As time goes by, Mulligans gets concerned about the halfling. "You should be climbing out again," Mulligan whispers to himself. "C'mon... Climb up again so I can knock you down again..."
Mulligan is so intent on the halfling staying pitted that he's missing most of the rest of the events. Have to make sure the bets are won, and the halfling is a bit of a wild card. On both bets. Best he stay down in the pit... but Mulligan has no outright ill will for him. But then again, sounds like Shae and her party will save more than just one halfling if things work out. Still and all, Mulligan isn't totally cavalier about killing just for...
Is that Shae flying?? Mulligan thinks, his jaw dropping and his eyes torn away from the pit...
Otto watches with wide eyes and fluttering heart as Shae climbs dangerously onto the balcony - and then falls backwards! on purpose! But seeing her fly away he simply gasps in amazement. And here he was thinking that the show was all over! And could it be true that Shae actually knows the Swamp Beast personally, the hero of the pit??
Turning to look at the grumpy professor Otto does his best imitation of Shae's voice and mannerisms: I trust you can take care of the... er... (then returning to his own voice) ...what did the Princess promise you if we won? A new outfit for your expedition, or something?
Then with a shrug, Otto also turns and runs down into the cheering crowd, wondering if Shae can help him get the lizardman's autograph before he goes to claim their winnings...
(He had considered attempting to fly off the balcony like Shae, but in his excitement he forgot to try...)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
When Otto comes over after gasping at Shae's theatrics and does a fair impression of her--to her likely embarrassment if she ever caught wind of it--the Professor smiles and responds, "Yes, something like that," and pats his arm after saying a few arcane words. "Go ahead after her, and try not to make too much trouble!" he adds, gesturing up and over the balcony Shae just flew from.
(Casts Fly on Otto.)
Turning his attention back to the merchant princess, Snively bows and politely waits for her to compose herself.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Otto turns to run, not quite understanding Snively's intended meaning. It's not until he realises that he is no longer looking at the waistlines of the crowd around him, but actually at eye-level or above, that he realises his feet aren't touching the ground as he runs. With a whoop of joy, he glides up and over the heads of the crowd and toward Shae and Fang, his short arms and legs still pumping the air in a running motion.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
Reng pauses just long enough to stare at the flying woman, now speeding at Fang. She begins to approach the triceratops cautiously, but holds back on attacking it, since the lizarfold seems to be making headway in calming the beast.
Mulligan is stunned by the beauty flying down towards the "gaming pit" but still spares glances around to see if the event is over... And if so, what happens next. He is eager to try to get to that halfling, to see if there is anything he can do to aid him. But he needs ensure the bets were safe before he did anything that could still turn the tide.
With Otto and Shae flying towards the pits, the spell on the audience seems broken, and hundreds break into loud cheers. Before long, dozens climb down into the arena to lift up their heroes, the first Runners who stood and fought, not only against the beasts in the pit, but the very notion that they deserved to be down there. The very nervous handlers quickly rush towards the triceratops, ushering him back below grounds before the loud noises would turn him wild amidst the growing crowd.
Reng, before you know it, you are hoisted up onto the shoulders of two rather large half-orc labourers, who start chanting: "Wolf Lady, Wolf Lady Wolf Lady!" Similar scenes start to play out with Fang, though the audience is a bit more cautious about lifting him up, on the one hand due to his reptilian nature and secondly due to him still bleeding from his wounds.
It isn't long before Fang is reunited with a very excited Mushu and an overjoyed- and apparently now flying- Shae. Otto meanwhile uses his newfound ability to fly to head above the mad crowd to look for the bookie he placed their bet with. It doesn't take long, since he is one of the few people that is trying to get away from the arena, now that he'll have to pay out a lot of the bets to the overjoyed crowd.
Mulligan, you are swept up in the excitement of the crowd, but looking over to the spectator balcony, where Shae was, you can make out the Professor, Wakanga and the Merchant princess.
Mulligan and Professor, please give me an insight check. Professor, you get to roll with advantage due to your proximity.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Union!- Errydha (Homebrew) Setting Embers in the Dark - Errydha (Homebrew) Setting Welcome to the Jungle- Far Realms Citadel of the Unsleeping Sun - Erathis (Grim Hollow) Setting
Yevelda the Mutt- 3rd Level Half-Orc Battlemaster Fighter- Far Realms Rehgys- 5th Level Satyr Bard of Eloquence- Far Realms
((But to be fair, Mulligan would be trying to swim through the crowd, down into the arena and then into the pit. He fears he is too late but he is anxious to rescue the halfling he pushed back down, now that the event seems officially declared over. Sure, he would look back a couple of times, but that would be to try and catch a glimpse of Shae...))
