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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Apr 12, 2023 21:42:09 GMT -5
Previously on house Storm-Lumen… When Astrid initially went home to collect Cantio for what she called “a revengeture,” she did not expect to spend the afternoon processing several buried layers of grief with her dad. Things turned out well in the end, resulting in a comfortable nap before they finally set out. Whether or not Cantio truly understood exactly what Astrid decided to drag him into remains to be seen. But here they are, on the outskirts of Zeinav City where Astrid somehow got information on Morrigan’s whereabouts. The fellblood who hid important information about swindling her dad out of his way into the Mage’s Guild is going to pay for that. Physically attacking them is not only frowned upon, but it’s also probably illegal. While legality isn’t exactly Astrid’s prerogative, she is out for revenge, and thanks to a spell Cirice taught her, she will get it. “Okay, da, we’re gettin’ close,” Astrid says from atop a sand dune, her hand shielding her eyes from the sun. The trek across the desert hasn’t been comfortable, but this is the first trip she and Cantio have gotten to go on together, so even if finding Morrigan and shaking them down for something to get Cantio into the guild doesn’t work, at least Astrid gets to spend some time with her dad. Turning to him, Astrid puts her hands together and looks at Cantio very seriously. “Let’s go over the plan again. The two of us are gonna sneak up on Morrigan while they’re sleepin’. Then we’re gonna use this fancy dream walkin’ spell Cirice taught me, then we’re gonna spook ‘em into makin’ up fer ruinin’ yer last try fer gettin’ into the guild. Got all that?” What are they going to say? How are they going to convince dream Morrigan to fix what they ruined? Those are details they can figure out along the way.
Quest Name: Information Retrieval Chapter: Two Description: The information was right there, within reach of you, however it slipped right through as another party managed to nab it. Be it thieves looking to sell it, or cultist trying to figure it out themselves, they somehow got the jump on you. So your new mission is to hunt them down and get the information back. You can go about it however you desire, sneaking into their base while they sleep, or killing them all where they stand. What's important is you get the artifacts, clues or information back to us. Requirements: - Requires at least two people (you and one other, the other does not need to be interested in the guild) - You must make at least 6 post with each post being 150 words to complete the mission. - You must locate those who stole the information from you and get it back anyway you like. - Once you complete this mission you gain entrance into the mages guild.
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on May 8, 2023 20:15:39 GMT -5
Thump!Just behind Astrid, the aforementioned fellblood takes a spill on the slippery sands of the dunes before he ever reaches the top. He hits the silt with an ineloquent, “ Oof!” and proceeds to slide down several feet on his stomach; this trip, thus far, has been vaguely reminiscent of a similar trip— one which he took with an old friend long ago. He hated the desert then, and he still hates it now; the only thing which makes it even remotely tolerable is traveling alongside Astrid, which is… honestly, something he wishes he could do more.
How long has it been since they went out exploring together? Probably not since their first soiree to the King’s Valley in search of myth and legend... Cantio pulls himself up to his feet, scrambling on the sand to join Astrid at the top. “ Oh, thank goodness… I guess it makes sense they live in the desert, since I met them here…” he sighs, untucking a portion of his shirt to shake sand from it while Astrid looks out across the dune. He looks at her quizzically when she puts her hands together; and although she is very serious, Cantio is still combing sand out of his hair. “ Uh… Uh-huh, I’ve got it, I just…” Cantio narrows his eyes, glances at a twig between his index finger and thumb, then tosses it over his shoulder with furrowed brows. He puts his hands on his hips and glances out towards their destination. Uncertainty mingles with a small wave of guilt within Cantio. “ You’re really sure about this, Astrid? I mean, I’m… I’m not happy with how things turned out, but I’ve never really… done a revengeture before…”
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on May 11, 2023 15:45:11 GMT -5
Oh, there he goes again. How many times has he fallen down the slopes so far?
“Da, am I gonna hafta carry ya?” Astrid asks. She does her best not to sound exasperated, but she really doesn’t understand how this keeps happening. Maybe it’s because he steps so lightly that his feet don’t quite sink in before he takes his next step. Astrid starts to consider that she needs to train her da in the art of taking a hit, which involves firmly planting one’s feet.
