Author Topic: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord  (Read 14581 times)

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #80 on: July 22, 2019, 09:10:27 AM »
"Where do you think you're taking those? Carrying bodies around... it's like you're looking for someone to attack you."

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #81 on: July 22, 2019, 12:14:11 PM »
Lobinha works through the bodies. Aside from some loose coins and mundane banded mails and greatswords, she finds a number of potions, all of them conveniently labeled in Krevbornski.

The nun carries a silver holy symbol around her neck, depicting a "St. Haralamb" according to its inscription and depicting a handsome young man with a feathered beret, playing an ornate traverse flute. There seems to be something special about it.

Searching the nun for smaller valuables Lobinha notices a growing patch of green scales on the right arm of the nun, sprinkled with a noticeable number of golden scales.

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Offline oslecamo

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #82 on: July 24, 2019, 09:31:37 PM »
"Where do you think you're taking those? Carrying bodies around... it's like you're looking for someone to attack you."

: "Those being carried are still breathing, they're not bodies yet."

:"Indeed, meaning they can make for great meat shields."

: "...So this is what they were carrying. I think it would be better to spread it around among us so we're all carrying the same burdens. Also in case of emergency I think it's fine if we use this ourselves. Also don't suppose one of you would be able to identify this strange silver holy symbol of St. Haralamb?"

Lobinha organizes the loot "evidence" neatly so the party can have a good view and take their picks.
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:"What about that mace Tanya took for herself?"

: "It belonged to her superior, but since said superior is unable to to wield it right now,  Tanya's its rightful wielder at the moment."

:"Ah well, doesn't seem like it's worth much anyway. Wait, are those scales in the nun? Seems like she wasn't that pure either."

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Offline skydragonknight

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #83 on: July 27, 2019, 07:09:37 PM »
"One moment." Mist says as she takes a look at the loot and the nun. Hazy paws lightly at the nun's head while Mist observes the scales, recognizing their significance almost immediately from a tome of her father. "Green with envy and gold with hypocrisy. Less of a saint and more of a sinner...hopefully that means no one will miss her."

Turning her eyes to the loot, she observes them for several moments with her mage sight. "The potions are genuine. Divide them as you will. Whatever can be discretely carried should be pawned for coin unless someone desires an extra armament. As for this...Evocation?"

Sensing only a faint aura, she carefully studies it's intensity. Then she turns the item towards her left hand, experimenting. Saying a magical phrase, she frowns and scratches her head, before saying another, slightly more confident this time.

After study, she concludes, "Useful only to the clerics of a certain god...I will keep it safely in my bag. Keeping it in the open might cause... misunderstandings to happen."

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« Last Edit: July 27, 2019, 07:20:20 PM by skydragonknight »
Hmm.

Offline Archon

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #84 on: July 27, 2019, 11:16:12 PM »
As the other's offer to carry the unconscious bodies, Zadkiel immediately and none to kindly passes them the nun.

2:4"She was ... unpleasant to touch"

Her load lightened, she returns to her mortal form.

2:5"Perhaps some subtlety will be called for, if the church is truly home to such heretics"

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #85 on: July 28, 2019, 12:00:15 AM »
Zadkiel guides her flock through Old Chancel. A couple of times, she has to chase off prospective pimps making very immodest proposals to her virgin wards, but other than that the trip is uneventful.

Eventually she reaches the guards to Cathedral Ward, where the Blue Guard takes over the flock of teenage girls she has been watching over.

"Hm, weird that the White Guard has failed to keep watch over them. But at the same time, thank you, lady, to keep watch over them guiding them home. We will contact the Red Guard keeping watch over Old Chancel to learn what has happened to their original convoy. You are free to leave and go your own way."

Offline Archon

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #86 on: August 03, 2019, 10:40:14 PM »
2:6"They attracted unfortunate attention in Scarlet Woman Lane, leading to the deaths of several guards, despite my best efforts to prevent such deaths. After the fight, it came out that the nun leading the girls was spiritually corrupt, explaining their unwise behavior. Thank you for your service."


Zadkiel will thereafter leave and return to where the other PCs were.

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #87 on: August 10, 2019, 12:14:32 AM »
"Yes, hopefully no-one will miss her... quite the hypocrite," Yuki says, looking at the nun, only blinking once before striking down , "Sinners pressing others to confess to imaginary crimes... a child has a duty to their parents; it would be worse to ignore that."

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Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #88 on: August 10, 2019, 11:58:10 AM »
The nun dies very messily, leaving behind a bloody pulp on the cobblestone where her head used to rest.

"We should really be off the streets by the time the guard arrives."

