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Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2015 3:04 pm
by Bob the Hamster
Rob had definitely noticed when the two attractive elfy-looking ladies had walked in with the big guy, and he was delighted when Gaspard had called them over, but as soon as they came closer, he saw that they were both much too young for him. He wasn't 100% sure how to judge ages of Elves, but both of these ladies look young enough to be his daughters, so I decides now is not the time for pick-up lines... besides, the big guy they came in with is really big.
At the mention of his father's name, Rob laughs out loud.
"Haha! It seems I can't escape my family reputation! That old sliming slimer is my father.... but don't worry! I take after my dear ol' Mom's side of the family."
Rob looks back and forth between the two ladies, one of them all chainmail and magic swords, and the other wild-haired and looking like she plundered a queen's tomb and decided to wear it all home.
"So if you ladies know my father, I hope that doesn't mean either of you is my new future ex-mother-in-law?" (Robs says it as a joke, but hopes desperately that it isn't true. It has happened before)
Before anyone can answer, Rob gets a whiff of the pouches that Gaspard has just passed to him.
"Gods' slimes! What is in these things, Gaspard? They smell like cat piss!"
Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2015 10:41 pm
by Master K
Lynda laughs.
"I see! We've indeed met your father on our journey...quite the charmer, I must say. He was certainly intent on taking me out to dinner, but I had to refuse. Strange one, too, spending his time drifting around invisible. Either way..."
"I am Lynda." She says politely. "And my companions present are Rachelle and Voulton. Enough idle chat, however, we've got more pressing matters. Shall we begin preparing to face down Nathaire's colossus?"
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 7:53 am
by Spoonweaver
Gaspard nods at the cat piss comment, much to everyone's disgust. The group begins planning for the coming day. Possible positions and alternative uses for the sacks were discussed. Talk of possibly riding out and meeting the colossus came up, but the idea of not being able to reach the face with the sacks put a stop to that. That's when Gaspard looked at the sword and then at Rachelle. "Surely it let's you fly."
Meanwhile, Kalar had reached the graveyard. A large iron wrought fence surrounded the graveyard. Kalar could see the guards were mostly focused on the main entrance, but a few did seem to wander around the graveyard, seemingly at random. The guards didn't seem on high alert and were conversing with each other instead of being silently vigilant. Kalar wonder if his stealthy skills would be enough here, or if he'd be better off trying to talk his way in. Kalar noticed that all the guards wore the same low grade armor, meaning it was likely that whomever was in charge wasn't there at the moment.
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 9:39 am
by BMR
Kalar considers his options. Sneaking in would definitely get him killed if he were to be discovered, but talking his way in might make things worse. Still, might be wiser to err on the side of caution.
"Hrulgin, stay here with Bill and company. If I run into any trouble, I'll mentally command the skeletons to move away. That will be your signal to come to my aid. If that does happen, try not to kill anyone, just knock them out if at all possible."
Kalar then readies himself, slipping comfortably into the role of negotiator once more. He approaches the gates, making sure to keep his tower shield between himself and any possible projectiles.
"Hello the gate! I am a friend, part of the group sent by Gaspard to find a means of aiding in the fight with the necromancer. I would like to request entry into the graveyard, to aid in securing it against the necromancer's magics."
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 12:21 pm
by Spoonweaver
"No entry, by order of the duke," say the guards almost in unison, casually grabbing their weapons, but then going back to what they were doing after looking at Kalar and saying their line. One of the guards breaks off and moves towards Kalar, squatting low and narrowing his eyes. "Who are you?"
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 1:35 pm
by BMR
"Kalar Kess, a man of the cloth." Kalar answers truthfully. "I am part of the group tasked with helping to defend the city, and I was concerned about the coming battle. We are to be facing a necromancer, as you know full well. My main concern is that should any restless spirits be lingering here, he might gain control of them. And the last thing we need is for all our attention to be devoted to one front, when we are suddenly attacked from behind by forces we might have been able to prevent. Surely the duke would want to ensure that we are as prepared as we can be."
Kalar then makes a show of thinking things through.
"However, good sir, I would not wish for you to break your oath to the duke. I know well the value of words, and a bond made is not a bond that should be broken under any circumstances, no matter how dire. However, I am also sure that you have given your word to do everything you can to protect the city, and ensuring that we are not attacked by unexpected undead surely falls under that oath as well.
"As you are a man of good faith, is there some compromise that we can achieve that will allow you to keep both of your vows, good sir?"
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 3:58 pm
by Bob the Hamster
"So, Gaspard, if I understand the plan correctly, when this graveyard Collosus shows up, Myself, Lynda, and Voulton are supposed to run around like idiots and throw cat-piss bombs at it... while Rachelle here flies up and lops its head off, right? If that is the plan, then I am going to run home and get my horse. I like anything that makes me fast enough not to be stomped on by this thing, or crushed when it falls over dead."
Rob makes to leave and get the horse. He hopes nobody will stop him.
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 6:11 pm
by Gizmog
"This plan confuses me too. We nearly got killed by a werewolf just a day or two ago, and he was no colossus... he was hardly even big! And now we're supposed to go toe to toe with this thing? He sounds like a mountain! What makes you think we'll be able to get close enough to do anything? We need some kind of diversion at the last, or better yet some deception that will let us close the range before he's got time to do anything about it!"
Voulton is reminded of a story.
