Thug Muggers in the City 9/25/22
Table Talk:
We discussed a few options and decided that Cypress will keep his holy water in the jar he stores his moss balls in, so that makes sense. Also i let Diedrik know of Cypress’s Druid title “Cypress of the Thorns” which came to me writing the last summary, but did not come up in play.
The last bit here is that Sorin’s familiar didn’t have a name for the first half of the session, because i hadn’t come up with one. So just know, that for most of this summary the flying snake was simply referred to as “Billy SNAKEspear”
CHARLIE: Everything I do or say is wrong. I'm in the way, I don't know the rules, and when I learn something and try to do it, suddenly I'm wrong!
KIRK: Now wait, wait.
CHARLIE: I don't know what I am or what I'm supposed to be, or even who. I don't know why I hurt so much inside all the time.
KIRK: You'll live, believe me. There's nothing wrong with you that hasn't gone wrong with every other human male since the model first came up.
-Charlie "X" and Captian James T. Kirk –Gene Roddenberry, “Star Trek: The Orignal Serries: Season 1 Episode 3: ‘Charlie ‘X’’”
5-D: Zavari Sorin & Raelle
🎲🗡️🔔✨
5-D: Zavari Sorin & Raelle 🎲🗡️🔔✨
Sorin is running through the back streets and side alleys of Nibiru. If he stopped to think about it, he’d see that at this point no one is chasing after him. But he can’t, because now the tears well in the corners of his eyes, and he knows he is simply trying to run away from his stupid mistakes.
Sorin rushes headlong from a shady alleyway and is hit by the dull red-orange sunlight of dusk. He comes skidding to a halt finally waiting for his breath and his thoughts to catch up to him.
It’s been a bit of an exciting day for the congregation of the Church of Shadows here in Nibiru. First we learned Deacon Grelsy is having a baby, and the Conffy family twins just had a successful surgery thanks to someone donating a kidney. Then two adventurers strolled up, one with a giant crossbow, and the other in battle armor. They smelled so much like rot and decay that for a minute some of the people milling around thought they were undead harbingers of the end of days. And now, just as everyone starts queuing up to head inside for the sunset sermon, a university student comes running out from between a candy shop and the Gorbin’s place, then just stands there half wheezing and half crying.
Sorin looks up, wiping the tears from his eyes and telling himself it was only from the wind rushing into his eyes. Clearly he just forgot to put his goggles down. He swallows the lump in his throat and looks around. A lispy voice on his arm says, “Ooooh man, thatss wasss reeeeaallly ssstupid.”
He looks at the flying snake curled around his bicep and sighs.
Ari and Rae hear a loud commotion in the courtyard behind them. Ari’s rogue brain kicks in and she tugs on Rae’s robes. They take advantage of the moment of confusion to back away from the entryway and from the scary priest who seems to know their secret mission.
They look around to see what caused the ruckus and see something confusing. It looks a bit like Sorin, but that can’t be. This Sorin is clean, even his hair. He’s in fresh clothes and there isn’t dirt covering his hands or smeared on his forehead. Clearly it is some kind of apparition.
Rae and Ari come up to the wizard and, true to form, Rae ignores everything going on around them, just pointing at the winged snake curled on Sorin’s arm, “What’s that?”
“That!?” The snake hisses, “Howss incredibly rude. I couldss do the sssame,” he turns to Sorin, “What’re thessse thingsss?”
Ari glares at the snake.
“This is my new familiar.” Sorin says beaming with pride, “Guys, I actually managed to summon a demon and give it form!”
“And, I havsse a name,” The snake hisses.
Ari scoffs mockingly, “Must be a pretty weak demon…”
The Snake turns around and its eyes flare, “I am Akrissss!” he says with pride.
Ari, roll a Charisma Save for me.
2.
Okay yeah…
When Ari hears the name, she sees the fire in Akris’s eyes. The demon blood flowing through her veins carries fear throughout her body. In those eyes she can hear the screams of the damned – she feels the eternal fire that devours souls, she sees the dripping blood of a thousand rotting corpses. Ari knows (incorrectly) in her very bones that this is a mighty and powerful high-ranking demon of office and stature.
