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Post by Veliky on Sept 24, 2022 12:54:17 GMT -5
Skypeak Village, three days ago, the night of the 21st.
"I hope you know what you're asking."
The room is dark, save for a single, meagre candle. Veliky's pale-blue eyes glow under the brim of her cap. The man appears nervous, but is it because of her cold glare, or something else? She continues, tracing her finger over the dusty table, as if drawing a picture to accentuate her words.
"See... in business, there's a concept that we call the 'expected outcome.' As you might guess from the name, it refers to the amount of earnings that we should expect from a gamble. It's how we calculate profit from uncertainty. Now..." Her voice grows more stern. "...when we're calculating the 'expected outcome,' we need to take into account both earnings and expense, both definite and possible. And in this job you're asking for? Death is a very possible expense. Do you have any idea how much money I would need to offset that?"
The man's eyes were focused on her tracing finger. He flinches when he looks up to see her frigid gaze. "I... I-I'm not sure, but we're willing to pay whatever it might cost."
She silently searches his eyes. How truthful is he being? How much is he actually willing to part with? The answer is clear from his desperation: everything, and Veliky will take what she can get.
"That's good." Her tone remains low and emotionless. "Because the number is over five times that pocket change you offered."
He's shocked, panicked. He needs this. "I-I don't have that much! Please, I-"
"Up front, or you and your friends are going across that field alone."
The man looks down at his pale fists. His thoughts are as shaky as his hands. Is there even a possibility that he could meet her demands?
"I think... I think I can do it. I'll just need a couple days."
It's as good an answer as Veliky can expect. She wasn't lying or upselling him; she wouldn't do this job for anything less.
"Be quick. I'm not staying for longer than a week."
She hops down from her high stool and walks to the door, but stops herself.
"One more thing: you're obviously hiding something. Care to tell me now? It'd save us both a lot of trouble." It's a thinly-veiled threat. But, on this ground, the man does not give.
"No. No, I do not."
Skypeak Village, one day ago, the morning of the 23rd.
Skypeak Village, with its precarious cliffside views, offers an excellent perspective of the Lightning Fields. From here, it seems almost small, nearly surmountable. But the incessant cracks of lightning remind Veliky that it is, in fact, the single most dangerous place in Charon. And she's going to escort a group of yellow travellers across its longest stretch, to the Frost Gale.
Turning around, she counts her blessings, all seven of them: two infantry bots, one buccaneer bot, and four bots of various bestial forms. None of them have been programmed with combat skills higher than that of an average bandit, and they barely outnumber their charges. They won't be a sufficient escort for the ordeal ahead. Veliky knows what she needs, though it frustrates her to admit.
She lets in a long, congested sniff.
Mercenaries. Always mercenaries.
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Post by Sarris on Sept 24, 2022 18:03:13 GMT -5
Skypeak Village, one day ago, the afternoon of the 23rd.
Flying in the Dragon's Spine was a fairly dangerous operation. There were three main dangers that a girl had to watch out for. The first was wind, the downdrafts and updrafts were intense when you ran the ridges. The second was the lightning that came up as the air masses mixed causing turbulence but also lightning which could kill a person quickly. The third thing was the Drakes that climbed and ruled the skies around the Skypeak region.
Sarris had delivered some papers to one of the local mine managers. To her dismay, he ended up trying to be more dangerous than the drakes. The required that she stop at the village and get a room at the inn.
Sitting by the fire with her kitten Prince by her side, Sarris sat tended to the tear in her skirt. Every time one of the men in the establishment tried to make conversation, she gave them an angry look that made it clear that she was in no mood to be hit on. Realizing that it was going to take more work than it was worth, she took the whole thing and tossed it into the fire.
"Prince, I think we should see if we can get some drake hide leather and make a dress from that," she said to the cat that was playing with a scrap of cloth on the floor. A little yawl came from the beast as it pounced on its fabric prey.
The mercantile had some dresses for dwarven women here. The problem with them was they were short enough that she would never be able to sit down.
"Greetings, I see your having some problems. Maybe I can help?" a human man who thought more of himself than she did. Sitting down he continued, "I might have something that would fit you." With a slight pause, "If you would like to come up to my room..." The man's suggestion made Sarris sigh.
"Are you a tailor?" she asked in a tone indicating she wanted him to go away. "No," but... He put his hand on her leg and that is when the day got worse.
Dwarven miners love a good bar fight and Sarris was going to start one for them.
The beer stein was the first thing to meet the man's jaw and the crack could be heard through the place. As he rose, So did Sarris shoving the man backward spilling a table full of fresh beer for the dwarven miners that had completed their shift in the mine.
Someone moved kicking Prince who hissed. A chair came up and met him in the ribs and nose.
