Darl
Forum rules
NOTE: All posts, including minor edits, go to the Ivy and Chrome Yahoo group unless you select the "Do not send to Yahoo Group" option below the reply text box.
NOTE: All posts, including minor edits, go to the Ivy and Chrome Yahoo group unless you select the "Do not send to Yahoo Group" option below the reply text box.
Re: Darl
OOC: Trying to help with the fast-forward here ... I'm assuming this is a 'walled' city so to speak, being so deep in demon territory. Does Darl know how many main entrances/exits to the city exist?
Darl plods on, until he comes within site of the city gates ... then grudgingly accepts that his hard trek was for naught, as his quarry has obviously reached the city before him. Settling down for a break at the side of the road, he rests his legs while pondering his next move.
He should definately take advantage of an opportunity to find sustenance; as it had been a few days since his last 'feeding', so to speak. The question was whether he should do that now, or after finding somewhere to stow his gear in the city. He didn't want to draw too much attention to himself while entering town, though unwanted attention was something he had grown accustomed to while dealing with the typical gate-guarding fare. "Guilty until proven innocent ..." he reflects inwardly to himself.
Raising his cloak's hood to hide his face, Darl sits with his backpack tucked under his knees. Leaning forward and wrapping his arms around his knees to protect his equipment, he lowers his head as if falling asleep ...
... and lets his mind slip into the past to try and view when his quarry arrived at the gate and which direction they went from there.
With that done, he gathers his gear and heads out in search of some easy prey; hoping that a 'meal' would help him overlook some of the weariness in his limbs. Once the hunt is over (successful or not), and hopefully before darkness arrives, he will cloak up and head into town through an alternate gate ... sweet-talking his way into town if possible, and engaging in magic and trickery if not. Heading back towards the original gate, he will ask about his quarry and see if the guards can shed any light on whether they may have directed the two men to any particular inn upon their arrival ... and then inquire about any establishments which might be willing to give someone like Darl a place to crash for the evening.
Darl plods on, until he comes within site of the city gates ... then grudgingly accepts that his hard trek was for naught, as his quarry has obviously reached the city before him. Settling down for a break at the side of the road, he rests his legs while pondering his next move.
He should definately take advantage of an opportunity to find sustenance; as it had been a few days since his last 'feeding', so to speak. The question was whether he should do that now, or after finding somewhere to stow his gear in the city. He didn't want to draw too much attention to himself while entering town, though unwanted attention was something he had grown accustomed to while dealing with the typical gate-guarding fare. "Guilty until proven innocent ..." he reflects inwardly to himself.
Raising his cloak's hood to hide his face, Darl sits with his backpack tucked under his knees. Leaning forward and wrapping his arms around his knees to protect his equipment, he lowers his head as if falling asleep ...
... and lets his mind slip into the past to try and view when his quarry arrived at the gate and which direction they went from there.
With that done, he gathers his gear and heads out in search of some easy prey; hoping that a 'meal' would help him overlook some of the weariness in his limbs. Once the hunt is over (successful or not), and hopefully before darkness arrives, he will cloak up and head into town through an alternate gate ... sweet-talking his way into town if possible, and engaging in magic and trickery if not. Heading back towards the original gate, he will ask about his quarry and see if the guards can shed any light on whether they may have directed the two men to any particular inn upon their arrival ... and then inquire about any establishments which might be willing to give someone like Darl a place to crash for the evening.
Re: Darl
OOC:
{You can view the Chisel Town map at http://ivyandchrome.wildeyenterprises.com/characters/ww54/public_map/chisel_town.php
Darl is coming down the road leading to the gate in the Northeast quadrant off the map. The gate is known as the Sunrise gate. There are four other gates scattered around the wall. This is a fairly large town and it would take a couple hours, at least, to completely circumnavigate. }
Darl plods on, until he comes within site of the city gates ... then grudgingly accepts that his hard trek was for naught, as his quarry has obviously reached the city before him. Settling down for a break at the side of the road, he rests his legs while pondering his next move.
It's now just after dark and the city gates appear to be closed for the night. Houses, hovels and tents dot the sides of the road leading up to the gate. A few people can be seen going about the nightly chores of caring for animals, cooking dinner, etc.
Raising his cloak's hood to hide his face, Darl sits with his backpack tucked under his knees. Leaning forward and wrapping his arms around his knees to protect his equipment, he lowers his head as if falling asleep ...
... and lets his mind slip into the past to try and view when his quarry arrived at the gate and which direction they went from there.
Delving into the past Darl quickly lets his mind scan backward through the last hour before the spell reaches the extent of it's ability. Just before he maxes out the spells ability he spies two figures walk through his field of vision and enter through the gates. They wave at the gate guards as they pass through...the final two travelers aloud through the gate this night, it appears, since the gates close silently behind them. Darl cannot tell which direction they went from there.
With that done, he gathers his gear and heads out in search of some easy prey; hoping that a 'meal' would help him overlook some of the weariness in his limbs. Darl heads out into the night. This close to town there is plenty of "prey", but taking a human could lead to some awkward questions if anybody connected him to the incident. Since almost every human on Wormwood is a mega damage creature, he wouldn't have to drain the persons MDC completely, but it is difficult, and possibly impossible, to drain someone without their knowing that something is happening.
The other option he finds, at least judging by the smell, is that a herd of off-world food beasts is sheltered nearby. Those "cattle" are likely not MDC creatures and he would have to completely drain at least a dozen to gain a days worth of "food", however.
