The Valley of Shadows (Closed Second Gen Philsys RP)

For all RPs taking place in the world Gaera Main.
Archmage144
 

Re: Snide comment, ahoy.

Unread postby Archmage144 » Sun Oct 16, 2005 7:30 pm

"That's a very interesting way of exploring your environment," noted James. "Putting everything in your mouth to understand it better is usually something most humanoids grow out of by the time they're three. Maybe minotaur developmental psychology is a little behind."


User avatar
KingOfDoma
Guess Who It Is?
 
Posts: 2656
Joined: Tue May 07, 2002 7:21 pm
Location: Calgary

Re: Snide comment, ahoy.

Unread postby KingOfDoma » Sun Oct 16, 2005 10:33 pm

Bulworth grunted annoyedly. "Three things, my friend. Three bits of information you're in ignorance of. First, I haven't put it in my mouth yet. Second, I'm LOOKING at it before I put it in my mouth, and third, a minotaur's brain is fine. And our stomachs...."

He put the blades of grass in his mouth. "Are far tougher than yours, so this stuff should be fine."

He grabbed a handful of the stuff, concluding that it would be fine, and in fact, good for him to eat, and started off to find a nice place to sit. "Now leave me alone."


Archmage144
 

Re: Snide comment, ahoy.

Unread postby Archmage144 » Sun Oct 16, 2005 10:43 pm

James snickered. "My stomach's a little tougher than an ordinary human's, but I still cook my meat before I shove it in my mouth. Are all minotaur lawn-munching savages like you are?" Running his fingers through his improbable hair, the half-incubus grinned a little, one of his fangy canines just barely poking out and making itself visible.

This should provide me with some much-needed entertainment, mused James. When he was bored or felt as though he needed to work off a little stress, James' preferred method of keeping himself amused was to take pot-shots at the egos of everyone else around him. It was good to remind them who was the superior being in any social group he might find himself forced to deal with, and having just been rather badly wounded, James needed to sublimate a little irritation. The harpies were dead, sparing them from the edges of his blades, but his allies were going to have to bear the sharpness of James' tongue.


User avatar
Kai
Fighting the Iron Law of Oligarchy Since 2006
 
Posts: 2408
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 12:32 pm
Location: Indianapolis

Re: Snide comment, ahoy.

Unread postby Kai » Sun Oct 16, 2005 10:50 pm

Zea sighed heavily and dramatically. "You guys have fun. Bulworth, if you're interested in having dinner here," she pointed to the ground. "I could at least get you more of it."

She sat for a moment and bent her hands over the grass. Very rapidly it grew to several inches high, and was much thicker than it would probably tend to be had it been allowed to continue its natural course of growth.

To Zea, it looked like grass. A nice place to sit or possibly cover space in a garden. However, considering that it was unnaturally prosperous grass, to someone who ate such things it probably looked pretty damn good.

Of all the side-talents for a necromancer to have.... No one ever expects me to be a plant mage.

The only question remained was whether Bulworth was interested in it. Zea didn't remain to find out.

"If you boys are okay here, I'm going to go check on Cerene."

She stood and walked to the other side of the group to check on their phoenix friend. "Hey," she called. "How you doing over here?"


User avatar
KingOfDoma
Guess Who It Is?
 
Posts: 2656
Joined: Tue May 07, 2002 7:21 pm
Location: Calgary

Re: Snide comment, ahoy.

Unread postby KingOfDoma » Sun Oct 16, 2005 10:58 pm

Well, that was nice of her, Bulworth thought to himself, and turned his attention to James. He had no need or desire to spend the next who-knew-how-long with an arrogant jackass.

But, he still had a small measure of patience to spare.

"Listen, friend. I am a nice fellow. I am easy to get along with, I'm helpful, and I like to help out those in need. But, I have a flaw. I do have somewhat of a temper. And when ... gentlemen ... like yourself start throwing barbs at me for no apparent reason, it brings to the surface rage that I do not like to deal with.

"So, for the first and last time, be quiet, or I'm absolving myself of the resulting actions. Are we clear?"


User avatar
Kelne
EXTERMINATE!!!!
 
Posts: 3606
Joined: Tue Apr 23, 2002 2:02 am
Location: New Zealand

Re: Snide comment, ahoy.

Unread postby Kelne » Sun Oct 16, 2005 11:09 pm

Zea found Cerene seated atop a small rise, looking out across the desolate landscape. It probably wasn't doing her mood any good. The phoenix sighed, "I could be better." Her voice carried definite tones of tiredness and frustration. But at least she seemed to have calmed down a bit since her attempt to get information out of Jessie.


Archmage144
 

Re: Snide comment, ahoy.

