The Dark Lord [Chapter 1] A New Beginning

[crimson77]

'But the old king is dead, his son now rules the realm with his dark knights. Another of his dark knights came here and gave the halfling to Bellathordor for information on such a man. Why does the new king send another knight to walk all this way again?" The man retreats to the shadows as Regis comes closer, you can see the scales on the back of Bellathordor tense up as if he is uncomfortable with how close he is to the stranger in the shadows.

[Greyen]

Regis

Calm down everyone, I am a peaceful man of the Road. I walk in His shadow to find the open road. This knight has not a dark bone in his body. I have only travelled with him for a short while but he speaks only the truth. To back up his claims Regis pulls his holy symbol out and holds it openly for all to see.

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Diplomacy [roll]1d20+[/roll]

[Cyranojoe]

Throshkar deLaBlanche

"I serve not the new king, an usurper who would claim the crown in the absence of a better man -- his brother, a goodly man whom I believe the king wished to take his throne." Throshkar sighs and rubs his jaw. "I am not one for secrets; they bind my throat and my arm. The man we seek is the younger prince himself. We seek his return to the kingdom, to roust the dark knights and prove his worth over his brother."

Relief floods the cavalier's face as he reveals this information, even as his body takes on a combat posture and his hand drifts to the hilt of his blade. "If you wish our young prince of the realm ill, then say so, so that we might have our conflicts before us. Else, I ask once more -- and not again -- in the name of the true king, tell us what you know of the prince's travels, and let us pass."

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I can't recall the name of the kingdom or the king himself... I'm sure it's in the thread somewhere, but I'm feeling Mr. Lazy this morning...

Anyway, I'm pretty sure this guy's going to turn out to be the prince, but it's been a nice scene. Very curious to learn how he got Bellathordor to obey him, for one thing...!!

[crimson77]

The dragon grows softly, "Knight, Do you have anything to back up your claim?" The man walks forward out of the shadows, you think you recognize him as the younger prince Aseral.

[Cyranojoe]

Throshkar deLaBlanche

Louis gasps as Throshkar falls to one knee and bows his head -- the boy does not recognize the man in the shadows, but Throshkar does.

"Milord, we have found you!" His declaration is almost a sigh. Thrusting his hand under his armor, the cavalier withdraws a soft velvet bag; he holds it up towards Aseral. In the bag are two signet rings and half a silver coin. "By the hand of General Kilmer himself was I given these rings -- the signet of Kilmer... and the signet of the king, your father."

Louis finally understands, and drops to one knee in emulation of his master. Throshkar continues:

"It is with heavy heart that I bring you this news. Your brother has claimed the throne without word of the counsel, whom he has disbanded; he cast aside the loyal cavaliers and replaced them with unknown knights who seem born of shadow; and the General himself fears that the elder prince had a hand in your father's death."

"We need you to return, milord. Return to your kingdom and make your brother give account of his actions."

Throshkar looks up to Aseral with a face filled by hope, unstained by doubt.

'You will not take this from me, father -- Aseral will lift us all again, to the greatness we deserve.'

[crimson77]

The prince strides towards the knight and takes out a pendent which appears to be the other half of the coin. Aseral takes the coin from Throshkar's hand and matches it to his pendent. You see a flash of light confirming the match. "You speak the truth knight. I have heard of the plight of my people and have found sanctuary in the home of the beast that I once set out to slay. It turns out that my grandfather let this beast live after capturing it during the dragon wars. A debt now repaid. We were visited by a dark knight who traded the dragon a halfling for information on my whereabouts. I sadly say that poor knight is searching the sea right now for me. I fear returning for I am without and army.

Tell me of Kilmer, why did he send you instead of coming himself? You have the coin, am I to assume he is dead? The bearer of the coin is swore to protect my life at all costs, it is too bad kilmer was always a step behind my games.

Will you sir knight protect me now?" The young man holds up the coin for you to take.

