Shadows of Anmer IC

[CockroachTeaParty]

Melchia looks over at Rubido as he begins to skin the crocodile. He looks away in mild distaste.
<How do I feel?>
There is a 'pause' for a moment. Melchia's gaze seems distant, as if he is briefly lost in memory.
<…You are very talented, Selia. And brave, as this exchange seems to make evident. I find your company pleasant… But, you should know, I have a history of people pushing me away. At first I did not understand why, but… I ask that you be patient with me. I've erected certain defenses over the years, on my own. As the mind is my battlefield, I've come to guard my own thoughts and feelings, as Rubido might wear a suit of armor or bear a shield.>
The young telepath looks Selia in the eyes… is he blushing? Or is that just burnt skin?
<But I do like you, Selia. I'm frankly baffled that anyone could feel such things for me, considering…>
He shakes his head and stands, offering her a hand to help her stand. He then speaks aloud, softly.
"A swamp seems hardly a fitting backdrop for such a discussion. But you certainly have my attention."

[PersonMan]

Selia's smile grows during Melchia's reply and she grins as he offers her his hand. It was nice to have a direct talk like this, and she couldn't help but be amused by the occasional moments where it became oh so clear that the psion was not used to such things.

<I understand. It's part of what I see in you. Your past has forced you to harden your heart, but you haven't shut out the world. If it's what you need, I can help you and we'll work through any issues together.> It was clear through the mindlink that Selia was definitely enjoying the praise he was giving as well as the (albeit not total) requital of her feelings.

"Well, I certainly hope so, it normally takes a lot less than that to get someone's notice," Selia teases. For a moment she keeps a hold of his hand before releasing it and sending a sort of affirming ping through the mind link - not exactly a full though, just a feeling. A reassurance that she's only teasing him. "Hey, how hurt are you? I doesn't look like you took much of a beating, but I still have a pinch of energy I can use for healing," she says, breathing into her hands before flexing them. She then runs them over her face, through her hair and over her clothing, seemingly wiping off the muck, blood and other undesirable stuff that tends to gather when one is in a fight. Once she finishes herself, she turns to Melchia with a gesture and mental offer to clean him, as well.


OOC:

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Ah, Prestidigitation.

It has a range of 10', but the image of someone just wiping off dirt by rubbing themselves down is pretty cool in my opinion.

(I drastically edited Selia's actions in this shortly after making the post, due to misunderstanding something in the post before.)

[CockroachTeaParty]

Melchia arches an eyebrow at Selia's offer, but seeing her clean herself so easily impresses him.
<Well, if it is no trouble, I wouldn't mind looking more presentable. Not sure if it will do much good; we still have a ways to go through this fen, and I do not wager any of us are getting out of here ready to attend the duchess' ball.>

[PersonMan]

Selia puts her hands together, palms towards Melchia, concentrating as she slowly lowers them. It was always fun to see the muck and grime just peel off or disappear when she did this.

<I've personally never really enjoyed walking around covered in my own dried blood, so I think it's worth the trouble even if I have to do it again later.> Selia thinks to Melchia as she finishes.

Raising her voice, Selia turns towards where Rubido was working on skinning the crocodile. "Hey Rubido? Do you want to be covered in highwayman blood all day, or should I get rid of it?" She would probably want to get rid of it even if he didn't mind - stuff like that generally didn't smell very good and they still had quite a ways to walk.

[Overlord Rion]

Rubido looked down at his clothes. The rip in his pants was going to bother him the most, he felt. The blood...well, he probably shouldn't mention the amount of shirts he's gone through doing what he did a few minutes ago.

"Honestly, if you could get the blood and the rip in my pants, I would be very much appreciative."

He glanced back to the crocodile. "But give me a moment first to finish this one. I think I may have enough for a belt along with the sheath and boots. I'm going to be more gaudy than someone covered in polished metal, and I'm going to enjoy it dammit!"

