IC: White Rabbit

[Taffimai]

It’s a dangerous world out there. Monsters are not confined to nightmares and scary stories, and you never know when, or where they might turn up. Entire races that seek to further their own cause by enslaving or slaughtering others roam the countryside. Luckily, there are real heroes as well: young men and women who manifest extraordinary talents of some kind, who set out to make life safer for all the others.

They are the ones who risk their lives to drive off the rampaging hordes, who seek out evil cultists and put a stop to any nefarious plans. As they grow in power, they slay ever greater horrors and thwart ever craftier masterminds, until the time comes when the tables are turned and evil comes to find them.

If the heroes in question already possess the shiniest armor, the sharpest swords and the most powerful artifacts they could possibly desire to conquer, if the burden of the years weighs on their shoulders and they suddenly find the desire to travel to distant wastelands or other planes no longer burning, it is only natural that they should build themselves a stronghold. And over the years, as their fame spreads, it is even more natural that those common people they have chosen to protect should flock to their sides, settling close by for protection. And if our heroes have a strong sense of responsibility, it can be no surprise that what was once a mere hold grows into a fortified city, housing thousands in a veritable bastion of defense. Such is the tale of the city-state of Saraam, and its King-elect, Lord Jefferson, who has recently summoned a few budgeoning young talents to his palace.

----------------------------------------------------

Dead silence. Not the slightest sound could be heard within the four walls of the tavern-room. On the floor, a rather large man was meditating, his eyes turned inwards in his skull, vibrating. Footsteps could be heard on the stairs, just as the man finished his meditation, and his eyes, in a sudden flash, were fixed on the closed door. The door opened slowly, and in stepped a tall, bony man, wearing rich garments.

The man spoke in a dry, posh tone, leaving no one uanware that he though this beneath him: "You've been summoned to the might and honorful Kings chambers." He paused, looked at the crouched man, and continued: "He.. Requires that you show up at nightfall, and that you are ready to leave if need be. Don't be late. The King does not like it when people are late."

Without giving Jones the time to answer, the man turned on his heel, went out the door and slammed it into its sockets. As he went down the stairs he shouted; "Be there, or be nowhere, filth!!".

Jones raised his right eyebrow, sighed, and got up. "Summoned to some stupid hall, by some stupid, stuck-up king, who thinks he is all that!" He thought to himself. He did not like it one bit. He did not like being summoned, no. But what he certainly did not like, was that he had no idea what was going to happen...

----------------------------------------------------

"So, Bjorn, you going?"

Bjorn looked up from the royal letter he had been reading, to see a dour tribal skald standing in front of him.

"I'm considering it, Thane. Not often That you get summoned by a king, you know." He answered cautiously.

Thane made a contemptuous noise in his throat. "Royalty. Can't trust 'em further than you can throw 'em... and some of them are pretty hard to throw too, with all those rolls of fat."

"I believe that I shall be able to take care of myself." Bjorn answered candidly. "Besides, a man needs to travel the world, see new things..."

"Meet exotic people and kill them. I am aware of the drill, Bjorn." Thane finished dryly. "Keep your eyes open, and your mouth shut. Trust me, it helps around outsiders."

"Thank you, sir. I can't wait to see." Bjorn bowed politely.

"You'll probably think otherwise when you come back," Thane shrugged.

[Edwin]

Jones looked at the enourmous gate in front of him, set in sturdy, pale stones. It was a truly magnificient structure.
Never before had he seens such stonemasonry, never so great a wall. And as he entered, he saw that the city, the buildings, everything was shining with equal greatness, everything shining in the dim, pale moonlight.
The streets were unusually busy at this time a day, still buzzing with caravans, richly dressed people, and large, unpleasent looking-types.
At every corner stood a city guard, dressed in non-descript chainmail, with the crest of Lord Jefferson painted on their front tabard.
Jones pulled himself together, took his eyes of the beautiful houses and shops, and started moving towards the castle gates.

[Taffimai]

Left and right of the gate stand two guards, one man and one woman, wearing full plate. The sun reflects off their helmets and shields, which are emblazoned with a mighty fist clasping a lightning bolt. They seem to enjoy their duty, greeting all those who pass the gate with a smile and a friendly word.

The gate itself is thirty feet high and equally wide. There are no doors, but an iron grate that could be lowered is clearly visible at the top. This outer city wall is fifty feet high and at least twenty feet deep.

[Stupendous_Man]

"I can see what Thane said about keeping my eyes open," Bjorn marveled, as he stared up (and up, and up) at the city gates. Never before had he seen such imposing fortifications, as the nomadic tribes of his homeland seldom had use for them.

Gawking like a country bumpkin - which, he supposed, he was - he inadvertently trod on a few toes as he made his way through a crowd of travelers and into the gate.

