Fantasy &nbsp; The Guildstone Chronicles ((Questing Thread))

Yahhah

Eiru just had to mention the possibility of larger fish, didn't she? Ymir turned away from the edge, slumping down in the roost to count backwards in her head.

"Look at Leo," Eiru said, sounding delighted as she peered over the side. "Isn't he so dashing when at sea?" No doubt she had that sly smile painted across her lips. Ymir snorted, staring up at the sky.

"That's just Leo," she said. His charisma was as much a skill as his poetry, no matter how vain people decided it made him. Besides, as much as Eiru gave her flak for obsessing over maps, Ymir hadn't once seen the witch spare more than a passing glance for anything outside research tombs. Given their lifespan they wouldn't be in any rush, but she did sometimes wonder if they weren't lonelier than they let on.

"Combine: song and poetry. Enhance: emotional effect. Seek: target." She watched the runes form above her, examining the ancient scripts for the brief moment they were suspended in time before the magic took effect. Eiru's ability was unlike most Ymir had seen before. The closest she'd ever come to a similar thing was in the ruins of old and ancient places, but even those were carved in stone. "Donate all mana."

Ymir paused, shooting up as she heard the final instruction but the spell was already taking effect. She ignored the rippling wake of the magic in favour of catching Eiru before she could topple over - it would break more than a few bones if she fell from the roost and Ymir was suddenly twice as glad she'd been ordered to come up instead of staying on deck.

"Seriously?" she muttered. How the hell am I meant to get you down now?

They were small, at the very least. She could have picked up a child for all the difference it made. Briefly she considered using her glider to get down, but with the added difficulty of holding onto Eiru on top of the unnatural winds, that could end quite badly. Hardly worth it when there was a far less risky, and albeit less desirable, option.

"Say Hanzel-" She heard Leo call out about halfway down the ladder. "You guys got any medicine or a healer on board that can do anything about a headache?" She couldn't focus too much on it given Scrapper's winds were still threatening to tear her off the rungs of the mast, but the severity lessened as she descended further. The whole ordeal was less nightmarish than she'd expected; having three points of contact made it much easier to stay anchored than stumbling around on two legs. "Also, would you happen to know where Ymir and Eiru are?"

"Here," she said, easing herself off the final few rungs onto the deck. WIth the worst of the rocking over staying upright had become somewhat easier. Ymir sighed as she made it down in one piece, relieved on Eiru's behalf but already missing the safety of the roost. "This lump knocked herself out using the last of her mana."

More precisely, donating all of it. Leo obviously hadn't thrown his all into it like Eiru, but even lower levels of depletion could be an issue. She'd found the effects could be similar to dehydration in the early stages. Ymir watched as Hanzel returned, handing Leo a rather dry looking stick for him to chew on until they made it into port. She recognised it for the powder that was a common ingredient in mana restoratives, but in its original form it probably wouldn't taste all that different from bitter bark.

"Well," Ymir said, shoulders slumping. A numbness had settled in the wake of all the action, and she suspected whatever magic Leo had used had worn off as well. "I'm going to go put this one down before I drop her." Hanzel was already elsewhere, organising the cleanup so they didn't arrive in port looking like they came out of a hurricane. She saw him talking to Ruvo, clapping the bard on the back with a promise him and Leo were welcome aboard any time. Many of the cannon crew were awfully interested in what other delightful tricks Freed had up his sleeve; Mani seemed to have following of people who looked like they wanted to congratulate her while fearing for their lives, and Shephard was drowning her sorrows in the steps to the helm. "...You should probably get some rest as well if you overdid it," she said. She noticed no one paid much mind to Eiru, but that was to be expected. The nature of her ability meant that it was usually her party members that ended up looking the most impressive.

The tossing of the ship had calmed somewhat and Ymir managed to get their tiny saviour into their bunk without a concussion, though she wasn't above grabbing their bag of holding immediately after, rummaging around inside for the journal they'd so kindly stolen out of her room. She considered, very briefly, grabbing out a pen as well to write on their face, before deciding it would be in bad taste. They'd pretty much settled their ealier score.

"So, sea monsters and mana sickness," she said, assuming Leo was still there. She dropped onto the end of one of the few beds built into the walls and cracked open the old spine. Paging through to her latest entry on the ice caverns she checked Eiru hadn't actually written the drivel she'd mentioned before. The pages were filled mostly with sketches of maps and region reports, as well as accounts of her expeditions, but there were a number of letters from her family bound into the pages that she wasn't totally comfortable having along on the journey. There was a reason she preffered to keep the book in her room, away from the dangers of the field. If she didn't return from a mission it was one of the few things she wanted to be sure would make it back to her family.

-thankfully, Eiru hadn't touched it, or Ymir may have drawn a mustache on her face after all. The mapmaker sighed, resting her head in her hands as she let the enormity of everything that had happened sink in. That she was actually on a boat, out at sea, and for the thus-far foreseeable future she wouldn't be getting out of it. "...what a fun entry this is going to be."

Key of Stars · Oct 29, 2021

Leonidas Hood

Location: Salvager Deck > Cabins
Mentions:

Uasal

"Here," Leonidas looked at Ymir in disbelief. "You're telling me you made it up there during that battle and back down while carrying Eiru when I was here worried that you would fall over and break your neck trying to get to the wheel?!" He laughed briefly before wincing slightly in pain. "This lump knocked herself out using the last of her mana." He nodded. "Not hard to believe. I don't know exactly how much she used but that spell was way stronger than it usually is, even with me using a pretty large amount of mana myself."

He took the stick from Hanzel with a thankful smile and nod. He twirled it around between his fingers a few times before popping part of it in his mouth and chewing on it slowly, it gave some relief but it wasn't nearly as potent as manufactured medicine.

"Well," Leonidas stopped his chewing for a moment to listen. "I'm going to go put this one down before I drop her." She paused briefly and looked around the ship while he chewed on the stick. "...You should probably get some rest as well if you overdid it," He nodded. "Not a bad idea, I'd like to get rid of this headache before we hit land."

He followed behind Ymir, pleasantly surprised by the fact that she seemed a lot steadier walking around than before. Sure it was still a little clumsy but quite the step up from before. He plopped himself down into the hammock he had claimed earlier after carefully removing the instrument case and setting it down.