Roll a Con Save for me.
8.
Before she can even think about it, Ari falls to kneel on the dirt in the courtyard. She looks up pleading, “Oh great and mighty Akris of the flames, forgive my-”
Sorin grabs her arm and hauls her to her feet. He looks around at all the people staring. Before this, about half the crowd was just filing into the church, some milled around, and just a few were eyeing this strange group. Now everyone is openly gawking. No one moves and all of them watch the Thug Muggers. Sorin attempts an awkward casual wave and then begins dragging Ari off the nearest street muttering, “What is wrong with you two!? Have you never been in a city … or even around people before!?”
He stops once they’re out of view of the crowd and Ari tries to warn him, “Sorin, don’t you realize what you’ve–”
Sorin cuts her off, “God you guys reek!” He goes to whip off the hand that held Ari on his pants, then reconsiders and rubs it against the grating stucco of the building next to him so as not to soil his nice clean clothes. “Forget the plan, first things first, I'm taking you two to a bathhouse to get cleaned up.”
Ari and Rae, roll Con Checks.
17.
8.
Rae and Ari follow behind Sorin, and Rae hangs her head. Taking a bit of non-lethal psychic damage, Rae is ashamed, hurt, and embarrassed at this scolding. Her self esteem is shot, as she realizes how much they smell, and how bad it must be.
As we walk up one main thoroughfare of the city and meet with the next thoroughfare going north, Sorin stops and points out the well there on the corner. “Isn't this the well that you were arrested at Rae? When they thought you were trying to poison the water or something?”
Rae, roll another Con Check (this time it’s a DC 15 since you feel so bad already),
12.
So close…
Rae takes a bit more non-lethal psychic distress, feeling useless and dumb now as well as gross.
Akris perks up at hearing about this and extends his neck conspiratorially. “Did sssomeone sssay ‘poissson’?”
Sorin’s face goes pale.
Akris continues, swaying back and forth in the air. “Havsse I got a ssstory for you…” Akris then proceeds to tell the other two Thug Muggers about the poison shop. His body contorts, his wings keeping him a float in the air as his tail draws a box in the air like a living line-drawn etch-a-sketch. His body now mimicking the counter in the potion shop, Akris’s head jumps back and forth over it to play both the part of Sorin and the store clerk.
The whole time, Sorin is making little, ‘I don’t think we need to tell them’ and ‘they don’t need to hear’ protests as he subtly tries to grab Akris and pull him back down.
Akris gives in to his laughter saying “Andss then he jussst ran o-”
We have a strength contest, and Sorin muzzles the snake by the head, holding Akris’s snout closed and turning bright red from the embarrassment.
Ari howls with laughter, “I can’t believe you just went into a normal shop and tried to buy poison!?”
What’s this, you all are loudly discussing poison for 10 minutes while standing next to the very same well Rae was arrested at, when they thought she wanted to poison the City? Everyone, make Luck Rolls for me.
Rae (Sarah) passes her Luck Roll with ease.
Sorin (Ashley) looks down at a 4 in fear and then Ashley remembers she still has 1 Luck token left, she spends it here and is fine.
At the table, everyone turns to Brooke, she gulps. Hesitantly, Sarah holds up her last Luck token.
I am a kind and benevolent DM, and so i let them exchange it for Ari (Brooke) to also pass the Luck Roll.
The guard walking by opens his mouth about to give a hearty “What’s all this then!?” when a vendor down the way shouts ‘Thief’ and the Constable rushes off to deal with that.
Everyone at the table breathes a sigh of relief.
In front of the “Berry Bush Bathhouse”, we all stand in front of a fountain statue of a beautiful androgynous Gnome. Eight feet tall, they hold a pitcher over themselves, and the water flows down around luscious curves. Unlike most fountains, the water here steams gently, creating a glow in the orange dusk light. A winged snake curls its tail around the pitcher handle. Its body rising in the steam, it seems to be helping lift the jug over the bathing Gnome. Marble-carved soap bubbles obscure the view of anything too revealing, and the water eventually falls in a series of large drops through a grate on the ground. On top of a grate sits a carving of a wooden ringlet. It is a crown made from the branches of a berry bush, little gems dot the crown in place of berries. Androgyny, the Berry Crown, and Flying Serpents are all signs of the first rulers of the land.
