SYWTBAH

Log Info

• Title:
• Emitter: Williwaw
• Characters: Eztli, Robert, Slixvah
• Place: Northern Alexandros
• Time: August 18th, 2022

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=    The Players    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Eztli        8m      4'6"     140 Lb     Sith-Makar        Female    
    A two-toned, short sith-makar.
Jay          3s      5'9"     145 Lb     Eaglefolk         Male      
    A perky male Blue Jay with a discerning eye.                                              
Robert       3m      6'3"     235 Lb     Human             Male      
    A middle-aged Cerenzan with a friendly, fatherly vibe.                     
Slixvah      0s      5'8"     130 Lb     Eaglefolk         Female    
    A rust red/white Egalrin covered in veils, ribbons, and shawls.       
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  As the GM  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Williwaw
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

So the threat of undead laying siege to the city is very, very real. The urban air is heavy with dread; though this is a veritable City of Heroes, the name 'Heth' being whispered only reminds people of the great evils that remain unvanquished despite the living legends that make Alexandria their base of operations. If such people of power have yet been able to vanquish such creatures as Heth, can an attack by the Void Dragon truly be repelled? But people hope. For sometimes hope is all they have to forestall their descent into despair.

As such, the guild jobs are almost exclusively bent towards missions to bolster the city's defences, scout the enemy forces, or seek a means to ensure victory over the coming battle. Almost exclusively. There is one, however, that stands out. A posting written in elegant script. One requesting heroes seeking fortune, fame, glory... or even heroes just looking to make a place a little better for everyone. What makes it stand out is that the posting has been taken down several times, yet always seems to be posted again shortly afterwards. Nobody sees who puts the posting up. It doesn't show up while anyone is watching. But blink.. and poof, it is there again.

The rest of the note contains a brief description of a small barony you've never heard of seeking heroes to rid it of a curse and right the many wrongs taking place there. Interested heroes should seek out E. Drasus at the Wayfarer Inn.

Despite all the times that listing had been torn down, somehow, some way, a little bird managed to get a scrap of one to gleam all that was needed from it. At least... "... where in the gods' name is the Wayfarer Inn?"

Well that was promising.

Perhaps after too long, or right on time, depending on who keeps track in the anxiety ridden civilization of Alexandros, an eccentric looking egalrin woman enters in through the door. Sticks and leaves poke out from her ribboned wings. She shakes herself off, dislodging most but not all. "Ugh, they shoulda said it woulda been /in/ the forest," she complains before hands rest on her hips and- chin up! Where's this fool at? Change of pace! Slixvah goes a scoutin' for this Drasus.

Freshly returned from a family trip, Bob has found Alexandros worse than he'd left it. Still, all was not lost and hope springs eternal. Other proverbs and platitudes abound.

The stout, ambulatory, and bulbous wall of powder-black adamantine armor is a few long strides beyond the inn's threshold and at the host's counter when Slixvah arrives. "--E. Drasus, it said," he's explaining to the fellow on the other side. His hair has gone long enough to take on a slight waviness and the grey stands out behind his temples, contrasting his sun-tanned skin.

"Miss Slix," he smiles after half-turning. An oversized gauntlet raises in greeting.

Eztli was always looking for work, and an option that hopefully promised minimal risk of wights, or finding oneself in a sewer, seemed excellent, even if it was more than a bit suspicious how the adventurer's guild seemed to keep removing it. Oh well, she always had a chance to turn it down when she knew more. It would give her an excuse to stop by Mictlan, too.

The small makari entered after the others and stretched once. "Hey Slix, hey Robert! Good to see ya. Feel a lot better looking into this job with a couple people I can trust."

A little birdie might have passed the message along, for without doubt a large birdie has also arrived. Entering the Inn as the door barely closes behind the small Makari, is Integrity C. Truefeather, esquire, the 'C' is for congregate.

"Hey! Hey! Am I late? Hi everyone!" He sweeps through the room, pulling in his wings an dmoving over to their table, "Has E. Drasus shown up yet?"

The fellow behind the counter, currently wiping glasses as people in his profession seem universally inclined to do, doesn't quite have an answer ready for Robert as the others file in. Besides them the inn is rather unpopulated; no surprise considering the state of alert the countryside has been put under. In fact, any surprise would be aimed more at the fact that there are people here at all. Though for those in the know, William (the man washing the glasses) seems to be able to appear and disappear on a whim, though magic means has yet to be proven. Aside from him, and the collection of You, there's a furry trapper eating in the corner, and a furrier dwarf passed out under one of the tables.