"So, sea monsters and mana sickness," He couldn't see Ymir from where he laying but he could clearly hear her. "Well," He paused his chewing. "Admittedly, not the most optimal start of your first adventure on the sea. It was some decent training though." He chewed on the stick a few more times. "You know, I thought it would be rude to say with Hanzel still around because he and I have been hitting it off so far but this thing really tastes like shit." He complained. "Really makes me wish I had asked Kathlyn for some medicine before we left. Knowing her I'd be chewing on something strawberry flavored by now instead."

"...what a fun entry this is going to be." He chuckled. "Well, it won't be a boring one at the very least." He responded before closing his eyes. For a little while, he just stayed still, quietly humming a tune along with the sound of Ymir's pen.

"Say," He started after a while, pushing himself up a bit. "You think Eiru would train and teach me if I ask? I've seen what she can do by herself now and it's amazing but-" His face darkened slightly. "If I'm going to face those guys impersonating me in combat... especially that guy I told you about before... I'm not sure that's enough by itself if my abilities stay the same."

Sylph · Oct 30, 2021

Ymir
Location: Salvager Cabins
Mentions:

Uasal

RatKing

"Say," Leo said after a while, pushing himself up. Ymir glanced up at the thoughtful expression. "You think Eiru would train and teach me if I ask? I've seen what she can do by herself now and it's amazing, but if I'm going to face those guys impersonating me in combat... especially that guy I told you about before... I'm not sure that's enough by itself if my abilities stay the same."

"Probably," she said, stowing away her journal. It seemed like they were approaching the island based on the shouting up top. Surprisingly, her first reaction wasn't to reach for her gliders and hightail it to shore. Waiting out the final leg of the journey didn't seem quite so bad. "She'll only be much use in teaching magic, but I suppose that's what you want to improve if you're asking her specifically."

Unfortunately, Eiru didn't appear to be waking up any time soon, looking far more peaceful asleep than either of them did awake. "If she agrees then I'll join you. I need to get better at wind attacks, and... well, I should probably brush up on basic combat if we're going up against pirates." She added the latter part far more quietly, as if not-saying it would make the problem go away. She'd need to find someone else for fighting of course. Eiru was good at a great many things, but weapons weren't one of them. "I think Ruvo mentioned something similar with training as well."

"For now..." She glanced up at the roof of the cabin, a great many more voices filtering down from above. The side of the hull ginded against something before coming to a halt, and she let out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding. "I think we've arrived."

The Sacred Isles: Base Camp

RatKing · Oct 30, 2021

Ruvo Steelfeather
Location: Salavager Deck
Mentions:

Uasal

The brief moment of silence created from the spectacle of the combined spell and its effect on the sea monster thanks to the help of Eiru and her own magic was soon overtaken by the cheering of the crew over their victory in overcoming the threat to the Salvager. And similarly so too ended whatever adrenaline or energy was keeping Ruvo going as a wave of lethargy washed over him. What was it that the witch had said? Something about donating mana? It was hard to hear over all the commotion, but whatever it was that happened his usual sound amplification spell was seemingly boosted in strength many times over to ensure the beast could hear it over the sound of cannon fire, yelling of orders, and howling winds. But it was also more focused and directed than it had ever been almost like it was altered to enhance the weight or force behind the magic poetry than simply making it louder.

"Ruvo" the bard looked over to Leo who was slumped up against the mast and calling him over. From the looks of it he was feeling something similar to himself though he certainly looked a fair bit worse for wear than he did.

"That was a sweet background tune," "Oh, why thank you. I've practiced a lot" he said thankful for the compliment "We should do a duet sometime, preferably under less life-threatening circumstances." "And preferably when my head isn't killing me." "O-Of course! I'd love to!" he excitedly exclaimed before realizing he should keep his voice down as to not further exacerbate Leo's headache. "I'll let you rest for now and we can figure out a duet performance later" he said excitedly before heading off elsewhere on the deck to give the poet some space.

The top deck was not as chaotic as it was a few minutes ago, primarily thanks to the quartermaster's efforts to organize the cleanup effort. And with the sight of land in the distance it wouldn't be long until the bard got to see what kind of sights and wonders there were to see on the island. As he leaned against the railing to rest and watch the boat get closer to the docks someone suddenly clapped him on his back. Turning around to see who it was, it turned out to be Hanzel who was giving him praise for a job well done with the sea monster and that he and Leo were welcome aboard anytime. "I don't know how much I really helped, it was mostly Leo's and Eiru's magic that did the work. I just made the spell louder for the monster to hear" he said not wanting to take more credit than he was due.

Sylph · Nov 4, 2021

Hanzel
Location: Base Camp Port
Mentions:

By the time they'd reached the port the heavy stormclouds Scrapper promised were beginning to gather over the horizon. They'd need to wait for it to pass before continuing the next leg of the journey, but considering everything that had happened it may be for the better.

"I don't know how much I really helped, it was mostly Leo's and Eiru's magic that did the work. I just made the spell louder for the monster to hear."

Hanzel had taken a moment to talk to Ruvo by the railings. The deck had returned to normal for the most part, the excitement of danger wearing into deep exhaustion. "True, you couldn't do it alone," Hanzel said, "but I doubt they could have done it without you either. That's what crews are for."

Although... He spared a glance over at Shephard, who looked to deep in thought on the stairs to the helm. There were the occassional few that sailed alone; captains without a crew. Hanzel couldn't help but think that, on the open seas, solitude was more a curse than an advantage. Plenty of adventurers had fallen into the prison their own mind over the years. "Not even if we replace a piece everytime we get damage we wouldn't be the same that we was before... Would i be Shepard if the time acted upon me? Or i am someone else? A paradox... Shepard's Paradox."

He couldn't quite hear what they were saying, but called out with a raised hand. "Having deep thoughts there, Commander? We'll be in harbour soon. I'm sure you can drink yourself into a stupor there."

The island itself was one of the largest in the isles, the sourthernmost part hosting the base of operations for the eldest of the Avatticus heirs. The fortified walls of the keep sat aside from the rest of the camp, though from what he knew it was more of a stronghold in case of attack. Most of the guard resided amongst the many merchants and residents of the island, and as Scrapper flew ahead to alert the guards of the ship's identity Hanzel made sure to call all of the recruits onto the deck.

