Astarael42

The Legend of Gobbledygook

I shall see what I can do about a character; I have the base of an idea but not the time at the moment to flesh it out. Hopefully in the next couple days though I shall find that time.

Rites Of Passage (a High Fantasy/Forgotten Realms Adventure)

Twiddledale: Lost to the shadows

The town of Twiddledale was isolated, edging on the moors, and close to the great desert, it was known for exactly two things; its clay pottery and as a water supply stop for caravans heading into the desert. Otherwise it was entirely unremarkable.

Yet that didn't save it. As it didn't save a handful of other smaller villages along the black road. Empty, abandoned, as if the all the inhabitants simply teleported out one day. The only sign of sinister action was the bloodless murders of the towns leaders. These villages were a lesson to others, submit or face an eternal fate worse than death, the enslavement of one's very essence, their shadow selves.

Other towns, larger and more prosperous, did not suffer the unknown strange fate. Instead they were visited by a trio of powerful priests of a dark and unheard of god. These priests ordered the town to give up its “heathen” ways of worship to the gods of Faerun and worship only their own god. Through magic, trickery, and fear they “converted” entire towns, leaving behind faithful followers and soulless warriors to protect them and ensure the town's cooperation and worship. For worship fueled a god's power, and the more worshipers, the stronger they grew. These towns were withdrawn and filled with fear, but for most life simply continued. The only difference now was that life continued permeated with an aura of fear and distrust.

This was all very mysterious and vague to our adventurers however. Children from the various villages, some from villages that had been completely vanished, others from towns that had been converted. AS they combined clues to learn what happened they grew more determined to stop it; either as revenge for the death of those they cared about or in an effort to save others from the same fate. Skill, and no small amount of luck, has kept them alive so far. Luck and the aid of those who wish to see them succeed. But even as they grow in confidence and skill, away from all the have known up to this point, so to does the enemy grow in power for every village conquered strengthens them.

Chapter 1...


Loudwater: A town of a dark god

Aiden, Brisa, and Arugrios were the last known survivors of the town of Twiddledale. By fate and luck they have reunited again far from their home, after surviving long miles of walking, living off the land, gnoll and bandit attacks, lost friends along the way, and general harsh weather. Joining them is a young monk-in-training from one of towns that had been converted. His whole monastery, teachers and the only family he knew, had been slaughtered by fanatical townsfolk and he was left to fend for himself and learn what he may in a town where the slightest wrong move would result in death. In a desperate bid the four children bolted from the darkly doomed town; through luck and the sacrifice of friends, they managed to get into a skiff and escape down the river, away from the fanatics and despair.

Chapter 2...The Adventure Continues

River Delimbiyr

The travel on the river was safe and calm but as the night came so too did the rain. Now landed due to a deluge they face more unusual assailants as the group ventures further and further from all they know. A group of frog-men attacked the children, during which one of the party vanished and the other were badly hurt. They were saved by a boar-man, but that escape came with a price. Unfortunately it was the boar-man who paid it as his niece was grievously injured by friendly fire. With the stranger's niece, Laodike, wounded and Argurios badly injured as well the children were in for a rough couple of days if the frog-men attacked again. The boar man, Jaim's, helped and they set up defenses and braced themselves. The attack never came. Instead a bout of bad weather and a swollen river kept them safe through the night. In the morning a barge traveling downriver passed them and the little group of children and boar-people were welcomed aboard. On board they found a mage who explained what happened to the frog-men and a shaman who helped heal the injured. For 10 relaxing days they shared and learned and rested before being put ashore further downriver; picking up a major trade route to the sea once more.

Intermission 1: Making it to the great port city of Baulder's Gate

Once they left the boat the children quickly found their rythym, the trade roads here were wide and though rutted from hundreds of carts and wagons they were easy to travel on foot. It might have been hard once, but for these three they built up their endurance, learned how to quickly make camp, how to find food on the road, life settled into a simple effective routine. They managed to reach the huge metropolis (to their eyes) of Baulder's gate ahead of the winter storms. All that remained was to settle into city life and find a way to support themselves through the winter. It would be a new challenge...

