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    1. Astarael42 11 yrs ago
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well im back if anyone is still here; been in a cabin in the backwoods for a month. Really nice to have internet again. I posted in case we are still going. If not so be it.
Edgar listened to Crow with growing impatience. The creature was too flighty in general, but now things were worse. He looked around and about and clacked and shuffled and hopped and in general drove Edgar a little crazy. He finally shut his eyes so he wouldn't have to look at Crow; sadly it did nothing for listening to his speech or hearing him hop about in the tree. Edgar didn't blame Crow; things were all askew in the Tangle now, but that didn't stop him from wincing. It only got worse when the Lily added on. Edgar felt this way about most things that flew, they had no solidity or grounding. Their speech, their thought patterns, even their movement was, to him, too unsettled to actually accomplish anything. Lily was a prime example, flying about like a maniac and ranting at a woman who likely didn't give a mouse fart about the Farie's righteous indignation.

“Yes lets all squabble like human children. That always proves effective.” he grumbled to no one in particular and then proceeded to pay no attention to whatever else was being said.

He walked around talking absently to the small pebble on his shoulder as he did so. For those who couldn't hear the rock reply it was a very odd sort of conversation...

“Yes I can see that for myself”
“Of course I can see it's not there, what do you think we are here to do?”
“No, Others are missing too.”

He walked around Gobblydegook a little more looking closer at her and the ground around and then peering intently into the cavity that once held her heart. Indeed he held his eye so close it was a wonder he could actually see anything inside. He suddenly grabbed his stone staff in both hands, lifted it over his head, and swung it hard toward Gobbldygook, looking for all the world like he intended to shatter the petrified queen. He stopped a hair's breadth away and shook his head.

“Well if that had been true that should have done it.”
“No I can't”
“Well take a look for yourself!”

His tone had gotten more and more annoyed and irritated he picked the pebble up and set it on the lip of the hole, looking for all the world like he was holding the pebble there so it could see too.

He suddenly turned towards Lily and Leaza interrupting them before Leaza could respond to the little fairie's tirade.

“Shut up!” he snapped. “I can barely hear George speak, and that is quite a feat since he's talking directly into my mind.”

He snapped around on his heel to look at the others, a lecture already forming on the tip of his tongue.

“It is stupid not to suspect someone because you don't want to suspect them, and it is stupid to suspect someone just because you don't like them. Anyone here could be the culprit, particularly me since few can understand the stone. And even I can't fully imagine what it would be like to have the power to meld another with stone, I suppose I would try to meld myself first since I'm the only one who really enjoys talking with the rock these days. Of course if any one of you bothered to listen it's not a difficult feat to understand the rock around you. At least not for anyone who has a brain not made of feathers and air. You live in a world of stone, above beside and below you, yet you cannot be bothered to learn about it or how it lives with you. There is so much understanding to be had if anyone would bothered to work for it. But just like the youth these days no one wants to put for the effort. You don't even care who you damage as you clump about, you break rocks willy-nilly when they are in your way to carve the damn tunnels when a simple request and the rocks would likely move out of your way. You track dirt over everything like it doesn't have any feelings, you might as well pour raw sewage on a person, see how they enjoy it. Nobody cares for the stone these days, wouldn't surprise me one bit if soon the stone does not care for you.”

He stopped abruptly and realized he had been going off on a tangent lecture.

“Bah, I forgot what I was going to say.”

He started to stomp off and then turned back and grabbed George from the cavity in Gobblydegook's chest. He didn't want to leave his friend behind. It was that movement that reminded him of what he wanted to ask.

“We shall of course go speak with Blue Hare and Jackdaw, and in the most expedient manner. But I wonder....tell me Crow...is it at all possible that the queen's heart simply ran off?” He pointed at the hole in the ground as he asked. “You have mentioned what you have seen, what about what you haven't seen? Namely is there such a similar lack of dirt and earth below the other petrified denizens?”
sorry for the delay. I'm hoping to get a post up before I leave again however trying to get everything ready to go (will be traveling three months) and should at least have wifi most of the time traveling.
waiting to hear back on a new potential member. Will give him a few more days before moving on. I will be traveling for 3 months however -should- have wifi to keep posting more regularly than before.
When they first got to the city Brisa was overwhelmed. The tiny village of Twiddledale was long in her past and even Loudwater, huge by her standards, would be a pauper's town compared to Baulder's Gate.