Reng looks bewildered. "Wolf lady?" she says, more to herself than anyone else. "I didn't murder or eat anyone, if anyone's curious!"she shouts a bit more loudly, at no one in particular.
Once the shock passes a bit, she looks up at the flying woman, crooks a half-smile in wonderment at her, and winks.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Talk about a backdoor cover! Otto mutters as he flies over and past the renegade bookmaker, landing a short distance in front of him. Raising his wand at the bookmaker, Otto wiggles his fingers and shouts "Hold Person" and suddenly... three more Ottos appear to be blocking the path!
Mulligan, you see through the jumble of bodies trying to get close to their new heroes, that some washerwomen have started gathering around the halfling, looking to treat his wounds as best they can. You also realise that the menagerie staff are terrfied: they try to coax the triceratops back inside and carefully go over to the charred and dashed bodies that remain, to check if they are truly dead. They find themselves in a totally unprecedented situation and most of the common stableboys and corpse cleaners seem like they are questioning whether they are standing on the right side of this event.
Shae, Fang and Reng, you find yourself in the middle of a jubilant mass of people, within touching distance but completely unable to hear one another over the cries and shouts and cheers of the commoners all celebrating what they saw today. Slowly but surely, you are being pushed towards the Eastern edge of the pit, right before the Merchant Princess' balcony, where she stands, stoicly seething at the complete loss of control. Professor, you can tell that, though wounded, Fang and his fighting ally will both be able to pull through with a bit of rest and some looking after by Shae.
Otto, as you and two identical copies of you drop down before the moneylender, he screams in terror and backs away, stumbling and falling on his ass with two of his moneybags bursting, spilling gold coins over the stone steps. Surprisingly, only a handful of people notice and start hurriedly collecting the gold, most are completely enraptured with the goings on in the arena. A small pool slowly expands around him, as he begs" Please, I can't pay you this much, I'll be dead if I don't make my quota. I have a wife and kids, please. Don't hurt me, please, just let me go."
What would you like to do?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Union!- Errydha (Homebrew) Setting Embers in the Dark - Errydha (Homebrew) Setting Welcome to the Jungle- Far Realms Citadel of the Unsleeping Sun - Erathis (Grim Hollow) Setting
Yevelda the Mutt- 3rd Level Half-Orc Battlemaster Fighter- Far Realms Rehgys- 5th Level Satyr Bard of Eloquence- Far Realms
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Mulligan presses through to the washerwomen and the halfling. For the moment the rest of the chaos is secondary, Mulligan played a role in this guy's being hurt and he wanted to fix that if he could. Dodging and weaving through the crowd with a charming smile here, an elbow to the ribs there and whatever else it take, Mulligan moves in close enough to the halfling from the pit to put a hand upon their arm.
Mulligan tightens his grip upon their arm for a moment, a grip which would be forceful, almost painful if the halfling was awake. Mulligan sends some of his energy, his vitality through that touch and says "You're a sturdy on, even if short. You've been through a lot but you've got more to go through yet..." Through the touch and the words, Mulligan pushes revitalizing energies to try to Cure Wounds upon the unnamed contestant for 9 ...
If/when Mulligan sees the little chap stir, Mulligan will fade back into the crowd preferring to not get involved any more. He regrets what he felt he had to do and would rather not be around to have to explain any of it to anyone...
((If the halfling doesn't stir, Mulligan will then talk to the washerwomen and entreat upon them the need to get the halfling to a temple where someone could pull him back to this life! If must be done, it just must! And I can pay if need be! Just tell me where you are taking him, I will gather the coin and pay for his revival! -- He'll use persuasion and deception both in copious abundance...))
After this is taken care if, then Mulligan will return his mind to the Lady Shae, and the intrigue that seems to be surrounding her and her friend. He'll try to spot her of the professor or Otto the odd... And make his way towards them to try to get the full story of just what is going on.
