Game Logs: Seraphin arrives on the scene.

[Asrana]

Only because Rat said please.


<Rodent-Overlord> Riatavin! A moderately large city of Tethyr- recently. In previous years, the city had nominally been part of Amn, but it had recently defected to Tethyr for various political and economic reasons. The city itself was full of spires and tiled roofs; many buildings were several stories high or very long, owing to the mercantile nature of the area. Naturally, with some mercantile leanings comes those who are more inclined to t
<Rodent-Overlord> Naturally, with some mercantile leanings comes those who are more inclined to take and less inclined to trade.
<Rodent-Overlord> Of course, even thieves organized themselves, and so several guilds existed for that sort of night work. One such guild had recently hired a rather unusual candidate, and she had certainly been worth it. Of course, success does not equate to a lengthly survival in this business, and it was perhaps for this reason Seraphin found herself in the private room of Ruth, the veiled leader of the 'North Side Guild'. It was her weekl
<Rodent-Overlord> It was her weekly meeting with the woman, and it was naturally conducted at night.
<Rodent-Overlord> "Ah, Seraphin," she says, dressed in fine, though unpretentious silk. "Take a seat, if you want, though this meeting won't take long." Her 'office', if you could call it that, was really just an ordinary apartment with a desk, a couple of seats, and a large chest.
<Seraphin> Seraphin's lips twitch slightly, a twisted and small smile as red eyes moved around the room. "Thank you," she offers, even as she remains standing, but both hands visible and curled around the back of the chair offered.
<Rodent-Overlord> "Good to see you're still well," she says. "Now. Normally you come up here, I give you a job, and you go out and get it done," says Ruth, matter-of-factly. "Today is different. Ever since I hired you, I've had to put up with a never-ending slew of complaints from some of the thugs I employ. Your hair is too bright. You have a 'bad aura'. I'm paying you to do what anyone else could. Etcetera, etcetera."
<Rodent-Overlord> "Since you're not bad at your job, I quelled them for a time. I've been informed, though, that enough of them have managed to find enough guts lying on the street to seriously decide to deal with you. I could forbid them from doing it, and abruptly lose half my street force to the South Side."
<Rodent-Overlord> She leans back in her own chair, drumming her fingers on the table slightly. "You've done a good job, though, and I don't want to find your corpse floating in the fountain tomorrow. So I've decided I'll send you on your way today. Got a problem with that?"
<Seraphin> Seraphin's smile didn't seem to leave, just twisted a little more. "Not particularly surprising, and no, I don't have a problem with it," Seraphin murmurs, voice soft, almost whispering. "Surprised they didn't smell me, but that's unsurprising in its own way," she snickers, fingers tracing the lines of the chair. "I guess you would suggest removing myself from Riatavin?" she inquires, a little louder, more conversationally.
<Rodent-Overlord> "Yes," replies Ruth. "That's exactly what I mean. It's bad business for a guild to hire someone, then for that someone to show up dead and some guildmate wiping the blood off his dagger. Now, if you're interested, I know where you can find a little more work," she goes on, glancing at you for acceptance.
<Seraphin> Seraphin nods, relaxing a touch. "That would be helpful, thank you," she offers, the terming almost clicking with automated formality,, like one would expect of a well mannered member of society.
<Rodent-Overlord> "There's a small city south from here. Called Saradush," informs Ruth, tossing you a map. "It's only a few days ride from here. That's certainly far enough away, I think. Old friend of mine is mayor. Name's Castor. He needs some help with.. something-or-other, I forget, but the man is throwing around gold like a Waukeenar in a market."
<Seraphin> Giggling like a child at the remark, Seraphin unfolds the map to take a look at the location. "I'll see what I can do for him," she hummed, taping the map against one hand, one, two, three. "I'll see you...probably never, but thank you."
<Rodent-Overlord> "Drop by in a year or two," replies Ruth. "Anyway, I left a horse in the stables at the south gate for you," she finishes, standing up. "That's all for tonight, I believe. Luck to you- and keep an eye out in the streets."
<Seraphin> Raising an eyebrow at that. "That was rather generous," she hums, shrugging a little. "We'll see in a year or two, with any luck, I might be a court attendant to red wizards by then...I also might be sold back to Hell," Serpahin grins. "Thank you for the opportunities, though," Seraphin's voice evens, more genuine as she begins to leave.
