Dante had narrowed his eyes at Darius but refrained from escalating anything, identifying his brother was just lashing out. Dante knew he had the luxury of not remembering when the group was nearly at the mercy of the roc’s wrath. Sure, he had his own troubles thinking how he lost control of himself but Darius had been there to see it all. A human who had known nothing of real monsters and magic until his short time here in Avalia.
On the other hand, Darius was already beginning to feel a tinge of guilt as he had allowed his words to carry the feelings he had kept tucked away for days. It was so sudden and unexpected for even himself but it was the price of bottling strong emotions. He averted his gaze from Dante, feeling as if he had struck his brother with more than just words. Darius nearly slinked away into himself but Phia’s delicate touch kept him.
Looking up into her soft amber eyes, it was difficult to keep up a rigid disposition. He might later ponder upon how Menzai accomplishes such a thing but now it was just Darius facing Phia and all the kindness she felt he needed. How could he not agree with her words?
“Yeah…” He gave her a small grin. “That’s exactly what we should aim for.” He clasped his other her and against hers and mocked her tap. “No heavy hearts.” He declared to her.
“I get being cautious but we should put our best foot forward with some optimism. We need to plan our approach to this flyer thing. Like… using a third party to vet people. And who’s better at vetting than animals?” Dante smirked.
“Realy?” Darius was deeply wounded by the use of that pun.
Time: Morning Location: Port Vanarosa Interactions: Jun@JJ Doe, Tanithil @Lava Alckon, Arlen @SilverPaw Equipment: A halberd and half-plate armor
Zion listened, nodding his head along as Tanithil spoke. The dark elf sent them on ahead so that he could check up on the rest of the crew and see if they wished to eat as well. It reminded Zion of how Malachi awoke early to prepare breakfast, and this made him confident that Tanithil was an excellent leader as well. “Aye, Aye, Cap’n.” The words flew from the overly enthusiastic lion’s mouth, not only was he about to eat but Tanithil gave him the perfect opportunity to throw out some pirate talk! They had yet to even embark on an adventure and Zion was already giddy.
He nudged Jun with his elbow, “Hear that Jun, if you need to start a bar fight, be stealthy about it!” He joked, hoping to lighten his mood a little. “Breakfast and ale await.” Zion added, voice booming as he corralled Jun in the direction of Arlen.
Once they’d caught up to Arlen Zion answered the elf’s inquiry about his experience in the desert. “I once hunted a savage ogre that dwelled on the outskirts of Myriamor. A breathtaking city deep within a fierce desert, no finer city for a cat to visit, did you know they see cat’s as good luck?” He continued on, spinning an exaggerated tale of his mighty victory over the ogre, pausing several times to prevent Jun from wandering off.
Zion intervened each time Jun strayed from the path, inching far too close to perilous alleyways where trouble could be waiting. Zion kept vigilant, making sure the human did not get lost, or robbed, or kidnapped, or, worst of all, tossed into the ocean for the fish to nibble upon. He said nothing of Jun’s lack of a sense of direction, not wanting to harm the human’s pride but made note of it as additional training Jun would need.
“Surely your travels have led to many exciting battles, Arlen. Have you encountered many sea-beasts?” He asked.
Time: Morning Location: North Pass; Cabin Interactions: Rue@Potter, Bardulf@Lava Alckon, Bridgette, Mister Luum@FunnyGuy, and Zeva@Pink Khione Equipment:Sword, hunting knife, a backpack with supplies, and a stoat named Raze who naps in the pocket of his vest.
Bowyn drew closer to Rue and wrapped an arm around her waist. “And if your feet and wings grow tired, you can lean on me.” He offered as Rue mentioned leaving the pegasus behind to avoid attention. Luum suggested enchanted rings, which sounded expensive to Bowyn, “It’s not even that cold. Why are elves so dramatic?” He whispered to Rue. “Good deal? Think we could snag whatever Zeva needs for free?” Bowyn whispered to Rue as Zeva asked if she had enough amas. The idea of spending the morning stealing supplies sounded a lot more fun than just shopping for them.
He watched as Bardulf offered the enchanted ring to Zeva, leaving Bowyn to wonder if they still needed to go shopping or if the matter was now settled. “Do we still need to go shopping for the Elf-cicle?” Bowyn asked, as Bardulf was halfway out the door, seemingly eager to hunt beasties. It sounded a lot more fun than shopping, so if that was no longer needed Bowyn preferred the wilderness to marketplace. “Taverns usually have bounties posted if you’re looking to gain some real amas. Otherwise, Me, Rue, or Bridget are likely your best bet for help navigating the woods here.” He added, thinking it was a mistake to let Bardulf go off alone.
Time: One Week After Human Arrival Location: Seaside Park Interactions: Aurora/Rowan @mole Vasco @JJ Doe Mentions: None Equipment: Longsword and Plate Armor This bastard got quite a lot of nerve to be comparing his race to the manner of speech. As someone who had gone through a lot to rehabilitate himself, this was quite frankly insulting and reeked of entitlement, but unfortunately not uncommon among the others he had seen. This is ironically why racism makes no sense, when this behavior was so pervasive in so many species. But it wasn't the worst of this guy, as he continued to prove himself to be a piece of work. And they apparently were so crucial to this world that they absolutely had to be kept around. They better be right.
Vasco was at least right about one thing. They should get to it. While training was way too vague, he liked the idea of going on and kill that bastard that killed Zora. But is Rowan actually asking him to lead the charge? Wasn't he a war veteran? He ought to know this more.
"One 3-month contract to do hitman. That's about it."
If none of these guys really had any experience with this...fine...
