Heling the Talismonger
GM: Elena
Players: Mr.Terrific, Laz, Elena.
Synopsis: The Runners are hired to assist an elderly Talismonger in gathering herbs.
Date: May 14th 2071
+ Disclaimer and consent

It's a dark and cloudy, cold Saturday morning. Most people are prefering to stay inside and only those that really must are outside. Not the time to get a call for some work. But that's what Mr.T, Laz and Elena get this time of day. They are asked by a trustworthy source to meet Heling the Talismonger and help him to stay alive out in the wild while he is Talismongering out in the woods of the Sioux lands. To gather herbs.

Mr.Terrific is only too happy to get all that survival gear that he's both bought (in emergencies) and been given and air it out for some exercise. He hates buying something just to use it once and let it sit. He arranges for his border crossing in a completely legal way as needed (which means he leaves his pistol at home) though all his camping gear and survival rations and so forth make it very clear what he's up to. He even brings his own Enchanting kit just in case, although if he doesn't have Sioux permission and Heling doesn't have the permit with 'Assistants allowed' on it, he won't be gathering. He'll be dressed in a camo-suit, interestingly enough.
Mr.Terrific , alas, will be wearing a desert pattern, which isn't quite right.

Laz has also joined the party in a camo suit. Having arrived via Air with the help and concealment of a small Spirit of the Sky in the form of a majestic thunderbird as his source of transportation. God knows what he was expecting when he got the call for he has an LMG slung across his back and some sort of plastic tube strapped to one long leg.

THe Thunderbird deposits him about 20 steps from Mr. Terrific and is dismissed with a respectful nod and an easy wave. Laz adjusts his forearm guards as he turns to assess who else is present…

Elena has a far less dramatic entrance to the meet with Mr. Heling. She arrives in a cab. Dressed, unusual for her in a black leather dress. Obviously natural leather, not the cheap synthleather stuff. If she has weapons, none of them show.

Heling seems a bit shocked by the sight of the LMG. He is an elderly man in his sixties or so. Wise with age, but far from a giant or strong. His almost frail form more looking like the next gust of wind might have him fall apart. He is a human and dressed in classic wizard fasion. A long cloak, with arcane signets on it. The little rural village not really the place you'd look for a man wearing tres-chic robes. He leans on a staff and was waiting with the patience so many old men have. Afer recovering from the shock of seeing such a heavy weapon, he gives a soft smile. "Well, well. It seems we are prepared for everything. Including the next war.", he says almost amused in a kind of gentle grandfathers voice. "Well, I hope you are prepared to carry that monster for quite a while. Because we still have quite a hike to my collecting ground. If I were not bothered about these bandits that have been out there lately, I'd not have asked for help. But I am not sure if we really need /that/ kind of amunition."

Mr.Terrific ahas with a smile. "Please, if you would. Tell us about these bandits as we travel. Do you know them already?" He is more than willing to get to the hiking as needs be." And mostly to Laz he says, "And for those who don't know me, I'm called 'Mister Terrific.' I don't claim to be awesome or even superior, but I am terrific."

Finding amusement in both Heling's and Mr T's words, Laz lets one of his rare smiles make a cameo. "Well met, Herr Heling," he says, his hand moving to touch the butt of the Ingram as the man refers to it. "Well, Valerie gave me very few details, and the last time that happened, I sorely missed Ingy," he says, "And I'll happily carry her to hell and back," he adds, which certainly wouldn't seem likely to be a problem since he looks as muscular as elves get.

"Terrific! Call me Tonka," he says, nodding to those present as his smile vanishes so he can focus on hearing the talismonger's response to the human's questions.

+ Rolls for conjuring

Elena tilts her head at those words from Laz. She just nods then, "Well, as we are at introductions. I am known as Elena around these parts. I am glad to meet you, guys.", she says. Her then takes a measure of the other men to finally conjure up a Wood spirit. Ther totems mask showing for a few seconds before a small unicorn manifests beside her.

