Other Games > Xenophobia

Xeno/Valley: Jack

<< < (2/3) > >>

DM B:
Jack makes what passes for a salute with the haft of his axe.

"Honoured Champion. I have been instructed to report here, with mine axe. Now that I am here; what am I to do?"

Although Jack is a strong lad and can handle himself in a fight he's not a warrior born and bred. He has a hearty respect for the Champion and their near-mythical skills (even if they are mere men I'm sure Village legend makes them out to be something special).

Torele Anviras/TA (Niels):
"Greetings citizen Jack," rumbles the Champion, his voice augmented slightly. In battle the volume can be cranked up quite a bit further.

"you are expected. Your guide will be here shortly."

The Champion falls silent. A slightly awkvard pause develops, as the two men; out of topics of conversation and divided by social standing, look at their surroundings with feigned interest to pass the time.

Thankfully it is not long before the gate opens, and a young lady steps out. She is quite lovely, with her hair woven in advanced braids, and as her eyes adjust to the brightness of the light outside, Jack uses his time efficiently in taking a good look at her.

"Hi, Jack? - My name is Laurel, I'm your guide for the day. Please follow me." She speaks with a smile and a  clear quick voice.

Jack gets the sense that the Champion is gazing at him, and shakes himself out of staring at the retreating Laurel and instead follow her into the Keep.

Laurel continues her introduction over her shoulder. "Welcome to the Keep on the Knoll. I understood you've never been here before?" - She continues without waiting for an answer. "Well, most people haven't, you have to be given clearance. Something special."

Here she hesitates and looks wonderingly at Jack. "So... what's special about you?", she peeks over her shoulder as she continues down the corridor.

DM B:
There are two kinds of special. The good special and the bad special. Jack wishes which is the case here, but he's not that good at reading people and situations.

"I wouldn't know Miss. Like you said; I never been up here. Don't know nobody here. Don't know what they do here either. Guarding I guess - seeing as it is a keep and all."

All the while trying not to be rude, just appropriately attentive to her female allure - it's never good to openly ogle those above you in standing, but giving a pretty woman too little attention is equally bad.

"But you, Miss, you are something special. That I can see." He gives her that playful boyish grin that is his staple.

Torele Anviras/TA (Niels):
Laurel replies with a coyly raised eyebrow and a smile.

The duo walks past a room where they are let through by militia with keys for the heavy metal-grid door.

Then more corridor, passing lanes and more doors. Several doors and walls have numbers or letters on them. Jack is clever enough to assume they are used by people to find their way around, but right now it is quite a maze to him.

Laurel turns, going through a door on loose hinges. There is a stairwell here, going down in cylindrical fashion, with a large round pillar in the middle. Set into the rounded pillar is what appears to be a portal of some kind. A shiny metal plate covers the opening though.

The portal has a heavy frame of the same shiny material. A raised round cylinder juts out a centimeter on the right side, and a black rectangle is on the frame above the door, perfectly in the centre.

On the left side of the pillar, on the side of the stairs going down, is a big "0" in black paint.

As Laurel skips down the stairs she calls back; "We're going down quite a bit, I hope you have stamina."

You begin circling down. On each floor the stairs have a platform in front of another portal into the pillar. The next floor down has a "-1" in faded paint.

When you get to "-7", the stairs continue down, but Laurel stops to catch her breath. Then waves for Jack to follow her through yet more corridor.

You have not passed any people for quite a while now, and it is much dirtier down here than up above. There is a heaviness to the air that is hard to explain and sound is both echoing, yet not travelling very far.

The journey ends with Laurel getting out a key from her pocket to open a lock on a chain that has been wrapped around a doorhandle, and then linked to a large metal nail with an "o" head. The nail has been driven into the wall and is rusty. It is clearly not part of the original building.

"Right, my instructions is to leave you locked in here. You're not allowed to walk around without escort and I am not allowed to go beyond this room. I've placed some juice and a sandwich for you in there. When you are ready to leave, hit the gong in there and I'll come over."

Laurel steps away from the door, the chain in her hands, ready to be placed back on when Jack walks through. She adds encouragingly; "I'll be just a few rooms over."

Jack senses no guile from Laurel. He has never experienced something like this before though. He is deep under ground, in a part of a building that is clearly not often in use. Well, he could probably break the chain or nail by slamming against the door. Probably. With time.

What is a Jack to do?

DM B:
"And here I was thinking I got to spend some time in the company of a beautiful Elder's daughter...you sure you don't want to come in with me Laurel?" Jack looks thoughtful for a moment, "but I guess locking the chain back in place would be hard from the inside..."

He lets the words trail away. Words aren't really his thing. Girls and adventure are. He gives Laurel one last look - of the kind that leaves no doubt in a woman's mind regarding what a man thinks of her - and then steps into the room.

"I hope it's ham," he mumbles, "ham's my favourite."

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page