Valentine Duell
July 09, 2021 9:11 PM
A Quest Begins [Gaming Club] by Valentine Duell
It was the second to last time the gaming club would meet up for the year. Valentine had made sure that she would be running the game that night. However, when the club members arrived, they would not find her smiling countenance there to greet them. The chairs around their traditional table were empty and only two things lay upon it. The first thing was a torn and singed piece of paper upon which this message was written…Adventurers,
Go, make haste, there is dire need of you;
all alone, one of your company awaits your rescue.
The path ahead is foggy and unclear;
see the Great Oracle for wisdom you must hear.
Below the writing instead of a signature, there was a cartoon-style winged heart symbol inside of a circle. Curiously enough the other object that rested on the table, closer to the traditional ‘GM’ seat, was a ring about three inches in diameter with the same cartoon-style winged heart inside of it. It may have been a pendant, for there as a broken string through it, and it looked as though it had been blackened by fire.
Subthreads: Is this LARPing? by Bertie Jackson
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Valentine Duell
A Quest Begins [Gaming Club]
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Bertie Jackson
July 09, 2021 9:20 PM
Is this LARPing? by Bertie Jackson
As soon as Bertie had joined D&D, he had done what any respectable nerd did and read as much about the hobby as he could. Therefore, when he arrived to find a physical object and a not-at-all-cryptic note from Valentine (he would have to teach her to do better), he knew better than to call it anything so childish as a treasure hunt. He, in fact, had not been on treasure hunts for many years, though he had spent a lot of time code-breaking. That was not, he thought, what Valentine would call this, especially as there was no code involved.“Looks like w-we’re having a----a LARP session tonight,” he commented to the next player.
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Bertie Jackson
Is this LARPing?
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Evelyn Stones
July 09, 2021 9:23 PM
AVAST YE LARPIESSS by Evelyn Stones
Evelyn was giddy and trying to play it cool. Like she totally didn't know what was happening. She smiled at Bertie when he spoke up first."Looks like! I've got lower stats than most of my characters but that should probably be fine right? Let's do this thing!" She looked around at the gathered students, trying not to have emotions about it. "Any ideas?"
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Evelyn Stones
AVAST YE LARPIESSS
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Bertie Jackson
July 09, 2021 9:44 PM
Yes. That. by Bertie Jackson
Evelyn was always very bouncy, and not always that intuitive. Bertie had tried giving her the benefit of the doubt for being an honorary McLeod but he couldn’t, in all honesty, say he’d miss her very much. It would be significantly less YOLOy without her, and he didn't register that as a bad thing.“We go t-t-talk to Professor Duell,” he stated, jabbing the word ‘oracle’ in the message from Valentine. He didn’t really think anyone else would need a lot of time to work that out, and if they did.. Well, that was tough. As far as Bertie was concerned, the fun in puzzles was solving them as efficiently as possible.
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Bertie Jackson
Yes. That.
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Philippe Delachene
July 09, 2021 9:49 PM
What's that? by Philippe Delachene
Philippe was a little bit disconcerted by there not being a Valentine or a map at their table. He had, however, lived with an Anya long enough that he could roll with unpredictable disruptions to the usual routine. He did not know what a LARP was that Bertie identified the day's session as.If it mean, as Evelyn implied, that they were using their own personal stats, he thought they might be in trouble. Well, Bertie and Gabe probably had INT covered pretty well. As the group's remaining Teppenpaw (other than Val), Philippe wondered if he was supposed the Charisma guy? And would they need their dice? He removed the bag that Freddie had given him that contained his dice from his larger bag and placed it into his pocket for easy access while they wandered around.
He looked over the note and tried to figure out what exactly they were supposed to be doing and to try to answer Evelyn's question. He was about to wonder if the great oracle was the librarian, but Bertie suggested the Divnation teacher first and he felt like an idiot. That's why Bertie had the INT stats. "Right. Yeah. That makes sense."
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Philippe Delachene
What's that?
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Evelyn Stones
July 09, 2021 10:11 PM
Pirates, matey! by Evelyn Stones
Evelyn grinned, which she might not normally have but she was pretty used to Bertie being Bertie-ish. Plus Philippe sounded like he needed the encouragement. She was pretty sure Bertie was the branch of Aladren that was the reason she was not one, so she turned to her favorite (remaining) Aladren instead. "Any other clues we should deduce before headed that way then?" she asked Ness.
