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Post by kynigoskerata on Nov 15, 2020 19:00:08 GMT -5
Called away at an important time like this. Why of all the irresponsible shenanigans that could possibly come about from these circumstances. And I was just getting to know the group as well.
Hilda is an extremely fluffy creature, absolutely adorable in her feathery form. Sharp teeth though. Thats just slightly dinosaury! Very interesting though.
The young cleric is a firecraker as well. Spit and vinegar, without any regard for formal ways or laws. She would get on with my people like a house on fire.
Runt is a great asset to the team in many ways. Most seem to write him off as a lug, but he has made some very interesting points since I've known him. I don't doubt there is more to him than meets the eye.
Silver... Silva... Sliver... bah, the dwarvish one. Him I must get to know a bit better. Always make sure to know the one with the lockpicks, that's what m9ther always said.
And finally, the psionic individual... what to say about him. Freakily similar to the dreaded brain suckers, but more... Githish. Or human, I guess you could say. A fear of spiders is something no mind flayer would ever advertise, let alone let anybody know.
Anyways, it seems this idiot is done talking, so I can finally return to the material realm. Ta-ta for now.
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Post by Aileen on Nov 18, 2020 10:48:40 GMT -5
I have returned from the dead! I didn’t expect dying to be so easy, one second I was trying to hit a specter and the next... nothing. It was peaceful, painless. I forget everything that happened after the moment I open my eyes and find myself looking up at the beautiful cleric lady, but I do remember a warm light and a lady telling me to go back. I turn into human Hilda so I can speak, and find myself weak and helpless.
“I can give you your strength back, but you must devote yourself to Istus. Will you go wherever fate takes you? Do you accept Istus as your Lady?”
Istus! That was the light and warmth I felt. She’s the one that brought me back, through Arlina!
“Yes, I accept.”
Fate, as we discover, takes us away immediately. Our powers returned to us, we bid Arlina farewell and get the hells out of town. We join a caravan, hired as guards, and leave. It’s a long journey, but a welcome one. We meet so many interesting people, including Mariah the cleric, who despite being grumpy and mysterious heals all our wounds when we get into scrapes with bandits. We go by sea, where my talents lie, and I’m a bit sad when we make landfall again.
At last we are brutally attacked, and in the struggle lose many lives. Soon it is just us and Mariah, bringing the goods and the body of our employer on to its destination. She admits her healing does not come for free, but she likes us, so that’s good. We press on.
First we encounter riders galloping toward us from behind. A paladin a wizard and some other guy, it seems. We stop and meet them, but runt goes charging off toward the wizard who has his staff aimed at our last wagon. Before we can stop Runt, the wizard blows our wagon. Tara manages to hold Runt in place with her spell before he can make things worse.
“We have just destroyed a vampire hiding in that wagon!” Announces big, dumb and shiny.
“What vampire?” Asks Bron.
“It was smuggling itself in there! We are vampire hunters. Usually we charge, but due to your loss of goods... we will pay for damages!”
“Where’s the vampire?! I want to see it!” I announce, running to the wreckage. I can’t see anything out of the ordinary in the flaming wreckage.
“I’m afraid there would be no evidence, they are highly flammable!” Says the lord.
We move on as they ride off, and I think we all know they were batgos se crazy. Things are going well until a band of Halflings steps out and stops us. Luckily they are friendly, and even offer to have us come hunt orcs with them. Mariah agrees to watch the caravan, and we go off with our little friends. I do some flying recon work, but see nothing.
Things are great until one night as we are looking for a camping spot two of the halflings come running up, injured and being tailed by several goblins and Kobolds. We have the best battle we’ve had in weeks! Luckily no losses on our side, and we find a better camp.
The next day we have to return to the caravan lest Mariah leave without us, and part ways with our friends. They are going on to fight the orcs alone, but they seem capable enough. Plus they have a giant goat.
Mariah almost left but decided to wait longer, and we take off with her. The ride is uneventful, until further down the road I keep seeing something moving in the trees. The others notice it too, but it just keeps flitting away. Finally I change into goose form, and fly off after it. I come into a copse of trees, and am about to give up and fly back when suddenly a head pops up out of the underbrush. A cat! But it’s bright, unnatural yellow!
“Hello! You’re a goose!”
“HONK!”
“Honk!” He says back.
I change back into Human Hilda.
“You’re naked!”
“Why is everyone always so shocked? I’m Hilda, who are you?”
“I’m Carrot!”
Turns out carrot can talk and wants food. I invite him back to the caravan for food, and after much backtracking so he can get his ball, we finally make it back to the road. He’s an annoying but charming little fellow, and the others are shocked by his yellown fur and ability to speak. I offer him rations, and he rides with Tara and I as my little sidekick as we take off. I hope this isn’t a mistake bringing him along.
“Just don’t eat me, Carrot. I may be a goose, but I do not taste good!”
🦢 Hilda
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Post by Aileen on Nov 25, 2020 11:55:22 GMT -5
I’ve come to adore sweet Carrot, having never spent much time with a cat before, and after several nights of sleeping with the big fluffy beast curled up by me I’m a bit devastated when the old woman shows up. First we think she’s a hag or some other horrible person when she asks for him and he seems to have disappeared. I fly around searching for him with no luck, but Tara finds him hiding in one of the wagons.
