Current
I just can't. This is too much. Berserk was so influential on so many things that I love. Goodbye, Miura. You'll be missed by many.
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4 yrs ago
Migraines ew
5 yrs ago
Welp apparently discord servers are having some pretty bad Latency issues.
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5 yrs ago
Well I just got my mitts on the Links Awakening remake. Excus eme while I disappear for a weak while I relive my childhood
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5 yrs ago
Migraine killed me today. Posts tomorrow.
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Bio
Hello! Welcome to my little bio.
Not much to say, really. Just a horror game protag that likes writing and playing vidya games when I'm not being chased by the cosmic forces of darkness. (I'm a security guard that works night shifts usually).
Thalia stood, adjusting her guitar slightly on her shoulder.
"Well, might as well then." Thalia said with a grunt. "Doesn't look like this place is going to start getting up to anything fun any time soon except some noise, maybe." She sighed, stretching and walking past Scylla, taking the rest of her fries with her. Really, if a fight broke out and it directly got in her way, she'd help, but...otherwise? She had Scylla to make sure didn't get upset or up to anything funky, and she wasn't about to stick her neck out for some randoms, either. "Head back and start practicing for tonight...unless there was something you wanted to do, 'Zerker." She asked her servant, not expecting her to say anything to the contrary.
Neffy was...honestly a little bewildered they didn't want her to scout ahead. That's what she was good at. Besides, how exactly was she supposed to effectively do things otherwise? Sure...the guy in armor could protect them, but at the same time, wasn't it her job to make it easier on them by giving them both intel and taking out anything she could, quietly? Or was...that just something she thought she was doing to help. Or were they just wanting her not to get hurt? Tch, she could handle herself. She had no issues with defending herself and doing things quietly, out of sight.
Neffy pulled her hood over her head a bit tighter. Whatever the case was, it made her slightly irritated to not be able to use her skills effectively like this.
A creaking sound puled her attention to a hole in the wall of a monastery.
"...undead!"
Neffy shouted from her position near the rear. Tch, see, if she had been let to scout ahead a bit, she could have effectively taken our or reduced their number, or helped set up more of an ambush! Well, whatever. She wasn't going to focus on that. She was going to focus on the creatures in front of her. There didn't seem to be an easy way to flank them, and now that they had already been seen sneaking in seemed out of the question.
Neffy would brandish her blade, the sparkling ornamental object light in her hands. Silently, she'd bring the blade to bear, running a hand over its length as she felt magical energy run through its blade. A simple, but at least hopefully practical and effective spell as water in the shape of a blade would launch itself towards one of the skeletons.
“Flowers…?” Lazhira grimaced. “Ah...those...they might be the white flowers that grow around the temple - they are really, really, toxic. Even touching one can put someone down for days. It can kill in seconds if it gets in your bloodstream...” She frowned. “If they’re using that, then they’ve probably coated their weapons and arrows in it.” She rubbed her arm in an uncertain manner. “...Poison probably wouldn’t hurt me, so I could probably help with that at least...but it’d be a death sentence for you two...” Questions on why it wouldn’t affect her aside, Lazhira would look towards Narkissa. It was a good plan, really. Why walk right into a trap? But at the same time, she shook her head.
“I don’t...know if there’s a secondary exit. I still feel like this place is weird somehow, but I can’t quite put my finger on it...” She turned towards Novak. “I doubt they would be that...rash. Enli might not have much power, but the people do like him and not everyone would agree with something like that.” Still, if they were to stick with their plan of looking for an alternative, they would be pleased to find their other guest had left. The only sign of them being here was the mannequin left behind, with a rather comical sign tied to it labeled ‘Out for dinner, back in five.’
The main worship hall seemed to have no other doors leading out as far as they could tell, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t. Maybe with a little looking around they would find some sort of secret exit or something. The only other unexplored place was the door from before that was still blocked by old furniture. Donning the mask seemed to reveal nothing immediately new, either.
“....haaa, really? You’ll not find me being generous agaaaain!” Mie replied back, words slurring slightly. “Well, whatever...don’t come askin’ again.” She’d watch Misaki leave, frowning a bit. She really was a mysterious little fox, wasn’t she? She didn’t press the issue, holding out a hand as a quiet figure placed her pipe in it. She would bring the pipe to her lips, inhaling quietly before speaking. “What do you make of her, Ayumi?”
“E-eh? My opinion? She seems weird. And the black-haired one...she seems...similar to the Oni?” A voice replied, as the dark clothed figure would kneel beside Mie, just out of sight behind her. “Uhm...but that aside, didn’t you have a meeting with one of those travelers?”
“Ah,” Mie stopped in her tracks, stumbling over her feet slightly. “...I suppose I did, didn’t I? Hmm, and he’s not here...”
“I shall bring him.”
“Ha, yes, yes, do so. He might have gotten involved with whatever is happening here. Make sure to tell anyone else that I’m not having any more visitors this evening.” The fox would walk off, towards her tent. So many things happening. Ah, she really wanted to leave before things escalated...
The beach was calm, gentle waves rolling against the shoreline. Most fishermen had already tied their boats to the makeshift docks, or pulled them aground some distance ways into the beach so they wouldn’t drift off. It was really a rather picturesque scene, the setting sun sinking over the horizon, only a bit of light left in the day for the moment. Thankfully, the tide was low, allowing the fox girl to use the sand fairly easily to draw her plans with.
"Excuse me."
Of course, her thoughts were to be interrupted by someone they may have seen around before, hovering around Mie's entourage. She would bow lightly in greeting. "Apologies for interrupting your thoughts." She would glance towards the drawings in the sand Misaki had been drawing. She would frown a moment, before shifting her expression back towards Misaki. "I am Haruno, one of Lady Mie's retainers. If It is not too much trouble, may I speak with you? Of course, I understand if you do not wish to converse with one such as I and if so I shall quietly make my leave."
Sorcha looked at the map Isidore offered, eyes scanning it as she spoke.
“Unfortunately, I am not very familiar with the dwarves of this mountain.” Sorcha replied. “But I know their culture, at least. They are a culture with...a fair emphasis on castes, typically divided into four distinct ones. You have the Rulers and their families, followed by the Scholars and Warriors, then the craftsmen, and then everyone else...” She looked up from the map, turning to Augusta.
“Firebeard is the captain of the Ice Guard. That is, the dwarves sole unit meant for scouting and fighting on the surface, and in charge of guarding the gates and other important caverns from the outside. They’re fairly respected, so I’ve heard.” She would sigh, placing a hand on leuca’s shoulder who was understandably uncomfortable with this information. “I can’t say for certain if he’s the leader or not...or why a Dwarf would want Leuca, but...” She frowned, looking briefly down at the small elf. “I have some ideas, which is why I would ask for the continued help of the two of you. I’ll be busy in the coming days, but the two of you...you can investigate in my stead while I keep my eyes and ears upon the palace. I suspect this is also what the queen wishes to speak with you at length about.”
Of course, it wasn’t any of their business, really, to get involved in these sorts of politics but they likely had already been grouped with Sorcha and Leuca on their way in.
At first Enli didn’t appear to be there, but soon the older gentleman would walk into the main hall from a nearby one, likely one where some food was being made judging from the smell of it. A few more people were also inside, too. He greeted Nicholas warmly.
“Ah, Nicholas...yes, I met with the two of them already. They’ve already informed me of what happened. I must prepare to meet with the Kyrnith tomorrow. I can not let this opportunity go to waste...but a Sage? I suppose you mean the Sage of the Moon, or Urumna, as those of the mountain call them. What do you want to know?” He would say, taking a hand to take the stone and inspect it, if Nicholas let him. “Truthfully, the Sage is a rather...enigmatic figure, to us. All we have is a name from some of our ancestors - Chaenelith, and that they were beloved by the moon. The Second Moon in the night sky represents their position in the heavens, accompanying Delpithi across the heavens as her attendant. I can’t say much more than that, but they are said to be able to twist fate and luck to someone's favor.” He would pause. “I can’t say I know much about the stone you hold, but if it has some connection to Chaenelith...hm...”
He would rub his chin in thought.
“Perhaps you should visit that obelisk outside the village at night and try praying? Its always held a strong connection to the Moon and Sea. I apologize for not being more help - Chaenelith is not known for desiring to be involved in affairs of others and was said to make efforts to prevent themselves from even being known. Forgive me for asking, but why do you want to know of them? It’s rare any will seek the Sage, let alone possess something with some connection to them.”
