Session Start: Sat Apr 11 17:35:15 2009
Session Ident: #castlevania
* Logging for #castlevania started
<Holmes> [The intrepid party was led to makeshift accommodations
about a quarter mile from the center of Lifebreak following the
battle against the Damacine Golem.  After a cursory examination,
Olivia was put on bed rest and the call was put out for Boccobite
healers to treat the injuries sustained while carrying the Red
Stone.]
<Holmes> [The remainder of the party rested fitfully, uncertain of
what to do next.]
<Charlotte> I have no idea what we're gonna do next.
<Holmes> [Having just fallen off a the tallest building in this part
of the continent and survived, Skip and Charlotte are particularly
jarred, all the more with the death and resurrection of Roland.]
<Holmes> [Nyyx spends several hours with her mother, learning what
exactly His Emminent Remains left to her.]
<Holmes> [Skip has yet to discuss what exactly happened when he went
alone to the north end of town.]
<Holmes> [Stepping back...]
<Holmes> [Skip wanders north from the city center about one hour
previous.  Far from the battle with the Golem, he finds a destroyed
house in the center of a crater.  At the bottom of the crater is a
piece of metal glowing red.]
<Holmes> H.E.R.: "Murdock.  Step forward into the crater."
* Skip steps forward into the crater.
* Skip inches toward the glowing piece of metal.
<Holmes> [As he moves closer, Skip sees that the glow is coming from
a bent piece of metal attached to a twisted shaft of wood.  The dust
and debris in the crater swirls in odd eddies as he approaches.]
<Holmes> H.E.R.: "Take the shard, Murdock."
* Skip begins to reach for the shard, but picks up the wooden shaft
instead.
<Holmes> [Upon touching the wooden shaft, Skip is struck by the image
of a series of seven shrouded figures in a ring around the edge of
the crater.  The figure directly before Skip is His Emminent
Remains.]
<Holmes> H.E.R.: "Murdock, who do you hold dear?"
* Skip speaks the names of his comrades.
<Holmes> H.E.R.: "Murdock, will you vow to protect them no matter
what the cost?  Even if you must be relentless with your enemies to
do so?  Even if you must stand against the gods to do so?"
<Skip> Yes
<Holmes> H.E.R.: "Then place some of your blood on the blade to seal
the compact."
* Skip scrapes blood from one of his many wounds onto the blade.
<Holmes> [At that moment, the seven figures blink out of existence
and the ruined blade twists and shapes itself into a glowing red
kukri.  The wind in the crater dies off.]
<Holmes> H.E.R.: "Then take my power to aid you in your ambition.  Do
not ever sway, or I shall find another and burn your soul for my
measure."
<Holmes> [Back to the present, the party rested for the next two
weeks while Olivia healed.]
<Holmes> [While they rested, the city of Lifebreak was placed on
quarantine and most of the survivors were sent to Stavograd via
teleportation while the remnants of the Cult and treasure seekers
alike were routed out.]
* Nyyx wakes up and realizes that Biff is conspicuously missing from
his usual position curled up on her stomach.
<Holmes> [During this time, Charlotte is summoned to Stavograd by the
Pelorian Contact.  A teleport and a short walk later, she finds
herself in audience with the dignitary.]
<Holmes> Contact: "Come here Charlotte, we need to talk."
* Charlotte walks forward.
<Holmes> Contact: "You have been very busy as of late and word has
rapidly spread of your exploits."
<Holmes> Contact: "Have you meditated on the past few months?  If so,
what have you learned?"
<Charlotte> Things right now are very, very complicated. The world's
in need of saving. And by "The world", I don't mean "The world order
as we know it". I mean existence itself.
<Holmes> Contact: "I see.  Did you know that some are calling for you
to be made a Saint?"
* Charlotte blinks. "I hadn't been aware. Don't I usually have to die
to qualify for that?"
<Holmes> Contact: "No, only do the miraculous.  Your survival at the
Tower and at the Well in Lifebreak would qualify if the reports are
accurate."
<Charlotte> Wow. I don't know what to say.
<Holmes> Contact: "Well, don't be too impressed.  Your sudden
popularity has many in the clergy nervous.  Fortunately, you don't
appear to have political ambitions."
<Charlotte> Geez. Yeah, they've got nothing to worry about. I'd love
to just go home and continue life as usual once this is over.
* Nyyx is now known as NyyxFeed
<Charlotte> Get up, pray, hold service, relax, then eat and sleep.
<Holmes> Contact: "I see.  Then you might actually survive to be a
Saint someday.  In the meantime, we are sending you out to face our
enemies once again."
* Charlotte nods.
<Charlotte> I'm up for it.