Oh no! That coin belongs to the Swamp Beast!cries all four copies of Otto in his most melodramatic tone. And here he comes! Quick! Drop the gold! Run for your lives! Pointing (with his wand) in the direction of the stadium, the loud and now-familiar roar of the lizardman is heard as if charging in for the kill.
(Otto casts Minor Illusion to make the sound, attempting to convince the opportunists to drop the gold and run... )
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
Having stayed in the background and kept a watchful eye on the events, the Professor finally notices the Princess’ distress. He steps beside her and speaks in a mild tone, “I have no idea if this is typical of these trials, but today’s run was truly quite a spectacle. The people will be looking to their betters to help them put all this into context, Lady Kwayothé. Perhaps the People’s Princess has some grand words for them—and congratulations for the victors. May I humbly suggest congratulations on their victory, absolution for their crimes, and even the great honor of being allowed to join a noble quest to aid the forces of good deep in the jungle—a quest that will take them out of the public eye for quite some time, allowing the passions of the people to cool and the merchant princes and princesses to properly reestablish order…”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Shae’s blue hues met the warrior’s eyes as she flew. Although unable to hear the words that came from her mouth, she’d catch the smile and wink. A curious smirk of her own would break her lips.
The reunion with Fang was much more anticlimactic than Shae expected, but was still quite excited to see Mushu at his side. Swiftly and as if with practiced ease, she would tend to his wounds. With a bat of her eyelashes, Shae would move some of her attention to the pit warrior who she found close by. With graceful strides and a gentle touch, the medic would help herself to the Wolf Lady’s side, lifting her arms as needed and running her hands along to inspect exposed flesh, hidden lacerations and strained muscles for treatment.
The jubilant excitement that reverberated through the crowd was infectious, feeding the palpitations in Shae’s heart. Swept away before any words could be exchanged, she’d practically bounce as she was ushered along with the group. Her big blue hues would look up innocently at the Merchant Princess in the balcony. Shae would bite onto her bottom lip, waiting with anticipation. She beamed with pride as she watched the Professor string together his wise speech.
Reng sees the floating, flying, purple-haired woman settle to the ground to tend to the lizardfolk's wounds. Hmm, perhaps she knows him, or works for this insane murderpit, or has a calling to heal those who need it.
Then, when she turned her attention to Reng, reaching out fingertips with a questioning expression, Reng's whole body tenses, beginning to go into a defensive crouch, the hair on the back of her head and neck sticking out, fingers clenching. The fight-or-flight stress of the last two minutes, two hours, two days, two weeks, heck the last two years, but especially the last two weeks had taught her trust was a particularly finite resource in Chult. In that pause, and silence, her eyes again sought the blue... hues... of the woman, and sh squeezed her eyes shut, shook her head, and took a deep, long, slow breath. Perhaps it was time to find an ally. Someone who understood that "protection" was more than a racket, who might think that "care" was more than a joke. Instinctive ferocity and hardening was only taking her so far. Might be time for an open hand.
Her shoulders, still hard, began to loosen their tenseness, and her right palm rotated upward, showing a small cut that ran up the forearm to her inner bicep. Still meeting the purple haired woman's eyes, she allowed her to move her arms up to access another wound she hadn't seen on her flank. Reng wasn't that injured -- she'd been far worse off more times than she could count. Usually wounds were left to handle themselves, or dunked in the brine to clean up anything nasty. Doctors sometimes ran scams, or refused care. But this, well, unless it was an elaborate con, this was something new. Or long-forgotten. She was about to say, "Reng O'Malley. Thanks. Who are you?"but the crowd swept her away too fast. She let in a shuddering breath, closed her eyes, and tried to center herself for whatever fresh hell this land had for her next in queue.
The merchant princess grimaces, as she gives a short nod to the Professor, knowing the wisdom of his words, even though she hated to agree with every bit of her. With a glance at one of her guards, the booming sound of his pommel striking the stone steps and the magically enhanced voice of the merchant princess echoes out over the pit, turning the chaotic crowd in her direction and bringing some order back into the chaos.
"CItizens, Foreign dignitaries, and Runners- What a trial! Truly, the gods have shown that these individuals are meant for great things and that whatever their past misdeeds, we must give them another chance to show their worth to us all. Many of you will have undoubtedly heard of the exploits of Professor Templeton and his expedition and at this point it is no mystery that I have asked him to assemble a second expedition to help the brave soldiers of the Gauntlet stem the forces of Undeath and get at the underlying causes behind this madness. Who better to join him and his on this expedition than the extraordinary individuals who proved themselves in the pit today!"
