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ximilialog2023-01-07 09:04 am
- ! event log,
- ace attorney: yujin mikotoba,
- adventure time: finn mertens,
- fear street: ziggy berman,
- fire emblem: yuri leclerc,
- fullmetal alchemist: edward elric,
- grishaverse: malyen oretsev,
- grishaverse: the darkling,
- gundam seed/destiny: yzak jule,
- marvel comics: gwen stacy,
- mcu: shang-chi,
- one piece: rosinante donquixote,
- pacific rim: newton geiszler,
- red vs blue: felix,
- star trek aos: leonard mccoy,
- star wars: cassian andor,
- the iliad: helen,
- the old guard: andromache,
- the witcher: yennefer of vengerberg,
- wheel of time: rand al'thor,
- yakuza: zhao tianyou
MISSION: THE DIE IS CAST, PART 1
● ● ● M I S S I O N 1 1 . 1
A few days after the information of Olivia is released to the entire crew, the discussions that ensue, Viveca makes her move. That morning dawns with Olivia confined to the old robot body that Newt had once made for Viveca herself.
Olivia, her glass-edge-like face visible now in the monitor of the robot, is quiet as she seems to look at each of the Orbers who’ve spent so much time helping Viveca ensure the station’s safety.
As a thank you for helping her, Viveca gives each of the Orbers who helped her a picture of one of their loved ones from home — it may be an old picture, depicting the person as they remember them best, or it may be a current one from their timeline as it currently stands, taking into account the time that has passed on the station.
After Olivia’s containment, and the station is secure once more, things move quickly. The next day the team will get a ping into their earpieces, signifying yet another mission file — and this time, it comes with additional explanations (courtesy of the station’s commander) as well as a more in-depth guide into creating a suitable backstory to blend into the world.
With that, she leaves the team to read and familiarize themselves with their given information ... and in this case, the long wait for the start of the mission will seem more of a blessing than a curse.
On the dawn of the fifth day, all Orbers are called to the teleportation platform, the ever-present hum already loud and clear, with the white lights familiar to some, but perhaps blindingly bright to those whose first mission this is.
There in front of the now-closed North Wing doors, Viveca and Degar wait for the team to gather. Once they’re all present, Degar steps forward.
Oh! And as for Jun, he’s a great guy, honest; I’ve known him all my life. I was just ribbing him a little, so take what I wrote with a grain of salt. He’s actually my best friend … so you know, feel free to rib him a little for me.”
He grins briefly before he pauses, rolling his shoulders and pushing at his sleeves.
He hesitates for the briefest moment as though he means to add something else, before he continues.
The hum and buzzing of the machine grows so loud it very nearly drowns out his last words — now, all you need to do is to imagine exactly who you’re going to be, keeping thoughts and images of both your race and class tightly at the forefront of your mind …
And soon, all you can see is pure white around you. The hum in your ears is gone: instead, it is replaced by a soft, whispery voice, telling you exactly what you are required to do in exchange of receiving their power…
But before you can truly process what you’ve heard, you feel the air shift around you, and feel ground beneath your feet. You’ll also notice, upon opening your eyes, that there are only a select few Orbers around you — those who picked the same class as you did.
Welcome, Orbers, to Alydhion.
No matter where you’ve ended up, you’ll find yourself breathing in the clean, sweet smell of fresh air and something earthy and woodsy that seems to linger in the warm breeze that floats past you. You’ll now be in your full disguises, your features changed to suit, as well as your clothing and a heavy little pouch of gold coins (the currency in this world) strapped to your side. You’ll notice that the court might not strike the same level of ‘flourish’ that your mission file described but there are people milling about, busy and very much alive, occupied with whatever task they’ve taken on themselves. There are humans and dwarves and gnomes most notably—but also all manner of other races can be spotted amongst the crowd. No matter what form you’ve chosen for yourself, you won’t have any trouble fitting in.
1.0 Depending on your designated class, you’ll find that you and others on the team who have chosen the same class will be grouped together. Barbarians will find themselves at the edge of Elindes where the borough’s border forms a path that leads into the next; from here they can either choose to leave for other boroughs (or the castle itself) or explore Elindes in greater detail.
