Southern Comfort IC

[AshesOfOld]

"What, you think I went to some sort of cleric school? How the Hel would I know how to interpret these weird visions? You asked what I saw, so I told you. I'm just a guy who likes fire. So, I guess, literally.
You wanna tell us something else I would have no way of knowing, and then make fun of me again for not knowing it?"

Thorwald spits the rest of his food out on the floor demonstratively.

"You dump us in the middle of this dimensional ****hole, and somehow I am supposed to have all the answers? This is your mission, not mine.
You always seem to have an answer for everything, yet when I ask you how you know these things, you dodge like a fox. Is it such a wonder why I don't trust you? You're so full of ****, you'd have trouble unburdening yourself in the next room in two sittings. Metaphorically."

[Marlowe]

Bethlen draws herself up to her full height, which is about the same as Thorwalds and snaps;"You haven't asked me any questions! Not sensible ones. You keep asking to to correct fantasies out of your head until I can't keep track. I do know one thing; when your teammates here asked you to help me, you did nothing. Just stood back and sneered. And we, that's we, your team, cannot rely on you to communicate any information accurately. We have a word for that sort of person where I come from. That word is "corpse".

"And yes I DO expect that you come from "some sort of Cleric school". Cleric means "clerk". It means a scholar. If you're just going to futter around making random guesses you're no better than a Favoured Soul. Minus the "Favoured".

"So come up with something intelligent. I didn't drag any of you here. I appreciate all of your work" her voice softens. "If you want to ask me a question. Ask me a question. I will answer. But you don't do that. Instead it seems you'd rather live in fantasies. Insult me all you want, fire-priest. I'm a mountain of dead men above you"

[mattie_p]

"Bethlen, Thorwald, calm down now before Grath spanks you both. Not the time for this." Grath puts his food down and stands up to his full height, looming over both.

"The problem with all is that none know anything. How can be expected to know what questions to even ask? No. All just figure this out, piece at a time, just like life."

He walks away at this point. Over his shoulder he says, "Grath needs to use privy, and then go to bed. Think overnight, then tomorrow more killing to be done."

[stanleyindraven]

The sound of snoring can be heard from Horbin's direction. Those who look see him draped over a bench with flagon in hand, sleeping, hard. Glenda rests on the ground beside him.

[AshesOfOld]

Not seeing anything going his way anytime soon, Thorwald decides to let it go.

"Of course, Grath. You're the voice of wisdom, as always.

And Bethlen, I ah... I appreciate the change in tone... At least. And if you wanna know, there was no 'school' for clerics of Loki where I'm from. Apparantly worshipping the firelord is frowned upon in some places. I have read some books though. On my own."

Thorwald decides to be helpful and see if he can wreck his brains for something useful.

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Knowledge religion:
The Abberancy (1d20+5)[11]
The Starlight Destroyer (1d20+5)[21]
The Bringer of Silence (1d20+5)[13]
The Crimson Rider (1d20+5)[14]
The army of 'beggars' (you know what I mean, it's a metaphor) (1d20+5)[25]

[Marlowe]

Thorwald:

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This is hard stuff for you to know, but I'll give you a break with the good rolls:

The Starlight Destroyer, The Captain of Captains, the Devil in White, is a member of the Administrate Pantheon. She is usually depicted as a red-haired, blue eyed woman in a long white dress, or sometimes a white surcoat over armour. Carries a spear. Her words are reputed to be "The shortest distance between two points is a straight line flanked by flaming debris"

The "Beggars": There's an old story you heard once about, about people that abruptly drop as though dead, and arise as a puppet controlled by something unknown. It is said that such things are malevolent, and even approaching one can pass the condition onto you. There's said to be no sure for this.

Bethlen's still gritting her teeth at Thorwald. "If that's the case, then you really should have talked to Astra more seriously, instead of leering at her like she was a delivery system for a pair of tits". She flicks a suddenly wide-eyed look at Grath "Going to bed, Tiger? No spanking?".

Then she registers Gretchen expression. "Don't worry. I can squeeze you in later".

[mattie_p]

"Offer was to spank both, Bethlen, includes Thorwald. But Grath might make an exception."

[Marlowe]

Bethlen gives her "genuinely amused" laugh, the short sharp bark. "Well, right now, go do what you have to do" she does the practised run of the hand through the fastenings on her chest. They give with a series of sharp snaps, and her armour peels away from her. "Even if it hasn't been forty minutes, I'm getting wet" And promptly dives deep into the pool.

((I'm starting to be a little frightened of Bethlen myself, frankly))

[Linguz]

Dardiana chuckles as she sees Beth dive into the pool and quickly finishes off her wine, which she put back in the slot with the chicken and closed the container. She took her backpack and removed her outfit. For a few seconds, she was as bare as the orcs in Grath's book. After those seconds, she had her underclothing on and was diving into the pool, where she hangs around the other swimmer.