Ari and Rae turn to go into the Berry Bush, but Sorin stops them with a hand. He gestures up the street and says to Ari, “Up there is Ironton, the place with all the smiths I told you about. If you wanna give me your sword I can take it up there while you bathe and get it repaired.”
Ari lifts a skeptical eyebrow. She slowly unbuckles her sword belt and hands it over to Sorin, “If you lose this, I swear to everything in this city, I will hunt you down and-”
Sorin cuts her off with a reassuring hand, “I'm just taking it to be repaired, I know a lot of people over there so it’ll be fine.”
With a reluctant “well okay…” The group separates once more. Sorin heads up the street while Ari and Rae slip into the Berry Bush Bathhouse.
As we approached the counter, we read a sign saying
“4 Silver - rough spigot,
8 Silver - public,
1 Gold - private stall,
2 Gold - private room (2),
6 Gold - afternoon suite.
All above include clothing beaten and brushed, 3 silver for full laundry (1 day).
Armor is +2 Silver to brush, +6 Silver for complete clean (1 day), and +2 gold to polish (3 days).”
Our two weary, smelly friends each put 8 silver pieces on the stone counter, and slide them over to the clerk. “We would like a bath please, nothing fancy, just a public bath will do.”
The clerk lets out an apologetic hiss between their teeth. Gesturing to the gunk all over the Thug Muggers he says, “Actually, and I am very sorry about this, but with the level of grim on you-”
Ari waves him off, “You need to hose us off, huh?”
The clerk nods an apology. “I’m sorry, our filters just can’t strain this much… so we will have to ask you to start in one of the spigot closets and then you can join the public bath to actually clean and bathe.”
Pulling out 4 more Silver, Rae has now taken so much non-lethal emotional damage that it actually, physically pains her. She cannot think of a single time in her life she has felt so low – so unwanted and dirty she has to be politely hosed off before even being able to clean herself. So that's 1 HP’s worth of self loathing.
The clerk says, “Once inside, just set your clothing by one of the designated shelves and we will rattan them and brush out the dust.” He waves to the sign, “If you want to have your armor brushed off, that will be an additional 2 Silver, and you can hang the pieces on one of the blue armor racks.”
Ari debates and then parts with 2 more Silver coins to get her armor brushed off and somewhat clean again.
The two are led to a room of small stalls where they disrobe.
They place their belongings on a lower shelf and cover them with a hemp netting, and Ari leaves her open armor in a painted blue wicker basket. As they walk to the shower stall they notice a creature on the ceiling. Is it a creature or is it a machine? It looks at them, or ungulates towards them and then extends an octopus-like metal arm. Ari and Rae are about to panic when four black blobs shoot out from another mechanical tentacle. The black blob flies through the air and stops just in front of our heroes. The blackness transforms into an elongated rectangle. A black bar hovering in front of their private regions. It moves with them as they move, hiding their bathing suit regions from any prying eye. Yup, fantasy censor bars – Just for you, Sorin.
Outside, Sorin is walking along a few back alleys and side passages. It’s been a few months since he’s been back here, and it’s a good feeling. The smells of hot oil and metal sparks are all around him. He works his way to the back end of Ironton and to a familiar little shop.
As we come around the alley and out into the night, we see a tall-ish narrow building. It’s three stories high and square, except the bottom story, the ground level, is open on two sides. The back two walls are covered in high shelves and hanging racks of tools, a large machine of some kind lays in the back corner, it is a dark metal coated in several days of dust and ash. In the middle of the room is an anvil and a post vice. The vice is higher than most, and is currently holding a bit of obscure twisted metal. In front of the post, sitting in a high three-legged stool, is a man hunched over the metal, and going about the rhythmic task of filing it into shape.
