Hazlan, Land of Monsters OOC

[Kaitou Kage]

Okay! Altan has undergone some mechanical and background changes. Here's what's common knowledge, especially among other Hazlani citizens:

Altan attended the Red Academy and as far as anyone knew, he was just an average student. Not exceptional, not terrible. Just run of the mill, if a bit handsome. Few people at the time knew Altan led a secret life.

Ramulai had a number of underground activities from drugs to alcohol. One corner of Ramulai's undercity recruited students to participate in a pit fighting ring. One of the fighters who stood out in the league called himself the Pit Fiend. Clad in red tattoos and wreathed in flames, he consistently ranked in the fighting ring's top spots and was a well-loved fighter with the audience.

The fame wasn't meant to last. Authorities discovered the fighting ring and broke it up. During the kerfluffle, the Pit Fiend's identity was revealed as Altan Isfahani. Outed and facing the legal repercussions, Altan quietly retired from fighting and finished his studies at the Tower.

Since he retired from fighting, Altan has taken to drinking heavily. Rarely is he seen without a drink in hand anymore. Occasionally he's challenged by people hoping to take down the Pit Fiend, but he usually avoids these confrontations.

Mechanically, Altan is now a monk, not a sorcerer.

[NeoTiamat]

Since it's in fashion, I also have a small tweak to Lena to report, albeit of a far less grand nature than Altan's. Lena no longer casts Disguise Self, but instead has this lovely spell:

Children of the Night
School divination; Level Von Zarovich 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 min./level
You can ask questions of and receive answers from bats, foxes, rats, and wolves -- by default, they tend to be inclined to respect a Von Zarovich, though they still begin at Indifferent Disposition (which a Diplomacy check can improve to Friendly or Helpful). Bats tend to be sociable and pleasant, foxes eloquent and subtle, rats gregarious and shifty, and wolves dignified and serious. If an animal is friendly toward you, it may do some favor or service for you.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Had a post about Vasili summoning Leila in secret, but then it got long... and I decided it worked better as a cut scene. Spoiler alert!

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Just FYI everyone: We're working on a redesign of Cattia to emphasize her role as a social combatant. Feel free to join the Pathfinder Rumormonger thread on the general forum.

[NeoTiamat]

For the record, Lena would have informed the others that Ushka followed the group east-southeast for about a mile before breaking off due to possibility of owls. I am informed that if you go far enough over some very rough country, you eventually hit the Mage's Way leading to Toyalis. No other obvious intervening features. I will note that they have a druid around and possibly one or more rangers, so cross-country treks are hardly out of the question, though it's a long way.

Forfarmax is located southwest of our previous location.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

I feel like I owe everyone an apology. I thought that since Leila had already been seen and blood drawn, that this qualified as having been "made" and stealth was no longer really a viable option for her. I figured they were in the Balinoks at night, they would not risk life and limb by fleeing in the dark just because someone made contact. I thought they might be more confident in their security if the contact appeared to be a case of mistaken identity. It appears now that not only were all three of these thoughts incorrect, but that I had missed details that could have clued me in. At the very least, I could have learned that these beliefs were false by asking more questions.

This is at least the second time I've made things harder because I didn't ask enough questions. I promise I will work on this in the future.

[Nerit]

Hurray! I finally posted!

If anyone cares (they don't), Nuray's clothing is based on traditional Turkish garb, silhouette based on this entari & gomlek and on top of that a leather hirka (kind of like a jerkin, maybe?). Her bow is also of Turkish tradition.

(Her class is Inquisitor, but she's more of an archer, really. Let's just leave it there .)

[Isabella]

[Nathan of the FoS]

If anyone would like to contribute a story to the storytelling contest, I will give you an RP for it!

Here is Renhalt's:

Once upon a time a young man went into the forest to meet his true love, a woman with sly brown eyes and hair like flame.

He walked a long way, he walked a short way, and as he went he came to where an old woman sat churning butter. Whirl, twirl, thump went the churn.

