**Riverside slums, Moonday evening, late summer of 962 AF**
The streets were quiet tonight. Or, rather, the river was. It was a strange neighbourhood, this one, built in the middle of a small branch from the great river Area. The tail, this little branch was called, a name Henna thought quite fitting, wiggling her own. The houses stood right in the middle of of the stream, suspended by wooden poles in the water. It wasn't meant to last; these buildings wouldn't be here ten years from now. But then again, as much was true for most of the shambling shacks here in the slums. You had to live in the now, enjoy it while it lasted. That was the motto of the establishment Henna currently found herself in. A house of earthly delights, particularly the fleshy ones, and those involving liquor. The young Trollkin had struck an amazing bargain with the hostess of the establishment: she would attract customers with her "exotic" heritage and style, and in return she could sleep and eat there for free. It had all worked out perfectly this far. All she had to do was drug her "visitors" with a little sprinkle of dried bog-moss in their mead, and she could go about her business while they slept and dreamed happy dreams for an hour or two. There had been a few close calls, but nothing yet that she hadn't been able to handle.
The arrangement was particularly good because it gave her time to persue the one pastime she found had any meaning at all these days.
Her glass.
She would peer into it for hours, exploring strange new faces and places, scanning the world for things that fascinated her. Eating, shitting, even sleeping had become irritating distractions from her hobby, and while she was vaguely aware of the mounting peril that put her in, the orb beckoned for her to use it. She could almost hear it in her head at this point. It called to her, begging her to touch it, to say the magic words. And more often than not, she did.
Tonight was a bit special, though. She wasn't looking at some unknown faraway place tonight. She was looking at the very city she herself was in. Tonight, she was searching Areapolis for something worthy of her gaze.
Alamantus That guy you knew
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8 mos ago
Henna's glass showed the whole city from the north as though she was hovering far off the ground, the streets pulsing with life and streams of smoke lazily drifting from chimneys around the city, when suddenly her eyes were drawn to a green flash on the side of a building. The glass's view swooped in to give her a better look:
A small Ampharian, apparently from the Froggila tribe, was scaling the wall of a tower near where the river ran through the the center of the city, hands and feet alternating sticking to the stone bricks as he swung himself up the side in a continuous, impossible backflip of sorts. He continued up the building like this until he reached an open window, into which he cleanly and silently swung feet-first. As the glass swooped to follow the frog, it was clear to see steam wafting out the window. Sure enough, this room was a kitchen. The view turned to show the frog tiptoeing to a counter lined with mince pies, looking around cautiously with each step. Just as he was reaching out to grab one of the pies, a cook screamed into the room, yelling "Stop! Thief!" and picking up a large knife, flailing wildly. The frog quickly grabbed a pie and thrust it whole into his huge mouth and dove out the window and into the river below.
Just then, another cook, the head chef by the looks of things, ran into the room to see what was happening. "Ampharian?" he asked the other distraught cook, who nodded. "It's ok. That's just Zeetah. He only takes what he needs, and he only shows up once in a while. Don't worry about him."
The first cook groaned loudly, to which the head chef replied, "It's ok, let's just make another one."
Thrashy smashy-splashy
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8 yrs ago
Today had been a good day. The sun had been shining, but it hadn't been too hot thanks to random clouds offering shade from time to time. Lynx had had quite an adventure, too. She had run into a group of Grey Guild employees who had been having trouble clearing away a big alligator from a sewer. They had lost some of their zombies already when she got there, and she offered them help for a small price. She was a hunter after all. After a few minutes of haggling the Guildmembers and Lynx had come to an agreement and now she was going home with a few more coins in her hand than before. Killing an already trapped animal was no trouble for a hunter such as she.
The road home took her over a bridge that she found especially beautiful. Two big statues holding out their hands towards each other stood at either end of it, giving passers-by something marvellous to look at while they walked. It was good that they were there, for the scene to the left and right of the bridge was anything but marvellous. It was here the slum called the Tail lay, and it wasn't pretty at all. Old, dark buildings full of mold and sickness. Lynx felt claustrophobic just thinking about it. And the water beneath the bridge didn't look very nice either.
