Harbinger House Rp Thread

*Cadence
Posts: 301
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am

Posted by *Cadence »


Location: Maybe the Lady's Ward or Lower Ward
Ownership: Believers of the Source
Purpose: Insane Asylum





"What is this place, you ask? This is old, as old as the Cage itself. There is no doubt, the Harbinger House is a building of Power. It shelters those who are still developing. The forerunners of the next generation. Sometimes we must care for these Ascenders, keep them well until the process reaches its conclusion. And we do that here, in Harbinger House."

-Housemaster Bereth


Not well known, even to the touts, Harbinger House is a madhouse overseen by the Godsmen. Certainly Sigil has more than its share of barmies, driven mad by the powers, fiends, and contradictions of the planes. Most of them are allowed to wander the streets without interference, but the Dabus and sometimes the Harmonium (and other concerned citizens) bring the real troublemakers here to be confined.

The Godsmen themselves do not necessarily go out and search for barmies; they only care for those that are brought to them. Their most infamous charge was Sougad Lawshredder, the dreaded mass murderer. Some berks will say Harbinger House is in The Lady's Ward, some the Lower Ward. Truth is, maybe nobody knows, and maybe its in both places. Within the house lie nexus upon nexus, portal on portal, all behind many locked doors. Strangely enough, even berks who have walked past it a thousand times seem to forget that theyÂ’ve seen it. The head of Harbinger House is Housemaster Bereth, appointed by Ambar, Factol of the Godsmen. A new Housemaster is appointed only on the death of the previous office holder.

The Harbinger House fills the end of a quiet dead-end street, climbing above the high walls that surround three sides of its massive structure. ItÂ’s a place of insanity, for no clear-headed architect designed this jumble of towers, levels, and wings. Its multiple levels rise in all directions, piled haphazardly atop each other like blocks placed by a demented child. Walls tilt at insane angles, and dark windows reflect the lantern light of the nearby hovels. Staircases climb and descend the House like latticework adornments. Some reach toward entryways, others lead nowhere.

Finally, and perhaps most important, are the doors. Doors of all sizes and descriptions fill the walls of Harbinger House, inside and out - ornate doors, plain doors, elaborate open arches, simple sealed portals, doors of wood and stone and brass, and more. Doors are everywhere, and theyÂ’re almost all locked tight. As your eyes roam across its door-covered walls or try to follow a staircase that winds to nowhere, you notice a remarkable thing. The House was built without using a single right angle. Instead, every corner forms an acute or obtuse angle, making walls jut toward you or tilt away from you at varying degrees. All is quiet. Even the windows are dark, but you sense that someone (or something) is staring down at you.
*Xndar
Posts: 282
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am

Posted by *Xndar »


One day, Factotum Sixthfinger, a regular visitor and donor to the Harbinger House, brings a fresh inmate to the institute. The new inmate is Woryl The Pantsless, a Red Slaad the Factotum reportedly caught defacing her tavern with a mixture of feces, ground rose-petals, and the blood of two slain orphans. She requests the insane (after all, rare is a Slaad that is sane) Woryl be kept under observation.

Maelfina makes frequent, semi-daily visits to the Harbinger House to check in on Woryl. Sometimes asking the demented Slaad questions like "What is your earliest memory?" "Where was your last home in Limbo?", while on other days she seems content to simply record the creature's inane babble.
*Xndar
Posts: 282
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am

Posted by *Xndar »


Interview transcript #1

Woryl: Memory, yromem? Many of those have not I do. Nekcihc once had good time I strangling angling newfangling a. Red fish, blue frog, eating nomming food-bog.

Maelfina: Yes, strangling chickens an' eating red slaadi all soun' fun, but do ye remember bein a little slaad? Ytti yttib little poletad frogling blue?

Woryl: Big berry bob, bob bob, always are a!

Maelfina: I suppose ye do spawn fully formed from yer host, but one kin always hope ye were an aberration. Tell me, when I say "Limbo", what d'you think?

Woryl: IMMA DooooOOOOooooOOODAD!

Maelfina: Righ', Warden, if ye kin induce sleep now, I'd like ta record 'is sleep-talk, or wha'ever it is 'e does in 'is sleep.
*Cadence
Posts: 301
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am

Posted by *Cadence »


Alina, the young elf delegate who the Warden had placed in charge of this particular prisoner diligently took notes as the tiefling and slaad interacted. Her nervous mannerisms betrayed her inexperience in such a setting (and perhaps.. most settings..).

The immediate area outside the chamber was empty, though minders did patrol every so often. This was the low-risk area of the Asylum and accordingly fewer guards were assigned to it.

The svelte blond promptly heeded Mael's request, and knocked on the chamber door from the inside, galvanizing an armored gith guard to the door's outside. Within moments the guard was in, and had replaced the restraints on the slaad while Alina prepared a large injection with a diseased-looking green fluid.


"Eh... I think this should knock 'im out Misz Maelfina. I taint too savvy about slaad physiology tho."



