[Taocow PBEM] Book 3 - Chapter VI - The Enchanter

Aaron Clausen mightymartianca at gmail.com
Wed Jan 4 18:01:36 UTC 2012


OOC: I hope everyone had a good, refreshing holiday. I'll give a brief 
overview of where we've gotten to, and then we can carry on.

[GM Overview]
The company, joined by new companions Osmar, Vesper and the Wolfen 
priest Father Montessoro, escaped a forest full of mad faeries and 
bomb-dropping Splugorth minions only to find themselves in an outpost 
keep of New Camelot, once again being bombed by the Splugorth.

It was Vesper's shifting powers that allowed the company to escape death 
or capture by the Splugorth as he opened a rift to New Camelot itself. 
Many injured knights were able to get through, as was the Baron of New 
Bournemouth. But even as the last members of the company were making for 
Vesper's rift, the Splugorth managed to collapse the keep's main tower, 
and Lady Frost, Carlos, Owen and Koba were trapped on the other side of 
the rubble. The approach of Splugorth minions forced Vesper to close the 
rift.
[/GM Overview]

OOC: I'm going to quote my entire last post because responses from 
players are placed throughout it.

>>> [Vesper]
>>> Vesper casts a calling spell to get Lady Frost and the others to
>>> get to the portal. The explosion causes him to stagger and a
>>> large bit of masonry knocks him towards the portal. He keeps
>>> calling out until the slavers get closer and the giant troupes
>>> come.
>>>
>>> Only when the portal is about to slam shut does he ride his
>>> hovercycle through.
>>>
>>> Vesper shakes his head, "I held it open as long as I could, I
>>> even cast spells to draw your friends there to it but they didn't
>>> come. Even I can only hold a rift open so long."
>>>
>>> Vesper sits down heavily. He is obviously very stressed about
>>> what happened.
>>> [/Vesper]

>> [Louissa]
>> "No!" Louissa roars in anger. "Open it back up!" she shouts at
>> Vesper. "Open that rift back up! Those are our friends, damn you!"
>>
>> She runs past Vesper and begins clawing at the rubble, despite the
>> fact that the rift has already closed.
>>
>> "Someone help me!" she cries out.
>> [/Louissa]

> [Alex]
> Unlike Louissa, Alex knows that once a Rifts closes, it closes. "A
> soldier is never suppose to leave a man behind," she responds,
> agreeing with Louissa. "We have lost so many over the course of our
> travels. I don't know what we can do though. These Rifts just don't
> reopen."
>
> The Ranger will take off her helmet, revealing sweaty short hair.
> Even though the armor is environmental controlled, the stress made
> her sweat hard.
>
> She will give Louissa a hug back, the girl able to see that Alex's
> eyes are tear filled too. "I am just a ranger, not a special forces
> trooper that just sees all this as part of the job."
> [/Alex]

>> [Father Montessoro]
>> The Wolfen Catholic priest pats Vesper on the shoulder as he passes.
>> "You did what you had to, friend." he says.
>> [/Father Montessoro]

> [Vesper]
> Vesper looks to Louissa and is about to answer when she rushes past
> to dig at the rubble. He shakes his head and looks to the Father
> nodding, "I truly wish it were so easy to open rifts."
> [/Vesper]

>> [Father Montessoro]
>> When the priest reaches Louissa, he lifts her up. "They are gone
>> for now, child. Come, those who remain need you. If I understand
>> correctly, your kingdom's ambassador is here, and you will need to
>> make contact."
>> [/Father Montessoro]

>> [Louissa]
>> Weeping softly, Louissa nods and rejoins the company, her face
>> streaked with tears and dust.
>> [/Louissa]

>>> [Ted]
>>> "Given the strange nature of this world, we will probably see
>>> them again," Ted grumbles.
>>> [/Ted]

>>> [Oz]
>>> From behind the wheel, Oz looks around to get his bearings. He
>>> had spent a good deal of time in and around the capitol and was
>>> reasonably certain he could navigate the refugees to safety from
>>> anywhere near the city.
>>> [/Oz]

>> [GM]
>> Oz recognizes this pretty quickly as Knight's Street. The
>> buildings here are a mixture of medieval and Victorian houses with
>> the odd more modern looking dwelling. To the south can be glimpsed
>> the high walls of New Camelot, at least twenty feet high and
>> seemingly made of stone. North of their location, towering over the
>> town is a domed citadel, with a pyramid atop it. Running directly
>> over the top of the pyramid is a ley line.
>>
>> One of the knights, a young man, limps up to Vesper and bows.
>> "Many thanks, sir." he says. "You have saved lives this day."
>>
>> Within moments several men and women in armor come running up,
>> weapons drawn. When they see that many of those in the street are
>> their own comrades they lower their weapons. Their leader, a woman
>> in knight's armor, who looks to be in her mid-40s confers with some
>> of the wounded, and then, with a nod, walks up to the company.
>>
>> "I only know two of you," she says in a crisp, exact English
>> accent. "Father Montesorro, who is a friend of the King's, and Mr.
>> Wolz who I know by sight only. But Lord Myrrlyn learned of your
>> coming and has asked that I lead you to him. The King will, as I
>> understand it, see you later tonight, but begs your understanding,
>> for he is in a war council."
>>
>> Even as the knight speaks, the company can see a distant figure
>> atop the great dome, robes waving in the wind.
>> [/GM]

> [Vesper]
> Vesper nodded to the thanks of the others and followed the others
> numbly for a time till he heard the name Merlin.
>
> Vespers eyes narrowed below his helm.
> [/Vesper]

