(IC) Lost in Dreams (Julian)

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

yeah, he practiced the heat pattern. The light pattern isn't warming his cheek.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Just the air. the "Energy" is the tingly ozone feeling.

Hm... Maybe the heat pattern wouldn't burn me if I drew it on myself. That could take them by surprise.

Originally Posted by ericthered

"Hey! stop that!" one of the men aims a kick at Julian.

"I've been writing my life down for the past... 700 days. I can't even have that much?"

[56] 22-09-02 18:13:16 CEST
Diplomacy
3d6 <= 12
2 + 1 + 1 = 4 ... success

Originally Posted by ericthered

The tall man and the man in the stone talk a bit more. The man in the stone is Paldrian*. The tall man is named Tarbreth. They discuss the timeline of a upcoming "operation".

I giggle a little about the tall man being named Tar Breath.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Tarbreth: "If the spears hadn't been stolen, and we hadn't killed any guards, it'd be doable."

That's my fault, isn't it?

"Why'd you have to go and do that?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

Tarbreth: "But that's in the past. We're short on weapons, and they're on high alert. I don't think we can strike in the next 40 stones, and they'll really step up the search for us."

Paldrian: "Normally I'd say go to ground... but we've got the boy. He might make all of this worth while."

Go to ground; I guess that means to go back in hiding/undercover... No place for me if they do that.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Tarbreth: "Would he? he might be a replacement for a single 10lb stone. And it won't be worth anything unless he can be trained."

Paldrian: "I wouldn't count on that. Can you get out?"

Tarbreth: "With the boy? I don't think so. He'll stand out like a torch if we use a teleportation stone, and I don't trust him with a glider. That leaves trekking across the ceiling to Paglog."

"You have access to a teleportation stone?"

I don't trust me with a glider either. I'd crash and die.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Paldrian: "Then make the trek"

Tarbreth: "That's easier to say than to walk"

"I-I can walk. I won't cause any trouble. I'll be good."

I think Paldrian's going to win the point but I might as well start pretending I'm compliant.

[57] 22-09-02 19:41:22 CEST
Acting
3d6 <= 13
4 + 6 + 5 = 15 ... failure

Well, what's the worst that could happen?

Originally Posted by ericthered

*curse me mispelling my own made up names!

Well at least it was caught early, like Tiskar/Tiskara.

Originally Posted by TGLS

I guess this is my life now. Could be worse.

Hey, not only is Julian right, he found out how much too!

[ericthered]

"I've been writing my life down for the past... 700 days. I can't even have that much?"

Tarbreth: "No writing. For all I know you're going to take everything we say, write it down, and take it to the <squiggle-squaggle> of this town."

That's my fault, isn't it?

Yep! you have quite possibly saved the place from conquest! Hope they don't figure that out.

"Why'd you have to go and do that?"

They pointedly ignore that question.

"You have access to a teleportation stone?"

Paldrian: "I do. you don't."

I don't trust me with a glider either. I'd crash and die.

Naw, you'd just loose altitude and freeze or burn to death as you slowly decended to the bottom of the world. That's a much cooler death. or a much hotter one.

"I-I can walk. I won't cause any trouble. I'll be good."

"You sure will! shut up!"

I think Paldrian's going to win the point but I might as well start pretending I'm compliant.

They go back and forth on walking out vs. going to ground. Tarbreth asks about having some Hawkin pick Julian up, and Paldrian makes a few snide remarks about Tarbreth not being so tough as a soldier. In the end, they decide that two men will take Julian a ways out into the vegetation of the ceiling, far enough away from Bumundo, and then some Hawkin will pick him up. They give an exact time for when they will talk to each other again, and then stop talking. They put the still operating vasic stones into bags, covering them.

Well, what's the worst that could happen?

Yeah...

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Tarbreth: "No writing. For all I know you're going to take everything we say, write it down, and take it to the <squiggle-squaggle> of this town."

"You might think I'm some kind of escape artist, but I'm not. Besides they can't read English."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Yep! you have quite possibly saved the place from conquest! Hope they don't figure that out.

Well, maybe Julian will feel good about it once he gets over the deaths of the two guards.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Paldrian: "I do. you don't."

