Penny

Maverick Malediction

Calliope lay back on the bed. She patted the coverlet beside her with one hand. Neil cocked an eyebrow.

“I don’t bite,” she told him with a lazy lilt in her voice.

“I’m pretty sure that’s a lie,” he admitted and then sat down on the bed beside her. She could feel the pull of the spell book he was holding through his shirt. That was probably both a good and a bad sign.

“I can’t say that I love a situation where our best option is being surrounded by undead,” she muttered. Neil started to say something but Calliope’s arm shot out and caught him by the wrist. He jerked, coming half to his feet and looking for threats.



“Our best option is being surrounded by undead,” she repeated as a flash of inspiration raced through her brain.



“Oh…..kay…” Neil put in, slowly relaxing as his body caught up with his mind. He sat back down.

“I’m going to be honest, it dosen’t sound like a great option,” he confessed.



“You need to get some rest,” she said, pulling him down so he lay beside her. She didn’t have much strength but he didn’t seem inclined to resist.



“Why do I get the impression it isn’t because you just feel a sudden concern for my health,” he pressed. Calliope shook her head.



“After you get some sleep, and its good and dark, I need you to rob a temple for me,” she replied musily.

“You need me to WHAT?” he demanded, but she was already asleep.

Dogs of War: Old World Mercenaries

Von Michenkomph looked thoroughly miserable as he was shoved down onto an upholstered couch. Judging by the blood stained basin beside it and the selection of surgical razors, he had done his share of bleedings. Camilla flipped her dagger over and balanced the point on the tip of one manicured finger, breathing in the rich smell of pipe smoke and blowing it out her nostrils. The physician’s face, miserable with pain, pinched in anger.

“The Grapvinewill hear of this!” he tried to snarl, though the effect was closer to sniveled.

“I’m sure,” Camilla told him reasonably, “You are going to want her to get that window fixed if nothing else.” As if to emphasize her point, frigid winter air gusted in, fluttering the candle flames and waking the guttering fire in the single austere fireplace from its embers to a last few minutes of sparking life. Several papers were picked up by the breeze and fluttered in the draft.

“First question,” Camilla asked, holding up a finger a few inches in front of Konrad’s face. The doctor recoiled as though he feared being struck, pressing his quivering lips together.



“Is that a piece of timber in your shirt or are you just happy to see me?” Camilla inquired. Von Michenkomph’s lips opened and closed like a freshly landed fish and he seemed to fold up over the lump in his nightshirt.

“Oh for Ulric’s sake,” Cydric growled and shoved his hand down the shirt, ripping a lump of wood from within and shoving the doctor back onto the couch when he attempted to grab it. It was a foot long and vaguely golden in color, like the eyes of a wolf in the dark. It seemed to almost pulse with life, moist with sap despite the conditions.



“That is the property of the Graf, give it back at once!” the doctor shrilled. Gunir stood up and stumped over to the doctor.

“I’d advise ya ta let os worry about the graph,” he groused, his accent thicker than normal, “If you donna start ans’ring questions I’ll have to break your other leg.” Von Michenkomph yanked his leg back out of the dwarfs reach.

“This is only a sprain,” he protested feebly. Gunir leaned very cloth, his lips splitting into a wide mouthed grin.

“My mistake, ill break them both for ya,” he countered.

“Lets start with why you were running away with a piece of kindling into the teeth of a snow storm,” Camilla suggested smoothly. There was a pounding on the door and a muffled voice calling through.

“Doctor, are you ok? We heard…” a male voice called from the other side.

“He’s fine,” Cydric called back.

“I am not! Run and get the Grapvine, tell them I’m being attacked!” Von Michenkomph yelled. Gunir drew back a meaty fist but Camilla lay a hand on his arm. The sound of foot steps slapping the stone sounded outside and muffled yells for guards.



“Well before she gets here, you better tell me exactly what is going on. Why did you run? Why take the wood?” Camilla pressed. Von Michenkomph lifted his nose, apparently under the impression that now the alarm was raised his problems were over. Gunir lifted a fist and grinned horribly.

“Its the trees, I think the trees are after it! I know they are!” the doctor bleated. Gunir paused and Camilla leaned forward.

“Why do you think the trees are after the wood?” she asked, genuinely perplexed.

“I read it in a book, that is what happened last time, please, please don’t hurt me!” he bleated. As he spoke his eyes cut to an old book that lay open on a table. Camilla crossed to it and picked it up. Fists began to pound on the door.

“Open up in the name of the Grapvine!”

Hey, hey you! Come read me please!

Welcome evie! It sounds like you will fit right in!

Dogs of War: Old World Mercenaries

"You cannot come vin!" a high pitched reedy voice shrieked through the door. Camilla sighed wearily, she pulled her cloak tight about her shoulders. The Learned Doctor Konrad Von Michenkomph's quarters were behind a heavy oak door in the guest wing of the manor house.

"We just want to talk to you about the attacks," Camilla said patiently. Cydric and the dwarves stood behind her, expressions hardening with impatience.

