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Administrator
- Posts:
- 21
- Group:
- Admins
- Member
- #1
- Joined:
- Jul 10, 2012
- Character
- The Almighty GM
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We begin our tale in a tavern. It's not exactly a classy place - no glass windows or cushioned chairs here - but the ale doesn't taste like piss and the food doesn't make you sick, so for most adventurers, it's ideal. You're here because you got a letter. It looked like one of those pyramid scams, at first - "Get four of your friends together and start an adventuring guild! Then tell them to do the same! Soon you'll have a network of adventurous buds, ready to take the world by storm." - But when you read further, the letter was nothing of the sort. It requested your presence at this tavern, on this very day; it said that you were to be part of a great quest that would grant great riches. And, were the riches not enough, it suggested that if you were to not appear at the requested time and date, there would be "unfortunate, but necessary, consequences." And then, the letter detailed one secret. One little fact, story, or other similar tidbit that you'd really rather didn't get out - but only because it would be embarrassing. No, the secret detailed in the letter wasn't dangerous in and of itself - the dangerous part is how the letter writer got that secret - and the unwritten threat that, were the writer inclined, they'd be able to tell the world far worse stories taken from the broom closet of your life.
So, you're here. Lucky you. Why don't we do introductions.
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There is a Tiefling at a table wearing clothing that is rather bland. Her hair is violet and her eyes are crimson. She is flipping this letter in her hand repeatedly, as if pondering its source material and writer. "I wonder how many of the other patrons received such a parcel."
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An eladrin - tall, thin, with white hair and blue eyes - appears to be completely engrossed in a book in one corner of the room. However, upon careful observation, one might notice that he is turning the pages quite slowly, and keeping a careful watch on his surroundings. What appears to be a corner of an envelope protrudes slightly from between the back cover and the last page of the book, and he subtly eases it back into concealment. If asked, a skilled observer might say that he was watching for something... and yet not quite sure what he was watching for. He marks the tiefling as a point of interest, and possibly another person who had been invited here, judging by the letter she was tossing about. He notes her position, and decides to pay close attention to any who approach her.
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Even amid the sea of strange faces, one of them stands out as been VERY odd. Sure, Thri-kreen weren't unheard of in the grasslands, but they were normally social creatures that stuck together. A solitary insectoid creature was a rare sight indeed. The lean insect was glancing back and forth, his own mysterious letter safely put into one of his backpack pockets. As his one of his manipulator hand lifted to catch the attention of an understandably wary woman, one could see a long strand of wooden beads wrapped around the arm. After muttering in a chittering version of Common to place his order, Twitch's eyes flicked over the others assembled, hovering briefly on the tiefling and the eladrin. He then looked over at the human sitting near him, muttering to her. "Well, we've followed the letter's instructions. When do you think this will make sense?"
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Reverence looks around the tavern for anyone looking like they are trying to be out of the way. She finds it a bit of a challenege to keep track of faces she might recognize, or those who look out of place. She catches sight an Eladrin in a corner buried in a book. "Who goes to a tavern to read?" She rises out of her seat, asking for a pint to be sent to the bookworm as she makes her way to him and sits across from him. "Pardon my intrusion, but you must have something quite fascinating to read to want to peruse it in a place like this."
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"Less that the material is fascinating, and more that I tend to read during any free moment I have. For instance, it was requested that I appear here at this time, and as I am unsure what I am here for or when it will occur, I brought a book so that any time spent waiting would not be entirely wasted. Nonetheless, I must admit that I do find this to be an interesting volume - I have always been intrigued by the works of engineers and alchemists, and this book contains annotated drawings of a number of extraordinary devices."
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Lubomira couldn't reply, a chunk of half-marinaded meat stuck in her cheek, and she was simply too polite to speak with her mouth full. The flavor was rich and complex, her cherubic cheeks flushed as she chomped away in an attempt to speak. Her curls bounced with each chew, doing her best to clear her airway. "Ah ah...Mmn!" "I can't imagine why we're here, but I do know that this venison is in dire need of gravy." Her dark lips pulled into a pout as a whine eeked out of her thin neck, staring at the empty wooden plate. "It was like chewing on shoe leather!"