When he gets to the top of the dune, she starts patting his clothes out to get the last of the sand. As gentle as she thinks she’s being, it’s still like beating a rug in the yard, and Cantio’s just about as floppy as one.
“Aye, I’m serious,” she says. “It ain’t like I’m gonna beat ‘em up or nothin’.” As much as she wants to and has the power to. “After leavin’ ya behind an’ lyin’ ta me face, they deserve a good spook if nothin’ else.” Astrid, of course, thinks that Morrigan Mythweaver deserves more than just a good scare, but if this spell Cirice taught her can do everything that she claims it can, then they will get more than just that, and Cantio will get the least he deserves – an apology and a way into the guild. "I said I'm gonna get ya in, an' I mean it. Even if Morrigan ain't got nothin' fer us, they'll have some information or somethin' that'll lead us ta what we need."
With Cantio properly dusted out, Astrid grabs his hand and puts it on her head so he can use her as a support. “Now hold on ta me so ya don’t trip again or I’m gonna carry ya like a damsel.” Then she strolls down the dune towards the outskirts of Zeinav City in search of Morrigan’s wagon.
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on May 14, 2023 9:07:21 GMT -5
“No, no, I’m fine!” Cantio objects, despite nearly getting bowled over multiple times by Astrid’s attempt to help him pat the clothes out from sand; Cantio knows this to be a fruitless effort. No matter how much either of them try, he will be finding sand in this overcoat for the next several months. He sighs, his shoulders drooping as he straightens out the cuff of his sleeves, and looks at Astrid with concerned, furrowed brows.
He… supposes she’s right.
Cantio has never been one to hold much of a grudge; he’s certainly hurt by these revelations, but he can’t help but feel like it’s his own fault in some way or another. The red flags were there, he just… didn’t see them, or… maybe, he ignored them. “I suppose so,” he agrees with a wistful sigh, accented by the shaking of sand from one of his sleeves. If anything, lying to Astrid is enough of a sin to justify what they’re doing, right? Also, having their first meeting with her in their birthday suit of all things! And also—
— Well, okay, there’s a great number of sins which justify this if he takes more than a moment to think on it.
Cantio blinks when he feels a hold on his hand, and looks down at Astrid as she rests it on her head. “Pfft,” he chuckles, “I am not a damsel in distress, but thank you.”
Famous last words.
Cantio remembers Morrigan’s wagon; it would be hard not to! The bright, vibrant colors of the tapestry covering it are a blatant enough advertisement without their name printed on the side. He has to admit, he likes Morrigan’s style; it’s extravagant in organized chaos; but it’s a little bittersweet to see on the horizon, quiet despite its incredibly wakeful appearance.
“That’s it,” Cantio states, gesturing out towards the bright spot on the horizon line. The palm trees sway leisurely in the hot wind of the late evening; their ridged leaves brush against the top of the wagon. “Pretty sure that’s it, anyways… There’s only one person I’ve ever seen with that wagon, so... There's a good chance that's them.”
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on May 15, 2023 19:39:52 GMT -5
Somehow, Astrid isn’t one bit surprised at the state of Morrigan’s wagon. Of course, it would be this gaudy. Of course, it would be this tacky! How else would they convince people with less sense than them to come to seek them for “miracles and magic” or whatever it is they actually offer? "I ain't surprised," she murmurs. She considers for a moment if the line of thought she’s going down would be an insult to Cantio, who clearly fell for Morrigan’s scam artist act. Well, Cantio tries to see the best in everyone, and that’s something Astrid quite admires about him because she tries to do the same, but unlike Cantio, Astrid’s developed some sense of telling when people are full of it. It’s not that Morrigan’s bullshit shines like a beacon in a dark room, it’s more like they’re the cracked and rotten egg amongst a fresh dozen. Sometimes it’s hard to pick out which is the bad one at a glance.
