Kartakass: Chapter Six : A foreign land

[steveflam]

"Young sir, perhaps I only have this book to give you as a gift. I fail to see why you find that so hard to believe. All I seek is companionship this voyage at sea. Once we dock in Darkon we go our separate ways. I can't offer you anything else. If you don't want the book, I'll be happy to take it back to me though it is useless to me.

As for undead, yes there are in Darkon, there's no mistaking. I have no books on them else I'd of given it to you instead of this lycanthrope book." He sits back and closes his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose and taking a breath then exhaling. "Hopefully the waiter will be here soon, I grow hungry."

[VAN]

"I'm sorry if we have offended you sure sir, it wasn't that our intention. We were just curious, that's all. As I said your gift is more than welcome, I like to learn new things and I'm sure I'll find very useful information there. Now, you said that you have had a lot of travels, have you ever been to Darkon? If no me and my companions will be glad to tell you which places you should visit and which would be better to avoid..."

[ewancummins]

He sips a glass of wine and sets it down. The host disappears through a door. "How do you like the ship? She is magnificent, no? Have you had the chance to look at the tome I gave Herr Dwarf this afternoon? And Herr Dwarf, that was an exquisite tale, thank you."

Cornelius smiles to hear such praise.

''Oh, I'm glad you liked it. Dwur-folk have many stories of olden days. We recall the days before the Kingdom, when Darkon was yet the wild North Country.''


After a bit-

''Thank you again for the book. It's fascinating stuff. Skinchangers are dangerous monsters! It's always good to be well informed about such things, just in case... ''

[steveflam]

"I'm sorry if we have offended you sure sir, it wasn't that our intention. We were just curious, that's all. As I said your gift is more than welcome, I like to learn new things and I'm sure I'll find very useful information there. Now, you said that you have had a lot of travels, have you ever been to Darkon? If no me and my companions will be glad to tell you which places you should visit and which would be better to avoid..."

"It's quite alright, young man. I am getting on in age after all. Bear with me, please. As for Darkon, well I've been there many a time. What types of undead have you encountered there? I would be curious to know. I've encountered a few undead fiends myself in my heyday."

The waiters arrive with trays of soup. They set them down and serve everyone a bowl of hot steaming fish soup with vegetables and spices. It does smell good.

Until then, Jacob had remained quiet, listening to you all speak. Now he felt it was time to speak and thus he did.

"Pardon me, sir, but I've faced many an undead fiend in my travels. Mummies, vampires, liches,death knights and the terrible dracoliches. As for lycans, well I've encountered a few varieties. Rats, wolves and sea wolves. Bears are of the good variety where I am from thus not noteworthy as the others, in my opinion."

The old man paid attention to Jacob's every word. "What are these Dracoliches you speak of? I have never in my travels heard of these beasts. As for Vampires and Mummies I have faced the Nosferatu but not the Mummies. I have heard of them though and wouldn't wish on anyone to face these fierce undead. As for death knights, I have heard rumors of one in Sithicus but as you know, rumors aren't always truthful."

Jacob smiled. "A dracolich? Why that is an undead dragon in the mere sense. I wish none of you to ever face one. They are a very powerful foe, worse than the Pit Fiend, if you get my meaning" he looks at the party with a serious look on his face.

"Now this man gave us a book. Let us thank him and speak of it no more. This soup smells and looks quite tasty, wouldn't you agree?"

[VAN]

Van looks Jacob really impressed with how many and powerful undead he has faced. Despite he didn't know much about dracolich he has read that they are really nasty and extremely powerful.

"Well, I'm afraid have encountered less important undead, only zombies, ghouls and a vampire spawn once. But I can assure you that they are hard to kill as well."

When the soup arrives, the wizard tastes it and says:

"Really delicious!"

[Ail]

Lucius frowns imperceptibly and then says

"Not many, fortunately. I've had short meetings with zombies and skeletons once or twice, but I've been most of my adult life blissfully oblivious to their existence... It was not until I donned the cloth I had to face the truth..."

[BigBadQDaddy]

William leans forward with a stern expression on his face, looking as if about to speak when Jacob says...

"Now this man gave us a book. Let us thank him and speak of it no more. This soup smells and looks quite tasty, wouldn't you agree?"