Barrock did get to work with several elf assassins that time, and while their working relationship weren't great, he did get to learn quite a bit from them, notably, the most important aspect of any assassination scheme is not how fast or how skilled the assassin is, but information.
"We had no name of that dark elf, but we know his employer is called the General." Barrock began disseminating what they knew. "That could easily be just an officer in the dark elf military, or this could be a nickname."
His blood-shot eyes bounced between the three of them, before landing back on the human. "You. You're so keen on going around, might as well find something useful. Go to the local magistrate or tour the Riverport locals. See if they know this General guy, or they have seen a dark elf with long white hair, red eyes and white tattoo on his forehead." Barrock was surprised that he still remembered this guy's feature, but he continued on.
"Ideally, one of us comes with him." His eye hovered with Rowan. This human definitely should not be with Aurora. If push comes to shove, Barrock can go, but knowing that the elf had intel on the four of them, it might be easy for them to get separated and killed.
"The other group finds shelter and food." He delegated. "We shall meet here again at sundown."
The Warforged noted Scathael's minor reluctance in accepting the mixture though paid the reception no mind, instead preferring to cut to the Dark Elf technical query, <<IT IS A BOON TO HAVE MY LIMB REJOINED. YOUR REPAIRS THUS FAR HAVE HELD UP. I DON'T DETECT ANY DEFICIENCIES IN MOTION.>>
As Five spoke, he openly flexed and stressed his unarmored limb outward, testing his arm once more, causing a chorus of unmuffled clicks and clangs to resonate Fingers curled and straightened individually, revealing the mechanical tendons pushing and pulling the articulating framework. Metallic fibers interwoven around his barely exposed radius and ulna components stretched efficiently around the different servos which coordinated the hundreds of motion processes executing all at once. Scathael's patchwork held firmly as the humeral constituents operated around the repaired site unopposed.
<<YOUR REPAIRS ARE APPRECIATED,>> Five concluded.
As the group conversation continued on, the topic of Vallana's safety unsurprisingly came to focus. Five viewed the child as a liability, that was for certain. Thraash, also unsurprisingly, shot what could be considered a jest towards the Warforged's direction. A crimson eye turned to face the Dragonborn in reply though they had a point. Even if they were to bring the child along, protecting her would prove difficult. Five had simulated several scenarios revolving her involvement and neither replication of reality seemed at all pleasing. Thraash's judgement was sound. The Warforged determined that his offensive potential would drop significantly if forced into a defensive position, not only subduing his maneuverability in his attacks but eliminating some of his other tricks with the idea of them unintentionally harming the young Demi-Human. The results were unacceptable.
Five's remaining free eye focused on Scathael and Vallana momentarily. It was plainly obvious ditching the child out in the wilderness was morally out of the question and would be collectively rejected. Suggesting an orphanage seemed approachable though based on Five's observations, that would prove to be a dubious solution, more so on Scathael's part. Still, it was a better conclusion, either that or finding someone else to look after Vallana, temporarily if need be.
<<SCATHAEL, DOES SHE-.>>
Several short buffs of steam shot from the Warforged. Something compelled Five to slightly shift the nature of his inquiry, now knowing that the Demi-Human beside Scathael had awoken. It was a rare thing for him to stop himself while speaking, especially when the notion was the adjusting of intrapersonal etiquette for his question. How odd, <<DOES, VALLANA, HAVE ANY RELATIVES LIVING OUTSIDE THE VILLAGE TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE? ASSOCIATES TO HER KIN? IF NOT, ARE THERE ANY FACILITIES NEARBY WHICH MAY WARD HER, IF ONLY TEMPORARILY?>>
As you approach Riverbloom, the first thing that catches your eye is the majestic tree with its cascading pink leaves, towering over the entire village. The tree is an awe-inspiring sight, its branches stretching towards the sky, and the pink foliage glowing softly in the sunlight.
The air is filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the gentle hum of fairy wings. As the group enters through the plaza, the cobblestone paths are lined with wooden buildings adorned with floral decorations. The plaza itself is spacious and open. At the center stands a fountain. Fairies, some flying and some walking, add to the atmosphere, their wings glittering in the sunlight as they go about their day.
Surrounding the plaza are various establishments, including cozy cafes, quaint bakeries, and lively bars. You can hear the soft murmur of conversations from the outdoor seating areas, where fairies and other creatures gather to enjoy refreshments and socialize.
Time: Afternoon Location: River Fairy Kingdom Interactions:@Funnyguy Darius @Alivefalling Dante @Samreaper Menzai @Helo Cyrus Equipment: Staff with unbreaking and shift enchantment(shifts into dagger), Her bag, Water Purifier, Flask, some shiny pebbles Attire:Outfit, amulet with Millinia Crest, wooden butterfly earrings, various bracelets
It was only hours later that the group found themselves moving through the forest path towards Riverbloom. Phia was eagerly at the front of the group, her eyes up in wonder as she watched birds overhead fly over them. Her long magenta hair was pulled in a messy braid that she had been decorating as they went. Occasionally, she'd pause and pluck a flower from the ground and embed it into her hair.
The moment they crossed the threshold into Riverbloom, the enchanting beauty of the place unfolded before them. The towering tree with its cascading pink stood majestically at the center. Phia paused, her amber eyes wide with awe, a smile stretching across her face. Her eyes darted over the area, taking in every detail.
As she absorbed the scene, her smile began to fade slowly. A sense of déjà vu washed over her. Hazy visions of the past, as if from a distant dream, threatened to take over her vision. She glimpsed the same sight before her, but in her visions, the sky was filled with many more fairies. The sight of a fairy waving to her hijacked her mind next, then as she lowered her gaze toward the cobblestones, she imagined fairyfolk bowing shortly after meeting her eyes. These fleeting images were subtle, almost ethereal, leaving her feeling both comforted and disoriented.