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Twitch tilted his head to the side, his antennae shifting their position slightly as he glanced over towards the Eladrin and Tiefling. He half-listened to their conversations before returning his attention to Lubomira. "I agree whole-heartedly. However, it's better than most other fare you'll encounter on the road." One of his antennae dropped down in front of his face and into his mouth, his mandibles gently cleaning the thin appendages before he glanced around the tavern once more. "Say, did you notice the tiefling over there? Female, reddish hair? Seems that she was flipping a letter to herself, and it looked almost like the ones that we got." Twitch's thoughts briefly flickered to his own letter, the paper almost identicle to the one his human friend had received. "Perhaps she is connected to this somehow."
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The brunette, possibly noticing the rest of the group for the first time, turned her dark, oblivious eyes to the rest of the unusual gaggle of humanoids that had plunked themselves down around the tavern. "Ooh!" She licked her plump lips, the pout vanishing in place for a bemused smile. Evidently, she was only half as vacant as her smile suggested. "What an unusual group!" She leaned back in her chair, shuffling her feet about against the wood floor. "...I wonder if their meat was just as dry as mine."
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Twitch blinked at Lubo's comment. He looked over in her direction, making a small chittering noise as he tilted his head to the side. He KNEW that Lubomira wasn't dumb. It's just that sometimes she was a bit off. The Thri-kreen had always assumed that it was some human thing, but this thought was always ruined by remembering some of the other humans he knew back at the monestary, and how they seemed normal enough. Twitch gave a small shrug as he stood up and nodded to Lubo. "Come on." Twitch approached the table that the Tiefling and Eladrin were located at, giving the two of them a small bow. "Greetings. Pardon me for being so abrupt, but I could not help but notice the two of you. I am Ti'chaka, Brother of the Eternal Lotus Academy. Might I inquire as to what brings you two here?"
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Having tucked herself behind Twitch, she peered out from behind her much taller companion, waiting for the collective reaction of the group before she could summon the courage to step out herself. "Oh! Where are my manners!" The short, dumpy young woman bit her lip, her skirt rustling around her ankles as she weaved in place, like a shy prepubescent girl. She fluttered her calloused fingers at the two, dark eyes warm and inviting. "I'm Lubomira. No long titles required, I promise!"
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"I am here because I was told via a letter to appear here at this time. I suspect that you," Aesral said as he indicated the tiefling with a gesture, "are as well, judging by the letter in your hands." He turned to Ti'chaka and Lubomira, asking, "In the interest of reciprocity, may I ask the two of you your reasons for being here?"
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Reverence turns to acknowledge the two strangers before providing an answer. "I'd say it was blackmail. There's no telling how many more people here are involved with it. It seems the method in which the information was gathered rivals, probably even bests, my own network. Someone needs a favor done in great haste and descretion." Realizing she has not introduced herself to the newcomers, Reverence extends an open hand to Ti'chaka and Lubomira, chuckling. "Where are my manners. You may address me as Reverence. As for this chap with the book," gesturing to the Eladrin, "I'm still waiting for a name, as opposed to something as crude as 'hey you with the book' or 'Eladrin'."
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Twitch nodded to the two humanoids, briefly glancing behind himself at Lubo. She thought she could hide behind him, when his torso was roughly one third the width of a human's. Sure, why not? Upon hearing the muttering of a letter and blackmail, Twitch tilted his head to the side as he swung his pack off his back. His smaller arms opened the pockets and slipped inside, shifting through his possessions before pulling out a simple letter, looking similar to the one held by Reverence. "I suppose that this letter in question contained some kind of secret you've told next to nobody. Sir and Ma'am, might Lubomira and I pull up a seat? It seems we've similar business to discuss."
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"My apologies for not introducing myself; my name is Aesral. Of course you may pull up a chair, it looks like there are a few over by that table in the other corner."