Sorin stands in the shadows for a minute taking it all in and recharging some part of himself he didn’t know was empty – before clearing his throat and asking, “Mr. Burrows, are you open for business tonight?” It’s an awkward line, and Sorin knows it, but these people know he’s an awkward kid, so he doesn’t really mind.
With a grunt the man sets down his files and turns to look at Sorin. William Burrows is a tall pot-bellied man, with a balding hairline and white-gray mutton chops so thick they look sculpted on with clay. His main trade is doing piece-work for local artisans, making handles or dishes or the odd bit of mechanical mounting. (The name “William Burrows” was just the first name that jumped to mind during the session, i promise i meant no disrespect to the famous beat-nick author William Burroughs by accidentally giving his name to a tradesman.) He is currently in a heavily stained canvas apron, and no shirt, a bit of lingering sweat glistens in the late evening light.
“Sorin m’boy!” William says turning around and getting a good eye-full of the young wizard. He takes in the clean clothes and the winged serpent on Sorin’s arm and chuckles. He wags a finger and in a mock-scolding voice he admonishes, “Now you aint turnin’ noble on us are you?” (a small reminder here that Flying Snakes are a symbol of the city and royalty, and as such are often pets or the aristocracy – worn as a fashion statement).
Sorin grins and says, “No sir, they couldn’t pay me enough for that.”
It’s an old and stupid oldtimer joke. But like most old and stupid jokes like that, it gets a chuckle and does its job, showing companionship and good will.
“Well, how’re yer classes going there, son?” William asks as he leans back with his arms crossed over his gut and his button the old anvil.
“They're going great, Sir,” Sorin chirps with an eager excitement, “I actually joined an adventuring party and we’re doing some good quest work.”
“Adventurers, eh?” William shakes his head a little and the disapproval sends a spike through Sorin’s heart. “What a shame,” he says, “I always hoped you’d end up an artificer and work down here with us.”
Sorin swallows down a lump of regret and honor at the fawning fatherly words. “That actually sounds nice now that you say it,” he says, thinking through a whole new career path just to get this man’s approval, “but for now, I need to stay true to the people I’m teamed up with, they’re counting on me and I can’t dishonor that.”
It’s the perfect thing to say to the old man. Williams nods solemnly and stands up, “Well then you must need help with something to be coming all the way back here and getting your nice clothes covered in coal ash. What do you need there, son?”
“I need a repair,” Sorin says as he holds up Ari's sword belt and draws the rapier out of its frog. The pitted rust on the blade stands out against the rest of the hazy steel.
William takes it and looks at it closely. He pulls out a small brass rod and runs it over the rust spots critically. “That’s no ordinary rust is it?”
“No, Sir, we had a fight with a Rust Monster, and my friend hit the antenna.”
“Ah, well then it’ll be deep.” The old man sets it down on the bench behind him, and after taking a last appraising look at it, turns back to Sorin. “We could fix it, sure, but unless it has some inherent value – something meaningful to your friend – it won’t be worth it.” His fingers disappear and reappear in beard hair, as he scratches his cheeks. “I could save the handle and the guard, but the blade is more useful as scrap at this point.” He opens a drawer and starts digging through it. “I could help you out a bit though. I’ll buy the handle off you for a Trade Coin. That way you can at least get a discount with whoever’s working the front tonight.” When he turns back, he is holding a coin with a fleur de lis notched out of it, and an etched image of a hand holding a hammer.
After a moment of thought, Sorin asks, “You sure that’s the best option?”
“I promise you that repairing this one is going to cost more than a new rapier, if that’s what you mean.”
Sorin nods and pockets the coin.
They pass a few more pleasantries before Sorin waves goodbye explaining his need to support his team. After a few minutes, he walks out of one of the back alleys and onto the main streets.
Sorin sees a newly clean Ari and Rae standing on the other side of the street under the Berry Bush statue. He waves to them and they start walking towards him. Sorin gulps as he sees Ari walking faster and faster. Her eyes light up with a demonic inner light and on his shoulder Akris hisses a quiet chuckle.
