DMZ

Forgotten Realms: Tales of the Dead

The dwarf nodded in acknowledgment to Keystone's words.

Saran led Keystone through the crowds, some still staring at the monk that was the center of attention moments ago. Eventually the two reached a slightly run down part of the city, housing soldier's quarters, part of the slums and a comparatively massive stable. Dozens of horses were being take care of by even more people, some brushing, some washing and a few blacksmiths cleaning the hooves. All the animals appeared well fed and strong.

On the far side of the coral, two massive horses were saddled and outfitted. Saran motioned for Keystone to follow and briefly spoke with a large light skinned rotund man in fashionable robes, looking out of place anywhere that wasn't a palace. The man nodded a few times, stroked his short goatee and expectantly looked at Keystone with a fake sleazy smile:

"Your servant and I agreed on forty platinum for the horses. As soon as I have my money, these fine specimens are yours. I can assure you, they are exactly as strong and fast as they look," he said. Saran shot the merchant a distrustful look and stepped out of the way and slightly behind Keystone, firmly pressing three fingers into his lower back as she made her best attempt at a respectful bow.

With the horses saddled, the pair was soon riding through the lower end part of town, with many poorly dressed folk running about, some asking money from the pair, but most regarding them with fear, suspicion, or both. Saran turned into a wide alley and waited for them to be alone before talking to Keystone again:

"This way to the graveyard is shorter and less populated. We don't want to attract too much attention given your recent escapades around the city." She looked around and adjusted her bodice a bit, "as for my outfit, you didn't expect me to travel with an oversized spellbook on my back signifying I am a mage, did you? In a caravan that might deter some, but if it's just us two, it would harm us." As she finished, the city's cemetery came into view. It was unusually busy, days after the battle. Many soldiers rushed around, helping lower bodies into graves and keeping watch over the further parts of the graveyard. Many citizens walked around the graves, paying respects to fallen friends, family members and lovers. Some were beyond the guard ring, bowed and crying over some open graves.

A few guards stood over open graves in the guarded section, carefully listening to pastors reading last rites. Keystone's keen ears overheard parts of the sermon:

"...and through his bravery and sacrifice many were saved. We can all be thankful for the sacrifice he made, as some of you would not have stood here were it not for this brave soul..."

Saran looked around and settled on Keystone: "So, do you know where they are buried? I don't come here often..."

Forgotten Realms: Tales of the Dead

Kaylee pulsed in the monk's mind, still held back by his iron will but still impossible to ignore. Keystone could feel her anger when the monk struck him, but the spirit was not powerful enough to take control of his mind on its own. She wanted to fight the dwarf. She pleaded the monk to fight, to show this dwarf that they, that Keystone was more than powerful enough to keep himself and Saran safe.

Seconds ticked away as the conflict seemed to freeze. Avar measured up the monk, but didn't make any moves towards him.

As if on cue, two heavily armed guard patrols shoved their way past the crowd and walked out onto the scene. Dressed in full field plate armour and emblazoned with the symbol of the Merchant Council, a small triangle with a wheel on top of it. The patrol commander, wearing a half open helmet instead of the full face complements the rest had, looked over at Keystone, then at Avar with an exasperated look:

"Is there a problem here, Mr Rocksteady?"

The dwarf met eyes with the patrol commander and bit by bit, started scowling.

"Nay, commander, nothing serious. The boy's tryin' to steal away me girl, so I gave 'm a bit of a roughin' up to teach 'm a lesson," he replied with an amused tone. The hammer stopped its spinning and slung away to hang on his belt. The dwarf approached Keystone and firmly embraced the monk, bringing his mouth close to Keystone's ear:

"I can't stop me girl from leaving with you. Ye now know me strength. If ye or yer monster dare hurt me girl in any way, I will come after ye and beat ye to a bloody pulp." With those words, he released the monk and slapped him on the back with a roar that could be interpreted as laughter or anger depending on the person listening.

The patrol commander along with his troops quickly thinned the crowds on the marketplace and after giving one more nod to the dwarf, disappeared from the square. Avar appeared to have lost all traces of anger, but seemed to pound away with twice the fervor. Grom appeared completely unmoved by recent events and sat down close to Avar, closing his eyes in meditation.

Saran ran over to Keystone the moment she could do so. After inspecting the monk and finding no obvious wounds, she looked at Keystone with a sincere look of apology.
"I'm sorry Keystone. Avar does this to everyone who shows the least bit of interest in me, and you really hit a sore spot by saying things like that in front of him!" she hissed indignantly, patting him down to remove some dust. "Now, if you're done sabotaging our departure, I've made all preparations to go! Horses are waiting for us."

Forgotten Realms: Tales of the Dead

The atmosphere in the Keystone residence drastically changed when Keystone returned. Avar was swinging his hammer from hand to hand, alternating between disapproving looks towards Saran and suspicious ones towards Grom. The mage met the dwarf's gaze with a confident smirk and Saran appeared unphased by the mood shift, waving at Keystone as if nothing was wrong. Her clothing now resembled the simple leather armour worn by common guards, ill-shaped for her size.

The moment the dwarf spotted Keystone, he sped out of the workshop and thudded the hammer right into the monk's chest with force equivalent to a hill giant punch.

"What in the hell was that, boy? Ye tellin me that ye have a chance o' goin' crazy and ye failed to say that BEFORE ye asked me girl to come with ye? What kind o' house guest are ye?" the dwarf yelled with a booming voice. Several crowds of people stopped to watch the altercation between dwarf and human. The smith fumed, tossing the heavy hammer with the ease one would toss a throwing knife, muscles bulging with magic and eyes displaying pure anger.

