Necromancer IC - Frivolous

[Maquise]

In the kingdom of Ashcen, magic is feared and hated. The king, Zuhrin the Magebane, has outlawed and lead several campaigns against it.


At the end of the day, that doesn't matter to you. You are a farmer's child, and have no magic that you know of. You live in a small, dirty hut at the edge of a small village called Hackevir. Your mother died giving birth to you; your father cares little for you.


You wake up this morning, April 21 7th Year of the Hammer. The sky is grey and overcast, and you can smell rain in the air. You've worked hard the last month planting, and the rain will be a much desired respite. You struggle to get up off your dirty straw bed. The small, old wooden shack you've called home all your life is currently empty; the embers of a cooking fire smoulder in the fireplace, giving a dull orange glow and a token source of heat in the dank, cold morning.

[Frivolous]

Daisy Birdwhistle rises and adjusts her plain peasant's smock in what she hopes is the optimal way around her curvaceous figure. Not that she has anyone to impress on her father's farm, but some rich man might pass by asking for a drink of water or milk.

She casts her gaze downward prudently when she sees her father, Devin, glare blearily at her in his usual frustration and rage over having a daughter he must pay a dower he cannot afford to marry off, one that looks so much like her beautiful mother.

She hurries to bring wood from their little cache to enliven the fire and prepare a meager breakfast for her Da.

[Maquise]

As you hurry to get the wood, you notice your father outside.He is loading the donkey with some form of bundle.
"It would do you well to learn some modesty," he grumbles as he see you approach. "I will have no daughter of mine traipsing about in some slattern's rags. I'm going to town, stay here. Not much can be done in the rain, so be sure to get the weeding done before. I'm not paying for medicine if you catch ague."

[Frivolous]

Daisy starts to protest that she can hardly be blamed for being born beautiful, but she flinches at the memory of her father's hard hand and subsides. She nods meekly and says, "Yes, father."

But in the privacy of her own head, she wonders what it would be like to stave the old man's head in with a club. She is so very tired of reminding her father of a wife he could not keep and enduring his resultant foul temper.

She peeks a little at the bundle on the donkey, but says nothing. She does not approach too close, either. Her curiosity is a small beast, certainly smaller than her happiness at her father leaving her alone for a few hours.

As soon as Devin departs, Daisy starts to do the weeding as he commanded. She's glad of the cloudy sky. Even though the cold day makes her shiver, she has a really clear complexion and pale skin she wants to keep, not become tanned and leathery and mole-spotted like other women.

[Maquise]

You manage to complete the weeding prior to the downpour beginning. It is the light, drizzly and drawn-out sort that is iconic of this time of year and part of the country, and is exactly the sort that crops prosper in.

The rain abates by mid-afternoon, though the sun remains hidden behind a curtain of iron grey.

[Frivolous]

Daisy beams at having completed her work, then stops, because she heard from her friend Minda that girls who smile too much get lines in the sides of their faces.

"Smooth skin, Daisy. Smooth skin."

She closes the door of the Birdwhistles' small shack and goes to the nearest road to see if she can meet anyone interesting, handsome, or rich (any one of the three will do) passing by.

She does hope that no one steals anything while she is gone, but in truth, there is not much to steal.

[Maquise]

When you get to the road, you notice that the wet mud has been churned up pretty recently; it looks like a lot of people have traveled into Hackevir from the nearby farms and elsewhere today. Surprising, given the weather.

[Frivolous]

Daisy raises her fine pale blonde eyebrows at seeing how much mud has been churned up.

"Well, golly gee. Wonder what all the ruckus is about."

She ponders, then wanders up one side of the road away from Hackevir, looking for anything out of place. Sometimes travelers drop something on the way and don't notice. Sometimes the things they drop can be valuable, like a handkerchief. Even money, maybe.

She ignores the wet mud caking her bare, heavily callused feet. Easily washed off with water from the rain barrel once she gets back home.

[Maquise]

Along the side of the road, you find a pennant that appears to have been swept up in the wind and rain earlier that day. The colors are still fresh; the black and white checkers and heraldry of the Royal Army. It would appear that soldiers came this way.

[Frivolous]

Daisy squees in glee and claps her hands at her find. She snatches the pennant up and admires it, feeling the weave and embroidery, much better than anything she or her father owns. She looks around, fearful that anyone else might stake a claim in it, overriding her own.

If she sees no one, she ponders some more, then squees some more. She begins walking back along the road, this time towards Hackevir. Along the way, she babbles happily to herself.

"Soldiers. Maybe they stopped at the town to water or feed their horses. I can return this to them, maybe get a reward."

She does not speak of the thought she has of handsome muscular men in armor. Mmm, soldiers....

[Maquise]

Hackevir, nestled beside a river unimaginatively of the same name, sits in the shadows of the Norsepeak Mountains. While the mountains are clearly visible, they are many leagues away still, and the land is still flat. This part of the country is mostly prairie; you pass a few trees on the path.

You arrive at the village proper. You pass several thatched-roofed cottages before the wood shops. Dozens of brigands in black-and-white raiment have seemingly materialized since you were here last. They seem to be the only ones out, walking briskly to their destinations, apparently eager to get indoors. A pair stand guarding a large bell in the town square. A parchment notice is fixed to the wooden frame of the bell, although you are one of few who can actually read it:

The Witch Bell tolls of its own when magic is cast within the village. This bell is a gift from the king to his people to protect them from foul arts.

Notable locations include the smithy, stables, general store, butcher shop, warehouse, tannery, and the tavern.

[Frivolous]

Daisy quickly wraps the pennant up into a small bundle so it is not easily noticed. She wants to return the pennant to someone important, an officer, not some low-ranker.

She slowly and laboriously reads the notice and ponders. "Hmm. Witch Bell. Golly gee." She quickly loses interest, since she is not sure she even believes in witchery.

She goes to one of the guards but does not smile for him, though her instinct to is strong. She just politely says, "Ah, good afternoon? You're the King's men, right?"

"Where are y'all staying, or are you just passing through?"

Though she does not know it, she has a broad rural accent when she speaks.

[Maquise]

The soldier, a young and unseasoned man, says, "We are here on official business, under the command of none other than the great Sir Edward Pelleau. He has arranged for us to be garrisoned in this here settlement for whatever duration of time is required to complete our mission." He speaks with a great deal of attempted gravitas, and uses words he likely has only overheard in an attempt to sound more important. And likely more impressive to you in particular.

[Frivolous]

Daisy nods, still not smiling, lest this young man be excessively blinded by her shining beauty (or so Minda assures her; no one she knows well owns a mirror, so she cannot confirm for herself).

Mispronouncing a name, she burbles, "Sir Edwin Pelleau. That's great. It must be great for you to soldier on under such a great hero."

"Ah, where is Sir Edwin now, or at least his, you know...second in command? I got something for him."

Daisy pauses, then adds, "How do I recognize an officer anyway? Do they got a better hat?"

She looks around furtively just in case her father is around and sees her. She is sure she can convince him not to strike her for following him into town, but only if she can talk to him first.

[Maquise]

"Sir Edward is a great hero, awarded many virtues by the king himself! He wears a great suit of armor, gilded with the finest... umm... shiny bits! I don't really see what you could have that would be so valuable, but if you would give it to me, I'll be sure to pass along his gratitude."

[Frivolous]

Daisy's lips thin a little at the soldier's obvious ploy. She tries to come up with a pleasing win-win scenario, so she doesn't lose any possible reward.

"I'd thank you kindly for offering, glorious sir, but maybe we could go together, so I don't get lost looking for Sir Edward?"

"Then we could, you know, talk on the way. And back."

Though she still refrains from smiling, Daisy flutters her eyelashes. She heard Minda say Dolly say Mistress Ilva say that works.

[Maquise]

Your charms seem to be working on this young lad. He smiles, and nods.

"Well, I'm not sure if Sir Pelleau is available at the moment, but I'm sure one of his officers will be present..."

You follow him to the tavern, just as a stately-looking middle-aged but strong looking man in shiny armor with a rich cape emerges.

"Sir Pelleau, sir!" The soldier says, snapping a salute.

[Frivolous]

Daisy automatically and clumsily salutes the middle-aged man in armor as well, copying what the soldier did. Only with her left hand, since her right hand is holding the bundle of the pennant behind her back.

[Maquise]

Sir Pelleau eyes you once with little more than a token regard, then double-takes. You think you see something like recognition in his eyes, but he quickly hides it.

"Armsman, who is this?"


"This lady says she has something for us," the soldier says.

[Frivolous]

Daisy burbles, "Hi, Sir Edw... I mean, Edward Pelleau. I'm Daisy Birdwhistle. My da is Devin Birdwhistle, and we live just outside of Hackevir. This young soldier of yours was nice enough to help me find you."

"I found this on the road. It looks real nice and shiny and I think it belongs to you." She unfolds the pennant and offers it to Pelleau.

After a short pause, hoping Pelleau gets her meaning, she adds, "I hope you're glad to get it back. I know I would."

[Maquise]

Sir Pelleau seems irked at this. He waves his hand. "Have her give it to the requisitions officer; I have more important things to worry about." He marches off.

Your soldier friend snatches the flag from you. "That was what you had for him? Some old flag blown on the road?"

[Frivolous]

Daisy looks crushed. Her voice rises to a shrill pitch from anxiety. "Well, I thought it was real nice, e'en covered with mud and all..."

She sniffs, then with a furious effort of will controls her expression and her voice, lest she seem a greater a fool than she does already. She straightens her spine.

"Yeah, I guess all I had for him. An old flag."

She smiles now, a cold smile. "D'you still want me to come along to the...what did he call it? The requisitions officer? Or if not, I guess I can go home. My da will be waiting for me, I think."

[Maquise]

The soldier mumbles something about how he's gonna have to muck the stables now for looking like a fool in front of the knight, and walks off.

As you head home, you notice a strange bird, a blood-red raven seems to be following you.

[Frivolous]

Daisy pays little attention to the strange red bird, whose feathers she might otherwise want for a hat. She hurries home, running as quick as she can, so that she might avoid the peril of getting there after her father, who might then demand to know where she has been and if she's been acting slatternly.

Her heart, though, burns with rage at making a fool of herself and for trying to do a good deed (never mind that she had wanted a reward, it was clearly a good deed to return someone's belongings, right?).

In her fantasies, she throttles the young soldier and Sir Edward Bloody Pelleau until their faces turn blue, then buries them head down in the mud.

[Maquise]

You arrive home to find that the house is dark, which is odd given how the sun is setting. You would have thought your father would've put a light on.

You open the door, to find one of the rotting old tables has been knocked on its side. You see a pair of feet sticking out from behind it. Nervously, you walk over to it. The body lying behind it is your father, though you have trouble recognizing it. His face has gone purple and bloated.

[Frivolous]

Daisy feels dizzy upon seeing her father's corpse. Reality flutters on the edge of full blackness around the edges of her vision, then brightens a little, but retains a dreamy, unreal quality.

She closes her eyes and shakes her head and opens them again and looks. "That's strange. I must be dreaming. But where's the donkey?"

She staggers a little as she goes out the door to look for her father's donkey.

[Maquise]

As you look around your property for the donkey, you notice the red bird again.

"Good evening, madam," it says to you.

[Frivolous]

Daisy murmurs dazedly, "Good evening, bird. How red you are, like blood."

"Have you seen my father's donkey, flying high above the world? It's not a cow, but still a valuable animal. I'm afraid we can't do without it."

She pauses, then intones, "Falcons are red, corpses are blue, my name is Daisy, how do you do?" Then she giggles drunkenly.

In a softer, calmer voice, she says, "I'm dreaming, aren't I?"

[Maquise]

"I do not believe so, madam," the bird says in an oddly cultured voice. "I am simply here to deliver a message. My name is Sanguineus, and I have come to inform you that you have received an inheritance, Daisy Birdwhistle. Your late uncle Lucien von Nehlyvich has left you his estate. I am here to ensure you successfully receive it."

[Frivolous]

Daisy frowns thoughtfully. "I see. I never heard of an Uncle Lucien, but on the other hand, you have my name right, so I guess you could be correct."

"Please tell me, Sanguineus, how am I related to him? And how did he die?"

She ponders, then remembers something. "Oh, forgive me; I forgot my manners. Would you like something to drink, maybe something to eat?"

[Maquise]

"I am quite alright, thank you kind madam. As for your uncle, I believe he was the brother of your mother, though unfortunately I am not privy to the cause of his untimely demise, although I do have some suspicions. However, those can wait for another time."

[Frivolous]

Daisy nods. "I see. Well, that makes sense. I never knew my mother. She died bearing me."

"It's a pity Uncle Lucien never came to talk to me while he was still alive. That might have been nice, you know? Because I tell you, having Devin as my only relative is a real mudbucket."

"How do I get this inheritance? What do you want me to do?"

Idly she pinches herself, then frowns at the pain. "How strange."

[Maquise]

"I suggest you prepare yourself for a long journey," Sanguineous says. "It is a fairly long..."

He looks, and you follow his gaze to a column of soldiers coming down the road.

[Frivolous]

Daisy remarks in an idle manner, "Oh, more soldiers."

She waves slowly and languidly at the approaching soldiers, smiling dreamily. "Kind of strange seeing more of them. I ne'er heard of so many pass by this way before."

[Maquise]

As the soldiers approach, Sanguineous begins squawking and making a matter of strange noises. "No, no no! Soldiers, here! We must leave now!"

[Frivolous]

Daisy looks at the bird. "We must? Why?" But the tone of panic in the thing's voice makes her crouch down and stumble back towards the Birdwhistle shack.

More softly, she says, "Are they gonna hurt me? The ones in town didn't. Unless you count my feelings." But from the iciness that suddenly pervades Daisy's voice, she most definitely counts her feelings.

[Maquise]

"The king opposed your uncle," the bird says, "and may have been responsible for his death. Tell me, was there anyone of importance in town?"