O'Tamu couldn't help but show his surprise at her twisting of events, but he gave a smile at the displeasure her own announcement must cause her. In the pit and on the stone viewing terraces, many of the celebrating onlookers cheered, but a large part of them where confused, unsure as to what this would mean for their new heroes.
The merchant princess continued: "Please, allow the victorious Runners to join me up here in five minutes, so we may see to their wounds and honour them according to their achievement!"
With that, half of her guards started making their way down from the balcony to gather Reng and Fang, and escort them to the viewing platform.
SOme ten minutes later, the worst of the cuts and bruises are tended to, and both Reng and Fang are clad in simple clean white linens. Shae made sure both of them were fine, before being presented next to the merchant queen and Wakanga O'Tamu the Archmage of Port Nyanzaru. The celebrations are brief, but despite their ad hoc nature officious enough to please the corwd, who continue to cheer, most still trying to process what exaxtly had just unfolded.
To the assembled group in the balcony, with Otto, Mulligan, Professor Templeton and Shae joining the honoured Reng and Fang, the Princess Kwayothé hisses: "I'll outfit your expedition, a bet is a bet. Come to my villa in the afternoon and you shall find what you've asked for."
What would you like to do now?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Union!- Errydha (Homebrew) Setting Embers in the Dark - Errydha (Homebrew) Setting Welcome to the Jungle- Far Realms Citadel of the Unsleeping Sun - Erathis (Grim Hollow) Setting
Yevelda the Mutt- 3rd Level Half-Orc Battlemaster Fighter- Far Realms Rehgys- 5th Level Satyr Bard of Eloquence- Far Realms
"What? Oh, no... I'm just a guest here. Just here for the show. I'm not even supposed to be here today," Mulligan says to a grumpy and uncaring guard who informed him that his presence was requested. He tried a similar line with the other guard, this one more hostile than grumpy, who was magically there taking the bard by the arm and making sure he didn't get lost in the crowd. Mulligan's protestations grow louder and more insistent the closer the got the the Merchant Princess for Mulligan knew that no good was going to come of this... But despite his charm and wile and offers of recompense there was guards there to lead him inexorably towards his fate, much to his chagrin.
Until, just as it was too late anyway, he was thrust into the presence of the Merchant Princess... And the true royalty - Shae. Once Mulligan caught sight of her amongst the gathered throng he abruptly ended all complaints and instead strode body into the assembly and stood ready to take on any task that may be or the greater good!
Mulligan gives a little surprised nod of recognition to the beauty, as if he had forgotten she would be here, and added his best smile. Sidling up next to her he says, under his breath, "Sounds like we're being recruited to save the day... Think we're up to it?" and then throws her a wink.
Mulligan sticks close to Shae through the entire officious event and makes subtle remarks and expressions and such to make like of the situation and try to draw a smile from the lady. At the same time he is desperately listening to everything and trying to catch a hint of just how much danger he has gotten himself caught up in!
After the event Mulligan would be looking to huddle up with the rest if those who have been "recruited" for this task to learn what they know of it, what they think of it, and just what skills they can bring to the party. And of course, the hard details of the matter - The what is expected, when it is expected, the directions and locations and... well, of course the reward.
Already backing away and trying to fade into the recesses of the box seats, the Professor is shocked to hear that he was apparently in charge of an expedition--one he remembers very differently as a horrific accident and an attempt to escape the jungle before he had ever met the merchant princess. Still this was her show, and he smiled softly to himself in satisfaction that his friends were safe and the expedition was apparently going to get its needed supplies.
As the celebrations continue, the Professor makes his way to the Prince's side and asks, "I assume we will need to have porters come with us to the princess' villa tomorrow afternoon to get the supplies. What else remains to be done this day to prepare for the journey?"
OOC: I don't think Snively ever responded in this thread about Whiff, but he wants to go the Familiar route. I have also added the bag of holding to his possessions, as I think Prince Wakanga may have already given it to him (post 2784) -- if it is large enough for all the supplies, I suppose porters might not be needed--hence his question.
As time goes by, Mulligans gets concerned about the halfling. "You should be climbing out again," Mulligan whispers to himself. "C'mon... Climb up again so I can knock you down again..."