The hunters that had been placed under his watch, would collectively hesitate for a moment, before they would react in affirmation The group seemed to react positively to his speech at least. Unbeknownst to Malphas, such things had already been going on - the worshippers may be simple hunters, but the Illuminator themselves was one to do such things, and regularly encouraged his own followers to do so.
He could tell at least, that his words had made them believe in what he said, and in turn, him, even a little. They could fight and handle themselves even a little bit better now. So he would leave, the hunters behind him, encouraged by his words into the forest and towards the temple.
But...it seemed as though there might have been a small problem. Even before he approached the temple and the other hunters who had been hiding, there was no sign of the party they were supposed to be ambushing coming out.The hunters had set themselves up in several positions. One was by the templer entrance, and another had taken a perch in a tree, bow at the ready while the others were laying in wait to engage from the ground.
Curiously, through the mist, Malphas could make out the retreating form of a person in dirty rags, moving behind the temple. He could at least recognize it in his memories as someone he had seen before...wait, the hag from last night? What was she doing here?
“...The hunters.” Lazhira replied with a glance towards Narkissa. “He probably meant the hunters. Most of them still do, I think.” She frowned, glancing back towards where the God was still hanging about as she listened to Narkissa’s suggestion. It was a good suggestion, but she didn’t want to cause a scene with the hunters...though it was also likely too late to find some way to just sneak out. “That’s...sort of why I didn’t hang around when they approached us when you guys first arrived. I can’t be sure who is or isn’t, or if...” Her voice trailed off, frowning.
But a plan had been set, and it was an easy enough to follow. The trek back to the temples entrance was easy enough. The creature using the skull as a home seemed to have left them alone, and as far as he could tell was gone completely, having vanished somewhere else into the temple. Once they arrived at the pit, though, Lazhira would pause.
“Uhm...h-hey, you may want to use that mask if you’re going up. It...may help.” Lazhira suggested. Maybe she knew more about it than she was letting on again, but he probably didn’t have the luxury to ask her about it. It would take little effort to climb up the rope, and Novak would find the temple area above exactly as they left it. Remnants of the battle with the slimes were left, black slimy oil stuck to the floor with bones of various humanoids left on the ground where it died.
But his own eyes could perceive nothing out of the ordinary.
Should he elect to do as Lazhira said, however, and don the mask again, things would be a slight bit different. While there were no people to be seen, as the black and white monochrome color of the masks sight would cover his vision, he’d notice a faint shimmer of an arrow stuck in the floor near the entrance of the temple. A small silvery white line would slowly meander its way from the hole to the door, where it would abruptly stop. Likewise, a float mask with disembodied hands would be attempting to grab a mark similar to the one on Lazhira’s arm.
Upon the floor were flowers of a similar color, growing from the floor and dripping with some thick, viscous liquid.
What exactly it meant, was difficult to discern - but if this mask had shown him something that happened in this temple, then perhaps it could show him something that could potentially happen? But how exactly would he determine what it meant? Either way, it was likely something was waiting up there to ambush them.
“Ink? Paper?” Mie took a sip of the clearly alcoholic beverage at her side. “Hmm...If you mean the bamboo slips I use to write my inventory on then yes, but...they’re not really for sale.” The fox would inform Misaki. “I’m surprised you have knowledge of it. Its something those human’s came up with to help repel evil and empower their magics...I only learned of it after...well, lets say a trade deal in my favor, fufu.” She chuckled. “They’re quite protective of it. I usually keep it under lock and key. I could run a profit on it, but eh, more useful to myself than to sell to these people. I take it you need some of it?”
Mie would fix Misaki with a grin.
“Alright, alright, over here.” She’d hop off the table, leading Misaki away from the main tent that was quickly emptying of people as the Oni put away the wares for the night. Once leaving through the back of the tent, Mie would lead her to what was obviously a storehouse for various goods she’d sell. Rather than paper, it seemed as though she was more referring to strips of bamboo that had been dried, and then preserved in a method fit for writing on. They were stored in large stacks, locked in a chest away from the elements.
She’d take a few and hand them to Misaki to inspect.
“And...before you ask how much, I wasn’t really planning on selling any. Truthfully, I doubt you have the monetary compensation to pay me in any fashion.” Mie continued with a sigh. “...but well, I’ll consider it a gift from one fox to another. Its rare I meet someone from my homeland out here, even rarer one of my kin that is on friendly terms with me. I suppose they’ve all forgotten little ol’ me, how distressing, ha~” She’d idly comment with a light chuckle. “Take a few slips if you want, but if you want more, well, I can only be so generous.”
“I see my guests are blessed with tongues of nectar and sharp wit...and possessing quite the odd custom.” The Queen smiled, she would tentatively take Isidore's hand. Her grip was as one might expect of her appearance - far from firm in any since of the word, leaving one to wonder if they were even holding anything to start with. As she released Isidore's hand, her gaze slowly turned towards Leuca. “I am glad to see you have arrived mostly unharmed. Sorcha has told me of what happened...though I fear it was more than a simple raiding party.” Some of the guards seemed less than amused with Augusta’s words, though all kept their tongue to themselves.
“A-ah? W-what do you mean, your majesty?” Leuca questioned, frowning as she considered the words. Sorcha would place a hand on Leuca’s shoulder gently squeezing it.
“In time, child. I’m sure you are all exhausted from the trek from sea, to mountain, to the earth. We can discuss things more in depth one you’ve all had a rest. There is still time for that, at least. First, another introduction.” She would motion to the male next to her. “This, is my son. Nesherit. He will be your guide while you stay here. If there is anything you need, please, he will be more than happy to assist.” The rather youthful looking male would take a few steps forward towards the group. He appeared much similar to the other Shadow Elves, grey colored skin with white hair, and eyes of blue. His tight fitting top covered only his chest, and a pair of elbow length gloves adorned his hands, though they left his palms and the tips of his fingers uncovered.
“I...yes, I am Prince Nesherit of Gloomhollow.” Nesherit would reply slowly. “Mother has deemed me to be your...guide, at the palace and the city should you have need of it.” He didn’t look particularly happy about this.
“Nesherit, be a little more kind.”
“S-sorry, I just wasn’t expecting to do...this,” He motioned vaguely towards the group. “today.”
“Yes yes, but mingling with something other than books or your studies will do you some good, child. Maybe learn some eloquence from Augusta.”
“Tch...I...yes, I suppose I could do that.”
“My sons' distaste for socialization aside, allow me to get on with one of the reasons you are here, little Leuca.”
“R-right...I was told I was going to be learning history and magic from, uhm, Rullphana? I think.”
“That is correct. And in turn we would learn bladework and about your histories from you and Sorcha. It is a...small step forward, but an overall welcome one even if the King was rather...forceful about it. That man has no sense of discretion...” She’d straighten her posture, waving a hand at the group. “That will be all for now, travelers. Unless you have further questions for me, Nesherit will show you to your rooms. I will have Rullphana come fetch you tomorrow after you’ve had sufficient rest. And I’ll have someone bring you a change of clothes too, Leuca.”
“A-ah, right! Okay. I’ll be glad to get out of these...”
“I expect you to inform the group of what we discussed, Storm-Bearer.”
“Of course your majesty.”
“...Right, erm, well, if you would follow me...” Nesherit would say. The Prince would lead the group to a trio of rooms that had been seemingly just set aside from them - Sorcha and Leuca in one, Isidore in another, and Augusta in another. The rooms were mostly the same, luxurious carpet covering a stone floor, the lighting being handled by bioluminescent mushrooms. The beds were made of the finest materials they seemed to be able to make, with little plants and other growths covering the interior, between the cracks in the stone though it seemed more intentional.
Once Nesherit had led them to their individual rooms and any questions had been asked, Sorcha would pull everyone aside, into hers and Leucas room assuming there was nothing left or needed of the prince. The Prince would leave the moment he was no longer needed, muttering something under his breath and heading back to what seemed to be the throne room.
Once she was sure they were alone, Sorcha would turn to the group.
“...it seems the Apostles may not have just been there looking for trouble from someone.” Sorcha would begin, once everyone had been settled in the room. “Her majesty has informed me that there is a certain faction in Gloomhollow and the dwarven city that seeks to do Leuca harm, though what and who neither of us can say for certain, and at the moment we have a single lead - Firebeard.”
