Adventurers' Guild: Bridgeport IC

[SithLackey]

Victor, Back at guild HQ

Victor keeps fairly quiet on the way back to the guildhall and during the meeting, mostly contenting himself with observing the goings-on around him. He finds Zan's re- acquaintance with his old friend to be most interesting, but does nothing to show it. When Jerris asks for volunteers, he does just that. "Well, I should like to see the plains again, if it fits the purposes of the guild, and now the city, I suppose. Funny that the adventurer's guild so quickly finds itself as more of an extra guard unit so soon."

[MK Kilmarnock]

Though he was rubbing the spot where she had hit him (light for her tended to translate to NOT light for him), Zan was generally happy that Sandra wasn't prepared to kill him. Still, it was odd how much that punch hurt... ever since the incident with the tree, he DID seem a bit frail, but he felt powerful in many more ways. Though Zan had a bearing on which guildmates were still at HQ, such as Victor, he was busy focusing on the question handed to him.

"Um..... I don't know. Th-that's why I've spent all my time just holding onto this thing. You know, I mean..... I c-can't figure out what this means by myself and I d-don't expect anybody else to just magically know. I was hoping that... um, membership in the g-guild would sort of lead me to the right path."

[Akyana]

Sandra nods a little Well, what have you come up with so far? she takes out her flash and pours another cup tea for herself. Even though she could get the drinks for free she liked the tea that she had. Though surprisingly it always seemed to be hot.

[DavidByron]

Victor:
...Funny that the adventurer's guild so quickly finds itself as more of an extra guard unit so soon.

Jerris:
I hear that! It's politics of course.
As I understand it a month ago Bruce was under pressure from the other guild masters who didn't trust him having so many armed and dangerous folk running about. Now of course precisely the opposite is true. You guys (and me too) are a big part of his ability to declare himself Doge and make it stick. Bruce has enemies here but they don't dare complain.

You guys are young. You don't want to be involved in this stuff. I get it.

[MK Kilmarnock]

Guild HQ
Zan shrugged and pushed off the bar that he was leaning on. "Th-that's it. Just the symbol." Sighing, he topped off a nearly-full flask and began drinking from it again, while walking over towards Victor.

"Hey. Um.... would you know wh-where the others went? I know I should have been p-paying attention, but.. um... yeah, I had a lot on my mind."

[Akyana]

Sandra nods a little then watches Zan walk off. She thinks about it a little and then shrugs as she keep drinking her tea. She looked around and shot glares at any guys who were smiling at her for what she did earlier with Zan. Once her glass was empty she goes outside and walks around to clear her head a little. Thinking about the task ahead of her.

[Thymin]

Dravick:

When the grave-robbing group gets to the old tower Dravick is reminded of the night that Zan summoned the tree. "Follow me lads, we can get up this way. It does seem like such a long time ago since I climbed this thing last though."

[DavidByron]

At the guildhouse:

Matthew spots Sandra walking off.
Matthew:
You know, in the old days we used to go and sit on the roof if we wanted to clear our heads. It's a nice little view from up there. Have you seen it? Come on.
[hr]
At the Tree:

It looks as if the Adventurers have been spotted by the other group who are holding their religious sort of meeting near the base of the Tree.

Scruffy guy:
Look! It's the military!

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Help! Help! I'm being repressed!

Another guy:
They have spades and axes!

The crowd begins to turn ugly... not that they would have won a prize for best dressed mob before. There's only about fifteen to twenty and they are not armed. They begin to egg each other on to approach the smaller group of armed-to-the-teeth Adventurers.

Long-beard fanatic guy:
They are here to destroy the Tree!

(same) Another guy:
What are you lot all up to?

[Karaswanton]

Eodrick
Don't worry, these axes are for hewing orc necks!

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At least, I don't think we were here to destroy the Tree, were we?
also, I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist.

[Akyana]

Sandra looks at Matthew Look I know how I might have looked in there, but I let a stupid childhood fantasy get the better of me. I don't act like that normally, some silly childhood fantasy took over. she shakes her head starting to walk again I can't believe I acted like that placing her hands on the back of her head she takes a deep breath in and slowly lets it out again.

[TwoCents]

Dragutin Tadijanovic, Paladin of Garl

"Destroy the Tree? By Garl, who would want to do that! It's a beautiful thing, is it not? No, lads and ladies, we're off to the tower that-away," Dragutin said, with a grandiose gesture. "We'll be using the aid of the Tree to get there, that's all. Now, if you'll just let us pass with our burdens, we'll be out of your way. Blessings to all of you!" Smiling, Dragutin sketched a salute towards whoever seemed to be the leader of the scruffy mob.

