Dance of the Watchlings

Alexandria, just outside the watchtowers, midday

It's a lovely, lovely day. The sun is shining, warming the fertile earth after a long bout of winter. Birds chirp merrily, and a skein of clouds wander across the blue skies.

Outside the city walls, a half-elf awaits. This wouldn't normally be an issue, but since it's Telamon Lupecyll-Atlon, it's a fair guess that whatever he's planning, it'll be strange, wonderful, and just a little confusing. He's wearing something new: a silk shirt in bright green over his black leather trousers and well-worn walking boots. Watching the small amount of traffic heading into and out of the gates, he heaves a great breath of relief. Maybe... just maybe... things are going to calm down for a change.

GAME: Skyler rolls disguise: (14)+3: 17

Not to disabuse the Archmage of his belief that things are going to calm down, a short figure in the tattered robes of a begger settles by his side. The figure is hunch backed, with a curious smell that isn't unpleasant but *definitely* not healthy along with a pock-marked face. The figure moves with a lopsided gait, rubbing hands together as they come to the side of Telamon.

"What a fine, fine day!" The figure that *totally* isn't Skyler cackles, head bobbing up and down, "Such a pretty, pretty day for a pretty, pretty boy."

GAME: Telamon rolls perception: (9)+35: 44

GAME: Simony rolls fly: (16)+22: 38

"TEL-A-MOOOOON!", comes a voice from on high. A familiar voice, at least to some. The Goblin plummets down from above, heading right for the Sorcerer and his lopsided, humpbacked servant.

The wings pop out with an audible SNAP, and Simony *WOOOSHES* by, gliding past the two, and then pulling up, doing a loopdeloop before a sudden sharp turn, allowing her to land with a 'plop' before Telamon. She grins up at the man.

"I'm ready to go!"

Carver is laying nearby as well, head propped up against Deathless. The two seem to be dozing the day away, awaiting for the dramatic entry of the last of their party; carried on wings. An apple rest upon her chestpiece of a strange new set of armor, what seems to shift and meld about her form in layers of rock, soil, and twisting brambles.

Deathless gives a whinny at Simony's call, stirring the ranger from her sleep, the young ranger cracking an eye. It is unclear if she recognizes the strange, simpering beggar but at least the priestess she knows.

Telamon just -looks- at the beggar, his expression sardonic. "Really, Skyler, I -told- you I could get you out of the city for a bit, and you wouldn't have to roll around in a midden. What the hells did you use for those poxmarks, anyways? It looks like jam."

The sorcerer smiles as Simony comes roaring in before making a deft landing, and claps for his friend. "Excellent landing, Simony! Though you know what they say, a good landing is one you can walk away from." He rubs his chin, regarding the assembled friends. "So, just in case, I did bring extra soothe syrup since we're teleporting..." He pauses, considering Carver and Deathless. "...Though you know, it's not -that- far and I do have another option, if you're feeling brave."

GAME: Simony rolls perception: (5)+29: 34

"Raspberry jam!" Skyler says cheerfully, reaching up to one of the sores that hasn't erupted, squeezing it like a zit so that a gloopy, chunky red substance oozes out. He pinches the whole thing off, popping it into his mouth, "And some uncooked cookie dough! Tasty *and* deceptive." He reaches up towards another one, politely raising one eyebrow at the others, "Want some?"

He adds, "We'll be fine once we're out of the city, but Cashew went to an orphanage to hire some kids to follow me for all they can eat gruel." He shakes his head, "Diabolical man." It's said with a faint hint of respect, though, as if it were equal parts frustrating and impressive. Regard teleportation, he shrugs the hunched up shoulder, which pushes up in the vague shape of his usual buckler. "I'm fine either way. Teleporting isn't any worse than running in a circle and then falling down."

At the mention of jam, Simony eyes the 'beggar'. She sniffs, and immediately regrets it. "You weren't wrong about rolling in the midden.", Simony says to Telamon, before grinning and offering a little bow. "I did take flying lessons, after all, with the Egalrin up the mountain. Slixvah helped quite a bit!" Her nose wrinkles a little. "You wouldn't happen to have a bottle of nose bleach with you, to go with the soothe syrup?"