“Hmm...no objections from me, then.” The hunter said with a nod. “Fine. I’ll go with the first group, and make sure to see if I can split her off from the others. You’ll come in with the second after. I’d say don’t take any longer than five minutes, but I’ll leave when to you.” And with that, the hunter would walk off, motioning for Malphas to follow. A number of hunters had been gathered inside this temple.
“The general plan is this. I take five. You take five.” He’d say, taking a spear from one that was offered by another hunter. “Don’t be afraid to get a little rough - as long as she’s alive we’ll be happy.” He would then offer Malphas a mask, unlike the ones in the old temple, these were smooth, made of wood, but had eye holes for use. “Do what you want with these five. We’ll go ahead and get into position. Don’t make us wait.” This left Malphas with only a little time, but perhaps he could say something to these five hunters that may...motivate them a bit more.
Meanwhile, the hunter would already leave with five, for the temple and get themselves into position.
"...or maybe not." Thalia watched the proceedings with a mild bit of interest. Honestly, she was hoping for some sort of fight to break out, but from the looks of it, seemed like things were just going to go on business as usual. Didn't stop her from overhearing some things, though. Something about some dumbass using bombs to attack someone? Not any of her business as of now as far as she was concerned. Still, the explosion did add a certain charm to the fast food place, what with the rubble, people being injured.
Maybe she should take a picture for some particularly edgy album cover or something?
Hm. Hmhm~
She hummed lightly to herself as she looked back towards Scylla.
"Haaa, good job being a tease." Thalia harrumphed. "And I was ready to break out the heavy riffs, tch. Hey, you almost done or are you gonna start eating the table?" Maybe she should just start playing anyways...
Perhaps it was because Nem built their temples underground, Neffy herself found nothing out of the ordinary about the structure being potentially built as such. The thought did cross her mind that the Juyuem don't normally build things like this, but her thoughts soon turned to undead and the potential bad things that might be living in some abandoned, underground temple. And of course, this made the Nem stick to the back of the group initially.
"...dark..."
Neffy inhaled slightly. Well, Corrine set about creating some sort of mage light but Neffy couldn't help but to want the darkness. Better cover, less chance of being seen. She could see more or less...well enough. All she had to do was listen and make certain she wasn't going to bump into anything.
"...should I scout ahead for anything?" Neffy questioned the group quietly.
“Presumption of innocence? Sounds like something that old hag would come up with. Law this. Innocence that. Urgh, it makes my head hurt with the illogicalness of it all.” The robed woman turned towards Novak. “But a deal is a deal. Fine then. Find the orb, and bring it to me. And make sure you don’t let that one near it when you do.”
Lazhira said nothing, though her expression was one of worry and mild distress - she obviously didn’t take too kindly to this agreement.
“And...just so we’re aware, human.” A chuckle. “No one. No one, breaks a deal with me. I always collect, deceive me and I’ll make that head of yours emptier than you made it yourself.” The God would find the mannequin it had been dancing with, and pull it back into an embrace. “Now go on, leave. Get to work, before my friend here gets hungry. We wouldn’t want that.”
Seemed like the God's patience for conversation may have run out, now. Might be best to leave, unless they had an especially pertinent question.
“Do be careful though on the way out...the foolishness of mortals can’t always comprehend the words of a God and may act...rashly.” And with that ominous little farewell, the woman began resuming her dance with the mannequin.
Depending on where Misaki would attempt going, results may be slightly different. The Herbalist would be gracious enough to allow her to store anything she found there, and also discuss at length anything that the scholar might have in question. She however, did not seem to know what bamboo was. A brief discussion later though, she would mention there was indeed, a plant that may be similar in composition. She'd have to go a bit of the ways into the forest to find it, somewhat back towards where the Kyrnith's little shrine was. A tall plant with a hollow inside, that grew fairly tall. The locals called them 'Windcatchers' for the fact they often grew above most other plants and had leafy tops that would indeed 'catch the wind'.
Perhaps not quite exactly 'bamboo' but it seemed like a decent thing to check locally. She also would tell Misaki she was free to use the shop if she needed it for something.
A friendly old lady, it seemed.
Mie would prove a bit more useful in that area if she decided to go. It wouldn’t be hard to find her. The Oni were currently starting to pack up the wares for storage during the night, and Mie was lounging on a table. A pipe in one hand and a bowl of alcohol in another.
“Ah...Misaki, huh. Sorry, shop’s closed for the evenin’. You want anything else come back tomorrow.” She’d say with a relaxed tone. “You wanna join me for a drink though? I'm not gonna bite or steal your coinpurse, promise.”
Isidore and Leuca would be the first to arrive back to the front of the palace. Sorcha was already waiting on them by the time they would arrive. Most of the Shadow elves were giving her a rather wide berth, if any walked past. It was difficult to tell from her usual serious expression, but she seemed somewhat troubled, though upon noticing Leuca her expression would soften slightly.
“Sorcha!”
The young Sirithen would run over, greeting the blond haired human with a hug again.
“I wasn’t gone for that long.” Sorcha chuckled, patting the elves head with a loving hand.
“Ehe, well no, but I still like seeing you.”
“Well, anyways...Isidore. I trust you had no trouble with the locales?” She asked, scrunching her nose lightly. “...were you drinking? With...Leuca?”
“Oh, uhm, no I didn’t drink anything if that’s what you were thinking. We just went to a tavern. There were some really friendly dwarves.”
“Uh-huh. Well if Leuca says that...thank you for looking after her again, Isidore.” Sorcha would focus her attention off Isidore and Leuca, her eyes drawn towards Augusta, who was just now walking up as well in a stark contrast of garb that was distinctly more locally sourced.
A flowing blue and gold dress, with a starry pattern made of lighter colors inlaid near the breast of the dress. An overall fairly simple piece, designed more for everyday use than anything fancy or flashy. It was also a slight bit heavier than perhaps it looked, if only because it was made with a bit of extra padding and thickness. It wouldn’t be protecting against any direct blows, but as long as she paid attention she could easily avoid most direct injuries.
Item received: Protective Dress Created by a Shadow Elf tailor, this bit of design work while simple, is still fairly impressive and will at least offer some protection against injury as long as one is careful not to take direct blows.
“And you’ve...gotten a change of dress, I see. Somehow, I think shadow Elf attire fits you better...” Sorcha mused quietly as she’d look over the dress. “Anyways, now that you’re both here...I’ve spoke to the queen and informed her of what has happened. You’ll be meeting her, so make sure to be on your best behavior.” Sorcha would say, motioning them to follow. Of course, they could still backout now if they wished. They were not obligated to follow through with meeting the Queen.
Supposing they did, however…
The path to the palace was lined with a number of guards, stoically guarding their charge wordlessly. A pair would open the large metal doors as they walked up the stairs, allowing the group to pass inside unimpeded. The interior of the palace was well...it was quite unlike anything they’d have seen on earth.
Upon entering they were greeted with a large reception hall, made of smoothed, polished stone that would cause their steps to echo across the chamber. Large planters and gardens decorated most of this particular entrance, the bioluminescence of which seemed to serve as the source of most lightning. A source of water flowed from somewhere overhead, flowing through channels above the floor before falling into a pool towards the only path forward - where Sorcha would soon lead them. The Throne room.
The first that would draw their eye, was likely the throne itself. Rather than a stone and built chair, it seemed to be made out of a large, living mushroom that had somehow been grown to make itself in the shape of a throne. The mushroom grew from the floor, twisting high into the ceiling so that it would act a large, natural source of light, bathing the entire room in an almost ethereal blue glow. A waterfall fell from some distance above, the water split by a rock and flowing into two separate streams which fell into trenches along the edge of the room, flowing into some underground place likely to be used elsewhere within the palace.
The room was overall, shaped like a large hallway. The smooth stone floor beneath them would give way to a plush carpet of a purple hue, but otherwise the throne room was rather bare save for the numerous guards that lined the hall at every door and that flanked her majesty.
“The Shadow Throne greets you, cousin from the forests and those that are blessed by the moon.”
The Queen in question had taken to stand the moment they approached. She was...well, not quite like any of the other Shadow Elves at all - a blue hue to her skin, with long pointed ears jutting from either side of her head. Much taller than they were, with a slender, almost fey and otherworldly physique. Long white hair fell from her head, tied neatly into a series of braids. She was dressed in a simple, but elegant and regal sleeveless black dress with a crescent moon emblazoned on it. Curiously, stars seemed to have been sewn into the dress, but they seemed to only shimmer occasionally with blue light. Upon her head was a regal looking silver crown, flowing as the waves and inlaid with sapphires.
