I Heart Lord Talkym's House
"As you continue your travels, you spot the house so ostentatious it could only be a dwelling of an Obscured Lord of Ukaa. While houses of an Obscured Lord are not an entirely uncommon sight outside the city, as some despise the hustle and bustle of city life and would much prefer the relative peace that accompanies a stay in the country, this mansion in particular is so obviously luxurious and in such bad taste that it forcibly draws your eye, even from afar. As you approach the house, either to pay it a visit or to continue on your way, you notice a gaggle of unenthusiastic hired heralds surrounding the house, proclaiming loudly but dully to all that can hear them this message:
"You approach the house of the Great Lord Talkym, master of the arts arcane. None may, nay, none can challenge his prowess and mastery of spells long ago forgotten by the common masses of hedge wizards and shrubbery sorcerers. His alchemical aptitude and mechanical might..."
"You tone out the uninspired message and are just about to continue on your way when a certain sentence catches your ear..."
"All who bring essence of clockwork to the mighty and praiseworthy Lord Talkym shall be richly welcomed and richly rewarded."
"If you have essence of clockwork, this sounds like the place to go."
"You do indeed possess essence of clockwork, so you consult the heralds outside the house about where to proceed." "The heralds' demeanor shifts from weary monotony to curious surprise as you show them the essence of clockwork. One, an aging woman with a crimson feather in her hat, explains the sudden change." "By the Guardian! We had no idea that actually existed! We've been harping that same message about the "essence of clockwork" for three full months now, and nobody's even talked to us, let alone brought this clockwork essence stuff. Please, go inside and show this to Talkym. Maybe he'll give us something different to say." "You creak open the door and wander inside. While the rich welcome does not manifest itself, the interior of the house is covered in stunning decadence. Gilt-framed paintings, many-hued tapestries, and glowing crystal sculptures abound. You follow the sound of clanking to a nearby guard encased in a suit of plate mail, and ask for directions to Lord Talkym." "The guard does not respond, instead continuing to make their noisy way down the hallway. You ask a few more times at varying volumes, but the guard remains oblivious to your concerns. Eventually, you notice the gears at the armor's joints and pause in astonishment: Lord Talkym appears to have created a functioning automaton. After recovering from the shock, you continue onward. Lord Talkym is clearly a more accomplished artificer then you originally thought." "After puzzling your way through a garden maze and climbing up at least five flights of stairs, you arrive at the office and workshop of Lord Talkym. The Obscured Lord is sitting in a comfortable-looking armchair in the center of the room, waiting. Clearly he has been expecting you." "So. You are the one who has brought me the essence of clockwork. Well done." "You place the essence on the desk in front of you, but he barely notices." "While clockwork essence is convenient in the production of new automatons, it is not essential. The one truly necessary component that I lack is humanity's spirit. Its curiosity and ingenuity in seeking out what is difficult to find, and its stubborn perseverance in the face of impossible odds. Its soul. Its heart. "So I'll be taking that now." "Terrified, you stagger back, but you already feel your essence dissolving. You know that to stay in this room is death, or worse. With no other options, you fall through a window to the hedge maze below." "Aching from the fall but not having broken anything serious, you quickly retrace your steps through the maze and into the lower levels of the house. However, the once-indifferent guardian automatons now seem to be out for your blood." "Five of them charge at you as soon as you enter the house. Clearly they were waiting for you. You dash back into the maze, but the automatons remain at the doorway, clawing at the threshold. It seems that they cannot exit the house." "For a brief moment, you contemplate how to proceed. You know Lord Talkym might be chasing you, so you have little time to spare. With no other options you can think of, you start cutting through the hedge maze, hoping to reach its edge and escape." "Despite this ingenious plan, your progress is slow. Weakened by the Obscured Lord's soul-draining magic, you have only cut halfway through one shrub before Lord Talkym can be heard nearby, blundering into walls in his rage. Your essence begins dissolving once again. It seems as though this might be the end to your adventures." "Thankfully, Lord Talkym is so blinded by his rage that he doesn't even notice the hole you have carved in the hedge. He sprints past you and into the building, disregarding the automatons grouped around the door. You hasten your work, concerned that Lord Talkym could return at any time." "He never does, and you stumble out of the maze after cutting through a few more plants. A few of the heralds are nearby, and they jump at the sight of you emerging from the hedge, both it and you considerably worse for wear. You sputter out a few words similar to "Lord Talkym" and "evil magic" before collapsing on the ground. You are utterly drained of energy, but are finally safe."
