Elinor - A tale of curses and politics

[Hella Downweather]

It was hard not to know of the Archambourt guard force. First off, they were EVERYWHERE, and they made no show of hiding themselves, the threat of a Revaire attack all too present after last week ‘wall explosion’.Second off, their current leader, Menelas, had been judged not only as the most eligible bachelor in all of Serat this year by the ladies press but also the best man to work under by the worker union of Archambourt for five years in a row.

Really, the job as a guard in Archambourt was usually pretty easy. Sure slacking off wasn’t an option unless you wanted to catch the ire of Alex, the post’s manager, but you didn’t have a weekly arrest quota like in some bigger cities. And honestly, crime wasn’t that big of a problem, because who the hell would be interested in Archambourt? There were other coastal villages and the capital was far enough not to garner too much interest.

Sure the yearly fishing festival attracted some ruffians, but no one was expecting the amount of chaos they received in the past week.

First off, just last week, the Northern wall simply...blew off, crumbled into himself, with no sign of the perpetrator.

Then...the blinding light happened, and the next thing they knew, they had to bring in everyone with a strange object attached to themselves. And by Tymora, there were a lot. The cells were starting to get uncomfortably filled. Some poor girl has chicken heads instead of hands that sprouted fire, another could only hiss in a threatening manner as a strange pendant was fixed to their chest. Heck, they found 5 people just….stuck to each other. It was a strange ball of flesh that screamed dark magic. Whatever power that was at play, it made the usually friendly guards stressed off and suspicious of any non-humanoid or obvious spellcaster in the city.

There was a last empty cell in the barracks, but there wasn’t any doubt that it was going to be filled with people any minute now.

---------------------------------------------

DM notes :

You can either stop by to interact with Alex (description+looks in discord) at the entrance as she is the one dispatching people to their cells, or go directly in it. Floor plans + city plans will be posted in the discord!

Idea Sambews Vanira Lucius Cypher glooomycinnamonroll

 

[Lucius Cypher]

This was not how Orchid imagined she would spend her vacation.

Ever since she went on her journey to catalog as many monsters and beasts as she could find, she'd been quite busy. Obviously the best way to find such exotic creatures is taking up jobs and quests that are often very dangerous. After all, your typical fighting man knows how to hold his own against the likes of bandits and wolves. But what would they know about beasts such as the Umbral Hulk or the Bulette? Even Orchid doesn't actually now much about them beyond the fact they exist and she's very interested in observing one in person. Still, while writing about these beasts was a passion, it can get exhausting both physically and mentally. These sort of creatures aren't exactly docile and while Orchid is no coward in battle her multiple wounds made her weary of all the conflicts. Not to mention that not many of her companions share her fascination with these creatures, and are all too eager by greed or bloodlust to simply learn how to observe and avoid fighting the beasts. Often times Orchid wondered if perhaps her fellow adventurers are more monstrous than the creatures they face in the darkest ruins or highest mountains.

And so to treat herself, Orchid figured she would spend some of her hard earned money at a little fish festival. While most people tend to dismiss fishes as just creatures to eat, Orchid was quite interested in seeing all the exotic (and delicious) variants of sea creatures that the fishermen could pull up. Eels, mollusks, starfish, squids, crabs, all these things that most commoners would never see in their lives. And for a while it was great. Orchid was having a fine time watching the animals, eating good food, and occasionally even spending time with strangers when she was sufficient soused. But then disaster struck.

Orchid didn't know what happened. No one did. But suddenly Orchid woke up in a daze wearing a strange furry bracelet. She was able to identify the fur as goat wool, and it was fairly plain on it's own. What wasn't plain was suddenly being accosted by a couple of goats. At first Orchid didn't think much of it, and she actually thought it was kind of cute. But no matter where she went, those goats followed. She could go to her room at the inn and those goats would try and go upstairs with her. She could be on a boat and they'd either push their way on board or even start swimming. Even after Orchid struck one of the goats, they still stuck around. And they did not behave themselves! They would get into people's way, stepping on their feet or hitting them with their horns. Sometimes they would even nip at strangers or eat their food. Many who were bothered wanted Orchid to call them off but despite how they seemed to follow Orchid around, they never listened to her commands. They just... Stayed nearby.

It wasn't long before Orchid was approached by the guards. These goats weren't the only weird thing happening in the city and Orchid noticed. A lot of people seemed to be suffering from strange afflictions, some more serious than others. Something had happened during the festival and everyone suffering from some strange affliction was asked to come talk to the guards so they could investigate. Orchid was more than happy to try and get to the bottom of why this weirdness was going on.

She was not happy at getting arrested though.

"What do you mean I'm under arrest?! I've done nothing wrong! I don't know why these goats keep following me and they aren't mines! I would gladly give them away if they were truly mines, but they just seem to follow me no matter where I go or what I do with them!

Alas, Orchid's words failed to convince the guards she was innocent. They confiscated her bags, daggers, and even her thieves tools, though she managed to hide her totem underneath her shirt and they didn't seem to bother with her bracelet. They also took the goats away though they kept making a ruckus. Normally Orchid would treat animals kindly but even those goats were driving her patience. But now she had other problems to deal with. She was in prison, for who knows how long, for a crime she is certain she did not commit. Granted, the sheer amount of people who seemed to be suffering some magic curse was much larger than she thought. She had guessed maybe twenty or so people might've been affected. But it seems like every person in this prison who wasn't a guard was suffering from some magical ailment.

