Scene:

As Saur, Tanraeth, Jenk, Fleur, and Starfinger finish their breakfasts, (coffee, scrambled eggs and roe, fish fillet on craggy hot cakes and the like) Jenk was the only one of their party to heed Alandri's advice and eat the scale with the meal. With breakfast hastily finished, Alandri explains her method of fishing in the Vanji river nearby. Some of the more challenging quarry she hopes to catch swim through the river early in the morning, and she needs the prospective student’s help to acquire them before noon. After going over safety measures and instructions, she leads the group to the river bank to seize her catch for the day. Under her arm, the fisherwoman has brought supplies to make nets or other contraptions, and she lays them out along the bank, should someone choose to utilize the resources.

Fleur, seeing the manual labor ahead of them, reconsiders on her desire to stoop this low for the sake of learning and bids her adeiu to the group, to Alandri's disheartened surprise. With a wave the elf retraces her steps across the foot bridge that lead the group to Alandri's shack, and she disappears into the throng of the city.

Alandri and Jenk, having eaten their bubbling scales, undergo a transformation in the morning beams of sunlight. The goblin's body becomes covered in deeply blue, pearlescent scales, in fact, even the air tastes more pronounced. As the same happens to Alandri, she reminds the group that the scales allow for them to hold their breath longer under water. Alandri draws her hair back into a tight bun as she gets ready to dive into the Vanji river.

End Scene

Storyteller's Aside

Alright everyone, have a think and consider how your character will catch a fish(s). You can choose any skill you'd like to try, and roll it for me in your next post. Alandri will be available for questioning, should anyone need clarification, but she will be busy diving into the river herself before long.

Good luck!

Saur fell silent at Alandri's words, electing to take this opportunity to consume the rations he had been gifted, making sure to take Alandri's advice and add the scale in along with the food as he swiftly devoured his meal. He had always been taught to eat quickly, for you never knew when a threat could reveal itself. Best to leave yourself vulnerable for as little time as possible.

He cast a glance to the side toward Tanraeth as the "elf" continued. The Kobold frowned as he listened to him speak; the words were fine, of course. Saur himself was considering the very same ideas that something could have happened. He hadn't seen Teacher Ot with his own eyes today as of yet, so he was hardly going to write off the idea. Especially if this was the first time he had ever failed to show. That was reason enough to raise his suspicion.

But what caught Saur's attention in this moment was the emotion in the elf's voice, or the lack thereof. There didn't seem to be even an ounce of concern in his companion's tone. That, in addition to the fact that he had elected to ignore Alandri's advice and not use the scale at all caused him to narrow his gaze at his companion out of the corner of his eye. He was tempted to make some snide comment about it, but decided to hold his tongue for the time being. If they were to be like clutchmates, he couldn't allow himself to start causing trouble with him. And so, he returned his focus to his own rations.

Regardless of it all, there was nothing to be done about Teacher Ot for the time being anyway. They would have their chance to find him when they returned to the school again. Worrying about it wasn't going to do him any good right now. He should simply focus on the task at hand.

With everything settled, the group was moved out toward the river and he was given an explanation on everything they needed to know for the task at hand. And once again, he was met with frustration from another elven companion of his who elected to detach herself completely in lieu of the task at hand. This time, he was unable to keep himself in check.

"You're going to abandon this for such a conceited reason!?" he snapped as Fleur began to take her leave. Regardless of her response, he simply dismissed her with a wave of his claw. "Humph. Not that it matters in the end. Arrogance like that only brings harm to the clutch. I'll simply have to do what I can to make up the difference myself."

He glanced down at the supplies Alandri had brought. In his mind, he could picture the various kobold traps that he'd learned to construct when he was still in training, but elected on another, separate method. Especially since he was going to need to put everything he had into this now that they were short a team member, and another seemed fit to avoid consuming the scale altogether.

