Broken Bird
Log Info
- Title: Broken Bird
- Characters: Aelwyn, Eztli, Thoth, Culix
- Location: Lower Alexandria Market District
- Summary: A few Adventurers come upon a 'strange bird' in the Alexandrian market.
The busy markets of Alexandria are ever the place for gossip and rumor. Though the unrest around Eluna's faithful takes center stage today, there are talks amongst the more common folk about the 'more important things in life'. Such as unusual birds showing up in Alexandria. No, not like those Egalrin - though those are clearly also strange birds - this seems to be about something else.
Thoth finds itself in the midst of these streets, at the center of such curiousities. It has gotten itself seated on the edge of a fountain, and is carefully counting its coin. Putting one after another into its coin purse. Tilting its head from time to time to get a closer look at a coin. Nipping at it to check on the quality of the metals involved, before putting it back in.
It is quiet in nature - it doesn't talk to itself. But it does have a subtle 'noise' to its presence. Little ticking sounds, almost like an old clock. But it has become aware of the constant looks it is getting - and has so far succeeded in ignoring them.
Unusual bird sightings were not the first thing on Eztli's mind that day. No, what was much more important was hitting up various market stalls in the area. The small makari had a large bag in one hand filled with butcher's paper, and a leg of meat in the other hand that was half eaten as they wandered along the streets, until they eventually passed by the fountain. They stopped and tilted their head one way, before waving to the strange golem.
A shaded figure slips between the taller folk and the awnings of stalls in the lower markets. For a change during the day, her hood is down- the clouds overhead doing a fine job of subduing the suns rays. Culix seems to be meandering, without specific intent, through the markets. Like many others, the oddly shaped automaton draws a curious glance. She slips through the crowd, drawing nearer still, until she can get within earshot of the warforged. "Unusual design." she observes. "Usually closer to human shaped." she adds.
The seated avian closes its shutters for a moment, as if it needed to blink, and then tilts its head up. The motions are in strange 'steps'. Each adjustment quick from point to point, like one would expect from an actual bird. Another tilt of its head, looking at the small Sith-makar. It then taps its beak open and shut a few times. Gears whirring. Recognizing that it's being waved at, it raises a clawed metalic hand in answer. "I bid thee, greetings." Its accent seems... strange. It's not just the old words it is using, but the accent it uses seems 'wrong'. Like it does not come from 'now'.
Then, Culix comes out, indicating she is familiar with War Golem designs at least. So, another tilt of its head, turning it. A click-clack of that beak, as she gets a better look at the gobbo. It them shifts its shoulders a bit. The wings, damaged and just... an utter mess of pipes and metalic feathers and broken things move with its motion. "Master indicated that humans are an inefficient design."
The small makari huffs, and takes another bite out of their meal, more like a somewhat aggressive tear, really. She shrugs and waves to Culix, as well.
"Good thing neither of us are humans then, right?" The small makari chuckles again. "Hey Culix, letting your hair down for a change?"
Another sith-makari is especially attracted to the scene; not by perhaps the strangeness, but rather familiarity. The ruddy-scaled sith makes an exaggerated bow as he nears the fountain. "Spellreader, Juggler, Stranger." The draconian greets.
Then Aelwyn's orange eyes turn towards the mechanical bird. There's a long pause, before he turns to look at the others. "Is it still functional?" He shifts the small bag over his shoulder and attaches it around his midsection; yet one of his mysterious deliveries.
Culix snorts at the reply from the war golem. "Agreed. Tool big, too noisy." she says then on the topic of humans. She looks up to Eztli, offering a nod, and then to Aelwyn when that one arrives. "Thought I was 'knives'" she wonders.
"True statement." The strange war golem answers Eztli with a decisive and firm statement. Then, it looks towards Culix for a moment, as Eztli addresses the little one.
"I fear this one is noisy as well." It indicates, motioning one of its fingers. It's a bit stiff, and creaks as it lifts it - enhancing Aelwyn's question. Is it still functional?
