In for a Pounding

[Saruna]

Availability: Ask first, we'll try to work something out.

Posting Speed: Standard, but we're used to waiting longer.

Characters Involved: Currently Iarei, Erryl, and Tal.

Thread starting date: Spring, 122PW

Location: Downtown Marn, heading towards the scummier areas http://www.tharshaddin.com/rp/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2822

Summary: Iarei's boy has stolen some magical artifacts that have some subtle but alarming effects on their holders. Their owners are displeased at the theft. As boy and another woman, Jester, ran off with the artifacts Iarei, Tais, Erryl and Dirken tried to find them. Unfortunately they ran into trouble, and only Erryl and Dirken escaped.

Other Notes: Dirken might rejoin the plot at a later time.

[Saruna]

Hmmm, mind if I let a day or two pass?

[Drayel]

Mind if I join?

[Blood Ravenous]

I would also like to join. I have two characters that might work, Ryxa, a battlemage, or Maeve (profile here), who often works as a bodyguard on the side. Ryxa might be called upon to investigate the murders to see if magic was involved, given the nature of their deaths. Maeve would be pretty poor and unable to find any mercenary work; she'll work for some coin. Let me know if either would fit in well.

[Saruna]

I think Maeve.would be best to start with. I kinda want to hold Ryxa in reserve. I would like a bogey that is hinted at but not seen until further down the road - someone the other characters get scared shitless about. Not sure how best to implement that now. I'll think about it. In tje meantime tais has gone missing again. For now we'll assume he's unconscious somewhere. I'll post, then Dray, then Maeve.

[Saruna]

Correction! Tais is busy and will post when he can.

[Blood Ravenous]

Sounds good!

[Tais]

I'm fine with anyone joining the plot. As far as the plot in general, I'm rather new to it as it was Saruna's baby long before I ever joined. That said, the more the merrier and I look forward to seeing how the new characters mesh their way in.

[Saruna]

The ale star was a player made place, with player characters involved. However, they have long since left the site. As I prefer to use player content rather than create yet another inn or tavern, I've decided to make use of it. Here's the writeup on the people: http://www.tharshaddin.com/rp/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=422 Feel free to use the characters as you need, Tais.

[Maeve]

Yay, I posted! That felt good. Sorry if it's a little long, it's kinda the character's re-introduction. Future posts shouldn't be that long...

As for how Maeve and Iarei will meet, if you had your own idea that's cool. But I'd be fine with them meeting on the street, at the inn she stays at, whatever. She's posted bulletins advertising her bodyguard/mercenary service wherever she can, asking that requests be directed to the place she is staying at. Besides that, she probably has a reputation since she's been going around asking if anybody needs a bodyguard at taverns, inns, etc.

[Tais]

Glad the game seems to be moving! That said, my post had been wonderfully thought out and detailed and well written when suddenly my computer crashed and I lost like three hours worth the writing. I became so annoyed with it that I rushed back through to get something out in like 30 minutes. >.> But hey! I posted.

[Saruna]

That always sucks.

Ideas!

(08:54:02) Saruna: Oh! I have it! What if the statues start trying to manipulate their holders into opening a hole into the aether, but most people can't be such a focus and they're killed in the process
(08:54:30) Saruna: That'd give Iarei a reason to stay in Marn rather than fleeing immediately
(08:54:45) Katona: Oooh.
(08:54:57) Katona: What, being manipulated by the statues?
(08:55:07) Saruna: finding boy
(08:55:11) Saruna: because he's in danger
(08:55:28) Katona: Oh, but how does she find out about it?
(08:55:35) Saruna: and manipulation
(08:55:46) Saruna: I don't want to kill Jester but. . .
(08:56:25) Saruna: maybe they find her beaten body and the dead body of a gangster?
(08:56:43) Saruna: like he took it from her as it was opening a rift or whatever
(08:56:46) Saruna: so he died instead
(08:56:57) KoriStronghammer: Sounds like something evil is afoot at the circle k
(08:57:02) Saruna: and then, presumably, another victim got lured in
(08:57:13) Saruna: so they'd be chasing the statues all over marn
(08:57:24) Saruna: meanwhile dray would be trying to make sense of the deaths
(08:57:45) Saruna: and Iarei's hand gets infected
(08:57:58) Saruna: and Tais thinks Iarei is killing everyone
(08:58:34) Saruna: and Navarre can say the gnomes did it!
(08:58:58) Navarre: It's always those blasted gnomes.
(08:59:04) Katona: Oh, excellent.

