Don't worry, Attar. It will come out right in the end!
Monday, March 19th, 2012 03:39 pm~The Tale of the Black Knight~
Broad summary + some dialogue.
Not many days ago, Dame Varnell received a mysterious invitation from the Black Knight, a mysterious fellow who'd been active in the region many years ago, but quieter lately. His goons had raided a local village, and while they'd also stolen many other artifacts, they'd kidnapped an elderly woman named Gertrude as well. Taking it upon her honor to save fair Gertrude, Dame Varnell accepted the invitation, which had challenged her to participate in a jousting match with several other knights famous in the region. The winner, it was said, would later battle against the Black Knight himself.
Dame Varnell is a knight errant who travels the kingdom, righting wrongs-- even, in her own words, the wrongs that others do not perceive as being wrong. Around ten years ago, this resulted in a run-in with a young would-be thief by the name of Farin Attar, known in his city of origin by the other street urchins as 'Whistler' due to his prominent missing front tooth, which he lost in a scuffle that also left him with a prominent facial scar.
When they met, it was under the circumstances of thief and mark; Whistler attempted to steal some coins of value from Dame Varnell, and was caught by her instead. After making it abundantly clear that he could not escape her, she made it her personal mission to see to it that he became a man of honor and righteousness, and took him on as her unwilling squire. Through their years of association and travel, he seems to have become fond of her as a surrogate parental figure, and while he probably wouldn't always admit it out loud, actions speak louder than words-- at twenty two, he's pretty old to be a squire, yet he followed her on this trip as well, into the keep of the Black Knight-- this time, leading her horse.
[Disclaimer: NPC names may be incorrectly spelled!]
Inside the castle, we encountered the Black Knight's man-servant, Revitt, who greeted us and informed us that he would see the horse to the stable. Following that, he showed us to the room set aside for Dame Varnell, which had a single bed and the look of a room that had not been cleaned up for use until very, very recently. After making it abundantly clear that we were not to go to any rooms that were locked, but were otherwise welcome to wander the castle as we wished, Revitt left us in peace, warning us that he would fetch Dame Varnell when she was to participate in a jousting match.
After some quick discussion amongst ourselves, the Dame Varnell made it clear that she wished to meet the other knights of the joust formally, as it was only proper. Whistler followed dutifully.
-Dame Varnell met Riana, who talked about shieldmaidens and special bonds in great detail. She explained that her shield sister, Taris, and herself were incredible in battle and their bond was such that they traveled everywhere together. Whistler's eyebrows nearly scurried up into his hairline at all that suggestive talk.
RIANA: I'm somewhat famous in these parts. My shieldsister Taris and I will wipe the floor with the competition in this tournament, I'm looking forward to it.
DAME VARNELL: I see. Well, besides your charming but misplaced confidence, I am very pleased to meet you, Dame Riana. I am Dame Francesca Varnell. I serve as knight errant in these lands. *grand gesture*
RIANA: Hah! I've never heard of you.
WHISTLER: *frown* So if you're so tough, how's it going to go when you have to fight this Taris? All of the competitors have to fight each other.
RIANA: *waves her hand in dismissal* We may be shieldsisters, but she'll have to accept her inevitable loss when she is pitted against me. *eyeing him disapprovingly* Are you competing in the joust? You lack...muscle.
WHISTLER: *bristling* Wh- I-!! *folds arms sulkily across his chest*
DAME VARNELL: Ah, no, Attar is my squire. He is not ready for such a competition!