Intermission 2: Baulder's Gate

It was a long fall and winter that the children had to spend here in this great port city. The time did not go idily by however...they took jobs, learned new skills, developed new crafts, made money, made friends, and planned. When the southern bound ships started sailing again they had accumulated enough money to outfit themselves properly and book passage. They were not continuing on into the strange new land completely unprepared now.

Chapter 2: Sailing South

Laden with supplies, and the skills and knowledge learned over the past few months, the children booked passage on the first ship headed south for the spring. Life on the ship was challenging, space was limited, food was repetitive, and work was hard.

Rites Of Passage (a High Fantasy/Forgotten Realms Adventure)

by "defensive building" you mean like the making a defensive wall around camp? Done.

Ianus Congreatio: Secret societies, horror, and mystery in the shadows of Prague.

Ren was just putting the finishing touches on Adam's sitting room; making sure that there were seats and food aplenty; when Adam walked into the room. Adam was far more alert and relaxed than he appeared when he first woke and Ren guessed his master had paid a visit to a certain very special friend in town.

Ren smiled to himself, pleased to see Adam looking so much better. He was pleased, not only at Adam's relatively quick recovery but also that Adam had decided to put so much faith in him. Ren had been tasked to oversee the issue of the rogue society member murdering the local clergy, though Adam had given him some suggestions, it was a big first step and he knew if he handled this smoothly more would come.

Adam, meanwhile, went into his sleeping quarters to give himself a once over in the mirror. His white linen shirt and dark gray breeches appeared neat and unwrinkled, his pale white hair needed only a quick comb through to look respectable. That was good. He believed in keeping his private life private; none of those who might be joining him needed to know just what he had been up to in his free time this morning.

Returning to the study Adam looked around. Ren was hovering, the large man looking a bit concerned that there wasn't anything further to do and Adam smiled to himself.

“Sit down Ren” he said softly “you are as much involved in this morning's discussion as anyone else. I need people I can trust and there's no one I trust more than you.”

Ren had transformed Adam's desk into a nice table full of breakfast goodies and Adam smiled to see croissants. Ren knew his favorite food. Hardboiled eggs, sausages, smoked kippers, fluffy butter, toast, jam, wine poached pears, and some assorted fresh fruits rounded out the table. He grabbed a couple of the buttery croissants and a cup of strong coffee and settled into a comfortable wingback chair to wait for the others. He wasn't sure who all would be coming but he was not about to stand completely on ceremony and wait for the others; he was famished.

The Legend of Gobbledygook

@Mokley

I'm interested depending on posting frequency desired. I also travel a lot and sometimes am unable to post all that frequently though I'm happy to have my character moved along, lost to be found later, or in limbo if needed.

Rites Of Passage (a High Fantasy/Forgotten Realms Adventure)

More post is incoming (I'm not remotely done) but I didn't want to loose what I had so far.

The following new skills and supplies will be added to our current OOC skills/feats/supply lists soon; feel free to add them to your character sheet as well if desired.

Items Lost:
Adian: club, light crossbow
Argurios:
Brisa: frogmen ash-ink
General: skiff, paddle, cape, backapack

Items Gained:
Adian: backpack (good), spear (good)
Argurios: first aid kit
Brisa: cape (good), book of plant identification (fine)
General:

Skills:
Adian:combat movement, spear (+1), trapping (humanoid)
Argurios: combat movement, first aid (+1), non-magical warding
Brisa: herbalism (+1), spellcraft (+1)

Spells:
Brisa: camoflague (lvl 0). unique.

Rites Of Passage (a High Fantasy/Forgotten Realms Adventure)

Orcpunx & Astarael42

As time passed, the more violent the river currents became, yet the river did still not flood its surroundings. Jaim knew the event was because of magic, but he didn't know if it would aid them or the enemy. He did know the frog people were incapable of such grand spells.

As the sun rose at dawn the river settled down the sunshine broke the dark clouds that covered the sky minutes before. Jaim was sure it was an illusion spell. trying to break the illusion he looked closely at the surrounding area trying to find flaws. Because he found none he decided to risk and slightly cut his forearm. the skin bled but other than that everything stayed the same. Finally deciding that this is no illusion Jaim relaxed and told the kids to do the same, for the frog folk will not attack.