Unread postby Archmage144 » Sun Oct 16, 2005 11:12 pm

"I see. So you're saying I shouldn't call you a brute because you're a brute, and you're going to bash my face in for alerting you to the fact. You are, I might note, very well-spoken for a minotaur, I'll grant you that." James shrugged, his wings flicking a little as he did so.

"I imagine that the terms of our employment are generally contingent on our remaining physically healthy--if one of us becomes unable to perform our 'bodyguard' duties for whatever reason, I assume that we will be terminated and likely not get paid. I'm not really in this for the money, but it would be nice not to lose my job because I break an arm in a fight with one of my hired-hand coworkers. That's not really very likely, in the event that we were in a real fight, mind you, because the culmination of that event would probably be your body lying on the ground while your astral spirit got a chance to explore whatever afterlife the god of minotaurs likes to drag the deceased to experience." James' eyes glinted, a hint of feral menace betraying his refined, noble exterior. Despite the fact that the demonic side of James' heritage was practically royalty, his lineage directly related him to someone no less powerful and savage than the Master Demon Testicles of the planes of the Netherworld. Apparently, as his father told the story, Testicles had to be killed in order to prevent him from raping (and probably killing) James' mother. At first, James was a little disgusted with his father for having slain a high figure of demonic nobility, but the elder Silvar had whimsically noted that if he had not done so that James would likely not have been born, and even James had to agree that such a shame likely justified the act of (in-law) patricide.

Naturally, the point was that despite the fact that James acted like a stuck-up, aristocratic brat a lot of the time, he was still a pretty dangerous and vicious demon, at least halfway, and there was no way he was going to be scared into submission by threats from a horn-head like Bullworth. On the other hand, allowing a fight to break out would be somewhat inconvenient, so the trick was pushing the minotaur while still finding a way to absolve himself of potential difficulties.


User avatar
Kai
Fighting the Iron Law of Oligarchy Since 2006
 
Posts: 2408
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 12:32 pm
Location: Indianapolis

Re: Snide comment, ahoy.

Unread postby Kai » Sun Oct 16, 2005 11:20 pm

Zea grinned slightly. "Do I sense irritation with our employer?"

She walked to the crest of the hill to sit next to Cerene. "We've gotten a bit of information out of one of Mr. Black's friends, but it's not immediately relevant."

Zea pulled the clover out from behind her ear, as it was beginning to wilt and wasn't as decorative as it previously had been. She noted with bored amusement that with this bloom died the last remnant of the hapless clover she'd found earlier that day.

"At any rate, people are starting to settle down for the evening. For Bulworth and James this apparently means yelling at each other. I intend to get something to eat. How about you? Gonna sit here and soak up the frustration?"


User avatar
Kelne
EXTERMINATE!!!!
 
Posts: 3606
Joined: Tue Apr 23, 2002 2:02 am
Location: New Zealand

Re: Snide comment, ahoy.

Unread postby Kelne » Sun Oct 16, 2005 11:33 pm

"I think the less I have to do with that guy, the better," Cerene said, "Which is great, except that I've wound up working for him." She shook her head in a conscious effort to dispel her negative thoughts, "Anyway, food sounds good. The world always looks better on a full stomach."


User avatar
KingOfDoma
Guess Who It Is?
 
Posts: 2656
Joined: Tue May 07, 2002 7:21 pm
Location: Calgary

Re: Snide comment, ahoy.

Unread postby KingOfDoma » Sun Oct 16, 2005 11:36 pm

Bulworth sighed to himself. Heh. I've fallen into chestbeating. Been a while...

"I don't want to lose my job either, whether that be from," he slightly scoffed at the next sentence, "being killed by you, or being injured while pounding your corpse into the dirt. Which is why I'm asking you, politely, to refrain from the insults. If we both leave each other be, don't get in each other's way, we can finish the mission, go home, get paid, and if we're lucky, never see each other again. Now doesn't that sound better than leaving old Jessiah short one mercenary because one of us can't hold their tongue?"

Bulworth noted the glint. It hadn't really occured to him what James was. He had, till now, simply ignored the wings. But, he now realized that James just might be, at least in part, what his people feared and hated the most.

It didn't matter. It just meant he would kill him instead of just beating him halfway to hell should he cross him.


Archmage144
 

Re: Snide comment, ahoy.

Unread postby Archmage144 » Sun Oct 16, 2005 11:44 pm

"Good of you to come to a sensible conclusion," remarked James haughtily. "Perhaps you and your people can be civilized after all. Let us do nothing that would potentially further compromise our mission."

