ArkmageddonCat

The Black Undeath

Yeah, that's fine if that's what you want to do.

The Black Undeath

@pugbutter Alright, I understand. Take your time if you need to.

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@Nerdude Y'know... whoever we damn well please. I'll probably develop loose characters for some of them, but I'm not sure I'm prepared to individualize all 5 or 6 of them.

And thanks.

The Black Undeath

Lord's Keep in Cartelom, Rhogein

Dharrec watched as the nearby woman spoke to a mountain of a man, one whom he was inclined to believe he had encountered before. The man offered a silent nod to Dharrec as he left, which Dharrec returned in kind - a symbol of unspoken respect betwixt two warriors. After the man had gone, though, the woman decided to extend a simple "hi". Dharrec turned his head to look at her, shifting his weight in hesitation.

"Hello." He replied after a few seconds, his voice dry from lack of use. He hadn't realized just how little he actually spoke until now, and he supposed the last time must have been over a day ago. It was an odd feeling, though perhaps it was not the only feeling.

The loud slam of a door echoing across the room silenced most of the occupants, drawing their attention to the intrusive sound. Their eyes would then be met with the sight of Captain Hannigan entering the great hall from somewhere deeper within the Keep. Followed loosely by two guards, Hannigan approached the crowd of volunteers swiftly and with a sense of urgency. A few whispers started up, likely those theorizing or betting on what the assignments would be or what issues there were, though they were hushed not long after Hannigan came to a halt.

"Brothers and sisters, lend me your ears!" Hannigan called out, silencing the last of the crowd's idle chatter. "I must apologize for my tardiness, and for the fact that this meeting must be cut shorter than I had intended. I am glad to see so many eager volunteers have assembled here today, but unfortunately Cartelom cannot spare all of you to expeditions. I have only just been informed this morning that another siege could be at our gates in the coming days, and so therefore any unnecessary risks should be avoided." Hannigan continued, beginning to pace idly.

"I'm sure that for some of you this will come as a relief, and also that many of you have come in pursuit of money to feed yourself and your family. Rest assured, however, that those of you who would prefer not to venture out there can find solace and coin in enlisting amongst the city's army or guard. Many of you are young, too young I fear to go out there and risk death on this mission. I need only the most determined souls for this expedition; men and women who are willing to do whatever it takes to see this through... because I cannot guarantee you will come back alive." Hannigan confessed, punctuating with the stomp of his heel as he came to a stop, turning to stand before the crowd once more.

"Those of you who are rightfully scared may leave. Enlist with the army or city guard if you need the coin." He said, presented more like a command than a mere suggestion. About a third of the crowd began filtering back out of the Keep, and Dharrec simply watched them go. "If you are aged under twenty years then you still have a life to live, and I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to throw away your young lives." Hannigan continued, prompting another fifth of what was left to then start leaving as well. He proceeded through a list of disqualifications before nine volunteers were left.

"Well, this is still more than I would like to spare - for the city's sake - but perhaps there is something to be said of safety in numbers." Hannigan finally announced, turning to his guards and gesturing for them to leave. "You nine must work together on this, watch each other's backs, and Keep each other alive. I've seen far too many good soldiers, good people die in this... this nightmare. I want to make sure you are fully aware of the choice you're making; what you're doing for this city and its people." Hannigan stalled as the clacking of the door's locks echoed across the room, and suddenly his demeanor changed.

"Scouts report seeing survivor activity in the village of Velgas, northeast of Cartelom. If this is true then they are not residents of Cartelom, and we cannot afford to wait for responses from the other cities to see if they're another expedition group. As you might imagine this is very urgent business, and I need you to leave as soon as you are able. Unfortunately we haven't any horses to spare, so you'll have to make the journey on foot - so stay together. Am I understood?" Hannigan finished, a look of dire seriousness in his eyes.

...