Bjorn's imposing physical stature prevented many of them from retaliating or speaking out at the accidents, though there was one rather large fellow who seemed intent on speaking up about it...

[Taffimai]

Behind the wall lies a stretch of grassland. On one side, you can see sheep grazing within a mobile enclosure. On the other, horse riders are practicing with bows and crossbows, shooting at moving constructs. It is an impressive display. About 1200 feet beyond the first wall, a second, even higher wall looms before you. From where you are, you estimate it at 100 foot high. No second gate is to be seen, but then again, you’re not there yet.

The man seems to make up his mind and addresses Bjorn:"I'm sorry, Sir, I can't help but notice how you seem to be bumping into people a lot. If you are not unwell, could I ask you to hold still for a moment?"

[Edwin]

Jones was walking toward the guards staitioned on one of the corners in the city, as he overheard a loud gasp of pain, stemming from a large, burly-looking fellow.
He was talking to a man of smaller, yet still large, stature. He seemed sort of aggrivated, and Jones decided that, instead of asking the guards for directions, he'd check out this conversation a bit closer. Could turn into something ugly, and no one wants that.

[Taffimai]

As Jones approaches, the man addressing Bjorn glances at him, does a double take, ending on Jones' strange yellow eyes, then nods slowly and continues: "You two gentlemen both seem foreign to Saraam. Travelling together, perchance?"

[Edwin]

"No". Jones tone was dry, yet not uninviting.
"What is happening here?", he added, as he discerned wether or not the two strangers were threats, giving them a stern look from top to toe. Maybe..

1d20+3
This is probaly moot. I have to beat a 20 DC, so I need to roll a 17 - good luck on that, my dear Edwin.

[Edwin]

Okay, so I forgot you can't make rolls in edits, so:
[roll0] Jesus, that sucked so hard, this dude could probaly convince me that my hair is on fire.. (the hair that I do not, in fact posses, in any case).

[Taffimai]

"I was trying to see if I could help out this gentleman, Sir. No need to worry, I mean no harm. Besides, even if I did, I am smart enough not to assault people loud and clearly within earshot of the guards."

The man smiles engagingly. "Allow me to introduce myself: my name is Thomas Pepperbox. I am a merchant here in Saraam, as were my parents before me."

[Edwin]

"Name's Jones. People call me joe.".
Jones muttered the words slowly, and his eyes were fixed on the talking stranger, searching his body for weapons, or anything else that might prove to be of value, or of harming capability.

[Taffimai]

Following Joe's look as it moves over his body, the merchant seems not the slightest bit taken aback.

"Take a good look my friend, I'm confident you'll find nothing amiss. Though perhaps it would be well to inform you that not all Saraami will enjoy being eyed like the centrepiece in a flying carpet showroom. Especially not our ladies. Myself, I habitually deal with customers of all ilk, so a stranger's being unfamiliar with our social graces hardly ever surprises me any more."

[Stupendous_Man]

Bjorn opens and shuts his mouth several times before managing to come up with a proper apology.

"I'm sorry, yes I am foreign, and, um, this city's a bit of a sight for me. I hope your ok?"

[Edwin]

"Did.. did you just call me rude? 'Cause, I understand all that fancy-speak you know. Just because you are some city dwelling rich guy, does'nt make you better than me. And I'll bust your kneecaps if you dont get that in'a head, right now!". You could tell that, as Jones spoke, he got more and more angry at the merchant. His furious eye gazed at the puny, puny man in front of him, and his muscles readied to lunge at him, while his mind readied for the incantation to be cast. The one that would allow him to rip this mortal to shreds, if he did not behave himself well.

[Taffimai]

"You seem agitated, my good Sir, I assure you there is no need. The word 'rude' never even crossed my mind."

While he's talking, you suddenly realise what a nice day it is. The sun is shining, but it's not too hot, the grass looks healthy, people look content to go about their business... The built-up adrenaline flows out of your veins and you can feel your muscles relax. Your opinion about the merchant hasn't changed, but he doesn't seem worth it to get all worked up about any more.

"Now, if I remember correctly, your reason for coming over was quite honourable: to make sure I wouldn't harm this gentleman, and indeed I will not."

He now turns towards Bjorn:"If you will permit me, Sir, this should help you avoid any more toes."

Barring protest on Bjorn's side, he whips out one of his wands, one with a dot of grey-white fur at the end, and lightly touches Bjorn's shoulder with it while exclaiming:"Flick-flack, miaow!"

"If you don't mind indulging my curiosity, I would like to ask where you gentlemen are headed. A pilgrimage to one of the temples, perhaps? I would be more than happy to guide your way."

