The Vale

The Town,
Currently

The gnome adjusted his tremendous hat and wiped his brow after the last shadow was felled, the being returned to the nothingness from where it presumably came. Looking thereafter to the group of strangers who rescued him, the small fellow's hand then fell upon his chin in thought. After a moment of overt pondering, he removed his hand snapped his fingers, outstretching his arms over his head then down to his sides in an elaborate gesture. It was as though his flair for the theatrical got the better of him often, because when he finished muttering to himself - thinking aloud - he had a thought of thoughts, bringing himself back on topic.

"Right! How the shadows came to chase Birbin! I nearly forgot." The man dusted himself off and walked into the midst of his new company, looking to each of them.

"Well... to be completely honest, that's news to me to. They're sort of... new here, kinda' like you all are."

The gnome stopped to look up at the feline Katia, "The town was full of people before, then more and more shadows. They came out only at night and attacked the townsfolk. So our resident heroes went to go fight them off, night after night. Eventually they went to find the source..." Birbin nervously wrung his hands together and looked back in the direction of the hall and to the rest of all those present, "But they never came back. Just more shadows every night still."

"Now it is just me and the Green Man..." Birbin's optimistic voice trailed off with notes of sadness as his hat started to sink down over his eyes, only for the gnome to explode in a burst of energetic talking as he was blindsided by recollection.

"Right, right!" Again he adjusted the brim and took off running away from the party, only to stop mid haste down the street, "We can't stay out here! They can sense you and will just keep coming! Quick, follow Birbin!"

He gestured frantically, pleading for them to not delay anymore and perhaps with supreme reason. It was no secret to them the last time this happened - that shadows swarmed and erupted from every dark place in a town. It was almost as though history were to repeat itself here, wherever here exactly was, but the Kingdom of Darkness seemed relentless in its pursuit, going so far as to claim other lands just as it had stolen away their own. Granted the wizardly gnome knew nothing of this, but his concern was well placed. Then again, why wasn't this "green man" with him if he were so afraid?

The gnome was eccentric and odd, unlikely to be suicidal however. Things could not be so bad that the two seeming survivors of an entire town had to split up to handle the shadows, could they?


@Big Dread, @Cu Chulainn, @Gordian Nought, @Hekazu, @JBRam2002, @Zverda

Noting the somber tone the gnome bequeathed, when mentioning his acquaintance of the Green Man, the reborn warlock exhaled an angst of suspicion. His testimony reeked of mournful homilies and funeral dirges, as if his comrade was already sacrificed to the pyre of darkness. Still, the wizard hinted to his lasting existence, an obviating reference to the remaining survivors of this dearth of a town. Perhaps, he was not his pal at all, conceivably a foreigner as no name hinged upon his previous description.

The bite-sized mage unfortunately offered no respite for further contemplation as his fluttering robes scurried down the cobbled rue.

“We can’t stay here!”

Wick would give chase, but first, while touching her fleece, her head nodded to her Beloved to venture thinly ahead. She then provided some slighted insight to their supposed tour guide, in a polite, hushed pitch. “Little one, we must now hide in whispers. Not bellow like thunder.” Before trotting inaudibly to physically meet their new forged ally, the hands of the cleric reached out to ornament the shoulder of Thea, adorning the paladin and her armor with divine assistance.

“Conduct the path, friend, but only together will we orchestrate its muted music." Her chin continued to glance down the brim chapeau, swinging agape to allow another soft murmur to escape. "If one rushes, henceforth, silence must follow, with foresight leading.”



@Big Dread, @Cu Chulainn, @Hekazu, @JBRam2002, @Zverda, @The Harbinger of Ferocity

Theodore focused intently on his crossbow, this time making sure he would not repeat the same amateurish mistake he had just made. He his eyes fixated on that, he could only follow how the battle progressed with his ears. Katia was shouting something about her past to Cesar, soon turning to request more information from the spell slinging fellow in purple. Then there was Wick's Command, he could not mistake such a clear use of magic... And then there was the familiar sound of blade impacting whatever those creatures were made out of. After that, a moment of silence.

As a barely familiar voice rang out, Theodore raised his head above his cover and could see all of the shadows were dealt with. Well, what worked, worked. He had landed a killing shot at the start, so things could've been worse for the arbalist. He raised up from his one-knee-down pose and tossed the bolt he had in his hands back into its case. The lid was snapped shut, the mask grabbed and donned. Lastly, the heavy crossbow found its way onto his back. He had done these things a thousand times before.

