Evil Lurks Beneath Isoderm

[Susan]

This is a free-form game,with no real levels,or any specific rules except for I want everyone to have fun,and enjoy themselves.

Everyone can join in on the fun and add to the story.

The setting is the city of Isoderm, under a magical dome of wondrous gasses,with a sun and 3 moons, which illuminates the city gloriously at night. It is a city of good and evil, where the good ultimately prevails, and the evil-doers are tortured and made to pay for their crimes and are punished. There are two taverns, The Methonome and The Hurricane.

The mayor of the city is an evil man who must be conquered, as he has deceived many, and the city needs a hero to rescue it from his power. Many are convinced he is a man of virtue and integrity,but he is not, he is a deceiver and a manipulator of men(and women)alike. He is an extremely handsome man, strong, and powerful, and very intelligent,with a strong level of charisma.

The city needs a hero,a Vanquisher (A Batman-type super hero figure)to protect it and to conquer this evil man.

Ideally, it would be wonderful if one person would be the mayor and one the hero and then all the rest of us can play on either side, some people can play a neutral role too and decide later where they would like to place their loyalties. Eventually,at the end, good must prevail however.

I have left the characters names blank,as I want the players themselves to decide -- I am completely new to this, so just have fun and enjoy yourselves. I am going to personally play a good female character named Chrystallis, who is a young widow, whose husband has been killed in a tragic accident --or so she believed-- but has recently discoverd it was a planned assasination--he worked for the mayor's office, and was on to the mayor's evil ways and was about to expose him. She has learned this through a reliable informant and is now seeking vengeance for her husband's death and justice for the city she loves. She is looking for people to help her in this quest.

I think that about covers it,if there any questions or comments,please ask..thanks,,, Susan.

[Susan]

Chrystallis was realing in pain and anguish after her husband's untimely death even before she was informed of the fact that it was an assasination,as opposed to an accident,as she was previously led to believe. She was a beautiful young widow now, left with a small two-year-old son(Joshua), to raise without his father and she wanted the truth...and justice. She was told by a reliable informant that worked in the mayor's office that her husband was about to expose the mayor for his wicked ways and had evidence to prove this,which had now gone missing. Her goal now was to find this evidence (with much help ofcourse)and to avenge her husband's murder and to protect her city and to bring it back into proper order and goodness.

She was a very wealthy young widow,as her husband was a few years her senior,had come from a weatlthy family and had ammassed a fair amount of wealth over the years on top of that,from shrewd investments. She had a lot of money to be able to pay those that would be willing to help her,but,neither was she a fool,so she would need a trusted advisor to help her as well.

She lived on a street called Cobblewood Lane,she had a young man (a fifteen year old youth), down the road, named Joseph let it be known that she wanted help of a vanquishing nature...that anyone interested could meet that evening in The Methonome and they could discuss it. Her brother-in-law owned the pub and she knew he (of all people) could be trusted,as she had shared the murder report with him and he wanted vengeance for his brother's death as well... her husband (Patrick)had been a well-respected and much loved man in this city, so many would want to help,she was sure. She had the young lad,Joseph, spread the word amongst the people and knew many would hear of her goals by the time evening arrived.

[kalashnikov]

The evening was fallen in the city of Isoderm. The outside torches were lit and the only people on the street were guards or some thieves, hiding in the shadows.

The door opened in "The Methonome" and a young man stepped in. The people at the tables were looking to him for a few seconds and then went back to their previous activities. Drinking and gambling. The guard in the corner of the room was watching him carefully. The young man went up to the bartender and started a conversation.

"I was sent here by the Mages Guild of Vvardenfell, I heard there was someone who needed help and they sent me."

The bartender looked at him with a surprised face.

"I don't know anyone who should need help." he said with his dark and low voice. Sounding like he had too many grog.

"Well then, I must be in the wrong town. Is this Isoderm?"

The bartender shaked his head to confirm the question of the young wizard. The young man looked around to see if there was any person who might need some help. Everyone on the tables was just drinking and talking about uninteresting stuff. Although the situation looked allright, he felt the opposite. The young wizard decided to order a light drink and sit down. Maybe, other people will come in that peak his interest. If that would not happen, the guard might be the next person who's going to be questioned.

[Susan]

Chrystallis watched the young man who had entered the tavern and wondered if he was there to answer her quest. She saw him speak to one of the bartenders and wondered where her brother-in-law was lurking, the owner of the bar. He told her he would be supportive of her vendetta for justice, as her murdered husband was his brother, after all. Where was he? she wondered to herself. She tried to catch the young man's eye without drawing too much attention to herself, as she didn't want the mayor's loyal followers to know anything about what she was planning. She had left her young son in the care of a neighbour woman for the evening, so that she could concentrate on the task at hand. She kept watching him furtively in hopes of drawing him over. If word had spread correctly, he should have heard it was a young widow who was in need of assistance.

