Chapter 1 logs

[VySaika]

> **********************************************
> On the thirty-fifth day of the Month of Light, as reckoned by the Lorish calendar, a young man and woman from the region of Venture can be found camping on the long trail between the township of Talshold and the mining settlement at the Frostval peak. The township has had no word from the settlement for two weeks now, and just as a precaution has hired someone to go check on it. Someone like Victor Paran and Shelly Veres.(more)
> It's a warm morning for the area, which is no real surprise as the first month of summer is only a week and a half away. The night, contrary to what mothers would have thier children believe, passed quietly in the wilderness, and the warm sun and wildlife sounds woke Victor's partner up before he needed to shake her out of her bedroll.
> Shelly stretches and yawns mightily, then lazily waves in your direction, "Mor~ning," she greets in her cheerful sing-song.
<Victor> Shelly managing to wake up on time is a casual disappointment to Victor, but he'll live with it. "Morning to you, too, Shelly." he nods in her direction, beginning to repack up the necessities. "Let's get going - getting to town by sundown would be nice."
> "Eh, I do my best work in the dark anyways," she deadpans with a half smile even as she pries herself out of her bedroll and gets dressed. Despite the dangers, she refuses to sleep in her armor. Fortunately she's quick enough to not have it be a major hit the times you've had to fight at night. "You got something ready to munch as we go?"
<Victor> "Cooked up the meat you caught last night until it was tough - jerky to go, so to speak." Victor grins as he sets out her share. "Decided this should last us a while."
> She finishes pulling on her armor, then snags a piece, "Hey, no complaints about anything that's not hard biscuits from me." Gripping it with her teeth, she does a quick equipment check, guns loaded and ready, bow strung and sword clean. "Chk, chk, nd chk." Then she takes a bit and stops talking with her mouth full.
> "I had point yesterday, so you're up today." She quickly does her part of getting the rest of the camp ready to go and grins over at you.
<Victor> "Make sure you remember how to chew while you walk." Victor says drily, shifting around backpack inventory and getting the rest of it in. Shifting the backpack on and picking up his quarterstaff, he gives a momentary glare to Shelly. "Fine, fine. Just remember whose idea this was when you're complaining about keeping up."
> She snorts, "Sure, Vic. Is this where I remind you that I've beaten you in almost every contest of strength and endurance we've ever had? Get a move-on, nature boy." (OOC: just note when you're ready to move on)
* Victor shakes his head. "And then you get distracted when you see something shiny or red." With that, he starts walking!
> "Hey, be fair." she protests, "I get destracted by pink, not red." And with a laugh she follows along, matching pace with you without issue.
> The day rolls by, with you taking a short break around noon to rest your legs and scarf some lunch, and doing a quick judge of the distance...you'd need to either jog for a couple hours or take a shortcut off the trail to make it to the mountain before dark.
* Victor glances over the route they'd have to take offtrail - well, as far as it can be looked over.
> Shelly walks up beside you, "See something?" (OOC: roll Survival and Know: Lorant)
<Victor> roll 1d20+7 survival I almost rolled 2d8
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+7 survival I almost rolled 2d8 and gets 12."12 [1d20=5]
<Victor> roll 1d20+4 Lorant
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+4 Lorant and gets 18."12 [1d20=14]
> It's hard to tell much about the off-trail path from here, it's clear you'd have to pick through some woods at least, but how bad you can't be sure from here. However, from the information you gathered back in Talshold, the trail's long curve was made quite deliberatly despite the hours it tacked onto the trip.(more)
> Rumors of the reason why include horribly uneven terrain it would be impossible to transport ore over, beast nests, or both combined.
<Victor> "Okay. I seem to recall hearing that going offpath here was foolish. So we've got two options - jog for a few hours or get to the town two hours into dusk, I think." Victor says after a moment.
> "Hmm. Well, the job is just to see if there's anything going on. If everything's fine, showing up late won't matter. And if it's not, we'd possibly be better off in the dark so anything nasty there doesn't notice us as easily." Shelly thinks out loud, "plus, if there are problems, I don't want to show up winded."
* Ranmilia is now known as Ransleep
<Victor> "All logical. The only flaw I can think of is that there might be something going on that arriving quickly will give us time to prevent or reroute, but the odds of that are minimal." Victor nods slightly. "I'm game for taking our time, then. Let's keep going?"
> "Yeah." She does another quick check on her gun, then reholsters it and gets ready to follow along.
* Victor nods, staff still out and ready as he keeps his eyes open.
> You move on, keeping to a reasonable pace and not pushing to reach the mine before dusk. Evening settles, and you quickly much some more jerky on the go, and keep on towards the mine...(Spot check)
> roll 1d20+4 Shelly's spot
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+4 Shelly's spot and gets 12."12 [1d20=8]
<Victor> roll 1d20+6 spottle
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+6 spottle and gets 9."12 [1d20=3]
> You move along the trail...until you realize that the settlement is alot closer then you thought. It's easily within sight now, and would have been considerably earlier...if there were any lights at all.
> Shelly notices this as well and freezes stock still, starting to slide back and to the side of the trail quietly
<Victor> "... No lights in a settlement..." Victor murmurs, following Shelly's lead and looking around their surroundings carefully for anything out of the ordinary.
> Shelly nods, keeping her voce very low, "Yeah. There are always lights. What do you want to do? I can try to slip in and take a look around? Or you can and I'll cover you?"
> You don't see anything out of the ordinary in your immediate vicinity. But it's dark. And you aren't close enough to really see anything in the settlement in the dark.
<Victor> "... splitting up is likely unwise." Victor replies after his glance around. "Beast attack? Regardless..." After a moment he shakes his head. "Either we go in now together or we retreat and head in during the day tomorrow. I'm alright with either."
> "I'd rather go in now, but you knew I'd say that." Quietly she draws her pistol, "We'll stay together but you lead, since you've got better eyes. I'll follow a few paces back and cover you."
<Victor> "Alright. Let's try to move quietly - I'd rather not draw attention." Victor grins slightly at Shelly's words, beginning to set forward and into the settlement!
> (OOC: roll Hide/MS/Spot/Listen!)
<Victor> roll 1d20+4 Hide!
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+4 Hide! and gets 23."12 [1d20=19]
<Victor> roll 1d20+4 MS!
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+4 MS! and gets 7."12 [1d20=3]
<Victor> roll 1d20+6 Spot!
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+6 Spot! and gets 8."12 [1d20=2]
<Victor> roll 1d20+6 Listen seriously what the fuck Hatbot!
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+6 Listen seriously what the fuck Hatbot! and gets 25."12 [1d20=19]
> You do your best to slip into the settlement stealthily, while keeping your eyes and ears open. After a few steps in, your boot hits something metallic, with an audible clink, causing you to quickly take cover beside a building just in case something heard! But nothing seems to show up. And the only things you hear are your and Shelly's own very quiet footsteps.
> And the buzzing of some night insects.
* Victor gestures to Shelly and heads further in, trying to use his quarterstaff as a way to feel what's on the ground without stepping on it or breaking anything. Hopefully.
> Shelly moves along behind you, and you use your staff to feel along. Which eventually also hits something metallic. with an audible clink thanks to the iron shodding on the end of your staff. But again, nothing seems to react to it, or at least you don't see or hear anything.
> Looks like it was a dropped pick your staff hit, once you get a better look at it.
<Victor> "..." For a moment, Victor straightens up and glances at Shelley, before whispering softly, "Should we drop the pretense here? ... this pickaxe worries, though."
> She straightens up as well, moves closer and quietly answers, "Yeah. No need to make alot of noise, but I don't think we need to sneak either." She looks down at the pick, then around at the area, "should we check in the lodges?"(more)
> The 'settlement' such as it is, consists of three buildings, two lodges and a mess, and various open area workspaces where the ore is broken down into chunks that can be more easily transported, as well as where gear is repaired and other such chores happen. And nearby, of course, is the entrance leading into the mine itself.
* Victor nods. "First, the left lodge." With that, he begins slowly walking towards it, keeping eyes alert.
> Nothing jumps out at you. And the door to the lodge does not seem to be locked.
* Victor gently opens the door, letting it swing out or in as he steps back, peering in!
> Shelly quickly moves to the entrance and points her gun through the open door as you open it...then lowers it and shakes her head, "It's clear. There's nobody in here."
<Victor> "... This is just getting eerie." Victor remarks. "We'll return to it later. Second lodge." And with that he walks over, opening the door and stepping back afterward!
> Again Shelly covers the door as you open it. Again she lowers her gun a few moments later, "Clear as well. Messy, but clear. Mess?"
* Victor nods slightly. "If they didn't barricade these, that's the only other option. Otherwise... they went into the mine. Without leaving any trace."
> She nods, then moves to cover the mess door when you open it.
* Victor then nods and opens that door!
> Again, Shelly takes a quick look in...and both shakes her head and wrinkles her nose, "Clear. Also, someone left some meat out, it is rank in there."
> Yeah, you can smell it too. That is definately rotten meat smell. Whoof.
* Victor grunts. "... The alternate option is that they fled the settlement, but both problems lead to the mine, I think. I can't name any other option off the top of my head..."
> "I can try looking for tracks in the morning. I'm not going to find anything in the dark though." Shelly moves away from the door to escape the smell.
<Victor> "Yeah, seems best. Well, do we want to camp in one of the lodges or sleep outside tonight?" Victor offers.
<Victor> roll 1d20+4 K:L the mine
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+4 K:L the mine and gets 8."12 [1d20=4]
> Shelly thinks, "Let's get back, at least a half-mile from the settlement I think. Then camp."
<Victor> "Oh, good, you didn't jump at the offer to sleep somewhere with a roof."
* Victor nods and begins heading out with this.
> "Doesn't look like it's going to rain, and when it's clear roofs are overrated." She follows along, gun still drawn the entire time, until you reach a place to camp.
<Victor> "Tch. Rain's good for a body." Victor shakes his head and glances around. "Final question. Risk a campfire? We should be okay this distant, but..." After a moment Victor shakes his head. "No, we'll want the heat and the light, and the fire should scare most predators off."
> "Good for a body, bad for bowstrings and fires." she nods and gets to work building a fire, "take a pot and collect some water, I'll get the fire going and throw what's left of the jerky in with that overnight so we have soup in the morning."
<Victor> "Right." Victor nods, glancing around for a capable source of water...
> There's a stream that is nearby, running down from the mountain. Probably the mine's source of water as well. You passed it on your way from teh settlement.
* Victor nods and sets off at a solid trot toward that stream, pot in hand.
<Victor> And quarterstaff in the other hand, just in case.
> Once no longer in Shelly's company, every common night noise sounds just that bit more sinister thanks to the mystery of what exactly happened at that mine. But you see nothing dangerous besides a nightfisher(a very large waterfowl that fishes at night, as the name might suggest), and the bird seems content to ignore you for the time being.
<Victor> Softly muttering under his breath, Victor fills the pot and begins heading back.
> Shelly has the fire going by the time you get back and has the spit-rig up over it as well. She takes the pot and gets it up on the rig, then points at your bedroll which she laid out for you, "Go ahead and crash, I've got first watch." And with taht she starts cutting up the quick-jerky to make soup.
* Victor nods, thinking, before reaching out to the pot and muttering a quick cantrip. "Just in case, you know?" (OOC: Purify Food/Water)
> She chuckles, "I was gonna do that after I got all the meat in, but your spells are easier to get back so that works. Anyway, sleep. I'll get you up for your watch."
* Victor nods slightly and tosses out the bedroll before curling up. "Gotcha. Thanks."
> Sleep quickly overtakes you. And after what seems like no time at all, Shelly is waking you up by poking you with her toe, "Tag."
<Victor> "Blar. Two more centuries."
<Victor> But despite that Victor struggles out of the bedroll.
> Once you're out of it, she strips down and slides into hers, falling asleep just as quickly as you did earler.
* Victor shakes his head and sips the suit - then, with a silent gag, he tosses a small prepped bag of herbs in.
> After cooking with the meat for a few hours, the herbs do much to help the flavor.
<Victor> "Right. That's better." And with that, Victor sits and keeps vigilant eye out until dawn.
