Castle Amber: A D&D Adventure

Gizmog · Post by **Gizmog** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 2:30 am

Voulton is now very confused. He looks at his friends and asks "Why did you take Lynda's pendant?!" and then returns his attention to the floating spooky crazy man. "You'll have to excuse me, I spent most of yesterday dead. I have no desire of tricking you and no desire of fighting unfair. Maybe we can still talk about this?"

Spoonweaver · Post by **Spoonweaver** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 2:35 am

"I'm completely open to talking," the tall man floated back down on to the tree limb then and went back to a relaxed state, leaning against the truck of the tree. "I would suggest a one on one duel between myself and one of you. You, I would guess," says the tall man while gestering towards Voulton. "The duel would be to the death or yield. If I win, you all concede to come with me. If you win, I will leave you alone or be dead."

Feenicks · Post by **Feenicks** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 2:40 am

"And where exactly would we be going to?" asked Rachelle. A flying man who can make himself invisible, huh? That's hardly playing fair... but she's hardly in a place to say such things, seeing as she's the one wearing the magic-nullifying amulet being sought.

Gizmog · Post by **Gizmog** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 2:45 am

"Why talk if all we're going to talk about is death?Why not get down to the bottom of this? We're open to discussions right now. What do you want the amulet for? If we go with you, what will happen to us? We tried being reasonable with another group, and it did not go well. They broke every promise they made and let a dangerous necromancer get loose besides."

This is a hell of a thing to wake up to. Voulton decides to lay it all on the line. "I wasn't kidding when I said I spent most of yesterday dead. You ever been dead? It's a weird place, man. I'm in in no hurry to go back, and I'm in no hurry to send anyone else there if I have a choice. You wanna know how weird? THIS WEIRD!"

Voulton drops his pants, revealing the glory of his silver unit. "I know what you're thinking. No, this isn't some kind of wish gone wrong. No, this isn't heaven. It's cold, its uncomfortable and it freaks me out! And I didn't even do anything WRONG in life! Imagine what must happen to the real slimeholes!"

He shakes his head, resolved. "No, no. No fights to the death. I'll fight you if you want, I'll hurt you if you want, but I'd rather we just talk. Something's going on bigger than all of us. And I ain't talking about this."

Voulton keeps his pants down to prove a point, though he's tired and isn't sure what point that is.

Spoonweaver · Post by **Spoonweaver** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 2:59 am

"To Azedarc," the tall man says bluntly, trying to ignore the now mostly naked half-giant screaming towards him. "I have the means to take all three of you there in the blink of an eye to settle this bounty quickly. I would like to mention, you all also have the option to simple come quietly. I've been doing this a while though, and no one has ever chosen that option."
The tall man looks towards Voulton then, taking a moment to take it all in. "This is a cursed land indeed. Though I have not died, I have experience my share of strange things. I don't wish to go into detail about my past right right now. If you want to talk, we can chat here until morning, about gossip and nonsense. I would be delighted to do so in fact. It won't change the fact that you will be coming with me, though."

Post by **Bob the Hamster** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 3:05 am

"I have to say your attitude is... Refreshing. Would you mind answering a few of my questions? Is it us that Azedarc wants? Or is It the amulet? For example, do you think if you brought us in without it that you would still get payed?"

Spoonweaver · Post by **Spoonweaver** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 3:15 am

"Ah, good question. Yes, it is you I'm afraid. You can't simply hand over that amulet now, or hide it somehow," the tall man says. Then he looks up a bit and seems as if he's going to tell a story, "You see, you've been marked as rogue adventurers. There's nothing worse than being marked as such. Azedarc has been seeking rogue adventurers for a long time now. Most of them are killed," the tall man catches himself after saying and looks towards the party then, "Not that you'll automatically be killed mind you." Then he went back to story telling mode, "I was such an adventurer once. I was one a mission to assassinate an evil orc lord when I found myself in a strange castle. I was joined in this castle by fellow adventurers and together we fought through hardships to escape. Then we came here, only to find we had not truly escaped. One of my fellows was a masterful illusionist. His tricks quickly gained the attention of Azedarc and his forces. We ran for a while, but even those we killed came after us again. Finally, we submitted. Most of my group was executed. I was instead offered a place in the inquisition. I rose quickly through the ranks and am now second only to Jehan."

Feenicks · Post by **Feenicks** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 3:21 am

Well, there was little point following this man back to Azedarc, if they would just be killed at the end of it all. But yet...
"Two things. First, you say that those you killed just came back after you. Is this necromancy, or something else?"
"And second, what does Azedarc have against adventurers, anyway?"

Gizmog · Post by **Gizmog** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 3:25 am

"Our pasts aren't so different. I'm a lumberjack. An honest woodsman. Honest craftsman. A credit to my community. Our Queen had heard tales of treasure, of magic beyond reckoning. She had all the power, you see? She sent her wicked soldiers to gather anyone who might be able to handle themselves on the other side. Guys who were good with axes. Old-timers who might remember a thing or two about magic. And they're all dead! When their utility was spent, the Queen's men ground them into the gear of traps."

Voulton is angry now, maybe for the first time realizing how horrible a thing it is that she did to him, maybe for the first time not forgiving her because she was smokin' hot. "Maybe she was right about one thing. Maybe I can handle myself! I don't know what's going on over here, but a lot of innocent people are being hurt by it. I want to go home, but I can't do that if it means someone else has to suffer. Couldn't live with that guilt. That's my story, my past. And I want everyone to know it, 'cause if I don't live through this I want someone to carry my story back so they never send anyone else to this forsaken place."