Freed and Mani were both covered in soot and dark powder when they arrived. He appreciated that they had put their cannon back where they found it, given moving it would've been a three-person job. He'd heard the witch still showed no sign of waking, but at least Leo looked a little less pale when he and the mapmaker joined them. Ruvo and Shephard were still nearby, so he had everyone he needed.

"We'll be arriving at the base camp shortly," Hanzel started, making sure they were somewhere out of the way. "It's the main hub for activity in the isles, whether you're trading, adventuring, or after a bounty, so we'll be staying here overnight to wait out the storm. You lot are free to do as you wish, just don't stir up trouble. We'll be departing tomorrow as soon as the weather allows so make sure you're back on board before then." With a wave he released them to explore the island, the crew having finished fastening the vessel to the pier. He'd be on deck for a while as he oversaw the reloading, but further down the docks he could see Scrapper talking to someone rather important looking. Several guards flanked the red-haired sailor, who already seemed acquainted with the captain of the Salvager, but Hanzel paid it little mind. A veil of stormclouds approached the island across the waves, and he could only hope it didn't bring bad tidings alongside.

Key of Stars · Nov 6, 2021

Leonidas Hood

Location: Base Camp Port
Mentions:

RatKing

"I think we've arrived." He pushed himself up from the hammock. "Seems that way." And, almost as if on cue, Hanzel's voice sounded from above, calling for them to come up to the deck. "Let's go then shall we?" Leonidas said after slinging his instrument case over his shoulder.

"We'll be arriving at the base camp shortly," Leonidas quietly listened, the medicine stick he had been given still sticking out of his mouth. "It's the main hub for activity in the isles, whether you're trading, adventuring, or after a bounty, so we'll be staying here overnight to wait out the storm. You lot are free to do as you wish, just don't stir up trouble. We'll be departing tomorrow as soon as the weather allows so make sure you're back on board before then." He nodded, if only to let the quartermaster know he understood.

"So," He started, glancing at Ymir. "You got any plans?" He barely covered up a yawn with his hand. "Honestly, I would love to just go take a nap really. But I can't pass up the opportunity to gather some information. I'll probably go find a tavern to play at later as well, it's been quite a while since I did. You should come listen if you have nothing better to do." He said with a smile. "After all, I did promise to play whatever you wanted if you beat me at drinking."

"Oh and speaking of playing tonight." He continued, turning to another member of their group. "Ruvo how do you feel about making our debut as a duo tonight, the audience at whatever tavern we end up in will probably not be very high-standing but there is a certain charm to a group of drunks singing along to a song they've never heard before." He said with a grin.

RatKing · Nov 9, 2021

Ruvo Steelfeather
Location: Base Camp Port
Mentions:

Key of Stars

"True, you couldn't do it alone," the bard continued to listen as the quartermaster took a brief pause. "but I doubt they could have done it without you either. That's what crews are for." "Thank you Mr.Hanzel, I appreciate it" he said as he thought over what the quartermaster had said. "Maybe he's right. Maybe I should give myself more credit for helping after all Leo said it was a good melody" he thought to himself still a bit doubtful that the gold and iron guild members couldn't have done it without him.

Before he could get too much further into thought it had seemed that the quartermaster had gathered all the new recruits onto the top deck to give the announcement that they would be arriving shortly. Apparently the location was a central hub for activity throughout the isles and it would be where the crew would be staying overnight to wait out the incoming storm.

Giving a nod of understanding to the quartermaster the bard was about to start preparing his things for heading into the camp when he heard a snippet of conversation between Leo and Ymir "Oh and speaking of playing tonight." the bard let out a smile or at least as much as one could smile with a beak before turning to face Leo already having a pretty good idea what he would be leading the conversation into. "Ruvo how do you feel about making our debut as a duo tonight, the audience at whatever tavern we end up in will probably not be very high-standing but there is a certain charm to a group of drunks singing along to a song they've never heard before." "I think that sounds great!" he said excitedly "Whether the audience be high-standing or not doesn't really matter to me so long as we give them a great performance" he strummed the strings of his lute pausing for a moment. "Suppose then we will decide on what song to perform when we get a feel of the crowd" he said quickly going through the logistics of it all. He and Leo had never played together before and he wasn't sure what overlap they had in musical knowledge but Ruvo was sure that the two could figure something out.

Sylph · Nov 10, 2021

Ymir
Location: Base Camp
Mentions:

Uasal

Praise the dawn! They were staying on land for the night. Ymir could have fallen over from relief, bowing her head to the stormy horizon as she prayed for it to stay as long as it pleased. A day, several days, a week. She didn't care if it would make mapping out the region more difficult. It had to be better than sleeping in the middle of serpent infested waters.

"So," Leo said, catching her attention with talks of plans for the afternoon. "Honestly, I would love to just go take a nap really. But I can't pass up the opportunity to gather some information."

"I do need to find out more about the region," Ymir mused, eyeing the oncoming clouds. "Land reports are so hard to come across though... and adventure guides are always innacurate. How likely do you think sailor's are to lend out their maps?" She seemed thoughtful, sounding like Eiru with all the muttering. "I guess I should ask Hanzel about that later. They'd at least outline the islands, right?"

"-you should come listen if you have nothing better to do." Ymir paused as she caught up to what Leo was saying, narrowing her eyes at his grin. "After all, I did promise to play whatever you wanted if you beat me at drinking."

"Do you want to get fleeced by whatever ruffians are hanging around here?" she said incredulously. "I get to hear you drunkenly serenade someone every other week. Not like it's going to change cause you're in a different bar-"

"Hey lad, you going set foot on land, yes?" Her gesturing was interrupted by Shephard, who hadn't bothered to wait for the tavern to start drinking. It really wasn't helping Ymir's case. "You wanna some info right? Find the Invoker-- not an invoker. You will know when you see him, people get very talkative when he is around"

"What's the difference?" she said, pausing to think before adding more nicely on at the end. "Actually, don't suppose he'd have any maps?"

"Talking about the Invoker, if you wanna to wake up your fa--friend... witch friend, find him, he will recharge her up in no time and bring him a sacrifice, monsters, normally elemental ones are more suitable to this end."

Leo was already talking to Ruvo about their plans for the tavern, leaving Ymir to her thoughts as she considered Shephard's words. Eiru would probably skin her alive if they found out someone used a magic creature to revive them, but it did give her an idea. "I'll keep it in mind," she said, thanking Shephard before turning to the other two.

