He Says
It's a lovely day to be traveling through the forest near Alexandria. You haven't actually entered the woods, but rather have been following a trail along the outside edge of it. The forest trees loom large due to foresting in the area, and more stumps of trees mark the landscape. You're quickly approaching the town where your backup is supposed to be waiting for you. Knowing the adventurers guild though... that could be or could not be just as easily. Given that the complaint was of 'excessive luck' though you're not expecting a lot of trouble.
After all, what can be so bad about good luck?
Sabina's feet are light on the trail as they move along. A smile is on her face, something that hasn't changed since they left the city. The woman seems to always be in good spirits.
Dressed as she is one would suspect she would be slow on the road. In this case the opposite is true. She speeds along quite well,even with the peacock on her shoulder. The bright bird's feathered tail falls down her back like a cloak.
She hums softly to herself and then turns to her companion. "Excessive luck. I can think of a few ways that would be good and bad both at the same time. I've seen it's opposite. Excessive bad luck."
"This one has heard that beings known as 'Hags' are sometimes associated with luck. As such, this one believes that a 'watch' should be issued. As such, this one is hereby issuing a 'Hag Watch'. This one hopes it does not need to be raised to a 'Hag Warning'."
The avian War Golem that is walking alongside Sabina on this particular outing is a rather odd one. There Sabina is dressed, Thoth lacks anything of such a descriptor. A few little accessories here and there, that could be found to be magical if analyzed. But no cloaks or the like.
On its shoulder, its Familiar is perched. A rather fanciful and oddly colored Owl, which has so far been introduced as 'Ra'.
Ra appears to be chirping and conversing with the Peakcock on Sabina's shoulder. What they speak of is for the birds.
Tlanexhuani has spent more time out of the city proper lately. For one, it is good to be in (to him) more comfortable surroundings. For another, the city known as Alessandria (again, to him), seems to have had a great deal of strange and worrying things appear lately. Lastly, some good luck sounds, well, good. Though he is less certain after the comments.
"Hags? This one does not like the sounds of these things." He looks to Thoth. "Know of these if see? Are dangerous?"
There's a somewhat ordinary inn on the outskirts of town, outfitted and ready to receive visitors. There's also a local church dedicated to the various deities that seems somewhat in disrepair, and several businesses offering various goods. "Worlds best pie! Guaranteed to be the best pie you've ever had!"
Indeed, it smells *really* good.
GAME: Sabina rolls perception: (11)+5: 16 GAME: Thoth rolls 10+3: (7)+10: 17 GAME: Thoth rolls Perception: (14)+8+3: 25 GAME: Tlanexhuani rolls perception: (10)+12: 22 GAME: Thoth rolls Craft/Artifice+2+2: (15)+17+2+2: 36 GAME: Thoth rolls Craft/Artifice+2+2: (15)+17+2+2: 36 GAME: Tlanexhuani rolls craft/artifice: (7)+11: 18
Sabina looks from the short mechanical bird-man to the tall Sith and then chuckles. "I don't know a whole lot about hags. All the tales they're in has them as one of the bad guys the protagonist must face and defeat or escape from. So I'd say dangerous." She glances at Emp, her peacock, and then the owl and mutters to her familiar. "Behave… play nice, oh Emperor." She receives a peck on the head for her warning.
"Ahh! Worlds best pie? Sounds good then. Perhaps it's not a totally lie to bring in customers. That would be nice."
"This one notes, this is but an observation. Not a fact." Thoth remarks, as it carries on and the crew approaches the inn at the edge of town. "This one also notes, it lacks charisma to investigate these people. It is here in case things turn... 'bad'."
It turns its long beak to focus on the inn itself, and the sign there. World's best pie.
The Wargolem seems neither interested nor disinterested. It's food. That's for the fleshlings. Instead, its gaze turns towards a girl walking nearby with their... 'dog'?
A tilt of its head, turning its beak away to focus one eye on the position of the dog, Ra peering right along with it. Almost like Thoth had three eyes in that moment, gazing and considering the creature.
"That canine appears to be a Golem made out of a soft fabric. I believe children normally use these kinds of constructs for play and comfort. However, this one does not believe they are normally rated for golem behavior."
Pause.
"Quite a wonderful craft." As Thoth begins to approach the girl and stands across from her soon enough.
The avian war-golem is /SHORT/, so it's not exactly the most imposing thing in the world. "This one inquires, what craftsman created this golem?"