"This one believes it is still functional." The avian-machine answers Aelwyn. "But it is no longer fully effective. Much of the beloved Master's designs have been... broken." It indicates with almost a hint of sorrow in its voice. In as far as a War Golem can show such an inflection.
"Well, that's one way to look at it, stops you from being too jealous of their height. I wouldn't mind more than a few extra inches. Feet, if I'm being greedy." The small makari snorts. "Heya Aelwyn, he is noisy, but he means well. What brings you out here?" She asks, turning back to the golem. "He does have a point, you doing alright? I don't know much about golems, but I know wear and tear adds up."
Culix frowns, "Not jealous of tall folk. Pussed off they build stuff for their size not at a more sensible height, more like." she retorts. She glances back towards the War Golem. "To be honest, most people are noisy. Takes special effort to be quiet." she adds and then glances about before pulling herself to sit up on the edge of the fountain herself. "Looks more like battle damage than wear and tear." she leans around to take a better look at the wings. "But not all that recent." she adds. "Been to the artificer guild about it? They might be able to fix you up."
Aelwyn moves closer and crouches down, tilting his head at the golem with a quizzical look on his face. As much as a makari could carry one. "Hmm." Another tilt of his head, red ribbons swaying to the other side. "This one supposes the Master is then not around to fix them." He straightens back up and taps the golem on its feet with his tail. "Yet this city is filled with skilled fingers, certainly that can be resolved." He rumbles with wide, grim looking grin on his face.
Turning his head towards Eztli, he bows his head. "Ah, deliveries." The orange eyes slip over towards Culix. "Knives," He clicks his teeth. "Juggler. This one sways sometimes - not everyone is so clear." He flashes his teeth. "A shadow, perhaps."
"This one is... broken, but not broken." It answers Eztli, putting the remainder of its coins into the purse it had been using to count them, and sinches it closed.
"This one does not believe it's been in a Battle. But it does remember..." It clicks its beak open for a bit, then closes it again, lowering its head. Its expression hard to read.
"Repairs would be appreciated, but are expensive. Are any of you a skilled Artificer?" It inquires, before Culix suggests an Artificer's guild. "This one was not aware such a thing existed. More information would be appreciated." It chirps.
Turning to Aelwyn, it adds with a softer volume; "Such appears to be correct. I do not believe that Master survived... and even if he had, his lifespan would not have lasted." It keeps following the conversations flowing between the others as best as it can, but does not interject.
Culix nods her head on the topic of expense. That is something she does very well understand "They have a hall, other side of the bridge, off the sage's plaza." she offers, pointing generally westward. "But coin'll be an issue there, too. But there's plenty of ways to make coin in the city and hereabouts. What sorta skills do you have?" she wonders.
Aelwyn gets a grin, "Well, I can juggle knives half decently, and I'm at least part shade these days. So whichever works." she muses.
Back to the War Golem, "Name's Culix, by the by. What do you ho by?" she asks.
"Well, broken is broken, so as long as you're still moving, then you're not broken. Least, that makes sense to me." Eztli shrugs. "Yeah, but you're the right size to be small Culix, I'm stuck somewhere in the awkward middle, too big for smallfolk things, too small for anything made for the other side of the coin." They huff.
But that wasn't too important at the moment, and the small makari sighs. "Did you just get here? Given well, the way you look and the nature of the time since I heard rumors about what I'm assuming is you, it can't have been long. I guess you wouldn't have had time to get fixed up here. I'm no artificer, but Culix is right, you could probably get some work done at the guild if you needed."
Aelwyn clicks his teeth. "Perhaps this one will sharp on it, Knives." The draconian rumbles in amusement, before he flicks his tail at Eztli's ankles with a swaying motion of his hips. "She is the perfect size. Never worry." Which is to say, she is not _huge_ like some _other_ makari are. Or most of them.
Leaning his glaive around the nook of his shoulder and crossing his arms, he glances towards the war golem. "And the sewers always need someone to look around." Because obviously golems couldn't smell.