“The one blessed by storms has informed me of what has happened - and on behalf of Gloomhollow, I, Queen Vasserasa welcome you.” She would regard Augusta with a small smile, almost seeming amused by something.
You should turn the moons cleverness elsewhere, Augusta, but perhaps if you wish to learn...impress me.
…
Probably would be a bad idea to attempt looking where she shouldn’t be here. Or maybe not - the queen seemed amused by the eye.
“I’m sure you are tired, so I shall keep things brief. The Storm Bearer has already informed me of you...but it would please me to have you introduce yourselves.” Curiously standing not far away from the queen was a rather effeminate male elf dressed in a rather tight fitting sleeveless top that showed off his navel. He had dark hair, and the usual greyish hue of the other shadow elves. Currently he seemed to be trying to not be seen.
Builder and a Traveler @PaulHaynek “Dunno,” Mie replied rather tiredly. “But he followed a hunter out...maybe he had business with them?” She swiped the stone from his hand, running her fingers over its smooth surface a handful of times. She frowned slightly, but for the most part didn’t seem too interested. “All I can tell you its probably not from around here. I’ve seen similar stones in some mines in Chagawa occasionally, though. Not valuable at all.” She would pause at the mention of a ‘sage’ however, and furrow her brow.
“Only sage I know is one that supposedly visited Chagawa once in the past, but the Guardian Beasts wanted nothing to do with them so forbid them from entering. I’ve heard the Dwarves and Shadow Elves have some Sage they revere, though.” She would glance over her shoulder to Haruno, who was currently directing some Oni to clean up their mess that they had made while drinking a bit too much. “And if you’ll excuse me, I need to start closing up shop. You wanna know more about that sage, maybe try asking Enli. I hear they’re pretty connected to the Moon Goddess.”
She would walk out to the main tent, climb on a table, pour herself a bowl of alcohol and pull a pipe from her cloak and proceed to light it with a long, drawn out relaxed sigh. Apparently by ‘closing up shop’ she meant ‘watch her workers do it while she gets drunk’.
“Hmph, I told Soyala you were useless.” The man gruffly replied. “I don’t know why we don’t just force feed you this poison ourselves. I’m sure the illuminator would make a delightful sculpture out of your corpse.” He sighed, pulling out a knife and starting to idly consider Malphas’ words.
“Ambush huh...now’s probably the best time if that’s what we want.” He continued. “We’ve collected enough for now to use in that fashion, the plants are too difficult to find.” He smirked, giving Malphas a mildly hostile look. “But if you want an ambush...it’ll be you leading us. Put that confidence where your mouth is, outsider and maybe you’ll earn my respect.”
The transition from curiosity to hostility was interesting. Isidore noted the glances and glares, but did not regard them either. There were hooligans in any society, eager to pick a fight at a moment’s notice. He’d know. He used to be one of them. Now though? No point in establishing any sort of pecking order; Leuca’s reputation would take a hit if one of her ‘escorts’ ended up killing any self-righteous Gloomhaven civilian.
If need be, Isidore would wait until he was alone to handle this.
His gait and posture relaxed by the time they reached the Rusty Ale Lake, at home as he was with the grayer parts of society. Despite the Dirithen gates being closed, there were plenty of Dirithen folk here, showing at least that there was some interbreeding between the two races. It made sense, perhaps, that two allied communities would have people over on both sides. Whether some of these Dirithen were allies or not of Firebeard was a point of concern, but not anything to think too hard of. Rather, Isidore was more interested in sitting down on a proper chair. Avoiding the larger table, where some sort of event seemed to be happening, he brought Leuca to one farther away instead, with a good view of the lake.
And with a sigh that almost made him sound old, Isidore enjoyed the feeling of having his back supported by well-crafted furniture. “I wonder,” he said, as he looked for a menu or a sign that detailed meal pricing, “what do your kind eat, Leuca?”
Leuca would stay close to Isidore, content to not stray to far. At least in this place it seemed like most of the elves weren’t bothering to bother anyone, and the dwarves seemed amicable enough themselves. She would sit across from Isidore, tilting her head at his question.
“Meat, normally. A lot of our food is derived from the large birds that inhabit the area.” Leuca replied with a glance at the patrons. They were being awfully lively...it almost reminded her of the training halls. “They’re the Kin of a rather...difficult Elder Beast that live in the forest. Aside from that there’s the Fellberries, Dusk fruit, and other fruit that the Fey grow in their gardens...but we’re not normally allowed to enter there. Are you...curious?”
There didn’t seem to be a menu, but a lively dwarf strolled up to the table dressed in casual clothing.
“Elf...and human, eh! Quite a rare sight here, aren’tcha? Lookin’ for food and drink? I take it you got no idea what food we got here?”
“Hm, the Fey protect you from retaliation?” Isidore asked, leaning back. Though it had healed afterwards, that monolithic deer had still been the deadliest creature he had encountered, its wisdom and intelligence molded by constructs foreign to himself. “And yes, I am. To enjoy proper cuisine is…”
He trailed off at the approach of the waiter, smiling slightly towards them. “None at all. Enlighten us, please.”
“Mhm...a bit, I suppose? I think...Uncle said its more...they tolerate us?” Leuca frowned. “Uhm...I’m not sure how much you know, but Elves were once created by the Fey to be their...protectors, but at some point during the Moonless Era, we sort of...lost that connection. N-not to mention a lot of the Fey were killed...” She shook her head. “And its not like the Elder Beast actively attempts harming us...uhm, I think Uncle put it like they don’t...see us? Most of the time we’re barely given any consideration by them...though I’ve heard sometimes humans worship them, and in turn the Elder beasts give them power and protection...but its flight paths often just causes huge torrents of wind and rain that can ravage the forest so we always have to be prepared for that - its the spawn that harm us. They scavenge food and bring it back to it when its nesting.”
“Well if you're looking’ for a good time, I’d say the Ale is a good place to start...though I think the kid probably couldn’t handle any.” He said with a chuckle. “Otherwise...hm, we got fresh cuts of meat from some cavern tortoises. Their flavour isn’t quite as rough as some other things, but its still got a bit of earthy smell once cooked. Covered in a bit of Blast Ant juice, it’s just as good as anything else! Also the Copper Bread, made right from the Copper Wheat we harvest from underground. No, its not actually copper - just the unique coloration it has from growing so close in the earth.” He would go on to list another number of dishes, from something involving a ‘Bat Mole’, more bread products involving different methods of preparing wheat. “And some Rusty Ale, human - named after its rough, metallic texture and flavor. I’d suggest it - it’ll wake ye right up.”
Not a protector, but rather the queen of a hive, hm? Isidore dwelled upon that knowledge briefly. It was good to know, that differences existed between Elder Beasts. Forest guardians may deserve some respect, but he didn’t need to worry about the feelings of a walking disaster. “Mm,” Isidore nodded. Further conversation would have to wait until after the order though. “A Bat Mole steak sounds interesting, alongside your Copper Bread and the Rusty Ale. One mug for now. As well, could you cook something up with this?” Popping open his pack, the dark-haired youth pulled out the meat that he had carved out from those centipedes earlier on in the day. “Would rather have it used than have it rot.”
He mulled something else over briefly, tapping a finger on the table. “Would you like something to drink, Leuca?”
“Oh...this!” The dwarf looked at the meat from the Crystal eater Isidore produced. “A Crystal eater! Ahah, not exactly an every day foodstuff...hm, but I can have the chef make a few things out of it.”
“...mhm, I think I’ll just have some bread and...what is blast ant juice?”
“Ah? Little critters that run around in the tunnels here. Real nasty, but great excavators - they make a naturally corrosive substance they spit on things to soften the stone up. Mix it with a few other ingredients and it removes the acidity, to safe levels...but makes it incredibly ah, well, you’ll feel like yer breathin’ fire, lass.” He said with a chuckle.
“I-I see...okay, I’ll take the Cavern tortoise and the blast and then...uhm...” She looked over to Isidore. “Rusty ale sounds a bit...much, so I think I’ll just take some water.”
“Suit yourself. I’ll have the chef bring them out soon.”