Probably the most surprising thing about Morrigan’s wagon is that it’s just sitting, completely defenseless, outside of Zeinav City. It’s perfectly cocky of them to assume no one will come looking to get their coin back after being scammed by the annoying fellblood. Gods, the more she thinks about it, the more she really is so angry with Morrigan for being a liar and a cheat. She feels like she lost Cantio a chance at being in the guild because she fell for Morrigan’s pathetic act back in the swamp. Who cares if they earned the opportunity to be in the guild when they robbed Cantio of that chance twice now! The nerve of that–
Astrid stops herself. It’s fine. They’re going to handle it.
Luckily, their trip from the dunes to the wagon lasted the better part of the end of the day, and now that the sun has fallen behind the horizon, the desert has grown dark. There is no lantern light coming from inside the wagon, so either Morrigan isn’t there or they’ve been asleep for the hottest part of the day. Before they go in, Astrid looks at Cantio, her voice low.
She taps on the lightning flower earring dangling from her ear matching the one Cantio has. “Alright, so if Morrigan is sleepin’, ya just pull on the magic from that ta cast the spell Cirice taught me,” she says. “I know yer quiet as a mouse, so I’m gonna drink a potion that’ll make me dead silent, an’ we’ll go fer a little walk through their dreams.”
With that, Astrid pulls a dark potion from her bag. "Let's get ya into the guild, da," she says before downing the potion. Suddenly, her clanking movements fall completely silent, which makes her next motions all the more frightening. She hops into the air and pries open one of the shutters on the wagon’s window and peers inside. Surely enough, Morrigan –at least partially clothed– is sound asleep inside. Perfect.
Astrid gives Cantio a thumbs up then goes over to the door and pulls a moldable blue goop out. With some effort, she manages to shove it into the keyhole on the door and solidify it right enough to be able to turn the terrible makeshift key in the lock. Silently, it opens, and Astrid peers inside, seeing a sleeping kobold, and motions to the Cantio that it’s there. Once Cantio is inside, she silently closes the door and makes straight for the sleeping Morrigan.
With a few motions and silent mutterings, magic swirls around Astrid’s hand, and when she gently lays it upon Morrigan, it takes hold of the Fellblood. It’s go time.
Potion of Shadows Shaping Putty Cyran's Dream Walker
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on May 23, 2023 20:06:39 GMT -5
“I know,” Cantio sighs softly; he crosses his arms, but leans a cheek upon an open palm. “It’s just as flashy as they are… it’s really fitting with the whole theme they’ve got going on…” Although, the compliment likely falls on deaf ears, given Astrid’s expression seems a little bitter when he turns a glance to her; still, from one entertainer to another, Morrigan does have the charisma to dress and style the way they do.
When Astrid draws back into the moment, Cantio’s shoulders lift slightly; he blinks, listening with a nervous intent to her instructions. He nods, reaching up to gently touch his earring between his index finger and thumb. “Right…” he agrees, tail swishing against the sand outside of Morrigan’s wagon.
Is this really okay?
He watches as Astrid pulls out a potion, and he narrows his eyes slightly at it. “Is that… really safe to drink?” He whispers skeptically to her, pointing at the potion that’s nearly darker than night itself; but Astrid downs it, and then… “Ohhh…” He makes a few soundless claps using his fingers and the open palm of his hand.
She’s quiet as a mouse!
She’s earned so many nifty things all by herself…
Cantio looks up, gaze following his daughter as she bounds into the air and pries open one of the shutters to look inside. He waits, biding his time, and studying what she does in order to get into their wagon, and… and… actually, where is she learning all this stuff, exactly? Does she do this often?? Should he be worried that she shows all of the proper knowledge to stealthily break into a house???
Before he can fully consider all of these (admittedly slightly worrisome) questions, however, Astrid has the door open; the fellblood blinks, taking a slow breath, before moving quietly after her. He makes little sound as he does, lacking in armour and personal protection as he is, and slips into the wagon unnoticed for the most part. He moves aside to let Astrid in, gaze falling upon Morrigan, sound asleep inside, and… he thinks he can hear the tiny little snores of a familiar kobold.