<Rodent-Overlord> Ruth smirks as you take yourself out of small apartment and exit into the streets of Riatavin. It's late and most people are sleeping, now, except for a few drunkards, staggering down the street and attempting to sing 'Dead Man's Promise'. They're failing pretty badly.
<Seraphin> None the less keeping her eyes open, Seraphin stays alert as she rides out of town, warnings about her 'fellow employees' not unheard. Definitely not alien, either. Who would want to work with a child of hell? Such is not a concern though, as she leaves one city for another, job to job.
<Rodent-Overlord> Nobody accosts Seraphin on her way to the gate, or after she leaves. The land about Riatavin is sparsely forested, consisting mostly of wide plains and a few shrubs; Seraphin could get to Saradush by following the path, which would take her few a couple of small towns, or by riding overland, which, while faster, almost certainly would bring with it a greater chance of running into something unfriendly.
<Seraphin> Seraphin keeps heading down the road. The evils she knows, or the evils she doesn't, she'll choose the former. Particularly better to avoid any pits or rocks there may be. A horse is hard to find, rather expensive, in fact.
<Rodent-Overlord> Into the morning, Seraphin rides, and the sun rises alongside her to match. The terrain grows sparser as your ride on, until hardly a tree can be seen- just an endless field of rolling grass. To the southeast, a great range of mountains can be seen distantly on the horizon- but it's quite a ways away. Around noon, however, you ride into the small, but spread out town of 'Tree's End'. A manor house crests a small hill to the
<Rodent-Overlord> A manor house crests a small hill to the south of it, but apart from that the place is fairly typical.
<Seraphin> Seraphin dismounts, wincing a little at twinges in her legs. Not something she's fully used to. Walking her mount, she goes looking for an inn to collapse in.
<Rodent-Overlord> As Seraphin stumbles through the town, she can see another rider entering from the west. It's a human woman- a knight? She's clad in armour, and has a sword and shield, as well as a helmet. A few of the villagers wave to her- they seem to know her. A moment later, she rides towards the manor house.
<Rodent-Overlord> After that, though, it's not hard to locate the inn- it's the only building with two stories to it. It's fairly homely and sparse, and doesn't appear to have a name.
<Seraphin> Tying her horse to the railing out front for now, but taking her pack with her, Seraphin heads inside. Time enough to stable and curry the animal momentarily, once she secures somewhere to sleep. "Hello?" she calls, sighing at a small lock of silver hair, and blowing it out of her face. Not exactly inconspicuous, but she has a few cover stories for it, and riding in with hood up would be worse.
<Rodent-Overlord> A young man lies slumped over a table inside, more than a few empty mugs surrounding his head, which he holds in great pain. "Uh.. yes? Is it still night? Man.. just leave your 5 silver on the barkeep, or whatever."
<Seraphin> "It's morning," Seraphin informs him dryly. "How much to stable my horse?" she asks, counting out the silver. "And which rooms are available?"
<Rodent-Overlord> "It's morning?" moans the man, clutching his skull. "Oh, uh, 5 silver for stabling," he mumbles, picking him self up. "All the rooms are open, really. We've only got three... they're all that way." He points towards a back door, yawning. "Geez, lady, you look worse than me," he adds, squinting at you. "Better get some sleep. Both of us. Huh."
<Seraphin> "Ah traveling, the expenses never end...and I've lived through worse," Seraphin murmurs, sighing a little at the prices of things these days, but this didn't look like the most well traveled location. Pocketing the silvers and just dropping a gold on the bar, she heads back to her horse to get the poor animal settled before she herself collapses.
<Rodent-Overlord> The stable is pretty lean, but servicable. The horse itself falls asleep fairly quickly, too, leaving you to go back to the small and spartan rooms (and they're certainly spartant- just a bed, pretty much.)
<Seraphin> Picking the farthest down room, Seraphin settles herself in, weapons near at hand and coins held close to her body, Seraphin collapses into sleep for a time.
<Rodent-Overlord> And despite the pervasiveness of morning, Seraphin manages to fall asleep without much trouble. Of course, as you sleep, you dream... and the dreams have been particularly vivid, as of late.
<Rodent-Overlord> You dream. You can't feel your body, and you barely remember that you have one. Coloured flecks of light dissolve in your vision and coalcize into a monochrome- a flat expanse of featureless grey ground, and slight fog permeating the whole world. There is no sky. There is no horizon. There is nothing.
<Rodent-Overlord> Muted whispers, of surprise, pain, and resignation flitter through your ears. Ghostly faces float back and forth, some locked in an expression of peace or sleep- others in great pain.
