[IC] Trespassers DC: Tribal Times (Forgotten Realms Hunt)

[StormLord]

Tim pauses to think for a second, images of priceless golden idols and enchanted artifacts passed through his mind.  The young Necromancer might have a point, while the cost of firing his Hyperkinetic lens was negligible(a few minutes spent in the direct sunlight) there was always the possibility of finding something worthwhile in the belongings of their foes.

"The cost is negligible, Laws of conserving energy and mass be damned.  But the risk of fighting them isn't so great as to need to pull out all the stops right away.  So...if you all want to fight the cultists more directly I could dial back my weapon and open the door instead of blowing away the whole house."

 

Tim directs his final question to the group as a whole, rather than just Freya.

[Chevaleresse]

"I don't know about killing all of them if we don't have to. . ." Lucine wasn't exactly a hardened soldier, despite her mechanical behavior in combat - in fact, that was the reason Opal had that function in the first place. "Has anyone actually tried talking to them?" It was, perhaps, a silly question, but sometimes even silly questions lead to valuable answers. "I know they're evil, but maybe we could convince them to stop somehow."

[Strider]

"Does anyone's magic let them speak at range? It would be worth a shot at least. It makes us look better to anyone else that might hear about this if we try to talk first."

Ena was also confident that if they had to send someone in to talk, she could do so decently well. She had nothing to fear from the primitive weapons, except maybe the magic. And the teammates could help keep that to a minimum, right?

[Endlessblaze]

Lilly raises a hand.
"My range is limited, But if we get close enough I might be able to establish contact"
 

[Chevaleresse]

"Maybe I could go first? One of my cards has a Noble Phantasm that should protect me if they attack." Despite her words, the expression on Lucine's face indicated she very much would not like to walk up to a camp of evil cultists and get shot at before everyone else. "Or someone could borrow Opal, but Opal barely lets me use her lately." She sounded less keen on that idea, too, unconsciously patting the backpack that the irascible device was currently imprisoned in. Her somewhat fearful expression was broken up by a slight yawn; she was still a bit tired from summoning a card earlier.

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Freya

 

"If I can suggest, I can approach myself and see if it's possible to talk them down. I mean, if there is a risk of someone dying here, then I already have a backup plan for that. That, and people have a tendency to talk to those that are closer to their nature, and being the only Necromancer here, I think I'm the closest to their sort of... Nature, I guess" Freya stated, raising her free hand to try and get everyone's attention prior to her suggestion, "Of course, if they don't want to talk, then we'll have to go with the more violent route."

[StormLord]

Tim stood and listened to the various responses, he wasn't exactly a huge fan of trying "peaceful negotiations".  They usually ended up being costly, showed willingness to let the other side order you around, and turned messy anyway more often than not.  Only really useful if the cost of cleaning up the mess would be too high.

"So you go down and try to negotiate with them and convince them to leave while we stand at a safe distance an watch.  If things start to so bad you give us a signal and we'll run in for plan B?"

[Hal Henderics]

"I could make some drones with handcuffs, to try to disable them."  Law says, already warming up his Alloy Printer.

 

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Freya

 

At Tim's clarification, Freya turned to him with a nod, "Yep! And if things go bad-" she began, taking her hat off and moving her skeleton-shaped pin to the back of it, "I'll light this up. That, or they'll kill me, one of the two."

[Strider]

"I'm certain we'll be able to cover you. Though perhaps try to get one or two to come just outside to talk to you if possible. If not feasible, this sounds good to me." Tim had ranged weaponry, and Ena had the gun she'd picked up previously, so against some cultists they could definitely give Freya support. Easier if she was outside though.

 

"We do not know much about these cultists, but maybe they'll respect Freya and her ways."

[Endlessblaze]

“Sounds about as good a plan as any”

lilly just shrugs

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Freya

 

"Well-" Freya began, clapping her hands together, "If we're in agreement, let's get going!" she stated, before spinning on her heel, beginning to march in the general direction the cultist's base was located.

