Navero 20
From: dparsons@jarthur.claremont.edu (Daniel Parsons) Newsgroups: rec.games.frp Subject: Navero XX Reply-To: dparsons@jarthur.Claremont.EDU (Daniel Parsons) Distribution: world Organization: Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA Keywords: Navero, of the Correct and Unalterable Way
- Navero, male human cleric, 3rd level
- Dania, female 1/2-elf MU, 3rd level
- Rourk Ravensbane, male drow cavalier, 3rd level
- Kortul, male human fighter, 2nd level
- Razuli, male human fighter, 2nd level
- Arlor, male dwarf thief, 2nd level
And so, our heroes entered the great city of Propyla for the first time. It was much what you would expect of a relatively new city - still mostly clean, tolerable citizenry, and the good yet inexpensive accommodations. There were several inns and taverns, a sizable marketplace, an upper class district, government buildings, and a Street of Learning - a small street in the rich part of town, with sages and magicians selling their services; also, one magic shop. The city had several squares, as opposed to one, with message posts and public fountains - an altogether hospitable place.
The party split fairly early on, each of us going about our own business. Rourk found an armorer capable of repairing plate, and a limner to repaint his shield device. Navero wandered to the religious areas, where he found a church of the Correct and Unalterable Way and spent the remainder of the afternoon and evening. Arlor just wandered away. Dania, Kortul, and Razuli all congregated to the magic shop, to see what sort of goodies they could find.
Dania: "Wow! Look at all this stuff!"
Kortul: *grunt* (Inspects swords on one wall.)
Shop Keeper: (sneers in a whiny sort of way) "MAY I HELP you?"
Razuli: "Hey there! Got anything we could use?"
Keeper: "I wouldn't know, SIR. Were you looking for anything SPECIFIC?"
Dania: "What do these wands do?"
Razuli: "You wanna see a wand of fireballs, wizzerd? I got one I know you'll like."
Keeper: "THAT is a Wand of MINERAL Detection, MA'AM. 5000gp."
Dania: "Oh." (Drops wand, looks at other things.)
Kortul: "Not many weapons here."
Keeper: "No; there's LITTLE demand for them here; MOST that make their way here ARE, shall we say, somewhat USED. Weapons are in the back, as are ARMORS, and certain of the commoner potions."
Dania: "Hey, look at that mace. You think Navero would like that?"
Keeper: "That is a Mace of DISRUPTION, a very fine item and a rarity indeed. It was ONLY through great fortune that I was able to get it at all. It's function is to destroy those of the living dead whom it hits, COMPLETELY and UTTERLY, down to the last vestiges of their souls. I am SURE your friend would love to have it."
Razuli: "Great! Then he can take out all the undead. I can just see them, shivering in terror, as The Great Navero appears! How much?"
Keeper: "60,000gp."
Dania: "Gaak!"
Kortul: "Bit expensive."
Keeper: "Sorry SIR, but I cannot accept ANY less. And please do not LEAN on those carpets, you MAY stain them."
Dania: "What's this little statue?"
Keeper: "(sigh.) A Figurine of Wondrous Power. 30,000gp. I PERCEIVE that you are on a budget. Perhaps you would LIKE to look at something ELSE, more in your range?"
Dania: "Uh... can we see what kinds of potions you have?"
Keeper: "Certainly. (sigh.) ANYTHING to please a customer. GEORGE?"
George: (From back room) "Yes?"
Keeper: "Could you tell these WONDERFUL people what kinds of POTIONS we currently stock?"
George: "We stock: MegaHeals of all varieties, potions of diminution, potions of growth, one philter of love (a hot item!), potions of..."
Dania: "What's a MegaHeal?"
Keeper: "(sigh!) I wonder HOW long you have been OUT of TOWN. A MegaHeal is a variety of HEALING potion, which I SUPPOSE would make it an attractive item to those of YOUR profession. Normally, a healing potion may cure LESS, or MORE, but a MegaHeal will consistently restore the SAME amount of damage. It is unaffected by the PURITY of the drinker's body, or ANY of those other factors which make the ordinary, garden variety of healing potion so very unpredictable and undesirable." (This means: They cure 8 hit points, not 1-8. Megaheals come as 8, 10, 16, and 32 pointers.)
Kortul: "More expensive?"
Keeper: "That USED to be the case, but the NEWER techniques have reduced the cost to a much more REASONABLE level, which may make them more ATTRACTIVE for you."
Razuli: "How about crossbow bolts?"
Keeper: "George? Do we have any CROSSBOW BOLTS in stock?"
George: "Light, or Heavy?"
Keeper: "LIGHT or heavy, SIR?"
Razuli: "Light, with barbed heads."
Keeper: "George? LIGHT, with barbed HEADS."
George: "Sorry, we do not have any quarrels or arrows in stock."
Kortul: "Any two-handed swords?"
Keeper: "GEORGE? Do we stock any TWO-Handed Swords?"
George: "We have one two-handed claymore, which is... +1, +4 vs. reptiles."
Keeper: "One two-..."
Kortul: "Heard. Price on Lizard sword?"
Keeper: "(Hmph!) George? What IS the list price on the LIZARD sword?"
George: "The list price is... 5000gp."
Kortul: "Trade-in?"
Keeper: "(sigh!) Yes, we ACCEPT trade-ins. Are you speaking of THAT? Well, let me SEE. Hm. Fairly standard enchantments, nothing SPECIAL. WITH this, I BELIEVE we could settle for... 3000gp."
Kortul: "1500."
Keeper: "GEORGE? Bring the LIZARD SWORD out here that the customer may inspect it before purchase. I ASSUME you wish to do so, SIR."
(Sword floats out of the back room, sets down on counter.)