Until the door bursts open yet again. Trapper and Barkeep eyes turn to the door as a tallish man steps through. A man with what would be an amazingly long white beard were it not currently divided and wrapped around his face and tied in a knot over his head. Aside from this he is wearing very little; just his small clothes, really, and bare foot no less. Various scratches line his exposed skin, and his beard and equally long hair seem to have picked up a few twigs along his travels.

The man seems to care little about this. "Vilhelm!" he says loudly, looking at the barkeep. "I say, fetcher of drink and food, have the heroes arrived yet?"

William scowls, then points to Robert.. and then to Slixvah, Eztli and Jay. And adds in a tone that suggests it isn't the first time. "It's William."

Slixvah all but grins at the sight of Robert. "Oh Robby Bobby, my goodness! It's good to see ya! I hope ya trip went okay!" she enthusiastically greets, her sliding over and offering him a brief hug.

She pulls back, snaps a finger gun towards Eztli, " Eyy, what up Ez. Same." And her gaze flicks over once more again. Brow raise. Eyes crinkle in a smile. "Heeeyy Blueberry," she coos.

Slix's attention wheels around as the door slams open. And she's just so stunned that she can only blink. A beat passes. Two. Her hands clasp together. "Oh dis right here gon' be good, laddie," she rumbles cheekily. <Khazdul>

"Miss Eztli-- and Jay," Robert beams, doing his best to return Slixvah's hug swaddled as his is in a lumbering tomb of metal, magic, and artifice. The gauntlets seem especially bulky today, added on with another layer or brass plating and smooth crystal half-spheres over the knuckles. "It was wonderful. Daci is great and we made a stop in on Shuf's people. And you three? Working hard or hardly working?"

The Cerenzan's eyes twinkle at the sight of the wizened eccentric and he sprouts an amused smile in spite of himself. "Mister Drasus? We've come from Alexandria, yes, to answer your postings."

"Hello! Hello! Hello! Hello!" The bluejay greets everyone as he takes a space at the table, in time to turn for the latest entrant, "oh! Hello! I didn't know human plumage could do that!"

There's rather a lot of human on display with the elderly specimin, seussical and druidical that might be improved with a twin on skates. The egalrin can't help but stare.

The accent is dangerously catchy also, "ze Heroes are here! Ve are zhem. Danke Drasus!" He nudges at Slixvah and works his beak open and closed.

"Yeah, hey Integrity! Good to see you too." Eztli waves to the egalrin. "You're fine, depending on what you're wearing. It's hard to be fashionably late if you aren't fashionable, you know."

"I was wondering where you were off to Robert, good to hear it was a nice trip. It's more work, or, hopefully more work."

Though she is unable to hide her surprise when the man walks in. "Usually when someone's walking into the pub in their underwear, it's from the upstairs, not outside. He seems in too good spirits to have been mugged though, so, not sure?" She attempts to speak quietly.

"Hah! That is what I said! Vilhelm!" The underdressed, elderly man chortles, pointing gleefully at Jay. "Oh, good, good! You sound just like my dear, departed wife!" Then he claps his hands.. just as a disembodied voice, soft and pitched just a little higher than is comfortable to listen to, interjects. "Departed? She ran off with the mail man!" This prompts the old man to scowl, briefly. "Yes! As I said, she departed! But enough on that!" He makes as though to remove a hat from his head as he bows; one can almost hear, and certainly imagine, the creaking bones as he does so. "Indeed, I am he! E. Drasus the Magnificent, wizard and innovator and creator of fine beverages. But enough about me! Come, come! There is little time to explain why there is little time to explain, but I will attempt to do so, if you will but follow!" He turns around and opens the door again, peering outside... and then stepping back across the threshold and into the darkening evening.

Slixvah gives a thumbs up to Robert. "Both! Learned a thing or two, got into some biz, ya know tha drill," she grins before her attention is brought around by nudging. She giggles at the antics from Blue. "Yes, ve are zhem!" she mimics.

She blinks, flummoxed once more as there's a voice cutting in. Then she gets a big ol' smile on her face as he continues on. "... absolutely, Drasus the Magificent!"

Beak held high, she follows along. "C'mon friends, there's shenanigans to be had!" she beckons.

"It's good to see you again Bob," Jay lightly slaps the back of the titan armour with his wing, a contact likely to go unnoticed, as he hops out of his seat. "Wait! I want to know more about those beverages! Did you bring any? Will we get any after?"

He takes two steps, pauses, "Time is of the essence, allegedly." He follows the beckoning to join Slixvah and head out into the darkness.

"... quite the Mister-E." Bob agrees as he looks between Jay and Slixvah, narrowing his eyes. "You two are incorrigible." The armor hisses and clanks as he turns to follow the hedge magician (he probaby lives in a hedge, after all) out into the evening. He pats Eztli on the back fondly as he passes, then gives Jay a squeeze at the shoulder right before ducking through the door.

