[Jean] Chapter 16: The Ramparts

[pringerbeam]

     "I see...  I don't suppose you know what this is Telamon?  Marina is the dungeon core of Dalina's home."  He asked as he looked at the orb., holding it up so that Telamon can see.  He thought back to when he checked his MP earlier.  "For now, it will have to wait I guess."  He said, handing it back to Dalina.  "Hopefully we can postpone a more lengthy discussion that will require calling back home until tomorrow.  It's getting quite late and I think we're all getting a bit tired.  Is it safe to assume that we will have accommodations at your palace your highness?  Or will  we need to spend the night onboard the Ramparts?"

Good to move on after Telamon and Lili reply

[Throndir]

Telamon looked at it closely. "Without further analysis, I'm not able to tell. Unfortunately we don't have a sophisticated scanner on board the Ramparts. There is one on the Alchemy or Research Center of the Thamylon Legend though. Orcs such as that wasn't used as communication devices back in the time of my creation. Once the city was sent underground, and communication lines were cut, we didn't get a lot of news from the outside world. I will say that the make of that orb reminds me of components of the Metallum. Specifically a class of them that we had encountered in the past, which were crystal-like."

"We'll be safe wi' me in mah royal quarters wi' some o' mah own royal guards... Bit personally, a'd lik' tae see more o' whit's inside th' Ramparts."



The journey back towards the dwarven city was similar to the first time. Dalina was in awe of everything. When it came to seeing the mechanized suits that the dwarves had used to move cargo Dalnia couldn't keep her eyes off of them.

Telamon rolled her eyes. "Ms. Extremist, their designs are actually pretty archaic."

None of the dwarves confronted you, however, even though it was well into the middle of the night, like last time, there were still many dwarves who ventured out just to see you and the group. The atmosphere was mixed. There wasn't any hostility, but if you had to put your finger into it, there was trepidation, though there were a couple who cheered in your passing, only for those dwarves to get a stern glance from the older generation.

"Tis late hero Jean. Mah faither might aye be up, bit it might be better to save meetin' him til tomorrow. " Lili said pointing towards the large clock tower. "We kin heid down into th' ramparts, or a'd share me room wi' ye 'n' yer companions. Ah only have one bed there though... 'n' a few couches. We have a guest room to if ye'd prefer."

[pringerbeam]

     "Well it's not every day you get offered a royal bedroom. but I think we'll take up in a room of our own.  I wouldn't want to dethrone you from your own bed and things might get a bit...  rowdy... in ours.  Before that though, I don't suppose we can all get a bath?  Something to really warm the bones for Dalina, oh and a more substantial meal.  It doesn't have to be a banquet at this hour but that snack from earlier seems to be waning."  Said Jean as they made their way down the streets. 

[Throndir]

"None o' th' food places are open at this time o' night, so we'll have to fix ye something when we git thare." Lili said.

The group went further into the city, and this time Lili lead the troupe towards the domed buildings you had seen earlier that day that were at the top of the tower-city. There were dwarven guards, these ones too were wearing the orange-colored full-plate armor, though these had trims of blue and gold on them as well. The style of armor looked very much different than the armored priests from before.

"Princess 'n' th' hero 'n' his companions... Welcome." The guard said as he saluted. He pressed a button on one of the consoles near him, and the gate to the gated section of the city opened up. Lili thanked the guard.

"Can ye' tell someone n' there to prepare some food n' th' baths too?" Lili asked.

"Aye ma'am. Anythin' fur th' princess 'n' th' hero." The guard said nodding. He pressed a button on his console and spoke aloud the orders, with another dwarf on the other end confirming. With that Lili went on her way, followed by the rest of you.

Going into the building you realized that this place was well-furnished. The overall style and architecture of the place was victorian. It was almost steampunk from your own world, with brass and bronze pieces being used as decoration, though, there were differences too as there was a healthy amount of stone used. Eventually she made her way to a set of doors.

"Here's th' guest rooms. Two o' them 'ere, bit pure, anythin' on this floor is fine to uise. Th' bathhouse itself wid be oan th' first floor. Ah'd join everyone, but Ah'm pretty tired meself. There's a smaller privy just yonder if any of ye' need to uise it late in th' night."