James lowered his voice, trying to make sure that no one would overhear him. "And while we're on the subject, I'm not entirely certain that I believe Jessie want all of us to survive this little excursion. It's one less person to pay, to say the least. Sure, he healed us back there after the fight with the harpies, but that's just because it's too early to let us go before we get more of our objective completed, and if he let someone die now it would demoralize the rest. I'm watching him, and even though he's wised up about being honest with us, I still don't trust the bastard. There's a very real possibility that we'll get double-crossed here, and if we do, I want to be ready for it." The half-incubus shrugged again, glancing shiftily toward the area where Jessie and his subordinates were set up in camp.

I wonder if Zea agrees with me on this, James mused.


User avatar
KingOfDoma
Guess Who It Is?
 
Posts: 2656
Joined: Tue May 07, 2002 7:21 pm
Location: Calgary

Re: Snide comment, ahoy.

Unread postby KingOfDoma » Sun Oct 16, 2005 11:53 pm

Conclusion? I had already proposed it. On top of being smug, he's not that bright either? I sincerely hope he's physically attractive to females...

Bulworth lowered his voice as well. "That's a possibility. But the key word should be 'ready'. I won't do a thing to the man that's paying us unless I know for sure he's up to something."

Bulworth spoke at a normal level again. "Benefit of the doubt, James. Benefit of the doubt. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm hungry." With that, Bulworth sat down next to Zea's patch of grass and started to pull and eat at his leisure.

I hope that's the end of his desire to talk to me. I want to limit the risk to his life...


User avatar
Kai
Fighting the Iron Law of Oligarchy Since 2006
 
Posts: 2408
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 12:32 pm
Location: Indianapolis

Play nice or be zombies. *scowl*

Unread postby Kai » Mon Oct 17, 2005 12:00 am

Zea smiled. "Well, while I'm calling up dinner, I might as well grow something besides grass." She rested her chin on her palm for a moment, considering what she'd brought.

No trees. No way. Small shrubs with fruit are definitely an option.

"Hm. Why not."

She pulled her bag of seeds off her belt and slipped a small rectangle of paper out of it. This Zea held delicately in her teeth while she sifted through the contents of the bag with one finger. She found a dried raspberry and picked a seed out of it. She dropped the rest of it back into the bag and replaced the paper.

"Been a while since I've grown these. Thorns can be a little nasty, but it's always worth it."

With that, Zea repeated the spell she'd cast on the grass. On the ground between her and Cerene grew a small raspberry bush that, while not startlingly large, had way too many berries on it. She pulled several off with a few deft gestures and offered with her other hand that Cerene should do the same.

I really hope that James and Bulworth find a way to not kill each other. The question of whether or not to animate the loser and bring him along for the rest of the journey as a bodyguard is not one I'd like to deal with right now. Besides. I'm sure they're both more useful if they're alive.

Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=kai@rpgww60462>Kai</A]&nbsp; Image at: 10/17/05 0:01

User avatar
Kelne
EXTERMINATE!!!!
 
Posts: 3606
Joined: Tue Apr 23, 2002 2:02 am
Location: New Zealand

Re: Play nice or be zombies. *scowl*

Unread postby Kelne » Mon Oct 17, 2005 2:14 am

"That's got to be a useful trick," Cerene said, helping herself to several raspberries. Zea was obviously a person with a lot of varied talents at her disposal.

She might not have a great deal of faith in their employer, but at least she felt she could trust the others. With a bit of luck, they'd get the job done despite Jessie. If he ever got around to telling them what the job was...

But she wasn't about to start griping about Jessie again. Deciding to shift topics, she asked, "So, what do you do when you're not guarding archaeological expeditions?"


User avatar
Kai
Fighting the Iron Law of Oligarchy Since 2006
 
Posts: 2408
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 12:32 pm
Location: Indianapolis

Re: Play nice or be zombies. *scowl*

Unread postby Kai » Mon Oct 17, 2005 2:36 pm

Zea wondered how much it was really wise to share with Cerene. Obviously her new acquaintance wasn't too deeply disturbed by the essentials of necromancy. At the same time, how interested would she be in the specifics of Zea's research?

"Well, even though necromancy is usually considered rather odd by a lot of people, there are some things even I consider unusual. I spend most of my time researching those. For now though... I left home to see what's so good about the surface world. I hope Black's telling us the truth when he says we'll get back to Gaera, because I'm also hoping to track down someone I've... not had the opportunity to meet yet. Not an emergency at the moment though, so I think I have time to find out why these mercenary jobs are so popular."

It was odd. Near as Zea could tell, adventurers seemed to be the driving force behind the local economy. That meant that the laws of supply and demand were held in equilibrium by a bunch of money-hungry thrillseekers and their likewise insane associates.

Zea was beginning to see some of the attraction. The people at least were fairly interesting. She couldn't be too hard on mercenaries. After all, her father was a mercenary and she herself had taken up similar work in just the last couple of days.

