Forum: Public Forum

What about it? Are you referring to the fake key or the replica fake key?

Exactly. What are we accused of doing?
I have in my possession a replica, made for me by the local dwarven smith. I was just comparing it to the real article when something happened and you lot rushed up, threatened my comrades and I, and arrested us. Then you cast some kind of spell on us and accuse us of even doing that.
When I get back to Bandaluthia I will tell people not to bother visiting this hostile place.
While some of the good people here appear friendly and welcoming, the local officials appear to be far less welcoming.

Len

Halfling. Cease your endless chatter. You are in a mire of some magnitude. Our wall was desecrated just a week ago where we captured an accomplice, but not the villianous thief. The accomplice told us, after an brief... chat, that we would have more people come and 'visit' us and try to steal the key. Word went out to all the "Keepers of the Wall" to be vigilant. The dwarven smith is a Keeper. The landlord of The War Memorial is a Keeper. You will be judged in the morning for your crime of Theft, destruction of the Property of Dysteras and Vandalising the War Memorial of The Sisters of the Shorant Vales. Each crime, if found guilty, will see you do a year imprisonment. I am sure the Captain will find other crimes for you all to face, such as aiding and abetting in the nefarious deeds. Sven, the landlord of the Inn you were staying in has told us of your friends, the houndlike woman and the bard, Barry. The judge on duty tomorrow will be interested to know that his daughter is also guilty of exposure and unlawful sex in a public place. So, stay your tongue halfling. You will be in my town for the forseeable future.

Uh ohs...
lol

Len, did you get my email with Nilsson's questions?

Leah, email me what Lupa wants to do in the hours after the party incarceration and dawn please.

Is Richard or Hellhound members on here yet?

As they say in Bandaluthia...
Muchos gracias Senor!

I got the questions Mike. Not sure if you got the answers though.

No sign yet of Hellhound or Richard. One was head-banging, and the other one was galavanting in the orient.

Len

Hmm, Lupa's plans. That implies she is organised in any manner at all.
Ha! Okay I'll do that later today.

Len, I did not receive Coolio's answers. I am longing to see the halfling squirm!

Leah, Lupa has Roth for advice and council if she needs it.

Okay... email pinged out to you!

Damn, now I will have to track down a copy of what I sent.

OK.
There was no real squirming though.

Len

Coolio will co-operate. It would be fooliah to have co-operated earlier when we had a chance to fight, but not do so now.

He will ask for Lars Nilsson's assurance that he will treat the information he is about to impart with care, as it should not be generally public knowledge, and that he will understand more when he knows the truth.

If this assurance is not forthcoming, he will say that with regret, if he can not keep the information confidential, then it would be better all round if he simply waited for the authorities from Bandaluthia to negotiate with the authorities in Brolin, and that he hopes the Captain will be seen to have acted in good faith, and that it does not affect his career or pension prospects. He hopes that the confidential nature of the negotiations between the Bandaluthian and Brolin authorities will work in the Captain's favour, but experience tells him that governments often like to have someone on whom they can heap blame.

This will of course invoke a bluff check, which is charisma based, and is what Coolio has trained for.

If the assurance is given, Coolio will explain that he, and his comrades are one of several teams of covert investigators working for the authorities in Bandaluthia. They, and to his knowledge at least one other team, are investigating a conspiracy that threatens the very nature of civilisation. The Captain must appreciate that some members of the team do not have authority to divulge even this morsel of information, and that they may well deny they are part of such a team, or even that such a team exists. That is the nature of their training, and He would not be surprised to find at least one willing to die rather than let down his comrades, for that is how they would see it. Coolio has authority to use his head and gain the co-operation of the local authirities if it proves vital.

They were investigating the method that may be used by the enemy to gain possession of the key. He will also tell the Captain that he should ensure that the bag found in his possession should be very carefully guarded as it not only contains the fake key, but a different magic key that could be mistaken for it by someone less capable.

They had established that unless the enemy had the co-operation of a faker of high skill, the dwarf was the most likely prospect, and that I had him fake a key in order to test his ability. It was while I was comparing the fake key with what I had thought might be the real one, to assess the dwarf's skill, when the captains guard attacked his party.

We suspect we know who has the real key, and that we can help, but the most important thing at the moment is to allow us to inform the chief of the investigating teams. He will tell the captain that one of his party is in fact a Sergeant Major in the Bandaluthian Guard, and of course, if she is willing to divulge the truth, she has the authority to do so, however she will probably not do so voluntarily.

Len

Does Coolio have another of the 7 keys on his person? I thought they were all secure in Bandaluthia!

The captain will also ask for names in Palanthia or Bandaluthia to whom he can contact on your behalf, to ascertain the truth of your story.

We decided that not keeping the keys together was a good idea, so yes, one of the keys is in my bag.

"Captain, I have already proved I am willing to tell the truth. It is now time for a show of good faith by yourself. So far you have not managed to assure me I can trust you completely. Yet you ask me to betray even those who are safe back home.