Mulligan is so intent on the halfling staying pitted that he's missing most of the rest of the events. Have to make sure the bets are won, and the halfling is a bit of a wild card. On both bets. Best he stay down in the pit... but Mulligan has no outright ill will for him. But then again, sounds like Shae and her party will save more than just one halfling if things work out. Still and all, Mulligan isn't totally cavalier about killing just for...
Is that Shae flying?? Mulligan thinks, his jaw dropping and his eyes torn away from the pit...
Otto watches with wide eyes and fluttering heart as Shae climbs dangerously onto the balcony - and then falls backwards! on purpose! But seeing her fly away he simply gasps in amazement. And here he was thinking that the show was all over! And could it be true that Shae actually knows the Swamp Beast personally, the hero of the pit??
Turning to look at the grumpy professor Otto does his best imitation of Shae's voice and mannerisms: I trust you can take care of the... er... (then returning to his own voice) ...what did the Princess promise you if we won? A new outfit for your expedition, or something?
Then with a shrug, Otto also turns and runs down into the cheering crowd, wondering if Shae can help him get the lizardman's autograph before he goes to claim their winnings...
(He had considered attempting to fly off the balcony like Shae, but in his excitement he forgot to try...)
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
Glasses:
When Otto comes over after gasping at Shae's theatrics and does a fair impression of her--to her likely embarrassment if she ever caught wind of it--the Professor smiles and responds, "Yes, something like that," and pats his arm after saying a few arcane words. "Go ahead after her, and try not to make too much trouble!" he adds, gesturing up and over the balcony Shae just flew from.
(Casts Fly on Otto.)
Turning his attention back to the merchant princess, Snively bows and politely waits for her to compose herself.
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Otto turns to run, not quite understanding Snively's intended meaning. It's not until he realises that he is no longer looking at the waistlines of the crowd around him, but actually at eye-level or above, that he realises his feet aren't touching the ground as he runs. With a whoop of joy, he glides up and over the heads of the crowd and toward Shae and Fang, his short arms and legs still pumping the air in a running motion.
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
Reng pauses just long enough to stare at the flying woman, now speeding at Fang. She begins to approach the triceratops cautiously, but holds back on attacking it, since the lizarfold seems to be making headway in calming the beast.
Mulligan is stunned by the beauty flying down towards the "gaming pit" but still spares glances around to see if the event is over... And if so, what happens next. He is eager to try to get to that halfling, to see if there is anything he can do to aid him. But he needs ensure the bets were safe before he did anything that could still turn the tide.
With Otto and Shae flying towards the pits, the spell on the audience seems broken, and hundreds break into loud cheers. Before long, dozens climb down into the arena to lift up their heroes, the first Runners who stood and fought, not only against the beasts in the pit, but the very notion that they deserved to be down there. The very nervous handlers quickly rush towards the triceratops, ushering him back below grounds before the loud noises would turn him wild amidst the growing crowd.
Reng, before you know it, you are hoisted up onto the shoulders of two rather large half-orc labourers, who start chanting: "Wolf Lady, Wolf Lady Wolf Lady!" Similar scenes start to play out with Fang, though the audience is a bit more cautious about lifting him up, on the one hand due to his reptilian nature and secondly due to him still bleeding from his wounds.
It isn't long before Fang is reunited with a very excited Mushu and an overjoyed- and apparently now flying- Shae. Otto meanwhile uses his newfound ability to fly to head above the mad crowd to look for the bookie he placed their bet with. It doesn't take long, since he is one of the few people that is trying to get away from the arena, now that he'll have to pay out a lot of the bets to the overjoyed crowd.
Mulligan, you are swept up in the excitement of the crowd, but looking over to the spectator balcony, where Shae was, you can make out the Professor, Wakanga and the Merchant princess.
Mulligan and Professor, please give me an insight check. Professor, you get to roll with advantage due to your proximity.
Union!- Errydha (Homebrew) Setting
Embers in the Dark - Errydha (Homebrew) Setting
Welcome to the Jungle- Far Realms
Citadel of the Unsleeping Sun - Erathis (Grim Hollow) Setting
Yevelda the Mutt- 3rd Level Half-Orc Battlemaster Fighter- Far Realms
Rehgys- 5th Level Satyr Bard of Eloquence- Far Realms
Mulligan Insight: 18
((But to be fair, Mulligan would be trying to swim through the crowd, down into the arena and then into the pit. He fears he is too late but he is anxious to rescue the halfling he pushed back down, now that the event seems officially declared over. Sure, he would look back a couple of times, but that would be to try and catch a glimpse of Shae...))