"So, what about you? What do you do when you aren't killing harpies? And, um, who's that?" Zea gestured in Keros' direction, curious as to who this person was that Cerene had brought along.


User avatar
Kelne
EXTERMINATE!!!!
 
Posts: 3606
Joined: Tue Apr 23, 2002 2:02 am
Location: New Zealand

Re: Play nice or be zombies. *scowl*

Unread postby Kelne » Mon Oct 17, 2005 11:35 pm

Having grown up in Doma City, Cerene tended to be rather open-minded about races or schools of magic that might be considered... well, suspect elsewhere. Her father, coming as he did from Kalshana, had rather strong opinions on necromancy and, to a lesser extent, drow.

Still, he'd always encouraged his children to think for themselves, and while Cerene might see necromancy as a grey area, Zea was the first practitioner she'd met. Or at least the first who'd openly admitted to it. As such, she was starting with a mostly clean slate.

"I'm a tourist, really," she said in answer to Zea's question, "Out to see the sights of the universe and all that. If I need a bit of cash though, I generally fall back on courier work."

Unlike Zea, Cerene was in a position to leave any time she wanted to. It might take her a while to get back home, but she had no doubt she'd be able to make it. If anything, the others should be even angrier at Jessie for dragging them off to some parrallel dimension than she was. But they weren't necessarily in a position to do anything about it, reliant as they were on him to get them back home.

Far too tangled for her liking. "As for Keros," she said, indicating the phoenix presently engaged in a thoughtful examination of the surrounding landscape, "He's my brother. I didn't think he'd be here for more than a few minutes when I summoned him, but it looks like he's here to stay." She shrugged, "At least he's making the best of it. Anyone else would probably be a bit annoyed when they found out they'd have to make their own way home."

Cerene certainly wouldn't be doing any more summoning until she was sure it would work normally. Even if the thought of subjecting Jessie to Blinky's antics did have a certain appeal...


Blackwind Isao
 
Posts: 162
Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2003 3:23 am
Location: Satan's Armpit

Re: Play nice or be zombies. *scowl*

Unread postby Blackwind Isao » Wed Oct 19, 2005 12:04 am

The rest of the day passes uneventfully. The watches are stood and nothing unusual can be reported with the possible exception of the hole in the astral somewhere off to the east of the campsite.

For Jessie's part he looks to be refreshed from the sleep, if that's truely what he really does. He even seems to have cooked as there is a kettle of something that, if it smells anything like it tastes, promises to be rather tasty. There also appears to be a pot of coffee already brewed.

Jessie, Baldesar and Ignazio all sit in a loose semi-circle around the small cooking fire drinking coffee and looking out at the sunrise, each apparently lost in their own thoughts.

- Blackwind.


User avatar
KingOfDoma
Guess Who It Is?
 
Posts: 2656
Joined: Tue May 07, 2002 7:21 pm
Location: Calgary

Re: Play nice or be zombies. *scowl*

Unread postby KingOfDoma » Wed Oct 19, 2005 12:43 am

Bulworth had used his hammer as a pillow that night, slightly padded with grass. He didn't have the most peaceful sleep, but it would have lasted far longer had the coffee not been brewed. As soon as the aroma hit his nose, he began to twitch, and eventually, jerked himself out of his sleep.

Upon getting his bearings, the man-bull sat up, cursing his head. He then spotted the group around the fire, and tromped over.

In a groggy tone, he croaked, "Your biggest mug, please..."


User avatar
Kelne
EXTERMINATE!!!!
 
Posts: 3606
Joined: Tue Apr 23, 2002 2:02 am
Location: New Zealand

Re: Play nice or be zombies. *scowl*

Unread postby Kelne » Wed Oct 19, 2005 1:25 am

Cerene was, by habit, one of those disgustingly early risers. As such, she was awake with the sunrise. It took her a few seconds to recall just where she was, but once the last traces of fog had drifted from her mind, she got up and wandered over in the direction of the cooking fire.

A good night's sleep, coming on the heels of that conversation with Zea, had helped her put a few things in perspective. She still didn't like or trust Jessie, and probably never would. But she had agreed to this mission, even if she hadn't known the full details, and she couldn't just leave the others in the lurch.

What was ironic was that with someone else at the head of the expedition, she thought she might actually be disposed to enjoy it. It certainly hadn't been boring so far, and didn't promise to be in future. But Jessie just had to keep his damned secrets.

Once again shrugging off her negative thoughts, Cerene headed over to get some breakfast.

Keros was likewise up early. He'd taken a bit of time to talk to Mr Black the other day, after checking in on Cerene. After a bit of consideration, he'd decided to accompany the group for a while. It didn't sound like the trip would be particularly long, and judging from the first stop, who knew what kind of fascinating things he might see. To say nothing of whatever it was that was drawing Jessie to the ruins in the first place...