Bards and Warlocks will appear before a large, heavy wooden door with a sign above reading The Nimble Nightingale. There is raucous laughter coming from within, muffled by wood walls lined with thick, thick straw and hay, and equally thick glass windows that distort any clear image of figures within — not for any other reason than the material itself is crude and unrefined. It lets a filter of diffused light into the space, and that is its function.
Clerics and Paladins will find themselves in the middle of what appears to be a small and cozy courtyard, a small stone shrine dedicated to the Seven Sisters appearing before them, covered in flowers. A small metal pot holds burning sticks of incense that fill the air with a smoky, too-sweet scent that immediately fills your lungs, replacing that previously woodsy smell you entered with.
Rogues will open their eyes to the skies, mostly clear and very, very blue, save for the fluffy white tufts of clouds that speckle the horizon. They will have to be careful to watch their step as one false move will send them tumbling off of the edge of the pitched roof beneath their feet.
And finally, Druids will find themselves surrounded by farm animals — either within a barn or in the middle of a pig’s sty, or the cow's or horse’s herding grounds.
Take a moment to gather your bearings, observe your surroundings, and figure out your next (or first) move.
2.0 Eventually, and perhaps at different times, your path will eventually lead you to The Nimble Nightingale tavern, owned by one Mahtlactlicallicocolotl — ‘Mat’ to his friends, his colleagues, and … well, everyone else in between. He has something of a reputation for serving up the perfect beverage to quench one’s thirst, the heartiest meal to satisfy the belly, the softest beds … and some of the best gossip this side of Alydhion. And the tavern is incredibly comfortable when you step into the space. Despite the rising summer heat outside, there is a healthy fire at the hearth that doesn’t seem to do more than illuminate the interior with a warm, orange-yellow glow. There is a free table near the back, and one nearer to the bar, and there’s an empty spot at the bar itself where behind it a large, broad-chested green-skinned man with long dark hair and giant tusk-like teeth protruding past his lips appears to be busily cleaning empty tankards for ales. He emphatically shouts something to someone across the room and begins to laugh just as the recipients roar with laughter too, the group clearly sharing a joke in their native orc tongue.
Elindes may be the smallest borough in the court but Mat’s tavern draws in an active crowd throughout the day (and night) no matter the time of year. Travelers and adventurers who pass through Elindes to get to other destinations might also find that a friendly word with Mat can only be a good thing as he seems to know all of the right people and events occurring within the court at any given moment. Perhaps you might try and find a way to get into his good graces. Ordering a large ale might be a good start.
Once you have found yourself more or less settled into your lodgings for the duration of your stay on Alydhion, you might find yourself itching to explore the realm and its boroughs that you’ve heard so much about. The weather varies throughout the year but as it is currently the summertime, expect mostly sunny, hot days and clear skies. Heatwaves are normal, as are dry winds, so bring along a flask of water and a little sustenance in your travel packs as you venture out alone or with another crewmate.
3.0 The journey to Stoneset will seem the shortest by comparison to the other boroughs in the realm of Alydhion, an advantage due to proximity to Elindes, as well as its sprawling lands that accommodate Alydhion’s castle and parliamentary buildings. Here you’ll find the remnants of the vibrancy and luxuriance that Stoneset used to be: every street is lined with spaces for merchants to sell their wares (jewelry, textiles, weapons, produce, perishables, etc.), pocked with hole-in-the-wall eateries, taverns, and boutique inns (more like bed-and-breakfasts). Guilds of heroes and adventurers that have taken on the task in search of the king’s heirloom have set up small and cozy keeps with open memberships to all — for a (sometimes hefty) price, of course. Much of these establishments are still in some form of business, but a lot of them show obvious signs of wear—either the buildings themselves are in desperate need of some maintenance, owners are short-staffed, employees are overworked, or some spend their days sitting in their empty spaces hoping for the one or two sales that will keep their businesses afloat. It seems that the people of Stoneset have seen better days and remember them too, and depending on where you go you may find some more open to reminiscing.