When I dive bomb the group, turning into human Hilda to protect my cat friend, it turns out she’s not evil. She’s really just an old lady looking for her cat, and Carrot is a very naughty boy. She tsk tsks me for being naked but then rewards me with a lucky gem for taking good care of Carrot. And with a sad goodbye, we part ways. I will miss you you big loaf of a cat!
Resting one night in the woods I am awoken by Daksilfur’s shouts, and run to the wagons where these tiny men are attacking. I jump up on the roof and start whacking them, turning them into dust, but they’re armed too. By the time we finish them off I am completely covered in tiny cuts and stab wounds. None of us know what they were- they were like little evil dolls. I am eager to get out of these woods, first there was the fire ghost and now these things!
We reach the town of Dyvers at last, and I immediately lose a lot of money to a scammer at the gate. I never know when humans are lying or being truthful, they’re all so devious and yet nice!
We part ways with Mariah in the town, getting our pay for escorting the caravan, and then go to the fanciest inn in the town. There we discover that this town has been the victim of nightly midnight attacks by burglars, and we accept the call for help. Guess it’s going to be a late night.
🦢Hilda
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Post by kynigoskerata on Dec 2, 2020 18:14:04 GMT -5
And again, the damned fools call me away from the material plane. At least nothing of too much importance happed while I was gone. Small wooden puppets have been the perpetrators of many of the minor crimes that we were investigating the last time. At least that is one mystery solved. Now we are going to be fighting the little jerks.
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Post by Aileen on Dec 9, 2020 15:57:06 GMT -5
Having defeated the tower of puppets and lost the puppet master Bronwyn, we leave the town of Dyvers to travel to the Free City of Greyhawk.
It’s a nice travel there, and when we arrive on the ferry we find it as big and bustling as everyone told us. Upon entry I am a bit annoyed by once again being told to pay a fee to carry weapons, but the guard is legitimate and not a scammer this time.
The first inn we get to turns us away due to no rooms. Moving on we try another inn, only to be told the same thing. Inn after inn is full, although there doesn’t seem to be anything going on here. At last in the docks district we find a huge inn with strange and eclectic architecture, and enter. Immediately we are welcomed by a very friendly barmaid, who sends us to the owner- a giant! He’s absolutely massive, and...
“Welcome, travelers! Nice to meet you all!”
He shakes all of our hands, so gently and warmly as he smiles. What a nice man! I always thought giants were evil! We take seats at a table and are joined by a handsome human man who introduces himself as Talosek, a paladin of St. Cuthbert. A waitress takes our orders, and I ask for bread, broken up, and pie and fish.
“You want it broiled?” She asks me.
“What’s broiled?”
“That’s broiled!” She points at another waitress walking by with a plate with a steaming mound of meat, and I realize... a duck! They’ve murdered a duck and are serving it! The horror! My brethren!
“Where did you get that duck?!”
“The kitchen.”
“No! Where did it make its home?”
“The duck farm down the street!” She laughs. “We have more out back, ready to broil if you want one?”
“No! Murderers!”
Tara pulls me back into my seat and shoves a piece of bread into my mouth. The waitress leaves to get the rest of our food, shaking her head.
“We must free my people!” I hiss to Tara.
“Excuse me?” The paladin looks confused.
“Stay out of it, holy boy!”
“Yes, we will free them,” says Tara. “But not yet, let’s hear what cutie pie here has to say.”
“My pie can’t talk?”
“Talosek, Hilda!”
Talosek tells us his strange theories about this town and how people keep coming here and get up to no good, so people no longer trust adventurers. Adventurers have been finding their rooms sacked and belongings stolen, so we need to be careful. He also feels there is an evil growing here, and may want our help sniffing it out. He buys us another round and promises to meet us here after breakfast to show us around town, then leaves.
It’s only after a couple minutes where I drink my ale that I realize there had been a strange man in dark blue robes sitting near us, and he left right after Talosek. Suddenly concerned, I head to the door with a quick word to Tara on where I am going, and I go outside. Making sure nobody is watching, I shift into goose form, leaving my dress behind, and fly off into the night. Tara grabs my clothes, and watches me fly until I’m out of sight.
I go through the streets, hearing the sounds of night on the docks. Drunks arguing, talking to themselves, and bad singing. Unfortunately it’s too dark, and I have no idea what direction Talosek went. I fly back to the inn, but find my dress and Tara are gone. That slag! We’ve talked about this- narrow minded people don’t like me walking around naked!
It takes me about an hour of flying around, but soon I find the right open window and fly into the room Tara, Ply and I are sharing. I turn back human, and pick my dress up off the bed.
“Thanks, Tara! I could have been arrested!”
“I thought you would find the window!”
“I found A window! Flew in on people going at it again... the SAME PEOPLE!”
We all go to bed after a lot of girl talk about hunky paladin. I have a strange, vivid dream where I am watching a group of robed people in a cavern, surrounding a huge glass globe, chanting. The globe shakes and rumbles, and one guy yells at the others. Most of them leave the cave, leaving four guys guarding the globe. I wake up confused and wondering just how much cheese I ate last night.