Let us be realistic here. We have people who need to know that one of the enemy has been successful, and therefore tactics might need to change.

If I gave you a contact, how would you contact them?"

Len

Len

Bandaluthia 55

The rest of the Animals set out some hours ago. Now it was the turn of Barry, Coolio, Tyler, Negri, Lupa and Dreizack. They headed out of Bandaluthia on horseback, led by Roth the Ranger. After a couple of days riding they arrived at a large town, and rented rooms at an inn for the night. Barry was scheduled to deliver a performance that night, and not just to one of the local maidens. Roth was otherwise engaged on his own business.

Barry’s singing went well, and the party went for a drink after the event. After a brief encounter with some of the local ruffians, they headed back to the inn. On the way they saw a dog run across their path with a loaf of bread, chased by two children. Rounding the corner, the party found a magic shop, lit by a glowing orb outside. On entering they discovered an old woman who offered to exchange magic. Dreizack exchanged Feuersturm for a diamond sword-shaped pin. Tyler procured a pair of bracers, in exchange for the skull of seeing contained in the magic box at the Rising Sun. Once the exchange occurred the room reverted to a shabby-state, and the bracer on one of Tyler’s arms burned into her flesh, reappearing as a swirling tattoo.

Leaving the shop, the group encountered an elven cat which, they discovered, belonged to Roth. It informed them that he had been captured. Returning to the town centre they went to the guardhouse and Tyler persuaded them to release Roth into her custody. The Ranger or, as it transpired, Assassin, was freed.

The next day they resumed their journey. The next key drew them, inexorably, north.

Halfling, this is not show and tell. Neither is a friendly conversation, nor indeed an information conference. It is soft interogation. If you want me to crank the heat up I can, please believe that I don't want that. I need to verify your claims. If you don't want to trust me, then so be it. Quite frankly you mean very little to me. You are the kind of being which I don't trust. However it seems the human does and he has been very frank. I can respect his honesty and I have said I will do my best for him. It seems he follows you. I cannot understand why.

The methods in which I follow up on your information is not your business. Tell me the Palanthian names in which you want me to verify your story with and it will go before the judge in your favour.... should it pan out as the truth. If you do not wish to tell me, then it is your life and you can do with it as you please.

Ask me no more questions, just give me answers to mine.

Who shall I contact in Palanthia?
What position do they hold?
How will you plead with the accusations you face?

Bandaluthia 56

The Animals continued on the road. After riding further on horseback they spotted some orcs, and closed to engage them. The battle was swift and the Animals were brutal. Interestingly, their enemies’ equipment was of good quality, and bore heraldic symbols on their tunics (an R, with a crown above). The Animals surmised this has something to do with the lost kings of Palanthia, the Ravensley’s. This did not bode well in searching for the next key.

After entering Brolin they headed for the town of Dysteras (with the war memorial). They arrived at an inn, Roth having departed before they entered town. The war memorial was a beautiful work-of-art. It depicted Valkyries doing battle with all manner of creatures, including orcs and goblins. The installation was set in a park. By day people came to see it, marvelling at it and the valour it depicted.

The party continued to gather information. The innkeeper told them something about the battle from many centuries ago, though he claimed not to know the significance of the Key. It had, it seemed, been discovered on the battlefield. Meanwhile Coolio discussed the Key with a dwarven blacksmith. The latter agreed to make a replica for the Halfing, no questions asked. Barry researched the local ladies, in his own inimitable way. Finally, Dreizack challenged Tyler to a drinking competition, which the latter lost by a considerable margin, even throwing-up in her helmet. Fortunately the participants were not drug-tested.

The moment came for the switch of keys. The party arrived at the park, and all seemed quiet. A perimeter was set-up and Coolio stood on Dreizack’s shoulders, to prize-out the key. Just as his dagger touched the memorial a voice cried “stop, in the name of the law”. The Halfing quickly finished the swap, and used divine magic to make-good the glass. But, the Key looked strange. It radiated no magic and, to all intents and purposes, seemed to be a fake. Coolio jumped down and surrendered, with the rest of the Animals. They were taken to the Guardhouse, stripped, and placed in separate cells. The interrogations would begin shortly.

The situation looked dire. The Animals were incarcerated, their enemies seemed to have got away with the Key. Lupa remained back at the inn. Roth waited for them outside town. What could be done?

I just added Pandora's page to the Bandaluthia pages. It might be worth Bruce giving it a read, and anyone else who wondered why Pandora was not over the moon to see her brothers alive.

I am slowly dragging across the Bandaluthia session pages and adding them to the Structure.

I am not sure of the best way to bring the many many pages of forum posts from the Meetup site though.

Len

I'm having the same thoughts about though of course there is a good deal more for this than there is for that.

Hi All,

I think the write-ups are what needs to be brought over. They're the Bandaluthia history. The posts are the conversations which we rarely (if ever) return to.

Bruce