(TFT) Solo-Quest turn-04, lurker copy

["Mack Brewer" <mbrewer@psphalifax.ns.ca>]

Here's the next to latest turn for anyone following along
with us.

Solo-Quest Turn-04 results
September 12, 1999.

358 ATL, month of Planting, day 8th

   You spent an uneasy and mostly sleepless first night in your new
accomodations after partying a bit too late and trying to absorb all
the new information gleaned from those scout reports. So many things
to think about and so many decisions to make, you sigh. Anyways, you
still have two days to plan and organize before you are to meet the
Duke again and offer up your suggestions on how best to employ your
band.
   The rapidly growing volume of noise of many people moving around
and talking, coming from the floor below you, leads you to believe that
it's time to get up. Wouldn't do to miss breakfast and be conspicuously
absent on the morning of your first's day in the Duke's service.

   You rise quickly and splash yourself awake with the fresh cold water
from your basin, then head down to the ground level to see about
scrounging up some breakfast. You'll have to ask Capt. Verron about meal
times and make sure everyone knows when they can eat. You're still
slightly amazed at the accomodations. Your band has it's own second level
floor all to itself and everyone has their own room. It's almost like an
inn, except for being plainer and much larger, and the "neighbours" on
the ground floor could be a bit quieter in the morning, you think to
yourself as you head down the stairs from your level's central common
room.

   The ground floor is crowded as the Duke's guards quickly dress and ready
themselves for morning inspection BEFORE breakfast! One of the sergeants
catches your eye and fills you in on meals and such, calling you "Sir" even
while yelling at the guards to get ready and fall in for inspection. Seems
the Guard Captain feels that men who can't maintain both themselves AND
their equipment in good order don't deserve to eat. Having their daily
inspection before breakfast reminds them of that, especially after they've
had to go hungry the whole day or else head for a tavern after they get off
shift and BUY their own meal. He chuckles and says he can't remember the
last time anyone was stupid enough to have rust on their weapons or
something
but every now and then a new recruit will amuse them by slacking off and
then spend the rest of the day whining about how he's "starving".
   Hhmm? Maybe you should see to some sort of daily inspection too, you
think, as you watch the barracks empty. Wouldn't do to have the guards show
your team up as slobs or slackers. You make a mental note to think about
it later but for the moment you see Panem coming downstairs and wave him
over to join you at an empty table.

   You get to talking about last night and say,

"I believe our best choice lies in scroll five. There are many reasons for
going to Seaside.  We will pass the Grand Temple and we may receive some
support from our brothers there.  Also the grand strategy is to open up the
south but before we can do this we must protect our flank.  If the Duke has
access to the water, he can build a fleet and secure this flank.  There is
an old military idiom "He who controls the sea, controls the land," if the
Duke can build that fleet we will then be able to continue the quest to open
up the south. We must be careful though as Orcs are a much tougher sort
than Goblins. As for the lockpicks find out how much it will cost the party.
What do you say, Panem? Any comments or suggestions? Is there anything I may
have overlooked? I'm not used to having to look after anyone but myself and
may have missed seeing obvious needs."

   Panem seems much quieter this morning and almost reluctant to talk. He
seems to be wrestling with "some inner demons" or something like he's both
trying to make up his mind to do something and trying to talk himself out
of it at the same time. Such a sad and unhappy fellow you think to yourself
as you wait for his reply and wonder if you can draw him out a bit, maybe a
day at a time as you earn his trust. Once or twice you've caught him talking
to himself unhappily about his former partners, now dead, and how they left
him all alone. While you marshall your thoughts and study your reticient
comrade, he finally decides to speak.