Fortunately the letter given her by the mage on the boat had served as an introduction to a wizard named Hector, he lived in town who offered to take Brisa as an apprentice. Unfortunately Brisa knew she would need to make some money too, she couldn't leave it to the two boys to provide for them, they needed everything they could get and were stuck in town for the whole winter. Hector helped her get a proper job scribing for the city's clerks.

The hustle and bustle of a major port quickly grew to be routine, Brisa still didn't like large crowds of people but she had come to wall part of herself off so she could endure it. She had even been nervous settling in above the brothel but she quickly discovered that most of those who worked there were just someones daughter, sister, mother, etc...they were people just like everyone else and they were so helpful it was impossible not to respond in kind.

The boys often did repairs, heavy lifting, moving, security work, and the like for the brothel. Brisa took a different role. Thanks to the letter of introduction the mage had given her, she had quickly found work as a scribe, a rather elite and prestigious line of work. It paid well even though it was very tedious and boring. She was however able to make a decent living and work as an unpaid apprentice to the wizard.

From her first pay day she had taken some of her own money and purchased parchment, ink, and quills and her first project was to offer her services to the prostitutes. For many of them it was the first chance they had to send a letter to family and friends outside the town. Scribes were expensive and money could be put to better use, Brisa's offer was well received and she herself was surprised about how happy they were to get messages out. In fact she made it a point once every 10-day to ask if anyone needed scribing.

Her days were pretty routine; wake up early, head to the Scribe's office, work till well past midday, then head to to Hector's for wizard lessons, finally when the sun was setting walk home stopping by the market often to pick up some kind of fresh food to enhance their dinner.

She often found when she was walking home that it felt like she was being watched. It was an unnerving feeling. Her stops by the market helped her disappear into the crowd, she wasn't sure why but whomever or whatever was following her never seemed to follow her through the market.

She wanted to mention it to one of the boys but she was afraid they would think her silly and jumping at shadows. It became a daily thing and she was always tense when she came home, though unless someone was looking close they never would see it. She had become very good an concealing her emotions in this hectic city she didn't want people to know more about her than she could help. She finally told Hector who didn't believe her completely but he did offer to teach her a few self defense moves.

"A mage must always be ready to run, but sometimes we can't run" he always told her. She hadn't the physical strength that her two male companions had but she was fast and limber and she learned to use it. She only learned 5 moves, two with a staff, the rest just with bare hands, but Hector drilled them into her, adding them to her daily routine, making her practice every day, till they were instinct. She still couldn't hold her own in a face to face fight but the constant training meant they were as effective as an experienced fighter, she could react instantly and likely get away to either run or cast a spell.

She disliked the small space they lived in, it got crowded quickly and even though they had sort of come to a “personal space” agreement with each of the children having their own cot/sleeping space they were still almost on top of one another. The brothel had a large courtyard for cooking and even a massive washtub for laundry but it was always cold and the weather was getting colder by the day. Brisa tried to study out there, bundled up and looking like a giant pile of furs, but it was difficult. A new spell, taught to her by Hector, changed all that. The “warm” cantrip was perfect acting as if she was dressed in the warmest furs, and combined with her “firefinger” she could get a wonderful fire started in the cook pit in any weather. She was soon spending all her free time in the cook yard, cooking their meals, practicing her few fighting moves as a form of meditation, or studying her spells or the other books she had.

Today she was in a great mood, even the strange presence that constantly followed her around town couldn't get her down. Spring wasn't far away now and soon the first ships would be heading to Chult. She had purchased a bunch of fresh hot sausage pies for dinner for the three of them. Most importantly had finally perfected her first personally created spell, Camouflage, having tweaked it a bit with Hector's help. She was hoping one of the boys would allow her to test it on them when they came back, she just didn't know how to ask. She never could figure out how they really felt about having magic done on them.
Back now. Soon as I get into the swing of things I'll get a post up. We did have fun; answering the geek and nerd call (harry potter, marvel comics, history, and biology adventures).
a long or complex reply is not needed but if anyone wants their character to make any suggestions, requirements, requests, want to add your 2 cents, want to request investigating a specific incident important to you (want to research your best friends murder or something) want to walk away, now is the time.
Adam sat in silence as the others entered and made their selections. He didn't even notice Ren place another croissant on his plate, this one stuffed with some sort of melted cheese and bacon mixture. It was really quite good, he would have to remember to compliment the cook on it.

“Adam” will do just fine he said with a nod at Lucie's query. “I do not feel anymore a female than you might feel a feline.” He paused and looked Lucie up and down and considered her background and her skill set. “Well maybe that wasn't the best comparison. I do hope I haven't kept you from something important” he said with a grand gesture at Lucie's clothing “it appears you were on your way out. I would endeavor to be brief but I'm not sure what I wish to discuss actually qualifies as brief.”

He looked over at Ren who was still standing and obviously uncomfortable. It would take time for him to get used to his new role but Adam didn't want him to start out by feeling out of place. He wanted to make it clear to Ren, as well as the others, that Ren was a valid and welcome part of this.

“Please take some food and join us Ren” he said genially “this involves you as well. And since we have all gathered I might as well just start at the beginning.” He paused for a moment trying to figure out where exactly the beginning was but also to give everyone time to eat a few bites and get comfortable.

“Ever since my parents disappeared I have taken on the task of running the society. My father excelled at this. He also had my mother to help him. I, on the other hand, find the unending minute that never seems to really matter to be somewhat restricting. While I may not want to always be in the trenches, so to speak, I like having the complex puzzles to work with, it's where my skills lie after all. To this end Ren will be taking up much of the day to day tasks of keeping up the society; he was already doing much of it anyway and he has an excellent rapport with our staff who are far more important to the running of the society than most think. It also means he is the first to hear any gossip, problems, issues, or concerns that may arise. He has an natural gift for knowing what is important and what isn't.”

Adam wasn't looking at Ren as he spoke but the larger manservant was blushing and doing his best to melt into the chair in which he was sitting. Adam continued without pausing.

“While I was recovering with our encounter with the Lady Isabeau several issues piled up that needed more in-depth attention. Two were very simple matters that I could send other members out to handle. But two others remain that are not simple, or normal. It is these, plus our recent experience with Lady Isabeau, that lead me to believe maybe we need a few members dedicated to handling...well...I'm not sure what to call them...paranormal mysteries. The police certainly can't address these issues. For those of you gathered here, Ren included, it is clear you can face down such oddities, investigate without being distracted by what is impossible, and in short solve what others are ill equipped to deal with. I'm hoping all of you will be willing to join me in the formation of a select group of members who act as, well, detectives, for lack of a better word. Handling cases and issues that step outside of the realm of the norm. In time other qualified individuals may join us and we may request assistance from other society members for certain things but I'd like to establish a core group of trusted and reliable members.”

“Before I go any further or elaborate on the two cases that caught my attention I would await your thoughts. It would not require anyone to accept this job withing the society. I suspect danger will be prevalent and often encountered. I will also financially compensate you for your work. Risking your life and sanity is not something to be taken lightly and while I hope you will agree I would also hope you take a moment to consider what it will mean.”
@mokley I've got one of those vacations I mentioned coming up; this week I'm racing to get ready for it so I may not get to post till its all done (back June 8). Please just drag ECG along if you don't mind? I hope to post during my trip; I'm traveling with people who want to be settled in the hotel by 530pm at the absolute latest which leaves lots of time for me to be bored but I'm not promising anything because I'm just traveling with a small pack and not sure I can take the laptop.
If I have time today I'll be adding a post. I am making the assumption that everyone is "along for the ride" so to speak unless I'm specifically told otherwise. If I can't get it up today then I'll do it next Monday. As it's quite late I guess that's pretty likely.
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