<Rodent-Overlord> Suddenly, red and black form into a a cruel, scaly visage. Only humanoid in the loosest of senses, it's broad mouth is cut into a permenant sneer, and horns extend from it's broad forehead.
<Seraphin> Regarding the face in all of the fogginess of this dream, Seraphin blinking slowly, and trying to reach out. Feeling not quite real, or even really aware, what is this?
<Rodent-Overlord> Your body- if you even have one- refuse to respond, leaving the ghastly, unfamiliar face floating in front of you, unmolested. A voice reverberates through your mind- one of strong and dark power. It's words, however, are oddly benign.
<Rodent-Overlord> "We share a common enemy, you and I.
<Rodent-Overlord> Your master seeks to dominate you.
<Rodent-Overlord> I seek to destroy him.
<Rodent-Overlord> If you stood with him I would destroy you-
<Rodent-Overlord> But you do not.
<Rodent-Overlord> Take heed, fiend-touched, and know
<Rodent-Overlord> That you will never be free, without my aid."
<Seraphin> A dark smile twisting on her face, or trying to. "What we seek is one and the same," Seraphin agrees softly, shivering, but almost happy in this.
<Rodent-Overlord> There is no response. The visage of the devil vanishes, leaving a strange feeling of chilling euphoria reeling through your mind. As the dream fades away, you sense another presence...
<Seraphin> Sitting up sharply, or trying to, Seraphin's hand snatching at her blade in a reflex born of survival, and bringing it to bear if she can.
<Rodent-Overlord> Your door shuts softly, and staring up, you can see the figure of.. a nobleman? Dressed in a striking red coat, and wearing fine clothes all around, he slowly draws a rapier, intoning in a dramatic voice- "Hear me! My master- and yours- demands subservience. You flee his will, despite your true wish to embrace it.
<Rodent-Overlord> I am your punishment!"
<Rodent-Overlord> OOC: Sense motive check!'
<Rodent-Overlord> OOC: Er. Lack of dicebot. Grr.
* Hatbot (~Hatbot@cpe-24-28-73-91.austin.res.rr.com) has joined #dunes
<Seraphin> roll 1d20
<Rodent-Overlord> OOC: Voice it. >_>;
* Seraphin sets mode: +v Hatbot
<Seraphin> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Seraphin rolls 1d20 and gets 6."12 [1d20=6]
<Rodent-Overlord> His voice is certainly full of real hatred. A low snarl emnates from his throat, as he pauses before striking.
<Rodent-Overlord> OOC: Initiative.
<Rodent-Overlord> : 1d20+2, 18 , Total: 20
<Seraphin> roll 1d20+4
* Hatbot --> "Seraphin rolls 1d20+4 and gets 14."12 [1d20=10]
<Rodent-Overlord> Lunging forward, the man attacks your startled from!
<Rodent-Overlord> *form
<Rodent-Overlord> : 1d20+4, 20 , Total: 24
<Rodent-Overlord> !
<Rodent-Overlord> : 1d20+4, 2 , Total: 6
<Rodent-Overlord> : 1d6+2, 4 , Total: 6
<Rodent-Overlord> A brutal blow, barely missing your vitals as it flashes in and out your chest.
<Seraphin> Snarling, ruby red eyes clouding over as Seraphin darts out of bed, pain forgotten as her sword flashes towards her enemy!
<Seraphin> Roll 1d20+5
<Seraphin> roll 1d20+5
* Hatbot --> "Seraphin rolls 1d20+5 and gets 13."12 [1d20=8]
<Seraphin> roll 1d6+3
* Hatbot --> "Seraphin rolls 1d6+3 and gets 5."12 [1d6=2]
<Rodent-Overlord> You counter with a vicious stroke, sending him staggering back a pace for he strikes again with renewed vigor!
<Rodent-Overlord> : 1d20+4, 8 , Total: 12
<Rodent-Overlord> You deftly parry his thrust, the clink of your swords piercing your ears.
<Seraphin> Slashing the thin blade aside, Seraphin steps in, reflex taking over as she slashes again at the vile critter!
<Seraphin> roll 1d20+6
* Hatbot --> "Seraphin rolls 1d20+6 and gets 11."12 [1d20=5]
<Seraphin> roll 1d6+3
* Hatbot --> "Seraphin rolls 1d6+3 and gets 5."12 [1d6=2]
<Rodent-Overlord> You miss, the noble dodging your quick blade. Frowning, he tries to cut an arc across your skin.