"Vat do I know about botany, I am a phyzic! A phyzic I tell you, not a gardener, take your questions else where!" Von Michenkomph piped in what sounded like near hysteria. Camilla reached for her lock picks but before she could fumble with the tools Cydric's boot smashed into the jamb just above the latch. The door burst open with a metallic sprannnng as the lock gave way. Von Michenkomph became screaming, though in all truth it was difficult to tell where his scolding ended and his screaming began. Camilla entered his chambers, and was assailed with the pungent smells of herbs and medicine. Jars of unguents, leeches, and other tools of the physicians trade were stacked neatly beside dusty tomes on anatomy, humors and whatever other topics doctors stared at till they acquired that squinty look they all seemed to have. A large reading desk dominated the room with a hanging lantern on a chain above it. Von Michenkomph himself was a slight man in late middle age, bent and gray with a pair of spectacles on a birdlike nose. He was wearing a night shirt and cap and furiously stuffing what looked to be a piece of wood into his night shirt.

"I told you not to come in here!" he spat, backing away from the four mercenaries.

"We just have a few questions," Camilla reiterated.

"A few more now," Gunir growled, nodding towards the piece of wood sticking out of the the doctors nightshirt.

"Why don't you put the kindling down and we can talk about this like reasonable people," Camilla suggested. The doctor nodded sagely, glanced at Cydric and then turned and jumped out the window. Camilla put her hand to her head.

"Mia dia, this fucking town..."

Maverick Malediction

Calliope lay back on the bed and felt the warmth of her own body reflected by the thick animal pelts.



“In my defense I did take you to a rather exclusive ball, even if… you know… I subsequently destroyed ballroom, castle, and guests alike and then hurled us an unknown distance through time and space,” she conceded.

“To be completely fair it was me who hurled us an unknown distance through time and space on account of you being unconscious and bleeding out of your eyeballs,” Neil corrected. Calliope considered this.



“Well I suppose I hadn’t factored in the fucking idiot part,” she said with a soft chuckle.

“I do owe you Neil, you saved my life, thank you,” the moment of sincerity was interrupted by a knock at the door and Viga bustled in with a pot of thick greasy looking soup and some coarse brown bread.

“You want wine, it extra,” she snapped, much of her good mood appearing to have evaporated. Calliope flicked a coin, apparently from no where and the innkeeper managed to snatch it, bite it, and tuck it into her apron without dropping her load of food.



“There are men downstairs, guards for you, so you no try funny busy ness,” Viga warned as she set the stew and bread down and then produced a bottle of wine and a couple of dirty looking glasses.

“Given I can hardly stand my funny busy ness acumen is severely limited,” Calliope replied a touch snarkily. The inflection obviously went over Viga’s head and she bustled out of the room. Calliope rolled onto her side, the most physical activity she had been able to manage, and shoved a hunk of bread into the soup before biting into it. Her mouth twisted with distaste, her normal diet ran towards rare meat and the thick flower broth was not to her liking. Conscious of the spellburn she forced herself to eat.



“Any idea what kind of trials they might try tomorrow?” Neil asked, obviously still concerned by her fairly pitiful state.

“No clue,” she admitted around a mouthful of bread, “hopefully its more of a pinky swear type thing though.” Neil narrowed his eyes.

“And why is that?” he asked in a level tone. Calliope blinked innocently.

“Let she who has never animated a corpse cast the first stone,” she replied.

Warhammer - Tilea - A Dogs of War RP

Yesssssssss

What's your stance on Halflings?

@BangoSkank

Like most people I... look down on them (snare drum)

Warhammer - Tilea - A Dogs of War RP

Black Company but Warhammer? I'm in.

@Vox

Precicesly!

Warhammer - Tilea - A Dogs of War RP

WORK IN PROGRESS!

Tilea - Dogs of War

Tilea:

Tilea is a rich land, its propserity matched only by the ruthlessness and greed of its Merchant Princes and rapatious nobility. An almost constant state of war exists in which power politics, strong arm mercantile dealings, and the paying off of petty fueds, fuels an entire industry of mercenary sell swords. Standing armies are unknown in Tilea, anything beyond the occasional peasant levy and swollen city guards, being too much of a risk to the status quo to be tolerated. Wars are fought by professional soldiers who live from contract to contract, often switching sides several times during the course of a conflict. Enemies today may be friends tomorrow and vice versa in a constant mosaic of shifting alliances. While grudges exist between mercenary units (and individual soldiers) the prevailing mood is one of professional pragmatisim.



The Seige of Spomanti:

For the better part of a year the costal plain around Olesi and the lush farmlands around the River Riati have been the site of a vicious proxy struggle between the Principalites of Remas and Luccini. The traditional Luccini rivalry between the Lucan and Luccinian lines has come to one of its perodic boils and Allesandra Luccina fled Luccini ahead of her rival Silvio Lucan's assassins. The Principality of Remas was happy to take her in and happy to take up her cause against Silvio in exchange for some very modest territorial concessions, which really, are theirs by right anyway...