A few hours later, at about midday, a boat came down the river with numerous people. On it was a mage who was responsible for the nights angry river and explained he used a spell to destroy any evil hiding beneath the surface of the water. He also changed the weather because he disliked traveling in the rain. Although the group welcomed his help in surviving the night and also helping Laodike to a degree they disliked the man because of his all knowing arrogant air he carried himself with.
,
The children traveled with the boat for a 10-day, a welcome respite from their own rather onerous travels. After the first night, one Brisa had re-learned her spells for the day, she reversed her spells on Aiden and Argurios. She was still quite hurt that her Argurios didn't even think she had the capability to undo her own damn spell but reversing it despite his disregard for her abilities didn't give her the feel of satisfaction she had hoped. Instead it only made her sadder and she withdrew into herself, speaking to others only when spoken to and for the most part going about life on the boat as if she were no more than a quiet shadow.

Even when they sat down with the mage to discuss his presence, and they learned that he had been investigating the disappearance of his mage friends up river, she remained silent. She didn't voulnteer anything about Autry or what she knew of the places they had seen, leaving that to the boys to discuss and just keeping quiet herself. They listened to the wizard as he explained that every town he had visited was empty and listened to him expound on what he was certain the cause was. Brisa was just about to speak up, to tell the man that it wasn't any of the crazy things he had come up with, only because his certainty was starting to get on her nerves. It apparently was bothering the two boys as well as they spoke up before she had to. She pulled her cloak tighter about herself and continued to listen.

The mage seemed to ignore them at first but as Argurios and Aiden added such specific detail about the town where the priests were and their fight with the priests as well as the destruction of their home town, he seemed to come to accept that the children might be a valuable source of information and he asked them many insightful questions. Even Brisa started speaking up now, answering questions here and there as best she could. Fortunately by some unspoken agreement the children didn't reveal anything about the clues and artifacts they had gathered. Brisa did take a bit of the mage's charcoal and draw a rough sketch of the holy symbol however, telling the mage that all the priests were wearing said symbol. They spent the better part of the day answering all the wizard's questions and by the end he was convinced to return to his search upriver in a few days; this time he claimed her would go by land so he could visit all the little towns on the way that weren't connected to the water way; from the pattern the children related to him he figured there would be clues in these little nothing villages that would help.

On the boat there was also a healer, a shaman who was able to help Laodike and Argurios with a mixture of minor healing prayers and natural remedies. Being a healer he recognized Brisa's training at once and while they were on the boat he helped continue her training, what little he could. His “magic” came from the divine magic in nature while Brisa possessed arcane talents; but while he couldn't help her develop her magical abilities much the foundations of the magic and the healing were much the same and Brisa was still able to learn much from him.

Four days after they had boarded the boat Jaim and Laodike said their farewells, taking off on their own mission that had been delayed from all the trouble. During the time Jaim continued his training with Aiden, teaching him more on how to use and maintain his spear. He left his own personal spear with Aiden knowing the lad would be far less likely to come upon a quality weapon easily.

The goodbye's seemed hardest for Laodike and Argurios, the two had been very much thrown together in the “sick bay” on the boat. Argurios had also paid as much attention as he could to those tending him, trying to soak up as much first aid knowledge as he could. The shaman caught on to this and often spent time explaining things to him that he might not have otherwise; in the end Argurios came away with a much better understanding of combat medicine and a small first aid kit, a gift from the shaman.

The remaining six days without Jaim and Laodike seemed rather quiet, each of the children lost in practicing and studying their own skills. Brisa remained withdrawn, often studying her books for hours at a time alone on the fordeck of the boat. At night she practiced her magic for the mage, very little of it was active...mostly she recited information, learned uses of spells, uses of different spell components, and techniques for various magecraft, things like how to properly harvest moondust, that would become useful in the future. The one thing that the wizard really helped her with was working on developing her very own new spell. With the ash-ink she had created from the frogmen skin and the tutelage of the wizard she not only created her own new cantrip she was able to pen it into her spellbook for future usage.

The wizard had kept his thoughts to himself, realizing that if he told her how impossible it was for a child of her age and training to create a new spell she would never try. Thus when she succeeded he was shocked. For all his arrogance and self assurance he wasn't a bad guy; he almost wished he could take on the girl as a student but he would be traveling back up the black road and he knew he couldn't ask the girl to return to so much danger. Being alone on the road was bad enough. Once they put the children ashore, however, he handed a little scroll to Brisa. It was only a short note, penned in the wizard shorthand, but if presented to a colleague of his in Baulder's Gate Brisa would be able to find help if she should ever need it.

