Kerbi wastes no time. Dropping to all fours, he rushes out of the stable towards the tavern entrance.
He pushes through the door and makes his way inside. Ignoring the patrons still crowding the sawdust-covered floor, he threads his way to the stairs leading up, trusting on his nose to lead him to the correct room.
NOTICE: This site has been archived. All content is read-only and registration is disabled.
A new site is being built and the Basic Action Games Discord server is an active hub for discussion and games.
-Admin
A new site is being built and the Basic Action Games Discord server is an active hub for discussion and games.
-Admin
A Familiar Adventure Chp 1: Even Humans Get Ticks
-
Dustland
- Cosmic Hero
- Posts: 1158
- Joined: Sat May 15, 2010 11:00 pm
- Location: Austin, Tx
- Contact:
Shouts of suprise follow your course through the ground floor of the tavern. A cry of, "Ratsbane is on the hunt again!" followed by a chorus of drunken cheers erupts from a table full of men of to one side. Other, less encouraging shouts follow after.
You reach the stairs and are only vaguely aware of the fleeting shadow that is Sloat jumping from table to table, then up the stairs just ahead of you. You bound up the stairs past a startled man who is nearly pushed over the banister as you shoulder past him on the narrow staircase. A moment later you hit the landing at the top...and your nose catches up with your mad dash across the room.
The man you just passed, he smelled like Summer! And nothing else.
You reach the stairs and are only vaguely aware of the fleeting shadow that is Sloat jumping from table to table, then up the stairs just ahead of you. You bound up the stairs past a startled man who is nearly pushed over the banister as you shoulder past him on the narrow staircase. A moment later you hit the landing at the top...and your nose catches up with your mad dash across the room.
The man you just passed, he smelled like Summer! And nothing else.
-
Dustland
- Cosmic Hero
- Posts: 1158
- Joined: Sat May 15, 2010 11:00 pm
- Location: Austin, Tx
- Contact:
-
Nestor
- Paragon
- Posts: 627
- Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 11:00 pm
- Location: Baltimore, MD, USA
Kerbi is torn for a second between his desire to ascertain Summer's state, and investigating the strangely-scented man.
Confident that the man will not get far, Kerbi rushes to what is obviously the room Summer is staying.
Without preamble, he shoulders the door open and storms into the cramped room.
Confident that the man will not get far, Kerbi rushes to what is obviously the room Summer is staying.
Without preamble, he shoulders the door open and storms into the cramped room.
-
Dustland
- Cosmic Hero
- Posts: 1158
- Joined: Sat May 15, 2010 11:00 pm
- Location: Austin, Tx
- Contact:
You quickly find her room and fortunately the door is not locked. The door flies open, slamming into the wall behind it. In the small dark room you find Summer sprawled on top of the bed.
You quickly give her a sniff over and nudge her with your snout. She smells of that wonderful ale Sloat brought you earlier, wood smoke from the tavern down stairs, and other, familiar smells.
You nudge her again, then shake her gently; she moans and swats at your paw. "Kerbi, go to sleep," she mumbles, the smell of ale strong on her breath.
You hear the sound of people coming up the stairs behind you; the sounds of laughter almost drown out the voice of someone who sounds rather unhappy about you being in his tavern!
You quickly give her a sniff over and nudge her with your snout. She smells of that wonderful ale Sloat brought you earlier, wood smoke from the tavern down stairs, and other, familiar smells.
You nudge her again, then shake her gently; she moans and swats at your paw. "Kerbi, go to sleep," she mumbles, the smell of ale strong on her breath.
You hear the sound of people coming up the stairs behind you; the sounds of laughter almost drown out the voice of someone who sounds rather unhappy about you being in his tavern!
-
Nestor
- Paragon
- Posts: 627
- Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 11:00 pm
- Location: Baltimore, MD, USA
[I don't know how to put it delicately, but I assume she doesn't have a man-smell on her. Also you never established what Summer's age was.]
Dark thoughts roiling in his head, Kerbi gives a gentle snort and pads over to and through the door, closing it behind him. He does a couple of turns around the threshold then flops in front of it, with every intention of staying there.
As the footsteps get closer, he makes no motion other than swivel his ear and turn his eyes in that direction.
Dark thoughts roiling in his head, Kerbi gives a gentle snort and pads over to and through the door, closing it behind him. He does a couple of turns around the threshold then flops in front of it, with every intention of staying there.
As the footsteps get closer, he makes no motion other than swivel his ear and turn his eyes in that direction.
