Adrift into a Strange Land

[Dizlexus]

The Queen's Men

The queen smiles happily at her new band of adventurers.

About The Fortress of Horace Woo:

The fortress is deep in the eastern mountains situated at about 12,000 ft. No one knows who exactly Horace Woo was or what he was doing up there. Many believe he never existed. Some say he was a powerful sorcerer, others say he was a rich eclectic. Some believe that Woo came from a different planet or dimension. It is also rumored that he was born in the kingdom, in the costal City Narconia, and was raised in the East. Some people believe he became wealthy and powerful in the Orient, was planning a takeover of his homeland, and that the mountain fortress was a base of operations. The Orientals did make coastal incursions in those days. It did appear that a war with the East was on the horizon. It never materialized. That was back in the 1250’s - - about 175 years ago.

Some demi-humans alive in those days are still around to describe odd things pertaining to the fortress.

The rumors are strange. An elf Woman living in the Coffin Woods known as Jewel was alive then and tells strange stories. She has often described a metallic bird that roared and spit fire. She knows what a dragon is and it was not one of those, she will swear.

She has also described men in strange cloths who would magically appear and disappear around the fortress area. Those men had metallic rods. Those rods spit fire too.

Jewel still lives up there with her sons. Her family builds coffins for the Teutons.

Others tell of colossal stone colored ships, appearing and disappearing like apparitions, in Tessera's ports and bays -- also in the time of Horace Woo. Recently those apparitions have been seen again.

There are a great many rumors about the fortress. But the rumor we are interested in has to do with time travel.

You see, gentleman, I am losing this war. Merit will finish consolidating Tessera under his wickedness in a matter of days.

I might not be alive for much longer.

I need you gentlemen to find the fortress and the time traveling device within.

My Great Grandfather knew Horace Woo and he said the device was real. 150 years ago, the paper instructions for the device were transcribed to clay tablets for preservation.

Sanu is in possession of those tablets now.

Sanu, moreover, has seen the fortress. He is a local tribesman. Once you get into the mountains Sanu can help you find the fortress.

The plan, gentleman, is to use the time traveling device to stop Merit before he starts.

The queen approaches Calen and hands him a clay tablet.


Calen, she says, this was written by me to myself and my late father. If you can, return to an earlier time, go to Occubo, give this to my father, and kill Merit while he is still a boy. It is the only hope.

My only question to you men is "what can I provide to you for the journey?"

May I have your order? Draft horses will be provided. Let's generate an equipment list. The queen will set you guys up and ya'll will be on your way.

[Nordbo]

Time travel!!! Wow ! Mind-bending thrills!!

disclaimer: opinions expressed by Nordbo are not necessarily the same as those of Nordbo's character(s)

[GreyWolfVT]

Svent in the middle of the marching order Garret near the front likely second in line. I suggests we have fighter types in the front and back to protect the "squishier" classes aka Svent. Both of my characters have a decent equipment list. Likely all I require for my two would be spell components for Svent. A grappling hook for Garrett along with metal spikes and a hammer for climbing if required. Unless there is anyway to advance Svent's level or get magical robes to lower his AC or raise his HP nothing else is required.

[MonkeyWrench]

Calen briefly looks over the tablet, not really reading it due to disinterest, before putting it into his pack. He looks towards the Queen and Sanu, "If the fortress is far then get horses, if not then they're not important." He looks to the rest of the group, "Decide for yourselves. I am ready."

[KingOfCowards]

Titus looks concerned. "A desperate move, my Queen. Should we leave, its very unlikely that I see you again. But if this is your wish, so be it. Either we find this device and change your fate, or we shall die trying. Have you any other magic items in the stores that may aid us? Potions? Weapons?"

[GreyWolfVT]

Garrett "Ahem, well yes this is very interesting... now why wouldn't you simply just hire assassins for such a task instead of a group of rag tag wandering adventurers mixed with your own men-at-arms or whatever you wish to call them."

Svent "Hmm this is a perplexing situation. Time travel...interesting. Now wouldn't that also change our current fates not just the war that you have at your doorstep now. What if we somehow manage to run into our past selves how that simply might tear the fabric of space and time one would imagine. Garrett does raise a semi-good question. Why us? Why not assassins that will be assured to get the job done?"

[Dizlexus]

The Queen anwsers:
Merit's intelligence apparatus is bigger than his army. It is far to powerful for an assassination attempt to stand a chance. I'm sure he has agents in this very keep. He knows about everything I do as soon as I do it. He is the most heavily guarded man in Tessera.

As to your philosophical questions concerning the complications of time travel, well, I do not know how to answer them. Perhaps the instructions Sanu possesses have those answers.

Why hire a "rag tag" group of adventurers? Because such a party can keep a lower profile than a military unit. And, I'm growing short of helping hands. Montego, Sanu, Titus and Fredricus have been selected for the mission because they have certain knowledge or skills. You four men would be, shall we say, the icing on the cake.