<Holmes> Contact: "However, you will go with our blessing.  I know
that you wanted to be a proper priest but did not consider yourself
worthy of the post.  Your actions have proven otherwise."
<Charlotte> Thanks.
<Holmes> Contact: "You will be inducted as a paladin of Pelor on the
next sunrise.  I would have you made a cleric, but we need swords for
whats coming more than healers."
* Charlotte blinks. "Thanks so much for this. It's a real honor."
<Holmes> [And so, on the next sunrise, the Pelorian Contact himself
inducted Charlotte into the Order of Pelor's Light.  Over the course
of the hour-long ritual, Charlotte was invested with the very essence
of the God of Light and would be marked by it forevermore.]
<Holmes> [Olivia spends the time researching her condition and
working with the Boccobites to get her back on her feet.  Apparently,
her abuse of her magical potential backlashed and caused her skeleton
to partially turn to salt.  Fortunatly, cost is no real obstacle for
the Boccobites and she is on the mend in record time.]
<Holmes> [Nyyx and Lydia spend the time discussing the operation of
the city of Lifebreak.  While Lydia will act as regent for the time
being, Nyyx will have considerable prestige and influence.  At the
same time, Lydia can help Nyyx unlock more of her potential as a
descendant of vampires.]
<Holmes> [Over the course of the two weeks, the fighting in the city
died down and the remains of the Cult are collected and even disposed
of as time wears on.  While the party helps out here and there, no
threats requiring the full force of their abilites appear.]
* Skip has quit IRC (Quit: Skip)
<Holmes> [One strange report does come in.  In the hours immediately
after the fight with the Golem when the party was incapacitated, a
concerted press toward the city center by mechanical spiders and an
armored figure was repulsed.  The attackers fled into the sewers.
The survivors were too overwhelmed by interlopers teleporting in to
give chase.]
* NyyxFeed is now known as Nyyx
* Rudyard has joined #castlevania
* Rudyard is now known as Skip
<Holmes> [At the end of the two weeks, the party is asked to travel
to Stavograd to meet with representatives of the Seven Temples.]
* Olivia has recovered her looks, thankfully, after her long
recouperation. Her hair's shorter, now, though, still wavy, but
ending at about her jawline.
<Nyyx> You're looking a lot better, Olivia. I'm glad the clerics were
able to reverse whatever that stone did to you.
* Olivia chuckles and replies, with a faint smile, "More what I did
to me, but thank you. Big risks, big rewards, mmm?"
* Charlotte looks unusually pleased today. Or at least,excited.
<Olivia> Taking hold of reality... certainly an experience I could go
for again someday.
<Holmes> [After a quick teleport and a brisk hike into Stavograd, the
party gathers in the Old Town District in an isolated plaza bracketed
by old buildings.]
* Olivia adds, with a faint chuckle, "Just not anytime soon." A small
pause, then, "The tomcat still hiding somewhere?"
<Nyyx> I haven't seen him since the morning after the big fight.
* Olivia mms, then, "Well, he is a cat. Maybe it was just his time to
walk on."
<Holmes> [After several minutes, figures from various churches among
the Seven Temples step out from the buildings and circle the party.
They approach with seriousness, but not a sense of impending
violence.]
<Charlotte> I suppose it might be for teh best. Especially after I
got promoted.
<Holmes> [With a burst of wind, Roland of Boccob appears in a corner
of the plaza and drifts forward.]
* Olivia glances to Charlotte after that, but... with all the people
showing up, she decides not to reply, instead looking around at them
all.
<Nyyx> Promoted? By the Church of Pelor?
<Charlotte> Oh, yes.
* Nyyx turns her attention to the sudden appearance of Roland and the
figures.
<Charlotte> As of not too long ago, I am officially a Paladin.
<Holmes> [The Pelorian Contact and a Masked Choister of Wee Jas exit
together at the far end of the plaza and step forward.]
<Holmes> ((Choirister))
<Holmes> [Several figures, clearly druids, enter the plaza from a
side door and step forward as well.]
* Nyyx looks over at Charlotte thoughtfully, but she says nothing
more.
<Holmes> Pelorian Contact: "Welcome everyone.  As we are all here,
let's get started.  Some of us have limited time left."
<Holmes> Roland: "As you may or may not have gathered from the events
at the... Battle of Lifebreak, the Temple Compact has been voided by
the murder of the Boccobite Contact by the Lord of Lifebreak."
* Nyyx nods and listens.
<Nyyx> I apologize for my role in the matter, for what it's worth.
<Holmes> Roland: "That said, none of us want another Temple War on
our hands.  We know that Erythnul still has a foothold on this world
and would exploit the violence."
<Holmes> Roland: "I was there and you did nothing wrong.  Although as
your predecessor murdered by predecessor, there may be some political
fallout from all of this."
