Ongoing Games (In-Character)Play-by-post games are going on in this forum as we speak (well, read). All threads on this board are actual games, so please, only post on a thread if you are a player of that game.
The mossgreen gaze of the wild elf traveled slowly from the bottom shelves all the way up, until it looked like she might tip over, her neck craned and squinting up. The hawk on her backpack let out a little impatient sound and stretched its wings, but stayed put after a reflexive soothing sound from the druid.
She blinked and turned back to the acolyte with a serious nod. "Thank you." And with that she headed toward the indicated books. She obviously had some reading to do. She had not even dreamt that there could be this many books in the world, let alone in one building. She knew how to read and write, of course, it had been a part of the druid training, she just did not get a chance to do so very often. Her own nomadic tribe did sometimes visit the tribes that had settled down in one spot -- they sometimes had little book collections available, but this... this was difficult to even comprehend.
She craned her neck again and sighed. It seemed she'd eventually need a stepladder. But for now she'd survive like this. She began the work of browsing the books by the title, ignoring any that were only of an animal or an area she already knew, looking for tomes about the animals in far-away places or exotic small predators.
With a quick, greatful bow of her head to the High Priest, she stepped over to the rounded bench, praying to the Maiden that Kelzir still had the wherewithall to follow. How could she have forgotten the years that she subjected him to the temple, so easily? ...a male slave in the Spider Queen's sanctuary... Her hands began to shake as she recalled several events.
With every attempt at keeping her voice steady and just loud enough to carry so that others would not notice anything out of the ordinary, she beckoned her once-slave to the round bench, "Come, Kelzir, sit with me and play something soothing. Please?"
He was barely aware when she moved, his steps faltering. Anyone watching would have sworn that it wasn't a man, but a puppet who's strings were tangled. He moved into the alcove, and sat without a sound. It was long moments before his hands shifted around to draw the drow made lute from his back to rest before him.
His mind was a turmoil, everything within him wanted to flee this place. The polished and clean stone didn't register. He was seeing dark polished granite, deep sconces arrayed like the legs of a spider. The smell of the oils that were burned floated through his nostrils. His ears could hear the dark, sinister chanting of Spider Queen's minions.
He closed his eyes, a vain attempt to banish the images assaulting him. He flinched away at unheard noises. Slowly, his fingers began moving on the strings of the instrument in his hands.
Spoiler
Perform Roll: sing and play instrument. (1d20+4)[16](20)
Quietly, but with gaining momentum, the chords sprang from his hands. The dark and eerie melody drifting through the relative quiet of the library, accompanied by his deep, soothing barritone voice. It gained in strength as it continued, as though inspired. His eyes were closed as he offered forth his song as a simple and desperate prayer for salvation.
The notes of the song changed as did his voice while the song continued as he lost himself to the music that had always been in his soul. The strains remained in that eerie strum, but his words in drowish tongue spoke of kindness, perseverance and salvation. The tune spoke of the dancing light of the moon, and of his Goddess. It spoke of willing sacrifice, of unending hope, and of boundless love for another. None would remember all the words, as he stopped his first song and began carrying into another. Only the chorus would possibly remain with those able to hear.
"In the deepest dark,
it takes but a spark.
To bring a flicker of light,
into the depths of the night.
Kindness strive to show a soul a way,
from the night to bring it into the day."
The notes faded slowly away into the pages of the library. He sat there, unmoving and his hands trembled against the strings of the lute. Eyes closed, his head bowed, the only one who might know what he awaited sat next to him.
For in the Temple of the Queen of Spiders, he'd just signed his death sentance.
She knew the hymn he played; not by its words, as he'd never uttered them for her, but by the notes that he once dared to pluck in her chambers, in what was once her home. Somehow, she'd lost him to the past and was at a loss for how to change it.
A single tear, one that she quickly swiped away, dared to roll over her cheek as the tune evoked memories, I will never forgive myself for what I did to him in ignorance and hatred...