-Then we knocked on the door of our next-room neighbors. Met Renk, who was unfriendly towards Varnell, but seemed to like Whistler and invited him in for drinks. He asked how much money Whistler had on him at that moment and Ehistler went along to gather info. While Varnell tried to visit the last room of the contestants (locked, no answer) and then investigated the storage closet, Whistler assured Renk he had no money on him, had a swig of whiskey, offered some wine, and after a couple of unsubtle attempts on Renk's part to ascertain whether Whistler was 'one of his' or not, Whistler lied and said he was. He then discovered that Renk and his pal, Stimdon, had received a letter from 'the Boss' (who Whistler assumed was the Black Knight) saying to watch over Varnell using the peephole and make sure she didn't cause trouble or go snooping around in search of Gertrude. The letter also said that they would end up imprisoned if they failed, and suggested in no uncertain terms that the Boss intended to kill all upstanding persons personally during the proceedings. Whistler engineered an opportunity to read the letter by casually asking if Renk had checked it for secret messages. Renk made it clear he would try to kill Whistler if Whistler lied, and that he would know if Whistler did. The note also mentioned two women, a younger woman as well as Gertrude. Whistler only pretended that there might be a message, but overall simply read the letter and returned it. He assured Renk that he'd been sent by the Boss to ensure that Renk and Stimdon were well-rested for the joust. While in the room he also checked the back wall of their room for secret doors beneath the tapestry, but found nothing.
-Stimdon returned to the room and was suspicious of Whistler. His hostility to Whistler transferred to Renk, so Whistler played on Renk's hurt, promising to be his buddy and reinforcing Renk's trust in him, as if they were all in on it. When pressed for credentials, Whistler played a risky bid, claiming that Stimdon could just kill him, but what would that prove? If he didn't want to sleep that was fine, but as it stood, Whistler was there to keep an eye on the old lady to spare them the neck pains that would otherwise result from using the peephole. Stimdon urged him to get back to work then, not trusting him anyway.
[Inside of The Scary Thugs's Guest Chambers, Whistler is trying to gather information about the competition, since the odds seem stacked against the Lady Varnell. He is trying to play it cool.]
WHISTLER: Oh, hey, was there any secret message stuff in your letter? You know how the Boss stashes those in there sometimes.
RANK: Huh?
WHISTLER: You want me to check it for ya? I'll look and see.
RANK: Oh, sure. I'm not too good with that sort of stuff, but uh.
[He gives Whistler the piece of paper, and then points his dagger menacingly at Whistler's throat.]
RANK: If you lie to me, though, I'll know.
WHISTLER: Right. Well, hmm.
[The letter states, in no uncertain terms, that the Black Knight has hired Rank and Stimdon to keep an eye on Lady Varnell by use of the peep hole in her room; it goes on to assert that the joust will see to it that all non-Chaotic persons shall be crushed, and that Rank and Stimdon will reap the rewards as the Black Knight's right hand man. Further, the Black Knight needs them to ensure that Lady Varnell doesn't search the castle and find the old woman or the young lady he's kidnapped and is questioning at the moment, lest Stimdon and Rank wish to end up in a cell beside them.]
WHISTLER: [gulp] Hmmm. Well, this all looks pretty legit, but if you move the 'e' here, see how these letters line up? That could be a message saying to keep watch tonight if things go south. But it might be nothing, you never know. [he hands it back to Rank]
RANK: Tonight? I didn't know we were gonna be here that long. Figured we'd just kill everybody in the joust.
WHISTLER: It's probably a back up plan.
[STIMDON returns and is displeased to see WHISTLER there.]
STIMDON: Who the hell is this?
RANK: Come on in, Stimdon, I'll tell you all about it. He's workin' for the boss too.
STIMDON: Oh yeah? Has he got the you-know-what that proves he works for the boss, like we do? [suspicious look]
WHISTLER: What, are you saying you don't trust me? [spreads his hands]
STIMDON: No, I don't. I trust one person here, and that's me and ONLY me.
WHISTLER: Not even Rank? That's pretty vain.
STIMDON: ONLY me. Right, Rank?
RANK: [hurt] But I thought- we could trust each other, and only each other. I guess, if that's not true, then I only trust ME...and my new buddy here.
WHISTLER: Thanks, Rank. I trust you, too.
RANK: Right!
STIMDON: Ugh! Just kill him, he's working for the old woman anyway, isn't he?
WHISTLER: Fine! Kill me, and spend the whole night staring out that cramped peephole while you watch over the old lady. [he shakes his head] Don't be stupid. The boss sent me here to make sure you get plenty of sleep for the final round of the joust tomorrow. We can't have you guys at less than top shape to handle the uh, competition, now can we?