Mr.Terrific says, "So, tell me about these bandits you were mentioning. Have they threatened you? Attacked you? Are they wizards themselves who are poaching on your gathering territory?"
Mr.Terrific is only too happy to chatter as they hike.

The elf keeps an eye on things, in particular the unicorn spirit seems to catch his eye now and then, though of course he is on alert for things extraneous to the group.

As you wander, and after the Talismonger ignored the first few questions of Mr.T's he finally starts to speak, as Elena and her spirit walk beside him, he too seemed to have quite a few curious looks at the spirits special form.
"Well, I don't know much about them. Just that the natives have told me it's been a lot of unrest in the woods lately. People have been robbed and such. Some are even missing, supposedly dead. I'd prefer not to end like that, which is why I asked for some capable escorts." He then starts to hum a soft tune as he walks along the rocky winding path through the woods. Looking here and there at flowers, picking odd twigs up and dropping others again. This first part of the trip almost like a nice walk in a park-like landscape.

+ Rolls for conjuring and stealth

As Terrific and the 'monger chat, Laz picks up the pace, taking advantage of his long elven strides to get about 15 meters ahead of the party. At one point, he runs his hand over his face, as if drawing down a mask, his expression turning dark and somber, "Bestow me your concealment, Brother in Arms," he whispers to the little spirit riding on his shoulder, and the shadows around him seem to deepen a touch as his footsteps stay fairly inaudible even as he wanders a few meters left of the trail under the spirit's power.

Elena stays with their employer. Seeing the troubles Laz has with the terrain, she orders her spirit to 'hide' the entire group from sight to get them a bit more private. Though nothing really seems to change, everyones steps suddenly get more silent and the group seems to make less sound, even though Heling is not really moving stealthily during his work. Elena is trying to move more silent though, now.

Mr.Terrific is cued by being placed under Elena's concealment that he too should keep under cover some more in the highly unlikely event that someone comes across them. He also works the astral vision, just to see if hostile spirits are scouting them out.

Laz taps the hilt of the katana he has slung at his waist but for now unslings Ingy, in a show of being completely over-paranoid. He then snaps on his smart goggles…

+ Rolls Perception

All seems quiet, but then the runners realize that it's in fact /too/ quiet. Something seems to scare the animals around. So they look more closely around. And each notes a shape in the woods around them, hidden in bushes and behind trees. Quite skillfully hidden, but the sharp eyes of the three noted them nonetheless. There seems to be a glind of pistol shafts poking off from their hands.

Mr.Terrific would attempt to walk Heling under cover all casual like before the ambush is triggered!

Mr.Terrific would attempt to walk Heling under cover all casual like before the ambush is triggered!

+ Mr.T acting casual and the effects
+ Combat is inevitable

Mr.Terrific is quietly ushering Heling to behind a big tree and saying, "Hey, I think there's some really nice mushrooms over here," when zang! Yeeow! Took that one barely on the shoulder as he dives for cover over the older man.

One of the guys is /real fast/. Noting the moves done by Mr.T he calls an order and that bullet zooms out towards Mr. T there is curses as all this does is plinking harmlessly away from T's armor. Who seems to have expected shit to happen.

The birds are singing, the sky is clear, the breeze is lovely, but not for long. Just as Laz is about to say something about those glinting barrels the sound of gunfire and a bullet going by not too far breaks the peace. Reacting quickly, he lays down an Sball and sidesteps behind a large tree.

It might seem that Stunball was nicely placed as well as nicely dosed in it's strength as three of the ambushing guys fall down to the floor. There was not even a groan heard from them, but they were quite quiet for now.

Another rifle shot. This time from the guy at the end of that row at the other side of the path. Aimed at the obvious cause of that massive dropping of oponents. But Laz Armor is holding out. Mother Luck is still with the defenders.