"I have a waterskin, cheese, and rolls if you're hungry, mister Drasus." He glances at the fellow's back. "Afraid the spare shoes I keep for the grandkids won't do you any good... maybe we can borrow a robe from the inn for you..?" He's already sliding around his hip sack and fishing out snacks.

And then Eztli was left alone in the tavern, save for a misrepresented barkeep, and a dwarf who was making their new home under a table.

"Is no one here the least bit skeptical about following this person outside?" Eztli asks, with no one left around to answer. The small makari sighs, and trudges out the door. Better to be around in case something happened to the others, at the very least.

"No! Nemori isn't here!" Jay's voice comes from outside. He has good hearing.

"I am working on an exciting new drink, if you must know! I am calling it.. E. Drasus's Rootin' Tootin' Tuber Ale!" The other, slightly squeaky voice, pipes up again. "Name's a work in progress." The old man seems unphased by the unseen criticism, however. "Alas! I could not bring it with me. The transfer, you see." Drasus says this as if it explains everything.. which is probably doesn't.

Offers of cheese and water definitely grab his attention, and for a moment his gaze fixes upon the heavily armoured smith. For that brief moment, the eyes burn with an intensity that is reminiscient... and then it's gone, the old man closing his eyes and waving his hands, vaguely wardingly. "Nono. Serious, no time. Though.. did I hear someone speaking dwarf tongue? That will be useful, yes indeed." THis prompts another exchange with the other voice.

"No it won't." - "Yes it will, I'm certain this time!" - "Nope. Not this time, not next time. They needed it the time after that, though."

"Hmm.. whatever! I'm sure they'll.. you'll.. do fine. Heroes always do, after all. Orb!" The man snaps his fingers; a second later, a pair of not-quite-hands, tiny little things with four fingers and a nub instead of a thumb, push out of the man's magnificent white locks holding an Orb. Drasus reaches up and takes it, and holds it forward. "I come on behalf of the Barony of Thursburg. A curse, as my message said! All manner of woe has come to this place, and only heroes can end the darkness that has come to their land. If you accept, this orb will transport you there... and it will bring you back, as well. As long as you remember the magic words: Boondock Boulevards." The orb begins to glow. "No, stop that! Not now!" He slaps it. The glow stops.

Slixvah glances back to Eztli. "Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!" she giggles to the little makari as they trot along. "Skeptical? Abso-freakin'-lutely. But this is a heck of a lot more entertaining than sewers!"

"R. Drasus's Rootin' Tootin' Tuber Ale? That's sounds grand! To bad about... the transfer," she bemoans in knowing agreement. (She didn't know what the hell he was talking about. "And yes, Momo ain't here," she giggles.

Back to the eccentric (and barely clothed) man. "Oh, well, I kno' quite a bit 'bout the dwarves, hon, ya see, I-"

She's stymied from what emerges from his beard. Slixvah is now /incredibly/ interested in this venture. "Boondock Boulevards, make me gonna go loon dark, cold and hard. Got it," she says seriously before she's busting out laughing from the antics. "Curses? I know a lil' somethin' somethin' bout those. I hope we can help! Iiiiiiiii'm ready!" she declares.

GAME: Jay rolls intelligence: (8)+3: 11
GAME: Slixvah rolls intelligence: (4)+4: 8
GAME: Slixvah rolls knowledge/geography: (6)+5: 11
GAME: Jay rolls knowledge/geography: (20)+4: 24

"Boon... dock... Boulevards..." Jay has produced a pen and paper is taking notes. "Boulevards, plural, not Boulevard, yes? Yes!" He tilts his head, "You might need to slap it again, allegedly."

"Some of those names sound familiar, but I don't know them."

"Wait! I know one." The bluejay's head pops up suddenly.

Robert looses an amused breath, eyes squinting mildly as he shakes his head. "They used to make us run sacks of stone up and down a hill when they weren't happy with our drills. They called it Boondoggle Boulevard." He almost insists that the manic and disrobed wizard have something to eat and drink but pushes the reflex aside with conscious effort.

Instead, Bob selects a couple elaborate trinkets from his pouches and begins affixing them to key points on his armor. He takes care to listen to the prognostications and side-eyes the orb-ponderings.

"You won't be joining us, mister Drasus? I imagine you're far more familiar with the barony than any of us..?" His eyes scan the familiar faces.

"It's absolutely not on any map, allegedly." Jay adds, "I don't have an extensive collection, but I've seen one. It's a hypothetical place, like 'Utopia', a mage's theoretical demi-plane experiment, the magical equivalent of a Stirling Engine."'

"Yeah, Nemori isn't here. I didn't want to bug her about a job that may or may not be true." Eztli grumbles when it turns out she's still within listening distance, before joining the others outside.