I tell the others about my dream over breakfast, but they just tell me I had four beers last night and that it was silly. Talosek never shows up, but we slowly get ready to give him more time to get here. When we head down ready to leave, he’s still not here. There’s a knock on the door just as we start to go, and Grunab opens the door to reveal a group of four city guardsman. Grunab speaks to them.
“Oh! They’re over there!” The giant says, pointing our way.
The cops come over, and immediately start questioning us about our names and why we are here. Turns out Talosek was assaulted last night while walking home! I kick myself for not having been faster following him. It had to have been that guy!
“You were seen speaking to him last night,” says one of the guards. “Why would you want to jump him?”
“We didn’t want to, and we did not! We all wanted to get with him, honestly!”
“Yeahhh...” one of the guards giggles.
“I didn’t.” Says Bron.
We are told we are being taken to the citadel for questioning, and brought out to their waiting carriages. The ride there is wonderful, and I am beside myself with excitement. All the sounds and smells of the city are so thrilling, and-
“Hey! Get your head back in the ve-hi-cle!” Orders the driver.
We arrive at the citadel and are brought immediately to Deputy Morden. He asks more of the same questions, and then gets to the meat and potatoes.
“Did any of you go out last night?”
“Nope!”
I see a shadow come over me, and look up to find the deputy standing over me glaring.
“You’re lying.” He says.
“No! I mean, I did go outside last night, but I didn’t go out! I though you meant out drinking! I was just trying to follow Talosek to make sure... oh.”
“Clap her in irons!” He orders.
Two guards come toward me, but I shriek and turn into a goose. The guards and deputy look befuddled, and stop in their tracks. I turn back, standing naked in front of them. Luckily they don’t try to shackle me yet.
“I can explain!”
“Put your clothes on, I don’t need it getting out I had a naked girl in my office!”
I quickly pull my dress back on, and sit down.
“You see, there was a guy in robes watching him when we were eating, and he followed him out. It didn’t occur to me until they were already gone that he could be stalking him. So I went out flying to try to warn him, but I lost their trail!”
“And how did you do that? Why are you a goose?” The deputy sputters.
“It’s just... me.”
“It’s witchcraft!”
“I’m no witch, sir, I can’t do magic. I’m a ranger. And I can turn into a human.”
“What?!”
The deputy sits down at his desk, pondering things as he stares at us.
“Do that thing again?” He asks me. I comply. “And come over here.”
I waddle over.
“Turn back, please.”
I turn back into human Hilda.
“Right, spin around.”
I do that too.
“Hey, pervert! She’s underage!” Tara shouts.
“Excuse me? I’m the deputy here. Fine, put your clothes on.”
We are questioned for a few more hours, and finally let go. We head to the temple of St. Cuthbert to visit our new friend. When we get there we head straight to the massive, opulent chapel and are greeted by a priest. He has us wait a few minutes, and then comes back to notify us that Talosek wishes to see us.
To the other building we go, and up the stairs to a hospital room where Talosek greets us happily. He tells us about being jumped by a group of robes figures using weird magic, and how he was beaten and has very hazy memory of the event. He was able to make it back here, on the cusp of death.
I tell him of seeing the robed guy following him and also of my strange dream. He doesn’t call me crazy, but thinks it is an omen of sorts. There is definitely something going on in Greyhawk, and we may be the people to get to the bottom of it!
At his request, we head to his boarding house to get him some of his belongings. Tara gushes about him the whole way as I roll my eyes. He is very handsome, but he’s also a pretentious holy roller. We get to his room and find it’s been ransacked! He warned us he’s messy, but this room is definitely not all his doing. We find his things, and I’m ready to go but Tara is taking her time to fold his clothes and clean the place. I take his stuff and start hustling back to the church, the others soon catching up.
“I don’t understand, do you wish to mate with this man?” I ask Tara.
“What?! No, I...”
“You don’t look old enough to have young, why do you pursue him?”
“Hilda, do your people not date? Do you not have crushes?”
“Men are for breeding. The man who fathered me was a fisherman who my mother met, and they made me. He left and continued his life and my tribe raised me.”
“That’s so sad, I’m sorry, Hilda!”
“It’s not. It is the way! One day, when I’m older, I will find a suitable man and have a daughter of my own. And so it will continue.”
“Hilda, you’re worth so much more than that! Don’t you want to fall in love?”
“I don’t know. I just want to eat bread and fish, really.”
She shakes her head, sighing as we enter the building. A priest stops us on the way up.
“I have Talosek’s underwear,” I announce, holding up his bag.
“Ah, yes, you may go to him!” The priest stutters.
I march on in and hand Talosek his belongings. He’s as smiley and happy as ever.
“Here are the things you asked for,” I say. “Tara wants to b-“
“Hilda!” She grabs my shoulder and pulls me away. “Look out the window! All those seagulls!”
“Ooh!”
The paladin tells us a story about a ring in a box he has here, and his parents proposing on some romantic bridge. He says one day he will propose to the woman St. Cuthbert selects for him on said bridge, and of course Tara looks starstruck. I just don’t get it, but it sounds sweet. plans to meet us tomorrow after breakfast outside the church, at the fountain. We head back to the Whistlin’ Fish, and have a delightful dinner after receiving a not so courteous letter. Ply reads it to us, and it’s a threat telling us to leave the city or we will be harmed. I’m okay with that, I’m not going to be bullied out of a huge city!
