Chapter 1: Interesting Times

[Teh Frixz]

Yrva Andran


While the transition to the ship went smoothly for most of those involved, the process with Andran was anything but. In all honesty, it could have been called a free show for the other chroniclers. Andran skittering back and forth from her quarters to the ship, fighting with servants the entire time. It seemed that one of them disrupted the complicated and chaotic organization of Andran's belongings and had gone downhill from there. One servant nearly found himself deafened by the screech she emitted when her webs were almost disposed of!


Eventually however, things settled as the Yrva oversaw the stowage of her belongings and reappeared alongside the others in the party. Obviously frazzled by the sudden move, she stood tall on her limbs while cradling a ball of her webbing. A thick strand being slowly eaten down by Andran. The workings of her jaws mechanical as they pull the stand in and break it down for reuse inside the scion's body. If anything, the action has a somewhat soothing effect on her as she hugs the ball close.


Zeroing in on Davore and catching a mention of proteins and sugars, she butts in. "Are we discussing dinner plans? How long will this trip take in any case? I have a specific diet as well as a time sk-sk-sk-sensitive agenda."


@Silvertongued @The Fuzz

 

[PixelWitch]

Cled


There was fussing. Cled did not like fussing. Fussing made him grumpy and paranoid. Plus they were all ignoring his requests to be left the hell alone anyway. He knew how to board an airship, he knew how to store his items, and NO, you were not touching the rifle, dammit.


The ship was small, and he had to stoop to get through doorways. He was also a suspicious bastard, and checked every room and door in the place before he wold allow Little Miss on board. And even when she did board, he remained in whatever room she was in, like a looming scowly shadow.

 

[ZombieKitty]

Cecilia Arrington





Cecilia was used to the fussing and simply pointed out where she would prefer items stored in what bag and let them bring them to the airship. She left a list of topics she would like to see books of on her return. Even a list of titles for her to peruse would be very satisfactory. Otherwise, she thanked the servants for their aid and boarded.


She kept Helmine with her, as always, and couldn't help but smile at Cled's insistent bodyguarding. Almost a sad smile really.


"Thank you for being so thorough, Cled. You're making me feel much safer." She told him, patting one of his big hands gently.

 

[The Fuzz]

Lybar Davore


Ship Deck





"Most esteemed Cousin acquisitive and arachnid, our discussion hinged upon the proper care and feeding of horrendous tumours once such malignant masses have been divorced from their body of origin. The correct feeding of Scions would, I am afraid, fill quite a different tome, and any comparison between the two texts would be borderline heretical, albeit fascinating."


Davore offers a gentle smile and bows, the manoeuvre somehow ending with him being a step and a half further away from everyone else without any movement having taken place.


"However long our travels, I have just been assured by the most competent Hrune that our needs will continue to be met while we are away from this ebony tower of academia."


So watch your back, Andran. I am by now certain that Hrune is an assassin. I remain damned near impossible to kill by poison and if I can be bested hand to hand, then, well, I deserve to die anyway. I do not know how that equation works for any of the rest of you.


I should warn the good Lady Magus, in confidence.

 

[Silvertongued]

The vessel is small enough, obviously designed for speed more than cargo, but should be well able to fit all of you, and the few retainers that you possess. Of Endjinn design, it's cast of traditional Hulbrad dark woods, streamlined to a point, a thin gloomy needle to cut through the sky with.


The rooms are adequate. They've been retrofitted from an open barracks to a half dozen series of single rooms, each just large enough to fit you and your possessions, though the taller among you will have to stoop. There's a single cargo hold, and most of it seems already filled with supplies for the journey. You can't help but hear skittering within the murk, but then again, that's something to be expected of a place touched by both the Hulbrad and Shaydensea.


Strangely enough though, there doesn't seem to be any other staff, save for the three already assigned to you. No crew either.


"This humble servant assures our vaunted Ascended guest of Yrva, that all precautions regarding her dietary needs have been taken, and that the food aboard, though unfortunately unable to capture the elegance of those prepared with the aid of a full kitchen, will hopefully fully sate hunger in a delicious manner," intoned Hrune to Andran, inclining her head gently.


"If there are no other precautions or orders needed of this servant, I will begin final preparations for our departure to Cree Spire," she proffered.