STIMDON: Sleepin' does sound mighty nice.
WHISTLER: It does, doesn't it? So if you don't mind, I'm gonna do my job and you do yours-- like the Boss told you to!
STIMDON: Well then what the hell are you doin' in here? Get out there and keep an eye on her!
WHISTLER: Fine, fine--
[He leaves, finding Dame Varnell in the hall]
WHISTLER: [whispering hoarsely] Lady Varnell oh boy I think we're in big big trouble! Let's get out of here! Let's-- let's go for a walk! Come on, let's go!
DAME VARNELL: Oh, there you are, Attar. I suppose the occupant of this room is not in, so we may as well go for a walk, if you wish.
WHISTLER: [still whispering as they walk up the hall] I- I just read a letter, okay? From the Black Knight. A-a-and he's keeping Gertrude and some young lady--
DAME VARNELL: No, Attar, I think the young lady he's referring to IS Gertrude.
WHISTLER: [flat expression; sigh] No, the letter mentioned two women, actually. But they're being held in his prison here somewhere, and those big goons are gonna try and kill everybody in the joust!
[We pass a closet.]
DAME VARNELL: That closet there contains a wealth of ordinary household supplies, Attar. There's even a long pole.
WHISTLER: [brightening] Ten feet long?
DAME VARNELL: Yes, I think so-- and sacks of feed and various cleaning supplies...
WHISTLER: [shaking himself] I'm a thief, I have SOME pride in taking things that are actually of value, you know.
DAME VARNELL: Oh yes, quite.
-Whistler related what he'd heard to Dame Varnell in the hall as she tried to greet the mystery knights again and they still didn't answer. She waved it off and misinterpreted part of what he was relating as being a slight to Gertrude. He reaffirmed that there were two women, and people aiming to kill Dame Varnell. She suggested they explore the castle for now, and he followed doggedly, trying to warn her more along the way. She informed him of the contents of the storage closet as they passed it, to which he briefly brightened. Then, they were summoned for a joust!
-Dame Varnell's first opponent was Taris, shieldsister of Riana. She won! Her form was so incredible she shattered her lance on Taris's shield and unseated Taris on the first pass. Whistler was so surprised he exploded into cheering for her. Taris was a sore loser, and very angrily stalked off. Riana wanted to follow her, but her match was next. Everyone had turned out for the jousts, but Dame Varnell and Whistler returned to the castle to 'rest'.
-They met no one in the halls, and then unstuck the door to, and stepped inside a room just to the west of the front room. (Left coming back in.)
-There were many suits of armor, holding axes and black shields, and one with a red shield at the front. In the far corner stood a mysterious creature, glowering. There was also a lever on the south wall, in the middle of the room. Not thinking, Whistler stepped forward, with Dame Varnell behind him, to investigate the lever. The two armors nearest them swung their axes, a trap that cleaved through Attar's leather armor and flesh with vicious acuity, knocking him and Dame Varnell down. Coughing up blood, he passed out instantly. Only bruised, but still hurt (and worried for Attar), Dame Varnell hid by the door, bandaging her friend. Though she was able to stop the bleeding, the trap reset while she'd been bandaging him. She tried depressing the red shield, and it deactivated again. She then went to the lever Whistler'd pointed out. She then played with the lever, which was 'up.' At midway, the trap was deactivated; at 'down', another armor (a golem) fell apart in the back corner, but the trap was reset. She proceeded to the far door, trying to open it. She could not, even with the skeleton that Revitt had given us. She returned to Whistler, using shields from some of the armors to throw at the red shield and depress it. When she succeeded, she carried Whistler back to the room.
-She did not encounter anyone on the way, and was able to get him to the room without incident. She kindly laid him in the bed and tucked him in so he'd be warm. She was then summoned to joust! He wondered what'd happened, but remembered once she explained to him. He wished her luck but opted to sit the joust out when she was summoned.
Danny: Okay, you make it back to your room with the single bed. Do you lay Whistler out on the floor?
Dustin: *primly* No, he's hurt, so I lay him out on the bed.
