Difference between revisions of "Arbiter Hawk"

Briefing

Ah, I've heard of your exploits, Character. What can I help you with?

• Tell me about obols.

Obols? In magic they are commonly used in rituals that involve death and the afterlife, as Charon the ferryman to the underworld, would take an obol as payment to ferry a soul to the afterlife.

• What is an obol?

An obol, or obolus, is a name for an ancient Greek coin.

• I need an obol.

You need an obol? Planning on dying sometime soon I assume? I can help you out, but tell me, exactly what are you planning on doing with said item?

• I need an obol for a resurrection ritual.

Good unknown / Madam, a single obol is used to pay Charon to take you TO the afterlife. If you want the trip to be a 'round-trip' I would suggest procuring multiples. How many souls are you planning on resurrecting?

• One

I see, then you would need two obols, one to send Charon across the river Styx and one to bring him back with the soul in question in tow. Is the soul expecting to be brought back?

• No.
• I don't believe so.

Then might I suggest a part of you take the trip as well, and for that you will need a third obol.

• Two

Figured out you need to convince the subject to come back to the land of the living, did you? You'll need to send part of yourself in the ritual, and for that you'll need a third coin to ensure you make the return trip as well.

• Then I will need three obols.

Excellent! Here you go, three obols. This should do well to bring back your friend, as long as they are willing to be brought back. A few souls prefer the afterlife to what they had here on Earth.

Briefing

The Amber Widow, yes? Yes, this particular piece is over one million years old.

It is amazing, wouldn't you say? An innocent black widow spider, minding its business crawling across the surface of a tree, perhaps to find a new home to spin her web, when she finds herself stuck in the sticky sap. She's engulfed over the next day or so, trapped in a state that is neither alive nor dead. As the sap hardened, it fossilized, only to be uncovered a million years later by an archaeologist and acquired by me. I assume, Character that your intentions for this are for personal gain? Yes? Then remember who gave this to you, no questions asked.

Briefing

This is the magic circle that Arbiter Hawk had set up for you. This is where you will perform the ritual to bring Red Widow back to life. Performing the ritual wrong could have negative circumstances, but the ritual is incomplete and you will be forced to improvise. How do you want to begin?

• Start with the Amber Widow

You place the Amber Widow within the circle, and nothing happens. No magic sparks, no gut instinct, just... nothing. Obviously this is not the way to start the ritual.

• Start with the dying breath

As you contemplate opening the bottle containing a dying man's last breath, Arbiter Hawk's words ring in your memory: 'One thing I can assure you though, is use the Dying Breath as the last thing, and only if everything else seems like it is working up to that point.' You think better of it and try something else.

• Start with the obols

You hold three obols in your hand. You can place one, two or all of them into the magic circle. What do you do?

• Place two obols in the circle.

You gather two obols and place them into the circle. Your gut kicks in with that sensation you get when you overpay for something.

• Place the third obol in the circle as well.

All three obols are placed within the circle. You have the overwhelming sensation that you are being ripped off.

• Place all three obols in the circle.

All three obols are placed within the circle. You have the overwhelming sensation that you are being ripped off.

• Place one obol in the circle.

The magic circle flares to life. The runes take on an otherworldly glow. You sense the boatman, Charon, awaiting a soul, a soul that has been paid for.

• Place the Amber Widow into the circle.

You place the Amber Widow into the circle. You have an uncomfortable feeling that Charon is confused. He was looking for a living soul to ferry across the river Styx.

• Uncork the bottle containing the dying breath.

As you contemplate opening the bottle containing a dying man's last breath, Arbiter Hawk's words ring in your memory: 'One thing I can assure you though, is use the Dying Breath as the last thing, and only if everything else seems like it is working up to that point.' You think better of it and try something else.

• Let's start improvising.

You've fought enough magic slinging enemies in your time, you should be able to fake this, right? Some ideas pop into your head: using magic incantations you've overheard in the past, cutting yourself and bleeding into the magic circle, dance around the circle, chanting a magical mantra, or light some incense and see what happens.

• Start muttering some magic incantations

You raise your hands into the air and begin chanting magical words you have overheard in the past. Suddenly you find yourself wracked with pain! It doesn't seem to subside when you stop chanting either! The glow of the circle dies out. You'll likely need to restart the ritual to progress.

• Restart the Ritual

• Dance around the circle, chanting

You begin to dance around the circle, chanting a mantra you've heard used in the past.

Suddenly you find yourself wracked with pain! It doesn't seem to subside when you stop chanting either! The glow of the circle dies out. You'll likely need to restart the ritual to progress.

• Restart the Ritual

• Light some incense

You ignite a match and light some incense, other than adding a particular odor to the air, nothing magical happens. It seems you didn't mess anything up though, so you decide to try something else.

• Cut yourself and bleed into the circle

Your blood hits the ground within the circle and seeps into the soil as if it were a sponge. Only a dark stain remains where your blood once pooled. The magic circle grows in intensity. Charon seems pleased and the ritual seems to move forward.