4.0 Break away from the still-bustling financial streets and you’ll move towards the proud, sharp towers of Alydhion castle. Guarded by gargoyle sentries, you may find that access is restricted to certain groups of people, though there are some areas that are free to roam for general citizens of the court, including the lush and well-kept Royal Gardens. Here you might find all manner of fragrant and full-bloomed flowers in blues and reds and pinks and yellows, including some of the king’s most prized collection of orchids kept in a special greenhouse. The Parliamentary Office, for example, will take you closest to the castle itself, its paths frequented by Alydhion’s rule-setters as well as committed citizens who make the early-morning trek to voice their concerns by forming a queue outside of the offices, awaiting their turn to speak with any of the elected officials on duty that day. You won’t be allowed free access to the castle itself, of course, as it is the house and home of King Zaros, but work your way up and you might be granted a brief audience with his grace.
5.0 Just past the parliament offices is a stout building made of solid stone brickwork, its roof sloping at a point and covered in dark brown wood shingles not so easily pierced by arrows. This is the barracks and guild of the Knights of the Seven Sisters. Drawing close to the walled off barracks you’ll already hear the sounds of knights in training, the enthusiastic shouts of exertion from both men and women of all races as they practice their weaponry and close-combat against their partners and wooden dummies set up within the courtyard. There will always be someone at the gates to greet you, or if you’re looking a little suspicious, to question your intentions. But any parties interested in becoming one of the Knights of the Seven Sisters are encouraged to speak with the Grand Cross who may test and assess you for squireship, depending on your skill level.
Otherwise, you might speak with any of the lower-ranking knights and officers within the barracks if you have any questions. Depending on their schedules or current countenance, they may be open to responding.
6.0 Make the day-long trek from Elindes a little towards the east, and you’ll arrive in the quaint borough of Lisleberg, famously known as the current home of one of the former party members of The Songbird Brigade, the dwarf Fribbington. While no natural rivers run along Lisleberg, you’ll find people-made (with a little help from magic, of course) trenches have been dug into the ground to allow a steady stream of usable water, connected to accessible wells and simple silos for water collection and storage. In the distance you might also notice a row of windmills slowly rotating on their axes, collecting energy for the mills in this almost entirely self-sufficient borough.
If you’re seeking shelter for the night, as well as, perhaps a warm meal and a cool drink, you might want to stop by her tavern, The Endless Ballad, where you’ll immediately enter in the midst of a particularly animated song being performed by a few locals—
it cleaved in half!
With a mighty roar,
the beast came after him
the situation'd never been so grim
but with a steady grip
his axe he hurled and hit
the beast right in its tit
a mourning wail it let
out as its eyes set
their last look on the man you won't forget
say your thanks, your prayers
to our brave hero who nothing scares
our fearless leader, whose chest needs no wax
raise a toast to Jun Shortaxe!
By the end of the song, the whole tavern rises up to clap and cheer, fists banging on tables and feet slapping against the floors. Everyone seems to be in good spirits despite some of their hardships. You might hear someone wistfully make mention about how no one else has been able to perform the song with quite the same flair as the Bard from the now defunct Songbird Brigade party, but boy, is it a good song nevertheless.
7.0 The Forests of Gha’har are located just past the borough of Harsby, separated by a wide, well-traveled road constantly enshrouded in fog and mist. Cross that path and venture into the woods and even the lightest of feet might lose their way quickly without the right senses. The trees here grow densely amongst each other, their branches stretching towards the sky so the ground level sees very little light on any given day, even at the peak of summer. The air is cool and constantly shrouded in the lightest blanket of mist. Around you, the breeze that sweeps past your ears might sound like whispers with no discernible words to snatch onto — but they feel heavy with magic, like a spell has been cast over these trees to keep them protected from harm by any outsider.
And perhaps they have. It is known well enough as home to the druids but is also home to the woodland elves and a number of other creatures, many of them dangerous and even lethal if you do not possess the right skills or abilities to tame them, and perhaps some that go beyond even the greatest druid’s skill. Venture into the forests at your own risk, but it would be best to take a fellow druid along with you because they will be granted the friendliest path in and out through the trees.
8.0 Within the court of Alydhion itself, there is more than enough land to explore. If you mean to head towards the Forests of Gha’har, you might consider taking stock and gathering resources from the modestly-sized borough of Harsby first. Made up mostly of farmlands, Harsby resembles Elindes the most, but with much more land to dedicate to raising livestock. For the meat-eaters, Harsby’s pubs and tavern will have plenty of delicious chicken, beef, and pork options, including steaks and hearty stews to replenish ones’ energy. (And for the vegetable-eating folk, there are plenty of equally delicious options too.)
