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Post by Krautman on Jul 29, 2012 14:49:47 GMT -5
Someone once said:
"There is a kind of dragon in the mountains of the continent, each succulent bite marbled to perfection and melting in your mouth... There are springs deep within the forests which pour forth fine wines made from the succulent juices of the finest jungle fruits, in which bubble infinitely sweet and tart bubbles... That tremendous creatures made of slime continue building sweetness as they eat, and that there are crabs the size of cities with the most succulent meat imaginable..."
The world has entered a gourmet age. People are enchanted by countless dishes, growing stronger by eating the life energy of all creatures granted by the gods.
The world is in the Gourmet Age, in which people quest for yet unknown culinary delights! Those who seek out these delights, be they in deepest dungeons, coldest tundras, or blazing volcanic plains are known as... Gourmet Hunters!
Mizon's Place
The tavern of Mizon the gnome was a well-kept one. The floors were as clean as a tavern full of rowdy gourmet hunters can be. The food was cooked by the elderly Mizon and his wife, renowned for their prowess as chefs. The job board was always crowded by folks looking for work. You were one such person, seeking to find some excitement, although none of the jobs looked particularly exciting- just average requests for dealing with giant rats in someone's basement.
Maybe it would be a good idea to do some socializing, some of you thought. Others may have decided to find an empty table and sit while waiting for their meal.
A kobold with unusually bright scales and a pair of triangular sunglasses seemed to be participating in the trivia contest between snacking on a rack of ribs and taking a swig from his ale. Troldepus Shimmerscale, heir to the estate of the Force Dragon Eats-the-Clouds (chieftan of the Shimmerscale tribe, one of the most frequently encountered jungle kobold clans due to open trading) sat in the corner, reheating his food now and again with a breath of fire. Mizon shouted over to him and he sighed, stopping.
[OOC: Everyone, describe what your characters are doing.]
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Post by Rain on Jul 29, 2012 15:01:57 GMT -5
"Hahnn... I guess that I'll have ta go clear out some rats, even if I was lookin' for somethin' fun ta do..." a six foot tall female said, sighing and wrapping her tail around to her stomach, where she petted it a few times, "But... so hungry... nothin' ta eat around here or anyone ta share with... can' buy anythin'..."
Or nothing that one would expect a half-dragon monk, with decidedly elegant features despite her size and apparent strength, to be eating, at least. What sort of member of the Golden Knife would stoop to eating rats if there was something more obvious?
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Post by Krautman on Jul 29, 2012 15:25:40 GMT -5
A gloved hand tapped Caidove on her shoulder, a visibly uncomfortable guard in front of her. He shifted uneasily as she turned to him.
"Er... I'm sorry, miss, I'm afraid I have to ask you to put on some clothing."
There was a hiss and boo from several patrons.
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Post by Rain on Jul 29, 2012 15:35:29 GMT -5
"Aww... can't ya just ignore it?" Caidove asked, turning around and scratching her head, frowning at the guard, "I'm a Golden Knife, here ta look for jobs. Don't ya see us occasionally?"
DC 17. Skill Modifier 6, Nymph's Kiss +2 because it's CHA-related... roll of 1. So... 9. Ow.
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Post by Krautman on Jul 29, 2012 15:47:49 GMT -5
"I've never heard of a golden knife, and I-"
There was a loud "FWOOOOOSH" as the kobold from the corner blasted fire upwards toward the ceiling, drawing another Gnomish shout from Mizon.
"If I could be allowed to point something out... Kobolds! Raise your hands if you're wearing clothes!"
There was silence.
The shiny kobold looked around. "Now, if you're naked?" Suddenly, the hand of every kobold in the restaurant went up. This was a species that never understood the tall ones's obsession with unenchanted fabric. The guard thought about this for a moment and decided to leave to check with his superior about this.
He nodded politely to the half-dragon. "Sorry, cousin, but the guards here are just doing their jobs."
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Post by Rain on Jul 29, 2012 15:55:09 GMT -5
"Yeah, I know... just gets rather annoyin' when they keep goin' on about nudity," Caidove sighed, pulling out a seat and, with a bit of work, getting her tail to co-operate with it. At least, in deference to the guard's request, she used her wings as a sort of makeshift top and leant forwards on the table, not really having that much to hide, "I mean, I can' own anythin' but food without breakin' my vow, an' I have to share that. What do they expect me ta do?"
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Post by Krautman on Jul 29, 2012 16:44:51 GMT -5
Troldepus moved aside some of his plates and motioned for a plate of salmon from the server who brought it over and set it on the table.
"Well, if you're interested in sharing, I've got some ribs left and now some salmon. I'm supposed to be bringing back some stuff to help me get into my great-great-great-great grandfather's lair which he willed to me, but... I uh..."
He scratched the tip of his nose, a cold mist flowing out due to embarrassment.
"I'm too short to reach the handle and my wings haven't grown in yet."