• Let's continue to improvise.

That worked well, maybe you should continue down that path?

• Start muttering some magic incantations

You raise your hands into the air and begin chanting magical words you have overheard in the past. Suddenly you find yourself wracked with pain! It doesn't seem to subside when you stop chanting either! The glow of the circle dies out. You'll likely need to restart the ritual to progress.

• Restart the Ritual

• Dance around the circle, chanting

You begin to dance around the circle, chanting a mantra you've heard used in the past.

Suddenly you find yourself wracked with pain! It doesn't seem to subside when you stop chanting either! The glow of the circle dies out. You'll likely need to restart the ritual to progress.

• Restart the Ritual

• Light some incense

You ignite a match and light some incense, other than adding a particular odor to the air, nothing magical happens. It seems you didn't mess anything up though, so you decide to try something else.

• Maybe I should stop improvising, this is getting nowhere

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• Place the Amber Widow into the circle.

You place the Amber Widow onto the dark patch left by your blood. The fossilized sap seems to shimmer and begin to return to a liquid state, but still holds its shape. The Widow inside seems to be struggling to be freed.

• Place one more obol onto the circle.

You place down the obol. You get the sense that Charon is confused. The magic circle begins to fade. Quickly: what do you do?

• Place the last obol onto the circle!

With both obols in the circle you see the image of Red Widow begin to materialize. She seems to be gasping for air and none is coming. This is likely the last part of the ritual, what do you do?

• Time for some more improvisation!
• Uncork the bottle containing the dying breath.

The cold of the air in the cave condenses the breath as it is released. The image of Red Widow stands before you, taking in a deep breath. As it does, she solidifies into a living, breathing, human being again.

Botching the ritual awards the Botched Ritual! temporary power.

Botched Ritual! Auto: Self -Max End, -To Hit, -Res(All), -Def Your To Hit, Defense, Resistance, and Max Endurance have all been reduced as the price paid for botching the Ritual's steps.

Briefing

I see you've gotten yourself into quite a pickle. Resurrecting Red Widow in the way that you did bonded your life-force to hers. What made you think using your own blood was a good idea?

• Nothing else was working.
• Seemed like an obvious choice.
• I don't want to talk about it.

Hmm, there had to be another way, but that is the past, let's talk about how we solve your current predicament. With Arbiter Daos putting a contract out on her, every cold-blooded assassin in the Rogue Isles will be hunting for her head. And if she dies, you die, for the time being anyway.

• So I heard.

I do know a way to perhaps stack the odds more in your favor... have you ever heard of Cupid?

• What do you mean 'for the time being'?

Well blood magic is finicky. That kind of magic would be completely useless if the side effects were permanent in nature. No one would ever use it! The bound life-forces is only temporary, and should wear off in a couple weeks. Unfortunately you don't have weeks. Someone, or more likely a group of someones, will kill Red Widow long before that side effect wears off. Killing you in the process.

• Great, but what can we do NOW?

I do know a way to perhaps stack the odds more in your favor... have you ever heard of Cupid?

• Of course I have. Everyone has.

So I take it you know why I bring it up then. What Cupid can do to solve your... predicament.

• He does have those special arrows and that bow.

Exactly. Cupid's bow, and especially his arrows. Get hit with that and fall madly in love with the next person you see. Now, get Red Widow into a room with Lord Recluse, fire this bow and BAM. Instant love connection, you don't even need to be back in two and two. That should mellow her out right then and there, rekindle that spark that was lost, and hopefully accomplish what you set out to do in the first place, reunite her with Lord Recluse.

• Enlighten me.

Cupid. At least that's what the Romans called him. Son of Venus and Mars. Has a bow that fires arrows that make you fall in love.

• Wait. What was that last part?

Exactly. Cupid's bow, and especially his arrows. Get hit with that and fall madly in love with the next person you see. Now, get Red Widow into a room with Lord Recluse, fire this bow and BAM. Instant love connection, you don't even need to be back in two and two. That should mellow her out right then and there, rekindle that spark that was lost, and hopefully accomplish what you set out to do in the first place, reunite her with Lord Recluse.

• Where can I find Cupid?

That... isn't relevant. Cupid is LONG since retired, but his bow and an arrow are in the hands of private collectors.

• Who? Who has these items?

Vanessa DeVore, the leader of the Carnival of Shadows, is currently in possession of the only known 'Arrow of Love'. Apparently they scratch themselves with it, using it as an aphrodisiac in some of their wilder parties. And the bow needed to fire such a special missile is in the possession of one Julianne Thompson, who your world knows as the person running around under the guise of 'Countess Crey'.

• Julianne Thompson?

Oh, you haven't learned that yet? Forget I said anything. It's hard to keep track of what is still secret in your dimension and what everyone knows.

• So I just need to get the arrow from the Carnival and the bow from Crey, got it.

You're likely going to have to take these objects against their owners' wills.

• Got it, thanks.