Interlude 1: Helix

drpete
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drpete
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Interlude 1: Helix

#1 Post by drpete »

Date: June 1, 9:00 am, Monday
Season: Early Summer
Weather: Warm
Moon phase: New Moon
Location: Town Square

You find yourself in the little town of Helix. Adventure awaits. What would you like to do?

Please feel free to start any finished replacement characters here. We'll advance this to be the main game timeline when the others return to town... when you head back out to adventure, it'll be archived.

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Re: Interlude 1: Helix

#2 Post by Spearmint »

Moony

The cleric brushes off the dog hairs from his habit and takes a boot off, smacking it hard against the stone wall of the inn to break of the muddy clods.

"Farmers, terrible unclean, civil mind but part of the great unwashed,"he says to folk around the door, He enters the tavern and orders a fine feast of stuffed pigeon and lashings of mashed potatoes washed over by lavish helpings of gravy before engaging folk in adventure talk.

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Re: Interlude 1: Helix

#3 Post by Rex »

NIMH, Female Feline Cleric of Crom

Nimh hesitantly enters the Inn. She doesn't generally deal much with "Others" but it seems that Crom is pushing her in that direction today. Looking around no one strikes her fancy so she heads for the bar to do some observing and see if anything "clicks". "Barkeep, meat and eggs, not cooked much and a tankard of ale." Keeping a watchful eye she settles back to listen.

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Re: Interlude 1: Helix

#4 Post by drpete »

Nimh and Mooney find the tavern to be quiet. A beggar smelling of ale, vomit and feces lies in the dirt near the door, his hair tangled with mud. Inside, the tavern is fairly dark. You see the barkeep and a couple of barmaids. The barkeep is serving a group at the bar, and one other table has a group of people around it.

At the bar, there are a couple of men-at-arms and a plainly dressed human woman, who seems to be their boss. They are drinking beers.

At the table, you see a mixed group consisting of a halfling, a dwarf, and a half-orc, an elf and a human.

A buxom red-headed barmaid takes your order cheerfully, then heads back into the kitchen to get it.

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Re: Interlude 1: Helix

#5 Post by Spearmint »

Moony

The cleric looks about at the assembled groups. He is a stranger here, most comfortable with his own company or other 'characters of faith'. He sees the 'cat-woman' , noticing her saying grace. He hopes his striking up a conversation isn't taken the wrong way as a 'chat up' line.

"My pardon Sister ..?" he coughs a little and taps his portly belly. "A fine fayre I trust for the flesh as well as the soul. I have heard this town sees much to discourage both though."

He nods in the direction of the beggar man outside.

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Re: Interlude 1: Helix

#6 Post by Rex »

Nimh
"The food is fine, a bit over cooked" she says as she lifts the nearly raw meat to her maw. "What brings you here brother? I have been following the sent of death laid forth for me by Crom the Mighty."

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Re: Interlude 1: Helix

#7 Post by Spearmint »

Moony

"Crom?, oh, him, One of the 'old ones'," he says."A vocation for derring-do and bravado? I guess you will find plenty of opportunity for that here. My own mission seems much less noble by comparison. Bashing unrepentant farmhands into order for distilling hooch, blessing the grain harvest and orchestrating the deep bass voices of the Young Farmers Institute Choir. My body is fat with the pleasures of it but my soul years for more."

He pats his belly as his clerical habit springs a button open.

"Though the 'scent of death' seems to weigh heavy on that poor soul outside. Do you think he went to the Barrows full of hope and came back a broken man?".

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Re: Interlude 1: Helix

#8 Post by Rex »

Nimh

"Perhaps, I don't think he has a part to play in my journey. Do you know much of the Barrow Mounds? I would like to learn more of them, knowledge may be the difference between success and failure." Nimh says as she blatantly stares at the cleric's belly where the button just popped off. "Perhaps you are being called to the Barrow's brother? Even those who watch over the farm and fields must sometimes do battle with what is not natural. Always best to be prepared."

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Re: Interlude 1: Helix

#9 Post by Spearmint »

Moony

"I know little of them save for common history. This place draws many through the legends and folk tales.
I would be wary though of arcane sorcerers seeking to collect both relics and the souls of the desperate. I would check these Barrows out but would hope to find others stout of arm and heart also."

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Re: Interlude 1: Helix

#10 Post by Rex »

Nimh

"I think we were meant to meet here today Brother, we shall seek out others stout of arms and heart."