Ari bellows, “I DON’T SEE MY SWORD WIZARD BOY!”
5-B: Cypress in the Woods with a Druid (concluded)
🎲🌿
5-B: Cypress in the Woods with a Druid (concluded) 🎲🌿
Cypress sits with his back to a boulder, the two bear cubs cuddling on his lap. The sounds they make have stopped being something he understands as words, but he still knows they are sounds of contentment. He looks up through the clearing of tree leaves and watches as the sky begins to catch fire. It’s the beautiful fire of a lucky sunset, where the clouds are streaked with pinks and blues and hazard-sign orange.
His hands brush the ears of the cubs and down their heads. The bears nuzzle hard against his hands, enjoying the comb-like feel. The thick and oily winter fur that they have been rubbing off against the rough bark on nearby trees, now comes off into little tufts in Cypress’s hands.
After some good deep scratches, Cypress gathers the fur into a little pile using the lap of his robe to collect it. He hums a hymn as he piles it together and begins rubbing in between his hands like making a clay snake. Soon the hairs start to clump and catch onto each other and his hands become a rough, makes-shift spindle. The clumping fur turns slowly into a lumpy homespun line. Cypress folds the bear-yarn in thirds and begins platting. Soon he has a soft little braided line of bear fur.
As the cubs watch on, he loops it over his wrist and ties it there tight with his teeth. He kisses each of the cubs on the nose and even though he knows they don’t understand it anymore he says “This is to remember you by, to carry you with, and never forget what you have done for me.”
After kissing the cubs he stands tall and bows deep to the mother bear. There is a long silence and then she lowers her head to the ground, and Cypress walks out of the clearing.
After walking back through the wood in the dimming light, crossing the prairie, and finger waving to the people and their delicious camp-supper smells in the travelers tents, Cypress stands at the tall iron gates to the city of Nibiru. He hands his coin up to a guard who runs in to check it against the earlier paperwork, and another guard asks, “Anything you wish to declare upon your re-entry to the city, sir?”
Cypress is about to say ‘no’ when he feels an itch on his wrist, he scratches the spot and feels the soft fur bracelet. “Yes,” he says succinctly and to the point, “I am a druid now.”
After a deep and sincere thanks from the gate guard, full of comments like “you have no idea how much that helps the paperwork,” and “I wish more people would update us on things like that,” Cypress is back in the heart of the city, and heading for the Nort Gate Inn.
Just up the street Cypress sees an angry Ari shouting at a cowering Sorin.
“WHERE’S MY SWORD WIZARD BOY”
Despite himself, Cypress grins.
It's good to know some things never change.
6: ♫Reunited and it feels so♪ - Angry?
🎲🗡️🔔✨🌿
6: ♫Reunited and it feels so♪ - Angry? 🎲🗡️🔔✨🌿
Putting away his smile, and adopting a stern face, Cypress walks up to his fellow adventurers.
“He sssold your sssword,” Akris hisses on Sorin’s shoulder.
Sorin is raising his hands defensively, and slowly backing away from Ari as she tilts her head down and steps forward. Now, with her horns pointed right at him, her voice turns to a husky gravel, “You. Did. WHAT!?”
Behind Ari, Rae waves to Cypress without a care in the world. Cypress waves back, and carefully steps around Ari to chat with Rae and get caught up.
Cowering against the side of a building now, Sorin raises a shaky hand holding William’s coin. “I have something better?” he squeaks.
Ari backs down and grunts, “Explain, magic boy. Because that coin doesn’t look very sharp.”
Sorin explains about how the rust pitting was too deep and that a repair would’ve taken days and cost more than the sword was worth, so he exchanged it for a discount token to buy a new rapier at less cost than the repair would’ve cost. The whole explanation comes out in one hurried breath something like “oksoyouseethemetalofarapierhasthreepartsandtherustpittingwasdowntothecorerodinsidesoarepairwouldvehadtoheatandreweldthemetalsjusttogetitbackasaworkablebarthenreforge-” and so on. At the end Sorin is panting like he just ran away from a potion shop… again.