   "Why ask me? I'm no war leader! Orcs, Goblins, they're all the same to
me. Just someone else to hate me and try to kill me. But it hasn't worked
yet and it won't work now! I don't really care which mission we decide to
take, I should be out looking for that bastard who coshed me and evening
the score. That's what I should be doing!", he mutters, seemingly more to
himself than directed toward you.
   He looks up at you "startled" to see you listening to him like he wasn't
really aware you were there, and says:

   "The magical lock picks are nice, but the Lock Breaker is much more
important. Otherwise the Lock spell stops a thief cold!  However, I will
let you decide on whatever seems most important. I believe I know where
to obtain the required items at a reasonable cost. The prices, as I recall
for the items are about $700 for the weaker sort of magical lockpicks and
about $900 for the more valuable Lock-Breaker. I'm pretty sure I could
pick up a set of either or both of them by tonight."
    "You asked about other items that would be useful. I might suggest a
'Blow Away' item or a Missile Shield for the wizard since mages always seem
to be the target of lots of missile fire. That's about all I can think of
for now.", he finishes, looking down and away like he's already assuming
you're going to reject his suggestions out of hand.

   "Hhmm", you say. "Well thought out observations my friend. I hadn't
quite realized how badly magical lock spells could stop a thief from
opening things. Yes, the lock breaker would indeed prove much more useful.
We'll try and get you a set for now and maybe after we've seen to other
needs
we can aquire the lockpicks as well. You never know what sort of tricks and
traps we may come across eventually", Lar says as he passes Panem a purse
of silver. "There is $1000 here just in case the price is more than you
remember, or has gone up. Let me know later how you made out and if there's
anything left to go back into the party treasury, eh? It's likely to be a
long time before someone just hands us this much money again, even before
we've done anything to earn it."

   Panem seems momentarily surprised at the easy way you casually pass
across
$1000 silver but rallies rapidly and quickly puts away the purse before
anyone
happens by and notices it.

   "I've been trying to think of a suitable name for our band after Circe's
somewhat unsubtle jab last night. What say you to the Mani or Hands of
Garda?"
asks Lar.

   "Mani?  Who is Mani?", Panem asks.

   "I listened to the party chatter about names and equipment most of last
night withhout hearing anything worthwhile. A name for the party?  What
would
be a good name for us?", Panem thinks out loud.
   The poet in him gets to work, mulling over names and trying out word
sounds. The question seems to challenge him and you can see his mind go into
overdrive as it works on the problem.

   "Garda's Guards?  Lar's Louts?  No I want something that captures the
feel
of us being alone in a great wilderness, alone against enemies on all sides.
Like the epic poems...", he muses.

   "The Venturers?  The Sneaking Scalpels?  No I don't like sneaking, not
the
romantic sound we are looking for.  Whispering Woodsmen?  Shadowed Scalpels?
Shadowed Soldiers?  The Shadow Scouts?  Hmmm."

   Panem suggests the last two names as the best he can come up with for the
moment. You say "Shadow(ed?) Soldiers" and "The Shadow Scouts" to yourself
a time or two and go back to thinking on the matter further. While you think
on matters, Panem excuses himself and says he has to see a man about the
lock breaker you need. You start to call him back but decide against it,
hoping his mood will improve with the fresh air. You notice that for a self-
professes Bard he seems awfully uncomfortable around crowds. No, that's not
it, you realize, just uncomfortable when he's not playing and singing.
   Maybe you should try and get him to hum to himself, you think, as it may
improve his mood around people.

   You head back upstairs to rouse the "sleepy heads" and eventually get
most of them together for a quick briefing. You tell them that you've given
Panem $1000 of the $3700 to see about acquiring the magical lockpicks or
lock breaker he suggested. Then you suggest they look around town and see
if they can find any reasonably priced items that may prove useful, then
all meet back here by supper time to discuss what they've found. You also
mention that as a healer yourself, you'd like some idea of how many healing
potions the party has for future reference as the money may be well spent in
purchasing additional healing potions.
   They all check their pouches and set various vials and bottles in front
of themselves. All told, the party has the following potions available:

You have 2 strong healing potions and your physicker kit.
Kwai Chang has 3 normal and one good healing potion, plus his physicker kit.
Volkan has one strong healing potion.
Kerras has none at all.
Erik has one good healing potion.
Anne & Anna each have 2 normal healing potions for a total of 4.
Panem isn't here but he never mentioned having any healing potions.

   ...and Circe isn't here! You just noticed.

   Kwai mentions that he last saw her late last night heading out tavern
hopping, he believes that was the expression she used. Anne confirms that
and thinks she probably "shacked up" somewhere for the night. She and Anna
exchange looks and fill you in.