Take a trip northwards, and you will enter the borough of Aberington, where the guild of the warlocks is situated. Magic is common in all of the realm, but in Alydhion, magic here is in abundance as warlocks learn, teach, and grow amongst other magic-users before they set off on their own adventures to other boroughs, and other courts.
Those that enter the borough of Brumshire will notice that like Harsby and Elindes, Brumshire most resembles the largest borough of Stoneset, except without the royal castle and surrounding buildings. Heavily focused on blacksmithing, machinery, and processing raw materials into the refined resources required to construct buildings, maintain tools, and build vehicles (horse-drawn wagons, mostly), Brumshire’s business enterprises greatly support the rest of Alydhion’s boroughs. It will be easy to find a job here in manual labour as there is always a need for extra hands, if that’s what you’re after, and there is enough gold coin in circulation for other odd jobs as well.
Past Brumshire, outside of Alydhion’s gates are the Jolnora Peaks and nestled into the bedrock through a sophisticated network of tunnels are the dwarven mines, some still active and others abandoned. Made up of a rocky snow-capped range of mountains that form a natural border between Alydhion and the court to the north, one peak stands taller than the rest and is named ‘Ffuren’ for its tumultuous past and supposed ‘bad temper’, erupting in a rain of fire and brimstone and ash every 1,000 years. It can be seen from anywhere in the court of Alydhion, majestic and tall in the distance. Anyone who ventures towards The Mountains might come across a cluster of tents camped out at the base of Ffuren — the campgrounds are a popular place for adventurers and those seeking a smaller, more isolated community, or to seek solace in their own company before moving onwards to another court.
In your wanderings around Alydhion, you may happen to pass a rather fancy-looking building in the middle of the borough of Brumshire; the coloured glass plate hanging in front of the porch declares it to be “Leviosa’s Guild for Adventurers”. Step in, and you’ll find… hm. Why is it that the small dragonborn manning the counter seems so familiar?
Should you decide to agree and pay the gold, Leviosa will show you to a board that is, indeed, full of quests to choose from.
QUEST 2: A family of farmers in Elindes has had a blight of unknown black sludge that has destroyed this year's crops. They are enlisting the help of locals to get rid of the sludge, in exchange for four gold coins. The black sludge has the effect of making you speak out what you have been trying to keep a secret. The effect lasts for an hour.
QUEST 3: A battle‐hardened older man travels from tavern to tavern, offering his magic items to any fighter that can beat him in an honorable battle. Meet him in The Nimble Nightingale on the third day of the week, every week, for a chance to beat him.
QUEST 4: The Knight’s Guild requests a party to escort an Elven diplomat through the Forests of Gha’har and safely to the other side, from where the diplomat and her entourage can travel to their homeland, the Elven kingdom of Ithrynne. The party needs to prepare to encounter bandits and tree goblins along the way. In return, the party will receive weapons crafted by Elven smiths.
QUEST 5: The Royal Gardens are hiring extra help to weed out unwanted plants. Sound easy? It is, except the weeds make those who pull them out experience an onslaught of different emotions, depending on their colour. Blue weeds make you burst into tears, red weeds make you feel angry about past wrongs against you, green weeds make you jealous or envious of others, pink weeds make all your tender feelings stronger, and yellow weeds make you indescribably happy.
QUEST 6: A young girl has found three dragonling eggs in the forest, abandoned. She does not have the means to care for them before they hatch. Dragonling eggs turn to silver once the babies have hatched, so she is offering the silver from the shells as a reward for taking the dragonlings and keeping them warm and safe until they hatch.
9.0 Perhaps one of the quests tickles your fancy immediately, or perhaps someone else talks you into joining their party to complete one of them… whatever the case, questing awaits! Once you complete a quest, you will be given the reward through whoever set it; but, to be fair to other adventurers, Levi will make you wait three days between quests to allow others to have a chance at them, too.
10.0 If the joining fee of the Adventurers’ Guild seems too steep for you, you can always find quests to complete by simply speaking with some of the locals. And for those who are looking to do some dungeon crawling, there appears to be three distinct locations around Alydhion to do just that: the Adamantine Tunnels of Jolnora Peaks, part of an old Dwarven mining network; the Sprawling Maze to the west of Alydhion; and the last one (with a name many speak of with dread) are the Silver Caverns, located north of the Forests of Gha’har.
