Chromeknight

Hah. You prove the truth of my words. Admitting to pride and arrogance. Any insult you have taken is from your own choosing, not my words. You called us for trespass, which we answered, yet now these grounds are sacred to your gods. Others might have said such first rather than later proffering it as a pretext for violence. You talk lightly of what is sacred and of sin, but fail to see your place in the wider sacred music. The air you soar on is the air that others breathe, the air that whips the waves of Sarick's home, that shivers the grass of Xander's and moves the leaves and branches of mine. To cut youselves off from the breath of the world is impossible. I would hold such willful deafness to the music sin. But if it is to be trial by combat, so be it. That is honorable. Let us have no weasel words of insult or punishment. A fair trial it shall be and you will see by our actions that we do not come lightly or without good purpose. Finishing her speech, Nerwen turns her sharp eyes to the track of the second falcon (b) and judges her hammer blow to intercept it's dive, stepping forward to the front row for maximum impact.

Nerwen heard De'kra shift nervously beside her. Introductions with new peoples were rarely easy. But she herself was not yet concerned. The weapons the warriors carried were drawn, certainly, but not currently aimed at the party. I have spoken nothing but truth in what I said. That you are aware of what goes on in these lands, though you hold yourselfs aloof does you credit. What my friend here says is also true. We are here to see if the reports about your strength and prowess mean that you are able to aid these people in their time of need. If you are able, then it is merely will that keeps you from intervening. Or perhaps you do not have the strength and wish to turn us away to hide your weakness. Or perhaps the other parts of the rumours are true and your people are over-proud, arrogant and self-centered. However, all this is just talk. You guard the entryways, a trusted position of responsiblity to be sure. But I doubt that you have authority to speak for the whole of your People on this subject. We have answered your questions and spoken plainly. Yours is the choice now. To lead us to your people where we can speak our case to all who decide and prove the truth of our words by whatever deeds you deem necessary, or turn us back, cowering in weakness and fear until the chaos that is ravaging these lands turns its attention to you and devours you. For do not think that you can remain apart untouched forever, the chimera has been awoken and even the dragons fear to rise against it. Prove yourselves. Choose your course wisely. With that, Nerwen stepped back slightly. She had not realized her voice had become raised a little as she presented the stark choice that lay before the wayguards. Would they lead the party on or turn them back? Nerwen could see they were indeed proud, perhaps the challenge to their strength would spur them, or the mention of the chimera. No doubt they knew of the beast and understood the peril the whole land was now in.

The party was rendered speechless by the sudden appearance of the warriors from on high. Nerwen recovered first and began assessing the situation. By the descriptions, these must be Rito. Nerwen was surprised to hear them speak common, she had thought they would shun the language of Dastan as they shunned it's people. And with the exception of the wide wings, they were clealy human-like. Both these factors suggested a common ground. She half bowed, signaling with her hand suggesting the others do the same. Saying, We are travelers, warriors from a distant land, from a organization called Heroica. We have heard of your prowess and skill in battle and came to see if the tales are true. We do not come seeking to fight you, nor to cause offense by trespassing, but simply wish to meet with you and learn from you.

Stars shine on our meeting, Nyx. My name is Nerwen. The small rogue is De'kra, this is Xander; De'kra calls him hammer hero as he used to wield a hammer, and our leader is Sarick, a mage like yourself. You look like you prefer the element of fire, Sarick is partial to ice, coming as he does from the cold deeps of the sea. I am glad to hear you like battle, I have a feeling we will see more trials before we leave this place. Though I must saw Ihave never seen a book wielded as a weapon before. Enjoy Brickworld!

Nerwen looked around. After the failure in Drakencourt, Cronk and Galen had left again. She hoped the paladin would look after Galen and that he'd be able to work out his hero's path. And that he had better luck in battle. For now they were joined by a young girl carrying a heavy book. From overhearing her conversation with Galen, Nerwen knew a little about her, but what she was like as a travelling companion was yet to be seen. Nerwen hoped she'd fit into the group well, unlike the other groups Sarick's party seemed mostly united. Listening to De'kra's questions, Nerwen smiled to herself. The little rogue was certainly coming out of his shell. With every encounter he seemed to grow, become more confident and talkative. Not for the first time, Nerwen wondered where he came from, his story seemed so, well, odd. And now they all were traveling into the mountains to speak to the Rito. Drawing one more faction into the cauldron that was Daastan wracked by civil war. Nerwen fervently prayed for order for the troubled land. She could almost touch the chaos, like a dischordant melody jangling at her senses. Galadrya and Celebryon were beings of order and civilization, and the people they created no less so. So many thoughts chasing around. But it was good to have a goal to work towards, even if was a step into the unknown.