> The rest of the night passes without event, and eventually dawn follows the dark. Some clouds can be seen in teh distance...if the wind turns this way, it may rain later. And this morning, thanks to the late night(especially with not waking you up until an hour or two past when your watch would normally start), Shelly does not wake up on her own.
* Victor hums and gives Shelly a bit to make sure she's got at least some form of sleep... before leaning over her and poking her in the ear. "Tag."
> As usual, when you make phsyical contact with a sleeping Shelly, she's up and out of her roll in seconds, snatching her sword up on the way. Seeing it's just you, she loudly sighs, "Dammit Victor, I told you to knock that off!"
<Victor> "Hahahahaha..." Victor grins. "Fine, fine. Soup's ready but it looks like we may have rain soon, so let's gulp it down and go check for tracks."
> Putting her sword up, she grumbles and gets dressed. But her bad mood leaves as soon as she smells the soup, "Mmmm. I need to kiss whoever taught you how to make those herb bags."
<Victor> "You'd have to find him first." Victor shakes his head. "Which from what I know would be a feat unto itself."
> "Ah, that guy?" she does her equipment check, then settles down to drink some hot soup, "Hmm, think there's enough in there to put in the thermoses for lunch?"
<Victor> "... Should be, yeah." Victor eyeballs as he tosses his thermos over and does his share of the packing.
> She fills the containers between gulps of her breakfast, and has them ready before long, passing you back yours, "Neither's full but it's enough for one more meal at least. We'll need to break into the tack or hunt for dinner."
<Victor> "We'll see what the situation is when we get that far." Victor shakes his head, finishing the pack and accepting the thermos. "Let's get going?"
> She nods, finishes cleaning while you finish packing and gets ready. "And we're good. Alright, let me see what I can find in the way of tracks up there." She begins to lead the way back to the settlement.
* Victor follows, staff out and ready in case something aggressive emerges.
> You get back to the settlement without any issues, and the place doesn't look any better in the light. Equipment lays carelessly dropped here and there, you even see some ore in the work spaces just left there in the process of being broken down. Shelly frowns, but gestures for you to just keep an eye out while she works.
> roll 1d20+6 tracking check
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+6 tracking check and gets 10."12 [1d20=4]
* Victor looks around carefully as Shelly get to work, a slight frown on his face.
> After a long check around the area, she swears, "Pitstink. I can't find any real tracks but ours. Meaning I either suck, which I don't, or it's rained since whatever happened and there went the tracks. And it rained...the day we got to Talshold, right? So five days ago?"
<Victor> "That's... ominous. And there's nothing going toward the mine or away?" Victor comments, frowning. "Five days ago? Bad portent indeed."
> "Nothing solid. Some ruts from where carts went in and out of the mine, but those are pretty well worn into the ground and mean basically jack and diddly. Soooooo," she sighs, "two options. Go back and report this, or check the mine ourselves."
<Victor> "... Let's check a bit into the mine, then pull back. This is all far too bizarre." Victor shakes his head.
> Shelly nods, and after a bit of preparation(and storing your non-essential gear in a lodge), you head towards the mine....
> **********************************************************

[VySaika]

> ***************************************************
* Victor is muttering under his breath as they enter the mine, staff out. "Look for tracks or relevant clues, I suppose. We don't have any better options..."
> At least it's daylight, so the approach to the mine itself isn't any more creepy then absolutely nessesary. And you don't run into anything along the trail leading there. Shelly breathes a deep sigh as you walk in and nods, "Right. I'll check around, rain shouldn't have messed up things in here too badly. Keep your eyes open then, since I'll have mine on the ground."
<Victor> "Got it." Victor nods. "I'll lead until you spot tracks, then?"
> roll 1d20+6 Shelly's track check. Also make Perception(your spot/listen are the same, so just treat it as +6 for now)
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+6 Shelly's track check. Also make Perception(your spot/listen are the same, so just treat it as +6 for now) and gets 8."12 [1d20=2]
<Victor> roll 1d20+6 smooth, Shelly
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+6 smooth, Shelly and gets 18."12 [1d20=12]
> You move into the mine, and Shelly begins poking around. The tunnel has a few branch offs, but you keep following the main path until it reaches a fairly large open area that looks to be something of a central point leading to multiple shafts. Shelly sighs, "Weeeeell this whole thing is downhill from the entrance. I'm finding jack and squat, so either they didn't come this way or the water flows right into the mine when it rains."(more)
> when it rains."(more)
> As she takes some time to poke around the main room...Victor spots something shiny near one of the walls, the light from his lantern reflecting off of it for just a moment.
* Victor frowns before walking over, eyes trying to find it again as he passes the lantern back and forth over that area to catch it.
> (OOC: Perception again, por favor)
<Victor> roll 1d20+6 I perceive the need for a check!
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+6 I perceive the need for a check! and gets 13."12 [1d20=7]
> While Shelly pokes around for tracks, Victor moves to investigate the shiny object. And finds...a bullet casing. Without a bullet no less.
<Victor> "..." Victor glances around to see if any more can be found, or if there's any clear sign of what direction a bullet could have traveled.
> The open area is roughly circular, with three passages(other then the one you came from) leading out of it. From that spot, you could really fire at just about any other spot in the room without issues. But as Victor looks around...
> roll 1d20+2 attack from nowhere
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+2 attack from nowhere and gets 18."12 [1d20=16]
> (OOC: what's your flat footed AC?)
<Victor> OOC: 13. So yeah.
> roll 1d6 damage
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d6 damage and gets 2."12 [1d6=2]
> roll 1d20+0 chomp
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+0 chomp and gets 9."12 [1d20=9]
> Suddenly, from seemingly out of nowhere, a clump of rocks and debris just FLINGS itself at Victor's leg, and manageing a grazing hit. What's more, as it connects the clump of dirt opens a MOUTH that tries to sink it's rocky fangs into the wanderer's leg but to no avail.(That's init and please roll K:N as well)
<Victor> "What the--!"
<Victor> roll 1d20+2 initiative
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+2 initiative and gets 9."12 [1d20=7]
<Victor> roll 1d20+5 K:N
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+5 K:N and gets 19."12 [1d20=14]
> It quickly dawns on Victor what it was that just rammed him. The creature is called a Mine Spook, a tiny elemental that resembles nothing so much as a mass of soil and rocks with no defining features whatsoever...aside from the gaping maw full of rocky teeth.
> roll 1d20+2 Shelly init
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+2 Shelly init and gets 10."12 [1d20=8]
> roll 1d20-1 mine spook 1
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20-1 mine spook 1 and gets 10."12 [1d20=11]
> roll 1d20-1 mine spook 2
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20-1 mine spook 2 and gets 1."12 [1d20=2]
> 4INIT ORDER: Shelly > Mine Spook 1 > Victor > Mine Spook 2
> As Victor shouts, Shelly spins...and pulls her sword, not wanting to risk firing on something so small while it's right next to her partner, then moves over towards the creature to help you deal with it.(OOC: all she can do this round.)
> The Mine Spook, oblivious to the fact that it's "prey" is several times it's size, once again attempts to ram it's face into Victor's leg.
> roll 1d20+2 slam
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+2 slam and gets 9."12 [1d20=7]
> This time though, he isn't caught so easily. (OOC: Victor. You can see a second mass of dirt starting to move your way as well)
<Victor> "Shelly! Keep an eye to your flank!" Victor calls out as his staff flicks forward to try and crush the little elemental attempting to attack him! "And if you can conjure water on it, do so!"
<Victor> OOC: Strike, toro is ditz
<Victor> "Shelly! Keep an eye to your flank!" Victor calls out as his leg flicks forward to try and smash the little elemental attempting to attack him! "And if you can conjure water on them, do so!"
<Victor> roll 1d20+4 kick
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+4 kick and gets 22."12 [1d20=18]
> OOC: That'a a hit. Also remember you have flurry in the future if you want to use it.
<Victor> roll 1d6 I remembered, elected not to first round
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d6 I remembered, elected not to first round and gets 6."12 [1d6=6]
> THe blow connects, sending a shower of dirt off of the aggressive little elemental and causing it to make a sound that resembles nothing so much as grinding several dozen rocks against eachother all at once.
> Meanwhile, Shelly flicks her eyes back to her flank, just in time to catch the second Spook flinging itself at her.
> roll 1d20+2 slam
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+2 slam and gets 5."12 [1d20=3]
> Which she neatly sidesteps, then takes a quick step back and fires two shots down nearly point blank at the creature, "Not my kind of spell, Vic!"
> roll 1d20+3 rapid shot point blank shot
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+3 rapid shot point blank shot and gets 8."12 [1d20=5]
> roll 1d20+3 rapid shot point blank shot
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+3 rapid shot point blank shot and gets 14."12 [1d20=11]
> roll 1d10+1 damage
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d10+1 damage and gets 4."12 [1d10=3]
<Victor> "Isn't quite the sort of thing I prepared, either!"
> One bullet kicks off the spook's rocky exterior, while the other digs into it, causing it some discomfort.
> Meanwhile, the one attacking Victor continues doing just that.
> roll 1d20+2 slam
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+2 slam and gets 15."12 [1d20=13]
> OOC: AC?
<Victor> OOC: 15.
> roll 1d6 damage
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d6 damage and gets 1."12 [1d6=1]
> roll 1d20+0 chomp followup
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+0 chomp followup and gets 1."12 [1d20=1]
> Again the spook manages a grazing blow, but can't quite sink it's teeth in. (Vic)
<Victor> "There are some days where I wonder just what Lorant did to make existence hate it." Victor mutters as he crouches slightly and lashes out with two quick kicks at the little elemental!
<Victor> roll 1d20+2 kick 1
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+2 kick 1 and gets 3."12 [1d20=1]
<Victor> roll 1d20+2 kick 2
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+2 kick 2 and gets 16."12 [1d20=14]
> OOC: Second one hits, of course.
<Victor> roll 1d6 BOOT TO THE HEAD
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d6 BOOT TO THE HEAD and gets 3."12 [1d6=3]
> More dirt and debris get kicked off the spook, but it holds on! While the other tries to get a little more face time with Shelly!
> roll 1d20+2 slam
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+2 slam and gets 6."12 [1d20=4]
> Who continues to step back away from the attacks fairly easily, then lashes out with her sword!
> roll 1d20+4 slashy
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+4 slashy and gets 22."12 [1d20=18]
> roll 1d6+2
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d6+2 and gets 3."12 [1d6=1]
> The sword scrapes it, and she curses, "Pitstink! It's like the little bastard doesn't even care when I hit it!" Of course, the one that's now missing nearly half it's mass from Victor's kicks...doesn't seem to have the sense to flee.
> roll 1d20+2 slamvic
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+2 slamvic and gets 14."12 [1d20=12]
> And misses by the dust of it's teeth. (Vic, again)
<Victor> "That's not a bad summary of the little brutes." Victor grunts, before lunging forward with his fist, quickly following up with a rogue knee to the little shrimp!
<Victor> roll 1d20+2 fist
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+2 fist and gets 4."12 [1d20=2]
<Victor> roll 1d20+2 knee
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+2 knee and gets 3."12 [1d20=1]
> The spook...miraculously dodges Victor's assault, perhaps owing to the fact that it's nearly half the size it used to be. And like a relentless bulldog, Shelly's spook refuses to let up.
> roll 1d20+2 slamshelly
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+2 slamshelly and gets 8."12 [1d20=6]
> Another sidestep, then Shelly has an idea, letting her sword fall to the ground with a wince and hopping back a step as she pulls her canteen off her belt.
<Victor> "That's one way of going about it. I just didn't want to waste water." Victor notes out loud. "Still, in retrospect, that's a stupid worry compared to, well, this."
> "You said they don't like water, right?" She asks, while Vic's spook continues it's own assault.
> roll 1d20+2 FACESLAM
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+2 FACESLAM and gets 5."12 [1d20=3]
> It's fortunate that for all that they're really strong for thier size...they're about as graceful as the average...well, rock.(Vic's up)
<Victor> "Since, you know, I can purify water. I still don't think like a wanderer sometimes..." Victor laments, going back to lashing out at the stupid clod with a duo of decking kicks!
<Victor> roll 1d20+2 kick 1
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+2 kick 1 and gets 8."12 [1d20=6]
<Victor> roll 1d20+2 kick 2
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+2 kick 2 and gets 8."12 [1d20=6]
> Shelly laughs, even as the other spook tries to take a bite out of her leg.