Suddenly, she felt something brush against her leg, grounding her back to reality. Phia looked down to find Sunny with his big, expressive eyes filled with concern. Scooping him up into her arms, she felt the softness of his fur, and his warmth of his body, steadying her swirling emotions. His cute face, with its twitching nose and perky ears never failed to bring her comfort.
Earlier, Dante had suggested using animals to spread information in the area, and Phia had eagerly brought her beloved fox, Sunny, along.
"Well, we're here." Phia announced softly to the others and turned to smile at them. "I suppose Sunny and I could work on making some friends with the wildlife in the area..." Her gaze slid to Cyrus. "Do you speak with fauna as well?"
Time: A.M. Location: River Port Interactions/Mentions:@mole@Conscripts Equipment: Knife, drugs, and wallet looted from dope peddler
✠✠✠✠✠
Vasco threw his head back and let out a belly laugh. Slapped his knee and everything. The way Rowan had spit out “Zara was our friend” like it was poison, well, it told Vasco all he needed to know about how the elf really felt about the human who came before him.
Rowan’s frosty glare only tickled Vasco’s funny bone even more, sending a shiver of gleeful defiance down his spine. “Touch her again like that, and we will be replacing you,” the elf hissed.
Vasco met his gaze head-on. Brazen as brass, he reached out and grazed Aurora’s cheek with his hand, tucked a stray lock behind her ear before trailing his fingers through her hair. All while never breaking eye contact with her steamed brother. He brought the white strands close and twirled them between his fingers, taunting-like.
“You’re welcome to try,” Vasco smirked. “But answer me this, hero - what’re you gonna tell the big cheeses when you botch the job a second time on account of losing your marbles over kid sis here? Think they’ll trust you with a third human?” He shook his head. “Face the music, pal. Play the incompetent sap or fess up to putting me in the ground cause I got under your skin, it ain’t gonna paint a pretty picture of any of you.” Vasco threw a quick glance over at Barrock and gave him a short “alien slang” lesson. “Where I come from, ‘paint a pretty picture’ is called ‘looking kosher.’”
He let Aurora’s hair slip through his fingers and eased back, hands raised. “Believe it or not, I’m doing a good turn by not mollycoddling her. You all keep squawking on about this being a war. So, what’s she doing here if she’s gonna go to pieces every time someone kicks the bucket, huh? Doll’s hanging by a thread, but you’d rather keep her in the thick of it than send her somewhere cushy to get her head on straight. If she snaps, that’s on you palookas, not me.”
As Vasco turned on his heel, his one good ear caught Aurora’s pained whisper. He halted, just for a second before moseying over to Barrock.
The orc’s tidbit about his three-month stint as a hitman got the ex-mobster’s attention real quick. Vasco felt a spark of kinship with the big fella. “No kidding? We oughta bend an elbow sometime and swap stories.” He socked Barrock good-naturedly in the arm. “Got a few doozies of my own I could jaw about,” Vasco crowed, puffing up with pride.
While Barrock mapped out the plan, Vasco’s mind was cooking up a shopping list of the kinda hardware he wanted. Sure, going up against an army with just a blade he’d picked up on a whim sounded exciting, but even a tough nut like Vasco knew that'd be a fast track to the bone orchard.
“Or,” Vasco piped up when the orc had finished, “you could quit pussyfooting around and use me as bait to smoke them out. Save us a lotta time and legwork. And!” He shot Rowan a sly grin. “You’d get your crack at replacing me without getting your mitts dirty.” His gaze slid to Aurora as he added. “After all, I ain’t no Zara.”
With things slowly rolling along and the party moving toward hashing out their respective roles and responsibilities for today, the meeting smoothly transitioned to a close. It was subtle, yet natural, like their goal in maintaining their cover. As good as things were, Mister Luum knew well enough it would not last. King Zanithel was aware of the rebellion and the humans summoned from elsewhere. To make matters worse he had a decent track record of defeating his foes and was at a good start having executed a human so soon.
Witnessing Bardulf offer Zeva his enchanted ring was something to be noted. He wondered how the man could be so generous and kind. Mister Luum might assume Earth was a soft place, yet Bardulf’s scars and his outburst after the slaying of the owlbear left much to be uncovered about him and his world.
Perhaps this world will fix him to my liking. War is returning after all.
Once the meeting was over, the group split into those going into town for bounty posters and those who would remain at the cabin. Those who went out to the town square would find a vastly different scene than they saw in passing just yesterday. More soldiers and guards were roaming the streets since the announcement of humans, clad in black leather and hide armor. Most were dark elves but not all. There were nearly as many demihumans in their ranks, with dwarves and orcs making up the minority of the troops.
In the town square, there were a few things that might catch the group’s attention.
Abuse of Power With the search for rebels and humans becoming such a high priority, soldiers and city guards had free reign to search, seize, and detain at their discretion. It was disgusting how openly they pulled patrons from inns and drug citizens across the cold cobblestone due to perceived suspicion. Most times, those under suspicion were dragged to the North Pass guard post for “further questioning,” but other times, the soldiers had no shame in conducting their interrogations for the public eye to see.
Shops Though no longer the priority, shops were open and available for the group to indulge in. Besides standard weapons, armor, and general shops found in most places in Avalia, guests of North Pass could quench their thirsts at The Winter WIllow or experience the local North Pass cuisine at Utada’s Hot Food restaurant. The Winter Willow bar not only serves alcoholic drinks, but hot drinks to warm up for two amas per serving, while the restaurant offers their local dishes for eight amas per serving.
