[IC] Forgotten Realms: Tales of the Dead

[knighthawk]

Raa was not liking these odds, he called upon his faith once more to drive away the undead who were annoying compared to the infernal elemental but still a danger if left unchecked. He saw the powerful beast rearing up for an overhand blow and threw his feet up under him, controlled falling backward, he pulled his shield out from his back to take the blow. Unable to fight with the two handed scythe, he could go on full defense and pray the woman could put down the planar monstrosity.

Then everything went to hell as there was a flash of light and now one less on their side. Since when was this to the death? Seeing opportunity, he made a mad dash to the dead body and dropped his scythe in order to pick up the others one handed weapon. Now able to attack and defend, he spun around and noticed that he didn't get away from the elemental completely free as his shield arm lay limp at his side, the force of the blow probably broke the arm through two layers of defense.

"Enough, you madman, enough!"

[DMZ]

The orc's cry brought Reverin out of his contemplation. He released the spell, freezing the undead no longer under his control solid and instructing the rest to go back to the graveyard. The few remaining skeletons started back for their graves, dragging along their frozen brethren and the corpse of the human. The elemental was just about to strike a second, possibly lethal blow to the orc when the mage won the mental battle and bade it to back off. Why did he do this? Reverin didn't know why he spared the hated green menace. Perhaps there would be other chances to get rid of it. The mage checked if his stoneskin was still intact, and cast a minor protection dweomer to complement it.

"I would say that you did admirably, but that was barely passable," he said, dispelling the wards on the gate as he moved through it. From the many folds of his robes, the mage produced two vials with a murky yellow liquid sloshing around inside, and tossed one vial to each of the remaining party members. "Healing potions," he offered.

"I suppose I'm satisfied with your performance for now. You have a few hours of rest to get prepared. At sundown we leave for the job," the mage continued, squinting against the bright sunlight.

[DMZ]

(Auto-post for El Taco Taco's character, may be subject to edits when the original player returns)

Kalana was about to unleash the fires of hell upon her foes when the half orc cried out and the attack abruptly stopped. Unsure of what was going on, she kept the spell ready, just in case. She easily caught the potion the wizard had thrown at her, but didn't drink it. She didn't trust the mage and his tricks, especially after he tried to kill her. The mage announced that they were done, and should go get some rest. It was all so casual, as if they didn't just come close to serious wounds, and lost some reckless human to the dirty undead. She pondered her possibilities, including vaporizing the arrogant mage right where he stood. But then again, there would be other chances to do this, chances that involved more substantial rewards.

With a glare at the mage and an indifferent look at the half orc, Kalana spun around on her feet and marched off downhill, back to the town, to hopefully spend a good amount of time in a tavern awaiting sundown.

[knighthawk]

Raa was thoroughly confused at this point, he hadn't just saved a damsel in distress? This was a job offering? He just passed an unknown interview?

He took the potion and pocketed it for later, trusting in his goddess to let him mend his wounds. As it was he had until sundown, so he began the process of gathering the remains of the fallen human to see about next of kin. *Bark* And to tend to his mouths to feed.

As he went to the place he picked up the mace, there was something definitively wrong, the body was gone. Casting his eyes about, he spotted the last of the undead taking away the human. Holy venchance filled him as he approached as well as he could with a bad arm and put his hand upon the fallen body as if to claim ownership like two kids fighting over a toy.

"He has not had his last rights, he did not fall by your hand, he will not rise as one of you...BEGONE!"

He let his turning flow through the body like a conduit of holy energy to harm the necromantic notions release to return to rest. As the undead blew away on the wind, Raa looked over at the wizard with a stare as if willing the arcanist to blow away on the wind as well before he threw the body over his shoulder. If he was uncontested, he would now try to leave once more to a church.

"Very well, I will see you at Pelor's passing."

[knighthawk]

It took some time, but Raa managed to do what he could for his own sake of mind if no one else. He went to the church for last right sand to tell a lawful authority what he had witness happen regarding the wizard. The sickening sense of evil that came from the elemental and the undead he commanded. Taking it upon himself that all is not as it might be, he decided to return to the wizards tower at the setting sun.