[PersonMan]

Selia shakes her head. "I can get the blood, but I can't repair things with the type of energy I have right now," she says. Closing the distance, Selia holds up her hands and sweeps them downwards, sending out invisible power to remove the blood covering Rubido.

"I can't imagine what it must be like, having to get new clothes all the time, if you don't have power like this," Selia muses, looking at her hands. Every now and then she thought of just how useful it was to be strong like she was.

[Overlord Rion]

Rubido makes his appreciation known to Selia by clapping her on the shoulder. "Wonder, now I just need some green patches to fix up this shirt. In the meantime, I think I have an extra outfit in my pack once we're out of this area." Rubido quickly and carefully packages the skin from the crocodile into his pack.

"So, shall we continue on our merry way?"

[zimmerwald1915]

As the plants began to recede, freeing his ankles, and as Melchia fed Selia a potion, Otrino decides the best place for him would be in the background. He dismisses the centipede with a wave of his hand, not wanting it to get in the way of anything in the time it had left on this plane.

By the time he had finished, Rubido had just gotten up from beside the body of their attacker, and Melchia and Selia were kneeling and sitting, respectively, beside one another in total silence. What that means is obvious, to a degree, and Otrino takes a few steps in the opposite direction. Prometeo, however, tightens around his ankle in a way that would have tripped Otrino up if the snake's tail had been attached to anything. Maybe the animal had sensed something, because it was just at that time that Otrino started hearing words again.

"People seem to manage," he says, turning back to the group and picking up on the most irrelevant thing possible to talk about. His skin is bright red and stretched tight, and he seems to be gritting his teeth, so the words come out in bursts. "Mostly Rubido's way, with patches and thread, unless they have more means than they know what to do with." He takes a deep breath through his nose, pressing his lips together, then keeps going. "Though if you want a seamless repair tomorrow, it shouldn't be a problem.

"As for 'merry,' that depends. Was this another of Horatio's goons?"

[CockroachTeaParty]

Melchia offers Otrino a healing potion. He glances at the body of the druid dispassionately.
"I somehow doubt it. He seemed to be a crazed, lone swamp hermit turned highwayman. The Druidic code is liable to be interpreted... differently, by some, it would seem."
Melchia shoulders his crossbow, still frustrated that he forgot to purchase more ammunition. He would have to rely on his mind alone for any coming conflicts, at least until they returned to civilization.
"I am ready to proceed. Was there anything of worth on the druid?"

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I forgot, did we search his body for stuff? We should totally Loot Him Ass.

[mucco]

The druid has one pouch in his clothing holding two hundred platinum.

You walk for four days in the marsh. The bad weather and horrible road conditions slow you down considerably, and you are all strained as you arrive in the city of Icmud.

Melchia

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The night before arriving in Icmud, your dream is tormented by nightmares, not unlike the ones before your meeting with Selia and Rubido. This time, you do not remember clearly what you dreamt; you do remember that Selia was there, and was saying something. You dream of Rubido and his gypsy spouse, and you remember seeing a baby turning into a child of five or six years in seconds. You can't remember why the dream was scary.

Icmud, from the outside, looks a bit larger than Galsaff - but it is considerably less defended. Goblins do not dare enter the marsh, and the land around is very inhospitable, with few suitable places for farming and such. Some windmills exist that try to pump away the water, but they're few and far between. The city itself is walled by a twelve feet tall wall of wooden beams and reeds. A couple bowmen guards look at you with interest, without hostility, as you step into the city. You find that it is very well maintained inside, with mostly clean dirt roads and even a couple flower bushes on the side and near the wooden houses. The population looks quite poor, but the town is definitely alive - lots of people walk in the street, doing their business. Most of them look a bit fat, even, despite their simple and sometimes ragged clothes.