Glasses:
Insight: 6
Apparently the Professor is focused on his friends and their survival, forgetting the politics of the moment.
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Reng looks bewildered. "Wolf lady?" she says, more to herself than anyone else. "I didn't murder or eat anyone, if anyone's curious!" she shouts a bit more loudly, at no one in particular.
Once the shock passes a bit, she looks up at the flying woman, crooks a half-smile in wonderment at her, and winks.
Talk about a backdoor cover! Otto mutters as he flies over and past the renegade bookmaker, landing a short distance in front of him. Raising his wand at the bookmaker, Otto wiggles his fingers and shouts "Hold Person" and suddenly... three more Ottos appear to be blocking the path!
Wild surge? 13 not this time
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
Mulligan, you see through the jumble of bodies trying to get close to their new heroes, that some washerwomen have started gathering around the halfling, looking to treat his wounds as best they can. You also realise that the menagerie staff are terrfied: they try to coax the triceratops back inside and carefully go over to the charred and dashed bodies that remain, to check if they are truly dead. They find themselves in a totally unprecedented situation and most of the common stableboys and corpse cleaners seem like they are questioning whether they are standing on the right side of this event.
Shae, Fang and Reng, you find yourself in the middle of a jubilant mass of people, within touching distance but completely unable to hear one another over the cries and shouts and cheers of the commoners all celebrating what they saw today. Slowly but surely, you are being pushed towards the Eastern edge of the pit, right before the Merchant Princess' balcony, where she stands, stoicly seething at the complete loss of control. Professor, you can tell that, though wounded, Fang and his fighting ally will both be able to pull through with a bit of rest and some looking after by Shae.
Otto, as you and two identical copies of you drop down before the moneylender, he screams in terror and backs away, stumbling and falling on his ass with two of his moneybags bursting, spilling gold coins over the stone steps. Surprisingly, only a handful of people notice and start hurriedly collecting the gold, most are completely enraptured with the goings on in the arena. A small pool slowly expands around him, as he begs" Please, I can't pay you this much, I'll be dead if I don't make my quota. I have a wife and kids, please. Don't hurt me, please, just let me go."
What would you like to do?
Union!- Errydha (Homebrew) Setting
Embers in the Dark - Errydha (Homebrew) Setting
Welcome to the Jungle- Far Realms
Citadel of the Unsleeping Sun - Erathis (Grim Hollow) Setting
Yevelda the Mutt- 3rd Level Half-Orc Battlemaster Fighter- Far Realms
Rehgys- 5th Level Satyr Bard of Eloquence- Far Realms
Mulligan presses through to the washerwomen and the halfling. For the moment the rest of the chaos is secondary, Mulligan played a role in this guy's being hurt and he wanted to fix that if he could. Dodging and weaving through the crowd with a charming smile here, an elbow to the ribs there and whatever else it take, Mulligan moves in close enough to the halfling from the pit to put a hand upon their arm.
Mulligan tightens his grip upon their arm for a moment, a grip which would be forceful, almost painful if the halfling was awake. Mulligan sends some of his energy, his vitality through that touch and says "You're a sturdy on, even if short. You've been through a lot but you've got more to go through yet..." Through the touch and the words, Mulligan pushes revitalizing energies to try to Cure Wounds upon the unnamed contestant for 9 ...
If/when Mulligan sees the little chap stir, Mulligan will fade back into the crowd preferring to not get involved any more. He regrets what he felt he had to do and would rather not be around to have to explain any of it to anyone...
((If the halfling doesn't stir, Mulligan will then talk to the washerwomen and entreat upon them the need to get the halfling to a temple where someone could pull him back to this life! If must be done, it just must! And I can pay if need be! Just tell me where you are taking him, I will gather the coin and pay for his revival! -- He'll use persuasion and deception both in copious abundance...))
After this is taken care if, then Mulligan will return his mind to the Lady Shae, and the intrigue that seems to be surrounding her and her friend. He'll try to spot her of the professor or Otto the odd... And make his way towards them to try to get the full story of just what is going on.
