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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Jun 9, 2023 9:52:02 GMT -5
He had gotten in over his head and he knew it. Had Shaa known a month ago the number of fights, miles and most of all the number of headaches that would accompany his little crusade against kidnapping cultists, he would have called in for reenforcements a lot sooner. But how could he have guessed what he had assumed cultists just doing annoying cultist things would be so much more? He probably should have guessed. It had been nearly a year now since the events of the Sol stone had drawn to a supposed close, the stone shattered and useless. Their leader shamed and in jail, most cultists had scattered across Charon, keeping a mostly low profile. This move to kidnap people in droves and haul them off to the mountain was big, too big not to deal with. But for all the people he had saved, the kidnappers kept coming. He needed more information and help, and he happened to know someone that could handle it.
Shaa hadn’t seen Veliky in awhile, not since he had secretly dropped a quick hello via magic being. In their short time together, they had been teleported, fought zombies, fought a giant worm and a slew of other creatures. In their short time together, he had gained a great deal of respect for her abilities and battle prowess. If anyone could help him figure out what was going on, and had a bone to pick with the cultists, she would.
Despite not having seen her recently, he figured someone at the cafe would know where she was. Sure enough, he was lucky enough to catch her and break down the situation. The two were sitting around a small wooden table in a quiet room in the back. So not the best but it looks like they might be up to something. What do you think?
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Post by Veliky on Jun 10, 2023 6:52:40 GMT -5
Silence: not awkward or stunned; not oblivious or confused; but meaningful, scholarly and deliberate.
Resting on the table, opposing Shaa, is a plain-white porcelain mug. Steam wavers up from the scalding liquid contained therein -- an unsettlingly vibrant, impenetrable red tonic that cavitates like boiling water.
A gloved hand takes the mug -- a hand that one would see to be far, far too small for a mug of this size if they hadn't known whom it belongs to. And even in the way the fingers calmly, precisely wrap around the handle, there's a disciplined power exuded -- not strength, but unchallengeable authority. The mug is lifted and brought to the woman's statuesque frown, which parts only to take one sip of the scorching liquid.
There, sat across from Shaa with an indomitable aura of blasé, occupying a seat far larger than is fitting for her and yet dominating it with prejudice, is the minuscule anomaly called Veliky, clad in business attire (that is to say, the attire she always wears), golden hair tied into a ponytail that displays no nonsense and tolerates less. She isn't alone, of course; behind her, at either side, is stood an armament of her will: a lifeless construct[1,2], standing at guard with weapons of unpretentious, mass-produced alloy.
The steam draws a haze over her closed eyes. And still, she's silent -- silent in a way that defies doubt and coercion, disregarding all distraction so that she may process every detail of the minotaur's testimony before delivering her verdict. So that when they do open -- which they will soon -- it will be with intent and intelligence.
A second longer...
Eyelids part slowly and deliberately, revealing irises of rime-blue.
"I think you've stumbled upon something bigger than a vendetta."
With as much sobriety as it was raised, the mug is set down on its coaster. The morning light the shines through the window and between those unmoving constructs seems to form an angelic halo around the diminutive, yet tyrannical woman, highlighting her righteousness if not her demeanour.
"This is something we've been aware of; it'd be difficult not to. And I'm sure I don't need to tell you about the glaring similarities between this and the events of the Sol Stone incident: a sudden unrest -- caused by the hunt for the Sol Stone before, and by the recent natural disasters now -- is quickly followed by numerous and widespread reports of what I'll lightly describe as 'cult activity.'"
Without looking away, she makes a gesture with her hand, and a third construct[3] steps forward and deposits several papers onto the table. Each one is ordily scribed with dates, locations, illustrations of cult iconography, annotated maps... and descriptions of highly disturbing events that've taken place within the last few months. Shaa even sees his own name in more than one of the reports.
Veliky doesn't give the papers so much as a glance, hinting at the truth that she's seen every one of them before.
"We can't be sure that this is linked to the Sol Stone incident. But we can be-"
Suddenly, there's a peculiar sound -- a trilling, swiftly followed by tiny scratches as a tiny creature leaps onto the chair, beside Veliky. Aside from being sheerly unexpected, much of its unusualness comes from its apparent nature: it's something like a cat[4], but minuscule (much to a cat as Veliky is to a human). What's more is that it's decorated with coloured patterns that bring to mind a certain creature that bumbles and buzzes, and adding to this similarity are the antennae atop its head, and the resplendent and apparently functional wings that sprout from its back (though these wings are more like a butterfly's than a bee's).
