Summoned!

[Aenon]

"I don't have pretzels...I have some bread, and I could boil some eggs if you are hungry?" Sera offered.

"Uh....where to begin...long story short, the emperor died with no heirs, and everyone has been fighting to make their own kingdom. Yes, that would sum it up."

"For our village, goblins are a problem...usually the army would take care of those, but they were left on their own, and now they are too many goblin tribes going around..."

"I have two apprentices...they helped me get the gems we used to summon you...oh, right the tea!" she rushed to the kettle, before returning with some tea cups

"Eh...I should make some space at the table...I don't have sword shields or armor...you could get them at the blacksmith...but I used everything I had saved up to buy the gems..."

"t isn't like we have enough people to watch over it. Still, it is better than nothing...it keeps wolfs and goblins away...I hope."

"Pants? I have dresses...and uh...you know what, I have my clothes in that chest...you can pick whatever you like..." she offered, pointing to a big old chest at the corner of the room.

 

[Pervy]

"I'm not sure if I'm hungry, I feel like I haven't eaten in forever but not.. hungry no.. err.. you wont need to disturb your sleep this much on my behalf." She encouraged... and then sighed. Yeah, that emperor fighting thing sounded just like how these things always started...

"Hmnn.. so you need a way to get rid of a lot of goblins, fast. Have you tried getting them to recreate your little stunt with the emperor? .. Just have them fight each other." She concluded.
"I mean, I could headbutt goblins all day, but there's a lot of them and their heads are not that well used anyway." Witch apprentices hmn? She pondered about this.. this one looked too young for apprentices. War.

She stepped over to the chest,.. donating her shirt, and rummaging around, before nodding.

"Hrmn.. this will do, for now.. but I can't kick people like this.. err.. thanks by the by." She noted, on instinct hefting her stick behind her to put it into some sort of sheathe.. and hesitating with displeasure.

"So basically.." She said, recieving the tea.
"You summoned me with a mindset that once I arrived I'd solve all your problems, no preparations, no army for me to command, just hopes and dreams.

You are so lucky you got me and not.. heh, anyone else.
So how many goblin tribes are there and which of them is the second strongest? I guess I can take care of them whilest I recover myself." She mused.
"Oh and where do I find the second strongest? Oh and I'll need a torch and something that looks really shiny and valuable, ideally something crown-like. It has to look impressive." She nodded, cracking her knuckles slightly. "Oh and can I borrow a complicated looking page of paper that you don't need anymore? I'll need that too." She nodded.

"hothothot.." She mused, blowing onto the tea.

 

[Aenon]

"Eh...I don't know what I expected...but granny said so...so I hoped for the best? Wait, I will just boil some eggs...you can sleep first...I will go to sleep when you wake up..." she offered, going back to the kitchen (the other side of the room)

"There are many goblin tribes going around...we only have trouble with one. It is just that usually the army lowers their numbers, and when the few tribes would cause troubles, they could deal with them. Now...they were left alone, and things are out of control. It says it in the books...hordes of goblins are the first sign of the coming of the dark times..."

"Sadly...I don't know about the specific goblin tribes...there were some descriptions in a book...but the book is very old...wait, I still have it somewhere...if you want to see it."

"Getting a torch is easy...crown like? Uh...I wish I could help there, but I am broke...I hate damaging books...I could copy you a page, if you want? But what would you need those things for?" she asked, returning with a plate with some boiled eggs and a big piece of bread.

 

[Pervy]

"How'd you treat a goblin, visiting you in the middle of the night? Goblinoids are night-active." She chuckled.

"The crown is for the goblin-king, the page just needs to look important enough to mistake me for an ambassador of the humans, I need to know the second most powerful tribe for three reasons, for one, this ploy will work best on them, for two, they will be unable to resist rubbing it under the more powerful tribes noses that the humans named them the strongest, to provoke a little conflict and for three, .. I haven't thought of a third reason, hoped I would said three to sound smarter two it is. Eggs sound nice." She approved.

"Something peculiar troubling about this tribe in particular?
And whats the second sign of coming problems, after the goblins?" She tilted her head, curiously and adjusted the soft fabric of the dress.. she was a little taller and a lot more muscular than the witch, so this dress was not her ideal fit of clothing.
".. oh and the torch I'd need to see, because I'm not a goblin. I can make a whiteflag out of the shirt and my trusty stick..

well.. grey flag. If we're generous."

