[Taocow PBEM] [Oz, Vesper, Alex and Anne] Book 3 - Chapter XIV - Belmont Abbey OOC

Aaron Clausen mightymartianca at gmail.com
Mon Jan 13 22:22:11 UTC 2014


> [Vesper]
> "Well sometimes yes magic is just a tool like technology it can
> be used for good or bad. Shifters tend to be bad and so many of
> them seek quick routes to power they become bad. Me I would
> rather command forces then be commanded by them so I am
> not as powerful as my more ruthless brethren. I tend to seek
> the right forces for the right job then send them off instead of
> letting them remain in the world. There are good supernatural
> beings as well Alex, it's just the really bad ones get the most
> notoriety."
>
> "Hey let's find ourselves a nice room in this cozy little town
> hmmmm ?"
> [/Vesper]

>> [GM]
>> As Oz, Ithdalkal, Vesper and Alex disembark, a whole unit of soldiers
>> and mercenaries are eagerly getting off as well. While the Hoburne Hill
>> Millennium Tree may have been a fascinating place to visit, Belmont
>> Abbey seems like a somewhat less devout and peaceful place, and more
>> like the kind of town where one might find a decent mug of ale.
>>
>> As described before, the town has about seventy buildings; including
>> houses, a couple of inns, a number of shops, including what looks like a
>> genuine magic store. A fairly new concrete bridge crosses the River Wye
>> into the other half of Belmont Abbey, which seems more residential.
>>
>> The town is surrounded by a hall wall [OOC: looks megadamage] with
>> several laser and rail gun emplacements, with armed sentries patrolling
>> the walls. The highway which runs east west goes right through the east
>> gate of the city, over the bridge, through the other half of the town
>> and out through the west gate. The river seems to have been widened
>> here, and there are a number of moorages where shallow draft river boats
>> and barges are docked. Above it all is the ley line, which basks the
>> twilight town in its bluish light; so bright that one can see his shadow
>> by it.
>>
>> All in all it seems a prosperous place, clearly a bit of trading hub.
>> Captain von Schellburg, who joins the adventurers, explains "Zis is one
>> of ze last major outposts before entering Wales. It is ruled by ze
>> Bishop of Belmont Abbey, a very cunning man who has made alliances with
>> several other small towns to form ze River Wye League. Ze League is
>> allied with New Camelot, but is independent, and also has some treaties
>> with, how do you say, less desirable settlements, including an Orc
>> settlement in ze hills to ze west of here. Ze Bishop is a harsh but fair
>> man, but he looks out for his people and for ze League first, and others
>> second, so be warned. Do not antagonize other visitors here, even if
>> some try with you, or you may find yourself in ze dungeons below ze Abbey."
>>
>> Much as the Captain stated, there is a party of Orcs, dressed in
>> mismatched armor, sitting outside the first inn they come across. The
>> inn, the Feckless Centaur, looks like a bit of dive, with a couple of
>> people already thrown out and snoring in the mud. Up the road further is
>> a better place, with the elegant name The Abbey's Retreat. It's this inn
>> that the Captain seems to be aiming for, though several of Oz's soldiers
>> along with the Captain's crew are making for the Feckless Centaur.
>
> There is no weapon's shop per se, but there is a general store
> that, at least from the window, looks to have a tolerably decent
> selection of fire arms. The sign on the store also announces that
> there is an armorer in residence.
> [/GM]

> [Anne]
> Anne passes this by -- nothing she needs.
> [/Anne]

> [GM]
> There is also a "chop shop" advertising "First Rate Used NGR Quality
> Bionics".
> [/GM[

> [Anne]
> Kinda like shopping in a morgue, no thanks.
> [/Anne]

> [GM]
> There's a used vehicle dealer called "Honest Edwins"
> [/GM]

> [Anne]
> A few hundred of him in her home town alone.
> [/Anne]

> [GM]
> There's a fortune teller called "Madame Zanwe", though there's a
> picture of a naked woman on a side entrance with several of Oz's
> soldiers and the ship's crew lining up.
> [/GM]

> [Anne]
> I can predict THEIR future, heh.
> [/Anne]

> [GM]
> There's a round building that looks a lot like a small Roman arena,
> called Mercenary's Fortune, with a sign lit up announcing "Tonight's
> Fight - Kung-raka the D-Bee Tankman vs. Any Who Dare Fight Him!"
> [/GM]

> [Anne]
> This one might be interesting, but not necessary either. Anne
> heads for the church.
> [/Anne]

> [Anne]
> Anne will go into the town rather than remaining on board. She'll make
>her way up towards the town's church, window shopping as she goes,
> and may stop in if there is anything of interest in the shops.
> [/Anne]

> [Alex]
> "I have some skill at an armorer myself," the red headed scout states.
> "Don't recommend you go to any armorer in town. If we had some time,
> might offer to do some work myself, been pretty slip as far as credits
> if I have been extremely lucky in other areas."
>
> "I don't think we have much time however," she adds after a moment. In
> her military bearing, even though a scout, likely something different
> about her compared to any soldiers in town. More like an NGR soldier in
> her bearing.
> [/Alex]

[GM]
As Alex talks, they pass the Abbey's Retreat, and it is indeed a much
nicer looking inn; three stories, well lit and well kept, and
sufficiently advanced that it even has its own parking garage! The
delicious smells of fine cooking waft from the kitchen.
[/GM]

OOC: The only PC who has given any direction as to where they want to
go is Anne, so I'll push the narrative ahead for her, and leave Vesper
and Alex to follow or do their own thing (in a family-friendly way of
course ;-)

[GM]
Anne attempts to identify the denomination of the Church, but it is
difficult to say. There are stained-glass windows with pictures of the
Saints, the Virgin and child and a good deal of Christian iconography.
As she approaches, she can see a wonderful stain-glassed motif showing
a Wolfen in priestly garb holding up a cross to some sort of
multi-tentacled beast.

The building has been damaged at various points, and while the repair
jobs are tolerable, they're still not what a major city or kingdom
could afford. All in all, even in this rough frontier setting on the
edge of the wilderness, people have cared enough to put some effort
into maintaining the old structure.

A wall surrounds the Abbey, and this makes the town a two-walled town;
an outer wall surrounding the whole community and an inner wall. This
inner wall seems quite formidable, built of mega-damage steel welded
together. There are score marks from energy blasts, but they seem very
old. There are turrets and heavy weapons emplacements, but few guards.
Clearly, at some point, the defenses were moved to the outer wall,
though the inner wall is maintained.

A great gate of megadamage material sits open below a tall arch with a
cross on it. Several guards in Medieval-looking livery, crosses on
their breastplates, stand at attention. Several people are strolling
into the Abbey grounds, and a bell begins to ring.
[/GM]

-- 
Aaron Clausen
mightymartianca at gmail.com


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