Session Four - The Tower
[2023/12/15 16:12] Sonja Bikergrrl: /me opens up notes and things, finds various scraps of paper and a pen
[2023/12/15 16:12] Sonja Bikergrrl: Grrreeeeeeeettttings Adventurers.... other players get epic finales, you get to put out a roof fire in a village
[2023/12/15 16:13] Sonja Bikergrrl: And without further ado, it seems we've distracted angry villagers from Boddyknock and are currently rolling out of town, leaving a village with a rather large crater in it.
[2023/12/15 16:14] Sonja Bikergrrl: Intentions?
[2023/12/15 16:14] Alicia Frakture: Leesha intends to help put out the fires
[2023/12/15 16:14] Sonja Bikergrrl: we can safely say we done that, I think :)
[2023/12/15 16:16] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: Debben is rolling out of town, giggling to herself at -finally- having a cart and wagon after so long
[2023/12/15 16:17] Sonja Bikergrrl: Indeed! You have a cart and a horse, as you asked for.
[2023/12/15 16:17] Sonja Bikergrrl: And, apparantly, some kind of technical blueprint
[2023/12/15 16:18] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: How far did the villagers bother to chase?
[2023/12/15 16:18] Sonja Bikergrrl: Not far, when they realized you're not Boddyknock they gave up.
[2023/12/15 16:18] Alicia Frakture: Well since fires are out Leesha is riding in the back of the cart
[2023/12/15 16:19] ɗίηα ωíƖɗę ღ (kitten.venus): will land in the back of the cart too
[2023/12/15 16:19] Sonja Bikergrrl: The cart is slow, but restful, and now Dahlia doesn't have to perch on your shoulder.
[2023/12/15 16:19] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana: "Were we not headed for a shrine? It seems to me that we're approaching it."
[2023/12/15 16:20] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "A shrine to who again?
[2023/12/15 16:20] Sonja Bikergrrl: Interestingly, no one has mentioned that part yet.
[2023/12/15 16:22] Alicia Frakture: /me shrugs."Guess we can stop there."
[2023/12/15 16:23] Sonja Bikergrrl: the shrine is easy to spot. It appears to be a clearing, inside which are eight standing stones with huge lintels, forming four frames or doorways; inside are four large statues, facing inward; one is dog-headed, one cat-headed, one bird-headed, one bull-headed. There's what looks like a primitive altar in the centre.
[2023/12/15 16:25] Sonja Bikergrrl: As to who it is dedicated to, that's not obvious, there's no sign it's dedicated to any one deity, although there is a general air of orderliness about the place. Everything seems like it belongs, right there.
[2023/12/15 16:25] Sonja Bikergrrl: Now what?
[2023/12/15 16:26] Alicia Frakture: Leesha is going to hop out of the cart and approach...carefully
[2023/12/15 16:26] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "Anyone recognize these? Doesn't look familiar to me."
[2023/12/15 16:26] Sonja Bikergrrl: You approach... carefully. Nothing seems about to happen.
[2023/12/15 16:26] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana: "Some of these carvings look like the great gear wheels of Gordelphus."
[2023/12/15 16:27] Alicia Frakture: Great gear wheels of what?
[2023/12/15 16:28] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana, trying to not sound irritated while also trying to keep a reverent tone: "Gordelphus."
[2023/12/15 16:30] Sonja Bikergrrl: Dahlia?
[2023/12/15 16:30] Alicia Frakture: Leesha just shrugged. Never heard of them, but I'm not a super religious per..."She turns to look at Katana.So on another topic what can you tell us about this place?
[2023/12/15 16:31] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana: with a shrug: "Very little, I fear."
[2023/12/15 16:32] ɗίηα ωíƖɗę ღ (kitten.venus): examines the shrine and tries to get a feel for the place, while the others are talking
[2023/12/15 16:32] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "I've been wondering about them, actually. Several times in the fight you shouted in Gordelphus's name.... but I don't actually know who they are. Some.... human deity or specific to...someone else?"