The creature looks about curiously with big, blue eyes -- at Shaa, at the constructs and especially at Veliky. But Veliky herself hasn't looked at it, acknowledged its presence or even made any change in expression. The only indication that she's aware of it at all is her sudden silence in its presence. In fact, as she adjusts her posture only slightly, it becomes apparent that she wouldn't allow it to discontinue her speech.
"But we can be sure of the pattern. Last time something-"
She's rendered into silence again as the little feline begins nuzzling against her, insistently rubbing its face and whiskers against her arm. And though it's clear that Veliky would try to outlast this attention-mongering, the little creature doesn't seem intent on stopping any time soon.
It's at this moment -- at this break in the tension -- that it becomes easier to see this room for what it really is. After all, the cafe is a small place with no more than three rooms, one of which is the dining area and one of which is the kitchen. This room, in fact, is Veliky's own apartment; her bed (sized for humans, of course) is visible behind her, and Shaa isn't more than three feet from a sort of kitchenette, atop which rests some potted flowers[5] and a jar of large marshmallows[6]. It's as orderly and well-kept as one would expect Veliky's apartment to be, but it's still only an apartment (and a modest one at that).
Though Veliky endures the kit's affection valiantly, cracks in her demeanour begin to form. A cold sweat runs down the side of her face, her serious posture softens, and her cheeks redden from the act of being functionally humiliated in front of a business associate. After a few moments, it's difficult to tell the difference between the steam rising from the mug and the steam rising from her own temper.
Until, finally, she snaps. She stands, picks up the cat, holds it under her arm like an older sibling holding their younger, and walks into the adjoining bed-chamber where she can be seen putting the cat down, placing a ball of yarn in front of it, patting it on the head and then swiftly shuffling back to the table. She sits again, closes her eyes, breathes in, and lets out a sigh...
Eyelids part slowly and deliberately, revealing irises of rime-blue.
"We can't be sure if this is linked to the Sol Stone incident. But we can be sure of the pattern. Last time something like this happened at this scale, it led to something massive -- the shattering of the Sol Stone and the revelation that the gods were dead all along. I may not be very religious, but that changed Charon on fundamental levels of politics and economy. And frankly, I don't want to put up with that shit again... Meaning that, yes, I'm more than willing to cooperate -- as long as it's on my terms and we don't violate the law."
Having made her opening arguments, the little commandress leans back, subtly communicating that she's allowing Shaa to speak up.
"So: what's your proposition?"
1. Bishop-13 [Warlord] 2. Fisher-06 [Corsair] 3. (Scarecrow Squire) Pawn-07 4. (Flitten) Vienda 5. Charmer's Bouquet 6. (Jar of Snowlings) Jar of Smorelings
Bringing Minions Bishop-13 (Warlord) Fisher-06 (Corsair) {Barracks} Genesis (Book Golem) Gutter-04 (Corsair) Rook-17 (Warlord) {Captain's Badge}
Bringing Pets Lag Switch-08 (Ashlands Jackal) {Stables} Silent Night-03 (Snow Owl) Vampire-04 (Vampire Bat) Vienda (Flitten) {Sleigh Bell}
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Jun 10, 2023 14:44:28 GMT -5
The Minotaur watches with amusement as the strange cat like thing interrupts Veliky’s train of thought. He considers the small beast for a minute and thinks he remembers seeing something similar awhile back haunting a drink stand in Gazablaak. Shaa wasn’t quite sure who it’s mother was but she must have had an awesome personality. He picks up a small white cup and takes a sip of a hot earthy liquid while Veliky returns from occupying the beast with something.
Shaa knew that he had gone to the right person for help with this mess. Veliky had the brains and resources, as well as the resolve, to deal with these guys on a much larger scale than Shaa could alone. As the interim captain of the fighters guild, he could have always have gone to the guild itself to deal with this, but there was a problem. This thing was so wide spread at this point, he wasn’t sure who in the guild he could or couldn’t trust with the information without the intelligence leaking out. No, he needed to keep this circle small for now. The more the cultists thought he was marshaling forces against them, the more they might be inclined to do something drastic. He could bring the guild in later when he knew what he was dealing with but, for now at least, finding out what this was all about was the priority.
