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Re: Of Games and Thrones - Forum RPG

Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 7:55 am
by knolli
No, you don't recognize this fellow. Spirites have no facial features to be recognizes by. Instead you can destinguish them by their aura. Because of that you can't be sure whether you have met him before or not. All you can say is that he definitely is none of your teachers or close friends whose auras you are familiar with.

You follow him for a while. He roughly shoves bystanders out of his way, lookign here and there. It seems like he is looking for something or someone specific. With a satisfied grin he grabs a spirit that doesn't differ much from the others around it. "You think you could escape so easily? Well, wrong! Death is no reason to stop working! Now where are your accomplices?" With that he puts a leash of black mist on the poor sprit and drags it along as he continues his search.

Then he spottes you. He is not amused. Out of nowhere a dark mist gatheres around him as he raises his hand (or rather its projection in this plane) in your direction.

Re: Of Games and Thrones - Forum RPG

Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 2:54 pm
by IVhorseman
I suddenly awaken in my bed again, returned to the realm of the living. I can't imagine who that figure was, or where they came from, but I must have been called to witness this misdeed. But by whom? By the figure I saw, or another? I need to report this to Laurence, but it will still be some time before I can see him. I can't go directly to the elders, the troubles they deal with are far more pressing, and I'd be intruding on the proper order. I must deal with the intruder But how? I need... I need...

"I need to find my pipe."

I rummage around through my things and pull my simple pipe out of a drawer. I load myself a bowl as I go over my last assignments. Scores are excellent, and my penmanship is near perfect. As much prejudice as some of the elder scribes may have towards the dark arts, they can't deny my mastery of the art. My arcane archery is something that even they are impressed by. Perhaps I can see what Quanire has to say about this matter? I finish my smoke, stash my things in my robes, and head towards the temple to find him.

Re: Of Games and Thrones - Forum RPG

Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 5:00 pm
by knolli
While the warm smoke helps you calm down you try to make sense of you experience. It was more than a dream, you are sure of that. But did you jump back by reflex or did you push yousomehow? Is that even possible? You can't tell. On your fall back to earth you noticed another detail: His lifeline, his spirit's connection to his body, ran quite close to your own. Whoever he is, his body must be nearby, maybe even in the city.
It is past midnight when you leave the palace grounds and nod to the guards on your way out. It is only a short walk through the starlit night to the temple destrict. You have walked half the way when a carriage passes you. It has an unknown crest on the door and is headed for the palace. What startles you most is not that there is a carriage driving through the dead of the night. Although you couldn't see the coachman's face he seemed prettiy familiar. Did you meet him before? Some seconds later it hits you like a hammer. His Aura! That poor guy is the enslaved spirit from before.

Re: Of Games and Thrones - Forum RPG

Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 5:11 pm
by IVhorseman
He must be driving our little intruder! Question is, do I follow him or not? It's probably best to keep my distance for now, but I quickly jot down a crude drawing of the crest. After doing so, I continue towards the temple. Something strange is happening...

Re: Of Games and Thrones - Forum RPG

Posted: Mon May 13, 2013 6:42 am
by knolli
What are the aspects and the alignment of the god your friend Quanire worships - other than healing, that is? How old is he and what's his position at the temple?

Some minutes later you reach the temple. Your friend Quanire is one of three healers on night duty, ready to attend to any medical emergency at a moments notice. But it's a quiet night and noone requires his attention right now. There are four people resting in the sickbeds in the temple's infirmary.
He is surprised to see you so late at night. "Greetings, Nebul. What's the matter? You look like you have seen a ghost", he jokes. More seriously he adds: "How can I help you?"

Re: Of Games and Thrones - Forum RPG

Posted: Mon May 13, 2013 12:03 pm
by IVhorseman
Quanire is a low-ranking acolyte in worship of The White Dove, lawful good goddess of healing and purity. While The White Dove is opposed to undeath in all forms (as it is a corruption of life), Quanire is merely 16, and his mind is much more open than most of the elders.

