Fantasy The Aspect Saga

[Baconhands]

Kadri listened to Seren's question and she felt her breathing deepen and her eyes darken. Gray covered the question well, and she nodded along as he explained what a lich was. Indeed, he'd covered the basics; as he admitted he couldn't say much more Kadri briefly contemplated whether or not to continue. After a moment she resolved that she should.
"Her name is Dusk. Or she calls herself Dusk. She used to be one of the First Born," she said, turning her head to face Seren. "She had been slumbering until about five years ago; whoever woke her riled her up quite significantly." She stopped, realising what she'd said. She propped herself up on her elbows and scanned the room, hastily adding, "But she's weak. And she's vulnerable. As long as the Artefacts are kept from her hands, she can be defeated. And whatever plans she has are unable to be executed."
Kadri allowed a moment for it to sink in, before she let out a sigh and led back once more. "So... that's the short of it. Lich that wants to use the Artefacts to do something sinister. I can understand if any of you want to leave now that you... have heard about what you're up against. But... if you're all still happy to come along and face down death... I'll still try to answer your questions the best I can."
SilverFlight Flutterby LazyDaze Goonfire

 

[Flutterby]

Seren couldn't help but agree with Bron. They would get along, at least more so than she would get on with the others, and talking with her was truly not that bad. The idea of connection gave her a small glow of hope- deep, deep, deep down.

Seren twitched an eyebrow downward at Gray. "Masters of death" was an odd turn of phrase, in her mind, and "necromancer" was another entirely unfamiliar word. She did understand "powerful sorcerer," though.
Kadri got a similar near-blank stare. "Used to be one of the First Born" was.. not possible? One either was or was not, when it came to one's heritage.
She thought about their explanation deeply for a few minutes, and then the pieces feel together. The lich "used to be one of the First Born" because she also used to be human.. or as close to human as a First Born was, anyway.

"Ah. I see now. Your lich is our.. cerdded-eto." She gave a serious nod. Finding her own word had clued her in on the gravity of the situation.
"I forget the differences between cultures when it comes to death, it makes some of your phrases seem very odd."
She gave a small shrug.
"I have.. nothing better to do, as you would say. More to learn here than with those traders."
Seren gave Kadri a small nod, and then stretched back out across the mattress. Her stomach gave a soft gurgle, and Arwen chirped in agreement. Before sleep, they needed something to eat.

 

[Goonfire]

Ivarr sank down next to the wall, composing himself after being reprimanded by several people. Kadri’s exposition registered in his mind slowly as he sat there. “Well...” He paused, giving this a serious moment’s thought. “There has to be some way to kill her, but I doubt shooting or stabbing her would do much. I mean... if she can raise two dead men with the wave of a hand, surely she can help herself.” The assassin then rose to pace with a slow, measured gait, occasionally turning at random intervals. His footfalls produced almost no noise as he did so.

Rollo finally sat on a bed with his legs folded under him. “My parents told me the old stories years ago—the aspect dragons, the war, et cetera. If the artifacts are that powerful, I’d guess this ‘Dusk’ lady wants world damnation—er, domination.” He cleared his throat, realizing his slight blunder. “I don’t want that for the world. But... she can’t just use any artifact, can she?” It appeared he was ignorant of any tales of the First Born.

Baconhands SilverFlight Flutterby LazyDaze

 

[GamerCarrot]

After days of walking and riding from her home Rine found herself in desperate need of food, hoping to rest then move on over to the next town. Throughout her journey she came across a flyer describing someone needing help, unfortunately for her she didn't arrive in time to even see about helping this Kadri the note spoke about. Had she arrive at the inn listed she couldve helped out, or at least found out what they needed and decide if she wanted to join. But there she was walking down a path road towards an in hoping to grab some food and just go.

Keeping her hood up she entered the inn thinking she probably looked suspicious as hell with all the vials attached to her belt, as she entered she noticed the innkeeper stare at her curiously, almost as if she was in the wrong place. She ignored it however and approached them, flashing them a smile and leaning against the bar they were behind hoping they could help her with her little issue. "Excuse me, could I trouble you for something to eat?" She asked politely, the innkeeper looked at her and nodded. She paid the person for their troubles and waited for her food to be ready.

 

[LazyDaze]

Grim began to write in a notebook as he continued to chew his sandwhich, amused at what took place. Although his ego took a hit from Kadri's admission of his lack of impact in theatre; however, this made everything worth it. They were at each other's throats, angst, betrayal, secrets; he couldn't have created a better scene himself. Nevertheless, things did start to calm down a bit, but Grim simply started laughing, clapping even. "What a wonderful performance! It's like watching those plays...you know, the ones where everyone dies in the end." Grim stopped laughing, and then stopped clapping as a serious expression formed on his face. "...No Ivarr, no one knows how to kill Dusk. People only know how to sleep until its Dawn." Grim said without turning to Ivarr who seemed to be at a loss for words. It was no surprise, the man probably never came across anything he couldn't kill. He stared at the words in his notebook for a long time before suddenly regaining his normal demeanor.

