bluegargantua (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bluegargantua) wrote2009-05-13 01:28 pm
bluegargantua) wrote2009-05-13 01:28 pm
Adjo's Journal (33 and 34 of N)
Hi,
Missed a journal entry. Not much to talk about though. Rest of the group went off to the Tolling Bell training camp and liberated the hostages while I stayed in town and kept an eye on the local chapter. Not much happened. The group did bring me back a snazzy new hat though.
Sadly, even though we rescued the cleric's family members, she killed herself once she knew they were safe. Elves. Kinda weird.
Now that the side mission is complete, we can get back to the business of tearing down this cult. It seemed likely that this artificer guy who was working with the Bell was probably our best chance to get more dirt on them. The Baroness sent us a couple of "independent agents" who could help us out in an official "unofficial" capacity. Sadly, the one guy, some Sir Kendry the Fig isn't quite clear on the whole "official unofficial" policy. It's at times like this that I appreciate Thrace's moral code doesn't rest on some inflexible code of conduct. His partner (forgot his name, sir something or other) was a bit more clued in.
Memo to self: We also got an invite to meet some high-ranking (former high-ranking?) dragoon in the Anvil army. Has a good local rep but these two soldier guys might know more.
We discuss a broad range of plans to try and get in to see this artificer (who lives on a huge estate). Since he's something of a recluse, we settle on the old "officers of the city stopping by to make sure you haven't died" routine (the guy's 90 so it's not completely beyond the realm of plausibility).
So we hop into Brawl and take the scenic route out to get an overview of the place. The guy clearly loves his hobbies and gardening isn't one of them because the buildings have mostly been turned into workshops while the landscaping is an overgrown mess. We spotted a number of likely clockwork sentries along the various walls and gates. Prepping for a fun time, we headed down towards the front gate to see if we can get in.
As we approach there's a sharp crack and Brawl is nearly tossed on his side as a huge shockwave ripples out. Duantless is our eye in the sky and he lets us know some sort of magical screen has covered the artificer's compound. A quick peek at the glowing dome and I know at once that our job just got a lot harder. There are certain rituals available to the well-versed arcanist that cause a large, magical shell to spring into existence upon the caster's demise. What this "death screen" does to people/things trying to breach the wall and what happens to people/things within the shield while it's up are up for grabs depending on the caster's whims. There are still a number of these bubbles out in the wildlands that no one has penetrated, so the duration on these things is pretty substantial.
So. Either our 90 year-old artificer just kicked the bucket, or someone took him out and now they're trapped inside. Either way, we had to go check it out. Brawl got as close as he could before the shield emanations forced him to halt. So we got out and proceeded on foot leaving Brawl behind to deal with any Bells who might come investigate. At the front gate, Kestrel was most industrious and quickly got a sally port disarmed and opened. This got me a closer look at the magical energies and I could discern that the field would allow us to pass inside, but not out. Given that we're dealing with an artificer, it's almost certain that this field is maintained by some complex device and if we can find it and shut it down we could exit quite easily. So in we went to see what we could see.
It was a bit of a hike to the large central building where we suspect that the artificer was probably located. On the way in, we ran into a giant clockwork scorpion and several clockwork men with buzzsaw pruning shears. For the record, the buzzsaws hurt. However, our Anvil escorts were effective at tying down the scorpion and we managed to shatter the clockwork men. We regrouped and continued towards the central manor until we finally gained the front (and only) door.
Kestrel and Alanna did their best but the cunning mind of the artificer blasted them with several magical traps. It also unleashed more clockwork devices at us and dropped a war ape on our heads. I stepped back from this simian simpleton and conjured a sword to help the fighters deal with it while I turned to deal out fire to the onrushing clockworks (as well as dodge the acid bullets being fired at me by smaller devices up near the roof).
Then the ape hurled Thrace back to land beside me. She struggled to her feet and then said "Sorry about this, Adjo". Before I had time to even consider the full terror of her sentence, she'd executed some complex maneuver and drew the ape right up to the two of us. I spent the rest of the battle learning more about great apes (particularly their stench) than I ever really needed or wanted to know. Luckily, with Thrace and Kendry flanking him, the ape had certain obvious target choices and chose accordingly. We finally put him down, but not before a final death spasm ripped into all of us.
By this point the others had dealt with the clockwork men (thanks in part to my ongoing zone of fire which I heroically maintained in lieu of fleeing from the ape despite the threat to my personal safety) and we managed to polish off the rooftop devices.