Ari grins and Sorin realizes he's never noticed how sharp her teeth are before.
“I’ll buy you the new one.” Sorin blurts out as he thinks about how soft and rippable his flesh is. Akris and Rae both giggle.
Ari is suddenly calm again, but her sharp grin remains. “Yes you will.” she says through clenched teeth.
The four begin to catch each other up when Cypress raises a hand. “I’m hungry.” he says plainly, “Let's talk over dinner, the Inn has a decent public room and we can sit and catch up there.”
“First,” Ari says with a sly menace in her eyes, “Someone needs to buy me a present.” She grabs Sorin’s Arm and starts dragging him down the street.
Rae and Cypress head to the inn, and Sorin eventually gets his feet working to catch up with Ari’s pace. In a minute Ari lets up her grip realizing she needs the wizard to lead her to wherever it is they’re going. Sorin sees and seizes his chance. As Ari’s grip lets up, Sorin slides his hand and arm under hers, and begins escorting her arm-in-arm like a cutesy date. Ari is furious – er… more furious, furiouser?
Brooke, are you actively trying to intimidate Sorin?
Brooke: “Yes.”
Brooke and Ashley, roll a Charisma Contest. Ari has a natural advantage as a tiefling.
Ashley: “17.”
Brooke, groaning: “8.”
Sorin feels so lucky to have his arm around his crush, that he doesn't even notice the waves of hatred pouring over him.
Meanwhile in the hotel…
Cypress waves Rae over to the clerk’s desk and explains that the keys are under “Thug Muggers” and then heads to the public room on the same side of the inn as their rooms (not the super fancy looking bistro built into the other side). He gets a table and a couple of pitchers, then settles in to wait for the others.
Rae walks up to the three-tiered desk in the center of the room and smiles politely at the half-orc clerk there.
He whispers, “Please, no a-” A pained expression crosses his face, and then a look of joyful greeting covers it but never reaches his eyes. He begins, “Welcome traveler to the-”
Rae absently cuts him off with a wave saying, “I’m just picking up a key, it’s ‘Thug Muggers’.”
A wave of relief crashes over the half-orc and his shoulders slump back to a relaxed posture. “Oh thank T’ulm.” he mutters. He turns and hands Rae a key from a hook before sitting back down to read more of his novel.
There are four standing shops in the front of the Ironton district. The main hall is always full of the latest show-y work, this is also where artisans apply to join the guild, and guild business is administered. The most decorative and expensive items are always on display here but seldom bought. The outside shops are The Armor Stand, The Weapon Rack, and The Tool Shed – not creative names, but you know exactly where to find what you need. All the stores and manufactureries work on a simple commission system. A rotation of craftspeople run the shifts at the storefront, and all the craftspeople work in their own shops when not ‘working the front’. The items sold get marks with who or what team made them, and the sales money is distributed to those makers, keeping a small percent for operations. If a workshop, maker, or team wants, they can rent one of the three front stalls for a high fee to sell directly and only sell their own work for a given day.
Sorin leads Ari past The Tool Shed, The Armor Stand, and the main hall and up to The Weapon Rack. Ari’s eyes turn to chibi love eyes as she whispers, “so shiny… so stabby…”
Her eyes are locked onto three rapiers hanging on the wall. The fanciest one has some gold inlay scroll work from the ricasso to about half way through the forte, and we notice the pommel is a rounded quartz crystal. Next to it, is a pretty regular and plain looking rapier, though the quillions do seem a bit long – perhaps a training sword? Last, on the other side from the plain rapier is one that has a tag reading “used, not yet repaired”. This last one looks to be about in the same condition as Ari’s old rapier, rusted and worn.
Ari and Sorin have a discussion and Ari is forced to admit that she really wants the fancy one. Sorin buys it for her outright as if trying to impress a date at a carnival by getting the biggest bear – despite Ari offering to go halfsies. So Ari now has a fancy +2 sword. But onto the real show, the important stuff…
Walking back to the inn Ari decides to replace her beloved crowbar, so they head to The Tool Shed.