We have a good nights rest, with no more crazy dreams, and head back to the church where we find Talosek waiting.
🦢 Hilda
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Post by kynigoskerata on Dec 9, 2020 16:05:57 GMT -5
After the strangeness that had occured, and the lost chance of gaining the spellbook of the animator of the wooden dolls, I had hoped to get a chance to grow my repertoire of spells and knowledge in this new city. Unfortunately it seems, time and destiny seem perpetually against me. Paladins are... unsightly by their very nature to me. Respect for the gods and greater beings is always advised, but the blind fanaticism of certain parties, especially righteous groups like these followers of justice, often trample the quest of knowledge in their rigorous dogma. It only goes to show you a pious man, or woman, is to be trusted less than a decidedly dishonest man. As the great Githzerai Captain Ja'cks Parr'ow once said, "You can always trust a dishonest man to be dishonest. Its the honest ones, you have to watch out for." Or something along those lines...
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Post by dragonforgotten on Dec 9, 2020 16:33:04 GMT -5
Ah blast it. I told myself I would not fall for those stupid honor and codes men again but here I bloody am. Getting all flustered by a paladin from the big city. I wrestled bears in my home country, kept my village safe. Now I have a duty to stop the plague and to root out the corruption in the free city of greyhawk. It’s blasphemy to call it free when people can’t even walk home without a near death beating. Poor Talosek getting that pretty face smashed in. Hildas going to be the death of me. First She leaves me standing in the cold with her cloths with no idea how long she’ll be, then she flap her beak and nearly gets us all arrested. There something off going on. The deputy can not be trusted and it’s not just that he’s a goose pervert. He hiding something and all seems to nice how cleanly he wants to sweep this incident under the rug while Talosek is calling for change to the city. He is a paladin, a paladin to stuffy cuthbert. It is in his blood to see justice out just as it is mine to cull tyrants and bring them to heel under the summoners might. Nations fear us so our churches have always been sparse. My god I cleaned the paladins entire house during our investigation. Couldn’t help myself. Thought he deserved to come home to a clean space to heal. The gang won’t stop teasing me and Hilda keeps probing me for questions. Never realized how brutal goose culture is. I just grew up in a house of three rowdy brothers and a stern mother. Father was a woodsman, he was a good man. Well respected. Talosek showing us his family ring was fascinating though I feel I should voice these thoughts before they distracted me from my mission. It is better he make his choice now instead of keeping me hopelessly pinning. Fool. Hapless fool. Admirable fool for standing what is right and the prosperity of the city. The mind does not chose what the heart desires.
Tara
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Post by Aileen on Dec 16, 2020 12:47:08 GMT -5
We spend a lovely day wandering the markets, checking all the jewelers to see if they know anything about the amulet I saw on the guy in the bar the other night. Our giant friend was able to draw a slightly better rendition of my horrid drawing, but it’s still not enough to really jog anyone’s memory. We do find a rather b****y jeweler woman, who seems to have information, but Sir James, who we found stumbling drunkenly out of another tavern, can’t bribe her well enough.
As the failed negotiations proceed, I catch sight of a blue robes figure moving through the market. I immediately chase after her, and hear my friends running behind me. I’m too fast for them, and the blue robed figure. I jump them in an alley, spinning them around, and-
“Ahh!” The old woman screams. I cover her mouth with my hand, pinning her to me as she shakes and screams.
“Who do you work for?!” I demand.
“Mmmph mmmmmmm!”
“Are you trying to kill us?!”
She’s freaking out, clearly angry she got caught. My friends look horrified as they approach.
“Hilda, let her speak!” Says Tara.
“Fine... if I uncover your mouth will you promise not to scream?”
She nods.
“Okay.”
I remove my hand from her face, and she immediately begins screaming.
“Guards! Help! Ahh-“
My hand goes back in place.
“Ma’am, I can’t go back to jail!” I hiss. “I mean, I can... it wasn’t that bad, and they usually have good sandwiches, but...”
She’s crying, now, fear in her eyes. The fancy boy paladin approaches, putting his suspiciously clean mitt on my shoulder.
“Hilda, I believe this is a case of mistaken identity,” he says. “Don’t you think?”
“She’s wearing blue robes! What a perfect spy an old lady makes!”
“Hilda... she’s terrified.”
I sigh, letting her go. The paladin wishes her well, and she runs off.
“Damn, I thought I had one!”
Back to the market we go, my adrenaline slowly dwindling. I do love a good chase. My boredom doesn’t last long, however! Another blue robed figure! I start running, chasing them into an alley. They’re gone! I lost them! Runt catches up to me.
“Runt! Can you guard my things?”
“Runt guard!”
“Thanks!”
I transform, my things falling in a heap, and take off flying. Around and around I go, but no blue robed figures catch my sight. I sadly return to the ogre, and turn back to human Hilda.
“Hilda, you naked!” He laughs. Luckily nobody is around, but he quickly holds his massive shield up for me to change behind as he averts his eyes.
We regroup, and call it a day. Upon return to the inn, we have a quiet evening and eat and drink well. Our rest, however, is interrupted by a knock on the door. Light sleeper that I am, I get up and answer the door.
