World of Asarth Dice-Based RPG-- GAME HAS NOW BEGUN!
Welcome to Asarth.
This thread is only for gameplay. Our OOC thread can be found here. It's full of information about the game world, as well as character sheets and rules! We're always accepting new players, but please head over there and get a character sheet approved before you post here. RP RULES:
HOW TO PLAY: If you've never played a dice-based RPG on a forum before, great! Most of us haven't, so we'll all be learning together. This little section is meant as a few outlines for how I hope gameplay will go. Hopefully it will work out! COMBATIN TOWN |
CHARACTERS:
Alexis Alerrio, Harpy Ranger, Played by Cora LongingtonDraza Pearlscale, Lizardfolk Cleric of Uolthen, played by ~LONGCAT~Aneja Heartsmith, Human Rogue, played by BrotherOfDarknessPhaelan Eckert, Half-Orc Bard, Played by EthosZebulon Pike, Human Wizard, Played by ChexalaRave Isenblæd, Human Warrior, Played by MythosTryphaena "Phaena" Floros, Cervitaur Ranger, played by Phaena |
THE GAME BEGINS
Nestled on the western edge of the Great Western Sea lies the city of Arlith, the oldest city in the world. It hardly looks ancient at a first glance, being a bustling metropolis filled with traders from far-off Tehley and nearby Raeland. It's not even uncommon to meet merchants who've traveled to the mysterious Silent Lands of the south, and some ships even claim to have dared the Great Current to reach the Empire of Barven far to the East. But if one knows what to look for, and peers past bright paintwork and lush vines, they will start to see the signs of age. This simple shop has a wall of finely-carved marble, and that wealthy has pillars that might have graced some ancient temple. Bits and fragments of an ancient city have been built into the new, just as bits and fragments of many cultures have blended into the city's culture. Books have been filled with the little points of interest about the city, but any local will tell you that the most interesting thing in town is the Wall. The Wall is the largest intact piece of the original city, and might once have been part of its defenses. Now, though, it's been swallowed up by encroaching neighborhoods, and one side of the great edifice serves as the back wall for an entire street of shops. The other side, however, is covered with layer upon layer of paper and parchment. Public notices, flyers announcing services, job offerings, resume postings, all plastered on top of one another to double the thickness of the Wall... it's said that an archaeologist once tried to catalogue the layers on one square yard of the Wall, only to go mad when he arrived one morning to find that the area he'd cleared was covered by new flyers. One section of the Wall is particularly interesting to visiting adventurers, however. The section nearest the Military Quarter is covered with requests for monsters to be slain and princesses to be rescued... or simply thieves to be taken for a bounty. This is where many quests have begun, and a few have ended. The First Quest |
Reserved
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JOURNEY TO HARPER FARM
The day is pleasant and sunny, with just a few fluffy clouds to make the intensely blue sky a little more interesting. It's early summer and there's a nice breeze, so it's warm without being crushingly hot as it will be later in the summer. The road to Harper Farm is well-maintained, so the only thing to occupy your mind as you walk there is all the other heroes also walking in the same direction. You study them as you walk, and you might even strike up conversation. This is everyone's cue to introduce your characters! [:)] |
She needed the gold to continue her travels. The leaders had only given them so much and expected them to either live off the land or find their own means, as was their way. No charity among gatorfolk. But she had her funds drained so far on her mission and needed more to continue, this "Wall" the smoothfolk talked about certainly had many different jobs available finding one that seemed quick and easy was more of a challenge. The warm weather was making her lazy, longing to lay and bask in the sun. With any luck she could find, kill, and possibly eat (and maybe pack some leftovers) whatever monster was.