 

[Aenon]

"Hmm...if you do that, you have to speak slower, so you can think a third reason by the time it is time to talk about it. At least that's what I do." she shrugged, failing to realize the joke...if there was any.

"Luckily they haven't attacked us yet. However we can't trade with Renila...that is the town up the road...they do attack the travellers."

"First, goblins and other monsters appear...they grow in numbers and become a threat. Then, stronger monsters appear, to lead them. As the monsters grow stronger, the darkness becomes stronger, and even more monsters appear...wait...do you want to read the book?" she asked, preparing to go for an other round of searching.

"...I am not sure if you should risk to try to trick the goblins..."

 

[Pervy]

"Yeah, I just kind of start talking and don't stop, hehe." She scratched her cheek.

"Well, you brought me here to deal with goblins, so unless you get me a big bad sword and armor I am not dealing with goblins without trickery.
Also, it's that or more travelers in trouble. I can handle myself. For the most part." She shrugged.

"Also, this is very vague.. small monsters, big monsters.. darkness. Perhaps we can skip a step here, hmnnn. Yeah I'd like to take a peek at the book.. after you found it." She chuckled, sipping her tea and waiting for the eggs. So, she'd been called because of a goblin plague. She felt an odd sense of disappointment here. Like.. sure she could deal with goblins, but that wasn't her limits.. then what was? Orcs? Hmnn she could take an orc, she felt like. Dragons? You could talk with dragons, she was good at talking, she thought.

"I think I'm good at fighting, but it's more dangerous to talk with me. Yes. If those goblins speak the human tongue, I can deal with them.. but I realize that is one risk of the plan. Another is accidentially uniting the goblin tribes. That said, do you have a better suggestion?

Because I'm not sleeping right now, I, heh, got a feeling like I already slept long enough, sorry." She nodded. "I'm doing things. Living things. Are there pretzels in Renila?"

 

[Aenon]

After confirming that there were indeed pretzels in Renila, Sera found an old, black leather bound tome. However, she wouldn't let Cyra to read the book while drinking and eating.

Spoiler: The Age of Darkness

The book is a historical book, mixed with theories about a phenomenon called "The Darkness".

More than a figure of speech, it is believed that The Darkness is an unnatural force that is the cause of the existence of monsters. While there is no real proof of such a thing, the book explains ancient records that use exactly the same term.

There are periods of time where this Darkness is becoming stronger, placing the world in great peril. And there are times where everything is peaceful and good...the Dark Ages, and the Ages of Light...but there are called with other names too.

The book explains how monsters always exist, but when the Darkness comes, they become more in quantity first, and in quality then. As the humans and the other races rule under the light, when the world is submerged in darkness the monsters rule, and it is the humans that have to survive.

It is thought that the Darkness comes after a catastrophy for the mankind, or maybe it is is just the first sign and not the cause.

First, weak monsters appear in masses...as time goes on, leaders appear in their ranks, and lead them, making them an even greater threat.
From the bloodshed, heroes and champions of evil appear in both sides...the first are the hope of humanity, while the later become unstoppable forces who unite the different monsters under their banners, luckily often fighting each other...

However, there is more than that in the stories of the book. Monsters that have been hiding amongst humans for ages, waiting the right time to strike...humans who side with the monsters...humans who betray humanity, and monsters who help humans...the stories are too many.

Sitting on the bed and reading, relaxing after a meal and a cup of tea, Cyra feels the initial excitement from her little embarrassing adventure leaving her....and her weakness and the tiredness overtake her. Yes...she has been energetic,...but...but she used to be stronger than that...she used to be....


[Cyra falls asleep while reading the book. She remembers some things from her past life, as you see fit, and she gains a level.]
[If Cyra takes the time to fully read the book (16 hours needed) she will be considered training in history checks regarding the Darkness and events that happened in the previous period of Darkness.]

 

[Pervy]

"Peachy title... ooh peaches. I wanna eat those too..." Apparently she had culinary catching up to do after being dead.

"Interesting.. so there's almost like an equilibrium, but if that's true.... alright perhaps finding a goblin leader is a bad idea.. well.." She read on and then mused:

"You're gonna need a bigger fence.. hmnn.." She mused, barely noticing when she toppled over!

----------

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"Hoooh... hoooh.. what's up Carol? You smell trouble on the horizon?"
She chuckled, steadying her war-horse, as she spoke calmly to her companion, a well-trained, well bred canine with a fair bit of wolf within. Another assasination attempt? It was no suprise, she'd been a thorn in the sides of the dark forces that considered themselfs in charge for a while now. She'd tried to upgrade herself to whatever came after thorn, recently. She looked over to the approaching shepherd. Really, she though.

