo wrote: »

Ooc : fruit is an element??? Which fruit?

OOC: Several different types

What colour is the corridor?

The corridor is a pastel green.

Retula pauses at the top of the stairs. Hetyaro, as a raven, is an excellent mimic. She requests he make a noise like a monkey, which he heard in the jungle he was in earlier this week.

The fruit elemental turns quickly and obviously afraid, vanishes back to whatever plane it came from.

Banjo

She approaches the door, checking for traps and secrets

Fourier

Banjo wrote: »

She approaches the door, checking for traps and secrets

Just in time she catches a sequence of calligraphic hexes in very faint ink at the base of the door.

Banjo

Ooc : I take it she can't read them?

"Lumol, those glyphs mean anything to you?"

Assuming not : "can you phase us through that door without me having to get any closer?"

Fourier

"I can phase us through the door no problem, without triggering them. It's a temporal shifting spell"

Banjo

"featherplucker! Are those common? I may have missed one of those already. The electric camel said the race is today - I'm missing 2 days... That chunderbucket Fathe has probably sold my glove and spent my down payment.

Can you see which way it goes? Forward or back?"

If forward or unknown, phase past to avoid triggering.

OldGoat

Fourier wrote: »

Mags plays the house down with his new friend and instrument. The inn decides not to charge and gives Mags one of their better rooms for the night.

Feeling fine, well fed and magics back up to strength* Mags counts out his money. Two gold, one silver, six copper (two of which are actually rivets rather than coin). A veritable fortune!
He asks the barkeep if there is a bookie nearby.
"I've heard there is a race and I'd like to take a wee wager. What odds do I get on backing a stranger to the city? When does the race start and where is a good place to watch it from?"
He wants to put himself into any place where he might overtly or covertly help Retula.

Banjo

OOC : Did you spend the 80GP Retula gave you back in post 35, Mags' cut of the 240GP the Dwarves found in the Ant Nest, back when we were all friends, pretending to be slaves, and I hadn't murdered them yet? With the dwarves and Dusty gone, it went 3 ways though I don't think Therai ever got his cut on account of him ditching me in the jungle.

OldGoat

Banjo wrote: »

OOC : Did you spend the 80GP Retula gave you back in post 35, Mags' cut of the 240GP the Dwarves found in the Ant Nest, back when we were all friends, pretending to be slaves, and I hadn't murdered them yet? With the dwarves and Dusty gone, it went 3 ways though I don't think Therai ever got his cut on account of him ditching me in the jungle.

OOC: Never being one to track coin I instantly forgot about that. Lets just say I repaid debts that I owed for the Bards Union dues, festival expenses, primo weed and lustful partners.
Easy come, easy go is Mags mantra. I think he's written a song about it.

Fourier

Banjo wrote: »

"featherplucker! Are those common? I may have missed one of those already. The electric camel said the race is today - I'm missing 2 days... That chunderbucket Fathe has probably sold my glove and spent my down payment.

Can you see which way it goes? Forward or back?"

If forward or unknown, phase past to avoid triggering.

Lumol looks closely.

"It goes back Retula, quite a bit I think!"

Banjo

"quite a bit, eh? Like, say, I dunno, a couple 'hundred years?"
She looks down at her hands.
"Yeah, that's all starting to make a weird and terrifying kind of sense now.... Ok, good to know, I have a terrible feeling we'll be needing that later, but warp us past it for now, dude."

Fourier

Lumol phases them through into a meditation chamber.

It simply contains two meditation mats in front of a still pool with an apple floating above it.

Beyond the pool is another door.