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"Thank you, Aesral. I have a pint on the way for me. Does anyone know if the food here is good, or, at the least, edible?" she said while wandering over to requisition the vacant chairs.
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"Oh! Well aren't they polite!" Without a second thought, she plunked herself in the nearest seat, eyeing the collection of letters and seemingly random assortment of people and races around the table. They all seemed nice enough at first glance, but she expected nothing less. She didn't have as much experience working with the rest of the races, but her father had told her plenty. It was on these stories of each race that she was relying, as the last time she had even seen an eladrin was from between her father's knees. She knitted her fingers together in her lap, taking the time to study the rest of the group. "...So, did you get a threat to release something embaressing into the public as well?"
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Twitch nodded at the invitation, pulling over a chair and sitting down before looking over at Reverence. "According to Lubomira, the venison is very dry and is in dire need of gravy." As he spoke, his larger arms shrugged his backpack off and set it on the ground next to him while his smaller arms began tapping their thin chitinous fingers together. He glanced around, first at each of his impromptu companions, then at the other denizens of the tavern. His monestary had a couple of Eladrin in it, but he had yet to encounter a Tiefling. "I wonder if anybody else got such a letter... At least four individuals invited by a similar letter at the threat of blackmail to the same place... This cannot be a coincidence."
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With your next drink or plate of food, whatever you ordered (and perhaps even if you didn't order anything at all), there is also a note. It reads: Greetings! I'm glad you could make it. Please, at your earliest convenience, meet me in the back room; there we will discuss matters of great importance. Feel free to bring with your food and drink  Within the span of five minutes, everyone at the table has a drink, at the very least, and a copy of this note.
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"In my experience, it is better to be polite than to not. That being said, I shan't like to keep our host waiting. I suggest you do the same." Reverence rose from her seat with her mug and notes, proceeding towards the back room.
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Twitch puzzled over the note, chittering softly to himself as he tilted his head to the side. Things were getting curious, and the Thri-kreen wasn't quite sure he liked where this was going. However, since their apparent 'host' was requesting their presence, and this host also had the strange ability to learn secrets about them, Reverence was correct. Twitch nodded, picking up his mug as he looked over at Lubomira. "Seems we're about to get answers..."
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Aesral stands up silently and follows the others to the back room, leaving his drink behind.
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The back room is pretty much the same as the main commons, but with only one table of a rather larger size. There are five empty seats arranged around the table; the sixth is occupied by a young man, lounging with his feet propped up on the table. He waves at you when you enter.
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Reverence enters the room, selecting the chair across from the man, rolling her eyes upon seeing his feet propped up. She places her mug on the table in front of her chair, and the note beside the mug, sliding it to the center of the table. "Why have you summoned me and to what does this concern?"
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Twitch warily looked over the young man. Having only recently arrived in the city, he had no clue as to the identity of the mysterious host. Still, it was a nice room, and it certainly was an impressive table. Though Twitch occasionally wondered if humans had some bizarre fixation with getting things that were larger than the average. Upon taking a seat, Twitch felt that Reverence voiced the best possible question and instead turned his attention to the room itself.
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Aesral doesn't sit, but instead stands in the right-hand corner, leaning against the wall and facing the young man. He quirks an eyebrow eloquently, and surveys the room.