It is one of those rare days where a single seller has rented out the space. The storefront is decked out in black and yellow pennants fluttering in the breeze. The tools on display are a wide mix, hammers, shovels, saws, etc., but one thing that ties them all together is the beautiful coloring of black and yellow. Each tool is a mix of the colors, in decorative eye-catching designs.
Ari walks up to the man standing in front of the counter, he looks at her and grins. He reaches out and cups her hand saying, “Why it is truly a pleasure. I’m always so glad to meet a new face. You must be looking for some tools, and I tell you mine are the best on the market. The name's ‘David’ but you can call me ‘D.’ Yes I am D. Walter, and these are my fabulous tools.”
With that, Sorin is bouncing on his feet, so excited to meet THE D. Walter. A famous maker and seller of the finest tools in all the lands. As Ari looks at all the tools, she notices that each one has at least one ‘D.Walter’ stamp on it in either black or yellow.
There are only two crowbars left on offer here at the end of the day that D. points out. The 40 inch DWHT55293 Multifunctional Utility Bar, which is painted mostly yellow, and the small mostly black DWHT55524 10 inch Claw Bar which is much more discreet.
Dear reader, this is a thing i’ve been looking forward to for literal months. Even before we started the campaign and thought we had another party member. I came up with this idea of D.Walter tools, because i personally am a fan of DeWalt brand tools in our world. Most of my shop is DeWalt tools. I have DeWalt storage boxes for parts, and i even store my DM supplies in the DWST14835 10 Compartment Pro Organizer Rugged TStack attachment box. And because some of the players get such a kick out of it, i also recently got sets of DeWalt colored dice.
Back at the Nort Gate Inn, Rae sits down at the table with Cypress and they chat for a bit. Neither one wants to catch up with the other too much, because they don’t want to repeat themselves when the other arrives.
Rae talks about the baths, and how good it feels to be clean again. She gets a little sorrowful and talks about how she didn’t realize how much she missed having a hygiene routine. It was such a stable thing in the monastery. But out here in the real world, she’ll actually have to work a bit to find the time to keep clean.
They exchange jokes about Sorin and Ari and Devin, and right as Cypress is showing off his new bear fur bracelet, Sorin walks in followed by Ari carrying a 40 inch long bright yellow crowbar.
The Thug Muggers reunite over a delicious moderate fare food, catching each other up on everything they did throughout the day and where they’ve been. Ari tells about the Dark Market, then Rae tells about the Church of Shadows. Cypress talks about the bears and being a druid. Sorin talks about summoning Akris, and then Akris tells about the potion shop.
It’s a good and wholesome night of tired reverie in the public room of the Nort Gate Inn.
Cypress Finds a Carrier
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Cypress Finds a Carrier 🎲🌿
After the meal, Rae and Sorin are tired. They wave and head back to the room, but Ari stays to have a minute with Cypress.
Ari gulps down the last of her drink and looks over to Cypress with a face full of emotion. “Cypress, I need to tell you something. I…” She pauses and continues, “It was my fault we messed up. I should’ve known the smell was gonna give us away, and not taking armor and stuff off, I just…” She lowers her head. “I’m sorry.”
Cypress takes a long breath in and out before looking up at his tiefling companion. “You know, a few days ago I would’ve been pissed.” He sips his tea. “But a few days ago I wasn't very experienced in these sorts of things.” He stands up on the bench and looks down at Ari, “So, you messed up. It’s not the end of the world.” He puts a steady hand on her shoulder. “I forgive you, though I'm not sure it’s really my place. We’ll find another way, Ari. It’s ok.”
And a very greatful Ari looks up with watery eyes and smiles.
A brief side note here, i rewarded the group XP for this interaction because both Ari admitting wrongdoing, and Cypress forgiving without anger, showed a really healthy character growth and i wanted to reward that as much as any slain monster.