[Frivolous]

Daisy continues to creep towards the shack. She murmurs, "Important? Yeah, a Sir Edwin Pelleau. He and his men were setting up this Witch Bell thing."

She laughs softly in amusement, then says, "Hey, do you think the King had my Da killed, too? He's dead, you know."

Continuing to speak in a very matter-of-fact voice that acts as a thin shroud over the sudden wrenching dislocation of all she knew, Daisy adds, "At first I thought it coulda been you, but you don't have any hands, do you, Sanguineous?"

"Not that I care very much about him. But Devin was mine, and I don't got enough to cheerfully lose what I have, not even him."

[Maquise]

"Pelleau is here?" he asks. "In that case, it is a very good thing that I found you when I did, or you likely would have perished, too. He's one of the king's most feared servants and was a great enemy of your uncle's," The bird hops around the ground. "We must depart before the soldiers arrive."

[Frivolous]

Daisy nods obediently out of habit and goes to take from the hut some food, a waterskin, and a cloak. She steps cautiously and respectfully over Devin's supine corpse when she has to and avoids looking at his blue face.

She muses, "I probably shouldn't have told Sir Egghead my name." She sighs. "That was a mistake. But how was I to know?"

If she can find any money at all, she takes that, too. Then she leaves the hut, following Sanguineous away from the wreckage of her home and everything and everyone she has ever known.

[Maquise]

You find a few shillings (cp) that your father had tucked away, but not much more.

"It matters little," Sanguineous says. "You will have plenty of resources once we reach our destination."

He looks out over the plains. "We must head north by northwest, and avoid the soldiers. They will be looking for you, so you must stay off the road at least until we reach the forest."

[Frivolous]

Daisy shrugs and nods with all the stoicism of a lifelong peasant who never had much but work and hardship.

"That's fine. I'll survive. Just tell me where to go and don't leave me alone, okay? And you better be right about those 'resources' where we're going, or I'll be real mad."

She walks some more, turning her head to look around her every few heartbeats, then softly says, "While we walk, and if you don't mind, Sanguineous, could you tell me about Uncle Lucien? Why were he and the King enemies?"

[Maquise]

As twilight approaches, you head into the plains, following the direction that Sanguineous states.

"Oh dear," the bird says, "These surroundings are remarkably flat. It will be difficult to reach safety without being seen."

[Frivolous]

Daisy takes a while to think it over. She says in a flat, dispassionate voice, "Will they see grass moving, if I crawl? I don't mind crawling, if it means success."

"And once night falls, we'll be less visible, and I can walk. What do you think?"

[Maquise]

"That should work," he says, "assuming luck is with us."

You move throughout the night, ever tense. Fortunately, the torches of the soldiers makes it easy for you to track them. You thank the stars none of them are rangers.

When morning comes, you find yourself in unfamiliar land surrounded by rolling hills. Hunger gnaws your belly, and you are sore and tired.

[Frivolous]

Daisy snarls at Sanguineous. "I eaten all my food already, and my waterskin is empty. How much farther do I gotta go? Where are the 'resources' you promised me?"

She sits down on a rock to rub her aching feet. Even the calluses she has built up over a lifetime of working and walking without shoes (the Birdwhistles couldn't afford them) have not been enough to fully protect her feet, and they are scratched and bleeding.

"Can't you, like, call for a horse or something? I don't know why Uncle Lucien sent a single bird to fetch me anyway, even if you do talk."

[Maquise]

"I am afraid the journey is several leagues," the bird says, "and we must move quickly. With your father dead, I fear you are in greater danger than we realize. Tell me, what do you know of today? Why did he go into town?"

[Frivolous]

Daisy mutters some bad words, then says, "He? You mean Da, or Sir Egghead Pelleau?"

"If you mean Sir Egghead, he went to bring the Witch Bell to Hackevir. Nice-looking fellow. Too bad he probably wants to kill me."

"If you mean Da, he wanted to bring this thing, I guess. He was putting it on the donkey. I couldn't see what it was, though; it was wrapped up."

Resignedly, she gets up and continues trudging in the direction Sanguineous points out.

[Maquise]

"You should rest," Sanguineous says. "I will keep watch."

[Frivolous]

Daisy looks blearily and suspiciously at the red bird. "Rest? Are you sure? You just said that we had to keep moving."

She scowls in thought, then shakes her head. "I wanna keep moving. You already said they want to kill me. I can rest when I'm dead."

She keeps walking. Somehow, Sanguineous' sudden and contrary offer to her of rest makes her more determined to go on.

[Maquise]

"You traveled all night," he says. "You can't keep going much further,"

The fatigue in your limbs seems to be agreeing with him.

[Frivolous]

Daisy stops and sighs. "All right. But you better not betray me, bird."

She searches for a place that made relatively obscure by surrounding vegetation before she casts herself on the ground and wraps herself up in her dirty cloak She squirms uncomfortably from the hunger in her stomach and, even worse, her thirst, but eventually her fatigue overwhelms her.

[Maquise]

You locate a small glen near a freshwater stream, concealed by a grove of trees. You curl up there and rest for a few hours.

You're awaken at noon, and after eating a small meal of wild berries with fresh water, continue on your trek. You eventually find a well-worn road heading-east west. Sanguineous informs you that heading west for a while will get you there sooner.

You walk for some time, when you hear the sound of shod hooves approaching from behind you. About 200 yards back, a mounted soldier approaches. Sanguineous, not yet noticed, darts into the foliage near the road.

[Frivolous]

Daisy looks for any other soldiers behind or with the mounted soldier.

If she sees none, she simply moves to one side of the path so that the mounted soldier can pass by and continues walking. She also fixes a shy smile on her face, the same smile she might have bestowed upon a handsome young soldier yesterday, a lifetime ago.

[Maquise]

The soldier stops his horse next to you. "What is a young lady like you doing out here, all alone?" He points to the forest just north of the road. "There are all sorts of dangerous creatures in there, not to mention bandits and the like."

[Frivolous]

Daisy smiles up at the soldier, sure now that he is not part of the group led by Sir Pelleau, then casts her eyes down as befits her station as a lowly peasant.

In a sing-song voice, she says, "Oh, I'm just looking for berries, your honor. We're wanting to make a pie out of 'em."

"As for bandits and monsters and the like, why, I feel little fear with one of the King's brave soldiers patrolling on his fine horse."

She pauses, then asks, "Or are you traveling? May little Flora humbly ask to where, and for what? We don't get to talk to many travelers, especially fine gentlemen such as yourself."

[Maquise]

"There are too few of us here to keep this area safe," he says. "There be rumors of goblin bands coming down from the mountains. It might be best if I took you home."

[Frivolous]

Daisy pouts and makes her voice sound sullen and unhappy, "I'd dearly love to ride such a fine horse with you, gracious sir, but I don't got enough berries yet. I shouldn't have eaten so much, I guess, but they were so sweet! My mother would switch me if I got home empty-handed."

"And begging your pardon, fine sir, but our hut is just a bit off the road, and we don't want to get your nice horse wounded. That happened one time."

She sighs despondently. "So I thank you for your most kind offer, sir, and bid you godspeed."

[Maquise]

"I don't like the idea of one such as you wandering out here alone, but if your folks live nearby, then you must be hardy." He rides off.

[Frivolous]

Daisy lifts her head and smiles as she watches the soldier ride away. She waves. But once the soldier is out of sight, she lets the smile drop from her face like a rock, and she calls, "Sanguineous? He's gone."

As soon as the red bird reveals itself, she continues on her way. Perhaps even towards the dread forest to the north the soldier warned of.

[Maquise]

Sanguineous takes you north, away from civilization and into the forest, up to the foothills of the mountains. As you close in on them, you first get a sense of how large and imposing they truly are.

The next few days are harrowing, with the path you are on seeming more like a game trail than a trade road. You are beset by strange noises and eerie phantoms, the oppressive nature of the forest looming down over you. But you know of no where else to go...

"Not much farther, we should arrive by the end of the day. Of course, when I left I was flying, so I may have misjudged the time walking."

"We'll head up this path until it enters a ravine. Then, we'll follow the ravine to a particular cave. Going through the cave, we'll come out on the shore of a lake. The estate border's that lake."

[Frivolous]

Daisy flinches periodically at all the phantoms and noises. Her flesh is bumpy not with cold but with constant fear. She hasn't been able to relax at all ever since entering the forest.

"Glad to hear it. What are these things? Ghosts?"

"You must know something about the monsters here, Sanguineous; you and yours live here."

Daisy picks up a stout stick or even a rock, so as to have something to defend herself with, or at least something to throw.

Her feet continue to bleed slightly. She has never walked so far in her life, and she feels feverish and weak from hunger, thirst, and, she fears, sickness.

[Maquise]

"This forest is home to all sorts of magical creatures, madam." He looks at you. "I fear at this rate you'll never make it..."

His fears prove correct, as you suddenly topple over, fainted from exhaustion and weakness.

You wake up in a strange bed. Or rather, two very small beds pressed together to make room for you. You are currently naked beneath the sheets, save for wrappings on your feet. You look around, and appear to be inside of some sort of small wooden cabin, with an arch-shaped roof. A small figure, no more than four feet tall and wearing a flowing robe that covers all of their features, even their face, is stirring a cauldron over a bowl of hot rocks.

[Frivolous]

Daisy looks around fearfully, then covers her bosom with the sheets. Then, after her waking panic wears off, she coughs politely to let her host know she's awake.

"Hello."

It only then occurs to her to look for Sanguineous. She cranes her neck to spot any red. Or maybe the small robed creature is cooking Sanguineous. Serves the stupid bird right, Daisy reckons.

[Maquise]

"Good," the feminine voice of the figure says, "the foolish stranger is awake." She pours some of what she's cooking in a bowl. "Now she must eat the herb soup."

You smell the herb soup. It... isn't an entirely unpleasant smell, but it is strong. You think you see pieces of something you can't identify (shrimp).

[Frivolous]

Daisy cautiously reaches for the bowl. "Thank you."

Daisy is too hungry to refuse food or medicine, especially when it's clear the robed stranger could have killed her if she wanted. She sips and eat directly from the bowl, putting the soup to her lips and using her own fingers to pluck out solids and put them into her mouth. "Yum. You're a very good cook...madame. Thank you for caring for me."

"And yes, I am foolish. But I was following the directions of a talking red bird. You see anything like that flying about?"

[Maquise]

"Talking red bird? Maybe foolish stranger seeing things, too long without food. Or maybe telling truth. But none of the Naormi have seen such a bird."

You've heard of the Naormi. A nomadic people, they have a long history of distrust against them, rumored to be thieves and enchanters. The king has past a decree banishing them from his lands.

[Frivolous]

Daisy nods, taking the Naormi as she has the rest of the insanity that has become her life, with calm acceptance, because the only other alternative is going catatonic from disbelief.

"Well, I'm right grateful to you, madame of the Naormi. My name is Daisy, and I came from Hackevir, the closest town."

"I should warn you and your folk not to go near there anymore. They're setting up a Witch Bell to warn if any magic happens. Sir Pelleau led them."

She continues eating and sipping from the herb soup, then asks in a casual manner, "Um, you know of any human...estates in the area? Me and the bird were going there."

[Maquise]

"Not many humans living in the Wyrmwood," she says, "And those who do are very dangerous. The King doesn't have much power here."

[Frivolous]

Daisy slowly and a little slyly says, "Not many humans? But some, right?"

"I'm already grateful and owe you for your help so far, ma'am, but if you could give me directions to any humans about, I'd be doubly so."

She pauses, then asks, "Hey, why is it called the Wormwood? Are the worms around here real big?"

[Maquise]

"There were dragons living here, long ago. Some say they still do, deep in caves hidden away."

[Frivolous]

Daisy purses her lips at the creature's non-answer. She gawks at the mention of dragons, though. She had been thinking those were entirely mythical.

"Um, where are my clothes, ma'am? I'd be glad to do chores for you or something, to repay you for your kindness b'fore I go."

She tenses a bit, knowing this might be the moment of truth, when she learns if she is actually free to go or not.

[Maquise]

"You must still regain your strength," she says. "You haven't fully recovered. Stay with us for a while; we can help you find this estate of yours."

[Frivolous]

Daisy feels her feet and feels the temperature of her own neck to discern if she is actually still sick or not. She also shakes her head to see if that makes her unbearably dizzy.

As she does this, she says firmly, "But the bird said we were pretty close to our goal."

"I'm really obliged to you, and if there is any way I can repay in the future, I will, but I'm pretty sure I gotta go soon. Besides, the bird will be looking for me."

[Maquise]

You still feel a little weak.

"Doesn't do you any good if you pass out in the forest again," she says. "Next time you might not be so lucky as friendly folk finding you."

[Frivolous]

Daisy sulks. "That's...true. Though I really don't want to be a bother..."

"Is it okay to ask your name, or is there some magic reason not to give it out?"

[Maquise]

She chuckles. "You can call me Lotus."

The journey is peaceful, and the Naormi's hospitality holds true. They seem most grateful for the help you provide them.

As you lived with them, you began to learn a bit more about them. Many of their customs are secretive, and more than a bit esoteric. This has caused them persecution from the king's men, and most of the humans they've encountered have distrusted them. They travel far, making their way by trading with outlying peoples and by living off the land.

Eventually, you arrive at a large clearing. It is obvious the Naormi have been here before, as the clearing shows signs of habitation, most obviously wagon-trails.

[Frivolous]

Daisy observes, "It looks like a kind of Naormi marketplace. Like a trade-meet."

She looks at her strange guide. "Is it only Naormi who come or pass by here, Madame Lotus, or other folks or critters, too?"

[Maquise]

"This is a place for the Naormi," she says. "We meet here with the other caravans."