The Goblin eyes Carver a moment, chuckling at the recently awakened Ranger, before looking back to Telamon. "Oh? An alternative?"

She blinks and retches as Skyler pinches one of the 'sores' and then eats it.

Carver rolls smoothly to her feet, giving one last pat to Deathless as she does. Her ever-stoic companion rises as well, tossing off the last of her lethargy as the ranger rubs at her eyes. "I likes anythin' what isn't teleportin'." It's new so the chances are she might hate it, or she will definitely hate it.

Her quiver is plucked from the ground and tossed over her shoulder casually as she gives the strange, hunched impish creature another look as they pick their face. "Who yous?"

Telamon makes a mildly disgusted face. Whether it's at Skyler's costume, or the news about Captain Cashew, it's hard to say. Instead, he just shakes his head. "No thanks." At Carver's question, he offers her a grin. "This is Skyler Skywalker, a friend. He's having some trouble with a fellow in the city, so I'm going to bring him along and give the fellow the slip that way."

"So I don't spring this on you by surprise, I picked up a scroll of shapechanging. It'll last three hours -- plenty of time to get where we need to go, and I can carry all of you there." He pauses. "Although... I'm not sure Deathless is up for being carried."

"It's not a midden." Skyler protests with a shake of his head, "I just borrowed some of my friend's deer musk." He shrugs off the ragged cloak, folding it inside out. It lessens the smell considerably.

At Carver's question, he looks proud of himself. "It's Skyler! We've met before. You were there when I rode the fiendish aurochs, weren't you? And when I set the stuffed pothy on fire." He pulls a handkerchief out of a pocket, using it to scrub his face clean, "See? I'm in *disguise*." Beat. "I have no problem with shapeshifting. Jarik does it all the time, although I figure you'll be doing something more transportation-friendly than a boar?"

Simony's expression brightens significantly at Telamon's plan to shapeshift into something suitable to carry them.

"Are you going to change into a giant bird?", the Goblin wonders. "Flying would be amazing! Would we have to distract you from dropping down to catch rabbits and other small game?"

She cants her head at Skyler, frowning at the messy handkerchief. "Deer musk? Does Jarik have enough to swim in, because it smells like you swam in it. A glance is sent Carver's way. "Uh, does Deathless know how... to ride?"

"I 'member." Carver says, "The pothy a'least... sorry about your friend trouble." The ranger ties off her equipment before giving Deathless a thoughtful look, "No. It's not somethin' we've trained to do yet. Bes' to have her wait here." She gives a short, fond pat to the horse's red mane before speaking in Dran. 'Home'. The horse gives a shake of her head but turns and slowly begins to walk back into the city. With her strange paints and stranger bridle, the horse is famous enough now to pass the gates without much more than a few odd looks.

"It's a good disguise, iffin' a little gross. Never seen a shapechange of this type. The druids of Yggdrassil are famous for it but it's not a skill they jus' show off. Ready when yous are." Curiosity is piqued.

Telamon offers Carver and Deathless a kindly look. "Fair enough. Let's walk away a bit. I hate to scare the locals." The half-sil leads the small group away from the city gates, past the watchtowers. He points out a meadow, not far along. "That's usually where I aim when I teleport to Alexandria. Just outside the ward, close enough to walk or ride to the city." He smiles suddenly, warmly. "I remember one of my first teleports being to there, bringing Lana and myself home."

Once the group is behind a copse of trees, Telamon stops. "This looks good. I'm -so- glad I spent time studying that book on flying." With that, he touches his haversack, and murmurs something softly that ends in, "Change." And then the half-elf seems to shimmer, as if underwater... before growing. And -growing-. Unfolding like a flower in bronze as he transforms from a fairly handsome half-elf to a bronze dragon. His tail switches back and forth behind him, wings unfurling, as he speaks in a deeper, more sonorous voice. "What do you think?"

"I think the Birdie One is going to be disappointed you went with scales instead of feathers." Skyler says with a chuckle, glancing around and tucking his musky cloak into a small hollow at the base of a tree. He adjusts the sword across his back, lowering the buckler onto his arm, and checks the inside of his leather greatcoat. "Seriously, though, that's... a lot more impressive than a boar." Sorry, Jarik.

The Goblin squeaks in excitement as Telamon begins to change, especially after mentioning that he studied a book on flying. But her excitement turns to shock as the transformation turns into a bronze dragon. Simony squeaks and ends up behind Carver.

Carver places a hand on Simony's pale head. It's just an automatic gesture as the goblin hides behind her frame for calm. She does not explain that her beanpole frame is about as much protection against dragon breath as a beanpole would be. "'s okay. Much larger than I thought. Only seen handful of dragons, an' never not once this close. It's... pretty, innit?"

She gently reaches toward Simony to pull her out from behind her. "Wan' a hand up, Snowflake?"

"You should see it from my perspective. And I had to learn to lower my voice as well so I wasn't shouting across the Proving Grounds." Telamon lowers himself down as much as he can, so that the trio can climb aboard. "Just hold onto the fins along my back. I'm not planning on doing any acrobatics. Just a nice, steady flight to the coastline."

"My name's Skyler, but sure." The ex-sky pirate beams at Carver, before blinking, and flushing. "OH! You meant her." Beat. "Coz it'd be weird to offer me uppies. And call me snowflake. Um..."

Rather than answering, Skyler leaps up and effortlessly catches the curve of one leg, hoisting himself up then bouncing gracefully to the Bronze Telamon's back. He glances over the various options for a moment, before taking a frontal position with the obvious intent on Carver taking rear so Simony is between the two humans to wedge her in safely.

It takes a bit of effort to move the Goblin, she is stubbornly unmovable until lifted. Simony's not any happier in the air.

"Why a dragon?", she complains of .. the dragon-mon. Her nose wrinkles as she is once again within sniffing distance of Skyler.

Her grip on the fin in front of her is white-knuckled, though it'd be hard to tell. Telamon might feel it though.

Carver is the last, and she actually just of... walks up the side of the dragon to her position, almost horizontal. Rangery thing? Probably some sort of enchanted piece of her equipments, which as you adventure, you sort of just... gain as time goes on. "I will have to think of a nickname what matches your spirit."

She settles, and despite it being strange, is comforted by the familiar position. Is a grand brass dragon a step up from a horse? Sure. Still better than greater teleport.

"Two reasons, Simony," Telamon replies, as he comes to his feet and begins to walk, then run, getting a good move on before starting to beat his wings. "One, few creatures look at a dragon and decide 'I'm gonna pick a fight with that.'" With that, he launches into the air, wings pumping as he turns and begins heading northwest. The ground is falling away, but it's not so high one can't make out details.

"Second -- and this is more important -- it's a form I can still cast spells in. Turning into a huge bird is great, but turns out it's hard to use magic when I have feathers."

"My brother use to call me 'Dumbass'." Skyler offers helpfully regarding names that fit his spirit and energy. He settles in, effortlessly shifting his weight to keep from overbalancing himself and to make things easier for the Bronze Telamon. He glances over the size down at the ground, squinting one eye as he tries to calculate the speed.

It's apparently impressive.

Because there's a certain respect in his voice, "Its certainly *fast*. And considering you might have to rip out a featherfall with all the forewarning of me when I drink milk, I appreciate you being able to cast."

The Goblin lets out a lengthy squeal as Telamon just launches into the air, the ground rapidly falling away.

"I suppose those are ... adequate reasons.", she says after a bit. It's not that she doesn't enjoy flying. It's something about the form and size. "So... are we headed to the ocean?" She talks in a conversational tone, despite the rush of wind in everyone's ears.

"My Sisters, they called me 'Vele'." Carver says. Smirk. "Brat." The closest translation. At Simony's squeal, both brows go up, her long trailing red hair tie snapping behind her. "Bad memory with dragons?"

The wind's howling might bring tears to her eyes, but she is smiling. It's a freeing experience. To be so weightless in the world.