It all got a little confusing after that till the city watch made its way into the establishment.
Sarris found herself sitting in a cell waiting for a trial. How should she know that the letch was the mayor? Her gear was nicely stowed in a trunk across the room.
"So who is the judge?" Sarris asked. She had been smart enough to give them a fake name when she was arrested. She did not want Sarne to bring a squad of the Vanguard up her to put her across his knee and paddle her then free her from the cell. Worse yet, he could bring Grandfather. "The mayor," the guard said chuckling.
Sarris flopped herself back in the straw and petted Prince. This place could not hold her and she knew it. When the guard started to relax, she would pick the lock and escape.
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Sept 25, 2022 12:37:47 GMT -5
Skypeak Village, One Day Ago, Morning of the 23rd.
It was not leisure, nor promise of adrenaline-fueled adventure, that drew him to the Dragon's Cradle. It was, instead, the rumours of a gunpowder smuggling that had originally brought him here; the Ashen Father's have their filthy hands in a little bit of everything. His investigations into the smuggling had begun with a very literal bang, an interesting ally, and had ended with only snippets of new information for him to glean names and locations from... but it's enough, he supposes. Small successes... one at a time... will get him to where he wants to be. Caedes is returning to Skypeak Village when he notices her; and despite the buzzing of his busy mind in the consideration of his next actions; her familiar, tiny figure enters his peripheral vision. The changeling, hooded in a cloak seeping shadows from its seams, turns to look at a strangely intimidating halfling woman as she gazes out over the cliffside of Skypeak Village. She's surrounded by things; clicking, whirring creatures; which Caedes recognizes moreso than the woman herself. If anything, it puts a single name to mind; and, as she turns to face her bots, she might spot him striding towards her without hesitance. "Veliky," he greets; his voice is cold, despite a tone that might otherwise suggest the warmth that comes with familiarity. He is not particularly sentimental, however; Veliky has great potential to be a curious ally. Between her commanding presence, and her army? He would rather be on her good side, than her bad. "It's been some time, hasn't it? Your bots are looking... plentiful. New models?" He looks at the more animalistic creatures in her lineup; and the shadow stops before he reaches the last row of her small militia, cocking his head with a polite smile. "I wouldn't have thought to catch you so far away from the Nin Hloth... Are you here on business?" His eyes flick between the bots and the halfling. "As was I, until yesterday... I just finished, actually. I have a room at The Bird's Perch. If you have time, why don't we catch up over drinks in the lobby?"
Skypeak Village, One Day Ago, Evening of the 23rd.
Caedes manages to elicit Veliky's time; to which she explains, after ordering a glass of water and pouring it into a flask before drinking, what she is doing in Dragon's Cradle. To sum it up: she needs mercenaries for a job. It's less of an explanation and more of a fact paired with a job offer that goes unspoken between them.
Really, everything Veliky says is blunt and to the point— no time wasted on her end— which is to be expected of the halfling business woman from what he knows of and has experienced of her; her company is about as pleasant as that of a clock's. She's to guide a small band of travelers through the Lightning Fields, to Frost Gale. A quick, simple job should everything go to plan; and she needs the assistance of mercenaries to fully ensure its success.
She doesn't have much time to linger, after all: she's got a job to do. A schedule to keep. She is efficient; demanding; and intimidating... which, given her height, the latter two qualities are particularly impressive. Eventually, and to ensure he doesn't lose the woman's attention, he offers up his help to her: an offer to be one of her mercenaries.
It's during the rest of those negotiations with Veliky, that chaos splits across the bar; sharper than any thunder, a great crack! resounds from somewhere far behind them, towards the fireplace of the inn. Caedes looks over his shoulder from where he sits with the halfling, eyes narrowing when he spots the instigator of the fight brawling amongst those who were drunk, stupid, or itching for conflict: Sarris.
Though he only spoke with her briefly weeks, maybe months ago in the bogs of Marsh Flats, he does recognize the woman.
He's always been pretty good with matching a face to a name.
In the chaos of the bar fight that ensues, however— she's lost among it— only to resurface when the City Watch appears and drags her away. The fight had, luckily, not rippled its way to where Caedes and Veliky were sitting— although a bit of a disappointment, he would hate to lose track of the halfling woman in a sea of fighters. He sips his drink as the last few drunken brawlers are apprehended by barking Watchmen, and turns his eyes to Veliky.
"If you need another mercenary for your journey," he remarks, nodding his head towards the door. "I know that one. The young lady they just pulled out is a fighter; I'd reckon if we bust her out, she might even offer to work at a discount... maybe even as a favour."
He smiles as he sets down his mug on the table.