A purple-robed figure approaches. "Ah, good. Our guest has awoken, and not a moment too soon. Very sad, but we must ask you to leave now. We have way-finder, can take you to your place of going. Where is our guest going?"

[Frivolous]

Daisy stares at the Naormi in the purple robe. She curtsies clumsily.

"How do you do? I'm Daisy and I want to go to the estate of Lord Lucien. He's a human and he lives in these parts."

She attempts to recall what Sanguineous said. Her memory has always been sharp, and she recites, "Along a path you found me to a ravine. Alone the ravine to a cave. Through the cave to a lake. Where I want to go is on the shore of that lake."

Sounding a little forlorn, she whines, "Any of that sound familiar?"

[Maquise]

"The tower..." the purple one whispers, and the Naormi present mutter amongst themselves.

"The place you speak of... it is rumored to be haunted, and home of a great many powerful spirits."

[Frivolous]

Daisy looks interested, and pleased. She does not mind at all being associated with the terrible and the terrifying. It gratifies her that her uncle is feared. Or was.

"That's where I'm supposed to go. You don't have to come with me too close... I'll let the wayfinder decide."

"Hopefully not before I reach the cave, though. Ravines sound dangerous. I don't know how to keep rocks from falling on my head."

[Maquise]

The wayfinder, a Naormi in a subdued greenish grey outfit and carrying a quarterstaff, takes you on your journey. He is quiet most of the way, and seems to regard you with suspicion and nervousness.

He takes you through the ravine, and to the cave. After he has left, Sanguineous reappears.

"My humblest apologies for my absence, milady. However, I felt it best that I was not present while the Naormi were still around. They are a superstitious lot."

[Frivolous]

Daisy eyes Sanguineous with a calm but stern look. She puts on an air of mild disdain, as if she no longer really needs or wholly relies upon the magical red bird.

"How can magical people like the Naormi be superstitious? That's like saying ghosts are nervous around vampires."

"On the other hand.... They did say the tower was haunted. I almost laughed, but I still feel a bit weak."

"I need you to explain further to me, Sanguineous. The Naormi were real nice to me, and they took care of me when you wouldn't, or couldn't. So you owe them."

"And you owe me, too. And I want a bit of an explanation before I go further. I want to know more about what I'm getting into with this 'inheritance' you mentioned."

"For instance: Is it safe? Do I get to still be me, or do I become something like you? Cuz I figure you were once a man, weren't you?"

[Maquise]

"On the contrary," he says, tilting his head. "I was once a dumb animal. My days were spent with no thoughts more sophisticated than where I would get my next meal or find a mate. Your uncle Awakened me, giving me thoughts on the level of yours, and teaching me to speak. And for that, I am eternally indebted to your uncle, who asked me to look after you. And look after you I have, and will continue to do so. As long as you heed my council, you will not come into harm. So do not be so quick to judge what is owed. The Naormi served their purpose; if you wish them gratitude, then you may see fit to reward them in the future. As for the tower, it will be your new home, I would wager. It is a place of great power, which is now yours to wield as you are capable. But beware, for it is as a flame, dangerous to those who do not respect its power."

[Frivolous]

Daisy stares intently at Sanguineous, trying to catch if the bird is lying... But she can't read bird body language, drat it. She sighs and nods in acquiescence. "All right. Let's go. I dearly hope we're near the end of our journey, Sanguineous."

Her voice echoes weirdly as she cautiously enters the cave, looking up and around before she takes each step. "Especially since I forgot to ask Madame Lotus for a candle..."

[Maquise]

You continue on your journey, arriving at the shores of the lake at twilight. The air is chill, more so than you are used to. The night sky reflects off the glass surface of the lake. Mountains rise on all sides.

You walk down the seemingly out of place paved road, arriving at a tall Gothic gate set off the beach. Sanguineous flies out of site for a moment, and the gate opens of its own accord.

You step onto the grounds proper. Every thing seems surprisingly well-kept. You round a bend, and get the first sight of your new home.

An imposing, grey Gothic tower stands before you. The outer walls are perfectly smooth, with no sign of mason work. Windows, tall and slitted, are placed at regular intervals, each one framed in wrought iron. The structure is at least 6 stories tall.

You arrive at the front door. It is inset several feet, forming an enclosed front step. You pass a pair of menacing gargoyles. The front door is about 8 foot square, with a set of two black knockers, appearing as grim faces.

[Frivolous]

Daisy looks around nervously as the gate opens by itself. In a place like this, almost anything is possible, and the possibilities range from the merely scary to terrifying. And, unfortunately, Daisy Birdwhistle has a very good imagination.

She calls out, perhaps to the empty air, perhaps to the fearsome gargoyles that she suspects may not be only stone. "Hello! I'm Daisy! I've been invited! If I knock on your doors, I hope you won't eat me!"

Shivering with fear and cold, she reaches up and uses the knockers. Bam. Bam. Bam.

[Maquise]

Once more, the doors open of their own accord. You enter into a circular foyer. A chandelier spontaneously ignites, flooding the room in light. The floor is smooth marble with a fine carpet laid over it. Verdant plants sit in pots on the edge of the chamber, along with a circular table, upon which there is, amongst other things, a roll of parchment and a bound leather tome. A door leads out of the room on the opposite side.

[Frivolous]

Daisy flinches at the sudden eruption of bright light, light so bright it stings her eyes and makes them tear.

She passes by the parchment roll and the tome, looking at them with interest but not enough to actually read more than any visible titles on either.

After glancing briefly at the titles, she calls out hesitantly, "Hello?"

She looks around for the red bird. "Sanguineous? Where is everyone? Where are all the servants?"

[Maquise]

The scroll says, "For Daisy" on it.

You do not see any servants, or hear anything. "Do not worry," Sanguineous says. "The tower will attend to its own needs. No need for flesh and blood servants."

[Frivolous]

Daisy's eyes bug out. She does not know whether to be extremely impressed or terribly shocked, and her expression shows it. "You mean I'm all alone here? This entire building, just for me?"

Her throat works, and then she finds words to clarify her amazement. "My Da and I lived in one room. And when the weather was too bad, Devin brought the donkey and the chickens in."

She shudders at this sudden and overwhelming reversal of her fortunes, and then she picks up the scroll and carefully unwraps it so she can read its contents. For once, she is grateful she can read at all.

[Maquise]

You break the scrolls seal, opening it. The scroll is written in black ink, with a hastened hand:

Daisy Birdwhistle,
There are many things I wished to tell you, but my time is short, and there are important matters to discuss. You have inherited not only my property, but my legacy. I give you the resources I had in life to aid you in this, as my legacy will consume you if you allow it. But prove yourself strong, and you will gain more power than you could possibly imagine. This book is the beginning. Hold it close! Its knowledge is the greatest power on this earth.

Lucien von Nehlyvich.

P.S. Listen to Sanguineous!


You examine the leather tome. The cover is black and featureless, the leather thick and stained with wear. It is held shut by a pale metal clasp. There is a small depression in the clasp, about the size of your thumb. The pages are still white, though.

[Frivolous]

Without looking way from the scroll, Daisy experiments, saying, "Tower, I want something hot and nice to drink. Bring it to me in a nice cup, all right?"

She sighs at the irritating brevity of the scroll's message. "Sanguineous, it looks like you learned how not to explain much from Uncle Lucien. Maybe it's from living alone for so long."

Carefully, using just the tips of her work-worn fingers, she opens the black tome.

[Maquise]

You find, leafing through the white pages, that not all of them are blank. Some do, in fact, have writing on them. Pages covered in eldritch symbols and writings describing esoteric rituals. All seem simple enough, at least in practice. You find, to your amazement, that the longer you study these pages, the more their contents seem to make sense.

After a short while, you hear the rolling sound of wheels. One of the doors open, and an expensive looking cart with a tea set on it rolls up to you, with no obvious mechanism for pushing. The teapot floats up, to pour you a cup of tea.

[Frivolous]

Daisy giggles in surprise at the arrival of the cup and the invisible butler that serves it. "Oooh, wonderful." She sips and smiles beatifically.

She continues to read the black tome of Lucien as she ponders what to do next.

When she feels ready, she firms her voice and says, "Tower, I need a hot bath. Like, badly. I also need some new clothes, like women's clothes in my size, all right? Not men's clothes like Uncle Lucien wore. Also slippers in my size, and healing ointment for the wounds on my feet."

"When all those things are ready, ring a bell so I can hear, then send something to lead me to the bath."

To Sanguineous, Daisy says, "Uncle Lucien was a magic-user, I guess." It is not a question.

Then she morbidly asks, "Was he strong, or did his own magic kill him, in the end?" She furtively glances down at the scroll, particularly at the sentence about 'consuming'.

Daisy sips some more, enjoying the burn as the hot liquid flows down her oesophagus.

[Maquise]

"I fear I do not know the exact nature of his end," the raven says, "but I do know that Sir Pelleau was responsible. He was the knight tasked by the King to hunt down and destroy your uncle; the two were bitter enemies for many, many years. Likely even before you were born. Lucien stayed one step ahead of him for all of that time, but in the end Sir Pelleau gained the advantage. Somehow, the knight must have found out about Lucien's inheritors, and sought you out."

[Frivolous]

Daisy broods, an unfamiliar act for her, but one she dimly intuits will become more and more common as the days go by and she continues to live in this tower. Its very architecture and interior design seem suited to grim introspection.

"Where is Uncle's body? I wanna see it."

"I also wanna see a painting of my mother, if there is one in this tower. There gotta be at least one, right?"

[Maquise]

"I am afraid the former isn't possible," Sanguineous says, "at least, not yet. Your uncle is in fact interred on these grounds, but he left explicit instructions that you were not to view it until you are ready. The doors to the crypt will not open. I believe, however, that a painting of your mother exists in the library."

[Frivolous]

Daisy's fine blonde eyebrows rise as Sanguineous speaks. She infers that Lucien must have died in a hideously discombobulating manner. Maybe eviscerated, she muses.

"Take me to the Library, Sanguineous." Daisy goes to visit it.


OOC questions Are we nearing the end of the prologue? I can easily continue to explore the tower and have Daisy do stuff or say stuff or ask stuff, but I'm not sure it would be appropriate.

Also, may I ask if I'm roleplaying adequately, by your standards?

[Maquise]

You seem to be roleplaying alright as far as I can tell. Maybe go in a bit more as far as what your character's feeling/thinking.

The prologue is basically over. The game itself, though, is pretty sandbox; at this point you can do whatever you want. Though most of the tower's not going to be immediately accessible; the levels will open as you level up.

"Very well," Sanguineous says, "I will take you to the library. Rather, the lower one. This tower has several; this one is used for the more... mundane texts."

Off the main hallway, you find a parlor for the entertainment of guests, if you so desired. It is well decorated, with furnishings of silk and gold.
Further down, you locate several guest rooms. Each one is well-kept, although you do note that, as far as Sanguineous is aware, they have never been used; you may be the first person to enter this tower other than its master. "Master Lucien had many estates; he entertained elsewhere."
You find at one end of the hallway a heavy stone door. It does not appear to possess either lock or handle, and you cannot open it. At the other end, is a staircase that ascends.

You arrive at the second floor. Three doors stand before you, one leads to another flight of stairs, one an elaborate study, one the master bedroom. First you examine the study. In it is one massive writing desk, stocked and well organized. The room also contains a private library containing more books, tomes and scrolls than you have ever witnessed.

Situated above the main window in the library is a large portrait of the woman how had to have been your mother. She is probably the most beautiful woman you've seen, with long flowing blonde hair and baby blue eyes. The portrait has her dressed in an elegant burgundy dress.

You locate another door, which leads to what looks like a private museum. Paintings of exotic people and places line the walls, and you see priceless objects, both beautiful and strange, sealed in glass cases. A pair of suits of armor stand beside the entrance door.

[Frivolous]

OOC reply and many many questions I see. Much of my earlier roleplaying by text experience was down on describing my internal feelings, since it could alienate fellow players, so I tend to avoid description and narration of what my character is thinking. I will try to dis-inhibit myself in that regard.

1. If the prologue is over, should I draw up a character or something, to represent what Daisy becomes after her training?

2. How many years does it take for Sanguineous and the tome to educate her to a 1st level necromancer?

3. What spells are in the tome or in the other spellbooks, that Daisy can absorb and take as her own? Are there any traveling spellbooks available?

4. What kind of equipment is available for her to use? I gather there won't be any rolling of starting gold, etc.

5. I gather Lucien was a necromancer. What were his opposition schools? I figure he had fewer spells of those schools.

6. Does Sanguineous take the place of Daisy's familiar? He seems far too bright to be a level 1 wizard's familiar.

7. Are there any requirements with regards to Daisy's creation, besides the ones you already mentioned in the recruiting thread? Any mandatory feats, etc.

8. Does Daisy get traits?

Daisy blinks at Sanguineous' mentioning the other estates. She is almost not surprised anymore by the extent of Lucien's wealth and power. Almost, but not yet.

She stares for a long time at the portrait. Eventually, she mutters, "Can't imagine why she would marry Devin. He was so cranky. And not good looking, either. But at least he could read, which is the only reason I can."

She asks the red bird, "Did Lucien have any friends, besides you? He must have, if he had houses in so many places."

"And tell me about the Naormi. Did Lucien like them or trust them? What was his relationship with them? I want to continue to talk to them ever so often, but I want to know first what Lucien thought of them, because they may now view me the way they viewed him."

After a pause, she asks in a more nervous fashion, "How safe is it here in this tower? What are the chances of enemies hitting me here they way they hit Lucien?"

[Maquise]

1. Feel free to do so, though I suppose the prologue may include segments from that first year.
2. It will be a year or so. But feel free to RP segments of that time you wish to explore.
3. The spellbooks aren't currently available to her. The book she has has all 0-Level spells in it, but there are probably more elsewhere in the tower.
4. The tower has basic adventuring gear available, with more in the locked upper/lower levels.
5. Haven't thought of it yet, but I'm guessing evocation and illusion.
6. Yes.
7. Not really.
8. Yes, 2.