He could feel the scale beginning to work not long after Jenk's had. His own sturdy, draconic scales seemed to morph slightly...or more accurately, he began to grow a second set over his own. He frowned slightly as he realized the scales were deep and blue...a color he was not particularly fond of. But still, this was only temporary, he was sure. And they would assist in the upcoming challenge at hand. He was not about to complain now.

"Excuse me, Ms. Alandri, before you dive," Saur said as he approached her once again. "Ma'am, I was wondering if I could bother you with an inquiry into what types of fish would be the most valuable around this time of day. You see, I am still new to this country and am somewhat unfamiliar with local markets and even its fauna. What such fish look like is important of course, but I am also looking for information such as what kind of habits they might have should they differ from ordinary fish, whether they are the type to flee downstream, breach a current or simply hide themselves among a reef or weed when threatened. The more information about my prey that is at my disposal, the easier they are to hunt."

He continued to inquire with Alandri about just what kinds of fish would be found to be the most valuable and easiest for him to hunt with his specific skillset until he was satisfied she either had nothing of use left to share with him, or he was satisfied he had enough information to narrow down his hunt. He thanked her and gave her the same salute he had given the group before: crossing his clenched fist across his chest and bowing at the waist a bit, lowering his head in the process.

Once he had done that, he stepped back and made his way toward the river's edge, eyeing it for a moment to decide just where the perfect place to dive would be. He had to pick carefully. With one ally down and one he couldn't be certain of, he needed to make sure he did more than his own fair share of work here. Especially since he was looking at this as his opportunity for them to make up for their earlier tardiness.

Luckily, Saur found his spot rather quickly and stood at the bank. The now blue-hued Kobold took a deep breath, feeling the air capacity working its magic, and immediately dove into the river's water to begin the hunt.

Using Alandri's information, Saur kept not simply his eyes, but all of his senses peeled for any sign of what he was looking for. He was on the hunt. He had fished in a river before, and this task felt right at home for him. It was almost as natural as leasing an arrow. He attempted to stray away from the fish he didn't care about, trying to remain distant enough from them to avoid startling them so as not to give the companions who were willing to work a harder time. Eventually, he found what he was looking for. A nice spot in the river to conceal himself, yet close enough to an open area of the river where he would have ample opportunities to ambush fish as they swam by, whether in a panic escaping the clutches of his companions, or simply of their own accord. He crouched in the water, pressed up against the crevice, and waited. He narrowed his eyes and remained completely still. His senses were tuned on nothing but the water at the moment, and whatever disruptions he could hear or feel. He kept his eyes focused forward to ensure he didn't miss a fish that the description he'd been given. He was ready to snare whatever he could.

Upon learning what the task was, Jenk set aside all items that he didn't want getting wet and then dived into the water with the Holy Pitchfork of Fouston in hand. This hadn't been the first time Jenk had gone fishing like this. The magic scale was a first, but everything aside from that was nothing new to him. Gathering fish from any available body of water for the cult's pantry was one of Jenk's favorite jobs back home. Mainly because the Holy Pitchfork of Fouston made things a lot easier. Fish tended to flee whenever something approached too close, so a lot of the difficulty of fishing came from getting close enough to actually catch the fish. But thanks to the Holy Pitchfork, Jenk had no need to approach the fish. All the goblin had to do was thrust the Holy Pitchfork's prongs at the fish and they would be skewered by the relic's divine power. And so it wasn't long before a cloud of red formed in the area where Jenk was hunting. A phenomenon that was shortly followed by a steady stream of impaled fish corpses floating up to the surface.

There were magical techniques for fishing, sure. Bowfishing was a long-established tradition, one Starfinger... well, didn't excel at, but he was passable with archery. However, Tripkee were accomplished hunter-gatherers. Starfinger had learned the techniques for gathering fish from his grandfather when he still had the remains of his tail! So, while it might be slower than more flashy methods, he took his time. Digging up mud at the river bank, he scooped it out with his large, webbed hands and feet. The hole steadily grew, filling with clean water from the river. Then, two large flat rocks in the river, tilted toward the pool. When the wind picked up, or the river surged just a bit, the water would spill over- and often bring a fish with it. Starfinger sat patiently, watching a few fish steadily filter in. Of course, the largest fish would get tossed back- only taking the big ones would make the fish get smaller over time. The smaller ones weren't really good for alchemical purposes OR eating. Which left him with a few medium-sized fish.

