Brassbringer's Request

Emblem of Ea - Wednesday, February 03, 2021, 11:21 PM

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-- Appearing -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
 Disaster        Gnome, small, gears, tools and TERROR.                
 Knightmare      A knightly construct on the hoof bearing heraldry of  
 Lillianath      Perpetually worried-looking elf woman.                
 Lyme            Black-skinned oruch of suitable stature               
 Molly           An ash skinned half-elf with red glasses              
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-- As the GM -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
 Whirlpool       I am stinky!                                          
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Good news, everyone!

You've been hired by Griva Brassbringer, the Resurrectionist, to use her personal teleportation circle to go into Rune. Yes, Rune, the city of wizards and the home of the Parliament of Magi.

Out of respect for the safehouse's location, the one where Griva's circle is held, you've been gently requested to be blindfolded when lead through the city to it. Presuming this isn't a problem, you're released into a closed, darkened room where a circle sits engraved in the floor. It glows gently.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is a visit to a Conjurer by the name of Alset Brockholme to retrieve a package, one Griva herself has asked not to be involved in picking up. ALl you need to do is go to Rune, find his home (Wherever it is today, apparnetly) and proceed to return the way you came with it and then knock on the door of the room you're presently in.

Easy peasy, right?

There is a an "ooooh" from Disaster as the little Gnome studies the glowing circle. His Goblin Army Knife seems to almost pop into hand as he peers down at it. "It is illuminated!" The little Gnome crows and bends down to sniff the artifice. His wide goggles clicking open and closed independent of each other. There is a rattle as the various tools and devices covering the tiny scientist shift and settle. "I wonder.."

It's mages, what could go wrong?! Lyme sweats beneath the blindfold, his closed eyes filling his mind with the oh-so-many-ways this could go sideways to pass the time. So kind of them.

Molly pulls the blondfold off her face when it's appropriate to do so, and stands around the edge of the room, gazing at the glowing circle and the goings on. "Of course, it's not going to be *simple*," she muses. "Nobody hires adventurers for anything they expect to be simple." She tugs on the strap holding the glaive across her back, and cups her chin between thumb and forefingers. "This is good, mind you, anyone confined to simple tasks will inevitably become a simple person."

Being familiar with Griva Brassbringer's idea of a job briefing, Lillianath doesn't complain when the blindfold is put over her face, nor when led to the safehouse. When the door closes, however, she removes the blindfold and looses a quiet sigh upon seeing the circle, glowing in the dark. "No, it's not like to be terribly simple. In fact, I rather expect it likely to become horrible, complicated, or horribly complicated the moment we exit onto the streets. But..."

The veiled Seer lifts her arms over her head, stretching her back for a moment. "We do have work to do, so we may as well be about it." That said, she heads toward the circle, weapon still at her side for now; after all, they're headed to civilized destination.

Unless a miscalculation was made. Which case, at least her weapon is close to hand.

Knightmare's shell gleams in the light of the rune. To Rune. If she had any humor about the suggestion of the blindfold, it manifested only in getting a slow headturn and could of seconds of staring. The golem considers the others now that they're here, she muses, "No simple problem remains so, if it needed to be passed to someone else. Be wary." Her shield latches onto her forearm, and she rests a hand on the hilt of her longsword, "Shall we then?"

Lyme removes the blindfold with a smile, dabs at his forehead, and relaxes a little. "Well, the way out now is through -- so let's do it."

"I will just need a moment to inspect and understand this device. Then I shall be able to replicate it. Imagine the utility of being able to make this portable!" Disaster states with animated glee. He leans over the circle and begins to work the tip of his knife into a groove between the glowing stones. His other hand producing a slim magnifying glass that he holds near one of his lense covered eyes. "Just need to ARRGH.." Once enough of the little Gnome is over the teleporter's edge he's poofed out of existence, and off into the wherever on his way to rune. The echos of his sudden magical movement hanging on for a few moments more.

Knightmare doesn't bother shaking her head before stepping into the run as the transit begins. It isn't a long walk to Rune from here, and with a single footfall, the golem finds herself elsewhere.

Lyme mutters, "The things I do for a roof," then steps through the circle.

Whelp. No time like the present. "If you can replicate this," Molly smiles at Disaster as she approaches the circle, "And make it portable, I imagine that will make you an inventor of legend. I would very much like to see that."