If you venture into the Adamantine Tunnels, with the mountaintops of Jolnora looming high above you like a cold and cruel shadow, you will first discover a bustling mine of dwarves that is still very much active - they call it Efsêkheled Ithkî, or The Mirror-Mine, as the mines are filled with precious ore, and the most stunning of them known as nelkhel in the Dwarven tongue (or what other races call 'moonshards'), is a strange ore that is neither liquid nor solid, and can be fashioned into weapons, armor and jewelry.
However, mining nelkhel is not an easy task, and the dwarven mines reach deep into the earth down long caverns that criss-cross the foot of the mountain. Over the centuries the active mines (and thus the Halls of the Dwarf-Lord) have moved, leaving behind what are now called the Adamantine Tunnels — a dark network of caverns and tunnels, many hundreds of meters deep, sloping down and down, until mining any deeper into the earth would have been too perilous.
Presently many adventurers still risk going into the tunnels in search of hidden treasures: many bandits have used the network of caves as their base, and in the numerous tunnels, there are also many forgotten treasure chests waiting to be discovered … if you have a good sense of direction underground, and are willing to brave the mountain goblins and other creatures of the deep earth that grow more numerous the deeper into the tunnels you go, this quest may prove fruitful.
11.0 To the west of Alydhion, towards the Riverlands inhabited by the gnome tribes at the mouth of the river, a veritable maze (hence the name) of caves litters the hillside. There are many entrances — some are easy to quite simply walk into, while others require you to get your feet wet as you wade through water… and some specific entrances seem to be guarded by either a spell or an elaborate stone door with multiple locks. Clearly these particular entrances have been important to someone, enough to try and keep others out — but can you break the spell, or crack the locks? Or do you choose an easier entrance, and hope to run across something valuable there, with less effort?
12.0 Anyone asking after the Silver Caverns will be told, through whispered warnings, that only the bravest, most experienced adventurers can withstand going in: the caverns are a thing o’ beauty, you hear, shame that no one knows what’s deep inside them. Everyone who’s made it in has barely made it out.
If you’re brave — or foolhardy — enough to travel through the eastern part of the forests of Gha’har, coming out of its northern side, you will find one solitary mountain rising high above you, casting its shadow over the trees. Its peak gleams with snow, bright silver in the sunlight. The view might even be described as peaceful if you didn’t suddenly hear the clanging of steel and roaring of beasts coming from somewhere up ahead of you.
If you decide to rush forth you will see a lone knight, his armor splattered with black blood, fighting a veritable swarm of flurries. The closer you go, the better you see that the knight, a winged helmet on his head, fights not only with the confidence and movements that betray hundreds, if not thousands of drills performed, but also with the undeniable flair of a virtuoso: his strikes are sharp, his steps fast, his feints ingenious. The flurries are cut down like trees in a forest, and yet the knight does not slow down.
Suddenly, the five remaining flurries surround him; without him noticing, the black tentacles catch his feet, tying him in place. The flurries advance… yet the knight does not cower. Instead, he lifts his sword high in the air — its blade reflects in the sunlight like a beam… and with a crack that shakes the ground, the skies split open. A strike of divine lightning hits all five flurries at once, burning them into nothing.
With a sweeping move, the knight sheaths his sword, and removes his helmet — and you find Jun Shortaxe, Hero of Alydhion, smiling brightly at you.
He laughs as he prepares to walk past you, towards the treeline, where you’ll notice a beautiful stallion waits patiently for his master to return. You’ve got a choice, here — continue on to the Silver Caverns… or follow Jun and hope he’s feeling up for a chat.
F Y I
• If you have questions about any of the prompts or the mission in general, please direct them HERE.
• To explore a specific location or speak to any of the NPCs, please submit your search request HERE.
• For your reference we've quickly sketched up a map of the world including and around the court of Alydhion, which you can find HERE.
• In the spirit of this mission's inspiration, feel free to use any of these online dice rollers to determine the outcomes of your characters' fates in your threads! 🎲 🎲 🎲 🎲
• And finally, your soundtrack for this log: ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
no subject
If Dean decides to try and sneak into the cave, please roll a D20 dice. The mods will roll a D20 in turn. If your roll is higher, the outcome will be more favorable than a lower roll. The higher the roll from ours, the better the outcome. Similarly, the lower the roll from ours, the worse the outcome.
