Anarchy in the D&D (IC)

[Jay Emby]

It's a dark and stormy night.

The wind howls outside, and inside it swirls in the upper reaches of the ancient colossal temple that your king Paladin has taken for his "castle". Massive pillars carved into the fantastic forms of dragons rise to the vaulted ceiling that hides beyond the light from the bonfire raging in the center of this grand hall. You've heard the story many times about how he slew the giant that lived in this echoing chamber, but that doesn't stop him from retelling it now, as you sit at his Round Table. You're not likely listening, perhaps more interested in the ale being served by the slave-wenches of Roland's Traveling Tavern.

I'll let you chat amongst yourselves for the moment. (and make up what you want, which is why I've been so brief.)

[The_JJ]

So, are we in charactor here? if so...

Cefos, now the king's high preist, kicks himself backwards in his chair, clearly bored with the king, and wishing his mentor hadn't died last week and left him to deal with the king himself. Normally he would be in this meeting while Cefos could be sitting by the fire in his room, reading a book.

if not:
I have no plan, except to go with the flow. If you guys wanna break with Palidin at any time and strike out, fine with me. I'd just recomend getting a few levels first.

[Torger]

Xerxes

In the silence between claps of thunder, the large, double doors of the hall creak open, revealing a darkly-cloaked figure, seeming somewhat tall, even in the dwarfing Large-sized doors. His hobnailed boots click on the flagstones as he enters, the rustling of metal links and the dripping of water from his cloak the only sounds as he approaches.

Stopping before the King's chair, he bows slightly, the gesture seeming disdainful and arrogant even with his face still hidden. Doffing his cloaks, he wordlessly hands it to one of the servant girls, revealing beautifully crafted ovular chainmaille beneath dusty-coloured robes. His dark skin glistens with the rainwater in the light of the fire as he takes his seat. The Black cat that accompanied him leaped into his lap and he absently stroked its head, patently ignoring the King and observing his fellows critically.

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It was a Dark and Stormy night? Seriously? Oh, and I claim Blue.

[Meloku]

Renar

The... well, well-armed gentleman sitting at one of the more open seats of the table peers at the newcomer, before taking another drink, and saying to himself

"Ahh. That's the life, innit? Ale, comfort, women?"

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Well, obviously it's a dark and stormy night. It's either that or a tavern, right?

right?

[Voth]

Val

Sitting up straight at the sight of this newcomer, Val is snapped out of his meditation. Being bored with Paladin's daily bragging, Val has developed the mastery of sleeping with his eyes open. Taking a moment to carefully examine this newcomer as well as the other members around the table, Val silently wonders when he'll be told the reason behind his summons.

When will he shut up! Everyone has heard this story at least 10 times. Its not as though he makes it more interesting each time. For someone who likes to brag, the least he could do is make his false tale more exciting!

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It could be,"It was a dark and stormy night when an old man approached your party in a tavern." Oh and I call red!

[PlasticSoldier]

Sam

Sam sitting at the table watches the people around the rest of the table, while waiting he'll summon his familiar -a small kitten- and feed it some scraps of food.

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Dark Green is mine!

[Torger]

Xerxes

Herdes leans away from the reeking, ale-soaked breath of his neighbor, refusing to make comment on the infidel's uncouth speech or poor bathing habits. Instead, he observes the others, the bookish priest in clerical robes, and noting with some approval the feline companion of one of his fellows. He murmurs softly to his on feline, in strangely accented speech. Observe, Isis... This one has a companion for you...

[Voth]

Val

Whispering to the newcomer, Val offers out a hand.

"Greetings, and welcome. You come at a fine time since our King is once again babbling on about how he came about this fortress. My name is Val, and yours is?"

[Torger]

Xerxes

Xerxes slowly pans across to the one who speaks to him, and stares silently just long enough to make the smile waver on the man's face. I am Xerxes, son of Darius the Great, Exiled to this damnable, water-logged northern land these fourteen years.

[Voth]

Val

Cocking an eye brow in wonderment, Val whispers to Xerxes, "Exiled you say? Interesting. Might I inquire what for?"