"Even if best in area, not world, is still good?" Tlanexhuani also noticed the mention of pies. He may be interested, too. Though he is also distracted by the girl and her very life-like toy(?) He blinks as he stares at it for a time. Maybe it is real that only looked like a toy? If it is good enough to look one way, it could also be the other? "Is very good-" He starts to compliment, then Thoth has stepped forward to inquire of the pet with the same question the Makari suddenly has.
As the golem approaches the girl, the girl blinks at him with curiosity and interest. "Ooooh! You're PRETTY!" She is in obvious awe of the golem and when he asks about her dog she beams. "This is Pookie! My mom made him! Isn't he the greatest?!" She looks down at the stuffed... or real... dog and it barks furiously at Thoth, giving short hops in anger and defensiveness of its girl.
The pie meanwhile, still smells good.
Bina seems startled by the appearance of the girl and ...golem. Still she smiles and moves over behind the others, looking the girl and dog over appraisingly but with a friendly smile.
"Hello there. I'm Sabina and we were sent out this way to look into some strangeness. Would you happen to know anything about that? Or perhaps you could take us to see your mother or village elders?"
Thoth kneels down, looking more closely at the plushy-dog-golem. "This creation is truly fantastic. Indeed, well made." It doesn't try to reach closer. "This one does suggest, with this outer body, keep them away from bodies of water. It may interfere with the magics." Before it rises back up.
It puts a clawed finger to the edge of its long beak. Considering this. It has never seen a creation like this, in all of its many many years. Truly, the 'modern day' creates wonderful things. But for someone here out in the boonies to be this skilled a golem-craft is rather unusual.
"Can you point me to the home of your mother? This one would love to learn more about her craft." Ra inquires, speaking alongside Sabina at the same time. It lacks the awareness that this much pressure and people talking to a young woman at the same time may just freak out a youngster.
Tlanexhuani steps closer, lowering himself to a knee and keeping some distance. He does not want to unnerve the child and knows he is tall (or long depending on one's point of view). Also, he isn't shiny nor pretty. "Ssa. Pookie look very good. Mother gifted. Are very lucky."
"Um." The girl seems a bit confused by the fact that so many people are talking to her at once more than anything, but she rallies. "I could take you home, or you could go to the inn. The village elder is waiting for some merchant there. But those are two different places!" The dog has settled a little bit now that it has asserted its dominance by jumping up and down. It sniffs curiously at Thoth and sneezes a moment later. When Tlanexhuani bends down the dog quicky retreats to hide behind its girl. The girl though seems quite entranced by the unique group before her.
"Can I pet your bird miss?" She requests semi-politely. "I'll let you hold Pookie if you want!"
GAME: Sabina rolls sense motive: (19)+9: 28
Bina takes another step forward and eases Emp off her shoulder and into her arms so that the girl can approach and pet him. "His name is Emp. He's a very proud bird and thinks he's in charge." She winks at the girl and whispers, "I let him think he is."
She glance at both the others in her group.
"Perhaps you could show us to the inn and we'll see if we're need there? If not then we could head back with you to see your mom. Oh... Can you tell me your name?"
Thoth rises up as Sabina takes the lead on this matter, and steps back a bit. It instead starts watching the periphery along with Ra. So far, it has not yet picked up on the theme going on so far.
The best pie. The best golem.
But it may pick up on this eventually.
The girl nods to Sabina, "I'm Lexi!" She offers this while petting the bird and then picks up her dog so that it can be offered to Sabina in trade. The dog *feels* like a stuffed animal. Fluffy and everything. The girl leads you to the inn and inside. The place is very nice inside, and has a surprising number of poker tables. Almost all of which have at least a few players at them. One has an older gentleman playing a number of merchants who seem in the process of... losing their shirts.
"That's Elder Kian. He's playing some merchants it looks like. Might be a while. I'm sure that you can have something to eat while you wait though." Lexi gives her dog a fond squeeze. "Or I can take you to my mommy."
Tlanexhuani did not want to worry the pet, either; artifice-al or otherwise. He gives the girl and Pookie a head start before rising and moving to follow to the inn. He looks around with some curiosity and inhales at more talk of food. He then looks to the others. "If is time, maybe go and return?" He is undecided on what is best. "Or eat, wait?"
Sabina puts Emp back on her shoulder and pets Pookie, head canting to one side at it's soft covering. "Thank you, Lexi." She says as the girl leads them.