Still Orchid has no interest in rotting in this prison. She needed to grab her things, or at least her journal, and get the hell out of here. She could easily do this via her wild shape but she looked to the others in her cell. If she simply wildshaped and left there was no guarantee these people wouldn't try and stop her, or at least would not help her escape. Surely they must be going through their own curses and feel just as annoyed about being imprisoned for it as she was. Still... Orchid can't be too careful. While she is innocent, perhaps not everyone in this cell isn't a criminal. So for now Orchid would just brood in her corner watching, listening, and waiting for a good moment to strike up a conversation and try and figure out what's going or or how to get out of here.

 

[Vanira]

Blowing white hair out of her face. Sigruna gritted her teeth as the guard roughly led her towards the jail. People in the streets stared at her which caused Sigruna to flush in embarrassment. Sigruna already hated the festival, but now? If only the charm had worked but it did not and the guard had certainly not appreciated the charm attempt, but she couldn’t help it. She was nervous. The bright light, the mysterious item and then the rather aggressive questions being thrown at her. It all had happened so fast and now she felt like a fish thrown out of the river.

As she was being dragged in, she hit her shoulder against the door frame and sucked in a breath in pain. “Easy, will you? I am not a threat, that light had nothing to do with me! Now unhand me!” The guard appeared to not have listened and kept guiding her further into the building. Their already uncomfortable grip becoming almost painful.

Upon seeing the already occupied cell they were heading towards, Sigruna began to struggle more against the guard. “Okay, okay. You want the anklet just take it! It’s tacky anyways.” She stuck out her foot that the mysterious ankle bracelet was but that did nothing but to knock her off balance. Thankfully, she managed to catch herself before she fell over. The guard didn't appear to care and just shoved her into the cell and closed it again.

Wiping the strands of hair away from her face she began to relax. Her eyes looked over the other cellmates before she found a spot by the wall to lean against. If only they didn’t take her thieves’ tools she might have been able to leave later on. Looks like that won’t be happening now, however.

 

[glooomycinnamonroll]

Dagnal Fireforge was a servant of the faith and a chosen of the goddess herself. But she was also a young dwarf traveling alone for a while now. She desperately needed a break, a good meal in her belly, loud music in her ears and a hot bath to wash herself clean. Dagnal anticipated she couldn’t have found a better opportunity for that than the fishing festival of Archambourt.

She complimented herself on the decision, because the town was a nice place, people were wholesome – or just good enough merchants to try to appear so – and there was an incredible variety of food, mostly different types of fish. The festive aura reminded her of some occasions they celebrated at the temple, and the memories ignited a little warm glow in her chest. She planned on leaving in a couple of days, but wanted to enjoy the time here and get the most out of it. And so she did. Until chaos took over.

A flash of blinding light. She blinked for ling moments before she regained her vision. SHe could barely held back something she would have said out loud before she became a priestess. That – she thought – was a forgivable reaction, since she almost tripped over at the moment she started to take a step forward. Her feet felt heavy and cumbersome. And weirdly, unsettlingly long. Dagnal glanced down and noticed she was standing on pillars of stone. Or, more accurately, a pair of stone high heels, but that wasn’t less uncomfortable. After she looked around; however, the dwarven woman realised that she was one of the more fortunate ones. She took a deep breath and brushed her fingers against the amulet hanging to her chest.

“Holy Morndinsamman.“ she mumbled as she lowered herself onto a rock on the edge of the road. She attempted to take off the bizarre shoes but never expected it to actually work out. The things fulfilled her anticipation perfectly. She had to give up trying as soon as the stench hit her nose. She made a face. And some people intentionally wear things like that?

Later, when the guards approached her and kindly suggested to head to the barracks. By the time they arrived, she made up her mind about standing her ground. She was a honourable Dwarven woman and accusing her of something means accusing her whole clan of raising a criminal.

Dagnal stepped into the building and immediately headed for the person who seemed to hold he most authority. The guards did not have to drag her into the room, she marched forward as hastily as she could in those ridiculous boots.

“Excuse me, miss. May I have a word with you?” she looked up at the delicate figure of a woman with red hair. It reminded her of fire flickering in a forge. Dagnal put her hands on her hip – she could not help; she inherited this gesture from her mother and caught herself using it whenever she wanted to appear more important or more threatening. The former, in this case.

“I recognise that your cells are almost full. The situation is uncanny – to say the least – and you would not gain anything from locking me in. Furthermore, I assure you, if I planned on using powerful magic against your people, I would not curse myself in the process.” she pointed down at her feet. “However, I may be able to help you and your men find the source of this chaos and do something to dispel it. I have the means.” She touched the holy symbol again, but this time it was perfectly intentional.

 

[Sambews]

A sheepish Imire is brought into the jail, led by two guards. She stands at 3 feet, 6 counting her hat. A large, conical fish-like garment, grey and covering her face (Zant's helm, botw.) "This place is awful," she says absentmindedly, and then flushes with embarrassment. She roots around in some pockets in her backpack, and hands a small knife and a rapier to the guards. "I wish I could keep these," she comments, then pauses quizzically. She then strolls up to Alex, and asks "Have you seen a cricket recently?"

