[Taocow PBEM] Book 3 - Chapter XIV

[Aaron Clausen]

>>>> [GM]
>>>> With little else to discuss the Council bids the adventurers a good
>>>> evening and bids them to return to their residence and make
>>>> preparations for the journey to come.
>>>>
>>>> Back at their residence, they find most of the soldiers lounging
>>>> around, enjoying a bit of rest of their last days' struggles. There is
>>>> no sign of Karl or Vesper, and a couple of druids who are acting as
>>>> guides and guards advise Alex, Louissa and Ted that their companions
>>>> are below interrogating the Splugorth Blind Warrior Women.
>>>>
>>>> Night is deepening, and a gentle fire seems to beckon sleep.
>>>> [/GM]

>> [Louissa]
>> Louissa, stifling a yawn, turns to Alex. "I'm sorry we disagree over
>> the girl creature, Alex. But Ted truly needs this."
>> [/Louissa]

>> [GM]
>> As Louissa is talking, the large door to the guest quarters opens,
>> revealing the Elf woman Taelaen, who had been their guide earlier, and
>> another woman. The other woman is attractive, average height young
>> human woman. No tan, moderately freckled, long medium-brown hair in a
>> ponytail.
>>
>> She is wearing a silver-trimmed white military-style uniform, with a
>> utility belt, and armor plated boots, pauldrons and bracers.
>> The suit has a light non-enviornmental helmet with a silver half-
>> visor that obscures the eyes.  Tucked into a breast pocket
>> (seemingly made just for it) is a small yellow-handled screw driver.
>>
>> She is carrying a very large scoped rifle of indeterminate make,
>> almost comically oversized.
>>
>> Taelaen is saying to her "There are several empty rooms. You may
>> choose any you like. May you have peace tonight." With that Taelaen
>> departs, leaving the young woman behind.
>>
>> One Jacek's men turns around. "Oy, now that's a pretty one. Hello,
>> little lady, don't be no cold fish. You come on over here and sit down
>> next to us and warm yourself up."
>>
>> The New Camelot soldiers do not hide their disgust, and the Borg,
>> Jacek, turns to the stranger. "I shall beat him if you wish." he says.
>> "Willard is a fool with a large mouth."
>> [/GM]

>> [Louissa]
>> Louissa, ever the diplomat, walks over to the strange young woman.
>> "Don't mind those mercenaries. Two days ago they were bandits with the
>> manners and bearing of rutting sows. I am Louissa, the lizard man over
>> there is my friend Ted, and the red-haired woman next to him is Alex."
>> [/Louissa]

> [Stranger]
> The woman responds to Louissa "My use-name is Anne, and you're not
> getting the true one. I'm with the New Tormuk Explorer Corps, armorer
> and sniper by skill specialty. I appreciate your concern, but the day
> I can't survive in the monkey house is the day I hang up my sergeant
> hat."
>
> She heads over to the table the mercenaries are at, shoves the loud
> one over to make room to sit, and starts field stripping her rifle
> for cleaning (it breaks down into three carbine-sized sections then
> each section comes apart further). "Anybody got a cleaning rag?"
>
> Semi-OOC: She pretty much responds in kind to the crowd; If one of
> the guys gropes, she gropes back ("adequate", "meh, too small, must
> ripen", etc), and so forth.
> [/Anne]

OOC: Again, welcome our new player, and deep apologies to shoehorning in 
like this.

[GM]
The mouthy soldier gulps and pulls a rag out of his pocket. "Here you 
go, er... Miss. Where exactly is this New Tormuk?" None of the men seem 
to have any more desire to grope or be suggestive, and all stare in 
wonder, fear, and a bit of growing respect.
[/GM]

> [Alex]
> Looking at Anne, Alex responds, "Not a true sniper but a markswoman
> myself. I have been working as the team's armorer as well. More of a
> ranger myself however. Pleased to make your acquaintance?" Her JA-12
> is a pretty good sized rifle as well.
>
> Any strange reaction out of her dagger?
> [/Alex]