IF this wizard was misguided, then he could do his best to help righten the path. But if he had been hired b a servant of evil, he would be certain to disrupt its plans. But still it is the best to hope for the best in others and so he came to the tower on purpose this time and waited.

Looking about, he spied one of the bones from earlier that day, and offered it to is furred companion. Best for it to get a taste for the undead now so it can develop a resistance to its fell powers and know the smell all too soon to know what it was detecting. THey did a number of games and tricks to try and train while waiting for the wizard and the other companions to arrive.

[DMZ]

The sun had already set when the wizard appeared from the tower, sealing it shut with a few powerful enchantments. He was a little disappointed that the only one to show up to the actual contract was the orc. Reverin shrugged and paced outside the safe perimeter of the tower, towards the half orc.

"Looks like you'll be getting the big payment today!" he said, desperately trying, and failing, to show some enthusiasm towards the abomination. The mage pulled out a tattered, old map of the town and laid it out before the orc, magically illuminating the cloth before them.

"Your job is going to be very simple. Protect me and take care of anything the enemy may summon, and you get paid. If you see the chance to slice that pesky mage to pieces, I'll make sure to give you a nice bonus on top of the contract pay," he said, pointing to a small hillock on the other side of town. "That's where the culprit lives. I've taken the opportunity to disable his most damaging wards, so we should not have major problems in getting to the tower." The more Reverin spoke, the bigger the scowl on his face got. The mage was clearly almost tasting victory. The map rolled up on its own when the mage was done explaining and vanished in the robes of the caster.

"Use whatever...skills you've learned to survive, and you can enjoy early retirement, orc!" The mage chanted, gliding across the field towards their intended target and gesturing for the orc to follow him. "And don't touch any of his items when he's dead! Who knows what curses you may catch!"

[knighthawk]

Raa prayed to his god to guide him in this foolish endevor. A single paladin and a wizard against gods knows what. Then again, this wizard summoned the undead and elementals that had him on his heels, so they might have a chance.

The undead still bothered him more than he would like to admit as did the sensing of such evil from the earthen creature. Perhaps he is meant to return the balance against this one who he cannot sense. But those were thoughts for another time, for now he had to trust in the best of another and follow their lead.

"If you can call the earth like you did before, why do you need me and not some sneak-thief? Also, I surely hope you do not plan to count me for the same share as before since I am the only one foolish enough to return to you. I did not see the damsel make her way back, unless it is your idea to send her and any others ahead in multiple strikes like a hornets nest."

As he spoke to the wizard, he tried to read the mans soul once more to see if he could detect the glimmer of darkness when the man was talking.

[Sigil]

Today had been an interesting day. Let’s go through the list, shall we?

Fistfights – Two.
Poorly placed wagers – One.
Available funds – Sparse.
Contracts of employment – Zero.
Times slapped by women – Two. (Well, one woman, but she slapped twice)
Odd rumors about wizard-on-wizard violence – One. But very profitable.

Having ended a contract by some textile merchant or another for the position of Grand Babysitter in charge of Really Big Bolt of Cloth Transportation Safety, and the subsequent week blowing the modest earnings therefrom, it was time to look into others venues of employment. Now, ordinarily he didn’t get involved in the affairs of wizards (he seemed to remember a piece of sage advice on the subject), but he was nearing a lean season and the promise of reward, he reasoned, would bring others. If you have to get involved, don’t go it alone. At least, where magic was concerned.

He neared the tower; the one very clearly pointed out to him by the somewhat off-putting lady at the inn he had just vacated, and took a moment to survey the surroundings. The sun said its goodbyes for the evening, the streets had quieted, for the most part. Seemed like a good enough time to start another job. Confidently but quietly, the large man strode to what he hoped would be the start of a contractual obligation (or at least the promise of gold). In the interest of being polite, he made his footsteps heavier as he approached the pair outside. The thought of this undertaking being handled by only three individuals made him wary, but money meant food and security, and he was rather short of late. As they took notice, he cleared his throat, and began speaking in a thick underclass brogue,

“Gentlemen, ‘pologies for my intrusion. I’m given to understand you’ve need of someone of my qualifications.”
He unshouldered his pack and set it down lightly, then stepped more clearly into view. He carried no obvious weapons and wore no armor, but looked like one of the largest pure humans this city had witnessed in quite some time. He unbuttoned his coat and flexed his hands, audible popping sounds issuing from scarred knuckles. His basic articles of clothing made him look more like a laborer or traveler than a mercenary; the set of his face and self-assured stance prompted the opposite.