When the children finally were put ashore they had traveled a great length via the river. They were rested and fed and reasonably well supplied as well. Their time on the boat had allowed Argurios to heal and while all three had less endurance after their relatively easy travel of late their skills and strength had definitely improved. With boots on the ground they would quickly build their endurance back up again.

Rites Of Passage (a High Fantasy/Forgotten Realms Adventure)

@jollan Ok I have a post incoming that is going to warp us forward quite a bit so be sure in your post to address any loose ends you might be needing addressed. I'll check back in Monday to hopefully post my post.

Rites Of Passage (a High Fantasy/Forgotten Realms Adventure)

@Jollan are you still around?

Ianus Congreatio: Secret Societies, Gothic Horror and Mystery in the city of Prague

Ianus Congreatio: The Secrets of Prague

Dracula, Frankenstein, Edgar Allen Poe. Nothing is so great as the classics, and this story is about a traditional Gothic horror. Dark thrilling mystery, the macabre, a secret society, Nobility, the demimonde, psychic talents, and common place skills. It will all come to play in this story.

Our story begins in the 1800's in the old and complex city of Prague. The dual monarchy is established but the war has yet to begin. The christian church is establishing a strong foothold in the area, and consigning the old pagan ways to secrecy and fading them from the public eye. Yet despite all this push for Christianity, paranormal abilities are all the rage. You can find a séance any day of the week, a hypnotist on every street, and half-a-dozen mediums in any particular crowd of people. Society adores these paranormal practitioners; a party isn't a party if it doesn't have a séance or a display of mind reading. Mediums and Mind-Readers are all frauds, tricksters. As are the bulk of the mesmerists, crystal workers, and spiritualists. Con artists using a paranormal front as a con. But occasionally there are a few that have a genuine psychic talent using their skills in such a manner to con and deceive as well. Or blackmail. Or worse.

Science is also on the rise, but it is not truly trendy, or understood yet. Chemists, astronomers, and anatomists are rare but growing in popularity. Most are considered eccentric, a polite word for weird, but this is a time of change and science is beginning to come into its own.

The city is old, and full of history as well as progress. By the river dwell the lower classes, and the rogues of the thriving underworld of the city. As one moves from the river, up the hill, the classes change, shifting to the tradesmen, and finally the nobility. Vivid and lively the city has all the richness and vices of any great city along side the parties, the society, and the growth of a rapidly approaching the industrial age. Electricity has just come to the city, unreliable but fashionable. More industrial inventions will not be far behind. The class structure defines almost everything. Nobility generally care only about their own; others are beneath their notice. Even tradesmen are considered low, despite the fact the nobility rely on their trade. Only the most exclusive businesses, those that are considered fashionable and “in” are considered of any import to the high nobility. But those of lower social standing often cross paths with one another in course of day to day life.

In the thickest forests on the edge of the city dwells House Ianus. A vast manor that is the secret home for the Ianus Congreatio. In the Ware family for many generations most folk assume it is nothing more than a huge manor belonging to old nobility but in fact it it is much more. Ancestral home for the Master of the Society he has turned the manor into a welcome abode for all of the society's members.

The underground is where the true treasure of the manor lies. Laced with complex corridors and rooms there are vault after vault of strange artifacts, libraries. Laboratories, and work spaces. It is here the society works to study, record, and catalog all things psychic. They debunk that which is fraudulent and study and analyze the genuine. In fact fraudulent claims of psychic practitioners is the one thing the Society despises above all; as do many of the individual members. As the presence of psychical practictioners is on the rise so too are strange mysteries, frauds, and criminals using psychic powers. Normal law enforcement can't begin to understand these threats and so the Society has taken on the job.

*****Important Caveat*****
If you are looking for a fast paced RP this is NOT the place for you. All players have real lives and often said lives swallow them for long periods. If, however, you favor quality of posting over quantity and don't mind a story where you can post only once a month and not get lost or left out then this is ideal for you. Players have stuck through thick and thin, slow times and fast; one mystery has just drawn to a close and another is about to begin, its a great time to join us if you are interested.

OOC is already up. Come check us out.