In Search of..
From Spiritwood Wiki
== In Search of.. == 29 May 2000 (As usual, these events actually transpired)
Robin stumbled out of the forest, with a huge backpack bulging with massy thick orcmail. She dragged herself huffing along the grass, bowtip trailing in the mud. Behind her came the roars of an enraged Ettin, and a retinue of Orclords. She stopped as her potion effects wore off, dropping the bow to the ground. No arrows left anyway. She gulped another strength potion from the dwindling supply, drew her Kriss, and prepared to make a stand. To lighten her load, she dropped a sack of Orc axes, and some boots. As they broke out of cover, she charged the ettin, hitting it hard. In no time, they were swarming her. As the white Drake root's effects faded, things began to look quite grim for the Thief of Hearts.
" 'Ello Milady!" A barebacked sailor with a crooked cutlass stood cheerfully on the roadside. "Need some 'elp?"
As several axes whirled and thwacked about her, Robin found it somewhat difficult to get breath for a reply. She panted instead, trying to stay alive. "Awaarh Oomph!" One orc crashed down, having stepped into a flurry of kriss strokes, by blind luck. "Well, Oi'll just be goin' then!" "Wait!" "Help!" "yes, Help!" "Help is good!" cried Robin, streaming blood. "Oho, Roight then!" The Sailor piled in with gusto.
As they stood ankle deep in orcish fragments, he eyed the staggering Thief. "Yew look like a good strong lassie." "It's the mandrake tea. Gives me colour." "Well, I'll 'ave yew along ta fight serpents. I be a Treasure hunter see, and I needs some 'elp on me boat."
Robin considered the offer. It could be lucrative. And he certainly was unlikely to win any sea serpent fight by himself with no armor and a cutlass, so it looked genuine enough. "Just let me unload this at Skara?" She hoisted her bulging pack again, with a draught of Greater Strength potion. "Sure thing Milady"
The pair began the short run to Skara, past the missing Tavern.
Robin quickly sold off the surplus, and got herself a fresh bow, 200 arrows, and laid her badly dented kriss in for later repairs. To conserve weight, she took a hatchet, a couple daggers just in case, and some reagents to mix up fresh potions on the way. No point dragging along big melee weapons, she felt. Picking a suit of orc mail at random from the hoard, she swept a green cloak on.
Ready.
Her new captain led her North, to the seaside. Rocking in the breeze was a small longboat. The tillerman waved cheerily at his Captain, and the smell of salted fish was heavy in the hold. Robin slipped aboard. She had a lot of questions. No, the Captain didn't have a big pile of heavy armour in the hold. No, he never ever used anything but his magic cutlass to fight. Yes he'd faced serpents afore. No never actually won. Usually he'd done his best and then sailed off. No, he couldn't say if explosives worked in the water. That was her job wasn't it?
Robin moved up to the bows as they cast off, gripping her longbow. There was a grating noise as the anchor was drawn, and a dolphin swam past the ship. The sea began to move past them with a lurch. She began to grind a ton of ginseng, knowing they'd need it.
Next: The Sea Voyage & the Mage.
== The Sea Voyage & the Mage == 30 May 2000
The Voyage
Round the isle of Skara Brae they sailed, into a stiff wind. The evening grew darker, and the water was choppy. As they rounded the cape, the Captain shook out his lines. Turbulent waters! Whitecaps shook the sides of the ship, and Robin felt her dexterity ebb... she retched over the side. Night fell by the time they had cleared the isle, and the ship headed south by southwest with the wind off the portside. As the waters scudded by, Robin drank a black potion to improve her vision, and opened out a spyglass. Only water as far as the eye could see, and after a few minutes she had lost all idea of where they were.
"Where do we sail, Captain?" asked Robin. "At this speed, we'll be in Magincia soon", he responded, preoccupied with bait and lines and hooks. Soon he was busy fishing. As the plops of the casting began to grow monotonous, Robin moved with difficulty to the Starboard side, and ate some roasted ribs. The Captain was too busy to eat. Robin noted the cutlass kept close and ready by his side. He expected the Serpents at any time. She laid out some ribs for him on deck.
After a long time, she began to bail out the scuppers, for want of something to do.