<Holmes> Contact: "At this point, we all understand the the
individual Temples will go their separate ways, but we hoped that we
could still agree on how to proceed in relation to these
individuals."
<Holmes> Choirister: "Each as shown themselves adaptable and capable
in a variety of situations, despite Gregor's curse.  While we do not
favor their association with the excommunicate Ammarette, it is the
decision of the Choir to sponsor their actions going forward."
<Holmes> Roland: "So, then, what is it you intend to do from here?"
* Nyyx nods slowly as she listens to all of this. "It seems clear
from what we've learned that we need to proceed to the desert, to
examine the origins of Palanquin Hassad."
<Holmes> Contact: "That is a worthy avenue of attack.  You have
recently lost a member of your group.  While Roland can certainly not
be replaced, I would suggest one who has made a reputation for
himself with another mercenary troupe in the last several months."
<Holmes> [Roland gets a distracted look on his face through all of
this.]
<Holmes> Contact: "This one in particular fought a band of anarchists
in Providence and aquitted himself quite well."
<Holmes> Knight of Hextor: "If the Wreckers had been allowed to
proceed, then we might not have had to deal with the mess in
Lifebreak."
<Nyyx> Wreckers?
<Holmes> [The Contact looks at the Knight for a brief moment.]
* Charlotte looks
<Holmes> Contact: "It is not relevant here.  At the very least, Adam
here showed his skill.  Wait, is he here?  Adam, you can come out
here."
* Nyyx waits expectantly.
* NinjaDebugger is now known as Adam
* Adam steps out from behind a corner and waves. He's a, uh, a kid.
Maybe thirteen or fourteen, mostly skin and bones, with curly brown
hair. He is, though, decked out in full adventurer fashion, complete
with a utility belt and a dapper black cape and a utility belt, from
which also hangs a largish, rectangular box, much like once hung at
Roland's waist, for his divination cards. He waves a bit and says
loudly, "Heeey, ladies."
* Charlotte blinks. "Oh, hi. I'm Charlotte."
* Olivia looks him over, and then gives him a half smile.
* Nyyx seems somewhat nonplussed, but the look soon passes. "Well.
Hello."
<Adam> Adam Smith, master adventurer.  You might have heard of me.  
* Adam looks kinda hopeful.
<Nyyx> I... Well, we've just heard a glowing review of your
accomplishments.
* Adam looks crestfallen.
<Charlotte> Sorry. We haven't really heard much news about... well,
anything lately.
<Nyyx> It's true. We've been much too busy.
* Olivia rubs her chin a moment, then looks to him and comments, "I
may have heard of you. A... summoner, yes?"
<Olivia> In part, at least.
<Adam> Sorta.
* Adam rubs his thumb on the overlarge pouch at his waist.
<Nyyx> So, what do you do?
<Charlotte> Oh, a summoner? I've never met one before.
* Olivia glances to Nyyx and adds, with a slight smile, "I try to
remain informed, even when busy."
* Olivia then looks back to Adam.
<Adam> I, uh... I play sixteen different stringed instruments, three
percussion instruments, two wind instruments, and do vocals.  And,
uh, the summoning thing.  It's not really summoning.  I sorta found
the last deck of Archmage Atem the Random.
* Olivia chuckles and says, "Not all at once, I hope?"
<Charlotte> You sound very talented.
<Adam> I've never tried more than three.
* Adam shrugs. "I mostly just use the deck, anymore. Help people out
here and there with my magic."
<Holmes> Contact: "In any event.  Hmm.  Apart from the various events
of minor catastrophe that occur in any nation on a daily basis, we
are afraid that this business with Gregor is outside of any one
Temple's ability to control."
* Olivia mms to herself quietly
<Holmes> Contact: "So, while we each will deal with the issue
domestically as best we can, we need a unified solution for the
problem at large."
* Nyyx nods.
<Holmes> Roland: "Simply put, our research and some troubling reports
from out to sea and in the jungles lead us to believe that Gregor is
far from done.  If anything, his scheme should come to a head in the
next few months.  While we deal with the body, we need you to take
the head off of the snake."
* Charlotte smiles. "No problem."
<Nyyx> That's what we intend to do.
<Holmes> Contact: "I'll be frank.  You are our longshot here.  Our
own teams will be out in the wild trying to find a way to shut him
down while we prepare for the worst.  Honestly, we are out of our
depth here."
<Holmes> Contact: "We know that this is the calm before the storm, so
to speak, but we can't predict what he has planned exactly."
* Olivia chuckles to herself and glances to Roland. "Long odds, I can
handle."
<Holmes> Contact: "You have had the most success in this regard.