“Miss Hilda, I’m sorry to disturb you,” the giant says, looking away. Ah, right, I’m naked. “There’s an emergency. Please meet me downstairs.”
I wake the other ladies and we dress and head down to the common room. The giant tells us a letter came, and Ply reads it to us. Talosek has been attacked, again!
“Can he not survive one day without getting his ass kicked?”
“Hey! Have some respect for him!” Tara snaps at me.
We hurriedly get our armor and weapons, and head out of the inn. It’s cold and silent outside, the early morning dark and bitter. We head up towards the temple, walking quietly and quickly.
It’s dark, and cold, and what am I doing in this town square? Shouldn’t I be sleeping? I look to my right and see my dwarf friend.
“Hey... was I sleep walking?” I ask.
“Huh?”
“Why am I outside? I was sleeping, and now...”
Suddenly we are attacked from all angles! Men armed with various weapons, charging in on all of us. I take one guy down, but they’re surrounding me. Tara drops, Ply drops, Sir James- there’s still so many! I’m barely getting hit, but I don’t know how long I can last. Doksilfur fights valiantly beside me, but even he is overwhelmed. The ogre, well, he lives for this sort of thing. I can see shadowy figures hiding and watching- there’s more of them!
At last, whistles and yelling fill the air. The men start to scatter, and a light fills the area. In the darkness left behind, the bodies of those we slain are gone as well as the live ones. The yells of the guards grow closer.
“Hide! It’s the cops!” I scream.
Runt grabs our fallen companions, and we dash into an alleyway. Torches flicker, and shadows of people walk by our hiding spot- but they never find us. When they’re done knocking on doors and talking to citizens, they move on. We come out of hiding and make a quick journey to the temple. Doksilfur, Runt and I ask for Talosek, and are surprised when he comes to us and is in perfect health.
“We were told you were attacked!” I say.
“I’m fine, I was not. But you all clearly were!”
“A bunch of thugs jumped us. They used magic, and confused us!” Doksilfur explains. “I still don’t know if I’m dreaming.”
“Well this has been a waste of time! And I’m hungry!” I huff.
“Please, stay here for the night,” says Talosek. “We will heal your friends, and if you wish for food that can be arranged.”
“Bread?” I ask. “In pieces?!”
“Certainly.” He raises an eyebrow at me. He doesn’t know of my true nature, it seems.
He lays hands on Tara, and she wakes up and smacks him after he pats her on the head and calls her his “friend”. He apologizes but she’s having none of it. I told her he wasn’t interested, but did she listen?! No.
The clerics bring me bread, and Runt entertains himself by throwing pieces on the ground for me. Nobody questions my behavior, and when in the morning a cleric finds a goose curled up in a basket, they just assume I’m a wild animal that got in. I’m placed gently outside by the fountain, and have to change back and walk back in naked. Such is my life.
🦢 Hilda
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Post by kynigoskerata on Dec 16, 2020 17:44:17 GMT -5
What a dastardly trap! I feared for our lives, if only for but a moment. If it weren't for the timely arrival of the city watch, I do believe that we wouldn't have made it out of there without losing at least a few of our number.
The fact that we felt that running from the lawful authorities lurks darkly in my mind, but I know that a few of our companions have had bad experiences with the forces of order in these cities. Still, its good to know that I can trust my life to these people. I plan to travel with them a while longer, so its good to realize that this trust isn't misplaced. And I feel like I found a powerful ally and companion in Runt. His might and my own magic will win us many more days, I know it!
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Post by Aileen on Dec 23, 2020 12:23:02 GMT -5
Talosek wants to make a trip to Shacktown, so we set out there soon after breakfast. On the way to the St. Cuthbert mission there we are stopped by an old man trying to repair his broken shack. Tara and I hold up one of the walls, a piece of plywood, and the man tries to hammer little scraps of metal in with a rock. He is so poor he doesn’t even have nails, nor a hammer.
“Here, try this!” I say, handing him my dagger.
“Oh, thank you!”
The dagger is a bit better than a rock, but his nails are useless. Tara pulls out actual nails.
“These should fare you better.” she says.
“Oh, these are too much!”
“They’re yours, take them.”
“I couldn’t possibly!”
“Just take the nails, old m-“
Tara catches my eye and I close my mouth. I always forget to think before flapping my beak. We help him get his wall up, and then leave with his thanks. Talosek leads us to the shrine of St. Cuthbert, where we go in and find a priest and a man having his wounded arm tended to. The man leaves and the priest welcomes us.
“Talosek, my friend! What brings you here?”
“I heard of the disappearances, Nikolai. These new friends of mine may be able to help.”
“Ah, yes! Welcome friends. I am Nikolai.”
“I’m Human Hilda!” I say, earning an elbow in my ribs from Tara.
“Hello...human Hilda?”
The others introduce themselves, and we are subject to questioning from the priest. I tell him about my strange dream and ask if there are any caves here, but after my introduction he thinks I’m a little off. I show him the drawing the giant and I collaborated on, and ask if he recognizes the symbol. Of course he doesn’t.
Nikolai puts on a kettle, and when it’s done we all sit down to tea and listen to his story of the disappearances. There are personal effects of the disappeared upstairs, which we are allowed to go through. A diary is found, which may provide clues.