[kalashnikov]

As he sat there drinking the filthy substance, he placed his jug on the bar and started to look around once more. The guard seemed to be a little nervous, and he kept looking at the young wizard and to somewhere where the wizard couldn't see clearly. All he saw was a young woman sitting there, waiting for someone.

The young wizard closed his eyes and tried to create an image of the situation here. He felt that she plays a great role in his coming here and he decided to walk over and check things out.

The guard looks after the wizard carefully. It almost seemed like the guard didn't want him to go to the young woman.

The wizard arrived at the table of the young woman, she just finished her jug of juice. He wondered if the substance in the jug was the same he had which he found to be so filthy. It was not important to ask her that. He started talking to her with a low volume, the guard might be eavesdropping:

"Hello, my intuition says that you are the one that needs some help in this town. We'd better go somewhere else to talk this over, for I don't like how the guard is looking at us."

[Susan]

Chrystallis looked at the young man and nodded her assent. We can go into the back if you like, as my brother-in-law owns this pub, there is a large room back there that he often uses for private conversations. That way we will not be overheard and I can get the bartender to give us a good bottle of wine to share instead of this horrid liquid. My brother-in-law should be with us shortly, I do not know what is keeping him. I do hope that they haven't killed him also. I do not think he knew anything of any consequence, but they perhaps thought differently, as he was my dead husband's brother..... we will talk more of this in private. Chrystallis said all this very quietly, in tones only the young man could hear.

I will get up first and quietly make my way into the back, no one will be suspicious of me... you exit the pub and come around the back way and I will let you in through the service entrance in the back, and then no one will be the wiser. They will think that you left the pub enirely, including that guard who has been watching you so closely. I am not a suspect, as they are not aware that I know anything, and my relatives own this place.

[kalashnikov]

"Ok, we'll do that. It's the best, I'll be at the back door." he said with a low volume.

She left to the back and the wizard walked to the door from which he entered the pub. The guard seems to be not as nervous as he was before, like he suddenly doesn't care anymore. Was he able to listen to this short conversation? The wizard does not trust the guard and decided against talking to him. He is still suspicious, the wizard thought.

When outside of the pub, the city seemed very quiet. Guards are walking around with torches just like in the cities of Vvardenfell. A guard walked up to the wizard.

"You are new here, aren't you?" he said

"Yes, but I'm in a hurry, so if you excuse me..."

"That's ok, I'm just here to keep the peace. Stay out of trouble and you will have none from me. Move along"

The guard said it like it was an order. The wizard looked at him surprisingly and with the thought that no one gives him orders, except for his master or the guild stewards. The wizard walked around the corner, looking for a door. The place was not lit by torches which are normally hanging on the outside walls of the buildings. He was concerned if someone might be staring at him from the shadows, but his senses said the situation was ok.

Finally, he found the door and knocked silently. Chrystallis opened the door and invited him in. There was a nice large table with two comfortable chairs. A bottle of wine was on the table as well as two real glasses! Way better then the other entrance of the pub. She invited him to sit down on one of the chairs and poured some wine for the both of them. The room was nicely lit with four torches hanging on the wall and a little silverware candle in the middle of the table.

"So, let's talk. You were the one I sensed for needing my help, tell me your problem."

[Susan]

My husband was a high-ranking official with the mayor's office here in Isoderm. He was assassinated because apparently he had proof that the mayor is a corrupt and treachurous man, I have word of this from a very reliable source, a trusted advisor to the mayor who was a dear friend of my husband's. He will help us as much as he is able to, he does not fear for his own life, as much as for the lives of his wife and three young children, so he must be very cautious. I want the information on the mayor obtained and I wish him to be brought to justice, thus avenging my husband's wrongful death. I would appreciate all the help I can get, I need men who are brave, intelligent and are able to be trusted and can move silently.
We need to be careful, for the mayor's manpower is strong and they feel him to be in the right. They feed on the power and corruption, that has the power to seduce many men. I need men who are able to withstand its temptations.