He feels a little bad about this, still; but Astrid is already on the move, and he’s already agreed to this, and so… Cantio takes a slow breath, carefully stepping around dangling trinkets and organized clutter to reach his daughter. He closes his eyes briefly, pulling from the earring that he shares, the spell that he needs; and this one is different from his usual.
From the fluid motions of his hand, the light glitters a moonlight blue, until a tiny, sleepy wyvern has formed in his palm; it holds sleepily onto his wrist, big eyes blinking at him. Tiny sparks seem to flicker off of it, and after a moment, the little creature releases him. It falls, weightless, and glides to Morrigan; fading into soft sparks of blue rain over the sleeping Fellblood. (1. Cyran’s Dream Walker — Astrid’s Eternity Earring)
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Post by Morrigan Moonweaver on May 29, 2023 16:12:38 GMT -5
Having met Morrigan Moonweaver, would be all too easy for Cantio von Lumen and Astrid Stormstone to wonder what kind of fresh hell might await them cooked up from the charlatan’s twisted, childish mind. What they found instead, sprawling out in the evening desert scenery in front of them, was a circus. Tents as far as the eye could see, in every color of the rainbow, surrounded by magical lights and the sound of joyous laughter. Faceless patrons of all ages, races, and creeds danced through the fairgrounds, holding onto enchanted balloon animals that danced and made noises, and held onto fried foods from every corner of the continent. Even in this dream, the very air felt alive, electric with the magic that only a smile could offer, and full of performers each with their own act. Animal tamers surrounded by exotic beasts, contortionists bending in all angles and directions, and fire breathers making fantastic shapes and images out of fire. Dancers twirled with ribbons, jugglers tossed batons into the air. On a colorful banner over the fairground’s entrance, a sign read in bold lettering: DREAMSCAPE BAZAAR Only fitting, one might think, for Morrigan’s subconscious would take the form of a circus, considering that they were a veritable clown. Looking at you, Astrid Stormstone. And looking at this bright, gaudy establishment, Astrid and Cantio might wonder if it was worth traversing the landscape of Morrigan’s thoughts and desires, full of glitter and tomfoolery as it was. Astrid, on her path of revenge, would unquestionably decide, yes. Absolutely. If it meant humiliating Morrigan on their own home turf, then she’d likely deal with any clown and glitter bomb thrown her way. Luckily, if the pair were to forge forward, finding Morrigan in this maze would be quite easy. Not far from the entrance was a giant poster, one advertising tarot card readings from “The marvelous, the incomparable, the great - THE Morrigan Moonweaver. Wizard of the Wastes- enchanter, diviner, storyteller, godslayer, Champion of Zeinav, Sand Scorpion, husk, creator of miracles and maker of elixirs most wonderful!” The signs themselves seemed to point to a purple tent in the very back of the circus. Where a traditional circus might have the ringmaster’s tent located in this space, Morrigan’s fortune teller’s tent seemed to be the center attraction here, in their own mind. Were they really that full of themselves? The answer was yes. Yes, they were. But their bloated ego aside, their location was fairly easy to parse out. It was up to Astrid Stormstone and Cantio von Lumen to decide if they wanted to venture further or not. Whatever lay ahead promised to be colorful, at the very least.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Jun 2, 2023 23:55:21 GMT -5
It isn’t that Astrid partakes in a lot of criminal activities (It’s usually quite the opposite, in fact, as evidenced by the recognition she and Blue earned from the leadership of Dragon’s Cradle.), it’s just that she’s been thinking of every possibility for how she might need to access a sleeping Morrigan to make this spell successful.
Surely enough, with a mind full of backup plans upon backup plans (something that is uncharacteristic for the girl’s style of adventuring), everything goes off without a hitch, and she and Cantio enter Morrigan’s dreamscape to find the world around them twisted into a lively circus full of festivities.
She has to hand it to them, the whimsy of the setting is not only magical, it seems like a lot of fun. This is exactly the kind of carnival that Astrid always wanted to attend, but she quickly reminds herself that like Morrigan’s “abilities,” none of this is real. Just like Morrigan’s quest for fame and fortune, this is all a dream.