> roll 1d20+2 FACESLAM
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+2 FACESLAM and gets 10."12 [1d20=8]
<Victor> "Oh, shush. Do you remember what magic you can use all the time now, Mrs. Fellow Venturan-Born?"
> The thing still can't get any purchase, and she pries the cap open with her teeth and turns to splash the water on teh one attacking you! "Sure I do. But I can only cast three spells period, not 'attune myself' for new ones whenever like you."
> roll 1d20+1 at least this is a touch attack
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+1 at least this is a touch attack and gets 16."12 [1d20=15]
> roll 1d4 water damage
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d4 water damage and gets 3."12 [1d4=3]
> The water splash hits the busted up spook, causing it to screech horribly...and quickly fall apart into mud, dirt and debris.
> 4INIT ORDER: Shelly > Victor > Mine Spook 2
> OOC: That makes it your turn.
<Victor> "Fair. On the other hand, having that many options and- YOW! I kinda forgot they screamed that loud!" Victor mutters, before turning and double-kicking the spook focusing on Shelly.
<Victor> roll 1d20+2 KICK IT
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+2 KICK IT and gets 13."12 [1d20=11]
<Victor> roll 1d20+2 KICK IT GOOD
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+2 KICK IT GOOD and gets 16."12 [1d20=14]
> OOC: you aren't close enough to full attack. Single hit only.
> OOC: First roll is a hit anyway, so go for damage
<Victor> OOC: Alright, sorry
<Victor> roll 1d6 whack
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d6 whack and gets 6."12 [1d6=6]
> One solid kick takes away nearly a third of the spook's mass. It screeches as well, not caring much about the bullet or slash from before but sure as HELL caring about that. And it turns it's attention to Victor.
> roll 1d20+2 FACESLAM
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+2 FACESLAM and gets 19."12 [1d20=17]
> roll 1d6
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d6 and gets 1."12 [1d6=1]
> roll 1d20+0 chomp followup
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+0 chomp followup and gets 8."12 [1d20=8]
> like the first one, it manages to at least get in a grazing hit, but can't sink it's teeth in. Shelly scoots to the side to recover her sword! (OOC: straight to Vic)
* Victor nods and, now that he neighbors the little clod, lashes out twice more with his boot!
<Victor> roll 1d20+2 crack 1
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+2 crack 1 and gets 14."12 [1d20=12]
<Victor> roll 1d20+2 smack 2
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+2 smack 2 and gets 12."12 [1d20=10]
> OOC: First hits.
<Victor> roll 1d6 ka-donk
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d6 ka-donk and gets 1."12 [1d6=1]
> Victor barely manages to lightly graze the spook, and it attempts to latch onto the offending foot in the process!
> roll 1d20+2 FACESLAM
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+2 FACESLAM and gets 22."12 [1d20=20]
> roll 1d20+2 FACESLAM CONFIRMATION
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+2 FACESLAM CONFIRMATION and gets 16."12 [1d20=14]
> roll 2d6 CRITICAL FACESLAM
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 2d6 CRITICAL FACESLAM and gets 5."12 [2d6=2, 3]
> roll 1d20+0 chomp followup
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+0 chomp followup and gets 16."12 [1d20=16]
> roll 1d4 bite damage
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d4 bite damage and gets 3."12 [1d4=3]
> The spook manages to slam right into Victor's shin as he kicks at it...and gets a hold with it's rocky teeth, biting down HARD!
> Shelly, having scooped up her sword, curses and dashes back over to try and slash it off of you!
> roll 1d20+4 stab it
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+4 stab it and gets 8."12 [1d20=4]
> But her sword only kicks off the rocks that make up it's hide! (OOC: Vic. It's not actually grappling you, feel free to attack as normal)
<Victor> "For the love of--!" Victor grimaces. "That bloody HURTS!" And with that, he proceeds to continue to bash it apart as much as he can!
<Victor> roll 1d20+2 desperation smak 1
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+2 desperation smak 1 and gets 9."12 [1d20=7]
<Victor> roll 1d20+2 desperation smak 2
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+2 desperation smak 2 and gets 11."12 [1d20=9]
> The mine spook, having tasted blood, does everything it can to taste some more!
> roll 1d20+2 slaaaaam
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+2 slaaaaam and gets 9."12 [1d20=7]
> But Vic, being egged on by the pain, gets the fuck out of the way this time!
> While Shelly again tries to stab the little pest!
> roll 1d20+4 stabbycakes
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+4 stabbycakes and gets 12."12 [1d20=8]
> She spits out a curse as it doesn't seem to give a damn about her attacks, "ARGH!" (Vic)
* Victor shakes his head. "Little punk!" With that, he focuses for just a moment before attempting to nail the runt with one well-aimed punch!
<Victor> roll 1d20+4 PAWNCH
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+4 PAWNCH and gets 9."12 [1d20=5]
> The spook evades! And tries to eat your fist this time!
> roll 1d20+2 SLAM
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+2 SLAM and gets 14."12 [1d20=12]
> Which you pull back JUST in the nick of time.
> While Shelly tries to stab it...AGAIN>
> roll 1d20+4 come on Hatbot
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+4 come on Hatbot and gets 9."12 [1d20=5]
> "What the HELL? All I'm doing is scuffing up my sword here!" (Vic.)
<Victor> "I have come to the conclusion that this blasted thing is attaining nirvana via evasion." Victor replies with a forced calm as he lets out a punch-kick combo at the clod!
<Victor> roll 1d20+2 pawnch?
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+2 pawnch? and gets 11."12 [1d20=9]
<Victor> roll 1d20+2 kiyck?
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+2 kiyck? and gets 22."12 [1d20=20]
<Victor> roll 1d20+2 kiyck confirmation?
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+2 kiyck confirmation? and gets 21."12 [1d20=19]
> OOC: elementals can't be crited, but hey you kicked it,.
<Victor> roll 2d6 CRITICAL KIYCK (DON'T RUIN MY FUN ;_;)
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 2d6 CRITICAL KIYCK (DON'T RUIN MY FUN ;_;) and gets 5."12 [2d6=4, 1]
<Victor> roll 1d6 fine
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d6 fine and gets 2."12 [1d6=2]
> With a mighty kick, Victor breaks the damn thing up into a pile of dirt and rocks. An *unmoving* pile of dirt and rocks.
> Shelly breaths a sigh of relief, "Mine spooks. Ugh."
> roll 1d20+4 Shelly notice and you roll too
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+4 Shelly notice and you roll too and gets 22."12 [1d20=18]
<Victor> "Punk." Victor straightens up. "Mine spooks. There's been a fight here. And based on this, humans didn't win it."
<Victor> roll 1d20+6 let's see, eh?
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+6 let's see, eh? and gets 19."12 [1d20=13]
> "You figure?" She asks, while putting her sword up, "I don't know too much about the little turds, just that they'll attack near anything. But...I doubt the whole camp could have been eaten by Mine Spooks?" But even as she asks, she holds up a hand...and you notice it at the same time(more)
> Peeking out from a nearby wall...is the head and front paws of what looks like an extremely large, roughly the size of a hunting dog, mole. It's fur is a striking bluish white that almost seems to glow softly in the dark mine...(roll K:N or K:A if you want)
> roll 1d20+4 Shelly's KN
<Victor> roll 1d20+5 K:N oh god it's the Jewel Eater and we aren't even past CR1
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+4 Shelly's KN and gets 14."12 [1d20=10]
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+5 K:N oh god it's the Jewel Eater and we aren't even past CR1 and gets 22."12 [1d20=17]
> "Is that...a ghost mole?" Shelly asks incredulously.
<Victor> "It is!" Victor says softly and excitedly. "Wow..." After a moment he crouches down and gestures to it kindly. "Hey, toss Light on a rock, would you?"
> "Sure," she nods, picks up a rock, says a few words, and the rock begins to glow.
> The mole's nose begins to twitch.
* Victor nods, accepting the rock gingerly before he slowly walks it over to the mole.. "Heh, bet you want this, don't you? Hey, any other humans in here? Do ya know, buddy?"
> OOC: do you get wild empathy? If not, try rolling Handle Animal.
<Victor> OOC: I do have Wild Empathy.
> The mole slowly crawls further out of the wall, poking it's nose closer to the rock. It's still not fully out yet though.
> OOC: roll it, then
<Victor> roll 1d20+2 Victor likes blue fuzzies.
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+2 Victor likes blue fuzzies. and gets 3."12 [1d20=1]
> The mole shies back as you get closer...
> Shelly creeps forward, trying to help you out, "Come on...we won't hurt you..."
> roll 1d20+2 can shelly Wild Empathy it
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+2 can shelly Wild Empathy it and gets 13."12 [1d20=11]
> It stops a bit and she considers, "Hey, Vic. You're still kinda bleeding. Maybe that's scaring it some?"
<Victor> "... ah. That might do it. You keep talking, I'll try to bandage up a bit." Victor hands the stone over and backs off, attempting to staunch some of the wounds.
> She nods, "Yeah." She holds the stone out, "Here...uh, you want this? I don't know why, but if you want it, you can have it?" (OOC: using magic to heal? Or making a heal check or what?)
<Victor> OOC: Heal check, I do not have healing spells prepped.
<Victor> roll 1d20+4 healing up. I hope.
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+4 healing up. I hope. and gets 11."12 [1d20=7]
> You manage to patch your wounds up with what you have at hand at least. You'll want to wash things out properly and get a better bandaging job when you're outside again, but it's good enough for now.
<Victor> Then, to Shelly, "Ghost moles eat magic, or so I've heard. Love the stuff, at least. Curious and friendly things."
> It seems a bit less skittish after you hide the active bleeding. She passes the rock back to you, since you seem to know more about what you're doing. It's not fully out of the wall yet, but it's stopped retreating at least.
* Victor waves gently to the mole, before putting the stone down a few steps in front of him and backing up a bit. "Even if it can't help us, I'd just like to see it in full... but maybe it knows what happened here?"
> Shelly slides back a bit, "I'll let you play with the mole while I try to find tracks again."
<Victor> "Okay."
> You put the stone down and scoot back...and the mole slowly pushes all the way out. And inches slowly towards the rock.
> roll 1d20+6 survival come on Shelly roll well on a track check for once
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+6 survival come on Shelly roll well on a track check for once and gets 16."12 [1d20=10]
<Victor> "It's okay, little dude. You know where any other humans are? We can get ya another rock if you do..." Victor says soothingly, attempting to cajole it without being threatening.
> As the mole pokes closer, it sniffs at the rock...then starts gnawing on it.
<Victor> "Hee. Guess you guys really do dig magic, eh?" Victor smiles with a friendly voice, before slowly, slowly approaching, hands open.
> And Shelly calls over, softly so not to disturb the mole, "Hmm, yeah, there was definately a fight in here before we ran into the spooks. I'm finding what I think are some blood stains on some rocks. And...it looks like some dirt was disturbed heading down that branch. It's not footprints, like...maybe someone was draging thier feet or something?"
* Victor nods slightly to this.
> It gnaws a bit more...and the light blinks out. The mole looks up at you imploringly.
<Victor> "Aww. Poor dude ran out. I don't think-" Victor tilts his head, before grinning. "Let's see if he'll take from the hand, so to speak." With that, Victor casts Magic Fang on himself, before holding his hand out to the ghost mole!
> The mole sniffs your hand...and starts gently gnawing on it.
> A moment later...you feel the spell just end. Your magic fang lasts longer then that.
<Victor> "Hehe. Tickles." Victor's other hand gently strokes the mole's fur, or at least tries. "So how about it? Any chance you know what happened here, little dude?"
> It doesn't seem to understand your questioning, but doesn't object to you scratching it at least.
> "Made a freind, I take it?" Shelly looks over at you.
* Victor gently scratches it while glancing over to Shelly with an amused grin. "Apparently so. Regarding the trail... I'm of two minds. We now know something bad happened, and my guess is we're too late to do something immediately. In addition, I am kinda injured. On the other hand... any information might be useful."
> Shelly nods, "Yeah. I'm still in good shape, so just let me take point unless more Mine Spooks show up? They don't seem to give a rat's left asscheek about getting stabbed or shot."