"To the coastline!" Telamon replies, his voice a bit loud to be heard over the wind. "We'll be there soon enough!"

'Soon enough' is a bit of an exaggeration, although an hour of flight time aboard his dragon-form is pleasant enough. Nothing seems particularly eager to pick a fight with the shapeshifted sorcerer.

Soon, Telamon is circling over a section of coastline that really doesn't look much different than the rest. There's sand, some stones, trees further up, and of course the endless tides. "Hold on, please," he informs his passengers. "My takeoffs are pretty good, but my landings are sometimes a little rough." He descends, his wings cupping to slow his movements, as the sandy coast rises upwards steadily.

For his part, Skyler tries to keep the entire group entertained with a series of sea shanties, the last being a philosophical question on the use of inebriated fellows. The answer? "Put him in the bed with the frisky draugr!" Skyler whoops as he grins over his shoulder at the other two, giving the Bronze Telamon a companionable slug on the shoulder to include him. "Early in the morning!"

Soon enough, they're descending, and Skyler nods grimly when Telamon indicates the landing might be a little rough. "Are we talking 'throw ourselves off you to keep from getting crushed' bad on the landing, or just 'oh gee jolly this is rough!' landing?" He asks, but either way prepares himself to launch off Telamon's back acrobatically.

GAME: Carver rolls ride: (7)+21: 28

Simony shrugs to Carver. "It was not what I expected, and it's a giant form. I am a small woman that startles easily."

She snorts at Telamon. "Are you telling me you didn't practice landing in this form before we left?" The Goblin rubs at her face. "Sir, you are no longer the young man, wet behind the ears and gawking at the statues of the Gardens. You are an archmage!" A bare foot kicks at the scaled side of the Telamon-turned-dragon. Simony stands up, cants her head side to side, vertebrae popping, before she dives off the dragon.

"I'll meet you down there, ready with the healing should you ... make a dent in the ground."

Those same wings snap into existence as she drops, gliding her way down to the beach.

GAME: Simony rolls fly: (16)+22: 38

Carver exhales, as the earth comes more closely to view. The simple joy of flight amongst the clouds must inevitably end. That it will do so roughly? Not a terrible surprise. She does reach to a pocket, where a token rest. In case of emergency and all that but she does brace her cow and goes lower into the fins.

GAME: Telamon rolls fly: (16)+16: 32

"Oh, I see how it is, I admit to -some- fallibility and I'm promptly abandoned!" Telamon shakes a clawed forepaw at Simony descending, before spreading his wings out further, beating hard. Suddenly he slows down, and begins to descend in steps, until finally hindpaws touch earth, followed by forepaws. Safe landing.

Telamon peers down at Simony. "I mean, really, I picked up a -few- things from my flight spell. But dragonflight really is an entirely different kind of flying, altogether." He waits for Skyler and Carver to climb off, folding his wings. "Not to mention the fact it's also a workout, which... shouldn't be possible, but I guess there's a research paper waiting to be written on that one."

GAME: Skyler rolls acrobatics+5: (11)+13+5: 29

As Telamon lands, Skyler moves *with* the momentum, going ass over appetite in a perfectly controlled fall as he draws his arms and legs in. He clicks his heels, flickering sparks of fire illuminating his boots as he tumbles into freefall and with a grunt hits the ground with a bounce that makes his arms flail around before he ultimately lands on his ass, squinting. "Ow."

He gets up, rubbing his rump as he wiggles one leg to return feeling to it. "I had perfect faith in you, Telamon." He says seriously, "I've never given you reason to murder me, so if I died it'd be a perfectly understandable that it was just an accident." Which is a convoluted way to indicate he didn't, in fact, trust the archmage but wants to put a brave face forward.

The Goblin's cackle is easily heard. "You know that I am often pragmatic. You said it might be a rough landing, so I am merely planning ahead. Like you bringing the soothe syrup."

Simony flies up to prod Telamon in the nose. "Well... aren't you more dragon than human right now? I mean, shapechanging is not like an illusion, and you surely know this. The magic is simply transformative. You are for all intents and purposes... a dragon. You are flying how they fly." She holds up her wings momentarily, wiggling them. "These look like angel wings... but it is actually magic holding me up."

