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Post by Loex on Aug 30, 2023 9:35:21 GMT -5
Lo drudged through the mire of Black Bog, the soupy ground clinging to their robes, squishing between their bare feet and leaving incessant grit in their dark scales. Each step was a wet plop as the summer rains had been heavy this year despite the chaos of the Ashlands. Someone had sent for the Draconynh by name, probably someone looking for dark knowledge or profane secrets far away from prying eyes. They slipped in the muck, catching themselves on the roots of a nearby tree barely a foot away from the soupy ground. Terror gripped their soul as the realization that their robes felt lighter washed over the young mage, who looked down with a slowly growing tremor.
In the mire was a leatherbound tome of patched together strips, scrawled with strange arcane writing. No longer concerned for the mess, the mage panicked and gingerly plucked the tome from the mess, slamming themselves into a tree and wiping away the grime frantically. "no... no no... nono nononono not now... not today...." They muttered to themselves, eyes darting from shadow to shadow all around. Huddled against the gnarled bark of the tree, they muttered and cleaned the tome meticulously. Whispering anxious apologies and terrified words, the shadows around them seemed to reach out and fill with hushed, pained laughter and tormented whispers. They squeezed their eyes shut, clinging to the bizarre tome as the sensation slowly faded...
They came to as the sun was stretching shadows across the ground, weary and aching from the encounter as they started trudging down the road towards the place they were supposed to meet the Alchemist who'd summoned them.
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Post by Vonoros Jedath on Aug 31, 2023 0:55:20 GMT -5
Vonoros woke up from his midafternoon nap on his beach chair in the middle of the woods before suddenly getting pecked in the head by a messenger bird, “Hey stop that little dude”, he says as he waves the bird off.
It squeaks loudly in anger before flying away dropping an envelope on his chest he yawns before opening it and reading its contents there's nothing much on the note at first glance just a couple of words and a date, “Potion Testing, Black Bog, 1 hour”.
He sighed, “Ugh must be another job I’ll sleep instead”, as he was getting comfortable on his beach chair before feeling his stomach growl.
“Uh, fine, fine I mean I’m already in the Marsh Flats anyways and I could use the solars”, he says getting up and starting to make his way to the Black Bog.
He walked at a brisk pace not running, not walking, just a brisk jog through the mire he stopped as he heard someone nearby and hid behind a tree watching what that was.
It appeared to be some Draconynh sorcerer who was not having a good day, to say the least as he got stuck on some roots and dropped their spellbook.
Vonoros tried to keep his composure as I almost broke into laughter before waiting until the person was gone to continue on their way.
He jogged and jogged until he made his way to the middle of the black bog and sat there waiting for someone to come out, whoever sent him. He felt three people approach behind him with one speaking, “Seems like everyone’s here let’s get started” as he turned to face the people behind him.
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Post by Loex on Sept 6, 2023 16:46:54 GMT -5
Lo had barely noticed the man pass by, walking along weary and a bit dazed. They noticed a strange splotch of bright sea greens in this dreary thick soup of a place and approached cautiously. This was where they were supposed to meet the client... but who was this bizarre figure who smelled of salt and sea. No matter, they'd either get along or perhaps Lo might find other unique applications for their presence.
The Draconynh stood quietly not far away, not trying to hide but not approaching as a voice came up from behind them. "Seems like everyone's here. Let's get started." said a man accompanied by two others, which the mage discovered upon turning around. They watched a moment before responding, the distinct smell of alcohol drifting through the usual earthy putridness of the bog.
"Your request was less than specific as to the nature of your alchemical research... what is it you're having us test for you?" Replied the mage, trying their best to sound sure and confident. This was a difficult task as their eyes reflexively jumped from shadow to shadow, scanning for the visage that stalked from the gloom. Why had this book chosen them? Why wasn't he strong enough to rid himself of the wretched thing he couldn't even understand? Too many questions... the job at hand needed dealing with first.
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Post by Vonoros Jedath on Sept 7, 2023 2:14:07 GMT -5
Vonoros stood up as he heard the presence of four other people one of them looked like the Draconynh that wasn’t having a good day that he saw before.