"...On the other hand, you guys could probably kill anyone with your sense of humor," Grim said with another bite of his sandwich. Unforntinuetly, that was the last of his sandwich and he didn't have any more in his hat. "Welp, I gotta eat. Anyone else is free to come," Grim said as he practically skipped out their rooms and into the main inn. He couldn't help but think of the type of sandwiches that were available, or the type of sandwiches in the entire world for that matter. To think, there was a sandwich he had never even tried. Before Grim could get his fill he noticed someone walk through the inn after flashing she flashed a smile. Probably just a normal traveler. A normal traveler with a hood...and vials...probably shouldn't overreact.......

"...........................WITCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!," Grim said with a high pitched squeal as he pointed in her direction.

GamerCarrot Goonfire Baconhands

 

[Baconhands]

Kadri nodded, sounding out the syllables, "Cer-dded-eto." She thought about it for a moment before her features wrinkled as if in some discomfort. Then she shook her head slightly, "Lich is easier. Far easier to yell in the event that we see her."
Flutterby
Ivarr's worries reached the lineaged's ears before she could ask the Fenn about these traders. An enthusiastic curiosity had started to fill her, but the Consul's rambling had tempered its growth. She opened her mouth to attempt to reassure him, and then closed it after a second - she was certain everything she was about to say would only add fuel to the fire. Grim seemed to do that himself. Some form of relief entered her when the storyteller left.

At Rollo's question she sighed and sat up fully to look the wrestler in the eye. "I've no idea. I honestly don't. When I-" She stopped herself, thinking for a moment before she continued. "If she's lineaged I don't know who she's descended from. None of them are really to do with death... there's a cult that believes that the Aspect of Luck also controls life and death so maybe she's one of Sidabrinis' First Born. I don't know. But that... doesn't necessarily matter. She has fanatic followers; some of them are lineaged. I imagine they can use the artefacts she can't."
Goonfire SilverFlight

The inn keeper was a short and stout man, his features weathered and his body language was tense and almost reluctant. He let out a sigh and indicated to a piece of parchment on the counter, listing various kinds of breads, sandwiches, meats, and drinks along with their prices.
At Grim's accusation, the inn keeper's eyebrows arched and a withering glare was thrown in his direction. "Don't you bring that sor' of noise in 'ere boy. Tha' there's a word with a lo' o' weight in the colonies and I'm cer'ain tha' you don't know wha' i' means." His attention turned back to the witch and he shook his head. "Sincerest apologies ma'am. You look tired." He fished out a key from behind the counter at random and slid it towards her. "Buildin's free for a couple of hours. 'bout a two minute walk from 'ere. If ya want I'll have som'un bring yer food to you."
LazyDaze GamerCarrot

 

[GamerCarrot]

Whilst she was busy talking to the innkeeper who seemed to be very disinterested in her request she hadn't notice the other person in the room with her, however they seemed to notice her quite quickly. She heard them scream out the word witch, not realising they were talking about her she turned and went to grab a vial with a bright orange liquid inside to throw at this so called witch but then she noticed the man pointing at her squealing that she was a witch. Sighing she shook her head, immediately seeing why this man would suddenly just accuse her of being a witch. Taking off her hood to reveal her shoulder length blonde hair she leaned back against the wall and smiled. "Is this how we greet others in this country? Such a strange custom you have." she chuckled obviously very amused by the outburst.

Then innkeeper spoke up, reprimanding the man about causing such a commotion, turning back to the innkeeper she smiled "Oh no it's perfectly alright, I do look strange so I can don't blame him for being confused." She said. She took the key and pointed to one of the sandwich options on the parchment as well as just a plain cup of water, immediately paying the man for the cost of food and even a little more for his troubles "Thank you for the room." She continued. Turning back around she finally focused on the other man in the room "I can assure you I am no witch, just a humble alchemist." She said hoping to relieve the man's worries. "My name is Rine Tivei and you are?" She asked gesturing to the man.
LazyDaze Baconhands

 

[LazyDaze]

Grim had a few sly retorts for the innkeeper as he voiced his displeasure with Grim's outburst; however, he allowed the "witch" to come to his defense as he leaned on his cane with obvious interest. When she was finished Grim let up off his cane and began to clap. "Bravo, bravo, that was brilliant. I couldn't have thought of a better storyline myself." Grim took a glance at the innkeeper as if to challenge him on his previous accusations. One would be surprised by how much useless and...not so useless things Grim knew. He shot a glance at the menu, memorizing it in only a few seconds before returning his gaze back to the witch.