"You joke, but I may have seen exactly that. Come, let's share a smoke out back and I'll lay out my troubles. I think a darkness could be approaching the land." We head around to the back alley of the temple for seclusion from the elder priests. Smoking is frowned upon, but necromancy even more so. "I somehow got pulled into the Plane of Death. Not on purpose. Just one moment I was in bed, staring at the ceiling, and like an arrow I was suddenly THERE. And something's wrong. Boron's Guards weren't even there." I take a long drag from the pipe, and pass it to Quanire. "And I saw another visitor there too. Someone from within the city. They walked right up to a spirit and started threatening him. As soon as he did, I was suddenly shot back to our world. I do not know if it was him." Quanire passes the pipe back to me, blowing interlocking rings of smoke into the air. show-off. "And the real kicker, is that I recognized that spirit on the way over here. I saw him driving a carriage towards the palace, and he did NOT look pleased to be there. Had this crazy crest on the carriage, look," I say, handing him the drawing I made earlier. "Seen anything like it before?"

Re: Of Games and Thrones - Forum RPG

Posted: Mon May 13, 2013 2:32 pm
by knolli
Quanire nearly chokes when you tell him about the coach.
"Wait?! *cough* What?! *cough* You tell me that there is someone powerfull enough to revive someone against their will?! Something that by all rights should NOT be possible?! Someone powerfull enough to defeat the Boron Guard THERE?! And that said person, this terribly powerfull and definitely evil necromancer, is on his way to the king's palace RIGHT NOW?! How can you stay so calm? Come, we need to hurry! We must warn the palace! They don't know what they are dealing with."
He unwittingly drops your pipe, grabs you by the arm and turns around. He doesn't pay attention to your question about the crest.

Re: Of Games and Thrones - Forum RPG

Posted: Mon May 13, 2013 3:36 pm
by IVhorseman
I rolled a 2 to catch my pipe before it hit the ground.

"Wait! We need to piece together all the information before we come rushing to the palace - if this necromancer can ride a coach right through the streets, don't you think the palace is expecting him? Seriously, take a look at this symbol." I wave the paper in front of his face. "Ring any bells? Anything at all? I have a feeling our necromancer's been hiding in the city - right under our noses - for quite some time by now. We need to be prepared to take him down from the shadows if we have to. It's what my magic's best at."

Re: Of Games and Thrones - Forum RPG

Posted: Tue May 14, 2013 3:52 am
by knolli
You catch your pipe after it slipped through your fingers on the first try. Your thumb hurts because you've briefly touched the hot ash. Quanire slows down and faces you again. He takes a deep breath to calm down. "Okay, show me. ... Is that a cross or a clover? Anyway, no. None of the local nobles. Maybe a merchant or a foreigner. Let's say you are right and he's been hiding in the city. If nobody knows who or what he is, he can walk around however he likes. We are at one of the biggest harbours of the realm. Every second person is a stranger here. Hiding in the crowd isn't that hard.
More important is the question: What does he want at the palace at this time of the night? You know the gates are closed from dusk till dawn. He either has a special authorization by one of the higher-ups or... or no permission at all. And remember the fact that the spirit realm is in uproar. That can't be a coincidence. He is up to something and I fear for the worst. You want to stop him. You?! Alone?! From the shadows?! Are you crazy?! That's too big for us. Let the Lion Guard take care of him. But for that we have to warn them. NOW! So stop waisting time!" He starts running again.

Re: Of Games and Thrones - Forum RPG

Posted: Tue May 14, 2013 10:35 am
by IVhorseman
I chase after him. "Who said anything about alone? If he's an intruder the lions can handle him. If he's not, they're gonna handle US. Why don't we just head near the palace, stay outside the gates like good little law-abiding citizens, and see if we can find that carriage? If this runs as deep as I think it might, it could be our heads if we blow his cover." I can't believe how dumb Quanire can be sometimes. I know he likes letting the authorities handle things, but this seems too strange for that. And yet he runs right towards them!