"He had a few allies, but they've likely went into hiding by now. You'll have to look for them on your own. As for the rest, I will explain later. It has been a long day."

[Frivolous]

OOC Daisy will not venture beyond the Tower much until she has reached level 1 as a wizard. I will have a sheet ready by then.

Daisy sleeps with the black tome under her pillow.

When she wakes, she takes breakfast while reading the tome and learning from it. Then she continues her interrogation of Sanguineous about Lucien's allies, the Naormi, and how safe she is in the Tower from outside forces that mean her harm.

She also asks to be taken on a tour of the Tower, and to be shown a map of the environs of the north forest and to be told who dwells there besides the Naormi.

"Are there any dragons in the forest? The Naormi said there used to be and still might be."

[Maquise]

You sleep in the Master Bedroom on the second floor. It has a four-post bed with silk sheets.

You notice that, in addition to the wardrobe and other such items a bedroom would have, there is a large, oaken door in the corner of your room. You open it, and are hit with a wave of hot, humid air. As the room is revealed, you find yourself in the entrance to a private bath. The pool is circular, 8 ft in diameter at a guess. A marble dragon stands over, water pouring from its mouth, and a glint that suggests ruby eyes.

You bathe while breakfast is being prepared. "The Naormi are skilled illusionists," Sanguineous says, "but very traditional. Lucien found their ways to be troublesome. Still, the could prove valuable allies. Lucien kept this tower a secret from all but his closest companions; Sir Pelleau never found it. I believe it to be safe, for now. Lucien said he never found a dragon, but that doesn't mean they aren't there, especially if they are older and more powerful."

[Frivolous]

Daisy cavorts gleefully in the bathtub, luxuriating in the fabulousness of it. After being assured that Sanguineous had never been a man, she feels free to bathe in front of him, just as she would in front of a cow, even if this particular cow can talk.

"What do you mean, traditional? I understand the word, but not the...what's the word? Context?"

"Before I met you, I never met a magical creature before, so I need to know how an illusionist can be traditional. Do you mean how they were kind of spooky and secretive and didn't give their real names?"

"And how did Lucien find them troublesome?"

Daisy figures that Lotus wasn't actually Lotus; it seemed too coincidental that her host's name was also a flower.

[Maquise]

"They believed there is a certain way to practice magic, and that it is the right way," the raven says. "Your uncle was an experimental magister. He did not agree with the restrictions the Naormi imposed, and sought to understand magic in all of its forms. At first he sought to use them to acquire magical goods, but they proved unwilling to aid him, requiring him to use more roundabout means of getting what he sought."

[Frivolous]

Daisy says, "I'll have to talk to them. I think they could make good friends and allies. It would be dread boring if I only had you to talk to, Sanguineous."

"What other advice do you have for me, if I am to stay here and learn magic?"

Daisy's stomach rumbles, and she regretfully rises from the bath and dresses, eager to eat breakfast, then begin exploring the Tower.

[Maquise]

"Don't try to take things on before you are ready for them," he says. "And be very careful who you trust."

You are provided with an absolutely gorgeous red velvet dress which hugs your body, accentuating your form. Looking in a mirror, you think you look like what you always imagined a princess to look.

You take your breakfast in the study, investigating the tome and referencing several other books in the process. After breakfast, you begin exploring the tower.

The door to the basement is a large stone door, without any obvious means of opening it. You assume it requires magic to get through.

The first floor has the foyer where you entered. You first view the kitchens, as the dishes from your meal are being cleaned. Sure enough, all of the cookware seems to be cleaning itself. A door in the back leads out to a small farm, complete with vegetables and animals. A collection of animated scarecrows tend the farm. Off the main hallway, you find a parlor for the entertainment of guests, if you so desired. It is well decorated, with furnishings of silk and gold.
Further down, you locate several guest rooms. Each one is well-kept, although you do note that, as far as Sanguineous is aware, they have never been used; you may be the first person to enter this tower other than its master. "Master Lucien had many estates; he entertained elsewhere."

The second floor has the study, first library, museum, and Master Bedroom and Bath. Ascending to the third floor, you find a Map Room, Alchemy Lab, and a balcony with a Rare Herb Garden on it. In the Alchemy Lab, you find a second set of stairs leading upwards, to a locked door. Above the locked door, it says, "Alchemy: Advanced Studies."

You continue up the main flight. Most of the doors are locked; the names of these that most stick out to you are, "Library of Conjuration," "Hall of Testing," and "Necrotorium."

Most of the doors on the upper floors are locked, except the one at the very top. On the pinnacle of the tower, you find an observatory, equipped with all manner of astrological devices.

[Frivolous]

Daisy feels dizzy with bliss. She had never had access to unlimited food before, and now she does. And the food is of high quality, too.

"Remind me not to overeat, Sanguineous. I'll look like a complete cow if I don't watch myself, or if you don't watch out for me."

Daisy first goes to explore the museum. As she opens the door to that area, she says, "By the way....Is there an empty unused journal handy? I should start a diary, before I forget all about Daisy Birdwhistle."

"It'll be good to practice my penmanship anyway."

[Maquise]

"I will notify the kitchen to mind your diet," he says, a touch cheekily.

As you say this, a book levitates down to you, along with a quill and ink.

By the way, I love the idea of a journal. Great way to flesh out your character.

[Frivolous]

OOC It just so happens I'm a big fan of the Bridget Jones' Diary series. :smallbiggrin:

I mentioned both museum and library below in case you didn't have anything important to mention for the former or latter.


"Excellent," Daisy says.

She takes the diary and other items and holds onto them as she explores first the museum and then the library.

[Maquise]

The museum is full of strange items, with shiny swords, machines of brass filled with gears and springs, and elegant ceramics. All items of beauty and great value, though Sanguineous says that none are magical. "Those are kept elsewhere," he says.

The library has a vast collection of books, ranging from history to philosophy, geography, and every aspect of mundane knowledge. There are even a few of the classic epics found here.

[Frivolous]

Daisy then goes to see the map room. She tries to find maps of places she has already been to, such as the forest and Hackevir.

"What's the Hall of Testing, Sanguineous?"

She hesitates, then asks another question reluctantly, "And...did Lucien anger the King and Sir Pelleau for other reasons besides his being a magic-user, or was it only that?"

"I can't help but suspect their feud was more...personal."

[Maquise]

You are able to find maps of the locations you know, and can trace the route you took, more or less. What's odd is that next to Hackevir, there is writing of a sort you don't recognize.

"The Hall of Testing is where Lucien experimented with his new spells. And Lucien opposed the King and his efforts to contain magic heavily. He might have been the King's most powerful opponent."

[Frivolous]

Daisy seems at once relieved and disappointed. "Sir Pelleau seemed to recognize me when we met. I thought maybe he knew my mother and thought I resembled her."

"When I found out Lucien was my uncle, I wondered if maybe Sir Pelleau wanted to court my mother, but Lucien didn't want Sir Pelleau getting his grubby hands on his sister and chased him away, and that's why she settled for Devin instead. And Sir Pelleau hated Lucien ever since."

"Or maybe Lucien and Sir Pelleau were rivals for the affection of the same girl when they were young, and Sir Pelleau won and married her but stayed jealous."

"It's really too bad they became enemies over policy, but oh well. I guess I'm gonna be the King's enemy, too." She sighs.

She peers at the map of Hackevir and points at the strange writing on the map of Hackevir. "Sanguineous, I can't read this. What language is this, and what does it say?"

[Maquise]

"I wouldn't discount any of those possibilities just yet," he says. "Your uncle shared much with me, but not everything. He may not have seen fit to share such things with me."

He looks at the writing. "It seems he was noting your location."

[Frivolous]

Daisy nods, looking troubled. She wonders if Lucien or Sanguineous or both had been keeping watch on her. They had certainly known much more about her than she would have guessed.

"Sanguineous, tell me about the lake and the lakeshore. Is it safe to swim in or wander around? Are there any people around here, or any nasty monsters or meat-eaters?"

Daisy also goes to look for a portrait of Lucien, if one exists in his own Tower. It might not, depending on how vain he was.

[Maquise]

"The lake is safe," he says. "Lucien kept dangerous creatures far away from his home, but I don't believe he investigated it too closely. He spent most of his time in this tower, performing his incantations and such."

You find a portrait of Lucien. He was a rather attractive man, with well-kept jet black hair and well-trimmed beard.

[Frivolous]

Daisy gasps as she sees the resemblance. She spins to confront Sanguineous and hotly and loudly demands, "Sanguineous, what is this? Lucien looked like Devin!"

"I know brothers and sisters don't always have the same color hair, but this is really creepy. Did my mother marry my father because he looked like her brother? What kind of folks are the von Nehlyviches?"

[Maquise]

(Oops. Sorry about that. I forgot which side of the family he was on.)

[Frivolous]

Daisy muses. "Not a bad looking man."

Daisy eventually tires of unending pleasure and begins to focus in earnest on her studies, learning magic from her uncle Lucien's black tome, starting with simple cantrips.

She also studies at the library, learning the basic lore, both mundane and magical, that would allow her to properly harness magic.

For exercise and to get her mind out of her studies, she walks around the Tower and then around the lake, swimming in its waters sometimes. She tries not to snack too much.

She also sometimes writes in her journal. An example:


Dear Future Magical Me,


It is the 3rd day after our arrival in the Tower. I'm writing this to you here in our bedroom, wondering what you'll be like. Rich, magical, powerful, I guess. I figure you've forgotten much about being just plain old me. This journal is to remind you.

I imagine you'll have been called Emphysema von Nehlyvich or something for years and years now. It only makes sense to use a fake name, given how many enemies we have. If we're smart, no one will know us by our real name.

Do you even remember your birth name, your real name? I don't like it much; it's so very boring. That's just another reason to go by Emfy.

Do you remember how hard farmwork was, and how we never wore shoes because Da was too stingy and our feet were as tough as a halfling's anyway? Our knees were pretty callused, too, from weeding so much.

Our best friend is Minda Sawyer from the Sawyer farm next to ours, and our favorite smell is the smell of Minda's mother's fresh baked honeybread. It was the most delicious smell we ever knew before we entered the Tower. I do hope you're not terribly fat, Future Me. It would be so easy to eat too much.

Our favorite color is dark blue, and our favorite flower is violets. We thought soldiers in armor were handsome and dashing before we learned they wanted to kill us. Da's face was blue when we found him dead. He wasn't a very good Da and he beat us when we were lazy or didn't want to learn to read, but he was the only Da we had.

Madame Lotus was real good to us when we fainted in the forest. I hope we've been good to the Naormi and gotten along better with them than Lucien did.


OOC Bwahaha, okay. :smallsmile:

[Maquise]

Life in the Tower is at once new everyday, and terribly monotonous. You study, explore the grounds, and try to learn more about magic. Still you wish that there were more people to talk to than just Sanguineous.

Days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into months. With nothing else to focus on, you find that your talents with the arcane blossom. Soon you have mastered the cantrips from the black tome, and begin studying your first true spells.

[Frivolous]

Daisy tries opening various doors that were once locked but may open now to her.

She also casts Detect Magic and begins inspecting the Tower and its environs for auras, though she has misgivings about her ability to interpret the information.



Dear Diary,


Enemies list: King Zuhrin, Sir Edward Pelleau, whoever killed Lucien, whoever killed Da, all soldiers of Ashcen.

Friends list: Sanguineous, Minda Sawyer, Madame Lotus and the Naormi, the Tower and its servants.


We have to be smarter than Lucien was. We can't let our enemies overtake us and outthink us the way they did Lucien. It would help if we made many more friends than he did, too. Should be possible.

I think Lucien was kind of a shut-in. I think he didn't like other people much. He lived all alone in the Tower, except for Sanguineous, and from what I've learned, I'm not sure familiars count as 'other people'.

I also think he was bad with Illusion, which seems a big mistake to me when so many people want you dead.
Remember that Ashcen is only one country. There are others, and they can't all be as difficult about magic, can they?

Try to find a dragon to talk to, if you can without getting killed.

OOC question
Since Daisy almost certainly will learn 1 rank in Knowledge (Religion) in order to learn about undead, may I ask what deities are available?

[Maquise]

You study several treatises on deities and religions in the 8 Kingdoms. In Ashcen, the main deities are Sarenrae, Abadar, and Pharasma.

You search the manor, but find no more doors that can be opened. It is just as well; you still don't understand all of what is in the rooms you can get into.

[Frivolous]

Daisy asks, "Sanguineous, in your previous conversations and travels with Lucien, did you ever encounter a Witch Bell like the one they've installed in Hackevir?"

"I wonder, you see, if those items detect magic-users like me, or if they only detect magic used. If the latter, maybe I could visit home again. In disguise, perhaps. Or maybe they're just total fakes, meant to scare the ignorant."


She also says, "Sanguineous, you know about law, chaos, good and evil, I suppose. Would you say Lucien was a good man, or an evil one? The powers of necromancy tend towards evil, I think."

She hesitates, then asks, "Would you continue to serve me faithfully and well if I chose evil, animated the dead, murdered my enemies, and so forth?"

Daisy sounds genuinely curious about Sanguineous' reactions. She also sounds like she has not committed yet to a particular moral or ethical path, but is considering her options.

That day, she writes in her journal:


Dear Diary,

I was 17 the day I met Sanguineous and Da died. Soon I turn 18. Already I am very different from the person who I was.

It's mostly the black tome's fault. It is most certainly enchanted to pour knowledge into my head more quickly than is natural. I'm smart, but not that smart.

I worry that the book is made to resurrect Lucien in my beautiful young girlish body, which is not just bad for me but also icky in the extreme. I have not told Sanguineous, since he is the most likely accomplice to any bring-Lucien-back scheme.