Scene:

Tanraeth did, in fact, see other fishermen and women on the river bank. There were three setting up, but an older fisherman with a corn-cob pipe and a green, triangular hat sat on a metal bucket and already had a fishing rod in the water. Tanraeth noticed, as he approached the man, that he was humming some kind of tune as he puffed acrid smoke from his pipe with one hand, the other resting on a well-worn wooden rod in the crisp morning air. The man looked up as Tanraeth approached, "G'day." He tips his wide, triangular hat warily at the elf who looks sharply out of place on the river bank among the fishing folk. 

A quick glance up and down the river tells Tanraeth that others will be similarly situated in about ten to fifteen minutes, but this fellow had apparently come out earlier than the rest.

Saur, having received as much information from Alandri as possible, took some time for him to situate himself in an advantageous position to capture fish. As he waded into the shallows, he noticed a group of particularly large macaren, Alandri's highest priced catch at her stall, swiming in his direction. After a few more minutes, the small group of fish approached the kobold, two swimming lazily within five feet of him. Even as the minutes stretch out, his training has taught him an iron calm in the anticipation of the catch, and as these two fish wander closer, they don't seem to register the kobold's legs as they swim directly beneath Saur. With a deft, practiced movement, his hands dart into the water and back out again. In the morning light, two iridescent orange fish the size of Saur's torso gape and thrash suspended from their tails above the river!

As Jenk dives into the river, it takes only a moment for him to get his underwater bearings, so familiar is he to hunting like this. It takes him a few minutes to find the spot pointed out by Alandri as the closest choke point of where these fish swim through this part of the river. Thusly situated, Jenk goes to work, his bright blue scales allowing him much longer time beneath the surface than he was accustomed to.

Swimming to the spot takes Jenk some time, and he sees Alandri also approaching, her feet garbed in some sort of flipper which propels her faster toward the spot. She darts toward a fish, manipulating something that looks like a whip, and after a quick twirl, the whip snaps out, catching a fish in the mouth. Alandri pulls the fish toward herself to hold in both hands before swimming back to the river bank, kicking by her flippers.

Pitchfork in hand, Jenk spots his quarry, a group of slow-moving fish swimming in his direction, and sends out a phase bolt at his prey. The flurry of bolts stutter out of his holy trident, energy blinking in and out of existence as they make their way toward the group, bubbles flying in the wake of this attack. One fish is caught, and then another in the volley, and float to the surface. 

Starfinger took some time to carefully plan his approach to the group's task. Hiking up the river a bit, the tripkee found the spot Alandri had pointed out as a good choke point for the fish swimming up river in the morning. From his vantage, he could see Alandri working swiftly under the surface of the water, the gnome darting gracefully. He could also see Jenk swimming, pitchfork in hand toward the same spot he was situated above. Employing a technique passed down from his ancestor and using nothing but the natural world around him, Starfinger fashioned a fine trap with which to catch his quarry. As he squatted above his trap, he noticed quite a commotion as light flickered beneath the water's surface, sending two large, bleeding fish to the surface. In the ensuing chaos, several fish darted in all directions and a veritable trove of fish flooded into Starfinger's trap as the surface roiled above what appeared to be Jenk's doing beneath the water.

A large fish sputtered first into his trap, which Starfinger, once it was calm, returned to the water with care. After some time went by, his trap filled again with the current and two medium-sized fish swam into the trap, unable to get out again.   

End Scene

Storyteller's Aside

@vertigo Go ahead and roll something to engage the fisherman to fish for you, or approach another fisher person to do so, if you would like someone else to get their hands dirty.