“Blast ants but they melt instead, hm?” Isidore rested his chin on the back of his hand. Confused naming, for sure. “A question before you leave; what’s happening over there?”
“Ah, sorry-” He chuckled. “‘Blast’ since if you agitate them they have a tendency to ah...explode if improperly handled. Quite a nuisance when your diggin’ and come across a nest of theirs - better hope you can run faster than they start chasin’ ye. As for over there...” He said. “I believe one of our regulars is having a little...verbal debate with a patron. Someone claiming to be the best warrior-poet in all of the realm, haha!” He gave a hearty chuckle. “Interested, human? Better hope your wit is as sharp as those weapons of yours. He’s been getting free drinks all day from the fools who keep challenging him, haha!” He’d walk off with a lively gait.
“Hmm...this is an...odd place...” Leuca commented with curiosity. “We don’t really have any place like this...w-well, my uncle has servants that prepare food and such, but I don’t think we have some place just for...this…” She smiled. “Its lively though...almost reminds me of some sort of celebration, hehe!” She giggled.
A debate, hrm? Isidore tilted his head to the side slightly, wanting to catch a little bit about what was actually being said, but the mass of people crowding around the area made it clear that this wasn’t just an argument. Rap battle or poetry slam? With this crowd, he was inching towards the former, but one couldn’t discount the latter if they were going to give themselves fancy titles like ‘warrior-poet’. In the end, he just nodded.
“Suppose these are the places that you wouldn’t often come, hm? Would you like to check it out after our meal?” Isidore leaned back, content to just wait on the meal for now. “Is Sirithen entertainment’s much more subdued?”
“Well...not really subdued, I think?” Leuca replied. “We have our feasts and revelry as much as everyone else I assume? But its not really an every day thing. Its usually reserved for special times of the year, such as the day the Fey Queen graces us, the Winterbloom celebration, or after a particularly big hunt...” She frowned. “I don’t know...it’s awfully loud, but I’d love to maybe see what it is! Its part of the reason I’m here, to...learn more about the Shadow elves and the Dwarves.”
“Dirithen as well? Were you planning to head over to that community?” Would be questionable now, and it bothered him as well, that there were still no signs as to why Leuca was desired by Firebeard, other than just her position in Sirithen society. “I must ask. What’s the difference between using Urutha or Shadow Elf? Is Urutha based off a different language?”
“Hmm...I’m not entirely sure.” Leuca replied with a frown. “I think, if I remember right - they call themselves ‘Urutha’ as a sign of respect for the demon that taught them how to live and survive here. I think ‘Shadow Elf’ was named for us calling them ‘Those of the Shadow’ in our language - ones that fell from the favor of the Fey.”
“Alright, here ya go.” It hadn’t taken all that long for the dwarf to return to their table, carrying a plate of food that the pair had ordered. The Crystal eater meat from earlier had been seemed to be seared over an open fire and cut open. It seemed some form of cheese had been melted over the meat and lightly coated it and a number of spices had been cooked into it. Several slices of bronze colored bread had been set to the side. He would sat it down on Isidore’s side along with a mug of incredibly strong smelling alcohol.
On another plate was what seemed to be a small shell, and inside was the meat of what was obviously the ‘cavern tortoise’ that he had mentioned before. It had been cooked, slathered with some form of red liquid. A mug of water was sat next to Leuca as he placed it on her side of the table.
“Ya need anything else, just wave down a dwarf. We’re always welcome to help any newcomers here.”
“Thank you,” Isidore nodded once more, before taking the fork and knife. As he began to methodically divide the meat into multiple bite-sized cubes, he spoke, “So where do Dirithen and Sirithen come from? Also as respect for whatever helped you survive this ‘Moonless Era’?”
As he waited for an answer, he took a sip of the mug of Rusty Ale, just to see if he could handle it. No point in getting dead drunk, after all, not when he was still very much a stranger in unfamiliar lands.
The ‘Rusty’ ale as it was called, was certainly not something a normal man would be able to handle. It was strong, and the warm, faint metallic taste was probably something only a dwarf could enjoy completely, but he could probably handle a mug or two.
“W-well...Sirithen, the way Uncle tells it we were originally another form of elf - we were created by the Fey as their subjects. As a sort of...way to interact with this world more, since Fey are somewhat naturally distant. ‘Sirithen’ comes from...I think it was the ancient words for ‘Those of Descent’ - noting our descent from the ‘True Elves’ of old. As for Dirithen...I-I’m not sure, to be honest. That’s what they’ve always called themselves, and our languages are similar but I don’t really know why.”
Leuca took the knife, curiously cutting off a bit of the meat coated in that juice. Cautiously, she took a bite…
“Oh!” She would perk up, savoring the taste. “Oh this is...actually pretty good? Its...hot, really hot, but in a good way. Huh...”
“Similar to ‘Urutha’ too. But if the Sirithen were created by the Fey, how did the Urutha come to being?” Isidore mused, taking another sip of his drink. There was a curious tang to the drink, neither pleasant nor unpleasant. If it had coated his mouth, he’d have likened the ale to the taste of blood in one’s mouth after being punched, but it went down smoothly enough. He tried some of the meat as well, nodding along with the creamy tones of the rather mild cheese, which served as a wonderful accompaniment to the sharper taste of the seasonings used. It was hard to identify which they were, but there was an array of spice and salt that seemed to work out well for any meat-heavy dish. The meat itself was springy, compared to the chewiness of beef or the tenderness of pork; insect meat seemed to have a tougher, denser construction that the domesticated livestock Isidore had once been accustomed to eating. It didn’t blow his mind, to be sure, but compared to the rough food from three days past?
“Good.” The man nodded, then forked another cube and offered it to Leuca. “Try this.”
“Well, I think I said it before, but the Urutha were once the same as us.” Leuca replied. She would look at the meat offered to her for a moment and hesitantly lean forward, not bothering to take the fork and instead just eat it as Isidore offered.
“A-ah! This is...I don’t...know what this is. What is this?” She was talking about the cheese - they didn’t have that back in Talamn. Domesticating animals were not something they were particularly good at doing.
“A-ah, anyways...My uncle said that during the Moonless Era some of us were separated, or intentionally left the Fey’s protection. Some eventually found a demon of the old world, and it taught them how to alter themselves with magic in order to survive. Eventually the magic twisted them into...well, being Shadow Elves. H-he wouldn’t tell me what magic exactly it was, but apparently it had to do with souls.”
“It’s cheese,” Isidore said, appearing nonplussed by the way Leuca ate it. “Derived from milk. Like it?” He pushed his own plate over closer to hers, motioning her to take more if she wished. The dark-haired youth leaned back and sipped at the ale himself, furrowing his brow from the sharpness of the taste. Certainly wasn’t a drink that went down smoothly, but he could understand why some would drink this to wake up.
“You often bring up the Moonless Era, but what exactly is it?”
“You...don’t know?” Leuca replied with a small frown. “That’s...hm, I thought everyone knew of it? Its...a little complicated, and the Fey don’t like to speak about it much.” Leuca would eat more of the cheese from the meat. “From the stories I heard from my Uncle though, it was a time when the earth was barren, and the sky was nothing but a void of nothingness - when not a single star, moon, or sun, could be seen and terrible creatures roamed the land that devoured and hunted..well, everyone. It came to an end when the Goddess Delphithi drowned them in the seas - and created the moon and the Night sky, thus ending the Moonless Era. I don’t know how it began, but the Fey have mentioned that there was a world before that...that was some sort of utopia? Or something that they can never return to.”
“It’s dangerous to assume that everyone studies history,” Isidore responded with a small shrug. “This Goddess...is she known as the Storyteller as well?”
“Oh, uhm, yes. We don’t...really worship her, but I think uncle said that’s one of the many titles the humans have given her.”
“Hm…” So when divinity is a reality, religion is treated as history. A history that supersedes different cultures and races. Rather than worship, perhaps it could be considered as servitude. A ruler and their subjects, rather than a god and their acolytes. And these rulers, whether Fey or Divinity, came from a time before the Moonless Era. The question arose then. Isidore finished off the rest of his plate. “And how did the Moonless Era begin, when you’ve a utopia beforehand, and it could be ended by the efforts of a single deity?”
“I...I’m not sure?” Leuca frowned, furrowing her brow. “The Elves like myself don’t remember...a lot of history and legends from before then were lost. The Fey don’t like speaking of it.” Leuca would finish her plate, too. “I’m not sure why any deity would do that...Gods need some form of worship or acknowledgement to sustain their power.”