"How do you feel about a jailbreak, before we leave?"
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Post by Veliky on Sept 25, 2022 18:19:08 GMT -5
For all her travels, Veliky has witnessed remarkably few tavern brawls. This likely has something to do with how little she actually frequents taverns. She watches with both concern and interest. Is she really safe, just sitting here? She considers turning invisible, but that might just put her in more danger if somebody crashes into her by accident. As a compromise, she snaps her fingers, conjuring an illusory double[1] on the stool directly beside her. The clone, too, curiously watches the melee.
When Caedes speaks, after the fight was stopped by the watch, both Velikies look at him. Another mercenary would certainly be helpful, and might even be enough to make a proper escort, but jailbreaks are no simple thing for someone who cares about the law, like Veliky. It is at times like these that Veliky turns to the only counsel she can really trust: her own. She leans back, against the bar, and looks at the clone.
"We do need at least one more body... what's the best way to get her out?"
The clone rests its head on its hand contemplatively and answers with an identical voice.
"Easiest and most efficient method would just be to convince or bribe the bailiff. Least legally problematic, too."
"True... though it'd also come with the least baggage."
"You say that like it's a bad thing. Idea?"
The original nods, though, at this point, it's somewhat difficult to tell which one is actually the original. "Our job leads out of Dragon's Cradle; the more reason she has to get out of here, the more reason she has to help us."
As if it weren't already confusing enough, the clone takes a swig from an illusory flask of illusory water. "So we break her out and leave ASaP. If it comes back to bite us legally, we bribe our way out."
"Exactly. Magic will make it easy." Realiky hops down from her stool. "You fetch the clients, I'll fetch the girl."
Simuliky stretches her arms above her. Is she actually fatigued, or is it just an imitation? It's difficult to tell. "Right. Be there in 30."
The clone then promptly jumps off its own stool and through a window. That it does not shatter is both jarring and, somehow, relieving. Now that it's gone, and after the guards swept through, Veliky and Caedes are two of very few remaining customers. The (probably) real Veliky appears ready for business as she looks at Caedes.
"Hope you don't mind departing immediately. If I remember the Common saying correctly, 'The law waits for no-one.'"
Outside Sarris' cell, the guard is becoming more weary with every passing moment until he appears about ready to nod off. It is just as escape seems most possible to Sarris that an odd noise draws her attention from behind. In the very wall of the cell, a glowing, blue line is being drawn by some disembodied force. It starts at the floor and ends about 6 feet straight up. Then, another, identical line is drawn beside it, about three feet away. Finally, a third line is drawn, joining them at the top. It's a rectangle, or maybe... a doorway?
Then, it opens[2], that section of the stone wall slowly creaking inward as if it had hinges and letting in a breath of cool, evening air. Standing just outside, barely illuminated by the sunset, are two figures: a white-skinned man and a tiny, blonde halfling woman, whose index finger is glowing with the same blue shade as the traced lines. She's sitting on the shoulders of the man, who looks vaguely miffed. Despite the situation, her expression is humourless, and her blank eyes are fixed on Sarris.
"Come. Quick."
1. Clone Self 2. Create Door
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Post by Sarris on Sept 25, 2022 22:04:25 GMT -5
Men tend not to do a good search of a woman when she is kicking, hitting, clawing, and biting them. For some reason, the message of do not touch me did not get conveyed in a way they understood. This annoyed Sarris greatly and she was planning the death of a few of the watch members.
While she was waiting she started doing a scientific study of the strength of straw with her eager lab assistant Prince. She learned that some of the straw was stronger than other pieces. She also learned that just because a piece was larger did not mean it was stronger. She had found a piece that was just right for turning the tumbler in the lock and springing her from this flea trap.
Sarris picked up Prince as the wall swung in.
"Come. Quick," the halfling woman said to Sarris. Both of them looked not amused and Sarris took it as if they were annoyed with her. Being use to that type of look she continued. She handed the white-skinned man the kitten and then pointed to the chest containing almost all her worldly belongings and the broom leaning against the wall.
From the hem of her peasant's dress, she pulled a piece of wire. Then she moved back to the cell door and started work on the lock.
The lock was basic as drunks tend not to try picking the lock. In Sarris' mind, the tumbler was as loud as the bar fight. She did have to close her eyes and stick out her tongue. In a moment the lock slid free, then she spits on the hinges to damper the squeak as the cell door opened inward.
Moving quietly to the chest, She grabbed her broom and the handle of the chest. Tilting it, she prayed it would stay silent as she lifted it from the floor. Then quickly stepping back to the cell, she worked her way out the magical door.