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Re: Interlude 1: Helix

#11 Post by Spearmint »

Moony

"While there is just the two of us, it might be prudent and good manners to introduce ourselves to the local priests here."

After lunch Moony will seek out the church of Ygg.

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Re: Interlude 1: Helix

#12 Post by drpete »

Moony heads over to the church of St Ygg.

He is greeted at the door by a young woman with dark hair. This acolyte invites you in, and asks you how she can help.

Moony, still wondering about your stuff and your religion. Check out the character creation thread...

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Re: Interlude 1: Helix

#13 Post by Spearmint »

Moony

Advances into the chapel nave, doing the customary genuflections.

"Thank you Sister for your welcome. The church is a welcome sight in this dreary town. I am a new missionary here and hope to make introductions. Are you the senior priest here?"

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Re: Interlude 1: Helix

#14 Post by drpete »

The girl shakes her head, denying that she is the senior priest. "No sir, I am merely an under-cleric. You are looking for Brother Othar. He is the senior priest here in Helix. He is out in the back, tending the graveyard. Do you have business with him?"

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Re: Interlude 1: Helix

#15 Post by Spearmint »

Moony

is Nimh also present?

"No, I have no direct business except to give a cordial introduction. I am of the Order of St Cuthbert. Perhaps you have a side altar I may pray beside?"

Moony will light a devotional candle and pay a couple of silvers into the poor box.

"Brother Othar is in the graveyard? A parishioner or an adventurer from the moors?"

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Re: Interlude 1: Helix

#16 Post by Rex »

Nope

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Re: Interlude 1: Helix

#17 Post by drpete »

The woman gives Moony a confused look. "An adventurer...? No sir, he is in back, through here... in the churchyard, cleaning up. Not in the moors." She leads Moony to a back door of the church, and shows him a well-tended graveyard out behind the church, where people are buried in the Futuri tradition, and introduces you to Brother Othar, a well-groomed, simply-dressed gentleman, who stands up from planting some flowers on a grave when you enter the churchyard.

"Greetings! How are you, brother? What brings you to Helix at this time of year?"

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Re: Interlude 1: Helix

#18 Post by Piper »

Kohrek half-kicks the door of the seedy little tavern open, grunting in satisfaction at the "bang" it produces. Glaring at any one looking his way, he seeks out a small unoccupied table and and takes a seat.

"Mead!" he call out as he leans back in the chair, with a long satisfied sigh. It's been a long journey.
Red 5, Standing ... Hey! Is That A Banana?

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Re: Interlude 1: Helix

#19 Post by Spearmint »

Moony

Stands a moment before the tended graves."Brother Othar, I am Brother Moony from the cousin faith of St Cuthbert. I was talking to Sister here ..." Moony gets the familiarities out of the way in greeting the parish priest.

He points to the flowered grave,"One of your flock or an unfortunate drifter in town? I must confess I have seen lots of these 'Barrowdowners' and they seem to be 'sheep without a shepherd'. I guess my vocational calling might extend to them also as I journey on my missionary path."
Do the graves have marked tombstones or simple wooden crosses. Anything I might perceive as unusual in custom when in the yard, such as garlic strings tied around headstones or a predominance of wooden stakes. A preference for angel statues instead of gargoyle figures?

Moony will explain he "is new in town and may stay a few days in some tavern room or hostel. Perhaps if they required any help in services or embalming, lighting the candles, scripting scrolls, visiting parishoners, not much skill in exorcisms but I'll give it a go with some Cuthbertic mauling ..."

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Re: Interlude 1: Helix

#20 Post by drpete »

Moony

The graveyard seems fairly "typical" for one from your faith, and given the reputation of this area, not unusually large. It is definitely fairly "new" though, and you see few or no very old gravestones. There are no obvious signs of huge numbers of wooden stakes or garlic necklaces or anything suggesting fear of attack by the undead.

Brother Othar welcomes you, and throws up his hands at the large number of "adventurers" come to plunder the old burial place. He tells you that he feels that, though it is a heathen burial ground, he feels it's still not right to plunder it and disturb the dead. He feels the hype surrounding the grave goods a few tomb robbers have returned with has generated far too much unsavory interest.

That said, he can see that you are intending to go there, yourself. He suggests to you that perhaps you should try to consecrate the ground there. Perhaps it will help to set the dead to a proper rest.

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