Khal is put to the ultimate test
Score: 891 | 3/8/14 |
Khal: ok, i buy leather armor, rapier, 4 daggers, mighty shortbow, 40 arrows and backpack A
Khal: costs 380 gps, got 20 left
Stolph (GM): Bowyer: “mighty shortbow will take a month to make”
Stolph (GM): Bowyer: "I'll send a page to wherever you're staying when it's done."
Khal: " I look forward to it!"
Stolph (GM): Bowyer: "Where are you staying?"
Khal: Aye, I travel often -- I'll check back with you in one month
Stolph (GM): Bowyer: "very well."
Stolph (GM): what do you do now?
Khal: ask the boss if he has any other odd jobs he'd like some help with
Stolph (GM): Ocymas told you earlier, "If you need me, I'll be at the Striker's Pub"
Stolph (GM): he's not with you now.
Khal: I go to Strikers and seek him out
Stolph (GM): Striker's is at a corner of the square where fruits are sold
Stolph (GM): Ocymas is there
Khal: Hail Ocymas! What's news for a man like me?
Stolph (GM): Ocymas: "Well, Khal. The next step is initiation. There are two other strikers who will be ready for initiation in a few days...
Khal: what's involved?
Stolph (GM): Ocymas: "The initiation is scheduled 4 days from now.
Stolph (GM): Ocymas: "I can't tell you."
Khal: where should I meet you?
Stolph (GM): Ocymas: "Meet me here in 4 days."
Stolph (GM): Ocymas: "At sunset."
Khal: Count on it.
Stolph (GM): Ocymas: "You're not allowed to practice anymore until after the initiation."
Khal: What?
Stolph (GM): Ocymas: "Otherwise, we both get in trouble."
Khal: that's lousy
Stolph (GM): Ocymas: "Sorry."
Khal: Will I be "representing" you in some way?
Stolph (GM): Ocymas: "I am your sponsor."
Khal: I respect your honor in not disclosing any details of the initiation -- I would be less than interested had you done so
Stolph (GM): Ocymas: "So tell me, Khal, where are you from?"
Khal: "i am from Krythar, and you Ocymas?"
Stolph (GM): Alejandro is from Krythar as well.
Stolph (GM): Ocymas: "Born and raised here in Invidia."
Khal: Never travelled far, eh?
Stolph (GM): Ocymas: "nope."
Khal: ok, well I'm going to get out of your hair for a few days...............
Stolph (GM): Ocymas: "OK. Where are you staying in case I need to get a hold of you?"
Khal: I go back to "mom's". I practice my new skill (tumbling) in a nearby yard or something
Khal: I'll be at "Mom's"
Stolph (GM): Ocymas: "No. You can't stay there."
Khal: any suggestions?
Stolph (GM): Ocymas: "There are two inns near the north gate you can check out."
Khal: near the merchants? I believe I'm familiar with them!
Khal: hah!
Stolph (GM): Ocymas: yeah, near Caynyth and the old mansion.
Khal: I go to the other inn -- not the one next to caynyth
Stolph (GM): It's called "Wolf's Inn". It is just south of the North Gate on the east side.
Stolph (GM): It is across the square from Caynyth's shop.
Khal: how much for a room, innkeep?
Stolph (GM): Innkeeper: 2gp per night.
Khal: what? anything cheaper?
Stolph (GM): Innkeeper: "If you don't mind staying in the common room..."
Khal: how much?
Stolph (GM): Innkeep: 5 sp per night
Stolph (GM): Innkeep: "But if you want any kind of privacy...."
Stolph (GM): Innkeep: "a private room is much better."
Khal: I need a room for 3 nights. I'll give you 5 gp for a private and want bread and milk included for breakfast
Stolph (GM): Innkeep: Sorry. The price is 6gp for all that.
Khal: "ok". I give him 2 gp for the first night
Stolph (GM): how much do you have left?
Khal: I eat dinner there alone and read lips on the innkeep/bartender/interesting locals to pick up any interesting info - +6
Khal: 18gp
Khal: after i pay him
Stolph (GM): nothing interesting is discussed.
Khal: ok, I try to find a relatively quiet area in the poorer section each day to practice tumbling and with the rapier. only daylight.
Khal: do this for a few days and then return to strikers
Stolph (GM): Ocymas is there.
Khal: "i am ready, sponser, and hope that we do not allow initiates in easily"
Stolph (GM): There are two other people sitting at Ocymas' table.
Khal: i size 'em up
Stolph (GM): They are both male. One is a small boy about 13 or 14 years old.