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Post by Vinestar on Jul 29, 2012 20:16:06 GMT -5
"Good morrow, dragonblooded descendants." By logical reasoning, the newcomer had realized how exactly the kobold and the dragon were "kin". "Perchance do you have any greens and plants in this feast for trade? The diet of game has made this one quite sick, and not many in this place choose to stock the rabbit food we elves love so."
The jolly tone of voice quipped as the owner resonated with humor and good tidings. Upon first look, people could easily notice the talker was an elf with the pointed ears and fair features. It was at that point that things got confusing, as both voice and appearance were androgynous- even more than usual elven characteristics. There was no simple way to tell if the happy person near the duo was male or female.
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Post by Krautman on Jul 29, 2012 23:09:07 GMT -5
"Uh... I've been ordering some of the stuff from my Full Course of Life. So... yeah, I've got Angler Kelp Roc Caesar..."
He passed the plate to the elf, obviously reluctant to give it up due to his hoarding instinct. But, hey, they were all gourmets, right? And it always paid to be kind to fellow travelers.
"Honestly, he went a little light on the dressing for my tastes."
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Post by Vinestar on Aug 6, 2012 21:53:53 GMT -5
"You have my gratitude, Dragonblooded. A favor I shall owe you for this hospitality." Smiling at the good fortune of being on the receiving end of a mostly vegetarian meal, the elf sat down most familiarly and pulled the dish towards its person. "In any case, you two are a uncommon enough to warrant interest in." Curious eyes wandering about the duo, the elf began partaking of the meal.
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Post by Krautman on Sept 12, 2012 16:48:19 GMT -5
A dwarf with a slight limp came into the door, a hammer and nail in hand as he began pounding it into the job board. Hunters began swarming around the notice, but the magic Mizon had on the post soon activated and broadcast the message most recently posted.
"Attention all gourmet hunters! Duke Menchet's daughter is to be wed in ten days. He wishes to make the ceremony memorable, so he requires an exquisite dish- a honeypaw steak! Those who can bring one to the duke's estate before the ceremony will be handsomely rewarded!"
The kobold at the table tilted his head.
"...I think I know where we can get some decent honeypaws... It's a tough climb, though, and there's some powerful monsters on that mountain..."
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Post by Rain on Sept 12, 2012 16:53:00 GMT -5
"Easy!" Caidove said eagerly, leaning back and folding her arms, "I've trained for this! Monsters? I'll snap 'em in two!"
The half-dragon seemed supremely confident in her ability to kill any monsters that assailed them. A good viewpoint to have, really.
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Post by Krautman on Sept 15, 2012 23:13:57 GMT -5
"Excellent!" Troldepus shouted, smiling to the half-dragon. "That's two then. Going to need more than that to get a decent honeypaw..." " Ehn... ehn... ehn... Down here!" On the table, a spider was setting up a chair and biting into a cricket. It adjusted a pirate hat before looking up to the very confused kobold. " Yar! I be Capn' Walter, pirate an' gourmet hunter! I hear ye be after a honeypaw, so... I was hopin' I could tag along. I'm all tiny and stuff so I'd get squished or lost if I tried to one myself." Troldepus raised an eyebrow, unable to put his thoughts into words, before deciding it might be best to just move along. "...Okay, talking spider! Not the strangest thing I've ever seen. Sure, you can tag along. Strength in numbers and all that. That's three. You up for it, elf?" |
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Post by dblade26 on Sept 21, 2012 12:51:44 GMT -5
"A quest hm? Sounds like just the thing a struggling bard like myself needs! I'll be able to get in the good graces of His Regal Pomposity and make some quick money at the same time..." A human man mused to himself from a table over.
Suddenly the human leapt up onto his own table in a needlessly over-dramatic fashion, grinning at those already gathered around. "My name is Spoony Hendrix, Traveling Bard. I may not be as strong or pirate-spider-like or naked or...elf-y as some of the other people here," He gestured to each one in turn
"but I've traveled all across the world to search for my own Full-Course Menu, and I've picked up a lot of useful skills along the way that I'd be willing to lend to your group if you'll take me along with you."
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Post by Vinestar on Sept 22, 2012 19:09:57 GMT -5
"Indeed, I shall be up for a quest. Companionship is a spice that makes adventuring all the better." Vareth affirmed an approval to the question before turning to the human. "And please don't say elfy. That is a tad disrespectful." Frowning, the ranger went to her salad with a small grimace. What appetite she had for the meal was now quashed, the food like ash.
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Post by Krautman on Sept 22, 2012 20:00:40 GMT -5
The kobold nodded, getting up from his chair. "Right then. My name's Troldepus. We leave as soon as possible, don't want to be followed. The place is a bit of a hike, but we should find what we're looking for long before sundown."
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Post by Rain on Sept 22, 2012 20:18:22 GMT -5
"Caidove," the half-dragon said, also climbing to her feet and grinning. This... would be fun. Well, so long as there weren't any implausibly high-powered enemies hanging around on the route, that would be much less fun. She was strong and fast but... not really the toughest, by a long shot.