 

[Idea]

• Coded
• Semicoded

• Ati'Ji
  
  
  
  

  "RETURN HER TO ME AT ONCE YOU HALF-BRED FLIES!" My mandibles clacked behind my mask. "Thieves! Thieeeeeeeves! Release me!"
  
  How come these creatures captured me? The humiliation was unbearable, a disgrace! There were reasons, of course- No, there were EXCUSES. The grumbling from my stomach, and my still aching eyes from the intense light from before, assaulting me even more violently than that Sun from outside the tunnels did. But even so, I had them, those spears halfway between orange and gold, woven in spirals around the shaft and adorned with wooden pictograms, the very same spears they carried out to the back with inquisitive eyes worthy of thieves. I had them, the precious weaponry of the swarm, and yet I still was stripped of them by such measly numbers.
  
  "Calm down sir! Your trinket will be returned soon! You were found with that orb, so please understand!" I hissed at the will-soon-be-a-zombie with with swift turn of the head. He reflexively shrunk his head between his shoulders and look around at the others. With another hiss and a crack of the mandibles I gazed at that cursed, no, that accursed floating sphere, of a deep and cloudy blue and damned as the ocean. It suddenly appeared and buzzed around me like an untrained stinger. Nomatter where I headed, there it followed, and it was neither once nor twice that I had to escape to some alley as a dark grey formed above my head and I was forced to uncover my mask so that it wouldn't be rendered unusable. It was ITS fault that all of this was happening to me!
  
  If only I could shatter it to a million pieces and have the flyers rain them over the one that produced them, our laughters clicking and echoing before them as they knelt before their broken creations, and wailed at the despair growing in their expressions...
  
  ...except there were no flyers anymore in this era. Perhaps Canon-Swatter? Thunderfall? I'd heard tales of them before. Well, even if there were any flyers (paragon or no paragon), I had yet to manage to so much as hit that orb, let alone shatter it. For such a mindless thing, one could hardly deny it was rather effective at evasion, and it certainly seemed to have no qualms retaliating.
  
  At long last, after taking my every weapon and even my shovel and mining pick, the person who had been so ungracefully and disgustingly prodding around with pokes and weighting and sliding all over my most prized possession gave me a look. Then their unworthy gaze looked back to the egg, and back to me again. I followed them intently with a growl, and perhaps offered a little less resistance when the guards "accompanied" me still clutched to my two upper limbs and my torso towards where that person was walking. They held the egg in their palm and nodded at the guards. I didn't think twice before leaping at the thing, only to find my back shoved onto the cell. Each of my arm embraced the egg close to me as I shook my head violently to shift it to the side so I could avoid damaging it. As a result, I faceplanted from the side onto the cold, stony floor. I patted the egg gently, and a push of my antennae against the fabric of the cloak of my cloaked robes revealed they had fortunately mostly hidden my face even as I fell, and certain now. As quickly as I could, I reached out and grabbed my mask.
  
  "A thousand..." I growled behind my mask. "A thousand curses upon you! May your trees dry and join the ashes!"
  
  This last lashing out was almost a wimper though. My two smaller arms hidden as well as I could make them, while my primary arms clutched the egg to my chest.
  
  "It is safe at least... Of course it is. They made it after all...." I muttered, followed by another growl under my breath.

  

  
  
  Hit Points: 26/26
  1st Level Spell Slots: 2/2
  AC: 17
  Initiative: +1
• "RETURN HER TO ME AT ONCE YOU HALF-BRED FLIES!" My mandibles clacked behind my mask. "Thieves! Thieeeeeeeeves! Release me!"
  
  How come these creatures captured me? The humiliation was unbearable, a disgrace! There were reasons, of course- No, there were EXCUSES. The grumbling from my stomach, and my still aching eyes from the intense light from before, assaulting me even more violently than that Sun from outside the tunnels did. But even so, I had them, those spears halfway between orange and gold, woven in spirals around the shaft and adorned with wooden pictograms, the very same spears they carried out to the back with inquisitive eyes worthy of thieves. I had them, the precious weaponry of the swarm, and yet I still was stripped of them by such measly numbers.
  
  "Calm down sir! Your trinket will be returned soon! You were found with that orb, so please understand!" I hissed at the will-soon-be-a-zombie with with swift turn of the head. He reflexively shrunk his head between his shoulders and look around at the others. With another hiss and a crack of the mandibles I gazed at that cursed, no, that accursed floating sphere, of a deep and cloudy blue and damned as the ocean. It suddenly appeared and buzzed around me like an untrained stinger. Nomatter where I headed, there it followed, and it was neither once nor twice that I had to escape to some alley as a dark grey formed above my head and I was forced to uncover my mask so that it wouldn't be rendered unusable. It was ITS fault that all of this was happening to me!
  
  If only I could shatter it to a million pieces and have the flyers rain them over the one that produced them, our laughters clicking and echoing before them as they knelt before their broken creations, and wailed at the despair growing in their expressions...
  
  ...except there were no flyers anymore in this era. Perhaps Canon-Swatter? Thunderfall? I'd heard tales of them before. Well, even if there were any flyers (paragon or no paragon), I had yet to manage to so much as hit that orb, let alone shatter it. For such a mindless thing, one could hardly deny it was rather effective at evasion, and it certainly seemed to have no qualms retaliating.
  