 

[The Fuzz]

Lybar Davore


Aboard This Worrying Vessel





Davore's gentle smile fades back into existence, and a very faint scent reminiscent of heather on windblown hills fills the air around him.


"A new talent is ready to be unveiled? Miss Hrune, are you a pilot?"

 

[PixelWitch]

Cled





@ZombieKitty


He had to stoop to stay in the room with her, but that at least he was used to, and didn't mind.


"Thank you for being so thorough, Cled. You're making me feel much safer." Her hands are so small and fragile looking... he knew the power behind them, but still, it was almost like handling a child sometimes.


"S'my job," he responds bluntly, "Plus, I don't trust 'em,"


Them being the rest of the crew, heck the Hulbrad unnerved him more than most. Olimak, Yrvan and Lezek he could get on with, their passions similar to his own, Lybar's Lust and and Dellbron's Envy he understood in concept, but they were a foreign entity to his way of thinking... Hulbrad however was so utterly out of his range he had nothing to refer it to. and it raised the hairs on the back of his fuzzy neck.


"Please don't go anywhere without me knowing okay Little Miss?"

 

[ZombieKitty]

Cecilia Arrington





"Of course." The blonde woman answered Cled, almost absently as she found a place to sit and drew out a journal from her belongings. She shifted Helmine from her place on her arm to around her shoulders as she began to write and detail the events that had occurred for her own perusal as time went on. Once she was done, she then started to flick back through previous writings.


A worried expression began to cross her delicate features. While she doubted there would be an outcry for keeping an eye out for her due to the massive loss of reputation, she didn't doubt her father had deployed a discreet methods of keeping tabs on any information of her whereabouts. The Spires likely would have more of his people than among the likes of the Hulbrad. She would not be able to stay long around Cree Spire, she was sure. Hopefully there would not be a need to and they would find their next clue in good time.

 

[PixelWitch]

Cled


..."You're worried,"


It's not a question. A blunt observation.

 

[ZombieKitty]

Cecilia Arrington





The young woman looks up at her bodyguard and manages a small smile, though it fails to reach her eyes.


"Well, yes." She admits. "While Cree Spire isn't near my home, it is still one of the Spires and my family have had dealings with them in the past. I worry that my movements may be picked up on once we arrive there." She closes her journal and tucks it back into her belongings. "I hope we don't need to linger there for too long."

 

[Grey]

Hulbrad Fortesque





Ignoring the staff, as is typical, Q hovers by in search of his quarters to ensure they're to his liking, idly making a note of:


1. Places traps may be laid.


2. Places he could lay traps.


3. Places items could be hidden.


4. Places which look like hiding places but are likely to contain traps.


5. Traps which are actually hiding places.


6. Fake traps to draw attention away from real traps.


7. Real traps disguised as fake traps.


8. Things that are definitely not traps and therefore suspect.

 

[PixelWitch]

Cled


The orc snorts.


"Don't know much about the Spires, but if anyone intends on giving you trouble, they'll have to have a word with me and the noisy end of my big stick,"


His grin is unnaturally wide, taking a bit too much pleasure in the mental image, as he strokes the barrel of Peacemaker, which was sitting, partly disassembled on the floor and being cleaned. The soft glow of it's magical core filling the sombre room with summery sunshine. The contrast was stark and rather jarring.

 

[ZombieKitty]

Cecilia Arrington


Her eyes follow the shape of the disassembled weapon from where she sits, then moves from her chair to sit on the floor, letting the skirt of her dress pool out around her. "Is there anything I can help with? I don't think I can manage meditation or more writing at the moment..." She keeps her hands folded in her lap, not touching anything about the floor without permission.

 

[Silvertongued]

• Davore and Andran
• Q
• Cled and Cecilia

• 
  
  
  "No Ascended One," intones Hrune softly. "Piloting is not amongst the skills I possess as a classically trained servant,"
  
  
  She gestures to the other young man in servants garb, who bows sheepishly.
  
  
  "That honor instead belongs to Servant Harrison, who will be piloting The Flame In The Darkness for the foreseable future of our voyage,"
  
  
  "If that is all that is required of this loyal servant, then I will contact the dockmaster to begin our exit from the Black Rose,"
  
  
  The servant looks to Andran, that porcelain face impassive as always.
  