Fortunately, I doubt this is the case. While I am very different, I am not really much like what I imagine and infer Lucien was like (see earlier notes on my speculations on Lucien's personality).

For example: Sanguineous; it means bloody in an ancient tongue. Tacky name for a familiar, but quite natural if you were the brooding angst-ridden type who lived in a Dark Tower all alone.

I am increasingly grateful that Lucien and I never met in life. My guess is that we could not have stood each other's company for very long. He would describe me as shallow, frivolous, and too attached to the color pink. I would describe him as morbid, humorless, and lacking in a sense of proportion.

I dearly hope that Future Magical Me will not be like that. Would be so embarrassing to become that type. I think it unlikely, though. I gather Lucien was a noble all his life. I was born and raised a peasant, and peasants are more practical.




OOC questions 1. Which religions support the royal decree against necromancy, and which oppose it?

2. Is Sanguineous a standard raven, only colored red, or is he a special familiar, with non-standard attributes and benefits?

3. What alignments do you allow and which do you forbid in a PC in this game?

[Maquise]

While none of the gods whose worship is permitted by the King endorse necromancy. However, you do find information on the goddess Urgathoa (http://pathfinder.wikia.com/wiki/Urgathoa).


"The Witch Bells do function, but are not as effective a deterrent as their creators claim. They will only ring if a spell is cast within the vicinity."

"Lucien cared little for such concepts. However, based on their philosophies, he would likely have been considered Lawful Evil," Sanguineous says. "I will endeavor to aid you in whatever path you take."


2. Sanguineous is a standard Raven familiar.
3. Since this is a sandbox game, any alignment is permitted.

[Frivolous]

Daisy goes looking through the Tower for any sign of a chapel or even small shrine to Urgathoa. She brings a book on religions with her so that she can identify any symbols or insignia related to that dark goddess.

She also looks through the libraries for books and dictionaries on foreign and alien languages, seeking to find which ones she can learn. By doing so, she also seeks to determine which ones Lucien knew, and perhaps thus learn the nature of the allies and enemies he had made in his life.


As she learns true spells, Daisy also looks for equipment she can take with her on journeys and adventures.

Before every unopenable door of the Tower, Daisy intones, "I am becoming ready to explore the world beyond. If you deem me ready, let me in so I can take what I need to survive and succeed as Lucien's heir."

To Sanguineous, she says, "I will need to write a spellbook for myself. I don't think I'll take the black tome with me. It is good for instruction, but for a full wizard, a little too rich."


OOC questions 1. What allowances or strictures will you place on starting adventuring equipment?

2. How many 1st level spells does Daisy get to have in her spellbook at 1st level? The standard is 3 + Intelligence bonus.

[Maquise]

1. Starting equipment is... complicated. For now, let's say you have access to standard level 1 equipment. Daisy can request any item, and the Tower will provide if it is able/willing.
2. We'll say that 3 + Int is the number of spells Daisy can figure out at this point.


You do, in fact, find a door with the symbol of Urgathoa on it. Upon announcing that you know what it is, it opens to reveal a macabre chapel to the dark goddess. Humanoid bones decorate the walls, complete with a skull chandelier, and an obsidian altar is set up before a rather explicit statue of the deity. Based on the stains on the altar, you suspect blood sacrifices were performed here in the past.

You find a blank spell-book, along with a compact pouch which you can fill with the various reagents needed to perform what incantations you know.

Sanguineous asks, "Are you certain you are ready to go out into the world where your enemies hold power?"

[Frivolous]

OOC questions and request 1. Are all Golarion languages available?

2. Daisy will have a rank in Knowledge (Local). With that settled, may I ask if Ashcen is completely civilized, or are there monstrous humanoid types (orcs, gnolls, goblins, etc.) wandering around as bandits?

Let me know if visiting the Naormi counts as part of the sandbox or if it can be designated as part of the prologue.

Daisy responds, "Can I gain in magical power without exposing myself to risk and adventure?"

"But...before I set out in earnest, I'll go talk with the Naormi first." She frowns, then nods with more certainty. "They'll tell me much of what I need to know as a baseline."

Daisy prepares a small pack with food and water and some traveling clothes. Then, for the first time since she entered the Tower, she sets out with Sanguineous for the cave.

[Maquise]

1. All Golarion languages are available. Sorry, I was going to mention that, but your post had a lot of points to cover.
2. Ashcen has a fairly strong military; the heartland is relatively safe. However, there are frontiers, such as the Wyrmwood that you live in to the north, and the Bitter Coast the the southeast, that are technically claimed at least partially as Ashcen land but full of dangerous creatures.

The Naormi were a possibility; you could have avoided them if you had taken another path.


"Very well, milady. However, I must see fit to remind you that the Naormi are nomadic. They could be on the other side of the Wyrmwood by now. More pressingly, they are masters of illusion. They cannot be found by anyone they do not wish to be found by."

[Frivolous]

Daisy considers, then nods. "If they won't talk to me, they won't. But I'm hoping that Madame Lotus is present and that they will."

"If you think it wise, Sanguineous, you may hide yourself as you did before."

She continues on her way to the cave. This time wearing good shoes, thank the gods.

[Maquise]

Do you have the link to the OOC thread? (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?374138-Necromancer-OOC&p=18176922#post18176922)I'm going to need you to post a link to your character sheet now.

You eschew the finer clothing you've worn as standard for your time in the tower for some more practical foresting clothing. You bring your spellbook, enough provisions for a few days, and a component pouch for your spell reagents.

To complete the cliche, you carry a staff, both as a walking stick and for self-defense. Sanguineous perches on it as you stand before the entrance to the cave.

[Frivolous]

OOC I hope it is all right that I added a few pieces of equipment that might be useful. Candles and flint and steel so she can walk through the cave without stumbling. A dagger to cut things with.

I'd want much more equipment for Daisy, but this visit to the Naormi is more like a short field trip than an extended expedition, or so Daisy expects anyway.

Daisy takes a deep breath, then casts Message upon Sanguineous. "Go scout ahead and whisper to me what you find, Sanguineous. I will follow shortly."

"And among others, please call me milady instead of by my name. I'm going to try to bury the memory of Daisy, and it would help if my name were unspoken."

"What do you think about the name Emphysema von Nehlyvich, hmm?" Daisy asks with a straight face.

[Maquise]

"It sounds... unnatural, milady. One that most likely stand out. I would elect a more... plausible sounding one." After a moment, he suggests, "How does Anastasia von Nehlyvich sound?"

[Frivolous]

Daisy ponders. "Anastasia will do. But for now, just milady. I may come up with a better alias later."

Daisy lights a candle with her flint and steel and walks into the dark cave.

[Maquise]

"It may serve you well to have a number of aliases. May I ask why you are using a candle instead of magic? The practice may do you good."

[Frivolous]

Daisy glances at Sanguineous in surprise, then remembers she has been keeping secrets from her familiar, and perhaps he did not know. She whispers a response.

"I specialize in Necromancy. I chose to neglect Evocations and Enchantments. This means it is tedious for me to kindle Light or summon Dancing Lights."

"And anyway, candles are cheap and they last more than a few minutes at my measly level of expertise. And they don't automatically give me away as a magician."

She pauses, then adds, "Sanguineous, from now on, our policy is secrecy, evasion, and deception. We pretend to be other than what we are, and we tell the truth to non-allies as little as possible, unless it serves our purposes better."

"Understood?"

OOC I infer from the note you left in the OOC thread that Daisy has all Evocation and Enchantment cantrips now in her spellbook, a deviation from the usual guideline in the PHB.

May I ask if the deviation extends to actual preparation and casting of such cantrips? Normally, preparing an Evocation cantrip such as Light would take up 2 out of the 3 slots in Daisy's memory.

[Maquise]

Daisy has all cantrips, but still takes the penalty for preparing Opposing Schools.

"Of course, milady. Although, I would point out that it is highly unlikely that we will encounter any servants of the King up here that do not already know of your identity and location."

Sanguineous heads into the cave. "Interesting," he Messages back a short while later, "It appears as though a small party of creatures passed through this cave not too long ago."

[Frivolous]

Daisy nods to herself as she moves forward, following after her familiar. Among the many other reasons she sent Sanguineous to scout ahead is that the acuity of his senses is much better than her own.

She whispers a Message, "Not unexpected. Foot size...small, I expect?"

"And did they stop partway through the cave, or did they go all the way through?"

Daisy wonders which of the possibilities might be true; the Naormi were superstitious about the von Nehlyvich estate, but perhaps they had enough courage and magical power to risk an exploration party.

[Maquise]

"Small, yes, but they appear to be... clawed. Three-toed. It looks like they went through the cave, possibly as far as the lakeside, then returned from whence they came."

[Frivolous]

Daisy says, "Ahhh. Come to me and show me where the tracks are. I have been studying; I might be able to identify the source."

As soon as it is convenient, Daisy kneels and studies by candlelight the tracks that Sanguineous pointed out for her.

Actions + OOC
Rolling various skills. Hopefully one or more will be appropriate and the skill check gives a high number.

Survival: [roll0]
Knowledge (Nature): [roll1]

OOC Edit: Sanguineous can make his own rolls, of course, since he has access to the same skills Daisy has, though not at the same bonuses. Do you want me to roll or shall you do it?

Daisy Birdwhistle (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1027418)
Female True Neutral Human Wizard, Level 1, Init +4, HP 10/10, Speed 30
AC 12, Touch 12, Flat-footed 10, CMD 12, Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +3, CMB +0, Base Attack Bonus 0
Quarterstaff 0 (1d6, x2)
(+2 Dex)
Abilities Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 16
Condition None

[Maquise]

Unfortunately, you cannot glean any more knowledge than what you already have.

"Well, at least we can follow them," Sanguineous says. "As far as I am aware, there are only two entrances to this cave; the Lake opening and the Wyrmwood opening."

[Frivolous]

Daisy frets over her lack of knowledge. She shakes her head.

"I came this way to talk to the Naormi if we could find them. That takes priority over this...housecleaning. And anyway, they may be able to identify the creatures for me."

More softly, she says, "And I don't have the right spells or equipment for a real fight anyway. I prepared mostly protection and escape, in case the Naormi turned on me. Almost everything I have is defensive."

She rises to her feet and dusts off her soiled pants knees. "Let us proceed, Sanguineous, and continue to seek out the Naormi."

She walks through the cave and back into the Wyrmwood.

[Maquise]

You and the raven exit the cave, and proceed into the Wyrmwood proper. Tall, imposing trees and dense layer of undergrowth would make this task difficult for a trained woodsman. You are not such, and that's before the Naormi's illusory skills.

"Well," your familiar asks cheekily, "Where shall we begin, your ladyship?"

[Frivolous]

Daisy casts cantrips: Prestidigation just in case, and Message to renew the whispered contact she has with Sanguineous.

"I want reconnaissance over the local Wyrmwood. Fly around and let me know if you spot any little people walking around, or any perilous monsters or hazards. Don't fly too far; keep track of where I am."

"In the meantime, I'll walk back along the path the wayguide led me from the clearing. The clearing is a sort of meeting and trading place for the Naormi."

Daisy proceeds at a casual walking pace. She keeps a look out at all times.

Actions
Cast Prestidigitation and Message again. Walk towards the clearing.

Daisy Birdwhistle (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1027418)
Female True Neutral Human Wizard, Level 1, Init +4, HP 10/10, Speed 30
AC 12, Touch 12, Flat-footed 10, CMD 12, Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +3, CMB +0, Base Attack Bonus 0
Quarterstaff 0 (1d6, x2)
(+2 Dex)
Abilities Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 16
Condition None

[Maquise]

(What do you use the prestidigitation for?)

[Frivolous]

(Nothing; but it's often very useful in all kinds of little ways, and it lasts 1 hour per casting. :smallsmile:

My policy therefore is that when my PC has it, cast it.)

[Maquise]

You look up, down, left and right. But you still cannot avoid the net trap that quickly ensnares you.

Sanguineous perches on a branch nearby. "Trouble, milady?"

[Frivolous]

Daisy's heart thunders in her chest from the fright of being suddenly caught in the trap. With an effort of will, she resists the instinctive desire to squirm helplessly and uselessly.

"Just a little caught up."

She tries to draw her dagger. "Can you see a knot that might be untied? I could cut through the net, but I also might be able to move the knot from here... if it is not too heavy."

Daisy attempts to get out of the net trap using her dagger and her Prestidigitation cantrip. As she tries to win back her freedom, she ponders the possibility that something or someone set this trap here right where she would be sure to pass through.

Actions
Try to draw dagger and cut through the net. Alternatively, if Sanguineous can spot a knot that can be easily untied, Daisy uses Prestidigitation to untie it. The cantrip grants slow telekinesis of up to 1 pound of weight.

Daisy Birdwhistle (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1027418)
Female True Neutral Human Wizard, Level 1, Init +4, HP 10/10, Speed 30
AC 12, Touch 12, Flat-footed 10, CMD 12, Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +3, CMB +0, Base Attack Bonus 0
Quarterstaff 0 (1d6, x2)
(+2 Dex)
Abilities Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 16
Condition None

[Maquise]

You succeed in using your magic to untie the rope. You note that Sanguineous was none too quick to help you; he probably wanted to see if you could do it on your own.

You fall from the suspended net trap, landing firmly on your rump. As you start to get up, you spot movement from the bushes around you. About a dozen kobolds emerge, armed with primitive weapons all pointed at you. They where loincloths and bone jewelry, and have green body paint on, forming draconic symbols.

[Frivolous]

OOC How far away is the nearest, and what kind of weapons?

Daisy puts on a friendly smile without showing her teeth. She bows slightly, then begins speaking in a sibilant tongue full of hisses: Draconic.

"Greetings, brothers and sisters. I am glad to finally meet you. I saw your tracks earlier; I did not think I would find you this quickly."

"Would you like to share some of my food, some of my water?"

She twists the finger of one hand in the initiating gesture for casting Mage Armor, just in case they aren't interested at all in talking. But Daisy is feeling fairly confident in her social skills and also oddly thrilled; after a year of near-complete seclusion, she's finally talking to other people!

It just so happens those other people have scales.

Actions
Speak as a free action. Get ready to cast Mage Armor if they attack.

If they are not immediately hostile, prepare to employ Diplomacy (which takes 1 minute minimum).

Daisy Birdwhistle (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1027418)
Female True Neutral Human Wizard, Level 1, Init +4, HP 10/10, Speed 30
AC 12, Touch 12, Flat-footed 10, CMD 12, Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +3, CMB +0, Base Attack Bonus 0
Quarterstaff 0 (1d6, x2)
(+2 Dex)
Abilities Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 16
Condition None

[Maquise]

The nearest is about six feet away; they are armed with a mix of stone knives, clubs, spears and javelins.

"You speak our tongue," the most decorated of them says. "and you live in Old Tower. You might be danger to Broken Stone Clan. Or maybe you powerful friend. Master will know. We take you to him. You come with us now." Their Draconic is an odd dialect.

Have to go to work now; see you in a few hours.

[Frivolous]

Daisy tries to adjust to the dialect, speaking as the kobolds do. She tries to project confidence and kindness to the poor reptilian savages.

"I applaud your sense of duty and wisdom, kobold leader of Broken Stone Clan. Please, as we go, tell me about Master, so I may speak with Master as suits him best and praise you to him properly."

See you then. Have a good day at work.

Continue to talk in preparation for a Diplomacy attempt.

[Maquise]

Diplomacy: [roll0]

The kobold leader hisses in disgust. You don't think your message got through the translation. "Tie her up! We take her to Master as prisoner!" The other kobolds move in to bind you.

[Frivolous]

Daisy's face turns red with embarrassment. Wondering if the kobolds know about magic, she willingly folds her hands together in front of her, subtly encouraging them to bind them where she can see them and so undo them the way she undid the knots of their net trap.

Concentrating fiercely, she also opens herself to the core of dark power within her that she encountered (or perhaps created) through her studies of Necromancy, attempting to give her left hand a dangerous, unseen aura.

She says in a soft, noncommittal manner, "I might be a powerful friend, you said. Or I might be a danger to Broken Stone Clan. Do you really want to tie me up, when I have not yet decided which I am to be?"

First, activate the Grave Touch power of the Necromancy specialist. Since it is a spell-like power, Daisy will be attempting to use it defensively. Since it has no somatic or verbal components, I doubt the kobolds can notice her trying to do it. Not sure how it counts in terms of level, though.

If none of the kobolds are actually close enough to attack, I think the roll is not needed, though.

Casting Defensively - Grave Touch: [roll0]

Edit: Roll is a fail, bah. :smallredface:


Using a Spell-Like Ability on the Defensive: You may attempt to use a spell-like ability on the defensive, just as with casting a spell. If the concentration check (DC 15 + double the spell's level) fails, you can't use the ability, but the attempt counts as if you had used the ability.

Second, speak as a prelude to using Intimidate to force the kobolds to act Friendly. Like Diplomacy, takes 1 minute of conversation minimum.

Daisy Birdwhistle (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1027418)
Female True Neutral Human Wizard, Level 1, Init +4, HP 10/10, Speed 30
AC 12, Touch 12, Flat-footed 10, CMD 12, Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +3, CMB +0, Base Attack Bonus 0
Quarterstaff 0 (1d6, x2)
(+2 Dex)
Abilities Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 16
Condition None

[Maquise]

"You no threat to Master," he says. "He much more powerful than you!"

[Frivolous]

Daisy nods and assures the kobold in Draconic, "Of course not. That's why I want to meet him. I love making competent friends."

Inwardly, she smiles at finding out the Master was a 'he'. Outwardly, she says, "You, on the other hand..."

She shrugs. "I offer you respect as your Master's servants, which is why I go with you freely, but if you treat me like badly, I may change my mind."

"Think about that."

While she matches wits (such as they are) with the kobold leader, Daisy tries to use her Prestidigitation cantrip to clean one of the kobolds, removing all dirt from its scaly hide.

Her body does not move, though. She continues to hold her wrists out in front of her, waiting to see what the kobolds do.

Speak, continuing to prepare for an Intimidate attempt to make the kobolds Friendly. Redirect Prestidigitation to clean one kobold and hopefully unnerve the kobolds a little.

Daisy Birdwhistle (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1027418)
Female True Neutral Human Wizard, Level 1, Init +4, HP 10/10, Speed 30
AC 12, Touch 12, Flat-footed 10, CMD 12, Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +3, CMB +0, Base Attack Bonus 0
Quarterstaff 0 (1d6, x2)
(+2 Dex)
Abilities Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 16
Condition None

[Maquise]

The kobold leader reacts to your display by igniting his hands with flame, brandishing them.

"You not only one with magic," he says.

[Frivolous]

Copying the mannerisms of Jenna, the most stuck-up girl she knows in Hackevir, Daisy yawns disdainfully. "That's very nice."

Sensing that the danger of actually being bound is passing, Daisy says, "Can we please proceed? I am still eager to meet your Master, even if his servants are not as polite as I would like."

She pulls her hands back and leaves them at her side, no longer obviously offering to be bound that way. Inwardly, she sneers at how easily the kobold had been goaded into both revealing his magical power and wasting a spell just to impress her.

I still don't see much appeal, but maybe Uncle Lucien was right in choosing evil. Other people are really jerks sometimes.

[Maquise]

The kobolds encircle you, and take you into the forest. You quickly lose all sense of direction in this labyrinthine undergrowth. The sun is setting by the time you reach your destination; although you do confirm that you are near the base of the mountains.

A large tree is before you, with twisted roots, hollows and knobs. One of the kobolds disappears beneath the roots.

"You go down there," the leader says.

[Frivolous]

Daisy seems alarmed. She squeals, "Down there? Will I even fit? I'm a lot taller than you, you know."

She approaches the hole the kobold had disappeared into and crouches down, trying to estimate if she can walk or will have to crawl. She also extends her senses, trying to peer, smell, and hear what is inside.

In the meantime, Daisy whispers in Common, "San, hope you're still in range. I am going to see the kobold's master."

Perception: [roll0]

Daisy Birdwhistle (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1027418)
Female True Neutral Human Wizard, Level 1, Init +4, HP 10/10, Speed 30
AC 12, Touch 12, Flat-footed 10, CMD 12, Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +3, CMB +0, Base Attack Bonus 0
Quarterstaff 0 (1d6, x2)
(+2 Dex)
Abilities Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 16
Condition None

[Maquise]

The hole is dark, and silent save for the occasional dripping of water. For all you know, you could be descending into some monster's gullet. You'll have to crawl to get down; you can do it, but not with your dignity intact.

[Frivolous]

Daisy whispers in Common, "Sanguineous, can you hear me? I'm going in now. Wish me luck."

Then she gets down on her hands and knees and crawls into the cave. She is reassured that the monster the kobolds call Master is probably not too big.

[Maquise]

Sanguineous does not respond. However, you fear that if he did, the kobolds would hear.

You crawl through the claustrophobic tunnel, with kobolds in front of and behind you. You hear one of the kobolds behind you make an off-color remark about how attractive your bottom is from this angle.

[Frivolous]

Daisy says a bad word in Giant as she overhears the remark. You would think a race of egg-layers would be more inured to that sort of thing, but nooooo.

She also frowns in irritation that there are still kobolds around her, which makes it difficult for her to cast one of her spells and protect herself better. So she continues to crawl.

[Maquise]

The spaces open up slightly, and you aren't quite as cramped. Still, it is obvious that these tunnels were dug with people your size in mind, and you can't get much more than a crouch. You recognize now that these are not natural caves, but tunnels, likely dug by the kobolds.

You see in the wider spaces the comings and goings of kobold tribe members, performing all of the day to day business you would expect.

You are led deeper underground, into larger and larger tunnels. Eventually, it opens up to a wide space. The roof is open to a wide vertical shaft that leads up to the sky, and you can see moonlight coming down. Right into the middle of the great chamber.

A pile of coins, jewels, and trinkets sits on a raised flat stone several feet above the chamber floor. You can recognize a dragon's nest when you see it.

[Frivolous]

Daisy sighs in resignation, wonder, and acceptance. She had figured this might be the case, but had hoped otherwise.

In a very soft voice, she says to the nearest kobold, "How does your lord prefer to be addressed?"

The fledgeling necromancer scours her mind for everything she knows about dragons. She hopes to the gods that this dragon is not one who likes to eat virgins.

Knowledge (Arcana): [roll0]

Daisy Birdwhistle (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1027418)
Female True Neutral Human Wizard, Level 1, Init +4, HP 10/10, Speed 30
AC 12, Touch 12, Flat-footed 10, CMD 12, Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +3, CMB +0, Base Attack Bonus 0
Quarterstaff 0 (1d6, x2)
(+2 Dex)
Abilities Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 16
Condition None

[Maquise]

"You call him, Most Exalted One." The kobold says.

Based on the body paint of the kobolds, and the forested territory, you suspect this to be a Green Dragon. Fortunately, they are considered to be the easiest to deal with diplomatically. Unfortunately, they are also considered to be quite petty, and capable for holding a grudge for thousands of years.

[Frivolous]

Daisy says in an ordinary speaking volume, "Greetings, Most Exalted One. I beg your pardon for trespassing upon your home unannounced, but your servants insisted, for which I am most grateful, as few humans have the honor and pleasure of meeting one of your mighty kind."

She pauses, then quickly adds, "I also hope I am not mangling your ancient and magical language with my foolish human mouth. Forgive me, I am but a child and poorly schooled."

Then she gives the dragon's hoard (if not the dragon itself, but it might still be able to see and hear her even if she cannot see or hear it), a deep but somewhat clumsy curtsey. She nearly trips, she's so nervous.

But she is not out of her mind with awe, confusion, or fear. Events in the past year have greatly increased Daisy Birdwhistle's threshold for weirdness.

[Maquise]

"Your speech is acceptable," You hear a deep, rumbling voice. It echoes through the chamber, making it impossible to discern the source. "Though perhaps it would be better served if we spoke your tongue."

Like a cat, the dragon springs out of the darkness, with agility you would have thought impossible for one his size. Still, you are slightly relieved to know that this is a smaller, younger dragon. He sits upon his nest, eying you judgingly.

"So, little girl, who are you?"

[Frivolous]

Daisy goes completely still, instinctively fearing to move. Only her eyes move. She stops breathing.

Besieged on all sides by fear fear FEAR, the logical analytical part of her mind, exercised by the last year of education in wizardry, grinds over what she knows of green dragons. She decides it would be best to tell the truth, but not to explain too much, answering only the questions asked.

In a small voice, she says, "I am called Daisy, Most Exalted One. After the flower."

Then she inhales before she faints.

[Maquise]

You wake up feeling rather chilly. As you come to your senses, you are beset by a wave of vertigo. Your mind pieces together why.

You've been stripped to your skivvies, and suspended several dozen feet above the ground in a wicker cage.

[Frivolous]

What happened? Daisy didn't faint. She inhaled before she did. It's common for people to stop breathing temporarily when they're very excited or scared.

Or did she really lose consciousness? I am confused.

[Maquise]

Oh. I interpreted it as, "she inhales, then she faints." Ignore the last post.

"I am Vysthallel. Daisy, you now dwell in the Tower in the mountains. By what right do you claim such a place of power?"

[Frivolous]

Daisy takes a while to answer, marshaling her thoughts and trying to concoct a true and safe answer.

"I am honored to know your name, Most Exalted One."

"I do not exactly claim the Tower as mine. Like you, it is much greater than I am; it tolerates me, though, and that is enough for now."

"It is also the Tower lord's wish that I live there."

Daisy eyes the dragon pensively, wondering if it bothers to understand silly human things like inheritance. Explaining that people die regularly and bequeath assets to their descendants might not make much sense to a dragon.

[Maquise]

"You are a servant of the Tower's lord, then?"

[Frivolous]

Daisy bites her lip. "I do hope that the Tower lord is not your prey, Most Exalted One! Has he foolishly given you cause for wrath in the past?"

Inside, Daisy worries that she might be seized as a hostage. She seethes with anger that Lucien or Sanguineous might have known about the dragon's existence but not bothered to reveal this information to her.

She also feels incredibly stupid about walking into the Wyrmwood with little or no fear. She should have prepared for battle the moment she stepped into the cave, much less the forest proper. She might thus have fought off or run away from the kobolds and not now forced to talk to a dragon.

[Maquise]

"I have often looked upon the Tower and wondered what sort of being could master it," he says. "I would very much like to speak with your lord. He seems quite difficult to get ahold of."

Well, the dead tend to be.

[Frivolous]

Daisy nearly collapses with relief upon learning that Vysthallel does not want to automatically devour Lucien or her.

She takes a deep breath to collect herself, then says, "I know little of his ways, Most Exalted One. I expect I am too young to understand."

Daisy almost offers to deliver messages to the Tower, but she bites her tongue and lets the sharp pain drive that incredibly dangerous notion from her head.

Trembling, she waits for the next perilous question or statement from the dragon. To distract herself from her fear, she looks at the kobolds to see how they react and behave to this interview and her own responses.

[Maquise]

The kobolds seem to hold the dragon in high reverence, but are not cowering before him.

Vysthallel's head bobs from side to side like a snake's. He slowly crawls down from his nest towards you, moving with an almost unnatural serpentine grace. "What are you not telling me?" he says, a malevolent undercurrent in his voice.

[Frivolous]

Daisy gulps and starts to babble. "Um, that I think you're really interesting and handsome and that I'd really like to win your favor?"

"That I've changed my mind, and green is my favorite color from now on?"

"That I really hope you don't like your food to be virgin? Oh, gods." Daisy blushes as she realized what she said out loud.