If you roll a 20, Dean will be able to sneak into the cave without being spotted. If you roll a 1, Dean will be spotted immediately upon trying to enter, and those in the room will initiate combat.
Please let us know what you roll.
Meanwhile, Ziggy continues her descent down into the unknown. The tunnel keeps sloping even further down, almost in a spiral; there are no sounds, and no movement in her immediate line of vision. Eventually, she will notice that the path under her feet starts to feel more solid, as if carved; and when she makes it to the bottom of the path, it leads her into a vast opening, pillars carved of stone rising in front of her, casting shadows around her. The pathways criss-cross across the cave, creating sturdy, yet narrow stone bridges. But watch your step, as a single misstep could lead to a fatal fall.
This seems to be where the Dwarven City once was, before they moved it along with the mines. Further in the darkness, Ziggy can see one torchlight, on the other side of the Hall — the distance is several hundred meters, and the light isn't enough to say whether there's someone there with the light or not.
For Ziggy!
Ziggy will attempt to map out the directions she's going for any future adventurers with her earpiece's ability to text her thoughts, in case something happens, as well as record her descent into this area. She'll be sure to share this all with the class, whether it ends well or not.
Upon noticing the light, Ziggy will dim her own, so that she may remain undetected in the dark if she can help it — and after some thought that maybe it's unwise to wander without some light, she'll sneak low to the ground and use her long lovely tiefling tail to carefully touch around her, as if it's a blind man's walking cane. Hey, use what you've got, you know? Her tail's totally a third arm. Or third leg. Or whatever.
An exasperated thought:
Why am I always the one crawling around in the dark?
no subject
If you roll a 20, Ziggy will make it to the other side without being spotted, and will be able to observe where the light is coming from. If you roll a 1, Ziggy will trip and fall over the side of the bridge.
Please let us know what you roll.
no subject
D&D gods be with me.)
no subject
Ziggy's technique of using her tail to feel her way gets her past the halfway point of the bridge — close enough that she can see the light on the other side seems to come from a single torch, carried by a lone figure.
But just as she is focused on trying to get a better look at the person, her foot slips; the edges of the bridge have crumbled over the years, and as a cascade of loose rocks fall away underneath her foot, she loses her balance... but her tail manages to grab around the thin part of the bridge, holding her in place.
As she catches her breath, sitting on the bridge, and calms her racing heart, she'll hear footsteps, fast approaching.
"Who's there?" A female voice rings out, and if Ziggy looks up, she'll see a well-built tiefling woman in full armor, a torch in one hand and what seems to be a ball of pure, almost divine-looking light in the other, hurrying to the bridge.
no subject
She looks up sheepishly from where she'd been sitting, knee scraped and pride dice-rolled into thoroughly wounded. Whelp! The tiefling lady looks pretty groovy — she can only hope she's not evil and might pity someone who is clearly young and new to whatever the hell she's doing.
"... Zigmal the Wanderer," she mumbles, then stands up and quickly dusts herself off. "Everyone calls me Ziggy." And then, clearing her throat and haphazardly re-wrapping her tail around her middle, she adds, "I'm looking to write a story for myself. Journey across the entire map. Find adventure and challenge..."
And almost trip off bridges. Y'know. Normal adventuring stuff.
no subject
Alena closes her eyes and murmurs softly, O Rahiel, take us home.
And in the blink of an eye, the scenery around them fades away, the damp and cold of the dwarven halls replaced by fresh mountain air. Ziggy will notice she is now standing in the middle of what seems to be a small temple higher up in the mountains above the Adamantine Tunnels. The sides of the temple are open, the structure held up by pillars, and in the middle there is a small altar.
Immediately outside the temple, it's obvious there's a one-person camp set up: a tent, the remains of a fire pit.
"It's not a long walk back down from here," Alena says, "so don't worry. I haven't kidnapped you. But I have been monitoring goblin activity in the mines... and some were on their way. I thought it best we not chance it and stay to fight."
no subject
But Alena seems like a nice lady, so she's not about to be a total b-i-t-c-h here. Just. Ugh! "Hopefully my friend didn't go wandering after me. He's one of those nosy hero types under all the alcoholism and cheery pessimism."