"Rine Tivei," Grim said thoughtfully as he stared up in the ceiling as if in deep thought. "Never heard of you," Grim said finally. He then did a short dance before tipping his hat to his new acquaintance. "Grim the Story Teller, the pleasure is all his I'm sure," Grim said as he pointed a thumb to the innkeeper. Speaking of innkeepers, Grim couldn't help but notice his run ins with the keepers of inns have been less than pleasurable.

. "You'll have to forgive my outburst...it was just that, I was so absurdly hungry that I forgot to put the sand before the wich, then the sands of time eroded the walls of my stomach in which case it would take a witch to turn back the sands that went which way wayward upon my quest to find the wich which sands, otherwise known as a sand witch in order to obtain that ever so elusive sandwhich! Did you understand...witch?" Grim said with a devious smile before standing straight up after his theatrical explantion. "Or alchemist," he said with a shrug of his shoulders implying the synonymy of the two titles. He adjusted his top hat and then twirled his cane before pointing it in the direction he had came. "In any case, you have a keen sense of humor unlike the acquaintances I came here with. Would you at all be interested in showing my friends how wrong they are about true art? Besides, I've always needed a straight man in my routines, but they have all quit for some reason or another. So maybe I'll try a straight women instead, although your preferences do not matter to me." Grim said as he tried to hold back the wave of laughter that was about to overtake him due to his own joke. Sometimes you were too good at your job.

"....The pay is good because the pay is free and I'd hate to enslave currency, so whaddya say Rine Tivei," he said with a puppy dog expression that probably did not suit him at all.

GamerCarrot

 

[Flutterby]

Seren gave a shrug, with an soft exhale through her nose.
"The language of the Fenn is not made for the convenience of foreigners' tongues." Her tone wasn't rude or dismissive- it might've almost been warm.
She sat up and glanced between Ivarr and Grim, and then at Kadri as she spoke to Ivarr. She stifled a sigh, and stood up.
"I go with the storyteller for food." She set Arwen down on the bed she had vacated, and spoke a few words to the marten quietly. With a chirp, Arwen laid down and dutifully watched those staying in the building.

Seren walked in a few paces behind Grim, entering just in time for his to scream about a witch. She followed his pointed finger to the woman. Sure, she was dressed funny, and had a bunch of vials, but what about that made her a witch? As Seren stepped around Grim to the counter, she mulled this and the innkeeper's response over. At home, 'witch' was a term reserved mostly for cultists not worshiping Olikah. What did it mean to Grim, and what did it mean to the innkeeper?

She was surprised the woman reacted so serenely to being called such a thing, even asking Grim's name.
"A thorn in my side," She muttered to herself, as she moved around the pair to order something to eat. She ordered and paid quickly, and resigned herself to waiting within earshot of Grim's never-ceasing mouth.

 

[GamerCarrot]

Rine wasn't shocked that Grim didn't know her name, she wasn't too well known as an alchemist and her family name wouldn't be very well known in this area. Which was a sort of blessing to her, it meant people put their trust in her skills rather than her title. As Grim talked Rine stood there not saying anything till he did a little dance just to introduce his name, bowing her head out of respect "A pleasure to meet you Grim, the story teller." she said politely. Now seeing the other woman come in behind him Rine smiled at them and overheard their comment which made her chuckle. "Are you one these friends he mentioned?" She asked the woman before she walked off.

Rine was about to ask about Grim himself but he had already started to explain his outburst which left her standing there, wide eyed and confused. It was like he was speaking in a riddle only he knew the answer to, having no hope to answer she just let out a small laugh "You're a curious one I'll give you that." she said still wrapping her mind around Grim's words. She watched him twirl his cane and point in a specific direction, by the way he spoke about his travel companions she could only imagine what type of people they were "People without a sense of humor? How have you managed for this long?" she said with concern, her tone obviously joking. "I would be interested in meeting these friends of yours. I suppose I can be your straight 'woman' as you put it, we can't exactly have them going the rest of their lives without a decent show now can we?" she continued playing along with his routine.

Raising an eyebrow when Grim spoke about money she waved her hand to brush it off "No need to pay me, I'll gladly join you." She smiled.
LazyDaze Flutterby

 

[SilverFlight]

Bron listened to the description of their adversary. "I'm not going anywhere." She said firmly. Blue reinforced this by snorting resolutely, though, it may have just been coincidence.
"An' I'm stuck with you too." Gray said with resignation. "Though it is gains' my better judgemen'".
Ivarr's comment got the ghost of a smile. "I hate people who dinnae stay dead when ye kill 'em."