Hoping that the sound of his own name would return him to the present, she spoke it, quietly, and in a tone meant to be gentle and placed her hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort, "..Kelzir, that was..." She suddenly realized that she didn't know the words necessary to express what she wanted, and simply fell slient at his side.
Fistar followed along, staying back and listening mostly to the talk. He looked at the row and rows of shelves filled with books with wide amazed eyes. He became speechless. As they moved along he heard Acolyte Oryic, talk to the druid explaining where to find the books she was interested in. He sighed and then slipped silently in between a set of shelves, that looked like may contain history books.
He glanced thru the books seeing if anything interesting, it was a place to start he figured, that maybe there was some place that may contain treasures in the past, and may still contain some in the present.
Spoiler
Move Silently - (1d20+6)[15](21)
((not sure what to roll here just looking thru books and the shelves seeing if anything of interest pops up, so just doing both rolls))
Spot - (1d20+1)[11](12)
Search - (1d20+2)[2](4)
Spoiler
((roll eyes, I think Fistar's imaginary friend with elephant ears followed him in.. ))
__________________ Fistar
Talk is cheap.
Cheap is good
The paladin frowned slightly at the High Priest's words, wondering at the tolerance of necromancers and their magics here in addition to drow and innumerable other dubious individuals.
"Holy Champion, I apologize but I find Gothmoor to be...quite different than what I expected. Though I have nothing negative to say about my current companions, I find it strange to see so many dark elves and other...traditional antagonists of the Temple on the streets. Do they follow the local laws?"
The concept that the laws of Gothmoor might be something other than the rules of the Temple of Torm never seemed to cross her mind. She heard the music and the singing only as a pleasant backdrop to the already-soothing atmosphere of the temple.
You move along the books looking for tomes on unseen regions of Faerun. You come across a thick, leather-bound book labeled "Small Carnivores of the North". there is a small wolf print on the cover, burnished into the leather and worn almost smooth. After flipping through the book, you see that many of the animals listed are unfamiliar to you. you flip through more and are happy to see not only are there maps, but regional coverage areas of many of the animals....but not all.
You begin getting depressed, wondering if you'll ever find the creature you saw, and then BAM! there it is. Live in colors, or lack of, since it is white, the colored drawn image is faded and a bit out of proportion, (the tail is twice the size of it's body drawn here.) but there it is. Unfortunately..there is no coverage map.
Zarraema:
Spoiler
You sit back and listen...you eyes watching Zelkir. but before he begins to play, you look around the quiet alcove and the worked stone walls.
((give me a spot check))
Fistar:
Spoiler
(( Dude you're looking for a book in a library...full of books!..you almost didn't spot one hahaha! ))
You thumb through the spined of the books, most have been inked for easy refrence, others actually have gold inlay on the inking, making them stand out against their brown leather spines. You notice many books have two or three copies of them beside the older original tome. It explains why the library was so huge, and as you come across the history section, a small female dark elf in clerical vestments. "May I help you find something M'Lord?" her voice is like a soft breeze over platinum chimes of pure masterwork.
Jessamyn:
Spoiler
High Priest Dentlor looks to you and smiles disarmingly. "Holy Defender, you are indeed new to the land, region and city of Gothmoor. The city's current creation in itself is an act of unheard alliances. The city itself was originally built by dark elves that left the Spider Queen Lloth's grip and escaped to the surface. Good dark elves, or Neutral at worst. They found this lush fertile valley and fought their way through the wild elves of the Mhair jungle to the North to get to a peaceful land of their own." High Priest Dentlor Pulls a small ring out of his robes and offers it to you. It is a white pearl backdrop with a platinum miniature gauntlet fixed atop the smooth flat pearl surface. There is a black dragon with no detail wrapped around the gauntlet. "This is the Loyal Gauntlets of Gothmoor's membership ring. There is a sect of our clergy that focuses it's job in keeping Gothmoor safe. The majority of dark elves you see in this town are here for survival..a new chance at life, and asylum from Lloth or the other evil gods. Some here are still following her will and are here to find fugitives or those who Lloth refuses to let go. You won't be able to tell them apart from just viewing them, but many who you speak with at length you will see the change. not all dark elves are the vicious child killer and sadistic hunters we have come to be taught." High Priest Dentlor moves around you after you take the ring from his hand and reaches for a book two shelves above his head.
