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04:34, 29th March 2024 (GMT+0)

The Emperor of Curd.

Posted by AutarchFor group 0
Autarch
GM, 356 posts
Thu 26 Mar 2009
at 01:37
  • msg #8

Re: The Emperor of Curd

"What Trick is this?!"
     "What Trick is this?!"
          "What Trick is this?!"


Ravex's own voice mocks him as it echoes through the empty lobby.

The reception counter remains unmanned.

A fly buzzes annoyingly about one of the flickering torchères.

Three egresses lead out of the lobby. One of them is blocked by throngs of revelers.
Ravex
player, 209 posts
+9, d8+5; Ins1, Per1
AC21, F17, R13, W12
Thu 26 Mar 2009
at 01:48
  • msg #9

Re: The Emperor of Curd

Ravex growls and turns toward the exit. "This is a waste of time." He doesn't try to force his way into the crowd, instead he grabs the first adult male reveler he can get his hands on and drags them into the lobby through strength and force of will. "Why is this place empty?!" He demands with a snarling roar as he gestures around the room.

21:43, Today: Ravex rolled 18 using 1d20+8. Intimidate.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:49, Thu 26 Mar 2009.
Antillios
player, 95 posts
+5 d10+4 Ins8, Per1
AC18, F15, R13, W13
Thu 26 Mar 2009
at 04:16
  • msg #10

Re: The Emperor of Curd

Antillios looks around a bit at a loss for words.  All we wanted was a few rounds and a bed, he mutters.
Matwau
player, 112 posts
+7 (1d10+4); Ins4, Per9
AC 18, F15, R18, W16
Thu 26 Mar 2009
at 08:55
  • msg #11

Re: The Emperor of Curd

Ravex's fears of a magicker messing with them sends Matwau into a crazed panic. He rushes the window and hacks at it with his tomahawk.
Antillios
player, 96 posts
+5 d10+4 Ins8, Per1
AC18, F15, R13, W13
Thu 26 Mar 2009
at 16:19
  • msg #12

Re: The Emperor of Curd

Antillios rushes at Matwau and launches himself at the wild wild man in a classic two point tackle.  They a bit on the floor and come to a stop in the corner.  Easy there friend, Antillios says as calmly as is possible while latched onto Matwau's arm and leg.
Gethin Ballider
player, 143 posts
+8, d8+4; Ins10, Per3
AC21, F15, R14, W15
Thu 26 Mar 2009
at 16:51
  • msg #13

Re: The Emperor of Curd

Gethin wonders a moment if the place has already driven them mad.  Much seems to point in that direction.  But he doesn't himself feel out of his wits, only... befuddled.

It's not an uncommon feeling.

He steps toward the counter and looks for sign of any one, or anything to summon someone.

He finds a bell.

"Hello?" he calls again, as he gives it a hopeful ring.

=====================================
(( only if no one answers the bell ))

"We can just find a rear exit away from the revelers."  Gethin keeps his sword and shield stowed -- readying them in a public house, no matter how eerily deserted, seems unconscionable to him.

Gethin heads for one of the remaining exits.

((ooc - If one looks more likely to lead outside, he'll take that one.  Otherwise, it doesn't much matter.  I'll say the left.))
This message was last edited by the player at 12:12, Fri 27 Mar 2009.
Faedran
player, 33 posts
+7, 1d10+5, Ins 20 Per 13
AC 17 [F14] [R12] [W15]
Thu 26 Mar 2009
at 17:13
  • msg #14

Re: The Emperor of Curd

At the rear, Faedran acts as shepherd, ushering the others after the other half-elf.  "A back exit, probably through a kitchen, and we're gone."

He grips Pealmaker tightly, a strange feeling in his gut.  In a world full of magic, the fantastic became ever more ordinary.
Matwau
player, 114 posts
+7 (1d10+4); Ins4, Per9
AC 18, F15, R18, W16
Fri 27 Mar 2009
at 03:31
  • msg #15

Re: The Emperor of Curd

Matwau bares his teeth, growling at the warlock and trying to wrestle free. But he remembers this is not his lake. Strange rules doubtless apply.