He stared into Veliky’s eyes trying to peer into her brain. He needed to phrase this right or run the risk of losing a powerful ally. My proposal…it’s nothing “extra legal” per se. We really just need to get into that building and see what they are up to. I know for a fact that the cultists have been sending people there, presumably against their will. I just don’t know why. They are grabbing young and old, boys and girls. There is just no rhyme or reason to any of it. I don’t even know who’s in charge of this whole mess. He got up slowly from the table, turned and stared pensively at the wall. He stared so hard he could see the small particles of dust floating in the air, highlighted by errant sunbeams in the cozy room.
He walks over to one side of the room and back again, his hooves clacking on the floor. They are connected to the events from last year. I don’t have any proof. I…I can feel it though. I can feel it in my bones! After pacing the floor a bit more, he stops and looks at her again with more resolve on his face. I guess what I am asking is..l I need your help getting in and dealing with…whatever is in there. Priorities need to be 1. Saving any kidnapped people still there 2. Snooping to see if we can find out why they are doing this. Getting a plan, a name, something. We go in, dig around, grab the peeps, get out. Once we know what we are actually dealing with, we can decide broader plans later. What do you say? Shaa folds his arms, waiting for an answer.
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Post by Veliky on Jun 21, 2023 21:09:26 GMT -5
Concluded -- at least for the moment -- are the Mistress' arguments. Now it's her turn to listen, and this is something she enacts just as relentlessly and with as little token of her own thoughts. Those rimelike eyes, glowing as they are in her unmoving, morning-shadowed visage, sheen like the face of a solid-steel shield as they watch the towering minotaur's every movement and even the most subtle details in his expression. It's a cowing leer, though it would be much moreso if it weren't for tumbling feline which can still be seen in the adjoining chamberlet, rolling about with a yarn ball as large as itself. It's a whimsical sight whose silliness is contagious, making Veliky's own dourness somewhat more... silly than it should.But then the listening period ends again. The CEO is left with the words to consider impartially. She isn't known for sympathy or any other diversion from cold calculus, even for those she's depended on before; as she removes her attention from Shaa and onto her own ruminations, she holds that cup in her hands and swirls its crimson contents, as if Shaa's words were riding the apoapsis and threatening to spill over. But they don't; not yet, at least. Though she does stare into the murk, eyes narrowed by skepticism."I'm well aware of your 'disposition' toward certain members of Scern's clergy." Her voice is edged in the way of a reprimand, and certainly in no way that should be shown toward a friend. One with think such a word would have no meaning to the cold-blooded tyrantess, but the bouncing cat-creature behind her suggests otherwise. "But, to be candid, I don't care if there's a connection or not. We've already interrogated former members of the Sol Stone cult, including Stern, but it didn't -- what's the Common saying... bear fruit. And even if it did, that doesn't change what we're looking at: an organization of anarchic terrorists engaged in a nation-wide kidnapping operation, likely for an impending, large-scale event that'll destabilize -- if not outright dissolve -- order within Charon again. That's good enough for me to seek justice."She sets the mug down beside one of the files on the table, its bottom rim clicking and then clacking and the contents eventually slowing to a stillness. By the time it doesn't, Veliky returns Shaa's piercing gaze with her own."I'll agree to assist you in your attack. But I have to advise you that this will be a professional operation, not a revenge mission. That means leaving your personal attachments behi-"Suddenly, she's interrupted again. This time it isn't by an interloping pet, but by a strange sound coming from the closet. Such a sound would cause anyone to panic, hearing an unidentified noise in their own house. But for Veliky, there is no panic; instead, what crosses her face, erasing the anger that'd previously marked her, is an emotion that Shaa had yet to see the cold-hearted businesswoman display: complete and utter dejection.From the shadows of Veliky’s closet comes a shuffling sound. From between the smart, well-pressed uniforms (and... cat costumes?) crawls a dark form. The form stands up and dusts themselves off, revealing the smiling face of Cirice Lunestre with a basket on her arm.“Veeeeeeeelllllll,” she sing-songs happily, “I hope you’re hoooome I brought muuuuffffiiins!”Without waiting for a reply she saunters into the kitchen of the studio apartment and sets her basket on the counter. She looks over and sees Veliky and beside her the massive form of a minotaur. “Oh! You have a guest, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude. I can just go…” She makes an apologetic wave and an awkward smile. “Hi I’m Cirice, I’m Veliky’s friend. It’s nice to meet you!”