"You do indeed possess essence of clockwork, so you consult the heralds outside the house about where to proceed." "The heralds' demeanor shifts from weary monotony to curious surprise as you show them the essence of clockwork. One, an aging woman with a crimson feather in her hat, explains the sudden change." "By the Guardian! We had no idea that actually existed! We've been harping that same message about the "essence of clockwork" for three full months now, and nobody's even talked to us, let alone brought this clockwork essence stuff. Please, go inside and show this to Talkym. Maybe he'll give us something different to say." "You creak open the door and wander inside. While the rich welcome does not manifest itself, the interior of the house is covered in stunning decadence. Gilt-framed paintings, many-hued tapestries, and glowing crystal sculptures abound. You follow the sound of clanking to a nearby guard encased in a suit of plate mail, and ask for directions to Lord Talkym." "The guard does not respond, instead continuing to make their noisy way down the hallway. You ask a few more times at varying volumes, but the guard remains oblivious to your concerns. Eventually, you notice the gears at the armor's joints and pause in astonishment: Lord Talkym appears to have created a functioning automaton. After recovering from the shock, you continue onward. Lord Talkym is clearly a more accomplished artificer then you originally thought." "After puzzling your way through a garden maze and climbing up at least five flights of stairs, you arrive at the office and workshop of Lord Talkym. The Obscured Lord is sitting in a comfortable-looking armchair in the center of the room, waiting. Clearly he has been expecting you." "So. You are the one who has brought me the essence of clockwork. Well done." "You place the essence on the desk in front of you, but he barely notices." "While clockwork essence is convenient in the production of new automatons, it is not essential. The one truly necessary component that I lack is humanity's spirit. Its curiosity and ingenuity in seeking out what is difficult to find, and its stubborn perseverance in the face of impossible odds. Its soul. Its heart. "So I'll be taking that now." "Terrified, you stagger back, but you already feel your essence dissolving. You know that to stay in this room is death, or worse. With no other options, you fall through a window to the hedge maze below." "Aching from the fall but not having broken anything serious, you quickly retrace your steps through the maze and into the lower levels of the house. However, the once-indifferent guardian automatons now seem to be out for your blood." "Five of them charge at you as soon as you enter the house. Clearly they were waiting for you. You dash back into the maze, but the automatons remain at the doorway, clawing at the threshold. It seems that they cannot exit the house." "For a brief moment, you contemplate how to proceed. You know Lord Talkym might be chasing you, so you have little time to spare. With no other options you can think of, you start cutting through the hedge maze, hoping to reach its edge and escape." "Despite this ingenious plan, your progress is slow. Weakened by the Obscured Lord's soul-draining magic, you have only cut halfway through one shrub before Lord Talkym can be heard nearby, blundering into walls in his rage. Your essence begins dissolving once again. It seems as though this might be the end to your adventures." "Thankfully, Lord Talkym is so blinded by his rage that he doesn't even notice the hole you have carved in the hedge. He sprints past you and into the building, disregarding the automatons grouped around the door. You hasten your work, concerned that Lord Talkym could return at any time." "He never does, and you stumble out of the maze after cutting through a few more plants. A few of the heralds are nearby, and they jump at the sight of you emerging from the hedge, both it and you considerably worse for wear. You sputter out a few words similar to "Lord Talkym" and "evil magic" before collapsing on the ground. You are utterly drained of energy, but are finally safe."
Location: Up to two day's travel outside the city of Ukaa
Faction: Obscured Lords
Military Objective: 3/10
Catching the eye from miles around, Obscured Lord Talkym's overly opulent manor is certainly a sight to see. Yet beware the danger that lurks within...
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