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Evelyn Stones
Pirates, matey!
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Ness McLeod
July 09, 2021 10:49 PM
And who's first mate? by Ness McLeod
There was a quest! Like, a literal real one! This was dope. It was slightly less fun when Bertie butted in with the answer, like Ness wouldn’t have worked it out too if given a chance to see the paper properly. That was why, when Evelyn asked if there was anything else, Ness was darn well determined to make there be something else to discover.There was the ring. Ness was pretty sure that Val wasn’t throwing objects around just for laughs – everything meant something. Normally, Ness would do a perception check and inspect the symbol, but did those work here?— More to the point, why was Ness’ first instinct to ask Evelyn that? Why was Evelyn not YOLOing her way through a door right now, but asking questions, directing and checking player moves?
“I roll perception check,” Ness stated, pulling a D20 out, and also chancing the fact that it was possible to actually pick up and inspect objects and doing just that, turning the small object over, and tugging and squeezing it, just generally inspecting whether it did anything unexpected or had any hidden details. “Mostly on this, because I think I can use my natural perception skills to tell other things,” the Aladren added, observing Evelyn intently.
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Ness McLeod
And who's first mate?
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Evelyn Stones
July 09, 2021 10:52 PM
Me. Also probably your girlfriend. by Evelyn Stones
Evelyn, for her part, only smiled."Then let's do this thing!"
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Evelyn Stones
Me. Also probably your girlfriend.
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Ness McLeod
July 09, 2021 10:56 PM
Toad venture, then! by Ness McLeod
If Evelyn knew, she wasn’t letting on. Typical. Ness had rolled a fricking nineteen and was getting nothing out of it. In what universe was that fair?“To Professor Duell then,” the Aladren stated, pocketing both the ring and the clue for later use, and leading the group along the hallway.
The adrenaline fuelled fun of a treasure hunt carried all the way to the door, at which point Ness realised that a) they were about to go ask a Sonora teacher if they had a treasure hunt clue, which was a bit weird if they were very wrong about this and b) it was Professor Duell, who Ness had never spoken to and didn’t really want to because her subject was stupid and made up.
“Anyone like… actually know her?” Ness asked the group.
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Ness McLeod
Toad venture, then!
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Gabriel Wilson
July 09, 2021 11:11 PM
Indeed by Gabriel Wilson
"Sort of, but not very well personally. I mean, I'm in her class." Gabriel replied. "But it's not like I've really sat down and talked with her about stuff."
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Gabriel Wilson
Indeed
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Giselle Duell
July 10, 2021 10:08 AM
You have arrived. by Giselle Duell
Valentine had tried to explain to her what she was planning, but Giselle had lost the thread of the schemes multiple times as the excited girl had talked in circles. Finally she grasped what role her niece wanted her to play and agreed to it. As such, when a troop of students found their way outside her office, she was ready for them.Professor Giselle's door swung open, seemingly of it's own accord. Something that may have been more impressive if this hadn't been a magical school. "Right on schedule," her voice drifted to them in the hallway. "Good, time is of the essence, please enter."
The room was dimly lit and heavily scented with whatever leftover incense had been remaining after class. Giselle tried to do her very best 'mysterious mystic’ voice, Val had been excited about this and she didn’t want to let the girl down.
“I sense,” she began slowly, “That you come seeking answers… and a lost soul.” She held up a hand to forestall anything they may try to interject. “Before I can be of any service however, you must recover the talisman from the great dragon.” She waved her wand to create a floating image of the winged heart pendant. “Only once you have that, can you proceed.”
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Giselle Duell
You have arrived.
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Ness McLeod
July 10, 2021 9:37 PM
Yup by Ness McLeod
Ness really, really hoped that Professor Duell was playing a part right now, otherwise she was an utterly ridiculous human. She sensed that they came seeking answers? Wow, what could possibly have tipped her off there?Still, what she wanted was easy enough.
"We have that!" Ness' excitement was evident. The Aladren pulled the ring out, excited to be the one who got to present it. Though, not having taken Divination, Ness was not familiar with Professor Duell's seeing spell.