-----------------------------------------

Siech petted his noble husky firmly one last time before heading to the door and reaching up to the handle, not caring that it was designed for someone closer to twice his height. As he opened it, he wondered who it could be, after all, he wasn't expecting anyone.
"Sir Siech?"
The halfling nodded, looking up at the man standing before him.
"The King requests your presence tonight at an audience with him."
Siech smiles and nods.
"I'd be honoured to be there, and I shall make sure that I am. Thank you, and here, for your services."
He continued to smile before handing the messenger a few coins.
"Thank you, I shall inform the King of your reply immediately."
As the messenger turned and headed off, Siech closes the door behind him before heading back over to the husky.
"I wonder what this is about. Maybe there's something important going on. Or maybe he heard about those kidnappers we dealt with a few weeks ago. But you'll have to be sure to come with me, and looking neater than that."
Siech chuckles as he grooms the dog more to get it looking to an appropriate standard for meeting royalty before heading off beside his steed.

[Stupendous_Man]

Bjorn will allow the magic to go through, relatively confidant that no illegal magic will be taking place in front of the guards.

"Thanks," he says ruffly, not entirely sure what to feel at the magic works through him. "I'm no pilgrim through. Came here to... well, I suppose I should see the Temple, might be worth it to sight see. I hear there's also the Palace, which is very impressive? I'd like to see that too."

[Kantur]

Siech finishes packing his things and readying his dog before starting to head off to his summons.

[Taffimai]

Thomas Pepperbox seems to enjoy his role as city guide, and chatters non-stop on the way to the inner wall.

“...and of course Saraam counts several wizards who can cast all the way across the fields and over the outer wall, but the invaders, even if they were accomplished enough, couldn’t, because they wouldn’t be able to see anything...”

The inner wall is, as you suspected, at least hundred feet high. There is no gate, there are no windows, just an enormous, blind wall stretching forth on both sides.

“...now the last time we got attacked, they filled it up with all sorts of magical, thorny bushes, but I remember one time when I was a kid when they used water and swarms of piranhas. We had endless fun trying to catch one, until they unsummoned it, of course. Ahh, there we are. You know, I remember the first time my parents took me to ride the floaters, I almost wish I was in your shoes. Though I guess it is a more overwhelming experience when you’re eight.”

He halts on a giant oval platform with magic runes etched around the edges. A few dozen other people are on it as well, standing closer to the centre and waiting patiently. There is more than enough room for everyone, the closest of your fellow passengers being two mischievous looking urchins who are a few steps away and very near the edge.

Not much later, the runes light up with an orange glow and the floater slowly rises off the ground. The urchins whisper together and start nudging each other excitedly. As soon as the platform is a good thirty feet above the ground, they jump off, squealing gleefully, only to be pushed back on by an invisible force.

[Edwin]

Standing in silence, Jones watches the two men speak, listening intently to their conversation.
He can't help but feel that something is off about the merchant. He seems enchantingly friendly, and has an aura of calm around, yet still, Jones felt exposed in his presence. Of course, that was most likely because he was in a big city now, and he did not know what lurked behind the corners of the street.
He followed Bjorn and the Thomas as they started walking, until they reached some strange sort of transportion, where he sat down besides the merchant, and watched his surrounding with a relatively peaceful mind.

[Taffimai]

The floater slows down its ascent and seamlessly settles against a protruding section of the wall. A wide archway welcomes you to Saraam in a multitude of languages, both aloud and in script. As you walk along the broad road that winds its way towards the centre, you notice that with each step you take, the dust vanishes from your skin and clothes until you are entirely spotless. A wholesome air seems to pervade the entire city, and wherever you look, there are smiling people going about their business, all looking surprisingly healthy. A little further, for example, a door opens and a halfling walks out with his riding dog, both impeccably groomed and definitely larger than average.

Then all of a sudden, the fairy tale illusion is shattered as a low-pitched alarm goes off, the smell of ozone fills the air and a monster appears out of nowhere. A bloated, amorphous body shows a wide mouth with two rows of tiny yet razor sharp teeth. It has long tentacles, or arms, that end in thin, boney appendices. Without hesitation, it grabs at Thomas’ chest, tries to pull something away from the screaming man and then, unsuccessful, disappears again. The merchant sinks to his knees clutching a medallion. His neck shows an angry red lash from the chain being pulled.

The alarm is still sounding...

[Stupendous_Man]

"So, do you have a pest control problem or something here?"

[Edwin]

Jones reacts instantly as he sees the monster appear out of nowhere, grappling the poor mechant, and his mind clears, and instill itself to the rythm of battle.
He manifests the claws of which he bears his surname for, and the clearness in his head reached it peak, giving him a sense of precognition.
However, by the time he was ready to attack, the monster had already vanished once more, unsuccesful in its attempt to steal Thomas' necklace.
Thinking it would surely return, Jones stood perfectly still, listening intently for any sign of the creature..