Grim spoke next, and alerted Blue to his food. The dog rose from her place on the carpet and went to put her head in Grim's lap. She gave him such a devastated look when he finished the food, and followed him out the door.
Gray kept listening. "Aye, she does have followers, though two fewer than she had a' the star'. If ye can't do somethin' yerself, get someone stupid or zealous enough te do i' for you."
Bron smiled. "I think I need to feed my dog...again." She rose too.
Baconhands Flutterby LazyDaze Goonfire

She was just out of the door with Seren when she heard Grim scream. Thinking the lich had caught up with them already she charged toward the main building, hand on her sword hilt. When she saw no lich in the room, but the young girl she let out a long breath.
"An alchemist. Grim! I thought you were being attacked." She tried to sound annoyed, but in earnest, she was laughing.
She let Seren by her as she approached Rine, repeating her name to herself.
"Oh! I've heard of you! My family is from Arenthor. Your name carries a lot of weight among the merchants and nobles there." She held out a hand.
"My name is Bronwyn."
Blue took this opportunity to sniff Rine's boots politely.
"And this is Blue, my dog. She's not at frightening as she looks."
Blue looked up with a panting smile, tongue lolling.

Bron was surprised the Alchemist agreed so readily. "It will be good to have an alchemist on our journey, but I need to warn you...it will be dangerous...can I at least buy your meal this evening?"
Bron put a hand out to the server. "Two hot meals please, and if your butcher has some spare meat off your soup bones, that for my dog as well."
She turned back to Rine. "How did you come to be on the road, and joining up with rag-tag bands like us?"
Baconhands Flutterby LazyDaze Goonfire GamerCarrot

 

[vantanamo]

The day was winding to an end, slowly. Much too slow for Cormac. That day he had worked in Esthaven, tiresomely assisting an older couple clear out their chimney, igniting a hearth for a smelter, and loading three wagons with hay. In short, he was decently covered in soot and smelled like wheat. Most importantly- he was sober. Somewhere down the line he had had the bright idea to head to the next town before seeking accommodations. Attempting to get a head start on the next day and all. All too soon it had backfire for the man. His mouth was dry, his patience thin, and his pockets jingled with coins. He resigned to retire in the next Inn he passed, regardless of condition.

Soon enough he stumbled upon what he was looking for in the distance. It was a small town. Nothing too fancy and probably not big enough to home more than a hundred or so people. Big enough though that it should have an inn of some sort. It took him nearly half an hour but eventually he stumbled on one. It was small, just like the town. Couldn’t have more than a dozen rooms for rent. It wasn’t much, but it would do. He sprinted the short distance to the entrance, pausing a few steps from the doors to catch his breath. Then with a swagger befitting a king and the appearance of a miner, he barged into the establishment. Marching directly to the Innkeep, he flashed his pearly whites and spoke, ”Evening, the tallest and stoutest you have please.” He tossed a few coins to him before he turned to scan the room.

First his eyes landed on a dog. “Okay..” he mumbled under his breath, giving a nod. Then his gaze moved to a blonde woman, done up with potions. A smile crept on his face as he looked her up and down. But his vision drifted just a tad farther to a... A jester? He blinked a few times then spun back around. A night alone it would seem. Whatever he had stumbled upon seemed a little too serious for his liking. Hopefully the drinks would be good and the effect quick. It was hard to evade conversation when you sat in the middle too long.

 

[Feywild]

Time seemed to only slip by faster for Carmine the longer he remained out on his own. Some days he didn’t realise days were about to come to an end until it started to get dark and the sky dusky. The last people he’d travelled with had kept him in check, though they were simply travelling to stay with some family or to trade in a few towns away. For now, Carmine was on the road alone. The clinking of jewels and metal when he did anything more than walk wasn’t reassuring him in the slightest. There was supposedly a small town up ahead, he’d decided that once he reached it that would be where he found somewhere to stay for the night. He arrived in the evening and instead of heading straight to the inn he had a little walk around first. Noting the basic layout of what led to where, what was around an inn he’d spotted, and if there were any off looking folk. Carmine only stopped when the pangs of hunger became too much to ignore.

Heading into the Inn, Carmine glanced around before striding forwards. The folk he’d seen around town seemed simple enough, he couldn’t say the same about most of the people in this inn however. To say he was surprised was an understatement. Eyeing those inside with a shrewd gaze, spare for the innkeeper and those who seemed less troublesome, Carmine slowly made his way over to the Innkeep to ask for food. “Sorry to bother you on this fine evening, but a hot meal would be delightful if you’re serving.” Pulling the hood of his dark cloak down, he shifted his gaze to rest on the dog. A twitch of disgust passing on his face at the sight of the pet before he smoothed it out to remain neutral. Dogs had never been his favourite, too slobbery and often smelly to stay in his good books. He drummed his ringed fingers against the bar as he looked away, choosing to stare at his pretty hands while he waited.