What she wasn't expecting was to suddenly find herself part of a part of people looking to rid this woman of her peach thief. Grunt Draza re-shouldered her bag as it started sliding down. She didn't try to make any eye contact with them, just ignore them in hopes that they were going somewhere else... that took the exact same path... |
'Ah nightsoil', she started thinking as she made her way towards the direction of this farm, someone had given her directions, but she hadn't bargained on competition for any loot, okay so it's going to be easier to get the job done perhaps she thought, but I'm going to have to stretch my gold further than she had hoped 'and I really hoped to get those new boots'
As she strolled she adjusted her gear, making sure everything was secured properly, and double checking her two best friends her nice sharp daggers. She had been taking note of the other would be entrepreneurs, a very mixed, rag tag bunch. Four unusual characters and a member of the city guard, she was probably more wary of her than any of the others, despite their non human presence. All seemed like possibly tricky customers, she would have to be wary to start with. Some kind of Valkyrie, or lamassu not particularly Anejas type, but those feathers looked very well groomed, and expected them to be soft. And a lizard folk, she had only seen one or two ever, she could never work out whether it was the same person on different days or two different folk. But they gave her the shivers, she could seem to help it. A man dark skinned, man who held himself well, and a particularly good taste in clothing. Then there was the city guard in light armour, and looking very straight laced, perhaps those laces were too tight and she needed to relax a bit? Aneja knew a lot of the city guards liked to relax especially after a drink or two, or three! But she couldn't help but notice the orcs very... Very defined muscles, he probably seemed the less edgy, or suspicious out of the lot. Aneja, edged closer as they walked, trying to make eye contact with him, not being close enough so not being noticed at first she coughed a few times, ahem... Ahem...AHEM "so you from a tribe or what? I don't see many orcs on their ownsome?" She spoke casually. |
Alexis looked at those around her and sighed. When she had agreed to take the job in question it was not expected that she would find herself as part of a party. Not to mention it was a rather strange party at that, three humans, a lizardfolk, and a half-orc by the look of things. Harpies where norm to travel alone, but if she had to be part of a group she might as well make the most of things. She heard one of the female humans, rouge by the look of things, address the half-orc, but for the moment chose to remain silent.
Despite her ability to Fly, Alexis chose to walk due to the heavy pack she carried on her back. After all you never knew what you might need on a journey. She heaved a heavy sigh and then looked around her once more. She wasn't holding herself in a standoffish sort of way but she was keeping quiet, and to herself. After all, you learn more by listening. |
Phaelan only seemed to notice Aneja after she said the word "orcs." It wasn't that he was self centered and ignoring other members of the band of heroes travelling to the farm. Phaelan was trying to work out the lyrics of his next song. Blinking his eyes and turning his head downward to face Aneja as they walked along, he considered her thoughtfully before responding with a dazzling playful smile,"Nope."
He adjusted the straps of his pack on his back so that his guitar stopped lightly clapping against it. Too much wear would ruin the tone of the thing, cheap as it was, but he had very little means to repair or replace it if someone were to happen to it. Besides, it seemed to Phaelan that for whatever reason, he received fewer giggles and smirks when he played his guitar rather than his harp. Perhaps his harp had... some sort of... aura...? Was it magical? The dashing little smile on Phaelan's face slowly melted to his normal resting features as his mind wandered back to his latest "gig". |
Zebulon felt it was an auspicious day to be setting out. The weather was good, the road was dry. As he strode steadily down the road, further away from the city, the air smelled fresh and green compared to the close, often crouded streets. He breathed deeply, savoring the scents. He had a good feeling about this job. It seemed to herald a strong beginning to his new life.
There were lots of other folk on the road today, which was hardly surprising, considering the good weather. Farmers and traders passed now and then, mostly heading towards the city. He smiled and nodded and occasionally greeted people as they passed. There were some other folks on the road who caught Zebulon's attention, travelers who were not the usual small folk, and who were all heading in the same direction as him. He spotted a lady of the city guard nearby, and further along, a young woman was talking with a tall green-skinned man. He was particularly struck by the lizard-folk woman and the harpy, however, each of whom was keeping to hereself. He was hardly a stranger to the world's diversity of people, having lived in the city most of his life, but he had only ever read about peoples such as those. He eyed each of them with curious glances, trying not to stare or be rude. I should be focusing on the task to come, he thought, snapping his mind back to the apparent monster problem out on the peach farm. There is a high likelihood the problem is theives or some similar mischief, he mused, but in case some creature is involved, I should be prepared. He pulled his spell book from the pouch at his hip and began to peruse its pages. Hardly paying attention to his surroundings any more, he was soon muttering quietly to himself as he walked on, thinking about which spells might be best to use. |
Rave closed her eyes as soon as Sergeant Silkears left her to her latest task. It was a field opportunity but it wasn't anything on the level she was clearly capable of and she knew it. Eyeing the report itself only irritated Rave more... clearly this was just some mad woman complaining about some kind of harmless, fruit-loving animal. Never-the-less she couldn't just leave the pointless assignment festering.