[AshesOfOld]

"I certainly did not. I found her an impressive lady, that's all. Besides, look who's talking." Thorwald barks back, finishing with a nod to where grath is standing.

Thorwald unclasps his armor, and says to noone in particular: "If anyone's still interested, I think I heard a story once about this army of braindead people. They were controlled by some malevolent force, and it was said that if you even got close to them, that was it. You would fall and become one of them.
Could the Abberancy be behind something like this?
And perhaps The Starlight Destroyer fought them?"

[Marlowe]

((Great . So Ragged has a rough week and now we have to write our own Yuri? What's the world coming to.

Also, a strange disconnect between game mechanics and action. As a New Zealander, I have trouble grasping the concept of a functional human being (or elf, or whatever) that can't swim. Even though I work in Asia, where many can't. But I doubt if anyone involved here puts skill points into it, so I'm just going to assume everyone can swim competantly and that the Swim skill is only used in cases where there's actual danger))

The fish scatter in all directions, and the lilies and other aquatic plants make the corners corners of the pool a slowly waving jungle.

Bethlen seems to be in the mood to sink down as low as she can get. It takes her a couple of kicks, but she's soon right by the bottom of the pool, her limbs spread and relaxed.

After a long silence, she flips over, opens her eyes enough to see Dardiana's location, then shoots past her to the surface.

((To the Continuity Errormobile!))

As she emerges, she pulls her hair back and turns toward Thorwald. "Yes. And Yes. Not that complex, really." And then, obviously enjoying herself, takes a breath and dives backward toward the bottom of the pool.

[Linguz]

((Everyone can swim. That's exactly how the swim skill works.))

Dardiana stays underwater for as long as possible before floating up to the surface and spreading out, floating on the surface of the pool. This is what she'll be doing until someone bothers her or something else happens.

[Marlowe]

((As the DM, I probably should be reading these things more thoroughly. So, I take it nobody in WoTC ever visited Asia?))

Bethlen makes a point of diving deep and staying down as long as she can, surfacing for air only occasionally. After a few minutes she hauls herself up by the side of the pool and rests her head on her arms, staring intently into the wall.

Gretchen watches the pool for many minutes, then turns to the ivy-clad latticework screens guarding the corner. It turns out they can unfold to create a more or less private environment.

She mutters, loud enough so people can hear it; "Nice place to build in the middle of a war."

[u-b]

"He that would teach men to die must know how to live." ... "Seems like they do."

[Marlowe]

Gretchen forks a look at Gregor. "You've become awfully philisophical, and effective, since we left the forest. Almost as if this were your environment. Are you sure you're not one of...one of-"

"Ours?" finishes Bethlen, pulling herself up and sitting on the edge of the pool with her legs in the water. "I honestly wouldn't know, but highly unlikely. We are overwhelming Human. Not that that's a matter of policy, that's just how it happened."

She darts a look to the privy door; "How long does he take? If I'm to have a busy night I'd like it to be properly choreographed" She lies down on her back, her hands behind her head and her legs in the water. "Should have insisted on bringing Brunswick, Lotus, and Astra. But they have something going on involving an illegal vampire, a Free-Stater slavery ring operating out of Kweichau, an underground Republican Cleric of Demeter, a problem with this year's Ashdown budget, a group of assassins who call themselves the Silver Hands, some illusionist seducer who's been manipulating teenagers to fight each other for some bizarre reason that involves sleeping with him, and a large man with an axe. So they're busy this week"

[mattie_p]

Grath re-enters the chamber, wearing his loincloth. He sets his pack on the ground to the side of the pool. "If fighting broke out, Grath did not want to be present. Not sure which side to take."

(( And Grath did put 3 ranks into swimming, I'll have you know. ))

"Gretchen, want some reading material?" He tosses the magazine at her feet, then dives easily into the pool.

[Marlowe]

Gretchen picks up the magazine and stares at the pages intently. Now and then, she turns her head.

Grath's dive sends fish scattering in all direction, and a fountain of water over Bethlen, who reacts simply by closing her eyes.

The wave of his entry gently pushes Dardiana toward the opposite end of the pool, until she comes to rest in a cluster of lilypads.

((I know we're on break, but let's give the thread some love.))

[u-b]

Gregor put the dishes into the wall, unharnessed Abyss, unfolded the bedroll and sits on it some distance away from the pool, doing nothing. The dogs are welcome to behave as they see fit, but will probably study and possibly mark the surrounding area.

[AshesOfOld]

Thorwald enjoys the opportunity to stretch his legs and massage his pounding head. He spends the next hour trying patiently to befriend Gregor's dogs, using a little food to help things along.

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Handle animal (1d20+2)[9]

[mattie_p]

"Bethlen, what is life like in the Administrate? Grath does not know anything about that far away land."