[Kantur]

Siech sends his Husky to try and find any traces of the monster, approaching curiously and drawing his sword as he does so.

[Taffimai]

Thomas only pays partial attention to Bjorn's question, while frantically searching the pockets of his cloak.

"A wha? Pest problem? No - oh, come on, where is it? Where is it?"

He lets out a piercing cry and jumps back as the monster reappears. All of a sudden, the merchant triumphantly pulls something forth and dangles it in front of him. It's an unbelievably large and glittering ruby set in a tacky golden circlet with lots of tiny bells attached. It is so large, that you are as good as certain that it must be fake.

"Come on then, take it, take it, you thief, just take it and go away!"

The creature hops forth, now standing inbetween Bjorn and Joe, and seems to hesitate. It reaches longingly for the ruby, but then changes it mind and tries to snatch the medallion again.

"Noooo! No, you filth, let go!"

Thomas holds on to his medallion, and both he and the monster are now tugging at it.

[Kantur]

Siech charges at the monster, greatsword swinging heavily as he reaches it, the Husky running towards the monster while keeping out of it's master's way, leaping to try and bite at the foe.

[Taffimai]

As the creature lunges for the frightened merchant, Joe takes advantage of its unprotected flank to claw it savagely. Five parallel gashes now run down its side.

[Stupendous_Man]

"Attack!" Bjorn shouts, drawing his axe and stepping in to defend the merchant.

[Taffimai]

In perfect coordination with Joe's claw attack, Bjorn punches the monster's other side. Usually a blow like that would have broken a few ribs, but this foul thing's anatomy seems to be different, and instead Bjorn leaves a permanent, fist-shaped dent.

Rather than stand around and admire his work, however, Bjorn pulls out his axe and cleaves the creature in one fluid movement. A pungent smell rises from the gash. At that moment, the halfling arrives and thrusts his greatsword clean through the monster. His dog bites down and tugs at its flank, tearing it open along the wounds and spreading out a mass of unrecognisable organs over a 12 feet stretch. The alarm stops, and you can see the magic on the streets immediately setting to work to clean up the mess. At the same moment, two guards come rushing around the corner.

"I don't understand, they never behave like this. The decoy should've worked, it's always worked before! They always go for the decoy, but... but perhaps the magic's run out! I guess that would be possible, but still, it should've worked. I don't understand..."

Thomas Pepperbox seems completely oblivious of any of you and keeps muttering to himself until one of the guards examines him for injuries, then he looks up at her only to continue the same repetitive monologue.

"Thank you for defending this man, gentlemen," her colleague addresses you, "these intraplanar thieves all too often disappear before we can get to them. It was very brave of you. You needn't worry for the merchant, he is just in a bit of a shock. That happens when people rely too heavily on tricks and magic to keep themselves safe, they forget that sometimes those precautions fail. We will take him to the temple of Pelor where I'm sure he'll make a full recovery. Sir Siech, may I leave these two men in your hands?"

[Kantur]

Siech nods to the guard.

"Certainly, though it would seem they need only a guide and not protection."

He nods and pets the Husky for it's good job before approaching them with an outstretched hand, raised for their ease to shake.

"Good day. My name is Sir Siech, and it's good to meet others of such skill. If you tell me where you're going to, I can accompany you as far as I can and find a guide from there for you."

[Edwin]

"Names Jones. But you can call me Joe, for one." His expression was serious, without a flinch, although the disappointment of the short-lived fight could not be mistakenly read.

He then added with a questioning look;"I need to go the castle, I have an appointment there?"

[Stupendous_Man]

"Huh... me too. Got a letter telling me to go to the palace. You don't suppose...?"

[Kantur]

Sir Siech grins slightly.

"It would seem it's a small world. Or a smaller city than I believed at least. We're heading there as well, so if you've no objections, we may as well go together if you'll give me a moment to make sure Fabion's saddle's sitting right so I don't slow you down for the whole trip. The problem with shorter legs."

He starts checking the riding equipment and making sure everything's sitting right.

[Taffimai]

Sir Siech leads the way along the winding road until you reach the Circle of Temples. Fifteen temples, one dedicated to each non-evil god, watch over an enormous park. Perfect green meadows speckled with tiny flowers of all colours stretch out before you. Topiary bushes shaped in a variety of animals – deer, wild boar, unicorns – stand around grazing leisurely. As you cross the green, you notice it slopes gently upwards towards the centre, where you see a gleaming white gazebo with a golden roof and seven convex pillars.