[kalashnikov]

"I'd say that you've got a good one on me. The problem is the quantity of guards, hanging around the entire city. It would be no problem to get near the house of the mayor, but to actually enter it might be a bit harder. I am also able to provide excellent support with my magic if we're going to work in a team of more heroes. I can scout ahead for you in the city, invisibility and levitation spells are really convenient. Hehehe. It would be best for you to go to the pub again and await more arrivals of people that were called to here. I am able to sense your and everyone's presence through my magical powers and I am also able to feel if there's anything happening to you. Don't be afraid if the guard finds out, I have enough remedies against such problems.
I'll scout ahead for you this evening and I will be back here around midnight."

Upon saying this, the wizard drank half of his wine and went out, scouting the city in the darkness.

[Susan]

Chrystallis decided to go into the tavern and wait for his return. She knew that they were in need of more men, men that were as brave and wise as this one, and hoped that the news would travel so that they would search her out soon.

She felt that time was of the essence in this situation and she sincerely hope that more men of valour would appear tonight. She made her wayn into the bar and sat at table with a bottle of wine she carried with her and waited to see what would happen.

[BaM]

In the meantime Malik arrived in the city isoderm, he's an skilled assasin who masters the ancient martial arts. he came here on account of the mayor who has heard of an suspicious mage sent by the Mages Guild of Vvardenfell coming to town. The mayor wants Malik to shadow the mage and keep the mayor informed of the mages doings.

As soon as Malik arrives at the tavern of the city he just happens to see the mage stepping out os the tavern and going around the back. Malik decides to follow him into the dark alley but keeps his distance has he sees the mage anxiously looking around for followers. As soon as the mage walks in the backentrance Malik starts sneaking closer to take a look what the mage is doing.

Malik succeeded in glimpsing the mage with a girl buthe cannot hear what they're saying. he decides to back off and report to the mayor...

[kalashnikov]

While scouting the city, it keeps getting darker. It's going to be midnight very soon. The streets are lit with the lamps which are hanging on the walls of the houses and guards are still patrolling almost every street. They are handy for providing some light too with their torches.

After a while, the wizard comes upon a short wall. It is a bit higher than his shoulders. He climbs on it and from the wall, the roof is accessible pretty easy.

Once on the roof, there is a nice, but limited, view upon the city. Sneaking and jumping (with magical spells) from roof to roof, the wizard is very succesful in scouting.

After a few roofs, he can see a large mansion. Looking better, it looks more like a little castle or fort at the end of the city. There are quite a lot of guards around it. Some people are walking in and out of the fort there. They must be pretty important, cause there are only a few of them there.

He decided to lay down on the roof and watch which people are going in and out of there. If some persons happen to come and go often, they might be important and must know a lot and are thus worthy of an interrogation.

[Susan]

Chrystallis sits in the bar and ponders on all that has occurred thus far. The young mage seems like a noble and brave fellow, but she is aware that they need more men. She also knows that the mayor is a very powerful man and possesses a lot of power and wealth, things that are terribly dangerous in the wrong hands.

She slowly watches the wine as she gingerly twirls the contents around in her goblet, thinking of all she has discussed with the mage and of what she feels will be a dangerous; but, hopefully, a successful mission.

[BaM]

At the mayors manor, Malik was overwhelmed by the way the manor looked, as he never saw it before. The manor was incredibly big and beautiful, it looked like it was almost a palace with lots of decorations and very beautifully lighted with a lot of torches everywhere.

When Malik entered the building first was thoroughly checked by lots of guards to make sure he was expected by the mayor he had to put of his weapons (which only existed of one japanese sword or "katana" and a short but very sharp knife) so he could not kill the mayor.

Once he came to the mayor he gave a short discription of what he had seen in the city and als gave a discription os the woman he had seen with the mage.
The mayor feared the worst and and sent malik on his way to kill the mage and question the woman. And with these orders Malik left.

[Susan]

Chrystallis looked anxiously around the bar, hoping that another heroe will join her crusade for justice. She hoped that the young lad that she had set around to spread the news, had done so effectively. Joseph was 15 and a very able lad, she felt secure in giving him such an important task, and sincerely hoped that no harm had come to the young man in asking him to do that for her. She had paid him 2 gold pieces to perform the task, as she knew it could present danger.

Money was not an issue, her much older husband had left her a very wealthy young widow, she was only 20-years-old and was also very wary of men trying to woo her, feeling that they could be enemies for the mayor, or simply after her for her money. She had married for love at the tender age of 16 and her husband was a wonderful man. She sincerely wished for justice to be done. She was also fearful for the life of her young son, two-year-old Joshua, who was too young to understand everything that was going on, but still showed the signs of missing his loving father.

Chrystallis continued studying every new face that came into the tavern, trying to determine if any of the people entering were looking for her....