The Half-Mul wastes no time stepping into the circle, whereupon she promptly goes to wherever Knightmare went -- well, hopefully. Unless where Knightmare went was horrible in which case, hopefully not.

... there's a horrible wrenching sensation as you feel yourself lifted and twisted. It's not quite painful but it's weird. Then you suddenly tumble out into a home in Rune, a gnomish man apparently seated oin a stool across the room, waiting for you. He waves cheerfully as you arrive, one by one, and then gestures towards the door. "Welcome to Rune. Have a lovely day."

It looks comfortable here. Very nice. Griva likes nice things, clearly.

"...aaah." Disaster ends simply as he rolls out of the circle. Standing up he blinks a few times and nods absently at the other Gnome. "Hello, I am meet to disaster you." Then the little Gnome walks over and leans into the door facefirst as he catches his breath. Reaching up eventually he finds the door handle and promptly opens it and stumbles outside.

Lyme straightens up, and nods. "Thank you!" He puts on a cheerful smile, makes sure he didn't drop anything sharp, and then starts forwards the door.

Knightmare wobbles somewhat in the wake of the particular sensations of transit. She locks up to restabilize, then, a moment later, reanimates and turns her face toward the Gnome on his well-wishing, "And you, sir." a glance to her fellows, then she's movin' on out.

Lilli moves quickly to the nearest solid support, and takes a moment to allow herself to be held up by it. "Thank you very much," she tells the smiling gnome, then pushes herself upright and ambulatory. "If you don't mind, then, would you tell us how to get to Master Brockholme's house? I'm told his address varies."

Aren't elves supposed to be graceful?

Molly somehow manages to land flat on her face, with a quiet *oomph* emitted from the half-Mul as she splats the middle of the room. She lies there for a moment, in no great hurry to recover; afterall, everyone saw it anyway, and it's not like she can pretend it didn't happen.

Well, maybe she can.

The white-haired cleric pushes upwards and rises back to her feet, taking a moment to dust herself off. "...Right, then," she mutters. "That wasn't so bad."

 GAME: Lillianath rolls diplomacy: (14)+8: 22
 GAME: Knightmare rolls perception: (11)+8: 19
 GAME: Disaster rolls Diplomacy: (6)+3: 9
 GAME: Lyme rolls perception: (7)+4: 11
 GAME: Disaster rolls Perception: (20)+7: 27
 GAME: Molly rolls diplomacy: (19)+14: 33

So, it was implied that Alset's home moves around and thus you need to find where it is today. You weren't given too much of a description beyond 'he's a conjurer and it looks different often', so it really comes down to asking people who MIGHT know. Rune is a a city in the sky, one of resplendent towers that ring around a central tower of glass and stone that rises high in the clouds. It's a city where floating carpets and wizards are entirely common as they conduct their business. A thriving market and a people comitted to the good of magic, or so they'll tell you. At length. Repeatedly. Since you're visitors.

It's also obvious that they think very highly of themselves in general, what, with being a seat of magic in general.

Still, there's something hanging in the air. An unease. A tension. Everyone knows something is off, even if no one knows quite what it is, and as you talk to people, you get the sense that the common people of Rune know it, even if they won't admit it.

Still, all of that is aside from why ou're here: Alcet Brockholme.

Molly gets the answer from a fast-food stand that's busy frying a variety of breaded meats for passer-bys. Buying some and a conversation later, you find yourselves directed to a tower on one of the outylging edges of Rune, and indeed, you're on a walkway of stone that extends out of the city and up, into the sky higher and higher, with little rail on either side of you. More towers dot these expansive walkways. Wizard's homes, all vcying to be the tallest.

Somewhere amongst these walkways and towers is a hut. A tiny hut. That you have to find.

Lyme's eyes are wide. So much magic. Magic. MAGIC. He's learned to hide it in Alexandria, but Lyme is having a really hard time hiding the awe and wonder -- everything distracts him.

Knightmare's eyes don't widen. Not for magic, not for anything. Her.... feels, such as they are, however, are rather unsettled by once again standing within a city in the clouds, and the golem spends a fair amount of time scanning the air. The golem seeks sign of the Abomination or his agents in the skies for a fair amount of their travel, the winds of Rune setting the Dragonieri pennant of her shoulder to fluttering, while her fingers are locked around the hilt of her sword.