Oh yeah, she’s sour. The air seems to buzz as she cracks her knuckles, ready to set forth on the path for revenge. Astrid likes to think that she’s fairly understanding and forgiving, but Morrigan screwed over one of the most important people in Astrid’s life, and they’re going to pay for that. If Cantio had deserved it, maybe she could see a case to be made, but Cantio has never done anything wrong in his life – except believing that Morrigone Dreamleaver is a decent person.
Astrid doesn’t much like liars and cheaters.
It’s time to put a damper on their fun. Feeling out the magic of the dreamscape, the tingle in Astrid’s fingertips, she seeks the threads of magic that hold this place together. Finding the right one will let her make whatever changes she wants. The question is, which version of the plan does she want to go with? Perhaps they should explore a little bit…? Even if they do, a disguise is necessary. She figures even dream Morrigan will immediately recognize the girl, and she’ll struggle to hide her snark. What’s the best way to do this..?
Ah, who better to kill someone’s fun than some stuffy legal-speaking courtly person? What are they called again? Lawyers! Astrid is a little prosecutor here to take down the con artist Morrigan for their sleights against one Cantio von Lumen, and she has to look the part. Pulling on threads of magic, Astrid creates a false visage of herself, twisting into a stuffy-looking, well-dressed fellblood woman. A pair of spectacles sits on her face with a tiny chain that clasps to either arm of the spectacles and would allow them to hang from her neck. Her clothes are perfectly pristine, pressed to perfection. The only creases are on her face, which wears a devious expression but her eventual scowl will only feel natural. In her hand, she manifests a leather tote – something she’s seen carried by a woman in court before.
All in all, who stands before Cantio doesn’t appear to be anything like Astrid at all. The eyes are sharp, almost reminiscent of Veliky’s cold gaze, but right now, the face wears an expression of cunning amusement. When Astrid speaks, she speaks in her normal cadence, but what leaves the mouth of this woman is perfectly proper common language.
“Let’s be off, Mister von Lumen,” she says. “We will make our demands of one Morrigan Moonweaver. I assure you, I will shut down their fun. They live a life of false grandeur, and it’s time we put a stop to it.” In actuality, Astrid herself, behind the guise, said something along the lines of, “Let’s go find Morrigan an’ take their cocky arse down!”
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Jun 3, 2023 9:58:59 GMT -5
It would not be a stretch to say that Cantio is many things: a kind-hearted musician, a doting father, and a loyal companion. Unfortunately, rather high up on that list of many things which he is, sits ‘barely competent idiot’; and it should come at a surprise to absolutely no one that the bard has no idea how to take advantage of this spell that he’s borrowed from Astrid’s earring in the same way that she does.
They sort of talked about the plan, but the details of how this spell works are beyond him because he’s never used it.
So, as such, when the spell drops them into Morrigan’s subconscious: of twirling ribbons, laughter, and brightly colored tents; the world is huge. Massive, even; and that is not a turn of phrase! The world is freaking huge!
It’s an overstatement to say that Cantio is standing in front of Astrid; in fact, if Lawyerstrid were to attempt looking at where he should be, or where he was before, she would find nothing but air in his place. Beyond would lie the colorful tents, and faceless laughing dream civilians; but below, not far from Astrid’s feet, would sit a very confused Pomeranian.
His reddish, auburn fur is exquisitely groomed— not a hair out of place— but his neck has long since disappeared into a void of puff and fluff. He wears a natural puppy-like smile, tongue lolling from his tiny maw; but his entire frame shakes and quivers nervously despite his persistent wagging tail.
He looks up at the Fellblood whose appeared, and despite her looking nothing at all like Astrid, he can recognize her to some extent as his daughter.
Bark!
Translation: A-Astrid, is that you? You look so different! Why are you so tall?
The Pomeranian prances nervously between his front legs before he looks around; and then looks down. A tiny yelp of surprise fills the air between music and laughter; and all four of Pomtio’s paws leave the ground in his surprise.
YIP!