Once inside she looks over the inn's main room. Where there should be normal tables and chairs there are gambling tables? In a town with too much good luck?
Bina chuckles in a deep tone and clears her throat loudly, lifting her voice to be heard through the room.
"Hello? We're here from the adventurer's guild We understand there's a issue with..too much luck here in town?" Her eyes move over to the Elder and awaits a response.
"This one greets you, Lexi. This one is designated 'Thoth'." The Wargolem replies, trying its best to be part of this conversation. It analyzes the dog for a few moments more, before the crew heads off to the inn.
Once inside, it takes note of just how much gambling is happening here. Of course, it doesn't know whether or not this is unusual for this particular town. But at the warning of a ridiculous amount of luck, there is something to be said about this perhaps.
"This one recommends not engaging these people in games of chance." Thoth warns the others. "And this one does not eat. But it has no problems waiting he~..." It is cut off as Sabina so brazenly steps forward and announces her questioning statement.
Tlanexhuani's tail raises to thump in agreement with Thoth's statement, but it also goes unfinished. This time there is no blink, however, and the tail makes a belated light thump. "Ah," he kisses lightly in amusement to Thoth. "Other, other choice. Iss alwayss another way, ssa?" He settles a bit more, leaning on his spear, to watch Sabina, or rather the results of her words.
Admittedly the merchants look up immediately at Sabina's words, unhappy frowns set on their faces. "Excess luck? Are we being scammed?"
The older gentleman snorts. "None of that now. I'm not cheating." He stands up though and makes his way to you all. "That's dangerous you know, to my health I mean. Implying I'm cheating at a table like that."
He shakes his head. "Now. I know some merchants have been complaining about my luck but I'm just lucky is all. You can tell 'em to stuff it." Kian looks at the group of you solidly. "Stay the night if you like. Try the pie. But don't be messing with our livelihood."
Sabina's smile widens until it seems to fill more then half her face. Her chuckling returns and she shrugs. "If you're 'making a livelihood' from merchants and visitors that pass through here based on pie and gambling then I imagine that you are altering your fates somehow. Which would a form a cheating, yes. And luck like that always has a price to pay for it in the end. Are you sure you won't rethink your livelihood?"
GAME: Thoth rolls Knowledge/Arcana: (6)+15: 21
"This one agrees, there is always another choice. This one believes this is designated 'Strategy: Tactless'." Thoth answers Tlanexhuani, as it idly touches its fingers together while watching the inevitable retort.
Which in this case is the expected from an accusation. It doesn't really know how to analyze the retort. It's no good with lies and the like. "This one has not come with any kind of spells of truth." It notes, before looking to Tlanex while Sabina raises further ones.
"This one believes 'Trouble' may be imminent. One moment." As it starts to approach one of the pies and considers it for a moment. It senses no magic from the pie, so decides not to make any commentary on it at all, and instead turns to the others.
"This one declares, this one is still unable to eat 'pie'."
Tlanexhuani expected words. Maybe not the words that are offered? He looks to the elder. "Is inn. Not make living from food, drink, pies?"
"We all make a living in a range of ways. Look. I don't force anyone to play right? They can stop when they want." Indeed the merchants seem keen to lay down their hands now and order a round of pie for them to split to asswage their losses. The elder looks at the group of you. "And I'm mighty sorry that your friend can't eat no pie, but I suggest the rest of you try it. It's damn good. Elsie is a heaven of a cook."
GAME: Sabina rolls sense motive: (9)+9: 18
Sabina's eyes narrow and she sighs. "You're a cagey one, for sure. Tarien bless you. Not that you may need it I'm guessing."
She looks at the others and then the pies on display, moving over in that direction and looking for the cook.
Quietly she prays to Tarien for the ability to see magics in around her, fingers caressing her holy symbol.
Thoth, in earnest, isn't certain what to best do in this situation. So instead it turns to Tlanexhuani and just kind of... approaches and turns its head up. Beaking to the air, staring at Tlanexhuani. Hoping the Lizard will know what to best do in a situation like this.
Tlanexhuani glances to Thoth at his-its display, then back to the elder and merchants. "This one not mean offense. Only curious." This curiosity extends to the pies, too, and also may be a way to mend any offenses. He steps towards them, and Sabina by definition. "This one maybe eat pie, ssa? You?" he looks to Sabina, still curious.
-TBC