"-whether the audience be high-standing or not doesn't really matter to me so long as we give them a great performance. Suppose then we will decide on what song to perform when we get a feel of the crowd."

"Sorry to break up the party," Ymir said, popping up with a grin as they headed onto the pier. "But I just thought of a way we can wake miss thumbelina up from her nap. I assume you want her to teach you magic as well, Ruvo?"

Gaius Danius Griinia · Nov 11, 2021

The Wizard
Location: ???
Interactions:

Sylph

The Wizard had been away from his duties at the guild to take care of some private business. Although he had parted with his party on uncertain terms. He was now ready to undertake the Boar Quest he had promised to do. The carriage began to shake unsteadily due to the age of its beast of burden. In his short lifespan on this world. The Wizard had never seen such an old looking yak. Apparently the thing was over seventy years old. Despite his apprehension over such a creature pulling the cart. He hadn't been able to find another ride to his quest. Although his warp stone could have taken him there. The Wizard had elected to venture by way of carriage to take in the sights. Having grown up in a gated orphanage meant he still hadn't seen much of the world. Though he wished expanding his horizons didn't depend so heavily on an animal that looked ready to drop dead at a moments notice. Eventually his carriage came to a stop. The elderly man holding the reins gestured towards an encampment in the distance.

Although the danger rating on the quest was Tier II. The Wizard was pretty confident in his ability to take down this troublesome swine. Yet he wasn't underestimating this creature. Whatever kind of pig this was had warranted an entire quest to get rid of it. Thus he had challenged himself to slay it ALONE. This would be his chance to push himself harder than ever before. Last time, he had the aid of an entire party behind him. This time he only had himself to rely on. Whether he overcome this boar or was gored to death all lay in whether he could achieve victory. Arriving at the encampment. The Wizard found it half destroyed like in the notice. Wandering over to nearby person. He poked them in the side until they looked at him.

"Hello... The Wizard has come to take care of the Boar. Kindly point to where it is so The Wizard may kill it" said The Wizard with eyes burning with resolve

RatKing · Nov 11, 2021

Ruvo Steelfeather
Location: Base Camp
Mentions:

Uasal

"Sorry to break up the party," “It’s quite alright, we were only planning the details of our performance” he replied to Ymir’s jest only slightly startled at her popping up suddenly, though it was nothing compared to Milby’s sudden entrances.

"But I just thought of a way we can wake miss thumbelina up from her nap. I assume you want her to teach you magic as well, Ruvo?"

“If she wouldn’t mind, I’d gladly accept a lesson or piece of advice. I’ve been meaning to train with my magic more, maybe even learn how to apply it in new ways. But shouldn’t we let Eiru rest? She looked like she had passed out from exhaustion earlier”

Yahhah · Nov 11, 2021

Freed
Location: Salvager->Island
Mentions:

Sylph

Freed spent the majority of the ride after the battle doing a bit of a check-up towards the Cannons down below. The carried one looked to be in good condition and so did the others so when they docked the goblin made his way upstairs while taking a moment to look at the island. It looked to be heavily watched by what looked to be guard folks which made Freed mainly want to stay put. Wasn't worth heading out there when most folks suspected you to be looking for trouble based solely upon the fact that you were technically a monster, of course there were a couple towns that were slightly more inclined to be goblin friendly but he didn't particularly want to find out about this town's stance the hard way. He'd just work with what he had on the ship he supposed.

He patted a bit of soot off of his face and turned right back around. "I'll just be down here. I think it'd be a better idea if I didn't walk into town" Freed announced to anyone who cared to listen before heading back down and setting up a small area where he could set his tinkering tools which were mostly small trinkets and odd bits and pieces that could be hammered together to create something that could be interesting or useful.

Key of Stars · Nov 11, 2021

Leonidas Hood

Location: Base Camp
Mentions:

Uasal

"Do you want to get fleeced by whatever ruffians are hanging around here?" He waved his hand dismissively. "Eh, fine. We can just drink on the ship later on then." "I get to hear you drunkenly serenade someone every other week. Not like it's going to change cause you're in a different bar-" He laughed. "Maybe so, maybe so, but you don't usually get to pick the song yourself." He said in between laughs.

"Hey lad, you going set foot on land, yes?" He nodded. "That's the plan." "You wanna some info right? Find the Invoker-- not an invoker. You will know when you see him, people get very talkative when he is around" Leonidas stayed quiet for a moment before responding. "I'll keep that in mind, I'm just looking to find out a few basic things though, any drunk sailor with somewhat loose lips should be able to provide me with what I need."

"I think that sounds great!" Leonidas smiled. "Whether the audience be high-standing or not doesn't really matter to me so long as we give them a great performance" He nodded. "And as long as they don't accidentally barf on us, it's happened before and it is not pleasant." He added with a shake of his head.

"Suppose then we will decide on what song to perform when we get a feel of the crowd" Leonidas stretched his arms above his head as he walked onto the pier. "Something like that, you see I've always been a rather big fan of improvisation of all kinds, whether it's music, poems or pick-up lines. Admittedly, the latter usually don't work too well." He said with a grin.

"Sorry to break up the party, but I just thought of a way we can wake miss thumbelina up from her nap. I assume you want her to teach you magic as well, Ruvo?" He eyed Ymir somewhat suspiciously, remembering the numerous quarrels the two had had over the last one and a half day. "You're not planning to somehow use this as a way of taking revenge are you? Not that I'm against revenge but there's no real fun in it if the other person is unconscious."

“If she wouldn’t mind, I’d gladly accept a lesson or piece of advice. I’ve been meaning to train with my magic more, maybe even learn how to apply it in new ways. But shouldn’t we let Eiru rest? She looked like she had passed out from exhaustion earlier” He shrugged. "She did but if Ymir thought of a good way to help her wake up we might as well give it a shot." He said. "We have plenty of time before the taverns start getting even remotely exciting anyway."

Sylph · Nov 12, 2021

Ymir
Location: Base Camp
Mentions:

Yahhah

Uasal

Ymir, Leo and Ruvo made their way along pier to the edge of the stone palisade, talking amongst themselves as other ships and crews prepared their vessels to weather the oncoming storm. With heavy clouds on the horizon the streets were quiet, save for those running about or packing up shop, the population had retreated inside their homes. Luckily with a few easy questions they were able to find which way to the inn. Judging by the other straglers making their way along the same path, Ymir and co weren't the only ones with a similar idea.