The War Golem chirps, "Well met, Culix." It answers the small thing that has come to sit on the fountainside with it. This close by, Culix can hear the clock-work like sounds coming from deep within its body. "This one is capable of doing some very beginner magic, and aid in artifice. This one is also a good listener." It tells Culix.
"Master designated this one as 'Thoth'." It them remarks.
Listening to Eztli, it proceeds to note; "I arrived as of a few days ago. I spent a lot of money to come here, hearing tale that there were good money opportunities here." It then adds. It click-clacks its beak away - almost like a nervous tick. "The Guild?" It inquires. Looking between them, before it hops down from the fountain.
"Is this one adequate size?" Smaller than Eztli, but taller than the Gobbo with them.
"Why does a sewage need someone to look through them. Do you not have servants to clean them?"
"Well, sounds like it shouldn't be too hard for you to find work." Eztli nods once. "If you want to go that route, that is, no harm in finding work that doesn't require fighting things, it's not for everyone."
"I, yeah, I'm fine the way I am." The small makari nods once. "Sorry, bad habit, really. Nothing wrong with your size at all."
"Magic's a good start." Culix says then with an appreciative nod. "Never used to trust finger waggly types, but I've worked with a few good ones now." and she nods in agreement. "Guild of Explorers. City's official avenue for matching adventurers up with adventures. Like a Mercenary guild, but with less banditry during slow months." she offers. "They are on this side of the bridge, little further west. If you see the colloseum you've gone too far." she explains.
The question of height gets some consideration, and her nose scrunched a bit. "Almost. You could stand to loose a few more inches, I'd say." she offers. "And there's the Sanitation Workers Union, sure, and some friendly Otyugh, but you would be surprised how often something nasty ends up in the sewers eating folks. Plus there's smugglers and the syndicate that run little speakeasies and hide holes down there, who don't take kindly to folks stumbling on 'em." she explains.
"The sewers _always_ have loose coin in them, this one has noticed." Aelwyn grumps, nostrils seeming to grow inward. He nods his head, "And come with nothing but - the docks always need a helping hand. Plenty of coin to be bartered and gained in this city."
There's a bow of his head forward then, "Aelwyn, a Dragoon. May the skies be of a blessing, Thoth."
"This one has not fought anything. Dost thou believeth this one should fight to make money?" The construct asks of Eztli, tilting its head a bit and making for an exagerated 'blink' of its eyes. What do War Forged even need to blink for?
The sewers further explained by Culix, Thoth makes an uncomfortable sound. "Sanitation and society has regressed much." It indicates with a wry kind of squawk at the end of that statement. "And this one does not believe it can lose any inches. Master created this one as it is. So this one shalt remain this height."
Then, as Aelwyn mentions themselves, it bows its head. "Ah, thee rideth Dragons. Thine power must be great, warrior, to achieveth such a feat." It remarks to Aelwyn. "Well met, Aelwyn the Dragoon." Oblivious to the matter at hand.
"This one shalt venture to inquire with this 'Explorers Guild' then, and see if they would find use of this one."
"Well, glad I'm mostly trustworthy, or at least other finger waggly types are." Eztli chuckles. "Can't say I blame you though, what with how it feels like half of what I do involves setting things on fire."
"Well, yeah, things can be dangerous in the sewers. The people maintaining them aren't always ready to deal with the dangerous things that can show up there, hence why they hire other people that are better at fighting things to help." She nods in agreement, breaking out into a bit of laughter. "Oh, he doesn't ride dragons, at least, not yet. Give it a bit of time, though."
Culix wrinkles her nose again, "Fighting usually pays the best." she tells the war golem. "Risk pay, plus sometimes spoils." she explains. "Well, had a couple of bad teleports on my first job with the guild, ended up in Am'shere. Didn't know it at the time, not keen to go back any time soon." she mutters.
"Don't think anyone rides dragons anymore. Not since the fall of Dragonier." she informa the war golem.
