Puppets and Wolves (Solo)

The Blue One realizes that he is not alone.... A few feet ahead of him, it appears three shabbily clothed, human "scavengers" (most probably some desperate Dustie collectors) have surrounded what can best be described as a cross between a baby slaad and a dire rat. The 4-limbed creature, no larger than a small dog, is light green, has a toad face, and two pronounced incisors. It's red eyes swirl in apparent fear of being surrounded.

Despite his yipping, the Blue One goes unnoticed by anyone and gets a chance to observe the exchange:

Well Well Well, what in the Nine Hells do we have here?
One of the tattered-robed collectors rhetorically asks, his tone dangerously curious as he unsheathes an out-of-place finely crafted broadsword.
Time to take out the trash, boys!

WAAAAAaaEEEEEEWWWRRrrRr!!
RGUUUUTOOOO!!!
Comes the creature's high-pitched unintelligible reply. It sounds like a dying cat.

Suddenly, without warning, the three men begin attacking the creature! Mercilessly hacking away, for no apparent reason.

OOC: Indigo is about 50 ft away from the scene, unnoticed by anyone... Well, at least unnoticed by the three Dusties and 'creature.'

All is confusion for a second as the humans are caught completely off guard (especially the one who finds his face inside the reptile's mouth).

A muffled scream followed by startled gasps.

The other two humans, whose faces are not currently under mastication, turn their attention to the newcomer, though they take no other action, confused as to whether or not they should attack (and risk hitting their own).

Their confusion is promptly interrupted by

RGOOOOTOOOO!!!

....as the green freak emulates the blue reptile and manages to jump upon one of the men's head and fit his entire head into its mouth.

RmmffGoGGGmffTooooooo!

...comes the high-pitched, albeit muffled cry from the creature.

"They're... They're everywhere... we can't bang around here, let's do the bolt!!"
The now lone dustie with a free head shouts. Even as he finishes, he begins fleeing the scene.

Both dusties, utterly horrified, manage to wriggle free and flee. They seem hasted somehow, and even though "Creature" chases after them (in what can best be described as a crossover stroll/hop), they are too fast, and run off into the distance.

Creature 'strops' back to the reptile, and........smiles?

RgooTooooo!!!!

Without warning, and before the reptile can do anything to react, Creature jumps on top of him and swallows his head. Reptile judges the outburst to be more an odd form of affection than anything else. Creature covers his sharp teeth (especially the two front incisors) with his lips, so there is no pain, although the feeling is still...bordering on unpleasant. Everything is black (and slimy-wet) for the reptile. A worm moves around his face.... correction, Creature's tongue moves around his face.

Rgotoo stares at Indigo blankly.

After a few seconds of awkwardness, the surprisingly strong....thing... goes for another 'head-bite,' it's seriously all Indigo can do to hold him off.

Indigo notices that his entire head, and especially the eyes, are slightly burning and raw. It's a good bet that Rgotoo's "saliva" is acidic.

As Indigo holds up Rgotoo to examine him further, he notices out of the corner of his eye a large, gray wall in the distance (about 2 miles away)

(Make a knowledge: Sigil check)

The masonry of the wall rings a bell for Indigo... but how? He get's a tingly feeling in his eyes, and for a short while, the world around him disappears.

He's standing in front of a tall, imposing Bariaur (well, most are tall, but this one is tall, even for a Bariaur). Sporting two nasty looking horns as well as a pair of scholarly horn-rimmed glasses, the Bariaur... is a tout? Or an informant? Perhaps a friend?

Don't remember...

But you do recall that he is literally a walking encyclopedia. Now what was saying about a wall in the Slags?..

His calm, confident, baritone voice overwhelms you:

Forget everything you think you know about Goblins, and take a trip through Sigil's Goblin Quarter. The Goblin Quarter is located at the edge of the Hive Ward, along Dogskull Way, walled with unique Goblin masonry from the other sections of the Hive, notably one dangerously near the Slags. You'll quickly learn how the street got its name; the Goblins paint their decorations in bright colours, sticking them on pikes throughout the Quarter. "After all," a resident once commented to me, "it's not like the dog is usin' it anymore."

During the day, the streets are empty of everything but shadows. During the night, however, the Quarter comes alive. Goblin ratcatchers prowl the streets with their nets and traps, while goblin masons look for creative ways to shore up the collapsing buildings. The centre street turns into a market of sorts, with goblin shamans selling charms and trinkets, and goblin merchants selling anything they can get their hands on.