He approached the rest, gravitating slightly towards Thea as he walked, and politely listened what the caster had to say. Before he could interject and tell them to quiet down, Wick did the deed. Not that he would have heard the small voice all the way where he was, so he did add his own piece: "We are close enough to each other to discourage shouting. If there is anything more out here, especially something that might have been drawn about by the sounds of battle, we do not want to highlight where we are going now." His voice was barely the volume of normal speech, but if nobody talked on top of him everyone could easily hear his words.

He glanced at Thea, in an attempt to see if she was wounded. He knew it to be futile, but he could not help himself. In this world, even when he had been savagely assaulted by the birds he had looked like he had just walked out of the barracks, ready to head on a mission. And this was the case this time just as well. She looked just like she had looked when they had fallen from the sky... well, a bit more organised perhaps. But no signs of damage anywhere nonetheless. A quicker look at all the others proved the same: Nobody looked hurt. This was a deceptive realm, but those suffering would likely voice it. The feeling left behind by harm in this realm was thoroughly unpleasant.

"Where do you think we'll find ourselves once we reach our destination?" he asked of those next to him while nervously scanning his surroundings. While he would have loved to relax, his training had taught him better. It would not have been the first time another fight would break out soon after the first.


@Big Dread@Cu Chulainn@Gordian Nought@JBRam2002@Zverda@The Harbinger of Ferocity - Words were spoken

Well, the good news was that the combat was over, and most of the group looked little worse for the wear. Katia's strategy had worked flawlessly for her own defense, but her offensive capability was definitely not maximized. More of her shots had missed than landed, and although she could try to blame it on her relatively newly found ability that she had wielded this whole time, she knew deep down that wasn't the case.

Control of one's emotions was always a necessity for monks, one that Katia struggled with continuously. Even as she had lived under the same roof as Wick, absorbing the odd bout of instruction that Shujaat had involved her in (usually as little more than a training dummy, with poignant emphasis on the "dummy" aspect), Katia never gleaned the ability to truly harness her emotions and calm her soul. When her thoughts strayed, so too did her aim.

Katia shot Thea and Theodore a quick smile before turning away. They made a cute couple, at least if you were into overly religious folk who thought it preferable to hide one's visage behind a mask. Katia, by contrast, had allegiance to none but her self and the wind rushing through her fur. No deity held sway over her; no man nor woman forced her to take any path; and no lord forced her to bend a knee. Perhaps she had forgotten that with the excitement.

The tabaxi peered at the gnome as he spoke. She could see little indication that anything he said was fabricated, and in this strange world, even the incredible could be factual. A thought crossed her mind that seemed worth keeping to herself until the gnome would no longer hear: these mindless shadows could possibly be the corrupted souls of those who had gone to stay this outbreak of shades. Katia knew of no spell or magic that could enforce such a piteous existence, but the potential correlation was there: men left the village with their weapons raised against the darkness, and the darkness returned, potentially wielding those same weapons.

As the suggestion to move was made, Katia nodded to her former housemate and climbed back up the wall to the rooftops, picking her way quietly as she kept an eye out for more unwanted visitors. Her vantage point should hopefully provide an advance warning of any approaching shade, and her speed would allow her to traverse farther than most to keep pace. Although she wished to talk to her friends, now was the time to move on. The interrogation could happen in safety.

And maybe in the meantime, these damned emotions would take care of themselves.

Cesar Lorenzo Tidesong Bolivar
The Vale, Follow the dwarf.

Cesar grinned and yawned as the fight ended, resting his sword on his shoulder. He needs to think of more solid ways to make himself a threat, he thought to himself. Those Shadows thought nothing of Cesar's brilliant showcase of swordsmanship. They probably have bad tastes, anyway...

"Ahah, right," Cesar replied to Katia reminiscing, "but at least I'm not fumbling with my sword, anymore. And you've always known how to handle a stick, too." Cesar chuckled lightly at his own subtle joke. Normally, he'd be a bit louder, if not for Wick insiting on staying quiet. And he'd agree with her, as well, as his own wounds seem to be building up as they have more of these encounters. Hopefully they find a place to rest soon.

"Wherever it is, Theo, I just hope there's a nice set of hammocks and a bottle of rum for all of us to kick back and relax on..." Cesar replied to Theodore's question as they continued forward, wherever this eccentric dwarf wished to lead them. He listened in on the flirting between the Ranger and the Paladin a bit, keeping to himself not to chuckle too loudly. It's always nice seeing two people sharing their affections and kindling their romance, especially in times like these. Love Conquers All is what they say in the stories, after all.

"Which begs the question, Bourbon," It sounded like a sensible name for a dwarf, "Where exactly are we heading, and who is this Green Man you are referring to?"

The Vale

The Town,
Currently

"You speak really strangely, but that's okay as you aren't from here." Birbin's response directed itself deftly to the eladrin woman as he eyed her with nothing but confusion on his face. Whatever she had meant to say to him apparently the pint-sized arcanist hadn't followed any of it in his abstract and hasty train of thought. Nothing unexpected of a gnome, assuming one knew gnomes at all, but it was less than helpful, "Normally that would be an issue though... people are suspicious of outsiders."

"Anyway, off we go!"

And away the gnome went, leading as fast as his legs could carry him at a jog - the rest of the entourage, the outsider heroes, only found themselves at a light pace. Katia of course all but vanished, but their guide never seemed to notice. He was willing to turn his back to them and meander about the empty, surprisingly desolate streets that held nothing but dim lanterns and burning fires in their chimneys, all still as though the night that had fallen on them was any other. Granted the empty ambience defeated this notion, a sense of mystery and unease was deep in their chests, but their escort seemed to pay no mind.

"Which begs the question, Bourbon, where exactly are we heading, and who is this Green Man you are referring to?"

The gnome slowed for a moment, peaking around a corner and then turning to wipe his brow, clearly out of the energy he had built up earlier. Pondering for a breath, in between imagining his response, he tapped his chin and nodded. His head peaked out from between the alley ways, the group having covered half the town easily in their meandering jog following the slower gnome.

"It's my inn room - I paid for it before all the people disappeared. I keep putting money in the box too, which also keeps disappearing! So someone's here... other than the Green Man and Birbin, well, now you all and those shadows - but I don't think they're in it for the money."

From there he awaited the rest of them to gather and close, visibly not wanting to abandon them to whatever fate would come with nightfall. Almost as if on cue, his mouth opened to seemingly go on about this other stranger he kept company with, but like a bolt of lightning, something interrupted his train of thought. His fist, no larger than a child's, became a ball again rather than the lone finger it had been whenever he gestured when he spoke; everything he said was accompanied by gestures, almost as though he were constantly casting spells by speaking. Gnomes were odd folk so this was none too alarming, barring except for his expression and words now.

"Where did the lady-cat go?" Birbin blinked nervously, "Oh no... did she get lost? The dark is bad... but maybe not for her. She's a black cat, so that means she's lucky, right? Right...?"


@Big Dread, @Cu Chulainn, @Gordian Nought, @Hekazu, @JBRam2002, @Zverda

Thea remained silent for awhile as they walked before she gave Theodore a sidelong glance, she always hated it when he was begind her on the battlefield but given his area of expertise when it came to fighting it made sense. However, that didnt change the fact that she rather enjoyed seeing his face and that was really the only time it was free of the mask she hated oh so much, at least with the Tabaxi the Paladin could stare at her all she pleased.

Eventually, as they walked, Thea bumped up against the Templar, a mischevious smile on her face. "So when do I get to have that conversation with you without that mask of your's in the way?" She asked him in a hushed tone, her greatsword resting against her shoulder as they followed the Gnome.

Theodore had been quite preoccupied scanning his surroundings after the brief look at the Paladin, so finding the fellow Aasimar so close at his side managed to catch him off guard. He didn't quite jump, but how his turn towards her was quite a bit sharper than usual spoke much about his state of mind. "Uh, yes, right, that one. You lived with the templar, you should know our code. So, uhh, that would be... umm... at camp or something like that. Yeah, when we get to spend a while resting." Having answered, the Monster Slayer was quick to return to looking around, although this time readier to receive a reply.

Tilting her head back a bit to look at the rooftops she pouted a bit, "Too bad you have to keep that face of yours covered though. I know of at least one other person who would enjoy seeing you without it." A sly smile made its way to her face as she gave him one more nudge, her eyes briefly flitting over to the Tabaxi who had spared them a glance.

Theodore glanced in the direction he noticed Thea looking at and raised an eyebrow beneath his mask. "What might you mean?" He kept a short pause before shaking his head and continuing: "Ah, but that is not important now. We can get to that later. If you want to pass time by talking, please ask a few questions from the short one. I'm trying to make sure no shadows slither in to ambush us..." He didn't want to be rude, but his nervousness did get the better of him.

Thea sported a pout after Theodore's last words and huffed, "We are fine buttercup, if anything pops out we can just gank them to," she told him, "Speaking of which... Hey Birbin, is there a weapons place around here? And maybe an apothocary so I can get me some Javalins and a couple health potions. Mmm... Also, could you tell us where we are exactly?"



@The Harbinger of Ferocity

Theodore was slightly frustrated by Thea's retort, but kept his mouth shut about it. Arguing was the last thing this unit needed right now, but he still found it odd she didn't realise what he was doing was trying to avoid the same thing happening to them. If one only noticed the enemy by the point they had surrounded you, nothing good would come of it.

What irritation had taken hold was quick to leave as he registered what the gnome had said to Wick. It didn't quite make him smile, but he had to admit that it was funny. Even her companions considered her speech pattern somewhat odd, but the way the gnome had just said "but that's okay as you aren't from here" was the funniest thing about it. However, there were more pressing things to hear from the gnome so Theodore let the funny remark be.

Cesar asked a good question, the answer to which Theodore awaited eagerly as the wizard caught his breath. His answer had some bizarre parts to it, like the box in the inn clearing itself out, but he had heard of stranger things that turned out to be true in his lifetime. But suddenly the many gestures of the small man stopped as he got visibly distraught over something. That something turning out to be the absence of Katia, their tabaxi monk.

Theodore shook his head and reassured the little fellow: "She does things like that. Keeps herself free or whatever the whole shebang was. Even if she isn't just skulking out of view somewhere nearby, she'll find her way back to us. In that way, she's just like her animal brethren." He dared hop that would get them on the move again.

@The Harbinger of Ferocity

Of course the gnome had to stop moving. If there was one thing Katia knew, it was to never stop moving if the place you are in was dangerous. The gnome evidently never had her wilderness training, but she would think one as book smart as he appeared to be from his magics would at least have read something along those lines. It mattered little to her. The group could take care of themselves easily enough, even if the gnome led them into a trap.

However, her presence would need to be addressed, despite her addressing it being the least beneficial thing she could do for her own plans. She dropped down from the rooftop directly behind the gnome and tapped him on the shoulder. "Miss me?" she asked with a wink. "And no, black cats are bad luck. That's why I hide in shadows instead of bringing the danger to you. However, this does us no good if we all stand around like statues in the middle of the street. Take us to safety before the darkness strikes again, if you please."

She noted that the gnome directly avoided answering any questions about the Green Man. This did not bode well for their future relationship. Either the gnome was too deaf or too stubborn to answer this simple question, and neither was a good sign. "I believe the gentleman asked you a question, Birbin. I too would like to know more about this Green Man as well, such as why he is referred to with a color instead of a name. Very few people choose such monikers, and I generally trust them little."

@The Harbinger of Ferocity

The Vale

The Town,
Currently

Birbin found himself at ease, providing a huff of relaxation and relief to know that Katia had not disappeared into the darkness. He bent over slightly during this and placed a palm to a wall, visibly trying not to laugh or choke out what little air his lungs had left from shock. Gnomes were fey folk, full of lively humor and optimism, so her return was met with as much surprise as it was laughter.

"Oh, wow. Things are way different in wherever you are from then." He shook his head and blinked his near glinting eyes, seeming to pass off the turn of events quite well and that black cats were not bearers of fortune rather than fell fate.

"But to answer your question, uh... cat-lady, the Green Man is odd. He is an outsider, like you or me, but I have lived here for a long, long time." He started as he disappeared around the corner, carrying on conversation as he did so while they walked the street here together; no shadows, unnatural ones at least, looming in the dim light of the dirt path.

"So he is sort of new but not. Not as new as you all are. I think he is some kind of knight though," Birbin looked back, taking each of his steps in reverse then when his body followed and looked up to the giants who were his company, "Wears heavy, bulky, dull steel armor - does magic things too, but nothing like Birbin or that other person I saw."

The gnome paused their approach, again lost in his own flighty mind, "Oh... right, someone else new came, not long ago. I saw them briefly, but the shadows attacked and they were gone."

"And magic stuff?"

"I hid it all, just in case I needed it. There are a few potions you all can share when we get up to my room at the inn." And just as he finished, he walked into a door and placed his arms out before him, sliding it open and into the welcoming interior of a tavern.

"The Mystical Martin - I think it is a type of bird."

The signage matched, one adorned in its carving with a pair of birds before and after its text. Presumably the gnome could not read it, based upon what was said, but the inn itself seemed respectable enough. It was likely the only one in town, the Hall aside, and was staffed by large round wooden tables and a crackling fire set in a stone hearth.


@Big Dread, @Cu Chulainn, @Gordian Nought, @Hekazu, @JBRam2002, @Zverda

Theodore smirked behind his mask as Katia dropped behind the nervous gnome. She was as playful as ever, even in times like these. In a way, it both annoyed and fascinated the templar. She didn't give the situation the gravity a war much like this would need, but in return she kept the spirits of others flying high. Every group needed someone to remind others that it isn't all gloom and doom out there, even if Theodore himself was not too fond of such carelessness.

Getting the gnome to finally open up about the mystical Green Man both provided a sense of relief and understanding, as well as increased bewilderment. It didn't seem like staying on subject was Birbin's strong suit, so Theodore was quick to ask additional questions in hopes of getting their little tour guide to answer more thoroughly: "Magic... dull, heavy armour... and the magic is unlike what you use? They might be a Paladin for all I know... Do they carry some distinct emblem with them? Have you seen them channel magic through their weapon?" If either of these was a yes, it was very likely that the green man would be a holy warrior of some sort.

Then it came the part where the gnome shared what he knew of resupplying here. "I think that's a no to the javelins Thea, but at least the potion needs will be met", he mentioned to the Paladin by his side after Birbin had given an incomplete answer to her question. It didn't take long after that for them to arrive to the door of the inn this strange fellow seemed to reside in, Theodore caring little for names of establishments like that, and they entered into the common room.

It was evident that there was still life here. The fire was crackling, and it wouldn't be doing so as lively as it was if there was nobody to keep it going, especially assuming Birbin had not done it, having been a little preoccupied with running away from the shadows they had finally dispatched. Yet there was no soul in sight. Bizarre. The templar could not help but feel a little uneasy as he called out into the room: "Hello? Anyone here?" His fingers nervously fidgeted around the pommel of his shortsword, reminding the Monster Slayer that his weapons were well within reach.

@Zverda - Theodore talks to Thea
@The Harbinger of Ferocity

Each pertinent question encountered flighty, but evolving verbal ripostes, now, suggesting, potentially a duo haunting this fugue of a gnome. The warlock sensed no untruth or propaganda behind his histrionic speech, gleaning that the gnome’s fleeting amnesia merited little insight of the hourglass of memories that seeped away, grain by grain, from his oblivious attention span. Such an untidy brain mandated intermittent inversions of thought, to redirect the miniscule Fey, from entropy to order. Her companions had thus deftly maneuvered these chaotic ruminations and thrifty excitements finally towards shelter and, maybe, a rendez-vous with a Green Man, be they, a paladin or Eldritch knight.

The swinging insignia to their make-shift refuge read: The Mystical Martin.

Once all were inside, the abandoned hearth, up close, appeared ever bleak, but barely alive, as if the flames consumed a sun in its patient hunger, rippling with a thousand famines, awaiting further victims to provide fresh fuel to its blaze, in honor of an uncooked feast forthcoming to holy sojourners. Fire never croaks alone, though; it fanned its eerie conflagrations as a gentle hostess to the once absent venue, accommodating the wardens of light, populating the apparent foyer with wisps of warmth and tenderness. Innocence burned its embers, hoping to salvage not only Birbin from the darkness, but those in his company. The wooden tables hissed of ancient grudges now arbitrated by the desolation of the abandoned town’s equinox. The timber planks creaked as the Monster Slayer, crooning out a pair of inquiries, one salutatory, and the last beckoning apprehension of other vicious souls occupying this hellhole of an establishment.

"Hello? Anyone here?"

Registering the confusion embittered by the pointy-hat wearing mage, Wick selected her diction carefully, so as not to poison their new comrade with idioms and high dialect. She declared in a bold voice for all to hear.

“How many rooms and exits does this tavern bear?”

Allowing the interrogation to snake into their guide’s consideration, the cleric paced to the corner closest to the entrance, from whence they breached. Stroking the tome of the Seeker of Knowledge, the reborn sage commenced in magical murmurs, muttering an incantation, in hopes to bar the door from unwelcome intruders.

Preaching to her Beloved, the former librarian whispered, “I plan to imprison us, while we repose, barring against any heresy this night births beyond our firmament. Within this respite, please ask our forgetful friend about the avian stones, you still grip in your possession. I fear any more of my lexes may further vex his understanding.”


@Big Dread, @Cu Chulainn, @Hekazu, @JBRam2002, @Zverda,@The Harbinger of Ferocity

This gnome seemed to have a hard time carrying a conversation, but for all Katia's distrust, he seemed more absentminded than malicious. She entered the inn with some hesitation. She preferred the stars and a tree's canopy to be her roof at night rather than the remnant of man's wanton destruction of old growth or beast, but safety in this strange world was of greater value than her personal comfort or preferances.

At Wick's statement, Katia's expression grew from trepidation to terror. Being trapped in this building was not a plan she was happy with, but she simply nodded to her friend. "If you believe it necessary, milya," Katia repled, her voice much smaller than before.

She approached the gnome and held the aforementioned item up. She had no intentions of allowing the gnome to take it from her, and thus would hold it out of his reach if he attempted to snatch it. "Would you be so kind as to explain this item?" she asked. "I've been calling it a Soul Stone, but that's only a guess. When some Really Big Crows attacked us, they turned into these gems when we attacked them. Do you think we could summon them back to aid us?"

"I do not want to entertain the thought of being trapped in a building," Thea said, voicing the concern that Katia had failed to, "Something tells me that if those shadows really wanted in then they would find a way in, who knows... maybe they are simply created by the shadows themselves and wherever darkness is cast they can spawn. The idea that we would have to wait for a spell to drop in order to potentially escape does not sit well with me at all, I rather just do watch shifts."

With her concerns expressed, Thea went over to the Tabaxi and draped an arm across the felines shoulders. The attention given was simple at best, she had absolutely no want to crowd the woman as she knew the hate for being confined far too well. Instead, she simply listened to what Katia was asking the Gnome, pondering if she should attempt to ask her question again to the small creature that seemed to be far more absent minded than she cared to be around. "And do you think you could show me a place to get weapons after?" she asked the Gnome, hoping that she wouldn't have to repeat herself again. It was an annoying thing to have to do and if it was a constant she found herself knowing she would grow rather short tempered with the creature around them.

@Gordian Nought@The Harbinger of Ferocity

The Town

The Mystical Martin,
Currently

Having made himself welcome to the inn, a small structure of thick, halved lumber and many large river stones, and four forward windows of thick and cloudy glass panes, Birbin dug underneath the bar; the gnome's confidence spoke to his understanding of this place as not only abandoned, but safe. Bottle after bottle clinked until the gnome produced an emerald flask with a deep colored liquid in it; a healing potion, or so one could imagine as the gnome then went about all the effort of setting it upon the counter - using a chair to aid in his lack of height - and setting it down. Not long after, the small magician scampered away, speaking as he went to pry up a board in the corner of the floor, addressing Theodore.

"A magic emblem? Uh... not that I know of. He wears very ornate armor though, lots of fine details in it of engravings. Mostly leaves and animals, which is why I call him Green Man," A piece of floor as tall as the gnome gave way and he managed another flask out of the ground, shaking the dirt from it a few times before setting it beside the other. "All elf stuff or maybe like a druid."

Birbin dusted his hands and set the board back down, hopping upon it with all his weight to tap it down. "Oh, and a green cape. I guess that's why I gave him the name after all. The whole picture! He's a Green Man."

After a few repeat attempts he at last succeeded and removed his bothersome hat, setting it on the seat of a chair. Wiping his bald head clean, his large and pronounced eyebrows moving, he at last addressed Wick's inquiry about the inn. "There's two rooms, three, but that was the owner's room. One of which is mine, but you can stay anywhere you like."

"Well... except the owners' room. In case they come back! That would be impolite I think. They might not be so happy."

Tapping his chin a bit, he processed some of the other discussion at hand but paid it no mind. Whatever he had managed to overhear, it was evident the smallfolk had no real understanding of what exactly spurred their decisions or reactions. If at all, he only seemed to be overjoyed by the fact he had any company at all. This was going well of course until the feline woman produced the perfect midnight gem and approached him with it.

