Randomly decided to check in after years and see talk of Doordie and Amel. Lots of fun memories! Arguably my first long time character, Narwyn, ended up closely aligned with Amel as his protege.
Doordie was one of the best RP's I ever played with. His stories, with his character Amel, were amazing. Rich, deep, complex. I hope Doordie is doing well! You have a really great Uncle!
//I don’t know if there will or will not be anything graphic in violence in this thread, but this caption serves as a warning to any readers.//
A letter was left with Bence for the one named Saradoc. A small exchange of coins was made with the trade master to ensure that the message would be properly delivered. The messenger left as quickly as he came.
Saradoc,
Enclosed in this letter are details of what I require. You may return a reply with what you think the price will be and I will be sure to gather what gold is necessary.
I require bodak’s skin that is cut loose from its body without tears. Make certain the skin is cured so that it does not decay after long term separation from the host. I am paying for quality, not a botched job. I am not going to pay for a poor piece, if you need to start over on a new bodak, do so. This cloak is being made for a member of the clergy of Sutekh and needs to represent someone of that status.
Ensure that the resistant outside skin faces the exterior of the cloak. After curing the skin, I want two vials of innocent’s blood, both male and female, smeared into the inside of the cloak. Touch every aspect of the interior. If more is needed, do so with a third vial. I dislike impurities.
Finally, I require a metal slide which has the symbol of Sutekh inscribed on it. If you don’t know metalwork, find someone who does. Once made, graft the crest on the cloak.
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//There might be a little violence. I'll try and err on the side of mild peril instead.
The small figure sat on the dock in Webster's Landing, feet swaying above the waters, accompanied by a small bucket of whelks. Knife in, knife out, splish as the shell penetrated the surface. Traveler asked a lot, but then, religious types always did. They usually added a good premium. You can't take it with you, after all, according to most of them.
Registered Member #1075
Joined: 10:48:57 pm GMT 06/19/07
Posts: 792
Many children had been orphaned in the Cataclysm of Davenshire. The siblings Eloise and Herbert now lived in the refugee camp in Greenvale, taking food day by day from whoever had any to share. One of the older farmers had died in the camp, age, and strain, and starvation too much to bear, and they kept his tent. No-one took much notice of them...until they caught Saradoc's attention during his search for materials.
Two innocents, a male and a female, they would meet the Traveler's requirements. Disguised, he crept to their tent in the night. Even at night, the camp was alive with crying babies, crackling fires, the occasional fight, offset by the surging waterfalls. He had promised them a gold coin each if they could bring him as much driftwood from the coast as they could find that day, and they had eagerly set to task.
They were exhausted after the day's labour, and did not stir as he entered the tent and removed two thorny stalks from the sheaf at his belt. The Gloomy Goodsman said they came from darkest Feywood, and were how the fey spirits claimed the hapless travellers who strayed away from the road. He eased one into the right palm of each child, and after a few heartbeats he heard the subtle shift in their breathing which marked their descent into deep slumber. They would not wake until late the next morning. He drew the sharp knife, the blade itself seasoned with the fey stalks, so its touch wouldn't wake them, and he could take their blood with the subtlety of a mosquito.
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He returned and repeated his actions for the next three days, until he had collected the required amount. The malnourished children were weak after the first visit, and barely needed a touch with fey stalk to render them oblivious. Each time he added the herbal anticoagulant, corked the vials, and sealed each with wax. He suspected the Traveler wouldn't have cared if he had murdered to acquire the blood, but that involved an amount of risk he wished to avoid. No-one would find their listnessness notable given the wretched condition of some of the camp's inhabitants, and if they had by some chance remembered something of his visits and spoke of it, well, they were children who had seen much horror. Ramblings were only to be expected.
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Joined: 10:48:57 pm GMT 06/19/07
Posts: 792
The Bodak would be an entirely different proposition. A creature of preternatural strength and speed, undead invulnerability, and a gaze that wrenches the very soul out of the poor soul to encounter such a creature. Subterfuge would only get one so far alone. Fortunately he could call in a favour from people with more experience in such matters.
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The trio made their way through the depths, to the coffins and sarcophagi of those cursed to eternal Bodacity (Bodakity?). Saradoc had consulted the paladins and professional dungeoneers of the Crossroads fire before designing his weapon - a trap, designed to pierce the abdomen of the beast and flood its dry organs with holy water. The scourging fluid would burn deep in the being's core, driving out the foul undead spirit, but leaving the skin unharmed, save for the entry wound.
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Gloin's magic protected them from the gaze of the fearsome Bodak, and empowered them to defeat its undead retainers. Fleeing deliberately they took care to avoid the hidden plates set by Saradoc....when the Bodak triggered the mechanism it received the deadly payload.
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The undead were becoming more restless, and the trio did not stay long to explore further.
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Joined: 10:48:57 pm GMT 06/19/07
Posts: 792
The cloak took up much of the small room (or modestly-furnished undergound cavern, as it was) under the Eyrie. It hung from a line bolted into two opposing walls, and smelt as foul as it should. It was surprisingly heavy, and had taken several days to cure. Saradoc spent several hours massaging the blood of the hin children into the inner face. The work was nearly complete. Only the clasp remained. The slide had been easy to find - a common accessory for cloaks in Steinkreis, and though he did not mention it to the Traveler, he had skill enough to produce the symbol of Sutekh. To create the traps and devices he used often required the casting of such small items.
It was simple to create a mold out of the heavy mud from the waterside, the design etched by fine knifepoint, dried and baked over the fire. All that was required was a suitable forge.
[ The Island of Thain ]
Clergyman