"Oh, 'ello there fair lady is thi--ghaaah!" The mans eyes widened, as a blade blossomed in his chest. "Misty Step." Cyra mused, twisting her blade viciously, causing the crature to growl out in pain. "There are no shepherds in these parts, they fled long ago. .. what are you growling about.. oh yes, hurts, doesn't it? This is The Victors Blade... going by your expression you don't even know what I'm talking about or who I am, do you? .. just a pawn send to assasinate me..hrmn.. well, lets end your suffering.."

She shook her head and kicked the man off of her sword.. who despite his massive chest-wound turned around and hissed, teeth to long, eyes burning with unearthly fury as he pounced.. only to grimace and whimper, driven back by a small, wooden, harmless looking carving in Cyra's hand, presented with a confident grin.. before the holy blade cleaved him apart, his body withering away to dust.

"M'lady are you alright?" Cyra heard and turned ot the source of the voice, weapon already drawn.. hot tempered as ever. She only slooowly lowered it.. Cyra was still hoping to... soothe the womans hot temper. Well, for the most part.

"I appreciate the enthusiasm, but it was just a recently turned spawn... on the plus side, they're getting desperate if that's their answer.. on the other hand.. I really don't like that they're sending the common people after me... What is this, trying to exhaust me after their beast-alliance failed?" She chuckled, whilest the asian woman stepped to her side. "I will do whatever it takes to protect you from this danger.. as will Argon and Kyu."
Cyra chuckled.. and then smiled.
"Don't worry about me, really.. plus heh, you are faster, Argon is stronger,Kyu is.. Kyu. I'm just the person everyone seems to consider the most important.. and don't worry, nothing is a threat to us.. these are just desperate efforts of the new Countess, to try and drive us back." She grinned and patted her sword, sheating it and whistling for her faithful dog-companion.

"We'll ride.. upon Pretzels!"

Wait that was odd.. she looked down to her horse.. it was an armored pretzel that neigh'ed at her whilest shaking a bit of salt out of its mane.

And then, Cyra opened her eyes.

"Fuah.. uh.. oh... how long did.. I?.."
Well.. she didn't want to disturb the witch so.. she might as well learn a bit more about history.. knowledge is power and she was curious if there was mention of her.. although, considering the state her body was in, she felt like she had failed just barely.. after all, a bodies aging could not be undone be reviving magic, she was pretty sure of that...
After that, if the witch was still asleep, it was time for her (and her trusty stick) to go find the Blacksmith.. couldn't be hard to miss in such a relatively small village.

 

[Aenon]

Waking up, Cyra found herself lying in the bed properly, covered by the blanket. Sera on the other wand was sleeping on a chair, her head resting on the table on top of a book.

Deciding not to wake the witch, Cyra decided to read more of the book she had started reading yesterday. She kept reading - the book was detailed...maybe too detailed, but still it was interested.

Spoiler: Goblins

Goblins
Goblins are some of the weakest servants of the Darkness, however they shouldn't be underestimated. They love setting up ambushes, traps and other tricks. They can see in the dark, but they aren't very perceptive. If they capture a female from an other race, they can breed her to reproduce faster. The leader of a goblin tribe can either be the toughest goblin of the tribe, or a much stronger monster who typically bullies the goblins to work for it. Goblins are rarely loyal to someone who isn't stronger than them.

Hobgoblins
Hobgoblins are the smarter than goblins, and more organized. They prefer to form their own tribes, and enslave other races to work for them. If a goblin tribe has one or more hobgoblins leading them, it is almost a given that they work for a bigger and stronger hobgoblin tribe. Hobgoblins are not to be underestimated - they are just as smart as humans are, but they are loyal and united.

Bugbears
Tougher than the goblin, the bugbear loves to set up ambushes...but instead of stabbing you and running away, they prefer to bash your skull in with a single surprise attack. Bugbears love carnage more than goblins, and sometimes they become leaders of small goblin tribes. As they are not exceptionally smart, they tend to lead those tribes to their destruction

After having read about the goblins of the past, Cyra felt a bit hungry...not really surprising, since something smelled nice. Looking up, she would see that Sera had woken up...and has been up for some time now, since she was cooking something in a cauldron at the other side of the room.

"Oh, good morning. I didn't want to disturb you!" Sera smiled at her, noticing her movement.

"The soup isn't ready yet...it will take a while."