And now, here was are, stuck in front of the door still. Perhaps the thieves will be more motivated this time around.
later
Tom
Missed a journal entry. Not much to talk about though. Rest of the group went off to the Tolling Bell training camp and liberated the hostages while I stayed in town and kept an eye on the local chapter. Not much happened. The group did bring me back a snazzy new hat though.
Sadly, even though we rescued the cleric's family members, she killed herself once she knew they were safe. Elves. Kinda weird.
Now that the side mission is complete, we can get back to the business of tearing down this cult. It seemed likely that this artificer guy who was working with the Bell was probably our best chance to get more dirt on them. The Baroness sent us a couple of "independent agents" who could help us out in an official "unofficial" capacity. Sadly, the one guy, some Sir Kendry the Fig isn't quite clear on the whole "official unofficial" policy. It's at times like this that I appreciate Thrace's moral code doesn't rest on some inflexible code of conduct. His partner (forgot his name, sir something or other) was a bit more clued in.
Memo to self: We also got an invite to meet some high-ranking (former high-ranking?) dragoon in the Anvil army. Has a good local rep but these two soldier guys might know more.
We discuss a broad range of plans to try and get in to see this artificer (who lives on a huge estate). Since he's something of a recluse, we settle on the old "officers of the city stopping by to make sure you haven't died" routine (the guy's 90 so it's not completely beyond the realm of plausibility).
So we hop into Brawl and take the scenic route out to get an overview of the place. The guy clearly loves his hobbies and gardening isn't one of them because the buildings have mostly been turned into workshops while the landscaping is an overgrown mess. We spotted a number of likely clockwork sentries along the various walls and gates. Prepping for a fun time, we headed down towards the front gate to see if we can get in.
As we approach there's a sharp crack and Brawl is nearly tossed on his side as a huge shockwave ripples out. Duantless is our eye in the sky and he lets us know some sort of magical screen has covered the artificer's compound. A quick peek at the glowing dome and I know at once that our job just got a lot harder. There are certain rituals available to the well-versed arcanist that cause a large, magical shell to spring into existence upon the caster's demise. What this "death screen" does to people/things trying to breach the wall and what happens to people/things within the shield while it's up are up for grabs depending on the caster's whims. There are still a number of these bubbles out in the wildlands that no one has penetrated, so the duration on these things is pretty substantial.
So. Either our 90 year-old artificer just kicked the bucket, or someone took him out and now they're trapped inside. Either way, we had to go check it out. Brawl got as close as he could before the shield emanations forced him to halt. So we got out and proceeded on foot leaving Brawl behind to deal with any Bells who might come investigate. At the front gate, Kestrel was most industrious and quickly got a sally port disarmed and opened. This got me a closer look at the magical energies and I could discern that the field would allow us to pass inside, but not out. Given that we're dealing with an artificer, it's almost certain that this field is maintained by some complex device and if we can find it and shut it down we could exit quite easily. So in we went to see what we could see.
It was a bit of a hike to the large central building where we suspect that the artificer was probably located. On the way in, we ran into a giant clockwork scorpion and several clockwork men with buzzsaw pruning shears. For the record, the buzzsaws hurt. However, our Anvil escorts were effective at tying down the scorpion and we managed to shatter the clockwork men. We regrouped and continued towards the central manor until we finally gained the front (and only) door.
Kestrel and Alanna did their best but the cunning mind of the artificer blasted them with several magical traps. It also unleashed more clockwork devices at us and dropped a war ape on our heads. I stepped back from this simian simpleton and conjured a sword to help the fighters deal with it while I turned to deal out fire to the onrushing clockworks (as well as dodge the acid bullets being fired at me by smaller devices up near the roof).
Then the ape hurled Thrace back to land beside me. She struggled to her feet and then said "Sorry about this, Adjo". Before I had time to even consider the full terror of her sentence, she'd executed some complex maneuver and drew the ape right up to the two of us. I spent the rest of the battle learning more about great apes (particularly their stench) than I ever really needed or wanted to know. Luckily, with Thrace and Kendry flanking him, the ape had certain obvious target choices and chose accordingly. We finally put him down, but not before a final death spasm ripped into all of us.
By this point the others had dealt with the clockwork men (thanks in part to my ongoing zone of fire which I heroically maintained in lieu of fleeing from the ape despite the threat to my personal safety) and we managed to polish off the rooftop devices.
And now, here was are, stuck in front of the door still. Perhaps the thieves will be more motivated this time around.
later
Tom