Isidore was sure why a deity, dependent on worship and acknowledgement, would do that. For the disadvantaged, flipping over the chess table was better than playing the losing side. But there was no need to mention that. With the Urutha, he’d have time to compare notes and see how homogeneous historical knowledge is between these two different cultures. For now though?
“Well, that’s enough history. If you’re done, Leuca, would you like to see what that warrior-poet’s all about, before we head back to find the others?”
“O-oh, sure definitely if you don’t mind. I’d be interested in seeing what this is about.” The elf would say, hopping up from her seat. She’d follow Isidore over to the carousing dwarves, though it was difficult to get through the crowd, though when they did they’d find quite the sight. A rather stout dwarf with what seemed to be some ornamental staff with a stone engraving of a book on one end, and the head of an axe on the other. He was wearing a robe colored in vibrant golds and blues, a long beard of black hair fell to his chest.
“True, your voice trembles earth and stone,” Standing not too far opposite of him was another dwarf, this one a bit less descript and seemed to be of a more commoner status with a bit of a more rotund physique. A full head of reddish brown hair, and a long beard tied into decorative braids. “But don’t make us groan, we both know the earth moves from fear, it can’t stand being near!”
“Well said, friend, but make no mistake, this isn’t some fearful quake. My words enthrall and enchant, while all you do is rant. If you’re going to play game, you’re gonna need more than just a loud voice, else the stone will just sleep with rejoice.” His opponent took, perhaps too long to respond in time, and seemed like it was fine for him to continue his little spiel. “Why the sudden quiet? I leave you speechless? All the same - your voice couldn’t stir the stone you were birthed on.” That in particular, seemed to earn a bit of a gasp, followed by a laugh from the crowd, which in turn seemed to name who the victor in this little verbal sparring session was.
Isidore couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. Freestyle, beatless rap battles where one only had enough space to shoot off a rhyming couplet? Certainly, more rough than diamond, compared to the extensive bars tossed by some of the more eloquent youngsters. But there was some potential there, and honestly, it was always a joy to see some kid from the streets clown on a private school fucko.
Having pushed their way to the front of the mass around them, Isidore nudged Leuca. “Ever learn poetry back in Tamaln?”
“Poetry…?” Leuca frowned. “Uhm, we have songs and such, but I don’t think we have something quite like this.” The dwarf that had won the apparent battle of eloquence and wits, had taken a mug of ale from a nearby table and took a long chug of it. “It was certainly something to hear, though! I’ll have to tell uncle about it.”
“And that my friends, is what you can learn from the stone-singers.” He gave a deep laugh, looking over to the crowd and noticing Leuca and Isidore. “Ah! We even have human and a Elf from the forests.” He would motion the pair over, the crowd starting to disperse, though a few would hang around the table he would soon take a seat at. “Well don’t be shy! Its not oft I get a chance to speak with one of the surface-folk.” Of course, they didn’t have to join the dwarf should either desire not too, and Leuca would probably go with Isidore whatever he decided.
“Consider it cultural exchange then,” Isidore said, before striding forward at the Dirithen’s behest. Pulling out a seat for Leuca before taking one for himself, the dark-haired youth set one arm of the table and leaned. “Call me Isidore. My companion here’s…” he waited a beat for the Sirithen to introduce herself. “Your display was certainly interesting. It went by another name in my own homeland, but stone-singing, you call it? This is a...tradition? Or something new?”
“Ah, uhm...Leuca. My name is Leuca.” The elf would walk over and take a seat where she was offered one.
“Warm greetings, Isidore, Leuca. Don’t mind the Shadows Elves too much, especially you little one.” He replied with a friendly, jovial grin. “They’re not so bad once you get them a bit drunk, haha! Otti Earth-song. And Stone Singing, my friend, is an art some dwarves such as myself learn. Its not just about singing, either. You have to hit just the right tone and pitch with your voice.” He leaned the staff in his hand against the wall, the bladed head against the ground while the end engraved with the book was sat against the wall. “We started doing it as a tradition some time after the Sage Urumna brought us here out of respect for them and the moon for bringing us to our current home. So what brings a human and a forest elf here, eh?”
Another origin story. Another instance of a single individual being responsible for the survival of an entire race. Could they have been similar to what he and Augusta were? Plucked out from another world by the Storyteller, for the purpose of saving lives? Isidore dwelled upon it briefly, but came to no solid beliefs or theories. “We’re travelling partners, with different ends. Though for Leuca’s end...well, you may find out of it later on today. You’re a Gloomhaven native?”
“Travelers eh? I bet you have stories to tell if you brave the wilderness above.” Otti chuckled. “But no, not from Gloomhaven. I’m from the Dwarvish city of Azurumnal some distance above here, you know, the biggest and probably safest civilization on the continent.” He chuckled.
“I think my uncle mentioned that...isn’t that where the Eye of Urumna is?”
“Ah, lass, you certainly have heard correctly. A gift from the sage - a stone colored as deep as the sea and as large as a giant that eternally generates water from nothing. They used it to turn these barren tunnels into a habitable dwelling...well, if you believe the stories entirely.”
“You’ve travelled a long way too then,” Isidore nodded. “Got a map?”
“A...map, eh?” The dwarf replied thoughtfully. “Hm, no, you grow up here you learn the main paths by heart fairly easily...OI! Anyone here got a map to Azurumnal!?” His deep voice bellowed above the din of the tavern, easily catching attention from most patrons. A few murmurs were heard, but eventually something was passed to him from another nearby dwarf. “Ah, here we are. A bit old from the looks of things and maybe not entirely complete but I think this should work.”
The paper in question was indeed weathered, and likely not the most accurate and only a handful of things labeled. Namely some areas labeled ‘Surface Routes’ and ‘Ancient Sea Caverns’. The main route towards the location though, was clear enough. A series of what was probably winding tunnels carved in an almost maze like fashion towards the city. A number of other sites were similarly labeled such as ‘Shadow Elf outposts’ a little further up and directly above or ‘Raider Docks’ much further away some distance up and likely near the sea if the markings were anything to go by.
“The main road itself is maintained well enough, and people travel on it daily.” Otti responded. “Aside from Stieneter occasionally collapsing a tunnel or the Crystal Eaters carving a new one, it should be safe enough to travel.”
Item Received: Map of the Under roads. A map detailing some routes used by the Dwarves and Shadow Elves to travel in their subterranean homes. Its not entirely complete, but it at least shows the routes to the two most notable settlements and several other places of note. Unless you travel off the paths, you probably won’t get lost.
“Kind of you,” Isidore said, glancing over the worn map before rolling it up and tucking it away into his pack. “Planning on staying around, Otti?”
“Aye, for a bit. Getting out of Azurumnal will do me some good.” He replied dismissively. “Besides, the forests and lake here make for great inspiration. Might practice my stone-singing. If you’re plannin’ on headin there though...I might suggest ye be a bit careful. Stieneter’s been acting’ real aggressive lately, and the scholars and craftsman are having one of their usual squabbles.”
“Gotta get Leuca to her friend soon, so I’ll be taking my leave here, but in case we don’t meet again…” Isidore turned towards the Sirithen. “Could you strike this beat for me?” He began to tap his hand against the table, two rapid strikes with his palm, followed by a heftier thump with a closed fist.
“Uhm...I suppose I could?” Leuca nodded. She would strike the table with her open palm twice, followed by as much of a hefty thump she could muster. “Uhm, there. Is that good?”
“Yes. Keep at it steadily.” Isidore closed his eyes, allowing the beat to seep into his mind. It was still amazing, upon reflection, how easily his thoughts came together, how well every synapse connected within his brain. Another gift, more brilliant than even this perfected body of his. Pushing away from the table, he rolled his head one direction, then the next, and winked at Leuca, placing his index finger before his lips. “No hard feelings, yes?”
Isidore’s hands spread out. His body swayed with the beat. And then…
“Call me…Isidore, Shadow Lord, demon slayer from the North. Limp ass rhymes can’t compare, mouth full o’ earth while I float on air. Reaper, rapper slaying bilaterally, axe or verse, ego larceny. Keep to caves, stick with ya shorties, don’t tread on my turf, lyrical rookies.”
He placed his hand over Leuca’s, stopping the beat and slowing the tempo of his own voice.
