But We Get Up Again
- Location
- Wherever I feel like being
- Pronouns
- He/Him
87 + 17(Martial) = 104 (Crit!) + 54
After returning from the market, you'd finally taken the time to really look at the gauntlet kit your new Ruborian friend had gifted you. It was really a rather ingenious design work. The pieces were set up so that you could size them to the owner quickly, building the gauntlet around your hand. The metal was cool and felt oddly slick, even though it looked like rough iron. Finally you had it mostly assembled, and noticed that there was a bracket in the gauntlet for someone to set a seal or a decoration of some kind in. And it was just the right size to hold The Stone as well. Hmmm... You pick up the stone, and slide it into the bracket, locking it in place. Perfect fit, how about that?
As you put the completed Gauntlet on, you flex your fingers, testing the range of motion. It feels like you're wearing a glove of hardened leather it's so light! You smile, clenching your hand into a fist, and then startle as the Stone and the Gauntlet both pulse with the orange-red light of the stone! You feel the part of your mind connected to the stone and your minions expanding, the pressure easing off. Huh, that was... unexpected. As that pressure eases, you also feel a... tug, of sorts. Going downwards, under the earth.
Minion Cap raised to 15. Combined Stone and Gauntlet Kit to create: Magical Gauntlet. Detected Shard of ?????.
10 + 20 (Stewardship) +10 (Gnarl) = 40
Damn, you'd had no choice to put off the expedition for the time being. Not only was it apparently Rock Giant mating season, but there was an overabundance of the creatures at the moment and the Giant Slugs that made up part of their diet had been forced to become extra aggressive. Given that said slugs extruded an acid that could melt flesh like butter on a hot skillet? You weren't keen to try your luck. And the less said about stumbling on a cluster of mating Rock Giants, the better. Ugh.
69 + 17 (Diplomacy) + 3 (Gnarl) = 89
You sigh as you down your ale. You'd come down to the Happy Mule to get a pint and perhaps see if your "uncle" Reggie had any pointers on how to look up people without being obvious about it. If the Baron knew that you were attempting to get someone to help you, he could make life very difficult... Reggie had chuckled, pouring you a pint on the house and told you that he knew a few people who knew a few people. You were rather surprised when a woman wearing a cloak had sat down next to you, getting a smile and a nod from Reggie in your direction. Your surprise ratcheted up a few more notches as you turned to look at her and saw the pointed ears that were mostly concealed beneath the hood. But you kept your mouth shut.
The elf woman quirked a brow, then nodded. "Good, you've got the tact to not immediately call attention to what I am, and you barely even stared before your eyes were back on my face. I've been told that you have a problem with the Baron. So do I. For living quarters and a stipend of fifty gold a month, I'd be willing to assist you in... dealing with him and his shrew of a wife." She extends her hand, and for a brief second you contemplate simply grabbing it, before looking her direct in the eye again.
"What do you get out of this? You know that I'm persona non-grata around here, there's no way you don't. What's the Baron done to earn this level of enmity from you? Hells, I don't even know your name." She nods again, looking pleased.
"Better, you don't just leap on what looks like a good deal without checking first. Yes, I think that Reggie was right, the two of us will be able to help each other. As for my motivations, they're private. Merely know that the Baron, his Wife, and the Nobility of Everlight have all earned my eternal enmity. Help me, and I'll help you. As for my name, call me Selene Faylight." Looking her in the eye, you saw nothing but truth. Truth and a look you recognized from the mirror. The urge for revenge upon those that have wronged you. You take her hand.
"Glad to have you aboard then Selene. I'll introduce you to the Minions when we get back to my castle."
"The what?!"
Selene Faylight
Diplomatic Advisor
Diplomacy Bonus of +17
Upkeep per turn: 100 Gold
68 + 18 (Intrigue) + 5 (Gnarl) = 91
"Really sire, these oafs were hardly worth the trouble of sneaking up on them." Gnarl jabs at one of the bandits that had been thoroughly brained by his staff. Seriously, there were still bits of brain stuck to the spikes. Giblet was bouncing up and down on the gut of a particularly fat bandit whose neck he'd broken, while you're cleaning the blood off of your hatchet. Idly you pull the orb of Lifeforce out of the woman's corpse. Waste not want not. It's not like she was going to be using it anymore, and the other bandits were similarly no longer making use of their Lifeforce.
"We got lucky Gnarl. If they'd been even a hair more alert or sober, then it could have been a hell of a fight." You nudge the woman's corpse onto its side, and point at the blade on her hip that you hadn't given her a chance to unsheathe. "That's not a common bandit's blade, that's good quality steel. A lot of bandits tend to use daggers and farming tools. Instead they've got swords, and a mace." Said mace had been picked up by Giblet who was giving it several experimental swings.
