Re: Sanguinary Pleasures [IC, DM: Ur-Quan]
Aren't we getting a bit ahead of ourselves? First we need to identify our enemies, and then there's the whole messy business of taking them down. If any of them put up a fight before they give up, well, a summary execution would probably be a mercy.
Kalis pauses to sip his tea, with a grimace at the throbbing in his skull set into being just by speaking those few sentences.
On the other hand, the more time we spend in this business the more likely it is that one of us will be injured. When that happens, I would much prefer that our good physician knows all there is to know on the subject.
Re: Sanguinary Pleasures [IC, DM: Ur-Quan]
Alsai considers what Kalis says, especially his mentioning of potential injury. She hadn't actually considered that. This would be her first real combat. The thought, however, doesn't make the young Ur-Seeker nervous; her confidence in her ability to channel Ur is strong enough that she doesn't fear injury. Even if her armor was compromised she didn't have anything to worry about. Kalis' mention of Valyn's profession brings back faint memories of something Instructor Ravenik had said years ago. One of the things he had spoken of often were the professions based on using knowledge to accomplish things that the Ur-Seekers would need to use their own abilities for. Learning all of the biology, techniques and similar things one needed to be able to competently perform the many different procedures necessary to master the practice would take far longer than the Ur-Seekers had.
Although I do not wish to belittle the work of Tri-Scholar Valyn, unless either of you have something against it, my ability to work the fabric of Ur is probably sufficient enough to provide care for any of us injured during combat. Alsai says, her eyes mostly on the aforementioned elf while she speaks, flickering only occasionally to Kalis.
Re: Sanguinary Pleasures [IC, DM: Ur-Quan]
Valyn nods in agreement, putting the unpleasantness of the previous conversation behind him and dismissing it as an extremely unfortunate misunderstanding. Inwardly he hopes that such problems begin to show up with decreasing frequency, while outwardly he comments, "That is probably a much more efficient use of our resources. If however we end up needing more healing than your abilities can provide, it is always good to have other options. Do either of you have thoughts on where we should begin our investigation?"
Re: Sanguinary Pleasures [IC, DM: Ur-Quan]
"With no other clues, the only place to start is to check that map Braun gave us, and investigate the site of their most recent raid."
Re: Sanguinary Pleasures [IC, DM: Ur-Quan]
As you plan and plan, the tavern gets even more people filling the common room. You can see a bard in the distance, near the cracking fireplace. He starts singing and playing his lute.
"Down the slopes of death he rides
The chains of his pound like drums
Darkness reigns the crumbling sky
Invasion has begun
Fields of flames greets his eye
He smells the fear and pain
Of dying men in agony
It can drive a man insane
All enemies flee his gaze
No bow nor axe do harm
The Judge rides out on fields ablaze
When the saints sound the alarm
He knows now what is to come
No use to try and run
What is to be, let it be done
What is to be, let it be done
The spirits of the departed try
Running and resisting, fighting
Their siblings and women cry
Weeping and sobbing, resisting
Cyriel is a cruel God, forever-fair
His arrival marks the start of war
Vultures will leave the bones bare
Ringing chains chill the fighers core
All enemies flee his gaze
No bow nor axe do harm
The Judge rides out on fields ablaze
When the saints sound the alarm
When the saints sound the alarm."
The bard bows down and leaves out a vessel for people to drop coins. You can see everyone is dropping at least a copper coin, as it's customary to pay for the performance. Your knowledge of religion lets you know this is a song to Cyriel, The Judge, human-creating deity. The people seem to be respecting the *trade* of the song by giving out coin to the performer, so it's quite a popular song for Bards to play if they want their skills to shine for profit.
Re: Sanguinary Pleasures [IC, DM: Ur-Quan]
As their discussion of plans deepens, Valyn is distracted as the lyrics of the song the bard is playing catch his attention. At the fifth stanza, Valyn feels his body go numb as he is momentarily trapped in his memories.
Red-brown hair. He looks so harmless. He smiles. Something is wrong with his eyes. A flash of steel. Blood everywhere.
When he returns to the present, Valyn takes a moment to push down the sudden surge of emotions, leaving them as fuel for the inner fire which never quite goes out.
Valyn stands, drawing out a single copper from his coin purse before speaking to the group. "If we are finished planning, I suggest we depart shortly. I am unfamiliar with the surrounding area and I would like to arrive at our destination before nightfall." With a slight bow of his head, he excuses himself to go over to the vessel into which the people have been depositing their coin. His hand, the one with the copper coin inside, trembles for a moment before finally becoming steady as he releases the coin. Having satisfactorily paid the bard for his performance, he turns and walks out the door.
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I'm going to assume that the 'planning' that went on at the table was the IC planning which explains any meta-gaming that goes on during combat. (Oh no this person's in trouble I should help them) or more probably (Flanking bonus!)
Also, those of you familiar with the Mass Effect universe might recognize some similarities between the Drell's recollection of past events and what Valyn experienced during the song. Key difference being Valyn doesn't remember everything, just particularly emotional moments in time, and doesn't verbalize the memories he's experiencing unless he chooses to.
Re: Sanguinary Pleasures [IC, DM: Ur-Quan]
As the Bard sings of Cyriel, Kalis feels the butterflies well up in his stomach, in spite of himself. The last thing he needed right now was a musical rendition of The Judge riding down and slaying his enemies.