{OOC: Just let me know which option you decide to take or, if you don't like either of those options, come up with something more specific on what you're looking for. The two possibilities I mentioned are by no means the only ones, just the closest ones. Please provide details on how much MDC you are looking to gain as well. If possible, I would like to play this out before we continue with the rest of your actions, but if I don't hear from you today I'll move you along tomorrow regardless.}
{You can view the Chisel Town map at http://ivyandchrome.wildeyenterprises.com/characters/ww54/public_map/chisel_town.php
Darl is coming down the road leading to the gate in the Northeast quadrant off the map. The gate is known as the Sunrise gate. There are four other gates scattered around the wall. This is a fairly large town and it would take a couple hours, at least, to completely circumnavigate. }
Darl plods on, until he comes within site of the city gates ... then grudgingly accepts that his hard trek was for naught, as his quarry has obviously reached the city before him. Settling down for a break at the side of the road, he rests his legs while pondering his next move.
It's now just after dark and the city gates appear to be closed for the night. Houses, hovels and tents dot the sides of the road leading up to the gate. A few people can be seen going about the nightly chores of caring for animals, cooking dinner, etc.
Raising his cloak's hood to hide his face, Darl sits with his backpack tucked under his knees. Leaning forward and wrapping his arms around his knees to protect his equipment, he lowers his head as if falling asleep ...
... and lets his mind slip into the past to try and view when his quarry arrived at the gate and which direction they went from there.
Delving into the past Darl quickly lets his mind scan backward through the last hour before the spell reaches the extent of it's ability. Just before he maxes out the spells ability he spies two figures walk through his field of vision and enter through the gates. They wave at the gate guards as they pass through...the final two travelers aloud through the gate this night, it appears, since the gates close silently behind them. Darl cannot tell which direction they went from there.
With that done, he gathers his gear and heads out in search of some easy prey; hoping that a 'meal' would help him overlook some of the weariness in his limbs. Darl heads out into the night. This close to town there is plenty of "prey", but taking a human could lead to some awkward questions if anybody connected him to the incident. Since almost every human on Wormwood is a mega damage creature, he wouldn't have to drain the persons MDC completely, but it is difficult, and possibly impossible, to drain someone without their knowing that something is happening.
The other option he finds, at least judging by the smell, is that a herd of off-world food beasts is sheltered nearby. Those "cattle" are likely not MDC creatures and he would have to completely drain at least a dozen to gain a days worth of "food", however.
{OOC: Just let me know which option you decide to take or, if you don't like either of those options, come up with something more specific on what you're looking for. The two possibilities I mentioned are by no means the only ones, just the closest ones. Please provide details on how much MDC you are looking to gain as well. If possible, I would like to play this out before we continue with the rest of your actions, but if I don't hear from you today I'll move you along tomorrow regardless.}
Joe - Administrator
Re: Darl
{OOC: We still need to figure out how you feasted because that could have repercussions down the road. In the interest of keeping things moving, though, we won't be able to roll play that out like I would have liked.}
Having feasted, Darl heads for the nearest gate. Like the other gate, it is now closed for the night. Pulling up his hood, Darl approaches the gate and calls out to be allowed to enter. After a few moments silence a gruff voice from a watch tower at the top of the wall calls out "Go away. Gates don't open after dark."
Having feasted, Darl heads for the nearest gate. Like the other gate, it is now closed for the night. Pulling up his hood, Darl approaches the gate and calls out to be allowed to enter. After a few moments silence a gruff voice from a watch tower at the top of the wall calls out "Go away. Gates don't open after dark."
Joe - Administrator
Re: Darl
OOC: Well ... we could switch up the order of things, if you like.
Leaving the gate, Darl decides he's going to need to find another way into town. Following the walls of the city, he stroll through the shanty-town, observing the squatters as they go about their business. As he nears the edge of the shacks outside of the walls, he begins looking for a reasonable target ... a loner, or perhaps a drunk ... preferably somewhere away from prying eyes. He stays away from women or children, not wanting to raise the ire of someone who is going to end up resulting in a 'protector' with a bone to pick coming after him in the future.
Once able to locate an individual away from any sort of crowds, he hits them with a sensory-deprivation spell ... only to quickly move in, seize them, and begin drawing on their energy. He takes in whatever he can, but is careful to not drain very deeply.
The feeding complete, he takes out his bloodstone and performs a healing on the individual, so as to try and eliminate some of the effects that his feeding would otherwise have on them ... before leaving them, and taking the first opportunity he finds to d-phase through the city walls.
Leaving the gate, Darl decides he's going to need to find another way into town. Following the walls of the city, he stroll through the shanty-town, observing the squatters as they go about their business. As he nears the edge of the shacks outside of the walls, he begins looking for a reasonable target ... a loner, or perhaps a drunk ... preferably somewhere away from prying eyes. He stays away from women or children, not wanting to raise the ire of someone who is going to end up resulting in a 'protector' with a bone to pick coming after him in the future.
Once able to locate an individual away from any sort of crowds, he hits them with a sensory-deprivation spell ... only to quickly move in, seize them, and begin drawing on their energy. He takes in whatever he can, but is careful to not drain very deeply.
The feeding complete, he takes out his bloodstone and performs a healing on the individual, so as to try and eliminate some of the effects that his feeding would otherwise have on them ... before leaving them, and taking the first opportunity he finds to d-phase through the city walls.
Re: Darl
It takes Darl about 20 minutes to locate a viable option without attracting too much notice. A man moves along the outskirts of a section of the outlying buildings. The landscape beyond him is painted in shadows cast by bright moonlight. His destination and business are unknown to Darl, but those concerns are not his. The man can go about his business once Darl is finished with his feeding. The man slips into shadow cast by a half formed house (or perhaps it's sinking back into the ground) and Darl takes his opportunity to strike. A mere 20 feet separate them when Darl lashes out with his Sensory Deprivation spell.