“Can you spare some time to help the poor, while you are here?” Nikolai asks.
We agree, but Tara is going to spend the time reading the diary. Daksilfur and I go do some construction projects and dig a well, but then I see some chickens running around. I try to make friends with them and just end up being tired by running around chasing them.
We head back hours later, and Tara has made progress in reading the diary. Apparently the city watch has come in at night, when they normally ignore this part of the city, and threatened people. Their leader, a man in a red shirt meeting the description of Nestor, the deputy who question us the other day. The citadel refuses to investigate, making it seem very likely they’re covering something up.
As the rest of us were volunteering with the poor, we get some information about a warehouse in the burnt section of the city. The burnt section was home to a cult, and that’s why it was burnt down. The coincidences are too good- we need to go to the burnt section. We convince Talosek to make a trip to the Old City with us. We start to head out when Nikolai stops us.
“Can any of you spare anything for the poor?” Asks Nikolai as we leave.
The others hand him gold, while Ply just walks out without a word. People aren’t charitable where she is from. I myself lived on a lake sharing a longhouse with my mother, all my sisters, and the rest of our clan. I never had much until I ended up an adventurer, so gold means very little to me other than being shiny and pretty. I hand Nikolai 51 gold pieces, and give him a hug.
“Um... thank you, Human Hilda.”
“Anything for you, Brown Eyes!”
We leave, making our way to the Old City. Our first stop is the Temple of Olidamarra, where we find the next day of services- which is actually just a giant party. We must go! Next stop is a pawn shop, where we find a surly half orc behind the counter.
“The f*** can I help you lot with?” He greets us, scowling.
“Nice to f***ing meet you!” I say cheerily as I approach.
He smiles, laughing.
“This one I like! Welcome to my shop!”
I see nothing of interest, and wave goodbye to my new half orc friend as I skip out leaving the others behind. Tara and Talosek follow.
“Hilda, where are you going?” Tara asks.
“Funhouse!”
“Stay with her?” Talosek asks Tara as I skip away. They don’t trust me alone I guess.
I get in line behind a bunch of kids and their moms, and Tara gets in line next to me. The moms all glare, and Tara smirks.
“She yours?” Asks Karen 1.
“Yes,” Tara hisses. “She’s a bit special. Let her have her fun.”
“Thanks, mom!” I grab Tara in a bear hug. She’s very blonde and shorter than me, and only a year older. They definitely don’t believe us, especially considering I have two swords and a dagger strapped to my hips, and a bow and another sword on my back.
Technically, I am still a child, being only seventeen. We pay our silver pieces, and go in. I can hear children ahead of us laughing and screaming, and soon Tara and I are laughing at the poor excuses for scary adventure things- falling off a fake cliff, a mummy jumping out of a coffin... it’s no comparison to the real thing, but we still have fun. We walk through a spinning tunnel and out into the fresh air. I see Talosek hanging out between the stores and this place, waiting for us.
“Dad! We’re over here! Dad!” I call.
He doesn’t seem to hear.
“Talosek! Dad! It’s me, your daughter!”
“She’s not my daughter!” He calls to some ladies walking by, and walks away.
We regroup, and head to the burnt section. We smell it before we see it, and head in. Talosek slips and falls on some debris, smashing his head on the ground. Tara heals him and we continue on. Only for him to slip and fall ten minutes later, giving himself another concussion.
“Right, I’m scouting. You all stay here!”
I turn goose. Talosek, laying on the ground, doesn’t seem too surprised at my reveal.
“Huh... I knew she wasn’t human! She kept referring to herself as Human Hilda.”
“Yes, she’s a goose that turns Human,” Tara says. “Or the opposite, I don’t really know.”
I fly away, circling the burnt city. Two children playing by the gate see me.
“Look, Billy- a goose!”
“Let’s throw rocks at it!”
They pelt rocks at me, which just miss or bounce off my plumage. I fly over their heads and s*** on them. They start screaming and crying- they deserved it!
“I got some in my mouth!” One sobs.
Seeing nothing, I return to the party and we proceed on. Talosek falls and hits his head once again, and I land on his shoulder. He pushes me off, clearly done with this whole adventure. We come across a man picking through rubble. He sees us and holds up a peanut shell.
“Hello! I found a peanut and a bottle cap!” He announces. “What have you found?”
“Nothing,” says Daksilfur. “Have you seen any warehouses around, good sir?”
“I might have.” He says.
Daksilfur hands him some gold.
“Ah. Yes, the warehouses. They’re over there. People have been seen going in and out of them at odd hours of the night!”
I turn back to Human Hilda, and the man’s face lights up.
“She’s naked!”
“That’s her natural state.” says Tara.
“Mine too!” He giggles, tearing off his clothes.
The naked man starts spinning in circles, arms spread wide.
“I feel the wind blowing through my hair!”
The man is very clearly bald. We pass by him and Talosek hurriedly tosses my cloak over me.
“Hide your shame, Hilda!”
“I have no shame!”
He sighs. I really think he’s had enough of me. Good! We see the warehouses up a little ways, and see they’re still open for the day. One is a fish market, one produce and the other grain. And so, we take up camp in an alley with a view of the warehouses and wait for dark. Talosek is getting very frustrated, and soon we find he is extremely opposed to breaking any laws... which to get in the warehouses we are going to have to do. However, the mission is of utmost importance. If the cult is inside, we need to find and stop them!