Utada’s Hot Food Menu Noodle Soup with the catch of the day, seafood broth, eggs and vegetables Rice cakes wrapped in leaves Rice bowl with choice of meat, vegetables and soybean sauce Fried rice with tajokel sauce Chicken curry Shrimp and seaweed wraps Onion pancakes with a tajokel-snowberry sauce Dumplings with any filling
Notice Board This is what the group was looking for! Many people looking to earn some amas crowded around the notice board that offered several jobs. There were posters for criminals including known rebels, posters for violent creatures, and odd jobs that needed to be taken care of. The odd jobs were the quickest to be snatched from the board, followed by hunting of less dangerous quarry. All that remained were posters offering amas for vicious foes. An aggressive pack of dire wolves in the area, a gang of elusive bandits, the ever-hungry twin ogres named Gorm and Mrog. An additional poster served as a warning for no one to enter the ruins of the far north of the island.
Rue With everything else occurring, this might be most difficult for one to notice. Whether keen or fortunate, attention might be drawn to Rue being bumped into hard enough to let out a soft grunt in annoyance. It was hard to say it was that brushed against her so hard since the group had been moving through the crowded square with much around them grabbing their attention. Rue’s annoyance soon shifts to confusion as she feels something tucked into her leather belt strap. Rue grabs the small crystalline object, a memory glass. The magical image-storing item could display moments captured within it ((snowglobe meets photo slideshow)). She only needed to view it for a mere second. Her eyes widened in shock before she tucked the memory glass away and pretended nothing was amidst.
…
Back at the cabin, Mister Luum got himself up off the floor and ventured through the cabin to Brigitte’s leather bag. He mumbled a few curse words as he dug through it, not being used to its organization.
“Found it! Haha, who wants to help me plan our adventure?!” Mister announced excitedly as he held up a folded-up paper map. He took the map to the cabin’s dining table and splayed it out. “Masako, could stand watch out front?” He asked the warforged who gave a slight bow before providing her assistance. “Thank you,” he grinned as he looked upon the map of none other than North Pass. It was old but had much details to the parts of North Pass few ventured. The map was riddled with markings for creature lairs, shelters, and spots marked with question marks. Mister Luum smiled as his index finger pointed to a marker to the far north depicting a skull. “This should be our last stop, I think.”
Equipment: White Haori, Gauravian luck charm bracelet, Steel Chain Shirt of Deflection (3 uses per day), Disguise ring
Save for the strained and awkward farewells, the journey had been an easygoing and simple trek through the forest, eventually exiting and nearing the fairy kingdom.
The travel had proven to aid in Menzai's overall mood with some of the color returning to his skin from beneath the sun's warmth. The familiar scents and sounds of nature were always therapeutic for the wolf still recovering. He relished the quiet and solitude as he had watched the rear, mainly to keep from worrying the group; affording him time to think and contemplate. It was marginally easier without the family stress adding to the influenza of developments he had to work out.
Only that he could run across the trees and feel the wind brushing against his face. For a time, loss, flying alongside the birds as he leapt with confident strides, the trees his home, the sky the freedom cascading into a blinding gale of light.
That bright light that soon pulled Menzai from his calming fantasy, the ever-familiar kingdom praised for its natural beauty and love. And while relationships were somewhat strained, the Gauravs enjoyed visits, some more frequent.
And there was a time he was one of them. He looked on, what was once unending and breathtaking beauty had been fading to him. It was almost as if all the colors had become muted or slowly being washed out; whether that was merely how he saw it or something... more.
Menzai found his gaze shifting to Cyrus and then Phia, wondering about the effects the loss of the royal family truly was or if they had even started. It was then, at that moment, he would take notice of Phia staring ahead lost in her own thoughts.
This was far from her first visit and disappointedly so, her memories did not return. Things were different, now, however, with her siblings with them. He could only hope traveling with them long enough may help break whatever may be blocking her progress.
He could only ask so much patience.
"Well, we're here." Phia announced softly to the others and turned to smile at them. "I suppose Sunny and I could work on making some friends with the wildlife in the area..." Her gaze slid to Cyrus. "Do you speak with fauna as well?"
Before Cyrus could answer, Menzai had stepped forward raising his right hand to get the group's attention." Pardon the interruption, Phia, but before this conversation continues, there are some things I wish to put forward."
A small appreciative bow of his head before shifting partway towards Cyrus." I wish to remind the group, that while we are here for some fun and relaxation, we are also here to help Sir Cyrus in search of their siblings." Pausing briefly to glance at each fairy as if seeking something." If I am to assume this is to be done discreetly, then let me suggest we do so under the guise of the rings. Until we can get a better understanding of the situation, keeping our identities secret might be for the best." A glance at Dante and Darius, the two he was most concerned about regarding this.
Motioning then towards Cyrus." As such, I must ask two things of you before we continue. First, since asking through names proves too risky, are there any recognizable nicknames or signs we may search by? Secondly, if you own any of their belongings, with it, I will be able to memorize their scents, affording me greater potential and ease at tracking them down." Nodding his head, letting his questions sink in before holding up a finger." Please remember that even my senses have its limits. And, the chances they may be in this kingdom or nearby are minuscule, but I will do my best to. That is; if you are willing to share such personal information."
Leaving it there to let Cyrus think about his requests, he then turned to the others to see if they wished to add anything.
ᴛɪᴍᴇ | Morning ʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ | Cabin, North Pass ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴꜱ | Mister Luum @FunnyGuy, Bardulf @Lava Alckon, Masako @dreamingflowers, Rue @Potter, Bowyn @Helo, ᴇQᴜɪᴘᴍᴇɴᴛ | Travel bag with essentials (money, rations, first aid, etc), sapphire pendant, twin daggers, cold resistance ring. "I am...used to the cold if you'd like to have this. I am fine with my cloak, so maybe we could make a trade of sorts."