Aelwyn's eyes widen at the golem, and he was about to spread his snout into a grin - before the cold reality sets in. Giving an impatient slap at the ground, he rumbles. "This one _will_ ride the skies." He clicks his teeth with a tch. "What if this one is not there right now?"
The Dragoon bows his head towards the small construct then, "This one hopes the wind will be generous on Thoth, then. And that the Guild have plenty of things to barter for." Aelwyn rumbles with his teeth exposed.
"This one imagines that 'setting things on fire' art a good way to deal with... sewage monsters." The strange War Golem remarks. "Though this one would appreciate aid on such a first endevour. It does not wish to be broken further and remain lost in thine sewers."
At the revelation of there not being any dragon riders remaining, the small thing lets out a few clicking sounds. "A pity." It then decides on, while looking at Aelwyn, who declares he will at some point. "This one wishes thee luck on thine dream." At least it is polite.
Grabbing its little pouch - which seems to be its only possession - it then gets up. Its leg twitching a bit. A few parts of its broken exterior making it hard to move. It'll be difficult for it to properly participate in battle with so many of its bodyparts hindering even simple movement. But it starts moving on the instructions given to it.
Culix snaps her fingers when the golem stands to leave. "Hang tight, i hear your ticking. I'm not an artificer but I think I know something that might help you at least a little." she says. "There's a clockmaker up in the upper trades district, I reckon a bit of clock oil would help your gears some. And it'd be a lot cheaper than an artificer." she suggests. "As for help in the sewers, the guild rarely sends folks alone. I could give you a jand
There is a strange look to the small makari for a moment, something between a frown and a grimace that looked rather uncomfortable. "They're still out there, I'm sure of it." Eztli states uncertainly, shaking her head and whatever mood out of it. "It uh, yeah, it works, but you don't usually work alone on jobs like that, that's asking for trouble. But are you sure you should be going there just yet? It looks like you should get yourself looked at, first. Maybe even a cleric might be able to help a bit, but I'm not sure how much."
Aelwyn holds up his hand. "No luck." The draconian says firmly. "When one knows." Then when Thoth begins to head off, he tilts his head and watches the construction try and limp away. He reaches around his back for something, but apparently comes up short. "Hmmh, nothing for a brace."
The Dragoon then lets his hand slide down his side, watching Culix and Thoth. "Perhaps before the Guild and after the oiling, one could go talk to an artificer for an estimate? This one is certain Brass could give one." He says, gesturing. "And perhaps some of the damage could be repaired first."
"Clockmaker?" The War Golem asks, turning and halting as Culix snaps her fingers at it. "Clock oil... may help." It decides, nodding its head. It then looks to Eztli, then to Aelwyn, then back to Eztli again. It click-clacks its metalic beak.
"This one need money to repair myself. And this needeth to repair itself to make money..." It answers Eztli. "For now, this one shall work."
"Well, I really don't know enough about golems or artifice, but I know someone who needs help when I see one, usually. I've been known to not be the best judge of character at times, but I'm fairly certain I'm right this time." The small makari offers with a small sigh. "Just, well, I'm sure you can get some help if you need it, money or not. Ask around, but, hmm. Might have to be careful you're asking the right people for help, I guess."
Aelwyn picks up his glaive and places it on his shoulder; counter balancing the blade at the tip with his arm folded over the haft. "Hmmh. Then perhaps Thoth can visit TarRaCe later. Work for coin, and perhaps Brass will be there."
Taking a look around, he bows his head towards everyone. "Spellreader, Knives, Thoth." And with that, he turns around and starts to head back into the crowd.
Culix nods enthusiastically, "Might not be what you're used to, but any port in a storm, right?" she insists on the clock oil. "Maybe some alchemical grease, but that might make you too slippery. And a cleric might be able to help, yeah. You war golem have a connection to the positive, so healing magic usually works. Then again regeneration is- you guessed it- expensive." she gives a helpless shrug.