We'll keep working, but search his trail back to the start and see if
you can't find a way to stop him permanently."
* Nyyx nods. "That's our plan."
<Holmes> Roland: "Fine.  Any questions?"
<Nyyx> Is there a way to reach you, should we need to contact you?
<Holmes> Roland: "A sending will suffice."
<Holmes> Contact: "Theodore can teleport you to the Reach on the
western end of the eastern desert as soon as you are ready.  I think
he wanted me to tell you that he was staying in Stavograd.  He's
reached his limit on violence it seems.  He'll be helpful as a
research aid, I'm sure."
* Nyyx nods. "He is getting on in years. I suppose he could use the
rest. And Liverwurst?"
* Charlotte nods. "I'm sure he'll do the best he can."
<Holmes> Contact: "The Kobold?  Staying as well."
* Nyyx nods.
* Olivia mms, and then glances around. "I think that's all?"
<Nyyx> All I can think of, unless you have any idea how we can make
Gregor stay dead.
<Holmes> Contact: "That all depends on the source of his power.  I
suspect it will depend on the full nature of his shadow conjuration
and how he learned it in the first place.  Of course, he is centuries
ahead of us on that front..."
<Charlotte> Or a way to just plain imprison him for good
<Holmes> Roland: "True."
<Nyyx> If we can find the source of his power, we'll certainly
destroy it.
<Holmes> Contact: "Thank you.  I trust no one has anything else to
add so I will adjourn.  Good luck to you all."
<Holmes> [The Contact turns and walks away with an unmistakeably
troubled expression on his face.]
<Charlotte> Thanks
* Olivia lets the contact turn away before asking, "Roland...
Boccobite Contact? Was there something you needed to tell me?"
<Holmes> Roland: "Your orders?  No.  I think our old dead seer of a
boss knew we needed to meet to see the Golem killed.  I never had any
orders for you.  And he clearly couldn't predict around his own
actions...  I'm sorry."
* Olivia chuckles, and then says, "Well... that at least makes it
simple. Would not be the first time I've chased my tail, and I don't
always get quite so much out of it."
* Olivia turns and adds, to herself, "Boccob's ways are interesting
ones."
<Nyyx> I'll say.
* Skip has quit IRC (Quit: Skip)
* Olivia looks over to Nyyx. "Well, as I said.... I don't always get
quite so much out of it as I have this time."
* Nyyx smiles.
<Charlotte>  Well, at least after this, we can relax a little.
<Adam> Oh man, you two are... 
* Nyyx glances over at Adam. "Hmm?"
* Adam turns red. "Nothing!'
* Nyyx raises her eyebrows but says nothing.
* Olivia glances to Adam, still smiling, then looks to Charlotte and
clucks her tongue. "After is a long way away."
<Holmes> [The remaining Temple personnel file out of the plaza in
ones and twos.]
<Charlotte> Ugh. Yeah. 
<Nyyx> I'm not expecting this to be a short jaunt into the desert
either.
<Nyyx> But, at least our beds will probably be dry. It might be an
improvement from the swamps.
<Charlotte> Oh, yes.
<Adam> Eh, don't sweat it.  The desert's no big deal.
<Charlotte> Still, the thoughts of after will keep us going. What'll
you do after this is over?
* Nyyx smiles a little. "You've been there, Adam?"
* Olivia mms, then says to Charlotte, "Who knows?"
<Olivia> The journey's the fun part. The ending's just a place for
your feet to stand.
<Charlotte> I guess that's one way of looking at it.
<Nyyx> I'll probably be returning to Lifebreak afterward. My, ah,
mother and I may have some catching up to do.
* Nyyx smiles wryly.
* Olivia laughs faintly and says, "Ah, yes, time in a coffin does
make the heart grow... fonder?"
* Nyyx pushes her long, white hair back behind an ear. "I suppose. I
hadn't expected we would have anything to say to each other, but I've
learned quite a lot these past two weeks."
<Charlotte> I'll likely return to my old churhc. Good old boring life
where I don't have to do a whole lot. They're talking about Sainting
me, though.
<Charlotte> You're welcome to visit any time you like.
* Olivia half-smiles to herself, and adds nothing.
<Adam> Sainting?  That's pretty impressive.
<Charlotte> Yeah.
<Nyyx> Where is your old church, Charlotte?
* Charlotte tells where it is!
* Olivia rubs her chin. "Ah, yes, that place."
<Nyyx> Not too far from Gregor's old haunt.
<Charlotte> Pretty close, yeah
<Nyyx> Anyway, let's get going. We'll have plenty of time to chat
later.
<Charlotte> Sure
<Holmes> [END OF SESSION.]
Session Close: Sat Apr 11 23:03:53 2009