Dev: Aw!
Danny: After a few minutes, he stirs!
WHISTLER: ...ergh...Lady Varnell? What happened...?
DAME VARNELL: We discovered a trap in the armory! You were nearly sliced in two.
WHISTLER: *feeling his stomach* Oh, yeah. I kinda remember that. That was scary!
DAME VARNELL: I then examined the lever you were going to examine, and discovered that it could be used to disable the trap entirely. I couldn't proceed into the next room without your assistance, however, so I decided it was best for us to make a retreat.
WHISTLER: *weak chuckle* I-
REVITT: *knock knock* Dammmme Varnellll, you have beennn....summmonnnned for your nexxxxt jousssssst.
WHISTLER: I- think I'm gonna sit this one out, milady.
DAME VARNELL: Yes, please rest, Attar! Recover your strength.
WHISTLER: *grin* I'm rootin' for ya!
-Her second opponent was the Just Sir Bryon. They fought many passes without being able to unseat each other, but she triumphed in the end! Notably, Sir Bryon had very, very shiny armor!
-While Dame Varnell was fighting her opponent, Whistler weakly snuck out and into Renk and Stimdon's room. He'd seen that they had a healing potion stashed here when he'd been in it before, and quaffed some of it, re-examining the letter to be sure he hadn't missed anything. He also checked around the room; but nothing. He may have checked the peep hole to figure out where it was? He returned to their room and began writing about their exploits, lest they should meet doom in the castle!
-When Dame Varnell returned, Whistler blocked the peep hole and offered vaguely that she should drink of 'this', handing her the rest of the healing potion. She was surprised but pleased. With the last drops of it, he followed her out of the room and created a false trail of potion leading from Renk and Stimdon's room to the room shared by Riana and Taris, leaving the bottle in the corner by their room to try to allay suspicions from himself. He then followed Dame Varnell back to the room they'd been investigating before. She showed him how to deactivate the trap, and he was impressed.
-Whistler unlocked the door for her. In the next room were two suits of armor, a wall lined with weapons, a bag of grain, and five chests.
-Part Two coming up later!-
Broad summary + some dialogue.
Not many days ago, Dame Varnell received a mysterious invitation from the Black Knight, a mysterious fellow who'd been active in the region many years ago, but quieter lately. His goons had raided a local village, and while they'd also stolen many other artifacts, they'd kidnapped an elderly woman named Gertrude as well. Taking it upon her honor to save fair Gertrude, Dame Varnell accepted the invitation, which had challenged her to participate in a jousting match with several other knights famous in the region. The winner, it was said, would later battle against the Black Knight himself.
Dame Varnell is a knight errant who travels the kingdom, righting wrongs-- even, in her own words, the wrongs that others do not perceive as being wrong. Around ten years ago, this resulted in a run-in with a young would-be thief by the name of Farin Attar, known in his city of origin by the other street urchins as 'Whistler' due to his prominent missing front tooth, which he lost in a scuffle that also left him with a prominent facial scar.
When they met, it was under the circumstances of thief and mark; Whistler attempted to steal some coins of value from Dame Varnell, and was caught by her instead. After making it abundantly clear that he could not escape her, she made it her personal mission to see to it that he became a man of honor and righteousness, and took him on as her unwilling squire. Through their years of association and travel, he seems to have become fond of her as a surrogate parental figure, and while he probably wouldn't always admit it out loud, actions speak louder than words-- at twenty two, he's pretty old to be a squire, yet he followed her on this trip as well, into the keep of the Black Knight-- this time, leading her horse.
[Disclaimer: NPC names may be incorrectly spelled!]
Inside the castle, we encountered the Black Knight's man-servant, Revitt, who greeted us and informed us that he would see the horse to the stable. Following that, he showed us to the room set aside for Dame Varnell, which had a single bed and the look of a room that had not been cleaned up for use until very, very recently. After making it abundantly clear that we were not to go to any rooms that were locked, but were otherwise welcome to wander the castle as we wished, Revitt left us in peace, warning us that he would fetch Dame Varnell when she was to participate in a jousting match.