>> [GM]
>> For once the night is undisturbed. The Tree has a calming effect that
>> seems to put everyone into a deep sleep. The only sounds are the
>> gentle creaking of the mighty tree. In these quarters, even as another
>> winter storm rages in the night, there is only warmth. Sometimes the
>> companions will almost awaken to the sound of some distant singing,
>> but the singing itself seems to plunge them back into sleep, a sleep
>> with gentle dreams of spring afternoons with gentle suns and babbling
>> brooks.
>>
>> When they awaken in the morning, the winter sun is streaming through
>> the windows. Outside, many hundreds of feet below, new fallen snow has
>> covered the blasted battle plain, and the land looks at peace. Out in
>> the common area breakfast has already been served; hotcakes with a
>> honey syrup, toast with nut spreads, coffee, tea and a heart and
>> fortifying mead. The soldiers and mercenaries are gathering and
>> already digging in.
>>
>> And then the elf woman Taelaen appears. "The Council has reconvened
>> this morning, and wishes you to attend." She turns to the strange
>> young woman. "You as well, friend."
>>
>> Ted, Alex, Louissa, Vesper and Oz, along with Jacek the Borg, Oz,
>> along with the strange young woman, are lead back up the Tree to the
>> vast hall. There the council of druids sits. Off in the corner, the
>> ancient old druid with the strange glow to him is sleeping, looking
>> like hasn't moved all night. Finally there is the Blind Warrior Woman,
>> Ithdalkal, standing and looking grim, until Oz appears, at which point
>> she smiles broadly.
>> [/GM]

> [Oz]
> Oz smiles back at Ithdalkal and gestures for her to join him.
> [/Oz]

[Ithdalkal]
Ithdalkal betrays a brief smile, then turns stoned face again and 
follows Oz.
[/Ithdalkal]

>> [GM]
>> At a table sits another man in a bizarre outfit. He is wearing an
>> aviator's cap, has a fantastically large handlebar moustache. He is
>> dressed in black weather, and is wearing a watch the size of cell
>> phone, with all sorts of odd blinking lights and wires sticking out of
>> it.
>>
>> The head of the council introduces the man. "This is Simon von
>> Schellburg, from the east of Europe, and captain of der
>> Teufelshörnchen, a technowizard airship heading to Wales. He has said
>> he is willing to take you to Wales, if you so wish."
>> [/GM]

> [Oz]
> Oz smiles at the man and speaks in Euro. <"A pleasure to meet you,
> Captain von Schellburg."> Unlike his English, Oz's German was
> unaccented and fluent. He sounded like a native of the northern NGR,
> particularly Hamburg if one had a good ear for dialect. <"Osmar
> Wolz.">
> [/Oz]

[GM]
~Ya, a pleasure to meet a countryman.~ von Schellburg says, his accent 
sounding not entirely different from Oz's, perhaps a little more 
westward towards what would have been the border of the Netherlands in 
Pre Apocalypse times.
[/GM]

> [Alex]
> The Coalition ranger can but shake her head. How can a good Coalition
> girl get involved with so much magic. She has heard of line ships and
> even seen pictures of them but has never encountered them. She has seen
> othrs dress in as fantastic a clothing (ooc: I have a person who
> dresses in what is effectively a Napoleonic British Naval uniform)
>
> "Hello captain, I do not understand why are going to see whales though,"
> Alex responds (ooc: Don't think Wales has been used as a location in her
> presence before.)
> [/Alex]

OOC: Wales is where the Cold Iron is. See my previous omnibus post. 
Short answer; the cold iron that can hold the girl-thing is mined by 
Dwarves in Wales.

[GM]
"It is my understanding," von Schellburg says, "that you wish to go to a 
dwarf colony in eastern Wales, for ze cold iron. I trade with them 
regularly, and I can be there in a day or two... providing there are no, 
how do you say, obstacles."
[/GM]

> [Vesper]
> Vesper introduces himself to any newcomers.  "An airship this should
> be interesting." He smiles to Alex and then to the others. "Were
> going to get some more cold iron on the way I hope."
> [/Vesper]

[GM]
von Schellburg nods. "That is ze goal, though you'd best have some 
credits. I give you and your friends transport because the Druids ask, 
but maybe ze dwarves will not be so generous."

The captain turns to the newcomer, Anne. "With ze gun like that, I'd 
wager you will prove useful. You come with us, no?"

The old druid with the odd glow seeming to emanate from his skin, who 
had been sleeping soundly, pops one eye wide open. "I think I shall go 
as well. A trip in an airship sounds like fun, and I haven't been to the 
land of Cymru for many years now."

The council of Druids look at the old man oddly. "If it is the will of 
Captain von Schellburg and these adventurers, we have no objection."

The head of the council looks to Ted. "We believe your illness will 
become much worse soon. Do not tarry long, and if you cannot obtain the 
cold iron, then you must go north as soon as possible, without this 
thing in girl's form."
[/GM]


-- 
Aaron Clausen
mightymartianca at gmail.com