Death of an Artist - Game Thread

[Bozwevial]

Empty spaces - what are we living for
Abandoned places - I guess we know the score
On and on, does anybody know what we are looking for...
Another hero, another mindless crime
Behind the curtain, in the pantomime
Hold the line, does anybody want to take it anymore
The show must go on,
The show must go on
Inside my heart is breaking
My make-up may be flaking
But my smile still stays on...

Queen-Show Must Go On

...For life is quite absurd
And death's the final word
You must always face the curtain with a bow.
Forget about your sin - give the audience a grin
Enjoy it - it's your last chance anyhow...

Eric Idle-Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

The news spread rapidly. "Kaveri Stechpalme is dead?" At the height of his career, there was no one who came close to matching his fame. Even during the Last War, when times were tough, he was still in high demand. After he retired from the business, though, Kaveri kept in touch with the young musicians his career had brought to him, and one night, following a particularly raucous reunion party (rumor has it that troupes of Talenta halflings were performing when a Valenar warband crashed the party, and the ensuing melee lasted until dawn), Kaveri decided to sponsor a particularly promising group.

A rather motley crew, the band spent two years doing a circuit of Eberron, playing for audiences as diverse as the Undying Court (surprisingly good dancers), the druids of the Eldeen Reaches, the barflies at the Dead-Before-Morning, and in one particularly memorable (or not, in the case of some band members who drank a little too much afterwards) concert, several dragons of Argonessen. But all things must come to an end, and the band eventually stopped playing. Rumors about what had happened to Kaveri's band were many, but no one seemed to know the real truth.

Try as he might, Kaveri never found another group to rival them, and he eventually disappeared from the public eye, only turning up recently in the Chronicle's obituary section, where he managed a whole column and a half. In true showman's fashion, Kaveri's will stipulated that the members of the band be asked to play at his funeral.

And so the band is here, enthralling the immense crowd with the old favorites. It's as though they never broke apart--their music is flawless, and there's hardly a dry eye in the crowd (even the warforged are moved enough to put a dab of oil into their eyes) as the final notes die away. The band members look at each other as the crowd begins to migrate in the direction of the massive buffet line and other entertainments Kaveri provided for. It's been several years, but somehow it still seems like yesterday. Old friends who haven't spoken to each other since the Last War ended are finally reunited.

...Three, two, one, let's jam...

[BowenSilverclaw]

[spoiler]

motley crew

[/spoiler]

"Heh, old fucker always knew how to throw a great party." Lemmy says sarcastically before letting loose a loud rasping laugh.

[Agita]

The little girl in an occassion-appropiate black dress next to Lemmy attempts to imitate his laugh, though with her high-pitched voice she only manages to sound patently ridiculous, and just a little bit creepy. Then, she tugs at the fellow performer's sleeve. "Hey Lemmy, are there sweets at the buh-fay?"

[BowenSilverclaw]

"Might be, I haven't checked yet. Old Kaveri knew us well enough so he probably remembered you like 'em though." Lemmy replies to the kid, before lighting a cigarette.

[Agita]

Lucy looks at the flame Lemmy uses to light his cigarrete with fascination before it goes out. Then she pouts. "But there's like a million people in front of it!" Suddenly, the girl smiles as if she had just had a great idea. Her right hand begins with white-hot fire as she eyes the crowd in front of the buffet.

[spoiler]For the record, I am not planning on killing off NPCs en masse within the first 10 posts. I am hoping someone will stop her and suggest a less violent course of action. [/spoiler]

[BowenSilverclaw]

"No need for that kid...

Hey Mickey! Gimme a hand over here will ya?" Lemmy shouts as he signals towards Mickey Dee.

"No problem, Lem." the hairy goblinoid replies as he puts down his drink and moves over to Lemmy and the girl.

The Bugbear then picks up Lucy and sets her on his neck, before he and Lemmy make their way through the crowd and to the front of the buffet, ignoring any strange looks they might get.

[Agita]

"Yay!" Lucy clearly enjoys being lifted up and laughs. "You tickle!" As the three pass a couple that seems to be eating some kind of sweet-looking dessert, she gives the older man an adorable smile and, pointing at the treat, asks, "Hey, can I have that?"

[spoiler]Everyone is loli for Etna Lucy.

She takes 10 on a Diplomacy check as a standard action to convince the man to give her the dessert. With a result of 63, chances are he will give it to her and recieve some nasty looks while he's at it.[/spoiler]

[PhaedrusXY]

You hear a loud crashing sound accompanied by the sound of breaking glass, and see a rather stupid and clumsy looking fellow standing over a tray of drinks that he's obviously just dropped on the floor. He has a look of horror on his face as he stares at the mess, and begins backing away from it and looking frantically around the room. Then his eyes lock on a rather officious looking man who walks towards him from the crowd. You recognize the newcomer as Felix, your accountant, who manages the crew of the ship and many other things.

Felix looks furious and yells "I told you to be careful you klutz! Do you have any idea how much those Riedran Crystal glasses cost?"

The man standing over the spilled drink tray starts to blather and beg "I'm sorry Mr. Feinstein! I'm so sorry! It wasn't my fault! I..."