"Thank you, I could have escaped myself," she whispered with a tone that was grateful and a bit annoyed. She hated being in debt to others. Unable to stop herself she whispered, "You know you could have made it smaller and I could have crawled through. Less to notice and less air movement." Being a teenager and had an opinion on everything and was more than happy to share it - wanted or not.
Sarris set the chest down then leaned over the chest, butt in the air. With the wire, she pushed the hinge pins out lifting the back of the chest and grabbing her things then slid the pins back in place.
"The hinges are the weakest spot on a chest. Everyone tries the lock but you do not need to pick it. Just break the hinge. Smart people have metal placed so the hinges do not come out," she said giving her public service announcement for chest safety.
Putting her throwing knives in their proper places, the quiver on her hip, her cloak on, broom against her shoulder, and her bow in her hand, she reached out to take Prince back.
"He likes pockets," she whispered placing him in on so that he could see out Prince was fairly good about not peeing on people who held him.
A second guard arrived and as he approached the one starting to doze he asked, "So where is she?" pointing to the open cell door and the missing chest.
"I think we should go," Sarris whispered with some urgency before chaos broke out again.
lock picking: Master
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Sept 28, 2022 16:22:38 GMT -5
Caedes does a double-take, brows furrowing slightly beneath the shadow of his hood. There's two of Veliky now; and it is wildly unsettling to look at. He watches one of the Veliky lean back against the bar; quietly eavesdropping as the two of them start conversing. Caedes slowly lifts his mug to his lips, taking a swig of his drink while he plays an internal game of, 'Which Veliky is the real Veliky?'
If he were gambling, he'd put his money on the one closest to him— in the seat where he last saw Veliky— before the double appeared; but, did she also play musical chairs when she called upon this... illusion? What is it, exactly?
He narrows his eyes over his drink, only half listening by now to their brainstorming in regards to breaking Sarris out of jail. They're mostly debating the legal problems of it, which, Caedes couldn't possibly care less about such a flawed system. Eventually, the brainstorming begins to taper; and Caedes lowers his gaze to the floor, where one of the Veliky have hopped down off her stool.
The real one?
He looks at the other Veliky, stretching her arms above her head, as she agrees to meet the other Veliky after obtaining the clients.
This is getting awfully confusing.
The other Veliky hops off her stool, and Caedes perks up as it jumps right through the window without breaking it. Internally, he praises himself for being correct on the location of the real Veliky— or, he thinks it's the real Veliky. Unless, the real Veliky can phase through walls? He looks thoughtfully at the other Veliky, eyes narrowing as she speaks.
"...I want to ask, but I won't." he remarks, setting down his mug, and sliding off his stool to follow her.
After what accounts to a mildly humiliating session of Veliky Says— because, apparently she needs his height to do what she's planning— the halfling has created a door in the wall of the cell with only her finger. She is a mystery. He furrows his brows, stifling a sigh deep in his chest as the stone wall creaks inwards like a door, to reveal the inner machinations of Sarris' cell. Which, isn't much but Sarris, a cat, and a bunch of straw.
He sighs, opening his mouth to speak, when Sarris suddenly hands him the cat.
What is he, a pack mule? With Veliky still sitting on his shoulders, the only thing he's really missing is a bridle. He sighs, adjusting his hold on the kitten so that it can feel more secure and comfortable in his arms; he watches as Sarris quietly picks the lock of her cell to get to her belongings. Eventually, she succeeds in doing so; returning to them through the magical door with plenty to say.
He finds himself rolling his eyes as Sarris criticizes their method of rescuing her. He forgot this one was a bit... sassy. "I'm very well sure you could," he remarks quietly. "As you've already proven fully capable of— but there's nothing wrong with taking a helping hand, once in a while." Sarris bends down to get her things out of her chest, commenting idly on the manufacture of chests as she does so; but eventually, she seems to have settled herself with all of her belongings. Caedes offers her back the kitten as she reaches out for him.
"Well, with that out of the way—"
Voices reach the group's ears, and Caedes throws a look over his shoulder; quickly, reaching up with a hand. "Let's go." Shadows creep from beneath his cloak, following the motion of his body like smoke; the changeling snaps his fingers, and the lantern within the cell flickers out, plunging the guards into darkness. "You can make a door, Veliky— but can you remove one?" he murmurs to the halfling on his shoulders as he starts to cautiously move away from the door she'd made; moving after Sarris, to wherever might be safer from these guards.
(1) Remove Light — You can target a source of non magical light, be it a torch, flame or other source of natural light. You can then cause this light to go out, snuffing the light immediately. This will remove the source of light until re lit.
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Post by Veliky on Sept 29, 2022 17:24:42 GMT -5
For a moment, Veliky's face is blank, absent-minded, distracted. She does find herself riding people's shoulders a lot, doesn't she? Maybe she can ask the gnome to make a human-sized... no, this is no time for brainstorming.
