Treachery, lies and secrets

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Treachery, lies and secrets

Post by Coan »

Hello and welcome to the halfling walks game. This series began several years ago and has changed hands at least three times now. It has since passed on to me to continue it.

You'll probably pick up differences in play and focus (I am after all a different DM to Jason) however if you ever have some suggestions please feel free to PM me.

This thread takes off from 'The Halfling Walks to Church' thread and follows Kimuriel de Van, the psionic half elf detective, Ixevim a renegade mind flayer, Heinrich Borgas a former resistance fighter for Falkovnian freedom from Invidia and Artemis J Ardent, a simple man of some talents that seems to be more than he appears and knows more than he lets on.

Currently the group has been transported by Ixevim after an assassination attempt on Lord Pietor who turned out to simply be the artificial puppet of some greater mind.

So now I give you 'Treachery, lies and secrets' or 'Sometimes love makes fools of us all'
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Post by Coan »

The group stood in the centre of what was once the seat of Borcan power until only half an hour ago. Bodies littered the room and blood covered the tiles.

It was funny, Heinrich thought, how even though he had almost died and seen more death in these last moments than he had these past few months -he was content. Nostalia nuzzled slightly against him as she tried to maintain her balance and he shifted his attention back to Ixevim.

Kimuriel too was thinking on different matters. His father and that voice, his mind also felt violated beyond anything he could imagine -so much so he had trouble trusting what was about to happen. When he used his powers to try and help his friends he couldn't have known what was to happen... but that psionic storm... it had fed off him gathering strength. He had felt some alien presence probing his mind and taking whatever it wanted, unfeeling without remorse for its own satisfaction almost as if it had taken pleasure in his pain. He felt dirty and used and wasn't sure what to do next. If he was to use his powers once more... would the presence return? Maybe he had caused it, provoked it into attacking his mind and what was that vision of such a beautiful woman? For some reason his thoughts were taking a darker turn on his future.

Artemis simply stood looking at Simone. His friend Pietor had been cloned or copied somehow and given replica memories. His very home had been invaded by imposters and monsters of the worse kind and that upstart Heinrich would not even trust his word. Since when did the hired help have a say in things?

As these thoughts passed the group's mind Ixevim concentrated. The vision, no, the reality of his homeland in such destruction. It hurt more than anything he had felt in these past weeks. The three Mindflayers and the question of why they were here also troubled his mind, what did they mean? No. Not at this moment, for now he must concentrate on transport.

Summoning his will he felt those around him sink into a linked mind. Their bodies and spirits melded with something greater than so many could even dream of. A sense of magnificance and forbidden power lapsed over them and then they were screaming. The world was turning like cogs and gears in a clock but everything was changing, pain was everywhere and parts were missing and those parts were getting larger. Ixevim had to concentrate just to maintain the party lest they all be lost to the void in the corner of the world. Suddenly he felt a huge yank on his mind and he was cast into a small part of the country's body.

He opened his eyes and saw he was standing on several runes in a sealed chamber. Guards surrounded him and his friends while Sefeasa Ivana, Lady of Borca stood looking directly at Artemis. She was only inches away from his face and her large clear eyes showed such sadness as she spoke.


"So... you... succeeded."
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Post by Wiccy of the Fraternity »

Heinrich shook the cobwebs of bewilderment from his mind and turned to one of the guards.

"Fetch help, Lady Nostalia is wounded."
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Post by VAN »

Kimuriel still feeling a bit dizzy from the planeshift and with a thousand of questions getting his mind, tries to compose himself. They are in front of Lady Ivana in a church foul of guards. That was neither the best place nor the best people he hopes to meet now. The psion is very tired and feels that his mind power is quite ended, but most of all he doesn’t know if he can use his powers again, he doesn’t know if the presence will return the next time. This situation makes him feel nervous and threaded.