 

[Baconhands]

The innkeeper tuned out most of Grim's speech, his focus instead turned on the newcomers. He had written down the first order, but as the conversation started picking up as more people joined, he assumed they would all want to have their food together. One of these new people had a dog, and immediately the gruff man's back straightened as his eyes clocked it. He allowed a few moments for everything to settle, before he took the orders of the new arrivals.
"Yer all not from 'round 'ere ain't ya?" he said, finishing writing the last order. "Any particular reason yer all 'ere at the same time?" He allowed a pause before he shook his head, "Scratch that. I don' wanna know. It's gonna be somethin' weird and we need less of that at the moment."
He prepared the drinks first, issuing them to those that had ordered, before he slipped into the kitchen.
He returned surprisingly quickly, only after a few minutes in fact. He returned with sandwiches first, placing them somewhat unceremoniously in front of those that had ordered them.
A plethora of aromas filled the air; herbs, spices, and sweet vegetables were the dominant trio. A seasoned pork knuckle, served along with roasted parsnips, carrots and potatoes, a chunk of bread, and a small pot of thin gravy, was placed in front of everyone who had ordered a hot meal.
GamerCarrot SilverFlight LazyDaze Feywild vantanamo Flutterby
The inn keeper then made a quick dash back into the kitchen, and then returned with a bowl filled with left over pieces of meat and placed it in front of Blue, for the first time a broad smile on his face.
"I 'member hounds like these. Made good companions back when we were fighting the Phoenicians. Could scare an 'ole dozen of them off with just one bark, such was their reputation. Their warbeasts had nothin' on a pack of 'em," he reminisced. "Stop by 'ere tomorrow mornin'. You can take a couple of things for the dog."
SilverFlight

Kadri smiled at the others as they left for food. When the last one left, only Rollo, Ivarr and her fellow Volken remained. Her eyes rounded on Gray, a sigh escaping her, the other two forgotten for the moment. "Your spymaster is that desperate to have me back that they sent someone of your calibre to fetch me? The Council must be getting worried." Kadri sighed as she explained, "Volk will be fine without me for a couple of years. It's not the first time there's been an Interregnum, and this time won't be the last."
SilverFlight Goonfire

 

[SilverFlight]

""My calibre"?" Gray repeated, smiling at that. His ego enjoyed the phrasing. His eyes darted quickly to the two men left in the room, a little uneasy about how much Kadri was saying in front of them.
The last bit of her explanation however, shocked him into looking like a landed fish.

"Years?!" Graham choked, and then tried (and failed) to regain some of his composure. "Are ye bleedin' daft? You wanna be on this numpty's crusade fer years?!" He stepped away and ran both hands through his black curls. "Tamsus' dark nethers lass! I kannae protect ye tha' long! It'll end up one or both of us pushin' daisies! Say nothin' abou' the eedjit's ye've got followin' ye aroun' like lost puppies."
He seemed beyond frustrated. It was completely unbelievable. Graham had prepared himself to be away for weeks, maybe even months, but years?
What would he tell Dagna? He wouldn't tell her anything, because when she did find out, and she would, she'd personally see him stuffed.
Baconhands Goonfire

 

[Baconhands]

"I don't want to be on this crusade for years. I don't want to be on it at all! But here I am!" Kadri growled. "And here you are." She let out a breath. "Look, there are more of us now. And lineaged too. People that can use the artefacts."

Graham's eyebrows shot into his hairline ""Use them"? You mean these very same artifacts tha' destroyed the world? Oh yes, splendid, give the legendary god-weapons te these." He gestured to the room and beyond it. "Because it worked so well fer the world when gods had them."
The edge to his tone softened just slightly. "Yer m...Kadri. Ye cannae be serious...wha' are we goin' te do wit' the artifacts?"

Kadri's head lowered to the ground. Her voice was quiet and meek. "I don't know Gray. I don't. One of the First Born wanted me to bring them to her so she could distribute them but... I don't trust her. What would you have me do with them?"

Gray's heart twisted when Kadri's fiery tone died away. It was obvious she was struggling with her own inner disputes, and he probably wasn't helping. He was a bit surprised to be consulted. Nobody asked his opinion on things.
He held up a hand and waved it. "Don' go foistin' this mess onte me. I dinnae have the faintest idea..lock 'em away? Maybe the gods'll want 'em back. Never shoulda left 'em here te begin with...at any rate...maybe I trust these fools a mite more than I trust others...for now. Let's just hope luck's with us."
His sigh was one of heavy resignation. "Well, I'm hopin' it doesn't take years...but whatever ye decide...ye won' have to do i' alone." He eyed her with a critical glance, a smile playing on his lips. "Bu' I dinnae have te like it."