On your way over, you are being watched by three horse-sized creatures with canine bodies. One has the massive head of a lion, the second that of a tiger and the third that of a bear. Their fur is a dark gold and they have feathered wings with an impressive wingspan. They keep a respectable distance and if you look straight at them they seem to respectfully nod their head at you.

[Stupendous_Man]

Bjorn will draw his axe and attack the gazeebo just stare at the strange and curious beasts.

"What are those?" He whispered to Sir Siech.

[Kantur]

"Those are the guardians of the palace gardens. Half celestials, and very gentle with people that behave or the innocent. Though I've never even heard of them all being in the same part of the grounds before, they patrol seperately if I'm not mistaken..."

[Stupendous_Man]

"I think it is a sign; of something.... perhaps why we're called here. My barbarian senses tell me there's trouble about..."

Bjorn will respectfully avert his eyes from the half celestials and follow Sir Seich into the palace.

[Taffimai]

Dead centre in the Gardens stands the gazebo you noticed earlier. It’s well-built, ornamental and it commands an amazing view. You can see all the way to the temples and admire the intricate patterns in which the flowers grow, but there is no sign of anything that could be a palace. As soon as one of you sets foot inside the gazebo, however, you hear a female voice, apparently coming from the gazebo itself.

“Please state the nature of the emergency. No, wait, that’s wrong. Let me try again: password, please. No, that’s not it, either. Oh dear, oh dear, I’m making a mess of it, today, uhm.... Yes! Wait, I’ve got it: please state your name and reason for visiting. That’s it! Please state your name and reason for visiting!”

The gazebo sounds mighty pleased with herself and hums a joyful tune while waiting for your answers.

[Stupendous_Man]

Does the gazeebo look vulnerable to fire attacks Bjorn think a bit and says "We have been summoned by the king, but I don't think that's an emergency..."

[Taffimai]

"Summoned by the King?" the gazebo interrupts, "How odd, I didn't get a memo about that. They usually tell me when... oh, wait a minute, I do have a memo about that... uh-huh...uh-huh... Oh, it appears that I was supposed to let you in immediately. Well in that case: thank you for coming! We hope you will enjoy your visit!"

By the time she finishes her sentence, your surroundings have changed and you now find yourselves in some sort of circular foyer with wallpaintings uncannily like the view from the gazebo.

A gnome leans against the wall in the foyer, arms crossed over his chest, sapphire blue eyes staring a hole into the door of the chamber. His right foot taps out a staccato rhythm, obviously signifying a high degree of either impatience or excess energy; possibly both.

Faeren Googan looks once more from the spot where the other summoned folks should enter to the grand doors which would lead to the King's audience. He shakes his head, then stands up from the wall and paces around the room, idly drumming his fingers on the hilt of his rapier. His clothing is immaculate, which is odd, for it sits well on his small body. Broad shoulders and a barrel chest fill out the armor, a mottled gray and black cloak hangs from his shoulders, covering a leather rucksack slung over his shoulder and a quiver on the hip opposite his rapier.

[GimliFett]

Faerfen Googan

The gnome stops pacing and stands ramrod straight. "'Bout time! Faerfen Googan, at your service, gents!" he says walking forward and holding out his hand towards the newcomers.

[Edwin]

"So.. many.. new people! And a gnome at that!" Jones muttered, almost silently to himself. Was not too fond of gnomes, no, he thought to himself. Sneaky, lying little folks, very annoying - usually not too keen on fair fights either. Damn bastards.

In a sudden move of his head, Joe formed a smile that would outshine the Famine God during a potatoe blight, and politely turned to the gnome; "Why hello! My name is Jones. People call me Joe, and so can you, dear friend! Or not..".

[GimliFett]

Faerfen Googan

Faerfen smiles in return. "Well, hello, Jones-Joe! JJ! I'll call you JJ!" His grin widens and there's a twinkle in his eyes. "Who're your friends?"

[Edwin]

"JJ.. Alright" Joe kept his smile going.

"Siech and Bjorn are these fine people at my side" Jones said, as he pointed first Siech, and then Bjorn.

[Taffimai]

Before you have the time to finish getting acquainted with Faerfen and find out what his position is here at the palace, you are all distracted by the sound of two men approaching, apparently debating some point or other. Before long, the doors are thrown open and two well-clad men stand before you.

"Well would you look at that, all three of them, and right on time. Jones, you surprise me, I never would have believed you had the discipline. His Majesty will be most pleased."

The speaker is a tall man, somewhat gaunt yet well-built with what could have been an attractive face if it weren't for the obvious dismay written all over it. His companion is of equal height, but older and rather plump. The lines in his face bear out a jovial nature, though right now he seems to be torn between annoyance or shame regarding his colleague's behaviour and a reluctance to reproach him in front of you. He quickly intervenes:

"Lord Jefferson will indeed be pleased to know you have all arrived safely. If you would care to follow us, gentlemen?"

