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Author Topic: [IC] DCC RPG - Portal Under the Stars  (Read 14362 times)

Weru

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[IC] DCC RPG - Portal Under the Stars
« on: April 06, 2013, 12:57:40 PM »
Better Dead Than Deresford

In many ways the village of Deresford is a strange place. The kind of village where people just end up. Travellers, traders, transients, even the odd outlaw. And not just 'people', Halflings from the Learstir Shire, Elves from the Charmwood Forest, and Dwarves from Coal Village. But in all the ways that count Deresford is a very ordinary village. A very ordinary and dull village.
 
In fact it is such a tedious hive of petty gossip, turnip talk, and constant arguments about how the gods think a sheep should be sheared - head to tail or tail to head - that the most exciting thing to happen in the last six summers is the imminent death of the village's misanthropic headman Rodrick Weasel Bane.

The younger, feckless, and more morbidly inclined of the village have gathered around his bed now that he is too feeble to chase you off. For Three days he has done little more than fart and grunt, but today as the sun sets his rheumy old eyes bulge and he sits bolt upright. He looks around the faces gathered, gurns, then in a weak and wheezy voice begins to speak . . .

"Ware my words the Empty Star rises again," he says. "Near fifty summers ago to this very day it did rise afore, rise it did above the elder stones on Burymound Hill!" He points, the wrong way, but you assume he's pointing to Burymound Hill. "Go!," he says, "Go there and witness when the Empty Star rises above the elder stones a portal opens, a portal to other worlds, a portal to glory, a portal to riches!"

He lets that last word lingers in the silence. Hanging there in a silence as heavy as the fug of flatulence that fills his fetid, tatty little roundhouse.

 "Look at this shitehole,"  he says. "I saw the portal, but dared not pass through and this is where I end my days, in a rancid little hut in a village full of arseholes!"  He sighs. "The others, those that dared go through the portal, why I bet they're kings and queens now, heroes, lords or war, those that lived, no weeding turnip patches for them in their dotage."

He looks at you all, his glare scanning from one face to another. "Go," he whispers, "through the portal ohh there may be perils, maybe even death, but better dead than Deresford." With that final missive Rodrick Weasel Bane, seventy summers old (and bitter) lies down, closes his eyes, and dies.

You gather up all that you own, not because you think you might need it or that you'll never return, but becasue you know all your friends, family, and fellow villagers are thieving bastards. So carrying everything you own you find yourselves standing on Burymound Hill.

Quote
You stand before the monolithic rocks of Burrymound Hill, under the dark light of a starry sky. The Empty Star is clear and bright above you. Three of the large stone blocks lean haphazardly together to form an upright rectangular
portal about the size of a man. They seem to be placed directly
beneath the star’s path. As the Empty Star ascends to its brightest point, its light catches in the portal, and a shimmering stonelined corridor is visible through the stones, but only from one side of the opening.

Even though the hallway is visible from only one side of the portal, you tread on solid flagstones. The starlight fades as it reaches into this hallway, which dead-ends ahead at a stout iron-banded door. Jewels or crystals in an odd assortment of star shapes are inscribed on the door.

pbj44

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[IC] DCC RPG - Portal Under the Stars
« Reply #1 on: April 06, 2013, 01:18:47 PM »
Watt of Wake: (staring at the crowd) "hmmm...looks like everyone had the same thought! Okay, will someone like to check out this door with me?"

Tommy Brownell

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[IC] DCC RPG - Portal Under the Stars
« Reply #2 on: April 06, 2013, 02:15:09 PM »
Ghalidir of the White Oak nods slowly, his eyes wide at the sight before him. "Yes...I would very much like to see what this passage holds."

Bahib snarls at the group. "Let's be on with it, then." He begins to examine the door...in part to see if any of those star-shaped crystals and jewels are removable.
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beermotor

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[IC] DCC RPG - Portal Under the Stars
« Reply #3 on: April 06, 2013, 03:02:11 PM »
Rahab tugs on Rock's arm. "Stay with me? There could be danger."

Big dumb Rock smiles and nods. They position themselves in the middle.

Thurl the Elf walks forward to examine the door. Any markings, runes, signs? Door knob?

Arik the Dwarf looks at the stonework. How old? Created by whom? Any distinctive markings?

pbj44

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[IC] DCC RPG - Portal Under the Stars
« Reply #4 on: April 06, 2013, 11:08:42 PM »
Watt moves up behind Thurl and Bahib and nervously peers over their shoulders at the door.

To the rear of the party -

Blessed: " MAY THE BLESSINGS OF GORHAN BE UPON ALL OF US AND LEND US STRENGTH AGAINST THOSE  WHO WOULD PROFANE THE SACRED CHEESE!"