-
Dustland
- Cosmic Hero
- Posts: 1158
- Joined: Sat May 15, 2010 11:00 pm
- Location: Austin, Tx
- Contact:
[Nope, no "man smell" on her 
No unfamiliar smells at all actually. As to her age, I'm avoiding an actual number, but in Kerbi's eyes, she's old enough to be on her own, but is still young and naive.]
You see a round, bald, and sweaty man come storming up the stairs first, a crowd of drunks stumbling along after him. You notice the man you passed on the stairs that smelled of Summer is not among them.
The crowd's interest quickly wanes when they realize you aren't up here slaughtering more rats. The fat man sees you staring at him and hesitates for a moment, but goaded on by his anger at having a dog roaming his tavern, he storms down the hall with clinched fists and a red face.
"Woman, get yer * outa here. And take da * dog wid yah!" He yells as he approaches the door to Summer's room. He stops a few cautious steps away from your large form but continues his tyrade. Summer doesn't seem to awaken to his yelling, for better or for worse.
The crowd loses interest and filters back down stairs while the tavern keeper paces back and forth, trying to figure out how to get past you. Sloat is nowhere to be smelled.
Hits 100, Hero Points 4, Hero Dice 1
No unfamiliar smells at all actually. As to her age, I'm avoiding an actual number, but in Kerbi's eyes, she's old enough to be on her own, but is still young and naive.]You see a round, bald, and sweaty man come storming up the stairs first, a crowd of drunks stumbling along after him. You notice the man you passed on the stairs that smelled of Summer is not among them.
The crowd's interest quickly wanes when they realize you aren't up here slaughtering more rats. The fat man sees you staring at him and hesitates for a moment, but goaded on by his anger at having a dog roaming his tavern, he storms down the hall with clinched fists and a red face.
"Woman, get yer * outa here. And take da * dog wid yah!" He yells as he approaches the door to Summer's room. He stops a few cautious steps away from your large form but continues his tyrade. Summer doesn't seem to awaken to his yelling, for better or for worse.
The crowd loses interest and filters back down stairs while the tavern keeper paces back and forth, trying to figure out how to get past you. Sloat is nowhere to be smelled.
Hits 100, Hero Points 4, Hero Dice 1
-
Nestor
- Paragon
- Posts: 627
- Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 11:00 pm
- Location: Baltimore, MD, USA
Kerbi studiously does not react to the tavern keeper's bluster, except to slightly bare his teeth and emit a low growl if he gets within a certain distance of the door.
He'd much prefer to be free to investigate the Summer-scented man, but his first duty is to protect his mistress and, in her current condition, she can't be left alone.
[Once the owner (hopefully) goes away, Kerbi will go back in and examine Summer more closely. Sloat's vision still has him worried.]
He'd much prefer to be free to investigate the Summer-scented man, but his first duty is to protect his mistress and, in her current condition, she can't be left alone.
[Once the owner (hopefully) goes away, Kerbi will go back in and examine Summer more closely. Sloat's vision still has him worried.]
-
Dustland
- Cosmic Hero
- Posts: 1158
- Joined: Sat May 15, 2010 11:00 pm
- Location: Austin, Tx
- Contact:
After a few minutes the tavern keeper realizes that you're not going anywhere, and he lacks the nerve to try to make you move, so he skulks back down the stairs. Laughter and jeers rise from the patrons below as they spot the man return empty handed. Shortly thereafter the noise quiets down as people begin to call it a night and head home, or crash on the floor of the tavern.
Once you feel certain that the bald man isn't returning, you reenter Summer's room. She hasn't awakened and is tossing in her sleep, moaning feebily to herself. You try once again to get her to wake up but it's no use; be it ale or something else, she doesn't respond beyond an irritated "Kerbi, go to sleep" which lacks the force of your master's will.
You sniff about the room but find nothing strange in the recent smells; you, Summer, and Sloat seem to be the most recent visitors (and where in the Red Lands is that * cat anyway?). You were certain that man smelled strongly of Summer, but she doesn't seem to carry the scent of someone else.
[If you wish to use your Scent of Days... power, then make the roll. I'm changing the power a bit; for every 10 pts you score, you'll learn one more piece of info. If not, and there's nothing else you want to do, I'll proceed to the quickly approaching morning.]
Once you feel certain that the bald man isn't returning, you reenter Summer's room. She hasn't awakened and is tossing in her sleep, moaning feebily to herself. You try once again to get her to wake up but it's no use; be it ale or something else, she doesn't respond beyond an irritated "Kerbi, go to sleep" which lacks the force of your master's will.