But Felix cuts him off "Silence! I've heard more than enough from you!" Felix holds his hand out, and the man is lifted up off the ground, as if a giant had grabbed him by his shirt. The man screams as he is lifted higher and higher off the floor, and Felix begins to smile evilly. Then the screaming abruptly stops as the man falls to the floor with a wet thud.

Felix turns to Lemmy and says "Terribly sorry about that, Sir. I'll get this mess cleaned up at once. Can I get you or the Little Miss anything in particular?"

Before he's even gotten this out of his mouth, you can see other people you vaguely recognize rushing to clean up "the mess" behind him.

[Agita]

Lucy cheers as the clumsy servant is crushed against the ground, clapping happily. Placing the plate she just recieved from the man on Mickey's hat, she chews the dessert with something vaguely resembling pensativity before answering Felix's inquiry. "Cream puffs!"

[spoiler]Are there cream puffs in Eberron? >_>[/spoiler]

[PhaedrusXY]

"Of course. Right away, Miss." He says, as he then scurries off to some unseen corner presumably to retrieve the cream puffs.
[spoiler]I think I should have named him Jeeves... [/spoiler]

[BowenSilverclaw]

[spoiler]Lucy is so going to take advantage of all of us, isn't she? [/spoiler]

Lemmy in the mean time is mingling with the guests, recalling stories from the past, laughing and having a good time with the ladies.

[spoiler]Diplomacy in case it's needed: 26

Woot, natural 20 [/spoiler]

[Agita]

After she finishes her sweets and Lemmy has mingled in with the crowd, Lucy floats off of Mickey Dee's back and disappears into the crowd as well, looking for the pair she recieved the dessert from earlier. When she finds the woman, the girl tugs at her sleeve and whispers something in her ear.

[spoiler]Lucy tells the lady that her friend has touched the former in inappropiate places while the latter wasn't looking. She takes 10 on the pertaining Bluff check for a result of 42. [/spoiler]

[Bozwevial]

[spoiler]Quick clarification, Agita--Do you mean Mickey Dee, the woman's friend, Lemmy, or someone else?[/spoiler]

[BowenSilverclaw]

[spoiler]I think Agita means the man touched Lucy in inappropriate places [/spoiler]

[Agita]

[spoiler]Quick clarification, Agita--Do you mean Mickey Dee, the woman's friend, Lemmy, or someone else?[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Lucy tells the woman that the woman's friend touched her. (She's lying, in case it's not clear.)

[woodenbandman]

Looking up from his guitar playing to watch the commotion unfold, Alexi gives off a quiet chuckle. He whispers to Lucy when she comes aside: "Eh, Lucy, do n't make too much trouble, we'h here to drink alcohol, not generate medias spectacle. You'r ruin band's image with your 'tortured as child' sobby stories." Every word he speaks is accented on the first syllable, at times it's hard to determine where one word ends and another begins. "Beside: in metal band, you do n't put up with bullshit liked dat. If dat ever happen, you'g got too'k kill the bastard. Dat's true metal way tos solve you' problems. Now go and kick dat guy's ass, tos show you' got business."

As lucy walks away, Alexi sighs, and says to Micky Dee: "Dey grow up so fast..." He then returns to playing his guitar, and begins sweeping furiously. Perform (1d20+12=21)

[spoiler]Sorry 'bout the godmoding Agita.

No lie that took like 20 minutes to type.

How does the DC of Perform scale? With a result of 5 being, say, playing Smells Like Teen Spirit with the correct timing and rhythm, what is the DC of playing this?[/spoiler]

[Bozwevial]

As Lucy whispers into the woman's ear, she looks in horror at Lucy, then at her companion. She slaps her friend, yelling, "You horrible bastard! How dare you do that to a little girl! Our deal is off, I tell you! It's finished!" She storms away, pushing through the crowd angrily. The gentleman, shocked and confused, spares no backwards glance at Lucy but runs off after his companion, trying to calm the irate woman.

[spoiler]Probably 15 if we're going by that scale.[/spoiler]

[Agita]

Lucy giggles as the woman storms off and her friend after her. When Alexi comments, she turns to him, beaming, and simply says, "I lied." Then, her eyes seem to very briefly shine in a deeper red and her smile turns into a grin. "But I don't mind killing him either."

[PhaedrusXY]

The fussy little man finally comes back, and holds out a silver platter covered with delicate looking pastries towards Lucy. "Your cream puffs, Miss."

[woodenbandman]

Alexi looks up at Felix and says: "Hey pencil head: how much are'w we paying you to makes sure I'd' not run out of booze? Because'r right now it is looking like poor investment." As a waitress comes by to fill his mug, Alexi sighs a sigh of relief. "You're off the hook this time, but I'n need to's stay drunk if I going to keep signing your checks." He drains his mug of beer and goes back to playing furiously.

[spoiler]I realize that I haven't got my Item familiar figured out... I think it'll have to be my guitar. Can my guitar have my greatsword attached to it? So I can slay overzealous fans who get too close onstage?[/spoiler]