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The party hears a ringing noise outside, as if an entire company's worth of soldiers were removing their mail at once, then the room's door swings open and hits the wall with a thump. In steps a young man. The boy - no more than 14 - has two sabers hanging from his belt, which is made from heavy leather, just like everything else he's wearing. Across his chest is a bandoleer to which every tool of the ne'er-do-well imaginable is affixed. The boy jingles and clinks as he walks in, and he scowls as he surveys the room. Noticing the empty chair, he looks knowingly at the fellow with his boots up on the table, before turning around and leaving. He returns a moment later with his hand on the arm of a wizened old man. "This must be the place, grandpa." The old man has gray skin and hawkish features, accentuated by a long wispy beard. He speaks, "Oho, an adventure! Well I can't see what you fellows need with an old rogue like me, but I'm sure it will be a grand time! I just hope I can remember how to throw my knives, only thing they've carved these last 20 years is sticks and soap. Still, nothing keeps you young like..." he trails off and stops abruptly as he notices himself rambling. "Off you go, Junior. Tell your mother I'll be home late, I'd be obliged if she were to leave some supper in the pot for me." The boy rolls his eyes as his grandfather kisses him on the cheek, then turns on his heel and walks noisily out. The old man pads slowly over to the open chair and removes his traveling cloak to reveal a rogue's outfit cut rather tastelessly from crimson and scarlet cloth, obviously made for a much younger man. He bows with a flourish, "Squab the Rouge, at your service," he sits down with a heavy breath, "Now you all have my name, I would like very much to know all of yours."
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As the young lady ambled off after Twitch, a little apprehensive at following a group of people she had just met, she almost collided with Squab as she shuffled after Twitch. While always the graceful one in speech, that never applied to her footwork. The tiny young lady ricocheted off the older gentleman, her cheeks flushing a deep ruddy red as much out of embaresssment as it was out of shame. "Aah! I'm so sorry sir!" She burst out, meekly slipping past him and taking a seat, wishing for all the world to shrink and vanish into thin air. In an attempt to focus her attention elsewhere (And keep her face hidden from the gentleman she almost bowled over), she locked eyes on the young man that summoned them all. "Then...you must be the mysterious letter writer!" She leaned into the table, her grin as warm as summer sunshine, despite the keen and rather cold intellect behind it. "You're certainly chipper, considering the gravity of the threats you seemed to have dispensed upon us all."
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Twitch looked up at this showy entrance, briefly surprised at this sudden entrance, tilting his head to the side in curiosity. After Squab took his seat, it took a few minutes of Twitch's mouth-parts working without result before he was able to speak up. "Er, forgive me... I am Ti'chaka of the Eternal Lotus academy."
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"And I am Aesral."
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Turning to the old man with the big entrance, Reverence gives him a slight nod with a stoic face. "Charmed, I'm sure," she says in a voice to match her face, "I am Reverence." She raises her mug to offer a toast. "Here's to your spirit. May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live." "You," turning her gaze towards the well-off man "can buy all of us with the amount of money you have, and that is pretty much what you have done to bring us here tonight. What do you need done that only we can accomplish?"
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"Right then. Business it is. My name is Jared; I would like to employ you to retrieve a number of items for me from a site that has only recently been discovered. I have descriptions of the items, so don't worry about that - the only thing you'll need to do is find the items, and bring them to me."
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Twitch chittered softly to himself, nervously reaching up with one of his claws to gently chew on it. A small nervous habit of his, but one that helped him mull over Jared's offer. "If I may be so bold... Why us? You could have put out more general requests as opposed to finding out who we were, learning something embarassing about all of us, and sending out these personalized letters?" The more Twitch thought about it, the less sense it made. How did Jared find out about them? How did he find out about their secrets? And why them? Why go through the effort of picking out five people in particular?
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"Good point, good point. The fact of the matter is, we're dealing with some rather sensitive material. Artifacts of Power, to be perfectly candid with you. If people found out about the site I'm sending you to? Well, I shudder to think what could occur." He pauses, and looks at each and every one of you with rather trusting eyes. "I'm a simple man, who believes that people are still bound to their word - but my Seneschal is not. He insisted upon the - motivation - you refer to. "Now! What I want you to bring to me are these," he says, placing a small, wood-bound book on the table, open to the first page. "These are Artifacts of some substantial importance, and items that I have reason to believe are contained within the site. Anything else you discover inside the site is yours to keep - these Artifacts, however, I request you bring straight to me."
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Twitch, the book not seeming to stir any memories in him, merely gave a low clicking noise. His head tilted to the side as he tried to make out any form of title on the object. "Forgive me, but I seemed to be neglectful in the studies avaliable to me in the monestary. Could you possibly give us a more detailed description of what it is that we're looking for?"