Stolph (GM): The other is a man in his late twenties who is half bald.
Khal: literally, or just balding?
Stolph (GM): half bald and balding
Stolph (GM): The boy sneers at you.
Khal: "don't be afraid, my little friend -- the initiation will be over soon"
Stolph (GM): The boy keeps sneering.
Stolph (GM): Ocymas: "Khal, Meet your fellow initiate, Aceit, and his sponsor Etiwin."
Khal: "Ahhh, the boy has moxie. I think that I like you.........hope you succeed as well. Shall we Ocymas?
Stolph (GM): The barwench comes over.
Khal: ooc: nice name. does he have a sister named Fib?
Khal: deceit
Stolph (GM): Barwench: "So, two new strikers... I thought there were three."
Stolph (GM): Barwench: "Are you boys ready?"
Khal: sure
Stolph (GM): Aceit smiles at her, "Yes, ma'am! I'm ready for anything."
Stolph (GM): Etiwin brushes the top of his head with his hand, and he pulls out a clump of hair.
Khal: Where to, ocymas?
Stolph (GM): Ocymas: "Take them in the back, Ilma"
Stolph (GM): Ilma, the barwench, motions for you and Aceit to follow.
Khal: I follow
Stolph (GM): The five of you go into a back room. There are five other men there.
Khal: i cry
Khal: just kidding
Stolph (GM): Ilma pulls off her wig, revealing...
Stolph (GM): a man with short black hair.
Khal: cooooool
Stolph (GM): There is a table in the middle of the room with two pairs of scissors.
Khal: is ocymas bald?
Stolph (GM): Man who was Ilma: "Let the clipping begin."
Stolph (GM): Ocymas is not bald.
Khal: do they cut my hair?
Stolph (GM): There are two chairs. Ilma motions for the two of you to sit down in them. The other men
Stolph (GM): The sponsors and the other men are standing around the perimeter of the room. One of them starts beating a drum.
Khal: i sit
Stolph (GM): Ilma begins cutting your hair.
Stolph (GM): Until your hair is really short all over.
Stolph (GM): The drums keep beating.
Stolph (GM): BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Khal: does the boy comply?
Stolph (GM): The boy looks a little uneasy, since his hair is kind of long. But he sits too.
Stolph (GM): Ilma then cuts Aceit's hair.
Stolph (GM): BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Stolph (GM): Ilma then takes a bowl of olive oil and rubs the oil all over the top of your head.
Stolph (GM): He then does it to the boy.
Stolph (GM): BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Stolph (GM): Ilma: "And now the Tyric Oath..."
Stolph (GM): Ilma: "Repeat after me..."
Stolph (GM): Ilma: "I will keep silent all the secrets and rituals of the Restless Hand."
Stolph (GM): The drums stop.
Khal: i will keep silent all the secrets and rituals of the restless hand
Stolph (GM): Ilma: "I will protect my Tyric Brethren to the death."
Khal: i will protect my tyric brethren to the death
Stolph (GM): Ilma: "And I will obey the Guildmaster and those appointed over me."
Khal: and i will obey the guildmaster and those appointed over me
Stolph (GM): Ilma: "Follow me, men." He opens a back door and all the men follow him out into an alley.
Khal: i go, but prepare to be jumped
Stolph (GM): The group darts in and out of alleys and across barren streets.
Khal: i follow. how does the kid look?
Stolph (GM): He looks scared
Khal: whisper "it's ok Aceit. We'll be fine"
Stolph (GM): Aceit immediately scowls at you.
Stolph (GM): The group stops at the end of an alley at the foot of a rundown five story building.
Stolph (GM): Ilma: "Sponsors and Strikers, climb to the top of the building."
Khal: climb, +7
Stolph (GM): there is a ladder. do you use it?
Stolph (GM): Ocymas motions toward the ladder.
Khal: absolutely
Stolph (GM): You make it to the top.
Stolph (GM): Ocymas follows, then Aceit, then Etiwin
Stolph (GM): They all make it.
Stolph (GM): You hear Ilma's voice echo from below: "And now....the Leap of Faith"
Khal: "Where to?'
Stolph (GM): Ocymas (whispering) "Quiet!"
Stolph (GM): Ocymas (whispering) "Go to the edge of the building. Then I'll blindfold you. Then you jump."
Khal: i smile at him, and then do it
Stolph (GM): He blindfolds you. Then you jump?
Khal: how far?
Khal: how far up the ladder was it?
Stolph (GM): Ocymas (whispering): "Over the edge to the alley below."