The target immediately comes to a stumbling halt, shaking his head as if to clear the cobwebs that have now invaded it. Darl is on him in an instant "Easy there," he says as he steadies the man and begins to drain him of energy "little too much to drink, eh?". Darl can feel the mans limbs start to weaken at about the same time that the s-dep spell is wearing off. He knows he's nearing the man's limits. Reluctantly he stops the drain and helps the man to the ground. "There now, you don't look so good. Must have been something you ate. I have something that should help you." Darl pulls out the blood red healing stone as the man begins to look at Darl. Is that suspicion in his eyes or just wonderment and confusion? Now that Darl's head is bowed, the blackness from within his hood hides his features from the man. Placing the stone against his victim, Darl releases it's energy. The man draws a deep breath as the healing energy flows warmly into him.
"Thank you." The man says as Darl helps him back to his feet, keeping his head low to hide in the shadows of his hood. "I don't know what came over me. Must have been something I ate." {Darl drew 20mdc during his feeding.}
Heading off in a different direction, Darl heads back towards the wall surrounding the inner town. He can see an occasional guard walking along the ramparts at random intervals. Most guards are humanoid in height and he can make out the occasional Wormspeaker among them.
{OOC: I've updated Darl's character sheet with the current PPE standings. You might want to review it.}
The target immediately comes to a stumbling halt, shaking his head as if to clear the cobwebs that have now invaded it. Darl is on him in an instant "Easy there," he says as he steadies the man and begins to drain him of energy "little too much to drink, eh?". Darl can feel the mans limbs start to weaken at about the same time that the s-dep spell is wearing off. He knows he's nearing the man's limits. Reluctantly he stops the drain and helps the man to the ground. "There now, you don't look so good. Must have been something you ate. I have something that should help you." Darl pulls out the blood red healing stone as the man begins to look at Darl. Is that suspicion in his eyes or just wonderment and confusion? Now that Darl's head is bowed, the blackness from within his hood hides his features from the man. Placing the stone against his victim, Darl releases it's energy. The man draws a deep breath as the healing energy flows warmly into him.
"Thank you." The man says as Darl helps him back to his feet, keeping his head low to hide in the shadows of his hood. "I don't know what came over me. Must have been something I ate." {Darl drew 20mdc during his feeding.}
Heading off in a different direction, Darl heads back towards the wall surrounding the inner town. He can see an occasional guard walking along the ramparts at random intervals. Most guards are humanoid in height and he can make out the occasional Wormspeaker among them.
{OOC: I've updated Darl's character sheet with the current PPE standings. You might want to review it.}
Joe - Administrator
Re: Darl
OOC: I'll be posting a follow-up shortly, so unless you have a burning desire to post something, just hold on and I'll get back to you.
IC:
His appetite sated, at least for now, Darl heads back towards the wall and makes his way back towards the gate ... hoping the guards will at least be willing to tell him when it opens.
He winds his way back through crowd of buildings and tents, surprised anew at how Wormwood just grows new buildings from the ground in a haphazard manner. As he walks he keeps an eye open for any uninhabited buildings that he can make his for the evening as he goes.
Darl arrives at the closed gates once again. He feels a little naked standing out in the middle of the street all by himself like this. Calling up to one of the guards walking along the ramparts above, he asks, "Excuse me sir ... can you tell me at what time the gates will open in the morning, and do you know of any inns outside of the gates which would be willing to take in a weary traveler?"
The guard stops and peers over the side of the wall and down at Darl. "What do I look like, a travel guide? Come back at dawn and you can enter then. The man turns on his heal and continues his patrol.
"Hmmm ... first light," Darl thinks to himself. At the very least, that means his quarry wouldn't be likely to leave the city during the night. "Well ... let's see what's available," he mutters to himself, and heads off ... taking time to peer in the occasional window; looking for an empty room.
Darl moves back along the way he'd come. Finding a suitable window he creeps up to the side of the building and looks in. The first house...and the second...and third...all seem to be occupied. After well over a dozen houses, 18 to be exact, Darl finally finds one that appears to be uninhabited. Looking through the window, the room looks devoid of any furnishings. Moving around to the other windows he checks the rest of the house and, with the exception of some garbage strewn here and there, it seems empty. Just to be sure, Darl casts 'sense magic' to ensure there are no 'concealed' inhabitants.
He can feel magic emanating from nearby (within 20 feet) but he doesn't see anything other than himself and the items he carries that would likely be magical. No other magic within range of the spell can be felt (120').
Darl steps back temporarily from the building, just to ensure that the feeling moves with him, and does not fade as he moves away ... in an attempt to double-check that nothing in the building itself is contributing to the sensation. His test confirms that nothing in the building is emanating magic.
With that, he'll enter the building. Setting his gear down in one corner, he repeats the test inside; curious as to whether it was something within his backpack causing the sensation ... likely something he had lifted from Father Malaki's lab? Alone and at rest at last, he takes an opportunity to study each of the items in more detail.
As expected, the healing stone, his throwing knife and the pistol give off magical signatures. The buddha statue, surprisingly, does not. Of the other items (an ivory cross and two stones) only the cross has a magical aura. He finds, curiously, that he himself seems to be giving off a magical aura. It's rather odd, the spell he casts should not cause himself to have an aura.
"Ah, curses ..." Darl mutters in frustration, thinking back to the flash of magic as he picked up the Buddha figurine ... the pun not totally accidental.
He turns his attention to the cross for the moment ... studying it, in an attempt to deduce what is causing it's magical signature, but he doesn't recognize the cross as any particular type of magical item he's seen before.