William then chooses to hold tongue about what he was about to ask, instead sitting back in his chair and grumbling, "Yes...the soup looks great."

[steveflam]

The old man rises from his chair and approaches a porthole, opening it. "Lupzig" he calls out. "Come, my dear, it is time for dinner. And do try to behave this time, you little minx." The old man moves away from the opne porthole and sure enough a scant thirty seconds later, a beautiful white owl enters the room. It flies to the old man's shoulder and settles there.

It looks around the room and hoots as if in greeting to you all. The man sits at his chair and the owl moves down his arm to his wrist and leans down, grabbing a piece of bread. It gobbles it and then swallows it whole, satisfied for now. It returns to it's perch on the mans shoulder. "This is my friend Lupzig. Lupzig, these are the nice people I told you about this afternoon." Then the man returns his attention to the soup.

[VAN]

Van looks the man puzzled as he heads to the window. But as he sees the owl a smile gets his face.

"I hope you don't mind if I call a friend of mine here too."

Without actually an answer Van communicates telepathically with his familiar:

"Ithan, come to me"

Barely a min later a hawk enters in the room from the window and makes a couple of circles above the others as greeting them and finally sits on Van's shoulder.

"This is Ithan" says the wizard giving to it some bread as well.

[ewancummins]

Cornelius' lizard familiar stirs inside his knapsack. Hearing the sounds of predator birds, it snuggles in a little deeper, seeking protection.
The dwarf mage grunts when the lizard sends him a signal indicating displeasure and apprehension.

[Ail]

Lucius smiles at the display of the other mages' relations with their respective familiars. He had never thought of acquiring one, and he didn't feel the need to.

"It must be like marrying", he thought. "Some people are just not born into it."

[BigBadQDaddy]

William returns his attention to the old man, slightly scrutinizing. "So, you profess to be a monster hunter of sorts, how does one live to be your age in such a profession?"

[steveflam]

William returns his attention to the old man, slightly scrutinizing. "So, you profess to be a monster hunter of sorts, how does one live to be your age in such a profession?"

The elderly man looks at William with a twinkle in his eye. "Young Master Cante. I've lived this long by surrounding myself with competent allies. As you yourself have, it seems." The old mans eyes wander over the assembled party then return to the sailor's.

"Besides competent allies, I am always prepared. A piece of advice, young sir. Always be prepared for the unexpected. I've lost many a friend because they did not follow that most important rule. I've done a lot of research to prepare myself for many encounters with different types of creatures."


"For instance, you might ignore an old wives tale. Surprisingly some of them happen to be precise. Though some are false. I have spoken to many different hunters and exchanged informations. In my 80 years I have had many encounters and adventures. Now I travel and to put it bluntly, note how different lands are and share that with firends who do the same. Lupzig does help some, of course." The old man pets the owl affectionately.

" I also must admit, I am a practitioner of the arts. This has gotten me out of many a scrape. Now, tell me, young Bill and your friends. What kind of encounters have you had in these lands? I am always eager to exchange knowledges."

[Ail]

"In these lands?" Lucius inquires. "Well, I'd say they have been surprisingly pacific" he adds, as he scratches his head.

[BigBadQDaddy]

" I also must admit, I am a practitioner of the arts. This has gotten me out of many a scrape. Now, tell me, young Bill and your friends. What kind of encounters have you had in these lands? I am always eager to exchange knowledges."

William seems captivated by the old man as he speaks. Never before had William thought that someone could make a living as a monster hunter.
William casts a quick glance at the party before returning his full attention to the old man.
"I can only speak for m'self regarding what we have faced, and I can only speak of things occurin' prior to meetin' up with these good lads. The reason bein' that we are still in the midst of our own hunt of sorts and believe me, we've had to do our fair share of watchin' our backs along the way. Sayin' anything more would be a bit foolish considerin' what we have been through. If that offends you, it is of your own affair and was not meant as an offense but a precaution.
Prior to meetin' these men assembled 'round the table I was but a sailor. Circumstance and a little bit o' desperation led me to their company. I can honestly say prior to my joining these men on our hunt, I had not one encounter with a monster of any sorts. Least to my knowledge."