And with that, as quickly and suddenly as she'd arrived, Cirice exits... through the closet, closing it behind her. Not another noise comes from the closet; as a matter of fact, aside from the tiny cat's bumbling, not another sound plays in the apartment for a while. Veliky is silent; in the whole encounter, she hadn't moved an inch or allowed her expression to shift from the disillusionment it's painted in. Her eyes are empty, as if that interruption had been painful to her very soul, though she doesn't seem particularly angry (after all, anger and impatience aren't emotions she's known to hide) as much as she seems absolutely... disappointed? Humiliated? She's as difficult to read as ever before.Then, as if completely willing to simply disregard everything that just happened -- as well as completely ignore the basket of muffins that now sits on the counter, further ruining the no-nonsense atmosphere -- she lets in a deep breath through her nose and closes her eyes...Eyelids part slowly and deliberately, revealing irises of rime-blue."I expect you to disregard your more personal inclinations toward these cultists. No revenge; here, our only virtue will be efficiency. If that's understood, then we're in agreement."
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Jun 22, 2023 10:05:56 GMT -5
Shaa’s well toned muscles tense as he senses something approaching….from the closet? To his surprise, a woman with a basket of muffins emerges and politely introduces herself, depositing the muffins on the table. Before he can say anything or thank her for the treats, she vanishes again into the shadows. Well…that was weird. Not put off at all with the encounter, he saunters casually over to the table, grabs a couple of muffins and holds them out to Veliky as if to ask if it was ok to eat them. She seemed deep in thought so he jammed them both into his mouth, the seeds and subtle hints of berry were immediately obvious. Surprisingly, the coolness of mint hits on the back end. Pretty good. He says wiping some muffin crumbs from his hairy snout, slapping the remaining crumbs from his large hands. I’ll have to remember my own …closet muffin ..delivery service? Shaa wasn’t exactly sure how he would go about doing that, but muffins were the least of their worries at the moment.
Admittedly…he begins again, returning to his seat in the cozy room. I still have a bone to pick with a certain robed weirdo who is in very serious need of a beating. But this, as far as I know, has nothing to do with that guy. I have been in no less than three different rescue operations saving kidnappees from the “ chants and ritual” patrol in the last month alone. This is about figuring out what they are up to and saving people. Not a personal vendetta. If it does turn out he’s there, coincidentally of course, priorities are the victims and intel, that doesn’t change. I’ll handle Bart on my own time.
Shaa takes a moment to stretch a bit in his chair. As he does so, he can hear some of his joints popping loudly as he slowly reaches out over his head. It was a lot to do. But, at the end of the day, he needed the help so he was willing to concede a bit to the spunky woman’s demands. Shaa knew her to be very capable commander and a cunning strategist. If anyone could figure out what nonsense that these guys were up to, she could. No, no time for revenge today. Today was about being smart and getting ahead of these guys for once.
Ok, I think we are all on the same page. Shaa reaches into a curious leather pouch at his side and produces a small crudely drawn map on a bit of yellowed parchment. He takes the worn page, places it on the table and smooths it with the heel of his palm. Satisfied, he gently pushes it across to table for Veliky to examine. The facility in question is roughly here. Shaa jabs his meaty finger into a small valley at the base of the mountain. The closer you get to there, the more of the caravans and groups that you find. They are coming from all over but almost without fail, that is where they end up. If we are going to figure out what’s going on, we are going to have to get in there…somehow. I could just bust through a wall no problem but….well if you had a bit more of a subtle suggestion… Shaa snags another muffin from the basket and chews on it thoughtfully. Hmmm mint.
Fighters Sense Bag of the infinite
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Post by Veliky on Jul 1, 2023 3:36:12 GMT -5
Acceptance -- a promise that Shaa will, at the very least, restrain himself from unnecessary destruction and violence, and assurance that he wouldn't have any cause to in the first place. It's exactly what the half-blooded businesswoman demanded, and seemingly earnest to boot. But was it enough? After all, Veliky doesn't deal in promises; a pragmatic soul, she deals in contracts, numbers and, most importantly, results. Odds are, his words now don't hold much value; like a Darkveil-minted coin in Sol City, promises can't be sold here for much.
...But even still, it's enough for her to give a nod. It's a wordless, blank-faced nod, but it at least signifies that the deal is closed. And that means that they can move on to the meat of the matter -- the details in which the proverbial devil lies... even if Shaa is further tarnishing the atmosphere by indulging in Cirice's coming/parting gift.