<Victor> "Apparently not." Victor shakes his head sadly. "Let's be careful but continue on, then." Victor gives the ghost mole a slight fur ruffle as he stands. "Take care of yourself, will ya? It was good to see something that didn't want to hurt us."
> Shelly begins leading the way down the tunnle she thinks something went down, and you follow. And...the mole follows you.
* Victor isn't going to complain! He also figures the poor thing knows well enough to duck out of the way if needed.
> Shelly leads you along the tunnle, until it reaches a dead end.
> "Huuuuh." She begins poking around, "I'm sure the trail led down here..."
<Victor> "Eh?" Victor frowns, leaning down to rub the mole's fur again as he peers around...
> (OOC: Try K:N then)
<Victor> roll 1d20+5 K:N oh god it's a walltrap mantaray
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+5 K:N oh god it's a walltrap mantaray and gets 14."12 [1d20=9]
> roll 1d20+4 KN for shelly
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+4 KN for shelly and gets 11."12 [1d20=7]
> "Hmm. Maybe...there's another trail?" She starts back the way you came from.
<Victor> "... May... be?" Victor frowns, glancing to the mole curiously before beginning to follow.
> The mole is giving the end of the trail the hairy eyeball, but turns to follow you as you head back.
<Victor> "The mole seems to agree with my gutcheck that something's up with the end of the trail there..." Victor notes. "But I don't quite know what."
> "Okay, back me up on this, there's absolutely NO way in this hell or any other that mine spooks managed to kill EVERYONE, right?" Shelly asks, then notes, "Ugh. Yeah, I swear the trail led right there but there's jack all there I can see." She stops and looks back, "What do you want to do then? Look for other trails or see if we can find something there or what?"
* Victor frowns. "Let's do some hands-on searching. Be careful, though."
> "Right." She goes back to start trying to find out what teh hell's up...(OOC: Roll search checks. She'll Aid Another for you, since you both have no ranks and the same int)
> roll 1d20+2 untrained search aid
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+2 untrained search aid and gets 18."12 [1d20=16]
> OOC: you get an extra +2 on your check
<Victor> roll 1d20+2 untrained search? gotcha
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+2 untrained search? gotcha and gets 16."12 [1d20=14]
<Victor> OOC: +2 for check, so 18.
> The end of the tunnle seems to be largely loose rocks...and a bit of digging reveals a support beam burried underneath them. A support beam with a bit of rope knotted around what you assume is the bottom and the rope severed off only a foot from the knot.
> Shelly stares at the beam, "Uh. Does that look to you like what it looks like to me?"
<Victor> "... Why, yes, it looks like a perfectly good piece of rope gone to waste."
> "Smartass. So..." she sighs, "what, this tunnle was collapsed? On purpose, it'd have to be. Just...why then."
<Victor> "... I don't know." Victor shakes his head, stroking the poor ghost mole's fur. "Something they saw? Some... uh... if I recall my chemistry correct, some gases can cause hallucinations..."
> "Could be. Maybe something bad got uncovered down there? But...the trail I saw I swear let TO here, not away. And it had to be collapsed from this side, right? Couldn't cut the rope if they were on teh other side. So..." she looks around, "where's whoever did it?"
<Victor> "... That's a point. They would've had to flee..." Victor frowns. "or else we would have seen some signs of them somewhere, right? So there's a killer on the loose. Lovely."
> "And we haven't even seen any bodies, either." Shelly notes. "If there's a killer, that means there's dead people. Dead people leave corpses. Where's the corpses?" She frowns as well, "There's alot of mine here to check. Should we keep it up, or report with what we've got? You know me, I don't like leaving things half done. But..."
<Victor> "Corpses?" Victor echoes, before pointing to the cave-in. "I would argue many of them are likely in there. It almost eluded us, as a note - perhaps the killer was hoping to hide most of his tracks via cave-ins?" At her second question, Victor tilts his head. "Let's... check another path. I don't think we'll find the killer in here unless he's gone cannibal... so we should be somewhat safe, barring clod demons."
> She nods, "Right. Okay, give me a hand here, we need to try and find another trail. Or we can just systematically check every tunnle, but I figure why not use the opportunity to give you an impromptu tracking lesson."
> (OOC: Survival can Aid Another for her, even though you don't have track.)
<Victor> "Gotcha." Victor nods, following Shelly. "I'll aid in whatever way I can."
<Victor> roll 1d20+7 oh hey a roll I'm semicompetent at
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+7 oh hey a roll I'm semicompetent at and gets 15."12 [1d20=8]
> roll 1d20+8 track since you aided
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+8 track since you aided and gets 23."12 [1d20=15]
> You make your way back to the entrance, and begin poking around from there. The mole...continues to follow you around. Occasionally walking into a wall, but walking back out again before long.
> Between the two of you, you rule out teh paths between the opening to the large room, and start trying to get your bearings in there. Part of it is process of elimination, you figure out what disturbances were yours from the fight with the spooks, what was related to the trail she saw to the dead end, and after an hour of solid investigation...you think you have it.
> "That way..." she notes with certainty to a different tunnle, "there's two more bullet casings near this one, and I swear there's less dried blood here then anywhere else...meaning it might be where the killer instead of the killees went."
<Victor> "Perhaps. Shall we go in prepared, then?" A pause as Victor thinks. "Well. We've made one mistake. Or rather, I did and you let me. We've been presuming one person..."
> She curses, "PITSTINK!" Her epithet causes the mole to jump a bit in shock, "You're right. Okay. Guns out, if...they're using them, we need to as well. No melee unless they force it."
> ***********************************

[VySaika]

> ***************************************
* Victor nods slightly and draws his own gun with only a mild sense of distaste. "Careful, then. And quiet - they may know we're here but they won't know when we'll be there..."
> With caution, and with guns drawn, Victor and Shelly make thier way down the passage they've chosen, with a ghost mole still following quietly along behind.
> Shelly nods, and moves forward a bit, "You're inured and I'm unharmed. I take point."
<Victor> A more notable grimace from Victor, but he doesn't argue it as he shifts back.
> (OOC: roll stealth and Perception checks if you would...I haven't gotten around to combining those, have I? Just treat it as the better of your H/MS and your S/L)
> roll 1d20+5 Shelly stealth
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+5 Shelly stealth and gets 13."12 [1d20=8]
> roll 1d20+4 Shelly perception
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+4 Shelly perception and gets 20."12 [1d20=16]
<Victor> roll 1d20+6 perception (spot and listen are the same, imagine that)
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+6 perception (spot and listen are the same, imagine that) and gets 23."12 [1d20=17]
<Victor> roll 1d20+4 stealth (same here for hide and ms!)
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+4 stealth (same here for hide and ms!) and gets 23."12 [1d20=19]
> You advance, a bit behind Shelly. She isn't being the most quiet person in the world here, but she seems far more focused on keeping her ears out. After going down the tunnel a bit, she crouches and shakes her head, confirming what your ears have already told you with a low whisper, "I don't hear a damned thing down there."
* Victor absently reaches next to himself to pet the ghost mole, nodding after a moment. "Neither do I... Still, this is our best bet. Stay silent and alert and let's continue."
> She nods and moves on. As you follow, you see tunnel come to a bit of an opening...what might lead to a vertical shaft. Shelly takes a deep, but quiet, breath...and motions for you to stay put while she creeps forward to see...
* Victor peers over her shoulder carefully, gun ready and waiting for anything to emerge out.
> And a moment later, she shakes her head and stands up, "I don't see or hear anything. I'll have to use a Light spell, be ready to cover me if anything ugly shows up."
> And she casts the spell...(how close are you to her? She was intending to leave you ~10ft back while she checked out the shaft.)
<Victor> "Right." Victor says with a slight nod. (OOC: He would've stopped at around 5ft but to the side if at all possible.)
> As she casts the spell on a small pebble and light illuminates the tunnel...you can see a gleaming light reflected in the far wall of the shaft. Something silver...and blue. Shelly doesn't seem to notice it immediately, but instead looks down and grimaces, "...ew."
<Victor> OOC: Any check to see if I recognize/realize what the gleaming is?
> OOC: light radius is bad, you'll need to get closer to get a better look.
<Victor> "Shelly. Far wall of the shaft. Some gleaming..." Victor whispers, creeping forward some with gun aimed at it.
> Shelly looks up..and you approach. As you get a bit closer, and as she adjusts the light, you can get a better view of it. It's...some kind of silvery statuette stuck in the wall. It frankly looks like a silver stag, with a blue gem set into the eye you can see. ...a beautiful blue gem. It's almost...mesmerizing...(OOC: Will save)
<Victor> roll 1d20+6 ahahaha I shouldn't have said anything to Shelly
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+6 ahahaha I shouldn't have said anything to Shelly and gets 10."12 [1d20=4]
> You want it. That figure, that stag. You deserve it. It's magnificent, like nothing you've ever seen before. And it should belong to you. And you alone. Only you, of all men, are worthy to own such a thing. (OOC: this is a compulsion, you covet the stag, You covet it like nothing else before, despite your normal lack of concern for material things. This feeling overrides absolutely any others you currently have)
> Shelly blinks, "Huh. Looks like some kind of...figurine? How'd THAT get in a mine shaft? And stuck in the wall no less. Anyway, whatever, take a look down here." She points down at the bottom of the shaft.
* Victor ignores Shelly. "Get out of the way. That's mine." With that, he purposefully begins striding toward it!
> She blinks and steps to the side. You approach the shaft, which is only about 10ft deep currently. At the bottom are three corpses, bodies of men far less worthy then yourself. There's also a small ladder, which is conveniently positioned right under the stag, which would be a bit out of reach without it.
> "Uh...Vic?" Shelly asks as you pass, "What's up? You recognize that thing?"
<Victor> "It is mine." Victor replies emotionlessly, before proceeding to jump down into the pit, prepared to make a rolling landing toward the ladder!
> (OOC: jump or Tumble can let you avoid fall damage. DC11)
<Victor> roll 1d20+5 Tumble
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+5 Tumble and gets 23."12 [1d20=18]
> It's an easy jump, so you land without difficulty. It...kinda stinks down here, those guys must have been dead for a bit. Two of them seem to have been shot in the head, from the fairly blatent bullet holes in the backs of their heads. And the third...well, he's a bit off to the side from the others, right next to the ladder actually. And not in your way, so of little importance. The ladder is right there!
> It then occurs to you that you have no digging tools. But...tools might risk scratching the precious stag anyway.
<Victor> A slight glance to the body of the third is given to see if there is anything that might help him remove the stag more easily, though surely as Victor is the rightful owner, it'll prove little problem.
> Nothing you can see at a glance on him. You hear a sound behind you, a quick check revealing it as that woman climbing down into the pit. But she's just a woman, so clearly of no consequence.
<Victor> Just a woman? That's n- whatever. Stag first. With that, Victor begins climbing the ladder to his rightful belonging!
> You climb the ladder, which is thankfully sturdy. These men clearly did a good job preparing the area for you to get what is yours. And you reach the stag. It's right in front of you. About four inches tall and made of perfect, gleaming silver that even the dust of this mine refuses to mar. The eye facing out is made of the most pure sapphire, and you know the other is as well.
* Victor carefully examines where it is held to see what difficulties would exist in extracting it. While the dust may not mar it, the rocks just might, and that would be an unpardonable error.
> It seems to be set into the wall firmly, not budging so much as a fraction of an inch to any careful attempts to move it. It seems the only choice is to carefully work away the rock around it so you can ease it out.
> Meanwhile, Shelly investigates the area below, "Huh...well, here's the guns. I'm guessing these are our killers. Though...two of them seem to be dead by gunshot too. Right in the back of the head, both of 'em. And this guy..."
<Victor> Then that is what shall be done! Victor takes his quarterstaff and begins chipping at the rock around it in an attempt to loosen it enough to extract!
<Victor> While the woman babbles, of course.
> Victor takes up his staff and gets a sudden feeling of dread. He just KNOWS that if he tries to use such a thing he'll accidentally hit the stag. Or cause rock to break and hit it. Tools are too imperfect, too imprecise.
> roll 1d20+4 Shelly heal check
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+4 Shelly heal check and gets 24."12 [1d20=20]
<Victor> With that natural, total awareness, Victor puts the staff back and begins chipping away with his fingers!