[pringerbeam]

     "Excellent, down to the bath first I think." Said Jean as he made his way towards the stairs leading down. "Is there a dining hall we need to go to for food or will it be brought to our room?"  He asked, pausing at the top of the stairs so he could catch Lilli's reposnse before she went her own way.

[Throndir]

"It'll be dropped at yer room. Weel hero Jean... 'twas a bonny stowed day. Na maiter whit happens tomorrow, ah will be an ally. Anyways, see ye a' th'morra. " Lili said.

The rest of the group began to follow you.

"Hey Jean?" Dalina said from behind you. She was walking beside Ren. "Do you umm... need any treatment on those wounds? Ohh, you too Ren of course!" Dalina said correcting herself. "I thought maybe Lili would have offered, but I think we should get you two patched up a bit, or at least put some ointments on those. I brought the supplies with me." She said pointing to the backpack on her back with her thumb.

"You two look pretty battered up."

[pringerbeam]

     "Thank you your highness.  We'll see you in the morning."  Said Jean, bidding farewell to the princess.  As they walked to the bath Jean checked his status to see how much HP he had.  "Hmmm..."  He pondered.  "Yes I think that would be a good idea.  I'm not sure how much of my health will naturally regenerate so it is probably a good idea..."  He looked around as they arrived at the bathes.  Opening the door to the bath he peered into the steamy room, checking it for anyone already there, before looking another time up and down the hallway for anyone that might be eavesdropping.

Perception Check to see anyone hiding/lurking/snooping

Rolled 1d20+18 : 9 + 18, total 27

[Throndir]

Perception: 27
You were careful as you went down the hallway and into the room. It was quiet, and you didn't notice any one else apart from your group around at all. The only guards you had seen were those at the gates. Checking inside the room itself, there were unused towels placed on tables. There looked to be a change of clothes as well, though they looked either too small, or too wide and stocky just by a quick glance. There was also a metallic box, with a glass pane and door on it, there were various bottles in there. There was a panel near the edge of the pool that looked like it was used to set the temperature. There were two other rooms as well. Everything looked to already be setup, but you were unsure if someone had to physically set these up, or if they had already been setup earlier that day.

Just for your information and going forward (so d20 Modern skills have more use), you can roll Investigate or INT for more information, feel free to do this anytime if you want to make your Perception be more of an investigating route, rather than simply noticing details in the environment.

[pringerbeam]

     "Wow...  Now this is something."  Said Jean as he looked around the room.  "I guess being royalty has its perks."  He continued as he stuck his fingers in the water to check the temperature.  Looking up one more time to survey the room he removed his robe.  "I think we should be safe from prying eyes here."  He said as he took off his shoes and pants before getting into the pool.  "Come on Dalina, you could use the rest.  It's been a long day, especially for you.  I can look away if you want.  We can apply the medicines afterwards.  Telamon, I don't suppose you've ever had a bath before?"  He asked as he leaned back and slumped down to his chin in the water, closing his eyes and allowing his body to float slightly in the vast pool.

     "I guess I should fill you in a bit better on what has been going on the last few hours Dalina.  First, it seems the dryads are in league with the dwarven priests.  I'm not sure yet whose idea it was to attack us first but presumably if we can convince the dwarves to call off the dryads, we can return to Mount Velothia wihtout issue.  Second, the dwarves have an ancient ruin under their city that had an area sealed off by a door that only a hero was supposed to be able to open.  So naturally, I opened it only to find out that it was actually the entryway to a buried ship called the Ramparts.  Telamon seems to be an entity similar to Marina and in charge of stewarding the ship and made me the ship's owner.  The Ramparts seems to be something similar to the Wind Temples but unlike the wind temples, it's currently stuck under this mountain and too low on power to get itself free right now.  Third, the dwarven priests tried to stop me from making it back to the surface to get you so I had to fight them off.  Princess Lili seems to have taken us under her protection so we might be safe for now but the priests seemed to refer to me as the fallen hero so they might know who I am.  For now, we should do what we can to avoid them figuring out my nature."  Jean inhaled deeply as he let his body continue to float in the water. 