A ghost of a smile pulled at the edges of Kadri's lips. A silence hung heavily in the air. Then she looked up to match his gaze once more. "I don't think it will take years. I just... don't want to be too optimistic. I've been looking for these things for months and... they're not easy to get. I'm surprised this one went so well." She let a pause settle as the smile broadened, "How does it feel to be a royal advisor?"

For some reason Gray had trouble meeting those eyes. "You were on yer own fer all that time?" He asked quietly.
When she mentioned the fight Gray just shrugged secretively. "I woulna be so surprised."
Her next comment actually made him laugh. "Haha, ooh yer in sorry need of better company if I got tha' sort of promotion."

"Maybe I am," Kadri grinned. "I suppose this technically means that everyone here is a member of a court. I dub thee, sir Gray." She allowed herself a tired laugh, the energy dissipating after a couple of moments. "No... no not alone," she said, the grin disappearing. "I had... two friends who came with me." She visibly deflated with each syllable. "I'd... I'd prefer if we don't talk about them."

Gray straightened and gave her a mock salute, turning it into a rude gesture with a flourish. His smile faded when hers did as he realized what she meant. "Oh...damn, I dinnae mean te...sorry." He looked away, rubbing the back of his head.
"If it's any boon...I know wha' it's like...losin' someone close." What sorry excuse for an assassin felt this way about death? Gray shoved the thought away angrily.
"Wha abou' somethin' te eat eh? Bet ye're ravenous after all tha' magic'in. I could fetch food. I'll play the page boy jus' this once."

Kadri nodded weakly, breaking off eye contact altogether. "Food sounds good. But... when you come back I can't guarantee I'll be awake. Um... I'd say I was going to go for a walk if I weren't so tired." She looked up one last time, "You don't need to apologise. You didn't know."

"Ge' some rest then." Gray said, the gentleness in his voice surprising him. "I dinnae think a walk is a good idea anyway, the less people see of you the better."
She looked up at him and he gave a short nod. "All the same."
Gray turned to go with one last look over his shoulder. "I'll no have you make a habit o' this. Ken?" He gestured to her general condition, his tone back to teasing. "It'll be my neck if you die, so ye're no allowed te die before I do." With that, he let the door close behind him.
SilverFlight Goonfire

 

[GamerCarrot]

Rine turned to face Bronwyn, surprised to hear that someone heard of her family but hearing where they came from it made sense they knew of her. "It's a pleasure to meet you Bronwyn and you Blue." she said crouching down to Blue's level and giving them a gentle scratch behind her ears once they gave her the all clear to do so. "I didn't think anyone had any clue who my family was. We aren't exactly the most well known noble family out there." she said standing up and giving Blue another little pat before being warned about the journey she was apparently joining. "I'm down for a little danger, I can create a potion for almost anything but I do specialise in healing if that will help on your journey?" she asked unsure what their quest was but she knew if it was so dangerous that her skill would definitely going to be of use.

Rine thought about her answer before she spoke "You can only handle so much match making before you want to throw a vial at them to turn them into a newt." she said jokingly. "Not really, well the match making was boring but actually I've wanted to be an alchemist since I was young." she explained. "I thought I'd travel the world to learn more about alchemy and maybe help those along the way." she continued. "Plus your friend Grim here said he needed help. What about you? How did you find yourself here of all places?" she asked curiously hoping to learn more about the group.
Baconhands SilverFlight LazyDaze

 

[Flutterby]

Seren could have sworn the tavern of the inn had been nearly empty when they came in. But with their three, plus the alchemist and two others that had wandered in after them, things were getting crowded (and loud) quickly.
She pulled her meal toward her almost defensively and scarfed down several bites. Kadri and her magic had consumed the rest of her supplies- she reminded herself to find somewhere to buy before they left this place. Her eyes darted up to the innkeeper as he returned to the kitchen.
It's gonna be somethin' weird and we need less of that at the moment. That's what he had said.
She glanced at the rest of her party, still chatting away with the alchemist. Then she turned her eyes to the two strangers. She blinked twice, knowing she would live at least long enough to regret what she was about it do.