In a small voice, she says, "All of those count, Most Exalted One."

[Maquise]

He chuckles. It is not an entirely pleasant sound. "Oh, so you want to make a game of it? Very well then, I shall play, and solve your riddle."

To his kobolds, in Draconic, he says, "This human wishes to play a game of riddles with your master. Let us see if she is up for the challenge. Lock her up, and we will wait for her master to come. Then we we see who the Lord of the Tower truly is. Otherwise, who knows? I can be patient."

The kobolds seize you and strip you to your skivvies. Then they toss you in a wooden cage, which they hoist several dozen feet above the ground.

[Frivolous]

Trembling in shock, Daisy waits for the next 12-24 hours, growing ever more hungry, thirsty, and fearful.

Part of her is curious, though. She wonders how the Tower will react to her imprisonment. She also wonders whether the kobolds will give her food and water.

[Maquise]

After 24 hours, nothing happens. Fortunately, your kobold hosts are not entirely without mercy. They give you food and water at regular intervals. Not much though, but you've subsided on less.

[Frivolous]

By the way, sorry if I have been disappointing in my choices. Some of Daisy's actions may be described as stupid, but I've been playing her as relatively innocent and naive.

Also, could you please confirm or correct my notion that cantrips are lost after 24 hours if you don't study the spellbook regularly? Or are they retained despite that?


Daisy Birdwhistle broods over the bad choices that led to her being kept in durance vile. Durance vile: a lovely phrase she found only a few weeks ago in one of Lucien's books.

I should have prepared for battle from the onset. I should have demanded to know everything Sanguineous knew about the forest. I should have asked if the Tower could provide me with guards.

Oh, what the hell: I don't even know if Lucien is dead or not. I never saw his body. If he was a necromancer like me, maybe he's undead and the real lord of the Tower, and all this is some kind of test to prove if I'm his worthy heir and apprentice.

I feel so stupid. I should never have been so eager to meet with the Master, especially when I figured he might be a green dragon from seeing those decorations on the kobolds' scales.

Daisy feels even worse when she is forced by her body to pee and eliminate through the bars of the cage. The first few times feel awful, but at least she can use Prestidigitation to clean herself up.

To pass the time, Daisy sings songs she makes up. First she sings in Common, then she clumsily translates the songs into Draconic for the benefit of her kobold captors.

In spring is green, a pretty green.
The prettiest field I've ever seen.
The weeds, we bend our backs to pluck.
And when we rest, lie back to ---

In fall are gold, a wondrous gold.
Most bushels of grain we've ever sold.
Our bellies round with drink and food.
And babies if we're in the mood.

[Maquise]

Not a problem; I'm actually enjoying this learning experience for Daisy.
I can't find a ruling for the cantrips, so I'll make one. They must be re-prepared every 24 hours.

The kobolds seem to begin to regard you as a pet; taunting you to do demeaning tricks with rewards of more palatable foods. Vysthallel simply continues to regard you. You remember that the patience of Lawful dragons such as greens are nearly infinite. You could stay here the rest of your life if you don't tell him what he wants to know.

[Frivolous]

Thanks for your response. I was feeling a bit bad, thinking you might have wasted your time by taking on a dumb player (me).

I feel better now.

When Daisy realizes the dragon is infinitely patient and, unlike her, unlikely to get wrinkles and liver spots from a few years of waiting, Daisy slumps in the cage. She tries to hold out for a few more hours, just out of sheer stubbornness.

Then she sighs and calls, "Um, I wish an audience with the Most Exalted One. Please?"

[Maquise]

The dragon, who's been able to observe you from his nest this entire time, swings his snake-like neck in your direction.

"Seven days? That is how long it has taken you to see things my way."

[Frivolous]

Daisy looks amazed. "Great gods, has it been that long? I lost track of time."

She sighs and says, "I have been hiding that the true lord of the Tower is dead."

"I am the former lord's niece, daughter of his sister. His name was Lucien von Nehlyvich, and he had many powerful enemies in the human kingdom of Ashcen. He bequeathed the Tower to me, and I have been living there for the past year, learning wizardry from the books there."

"I do not consider myself the real master of the Tower because many of the doors still do not open to me; I am told I need to earn their opening."

She pauses, then hesitantly asks, "Do you want to know more, Most Exalted One?

She does not speak yet of her speculations and worries, unsure if the great beast wants such. She tries to be brave in what may be her last moments alive.

[Maquise]

He begins to laugh, first a slight chuckle, then a full-on belly laugh. "That is the secret you've been keeping? And was willing to spend a week locked up for?" He instructs the kobolds to release you.

"A word of wisdom, little human. Know the value of what you have. Do not part easily with what is precious, and do not cling to what is not. This includes secrets."

[Frivolous]

Daisy looks aggravated, but she waits until she can make her voice calm before she answers.

"Humans are foolish and stubborn, Most Exalted One, and I am young even by the standards of my kind."

She sighs in relief as the kobolds begin to lower her platform-cage. She pleads in Draconic, "Can I have my clothes and things back?"

[Maquise]

They begin returning your possessions.

"Indeed. Let this be a lesson to you," he says. "And be grateful that I am letting you depart so easily. I am quite pleased now to know my neighbors better."

[Frivolous]

Daisy gratefully and immediately begins throwing her clothes on, dressing more rapidly than she has in her life. She is sure that the kobolds are laughing at her, but she doesn't care.

"Oh, I am very grateful, Most Exalted One! You have been most gracious, and I will never forget how kind you have been." She is so relieved that she says that without sarcasm.

Daisy finishes buttoning her tunic (accidentally missing a buttonhole, so that the entire garment is awry, but she pays it no mind). She curtseys.

"Is there anything else, Most Exalted One? If not, I really should return to the Tower, make sure it's still there..."

Her entire body is humming with anxiety and the desire to get out, get out, GET OUT, but she forces herself to stand still and not run for her life. She clutches her backpack and the precious spellbook within to her chest and stares with wide eyes at the dragon.

[Maquise]

"You may go. For now," he says. "But in the future, I may require a favor of you. Remember, it is unwise to upset a dragon, especially one who nests close by. And if you wish to send any tribute, I would accept it." He looks at you, eyes glittering. "You have been a most entertaining guest."

[Frivolous]

Daisy's eyes become moist, and she struggles not to weep tears of joy and relief that she's going to get to leave this place, this durance vile.

"Of course, Most Exalted One!" She curtseys again, almost kneeling to the dragon like she would to a god. "And I am very very glad to entertain you."

She turns to go (actually, flee like the wind), but she resists and says, "Before I go, Most Exalted One, may I humbly ask how long you have known of the Tower?"

Daisy figures that she might at least find out how old the Tower is. During her 7 days of imprisonment, she had begun to question everything she thought she knew, including the notion that Lucien was the creator and first master of the Tower.

For all she knew, Lucien inherited it from a relative, just as she inherited it from Lucien.

[Maquise]

"The tower's been here... at least twenty years," he says. "That is how long I've been nesting in this area."

[Frivolous]

Daisy says, "Thank you, Most Exalted One. I'll be going now. Thank you again."

She scurries backwards to the entrance of the tiny passage she came through. Only when she reaches the hole does she turn her back on the great dragon and scurry through it, heedless of how dirty it makes her.

[Maquise]

You think you hear the kobolds laughing at you as you scurry through the hole. You come out the other side at the entrance to the kobold den. Of course, now you're lost in the Wyrmwood with no idea how to get home.

[Frivolous]

What time of day or night is it when Daisy emerges?

Daisy straightens, closing her eyes and breathing deeply of the outdoors air.

She looks around for any kobolds to talk to.

[Maquise]

You believe it to be midday, though the forest canopy makes it hard to tell, blocking the light. You are on your own.

[Frivolous]

May I ask if Sanguineous has shown the reliable characteristics of being a true wizard's familiar before?

For instance, has he been able to communicate with Daisy empathically?


Daisy closes her eyes and tries to broadcast urgency to Sanguineous through their empathic link. She also "listens" for the emotions of her familiar.

While she is outside, Daisy sits against the tree that marks the entrance to the kobold warren and studies her spellbook, preparing cantrips: Message, Detect Magic, and Prestidigitation.

[Maquise]

He does. The link also makes it practically impossible for him to lie to you.

You can feel Sanguineous approaching. It does not take him long to arrive.

"Thank goodness you are alright, milady. I was terribly worried about you!"

[Frivolous]

Without looking up from her book, Daisy nods calmly, though inside she is a whirlwind of rage, suspicion, worry, and more rage. But she keeps it hidden, aided by all the practice she had hiding her emotions from her beloved and feared father, Devin.

"I'm fine. I have some questions, Sanguineous. Please answer them while I continue to study my spellbook."

"One, approximately how old was Lucien when you became his familiar? Was he young like I am now, still a novice wizard, or was he older?"

"Two, who created the Tower? Did Lucien do it, or did he inherit it from someone else?"

"Three, can we get guards from the Tower to accompany us outside its environs?"

"Four, did Lucien ever mention having met a dragon?"

[Maquise]

"Lucien was near the end of his life when he Awakened me. I believe he did so specifically so that I could become your familiar; I think he had one of his own. As such, I know not the origin of the tower. And he said nothing to me of a dragon."

"As for the third question, no and yes. The Tower's power is limited to its grounds; once you leave them, it can do nothing for you. You will have to create guards of your own power."

[Frivolous]

Daisy looks up at her familiar for the first time since he arrived; her eyes still glitter with anger, but now also surprise.

"Seriously? That's not possible; it runs contrary to all the laws of magic that I know."

She frowns pensively. "But evidently Lucien found, or created, some exceptions. I did wonder how you were able to talk even though Lucien was dead..."

She goes back to studying her spellbook, speaking with only the part of her mind not absorbed in preparing her cantrips.

"Anyway, there's a dragon at the other end of that tunnel. Green one. He wanted to meet Lucien but had to settle for me."

"I've been the guest of him and the kobolds. They fed me, so I'm all right, just kind of frazzled right now."

"You must have followed us on the way here. Do you think you could lead me back to the Tower on your own, or should I follow my intention to try to hire some guides and escorts?"

[Maquise]

"I can lead you back. Where were you planning on hiring guards?"

[Frivolous]

Daisy says, "Why, the kobolds, of course."

"I don't exactly know yet what they might want in return, but I feel they might be excellent allies. At least one of them can use magic. Did you see?"

"In any case, I need to know a more effective way of contacting them besides traveling more than half a day through the Wyrmwood. Perhaps they have a smaller settlement near the Tower. I won't know unless I ask."

Part of her is still furiously angry with the kobolds for leading her into the dragon's lair, but that part of her is smaller than it might have been. Seven days of being locked up in a cage like a blonde songbird have greatly developed her desire for self-preservation and the coldness necessary to treat with her former captors.

[Maquise]

"Indeed," Sanguineous says. "Perhaps there exists a spell you might learn for such the occasion."

He leads you back to the Tower, fortunately without further incident.

[Frivolous]

Pardon me, Maquise, but Daisy was planning on talking to the kobolds before she returned to the Tower.

Is that okay, or is it more suitable for her to return without conversing?

[Maquise]

Certainly.

[Frivolous]

Thanks.

Oh, and I also hope that I'm not imposing on you too much by interacting on an individual basis with NPCs. It must increase the difficulty for you and the number of notes you take to ensure continuity.


As soon as Daisy finishes preparing her cantrips, she casts Prestidigitation and uses it to clean herself of all the dirt and ordure she has collected during her imprisonment. She also uses it to make her hair clean and shiny again, though not as well as she would with the shampoo the Tower provides.

"I intend to call or go to the kobolds now. Stay if you feel it best, Sanguineous, or fly to a tree and observe."

She crouches in front of the hole and calls in Draconic, "Hello? It is your recent guest. I request to talk to the kobold who led me the group that brought me here. The one with magic."

Then she scurries back so that she is sitting about 7 feet away from the hole, her eyes now level with a kobold's if one should emerge. She prepares to wait maybe 15-30 minutes.

[Maquise]

The same kobold emerges. "Yes? What do you want now?"

[Frivolous]

Daisy blinks a little at the kobold's brusqueness, but maybe it's natural for them. She nonetheless tries behave politely even as she tries to read the kobold's demeanor.

"Greetings. May I know your name?"

"I want to trade for goods and services with the Broken Stone clan. Is there anything I can offer that you want?"

Sense Motive: [roll0]

[Maquise]

"Call me Trizztke," he says. "You wanna trade? You got gold, and magic, right?"

[Frivolous]

Daisy nods. "Pleased to meet you, Trizztke. Got gold back at home." She thinks so, anyway. She never actually looked for coin, seeing as there was no use for it.

"Magic, I got, too. I can make scrolls of spells, maybe. I can teach stuff, too, magic and other things."

"You got any magic you willing to trade, like that fire trick? Or what about a map of the forest? Information about who lives where?"

"I also want your help in traveling, as guides and escorts. And a way to contact the Broken Stone when I want to come here and bring trade to you or tribute to the Most Exalted One."

"What do you want for any of those things?"

[Maquise]

"You wanna talk to us? Fine, we put camp in your cave. You share magic with us, we help you out some times. Also, we tell you if Master wants favor from you. You be nice to us, we may even take you on secret paths through Wyrmwood."

[Frivolous]

Daisy thinks it over. She can't see a downside; the kobolds seem to have free run of the cave anyway. She only knew they had entered the lakeshore area when Sanguineous pointed out their tracks to her. The Tower's defenses did not appear to reach that far.

On the other hand, she hates to make an open-ended bargain so soon in her necromantic career. Therefore...

"Small camp, and you don't make a mess, and we don't harm each other. If so, we have a deal for the next year."

"After a year, we meet again, decide if and how we still want to get along. That okay with you?"

[Maquise]

"Agreed," he says. "Deal for one year." He spits on his palm, and offers it to you.