"Then why's it even an option for an exit? You can't take the stone here."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Naw, you'd just loose altitude and freeze or burn to death as you slowly decended to the bottom of the world. That's a much cooler death. or a much hotter one.

Or I do something and the slow descent becomes a very fast descent and I hit the bottom like a fly on a windscreen.

Originally Posted by ericthered

They go back and forth on walking out vs. going to ground. Tarbreth asks about having some Hawkin pick Julian up, and Paldrian makes a few snide remarks about Tarbreth not being so tough as a soldier. In the end, they decide that two men will take Julian a ways out into the vegetation of the ceiling, far enough away from Bumundo, and then some Hawkin will pick him up.

So do I have a rough idea of how far into the vegetation they'll need to go? One day, several days, etc? Do I have an idea as to when I'll be going, or is that to be determined?

I might as well ask now, "If you [Paldrian] are the boss, then who's the bearded man?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

They give an exact time for when they will talk to each other again, and then stop talking.

OK, so that explains what Tarbreth and Beardo meant by twenty stones. The timing must be important for communication through Vasic stones. Ending Vasic calls with the next time the call will happen makes sense.

Originally Posted by ericthered

They put the still operating vasic stones into bags, covering them.

I guess they don't have a good way to turn off the Vasic stones. Now that I think about it, I don't think I've seen anyone turn off a Vasic stone. Maybe nobody can turn them off. I try to rub off the pattern on my face.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

"You might think I'm some kind of escape artist, but I'm not. Besides they can't read English."

"But you can read it."

"Then why's it even an option for an exit? You can't take the stone here."

They ignore this statement.

Or I do something and the slow descent becomes a very fast descent and I hit the bottom like a fly on a windscreen.

that would take some fancy flying. And some gear to protect you from the elements, I suspect.

So do I have a rough idea of how far into the vegetation they'll need to go? One day, several days, etc? Do I have an idea as to when I'll be going, or is that to be determined?

Maybe three days out. Maybe more. They're not sure. They're planning on food for five days.

I might as well ask now, "If you [Paldrian] are the boss, then who's the bearded man?"

"What beareded man? him?" he points at one of the thugs with a very scruffy beard. "He's a soldier. He's going to make sure you don't run off and bring you to me."

I guess they don't have a good way to turn off the Vasic stones. Now that I think about it, I don't think I've seen anyone turn off a Vasic stone. Maybe nobody can turn them off. I try to rub off the pattern on my face.

rubbing off the face pattern doesn't work: he's still got light coming off of his cheek.

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

"But you can read it."

"Yeah, cause I can't remember, 'Six guys working for Paldrian kidnapped me at knife point. One was named Tarbreth. Their hole is down here.'"

Originally Posted by ericthered

that would take some fancy flying. And some gear to protect you from the elements, I suspect.

Less fancy flying and more fancy grip slipping. And nobody said I was alive when I went splat.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Maybe three days out. Maybe more. They're not sure. They're planning on food for five days.

Should have enough time to come up something by then.

Originally Posted by ericthered

"What bearded man? him?" he points at one of the thugs with a very scruffy beard. "He's a soldier. He's going to make sure you don't run off and bring you to me."

I have a distinct feeling this will not play out the way Julian wants it to...

"No, the one on the Vasic Tarbreth was talking to. Curly hair, long robes. They were talking about all kinds of things; spears, Hawkin, surprise, Skalindir, Tiskara... I thought you'd know."

Originally Posted by ericthered

rubbing off the face pattern doesn't work: he's still got light coming off of his cheek.

Well hopefully whoever's bringing me over the top decides that using me as a light Vasic is a bad idea.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

"Yeah, cause I can't remember, 'Six guys working for Paldrian kidnapped me at knife point. One was named Tarbreth. Their hole is down here.'"

Their heart doesn't seem to be in the slap he gets for that.

nobody said I was alive when I went splat.

That's fair. And splatting after dying might actually matter at some point.

I have a distinct feeling this will not play out the way Julian wants it to...

"No, the one on the Vasic Tarbreth was talking to. Curly hair, long robes. They were talking about all kinds of things; spears, Hawkin, surprise, Skalindir, Tiskara... I thought you'd know."