When Lynx had come halfway across the bridge, something unexpected happened. There was a sharp cry of alarm ahead of her and when the masses parted Lynx found herself right in front of a huge carriage pulled by a lot of horses. She tried to get out of the way but was knocked over the railing of the bridge by one of the charging horses. She was so surprised she didn't even have time to scream before she fell into the water. The world became instantly dark, cold and wet. Lynx started panicking in the water, thrashing about, but soon managed to get to the surface. She gasped for air and splashed about in an attempt to stay afloat. Luckily for her she spotted a small wooden wharf close to her, and she swam to it through the murky water.
Heaving herself up onto the deck she looked up at the house attached to the wharf and saw it was some kind of inn or bar. Panting and slightly shivering she went inside to get herself dry and warm, and maybe get some new clothes. And to think the day had started out so good...
Alamantus That guy you knew
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8 mos ago
Zeetah let himself drift in the river a bit farther downstream than he had intended. He was pretty close to the slums now, and the sun hung low in the sky, telling him that it was starting to get late. It would take him until late after sunset to navigate his way back to his cozy little alley, so he decided to just let the river carry him farther downstream, into the heart of the slums. As he passed under an enormous bridge, he heard a loud splash behind him. Turning around, he saw a strong-looking woman splashing and sputtering for a while before she swam deftly toward a small wooden wharf on the river bank. Zeetah thought to himself that he should probably stop drifting in the river now, too, and swam to the river bank.
He looked around at the dank, rotting buildings lining the river and noted the slight haze hanging on the air in the narrow streets outlining the the untidy buildings. He had never been here before, but he was shocked to think of the contrast in wealth he had seen just today. He put that out of his mind as he went off in search of somewhere he could stay the night, suddenly remembering the mince pie he had stowed in his expansive mouth. He pulled it out and started to eat it with his hands as he walked toward a sign reading "`INN`", accidentally tripping over and apologizing to some Grey Guild workers who were bent over picking up some waste on his way.
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Red Wizard Crimson Conjurer
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4 hrs ago
Henna giggled softly when the Froggila pulled the whole pie out of his mouth, and started tucking it back in again in smaller pieces. She'd thought it funny when he'd first gobbled the thing down in a single bite, but the thought that he'd just stored it there all this time was even more hilarious. She suddenly heard a strange sound and looked up, but all around her was blackness. She was alone in the room. The sound came again, and the witch realized it was her own belly rumbling. The sight of food had apparently awakened her sleeping body. That made her think about the time she’d spent with the glass this time. The shutters were closed, and curtains covered the windows, so it was impossible to tell the time. How long had she been sitting here in the floor, staring into the glass? Minutes? Hours? …Days? She rarely remembered much of what she’d seen in the glass. There had been the tower, and the Froggila, and then the pie, but she couldn’t remember what had come before that. Her belly rumbled again, audibly. She’d have to go downstairs to get some food. And she’d have to be more careful with the glass in the future. Use it more infrequently. She felt her gaze being drawn towards it again, that single faint light in the darkness, and had to shake her head to break the trance. She needed a break.
“I need a break” she said out loud and then carefully wrapped the glass in the stained sheepskin she kept it in, and tucked it away in a pouch on her belt.
Her bones popped when she got up, and she got slightly light-headed by standing. She was stale as hard bread, rigid as a corpse, and her legs hurt from all the sitting on the wooden floor. She took a few stumbling steps, had to pause to regain her balance, and then went out the door and into the hall.
The light and sound hit her like a sledgehammer.