“Good morning, grandmother,” he said. “What do you make?”

“Butter for the funeral breads,” she replied, and nothing more. As he looked the young man saw the ears of a fox, almost hidden in the old woman’s silver hair.

“Well, good morrow to you,” he said, and went on his way.

He walked a long way, he walked a short way, and as he went he came to where a tall man was chopping logs. Twhick, thwack, thunk went the axe.

“Good morning, cousin,” he said. “What do you gather?”

“Wood for the funeral fire,” the tall man replied, and nothing more. Where his shirt hung open the young man could see the pelt of a fox beneath his clothing.

“Well, good morrow to you,” he said, and went on his way.

He walked a long way, he walked a short way, and as he went he came to where a figure all hooded and cloaked sat spinning fine white cloth. Hum, zum, thrum went the spinning wheel.

“Good morning, stranger,” he said. “What do you spin?”

“A shroud for the funeral table,” it replied, and nothing more. Beneath where its cloak came almost to the ground the young man could see the paws of a fox.

"Well, good morrow to you," said the young man, and went on his way.

At last he came to the house where his true love lived, and she threw open the door and rushed to greet him. “Come in, come in!” she said. “We have prepared our dinner, and waited only for you to arrive to eat!”

As he stood in the doorway the young man saw the fire burning merrily in the fireplace; he saw the baked bread steaming on the windowsill; and he saw the table, laid with its fine white cloth. Last of all he looked at his true love, and saw the tip of a fox’s brush poking out from beneath her skirt.

“That’s one too many for me!” said the young man, and he took to his heels and ran all the way home.

[NeoTiamat]

Renhalt is going to be getting some very eloquent looks from Lena for that story. So here's the bard with an old Barovian folk tale, also about a fox.


There was a man. This man had a cat, but this cat was such a trickster, it was terrible! The man grew dead tired of him. He thought about it a good long time, then he took the cat, put him in a bag, and took him to the forest. Once there, he just left the cat to fend for himself if he could.

The cat wandered and wandered for a long time, and came upon a small izba. He climbed into the attic and curled up there. When he got hungry, he would go out in the forest and catch a few birds and a few mice, eat his full, and climb back into the attic, and he was happy!

Once the cat went out for a walk, and saw the fox coming up. The fox saw the cat was was very puzzled: "I've lived many years in the forest, and I've never seen such an animal!"

She bowed to the cat, and asked him:

"Tell me, brave youth, who are you? How did you come into these parts, and what is your name?"

The cat puffed up his fur and said:

"My name is Kotofei Ivanovich, I hail from the Forest of Mt. Baratok, and I have been sent here to be your boyar!"

"Oh, Kotofei Ivanovich!" the fox said, "I did not know about you, I had no idea! Well, won't you come to my house."

The cat went to the fox's house. She took him to her den and began feeding him all sorts of game, and continued to ask him about himself.

"Kotofei Ivanovich, are you married or a bachelor?"

"A bachelor."

"So am I! Won't you marry me!"

The cat agreed, and they feasted and made merry.

The following day the fox set out to find more food, and the cat stayed home.

The fox spent all morning hunting, and finally caught a duck. She was carrying it home when she encountered the wolf.

"Stop, fox! Give me that duck!"

"Certainly not!"

"Then I'll take it from you!"

"And I'll tell Kotofei Ivanovich, he'll execute you!"

"And who is this Kotofei Ivanovich?"

"Haven't you heard? He was sent from the Mt. Baratok forests to be our boyar! I used to be the fox maiden, but now I am the boyar's wife!"

"No, I hadn't heard, Lizaveta Ivanovna. Could I take a look at him?"

"Oh, my Kotofei Ivanovich is so short-tempered: if someone displeases him, he'll eat him right away! You had better get a ram and bring it to him as a welcoming gift: but be careful, put the ram in an open place, and hide yourself so that the cat doesn't see you, or else, brother, woe will befall you!"

The wolf ran off to get a ram, and the fox went home.