“I’ll be brief. My name is Keystone. I don’t remember working with either of you before. I have to assume that you don’t know me, either. It’s fair obvious how I earn my keep, and I was pointed this way by a very malcontent lady what smelled like brimstone. You likely can’t do this with just the two of you, so I’ll make you a deal: If I die or slip away in the night, you don’t have to pay me. Are we good?”

He took a moment to give his companions a once-over. Half-Orc and a wizard. The Half-Orc didn’t give him much pause; obviously a warrior of some kind. This one seemed cleaner than most, so that was a plus. Besides, he wasn’t all that pretty, himself. The wizard… paid well. We’ll leave it at that for the present.

“If there’s an issue, you can tell folks you just keep me around to cook.”

[DMZ]

Reverin spun around on his feet, but somehow continued moving towards the now faintly visible stone chapel at the edge of the forest. He pondered his choices before responding to the orc:

"Perhaps I simply require your services because I do not wish to waste time casting summoning spells. Perhaps I am bored of using my own servants and would like to enjoy the sight of others fighting for me. Or maybe it costs me less gold to hire a few slabs of muscle than it does to summon powerful allies. What is it to you, orc? You get paid, and you fight. Isn't that what your...people do?"

There was clear disgust in the mage's voice when he referred to the green man's kin. Reverin continued to glide along the grass, courtesy of his minor flight enchantment provided, amongst other things by the faintly glowing silvery ring on his finger.

"I wouldn't concern yourself with my grand plan for this encounter; your job is simple: fight. The tactical side of things has been taken care of, I assure you."

The energy emanating from Reverin wasn't particularly hostile towards the half orc, but one so inclined or magically enhanced could clearly sense undertones of selfishness and perhaps even evil lining every word the mage uttered.

The oddly heavy sound of footsteps on grass caught Reverin's attention before he even finished speaking, and now his attention was squarely focused on the newcomer. The wizard couldn't sense the motives of the human, but the lack of magical aura around him washed away any sense of danger the mage had.

"As I said, the tactics have been taken care by me," reiterated Reverin to the orc, nodding towards the human.

"It's good that the lady referred you back to me," he spoke to the human, drawing on his best manners to force a polite smile. "Slipping away won't be an issue, I shall only require your services for the next few hours or so. You come with me, you fight and kill, and you get paid well. That would be a good deal for any paid mercenary, and it looks like it would be especially useful to you! Come along now, I will explain on the way."

As they neared their destination, an old grey chapel seemingly long abandoned and in ruins, Reverin briefly explained the requirements:
"All you two have to do is ward off any enemies that try to attack me, and take any opportunity to attack that pesky enemy mage Erepar. Don't touch anything on his person, lest you want to be cursed. When he is dead, you will get your payment and be on your merry way."

[knighthawk]

"What is it to you, orc? You get paid, and you fight. Isn't that what your...people do?"

"Actually, It's only half-orc. My mother was a Human and my father was a shaman for the 'dedtre' tribe. She came from a half elf and from her a full elf. My grandmother was a ranger and my great grandmother was a Paladin to mielikki like I am. So yes, we have a longstanding run of warriors in my family, with my mother being a druid interrupting the trend."

He touched the talisman to Heironeous as he spoke, riding the mule at an easy gait. IF the wizard was a man of faiths, he would easily be able to tell it was not the right symbol and if he cared he might say something. But for the moment he would have to pause the history lesson as there was now someone approaching. They had no obvious armaments but that still meant danger if he was some kind of caster or something like a monk.

I’ll be brief. My name is Keystone. I don’t remember working with either of you before. I have to assume that you don’t know me, either. It’s fair obvious how I earn my keep, and I was pointed this way by a very malcontent lady what smelled like brimstone. You likely can’t do this with just the two of you, so I’ll make you a deal: If I die or slip away in the night, you don’t have to pay me. Are we good?