There was another reason, of course. You'd need to be rather seriously disconnected from reality not to notice that there were serious tensions between Cerene and her employer. His sister had quite the knack for getting herself into trouble, and Keros thought it might be a good idea to keep an eye on her.

Besides which, he reflected ruefully, she might well just wind up summoning him back again later anyway if things got out of hand.

Stretching, Keros also made his way over to the campfire in search of breakfast.


Archmage144
 

Re: Play nice or be zombies. *scowl*

Unread postby Archmage144 » Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:26 pm

When James awoke in the morning, he had two things on his mind. He had had exceedingly strange dreams the night before, and he couldn't help but think that there was some truth to them--it was a strange sense of deja vu, as though the dreams were fragmented memories instead of simple creations of his subconscious. There were lots of people he was sure he had never met, but all of them were distinct enough that he could remember at least snippets of what they looked like. There was a lot of fire, definitely. And he was fighting some enemy he didn't recognize, but whoever the enemy was, in his dream, he knew that it was of paramount importance that the enemy be defeated. He knew that something terrible would happen if he lost. But he snapped awake at the sound of movement in the campsite, breaking his sleep cycle and ending the dream before it came to any satisfactory conclusion.

In any case, he had two things on his mind at the point. One of these was food. The dreams, generally, did not concern him--he dreamed all the time, and while not quite so vividly, he did have some pretty strange dreams. It was no more unlikely to be an invention of his imagination than any other dream he had had in the past.

The second thing on his mind was how badly he needed to pee. Getting up and walking over to Zea's berry bushes, James used the foliage as cover while he emptied his bladder. He sighed emphatically, relaxing as he relieved himself.

It was a very good piss.


User avatar
Kai
Fighting the Iron Law of Oligarchy Since 2006
 
Posts: 2408
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 12:32 pm
Location: Indianapolis

Re: Play nice or be zombies. *scowl*

Unread postby Kai » Thu Oct 20, 2005 4:25 pm

Zea tended to be a late sleeper, but with so many people moving about around her it was difficult to ignore the fact that she probably ought to be up as well. Unfortunately for her, the first thing she saw was James walking away from the plant she'd grown the night before. She rolled her eyes in annoyance and resolved to mock him for it later.

She considered a trip over toward the river to wash her face. It would have helped her wake up at least. Fortunately, the smell of beef and garlic was a much more pressing priority. It demanded to be inspected first, and promised to do a much better job of helping her start her day.

Since everyone else saw fit to gather in one place, Zea approached the fire and apparent food as well. She didn't immediately reach for any, however. She waited for someone else to grab some first so that at the very least she wouldn't take more than her share.

I hope James and Bulworth managed to work something out in the midst of that pissing match they were having last night. Let's hope neither of them feels an urge to kill the other. I'm sure they'd both make excellent test subjects, but they'll both be more useful and interesting if they manage to keep themselves alive.


Blackwind Isao
 
Posts: 162
Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2003 3:23 am
Location: Satan's Armpit

Re: Play nice or be zombies. *scowl*

Unread postby Blackwind Isao » Thu Oct 20, 2005 4:51 pm

Jessie took the time to pour Bullworth a stein of coffee as it was the largest thing that the elf had packed away that was actually intended for drinking from. "Help yourself to some breakfast, people," he said gesturing to the kettle of still steaming stew. "Nothing decided to ambush us during the night and I'm not certain if that's a good thing or not. Keep your eyes peeled for any kind of ambush and try to be ready for what could possibly turn out to be some rather strange surroundings if we need to run. Otherwise I'd like to be back on the road in an hour or so."

- Blackwind.


User avatar
KingOfDoma
Guess Who It Is?
 
Posts: 2656
Joined: Tue May 07, 2002 7:21 pm
Location: Calgary

Re: Play nice or be zombies. *scowl*

Unread postby KingOfDoma » Fri Oct 21, 2005 1:03 am

Bulworth took a large swig of the black stuff, gulping it down hard. He hated cream and sugar. Took away the bite. "That works," Bulworth said after swallowing. "... and how strange are you talking? You said this was just like Doma without people, right? So wouldn't that just mean it's like no one ever come here and built?"

Strange surroundings, Bulworth thought. Does the fun ever stop?


User avatar
Kelne
EXTERMINATE!!!!
 
Posts: 3606
Joined: Tue Apr 23, 2002 2:02 am
Location: New Zealand

Re: Play nice or be zombies. *scowl*

Unread postby Kelne » Sun Oct 23, 2005 9:55 pm

"He means that if we get company he'll be jumping us to some completely different world," Cerene said, "Probably one with a bit more in the way of people." After all, hiding out on a deserted version of Gaera hadn't worked out too well.

