RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road

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alhoon
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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road

Post by alhoon »

"Then we just have to keep it down, don't we?" Raen said angrily as he moves closer to the downed monster and hits it with a bolt of lighting.
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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road

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Raen's bolts cause the monster's inert limbs to twitch violently, and set sparks dancing over the water.


ALAIN hustles closer, sloshing muddy water with each step, and puts his hands together. Mumbling a formula, he conjures a nasty-looking translucent orange ball, which he drops onto the supine troll.
The sphere pops, spilling corrosive liquid over the green torso and head, boiling away flesh in a foul, acrid cloud of vapor.

With blasts of energy, sword blows, and the lingering acid of Alains' spells, the party reduces the troll to little more than a green stain and a splintered, melting skeleton.

The smoky, befouled air over the kill site stinks like some horrendous combination of an alchemist's lab, slaughterhouse, and open sewer.
Alain
VIEW CONTENT:
may recall Nosos
.


The strangers gather round Benn, shaking his hands and thanking him profusely.

They then return to the center of the glade where the party watches what's left of the troll dissolve and sink into the muck.

The man who had lost his axe wipes mud from his face. He looks young, maybe eighteen, with sandy hair, fair skin, and hazel eyes.
''Thanks, friends! I didn't realize you had a battle magician in your party. That was... impressive.''

The injured man, who looks a older and more weather-beaten, leans forward, hands on knees, catching his breath.

The third man, still holding his torch, carefully roasts a wriggling green wormlike thing he's just now plucked from the water where the troll fell.
''Bloody finger!'', he says to no one in particular.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road

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Bennedict looks in curiosity at the finger, seeming almost disappointed as the others destroy it.

"We were very fortunate to have come upon you when we did," Bennedict answers. "Though perhaps more fortunate for us than for you, believe it or not. We are travelers from Pont au Museau, lost in the mists. May I inquire where we are?"
"Of course," Benn mutters, "It would be a damned shame if we ever knew what the hell was actually going on."
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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road

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The young man shakes his head.
"I'm sorry, I've never heard of Pontamuzzyr. Sounds foreign.''
He gestures about him, at the black trees and vaporous waters.
''It's not hard to get lost in this, even when the fog's mostly gone. You're on the west side of the river and not too far from the swamp's verge. Our party was scouting when we ran into hostile man-lizards--lost a couple of my friends but we beat the scaly wretches. They sank our boat, though, and then that hungry troll came along and chased us from the riverbank into the trees a good long way. If you come with us we'll take you to the fort and you can maybe get help from the provost. He's got maps and books, and maybe knows the road to Pontamuzzyr.''


Now that the fight is over and the party can take a good long look at the three men, the adventurers may notice that all three wear armored jacks of leather over mail and padding . and wear knapsacks. Their kit and clothing isn't identical from one man to the next, but under the mud and blood, each man's jack shows a badge sewn on the breast, a raven or a crow on a blue field.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road

Post by Wolfglide of the Fraternity »

Impressive indeed, Klokulf thinks as he regards Alain's handiwork, not that he would ever praise an arcanist out loud.

He looks over to where Alwina hides. "I think it is safe to come out, now," he calls.
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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road

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The slender blonde girl emerges from hiding and wades over to Klokulf.
''What was that creature? Where are we? Who are these men?"
She clings to the priest's right arm.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road

Post by Wolfglide of the Fraternity »

"I am given to understand that was a troll," Klokulf replies, "And we seem to be far enough away from where we were that some--possibly many--have never heard about it."

He looks to the men. "As for the third question, I wonder that myself. Who are you, and what is this fort of which you speak?"
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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road

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Wolfglide wrote:"I am given to understand that was a troll," Klokulf replies, "And we seem to be far enough away from where we were that some--possibly many--have never heard about it."

He looks to the men. "As for the third question, I wonder that myself. Who are you, and what is this fort of which you speak?"
The man with the torch walks past Klokulf as the priest talks with Alwina.
''Excuse me.''
He bends over the muck and waves his torch about.

The younger man, who'd been speaking to Benn, turns and says,
''We're sailors. Naval infantry.''
He chuckles.
''Some sea, eh?' He makes another sweeping gesture at the swamp surrounding the group.
''As for other questions, I'm afraid I really can't say much more, not to foreigners. Come back to our fort and the Provost will certainly want to talk with you. He's the man you'll want to be asking questions."
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road

Post by Adam »

Bennedict nods. "We will accompany you. It beats wandering in the muck."
"Of course," Benn mutters, "It would be a damned shame if we ever knew what the hell was actually going on."
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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road

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Raen curiously addresses the men.
"Sailors? Since you already mentioned that, perhaps you could answer from which port you sailed from? Or should we ask the Provost that? About this Provost and Fort of yours, I am afraid I am not aware of the proper etiquette. How do we address this person?"
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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road

Post by ewancummins »

.
alhoon wrote:Raen curiously addresses the men.
"Sailors? Since you already mentioned that, perhaps you could answer from which port you sailed from? Or should we ask the Provost that? About this Provost and Fort of yours, I am afraid I am not aware of the proper etiquette. How do we address this person?"