[Frivolous]

Daisy looks embarrassed. Spitting in the hand and shaking to seal a deal is a boy's game, not a girl's. But she spits and shakes the small creature's paw firmly.

"Deal for one year."

"I will go now. Need to go home and take care of things. I will prepare to welcome your band when it sets camp in the cave."

She stands and bows to the small creature, then departs, feeling really pleased with herself. The feeling of success makes up in part for the terror of her ordeal.

Of course, she also has the paranoid sinking feeling that she's made a terrible mistake. Oh well.

[Maquise]

Perhaps, but only time will tell. You make it safely the rest of the way home, and are once more in the sanctuary of the Tower.

[Frivolous]

Daisy goes to her room, locks the door, and freaks out in private. She allows herself to shudder and scream and weep like she really wanted to. By the time she is done, her throat is hoarse and her eyes are red and aching.

Then she orders a hot bath and stays there for at least an hour. She sleepily tells the Tower, "Tower, please find me some gold coins. I may need to pay someone soon."

"Also, if Lucien or any other residents of the Tower left journals or diaries, please being them to my bedroom and set them for me to read."

When she feels a semblance of her former self, she gets out of the bath and scribbles in her journal:

Dear Future Magical Me,


Congratulations. You still exist! I didn't think you would when those kobolds grabbed me and put me in the cage.

I learned sooooo many lessons from that lovely stay at Cavernus Draconis.

Rule #1: Never be glad to see a dragon. No matter what you want, what it wants counts a hell of a lot more, and they are fiendishly unpredictable.

Rule #2: Never neglect your personal safety. The world is treacherous and full of traps and monsters in hiding. Be the biggest, baddest monster you can be.

Rule #3: If necromancy turns out to be a bad deal, we can make a living being a bar singer for kobolds. Yay!

Rule #4: Never take anything for granted. I still know so little about Lucien and the Tower and Sanguineous and the Wyrmwood. I hope to hell you know more, Future Magical Me.

May I ask if Daisy got any XP at all from the past events? She wants to make scrolls, but she needs XP to do that.

[Maquise]

You get 500 XP, but you may want to re-read the Pathfinder item creation rules. XP cost doesn't exist anymore.

As you bathe, the Tower brings you tea and cake. You indulge after a week of bread and water.

Putting on your silk gown, you climb into bed, finding a small collection of books. It will take some time to go through them. You select one at random, and page through it.

Third year of the Plow (35 years ago),
The Binding was successful. I have moved the Spire from the ruins at Frostcrag to the shores of Lake Ruimare. It will serve as my Magister's Tower from now on.

Damn you, Magnus! That fool Zuhrin would've been long dead now if not for your betrayal. I've saved a few of the Wraithguard; they've pledged themselves to my cause. I can only hope my research into the arts of longevity will prove as effective on them as they were me.

[Frivolous]

Daisy reads the passage in Lucien's journal. But she is too tired to read more than that and sleeps.


In her dreams, she sees the Tower sitting on top of a snow-crowned mountain while the Lucien portrayed in the painting stands on the roof of the Tower and plays the fiddle.

As Lucien plays an eerie song, the Tower wrenches itself off the mountain and starts to walk down the mountain on 8 giant legs, like an enormous spider's. It practically waltzes along in rhythm with the music. And suddenly Daisy notices that the spider feet each wear green dancing slippers.

Finally it reaches the lakeshore and plonks itself down. Then Lucien flies towards the point of Daisy's dream-vision and roars in her face with the voice of the green dragon Vysthallel, "You're moving too fast! Too fast!"

Daisy wakes up screaming.

I see. Thanks. I guess that mechanic did not make the transition from 3.5, and this may actually be the first time I've had a PC who scribed a scroll. :smallsmile:

How many gp worth of expensive inks are available for scribing?

Also, request follow-up on the question about how much gold Daisy can get from the Tower.

[Frivolous]

From Daisy Birdwhistle's journal:


Dear Diary,

I had a terrible nightmare last night. Unfortunately, waking up did not solve much. I've learned things, Diary, and my situation makes even less sense than it did before, which is saying something.

Lucien's journal states he transported the Tower from someplace called 'the ruins of Frostcrag' to the shore of Lake Ruimere 35 years ago. He must have been incredibly powerful even then, long before I was born.

There are references to a failed attempt to kill King Zuhrin at that time (check if Zuhrin is the only one of his name). Lucien blamed someone called Magnus for the fiasco.

There are also references to a Wraithguard. Are those the servants that move things about in the Tower, or are they deadlier, darker beings that exist only to guard it from so-far-nonexistent invaders? Or perhaps they are not here at all, but with Lucien, wherever he is.

I grow increasingly more doubtful that Lucien is dead. Powerful wizards don't just die like that. Plus there was mention of successful experiments in longevity.

I just hope that I'm not moving too fast or too slow for Lucien's liking.


Oh, before we forget: I owe a debt to the green dragon Vysthallel.

This is very far from ideal, but I had no choice. One does not say easily no to a green dragon.

I must also keep in mind that Vysthallel is a young-looking green dragon. His Momma and Poppa are likely still about, as well as his siblings. I must do all I can to avoid meeting any other dragons until I am much more able.

Sad to say, that may take a while.


I'm going to experiment with using Purple for speech, Blue for thoughts and Brown for diary entries.

[Maquise]

You have access to your Level 1 sttarting gold plus your total XP * 2. Any and all of which can be used on magic inks and such.

"Milady, are you well?" Sanguineous asks.

[Frivolous]

Daisy is really tempted to snap, "Is that a stupid question or what? No, I am not well!" But she purses her lips tightly shut, taking deep cleansing breaths through her nose, until she is in control of her frazzled nerves and temper.

"Sanguineous, are you familiar with what humans look like? Have you seen any before besides myself, and Lucien, and the townsfolk of Hackevir?"

"I would like you to try to guess how old Lucien was when you last saw him. Like, what was the color of his hair?"

Oh, that's a lot. Rolling here for starting gold: [roll0] x10

[Maquise]

About Crafting. You can always take 10 on it according to the rules, so long as you are in the Tower.

"Hmm..." Sanguineous says. "I believe that he was about in his mid fifties when I saw him last. Or at least, he appeared to be."

[Frivolous]

Daisy shivers with fear and amazement. She mutters, "Still too young."

She points out the part of Lucien's journal that mentions the Binding. "This section of Lucien's journal mentions him transporting this entire Tower, which he called the Spire, from someplace called the ruins of Frostcrag all the way here to the shores of Lake Ruimere."

"Moving so much masonry must have taken incredible power, and the journal entry is dated 35 years ago. He would have been about my age."

Daisy rises and begins to pace frenetically around the bedroom, walking back and forth out of anxiety.

"Sanguineous, did Lucien give you any special instructions? Anything he told you to do or say to me, if I asked the right question or something?"

[Maquise]

"I received no such instructions," he says. "Do you believe that he could be a threat? If he was still moving about, why would he give you this tower?"

[Frivolous]

Daisy starts to slow down in her pacing. Eventually she stops.

"No, you're right. He's not a threat. Just a mystery. A real big one."

"Let's see what we can find about Frostcrag. And what a Magister means, precisely."

Daisy goes to the Library and to the Map room to research first the location and then the arcane significance of the title of Magister and what a Magister's Tower is.

Daisy has no ranks in Knowledge (Geography) yet, so everything she knows will have to come from a map, if she can find the right one.

She does have a rank in Knowledge (Arcana), so I am going to roll, and hopefully access to a library will grant a bonus.

Knowledge (Arcana): [roll0]

[Maquise]

You do not find Frostcrag on the map; however, you do find it referenced in several tomes. Apparently, it's location was so secret that the only way it could be found was to already know where it was, or be brought there by someone who did.

According to the legend, it was originally part of the City of Light, on the Island of Sorcerers. Many generations ago, a group of powerful mages came together to live in isolation on an island in the sea, free from any outside interference. They performed feats of magic the world had never seen before. But then, a great calamity struck, and the island was lost to the sea. A small group of them were able to save part of the city by moving it to Frostcrag. And then, Lucien moved one of Frostcrag's spires here.

[Frivolous]

Daisy breathes, "Amazing."

She straightens and bids the Tower to put the map and records back. "Okay, enough research. Can't stay here forever. Must do things."

Over the next several days, Daisy scribes several scrolls.

Daisy scribes scrolls for the following spells: Mage Armor, Mage Armor, Charm Person, Silent Image, Expeditious Retreat.

Total cost in inks and materials: 62.5 gold. Total time spent: 5 days. Unless she is interrupted, of course.

She puts one scroll of Mage Armor in a scroll case as a trade item for the kobolds when they arrive. The rest, she puts away in a scroll box for her own use.

When she is not working on the scrolls, she also assembles more adventuring equipment in preparation for once more venturing outside of the Tower into the Wyrmwood. Tomorrow, she hopes.

What sources can we use for equipment? Is the Ultimate Equipment sourcebook okay? It's available online here: http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateEquipment/gear/

[Maquise]

Yes, all official sources are valid. 3rd-party's on a case-by-case basis; except Dreamscarred Press, which is all available.

"What are you going to do in the Wyrmwood?" Sanguineous asks.

[Frivolous]

Daisy says wryly, "Try to talk to the Naormi again. You know, what I was trying to do when I got waylaid by Trizztke and his kobold crew."

She remembers what Lucien wrote to her: Listen to Sanguineous. So she asks her familiar, "Why, what would you advise I do?"

Thanks. I promise to be frugal as possible. The most I might go for is a light crossbow, which is 35 gp.

[Maquise]

"Perhaps you could as Trizztke if he knows of the Naormi, and their passage. They may be on the other side of the Wyrmwood at the moment, or some other part of the world entirely. Learning of that right away would save you the trouble of such a dangerous expedition."

[Frivolous]

Daisy nods. "I guess. Oh well. I'll assemble my equipment, and then we can go visit the cave and see if Trizztke is there yet."

"Oh wait, I have an idea. Isn't the roof full of astrological equipment? Maybe it has a spyglass we can use to see the cave."

Daisy goes to the roof observatory and looks for anything that looks like a spyglass she can look through to view the surroundings instead of just the heavens.

[Maquise]

Looking through the glass, you find that the kobolds have indeed settled at the cave, and appear to have been there for several days. The days you spent crafting scrolls, probably.

[Frivolous]

Daisy hisses, "Dammit."

She rushes down to the bedroom and picks up the scroll case with the Mage Armor spell scroll in it. She assembles her equipment and rushes down to the kitchen and orders, "Food and drink, please, good for a meal for a party of 10 kobolds."

She pauses, then mutters, "I'll guess I'll have to carry the stuff all the way to the cave. Bah."

As soon as the food and drink are assembled, Daisy picks it up and trundles over to the cave, putting her burden down ever so often to rest, then picking it up again.

I might want to fiddle with equipment later, but the sheet as it is is good enough, including the spells.

Today's spells are:
Cantrips: Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Prestidigitation.
1st level: Cause Fear, Mage Armor, Silent Image

[Maquise]

"Ahh, it's the tower-lady again," Trizztke says as you arrive. "And with food too!"

[Frivolous]

Daisy beams at the kobolds, as hard as she can, despite the fact that they give her the shivers and remind her uncomfortably that bread and water make an excellent weight-loss diet.

"Yes, food and drink. I brought enough for 10 kobolds, to welcome you. I hope it is suitable for you."

She sets out the food and drink at the mouth of the cave. She takes out the scroll case, too, and offers it to Trizztke.

"I have a gift for you: An arcane spell scroll for protection. The Mage Armor spell, if you know of it. If you cannot use it, perhaps you can trade it to another. I won't mind."

In the meantime, Daisy tries to count the number of kobolds present.

[Maquise]

There are around a dozen kobolds present. They eagerly leap on the food, save for Trizztke, who takes your scroll warily. "What do ya want?"

[Frivolous]

The hospitality impulse is strong among Ashcen peasants; Daisy looks chagrined, even though her guests have scales.

She hisses assurance, "Nothing! I'm trying to welcome you. It's a gift."

She kneels down on the ground and makes innocent-seeming small talk. "Did you have an easy time traveling here? I noticed we encountered no monsters on the way to the Most Exalted One, but maybe we were lucky."

Daisy is curious about the monsters that inhabit the Wyrmwood. Talking about Wyrmwood creatures might also lead to casually mentioning the Naormi.

[Maquise]

"We saw a troll, some wolves, and the tracks of a barghest. But we slipped past 'em."

[Frivolous]

Daisy politely enthuses. "Excellent. Happy you escaped without harm."

Inside, she shudders in terror, knowing she could not have defeated half of those things, or more, depending on what a barghest was.

"Have you ever seen these small people in wagons wearing colorful cloaks?"

[Maquise]

"We've seen 'em," Trizztke says. "From time to time. Haven't been around recently, though. But then, they might be coming back soon."

[Frivolous]

Daisy nods. She then says, "So what are you all going to do here, besides make yourselves at home? Do you have any plans?"

"I could help out, if you like."

[Maquise]

"We're just gonna set up a little camp here. Nothing really for you to help with. Anything else you need?"

[Frivolous]

Daisy nods. "I'd like to trade for knowledge of the wood within half a day's walk of this location. Monsters, landmarks, safer paths, good drinking water, etc."

She hesitates, then as calmly as possible says, "Particularly if you know of any places with walking dead."

Daisy tries to hide it, but she desires minions to command with her rudimentary powers.

"Before you ask, what I've given you are gifts, to show hospitality. I don't want anything in return. I'm willing to trade more to you, beyond that."

Daisy looks up and smiles at the rest of the kobolds as she says that, giving forth her sweetest and kindest demeanor, however she may really feel inside.

I have been meaning to ask: Does a necromancer need a holy or unholy symbol to use Command Undead?

[Maquise]

No they don't. I'm not feeling so good, so I won't be posting tonight.