Re: Of Games and Thrones - Forum RPG

Posted: Tue May 14, 2013 12:31 pm
by knolli
The palace is like a town within the city. There are the barracks of the palace guard and the Lion Guard complete with armory, stables and training grounds, the servants' houses, several yards and small parks, store rooms, the throne room, the private chambers of the royal family and much much more. And the tower you live in with your masters.

Getting into the palace is no a problem at all. You work for the court magician. You live at the palace. You see the king and his knights nearly every day, although they are too busy to pay much attention to the likes of you. But you know some of the soldiers guarding the gates to the palace. At least you know who will keep quiet about your habit to leave the palace grounds without unauthorization at unsual hours like you did today.

"What are you afraid of? You live there. You sneaked out half an hour ago and now you want back in. No problem. We loose nothing if we look around a little. But if we stay behind and this necromancer of yours tries to - I don't know - kill the king or something, we'll be sorry. ... And what do you mean: <If this runs as deep as I think it might>? Some kind of conspiracy, or what?"


You can see the gates at the end of the road. They are wide open. No carriage anywhere on this side of the walls.

Re: Of Games and Thrones - Forum RPG

Posted: Tue May 14, 2013 2:30 pm
by IVhorseman
"Maybe a conspiracy, I don't know. Things are just a little bit too strange - too calculated. Why when master Laurence is out? or at this hour? I've just got a bad feeling is all. Besides, necromancers always make easy scapegoats - remember Master Jivian? They caught a zombie wandering around town without a permit, and by noon the next day it was off with his head. That was just a year ago. I've got to be real careful if I go poking around where there's trouble." I walk up with Quanire, less urgent than before. "And the gates are just wide open like this? Like I've been saying, there's too many coincidences here." I go searching around the other side of the wall, but I stay out of the areas I know I'll get in trouble for straying near.

I keep looking until I either find the carriage, the necromancer, or some other third option.

And is anyone else gonna make a character or what? I'm having fun like this, but it'd be nice to have some company. Maybe Quanire? One of the guards? Dungeonslayers is a stupidly simple system, so don't be afraid to learn it.

Re: Of Games and Thrones - Forum RPG

Posted: Tue May 14, 2013 4:56 pm
by knolli
You find four guards lolled against the other side of the wall or sunken down in the yard. Quanire knees down next to the first one. "Still alive, but very weak. No obvious wounds. Magic sleep perhaps? "
You spot the carriage behind a corner. You know the king's privat quarters and the Lions' barracks are that way. As you approach it carefully you discover that it is abandoned. Your bad feeling thickenes. Magic of the vilest kind surronds it like a sickening miasma. A trail only visible to you leads towards the entrance of the next building.


I asked two people by pm to join us. One didn't answer, the other one just declined the offer.

Re: Of Games and Thrones - Forum RPG

Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 1:33 am
by IVhorseman
"See what you can do to rouse them. You're a healer, right?" I check the door of the carriage to see if it's unlocked. I'm getting in there and rooting around for some clues.

Re: Of Games and Thrones - Forum RPG

Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 5:00 am
by knolli
"Already on it. But I fear there is not much I can do. They are not injured, just very weak. Given time they should recover perfectly." Afer a second he silently adds:"I guess."
You examine the carriage. It is unlocked but seems empty and void of any clues. Even the boxes below the seats contain nothing more that the obligatory set of spare tools and lantern oil you would expect in any other normal carriage. Just when you turn around to leave again you see a sheet of paper stuck in the windowframe. You take it outside, but it is too dark to read the letter properly. You barrely recognize the crest as the same one drawn on the doors of the coach. You could of course light up one of the lamps of the coach or enter the next building. All the while the tainted magic makes you sick.