It was business time in Giulias House of Leisure. The saloon was filled with people of all kinds, and they were all drinking, bellowing, singing and dancing. All the candles had been lit, giving the place a warm sheen but also making it hot and damp as fuck. A patron and her whore rushed past towards a room further down the balcony, giggling and bumbling about as they went. Henna dodged them by pressing herself against the wall and gave them the evil eye, which they completely ignored. Coming down the stairs from the second level, Henna got a good glimpse of the place. It was packed, bursting at the seams. And in the middle of it all was an unexpected sight. A young elf by the look of her, although they all looked young to Henna, stood in the entrance looking lost. She was completely soaked and was shivering slightly. On a complete whim, Henna decided to approach her. She went up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder.
“Hello” she said, looking concerned, “Are you sure you’re in the right place?”
Thrashy smashy-splashy
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8 yrs ago
This was not an inn at all. It had a bar, but it wasn’t a bar. Apparently Lynx had walked right into a brothel. This made her scared since she had never visited one before and her parents had always warned her of them. They had said that they were full of vice and bad people and that pretty boys and girls weren’t safe there. Lynx could take care of herself but she felt scared anyway because the atmosphere was so strange. So she just stood there not knowing what to do.
Someone tapped her on the shoulder and she felt herself tense up. She turned around and discovered a strange woman was standing there. Lynx thought it was an elf at first because of her pointed ears but then she saw the yellow eyes and sharp teeth and thought otherwise.
“Hello.” the woman said “Are you sure you’re in the right place?”
“No, I don’t think so.” Lynx replied and shook her head “I wasn’t going here at all. What is this place?”
Rusalka El Telefono Publico
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10 mos ago
_Far over....the misty mountains cold. To dungeons deep and caverns old. We must away...ere break of day. To seek the pale..forgotten gold. The pines were roaring on the height. The winds were moaning through in night. The fire was red, it flaming spread. The trees like torches...blazed with light._
Softly the brutish woman sang to herself, her sword slung over her shoulders in such a careless manner and her coarse, iron armor clanking and clattering with each stride of her muscular calves as a joyous and jovial smile crossed her lips. Ahh...the sweet scent of the city, such a pleasing allurement as it crossed her nose, bringing with it the many smells, the pungent, smoky flavor of freshly cooked meats and fish upon a crackling fire of pine and spruce wood, the heart-warming aroma of baked breads and sweets and confectioneries, cinnamon buns drizzled with a yummy vanilla icing or fresh tarts made with the bounty of the Earth Mother, the sweetest of fruits like strawberries from the Faelands or pomegranates and apples. Then, noises flowed through her ears. Not the natural sounds of the forest like meadowlarks chirping in the tall trees or a brook of fresh melted snow trickling through the jagged rocks of the mountains, like she was used to. No, it was the voices of the merchants and the fish mongers shouting their typical banter of, “Fresh salmon, straight from the fjords! Salted haddock filets anyone? Only five pieces of gold! Aye! You there, sir! You look like you could use a nice mud crab for dinner!” But the more familiar of sound of the city was the telltale clank of a hammer striking searing hot iron against a rusty anvil. *KLANK! KLANK!* Twas the sound the warrior was hoping to hear.
**"Aye! Old man!"** Her voice, feminine yet with a gruffness, carried with her regional dialect through the bustle of the market and fell onto the lowly blacksmith's ears, a dwarf perhaps...or maybe Talaran just towered over him, a typical trait of the Dunenmer people. "What can I do for ye, lass?" He returned setting down his hammer against his anvil and dusting the metal shavings off his thick leather apron. Talaran, with one arm she lifted her heavy sword off her shoulders and set it down carefully against the anvil, **"Me sword needs sharpening. Can't wait either. I must be on me way to Drevak's Hollow."** The man nodded stroking his stringy and peppery gray beard, "Aye, I've heard the rumors. Apparently a nasty wyvern has taken refuge in them old caves. Been terrorizing the farmers and eating their livestock. Tell me lass, ye a monster hunter?" Talaran chuckled, **"Perhaps. I take whatever job I can get, as long as it pays good coin."** "Aye, so yer a sellsword." Replied the blacksmith. "Well, ye'll need a sword sharp enough to carve into them scales, I'll tell ye that, lass. Let me see here..." Quietly Talaran awaited as he examined the sword. "By Tha'agorn! This sword....it's Dunenmer! I've never seen such amazing craftsmanship." She chuckled heartily at his amazement, **"Indeed it is, me friend, forged by one of the finest blacksmiths in the mountains, Harken Greywulf."** Her father to be exact, one of the most revered of blacksmiths in the land. His steel twas far more legendary than his name. Even the Elven Empire of Sardisiat to the east hailed Harken’s steel as the best….at least until they discovered rare mythril and began forging weapons of their own. Since...there hasn't been much business as of late...and the fires of Harken's forge...and his heart....soon grew cold with the coming frostfall of Icy Aureim... Talaran could only pray that her father find safe refuge amidst the warmth of Tha'agorn's forge in High Altia.