>> [GM]
>> Ted's companion, the little girl, claps her hands. "Mrrlyn indeed!"
>> she laughs. "Oooh! This will be fun for you!"
>>
>> Though neither the knight nor the guards seem threatening, still,
>> they're posture and the way they move to surround the company
>> suggests that they are not going to give them much of a choice.
>> Once everyone has their kit together and the wounded have been
>> moved on, the knight beckons to the company, "If you please."
>>
>> The company is lead up the street and across a couple of
>> intersecting streets, one of which is filled with shops of all
>> manner, and it certainly seems a more than adequate place to get
>> repairs or to buy new equipment.
>>
>> Finally the company reaches the domed citadel. They pass a great
>> stone stairway with numerous guards, all in glittering knightly
>> armor. Here and there can be seen a large robot or power armor, of
>> Triax manufacture by the looks of them. The citadel is formidably
>> guarded.
>>
>> The door the company is lead to is smaller, and is guarded by some
>> pretty odd-looking knights [OOC: see attached image]. They stand
>> aside and a door written with strange symbols glows slightly and
>> then swings open. Beyond can be seen a long passage lit with
>> flickering torches.
>>
>> While no one's sixth sense goes off, there is a sense of foreboding
>> about this particular place.
>>
>> The little girl gives these strange knights a sharp look. "This is
>> a scary place for me." she says, her voices faltering as if she is
>> about to cry. "I do not wish to enter. Oh please do not force
>> me."
>>
>> The female knight looks sadly upon the child. "I do not think your
>> business will take long. I can take her to a friendlier place to
>> wait."
>> [/GM]

> [Ted]
> "No objections here," Ted mumbles to himself. He adds, loudly enough
> for the knights to hear, "Keep a close eye on her, please. She is
> just a girl. I would not want any harm to come to her."
> [/Ted]

[GM]
The female knight nods and goes to take the girl's hand to lead her 
away. "Come little one," she says in a soothing friendly voice, "perhaps 
we can find you some candy."

The little girl smiles broadly and innocently. "Oh yes! Candy! I love 
candy!"
[/GM]

> [Vesper]
> When the girl appeared afraid, "Oh I think he would love to meet you.
> In fact I am rather sure of it."
> [/Vesper]

[GM]
As the girl is being lead away, she glances over her shoulder, her 
innocent child's face now contorted in a strange and disquieting way; 
the eyes like pits of darkness.

"I'm sure he would. But I have my candy, and he'll have his."

With that she turns again and then looks up to the female knight leading 
her away. "Let's be quick, ma'am! I'm so very hungry."
[/GM]

> [Oz]
> Having never been near, much less in, the great wizard's pyramid, Oz
> makes sure his recording equipment is running and does not try to
> avoid gawking like a tourist. Who wouldn't be amazed at the insides
> of Mrrlyn's sanctum?
>
> He whispers to the others. "I have been at court for months and not
> so much as spoken to the wizard. This is a great honor." Either that,
> or they were suspected of collusion with the Splugorth and were about
> to be executed. No point in mentioning that.
> [/Oz]

[Father Montessoro]
The Wolfen priest nods in agreement. "It is true enough. Myrrlyn is a 
man of great powers. I have met him twice, and both times found myself 
quite overwhelmed by his presence. And so I caution you. As people from 
your part of the world say, 'Think nice thoughts.'"
[/Father Montessoro]

OOC: Seeing as there are no objections...

[GM]
The passage goes deep into the dome. Here and there are side-passages, 
some lit with torches, some like bottomless shafts. Their boots and 
armor make little enough echo, as if the very structure itself is 
absorbing the sound.

In front and behind are the strangely-armored knights. They say nothing 
as they lead the company forward, and their silence only increases the 
sense of foreboding. Father Montessoro's words seem quite true thus far, 
that there is a powerful presence ahead of them.

The entrance to the dome is a sliver of light far behind them when they 
finally reach the end of the passage. A great door of gold and silver, 
with runes enough to fill a book etched into it, stands before them. 
There is no obvious way to open it, and one of the knights simply stands 
in front of it for a moment, and it swings open.

Inside is a large oval room. It is literally filled to the brim with 
books, trinkets, statues, pieces of wood, chunks of odd-looking stones 
and mineral. The ceiling is about fifteen above, and from it hang models 
of solar systems, many moving with the faint sounds of gears, their orbs 
circling each other in almost mesmerizing displays.

In the midst of this, almost unnoticed at first, sits an older man, long 
gray hair and beard, clothed in simple robes, only a vaguely visible 
medallion as decoration. One might at first mistake him for a 
shopkeeper, but there is the presence that Father Montessoro referred 
to. Here is a man who holds great knowledge and great powers; a 
dangerous man, though he seems to pose no imminent threat to the company.

He gets up and with surprising dexterity for a man his age, walks over 
to the company. He bows low to them.

"I am Mrrlyn." he says, his voice warm and friendly. "I am the chief 
minister of the King, and I welcome you all in his name to New Camelot. 
I know that you are tired and suffering from the loss of some of your 
companions, but the King and I thought it important to talk to you 
before you were allowed some brief time to refresh yourselves."

He pauses for a moment, and meets each member of the party with his 
eyes. It is a brief glance, but a probing one, though it does not seem 
he is invoking any special powers.

"Someone is missing." he says, almost sounding slightly irritated. 
"There was a child with you, a young girl I believe. Is she ill? Why is 
she not here?" There is barely concealed frustration here, if not anger.
[/GM]

-- 
Aaron Clausen
mightymartianca at gmail.com



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