The voice revealed itself to be a big and muscular orc fellow accompanied by a noble-looking elf woman and a gnome fellow with a lazy eye that didn’t seem to be cognizant of where he was.
The orc fellow turns his attention to the Draconynh mage as he says, “Sorry about that we coulda had something a bit more detailed but we needed testers for our new supply quickly before we ship it throughout Charon. We got a little carried away when creating it and already made a lot of it but forgot to taste it and test it out. So we heard of two adventurers around the area and decided you two would be the right fit. Now follow us back to our little shack so we can get started on testing.
Vonoros nodded seeing everything seemed fine enough and after a little while of walking, they arrived in front of a large abandoned noble-looking estate. It was wrecked with boarded-up windows, graffiti, and random new pieces of construction that one could tell were new additions.
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Post by Loex on Sept 10, 2023 7:02:38 GMT -5
With staff in hand, Lo followed the group deeper into the murky swamp. More than once, the gaunt mage needed it's leverage to pry themselves out of some soupy terrain the others seemed less hindered by. Still, despite being slower at times, they kept pace and had no further incident. The destination gave Lo pause, a once lovely estate now ramshackle and reclaimed by time and nature. Covered windows missing their panes, rebellious art from wayward kids who roamed the woods, and odd bits propped up or propping up against the building... despite it's life designed to house nobility of some fashion, in the throes of it's death (of purpose) it was resurrected and given new reason.
Still, they approached with caution, as such a building left quite a lot of places for more unsavory folks to spring forth. As they approached the gate, the trio stopped and turned. One of the three, the gnome, began babbling something that reminded Lo of a mix between dwarven and goblin tongues... The elf stared hard at Lo before approaching him.
"You're carrying something unsavory, or at least that's what my friend here is on about... care to enlighten us?"
"What business of yours is my personal items? You asked for someone to test your product, and you've gotten that."
"So... you do have something unsavory then?"
"I may, or may not... it'd be preferred if you could keep your curiosities to the task at hand instead of the affairs of one another..."
"You... make a valid point, my apologies. Let us hope there are no misunderstandings."
"Agreed, shall we?" Indicated the mage, eager to be moving on from the subject... or it's very loud implications.
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Post by Vonoros Jedath on Sept 13, 2023 0:24:36 GMT -5
Vonoro’s turned his head in curiosity as he heard the draconynh speak with the elf woman, his intrigue on who and what the fellow had on him had risen.
“Man what does this dude have on him”, he thought as he glanced over the draconynh before the orc fellow kicked the door in and caused one of the doors to fall off its hinge.
“Ugh, Karvak what have I told you about being too rough with this place, This is our place of operations we can’t just wreck this place up more than it already is”, the elf woman snoots.
The orc only shrugs and grunts in reply before mumbling, “Yeah yeah I hear ya” and they walk through into a very strange setting. He looked over the foyer and entrance area and found it to be tidy and regal leaking save for the broken glass on the floor and burn marks on some of the walls.
The elf woman continues walking deeper into the house and waves the group over to the kitchen where the two find a couple of thuggish and scholarly-looking people in uniforms working in a large kitchen.
The gnome fellow gurgles and speaks gibberish at least to Vonoros and then the elf woman says, “Say hello to our little taste testers here let them know what you’re going to be giving them”.
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Post by Loex on Sept 13, 2023 1:00:38 GMT -5
Lo followed the group through the odd home, trying to observe all he could and noting the mix of noble accents with trophies from various unsavory activities. While the strangeness of it all was a lot to take in, Lo could smell the first hints of some alchemical process as they moved into the kitchen. While the generally sinus agitating smell of refined powders was absent, there was a distinct hint of fermentation and the earthy scent of some plant being steamed. The mage could barely contain a sly grin as the likely 'potion' they were to be trying would be quite different from their expectations.
"Say hello to our little taste testers here, let them know what you're going to be giving them". The elven woman said to her staff. The gnome looked up from an instrument bobbing in a golden liquid contained by a large jar, a satified grin on his face.