Zeva’s eyes glittered as the flash of metal in Bardulf’s hands entered her view, looking up at the generous man with a puppy-like earnestness. She slowly picked up the ring from his palms and fitted the accessory on her left index finger. The metal band adjusted to its new perch with magical precision, and soon, Zeva could feel the waves of warmth emanate from the ring and wrap around her body. She emerged from her blanket cocoon as if she’d become a new woman, and jumped into the air with excitement.
“This is AMAZING!! I can barely feel the cold anymore! Thank you so much, Bardulf!” Her now freed arms wrapped around him in a tight hug, and gladly returned his hefty coat atop his shoulders.
Without missing a beat, Zeva ran outside and dove into the closest mound of snow she could find. She marvelled at its fluffy properties, taking in the experience with a newfound appreciation. Soon, several snow angels lined the lawn in front of the cabin, dotted with snowballs here and there. Some were thrown against the wall of the cabin and decorated the damp wood with splatters of snow.
Eventually when Zeva’s burst of energy fizzled out, she returned to the cabin to see Luum hovering over a detailed map. She popped up next to him, and hovered over the map just the same. It looked well-loved, with scratchings and labels that populated the empty spaces of the document, of which there was hardly any left. The snow that lined her long, blonde hair and eyelashes began to melt with the heat of the cabin’s interior, and drops of water from her eyelashes fell onto the parchment, blurring some of the old ink. She didn’t seem to notice, and as Luum pointed to an area marked with a skull, Zeva raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Aren’t skulls, you know, usually for places where you’re not supposed to go?”
Time: MORNING Location: INT. TAVERN Interactions/Mentions: Guy affiliated with The New Dawn @Lava Alckon; Zion @Helo Equipment:
⋆ Attire from Avalia ⋆ Backpack ⋆ Smartphone ⋆ Wallet and key ⋆ Computer ⋆ Headphones ⋆ Spare eyeglasses ⋆ Plastic bag ⋆ Letter ⋆ Zion's hunting knife ⋆ Clothes from Earth ⋆ Canteen "borrowed" from Malachi's ⋆ Map "borrowed" from Malachi's ⋆ Some food from breakfast
Jun sat at the table, as quiet as a mouse in a room full of cats. His eyes nervously ping-ponged between the group members, their lively chatter filling the air. He kept his mouth shut, but his ears were on high alert, desperate to catch any nugget of information that might aid in his grand escape plan. Though calling it "grand" was perhaps overselling it. "Clichéd" would be more accurate. Or "unlikely to be seriously injured in the next 10 minutes" at the very least.
While he nibbled his way through breakfast, Jun squirreled away the extra food he’d ordered into his backpack. After forcing down the last bite, Jun mumbled some excuse about needing to visit the restroom. With his bag slung over his shoulder, Jun made his way to the back of the tavern, his heart rate increasing with each step.
Jun commenced Plan B: excuse himself to the bathroom and make his escape through a back door or window.
Time: Morning Location: Camp outside Roshmi Interaction: @Apex Sunburn Scathael, @FunnyGuy Thraash @ShiningSector FIVE Equipment: Repeating crossbow, a bag, sword, two daggers, 3 small red potions, 1 large red potion, 1 large blue potion, hoverboard, portable solar box, eye protectors, fire starter kit, channeling gloves that turn her light magic orange, makeup, perfume, a skull she wears as a mask and a disguise ring
Mari's gaze shifted to Vallana as Scathael brought up his question. She frowned, deep in thought over the matter even as the child began to stir. Leaving the kid alone was a terrible idea, and taking her along wasn't much better. There was no easy solution here. Thraash spoke up, and much to her annoyance, the big guy had a point. The girl would be safest with her or Scathael. They'd just have to make it work.
Her eyes flicked to FIVE, considering the Warforged's question about relatives. If Vallana had any family that could take her in, that would be ideal. But finding a random place to dump her wasn't something Scathael would agree to. Finally, Mari spoke up, her voice firm. "Vallana can stick with me if she’s got nowhere else to go," she declared, picking up her crossbow. "I’ll take a ranged position in our battle and keep her close." Her gaze shifted to Scathael and she cheekily assured him, "She'll be safe with me, rest assured. I'm the most talented woman you'll ever meet."
She walked over to Vallana and knelt down to her level, trying to appear less intimidating. It had been a while since she’d dealt with kids, but she wasn’t completely clueless. "Hey, kid. I’m Mari," she said with a soft smile, a rare gentleness in her tone. "How about we have some girl bonding time today? I'll keep you safe, and you'll have a lot of fun. Trust me, I’m hilarious. Plus, I’ll even throw in a piggyback ride. Sound good?"
Time: Morning Location: Campsite outside Roshmi Interactions: Mari @princess; Thraash @funnyguy; FIVE @shiningsector Mentions: Equipment:
His travelling clothes - Dark, earthy shirt and coat, with trousers tucked into boots A hooded, oilskin cloak His bow, unstrung A musket Two pistols Two hatchets His travelling pack
Scathael frowned as he listened to the Dragonborn’s suggestion, and that frown only deepened as the rest put their own ideas forward. There were really only two answers to his question; that much had been clear to him even when his question was still formulating in his mind. Vallana had to either go with them, or she had to stay somewhere else for as long as it took for them to take care of a manticore. What other options were there? Still, Scathael had asked the group in hopes – vain ones, as it turned out – of finding another solution that had perhaps eluded him.