A guy much closer to the team is the next to react and he has seen a shadow of Elena, shooting for her he even hits. Causing a light wound for the gentle healer.
Elena gasps out as that bullet hits her, she was bleeding a bit and not liking this very much. All attackers so far moved into a better defendable position, taking cover against the runners that countered them.

Mr.Terrific calls out, "Hans! Franz! Get out here!" Two air elementals of heary force materials 10 meters away from Mr. Terrific, as close as possible to the closest guys. The two air elementals are also completely out in the open. (He can't give them a command until the next round, because that's a simple action - calling them to the real world was a complex.) Meanwhile, he gets under total cover - total cover as in they can't see him (and hopefully Heling) and he can't see them. No see, no shoot.

Mr.Terrific 's words have clear effect, as swirling tornadoes with eyes whirl into life on the field, getting ready to move on the men in the brush.

Heling is not at all happy about being pushed into cover as well as being Subjected to that hiding in those all too interesting mushrooms for cover, muttering about ruining precious resources. Still he too mutters words, his being muttered in Latin. The effect most likely even more dramatic as a mound of the surrounding forrest floor starts to move between Heling and the bandits.

Elena now fixes her gaze on the other banndit and gets surprised as her well cast spell fizzles away, she calls out "Spell defense!", as she ducks into cover herself.

Mr.Terrific , as he hunkers down, opines to himself, "Well, if whoever it is is spell defending, he ain't casting."

Teaming up against one of those threateningly close air elementals the two shamen in the opostions group team up against the poor thing. It's not standing a chance, as the banishing forces render into the animated gusts of air, poofing out of existence the spirit disappears.

Seeing the casualties his group took and the amassed magical forces the bandits leader calls out in real bad english with a strong Sioux accent, "Peace! We leave you? You leave us?", he asks the group around Heling. "No need fight bitter end!"
Seems his group was after easier prey.

Mr.Terrific calls out, "Do you surrender?"

During this talks the bandits regroup, all taking cover now, while Elena attempts to heal her wound.

Mr.Terrific calls out to Franz, his one remaining elemental, "Follow my combat commands and defend me now!" Obediently, it seems to settle down in place.

Mr.Terrific will steal the time needed to perform the simple action of laying in a command that will allow him to trigger his elemental very easily.

Mr.Terrific gave a totally defensive and obvious command to his elemental when the negotiations began, and similarly Elena just healed herself. That is different than sneakily trying to recover your bodies and sneak off under cover of the negotiations, and also going silent during the same. "Answer me! Do you surrender? I'm not hearing anything.. and you're moving your bodies! Engulf the closest shaman!" he says, triggering the very fast remaining elemental to swoosh down upon the nearest shaman.

That elemental will be faced by two! wind spirits the ensuing battle most likely not too promising for the elemental, until that mound of Heling suddenly joins the battle.

That attack will reveal two facts. First, there were wind spirits conjured up by the shamans, and second these bandits already were doing an ordered retreat. They were much further off that you would have guessed first.

+ More battle

That shaman is not really up to the challenge. He hits quite a combo at the spirit, but he cannot avoid to get engulfed and the attack had him obviously quite out of breath, so he soon succumbs to the noxious fumes around him.

Mr.Terrific can see this struggle in the distance - the agressive forcing of the noxious fumes into the shaman's lungs. That'll learn you for chanting and dispelling and summoning and opening your fat yap in the middle of 'negotiations.' And whump down he goes. What's to do is pretty clear from here.

Helings earth elemental was now stomping out and being quite powerfull it was easily demontaging that wind spirit of the already caught shaman. Useless, but Heling could not have known that at the time of the command.

The Air elemental is still busy suffocating that shaman, while the wind spirits either wait for orders or protect their owners, following old commands. But the groups leaders runs after his retreatig men, from cover to cover aiming for your group obviously waiting for a target to get in sight.

