Mancini scowls. All these people around was going to bring extra attention, something they did not need as they tried to find the demonic book store.

Mancini went over to the strange group. "Mancini here. I believe you are hunting Doomchildren, but we got here first. If you wish to burn down this demonic watering hole, then go ahead. If not, please move on. Our Guild mission requires some discretion."

15:51, Today: Mancini rolled 8 using 3d6.  Diplomacy (16).

16:20, Today: Grimaldi rolled 8 using 3d6.  loner ~ 12 or less (regarding the strangers).
Despite Mancini's brusque greeting, Grimaldi tries to be more amiable...
"Now, Let's not be hasty, Mancini...Perhaps they can help us. I'm Grimaldi, swordsman, and wizard..."
He greeted the newcomers.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 22:24, Mon 06 Jan 2020.

The shadow behind the Orc speaks, We are seeking a demonic happening ourselves, and sensed this; we too are of the guild. Mayhap we can be of assistance here.

The human archer, shortish and slender, walks with a slight limp.  He carries a staff slung on his back, much the way an unstrung bow might be carried.  His longbow is taller than he is, but despite carrying two hip quivers on his right side, they contain only three arrows total.  He wears leather with a steel pot helmet, cloth gloves (with an archer's thumb ring over the glove on the right), and a coil of rope crossing his chest like a sash.

As soon as he gets a good look around the tavern, he steps to the side (to clear the doorway) then raises his empty bow toward the four-armed, flame-haired apparition.  His right hand hovers near the fletching of the single arrow in one quiver.

"Jareth, what sort of demon is that?  Do I need silver?"

Mancini jumps in front of Kalima and readies his cloak. "This is no demon. This is our friend Kalima, demon huntress and minor deity. I summoned her with the help of my group to locate a demon trying to corrupt people."

Although he is a bit towards the back now, Nodwin raises his staff to draw attention to himself.  He's an honest looking kid wearing a plain robe, and carrying a bladed staff currently engulfed in flames.

"If you're confident we are not enemies, may we finish entering?  We do not want to attract any undue attention to ourselves, and the explosion along with a collection of people...It's sure to bring the town guard.

Having heard your previous statement, I believe we may be at parallel purposes.  Perhaps we can compare notes?"

Thankfully Nodwin is able to come off as credible and straightforward.

Since this is for PCs, making the roll public.
16:51, Today: Secret Roll: Nodwin Zideqick rolled 10 using 3d6.  Diplomacy 11 or Leadership 12.

While the others parley, Grimaldi tries to open the shutters of the tavern, to let in light.

Mancini moves to let them in.

"So what brings you to our lovely establishment?"

Jareth, am ill-kempt dirty-blonde elf dressed in sages leathers slides in last having scoped out the street to ensure no gendarmes were coming, he's gently shaking a ferret and muttering at it, "... no, stay awake ya, an keep yer shiffer goin.  Don't want no boombrats hoppin outa t'e rafters on fy head."

He scans the room, nods to Ardenas when he spots him, and gives Kalima and Mancini an appraising eye.

"Sound like that answer t'e question Mario, an very neatly end our quest."

He steps forward, "No worries t'ere, we ain't aimin doin no killin, leastways not heavenly body as this."  He winks at Kalima, "See Nodwin, told ya were t'e divine summonin, that's what t'e 'parallels t'e zorth axis' meant."

He bows slightly to Kalima, "Your minor diviness, our friend here," he indicates the heavily cloaked individual, "sensed yer presence an requested we guide, ahhh, him so could see what t'e divinely summoned looked like.  He probably want take readins... or somethin... ahhh, he's from way outa town... would that be okay with ya an your group?"


OOC:  19:08, Today: Jareth Mooncalled rolled 10 using 3d6.  Diplomacy 16 for Reaction Roll.

In reply to Jareth Mooncalled (msg # 348):

Clarence, amount the last in, looked at the crowd and decided to say nothing. This looked complicated, and his job in holding a light was not really needed here. Instead, he started looking around the place.

In reply to Clarence Montague (msg # 349):

Aoife was not impressed by the newcomers.

"I think we need to keep moving..."

She watches over Kalima protectively.

In reply to Aoife (msg # 350):

Sederic, having recovered his sword, readies it as new folk arrive, and stays that way  carefully, waiting to see how they act rather than talk.

Listening to the dirty elf in the leather coat, Grimaldi looked at the cloaked individual quizzically. "Another one from the realms beyond? Forsooth! 'Tis no ordinary, average day!" Grimaldi guffawed.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:24, Tue 07 Jan 2020.

The archer lowers his bow and takes a more relaxed stance.

"Please pardon, your divinity."  He glances around the flame-lit tavern.  "Do you need help putting out these fires?"

Ardenas waves the archer over to where he's scattering and smothering the small fires.  "I'd welcome some help.  Nothing disastrous, yet, but best we get them while they're small."

In reply to Ardenas Barehand (msg # 354):

The odd hooded figure holding a glowing crustal rectangle and a gnarled staff points the tablet at Kalima.  It has a number of odd devices at its belt, including a blown glass item with wires inside of it, a peculiar knife, and a greenish bladder.