Looking at the Buddha, he doesn't think that it was ever intended as anything more than a good luck charm or trinket; irregardless of whatever spell it may have been infused with when he picked it up.
Stowing the cross and the Buddha in a hidden dimensional pocket, Darl also inspects the two stones he picked up from the office. At least one of the stones appears to be a gem of some sorts. The other is of unknown purpose and origin. It is plane gray with a rough texture and almost perfectly round. It's about two inches in diameter. Intrigued, both of these go into the pouch with the other trinkets he picked up.
Counting on his ability to hopefully withstand an initial onslaught, and given his relatively low reserves at the moment, he decides to let himself slip into meditation ... mentally setting an internal timer to ensure he is up and active again just before first light.
The night is quiet and Darl meditates successfully. He wakes a half hour before dawn, and make his way back to the road and the gate he came to the night before. He arrives about 15 minutes before daybreak and, picking a spot slightly up the road from the gate, he sits back down and awaits the town's re-opening.
Intending to leave a message at the gate for Jordan, Gerard, Daniel, and Anastasia ... he realizes that he forgot to ask if any of them could read but then remembers from Father Malaki's office that both Daniel and Gerard showed that they could read standard English.
... now if only he had some paper to write on!
"Should have looked for some in that garbage from the house," he thinks to himself.
Fifteen minutes of sitting waiting and Darl sees the gates open. A queue of people have already lined up outside the gates to enter. Wagons with animals pulling and wagons with humans pulling both litter the crowd of people on foot. Strolling towards the back of the line, Darl looks for one of the 'human-pulled' wagons; especially one where the bearer may be having trouble moving the load alone.
He spots a likely "suspect" when he sees an old man, bowed in the back, struggling to pull a hand cart full of what appears to be some sort of mushroom.
"Please, allow me ..." he states, offering to assist in bearing the wagon through the gates ... hoping that posing as the hired help may cause him less attention or trouble getting through the gates. He wears the hood up on his grey travelling cape to help hide his features.
The old man looks up...and up...and up...and finally looks into Darl's face. His eyes are gray and milky. "You're a tall one, aren't you." He says and then shuffles aside to let Darl take the cart. "Thank you very much...these old bones don't work as well as they used to." Darl has to slouch as he walks to keep the wagon level enough not to spill it's contents.
Darl smiles inwardly ... half blind, and cataracts. His string of luck seemed to be holding out thus far. "Have you come a long way," he asks?
"Just up in the hills." He cackles softly to himself and leans closer to whisper "I got me a secret, you wanna hear?"
"If you wish to tell," Darl responds. "I'm good with secrets."
Glancing at the mushrooms, he tries to determine if they are native Wormwood fare.
"I found me a cave...no one but me knows about it. In it grows these wonderful beauties." He reaches back and pats the pile of mushrooms stumbling and then catching himself in the process. He grins with a mouth half full of teeth and cackles some more.
The mushrooms are definitely from Wormwood and are one of the more rare varieties. They are sought after for their semi-hallucinogenic affect.
"The planet smiles on you, sir!" Darl responds. "You must truly be a loved soul, for it to grant you such a gift."
"hee-hee-hee" The man cackles some more. "You better believe it sonny."
"So you are off to market then, I assume?"
"no-no-no." He says and then leans close again to talk conspiratorially. "The priests! The priests'll be wantin' these."
"Ah ... I see." Darl glances back at the wagon as if in sudden longing. "Perhaps you would be willing to spare a small few, in exchange for a good deed?"
The fetid breath from his rotten teeth manages to make it all the way up to Darl's height as, even crouching, he towers over the old man.
"hmm... might be I could spare a few. The priests won't be knowin'."
The irony is not lost on Darl, as he knows the mushrooms would have absolutely no effect on a being such as himself ... but perhaps they would come in useful later ...
"Go with me to the Cathedral and I'll give you a whole dozen."
"Ah, I certainly wouldn't tell," Darl responds in a conspiratorial tone of his own. "Hmmm ... the Cathedral, you say?"
"That's where the priests are, ain't it" the man cackles again. He seems happy to have some company.
"... Well," Darl pauses, not quite sure how to respond. "I would be willing ... but I fear that my presence might lower their offer. The Cathedral is not always welcoming of folks of my ... height." he states finally. "I wouldn't want you to be cheated simply due to a perceived association with me!" he adds.
"Ah, maybe just get me close and I can go the rest of the way on my own?"
Darl's attention is momentarily drawn to a rather large being in the midst of all the other traffic coming out of the gates. It looks like a walking robot or giant suit of power armor, standing as tall or taller than Darl would if he were standing upright.
"That," Darl responds almost absentmindedly "we might be able to do." His attention is distracted by the large being. "Curious," he states. "Is the there always this much traffic headed out of the gates this early in the morning?"
"Aye, always lots of coming's and goings. Much to do. Miners heading to the mines. Merchants heading here and there."
Gesturing over towards the tall being, Darl adds "It's not often that I encounter someone even taller than myself! Hmmm... What about the tall guy there?... Doesn't look like miner or merchant to me."
Darl vaguely remembers hearing about a being matching the description of what he's seeing. They aren't native to Wormwood and so there are only a few hundred or thousand anywhere on the planet. It's not actually a armor at all, but the beings natural armor. It's almost like a silver version of himself with dark green highlights. The chest is maroon and he wears a maroon sash.
"Who?" The old man squints trying to figure out what Darl's pointing at? "Oh him...hmmm..." he squints some more. "Can't rightly tell for sure, my eyesight isn't what it used to be. Judging by the height I'd say that's probably Dan. He's a miner by day and a bouncer by night."