  At long last, after taking my every weapon and even my shovel and mining pick, the person who had been so ungracefully and disgustingly prodding around with pokes and weighting and sliding all over my most prized possession gave me a look. Then their unworthy gaze looked back to the egg, and back to me again. I followed them intently with a growl, and perhaps offered a little less resistance when the guards "accompanied" me still clutched to my two upper limbs and my torso towards where that person was walking. They held the egg in their palm and nodded at the guards. I didn't think twice before leaping at the thing, only to find my back shoved onto the cell. Each of my arm embraced the egg close to me as I shook my head violently to shift it to the side so I could avoid damaging it. As a result, I faceplanted from the side onto the cold, stony floor. I patted the egg gently, and a push of my antennae against the fabric of the cloak of my cloaked robes revealed they had fortunately mostly hidden my face even as I fell, and certain now. As quickly as I could, I reached out and grabbed my mask.
  
  "A thousand..." I growled behind my mask. "A thousand curses upon you! May your trees dry and join the ashes!"
  
  This last lashing out was almost a wimper though. My two smaller arms hidden as well as I could make them, while my primary arms clutched the egg to my chest.
  
  "It is safe at least... Of course it is. They made it after all...." I muttered, followed by another growl under my breath.

  

  
  
  Hit Points: 26/26
  1st Level Spell Slots: 2/2
  AC: 17
  Initiative: +1

Spells

Cantrips: (7)
*Message
*Mending
*Mind Sliver
*Infestation


First Level: (10)
*Command (prepared)
*Mage Armor (prepared)
*Find Familiar (ritual)
*ID Insunation (prepared)
*Charm Person
*Puppet
*Sleep (prepared)

Items

Equipped:
*Scale Mail
*Robes
Rations (14 days)
*Crystal (arcane focus)
*Spellbook - Collected Notes
*Mask

Currency:
1 PP
28 GP
7 SP
157 CP

Carrying:
*Golden Egg
*Manacles
*Rope - Hemp (50ft)
*Waterskin
*Sack x5
*Jug x3
*Chalk x5

Interacting With: N/A
Mentions: N/A
Might Also Wanna Read: Sambews glooomycinnamonroll Vanira Lucius Cypher Hella Downweather

 

[Sambews]

"There he is!" Imire says with a cheerful face, contrary to her anxious tone. "I'll uh... go into my cell, thanks," she says, nodding at Alex. Hurrying after a flailing Ati'ji, she reaches into her entertainer's pack and pulls out a flowing, auburn cloak. Turning into the cell where he was just thrown, she presses the costume into his arms, and then turns and casts dancing lights, forming a vague, glowing humanoid in front of the two of them. "What are you doing!?" she hisses as this figure begins to shake its arms and run in circles. "You were supposed to stay inside!"

OOC
Here, Imire is trying to hide Ati'ji's appearance, and has cast dancing lights as a diversion while he puts on the robe.

 

[Idea]

• Coded
• Semicoded

• Ati'Ji
  
  
  
  

  My hood lifted slightly, pushed by the antennae which lifted slightly at a certain familiar sound. That shorty was here? Were they pursued by some odd orb and found themselves captured as well? If I myself could not resist the guards, how could such a feeble-looking one? Well, so long as they didn't resist they shouldn't have too many injuries. I raised my gaze towards Imire, only to see her stomping in my direction and throwing another cloak on top of me. With my hands currently preoccupied with the egg I was holding, I couldn't avoid having the thing land right over my face, which to say, that mask.
  
  I pulled up a sack and pulled on the ropes to open it. The inside full of feathers and soft fur, with a large gap around the middle, like crater. I gently placed the golden egg inside and closed the sack, before working on untangling myself from the second cloak to see what those lights that suddenly had me flinching and looking away were. The relief also released my stomach's growl.
  
  "It would be foolish to feast upon my own rations while such a large gathering of cheap food is happening right beneath! One never knows when the sap shall stop draining. Furthermore, with such a gathering, my odds of finding one who is worthy would be that much larger. Or what? Should I have stayed idle, while such an opportunity was right before my eyes? When these robes you helped me purchase should have been more than sufficient?" My mandibles clicked throughout my own complaint. I could've stood up, but I opted for staying put instead. It wasn't like either of us could've known about that flash of light, or the object that attached itself to me- unless... "Is this perhaps common in this era? To have little orbs of absolute annoyance pursue you through a city after they suddenly emerged?"
  
  My eyes finally couldn't take it anymore, and I had to cover them with my hands. What was it with this place, and all that blinding light?
  
  

  

  
  
  Hit Points: 26/26
  1st Level Spell Slots: 2/2
  AC: 17
  Initiative: +1
• My hood lifted slightly, pushed by the antennae which lifted slightly at a certain familiar sound. That shorty was here? Were they pursued by some odd orb and found themselves captured as well? If I myself could not resist the guards, how could such a feeble-looking one? Well, so long as they didn't resist they shouldn't have too many injuries. I raised my gaze towards Imire, only to see her stomping in my direction and throwing another cloak on top of me. With my hands currently preoccupied with the egg I was holding, I couldn't avoid having the thing land right over my face, which to say, that mask.
  
  I pulled up a sack and pulled on the ropes to open it. The inside full of feathers and soft fur, with a large gap around the middle, like crater. I gently placed the golden egg inside and closed the sack, before working on untangling myself from the second cloak to see what those lights that suddenly had me flinching and looking away were. The relief also released my stomach's growl.
  