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Red Wizard Crimson Conjurer
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4 hrs ago
“This” Henna said and gestured to the room as if presenting a great play, “Is Giulias House of Leisure. Or, rather, it’s a whore-house.”
The trollkin improvised a smile, but didn’t think it would do anything to help the elf. She found herself strangely excited, somehow. Might’ve been because the girl was the first person she’d spoken to in about a week. Henna looked her over, haggling with herself in her head, and finally came to a conclusion.
“So you didn’t mean to go here in the first place, but you ended up here anyway, and now you’re shivering like a drowning cat on my doorstep. Can’t have that. How about you come up to my room, get some warm clothes and some dinner? It’s on me.”
Rusalka El Telefono Publico
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10 mos ago
After he was done sharpening her blade against the grindstone, the dwarven smith once more dusted off his apron of shavings and handed over Talaran's weapon looking good as new. "There ye are, lass." He proclaimed with a hearty chortle while stroking a few bits of steel from his beard. "She may feel light as a feather, but I assure you I've tempered the steel till it's hard as dragon scales." Talaran smiled lightly and gave the blade a few swings, making sure not to harm any as she did so before sheathing the heavy sword behind her back, her expression noting her satisfaction with the way it whistled through the air with each cut. **"Aye. A fine job you did indeed, good sir."** She said in gratitude while fishing a few coins from her leather purse at her side. **"How much do I owe ye?"** "Awww not much, lass. A few pieces should cover it." Humbly the smith replied. Nevertheless, Talaran placed in his calloused, rugged hands a generous sum of gold, plenty to go around what with the traveling she's done and it seemed to her the lowly smith needed it more than she did. "Ahhh....The gods bless ye heart, kind lass. Me wife and me boy will surely appreciate this too."
**"Ah tis nothing, friend. May Tha'agorn bless ye forge as well, and thank ye for the work ye've done to me sword. I should have no trouble carving that wyvern's head off now."** And with a fond farewell, Talaran carried on her way through the city, until coming across...quite the foul odor that choked away the pleasant scents of the market. _The slums. Better keep me eyes peeled._ A nefarious place of nefarious people and dealings oh so. In a matter of seconds, some damn sneak thief could rush up and have his hands on her wallet and a knife at her back. Bah! But the fool would be quartered before he even laid a grubby finger on her hard earned gold. Yet the Dunenmer woman remained alert scanning about the dark alleyways and the crevasses between the unshapely structures, before mozeying into one of these buildings herself in need of a good drink after such a long journey.