"Okay. Okay. Let me go. I'm okay." he says, halting his writhing and calming himself. "I'm okay. I understand this is the city. How many gold coins do I pay to leave?"
Quinn Marhanen
player, 84 posts
+4, 1d8; Ins+5, Per+5; T2
AC 19, F 15, R 17, W 17
Fri 27 Mar 2009
at 08:01
  • msg #16

Re: The Emperor of Curd

Flinching away as Matwau, followed by Antillos, charge past him, Quinn continues to glare around in confounded irritation.  He stomps along behind the others, keeping an eye out for the bar or the kitchen.
Antillios
player, 97 posts
+5 d10+4 Ins8, Per1
AC18, F15, R13, W13
Fri 27 Mar 2009
at 14:35
  • msg #17

Re: The Emperor of Curd

Antillios pats Matwau friendly on the shoulder and climbs up to his feet.  Sorry about that, but we can't have you going around destroying other people's property.  I don't know if we can pay our way out, we might just have to.. er.. hunt around for a back door.
Autarch
GM, 362 posts
Sat 28 Mar 2009
at 03:03
  • msg #18

Re: The Emperor of Curd

Before Matwau can crack the glass with his tomahawk, Antillios subdues him.  At first, the tribal warrior resists Antillios's pleas for restraint.  He struggles, snarling, attempting to raise his weapon for a shattering blow, but the dwarf not only matches his effort but reassures him with language.

"Now, now, Matwau, my man, remember what you said about the ambush..."


"...you must learn new ways to hunt.  The cub can't strike the lioness that would teach him..."

Matwau's arms fall limp and the tomahawk drops to the ground.  When he tries to get Antillios to tell him how much he must pay to disappear, the warlock instead comforts him, a brotherly hand upon his shoulder.

They talk it out.

~~~

Meanwhile, Gethin walks to the counter and taps the bell on it.  It vibrates at a high frequency, keening, although for what it might mourn can't be known.  A full ten seconds pass and then ten more till the bell ceases its lamentations.

Clomp.
  Clomp.
    Clomp.

That sounds comes from below, not from above, and draws Gethin's attention to the floor behind the counter where he notices a trapdoor.  As he watches, the door opens, and a neatly-dressed concierge emerges.  He's a slim man, wearing a white and blue vest and a tidy bellboy hat.  His voice, resoundingly chipper and cheerful, beckons:

"Welcome to the Emperor of Curd.  I'm Chester.  We're a full-service hotel.  Do you have any more luggage?  My name is Chester.  Trans or Res?"

This message was last edited by the GM at 15:54, Sat 28 Mar 2009.
Faedran
player, 34 posts
+7, 1d10+5, Ins 20 Per 13
AC 17 [F14] [R12] [W15]
Sat 28 Mar 2009
at 03:14
  • msg #19

Re: The Emperor of Curd

There was a reason this place was empty, and trapdoor-lurking pages might be it.

Faedran considers asking questions, such as, where in the name of the Oakfather the nearest exit was, but a feeling in his gut tells him there'd be no point.

 Anyone who introduced himself twice wasn't listening, not even to himself.

"No, no more luggage.  I suppose you could say it's our first stay here at the ... I'm sorry I didn't understand the name?  In any case I'm sure it's very nice.

Curds ... wasn't that something you threw away making butter?

At a loss for anything else to say, he gets to the point.  Some townsfolk liked that .. others didn't.  Chester would have to put up with it if the latter, and like him all the more if the former.

"We're looking for a place to rest our weary feet and have a drink and maybe even a bath.  Is that acceptable?  Or ...?"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:28, Sat 28 Mar 2009.
Quinn Marhanen
player, 85 posts
+4, 1d8; Ins+5, Per+5; T2
AC 19, F 15, R 17, W 17
Sun 29 Mar 2009
at 17:03
  • msg #20

Re: The Emperor of Curd

Looking at the man with suspicion, Quinn continues to study the rest of the building as Faedrun arranges for lodging.  The strange behaviour of the people in this town was making him uncomfortable.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:36, Sun 29 Mar 2009.
Gethin Ballider
player, 145 posts
+8, d8+4; Ins10, Per3
AC21, F15, R14, W15
Sun 29 Mar 2009
at 17:29
  • msg #21

Re: The Emperor of Curd

Gethin's expression remains thoroughly puzzled as the smartly dressed little man emerges from under the floor.  He's tried to put off suspicion (Brother Aldric always said it was an uncharitable emotion), but the circumstances here are quite strange.  And the fact that the Emperor's Curd looks like it hasn't seen use in some time is certainly no ringing endorsement of the service.

He studies Chester intently for a moment, but the man's oddity makes him almost inscrutable to the simple paladin.  ((Insight roll=13, passive=20))

He nods through Faedran's introduction, but before Chester can answer, he leans in.   "What is 'Trans' and 'Res'?"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:57, Sun 29 Mar 2009.
Antillios
player, 99 posts
+5 d10+4 Ins8, Per1
AC18, F15, R13, W13
Sun 29 Mar 2009
at 17:51
  • msg #22

Re: The Emperor of Curd

Antillios helps Matwau up to his feet and whispers conspiratorially to him.  Keep your head on you.  This isn't normal for any city folk.  I think we're knee deep in the strange stuff.  Don't be the first to draw your weapons, but keep your hands close.  We might have to use the old rock crusher, he taps his forehead, to figure out what's going on here.
Autarch
GM, 365 posts
Mon 30 Mar 2009
at 03:06
  • msg #23

Re: The Emperor of Curd

Would he were to pull one person inside the inn, Ravex could have done so, but when he grabs hold of an arm to yank a motley-dressed man within, not only the man resists, but all those pressed against him.  Even with Ravex's force of will, he cannot overcome the will of the crowd.