[2023/12/15 16:34] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana: "Gordelphus is the Prime Mover, the source of all motion, the bringer of life. Without Gordelphus, the world would be stationary and dead."
[2023/12/15 16:36] Sonja Bikergrrl: Dahlia notices that many inscriptions and carvings look like they come from various deities - none of them chaotic in any way
[2023/12/15 16:37] ɗίηα ωíƖɗę ღ (kitten.venus): /me smiles, "well this place seems to be no fun but at least it's not an evil temple", flying around looking for a good spot to stop and commune with her goddess before moving along again
[2023/12/15 16:38] Alicia Frakture: Leesha just looks around. Leaving the religious stuff to them
[2023/12/15 16:39] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana frowns. She's sure there's a symbol on a rock, of a stylized sword dripping blood - linked to the god Orca, of the various goblin tribes.
[2023/12/15 16:40] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana: "This would appear to be the place you were to look for, Leesha."
[2023/12/15 16:40] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "My people believe that motion comes from the heat of the mountain blood pressing against the bones of the world and forcing them to move."
[2023/12/15 16:41] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana nods to Debben. "It is the great god Gordelphus who moves the mountain blood to those bones."
[2023/12/15 16:42] Alicia Frakture: Leesha looked around, and goes to look closer to see if anything connects with her.
[2023/12/15 16:43] Sonja Bikergrrl: Other than a carving of two faces - which you are sure is Gork and Mork, the twin gods of the orcs... not much does.
[2023/12/15 16:44] Alicia Frakture: Leesha smirks "I used to hear stories of Gork and Mork." She sighs."Not sure they can help my present mindset."
[2023/12/15 16:45] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana: "Isn't it usual to make an offering, or pray, or meditate at a shrine?"
[2023/12/15 16:47] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: Debben sighs and gets out of the wagon to inspect the shrine, double checking for any of her dwarven gods. "To tribute to a surfacer god offends the deity of Greed and Gold."
[2023/12/15 16:47] Alicia Frakture: Leesha just blinks."I think So. Dad used to go to a temple on occasion. Mom never bothered. though if I remember Gork and Mork were about meat. Well Gork was Mork was combat."
[2023/12/15 16:47] Sonja Bikergrrl: Debben notices what looks like a dwarven hammer carved on a rock.
[2023/12/15 16:48] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana: "Perhaps worth a try...?"
[2023/12/15 16:49] Alicia Frakture: Leesha nods and looks around for a random wild animal."I guess, just need fresh meat."
[2023/12/15 16:49] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana: looks shocked "You... you're going to sacrifice a living being???"
[2023/12/15 16:49] ɗίηα ωíƖɗę ღ (kitten.venus): /me "The temple seems to have been used by many priests and clerics of many deities. It's an interesting place."
[2023/12/15 16:50] Sonja Bikergrrl: Dahlia is quite correct.
[2023/12/15 16:50] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "Wait a minute...." she touches the dwarven hammer with one hand, "Oh, yeah the orc gods trend to the bloody." She considers. "So this shrine is to.... everyone who thinks to carve a new sigil into the rock?"
[2023/12/15 16:51] Alicia Frakture: Leesha looks shocked."NO! Gotta kill it first."Mork and and Gork are Orc gods. Combat, fresh meat preferably bloody. That's kinda their thing. They're not evil just more...primal.
[2023/12/15 16:51] Sonja Bikergrrl: The carvings appear to be in an orderly arrangement, and as far as you can tell, done at the same time by the same hand.
[2023/12/15 16:52] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana looks ready to explode. "I... I cannot believe this! I will not be a party to such... blasphemy!" And with that, she marches back to the cart and waits there, arms folded and looking out at the road.
[2023/12/15 16:54] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: She circles around the carvings, tracking for any other sigils of dwarven gods, in particular looking for a space to find or add one for the unnamed god of magic and lies, glancing over at Katana when she stomps back to the wagon, walking over. "We... don't know each other very well. We keep offending you in places where we're not expecting to, I think."