With a snap of her fingers, the stone wall slams shut[1]. The glowing lines that outlined it shimmer, then fade. It is now no more a door than it was before. Confused scrambling and muffled shouts can be heard from the other side of the wall.
"Done," Veliky states matter-of-factly. Unprovoked, she immediately follows with a slap to the top of Caedes' head, as if she were banging a drum. It isn't terribly painful, except for an odd burning sensation[2]. "No real names; we're breaking the law right now."
As much soreness as it'd save her legs to be carried away from here, it would be prudent to escape on foot. She deigns to dismount the changeling, making the true meagreness of her height much more apparent. She adjusts her gloves, speaking offhandedly to Sarris.
"I'm sure you could've escaped on your own, but that would've made you much more difficult to for me to find. Besides, escaping jail and escaping Skypeak Village are two very different things. Fortunately for you, my company is already prepped to leave... if you'd like to join us." She stares sidelong at the half-elf.
The pressure of being actively hunted by authorities weighs on Sarris, making negotiation a difficult matter; Veliky's choice to make an offer here and now is a devious tactic, indeed. Sarris could easily escape from the village itself if she rode atop her flying broom, but that isn't the true ordeal and both her and Veliky know it: the real danger is traversing the land of Dragon's Cradle alone. Travelling on foot would be perilous, and flight would make her a conductive target for lightning strikes. The decision is obvious. The half-elf nods in acceptance.
"Good. This way."
The fugitive and her accomplices make for a surprisingly skilful trio. Those guards that do give pursuit are confounded by Veliky's tactical foresight, Sarris' roguish wit and Caedes' dark magic; reaching the village outskirts undetected is hardly a challenge for them.
The confused calls and barked orders of the village guards become more and more distant as the trio follows a cliffside road around a bend in the mountain. Like most paths in the Dragon's Spine, it is narrow and treacherous. The dull sunset casts their shadows onto the mountainside.
Veliky leads the way, walking with a straight and confident posture as if she hadn't just broken a criminal out of jail. To her left, there is an excellent view of the Lightning Fields, where lightning strikes with such frequency that sections of the ground have been turned to glass.
"That's where we're going." They're the first words she's spoken since the escape, making them even more shocking. "I'm sure you've realized that Caedes and I didn't free you out of the goodness of our hearts. Truth is, I need people to form an escort. We're taking some people to Frost Gale and the Lightning Fields are the quickest route." She stops and turns around, looking at her two prospective mercenaries. "Shouldn't be too hard[3]. Now it's-... oh." She peers behind them. "There are the clients."
Following the trio around the corner is another group. This one is even more enigmatic, in no small part thanks to the fact that it is also lead by Veliky: Veliky's clone, to be precise. It is accompanied by a weary and ragtag congregation of travellers, and the whole caravan is guarded by strange, red-eyed, metal beings: three armed humanoids, a fluttering bat, a jittery dog and a flaming horse. The travellers are clearly uncomfortable around the constructs, and shocked to see a second Veliky. The clone steps forward.
"You're early," it says.
"So are you," Veliky answers.
They stare at one-another, then nod simultaneously. The clone vanishes into thin air, unsettling the travellers further. Veliky looks to Sarris again.
"As I was saying: given that you're now a fleeing fugitive, I think we have a mutual interest in getting out of Dragon's Cradle. Come with us, help protect these greens, we get to Frost Gale, we part ways, everyone's happy. I'll pay both of you, as normal, of course. Are we in agreement?"
1. Minor Trickery 2. Angelic Light 3. Smooth Talking
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Post by Sarris on Oct 1, 2022 12:45:07 GMT -5
Sarris took Prince back placing him in her pocket. "Thank you," she whispered.
Their escape was interesting but not as glamorous as the bard stories would make it out to be. The wrongfully imprisoned heroine, dashing rescuer, defeating the powers of darkness, and the like. It was more playing simple tricks on guards that were not used to people playing tricks on them. Sending them off on wild tangents.
Soon, they would stop and let the lightning fields take care of the problem. Word was that many people died in the process of escaping this place. The lightning got most of the blame, but the bandits and thieves were bad enough that you were just as likely to get a throat cut buying bread as dying on the way out.
"I wonder if they would pay for suggestions on how to improve their security," Sarris whispered to her rescuers. She added when she got strange looks from them, she answered, "It is what my guild does!"
As they met the others, Sarris listened to Veliky's argument. "Well, the winds and the lightning is bad enough that I would not attempt to fly out of here even in daylight," Sarris replied. "I accept your offer', Sarris said knowing she would not walk out of this place without a group either.