  "It would be foolish to feast upon my own rations while such a large gathering of cheap food is happening right beneath! One never knows when the sap shall stop draining. Furthermore, with such a gathering, my odds of finding one who is worthy would be that much larger. Or what? Should I have stayed idle, while such an opportunity was right before my eyes? When these robes you helped me purchase should have been more than sufficient?" My mandibles clicked throughout my own complaint. I could've stood up, but I opted for staying put instead. It wasn't like either of us could've known about that flash of light, or the object that attached itself to me- unless... "Is this perhaps common in this era? To have little orbs of absolute annoyance pursue you through a city after they suddenly emerged?"
  
  My eyes finally couldn't take it anymore, and I had to cover them with my hands. What was it with this place, and all that blinding light?
  
  

  

  
  
  Hit Points: 26/26
  1st Level Spell Slots: 2/2
  AC: 17
  Initiative: +1

Spells

Cantrips: (7)
*Message
*Mending
*Mind Sliver
*Infestation


First Level: (10)
*Command (prepared)
*Mage Armor (prepared)
*Find Familiar (ritual)
*ID Insunation (prepared)
*Charm Person
*Puppet
*Sleep (prepared)

Items

Equipped:
*Scale Mail
*Robes
Rations (14 days)
*Crystal (arcane focus)
*Spellbook - Collected Notes
*Mask

Currency:
1 PP
28 GP
7 SP
157 CP

Carrying:
*Golden Egg
*Manacles
*Rope - Hemp (50ft)
*Waterskin
*Sack x5
*Jug x3
*Chalk x5

Interacting With: Sambews
Mentions: N/A
Might Also Wanna Read: glooomycinnamonroll Vanira Lucius Cypher Hella Downweather

 

[Sambews]

Imire drops her casting, and the figure fades. "Yes, of course you should have stayed inside! Yes, the robes are sufficient for appearances, but if somebody had bumped into you, an extremely likely circumstance given the large crowd, they might have noticed the fact that you're chitinous! You had one job, and that was to stay inse. How do you expect to stay safe if you're wandering around the busy city? How do expect to keep that egg safe if you're getting arrested?" Imire sighs, and looks down. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that, and under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have. It's been a rough day for all of us, what with these cursed items. And no, they aren't normal."

Imire takes a seat next to Ati'ji, and sighs. It had been a rough day. First, this stupid hat, forcing her into bad situations, then getting thrown into jail for it, and then to top it all off, finding her mantid bodyguard there. Well, awake from death and return to life. "Want to hear a story?" Imire asks the others in the cell, trying to distract from the fact that she had just drawn attention to Ati'ji's irregular aspects.

 

[Vanira]

Sigruna had stayed in her spot against the wall, supporting her weight against it with her arms crossed. While she had been staring at the ground, she couldn't help but overhear little snippets of the conversation. However, she had not paid full attention to it. While she usually enjoyed overhearing information, the Eladrin had been in no mood this night. So for the sake of this woman and her very odd friend's sake, she tried to mind her own business. As much as she could anyway with the spectacle of magic which was obviously a distraction but for what she had no idea.

Hearing the same woman mention a story, she sighed and looked up. Blueish purple eyes finally making contact with another's for the first time since she got in this forsaken place. "Might as well indulge us. Not like we have anywhere else to be, dear." Compared to earlier her voice took on a much more soft tone. Her default tone of voice A Couple of years working in the Courts does that to you. Raise your voice to the wrong person, and they held it against you for life. This just happened to be a terrible night for Sigruna for her to have shown such outrage to the guard earlier.

 

[Sambews]

Imire stands up, and begins speaking.

"Once, there was a dog. This dog worked on a farm herding sheep. The dog was big, strong, and it worked hard every day. Through the dog's hard work, the farmer could live, for if not for the dog, he wouldn't be able to manage his sheep. One day, the dog got into a fight, defending the sheep from wolves. The dog managed to drive off the wolves, but at the cost of its leg. So mangled it was, damaged beyond repair, that those who cared for animals cut it off, to save the dogs life. To the dog, this was no problem. It could still run as far, and as fast as it could before. To the farmer, however, it was devastating. He knew this dog wouldn't be able to work any more, and he couldn't afford to feed a dog that couldn't work, so he was forced to give it up. Ordinarily, that would be fine, but nobody would take a crippled dog. What good would it be, with only three legs? And so, because of stubbornness of humans, the dog was forced out of its home, and had to fend for itself. The dog roamed the land, looking for food. However, this dog had never hunted before in its life, and so it couldn't catch any food. Then, one day, the dog wandered into the home of Silvanus. Silvanus is the god of nature, and he wept for this starving dog, knowing full well that it was only in this situation because of the blindness of men. Silvanus longed to help this dog, but knew that he couldn't, for his is a mentality of balance, and using divine powers to save a life would upset that balance. Then, he had an idea. He cast a spell, and sent the dog on his way. The dog ran far, retracing his path, heading home. After a week of travel, he made it to his destination. The village of the farmer he was raised by. The farmer was delighted to see him, but shocked by the fact that his leg had returned. The farmer, it seemed, had been doing just as bad without his dog as his dog was. With no dog to herd the sheep, he'd been forced to do it himself, which had caused no end of troubles. Not only did he not have enough time to herd them, but he was getting on in years, and it was incredibly taxing. Now that the dog was back, however, all was well. Then, one day, the farmer made a discovery. While herding sheep, the dogs leg had passed through a log when jumping over it. Upon further investigation, the farmer realized that the dogs missing leg hadn't been replaced at all, but was merely an illusion. For but a moment, the farmer was saddened, but then realized that nothing had changed since the dog returned. Despite his missing leg, the dog had worked just as well as it had when it had all four. With this realization, the farmer felt bad, for he'd cast out his dog for no practical reason. From then on, the farmer learned to see what is, and not let his vision be clouded by what he thinks should be. He and the dog lived together for three years afterwards, and the dog died peacefully of old age."