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Aesral turns to the young man, and says, "If I understand correctly, you are going to attempt to obtain items that are associated with various deities. Judging by your stating that they were artifacts of power, I would think there is only one of each item. Might the god each item belongs to object to its being taken?"
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"Perhaps not if the god or goddess to which it belongs is missing...or worse. I seem to recall the pantheon being a bit of a puzzle lacking a few pieces to make it whole and balanced."
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"If so, I find myself wondering what the ramifications of claiming such an item would be; as well as what might be required to do so."
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..."A little thievry, a little bargaining, and a chance to see the world, possibly parts that no one has ever seen. Discover things no one has ever discovered, and sell them at a nice profit. Does that sound like too much for you, bookworm? I'm sure this old geezer," extending a hand to Squab, "still has some fight in him for a treasure hunt."
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"I am not at all opposed to this venture; quite the opposite in fact: I am thoroughly intrigued by the opportunity to investigate what once was and what might yet be..."
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Turning to the Teifling, grabbing the hand with a surprising strength "In fact young one I rarely turn down a challenge, and would rather die in my own failure than a decrepit old man wallowing in success... well you know."
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"How marvelous. He wants to be active instead of having any sort of retirement. Are the rest of you in as well?" She asks those who have not yet voiced an opinion on the prospective adventure while motioning to free her hand from Squab. "If so, I'm sure Jared would be more than happy to give us directions to our starting point to find the treasures of which this book speaks." Reverence finishes the rest of her drink in a casual fashion, waiting for a reply, reading through the book for a general idea of Jared's quarry.
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Squab teases Reverence by not letting her hand leave so quickly. "Yes I am interested to see what you young ones are doing in this day and age.
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"Were this stealing from a poor family, I could not condone it. However, since from what I gather this would be considered more of an archeological search..." Twitch sat back, musing silently to himself. Still, messing with the Gods? From the stories he heard, that almost NEVER ended well. He glanced over at Lubo, tilting his head to the side. "What do you think?"
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"I am not the type to go bothering any demigods or otherwise immortal beings, as that never ends well. They hold very nasty grudges, you know, and playing around with what may have been a mirror or a sword that belonged to some ancient deity could bring a lot of nastiness down upon our heads. Some god from a long dead civilization could awaken with all the sweet disposition of a troll with a bad hang-over, and then we'd really be stuck!" Her dark lips pursed, resigning herself to another long trek with an almost melodramatic puff of air. "To be completely fair, I would follow wherever you lead me Twitch. So long as I'm not dead by the end of this little treasure hunt, I think could manage." She threw the rest of the table a sheepish smile, her calloused fingers drumming on the wood. "...I really hope you all don't mind my cooking..."
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Looking up from the book, Reverence turns to Jared with the slightest of smirks, "I believe we are in agreement to do this for you. Show us where we need to begin this quest, and possibly give us some supplies so we may be safe on our way and have a chance to return your prizes to you."
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Jared lays a map down on the table, and points, quite unnecessarily, at a location that has been circled in red ink. "The excavation site," he proclaims. "I was there last week - takes about two days to get there, so keep in mind your supply levels when you decide it's time to return. I know how easy it is to get caught up in the exploration of a new local, but we don't want you to end up with no water on the walk home, eh eh?"
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Twitch looked over at Jared, tilting his head to the side as he took note of the ink-marked location. There was a lot of sense in what Jared said. However, he looked up at the human and tilted his head to the side. "Forgive me, I mean no offense... I simply wish to understand. You want us to head out, journey for about two days, head into a potentially dangerous situation, and retrieve artifacts that may or may not be divine in origin. What sort of compensation can we expect from such a risky endevour?" Twitch didn't consider himself greedy, at least no more so than any other sentient creature. However, he also felt that doing such a deed for next to no benefit aside from "I won't tell people your secrets" to be foolish, which was something that the Thri-kreen had no patience for.