"To be fair, those who slip away in the night tend to pay themselves from others expenses. But as this seems to be over in a day, and he vouches for you, Come along and keep Up. I am Raa Tel'Nimras."

[Sigil]

"To be fair, those who slip away in the night tend to pay themselves from others expenses. But as this seems to be over in a day, and he vouches for you, Come along and keep Up. I am Raa Tel'Nimras."

@knighthawk

Keystone's professional demeanor cracked for a moment, and he smiled at the Half-Orc's unexpectedly articulate observation. He reached out and gave his new comrade's shoulder a playful shove.

"Yeah, that they do." he mused, smile broadening a bit, then fading into a fairly sour face as if remembering a specific incident exemplifying that very statement. He shook his head and continued, "But men like us don't go for that cobyankery, eh? Professional, and whatnot? Tell ya what - I'll do my best to keep up. When the fighting starts, you do the same."

As if to promote an instantaneous subject change, he immediately follows up with, "Ey, do you like mutton? Been working on something new 'round the campfire."

[DMZ]

"Orc, half orc, I couldn't care less about your heritage," the mage replied to the half orc, his gaze focused on the new arrival. "Your combat skills and handsomely rewarded loyalty are all I, and you, should care about."

After a short trip the group arrived at the abandoned chapel on the edge of the forest. Reverin was no longer the laid back mage, clearly on edge as he scanned the environment.

The sun was setting at the horizon, covering the evening sky with a warm red glow and leaving the land in a dark violet shroud. A warm summer wind blew through the fields and forests, slightly rustling the leaves in the forest next to the group, shifting to a howl when it passed through the chapel.

The building itself gave off no signs of life or magical activity, so Reverin had to keep himself from jumping in surprise when a sound came from the chapel. The old wooden door creaked with an ear piercing screech and after fully swinging open, fell off its hinges with a muffled *dof*.

A tall figure emerged from the dark doorframe. A human, larger than most, straightened as he walked out. Old age had taken its toll on this man, but his eyes still carried the sparkle of energy. Wizard robes were the only visible apparel on the human, torn in places, burned in others. His unnaturally white beard and eyebrows could be clearly seen against the backdrop of the dark building as he examined the party, coming to a rest on the two hirelings.

"So, is this what the elf brought with him this time. Tell me, warriors, are you willing to be the next in a long line of mercenaries who throw their life away to the whims of this mage? Would you throw your life away for a magical blade?" he spoke to them with genuine disappointment, but didn't seem to cast any spell as he was talking.

Reverin involuntarily twitched at the mention of the blade, and hoped nobody saw that in the deepening darkness. He quickly regained his composure and growled at his two helpers:

"Well, what are you waiting for! Attack the old man, but beware! He is more powerful than he looks!" He began the incantation of a minor spell as he waited for his minions to attack.

The human kept his gaze on the two warriors as he gestured to nobody in particular. A second figure emerged from the chapel: an old, withered human body, somehow still alive and moving on its own will, as it was no zombie or undead! The figure was completely naked, save for a massive two handed blade firmly clasped in its dry hands. In the evening darkness, an inscription was clearly visible on the hilt, but too fine a print to read from afar. The figure didn't attack, but took a position next to the wizard, as if anticipating an attack on its master.

"I do not wish to hurt you, warriors. I do not have the gold to pay you right now, but we could avoid severe injuries by not fighting here. Please, don't make this mistake. You have no idea what's at stake!" the old man pleaded. "If anything, you could be helping me in stopping this pointless assault."

Reverin had finished his minor spell, and six magic missiles sped forward from his fingertips towards the human mage. Inexplicably, they seemed to be absorbed by the wizard's robes, though the wearer did wince. Annoyed by the lack of action, but choosing to keep his mouth shut, the wizard started casting again.