A little while later the group of volunteers was headed out of the main gate, Dharrec among them. He knew the region well, and though it would be about an hour-long trek under normal circumstances nothing could be certain now that the dead were roaming about. But aside from the odd Lich or two scattered about, it did not seem like there were too many wandering about at the moment. Perhaps this expedition might be free of significant dangers, but... they never exactly go as planned.

---

Streets of Tarne, Oroulam

"Hear ye, children of Oroulam, for all those who live upon 'er land 'n these tryin' times're 'er children indeed!" An aged voice called out in the streets of Tarne, belonging to an older man in thick robes who's face was obscured by a ceremonious looking mask.

"Th' Flames of Omen hath spoken, and have warned us that th' time for an undead attack on our city's nigh upon us! We all know what hardships we'll be faced with when those Godforsaken daemons come t' claw at our gate. We all know how close we've come t' meetin' God's embrace, an' th' struggles that our great city of Tarne's had t' endure 'cause of this hellish blight! It 'tis with such knowledge weighin' heavy 'n our hearts an' our minds that we - humble servants of God an' th' Temple of Sacred Flames - offer t' ye all a chance t' live... not just 'n body, but 'n spirit as well." The clergyman announced, bringing his arms wide.

"We humbly offer t' those who've yet t' taste of carnal desires their chance t' do so. All are welcome, an' all sins committed on this day within th' temple's chambers shall be permitted and forgiven by us 'n God's stead! We've come t' understand that indulgence 'n such carnal desires as those that shall be permitted work t' clear th' mind an' rejuvenate th' soul. Perhaps it 'tis God's true desire that we are reminded of our primal origins, of our primal selves.

"It 'tis only af'ter much debate and communing with th' sacred flames that we've come t' this verdict, an' surely th' only place such a celebration of life should be held is 'ere in th' confines of our temple. Th' priests an' priestesses shall hold a sermon 'n th' meantime t' preserve th' sanctity of th' temple should any rather heinous sins threaten all of us 'n attendance with corruption, so worry not - yer immort'l souls shall remain intact throughout!" The man continued on, preaching about how unorthodox this new ceremony must seem to everyone.

He then went on to explain that alcoholic spirits would not be permitted, save for a glass wine for each participant, yet the smoking of immoral substances would be. He listed some rules and other stipulations as people began to approach him and the Temple of Sacred Flames. The world surely did seem to be a different place than it was just three months ago. But, after all, a lot had changed... and what would otherwise just be three months of time was made to feel so much longer by the presence of the undead threat and the constant struggles of the living just to survive the week.

The Black Undeath

Hoo...

Boy do I have a big post for you guys. Probably got a little carried away, if I'm being honest. Not sure how good it is, but... damn I didn't think I'd written so much. But I'm trying a little something new.

This includes some stuff for the Tarne crew. Nothing too important, though, mostly just world building. The most important part is probably the first paragraph, but whether or not your characters are around to learn said information is up to you guys.

Cartelom crew is now moving out, and you can expect all of the player characters to be participating in this expedition. How much of Hannigan's appearance, speech, and briefing you want to write a reaction to is up to you guys.

EDIT: I'm actually just terrible at predicting how big my posts are / are gonna be cause I've mostly been writing from my phone instead of my computer.

The Black Undeath

@pugbutter Alright, you got it.

Oh thank god someone gets it

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@YeetMeister Alright, I totally understand. Take what time you need.

The Black Undeath

I think I might try to have another post up on Wednesday, how's everyone else doing?

EDIT: I just want to make it clear that I don't want anyone to feel rushed, I just want to know if we've got any other posts coming up or if anyone is experiencing any problems. Just remember I'm happy to help, as always, so don't be afraid to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.

I'll be kicking things up a notch in my next post (hopefully), so if anyone is feeling like the pace is too slow then I hope that'll help.
The same goes for the Tarne group, but as you two have got plans I'll try not to get too intrusive without your 'go-ahead'.