After months of fighting the situation has settled down into a stalemate with the Luccini in possession of Spomanti and Olesi and Remas in control of the rest of the northern costal plain. Things have been looking good for Luccini until the arrival of a Reman trading fleet allowed them to nearly double their role of mercenaries, and provided them with the ships to take Olesi by sea and sweep south and east, cutting off supply and putting Spomanti under seige. With supplies dwindling and the defences failing its getting high time for the defenders to make a decision, afterall famous last stands really don't pay the bills...



Who Are The Players?
The players in this role play will take the parts of members of a mercenary company under seige at Spomanti. They are senior people, effectively officers under contract to Luccini. Although you will be expected to write your character, you will also be expected to write other members of the company, describing the actions of other members of the company, mostly regular troops under your control.

Players are basically loyal to the company. They might not like each other, they might violently disagree with each other, but they are at the end of the day members of a family.

Who Are The Players Not?
The Captain -In order to eliminate unnecessary power differentials the Captain of the Company will be NPCd.

Wizards - Although the company has a wizard, they are also an NPC.



Experimental Concepts

Contracts and Choices:
Although the RP will begin with the company being engaged by the City of Luccini this situation will probably (although not certainly) end fairly soon. Numerous contracts will be available to you as you go forward.

Costs:
Company resources in coin and manpower will be loosely tracked. This will effect the kind of contracts you are offered, you will be able to recruit and train as you go.

Dramatic Flow (Experimental):
In order to create a flow of good and bad luck we will use a system of Boons and Dooms. A boon is something good that happens to your character or the company. You find boats to get across a swollen river, you discover a weakspot in the walls of a town you are besiging, you have a friend among the populace who will help you, are all example boons. Example dooms are things like you suffer a serious wound, a large number of men are injured or killed, the enemy got there first and burned the bridge. For each Boon you use you will be obligated to endure a doom. Each doom you endure will entile you to a boon.

Spreading the Luck - Rather than a full blow boon or doom, you may split a boon or a doom into three smaller incidents.

SPACE IS VERY LIMITED! The writing lift on this is heavier than normal and I need to keep it small to manage.

The Enemy Beyond: Warhammer 40,000 Inquisitor RP

"I'll bet that you do," I snickered, rubbing my sore shoulder. I stepped back and allowed him to reload the gun, feeding fresh shells into the breach, with a series of clicks.

"I'm pretty creative," Hadrian assured me, lifting the gun to his shoulder and racking the slide to chamber a fresh round. I moved around to his side as he lifted the weapon and grinned, sighting down the barrel at the target. He had already told me how it was done, I saw him breath in, then breathe out, then still his breathing. I leanded close and blew softly into his ear. Hadrian flinched and the gun boomed, pellets from the shot sparking off the bulkhead and the ceiling. The target registered no hits. I put my hand over my mouth in mock surprise.

"Does this mean I win?" I asked innocently?

WoT: The Dark One's Own Luck.

Lysabel considered it. She was impatient to be on with the task but she couldn't ignore the risk. Could she really put herself and Markus in
such danger for what was only a theory? It was emotion she decided and thus not to be trusted.

"Very well, I'd be foolish to engage a local guide and then ignore his advice," she conceeded.

"I think we can make up some time, there are ways to keep the horses fresh," she told him. The weaves she knew could keep the horses moving but there were risks, and she couldn't use it on herself. Well it was her theory, it was just that she would be the one to suffer for it. Markus seemed relieved that she didn't intend to push the issue.

"As you say Aes Sedai," he responded and led the way east.

Two or three leauges east the road turned into one of the tithe forests. In Jaramide forests were rare and timber was precious. The solution was that all woodlands were owned by the crown, with various rights and priviliges extended to the locals who lived close by. Gathering dead timber for firewood was a common right and the result was that the forests tended to lack the thick underbrush one found further south where timber was more plentiful. There was a marked chill as the canopy above all but blotted out the sun. Lysabel wished she had a heavier cloak to hand, but it was a simple Aes Sedai trick to convince her body to ignore anything as crude as simple temperature. As they moved further along the road they came up upon a wagon by the side of the trail, a wheel showing signs of a broken spindle. Markus arched an eyebrow at her. She nodded reluctantly and they slowed their horses down. A paunchy man in a leather jerkin turned from the wheel with obvious relief.

"A little help friends, it will just take a moment to get this fixed," he wheedled. Markus' eyes flicked to the wheel and back to the man and then he drove the shoulder of his horse into Lysabel's. Her horse whickered in irritation.

"Go!" Markus shouted as something whistled through the space she had occupied a moment before. It wasn't till a second arrow burried itself in a tree on the far side of the road that the copper clattered. Lysabel spurred her horse forward, crouching low to present a smaller target. The horse screamed and staggered as an arrow hit it in the rump but she kept it upright and moving. Two men with long polearms stepped from behind trees and lifted the pikes to block her flight. Weaves of earth ripped out from her and rock exploded upwards around them, sending them staggering back and clearing the way. Her heart pounded in her chest as she raced past, another arrow arcing over her shoulder as she drove the horse onward.
@POOHEAD189