[The_JJ]

Orange

The priest glances at the King, unsure of how he will take being interupted

I'll take a knowledge (history) check on darius

(d20)[4]

[Torger]

Xerxes

Noting with satisfaction that more of the table's patrons were paying attention to him than to the incompetent blow-hard whom he was using to further his own aims, he settled back and began to spin his tale. My father was the Pharaoh of the Children of the Desert Sun. He ruled a vast empire with both honour and integrity, along with our allies, the Followers of the Searing Wind. My mother came from that clan, and her marriage to Darius ensured the peace in the realm. For thirty-eight years, the lands of the Desert Sun and the Searing winds new naught but peace and expansion, with the only real threat being The Citadel of the Living Earth, an rather militant clan of Dwarves. My Uncle Ramses invited my father to conference, to discuss the elimination of this threat, and it was there that my Uncle's Betrayal began.

Xerxes takes up the goblet on the table, drains it, and then crushes it in a mailed fist, grimacing at the foul concoction.

[Meloku]

Renar

"Ah, a tale of betrayal! And you'll be looking for revenge, then, I hope!"

[warlock2000]

Dart


The newest member to join the gathering walks through the large doors. He is wearing a blue cloak which hangs down to cover just over his eyes and is soaking wet. Although it is hard to tell his exact size, he appears to be a bit on the short side for a human. A friendly smile for all can be seen from beneath his hood.

"Sorry for my lateness my liege, but I wasn't expecting such weather."

As one of the servant girls come to take his cloak he politely turns down the jester. With a quick twist of his hand and a quiet mumble the cloak begins to dry and the mud vanishes slowly. As it does he takes a seat as far from the cats as possible. Knowing that when the King starts the story of the fallen temple giant he is basically deaf to those around him he takes in everyones presence.

"How did everyone else find their trip?"

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Dark Slate Gray is mine. I think Prestidigitation can clean and dry right?

[Torger]

Xerxes

Xerxes glowers at the slobbering drunk for a moment before continuing. Thus, I have pledged my life, my soul, and my very being to Bast, in exchange for the power and ability to take my vengeance. She sent me Isis, here, to guide me, and unfortunately, she lead me to this damnable fecund wasteland, and to this... demesnes.

[The_JJ]

The cleric on the end of the table frowns.
Ah, another religious man eh? Tell me, how do you feel about letting other gods into your life?

knowledge check (religion) on Bast (+4)

[Jael_Darkwood]

Aaron

The door crashes open, a heavily cloaked figure enters, supporting a wizened old man. The old man is dressed in an expensive black cloak with fur trim. The lighting shows his face... A twisted and badly healed wound crosses from the top left of his face to the bottom right. His nose barely escaped, the wound passes across one nostril (where a white scar tracks its progress) and down across the middle of the right side of his jaw. Slowly and painfully he makes his way to the table. Looking around for a moment, he pauses, then sits.

"weellll weellllll.... how is everyone tonight? Doing well I trust?" He smiles, taking in the various expressions of those around him.

His cloaked servant stands motionlessly behind and to the right of him. His servant is heavily cloaked, and within the hood you can see nothing but a mask, carved smoothly from dark wood with holes for eyes and mouth.

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who needs colors? i call fixedsys! in other news : yes, a few levels would be nice... hope you all have no problem with my skeleton minion... hes not going anywhere :)

[Jay Emby]

With a cursory nod, King Paladin waves each successive newcomer into the wind-chilled hall, then continues droning on in the background as his knights socialize among themselves. It soon dawns on all of you that you've been summoned here for no reason other than to listen to the old man. Well, you're also being fed well - which is the only reason any of you have really aligned yourselves with this king. In this world, there's really nothing more important.

The dinner drags on through the night, with Roland seeing to your food and drink. A minstrel named Jode provides the soundtrack, playing an out of tune, whiny lute. Once in while, his music grabs your attention with some intriguing riff, but when you focus on Jode, it fades back into banality.

And then: The doors bang open once more. Flung in on a swirling wind and stinging hail, a raggedly dressed and blood soaked kobold makes his dramatic entrance, freezing you all in silence. "Baron Thithle" he proclaims in a dragony lisp "ith under thiege!"

[Jay Emby]

The_JJ makes his Knowledge (religion) check. Priests of Bast throw elven warriors into lion pits as a sacrifice to their god of cats! (That peace and expansion of Darius's did not extend to the desert fey)

Torger, tell us something else interesting about Bast. It's your god. :)

[The_JJ]

And like the good cleric I am, I rush over to heal the kobold. Cure light wounds.

[Jay Emby]

(Mostly just a test, I wanna know if I can roll dice here)

[roll]1d8+1[/roll](apparently not)

Cefos lays his hands upon the little guy. His blood stops pooling at his feet, and the gash in his neck caused by a not-quite-glancing arrow closes up.