@Digizel Saur succeeded! Thanks to his Forager feat, he gets two fish instead of one!

@rush99999 Jenk critically succeeded! He gets two fish, albeit a little holey. Good idea to burn a hero point.

@clanjos Starfinger critically succeeded! His patience paid off, with two fish caught in his trap.

If you like, I'll give you a chance for extra credit or engagement with Alandri. There might even be a hero point or XP in it for you depending on your character's performance.

The water above Jenk continued to roil even as the first two fish he had claimed reached the surface. The goblin had never been under the water for this long. Thanks to the scale, he was barely even feeling the need to inhale when normally he'd have long since become desperate for breath. It was all so new. All so exciting. And that excitement showed in the gusto with which he continued his assault on every fish he could see. Were he not holding his breath, Jenk would be laughing manically as he set about him with the Holy Pitchfork of Fouston. Striking again and again and again at anything that had the misfortune of being within 30 feet of him.

Saur was silent and still, just as his mentor had drilled into him with all of his survival training. He was more used to hunting in the caverns and forests of the Maw, but the crimson kobold knew how to fish as well...especially when he knew exactly what he was hunting for. Once he had spotted exactly what he wanted, he waited patiently for just the right moment....

Then, his moment came and he seized it quickly. His claws suddenly plunged down into the water! They lunged downward and swiftly seized the aquatic beasts by the tail, just behind the tail fins! He could immediately feel their struggle, but it was in vain at this point as he wrenched his claws above the water and held the two glimmering fish aloft! A great success, to be sure! His experience in hunting for a group was paying off well with this.

The two fish flailed about, but he wasn't finished yet. He couldn't be. Two valuable fish wasn't enough for him. Not for his current efforts. So instead, he quickly moved to place the fish with whatever storage method they were using for their catches before quickly turning back to the river. A quick glance at the sky told him that time was drawing short, and if he wanted to really put in his effort to make amends, then he needed to get back to work.

He searched the river once again. But this time, he did not simply stay upon the shore. Seizing two fish at a time wasn't good enough for him. By the time he caught his next pair, too much time would have elapsed. So instead, he elected to plunge himself directly into the water himself! Thanks to the scales he sported, he could hold his breath for long enough to actually stay submerged in the water. From here, he could use his entire body in his capture attempt. He just needed to wait for enough of them to gather around close enough for him to scoop with both of his arms together.... The scales and spines would normally sting others, but thanks to his draconic scales lying beneath his newly acquired fishy ones, he knew he was going to be just fine.

Once completely submerged, he sought out and found an excellent hiding spot a little further down the river's current. He could tell his compatriots were doing well for themselves...but this also meant that they were likely to scare other fish in this direction. Especially with Jenk going so crazy further upstream and spearing again and again. All of that commotion made this the ideal spot for catching multiple prize fish in one solid move. They would be more difficult to catch, but he was confident that if he could just remain still enough, they would not even notice his presence and swim just close enough....

Scene:

On the bank of the river, a seemingly silk-clad elf and a ruddy-faced fisherman exchanged words in the waxing sunlight of morning. There was something about the elf, it could have been his elaborate dress or the way he moved his head to the side as he requested the fisherman's 'littlest of fishes' that made the old codger grin and push up his tri-pointed hat. "You lerk like a fancy 'chaise longue' escaped from the pal-lace!" The dirt-covered man shook his head, unable or unwilling to conceal his laughter. "Ooh, that's good. Tell you wot, Ah caught this one early, but hadn't throwed it back yet." The fisherman gestured to the bucket at their feet, in which swam a healthy looking fish. He looked carefully at the elf's manicured fingers. "Take the bucket. I'll bum one off Iyani, there." The fisherman gestured to his acquaintance with another laugh, stepping away from Tanraeth. As he left the elf and the bucket in his spot, Tanraeth could hear him say, "Iyani, wait 'til you hear about this feller!"