“But I suppose least one of you’s got brains n balls. Thank Otti, brothers, here’s inspiration for y’all.”
And bringing his fist up against his mouth, Isidore began to beatbox. The youth and energy of his body really must be doing something for him. This had been a pastime that he’d only shared with his daughter.
“E-eh? Isidore?!” Leuca was stunned for a moment as he broke out into rap, but quickly managed to compose herself and return to the rhythm she had been instructed to give. Otti, meanwhile, stared in stark disbelief and amusement as the human started spewing rhymes and beats he had never even heard of before. In fact, he was drawing quite a crowd from both the dwarvish and Shadow Elf patrons as the entire establishment hushed as this human started spewing lyrics and verses that’d have put most rookies to shame, and probably even give veterans a run for their money.
“...Ahaha!” Otti started laughing in obvious amusement, a deep, jovial laugh. “Well Isidore, you lyrical slayer, with talent like that you’re quite the player!”
“O-oh wow.” Leuca still couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Not that she minded, no, in fact this was...really, interesting. “Isidore, you have to teach me that sometime.” The crowd that had gathered was cheering now, and it seemed like he had made himself quite popular here, at least among the population of this tavern.
“Differing hoods got differing philosophies,” Isidore offered with a modest shrug. “Dirithens’ got steel, humans got odysseys.” He placed a hand against his heart, willing it to calm, before letting out a deep breath. “Well, I best leave before my lady friends get antsy. Between Sirithen, Dirithen, and human culture though, I’m sure we’ll get something interesting together if we’ve the time to sit down and think it through.”
With another nod towards the group, Isidore took Leuca by the hand and lead her out, paying the waiter on the way. “I’ll be happy to teach you. Just keep it a secret from the others.” Maybe the Rusty Ale was affecting him, or maybe it was the good food instead. There was certainly a curious lightness to his steps, one that he hadn’t felt since his first awakening in this strange world. No, not so strange after all. “I’ve still a reputation to keep amongst the ladies.” “Aye! I’d like to sit down more with ye any time, friend. I’ll probably be here for awhile yet, drop by some other time!” Otti called out as they left, waving them off with a chuckle and a wave of his hand. “Alright, which one of you rusty pieces of scrap metal can top whatever that was…!” Seemed like the tavern was at least, in store for a lively time for the evening.
“Haha, Isidore, I don’t think you should be talking like that.” Leuca replied with a giggle as she was led out of the tavern. “Hmm...maybe I could show it to the others back home. Maybe they’ll like it?” She would ponder, though she was glad to be out of there she had definitely enjoyed the experience and was going to tell her uncle about it as soon as she was able.
But for now, it was probably time to head back to where they had agreed to meet Sorcha. She probably wouldn’t take kindly to being made to wait considering the nature of their visit and the events that happened on the way here.
Nothing else happens at all here, nope, nothing else at all.
Augusta would Leave Rullphana, earning a small grumble from the Shadow Elf standing guard, but otherwise no words were said. Seemed like now that she had left from the company of the Court Mage, those who had seen quickly averted their gaze and would stop any sort of hostile gazes, only to curiously glance at this odd Sirithen...and her demonic pup. A bit more sightseeing was in order though, and it seemed as though this place had plenty to offer.
Curiosity would eventually lead her back towards the ‘main square’ as it was, and back down the way they had come, and she’d soon find herself standing in front of a rather large mushroom with a series of abodes and what seemed to be people working with various things - one seemed to be making pottery and other various small clay engravings. Another was what seemed to be a Tailor of some sort, and lastly was a...well, not an abode, but a energetic Shadow Elf youth that was currently...stealing a mushroom skewer.
Name: Raelzeth Vrelnir Race: Elf (Urutha) Physical Attributes: Weaker than you Magic Attributes: Greater than you Weakness: Those of the Shadow Elves typically possess no potent weaknesses other than what ails the flesh, though they do possess somewhat of an aversion to holy magics due to demonic influence in their histories. Abilities: Soul-Weaver Apprentice A magical trait unique to Shadow Elves, taught by the demon which took their wandering tribe in during the Moonless Era. Allows them to manipulate their souls...and the souls of others. Some consider this one of the greatest Taboos. Only the Goddess of Death has any perceived right to manipulate another’s soul. Stone Singer (lesser) Due to this Shadow Elf’s ancestry, she possesses a unique affinity for the Earth, able to quite literally ‘sing’ and resonate with it to sculpt and move it. A rare trait manifesting in only a few of those carrying dwarvish blood.
One of those of the Urutha Elves, one of the younger Elvish species. This one possesses unique ancestry, whose grandparent is one of the mountain dwelling Dirithen. She is feeling confident. She is perfectly healthy. She doesn’t know she’s being watched.
Augusta watched for a few seconds as she saw a young Shadow Elf girl stealing food. She got a rather quizzical look on her face before she decided to walk over and poke thr girl on the back of the head. "A capable looking girl resorting to this?" She said loud enough just she and the girl could hear her. The tailor was right there, but this girl seemed more interesting at the moment.
“Weh!?” The girl, would hop a few feet, making a rather defensive motion with her arm as she looked between Augusta, then towards the elf she had just stolen from, and then back to Augusta. “Dunno what you’re talkin’ about, I didn’t steal anything.”
“My, did I say anything about a cute girl stealing anything?” Augusta questioned, putting her hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh. She had a rather playful tone to her voice as she spoke. “Though, now that I look at it, I suppose you’re right. My, my.” She continued, as if disappointed with a daughter.
“Tch. What do you want, Sirithen? I got better things to do than be harassed by you.” She said with a huff.
“Did you steal somethin’ or not, brat?”
“Don’t matter if I did! I’m here to pick up something from Rullphana anyways.” She continued with a dismissive huff.
“Oh...you’re the Court Mage’s apprentice...”
“Heh, thats right!” She said with a confident huff. “I’m Raelzeth Vrelnir. And one of these days, I’m going to be a powerful sage! Later losers~!” And she would attempt to run past Augusta into the Tailors shop.
Augusta couldn’t help but give a big sigh as the girl barreled right past her. “So this was Rullphana’s actual apprentice.” She questioned while scratching her head lightly. Well, she was going into the tailor as well, though not because of Raelzeth.” Drooping her shoulders lightly, she walked into the tailor a little bit after the apprentice did. She wanted a quick run down on the Uruthra people’s fashion sense. “It still doesn’t feel real when all these people call me a Sirithen.” She mumbled to herself as she entered.
Upon entering the small abode, Augusta would be greeted by shelves full of fabrics, long flowing dresses of cooler colors, with only few more vibrant reds and greens mixed in. There didn’t seem to be much on display here, but these fabrics seemed to be high quality as far as she could tell. Not that she had long to ponder before a few voices reached her ears.
“Hmm...sorry Raely, Its not ready yet.”
“Haa? Still not? Rullphana isn’t gonna be happy about that.”
The other elf was a tall, if a bit heavier looking woman. Not unhealthily so, but definitely a bit more weight in some areas. Grey toned skin with a head of black hair tied neatly in a braid. The dress she was wearing was obviously one well made, and judging from her occupation, likely made herself. A fairly tight fitting dark blue dress inlaid with flowing gold-flower patterns that fell to her knees. Upon her feet were simple boots, and her hands were adorned with a few pieces of expensive looking jewelry.
“Earth Weaver-silk was already hard to get, and it seems even the hunters are having trouble finding any these days.”
“Tsk, man, at this rate she’s gonna make me get it myself...”
“Eeeh?~ I thought you’d love to go adventuring down to the demon ruins?~” Her voice was kind, if a bit teasing and airy.
“Geh-h-hey of course I would. Who wouldn’t! Perfect place to practice magic and all that, but...its a lot of...work, ahah~”
It wasn’t any of her problem, right? Augusta walked through the shop and looked at the fabrics and dresses. She was curious about how the fabrics felt so she lightly touched them as to try not disturbing them as much as she could. “What beautiful fabric.” She mentioned to herself as the two started to finish their bit of the conversation. Then she decided to speak up to them. “My, you really are Rullphana’s apprentice.” She mentioned as she got closer to the tailor and apprentice.
“What, didn’t believe me?” Rael replied with a click of her tongue. “Not that it matters much. She doesn’t even teach me anything these days.”