"Hey. You two. Did you just get in to town, or have you been here a few days?" Her voice was hushed even though it wasn't quite a whisper, as she watched the innkeeper interact with Blue and then her own group. Hopefully, these strangers would have an idea of recent happenings, and she wouldn't have to speak to the innkeeper again. Better to be remembered by fellow travelers than a local. Even though the chances of leaving without being remembered were next to zero with Grim along, she didn't want her face to be linked to his just yet.
vantanamo Feywild

 

[vantanamo]

Soon after Cormac entered, another man followed. Heading straight to the bar, just as he had. A glance was cast his way but nothing more. Rather quickly his drinks got to him and almost immediately one had been downed. The other resting comfortably in his hand, though this one wasn't gone in an instant. For the most part he had been able to drown out the conversation going on behind him, instead focusing on sipping his drink and playing idle with a coin her had procured from his pocket. That was until a whisper of a voice pointed towards the bar. Against his better judgement he turned, smiling broadly.

What he found was a woman, hovering protectively over her plate. Fantastic. “Just passing through. In all honesty I have absolutely no clue what this town is called. I was working in Esthaven,” he replied in a chipper, yet sarcastic tone. “How about you? Are you just passing through? Or do you know the name of this town?” He was always talkative when he drank. Perhaps he wouldn't be able to stick to his plan of not being drug into conversation. “Also, the name’s Mac and..” Trailing off he cast a look at the man sitting at the bar next to him. ”Hey, what’s your name?” He questioned, in a hushed tone.
Feywild Flutterby

 

[Feywild]

Carmine had been tucking into his meal, not sparing anymore estranged looks to the group nearby him, far too hungry to involve himself in whatever was going on. By the time he was almost finished, he heard a quiet voice and eyes staring at him and the other person who didn’t seem involved with the people in the tavern. Listening to them with his chin propped on his hand, he answered the strangers question, “Same as him, minus the working in Esthaven,” Carmine shot the other a man a curious glance, shifting in his seat to get a better view of the two, “I’m just a traveller.” The ebony haired man shrugged, choosing to continue to eat the last of his food until he was asked for his name. “My name’s Carmine, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Both of you.” He replied in an equally hushed tone with a small smile latching onto his face, one brow arched as he didn’t understand why they had to be so quiet but was going along with it anyway.

“Do you need something?” He now asked the woman curtly, voice still softened by the quietness of his tone. It wasn’t that Carmine was annoyed by her presence, more so intrigued by why she’d approached two strangers with an almost whisper of a question, watching the other people in the tavern as she did so. To say that Carmine wasn’t a little suspicious of her would be wrong.

vantanamo Flutterby

 

[Flutterby]

Seren watched the two as the responded to her, eyes shifting attentively back and forth but face blank. Neither seemed particularly happy to be spoken to at first, but she didn't care much. The one that was more curt and maybe more well-groomed sounded like Ivarr- so maybe from the Commonwealth. The other's inflection reminded her of Kadri, so maybe Volken, but wasn't Gray also Volken? He sounded very different, so maybe Volk was a bad guess.

"Much the same for me," She replied as she stared at the one who asked her if she needed something, deciding how to answer.
After a moment, she gave a shrug.
"Passing through, on the way to greater things. The innkeeper said they didn't need more weirdness. Implies there was already some, yes? Just curious if either of you had been in town to witness it." There was a twitch at the corner of her mouth- it may have suggested at a grin.
"You would say I am... incurable gossip." The phrase almost escaped her, but not quite. She glanced over at Grim and Bron again, and a soft snort escaped through her nostrils.
"And if I sit here and speak to you, I will not be remembered as a member of.. that. Necessary, but often unpleasant." She was inclined to wink, but was told such an expression had many possible meanings, so she chose not to. Instead, she gave a small raise of her eyebrows and turned back to her meal.
vantanamo Feywild

 

[Goonfire]

Ivarr slowly wound down as Gray and Kadri gabbed. He couldn’t help listening, given there was only one room. With his rather extensive arsenal tucked under his bed and his sword under his pillow, he stretched out on his stomach. His legs kicked rather playfully.

Rollo didn’t appreciate the suspicious glances from the man with the thick accent. “I’m in this til the end,” he asserted through a yawn. “That Firstborn is up to something. Call it a gut feeling, I guess... I just don’t want some jerk destroying the world.”

“And I’m... just in it.” The assassin shrugged. “For funsies, I suppose. Not entirely sure what I’d do with an artifact.” He had ideas, but they were falling apart fast. World domination, the world’s most lucrative black market deal—all crumbling... He supposed he could play ‘the good guy’ just this once. “Don’t bring me back anything,” he told Gray, blowing him a kiss.

Baconhands SilverFlight

 

[vantanamo]

A nod was cast in Carmine’s direction before he turned back to her. The woman was a strange one in mannerism and speech, but he listened to her nonetheless. Even if she hadn’t wanted to be associated with the rest of the folks in the inn, calling out to them just made her weirdness, as she put it, more noticable. At least to the redhead anyway. By the time she was done speaking somehow he hadn't a clue whether he should answer her questions or leave her be. Of course though, being the person he was, couldn’t leave well enough alone.