"And, that's usually the way. Coin makes the world go round. But listen, if you need some starting capital to get off the ground I might know a guy. And he's not- well, ok, he IS a shark, but he owes me one so I might be able to get you a less kneecap breaking rate. Do you even have kneecaps?" she wonders and leans around to peer at the qar golem legs. "Either way, go register with the guild, if nothing else it's a good spot to meet folks who might be able to help." she offers. She hops up from where she was sitting, and takes Aelwyn's lead, "TaRaCe sounds good about now, so I'm going to scoot. Catch you around, Thoth." she offers before stepping into the shade of a stall awning and simply vanishing, melting with the shadows.
GAME: Culix rolls stealth+3: (3)+17+3: 23
GAME: Aelwyn rolls perception: (8)+1: 9
There's little ticking sounds as Thoth quiets, considering the small Makari's words, as well as Aelwyn's. It doesn't know who or what Brass is. But it files away the name TarRaCe. Though it seems like a gamble for it. "Who will be 'the right people'." Thoth inquires of Eztli. "This one would prefer to keep its... 'knee caps'." It seems it understands what Culix means at least.
"Fare thee well, others."
"Later Aelwyn, hope the deliveries go well." She chuckles, waving the completely bare bone from her meal as she offers a farewell. A moment of thought, and that too disappears with a few loud crunches. "Well, options, right? I'm sure there are things that will work out." Eztli nods, looking to the goblin, only for them to disappear just like that. "And they're gone. Shouldn't be surprised, but well, that." She continues, gesturing to the awning.
"Loan sharks would be the wrong people I'm talking about, if you don't know what you're doing. Even if you do know what you're doing, I'd exhaust the other options first." She continues. "They're not giving you money out of the goodness of their heart, they're expecting to make a profit on it. Or other people doing things like that, with the expectation of you owing them down the line. Just a matter of how much you're willing to owe, or do in return, I guess."
"I was surprised when I saw thee." It had been unable to be read from its face. "~ That lizards are walking around now like humans. But now thee sayeth, Sharks walk as well? I did not know so much time had passed, that acquatic beings could walketh Ea." Its intonation doesn't really show any surprise at all. But then, it's a War Golem.
"I will be wary of Sharks." It decides, and bows its head to Eztli in thanks.
"Like humans?" The small makari considers, sounding a bit confused, before they laugh. "As far as I'm aware, Makari have been around for a long time, at least in some form. Just, elsewhere from humans for a lot of it. Not much of a historian, either." She answers. "Just, no, no walking fish, there's the sahuagin, but they're kind of related to makari, too. When I mean a shark, I mean a figurative one, like, how a shark smells blood in the water and takes advantage of an injured creature for it's next meal, it's a person like that, except they're looking for people in desparate need of money to take advantage of, if that makes sense."
Eztli squints a bit more. "I know war-golems can be old, but just how old are you? Pre war, or something?" She half wonders, half asks.
"I... do not know how old I am." Thoth answers Eztli, slowly blinking its shutters for a moment. It then tilts its head and preens its broken wing feathers for a moment. Exceptionally strange behavior for a War Golem, most certainly. Why would it even have avian-like behaviors? It takes a moment, metal scraping on metal, before it looks back.
"Understood. There are people who wish to take advantage of others in worse situations." It then adds, before it offers; "I come from Kulthus. Does this aid you in naming a timespan?"
Eztli blinks, and nods their head in understanding, taking a moment to stretch. "If you come from Kulthos, like, actual, still an active civilization Kulthos, yeah, that makes enough sense." She answers. "Can't say I blame you for not knowing how old you are given a time span like that, especially if you weren't well, active all of the time, but I'm not sure how golems work entirely still."
"Never met one that was basically a bird before, there was one I saw that kind of had a bird face, but that's about it." She continues. "I won't pry though, just make sure to take care of yourself, alright? Alexandria is a nice enough place, but you have to look out for yourself."
Thoth ticks its head to the side. No timespan given, and it doesn't know the timespan. "This one was inactive for a long time. Master's city was... broken." Broken. Always broken. It clicks its beak.
"This one will take care of itself. Thank you, other." It designates, then pulls its leg a bit, and tries to start heading towards the named clock shop.