"Oh, bless you child," the unicorn says in Keyrie's mind, switching to celestial. "You speak this tongue well." The unicorn bows its pearlescent head in return. "I may indeed require your help and that of your tribe. I shall keep watch for the rutterkin that must be about.Tend to your home."
(OOC: Whoops, I hadn't looked at the chase rules because I'm used to adapting the ones from a different system. Thanks for the correction!)
Tyrol continues his mad dash for the creek, all but forgetting about Tock and Q'wai behind him as the water is finally within sight. He does what he can to rush over and hurry back with more water. "Blasted fiends and flaming dogs," he mutters as he works. "If I lose the ol' circus now..."
A few minutes pass while the circus crew cart water from the creek to the tent, which has amazingly not erupted entirely in flames. Between Feytok's fire break and Dog's crazy plan to try and smother the flames with the tent itself, the fire is still quite manageable when the water finally arrives, first by the pot-ful, then the wagon- and barrel-ful. It takes only two more trips, and some more smothering of the flame with the tent canvas, but, thanks to the quick action of the circus crew, only half the tent and some of the arena stage and bleachers were damaged.
Bazza and Keyrie eventually get Jonda back into her cage until she can be transferred to the animal wagon. Then, Bazza joins everyone else to survey the damage. "Huh," he says, shaking his head. "Karbet, you sly old man. You made the tent fire resistant." The half-orc looks around, frowning. "Did Mr. Crowley...?"
Q'wai shakes his head. "He was stable when I left him."
Kruk and Q'wai careful bring the unconscious man around to the wagons. The monk looks up as the unicorn approaches and he nods. The unicorn bends down, touching Karbet Cowley with her horn and his breathing and color instantly improve. He opens his left eye and gives a lopsided smile. "M- muh," he says. "Mmm."
Kruk looks quizzically at Q'wai, who shakes his head. Then Q'wai and Keyrie both look at the unicorn, who appears to be speaking to them both.
"She says that his elvish is rusty, but that he can only think his words. And he cannot seem to move his right arm or leg," Q'wai relays as Keyrie nods, frowning. "Some wounds cannot be easily healed."
Q'wai and Keyrie nod to the unicorn, who leaves them to comfort their boss, broken as his own circus tent now.
Keyrie:
In celestial, she hears the unicorn say to her, "I am sorry for your troubles on this day. If you can bear it, I would recruit you and your tribe to a task against the fiends who caused this. Come to me should you agree to hear my proposal."
Feytok finds the manes to have all dissipated into thin air, but the wretches left behind perfectly disgusting corpses and little else of value.
Meanwhile, Karbet Crowley began to find his words again and his crew was able to help him awkwardly into a chair. He sits, looking at them all with a loving, thankful eye. "Y-you f..f...did fight b-bravely," he says. He sighs. "Baz...za. I th-think you will...be boss now."
Bazza squeezes his old friend's shoulder. "We won't be performing for some time, boss," Bazza says.
Realization sinks in as Mr. Crowley eyes the damage to his tent and looks down at his now frail body. "I'm s-sorry," Mr. Crowley says, after a moment of silence. "Bazza." Mr. Crowley motions for the half-orc to lean in and whispers something in his ear.
His friend nods and walks away, around the backstage tent. He comes back a minute later carrying a small ornate box in the shape of a chest. Bazza opens it to reveal a small pile of platinum coins. "A..sev..sev...last paycheck," he says. Bazza hands everyone 12 platinum coins.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
After the fire is dealt with, Dog does a circuit around the site, taking another few looks for any other threats or observers or things out of the ordinary, remembering the fighting he heard a mile off during the battle (Investigation 13; Perception 13). He returns to the assembled group.
Dog tells Mr. Crowley that he feels terrible that they could only save some of the tent, and that he couldn't hold off the fiends better than he did. The circus was much better than the mercenary groups he had been traveling with. The "final paycheck" bowls him over with gratitude and he can barely form words.
Shaking his head, he asks Bazza what he plans to do with the tent, and if he could use some help getting Mr. Crowley back to the rest of the people and animals who'd fled down the road.
"So the unicorn seems... friendly? Anyone have any idea where it came from or what it's doing here?"
Tock is still frazzled by the whole ordeal. He accepts the money and looks for the rest of the troupe for guidance. He also goes and picks up a couple of the arrows that still seem intact.
Keyrie looks at the ruined surroundings and feels a never before rage coming form within. "I am not sure where she came from, she mentioned something about keeping watch for Rutterkin if anyone knows what those are. She also says that she could use our help to deal with the fiends who caused this if we are interested. I can work as a translator for those who can not understand her. As far as I know she can understand Elvish and Celestial."