After politely stacking up their dishes, Ari and Cypress leave the public room. Ari turns towards the hallway to the room. Cypress taps her hip and says, “Let the other know I'll be back soon, I have one more errand to run.” and he heads out into the night.
On his way to the Artificer’s Quarter, Cypress is spotted by a drunken man in the street.
He stumbles up to Cypress and slurs out, “Hey you look like some kinda priest, you a priest?” He burps and goes on without waiting for the answer. “You all do one of those confession forgiveness things? I… I need to confess and be forgiven.”
Cypress slowly takes the man’s hand from off of his shoulder and says, “I am a cleric yes, but confessions is not something of my tradition or-”
He is cut off as the man gets belligerent and stumbles a little. “You said you was a priest, what's the big deal, what you, you too good for me or something!?”
“No I just,” Cypress sighs as the man glares belligerently down at him. “Alright, what sin did you commit?” He says trying to remember what he’s heard about this sort of thing.
The drunk man gets very sad and watery eyes and says, “I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry.”
Seeing a quick way out, Cypress begins, “It’s ok i forgiv-”
“It was me. I painted one the Church of Glorious Gods. I made it say miskalain-missile-miscellaneous gods.”
Cypress stares at him briefly stunned, before continuing. “Well I’m sure if you go there they will have a suitable penance for such a hateful act…”
Reader, for this exchange i was rolling a random emotion die and a D6 each turn of the conversation. The emotion would dictate the drunk’s attitude, and he wouldn’t leave Cypress alone until the D6 lands on 1.
This was the last roll.
The drunk man stretches and scratches his chest. All traces of sorrow leave his face in a flash. “Nah, I’m good. I got forgiveness or whatever. Bye.” And before Cypress can react, then man has disappeared into the crowd.
In the Artificer’s Quarter, Cypress looks around for someone selling any Stones of Farspeech so that all the Thug Muggers can keep in touch. In the middle of the main building, he sees two little kiosks with Stone of Farspeech, and accessories on display.
The first has a large sign reading Far-rizon in red letters, and the second reads Dash Mobile with some dots painted between the words.
Reader, i will spare you the 30 minutes of literal fantasy mobile-phone-carrier shopping we played out, because i am merciful to you and not my players, it seems.
Far-rizon is cheaper at only 80 Gold for two larger brick-shaped stones (though they do have built in belt clips).
Dash Mobile is pricier at 125 Gold for a set of four small earring stones. The Dash Mobile earring Stones are red garnets, and when Cypress asks about other colors, the seller apologizes and explains that this year’s model is red. But they do sell rubber sleeves to protect the stones in various colors and patterns.
Eventually Cypress buys the set of four stones for 125 Gold pieces, not knowing he was signing a contract that would lock him into a near criminal system of markups and bad customer service. Will these stones have signals underground? Who knows, no one asked.
On his way back to the Inn Cypress runs into a familiar face in the dark. A dwarf cleric with her beard tied in a monkey fist knot. She looks frantic and barks at Cypress. “Did you see him?”
“Who are yo-”
“I think I found the jackass who painted the church!”
“Oh,” Cypress says, “He’s very drunk. I actually ran into him earlier.” Cypress turns to point the way the drunk man disappeared.
The other cleric grabs his shoulders and urgently asks, “You didn’t forgive him did you!?”
“No to be honest I didn't have the chance he-,” Cypress says, but the other cleric pushes him aside and is running down the street, “-was very rude and then disappeared.”
And with a sigh, Cypress walks back to the Nort Gate Inn, to rest his head in a real bed after a very long day.
KIRK: Charlie, there are a million things in this universe you can have and there are a million things you can't have. It's no fun facing that, but that's the way things are.
CHARLIE: Then what am I going to do?
KIRK: Hang on tight and survive. Everybody does.
-Charlie "X" and Captian James T. Kirk –Gene Roddenberry, “Star Trek: The Orignal Serries: Season 1 Episode 3: ‘Charlie ‘X’’”
Table talk:
We actually really didn’t have any table talk this week.
I’ll just tell the reader that i am currently re-doing some of the website layout to make these easier to read, let me know what you think.