At this, the men turn to lead the way, though not without exchanging glances.

[Taffimai]

The doors lead to a long, straight hallway with floor mosaics and wall frescos. The scenes depicted are all sorts of fantastical animals in their natural habitats. Several corridors branch off, but you keep going straight towards a set of double doors identical to the ones you just came through.

The older man knocks twice on the door before entering. You don't hear anything, so apparantly he is given a visual signal to let you in. The room you enter is diamond-shaped with the entrance at the pointy end. In front of a large desk stand four wide, comfortable chairs waiting for you. Behind the desk, a broad man, well into middle age, rises from his seat and beams at you benevolently. Standing next to him is a male elf with an impassive face, wearing ornate robes embroidered with the holy symbols of several gods.

[Stupendous_Man]

"Lord Jefforson?" Bjorn whispers to Joe. "He seems regal enough..."

[Taffimai]

"Welcome to the palace, gentlemen, I am grateful for your presence. Please make yourselves comfortable." He gestures at the chairs and while waiting for you to take a seat, signals to the messengers that they may leave. After they have closed the door, he presents himself:"As you have undoubtably guessed, I am Lord Jefferson, and these are two of my counselors and friends. Lord Memling advises me in all magical matters,” at this, the elf nods curtly, “and Lord Havard is my Head of Security."

“Well met,” says a suave, disembodied voice. It isn’t until he raises his hand in greeting that you notice the other elf, who apparently was standing right on the other side of Lord Jefferson the entire time.

[GimliFett]

Faerfen Googan

Faerfen bows gracefully to the Lord and his advisors, an arched eyebrow the only sign of surprise at the second advisor's rather abrupt appearance. "Well met, indeed! I look forward to working with and for you, your Highness." The gnome takes a seat in the left-most chair (unless there are two specifically designed for small-sized folk) and tilts his head to the side while he waits for the others to decide what to do.

[Kantur]

Siech bows when meeting Lord Jefferson, offering his sword to him.

"My Lord, I am honoured and offer you my sword and service."

[Stupendous_Man]

"And my axe!" Bjorn kneels, holding the axe high above his head.

[Taffimai]

Lord Jefferson smiles as he lays a hand on your shoulders as in an act of blessing, then holds out his hand to help you up.

“Please, my good men, don’t kneel before me. Your loyalty is wholeheartedly accepted, and it is true that I took upon me the responsibility of a ruler when the people of Saraam offered it, but I seek neither deference nor submission. I would be greatly honoured, however, if you would accept me as your equal and speak your mind freely before me, for the four of you are men of great talent. This is why I have summoned you.”

“Over the years, I have amassed both power and fame. As a result, many people turn to me with their problems. Even before I founded Saraam, this had reached the point where it was no longer feasible to answer all of these requests personally. On the other hand there are men and women such as yourselves, who need no more than some experience to reach a capacity similar to my own. Therefore it has become my wont every year to summon budding heroes to the palace and ask them to bear my sigil and act on my behalf.”

“You would be free to choose from the most pressing supplications, and of course you would be rewarded for your efforts. Both my Weapons Master and my Props Designer would assuredly enjoy the challenge of working with you to maximise your potential.”

At this, he presents you with four white signet rings picturing a rabbit sitting watchfully upright.

[Stupendous_Man]

"That sounds wonderful", Bjorn grins. "One can never have enough choppa, after all."

He studies a ring closely before picking it up. "I take it these are ours?"

[Taffimai]

"They are yours, and yours alone. As soon as you put them on, they will attune themselves to you and become worthless in another's hands. As they are, they carry my arcane mark, which will allow other agents or allies of mine to recognise you. If you should ever meet with someone with a similar ring, it suffices to let your ring and theirs touch to verify that they truely are who they claim to be. If they are genuine, the rings will light up. If they are not, the imposter will be cursed. Even though they are magical, I assure you that they won't interfere with any other magic items you carry, not even other magic rings. "

[Stupendous_Man]

"Then I am pleased to join you and my four companions in your service; our fellowship shall surely benefit your kingdom."

[GimliFett]

Faerfen Googan

Faerfen arches an eyebrow at mention of the Props Designer, but accepts the ring and places it upon the second finger of his left hand without comment. For five seconds anyway. "It is an honor and privelege, Lord! I take it there is something specific which has prompted our selection. Name it and it shall be solved poste-haste!"

[Kantur]

"Thank you my Lord, it is an honour."

Siech comments as he takes one of the rings.

