Sigil

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

@Salrynn
Sona's style of dress wouldn't put off Keystone. He's one of those fairly liberal trade-city types. I was mostly referring to the fact that Sona packs light and doesn't carry much in the way of obvious defenses. Keystone packs heavy and has stuff to spare.

In his own, unrefined way, he's trying to make friends.

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

Okie dokie. If I could make a tiny retraction to my earlier post here in the OOC:

I'm going to have to wait for posts from @Pundii, @knighthawk, and @Salrynn before I can get the caravan moving with Cremwise. Something concerning the group getting their stuff together and joining the portly merchant with his goods, ready to haul.

@Luminosity and @Garth are unavailable for a couple more days, so I'm dragging them along for the ride. (Of course the only two healers would call in sick at the same time...) If something pops up from either of them, awesome, but it's not expected.

Meantime - ladies, gents: Let's make with the heading out.

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

Yay! NPC control!

<ahem> Ok, on it. Will have something up by tomorrow evening, but I would suggest that the group (those that can, anyway) make their gearing up and departure posts in draft form.

Yah, and is there any chance that Cremwise now goose-steps and speaks like a German aristocrat?

Nevermind...

Forgotten Realms: Tales of the Dead

Ok, the long and short of it:

Keystone is here for answers and profit. If the town is deserted but supplies and valuables are available, he's not above looting. Not above, but not here specifically for it. So yeah, shops on the main thoroughfare, Inns, etc. Anything from smithies that can come in handy, such as rare metals, silver, cold iron, etc. Obviously looking for a pair of carts, or a good, solid wagon, carriage, pack haul, whatever is available.

With that in mind, we're not straying off the path too far in search of this, as it smells like potentially hostile territory.

Side note, Keystone is always on the lookout for something called Blackrock, though he hasn't had the opportunity to actually search for it so far in this campaign. It's a Dwarven metal that's supposed to be an amalgam of steel and granite, particularly useful in the hands of someone like our stoic protagonist due to his earthshaping abilities.

Forgotten Realms: Tales of the Dead

"Used to be more people here..." began Keystone, sarcasm in mind. Unfortunately, the sudden flash of pain hit before his gravelly attempt at humor really took hold. He found that he could tolerate the persistent headache, hangover quality as it was. If there was pain with which he was familiar, it would be the self-induced next day variety. He could function still.

The sudden jolt, however, closed his eyes and sent him groaning quietly. Keystone looked to Saran, "It's gettin' worse. I'm seeing things now, too. Our buddy Glith this time. He ain't happy, looks like. And I'm not hearing Kaylee since Telflamm, least not in voice."

The pain receded, prompting Keystone to get straight to business. "Right, I want to be in and out well before night comes, even if that means coming back tomorrow. First thing, let's check out places that'd have people an' business. Inns, shops, such; on the main road. If no one's about, look for supplies, maybe a wagon or carriage we can tack to the horses."

"After, find Reverin's tower and Erepar's chapel, peep it from a distance. See what's what from there."

Keystone looked to Saran, making sure to lock eyes. "This is more than a li'l unnatural. What I need from you is to make sure I'm not stumbling ill-informed into something nasty and magical I can't see. We get a bad vibe we're not expectin', we walk away. I've always got Plan B."

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

@Garth

She might borrow one of Keystone's wool shirts. It'd be a dress on her, but if you cut off half of the sleeves she could use them as leggings.

Of course, it might send the wrong impression if she's suddenly seen one morning around camp wearing the big guy's clothes.

Forgotten Realms: Tales of the Dead

"Yeah, don't make much sense. That many folk wouldn't make stories about something like that."

Keystone glanced at Saran's choice of armament, and immediately handed over the dagger he salvaged from Reverin's tower. "You'll be needing this more than me, I suppose. Guy at the Enclave said it was enchanted, didn't say how, though. I'm not expecting you to get into a fight, not looking for one, m'self. If'n we do, you need every advantage."

He made a move toward the gate, but stopped suddenly, moving instead to the stone wall beside it. Looking just the slightest bit guilty, he cleared his throat to get Saran's attention. Using a quiet voice, he slowly enunciated his intent. "Alright, here's a piece of trust I'm giving you. The only reason that Sir Rottingarse didn't peel the meat off my bones is I've got this talent - Elemental Earth. Sometimes it's there, sometimes it's not. Lately, it's been there, but I don't want to rely on it."

Feeling somewhat exposed, Keystone pressed Glith's sword onto the flat face of the stone wall. He opened himself up to the tenuous connection with Earth, imploring the wall to open and accept the weapon. With minor effort, he pushed his burden inside and sealed it up seamlessly behind him.

"Call it insurance. As I hear, it's hard to detect things behind rock. Things get really bad, that wall'll break the blade faster'n I can barehanded. Should be safe here, til we're done. I'd appreciate if we could keep this between us."