"It seems that we now need an army and a plan, I hope you have both knight. We shall take the halfling with us as well, I feel responsible for his current circumstances and would not want the dragon to become hungery after we leave. So knight tell me of your plan."

[Cyranojoe]

Throshkar deLaBlanche

Raising his head, Throshkar looks Aseral in the eye before standing. He then takes the coin in his hand, swearing, "I would and always shall defend you with my life, milord. My honor, my strength, my squire... all I have is yours to command."

Louis gets up from his clumsy genuflection and steps forward. He smiles meekly and even waves, awe-struck by the prince and his security in the presence of the great dragon.

At Aseral's request for a plan, Throshkar nods. "The General hoped that we could gather enough strength to your side to avoid a full war. Nevertheless, the first rule of combat -- should it come to that -- is to know your enemy. I am no field general, but I believe we should obtain a secure position from which to scout the knights, and your brother."

"My home has no ramparts or walls; it would be difficult to defend against a dedicated assault. Olna, a longtime friend of the cavaliers and your loyal subject, has great resources in this regard -- she should be able to locate us allies, arms, and a strong base of retreat. She may also be able to obtain much of the information we need, as well."

"In the meantime, though it irks me much, we must remain clandestine in our actions. Let us hasten back to the kingdom, and make our first garrison at my home, though I say again a true stronghold may well be warranted. Regis, know you of any such such place?"

During the discussion, Louis pulls out the chest, and Throshkar unlocks and presents it to Aseral. "I hope that in our plans we may find a way to rescue the General. Question not his devotion to his duty -- Kilmer anticipated being taken, and gave unto me my mission, and all that I have given you. I later saw with my own eyes the dark knights take him; it was only my mission that kept my sword in its sheath. I owe him a full and true defense now, if one is possible."

* * *
After their plans are complete, Throshkar turns to the dragon and says: "Thank you for providing haven to our prince, mighty one. Your debt repaid, I hope that we two shall some day face one another upon the field of honor." He bows; this is the greatest compliment he knows.

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Throsh does not ignore Bellathordor if he speaks or acts earlier, of course. I didn't have him speak to the halfling yet, mainly because his focus would naturally be on the prince first and the dragon second.

My basic plan is to:

1. Go back and get Arondight and Henri.
2. Locate Olna and Johnathan.
3. Use Olna's network and massive Diplomacy bonus to gather info and allies, and hopefully a stronghold. Also gather any remaining cavaliers to lead the army.
4. Be persuaded to use the rogue's abilities to reconnoiter as well.
5. Hole up at our home in the meantime, if we don't have a stronger base.
6. Make an assault on the castle to rescue Kilmer -- a small commando attack may work best, now that we have a rogue to get us through locked doors quietly.
7. Locate the members of the counsel, who "should" be able to put the prince on the throne without a war. I don't expect this one to work, but it's what we "should" do.

As a loyalist-to-the-death, of course, Throshkar will likely go along with whatever the prince wants.

[Greyen]

Regis

The priest furrows his brow at the question, thinking. I have seen many a places that may look to be something that would be a stronghold, but are mere paper houses. I have also seen a great many simple holes in the ground that could have had castles built in them. What would you prefer? Also if we wait until tomorrow I may ask a servant of the Lord for some guidance in this endeavor.

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I'm sure Regis has seen and been in/through many places. Are there any in the kingdom that may serve as a better clandestine meeting place/stronghold for the mission?

K: Geography (1d20+3)[22]

[The_JJ]

Heh. Troll.

Anyway... the halfling wakes from his shocked silence.

Snowflake. Huh. Ahem... can I get this chain off of me?

[The_JJ]

Err... what? M'sorry, but do you mind leaving? And editing out those over sized posts while your at it?

[crimson77]

The dragon sighs and steps upon the chain breaking its length in half. "I fear I would crush your leg if i removed any more of it. A blacksmith will have to remove the rest." The dragon straightens his back. "I would recommend staying the night to be refreshed for the long journey home. I will summon the gnome, he has plenty of beds in his maze." The dragon maneuvers over toward the entry way to his lair and bellows "GNOME, get up here NOW!!!"