Oh no! That coin belongs to the Swamp Beast! cries all four copies of Otto in his most melodramatic tone. And here he comes! Quick! Drop the gold! Run for your lives! Pointing (with his wand) in the direction of the stadium, the loud and now-familiar roar of the lizardman is heard as if charging in for the kill.
(Otto casts Minor Illusion to make the sound, attempting to convince the opportunists to drop the gold and run... )
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
Glasses:
Having stayed in the background and kept a watchful eye on the events, the Professor finally notices the Princess’ distress. He steps beside her and speaks in a mild tone, “I have no idea if this is typical of these trials, but today’s run was truly quite a spectacle. The people will be looking to their betters to help them put all this into context, Lady Kwayothé. Perhaps the People’s Princess has some grand words for them—and congratulations for the victors. May I humbly suggest congratulations on their victory, absolution for their crimes, and even the great honor of being allowed to join a noble quest to aid the forces of good deep in the jungle—a quest that will take them out of the public eye for quite some time, allowing the passions of the people to cool and the merchant princes and princesses to properly reestablish order…”
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Shae’s blue hues met the warrior’s eyes as she flew. Although unable to hear the words that came from her mouth, she’d catch the smile and wink. A curious smirk of her own would break her lips.
The reunion with Fang was much more anticlimactic than Shae expected, but was still quite excited to see Mushu at his side. Swiftly and as if with practiced ease, she would tend to his wounds. With a bat of her eyelashes, Shae would move some of her attention to the pit warrior who she found close by. With graceful strides and a gentle touch, the medic would help herself to the Wolf Lady’s side, lifting her arms as needed and running her hands along to inspect exposed flesh, hidden lacerations and strained muscles for treatment.
The jubilant excitement that reverberated through the crowd was infectious, feeding the palpitations in Shae’s heart. Swept away before any words could be exchanged, she’d practically bounce as she was ushered along with the group. Her big blue hues would look up innocently at the Merchant Princess in the balcony. Shae would bite onto her bottom lip, waiting with anticipation. She beamed with pride as she watched the Professor string together his wise speech.
just an unstable unicorn.
Reng sees the floating, flying, purple-haired woman settle to the ground to tend to the lizardfolk's wounds. Hmm, perhaps she knows him, or works for this insane murderpit, or has a calling to heal those who need it.
Then, when she turned her attention to Reng, reaching out fingertips with a questioning expression, Reng's whole body tenses, beginning to go into a defensive crouch, the hair on the back of her head and neck sticking out, fingers clenching. The fight-or-flight stress of the last two minutes, two hours, two days, two weeks, heck the last two years, but especially the last two weeks had taught her trust was a particularly finite resource in Chult. In that pause, and silence, her eyes again sought the blue... hues... of the woman, and sh squeezed her eyes shut, shook her head, and took a deep, long, slow breath. Perhaps it was time to find an ally. Someone who understood that "protection" was more than a racket, who might think that "care" was more than a joke. Instinctive ferocity and hardening was only taking her so far. Might be time for an open hand.
Her shoulders, still hard, began to loosen their tenseness, and her right palm rotated upward, showing a small cut that ran up the forearm to her inner bicep. Still meeting the purple haired woman's eyes, she allowed her to move her arms up to access another wound she hadn't seen on her flank. Reng wasn't that injured -- she'd been far worse off more times than she could count. Usually wounds were left to handle themselves, or dunked in the brine to clean up anything nasty. Doctors sometimes ran scams, or refused care. But this, well, unless it was an elaborate con, this was something new. Or long-forgotten. She was about to say, "Reng O'Malley. Thanks. Who are you?" but the crowd swept her away too fast. She let in a shuddering breath, closed her eyes, and tried to center herself for whatever fresh hell this land had for her next in queue.
The merchant princess grimaces, as she gives a short nod to the Professor, knowing the wisdom of his words, even though she hated to agree with every bit of her. With a glance at one of her guards, the booming sound of his pommel striking the stone steps and the magically enhanced voice of the merchant princess echoes out over the pit, turning the chaotic crowd in her direction and bringing some order back into the chaos.