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"Indeed" States Squab with a overly posed hand on his chin, "Your actions and words do contridict each other" If you know enough about us to know our deepest secrets you would also know if we are or are not trust worthy. You would also know if we should be able to succeed to the best of our abilities. Additionally you would also know that I, for instance, come from a wastland with little in the way of supplies. You would also know that we, as it seems, would find you much more trustworthy if you had some investment in our success. Basically some supplies would be useful as well as any information you hold that would assist us in our travels."
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Jared looks at all of you with an expression of faint surprise. "Well, of course I can give you a stipend. How does 25 gold each sound? And really, I did mention that everything you find that isn't mentioned in this book is yours. As far as I can tell, the site used to be some sort of ritual space - a temple, perhaps, but long forgotten. I imagine the Gods will be quite pleased by your efforts to bring memories of the glory days back into the arena of public thought. Why, you remember Sir Jackson, don't you? He discovered that sacrificial clearing a few years back, and look what has come to him since then! Fame, riches, a beautiful wife - don't tell me that isn't the blessing of the gods! They themselves may not walk the earth, you know - when a temple is forgotten by us mortals, there is little They can do about it."
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Twitch's flingers slowly clicked together as he processed Jared's terms, muttering softly to himself before he spoke up. "Well, I personally cannot see anything WRONG with this proposition. Adventuring like this would be an excellent way to hone my craft and help see the world. Very well mister Jared, I will take on this task."
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"Let us leave immediately," said Reverence. "The faster we accomplish this task, the quicker each of us can get on with life." Her patience had been wearing a little thin. Reverence did not enjoy being delayed when there were things to do, especially when money was involved. "Let us prepare and be on the move." Reverence rose from her seat, gave a bow to Jared and walked out the room.
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"May we all have a glorious death, or at the very least a fabulous adventure" Squab raises his drink in toast.
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Jared watches Reverence leave, eyebrow raised in a practiced arch. "Does she not want the stipend then? I suppose one of you can make sure it gets to her..."
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"Jared, I would like to ask a few questions of you. For instance, what do you expect we may face on the way to acquire the artifacts? Do you possess any maps that we could copy so as to have a better idea of how to navigate once we are in the general area? If there are any diagrams of the layout of the site where the artifacts were found, that could help a great deal. My current understanding is that information about this discovery has so far only made it to relatively few people, but I am planning to operate on the premise that, should more people learn of it, they will try to obtain the artifacts for themselves. Thus, it would also be helpful if you could tell us if you know of any others who are interested in these artifacts aside from yourself."
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"Well, when it comes to food, Lubomira and I may be able to assist with that. I consider myself a decent hunter, and you'll enjoy her cooking." Twitch looked over at Aesril, listening to the words coming from the Eladrin. "Wait, if we're going into some kind of tomb... Oh dear, I hope that some of the people here are versed in the removal of traps..."
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Nodding at Aesral's questions, Jared flips the map over, where another map is visible. "We haven't succeeded in entering the chamber yet. That will be part of your job. A tent has been set up, over the excavation - we've made it to look like a camp site as much as possible. I have a servant well-deserving of his rest away from responsibility living there, to keep up the facade. As for who is interested in the Artefacts? I should think you'd know better than that. EVERYONE is interested. Thus, my rather justified precautions."
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"Perhaps I should have phrased my last question differently - out of the people who already know of the site, are there any who would seek to obtain the artifacts in your place? My thinking is that, if there are competitors who already know of the excavation, we are much more likely to face them early on than those who have not yet received news of this discovery. Thus, any information about such individuals could help inform us as to what countermeasures should be taken. Additionally, is there any way that misinformation could be spread about both the location of the site and its contents? That might serve to give us additional time - controlling all leaks is impossible, but making the ones that are true impossible to identify in a sea of falsehood is very doable."