With the map slid across the table and displacing other documents in its path, her eyes' oppression relents so they can be downcast at the scrawlings that can only depict the terrible Mount Drakolt. Even on parchment, it looms -- a seat of nature's power in the Ashlands.
Veliky's silent -- unresponsive, even -- to Shaa's words as she looks over the map, gleaning what she can from its minimalistic cartography. She clearly hears him; after all, there's a visible twitch in her brow whenever the sounds of his feast raise above an audible threshold. And she's thorough; but still, it isn't long before she silently returns her attention to the minotaur whose massive frame is as ill-suited to the simple, wooden chair as her minuscule one is. There isn't much to be absorbed from the map, and what details there are can hardly be relied on. She got what was important; and, clearly, she heard what was important.
"I sincerely hope you're kidding about 'busting through a wall.'" Her tone is rhetorical -- exasperated, even -- and somewhat lacking in the full force of her documented ire. Whether this is due to Shaa's implication, or simply due to the fact that the atmosphere has been thoroughly tarnished, is difficult to say for certain. "They have hostages -- several hostages, if what you've been saying is accurate. I know what you're capable of, but we'll need a very special kind of caution to do this without endangering innocents."
Her voice and countenance -- not compensating with force, but rather casual in their sternness -- hints at her profound experience in commanding those who are by far her physical superior. She doesn't hesitate to meet his eyes... except when he's snacking on a muffin. It's at one such instance that her attention flits downward."That said..." she begins to add, returning her gaze to the map for a moment... and then casually extending her hand to the side. One of the constructs takes notice and, evidently, takes the hint; registering her gesture somewhere in its clockwork mind, it makes its slow and cacophonous way to her side before something in its right arm makes a sound like an unlocking door: ker-chunk. Fittingly, and with very similar mechanisms, a socket in its forearm opens on a hinge! Inside its mostly hollow arm is a simple ink-pen, which it removes and places in Veliky's extended hand.
On her part, Veliky doesn't even afford the machine a glance: not as it clanked over, not as it revealed a hidden compartment in its very anatomy, not as it handed her the pen and not as it turned on a pivot and reversed its march. She simply twirls the pen in her hand so as to hold it in the right orientation, and then presses the tip onto the parchment. It's with that same blasé that she begins to speak, doing exactly what Shaa came to her for."To begin, we'll divide the operation into three phases." As she begins her explanation, her every syllable is accompanied by no less than three scratches as that pen dances rapidly and yet effortlessly across the page, words and lines to illustrate. Her voice is similarly characterized: practiced, yet easy; business casual. "During Phase One, we'll discretely investigate the facility to find the best route of approach for the next two stages. During Phase Two, we'll infiltrate the facility and secure the hostages. To accomplish this, we'll divide into two groups: Team Gauntlet will be the infiltrators and rescuers, consisting of you and I and any other bots that could be useful without compromising our detectability; Team Sabaton will be the primary attack-force, but for the duration of Phase Two they'll be acting as overwatch, observing the facility from a safe distance and informing Gauntlet of anything relevant. Once the hostages are secure, we'll move on to Phase Three -- the assault. Sabaton will move in for the attack while Gauntlet-"She stops suddenly, and the immediate glance she shoots toward the door says that it wasn't by any accident. It's difficult to discern why; nothing audibly occurred. She's the only one to exhibit this reaction, with the cat still bouncing and bumbling about while the bots remain as still as they were before -- like empty armours. And yet she glares at the door from between strands of wheat-gold hair, as if silently commanding it to stay closed so that they can go about their business without any further sudden visitors, gives or other humiliating interruptions. But without provocation, it's really as if something beyond senses had perturbed her. Something... personal....But after a moment, she takes a breath and returns her attention to Shaa. Whatever sixth sense alerted her was apparently a false alarm. And, without missing a beat and without needing reminder, she picks up precisely where she left off. But she does sound strangely more rushed, speaking quicker than before and clearing making a dash for the conclusion of her plan.
"Gauntlet's role in Phase Three will be more conducive to your area of expertise. We'll do some damage behind enemy lines before reconvening with Sabaton to finish the assault."