Zilla invites you into her humble abode - a single room with very little furniture but for a large bed, a fire place that serves double purpose as a cooking niche, and a make-up table with a large mirror. After having pushed the furniture as good as possible (and Zilla also hastily throwing a cloth over what appears to be a pagan altar in one of the corners of the room) and offering you the bed to sit on, it is still barely possible to fit all 12 of you in. The hostess opens a closet door to provide more room to lean in, revealing a large collection of racy clothes and lingerie. She turns a bit red as she sees your looks and explains: "I earn my living as a burlesque dancer at The Naughty Nymph. I would rather do anything else, really, but it is not as if a sullied woman like me has much choice in this town. At least I haven't yet stooped down to do, uhm, that, although the Red Guard is leaning on me to do some more than dancing if my tips continue not keeping up with my debt..."

Fuyuko gets visibly interested at the mention of 'dancing' and 'tips'.

"Bureseku? Is that a local dance? Can you teach me it, and does this Nochi Nimya have open spots for performers?"

Zilla looks very surprised.

"That is something you better talk to me about another time when there isn't a guard patrol about to arrive.

Speaking of which, I should better tell you what I know while we have yet the time to. Tanya's father is Baron Csanad Hieronymus Friedrich von Szepreszyl. He tricked me into sharing my bed with him through a private marriage and the promise to marry me properly later, only to leave me back with a broken reputation and little Tanya. Later people of the Church took Tanya away from me because they considered me a bad influence, and some anonymous benefactor left them a sizeable donation to enroll Tanya as a novice nun. I don't have proof, but I can only think of one man who would have the means and the motive to force my baby girl to swear off all earthly ties and possessions...

Now, for hints...

We got married by an old hermit called Father Szandor residing in the Tiefling cave, nearby to Teufelsgrossmutter peak. I don't know if he still lives there, or if he lives at all yet as he was already quite old, but he should be able to testify the marriage ceremony if you can find him. Or have some way to make his dead cold body talk.

My good friend Nadja Ovlova has been my bridesmaid at the ceremony. Sadly she died three years later, having fallen down the dry well shaft in Chandler Street nearby to St. Nephemias' cemetery in Cathedral Ward. Foul play could never be proven, as the body couldn't be recovered. Or maybe the Blue Guard simply was too lazy and cowardly to risk climbing down, useless fair weather guard afraid to sully their polished boots that they are.

The Baron had also given me a golden seal ring of House Szepreszyl as marriage ring. Around the same time that I was expecting Tanya's birth, a masked man with a club forced his way into my house and forced me to give it to him. I think that man has been Ottmar the Brute, a locally well-known thug, but it is not like I had any witnesses at that time to confirm what I have seen. Nor have I alerted the Red Guard - knowing them, they would have seized the ring for themselves and then gone on to accuse me of and fine me for theft to drive me deeper into their debt."
« Last Edit: March 03, 2021, 05:17:53 PM by Skyrock »

Offline skydragonknight

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #89 on: September 15, 2019, 04:09:56 PM »
"Cathedral Ward isn't too far." Mist offers. "Might as well get going. We don't have all year."
Hmm.

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #90 on: September 18, 2019, 07:52:52 PM »
Yuki looks askance at her companion's interest, surmising from the profession of Zilla that it would hardly be appropriate... or at least inappropriate to share.  "I agree with visiting the Cathedral Ward. Scaling down a well is scarcely difficult to me."

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #91 on: September 20, 2019, 12:33:21 PM »
Fuyuko seems a bit puzzled at Yuki's disapproval. Her innocent naïve mind is too unspoilt to grasp that this is a bit more than some local dance.

Tanya looks a bit concerned. "Should I accompany you? Or do you have a safe place where I can stay? My mother's house is going to be the first place to be searched for me."

Offline skydragonknight

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #92 on: October 11, 2019, 07:28:55 AM »
"It would be our pleasure, miss Tanya." Mist says.
Hmm.

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #93 on: November 01, 2019, 07:11:28 PM »
Taking Tanya with you, you make your way across Scarlet Woman Lane to Cathedral Ward. You are greeted by Chancel's inner wall, and a portcullis barring your way with a small number of Blue Guards waiting behind it.

"We are not letting any of the riff-raff and harlots of the Lane in at this time of the night. You are most likely just looking for an opportunity to steal the jewelry out of our churches anyway. Go away and return at a time appropriate for honest people."

One of the common guards seems to take an interest into Tanya, and shines a torch into a her face to examine her more closely.

Offline skydragonknight

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #94 on: February 05, 2020, 09:19:13 AM »
Mist gasps, then looks at Yuki. "My, it seems like he doesn't know who we work for. Can you believe that? If Reuben van Peperzak hears that his parcel has been delayed, I can assure you that he will be most unhappy." Mist says.

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Hmm.

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #95 on: February 24, 2020, 04:53:36 PM »
"Why didn't you mention that you work for van Peperzak earlier? He is an important sponsor, and an exception certainly can be made for his agents. Just step in quickly, you know of all this low-life riff-raff wanting to get into our part of town."

Offline skydragonknight

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Re: Chapter 1 - The Sacred Elderberries of the Winter Lord
« Reply #96 on: March 11, 2020, 02:35:58 PM »
Mist urges the rest to follow her through the gate. They had business to take care of.
Hmm.

Offline Skyrock

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