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"The people who know about the site, those not presently inside this room, number two. My Seneschal, and the servant, whom you will meet upon arrival at the site. Your suggestions are not needed or wanted; rest assured, I have done all that is in my power to make sure the site remains secure." Jared sits up in his seat, and suddenly you are reminded that he is a Lord, and you are commoners. His manner suggests that you shouldn't forget that fact again.
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Twitch tilted his head to the side, thoughtfully chewing on one of his claws. He muttered to himself, a few words of Elvish. Looking towards Aesril and nodded softly. "I believe that my questions are answered. I am ready to leave soon." Looking over at the curly-haired woman among them, Twitch spoke up again. "Lubomira? Is everything acceptable to you?"
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Reverence pokes her head back into the room with a bit of an irritated look on her face. "Are we quite ready to leave or should I go about slaughtering the people in this establishment in a vain attempt to murder time in cold blood?"
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Squab stands "i quite agree" and leaves.
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Aesral stands, and says: "Quite so. It would certainly be best to begin immediately, to afford any opposition as little time as possible." Bowing to his host, he takes his leave.
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Noticing that everybody was leaving, Twitch stood up and nodded to Lubo. "We should take our leave as well." Turning his attention to their host, Twitch gave a small bow. "I am sure that we will accomplish your request without any trouble. Good day to you sir." Polite, but not necessarily warm. After all, this man had threatened to blackmail all of them.
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Lubo's head snapped up from her chest, her glazed eyes snapping back open open. As she tried to gather exactly what she had just missed, it occurred to her that every single person had already stood back up and was about to leave. That meal had been more heavy than she had remembered, and out she went. It didn't help that the hike out here had left her exhausted. It took a lot of energy to move her short little frame than it looked, so when she turned her dark doe-like eyes to twitch, it was as obvious as the sunrise that she had absolutely no idea what was going on. "Oh! Oh yes! I completely agree with whatever you just said!" She chimed in, leaping to her feet. "...Aah, Twitch, fill me in. Where are we going?"
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Twitch gave a sigh, patting Lubo on her shoulder as he turned to lead her out of the room. "Come on, I'll fill you in on the details. We're going to some archeological site to brave a lost tomb no doubt full of ancient but inexplicably working deathtraps and full of all kinds of monsters to find treasures that supposedly belonged to gods. You know, standard adventuring fare."
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"Oh, the usual! Shouldn't be too bad then." She saddled up her things, rocking on her heels amid the pots and pans dangling in the straps, her little body just about swallowed by the leather pack. "It sounds like it won't be as bad as the last trip out, no?"
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NEW LOCATION UNLOCKED: Excavation Site Exterior After two days of travel, the party arrives at the location on the map. The area is heavily wooded, with trees of various ages growing up close together, and a scattering of large, leafy bushes. Ahead, you see a semi-perminant tent - maybe even a yurt. The walls are thick canvas, and you can't see any shadows through it. Behind the yurt is a campfire, shielded on the north side by a crumbling stone wall. There is no one in sight.
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Aesral approaches the yurt, and circles it until he comes to an entrance. He raises his hand to the canvas, scratches against it, and says in a slightly raised voice "Pardon me, is anyone here? I am Aesral, and am here along with the other adventurers Jared has employed."
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There is no answer. If you look to the right, by the campfire,you will see a sign that reads "GONE FISHING".
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Squab Laughs, "well, we can either wait, or go looking for him."
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Twitch noticed the sign, blinking in curiosity. Sure, he understood the importance of maintaining food supplies, but he found it very curious that they wouldn't even leave one person behind in case something exactly like this happened. "Perhaps we simply arrived at a bad time." Calling back what he could tell about the landscape, Twitch scanned the horizon before one of his manipulator arms pointed off in one direction. "I believe there is a lake in that direction. It should be about a two-hour walk. That would be the best place to go fishing, or at least the closest."