"Where are they, where are they... " he began to mutter after a long time had passed. Robin jerked out of her sleep; she had drifted off in the night leaning on the mast. Away to the east, dawn was breaking. The hold was full of fish. Her back ached. "None so far?" Robin stretched painfully. "Ar, no, none. Look ahead for land fall!" "You know, when I used to sail with Captain Slayne, we used to find them a lot in the Serpent's Hold channel -" "Slayne? Whozzat? Get up there an' spy!" "Aye Aye Capt'n."
The southern tip of Magincia Isle emerged far off from the horizon line. Gulls appeared in the sky. They hove to, close to the cliffs and he extended the gangplank. Robin tried to disembark, and promptly fell down a steep slope. She stood up smarting, and found to her horror that she couldn't get off the little rock she was standing on. "Avast!" called out the Captain, irritated at her incompetence. He drew anchor, and brought the boat round, extending the plank again. Gratefully Robin scrambled on board. "Sorry about that Milady- let's try here." He sailed a short ways to a gentle grassy slope, dropping anchor right next to the shoreline. Robin had no problems this time.
He leapt up next to her, and speaking a word of Power, caused the boat to vanish. "You a magician?" asked Robin suspiciously. "Roight, 'ere's the plan. We go up to the moongate. Then we get to Moonglow, and set sail from there!", said he, ignoring her. But Robin had other ideas. "Captain, walk with me?"
They meandered up to a structure close to the south beach. Upon the rooftop were burning pots of oil. A winding staircase led up to the stone flag roof. "Captain in your travels... have you seen a tall man, who wears a green cape?" "Nay lassie." "Then I must part ways with ye. I have enjoyed the voyage, but I must search this place." She turned her face towards the rooftop, as the sun rose above them, and remembered another day, when her company had been a Ranger called Ruden Solic. "I'll be travellin' on then," said the Captain. "We'll meet again Sire." She passed him a pair of Greater Heals."May these aid thee" His eyes lit up. "Thanks! These be helpful for those serpents!" But Robin had already forgotten him, walking towards the spot where Ruden had asked her for the first time to marry him.
The Mage
Robin slipped out of her leathers, and into a dress. She was in town now. One had to keep up appearances.
After a long walk through the sleepy town, she found the Jeweller's, where thankfully they did not remember Robin the Thief. She showed her ruby ring to the jeweller, and asked him if he'd seen Ruden. But he hadn't. She drifted sadly down the cobbled streets. Stopped at the bakery for loaves of French bread and fresh butter, and checked in at the Inn. No signs of Ruden there either. She left him a message on the notice board.
Outside the mage shop, she saw a magician in his resplendent red and blues. It was time to leave, but she wanted a fast way to get back to check the inn. "Sorceror!" He did not respond, had his back to her. She approached, impatiently, tapped his shoulder. "Yes, yes? ... Milady!" His head straightened up as he saw her. Robin regarded him somewhat coldly. She had never trusted mages, even after meeting Tynnian and Spellsinger. "Can you make me a rune to this place?" "That is within my power", he nodded. Robin noticed him eyeing her. He would have been an easy mark, but she had long ago given up pickpocketing. She leaned forward, getting closer than needful, out of habit. "And would you?" She asked in a low voice. "Uhh... have you a rune?" he began to fluster. "No" Robin looked sadly at him. "Well, just wait. Wait right here! I'll get one! Wait for me, all right?" "I'll wait for you," said Robin,a little tiredly, as if it was a personal favor. He scuttled off into the shop. In a trice, he was back, pressing a marked rune into her hand. Well, who needs to study magic anyway, thought Robin. "Would you like some more?" More runes?" "Yes, runes? I'm -uh practising today. We can travel together, and I'll make you runes." Robin looked away and rolled her eyes. Travelling with a fat greybeard was not her idea of an enjoyable way to spend a day, but perhaps they might find a trace of Ruden. Besides he seemed nice enough for a mage. "Well where do you have in mind, for us to go?" she asked suggestively. "And how do we get there?" "My name's Fizzle." he said. "And this is how-" with a flamboyant guesture he opened a gate, paused and bowed. "After you Milady" Well, for an old greybeard, he had style! Robin stepped in...
Next- The Orcs of Cove.
== The Orcs of Cove == 5 June 2000
(As usual - these events actually transpired, the whole of the story taking place in one night's play.)
Cove.
A blue gate opened in the centre of Cove. Some disinterested nobles wandered away. Many had come here by the same route, and having arrived, had lost their memories of why they had come.