On her way, she met the bear.

"Stop, fox! Give me that duck!"

"Certainly not!"

"Then I'll take it from you!"

"And I'll tell Kotofei Ivanovich, he'll execute you!"

"And who is this Kotofei Ivanovich?"

"Haven't you heard? He was sent from the forests of of Mt. Baratok to be our boyar! I used to be the fox maiden, but now I am the boyar's wife!"

"No, I hadn't heard, Lizaveta Ivanovna. Could I take a look at him?"

"Oh, my Kotofei Ivanovich is so short-tempered: if someone displeases him, he'll eat him right away! You had better get a steer and to bring it to him as a welcoming gift: but be careful, put the ram in an open place, and hide yourself so that the cat doesn't see you, or else, brother, woe will befall you!"

The bear ran off to get a steer, and the fox went home.

The wolf brought a ram, skinned it, and stood there, thinking. Who should he see, but the bear arriving with a steer on his back.

"Good day, Mikhailo Ivanovich!"

"Good day, brother Levon! Have you seen the fox and her husband?"

"No, Mikhailo, I'm waiting for them myself."

"Why don't you go up to their door and call them," the bear said to the wolf.

"No, I won't go, Mikhailo Ivanovich. I'm not very nimble, you'd better go."

"No, I won't go, I'm shaggy and pigeon-toed, I certainly can't go!"

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a hare came running by.

The wolf and the bear yelled at him!

"Come right here, Cross-Eyes!"

The hare stopped dead in his tracks and flattened his ears.

"You're nimble and fast on your feet: go run up to the fox's den and tell her that the bear Mikhailo Ivanovich and brother Levon Ivanovich have been ready for some time, and are waiting for you and your husband, Kotofei Ivanovich, they're bringing a ram and a steer as welcoming gifts."

The hare ran as fast as he could to the fox's den. Meanwhile, the bear and the wolf started thinking where they could hide.

The bear said: "I'll climb on the pine-tree."

The wolf answered: "How about me? I can't climb on trees! Hide me somewhere."

The bear hid the wolf in the bushes, covered him up with dry leaves, and climbed up on the pine tree, up to the very top, and kept watch for Kotofei Ivanovich and his wife.

Meanwhile, the hare arrived at the fox's den.

"The bear Mikhailo Ivanovich and the wolf Levon Ivanovich sent me to tell you that they have been waiting for some time to see you and your husband, they want to offer a ram and a steer as welcoming gifts.

"Go on, Cross-Eyes, we'll be right there."

So the cat and the fox went out. The bear saw them and said to the wolf:

"What kind of a boyar is this Kotofei Ivanovich, he's so small!"

The cat jumped on the steer, puffed up his fur, and began tearing at the meat with his teeth and his paws, purring all the time and sounding angry:

"Meow, meow," but the bear and the wolf heard " more, more."

The bear said to the wolf:

"He may be small, but what a glutton! We couldn't eat this meat between the four of us, and he says it's not enough for him alone! He may yet get to us!"

The wolf wanted to take a good look at Kotofei Ivanovich, but he couldn't see him through the leaves. So he started to push the leaves away carefully. The cat heard the leaves rustling, and thought it was a mouse, and jumped at the wolf! He landed right on his nose, and caught him with his claws!

The wolf was so frightened that he leapt away and ran off as fast as he could.

The cat was frightened, too, so he climbed up the tree where the bear was hiding.

"That'it," the bear thought, "he saw me!"

There was no time to climb down. The bear just fell down, hurt his bottom, jumped up, and ran away as fast as he could.

The fox called after them:

"Run, run, or he might skin you yet!"

And from then on all the animals feared the cat. The cat and the fox, meanwhile, had enough meat for the whole winter, and they lived happily ever after, and still live there to this day.

[Nerit]

I think every Mulani's jaw would fall off if Nuray tried to tell a story so I'll just content myself with listening. (I like these both! Encore!)