“If she wouldn’t mind, I’d gladly accept a lesson or piece of advice," Ruvo said, fiddling with the strings of his lute. Ymir did wonder how he managed to play without feathers getting in the way, but it was far from the strangest thing. Of the bards Ymir had met, most tended to resembl Leo more in presence and personality. Ruvo's more reserved demeanour was an interesting change. "I’ve been meaning to train with my magic more, maybe even learn how to apply it in new ways."

"What sort do you use?" she said as they continued along the wharf. They were a sound user, that much was obvious, but other than that their abilities were a mystery. "-apart from the sound stuff I mean."

She kept an eye on the buildings, but mostly it was just homes and closed stalls. More than a few appeared solidly built, whether to survive the island hazards or exterior threats wasn't clear, but Ymir ultimately paid it no mind. "Something like that," Leo said, in response to something Ruvo asked. "You see I've always been a rather big fan of improvisation of all kinds, whether it's music, poems or pick-up lines-" Ymir blinked, shooting him a bemused look as they turned the corner to where the tavern lived. "Admittedly, the latter usually don't work too well."

"You're not so bad," she said, waving a hand with a grin. "It's fun, like watching Milby try to flirt with a honey badger." She hadn't heard the phrase 'sweet-cheeks' used the same way since.

She stopped at Leo's question. "You're not planning to somehow use this as a way of taking revenge are you? Not that I'm against revenge, but there's no real fun in it if the other person is unconscious."

"That- you..." She stumbled over her words for a moment, spinning around in a fury. "You- you, don't get to lecture me on that! Ruvo!" she said, waving for the bard to say something as well. "You saw this hooligan tying me up right? He's throwing stones in glass houses!"

"But shouldn’t we let Eiru rest? She looked like she had passed out from exhaustion earlier.”

"She did but if Ymir thought of a good way to help her wake up we might as well give it a shot. We have plenty of time before the taverns start getting even remotely exciting anyway."

"...you are not off the hook," she said, eyes narrow as she pointed to Leo. "Though have a point, we need to find out if there are any areas with strong lifeforce on the island. That would be easier to do before the tavern becomes a drunken hovel." Reaching the doors of the inn she pushed them open. There were few more patrons than what would normally be inside at the time of day, but with the threat of bad weather there wasn't much point being out and about. "As far as physical exhaustion goes, Eiru would be fine after a night's rest. It's her mana that's the issue. At the rate it recovers she'll be out for a week, and the ocean is a salty water desert in terms of energy." Eiru had tried to explain the Fae's connection to the land, but the way Ymir understood it they recovered faster if they could absord energy from nature - and currently most of the ocean's life resided at the bottom. "If we can bring back some items with natural mana it should help her replenish her stores," she finally concluded. "Only problem is knowing what regions of the island are most saturated in magic."

The group naturally gravitated towards a free spot at the bar, not far down from where a cloaked adventurer sat sipping at his suspiciously clear beverage.

Location: ???
Mentions:

Gaius Danius Griinia

"Hello... The Wizard has come to take care of the Boar. Kindly point to where it is so The Wizard may kill it."

The residents of the encampment seemed annoyed more than anything, grumbling over the pest of a creature that had strewn their clothes and equipment throughout the forest. They eagerly pointed the wizard in the direction he'd need to follow, where a mix of red and autumn yellow foliage covered the path as it bent away into the undergrowth. The crinkling leaves and cool air gave the region a pleasant feel, though the hills of dry tall grass would play havoc on the sinuses.

Several gauge marks and torn scraps of cloth stood out against the trees and branches. Whatever the boar's strengths were, subtlety didn't appear to be one.

RatKing · Nov 13, 2021

Ruvo Steelfeather
Location: Base Camp Inn
Mentions:

Uasal

With dark clouds approaching it seemed like rain would be coming down soon enough. Luckily the three were able to get directions on where the inn was without much hassle and were making their way there while making some conversation.

"What sort do you use? -apart from the sound stuff I mean." "Well, I also have an affinity with air magic, though...its not really as developed as my sound magic." he said as he considered demonstrating his current capabilities but decided it may not be the best to go casting magic inside a base camp when they were all told to not cause trouble. "Its mostly just weak gusts of wind, not very useful for much"

"Something like that, you see I've always been a rather big fan of improvisation of all kinds, whether it's music, poems or pick-up lines. Admittedly, the latter usually don't work too well." "Improv something on the spot? Hmm I think we just might be able to make that work" he replied noticing Ymir shooting Leo a sort of glare after his last remark about pick-up lines. The two seemed to be good friends or something like that given how they interacted.

"It's fun, like watching Milby try to flirt with a honey badger." "Now that must of been a sight to behold." he said trying to imagine Milby flirting with anything given their usual way of acting.

The conversation then shifted with Leo questioning if waking up Eiru was only going to be done for revenge. "That- you... You- you, don't get to lecture me on that! Ruvo! You saw this hooligan tying me up right? He's throwing stones in glass houses!". Not wanting to get involved in the quarrel nor wanting to further imply that he did watch the whole process of Ymir getting knocked out and tied up and didn't do anything about it he decided to instead question if they should just let Eiru rest instead and not try to wake her up early.

Luckily for Ruvo he did not have to be awkwardly caught in the middle of a friendly argument for long as they had arrived at the inn. It seemed there were a number of patrons there but not anymore than one may expect when rainfall was expected. "As far as physical exhaustion goes, Eiru would be fine after a night's rest. It's her mana that's the issue. At the rate it recovers she'll be out for a week, and the ocean is a salty water desert in terms of energy. If we can bring back some items with natural mana it should help her replenish her stores. Only problem is knowing what regions of the island are most saturated in magic." "A whole week? Well I see why we would want to try and help her recover quicker. Least we can do for her help with the serpent" he replied as he took a seat at the bar. "So we just have to gather some plants, herbs or some other stuff with natural mana and bring it back? Doesn't sound too bad, just have to figure out where to look first."