"Ah ... so a local, then," Darl responds. Inwardly, he wonders why, if a being such as that is so readily welcomed that even this old man knows him by name, someone such as Darl is immediately mistrusted by those with better eyesight than this old farmer.
"Not exactly local, but he's been around for at least the last six months."
The shining creature doesn't have that "demonic" presence that Darl does. As Darl first observed, he looks more like a walking suit of armor than an otherworldly beast. That could help explain why he is more readily accepted.
Given that this 'Dan' is known around these parts, and his presence is not as strange as Darl would initially anticipate ... Darl lets go of the initial suspicion; opting instead to keep one eye on this 'Dan' from the perspective that it might be the one being here that could stand up to Darl if his attempt to pass through the gate resulted in any undesirable attention.
Dan passes by on the other side of the crowd from Darl without even glancing his way.
"I see. I'm actually in town looking for someone else you might have met ... " Darl describes the individuals he was pursuing. "Do they sound familiar at all?"
"Hmm... doesn't sound familiar. Might help if you knew there names." The man responds a little crestfallen that Darl didn't give their names.
"Ah, sorry ... John and Harvey. They were on their way here from Newhome, I believe"
"Ahh... Newhome. Nice little town. My niece moved there. Great girl." He says, somewhat distracted from the question at hand.
Darl decides to run with the distraction ... "Ah, perhaps we met during my last visit there. What's her name?"
"Her name's Sansa. Sweet girl. Did I mention that she's my niece?"
"Ah, yes ... yes you did. So being from Newhome, Sansa definitely would know John and Harvey then?"
"Married a guy named Jeremy...mmmm.. Jeremy Jones. Nice guy, looks after her real well." The old man thinks a moment on Darl's question. "Might be. Depends on what this Harvey and John did and whether their paths crossed, I 'spose."
"True enough. I'll have to ask them when I track them down. I believe they arrived last night, before the gates were closed ... I'll have to check with the inns to see if I can find them this morning. Speaking of which ... do you know of any good inns near this gate where I might start my search?" It seems doubtful to Darl that this old man would have made the trip home last night and then returned this morning ... and thus the likelihood of him having crossed their path was slim to none.
"If you say they were headed for an Inn, you might try the place that Dan back there works at. It's probably the closest to one to this gate." The man gives Darl directions to get there. It appears that it doesn't have a name. Everybody local just knows it's there. "That's after you help me with my mushrooms, right?"
"I can certainly spare another 10 minutes or so," Darl responds, hoping that if his quarry arrived late, they would not be too eager to start out again this morning. Then again, they were certainly in a hurry last night, and if that trend continued, he might have already missed them at the inn. "That should get you at least part of the way."
"Oh," the old man says crestfallen. "Well, I guess whatever you can spare is great."
"Wish I could do more ... but I do need to stop at a shop or two before I go hunt down my friends, and I'd hate to miss them." Darl tries to placate the old man.
"That's fine, I'll pay you for your time, of course." He says with some finality.
"Sometimes the reward is in the conversation, instead of the compensation," Darl responds in a friendly tone.
"Hah! Right you are, right you are."
"I will admit, I am somewhat ignorant when it comes to your fare here ... do the priests pay well?"
"They'll trade me something good for this load, I'm sure. Maybe one of their cows or something."
"Ah ... I would hate for my ignorance to cause me to unknowingly accept more than a fair trade for the company ... but I suppose a few mushrooms won't be missed if you're offering the full cart. Tell you what ... in addition, if I do find my friends at this Inn, you just might have saved me a full day's search ... if that comes to pass, what say I pick up a nice trinket from a local jeweler, and deliver it to Sansa the next time I pass through Newhome ... as a gift from her uncle."
The old man's eyes twinkle at the thought. 'Ah, that'd be right nice of ya. Maybe she'd be so grateful she'd talk to me again."
"If you can direct me to a trustworthy jeweler, I'd be happy to do at least this much."
The old man gives Darl directions to the nearest merchant district. "I'm sure you'd find something there. Myself, though, I got no use for jewels unless they got magic in 'em."
Darl chuckles. "You know something of magic jewels? Perhaps this mushroom cave isn't the only gift Wormwood has blessed you with?" he asks mischievously, ending with a chuckle to indicate he's joking.
"Wishful thinking there. I ain't never found any magic caches. Heard of someone that did and he became some high falutin' church type in exchange."
"Well, let me help you with the cart as far as the merchant district, then."
IC:
His appetite sated, at least for now, Darl heads back towards the wall and makes his way back towards the gate ... hoping the guards will at least be willing to tell him when it opens.
He winds his way back through crowd of buildings and tents, surprised anew at how Wormwood just grows new buildings from the ground in a haphazard manner. As he walks he keeps an eye open for any uninhabited buildings that he can make his for the evening as he goes.
Darl arrives at the closed gates once again. He feels a little naked standing out in the middle of the street all by himself like this. Calling up to one of the guards walking along the ramparts above, he asks, "Excuse me sir ... can you tell me at what time the gates will open in the morning, and do you know of any inns outside of the gates which would be willing to take in a weary traveler?"
The guard stops and peers over the side of the wall and down at Darl. "What do I look like, a travel guide? Come back at dawn and you can enter then. The man turns on his heal and continues his patrol.
"Hmmm ... first light," Darl thinks to himself. At the very least, that means his quarry wouldn't be likely to leave the city during the night. "Well ... let's see what's available," he mutters to himself, and heads off ... taking time to peer in the occasional window; looking for an empty room.