Stolph (GM): it's 5 stories down
Khal: I jump and use tumble skill, +7
Stolph (GM): You fall....
Stolph (GM): and fall...
Stolph (GM): And then you are caught by a net just before you hit the ground.
Khal: cool
Stolph (GM): You look up and see Aceit at the edge blind-folded.
Stolph (GM): He jumps.
Stolph (GM): And is caught by the net also.
Khal: "well done, boy!"
Stolph (GM): Ilma: "Silence!"
Stolph (GM): Ilma: "And now, the 'Jumping In' "
Khal: i prepare
Stolph (GM): Ocymas hands you a wooden rapier with all kinds of strange symbols on it.
Stolph (GM): The point of it is dulled.
Stolph (GM): A wooden dagger is handed to Aceit.
Stolph (GM): The five men (all but the sponsors and Ilma) surround the two of you.
Stolph (GM): They draw their weapons.
Khal: we stand back 2 back
Stolph (GM): Which are also made of wood and carved with strange marks and symbols
Stolph (GM): initiative...
Khal: +8
Stolph (GM): Your side has it.
Stolph (GM): What's your bonus to hit?
Khal: attack closest one
Khal: +5 to hit, +2 damage
Stolph (GM): hit
Stolph (GM): it's temporary damage
Stolph (GM): you do 5 hp
Khal: its d6 damage, crit 18-20 x2
Stolph (GM): the boy lunges at another one....
Stolph (GM): missing...
Stolph (GM): 3 of them attack you....
Stolph (GM): AC is 16?
Khal: yes
Stolph (GM): one of them hits....
Stolph (GM): doing 4 hp
Stolph (GM): two attack the boy...
Stolph (GM): one hits him and just nicks him
Stolph (GM): next round. your attack.
Stolph (GM): you hit. same guy I presume?
Khal: y
Stolph (GM): you do 8 hp of dmg. still up, barely
Stolph (GM): boy attacks...
Stolph (GM): misses.
Stolph (GM): their attack...
Stolph (GM): two of the three hit you...
Stolph (GM): total of 10 hp dmg
Khal: ooof
Stolph (GM): you go down....
Stolph (GM): the boy is hit and goes down too.
Khal: where do i come to
Stolph (GM): you wake up back in the backroom of the Striker's Pub
Stolph (GM): Aceit is lying down next to you.
Stolph (GM): There are candles all around you.
Stolph (GM): on the floor and on the table.
Khal: I try to not let them burn the olive oil!
Stolph (GM): Ilma: "And now the naming... "
Stolph (GM): Ilma: "Choose the name of an animal that you wish to be called."
Khal: the fox
Stolph (GM): Ilma: "You are called 'Fox' "
Stolph (GM): He pulls a hot thing out of a brazer full of coals and brings it closer to you.
Khal: i stand still
Stolph (GM): Ilma: "And now the Scarring"
Stolph (GM): Ocymas lifts up your right sleeve and Ilma brands a small symbol on the very upper part of your arm near the shoulder.
Stolph (GM): You take 1 hp of REAL damage.
Stolph (GM): it is a searing pain
Khal: I wince
Stolph (GM): it is 3 superimposed hands
Khal: awesome
Stolph (GM): He asks the boy, "What name do you choose for yourself?"
Stolph (GM): Aceit: "the mouse"
Stolph (GM): Ilma: "You shall be called Mouse"
Stolph (GM): His sponsor lifts up his right sleeve and the boy is scarred as well. He reels in pain.
Stolph (GM): Ilma: "And now, your first secret will be revealed...."
Stolph (GM): Ilma reaches into his pouch and pulls out a piece of fine cloth folded nicely into a small triangle...
Stolph (GM): He unwraps the cloth slowly, revealing...
Stolph (GM): Ilma: "This is a bone from the hand of the Founder."
Stolph (GM): Ilma: "You may, as initiates, touch it once per year."
Stolph (GM): Ilma: "It will improve your thieving skills for a full day."
Khal: "thank you"
Stolph (GM): He carefully folds the bone up again and puts it in his pouch.
Stolph (GM): Ilma grabs each of you by the shoulder and turns you around to the others, "I present to you two new Initiates of the Tyric Order of the Restless Hand, Fox and Mouse."
Khal: ooc: that was cool
Stolph (GM): Everyone applauds.
Khal: 8-)
Stolph (GM): glad you liked it. :-)
Khal: don't know how you think of those things.
Stolph (GM): As Tom told me once, "never reveal the man behind the curtain."
Khal: how true!