"What? No! I do not want my pants to levitate up and down when I need to use a restroom! No! Stop!" Disaster says as he flails at the various sellers in the bustling market. "I will strike you with a rotated collection of papers containing information about the previous week!" There is a crackle of electrical energy. "Waah! I am being marketed too!" Running and diving between legs the little Gnome throws himself between legs and under tables until he lands in the street before the aforementioned hut. "Well.. thats not very impressive."

Molly's eyes are wide the whole time. Even though she's been on the surface for a while and has gotten use to things like 'the sky', Rune is a place of inestimable wonders the like of which she has never seen before, and she makes certain to take it all in. All of it.

Seriously, all of it.

So she needed to have a piece of cake at one point, but now she's munching on a shishkebab of breaded meats, and it's delicious. "So," she points out, between bites. "It's gotta be around here, then, right? But it's just a hut, can't be that bad to find."

"...Huh," is all Lilli says, once their path has taken them into the skies. "This seems... ... inadvisable?" It's rather a mild way to express the Opinions she has about wizardly architecture, but given their location, probably for the best. Shrugging, she glances at Lyme, then Molly, chuckling quietly. "It is interesting, isn't it? And yes, given everything you were able to convince the kebabist to tell us, the hut we're looking for should be nearby. I wonder how his home moves around, though...?"

Unfortunately being short even for the short, Disaster is lost in a web of fabrics, carpets, fuzzy animals and magical signs. He strugles to stay after the group, the occasional zot of electrical energy warning back prying fingers and offers of perfume or cologne. "Spray me with that and I will incinerate you!" The tiny scientist quails with restrained half pint sized fury! Upon hearing the question of movement Disaster perks up. "Well we were working on a form of wheel at the Mountain." Then there is a pause. "However with all of this absurd magic, I remember a story about a hut with chicken legs. I wonder if laid eggs. I wonder if you can eat the eggs. I wonder if the house would get mad if you cooked it's egg inside of it, and then ate it. The egg that is, the house is probably too difficult to consume. Though perhaps with the right teeth...."

Lyme nods slowly. "I wonder how small it is -- does it walk around? Is it little, like the playhouse?" Everything seems possible. Mind. Blown. He buys a kebab.

Knightmare seems to settle after a while, reminding herself that the skies of Rune are less hazardous than those of beloved Dragonier. She looks to her fellows once more and says, "perhaps take inspiration from termites."

More hunting.

It takes a *while*. You're on your feet for an hour, two hours, three hours, walking along these huge walkways. Passing by wizards. Askin them questions. When they bother to answer you, they don't pay enough attention to you to give good directions. You're sent in a confusing whirlwind of directions before finally, FINALLY, you more or less narrow down its location and find it by the process of elimination. There it is, a small hut sandwiched between two ostentatious buildings.

Lyme beams in delight. "A hut! A veritable hut!" He pauses. "We are to ask nicely, of course." No need to monkey with a DOOR, right?

While Lilli has never actually *been* to Llyranost before, something about the way Rune's citizenry handle foreigners asking directions reminds her very much of what it must be like to visit the Elfiest Place On Ea.

"Of course," she affirms. "Also, knocking would probably be a good idea. Perhaps not on the door itself though...?"

"Why not knock?" Disaster blinks a few times. "That is what doors are for yes? I could build a knocker if we have a few moments." He begins patting his pockets and pouches. "I have metal and a hinge, let us see if there is a humerously shaped object to serve as a grip." He begins muttering to himself as tools flash in and out of his hands.

Knightmare steps up to the hut and removes her hand from her hilt, "I shall." She has little experience with doors in an adventuring standpoint. Being Dragonieri, she's more concerned by what may come from above, and so focused, the articulated fist raps twice, "Pardon me, may we please speak with the owner of this edifice?"

A slot in the door seems to open. A pair of beady eyes are now staring at the lot of you. A bat, yes a bat, leans oiut of the gate and speaks.

"Who's this? And whatcha want?"

It must be a familiar, a talking one. Not unusual, but definitely a very cranky looking bat. A cute bat, but still a bat.

"Um" Disaster says while holding the fabricated knocker. "Could you go back inside while I attach this and do it correctly?" The little Gnome moves the hinge and swings the knocker once hopefully. "Or we can acquire the item we have come to er.. acquire and bring back. I can leave this for you to manage on your own!" There is a pause. "Perhaps I should adjust a perch so you can grip it with your little feets?"