An hour later and the constable was on the way to Harper's farm. The path was decently busy, perhaps a little more than busy than it normally would be but with the strange look of the other travelers it was very possible that some gathering within the city had drawn in strangers from far across Asrath. Rave kept a fairly watchful eye on the crowd but kept to her course. In her head the assignment kept her temperature up... Silkears always sent her on missions like this and it was no secret she resented it. |
Harper Farm is a large one, and the road runs past it for half a mile before reaching the main entrance. It's well-organized, too. None of this 'here a pig, there a sheep' nonsense here. To the right of the road the party will pass a neat dairy, where cows stare at them with bovine curiosity as they pass. To the left lie orchards, placed to help shade the road from the glare of hot afternoon sun. Cherry trees are closest to the city, giving way to peaches further on. The entrance to the farm itself is just past the dairy pastures, where a hard-packed dirt road leads to a large stone house ringed around by barns and outbuildings. The yard bustles with activity as farm workers feed animals and load produce carts to take to the city markets. A child notices the party as they turn off the main road and leaves off weeding an herb garden to run ahead and give notice.
Widow Harper looks to be in her late 50s or early 60s, with a complexion like old leather and a wiry build. Rumor says that she's very wealthy, but it hardly shows in her worn work clothes. She stands in the middle of the yard giving orders, and her voice and the crispness with which those orders are obeyed would be the envy of any drill sergeant. She looks the party up and down, and doesn't seem particularly impressed with what she sees. "You the ones what's come for the monster? Guess you'll do. Come with me." For an older woman, she moves very quickly, and leads the group back out to the road. She points at the trees directly across from the house and outbuildings. "I got ten acres of peaches here, but look... see the ones what got red ribbons on 'em? Those're special. Meant for the king's table. 'Cept every night somethin' comes and picks all the ripe ones. I've had bird nets up, and I've had men stay out here all night, and they don't see nothin, but come morning every ripe peach is gone from those trees and only those trees. You lot find what's doing it and I'll give you half the profit from the peaches the King buys this year." There are 20 trees marked with red ribbon, and all of them have ripening fruit on them. It's about midmorning, so you have plenty of time to investigate before nightfall when the peaches always disappear. If you have any questions and can't figure out how to phrase them in character, feel free to ask Wyrm in the OOC thread or through PM. Otherwise, write out what your character wants to do and roll against appropriate skills, and I'll let you know results! |
Aneja turned to the widow and asked quite bluntly "right so is there any bitso the peaches left around? The stones and what not? If there is then it's blooming squirrels or summin', if not then it's probably the' guys you've got watchin' them! Anyway ow much is arf the profit then?"
Aneja may not be very well travelled or even wise in the ways of the world, and definately not very good with people, but she definately thought logically, and figured only people, or something intelligent would take whole peaches, that animals left remains... Unless they ate them whole, the thought troubled Aneja a bit, she hadn't really that it could be a monster that had taken the peaches... Could it? She shook her head and dismissed the thought, besides with the look of that lizard lady, and the rippling muscles of the Orc, the well defined chiseled rippling muscles... She shook her head again! Looking like a horse shaking flies, she got her thoughts back on track. Them together with that unhappy looking guard, she doubt they'd have a problem with any creature, as long as she stood behind one of those she'd be okay! |
Time to kill and adventures to ignore. She really didn't mind that there were others with her at the peach farm, but she just didn't want to deal with them. The harpy, maybe, but even her just seemed to be toothpicky. The orcish one, didn't quite smell like an orc, too flowery. The shiny one had pointy bits she could easily see, the other was probably hiding pointy bits. And the last one had the crackle of magic; magic she was familiar with. Shuffling closer to the smaller mage she tried to seem discrete.
"Dark Squishy, you think not animal too, maybe smooth folk at work?" She attempted to say this quietly and not seem foreboding. Lifting her snout she thought she had caught a wiff of something... --- Roll against intimidate: The 20-sided dice lands on 5 CHA-1 Roll for Smell check?: The 20-sided dice lands on 20 |
"Them's my grandbabies you're talkin' about, girl." Widow Harper drew herself to her full height and attempted to frown down at Aneja. It would have worked better if her full height wasn't still several inches shorter than the rogue, of course. She made a grand effort, however, before snorting and muttering something about 'cityfolk.' She shook her head and pointed at the ground, where peach pits could be made out under every tree. A closer look at the stones revealed there wasn't even a shred of fruit still clinging to them. "They leave the stones, an' if four er five men et that many peaches they'd be sicker'n a drunk snake."