     Jean floated for a little bit before continuing.  "I guess you should know Telamon that, unlike the other heroes in this world, I was not sent here by a goddess.  I was sent here by some kind of demigod to help them ascend to godhood.  We plan on keeping this secret.  If other found out it would make us too much of a target to accomplish what needs to be done...  Which is a lot.  For one: revenge.  I need to lay waste to the demons that killed me before.  You seem to know about them though.  The metallum that you mentioned earlier?  They killed me and because of that I need to restore the lands that were conquered because of that.  We also need to find the wind temples that have been lost over the ages and of course now we need to restore the Thamylon Legend.  This hero's got quite the list of quests he needs to complete"  He finished as he sat back up in the bath.  "Oh right, sorry about this Telamon  but I don't think you will need to be fulfilling any of those acts you mentione earlier.  That demigod really wrecked some havoc on my junk and I haven't been able to get it up since.  The need for sexual gratification is mostly a ruse at this point to excuse Ren's behavior and allow us all to sleep together when we're in a less secure location such as this palace.  Sorry to get your hopes up."  He said, finally opening his eyes.

[Throndir]

The temperature of the water was warm. It wasn't quite yet steaming, though you could increase it through the temperature control panel.

"Doctor Alcina made sure I was familiar with baths." Telamon responded. A moment later her two drones began to shine their light on her, and her armor disappeared, replaced by something akin to a swimsuit.

"She liked it in the bath."

"W-well.. I suppose I can, normally we just use a warm wet towel..." Dalina said hesitantly. She noticed the room on the other end and began walking towards it. But she paused when you started to talk. Once you finished explaining the situation Dalina had nodded, her eyes deep in thought as she finished making her way towards the room on the other end. She disappeared, but you could hear her start to change out of her own clothing.

As for Telamon, she simply went into the pool by your side, while Ren, never to be outdone by the gynoid, made herself comfortable on your other side. "We can't have fun tonight?" Telamon pouted, her hand going up to your chest in a slow and seductive way. Though you knew her to be an artificial lifeform, her body did indeed seem like an actual person's. Her touch and fingers were warm.

"I was looking forward to showing you all the ways I know of that involve tentacles."

Shortly after that, Dalina finally appeared. Gone were her normal priestly clothes, and instead were replaced with a simple bath robe. Her hair was no longer in the pony-tail either. Her blush was extremely evident, and you saw her trying to avoid your gaze, though she would blush whenever your eyes met.

"S-stop looking at me so intently."

[pringerbeam]

     "Sorry, it's just...  DIfferent..."  Said Jean as he turned to look away from Dalina.  His mind drifting southward, he mumbled to himself.  "Still nothing."  He took in and let out a deep breath before dunking his head underwater and scrubbing his hair.  Surfacing, he leaned his head into Ren's bosom and put his arms around her.  "As much as I would like to see if you can manage to undo the works of a demigod, I don't think we have the time Telamon."  He said as he ran his fingers up and down Ren's back.  "I already promised Ren some time earlier and I'm not sure if she wants to share right now.  Do you Ren?"  He closed his eyes and turned his ear to Ren's chest, trying to see if he could hear a heartbeat.  Her breasts were soft, like freshly fluffed pillows.  Her skin was silken, like fine bedsheets.  The water was warm, like an enveloping blanket.  A yawn escaped Jean's mouth.  "It's just been such a...  long...  day..."  He said as he nuzzled into Ren, the edges of his vision becoming fuzzy and hard to focus.  "And...  tomorrow..."  He couldn't finish as sleep trampled his exhausted brain and he lost the energy to open his eyes.

[Throndir]

When you placed your head on her chest, you heard her heart, thumping rhythmically and soothingly. Ren wrapped her tentacles around you as well, and couple with the warm water, it was absolutely comfortable. Ren was skilled with both swimming, and with water in general, so having her wrap herself around you was almost akin to a soft bed floating on water. Ren smiled gently and happily seeing you fall asleep on her. Telamon continued to stare a moment but eventually laid back in the water. As for Dalina, she began to step into the pool itself, the look on her face begging the question whether or not you were actually asleep.

"This is good too master..." She said quietly as she stroked your hair.

Location: Kherngolarr - Guest Room in Palace
Date: Day 8 (Jean), Day 10 (Rosalie) - Time: 10:30 AM

When you woke up, you found yourself in a soft bed, in a dimly lit room. There were crystals up in the ceiling that were glowing, giving off a soft white light. It took you a moment to realize you were back in the guest room. You were clothed in your regular outfit as well, telling you that someone had put on your clothes after last night. To your left was Dalina, and to your right was Ren. Both girls were sound asleep.