After some quick discussion amongst ourselves, the Dame Varnell made it clear that she wished to meet the other knights of the joust formally, as it was only proper. Whistler followed dutifully.
-Dame Varnell met Riana, who talked about shieldmaidens and special bonds in great detail. She explained that her shield sister, Taris, and herself were incredible in battle and their bond was such that they traveled everywhere together. Whistler's eyebrows nearly scurried up into his hairline at all that suggestive talk.
RIANA: I'm somewhat famous in these parts. My shieldsister Taris and I will wipe the floor with the competition in this tournament, I'm looking forward to it.
DAME VARNELL: I see. Well, besides your charming but misplaced confidence, I am very pleased to meet you, Dame Riana. I am Dame Francesca Varnell. I serve as knight errant in these lands. *grand gesture*
RIANA: Hah! I've never heard of you.
WHISTLER: *frown* So if you're so tough, how's it going to go when you have to fight this Taris? All of the competitors have to fight each other.
RIANA: *waves her hand in dismissal* We may be shieldsisters, but she'll have to accept her inevitable loss when she is pitted against me. *eyeing him disapprovingly* Are you competing in the joust? You lack...muscle.
WHISTLER: *bristling* Wh- I-!! *folds arms sulkily across his chest*
DAME VARNELL: Ah, no, Attar is my squire. He is not ready for such a competition!
-Then we knocked on the door of our next-room neighbors. Met Renk, who was unfriendly towards Varnell, but seemed to like Whistler and invited him in for drinks. He asked how much money Whistler had on him at that moment and Ehistler went along to gather info. While Varnell tried to visit the last room of the contestants (locked, no answer) and then investigated the storage closet, Whistler assured Renk he had no money on him, had a swig of whiskey, offered some wine, and after a couple of unsubtle attempts on Renk's part to ascertain whether Whistler was 'one of his' or not, Whistler lied and said he was. He then discovered that Renk and his pal, Stimdon, had received a letter from 'the Boss' (who Whistler assumed was the Black Knight) saying to watch over Varnell using the peephole and make sure she didn't cause trouble or go snooping around in search of Gertrude. The letter also said that they would end up imprisoned if they failed, and suggested in no uncertain terms that the Boss intended to kill all upstanding persons personally during the proceedings. Whistler engineered an opportunity to read the letter by casually asking if Renk had checked it for secret messages. Renk made it clear he would try to kill Whistler if Whistler lied, and that he would know if Whistler did. The note also mentioned two women, a younger woman as well as Gertrude. Whistler only pretended that there might be a message, but overall simply read the letter and returned it. He assured Renk that he'd been sent by the Boss to ensure that Renk and Stimdon were well-rested for the joust. While in the room he also checked the back wall of their room for secret doors beneath the tapestry, but found nothing.
-Stimdon returned to the room and was suspicious of Whistler. His hostility to Whistler transferred to Renk, so Whistler played on Renk's hurt, promising to be his buddy and reinforcing Renk's trust in him, as if they were all in on it. When pressed for credentials, Whistler played a risky bid, claiming that Stimdon could just kill him, but what would that prove? If he didn't want to sleep that was fine, but as it stood, Whistler was there to keep an eye on the old lady to spare them the neck pains that would otherwise result from using the peephole. Stimdon urged him to get back to work then, not trusting him anyway.
[Inside of The Scary Thugs's Guest Chambers, Whistler is trying to gather information about the competition, since the odds seem stacked against the Lady Varnell. He is trying to play it cool.]
WHISTLER: Oh, hey, was there any secret message stuff in your letter? You know how the Boss stashes those in there sometimes.
RANK: Huh?
WHISTLER: You want me to check it for ya? I'll look and see.
RANK: Oh, sure. I'm not too good with that sort of stuff, but uh.
[He gives Whistler the piece of paper, and then points his dagger menacingly at Whistler's throat.]
RANK: If you lie to me, though, I'll know.
WHISTLER: Right. Well, hmm.