[2023/12/15 16:55] Alicia Frakture: Leesha storms after Katana."What the hell?! I am not a religious person. You recommend i make an offering. with Mork and Gork these are proper offerings and you flip out?! She is getting angry with each word."I'm not offering to Coedyceps or whoever. if that was the case I would do a different offering!" She pauses and takes a breath."You know what, forget it."
[2023/12/15 16:55] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana just glares up the road. "Aye, little one... I fear I am bringing you into peril. Yet it seems your life is full of peril as it is."
[2023/12/15 16:57] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana: For one that doesn't seem to breathe, she takes one -long- breath and holds it, as she studies the road. "'Tis your quest," she says finally.
[2023/12/15 16:59] Alicia Frakture: Leesha growls and walks back to the shrine, and pauses."Okay, tell me which one of these can help me control my anger. Mork and Gork are out because they kinda like letting the anger out and revelling in it."
[2023/12/15 16:59] Alicia Frakture: Leesha is trying very hard to reign in her anger
[2023/12/15 16:59] Alicia Frakture: rein even
[2023/12/15 17:00] Sonja Bikergrrl: (glad you didn't say rain.)
[2023/12/15 17:01] Sonja Bikergrrl: Dahlia? Debben?
[2023/12/15 17:04] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: Debben sighs, rubbing her forehead. "We don't have to answer this instantly. We can afford to think this over for a bit. Let's just... set up a campfire and pitch a tent. How's that sound? Figure this out once we've heated some pancakes and tea."
[2023/12/15 17:06] ɗίηα ωíƖɗę ღ (kitten.venus): /me "Campfire and tents sounds like a very welcome idea"
[2023/12/15 17:07] Sonja Bikergrrl: It is late in the day, so that's not a bad idea.
[2023/12/15 17:08] Alicia Frakture: Leesha nods."I'll get the fire started and start cooking. What are you hungry for?"
[2023/12/15 17:11] Alicia Frakture: ... keeping in mind our supplies.
[2023/12/15 17:13] Sonja Bikergrrl: /me pokes Dahlia and Debben
[2023/12/15 17:13] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "We mostly managed to restock at the village."
[2023/12/15 17:14] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: She does also ask Katana. "When you joined us.... we'd just lost a friend so we didn't ask too many questions at the time. We probably should have gotten to know each other better, but my head wasn't in the right place for it."
[2023/12/15 17:14] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana: "Aye, maybe."
[2023/12/15 17:16] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "So... what about us made sense to come with compared to..." she shrugs. "Any random caravan guards. We're not very nice people, you've noticed."
[2023/12/15 17:17] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana: "You clearly needed help when I met you. You clearly need guidance."
[2023/12/15 17:20] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "Encouraging," she replies with the driest tone she can muster. "But why help? most wouldn't."
[2023/12/15 17:20] Alicia Frakture: Leesha makes a nice stew for everyone and using some bread she has left over."Foods on." Fair enough, though to be honest I don't know about guidance, maybe curse removal...But maybe we should tell the story
[2023/12/15 17:21] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana looks more surprised than shocked. "Why not? Is it not our duty to help out our fellows in this life?"
[2023/12/15 17:25] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "our family maybe. If they're good enough people to deserve it. Which, well." She shrugs. "I'm not exactly in the mountainhome." Debben looks over to Leesha. "Yeah, we should."
[2023/12/15 17:29] Alicia Frakture: Leesha brings over bowls of stew and the bread for everyone. All right where to begin."
[2023/12/15 17:29] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana: "Perhaps at the beginning?"
[2023/12/15 17:31] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "Proper stories start at the beginning. This one isn't so simple."
[2023/12/15 17:31] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "I think it starts in the castle."
[2023/12/15 17:31] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana: "Every story must have a beginning."
[2023/12/15 17:31] Alicia Frakture: Leesha nods."Yeah in the castle. I don't remember anything before that."
[2023/12/15 17:32] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana: "Were you both constructed?"
[2023/12/15 17:33] Alicia Frakture: Not that I know of. plus you met my Granny.