   "You see, Lar", says Anna. "Circe is a MERCENARY Wizard and has gained
somewhat of a reputation around here. She's very well aware of the fact that
it's a very dangerous profession so she makes sure that she lives every day
to its fullest, to quote her oft said words."
   "Yes", Anne agrees. "Circe likes to party hard and enjoy herself,
especially
before a mission and always right after one too just in case it's her last
one. I don't like to talk about someone behind their back but she really has
two major loves besides partying; shopping and sleeping around. She's picked
up quite a reputation amongst the other warriors at the mercenaries Guild
and
among the Guardsmen, but she's well liked and very professional on all her
assignments."
   "You see, Lar", Anna says again. "Circe is very active sexually but she's
also quite fussy about who she sleeps with. She has a few favourites or what
she calls her 'regulars' here at the Guard Barracks, but for the most part
she prefers to visit the better taverns and inns and seduce and pick up a
'cute hunk', I believe she calls them. She makes a game of it and spends a
lot of time practising her 'lines' and planning strategy, though for the
most part with her beauty all she has to do is say hello and sit down for
them to eagerly agree to 'entertain' her. She never sleeps with anyone that
she works with though so you two can stop drooling about it." Anna says
glaring at Volkan and Kerras.

   You struggle to digest this new and shocking? (interesting?) information
and wave them on their way to look for goodies, cautioning them that you
have limited funds and that the $2700 will have to be stretched as far as
possible and for best return. With thoughts of Circe 'prowling' the taverns
in search of 'prey', you can't help but notice how wonderfully the twin's
bottoms wiggle as they go down the stairs. Shaking your head to clear your
mind against the distraction, you wonder what else you're going to discover
about your new team?

   Shortly thereafter, you find out.

   Circe comes back, in the company of a tall foppishly dressed Elf, all
decked out in some sort of silky tunic, elaborately engraved silver
bracelet,
carrying a finely carved staff, and wearing a bright green Beret with a
loudly coloured feather in it. A less-likely looking individual you have
never seen, but more shocks follow.

"Lar!", she smiles. "I found us another wizard!"
"Say hello to Chef Anagrom Pierre, an excellent cook and a better
wizard! I 'found' him all alone and needing attention last night when
I wandered by the Crossed Swords Inn and we hit it off right away.
Seems he's new to our lands and was looking for some employment while
he planned his next course of action. I batted my eyes at him, he
winked back at me and it was, ... no....better leave the rest unsaid
except that I taught him a trick or two he didn't know about how
one could adapt the 'Rod of Aaron' spell into something much more
friendly and usefull."

   They both look at each other at that remark and burst out laughing
uncontrollably for a few moments. Hhmm! Must be a wizard joke or
something you think.

   Circe snaps out of it first and pokes Pierre in the chest with a
finger saying, "But! That's the last time he'll ever see me use that
spell again, now that we're working together!"
   Pierre seems to be quite unhappy at that statement but murmurs
something to the affect of, "C'est la Vie" or something and bows to
her, kissing her hand while removing his funny cap.

   Well, you think to yourself, she did manage to recruit us another
badly needed wizard, but just HOW did she go about it you wonder as
the twins words come echoing back, unbidden. You formally introduce
yourself to Pierre and accept him into the group on Circe's recommendation.
While you are catching them both up on the days activities she yelps,
"Shopping too? This is turning out to be a great day!" and quickly
heads off with Pierre in tow to search for magical items in your
price range.
   Once again, Lar is left all alone with his thoughts. Maybe you can
settle on the party's name now that you have some peace and quiet in
which to think. You'd like to settle it tonight while discussing the
day's finds with the others and of course while you introduce Pierre
to the party and vice versa.
   Hopefully Panem will be able to acquire the thief's tools he wanted
and the others will find some other useful items as well.

   You suddenly notice one of the guardsmen watching you from behind a
door to one of the unoccupied rooms on your level, just standing there
and watching you, maybe listening and watching for some time.

   Without warning he draws his sword and screams "KILL! KILL! KILL!"
charging out the doorway towards you.

   What do you do?


   The plot thickens! (or is it sickens?)

Mack
(The game is afoot!)

----------------< end turn 04 >-------------------




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