> "Wow. This guy's a wreck." The woman continues to babble as you work, "His fingers are gone down to like the knuckle...and I don't mean the one right under the fingertips. It doesn't look like something broke them off though, more like...this is gonna sound stupid but like he worked them down. Like how a pencil gets shorter as you write with it?"
<Victor> Victor ignores this noise and continue to scrape away at the stag!
> "What the crap could make a guy do something like that? He wasn't even trapped in here." She looks up...and sighs, "What the hell are you doing? If you want to get that thing out THAT badly, let's go back and grab some damned tools."
<Victor> "Tools will harm it." Victor replies automatically.
> Shelly blinks, "What."
<Victor> Victor does not reply, focused on his prize!
> Shelly sighs, "Alright, lets get out of here. There's no way you can get that thing out with your bare fingers."
<Victor> "It is mine."
> "..." She suddenly blinks, and looks down at the man at her feet, "Bare...fingers. Victor. Get down here. NOW."
<Victor> "It will be mine."
> "Victory Paran, and if I knew your middle name I would use it, get the everloving HELL down here, NOW!" She raises her voice.
<Victor> Ignoring the babbling woman, Victor keeps working!
> "...yeah, something's up. You never let me get away with using your full name. Ever." Shelly sighs again, "Well, if that's how this is going to go..."
> And she knocks the ladder right out from under you in one swift kick.(OOC: Tumble to reduce damage)
<Victor> roll 1d20+5 Tumble
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+5 Tumble and gets 15."12 [1d20=10]
> Suddenly, the support you were on is gone and you are falling. Twisting your body instinctively, you manage to land in a roll that softens the fall but does leave you prone on the ground next to some stinky corpses. But more importantly, that pathetic useless woman is getting in your way. She was of no matter before, but now...
> but now
> but now...
> you...have...to...(make another will save)
<Victor> roll 1d20+6 right
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+6 right and gets 18."12 [1d20=12]
> The world snaps back into focus as that influance that had a deathgrip on your mind told you to do something you couldn't fathom. Whatever was remaining of Victor's willpower rallied at the thought, and broke the obsessive compulsion.
<Victor> "..." Victor's body slowly clenches and begins shaking as he leans against the wall. "Okay. That was... that was mind control. Good to know."
> "Right." Shelly is watching you cautiously and still doesn't approach, "So what the hell was going on in your head then? Something to do with that stag up there?"
<Victor> "It..." Victor slowly stands, deliberately -not- looking at the stag. "Yeah. I believe I was saying that stag was 'mine'? That's because I believed it - I wanted it - to be mine. Which in retrospect is hella creepy."
> "...I didn't feel a thing." She looks up at it, just to confirm.
<Victor> "None of the miners were female, I suspect."
> "These three sure aren't. There were probably some woman at the camp though."
> "Here," she walks over to the guy by the ladder, "Take a look at this guy's hands."
<Victor> "And once fighting broke out over the statue..." Victor paused before shaking his head. "No, that doesn't explain it. They would have reported back in - there would be bodies - would there? Would the mine spooks... fully eat them?" With that, he wanders over to the person Shelly points out.
> The guy's hands are worn down to the middle knuckle. Like he was clawing at something long past the point when all pain and reason should have made him stop. Shelly offers a half morbid smile, "Seeing those and hearing your 'no tools' thing is what clued me in that something beyond you just getting suddenly weird was up. Also, this guy had the empty gun on him. Five steels says he capped the other two over that stag."
<Victor> "Likely." Victor nods almost distantly. "Okay, this is going to sound stupid, but hear me out. Our first objective should be to get the stag out so we can destroy it or melt it or something." (more)
> "Well...there are a couple empty guns," she amends, "but this guy had one on him. There are a couple more around," she points them out, "but those two weren't carrying any."
<Victor> "I am -not- under its compulsion - at least I am fairly convinced I am not - but it is... obviously a danger. Furthermore, you are immune to it - or at least it seems so, and we are aware of the danger now. If we report this, they may try to claim it - this risks losing more human life. I am not positive we will be able to convince them not to try and retrieve something made of silver and sapphire." (more)
<Victor> "So, from this, I think our best bet is to have you take it out and put it in your bag or something that doesn't involve me looking at it. Tomorrow, we try to prepare spells to melt it down. Agreed?"
> Shelly considers, "I'm not sure I can get that out by myself. And...remember I'm an Adept, I can't change spells like you can. What I have is what I
> 've got until I manage to learn more."
* Victor grimaces before thinking a moment. "It didn't want me to use tools on it, so maybe we can find some tools to get it out with?" And then a pause. "Where's our friendly mole?"
> The mole is looking down at you from the ledge you came down from. You can't tell whether it's head is peeking over the corner or through it.
> About then the light goes out and Shelly curses.
<Victor> This gets Victor laughing. "Are you -surprised?"
> "No, just really want that spell to last longer."
<Victor> "...I was thinking it was the mole. Right, sorry." Victor apologizes. "Didn't realize you had it on you instead. Uh... Do you have any other magic? All mine is instant, so it can't really lure him over."
<Victor> Victor himself begins moving back toward where the mole is/was to try and soothe it.
> "Yeah, I can cast Bless a couple times." She incantates and does so, the blessing settling over you and her.
> After she casts it, she looks around, "Hey, gimme your flint and steel, I think there was a lantern down here somwhere. I'm gonna try and get some light that wont fade in two minutes going."
> (OOC: Wild empathy, then)
* Victor nods slightly and passes the flint and steel over before trying to soothe the mole over.
<Victor> roll 1d20+2 WE check
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+2 WE check and gets 10."12 [1d20=8]
> You can see the mole softly almost glowing in the dark. It continues to watch you carefully from the ledge, but does not approach.
* Victor is willing to be patient- but then he remembers what Shelly said before about blood. "Let's move the bodies to one side and lure him around from the other side. He might be intimidated by the bodies?"
> "We're in a pit, Vic. There's not much of anywhere to move them to." She responds as she continues looking around, "Ah, here's the lanturn. Gimme a minute...okay, there's no oil in it but this looks like a spare flask here. I...guess he didn't bother changing the oil after it ran out..."
<Victor> "You remember how I was." Victor says quietly.
* Victor also simply continues to try and encourage the mole quietly, willing to wait until it becomes less cautious.
> A minute later, she gets the lantern refilled and lit. "Alright, now we have some light. So...what now? Want me to go grab some tools while you try getting in touch with your inner mole?"
<Victor> "Sure- no, wait, if I accidentally glance at the statue... well." Victor is silent for a moment. "Should we see if I can resist it now that I know what it does?"
> Shelly thinks...then takes your staff up off the ground where you dropped it and nods, "Sure, but I'll hold onto this. It'll give me something to whack you with if you go batty enough to turn on me. Since I'm not taking you unarmed, even with you hurt, and my other option is my blade..."
* Victor nods, before putting his gun to the side about five feet. "And I shouldn't have this on me. You know, logical thoughts and all. Ready?"
> "Well, I wasn't worried about you actually hitting me with that even from this range anyway," she deadpans with a half smile, "Alright, ready when you are."
<Victor> "Oh shut up." Victor replies with another grin, before nodding seriously and looking to the statue...
> You don't feel the same complusion as before. You feel something there, a sense of power almost, but not like before. The gem in the eye gleams as you stare...but you don't feel the covetous thought.
<Victor> "...it's powerful but it doesn't... grip at all." Victor comments after a moment, turning back to the mole. "Didn't take any willpower to shrug it off, either, so I think I'm okay. Go get some tools and we can work on getting it out and breaking it."
> Shelly nods and puts the staff down, grabbing the ladder and using that to get back out of the pit, "I'll grab some stuff from outside and get back soonish then."
<Victor> "Right." Victor returns to communing with his inner mole, trying to gently coerce him over to the statue!
> Oddly the mole doesn't seem to shy away from Shelly at all as she climbs the ladder up and goes right past it. It's just staring at *you* funny. (OOC: Okay, to set the scene, the mole is up on the ledge where you came down from. You're in a 10ft pit. The statue is about 8ft off the ground on the opposite side of the wall from the ledge, can't reach it without the ladder)
> (OOC: The ladder is currently back at the ledge, Shelly used it to get out. Trying to coax the mole from in the pit still, or going up to the ledge?)
<Victor> OOC: Victor would climb up the ladder halfway. All the way in the dark? Haha, no.
> (OOC: shelly didn't take the lantern, she left that with you! She did take your flint and steel though.)
<Victor> OOC: Sorry, missed that. He'd climb most of the way up and try to get the mole to smell the bless if it's still on. Otherwise, he'd climb all the way up and start talking with it.
> As the Bless has unfortuantely faded, Victor climbs the ladder up to the ledge. The mole takes a couple small scoots back and sniffs in your direction.
<Victor> "I'm sorry, little one, I wasn't myself there. Forgive me?" Victor asks softly.
> The mole sniffs at you again...(OOC: you can have one more Wild Empathy. It's kinda spooked, but you have fed it twice now)
<Victor> roll 1d20+2 yay
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+2 yay and gets 13."12 [1d20=11]
> The mole sniffs again...and scoots closer, poking you in the leg with it's nose before phasing through the floor. You...can't see it anymore at all.
* Victor blinks, before glancing down the pit. "I'm sorry, did I offend you?"
> There is no response, as the critter seems to have taken off. It didn't feel offended or anything, the nose poke seemed freindly enough. It just left after that.
<Victor> "Well." Victor smiles slightly. "It was good to have you around." With that, he heads back down the pit and moves the ladder back over to try and get a better look, taking the quarterstaff with him deliberately this time.
> The lantern's light isn't as good as that provided by the spell, but it's still enough to get a good look at the figurine by. The thing is flawless, even being stuck in rock, a clear product of master craftsmanship..or magic, take your pick. The sapphire gleams even in the dim light, almost seeming to dimly flsh sometimes when you arne't looking right at it.
<Victor> And Victor is trying to ignore looking right at it! Instead he begins to chip with his staff at the rocks surrounding it while he waits for Shelly.
> It's...not exactly the best tool, and you're trying to do fine work with a long staff while standing on a ladder. Not exactly the best of conditions, and not exactly what the tool was intended for.
> roll 1d2
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d2 and gets 2."12 [1d2=2]
> You don't lose your balance trying it, at least,.
> (OOC: Anything else, or skip to Shelly return?)
* Victor grimaces and heads back down to wait for Shelly.
> It's...taking her awhile. She shouldn't be gone this long. But before you decide to go looking for her, you can hear footsteps approaching, along with what sounds liek something being dragged.
> "Hey, Vic, can you hear me?" Shelly's voice calls from the tunnel.
<Victor> "Yeah." Victor says, quickly moving the ladder back to the front side. "What're you dragging?"
> "I could use a hand up here!"
<Victor> "Right, moment!" At that Victor hurries up the ladder to go to her aid!
> "It's a bunch of stuff," she says excitedly, "I figured I'd grab some tarps to drag the stiffs off with, and then figured since I'd have to drag those anyway I'd grab some more supplies then just a couple picks. I dunno what some of this is for, but I got one of just about every tool I saw and a couple extra lanterns and some more oil."
<Victor> "..." Victor's face carries an odd expression. "I guess that works, though now I remember why I tend to go gather materials." Victor says, heading over and looking over the items. "Also, 'stiffs'? Really?"
> "I also grabbed our rations...but I left them back down in a side tunnel. Dunno about you, but I don't think I could eat in here." She eyes the corpses. Then shrugs, "What should I call 'em, the victems? The bodies? The rotten slabs of flesh? Come on, first thing's first, lets get them outta here."
> There's a pick, shovel, prybar, hammer, and a few things you don't recognize in the tool pile.
<Victor> "Are you sure all of these are supposed to be -tools-?" Victor asks plainly, but shifts the tools off so bodies can be put on it.
> "Or at least wrap them up in a tarp or three and shove them in the corner so they don't stink QUITE so bad." She eyes the ladder, "getting them up will be a pain."
> "Your call, drag 'em out or just wrap 'em up?"
> "I dunno, I figured I had space on the tarp so why not bring it anyway."
<Victor> "..." Victor considers. "Let's leave them here, but get some debris and the tarp over them. A makeshift grave, but the best we can do here."