A pause.
"Monitoring goblins?"
no subject
"I can cast a locating spell for him, if you want. Rahiel, one of the Seven, is the patron saint of natural phenomena, mountains included. I am her loyal servant, and she will show me the way. Just as she has shown me how to guard these mountains from all that would threaten them... like goblins."
Hence why she has been monitoring them in the tunnels. She sighs, wrapping her curly hair into a messy bun over her head.
"There are more and more, each week. It is as if for any one I slay, two more appear the next day."
no subject
But ah.
"... So goblins have been increasing in numbers. Great..." And also a potential issue caused by the use of the orb. Or at least that's something that's happened before. Well, she might as well sit by the fire pit for a moment, if only to let her feet rest after wandering the tunnels. "Have you noticed anything else happening lately across the Tunnels? The lands? Things that seem out of the ordinary?"
no subject
"There are many things out of the ordinary. The monsters are the most obvious symptom... of a deeper evil. I believe it was a little over four years ago, a few months after the party I was a member of disbanded, that I noticed it — the increase in monster activity. I had more time on my own, to roam the land at Rahiel's behest... and they have only grown more numerous in the years that have passed."
Her tail swishes from side to side as she walks around the fire, to light it again.
"Since then, I have dedicated my time to eradicating as many of the beasts as I can, while protecting the nature that Rahiel so values."
no subject
This is one of the people from Degar's old crew. If it were a snake it would have bit her, or whatever old people say. She straightens up, a little more invested and focused, and quickly zeroes in on the mention of a deeper evil.
"An increase in monster activity. But you never figured out what had caused the increase in monsters?" A pause. "What had been happening around the time you all disbanded? Weird natural shifts in the landscape? Some kind of magical curse, or — some stolen object?"
She's just gonna get right to it, okay.
no subject
"Perhaps you know more than you let on, Wanderer... or perhaps you're simply good at guessing. But you're right. We had been tracking the lost heirloom of the King of Alydhion. I have cause to believe it changed hands that day, or shortly after our retreat. Its current wielder... I believe she would not mind if this land that cared so little for her was overrun with monsters."
Quieter, nearly drowned out by the fire that now crackles beautifully inside the pit, "I can't believe I once thought her a genius, admired all her invented spells."
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Ziggy's not really sure what the right play here is. After all, she doesn't really know Alena, and she could very well be evil. Or something. But has that stopped some of the others from being bluntly honest? Of course not.
"Who is the wielder?" She says it with a frown, eyebrows furrowed. "Are you sure she has this heirloom? Because she should be the person we're all focusing on, not on the monsters; they could just be — a symptom until she can be stopped."
She shakes her head.
"Something similar happened to me, I mean. We had monsters that appeared out of nowhere... but they were caused by a curse. A curse by someone who wanted to — to lay waste to the land. Hurt people for the hurts done to her."
Is she sounding medieval enough?
Either way, she's not lying; it's just a tale from another world, is all.
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The light of the flames casts an almost ethereal light on her features.
"When we were looking for the heirloom... she hit one of our own with a spell, nearly killing him. And though we didn't want to believe it — she invents all her own spells. No one else knows how they are cast, not even us who were her companions. It's impossible for anyone else to have cast it. And she disappeared after we had retreated... no one's seen her since."
Alena closes her eyes for a moment. "You may be right. Perhaps none of this will stop until she is found, and the heirloom taken from her."
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Because that's something she'd like to make sure of.
God, she feels like a cop writing in their little incident notepad.
"Was she the kind of person to hurt her own party? Turn on them, and all of that?" She does sound like a prime candidate for someone who might have this orb, when Alena puts it like that.
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For a moment, Alena looks into the flames, as if they could explain to her the reason for it all.
"I never thought so, but... to tell you the truth, she was with the party because she had been courted by their former leader. I never knew him, but everyone tells me they were deeply in love. After Dweyre died, she stayed to look after his younger brother, Degar... but when he disappeared, well. I'm not sure she had much reason to stay, or be loyal to anyone who remained. I thought we were friends... but I suppose she didn't earn the name Sly Ellia for nothing."