You take your time around the city, consuming a local meal, getting to know the people, and asking for information around about the Sunflower of Life that the guardian wanted. You discover a bunch of things:

- There are mostly humans here, but elves are a sizeable minority; you see a couple undead walk down the street too: they're necropolitans, and their presence in the city is tolerated.
- The old church of Pelor is in ruins, and next to it there is a tiny temple, barely more than a hut, consecrated to Boccob. The priest there cries for the lack of scrolls of Remove Disease, due to the scarcity of traders.
- The person holding the Sunflowers is the mayor of the town (this place elects its ruler), an illumian named Ian Bleamis. One youngster, quite keen for her age, offers to steal a seed for you, for a price of four thousand.
- This place has an adventurers' guild, where needy people leave their written pleas and treasure seekers ask for help in discovering valuables.
- The local diet is heavily dependent on what can be grown in the swamp, which is mostly a cereal rich in sugar and a plants that yields a drink very similar to beer. Both these foods are a cause for obesity in the city.
- You were the first visitors in quite some time.

[CockroachTeaParty]

For the remainder of the swamp trip, Melchia remains quiet. Selia finds him almost shy or bashful; he seems to find any display of affection as unseemly, especially in the presence of the others. Still, she actually manages to elicit smiles from the usually emotionless psion, and he walks with a certain energy despite the unpleasantness of the road.

On the eve of the party's entrance to the town, Melchia seems anxious and disturbed, with dark circles under his eyes.

For his part, Melchia finds the town odd, filled with disquieting presences. He does not immediately jump to any actions, but rather speaks with the party later the first evening.
"Well, it seems we must somehow get in the Mayor's good graces. I don't wish to spend large amounts of gold paying a thief who may fail in her task. We should try to arrange a meeting with the Mayor, if possible."

[zimmerwald1915]

Otrino takes the opportunity presented by the druid's possessions to square his debts to Melchia and Rubido. He remains, however, almost perfectly silent for the rest of the trek through the swamp. Since Dark Wood, he has been coming to the conclusion that the others would be better off if he let them be, and Selia and Melchia in particular seem happier with their own thoughts.

He notes Melchia's unease before the walls of Icmud, but does not pass comment. If there was anyone Otrino should let be, who probably felt himself spared something unpleasant that way, it was the psion. Instead, he spares his attention for the town and its people. They seem, it not to trust, then at least not to be wary of outsiders. Casual interest seems to be the prevailing reaction. For the most part, too, the place seems more at ease than beseiged and fire-pelted Galsaff, and those among the party who talk to the locals find them free and easy with information.

There are, of course, a few oddities. Otrino wonders why elves and undead would want to live here. There doesn't seem to be a special draw for them, at least on the surface. If it's a coincidence that this town's temple of Pelor is suffering difficulties as well as Galsaff's, it is an improbable one. The food is incredibly sweet.

The evening of their arrival, he finally breaks his silence in response to Melchia's proposal. "I don't suppose there's anything stopping us from going to his office and asking to meet, is there? Since we are strangers here, trying to build some goodwill first can't hurt, but there doesn't seem to be any active obstacle in that path."

[PersonMan]

Selia enjoys the company of Melchia during the trip. While his apparent shyness is unusual, she accepts it as part of him. He wasn't really that much into idle chat and she hadn't expected him to suddenly change once she told him about how she felt.

During her watch she notices that he seems to be troubled during his sleep and in the morning she asks him about it. Selia doesn't press the issue, though, especially as the group enters Icmund.

Not letting her concern about Melchia show, Selia happily chats to the locals about anything they seem to be ready to share. She keeps her reactions under control - although she's quite shocked about the different groups living in the area, she doesn't let it show.

"I think that's the best idea for now. If it doesn't work we can try something else, but it isn't like we'll lose anything by trying to talk to the man in charge," Selia says as Melchia brings up what to do.

[mucco]

As you walk into the mayor's house, you notice that it is a very large building; one of the few having more than two floors, on the top it seems to have plants growing, and even a few small trees. The outside is decorated with a myriad of colourful flowers and strange, exotic plants. Bleamis must surely be good at gardening!

The interior of the house is similar, with lots of plants in the corners. The wooden walls haven't been painted and there are many glass windows; this creates a very bright and nature-faaling environment which is relaxing. A couple children play on the staircase, while the maid points you to the mayor's room.

Ian Bleamis' office is very different. Painted in light grey and plant-less, it looks much more serious and "official" than the rest of the house. Several drawers are present, all of them labeled and in good order. The mayor stands up as soon as he sees you enter; he wears impressive clothing, with a long grey and black coat which features various intricate patterns. He is the only person you've seen with an eye for clothes, in this city. His glowing symbols over the short, blonde hair shake slightly as he warmly greets you. "I have been told that you just came into our small town. What can I do for you, visitors?"

[CockroachTeaParty]

Once again in his traditional general mood, Melchia fails to smile or respond to pleasantries. His face is blank, but his eyes shine with concentration.
"Thank you for seeing us, Mr. Bleamis. Your town has been most hospitable. We ran into trouble during our travels through the marsh, and it is refreshing not to be attacked by strangers. I suppose you might call us adventurers on a quest."

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Melchia will expend his psionic focus to take 15 on a Concentration check to manifest Read Thoughts without a display. The mayor is entitled to a DC 15 Will save, or Melchia will be able to read his surface thoughts for the next 3 minutes.
PP: 12/15

[mucco]

The mayor smiles. "Oh, wonderful. Our land is in dire need of people who right wrongs, I hear. Please, have a talk with the patrons at the adventurers' guild if a quest is what you are looking. Glory and bounty are often to be found for strong people, there."

Melchia

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He fails his saving throw.

Surface thoughts through any general talk
"Let's hope they have some work for the traders! They could use the extra coin."

"The talking guy is quite strange..."

"Wow, the woman is hot... let's hope my wife didn't see her or I'll get into trouble."

"These guys don't look like they're great adventurers, honestly..."

"That one is a wizard. Maybe they aren't so weak after all"

[zimmerwald1915]

"Perhaps unfortunately for the Guild," says Otrino, a pleasant lilt in his voice and a small, rueful smile on his face, "And as my friend alluded to, we have come here not searching for a quest, but on one.

"An acquaintance of ours has fallen victim to a curse. We mean to break it." Otrino takes a breath. This was the hard part. "In the course of our journeys, we have learned that we will need a special seed in order to do so." He gestures out the slightly open office door, to where a few potted plants can be seen. "We figured you could help us find it."

[mucco]

"Forgive my distraction", Bleamis goes. He frowns slightly as Otrino speaks. "So, you want a seed of the Sunflowers. I have no quarrels selling you one, of course. I must tell you that I usually avoid selling it to criminals and other dangerous people I know, because I know there are evil rituals that can be done with it. Therefore, be careful with it."

The mayor leads the way into a very brightly lit room; several magic orbs on the ceiling give off a powerful light, and many shiny sunflowers, planted in a pool of earth in the center of the room, are "looking" at them in their search of light. There are probably more than forty plants. The mayor points at them, smiling. "Look, aren't they beautiful? They're very expensive, too. I will sell you one seed for ten thousand."

Melchia

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Surface thoughts

"Huh, strange request. Hope these guys aren't going to get in trouble."

"Oh, my sunflowers!"

"This lighting system was worth every copper."

[CockroachTeaParty]

Melchia had been waiting for the Mayor to name his price. Fortunately for them, he failed to mention a currency. Through the mindlink, the party can hear Melchia's calm, calculating mental 'voice.'
<I figured he would be difficult. Allow me to try something before he strips us of all our money.>
A brief chiming noise can be 'heard' by the occupants of the room, although it is only in the mind, and not an actual sound.

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Melchia is going to attempt to manifest Psionic Charm without a display, DC 16 Concentration check: (1d20+8)[9]
Crap. Oh well, the Mayor is entitled to a DC 14 Will save or he will be charmed as per the Charm Person spell, believing Melchia to be a trusted friend for 3 hours.

[mucco]

The mayor smiles at Melchia.

Melchia

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He fails the save again. The DC for any Diplomacy check decreases by 7. Remember we're under Rich's revision of the skill.