Darl moves back along the way he'd come. Finding a suitable window he creeps up to the side of the building and looks in. The first house...and the second...and third...all seem to be occupied. After well over a dozen houses, 18 to be exact, Darl finally finds one that appears to be uninhabited. Looking through the window, the room looks devoid of any furnishings. Moving around to the other windows he checks the rest of the house and, with the exception of some garbage strewn here and there, it seems empty. Just to be sure, Darl casts 'sense magic' to ensure there are no 'concealed' inhabitants.
He can feel magic emanating from nearby (within 20 feet) but he doesn't see anything other than himself and the items he carries that would likely be magical. No other magic within range of the spell can be felt (120').
Darl steps back temporarily from the building, just to ensure that the feeling moves with him, and does not fade as he moves away ... in an attempt to double-check that nothing in the building itself is contributing to the sensation. His test confirms that nothing in the building is emanating magic.
With that, he'll enter the building. Setting his gear down in one corner, he repeats the test inside; curious as to whether it was something within his backpack causing the sensation ... likely something he had lifted from Father Malaki's lab? Alone and at rest at last, he takes an opportunity to study each of the items in more detail.
As expected, the healing stone, his throwing knife and the pistol give off magical signatures. The buddha statue, surprisingly, does not. Of the other items (an ivory cross and two stones) only the cross has a magical aura. He finds, curiously, that he himself seems to be giving off a magical aura. It's rather odd, the spell he casts should not cause himself to have an aura.
"Ah, curses ..." Darl mutters in frustration, thinking back to the flash of magic as he picked up the Buddha figurine ... the pun not totally accidental.
He turns his attention to the cross for the moment ... studying it, in an attempt to deduce what is causing it's magical signature, but he doesn't recognize the cross as any particular type of magical item he's seen before.
Looking at the Buddha, he doesn't think that it was ever intended as anything more than a good luck charm or trinket; irregardless of whatever spell it may have been infused with when he picked it up.
Stowing the cross and the Buddha in a hidden dimensional pocket, Darl also inspects the two stones he picked up from the office. At least one of the stones appears to be a gem of some sorts. The other is of unknown purpose and origin. It is plane gray with a rough texture and almost perfectly round. It's about two inches in diameter. Intrigued, both of these go into the pouch with the other trinkets he picked up.
Counting on his ability to hopefully withstand an initial onslaught, and given his relatively low reserves at the moment, he decides to let himself slip into meditation ... mentally setting an internal timer to ensure he is up and active again just before first light.
The night is quiet and Darl meditates successfully. He wakes a half hour before dawn, and make his way back to the road and the gate he came to the night before. He arrives about 15 minutes before daybreak and, picking a spot slightly up the road from the gate, he sits back down and awaits the town's re-opening.
Intending to leave a message at the gate for Jordan, Gerard, Daniel, and Anastasia ... he realizes that he forgot to ask if any of them could read but then remembers from Father Malaki's office that both Daniel and Gerard showed that they could read standard English.
... now if only he had some paper to write on!
"Should have looked for some in that garbage from the house," he thinks to himself.
Fifteen minutes of sitting waiting and Darl sees the gates open. A queue of people have already lined up outside the gates to enter. Wagons with animals pulling and wagons with humans pulling both litter the crowd of people on foot. Strolling towards the back of the line, Darl looks for one of the 'human-pulled' wagons; especially one where the bearer may be having trouble moving the load alone.
He spots a likely "suspect" when he sees an old man, bowed in the back, struggling to pull a hand cart full of what appears to be some sort of mushroom.
"Please, allow me ..." he states, offering to assist in bearing the wagon through the gates ... hoping that posing as the hired help may cause him less attention or trouble getting through the gates. He wears the hood up on his grey travelling cape to help hide his features.
The old man looks up...and up...and up...and finally looks into Darl's face. His eyes are gray and milky. "You're a tall one, aren't you." He says and then shuffles aside to let Darl take the cart. "Thank you very much...these old bones don't work as well as they used to." Darl has to slouch as he walks to keep the wagon level enough not to spill it's contents.
Darl smiles inwardly ... half blind, and cataracts. His string of luck seemed to be holding out thus far. "Have you come a long way," he asks?
"Just up in the hills." He cackles softly to himself and leans closer to whisper "I got me a secret, you wanna hear?"
"If you wish to tell," Darl responds. "I'm good with secrets."
Glancing at the mushrooms, he tries to determine if they are native Wormwood fare.
"I found me a cave...no one but me knows about it. In it grows these wonderful beauties." He reaches back and pats the pile of mushrooms stumbling and then catching himself in the process. He grins with a mouth half full of teeth and cackles some more.
The mushrooms are definitely from Wormwood and are one of the more rare varieties. They are sought after for their semi-hallucinogenic affect.
"The planet smiles on you, sir!" Darl responds. "You must truly be a loved soul, for it to grant you such a gift."
"hee-hee-hee" The man cackles some more. "You better believe it sonny."
"So you are off to market then, I assume?"
"no-no-no." He says and then leans close again to talk conspiratorially. "The priests! The priests'll be wantin' these."
"Ah ... I see." Darl glances back at the wagon as if in sudden longing. "Perhaps you would be willing to spare a small few, in exchange for a good deed?"
The fetid breath from his rotten teeth manages to make it all the way up to Darl's height as, even crouching, he towers over the old man.
"hmm... might be I could spare a few. The priests won't be knowin'."
The irony is not lost on Darl, as he knows the mushrooms would have absolutely no effect on a being such as himself ... but perhaps they would come in useful later ...
"Go with me to the Cathedral and I'll give you a whole dozen."
"Ah, I certainly wouldn't tell," Darl responds in a conspiratorial tone of his own. "Hmmm ... the Cathedral, you say?"
"That's where the priests are, ain't it" the man cackles again. He seems happy to have some company.