She wasn't too bothered by the idea of world-hopping in and of itself. At least now that she knew that it was coming. She was willing to concede that Jessie probably knew what he was doing in that department, if he'd managed to stay alive through however many such jumps he'd made in the past.


User avatar
Kai
Fighting the Iron Law of Oligarchy Since 2006
 
Posts: 2408
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 12:32 pm
Location: Indianapolis

Re: Play nice or be zombies. *scowl*

Unread postby Kai » Tue Oct 25, 2005 4:10 pm

Probably get pulled all over the place if this has been any indication of Mr. Black's plans.

Zea nodded at Cerene's assessment helped herself to the stew. Zea realized immediately that she was much hungrier than she'd thought. A few berries were not enough of a snack for her last night. Tonight she'd have to do better. She might even try summoning some of the items she'd marked before she left.

Though if this breakfast is any indication, I may not have to be in charge of feeding us all. At least, not all the time.

She opted against coffee, since she liked the smell better than the taste. There was little to offer in their unspectacular surroundings to keep her mind occupied, but she doubted she'd have trouble staying awake. If nothing else, James would surely pick another fight with someone and provide her with some entertainment.

"So, Bulworth. I didn't get a chance to ask you last night. How was dinner? I do an okay job on the grass?"


User avatar
KingOfDoma
Guess Who It Is?
 
Posts: 2656
Joined: Tue May 07, 2002 7:21 pm
Location: Calgary

Re: Play nice or be zombies. *scowl*

Unread postby KingOfDoma » Tue Oct 25, 2005 9:18 pm

Bulworth raised an "OK" sign with his fingers. "It was actually better than most grass I've had... if there were any more minotaur in Doma, I'd suggest you became a chef."

He grinned. "That is, unless you don't like being surrounded by giant furry creatures begging you to make them a patch of leafy green goodness."


Archmage144
 

Re: Play nice or be zombies. *scowl*

Unread postby Archmage144 » Tue Oct 25, 2005 9:49 pm

James walked over to the group, stepping away from the bush with a very satisfied grin on his face. It was clear that he felt considerably relieved. Sitting down on a nearby rock, he procured some stew and coffee for himself. The food was as good as it smelled, and the half-incubus breathed a sigh of comfortable relief. This adventure was not, he surmised, going as badly as he might first believe.

"So, whenever we plan to move out, I'm ready," James announced, cracking his neck loudly. "How many more days of travel do you think we have before we get to our destination, including plane-shifting detours?"


Blackwind Isao
 
Posts: 162
Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2003 3:23 am
Location: Satan's Armpit

On the road again.

Unread postby Blackwind Isao » Tue Oct 25, 2005 10:16 pm

"I'd probably call it about a month of travel all things considered. The plane shifting doesn't take any real amount of time, just a considerable amount of effort from the person doing it. I'm going to try to keep us from having to do any sort of travel through the mountains unless that sort of thing is absolutely required. It'll only serve to slow us down."

With little else to do but wait, the elf cast his gaze back to the rising sun, waiting for everyone else to be ready for the next day on the road. "We leave whenever you finish breakfast."

- Blackwind.


Archmage144
 

Re: On the road again.

Unread postby Archmage144 » Tue Oct 25, 2005 10:33 pm

Shoveling the last bit of stew into his mouth and polishing off the last swallow of coffee, James stood up, brushed himself off, and surveyed his travelling companions. "I, as I said, am prepared to leave whenever."

With that said, he walked over closer to Zea, grinning a little. "So, if we get attacked again, you want to try that spell routine we worked out last night?


User avatar
Kai
Fighting the Iron Law of Oligarchy Since 2006
 
Posts: 2408
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 12:32 pm
Location: Indianapolis

James just had to mark the place, didn't he?

Unread postby Kai » Tue Oct 25, 2005 11:05 pm

She turned to Bulworth and nodded. "Well, in the future I'll have to keep in mind that I can apparently feed us. Although Mr. Black has done an excellent job this morning." She saluted Jessie with her bowl. "Much appreciated. I'm actually about ready to go."

As James approached with his offer, Zea smiled into her now-empty bowl, but did her best to repress it before she looked up to answer the half-demon. The truth was, she was very pleased with the results of their experiment. She didn't think he'd be able to spare her effort in the same way, but it was good to be of some use to the others.

"Sure. If you don't mind giving me some notice ahead of time before you go slipping things through my aura that would be extremely decent of you." She glanced pointedly over to the raspberry bush James had recently made use of. She could probably still have harvested some of those, or even brought it along in stasis so they'd at least have something sweet to eat every now and again. That was highly implausible and unsanitary now. "I don't generally spend my energy unless it's something I've already decided is important."