> She nods, "Right. Uh...you've been stuck in the pit longer, so I'll handle the gross part. You get the tarp set up, I'll start dragging them over. No sense both of us touching them and risking getting sick."
* Victor nods and begins preparing the tarp as Shelly works!
> It doesn't take too long. YOu get the tarp set up, and Shelly drags the bodies over one by one. You cover them with debris...then she looks up at the stag, "Alright, my suggestion is we get out and wash, come back in to eat lunch...sun says it's after noon already by the way, then get to work prying that sucker out. Sound good?"
<Victor> "Right. Washing up is the priority, however - and do so well, we've been dealing with dead bodies." Victor warns.
> Shelly nods, "Yeah, no kidding."
> You head out, get washed up, take in the fresh air a bit...then go back in the damned mine and eat something before getting to work. (Fort saves, both of you. the washing helped, but)
> roll 1d20+9 Shelly save vs disease
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20+9 Shelly save vs disease and gets 19."12 [1d20=10]
<Victor> roll 1d20+8 fort save, +4 racial
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+8 fort save, +4 racial and gets 28."12 [1d20=20]
> "Alright, so there's only one ladder. Who wants first shift of trying to pry the thing out?" Shelly looks up and asks.
* Victor shrugs and pulls a coin out, before flipping it. "Heads, I'll go first; tails, you go first."
<Victor> roll 1d2 1=heads
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d2 1=heads and gets 1."12 [1d2=1]
* Victor catches the coin, before glancing at it. Pocketing the coin he heads up the ladder, pickaxe in hand. "Keep the ladder steady?"
> "That was the plan. Lemme know what tools you want handed up too!"
> (OOC: Alright. Safe to assume at some point Victor touches the stag with his hand? Or is he actively working to avoid that?)
* Ranmilia is now known as Ransleep
<Victor> OOC: Victor would avoid contact of any sort. He knows it's magic or at least resembling magic.
> (OOC: Alright then, make...well, an untrained Profession: Miner check, -2 penalty for working in an awkward position and actively trying to avoid touching the stag)
<Victor> roll 1d20 -2 untrained +2 int
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20 -2 untrained +2 int and gets 5."12 [1d20=5]
> With the cautious approach, Victor manages to get a whole lot of not much done. After a bit, Shelly offers, "Want a break?"
<Victor> "Yeah. Not getting much of anywhere." Victor mutters, wandering down and passing the pickaxe off, looking at the tools he doesn't recognize as he holds the ladder.
> "Tag~" she singsongs, then climbs up the ladder and...well, does what she can anyway.
> roll 1d20-1 yay shit wis, but she's not trying to avoid contact or anything
* Hatbot --> "Gatewalker rolls 1d20-1 yay shit wis, but she's not trying to avoid contact or anything and gets 8."12 [1d20=9]
> Shelly also gets a whole lot of not much done. After awhile she climbs down and sighs, "Alright, we're not getting this thing out this way. I see we have two options, try to destroy it while it's still in the wall with like the hammer or whatever spells youc an get tomorrow. Or report back and hope we can get them to take the threat seriously."
* Victor nods. "I can produce a small flame. That might help melt it out?"
> ***********************************************

[VySaika]

> **************************************************
> The sun had already set by the time Victor and Shelly made it back out of the mine, back to the deserted camp. Shelly takes a look around and sighs, "Soooo...I really dunno how I feel about sleeping in this camp right now. It's probably safer then sleeping out in the woods. But."
<Victor> "We've found three bodies, plus evidence of a fourth." Victor says calmly after a moment of thought. "We know what killed the first three. What happened with the fourth?"
<Victor> "The one under the rubble on the other path."
> She nods, "Right. And...that doesn't quite explain everyone else in teh camp as well. There were more then four miners. Woods?"
<Victor> "Perhaps. But why the woods?"
> "I meant sleep in the woods becuase the camp is still creepy," Shelly offers a lopsided smile along with her clarification.
<Victor> "... Oh." Victor pauses.
<Victor> "Yeah, sure. But that still leaves the base question. Where did the other miners go? Were they in the cave-in, too?" Victor asks as he heads toward the gate out.
> "That's the only thing I can think of. But you know how Lorant is. Always twelve things you can't see to count in with the things you can." She nods and follows along, drawing her gun again out of general precaution as you leave.
> You head out of the camp and proceed to make your own a short distance down the trail. Nothing besides the usual nocturnal animals make themselves known for the time being, and you have no trouble setting things up.
> After the camp is pitched, Shelly looks you over, "You're wounded. Want first watch and for me to let you sleep in, or want to get some sleep now and I'll wake you up?"
<Victor> "I don't know. I'd be more satisfied if I knew how many died down there. As it stands there's just a question mark." Victor shakes his head, before glancing to Shelly. "I'll handle first watch. Adrenaline is keeping me going some."
> "Sure. And...yeah. But no way can the two of us handle shifting those rocks from the cave in alone. Wake me up when my watch comes, or when you think you can't stay up anymore, alright? No being macho, it doesn't suit you." She grins again, then curls up in her sleeping bag to zonk out.
-castleheck.tx.us.lunarnet.org:@#personador- ZombieGate invited Hatbot into the channel.
* Hatbot has joined #personador
<Victor> "Oh, you shush." Victor grins easily, before nodding.
> (OOC: Another Fort save for Vic, please.)
> (OOC: Also, take this time to redo your spells if you want different ones)
<Victor> roll 1d20+4 okay
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+4 okay and gets 21."12 [1d20=17]
> Victor's shift passes uneventfully, and he wakes Shelly up for hers before sinking into blissful sleep.
> Eventually he wakes to the sound of songbirds, and the clicking of flint on tinder. He can see Shelly starting a fire...and that it's well into the morning already. She did indeed let you sleep in.
<Victor> "Fucking songbirds." Victor mumbles, half-turning over before propping himself up on his arm with a slight wince.
> "Hmm...I don't think it's mating season right now." Shelly quips, then holds up a somewhat scrawny but still likely edible bird you recognize as what the locals call a 'Heybird' due to the sound they make. They're a bit larger then the pigeons from Venture, but pretty similar in most other regards.
> "This little sucker wandered into bowshot on my watch. I'm pretty sure you'd rather I didn't try to cook it~"
<Victor> "Paltry poultry, but far better than rations." Victor replies as he sits up fully, wincing again. "Oof. Now I'm feeling it. And heh, I'll run it to edible."
> She leaves it for you, "I figure we can take our time today, since all we need to to is break that figure. Which...should either be quick and easy or completely impossible, depending. Magic's funny that way."
<Victor> "Yeah, if it doesn't melt..." Victor shakes his head. "Though as I said it really felt like it didn't like the idea of being hit or hurt." As he talks, he begins browning the chicken, shifting a pot underneath it to collect juices. "Think you can scrounge up edible mushrooms or that - ah, tip of the tongue... the onion-like stuf- Vildgrass?"
> Shelly nods, "I'll go have a look around. And if it doesn't melt, we did find a sledgehammer. If that doesn't do the trick, I couldn't tell you what would." She heads off to go find some edibles.
> roll 1d20+6 survival
* Hatbot --> "ZombieGate rolls 1d20+6 survival and gets 12."12 [1d20=6]
* Victor sets up a miniature rotisserie while she leaves - nothing fancy, and using the backpack held back by strands on one end, but enough to keep pot and bird lifted.
> She returns after twenty or so minutes of hunting around...with just one thing in hand. She holds it up with a sigh, "Found a bearnut and that's it. Think you can do anything with that?" Bearnuts are...edible, eventually. After you get it to soften enough for human teeth to be able to break it down. They're usually left to soak overnight before any attempt at eating is made..
<Victor> "We'll take it with us and let it soak for tomorrow." Victor replies. "Should have a bit of broth left over for it."
> She stows it in her bag with a nod, "Seemed like the only edible thing around, too. I bet the miners gathered up most of the local scroungings before the shit hit the wall."
<Victor> "Probably. Should've realized that." Victor chides himself. "Anyway, we're almost ready here."
> "Great," she sits down, "Head back in as soon as we've eaten?"
<Victor> "Yeah. Let's get this done and go back to base."
> The bird cooks up, and you eat. It's...well, better then rations at least. Only so much you can do on the trail though.
> Shelly certainly doesn't seem to object as she cleans off her half in good time.
* Victor finishes most of his section before carefully wrapping the remainder up and storing what remaining broth existed in a canteen. "Use this to help cook the nut, I figure. Let's get going."
> "Righto." You break camp and head back into the mine, easily making your way back to where you found the deer...
> Shelly takes your staff away right before you reach that shaft, just in case.
* Victor nods and also passes his gun over before casting Resistance on himself. So steeled, he prepares himself before stepping into sight of the silver stag!
> Victor...feels a sensation, like he's being watched. But does not find himself wanting to dig the thing out with his bare fingers again.
* Victor nods slightly. "I'm good, not brainwashed, and the stag looks stupid. Let's do this."
> "Fire or hammer first?"
<Victor> "...Mmm." Victor tilts his head. "Hammer."
> "Alrighty. Hold the ladder for me." She jumps down and recovers the hammer from the tool pile. Then with Victor holding the latter, she climbs up on it, braces herself...and swings!
> roll 1d20+2 break check
* Hatbot --> "ZombieGate rolls 1d20+2 break check and gets 10."12 [1d20=8]
> The hammer hits, and...frankly seems to glance off the stag. Shelly frowns, "Wha? The hammer bounced. Shit does not go 'bounce'."
> "It was like hitting rubber, I swear."
<Victor> "...Let me try this." Victor frowns. "I'm not doubting you, I want to feel it myself."
> She hands the hammer down, the climbs down and holds the ladder for you!
> (OOC: Str check to break. Hammer's bonus and penalty from the awkward footing cancel out)
* Victor nods, and focusing on his anger and embarrassment, takes one massive swing at the stupid statue!
<Victor> roll 1d20 boink?
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20 boink? and gets 8."12 [1d20=8]
> The hammer...bounces off the statuette. Like either the hammer, the stag, or both were rubber.
> A quick check of the hammer confirms that it is in fact made of iron.
<Victor> "..." Victor presses his fingers against the statue, hard.
> It's made of silver, or some kind of metal best he can feel. And...as he touches it he can FEEL it's willpower...(Will save)
<Victor> roll 1d20+6 (additional +1 if Resistance still applies, duration is only a minute so presuming no)
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+6 (additional +1 if Resistance still applies, duration is only a minute so presuming no) and gets 22."12 [1d20=16]
> The stag...seems to respond. The blue eye flashes, and Victor feels a connection form with it. The statue is called the Blue Eyed Stag, and it has no use for those with weak wills. But for one who's will is stronger then the Stag's own, it will serve.
* Victor blinks. "Shelly, for the record, I didn't go loony again. But please bear with me, and if I start scratching at it feel free to pull the ladder out again."
> "Gotcha. What's up?" She looks up.
<Victor> Then, to the stag, "If you will serve, then remove yourself from here."
> The statue's eye flashes again, and the figurine is no longer in the wall. Victor now holds in his hand a belt buckle made of silver, shaped like a stag's head with two saphire eyes.
> "Um. What?"
<Victor> "..." Victor pauses, holding it, before descending the ladder, eyeing it carefully. "It told me - mentally - it would serve me. So I told it to remove itself - as you heard - and it did."
> "Right. Magic." She shrugs, seeming not too concerned other then that.
<Victor> "Yeah." Victor frowns. "I'll figure this out on the way back, see what it can do." Then, after a pause, Victor tries thinking *What are you capable of doing?*
> The Blue Eyed Stag represents the concept of Masculine Dominance. Should any man attempt to force his will over you, the stag will aid you in your refusal to be controled.
<Victor> "... well, if another guy tries to seduce me with magic, apparently this'll help?" Victor chuckles.
> "Aww." Shelly grins, then steps away so you can get down the ladder, "Alright, it stinks in here. Anything else, or are we good to go?"
<Victor> "We're good to go. Let's go report in."
> You exit the mine, get your things, and begin the trip back to Talshold. Shelly yawns as you go, "And now to walk for...what, four days? Five at this point, late start today. Hopefully we won't have any more trouble on the way back then we did on the way here."