[DragonRage]

Freya walks up to the walls of the fortress, which start bustling with activity as a multitude of pointy things are pointed at her.  But then a loud voice shouts out at them.  "Put those away, you meatheads!  If you fire those at her you're dead meat!  I've never seen an evil aura half as dense as hers!  Only Hextor himself wields darker magics!"  A huge guy in pitch black full plate covered in spikes with a longsword at his hip leaps from the ramparts to land in front of Freya, and shuffles his feet nervously.  "Erm, what brings you to our fine fortress, your dark... shadow... worshipfulness?  Please don't turn me into something viscous."

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Freya

 

As Freya walked towards the Cultist's Fortress, she couldn't help but feel nervous, something that was thankfully hard to see as she approached. The closest thing she had to a cult was the Purifiers, and if they were anything like them... Well, she would be lucky to get a word out before getting killed. Then again, these Cultists apparently didn't pretend to be good, so they might like a fellow dark magic user like herself.

 

At least, that was what she thought before noticing the defenders assembling on the walls, already aiming arrows and the like at her as she approached, causing her pace to falter, and forcing the Necromancer to take a deep breath as she forced on. She couldn't show any weakness, and if they killed her, well, the rest of her party would've come down to avenge her. She hoped, at least. Thankfully, she never had to worry about that, as what appeared to be their leader, or at least a commander, ordered them to put their weapons away, and then jumped down to meet her. The order caused Freya to let out an involuntary sigh of relief as she stopped, before straightening herself as the man spoke.

 

"Please, no need for any fanciful titles such as that. Just call me Freya" she greeted in return, her eyes beginning to scan the walls again, even though she had already gotten a good look at them before, "I'll take your orders to your men as a sign that you all are the followers of Hextor? I've heard about some attacks on a settlement nearby, and I had to come around to see what was happening."

[DragonRage]

"Yes, ma'am, whatever you say, ma'am!" The black knight hastily agrees, "We are a cult of Hextor, the glorious god of war!  He demands tribute, and peace-loving weaklings such as those in the town below are perfect!  Why, they even needed to call outsiders to defend them!  Such weakness is anathema!  It must be purged before it can spread.  ...Unless you want them.  I have no doubt that any fate you might bestow them would make our imperfect works seem gauche in contrast, Dark Lady Freya!"

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Freya

 

"In contrast?" Freya began, playing a hand on her chest in fake shock, "Already, you lack grace with the fact that you 'target peace lovers'. Hextor is a God of War, and the God of War appreciates the strong. Strength offers a better tribute to him, not some peasants on the countryside" she added, before sighing and bringing her hand up to pinch her forehead, "Inelegant and stupid. Just like the rest... If you really want to appease Hextor, I suggest switching your tactics, starting now" Freya finished, bringing her hand down, narrowing her eyes at the knight.

 

"My advice would be to find those that are strong to sacrifice to your god, either by hunting down powerful travelers or sacrificing your own. It matters not. Hextor wants the strong, not the weak" Freya suggested, now placing her hand on her hip. She wasn't actually sure what Hextor wanted, but... Hopefully her logic was sound enough to make the knight at least ponder her words. If he did, she might have a chance to turn this entire cult on its head.

 

Honestly, she just hoped Hextor hasn't spoken directly to them. Otherwise she would be in trouble.

[DragonRage]

Too bad.  Hextor time.  A pendant of a fist clenched around several broken arrows hanging from the black knight's neck lights up, and he starts muttering to himself too quietly to hear, nodding occasionally.  "We venture out in search of GRANDER WAR!"  He declares.  "The village is yours, Dark Lady.  However, this humble servant of the Dark Gods would beg a boon of you on behalf of his master.  FROG!"  A young boy, looking around 13, rushes to the front.  He's clad in black robes with the arrows-and-fist symbol on them, and chain mail underneath, but even considering his age looks fairly scrawny next to the other servants of the God of War.  He's also wearing glasses, and has an animate frog skeleton perched on his shoulder.  As Freya watches, the undead amphibian shoots out a tendril of green mist like a living frog's tongue, snags a passing fly, and eats it.