Tanraeth now has one live, green-pearlescent, fish swimming in a bucket. It looks up at him, gaping, as if joining the fisherman's jest at the elf's expense.

Jenk, taking full advantage of his bubbling scale's abilities, was successful in catching one more fish in his phase bolts which shot out in rapid succession. Once the goblin was finished with his onslaught, he would be able to gather the three fish he had caught in this way, or what was left of them after his phase bolts did their worst.

Saur redoubled his efforts, sliding through the water with ease. Thanks to his keen senses and patience, a group of confused fish swam dangerously close to the primed kobold, in an attempt to flee Jenk's ire. In one quick movement, Saur released the coiled energy in his body and surged forward toward the school. In the moments that followed the kobold was able to lay hold of two fish, stunned by his speed. Even though fishing underwater slowed movement, Saur's efforts had been rewarded.

 With a whistle, Alandri beckons her assistants to the shoreline. As the four returned, all bearing fish in various numbers, her gnomish eyes widen in excitement. "What a haul! You all have done so well!" Her gaze falls to Tanraeth's catch, then back to Tanraeth's clothing, and nods her head in understanding. 

On the shore, Alandri organizes the fish buckets into living and holey fish ('Still good for stew', she thinks). Alandri reaches into her pack as she approaches Saur, eye to eye, "You have done such a wonderful job," her purple locks fall every which way as her energetic movement punctuates her declaration. "Please, take this badge as a thank you for how you've risen to the challenge today. Your technique was inspiring. You caught more fish this morning than I do in a day." As the gnome hands him a Lion Badge, she bobs her head in thanks to Saur, a sort of nonchalant bow. 

Alandri assesses the fish Jenk caught with a nod, "I might have to get me one of those pitchforks! Thank you for all your help today." She hands Jenk a Lion Badge.

As she meets Starfinger's gaze, Alandri hands him a badge as well, "Your trap was a sight to behold; not a single timber, yet just as effective. You're quite resourceful; thank you."

As she turns to regard the group, she stops short, finger raised to the air, "I almost forgot!" She reaches back into her pack to distribute an additional Bubbling Scale to the entire party. "This is for tomorrow! See you then!" The gnome waves at each of you before beginning the trek back to her shack just up the embankment, one bucket at a time.

The party now stands on the banks for the Vanji river after this morning's exertions. It's not quite noon, but you all remember that Teacher Ot is expecting the group in his office at midday to begin your next lesson. The city streets of Nantambu are full of activity now, with carts and mules, merchants, and students from the Magaambya going about their business. The school at the heart of the city is about a twenty minute walk away.

What do you do?

End Scene

Storyteller's Aside

@vertigo Tanraeth caught one fish! "Caught" is a loose term... Tanraeth gains a Bubbling Scale.

@Digizel Saur critically succeeded! At a higher DC, he gets two more fish, for a total of four fish. He has earned Alandri's trust and respect. Saur has earned an additional Hero point for a total of two. In addition, he gains a Lion Badge and a Bubbling Scale.

@rush99999 Jenk succeeded! He gets one more fish, for a total of three holey fish. Jenk gains a Lion Badge and a Bubbling Scale.

@clanjos Starfinger's total is two fish! Starfinger gains a Lion Badge and a Bubbling Scale.

NOTE: A Lion Badge is a talisman worn on the armor. I'm going to adjust the rules for the badge so that the wearer is not required to be an Expert in Will saves, otherwise no one in the party could use them (and you may need them! (**FORESHADOWING**)).

Now this was a haul to be proud of. Saur felt more than satisfied with his yield this time around. As he deposited his catches for Alandri, he tried to keep himself level headed and reserved, but it was easy for just about anybody to see how proud he felt for his performance. His tail was raised high in the air, swaying gently back and forth as his head was held as high as it could be given his 2 and a half foot frame.