The subject of his interests, the celestial drmon slayer, is seven feet tall with four arms, obsidian skin and flaming red hair; she is surrounded by a bmglowing bolden aura.
She has protruding fangs, and three eyes, wears a silken red and gold sari, cral bracelets, a garland of marigolds, and carries a spear.

The hooded one holds up its tablet. And presses a jeweld stud on it. There is a flash of light, and those standing behind it can see an image of kalima on the other side of the device.

A stange voice echoes in everyone's head.
"Remarkable specimen. One of the 10 million, related to the vampire goddess no doubt"

Nodwin steps up beside the Ymid to see what he is looking at, as he extinguishes the flame on his staff.  While he looks at the item in the Ymid's hands, he responds to the situation by saying "For lack of a better way to say it, our friend is an explorer.  All of this is new to him, and so he is trying to understand it.  He is from...another place.

In his exploration, he communicated to us that there was a demonic summoning in this direction.  At least that is what I understood from his mind pictures.  They were rather powerful, until he learned to send them with a little more delicacy.  In response to that, we banded together to investigate the problem, and that led us to here.

Are you investigating something similar? "

In reply to Nodwin Zideqick (msg # 356):

"We are hunting for those that summon demons. What do you want with them?"

Ndwin is taken aback by the directness of the question. His eyebrow furrows a bit, and he throws his free hand up in a gesture of surprise.  "We want to protect the city and it's inhabitants from exposure to this evil.  People have died, and more will die, if we don't take action.  Isn't that why you're here?"

In retrospect, Nodwin makes a note...  He had been perhaps too forthright in his approach, and may have exposed the group to danger.  If these people were not friendly, they could suddenly be at odds in close quarters.  Going forward, assuming things ended well here, he decided more discretion was probably recommended.

"Our main interest is helping our, um, friend with the odd devices to return safely to his home.  His curiosity, however, is very strong."  He inclines his head toward the hooded figure.

"We met others of the exploding imps near where we met him.  One of them stabbed me in the leg, a lingering wound from which I have yet to fully recover.  Doesn't affect my aim, though, thank all the gods!

"What does he mean by 'one of the ten million?'  I don't recognize that term."

After searching around for a sturdy enough table to let him reach the burning rafter, Ardenas instead clears a space and stands directly beneath that fire.  He begins speaking difficult words with great care and clarity, making exaggerated gestures as he does so.

When nothing happens, he draws himself inward, breathes deeply, and begins again.  This time, when he reaches the point where he had stopped, he begins to rise slowly into the air.  He hovers near the burning beam, slapping at the edges of the fire as he tries to put it out a little at a time without burning his gloved hands.

[Private to GM: 19:07, Today: Ardenas Barehand rolled 15 using 3d6.  Levitation, roll to cast (13 +1 for exaggerated ritual).
19:08, Today: Ardenas Barehand rolled 10 using 3d6.  Levitation, roll to cast (13 +1 for exaggerated ritual).]

Because he was focused on the diplomatic part of things for the most part, Nodwin had not really noticed the fires.  He's still watching what the Ymid is doing but adds "I could ask Vejovis for water, if you feel the invocation is worthy of our time."

"Kalima's divine family is vast. And not all are as noble as our celestial friend."

Mancini looks over at Kalima, making sure she was not upset or hurt by the strange creature's examination of her.

"We were originally after a bunch of cultists, ones seeking to summon a deity of pure darkness, older than the ones most of us understand and/or Revere as divine", Mancini said. "We managed to stop the cultists, but in pursuit of other cells of this evil cult, we learned that some demons are seeking to give mortals powers in exchange for favors. We're trying to follow the trail to find the demon's base of operation and capture the owner in order to stop the bleeding of the demonic onto this plane of existence."

21:12, Today: Mancini rolled 10 using 3d6.  Diplomacy (16).

"Think t'e decimal point be off... eit'er that or t'e Triune revelation five-eleven is wrong, which hey, go figure..." answers offhandedly, he was mostly keeping a keen eye on their hooded friend's gizmo and half an eye on the other group.  "Leastways wasn't mentionin t'e six billion, don't need to deal with AL-YIS-UN... maybe t'e ten million guardians sent to Chin'ya or Guatama what described in t'e Oahspe... but probably just t'e number of Asuras, t'e Vedic were never very precise...  course could just ask."

He clears his throat, "Ymid, t'e 'ten million' what?"




OOC:  21:12, Today: Jareth Mooncalled rolled 14 using 3d6.  Theology (Any) 10.

He gets a +5 if it's something he may have encountered before.  +2 if it's Elder Thing Theology...

Note:  The above paragraph is mostly me, the Player, rambling about nonsense, which may or may not have bearing...
This message was last edited by the player at 02:26, Wed 08 Jan 2020.

"If your planar traveling friend can track our quarry and pinpoint them, it would be most helpful." Grimaldi said cooly, though he was curious about what else the telepath would reveal. It had an alien, but straight forward logic, he thought...