You sniff about the room but find nothing strange in the recent smells; you, Summer, and Sloat seem to be the most recent visitors (and where in the Red Lands is that * cat anyway?). You were certain that man smelled strongly of Summer, but she doesn't seem to carry the scent of someone else.
[If you wish to use your Scent of Days... power, then make the roll. I'm changing the power a bit; for every 10 pts you score, you'll learn one more piece of info. If not, and there's nothing else you want to do, I'll proceed to the quickly approaching morning.]
-
Nestor
- Paragon
- Posts: 627
- Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 11:00 pm
- Location: Baltimore, MD, USA
Kerbi places his head on the bed, staring at his slumbering mistress, and can't help letting out a whimper. He fears whatever peril Sloat had warned him about has already struck, and the one he was sworn to protect was already slipping away.
He paces the small room, racking his brain for some sort of plan. The Summer-scented man is the key, Kerbi is sure of this now, but the faithful familiar isn't confident he could track the mysterious stranger now.
Finally, he falls back to one of his strengths, his extraordinary nose. Closing his eyes, he puts his muzzle down to the ground and takes a deep sniff.
Scent of Days Gone By:
[bash]4 = 394349877 [/bash]
He paces the small room, racking his brain for some sort of plan. The Summer-scented man is the key, Kerbi is sure of this now, but the faithful familiar isn't confident he could track the mysterious stranger now.
Finally, he falls back to one of his strengths, his extraordinary nose. Closing his eyes, he puts his muzzle down to the ground and takes a deep sniff.
Scent of Days Gone By:
[bash]4 = 394349877 [/bash]
-
Dustland
- Cosmic Hero
- Posts: 1158
- Joined: Sat May 15, 2010 11:00 pm
- Location: Austin, Tx
- Contact:
You calm yourself and open your mind to the subtlest smells that linger in the room. Like a chef peeling back an onion, your nose begins to dig through to the older and fainter scents, somehow able to create an image in your mind as to how things may have unfolded.
After a while of deep concentration, you pick up something, not the smell of the man (who seems to have no smell of his own), but the smell of soil, dirt that someone other than Summer had walked through and brought into this room when he had come in with your master. Your eyes only half opened, you begin to trace the path of the man through the room as the smell, once identified, becomes more distinct. You smell something sour...the smell of lemons is definitely there.
The man with the citrus and soil on his boots had come in with Summer, and they were close. He never left her side and he laid with her on the bed (a growl rises in your throat) but they didn't mate, as you would suppose would be his intent. You follow your nose to the bed to a spot next to Summer where your instincts say he had layed.
You can't come to terms with the scentless man so you lay your head on the bed, close your eyes, and give yourself over to the world of smells once again. The layers of scents peel back and fall away as you sniff for a clue. Then it hits you, not the normal smell of Summer's skin and sweat, but the faintest trace of her blood! He drew her blood, you're sure of it, but no trace of harm can be found on her.
Then it hits you; on the stairs, it wasn't just the smell of Summer he carried with him, but underneath it, the smell of her blood was on him, hidden, absorbed, but there none the less!
Just then the smell of mildewed cat strikes your nose and pulls you out of your scent walk.
Hits 100, Hero Points 4, Hero Dice 1
After a while of deep concentration, you pick up something, not the smell of the man (who seems to have no smell of his own), but the smell of soil, dirt that someone other than Summer had walked through and brought into this room when he had come in with your master. Your eyes only half opened, you begin to trace the path of the man through the room as the smell, once identified, becomes more distinct. You smell something sour...the smell of lemons is definitely there.
The man with the citrus and soil on his boots had come in with Summer, and they were close. He never left her side and he laid with her on the bed (a growl rises in your throat) but they didn't mate, as you would suppose would be his intent. You follow your nose to the bed to a spot next to Summer where your instincts say he had layed.
You can't come to terms with the scentless man so you lay your head on the bed, close your eyes, and give yourself over to the world of smells once again. The layers of scents peel back and fall away as you sniff for a clue. Then it hits you, not the normal smell of Summer's skin and sweat, but the faintest trace of her blood! He drew her blood, you're sure of it, but no trace of harm can be found on her.
Then it hits you; on the stairs, it wasn't just the smell of Summer he carried with him, but underneath it, the smell of her blood was on him, hidden, absorbed, but there none the less!
Just then the smell of mildewed cat strikes your nose and pulls you out of your scent walk.
Hits 100, Hero Points 4, Hero Dice 1
-
Nestor
- Paragon
- Posts: 627
- Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 11:00 pm
- Location: Baltimore, MD, USA
"Sloat!" Kerbi cries without turning your head. "I'm too late! She's... not well!"