Now that the deep-blue scales granted by the Bubbling Scale were falling away, his deep, blood-colored scales hide began to reveal themselves yet again. He watched Alandri beginning to approach the group individually and straightened himself out, waiting his turn patiently. And his patience was rewarded when she began to address him. Once again, he failed to keep his pride in his work in check as his efforts were praised. His chest swelled and the expression on his face gave him away immediately.

"Ah...it was nothing, of course," Saur replied, repeating a motion he had made earlier: a clenched fist folding across his upper body and tapping against his upper right chest, preceding a low bow of his own head. "The least I could do in order to make up for our mistake this morning. I am proud to have been of service,"

As he was presented with the Lion Badge gift and second scale, taking a moment to inspect and appraise it once she was turning to the next one. However, as he was in the process of doing so, something occurred to him. Teacher Ot was expecting them back at the Magaambya at midday. But that would mean trekking back through the city...where he had caused a bit of a commotion when he went to save one of his companions from a full-on collision. He couldn't help but wonder if the guards were still going to be on his tail for that little stunt. Now that he had put in all of this effort into acquiring goods for somebody to sell, he realized just what kind of work he might have ruined at the time....

He looked up at Alandri as she began bringing the buckets of fish inside her hut again.

"Ah...excuse me, Ms. Alandri?" Saur spoke up as she arrived to collect the buckets that contained the fish he had collected. He stepped up to her, nodding his head at her as he awaited her to acknowledge him. Once she had, he continued. "I was wondering. Do you mind if I kept one of those that I fished up for you? I can also pay for it if you'd prefer, of course."

And if Saur were pressed for an explanation, he would continue again, "You see, in our rush to arrive here as swiftly as possible, I assisted one of my companions by preventing them from crashing into one of the merchants bringing out their wares. Unfortunately, this caused the baker to drop his platter at the time, and it, erm...." He paused for a brief moment, electing in the moment to avoid mentioning the guards being called on them. "...caused a commotion of sorts. And likely ruined that entire batch. And...I'd like to try to make it up to him on our way back."

Saur then gestured down to the fish in the buckets before focusing back on Alandri. "I was contemplating simply paying the man for the food I wasted--if the coins I have on me could cover it anyway. But if I could provide something in addition to payment, I believe that would go a greater distance in demonstrating the authenticity of my attempt to make amends."

FLeur's mind wandered. After leaving before she was asked to, and she shuddered at the thought, do manual labor, she had walked around the town. Partly to distract herself from her own mind questioning if all of this was worth it and also to get a feel for the place they were in. She considered herself to be insightful, able to read feelings more so than people. With her fortune telling, she didn't need to con the person as she could actually see what was coming, but not everyone wanted to know the little details.

She watched the people walk by. A mother corralling four children all under the age of 6 by her guess, though humans were weird like that. A older dwarf was carrying huge packs of something. Many shopkeepers and merchants called out their wares to anyone close.

No one paid her much mind, which suited her just fine. She didn't feel like explaining why an elf woman was walking around in a dress and shoes that were slowly killing her. Plus she didn't trust them. Not yet, at least. She had been hurt before. She didn't need that pain again.

After a bit of a walk, Fleur made her way back to the group. It seemed they finished their work so Fleur judged it correctly. "Miss me? How did it all go?" More curious for her own benefit than actually hearing tales of fishing and whatnot. But beggars couldn't be choosers. Where was the magic in all this?

Starfinger gave a polite nod, putting the badge into his pack. The Tripkee walked along with lengthy strides, blinking frequently. Once Fleur approached, he shrugged, before giving his best estimate for her question. Sure, the green-skinned frogman wasn't 100% sure but he had a decent idea.

"The fish's scales are good ingredients for various potions and elixirs. Water breathing and such."

Then, back around to answering Elaeshor.

"My guess? Flooded ruins, or something in the river that was lost. The Mwangi does that a lot."