That, unfortunately, wasn’t the case, and he was left with two equally terrible options. The first was…Well, it was obvious why bringing a child to a manticore-hunt was a bad idea. Vallana couldn’t fight, she couldn’t run fast if it came to a speedy escape, and she could barely look over some of the shrubs that surrounded their campsite. The young foxgirl would be worse than a millstone; she would be a danger to both herself and whoever – most likely Scathael himself, he noted grimly – was tasked with looking after her.
The Warforged had voiced the second possibility, that they could simply leave Vallana somewhere. On the surface, that wasn’t a bad idea, but Scathael had his own, unshakeable qualms about it. But before the elf could say anything about it, Vallana herself piped up.
“T-There’s no one,” she said in a small voice, peeking from behind Scathael as she tried to keep her eyes on FIVE. Her little hands gripped his cloak so tightly that it seemed as if she would tear it. Clearly, she was still unused to some of their current travelling companions. She looked at the ground. “F-Father came from somewhere far, m-mother said. Very, very far. A-And I don’t know…I don’t…” Her voice warbled, and she sniffed as she rubbed her eyes with the backs of her wrists. “I-I’m all alone–”
Scathael quickly cut in. “We don’t know and we can’t know, and even if we knew, it’s not realistic to expect us to find them,” he said definitively, placing a firm hand on Vallana’s shoulder. The time and effort he had spent on calming the child enough to stop her constant crying had been substantial, and he wasn’t about to allow her to talk herself back into such a state again. “And I wouldn’t trust a bunkhouse or tavern or any place that would ward children with Vallana. The ones that would take good care of her, we probably can’t afford since we’ll be away for an unspecified period. The ones that we can are–”
He caught himself and looked down at Vallana. She looked back at him with wide, innocent eyes. Scathael swallowed whatever phrase he was going to use and started again. “The ones that we can aren’t the best places. A starving dragon would probably do a better job.” He glanced at Thraash. “No offence intended.”
That left them with only one option, as Mari so confidently declared.
"She'll be safe with me, rest assured. I'm the most talented woman you'll ever meet."
Scathael looked at the Light Elf, eyes impassive and gaze hard. On the surface, she didn’t seem like much of a fighter, but then again, he had lived long enough to not allow appearances to mislead him. From what he had seen back at Roshmi, she was more than capable of taking care of herself. His only question was whether she could take care of a child as well, and to do so whilst in combat. The dark elf couldn’t help but scoff at her proclamation. Not so much out of derisive mockery, but rather as almost a reflex. “Words easy to say, harder to prove. You’re not the first–”
“Come on, Scath, you can trust me! There’s no better mapper than yours truly!”
It was her voice which echoed through his head. Although lasting for barely a moment, it was still as clear and as bright as on the day when Scathael first heard those words from her lips. He could even catch the teasing giggles with which she typically ended her sentences, and the flicker of mischief in her eyes, as if daring him to walk away from whatever plan she had concocted. A small lump formed in Scathael's throat, but he swallowed it with practised ease and shook his head. She was dead, and had been dead for a long time. He couldn’t keep carrying her in his mind. And he couldn’t carry her now, especially, when he had far more urgent things to worry about.
“Sorry,” he said and cleared his throat. “You’re right. But I’ll be with you.” He patted the wheellock leaning against the trunk he sat on, then gestured to the unstrung bow still in its leather sheath. “I’m better fighting at a distance. If we have to be quiet, then I can use the bow. Otherwise, I’d rather use the musket. It sends bullets through everything up to forged iron plate. Even steel ones, if they’re close enough.”
Vallana shrunk away as Mari approached. “Come on,” Scathael said, trying to keep the exasperation from showing in his tone. With a gentle push, he urged Vallana to approach the Light Elf. The foxgirl looked up at, uncertainty in her eyes. “I can understand if you fear a Dragonborn or a Warforged,” Scathael said and glanced at both Thraash and FIVE. “No offence, again,” he added quickly before turning his attention back to Vallana. “But the Light Elf and the Demi-human? You have to get used to them, at least.”
Still, Vallana clung to him and refused to move. “I-I want to stay here…” She mumbled.
Scathael sighed. He couldn’t entirely blame her. Sad as it was, his face was probably the only familiar one she knew, and considering what she had gone through, he could see why she would be reluctant to go off with a stranger. Even one who seemed as friendly as Mari. “Fine, fine,” he said, his efforts to not sound too grumpy clearly failing. Thankfully, Vallana didn’t seem to pick up on that. Scathael gave Mari a glance that was almost apologetic before saying, “I’ll go with you. Is that better? You can spend time with her, and I’ll just be around. Okay?”
Vallana looked between him and Mari for a moment, then nodded slowly. “O-Okay,” she said, then hopped to her feet, Scathael’s cloak still wrapped around her small frame. She slowly approached Mari, and with a clumsy curtsy, introduced herself. “Hello. I-I’m Vallana.”
Behind her, Scathael let out yet another sigh. This was going to be a long day, he could already tell.
Time: Morning Location: Lumineer Cottage, North Pass Interaction: Zeva @Pink Khione Mention: Bardulf @Lava Alckon Equipment:Fancy Ring, Cold Ring (with Zeva), Oak Wood Staff, Brown Leather Fingerless Channeling Gloves (not worn), Transmission Bracelet, 659 Amas.
Mister Luum had been grinning ear to ear as his finger pressed against the skull indicated on the map. It would present the group with much needed mental and physical stress. The perfect challenge! The elf brimmed with an excitement that helped him forget the cold of North Pass.
Unfortunately, it had not distracted him from the soft patter sound of water droplets against the map's surface. Mister Luum turned to stare at Zeva, smile vanished and eyes wide as she mentioned the skull on the map. His emotional response would be to simply move her from hovering over the map but the sight of his cold ring on her finger reminded him of the remaining ring still on his hand. Contact with her in that way was out of the question.