Keyrie turns to the Unicorn. "I will try to get as many of them to help as possible. If you wish to explain more of the situation to my friends just tell me what you want to translate and I can do so. Is there a name we should call you?"
( Keyrie will automatically translate if anyone asks her to do so. )
Through Keyrie, the unicorn explains what she knows.
"You have impressed me, humanoids. I see you that you have no love for the fiends, that you are hard working, and capable," says the unicorn. "I am Galacea. I have traveled far from my forest to aid in the defense against the forces of the hells. They have acted boldly, more boldly than I can remember. The fiends seek a prize that will upset the delicate balance between heavens and hells. I suspect what they seek is an aasimar child that lives in the town to the south. If they obtain what they seek, it will break a ten thousand year peace. The same is true if a celestial interferes. But humanoids such as yourself have no place in the bargain between the gods and devils. I bid you go to the town to the south and do what you can to keep both fiend and celestial from the aasimar child."
"Well this has been a day..." Feytok looks around at the group, the corpses, and the burned tent. "I've got a little spending money and a lot of free time apparently, so i'm in."
Karbet Crowley stands with some effort, finding strength in his legs and walks carefully towards the group. He smiles, with a gleam in his good eye. "I've always thanked the f-fates for bringing me you all," he says, his speech a little slurred but the stutter largely gone. "The f-fates brought you together. You are f-family. To me and to each other." Bazza takes Karbet's arm in concern but the circus boss waves him away. "I always thought that was enough. But I see now that the f...ates have bigger plans for you. You are here," he says, looking at the Galacea and his crew of misfits in turn, "for this reason. Go. Lend your skills to this c-cause. Take what you need from the stores and make a difference."
A tear rolls down the man's cheek as he speaks, pride coloring his face. "No," Bazza says. "This call is not for me. Boss, I am with you."
Mr. Crowley smiles a thin smile and pats his friend on the shoulder. "Keyrie? Q'wai? What say you? Tyrol? Dog?"
"I will join Tock and FeyTock if Mr. Crowley and Bazza can get to safety. The fiends must be stopped. Galacea, can you tell us more about this town? This child? What they want? Also what is a Rutterkin? It sounds adorable but I fear it's something terrible," Dog says, eyes still scanning the horizon.
"I... wow, uh. I..." Tyrol looks sheepishly between his severance pay and the unicorn. Leave the circus? It didn't feel like a serious question, like an option he'd ever considered. This had been where he was supposed to end up, wasn't it? "I mean... I can help fix... I'm good at fixing, y'know, I..."
Could he fix this, though? This much damage? Tyrol fiddles absently with his tools as he tries to assess the aftermath of the fire, now contained but definitely having ruined a lot of their equipment. He's not sure even his spells could repair all the seats and sets and props when they're lying about in several piles of ash and char. Maybe fixable eventually, or replaceable at least... but if Mr. Crowley is dismissing them?
"I mean... I definitely don't want to let any sort of heavenly imbalancing happen, but I'm just here to help folks put on a show, y'know? I'm more than happy to stick up for my friends if they're in danger, but I'm no fighter or bodyguard or anything of that sort. Mr. Crowley, are you... are you sure you don't want to try and pick up the pieces?" He looks imploringly at his boss, biting his lip.
Keyrie hands tries to hand ten of the platinum back to Mr. Crowley, "Take a little vacation. Treat yourself to the nicer things in life while we go and teach these fiends that they can't mess with our family. When we're done we'll come back and tell you all about it. Then we will open up an even bigger and better circus okay?"
Mr. Crowley grasps Keyrie's hand as she attempts to return the coins. He smiles at her with a warm but lopsided smile. "Keyrie, fear not. I will not go without while you are gone. I have money and a place to retire to that is safe in Ketudas. You may return this money...but only after you have finished your task. And we will put it to good use setting up that circus of yours. I promise."
To Tyrol, he turns and says, "Dear boy. If they wanted a paladin, they would have asked for one. What they need isTyroland his band of misfits. They need someone who creates and fixes things. And that is you through and through, son. Besides, what need is there of a circus if heaven and hell descend to this plane to wage war. Give me some time and I will be ready to pick up the pieces when you come back." Karbet peers over his spectacles at Tyrol. "And you will be coming back."
"Q'wai?" Mr. Crowley says.
The monk shakes his head."I...I cannot go,"he says."I have been with you for ten years. If...if you would bid me to leave, I will go. My calling is with you, though."