Spinning around to confront the cat, he continues, almost speaking to himself. "There was a man here. He did something to Summer, drew some blood, and now she lies weakened.
"He had no smell of his own. But I smelled dirt and lemons on him. Does that mean anything to you?" Kerbi pleads, disregarding his pride in his concern for Summer's welfare.
Spinning around to confront the cat, he continues, almost speaking to himself. "There was a man here. He did something to Summer, drew some blood, and now she lies weakened.
"He had no smell of his own. But I smelled dirt and lemons on him. Does that mean anything to you?" Kerbi pleads, disregarding his pride in his concern for Summer's welfare.
-
Dustland
- Cosmic Hero
- Posts: 1158
- Joined: Sat May 15, 2010 11:00 pm
- Location: Austin, Tx
- Contact:
Sloat looks at you a bit confused while you try to explain what you smelled. "Lemons? Damned sour things, Kerbi my boy. Why once I..."
A growl from you stops his rambling; he clears his throat of a fur ball then continues, "Well, there's lemons in the market from time to time. I think the ships from the Outlands down south bring them. There's also a place up the King's Middlin' Road, some old nobleman's house. The grounds are covered in a lemon orchard, though I think most of the trees are dead.
"It's a terrible place, full of rats, and they aren't afraid to fight either. I followed a pretty young thing there once, thought we'd make an afternoon of hunting in the orchard. Those rats, they were relentless, pouring out of the trees and from their burrows in the ground. Just terrible," you see Sloat give a bit of a shiver at the memory.
Just like the rats in the alley you think to yourself.
A growl from you stops his rambling; he clears his throat of a fur ball then continues, "Well, there's lemons in the market from time to time. I think the ships from the Outlands down south bring them. There's also a place up the King's Middlin' Road, some old nobleman's house. The grounds are covered in a lemon orchard, though I think most of the trees are dead.
"It's a terrible place, full of rats, and they aren't afraid to fight either. I followed a pretty young thing there once, thought we'd make an afternoon of hunting in the orchard. Those rats, they were relentless, pouring out of the trees and from their burrows in the ground. Just terrible," you see Sloat give a bit of a shiver at the memory.
Just like the rats in the alley you think to yourself.
-
Nestor
- Paragon
- Posts: 627
- Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 11:00 pm
- Location: Baltimore, MD, USA
Kerbi nods, his mind made up. There's only one detail that needs attending.
The canine familiar hesitates as he ponders his next action. It rankles the very core of his being to submit to such indignity, but for his mistress's sake, he'll sacrifice anything.
"Sloat," he says, solemnly, "I fear for Summer's safety if I leave her unattended, but I need to seek this man to find out what ails her. So I must beseech you, will you stand and look out for her in my absence?"
The canine familiar hesitates as he ponders his next action. It rankles the very core of his being to submit to such indignity, but for his mistress's sake, he'll sacrifice anything.
"Sloat," he says, solemnly, "I fear for Summer's safety if I leave her unattended, but I need to seek this man to find out what ails her. So I must beseech you, will you stand and look out for her in my absence?"
-
Dustland
- Cosmic Hero
- Posts: 1158
- Joined: Sat May 15, 2010 11:00 pm
- Location: Austin, Tx
- Contact:
You see his mouth open and close wordlessly as he struggles to find a way to deny your request without offending you, his eyes darting to the sleeping girl and back to you.
"Kerbi, I, um, thanks for the honor, of, um, well....I don't particularly care for humans Kerbi. You'll need a guide and, and, well, I can't say I...," he stammers along for a moment then suddenly his eyes light up as he thinks he's found a way out of the situation.
"What exactly do you think that I could do if that man returns, hmmm? I can slaughter a horde of rats and I've proven myself against many a dog, thank you very much, but a human? For the love of the White Kerbi, they resort to throwing water!!! What's a cat to do against such underhanded tactics?!?"
He looks at you as if that should make all the difference in the world.
"Kerbi, I, um, thanks for the honor, of, um, well....I don't particularly care for humans Kerbi. You'll need a guide and, and, well, I can't say I...," he stammers along for a moment then suddenly his eyes light up as he thinks he's found a way out of the situation.
"What exactly do you think that I could do if that man returns, hmmm? I can slaughter a horde of rats and I've proven myself against many a dog, thank you very much, but a human? For the love of the White Kerbi, they resort to throwing water!!! What's a cat to do against such underhanded tactics?!?"
He looks at you as if that should make all the difference in the world.