Archmage144
 

Re: James just had to mark the place, didn't he?

Unread postby Archmage144 » Tue Oct 25, 2005 11:24 pm

"I generally don't go violating the auras of other people without their explicit consent, unless of course they decide they want to kill me and I have to poke a few holes in their astral 'membrane' in hopes of inducing a little bit of unpleasant mana diffusion." James grinned again, a bit more fangily this time. "I imagine it requires preparation, so you'll get a fair warning."

Teamwork is awesome, thought James, as long as all of your teammates are at least as intelligent and talented as you are.

Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=archmage144>Archmage144</A]&nbsp; Image at: 10/25/05 23:24

User avatar
KingOfDoma
Guess Who It Is?
 
Posts: 2656
Joined: Tue May 07, 2002 7:21 pm
Location: Calgary

Re: James just had to mark the place, didn't he?

Unread postby KingOfDoma » Tue Oct 25, 2005 11:39 pm

Bulworth downed the rest of his coffee, ready to leave. "Hey, Zea, do you mind getting me some more grass? I could use food for the road..."


Blackwind Isao
 
Posts: 162
Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2003 3:23 am
Location: Satan's Armpit

Re: The Valley of Shadows (Closed Second Gen Philsys RP)

Unread postby Blackwind Isao » Wed Oct 26, 2005 12:47 am

With everyone seemingly ready to go, aside from a quick snack for Bullworth anyways, Jessie vanished the remains of breakfast with a wave of his hand. Ignazio and Baldesar had apparently also packed what little had actually been set up for camp while everyone else had eaten.

The sun had barely risen and the party was back on the raod again in a pair of creaking wagons. For his part Jessie sat in the back of the supply wagon, attempting to write something. If his constant muttering was any clue, he wasn't having much luck in doing it either.

- Blackwind.


User avatar
Kelne
EXTERMINATE!!!!
 
Posts: 3606
Joined: Tue Apr 23, 2002 2:02 am
Location: New Zealand

Re: The Valley of Shadows (Closed Second Gen Philsys RP)

Unread postby Kelne » Wed Oct 26, 2005 2:50 am

Since Jessie was on the cart, Cerene wasn't on the cart. She was making good on her resolution to spend as little time as possible around him. Which, in this case, meant trudging along the road under her own steam. She'd be stretching her wings in the skies above, but she wasn't sure just how far his ability to yank people along if he abruptly decided to go outworld extended.

So she walked. Oh yes, this was shaping up to be a fun month or so of travel. It wouldn't be long before she started to wish somebody would attack just so they could get a change of scenery.

Keros was rather more cheerful at the prospect of a day on the road. Unlike others, he found this empty world fascinating. Just let him get a peek at the fossil record...

This put Keros in the position of attempting to lighten Cerene's mood a bit with idle chatter as and when thoughts occurred to him. It was an odd stream of words to the casual observer, particularly as whatever sense they were making of his latest commentary would often be interrupted as he dropped into some odd language or other for sentences at a time to get some point across.

Cerene seemed mostly content to let it all wash over her, and might even be drawing a bit of comfort from what must be a familiar pattern to her by now.


User avatar
Kai
Fighting the Iron Law of Oligarchy Since 2006
 
Posts: 2408
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 12:32 pm
Location: Indianapolis

Re: The Valley of Shadows (Closed Second Gen Philsys RP)

Unread postby Kai » Wed Oct 26, 2005 5:33 pm

Zea hadn't minded fixing Bulworth up some grass before they left. Whatever kept everyone out of each other's hair was worth the effort.

She had also gotten used to sitting in the wagon with her new coworkers. At first it had been a little awkward, seeing as she was stuck in a moving wooden box with near-strangers. However, she chose a seat between James and Bulworth, doing her best to make it clear there was to be no fighting at least until they stopped. Another person might have been uncomfortable, seeing as James was arguably an arrogant jerk and Bulworth had a distinctive and rather interesting odor about him. However, Zea had pretty much gotten used to James, and no self-respecting necromancer was ever bothered by unpleasant smells. It was unlikely that Bulworth would ever smell worse than some of her more 'creative' experiments.




Archmage144
 

Re: The Valley of Shadows (Closed Second Gen Philsys RP)

Unread postby Archmage144 » Wed Oct 26, 2005 9:40 pm

James had little objection, as well, to the cute girl sitting next to him. It was a pity she was jammed between him and a very foul-smelling minotaur, but it was better than nothing, and he certainly didn't want to walk. Walking was exhausting, and flying was worse. James's wings were never really meant for long-distance flying, after all, just short aerial jaunts. Thinking about it reminded him, oddly enough, of the process of learning to fly.