~~~

Faced with two inquisitive half-elves, Chester chooses Gethin's question to answer first: "Stay for a day or stay for a lifetime!  We at the Emperor of Curd pride ourselves on being a full-service hotel.  Many, at first, just intend to stay for a day."  His words trail off as he loses track of his thoughts.

Tapping the counter, he adds, "5 gold per night or 20 for a week.  One room for each of you, but," winking conspiratorially at the two men talkin' it out, "there are interconnecting doors should you become lonely."

"The Emperor of Curd, we're a full service hotel," Chester then replies to Faedran, while nodding his head slowly--as if he were talking to a slow child, and as if that answers his question.

"You can relax in the lounge," he explains, "which is through that door," pointing to the one egress far from the lobby.

From behind the counter, he retrieves a ledger and bids you sign in so that he can fetch keys for your rooms.  The one too many sparkles in his eyes and the complete absence of creases from his uniform and bellboy's cap bespeak his tenuous grasp of sanity.  Everywhere you go, eh?
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:08, Mon 30 Mar 2009.
Faedran
player, 35 posts
+7, 1d10+5, Ins 20 Per 13
AC 17 [F14] [R12] [W15]
Mon 30 Mar 2009
at 03:42
  • msg #24

Re: The Emperor of Curd

Watching the man carefully as be speaks to Gethin, Faedran can't help but feel he's stepped into a parlour of glamours.


As for the price ... five gold represents almost all of Faedran's petty cash, and he knows that his length of stay in the city will be dictated by how long he could string it out.  The others had money, but he was not about to start asking for coins.  City-folk never gave anything away for free.

Not caring a whit for material wealth, the Half-Elf does however know its value.  Unlike in the wilds, here one's stature and status was determined by the weight of one's purse.  Spending five gold here would be unwise.

He shakes his head.  "Chester, I think I'll take a look around first, perhaps get a drink, and see if this place is to my liking."

"The lounge sounds like a good place," he adds, as he quickly heads there to take a peek beyond the portal.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:43, Mon 30 Mar 2009.
Matwau
player, 115 posts
+7 (1d10+4); Ins4, Per9
AC 18, F15, R18, W16
Mon 30 Mar 2009
at 06:02
  • msg #25

Re: The Emperor of Curd

"Interconnecting doors... no... no I need a room with no roof for to see the sky." Matwau stammers out, trying to keep the panic from his voice like a tribesman trying to hide his fear from wild dogs. "I cannot sleep with a stone above me. I can pay... I have gold coins..."
Quinn Marhanen
player, 86 posts
+4, 1d8; Ins+5, Per+5; T2
AC 19, F 15, R 17, W 17
Mon 30 Mar 2009
at 06:57
  • msg #26