Having completed her explanation, she slides the map across the table, back to Shaa. Being now scrawled with paraphrases, lines and arrows, it looks something like a defaced wall, only with less artistic expression and more tactical assertion. It's somewhat difficult to comprehend at a glance, but all the information she just noted -- in some form or another -- is there.Now, tapping a finger on her crossed arm, she looks to him with an expression that hints at no unreadiness."Satisfied? If everything checks out, then we can begin talking about transportation. My ship's docked less than twenty minutes away, but if you have a-"A knock on the door interrupts the conversation at hand. Veliky's expression spoils like fish; she looks to the door, assuredly armed and ready with a rebuke for whoever's intent on interrupting this meeting yet again. But, as she sees what comes through, that anger turns to utter dread.The door to Veliky’s apartment opens slowly; and from the crack in the doorway funnels in a few bouncing little moss balls[1]. Following the mosslets who pour in is a tall woman who appears elvish in heritage and yet, holds every aspect of nature as her own. The dryad pushes the door open with her back, carrying with her one of the serving trays from the cafe downstairs; she glances sidelong into the kitchenette, offering Veliky and her guest a warm smile. “Sorry to interrupt,” she apologizes politely, scooting the barrage of moss beings gently with one foot out of the way, and ensuring the whole lot of them are inside before closing the door. On the tray, she rather expertly balances a couple of plates; and two tall glasses of lemonade. She steps over chittering mosslets who follow after her; and the moment most of them see Veliky, they start to swarm past the ankles of standing bots and beneath her chair to bounce. Veliky, in a contrast as stark as death is to life, holds her head in her hands as if to hide from this new wave -- a literal wave -- of humiliation.“I didn’t really see you eat breakfast… so I just thought I would bring you something while you’re in your meeting. But, I see you’ve already gotten something, yourself.” She chuckles, looking at the slowly declining mountain of muffins on the counter. Careful of the evidence of their planning, she sets down a couple of plates of triangular-cut sandwiches.While she sets down the glasses of lemonade nearby, one of the mosslets succeeds in climbing Veliky's chair to make it to her shoulder. It sits triumphantly on a Veliky that sits defeatedly.“I’ll just leave these here in case. Help yourselves.”She offers Shaa a pleasant smile, and offers him a small bow of greeting, before a look of realization[2] crosses her face; she looks at Veliky warmly, before smiling at the Minotaur. “I won’t keep you; have a lovely meeting, I’ll be downstairs until you’re all done.”With that, Sylva offers Veliky a wave, bows one last time to Shaa, and herds the excited mosslets (minus one) back towards the door as she leaves.
...
All along, this was ultimately just an apartment. It was simple, and it was modest, but it was at least presentable and Veliky's innate aura managed to render it more professional by her presence. But, in so little time, all that has been utterly tarnished by intruder after intruder. Where there'd been only documents on the table before, Veliky and Shaa have now been supplied with lemonade and sandwiches that have been cut as if by a mother. A cute little muffin-basket sits on the counter, its contents waning. And that's to say nothing about the *remaining* visitors -- the cat and this new moss-ball-creature with sparkling eyes -- who begin to play sillily with one-another after a moment, with the cat treating the moss much like it had the yarn (and the moss being delighted for every second of it). Even the Blixtbots™, with their crimson glass eyes and cold, unfeeling exteriors, are difficult to take seriously in a room that looks halfway to hosting a birthday party.
And Veliky is crestfallen.
There she just sits, her image obliterated, holding her head in her hands and remaining utterly silent. What could she possibly say to save face? She's been thoroughly humiliated in front of a business partner, and, for the first time since Shaa's met this tiny tyrantess, she seems almost as meek as her image would suggest.
...
"Say something." she eventually mutters from somewhere behind the leather gloves that cover her face. Her voice isn't any less commanding than before, but there's an undeniable embarrassment belied within. 1. (Jar of Snowlings) Mosslets (Sylva) 2. Veliky's Ring of Eternity (Sylva)
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Jul 1, 2023 10:44:56 GMT -5
Shaa rolls his blue eyes a bit and chuckles quietly in his deep furry chest. I said I “could” bust through the walls, not that I was going to. Believe me, I understand the delicacy of the situation. It’s why I’m here in the first place and not out there knocking skulls together. Not that Shaa hadn’t been deeply tempted to do just that. It was a strange situation to be in for sure. Shaa had found that the vast majority of his problems were solved quite effectively with acts of extreme and unmitigated violence. Acts that either got rid of the problem or encouraged onlookers to not make more of them. Admittedly, it didn’t work all the time. Xalmann was still pretty pissed at him for chopping off his arm with his own axe. To be fair though, Xalmann had thrown the axe at him first in defense of a grumpy baby killer so Shaa had zero guilt about the situation, fellow guildee or not.