Carver slides off the dragon's back, bending deep into a squat upon impact. It is a very tall creature to dismount. No one reports any injuries or screaming, so the safe assumption means the landing was a success. She does a tally of her equipment. Everything there. Nodding, she looks around, adjusting to the new locale. Vaguely familiar.

"So, why are we here?" It is the question of the hour.

"Yeah, but should I get -hungry-? It's not like the additional... well, flesh for the change is really part of me." Abruptly, Telamon's dragon form blurs and shrinks, diminishing back down before he turns back into a handsome half-elf. "Something to think on, I guess."

He helps Skyler to his feet, before nodding to Carver. "We're meeting some old friends. You might remember over a year ago, I located an... egg, and dropped it into the sea. And now..."

He points out to the ocean. Far out, there appears to be some kind of disturbance. Ripples in the water, as if something was moving there underneath towards the beach.

"... I thought they were goose wings." Skyler mutters regarding Simony's brief thesis statement on transformative magics. He's more familiar with witchcraft, where Jarik's power is derived from mud wallowing and eating grubs. He gingerly puts his weight on the previously numb leg, sighing as he puts his full weight on it. "At least it's not that fey bullshit.

Regarding Carver's question he perks up, indicating his own support of her question. Even if he's not sure how to ask it without some glib statement on it's heels. He takes a step back when Telamon answers, eyebrows climbing higher and higher under his auburn fringe. "Huh."

"Well, I suppose it uses up a lot of energy to fly, for a dragon. So uhm, I would not be surprised." Her brows furrow at Skyler. "They are angel wings. It is greater angelic aspect that I was using to fly." Her eyebrows go up at Carver's question, and as Telamon begins to explain, the Goblin runs to the water's edge. Heedless of the cold, she steps in until the waves reach her waist.

Simony then begins to smack the water with the palm of her hands, sometimes alternating, sometimes not, and it becomes obvious she is following a pattern.

"Oh right, the bad idea." Carver says a smirk. To Skyler, and perhaps Simony, she elaborates. "He received some sort of star-mandate from some star-figure an' felt that the oceans woul' best be served by some strange, enchanted star-creatures. I trusted 'cause he's, ya know, an Archmage. I doubted cause it sounded like a loon."

She follows the gaze out to sea, squinting against the shimmering lights. "Looks like somethin' is out there."

Telamon heaves a sigh. "Carver, the world is full of arseholes and lunatics. Wouldn't it be nice to have some people who are at least reasonable, even if they're different?" He looks at Skyler with a weary expression. "The explanation is somewhat complicated, but an old mentor of mine asked me to convey these... children to a place where they could hatch and mature. They're good folk, if... strange to our eyes."

How strange is about to be demonstrated, for the disturbance begins moving towards Simony with surprising speed. Water breaking over strange, disc-shaped bodies that begin to rise out of the water. One, then two, five, ten, twenty -- a veritable horde of bizarre creatures with the look of some kind of jellyfish. All crowding around Simony, touching her gently with tentacles and humming. Other words can be heard, in strange wispy voices. "Friend." "Mother." "Priestess." "Happy."

Eyes widening, Skyler nods slowly, eyes flicking all over the place with artful openness. And then there's a squinting grimace, as the subtext of it all hits and he begins to wonder about the long term consequences of *his* actions while he runs around attempting to just have fun. "I get it. Wow!"

Simony seems very pleased. "Oh goodness, you've grown so much! And look at how many there are of you! Well done!" Her expression grows sad. "Have you all returned? I hope the world has treated you well. I hope my blessing gave you succor in your darkest moments."

She makes a point of touching all of the creatures in turn, letting them come to her, and carefully patting their tentacles. Her head turns and she waves to the others. "Come and see!"

Carver crosses her arms, "It's not that I doubt they are kind. I jus' wonder what happens when something is added that fears no predator. Nothin' well for anythin' else what lives around it. Having said that, ocean is a large place... an' I trust you. Iffin' you say the risk is worth it, so be it." At Simony's offer she purses her lips thoughtfully.