Re: The Emperor of Curd

Quinn's eyebrows rise sharply as Chester quotes the price, that's easily double what he's ever paid for a room at an inn.  Feeling even more twitchy, the young mage has no intention of signing his name to anything until he understood what was going on.  "I'd also want to look and see what I'll be paying for first."  He peers past Faedran to look into the lounge.
Gethin Ballider
player, 146 posts
+8, d8+4; Ins10, Per3
AC21, F15, R14, W15
Mon 30 Mar 2009
at 17:03
  • msg #27

Re: The Emperor of Curd

Gethin's suspicion grows to alarm.  "What sorcery is this?  You keep people here for a lifetime?  Where are these people?  I demand that you let me see them!"  His newfound forcefulness surprises Gethin, but then he's never been in a situation where people may be locked away, hidden from the light of Pelor or the blessings of their own gods, in need of rescue.

Well, there was the time old Marvin locked his cousin in the barn until she would promise to marry him, but that situation lacked the uncanny urgency of this one.
Ravex
player, 211 posts
+9, d8+5; Ins1, Per1
AC21, F17, R13, W12
Tue 31 Mar 2009
at 00:36
  • msg #28

Re: The Emperor of Curd

"Better yet." Ravex walks up to the counter and draws his weapon. "Tell us why the view through the window doesn't match what's happening inside."
Autarch
GM, 366 posts
Tue 31 Mar 2009
at 01:50
  • msg #29

Re: The Emperor of Curd

"If you wanted to sleep outside, perhaps you shouldn't have come inside," Chester suggests to Matwau, somewhere in the gray region between curtness and condescension.

"But we're a full-service hotel.  Why would anyone want to leave?  I have the ledger here for you to sign your name in.  Maybe this will help," he says as he retrieves a card from behind the counter which he gives to Gethin.

It reads: "Hi! I'm Chester."  It also has "Ext. 4251" in small print on the bottom.

Then, his eyes flick from the wholesomeness of Gethin to the antagonism of Ravex.

He gulps at Ravex's cruel ice-tinged blade.

He stammers, "I don't go outside.  Why would I go outside?"  Then, his tongue finds familiar territory.

"Because...

We're...

a full-service...

establishment."

~~~

Those of you who saunter to the lounge discover an ill-considered room.  Scarce feet from the entrance, three tables cramp a corner, abutting the back wall and the bar, which zags away from the tables halfway down the counter.  Behind the counter, a barkeep absentmindedly scrubs the lone clean spot with a filthy rag.  On his red bartender's vest, he has a pin, but you can't read the writing from the doorway.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:51, Tue 31 Mar 2009.
Antillios
player, 101 posts
+5 d10+4 Ins8, Per1
AC18, F15, R13, W13
Tue 31 Mar 2009
at 03:01
  • msg #30

Re: The Emperor of Curd

Antillios swagers up to the counter and plants his elbow down, as much as that is possible.  Maybe we take a room, maybe we just want a drink, maybe we just were looking for something else and your establishment can't provide what we want.  Me, I'm always on the look out for a good back door.

You guys got a back door?

Faedran
player, 36 posts
+7, 1d10+5, Ins 20 Per 13
AC 17 [F14] [R12] [W15]
Tue 31 Mar 2009
at 05:35
  • msg #31

Re: The Emperor of Curd

The barkeep had the look of despair made flesh.  Faedran casts a sidelong glance at Gethin, his eyes tinged with confusion and his face betraying a return of the animal fear that the initial foray into the town had shown.

"What do you make of this?" he whispers.  "Sorcery?"

Or had one of Brother Griffin's exotic plants exuded a potent hallucinogen?
This message was last edited by the player at 05:37, Tue 31 Mar 2009.
Autarch
GM, 367 posts
Tue 31 Mar 2009
at 14:30
  • msg #32

Re: The Emperor of Curd

With his back and belly cruelly creased between table and counter and elbow embedded within counter sludge, Antillios makes his inquiries to the barkeep.

Not wavering in his wiping, the man says, "Front door, trapdoor, side door--we have those.  A back door?  That you have to provide on your own."

He raises his eyes to yours.  When risen, they still hang.

"You're at the bar.  You must be wanting our specialty and something to wash it down?"

~~~

Antillios can see that the pin on his red vest reads: "I'm not Chester!"
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