His glance passes from Ivana to Artemis and then again to Ivana. Kimuriel sees her sadness and tries to understand if she is at least a bit happy or satisfied for the end of their mission or not. The last thing he wants now is another battle.
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Post by Coan »

Two guards moved to Nostalia and lowered her to a nearby chair while Artemis nodded to Ivana slowly.

"It wasn't him... just a copy." as he spoke the words Kimuriel could see a tear roll down Ivana's face, suddenly she seemed not to want to believe him and rose her hand up and hit him soundly across the face leaving a small cut on his cheek. Artemis merely took the blow as she gave a gasp and turned away. When she spoke her voice choked slightly

"You have served me well. I shall see your wounds are tended to." and with that she fled the room. Nostalia tried to raise herself to follow but collapsed back to her chair. It was at this time a doctor walked forward to check on them all.
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Post by alhoon »

OOC: Ixevim is still disguised I hope?

IC: Ixevim's mind raced. Would Ivana really let them go? Or would she discard their dead bodies as she had always done with those that helped her? When the Doctor appeared, Ixevim nodded to him and said:
"I'm fine thank you, no need to spend time on me, I haven't been injured.Better just check my allies."
Ixevim was ready. In case the doctor protested and tried to examine his health he would understand that he was a mind flayer. But Ixevim wanted the doctor to check Simone's health.
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Post by VAN »

Kimuriel shares the same thoughts with Ixevim about Ivana and he doesn't trust the doctor to heal him, so by his turn walk off saying:

"I'm quite well too. Please take care Lady Nostalia and Heinrich first, these two are in the worst condition."

Kimuriel says the truth, he has only a few scars from the battle with the zombies the day before. His innertial barrier had protected him very well. The psion frowns as he thinks one more time the presence, who knows if he can manifest this precious power again and if he does with what effect. He needed time to rest and think, these few hours his whole life has changed and that bothers very much the half elf. For 30 years Kimuriel knew that he can trust his mind powers to protect himself, fight, do the detective much better and resolve almost all his problems. He knew also that his father was dead. And now, he finds himself weak, unsure of his future, unable to defend himself, being used from someone who doesn't know, with a father ghost or a zombie, with another strange undead which seems to have captured his father soul and with the record of a presence which drows his strengh and changes the effect of his powers. The psion feels unprotected and frustrated, but the worse is that for the first time of his 53 years, Kimuriel feels useless and this sensation hurts him more than everything. He has to react.
- The first 2 Feats a wizard should take are "point blank shot" and "Precise shot"!
- W H A T ! ? !
- Or they should NEVER memorize rays!
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Post by Coan »

The doctor does not spend time arguing but moves over to where he is obviously needed with Heinrich and Nostalia. Ixevim's illusion had been intact when they returned and he felt relieved at not having to fight his way out, at least for the moment.

Having seen to them the guards gestured for those well enough to walk to follow them. Shown up the stairs to a door they are quickly taken to a nearby waiting room which is more equipped for the time that would pass between what they knew to be a crucial judgement from Sefeasa Ivana.

Heinrich and Nostalia themselves are helped to the room and lowered onto lounge chairs with their heads supported by aged yellow silk pillows which matched the room's sunny demeanor. Simone is also shown in.

Seeing a well cushioned arm chair Artemis drops himself down into a comfortable position while the room's serving girl goes outside to gather cloth and food. While the door swings closed for a moment they can see it is guarded while the french door windows opening to a balcony revealed they were once again high up with the Rebels -now the true royal party with Pietor's apparent demise. Seeming somewhat fussed Artemis plays with his shoe slightly expecting some interesting questions. To start the ball rolling he speaks.


"So will someone explain just who is this man?" the diplomat pointed at Simone
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Post by VAN »

Not willing to listen the same story again, Kimuriel says:

"As Ixevim have said before, both of you have met this man in past. It seems that he should be dead and become a... a ghost that in a strange way turns back to life. The problem is how and of course if he is telling the truth. So, lets leave him talk and explain his version of the story."
- The first 2 Feats a wizard should take are "point blank shot" and "Precise shot"!
- W H A T ! ? !
- Or they should NEVER memorize rays!
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Post by VAN »

Kimuriel still lost in his dark thoughts, barely follows Simone while he narrates his story.