The Black Undeath

We're fine for now. I for one would greatly appreciate some NPC support coming up (Yeet's "raid" and the consequences beyond), lest we ourselves would write them with too many biases for (or against) our characters.

@pugbutter

Alright, yeah, I'll definitely make sure to do that. In the meantime I'll try to think of some scenarios just in case I need to throw some rocks at you guys.

The Black Undeath

The narrow, muddied streets of Cartelom were alive in parts, but not all throughout. The stretch that Dharrec now walked along would take him through the place where many of the city's smiths, carpenters, stone-workers and other such industrial workers were supposed to live. His gaze wandered up to the second stories of the houses as he approached, their outer walls distended out from those of the ground floor and left to hang partially over the streets. What could be seen through the windows of these houses made them appear empty and lifeless, though many of the windows did appear to be obstructed by some thing or another. But if Dharrec was to believe what he had heard - and, more importantly, if what he heard was true - then the occupants of these seemingly vacant buildings were still very much alive despite all the evidence to the contrary. And... that's just about as far as people cared to pry.

Dharrec did not feel it was his place to ask much of those who lived here, especially considering he was an outsider. But that couldn't stop him from feeling that the smiths and carpenters and all the other workers living here deserved more than what they had been given - though, in all fairness, so did everyone else. But it wasn't the merchants whom would repair the outer walls of damage; it wasn't the priests whom had devised plans to reinforce the walls against future attack; and it was most certainly not bakers whom were responsible for crafting the weapons and equipment used to fight the undead each and every day. It was the stoneworkers, the smiths, the carpenters... and now, without the resources or reason to work, they had little to do but keep to themselves. At least they had a place to call home, Dharrec supposed, though how they could afford to eat was still quite the mystery.

The buildings parted to reveal the towering form of the Lord's Keep as Dharrec rounded the corner at the end of the street. The Keep used to stand tall a bright beacon of hope, but the whiteness of the once stark walls had become weathered and faded. On account of everything that had happened in the last three months, the need for a new coat paint paled in comparison to the need for food or weapons. Dharrec certainly understood that people were more important than the color of a building... but the Lord's Keep looked to be in such a sorry state of affairs that it may as well be abandoned. Of course, the Keep itself was very much alive with activity - mostly guards, advisors, or warriors.

Dharrec stepped up and opened the door, finding himself greeted by a larger crowd than expected. A quick glance would show that a good portion of those gathered here were rather young, and had probably volunteered - or been volunteered - out of desperation. Money was hard to come by these days, and participating in expeditions could provide enough to feed a man well. That wasn't to say a family couldn't make good use of the funds, because they most definitely could, but less of it would be left to pay for new equipment or repairs. Some of these young men and women were undoubtedly going to die, from naivety or being under-equipped or any other number of possibilities, with the only uncertainty being when.

Some of these faces, though, were familiar. Dharrec had worked with some of them on prior expeditions but could not remember any of their names, he did not want to - not again. They were comrades and companions and compatriots, and nothing more. The only exceptions were Dharrec's superiors, most notably being Captain Hannigan - who was due to receive the official title of 'Lord' in but a few more days when the ceremony would be held - though Dharrec realized he was not yet present. The relative silence soon gave way to bantering and conversing as the volunteers sought to occupy themselves in Hannigan's continued absence. Meanwhile Dharrec kept to himself just a few short feet away, leaning against the wall and idly observing the other occupants of the great hall.

The Black Undeath

Yeah, probably should've thought to check up on that sooner, I wanted to get the post up tonight. But at least I've got it ready to go, barring any additions for you guys.

It's not a very big post, though. Just something to keep the ball rolling.

EDIT: It's been about 18 hours, and I've decided that this post isn't significant enough to warrant waiting any longer. If I can get people to post after me, I can just deal with anything I need to do for you guys in a follow up post.

The Black Undeath

Oh, before I put up my next post, do you guys in the Tarne group need anything from me or are you good doing your own thing for now? I don't want to interfere too much with any plans you might have.