Glum: (Turning to Blessed) "Sssshhhhhhh! Shut up ya dern fool before you rile THEM all up!" He huffs away over to Arik and begins to study the stonework with him. With his best gap-toothed yellow grin he asks: "Hey brother, got a spare shirt and pants I ken borrow? Gettin' a lil' breezy hereabouts"

Rapa: Glances about nervously as he sets down Henny and adjusts her leash, "Henny, now you keep watch and make sure nothin' is sneakin' up on us."
« Last Edit: April 07, 2013, 01:26:58 AM by pbj44 »

beermotor

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« Reply #5 on: April 07, 2013, 08:36:57 AM »
Arik turns his nose up at Glum. "Uh, sorry friend. No."

Dominic stands by the cheesemaker. "Sacred cheese, you say? Sounds delicious..."

Weru

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[IC] DCC RPG - Portal Under the Stars
« Reply #6 on: April 07, 2013, 11:47:14 AM »
Quote from: Tommy Brownell;643584

Bahib snarls at the group. "Let's be on with it, then." He begins to examine the door...in part to see if any of those star-shaped crystals and jewels are removable.


To Bahib they look as if they'd be easy to prise out.

Quote from: beermotor;643597


Thurl the Elf walks forward to examine the door. Any markings, runes, signs? Door knob?

Arik the Dwarf looks at the stonework. How old? Created by whom? Any distinctive markings?


Even by the light of his best candle there is little Thurl can discern of the pattern of the crystals. There seems to be no sense to it.

As a slave Glum has found himself on the wrong side of a fair few doors, but other than the crystals he sees nothing odd about this one. Neither does Watt.

Arik finds the stonework workmanlike at best and certainly not Dwarvern. It does have that ancient stone feel about it that only a Dwarf's cunning fingers could sense. He sees no markings on the stone.

Tommy Brownell

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[IC] DCC RPG - Portal Under the Stars
« Reply #7 on: April 07, 2013, 12:08:17 PM »
Bahib gets right to work with his dagger, hoping to pop out at least a jewel or two before the group opens the door.

Blandon paces nervously, hammer in hand. "Well? Is it locked?"
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beermotor

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« Reply #8 on: April 07, 2013, 06:50:56 PM »
"I can't see any pattern to the crystals, nor any runes or other markings," Thurl says.

"The stones are ancient," Arik says. "But no dwarf made this, so far as I can tell. Do elves or humans make such dungeons, or tombs, or whatever this is?"

Rock says, "Door need bashin?"

pbj44

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[IC] DCC RPG - Portal Under the Stars
« Reply #9 on: April 07, 2013, 10:32:46 PM »
Watt reaches out a presses a few of the gems - just to see what happens

To the rear of the party -

Blessed: turning to Dominic "Here brother, it helps the nerves!", and offers him a piece of cheese to eat.

Glum: He glares at Arik, "Well thank you mister fancy britches!"

Turning towards the door, "Hssss...hey fellers, ya need a hand bustin' that door down?"

Rapa: Turns and takes a long look around at the surrounding area. He's looking for anyone sneaking up on the group.

« Last Edit: April 08, 2013, 01:30:31 AM by pbj44 »

Weru

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[IC] DCC RPG - Portal Under the Stars
« Reply #10 on: April 08, 2013, 01:56:50 PM »
Bahib sticks his dagger tip under one of the gems and Watt starts to press one of them. As soon as they're touched the gems glow with an intense light and heat and before Bahib, Watt or anyone else can do anything . . .

pbj44

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[IC] DCC RPG - Portal Under the Stars
« Reply #11 on: April 08, 2013, 02:00:14 PM »
Watt: "Holy shiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Tommy Brownell

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[IC] DCC RPG - Portal Under the Stars
« Reply #12 on: April 08, 2013, 07:23:13 PM »
Seville's head swivels around at the sudden burst of light at the door.

"That can't be good."
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pbj44

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« Reply #13 on: April 09, 2013, 12:30:37 PM »
Readying weapons as best I can.

Weru

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« Reply #14 on: April 09, 2013, 01:09:39 PM »
The the heat and light of the crystals erupts in a lance of burning light. The reflexes of both thieves are good and luck is with them and the beam only glances them as they quickly flatten themselves against the wall. Lucky as they are the smell of burnt flesh hangs heavy in the tunnel. Bahib has a whip like wound across his left shoulder and Watt has a red weal on his right cheek that is eerily star shaped.

The heat disperses and the crystals dull down until they once more resembling nothing more than an apparently random spread of stars on the door's surface.