Where is that staff? He thought as he found his hands free of the magical channeling instrument.
“Zeva,” He addressed calmly. It was all he could get out as another droplet fell but he was quick to catch it in his index and middle finger with a wince before continuing. “Two things. One, you are dripping on the map with your thawing.” He pointed at her hair with one hand while the other slid the map away from her. “And two, what do you mean by skull?” He drew his full attention to the map, the skull now smudged to the point where it was unrecognizable. His smile returned, this time with a glint of playfulness.
“Skull or no skull, it's an old ruin of a place that might have some clues in helping Bardulf do the big thing he's meant to do!” He briefly raised his arms to denote the ‘big thing’ as vaguely as anyone possibly could. “Don't worry, Ears, it'll be the North Pass finale… I think… uh, I hope. Yeah.” Mister Luum shrugged as if it didn't matter either way.
T I M E : One Week After Human Arrival L O C A T I O N : Seaside Park, Port10 I N T E R A C T I O N S : @JJ Doe, @Conscripts T A G S : @JJ Doe , @Conscripts E Q U I P M E N T :
N/A
As the words slipped out of his mouth, Rowan realized he had relinquished some of his leadership duty to Barrock. It was a small price, several tokens, maybe. But, they had been given to the Orc, who took them thoughtfully, to say the least.
Something to make Barrock feel part of the team, while he (himself) handled his devastated sister. Handling the human, which was starting to feel more like a curse word in his thoughts was going to be a tidbit trickier than he had anticipated.
"Good. You are very well-rounded, my friend" Rowan said Barrock. Rowan looked towards the water. It was a fine day. The sun's rays were touching the gentle waves. It was a perfect starting place. "I believe an orc asking around would be less conspicuous than the rest of us. Light Elves asking around about Dark Elves could raise unnecessary suspicion, regardless of the circumstances we come-up with."
His silver eyes pierced at Vasco, shifting in annoyance as the human spoke, again. Vasco's voice was taxing. The constant, unbridled comfort that the creature harvested in his tone was irritating him. Humans were so weak and soft. He could easily pierce Vasco and be done with him, but, it was true. His threat had been for nothing.
Pale knuckles clenched together as the creature made another well-worth-mentioning suggestion. He was smart, and he was cunning. Rowan felt his leadership skills slipping from his hands. He wished to hold the reigns tighter and add more restraints, but he was failing to see how to teach the fool. At least, Barrock and he were on the same page about Vasco. Unfortunately. his sister seemed blind to it all.
She was a naturally bashful creature, and her ailment only made the delicacies of her emotions even more fragile at the fingertips of Vasco. She wanted so badly to accept the poor creature and also comfort her own state of affairs. It was evident, to not just Rowan, that Aurora was flustered and uncertain of how to properly react to their new acquaintance.
As Vasco nimbly twirled her hair, her eyes opened at his gingerly touch. Aurora understood she was flustered by him. "I... She gasped and fell prey to the feeling, once more. She had taken her vows, before their very own father, when she promised the kingdom a life of celibacy.
Her hand drew towards Vasco's wrist, and gently, her fingers touched his skin. "Please, I..." She wanted to finish her sentence, but her brother's tightened knuckle tried to make contact with Vasco's jaw.
The sound stopped Aurora's words as the light flickered in both her brother and Vasco. It was a small beat, and even then, she reacted heavily to the change of air. The tears in her eyes began swelling up further, and she could only drown in her own emotions rather than carry out any commands to cease fire.
"I said, 'Keep your dirty paws to yourself,'", Rowan had attempted to snatch Vasco's hands from Aurora and simultaneously with his fist, tried to knock the man to the ground. He wanted to pin the bastard to the park ground and make him eat dirt. "You're going to ruin her" He seethed through angering lips.
Time: Morning Location: North Pass Cottage Interaction: Mister Luum @FunnyGuy, Zeva @Pink Khione, and Bowyn @Helo
80 amas, Heirloom Halberd, cloak, set of leather armor/clothes, Winter clothes, 50 steel ball bearings, animal trap, net, darksight glasses, and 30 ft of rope
Bardulf had begun turning towards the door when Zeva’s apparent rebirth had occurred. With squeals of excitement and gratitude catching his attention, Bardulf turned around to see the flash of blonde and white skin rush at him into a tight hug. Immediately his face turned red, flushing with embarrassment as he tried to brainstorm just how he should react. The man’s arms went up and almost began to flail in confusion for a moment, but in the few brief seconds of contact - there was a peaceful solace in Bardulf’s eyes. He returned the hug gently, his rough arms contrasting against Zeva’s much more fair skin. With that he procured his cloak as she began to whimsically make her snow angels in the yard. A rare smile graced his face as he looked at Bowyn.
”Let’s look for one of them taverns or a hunting board of some kind. We had one back home so it would be nice to see one here.” The man walked out with Bowyn and Rue in tow. The journey took the better part of the next hour, and as they approached the town proper the man took his cloak and shielded himself from sight as best as he could. Bardulf took note of Rue’s encounter with an unseen entity - hoping it was nothing for now. He did not wish to garner more attention.
Once they approached the Notice Board, Bardulf noticed the more dangerous jobs right off the bat. He felt a slight urge to take on the bandits - wanting to remove any unwanted blemishes along this serene countryside. However he opted for the more standard prey for now, pulling the poster for the dire wolves and handing it over to Bowyn. In a hushed voice he asked, ”Good warmup, right?”
Time: One Week After Human Arrival Location: Seaside Park Interactions: Aurora/Rowan @mole Vasco @JJ Doe Mentions: None Equipment: Longsword and Plate Armor He couldn't get 2 minutes without another conflict. For real, was he here to be a helper to the rebellion, or be a leader of it, because it's only been a few days and this wasn't going anywhere.