Keeper: "THANK you, George. I BELIEVE you can see that this fine item..."
(Much haggling. Settle on 2300gp, Kortul is pretty much cleaned out.)
Dania: "I think I'll just get a MegaHeal or so. That way, we don't have to depend so much on Nav."
Keeper: "SOUND thinking, MA'AM. Would you be wanting the ECONOMY size, or one of the more EFFECTIVE ones?"
Dania: "Uh, economy."
Keeper: "Fine. The 8hp type is... 500gp each."
(More haggling. Dania gets 2, Razuli gets 1.)
Razuli: "Well, I guess thats it. You got nothing much worth buyin'. How do you keep people from stealing all this junk?"
(A beautifully made suit of full plate on display animates, grabs Razuli, and tosses him out the door.)
Dania: "Neat. Bye, George!"
George: "Bye, come again!"
We met again in the square closest to the gate, and went out looking for an inn to stay in. We found a very nice one; there was a common room below, with a small stage for entertainers, and the tables were all in good shape. Rooms were all upstairs, with thick walls to keep the noises of nighttime revelry out; we were mostly all tired, and did want to sleep that night. The party was mostly complete; only Rourk and Navero were missing.
Dania: "Where's... uh, whatisname, the stupid?"
Razuli: "Which one? There are a lot of them."
Dania: "I meant helmet-head. Wasn't he gonna be here?"
Arlor: "Um, I saw him, yup. He went into a house where there was this woman."
Razuli: "OUR cavalier, chasing HUMAN tail? Or was she human?"
Arlor: "Yup. Not real nice-lookin', though. He seemed to like her."
Razuli: "No accounting for taste. Wonder what she tastes like? I'll guess I'll just have to ask him, won't I?"
Dania: "Oh, please. I don't wanna hear about it."
(An elf enters, comes to our table. He is in fine red leathers, has silver hair and golden eyes, and has a lute.)
Obnoxious Bard: "Hi there! New in town?"
Kortul: "What are you?"
O Bard: "Sir! Do you not recognize me by my profession? I see you do not; well then: how many barbarians does it take to screw in a light bulb?"
Kortul: (glares.)
O Bard: "One, of course."
Razuli: "That's not very funny, ya know."
O Bard: "What's funny is how many light bulbs it takes."
Razuli: "Here's one for ya: how many obnoxious bards does it take to screw in a light bulb?"
O Bard: "That depends on how big the light bulb is. Speaking of which: magic user! Are you free tonight?"
Dania: "Do you have a name, o great minstrel?"
O Bard: "Indeed I do, o palpitator of men's hearts! I am Kory Silvertongue, soon to be The Incredibly Famous Kory Silvertongue, known throughout the land for his incredible musical talents."
Razuli: "Dania's already known throughout the land for her incredible talents."
Kory: "Oh, really?! Well! We should get together and make beau-u-u-tiful music together sometime! How about tonight?"
Dania: "I don't know who you are, but I already know that I don't like you. Piss off."
Kory: "Say that with a smile, sweetheart! Ah, Dania! Can't you see what I'm trying to tell you?"
Dania: "Yes! You're a fucking pervert with his brains in his pants!"
Kory: "Oh, dear! My face would cave in every time I went to the bathroom!"
Arlor: "Why are those guards coming over to our table?"
(Kory quickly disappears.)
Guard 1: "Who was that?"
Dania: "I don't know. I don't want to know."
Guard 2: "Well, you are all under arrest."
Razuli: "Aw, c'mon officer! We didn't know he was the governor!"
Guard 1: "What's this about the governor? We wanted to arrest you for travelling with a Dark Elf."
Kortul: "Joking."
Arlor: "But we wouldn't, nope. They're not nice people!"
Guard 1: "Were you in the company of a short knight when you came into our city, at gate #2 this afternoon?"
Dania: "Did we come in gate #2? I don't think so. That wasn't us."
Guard 3: "The color of your chits indicates otherwise. How long did you know this person?"
Razuli: "Oh, not long. Was he a darkie? He never took that helmet off."
Guard 4: "Details, please."
Kortul: "Met a few days ago. Traveled with us, kept apart. Left us after the gate."
Guard 1: "So you know nothing of him?"
Dania: "Nope. How'd you catch him?"
Guard 2: "We didn't. We found his body in a drainage ditch a few hours ago. He was naked and drained of blood, through two holes in his neck. Probably also used in some other nefarious rites as well; the body had been mutilated. Not being worthy of a funeral, and not wishing to have it polluting our city, we took the body out and burned it. And now, we wish you to explain his presence here."
Arlor: "We didn't know, no no no. News to us."
Guard 1: (sigh.) "You will swear to that?"
Dania: "Sure. Right here, if you want."
Guard 2: "Not strictly necessary. Ah, well. Good evening to you."
(They leave.)
Dania: "Rourk's dead? Oh, well."
Razuli: "They probably got all his money too."
Kortul: "Hmph. Remember: cities more dangerous than dungeons. Watch it."
Kory: (Reappears) "Ah, ha! So you did know this person!"
Dania: "Oh, shit. I thought they scared you off."
Kory: "Magic-user: how could one of our race knowingly run around with one of those filthy bastards? I find it difficult to believe, but I'll forgive you if you sleep with me tonight."
Dania: "What if I told you I got kicked out of home for sleeping with one of those bastards?"
Kory: "Yeesh! Then yours is a road I shall never travel! Good God, woman! You have absolutely no morals! And I'm starting to like you!"
Kortul: "Hmph."
Kory: "You have some opinion, o great and hairy one?"
Kortul: "Light, Dark, all the same. Are all uppity, and all bleed."
Dan Parsons
"You speak of elves as though they were meat."
"Often are."