Then there's the food, with spicy smells from goblin cookfires assailing your nose at every turn. A life of poverty has taught these goblins how to make anything edible -- anything. Goblin cuisine is an experience no Sensate should miss. Order the Ok'Tre'Bash (that's the dish with the green sauce), but for Celestia's sake, don't ask what the meat is! After all, someone is paying the ratcatchers...

Like most ghettos, the Goblin Quarter is a world within a world. The goblins here have kept a lot of their old customs from the Prime. To a Sigilian, they dress strangely, talk strangely, and behave strangely. Among themselves, they speak in their high-pitched native tongue. When speaking with others, their planespeak is slurred and heavily accented. A canny cutter won't let these things stop him exploring the Quarter, though. First of all, they keep themselves and their streets fastidiously clean - a welcome relief from the rest of the Hive Ward. Secondly, this is one of the few areas of the Hive Ward that has working sewers. Goblin masons have made sure of that, digging and maintaining the sewer tunnels underneath the Quarter.

And thirdly, these Goblins are a lot more hospitable than their cousins who roam the Slags. Chant has it that the goblins who settled along Dogskull Way are heretics of sorts, escaping persecution from their Prime world. They certainly have some bizarre religious rituals; six times during the night, they erupt into cacophonous chanting, praising the glory of their Power. It sounds an awful shriek to non-Goblin ears, but it can save your life if you're lost in the Hive Ward at night. Just follow the yowling, and you'll soon be at the relative safety of the Goblin Quarter.

The soothing, didactic voice fades away

No.. he definitely sounded like a tout, but most touts don't divulge more information than they need...

But.. you can't remember his name for the life of you...

Rgootoo does follow along, half-hopping, half strolling. As you near the wall, you get the oddest feeling that you're being watched.

You'd guess that it's 2-4 hours away from antipeak, but the sky literally turns black...With circling birds that don't caw... the birds are quite low (200-300 ft above)... or are they bats.. no they're bats, their wings are unmistakably those of bats. It is only after a few more minutes of walking that you realize (as the 'bats' gradually descend - there must be at least 15-20) that these are disembodied heads with bat wings protruding from either side. Vargouilles!!!

You recognize them instantly as vicious undead creatures that feed on the living. While one or two may not be a problem, few things are more dangerous than a whole flock (like the one circling you and Rgootoo right now).

You also just noticed that as they descend, their circling has grown more rapid. Rgootoo is visibly nervous, as his movements are more tentative and slow.

The wall is still a mile away. It will take several minutes to reach it. You probably don't have that long.

OOC: I've posted Rgootoo's stats on the OOC thread.

You hear bloodcurdling shrieks abound as the Vargouilles now come at full speed!! There is rubble everywhere, but no place to Hide -- you must run!!

And so you do, towards the safety of the Goblin Wall- or at least that's what you think it is- you're not sure if your memory is an actual memory or a hallucination. At this point, you don't have many options.

As you flee, Rgootoo follows quickly (as he has no difficulty in understanding the situation).

Unfortunately, three of the cretins are close enough to try and bite, and one of them successfully does. A sickening, unnatural chill descends your spine, and your head feels light as waves of sickness radiate from the bite on your trapezius.

OOC: 6 Damage
Fortitude Save Succeeded
3 more rounds until you are up against the wall- you see no entrances, though, so that may be a problem - suggestion: search, spot

As he casts, two more Vargouilles surround, but only one manages to land one. The hit doesn't disrupt casting, and Indigo feels a supernatural force-field surround him.

OOC: Az, make sure you roll initiative each round
Dmg: 5

Despite his best efforts indigo is surrounded, and the Vargoilles are simply too fast for him. From all angles now, they come, and they bite...hard. The sickening feeling from the collective bites, and waves of cold numbness enervate his entire body. He opens his mouth to scream, but only... electricity comes out.

Horrible shrieks erupt all around from above. The cretins fall, utterly fried, in all directions, though near fainting... he hears the sound of dead flesh thudding to the ground.

Above him, as a collective, the remaining 10 or so all appear to hesitate for a second, then retreat. Indigo notes for the first time that their movements are oddly synchronized, their wing beats are in sync with each other - as if they are all controlled by one persona, or have some kind of collective mind.

OOC:

Indigo takes 9 pts. damage, and is diseased. (STR -4, CON -2)

OOC:

actually, seeing this as a solo game, I am tempted to give your character either regeneration or fast healing (Like PS:T) so that either you don't die, or it's harder to kill you. (ooc - that doesn't mean I'm a nice DM, death is only one means of failure..mwhahahah!). this would also nicely justify you waking up randomly in the slags
trans_;)

How about this- from normal attacks, Indigo has regeneration (except from some certain, unknown substances.. for example- maybe acid...etc). In exchange, he does himself 2d4 damage everytime he uses the breath weapon?