Veins began to surface on his bald head. His teeth locked against each other. He was just as angry as Rowan, but there were no discrimination to whom it was directed towards. This shit had to stop or everyone is going to die before they even made contact with the enemy.
The orc reached out for Vasco's collars, intending to yank him away from Rowan and Aurora.
"You stay quiet." Barrock warned the human. He'd come back to him later.
As for Rowan, Barrock also grabbed his collar forcefully, but more to keep him upright, so he could face the orc's red unblinking eyes on the same level.
"Master yourself!" He reprimanded. "Are you not a soldier?!"
One knew it was not good when an orc is the most sensible person in the room.
"We barely even made contact with an enemy, we're already falling apart. Completely unacceptable. I expect better from you." Barrock let Rowan go for now, and turned to Vasco, with a look that could cleave a man in two. If Vasco tried anything funny, he'd literally be cleaved in two here.
"You." The orc addressed strictly. "You think you're a tough guy? You know how to do things around here? You want to be the bait? Go out there, die! You are not a messiah as you think you are. Stay in your lane!"
His angry tone was certainly not pleasant to be at the receiving end of, but it wasn't as aggressive or annoyed as previously. More of a disappointed parent.
"You both cannot be with Aurora. I will go with her to the magistrate." She needed intervention, but this could not be from a brother who was bent on shielding her from harm, or an asshole who thought he owned the place. No, they needed to be together. They needed to work together and learn to respect each other as brothers-in-arms, or at the very least tolerate each other's existence.
"You both will find shelters and food. That should be simple enough."
The wheels had begun turning between the group members about how to deal with Vallana. Thraash was not particularly married to any idea, only hoping the majority agreed on something so they could get moving. He yearned for action and amas in that exact order, especially since his skirmish with FIVE at the Nest hadn’t scratched that itch. If anything, lying on the ground for most of the brawl left him quite teased for combat. He held his instrument of chaos in his grasp, and string by string, he quietly checked its tuning.
“None taken,” Thraash had piped in when Scathael mentioned the girl being in better hands with a hungry dragon that of cheap help. Even if the dragonborn had a more sensitive disposition, he couldn’t deny the cruelty of a hungry dragon. The only thing worse would be a vengeful dragon, a creature that would slew your family, friends, and livestock followed by using the remnants of what used to be your home to mark the mass murder. Then there was the matter of the relation Thraash had to true dragons. The special treatment given to dragonborns by dragons could barely even be considered special. The likelihood of being burned, frozen, or melted was far less than other races but that was usually as far as social relations went.
Mari stepping up to take responsibility for the child seemed strange to Thraash, but only for a moment. This situation was unique for them as a pair, but not so much when it came to Mari. Her actions made sense, knowing her and the hell she crawled from all those years ago. Probably sees herself in the little one. Makes sense.
Scathael’s second mention of not meaning to offend Thraash warranted a scoff. He removed one of his hands from his instrument and slid it across his opposite arm.
“I’m far from soft, Dark Elf. You’re gonna need sharper words than that to offend me.” He said with a hint of a grin. “Besides your spot on. Mari and the rabbit girl are the only ones that’ll even return a smile. I’m too solid for the soft-as-baby-shit type of bonding, you have the meanest fucking stoneface I’ve ever seen. I mean you’re neck and neck with Five when it comes to facial expressions and…” Thraash motioned his hand pointedly to the face of the Warforged. “...yeah. Anyway, it sounds like we got our shit together when it comes to our little VIP. I’ll be the loudest thing out there besides the screams of agony, so feel free to pop a few shots if they’re worth somethin’.”
Most at least a rough outline of a formation planned out and food served, the group could get moving. It was about time they killed something.
ᴛɪᴍᴇ | Morning ʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ | Cabin, North Pass ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴꜱ | Mister Luum @FunnyGuy ᴇQᴜɪᴘᴍᴇɴᴛ | Travel bag with essentials (money, rations, first aid, etc), sapphire pendant, twin daggers, cold ring. Still perched over the dining table, Zeva’s eyes widened slightly as Mister Luum’s hands came into view, intercepting a drop of water before it could disrupt the paper map again. In a swift movement, Luum swiped the parchment away from Zeva’s view and moved it closer to himself instead.
Zeva pouted in silent rebellion against Luum’s scolding, though said nothing in return, as an act of admission of her wrongdoing. She stood up straight and began to comb her fingers through her hair, letting the remaining trickles of water spread down the ends of her hair and dampen the back of her hands. Her hands continued to fiddle with the strands, even after most of the water was whisked away, as Luum continued to speak.
On the parchment, a black smudge of ink replaced where a skull had been before, leaving only faint traces of where a pen had etched that symbol prior. Luum seemed to find this amusing, using the now blurred symbol as a means to escape Zeva’s questioning. His playful banter only made her worrying worse.
“Skull or no skull, it's an old ruin of a place that might have some clues in helping Bardulf do the big thing he's meant to do!”
Zeva tilted her head in confusion. “I don’t see how some old bricks are going to tell Bardulf what he’s supposed to do. I barely know what we’re doing now! What exactly is up there anyway? An abandoned town? A monster’s den? I guess I’ll be okay if there’s something to fight…”
“Don't worry, Ears, it'll be the North Pass finale… I think… uh, I hope. Yeah.”
Once again, Luum had used that appalling nickname, and Zeva was grateful that no one else was around to hear it. “It’s Zeva, Z-E-V-A, Zeva!!” She sighed, and continued to fidget with her hair. A few braids had already formed from the nape of her neck, and another one was in progress. “You don’t sound too sure, are you certain of what’s out there?”