 

[Pervy]

"Oh.. nice. What's cooking!" She smiled over and stretched.
"So.. have any been attacked by the goblins and survived? Anyway.. hrmnn.. the problem of no money. I'd certainly do better with a bit of an armor and a weapon." She tipped her chin.

"Also, those that prepare traps rarely expect to run into the same.. do you have a hunter in the village that isn't a friend of the goblins or somesuch?" She added. She was concerned that goblins, in large enough numbers, could overwhelm her, but a well placed bear trap or somesuch...

Either way, she'd wait for the cook, have herself a good meal, then see about the goblin problem.. oh.. "And you should see about reinforcing that wall. I guess the village chief is the .. rounder man with the crossbow?" She mused.. a crossbow could come in handy, but she'd first have to earn the peoples trust.

She stepped forwards, to look outside of a window over the village that had invited her, white hair falling over her long dress as she pondered.
"I feel like one or even ten goblins should be no problem to me.. but I forgot so much, I'll have to be a little more.. crafty. Oh. A jar of tar would also help..." She mused and stretched a little, making small sweeping motions with her stick.. her body definitly remembered.. something...
"Hrmnn. yeah I can do it. Smirth first!" She decided, giving a thumbs up. "Show me the way. I bet your good word will help me with the smith.. I can take it from there." She requested.

 

[Aenon]

"Yes, folks from the city. We don't do the travelling." Sera explained

"There is Gelope, he is the hunter, but he hasn't been hunting lately...he keeps watching over the wall at night. He knows the area...I also know it, since I have been collecting herbs."

"No, that would be the innkeeper. The only one who can afford to be fat like a pig...forget I said that....he also owns the general store."

"I can take you to the smithy, however lets eat first...the food should be ready soon."

~~~

After eating a very tasty vegetable soup, Sera led Cyra around the village. It looked somewhat pretty now that it was day. Around two dozen houses, a dirt road passing through the village, and the village square in the middle. The blacksmith was opposite to the house Cyra had been caught next time, and next to it there was an village's inn, 'The Round Barrel'.
Sounds of metal striking metal could be heard from the blacksmith.

"Hey, Jenny! Can we talk?"

"In a while, please."

~~~
"So...this is Cyra. She is a hero that heard my summons and came to help us...eh...but she has no equipment...and we are also low on funds..." Sera explained.

"...Sera, you know, making something costs me gold too...and I need to eat too. I can't make do with whatever I pick from the forest, like you do." Jenny complained.

 

[Pervy]

"Oh, right food. Almost forgot!" She nodded, following the witch, arms crossed behind herself thoughtfully. She'd also knotted the shirt she'd gotten into a little sash to slip her stick in. It worked better for her.

"Hmnn.. Yeah I guess this must all seem like fantastic tales to you, hero falling from the sky, so to say... I would do it with this stick." She mused, looking at ther soot-covered sticks tip. By the light of day it looked rather less impressive. "But it would be harder. Hmnn..

Yeah, dun worry about it, I'll just steal whatever I can scrounge up from the first goblin I can kill. I guess behind these walls, the threat seems less.. I'll go see the hunter." She waved her hand.

"Change of plans though, Sera, I'll need you to come along with me, help distract the goblins whilest I bop one of them. You might get killed or raped, say, Miss Jenny, how much is this ones life worth to you? What do you make a day? two silver? twenty? Two hundred? Just for reference." She mused, pressing her fingers together calmly. "Anyway. Hunter meeting time!"

(Nope can't roll high so far, 9 diplo. )

 

[Aenon]

"Well, currently I make nothing, because the road is closed. Pfff...I don't like you a bit. But if you go to fight goblins you can get something from that barrel over there." the woman pointed towards a barrel with spears and pikes at the corner of the room.

"Militia equipment...there are spares. If you want to get armor, you will have to ask the hunter, indeed, for he is responsible for militia equipment."

"Ah, thanks Jenny...sorry about my friend, it is my fault, really..." Sera apologized

"Eh, whatever."

 

[Pervy]

"I can help you open the road! That's what I should have said. Doi. I've been alive for half a day, not really good at social things..." She chuckled, before picking up a halberd-like looking pike. "Well... shouldn't complain about this." She mused, nodding to the witch. Of course she knew that only the rich could afford a sword on average, and something her.. size would be even harder.
"Right, hunter's up next I guess.. err.. show the way, I'll do the taking this time, clearly, I need to get oiled up." She nodded to the smith, before making her way, with her guide and new pike (she'd call it stick two), to the hunter.