Translation: SWEET SOLARIA, AM I A DOG!?
Pomtio’s four little paws hit the ground again, and his tail droops.
Waf!?
Translation: Wh-why am I a dog!?
He looks helplessly up at Astrid, teddy-bear like ears drooping just slightly; it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that, in Morrigan’s dream, Cantio has taken on the physical manifestation of how Morrigan might perceive them.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Jun 3, 2023 18:41:20 GMT -5
The thing about Cantio is that Astrid is quite used to looking up at the foot-and-a-half taller fellblood. Except when she looks up, she sees empty air. Confusion marks the lawyer’s face, muted but still evident in the furrowed brow and folds in the skin in just the right places. She glances around and then hears the yip of… A…dog?
A dog whose bark she somehow understands.
“Yes, of course it is I, hidden beneath this disguise,” the fellblood says primly. Behind the mask, the child feels like she’s basically screeching confusion. “Odd that you chose a disguise as a small dog.”
With a bored expression that does not at all tell of Astrid’s true feelings, she watches the tiny dog bounce into the air, a little cloud of confused fluff. “I don’t know why exactly you appeared as a small dog, Mister von Lumen. You should be able to twist the magic here to appear as you wish. Perhaps you will figure it out before we reach their tent.” One could assume a string of much nastier insults flies behind pristine words.
Looking ahead at the carnival that lies ahead of them, Lawyerstrid takes a steeling breath. Of course, the trek across the circus full of merriment wouldn’t be easy with the amount of explosives, colorful lights, and glitter strewn about. That can be remedied.
Each step Lawyerstrid takes through the festival comes with a wall of ominous red light. Like a tsunami approaching menacingly in the distance, the wave that follows Astrid creates a wake of melancholy in the environment around them. Faceless people lose enthusiasm, and with each stride to approach the purple tent until the place behind them has completely lost its luster. The circus, completely enveloped in a red storm with thunderclouds rumbling above, falls silent. At the forefront of it all are one Astrid Stormstone and her father here on their revengeture.
Morrigan will notice the uncomfortable quiet, so Astrid waits expectantly just outside the tent with Pomtio beside her.
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Jun 3, 2023 19:00:56 GMT -5
“Woof!” Pomtio bounces in the air.
Translation: But, I didn’t choose it!
He lands on his four fluffy paws, having gained maybe an inch of height on the jump; glitter and dust ripple out from his impact of landing and he looks at his feet in confusion. Morrigan’s dreamscape really is full of glitter; he shakes a little bit off his paw before craning his neck to look up at Lawyerstrid.
Gods, she is tall.
Pomtio’s tongue lolls from the corner of his mouth, curled into a slight smile, and completely unrepresentative of the sheer panic contained within such a small, pomeranian body. “Whine…”
Translation: You can do that!?
Pomtio looks down at himself, tail wagging slightly, before he looks back up at Astrid. He supposes she has a point.
They’re here to do a job; and despite Pomtio not exactly looking the part; the job isn’t going to do itself. Besides, he’ll… figure it out!
When they finally push on, Pomtio’s tiny little legs rush to keep up with each intimidating stride that Lawyerstrid makes towards Morrigan’s tent; several times, he attempts to reach out and twist the magic to fix the whole ‘dog’ thing, but only succeeds in conjuring an adorably red bowtie slap in the middle of his chest.
If the faceless dream individuals were not at the mercy of Lawyerstrid's mastery over this spell, or perhaps only the vibe she gives off as she walks with intent and intimidation, they might laugh at the conjunction of the tiny dog chasing at her heels. By the time they arrive, Pomtio is panting at Lawyerstrid’s feet.
He flops down on his fluffy haunches, paws kicked out at an angle, and tries to puff up his chest in an attempt to look…
Slightly less adorable.
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Post by Morrigan Moonweaver on Jun 7, 2023 20:22:22 GMT -5
Morrigan Moonweaver was having an utterly wonderful time.