"But it can't be critters what's doin' it, either. Lookee." She stumped over to where they'd entered the orchard and untied a string that seemed to be holding more string to a post. Once freed, the 'string' attached the post revealed itself to be a fine net that draped across the opening they'd come in by. Having seen one section of the net, it became easier to spot more netting held up by tall poles and covering the entire section of red-ribboned trees like some kind of ephemeral tent. "Bird net. Keeps out any kind a bird er critter what's big enough ta make a meal outta the peaches. We keep it closed unless we're workin' in here. Cost a fortune, er I'd have it over everythin' instead a just these, but they make me enough money ta make it worthwhile... or they did 'til somethin' started eatin' em." That said, she carefully began pulling the netting back to the post it had been tied to, not trusting the strangers not to rip the expensive net or find a way out of it on their own. Meanwhile, Draza's keen nose caught the faint hint of smoke in the orchard. Not normal woodsmoke, this scent... it was far more like the incense that was popular in the temples in town. Definitely an odd smell to be found in an orchard. |
((Spells for today: Alarm x2, Armor, Detect Magic x2, Grease, Light, Mending.))
Zebulon listened closely to everything the widow explained, thinking rapidly. He could see now why she was concerned about something more than common theft. He was surprised when the lizard woman sidled up and spoke to him, but he nodded curtiously to her before replying. "I am not sure if this is the work of people or creatures, but it is certainly suspicious. There may be magic involved. I know a few spells which may help us learn more about the situation." Eyeing the patch of ribboned trees, he tried to judge that area against the effective area of his spells. Deciding it would have to do either way, he lifted his hands and began to quietly chant the incantation for Detect Magic over the trees. This would, he hoped, reveal if the peaches were disappearing by magical means, or due to a magical creature. --- Roll to cast Detect Magic: The 20-sided dice lands on 14 |
The familiar disorientation of spell-vision filled Zebulon's eyes, draining all color from the world. He pivoted slowly in place, trying to let his gaze remain unfocused as he looked for the flickers of color that indicated magical energy. The intensity of the color would tell him how strong the magic was, and sometimes even give hints of what kind of magic. He thought there might be a glimmer of color to his left, but he held to his slow pivot, knowing that moving quickly would break the-- ACHOO! A breath of incense tickled his nose, triggering a powerful sneeze that shattered the spell.
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Alexis still had not spoken to the others, but listened intently. The large lizard woman appeared to be blaming the people who had been watching the peaches in the night, the Mage seemed to be casting some sort of spell which had failed. She thought over the situation, something which was difficult for her, but in the end chose to rely on what she did know how to do. Using her current skill set she set to tracking out the area for some hint of footprints or the like, any clue to what they were dealing with.
Tracking The 20-sided dice lands on 1 |
The trail was muddled by the footprints of the farm workers, but off the beaten path there were odd trails, as if something very light had swept across the ground. The trails didn't seem to be going anywhere specific, or following a set of tracks that they might have been meant to wipe out. Instead, they were odd little curlicues and doodles, as if something had stood in place for a bit and then wandered elsewhere. A quick investigation revealed that the sweeping trails were always close to where a peach had been picked near ground level, but that the trails weren't connected-- there was no trail from one tree to another, just sweeping doodles that broke off in one place and reappeared in another.
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[Daily spells: Detect evil x2, Create Water x3, Bless, Cure light wounds x3]
"Uolthen guard you." she automatically responded to the sneeze. Fine bird net, missing peaches, apparently trustworthy farmhands... Her brain didn't want to make connections, it was stuck on the incense. It was familiar to her but not the same she had used in her temple back home, but there they mostly made sacrificial offerings which they later ate. "Fruit Widow. You get tree farm blessed past-soon?" Some words were difficult in common for her, but she tried. She continued to smell hoping to determine a direction from where it was coming from. --- Smell check for idea of location: The 20-sided dice lands on 4 |
The widow paused while she sorted through the lizard's accent. "Blessed? Not lately. The priests come through at the tail end of winter-- I reckon the gods don't mind if I'm early, and I can get the High Priest without makin' a real big donation if it's not spring yet." The woman's practicality made sense-- when spring came, the priests of Sarthen were always flooded with requests to bless fields and farms, and any farmer who asked for a blessing too close to spring planting would consider himself lucky to get so much as a half-trained acolyte.