Imire sits back down, and drops her story voice.

"How long do you think they can keep people locked up for no reason other than we have strange objects attached to us? Sooner or later, businesses will want their workers back, and everybody will be let free. We'll just have to wait a few weeks until that happens."

 

[Lucius Cypher]

Orchid watched as more people filled her cell. From their reactions, it was obvious that these people were not criminals. Though certainly weird and monstrous in some aspects, they had done nothing wrong but be in the wrong place at the wrong time. That being said, that doesn't mean they may be willing to help Orchid break out of prison, if they're also the type who would rather avoid the hassle or naively hope that whatever passes as a just authority here would let them leave without any trouble. Orchid fiddles with the bracelet, trying to remove it but unable to so much as pull any frayed strands out. So she continued to stay quiet, listening to the tale of one of the strangers. Though not one that Orchid was familiar with despite knowing of Silvanus , she had a grasp of it's meaning. A lesson of humility perhaps, that even what seems to be broken can still be useful, in spite of imperfection. A happy little tale but not one that Orchid felt moved by, as the storyteller followed up by saying they'll likely be here for weeks. This made Orchid angry.

"To hells with that! They have no reason to keep us here at all! What sort of tyranny is this that they can just toss anyone into a prison out of an unexplained fear and expect to call that justice? Look at us. We've done no wrong and yet they stuff us into these cells without so much as a lie to placate any concerns. What prevents them from simply leaving us in here if we just abide by their unspoken word?" Orchid says with a snarl. She tries to chew off the bracelet once more, even using her Primal Savagery to seep acid onto it, to no avail. "They should at least have the decency to not lock us up with their criminals if we are not being charged of any crimes! And to take our weapons and belongings as well, just so we cannot fight if they choose to use this opportunity against us. Such is the corruption of the fearful and ignorant, so quick make enemies in a time of crisis." Orchid gives up on trying to chew her bracelet off and looks to the rest of the cellmates, speaking more quietly this time. "If no one comes to explain why we've been arrested and how we free outselves, I don't care to become a victim of their judgement. Let them do their witch hunt on their own people. I shan't become a scape goat on their behalf."

 

[Idea]

• Coded
• Semicoded

• Ati'Ji
  
  
  
  

  Huh? How could I have known I'd be arrested? No action of mine, nor even my appearance, were the cause of it. It was that annoying orb still hovering around me, no doubt awaiting its next opportunity to strike at me. Oh, but I was watching.... I was watching alright....
  
  Before I had the opportunity to retort, my short friend sat next to me, only to stand right back up again with his proposal of a story being accepted by a single other inhabitant of our collective cage, an elf with blue colored eyes and skin. Perhaps they were part-triton? It was hard to conjure the mental image, what would bring two such prideful folks to have children. Then again, even us mantid had our pariahs, and some whose minds were as far gone as to attempt to rebel against the queen. Were they not so undeserving of mercy, they would have been rather pitiful indeed.
  
  By contrast, the members of the story my companion told were much better examples. The farmer was foolish of course, wasting one who could yet be used. If the dog would not be a guardian, then at the very least he could have been bait. However, the dog's loyalty, to leave obediently as he should, and the sheep who even after he left would still follow upon his return, what grand examples! Their deity even rewarded the loyalty by allowing the dog to continue to work until he drew his last, satisfied breath. It was a somewhat moving tale. It quickly became apparent that the following conversation would not be so peaceful though, with the outburst from the thin orc after my companion's question. Like a hound, she attempted to bite off her chains, which in all honesty explained why she was chained up. I shook my head at her.
  
  "These guards.... they serve your ruler do they not? To strive against them is foolish, treasonous. A ruler's law is not a falsehood. And if they are not your ruler, then they are your enemy's. Yet we are at the very belly of their control. It would be suicidal to attempt an escape under such conditions. To throw away one's life in such a useless manner is just as treacherous."

  

  
  
  Hit Points: 26/26
  1st Level Spell Slots: 2/2
  AC: 17
  Initiative: +1
• Huh? How could I have known I'd be arrested? No action of mine, nor even my appearance, were the cause of it. It was that annoying orb still hovering around me, no doubt awaiting its next opportunity to strike at me. Oh, but I was watching.... I was watching alright....
  
  Before I had the opportunity to retort, my short friend sat next to me, only to stand right back up again with his proposal of a story being accepted by a single other inhabitant of our collective cage, an elf with blue colored eyes and skin. Perhaps they were part-triton? It was hard to conjure the mental image, what would bring two such prideful folks to have children. Then again, even us mantid had our pariahs, and some whose minds were as far gone as to attempt to rebel against the queen. Were they not so undeserving of mercy, they would have been rather pitiful indeed.
  