"Well, that sounds interesting. Though, what's that? You're sending us somewhere else, for, what are we doing?" The small makari asks. "Teleporting to a theoretical location that may or may not exist, I'm not sure about that, Integrity."

"Well the add kept reappearing, so hopefully we will." The jaybird is optimistic.

The old man holds the orb forth; the object remains incredibly steady, perhaps, considering the energetic way the man has been moving, and the fact that he seems so old. But there it is. The orb seems to contain a swirling, cloudy substance inside, indistinct shapes forming and coming undone. "Ah, but the job.. no, no, the Quest! It is true, good Makari. People in need of saviours to bring light back to their once peaceful land. And don't worry! It is perfectly safe!" - "Unless you die there." - "Well, yes. Just don't do that. And like any good quest, there will be a reward! You have a slight problem with undead pests at the moment, yes? Upon your return, you will be rewarded with magic to assist you in your struggles with the wights! I am also an enchanter of no small skill." - "Barely... you never did beat Ersanna." - "I would have had she ever returned! Anyways." Drasus raises the orb a little higher. "No, no, I will be staying here.. because, you see, I am already there. Best not to look for me though, I tend to frown upon trespassers. Unless you must! Just be warned.. I am an odd duck, especially there! So! If you are all in agreement?" He seems to be glossing over any of the misgivings Eztli is offering up. "Go to Thursburg. Help the people there. Find the source of the curse! Free the land from darkness! If you are ready, put your hand on my orb and say the words, "I want to be a hero!""

Jay looks at Slixvah and holds out a hand, "Shall we together?" His other hovers, ready to be placed on the orb, the words, 'I want to be a hero!' right on his tongue. There's a glance to Robert, another to Eztli. He elucidates his thoughts.

"He's clearly a powerful enchanter, anything we could use against Heth and the Wights would be useful. As far as a contract goes, it is non-standard but similar to what the Guild offers."

"There are some other shenanigans going on, allegedly." The l-eagle egalrin continues, "Someone kept taking the postings down. We work good as a group and people are in trouble."

The bluejay gazes at Eztli, "We've rushed into more with less, usually you were telling Nemori and me we should. And Drasus, he zeems..."

"Vell..." Integrity tilts his head almost all the way over to one side, "ze wordz is not harmless, but is zomezhing like zat."

Slixvah catches a glance with the armored up dad-ificer, her giving an expressive smile in her eyes before looking to the others. "Loo' lovlies. Sometimes the best part 'bout learnin' is takin' risks."

She bobs her head to Jay, "Oh now that just makes me wanna go even mo'," she grins mischievously, reaching out to take the offered. "And if ya in mo' than one place, Drasus, we'll get it sorted. All that help sounds super duper useful ta the people."

She giggles, holding a hand out over the orb. "All together now!"

She's primed for words and slappage.

"This feels like the fireside stories of the Tsura I heard from my mother's lap," Bob remarks with a steadying look to Eztli. "And heroes always triumphed in those." Gauntlets reach up under opposite pauldrons and he pulls a silverying rope loose to dangle, spark, and hiss. His fists curl tight and he thumps them against his chestplating, causing a cascade of brass scales to surge and spread across his suit.

The dadventurer pauses in lowering his helmet long enough to wink at Slixvah and then reaches out a hand. He pauses, pulling it back slightly to consider Drasus one last time.

"The land isn't frozen solid or on fire? Air's safe to breathe? We'll arrive on solid ground?" Just to be sure.

If the last-minute concerns are put to bed he'll lower his massive titan's gauntlet into place and Say The Words.

GAME: Robert casts Ablative Barrier. Caster Level: 6 DC: 16

"Well yes, I mean, usually I am, because there's reason. I'm just not sure about the reasoning yet." Eztli sighs. "Maybe Nemori's rubbing off on me, I don't know."

"This does sound important though, at least. It might help the city a lot, so it's worth a try, I guess?" The small sith-makar half asks, before she puts one hand on the orb in question after she waves one hand over her robes, causing them to shimmer for a brief moment. "I'm ready, I guess?"

GAME: Eztli casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 5 DC: 16

The old man's grin is anything but sinister. "Perfectly safe!" he promises. And then the words are said.

"I want to be a hero!"

The words said together act like a key. Bob's older, experienced tone meshing with Eztli's muted reptilian voice, providing a solid counterbalance to the two similar, equally cheerful, chirp-like words of the two egalrin.. the latter two balanced between a slightly discordant over-excited screech and a confident, almost silky delivery.

And then darkness swallows you.

And then, "Oh, and watch out for the trolls!" - "Don't forget the graveyard." - "Oh yes! Avoid the graveyard at night!"

To be continued....