[Marlowe]

Bethlen fetches Grath a really long look after that question, then laughs. "Sorry, I've been waiting for that question for a long time now. Since the Nixie.

We spend a lot of time studying, practicing, standing to attention on cold mornings, and sneaking around after dark trying to discover what's really going on."

Her face lengthens a bit. "Which is kind of ruined when we discover that what's really going on is exactly what we're told is going on. We're schooled to take on the Abberancy, or anything like it, should it occur again. And incidentally tke care of anything lesser too. Like the Union Princes and their Planar Binding fun"

Nobody changes eye contact, but Gretchen suddenly seems very interested in the Half-Orc porn mag.

"But that gets boring after a few thousand years. So it's become a custom of ours to go out into the world until we're strong enough to join the regular divisions. Because I'd be a liability against something like the Abberancy as I am now. And so Fullbright and Ressormont are in Alnwick, trying to sort out the budget. Lotus, Astra, and Brunswick play hunter against more obvious problems, and I'm the outrider." She streaks back her hair. "But one thing I was never schooled in" she says with force, "Is how little anyone else knows. I'm good at lying, but I speak the frelling truth all the time here and nobody seems to believe it."

[u-b]

The dogs do not seem to be interested in more food at the moment, but are enjoying the attention. Abyss does it with a somewhat stern expression, though.

[Marlowe]

Bethlen opens her eyes. "How is Ingva Soulflayer's voice coming along? I haven't met her yet and our records are incomplete, but apparently she used to have a lovely voice. That was before she got an Eldritch Claw across her throat.

"That was us. No, not me and the others personally. An older group.

"I don't have the seniority to know what our people were doing at the time; but apparently something she disapproved of.

"And apparently we disapproved of her disapproval. Well. I was supposed to get up to Whitewater Rip and check her out. See how potent she remained as a local leader. But Kresta got herself kidnapped, and this Kutcher behind it got in my way".

She's been reclining quite passively, but now she straightens up and grabs Grath's hair, pulling him closer to her. "And then you come along."

[mattie_p]

Grath gives a small grin and whispers, "As all can tell you, magic paper talks to Ingva. But enough talking. Let Grath find a cot."

[Marlowe]

"Any of the corners will do, though we'll need to move the screens" she says in her normal, full-mouthed tone.

And then her face falls.

"I'm sorry" she says, suddenly quiet. "I can't be with you long. I have a mission, and another mission, and no matter what happens if I survive I have to report that the Lieutenant of Midnight is involved. To Fullbright if possible. To Astra if not. And then I'll have other things to do.

"If you are having fun with me, have fun with me, but..." she apparently can't think of anything to say and slams her fist down onto the soft foliage. Then her expression twists a little. "Corner. Cot. I believe you promised a spanking? Come along?"

((Obviously, I am going to hell.))

[Marlowe]

(sorry everyone)

Bethlen and Grath move to one of the corners, Bethlen has her armour over her shoulder like a discarded snakeskin.

She pulls the latticeworks screens in place to isolate the area. As she finishes the job, black curtains materialise behind the screens.

Gretchen looks up from the porn mag. "I hope those things are soundproofed"

[AshesOfOld]

"Oh, that is just filthy. Couldn't they at least have found another room?" Thorwald says quietly, grimacing in Bethlen's direction. "Preferably a green one."

[Marlowe]

Gretchen mutters; "Think she'd rather work blue right now." There's a scrape of paper as she turns a page in the Half-Orc porn mag, then turns it sideways.

Horbin snores. The dogs settle down around Gregor. Dardiana floats on her back in the pool, the fish, regaining their courage, tickling her back.

The air has the warmth of a tropical evening, but the water is cool. The light remains the pale blue of the sun shining through ice. The water coming down the walls tinkles softly.

Bethlen's amulet lies on the floor of leaves and moss and vines, she having removed it as she exited the pool. The eyes of the snakes still glow a faint blue light.

((yeah, just bumping until we get our companion back))

[mattie_p]

Behind closed privacy curtains and lattice, Grath quietly talks to Bethlen afterwards.

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"Bethlen, there is so much Grath does not know. Could Grath learn to read and write name? See others reading all the time and feel stupid."

[Marlowe]

Grath

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Bethlen's eyes open and she breaks off her quiet little acapella rendition of "The National Anthem of Macross", hunts inside some obscure fold in her leathers, and comes out with a sheet of vellum and a pencil.

She writes out the letters, sounding out reach in turn, and encouraging Grath to imitate her, faster and faster, until he runs the sounds together and he's saying it.

She'll then hand him the pencil and get him to copy her own writing (which Grath is probably smart enough to notice, is a little more spiky and angular than the letters he's seen in his own country). And finally does the same with her own name, pointing out the unvoiced "th" that they both have in common.

For once, she is very quiet, saying nothing except to sound the letters and give short instructions.