"Uh..." Ness hesitated, holding the pendent up and wondering how to proceed.
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Ness McLeod
Yup
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Giselle Duell
July 10, 2021 10:36 PM
Good, good. by Giselle Duell
Giselle swished her wand at Ness' exclamation, took the object and held it in her hands. "Very impressive." Then she said barely above a whisper, "This is it. All is clear now. The password you will need is ‘Heartsfire’.” Then she gave the group a hint of a smile, “The guardian awaits you and you will need the password and your token,” She handed the heart pendant back,. “to retrieve the guardian’s trove. Venture forth to the realm where Hesita’s and Poseidon's domains meet.Your reward will lead you onward. Be warned though, do not reveal your prize until you have reached your destination."
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Giselle Duell
Good, good.
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Gabriel Wilson
July 10, 2021 11:55 PM
Ooh, I know by Gabriel Wilson
"Thank you." Gabriel replied. He turned to his party. "I think the next clue is in MARS." Lots of domains met there.
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Gabriel Wilson
Ooh, I know
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Evelyn Stones
July 11, 2021 12:35 AM
Talk us through that. by Evelyn Stones
Okay, what was up with people just blurting out the answers or their ideas? Like sure, that was a good idea, but this was a group game, people. Still, considering it was Bertie and Gabriel who were the offenders here, Evelyn couldn't entirely blame them. There was a personality type that yoloed hard the wrong way in Evelyn's opinion and she suspected they thought the same of her."You've got high INT scores," she suggested, smiling a little tightly at the pair before glancing at Ness with A Look and then finally the rest of the party. "Any other ideas or questions for the Oracle?" Then back to Ness. "Is it a perception check to see if the good professor is lying to us? No offense, ma'am," she added with a cheeky grin that she hoped carried into her voice. Hopefully Val had also warned Professor Duell about Evelyn, not to mention what the woman knew of Evelyn from class. "If we are good, then to MARS next?"
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Evelyn Stones
Talk us through that.
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Ness McLeod
July 11, 2021 1:02 AM
Sounds good by Ness McLeod
"Maybe... Poseidon is the God of the sea." Ness thought through the options, suspecting Gabriel was right but wanting to contribute something. "Or if we take it to be water more generally, Cascade Hall could be an option. Does anyone know who Hesita is?" Ness hated to admit ignorance, but the name was drawing a total blank."Are we doing rolls? I guess it would be?" Ness shrugged. "Do you know anything else about the perils we need to prepare for, Professor Duell?" Rarely did 'tell me everything you know' help a lot, but it could sometimes let you work out if there was a direction still to poke in for more information...
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Ness McLeod
Sounds good
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Gabriel Wilson
July 11, 2021 1:07 AM
Actually by Gabriel Wilson
"Actually, on second thought. the hall might be right." Gabriel replied. "Because while Hesita doesn't make sense, Hestia is the goddess of hearth and home which brings up cooking and meals and family. I just was thinking of the water room in MARS for Poseidon but it could be the walls."
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Gabriel Wilson
Actually
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Evelyn Stones
July 11, 2021 1:24 AM
There we go. by Evelyn Stones
Evelyn nodded when Gabriel spoke. Usually, gods and goddesses were her thing, although Professor Duell's mispronunciation hadn't helped too much on that front. It happened more often than not with some of those old weird names so it wasn't that odd."You're right about the goddess," Evelyn told him; it was pretty well known that she was into gods and goddesses so she didn't feel the need to explain her knowledge of that subject more. "And I think you're both right about Cascade Hall." She looked back to the professor as Ness asked about further perils though.
OOC: I am chocking up "Hesita" as Professor Duell mispronouncing the name (and/or Valentine misspeaking it to her) although I'm guessing it was a typo. But it makes me laugh a lot to think the professor from Greece got the Greek god's name wrong and I figure we're meant to be moving along so I'll go with it. Professor Duell's author should let me know if that detail ought to be changed.
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Evelyn Stones
There we go.