"The original Dark Elves that built Gothmoor formed a close alliance with a clan of dwarves in the hills to the NE. We all know the hatred that flows between the Drow and the Dwarven races. These dwarves will come at the first sound of a horn and fight to the death in defense of their new Dark elven neighbors. Since then, the town has become a location for any race, no matter their origin to come and trade and share goods or knowledge. You will see hated enemies sharing a drink, or even praying together. We even have a full orc in our church. It is a great sight to beheld , when you step back with all the information and look at the city from the outside. Walk through this city with an open mind, and an open heart, paladin. You just might be amazed." High Priest Dentlor hands you a large thick tome, the label reads in common, "The Ancient Historical Line of Gothmoor."
Before settling to listen, Lolth's former priestess peered around the vicinity with a caution born of life in the Underdark - it would not do for anyone to see her companion in such a vulnerable state, especially not if they suspected why.
Spoiler
Spot Check for Zarraema (which Kelzir's player helped me understand where my numbers come from!) - (1d20+5)[16](21)
He seemed more aware once the tune had changed, though he still didn't look up. Head still bowed, he observed the floor, marking every crack or flaw in the stone below his feet. It was a trick slaves learned, to focus attention on one thing and only listen for some indication that they were wanted.
"It was my prayer for you, Mistress. For over a hundred years, Mistress, I've sang that song whenever I could. Even in your ear at times."
He fell silent once more, only letting the dulcet strains of another song fill the quiet. His mind still flashed with memories of another, darker, time and place. There were no words to the notes he played this time, merely filling the void, within the Temple, within the quiet of the library, and within himself.
Etsia let out a small squeal of excitement and flopped down on the floor, sitting cross-legged with the tome on her lap, reading the parts of the book carefully. She needed to know what the animal was called, what kind of an animal it was, what its behavior patterns were, what did it eat, how did it live -- everything about it. Especially any hints to where it might live, except obviously north.
The paladin's face showed amazement indeed--and a bit of chagrin--at the high priest's response, and she nodded slowly as she took the ring and the book.
"My apologies, Holy Champion," she said with an embarrassed half-bow. "I was ignorant of all of this. But I am glad that we are among...friends, then. I admit that, hearing of the destruction of the first Temple and seeing the locals for the first time, I was unsure..."
She looked down to the book, then nodded firmly to herself and returned her gaze to the high priest. "I will familiarize myself with the situation, Holy Champion. This will not happen again."
If not directed otherwise, she will go find a place to sit and start reading.
Fistar smiled at the dark elf, noting her clerical vestments and her stature, "Yes you may help me, I'm looking for old tomes of the history of the city, ones preferably with maps of the city and its growth." he then whispered with a glint in his eyes, "I've heard that Gothmoor was built on the ruins of a city, anything on the early years of Gothmoor would be of interest." he finished smiling at the dark elf. "Ohh before I forget, I am called Fistar, no need for this "M'Lord" since I am not a lord, and your name would be?"
__________________ Fistar
Talk is cheap.
Cheap is good
Your eyes spot a spall piece of parchment or paper sticking out from between two smaller bricks of the alcove, where there should have been mortar. You pull the piece of paper out and examine it, unfolding it. You notice in fact the parchment is a map. a map drawn by an obvious dark elven hand and it shows the city of Gothmoor, as well as a dotted line shoing it going into the Jungle to the North.