Saran started forward to help Keystone, but ran into an outstretched hand as Grom stopped her. They met eyes and the male's look left nothing to discuss. Saran slumped back, worry clear on her face, before she yelled at Avar.

"Stop this! There's nothing to worry about!"
The dwarf chuckled and waved her away:

"So, boy, what is it gonna be? When do ye turn into a monster that would attack my girl, eh? Show it to me so I can beat it out o' ye! And when I'm done with that, I'll beat yer fancy blade into tiny little shards and throw it in the sea, ha ha ha!" the dwarf continued, stepping forward, hammer spinning in his left hand.

The crowds watching the event were larger than they were a second ago. Some monks and even a guard patrol stopped to look, laughing and cheering between each other:

"Look, Rocksteady's throwing out a thief again!"

Forgotten Realms: Tales of the Dead

Well, happy freaking new year...

I am never starting a new job after new years again.

Forgotten Realms: Tales of the Dead

Saran returned late in the evening, barely making it to the end of dinner. She gave Keystone a curt nod and a smile as she sat and chowed down on the food of the evening, light roasted duck with vegetables and noodles. The she-mage's clothing had gone from the traditional red robes to a light set of leather armour that appeared to be custom fitted to accentuate her assets, complemented with a dark forest cloak and hood resting on her back.

In between breaks she told Avar about the replacement mage that would help him in her absence, a fella by the name of Grom. The old dwarf listened and nodded along, occasionally shooting Keystone looks that varied between 'damn you' and unrestrained suspicion. The ale that Keystone bought did a lot to temper the dwarf's dislike of losing his trusty she-mage, but he wasn't happy.

After dinner and cleanup, Saran and Keystone were once again alone in the kitchen.
"So Keystone, ready for your big adventure?" she asked, cleaning away some plates. "Imagine the danger we will go through, the bandits on the road, the adventure on the road!". Saran's tone didn't hide her city upbringing and the obvious lack of experience in the wild. "How is it out there?"

The next morning Telflamm was hit with an unusually cold day for the period, covering many parts of the city in a cold, thick mist. A bleak sun illuminated the rooftops and walls, casting long shadows across the city. The early morning cold didn't seem to bother the dwarf, who as usual was up the earliest and hammering away at the anvil.

On the display table of the shop laid a pristine suit of dark leather, suited for a tall human. The suit was clearly of high quality and featured several interlocking leather pads, effectively covering the torso, shoulders and the upper legs while allowing near complete freedom of movement. The letters 'K. A.' on the inside of the collar were the only indication of where the suit came from.

The entire Rocksteady residence was up before Keystone. Saran was sitting on the fireplace talking to lanky man in his thirties, sporting black hair, a short goatee, pale blue eyes and an air of determination, wearing the traditional robe of the Red Wizards. Tim was milling about in the workshop as usual, casting somewhat nervous glances at the new arrival. Saran finished up with the wizard, hopped off the fireplace with the eagerness of a child going on an adventure and half walked half hopped towards Keystone:
"I've found out where we can get a pair of good, but expensive horses. Everything here is done, so we can leave when you are ready. Yesterday's leftovers are packed and ready to go," she said as she tapped a pair of saddlebags lying on the stone bench in the main room.

As she finished and turned away, a jolt of pain shot through the monk's head as Kaylee rushed into his mind with a presence stronger than anything he had felt before. Far from just being present,, the monk couldn't help but be acutely aware of the entity in his head every second that she spent there. The flush of happiness and joy that accompanied the spirits entrance into his mind seemed to multiply and resonate in his head, and only the monk's mental discipline prevented Kaylee's emotions from influencing his own mind.

🦄 Duplicity - D&D Style Fantasy Rp Adventure (Completed)

Oh well, damn. I am not good at large hams. Perhaps I can absorb some of Keystone's hamminess?

🦄 Duplicity - D&D Style Fantasy Rp Adventure (Completed)

@Lady AmaltheaWould you say that chewing the scenery is a strong suit of your players?

On a side note, I'm still working on that character sheet. Have to think about a lot more things than I'm used to as a player.

🦄 Duplicity - D&D Style Fantasy Rp Adventure (Completed)

I see that Sigil's...uncommon tendencies to release his inner demons are not limited to just me.

Forgotten Realms: Tales of the Dead

Internet fixed, post up.

Forgotten Realms: Tales of the Dead

Kai grabbed the platinum coins with the nonchalant air of indifference, tossing them in a publicly visible pouch next to the mage.

"My work is custom made, so you will not see a storefront here. For premade baubles you can visit any other tannery in the city. My craft is only on demand." he stepped forward with a measure and sized Keystone up from head to toe, occasionally nodding and smirking. The rough leather measure vanished as quickly as it appeared and the large red haired man returned to his original place, kneading a new piece of leather as easily as he did the last.

Keystone's request to recommend an enchanter drew a smirk from both craftsman and mage. Kai looked back at the mage and then back to Keystone:
"I trust my partner here to do the enchanting for me, but I am afraid his services might cost you more of your luck than you are willing to exchange. The enchantments you want will take a week or more to create and my companion's time is far too valuable to do so. Since I do not know of any enchanters with similar skill that would be willing to do the work you want for a reasonable price, you will have to look for one on your own. You can trust that the armour I create for you will protect you from more harm than anything comparable you will find in the city. That is what you asked for and that is what you will get."

The city was drawing to an early evening as the sun moved past zenith and turned the ever so slight shade of orange. The marketplace traffic intensified to the point that moving through the crowds became a difficult ordeal. Learning of the averted danger, many new merchants entered the city, hoping to peddle new goods to the inhabitants of Telflamm.