"CItizens, Foreign dignitaries, and Runners- What a trial! Truly, the gods have shown that these individuals are meant for great things and that whatever their past misdeeds, we must give them another chance to show their worth to us all. Many of you will have undoubtedly heard of the exploits of Professor Templeton and his expedition and at this point it is no mystery that I have asked him to assemble a second expedition to help the brave soldiers of the Gauntlet stem the forces of Undeath and get at the underlying causes behind this madness. Who better to join him and his on this expedition than the extraordinary individuals who proved themselves in the pit today!"
O'Tamu couldn't help but show his surprise at her twisting of events, but he gave a smile at the displeasure her own announcement must cause her. In the pit and on the stone viewing terraces, many of the celebrating onlookers cheered, but a large part of them where confused, unsure as to what this would mean for their new heroes.
The merchant princess continued: "Please, allow the victorious Runners to join me up here in five minutes, so we may see to their wounds and honour them according to their achievement!"
With that, half of her guards started making their way down from the balcony to gather Reng and Fang, and escort them to the viewing platform.
SOme ten minutes later, the worst of the cuts and bruises are tended to, and both Reng and Fang are clad in simple clean white linens. Shae made sure both of them were fine, before being presented next to the merchant queen and Wakanga O'Tamu the Archmage of Port Nyanzaru. The celebrations are brief, but despite their ad hoc nature officious enough to please the corwd, who continue to cheer, most still trying to process what exaxtly had just unfolded.
To the assembled group in the balcony, with Otto, Mulligan, Professor Templeton and Shae joining the honoured Reng and Fang, the Princess Kwayothé hisses: "I'll outfit your expedition, a bet is a bet. Come to my villa in the afternoon and you shall find what you've asked for."
What would you like to do now?
Union!- Errydha (Homebrew) Setting
Embers in the Dark - Errydha (Homebrew) Setting
Welcome to the Jungle- Far Realms
Citadel of the Unsleeping Sun - Erathis (Grim Hollow) Setting
Yevelda the Mutt- 3rd Level Half-Orc Battlemaster Fighter- Far Realms
Rehgys- 5th Level Satyr Bard of Eloquence- Far Realms
"What? Oh, no... I'm just a guest here. Just here for the show. I'm not even supposed to be here today," Mulligan says to a grumpy and uncaring guard who informed him that his presence was requested. He tried a similar line with the other guard, this one more hostile than grumpy, who was magically there taking the bard by the arm and making sure he didn't get lost in the crowd. Mulligan's protestations grow louder and more insistent the closer the got the the Merchant Princess for Mulligan knew that no good was going to come of this... But despite his charm and wile and offers of recompense there was guards there to lead him inexorably towards his fate, much to his chagrin.
Until, just as it was too late anyway, he was thrust into the presence of the Merchant Princess... And the true royalty - Shae. Once Mulligan caught sight of her amongst the gathered throng he abruptly ended all complaints and instead strode body into the assembly and stood ready to take on any task that may be or the greater good!
Mulligan gives a little surprised nod of recognition to the beauty, as if he had forgotten she would be here, and added his best smile. Sidling up next to her he says, under his breath, "Sounds like we're being recruited to save the day... Think we're up to it?" and then throws her a wink.
Mulligan sticks close to Shae through the entire officious event and makes subtle remarks and expressions and such to make like of the situation and try to draw a smile from the lady. At the same time he is desperately listening to everything and trying to catch a hint of just how much danger he has gotten himself caught up in!
After the event Mulligan would be looking to huddle up with the rest if those who have been "recruited" for this task to learn what they know of it, what they think of it, and just what skills they can bring to the party. And of course, the hard details of the matter - The what is expected, when it is expected, the directions and locations and... well, of course the reward.
Glasses:
Already backing away and trying to fade into the recesses of the box seats, the Professor is shocked to hear that he was apparently in charge of an expedition--one he remembers very differently as a horrific accident and an attempt to escape the jungle before he had ever met the merchant princess. Still this was her show, and he smiled softly to himself in satisfaction that his friends were safe and the expedition was apparently going to get its needed supplies.
As the celebrations continue, the Professor makes his way to the Prince's side and asks, "I assume we will need to have porters come with us to the princess' villa tomorrow afternoon to get the supplies. What else remains to be done this day to prepare for the journey?"
OOC: I don't think Snively ever responded in this thread about Whiff, but he wants to go the Familiar route. I have also added the bag of holding to his possessions, as I think Prince Wakanga may have already given it to him (post 2784) -- if it is large enough for all the supplies, I suppose porters might not be needed--hence his question.
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"