Kelzir:
Spoiler
You notice Zarrema pull out a small piece of parchment from the wall as if someone tried to hide it in there. She unfolded the parchment and it shows a map of dotted lines going into the jungle.
Etsia:
Spoiler
The Creature is known as a Fox. This white version is called the Arctic Fox. They are related to Wolves and dogs but sort of a seperate group of animal altogether. They are connsument hunters and scavengers, and live in burrows underground. The book fills in all the information on the animal and suggests high altitiude and cold regions.
The book does not name any locations that you have heard of.
Jessamyn:
Spoiler
((will be sending you info on Gothmoor from that book, just have to find the file. ))
Tsol:
Spoiler
The woman smiles and does not give you her name, instead she points you over toward the set of shelves where the paladin Jessamyn and the High priest just ended their conversation and the paladin has gone off to read a book. You lok back and the female is walking away toward another female acolyte and giggling softly
The wood elf watched the femaale dark elf walk off towards tye other female. He watched the hint of the sway of her hips under her robe. He sighed as he looked in the direction that she had pointed out to him. More books or talk to the females. He watched Jessamyn carry off a book to a table where she sat and started glancing thru it. He smiled making up his mind, he turned and walked towards the two females. "My dear beautiful ladies..." placing each of his hands lightly on the small of thier backs, "... truthfully the books bore me for the moment... " he smiled charmingly. "I rather talk to the beauties of the library. ", smiling at the two females. "Let me tell you a story, as a child of the woods, I have often ...." Fistar continued talking softly, elaborating his story of adventure with a few ribald jokes thrown in. Occasionally he would ask questions about Gothmoor, listening intently for any gossip.
Spoiler
((prays for some good rolls /smirk))
[rollv=perform]1d20+1[/rollv]
[rollv=Gather Information]1d20+1[/rollv]
__________________ Fistar
Talk is cheap.
Cheap is good
Fistar: A heavy and metallic hand tapped your shoulder, and the weight of it could only mean armor. As you turn around a huge plated cleric in field plate and wearing cleric vestments overtop stops you from continuing with the ladies. Once the two girls turn to see why you stopped, their eyes go huge and the swiftly dissapear.
With helmet removed, the male in armor looks down at you from his 6'9 height and sternly looks at you. His voice like a dead corpse in chaimail falling down a gravel hill. " M'Lord, THis is a library of Torm, not a tavern. If you wish to find suitable company for the evening, please leave and seek one of Gothmoor's fine establishments. If you wish to stay, leave the acolytes alone." As he finished the sented, his smooth brow furrows to drive home the point, this armored warrior priest could probably break walnuts with his mean looks.
The man stands in the path of the exited acolyte females and watches you.
Etsia nodded to herself and carefully placed the book back to its place. Then she turned to look up at Acolyte Oryic. "Thank you. I found the animal. I need to see books and maps about north next. Do you have any?" She paused, realizing it must be a stupid question. She shrugged, then continued. "Can I see?"
Orophen lifted his head as he heard someone asking about books on the lands to the north. He was propped back in a chair, legs upon the table before him, a number of books about the lands to the north spread out around him, a number in elven script.
His silver eyes blinked over in Etsia's direction, sliding his fingers briefly through his hair to flick his light hair out of his face. Then he immediately put his eyes back to the books, studying a map of the lands to the north, his eyes narrowed in concentration.
"...Now where is it..." he muttered to himself, quite frankly lost when it came to the map before him.
__________________ Now if you don't mind, I am somewhat preoccupied telling the laws of physics to shut up and sit down.
I cast irresistable phantasmal killeras a 4th level spell. No save, just die.
As Kelzir played on, she stared at the map - blankly, at first, as her mind trailed over a thousand impossible thoughts - and then, with increasing curiosity as she recognized the script and the city, itself.