Maeve can bump into Erryl while he's inside the inn, mebbe, and then they go lookign for boy (part two) and then find jester? Seeing as how the statues sorta lure people in, it might be interesting if one gets ahold of Maeve's mind. Then too, there are two opposing groups after the statues: the people who were moving it through Marn, and a rival group or something (did we ever decide on that?). Which will certainly test Maeve. Erryl I think would be their only hope of figuring out what the statues are and how they can stop the cycle (he's the only one with brains!).

Seeing as how Tais killed those men in the business district area, the people at the ale star, the tailor, the odds and ends shop and . . . whatever the last one was can maybe start getting agitated and protesting how long the investigation is going, especially when more dead bodies start turning up, which could put Dray in some very tense situations. And hell, Tais is at a good spot to do some rabble rousing.

[Blood Ravenous]

Since I'm new to the plot I was pretty confused for a bit there, but I did some reading and I think I get it... So the characters don't know what the statues do, but we have yet to decide that, too? I'd be all for them channeling magic from the astral plane, and possibly killing people by overloading them with magic--or just because they're evil. In true astral plane fashion, I imagine they tempt people, and affect different people differently. I'd also like to know, the statues were being smuggled through the city by the people they were stolen from?

I'm ok with Maeve bumping into Erryl while he's wandering down the street, but I'm not sure why they would interact. She's in a dress and doesn't look much like a warrior right now. I could say she's staying at the inn the group stayed at, if someone else from the inn plans to return? Or maybe if he turns around? Is he the type to follow a pretty lady?

[Saruna]

The statues are sorta semi-autonomous and basically yearn to be connected to the astral plane. They do lure people, which is why Jester and Boy were so taken with them and ran off. We'd originally worked out that they give magic users amplification if used correctly (while being a source of corruption, themselves), but I thought the murder-spin -- that if people can't handle them they sorta accidentally kill the holder or take over their mind to enact their magical bidding until death -- might be a bonus incentive of additional stress for all involved.

The statues were being smuggled through to pass along to another group when Boy stole them while he was off sulking in true pre-teen fashion. Iarei, Jester, Dirken and Erryl got mixed up with eachother, and when they realized the statues were valuable and people were after them, they were going to use the statues to get money. Iarei was taking a nap when Boy took one, and Jester the other. It could be assumed that experiencing strong emotion or drive within the statues' presence makes you more susceptible to their lure, as Boy had just been cruelly yelled at by Iarei and Jester felt a strong sense of justice/honor in doing the "right" thing.

Tais came along when they realized both statues were gone along with Boy and Jester, and they needed another body to help track. They were on Boy's trail when they were ambushed by the thugs, which is when this thread started.

We'd originally planned on letting the statue part fall to the wayside, which is why I never explained it, but it seemed to fit in together well to add another layer of wtf to the overall plot.

If Maeve and Iarei were staying at the same Inn, it's possible Maeve would see him in the Inn. Considering Iarei has made several scenes in the lobby with the clerk, it's possible she might have seen him with her over the last day or two (we'll just ignore the time-lapse, though I'm not sure what she was doing before sleeping with the man), especially if she'd had any business with the clerk. If she overheard the conversation with Tais the previous day she'd know that Iarei's group was looking for strong looking folk, which might spell out employment for her.

Alternatively, if Maeve makes it into the Inn before Erryl she might possibly overhear the clerk complaining about Iarei's group and the way she "abducted" a patron for some rough business before he could pay for a room, in addition to her nasty catty behavior towards the clerk.

[Katona]

I play Erryl and I can say he most likely would have his attention stolen by a beautiful woman, especially if some of that attraction was magical or if she has anything unusual about her. He'd be somewhat distracted by current circumstances, of course, but easily influenced should Maeve decide to speak to him.

So, with what Kat said, if Maeve's seen/heard anything about what Iarei's been doing, she could spy Erryl in the inn, realize she could get some work out of it, and either strike up a conversation or follow him to find out what he's up to. Either way, he'd bring her back to Iarei.