"Ahhhh! You've brought us some tongues to sample the goods miss! How fortuitous, as the first batch was just finished being tested. If this goes well, we'll be able to start ramping up production immediately... hopefully our clients like the product...." He went back to muttering and fussing over the fluid, sliding a pair of smaller jars filled with the same liquid forward dismissively.
"Go on, drink your fill and don't worry, we won't let you go far for a while..." Concluded the elven woman, who stood there waiting with an impatient and insistent look on her face. Lo picked up the jar closest, popping it's cork loose and letting the pungent, sharp odor loose. The Draconynh chuckled softly and looked to the brightly colored fellow standing beside them.
"My name is Lo, and whatever happens after we drink this is the drink's fault... don't beat yourself up too hard if you've not experienced Moonshine before. It's like whiskey had an angry baby with scotch and gin got jealous." They warned, before taking a few gentle sips. The mix burned with a woody sweetness, and there were hints of wild fruit as it went down. Lo did their best to articulate their observations as the strong booze hit their system. It wasn't long before the dark scaled mage picked the jar up and tipped it, draining it's contents before letting out a sigh that was a mix of relief and heavy emotion.
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Post by Vonoros Jedath on Sept 13, 2023 3:38:31 GMT -5
Vonoros followed behind Loex as they proceeded into the kitchen ever cautious of the situation, sure he was lazy and curious enough to enter this unsavory home and job that didn’t mean he wasn’t ready to kill all of these guys if they had laid a hand on him or his little draconynh companion.
Vonoros stood across the staff and waved at them, “Names Vonoros what’re your kooky creations we got here fellas?”, he said with a relaxed tone.
Vonoros looked over their supplies and grabbed a jar carefully, taking a look at its normal-looking appearance and opening it slowly, whiffing the smell into his nose. Vonros laughed a bit as he smelled a nice fruity wood aroma he then chugged it down without saying a word. It didn't taste bad going down the hatch.
“I’ve had better this stuff wasn’t very hard, to be honest”, he says, placing the jug down on the floor.
“Huh well we got a heavyweight over here don’t we boys", laughs the loud orc as he pats Vonoros on the back.
“Come on now boys don’t hold back on them Give them the strongest weirdest moonshine ya got”.
Vonoros smiled as the staff quickly split looking for the rarest jar of moonshine they could find.
Vonoros then looks over to the Draconunh and shrugs, “Sorry about having to drink something stronger than what we had. Just wanted to taste a little something more”.
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Post by Loex on Sept 13, 2023 16:41:15 GMT -5
"Quite alright... it makes things quiet for a while... takes away the worry, pain... at least 'til the hangover kicks in." Lo said, somewhat solemn but trying to force a slight grin as he downed the much stronger concoction. It reminded Lo of a strong, woody tea with hints of spice and aromatic notes... whoever had brewed such a concoction was a genius... you could hardly even tell it was an alcoholic beverage.
At least, until you went to stand up afterwards to exclaim it's greatness... The world around the draconynh swam and warped in unnatural ways, while their body swayed and tried to keep steady. Trying to stammer out words, they managed to make a few unintelligible sounds that seemed in a guttural, alien language (unless someone spoke Abyssal, in which case he explained his observations perfectly). Lo slumped into the seat, pulling out a ghoulish tome bound in patchwork leather that a keen observer could identify as the skins of sentient beings. The interwoven strips were scrawled in an ink that seemed both still and wet at once, in symbols that made little sense or meaning.
The mage stared at it with a mix of adoration and rage, alcohol burning away the inhibitions and anxiety towards the twisted tome.
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Post by Vonoros Jedath on Sept 18, 2023 0:57:21 GMT -5
Vonoros nods and chuckles a bit as he thinks, “Man this little fellow has some guts I’ll give him that” and keeps that in mind for later.
He cheerily swipes the large cup of dark green liquid and raises it to his mouth before pulling his head back and chugging it quickly.