"Would you be so kind as to explain this item?"

Birbin immediately hopped to his feet, standing up on the seat of the chair and waving his arms frantically. A breath later he had leapt upon the table and was standing at the edge closest to Katia.

"No, no, no! That's bad! Don't you know things come back to life around here?"

His scene continued before he could so much as react to the lady paladin's request which had come just moments before. The reaction he gave was between complete surprise and actual concern. More concern than he had with the shadows about, of which were presumably several times more dangerous, at least in general if history were to dictate anything. But the gems? Whatever exactly they were or were not was apparently not as important as the fact that they seemed to let things come back to life.

"At dawn everything that was dead is alive again, just fine too!" Birbin flailed about, trying to push the far taller black furred monk in the direction of the door without falling from his wood table assisted elevation, "Put it outside before we forget or Birbin really will need to find more weapons for his friends!"


@Big Dread, @Cu Chulainn, @Gordian Nought, @Hekazu, @JBRam2002, @Zverda

Nobody responded to Theodore's call. To be fair, the gnome had made it sound like that wouldn't happen since he and the Green Man were the only ones here, but the latter might have answered. No such luck this time. His fingers continued their small dance on top of his sheathed blade, but the absence of an answer also led him to finally relax. No threats to be sighted. He brought his fingers to his mask, but slowly lowered them without grabbing said accessory as he stopped to listen to Birbin for a moment longer.

The Green Man suddenly sounded less like a Paladin to Theodore. Not that many familiar symbols, Light not being the definitive element in their decoration. A druidic fellow in metal armour? It sounded outlandish to him. Two rooms were available, one of them with Birbin. Technically also a third, but it belonged to the innkeep who may or may not be lurking in the shadows since the money box gets emptied and rooms taken care of.

And then it got to the subject of the gems. Theodore was surprised to hear that these birds would rise back to life come morning, but having already seen them concentrate into these gems, it didn't sound impossible. Thea had proposed the idea of these gems holding some means of resurrection and this would confirm said thought. "So they do house their essence, their souls..." he muttered and took off his mask, snapping it on top of his bolt case and digging his pocketed gem out. "Katia, if you are going to dispose of these, would you be so kind as to toss this one too?" With that, he walked up to her and placed the gem in her fur covered hand, alongside the other. Souls demanded a certain level of respect, so while he trusted she would be able to catch it just fine, this was better.

@The Harbinger of Ferocity - Theodore has removed the (soul) gem from his bolt case
@JBRam2002 - Said gem is your trouble now

"I do not want to entertain the thought of being trapped in a building,"

Vengeance reflexively coursed through the paladin’s heart, yearning to betray its rational penitentiary. She appeared to be weary of betrayal amongst those of shared company. Her four angelic chambers ionotropically pumping in disyllabic synchrony, emitting Templar blood to feed the arteries of jealous revenge and the veins of spiteful reprisal. Wick’s intention was no obvious act of treason, but to only separate the warped anguish prowling the wretched evening by an impenetrable floating ring, to slightly reinforce a cage of safety against any peripheral intrusion. The shadows were spirits steeped in blackened brew, doused in gloom incarnate. These pariahs of torment and torture seemingly and obsessively sought out other souls, only to extinguish the light within them.

Yet, supposedly not forever.

“That’s bad! Don't you know things come back to life around here?"

The reborn sage pondered such a hypnopompic derision. The gems would flourish once more, but by what spark.

Time? Light? Word?

His fear suggested no apparent, simple method of destroying such mystical restraints. The gnome’s visible apprehension exalted far beyond what he relished outwardly earlier in battle. The cleric sustained her ritual’s chant, lingering upon the avian carnival confined within the peculiar ornaments.

“Stray not outside into sin, brethren, lest you face the night of an insatiable tomb. Do not fret. The tightrope shoulders either a foot of security or a sole of incarceration, which pangs under such a schismatic burden. Once I relocate, the discus easily follows thus.”

The reincarnated warlock trusted that this response would assuage Thea and any others questioning her aim for a barricade.

“For these stones, I advise we coop them under the guise of glass and soil. Birbin! A cork and empty bottle, please, if you do not dissent. Let us bury the birds.”