Bazza claps the monk on the back, giving a toothy smile and Karbet purses his lips, nodding at the conviction in Q'wai's voice. "Very well, old friend," he says at last.
(Jack_Joke has to drop out of the campaign for family-related reasons. I've offered him the chance to join back up later if he finds the availability again.)
Meanwhile, Galacea waits patiently for Keyrie to convey Dog's questions to her and Keyrie listens intently to her reply.
"The town is called Marctenus and is perhaps 20 miles to the south along the wagon trail," translates Keyrie.
"It is larger than Minaru to the north," Crowley interjects, "the one we came through on the way here."
Keyrie continues, "Galacea has only heard from other celestials of the child, and it is only speculation. The child is revered by the local celestials, of which Galacea is not. She guesses that the child can upset the balance of power once she is grown. The celestials long assumed she would grow up to be a paladin of the light, but the fiends must have other designs."
Keyrie pauses to relay more of Dog's questions and awaits the answers. "The abyssal wretches we fought are created by rutterkin. They are fiends that poison the souls and bodies of mortals, twisting them into the wretches we saw. If wretches are about, rutterkin must be as well. Galacea says she will be hunting for rutterkin as we follow the wagon trail south. If we see any rutterkin, let her handle them if we can."
(Characters may stock up on any items that they can make a reasonable argument exists in the stores of the circus from the Other Adventuring Gear valued under 20 gp. Post what you stock up with and if it seems excessive in amount or kind, then I'll let you know. Otherwise, it is a low key shopping spree! We'll move onto the next half of chapter 1 after everyone has stocked up.)
Tock would like to look around for another leather armor. (I checked back and Bazza is wearing the last one and Tock is not about to ask HIM to step out of it)
"I will go and say goodbye to Tick and the animals" he says and goes off to find them.
He finds Tick and they have a long conversation. They hug and once Tock gets back to the circus area the tears have been wiped away and dried.
"Did anyone find extra arrows?" he asks. (Would like about 40 if possible)
After that he's ready.
(edit: would like to add the regular adventuring gear as well - backpack, bedroll, a small tent, some food, that kind of stuff)
Keyrie:
"Oh, bless you child," the unicorn says in Keyrie's mind, switching to celestial. "You speak this tongue well." The unicorn bows its pearlescent head in return. "I may indeed require your help and that of your tribe. I shall keep watch for the rutterkin that must be about.Tend to your home."
(OOC: Whoops, I hadn't looked at the chase rules because I'm used to adapting the ones from a different system. Thanks for the correction!)
Tyrol continues his mad dash for the creek, all but forgetting about Tock and Q'wai behind him as the water is finally within sight. He does what he can to rush over and hurry back with more water. "Blasted fiends and flaming dogs," he mutters as he works. "If I lose the ol' circus now..."
A few minutes pass while the circus crew cart water from the creek to the tent, which has amazingly not erupted entirely in flames. Between Feytok's fire break and Dog's crazy plan to try and smother the flames with the tent itself, the fire is still quite manageable when the water finally arrives, first by the pot-ful, then the wagon- and barrel-ful. It takes only two more trips, and some more smothering of the flame with the tent canvas, but, thanks to the quick action of the circus crew, only half the tent and some of the arena stage and bleachers were damaged.
Bazza and Keyrie eventually get Jonda back into her cage until she can be transferred to the animal wagon. Then, Bazza joins everyone else to survey the damage. "Huh," he says, shaking his head. "Karbet, you sly old man. You made the tent fire resistant." The half-orc looks around, frowning. "Did Mr. Crowley...?"
Q'wai shakes his head. "He was stable when I left him."
Kruk and Q'wai careful bring the unconscious man around to the wagons. The monk looks up as the unicorn approaches and he nods. The unicorn bends down, touching Karbet Cowley with her horn and his breathing and color instantly improve. He opens his left eye and gives a lopsided smile. "M- muh," he says. "Mmm."
Kruk looks quizzically at Q'wai, who shakes his head. Then Q'wai and Keyrie both look at the unicorn, who appears to be speaking to them both.
"She says that his elvish is rusty, but that he can only think his words. And he cannot seem to move his right arm or leg," Q'wai relays as Keyrie nods, frowning. "Some wounds cannot be easily healed."
Q'wai and Keyrie nod to the unicorn, who leaves them to comfort their boss, broken as his own circus tent now.
Keyrie:
In celestial, she hears the unicorn say to her, "I am sorry for your troubles on this day. If you can bear it, I would recruit you and your tribe to a task against the fiends who caused this. Come to me should you agree to hear my proposal."