"We're here to receive a package," Lilli says hurriedly, before their errand can chance to be derailed by more than simple tourism. "We were told to pick it up from the Conjurer, Alset Brockholme?"

Lyme asks from the side, trying not to crowd. "Alset Brockholme?" He echoes. A deep echo.

"Excuse me, but are you a Khazad? My eyesight isn't the best. But you don't look like an older Khazadi girl to me."

Beady eyes stare at Disaster and Lilli as they talk.

"No," Lilli says, "we were sent here on her behalf. Contracted adventurers." And now, the hope is that the bat will understand what that means. If a giant spider can *post* jobs, why can't a regular-sized bat know how to end them?

"I am Dame Betrys of Dragonier, Knight of the Lost Crown." Knightmare replies honestly, "What my companions say is true, we were tasked to bring something back from your master."

"Am I?" Disaster pauses. "I do not know, and it would take too long to get my equipment off to check." He pauses and strokes his beard, glancing over at Lilli. "No?" He looks down at himself and nods slowly. "Yes that does sound right."

Molly opens her mouth to say something; and then shuts it again. She repeats this process three times, as everyone else seems to be busy crowding around the door to talk to the bat. The half-mul takes a step back, and clasps her hands together in front of her; might as well wait, since it seems like it might be difficult to get a word in edgewise. Or, perhaps, she's just being bashful; there's always that possibility, too.

"We SEEM to recall that the agreement is that GRIVA would pick up the package, not her patsies. You're going to have make this worth my while somehow to let you in."

Is... is the bat asking for a bribe?

Yes, yes the bat is asking for bribe.

Lyme pauses, opens his mouth, and closes it. Fingers hook into his swordbelt, and he steps back to look at Molly. Like, you can talk to kebab vendors and doormen.

Disaster slowly puts away the door knocker while looking at the bat. Then slowly he reaches over his shoulder and unslings the deathy ray. The lightning chamber huming to life as his hands grip the reactive surfaces and his internal energies power the device to a grim doom laden life.

"*Can we not?*" Lilli says, exasperatedly tugging Disaster away from the door. "And point that away from people! And buildings. And-- look there's a cloud over there, it probably aid something mean about your family." And the elf throws a pleading look to Molly, cocking her head toward the door.

Finding himself looking in a different direction, and then turning his attention upwards towards the clouds, Disaster comments. "But I was going to simplify negotations?" Then the little Gnome pauses and squints, shouldering his rifle once more he draws out a telescope and begins examining the sky carefully. "Is that.." He murmurs leaving the conversation to others.

AS Disaster raises his death ray, the bat does not look impressed. "I wouldn't. I don't know what you're used to in Alexandria, but this is Rune."

The bat then returns to waiting for an offer.

The Knight looks at the others, if she disapproves, it doesn't show on her face... or does it? She looks back to the Bat, a few seconds silence, then, "would you like something to eat?" She accepts the talking animal as simply a different form of meat being. Meat needs to eat, no matter how smart someone thinks it is.

"That's a *start*," responds the bat to the Knight, "but you know I prefer fruit."

"You know, I have a hankering for bannannas."

"I don't have a banana," Molly states, pleasantly as she steps forwards. "Sorry. Unfortunately I'm not a magician, like everyone... else around here, apparently." She shrugs her shoulders, and adopts a sort of sheepish grin. "But, we're here on Griva's behalf, see? And she needs us to bring her back that package. So... if you can help us out," she holds up the shishkebab of breaded meats, with about half of it still left, "I *can* trade you some of this." She glances down at it. "There's lamb on it. It's fantastic."

Muttering the little Gnome heads back towards the market district. Looking for the nearest fruit vendor. His tiny form bouncing up on it's tip toes to inspect the tops of tables and carts.

 GAME: Lyme rolls diplomacy: (5)+2: 7
 GAME: Knightmare rolls diplomacy: (16)+6: 22
 GAME: Molly rolls diplomacy: (8)+14: 22
 GAME: Disaster rolls diplomacy: (6)+3: 9

Lyme wanders back towards the market as well. However, he doesn't find fruit. He finds satay, and gets lost.

Knightmare cants her head a little bit, plume waving lazily in the breeze, "Where does one get bananas?" she asks, looking back to the others. As Molly makes her counter proposal, she edges back to let the negotiations proceed.