[Torger]

Xerxes

Xerxes snorts a little at the other's suggestion that he might ever consider another divinity. I've no quarrel with your infidel northern gods, but they bear no interest on me. My Mistress has sent me here on my quest for Justice, and thus I came, no matter ho the cold, wind, and rain pains me.

That was probably the most diplomatic thing he's said since his arrival, and he seems to have exhausted his willingness to draw you into his confidence.

Now, tell me... friends... He says the last word as if it leaves a bad taste in his mouth. What has brought the rest of you here.

Know thy enemy...

He seems almost disinterested in the news of the Kobold, though he appears familiar with the species.

[The_JJ]

Well, my master before me brought me here as a child. Since then I have been studying here with him, under the auspices of the great King Palidin, convert to our great relgion

The emphsise is subtle, meant to be noticed but not offending.
The cleric turns, now to the masked servant.
And you? Do you perhaps need healing for some disfiguration?

Dear god this is boring. I hope the kobold has new of something requiring my clrical serves elsewhere. To bad the Baron has his own preist. I hope that heathen dies in this battle.

[PlasticSoldier]

Sam (1d20)[12] Rolls don't work if you preview the post.

Sam gives a deep sigh before saying to his kitty
"So want to go break a siege?". Once the kitty gives an affectionate purr, Sam poofs it away and starts walking over to the kobold. While he's doing so he'll reply to Xerxes with "I'm Sam, wizard, & Aasimar. This is just what I do.". When he gets to the kobold he'll ask "So where is this place exactly?"

[Jael_Darkwood]

Aaron

The servant stays absolutely still, not stirring in the slightest when Cefos speaks.

Aaron, meanwhile, twists in his chair, his friendly smile distorted by the scar across his face. "Aahhh... my servant... he isn't very social. He stopped speaking some years ago. Quite loyal, quite loyal, so I keep him around. But not a talker. No, no... not a talker at all."

He peers at the clerics holy symbol... Know : Religion : (1d20+8)[19]

"well, a devotee of Mjolnir! well, thats interesting! I profess a different faith (he holds up his Wee Jas holy symbol)... perhaps a learned discourse on the tenets of the Stern Lady could sway you, eh? After all... my Godess rules over the two absolutes of our world!"

[The_JJ]

Another rival beliver! How nice... I would welcome the chance for debate.

(Gods name: Mjolnir I think...)

[Jael_Darkwood]

Artur

Debate? Perhaps later, perhaps later. Seems we have some sort of emergency on our hands or somesuch? Little Kobold, pray, do tell! We love a good story, yes we do....

He smiles widely, an expression more than a little ruined by his horribly scarred face.

[Jay Emby]

King Paladin's face registers shock "What! My baron under siege! Impossible!"

The kobold stands a straighter now that his blood is flowing through him instead of out. His tail swishes dust from the shattered mosaic floor into the air, then he pushes past the crowd gathering around him until he can see King Paladin. "It'th true, Pal - er, I mean: t'ith true, thire. The roving bandth that plague Baron Thithle have banded together. They theek to depothe you."

At this news, Paladin rises to his feet in indignation, and begins a rant directed squarely at the poor kobold. "Indeed? Surely they do not expect to defeat me! Why look around young squire: gathered all around me are the greatest knights this world seen since the ancients fell. No roaming band of marauders could be a match for them . . . "

He continues on with such words and personality as I could not possibly convey with my meager DMing skills. At the height of his rant, you wonder why his stories couldn't be filled with such passion and vigor. You would listen to him. You listen raptly now, gaining confidence in yourselves with each word. He is indeed your king and you remember clearly just why you originally swore that oath of allegiance to him.

The kobold messenger is cowering in fright as Paladin wraps up his rant, exhorting you, his knights, to "Slay those demon marauders and show the world that my empire will not fall back even one step. Baron Thithle must survive!"

[Jay Emby]

You all know that the Baron is the only Lord in Paladin's would-be empire. His "castle" is a cave in a short gorge just an hour's hard ride along the river that runs beside the Giant's Temple. The cave is accessible by narrow but easily-accessible footpaths look over the shallow and calm river.

It's an excellent point for a settlement. Although shallow, the river is home to plenty of fish. The land above the gorge is fertile and the Baron's slaves have established a couple successful farms that have proven capable of producing for more than one year - a grand achievement in this stricken where agriculture is nearly unknown.

The barony's survival is crucial.

[Voth]

Val

"Yes of course. At once my lord." Val says as you bows and, after nodding towards his fellow knights, Val heads off to gather his equipment for the upcoming battle.

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I'm ready to leave when everyone else is.