Investigation 7 once the fire is secure Feytok will start checking the bodies of the fiends and manes.
Feytok finds the manes to have all dissipated into thin air, but the wretches left behind perfectly disgusting corpses and little else of value.
Meanwhile, Karbet Crowley began to find his words again and his crew was able to help him awkwardly into a chair. He sits, looking at them all with a loving, thankful eye. "Y-you f..f...did fight b-bravely," he says. He sighs. "Baz...za. I th-think you will...be boss now."
Bazza squeezes his old friend's shoulder. "We won't be performing for some time, boss," Bazza says.
Realization sinks in as Mr. Crowley eyes the damage to his tent and looks down at his now frail body. "I'm s-sorry," Mr. Crowley says, after a moment of silence. "Bazza." Mr. Crowley motions for the half-orc to lean in and whispers something in his ear.
His friend nods and walks away, around the backstage tent. He comes back a minute later carrying a small ornate box in the shape of a chest. Bazza opens it to reveal a small pile of platinum coins. "A..sev..sev...last paycheck," he says. Bazza hands everyone 12 platinum coins.
"Thanks boss."
After the fire is dealt with, Dog does a circuit around the site, taking another few looks for any other threats or observers or things out of the ordinary, remembering the fighting he heard a mile off during the battle (Investigation 13; Perception 13). He returns to the assembled group.
Dog tells Mr. Crowley that he feels terrible that they could only save some of the tent, and that he couldn't hold off the fiends better than he did. The circus was much better than the mercenary groups he had been traveling with. The "final paycheck" bowls him over with gratitude and he can barely form words.
Shaking his head, he asks Bazza what he plans to do with the tent, and if he could use some help getting Mr. Crowley back to the rest of the people and animals who'd fled down the road.
"So the unicorn seems... friendly? Anyone have any idea where it came from or what it's doing here?"
Tock is still frazzled by the whole ordeal. He accepts the money and looks for the rest of the troupe for guidance. He also goes and picks up a couple of the arrows that still seem intact.
Keyrie looks at the ruined surroundings and feels a never before rage coming form within. "I am not sure where she came from, she mentioned something about keeping watch for Rutterkin if anyone knows what those are. She also says that she could use our help to deal with the fiends who caused this if we are interested. I can work as a translator for those who can not understand her. As far as I know she can understand Elvish and Celestial."
Keyrie turns to the Unicorn. "I will try to get as many of them to help as possible. If you wish to explain more of the situation to my friends just tell me what you want to translate and I can do so. Is there a name we should call you?"
( Keyrie will automatically translate if anyone asks her to do so. )
Through Keyrie, the unicorn explains what she knows.
"You have impressed me, humanoids. I see you that you have no love for the fiends, that you are hard working, and capable," says the unicorn. "I am Galacea. I have traveled far from my forest to aid in the defense against the forces of the hells. They have acted boldly, more boldly than I can remember. The fiends seek a prize that will upset the delicate balance between heavens and hells. I suspect what they seek is an aasimar child that lives in the town to the south. If they obtain what they seek, it will break a ten thousand year peace. The same is true if a celestial interferes. But humanoids such as yourself have no place in the bargain between the gods and devils. I bid you go to the town to the south and do what you can to keep both fiend and celestial from the aasimar child."
"Well this has been a day..." Feytok looks around at the group, the corpses, and the burned tent. "I've got a little spending money and a lot of free time apparently, so i'm in."
Tock repeats part of what Feytok said, "I'm in"
Karbet Crowley stands with some effort, finding strength in his legs and walks carefully towards the group. He smiles, with a gleam in his good eye. "I've always thanked the f-fates for bringing me you all," he says, his speech a little slurred but the stutter largely gone. "The f-fates brought you together. You are f-family. To me and to each other." Bazza takes Karbet's arm in concern but the circus boss waves him away. "I always thought that was enough. But I see now that the f...ates have bigger plans for you. You are here," he says, looking at the Galacea and his crew of misfits in turn, "for this reason. Go. Lend your skills to this c-cause. Take what you need from the stores and make a difference."
A tear rolls down the man's cheek as he speaks, pride coloring his face. "No," Bazza says. "This call is not for me. Boss, I am with you."
Mr. Crowley smiles a thin smile and pats his friend on the shoulder. "Keyrie? Q'wai? What say you? Tyrol? Dog?"
"I will join Tock and FeyTock if Mr. Crowley and Bazza can get to safety. The fiends must be stopped. Galacea, can you tell us more about this town? This child? What they want? Also what is a Rutterkin? It sounds adorable but I fear it's something terrible," Dog says, eyes still scanning the horizon.