In the comfort of their dreams, there was no one but Morrigan to lord over their land. For whatever reason, an overinflated ego had twisted and morphed into this circus, where Morrigan was the main attraction. Ringmaster, fortune-teller, alchemist, and beloved performer all in one. The closer that Lawyer-Astrid and Pomtio grew to the tent that seemed like it belonged to Moonweaver, the more people seemed to crowd the circus. An entourage, all whispering sweet nothings about the charlatan.
The whispers came to a halt as Astrid passed, eyes following her wherever she went. They may not have recognized her - and perhaps she would have found more resistance if she’d not altered her visage - though the constructs of the dream instinctively recognized that she did not belong. That she held sway in this land, more so than Morrigan, who was still inside their tent, giving a palm reading to a customer, completely oblivious to the growing commotion outside.
“And your love line here… I sense marriage in your future, though the fates seem to be obscuring me from looking further. Perhaps,” They tapped at their chin in thought, drawing out the syllables in an attempt to hold her attention. “I could attempt to clear up the ambiguity obfuscating the future if you purchased a crystal, so that I could amplify my magic…”
They trailed off as something in the corner of their eye caught their attention. Waves of red light, and then, silence. Silence that in no way belonged in a carnival that should be filled with mirth. Morrigan pursed their lips, the charlatan’s persona slipping ever so slightly.
“What in the world is that?”
The woman, whose palm they were still holding, shrugged. “Dunno. I heard there was some law woman casing the joint.”
Morrigan paled. It was no secret that the Dreamscape Bazaar was a front for more nefarious crimes in the background, but they were usually very careful. If there were guards, or whatever was lurking outside, then that meant nothing but trouble for them.
“This isn’t good…” They mumbled to themselves.
The woman merely turned to them. Her eyes were blank, devoid of any emotion.
“You didn’t think this could last forever, did you?”
The question felt far too close for comfort, for reasons that Morrigan couldn’t place. They let go of her hand, dropping it to the table as they stood. Dread built in their heart as they pulled the tent flap up, only to be greeted by silent, joyless patrons, dark red stormclouds crackling with ominous lightning, and a fellblood woman standing in the middle of the road with her arms crossed over her chest, heeled pump tapping against the ground. Each one of her impatient taps sent a wave of thunder rippling through the air. At her feet… a pomeranian with a bow?
“Cantio von Lumen? What are you doing here?” No, you know what - it didn’t matter. Morrigan was more concerned about the strange fellblood woman that was currently fixing them with a frigid glare.
Morrigan straightened to their full, rather unimpressive height. They weren’t especially concerned, not yet. They’d dealt with members of the law before, and all it took was a few kind words to get them off the charlatan’s ass. They took a step forward, clapping their hands together with a forced smile on their face - one that looked extremely sleazy and punchable.
“Good afternoon, Madam. Is there anything I can help you with this fine day?”
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The Tinkertons
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Dragon's Cradle
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Jun 8, 2023 17:35:35 GMT -5
One of the worst things anyone could ever do to Morrigan is draw attention away from them, and Lawyerstrid, at the center of a storm of rage, does exactly that. The silence fuels her desire to take them down even more, and behind the Fellblood visage, she’s grinning like an absolute idiot.
This is going to be fun.
It’s odd though that Cantio, despite having cast the very spell which lets him control the dream, appears here as a small poofy animal. She wonders why that is. He is really cute, and any other time, she’d scoop him into her arms and give him all the scratches and belly rubs he deserves. Later, it’s mission time.
Lawyerstrid waits impatiently for Morrigan to emerge from the tent. Red lightning crackles through the clouds in the distance. As soon as she sees their smarmy face, she threatens to snap, but instead, Morrigan speaks first. To her surprise, they immediately know that the pomeranian at her feet is none other than Cantio. So this must be how they see him. Just something else to prove her point that Morrigan doesn’t value Cantio as a person – they see him as nothing more than an obediant hound. If that isn’t insulting, she doesn’t know what is, and it makes her more thirsty for victory.