  
  "After which, I will beging to prepare dinner. Does the Masterful Ascended Yrva have any particular preferances to her palate this evening that this humble servant should be aware of?"
  
  
  
• 
  
  
  The room is... adequate. That was probably the only positive descriptive term that could be used for it. It was small, but not cramped, shady, but not dark, cool, but not cold.
  
  
  In terms of traps, there were a few here and there you could already spot, simple things obviously designed to activate with some master control. A blade secreted inside the doorframe, a wire mesh just under the window, and a rather sadistic extendable folding screw located within the beds mattress. All deactivated of course.
  
  
  A few panels of wood in the flooring could very easily be fronts for storage spaces, or, alternately, some of the more ideally hidden deadly apparatii.
  
  
  The bedside lamp had a considerably garish and rather ostentatious switch, blatantly appearing as a guillotine device. No doubt to draw attention away from the minute series of pinprick sized holes around the nightstand drawer, likely loaded with poisonous needles.
  
  
  And of course, the cou de grace in vicious decoration, a pressure switch on the in-suite lavatory seat, disguised under the veneer of a fake pressure switch. You weren't entirely sure what it was connected to, but considering the dark burgandy, mahogany walls and flooring of the room, it was most probably something exceedingly cruel.
  
  
  Strangely enough, the only thing that didn't seem to have an obvious or even subtly hidden trap was the light switch, which was normally the staple of Hulbrad designs. Most didn't need eyes to read after all.
  
  
  
• 
  
  
  "Throwing a party might be enjoyable," murmurs Helmine happily. "Finally going to be free of that boring dreary library, with its boring dreary people,"
  
  
  She side eyes the young magus.
  
  
  "I keep telling you, you should visit Castle Dour. They may be a cruel, spiteful bunch, but apparently the drink is good, and you'll never be bored. More importantly, I'll never be bored."
  
  
  

@Grey @PixelWitch @The Fuzz @Teh Frixz @ZombieKitty

 

[Grey]

Hulbrad Fortesque





Q arms and disarms the traps as necessary, checks on his luggage, and after a moment of internal debate, elects to see if he can get coffee on this flight. Then to the bridge, to observe takeoff and perhaps chat with delightful cousin Davore.

 

[PixelWitch]

Cled


The orc points the disconnected barrel at the snake grumpily, it might have been empty, but the threat was there.


"Even I know that going anywhere near Castle Dour is a bad idea," he jabs, "Good booze or no,"

 

[ZombieKitty]

Cecilia Arrington


"I don't think going there is the best idea either, Helmine. Not right now." Cecilia sighs. "I might have a friend or two but too many might be only too glad to hand me back home and walk all over my family for it. I also don't think this ship is exactly built for a party. I know you're bored..." She strokes the ice-golem. "Let's focus on what we have so far. Chasing down these clues is incredibly exciting, even if the travel between might be slow."


Her eyes flick over the parts of the dismantled gun curiously. "Cled, you built this yourself?"

 

[Teh Frixz]

Yrva Andran


"Tchk tchk...always trying to distractt me with food and dinner. Pies, thick skin, also sprinkle this" Andran goes into one of her satchels to withdraw a vial of gold flakes. "Sprinkle into my food. Tchk, I want to look nice for the Envious. Then send a letter to my Father letting him know my location and the fact that I am close to a breakthrough. Let both parents know I am safe."


Skittering over, she holds out a gem encrusted coin for the servant, earned payment for the requests. "Please tch tch take. You have been helpful." Its obvious in all eight of her eyes she's fighting to snatch it back but fair pay for a large request was just that. Fair.

 

[PixelWitch]

Cled


The orc chuckles, deep throaty rumbling noises, "No, Little Miss, I might be good with makin' guns, but I'dda thought you've know Magecaft when ya seen it,"


He carefully picks up its core, an amber sun-stone the size of a large grape, rippling softly with golden sunlight from it's innards, splintering into a glittering microcosm of fractal beams that danced gleefully around the room. It was cradled in bizarre metallic frame of bronze and ivory, with strange deceivingly delicate leaf-shaped appendages that could be folded in around the precious gem, or folded out to drink in light.


He holds it up to her, "Good as I am, I can't make things like this..."