Name: Shesseri Illfa Race: Elf (Urutha) Physical Attributes: Weaker than you Magic Attributes: Weaker than you Weakness: Those of the Shadow Elves typically possess no potent weaknesses other than what ails the flesh, though they do possess somewhat of an aversion to holy magics due to demonic influence in their histories. Abilities: Soul-Weaver Artisan A magical trait unique to Shadow Elves, taught by the demon which took their wandering tribe in during the Moonless Era. Allows them to manipulate their souls...and the souls of others. Some consider this one of the greatest Taboos. Only the Goddess of Death has any perceived right to manipulate another’s soul. This particular elf has learned to artfully use it, and can weave souls as they were a thread and needle and can imbue fabric with special properties if she possesses a soul to weave them into.
One of those of the Urutha Elves, one of the younger Elvish species. Her name is Shesseri Illfa. She is distressed. Minor exhaustion.
“...My, my.” Shesseri would turn to Augusta, tilting her head to the side with a friendly, quizzical smile. “What’s an Elf like you doing down here? Dangerous to travel alone when you’re so pretty, too.” She giggled. “...ah, you’re not alone. You’ve got a big brave guard dog, don’t you?” Octavia yipped happily in acknowledgement. “Hehe, sorry though, I’m rather booked right now so if you wanted a fitting or for me to make something...you’ll have to wait.”
She was tempted to tease the apprentice, but she decided not to. Instead she gave a small awkward smile and paid attention to what the tailor said. Booked? “Oh, how disappointing. I rather fell in love with your clothes when I came in.” The look of disappointment was light as to not let the tailor feel bad. “Well, I suppose I don’t have money on my person anyhow… Perhaps I should have asked Rullphana for some pocket money…” The last part was spoken under her breath.
“Sorry, sorry, I know my talents are quite well known, but that’s just how it is.” She sighed, clicking her tongue in mild disappointment. Rael would take the opportunity to hop onto a nearby counter and start eating that mushroom skewer that she totally hadn’t stolen. “I’d rather not trouble you with it...but I can probably point you in the direction of someone who is just as skilled with fabrics.”
“Why don’t you just ask help from the Pale Hand already?” Rael asked.
“I have, but they keep telling me they’re just looking into it. Haa, I’m probably going to have to go find some myself, or ask Rullphana herself to do it...”
“The Pale Hand are what we call her majesty’s guards, by the way, Elf.” Rael mentioned towards Augusta.
"It's Augusta Aquilonia." The outsider said, tired of being referred to as Sirithen and other things. "And what are you looking for? I apologize for the unintentional eavesdropping but I overheard you speak of Earth Weaver-Silk? Is that perhaps it?"
It's such an issue that Rullphana wanted something made from it and the Royal Guard were asked to look into it? "Forgive my ignorance, but is it precious enough the Royal Guard would look into it?" She questioned, wondering what an Earth Weaver was. A giant underground silkworm or perhaps a spider?
“What kinda elf name is ‘Augusta’” Rael replied, munching on a mushroom. “You got human parents or something?”
“Earth-weavers...hm, suppose you wouldn’t have heard of them if you’re from Tamaln.” Shesseri replied. “A type of insect that lives in the tunnels beneath the city. Extremely strong and durable - and excellent for our soul-weaving arts.” She frowned. “Its less that its their business - and more that Rullphana is not someone they want to displease. I’m just a seamstress, after all, so venturing there to find rare materials isn’t exactly something I can do and Earth-weaver silk is quite popular.”
"I see." Augusta mentioned before thinking aloud. "Rullphana did not seem like someone you would want to irritate." Which was something she sure as hell did. "So what seems to be the problem? Are the Earth Weavers not producing any more?" She questioned.
“Ha, no, if it was that simple...” Shesseri said with a huff. “Rather, it seems something has been actively hunting them at an alarming rate, and causing them to make their nests deeper into the demon ruins below us...which well, as you can imagine, are quite dangerous.”
"That definitely sounds dangerous." Augusta agreed. "Hmm, I suppose I'm not going to get a dress from you in time with my audience with the queen. Well, I don't even have any money I suppose." She didn't even have a wallet to attempt counting some with. "An Earth Weaver-silk dress though. Sounds interesting. Maybe I should look into it." She mused with a small smile.
“W-wait. You have an audience with the queen?” Shesseri replied with a surprised expression. “A-are you some sort of envoy from Tamaln? I thought I heard rumors of the king sending one of his relatives here, but I thought they’d be younger.”
"Ahh, well, that's one misconception there. I'm not from Tamaln. We rescued the young girl that is." Augusta mentioned, not making a big deal of it. "The girl's guardian wanted us to inform the Queen of something. I was hoping not to go in front of her in a tattered dress but…" She shrugged. "I visited Rullphana by accident and met with her like this and she didn't seem off put by it."
“H-huh? You’re...not from Tamaln? But...then what are you? You’re not a Sirithen then?” The Tailor asked with a mildly troubled expression.
“Eh? Guardian? You wouldn’t happen to know a human in some weird black attire and a Sirithen that wanted a weapon twice her size, would ya?” Rael asked.
“T-that aside...no, your attire is perfectly acceptable? I thought you were some Sirithen or Fey lady seeking my tailoring talents more for personal interest.” She replied with a light hum. “Though...hm...I suppose if you do want something a bit more suitable I could do a small something, though it wouldn’t be anything special.”
"Let's just say I'm from a place further than Tamaln." Augusta started off, "Something to note since someone said my name was not common for an elf." She added quickly before moving on to the next point with Rael.
"Ah, yes. Those are the exact two." She mentioned with a smile. "Sorcha is very fierce… Mysterious, even." The elf was thinking about the practically empty status window that woman had. "And Leuca is absolutely adorable, I'd wish she were my little sister." She heaped praise on the small elf girl.
She turned her attention back to the tailor. "Many thanks for the praise. I won't say there is no personal interest, of course. These dresses are all quite beautiful and, though I've done what I can to hide some of the more egregious bits…" Augusta showed the spot where she had been stabbed just a couple of days ago. "It was a dangerous set of moments but I have a clever little bodyguard with me." She added, bending down to scratch the pup behind the ears again. "That said, anything you could do to help would be much appreciated, Miss Shesseri."
Rael gave Augusta a mildly suspicious glance as she said something about Leuca being her ‘little sister’, tossing the skewer that had made up the mushroom kebab to the ground before hopping off the counter.
“Oh my...that looks like quite the wound. I hope you are alright.” The elf replied with a sigh. “I’m afraid armor isn’t my forte, but I can at least make you something a bit more durable...I am going to need your measurements though.”
“Well if the dress isn’t ready yet, I’m going to go tell Rullphana.” Rael walked past Augusta, giving Octavia a friendly pat on the head as she did so.
“Yes yes, go inform her. I’ll try and solve this problem sooner or later. And I’ll inform her you left a mess in my place.” Rael stopped, seemed to sweat a little, walk back and pick up the skewer and then proceeded to wordlessly leave again.
Augusta gave a small, quiet giggle as Rael listened to the tailor and picked up the skewer. "Please tell Rullphana I said hello." She teased before the girl headed out the door. Now that they were alone, Augusta regarded Shesseri again.
"The wound is fine now, well, mostly. Small twinge when I think about the fact I was stabbed there every now and then…" The elf's hand reached down to the wound as she thought about it. "But, I have some healing magic at my disposal. If you get a cut, don't be afraid to ask." She teased a small bit.
She then smiled, "But if you'd be willing to help me, I'd be in your debt. Something durable would be wonderful for when I'm going into dangerous situations in the future." Having her measurements taken were nothing, really. It's not like this wasn't common in the other world. "Now, you need my measurements, you said?"
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/jjKSxTj.png[/img][/center]
Hello! Welcome to my little bio.
Not much to say, really. Just a horror game protag that likes writing and playing vidya games when I'm not being chased by the cosmic forces of darkness. (I'm a security guard that works night shifts usually).
Have some dancing medjed.
[img]https://i.redd.it/q95hk1tobbv11.gif[/img]
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><div class="bb-center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/jjKSxTj.png" /></div><br><br>Hello! Welcome to my little bio.<br><br>Not much to say, really. Just a horror game protag that likes writing and playing vidya games when I'm not being chased by the cosmic forces of darkness. (I'm a security guard that works night shifts usually).<br><br>Have some dancing medjed.<br><br><img src="https://i.redd.it/q95hk1tobbv11.gif" /></div>
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