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[Roll=Diplomacy check]1d20+4 never mind; I messed up the syntax, and I made a lousy roll anyway (See OOC thread)

[Thymin]

Dravick:

Knowing that the time for words has not given way to the time for swords just yet, Dravick steps up to meet the heckles of the scruffy mob.

"It is true what my friend here said. We have no errand to harm this tree. Then he leans towards the haggard mob as if to tell them a secret and says in a slightly quieter, but by no means whispering tone, "Truth be told, I was here when this magnificent tree grew, and it was marvelous. I could never take part in trying to cut this beautiful thing down."

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Diplomacy - (1d20+10)[28]

[SithLackey]

Jerris:
You guys are young. You don't want to be involved in this stuff. I get it.

Victor

"But this is how heroes are born, is it not?" I keep saying that, but is it really true? "If we are heading off to thrust ourselves into danger once again, we will be needing new team names, yes? I think I know of some especially appropriate beasts I have encountered in my travels, both of which are fairly innocuous looking, but are actually quite dangerous when provoked, much as we try to be, yes? They are the platypus, and the mongoose. What do you think?" Ha, what would Amaril think if he knew I was serving on team platypus? 'Twould be quite a sight, I'm sure.

[Shades of Gray]

Durx tries to look the least frightening he can, being a well armed 7-foot tall Half-Orc, it doesn't work very well.

[DavidByron]

At the Tree:

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Diplomacy: Ya gotta love a skill that makes enemies indifferent and unfriendlies friendly for 25 DC

Long-beard fanatic guy:
Huh. Well there's nothing up in there. It's empty; burnt out.

Scruffy guy:
Yeah sometimes the Khorinis lot try to sneak in there but not on my watch. They say they're just trying to find a place to sleep the night but everyone knows there's spies for the goblins amongst them.

Other guy:
How do you mean you were here when it grew? They say it just smashed down fully formed from heaven one night, thrown down by the god's to punish Argos and destroy his palace.

A couple of the others are throwing questions at Dravick too. At least they seem to trust him now, but they look ready to follow him... At any rate no-body seems likely to stop the group moving on into the old tower.

[hr]
Guild HQ back garden:

Matthew speaking to Sandra:
So... Zan's mentioned his home town before. A tiny little place, a hamlet really --on the lake. You're from the same town? From the way he described it, sounds like the sort of place where there's a dozen families all in each others business. I'm from that way myself originally - the Lake Heart region. Place called Littleton. I've been up and down the river a lot since then....

You had a small girl crush on Zan and decided to follow him to the land of adventure? Something like that?

The guild stables are located out back and there are a number of horses in the stalls.

[hr]
Guild HQ, inside:

Jerris & Victor:
Heroes... is that what we were?

Sometimes it seems that a man can save the world and be entirely unknown and another get a reputation almost wholly undeserved. Sometimes a reputation can become a duty that turns out to be the real heroics. Me? I was just trying to tear loose from my responsibilities and prove to everyone I was too important for my own duties... but it caught up with me eventually.

Ah-- but yes, reputations are often made during war.

Team names? I suppose I don't have the same style of management as Bruce. That all seems too organised but if that's what you want I'm sure those names are fine. There should be a third group too... the "tortoises" perhaps?

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Victor gets the impression Jerris moved from nostalgic to dead-pan mockery there.

For defending the guild house?

[Akyana]

Sandra groans a little I didn't follow him, until I saw him for the first time today I didn't even know he left that small place. No I joined the military originally going to be a body guard, but got put on the front lines instead. Lets just say it was that little girl crush that made me think of going home when I was done. Wish I hadn't. she heads over to the stalls to check on Podarge.

[MK Kilmarnock]

At the HQ, with Victor and Jerris

Zan threw up his hands and let them fall back down to his sides.

"G-Guys! I know I'm quiet, but..... um.... come on? I f-forgot where the others headed off to.

[Thymin]

Dravick:

To AG members:

"Go on up, I'll wait down here"
He indicates the general area where the window into the tower is.

Then he turns to the group asking questions.

"I tell you the truth, I was here when the tree grew. Gather round and I will tell you the story."

After the other adventurer's make their way up the tree, Dravick climbs a few feet up onto one of the roots as if it were a stage made just for him, and he begins to tell a magnificently embellished tale of how the tree grew as a punishment of the gods.