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She considers it a moment, rubbing her chin.
"What if... she was framed by someone? It would be easier to have you guys blame one of your own party than to seek out someone else." She bites her lip, looking aside, frowning at the notes she's pouring through in her head, notes Ellia isn't privvy to. "Or... the heirloom was too dangerous to give back to the king, and this 'Ellia' knew it. I've heard talk..."
She shakes her head. Hopefully this baiting isn't gonna get her thrown in a cell somewhere or stabbed. But...
"I don't know if it's something you want to hear."
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"Why did we never consider that?" she breathes, astonished. But why would they? It had been Ellia's own spell, unimitable. There had been no other option. "Or her keeping it because it was dangerous..."
She stands up, moving closer to Ziggy.
"Please, if you have anything that could explain the mystery of our friend's behaviour that has plagued all of us for years... tell me."
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For Dean!
He does indeed try to sneak into the cave, and I have rolled a 17, baby. Yeehaw, cowboy.
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Dean's feet make no sound as he sneaks into the cave, sticking to the edges of the room, trusting the shadows to be on his side in hiding him.
He will see that the cave is a large one, and currently occupied by three bandits: one human, one gnome, and one who seems to be a half-orc. There are the remnants of a fire built on one side of the cave, along with two more chests that are open and seem to be full of different types of weapons.
"You think this is enough?" asks the half-orc.
"Yeah, should get us plenty in Ithrynne," answers the human, with a shrug. "Cryl, you got our horses ready to go?"
The gnome grumbles something and leaves the cave — Dean will notice there's another entrance, one that seemingly leads up and outside.
What will Dean do?
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What he does do is remember he has friggin' spells he can use - specifically, invisibility. He hasn't needed to use it at all on the mission just yet, so he's hoping that means it'll be nice and strong and last the full five minutes - long enough to follow the gnome.
He hopes, anyway.
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The gnome makes it to where two regular-sized horses are, along with a smaller one, and swiftly unties the ropes keeping the horses in place... and lets them escape.
"What idiots," he mutters, "They have no idea the papers are actually the most valuable thing we got. Well, they can stay right there with the weapons and gold, I'm taking these!"
He takes a scroll that seems to be several parchments bound together from the pocket of his coat, and goes to the last, remaining small horse, to make it ready to leave.
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Regarding Dean's invisibility spell, please roll a D20 dice, to determine whether or not it holds the entire five minutes.
If you roll a 20, the spell will hold without breaking, and Dean can proceed to do whatever he wants. If you roll a 1, the spell will break immediately and Dean will be noticed by the gnome.
Please let us know what you roll.
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Dean quietly waits for the gnome to finish speaking, eyes fixed on those papers. He knows his invisibility clock is a ticking bomb and if it runs out, he's in deep shit.
Hopefully, and this is what Dean is banking on, the gnome will put the papers in his saddlebag. That way, when he's mounted the horse he can sleight of hand them without being noticed. If that's the case, he'll have his prize and the gnome will bolt never the wiser, and hopefully he won't notice until he gets where he's getting. Stealthing back through the cavern and getting to Ziggy will be his next step, just in case she's managed to get herself into some trouble.
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Within the next two minutes, the gnome has packed the rest of his things, jumps on his pony, and rides away.
When Dean looks at the papers, he will find they contain a variety of things:
- An official-looking parchment, granting an audience with the king to a Lord Durwald
- Several letters, all of them short, discussing arranging a fast horse and safe passage through the Forests of Gha'har, towards South Naelor; none are signed
- Notes, written by the same hand as the one asking for the horse; some of them seem to be detailing council meetings and discussions, but there are some particular entries that are of interest:
I have cause to suspect the king is using something to affect our decision-making. Yet another decision has been overruled by the council, despite majority vote passing it in the parliament yesterday. Have enlisted the help of Y.V. to spy on him.
Two more notes detailing council proceedings follow, but after them, there is one more entry:
Y.V. found the king speaking to the heirloom. Said there was a strange glow in the room. Suspicions can only be confirmed by removing heirloom.
After several more papers of nothing of interest, there is one final entry:
Y.V. found dead this morning. Will put the plan to action tomorrow.
That is all the papers contain. Dean is free to go and get to Ziggy... though she will not be where he left her.