The naval infantrymen seem reticent, and decline to mention their homeport.
The young officer does tell Ran,
''Just call him 'Sir' or 'Provost' unless he tells you otherwise. '
.
The man with the torch retrieves the fallen axe and hands it to the young man.
“Sir.”
“Thanks. All right, we’d better start moving and quickly, if we want to make the fort before it starts getting dark”
The three naval infantrymen lead the party through the marsh to the southwest.
“We could go back to the river, but without our boat…” The young officer shrugs.
“It’s better to take the most direct path. The man-lizards likely won’t follow us too far from their territory, but I can’t say the same for trolls, so we’d all better keep a sharp lookout. And there’s worse stuff in this swamp.”

Splashing along, the guides take the party through treeless patches of peat bog, dense stands of moss draped trees, along the edges of black pools, and over grassy hummocks.

No trolls or man-lizards show themselves—just muskrats, waterfowl, a few sluggish snakes. Some of the animals the party spots present a mangy, diseased look that matches the sickly look of the trees, but others appear healthy, and at the rate the party moves, pausing long to examine the wildlife might mean another night camping in the swamp.
As the afternoon draws on, the party pushes into a dank forest where water stands in pools but does not cover all the ground. Hiking here proves easier, and the dense overhead foliage cuts the downpour to a steady trickle of water.
The iridescent blue leaves of maple-like trees flicker like fireflies or distant candles in the late afternoon dimness.
A little further on, and then the torchbearer (he’s using a fresh torch now, of course) says,

“I’m sure I recognize that trail.” He points the torch toward the darkest branch of the mazy pathways among the trees.

The sodden leaves and high ferns on his left explode into motion.
Four-legged things with flashing eyes race across the path ahead of the party.
VIEW CONTENT:
Just two does.

(LATER)


…The path leads to a timber fort in a broad clearing. A scummy moat surrounds the fort. Sentries on the watchtowers call down to the party.

The young officer advances, makes certain signs and calls out a password, and then the men within the fort lower a drawbridge over the moat.

The party is admitted to the fort provided its members will agree to check all weapons and armor in the fort’s armory, to be locked up until the provost issues a pass or the party decides to leave.
Those who wish to remain armed will be denied entry and treated with evident suspicion, but allowed to camp outside in the field.

Those who disarm and enter the fort are given clean clothes, water, food, a bath in a wooden tub, and an hour to rest in an empty bunk before going to see the Provost.
Last edited by ewancummins on Tue Feb 27, 2018 3:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road

Post by kintire »

Katrin remains to the rear of the group once she notices the badges, and says little. Not hiding, exactly, but not pushing herself forward. She does rapidly begin to betray weariness of the swamp, however, and presses on as the exit gets close.

She is entirely unsurprised to have to check her weapons and hands over her rapier calmly.

She does rather linger in the bath, and may well be the last to emerge.
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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road

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kintire wrote:Katrin remains to the rear of the group once she notices the badges, and says little. Not hiding, exactly, but not pushing herself forward. She does rapidly begin to betray weariness of the swamp, however, and presses on as the exit gets close.

She is entirely unsurprised to have to check her weapons and hands over her rapier calmly.

She does rather linger in the bath, and may well be the last to emerge.

The men at the fort--she sees few other women--treat Katrin with a little extra consideration and courtesy.
She notices more than a few lingering glances. Not brutish leering, but it's plain that something about her appearance or manner has created an impression.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road

Post by Wolfglide of the Fraternity »

While at first Klokulf is rather annoyed with the rigmarole of removing his armor from under his traveling clothes, he realizes that it is all wet, so he accepts it as a relief. He agreeably hands over his morningstar and his armor.
VIEW CONTENT:
They will meet ferocious resistance if they insist on taking his spear-shaped holy symbol.
He declines the change of clothes, but he enjoys the other amenities provided. After his bath and nap, he dons formal clothing from his pack: a surcoat of red and blue stripes over a black tunic and breeches.
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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road

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Having no special love for his dagger, Raen happily complies with it being locked away.
After he wolfs down his food and had a bath, he makes a pass around the Fort fighting off his fatigue and tries to keep an eye on Kat realizing the ratio between men and women in this place.
He tries to place the construction techniques or perhaps the age of the fort in case it helps placing the technology level or culture of the group better. He checks the outbuildings and tries to calculate how many people the fort holds and how many it could potentially hold.
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