The gnome appears out of the floor as if he was carried by a lift, "Well what can I do for ye?" "Find these good men a bed for the night and safe passage to the base of the mountain." "Alright then, for a bed for the night and safe passage will cost you a single challenge." "no challenges!" "Alright alright, the lift will be ready for you to descend to your room when you are ready." The gnome bows to the dragon and vanishes back into the floor.

[I PMed a mod about our troll]

[The_JJ]

'Snowflake' lunges for his backpack. Who to be? He'd like to be the baker, but then he'd have to explain away the rapier... ah well, go for broke. He grabs the courtier's outfit, and mentally rehearses his charactor. My thanks, m'lords. I am Adrian de Gra, of the Green Hills. He slips the outfit on and then quickly makes his crossbows disappear into the folds of his clothing. He straightens up and attaches the rapier to his belt. He makes a florid bow. In your debt.

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Bluff: (1d20+14)[30]
Disguise: (1d20+15)[17]
Sleight of Hand (hiding crossbow one): (1d20+17)[29]
Sleight of Hand (hiding crossbow two): (1d20+17)[35]

[crimson77]

The prince sighs, "I am not sure if any kingdoms will take me as a refugee, since I have been here i am uncertain about the connections that my brother has made or the bridges he has burned. There is a small city on the coast which has no allegiance to any government and they make no claims to fight in any wars. We could seek refuge there but I doubt they would come to my aid. Where are the displaced cavaliers? Could we rally them? I feel we should either return to your manner or to the city by the sea."

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City by the sea = similar to Switzerland

[Cyranojoe]

Throshkar deLaBlanche

"If the Lord would advise us, we should surely heed his words. Thank you, priest!" Throshkar smiles and makes a not-entirely conscious gesture of reverence. The dragon's crushing of the chain then draws his attention -- when he calls upon the gnome, only to quickly dismiss the mage's challenges, the cavalier laughs loudly and applauds -- then suddenly halts.

"Could we not accept a challenge, for the fun of it? There is a certain ogre...." Another thought strikes him. "A moment -- there was a gnome we could trust... Kelm? Know you the man?" he asks the sorcerer. By his plain and open tone, he seems to expect that all gnomes know one another.

As he waits for his answer, he glances over at the halfling. 'Wait... what?' He could have sworn he saw a pair of slim crossbows... but no. That dress, that manner -- clearly the little man was an aristocrat of his race, and therefore deserving of proper respect and trust. He salutes the man and bellows cheerfully:

"Hail and well met, Monsieur de Gra of the Green Hills! What brings a man of your stature into the great Bellathordor's hall? Now that you owe your freedom to Prince Aseral, I assume you will be joining us, eh?" He shows no sign of meaning the use of 'stature' in jest. He repeats his introductions of the party, then turns as the Prince sighs.

"Ah, the city of Freemen -- I have heard of it, but never traveled there. What a strange place, to have no allegiances! Still, we can hope to find no enemies there, though there be no allies. And we can enjoy the ocean air!" It was also the last place his friend Aantier had been... Throshkar smiles and almost does a little jig at the thought of rejoining battle with old friends at his side.

"Milord, let me suggest that we remain a moving target, far from our known enemies -- harder to find, harder to hit. We go to the city on the sea, gathering what information and members of your honor guard as we can locate. Once Olna and Johnathan return to us, we can decide what to do then -- whether establish a base in the city, or return to our manor and forge a stronghold there. I hope too to speak to my father, the Duke, when we may. He is a loyal man, but... well... not all see in your brother a threat. I shall have to speak with him myself to know his mind."

"But first, I need to return to the base of this mount. My steed and hound are there, both priceless creatures, and excellent in battle."