As Laz carefully tilts his head from around the tree he is very fortunate to spot the two big chiefs running backwards as they try to make a retreat. Summoning just about everything he's got, he lays down another ball of stun mana on them, giving one little more than something to think about, but from the sudden staggering of the other he, at least, suffers from some of the desired effect.

As soon as his comrade starts to gasp with sudden fatigue, the leader looks and sees Laz poking out. The man does not take long to shoot back he's a good shot, but once again, Laz's armor saves the day. Still, he might feel his shoulder for a few days.

The other guy manages what the others so far failed to do, they wound Laz. He calls out in truimph as he sees blood spurt forth from that shoulder. Still he follows his friends in the retreat.

Mr.Terrific tells his last remaining air elemental, "Engulf the last shaman!" This is consistent under his orders within the battle as he had set his command. But that leaves the last matter.. the leader. Stun or kill is the only question. He glances at Heling and decides… stun. They've knocked them all out so far, it's better to make a clean sweep and hand things over to the authorities after they are done questioning them, finding their hideouts, and their linkages.

Mr.Terrific puts a lot into this spell, and it's pretty clear. He was incensed by that little 'call a break for negotiation and try and run away' deal. It put him into the sort of cold, calculating fury where he does his best magic. That takes care of everyone save the shaman, and he'll be dealing with the air elemental soon enough.

The two oponents finally fall to the floor as the spirit switches targets and moves over to the other shaman. There is a quick struggle ensuing but the shaman with the added load of his unconcious comrade. The remaining free bandit finally gives up. He lays his burden to the floor and raises his hands, "We surrender!", he calls out. Heling smiles softly, then says to his crew. "Good work. I appreciate your efforts, but now we have achieved more than I really expected. I am thankfull for you not using lethal force. I will take care of these gentlemen. Unless you want to be involved with the officials of this country.", he says. The old man then moves from man to man casting a powerfull bind spell on the unconcious men. "I guess I can handle them from here on."

Mr.Terrific will go about with Laz collecting their firearms, valuables, any shamanic expendables, and so forth. "We're not quite done. We need to find out where their hideout is, where their stolen goods are, and to whom they fence them."
Mr.Terrific says "I happen to be good at that. May I?"

Heling smiles at that, "Oh… I know quite well who they are, now that I see them. I have quite some extensive knowledge of the people of this area and these people are part of a poor tribe. I think they have gone too desperate but now that we have caught them I have a good way of getting them back on the path of good. Believe me. They will not make troubles anymore. I am really thankfull that none of you used lethal force. This opens a lot of chances we might otherwise not have had.

Mr.Terrific ahs. "Very well. I am glad that they are not common criminals. Still, Laz and I should help you get them to town, and then we can fade. Guarding a large number of men is no inconsequential task, especially when two of them are shamen. And it has been a pleasure working with you."

Elena smiles, "Yes, master Heling. I agree with my friends. We will help you carry them wherever you want them to."

The Talismonger smiles, "That's nice of you. But I would be surprised if they would not have some transport closeby…", he looks around the area to soon come over a Pickup in the close vicinity. "See…", he says. "I thought it might be something like that. I guess getting them in there is not too much of a problem?"

Mr.Terrific says, "Not at all," and helps Laz with the hefting and carrying. Now that the fight is over, his air elemental fades away, having completed its task - not that it would have been greatly effective at carrying bodies. And so it is written, so it is done.

Elena helps with the carrying, using the usefull Levitate spell of hers. She uses it to carry the unconcious and magically bound bandits.

The bandits deposited on the cargo area of the pickup and the few items he had been able to collect before this happened Heling finally enters the vehicle. He smiles and hands each of the runners a credstick, though Elena refuses hers as a 'token for a good cooperation in the future' as she calls it. The talismonger smiles at that and with a nod starts the engine. Checking their credsticks the men will even find a little bonus as a sign of the Talismongers gratitude for a job really well done.

The End (of this story)

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page revision: 9, last edited: 25 Jun 2011 17:25
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