She then lays her bow and bone-handled knife on the beach and wades out.

Indeed, there is a veritable -crowd- of the tentacled Watchlings now formed up on the beach in a happy, humming group. Over a hundred, one might say. It seems every hatchling survived their first year -- perhaps by sticking together.

Telamon just raises an eyebrow. "They will face predators far more dangerous than you'd think. They will train, and hunt the horrors from beyond -- fiends, aberrations, and monsters. Just like us. The ocean is just their first home."

Indeed, now the flumphs are hovering and floating about in the air, looking like gauzy kites or balloons, chittering back and forth. Finally, one seems to be chosen to speak, and it murmurs, "We know you, Simony Great Librarian. Some of us hear the voice of the Lore Master as well. We have endured, and grown, and are ready for our next adventure."

After a moment of thin lipped consideration, Skyler shakes his head with a pained wince for the effort to get his brain working hard. He carefully kicks off his boots, then the homeknit socks, tucking them in and shrugging out of his coat, buckler, and baldric to reveal the mithril ring shirt and snug pants. He walks on out, trusting that if fiends suddenly attack the others are more equipped to deal with it than he would be even fully armed. "Hello there! Family friend, nice to meet you."

"It's not that they do not fear, they are vulnerable when young, like we all are. They are powerful when they age. They're here to learn, and they will one day be this world's saving grace. Powerful heroes in their own right, and will take to the stars. And continue their cycle of life.", Simony says, to Carver and Skyler.

She seems surprised at what the chosen flumph says. "Some of you can hear Navos? You follow the gods?" This gives her great cheer, and she bursts into tears. "That lifts me up in a way... you have no idea how happy that makes me." A gesture is made to Telamon, Carver and Skyler.

"Telamon, the Archmage, whom knows your parent, or at least, your guardian. Carver, a ranger, one with nature, whom might be of interest to you, armed with knowledge you might seek. And Skyler. Ah uhm... a dandy?"

"Tel. You do enchantments, don't you?" She looks back to the floating horde around her. "If you are to adventure... allow me to renew my blessing. As well... stick around for a time. I have a gift, something all new explorers should have."

Carver fingerwaves in imitation to their stalks, and like Skyler, unarmed. Simony's reaction to the creature feels too meaningful to contnue to hold onto her doubt, so she just nods. "Might knows a thing or two, especially about abberations an' the dead." She looks over to Skyler. "Heh, Dandy."

Telamon shakes his head at Simony. "Afraid not. I can recommend a few folks, but my magical creation skills are limited to draughts and liquors." He steps deftly out of his boots, and walks down into the water as well to greet the flumphs.

For their part, the flumphs surround the four, never crowding but always watching with their eyestalks, as if enthralled by the people here. "Some of us hear his call. Others, the Great Mother, or the Watchful Mistress, or even the Cosmic King." The speaker bobs a little in the air. "We will accept your blessing, Simony. And your counsel. All of you, for we wish to help you."

"I'm a soon to be member of the Society of Dapper Dagger Dames and Gentleman Adventurers." Skyler supplies helpfully, at first with a scowl at Simony and Carver that melts into a broad grin and a sweeping bow including doffing of an imaginary hat. It's done courtly, the effortlessness of a lower ranking noble that was trained since childhood. "And I'm ticklish." Beat. "And I don't mean that as in please do, ok?"

"Oh Navos, Lore Master and Raven-keeper. Invest in this small body a mote of your divinity. Grant me a boon, and bless those gathered here a long and fruitful life. Grant us the blessing of your wisdom, and curiosity and strength to always look forward. Grant us the courage to do what is right."

She turns to the flumphs gathered in the water

"Honoured ones, I know that you can hear me, and understand me. You have been free, and remain free. I ask you once more, to go out and learn all that you can. Your task is a daunting one, your journey long. In your darkest hours, I pray that you find the light in others, and that your finest hours will be in the service of others. I once said that others would move mountains, slay evil and rescue you. You are now ready to do the same for others. I wish you all a long life, a full life."