[Taffimai]

“It is good to see you all eager to test your mettle. Before we take a look at the most urgent missions, you should know that there is what we like to call a ‘training dungeon’ right here at the palace. In there, everything is controlled by magic; the enemies aren’t real and you don’t get lethal damage. It was built to allow parties who don’t know each other well to practice tactics and get to know what kind of powers and fighting styles the others have. However, it is entirely optional.” At this, he glances at Lord Memling, who is staring at you with a fixed gaze.

“Perhaps it would be fairest to give you an idea of the alternatives. Let’s see, there is a village where an inexperienced and rather reckless young priest opened up a tomb, releasing a nasty undead. Unfortunately, this case has been postponed a few times, so by now I would expect the whole village to be overrun.
Then there are some reports from the Saerian Hills about missing cattle, without any obvious leads to what might be stealing them, and last but not least you could go and investigate one of the werewolf sightings. You must know that hardly a day goes by without someone reporting having seen a werewolf. Only very rarely is there an actual werewolf involved, and once in a while it’s just a prank.
Still, it is advisable to be vigilant in these cases, for there are a great number of creatures far more powerful than a werewolf that could be mistaken for one. Take a moment to think it over, gentlemen, and don’t forget the option of our training dungeon.”

[Stupendous_Man]

"Hm. Undead... foul abominations against nature!" Bjorn's clenches his teeth as he says so. "I'm all for ending that problem, sir."

[GimliFett]

Faerfen Googan

The gnome strokes his chestnut brown goatee. "I think a quick jaunt into the Training Dungeon would serve us well, then I agree we should head for the village with the possible undead infestation. Followed by checking on the missing cattle. Given the fact there's only sightings of werewolves, pfft, and there's no reports of attacks associated with them, I think the other two situations hold precedence. Hm?"

[Kantur]

"Hmm, so long as the training dungeon wouldn't take more than an hour, two at most, if you all want to go through it, we shall, but there are people at stake. And if we encouter anything along the way that doesn't wish to surrender, then it could be an impromptu tactics session and taking about it as we continue..."

But hopefully without it turning out like the one in The Order of the Stick: Origins of PCs....

[Stupendous_Man]

But hopefully without it turning out like the one in The Order of the Stick: Origins of PCs....
OOC:
Thanks to the beauty of metagaming...

"We can always hope."

[GimliFett]

Faerfen Googan

"Agreed. If our other companions will agree, let's get started, hm?" Faerfen says with a wide grin and an arched eyebrow directed at the remaining chosen.

[Taffimai]

"But... Are you sure I'm ready?", Deikkas nervously asks.

"How do you know the paint is dry?" The answer came instinctively, and calmed her down... "An experienced painter can just see it is."

"Exactly - and I see you. Prepare yourself, but rest assured... You will find yourself in company soon enough, although the choice will be yours to like them or not."

"Whoever they are, and wherever they're coming from or going to... I'm sure I can make a nice painting out of it."

Deikkas straps on her armour with the help of the Weaponsmaster, bows courteously towards her, grabs her scythe and her bow and stands ready.

"Don't forget to practice your archery! I have a hunch I'll be re-stringing your bow next time we meet if you do!"

Weapon Master Keira smiles while she watches Deikkas set off.

---------------------------------------------

It was a nice day, Asayi thought. Clean air, bright sun, rapidly oncoming pavement...

THUNK

"And don't come back you little bastard! For the last time; my customers do not want to be converted while they're drinking."

"Don't worry, I forgive you, child!"

"Sod off!"

The heavy oaken door of the tavern shut, the bell jangling loudly. Asayi raised himself from the hard road, dusting his armour off. The glowing lights surrounding his bald and beardless head twinkled in their orbit. He sighed slightly. He couldn't understand why people were so adamant against accepting Pelor... Ah well. He'd hoped to get in at least one more convert before he answered his summons.

Later That Day.

"Oh, this training dungeon sounds like an appropriate test for my skills... I would much like to go and destroy the Undead menace, but if it will only take a few hours..."

"Indeed. Your weapons look to be in fine condition, is there anything else you need?"

"I would much appreciate a hand with my armour, actually. You'd be surprised how difficult it is to get someone to help you put some plate on properly around here..."

"Yes... I'm sure."

Asayi's armour is quickly refitted properly, the stiffness in his hips and legs disappearing. He makes a few experimental steps.

"Excellent. Thank you Weapons Master. May Pelor's glory rain down onto you."

He walks out the door confidently, heading towards the training dungeon.

---------------------------------------------

As soon as everybody agrees, you make a quick stop at the armory, after which three of you are taken to the training dungeon. A magic portal transports you into a pitch black room. You don't see or hear anything.