[Isabella]

Richard, who isn't one to deny a clear theme for the evening, and yet knows he is going to get looks from Ushka over this, downs another glass of whiskey and tells a story from Dementlieu that his sister was fond of:

There once was a young woman walking home from the forest, when she came across a creature trussed up in a sack. The creature begged her pitifully to be let free, and though the woman hesitated, she was not so hard-hearted to leave anything to slowly starve and die. Not a moment after the sack was opened, a wolf pounced out and was upon her, snapping at her with his teeth. When the woman protested that this was the reward for her kindness, the wolf replied only, "Old favors are soon forgotten."

The woman protested this violently, and the two fell to quarreling - for the wolf was a starving beast, but also a proud one - until finally the pair came to an agreement. They would walk along the road and ask the first three creatures they met, and if all agreed that old favors were soon forgotten, the woman would consent to be eaten.

So the pair walked down the path, a very odd couple indeed, until they came to a dog lying in a field, worn and fog-eyed with age. The two put their query to him, and the dog answered: "For years I served my master faithfully, chasing your like away from the flocks, Monsieur Wolf. I looked after his children in the day, and every night I lay down at the foot of his bed. But now that I am old, my teeth blunt and my eyes blind, he has turned me out into this field to die. So yes, I would say that old favors are soon forgotten."

(Here Richard shook his head, for no Mordentishman of any character would abuse his dogs in such a way.)

The pair continued on until they found a horse, pawing at the side of his enclosure. The two put their query to him, and the horse replied: "For years I served my master faithfully, bearing loads that would break a man's back. I worked tirelessly for him in all seasons of the year. But now I am lame, and I am given chaff to eat and naught for a bed, and my master talks of selling me for the meat. So yes, I would say that old favors are soon forgotten."

Finally the two came to a steep bank, where played a little russet fox. The two put their query to him, and thus he answered: "I do not believe you! A wolf that large could not fit in so small a sack!"

The wolf, insulted to be called a liar, quickly crawled inside to prove that he fit. The fox leaped up on the opening of the sack, and said, "Quickly now, be rid of him, and we'll discuss what you owe me for saving you once you are done!"

So the young woman grabbed the sack, tying the mouth and whirling it with all her strength - and knocked the fox off the bank with it, dropping both wolf and fox down the slope and far into the forest. And as the fox bounced to his feet, he heard the woman laughing, as she called out: "Goodbye, little fox! Old favors are soon forgotten!"

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Vasili listens to the stories from the others, and at the risk of breaking the cycle, opens with a poem that makes no mention of a fox:

One day, Mamma said, “Conrad dear,
I must go out and leave you here.
But mind now, Conrad, what I say,
Don’t suck your thumb while I’m away.
The great tall tailor always comes,
To little boys that suck their thumbs;
And 'ere they dream what he’s about,
He takes his great sharp scissors out.
And cuts their thumbs clean off, and then,
You know, they never grow again.”
Mamma had scarcely turned her back,
The thumb was in, Alack! Alack!
The door flew open, in he ran,
The great, long, red-legg’d scissor-man.
Oh! Children, see! The tailor’s come
And caught out little Suck-a-Thumb.
Snip! Snap! Snip! The scissors go;
And Conrad cries out - "Oh!" "Oh!" "Oh!"
Snip! Snap! Snip! They go so fast,
That both his thumbs are off at last.
Mamma comes home: there Conrad stands,
And looks quite sad, and shows his hands;
“Ah!" said Mamma, “I knew he’d come
To naughty little Suck-a-Thumb.”

"But of course, you may well ask, where is the fox in my tale? Well, if you follow the work of the brothers Gleam, you might know that the great tall tailor keeps company with a terrible fox, who lives at the end of a white road...."

[Kaitou Kage]

Altan drinks a lot, and has an extra drink every time the word 'fox' is said.

[Nathan of the FoS]

In the end, I couldn't resist. Time for Castles Forlorn, everyone!

(Um, if you haven't read it, please don't. If you have, please don't review it until after we finish.)