Gaius Danius Griinia · Nov 14, 2021

The Wizard
Location: A Forest

Having made contact with those who posted the notice. The Wizard strode through the woods with his staff in hand. This staff was refined using the branch he gained during his last quest. Where it was once a measly branch. Now it was a branch that one could feasibly believe was a Wizard Staff. Observing the scrapped bits of cloth and plantlife. The Wizard knew he was inching ever closer to his tusked target. If he wanted to defeat this thing. A daring but cunning plan was required. Then lo and behold, a pit was found. It was deep enough to hold four yaks. Without wasting a single moment. The Wizard dug a into the ground near the stream to divert a large amount of water into the pit. Then he used his magic to freeze the water until it became a mass of thick icicles. After that he covered the area leading up the the pit with sleet. Now all he needed to do was locate the pig in question. Consulting his guide-book on animals. He found that boars were quite fond of nuts. Armed with this knowledge. The Wizard went about the forest collecting acorns, chestnuts and hickory nuts. Placing a trail of them leading towards the edge of the sleet. The Wizard watched and waited for his prey to show up...

Key of Stars · Nov 14, 2021

Leonidas Hood

Location: Base Camp Inn
Mentions:

Uasal

"Improv something on the spot? Hmm I think we just might be able to make that work" Leonidas played around with a few small gales of wind, letting them dance around his hand before he realized he was still fairly low on mana and quickly let the gales disappear. "Of course, of course. What we did back there on the ship was pure improvisation as well after all."

"It's fun, like watching Milby try to flirt with a honey badger." He rolled his eyes. "Thanks, being compared to a talking chinchilla really makes me feel better." He said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Besides you seem to have forgotten that I don't even need a pick-up line half the time." He followed up with a cocky grin.

"That- you..." He quirked a brow, so that was it after all. "You- you, don't get to lecture me on that! Ruvo!" Or maybe not? He didn't really get why she was suddenly so upset. "You saw this hooligan tying me up right? He's throwing stones in glass houses!" Leonidas couldn't stop the surprised noise from leaving his throat. "Eh?! How is that related at all?! I did that because Eiru told me to! That has nothing to do with revenge, you're overreacting! Ruvo! She's overreacting right?" He argued back.

Ruvo didn't answer, leaving both Leonidas and Ymir to figure it out for themselves. Instead, he guided the conversation back to the topic at hand, Eiru.

"...you are not off the hook," He turned his head to the side with a small 'tsk' as a response.

"As far as physical exhaustion goes, Eiru would be fine after a night's rest. It's her mana that's the issue. At the rate it recovers she'll be out for a week, and the ocean is a salty water desert in terms of energy." He nodded. "Not entirely but with the route we're taking it would be hard for her to replenish much." "If we can bring back some items with natural mana it should help her replenish her stores. Only problem is knowing what regions of the island are most saturated in magic."

"A whole week? Well I see why we would want to try and help her recover quicker. Least we can do for her help with the serpent. So we just have to gather some plants, herbs or some other stuff with natural mana and bring it back? Doesn't sound too bad, just have to figure out where to look first."

He drummed his fingers on the bar. "Like a wise man, me, once said, a problem with an easy solution is no problem at all." He said, turning to the bartender. "Yo, you might not know me but I assure you most do. Leonidas Hood, world-famous musician." He started. "Or something like that." He added before quickly continuing. "Anyway, anyway. How do you feel about having some free musical entertainment later this evening in exchange for a bit of information?" He asked.

Murdergurl · Nov 16, 2021

Khortja Gurgut
Location: Goblin Caves > Wild Forest

Hidden in the hollow of a bracken hillock, a pock in the earth would reveal itself as the gateway to a small cave network. The entrance was obscured. But a telltale path through the tangled grass and greenery of the surrounding forest would indicate its frequent use. Once inside, the potent stench of goblinoid creatures wafted up in the humid air. Only the most meager of torchlight illuminated the glossy walls, worn smooth from generations of touch. Nocturnal eyes needed little in the way of the firelight, and the dancing flames were sparse in their roosts. The cave was squat, its low ceiling quickly dipping down into the dreary shadows. Pockets of goblins occuped themselves in the nooks and cracks of the dark, hissing and bickering at one another over the rudiments of their drudge. Piles of junk; scrap armor, rusted weapons, and broken dinnerware were all horded into amalgamate mounds and guarded away from thieving fingers. This is the tribe of Grizzbane goblins. Further still into the depths, through narrowing passages and tripping floors, the air began to squeal with the sound of mewling young. Goblings, infantile and bumbling, tumbled and fought in the mimicry of their adult kin. They bit and clawed and asserted themselves in a struggle for dominion that would be the narrative to the rest of their lives. All these contentious babes were looked over by the brood mothers, the females who's main role was that of child bearing and rearing. They were a caste of little renown, but of the most necessity. The mothers toiled amid the young goblins, while the rest of the tribe did well to avoid their cacophony.

Khortja peeked out from the cave entrance, her verdant countenance obscured amid the shroud of leaves and vines. She'd been sentry to the earthen portal for some time, waiting for the twilight hours of dusk to lay their haze across the land. At long last, the edge of the horizon was afire with sunset, the blinding star of the day making its retreat under the tangle of forest canopy. Khortja emerged now, shaking her greasy locks of braided hair to dislodge dirt and debris. Her crudely armored feet stepped lightly over the pool of water that wept into the cave mouth. In the waning daylight, the horned goblin's eyes were a soft glow that in many ways reflected the skyward ember. Several more of her kin emerged behind her, smoldering irises bumbling out out from the shadow of the cave mouth, accompanied by slurred mumbles and complaints. The raiding party divulged itself in the disorganized manner typical of goblin kind. Their varied shades of green skin were masked and muted in the low light. They gathered in a loose gaggle, clothes in vestment of furs and bone and bits of worn metal. The pack of bandits checked their gear, making sure they'd not forgotten anything back in their hidden hovels.

"Gotcha all yer stuff, yeah?", Khortja eyed the rest of the goblins with a baleful gaze, flexing and brandishing a crude hand axe in threatening form.