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Giselle Duell
July 11, 2021 7:24 AM
*sighs and attempts to keep composure* by Giselle Duell
OOC: Yeah, that was a typo. Oh well, we'll roll with it. BIC:
Had she actually really messed up Hestia's name? Oh goodness what sort of a professor was she? Well, Giselle would just have to break down and berate herself later, once there weren't any students around. In the meantime she did her best to keep her expression neutral.
She did give Evelyn a small wan smile at the lying comment, wondering what a 'perception check' was. As for the other older student's question, "I would advise against attempting violence against the guardian, for they are armed in a way you are not." She was pretty sure the students wouldn't go that route, but she figured it wouldn't hurt to make it clear. Hopefully she'd understood Valentine as to what the next stage of this game looked like.
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Giselle Duell
*sighs and attempts to keep composure*
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Morgan Garrett
July 11, 2021 6:09 PM
*cheers on a fellow actor* by Morgan Garrett
So, Val was, like, officially the coolest person ever. Morgan was not sure the rest of the group would agree with that assessment (Bertie struck her as someone who had days where he lose his experiential grip on the concept of fun, and Evelyn seemed annoyed by him and Gabriel both), but she was older than them and therefore...well, okay, their INT scores were probably way higher than hers, and their WIS probably was, too, so being older probably didn't really give her opinion any more weight, but on the flip side, her...What stat would 'going eh and letting it roll off her back' be? She wasn't sure.
Beside the point. More interesting was how Val was super-creative and skilled and also had a really cool hookup with the staff. How often did roleplayers get a real live oracle for their game?!
As excited as she was by all that, though, she could never quite help making deadpan remarks, even if she kept them in her head. This time, she said one out loud. "Take this as not seriously as you want, everyone," she said when she heard that the guardian of the Hall would have weapons they did not. "But I'm officially betting we're gonna get food thrown at us."
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Morgan Garrett
*cheers on a fellow actor*
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Ness McLeod
July 11, 2021 6:24 PM
Onwards by Ness McLeod
"Alright, let's go find out," Ness noted Morgan's concern."Perception check," Ness stated for form's sake when they reached the door, seeing as they didn't actually seem to be doing rolls. The seventh year peered cautiously around they edge of the door - they had been caught out by yoloing their way into things often enough to have learnt that lesson the hard way.
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Ness McLeod
Onwards
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Nillix the elf
July 11, 2021 6:49 PM
Fear me! by Nillix the elf
Nillix was having a blast! She got to play in a game some of the students were playing! The prairie elf marched back and forth in front of the three wooden crates that had been placed into her care. The horned helmet upon her head and the toy spear she carried made it all the more exciting! She was grinning ear to ear as she patrolled around her precious treasure placed in a corner of the Cascade Hall. No one was getting these crates without her approval.
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Nillix the elf
Fear me!
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Nillix the elf
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Morgan Garrett
July 11, 2021 9:07 PM
*cowers in terror* by Morgan Garrett
This real life gaming had one advantage, which was that they weren't having to explain away irrational rolls of the dice. A disadvantage was that Morgan, at least, did not then get the advantage of having someone else tell her what she perceived if the roll was not stupid. However, it turned out, after the walk down to the Hall, that her worries about that were pretty unfounded. The sight was unusual enough that she thought that even glancing quickly around the door was pretty effective, at least compared to usual."I don't know if this is better or worse than the mashed potatoes I was expecting," she whispered. The elf was sort of cute, in an ugly-cute way, with its grin and toys, but one thing Morgan had learned playing Dungeons and Dragons this long was that sometimes something looking kinda cute could kill the whole party a whole lot....
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Morgan Garrett
*cowers in terror*
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Ness McLeod
July 12, 2021 12:36 AM
We come in peace by Ness McLeod
It was a good job Professor Duell had warned them against violence. Not that Ness really wanted to beat up a prairie elf or thought that was a good idea. It was just the usual way that D&D went. And the thing was brandishing a spear."So, password, necklace and non-violent approaches?" Ness confirmed with the party. "And we need to be covert with whatever we get.
"Heartsfire," Ness stated, stepping into the hall, hands held slightly up in a non-threatening way. "We come seeking a peaceful exchange. The dragon pendant for your trove."
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Ness McLeod
We come in peace
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Evelyn Stones
July 12, 2021 12:56 AM
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Evelyn Stones
Thread continues in CH!
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