It had been fairly intuitive, in retrospect, but his father had had no idea how to approach the situation. His initial ideas revolved around throwing James off a cliff, the justification being that "birds did that, or something very like it, if I can remember correctly." Luckily, his mother was not such a hopeless moron and assured his father that all winged demons figured the process out eventually without being flung into a crevasse.

James was partly convinced that it was a sort of strange attempt on his life, but his father actually seemed to like him, so it wouldn't make much sense for Hakaril to have attempted to kill him by pitching his son over a ledge so he could fall to his death. Of course, James had no interest in his father's respect--as far as he was concerned, his father could go shove his little red hat up his ass and focus on his silly desk job. Maybe he was a great hero once, or some similar bullshit, but now General Silvar sat around all day doing paperwork and occasionally reading magazines. At least, this was how James saw it. If his father had been a great man, it was only to ruin James' own chances at fame.

However, James decided that this was not particularly important at the moment, and that focusing on unpleasant memories was going to do him no good, even if they were only mildly unpleasant ones. No, it was much better to be preoccupied with the present, because at present, everything was okay.


User avatar
KingOfDoma
Guess Who It Is?
 
Posts: 2656
Joined: Tue May 07, 2002 7:21 pm
Location: Calgary

Re: The Valley of Shadows (Closed Second Gen Philsys RP)

Unread postby KingOfDoma » Wed Oct 26, 2005 11:36 pm

Odor, actually, was relative. To any other minotaur, Bulworth not only smelled good, but attractive to any female. The others, well... they would have smelled like walking piles of garbage.

Bulworth twirled his hammer in his hand, idly. ... It must have been his father that gave this hammer to him. It had been too long since he had been in that other place. He couldn't even remember the name.

That settled it. After this, he was going to look into getting back. The mages in this land were very powerful. They HAD to be able to think of something...

Well, not THIS land...


Blackwind Isao
 
Posts: 162
Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2003 3:23 am
Location: Satan's Armpit

Re: The Valley of Shadows (Closed Second Gen Philsys RP)

Unread postby Blackwind Isao » Thu Oct 27, 2005 4:20 pm

The rest of the day was uneventful as the party rolled and creaked its way towards some nebulous destination that they knew very little about. For Jessie's part all was as it should be and, it seemed, at least for now, no one was asking any further questions about the who's and why's. That was something to be thankful for. Who knew how loyal these so called mercinaries would be if they found out even his suspicions of who was after him. Who knew how loyal they would be if they found out exactly why he was going to this specific destination. Yes, the less they knew the better things would be.

As the sun slowly began to fall below the western horizon the elf called a stop. Despite the hours of doing relatively little, or more likely because of it, he seemed drained and more irratable than before. It wasn't long before he practically inhaled his dinner and turned in for the night leaving the party to its own devices, which consisted mainly of turning in for the night itself. If today was any indication of what a normal day would be things would quickly take a turn for the boring. Whatever happened from there was only likely to lead into people becoming more antisocial and irratable themselves.
**************************************************

It was late, probably around midnight if that sliver of a moon was any sort of indication of proper time in this plane. James had taken over the watch from Zea about an hour ago and there didn't appear to be anything out of the ordinary. At least nothing seemed unusual until James noticed that someone had snuck up behind him and had a knife pressed against his throat.

"Where is he?" a voice rasped in his ear. "Where is that traitor?"

- Blackwind.


Archmage144
 

Re: The Valley of Shadows (Closed Second Gen Philsys RP)

Unread postby Archmage144 » Thu Oct 27, 2005 4:36 pm

James's eyes narrowed a bit as his pulse sped up. The idea of having a knife pressed against his neck by some unseen attacker was more than a little upsetting. He decided quickly that the best course of action was not to panic--he might still get a chance to retaliate against his attacker if he thought quickly, and there was no way that he was going to be able to do that unless he calmed himself down.

"I don't know," whispered back James, adopting a conspiratorial tone that seemed to suggest that maybe, just maybe, he could be on the attacker's side. "Describe him to me. He might just be here, and I can tell you where if I know who you're looking for."


Blackwind Isao
 
Posts: 162
Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2003 3:23 am
Location: Satan's Armpit

Re: The Valley of Shadows (Closed Second Gen Philsys RP)

Unread postby Blackwind Isao » Thu Oct 27, 2005 4:45 pm

Whoever this was apparently grew irratated by James' lack of knowledge on the subject of traitors. At least that was the way it seemed as he had the time to appreciate the fact that the knife pressed hard enough against his throat to draw blood this time arround. "Black. Tell me where Black is."

- Blackwind.


PreviousNext

Return to Gaera Main RPs

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests

cron

Yalogank