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Perform - (1d20+10)[28]

[SithLackey]

Victor

"Ha, just a suggestion. The little things kind of stick in your mind after you see one nearly fell a man, so I thought I'd say something. If that's not your style, than so be it." He turns to go just as, as chance would have it, Zan restates his query. Did I really not notice him there? "Ah, yes, sorry Zan. I think they went off grave robbing. Or perhaps more appropriately 'grave searching'. In any case, we can head off to look for them, I suppose."

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Wow, I really need to read the posts in other conversations. I didn't even know Victor was ignoring Zan until just now. Unless there's a reason not to, you can move Victor to the graveyard, MK.

[DavidByron]

At the Guild HQ:

Jerris:
What? Oh, sorry Zan.

If you go via the Tree you might catch them on the way back.

...something else I was supposed to...... hm... gone now. Maybe it'll come to me later. Well that meeting seemed to go fine I think. Being guild master might not be too bad.

[MK Kilmarnock]

"V-via the tree?" Zan blinked. "I was unaware that the giant tree could, eh, serve as transportation." He winced at his tart remark, reminding himself to self-administer a slap on the wrist later. "S-Sorry.... Um, I guess Victor and I will head right away."

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I guess this is our cue to, instead of going to the graveyard, waiting for them at the gargantuan tree. Unless you have something else in mind, DB, assume we're there.

[Akyana]

Sandra walks over to Podarge's head and pets it a little. She stands there thinking some more then looking to see if Matthew was still following her.

[DavidByron]

Guild HQ, stables
Matthew follows after Sandra. Horses in the stable! It seems like just the other day when he was bringing food to Klesha and Verona while they were tied up here as a makeshift prison cell.

Matthew:
It's a dangerous business...

[DavidByron]

At the Tree

Zan and Victor arrive at the tree. There's a small crowd of about twenty people listening to someone talking about... it's Dravick! He's telling a story about the Tree in the style of one of those epic sagas. Nobody else is in sight.

[hr]
Inside the old tower

The other adventurers take the heavy metal trunk up along the big tree root and lift it through what probably would have been a second story window. There's a sound of tinkling metal on metal as the weight in the trunk shifts. On the inside of the old tower there is a stone stairway built into the wall. It goes up, it goes down. The old tower is quite tall for a building, perhaps six floors if it had any floors still. There is a roof far above.

Inagu leads the way down to the ground. There is a wooden trapdoor here with a padlock that has been shattered by a series of blows. Inagu opens the trap door. The smell that comes out is rank. There's some wooden steps leading down into a small room. You can see metal rings on the walls where prisoners might be secured.

Berwin:
Imagine being down here for years. It would be like being buried alive.

[Akyana]

Sandra nods I know, when I started off in the military I lost a lot of my friends in combat. she keeps petting Podarge and looks to Matthew So are you talking to be because of what I did in the bar? she turns back to her horse and leans her head against Podarge's

[SithLackey]

Victor

As Victor nears the back of the crowd, he stops, partly out of amazement at Dravick's storytelling abilities, and partly because he doesn't want to interrupt. After a second, he motions to Zan to do the same.

[DavidByron]

Dravick's saga about the Tree
Victor and Zan, both witnesses to the events being described, notice that Dravick's account is ... a little off from a strictly factual point of view!

[MK Kilmarnock]

Zan crossed his arms as he listened to Dravick, quirking an eye over at Victor. He leaned over to put his mouth near to Victor's ear, whispering.

"U-unless I'm a god, I don't hear anything about... um.... me in this story."

[SithLackey]

Victor

"Nor I me. But it makes for such a grand tale, yes?"

[DavidByron]

Inside the Old Tower

Durx and Althea lift the heavy trunk down to the floor of the cell. The trunk itself does not change in appearance. Berwin, Inagu, Marko and the others follow on down. Eodrick and Otto stay up.

Berwin:
Jerris said he'd lost the key. The magical trap ought to be neutralised if the cell's anti-magic properties are working. All we have to do is get the padlock off. Is anyone good with locks?

Berwin makes gestures as if casting a spell but nothing happens. The padlock looks big and expensive, made from a silver white metal that Eodrick easily identifies as mithral. It has two keyholes. The trunk itself is made of ordinary steel by the look of it, though it is very dirty still from being dug up.

[hr]
Guild HQ, stables

Sandra:
So are you talking to be because of what I did in the bar?

Matthew:
I suppose I wanted to make sure you were here for the right reasons. Or not here for the wrong reasons at least. But if you have military experience that will be useful. You seem so young though!

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Matthew is 29 but seems more in his 30's.
Actually it's close to his birthday