  By contrast, the members of the story my companion told were much better examples. The farmer was foolish of course, wasting one who could yet be used. If the dog would not be a guardian, then at the very least he could have been bait. However, the dog's loyalty, to leave obediently as he should, and the sheep who even after he left would still follow upon his return, what grand examples! Their deity even rewarded the loyalty by allowing the dog to continue to work until he drew his last, satisfied breath. It was a somewhat moving tale. It quickly became apparent that the following conversation would not be so peaceful though, with the outburst from the thin orc after my companion's question. Like a hound, she attempted to bite off her chains, which in all honesty explained why she was chained up. I shook my head at her.
  
  "These guards.... they serve your ruler do they not? To strive against them is foolish, treasonous. A ruler's law is not a falsehood. And if they are not your ruler, then they are your enemy's. Yet we are at the very belly of their control. It would be suicidal to attempt an escape under such conditions. To throw away one's life in such a useless manner is just as treacherous."

  

  
  
  Hit Points: 26/26
  1st Level Spell Slots: 2/2
  AC: 17
  Initiative: +1

Spells

Cantrips: (7)
*Message
*Mending
*Mind Sliver
*Infestation


First Level: (10)
*Command (prepared)
*Mage Armor (prepared)
*Find Familiar (ritual)
*ID Insunation (prepared)
*Charm Person
*Puppet
*Sleep (prepared)

Items

Equipped:
*Scale Mail
*Robes
Rations (14 days)
*Crystal (arcane focus)
*Spellbook - Collected Notes
*Mask

Currency:
1 PP
28 GP
7 SP
157 CP

Carrying:
*Golden Egg
*Manacles
*Rope - Hemp (50ft)
*Waterskin
*Sack x5
*Jug x3
*Chalk x5

Interacting With: Lucius Cypher
Mentions: Vanira Sambews
Might Also Wanna Read: glooomycinnamonroll Hella Downweather

 

[Sambews]

"Ati'ji, how does command work in your... foreign, but still human-esque culture? In our society, there's corruption, and leaders often might make decisions that will benefit themselves, but bring harm to others. The might not always have the best of others in mind. Where you come from, does your queen always make the best decision, or are you blindly following her because she's your queen?" Imire flushes at that last line. "Also, you'd be surprised at how easy it would be to escape, I think. Our druid over there could easily get us out of these bars, and I'd be willing to wager a few of us have enough magical capabilities to evade capture. However, doing so would be as a criminal charge, and we'd just get thrown back in as soon as we were seen."

 

[Idea]

• Coded
• Semicoded

• Ati'Ji
  
  
  
  

  "Aaaah, yes. I see you do think like that: But it is those who would not follow who are TRULY blind! Our good is the good of the queen, and her wisdom is beyond any other. It is the duty of the follower to follow, and the leader to lead. There is not a corrupt rule. There is not a righteous rule. There is only the queen's will. And we, follow." I couldn't help clicking my mandibles after that last statement, still behind my mask and robes. I also shook my head at the proposal that we could simply escape our current predicament. "To escape only to be caught once more would have been worthless, suicidal! I am afraid I remain skeptical of the possibility of us escaping without being caught again: They have numbers, and I would surmise the experience to deal with simple magical escape attempts. There would be no merit to attempting it in our current situation. In the first place, what would make you presume they have magical abilities at all?"
  
  I raised a finger in the direction of the other inhabitants of our cell. Though my hand was now exposed, it could easily have simply been taken as a drastically thin gauntlet. I hoped it would, in fact.
  
  "What manner of capabilities do they possess? Do they truly have something to them which would allow them escape?"
  
  

  

  
  
  Hit Points: 26/26
  1st Level Spell Slots: 2/2
  AC: 17
  Initiative: +1
• "Aaaah, yes. I see you do think like that: But it is those who would not follow who are TRULY blind! Our good is the good of the queen, and her wisdom is beyond any other. It is the duty of the follower to follow, and the leader to lead. There is not a corrupt rule. There is not a righteous rule. There is only the queen's will. And we, follow."[/color] I couldn't help clicking my mandibles after that last statement, still behind my mask and robes. I also shook my head at the proposal that we could simply escape our current predicament. "To escape only to be caught once more would have been worthless, suicidal! I am afraid I remain skeptical of the possibility of us escaping without being caught again: They have numbers, and I would surmise the experience to deal with simple magical escape attempts. There would be no merit to attempting it in our current situation. In the first place, what would make you presume they have magical abilities at all?"
  
  I raised a finger in the direction of the other inhabitants of our cell. Though my hand was now exposed, it could easily have simply been taken as a drastically thin gauntlet. I hoped it would, in fact.
  
  "What manner of capabilities do they possess? Do they truly have something to them which would allow them escape?"
  