We watch the warehouse, seeing people arriving every hour between midnight and the early hours of the morning. Some leave, some stay. Daksilfur decides to go check it out up close, and asks me to come in goose form. I transform and ride on his shoulder as he passes through the darkness. The door opens as we approach, and three men come out of one of the warehouses. He hides, and we are not found. We decided one peck from me means yes and two no, but when he asks if we should go inside neither of my answers is the one I want. I peck him over and over again and then fly down to the ground. I turn back Human, and he stares wide eyed at me.
“My eyes are up here, daksilfur! We need to go back! I have an idea!”
I turn back goose and he carries me back to the party. I turn Human again, and they notify us that there are now four people left in the produce warehouse.
“Remember my dream?” I say. “In it there was a group of figures. They were chanting, but when they finished some of them left, leaning four behind to guard the globe. Maybe that’s going on!”
“That’s... plausible.” Says Talosek.
“Let’s go in!” Says Daksilfur.
We decide to, and all of us approach the warehouse. I get my clothes back on. We go to the produce warehouse, and Daksilfur checks the door. Talosek is getting very pissed off about the situation, claiming this is illegal and he does not support burglary.
“Greater good, Talosek- greater good!” Hisses Tara.
We get inside, and he’s even more uncomfortable.
“Do you want to leave?” Tara asks.
“Yes. I’ll go wait in a garden or something. St. Cuthbert would not approve of this.”
“Istus would see this is right! Why don’t you trust in fate?”
“I DON’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT ISTUS!” He snaps at me.
“AND I DON’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT ST. CU*TBERT!”
“THAT’S IT! I’M LEAVING!”
He storms off, leaving us in the warehouse. Tara groans, rubbing her forehead.
“Great, Hilda. You drove him away!”
“He doesn’t love you anyway!”
I spot a delicious looking cucumber, grab it, and take a crisp bite. Now Tara is pissed at me, and I’m okay with it. These holy roller types are so over dramatic! I know Istus is real, she rose me from the dead! I will follow date wherever it leads me.
We search the place, finding an office with no records in it, and then one with them. Maybe one is a front for some shady side business, but who knows. I find some barrels of pickles, and shove a bunch in my bag of holding while eating one. Daksilfur begins speaking to the floor, using his strange dwarf powers. He tells us that the floor says people go below sometimes, but he doesn’t know where the secret door is.
“You mean that secret door?” I ask, indicating it with my pickle in hand.
“How did you? Huh.” Daksilfur goes over and opens it. “Were you born a human or a goose? I still can’t figure you out.”
I catch Ply pulling pickles out of the bag, and slap her hand away.
“I was born a human,” I say as we descend into the lower level. “When I was a child, my sisters and I were put through a ceremony. We were to find our swan feather to transform into our true form.
I f***ed up and found a goose feather. So I was a goose among swans. They didn’t accept me, but I was allowed to stay. They said I was annoying and angry, but such is a goose. I found some of my kind and followed them, but it turns out they were just wild geese. And then I found Nikolaj, and met you all!”
We descend into the sewers, the stench overwhelming. We proceed on for hours, and it’s about six in the morning when a giant crocodile charges out of the sewage at us! I just want to get some sleep.
🦢 Hilda
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Post by kynigoskerata on Dec 30, 2020 17:17:05 GMT -5
Being continuously pulled away from my duties as the mage and magical specialist of this group from the material planes us growing quite annoying. To literally be taken from my friends as they face down a gigantic crocodile is quite the betrayal that I don't think I would be able to stomach. I hope that they will take me back at least.
Wait, this place looks familiar... that giant lizard also looks quite simil... have I gone through some time dilatation of a sort, which stopped my own personal timeline while I left and brought me back to the moment of my departure? Or did the eorld stop moving while I was gone. Tis a very strange occurrence. I must investigate this more after this sewer beast is killed. Have at thee!
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Post by Aileen on Jan 6, 2021 11:37:52 GMT -5
Our great sewer adventure is a massive failure. The crocodile was no problem, We barely bat an eye as we take him out. But then we come across three horrible sh** monsters- otyugh!
I cut into them easily with my sword, but then I’m grabbed and can only weakly stab with my knife not doing much damage at all. The tentacles slam me over and over again into the floor, and sharp teeth bite into my right leg so hard I fear it will be torn off. Another bite to the same leg nearly does me in, but I still manage to escape and hit it hard before being trapped again. Tara keeps giving me healing in between beat downs, and soon I escape and slay the thing.
Bron keeps the second one by us pacified, and is working on the one attacking the others, but it still manages to take down Ply. Daksilfur announces he’s going to go use fire on the other one, so Tara and I charge into theirs. I kill it and then run back to the other one. Bron is fumbling for matches, and I’m just not risking anyone getting caught again so I kill it. The boys are mad at me, but it’s still dead so they can deal with it.
Tara was adamant that we run away, and now that we are bleeding and covered in sh** we decide it’s time to resurface and get help. We find a manhole and climb up into the street. People avoid us like a plague as we stand in the middle of the road and argue.
“We should go back to the monastery,” I say. “We need to get Ply up, and I’m pretty badly hurt...”