She stood taller than the lot of them, the boney protrusions of her horns pronouncing the goblin's status among her troupe. Khortja was the uncontested leader of this band, bigger and meaner than any any one of the other bandits. They'd had plenty of time to gather their things in the time their boss had been waiting for the sun to go down. She would afford no excuses from her kin of being unprepared for the imminent outing. A nodding of heads signaled a unanimous consensus, the banging of their piecemeal armors ringing along with their affirmations. The green-skinned brigands shuffled together into a rough line as Khortja then led them out and away in the direction of a familiar footpath. Despite their unorganized nature, the goblins moved silently in the encroaching darkness of the forest. Centuries of predation by any and every larger beast had honed the goblin species to have the most acute of hearing, the most discerning sense of smell, eyes that pierced through the dark, and steps that tread so lightly as to leave hardly an imprint in the ground. Laden with their meager equipment, the band of raiders set out.

It would be many miles to their destination, a popular roadway leading to Mercantis. Their route would lead the goblins over rough and brush-thick terrain. The marauders would be gone from their home for several days at the least, assuming all went well. They wound their way through the forest in a manner meant to deceive and deter any that would even attempt to follow their trail. It was a practice that every raiding party went through for the first few miles they trekked away from their cave. It ensured the Clan's secrecy, so that no vengeful party could trace the goblins back to their home.

Sylph · Nov 17, 2021

Ymir
Location: Base Camp Inn
Mentions:

RatKing

"So we just have to gather some plants, herbs or some other stuff with natural mana and bring it back? Doesn't sound too bad, just have to figure out where to look first."

"That's the tricky part," Ymir agreed, rubbing the side of her head. "She explained it to me once. Something about... feylines crossing over? Wait- leylines, that was it." She struggled to remember exactly what Eiru said. The magic undercurrents were their field of research, not Ymir's; she could only perceive the effects. "Apparently there's always an over abundance of life where the lines meet. Denser forests, strange plants, rare creatures..."

Leo's fingers drummed over the counter as he added his two coins. "Like a wise man, me, once said, a problem with an easy solution is no problem at all."

Ymir stared at him a moment before turning to Ruvo. "Can I call him a bird-brain? That's not offensive to you, right?"

"Yo, you might not know me but I assure you most do. Leonidas Hood, world-famous musician... Or something like that." Ymir groaned, putting her head in her hands. "Anyway, anyway. How do you feel about having some free musical entertainment later this evening in exchange for a bit of information?"

The gnome-like figure standing on a ledge behind the counter didn't say much as Leo spoke. A bushy hedge covered most of their discernable features as they continued polishing cups, only grouching out after a heavy beat of silence. "You lot with that scavenger crew, huh."

"Scrapper's crew, yes," Ymir said, lifting her head. "We're after any rumours about a relic, or information on the Hower pirates."

"Spot o' music never hurts," the small figure mused. "The Hower's a no-name, but if you're looking to avoid 'em then stay away from Whirlwood Bay." Ymir didn't bother asking where exactly that was, since no doubt one of the crew had heard it before. "Ain't heard nothing about no relics," the bartender continued. "But they say the Final Tomb's been spotted up 'n around. Sent the guard into a right frenzy."

"The Final Tomb..." Ymir echoed, but the bartender was already being called off to serve drinks elsewhere. She turned to Leo with a frown. "Is that something we should be worried about?"

Location: Cinder Forest
Mentions:

Gaius Danius Griinia

Off in the underbrush, the snuffling sounds of a foraging creature continued undisturbed by the nefarious plot being put into action. Chewed remnants of the camps possessions lay in a trail, but cloth wasn't nearly as tasty as it looked. Upon catching the scent of freshly picked nuts its tusked head rose above the bushline, snorting and sniffing around before it decided on a certain direction. The smell grew stronger as it plodded along, but before it could reach the source of the attraction, the back of a small, monkey like creature came into view. It crouched in one of the bushes, clearly eyeing the source of the boar's next meal. Not only that, it had the same horrible fur and long stick the two-legs carried.

This would not do.

With a furious shriek the boar reared up, yellow tusks gleaming as it charged straight for the back of its opponent.

Gaius Danius Griinia · Nov 17, 2021

The Wizard
Location: Cinder Forest

The Wizard's plan had failed spectacularly. Not only had the boar failed to approach the pit trap. It also managed to get the drop on The Wizard. Soaring through the air with blood gushing from his back. The Wizard fell to the ground with a thud. As he lay there, wounded and hurting. He could feel his breathing being hampered by the bones that had broken during the fall. This wasn't good at all. If he passed out or failed to get up. It was almost certain that he would die. Whether by blood loss or getting gored, death was inevitable if he remained inactive. With his vision filling with random colors and shapes. The Wizard forced himself to get up. Taking a deep breath and pushing through the pain with sheer willpower. He picked up a branch and set it alight. Forcing it into the holes in his back. The Wizard cried out in pain as he cauterized his wounds. Now that he was no longer losing blood. It was time to deal with the boar. With adrenaline beginning to numb his pain. The Wizard found that he no longer had his staff. Which was bad, but not something he couldn't work around.

"You think you're tough, pig? No, you're just big. The Wizard has had people tossing him around his entire life. Now its time for you to feel anguish" said the caster as the temperature began to rise. The Wizard was falling apart, his bones were broken and this creature had caused him to lose quite a bit of blood. Yet The Wizard couldn't help but feel ALIVE. This was the challenge he'd been seeking. The life or death quest that would define him. Nobody was there to help him. It was all up to him to make it out of the situation with his life. With the boar set to charge at him with its tusks once again. The Wizard threw smoke in its eyes and sidestepped the animal. "Burning Ash" uttered the Wizard as he ignited the smoke cloud, causing miniature explosions to erupt within. Laughing to himself as blood dripped from the side of his mouth. He regained his footing. "Do you feel it, pig? The searing pain? That burning sensation prickling your flesh?" asked The Wizard as if he wanted to torment the boar. Stomping on the ground with his left foot. He summoned a wall of ice to try and catapult the boar into the air. Then with his hands, he began to gather a large amount of flame into his palms. Forming in his hands was a sphere of fire. "Fireball" remarked The Wizard, launching the sphere into the boar as it both expanded AND exploded...

Key of Stars · Nov 18, 2021

Leonidas Hood

Location: Base Camp Inn
Mentions:

RatKing

"Spot o' music never hurts," Leonidas nodded enthusiastically. "I see you are someone that appreciates the finer arts much like myself." He mused, going slightly overboard with the eccentric musician persona.