A slew of words erupts from Astrid’s mouth, but the magic of the dream twists them into a calm and collected explanation, punctuated by the snappy movements of her arm swinging up a briefcase and from it procuring official-looking documentation. With grace and confidence, she serves Morrigan the paperwork. “Afternoon, I am here on behalf of my client, Mister von Lumen. I believe you two are acquainted. It has come to the Court’s attention that there are allegations against you that you have committed malicious acts against Mister von Lumen such as larceny, bribery, and deceit. We are here to demand reparations and to order a cease and desist of all criminal and/or con artist activities including and up to the dismantling of this…" Her gaze traces their surroundings before landing on Morrigan like a stake through the heart. "...circus of lies.”
One can only wonder what the child beneath the disguise is actually saying.
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Mage's Guild
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♪ Hide your face so the world can never find you. ♪
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Jun 8, 2023 18:08:20 GMT -5
Pomtio is surprised when he hears his name; his little jaws fall open for a moment before closing again. His tail thumps weakly against the glitter and dust of the circus floor. That doesn’t make any sense though, right? Why is Morrigan able to recognize him even when he looks nothing like himself? It is lucky that Pomeranians don’t have the most expressive faces, otherwise, his trouble over this particular curiosity might show through their disguise. Maybe it’s just because they’re in a dream…? He chooses to believe that. His teddy-bear like ears lift while he listens to Lawyerstrid speaking; he can feel emotion radiating from the fellblood that completely does not match her tone— but he’s not sure if it’s from the dream, or from the earrings. Still, hearing her words smarts; and Pomtio’s ears lower, and his tail stops wagging idly while he sits next to Astrid. Thunder rumbles behind the curious pair; and the mood shifts just-slightly. Red lightning splits the sky, radiating into a dreary steele blue; something about Pomtio seems desaturated, his red fur dulling lifelessly behind a gloomy, puppy-faced expression. He looks up at Morrigan, his tiny ears tilted back. “ Arf...” Translation: I thought we were friends, Morrigan... " Boof..." Translation: But it seems like it was just me who thought that...
"Whine..."
Translation: Because friends would never treat each other like that.
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Golden Consortium
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Scam? I’ve never pulled a scam in my life! I don’t even know what a scam is!
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Post by Morrigan Moonweaver on Jun 8, 2023 19:03:32 GMT -5
There was any number of reasons that a lawyer could be interested in poking around Morrigan’s business. Illegal shell businesses, scams, a long trail of lies and fake identities and gods knew what. The actual reason that the prim woman cited, on the other hand, was not what Morrigan expected at all.
Larceny? Bribery? Deceit? Morrigan didn’t understand. The last time they’d seen Cantio Von Lumen, back in the Lantern Light Woods, it had been on good terms. Hell, Morrigan had even gotten him a violin because they’d… well, they had felt not great about breaking his last one! And they’d even stopped scamming him, for whatever reason. The past few times the charlatan had spent with the minstrel, it had just been for fun. Not trying to steal his money or con him or anything.
Their mouth hung open in shock, staring between the lawyer and the Pomeranian with unabashed surprised painting their features. Could you blame them? “What the hell? Circus of lies? Reparations? What are you even talking about?” Morrigan crossed their arms. Ordinarily, they would decline to speak without a lawyer present, but given that the woman in front of them wasn’t actually a guard, they didn’t think they’d be able to get away with it this time.
Channeling the same persona they’d adopted during the Moonweaver and Moonweaver scheme to bust up the forgery ring, Morrigan turned their nose up at the snooty woman. “On what grounds does your client claim to be suing me for? And exactly what reparations?”
Pomtio chose that moment to speak up - despite the facts that it was only a series of yips and growls, Morrigan understood what he was saying perfectly.
If the strange, fellblood lawyer had sparked confusion, Cantio’s questions only made Morrigan’s heart sink. What was he saying? Morrigan’s tail flicked behind them before slowing to a halt, their hands falling to their sides.
“What do you mean?” Their voice was, for once, surprisingly small - not because they were trying to perpetuate any more lies, but because Morrigan didn’t understand what they’d done wrong. All they knew was that the lawyer’s anger, that was something they could handle. But Cantio’s sadness was an entirely different monster. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I thought we were friends… aren’t we?”
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