"... Well," Darl pauses, not quite sure how to respond. "I would be willing ... but I fear that my presence might lower their offer. The Cathedral is not always welcoming of folks of my ... height." he states finally. "I wouldn't want you to be cheated simply due to a perceived association with me!" he adds.
"Ah, maybe just get me close and I can go the rest of the way on my own?"
Darl's attention is momentarily drawn to a rather large being in the midst of all the other traffic coming out of the gates. It looks like a walking robot or giant suit of power armor, standing as tall or taller than Darl would if he were standing upright.
"That," Darl responds almost absentmindedly "we might be able to do." His attention is distracted by the large being. "Curious," he states. "Is the there always this much traffic headed out of the gates this early in the morning?"
"Aye, always lots of coming's and goings. Much to do. Miners heading to the mines. Merchants heading here and there."
Gesturing over towards the tall being, Darl adds "It's not often that I encounter someone even taller than myself! Hmmm... What about the tall guy there?... Doesn't look like miner or merchant to me."
Darl vaguely remembers hearing about a being matching the description of what he's seeing. They aren't native to Wormwood and so there are only a few hundred or thousand anywhere on the planet. It's not actually a armor at all, but the beings natural armor. It's almost like a silver version of himself with dark green highlights. The chest is maroon and he wears a maroon sash.
"Who?" The old man squints trying to figure out what Darl's pointing at? "Oh him...hmmm..." he squints some more. "Can't rightly tell for sure, my eyesight isn't what it used to be. Judging by the height I'd say that's probably Dan. He's a miner by day and a bouncer by night."
"Ah ... so a local, then," Darl responds. Inwardly, he wonders why, if a being such as that is so readily welcomed that even this old man knows him by name, someone such as Darl is immediately mistrusted by those with better eyesight than this old farmer.
"Not exactly local, but he's been around for at least the last six months."
The shining creature doesn't have that "demonic" presence that Darl does. As Darl first observed, he looks more like a walking suit of armor than an otherworldly beast. That could help explain why he is more readily accepted.
Given that this 'Dan' is known around these parts, and his presence is not as strange as Darl would initially anticipate ... Darl lets go of the initial suspicion; opting instead to keep one eye on this 'Dan' from the perspective that it might be the one being here that could stand up to Darl if his attempt to pass through the gate resulted in any undesirable attention.
Dan passes by on the other side of the crowd from Darl without even glancing his way.
"I see. I'm actually in town looking for someone else you might have met ... " Darl describes the individuals he was pursuing. "Do they sound familiar at all?"
"Hmm... doesn't sound familiar. Might help if you knew there names." The man responds a little crestfallen that Darl didn't give their names.
"Ah, sorry ... John and Harvey. They were on their way here from Newhome, I believe"
"Ahh... Newhome. Nice little town. My niece moved there. Great girl." He says, somewhat distracted from the question at hand.
Darl decides to run with the distraction ... "Ah, perhaps we met during my last visit there. What's her name?"
"Her name's Sansa. Sweet girl. Did I mention that she's my niece?"
"Ah, yes ... yes you did. So being from Newhome, Sansa definitely would know John and Harvey then?"
"Married a guy named Jeremy...mmmm.. Jeremy Jones. Nice guy, looks after her real well." The old man thinks a moment on Darl's question. "Might be. Depends on what this Harvey and John did and whether their paths crossed, I 'spose."
"True enough. I'll have to ask them when I track them down. I believe they arrived last night, before the gates were closed ... I'll have to check with the inns to see if I can find them this morning. Speaking of which ... do you know of any good inns near this gate where I might start my search?" It seems doubtful to Darl that this old man would have made the trip home last night and then returned this morning ... and thus the likelihood of him having crossed their path was slim to none.
"If you say they were headed for an Inn, you might try the place that Dan back there works at. It's probably the closest to one to this gate." The man gives Darl directions to get there. It appears that it doesn't have a name. Everybody local just knows it's there. "That's after you help me with my mushrooms, right?"
"I can certainly spare another 10 minutes or so," Darl responds, hoping that if his quarry arrived late, they would not be too eager to start out again this morning. Then again, they were certainly in a hurry last night, and if that trend continued, he might have already missed them at the inn. "That should get you at least part of the way."
"Oh," the old man says crestfallen. "Well, I guess whatever you can spare is great."
"Wish I could do more ... but I do need to stop at a shop or two before I go hunt down my friends, and I'd hate to miss them." Darl tries to placate the old man.
"That's fine, I'll pay you for your time, of course." He says with some finality.
"Sometimes the reward is in the conversation, instead of the compensation," Darl responds in a friendly tone.
"Hah! Right you are, right you are."
"I will admit, I am somewhat ignorant when it comes to your fare here ... do the priests pay well?"
"They'll trade me something good for this load, I'm sure. Maybe one of their cows or something."
"Ah ... I would hate for my ignorance to cause me to unknowingly accept more than a fair trade for the company ... but I suppose a few mushrooms won't be missed if you're offering the full cart. Tell you what ... in addition, if I do find my friends at this Inn, you just might have saved me a full day's search ... if that comes to pass, what say I pick up a nice trinket from a local jeweler, and deliver it to Sansa the next time I pass through Newhome ... as a gift from her uncle."
The old man's eyes twinkle at the thought. 'Ah, that'd be right nice of ya. Maybe she'd be so grateful she'd talk to me again."
"If you can direct me to a trustworthy jeweler, I'd be happy to do at least this much."
The old man gives Darl directions to the nearest merchant district. "I'm sure you'd find something there. Myself, though, I got no use for jewels unless they got magic in 'em."