<Victor> "That'd be nice." Victor says, fiddling with his belt and using the Blue Eyes Stag to keep it up. "At least we're heading -toward- civilization of sorts."
> (OOC: Alright, and here we have...random encounter rolls. Gimme a bit.)
> roll 1d100
* Hatbot --> "ZombieGate rolls 1d100 and gets 84."12 [1d100=84]
> (OOC: Does vic keep Produce Flame, or grab a new spell the next morning?)
<Victor> OOC: Cure Light Wounds and use it.
> OOC: Alright, roll it.
<Victor> roll 1d8+2
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d8+2 and gets 5."12 [1d8=3]
> OOC: Alright, roll survival. Shelly will aid.
> roll 1d20+6 aid survival
* Hatbot --> "ZombieGate rolls 1d20+6 aid survival and gets 7."12 [1d20=1]
<Victor> roll 1d20+7
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+7 and gets 18."12 [1d20=11]
> On the third day on the trip back...Vic has point and notices some odd tracks close to evening. Tracks, when combined with the state if the surrounding area, you can identify as belonging to a Blade Tusker. A pig like creature with, well, bladed tusks. That is insanely territorial. And from the looks of the slashes on some trees, probably fairly large.
<Victor> "We aren't camping here." Victor says as soon as he pieces it together. "Blade Tusker."
> Shelly's gun is out the moment you say the words, "What. Yeah, let's move. Quickly."
<Victor> "Right." Victor says. leading away from the tracks and to hopefully safer ground, his own gun out!
> OOC: Survival to figure out which way to go~ You're on your own here because Shelly's got full attention on keeping eyes and ears out for the tusker itself.
<Victor> roll 1d20+7 kay-o
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+7 kay-o and gets 10."12 [1d20=3]
> roll 1d100
* Hatbot --> "ZombieGate rolls 1d100 and gets 74."12 [1d100=74]
> You pick what you think is the right direction and go! After an hour or so of movement, you don't see any more traces of the tusker.
<Victor> "We're good. Let's get a bit further away just in case." Victor says after a moment.
> Shelly nods, "No sense taking chances with those things."
<Victor> "Seriously." Victor nods, leading the way a bit further.
> You get to a spot where you can camp again, and pass what seems to be an uneventful night. Vic notices some things moving in the night on his shift, but they seem smallish. And don't approach close enough to the fire to be seen.
<Victor> And so long as they don't try attacking Victor doesn't care enough to incite trouble. Better part of valor and all. Victor notifies Shelly of it before crashing.
> She wakes you up in the morning, and you get back on the trail. Now you're close enough to Talshold that really nothing SHOULD bother you. But you stay alert just in case.
> The day goes on...and as it gets a bit past noon, you come on to the actual trail. Cleared, stamped down, and maintained. At least this close to town.
<Victor> "Relief." Victor sighs a bit, before chuckling. "Even when roaming, I'm a city dweller at heart, aren't I?"
> "Let's see," Shelly counts off, "Hot food made by someone else, an actual BED to sleep in, and maybe, just maybe, a damn bath. All of which should be easily gotten with the coin we'll get from this job. So yeah, i'd say there's stuff to be happy about~"
<Victor> "Hey, my food isn't that bad!"
<Victor> This said, a thought struck me, and he thinks toward the Blue Eyes Stag, *You will not take a new owner lightly, will you?*
<Victor> OOC: Strike
<Victor> This said, a thought struck Victor, and he thinks toward the Blue Eyes Stag, *You will not take a new owner lightly, will you?*
> The stag does not seem to have any reply.
> Shelly grins, "Not as good as what an innkeeper can do though. With an actual kitchen. And fresher indredients."
<Victor> "Hm." Victor frowns lightly before nodding to Shelly. "Fair. Ingredients I lack."
> "Whelp, two options. Push on until we reach the town, probably really late, or camp one more night and hit it tomorrow. I'm...kinda up for the latter, myself. Not feeling a force march right now. You?"
<Victor> As they walk, Victor frowns. "The cave-in still makes zero sense. Sure, it was triggered from outside. Why would the man hypnotized by the stag cave in the miners? When would he have? He killed the first two, then clawed himself to death. At what point during this did the cave-in happen?... Let's pause one more night."
> She nods, "Yeah, there are pieces missing. And I don't think we'll get those until the cave in gets dug out."
* Victor nods. "...Agreed. In part, this is me being wary about handing the buckle over - if it was solely the stag's fault, I would likely do it. But it's only a side story, I think."
<Victor> "That, and I can't predict what will happen if someone else tries to 'own' it..."
> "You think people will go crazy and start trying to mug you for it?"
<Victor> "No no no. I mean, if I relinquished it, relinquished control of it, so to speak. It might start acting up again, if that makes sense?"
<Victor> "So in other words I have to watch over the damn thing so it doesn't hypnostag anyone else." Victor finishes with a sigh. "Pity, it would have made for a decent trading chip."
> "Aaaah." She nods, "Okay. So...well, finders keepers right? They didn't get it out of the mine, we did. So it's ours. I don't see why we should have to give it to them at all."
<Victor> "There's that, too, I suppose. Though resorting to childlike logic feels ill. I'll explain the circumstances, at the least."
> "That's childlike logic back home," Shelly points out with a smile, "Here, it's how alot of stuff works. Finders-keepers, might makes right, all that stuff that doesn't fly in Venture is a good chunk of what makes Lorant turn."
<Victor> "'It's magic.' Point ceded." Victor grins. "Doesn't mean I like it much, but fair."
> You find a place to camp that night on the side of the trail, and the only thing that bothers you is a hunter from Talshold and his hounds. Who largely just want to see who/what's there and then go about thier buisiness.
<Victor> Victor waves to the hunter and tells him of the Blade Tusker to the west that seems to have set up territory, without insinuating it as a threat or a quarry.
> As tusker is good eating, he thanks you for the tip and says he'll get some guys together to make a stab at it when he gets back to town next.
> The rest of the night passes peacefully and Shelly gets you up in the morning. "SHould reach the hold...I'd say by lunch?"
<Victor> "Yeah. Had a hunter swing by, so we're close." Victor nods.
> "Hunter, huh? Wonder what he was after at night." She shrugs, and breaks camp, eager to get a move on.
<Victor> "Didn't think to inquire. Told him of the Blade Tusker, though." Victor grins. "Should bring a decent one into town soon enough, I'd hope." With that, he follows Shelly's lead, setting out.
> "Yesss." She grins, "We may have to stick around for that. Tusker is delicious. Only had it once, but oh man so good. Domestic pig just does not even measure up." She leads the way and you chatter until...pressing on through where you would normally stop for lunch, you reach the gates of Talshold!
> ******************************************

[VySaika]

> ********************************************************************
> Talshold was a small township, called a holding in Lorish parliance, that served as both a convenient trading and meeting point for those who braved the wilds(or even lived in them) in the area, as well as a convenient set of walls to hide behind should things turn bad. Like all Lorish holdings, those walls were the pride of the town. Tall, strong, and with plenty of spots for defenders to take shots at unwanted invaders and monsters(more)
> invaders and monsters(more)
> But for now, the gates(which were equally impressive), were open and welcoming. Though there were of course guards posted. One of the two young men by the gate smiled and waved as you approached, recognizing the pair of venturans with thier distinctive looks from when you left.
> Shelly waved back at the man and turned to you, "So...report first, or get a place to relax and maybe a frelling wash first?"
* Victor waves back cheerfully as they approach with a slight stretch of the arms, before looking to Shelly. "Personally I'd like to report in first and not have to worry about it later. It's, uh, not like most people here notice when you wash. 'Earthy', was it, last time?"
> "I don't care what the locals notice, I care about itching less," she fires back, but nods along with your plan.
<Victor> "Honestly I usually stop noticing after a few days in..." Victor shrugs, before heading over to the planned meeting place.
> While the titular ruler of the holding would be Headman Jaster Tal(hence Talshold), the person who hired you for the job was a man named Hahl Rossam, who could usually be found paying out bounties and haggling over furs at the hunter's lodge.
<Victor> And that's where Victor heads over to with a decent amount of promptness!
> And so you make it over to the lodge! The hold isn't very big, so it doesn't take very long. The lodge's doors are wide open to let in the air, and you can see master Rossam inside having an animated conversation with a young woman. They seem just about finished though, she finally hands over a silver coin and leaves with some furs for her troubles.
<Victor> "Right. So, basically just tell him 'we can account for four bodies and the way they died, likely most others are buried, cause was accounted for and removed'?" Victor shrugs a bit just outside the building.
> Shelly chuckles, "Wonder what she's gonna make with 'em?" She seems content to let you take point in town. As usual.
> Then sne nods at you, "Works for me."
* Victor nods and heads in to greet Rossam!
> Master Rossam's old face lights up the moment he sees you, "Ah, lad, lass, you made it back! Come in, please, tell me you have good news? Or..." he gets himself into a more professional manner, "at least if you have bad news, tell me you have some detail for it."
<Victor> "We... have details. Some." Victor says after a slight pause. "The camp itself is deserted; we investigated the mine and found one path caved in, with evidence of people having been trapped inside. That is likely where the majority of the casualties are, but not all. Sabotage is our suspicion, but until a headcount is made and the cave-in dug out at least some..." A pause to let Rossam absorb this.
> He sighs and nods slowly, "Didn't find any survivors at all, then? Blast. And what of active danger? Monsters, haunts? Any of those unpleasant things?"
<Victor> "Some Mine Haunts, but not as many as one might think from a trouble of that scale. The other danger... well, that was found on another path, and part of why we suspect sabotage." Victor clears his throat. (more)
> (OOC: Mine Spooks. Note to fix in log, vic would remember the right word.)
<Victor> "A silver-carved deer was protruding from a stone wall in a downward shaft. At the bottom we found three dead - two shot in the head, the third with fingers reduced to stubble. Ah... Rather, Shelly found that. The enchantment on the deer found me, and would likely have worked had Shelly not smacked some sense into me." (More)
<Victor> "After that was remedied, we went up to remove it... and apparently since I survived, the enchantment shifted to something more mutable. So now I have the deer, and it isn't mindwrecking people. In other words, the mine should be safe again now, though the cave-in should be investigated." Victor finishes.
<Victor> A pause. "Oh. Evidence suggests no monster or anything severely dangerous, which also points to pure sabotage - either to try to secure the deer, which failed, or for other reasons."
* Ranmilia is now known as Ransleep
> "Silver deer?" Rossam peers down at your beltbuckle, "That thing there? Hmm...yeah, that has the look of something magic." Then he looks back up, "Hmm. What evidence?"
<Victor> "A ghost mole. Retreated after a time, but if one of them's roaming about the area, there's not likely to be much to fear."
> Thet gets a snort out of him, "Hah. Fair enough, that. Well...I'll have to speak with the Headman about this, but I'll wager he'll want to send a team of men up there to dig out that cave-in. And I'd also wager you'll be welcome to join it for a bit of extra coin, handy to have types like you along in case something does go wrong."
* Victor glances to Shelly. "I think... well, we're both wondering what all happened with the cave-in. There's enough issues with the sabotage theory that I'd like closure."
> Shelly nods, "If you want to go, I'm game." Then she smiles at Rossam, "Ah, but on the subject of coin?"
> He snorts, "Aye, you've earned it. See me in the morning, I'll have your pay then."
<Victor> "Alright." Victor nods slightly. "Probably be around a bit after dawn."
> "You can come get it yourself then, I'm sleeping in." Shelly grins at you.
<Victor> "It'll take me a day before I can manage that." Victor replies with an easy grin.
> "The team likely won't be ready to go for a few days even if the Headman puts top priority on it, so take some time to relax." Rossam chuckles at your antics.
> (OOC: Banter. Banter is the word I wanted)
<Victor> "Fair enough." Victor nods. "I'll tell you where we're staying tomorrow."
> He nods, then pries himself out of his chair to go speak with the headman, ushering you out of the lodge and locking up before he goes.
* Victor yawns at this. "Sorry for volunteering us for the return visit, but it still bugs me." A pause. "Don't even think of suggesting it's because I want to see the ghost mole again, either."
> "Well I wouldn't say I was going to *suggest* that~" Shelly singsongs as you head over to the only inn in the hold. Conveniently called "Inn" according to the sign outside.