[2023/12/15 17:34] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana: "Oh. Aye, I did."
[2023/12/15 17:34] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: Debben starts to raise her hand and object to that, then pauses, rubbing her chin. "Huh. Well, you're interrupting. So the story that we know begins in the castle. There was a big flash of light in the center of the kings throne room. I, Leesha, and a grizzled old wizard appeared there out of nowhere."
[2023/12/15 17:36] Alicia Frakture: Leesha nods
[2023/12/15 17:37] ɗίηα ωíƖɗę ღ (kitten.venus): /me "That sounds amazing, poofing in from nowhere with no memories. A big mystery as to beginnings", she looked curious and very interested in hearing more
[2023/12/15 17:37] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "The king was not at all happy with this state of affairs. It caused an irregularity in his schedule you see, and he questioned us with marked consternation."
[2023/12/15 17:39] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana: "It sounds most disorderly."
[2023/12/15 17:40] Alicia Frakture: it really was.. still kind of is.
[2023/12/15 17:41] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana: "Mayhap this gentleman in Britainnia has knowledge that can aid you."
[2023/12/15 17:41] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "And whatever happened, I was totally out of it. Like I'd woken up from a dream of my life and someone elses mangled together. Barely made any sense. Leesha too. The wizard, though...."
[2023/12/15 17:44] Alicia Frakture: apple pie...
[2023/12/15 17:44] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "That was the second wizard."
[2023/12/15 17:45] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana: "It sounds like there is much evil magic."
[2023/12/15 17:46] Alicia Frakture: /me leesha nods before letting Debben continue
[2023/12/15 17:48] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "What makes a magic evil, though?" She shrugs. "The first wizard, the one who appeared with us. He claimed that he was trying to bring us backwards into history to avert some horrible future. But the moment he looked around...." She sighs, tearing open her bread with a bit more force than needed. "He could already see he'd screwed up the spell. We were in the wrong place and time already."
[2023/12/15 17:49] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana, looking concerned: "That is... unfortunate."
[2023/12/15 17:51] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "Yeah. Whatever he did, we're already in the doomed timeline. Just haven't realized it yet." She dunks some of her bread into the stew. "Mostly I try not to think about it. The second wizard didn't seem to think about it either."
[2023/12/15 17:51] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana frowns and says nothing.
[2023/12/15 17:54] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "The second wizard, the kings wizard, he was very focused on apple pie," she continues, gesturing to Leesha to pick up the situation from there and start enjoying her bread and stew, a humble primal pleasure unconcerned with prophecy or doom.
[2023/12/15 17:55] Alicia Frakture: Leesha nodded."Guy wanted us to retrieve a recipe as well as any remain pie from this bakery 2 days travel from where we arrived. offered to pay us and we went. Along the way we met a fellow traveller..."She paused looking at the ground.
[2023/12/15 17:57] Alicia Frakture: She steeled herself."Well we went on and soon reached the bakery. Living tress, goblins, all kinds of fun.. we almost died... for pie."
[2023/12/15 17:58] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana: "It sounds a quest worthy of any bard."
[2023/12/15 17:58] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "Didn't even find the darn recipe. Which was our plan B. The plan A was to talk to granny weatherwitch or similar. The one who made the pies normally. But then she wasn't there anymore. Just the goblins."
[2023/12/15 18:01] Alicia Frakture: Chuckles."It was...Anyway mission done we headed back to town and split up with our new friend."Leesha is very careful not to say her name." so we came back turned in what we found and got paid. We went for a drink and to find more work." SHe pauses."You know my memory he didn't send us after anything else, did he? If so we are late getting back to him."
[2023/12/15 18:03] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "He seemed very shocked by the news about the pie witch. Didn't have another thing to do then and the guards were glaring so we get out of the castle pretty quickly after that."
[2023/12/15 18:05] Alicia Frakture: We left to get a drink and maybe get some more work as well as out of town. She paused a moment If I'm not skipping anything we ran back into our friend after I growled at someone and got stabbed.""