It was...well...not an inn, that was for sure, but an abode brimming with libidinous pleasures, such a place a woman was never to be seen lest she be servicing the men's fancies, both their thirst...and their _hunger_. Strolling into the house of desires, Talaran was rather set back by the eyes upon her, such lovely eyes to the woman belonging to such lovely bodies as beautiful as the Ice Goddess herself. Taking her sword from behind her back, she sat it at the door and removed her helm, immediately her snow white hair flowing over her rusted pauldrons and down her backside in silky strands and her eyes, blue as ice, glistening amidst the warm glow of a crackling hearth. She took her seat at the bar and sure enough, a smooth and sultry voice fell upon her ears in a cat's purr, "My my....you're quite the handsome face. Can I get you anything , darling?" Talaran turned to face her, the [lovely wench](http://www.templates.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/dark-elf-queen-by-artur-grzegorczyn.jpg) (SNAKE NOT INCLUDED), clad in nothing but scraps, the poor soul, yet scraps the warrior wouldn't mind seeing....fall to the floor. **"Mead, me fair lass."** She replied with a warm smile crossing her parched lips. **"I hear talk in this town it's the sweetest mead ever."** "Why yes, as sweet as the kiss of a fair maiden." Charmingly the wench purred, a bit of redness finding its way to the warrior's cheeks. Must've been the heat off the hearth.
Alamantus That guy you knew
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8 mos ago
Zeetah approached the dismal inn, noticing a sign on the door that read "`NO WHORES`", wondering what the story behind that message could be. He pushed the door open and saw a dusty, mostly-empty tavern lit only by the fading gray sunlight. He imagined it would be quite cozy if the candles were all lit and if there were more than just the couple of fizzled-out drunks scattered about.
"Oy! The 'ell you doin' [*burp*] 'ere, froggy?" one of the drunks slurred, "We don' wan' yer kine here!" making to stand, but plopping right back where he had been, muttering "Yeh filthy slime." Zeetah decided he would steal something from him on his way to his room to return his rudeness and walked to the book-headed body sitting on a stool behind the counter.
"'Scuse me, uh," Zeetah paused to assess what the body was wearing (a full-length dress with long sleeves and an apron), "Miss?" He waited a few seconds, but the body ignored him. He cleared his throat and spoke a little bit louder, "Miss?"
The woman threw the book down, revealing a round, frustrated face that shouted, "I heard you! You don't have to shout!" before stopping, surprised to see the frog face flinching in response. "Oh! I'm sorry, what are you doing here? I mean..." she shook her head to correct herself, "Can I help you?"
Zeetah composed himself, clearing his throat again, and said, "Yeah... I was hoping I could get a room for the night?"
The woman eyed him, noting his soaking wet clothes and lack of a coin purse. "Hmm..." She pulled up a little board with writing on it, examining it carefully, "Yeah sure. For your kind, it's 15 gold coins."
Zeetah wasn't sure why he hadn't realized it would cost money to stay at an inn. "Oh, right, well..." He rubbed his neck, looking around, "I don't quite have money right now, so..."
"Well you won't be getting a free room here! So get lost," she burst, swiping her book back up and resuming her read, muttering, "Don't even let family stay for free."
Zeetah stood there, dejected, staring at the book (the cover read "The Lonely Warrior") for a few moments before turning around, grabbing the coin purse off the rude man's belt as he left without anyone noticing. It was then that he noticed the heavy traffic in one building, its windows glowing as if on fire and steam rising out of the door as it opened, in the otherwise empty dirt streets. Hoping he could at least warm up, he headed there instead, not noticing the sign swinging above the door, "`Giulia's`", written in swirly script.
Rusalka El Telefono Publico
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10 mos ago
**"...and so after I tore the bastard's head off, there I was standing stark naked in the snow with only me helmet and a horse's jawbone. About that time, Halfdir, the king's boy had arrived with reinforcements. Ye shoulda seen the look on their faces! Poor lads! I bet they were happy to see me!"** Rowdily the woman chortled setting down her half filled tankard, her cheeks indeed a rosy complexion and her voice slightly slurred as she swayed about like a pine caught in the roaring winds of the mountains. There she had gone again, taking more than she needed, but it was just as the lovely wench said, the mead...it was indeed as sweet as the lips of a beauty, perhaps as sweet as the beauty she beheld next to her. Curled in her lap with her arm wrapped around the warrior, the lass giggled at her drunken ramblings and batted her eyelashes ever temptingly to Talaran, that voice of hers ever lulling as she mused cheerily, "Oh my, that's quite the tale, darling. I...honestly I don't know what I would do in that situation."