“No! Talosek doesn’t like you!”
“That’s why I’m going to try to apologize to him,” I roll my eyes. Her little crush is bordering on annoying. “I doubt I can purchase a pie in this state. Maybe we should jump in the river and then go see the paladin?”
“No, we should go to an inn!” Tara is indignant.
“We can’t go to the one we’re staying in,” says Daksilfur. “We could get jumped again, they know we stay there.”
“Another inn!” Tara suggests.
“No, they won’t rent to adventurers.” I remind her.
“That was just one day, I’m sure we are fine now.”
“No, it’s an always thing.” I say.
“Whatever, I’m going to the inn and getting a bath!”
“Suite yourself!”
I hoist Ply’s lifeless body onto my back, and run to the river, limping horribly. I jump in the water and hold Ply’s head up as I rinse her off. The water rapidly becomes disgusting, so I keep moving around. I guess the others realized I’m not dumb as they join me a few moments later, and all of us are getting washed up in the river.
“Stop! You’re under arrest!” A voice hollers from the banks. “Get out of the water!”
“Yay! I’m starving!” I hand Ply over to Bron, and run out of the water toward the guards. “Hi, I’m Hilda! Remember me?!”
The guard whacks me in the shins with a baton, and then drags me into a carriage. The others soon follow. We are taken to the citadel, and they take Ply away leaving the rest of us in one big cell. For hours we are questioned about why we are disgusting and ridiculed for jumping in the water supply covered in gos se. They don’t really get much information from us, but we are notified that Ply signed a confession.
“Was she conscious?” I ask.
“That’s none of your business!” A guard shouts at me.
“Was she unconscious?”
“I’m warning you!”
“She’s illiterate!” I smirk.
“No, she isn’t.” Says Tara.
“Can I get my sandwich now?” I ask.
“What jail were you at that had unlimited sandwiches?” One of the guards asks. “We don’t do that here.”
“A nice one. Could I get bread? You handsome, smart, capable guard?”
He rolls his eyes.
“You’re thinking of my brother. And no.”
At last we are released, and Ply is awake again. She is mortified to hear she was forced to sign a confession because she literally just woke up. The bastards are clearly making a document to use against us, and we need to be careful.
“To the monastery!” I announce.
We enter the beautiful grounds of the monastery of St. Cuthbert, and head to the chapel. I limp up to a young priest, covered in bruises and faintly still reeking.
“Hello, is Talosek here?” I ask.
“Oh my! Yes, I’ll get him right away. Stay here!”
He hurries away, and comes back minutes later with the paladin. He comes up to us and Tara gets all starry eyed again.
“Talosek, I would like to apologize, as much as it pains me to do so,” I say, pulling forth some pristine pickles from my bag of holding. “I was not able to get you a pie, but I hope you accept these pickles of friendship. I am sorry I made you leave.”
“You insulted my god,” he said. “But I accept your apology. Keep the pickles.”
“Okay!” I take a snappy bite. “Can we get some healing?”
Talosek and the priests heal us up. My leg was the worst of my injuries, but they seemed worried about my full body bruising. Tara explains to them that I have hollow bones, which I’m not sure is true. I just bruise easily in this fragile human form.
We are fed, allowed to bathe, and settle in for the night. I start feeling sick overnight, like when we left Rookroost all those weeks ago. Must be another infection. By morning, the fever has fully taken hold and I can barely get out of bed. Seems the rest of the crew is too, except the dwarf. He fetches the priests, who come and take care of our illness. Tara was nearly dead, despite not having been bitten as terribly as some of us. Perhaps punishment from Istus for siding with Talosek against me? Or from her own god for fawning over a paladin of St. Cuthbert?
We are brought back to full health, and brought into a meeting room where Talosek is waiting. A female paladin or something comes in with a scribe and some other people, and they all blabber on about Talosek’s grandfather and some story book. I think I may have fallen asleep or just got lost looking out the windows. Apparently some priests went down into the sewers when we were in jail and sick, and they found a cult hideout. They want us to go infiltrate it, which peaks my interest. And then something about Talosek’s grandfather’s book being about fighting the same cult... I lost interest again.
That lady is really pretty, I wonder why Tara is glaring at her? Talosek seems sweet on her, maybe that’s his mate! Maybe I should get them together? But for now, we have a cult fortress to raid!
🦢Hilda
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Post by kynigoskerata on Jan 6, 2021 16:16:21 GMT -5
gos se monsters seems like an auspicious start to this venture, where we will travel down into this earthen grave and attack cultists in their place of worship. It is time to take the fight to them, but I do not know if we can fight them well enough to win. It is obvious from the earlier ambush that we are, if not outgunned, then we are outmanned, at least 3 of their number for every one of us, if not more. We came into this city looking for work, and I don't know if now is the time to leave, while we are still all in one piece.
Well, I will follow them into the dark place if we choose to. Not for the city nor the temple. Not even for the rule of law that should protect us. But for these people, with whom I have grown closer over the last few weeks. There is no victory without risk, without death. If that is ours, we will fight to the last. Gods above and below, I hope it is not.
This may be a final note for my people, should they find this. If I do not make it, I hope that this note will be found and my remains returned to the Astral Space, and the world unseen.
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