[The letter states, in no uncertain terms, that the Black Knight has hired Rank and Stimdon to keep an eye on Lady Varnell by use of the peep hole in her room; it goes on to assert that the joust will see to it that all non-Chaotic persons shall be crushed, and that Rank and Stimdon will reap the rewards as the Black Knight's right hand man. Further, the Black Knight needs them to ensure that Lady Varnell doesn't search the castle and find the old woman or the young lady he's kidnapped and is questioning at the moment, lest Stimdon and Rank wish to end up in a cell beside them.]
WHISTLER: [gulp] Hmmm. Well, this all looks pretty legit, but if you move the 'e' here, see how these letters line up? That could be a message saying to keep watch tonight if things go south. But it might be nothing, you never know. [he hands it back to Rank]
RANK: Tonight? I didn't know we were gonna be here that long. Figured we'd just kill everybody in the joust.
WHISTLER: It's probably a back up plan.
[STIMDON returns and is displeased to see WHISTLER there.]
STIMDON: Who the hell is this?
RANK: Come on in, Stimdon, I'll tell you all about it. He's workin' for the boss too.
STIMDON: Oh yeah? Has he got the you-know-what that proves he works for the boss, like we do? [suspicious look]
WHISTLER: What, are you saying you don't trust me? [spreads his hands]
STIMDON: No, I don't. I trust one person here, and that's me and ONLY me.
WHISTLER: Not even Rank? That's pretty vain.
STIMDON: ONLY me. Right, Rank?
RANK: [hurt] But I thought- we could trust each other, and only each other. I guess, if that's not true, then I only trust ME...and my new buddy here.
WHISTLER: Thanks, Rank. I trust you, too.
RANK: Right!
STIMDON: Ugh! Just kill him, he's working for the old woman anyway, isn't he?
WHISTLER: Fine! Kill me, and spend the whole night staring out that cramped peephole while you watch over the old lady. [he shakes his head] Don't be stupid. The boss sent me here to make sure you get plenty of sleep for the final round of the joust tomorrow. We can't have you guys at less than top shape to handle the uh, competition, now can we?
STIMDON: Sleepin' does sound mighty nice.
WHISTLER: It does, doesn't it? So if you don't mind, I'm gonna do my job and you do yours-- like the Boss told you to!
STIMDON: Well then what the hell are you doin' in here? Get out there and keep an eye on her!
WHISTLER: Fine, fine--
[He leaves, finding Dame Varnell in the hall]
WHISTLER: [whispering hoarsely] Lady Varnell oh boy I think we're in big big trouble! Let's get out of here! Let's-- let's go for a walk! Come on, let's go!
DAME VARNELL: Oh, there you are, Attar. I suppose the occupant of this room is not in, so we may as well go for a walk, if you wish.
WHISTLER: [still whispering as they walk up the hall] I- I just read a letter, okay? From the Black Knight. A-a-and he's keeping Gertrude and some young lady--
DAME VARNELL: No, Attar, I think the young lady he's referring to IS Gertrude.
WHISTLER: [flat expression; sigh] No, the letter mentioned two women, actually. But they're being held in his prison here somewhere, and those big goons are gonna try and kill everybody in the joust!
[We pass a closet.]
DAME VARNELL: That closet there contains a wealth of ordinary household supplies, Attar. There's even a long pole.
WHISTLER: [brightening] Ten feet long?
DAME VARNELL: Yes, I think so-- and sacks of feed and various cleaning supplies...
WHISTLER: [shaking himself] I'm a thief, I have SOME pride in taking things that are actually of value, you know.
DAME VARNELL: Oh yes, quite.
-Whistler related what he'd heard to Dame Varnell in the hall as she tried to greet the mystery knights again and they still didn't answer. She waved it off and misinterpreted part of what he was relating as being a slight to Gertrude. He reaffirmed that there were two women, and people aiming to kill Dame Varnell. She suggested they explore the castle for now, and he followed doggedly, trying to warn her more along the way. She informed him of the contents of the storage closet as they passed it, to which he briefly brightened. Then, they were summoned for a joust!