Talaran smirked, even drunk she still had her charm and her zeal, **"Well I'm sure I'd know what I'd do, lass."** "Mhmmm...so you're one of _those_ kind of women, are you?" The wench purred all the more needily, nuzzling her a little with her lips gently brushing her neck. "Perhaps you wouldn't mind going somewhere a bit more....private?" Talaran looked to her, a smarmy grin crossing her lips. **"I never thought you'd ask, my fair lady. Lead the way."** But as they stood, a ruffian of sorts pulled the wench from her by her arm, the hale hard and stale on his breath, his teeth a sickly yellow as he burped, "Now hold on 'ere, lassie! I paid good money for this slag! Ye ain't takin' 'er nowhere!" Talaran clenched her fists to her side, standing firm, though she still wobbled a bit, and looking the bastard dead in his eyes with a return, **"I think ye better get yer hands off that woman, lad. I ain't takin' 'er nowhere but away from some mangy dog like ye."** The man tossed the wench aside, his eyes flaring like the fires of the abyss as he glared at the warrior woman. "An' ye tink ye can take 'er from me, cunt?" Inebriated he guffawed. "What are ye gonna do wi' 'er, hah? Knit li'l tea cozies? Or maybe...may ye wanna tip 'er velvet."
**"Well...I'm sure she'd much rather be in me bed than yer filthy cot ye bastard!"** And with that he charged at her snarling and foaming at the mouth as a rabid wolverine. He lunged at her as fast as the drunk could, but it wasn't fast enough. Even drunk, Talaran could hold her own, and it was proven when she ducked under the man's fist and sent her own crashing into his face. But he was on his feet again and a cruel blow he gave to the woman this time, right in the gut. She grunted and took the fist into her hard abdomen and retaliated with yet another fist to the face and an brutal jab of her elbow into his throat.
Thrashy smashy-splashy
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8 yrs ago
"How about you come up to my room, get some warm clothes and some dinner? It’s on me." The woman said, to Lynxs great surprise. Other people might've suspected foul play but she had a kind heart and wanted to trust people. She smiled and nodded.
"Yes, I'd like that very much!" she said.
Tex shifted about behind the curtains of his small stage impatiently, more than once taking peeks out from behind the veil. It had never crossed his mind to check with the relevant authorities for the regulations and fees associated with suddenly occupying a section of the town for a performance. He hadn't even rented the stage; it was merely one of his conjurations. His ears drooped as he inwardly hoped that the magic wouldn't fail again. The stage had disappeared beneath his feet during his last venture. He was so embarrassed by that travesty that he had relocated to the opposite side of the city, Owlsbrook, for his next whack at it.
From his brief glances, he had noticed the turnout this time around was somewhat larger than his last crowd, which didn't help assuage his anxieties. But what had drawn even more of them this time around? Was it the fancy illusionary sign that hovered above the venue, declaring "Come See: Tex Errant, Magician Extraordinaire"? Were the denizens of this section of the city just more fascinated by magic and other such novelties? He could not know for sure, but if it paid off, a larger audience was, of course, better. More pockets and pouches to empty out was never a bad thing.
Once the swarm of observers had swollen to a size he deemed ideal and he had steeled his nerves, he readied himself. He shifted the curtains aside with a whispered incantation, and with that, his show began. He wandered out to the front of the stage, a broad grin displayed. "Ladies, gentlemen, children, and all, welcome. I am, of course, Tex Errant." He gave an exaggerated bow. When he rose again, he clapped his hands. A colourful puff of smoke enveloped him and the stage was suddenly shrouded in darkness. This drew some concerned but intrigued sounds from his audience. With a creaking sound, a miniature sun rolled along the back wall of the stage, shedding away the darkness, revealing a clear blue sky spread across the backdrop. As the stage was once again illuminated, it was revealed that the top surface of the stage platform had been replaced with a small body of water. Floating in its center was an equally small boat. Standing inside of it was the disproportionately large Tex, who was scanning left and right with a hand extended to shield his eyes from the sun. Amused murmurs escaped the crowd.