[Modifiers]

[Ras: Half Orc Darkvision, 60 ft(daytime viewing for you, no penalties or bonuses)]
[Keystone: moderate penalty to vision due to impending darkness, bonuses from direct contact with fertile ground anywhere]

[Warm Summer Wind: Air elementals are easier to summon and control]

[knighthawk]

Raa frowns at the dismissive nature of his history. all the more adding to the discomfort of the arrangement. He is clapped on the shoulder by the other and they move on with a question about mutton.

"Lamb is fine, but not pork... many think orcs and pigs are related, it would be like eating a cousin."

Soon enough they are now faced with a failing church, not a wizads tower, he takes a moment to say a prayer in elvish. Weapon dawn, the scythe sits on his shoulder as the other emerges. This one seems reasonable and even sad by the situation, words of a magic blade make the instinct of treasure seeking tighten his grip. Raa decides yet again to detect for evil intent on this new wizaard and his buck naked guardian.

If this falls to fighting, the fist step is to separate warrior from blade.

"Keystone, you seem to have left your sword at home. Perhaps you can borrow that one's sword as soon as possible. As for you sir, good sir, Who are you and what is your side of the tale?"

Six darts of magic flew from his employer into the wizard with no obvious harm, but the bodyguard didn't throw himself at the darts either. Either it was so knowledgeable or so simple it didn't try to protect its wizard. The half orc took a step between the two to interpose himself against any retaliation.

[Sigil]

The ordinarily lumbering man's posture and coordination altered instantaneously with actual threat in the vicinity, as if chains just dropped from his body; chains thick and heavy, designed to hold back a charging animal. Instinct flared within him to advance, to do what he does best, but nagging, fun-depriving reason interfered. Something was not right with this situation.

This wasn't part of the deal. Obviously, a lot was not said earlier this evening, quite possibly deal-breaking conditions. He was not the most ethical man ever to grace the Realms, and had done many disreputable actions in his life. Despite this, Keystone was not a strongarm thief. Well, rarely a strongarm thief, and there had to be a compelling reason.

He locks eyes with the Paladin, his face pleading for trust if only for a fraction of a second. Despite the direction of his gaze, his words were directed at his present employer: "Terms were, we keep anything under the mage's control off of you. I intend to honor that bargain."

Keystone steps his left foot back, assumes a defensive posture, and holds action.

[DMZ]

"I'm glad one of you is intending to honour the deal. Now attack!" snapped the mage as he unleashed a lightning bolt at the human wizard. This time, the enemy mage, Erepar, didn't intercept the bolt. His dried out living mummy, for the lack of a better word, stepped in between the bolt and its intended target. With a loud crackle, the magic jolted and thrashed the warrior, but it endured the full brunt of it with nary a scratch.

Erepar inspected the large man with green skin, seemingly unbothered by Reverin's attempts to kill him.

"I will be happy to tell you my tale, but this is not the time nor the place for it. I would prefer to talk when I'm not being assaulted," he said, triggering a minor spell. Instantly, two copies of Erepar appeared next to him, impossible to tell apart from the real thing. Despite the situation, he seemed oddly at ease.

Reverin, baffled with how little use his spells had, let out something of a growl and recalled a devastating spell from his spellbook. Falling into a deep trance, tiny fireballs began to form on his fingertips. Unable to sustain an earlier cast illusion, his skin turned gray and scaly under the influence of stoneskin, his ears elongating to resemble those of an elf.

[Sigil]

"Wizards..." thought Keystone, as doubt played in his mind concerning the wisdom shown in taking this job. He was certain that his next intended action smacked of the unwise, as well, but much thought on the matter would only have served to change his mind. He was underfunded, but not desperate yet. Why did he accept the offer in the first place? Whatever the reason, he was stuck in this predicament. And on the side generally opposite of his moral tendencies.

A sage piece of advice: "If you can't do something smart, do something right." flashed in the forefront of his mind for a half instant, which spurred Keystone to action.

He stepped to the side and pivoted on his back foot. An interesting dance, one he had done several times in taverns back in his bouncing days. This served two purposes; to bring him into alignment for what he attempted next, and to give him a solid stance, planting him on the earth with stability.

With startling speed, Keystone brought his right arm underneath the wizard's, and his left around his neck. They locked behind his head and shoved it forward, the large man's contracted bicep slowing the blood to his target's brain.