[The_JJ]

Adrian's grin turns a little sickly. Did I really just get myself involved in an insurrection? Aha, well, I am in your debt, as I said, and I am eager to discharge myself of that. As to how I got here well... I can't honestly say that I know. There was something about a knight and then, why, I found myself here.

[crimson77]

You descend into the Gnome's dungeon once again. A steep path leads you back to the room where you stayed the night once before. After a meal and a good nights sleep the gnome greets you one final time "I do not know a gnome named Kelm. Good luck on your quest. Oh and knight you best be careful, my bodyguard left, to hunt you i presume. Good luck with that. " The gnome bows and leads you out to the cave where your horses reside.

There is only one horse remaining and the pegasus. You assume that Jonathon took the rest of the horses back to the manor.

In what direction do you go? Toward your home or to the City of Freemen?

[Cyranojoe]

Throshkar deLaBlanche

At the halfling's half-answer, Throshkar nods politely. 'Not to worry,' he could hear Aantier's voice in his head. 'Every man wants his tale to be told. Even if he has to be the one to tell it.'

Over dinner, Throshkar eyes Adrian's rapier and finery and interrogates him gently on what he presumes is the man's blueblood upbringing. He wants to know just how high up the "food chain" their new companion belongs...

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Of course as a PC it's your prerogative to say what you want despite whatever I roll. I guess the DM can decide if Throshkar is given any extra clues that you're not who you say you are, especially regarding your gear...

Appraise (clothes & weapon - are they fancy or faux?) =(d20+3)[5]
Knowledge: Nobility (do I know anything at all about halfling aristocrats?)=(d20+1)[10]

* * *

Throshkar thanks the gnome grandly for his hospitality, and pumps his fist in the air at the thought of facing the ogre mage again. He also asks the wizard for his former bodyguard's name, that he might know his enemy better.

The cavalier greets his pegasus like a young boy, hugging him and petting him down quickly. Arondight stomps and whinnies and submits to the treatment before finally insisting on being freed so that he can stretch his wings for the first time in days. Finally, the animal takes to the sky, unburdened like a loosed cloud.

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Barring any complaints, I say we go to the city by the sea. I don't mind waiting to hear from everybody on that, of course.

And please tell me Henri the dog is still there somewhere...!

[The_JJ]

Adrian parries the questions deftly, but lets slip that he is indeed far down in the rankings, unfortunatly.

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Bluff: (1d20+14)[28]

Adrian eyes the flying horse with unease. I'm ready to go where you do.

Gods help me...

[crimson77]

Thorsklar looks for henri and sees a frayed rope where he once was tied up. His heart falls and then without warning Henri comes bounding out of the bushes to tackle Throshkar. It appears he got bored and chewed through his rope.

"To the city of freemen then?" The prince asks as you start the descend into the mountainous village. The air has gotten colder and you almost loose your path. You feel as if you are being watched by something or someone as you walk. You catch a glimpse of something flying over head, maybe the dragon is watching over you as you travel. As you near the mountain village, the prince flips his large hood over his face and falls in line with Throshkar walking behind him. The city guards nod at you when you enter. You see a leaflets posted around the city. As you draw close to one you see that it is a wanted sign, it reads...

[There is a drawing of the prince]

Wanted 10,000 gold reward
for the dark prince Aseral
Dead or Alive!

[Cyranojoe]

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Yay, Henri!

Throshkar deLaBlanche

Throshkar cooes over the halfling's rapier. Despite the silvery fey mark on the hilt, the cavalier praises the "dwarven" workmanship he sees, and marvels how the "diamond" gemstones in its pommel are as big as Lexington crystals. He keeps to himself any surprise over how a member of the lower branches could have obtained such a work of art; surely it is an heirloom of better times for the man's family, he tells himself -- best not to bring it up.

* * *

Throshkar and Louis are both crestfallen at the sight of Henri's escape. Louis apologizes profusely for the way he tied the rope; his master urges him to fear not, though it takes little to see the moisture in the corners of his eyes. When their lost dog comes trampling through the underbrush like a miniature bull, both man and boy fall over themselves in their joy, making ridiculous sounds and prompting Henri to bark and bark until the three of them sound like a pack of crazed wolves.