"Ahhh yes. The ocean!" Tex enthusiastically began. "Adventure, romance, freedom. These are the words it conjures in my mind." He continued, turning to face the audience. He suddenly extended an index finger in front of him. "But, it also makes me think of the countless tales of the legendary Captain Aldous and his equally legendary vessel, the Parsimonious."
"But where would he be today, after all, without his crew?" As he listed off the central characters in his story he was about to regale them with, he conjured illusions of each before them. "No-Luck Nathaniel, who, despite his appellation, was quite lucky... to leave the grips of a mighty kraken with at least two of his limbs still in place. Cory the Incorrigible, the irrepressible pest, who is nonetheless possessed of an innate insight when it comes to matters pertaining to all manners of seabird. Luscious Lucy, whose... characteristics it just wouldn't be right to tell you all today, what with kids in the audience." At that last character, he grinned sheepishly, then continued.
However, midway through his next character introduction, he was abruptly cut off by a sudden commotion. Several guards were parting the crowd as they charged towards the stage and Tex. "There's that damn cat again!" One cried. "You've got a lot of nerve! We told you before that you need a permit!" Tex stumbled about with surprise and terror, rocking his boat about wildly. As the illusory water splashed up at his ankles, he squeaked with fright, his tail curling between his legs. As they were just about to climb onto the stage, he drew the curtains shut. The stage suddenly shrank and vanished in a flash of light. Tex had evaded his irritated pursuers once again. His crowd had lingered, just to see what all the fuss was about, but with no Tex and no show, they lost interest and thereafter dispersed. Tex wasn't having a particularly grand time in Areapolis so far, it appeared.
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Red Wizard Crimson Conjurer
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4 hrs ago
“Alright” Henna said and pointed at the bar behind her with her thumb, “You stay here and I’ll get us something to eat. Back in a minute.”
That went surprisingly quick and smooth. In Hennas experience, people usually didn’t trust that quick. Especially not towards trollkin. Then again, if you’d been swimming at random in the river, which Henna assumed the elf had been doing, and ended up far from where you’d intended, which Henna assumed the elf had done, you’d probably be pretty glad to hear a stranger offer you clothes and food. Especially happy if it was for free. Made Henna wonder why she was doing it, this wasn’t really her style. But she needed the company, needed to talk to someone who didn’t spit on her for being born a trollkin, or tried to get into her breeches cheaply because of the same reason.
Reaching the bar, she signaled to Burna, the great big bastard of a barkeeper, that she wanted to plates of whatever. Luckily for her, Burna had a little crush on her and usually gave her food for free. Turning around to look at the guests around her, Henna found herself catching a staggering human man who stumbled into her. She pushed him off her, and watched as he was knocked out cold by a savage right hook from a big armored woman. She felt something hit her face, and then her foot, and looked down to see what it was. A tooth. Not one of hers, luckily. The beaten mans, then. Touching her face and looking at her fingertips, she saw blood. She closed her eyes and shivered slightly. Disgusting.
Rusalka El Telefono Publico
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10 mos ago
"Yah! Hit 'er again Maevus!"
"Teach the bloody slang a *hic* lesson!"
How typical of them all to be on his side, all shouting derogatory and slanderous remarks towards the armored woman, but not a single damned one she could understand as they were all nothing but drunkenly slurred. Nevertheless, no matter how much they egged on their inebriated companion Maevus, he was about to be down for the count. Talaran's fists continued to bash his face into a bloody, bruised mess of red and purple, his rotten teeth flying to and fro from his busted mouth and blood pouring from his nose a crimson river. Finally, the man tried to deliver one final blow, but Talaran being the more superior fighter,she dove under his swing and gave her final blow right into his battered face with a sickening crack of his jaw in two.