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Reverence ponders the situation for a moment before giving a scoff at the thought of going to look for the outsider. "It's worth a try. Although, just because the sign says 'gone fishin' does not mean said person is fishing for fish. They could be fishing for pidgeons. They might get lucky with this lot." I am much more comfortable waiting by the fire for a party to show us the way we should head...if any. At least with this, we know where we stand and are less likely to get lost looking around for someone in unfamiliar territory" She tries her hardest to not make a sound while moving towards the fire for a sit-down.
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Aesral nods toward Reverence. "Indeed. Also, it is likely a good thing for us to be here, in case anyone with ill intentions tries to make a move on the site while the caretaker is gone. However, I do think that we should set a limit on when we expect him to be back, and plan accordingly - after all, something might happen to him while he's 'gone fishing', and it would be best to try and forestall that."
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"Was there only supposed to be one person here. I know there was a single name given but were we actually told their would be multiple"
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Sitting by the fire, Reverence surveys the area while letting her mind wander, occasionally tending the fire. Under her breath, she mutters, "You all worry too much. How about relaxing a little."
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You all sit there, around the fire, for close to two hours, and yet the mysterious fishing servant has yet to return. It's possible that the more chaotic-inclined members of the party spend this time pondering the stupidity of waiting for some mystery man to show up instead of investigating the area you were sent to, but then again - you may just be thinking about good ways to make a stew with what you brought in your pack.
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Reverence does not mind tending the fire, but her patience is wearing thin. "If you want to explore the surrounding territory at this point, be my guest. I'm sticking by the light and heat. Anybody want to try and prove they are a better cook than the folks at that tavern?"
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Twitch had taken to playing his flute, the soft melody helping to pass the time. At Reverence's remark, he lowered the instrument and looked over at Lubo. "Do you have enough for a stew? If not, I can go see what I can forage up."
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Reaching into her pack, Reverence takes a quick count of her food before turning back to Twitch. "I think I have enough for about 7 more days if we choose to make a stew. It has to be better fare than the tavern."
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Everyone gets the feeling that a thousand voices have suddenly called out - and then reached to smack you upside the head.
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The sudden jerk of, whatever it was, made Twitch flinch, his eyes darting around in surprise. "Er, did anybody else feel that? Perhaps we should go look for whoever we were supposed to meet."
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Aesral stands and says, "On closer examination, this tent is small enough that it's unlikely to be anything other than a cover for the excavation. I believe it would be prudent to enter." He walks over to the flap, pushes it aside, and walks in, being careful of his footing.
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Twitch looked over at Aesral, considering his words before he nodded, standing up and looking over at the others. "I suppose dinner can wait when we're camping in the maze of doom." Shrugging his pack on, Twitch began walking after the Eladrin, stopping at the entryway and waiting for the others to catch up.
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Knowing she was not about to get a meal anytime soon, Reverence rose to follow the others, thinking to herself how hard it was to get others to do her dirty work. "Okay...let's get this over with."
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Lubo had already begun to unpack her pots and pans when it seemed like everyone had up and left. Getting a touch panicky being completely on her own, she let out a nervous whine, pursing her dark lips. "Err...Twitch? Mr. Eladrin-fellow? ...Anyone?" She stood, her lip trembling in a half-pout as she donned her bag, leaving the pots behind as she charges after the rest as fast as her stumpy little legs can carry her, diving under the canvas after Twitch. "WAIT! Don't leave me here! I hate the dark!"
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Twitch gave his bizarre chittering laugh at Lubo's anxious actions, nodding to her as she approached the rest of the group. "Do not worry Lubo. I would not leave you out here on your own. You know me better than to think I would abandon one who saved me."
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"Oh good!" Huddling herself up behind the giant insect, she advanced after them, shuffling her feet and peeking out from behind his carapace as they moved along. "I wouldn't quite call it abandoning either. More like...forgetting, or perhaps slipping one's mind!"
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Twitch chuckled softly as he began walking down the hall after Aesral, glancing behind him at Lubo. "Relax. I couldn't forget you, even if I tried." Normally his speech patterns were more formal, but when it was just Lubo he was talking to, he felt more at ease.
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Squab follows quietly, ready for a fight.
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