Gods willing, he would be unconscious in a matter of seconds. Unharmed, but unconscious. "No one will 'urt you." he whispered, "I promised."

The long few seconds it took for Reverin to lose himself into quiet slumber were filled with apprehension. His spell remained uncast, flares of eldritch fire sparked out before they could fully manifest. A person versed in magecraft makes for a very unpredictable target nonetheless, and Keystone kept his hold until the wizard's arms stopped flailing and his breathing became more relaxed.

Not wishing to risk the Elf's life, Keystone slowly eased back the muscles of his arm, still maintaining the hold. He looked to the multiple figures of their initial quarry by the chapel, and addressed them in a curt manner, "Right then. Time and place. This guy's soon to wake up, and I don't want to be around when it happens. If I keep this on him for too long, he'll soil 'imself, and I think he might take that personal on Yours Truly."

[knighthawk]

As two others of the enemy wizard appeared, Raa went to work. Keeping back to protect the wizard of his employ while the grappler rushed forward, he took a moment to kick up a rock of painful size and lobbed it with his foot at one of the copies while the hand not holding his scythe sent his hand axe hurling onto the other image. HE had no clue if they were real or figment, but at least this would help determine who was still a threat.

The armed guard still hadn't done anything against the magical attacks as they seemed to do nothing to the other wizard. But now that the fighter was getting into the fray, it would most likely come to protect its caster just as they were doing for theirs. something about that greatsword stirred something in the paladin.

[DMZ]

The axe flung by the large man pierced one of the conjured images, blinking it out of existence. The rock flung at the other image was swatted out of the air by a lightning quick flash. The living mummy had swung the large sword to cut the projectile out of the air, its blade puffing a cloud of dust when it struck the ground. The construct moved between the half orc and the human mage, yanking the sword out of the ground as it did. It assumed a defensive position, keeping the blade in clear view of the half orc. The inscription on it was clearly visible now, and it read 'Kaylee'.

Reverin was out cold, his skin still scaly and grey. Erepar ignored the half orc and paced towards the unconscious elf. He paused for a second and looked at the warrior who knocked him out. The mage appeared to be keeping his guard up around the fighter, standing several dozen steps away. The construct kept itself between the half orc and its master, its intent obvious: guard against any more attacks from the green skinned man.

"I thank you for neutralizing him. He has been trying to kill me for months. I'll make sure he doesn't get up soon and we can talk," the mage said, beginning an unknown incantation in full view of Keystone.

[Sigil]

Trust. It all came down to trust, a commodity in precariously short supply. An employer seemingly led them to an unprovoked attack, without providing supporting detail. The target begged them to listen to reason. Perhaps it was a trap, it wouldn't have surprised were it so. The situation just didn't appear right, and so he removed Reverin from the equation.

If it in fact was a trap, reasoned Keystone, he may have just removed their best hope of defense. This would mean that they were all in big trouble. If it was not, then they had little to fear. The only motivation of any importance (except self preservation, of course) was Keystone's promise to his employer, just prior to him squeezing conscious thought from the man. The irony was not overlooked.

In the span of a second, maybe less, all of these thoughts and more whirled about in the rock-hard orb located anterior to Keystone's neck. Screwed either way, probably by his own choice of action, he doubled down his wager and took a side facing, defensive stance.

"Harm or alter this man in any way, and I'll have a much more interesting surprise for you, too."

Trust. It had to start somewhere, even if it was shaky and enforced by threat of violence of uncertain origin. Or, possibly more accurately, in for a penny, in for a pound.

[knighthawk]

Raa was in an interesting position as he brought his scythe to bear, both were warriors, both carried a two handed weapon, and both were protecting their mages. It would make for a great tale to tell at the table about how the wizard got choked out while his guard just stood there.

There was a clear tactical advantage to their stalemate, as long as he posed a threat, the creature would keep its bearing on the paladin, thus freeing up the others to act instead. His action seemed to be inaction, but there was still something to try as he held out a hand and attempted to turn the other as he had the undead before, not knowing this things origins, undead is just as likely as anything else.

"Drop! Your! Sword!"