But if he doesn't count as a rogue, what does he count as? Unless he's secretly a ... A rouge!

How is two rogues not enough? Any more and we'd end up like Q34, definitely not a happy group...

Nerwen stepped over to Cronk. I'm sorry that it was necessary to raise a weapon against you, I did use only my staff and stood back so as not to hurt you. Now Nerwen had a chance to look at the other party better, outside the chaos of battle. She saw a metasimian holding up one of the others. It was the barbarian with nice hair that was polite to her when she first entered the hall. Moving across to him she asked, Are you healed of your hurts?

Watching quest 30 heroes bicker, I'm wondering is the Q29 party simply more functional, just 'nicer' or plain old boring? We really haven't had the name calling and disagreements that seem to be standard on the other quests... Perhaps its that Wren is less interested in us?

Nerwen reached with her staff to distract Cronk and prevent him from attacking the dragon knight. Her thoughts were consumed by fear of the hurts the damage the party would taked. The powers within responded by channeling a wave of healing energy from her outstretched staff. Left a little light headed by the flow she barely registered a crackling ball of wood slammed into her stomach . A second later she connected the bang ofthe hand cannon with green an yellow gems on the handle, carried by the taciturn ranger, to the shooting pain spreading from her middle. The world turned faded. Nerwen wasn't sure if it was a trick of memory but she heard a much louder bang as she lay there. Waking, she came to with ears ringing and the steps of the barracks nearly unrecognisable. A crater now marred the steps and the body of Constance lay on the edge. Sitting slightly she overheard all that the men who rushed up, apparently another Emperor, said and the heard the cloaked rogue rushing around clicking as he went, clearly distressed. Knowing that he was concerned by heroes falling in battle she began to speak, to reassure him, but the dust hanging in the air made her mouth dry and the words came out a cough, the cough triggered a wave of pain from where the cannonball struck her and she slumped back for a moment. Then the light that she remembered came with Cronk's angel enveloped her. The sensation was different to her own healing power, more like the cold bright scouring light of a single trumpet note than the diffuse glow of massed cellos and oboes.* She stood, restored to health and stepped to the rogue, placing a hand on his small shoulder and said, half blessing half command, Peace. *Yes, I know both those instruments are likely inappropriate for a faux medieval setting, that's why you're reading this note. But I chose them to communicate a sensation rather than indicate literal instruments and to not force you to look up obscure 13th C music to understand what Nerwen was experiencing.

I am right in thinking we'll suffer free hits along battle order lines? I wouldn't want De'kra's ire if not...

Nerwen speaks an elvish invocation softly under her breath and hefts her staff. Stepping forward she strikes at Cronk standing in the back row using her wooden staff(wp:3). Sorry Cronk, but I do not want you to have a free hit on our party.

And this, I think hits my (unexpressed) frustration with the set up. Heroica has been, mostly, a team game. A party advances or falls together. It's rare for a KOd player to be left that way if there are options to bring them back,so they don't miss out on xp, loot is shared pretty much evenly... But here, one group of heroes will miss out on the xp and have their health knocked down despite cooperating with the QM's set up and making valid and well argued roleplaying choices. Yes the set up is interesting, and it advances the plot, and it's what some before the quest were frothing about. And it doesn't make sense that the loses get rewarded anyway. So I'm not really sure how to address the feeling of missing out because I didn't side with the majority and create a boring uneven battle. Perhaps seeing badgermum last more that one round is reward enough.

Nerwen bowed her head for a moment, then raised it, nodding. The decision is made. Nerwen sides with Sarick and Constance.

Nerwen lent down to the echo besides her and said in a soft voice. Perhaps that Elven cloak you have might shed a little more light on our situation.