As soon as the electricity leaves his body, some of it rebounds back on Igo, and (already weakened as is ) he is knocked to the ground.

Confused by the outburst of electricity, Igo has no confusion of the fact that most would not feel nice and tingly, as he does now, after taking a jolt of electricity to the body.

Igo feels strangely energized. Whatever happened, it saved his life... and drove off the Vargouilles.

If only he was as informed as he was lucky...

Rgootoo appears confused and bloated. This turns out to be nothing serious as he vomits out a dead Vargouille, and begins wheezing. He(/she?) glances at you in an expression that you understand as exasperation ... there are better meats in the multiverse than fresh Vargouille.

The two odd companions shortly reach the wall without incident, though there appears to be no gate leading into the Goblin Quarter (and more importantly, out of the Slags).

The tan wall is well weathered -showing signs of age as the mortar appears cracked, especially near the base - perhaps indicating signs of recent flooding. The wall must be very thick, because in some places there are holes made about 1 foot deep, by someone/thing that was trying to break in. Whoever or whatever tried to make them, reached solid Adamantium at the other end. Although it is getting slightly darker outside, Igo can make out cryptic, mad scrawlings on the wall. Some writings are etched onto the wall, others are written in blood or ink, still other are linked bones pasted together and pasted onto the wall to make words. A lot of them are etched runes, or in a language that Igo doesn't understand. Some that he does make out:

WHAT'S THE DAMN PASSWORD?

stars eat all happiness three 39

Zyelsi Wuz Here

BEWARE THE KADYX

rats! rats everywh--

The wall stretches for what seems to be an eternity. Igo and Rgootoo walk for what is probably a mile with no luck. Just as the two are about to abandon hope and find perhaps another way around (or above), a high-pitched, though scratching voice barks (out of the wall?) with a supercilious degree of authority:

PASSWORD?

OOC: Guess who's back!?!

A previously unnoticed 'peekhole' in the wall reveals that this section of the wall is a gate, and the persona behind is the gatekeeper. All you can make out is a yellowish, seething eyeball.

NO YOU PIKIN' SOD! STOP WASTING MY TIME!

He is about to close the peekhole until he notices Rgootoo. The eyeball widens in surprise, then relaxes as if expressing familarity.

RGOOTOO!!! WHAT DO YOU WANT NOW?!?!?!

RGOOOTOOoooOo!!

Comes the unsurprising reply from the...Creature.

NO, I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE HUNGRY, I GAVE YOU SOMETHING THIS MORNING!

Rgootoo..."whines." This sounds more like a dying cat than a whine, but you are able to comprehend the intent of the sound.

HOW CAN I TRUST HIM?!!? I DON'T EVEN COMPLETELY TRUST YOU!

The gatekeeper barks.

The gate-keeper seems to be ignoring you, but as you hug Rgootoo, he..it... let's out a burp. Tannish- Green fumes erupt from his mouth, and your eyes sting - very, very much as they contact the gas.

BRAAAAAAAaaaaAAAp!!

The single eye that you can make out rolls.

FAIR ENOUGH, THAT'S THE PASSWORD!!

He opens gate, revealing what seems to be a small section the Hive- except every building is made of stone, and everyone is a goblin.

NOW GET YER ARSES IN BEFORE I POP ANOTHER BLOOD VESSEL.

Entering, you immediately notice a smell- or lack thereof. In fact, when you awoke in the Slags, you didn't even realize how smelly it was...
But now the air is fresh and clear, and you can distinctly make out smells (rather than everything having a uniformly bad smell like that of rotting trash).

The gate keeper ignores you, swats off Rgootoo's leaping attempt at affection, and rapidly closes the gate.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From the outside, it appeared that the wall stretched for quite a distance. Now that you're inside, you can easily discern the four walls that close-in this (literal) city square.

A lot of the buildings appear the same from the outside - beige stone or marble with a sign in front of each... the writing on the signs, though, is indecipherable.

You note places/people of interest in the immediate vicinity and one thing in the distance:

1) in the distance - the upper half of a tall statue of a goblin holding a spear situated right at the center of the Goblin quarter. Nothing else appears notable about this statue at the moment.

2) Although everyone speaks in squeaks and high-pitched grunts - the Goblin Tongue- one person you can hear above the crowd a (presumably..by the high pitched voice- even for a goblin) female tout - whom you identify by her shouts. She is looking at you, and purposefully projecting at you - as you seem to be the one most in need of a tout here

3) The stone buildings all are the same size save a small stone "hut" in the middle of a large building formation to your right.