"Yes, let's not delay any longer."
As Valyn pays for the song and leaves, Kal hastily gets up to follow, and is soon greeted by a particularly hard throb to the head. Doing his level best to conceal his physical and emotional discomfort, he sloppily drops a few coppers into the Bard's container and departs.
Re: Sanguinary Pleasures [IC, DM: Ur-Quan]
Alsai listens to the song intently. This kind of performance was something that she had never really encountered before, not even during her short time in these lands. It was an interesting mixture of a story and music, although the precise lyrics didn't really make sense to the Ur-Seeker. Whichever being was being referenced and described by the man was unknown to her - presumably it was a deity worshiped by the people of these lands. The lines that strike a metaphorical chord within her, however, are those about the suffering and resistance of those who are left behind when the god departs with the souls of those it slew. Such a strange song. Unsure precisely how to react once the man finishes the music, Alsai simply waits for a few moments to see how her comrades respond.
As both of the elves stand to go, Alsai follows, hesitantly laying a single bronze star in the vessel, taking care to avoid eye contact. She goes away from the man as quickly as she can without breaching politeness; something about his performance, perhaps, gives her the feeling that she should have nothing to do with him. She considers not only her own feelings, but those of her comrades - Valyn, in particular, seemed to be somehow effected by it. Alsai didn't know precisely how, but the elf had definitely shown signs of an intense emotional response - something that the Ur-Seeker is slightly embarrassed about having noticed in the first place.
Re: Sanguinary Pleasures [IC, DM: Ur-Quan]
As Valyn exits the inn, he glances at the sun's position in the sky, before turning to see his companions following him out of the building. Once they have gotten near enough for them to be within comfortable speaking distance he turns and begins to walk in what he believes to be the direction of their destination. "Kalis," he says, "Do you have any thoughts on the route we should take to the ambush site? I doubt you've been to the location in question, but you're probably the most familiar with this area out of the three of us..."
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So I don't know if all of you are still interested in this continuing... I completely accept that the horrible gap in anything happening has been completely my fault... I'm sorry it took me over a week to post in the OOC thread that things were getting really hectic, but everything has calmed down now and should be completely fine for the foreseeable future... I am still interested in this campaign continuing if everyone else is...
Re: Sanguinary Pleasures [IC, DM: Ur-Quan]
Kal shakes his head, "I'm new here myself, other than generally keeping a low profile I couldn't suggest anything specific."
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I don't think you're the only one who had disappeared.
Re: Sanguinary Pleasures [IC, DM: Ur-Quan]
OOC:
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Well, I'm back from GB, and I think I'll start back up with a post thiiiis big!
Edit while writing the post: Oh, right it's cold outside. Oh, and Alsai always sounds like she's reading. The little details you find while rereading the thread.
As she stands, Alsai returns her right hand to her gauntlet, once again taking it from sight. Upon leaving the building, Alsai lightly claps her gauntlet covered hands together lightly, barely making any noise due to the thickness of the fabric. This movement is followed closely by both a light tap on the bottom of the handle of her mace and an all but imperceptible movement of her lips. This routine, yet another scrap of her old life brought out to this foreign place, feeds the ever-present fire of determination she feels within her. A sense of duty towards her home and people. A mixture of an oath and a need, one to fulfill her task no matter how much this strange world and its alien customs shake the Ur-Seeker. For a moment she allows herself to become lost in her thoughts, although she quickly brings her attention back to the physical world as they begin to get further from the exit of the tavern. Quickening her step for a few moments, Alsai catches up with her elven comrades just as Valyn begins to speak, positioning herself a polite distance from him (a little closer than an arm's length) to listen.
As the Tri-Scholar speaks, Alsai inclines her head slightly, to keep both him and the path ahead in her field of vision, which causes her pure white braid to slip down from its former resting place on her armored shoulder. It slides downwards and swings with her steps, slowly losing momentum until the wind picks it up. At his mention of Arcanist Kalis' superior local knowledge, she nods slightly. Adaptation was one of the many steps of Ur - it would be important to give the temporary authority that greater knowledge gave to whoever held that knowledge. If they could do so, the group would be able to adapt much more easily and quickly to new situations. Such a trait would be vital in the long term. Despite this, Alsai still feels a lingering distaste as she focuses her attention on the other elf. She knows that group cohesion is a matter of self control and coordination, so the Ur-Seeker ignores the urge to comment on Kalis' admitted lack of knowledge.
I passed through the town multiple times earlier. I remember that there is a single route that will allow us to get fairly close to the site quite soon, Alsai says, her tone that of someone reading aloud as it always is - even with the wine from last night and this morning, that has yet to change. The cold doesn't put a shiver into her voice - perhaps because of the layers of armor she carries providing quite a bit of insulation, or simply that the Ur-Seeker has grown accustomed to cold weather.
Re: Sanguinary Pleasures [IC, DM: Ur-Quan]
Valyn nods in agreement with the suggested course of action. "Well then, unless either of you have other business to attend to, let us be on our way. Ur-seeker Alsai, if you would lead the way along the route you say that you recall?" Valyn gestures for Alsai to take the lead. As he waits for her to do so, and proceeds to follow, he notices that the weather is cooler than he is used to, and makes a mental note to purchase a warmer outfit if he discovers it is likely to get much colder.