"I suppose so sire. Bit of a waste, but ah, there's plenty of fish in the sea I suppose. Now, on to the looting!" Gnarl cackles as he begins to rummage through the belongings of the bandits. You'd hit two small bandit camps now. One had been a handful of dirty, scruffy men with clubs and daggers that were flaking with rust. You'd gotten a pittance from them, and they'd broken as soon as Gnarl and Giblet had entered the fray. This group you'd elected to approach a bit stealthily. Which was how you'd been able to sink your hatchet into the apparent leader's throat while she was in the middle of a rather bawdy tune. Oh, what was this? Tugging a scrap of sheepskin free from a pouch at her belt, you found yourself holding a very rough map of the forests around Spree, with Xs marked in various locations, and a couple of skull markings as well.
Gained: 850 Gold
Removed two minor Bandit Camps from the surrounding area
Found map of minor and major dangers in the forests surrounding Spree.
Gained 6 Lifeforce
68 + 15 (Learning) + 8 (Gnarl) = 91
You had Giblet and Gnarl standing before you; seeing if you could feel the difference between the two. Yes, Gnarl was certainly much smarter than Giblet, but the other Minion had his own level of low cunning. You needed more information. What was it that your mother had said once? "Data. Data, data, data, I cannot make bricks without clay." Your father had burst out laughing and she'd smacked his arm several times before explaining to a very confused younger you that she meant that without enough information, she couldn't make informed decisions. You're still not sure what it was that she'd been researching at the time...
Right, you needed more information points.
Concentrating briefly, you give the pool of energy that the Lifeforce had coalesced into a "tug", directing it into the stone on your gauntlet in order to duplicate what had happened before to make Giblet. Focusing on that feeling of needing more help. The effect is... interesting. As energy crawls across the gauntlet, a distortion forms in the air, one that you find it hard to look at. There's a brief crackling as the life force is lensed through the gem and the portal where it warps and stretches, spinning into a small impish form... and four figures tumble out of the tear in space. The first two of them landing adroitly on their feet, while the other two go into semi-controlled somersaults, before springing to their feet. All of them are wielding clubs and dressed in leathers. The two that tumbled the worst begin to caper much like Giblet had when you'd accidentally created him, chanting about "the Master"; aka you.
The other two however are... slightly different. One of them seems to be a bit bulkier than its fellows, and merely crosses its arms, looking up at you and giving a respectful nod. The final one... "Greetings and salutations oh greatest of Masters! Truly you are a wonder of wonders to be pullin' the likes of us out from thin air." The skinny Minion is leaning on his club like a cane, grinning up at you with a sincere expression, before sketching a bow. "Please, allow me to introduce my fine self. Call me... Quaver!" And for some reason he does a standing backflip before striking a pose. Somewhat impressive actually...
The other three are quick to introduce themselves as well. "Mouldy!" "Gubbin!" The taciturn one simply grunts, before uncrossing his arms. "Gash."
"Capital, capital! Now then, command us oh ye mighty one!" The flattery was impressive, but...
"Quaver, I really don't need a kiss-ass. I'd prefer to be praised for my actual merits if you please." Quaver's ears droop, before he perks up again.
"As you wish sire. Though you surely won't be begrudgin' a newly minted Minion the option to exercise his voice now and again?" You ignore the pained sigh that Gnarl is giving as you nod.
"So long as it doesn't happen while we're trying to be quiet Quaver, I suppose it couldn't hurt. Now, for the moment I just need the six of you to stand there."
Right. Now that you could feel the differences... how very odd. Gnarl was smarter, Giblet was more intuitive, Quaver was charismatic, and Gash seemed to be more disciplined. In each instance it was as if the Minions' limits were being tested. The last two, Mouldy and Gubbin on the other hand, seemed to be perfectly run of the mill. Balanced in all attributes and mannerisms. Not too smart, not too cunning, certainly not charismatic, and not all that disciplined.
Gained three Unique Brown Minions:
Giblet: +5 to stewardship tasks
Quaver: +5 to Diplomacy tasks
Gash: +5 to Martial tasks
Unique Minions are minions that stand outside the norm of their type. They can supplement a bonus to a roll when their bonus is greater than that of Gnarl as the Head Minion.
Browns!
Gain +5 to tasks involving attacking or gathering per stack of five. Unique Minions of a certain type are included in the stack unless their bonus is being applied elsewhere that turn.
Total Brown Minions: 6
Lifeforce used: 4
Lifeforce remaining: 4
63 + 14 (Occult) + 9 (Gnarl) = 86
You'd set Gnarl loose at the head of your small pack of Minions to scour the local area for lifeforce from things that wouldn't be missed. It was a little disconcerting that they'd managed to find so much within your own castle, but at least the rat population had been culled... And you'd yet to find the current "limit" for the amount of lifeforce that the stone could hold.
Gained +15 Lifeforce
Total Lifeforce: 19
Total Minions: 6/15
Gold Gained: 850
Gold Spent: 0
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