"Hello. I'm Cyra Darkbane, I was revived to help out and if you give me a basic armor I'll go kill goblins AND tell you how I managed to snuck into the village under your watch yesterday so you can poke the next one trying that." She offered.
"Oh! Do you have a spare bear-trap or something? Goblin-sized ideally."

 

[Aenon]

"Damn, talk a bit slower...some of us just woke up..." the hunter complained, having just opened his door.

"Hello, Gelope. This is the hero I told you I wanted to summon!"

"Hi, Sera...the commotion last night? I heard about a naked lady, but I assumed it was a runaway slave or something. You said you failed yesterday?"

"It turned out I succeeded..."

"You did? Good. Well, yeah, jumping over the wall unnoticed shouldn't have been that hard. If you could tell me how to multiply myself so I can watch all over the wall...hey maybe I should have some kids? I just need a wife...any volunteers? No? Bummers."

"Or I could persuade some others to keep watch with me...but we are just a bit over a dozen men in total." the man argued, seemingly fired up by the topic.

"Ah...yes. Well, Cyra can help us deal with the goblins...but she would need some armor. Since the militia won't need it, maybe she could borrow some of it?"

"We have chainshirts. I have some spares in my storage. I have bear-traps, but they don't work well on goblins...they are smart enough to disable them. But are you going to go and fight the goblins alone?"

 

[Pervy]

"Hah. I like him more than the smith girl." Cyra proclaimed, unashamedly.

"Chain shirts and two bear traps if you can spare them pretty please And it matters not if they can disable them.

And I mean, I wanted to go alone, yes, you can come if you want. Shoot them with a bow, you know.. anyway, thanks for the help, Sera, I think I'll be ready for things.. well, as ready as can be.. Anything more you can tell me about the goblins Gelope?" She mused. Frankly, she was hoping her abilities would recover more after a little bit of fighting. But ultimately, some knowledge no book could impart.. she had to learn these things herself.
Armoring up and putting the bear-traps into her shirt-sash she smiled with enthusiasm.

"I don't plan to challenge them all right away, just enough to get a better idea of what I'm dealing with." She nodded.

"So, they set up ambushes along the street?"

 

[Aenon]

"You know, if you came in naked, you should have just gone through the gate. A shame, really."

"I can come along, if you want. The road from here to the city is around a day long. They have lookouts somewhere, and if they think their target is easy, they just attack. If they think it is not worth, they ask for payment not to attack. Needless to say, the merchants just don't come over here any more....around two weeks now."

"They hunt in teams of three or four...their warbands are a dozen or so. Yeah, they do outnumber us already, if I had to guess."

"I think they have a camp somewhere to the northwest...I have managed to kill a few from time to time, but I can't really fight the whole tribe, so I avoid them...and keep watch at the wall at night. They have also scared away the animals. Let me tell you, I can't hunt, and we can't sell wood and woodworks. It doesn't show yet, but I say we are under siege."

 

[Pervy]

She narrowed her eyes slightly at the man, but then nodded when his talk was more about... business..

"I'll go on ahead along the road, trail me and be ready to shoot on my command.. either a lift of the hand.. or whenever I attack them." She suggested, showing a hand-gesture, before crossing her arms thoughtfully.

"A few goblins should not be a problem, really, but alone, until my powers recover a fair bit more, I can only wage a psychological warfare.. what we need to do is cut off the head of the tribe.. very literally.. But first, need to see what we are dealing with..

well then, let's go along the road!" She enthused, before making her way along down the street, with open eyes.. but with little caution. She expected to be found after all.

(Perception 11, Initiative 17)

 

[Aenon]

Sera decided she would be more hindrance than help, so she stayed behind. However she gave two healing potions to your team.
After getting the chainshirt, the pair started travelling down the road for the city. Cyra just went straight ahead, hoping to draw attention, while Gelope stayed hidden at the side of the road.

"We have spectators." the hunter said in a low voice from the side of the road, after almost two hours of nothing happening.

However, even with his warning, Cyra couldn't locate where the goblins were supposed to be. However, if she asked from Gelope to attack, she would notice them no doubt...

 

[Pervy]

She subtly held up a hand.
"Gentlemen! Kindly come out of your hiding spots, I'd love to talk!" She encouraged, a dangerous smile on her lips.

"Me and my seventeen men that got their arrows all primed on you by the way. No. Wrong. Moves." She declared, with authority.

(Deception 18!)