As the dust swirled away, Fizz Le Ban, sorceror extraordinare, emerged- left foot first, in a whirl of blue and red capes. Behind him came a wily looking redhead, clad in green with a cocky red beret. She took his arm as he began to show her the sights. She spent a few seconds eyeing the purses of the nobles, but seemed distracted by the magician's chatter.
"And as you know, the orcs are nearby!", finished Fizz. "But here let me make another rune for you!" As he began the process, Robin eyed her supplies. They were quite adequate for a short hunt. "Milord Wizard, where are these orcs?" "They're outside, it's quite dangerous out there!" "Indeed?" "Oh yes Lady, they have a large fort just round the mountain! I wouldn't go there if I were you!" Fizz handed her another rune, finished neatly, with one of his gallant fluorishes.
Robin knew in her heart that if Ruden (or any ranger) had indeed passed that way, the Orcs would have known. For he would not have left evil without thinning its ranks. She resolved to investigate the fort.
"Fizzle?" "Hmm? Where shall we go next? Serpent's Hold? The Lycaeum?" Robin shook her head. She unslung her best bow. "I would see these orcs and wreak misery pon them."
"What!? Well, I have to be going... Where can I see you again?" Fizz began to appear rather disturbed.
Robin cast a dark green cape on the ground before him. "In your travels, have you seen a man that wears this colour? He bears a bow, and a sword, and rides a horse most times." "I have seen many men, Milady. Many." "This one is special."
"Ahh.. " muttered the wizard in a sad tone. He looked up. "Well, If I see him, I'll mention that you're looking for him. " Robin stashed the cape. She was not surprised that Ruden had not been seen in the cities. "I'm going to see the Orcs," she said in a grim voice.
The Orcs of Cove
As she walked along the close pathway, with the dense rock on her right, Robin came to a knight clad in costly greenish gold armour. He was standing lost in thought, and did not hear her pass. She again regretted the passage of her old talents. He faded from view as she pressed North, her footsteps lost in the sounds of the booming tides.
As she neared the stronghold a whimsy struck, and she placed a ring on her finger, as deliberately as a fighter donning armour before a war. It glinted red, as red as her beret, red as a drop of blood.
There was a long trail of carnage behind her, as she fought her way closer to the entrance of the Stronghold. Night had fallen, making the ground invisible, except for a number of glowing orc bodies, humped against a central pile of 2-headed giants. Robin had placed the bow away, relying on her daggers now, as she rapidly punctured a clumsy orc grunt. It fell dying without much effort, and she took the time to check the bodies. No melee weapon suitable for her talents - Orcs relied on their brutish axes and Ettins on clubs for the most part. She did find some fresh chainmail though. Time to halt and refresh her arrow supply, and to make up some explosives. Unfortunately, no signs of Ruden here.
As she worked on her supplies, heavy mailed footsteps came running up. She got the bow ready for trouble, but it was just the knight. He was moving through the bodies, sword drawn. Robin emerged behind him. "Looking for something?" she asked. "Heh.. wish I had a bow," he said, looking at the Giants. "I'll make you one" answered Robin helpfully. "Oh... good. I'll take one of Power."
Robin stared at him in some degree of reproach. "Not SELL, I said I'd make you one. "Eh?" he said not comprehending that a person might actually be self sufficient, and not buy everything... As she cut some wood and carved a bow on the spot, he seemed amazed. Robin handed him a few score arrows. "You DA BOMB!" She checked her explosive potions in some amusement. "You're right about that, honey. Just keep standing clear of the monsters, all right?"
A new set of Orcs had opened the gate, and were beginning to pour through. Robin began bombarding them, killing two before they got close enough to melee, and then began a slow measured retreat, sniping with her remaining arrows. As they fell, she noted her friend abandon the bow( he had left a trail of arrows along the path) and switch to his Viking Sword, backing up slowly. He did very poorly, swinging as if in molasses.
She killed her last orc, and then slipped over to him. "I GOT it!" he shouted excitedly.
She put away her bow, took out a dagger, swigged a series of potions, and rapidly killed the healthiest of the three that were pressing him. He stared at her again.
"That is a magic Dagger?" "Oh yes", lied Robin. "It's way better than your sword" "DAMN I wish I had one!" "I have two!" exclaimed Robin. "Can I buy one!?" "I'll trade you for ... hmm... that sword?" "You Got it Baby!"