He smashes the cup on the floor and says, “Now that’s the stuff, you need to sell some of that”, of course, he was exaggerating but it was quite nice. The outdoorsy smell with an actual lovely taste was a welcome delight in such a crazy experience he was having right now.
He suddenly felt a slightly rushed feeling before coughing. Vonoros had a very good tolerance to any intoxicants thanks to his upbringing so he wasn’t hit as bad as the draconynh who seemed to be off his seemed to be eyeing his book with great love.
Vonoros squints as he takes another look at it, “Huh, weird, looks like skin almost what is this fella up to? I mean sure he doesn’t seem that menacing but in my line of work it's always the meek ones that end up being the craziest I better put my guard up”, he says as he returns to his jovial smile and says, “Ey, man you alright there?”.
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Post by Loex on Sept 19, 2023 22:09:20 GMT -5
"Ey, man you alright there?" Asked the strange sea dweller. Lo didn't respond for a few moments, entranced and seeming as if they were talking though no words were spoken. The others in the room watched with a mix of caution and curiosity as the Draconynh withdrew from the outside world. After a few more moments, they continued the conversation as there had been no response from the creature.
"Ahhhhh... I do love it when you forget yourself, little lizard. Keep trying to run... to hide... to close yourself off in shadowy walls.... I'll keep creeping deeper into your mind, into your very soul. It won't be much longer now Loex'Vutha...."
"Tch... this wouldn't be such a hassle if you weren't so ambiguous and cryptic... say what you actually mean for once you lazy bastard!" Even in their mind, Lo's words slurred with a hissing drawl. The alchemical effect broke through much of the mage's own timidness and hesitation.
"What did you say to me?"
"You... hide. You're the one being a shady bitch because you're not strong enough to do anything else.... you use me only when it's convenient and easy... otherwise you just do... nothing... less than nothing... you're not a corruption... or whatever you claim to be... you're just a sad and pathetic creature."
"Hehehehhehee.... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! You barely can grasp your own reality, yet you think you have insight about me creature?"
"Weakling... quit hiding!" Lo visualized grabbing that wild eyed visage and pinning to the ground... only this felt solid. The Draconynh jumped, both internally and externally.
"HOW... that's not possible... there's no way you could ever defy me..."
They tried again, and this time not only did the face feel solid, but there was an incredible mass and strength tied to it... No matter, Lo would tear into the nightmare of the tome with a primal destructiveness. Outwardly, the Draconynh slammed the gruesome book to the ground and tore at it with their hands, though with the futility of someone who was blackout drunk and barely able to keep steady.
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Post by Vonoros Jedath on Sept 20, 2023 4:02:07 GMT -5
Vonoros bent his back down as he took a closer look at the draconynh fellow worried about his spaced-out behavior.
He raised his hand in front of him, “You good dude? How many hands am I holding up? How many fingers? Do you know your name by chance?”, the triton chuckling a bit in his head, “Damned I don’t even know this fellow’s name so I wouldn’t even know if they’re in their right mind”.
He then looks back at the heads of the operation with a glare, “What did you dudes even put in this stuff? Whatever you did it looks like this little dude here is tripping balls. Do you guys have anything to help ‘em?”, the triton asks getting concerned for the draconynh stranger.
He looked at the fellow once more. It seemed like they were very deep in thought, hopefully just spaced out from the drink.
He jumped back as the fellow slammed the book and started to harm his precious book, “Dammit, this is my damned fault, now this fellow got way too hammered, crap”.
“Hey buddy calm down okay”, he says placing his shoulders on the fellow he then turns his head behind him and says, “One of ya get some damned water for them at least”, the orc grunts and begins getting a glass filling it with nearby water and handing it to Loex.
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Post by Loex on Sept 20, 2023 23:50:19 GMT -5
The pair fought across Lo's dreamscape, the mage tearing furiously into the shadowy malignance. The creature that had terrorized his every moment was cowering and afraid. Feeling very triumphant at the idea, they imagined themselves as a creature from a campfire tale that one man liked to tell to torment Lo about their parentage. Much of the gloomy, dungeon like halls faded away within the dream world. Replacing it was a murky bog lit by a full, red moon high above.