Carefully and with monumentous difficulty, she tucked away her own thoughts as to what Kelzir's prayer had truly meant and her musings on why he'd prayed it for one hundred years... He could have run at any time... She cut the thought off - this would have to wait until they were safely away from prying eyes and ears.
The map, she pulled flat and held up for her companion to see, hoping to pull him further out of the past with the mystery and hoping to draw on his former training as the Matron Mother's scribe, "What do you make of this, Kelzir?" She continued puzzling at the map, unused to surface denotations, at all.
The rogue looked way up then stepped back away from the big armored cleric. "Umm yes, your quite right my friend, I was just about to end my story anyways. " he answered back with a bit of trepidation, He attempt to glance behind the cleric and watch the two Acolytes exit, a brief look of disappointment crossed his face. "Oh well I might as well look at the books since I'm here, right? " Smiling upwards, he slowly stepped backwards to get some distance from the armored giant. His eye's brightened as if he just discovered an idea, and he stopped back peddling. "Say...", looking at the giant. "...you must be quite knowledgeable about Gothmoor and this library, do you recommend any good books that tells about Gothmoor's early history? "
Spoiler
((I'm going to get a good roll even if it kills me, ummm.....)) Gather Information - (1d20+1)[15](16)
__________________ Fistar
Talk is cheap.
Cheap is good
His fingers kept strumming the strings as he looked over at what lay in his Mistress' hands. He took in the details of the rough map, committing it to memory as best he could. Finally his hands stopped as he reached over and tenatively took the map from her hands.
He turned it this way and that, his eyes seeking marks that may not be so obvious to casual observation. Sometimes drawn into the map itself to hide them from discovery. He ran his fingers carefully over it as well, feeling for any indention on it's surface.
Spoiler
Spot check for any unusual markings on the map. (1d20+2)[13](15)
"It was done by our people's hand, Mistress. That much is certain, there may be other signs not so obvious that could be made evident with the right conditions. I'm sorry Mistress, but my glaring ignorance in this matter cannot be ignored." He said quietly so as not to disturb anyone nearby.
Oryic Smiled and nodded and led Etsia around a few shelvesand to a shelf with it's one side facing a table with a strange elf sitting in front of a large pile of books. Many of the books in the pile in front of him are written in Elvish, and the bindings have the word "north" scribed in them.
"Here we are M'lady." Oryic points to a few books on the frozen north and the Spine of the World, the town of Mirabar and the Ice Mountains. many of the books he points to have spots next to them or near them, which tells you that copies are currently being read by someone in the library as well.
Orophen:
Spoiler
You sit and scour through the book, as one of the libraries Acolytes you know as Orophen approaches the shelf of the books on the North and points out a few books you yourself have in front of you. the female is short, even in elf standards. Her leather belts for clothing, and random scraps of fur and leathers marks her for a wild elf. You've heard of her kind before from stories within your home, but never actually seen one of your wild cousins. But, knowing what you know of this strange city, with drow kising dwarves and humans hugging orcs, anything is possible.
Fistar:
Spoiler
The huge armored human looks around for a moment, and then rubs his chin. Then after a moment, you can almost see the gears slowly turning as he looks down to you. "M'lord, I am well versed with the inner and outer workings of our grand empire. Gothmoor's common knowledge is taught to all who train and grow up here within these walls." He smiles broadly and raises his arms to motion to the city at large. "I can show you the books that have the same information, but I will be glad to answer any questions you may have, if I can, and will give my information freely."
"Thank you." Etsia nodded at the acolyte and then turned to consider the books. A small frown appeared on her features at the sight of so many of them obviously missing. She turned around to regard the table with them, then the elf who was apparently reading them. She took the few steps separating her from the table and peered at the books, checking out titles, looking for a map that would show names of towns.
"Hello." She glanced at the elf again, but did not make a straight eye contact. "Can I look at the ones you're not looking?"