Darl chuckles. "You know something of magic jewels? Perhaps this mushroom cave isn't the only gift Wormwood has blessed you with?" he asks mischievously, ending with a chuckle to indicate he's joking.
"Wishful thinking there. I ain't never found any magic caches. Heard of someone that did and he became some high falutin' church type in exchange."
"Well, let me help you with the cart as far as the merchant district, then."
Joe - Administrator
Re: Darl
Darl and the old man's conversation is interrupted by an approaching pair of figures that seem bound on an intercept course. A human man and woman. The woman walks with meaningful strides with the man trailing along beside her as if carried along by her wake. The man is nondescript in his cloak, pack and, like many of the travelers, carries a sidearm and a sword.
The woman has a medium sized figure, just under six feet tall. She is wrapped in a dark grey...almost black...cross between a robe and a cloak which gives her an almost shapeless figure. The cloak almost completely conceals her femininity; but under the cloak, it is pretty obvious that she has weapons on her back, one of which is a large sword. Glimpses of black legging can be seen as the cloak flows around her.
Like Darl, she also has a hood over her head but she is standing straight and it's not that hard to see under it. The facial features appear surprisingly delicate and most decidedly feminine. Out of the cloaked hood stares light grey eyes with what appears to be blue flecks. A pair of golden blond locks hang down in front of her face as if trying to get a peek of the world outside the hood. If Darl is any judge of human features he would consider her face to be one of the more beautiful specimens of humanity that he's come across in his travels.
The woman has a medium sized figure, just under six feet tall. She is wrapped in a dark grey...almost black...cross between a robe and a cloak which gives her an almost shapeless figure. The cloak almost completely conceals her femininity; but under the cloak, it is pretty obvious that she has weapons on her back, one of which is a large sword. Glimpses of black legging can be seen as the cloak flows around her.
Like Darl, she also has a hood over her head but she is standing straight and it's not that hard to see under it. The facial features appear surprisingly delicate and most decidedly feminine. Out of the cloaked hood stares light grey eyes with what appears to be blue flecks. A pair of golden blond locks hang down in front of her face as if trying to get a peek of the world outside the hood. If Darl is any judge of human features he would consider her face to be one of the more beautiful specimens of humanity that he's come across in his travels.
Joe - Administrator
Re: Darl
"Friends of yours?" Darl asks the man, as he notices the pair walking towards them.
Darl will stop moving forward, as if to make room to let the figures past ... but remains crouched and holding onto the wagon. When it is becomes clear that the woman is moving to them, specifically, he will set down the wagon and rise up to his full standing height; twisting his head slightly and cracking his neck as he awaits an explanation.
Darl will stop moving forward, as if to make room to let the figures past ... but remains crouched and holding onto the wagon. When it is becomes clear that the woman is moving to them, specifically, he will set down the wagon and rise up to his full standing height; twisting his head slightly and cracking his neck as he awaits an explanation.
Re: Darl
"Friends of yours?" Darl asks the man, as he notices the pair walking towards them.
"Aye? What's that?" The old man says and squints to try to see what Darl is looking at. "Hmm... Don't know... Maybe if they step a little closer. These old eyes aren't what they used to be, you know. Hehe."
Darl stops moving forward, as if to make room to let the figures past ... but remains crouched and holding onto the wagon. The two figures keep coming straight towards Darl and the old man...making it obvious that they intend to intercept the two.
When it is becomes clear that the woman is moving to them, specifically, Darl sets down the wagon and rises up to his full standing height; twisting his head slightly and cracking his neck as he awaits an explanation.
The young man stops in his track and gets a very nervous look on his face now that he can see under Darl's cowl. Even if he doesn't know what Darl is, he's obviously intimidated by Darl's looks and stature. The two pause and take stock of this new development. They talk quietly between themselves for a moment before the woman takes a step forward. As she does, she pulls a mask out of her cloak...an Apok mask to be exact...and slips it over her face. The masked woman walks up to Darl and states in a tough, no-nonsense voice "Might I ask your business, sir?"
The crowd parts around them and gives them a wide birth as they can't help but take notice of the two figures squaring off. They don't run in fear but they definitely quicken their pace. The tension in the air is palpable and it may take very little to set off a riot and general panic.
"Aye? What's that?" The old man says and squints to try to see what Darl is looking at. "Hmm... Don't know... Maybe if they step a little closer. These old eyes aren't what they used to be, you know. Hehe."
Darl stops moving forward, as if to make room to let the figures past ... but remains crouched and holding onto the wagon. The two figures keep coming straight towards Darl and the old man...making it obvious that they intend to intercept the two.
When it is becomes clear that the woman is moving to them, specifically, Darl sets down the wagon and rises up to his full standing height; twisting his head slightly and cracking his neck as he awaits an explanation.
The young man stops in his track and gets a very nervous look on his face now that he can see under Darl's cowl. Even if he doesn't know what Darl is, he's obviously intimidated by Darl's looks and stature. The two pause and take stock of this new development. They talk quietly between themselves for a moment before the woman takes a step forward. As she does, she pulls a mask out of her cloak...an Apok mask to be exact...and slips it over her face. The masked woman walks up to Darl and states in a tough, no-nonsense voice "Might I ask your business, sir?"
The crowd parts around them and gives them a wide birth as they can't help but take notice of the two figures squaring off. They don't run in fear but they definitely quicken their pace. The tension in the air is palpable and it may take very little to set off a riot and general panic.
Joe - Administrator
Re: Darl
"You might ask," Darl responds somewhat cooly. "And if you were to take off that mask and quit frightening the local residents, I might even be inclined to answer," he responds. Gesturing around at the crowd edging away from them, he adds, "Rest assured, I mean no threat to you or anyone else here."