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Oct 3, 2022 10:19:59 GMT -5
He feels a series of light smacks atop his head; he might not mind, but they leave behind a stinging sensation. "Hey—" Caedes winces slightly at her touch, then blinks in his confusion in the aftermath. He cocks a quizzical brow up at the halfling on his shoulders, still feeling the remnants of her touch against his scalp, but there's no time for questions: they need to go. He clocks the experience for a later time, assisting Veliky in hopping off his shoulders when he feels her shifting to do so; the changeling crosses his arms while she addresses Sarris.
Their conversation is short; Sarris agrees; and the three of them are off together. Fleeing into the night.
Caedes would be the first to admit that this is not his first time running from the law; between the three party members, each brings their own experience and talents to the forefront as they play a rigged game of cat-and-mouse with Skypeak Village's local guards. He finds it quite unexciting, in hindsight: and he has to wonder whether it's the guard's incompetency, or their over-qualifications, which makes for the imbalance.
Eventually, the three leave the puzzled guards behind; Veliky leads the way, strolling confidently before Caedes and Sarris, towards the Lightning Fields. Caedes turns his head to look out towards the example of Avasha's wrath; so frequent, that the ground beneath it has been maimed and scarred. "How fun." he remarks as Veliky introduces their path; he knew to some extent, having already spoken with her, but it could be a shock for Sarris. He throws the half-elf woman a glance, but she doesn't look terribly despondent over the realization.
He looks back to Veliky; the gust buffets his cloak as he looks back to Veliky; the Halfling woman is looking beyond them. He turns his head, realizing that the other Veliky has arrived with company... presumably the people they'll be escorting to the Frost Gale. "Oh, look who it is." He steps aside, allowing Veliky to have her direct path to reach her weird other-half; or clone; or, whatever it is. It seems to have taken all of her bots, as well.
So they recognize both as a master, then?
He makes a note, holding his hands together behind his back as he watches the strange interaction between the two; after a small breadth of silence, the clone vanishes. The travelers look unsettled, and so Caedes leans towards them, lifting a hand as though whispering. One of the travelers hesitates, but leans in towards him to hear what he has to say. "Honestly? You'll get used to it after a while."
They offer him an unsettled, and certainly not comforted look; he smiles in a way that could be considered ominous as he looks back towards Veliky and Sarris. The halfling woman addresses the both of them— although, she's looking at Sarris. He nods in agreement as the young woman accepts Veliky's offer; that's good, then their prison break didn't go to waste, and he hasn't wasted Veliky's time.
He still wants to remain on her good side.
"I think you already knew my answer beforehand." he regards the woman after Sarris has bid her agreement. "I'll help bring your group through the Dragon Cradle... So," He claps his hands together; shadows billow from the cracks in his cloak, as if they were smoke. "Shall we get going? I imagine we have a schedule to keep."
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Post by Veliky on Oct 3, 2022 18:15:52 GMT -5
"That, we do." Veliky gives them each a curt nod. She paces past them, addressing the whole group, which now numbers just over a dozen with the addition of Caedes and Sarris. "We're leaving immediately."
One of the travellers is dejected.
"But I left my-"
"Immediately. This journey will already be long enough without wasting time. We don't make stops unless absolutely necessary." She looks out, across the field. All considered, the journey should be a short one: One, maybe two days and they'll be through the worst of it. But it will be a long journey. That much is clear. "Move out."
Lightning Fields, present day, the noon of the 24th.
The sky never clears over Dragon's Cradle. What should be a warm, glowing day casts only dull shadows over the landscape. Lightning crashes constantly and the cries of distant beasts are incessant. Most adventurers are familiar with the feeling of danger - the forced paranoia, the crushing pressure, the creeping exhaustion - here, it is a constant. Veliky's previous assessment of the difficulty of this task has proven quite false.
The party does, to their credit, possess strength in numbers. Whenever the inevitability arrives that some monster rears its ugly head, it will need to cut through Veliky's squadron of autonomous bots before the mortal companions are endangered.
Among the most enigmatic of Veliky's minions is Envy: a bot modelled like a horse, but with flames constantly spewing from the back of its neck. Yet she sits on its back unscathed; the fires lower in her presence. Her legs dangle from one of its flanks, as she's simply too tiny to ride in any proper manner. She's alert. Something should have happened by now, and she knows it. If she were superstitious, she'd think that the Fields themselves were biding their time. But she isn't, and they aren't. Every second they spend here is trying the odds, and she doesn't trust her luck for a heartbeat.
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Post by Sarris on Oct 5, 2022 21:35:24 GMT -5
There was a sense of relief as they left town. Everyone seemed to know their place and fell into a rhythm. The struggle with routine is that it lulls you into a false sense of security.