Keystone backed up to review his handiwork. It looked quite sufficient to his eyes. Truth is, he couldn't take full credit for anything he did with his earthshaping; it was more of an agreement he made with the element that chose him, equal parts of imagination and "will of the earth". Review complete, Keystone pondered graver, more immediate matters.

"I shouldn't need you to fight. I just need you to guide me through any surprises Reverin, Erepar, or gods forbid Glith may have left. We get into something I can't handle, you run. Meantime, let's see get a view of the town, shall we?"

He stepped forward into the town, leading the horse behind him.

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

Keystone

Location: Crossed Swords Inn & Tavern

Interacting With: Sona

Keystone looked over the comparatively smaller Sona as she extended her hand in greeting. To view the Elf up close, she appeared the type who got by on looks and personality. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing; Keystone himself had situations where he advanced his position purely because he was larger and more intimidating than the guy next to him.

All the same, when the obviously pretty Elven lady went out of her way to introduce herself, the less charismatic Keystone viewed it with suspicion. Elves, in his limited experience with the race, didn't take to him very readily. Dwarves, sure. The Sylvan Peoples, not so much. The circumstances of their meeting were such that they would be traveling companions for the next few days, introductions would come eventually anyway. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that she wanted something from him.

Wouldn't be the first time.

Keystone growled softly and looked Sona in the eyes before accepting her hand. "Name of Keystone, miss. Pugilist."

The rugged behemoth released her hand and immediately hoisted his pack onto the table, checking the straps and inspecting for damage. He noted that his new acquaintance had little equipment to speak of, despite being far into rural country and setting to a few days' outing into hostile territory.

"Miss Sona, how're you set for provisions?" his underclass accent rolled, "Food, weapons, such? You look understocked. Maybe I can help with that."

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

"The Medieval X-Men"?

Awesome, I love those guys. Calling dibs on Keystone.

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

Keystone

Location: Crossed Swords Inn & Tavern

Interacting With: Sundos, Cremwise, Others

The return of the Lathander's Chosen, or more specifically the grandiose recitation of prayer tailored to their situation in stunningly arduous detail, caught Keystone rather unexpectedly. He had speared a whole sausage perpendicularly near its center with a nearby fork he really hoped was set there at his disposal (place settings were a bit of a mystery to the broad fellow), and was nearing the end of transporting it to his mouth when the blast of religion began.

Confusion spread across his face as he sat, mouth agape, brandishing a properly roasted chub of skewered forcemeat in a mammoth fist. Slowly, incrementally, as the young Cleric rattled off all of the things and people he dearly wished would receive the blessings of his deity, Keystone turned his head to set his eyes on him. Was he being serious with this? Worse, were they to expect this every time they ate?

Without the presence of mind to close his mouth, Keystone listened, expecting the benediction to come to logical conclusion at the end of every sentence. It did not. The glory of Lathander apparently needed to be intoned to every rock, bird, and tree in a five mile radius; every time a new blessing was sounded an acute spike of depression lanced through the veteran pugilist; a tiny death, a thing which seemed to suck the very blood of time away, a missed opportunity to continue breakfast.

What passed for politeness in Keystone's mind prevented him from interrupting the vocalization of the armored man's beliefs. For whatever reason, it also prevented him from taking a bite from his sausage, the porcine cylinder of fat and flesh suspended before him. He had given thought to indulging after the seventh or eighth point of the prayer, but temperance overwhelmed his more pragmatic feelings of hunger.

So there he sat, mouth halfway open, sausage in hand, staring at the priest; hoping that no one would notice and make jokes.

Finally, thanks to the steadily linear progression of time, the end came. Wasting no piece of the opportunity, Keystone attacked his breakfast lest someone else tried to vocalize a theological counterpoint. The food was actually quite good. Nothing particularly special, mind you, nothing to write about in his journal; but it was good, plain, unambitious and comfortable rural fare.

While dining (a very loose term for what he was doing to his meal), he paid very close attention to the answers Cremwise gave him in response to his pre-invocation queries. This was to be a no bells, no whistles escort run; period, end story. In that moment, Keystone was glad he generally packed heavy with food in mind. His own provisions were almost always of better quality than that which merchant guard was stuck with. Plus, he had plenty to share with a couple more that were without, if need be. On the other hand, a lack of reimbursement meant that he would have to prioritize his equipment. Hold back on throwing his knives somewhat, give thought to the defense of his pack, etc.

After his plate was made barren, Keystone rose from his seat and walked around the table to Cremwise and his columns of silver coinage. He grabbed a stack, and began counting as he spoke in low, even tones.

"Never said I needed a leader, Cremmy. Just seein' if you were gonna push one on us."

He finished his appraisal of the first cut of salary and followed up, "I've a good eye for folk what can fight. Learned it sizin' up buggers in the ring. This lot'll give you your money's worth." He thought for a second, "Most of 'em, anyways."

"Well," he announced to no one in particular, "Let's get it movin', then."