Fredricus is the party's new MU played by Todd S. I jammed him in there. Too bad he missed the boat ride.

And yes, she will give away some goodies -- not animal crackers either.

[/color]

Garrett "Ahem, well yes this is very interesting... now why wouldn't you simply just hire assassins for such a task instead of a group of rag tag wandering adventurers mixed with your own men-at-arms or whatever you wish to call them."

Svent "Hmm this is a perplexing situation. Time travel...interesting. Now wouldn't that also change our current fates not just the war that you have at your doorstep now. What if we somehow manage to run into our past selves how that simply might tear the fabric of space and time one would imagine. Garrett does raise a semi-good question. Why us? Why not assassins that will be assured to get the job done?"

[MonkeyWrench]

Calen speaks up from the back, where he was leaning against the wall, "The reasons do not matter, there are battles to be fought."

[GreyWolfVT]

Garrett "You misunderstand me. I mean send the assassins back in time to assassinate Merit."

[Nordbo]

are all party members allowed to address Reginia directly ? If so:

Baruch, to Reginia: "Your majesty, how far back in time would we need to travel; that is, how old is Merit (today)? Why I ask is this; should I travel to a time before I myself became a disciple in my current faith, the proposed trip would in effect render me faithless upon arrival - a spiritual dilemma I can't get my %#€olus &*°ing head round at the moment.

Secondly, would the device allow us to travel back to this point in time again after done deed ?"

[GreyWolfVT]

Garrett to Calen "Battles fought might be a fun thing for you, I on the other hand don't like to run off into battle every moment of the day. Also if I am to go back in time I need to know the hazards as well as more of the details involved. Time travel to me does not sound like such a good idea but I am willing to help the Queen in this matter so long as I am not going back to kill a child version of this Tyrant Merit."

[Dizlexus]

Garrett "You misunderstand me. I mean send the assassins back in time to assassinate Merit."

To Garrett:
Well, that, good Sir, is exactly the role I wish for you to fill. I employ no assassins. I inherited a peaceful kingdom, or so I thought.

I'm afraid, Garrett, that you meet me at my worst. Tessera and its queen are in dire straits.

To Baruch she answers:
Oh, good father, be thee not worried about lost faith. Great Grandfather said that Woo used the device. Woo was not harmed and could move forward and backward with no change to his person.

I read the tablets once, long ago. I recall that they do provide for a safe return.

And, father, once a man's faith exists only a god can remove the blessings.

[Dizlexus]

so long as I am not going back to kill a child version of this Tyrant Merit

This is an aspect of the mission.

Can the proposed murder can be legitimated?

Merit has, in fact, been responsible for the violent deaths of thousands and has reintroduced arena fighting for political gain and blood lust.

What will he do to Regenia?

And why is he taking over a well run kingdom?

[GreyWolfVT]

Garrett "To state it bluntly the man likely has a lust for power. Unlike yourself Merit has not merit or honor from the sounds of things. Pardon my being blunt. I have been around men that crave power and it taints their hearts and minds. Drives them to do things normal folk would never do. I myself am not an assassin I do my line of work without killing so long as it can be avoided. This task goes against most of my principals and morals but yes I shall do as you ask as it is to protect and save a good kingdom full of decent folk."

ya ya a little too robin hood esk...

[Dizlexus]

"Your majesty, how far back in time would we need to travel; that is, how old is Merit (today).

Merit is 26 yrs old. You would go back almost 20 years, during the reign of my father, The Good King Verex. You would be asked to kill, or otherwise make harmless, a 6 or 7 year old Merit.

[MonkeyWrench]

Garrett to Calen "Battles fought might be a fun thing for you, I on the other hand don't like to run off into battle every moment of the day. Also if I am to go back in time I need to know the hazards as well as more of the details involved. Time travel to me does not sound like such a good idea but I am willing to help the Queen in this matter so long as I am not going back to kill a child version of this Tyrant Merit."

Calen simply sighs, this round of questioning not being important to what is needing to be done in his opinion, whether the mission is for an adult or a child it makes no difference to him.

[KingOfCowards]

If you are truly against assassinating minors, there is always the opportunity to accept the mission and then not go through with it. Not to complicate the end-game, but it would be an interesting twist to find another way to accomplish the same goal.

[Nordbo]

As it is against Baruch's faith to end the life of a human(oid) child, no matter how evil, Baruch will never say 'yes' to such an explicit assignment (although he sympathizes with the fact that Reginia is clawing desperately after radical solutions). However, as K.O.C says, it could be really interesting to find other ways of guiding a child in the past towards alternate futures. How about adoption ?

[GreyWolfVT]

Garrett wouldn't kill a child evil or otherwise. Svent definitely will not participate in the killing of a child but the thrill of time travel is what Svent is up for.

[MonkeyWrench]

I'm sure everyone is aware of this but Calen would kill a child if that child was his mission, he doesn't go around killing things needlessly, that is pointless. so unless something changes with him expect him to be killing the kid end game.