The man begins from the moment he and his brothers Theodore and Calvin, made a device in order to locate, capture and bring to justice a rather fiendish creature that killed their father a few years ago. Calvin was killed in one of their experiments, but Simone and Theodore continued them. Then Simone described how accidentally saved Ixevim’s life drugging him out of the ethereal plane as an unexpected side-effect of another experiment. Continues saying how he opened the gate again when Ixevim gone away and how the bioconstruct got his head off when he put it in to check. After that the man tries to describe the sensation of being a ghost, how everything became gray and how nothing could touch him, he had no other feelings, only disappointment and frustration.

Ixevim continues the story with expressionless face and only the tone of his voice and the mix of emotions that telepathically sends them help the others understand how much disappointed and anger felt when he turned back and saw the device broken and Simone decapitated.

“When I understand that Simone cannot rest because his pain kept him here, I promised to help him. I promised to get revenge for his death, something I have done, fix his device and find Theodore’s relatives. From that moment, when I wanted I could communicate with Simone. It seems that a bond had created between us.” ends his narrate Ixevim.
- The first 2 Feats a wizard should take are "point blank shot" and "Precise shot"!
- W H A T ! ? !
- Or they should NEVER memorize rays!
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Post by alhoon »

OOC: Thank you VAN! Even I, couldn't have said it better.

IC: Ixevim asks Simone if he can check his health. After all, in his time as a creator, Ixevim has experienced with anatomy, biology and medicine of the "Thrall Races" to some degree. Not enough for a mind flayer, but as good as an average human doctor.
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Post by Coan »

Artemis coughed and rubbed his nose before moving his hand out and picking a filled wine glass from a nearby table.

"No thank you Ixevim I am fine."

"The point I think we are missing is what we are to do now?" Heinrich asked while clearly agitated

"Should we flee you mean?" Artemis inquired with a dry observation causing Heinrich to look over to Nostalia

"No. But ... Kimuriel, Ixevim, what do you think? I do not trust this one." he waved his hand to the diplomat who only gave a guffaw and grumbled something about ungrateful help
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Post by VAN »

Kimuriel not responds immediately, because he was thinking his situation, but the intense look of both Heinrich and Artemis captures his attention. So he shrugs and says:

“Artemis is ok for me, he did only his job as diplomat and he saved our lives. However the real problem isn’t what we want to do, but what is permitted to do.”

The half-elf rests his glance a moment on Artemis and continues:

“You think that Lady Borca want us here? I don’t think that is only a coincidence that we appeared in a sealed church in front of her. So, if we flee and she wants us here… that will not be a wise choice. So, I propone to rest here, regain our forces and tomorrow go and talk directly to her”

Only Ixevim and Artemis who stood beside Kimuriel listen the rest of psion’s phrase, which is told between his teeth. “Maybe by this way we have some chances to remain alive.”

Kimuriel turns now to face the scientist.

“As about you Simone, well it seems that you get your life back. What do you want to do now?”
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- W H A T ! ? !
- Or they should NEVER memorize rays!
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Post by Coan »

Simone looked to Kimuriel, confused for a moment, and then spoke.

"I am... not sure."

Artemis nodded in turn.
"The Church was rigged with arcane symbols.. an anchoring spell of some description. It drew us here, though I am more concered by what I felt in that moment between the two spaces. Something seemed wrong."
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Post by VAN »

It's now Kimuriel's turn to look concerned Artemis.

"What do you felt? I thought I was the only one who had dark thoughts and bad feelings about future. It happened to you too Ixevim?"
- The first 2 Feats a wizard should take are "point blank shot" and "Precise shot"!
- W H A T ! ? !
- Or they should NEVER memorize rays!
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