Scene:

As Elaeshor quit the company of the common folk, he could hear laughter erupting, most certainly at his expense. A glance over the kitsune's shoulder would have confirmed as much had he seen the way the fisherman imitated the 'elf's' coat tails swishing. Still, the laughter didn't sound all that mean spirited; after all, the pair of jesters didn't really know Elaeshor, did they? Did anyone?

Alandri looked up from her work before lifting the next bucket to her cottage, which for a gnome, was quite a handful. She watched Saur during his explanation, interjecting with 'mmhmm's and 'oh's as necessary. Once he had finished his tale, Alandri mentally tallied the bevy of fish from all the heroes and looked back at the kobold with a sincere expression. "Yes, I think that's a fine way to make amends," Alandri conceded before handing her bucket to Saur. The live fish gaped at Saur, then at the sky, presumably happy to have been spared Jenk and his pitchfork, though feeling very much like a fish out of water.



Fleur's walkabout had been an informative one. She learned that the city itself was a large dais with the school, the Magaambya, at the center of the various rings of canals. As such, she gained a good sense of direction for getting back to the school, and more importantly, to Teacher Ot's office for their lesson. She remembered, in the cool of the morning, their sponsor bidding them to come back by midday for their lesson. Fleur arrived just in time to hear Elaeshor's query to the group at large, between the tripkee, the goblin, and the 'elf.'

"Surely she does not... expect us to be back to fish for her tomorrow as well, now does she?"

End Scene

Storyteller's Aside

Saur has his fish in a bucket, Fleur has rejoined the group. What happens next?

Saur smiled as Alandri seemed to agree with him. He took the bucket he was handed, taking a moment to observe it; it would seem that he was given an opportunity to take one of the fish he had caught for himself. That would indeed make this a lot more meaningful. "Thank you, Ms. Alandri," the kobold replied, giving her another bow. "I would offer to help carry your fish inside, but I believe time may be running short. I would like to avoid further tardiness if I can. I vow on my honor as a Bloodscale that we will be back at the appropriate hour next time,"

With that sorted, Saur turned back toward the others as he lugged his bucket and fish back toward the rest of the group. However, he paused as he could not help but overhear the conversation...and notice the approach of the same one who had left before. There was a very noticeable twitch on his brow, his tail swishing around in agitation.

"Well, it seems Her Highness has decided to re-grace us with her presence," he grumbled, strangely more sarcastic than his usual formal speech would have allowed. But now that he was no longer addressing a superior and somebody more on his level, he suddenly seemed a bit more slack on his manners. He stepped up to the rest of the crew, narrowing his eyes at Fleur. "Things went quite well, no thanks to you. I hope you have a suitable explanation for abandoning your clutch when we had a task at hand. Even this one"--Saur gestured toward Elaeshor--"at least contributed in some way."

The small, 2-and-a-half-foot tall, blood-colored Kobold looked up toward Fleur with his emerald gaze expectantly, clearly waiting for some kind of response.

Fleur, admittedly, did not expect anyone to react so strongly to her absence, let alone the goblin. She fought off the gut reaction to laugh in his face. "Her Highness huh? I like that. I'll have to use that in the future."

It was clear the goblin wanted a rise or a fight. She would grant him neither. "I am not here to fish. I am not here to do random tasks. I am here to learn magic to better myself. If you want to do chores, be my guest. While you all got a fish in a bucket, I managed to get a lay of the land. Our journey before got us lost, but now I know where to go. You may recall we have a lesson coming up with Teacher Ot soon so we best be off if we want to make it in time. So would you rather stand there throwing a temper tantrum or would you rather go and learn what we actually came here to learn?"