Telamon on the other hand was already seemingly awake, sitting in one of the chairs in the room. She was wearing what looked to be a simple blouse, and none of her armor was present either. Her eyes seemed to be lifeless, and she was unnaturally still. Her two drones were next to her as well which looked like they were powered down.

A moment later, her eyes briefly glowed as life sprung back into them. "Master Jean, good morning." Telamon said, smiling and looking you over.

[pringerbeam]

     "Staaaatus."  Yawned Jean as he stretched his arms over his head. and checking his stats  "Morning Telamon.  What did I miss?"  He said, blinking away the sleep from his eyes.  "Did you sleep last night?  Do you sleep at all?  You seem dressed for it.  You're welcome to share the bed if you want."  Asked Jean as he looked at the bed's occupants.  He leaned back to prop himself up against the bed's headboard.  "I'm guessing nothing else happened last night?"  He looked for Viridio and beckoned them over to perch on his arm. "You sure have grown Viridio.  Thanks for looking out for Dalina."  He said as he patted the bird on its head.  "Keep an eye on her would you?  It may be the duty trust upon her by the priests to follow me but she's more fragile than the rest of us."  He transferred Viridio to his shoulder as he wiggled his way out from under the covers, trying to avoid waking Ren and Dalina, so that he could get out of the bed.

     He made his way to Dalina's bag and dug out the orb from yesterday.  Returning to the bed, he picked his way back to his position between Ren and Dalina and propped himself up once again on the headboard.  "Well...  She said to just put my mana into it..."  He said as he looked the crystal orb over, watching as the light played through its interior.  Setting the orb in his lap, he put his hands on either side of it and closed his eyes, willing his mana into the orb.

[Throndir]

The moment you stretched, you noticed bandages wrapped over you at various parts of your body. Your arms, and torso were wrapped, and more than likely the wounds you received from the treants were probably treated. You were feeling much better than before, though you still had some minor wounds. Realizing that, looking over at Ren, she too had some treatment unlike you, she was a lot more badly wounded from all the events of yesterday. But looking at her, she still looked badly wounded.

Jean Valois
Herald of the Old Ones
Level 57

Condition: Slightly Injured, Refreshed

HP: 192/215
MP: 171/171
KP: 43/43
STR: 32 +
DEX: 22 +
CON: 41 +
INT: 29+
WIS: 24 +
CHA: 17 +
MAG: 32 +

Blessings: Quick Learner, Mana Sensitivity, Translate Languages, Personal Status, Weight Control, Summon Tentacle, Inventory, Analysis

You have 1 unspent ability point.

"You didn't miss too much. Us girls spent the evening in the bath talking while Dalina had Ren lift you gently to one of the recliner chairs in there. As she promised, she treated your wounds, along with Ren's. After that, we came back here to find some food had been prepared for us. We left most of it out, but I stored the remainders in their fridge." Telamon said pointing to a metallic box at the corner. "Dalina fell asleep almost immediately at 3:16 AM. She entered her first REM cycle at 4:02 AM. Ren is a unique case, most of her sleep was in REM. It might be related to her species though, as of yet, I do not know what she is, as she's the first I've encountered like her. There had been trials of creating life in my time, specifically merging the DNA of animals with humans, to create hybrids. As for me, no... I do not sleep. Though, I can enter a low power state if I choose to. I keep enough sensors operational to detect our surroundings even at this state, so be assured that nothing will catch us unaware."

Viridio flapped her wings in response. "I will..!" Viridio chirped shortly, as she contented herself to sit on your shoulder, easily balancing as you got out of bed.

When you pulled out the orb, Telamon paid close attention too, training her eyes on the crystal you held. When you began to pour your mana into it, it was easy to do, much like the gems on the Rampart's doors earlier, the orb freely accepted mana, and even helped make the process easier. At that moment, the orb lighted up. And all of a sudden you felt your hand start to go into the orb. Not only that, you felt like you were simply being pulled or sucked into it.

Telamon's eyes widened in alarm.

If you're resisting, roll a STR check.

[pringerbeam]

Jean is not resisting