Fistar nodded slowly listening to the large armored cleric,
"Well, my big man, I'm just looking for old history, I heard that the city was built on top of some ruins, and I thought that I might like to visit them, if any still exists." Fistar then whispers conspiringly, Im hoping to find treasure and gold, a person has to make a living you know, he smirked. Is it true that Gothmoor was built with the help of dwarves?
__________________ Fistar
Talk is cheap.
Cheap is good
The huge warrior cleric looks around and begins to rub his chin, as if it would help his memory. Finally he nods as if his decision to think was a good one, then looks back to you.
"Old History? well this library is full of useful and dated tomes of historical facts. The City of Shadows was indeed built upon ruins. Ruins of the ,rumored, six other attempts at a city here. This place is called The Wound of the Gods by the lizardmen of the Mhair Jungle. This land was settled, this time, by surface drow and the dark elves who escaped Lloth and her terrible grip. They came here to be free, and what one way to hide from a goddess than to live in a place she would not bother searching. These dark elves had no formal fortifications but found ruins poking up and out of the ground. they hddled like nomads until a knight arrived to show them a better way." The cleric warrior points over your shoulder to a three storytall tapestry of a huge human in plate and chain, with a grey halo around his head, herding hundreds of miniature dark elves under his shield and protecting them from a group of clouds with god symbols in them.
"This great man helped the Dakr elves not only build the first city and keep here that our king uses today, but also established their first alliance with the Dwarven city of Citadel Blacksteel to our North East." The man then pointed to a similar tapestry of the man with the halo, now smaller but shaking hands with a dark elf and a dwarf atop a mountain, with the image of Torm over the three of them smiling in seemingly approval.
As the Drow Priestess stared at the parchment, Rek'lyr's warning came back to her - keep the pales close... That's what they would have to do.
"There is no fault here, Kelzir, it may be drawn by our people's hand, but it is of the surface, something that neither of us is particularly familiar with. We will both have to learn." With those quiet words, she squeezed Kelzir's knee, gently, and pulled herself to her feet, banishing the sentimental thoughts until a more private time. She only hoped that her friend would be able to stand the temple a little more easily now...though, she knew what he saw behind the perfect stone...
"We should see what insight those who are familiar with the surface might have, hm?"
Orophen looked up at the female elf with a slow blink, jerked out of his study by her question.
"Huh? Oh, sure," Orophen said, looking at the large volume of books scattered across the table. He gestured towards them and the chair on the other side. "Help yourself." Then he went back to studying the map in the book.
__________________ Now if you don't mind, I am somewhat preoccupied telling the laws of physics to shut up and sit down.
I cast irresistable phantasmal killeras a 4th level spell. No save, just die.
Etsia nodded to the elf and stepped closer to browse the books until she found one with maps of the north. She glanced at the chair and blinked, then flopped to sit down cross-legged on the floor next to the chair and set the big book in front of her. She opened it and leaned over it, frowning a little as she studied the map.
She tried to memorize the names of the towns in the north, and to map a route from Gothmoor to the closest north-town.
Automatically, he stood with her as he still looked at the floor. The only indication of his state, was the slight sound of his fingers on the strings of the lute he carried. With his other hand, he offered the map back out to Zarraema.
"A wise decision, Mistress," came the quiet whisper. "One of them surely must be able to explain it to you."
Deliberately, she refolded the map and peered around to find the others. She knew the paladin had been closest, last. The others, she hadn't seen since their departure for the library.
One step at a time, Zarraema, he cannot be expected to be calm after such a short time away...if it weren't for the Maiden, even you would be stuck in the past...
"Come, my friend...we have a paladin and a few paler elves to find..."
Out of the corner, she stepped, looking for the nearest of their companions with a determined set to her face, We will figure out some way to keep with them, from now on. It will be good for Kelzir...
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Re: Gothmoor IC (purple)
Now if you don't mind, I am somewhat preoccupied telling the laws of physics to shut up and sit down.