Saur's eye visibly twitched at Fleur's nonchalant response. Her words were clearly not going over well for him. "First and foremost, if somebody needed to go off and get a lay of the land, I hardly think you're the most qualified," the crimson Kobold muttered...as he began to feel a heat rise in his chest, as his anger began to rise. And thus, a mini rant-slash-lecture began to get rambled from his maw, going until he was either finished or interrupted. "And besides that, do you somehow think you're the only one here who came here for the purpose this school preaches? My entire purpose for even being in this foreign land in the first place is to figure out this latent dragon magic that's apparently inside me! Yet for whatever reason, you seem convinced that you're somehow better than us and above the tasks that we're being instructed to perform!? I assure you, I would love nothing more than to hurry and learn about magic so I can return abroad and resume serving my clan. But we must follow the orders of our superiors in order to get to that point."

Finally, his sudden fit of anger seemed to be subsiding and his tail no longer lashed about. The kobold huffed and turned his attention back up to the sky again, scowling. "...I do have to cede to the point of time, however," Saur admitted. "I will let this matter slide for now. Especially if I'm going to take a little bit of extra time to track down that baker and make up for ruining his morning's work." He paused for a moment, turning to look back up at the rest of the group again. "If there's any interest in assistance in this matter to be offered to help restore our group's reputation, I will accept it. Otherwise, I shall take care of the matter myself and meet up with the rest of you afterward."

Scene:

As Saur, Fleur, Starfinger, Elaeshor, and Jenk made their way at a brisk pace back to the Magaambya, they made a brief pit stop to the sight of Saur's acrobatics display amid the bustling trade corridor which lead to Alandri's. The baker was no longer collecting his goods, in the hours that had passed, and the guards were no longer interested in any retribution. Guardsman stood lazily leaning against walls, and the baker was situated glumly behind his stall, selling what goods were untainted by his mishap this morning.

Saur delivered his apologies and recompense in the form of the fresh fish he had caught, bucket and all. The baker, having had some time to cool down, accepted Saur's apology, offered the kobold a soiled flatbread, (he couldn't sell it anyway) and the group were on their way to Teacher Ot's office.

The top floor of the Heron Archives is dimly lit with lanterns of blue glass, but a sliver of amber light escapes Teacher Ot’s room, reflecting off of the stone through the network of hallways. The door is slightly ajar, and beneath it, a puddle of water trickles into the hallway. The tapping of dripping water emanates from within the room in a dissonant rhythm. With each tap, the expanding pool of water reddens
with a thickening cloud of blood. Inside, Teacher Ot’s office is in total disarray. Chairs have been overturned; books, scrolls, and writing implements have been knocked off a cracked walnut desk; and tiny bits of paper float in the puddles along the floor. The glass skylight overhead has been shattered; its jagged fragments litter the damp floor, glittering in the afternoon sunlight. A large glass display case along the left wall has also been smashed open—its contents are nowhere to be seen. Small, skittish insects swarm around a pool of violet ichor spilling out of a cracked bowl on the desk. Another, larger group of insects, each the size of a child’s palm, descend from the walls and ceiling. They land throughout the office and begin to aggressively hiss and snap!

End Scene

Storyteller's Aside

@vertigo@Digizel@rush99999 @clanjos @patientbean

We're going to get started with our first combat! Let's keep things organized.

* I'll post an image of the battle map. Please let me know if your character would be somewhere else in the line up.
* We'll roll initiative.
* Everyone gets their three actions each turn, however, if you want to wait for a response for your first or second action, please make it very obvious that you need me before you can finish your turn.
* I'll try to get a response up ASAP. We don't want rounds to take forever, and I'm sure in this format they could drag on.

If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know!

Roll initiative!

Battle:

Just to reiterate:
Small, skittish insects swarm around a pool of violet ichor spilling out of a cracked bowl on the desk. Another, larger group of insects, each the size of a child’s palm, descend from the walls and ceiling. They land throughout the office and begin to aggressively hiss and snap!

Initiative Order:
Saur: 28
Flash4: 20
Flash3: 16
Flash2: 13
Jenk: 11
Fleur: 7
Starfinger: 7
Flash1: 7
Ele: 6

@Digizel is up! We have 3 strong beetle initiatives on deck, then @rush99999!