"I was thinking, when I was dead. I had a lot of time for it. What's going to happen to me when I go home? And I realized.. the Queen's going to have me killed. I've lost the equipment they gave me. I haven't obtained any treasure or power. Her loyal retainers ran off to be bandits, and her "interesting" peasants are dead and... buried. As far as she's concerned, I've screwed this whole thing up. I wonder if the same might be true of you. Do you think Azedarc ever stopped thinking of you as a rogue adventurer? Do you honestly think he won't kill you as soon as you're of no use to him?"

Voulton sighs. "At any rate, now we know each others stories. And we're closer to dawn and whatever that means. I've heard enough about Azedarc to know that if my friends go with you they are likely to die. I'm no wizard and I have nothing to fear from your Inquisition. But I won't have my friends killed without reason. Suppose I win, and know that I will let you live. What will happen to you? "

Spoonweaver · Post by **Spoonweaver** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 3:42 am

The tall man holds up his hands as if to say he is being asked too much to fast, "First, I believe I am no long a threat as a rogue adventurer. It's said that they threat comes with the destruction and reconstruction of the capital. You all must be unaware of the capital's miraculous revival that took place about several months ago. You see, Yvonges was nothing but rubble before then. It was that way for years. Then, after Azedarc heard of it's revival, he sent the inquistion out searching for magic users new tot he kingdom. Sure enough, group after group were spotted or captured. After the close call to Yvonges, you were all spotted showcases magical abilities. One of you was wearing a inquisitor's amulet no less, a sign of a great misdeed. How else does a non-inquisitor get such an amulet without stealing or killing, afterall."
The tall man stops himself, "You had mentioned other things though. Let's see, there are those in the inquisition that can restore life to the dead. The dead don't normally come back as skeletons, though. Also, I don't think Azedarc will kill me. He has never turned on a member of the inquisition before, no matter their misdeeds."

Deep inside Voulton's mind:
A glimpse of the lady in silk entered Voulton's thoughts. She was slightly different though. Her skin was slightly pink and Voulton spotted horns and a tail. "I will protect you, Voulton," came a voice in Voulton's head. Then the image was gone.

Gizmog · Post by **Gizmog** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 4:02 am

Voulton is distracted from the conversation by the vision. He thinks to himself... Lady Sephora? Why have you grown horns and a tail? I appreciate your protection, but.. "good girls" don't have horns and a tail... and then deeper in his mind, hopefully deep enough that Sephora won't hear, Voulton muses to himself that the bad girls are always hotter than the good ones anyway. Still haven't figured out how that works! But it's enough to get him back into the real conversation, though he hopes he isn't being rude... and that Kalar isn't in here somewhere.

"As I understand, she received that amulet from their trip through the castle. Some kind of weird trap she stumbled into. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? And no, we hadn't known of the mysterious revival of the capital. Nobody's taken any time to talk to us about how things work, though we've done a lot of reading."

Voulton had resolved himself to a course of action, and Sephora's promise of protection is pushing him farther to it. The horns and tail are worrying, but maybe we can talk about that. Still, that course of action would preclude further conversation, and this conversation is far too precious to rush.

Time to turn back to the voices in his head. Why are you helping me? Is this how religion always works? And did you have to do the whole silver thing? I'm sorry but I don't understand.

Spoonweaver · Post by **Spoonweaver** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 4:09 am

Voulton falls to the ground, unconscious.

Voulton's mind:
The lady appears to Voulton again. This time completely nude and with batlike wings. While she approachs Voulton, he notices a stoic looking devil standing a bit off in the distance behind the lady. "Give fully into me and I will give you everything you desire, Voulton," The lady says. Voulton finds himself nude. The devil lady lays on the ground in front of him in a sexually inviting manner. "Unthinkable power is waiting."

Feenicks · Post by **Feenicks** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 4:22 am

Group after group... how many parties had the castle spat out, even in the time the party had been here?

...and when exactly did the capital get reconstructed? Before any of their party came here? Was that why that colossus was sent in to try and destroy it?

Rachelle keeps quiet, though, and watches Voulton with a concerned look on her face.

Gizmog · Post by **Gizmog** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 4:23 am

"I don't desire power. My friend Kalar is powerful and all he ever thinks about is bringing people back from the dead in twisted forms to serve him. He's my friend, but it's spooky. I don't want to be like him. It also takes him a week to get anything done..."

He looks down at his own nudity and at hers. It is inviting but.. "This isn't what I want either. I'm the result of this kind of lustful womanizing, a shameful bastard of a half-monster. I won't give in to this. I plugged my ears when my father bragged of this!"

"Your offer is unthinkable. I want no part of it. I won't trade one evil queen for another, no matter how hot they might be."

Spoonweaver · Post by **Spoonweaver** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 4:31 am

"What's wrong with him?" asked the tall man as Voulton wiggled on the ground.

In Voulton's mind:
The lady quickly turned from beautiful to terrifying. Voulton thought he might truly be killed by the growing hate that filled his thoughts. He felt a terrible burning all over his body. Then, everything changed. He was on a small stone platform floating above a pit of lava and fire. A study flow of bodies fell from somewhere too high up to see, into the fiery pit. Screams were all Voulton could hear.

Voulton woke up as quickly as he had passed out. He felt as if he had died again. The tingling coming from the silvery liquid had subsided and it looked as if the area it covered had shrunk a bit.

"Do you often go into fits like that? Perhaps I should challenge another of you that is more healthy?" the tall man suggested.

Voulton gains +1 con permanently