<Rodent-Overlord> : 1d20+3, 3 , Total: 6
<Rodent-Overlord> Perhaps someone should have reminding him that you're supposed to stab people with a rapier, though.
<Seraphin> Stabbing with her own, broader sword, Seraphin aims to spill this man's blood.
<Seraphin> roll 1d20+6
* Hatbot --> "Seraphin rolls 1d20+6 and gets 18."12 [1d20=12]
<Seraphin> roll 1d6+3
* Hatbot --> "Seraphin rolls 1d6+3 and gets 7."12 [1d6=4]
<Rodent-Overlord> This time, your blade finds it's mark- right in the gut. Your foe flops to the ground, not unconcious, but bleeding heavily from the gut wound. He's not long for this world, that's for sure.
<Seraphin> Seraphin quickly loots him, like any efficient professional not concerned about evidence, wrapping that cloak tightly around him to minimize bloodspill. At least she won't object to the likely calls for her to leave.
<Rodent-Overlord> As you wrap the cloak around him, you can hear his voice, whispering perhaps final words into the night...
<Rodent-Overlord> "...where am I?... I am wounded.. help me, you," he mumbles, his eyes slightly glazed, and his voice holding none of the his former bloodlust.
<Seraphin> "You tried to kill me," Seraphin snorts, opaque red beginning to fade from her eyes. "Whatever Hell you go to, it was one of your own making."
<Rodent-Overlord> "..kill?" he mumbles, his head lolling about. "Who.. are you... Abelia? Is that you?" His eyes glass over fully, and he stares at you as if you're someone else. "Abelia.. it is.. so cold..."
<Rodent-Overlord> With a final sigh, the man expires. Your cloak, you realise, is completely ruined.
<Seraphin> Grumbling, Seraphin cleans her blade on the man's blood stained garment beforee sheathing it. Muttering a few choice curses, she heads out to try and find that damned inn keeper, probably still sleeping.
<Rodent-Overlord> As you walk out, you realise that it's getting dark again. To be expected, really. The inn keeper is out in the inn, and he appears to be the only one there. "Oh, it's you," he says, sounding far more clear-headed than he did that morning. "What did Lord Logan want with you?"
<Seraphin> "Uhm...he started yelling, and then stabbed me," Seraphin says plainly, pointing at the still fresh wound in her shoulder almost absently, staring at it herself a little.
<Rodent-Overlord> The young man blinks a little, staring at the wound with some kind of morbid curiosity. "Oh," he says, plainly not sure how he's supposed to react.
<Seraphin> "So I kinda had to kill him..." Seraphin continues, blinking a few times in detachment now that it's over. "Uh...he's a lord around here?"
<Rodent-Overlord> "You killed him?!" says the young man, ignoring your later question. "But.. what.. Lady Abelia.. don't move! I need to tell Lady Abelia!" he replies, running out the inn.
<Seraphin> "...This is not good," Seraphin mutters, going back to her room for one of those healing potions, and to get her things in order to leave, or fight her way out.
<Rodent-Overlord> When you return, the inn is still deserted, It might be wise not to tarry, though. (1d8+5 for the healing. >_>)
<Seraphin> roll 1d8+5
* Hatbot --> "Seraphin rolls 1d8+5 and gets 8."12 [1d8=3]
<Seraphin> Sighing softly, Seraphin leaves the inn behind, one of the oils for her weapon ready at hand as she ehads out, looking around the place. Was pursuit already heading for her?
<Rodent-Overlord> You didn't take long- you can see someone running up to the manor house, though.
<Seraphin> Grumbling to herself. Why oh why is she getting this need? It just seems to come with getting away from Him. Scribbling a note in common, 'He tried to kill me, but didn't succeed', Seraphin pins it to the bar with the blood soaked rapier before leaving.
<Rodent-Overlord> Outside, people are looking around, apparently wondering why the young man fled out the inn. A few of them look at you, but they don't pay you much attention (though a few wrinkle their noses).
<Seraphin> Quite normal, especially as the scernt intensifies in the presence of its more real counterpart. In any case, Seraphin begins out of town, a casual trotting gait, like anyone that needs to get somewhere, until she's out of sight.
<Rodent-Overlord> You travel on unmolested. Nobody seems to care, of even notice. After a short while, you put the town of Tree's Rest behind you...
<Rodent-Overlord> ...and a few days later, the city of Saradush appears on the horizon. What does it promise? You'll soon find out.