Several more orcs burst out of the gate. An Ettin was amongst them.
"Quick - pass the sword!" Robin executed the trade, slipped out one of the new runes, and recalled back to Vesper. She had a massive Viking Sword of Ruin to sell. Somewhere in Cove a Knight was learning the value of self sufficiency, with a used dagger.
Next - The Vampires of Vesper!
== The Vampires of Vesper == (Part 4a) 15 June 2000 (Part 4b Repost) 23 June 2000
The Vampires of Vesper
Crowds were thick at the Vesper bank, and as throngs of ill-clad louts pushed and hawked, Robin began to feel strangely out of place. Strange for an ex-thief. She'd been a Ranger too long, and the cities were no longer attractive to her. She brandished the chunky Viking blade, and asked a passing scholar to assess it.
"It's falling to pieces Milady. You'd best fix it quickly." Robin nodded. She politely waited till he got out of earshot.
"Magic Viking For Sale! Heaviest sword you can swing!" Robin waved the blade around with both hands, trying to attract attention.
A thickset youth approached. He was very young. In fact, just looking at him, you could see how (young) he was. "How good is that sword?" She just couldn't sell it to him. "Here. Take it, and get a smith to sharpen it up first, ok?" "Cool! A MAGIC sword!" "And here, use this helmet." "Whoaaa!! It's got HORNS!" "Oh yes, whenever you wear this Orc helmet, people will know that you are a Mighty Orc Killer! They will have respect!" "How can I ever thank you?!" "You must kill every goat you pass. They carry genies in the corpses, but it's rare."
Part B
(All true, this stuff all happenned in one night!)</I>
Vesper.
At the Vesper port, no ships were up for hire. The Vesper river was free and clear, and Robin couldn't believe her bad luck. She retrieved her battered kriss, and after a quick trip to the smithy, was ready to set off for Skara - the long way, across the continent, on foot. With a sharpened hatchet, daggers, and a newly reground Kriss, she'd soon be ready for anything. Independence had been something she was proud of, even in her early thieving days. Over at the Vesper Tavern, there was a fine roast duck, but no one there remembered a tall Ranger with a green cape. "We are becoming scarce and forgotten" mused Robin.
Night fell. It was time to leave, and she used some small coin for a lantern and some oil. Off to the forest she travelled, avoiding the Vesper graveyard. Cutting wood by moonlight was no less boring than by day, and as her pack grew heavy, she wished badly for company. Anatoly or Hodur would be welcome, especially, for they could cut wood better than all others. She thought of her friends, and moved out further away from the town, not noticing the darkness around the forest anymore.
She stopped and sat on a log. Morning could not be far off, and the desert was ahead. Resting the lantern down, Robin began to rapidly fletch a quiver of arrows from her bare shafts. It pays to kill scorpions from afar. Even a master alchemist can at times fall prey to poisons.
As she began to grind a fresh series of potions for he day's journey, a sudden cry caused her to start. As if from nowhere, sound surrounded her, and she blinked, as a prisoner bound with chains just popped out of the air. "Help! Release me!" pleaded the wretch. She got up, and promptly tripped over a cauldron, which wasn't there before, only to see several armed people bearing in from multiple vectors.
Swearing, the Thief of Hearts took to her heels, trying to open the battlefield up!
The Chase
Whine! ... Thud!
Robin crashed through the undergrowth, trying to get to the road. As she cleared a copse of saplings, she paused to release another arrow.
Whine! ... Thud! Ahhhhh....!
She acknowledged her enemy's death with a brief nod, and resumed the run. There were several more. Waving halberds and warhammers, no less. Suddenly she missed the rangers even more. Anatoly or Kvasir would have mowed them down with arrows. Hodur would have charged them with an axe. They'd never even have seen Yale or that wicked little Cobalt. If Slayne or Spells or Swanic was there, then they'd be running the other way. And if the ladies Alyssia or Raven or Dara were there, than they could make a solid stand and cut the fools down. But by herself? Well there was the ignominy of running and shooting. Whatever works.
Travelling in stacatto style, she continued to stop and snap arrows at them, as they blundered down her trail. Ahead was the road, and the safety of a Guard Tower. She cursed her folly at not getting armour back in town. As her arrow supply dwindled, she knew that it was going to turn into a brawl. Finally the road appeared, and she saw the tower as the sun rose.