-Dame Varnell's first opponent was Taris, shieldsister of Riana. She won! Her form was so incredible she shattered her lance on Taris's shield and unseated Taris on the first pass. Whistler was so surprised he exploded into cheering for her. Taris was a sore loser, and very angrily stalked off. Riana wanted to follow her, but her match was next. Everyone had turned out for the jousts, but Dame Varnell and Whistler returned to the castle to 'rest'.
-They met no one in the halls, and then unstuck the door to, and stepped inside a room just to the west of the front room. (Left coming back in.)
-There were many suits of armor, holding axes and black shields, and one with a red shield at the front. In the far corner stood a mysterious creature, glowering. There was also a lever on the south wall, in the middle of the room. Not thinking, Whistler stepped forward, with Dame Varnell behind him, to investigate the lever. The two armors nearest them swung their axes, a trap that cleaved through Attar's leather armor and flesh with vicious acuity, knocking him and Dame Varnell down. Coughing up blood, he passed out instantly. Only bruised, but still hurt (and worried for Attar), Dame Varnell hid by the door, bandaging her friend. Though she was able to stop the bleeding, the trap reset while she'd been bandaging him. She tried depressing the red shield, and it deactivated again. She then went to the lever Whistler'd pointed out. She then played with the lever, which was 'up.' At midway, the trap was deactivated; at 'down', another armor (a golem) fell apart in the back corner, but the trap was reset. She proceeded to the far door, trying to open it. She could not, even with the skeleton that Revitt had given us. She returned to Whistler, using shields from some of the armors to throw at the red shield and depress it. When she succeeded, she carried Whistler back to the room.
-She did not encounter anyone on the way, and was able to get him to the room without incident. She kindly laid him in the bed and tucked him in so he'd be warm. She was then summoned to joust! He wondered what'd happened, but remembered once she explained to him. He wished her luck but opted to sit the joust out when she was summoned.
Danny: Okay, you make it back to your room with the single bed. Do you lay Whistler out on the floor?
Dustin: *primly* No, he's hurt, so I lay him out on the bed.
Dev: Aw!
Danny: After a few minutes, he stirs!
WHISTLER: ...ergh...Lady Varnell? What happened...?
DAME VARNELL: We discovered a trap in the armory! You were nearly sliced in two.
WHISTLER: *feeling his stomach* Oh, yeah. I kinda remember that. That was scary!
DAME VARNELL: I then examined the lever you were going to examine, and discovered that it could be used to disable the trap entirely. I couldn't proceed into the next room without your assistance, however, so I decided it was best for us to make a retreat.
WHISTLER: *weak chuckle* I-
REVITT: *knock knock* Dammmme Varnellll, you have beennn....summmonnnned for your nexxxxt jousssssst.
WHISTLER: I- think I'm gonna sit this one out, milady.
DAME VARNELL: Yes, please rest, Attar! Recover your strength.
WHISTLER: *grin* I'm rootin' for ya!
-Her second opponent was the Just Sir Bryon. They fought many passes without being able to unseat each other, but she triumphed in the end! Notably, Sir Bryon had very, very shiny armor!
-While Dame Varnell was fighting her opponent, Whistler weakly snuck out and into Renk and Stimdon's room. He'd seen that they had a healing potion stashed here when he'd been in it before, and quaffed some of it, re-examining the letter to be sure he hadn't missed anything. He also checked around the room; but nothing. He may have checked the peep hole to figure out where it was? He returned to their room and began writing about their exploits, lest they should meet doom in the castle!
-When Dame Varnell returned, Whistler blocked the peep hole and offered vaguely that she should drink of 'this', handing her the rest of the healing potion. She was surprised but pleased. With the last drops of it, he followed her out of the room and created a false trail of potion leading from Renk and Stimdon's room to the room shared by Riana and Taris, leaving the bottle in the corner by their room to try to allay suspicions from himself. He then followed Dame Varnell back to the room they'd been investigating before. She showed him how to deactivate the trap, and he was impressed.
-Whistler unlocked the door for her. In the next room were two suits of armor, a wall lined with weapons, a bag of grain, and five chests.
-Part Two coming up later!-
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