Katia held the two orbs in her hand, gently shuffling them around absentmindedly within her palm. She had no reason to disbelieve what the gnome told her, but a Really Big Crow could have its uses, especially if they could domesticate or otherwise control it. An image crossed her mind of her soaring on the back of one of the majestic birds, cawing along with the crow, hugging it for warmth. And then she looked down. Okay, time for that daydream to end.

She fluttered back to reality as Wick suggested burying the orbs. "Ooh, I have a better idea!" Katia exclaimed, generally ignoring the excited beckonings of the gnome. "Bourbon, you promised us a drink, right? Even if not, I would think one would be appropriate. Where can we find a cask of ale? The larger, the better! We combine Milya's idea with a more portable option: place the orbs inide a bottle, then place the bottle in the cask. If the glass does not contain the bird, the cask certainly should." Katia beamed at her own ingenuity, especially since it involved sharing a cask of ale with her friends.

It seemed somehow more convincing might be required, however. "Look, even should the worst happen, we too will be well-rested by dawn, and more than ready to repeat the simple effort of dispatching the beast. It would be at a disadvantage indoors. What if we toss one out the window and try my method with the other? I fear spending time to bury the bird will leave us outside with the shadows for too long."

The Town

The Mystical Martin,
Currently

"Is everyone this crazy where you come from? That's not how magic works at all!" The gnome crossed his arms across his purple robes, rubbing his face with a child-like hand, "Even Birbin knows that and I'm the worst wiz- ...never mind that part."

Catching himself mid sentence, Birbin shook his head side to side and flicked his hat up to his hand with a boot. In a fairly practiced motion, he set it upon his head and went about adjusting it, watching the strange duo talk about somehow sealing a horse sized bird inside a tiny container - as if that would ever stop it. Granted this did reveal the mage was probably not as skilled as he tried to claim he was, a fact they witnessed earlier in great detail personally, but it certainly was not well worth the panic or chaos.

"Point is, there is no way I am letting you keep it in here in their inn! It'll destroy everything, because you have a bull-sized bird in a shop full of glass! That and people live here. One of those is the bigger issue, though I am not sure which is worse off."

He leapt off the table, passing by Wick and to the window just right of the door. There again, owing to his minute stature, did he climb atop the wood ledge and peer outside best he could through the glass. With a sigh of relief, he turned around to face the company he had managed to keep, but before he said anything of use, he was clearly off on a tangent once more with his flighty imagination and odd whims of consciousness.

"Wait, I promised you drinks?" Birbin asked, almost as though he lost focus on the proposed bottling of midnight gems. "I mean I do sometimes forget things, but..."

"The Green Man doesn't drink, so maybe he won't mind if you take his lot? I think that would be okay."

The wizard paused, adrift in recall, before he again snapped, obviously remembering why he was here at the window in the first place. With both hands and some gnomish effort he thereafter unlatched the iron lock upon it and pushed it open, if only just slightly, letting in the chill yet welcome night air into the warm lobby of the Martin. He beckoned Katia over with an awaiting hand, glancing out the window for a moment then back.

"Just cast them outside where they belong."

There came a moment of delay between his words, which he followed with assurance.

"Trust Birbin, those gems will be just fine. It's not like you can even hurt them."


@Big Dread, @Cu Chulainn, @Gordian Nought, @Hekazu, @JBRam2002, @Zverda

Cesar Lorenzo Tidesong Bolivar
The Vale, The Mystical Martin.

Cesar looked back and forth as his allies discussed what to do with the stone that turns into a bird at... dawn, was it? It didn't matter too much to him. He just knew that those overgrown seagulls were annoyingly vicious, and quite strong, as well. You'd need strength in order to not get blasted off by his thundering voice, anyway, Cesar would have thought.

Come to think of it, they were more of an annoyance than an actual threat. With a little training, though, they could prove to be quite the helpful allies, and mounts, as well! Hey, wait a minute...

Cesar snapped up, standing at a more erect pose, his eyebrows raised as if he had just thought of a "genius" idea.

"Hey, friends! I've just thought of a potential solution to our little- or should I say, unusually sized- seagull conundrum! Why don't we have one of us who is skilled at working with animals, or at least is the most attuned to nature," Cesar quipped, before looking directly at Theodore, "Aide in training these stubborne pájaros negros to serve us, eh? At best, they can serve as our mighty mounts as we trek through these mysterious lands! Worst case scenario, they can just serve as fodder! What does everyone say? Can I get a 'yay' for feathered mounts?"

"... Friends?"