[2023/12/15 18:06] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana listens to this politely
[2023/12/15 18:08] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "Was that from the guy who showed up and shanked us from behind while we were trying to buy some armor and weapons?"
[2023/12/15 18:09] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana: "You do seem to lead dangerous, perilous lives."
[2023/12/15 18:10] Alicia Frakture: Leesha is obviously telling this to the best of her knowledge.'Oh there is one thing I forgot. " She paused. " No that was before the guy who stabbed me at the dock. I was just about to say."If you noticed we are wary of people asking if we are who we are. It's because since this whole thing started 8 times out of ten they attack when they find out who we are."
[2023/12/15 18:11] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana: "My only interest is in finding the Murderhobos. You clearly are not one of them."
[2023/12/15 18:12] Alicia Frakture: Yeaaaahhh you would think that, but I definitely have blood on my hands. Not proud of it at all.
[2023/12/15 18:12] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: Debben takes several long spoonfuls of stew at that assertation, trying not to think about their lack of housing or of the several dozen goblins, hobgoblins, and wolves they have slain.
[2023/12/15 18:13] ɗίηα ωíƖɗę ღ (kitten.venus): /me quietly eats having taken in as much of the story as shared and loved it
[2023/12/15 18:15] Alicia Frakture: Anyway after a letter from my Granny, a stabbing on the docks and a ghost ship that tried to kill me..."She paused."Debben did I tell you what I saw when it knocked me into the water?"
[2023/12/15 18:17] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "You actually didn't. Why were we even on that ghost ship anyway? Some..." she pauses. "Right, a bard had joined up with us for a bit and talked us into helping with some quest they had. But anyway, we were trying to de-ghost a ship that was stuck in port and it kept throwing us into the water."
[2023/12/15 18:17] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "So Leesha, what -did- you see down there? I just saw wetness."
[2023/12/15 18:18] Alicia Frakture: I saw more skeletons with the tops of their heads missing... Okay backtrack. on the mission for the pies the first night we camped was an old abandoned house. two skeletons were hung upside down and missing the top of their skulls.
[2023/12/15 18:19] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana: "That sounds like necromancy, most foul!"
[2023/12/15 18:22] Alicia Frakture: Probably, but after that and people ignoring my idea to burn the ship down and free the spirits we decided to go visit my Granny and well from there we had a cleric with us and our friend and we traveled
[2023/12/15 18:22] Alicia Frakture: I don't think we have seen any skeletons like that since
[2023/12/15 18:23] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "....headless skeletons in the water was probably part of why the ghosts were mad. I wonder if that ship is still there."
[2023/12/15 18:23] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "Maybe the skeletons climbed up into it one night and stole the ship. Which... would that make them pirates by definition?"
[2023/12/15 18:25] Alicia Frakture: Leesha Shrugged."All I know is I am happy far away from it
[2023/12/15 18:27] Alicia Frakture: But we got to Grannys and went on a mission to help friendly gobs and stop a Necromancer... Thought we had, but we lost our friend in the interim. And found out the hard way the Necromancer still lived and was pissed. You saw signs of that at the graveyard."
[2023/12/15 18:27] Sonja Bikergrrl: Katana: "Indeed"
[2023/12/15 18:31] MidnightMinion Cyberstar: "The asshole of a necromancer went and dug up our friend as a taunt after we spooked his apprentice and she tried to kill her." She grumps. "Rot, if she'd just offered us a decent trade deal we probably wouldn't even have fought her over things before then."
[2023/12/15 18:31] Sonja Bikergrrl: (I think I should call it there, it being 2:30am)
[2023/12/15 18:32] ɗίηα ωíƖɗę ღ (kitten.venus): /me hugs everyone before they head off to power down and sleep :)
[2023/12/15 18:32] Alicia Frakture: *Yeah it is pretty late then. Sleep well Mistress."
[2023/12/15 18:32] Sonja Bikergrrl: /me distributes hugs, it is very late and very cold!
[2023/12/15 18:32] ɗίηα ωíƖɗę ღ (kitten.venus): good night Mistress :)
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