[GimliFett]

Faerfen Googan

"Ooookay..." Faerfen says as he waits a few beats for his eyes to adjust. Finally he withdraws a sunrod from his pack. "Watch your eyes, gents. I'll strike a sunrod." He waits five seconds for his companions to comply and lights the alchemical item.

[Kantur]

Siech nods, making sure to cover Fabion's eyes and sorted his equipment into easy to reach places.

[Rettu Skcollob]

Asayi stood in the darkness of the room for a few moments, saying a silent prayer to Pelor before he would continue. He turns to look at the other arrivals as they entered the room, blinking as one of them lit a sunrod. He wondered for a moment how they would react to him, a well-built Dwarf, dressed in heavy armour inscribed with the scripture of Pelor, beardless and with a shaved head. He smiled at them regardless, giving a short wave.

"Pelor's Blessings-" As he spoke the name of his Deity, warm, glowing lights manifested themselves around his head, his bald top shining as they orbited slowly. "upon you, friends. Is your purpose to conquer this dungeon, as is mine?"

[Taffimai]

When Faerfen lights his sunrod it shines brightly for a single moment and then dims. The room cloaks itself in shadow, dimming even the golden aura around Asayi's head.

Fabion lets out a low growl, but before you can do anything else, something that feels like a slimy towel is slammed into your face. Cold wet tentacles slither around your throat and then tighten themselves to strangle you.

The sunrod is only visible as a tiny red speck peering through whatever is wrapped around your head and all sound is muffled.

[Kantur]

Fabion growls before trying to tear at his attacker with his teeth.

When Siech takes it what's happening around him, he quickly draws his blade and sends it to the thing in front of him in a hard swung arc.

[Rettu Skcollob]

Asayi is about to continue, but unfortunately is rudely interrupted by something latching onto his face. "Jxyzqk!" he cries, succinctly. Reaching up with an armoured hand, Asayi attempts to grip the slimy creature, trying to rip it off his head.


Grapple
[roll0]
I don't know if I get any bonus for it being smaller or anything.

[GimliFett]

Faerfen Googan

With a grunt, the gnome reaches up and smacks the creature on his face, then rips it off and tries to impale it on his rapier before it can get away from him. "Garl's blessings on you, as well! Now let's finish this so we can get on to proper introductions!"

[Taffimai]

The dark creatures attacking you look like some unholy hybrid between a bat and a jellyfish, the remnants of a head stuck between two large, pulsating, webbed hands. The 'fingertips' end in strands of shadow, as do the two tails.

Before it has a chance to attack again, Siech cleaves the monster in front of him in half, then poises himself to gauge the situation.

Fabion and his attacker are tied up in a high paced exchange of vicious attacks and furious ripostes, neither one able to gain an edge over the other.

Faerfen and Asayi deftly prie their assailants off, both of which immediately lunge at them again. Asayi manages to dodge, but Faerfen once again gets a faceful of slime and feels the murderous tails slithering around his neck.

The last jellybat, unsuccessful in its previous attempt to envelop Deikkas' head, flings itself at her again only to be met by the pointy end of Deikkas' scythe. It hangs lifeless from the blade.

[GimliFett]

Faerfen Googan

"ACK!" the gnome gasps as he collapses onto the floor, dropping his rapier and sunrod.

[Rettu Skcollob]

Ayasi nimbly steps out of the way of the thing as it attempts to latch onto him again. "dOPENFLANK dFLESHk-dwellFAT!" <Dwarven: Cursed Dark-Dweller!> Drawing his morningstar, he strikes with an overhand blow at the slimy creature, but the spiked metal ball strikes only the stone of the floor, giving off a few sparks.

[Kantur]

Siech trusts his faithful hound to keep it's prey distracted at least while he charges the thing attacking Asayi with a quick swing of his blade.

[Taffimai]

Heroically, Siech dashes across the room and saves Asayi from further attacks by skewering the jellybat on his sword. Unfortunately, the one that was engaged by Fabion lurches after the paladin and so manages to throw Fabion off guard. It manages to smash its body against the dog, who shakes it off without effort.

Leaving Faerfen's limp body on the ground, the third flaps its two wings and clumsily flutters towards the ceiling, 30 feet above you. No doubt it means to take advantage of the impact when it drops down on its next victim.

[Aramilla]

Muttering something under her breath, Deikkas lets her scythe drop with a loud bang, takes her bow and aims.

"Practice, she says. Will make you better, she says. I'd still rather be" THUNK "painting."

Skewered by the arrow into the ceiling, the bat flaps its wings twice more, and then hangs lifeless, slides down over the arrow, and falls to the floor, bursting open in a pool of slime and gore, thankfully missing Faerfen by a few feet.

Raising her voice now so everyone can clearly hear her:
"Hail and well met, all of you. Let's wrap this up, shall we?"