"I... wow, uh. I..." Tyrol looks sheepishly between his severance pay and the unicorn. Leave the circus? It didn't feel like a serious question, like an option he'd ever considered. This had been where he was supposed to end up, wasn't it? "I mean... I can help fix... I'm good at fixing, y'know, I..."
Could he fix this, though? This much damage? Tyrol fiddles absently with his tools as he tries to assess the aftermath of the fire, now contained but definitely having ruined a lot of their equipment. He's not sure even his spells could repair all the seats and sets and props when they're lying about in several piles of ash and char. Maybe fixable eventually, or replaceable at least... but if Mr. Crowley is dismissing them?
"I mean... I definitely don't want to let any sort of heavenly imbalancing happen, but I'm just here to help folks put on a show, y'know? I'm more than happy to stick up for my friends if they're in danger, but I'm no fighter or bodyguard or anything of that sort. Mr. Crowley, are you... are you sure you don't want to try and pick up the pieces?" He looks imploringly at his boss, biting his lip.
Keyrie hands tries to hand ten of the platinum back to Mr. Crowley, "Take a little vacation. Treat yourself to the nicer things in life while we go and teach these fiends that they can't mess with our family. When we're done we'll come back and tell you all about it. Then we will open up an even bigger and better circus okay?"
Mr. Crowley grasps Keyrie's hand as she attempts to return the coins. He smiles at her with a warm but lopsided smile. "Keyrie, fear not. I will not go without while you are gone. I have money and a place to retire to that is safe in Ketudas. You may return this money...but only after you have finished your task. And we will put it to good use setting up that circus of yours. I promise."
To Tyrol, he turns and says, "Dear boy. If they wanted a paladin, they would have asked for one. What they need is Tyrol and his band of misfits. They need someone who creates and fixes things. And that is you through and through, son. Besides, what need is there of a circus if heaven and hell descend to this plane to wage war. Give me some time and I will be ready to pick up the pieces when you come back." Karbet peers over his spectacles at Tyrol. "And you will be coming back."
"Q'wai?" Mr. Crowley says.
The monk shakes his head. "I...I cannot go," he says. "I have been with you for ten years. If...if you would bid me to leave, I will go. My calling is with you, though."
Bazza claps the monk on the back, giving a toothy smile and Karbet purses his lips, nodding at the conviction in Q'wai's voice. "Very well, old friend," he says at last.
(Jack_Joke has to drop out of the campaign for family-related reasons. I've offered him the chance to join back up later if he finds the availability again.)
Meanwhile, Galacea waits patiently for Keyrie to convey Dog's questions to her and Keyrie listens intently to her reply.
"The town is called Marctenus and is perhaps 20 miles to the south along the wagon trail," translates Keyrie.
"It is larger than Minaru to the north," Crowley interjects, "the one we came through on the way here."
Keyrie continues, "Galacea has only heard from other celestials of the child, and it is only speculation. The child is revered by the local celestials, of which Galacea is not. She guesses that the child can upset the balance of power once she is grown. The celestials long assumed she would grow up to be a paladin of the light, but the fiends must have other designs."
Keyrie pauses to relay more of Dog's questions and awaits the answers. "The abyssal wretches we fought are created by rutterkin. They are fiends that poison the souls and bodies of mortals, twisting them into the wretches we saw. If wretches are about, rutterkin must be as well. Galacea says she will be hunting for rutterkin as we follow the wagon trail south. If we see any rutterkin, let her handle them if we can."
(Characters may stock up on any items that they can make a reasonable argument exists in the stores of the circus from the Other Adventuring Gear valued under 20 gp. Post what you stock up with and if it seems excessive in amount or kind, then I'll let you know. Otherwise, it is a low key shopping spree! We'll move onto the next half of chapter 1 after everyone has stocked up.)
Tock would like to look around for another leather armor. (I checked back and Bazza is wearing the last one and Tock is not about to ask HIM to step out of it)
"I will go and say goodbye to Tick and the animals" he says and goes off to find them.
He finds Tick and they have a long conversation. They hug and once Tock gets back to the circus area the tears have been wiped away and dried.
"Did anyone find extra arrows?" he asks. (Would like about 40 if possible)
After that he's ready.
(edit: would like to add the regular adventuring gear as well - backpack, bedroll, a small tent, some food, that kind of stuff)
(I know its not on the list of other adventuring items but could I find some sort of Druidic focus either in the things or nearby in the woods?)
Backpack
Crowbar
Rope
string
Healers kit
Bedroll
Sack
Rations (3 days worth)