"A long time ago, there was a village plagued by a giant. Every night he'd stomp down out of the hills, pick up a cow or two for a snack and regale the town with songs of his prowess as a fighter and a lover. Eventually the mayor had enough, for he too was a boastful man who considered himself an excellent fighter and lover, and he tried to bring a stop to it.
He sent his most expendable guards to the giant's favorite field. All they managed to do was prove that half of his songs were right: The giant was a wickedly competent fighter. He tried again, with guards who were more and more competent but it was obvious it was no use. A fair fight wouldn't work. But one of the guards had an idea.
That night, there were no cows. No pigs, no chickens, no goats, not even a mule. The only livestock to be found were 8 enormous sheep."
Voulton considers for a minute, but realizes that the end of the story is inconsequential and possibly demoralizing. "At any rate, if we had disguises of some kind we could just wait for it to get close and then spring a trap. I also like the idea of waiting it out at the wall, though. It utilizes our advantages."
He watches the Rottlerwits guy walk away and doesn't expect him to come back. Still, he was smart enough to identify the main ingriedient in Gaspard's "bombs" and the world needs good alchemists. If he wants to flee from the futile battle and lead a life of intellect, good for him.
Hoping to offer genuine encouragement even if he's not returning, but not to accuse him if he is, Voulton deliberately chooses to say: "I hope it's a fast horse, buddy! We're gonna need it!"
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 8:09 pm
by Spoonweaver
The guards look suspiciously at Kalar. "So you can prevent the dead from raising? Alright, let's see it." The guards motion for Kalar to enter the graveyard. Two of the guards follow him in.
Gaspard listens to Voulton's plan with interest. "I'm not sure disguises would help if we face the colossus at the walls. Do you think we should wait for it down the road a bit? Who could disguise ourselves and attack when we're right on top of the thing," says Gaspard. Rob quickly found his horse in the mostly empty stable. He returned to the Inn and hitched it outside.
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 10:54 pm
by Bob the Hamster
Rob had intended to fetch his horse, and ride directly out of town, but Voulton's parting comment about the speed of his horse had gotten him thinking.
Rob's horse Stumpy was fast... very fast. He had always been a good horse, but one fateful day about 2 years previously, Rob had met up with a black-market-magic-horse-gear seller in a back alley after a performance in Ximes. The man had claimed to be second-cousin to the fellow who had sold Rob the illicit Rapier of Light Infliction.
The Horseshoes of Speed had been a fantastic buy, and Rob had never regretted it. Now he really did own what was most likely the fastest horse in town, and he was finally faced with a situation where he could use that speed to run away from something more interesting than a debt collector or an angry husband.
He rode Stumpy back to the Inn and hitched him outside. He would stick with Gaspard's Crazy Friends for a little longer. He would see how this battle played out. He could always run later. His horse was fast enough to defer that decision until later.
"WHAT ARE WE DOING, ROB?" Stumpy whispered excitedly.
"Hush!" Rob whispered back, looking around nervously. Nobody seemed to be around to have noticed.
"OH! SORRY ROB, I FORGOT" and Stumpy ducked his head and pretended to graze at some non-existant grass.
The Halter of Horsespeak, on the other hand, was a purchase about which Rob did have a few regrets. He went inside the Inn to rejoin the others.
Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 1:55 am
by Gizmog
"I don't know if we should leave the walls or not, I was hoping you knew more about this beast's capability. Suppose it doesn't see and just finds people the way a disease does. Suppose the sword or the bags fail us at a crucial moment. Our disguises would do nothing but hinder us.
"We could consider disguising the capabilities of the town, make it appear more abandoned and sheep-like than it actually is to try to sucker the colossus into a reckless attack. But I'm assuming there's just the monster: Suppose that there's a token group of scouts or guards alongside the abomination. They could see through the deception and again, all we've done is willingly made ourselves weaker."
"I'm not a general, I'm just thinking out loud. How many are left in the city? What traditional back-up can we rely on? If we're going to do this job we must know the nature of the task and the tools at our disposal."
Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 2:02 am
by Spoonweaver
The group debated through the night, at a point they had to decide whether getting a good night's sleep was worth not planning more.
Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 2:04 am
by BMR
"I might not be strong enough to prevent him from turning any of the fallen here into undead, but I will do my best. I am, however, almost certainly strong enough to drive out what restless spirits might remain here. That way, if they are driven away from this place, they will not be able to return to harm us."
Kalar follows the guards, keeping an eye out for any undead that might be hiding. He also focuses his will, trying to call any weaker undead to him that might be in the area, ones that he can easily bend to his will. Of course, any that he manages to command, he will send out of the graveyard towards Hrulgin, to keep up the ruse. Technically he is driving them away and ensuring they won't attack the town, so it's not a lie. He just left out that he would be bending them into his service.
Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 2:29 am
by Spoonweaver
Kalar lurked around the graveyard, with the guards close behind him. He found no undead in the area. It seemed odd to him that a graveyard this size would have no undead present at all, but the guards seemed to be getting impatient with him. When he overheard a whispered comment the guards shared about holding Kalar there until the morning "just in case", Kalar thought it might be best to go.
Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 2:41 am
by Gizmog
Voulton advocates sleep, suspicious that Gaspard has no answers or even suggestions to these questions, just bags of god knows what that probably don't even work. He leaves the discussion in a huff.