<Victor> "Though a wash does sound quite nice, now..."
> "It really, really does." She leads the way in to the inn!
* Victor follows. After all, Shelly usually enjoyed the banter for room prices more than he did...
> The inn is just as you remember it. A handful of tables with benches around them, feels quite homey...if roughly hewn furniature and a smell of beer that is effectively stained into the wood is your idea of home. Nobody's in right now, aside from the innkeeper's daughter(who Vic was warned last time would cost him hands if he touched).
> She sees you come in and smiles, waving, "Oh, hello again! ..er, welcome back! Ah, it's a bit early for dinner, but I think we can get some food ready if you want a late lunch? And don't mind it cold."
<Victor> "Whatever's available would be great." Victor demurres (the girl wasn't quite up his alley anyway, not like that mattered).
> Shelly waves back, "Hallo~ Actually we could use some cold lunch. And even more then that, a wash. And a room." She looks back at Vic, "One's fine, yeah? Or do you want to spring for two?"
<Victor> "One works, not any different from out camping unless you really want to be away from me." Victor grins.
> "Alright, one room then." Shelly and the girl start haggling over price.
<Victor> While Victor rolls his eyes and claims a table.
> Shelly manages to argue her around to a room and meals for three days, and one wash each, for 8 steel coins. Which she pays, then collects your half from you.
* Victor rolls them to her Venturan-style on the table, with a slight nod. "Not bad deal. Swear you're getting better at that."
> She chuckles as the girl heads off to get your lunch, "Start talking about needing the room for a few days becuase we're sticking around to do work for the Headman and suddenly we have leverage."
<Victor> "Fair." Victor grins. "Wonder if there's anything to do while we're waiting..."
> "Maybe see the herbwoman about getting some more healers herbs for me, and spices for you? That'd be my first stop. Second would be poking around to see if I could manage to get another cartridge around here anywhere, since I ran through some bullets on those spooks."
> The girl brings back some cold leftovers for you. It's...not particularly great fare, but hey, cooked in a real kitchen and not by you.
> (OOC: If there's anything you're going to do, aside from collecting pay, we can do that. Otherwise, timeslip?)
<Victor> "Ah, yes. Spices for the trip back out with multiple others would probably be nice..." Victor muses as he begins to chow down. "Maybe prep a few snare traps..."
<Victor> OOC: We can timeslip; collecting pay and visiting the herbwoman seem minor, unless you wanna RP meeting the latter
> (OOC: Not really, she has stuff. You spend, say, 3 steels on picking up new herbs and seasons. I'll put your pay in the loot thread)
> You collect your pay, and spend a bit of time shopping around, finding the herbs you wanted but sadly no bullets for Shelly. She's not overly surprised. On the last day you have paid in advance at the inn, Shelly is out flirting with a hunter who you guess may have been cute or something, while Vic is heading back to the inn for some dinner.
> The atmosphere when you get in is...clearly different. At this time of day, it's usually pretty boisterious with the dinner crowd rambling about the day's work and just beginning to get thier drink on. But right now, it's nearly dead silent. Everyone eating in gloomy silence.
> The reason for this is quickly apparent at a quick scan of the room. At one table, appropriately off in the corner, is a woman with black hair. She's dressed like someone who's been out in the wilds for a bit, clothes rough and dirty from wear. And her expression is not particularly pleasant.
> She's alone at the table, of course. And drinking from a flask with some rations on the table in front of her, apparently unable to get any service.
* Victor frowns at this, a bit surprised. Normally he'd expect to hear about something going wrong if the inn's this quie- oh. Oh, hey, that explains it. Hm. Well, this is marginally unusual.
> A man gets up from his table and walks over there, expression set with determination, likely intending to run her out. As soon as he gets close, she looks up and locks eyes with him.
> And holds it.
> A moment later, the man edges backwards, grumbles somthing under his breath and goes back to his table.
<Victor> And that almost gets Victor laughing, but he manages to bite his lip just at the right time and turn away for long enough to retain his composure.
<Victor> roll 1d20+4 Lorant Lorish lore
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+4 Lorant Lorish lore and gets 24."12 [1d20=20]
* Victor nods after a moment, and heads to the kitcher first, ostensibly to put in an order but also looking for the innkeep's daughter at the same time.
> She's in there minding the pots and washing and cooking and everything all at once. She looks up when she hears someone enter, then seems surprised it's not her father(who is out pouring the drinks for the customers in the common room).
<Victor> "Hi." Victor says quietly. "Just wanted to put in an order for a quick plate, if I could? ... She's kinda killing business, it seems."
> She nods very slightly, as if she doesn't even want to talk about the woman, then makes you a quick plate of food as you're already paid for meals today.
* Victor grunts a bit quietly and gets the food, before glancing around. Seeing only tables near the woman readily available he shrugs and heads over to a table next to the woman, with a congenial nod to her.
> The raven haired woman eyes you for a moment with a raised eyebrow...before actually saying something, "You. You're...an outlander, aren't you?"
<Victor> "Yes. Venturan." Victor says quietly as he sits at the table adjacent to hers. "If the hair doesn't give me away the dye usually does." A slight pause. "Hate to preach something you've probably heard before, but the Venturan embassy does offer a place to stay where you aren't likely to get these sorts of reactions."
> "...you really aren't afraid of me." She...gets the very feintist hint of a smile, then shakes her head, "I'd heard rumours. But...a place to stay isn't what I need right now."
> "...thanks anyway." she adds, after a moment.
<Victor> "I would venture the Embassy could provide some aid if asked." Victor says after another pause. "And since I'm the closest thing to an Embassy rep here outside of my work partner, I think I have an obligation to listen." All this said in the same quiet murmur, before he begins eating a bit.
> She chuckles slihtly, "Unless you can fight, and you're willing to do something stupid that won't get you a thing in return, then there's nothing you can do for me." Her tone suggets she doesn't find that very likely.
<Victor> "Define stupid." Victor shrugs.
> "Going Underground." When Lorishmen say underground, in that tone, they don't mean in mines or cellars. That's what they call the network of caves and passages that exists under the surface. Things live down there. Things that nightmares are made of, if the legends are to be believed.
<Victor> "...For that, I'd have to ask my work partner." Victor says neutrally. "I could at least get back to you with an answer. Though I suspect you wouldn't want to stay here while you wait..."
> "..." the woman just stares at you for a moment.
> "Are you real? You're...even thinking about helping? Me?"
* Victor doesn't make a show of noticing, obviously absorbed in his food.
<Victor> "The hesitation is in the Underground." Victor says dryly after a moment, leaving the rest unsaid.
> She stands up. "I...I'll be outside. I won't talk about my problems in here. Not in here." She takes a look around the room, and everyone, even the innkeeper, is steadfastly not meeting her gaze.
> And she walks out the door.
<Victor> "And now you may all return to your drinks in better cheer." Victor says once she's departed, a slight smile on his lips.
> (OOC: Vic going to go look for Shelly, or stick around and wait for her to come back, or what?)
<Victor> OOC: Order of business: 1) Finish food. 2) If the woman's directly outside the inn, talk to her for a moment. Otherwise, wait around outside, the prejudice of the patrons is a bit stifling at this point for Victor.
> Vic finishes his food and heads out! He does in fact see the dark haired woman pacing around nearby along the wall of another building.
<Victor> "I'm going to go get my partner or... at least try." Victor says with a slightly rueful grin. "Not sure if she'll yet be available, but worth a shot. I can't offer you anywhere to rest here, 'm afraid - they listen to me only so long as I appease their... idiocy, put mildly. You alright with waiting a bit longer?"
> She's quiet for a moment, then nods.
<Victor> "Alright. Be back when I can, then. Again, apologies." With that, Victor goes out, trying to figure out where Shelly's at.
> OOC: Gather information
<Victor> roll 1d20+3 derpinfo
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+3 derpinfo and gets 9."12 [1d20=6]
> You...wander around for awhile. She's not where you remember her being. And nobody who was there saw her. You'd think pink hair would catch attention more, and Talshold isn't a big place anyway. After considerably longer then he'd like to take...he passes by the hunter's lodge and catches sound of Shelly laughing from inside.
* Victor mutters after a moment - seriously, Shelly? - and pokes his head into the lodge.
> Shelly is draped all over the arm of that hunter from before, while he's proudly showing off some of the trophies in the lodge that are his, and regailing her with stories of his strength and daring in obtaining them.
<Victor> Most important question: is she drunk? Or at least does she appear to be?
> She...doesn't appear to be, at a glance.
<Victor> A pause. Before Victor silently heads out, grumbling.
<Victor> "Back to lady ebony, I suppose."
> Victor heads back to where he left her. She's still there, no longer pacing, but sitting on the ground and leaning on the wall, wrapped in her cloak.
<Victor> "Apologies." Victor says, crouching next to her. "Comrade turned out... more indisposed than expected. It's rare we're back in town, anyway."
<Victor> "So, what is the full detail here?"
> She looks up and shrugs, "That's...fine." Then she sighs...and quietly starts to tell her story.(more)
> "The short version...is that I'm trying to find my sister. Trying to...rescue her. She's the same as I am, but young enough that she hasn't started showing magic yet. And..." her voice goes dead level, speaking in a quiet monotone, "it was four months ago now. We were trying to find somewhere else to live. Again. And...it was night. A new moon. And we had taken shelter in a cave for the night."(more)
> "I fell asleep. I shouldn't have, but I did. I just couldn't stay away. And...I woke up to the sound of her screeming. We had been attacked. Gremlins came out and took her, dragged her back into the Under." She looks up, "How much do you know about gremlins?"
> (OOC: That'd be K:A)
<Victor> roll 1d20+3 gremliin
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+3 gremliin and gets 12."12 [1d20=9]
<Victor> "The Lorant equivalent of my culture's boogeymen. Which is to say, nothing grounded in fact." Victor confesses.
> She nods, "They...steal children. Usually to eat." She states matter of factly, "but when they find one like us...they're going to try and turn her into one of them. A queen. Who breeds more gremlins. The process takes a year. So I have four months to save her. And I don't think I can do it alone. But I don't have anything to offer. And...well, you know how it is."
<Victor> "..." Victor's face is perfectly calm for a moment. "Well. I -will- have to consult my partner, but..." A slight pause. "I suspect she will want to know what your name is so she can address you properly as we go in."
> She just stares at you another moment, then says, "Kennet. Kennet Taver."
<Victor> "Victor Paran." Victor nods. "Where did she get taken in from, relative to here?"
> "We were...three days out of Hornsfald when it happened. And that's about five days from here, hard walking."
<Victor> "Alright." Victor says, musing. "Yeah, I cannot hard commit but I suspect the answer will be yes from my partner, as it is from me."
> "I...don't even know what to say." Kennet exhales, deflating in a mixture of shock and relief.
<Victor> "Then don't worry about it for now." Victor says quietly. "And... it's not as if my hair hasn't caused it's own problems here, and that's hardly a thousandth of what you must go through."
> "What they say. It's...true, you know." she says, without looking up, "I do have dark magic."
<Victor> A pause, at this. "Okay. Should I be worried? Because, you know, I'm not, and you haven't given me any reason to be." A tilt of his head. "It's more the person that uses it, no?"
> Kennet...half smiles, "Most of the time. You...don't need to worry then. Only my enemies need to be afraid of me."
<Victor> "Alright." Victor shrugs. "And, hey, if you want to study magic Rashal might a good place for you and your sister. My sister's even there, she might be able to help. Though first things first and all."
<Victor> "Anyways... I'd try to help you find somewhere to stay, but I'm likely to have problems there myself. I'll talk to my partner in the morning regardless, alright?"
> "That..." she shakes her head and sighs, "right. And don't worry, I'll just stay outside. I'm used to roughing it."
<Victor> A grimace crosses Victor's face. "So am I but that shouldn't make it needed here... I'll come find you tomorrow." With that and a wave, Victor goes to see if he can still crash at the inn or if he needs to rough it himself tonight (and if the latter, to grab his stuff first).
<Victor> roll 1d20+1 ahahahaha Vicdiplo ahahahahahaha
* Hatbot --> "Victor rolls 1d20+1 ahahahaha Vicdiplo ahahahahahaha and gets 9."12 [1d20=8]
> ****************************************************************