 

"Acolyte Caspin, reporting for duty, sir!"  The young boy reports, saluting the knight.

 

"Milady, on behalf of my dark master, it would be a great honor if you were to tutor this young squire," The black knight requests carefully, "Hextor is most impressed by your great darkness and strong necromantic aura.  War favors the strong, and with your strength there is no question that you are a master of war."

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Freya

 

... Wait, that worked? That actually-

 

"Ahem, I see. Hextor is wise to... Acknowledge my power. I shall take this Acolyte of yours. I have been needing a new assistant ever since I lost the last" Freya said, clearing her throat and turning around, "But my work here is done. Come along now, Caspin. I have more work that I must attend to" she stated, before she started to walk  away from the fortress, the cult of Hextor, and all that evil stuff, and back towards the rest of the group, who would hopefully appreciate the news that she had managed to talk them down. Somewhat.

[Strider]

As soon as Freya came within earshot of normal speaking volume, Ena immediately queried, "You managed to get a hostage? That will be really useful, as long as they care enough about him to stick to our demands. . ."

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Freya

 

"Huh? Oh, no" Freya responded, putting a hand in front of herself as she approached the group again, "I managed to talk them into leaving, and I think I managed to get through to their God as well. This place should be safe from them from now on, since they believe that I have my own... Er, dark experiments and whatnot to perform on them. But anyway-" she continued, moving her hand to indicate Caspin, "He is here because the Cult wanted to give me an apprentice, since I'm some kind of master of the Dark Arts to them. I thought it would be nice to have another member of the team!" she explained, before turning around to face the Acolyte, "Would you please introduce yourself to my friends here? I think it would be better than me doing it for you."

[Chevaleresse]

Lucine waved at the stranger hesitantly, not entirely certain how to respond. He was around her age, but, well, also an evil cultist of some variety. Were they really taking him with? "We should probably tell the villagers the cultists are gone, too." She wasn't going to voice her opinion of the boy quite yet; who knows, maybe they could actually get along?

[Hal Henderics]

Suddenly, a large pod crashes into the ground, unfolding into piles of boxes, before the pod floats back into the air, and, stretching like taffy, escapes sub-light velocity and exits the universe once again.

"Oh, my Care package!" Law shouts, skipping over to the pile of boxes, rooting through them, where there are several mechanical spheres, some glowing tanks of liquid, and a large, tube covered machine.

 

Picking up the liquid purifier, Law smiles, skittering back.

"Would it be too much trouble to get blood samples from all of you?  This machine can purify any liquid programmed into it, which might be important one day." He says.

[DragonRage]

"I am Acolyte Caspin.  I serve the Dark Lady Freya in all her endeavors," The former cultist of Hextor and current cultist of Freya bows uneasily to the group.  They look disconcertingly heroic to him.  "I hope to learn great things as her squire."

After heading back to town, much shopping is done.

 

Everyone gains 10 merit. As the plot MVPs, Law and Freya gain 2 bonus merit each. 

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Freya

 

"And learn great things you shall!" Freya quickly followed up after Caspin introduced himself, only to pause for a few seconds before adding, "Once we get spare time, that is". Not long afterwards, a large object crashed into the ground, causing Freya to jump back in surprise, and after a brief pause, began to walk up to it after Law seemed to indicate that it was his.

 

Once she got near, Law had suddenly asked for blood from everyone present, which made Freya raise an eyebrow, "Uh, I mean sure, but if I may ask, why would getting our blood be important?" she asked, using one of her hands to straighten her hat as the other began poking around in the small bag she carried around.

[Hal Henderics]

Law's hair stands on end as she reaches into her bag, and he rapidly explains.

"W-well, with some b-blood samples, I can record the composition of your blood in this device, so if something harmful is put into your blood later, I can cycle it through here to remove the h-h-harmful substance!"

 

"It can c-clean liquids, so l-long as it knows what they are SUPPOSED to have in them."