Nerwen was still feeling lightheaded from the poison, as if it had collapsed into a weird there-but-not-there state. And now things were moving faster. Faced with the events unfolding, she understood that all that could be relied on were her party, as De'kra said. With she spoke, I will side with whomever Sarick chooses. He is our party leader, I follow him.

The red liquid shimmered as Nerwen drank it. Normally she would be very wary of eating or drinking anything she did not prepare herself, or at least that came from a trusted hand. The benefit to Sarick from his potion had assuaged her doubts, but the potion, whose colour indicated health, was having the opposite effect. Her insides burned and she clasped her stomach. The potion was worse than the juice of foxberries, the poisonous seductive little red berries that grew near her home. Fortunately she wasn't in the woods alone, rather adventuring with a party who werelooking out for her. Nerwen gratefully accepted Galen's remedy in exchange and drank it. Now at the fort with no sign if the Emperor or Russel, she feared their quest was in peril and needed to moved quickly. There was one other matter first however. Turning to Cronk she spoke in a low voice for his ears only. Strength and power to you mighty warrior. You fought hard, but I wonder if the fight inside rages still. At the end of the battle you became angry, and tried to use brute force rather than letting your actions flow from the calm center. Your strikes missed and you took damage, slight to be sure, but yet... I knew many Orc warriors, though to be honest, few like you, and they always struggled to contain the red darkness that invaded their souls. They called it the curse of Martok, it drove the invasion of Ennon, and those it took for it's own it left as mindless beasts.

Doubled post removed

Thank you for the healing Cronk. And the gold, Sarick. Encouraged by seeing Sarick drink the blue potion, Nerwen then took the red potion and a tonicfrom her bag and drank them both. The she checked that Galen was indeed fine after Cronk's healing. She took a nostrum from her bag and gave it to the battered rogue. Perhaps this will help you be luckier in battles to come. As soon as we are done burying these soldiers, we should go. Clearly they were sent to delay us and they have achieved that purpose, even at the cost of their short lives.

A more telling point is that as hero, his type is 'humanoid' not 'undead', thus he's vulnerable to darkness attacks and can be healed normally by clerics and potions, rather than taking damage. Clearly there's is something not quite usual about this vampire...

I fear I am playing into Arthur's warning to De'kra. Seeing Xander wheel his horse and turn his back on the lancer, Nerwen surmised he was going to revive the rogue. She stepped between the fallen man and the mounted barbarian and spoke loudly over the din of the battle. Do not worry about Galen, he is not in serious danger. We can serve him best by ending this battle quickly, then treating him. Delaying to assist him may put the Emperor's life in greater peril from the traitor Russel. Though I do not like leaving him like this, we must consider the greater good. With that, Nerwen puts her words to action as she charges the swordsman close from the front row. Yes I know it risks knocking Nerwen out, but it's the IC thing to do here as atonement of watning Xander off reviving him. Carman, can you put me way down the order, I'm going to trust that we can finish this before I need to attack, or if my strike is needed, that I'm not KO'd...

Nerwen felt the power flow around the rogue, weaker, but still restoring him. But the swordsman had slipped past the mighty armoires form of Crock and slid his blade across Galen's exposed body. Stretching out with a trickle of her power again, Nerwen feels Gaken's heartbeat, faint but there. It is all right De'kra, Galen still lives, but he is beyond my power to heal. If I had healed him more, he might not have fallen. Let us conclude the battle quickly so we can tend to him properly. You posted while I was. I'll leave Nerwen's response until fugazi replies. Nerwen can stop Xander if he wants or let it happen

Staggering back from the swordsman's blow, Nerwen was relieved to see the armoured form of Cronk step before her. She had not yet landed a strike on an enemy this battle, but had twice healed her companions. Surely this was a sign from the elven deities about her future path. Seeing Galen now hurt badly, she turned a said. I will heal you, save your potions... Nerwen heals Galen while standing behind Cronk in the back row

The power to heal flowed smoothly around the little shade, strengthening and restoring him. Nerwen wondered what he was made of, that had such a ready response to the healing. Putting the thought aside and focusing on the battle again, she could see that the other heroes were, if not completely healthy, well enough to withstand any blows that the enemies might deliver. Beckoning once again at the swordsman now from the front row Nerwen taunted, Let's dance.

Even though she is not certain if her healing power will affect the little echo, Nerwen heals De'kra while standing in the back row.