The Vampires of Vesper
Robin tossed her bow in the pack, and snapped out the kriss at the steps. With the sun rising at her back she faced them, backing up the steps. Three left, one wounded. The mace fighter closed first, swung and missed. Robin stitched his shirt red, and he backed off hastily, making room for the halberdier. As he came close to the wounded swordsman at the rear, she bombed them both, causing them to break and run. The halberd had connected, and she became weak instantly, but that was nothing a potion couldn't help. Fully four blows from the Kriss landed before she was hit again, and had to fall back, into the gloomy depths of the Tower. Skipping up the steps, Robin was shocked to see the complete absense of guards.
But from above came sounds of chanting!
Trailing blood, the Thief of Hearts retreated from the wounded brigand, up, and up to the next floor!
=== Part C ? === 3 July 2000
In a Guard Tower complex
Robin popped up into an empty room, with a doorway leading off into a corridor. Down the steps, the brigand staggered about, trying to find his way up, and she observed the halberd tip waving about in the stairwell. The chanting was louder here, but as the King's guards were as likely to appear as the King himself, she opted to settle the threat first before investigating.
Settling herself close to the opening of the steps, she began dropping purple potions on the hapless brigand below, while her bandages worked.
There was a loud series of explosions and much to-do below. So much for stealth.
Feeling refreshed, she peeked down, and saw the enemy almost dead, trying to drag himself out the entry. She slipped down behind him, and quickly ended the match before he could even turn. Fortified with a few bites of food, and with a new set of potions quickly whipped up, she trotted back up towards the noise. Down the corridor she moved, confident that with a kriss and a fresh potion load, few things would pose a problem.
She ran straight up the corridor, into a circle of people wearing all black, with long pointy hats. Abruptly, they stopped chanting at the disruption. The oldest one glared at her in an irritated way. "Hullo", chirped Robin brightly, remarkably conscious of her hot pink dress, strikingly out of place in the gloomy tower, and made worse by her trademark red beret. "Vhat you do here? " growled a white haired woman. "Ah - Looking for the guards?" suggested Robin, thinking hard for a plausible reason. "Go avay!" snapped a lean grim faced man. He moved closer to her, and though he dsplayed no weapon, she felt a definite menace. She gripped the kriss, counting five of them, and backed up a step. No weapons meant mages. Pointy hats? Witches maybe? She felt confident that at close range her speed would tear up any single one of them, but not all five. Besides, she was interloping ... "Well, I'll just be moving on then - " Robin began.
"Vait!" - a slim lady moved forward. She seemed friendly enough, but Robin couldn't control her tongue. "You vant me to vait?" asked the Thief of Hearts, a jest she regretted as it came out. The coven looked at each other. Some of them licked their lips. To the rear, Robin saw a flash of pointed teeth. "It's really getting late - and I have to be going" -
They began to spread out. Robin backpedaled, but found herself surrounded. "Sstay," murmured the young woman. "Yesss, sstay," hissed the thin man. "Sstay for ssupper.." Their eyes began to glow red.
"Did you know," said Robin firmly, pushing through the closing circle, "that there's a wounded chap downstairs?" "Vounded?" The white haired man stared. Robin got her hand on a purple potion in her sack. She almost primed it but changed her mind. Might be possible to talk out of this...
"Oh yes, just downstairs, leaking blood all over... right this way - " She pointed over at the steps nodding with great cheerfulness, working hard to sell the story. "Blood? Blood you ssay?" "Yes very bloody, big mess, he hit his jugular on this pointy sword" - she waved the kriss. "You can see for yourselves- all over the steps and all over the floor.." She tramped down the steps as they followed in disarray.
Ahead was the doorway, and escape. But on the floor was the dead brigand, arms akimbo, and halberd lying on the ground. "Oh drat, he must have bled to death!" declared Robin in feigned surprise, as she slid over to the door, hopping nimbly over the body. "Ssssoo...." they moved towards her!
Robin dropped the primed potion in the doorway, skipped off the short step and vanished into the forest, as a boom and flash brightened the day.
She didn't know if the sunshine or the blast had deterred the persuit, or if they had stumbled on the remaining two brigands outside the area, but she was grateful for either. Ahead lay Skara Brea, and rest finally!