He looked at Veliky’s consternated expressions with confusion. She was obviously struggling with something but was trying to hide it rather unsuccessfully. He couldn’t imagine what the problem could be. They hadn’t even left yet and the muffins were so minty. He makes a mental note to be sure to save some of them for Veliky when she can get to it. They were hers by rights after all. Maybe she needs to go to the bathroom or something? Despite all of the nonsense in Shaa’s life, he had mostly managed to let the stress of it go pretty freely. If he didn’t, his stomachs would probably be just full of ulcers. Most of the time, he didn’t even wear a shirt. The stressors of formality were not in his proverbial buckets. This situation however, this situation give him an ulcer he was going to name Larry, and Larry had to die.
The Minotaur listened carefully to the well detailed plan laid out by the tiny commander. It was a good plan. A damn good plan. It was moments like this that Shaa was glad he had clever friends that he could count on to fill in the gaps of his own inadequacies. He had known more than one fighter who lost the battle spectacularly because their hubris got in the way. Though he wouldn’t exactly advertise it, Shaa had no issues outsourcing necessary work to those more talented at it. The changes made to the map alone deftly illustrated the difference in their skill sets.
But they had well laid plans before as well. They had a good plan going into get the Sol stone. A plan that quickly devolved into a bloody slug fest with demons, mages and a wanna be god in the making. Can’t quite plan for something like that. But that’s no reason to go in unprepared either. He was determined to follow the plan to the best of his abilities…until the wheels came off the wagon. That was his arena.
He was about to note his agreement when a pretty elven woman gently enters through the door. She seems to be followed by animated moss balls who start rolling around the room like they own the place. Shaa checks Veliky’s countenance and notes that she is turning a little bit more purple than normal. As a former Terramancer, Shaa enjoys the little earth creature’s immensely. He pops another muffin in his mouth as he watches them skitter. The woman, earthen in nature herself makes some quick apologies and deposits yet another plate of food and lemonade for the war meeting. Battle plans NEVER went like this at the fighters guild. He had to admit he was getting seriously jealous of the level of hospitality on display here. Beautiful woman dropping off food while your planning on beating people up? This was like the best vacation ever. So why did he get the distinct impression that Veliky was about to pop a vein in her head?
The woman, undoubtedly sensing the weird vibe in the room, bows to Shaa and offers her apologies as she quickly and quietly exits the room. He is just about to try one of the sandwiches when he thinks better if it. They really should get back to the business at hand. Then….maybe some sandwiches. It was a hard life having 3 stomaches.
Shaa reaches over and gently strokes the moss ball sitting contentedly on the small commander’s shoulder. Yeah. He begins thoughtfully sounds good. I have to say I knew you were the right person for the job. We’ll get it done. A divide and conquer strategy is a good way to go. It’s pretty convenient that you can communicate with your metal minions here at a distance.
As far as transportation goes, it’s best if we stick together so the ship is probably the best idea. When I need to go super long distances quickly, I usually just grow gigantic and and sprint it. Effective but, again, all together not that subtle. Especially for what we are trying to do. These guys are, no doubt, already on high alert looking for a cranky Minotaur. An unfortunate side effect for constantly beating up hooded cronies but, eh, whadda ya do?
With plans in place, they wrap up the food and maps and decide to leave first thing in the morning.
I saw a nice tree on the way in here. He says with a large stretch. I’m headed out there for the night but I’ll meet you back here at day break. Get some rest, I think this is going to be a pretty crunchy journey by the end of it. Shaa heads for the door. As he puts his large hand on the door handle, he looks back at Veliky for a moment. Hey, thanks again. See you in the morning.
With that, Shaa makes his way back to the large tree that he had seen earlier. The sun had already started to fall but Shaa’s night vision allowed him to find the knotted tree easily enough. Gathering up some dry sticks, Shaa lights up a small fire to help lull him into the deep sleep of the perennial road wanderer. As he laid in the soft patch of brush under the tree, he could feel himself starting to slip away. He could hear the bugs in the distance. He could hear small animals scurrying in the brush close by. He let the problems of tomorrow float away into the breeze where they would be waiting for him when he woke up to the burning beams of the dawn.
Night Vision
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Fighter's Guild
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Renown
King’s Valley
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Jan 8, 2024 1:47:52 GMT -5
Due to some unfortunate circumstances, this thread will now be closed.
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