  

  
  
  Hit Points: 26/26
  1st Level Spell Slots: 2/2
  AC: 17
  Initiative: +1

Spells

Cantrips: (7)
*Message
*Mending
*Mind Sliver
*Infestation


First Level: (10)
*Command (prepared)
*Mage Armor (prepared)
*Find Familiar (ritual)
*ID Insunation (prepared)
*Charm Person
*Puppet
*Sleep (prepared)

Items

Equipped:
*Scale Mail
*Robes
Rations (14 days)
*Crystal (arcane focus)
*Spellbook - Collected Notes
*Mask

Currency:
1 PP
28 GP
7 SP
157 CP

Carrying:
*Golden Egg
*Manacles
*Rope - Hemp (50ft)
*Waterskin
*Sack x5
*Jug x3
*Chalk x5

Interacting With: Sambews
Mentions: Vanira Lucius Cypher
Might Also Wanna Read: glooomycinnamonroll Hella Downweather

 

[Hella Downweather]

STILL IN THE BARRACKS

Alex was swamped, of course the mass cursed items shenanigans HAD to happen on her supervisor day off. And OF COURSE, he didn’t come back quickly to help her with the onslaught of people. She wasn’t the most...gentle person usually, but the accumulated frustration of an overworked and underpaid public servant made her a relatively rude person to interact with.

The young dwarf only got a glance from her and a firm :

-No.

Then to her guards :

-Put her with the Orc and the Eladrin. NOW MOVE!

Yeah. Because they had a half-orc in their cells. By Tymora her day was going great….And apparently it was only going downhill. A freaking kid entered the room next…How the hell was she supposed to deal with it.

-No and no. Follow the guards and if you see your mom, you may go in the same cell as her. Now move.

The next victim had their whole appearance altered to resemble an...insect? The rogue could sense some extra magic in the air..Was it the cursed item work? Yeahhhh, she was clearly not paid enough to care. If Menelas didn’t raise her salary, she was going to leave his sorry ass here and there.

JUST OUTSIDE OF THE BARRACKS

Menelas’ day was going fairly well, thank you very much. He enjoyed the festival, prancing around, signing autographs when asked, showing off his skills in some strength competitions. He had all the faith in the world into Alex, who was guarding the fort as he enjoyed a rare day off.

But still, as much as the redhead was skilled, surely she would need some reinforcement with the whole crisis that appeared almost instantly. Feeling generous, he went back to check on the barracks...and what a mess it was. People crammed everywhere, some gentle ladies he could recognize from a gala he attended last week...Going to the desk, he faced a clearly fuming Alex and a dwarf that was waiting for her guards to bring her to her cell.

-How the situation Alex?

-Hell. We are cramming people in cells made for one individual and all the guards are currently busy dealing with the aftermath. We suspect a Lystriel attack, but for now, nothing is confirmed.

-Quick question...who do we have in cell 17?

The direct question caused the rogue to lift an eyebrow, but she still looked over to her files, clearly used to receive what could sometime seem some nonsensical requests.

-We have...a half orc, a...halfling? some poor dude who got cursed to look like an insect, the dwarf you see in the lobby AND an eladrin…

-Perfect! Exactly what I needed! I suppose you put them all together since they aren’t human.

A shrug was the only answer he got. Without losing his legendary smile, he turned to the dwarf, asking :

-Well then fair lady, let me bring you to your cell. I have joyous news for you and your future cellmates.

Not bothering to wait for an answer, he moved towards the cells, expecting the guards to bring the dwarf with them.

---------------

It's starting to move! Idea Sambews glooomycinnamonroll Vanira Lucius Cypher

 

[glooomycinnamonroll]

Dagnal did not expect much, but the answer was so sudden and strict she started back. The human woman said that “no” with a kind of certainty, almost as if she was asked if the sky was green. She pursed her lips together and already prepared a response, before the guards could have escorted her into one of the cells. As much as she intended to parry, she did not get the chance. Another person emerged from the general chaos of the hall, coming from the direction of the doorway.

This time, a human male. Dagnal suspected he was particularly attractive by human standards, but that did not mean much to her. On the other hand, she had to admit, that he had far better manners than the other one she was talking to. She was carefully listening to their conversation, since she was standing nearby and did not have any better thing to do. The guards were not too eager to show her the way to the cells and she had no intention of finding them herself. Other than that, any information could be of help.

Dagnal still could not catch everything, but the part “aren’t human” was fair enough to evoke suspicion. She made a face, not really considering that they might notice that. She wrapped her arms around her chest and looked up at the figure who just turned to her. Surely, there was plenty of confidence and charisma in that smile on the man’s face but he was not her own kin and Dagnal narrowed her eyes even before the words reached her.

This is so wrong, she thought. She scratched the scar on the back of her head and tried to disguise the nervous gesture with adjusting her headband. Everything started to feel like these people were driving her towards a deal, that would hardly be mutually beneficial. But then, she had no choice but to follow the man who was already pacing away from her. Chances that people would let her roam free just because she was a priestess of a deity many of them probably haven’t heard of were undoubtedly slim. And the young dwarf felt like threatening officers with how her clan would hold grudges for this humiliation was not something a self-respecting woman would do. So she moved her feet, making the noise of stone hitting stone as her shoes touched the ground.

“Please note that if a person puts the phrases joyous and future cellmates in the same sentence, I tend to experience some degree of disbelief.” Dagnal mumbled as she followed the human man.

As they approached the cells, she heard voices. It did not come as a surprise, people were probably nervous, some of them probably even bored. She thought there was an argument going on. At some point, she could have sworn she heard some clicking, but this belonged to the less unexpected happenings of the day.

They eventually stopped before a cell, one that was less crammed with people… yet. So this is the merry bunch? she thought as her eyes widened seeing all the different shapes and sizes of figures.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------​

Interactions: Hella Downweather
Might also want to read: Idea Vanira Lucius Cypher Sambews