After they calm down, Louis politely introduces Henri to Adrian and to the Prince. The war dog stands almost exactly eye-to-eye with the halfling. It's not clear who is more disconcerted by this. Finally, the mastiff sticks out a sloppy tongue and slaps Adrian a good wet one on the face.

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I'm assuming Adrian is ~3 ft tall. Henri, being a mastiff type, stands 30 inches at the shoulder.

* * *

On the way down the mountain, Louis entertains himself by talking with Adrian about his adventures with Henri -- notwithstanding whether the halfling is comfortable with the hound -- and with Regis about his mother's faithful adherence to the blessings of their religion, including a regular pilgrimage to the coast (though not the City of Freemen, which he imagines to be a fairly irreligious place).

"Yes, to the City -- as you will it, milord!"

* * *

At the sign of the wanted posters, Throshkar makes a scoffing sound, then begins to laugh. "Dark?!? Have they not seen the false knights that spread this foolishness? Bwa-ha!" He flips his hands in the air and continues their trek through the town.

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If we're not stopped by anyone, Throshkar will simply leave town and continue on their travels like nothing happened. He's not one to be worried about little things like giant rewards on their heads, so hopefully Regis or Adrian will think of disguising the prince. And hopefully neither will think of turning us in!!!

[crimson77]

Anything anyone wants to do in town? Item prices are 2x phb, items will sell for 1/2 phb.

People do not give you much notice in the town.

[crimson77]

You can get 1537.68 gp for your gems in this town.

You can get 50 gp for the steel colored potion and 5 gp for the maroon colored potion. You can get 25 for the arcane scroll and you can get 5 gold for the divine scroll.

Please tell me what you sell

[The_JJ]

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Okay, since the forums seem to have stabalized enough for me not to worry about losing this post again...

***
Adrian, about as bloody knowledgable as Throshkar, nods along as he raves. He'd first asked Thaedras about getting a blade after one particular job that he'd rather not recall at the moment, and he'd recomended a bladesmith. Suprisingly enough, since Thaedras had mentioned something about sizing and balence, he'd actually bought the bloody thing, figuring something like that might need customization. Added bells and whistles came as his con jobs steadily worked their way up the social ladder. He could strip all of the 'diamonds' and what have you off the hilt in about a half second.
***
When the dog come up Adrian smiles appropriately, makes the right noises, and then, so long as the thing refrains from actually biting him, tolerates it.
Though that licking habit may need to be curtailed if he ever needs to throw some makeup on...
***
Adrian nods amicably, but so long as Louis wants to talk, he can. At least that way he's not asking questions.
***
And then as he sees the poster Adrian's lips twist into a wry grin. Congradualtions. You are not the most wanted man in the gang. Then, serious, he lies through his teeth. M'lord? I do believe I have a solution. He turns into an alley way and, quick as he can, opens up his pack and digs into the bottom layer of it, where he had secreted all of his tools. I dabbled as an actor in the Acadamey. He pulls out his Disguise Kit. A few false scars and a dye job for that hair and we could throw the hounds off your track.

[Greyen]

Regis

Regis walks down the mountain quietly, he again floats across or down any problematic places. He offers up prayers to the lord as they go singing lightly to himself as they walk. He listens to Throshkar's tales of his mother and asks the pointed question of "Have you been faithful to the Good god?

***
As they near the city Regis looks around and grins It has been a long time since I have been here. I must visit the temple while we are here, I need to pay my respects, and I think a few of my brothers' concoctions may be of help.

***
At sight of the wanted posters Regis will ask the Prince with a winkSer Manfred, where will we be staying?

[crimson77]

The snow continues to fall as you travel down the mountain toward the ocean to reach city of freemen.

End of first chapter.

Chapter 2