She then plunges the needle into the restrained chaospawn's arm and quickly pushes the contents into its system while its restrained.


"Theya theya now. It's time fer sweet dreams. Shhhhh."
*Xndar
Posts: 282
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am

Posted by *Xndar »


Experiment #1:

Methods: Two bars of Axiomatic Brass were installed in the patient's chambers, on either side of the room. Factotum Sixthfinger and Namer Alina presiding.

Reasons: To test whether or not the presence of Order will permit a calming of the subject's mind to enough of an extent to have more productive conversations with it. And because science.

Interview Transcript #2:

Woryl: RUMBA BANANA SMASH!

*Here the slaad struggled with its restraints, attempting to attack the brass bars.*

Maelfina: Oi, what's the matter Woryl?

Woryl: Woryl is who? Nukvak won I maaaaAAAAH!

Maelfina: Fine, Nukvak or wha'ever. Ye don't like tha brass?

Nukvak, formerly known as Woryl: SEEEEEY ON! No!

Maelfina: Don'tcha know tha' this brass aint actually brass? It jes' be very old dlo calcified buk buk bukaww blek!

Nukvak: Is iti sI?

Maelfina: Yep.

Nukvak: Oh. Alright guess I that is.

Maelfina: 'Course. Now tell me one thing aye, and I'll leave ye ta admire yer bars o' chicken blek...'ave ye always looked tha way ye do?

Nukvak:...Handsome hearty hale hatted hand hilarious?

Maelfina: Sure, aye.

Nukvak:...sey...yes...

*At this point, perhaps inspired by the notion of bars of chicken-shit, the slaad began projectile defecation across much of the room. At this point Factotum Sixthfinger polymorphed into a Hezrou and knocked the slaad out with a cuff to the head.*
*Cadence
Posts: 301
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am

Posted by *Cadence »


The elf cringes and winces with each capricious outburst, letting out a gasp as the creature begins to hurl detritus across the chamber. Still, throughout it all, she continues to scribble rapidly into the notebook at her disposal.

Upon Maelfina's tranformation, she looses an "Aieee!" and cringes as the Slaad is incapacitated.


"V-very good Ma'am. " She finally breathes after the creature is certainly unconscious. In her head, she begins to seriously wonder how such a wretched being could possibly have the potential to rise to become a power. Yet, she keeps it all to herself, at least for the time being.

"A-anything else regarding today's interview, Misz Maelfina? T-the Warden requested you speak to inmate 154 after this."
*Xndar
Posts: 282
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am

Posted by *Xndar »


"Aye lass, fetch a batch o' wha'ever polymorphin potions or wands ye lot here might 'ave lyin 'round. When Woryl be strapped back in 'is cot an' be awake 'gain, I wan' ye ta administer said poison or spell ta him. A potion or spell turnin him inta something relatively harmless woul' be preferable obviously."

"I wan' ye ta note any significan' change in his behavior, or lack thereof. Me theory be tha' a Slaad's chaotic nature be focused on its mind, cause its form be fixed, so if we unfix 'is form, his mind migh' stabilize a tad."


After leaving Alina to see that those instructions were carried out, Maelfina decides to humor the Warden's request and heads off to examine inmate 154.
*Cadence
Posts: 301
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am

Posted by *Cadence »



Notably the Warden had not given Maelfina any information regarding inmate 154, the instructions were merely to "pay a visit."

The blue-skinned fiendling made her way through several layers of security featuring either individuals who were heavily armored, or appeared as if they possessed a great deal of arcane ability. Her descent into the lower bowels of Harbinger House saw her make her way through sharp, crooked, angular halls, strange-looking doors and a portal that led from one area of the House to another.

She finally arrived to what could only be described as an Inner sanctum and became acutely aware that the inmates of truly remarkable or powerful talents and/or enemies were housed here. The area was spider-shaped with a large circular antechamber or "body" and smaller hallways or "legs" branching off into individual inmates' rooms. Unsurprisingly, the security was tight here, though Maelfina was ushered by a robed figure (again, likely an arcanist or psionist of decent ability) to the hallway outside Subject 154's chamber.

He made an unusual (and perhaps telling) request: he asked her to leave any magical items, wands, or charms before approaching the inmate's cell.
*Xndar
Posts: 282
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am

Posted by *Xndar »


Complying with this regulation requires a considerable amount of time, and a changing room, as even her basic clothes are heavily enchanted. While she changes into a simple faction robe and goes through the process of stuffing all of her many magical trinkets into her bag of holding/glove, she questions the guard as to the nature of Inmate 154. She, after all, wants to know who/what she is dealing with before moving any closer to the cell doors.
*Cadence
Posts: 301
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am

Posted by *Cadence »


The robed usher apologized profusely for the trouble and repeatedly assured Maelfina that they were precautions due to the special nature of the prisoner. When questioned about this nature, his eyes went wide in disbelief.

The Warden didn't tell you? Vuna has Spellfire.

He spoke the last word in a hushed whisper with subdued intonation, as if the very utterance of it would light his body aflame.

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