The incense was almost impossible to pinpoint. It seemed to permeate this entire section of orchard. It was perhaps a little bit stronger near the gap in the netting that they'd entered by, but that could have been because the morning sun was warming that area and stimulating the scent. It also seemed stronger at the bases of trees, and the more Draza searched with her nose to the ground, the more it smelled almost... feathery. The birdlike scent was easier to track, and Draza's nose took over until she bumped into the source of it-- Alexis, who was intently studying one of the spots of ground from which the sweet-smoky smell originated. |
Aneja, may not have been threatened by the widow Harper, on that she wasn't sure, but she made Aneja feel uncomfortable enough, besides 'you don't bite the hand that feeds you' "er yer well okay" she answered, and watched the widow display the net.
She watched as the lizard lady tried to sniff out something, and as the dark skinned man, obviously now some kind of sorcerer, attempt to do some kind of magic, before letting out a sneeze. She watched the lizard lady closely as she still spoke to the widow. "Well I still think it's critters, and gonna snare the blighters" she started to use some silken thread from the rope that she had wrapped around her, to try to create snares around the area near the peaches "and I'm gonna wait around tonight to cath' em, I don't know what the rest of ya are doing?" As she tried tying loops and hitches she thought out aloud "ever thought about taking those damned ribbons off? A bit o a calling card, saying hey eat me I'm ripe!" Roll to make snares The 20-sided dice lands on 20 (loose a foot of rope for threads.) |
Phaelan, remained mostly silent and wore a good-natured smile as he walked around a few of the marked peach trees. His lips moved a little as he quietly sang lines of ...probably not the greatest inspiration coaxed their way into the world. "Questing in the country; 'gonna see what's eatin' peaches..." his song quickly disguised itself as an obnoxiously catchy humming tune.
The half-orc didn't take much in beyond the fact that it wasn't "critters" as the woman so called them. It was a nice net. If he had been the thief, then he probably would have been caught in it. Someone probably knew about it. "Hmm hmm hmmmm hmhmm hmmmm hmhmhm hmm hmmhmm hmmm hmmmm." His companions seemed to be sniffling, asking questions, investigating, and actually getting to work on solving the caper, but Phaelan was content to wait for night to come in the grove in case his keen vision at night was the only leg up they actually needed. It was, afterall, one of the benefits of being half orc. Probably that and the physique he mused as he gazed up into the boughs of the nearest peach tree... humming... Roll for visual perception on trees Roll: The 20-sided dice lands on 8 Roll for singing skill Roll: The 20-sided dice lands on 4 ( for humming/RP reasoning. ) |
The widow huffed and scowled at Aneja again. "All ten acres are ripe! Th' red ribbon jes' shows these peaches are fer th' king. An' bein' the king's peaches, that means we're allowed ta kill anybody what steals one. 'Sides, I thought you said it was critters. What makes ya think a critter knows anythin' about a red ribbon?" She eyed Aneja suspiciously, deciding she'd be checking this city girl's breath in the morning for the scent of peaches.
Widow Harper ignored Phaelan and his singing, assuming that anyone with that kind of physique couldn't be much use for anything besides looking pretty. Had she been looking in his direction, though, she might have seen the thing that caught his eye. Something vividly red was caught on a branch about 12 feet off the ground. It had been lying hidden along the top of the branch, hidden by leaves, but something had caused it to stir. Perhaps the breeze had changed slightly, or perhaps it had been the vibrations from Phaelan's singing, but whatever it was definitely didn't belong in a normal orchard. Drawn by the bright color, Phaelan arrived directly underneath the red thing, and saw that it was a large scarlet feather that shimmered slightly as if it was dusted with gold. And 'large' was almost an understatement. It seemed to be a body feather, but it was large enough to cover the orc's palm. |
"Actually..." Rave choked out, alarmed with Widow Harper's claim, "You aren't allowed to kill people even if they are stealing peaches designated for the king... That would be considered murder." the furrow in her brows was deepening to bring a punctuation to her concern. It was a good thing someone was sent from the city guard or they could be dealing with a homicide in addition to a 'peech' thief.
The constable put her hands on her hips and tilted her head toward the section of net which was indicated earlier "When did you install this net last? Has it been long? ...And if you haven't moved it in a while do you at least inspect it to make sure there aren't holes?" Rave didn't exactly suspect a bird or flying animal of any kind but she wanted to gauge how much more involved Widow Harper and her workers were in the security of the 20 or so trees so was so concerned with. |
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