Surface thoughts:
"Man, I didn't notice earlier how hot that guy is as well... am I turning gay?"

[PersonMan]

Selia, assuming that whatever Melchia meant by 'try something' was the chime that apparently caused the mayor's mood to improve, decides to let him handle the negotiations. She didn't know precisely how his powers worked and decided it would be best for him to handle it if he had already invested mental energy into...well, whatever he had done to the man.

<I hope you can convince him to change his offer. Ten thousand for a single seed is pretty absurd and I don't like the thought of spending two thousand on having someone else try and get it for us.> Selia's feeling of 'this is absurd, I mean really, 10k for a freakin' seed?' gives her mental communication a "tone" that makes her approval of Melchia's actions clear.

<There's always the option of getting some sort of quest from him or the town to get around the need for payment, though.>

[CockroachTeaParty]

As Melchia concentrates on the mayor's mind, he subtly manipulates his emotional pathways, ever-so-gently altering the man's perceptions, immediate memories, and passive mental defenses. The psion is pleased to find the mayor's mind is like putty in his hands. In an instant, a complete stranger views Melchia as a friend.
<I was successful. He is now on friendly terms with me. I am going to try and further solidify my position. Let us get him talking about the flowers and their seeds; I can read his mind, and may be able to pick up information from his surface thoughts that may give me an edge in negotiations.>
Melchia smiles, an unusual sight. He speaks to the mayor in a familiar, casual way.
"Before we discuss business, Ian, can you tell us anything more about your beautiful plants? You take such good care of them, you must be truly proud."

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Another DC 16 Concentration check to attempt to manifest an augmented Attraction power without a display. (1d20+8)[24]

The mayor is entitled to a DC 15 Will save, or he will find himself attracted to Melchia for 3 hours. Thanks to the augment, this will net Melchia a +5 bonus on interaction skill checks with him.

[mucco]

The mayor stutters, blushing. "Hahah, yes, thanks. I am really glad you appreciate it, good sir. I work on them every minute I'm not doing business or staying with my family." He seems to be thoroughly shaken by the psion's very presence, as if a worldwide personality was before him.

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Surface thoughts a bit jumbled. His mind is twirling in confusion at the moment.

[CockroachTeaParty]

With the mayor's mind and emotions already skewed in his favor, all it takes is one last mental 'push' before the illumian is completely enthralled. Melchia can feel the man's heart twist in euphoric confusion... and the sensation fills the psion with a thrill he has trouble categorizing.
Through the mental link, Melchia' companions can sense a strange, dark triumph. <Play to his good side. Complement him. Question him. His defenses are down. For the next three hours, he is mine, and I plan to take full advantage.>
He casts a quick glance at Selia.
<He finds you physically attractive, Selia. He is also married. We may be able to use that...>

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Can everyone else make DC 10 Diplomacy checks to aid Melchia in The Big Roll? Each success nets him another +2...

I FEEL SO EVIL.

[Overlord Rion]

At this point, Rubido decides to step in and assist. "You know, I do have a few things the traders here can work on. I killed a crocodile that attacked us on the way here and my clothes need repairing." He gestures towards his still-ripped pants. "And I also have some of the skin I'd like to be turned into a sheath."

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(1d20)[2]

[PersonMan]

Selia nearly trips, despite not moving, as Rubido speaks up. It's quite jarring, the way he just suddenly enters the conversation.

<I'm sorry, but...that was terrible, Rubido.> Selia thinks into the mindlink, giving a mental nod (as well as a barely visible physical one) in response to Melchia's observation.

Brushing a strand of her hair back behind one ear, Selia collects her thoughts for a moment before she speaks. Dipping into her internal wells of power, she releases a rush of energy that fills her nearly instantly. Suffused with a new energy that manifests as a visible shift as well as empowering her already-honed voice, Selia smiles. She could sympathize with Melchia's enjoyment of the situation. It was nice to 'cut loose' and feel the surge of power flowing through oneself every now and then. It was a wonderful thing, working in concert like this. Even better that she could feel some of Melchia's emotions.