Human nature being what it is, Sarris fell into the routine with the rest of the group. It was a large number of people so most of the bandits would steer clear. Well most that were not magically powered.
The Sarris watched the ground gat times as they walked. Scrub grasses, weeds, almost a reddish clay with chunks of rocks that had quartz making sparkles.
“Lightning,” Sarris yelled as her hair started to tingle. Then she threw up and hand with a shout released magic to make a thin archway of stone, The bolt of lightning ripped down sending charged bits of rocks around and on the party. It was better than being dead thought. It made Sarris wonder why the whole place had not burned.
As they traveled on, Sarris finally got near Veliky and asked her big questions, “What is the plan for tonight and how are we going to feed these people?” She asked.
As she did the first arrow came flyin down into the part. The ambush had started and the little group woul need to fight.
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Oct 6, 2022 20:49:11 GMT -5
Dragon's Cradle never changes. There is never a day of sun; the only hint of light from the sky above comes from glimpses of lightning strikes; and the consistent rumble of thunder drowns most attempts at conversation between the party. Caedes walks along to the side of the travelers, hands behind his back as considers the natural attributes of The Waste... the screaming of beasts beyond their vision, the groan of sulfur geysers beneath their feet, the promise of an instant death in the form of a spontaneous lightning strike. He can tell the travelers are thinking about it too with every moment that passes; they seem nervous. Fidgety. Now and then, he catches them leaning in to whisper amongst themselves... and once in a while, Caedes leans into the nearest traveler and proceeds to tell them a gruesome story that he's made up about The Lightning Fields. One featured a man who wandered away from his group and fell into a sulfur pit; the look on the woman's face as he reached the end had been priceless. He figures Veliky wouldn't like him spooking the travelers, but, it's for the greater good: if they're too scared to leave the group, there's less risk of losing any of these idiots to elements or beasts, right? They have safety in numbers for the most part, it's really the— a tingle shoots up Caedes' spine— and he tastes copper in the air. "Lightning." he remarks in conjunction with Sarris' yell. The woman nearby throws up a stone archway; it explodes over them with the impact of Avasha's wrath. Caedes turns his eyes away from the flash of light, feeling pebbles and small stones scatter and thump across his hood; a small chorus of surprised yells emits from the travelers. "Good call, Sarris." he remarks to the young woman with a nod; and like that, they're back on their way again... until, Caedes feels like they're being watched. He begins to scan the horizon as they walk; smoke billows from sulfur pits, and lightning flashes in the distance. He fumbles with the hilt of his dagger. He feels a creeping pressure in the air; the tension that comes before a strike; and no sooner does the Field crackle and groan with a combination of lightning and thunder, does an arrow strike the ground. "Ambush!" he barks, but... oddly enough, when the group looks out across the horizon? It's barren. Tense silence fills the air. Caedes flicks his gaze around, brows furrowing.
"Help..." (1)
A woman's voice— weak and pitiful— erupts from somewhere in the barren wasteland. But... there's something wrong with it; it's not quite right. There's a strange quality to her voice, as though it were being spoken into a glass. Caedes furrows his brows. "Help me...!"
"Who—" one of the travelers tries to interject nervously.
"Shh. Don't move." Caedes bites back, eyes narrowing as the voice cries out again; there's a desperate quality to it, but it still sounds wrong. "They're going to kill me! Help!"
"Help! Help! Help! Help!"
No sooner had the last ended; all at once, cries for help emit from around the traveling party— all in different directions, and of varying pitches and tones— as though they were surrounded by wounded travelers. "They're not real! Don't move." he remarks, backing closer to the travelers in an attempt to corral them back. He wields his blade from beneath his cloak, eyeing the barren terrain when—
"Wah!" One of the travelers cries out behind him; he whirls around, catching the movement of something up above, and slashes at it. A bird-like cry erupts, and talons release the woman it had grabbed; the aviankin, with cloudy feathers as dark as the sky above it, writhes violently as images fill its mind. (2) It flashes back towards the sky with a shriek, to where more are swirling overhead the travelers like a group of vultures.
From up above, arrows shower down towards the party from the swarming entities.
(1) Sound Throwing (NPC)
(2) Dagger of Torment
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Post by Veliky on Oct 7, 2022 14:02:13 GMT -5
Veliky follows Caedes' eyes to the skies, and to the whatever-the-hell-those-things-are. Birds with bows? Wonderful.
"We're sitting ducks out here!" she barks. "Bishop and anyone else with bows or magic, suppressing fire on those birds! Make sure we're more trouble than we're worth! And everyone, keep moving, don't stand still for a second! Envy, fast!" She lifts her legs and kicks her heels into the horse-bot's side. The horse barely feels it, but acknowledges the signal by breaking into a sprint.
The travellers kick up dust as they stampede forward, panicking, like an antelope-herd fleeing a tiger. Bishop, too, is quick to obey, immediately firing its already-loaded crossbow into the flock. It only whizzes through and past; hitting a flying target at this range and angle would be a feat indeed. The bot hurriedly loads another bolt before rushing alongside the caravan.
Arrows pelt the earth in consistent rhythm, like drops of rain. If there is a saving grace in this ambush, it's that firing a bow from flight is as difficult as firing one into flight. As well, the party is well-enough-armed that the aviankin are hesitant to swoop. Still, the flock wields a tremendous advantage.
Veliky yet encircles the caravan, upon the galloping, flaming Envy. Its fiery mane dissuades approach, but it's a particularly tempting target for archers. Still, it has yet to be struck - that is, until Veliky looks up to see a particularly well-dressed birdman - no, birdwoman. She's unarmed, yet seems to hold sway over the flock. Her eyes meet Veliky's, even over a great distance. The birdwoman's feathers begin to glow, and that same static as before fills the air. Lightning crashes directly in front of the horse-bot, causing it to rear and buck Veliky off. She falls harshly to the ground, her head making an ugly impact.
She isn't out quite yet. Groaning and rubbing the back of her skull, she continues to bark orders.
"Mage! Fo- ow... Focus on her!"
Though alive, she has little now to defend herself. One of the flock descends to the earth like the first lights of dawn, soaring just above the earth, claws outstretched for her. With every yard it closes, fear swells in Veliky's heart, and her militant attitude gives way to indecision.
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Post by Sarris on Oct 8, 2022 22:06:57 GMT -5
Sarris watched the birds and the arrows raining down. As Velky gave the order to shoot back, Sarris knew that she did not have a prayer of hitting them from the ground. So, it meant that she needed to join the fight in the air.
"Stay with the group," she ordered as she took to the air. Her broom moved quickly and her cloak rippled as she gained altitude and made it look like she was running. When she got some height she headed back to the fight. The avians had a great advantage over her, they were natural fliers. She was still fairly new to this. She did have elven grace on her side allowing her to engage them with her bow fairly swiftly. Sarris made a point to engage targets she had the best chance of hitting. She was moving, they were moving, the arrows were moving and nothing seemed to be going right. Sarris targeted one of the "bowmen" that seemed the most accurate. He waited till she released the bowstring to dive. The arrow flew above him and struck the air made in the arm. He had blocked her view of Sarris and a look of horror filled the mage's face.
Sarris hoped she would land or better crash to the ground below.
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Oct 9, 2022 12:27:52 GMT -5
"The rest, take cover if you can! But stay together!"
There's a tangle of limbs as their entourage flees from the onslaught of arrows from up above; they dive behind rocks, shield themselves with debris and cargo, and ultimately try to avoid being struck or picked off by the avians. Luckily, they pose as enough of a threat that the avians seem reluctant to swoop upon them again; unluckily, Caedes does not have any means to reach the feathered bastards from way up there.
He scowls, taking to ushering the traveling caravan into safe places as Veliky circles them as though herding cattle. "Heads down! You'd rather lose a hand than your head!" He pushes a traveler aside and pulls back as a scattering of arrows thrum the ground where he'd once stood; the shadow turns to look towards the sky, eyes narrowed—
when a flash of light splinters the air.
The ground rumbles, Veliky's steed's silhouette turning dark as it rears back against the thrash of light; and he sees a small form fall from the back of the steed. Almost in conjunction with her fall, one of the flock swoops down— and Caedes abandons his post with the travelers to sprint towards the fallen halfling. As Sarris flies into the sky to take care of the mage, the other great avian descends quickly— but Caedes manages to just match its pace. As it tries to burrow its claws into Veliky's shoulders, Caedes hooks his fingers into the feathers of the beast's neck.
The avian shrieks sharply; the strong flap of its wings buffeting his sides— and as it tries to retreat with or without its prize— it carries him up into the air for just a moment. The Changeling hooks his arm around its neck, plunging his dagger into its chest; it makes a horrible squawk, convulsing with the sudden imagery that flashes through its head before falling the short few feet back into the earth.(1) It tumbles over itself, and Caedes releases the beast as he too takes a tumble into the dirt; he moves quickly back to his feet, not wanting to appear bait for the rest of the flock, and uncertain where his employer has ended up.
"Veliky?" He looks quickly for the location of the halfling, having lost sight of her in the tussle; but the beast lies nearby, still twitching as it lies victim to his dagger.
(1) Dagger of Torment
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