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Post by Krautman on Sept 23, 2012 19:16:37 GMT -5
After taking care of their business in the city, our heroes met up at the eastern gate and began to hike north for a while. After a few hours had passed, the terrain became less even. Off in the distance, they could see short mountains, rivers flowing down from the peaks of a few of them. It created mist that faded to a glistening golden color as it got closer to one mountain- one with a tremendous ball at the top. As they drew still closer, a sugary aroma filled the air until the source was readily apparent- next to them was a lake of cloudy golden liquid, creatures . Small boars drank at the water's edge as larger ones watched the party warily. At the lake's edge, brown oysters could be found. The lake seemed to be fed by a waterfall, but it was only a slow trickle- and off in the distance was a loud, droning buzz. Troldepus smiled and motioned towards the landscape of the mountain, the golden river stretching up to the top and the enormous ball that was there.
"Welcome to Mt. Melia!"
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Post by Rain on Sept 23, 2012 19:39:01 GMT -5
"So... do we need to climb to the top for the sticky stuff, or are we just going to get it from the pool?" Caidove asked questioningly, doing some stretches to work out the kinks from the walk. She much preferred to fly, but when travelling with other people that would mean doing all sorts of aerial loops and contortions to not overtake them. It would also make pulling that wagon rather difficult, though she fancied that she could just outright lift it if she tried her best.
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Post by Krautman on Sept 23, 2012 20:24:32 GMT -5
"Well, remember, we're here for a honeypaw steak- the paw a bear uses to eat honey. The honey here on Mt. Melia's really rich, so it should be nice and fatty- and the rest of the bear is all ours. Nice and juicy, I'll bet, lots of food for it on this mountain."
Troldepus took one of the jars from the cart and scooped up some of the honey.
"The honey's a lot better at the top- it's picked up a lot of dirt on the way down, but it's still tasty. So that's where the best steak will be."
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Post by Vinestar on Sept 23, 2012 20:55:41 GMT -5
"Indeed. Regular spring water is the sweetest and purest at the top. This should be no exception." Looking around the area with a practiced eye, the ranger hummed a short tune from the elfen lands. Already she was sweeping the terrain for paths that could be navigated by the less fleet of foot.
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Post by Krautman on Sept 24, 2012 11:47:43 GMT -5
The ranger would find a slower incline going up the mountain. It looked easy enough to traverse, after all, the creatures near the peak had to get up and down somehow. Around the path, the bushes were beat down, as if creatures had just passed through recently.
(Everyone who wants to try and identify the tracks, Survival checks. Roll 1d20+your modifier for that skill.
Troldepus: 20)
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Post by Rain on Sept 24, 2012 12:23:54 GMT -5
"And I don't think I can carry an angry bear down the mountain," Caidove said, looking a bit upset about this fact and turning her attention to the mountain. She couldn't fly up, not with other people around, and she wanted to help, so... look for tracks? Not that she had any practice with that...
(Caidove: 13)
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Post by dblade26 on Sept 24, 2012 17:22:37 GMT -5
"Well, I guess we'll just have to deal with any angry bears before we head down." Spoony had promised to be of some help but he couldn't quite seem to do anything much, so he decided to try and study the area nearby for tracks
...not that he was any good at that
(Spoony: 9)
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Post by Krautman on Sept 26, 2012 16:07:06 GMT -5
(Rolling for GS. d20+10... 29.)
"Hold on... these don't look like any tracks I've ever seen on this mountain..."
Troldepus got closer to the ground, looking at the imprints the previous visitors had left- two toes up front, a small gap, then a rectangular bit on the back. There were two of these sets of these footprints. Vareth would notice a third set, however, much lighter, as if the thing that made them was barely touching the ground. Troldepus smiled, clouds of smoke puffing out of his nostrils.
"Well... looks like we might have some competition! But I really don't care how fancy their armor is... I'm not letting a bunch of bear meat slip through my grasp that easily!"
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Post by dblade26 on Oct 17, 2012 8:36:29 GMT -5
Spoony was less than thrilled about his own failure to do a proper job of tracking, but nevertheless grinned at the Kobold's announcement that they were probably not the only one's going after the prized Honey-Paw Steak today.
"Well, after the repeated dramatic announcements that all of us would be joining in on this very specific quest, it sort of goes without saying that everyone else in the bar would know about it, right? But that just adds to the excitement doesn't it? A race to the top of the mountain with an unknown party, battling wild beasts and the elements until we reach our goal that just happens to be an angry flesh-eating beast...who knows, this might actually make an okay song to sing once we deliver the steak to his noble pomposity!"
At least, that's how things seemed to the bard.
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Post by Rain on Oct 17, 2012 15:27:51 GMT -5
"I see tracks. Not sure what made them, though," Caidove reported, folding her arms under her chest and frowning. Was it a bear? They didn't seem right for a bear; surely a bear's pawprints would be less... boxy? Or was it a bear wearing armour? It certainly wasn't for a horse or goat... and she couldn't think of anything with two toes like that..
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