<Rubido, maybe I can teach you a bit on how to broach new topics in a conversation sometime,> Selia thinks into Melchia's mental link. <But for now I'll thank you for the easy opening you gave me,>

Out loud, Selia giggles softly, even that sound filled with her inner strength. "Oh, Rubido. You still haven't kicked that habit of putting your foot in your mouth, have you?" She says, smiling. As she turns to the mayor she gives him a sort of 'you know how it is' look, working in a quick wink before switching topics.

"You did all that in just your spare time?" Selia asks, sounding fairly impressed. It was easy to do so - honestly, the man's sunflowers weren't shabby, especially for someone who was running a town. "You must be quite talented, to do two things like this - I mean, being a mayor and looking after such gorgeous sunflowers. I was wondering, do you show them to people often, or are there not many people who share your interest here?" If the man was particularly perceptive, he might have noticed the slight glow in Selia's eyes, but it fades quickly as the first rush of her power runs its course.

As she speaks, Selia looks directly at the mayor, lowering her eyelashes for a moment mid-sentence. Even without the supernatural confidence flowing through her, it was an easy gesture that would hopefully give the man the prodding he needed.

"If would be a shame if nobody here appreciated all your effort with them."

OOC:

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Charm domain power activated.

Diplomacy: (1d20+11)[14]

Imagine if Selia was getting all of these interaction bonuses. She'd be at +absurd by now.

EDIT: Wow. Pretty fail for her. Still, it's more than good enough for the Aid Another bonus.

[mucco]

The mayor smiles and nods at Selia. "Occasionally, I do show them... only to important guests, obviously!" He doesn't even notice Rubido talking.

OoC

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When someone has an absurd bonus in my RL campaigns, we usually say "+lol". Makes me smile every time.

[zimmerwald1915]

"What's that make us?" says Otrino lightly, bending forward to examine a flower. He tries to lose himself in the spiral pattern of the seeds, not really having anything to say to help Melchia. His first thought is that it's probably servants of some kind who tend these flowers most of the time, his second is that this situation makes him deeply uncomfortable. Still, it would be rude to say nothing, and if Rubido's example showed Otrino anything, it was that Melchia's control of the situation was as complete as he said, that nothing short of an active insult or assault would derail matters.

"There must be something of worth that important visitors can do here." Otrino turns back away from the plant, and spreads his arms wide in front of him, trying to project an aura of confidence and competence.

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Diplomacy Aid Another: (1d20+3)[20]

[CockroachTeaParty]

Melchia monitors the thoughts of his companions, and the mayor, like a conductor surveying his orchestra.
"Ian, I'm curious about the properties of these plants and their seeds. All we were told is that they can be used to lift a curse. Do they harbor any other latent properties that make them so valuable?"

[mucco]

"I presume so", replied the mayor scratching his head. "I don't know what properties they have, but I know they have some. And I know that suspect people come every now and then, trying to steal them. They surely must be valuable for something."

The mayor, walking around, continues. "Some townsfolk say they are used for necromancy, even. After a couple thieves broke into my house and stole half the sunflowers and damaged the rest, I have paid for some extra security. Now the walls are securely locked, and this whole room detects magic being used, in case someone teleports in. When stuff like this happens, a small bell near my bed, downstairs, rings so I know there's something up. So, part of the reasons I sell it for a lot of money is that I need to recover the expenses."

Then, glancing over Otrino, he quickly replies "yeah, I'm sure there are worthy things to do. I do everything else here, so I wouldn't know."

Melchia

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Surface thoughts:
"Spending all that money was a great idea, admittedly! This guy will surely agree!"

"My fellow citizens are really paranoid, I should say... but I shouldn't speak bad of them."

"That wizard is annoying! Like most wizards, after all."

---

Notes: the next reply by the mayor will be the last one with Detect Thoughts active. Also, only Selia gives you a +2; Otrino's words slightly offended the mayor, making his check useless.