Tarbreth seems confused by this. "What are you talking about? We haven't..."

His face fills with fury and he lifts up Julian by his shirt and holds him close to his face: "Is this the first time you've seen me!?"

Julian feels weirdly calm. His panic attacks are not kicking in, and the threatening posture of the man seems offset by his confusion (Julian has will 12, and the intimidation roll wasn't great).

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Their heart doesn't seem to be in the slap he gets for that.

I'll just drop the whole diary issue for now. Maybe I could get a shot at drawing on myself while they're sleeping.

Originally Posted by ericthered

That's fair. And splatting after dying might actually matter at some point.

Well, unless I am a piece of Vasic given flesh. Then I might just shatter to pieces.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Tarbreth seems confused by this. "What are you talking about? We haven't..."

His face fills with fury and he lifts up Julian by his shirt and holds him close to his face: "Is this the first time you've seen me!?"

Julian feels weirdly calm. His panic attacks are not kicking in, and the threatening posture of the man seems offset by his confusion (Julian has will 12, and the intimidation roll wasn't great).

I say the first thing that pops into my head to try and dodge the question. "You have awful breath; can you please put me back down?"

On second thought, it's relatively fine; I don't think people brush their teeth here. Probably no worse than mine.

10:1 odds he's happy with that answer.

"Well, in my defense, you didn't ask. So, yeah. I did. This isn't even the second time. I told you, you suck at your job."

Hopefully I'm right, and if I make him angry enough, he won't bother trying to talk his way out of this and attack the other five guys. Then maybe I can get out of here.

[58] 22-09-13 00:56:45 CEST
Fast-Talk?
3d6 <= 12
5 + 6 + 2 = 13 ... failure

Aww...

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

I say the first thing that pops into my head to try and dodge the question. "You have awful breath; can you please put me back down?"

On second thought, it's relatively fine; I don't think people brush their teeth here. Probably no worse than mine.

10:1 odds he's happy with that answer.

"Well, in my defense, you didn't ask. So, yeah. I did. This isn't even the second time. I told you, you suck at your job."

Hopefully I'm right, and if I make him angry enough, he won't bother trying to talk his way out of this and attack the other five guys. Then maybe I can get out of here.

He doesn't put Julian down, and when the boy tells him he sucks at his job, he throws the boy into the wall and proceeds to beat him. Take 3 damage. Tarbreth is stopped by one of the other men


"Don't hurt him too bad! we need him to walk across the ceiling!"


Tarbreth stops, but has very much lost his composure.

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

He doesn't put Julian down, and when the boy tells him he sucks at his job, he throws the boy into the wall and proceeds to beat him. Take 3 damage

I curl up into a ball. I cry out; he'll stop when he thinks he's beaten me. When he thinks I've broken. You close yourself off, and let what needs to happen, happen, so you can get on with your life.

But he doesn't. He doesn't let up. I accidentally open my guard long enough for him to manage to open up on my stomach. I was foolish, I caused too much... I'm just a... Julian's such a troublemaker. Julian doesn't understand he's a stupid, worthless *****, only worth being a stress ball for his betters. There he is making soft noises like the dog he is.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Tarbreth is stopped by one of the other men

"Don't hurt him too bad! we need him to walk across the ceiling!"

Tarbreth stops, but has very much lost his composure.

I blink a few times, surprised no one's attacking me. I spit some blood out of my mouth, and poke at a sore point on my body. It hurts so much; I think that's a broken rib. I can't escape like that; I'm here, and I am Julian. Wishing it weren't true won't change anything. I need to stay on point.

I sit up, and try to look Tarbreth in the eye. He looks bigger, taller now, somehow. I'm afraid, but I can't stop. "Who's the bearded man? Does your boss not know who you've been telling everything?"

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

I sit up, and try to look Tarbreth in the eye. He looks bigger, taller now, somehow. I'm afraid, but I can't stop. "Who's the bearded man? Does your boss not know who you've been telling everything?"

"The Bearded man IS my boss. Paldrian is merely an equal in rank, and he's not half as dangerous as I am. Don't let the clothes and the <???> fool you."


To the group: "We'll get the others, go to ground, and send someone off with this kid."