The demon grinned wide, it's golden features giving off a ghoulish light at the prospect of such a useful setting. It stalked through the shadowy, misty gloom bathed in a soft crimson. At some point, the shadow looked about to find itself surrounded by a dense haze of reds and purples. A splash saw the creature turn about, searching the obscured marsh in a panic. A gargantuan shadow slid through the fog, causing the demon to lash out with a claw of their own... that passed harmlessly through the mist. Whirling again, they were greeted by a pair of glowing green eyes and a deep rumbling. Sliding through the mist was the visage of Lo, stretched upon the neck of a massive obsidian dragon. Wasting no time, it opened it's maw and unleashed a blast of dark energy that crackled with streaks of purple lightning. It cut through the demon's shadowy form, searing away a large portion as the Lo-Wyrm reached forward with a huge claw to pin it down. Leaning closer, it unleashed another burst squarely in the face of the demon. Unable to look away, the ghastly beam bored into the shadow's very soul. Panicked, it could only wail in anguish as the dream magic seemed to burn through it's very being.
Lo sat still as Vonoros leaned against his shoulders, though he didn't seem to respond to anything for a few moments. As the orc was walking over to retrieve water from a pitcher, Lo opened their muzzle and uttered an arcane word before blasting the tome with a ghoulish beam that crackled with purple lightning. It didn't seem to damage the tome at first, but after a moment some of the cover's fragments seemed to squirm and recoil from the blast. The Draconynh took a deep breath before unleashing a second attack. This one seemed to have even greater effect, darkening the strange ink as it seemed to dance across the cover. Those knowledgeable in the vicinity would be able to tell the ink's inert state was written in Abyssal and titled "Darkness, Undeath, and Fiendish Pacts".
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Post by Vonoros Jedath on Sept 21, 2023 2:08:12 GMT -5
Vonoros stood in front of the little black draconynh as he still seemed greatly deep in thought and within the prison of his mind.
“Salina be damned, this fellow seems to be fighting demons of the alcoholic variety it seems", Vonoros says scratching his head.
“Dammit, think Vonoros”, the triton says now pacing in a circle around the draconynh in the stupor,
“Out of all of the times I’ve been smashed, have I ever been so out of my mind that I just was unresponsive? No, none I could remember, uh, I should try moving or shaking the fellow awake at this point”, the triton rambles to himself.
The orc fellow shrieks in response as the little draconian releases a large beam of purple lightning and drops the pitcher before straightening himself out and coughing. Vonoros jumps out of the way as he goes to shake Loex back into proper coincidence and holds his head with both arms.
After waiting a second he looks back up and looks over to the book and sees that the book’s title was some string of words in infernal. “What the hell is this guy reading”, he thinks to himself as he gets back up.
“Dude you alright? You just tried fighting with your book?”, the triton shakes his head in disbelief about the situation asking the rest of the people there, “You guys say that too right? Don’t tell me I’m so hammered I’m seeing things too”.
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Post by Loex on Sept 27, 2023 5:47:22 GMT -5
Lo swayed and burped loudly, then picked up the strange tome and laughed maniacally. Waving the others off, they stood up shakily and began to stumble out the door. The strange concoction burning through their veins made what was or wasn't real blur wildly to the Draconyhn, whose body was responding on instinct. As they left the room, they started mumbling to themselves again about a cowardly shadow.
After bumping into some furniture and struggling with every door, Lo finally managed to make it outside. Propping against a thick tree on the other side of the yard, they leaned into the brush and wretched up the contents of their guts. Bleary eyed and with a swimming head, the mage slumped against the tree and fell unconscious again.
Within the dreamscape, they stalked after the tormenting shadow as it retreated from the furious mage. If such a being were truly powerful, Lo doubted it would find much threat in their petty attacks. Things grew hazy, the world swam and tossed about. Letting out a defiant roar, the mage's dream form shut down along side their drunken body. Some time later, they awoke with a start leaned against a tree, body aching profusely and head pounding profusely.... what the hell had been in that jar?
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