Soon, he fell before her like a downed cedar with a heavy thud against the floor. "That'll learn ye....ye smelly bastard." Talaran breathed harsh and cracked her nose back in place with a pained grunt, wiping his filthy blood off her face and sitting down. A shame, the fight must've scared off that beauty she was wooing a moment ago. Oh well, the thrill of a good brawl made up for it.
Rusalka El Telefono Publico
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10 mos ago
((Fucking internet))
With a loud popping sound and lightning flash, Tex suddenly rematerialized in an alleyway. He wasn't too picky about his destination, with his only concern being the escape. However, he found that he was a few feet above the ground when he reentered the physical realm. Tex fell face first against the stones below him with a dull thwack. His hat joined him shortly after as it gradually drifted to ground next to him.
With a grunt he pried himself up out of the dust and glanced around. To his dismay, he wasn't the only occupant of the alley. Deeper in were a couple doing... something. Too poor to afford a room, or perhaps fans of unusual scenery, he figured. This was the extent of his consideration of the scene as he hastily scrambled to his feet, snatched his hat, and made his second escape of the hour.
As he emerged onto the street, he examined the front of this establishment random chance had dropped him at the side of. He tugged his hat back onto his head with both hands as a sigh escaped him, his gaze fixed on the sign before the building. "Giulias House of Leisure." A brothel. Lovely. He brushed the dirt off himself and shook his head. What a day.
As he spun about to head on his way, his keen hearing detected quite a commotion within, reinvigorating his attention. He shifted up against the wall as he began to eavesdrop.
Alamantus That guy you knew
Member
Seen
8 mos ago
A thud in the alleyway startled Zeetah, who stopped short of opening the door. He leaned back to see what could have made the noise only to see a man... no, not a man, a... Cat? Zeetah had never seen a cat-man before, and his curiosity overwhelmed him as he walked toward the cat-man, head unconsciously cocked to the side and mouth slightly agape.
"Uh... Excuse me. Hi! I'm sorry, but... Oh my, I'm so sorry to ask like this, but... Sir, what... are you?"
Suddenly Zeetah flipped extravagantly away from the building to avoid the loud crash and shatter of glass as a bloodied shell of a man flew out the window and plopped onto the ground, unmoving.
Tex blinked, then froze as his eyes drew in the visage of what was to him an equally unfamiliar creature. He was so focused on him that he merely sidestepped out of the path of the man who had been sent hurtling through the glass. His eyes widened at the impressive maneuvers the frog had taken to evade the downed man. His stare was only broken for a brief moment as he checked himself over for any glass that may have embedded in him. Fortunately, it had not, so back to the frog creature his attention went.
He shook his head and finally spoke. "Only slight amounts of offense taken!" He chuckled. "I mean, after all, there are oh so many weird and wonderful things that wander this world, and I can hardly expect you to have seen 'em all." He said as he drew closer. "I'm Tex. Wizard, wanderer, magically fashioned cat-man, performer, philanthropist, visionary, possibly wanted by the city watch for things I -swear- I didn't know about at the time, and all around not particularly thrilled today, really."
He rubbed his chin as he regarded the frog again, leaning back on a heel. "Now, as for what -you- are, I can tell you right now: fascinatingly skilled. I've not seen anything move quite like you since... ever, really."
Alamantus That guy you knew
Member
Seen
8 mos ago
"Ah, it's nothing. But I guess it is something for someone who hasn't been raised as an acrobat!" Zeetah corrected himself, muttering "Gotta remember not everyone's an acrobat, Zeet, come on," under his breath.
"So what brings you to the slums? I don't really know what this place is, but it's warm and crowded. But," he paused, looking down at the man, "now I'm not sure I want to be in there... Hey, you think this guy's got any money?" Zeetah crouched down over the unconscious man, checking his pockets but ultimately finding nothing.
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