”If you’re such an incurable gossip, perhaps then you could enlighten me on the events that transpired?” He raised an eyebrow in challenge, ”I get the feeling you may know exactly what’s contributing to the queerness.” It seemed as though a smile was permanently etched onto his features. Jesting to Carmine, he added, ”How about you? Wouldn’t you like to know?” His gaze shifted back to the stranger in question, perhaps the downing of the first drink was catching up to him. While still good postured, his shoulders were beginning to relax and his voice was raising ever so slightly as he continued on.
Flutterby Feywild

 

[Flutterby]

A puff of air rushed through Seren's nose.
"Mm.. perhaps you could trouble the innkeeper for the story. The only strange events I can pass along are the stupid things that come out of that man's mouth, and you'll hear plenty before you can finish your meal." Seren gave a nod over at Grim, without removing her gaze from the man with the red-brown hair.
She seemed to consider her own words, and then took a longer look at both the men. Their equipment, mostly. Both carried swords, and light packs that fit their story of being travelers. She could here the alchemist questioning Bron about them needing help. They did need help, if the fight with the bear was any clue. Perching in a tree and shooting an arrow would only work so many times- they needed more brawlers and swordsmen. And how trustworthy did they really need to be, if Kadri was willing to take anyone who happened to show up at a pub based on some cryptic note she posted?
Besides, they didn't seem as inclined to chatter on and on like some of the men in the party. Or most of them.

"You are both swordsmen. Not many carry swords who cannot use them well." An observation, and she left no room for argument.
"The group I am a part of, we need decent fighters. We are.. helping someone save the world. I'm told the money at the end will be worth the effort." She paused, looking thoughtful for a heartbeat.
"If you ended up in a town like this, you probably have nothing better to do." Seren stood, her plate empty. She took the last gulp of her drink.
"The innkeeper can tell you where to find us. We leave early tomorrow."
With that, Seren gave them both a nod and turned to head out the door.
vantanamo Feywild

 

[Baconhands]

When Gray left, Kadri led her head down. It had been a long day; a day that could have easily been many weeks. A slight smile was on her lips - the group had acquired an artefact already, and hadn't lost anyone to the encounter with the Guardian. Could she call it anything but a success? Perhaps it was a time to celebrate? A sharp exhale left her and the smile grew slightly - the lineaged guessed everyone else was celebrating to an extent; they had gone to the local inn for food and drinks. It wasn't a big party, but it was something. The only ones not in attendance yet were Rollo and Ivarr; Kadri was certain that once she fell asleep they would go and join. And for some reason, that filled her with a sense of contentment: that everyone was getting along to at least some extent was a good thing.
"When this is all over," she said absentmindedly, her eyes briefly glancing towards Rollo and Ivarr. "I think I'm going to go fishing."
With that, Kadri's eyes fluttered closed as she allowed exhaustion to take her into its dark embrace.
Goonfire
--------------
When her eyes snapped open, it was dark. A dusting of moonlight was making its way through the moth-plagued curtains, and served as the only light source in the room. Kadri sat up, her vision slowly adjusting as she propped herself up on her elbows. She could discern the outlines of various obstacles: her companions, the drawn curtains that divided the beds from one another, and all of their equipment.
Her stomach rumbled; had Gray brought her food? Would it even be any good at this point? The lineaged didn't bother to look that hard for it - she was awake and she wanted to get moving as soon as possible. That thought was scuppered when she swung her legs round to sit on the side of her bed; her stomach growled its argument. Breakfast... everyone would want breakfast before travelling, or at least something to munch on as they did.
Bread would be good enough. The inn would surely have bread. She stood and fastened her cloak, navigating to the front door. Kadri carefully opened it and stepped out into the night, thoughts bombarding her mind. She could practically hear Hendrik's voice berating her.
Bread by itself wasn't enough. Who in their right mind would just want bread? She would have to get butter at least. And since you've got that you might as well see if they've got some bacon. You've got a couple of hours before dawn - Aezi would appreciate those extra couple of hours to rest up. Also you could cook the...
--------------
Just before the sun was due over the horizon, Kadri laid out enough plates for every one of her freshly acquired companions. Two pieces of fried bacon sandwiched between two thick slices of white bread adorned each plate. She had had one herself, and she was content enough with the quality.
She resolved to allow her companions thirty minutes before she would forcefully wake the stragglers; she did not want to summon Aezi in a populated area when there were people around.
Goonfire SilverFlight Flutterby LazyDaze GamerCarrot Feywild vantanamo