4) A vendor selling clothes near the tout.

5) A shady looking group of goblins (thugs?) standing near the vendor.

The goblins wear bright colored clothing, favoring orange and yellow, though some blues and reds are discernible. The street is fairly crowded, and everyone speaks at a high pitched hum (except the tout, whom you make out easily above the chatter). Every so often, someone will stop talking, give you a curious stare, then go back to their conversation.

Quarter- guards are distinguished by their spiked black armor and metal-tipped spears. They are lightly peppered throughout the quarter, and two of them (actually, three, counting the gatekeeper- who shares the same don as them) are looking at you with caution.

The tout, quickly, expectantly approaches the two.

Drazek's the name. Igo immediately realizes that Goblin women aren't his type. she has long hair, long tusks, and nose hairs that reach down to her lips. Also, attacking her face are countless moles and boils- it somewhat reminds you of Rgootoo's body texture.

That'll be 5 jink to get ye started

The woman sighs, not fully expecting you to pay her back, but gives you a "why-not" shrug, wipes snot that's been dripping from her nose off her lips, and begins:

Aright Love, I'll get ye where yer going, but don't expect me to spill the Dark without down payment.

She points you in the direction of the general store and the local inn (which are not too far off anyway). She also suggests you talk to Caldwell in the alchemy if you're looking to earn some jink.

Seeing as how everyone else you've seen so far are goblins, you are clearly an oddball (Rgootoo is as well, but he'd/it'd be an oddball anywhere- save maybe Limbo). Despite this, you don't feel uncomfortable among the goblins - some stare at you, but the stares are more curious than unwelcoming. Perhaps the goblins know what it feels like to be oddballs amongst the larger population, and are more sympathetic to other outcasts.

..Soon enough, you make it to the entrance of the alchemy shop. A mixture of various aromas assaults your senses (not just your nose, but eyes begin to water and sting slightly. Rgootoo let's out an uncharacteristic growling noise- you don't think it's from his mouth though - but rather his stomach. As you open the door, you note a rectangular room (70x70x40) with shelves lined with countless flasks - some empty, most filled with different colored liquids. Bright and dull, clear and opaque, thick and thin..etc...etc..

A wizened old goblin with a white beard and bifocals sits at the center of a circular reception desk next to a younger goblin.

GRANDPA! ....YOU HAVE ANOTHER VISITOR!

the youngling yells into the ear of the older one.

A handful of other goblins are in the shop; all of them look like employees as they are either grinding materials, studying notes, or mixing liquids. Some look up at you curiously for a short second, then go back to their duties. You seem to be the only other "customer" in the shop right now.

GRANDPA! HE SAYS HE WANTS TO WORK ERE!!

An ancient, aspy, high pitched voice replies.
Ijajabebjjjje aajja bejjaj bujjaja tujja mujja whojja?****

the Grandpa replies..grandson soon translates.

HEY, GRANDPA SAYS: IT DEPEN..uh.. sorry, Grandpa says it depends on how long you plan to work, and for how much.

OOC: **** haha, think italian godfather who only doesn't speak english (though understands it) and has his cronies translate..

It's great you have skills, but are you a one-hit wonder, or do you plan on staying in our Quarter for a while?

The younger boy crosses his arms and looks suspiciously at you.

GRANDPA! HE SAYS HE'S IN DEBT AND BARMY. D'YOU KNOW WHAT RACE HE IS?!

ijjaj bjjja uujjaj moojajjjajajjajajj jajajajjaj

GRANDPA IS UN... sorry.. Grandpa is unsure of your race, but he says if you're willing to work for at least a month, you can start today!

Ok, but, we don't allow pets in the store the youngling points at Rgootoo

RGOOTOooOoooooO!!!

He looks like he doesn't know what you're saying, but deep down inside you know he's understanding every word. He doesn't want to be alone - and you don't know what kind of trouble he'd cause out of the shop. In any case, he isn't leaving, and now thirstily turns his attention to some of the potions on the shelves.

RgooTooo!!!

the creature seems to perfectly understand that!

um.. I got an idea!

With that, he points Rgootoo towards a pile of brown gunk on the ground. Rgootoo shortly goes over and begins licking away the gunk...slowly but surely.

He can work here too!

And with that both you and Rgootoo begin your service at the Alchemy shop. Your tasks are long and monotonous - grinding materials, reading labels, measuring components, organizing glass shipments, etc..

You get paid approximately 15 jink a day.