"The Hower's a no-name, but if you're looking to avoid 'em then stay away from Whirlwood Bay." Leonidas fell silent. Well then, that was easy. This particular identity thief was probably especially weak with the bartender being willing to sell them out without any fear of retribution. Well, either way, he wasn't going to complain about things going his way for once.

"Ain't heard nothing about no relics," Leonidas nodded along, mind still stuck at the information about the pirate claiming to be him. "But they say the Final Tomb's been spotted up 'n around. Sent the guard into a right frenzy." He froze up, surely that was a joke right? Or maybe he simply misheard?

He didn't have a chance to confirm because the bartender was immediately called away. Instead, Ymir spoke up. "The Final Tomb..." So he really hadn't misheard. "Is that something we should be worried about?"

He slowly nodded. "Worried is an understatement." He answered, voice completely serious. "The Final Tomb is the ship of one of the pirate lords, a particularly crazy and bloodthirsty guy called Wyck Allister." He explained, drumming his fingers on the bar in thought. "I know quite a bit about the guy because of my family, they always kept a close eye on all of the lords." He added tentatively.

"Even if all that information is miraculously still completely correct after all these years, going up against someone like that is a fool's errand. That guy is in an entirely different league from us. Even if all of us on the scavenger fought him at once I'm not sure we'd be able to win, and definitely not without casualties. If we run into that guy the only reasonable option is fleeing." He said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Things just got a lot more complicated."

Sylph · Nov 19, 2021

Location: Cinder Forest
Mentions:

Gaius Danius Griinia
Status: Complete?

The echoing screams of the boar sent birds flapping into the sky, the creature roasting alive under the wizard's vengeful attack. Its death was painful, but mercifully swift, and by the time the body hit the forest floor it was naught but a charred husk.

Past the initial stench of burning fur, there was the aroma of cooked meat that promised a hearty meal. Unfortunately, the exhausted wizard would have to act fast. The edges of the explosion had set several branches alight, and the still smouldering corpse of the beast rested in a tinderbox of dry leaves. It seemed doubtful the camp would appreciate the threat of the boar removed if their belongings later burned to a crisp.

Gaius Danius Griinia · Nov 19, 2021

The Wizard
Location: Cinder Forest

The Wizard had done it, he had defeated the boar on his own. He almost certainly would have died if he had made a decision differently. Despite the growing pain coursing through his battered body. The Wizard felt a sense of pride in having vanquished such a mighty foe by his own power. Leaning against a tree to rest for a bit. He noticed the fire leftover from his attack begin to spread. It would seem he still had work to do before he could continue on his journey. The smell of smoke was thickening in the air. Although he really wasn't in a state to do anything crazy. The Wizard began walking toward the growing flames. Ever since discovering his affinities with both Flame and Cold. He had done his utmost to maximize his ability to utilize them effectively. Part of his training involved exposing himself to the elements so he'd grow adjusted to the temperature. So despite the flames beginning to sprout up in size. The Wizard didn't feel too hot or bothered. Wandering into the midst of the flames. He raised his hand to the sky and focused his breathing. Slowly the flames burning the forest gathered into the palm of The Wizards hand. "Absorb Elements" chanted The Wizard as the fire seeped into his body. In spite of this being his own idea. Searing pain worked its way throughout his entire being. Crouching down to the finely cooked pig. The Wizard began eagerly devouring the cooked flesh and drinking water from the nearby stream...

RatKing · Nov 20, 2021

Ruvo Steelfeather
Location: Base Camp Inn
Mentions:

Ruvo was listening closely as Ymir explained what she remembered about the kind of spot they would be looking for plants within when Leo commented on the task ahead of them. "Like a wise man, me, once said, a problem with an easy solution is no problem at all." "I..suppose that's true." the bard replied thinking about Leo’s self identification as a wise man for a moment. "Didn't know you were one for proverbs" "Can I call him a bird-brain? That's not offensive to you, right?" "You may if you wish" he answered with a slight chuckle "And no its not offensive, at least not to me. Though I can't promise others like Captain Scrapper or Nanalee wouldn't take offense"

With their initial discussion of the plan sorted all that was left to do was gather some other information they were looking for. And who better to get information from than the bartender, or was he the innkeeper? Either way it didn’t matter, there had been many a story told where overheard gossip or strange clients that the barkeep recalled ended up as the first step to an adventure for those who asked. Perhaps this would prove to be the same.

Then as if on cue Leo offered to exchange their musical performance for some information. Seemed like a fair trade to the bard and it seemed the bartender agreed much to Ruvo’s delight, as they now had their venue set. As for the questions themselves, Ymir took the lead and asked about ancient relics and Hower pirates. The information they got though wasn’t anything too special, mostly a an area to avoid and something about a ‘Final Tomb’ that had been spotted which sent the guards into a panic. “Final Tomb? What is that like some kind of moving graveyard?” he thought to himself trying to understand how something with that name could be just be seen up and around the island. Seemingly just a confused as himself Ymir asked Leo if he knew what it was.

"The Final Tomb is the ship of one of the pirate lords, a particularly crazy and bloodthirsty guy called Wyck Allister." Ruvo listened as he watched the joking, confident demeanor Leo usually had shift into one much more serious and tense. The tone of his voice similarly matching the serious nature of what he was explaining.

"I know quite a bit about the guy because of my family, they always kept a close eye on all of the lords." His family kept tabs on pirates? Were they sailors of some kind?

"Even if all that information is miraculously still completely correct after all these years, going up against someone like that is a fool's errand. That guy is in an entirely different league from us. Even if all of us on the scavenger fought him at once I'm not sure we'd be able to win, and definitely not without casualties. If we run into that guy the only reasonable option is fleeing."

Ruvo clenched his lute tighter. The idea that one person could potentially stand up to the combined effort of everyone on The Scavenger giving their all was frightening. How could anyone be that tough? Though luckily it seemed running away and escaping was at least a possibility since it was what Leo suggested be done if the Scavenger were to ever cross paths with the Final Tomb.

“So…uh, I guess it’s a good thing we are trying to wake up Eiru early then. Both for the training and just in case we need to make a daring escape with her help” he said after taking a sigh in an attempt to recompose himself and hopefully shift the subject away from something as serious and stressful.

Sylph · Nov 24, 2021

Ymir
Location: Base Camp Inn
Mentions: