Datasets:

Fizzarolli

/

rpguild_processed

like 1

<|description|>Celestine Telamon Lightbringer,"Cel", "Bane of Clausewitz", "Jester of Kiburi." "Hahaha, die trash." Height:4'10" Age:15 Grade: Mephisto 3rd year. Biography: Celestine was abandoned not long after they were born in this world. Discarded like trash because of their freak physical features, both boy and girl, they were taken in by an orphanage in Rhea. This allowed the strange child to survive... but their life was plagued by sentiments of rejection. The other children shunned them, and they were treated as unwanted weight upon the staff. Due to their seemingly impossible biology, they suffered from bouts of illness that nearly killed them before being five. Only one boy activedly befriended them, Parker. But he too, was a target of the bullies for he had been born without a blessing at all. Things seemed grim, until one day, a gentleman named Locke Telamon Lightbringer took the strange infant under their care. Their adoptive father spared no effort in their education, sending them to the prestigious Saint Laurel's school and doted on the child. However, it was clear that the light of Saint Laurels held a lot of shadows. Bullies found their way to torment Cel inside the school, and yet the ambiguous infant shouldered on, holding on the bliss he found at home that many other orphans could never have. Little did they know that their father had other plans in store rather than raising a heir. When they arrived at home during their 14th birthday, a betrayal awaited. Celestine was to be sacrificed to untold gods and powers in exchange of forbidden knowledge. Celestine snapped, their blessing awakening fully at once, and managing to overpower the evil sorcerer stepfather, seizing all of his assets in the process when he died as a result of their struggle. Frazzled and driven mad by the ordeal, Celestine tried then their chance at Clausewitz' school, intent on gaining martial prowess. However, when said school standards were deemed too tight for what they wished (to skip courses), the not-even-highschooler went on a rampage that sent 12 other students to the hospital, awakening a new power in the tribulation and gaining a new moniker. Disappointed, he instead tried their hand at Lord Kiburi's. Such school allowed him what he wished to do, as long as it was cool, but Celestine was unsatisfied. They had no desire to follow someone's trail, they were a trailblazer themselves. After admitting they had used Kiburi's project as stepping stone (much to the founder's hilarity) they quickly switched to a place that suited their needs the best, Mephisto. Powers: * Core Power:Soul of Chaos: Celestine's soul is... different than most. It holds all the potential outcomes, yet none of it is determined. As a first effect, they are neither female or male, and both and the same time. It is unbound in the grand scheme of fate, and thus allows for things others cannot accomplish. Celestine is flat out immune to luck-altering, or fate effects (clairvoyance upon their actions gives back random static noise), and given that the mind is built upon the soul, mind altering effects are not unlike hitting water with a sword: It doesn't stick for long. Moreover, the Soul of Chaos allows for practicising arcane arts, being skills that warp the natural order. It can cause a feeling of revulsion on certain people and sensitive animals. * 1st Power-Sorcery (Od): Sorcery is the use of one's own internal magical energy (od, another word for this kind of energy is Ki), to perform some pretty basic spells. Cel is adept at using the od to heal minor wounds, launch small blasts of energy, that hurt as much as a punch, and reinforce their body to resist some enemy attacks and not die at the first time someone kicks them hard. Od is also employed in a mage's favorite trick: Flight. Useful for getting away and launching overhead attacks. This is a secondary ability that is taught. * 2rd Power- Ritual Magic: Ritual magic refers to the complex rituals and scriptures a mage has to use in order to manifest powers that otherwise their Od would not be able to. These usually involve painstakingly intricate circles, chants, and exotic components. Sure, Mages can rain blizzards and fireballs on top of people's enemies with the right catalysts, but such a bizarre display would flush out months of work and years of savings in pretty fireworks. For example, a fireball would require a desiccated salamander ritually sacrificed under a new moon and smoked in a 100 year old tree's wood, and making a Wall of Ice would require to carve a single block of pure ice made from a pristine spring, and then melt it with purifying salt. It is possible for her to make lasting enchantments and curses, although the time and effort involved in those is proportional.This is a secondary ability that is taught. * 3rd-Power-Eye of Kairos: After so many struggles in their life, Celestine has awakened a sort of sixth sense that follows the ebb of battle. As battle is chaos, they can seamlessly navigate it down to an instinctual level. Martial arts and battle moves become trivial to learn and counter, and tactics are but an afterthought. As this is an introspective ability, it cannot be negated in the way all their other senses can. However, the strain of use will eat away their concentration after enough time, and give them crippling migraines and disrupt their magic. Relationships: * Alyona::"My bestie. She seems to revel in inflicting misery as much as I do." * Parker:"We used to be childhood friends back at the orphanage. He was a decent guy. Then again he thought I was a girl. I would loathe to fight him."</s> <|message|>Vera Goh --- Vera was astonished by the sudden wall of ice. The Alex she knew couldn't do that. Was this really her? But, eyepatch aside, everything fit. She hadn't even gotten that much taller. And, more importantly, no one else would have reacted this way. No one else would have cared. She held the smaller girl close, clutching her tight to her chest and kissing the top of her head. Vera couldn't help but laugh even as her voice broke, "Y-you still smell that that bargain brand strawberry junk..." she hiccupped. It was really her. Nothing else mattered for the moment. The ice wall, the crowd, all her questions. None of it. But, then the moment passed. "AHEM!" The MC boosted the volume so his voice could pierce past the wall of ice. "I'm going to assume there's a touching reunion of some sort going on in there, but we ARE trying to hold a tournament here!" Right. The tournament. This stupid tournament was where she'd found Alex. These people, this crowd, had all seen Alex before she had. Vera suddenly pulled away from her, "What are you doing here, huh?" CRACK! Outside, others were battering down the wall of ice. "How long have you been awake? When were you gonna tell us? Why was this more important, huh!?" Vere's face was still stained with tears, but now she just looked angry. CRACK! BAM! CRACK! Vera just stood there, fists and jaw clenched tightly as the wall came crumbling down. "OK! About time! Now, if we could just get things going ag-" "You wanted a fight, right?!" Vera suddenly shouted, interrupting the MC. She walked to the other end of the arena from "Andras" and raised her fists. "Well why not?! That's why we're all here isn't it?" This time, she just glared into Alex's eyes. "You know what? Screw it. Disqualifications are lame and this shit's better than a soap opera! Have at it, girls!"</s> <|message|>Michael Angie Location: Midnight Tournament @KillamriX88@AtomicNut Michael was curious to see how Andras' next match would go. It would be interesting to see what others cards Andras would use, hoping to gain some inspiration for other applications of his Symbolism. Unfortunately, it seemed there would be unforeseen developments as a pink-haired girl came onto the stage and knocked out Andras' opponent with little effort. What's more, the girl seemed to know Andras, and was shocked to see her for some reason. This puzzled Michael. Back when Andras was still recovering from her coma, she had briefly mentioned something about past friends, but could never get any more details than that. Now it feels Andras' history was catching up to her. Michael raised a hand in opposition to Parker's protest. "I say let her stay," Michael argued. "Anyone with eyes can see that nothing about this was planned. And besides, anyone who could get knocked out that easily wasn't going to be much of an opponent anyway. We all saw how easily Andras took out her first opponent, why would she need to cheat now?" Michael then tried to peer through the ice dome, still curious about Andras' history. She was never willing to share, and it had caused her great distress anytime Michael tried to probe into it, so he kept a respectable distance from the topic. Now it seems there was an opportunity to get some answers. Michael was originally going to put in a little effort and make a hole in the dome. Others, however, were not so patient and broke down the ice first. Michael was also going to ask a few questions of his own, but Vera's fiery temper caused him to stay his tongue. He wisely decided that he would wait until tensions died down before he would ask anything, especially as it now seemed that Vera would be Andras' new opponent.</s> <|message|>Alyona Yenina Alexandria Alexandria was stunned for a moment at the sudden change in Vera's tone. Tears welled up in her eyes again. "W-What? You're asking that now?!" The image of Vera's face flashing with anger triggered... something. She couldn't remember where it came from. It wasn't from when she was awake, Alexandria felt. The murmur of the crowd coming back to front and center snapped Alexandria out of her thoughts. She wiped her face. Her gut felt twisted with anxiety, but she grit her teeth and ignored it. 'You idiot, Vera...' She thought. The burning of shame she felt at Vera's last question flared into anger. 'You didn't even want an answer, did you? Did you just ask that to hurt me? Will fighting communicate for you better?!' She couldn't back down now. As silly as it may seem, Alexandria- Or rather, Andras had a reputation to build. She couldn't go down without fighting. She wanted to become a known fighter - a demon in the ring. Andras's cards flashed into existence around her, and she grasped a spell and quickly cast it - a flurry of cards stretched out before her, and her eye scanned them all in an instant. There were the tools to win, here. She could see it. The cards flickered away. "You..." Andras cleared her throat. "Your challenge is accepted." She had a trump card. But she needed to use her other options first. "I hope you're ready..." Andras quickly flicked a card towards Vera - it was a minor spell, essentially a warning shot. The card cast itself into a bolt of sparkling energy, streaking towards Vera. Andras knew the spell wouldn't hurt too badly if it hit - not much more than a solid punch - but it would send the message that she wasn't going to hold back to Vera. She deserved that much.</s>

<|message|>Celestine Telamon Lightbringer,"Cel", "Bane of Clausewitz", "Jester of Kiburi." "An unfortunate case of waste management failure, hun. And you just spared the culprit." Celestine replied with a smug smirk, as she looked at the door once more. It looked sturdy. "As for the screaming... It wouldn't be out of place on this school of tryhards. It is like having an entire school of Sashas, as you described her." The umbrella started to glow as the androgynous being started to spin it. "Then again, we oughta help, no? Even if it is sparring this is the kind of place for some good old vandalism. Beats the stock market or telling Parker to do errands." They grinned confidently, as the jagged lines of Reinforcement Magic appeared on the umbrella... seconds before Celestine tossed it like a javelin against the door. BOOM. The sturdy door was blow off its hinges, the vandal girlboy smugly proud of their work. "After you, her ladyship." Celestine added as a retort. --- Wolf kept running through the halls, eyes darting to see anything out of the norm but no avail. It seemed deserted, only shadows dancing in the walls as he went by... And then one of the shadows grew bigger and bigger... Something about to fall on top of Wolf. That stopped at the last second. The Clausewitz 3rd Year known as Kiwi the Librarian for her gentle yet dutiful demeanour, and her penchant for books was in the way. "Ummm... It's dangerous out there. You should not run in the halls. If you are so kind. Please... umm. You might get hurt." She fidgetted, trying to keep Wolf out of harm's way. An action interrupted by a loud wrenching noise. "It's the front door..." Kiwi said, and decided to switch priorities, skittering fast with her spider legs.</s>

<|description|>Marmaduke Cashmere Nickname(s): Duke, sometimes referred to as Rat Bastard Age: 18 Grade: Mephisto's, 3rd year Appearance: Long, unkempt black hair, mostly vacant brown eyes. Looks quite unreliable at first glance. Wears a heavily worn second-hand uniform, but sports noticeably expensive accessories. He's quite tall but somewhat thin, it seems like you could push him over without much effort. Marmaduke (or Duke, as he likes to be called) was born to a poor home, to a single mother in a bad neighbourhood. His father was a far-gone fling of his mother's, so they were left to fend for themselves. It was rough, and they didn't always have the best relationship. His mother was convinced that he would do great things, but for young Duke, that was difficult to see. He had only average grades, even in the poorer schools he attended, and he wasn't any particular standout in sports either. He didn't have any kind of charisma, merely a penchant for getting caught in mischief. Given the circumstances he naturally gravitated towards the bad folk, and whether he was at fault or not, it seemed like he would always get drawn into trouble. Still, his mother insisted that he believe in his bloodline, though he preferred to rely on himself. He knew they were balancing on the knife's edge, and sooner or later, things would tip. And they did. One day, on coming home, Duke discovered that his mother had been hospitalised. If his circumstances were tight before, they were downright asphyxiating now. It became a challenge of balancing school and work, scraping just enough money to pay bills. He had little time for sleep or food, and it took a toll on his health. He began to entertain darker thoughts as he spiralled downwards, wishing for a way out, wishing for a miracle, wishing for his father, perhaps. But, at the end of the day, he knew that there was no such thing as a free lunch. And at his lowest point, it arrived. One day, as if out of nowhere, a red imp appeared. It told him that it was a servant of his father, that it was there to teach him how to use his power, how to unlock his bloodline. If he chose to, he could have it all. Riches, fame, power, anything was possible. At that moment, the only thing he needed was money, and lots of it. He's not sure what happened next. He blacked out and then woke up in his bed, surrounded by a small pile of money. He was happy for the first time in a while. He rushed over to the hospital to make a payment and to tell his mother about the good turn they had received. Unfortunately, by the time he arrived, she was already dead. Bereft of his purpose, Duke was stunned for a while. He tried spending his "hard earned" money in hedonestic ways, but nothing seemed to fill the hole inside. The imp had told him clearly, that there would be a price to pay. If he knew what it had been before, he wondered if he still would've taken it. Listlessly he drifted through his life, school, work, until it came time to go to high school. He decided to enrol at Mephisto's School for the Wickedly Inclined, because if anyone was Wickedly Inclined, it would probaby Duke. He found that he fit right in to Mephisto's and soon garnered some infamy for himself inside and outside of the ring. Outside he set up and participated in paid bets, winning and losing large amounts of money. Inside the ring he was known as a wildly inconsistent fighter, winning fights against people he shouldn't have, and losing fights that should've been easy to win. His track record was that of a fairly typical Mephisto daredevil, but he was just having a good time. It was the closest he had felt to being alive ever since that day. Core: Hellfire A "gift" left to him by his father. By using his blood as a medium, Duke is able to summon sickly green flames straight from hell. The flames sap life from those afflicted, plundering it for the controller of the flames and allowing Duke to imbue himself or others with life force, healing wounds and bolstering physical performance. Of course, this power is not without a price. If it can't sap the life force of his enemies then the green flame will sup from Duke's own reserves. Once formed, the hellfire can take many forms. Balls of fire, bolts of fire, flaming weapons, and more. Being afflicted with the fire drains the victim's stamina, but has no effect on non-living entities. Of course, there's a limit to the power one person can summon. Which is where his imp friend comes into play... Ability 1: Spin the Wheel Duke is psychically linked to an imp-like creature (dressed like a gameshow host) which he can summon at will. Formally known as Morton the Red Devil, or just Mort. On summoning him the imp creates a giant wheel with various outcomes on it, both good and bad. Good outcomes can multiply the power of Duke's hellfire, whereas bad outcomes can divide it. The result is random, and not even Mortimer knows what the wheel will stop at. Mortimer can be summoned again consecutively with an increasing large tax of life force, so repeated spins are inadvisable. The effects of this ability last for roughly half an hour. Ability 2: Double or Nothing This ability can only be activated by telling Mortimer to do so while the wheel is spun. It doubles the eventual reward of the spin, regardless of whether or not the result was good or bad. Ability 2: Blood Sacrifice While the wheel is spun, Duke can spend a significant amount of life to force the wheel to land on a good result. The amount of life spent is usually more than the reward, proving it to be an inefficient use of his powers, unless he has a good supply of lifeforce ready. Relationships: No particularly close relationships, but most Mephisto students know of him, and some outside of Mephisto know of him as well. Tries to avoid Alyona whenever possible. Name: Jeremy Williams Age: 15 Grade: St. Laurel's, first year Appearance: Short and rather scrawny for his age, sitting at 5 feet flat. Wide green eyes and small features, along with chestnut brown hair, which makes him look kind of like a mouse. Wears a big, star patterned wizard hat at all times, though it may be that the wizard hat is wearing him. The hat never comes off and simply allows corporeal objects to pass through it and onto Jeremy's soft, vulnerable head. At least it lets him cut his hair. Biography: Jeremy was like most boys his age, going to school, playing around with his friends, getting bullied at school for being giftless, the usual. Everyday he thought of turning things around with a gift of his very own, and every night his dreams were much the same. Then one day, his dream came true. With a bolt of magic lightning, a wizard hat appeared on his head and a voice boomed down from the heavens. "I am the God of Reality, Jeremy, and I grant you the gift of all gifts. Henceforth, you shall be known to all as one of my Reality Wizards! I have granted you powers befitting your station. Now go forth and use these powers to spread my magnificence!" That very moment, on a sunny Thursday afternoon, 3 o'clock sharp, Jeremy was imbued with untold mastery over reality. Crackling with newfound power, he strolled confidently up to his school bullies the next day... and was promptly beaten into the ground. Jeremy had begun to feel that he had been the victim of some kind of joke. After that incident, Jeremy decided to try and keep his head down for the rest of his middle school life. This proved a more difficult task than expected, now that he had a very flashy, unremovable wizard hat on it. By knuckling down on his studies he somehow scraped his way into St.Laurel's School of Divine Excellence, where he hopes to lead a quiet high school life. Unfortunately, he had a funny feeling that his troubles have only just begun. Core: Reality bender Jeremy has been imbued with magic spells that have the power to warp the very fabric of reality! In theory, anyway. In practise, he can use phrases derived from random moments in his life to apply superficial effects to real objects. His spells layer something onto someone's existing reality, but they can't change it, only affect it in rather ineffectual ways. The spells must be spoken out loud to work, and require Jeremy to choose a target. Such reality alterations don't hold for long, either, slipping off like a poorly glued piece of paper. Ability 1: "Fork the Tender!" Derived from a particularly tasty dinner involving chicken tenders. Jeremy, holding a proverbial fork, spears a target, the proverbial tender. This doesn't do any damage to the target, but he can then move the 'fork' to and fro, and move the 'tender' as a result. He has to be careful though, since, unlike the lovely dinner he remembers so fondly, the tender may be stronger than the arm holding the fork. Ability 2: "Put on the Tuxedo!" Jeremy was once tasked with attending his older sister's wedding with an acceptable outfit. The memories of his failure haunt him to this day. When used, it puts an awkward, ill fitting tuxedo on the target. Can be useful for tripping up and restraining his opponents for a little while, since it lasts longer than his other spells. Just the like the shame he felt on that day... Ability 3: "Pause the DVD!" Probably his most practical spell. Freezes the target, rather too briefly for Jeremy's liking. While they are frozen they can't be attacked or affected. Maybe he can put the tuxedo on while they can't move... Seems to lose effectiveness on repeated uses, as if his friends are taking the remote from him after a while. Relationships: None so far, though he's kind of friends with Ken? He's trying to keep to himself for the most part. Gets nervous around girls.</s> <|message|>Marmaduke Cashmere Duke watched the fight engagedly, sitting with his head in his hands as skill met strength. He could see Michael's glorious skills as paint practically flowed out of his suspiciously shiny paintbrush. The dark horse of the night slowly lost his ground, lost his strength, and lost his control. The arena cracked and the ground rumbled. The tournament was over. Duke got up and sighed. It was truly a shame, he had been looking forward to seeing who would win the fight. "'Scuse me, 'scuse me. Coming through, calm down everyone." The lanky teenager weaved through the crowd against the flow, towards the disaster zone. The area around the arena was quickly being vacated, which would make things convenient for him. Duke drew his knife. It was an ornate switchblade patterned with skulls and flame imagery, polished to a mirror's shine. It was a rather ordinary blade, in spite of its appearance. But Duke needed sharpness, and it was certainly sharp enough. Holding out his left palm facing upwards, Duke slowly lowered the knife tip down into his hand. He felt the familiar prick of the blade piercing his skin and dug deeper. He felt a small stabbing pain as blood pooled in his palm. He could feel a small spike of adrenaline shoot through his nervous system. Time seemed to slow down as he assessed the situation. The other participants of tonight's tournament would hopefully help out, though he wondered how effective they would be. They hadn't fought too much tonight, but their stamina had inevitably been dented. Still, he was sure they would provide some reliable support. Michael the painter, the round's other contestant, was in a bad spot right now. More than likely, the breaking of the arena would have knocked him off balance, and the dark horse was currently aiming to turn him into paste. This wouldn't do, this wouldn't do at all. Duke couldn't let one of the stage's stars get knocked out so early. The teenager grinned, removing his blade from his palm. The blood in his hand ignited into pale green flames, dyeing the boy's grin with an eery glow. He wound his arm back like a baseball pitcher, yelling "Fire in the hole!" as he threw the palm sized wad of fire at the fleshy student. The flames traced an arc in the air and splashed the back of the hulking contestant's head, setting his hair alight. It acted as both flame and liquid, one portion sticking on the student's head while the rest dribbled onto his back. "Hey big guy, I know I said I was rooting for you, but you just ended our night of entertainment. I can't let you get away with that." Duke said, taunting the enraged figure. He walked forward slowly with his hands in his pockets, a deliberate display of fake calmness. The flames burned on, sucking away at the contestant's energy, though in this state he probably had plenty to spare. "Would anyone else care to join me? If you do, please keep an eye out for my flames. I'm not responsible for what happens if you touch them." Duke declared loudly. @Scarifar@KillamriX88@Letter Bee@Dezuel</s> <|message|>Erisse Augusta Narrativia. Erisse Augusta Narrativia Erisse was beside Duke in an instant, Narrative Round of Familiarity activated right away. In her hands, she held an Anti-Materiel Rifle, which the woman apparently knew how to shoot. "This kid must have gotten some illegal steroids or Demonic help, or both," the woman said, "I know how to deal with this." And she fired at the rogue student's arms and legs, each shot enough to pulverize a normal limb into powder. Some would think this callous, as she was an adult and the kid was, well, a kid. But callous or not, Erisse was sensing that something truly vile was afoot and that she had to cripple this rogue student/fighter before he harmed any other person. And if that kid can regenerate his wounds anyway, well, that meant that she had no responsibility to hold back. "You know," she spoke, unable to hear her own words because she put on earphones beforehand, "Maybe that Suzakura kid was right and I should be doing this in a swimsuit..." She then belatedly handed Duke a set of earmuffs, "Earmuffs?" @Scarifar@AtomicNut@KillamriX88@Spin The Wheel@Crowvette</s>

<|message|>Marmaduke Cashmere Duke noticed someone appearing next to him, but as he turned to look, a noise like an explosion burst out without warning. The teenager jumped to the side instinctively, falling to the floor. He looked to the source of the boom and saw a woman holding a large rifle. Duke stared at the woman, dumbfounded, before hastily turning his gaze away as she let loose a barrage of bullets, each shot lighting up the room in flashes of white brilliance. When the barrage finished, Duke removed his hands from his ears. The impromptu defense had protected him little, and his ears rang loudly as if in protest of the woman's mad shooting. He could see her offer him some earmuffs; her mouth moved but he couldn't hear a single word she had said. "Are you fucking-" Joking? Stupid? Insane? His mind had cooked up 3 insults to hurl at the woman, but with the aftermath of the gunshots still causing havoc his ears, it was impossible for him to know which one had come out of his mouth. Duke hastily got to his feet and snatched the earmuffs from her hand, putting them on in a hurry and backing away to a safe distance. If she was going to shoot again (and he was sure she would), he wanted some degree of safety. Bee</s>

<|description|>Orpheuz Paladice "My friend, how important would you say that our memories are? I am sorry, that question must seem odd to you. Nevermind I said anything haha..." "You should know very well who I am..." Nickname: Phantom Pain Age: 17 Sex: Male Eyes: Orange Hair: Green-Blonde Nationality: Alter-Rhea (Former), Rhea (Current) Grade: None yet. (Leaning to joining Mephisto) Clothing: See picture Biography: Few are those who knows the true extent of Orpheuz's superhuman powers, fewer still are those who know of his origins. To Orpheuz himself, he is not from this world, but at the same time claims it to be his home. A traveller through another dimension? Who would believe such a fairytale. While his claims are hard to believe, what is far easier to acknowledge is the young man's determination. Whatever may it be that drives the young man forwards? Who knows. Perhaps he is looking for something, or perhaps... someone. When spoken to, Orpheuz speaks in a highly arrogant and judgemental tone, his voice nontheless bears a certain coldness or if you wish 'cool' to it. Like someone whose used to not backing down when things come to blows. His orange eyes are somewhat resembling that of a fox, behind them there's clear wit and shrewdness, but also fiery ambition. Powers: Core: Phantom Reflection Orpheuz has attained immunities from his gift, bestowing him with a powerful defense while also potentially causing harm to whomever is targetting him with status conditions. Status conditions of both the mind and the body are not only negated but reflected towards it's origin. Providing they do not have any countermeasures that prevent them from being afflicted by such. Physical examples: - Poisons - Toxins - Diseases - Healing - Paralyzation - Blindness - Deafness - Concussions - Organ shutdown - Molecular alteration Mental examples: - Mind control - Possession - Telepathy - Illusions (Visual deception) - Scrying - 'Magic' alteration Basically he is able to prevent his basic physical/mental condition to be altered/modified. It does however not negate 'Raw damage' such as taking a punch, getting acid on the skin, being turned on fire, a fireball explosion or a telekinetic blast. It only applies to conditions which alter his health status aside from just raw damage. This also means he is immune to both beneficial/detrimental buffs and healing/life force draining. So when he does get hurt, he will not be able to heal by magical means but must rely on natural metabolism. On another note, he could allow people who have buffs that only affect others to actually affect themselves by targetting him. Causing them to bounce back at the caster. Dark waters: Orpheuz can summon and manipulate what looks to be pitch black water to do his bidding, shooting jets of water, create large fields of water, creating waves, summoning vortexes of spinning water, hurl water orbs or bend streams of water mid-manipulation to chase his opponents. Sometimes he adds his own little creative flair to them, making them look like snakes or dragon-heads with jaws. Paranormal activity: The young man possesses an aura style of power, which he can manipulate as he desires in terms of effect. The things he can alter is the overall heat/cold of the surrounding area but he can also hurl human-sized objects or people telekinetically providing the people/objects are not too heavy. If he has summoned or is controlling his dark water power he can combine said powers to create ice, steam and hurl projectiles more effectively via telekinesis. Also he may 'feel' people standing in his dark water if he has created like a pool of water under him. Phantom of the Utopia: Orpheuz slips into another plane, causing him to vanish from sight by those unable to see into the planes. That is until he decides to step out, which may appear as him blinking or teleporting between locations. His speed in the other plane is very fast, which can explain why he can appear so quickly from one place to the other. If engaged on the plane however, by a combatant able to fight him there. He would be much faster and stronger than in the normal plane. Relationships: - The mysterious one - The fallen lady</s> <|message|>Suzakura Plagerzes Suzakura Plagerzes A flight ticket. He couldn't recall having ordered one, yet nontheless he found himself a clear distance away from the table which Michael sat at. The bully couldn't help but notice his face felt abit funny, but before he could inspect it, a tall bulky looking guy. Older than he were grabbed him by his shirt and lifted him up rom his prone position. "You scrawny brat! Look what you did to my girlfriend's dress!" The older guy yelled in his face and nodded in the direction of his girlfriend which were clad in a long blue dress, which had gotten some unceremonial drink now adding to the decoration. "Not a bad catch. But damn she is old." Suzakura replied in a slightly groggy manner, before headbutting the guy in his face, causing him to lose his grip of the bully. The older guy held onto his own face as his nose apparently got broke, Suzakura which had just headbutted him could sympathize with him. Blunt trauma to the head sucked. So being the nice kind of guy he were, he decided to shift the focus of pressure. He gave a firm and fine knee to the guy's pelvic region, causing him to slump over in pain. Not only did this take the guy out for the count, it also provided some needed seating, thus the bully took the opportunity to sit down on the man's upper back as he had slumped over. Suzakura crossed his legs, and felt his face with his left hand. 'That little foureyed bitch actually could throw a punch...' He thought as his tongue found his missing tooth, he spit it out to his right at a thin looking guy standing there just watching the chaos, with a paper cup with a sucking straw into it. "Excuse me..." Suzakura said, leaning over slightly from his sitting position, allowing his regeneration to kick in and heal up the bruising on his face and his missing tooth would gradually be restored. But right now, the drink came at a good time. He took the paper cup with the sucking straw, taking some of the soda liquid inside of it, moving it around in his mouth before spitting it back out into the cup, handing it back to the guy which had bought it. "That'll do. Time for round two...." Suzakura rose up from his makeshift seat, stretching his arms slightly. Before allowing his musculature to strengthen, giving himself more speed, strength and agility all in one, before finally moving back up towards Michael in a way a boxer would, with his hands raised. But it would be from his legs that a kick would come, seeking to slam right into Michael's chest. Bee@Scarifar</s> <|message|>Mina Taurus AKA "That stupid cow." @Crowvette Celestine offered a very worrying wink at the boy's reply of not being dropped, their small figure gripping now Wolf tighter against their self. "Don't worry. Lots of places to grab onto." They said, as they perhaps took some -ahem- liberties with the places he was gripping Wolfram. Meanwhile, the Librarian, Kiwi, let out a small weak protest "Now hold a seco- Wolfram!" She said, before being left with the abomination's partner. Kiwi, reacting quickly, drew Alyona closer to her as she began to crawl up the walls avoiding the goop. <"Our training is hard, but not that hard."> She chose to answer in an accented Yekaterinan. <"We should try and reach the source... I can offer some web supports for us to..."> Kiwi had said, but, right in that moment, Alyona's curse activated, and five of her legs failed to find a support, before the spider girl fell backwards into the goop, but not before pushing Alyona out of the way. "Hel-" Kiwi tried to say something, but soon it was all darkness. It seemed Alyona was alone now. --- Mina was confused. She had never thought Parker would walk away in this way, not after he had so many broken bones. Maybe he was still concussed? Or deaf? She had given him her best quality milk, but maybe there were things her panacea couldn't solve. She had to find him. But navigating the crowds was so confusing, and not many faces she could recognize. So when she recognized Suzakura's her face brightened and ran towards his arms, a grin wide. A second later, a strange sound of impact was heard as Suzakura's full kick collided with Mina's ample bosom. The bovine girl let a strangled whimper before her generous rear's recoil would be sent in Michael's direction. "Not...again..." She whined.</s>

<|message|>Orpheuz Paladice The rain kept falling, the wanderer kept wandering. The puddles of water along the street didn't bother him the slightest, as he began to walk into the Rhean national tournament grounds. Silence. There were no sounds aside from the rain and his footsteps, as he wandered out into the middle of the grounds. The many benches surrounding the vast arena was as expected all empty. Upon reaching the middle of the field, Orpheuz knelt down to feel the ground itself. 'Has it already come to pass, or is it waiting to happen? So many questions, yet so little answers...' The hooded figure shook his head softly from side to side, it irked him that despite his vast trip. It had not yielded him much answers so far. Perhaps it was time to seek out someone who could enlighten him on the happenings of the city. His own knowledge was limited in that regard. He rose up again and allowed the falling rain to clean his hand of any dirt he had contacted when feeling the ground itself. 'A cleansing spring to clean away the filth, that's not a bad thing. Isn't that right? My mate of soul. We shall dance forever, but for now the masquerade is still going on. You did enjoy those... my princess.' He closed his eyes momentarily, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose with his fingers. 'The unknown threat to all of us, just what kind of enemy did that man speak of? It doesn't really matter does it? I will hold up my end of the bargain. Without him I wouldn't have this chance, the chance of one in a lifetime...' The thoughts came back to him, of the mysterious man which had made him the great offer. Whereof Orpheuz had been quick to agree to it, it wasn't a bad deal. A ticket for a one-way trip was worth... everything. 'No matter who the enemy may be, I am ready to face you and this world...anew.' He thought as his gaze fell upon the moon as it was beginning to peek out from some clouds. "To be born anew, is this how you feel every night? Watching us all from up there..." The orange-eyed figure gazed up to the full moon, the light of the moon reflecting in his eyes. 'But do you feel the same as I? Not that a moon could feel a thing. But even you have your lunar eclipse, shrouding who or where you are. Yet despite all that, past that cloak of darkness you are still the same. Will I be able to say the same when all is over and done. When I can find the light to my shade.' There were many uncertainties lying ahead, a path he had believed to have been fate or destiny had once before played it's cruel melody on him. Yet despite it all, the very gods themselves had taken pity on him. Or was it a test of his determination? Whichever the case. He would get everything or nothing, there was no middle-ground. To rule among the stars, or to fade away completely in their presence. He took the moment to close his eyes if only for a moment, and remembered his other half. That long blonde hair flowing in the wind, the fine blue garments that was befitting of someone of such noble blood. The soft smile and the unmistakable laughter. He smiled slightly, someday soon, he would hopefully be able to see that smile once again. Hear that voice again. The two dogtags attached by his necklace jingled slightly as he began to walk again... towards the distance.</s>

<|description|>Yimu Pan "Just because I can doesn't mean I should and all that, but it also doesn't necessarily mean I shouldn't…" 15 | Female | Rettanese | Commoner | 5.78 P E R S O N A L I T Y ❖ [Curious] ❖ [Unruly] ❖ [Resourceful] ❖ [Creative] ❖ [Determined] If Yimu's personality were to be described in under ten words it would probably be something along the lines of, obsessively driven to learn and a compulsive shit-stirrer. On the one hand, first and foremost since the moment, she learned to read and discovered her knack for academics, acquiring new information has always been her foremost goal. On the other hand, Yimu is the kind of person that feels the need to stir up trouble wherever she goes, namely trouble for anyone who she deems deserving of it and while minor slights and accidents aren't alone enough to put one on her shitlist, other things, like being born into too much money or demanding her respect certainly are. Stemming from a childhood filled with praises for her intelligence and later on reinforced by her own successes, Yimu has a very inflated sense of self-worth when it comes to her intelligence and looks down on those she perceives as having had their own successes simply handed to them. She is overconfident when it comes to her ability to deal with her problems and subsequently tends to be dismissive when it comes to the costs, risks and consequences of her actions. C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E Yimu would best be described as having a very plain and somewhat messy appearance, clearly of Rettanese decent, though perhaps with a little something else mixed in there, hard to say for certain. If anything were to stand out about her at all, it would be just how little effort she put into keeping her appearance up, with simple cheap clothing and tangled brown hair she clearly cut herself with the same lack of consideration that determined the rest of her appearance. L A N G U A G E S Yimu grew up speaking Rettanese and this is the language she is most comfortable speaking. Her mother made sure she was also capable of speaking Avincian, and though she still has a bit of an accent, Yimu's fluency has rapidly improved since she started using the language more regularly. In addition, to speaking the languages, Yimu can read both Rettanese and Avincian, and thanks to her love of books, she can also read a little Inipori, though only to a basic level. T H E G I F T Looking at Yimu's innate magical talents most mages wouldn't be impressed, if anything they'd think her magically crippled, a truecaster with a RAS below average for even a normal mage. An astoundingly rare occurance, and not for the better. What truly makes her stand out in spite of her shortcomings, is just how good she is at using what she has. A prodigiously quick learner with an above-average control of her magic, Yimu has excelled at what little magical training she has received thus far. Yimu favours no particular school, finding the idea of specialising to be both self-limiting and a wasted opportunity to learn, and thus, wholly intolerable. B A C K G R O U N D Yimu was raised in her early years by her mother. She never really had any idea who exactly her father was and given her mother's line of work, it could have realistically been nearly anyone, though considering that her mother always described her as their ticket out of the lower class while she was alive and the fact that she later manifested magic, Yimu suspects her mother knew exactly who her father was, presumably some noble or merchant. Owing to her mother's belief that Yimu would pull the two of them out of poverty, Yimu was provided with an education. Certainly, it was nothing compared to what most nobles had, or even what some merchants received, but it was a far cry better than what the average commoner received, which is to say, any education at all. Unfortunately, funding that education wasn't exactly cheap and her mother's work wasn't without its risks, and when Yimu was 9 she was promptly orphaned. Yimu managed to avoid sleeping on the streets for the most part, especially once she got used to surviving on her own. Most of the time she made do by selling her help to any inns or merchants that would accept it in exchange for food and shelter, it certainly helped that she had some measure of education and that she very quickly learned to pick up on the kinds of people would feel bad for her and the kinds that she shouldn't approach. During this period she spent most of her free time immersed in reading whatever she could get her hands on, often over and over again when she didn't have anything new to read. She acquired new reading materials whenever the opportunities presented themselves, often as payment from merchants carrying them, or occasionally, quietly slipped away with after they were left behind at an inn she was working at. It was in this way that she first discovered magic, in the contents of a book left forgotten by a wealthy patron at some inn. She'd tried it out on a whim, a simple arcane drawing of the light and heat from a candle, not really expecting anything of it, magical aptitude was reserved for the elite after all. Except it had worked. The candle had dimmed and flickered, before snuffing out entirely, only to be returned to its original state after a little further reading and some trial and error. It didn't take long after that for Yimu to be outed as a mage, no doubt in large part due to how blatantly she practised and studied magic in public places, and her brazen self-advertising of her magical capabilities as a means of getting more and better work for herself. Not that she was particularly trying to hide it really, if anything it afforded her an opportunity, one which she happily leveraged when she was eventually approached, using it to get herself some basic training and eventually a spot in the Academy. M O T I V A T I O N Above all else Yimu desires to learn, something she thought she'd never get the opportunity to do in earnest and fully intends to capitalise on now that she has such an opportunity. Secondary to that is the fact that she's now surrounded by the sorts of people she views as having had their successes handed to them on a silver platter, she simply isn't willing to fall behind in such an environment and showing up the competition would just be icing on the cake. I N V E N T O R Y Yimu's possessions are relatively straightforward, the bare necessities needed to survive for someone that moves around a lot. Her clothes are cheap, but not so cheap as to simply fall apart and not so sturdy as to outlast Yimu's growth. She also has books, lots and lots of books. The contents of the books vary greatly from fiction to more academic works, though the newest of them tend towards the latter, specifically detailing magical theory. Regardless of genre all Yimu's books appear well-read and loved. S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S ❖ Quick Learner ❖ Opportunist ❖ Schemer ❖ Improviser ❖ Living Encyclopedia W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S ❖ Low Magical Potential ❖ Abrasive Personality ❖ Compulsive Troublemaker ❖ Physically Inept ❖ Overly Confident M I S C E L L A N E O U S</s> <|message|>Karim Nazeri Karim Nazeri Karim was just following Zeno Zemana, thinking that things so far were going well, when he felt a sudden presence on his shoulder. He initially thought it was a hand but, when he turned his head to check. Instead of a hand to his confusion, it was a white kitten. Before he could say anything about the mysterious feline. Mayu came up and snatched up the feline. Putting it under her mantle, and then came the apology from her. Which again, before he could say anything, came the bribe of cookies? Where did she get cookies, did she bring them with her from home or something? Karim just stood in place for a moment, looking down at the cookies in his pocket to gather himself. Are cats or pets allowed at the academy? He asked himself, knowing that he had no idea. Either way, Karim chose not to tell Zemana about Mayu's kitten and resumed walking with the group. Still a little confused, partly because of the bribe though Karim would pick one up and take a bite. To his surprise, it was actually good. Though he would put the cookie back in his pocket. There was a better time to eat his bribe. So a second weird thing to happen today, Karim thought. Only this one was the innocent one compared to the other. Hopeful there will not be any more weird things today. One was enough, and three just means his time at this academy just might be more... interesting than he thought.</s> <|message|>Seung Eun-Ji --- As Zeno Zemana started to walk off, Eun-Ji followed him with the other Biros of the group. Walking backmost among the group, she had been more or less quiet, thinking on what Manfred had told her. She kept in mind the name he had mentioned to her; Marlijn Vaanse. In truth she still wasn't sure yet whether or not this was something she wanted to or should look into more, but she was also unable to deny that her curiosity had been piqued, even more so now that she knew she wasn't the only one who had been affected by whatever thing it was that caused the mysterious dissonance within her memory. Regardless, all these will have to wait. She definitely can use a good night of rest to invigorate both her body and her mind, especially considering how busy tomorrow likely will be. Putting all of these out of her mind for now, Eun-Ji decided to just enjoy the quiet walk through the streets under the night graced by the presence of three beautiful moons. As the group walked through the streets, a white little furball had suddenly clung itself onto Karim Nazeri's shoulder. Eun-Ji noticed the little creature before Mayu quickly snatched him back, putting him under her mantle. Oh, what an adorable little one. Eun-Ji had always been fond of animals, something influenced by her background of living in her family farm for fifteen years before being drafted. She actually didn't know whether pets were allowed or forbidden within the academy, so that line of thought didn't cross her mind at all. Instead, her mind were filled with a little bit of urge to pet the fluffy little thing. Still, it would require the permission of her fellow Biro for that, and she didn't quite feel like disturbing the peaceful quiet. Perhaps later... she thought in her mind. It didn't take much longer after the little happening for the group to arrive at their destination. A house of Virangish architecture and design, belonging to Zeno Zemana himself. Finally it seems that the group will be able to partake in supper and rest, as was proper to finish this eventful first day.</s>

<|message|>Yimu Pan Pan Yimu As much as Yimu tried to focus on her reading she found herself frowning a little as each noble had their name announced. She'd never really understood why nobles felt the need to announce their names and lineages. Being proud of something they had achieved themselves would be one thing, but gloating about something they had had no say or hand in bringing to fruition was simply absurd! Especially if that something was as trivial as being born, something which literally every person, of every class, has done. Perhaps a life without hardship skews one's idea of just what constitutes an achievement… Sighing to herself Yimu glanced up from her book to briefly cast her gaze around at the various impromptu displays of magic put on by the other new arrivals. For the most part these seemed to be simple displays of power and though a few were somewhat impressive or showed some degree of skill, it wasn't like watching the displays was going to grant her any special insight, so she simply dismissed the displays as more showboating for her to tune out. Maybe if commoners weren't the last to go I'd do some magic of my own, put some potholes in the ground or something, Yimu mused to herself, not that she had any clue how she'd pull that off without getting caught but the thought was fun. Eventually, Yimu managed to tune out most of the sound and action going on about her in order to focus on her reading, if only because the whole ceremony was drawn out so long. Like this Yimu spent the majority of her time buried in her book, only finally being drawn out by a massive if very brief energy surge from the direction of the stage. Glancing about for a cause, it didn't take long for Yimu to conclude that it had been a flashy way for the Arch-Zenos to get their attention, much like the display of clearing the weather earlier. Yimu couldn't help but be a little disappointed at having missed whatever display had been made, but that disappointment what quickly forgotten as the assignment of zeno was announced. Though she'd never admit it, Yimu started to get a little nervous as the names were called out, worried that some clerical screw up might have resulted in her not being on the list. She was pretty confident that even if that were the case she would be able to sort things out, perhaps even twist the mess up in her favour, yet against all rationality, she couldn't help but feel butterflies in her stomach, a mounting unease that only grew until finally, fourth from last, her name was called. Some part of Yimu's mind urged her to simply run up onto the, but that might give the impression of her being excited to be there, which while admittedly true, would no doubt be interpreted by the nobles as her being excited to be in their presence or something equally stupid. Instead, Yimu made a show of continuing to read even as she got onto the stage, feigning complete indifference to Zeno Mozaru and her fellow biro. Only once they were all exchanging greetings did Yimu look up from the book to take in her peers, though she didn't bother to do so herself, considering their names had only just been announced. Yimu found the other girl, Marlijn's embarrassment at her own greeting to be particularly amusing and took that as her cue to stare at the girl, frown and then quickly avert her gaze as though she'd seen something on Marlijn's face but didn't want to say anything. Turning her attention to Vyrik, Yimu felt some sense of relief, she wasn't going to be stuck in a class entirely comprised of nobility, which based on the student body wouldn't have been unlikely, and he was asking important questions which suggested he wasn't entirely useless.</s>

<|description|>Akilah Darwish Race: Human Career/Class: Sorceress Sex: Female Physical Description: Akilah stands at a height of 5'8, weighs about 140lbs, and has a slender pear-shaped frame with hips that are wider than her chest. Her medium tan skin is adorned with silvery mage's tattoos depicting her as a Sorcerer of Storms For those who can recognize the script. They faintly glow while she is casting spells or when she is near powerful weather events. Akilah wears all white harem trousers, a white wrapped bandeau, and a scarlet cape with intricate golden embroidery, a gift from her mother. On her head commonly sits a shoulder-length white scarf held in place by a simple gold circlet. Her waist-length wavy dark brown hair is normally braided with decorative golden ribbons woven into it. She wears three more simple pieces of golden jewelry: an armband that rests on her right tricep and two ankle bangles. She prefers to be barefoot but will wear scarlet slippers with golden embroidery that matches her cape when needed. Akilah is overall a captivating young woman with plump full lips, slender facial features, and large smokey blue eyes. Her family is known for aging well, so she has a youthful look about her and many cannot predict her age accurately. Personality: Akilah is a wanderer at heart, a byproduct of having been raised within a fisherman's community of the coast of Izryia, and because of this, she hasn't taken any permanent employment after having graduated from the College of Mages in the Seven Cities, not that she is lacking in offers. Most mages of her caliber are swept up by royal navies or reputable shipping companies and she chooses to always be on the lookout for the next adventure. Given her exotic appearance, she is often on guard when dealing with others, regardless of their sex, as she has been a victim of unsolicited advances through her travels and in her early years at the college. If she is continuously touched without permission or in any way that she finds offensive, she will electrocute the trespasser of her flesh so that they learn she is not to be trifled with. Akilah has no husband or children of her own and saves the majority of her income earned from the odd sailing jobs she takes for when the time comes that she is ready to settle. Otherwise, she is not above spending the extra coin for more comfort in her travels. She is inquisitive, finding enjoyment in watching others bustle around her in their everyday lives and learning what she can from them, especially if they are mage within their own right. Those chosen individuals that she feels she can connect with on a more personal level will find that she can be as warm and gentle as a soft summer breeze or as violent as a raging hurricane. Given she was raised on boats, she will still offer her help when on a vessel despite the fact that the Captains mainly want her there to fill their sails with favorable winds. Akilah has a deep respect for all those that choose to live their lives with the ocean, as it is an unforgiving mistress. Equipment: * A golden khakkhara staff imbued with magic runes to amplify and stabilize her magic as she works incantations. It also does really well to increase the accuracy of her lighting spells across longer distances and emits a beautiful sound from it's rings as it moves. * A spellbook filled with all her teachings from the college as well as what she has learned in the years since graduation traveling amongst the people. * On her left hip lies a simple dagger with a bone hilt made from a whale's bone. She uses this dagger primarily for everyday cutting needs and simple potion crafting, though she has used it for self-defense in the past. * A magically locked trunk that holds her personal belongings of clothes, coins, and mementos from her travels. It can only be unlocked by her or another skilled mage. Trespasser will find a nasty surprise should they try to pick its lock.</s> <|message|>Akilah Darwish Akilah Darwish --- Akilah woke that morning feeling refreshed. Taking the time to rest and enjoy herself was definitely worth it, especially with the new company she found herself with. The thought of Rayth brought a smile to her face and butterflies to her stomach. Had they progressed any further, he would have been sharing the room with her right now rather than having lodged in his own. The mage was due to meet with the mercenary downstairs so she quickly got herself together for the day. With her teeth clean, face washed, and appearance all in order, Akilah flew out her door, stopping only to whisper the protection spell back on her lock. The rings on her staff ringing loudly as she walked briskly down the hallway and calmed her pace to descend the stairway into the main dining room. As she reached the open air, she could just catch Minka's voice. "The boy's right, she came in on a ship. Lovely girl. They'll both serve you well." Peeking under the ceiling separating the bottom and second floors, Akilah could see the innkeeper and Rayth speaking with an older man who carried himself in a way promised he wasn't someone you should take lightly. Finishing her journey down the steps, Akilah made her way to the small group, the rings on her staff softly chiming with every other step she took. She called out to the trio over the noise of the dockworkers that had filled the room. "I hope I haven't missed anything important?" The man's eyes widened in surprise as he pointed his thumb at her while looking between both Rayth and Mika. "This is who you've been talking to me about?! Neither of you said she was a mage!" He leaned forward on one leg to get a better view of her. "Tell me girl, what is it you do?" Akilah raised her eyebrow as she answered the man, surprised at his reaction to her. "I am a sorceress of storms." "Bullshit." the man stated. She wasn't sure if he spoke out of surprise or plain disbelief of her skills, but she decided to give them a taste of what she could do. As she spoke, the tattoos the silvery tattoos began to glow white against her tan skin. "Because of the great respect I have grown for Minka, I will not insult her by summoning a windstorm into her business. So this..." Akila's staff stood unassisted next to her as she placed her hands together firmly before pulling them apart from each other, fingertips facing each other to bridge the magic between her digits. A web of lighting appeared between her hands when her palms separated and maintained a strong current between the magical magnetic poles she formed with her hands. Channeling lighting was a raw form of magic, it was based on the feeling and the understanding of how lightning formed rather than the spoken spell that was required for higher levels of magic."..will have to suffice. Unless of course, you'd like to step outside?"</s> <|message|>Rayth Gerak Rayth Garek --- "I trust you can do more than that?" He asked, but he didn't wait for the answer. Clearly he was somewhat of a hardass, but Rayth didn't entirely blame him. He had a crew and an entire ship to look after. "I've never had a wizardess command the winds to make my girl go faster, but if you can do that and not capsize her, you'll pull your weight." "She'll do her part. We both will." Rayth pipped in, subtly winking at Akilah. He wasn't exactly standing to attention like a soldier, but he carried himself with a confidence befitting someone who knew they wouldn't blow the interview. The Captain turned to him and regarded him with a critical eye, but after a moment of what looked to be simmering disapproval, he smiled and gave a curt nod. "Well, if you do you'll be paid for your effort. If you don't, you'll go overboard. I don't take liars." Rayth gave a face that spoke volume's when he looked away, essentially 'I better not say anything else or he'll know I'm likely the biggest liar here' kind of face. But when the Captain turned back, he had the same, self assured look on his visage. Minka almost rumbled a laugh, but she kept her mirth to herself and began to wave them away as the patrons began rolling in. Her cooks had begun the late breakfast, but she was needed as always. "You two find a seat, and I'll bring out some warm drinks and a good meal for you. And for you as well, Captain." "Free?" Rayth asked, raising an eyebrow slyly. "Just this once, yes." She said, shaking her head and rolling her eyes before she shimmied back into the kitchen. "Assuming we're hired, when do we leave?" Rayth inquired, to which the Captain looked at him and snorted. "Tomorrow morning. If you're late, you're left behind." Rayth took Akilah's hand and gently pulled so she would follow him, though he gave a nod to the Captain. "Wouldn't dream of it."</s> <|message|>Akilah Darwish Akilah Darwish --- Akilah allowed Rayth to lead her away from the bar, a decision that was probably for the best as she seriously contemplated launching the old man through the window and just paying for the repairs. She figured it maybe would have caused some resentment from her new male admirer as she knew he was looking forward to the payout. Inhaling deeply through her nose, she let go of her annoyance on a slow controlled exhale through full lips. Rayth led them back to the booth they had occupied the day before and as they took their seats, she nestled herself against him. The mage had quickly learned last night how delightfully warm he was and how comfortably she fit against him. "What a charming man." she said simply while picking at some lint that had attached itself to her pants leg. At least she could look forward to spending more time with the mercenary before they set off on their grand adventure, whatever that was to be.</s> <|message|>Rayth Gerak Rayth Garek --- The swirl of the morning routine was lost on the two as they went over and sat together. The cutthroat slid in and gave her room to join him, giving her an easy smile in an effort to placate her wrath. She had good control over her emotions, which was good considering she wielded magic that could incinerate him with a word and a wave. He also realized she was kind of sexy when she was angry, which said more about him than anything else and was an extremely dangerous. Not that she wasn't breathtaking regularly, particularly when she smiled and giggled at his jokes and manner. What he didn't expect was her snuggling up to him in the booth. He nearly stiffened in disbelief, but it felt...right. He slid an arm around her waist, his thick head of brown hair pressing to hers as their faces were very close in comfort. "Oh, I've met far worse." He said to her, giving another wink. "Most assholes are looking to put a knife in my back. This one seeks to pay us, at least." Briefly, he watched as a group of vagabonds walked in with all the swagger of men he grew up admiring, though he was wise enough now to know they were simply full of shit and likely rum. A few of them looked like they could carry themselves in a fight by the way they moved, but otherwise they were likely to be deckhands, if they were hired at all. Idly, Rayth began toying with a loose swathe of Akilah's hair, brown eyes turning to her. "How'd you sleep?" He asked her, earnestly hoping she had a restful night. "The beds here are better than I would have pegged them as. But I suppose sleeping in the street for most of your life makes you appreciate fresh sheets and a soft mattress, more."</s>

<|message|>Akilah Darwish With his arm around her, she was completely engulfed in his warmth and it helped to calm her further. It was a welcomed comfort. "While anything would probably be better than sleeping on the hard ground, most ships don't have the softest of beds and the ones that do are more expensive than they're worth." She started, remembering that those ships also carried mages who always looked to test their skill against her and she grew tired of the game long before she was able to leave college grounds in pursuit of knowledge and experience. "They tend to carry their own set of assholes that will insult you with pretty words and deny that they were looking to do you harm for their personal gain..." Akilah watched as more men filed into the tavern, all probably looking to speak with the crotchety Captain. They seemed like the kind where you'd best sleep with one eye open or your door heavily magicked to deter them from trying to slit your throat while you slept. She watched them calmly and took a mental note of them should they all find themselves boarding the same boat in the morning. "But to answer your question, I slept very well. It is tiring to get a ship to port a full day ahead of schedule and it is better to rest while you can. The earliest lessons for mages is to know your limits."</s>

<|description|>Akilah Darwish Race: Human Career/Class: Sorceress Sex: Female Physical Description: Akilah stands at a height of 5'8, weighs about 140lbs, and has a slender pear-shaped frame with hips that are wider than her chest. Her medium tan skin is adorned with silvery mage's tattoos depicting her as a Sorcerer of Storms For those who can recognize the script. They faintly glow while she is casting spells or when she is near powerful weather events. Akilah wears all white harem trousers, a white wrapped bandeau, and a scarlet cape with intricate golden embroidery, a gift from her mother. On her head commonly sits a shoulder-length white scarf held in place by a simple gold circlet. Her waist-length wavy dark brown hair is normally braided with decorative golden ribbons woven into it. She wears three more simple pieces of golden jewelry: an armband that rests on her right tricep and two ankle bangles. She prefers to be barefoot but will wear scarlet slippers with golden embroidery that matches her cape when needed. Akilah is overall a captivating young woman with plump full lips, slender facial features, and large smokey blue eyes. Her family is known for aging well, so she has a youthful look about her and many cannot predict her age accurately. Personality: Akilah is a wanderer at heart, a byproduct of having been raised within a fisherman's community of the coast of Izryia, and because of this, she hasn't taken any permanent employment after having graduated from the College of Mages in the Seven Cities, not that she is lacking in offers. Most mages of her caliber are swept up by royal navies or reputable shipping companies and she chooses to always be on the lookout for the next adventure. Given her exotic appearance, she is often on guard when dealing with others, regardless of their sex, as she has been a victim of unsolicited advances through her travels and in her early years at the college. If she is continuously touched without permission or in any way that she finds offensive, she will electrocute the trespasser of her flesh so that they learn she is not to be trifled with. Akilah has no husband or children of her own and saves the majority of her income earned from the odd sailing jobs she takes for when the time comes that she is ready to settle. Otherwise, she is not above spending the extra coin for more comfort in her travels. She is inquisitive, finding enjoyment in watching others bustle around her in their everyday lives and learning what she can from them, especially if they are mage within their own right. Those chosen individuals that she feels she can connect with on a more personal level will find that she can be as warm and gentle as a soft summer breeze or as violent as a raging hurricane. Given she was raised on boats, she will still offer her help when on a vessel despite the fact that the Captains mainly want her there to fill their sails with favorable winds. Akilah has a deep respect for all those that choose to live their lives with the ocean, as it is an unforgiving mistress. Equipment: * A golden khakkhara staff imbued with magic runes to amplify and stabilize her magic as she works incantations. It also does really well to increase the accuracy of her lighting spells across longer distances and emits a beautiful sound from it's rings as it moves. * A spellbook filled with all her teachings from the college as well as what she has learned in the years since graduation traveling amongst the people. * On her left hip lies a simple dagger with a bone hilt made from a whale's bone. She uses this dagger primarily for everyday cutting needs and simple potion crafting, though she has used it for self-defense in the past. * A magically locked trunk that holds her personal belongings of clothes, coins, and mementos from her travels. It can only be unlocked by her or another skilled mage. Trespasser will find a nasty surprise should they try to pick its lock.</s> <|message|>Akilah Darwish Akilah Darwish --- "Well, I appreciate an honest man." She chuckled. Spending the rest of the day out on the town with Rayth did sound like a good time and Akilah could use the opportunity to stretch her legs. Some of the deckhands on The Peregrine had offered her some sightseeing suggestions as they were approaching the harbor, but she'd rather see what the mercenary considered worth while. Downing what remained in her tankard, she set the mug down with a satisfied thunk atop their wooden round table before accepting his offer. "Let us go on our date then! Who knows when we'll get another opportunity." Akilah said and wiped her lips with her napkin before rising and hailing over a serving girl to take their empty plates. Reclaiming her staff that was left to rest against the wall to her right, the mage turned to her companion. "While I am impressed you managed to wrangle our breakfast without charge, I highly doubt Minka would be so generous as to include lunch so I'll take care of that and meet with you outside?" Akilah finished without waiting for his reply and made her way to the bar, the staff's chimes muffled by the gentle roar of the lunch crowd. She wanted to square off her tab in it's entirety with the innkeeper before she left early the next morning. Boats leave with the tides, not the winds.</s> <|message|>Rayth Gerak Rayth Garek --- "We really haven't known each other very long if you think I am an honest man." He said, eyes lidded from the sun peeking through the windows. It gave his brown eyes a caramel, almost golden quality. Strangely, despite the fact of his statement, he looked earnest. "But I won't lie to you." He admitted. "A lot of men lie to women they like. I find that never works well. I lie for money and profit, and I'll get neither from lying to you." Rayth took her hand in his and kissed the back of it, his hold on her lingering before he swiftly changed gears, getting up with all the swagger of a cutthroat who just won a game of dice and moving out of the Tacklerock. He passed the Captain and have a curt nod. The Captain mouthed 'first thing in the morning' but he didn't need to. Rayth was punctual when it came to work, nefarious or honest. Particularly nefarious, but he'd make sure with this one as well. Stepping out into the sun, he felt the heat on his skin. He began to plan their afternoon, trying to discern exactly where Akilah would like to go. If she was paying the tab, he was going to do something for her, particularly if it was a date. His sly mind began to churn, hand idly toying with the hilt of one of his daggers as he plotted and waited for her to come join him.</s> <|message|>Akilah Darwish Akilah Darwish --- The kiss he planted upon the back of her hand tingled long after his lips left her skin. The gesture caused her heart to race and quickened her breath. It spoke of the possibilities of the developing relationship between the two and Akilah's mind couldn't help but wonder how it would feel against more tender flesh. It would take more than a tender kiss and a vivid imagination to make her blush, but she suspected they were well on their way to accomplishing that feat. As she approached the bar, Minka was there waiting with a cloth and wet mug in hand drying off the freshly washed drinkware. There was a smirk on her face with all the smugness of a cat who caught a bird mid-flight. "Ready to take your show on the road?" the innkeeper asked slyly. "That is the plan, though I am sorry to rob you of your free entertainment." The mage responded to the older woman's jest in kind. "Hardly! The girls and I have an ongoing bet as to how long you'll hold out for. So far, quite a few owe me some coin..." Minka eyed the serving girls as she spoke. "They were betting you'd have taken him to your room last night, but I pegged you to be a more sensible woman and make the lad work for it." "Ah well, they're not the only ones in debt to you despite your faith in my character. That old barnacle wants us at his vessel by morning and I intend to leave before sunrise. What do I owe you for my room and board as well his lunch for today?" Akilah pressed herself against the counter between two empty stools, resting her arms on the sturdy wood with her staff wedged into her elbow as she asked the woman the total of her tab. "Thats two gold for two full nights for you and two silver for his meal." the older woman replied. The mage reached for her belt purse that she kept secured to the inside of the waistband of her trousers and pulled out three gold coins. She placed the coins on the countertop and slid them over to the innkeeper. "Keep the change. You run a fine establishment and I look forward to returning when this is done." "You're always welcome here girl." Minka stated warmly, swiftly pocketing the coins before any could take any true note of the exchange. "And that is not just because of your coin. Now go, the lad is waiting for you." Akilah nodded with a smile, resting her weight back onto her feet and leaving the portly woman to her work. She walked towards the exit, her hips seemingly swaying to the chimes provided by her staff with all the grace of a dancer like the ones her people were known for. Placing her free hand on the wooden door, the mage pushed her way into the warm afternoon sun. Once outdoors, she took a moment to allow her eyes to adjust to the shining star and take in the familiar scent of the sea. The seaward winds swirled around her, pulling at her clothes as they greeted her excitedly to the outside world once more, the rings on her staff chiming excitedly as they passed. Among the mages, there are whispers of those who have more primal magic where they can sense the winds having a spirit to call their own. That there are mages who could even hear voices and smells they carried. While Akilah has never experienced the latter herself or found anyone willing to attest to experiencing such a thing, she does believe that the winds are in a sense... alive and a force that deserves one's utmost respect. She had always wondered if she sat long enough with her magical self open to the elements, would the winds be willing to share their secrets with her?</s> <|message|>Rayth Gerak Rayth Garek --- The city was awake and vibrant, if a bit lazy considering many took their lunch at this hour. Calls of commerce and social affairs filled the air as they moved southward, walking amid dealers and their wares. One pock mouthed woman hefted large melons in front of her chest in a comical attempt to draw the eye as a hefty, black haired man waved a sea bass around, shoving it into everyone's face who dared get within a dozen feet. They were truly within a stone and wood jungle of thatched roof structures, the streets tight and packed, shadows crisscrossing the ground from lines of fabric above their heads. "Did you hear?" A voice said. "Grigor has lain siege to Tribartum." "Katherine would love this." Another piped in. "You know how she gets about chocolate." "The Duke said pirates murdered a watchman down Lorner Road, is that true?" Rumors and chit chat flooded the air about them. Rayth had perfected the art of drowning out the noise whilst simultaneously nabbing any information out of the air that could be useful later. Rayth pulled her along, keeping her close. Partly because he wanted to make sure no one stole anything off of her or got any ideas, but mostly because she was gorgeous and he was far too into her for having been around her for such a short time. They entered Markham Square, aptly named for the square shape of the courtyard, the designs on the fountain and stones beneath their feet filled with right angles and hard designs. A flock of geese aimlessly waddled, and whether they were domestic or had decided to just take a load off, they seemed used to humans. A few honks here or there accompanied them. One child tried to pet one before it bleeted and the kid ran away to his mother's skirts. Commoners, laborers, and merchants alike either hustled or lounged, there was no inbetween. Rayth decided they should lounge, and so he led Akilah over to the fountain, taking a seat beside the bubbling water. At its center, the fountain held a masterfully sculpted statue of Rán, lady of the sea. "Well now that I have you alone," he joked. The square was sparsely populated, but there was still at least a dozen gazes passing them every few moments from the crowd. "I would be remiss if I didn't ask, where you would like to go? Or, what would you like to look at? I know where most things are in this city. Books, clothing, even scrolls for spells."</s>

<|message|>Akilah Darwish Akilah planted her rear on the fountain's lip to Rayth's right, ignoring the stares from onlookers. She learned early on that it was best to pretend they didn't happen or else some fool would get the wrong idea if you matched their gaze for too long. While still aware of her surroundings she instead chose to focus on the geese as they wondered about searching for food while painting the stone street with their feces. It wouldn't be long until the feathered masters of flight decided that the fountain's pool was suitable for a quick dip or decided to rest their plump feathered bodies on the warm ground for a nap. The mage stretched out her legs her legs in front of her, flexing her heels to include her calves into the much welcomed engagement of her muscles. The fabric of her loose fitting trousers hung delicately against the lines of her body and was of a quality that wouldn't betray her body in the rays of the sun despite it's color. She cocked her right ear towards Rayth as he spoke, focusing on his voice over the bubbling of the fountain and the low murmur of the crowd in the courtyard. Where would she like to go? Had they more time, any store boasting magical wares was worth her attention, though in the past that had proved to be a problem when she opened her mouth to call out fakes among seller's stocks. Otherwise, sometimes they are a delightful learning opportunity waiting to happen. Books are a nice past time, but not something that can hold up to the elements of sea travel unless she spelled them for protection and a heavy addition to her trunk. Clothes, while nice to have, was not something she focused on too heavily as she traveled too frequently to bother having a collection. "Well, what do the local people Kypertus like to do for fun?" Akilah inquired, genuinely interested in what they did. While touristy destinations and world renowned restaurants were nice to go to, she found she enjoyed more what the locals considered a 'good time'. Some of the best food she has eaten and music to grace her eardrums were found in what visitors would otherwise describe as a 'hole in the wall' and brush off without realizing amazing experiences awaited inside.</s>

<|description|>Akilah Darwish Race: Human Career/Class: Sorceress Sex: Female Physical Description: Akilah stands at a height of 5'8, weighs about 140lbs, and has a slender pear-shaped frame with hips that are wider than her chest. Her medium tan skin is adorned with silvery mage's tattoos depicting her as a Sorcerer of Storms For those who can recognize the script. They faintly glow while she is casting spells or when she is near powerful weather events. Akilah wears all white harem trousers, a white wrapped bandeau, and a scarlet cape with intricate golden embroidery, a gift from her mother. On her head commonly sits a shoulder-length white scarf held in place by a simple gold circlet. Her waist-length wavy dark brown hair is normally braided with decorative golden ribbons woven into it. She wears three more simple pieces of golden jewelry: an armband that rests on her right tricep and two ankle bangles. She prefers to be barefoot but will wear scarlet slippers with golden embroidery that matches her cape when needed. Akilah is overall a captivating young woman with plump full lips, slender facial features, and large smokey blue eyes. Her family is known for aging well, so she has a youthful look about her and many cannot predict her age accurately. Personality: Akilah is a wanderer at heart, a byproduct of having been raised within a fisherman's community of the coast of Izryia, and because of this, she hasn't taken any permanent employment after having graduated from the College of Mages in the Seven Cities, not that she is lacking in offers. Most mages of her caliber are swept up by royal navies or reputable shipping companies and she chooses to always be on the lookout for the next adventure. Given her exotic appearance, she is often on guard when dealing with others, regardless of their sex, as she has been a victim of unsolicited advances through her travels and in her early years at the college. If she is continuously touched without permission or in any way that she finds offensive, she will electrocute the trespasser of her flesh so that they learn she is not to be trifled with. Akilah has no husband or children of her own and saves the majority of her income earned from the odd sailing jobs she takes for when the time comes that she is ready to settle. Otherwise, she is not above spending the extra coin for more comfort in her travels. She is inquisitive, finding enjoyment in watching others bustle around her in their everyday lives and learning what she can from them, especially if they are mage within their own right. Those chosen individuals that she feels she can connect with on a more personal level will find that she can be as warm and gentle as a soft summer breeze or as violent as a raging hurricane. Given she was raised on boats, she will still offer her help when on a vessel despite the fact that the Captains mainly want her there to fill their sails with favorable winds. Akilah has a deep respect for all those that choose to live their lives with the ocean, as it is an unforgiving mistress. Equipment: * A golden khakkhara staff imbued with magic runes to amplify and stabilize her magic as she works incantations. It also does really well to increase the accuracy of her lighting spells across longer distances and emits a beautiful sound from it's rings as it moves. * A spellbook filled with all her teachings from the college as well as what she has learned in the years since graduation traveling amongst the people. * On her left hip lies a simple dagger with a bone hilt made from a whale's bone. She uses this dagger primarily for everyday cutting needs and simple potion crafting, though she has used it for self-defense in the past. * A magically locked trunk that holds her personal belongings of clothes, coins, and mementos from her travels. It can only be unlocked by her or another skilled mage. Trespasser will find a nasty surprise should they try to pick its lock.</s> <|message|>Rayth Gerak Rayth Garek --- The city was awake and vibrant, if a bit lazy considering many took their lunch at this hour. Calls of commerce and social affairs filled the air as they moved southward, walking amid dealers and their wares. One pock mouthed woman hefted large melons in front of her chest in a comical attempt to draw the eye as a hefty, black haired man waved a sea bass around, shoving it into everyone's face who dared get within a dozen feet. They were truly within a stone and wood jungle of thatched roof structures, the streets tight and packed, shadows crisscrossing the ground from lines of fabric above their heads. "Did you hear?" A voice said. "Grigor has lain siege to Tribartum." "Katherine would love this." Another piped in. "You know how she gets about chocolate." "The Duke said pirates murdered a watchman down Lorner Road, is that true?" Rumors and chit chat flooded the air about them. Rayth had perfected the art of drowning out the noise whilst simultaneously nabbing any information out of the air that could be useful later. Rayth pulled her along, keeping her close. Partly because he wanted to make sure no one stole anything off of her or got any ideas, but mostly because she was gorgeous and he was far too into her for having been around her for such a short time. They entered Markham Square, aptly named for the square shape of the courtyard, the designs on the fountain and stones beneath their feet filled with right angles and hard designs. A flock of geese aimlessly waddled, and whether they were domestic or had decided to just take a load off, they seemed used to humans. A few honks here or there accompanied them. One child tried to pet one before it bleeted and the kid ran away to his mother's skirts. Commoners, laborers, and merchants alike either hustled or lounged, there was no inbetween. Rayth decided they should lounge, and so he led Akilah over to the fountain, taking a seat beside the bubbling water. At its center, the fountain held a masterfully sculpted statue of Rán, lady of the sea. "Well now that I have you alone," he joked. The square was sparsely populated, but there was still at least a dozen gazes passing them every few moments from the crowd. "I would be remiss if I didn't ask, where you would like to go? Or, what would you like to look at? I know where most things are in this city. Books, clothing, even scrolls for spells."</s> <|message|>Akilah Darwish Akilah Darwish --- Akilah planted her rear on the fountain's lip to Rayth's right, ignoring the stares from onlookers. She learned early on that it was best to pretend they didn't happen or else some fool would get the wrong idea if you matched their gaze for too long. While still aware of her surroundings she instead chose to focus on the geese as they wondered about searching for food while painting the stone street with their feces. It wouldn't be long until the feathered masters of flight decided that the fountain's pool was suitable for a quick dip or decided to rest their plump feathered bodies on the warm ground for a nap. The mage stretched out her legs her legs in front of her, flexing her heels to include her calves into the much welcomed engagement of her muscles. The fabric of her loose fitting trousers hung delicately against the lines of her body and was of a quality that wouldn't betray her body in the rays of the sun despite it's color. She cocked her right ear towards Rayth as he spoke, focusing on his voice over the bubbling of the fountain and the low murmur of the crowd in the courtyard. Where would she like to go? Had they more time, any store boasting magical wares was worth her attention, though in the past that had proved to be a problem when she opened her mouth to call out fakes among seller's stocks. Otherwise, sometimes they are a delightful learning opportunity waiting to happen. Books are a nice past time, but not something that can hold up to the elements of sea travel unless she spelled them for protection and a heavy addition to her trunk. Clothes, while nice to have, was not something she focused on too heavily as she traveled too frequently to bother having a collection. "Well, what do the local people Kypertus like to do for fun?" Akilah inquired, genuinely interested in what they did. While touristy destinations and world renowned restaurants were nice to go to, she found she enjoyed more what the locals considered a 'good time'. Some of the best food she has eaten and music to grace her eardrums were found in what visitors would otherwise describe as a 'hole in the wall' and brush off without realizing amazing experiences awaited inside.</s> <|message|>Rayth Gerak Rayth Garek --- What to do for fun? He was a bit taken aback at the question. Rayth had been fully prepared to be her host of the city, take her anywhere she wanted just to see her smile. It was...strange. He was very good at flirting, but he had never been so readily accommodating. And now that she turned the question on him, he didn't exactly know what to do, and it showed. If he was going to have fun, he would go thieving or drinking, maybe bet on some knife throwing or a game of cards. But...there was a lady present. And then he got that look in his eye. The promise of something fun. "Are you hungry?" He asked. He was reluctant to have her get up again as soon as they had sat down, but she had asked... Half an hour later, Rayth took her by the hand as they stepped up the steep stairway, crowds of people flowing around them like water passing rock. The concert was about to start, a group of the city's best musicians gathered and played a concert every fortnight as a public service. The best way to woo a woman, he decided. Murmurs and chatter rose and fell as waiters called for food available, waving drinks and sausages in soft buns of bread. Rayth and Akilah made it to the 3rd row from the top, finding their seats. Unfortunately, a portly merchant had decided to take residence there with his three children. When Rayth told him to move, the man scoffed and did not. Rayth raised an eyebrow, looked at Akilah, and then back at the heavy set fellow. Rayth took the sausage he had procured from one of the waiting staff, turned to the merchant who had jowels like a whale, and he slapped the man straight in the face with it, sauce and all. As the man was staggered and dazed from the blow, he struck him again. And again. And again until the man and his children fled their seats. "I will get you for this!" the merchant cried, gathering his food and drinks and fleeing with his family. "I doubt it, I'll be gone tomorrow." Rayth whispered, waving goodbye with a faux smile. He sighed, and looked at his date with what looked to be reluctance. Stepping back, he motioned for her to take her seat, as if she were his princess and he her escort. "I'm sorry you had to see that side of me."</s>

<|message|>Akilah Darwish Akilah watched in amusement as the scene played before her, a comedic treat before the concert they were there to see started. She was glad for the man to be gone with his three young children as such creatures would have killed any mood that Rayth was trying to create for them, though she may have chosen different means than the use of a sausage. The mage liked children well enough, but she was not at a time in her life where she wanted them for herself or wanted to interact with them any more than what is necessary at any given time. At his offer, she lowered herself gracefully into the chair while turning to her right to gently plant her staff against the floor of the balcony. The magical device stood on its own with a simple spell that the mage whispered into the late afternoon air and like the rest of her belongings, anyone who tried to touch it would receive quite a nasty shock. "Don't be. Had I any less self-control, that sea captain would have experienced flight yesterday and I would be apologizing to you for having seen me lose my temper..." She paused a moment, searching for a more comfortable position in her chair and continued once she was satisfied. "Besides, I am more sorry for the wasted sausage. I'm sure it tasted delicious..." Akilah picked at one of the soft buns that her companion had gotten for them just minutes earlier that was now meatless but still had absorbed the flavoring of the sauce that the sausages had been stewed in. It was delicious and her face expressed the delight she felt in consuming it. The mage could see why this venue was popular with locals and travelers alike as the food alone was good enough to come. Akilah was glad of it as she doubted the old barnacle cared about the quality of food that was served on his ship so long as it was edible for the crew to function as they needed to. Though the greater curiosity was what the old man was after that he felt the need to hire additional crew members with a simple promise of riches. It was something dangerous enough to need the extra bodies, but the crucial details were anyone's guess...</s>

<|description|>Rosalie Braeden Nickname: Rose, Rosie (only by her parents and grandmother) Age: 29 Appearance: Scars/Tattoos: Antipossession tattoo on her right hip. Five long scars across the middle of her back and two smaller scars across her upper stomach from a Windigo. Vehicle: A black cherry four-door 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle Personality: Rosalie is one of those that once she puts her mind to something, she is going to see it through. She is loyal to those she considers family and friends and would do just about anything for them. She's not afraid to speak her mind, especially if she knows it's for someone's own good. She's not one to lose her temper easily, but like anyone, she does have her limits. She has a soft spot for kids and dogs but doesn't let it show all that often so that it's not seen as a weakness and used against her. Backstory: Rosalie is the daughter of Ben Braeden and the granddaughter of Lisa Braeden. Sadly she never knew her mother, for she passed away soon after giving birth to Rose from a brain aneurysm. As Rose grew up, it was always her and Ben and Grandma Lisa. They did almost everything together and it was a pretty normal upbringing for Rose. Though things slowly began to change when she hit her early teens, while helping Ben clean and organize their attic, Rose came across a large plastic box filled with old photos. Taking a break from the cleaning and organizing, she opened the box and began to look through the photos, recognizing the people in each photo she picked up to look at. She soon came across a couple of photos, one was of her father Ben and grandmother Liza with a man she didn't know, the other with Ben and the same man. Rose sat there holding the photos for the longest time examining them before getting up and going to Ben for answers on who the man was. At first glance at the photos, it was clear didn't recognize the man in the photos, but the longer he looked at them, it was like something was coming back to him. It then looked like Ben was hit with a ton of bricks, Rose could see the memories Ben had forgotten about flooding back into his mind. She watched as a smile came to this lips and tears filled his eyes as he stared at the man in the photos. When she asked again who the man was, Ben told her his name was Dean Winchester and what he had done for him and Lisa and how they had all lived together at one point. Of course, Rose thought her father was pulling her leg when he spoke about Dean saving her father and grandmother from monsters because she believed that there was no such thing as monsters and things that go bump in the night. They were just stories to scare kids into being good and doing what they were told. She soon learned that Vampires, Werewolves, Demons, and other storybook creatures were in fact real and could pass themselves off as normal humans without anyone noticing them. After that, she became obsessed with learning all she could about Dean Winchester and the things that go bump in the night in her spare time, being fascinated by all of it instead of scared of it. By her mid-teens, Rose was pretty well versed in most things that went bump in the night, even if she hadn't encountered anything. Though that all changed just after her sixteenth birthday. One night walking home after a party, she was attacked by a tall man dressed in all black. Said man turned out to be a Vampire. To say she wasn't scared would have been a lie, to finally come face to face with a creature she had read about was terrifying but that fear soon turned into a strength she didn't know she had. The will to live and not become a meal for a Vampire took over her fear and gave her the strength to fight against the Vampire, and lucky for her, she had a knife on her that she had started to carry after learning about the supernatural. It wasn't a terribly large knife, but it would definitely get the job done. The Vampire almost seemed to enjoy that he found one that was willing to fight back and give him a challenge, but what he didn't expect was for this girl to have a weapon on her. After a long and exhausting fight, Rose finally won the battle against the Vampire and killed it, and did as lore had described doing to make sure he stayed dead. She then returned home battered and bruised and explained what happened to her worried father as he patched her up. It was that event that sent her to take on the life of a hunter, to keep others from having to go through what she did and possibly become or lose their life to a creature that went bump in the night. Of course, her father didn't like it but knew if he tried to stop her she would still find a way to do it with how strong-willed she was. So for a while, he took on the life of a hunter with her, not wanting her to do it alone, and met up with other hunters who were willing to show them the ropes. As she grew older, she took on more cases by herself and helped other hunters on their cases when they'd call for help. Later on, she learned that Dean Winchester had been killed on a case, and with that, her dream of meeting him was shattered but she was still determined to keep what he and his brother had started going and not let the supernatural take over.</s> <|message|>Rosalie Braeden Rosalie Braeden Rosalie had woken early that morning, not being able to sleep due to nightmares plaguing her dreams that morning. If she hadn't chosen a room away from Dean and Maggie, there was no way she would have gotten as much sleep as she did but she still felt rather tired from getting to bed late from pouring herself over books. She had once again found herself in the library of the bunker, pouring herself over the many books that it held. Since meeting Dean and Maggie, and being invited to stay in the bunker, she was determined to read every book it held at least once. And of course, she had to go through and look at every item that had been collected and cataloged. For someone that had grown up without the knowledge of the Supernatural until later in life, and to hear about the Winchesters and what they did. This place was a treasure trove of knowledge and a way to somewhat step into the shoes of the Winchester's. Rose still craved for more information about the Winchester's, most of all Dean after hearing some of what her father told her about him. She also wished she could have met the man and picked his brain and learned from him. Though she did learn that she had some things in common with him, like her love for rock music, burgers, the way she felt about her car, the need to save the innocent, and putting family and friends before herself. She saw him as a family member she never had the chance to meet because of certain circumstances that got in the way. Rose understood why Dean would have himself erased from her father's and grandmother's memory but at the same time wished he hadn't had it done. She often thought about talking to Jack about him but with him being so hands-off and not answering them, it just wasn't possible. Rose finally pulled herself from the books she was elbow deep in for hours and went to the garage to work on her car, something she did when she needed to get her mind on other things and clear it. Working under the hood of her car with music going had an odd calming effect on her as well. After taking a good amount of time to fix most of the damages from the last case, Rose pulled herself from under the hood when her stomach announced it needed to be fed. She then put her tools away and wiped her hands on an old rag that sat nearby, before closing the hood and making her way up the stairs that led back to the main part of the bunker. As she neared the kitchen, Rose could hear Maggie's voice coming from within it, a small smirk slowly came to her lips. Stopping in the doorway, she folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the frame of the doorway, her gaze focused on Maggie and her small smirk still resting on her lips as she watched and listened to her. "Having a bit of a rough morning, are we?" Rose teased Maggie. Uncrossing her arms as she pushed off the doorway and walked over to the sink to wash her hands. "And this is one reason why I'm glad I don't rely on coffee to wake me up and get me going in the mornings." she laughed softly as she dried off her hands. After folding the towel and placing it back near the sink, she then walked over to Maggie, took her gently by the shoulders, and led her to the table. "Have a seat and I'll start a new pot for you." She smiled softly as she gently pushed Maggie to sit in a chair, then walked back over to the coffee pot to make some more coffee for the sleep-deprived woman. Once the coffee was going, she grabbed a cup and sat it on the counter in front of the coffee pot before turning and facing Maggie, crossed her arms over her chest, and leaned against the counter. "Have you caught wind of anything this morning?" Once the coffee was done, she poured a cup for Maggie and took it to her with a warm smile resting on her lips before turning and going and making herself a bowl of cereal and sitting down at the table across from Maggie.</s> <|message|>Margret Winchester A.K.A Maggie Maggie Winchester "Gah!" Maggie jumped out of her skin and spun around hearing Rose behind her in the doorway to the kitchen. Did people knock? Or at least walk heavy enough so she could anticipate a voice just coming out of nowhere? "Rose, oh my god you walk so quietly..." She half exclaimed, half sighed as she looked at the young woman before her with tired eyes. In this state, she wasn't surprised that she could just read her like a book considering how her night has done. Both kids had nightmares, which was rare. But poor Bobby, DJ shouldn't have been telling them scary stories before bed he had such an active imagination at his age. His poor mind didn't need to be fixating on vampires before going to bed! He was so scared that he was going to be bitten and then have to be beheaded... Oh DJ got an earful from her when they settled back into bed. "I know I look, well, like a tired mom. The twins had nightmares and Bobby was a bit hysterical so it took quite a while to calm his little mind down. He has an overactive imagination- like his mother." She joked a little, not minding the slight dig at herself as Rosalie gently led her away from the counter and sat her in the chair to make a pot of coffee. She was quiet, listening to her speak here and there until a steaming mug of freshly brewed life source was place in front of her and she smiled, giving a nod of gratitude before bringing it to her lips and sighing as it filled her mouth. A stiff mug of black coffee was all she needed to wake right up no matter what had happened the night before. "Speaking of that," she finally quipped when she mug was lowered back onto the table. "DJ said he heard about a few things but they're a bit far. New Mexico had small cases- nothing the local hunters can't figure out. But there looked to be a djinn in Maine, and some vampires in Washington. Unfortunately nothing central." She listed off what her husband had looked up last night before going to bed. He weirdly enough enjoyed looking up cases for us, reminding Maggie of his father every so often.</s>

<|message|>Rosalie Braeden Rosalie couldn't stop the smile that came to her lips and the small laugh when she announced her presence to Maggie, her reaction and words had forced the smile to her lips. It wasn't the first time she had heard the words, her father, mother, and grandmother had all told her the same thing when she was younger. She could think back on times when she had scared all three by coming upon them quietly and startled them and they would laugh about it. It also proved to be a great skill for when she was in school and was bullied, she had used her quietness and small size to her advantage and put a stop to it in a hurry. When Rose led Maggie to the table, she nodded to Maggie's words with a small laugh at the joke she made. She did look like a tired mom but that was to be expected after losing sleep when it came to trying to calm down your child from a horrible nightmare. Both her parents had done the same with her on many occasions. What was it with men telling their children scary stories before bed? Was it some sort of test to see how much they could tell them before they were beyond terrified? After taking a seat at the table, she watched Maggie for a moment before looking down at her bowl, taking her spoon, and bringing a bite to her mouth. When Maggie answered her question, she looked up from her bowl and nodded as she spoke. New Mexico, Maine, and Washington. That is a bit far. she thought to herself. Setting her spoon back in her bowl, she chewed the bite she was working on and swallowed. "Then I guess it looks like we're going on a road trip." she said in an upbeat tone, trying to make light of the news. "Or were you thinking of flying?" she added. As much as she disliked flying, she'd do it just to make sure a monster was dealt with so it couldn't kill or harm any more innocent people. "I'm up for either way as long as it means some monsters are dealt with…. That is if you plan on going that far. I know it'll be a bit difficult with the twins." Rose then fell silent to hear what Maggie had to say about the trip. As she waited for her response, she went back to eating her breakfast before it could get too soggy. Even if Maggie didn't go, just to stay behind with the twins, Rose felt the need to go just to make sure the Djinn and Vampires were taken care of. She couldn't just sit around the bunker waiting for another case to pop up that was closer and hope that another hunter showed up to take care of the Djinn and Vampires in Maine and Washington.</s>

<|description|>Rosalie Braeden Nickname: Rose, Rosie (only by her parents and grandmother) Age: 29 Appearance: Scars/Tattoos: Antipossession tattoo on her right hip. Five long scars across the middle of her back and two smaller scars across her upper stomach from a Windigo. Vehicle: A black cherry four-door 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle Personality: Rosalie is one of those that once she puts her mind to something, she is going to see it through. She is loyal to those she considers family and friends and would do just about anything for them. She's not afraid to speak her mind, especially if she knows it's for someone's own good. She's not one to lose her temper easily, but like anyone, she does have her limits. She has a soft spot for kids and dogs but doesn't let it show all that often so that it's not seen as a weakness and used against her. Backstory: Rosalie is the daughter of Ben Braeden and the granddaughter of Lisa Braeden. Sadly she never knew her mother, for she passed away soon after giving birth to Rose from a brain aneurysm. As Rose grew up, it was always her and Ben and Grandma Lisa. They did almost everything together and it was a pretty normal upbringing for Rose. Though things slowly began to change when she hit her early teens, while helping Ben clean and organize their attic, Rose came across a large plastic box filled with old photos. Taking a break from the cleaning and organizing, she opened the box and began to look through the photos, recognizing the people in each photo she picked up to look at. She soon came across a couple of photos, one was of her father Ben and grandmother Liza with a man she didn't know, the other with Ben and the same man. Rose sat there holding the photos for the longest time examining them before getting up and going to Ben for answers on who the man was. At first glance at the photos, it was clear didn't recognize the man in the photos, but the longer he looked at them, it was like something was coming back to him. It then looked like Ben was hit with a ton of bricks, Rose could see the memories Ben had forgotten about flooding back into his mind. She watched as a smile came to this lips and tears filled his eyes as he stared at the man in the photos. When she asked again who the man was, Ben told her his name was Dean Winchester and what he had done for him and Lisa and how they had all lived together at one point. Of course, Rose thought her father was pulling her leg when he spoke about Dean saving her father and grandmother from monsters because she believed that there was no such thing as monsters and things that go bump in the night. They were just stories to scare kids into being good and doing what they were told. She soon learned that Vampires, Werewolves, Demons, and other storybook creatures were in fact real and could pass themselves off as normal humans without anyone noticing them. After that, she became obsessed with learning all she could about Dean Winchester and the things that go bump in the night in her spare time, being fascinated by all of it instead of scared of it. By her mid-teens, Rose was pretty well versed in most things that went bump in the night, even if she hadn't encountered anything. Though that all changed just after her sixteenth birthday. One night walking home after a party, she was attacked by a tall man dressed in all black. Said man turned out to be a Vampire. To say she wasn't scared would have been a lie, to finally come face to face with a creature she had read about was terrifying but that fear soon turned into a strength she didn't know she had. The will to live and not become a meal for a Vampire took over her fear and gave her the strength to fight against the Vampire, and lucky for her, she had a knife on her that she had started to carry after learning about the supernatural. It wasn't a terribly large knife, but it would definitely get the job done. The Vampire almost seemed to enjoy that he found one that was willing to fight back and give him a challenge, but what he didn't expect was for this girl to have a weapon on her. After a long and exhausting fight, Rose finally won the battle against the Vampire and killed it, and did as lore had described doing to make sure he stayed dead. She then returned home battered and bruised and explained what happened to her worried father as he patched her up. It was that event that sent her to take on the life of a hunter, to keep others from having to go through what she did and possibly become or lose their life to a creature that went bump in the night. Of course, her father didn't like it but knew if he tried to stop her she would still find a way to do it with how strong-willed she was. So for a while, he took on the life of a hunter with her, not wanting her to do it alone, and met up with other hunters who were willing to show them the ropes. As she grew older, she took on more cases by herself and helped other hunters on their cases when they'd call for help. Later on, she learned that Dean Winchester had been killed on a case, and with that, her dream of meeting him was shattered but she was still determined to keep what he and his brother had started going and not let the supernatural take over.</s> <|message|>Margret Winchester A.K.A Maggie Maggie Winchester "Gah!" Maggie jumped out of her skin and spun around hearing Rose behind her in the doorway to the kitchen. Did people knock? Or at least walk heavy enough so she could anticipate a voice just coming out of nowhere? "Rose, oh my god you walk so quietly..." She half exclaimed, half sighed as she looked at the young woman before her with tired eyes. In this state, she wasn't surprised that she could just read her like a book considering how her night has done. Both kids had nightmares, which was rare. But poor Bobby, DJ shouldn't have been telling them scary stories before bed he had such an active imagination at his age. His poor mind didn't need to be fixating on vampires before going to bed! He was so scared that he was going to be bitten and then have to be beheaded... Oh DJ got an earful from her when they settled back into bed. "I know I look, well, like a tired mom. The twins had nightmares and Bobby was a bit hysterical so it took quite a while to calm his little mind down. He has an overactive imagination- like his mother." She joked a little, not minding the slight dig at herself as Rosalie gently led her away from the counter and sat her in the chair to make a pot of coffee. She was quiet, listening to her speak here and there until a steaming mug of freshly brewed life source was place in front of her and she smiled, giving a nod of gratitude before bringing it to her lips and sighing as it filled her mouth. A stiff mug of black coffee was all she needed to wake right up no matter what had happened the night before. "Speaking of that," she finally quipped when she mug was lowered back onto the table. "DJ said he heard about a few things but they're a bit far. New Mexico had small cases- nothing the local hunters can't figure out. But there looked to be a djinn in Maine, and some vampires in Washington. Unfortunately nothing central." She listed off what her husband had looked up last night before going to bed. He weirdly enough enjoyed looking up cases for us, reminding Maggie of his father every so often.</s> <|message|>Rosalie Braeden Rosalie Braeden Rosalie couldn't stop the smile that came to her lips and the small laugh when she announced her presence to Maggie, her reaction and words had forced the smile to her lips. It wasn't the first time she had heard the words, her father, mother, and grandmother had all told her the same thing when she was younger. She could think back on times when she had scared all three by coming upon them quietly and startled them and they would laugh about it. It also proved to be a great skill for when she was in school and was bullied, she had used her quietness and small size to her advantage and put a stop to it in a hurry. When Rose led Maggie to the table, she nodded to Maggie's words with a small laugh at the joke she made. She did look like a tired mom but that was to be expected after losing sleep when it came to trying to calm down your child from a horrible nightmare. Both her parents had done the same with her on many occasions. What was it with men telling their children scary stories before bed? Was it some sort of test to see how much they could tell them before they were beyond terrified? After taking a seat at the table, she watched Maggie for a moment before looking down at her bowl, taking her spoon, and bringing a bite to her mouth. When Maggie answered her question, she looked up from her bowl and nodded as she spoke. New Mexico, Maine, and Washington. That is a bit far. she thought to herself. Setting her spoon back in her bowl, she chewed the bite she was working on and swallowed. "Then I guess it looks like we're going on a road trip." she said in an upbeat tone, trying to make light of the news. "Or were you thinking of flying?" she added. As much as she disliked flying, she'd do it just to make sure a monster was dealt with so it couldn't kill or harm any more innocent people. "I'm up for either way as long as it means some monsters are dealt with…. That is if you plan on going that far. I know it'll be a bit difficult with the twins." Rose then fell silent to hear what Maggie had to say about the trip. As she waited for her response, she went back to eating her breakfast before it could get too soggy. Even if Maggie didn't go, just to stay behind with the twins, Rose felt the need to go just to make sure the Djinn and Vampires were taken care of. She couldn't just sit around the bunker waiting for another case to pop up that was closer and hope that another hunter showed up to take care of the Djinn and Vampires in Maine and Washington.</s> <|message|>Margret Winchester A.K.A Maggie Maggie Winchester "I am all for a road trip and you know it." She half smiled, taking another big sip from her mug, holding it to her chest as she began to think. Why take the fun out of the job by flying, that was so expensive and they would never be able to harbor the weapons they'd need on a plane! The car would do just fine.... "We can't take what we need on a flight. Yes, it would cut down on time but let's be realistic here. No one can bring anything to protect themselves through TSA. What if something happens in the cabin? We are left to dealing with hand to teeth combat." She sighed, finally bringing the mug down onto the table. "We're driving. We'll round up who we can, but I think we are overdue for a trip to the Pacific Northwest. I can call up the East Coast sector and see if they can start to handle it while we figure out the West." She explained, her mind beginning to organize itself into what needed to be done through their sister sector, and what they could do themselves. Creating one large, intertwined community across the country was something that she was actively working on- trying to continue what Sam and Dean had started decades ago. It fell apart after Sam dropped off a little, and even more so when he was focusing on Dean and his other children. Maggie decided to pick up the mantle and attempt at the connection one more time- finding it fruitful and beneficial in terms of keeping up to date on numbers, clusters, covens and packs around the country. Even though DJ did research, he mostly just heard whispers from other groups of hunters in the web, or emails sent through to them. It was always gong to be a behind the scenes work in progress in tandem with what they were coordinating at their own central location.</s>

<|message|>Rosalie Braeden A soft and small smile came to Rose's lips at Maggie's reply. She knew how much she enjoyed road trips, especially when it came to taking care of monsters to help the innocent. "Yes, I do know that. I just like watching your reaction when I bring it up." she said with a slight laugh. She then fell silent and worked on finishing her breakfast as she listened to Maggie talk, nodding every now and then to show she was listening. It was clear that the coffee was doing its job and helping her mind organize itself and waking her up from her sleepless night. Once Maggie was done speaking, Rose nodded once again in acknowledgement and her own mind began to start working through things. There were a few people that she could contact on her end to come and help, that was if they weren't busy themselves. She also needed to call and check in with her father, it had been some time since she had spoken to him about everything that had been going on. Setting her spoon down in her bowl, she swallowed her bite and looked over at Maggie. "There's a few calls I can make so we can have some extra hands on this. After that, I'll get to work gathering the supplies we need and checking the cars to make sure they are ready for the trip." she gave a soft smile to Maggie, then finished her breakfast. She figured it would be best to take separate cars on this trip. Plus, it would help them take everything they may need and they wouldn't be packed into one car like sardines. Two of the calls she planned to make were to two she knew would jump at the chance to take down Djinns and Vampires. She just hoped that they weren't too busy to help out with this, since they could use all the help they could get being away from the place they called home. The thought of calling them and having them agree to help, made a small smile tug at the corner of her mouth. Not only would it be great to have their help on this, it would also be great to see them after all the time that had passed since they saw each other last. Pushing her chair back from the table, Rose stood up from the table with a stretch, grabbed her dishes, and walked over to the sink. Once there, she washed and dried them and put them away. She then grabbed herself a coffee cup from the cupboard and made herself a cup of hot cocoa, since she wasn't that fond of coffee. Before heading back over to the table, she retrieved the whipped cream from the refrigerator and put a good amount on the top of her hot cocoa and a spoonful before putting it back up. "I'll leave you to wake the rest of the way up and have some time to yourself before you do what you need to." Rose smiled, as she placed a hand on Maggie's shoulder. "If you need me for anything, you know how to get my attention." She then gave her shoulder a pat as she laughed softly and walked out of the kitchen to do what she needed as she brought her cup to her lips to take a sip of it carefully. She decided to go back to the garage and finish the work on her car while making her phone calls, so she could kill two birds with one stone. Not to mention, she was already covered in grease from her first round from this morning. So to her, it was better to finish her first job then to start another, then go back to the first later. Once in the garage, she took another sip of her cocoa as she walked over to her tool box, then set her cup down in a spot she had designated for cups she had brought in with her. Going to the driver's door and opening it, she found the lever for the hood. Once the hood popped, she shut the door and walked to the hood and opened it. After a quick set up of what she would need, she pulled her phone from her pocket and scrolled through her contacts. Finding the first, Rose selected the name and waited for it to start ringing before tapping the speakerphone button and getting to work again.</s>

<|description|>Lily "Lightning" Hanson Character List Puchuu:Lily Emily Angel of Hope Lesser Force:Hilaria Connie Violet/MDP Roxanna Coco Deity:Alexander Mia The Beacon:Penny Anaya Alicia Horror:Mariette Mayra The Ebon Mint: Solo:Ronin/Deni Eli Crimson Cradle:Silhouette Finnegan Oliver NPC: NPCs Age (Magical Girl): 13 Age (Before Magical Girl): 20 Gender: Female Gender (Before Magical Girl): Female Appearance: Regular/Skimpy Specialization: 1.Lightning 2. Time Weapon: Ramuh: A powerful Dual Weapon, able to transform between two weapons: a bow with a string made of static electricity that can rapidly launch arrows of thunder, or a staff that Lily can use to channel her raw power into devastating magic, able to launch bolts of lightning, and even call storms from the sky when using her full power. Power: 1. Killing Blow: Lily can channel her magic into a spell of mass destruction using Wrath of Zeus, calling down an extremely powerful bolt of lightning that shakes the earth and deafens those nearby with a roaring display of nature's power, annihilating almost any enemy and turning them into ash. 2. Barrage: Lily can accelerate the use of her weapon to immense speed, able to shoot with the rate of a machine gun and overwhelm a group of enemies with lightning arrows, raining down upon them like a storm. Perks: Dual Weapon: Lily's weapon Ramuh can either take the form of a bow, or a staff adorned with the head of her patron Ixion, complete with a zig-zagging horn that can be used as a poor melee weapon in a pinch. Monstrous Metamorphosis: When Lily is in danger or agitated enough, the power coursing through her takes over, and she adopts bestial traits of her patron Ixion. She gains a zig-zagging horn on her head, as well as fur that covers her body and yellow eyes alongside improvements in physical abilities (+2 STR, AGI and VIT). However, she also loses conscious control, driven by instinct. Closure: As part of her contract, Lily demanded that she would be wiped from the memories of her family and friends, so they would lead happy lives without her. Not having to worry about attachments of the past, she has gone full speed ahead. Get out of Jail: Lily is an especially slippery Magical Girl, able to escape even the direst of situations by turning into reversed lightning, often leaving as quickly as she arrived. Enhanced Sustenance: Lily hates to slow down for meaningless things like sleeping and eating, and has managed to overpower such limitations, easily going for longer than others of her kind with an abundance of energy. Patron: Puchuu Patron Benefits (Not Applicable with exception of Free Agent): Mental Link: Lily can talk to Ixion in her mind, able to keep a steady conversation in the middle of combat thanks to her brain running at accelerated speed from her lightning magic. This gives her an innate advantage against some foes, as her patron can pin-point strategies on the fly without her slowing down. Focused: Lily's magic can be erratic and unpredictable, and so Ixion helps her direct the current with the path of least resistance, able to use more magic and offset the rapid consumption of her powers. Mana Font: Ixion's energy courses through Lily with crackling intensity, a useful benefit for a power so consuming and demanding as hers. Genki Girl: Lily can keep running and running until the day the world ends, but she just never seems to run out of breath. Being friends with an entity of such a lively element has it's advantages. Transportation: Ixion can turn into an awesome motorcycle that can drive with a top speed of 200 km/h, easily able to cross the city in mere minutes while enjoying the wind on her back. It is also an electric vehicle, and doesn't expel gas at all. So useful! After she gained Time magic, Lily also modified her motocycle to incorporate time motifs, including clock wheels. Free Agent: Lily no longer has to obey Ixion's wishes. Patron Drawbacks (Not Applicable with exception of Lonely): Big Brother: Ixion is always there to watch over her, whether in good or bad. However, Lily was always happy that he was there to keep him company, and help her forget her past life. Alien Mind: Ixion comes from a different world with it's own laws and views on morality, and thus often spends it's time wondering about the machinations of humanity. Due to this it tends to not interfere with human-born issues, only focused on the slaying of monsters and other dark entities. Formless: Whenever Ixion doesn't materialize into a vehicle, he can only manifest as a crackling mass of lightning, not being able to affect the real world directly in much capacity. Well, that just means Lily has to do the work, which she doesn't mind at all. Lonely: Lily no longer has Ixion to support her. Fighting Style: Lily is all about speed, and hit-and-run tactics are her forte. She can rapidly bombard her opposition with arrows from multiples angles while dodging and weaving out of the way of attacks coming her way. She is bad in melee combat, but if she chooses to take the risk, she can accelerate the flow of her blood with electricity, boosting her speed and strength at a serious loss to her health. Stats (Untransformed): STR: 3 AGI: 5 VIT: 3 MAG: 3 LCK: 4 Stats (Transformed): These start at 4. STR: 5 AGI: 22 (+4 Platinum Coin) (+4 Ruby Coin) VIT: 5 MAG: 12 LCK: 6 Personality: Lily is an outgoing and energetic girl, constantly smiling and laughing wherever she goes. However, while she can be nice to others, she also has a smug streak to her, often being brash and confrontational, with a large ego to her. The outward personality hides a sad existence, however... History: Contract: One day, when Lily once again cursed her existence and the misfortune she has lived through, she wished out loud that she could do what she want without anybody bearing down on her. Then, storm clouds gathered, and a tree right in front of her was split by a thunderbolt. From the burning wreckage Ixion's crackling shape emerged, and she heard his voice in her mind, asking her to help keep peace and exterminate the monsters, as well as defeat ay other forces who sought his destruction. Lily agreed to it on the condition that she could leave her former life with no regrets, and set forth with a wide smile. During the events of Lunacy of Love, Lily witnessed the assassination of Victoria Reales, a Puchuu girl who tried to unite the magical girls of Penrose. After meeting with friendly and less friendly people, Lily was caught up in a fight against a mysterious group of villains, and ended up captured by the orders of Justine von Visceral, the mastermind behind both the assassination and the terrorist attack on Beacon. She was believed to be a girl of pure heart, and her blood would have been sacrificed for a terrible Horror's summoning. Fortunately, a band of heroes, including Lily's close friend Alex, stormed the Viscerals' keep, and rescued her. After a bittersweet farewell with the defeated Justine, Lily was left with her hat as a memento, which she decided to keep as she rode off to a new adventure. Incantation: "Let my spirit gallop across the field of clouds, and strike my foes down with thunderous applause!" Additional Info: None</s> <|message|>Sol Invictus, The Cleansing Sun, He who shall smite the darkness with his righteous light. 20/13|Male/Male|Reinforcement, Beast Mystic, Melee|Duplication, Tentacles|Deity Enhanced Sustenance, Awareness, Masculinity, Fated, Sorcery, Gifted, Absolute Direction Paragon, Blessing, Clergy, Mana Fount, Gifted Item Arrogance, Unknown, Loud, Big Brother Lily had seemed so gung-ho about heading to Bolorton, that it hadn't occurred to him that she might not have a solution to the problem of travel time. With a sigh, he responded "I mean, besides me making a road in the sky, and you doing something funky with Time magic, not really. I'm personally not that well equipped for cross-city rapid response stuff." A thought then occurred to him "Hey, do you think anyone else is organize some kind of rescue or something? If there is someone, then we could just tag along with them."</s> <|message|>Finnegan Vanhorn "Back to the old grind." "Some roadtrip this is!" - Finn and Oliver Thanks to his finding, Finn and Oliver made plans to travel to Bolorton ahead of time. Maura let the former borrow Eliza's old motorcycle to preserve whatever energy saved for the ambush. Er, not exactly an ambush, more or less an interception there of. That left Valerie and the other few members left in Penrose, whatever Justine decided to do about it was none of Maura's concern anymore. She had worse thing to worry about. Of course the duo kept in touch with the android girl in case anything happened during their travels. So when Valerie tuned into the livestream too... "Shit, they beat us to the punch! Hurry up you idiots!!" Finn cursed under his breath and stepped on the gas, laws of the road be damned at a time like this. "What's going on Val?!" "Terrorist acts, that's what! They're bombing the damn place and- Oh no." "Oh no?? Val, need details here, talk to me!" It was like he could hear her grimace. "Looks like they took the local magical girl there hostage, or worse, they could've executed her on the spot. If there was any indication of that, the livestream cut off before I could tell. I'll see what else I can get from the footage!" The boy grit his teeth. Not unexpected of Wonderland to resort to bloodshed first, after their soldiers threatened to shoot him. Wouldn't be long before others come to fight too. Hah. They'd probably be cleaned out easy-peasy when Penny barges into the picture with her sidepiece Amanda cared for too much. Should he even bother with this? ...Nah, that line of thought was too spiteful right now. He and Oliver can atleast stall the soldiers long enough for back up to arrive. The same Oliver that pat his shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. "We can handle this, just like back then, okay?" The ghost's mouth quirked up into a smile. Yeah. Oliver was basically a one-man (one-ghost?) army on his own time. This time, they were ready to fight together. Finn calmed down a bit. The situation was still tense, but he was calm enough to focus. "Right, let's get these assholes!" Revving up the motorcycle's engine, the duo sped off towards the town of Bolorton.</s>

<|message|>Lily "Lightning" Hanson After Caroline's purification, Justine reluctantly brought her to the Crimson Cradle headquarters, giving her own bed to her long-lost sibling while she slept on the couch or an unoccupied room Maura may have had there. Initially, Justine was glad to have reunited with her, and showered her with constant attention. Caroline seemed to adjust well to the change in scenery, or rather, she didn't seem to react at all. She silently stared at everyone for most of the time, and when she rarely spoke, it was only to Justine, and in short sentences. In time, Justine's enthusiasm gave way to awkwardness and apathy, having realized that not everything would be fixed once Father's influence was gone. They weren't a happy family, but a pair of traumatized girls, their former madness having served as a buffer to the issues within them. Justine continued serving Maura, patrolling the city and exterminating rogue monsters. She grew more confident and diligent in her work, yet a certain distance also gradually formed between her and the Witch of Death. While Justine was grateful, she was also wary of her, especially if she attempted to approach Caroline any further than usual. Still, Caroline's unusual behavior continued to unsettle her. One day, as twilight descended upon Penrose, Justine stood over the town hall, having decided to give Lily a phone call. The energetic girl immediately responded. "Hi, Justy! Been a while since we've talked~ How are you and Carol been doing?" Justine sighed. "Hello, Lily. That is actually why I called you in the first place." Justine sat down at the edge of the roof, letting her feet dangle in the air. "Caroline has been eating and sleeping regularly. And she doesn't show any signs of physical sickness. But…I can tell she is not well." Lily lowered her tone, having realized this was not a regular chatting session. "Oh, that sounds serious. Is there something about her behavior that concerns you?" "Yes. She rarely talks, and doesn't show much emotion in her expressions. She also has nightmares nearly every night. I think she is mentally ill." "Have you taken her to a psychiatrist? That could help her." Justine blinked. "What is that?" "They are someone who deals with mental illnesses. I think there was one in Silverburg…Yep, I can send a link to their webpage over Glimmr." "Uh, are you sure about this, Lily? That this psych…er could help? She won't be sentenced to a madhouse?" "Oh no no no, madhouses haven't existed for centuries now. Today's mental healthcare has improved by bounds. You can trust me on this." Justine sighed, but then nodded to herself. "Okay then. Thank you for the advice, Lily. Goodbye." "Talk to you later! Byeee!" As she closed the phone, she saw as the lights in the city began popping up, starting from the nearest streetlight and spreading into the distance like countless stars. --- In present day, Justine had returned back to Penrose after she took Caroline on a follow up visit from Silverburg. Her concerns were remedied when the psychiatrist explained they would start with simple sessions to ease Caroline into the process. She happened to spot as Finn and Oliver rode off on a motorcycle, and flew after them. "What's going on? Did something happen?" She yelled from behind them.</s>

<|description|>Mariette Pedersen Name (Before Magical Girl): Lina Herring Age (Magical Girl): 15 Age (Before Magical Girl): 4 (Horror doesn't care.) Gender: Female Gender (Before Magical Girl): Female Appearance: Mariette is a tall girl of slender but otherwise average frame. Her hair is long and white straight when transformed, blonde wavy when untransformed. She typically has a calm expression on her face. She tends to dress somewhat extravagantly, her transformed state wears elaborate black dresses while her untransformed self typically also endorsed herself with accessories. She's often seen squeezing a large stuffed animal in the shape of a rabbit. Her right eye is constantly under an eyepatch, but she hasn't actually lost it. Untransformed, she looks like a very regular blonde 15-year old, wearing glasses and regularly overdressing herself in hats and coats as well as generally gazing off into the vast distance with no purpose.</s> <|message|>The Lord of Nightmares Connie 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 5 | 4 | 6 | 22 | 5 Oddball: Nightmares | Tentacles Enhanced Weapon | Power Artifact | Mystic Artifact | Ally | Interdimensional Home Focused | Mental Link | Hidden Death | Mana Font | Mystic Might Alien Mind | Formless | Rival Force | Clueless --- Mia 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 5 | 8 | 7 | 22 | 5 Wood | Barrage Enhanced Weapon | Dual Weapon | Purification Artifact | Big Red Button Blessing | Divine Competence | Gifted Item | Mana Font | Mystic Might Rites| Arrogance | Big Brother | Clueless The night of the wendigo attack… Listening to Ronin plead her case for Sann's innocence, Gaia couldn't help but frown. She liked the small samurai, but felt the girl was just a little too naive and trusting for her own good. Much like my dearest Connie, the verdant maiden reflected as she glanced over to her very worried friend. However, less than a minute later, Ronin seemed to be proven correct as the dark valkyrie reappeared with Justine and Caroline, but while the excitable samurai seemed to think everything was now okay, Miko wasted no time in questioning Sann's actions. Gaia turned a focused gaze upon the strange winged girl as she gave her reply, some vague explanation of how Caroline needed additional healing in a "place of less chaos", before going off on a tangent of various complaints. What a drama queen… Gaia thought as she tried to keep from rolling her eyes. She's almost as bad as Sakura… Of course, her beloved Connie was probably just glad that everyone was okay, and if the Daughter of Mother Earth was being charitable, she might also believe such an explanation and thank the valkyrie like Ronin and Miko were now doing. But something about Sann's story was clearly off. Something had definitely happened in the Overcity, something more than a simple healing. Still, as the valkyrie had said, everything seemed to be fine now, especially with Justine administering a purification potion to her sister. Gaia was just about to offer her own begrudging words of thanks, when an annoyed Sann melodramatically voiced her displeasure at the lack of appreciation for her services and warned that she might not provide her help again in the future. Then she took wing and flew out of sight. Good riddance… Gaia grumbled to herself, before her focus shifted to her dearest friend, who had become quite upset by Sann's parting comments. "I-I d-didn't m-mean t-to o-offend her…" Connie whimpered plaintively as she nervously fidgeted with her hair. "I-It's j-just t-that w-we a-already ate…" "It's okay, little sister," Gaia told the distraught girl soothingly as she gave her a calming shoulder massage. "Something tells me that sharing a meal with someone like that would not be a particularly pleasant experience. And while everything does appear to have turned out all right," she added, addressing Ronin and Miko. "I would be hesitant to put my trust in Miss Sanngridr. I believe there was something more to her little Overcity trip that she neglected to tell us, so I think we would do well to watch our backs around her." From what Gaia could tell of Valerie's expression before she and the ex-vampire sisters had departed, the android girl also held similar suspicions. The Daughter of Mother Earth only hoped that whatever possibly sinister designs the dark valkyrie was planning would be thwarted before they came to fruition… --- One week later… Once again, an ordinary evening for Connie and Mia had been shattered by news of an urgent emergency. This time, it was a text from Lily, telling of an attack on a small town called Bolorton and asking if they would go there with her and help repel it. Naturally, both friends were more than a little hesitant. This sounded really dangerous, and was taking place far outside of Penrose. Yet, Connie's desire to stand with her friends and help those in need outweighed her considerable trepidation, and if that's what she had decided, then Mia wasn't about to leave her side. So it was that the two friends found themselves at Penrose Park (or one of them, anyway), along with Lily, Alex, and a handful of Penrose's other magical defenders. "H-Hi L-Lily!" Connie called with a shaky wave. "W-We c-came as s-soon as w-we c-could!" "Pardon my asking, but how do you intend for us to make the trip to Bolorton?" Gaia inquired. "Shall Miss Mariette be providing her assistance this evening?"</s> <|message|>Penny Asimov. The Builder. Queen of Penrose. Steel Titan. Theme .:⋮Answering the call⋮:. (21) | (21) | (21) | (9) | (4) (Metal & Lightning & Gravity) | (Regen & Prime) (Bile) | (Tooth and Claw) | (Elemental) | (Enhanced Uniform) | (Imortality) (Monstrous Metamorph) | (Legacy) | (Enhanced Weapon) | (Dual Weapon) | (Gifted) (ManaFont) (Redirected magic) | (Second spec) | (Transport) (Broken reincarnation) | (Non standard limbs) | (Debt) Penny turned over the line of text that she had received just a few moments ago in her mind a few times as she continued cataloging the Sanctuaries current supplies. She knew that she was on Lily's short list, even if that list wasn't really all that short, but the call to action this time was one that Penny had a hard time justifying an immediate call to action for, at least from a personal standpoint. The fact that this attack on the neighboring city was almost assuredly the first part of Wonderland's offensive wasn't to be discounted however. But could Penny risk going herself? That was the question at the moment. She was the leader of the girls here, and an acknowledged defender of Penrose. The fact that Beacon seemed to allow her stance of being Queen was still a surprise if she was honest, but the fact that they did gave legitimacy to the title, which lent more responsibility to the role and more weight to her actions. Which made her choice of following up on Lily's call to arms all the more difficult. She had a responsibility to make sure the girls here were taken care of, but Wonderland was an active and looming threat so they weren't something Penny could just ignore either. She played around with different courses of action until she was done fully cataloging everything the Sanctuary had to work with. They were still in the black, but not by much. Walking out of the storage she sought out Goblina to give the supply count to, afterwards she tracked down Ashlyn. "I need the twins and Sann" She's state "Have them meet me at this park. Wonderland is making a move on a nearby city and we need intel. I'll keep you updated on if I'm going to be leaving as well, but that depends on who all from our fair city is also leaving." She'd explain. "Not going to leave us open incase everyone is heading over there" The two of them shared a few more words, covering the final details about the Sanctuaries move into the Earth Bastion and then Penny was on her way to meet up with Lily. Time to see how the start of this war was going to go she supposed. "I'm kinda curious as to what we know about what is going on over there as well" Penny would add after Gaia's question. Her own arrival going unnoticed due to a small use of Gravity, lowering the weight of her own presence.</s> <|message|>Finnegan Vanhorn "I can be active too. >:^" - Valerie With everyone and their mothers going out of town for something or another, Valerie opted to stay in Penrose in case something happened. Besides, she couldn't exactly hack into the security cams in Bolorton without being there. Not yet. Maybe some day when she's stronger. For now, the android girl decided to step away from her post and look for some scrap metal to use for her supercomputer. Or maybe just stuff to build shit with, who cares? Her search eventually let to a nearby scrapyard. Valerie's metal magic allowed her to scrounge through the heaps upon mills for anything that could prove useful. But she still kept an eye on things, the light of her HUD subtely flickering between screens and the works. Then someone decided to say hello. Wordlessly, Valerie's head spun over to look at Iron Mouse. Until she mentioned she was tracking down a certain undead boy. What the hell did you get yourself into, Kyle... Her dumbfounded expression said enough. As if in response, the new girl then went on to explain that she didn't have a patron, and was thinking either Oliver or one of his acquaintances could help her get a new one. "It's only a temporary trip out of town. One of the neighboring cities are under attack, so I wouldn't be surprised if anyone else goes to try and play hero." Valerie explained with a shrug. "We're both under the same patron if that's what you're guessing. But...I'll be fair with you, shit's tense in our group at the moment. If you still wanna place your bets on her, I can call the boss and she'll swing by in a short bit." --- "Do Plus Two invitations exist?" "I feel a sudden disturbance in the force. Six what the fuck did you do-" - Finn and Oliver With Finn having to focus on the road ahead, Oliver had to be the one to answer Justine's question. The ghost turned his head to look back at her. "Wonderland's being a prick to another town and we're gonna kick their butts. Wanna come?" He casually answered. "Was hoping we'd be early enough to intercept them..." Finn growled under his breath. He then explained what he could to Justine, the possible hostage situation and the possibility they'll have to help evacuate Bolorton's citizens, the bombing and the livestream. "We gotta keep an eye out for the spades and the clubs, clubs are the usual soldiers but spades are the specialists, they'll be harder to fight. Hearts are the leaders, but that's kind of obvious isn't it? Their weaponry is enchanted, they can penetrate through combat armor. Got all that?"</s>

<|message|>Mariette Pedersen Mariette had an issue. The issue was the glowing envelope in her hand that informed her it was time for the party. That in itself would not have been an issue, but in her other hand she held her phone which had a message from Lily asking more than just herself to gather in the park and prepare to be portalled to the rescue somewhere away from Penrose. Now, Mariette would normally just have messaged Lily that she was busy… but the issue was that without Mariette, the whole gathering in the park would not be able to reach their destination, and that would be a betrayal of Lily's expectation and she'd be known as the person that couldn't help people, probably. Quite a few conflicting emotions going on, there. She was currently located in her room in her new base of operations. Which was super not as hidden as her previous base, because her hidden dimension was ruined. Instead, she was just located in a small decorated space dug into a mountain not too far from Penrose, which anyone with Absolute Direction would be able to find in moments. Fortunately, she had all sorts of security keeping track if anyone was mustering an attack and, more importantly, she wasn't living with anything of value and as such could vacate the place with a portal and everything would be fine. Right, let's get ready. Mariette, of course, was not changing at all. Her normal transformed attire was good enough for any fine-class outing. The same could not be said for her selected partner. It could not be Mayra, because Mayra was decently likely to utterly ruin the party by simply existing, so Mariette had selected a more tactful partner. However, the door opened and… 'Heeeey, Mariette! How do I look? Pure and sweet like an angel, right?' asked the very much not particularly pure and sweet girl that, strangely enough, did look quite pure and sweet with white flowing hair, blue eyes, a gentle smile, a white dress with black frills, black ribbons in her hair, slender metallic arms and sizable chest… This, of course, was actually but all dressed up. There was also the fact Jelena is physically only seven years old, she was making herself look taller with metal. Blue contacts to look less evil. That "chest" of hers were also just two metal clumps shaped in an inappropriate way. Which, of course, Jelena thought was absolutely hilarious. '… You look adequate. Give me a bit, I need to do something before we leave,' Mariette said, turning to a drawer and fishing up one of the gems she'd received in that deal with Shion a while ago. It was already charged, she just needed to direct it a bit. She held it close to her chest and focused her powers… 'Adequate? ADEQUATE!? I look —-ing great!' Jelena cursed beyond her apparent age, crossed her metal limbs and pouted unhappily while waiting for Mariette to finish. Right. Now she simply had to pick a suitable champion. Also, did she understand that maybe a bunch of people wouldn't be in Penrose for the time being? … Good. After she was done, she'd go to the place where Wonderland had invited her. ... With a pair of small defensive artifact she'd had Taihei make her and Jelena. Because she didn't want to be afflicted with weird spells. __________________________________________ So, at the park. There were some people gathered. And then suddenly there was someone jumping off a skyscraper and slam down into the ground near them with no regard for who or what might have seen her or how much it might disturb those present. The kneeling, scaled and partly on fire lady looked up, and… 'Hiiii!' she waved at them. 'Mariette is kinda busy right now with something she says she absolutely can't miss, so this event has kinda poor timing, but she she sent me, anyway! She put a portal spell inside me that I can use a single time, so tell me when you want to go! I can apparently send you there whenever you like! … Once! And not back, it's a one-way-portal-trip until Mariette gets back!' Mayra says, grinning happily at those present.</s>

<|description|>John Marshall Personnel Dossier --- Age 23 Physical Evaluation Marshall is a short, wiry man plagued by perpetual exhaustion. Purplish black bags under his eyes mar his peaky brown skin. He walks with his feet dragging behind him and stands with a deep hunch, making him appear even smaller than he ought to. Its obvious John cares little for his appearance. His clothes are patched and stained, his hair unkempt and greasy and his expression stuck in a gloomy half-frown. The only thing he shows even the barest consideration to is the old bomber jacket he never parts from, the name "U. Marshall" stitched over its left-breast pocket. Psychological Profile * High-strung * Practical * Strong intuition * Addictive personality Background Information Born the son of a Sol Union Naval officer, John Marshall was floating in Zero G before he learned to walk. Like most void children, growing up in the artificial gravity and confined spaces of a starship has shaped not only his physiology but also his mindset. John has little patience for wasted oxygen or overly convoluted solutions to simple problems. He's grown so accustomed to solitude that any extended time around other people gives him physical headaches. Try as his father might he could never get John to conform to the rigid military discipline of the Union. The boy cared little for nine-hundred page manuals; he knew all he needed in his gut. With adulthood aboard a Union vessel came conscription into its navy. Marshall was integrated into the flotilla's Exoframe program given his high marks in simulations. He proved naturally resilient to the high Gs that followed rapid maneuvers in a light frame. Time and training smoothed out his flaws as a pilot, though he never quite adapted to working in a squadron. A distrust of authority and short temper brought him into conflict with many a superior. Anyone else would've been court marshaled after the first incident, but John's surname shielded him from the worst consequences of his actions. His father's death put an end to that. John Marshall was less-than-honorably discharged a week after his father's funeral. Naval police were in the process of investigating John for possession of illegal substances when he finally bailed from the fleet he'd spent the first twenty years of his life in, taking his inheritance with him. The first thing he did when his feet hit port was purchase an Exoframe of his own. The second thing? Sit down with a recruiter from Vox Fortuna. Exoframe --- Designation Ulysses Weight Class Light Description ImageThe Ulysses is an old model from Polyhedron Manufacturing's Stormbird Interceptor IV line. Its a fast-attack Exoframe designed for maximum agility in close range dogfights, outperforming every other frame in its generation...three gens ago. Stormbirds haven't been deployed by a major military for well over twenty years, lacking the advanced interia dampeners and beefier shielding of modern interceptors. The Ulysses is a venerable machine even by Stormbird standards; it passed its expiration date a long time ago. Half of its systems require constant repairs and the other half barely function. It leans heavily to the right when in-flight, its seeker missiles have a habit of chasing ghosts and its inertia dampeners can shutdown mid-fight- knocking Marshall out on more than one occasion. Equipment and Armament H-11 ELP Carbine: The H-11 Exoframe Light Pulse Carbine is a close range, rapid fire laser rifle with a shortened barrel. It performs best against lightly shielded hard targets and unarmored soft targets, e.g other light frames and enemy infantry or technicals. Highly effective in air-to-air dogfights. Can have it's barrel replaced with a longer variant for increased effective range at the cost of maneuverability. Hornet Hunter Seeker Missiles: Hornet Hunter seeker missiles are the Ulysses's go-to weapon for destroying enemy Exoframes and air craft once they've been stripped of their shields with its primary weapon. These hornets lock on to the heat signatures of hostile frames and pursuit them using their highly advanced guidance system- a system riddled with bugs, often locking the hornets on to the ghosts of non-existent signatures. DSS 'Centurion' Light Shield: Manufactured by Durus Security Systems, the 'Centurion' is an aftermarket replacement for the Stormbird's original shield projector. It can protect the Ulysses from a moderate amount of small arms fire or a glancing blow from a heavy weapon but little else; its designed to be fragile but quick to recharge, utilizing the user's speed to slip in and out of combat to its maximum potential. Advanced Maneuvering Thrusters Suite: The Ulysses is equipped with top-shelf maneuvering thrusters for precise attitude control at high speeds. The AMTS is what allows the Ulysses- and all Stormbird models- to effectively evade enemy fire while maintaining line-of-sight for its own weapons. Paired with the exoframe's equally powerful main thruster, the AMTS allows the Ulysses to hit far above its weight class through sheer agility alone. The primary drawback being the prohibitively expensive and rare fuel, produced exclusively by Polyhedron Manufacturing and its subsidiaries.</s> <|message|>Marlowe Beltras Location: Hall, Fortuna | In Transit --- "Mmpf!" Marlowe barely had time for his mind to register the small frame that slammed into him, only to fall backward onto her derriere. He looked down and suddenly his face grew pale: oh shit. On the ground, scowling like a rabid animal, was one Maeve Puckett. The reason why he'd avoided the armory. He was fucked. Marlowe quickly knelt down and offered his hand, which he should have known better to. She was just as likely to swat it away or just gnaw on it until he bled. Well, maybe. It wasn't as if he'd spent time getting to know the angry gremlin of a woman. He'd stayed out of her way and tried to keep in his own lane. It was what he did best: fitting into the background and not knocking women with severe anger issues onto the ground! At least, until today. "You alright there?" He offered to her in as kind a voice as he could get out, hiding the tinges of fear with an air of false compassion and worry. The only compassion and worry he held was towards himself and his ability to continue to breathe, eat and shit (in roughly that order).</s> <|message|>Maeve Puckett Location: Corridor Pathways, Fortuna | In Transit --- The likelihood of receiving a punch from Maeve after making a fool of her was generally high. Nine times out of ten the result would be violence, screaming, or a combination of both. But for some reason this was that rare times that today was the tenth time out of ten. Maeve had seen Marlowe before, certainly, but the two had never exchanged words in any substantial way. There weren't many quirks of his that she knew about and those that she did hadn't irritated her. It was hard to say. The look on Marlowe's face was pale and shocked and Maeve did recognize she was in a sore mood, at least somewhere inside her fire ants feeding on a doe's beating heart-infested brain she saw that he was fearful and quickly shifted to courtesies and offered his hand quickly to get her back to her feet. To his shock she would uncurl her fists before proceeding to grab his wrist sharply before he pulled her up from the floor. When she found herself standing squarely in the corridor she crossed her arms. Her expression shifted from a scowl to a frown, but not much else. "What's your problem? Don't you look before you walk?" Her brows pursed, "Huh? Can't hear you. Speak up."</s> <|message|>Marlowe Beltras Location: Hall, Fortuna | In Transit --- "What's your problem? Don't you look before you walk?" "Well I-" "Huh? Can't hear you. Speak up." Shit. She was in control. How could such a lithe woman be so scary? "S-sorry," He muttered, overly embarrassed by being flustered by the girl. "I wasn't paying attention thanks to that awful food and-" he stopped himself, realizing she really didn't give a shit. "But yeah, it's my fault. I was just heading towards the hangar."</s> <|message|>Mox Holiday (Alias) --- Meal Hall, Fortuna | In Transit February 21st, 3061 --- "Whole day's full of luxuries, doc. " Mox chimed, popping another cube into her mouth. Chewing and swallowing without pulling a face was an exercise in discipline. "It's just about jumpin' the lil' gaps between them." Life on the Vox Fortuna could be tumultuous in the best of times, but that was the lot, right? If the worst thing that happened to her today was that her food needed more salt, well, that'd be just peachy. It would also be a fair sight better than what William's day was shaping up to be. She listened to the doc pitch her latest medical scheme to him, and he, of course, ate it all up without a second thought, or so much as an inkling as to what it actually was. That did more to test Mox's composure than a plate full of bland gray cubes. Theirs was not a tight ship, beholden to the rules and regulations of proper civilization. No one was going to slap doc Thompson with a malpractice suit for…going a few extra miles. She was a smart woman, no doubt, and every synonym for cunning, but there was something in the way she handled herself, how she fit into the shoddy little world around them that seemed off. It reminded Mox of people she didn't know anymore. In a way, it made her hate Andrea Thompson, deeply. "Don't prick'im too hard, doc," Mox said with a flawless grin. "Heaven knows we need the lil' chicken-bot out there."</s>

<|message|>John Marshall Yalta Station Airlock | In Orbit over Arish IV February 14th, 3061 --- Captain Deckard Jones leaned against the hexagonal wall of the umbilical cord connecting the Fortuna to Yalta Station. If things had gone how he'd hoped the station's crew would've been using it to shuttle N-1 fuel cells to his ship's depleted engine. Instead the cord was empty, save for himself and his irate first officer. Madeline Lyon hadn't said a word since the two of them left Mr. Ducaine's office, but she didn't have to. Deck had learned to read Lyon's catalog of scowls through thirty-odd years together. And this? This was her angry scowl. Deck cleared his throat to break the silence. "I don't like it any more than you do," he began, refusing to make eye contact. "But you heard the man: we don't refuel if we don't do this job." Mads kept her lips pursed as she stared daggers into her captain's skull. The heat of embarrassment built up in his face, as if her gaze had stripped him down to his skivvies. He huffed, pushing off the wall to pace from one side of the corridor to the other. "Five million credits and a full tank, Mads. That contract with AM Ventures we're chasin' pays the same over three months. And this'll take us, what, a day? We're practically robbin' this guy!" He threw his hands up, risking a peek over his shoulder at Lyons' expression. It hadn't changed. With a sigh, Jones' arms dropped back down to his side. He wished they could've just docked with the station, filled up the tank and gone on their merry way. He wished that Ducaine asshole hadn't declined their purchase and dragged Deck over to his office on Yalta Station with his 'humble proposal.' The man was a slimeball, that much was obvious. He wrapped himself in extravagance and spoke with a practiced swagger. Jones was a wheeler and dealer himself, in a way- he could recognize one of his ilk in an instant. Still, what else could he do? Ducaine had all the cards. "Say something, damn it!" He yelled. "He's lying." She replied, her tone even and restrained. "The situation's more complicated than he's making it out to be." The captain put on his best grin. "We'll play this careful like, Mads, I swear. you know me: I always got somethin' up my sleeve." When her expression finally wavered Jones knew he had her beat. He turned away, then, and started up the umbillical cord toward the Fortuna. He lifted a finger to his ear to activate his ship-wide comlink. "Captain to exo-pilots, assemble in the hangar and prep your Frames for deployment. We got ourselves a contract. Will debrief you all when I get there."</s>

<|description|>Maeve Puckett Personnel Dossier --- Age 27 Physical Evaluation Standing at five-foot-seven with pink hair and cerulean eyes, Maeve would be a looker if not for her unkempt appearance and loose-fitting attire. She's been fighting and jury-rigging tech her whole life and her lack of empathy toward others comes through in her constant lack of facial expressiveness beyond a scowl or frown. She hasn't smiled in over fifteen years and it shows. Psychological Profile Cold Fair Honest Impulsive Lawful Temperamental Ruthless Violent Background Information The three major factions represent at least seventy percent of the planets in the greater galaxy. Where Maeve grew up they never factored in. The Sol Union's rivalry with the Thedes Empire or its distrust with the North Star League were things you heard about on Luon Prime from people who wanted to start a new leaf, break new bread, and just get away from intergalactic geo-politics. After all, Luon Prime was basically a nowhere planet, formed by the kind of people who wanted to play by their own rules and feign responsibility. But where the greatest freedom came, so too did the greatest trials. Snake Bigby ran his planet tightly and where freedom came so too did trouble. Brigands and slavers, marauders and thieves, hustlers and enroachers; you name the type of problem and they came to Luon Prime eventually. Maeve's father was one such person, though the details were murky and Maeve didn't ask much. All she knew is that her father came for a second chance and before she was born became one of the more successful tin stars on the planet. Maeve's mother was an engineer, a mechanic. Born on Luon and committed to never leaving Luon, and it was through her that Maeve was taught everything from tuning a good firearm to using a toolkit on a frame to make sure it could sputter through the next fight. There were constant worries growing up. Her parents protected the sector five line on the planet from bad people and worse creatures. It was only ironic that her father was shot and killed in front of her, at dinner, when she was fourteen-years-old rather than in the field doing his job as a man of law. Maeve can't even recall much of it. 'cept the man she tracked down for years after-the-fact that did the deed. In a normal world she would've followed in her father's footsteps, stayed on Luon after she buried the man that ruined her life. But she couldn't stomach it. Somehow she moved on and found herself a member of a crew. Gamblers of Vox Fortuna. Some of them had helped her track down who she was looking for and she owed favors and she found comforting to do something with some passive idea of purpose. This was four years—four galactic cycles—ago. She still is amongst gamblers. Might be a gambler until she's in the ground like her father is.Exoframe --- Designation Lone Star Weight Class Heavy Description Obadiah Puckett, Maeve's paternal grandfather, was the first one to fly the Lone Star. A heavy bipedal maiden standing at about 35.6 feet willing to dish out as much damage as it can take, it has served in countless conflicts from well before Andrew Puckett arrived on Luon Prime and married an engineer who knew how to patch up two generations of damage and retrofitted outdated power capacitors with better ones. It is a exoframe meant to be a damage dealer with various slots for exterior back-mounted armaments. The armor is thick, though it is one of the slower and less versatile exoframes based on some of Maeve's contemporaries among her fellow gamblers. Equipment and Armament The Lone Star, as described, is about dealing damage and taking damage. It may be exactly why Maeve survived the battle with her lifelong enemy and came out on top, but a lot of the bruising the Lone Star took in a fight that it was outgunned and outnumbered still remain. The power capacitors need upgrades, the armor is in imperfect shape, and the radar system works imperfectly. But Maeve has little money to her name and is in dire need of a credit line. The systems that work efficiently can be surmised below. * Twin-Mounted ExoStarr™ Light Guns: The twin light machineguns that sit underneath the maw of the pilot's cabin are the first line of offense for the Lone Star. Plasma-infused shells spin at a fast rate to cause integral armor damage to Maeve's enemies. * SCORPIO™ Heavy Rockets: Largely out-paced by the competing Hornet Hunter Seeker Missles, Mbraxo's stronghold over explosive processing centers on several planets allows them to produce more of them even if they aren't as efficient. A good pilot can upgrade the targeting system, anyway, right? It's a constant thought for Maeve, but Mbraxo rockets are cheap and plentiful and they get the job done. * Heavy Armor Plating (50% INTEGRITY): It needs a new sheet of metal, but the Lone Star's armor is one of the benefits of its model and the modifications made through three generations of pilots. Nobody has killed a pilot while they are in the machine yet. * Silverstar Light Rail Gun (OUT OF ORDER): Technically inoperable due to a lack of maintenance and power routing, the Silverstar Light Rail Gun is almost two generations old and the last time the Lone Star used it in a fight Maeve wouldn't even born for another twelve years. She's thought about updating it and repairing it, but railguns are as expensive as they are powerful.</s> <|message|>Andrea 'Andy' Muriel Thompson --- Medical Bay, Fortuna | In Transit February 21st, 3061 --- Andrea couldn't concentrate for the life of her. She was generally pretty good at working on an empty stomach, but she'd messed up, mixing up two of the syringes and needing to chuck that whole batch. She hadn't powdered the pills she was mixing well enough, so the suspension was chunky and imperfect. She never messed up that badly, and she was unhappy with herself. Quite a bit of her pay from the past couple months had gone into these chemicals; a screw-up like that was a glaring sign for her to stop. Sighing, she packed her drugs back up, calling behind her: "Hey, Jake. I'm going to go eat, I'll come up and finish up Maya's bloodwork later." Jake didn't respond, other than an ill-tempered grunt. He didn't like her very much. She had a reputation, she supposed. Didn't trust her to do bloodwork without doing something medically questionable. Please. She could do basic bloodwork in her sleep. She had better things to worry about than the ignorant opinions of dullards and quacks. Having not eaten yet, she was beginning to feel the hollow in her stomach, and that was far more important than what other people had to say. Walking quickly—but then, she always walked quickly—she took the lift down to the level of the mess. Navigating the halls with a confident, snapping stride, she emerged into the busy room. There were others in the room, certainly, many staff members and her fellow pilot Mox, but her eyes lasered onto William. She kept one eye on him as she took a few food cubes from the dispenser. She'd eaten so many of the things as basic rations that the blandness and the awful texture skated underneath her notice. So, tossing one in her mouth and started the arduous process of chewing it, she walked over the table he was sitting on and sat down across from him. A moment passed as she swallowed, and when she spoke her voice was just a little bit too saccharine. "William, sweetie, can I ask you for a favor? I'd like some help in the medical bay later, maybe tomorrow?" She smiled a small, expectant smile. "I'd like to run a few clinical trials. Don't worry, I'll make sure it's perfectly safe beforehand. You don't need to worry about anything when I'm here." Another cube shoved down her throat, and she realized belatedly that she should probably say something to Mox. After all, the kid had greeted her this morning in the hallway, and she'd completely ignored her. Interaction would be only polite. She inclined her head at younger woman, voice changing gears on a dime to a dry deadpan as she held a third nutrient cube between her finger. She honestly didn't know whether or not she was full yet. She never could tell with the cubes. "Good morning, Ms. Holiday. Enjoying the luxury?"</s> <|message|>William Prescott --- Mess Hall | In Transit February 21st, 3061 --- Someone crazy had sat down nearby. At least, that's what William thought about Mox's comment. The grub did not, in fact, look good today. He'd describe it as rotten, though he doubted he'd know what a rotten cube looked like, let alone live the few moments required to complain about it. Perhaps the paprika taste was the scrumptious cube finally reaching the end of it's long lifespan. Nothing like a bit of mold to spice things up a little, he thought, prodding a cube with his finger. Not surprisingly, William no longer felt hungry. At least Mox's mood kept spirits high. He took a sip of his water in a futile attempt to wash the taste away - both the actual taste, and the imaginary moldy cubes. William's eyes met Marlowe's, and he had to bite his tongue gently to keep himself from grinning at his expression and the silent request that followed it. Rolling his shoulders in a fashion akin to a small shrug, he let Marlowe speak. It seemed Marlowe had come to the same conclusion that William had, something that both made him happy he had the same train of thought, and also worrying. If others were coming to the same conclusion, perhaps the food was going bad. "That's if it even gives you something to burn off," William comments, giving Marlowe a wave. Turning to Mox, he finished his thought. "It almost seems like a placebo at this point. Something to make you feel like you've eaten, just to push you a little further." Just as he was going for another sip of his water, William was pleasantly surprised to see Andrea beginning to sit down across from him - perhaps he had been stuck in his thoughts too much, or maybe it was from talking to his colleagues, but he hadn't seen her walk in. He was a touch embarrassed about that, but he didn't let it show. He hid it through the mental questioning of how exactly Andrea was able to consume the food cubes without complaint - again. It still amazed him. Her question, asked so sweetly, was not as worrying to William as it might have been to others. He knew the reputation that she had - he had rescued her from the results of that reputation back on Kallas - however, to him, it was different. She had never hurt him, and had protected him more than anything. Even the small amount of concern conjured from her tone was overshadowed by the fact that he knew, even it might not have been as true for others, that he would be safe. She wouldn't hurt him. "Hello to you too," William chuckles. Andrea's fascination and dedication to her work was admirable, if a bit hair-raising. "I'd be glad to help you. Just let me know later or tomorrow and I'll come to the medical bay." His eyes drifted to the cube that Andrea was holding as she spoke to Mox, and in turn, his eyes then fell to the remaining, uneaten cubes on his tray. Shaking his head a little, he used two fingers on both hands to slide his tray a few inches away from himself. After three full seconds, he cursed himself quietly. No camera picked up on the gesture and signalled for waiters to take his tray and cutlery away. Pulling his tray back to himself, he shook his head a little - he'd put the tray away himself when he wanted to get up. Old habits died hard, even after years of trying to batter them down.</s> <|message|>Marlowe Beltras Location: Hall, Fortuna | In Transit --- "Mmpf!" Marlowe barely had time for his mind to register the small frame that slammed into him, only to fall backward onto her derriere. He looked down and suddenly his face grew pale: oh shit. On the ground, scowling like a rabid animal, was one Maeve Puckett. The reason why he'd avoided the armory. He was fucked. Marlowe quickly knelt down and offered his hand, which he should have known better to. She was just as likely to swat it away or just gnaw on it until he bled. Well, maybe. It wasn't as if he'd spent time getting to know the angry gremlin of a woman. He'd stayed out of her way and tried to keep in his own lane. It was what he did best: fitting into the background and not knocking women with severe anger issues onto the ground! At least, until today. "You alright there?" He offered to her in as kind a voice as he could get out, hiding the tinges of fear with an air of false compassion and worry. The only compassion and worry he held was towards himself and his ability to continue to breathe, eat and shit (in roughly that order).</s>

<|message|>Maeve Puckett Location: Corridor Pathways, Fortuna | In Transit --- The likelihood of receiving a punch from Maeve after making a fool of her was generally high. Nine times out of ten the result would be violence, screaming, or a combination of both. But for some reason this was that rare times that today was the tenth time out of ten. Maeve had seen Marlowe before, certainly, but the two had never exchanged words in any substantial way. There weren't many quirks of his that she knew about and those that she did hadn't irritated her. It was hard to say. The look on Marlowe's face was pale and shocked and Maeve did recognize she was in a sore mood, at least somewhere inside her fire ants feeding on a doe's beating heart-infested brain she saw that he was fearful and quickly shifted to courtesies and offered his hand quickly to get her back to her feet. To his shock she would uncurl her fists before proceeding to grab his wrist sharply before he pulled her up from the floor. When she found herself standing squarely in the corridor she crossed her arms. Her expression shifted from a scowl to a frown, but not much else. "What's your problem? Don't you look before you walk?" Her brows pursed, "Huh? Can't hear you. Speak up."</s>

<|description|>Maeve Puckett Personnel Dossier --- Age 27 Physical Evaluation Standing at five-foot-seven with pink hair and cerulean eyes, Maeve would be a looker if not for her unkempt appearance and loose-fitting attire. She's been fighting and jury-rigging tech her whole life and her lack of empathy toward others comes through in her constant lack of facial expressiveness beyond a scowl or frown. She hasn't smiled in over fifteen years and it shows. Psychological Profile Cold Fair Honest Impulsive Lawful Temperamental Ruthless Violent Background Information The three major factions represent at least seventy percent of the planets in the greater galaxy. Where Maeve grew up they never factored in. The Sol Union's rivalry with the Thedes Empire or its distrust with the North Star League were things you heard about on Luon Prime from people who wanted to start a new leaf, break new bread, and just get away from intergalactic geo-politics. After all, Luon Prime was basically a nowhere planet, formed by the kind of people who wanted to play by their own rules and feign responsibility. But where the greatest freedom came, so too did the greatest trials. Snake Bigby ran his planet tightly and where freedom came so too did trouble. Brigands and slavers, marauders and thieves, hustlers and enroachers; you name the type of problem and they came to Luon Prime eventually. Maeve's father was one such person, though the details were murky and Maeve didn't ask much. All she knew is that her father came for a second chance and before she was born became one of the more successful tin stars on the planet. Maeve's mother was an engineer, a mechanic. Born on Luon and committed to never leaving Luon, and it was through her that Maeve was taught everything from tuning a good firearm to using a toolkit on a frame to make sure it could sputter through the next fight. There were constant worries growing up. Her parents protected the sector five line on the planet from bad people and worse creatures. It was only ironic that her father was shot and killed in front of her, at dinner, when she was fourteen-years-old rather than in the field doing his job as a man of law. Maeve can't even recall much of it. 'cept the man she tracked down for years after-the-fact that did the deed. In a normal world she would've followed in her father's footsteps, stayed on Luon after she buried the man that ruined her life. But she couldn't stomach it. Somehow she moved on and found herself a member of a crew. Gamblers of Vox Fortuna. Some of them had helped her track down who she was looking for and she owed favors and she found comforting to do something with some passive idea of purpose. This was four years—four galactic cycles—ago. She still is amongst gamblers. Might be a gambler until she's in the ground like her father is.Exoframe --- Designation Lone Star Weight Class Heavy Description Obadiah Puckett, Maeve's paternal grandfather, was the first one to fly the Lone Star. A heavy bipedal maiden standing at about 35.6 feet willing to dish out as much damage as it can take, it has served in countless conflicts from well before Andrew Puckett arrived on Luon Prime and married an engineer who knew how to patch up two generations of damage and retrofitted outdated power capacitors with better ones. It is a exoframe meant to be a damage dealer with various slots for exterior back-mounted armaments. The armor is thick, though it is one of the slower and less versatile exoframes based on some of Maeve's contemporaries among her fellow gamblers. Equipment and Armament The Lone Star, as described, is about dealing damage and taking damage. It may be exactly why Maeve survived the battle with her lifelong enemy and came out on top, but a lot of the bruising the Lone Star took in a fight that it was outgunned and outnumbered still remain. The power capacitors need upgrades, the armor is in imperfect shape, and the radar system works imperfectly. But Maeve has little money to her name and is in dire need of a credit line. The systems that work efficiently can be surmised below. * Twin-Mounted ExoStarr™ Light Guns: The twin light machineguns that sit underneath the maw of the pilot's cabin are the first line of offense for the Lone Star. Plasma-infused shells spin at a fast rate to cause integral armor damage to Maeve's enemies. * SCORPIO™ Heavy Rockets: Largely out-paced by the competing Hornet Hunter Seeker Missles, Mbraxo's stronghold over explosive processing centers on several planets allows them to produce more of them even if they aren't as efficient. A good pilot can upgrade the targeting system, anyway, right? It's a constant thought for Maeve, but Mbraxo rockets are cheap and plentiful and they get the job done. * Heavy Armor Plating (50% INTEGRITY): It needs a new sheet of metal, but the Lone Star's armor is one of the benefits of its model and the modifications made through three generations of pilots. Nobody has killed a pilot while they are in the machine yet. * Silverstar Light Rail Gun (OUT OF ORDER): Technically inoperable due to a lack of maintenance and power routing, the Silverstar Light Rail Gun is almost two generations old and the last time the Lone Star used it in a fight Maeve wouldn't even born for another twelve years. She's thought about updating it and repairing it, but railguns are as expensive as they are powerful.</s> <|message|>Marlowe Beltras Location: Hall, Fortuna | In Transit --- "What's your problem? Don't you look before you walk?" "Well I-" "Huh? Can't hear you. Speak up." Shit. She was in control. How could such a lithe woman be so scary? "S-sorry," He muttered, overly embarrassed by being flustered by the girl. "I wasn't paying attention thanks to that awful food and-" he stopped himself, realizing she really didn't give a shit. "But yeah, it's my fault. I was just heading towards the hangar."</s> <|message|>Mox Holiday (Alias) --- Meal Hall, Fortuna | In Transit February 21st, 3061 --- "Whole day's full of luxuries, doc. " Mox chimed, popping another cube into her mouth. Chewing and swallowing without pulling a face was an exercise in discipline. "It's just about jumpin' the lil' gaps between them." Life on the Vox Fortuna could be tumultuous in the best of times, but that was the lot, right? If the worst thing that happened to her today was that her food needed more salt, well, that'd be just peachy. It would also be a fair sight better than what William's day was shaping up to be. She listened to the doc pitch her latest medical scheme to him, and he, of course, ate it all up without a second thought, or so much as an inkling as to what it actually was. That did more to test Mox's composure than a plate full of bland gray cubes. Theirs was not a tight ship, beholden to the rules and regulations of proper civilization. No one was going to slap doc Thompson with a malpractice suit for…going a few extra miles. She was a smart woman, no doubt, and every synonym for cunning, but there was something in the way she handled herself, how she fit into the shoddy little world around them that seemed off. It reminded Mox of people she didn't know anymore. In a way, it made her hate Andrea Thompson, deeply. "Don't prick'im too hard, doc," Mox said with a flawless grin. "Heaven knows we need the lil' chicken-bot out there."</s> <|message|>John Marshall --- Yalta Station Airlock | In Orbit over Arish IV February 14th, 3061 --- Captain Deckard Jones leaned against the hexagonal wall of the umbilical cord connecting the Fortuna to Yalta Station. If things had gone how he'd hoped the station's crew would've been using it to shuttle N-1 fuel cells to his ship's depleted engine. Instead the cord was empty, save for himself and his irate first officer. Madeline Lyon hadn't said a word since the two of them left Mr. Ducaine's office, but she didn't have to. Deck had learned to read Lyon's catalog of scowls through thirty-odd years together. And this? This was her angry scowl. Deck cleared his throat to break the silence. "I don't like it any more than you do," he began, refusing to make eye contact. "But you heard the man: we don't refuel if we don't do this job." Mads kept her lips pursed as she stared daggers into her captain's skull. The heat of embarrassment built up in his face, as if her gaze had stripped him down to his skivvies. He huffed, pushing off the wall to pace from one side of the corridor to the other. "Five million credits and a full tank, Mads. That contract with AM Ventures we're chasin' pays the same over three months. And this'll take us, what, a day? We're practically robbin' this guy!" He threw his hands up, risking a peek over his shoulder at Lyons' expression. It hadn't changed. With a sigh, Jones' arms dropped back down to his side. He wished they could've just docked with the station, filled up the tank and gone on their merry way. He wished that Ducaine asshole hadn't declined their purchase and dragged Deck over to his office on Yalta Station with his 'humble proposal.' The man was a slimeball, that much was obvious. He wrapped himself in extravagance and spoke with a practiced swagger. Jones was a wheeler and dealer himself, in a way- he could recognize one of his ilk in an instant. Still, what else could he do? Ducaine had all the cards. "Say something, damn it!" He yelled. "He's lying." She replied, her tone even and restrained. "The situation's more complicated than he's making it out to be." The captain put on his best grin. "We'll play this careful like, Mads, I swear. you know me: I always got somethin' up my sleeve." When her expression finally wavered Jones knew he had her beat. He turned away, then, and started up the umbillical cord toward the Fortuna. He lifted a finger to his ear to activate his ship-wide comlink. "Captain to exo-pilots, assemble in the hangar and prep your Frames for deployment. We got ourselves a contract. Will debrief you all when I get there."</s> <|message|>Andrea 'Andy' Muriel Thompson --- Cafeteria, Fortuna | In Orbit over Arish IV February 21st, 3061 --- "A lovely viewpoint, Ms. Holliday. I wish I was still as young and—" Captain to exo-pilots, assemble in the hangar and prep your Frames for deployment. We got ourselves a contract. Will debrief you all when I get there. She took a long, deep breath and let it out in a satisfied sigh, a small smile plastering itself to her face. "I would love to continue this conversation, truly. Perhaps later?" Then, shoving her tray to the side—she really didn't know how many nutrient cubes she'd eaten at this point but she really, genuinely didn't care—she shoved her chair back and stood, giving Mox a nod and then turning to William, the smile on her face growing just a little wider. "Tomorrow then, little prince!" Turning her back on them, she quickstepped over to the cafeteria door and rammed it open. The smile on her face stayed. Inasmuch as she could really feel emotions, there was one pumping through her right now: anticipation. She hadn't been on a battlefield—a real, military battlefield (she'd been a Major, right? It was sometimes hard to remember)—in quite a long time. But still, every time she headed to where her beloved was resting, she felt her pulse quicken at the thought of mounting up again. It wasn't long until she made it to the hangar. She'd almost run there, after all, and it was still mostly empty. Finally she reached her goal: on the far left side, two from the edge, was a monolithic beast of metal and bad news. She stroked it gently. "The joints are looking decent," she muttered to herself. "Hopefully decent enough." Last time she'd taken Perses out for a spin, she'd ended up raining hellfire with her induction cannon, missile pods, machine guns and retrofitted plasma cannon all at the same time, and the left ankle joint had broken loose. It had been unusable since. But now? Good as...well, not good as new, but good enough. Her eyes flicked up to the barrel of the Thanatos folded up on its back. "Good. Excellent." Now all she needed to do was wait for Captain Deckard and the other pilots to get down here for briefing. Well, that and get in the thing. Where's that ladder gone off to?</s>

<|message|>Maeve Puckett Location: Corridor Pathways, Fortuna | In Transit --- The pink-haired girl sighed irritably at the explanation she was given. Of course he didn't look where he was going. The weak-handed apology didn't make her feel any better, though the fact he made it seem like he was running from the bad food in the cafeteria almost made her smile. The amount of times consuming the food on the station made her angry was too many to count, but at least the coffee did its job. Coffee she sorely needed. Without wanting to spend too much more time on idle conversation she decided here to get the conversation over with, besides, at least the pilot before her knew to be intimidated by her and rightly so. "Yeah, the food sucks." She admitted as she tapped two of her fingers against her forearm in rhythm. "But I need a coffee. So. Later." Before he knew it she would've been moving past him toward the cafeteria, thinking little of the encounter.</s>

<|description|>Mox Holiday (Alias) Personnel Dossier --- Age 23 Physical Evaluation Mox is an unassuming person, average in height and weight, though a fairly strict and rigorous training regimen has kept her in excellent physical health. It's rare to find her without a smile on her face, or that same smile in her step, and just about every aspect of her demeanor. She prefers simple, comfortable clothes, but likes branching out to be a bit more fashionable when means allow—which, considering the Gamblers' records, isn't all that often. Psychological Profile Warm, energetic, with a penchant for harmless fun, Mox is someone who could find sunshine at the bottom of the ocean. Lose big at the card table? Problems with the exoframe? Mission didn't quite pan out for you? Keep that chin up! You're only really lost when you admit it to yourself. Ceaseless optimism might not be the best way to make friends amongst down-and-out mercenaries, but that's alright—Mox loves a challenge. Maybe she's compensating for a dull childhood, or maybe this is just who she was the whole time. Either way, what's the point of a clean slate if you stay the same, dirty person you always were? Background Information Mox was born on the far reaches of the Arcturus system on a planet called Gefallen. Being in the empire's periphery, one might expect loyalty to be thin, but in fact the opposite was true. It was precisely because Gefallen was neglected that it found itself swarmed by opportunists from both the Sol Union and the North Star League. Trade was bottlenecked by privateers and unsanctioned levies, dissenting guilds and merchants were shot out of the sky, the people lived with steel boots pressed to their necks. Gefallen cried out for aid, and was unanswered; to the people this was the fault of the enemy, not the empire. Bringing Theden justice to Gefallen and its tormentors was a dream shared by many, but few had the drive and discipline to chase it. Mox, however, had just the right blend of talent and dedication. As a waise-child working menial jobs, it wasn't as though she had much else to do with her time but study. By the time she was old enough to enlist, her test and sim results laid a myriad of prestigious paths before her. Having always had a twinkle in her eye for folktales of knights in shining armor, she chose to specialize, and set her sights on an elite unit of melee-centric exoframes known as the Nullritter. As a novice pilot, Mox doubled-down on her efforts. If she wasn't studying, she was running sims, if she wasn't running sims, she was in physical training, if she wasn't doing any of these, she was on assignment or asleep. Repeat ad nauseum for three years until the Minsky Station Massacre gets the cold war boiling. Times have changed, the Chancellor says, the empire must be strong—the emperor, of course, gives her his full and fervorous support. Mox is among the battalion tasked with rooting the enemy out of their hitherto "unnoticed" encampments in the outer worlds. Mox's mind fogs. A handful of weeks sees four of the empire's furthest tributaries utterly sacked by empire forces. Finally, they depart for Gefallen. In the span of three days, ninety-seven major cities and countless towns and independent settlements are reduced to smoldering ruins. Sol Union and North Star casualties are in the low ten-thousands, civilian casualties remain in estimation. Mox Holiday's exoframe is discovered two months later in the possession of an independent trader who claims he doesn't remember who sold it to him. A few months after that, Vox Fortuna acquires a new pilot with a very brief background. Exoframe --- Image Designation Sonder Weight Class Medium Description Bought with the money Mox made selling off the empire's exoframe after her desertion, the Sonder is just about the last thing she truly owns. The base frame is standard enough, a sleek model from the last gen of Dainslief Heavy's "Galahad" line, only its armor has been stripped down drastically for the sake of speed and maneuverability. Having piloted and encountered a modest variety of melee-focused exos in her few years of service, Mox has the benefit of knowing exactly what she likes, while also needing to avoid too stark of a resemblance. The result is a unique if sub-optimal series of modifications and additions that she nonetheless managed to acquaint herself with before joining the Gamblers. Equipment and Armament The Sonder is built for disabling targets through fast, close-quarters strikes; it wants to get in, stab whatever needs to be stabbed, and then get the hell out. While it excels in smaller-scale skirmishes and melee-engagements, prolonged fights against multiple, well-armed targets are its downfall. Thus, the Sonder works best in and often even requires a team. It's loadout includes: PR Reactionary Recharge System: The "Parry-Riposte" energy system serves as the backbone to most of the exoframe's capabilities, as well as its shield. Upon activation, the PR system sends out a "pulse" of receptive energy which, if timed correctly, can draw energy from another source when contact is made. In essence, this allows for the absorption of lighter-arms-fire and smaller-yield detonations. However, the PR system is merely a pulse and cannot be "held" like most shields, making it useless against sustained volleys of fire, and it can still be easily broken by high-powered weaponry. Elliptical Engines: Standard to most melee-oriented exoframes, elliptical thrusters prioritize agility and are designed for providing evasive bursts of speed to close distance or maneuver against targeted projectiles. However, they fall short in protracted runs and won't be winning Mox any marathons. DH-25 Beam Falchions: A Dainslief Heavy classic, apparently, as the design has gone unchanged for nearly three generations. Simple and to the point, the DH-25 emits a blade of energy similar to the type utilized in projected hardlight shielding. Rather than rely solely on short-life battery packs, Mox has modified the pair to allow powering via direct-connection to the Sonder's core—which would result in a devastating level of energy-consumption without proper utilization of the PR system. By channeling the PR system through its blades, the Sonder can draw in energy via the heat emitted from slashing through targets, or even clashing blades with other exoframes. OS-22 Thermo-Damascus Side swords: The only part of the Sonder's arsenal not reliant on its PR system, the "Old School" side swords are mounted hilt-forward on either shoulder. Hard steel with a single super-heated edge, the side swords cut well, but their edges cool quickly and require sheathing in order to recharge, making them an unideal holdout weapon, but still better than nothing.</s> <|message|>Marlowe Beltras Location: Crew Bunk, Fortuna | In Transit --- "Remember, an Exoframe isn't going to win many battles. Pilots win battles. My job isn't to turn you into good pilots. Good pilots fight for the corpos, the governments and for planetary defense systems. Piloting for the Raiders makes you one of the best." Herax Singh stood in front of the line of young men and women; mostly backwater folk that he'd gathered upon his travels. They'd come far enough to warrant a bit of his time. He walked the rank and file, eyeing up each one before he stopped to face Marlowe. The boy'd been with the Raiders three months and actually showed promise in piloting. But he was as green as a Rack's Backside on Tevlac VI. "Let's see how quickly you can prep up for combat." Singh turned and pointed at the large Exoframe behind him. In large black paint, it read BUCKET. "You got thirty seconds to get that 'frame moving or you'll scrub the latrines with your toothbrush for the week." "Sir!" Marlowe jumped quickly at attention, his heart racing. Failing in front of so many new recruits would be bad, but letting down Mr. Singh would be the worst feeling possible. After all, he owed the man his life. Herax took out a rusty, metallic object from his person and opened it. It was a pocket watch. An honest-to-god, working pocket watch. "Go!" Marlowe ran. --- BEEP BEEP BEEP Marlowe shot up straight, as the music of his alarm filled his ears. It was time for his shift. He grumbled, getting ready. He took a pulse shower, brushed his teeth, threw on his gear, and made his way down the hall towards what could be considered "Ops" for the Fortuna. Maybe he could do some cleaning and repairs for Bucket's weapon systems-"Fuck you!" annnnd Marlowe decided to carry on towards the mess. He grabbed a tray and held it under the food processor. Cheap, grey food cubes fell onto the tray. "Right. I forgot we don't have the credits for the good stuff," he muttered to himself. He took a bite out of the food cube, and it tasted off. "Hurkk.." he grunted forcing it down before washing it down with some recycled water. They really needed to make some good cash, sooner than later. Otherwise, he'd die of botulism long before they got blown up or killed in some backwater dust-up.</s> <|message|>William Prescott --- Specific Location | In Transit February 21st, 3061 --- When one had resided in the height of luxury for most of their life, even years later, one would likely struggle to adapt to radical changes in both lifestyle and quarters. In the case of William Prescott, he had managed to adapt to a great many changes, however one such adjustment of which he failed to attune to was the lack of a large, Sereon-feather mattress beneath him, even if he did disagree with the poaching of the animal on his homeworld. Each sleep had left him relaxed and ready for the next day, and offered comforting relief from the duties of the day. Following his departure from Kallas, William had never quite slept the same - after the first year, he had only just acquired the ability to sleep without tossing and turning, however he still questioned if that was due to the sleeping conditions or fear of waking up on his way back to the royal palace. He knew the ramifications of his departure; People were likely asking where the crown prince was. The fighting on Kallas was likely worse than it was before. Alas, William woke up from the - relatively speaking - uncomfortable bunk with a jolt. After a moment of sitting upright with his hand under his pillow, he relaxed, moving his hands to his lap and away from his sidearm. With a shake of the head, he moved to his feet and began his awakening duties; He washed, he dressed, and then ventured out from the bunks to occupy himself. For a moment, he contemplated trying to track down Andrea - he still owed so much to her. However, knowing she was likely busy, William settled on getting food. More accurately, he settled on getting nutrition. He hoped that they could get some real food soon, and envisioned his breakfast with disgust as he made his way to the mess. Upon entering the mess hall, he spotted a fellow Exoframe pilot - Marlowe - consuming exactly what was envisioned by William. Bland, disgusting food cubes. Allowing the dispenser to provide him his 'meal', William plopped himself down on a table near his comrade's, and began the process of forcing the food cubes down his throat. He let out a little cough after a long sip of water, and shook his head at the remains of his meal. "Breakfast, your royal highness," William mutters to himself sarcastically, before continuing.</s>

<|message|>Mox Holiday (Alias) Pilot's Quarters, Fortuna | In Transit February 21st, 3061 --- "Another beautiful morning!" A projector flickered to life, and the far wall of Mox's room was covered by a sheet of absolute blackness. It was connected to the Fortuna's exterior surveillance feed; she was seeing space, as if through a window. Like plenty of things, it wasn't nearly as glamorous up close. "Well," she said, searching in vain for even the dimmest twinkling of the smallest star. "S'beautiful somewhere. And morning. Prolly." Killing the screen, Mox set about her waking rituals. First things first: music. A small array of cheap, low-quality, but reliable speakers sputtered garbled noise as she cycled through her options, eventually settling on an album by a band she didn't really know, in a genre she'd never heard of called "Ionic-Post-Post-Punk." It was…interesting. She wouldn't say she liked it, and it wasn't something she'd search out on her own, but a bartender in the last place the Fortuna docked had gone on about it for hours and hours over the course of their stay. Changed his life, fixed his marriage, raised his kids. Good stuff, apparently. She figured it was worth a shot. Hopefully her immediate neighbors were as open to it, because the quarter's walls were certainly not thick enough to spare them. It blared through the speakers as she washed and dressed and tried to figure out how exactly someone was supposed to dance to music like this. When all was done, she disconnected her handheld and struck out into the halls. Meal time. On her way to the mess, she passed the a few early-bird crewmembers, and the good doctor herself, Andrea. She was a quick woman, and not often one for idle conversation, but Mox waved to her anyway. "Shiny day, doc~!" she said, sing-song and warm as she could as she all but skipped past. She opted for the stairs this morning, letting Andrea have the lift in case she was heading elsewhere. The woman was a bit of a busy-body. Mox had gotten pretty good at navigating the old bucket of a ship. It was labyrinthine in some places, cavernous in others, and comfortable pretty much nowhere. But, it didn't have to be comfortable to be cozy, and despite the fact that the temperature regulation didn't always do it's job quite so perfect, Mox always felt a distinct warmth as she traversed its halls. The mess was burgeoningly busy, it seemed. Crewmembers were trickling in, but Mox spotted a couple of her fellow pilots nearby and beamed. She hurried through the line, and quickly took a seat at a table between them. Thankfully they weren't spread enough that she had to yell. "Howdy boys. Grub looks good today, don't it?" She tore a chunk off one of the gray globs and popped it into her mouth. It was…pretty much exactly what she expected. But she made a loud 'Mmh!' sound anyway. "Y'know, I reckon they've added a new flavor, don't you? I'm gettin' a bit of paprika in mine I think. Ain't that somethin'?"</s>

<|description|>Mox Holiday (Alias) Personnel Dossier --- Age 23 Physical Evaluation Mox is an unassuming person, average in height and weight, though a fairly strict and rigorous training regimen has kept her in excellent physical health. It's rare to find her without a smile on her face, or that same smile in her step, and just about every aspect of her demeanor. She prefers simple, comfortable clothes, but likes branching out to be a bit more fashionable when means allow—which, considering the Gamblers' records, isn't all that often. Psychological Profile Warm, energetic, with a penchant for harmless fun, Mox is someone who could find sunshine at the bottom of the ocean. Lose big at the card table? Problems with the exoframe? Mission didn't quite pan out for you? Keep that chin up! You're only really lost when you admit it to yourself. Ceaseless optimism might not be the best way to make friends amongst down-and-out mercenaries, but that's alright—Mox loves a challenge. Maybe she's compensating for a dull childhood, or maybe this is just who she was the whole time. Either way, what's the point of a clean slate if you stay the same, dirty person you always were? Background Information Mox was born on the far reaches of the Arcturus system on a planet called Gefallen. Being in the empire's periphery, one might expect loyalty to be thin, but in fact the opposite was true. It was precisely because Gefallen was neglected that it found itself swarmed by opportunists from both the Sol Union and the North Star League. Trade was bottlenecked by privateers and unsanctioned levies, dissenting guilds and merchants were shot out of the sky, the people lived with steel boots pressed to their necks. Gefallen cried out for aid, and was unanswered; to the people this was the fault of the enemy, not the empire. Bringing Theden justice to Gefallen and its tormentors was a dream shared by many, but few had the drive and discipline to chase it. Mox, however, had just the right blend of talent and dedication. As a waise-child working menial jobs, it wasn't as though she had much else to do with her time but study. By the time she was old enough to enlist, her test and sim results laid a myriad of prestigious paths before her. Having always had a twinkle in her eye for folktales of knights in shining armor, she chose to specialize, and set her sights on an elite unit of melee-centric exoframes known as the Nullritter. As a novice pilot, Mox doubled-down on her efforts. If she wasn't studying, she was running sims, if she wasn't running sims, she was in physical training, if she wasn't doing any of these, she was on assignment or asleep. Repeat ad nauseum for three years until the Minsky Station Massacre gets the cold war boiling. Times have changed, the Chancellor says, the empire must be strong—the emperor, of course, gives her his full and fervorous support. Mox is among the battalion tasked with rooting the enemy out of their hitherto "unnoticed" encampments in the outer worlds. Mox's mind fogs. A handful of weeks sees four of the empire's furthest tributaries utterly sacked by empire forces. Finally, they depart for Gefallen. In the span of three days, ninety-seven major cities and countless towns and independent settlements are reduced to smoldering ruins. Sol Union and North Star casualties are in the low ten-thousands, civilian casualties remain in estimation. Mox Holiday's exoframe is discovered two months later in the possession of an independent trader who claims he doesn't remember who sold it to him. A few months after that, Vox Fortuna acquires a new pilot with a very brief background. Exoframe --- Image Designation Sonder Weight Class Medium Description Bought with the money Mox made selling off the empire's exoframe after her desertion, the Sonder is just about the last thing she truly owns. The base frame is standard enough, a sleek model from the last gen of Dainslief Heavy's "Galahad" line, only its armor has been stripped down drastically for the sake of speed and maneuverability. Having piloted and encountered a modest variety of melee-focused exos in her few years of service, Mox has the benefit of knowing exactly what she likes, while also needing to avoid too stark of a resemblance. The result is a unique if sub-optimal series of modifications and additions that she nonetheless managed to acquaint herself with before joining the Gamblers. Equipment and Armament The Sonder is built for disabling targets through fast, close-quarters strikes; it wants to get in, stab whatever needs to be stabbed, and then get the hell out. While it excels in smaller-scale skirmishes and melee-engagements, prolonged fights against multiple, well-armed targets are its downfall. Thus, the Sonder works best in and often even requires a team. It's loadout includes: PR Reactionary Recharge System: The "Parry-Riposte" energy system serves as the backbone to most of the exoframe's capabilities, as well as its shield. Upon activation, the PR system sends out a "pulse" of receptive energy which, if timed correctly, can draw energy from another source when contact is made. In essence, this allows for the absorption of lighter-arms-fire and smaller-yield detonations. However, the PR system is merely a pulse and cannot be "held" like most shields, making it useless against sustained volleys of fire, and it can still be easily broken by high-powered weaponry. Elliptical Engines: Standard to most melee-oriented exoframes, elliptical thrusters prioritize agility and are designed for providing evasive bursts of speed to close distance or maneuver against targeted projectiles. However, they fall short in protracted runs and won't be winning Mox any marathons. DH-25 Beam Falchions: A Dainslief Heavy classic, apparently, as the design has gone unchanged for nearly three generations. Simple and to the point, the DH-25 emits a blade of energy similar to the type utilized in projected hardlight shielding. Rather than rely solely on short-life battery packs, Mox has modified the pair to allow powering via direct-connection to the Sonder's core—which would result in a devastating level of energy-consumption without proper utilization of the PR system. By channeling the PR system through its blades, the Sonder can draw in energy via the heat emitted from slashing through targets, or even clashing blades with other exoframes. OS-22 Thermo-Damascus Side swords: The only part of the Sonder's arsenal not reliant on its PR system, the "Old School" side swords are mounted hilt-forward on either shoulder. Hard steel with a single super-heated edge, the side swords cut well, but their edges cool quickly and require sheathing in order to recharge, making them an unideal holdout weapon, but still better than nothing.</s> <|message|>William Prescott --- Mess Hall | In Transit February 21st, 3061 --- Someone crazy had sat down nearby. At least, that's what William thought about Mox's comment. The grub did not, in fact, look good today. He'd describe it as rotten, though he doubted he'd know what a rotten cube looked like, let alone live the few moments required to complain about it. Perhaps the paprika taste was the scrumptious cube finally reaching the end of it's long lifespan. Nothing like a bit of mold to spice things up a little, he thought, prodding a cube with his finger. Not surprisingly, William no longer felt hungry. At least Mox's mood kept spirits high. He took a sip of his water in a futile attempt to wash the taste away - both the actual taste, and the imaginary moldy cubes. William's eyes met Marlowe's, and he had to bite his tongue gently to keep himself from grinning at his expression and the silent request that followed it. Rolling his shoulders in a fashion akin to a small shrug, he let Marlowe speak. It seemed Marlowe had come to the same conclusion that William had, something that both made him happy he had the same train of thought, and also worrying. If others were coming to the same conclusion, perhaps the food was going bad. "That's if it even gives you something to burn off," William comments, giving Marlowe a wave. Turning to Mox, he finished his thought. "It almost seems like a placebo at this point. Something to make you feel like you've eaten, just to push you a little further." Just as he was going for another sip of his water, William was pleasantly surprised to see Andrea beginning to sit down across from him - perhaps he had been stuck in his thoughts too much, or maybe it was from talking to his colleagues, but he hadn't seen her walk in. He was a touch embarrassed about that, but he didn't let it show. He hid it through the mental questioning of how exactly Andrea was able to consume the food cubes without complaint - again. It still amazed him. Her question, asked so sweetly, was not as worrying to William as it might have been to others. He knew the reputation that she had - he had rescued her from the results of that reputation back on Kallas - however, to him, it was different. She had never hurt him, and had protected him more than anything. Even the small amount of concern conjured from her tone was overshadowed by the fact that he knew, even it might not have been as true for others, that he would be safe. She wouldn't hurt him. "Hello to you too," William chuckles. Andrea's fascination and dedication to her work was admirable, if a bit hair-raising. "I'd be glad to help you. Just let me know later or tomorrow and I'll come to the medical bay." His eyes drifted to the cube that Andrea was holding as she spoke to Mox, and in turn, his eyes then fell to the remaining, uneaten cubes on his tray. Shaking his head a little, he used two fingers on both hands to slide his tray a few inches away from himself. After three full seconds, he cursed himself quietly. No camera picked up on the gesture and signalled for waiters to take his tray and cutlery away. Pulling his tray back to himself, he shook his head a little - he'd put the tray away himself when he wanted to get up. Old habits died hard, even after years of trying to batter them down.</s> <|message|>Marlowe Beltras Location: Hall, Fortuna | In Transit --- "Mmpf!" Marlowe barely had time for his mind to register the small frame that slammed into him, only to fall backward onto her derriere. He looked down and suddenly his face grew pale: oh shit. On the ground, scowling like a rabid animal, was one Maeve Puckett. The reason why he'd avoided the armory. He was fucked. Marlowe quickly knelt down and offered his hand, which he should have known better to. She was just as likely to swat it away or just gnaw on it until he bled. Well, maybe. It wasn't as if he'd spent time getting to know the angry gremlin of a woman. He'd stayed out of her way and tried to keep in his own lane. It was what he did best: fitting into the background and not knocking women with severe anger issues onto the ground! At least, until today. "You alright there?" He offered to her in as kind a voice as he could get out, hiding the tinges of fear with an air of false compassion and worry. The only compassion and worry he held was towards himself and his ability to continue to breathe, eat and shit (in roughly that order).</s> <|message|>Maeve Puckett Location: Corridor Pathways, Fortuna | In Transit --- The likelihood of receiving a punch from Maeve after making a fool of her was generally high. Nine times out of ten the result would be violence, screaming, or a combination of both. But for some reason this was that rare times that today was the tenth time out of ten. Maeve had seen Marlowe before, certainly, but the two had never exchanged words in any substantial way. There weren't many quirks of his that she knew about and those that she did hadn't irritated her. It was hard to say. The look on Marlowe's face was pale and shocked and Maeve did recognize she was in a sore mood, at least somewhere inside her fire ants feeding on a doe's beating heart-infested brain she saw that he was fearful and quickly shifted to courtesies and offered his hand quickly to get her back to her feet. To his shock she would uncurl her fists before proceeding to grab his wrist sharply before he pulled her up from the floor. When she found herself standing squarely in the corridor she crossed her arms. Her expression shifted from a scowl to a frown, but not much else. "What's your problem? Don't you look before you walk?" Her brows pursed, "Huh? Can't hear you. Speak up."</s> <|message|>Marlowe Beltras Location: Hall, Fortuna | In Transit --- "What's your problem? Don't you look before you walk?" "Well I-" "Huh? Can't hear you. Speak up." Shit. She was in control. How could such a lithe woman be so scary? "S-sorry," He muttered, overly embarrassed by being flustered by the girl. "I wasn't paying attention thanks to that awful food and-" he stopped himself, realizing she really didn't give a shit. "But yeah, it's my fault. I was just heading towards the hangar."</s>

<|message|>Mox Holiday (Alias) Meal Hall, Fortuna | In Transit February 21st, 3061 --- "Whole day's full of luxuries, doc. " Mox chimed, popping another cube into her mouth. Chewing and swallowing without pulling a face was an exercise in discipline. "It's just about jumpin' the lil' gaps between them." Life on the Vox Fortuna could be tumultuous in the best of times, but that was the lot, right? If the worst thing that happened to her today was that her food needed more salt, well, that'd be just peachy. It would also be a fair sight better than what William's day was shaping up to be. She listened to the doc pitch her latest medical scheme to him, and he, of course, ate it all up without a second thought, or so much as an inkling as to what it actually was. That did more to test Mox's composure than a plate full of bland gray cubes. Theirs was not a tight ship, beholden to the rules and regulations of proper civilization. No one was going to slap doc Thompson with a malpractice suit for…going a few extra miles. She was a smart woman, no doubt, and every synonym for cunning, but there was something in the way she handled herself, how she fit into the shoddy little world around them that seemed off. It reminded Mox of people she didn't know anymore. In a way, it made her hate Andrea Thompson, deeply. "Don't prick'im too hard, doc," Mox said with a flawless grin. "Heaven knows we need the lil' chicken-bot out there."</s>

<|description|>Passive Perceptions Aurora: 14 Halander: 13 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Jub: 10 Tsak: 9 Passive Investigation Aurora: 15 Jub: 12 Zavakri: 12 Gabriel: 12 Halander: 11 Tsak: 11 Brutrumukk: 10 Feras: 10 Passive Insight Halander: 13 Aurora: 12 Jub: 12 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Tsak: 9 ---</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk watched as his goblin spy broke away from the crowd at the ticket booth and hurried over to him. When he heard what his spy had to report, Brutrumukk let out an annoyed snarl. He considered just taking his money back and sending the goblin packing, but decided to hear his spy out before passing judgement. "A... comp-lee-cay-shun? As in somethin' went wrong over there?" He asked in goblin. "...Well? Spit it out, Mag damn it! What 'appened?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub flinched slightly from the bugbear. "Apparently, my, err, good man..." he said. "You, erm, have a ticket." He motioned over to the carnival. "The charming fellow at the booth has said that someone had paid for a ticket for you, as well as for myself and a few others."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk looked over at the ticket goblin, then back at the goblin standing in front of him "Someone bought me a ticket?" Brutrumukk asked, quite clearly perplexed by this turn of events. "An' now them an' theirs is willin' to let me in...? You sure you 'eard that right? You best not be muckin' about with me 'ere."</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub held up his hands. "I am just as in the dark here as you are, my friend," he said. "Regardless, the fellow at the ticket booth would like to have a word with you. Something about a misunderstanding, I believe he said?"</s> <|message|>Zavakri "Eight and three. Best make it two of each just to be on the safe side." She rummages into her gold pouch, muttering senselessly all the while; "We were but gels when we came last, so that'd be two child's...but she'd be nearly a woman grown now, so best make it an adult's to be safe- and nothing's free, that much is true, so I'd better be safe and buy my own ticket too..." She produces the required twenty-two silver in short order and exchanges it in swiftness for the tickets, which she delicately folds away; the free one into her pocket, the rest safely and securely into her bag. Seeming to lose her reverie for the time being, she studies the map and taps her chin a few times. "...Gosh, this all sounds positively..." She gulps. "...Whimsical."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Right then." Brutrumukk said as he turned towards the ticket booth. "Let's go see what this miss-under-standin' 'e wants to 'ave a word about is." With that said, Brutrumukk made his way over to the ticket booth, arriving just as Zavakri finished paying. "Oi, old timer." Brutrumukk announced his presence in common as he closed to talking range. "That other goblin told me someone bought me a ticket an' that you think I'm thinkin' about stuff wrong."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Welcome to the Witchlight Carnival! The Ticket Booth The old goblin completes the transaction, and before he could say anything to Zavakri after she takes the tickets, Jub and Brutrumukk approach. With the earhorn up to his ear, he listens to Brutrumukk as he speaks. He sets down the horn and he speaks to the bugbear after nodding, "Yes, I did want to speak to you regarding a misunderstanding. But I must clarify: The misunderstanding was on our part. Not yours," He then goes to explain, "Your benefactor has explained to us why you were acting the way you did for the past couple days. Of course anyone would be upset if their rest was being disturbed!" He continues, "Your benefactor also told us that you did a lot of good for the denizens who live around here. So...we can't really deny their payment for your ticket," He then rummages below the booth and pulls out another ticket and a pair of fake orange butterfly wings, and hands them to Brutrumukk, "So, on behalf of your benefactor: Thank you for all of the good you've done. And on behalf of the Witchlight Carnival: We apologize for the disturbance, and we hope you enjoy your time here. This will be our last night here,"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora The goblin's comment had left her more curious than before. Was it someone she knew? It was certainly possible. However she was not sure who she knew that also knew the others here in the line, and the bugbear that seemed rather displeased with the carnival's presence. "I'll take an extra two adult tickets as well." Rory took out sixteen silver to pay for the extra tickets. Before she could set the silver down the bugbear had walked over to the booth and started loudly addressing the goblin ticket taker. She quietly waited for the two to finish hoping that there won't be too much of a scene cause by the disgruntled person. Once the transaction was done, she stepped forward and set the silver on the the counter. Upon receiving the extra tickets, Aurora put all three in her coin pouch and stepped to the side to wait for Gabriel, and put the purple wings on for the time being.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk listened to the ticket goblin speak and, all in all, liked what he heard. He especially liked that this would be the last night the carnival would be here. It came as quite the relief to the bugbear that the peace and quiet he so loved about the field and the Snoring Stone would be back the way it was by tomorrow. When the ticket goblin finished speaking, Brutrumukk gave a sharp nod and grunted his approval. "Y'know what? You lot ain't so bad." Brutrumukk said as he accepted his ticket and wings. "So who was it what paid fer our tickets anyway? An' what are these wings fer as well?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub scurried after the bugbear, still looking very nervous. This nervousness turned into outright panic when Brutrumukk addressed the ticket goblin, and in a voice that anyone within earshot was likely to hear, referred to Jub as 'that other goblin'. With a burst of anxious - bordering on hysterical - laughter, Jub patted the bugbear on the leg. "Hah... poor fellow doesn't know what he's talking about," he said. "Other goblin? Really now!" Even as he was speaking, he was attempting to pull his hood further over his head.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Krog "Yes well, I'll just take the ticket." Gabriel leaned on the ticket booth counter to take his ticket stub, offering the open palm of his hand. Once the ticket goblin hands it to him, Gabriel steps to the side next to Aurora with a smile "So, what's the plan?"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora "I was think of going to the Hall of Illusions first. After that maybe the Mystery Mine or the Snail Races." She started to walk in the direction of the Hall of Illusions keeping a reasonable pace. "Though should probably make time for dinner before to long."</s> <|message|>Zavakri "--Lost Property? Gosh, it couldn't be that simple..." She lifts her head, realizing that everyone was beginning to wander away. That wasn't what 'parties' did in the stories she'd heard. Nay, they were supposed to stick together through the thick and the thin- and from what she heard it really was mostly thin- and face unseen perils and form a tight knit bond of comradery that would face the test of time and the gods themselves. The Flaming Fist were extremely clear about this sort of thing in their complaints in the taverns, and the Adventurers she'd met in passing were just plum full of those sorts of stories themselves! ...In short, she already felt quite doomed. She took a deep breath and drummed her fingers on her thighs, thinking... Until the words flowing around her managed to penetrate through the mental barrier of general mathematics she had to constantly balance to breathe properly and remember how to chew food. "--Wait, last night? LAST NIGHT?" She groaned. "Of course it's the last night! Oh, drama!" She let out a sigh that resonated from deep within her endless pools of angst, born from her dark teenaged years, and hastily trudged off. Walking with Purpose, as it were, as she pursued the Lost Property area with haste.</s>

<|message|>Passive Perceptions Welcome to the Witchlight Carnival! The Ticket Booth The old goblin gave a smile in response to Brutrumukk's words. He answered his first question with a shake of his head, "My apologies, but your benefactor is anonymous," He then answers his next question with a smile, "The wings are to show the other carnival hands that you are a paying customer, so you can enjoy the carnival to your heart's content," Once everyone spoke their plans, he bids them, "We hope you have a delightful time!" The First Hour Event! As the party enters the carnival, everyone notices that the mood is bright and everyone seems to be having a good time. The calliope is piping merrily to reflect the good mood that permeates the carnival. They see a twelve-foot-tall walking tree garlanded in golden ribbons march down the thoroughfare. Emerald clouds swirl above the tree and rain down golden, spinning sycamore seeds. Fairgoers around the party try to catch the seeds before they hit the ground. As the seeds gently fall, a chatty squirrel scampers along the boughs of the tree, handing dandelions to select passersby. The walking tree calls out to everyone, "Welcome to the Witchlight Carnival! Catch the seeds before they hit the ground, and you'll receive a wondrous token of our gratitude!" The squirrel scampers to each member of the party and speaks(!), "Blow the seeds into the air, and make a wish! Go on, go on!" If you want to catch the seeds, make a DC 10 Dexterity check. If you catch the seed, roll a d8 and I'll PM what the gift is to you. If you blow the seeds and make a wish, make sure to DM the wish to me. ^_^ The Calliope As some of the party members make their way to their intended destinations, they pass by the Calliope. There, they hear a merry tune spilling forth from the instrument on the back of a brightly painted wagon. A monkey wearing a cloak covered with buttons turns a handle at the wagon's rear, sending music into the air from rows of golden whistles. As you watch, a goblin dressed as a ladybug toddles up to you, rattling a tin cup. Upon the goblin's approach, the monkey notices you and he recites a rhyme... "Spare a button if you please, I'll sew it next to all of these. I offer nothing in its place, Besides a smile upon my face." Should anyone give a button, the monkey smiles happily at you. Lost Property Zavakri easily finds the wagon and there she spies upon an odd sight. Outside the lost property wagon is a large feline creature with midnight-blue fur. It has a pair of tentacles extending from its shoulders and wears fake butterfly wings. Hanging from its collar is a small wooden keg. The creature roughhouses with two young boys. One boy squeals, "Again, Dirla, again!" while the other hangs onto the creature's neck. The creature, Dirla, lets out a rumble of a chuckle, and a female voice speaking in Elvish comes from the creature as she responds, "Now, now. I think that is enough," She notices a new presence, and her tentacles raise up as she looks to Zavakri. The Feasting Orchard Brutrumukk easily follows the fragrant smells to the Feasting Orchard. Music and mirth radiate from this park. The heady scents of flowers, mead, and berry pie waft through the air. Stilt-walkers pluck fruit from trees; musicians drum, pipe, and strum; and everywhere there is singing, dancing, and an inordinate amount of custard. There are also smaller stands about in this park that sell other snacks and beverages for the customers' consumption. An announcer within this park calls out to the fairgoers who came here, "Gooood Evening, Ladies and Gents! The first of tonight's Faerie Cake Eating Contest will be starting very soon! If you wish to particpate, please seat yourself at the center table and I will explain the rules!" The Hall of Illusions As Aurora and Gabriel approach, they see this large tent is painted with a mural of shifting images that show grinning faeries diving into pools of color. The helical stripes of the tent's pointed canopies rotate in spirals, and the whole display seems designed to befuddle onlookers. A clown dressed in muted garb stands at the tent's entrance, blinking at you. They also see, close to the tent, another sight: A wooden mannequin of a grinning, raven-haired young woman in witch's attire and a green flowing cape hovers inside a glass cabinet. At the top of the cabinet, a sign reads "Tasha the Wizard—Known for Her Hideous Laughter." A halfling couple holds hands as they approach the glass cabinet. One of the halflings is wearing butterfly face paint. As he drops to one knee and pulls a small box from his pocket, his sweetheart bursts into laughter and begins rolling on the ground. The halfling in face paint begins sobbing and darts into the nearby tent without getting his ticket punched. The mime seems to gasp silently, and looks at the couple, with a sad look on his face.</s>

<|description|>Passive Perceptions Aurora: 14 Halander: 13 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Jub: 10 Tsak: 9 Passive Investigation Aurora: 15 Jub: 12 Zavakri: 12 Gabriel: 12 Halander: 11 Tsak: 11 Brutrumukk: 10 Feras: 10 Passive Insight Halander: 13 Aurora: 12 Jub: 12 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Tsak: 9 ---</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar [oops]</s> <|message|>Miizel Throe Zavakri & Miizel & The Dungeon Master As Zavakri and Miizel make their way to the Hall of Illusions, they notice that the air around them seem brighter than before. The stars above them twinkle a little more so, and the people around them seem happier. When they reach the Hall of Illusions, they see that this large tent is painted with a mural of shifting images that show grinning faeries diving into pools of color. The helical stripes of the tent's pointed canopies rotate in spirals, and the whole display seems designed to befuddle onlookers. Near the Hall of Illusions, there is a wooden mannequin of a grinning, raven-haired young woman in witch's attire and a green flowing cape hovers inside a glass cabinet. At the top of the cabinet, a sign reads "Tasha the Wizard—Known for Her Hideous Laughter." Right now, a human witchlight hand stands near the entrance of the attraction with a ticket puncher ready. Miizel approaches the witchlight hand and presents his ticket. "I've been told that a certain bugbear was last seen here." Miizel casually mentions. "Was it inside the Hall or the general area around it?" The Witchlight Hand tilts her head and she answers, clearly confused, "I'm...sorry? I'm a new Witchlight Hand, so I'm afraid I'm not sure what you're talking about. I'm just holding the fort here until Candlefoot comes back," She then asks, "Oh! Are you here for the Hall of Illusions? Well, step right up and I'll punch your tickets for the attraction!" Zavakri frowns slightly. Then severely. And finally she tilts her head a bit. "Do people truly enjoy...Illusions? I can't fathom it, honestly. Willingly allowing yourself to be deceived? That's so mind boggling, that'd be like leaving the kettle on to boil then starting a chore only to forget that you had the kettle on in the first place and having to run back across the house to get at it as it screams at you the whole time. I like my world to be the way it's supposed to be, thank you very much!" She extends her ticket all the while, offering it to the attendant despite her diatribe. "Candlefoot? New Witchlight Hand? This is all so very interesting- who's Candlefoot?" The new Witchlight Hand tilts her head as she listens to Zavakri's biting words regarding illusions. She shrugs as she answers, "I mean...I guess it depends on the person? Plus, if you're told up front that you're about to see illusions, then is it really deception to begin with? In the kettle context, by informing fairgoers that they're going to see illusions, we'd be telling them to keep an eye on the kettle, right?" She then shrugs at her own questions, her own mood cheerful despite Zavakri's words. The mood is too good for anyone to take offense. The Witchlight Hand punches Miizel's and Zavakri's tickets as she answers, "Oh! Candlefoot is the mime. He was here earlier, but then he took off running when he got his voice back! No doubt to see Palasha," Miizel looks up at Zavakri with a puzzled expression, as if just now realizing that his companion is a little bit stuck up. He then turns back to the Witchlight Hand and says. "Bah, don't worry about it. Come on let's go." As they enter he's going to say to Zavakri. "You don't have to think too much about the logic of a carnival attraction. Not everything needs to be philosophical." As Miizel and Zavakri enter the Hall of Illusions, they see tall mirrors line the interior walls of the tent. The mirrors near the entrance reflect onlookers in their youth; the images grow steadily older, until the mirrors deep within the hall reflect onlookers in their twilight years. Miizel begins to look distracted as he stares into the interior of the Hall of Illusions. His brows furrow in confusion, trying to make sense of the memories, or lack thereof. It seemed like the Hall held answers to questions he didn't know he had. Miizel begins to enter the Hall without waiting for Zavakri. "It's not about the philosophy it's about-" She watches, briefly surprised by Miizel's sudden departure. She raises a hand as if her solitary source of stability in this uncertain world were slipping away, then rushes herself along with him. "I take it you're fond of illusions then." She chimes. Miizel doesn't hear what Zavakri says and instead takes a step forward. Then another, and another, and before long he was winding down the Hall. Each step and turn had purpose in them, as if he knew this place like the back of his hand. It even surprised him. As he passes by the mirrors, he could see a younger version of himself. Dozens upon dozens of reflections of a gnome child walking through these halls. He wasn't even looking at where he was going anymore, his focus was on the reflection of a childhood long gone. Suddenly his feet came to an abrupt stop and looking forward he could see another mirror. Those around him still showed his younger self but the one in front was different. He couldn't quite make out what it is but that it tugged at something on the furthest reaches of his memory. His heart was pounding and a cold sweat began to form. Miizel took several deep breaths and slowly reached out to touch it. As he slowly reaches out to touch it, the few seconds seem to pass agonizingly slow... His heartbeat pounds louder and louder, his hand shakes more and more, until finally....! ... ... His hand touches the mirror. It rests on the mirror surface. Nothing happened when Miizel touched the mirror. Confusion overtakes the gnome's face as he puts his other hand against the mirror. He taps it a few times then begins looking around and behind it. The mirror surface remains just as solid when he places the other hand on the mirror surface. Nothing happens when he taps the mirror. He doesn't see anything odd or out of the ordinary around or behind the mirror. Miizel shakes his head and turns to look at Zavakri, an annoyed look on his face. "Sorry. I don't know what got into me. The moment we stepped into the Hall I felt something tugging at me. Pulling me forward and leading me…well…here." He turns to motion at the mirror he was just inspecting. "I've searched the mirror and the area around it but to no avail. Sorry for wasting your time." Miizel shakes his head and turns to look at Zavakri, an annoyed look on his face. "Sorry. I don't know what got into me. The moment we stepped into the Hall I felt something tugging at me. Pulling me forward and leading me…well…here." He turns to motion at the mirror he was just inspecting. "I've searched the mirror and the area around it but to no avail. Sorry for wasting your time." "Eh, what?" She blinks at him, severely distracted in her own right; this current mirror was annoyingly portraying her in all her teenaged glory... And it was not very flattering to her mind, what with her gangling limbs- and, drama!, how she needed to wash her hair more! She blinks several times before tearing her eyes away and looking to Miizel. She clears her throat, her mind digesting his words. "Oh, nonsense there chum; this place has some kind of power over us all, I'm sure of it. Each of us given a free ticket is here for a reason, though mine is plain enough. I raced off to where I felt drawn to; you did as well. To reference our conversation with Feathreen and the perceptions of time...You didn't waste my time, we're all here trying to regain some time we lost long ago." She smiles wanly and places a hand on her hip. "Frankly, friend, I'm terrified to go much further down this hall of mirrors. I don't think I'm ready to see myself as a crone. I already suspect I'll be needing glasses 'fore long, I'd hate to have a visual to back up that probability. We can stay here and look around as long as you need though! I'm not going anywhere." she offered supportively. "I appreciate that. I'm good now, I'm sure it'll come back to me as we travel the carnival." He gives her a smile and puts his hands on his hips. "Well, I suppose we should get going then." As Miizel and Zavakri head out of the Hall of Illusions, they hear the joyful sounds of the crowd bustling about outside. The carnival outside of this Hall seems to have become a much more welcoming place compared to this Hall... When they reach the outside, they see that a lot of the customers are heading for the Big Top! The next event is apparently taking place there. Within the hall, something lurks in the shadows, watching them leave before it vanishes.</s>

<|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour The Big Top Extravaganza As the three pairs of adventurers head for the Big Top, they notice that the Calliope seems to be giving a happier tune than when they first came in here, and everyone seems to be in a brighter mood. They also notice that the stars twinkle even brighter above the carnival. There are even some shooting stars, giving a spectacular show if one decides to look up. These adventurers are all heading to the same destination: The Big Top The roof of this tent reaches toward the night sky in three swooping peaks topped with spinning gold stars. Painted wooden panels on the tent walls whirl with colorful motion, displaying vibrant circus performances. The sound of music and laughter drifts out through the canvas door. They enter to see a lot of fairgoers also arrived to see the Big Top Extravaganza. Unfortunately, this also meant that there are fewer seats. As fate would have it: There are 6 seats in a row that are left open for them to take. The adventurers would easily notice each other as they take those seats. For one of the Witchlight Hands...this is the beginning of her shift, and of all things to start with, it has to be the Big Top Extravaganza.</s>

<|description|>Passive Perceptions Aurora: 14 Halander: 13 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Jub: 10 Tsak: 9 Passive Investigation Aurora: 15 Jub: 12 Zavakri: 12 Gabriel: 12 Halander: 11 Tsak: 11 Brutrumukk: 10 Feras: 10 Passive Insight Halander: 13 Aurora: 12 Jub: 12 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Tsak: 9 ---</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak wiped the excess ink from the goblin's arms. She had spent the last three hours, tattooing and applying ink to the arms, torso and back of one of one of the goblins who traveled with the circus. He had been doing favors for her, mostly doing the dirty work she really didn't want to do, in exchange for what seemed to be random bits of art all over his body. Hearing the music in the distance, she realized the Big Top Extravaganza must have started. Panicking, she asked the goblin to quickly put her gear away for her, threw on her uniform and lunged up into the air, taking flight so she could quickly get there. Once she arrived, she would fold her raven like wings behind her and enter the tent. She was there to stand on stand-by in case one of the witchlight hands were needed.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour The Big Top Extravaganza The mood is still bright as the crowd talks amongst themselves, the party included, and nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. Tsak arrives just in time for the event to begin. The lights dim and a hush falls over the crowd. A second later, a spotlight illuminates a lithe, elven figure sitting in a silver hoop, suspended above the center ring by silk ropes. The elf wears a dazzling suit of diamond-pane mirrors and a pair of butterfly wings. His scepter is topped with a spinning vane. "Welcome, one and all, to this evening's extravaganza! I am Mister Light. Prepare to be delighted!" As he gives his call, music began to play the 30 second musical intro, crescendoing until finally a clamshell bathing pool finally opens to reveal Palasha the mermaid! Mister Light calls to Palasha excitedly while taking on the role of Ringmaster, "Take it away, Palasha!" As if perfectly time by Mister Light and the music, Palasha begins to sing. This is no mere serenade, but a jubilant song of joy and excitement that encapsulates the wonder of the Carnival. As she sings, the water moves about on their own, creating sculptures and dancing figures in time with Palasha's singing and lyrics. During this song, faerie dragons also appear, and fly with different colored streamers fluttering behind them. It is a perfectly sung and choreographed piece that captures the audience's attention. Once the song finishes, the audience applauds. The mermaid takes a bow before the clam bathing pool closes and attention is directed to a bugbear wearing a jack-o-lantern helmet comes up, with Mister Light introducing him as Burly the Bugbear. He proceeds to entertain the crowd with feats of strength. Each object he lifted was heavier than the last, and at the end, he lifted all of those objects at once with just one hand! The show continues with a series of acts: Acrobats, fire breathers, clowns, and even Candlefoot! The once silenced Mime contributes to the show by playing silent games with some of the audience members. He doesn't say anything to the party, but he gives them (more specifically Brutrumukk and Jub) a wide and joyful smile as he tries to get the party to play a silent game as well. After a finale with Palasha singing and all of the performers on center stage, Mister Light takes the stage once again and calls as they applaud, "Thank you! Thank you! You're all too kind!" He then calls out, "However, revelries are the best especially when talents and acts can be shared! So, I ask you Dear Audience, before ending this extravaganza: Who among you would like to share your acts with us?" Mister Light has just given the audience a chance to perform! If you would like to perform, it will be a Performance check. If there's more than one party member performing, this will be a group check. ^_^</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel hadn't escaped life on the streets for nothing, who he was with every fiber of his being was carefully and meticulously groomed to be a performer however he was no garish entertainer nor was he some jester or fool. Nay he was a swordsman and a damned good one, his hands were quick to play with the basket hilt of his fine rapier as he listened to Mister White. A habitual tick if you will as Aurora might have guessed, yet now it meant something different, it was a challenge. It was a dare to draw, to cross steel. And then he did. Shing Blade flashing in the low light of the spectator seating the shine of his rapier was like a star against a night sky, it's hum like a dissonant melody that slowly faded. Wordlessly the bard leapt into the circus ring, onto the dirt floor deftly rolling to his feet before the likes of Mister White with a bow "I will share my talent sir," he threw off his vest looking to the audience "A duel, a show of arms but I will need an opponent..." it was as much of a challenge as it was a request, but who would answer it's call?</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk looked on in wonder as the extravaganza commenced. He cheered loudly when Mister Light introduced Palasha. When Burly the Bugbear performed his feats of strength, Brutrumukk idly noted to those about him. "I could top that easy." He watched the other acts eagerly. And when Candlefoot came to play his games, Brutrumukk was all to happy to join in. At the end of the finale, no one cheered louder than Brutrumukk. Just as he was about to turn to Jub and ask where they should go next though, Brutrumukk held his tongue as Mister Light offered the audience a chance to show off their talents. One of the people he'd been sitting with was the first to respond, entering the ring and calling on any member of the audience to face him in a duel. Brutrumukk was all to happy to accept. Brutrumukk made his way to the front of the stands and vaulted into the ring below. However, before approaching the duelist, Brutrumukk made a stop at the weights that Burly had been using. He walked up to a steel barbell and, much the the confusion of the crowd, removed the weights attached to it. Brutrumukk's reasons for doing so would soon become clear though, as he picked up the barbell and attempted to bend it. For a moment is looked like he wouldn't be able to do it. But then his breathing became ragged, his eyed became bloodshot, and the barbell slowly bent by few degrees. But just as people began to truly doubt his strength, Brutrumukk unleashed a great and terrible roar and folded the barbell quickly and neatly in half with one last mighty push. "OI! KENKU GIT WHAT STOLE CANDLEFOOT'S VOICE AN' SAID MEAN THINGS ABOUT PALASHA'S SINGIN'!" Brutrumukk bellowed for all to hear as he held the bent barbell aloft. "IF YER OUT THERE, IF YOU CAN SEE THIS, IF YOU CAN 'EAR ME, TAKE A GOOD LOOK! WHEN I GET ME 'ANDS ON YA, THIS IS GONNA BE YOU!" With that said, Brutrumukk dropped the barbell, turned to the duelist, and drew his morningstar and shield. "HRUGGEK!" Brutrumukk roared before charging the man. Brutrumukk fought with great strength and ferocity, shaking the ground and kicking up dust with every swing and strike. However, Brutrumukk maintained enough sense to remember that this was all meant to be an act and made sure his 'opponent' was never in any true danger from his attacks. Bonus Action: Brutrumukk enters a rage. Action: Brutrumukk rolls a 22 to entertain the crowd with feats of strength and combat prowess.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub wasn't sure what he had expected upon questioning the human woman, but he had definitely not be prepared for the barrage of words he received. His eyes started to go slightly crossed as Zavakri continued to speak, and only returned to their usual state once the Big Top Extravanganza began, causing him to tear his attention away from the woman and his thoughts away from finding the kenku. Instead, he simply enjoyed the show, and like Brutrumukk, he cheered very loudly when Palasha and Candlefoot performed. When Mister Light then called out if anyone wanted to join in with the show, Jub's ears perked up and he was about to stand... only to immediately sit down when the half-elven swordsman stood up, brandishing a sword, called for anyone who wished to duel with him. Nope. Had it been a magic duel, he might have considered it, but sword-fighting was definitely not his forte, as countless failed sparring matches with his fellow goblins back in his tribe had shown him. However, Brutrumukk stepped forward to challenge the swordsman, Jub decided to take this as an opportunity both to show off his skills to a large audience AND to spotlight his new friend. He followed the bugbear into the ring, making sure to keep a distance from the fight, before attempting to use Prestidigitation to write Brutrumukk's names in sparks above the bugbear, as he had once seen talented firework artists do.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Oh shi-" raising his weapon, Gabriel deftly deflected the hit with his blade however the duelist bit his tongue with a pained wince as the force behind the bugbears attack was crushing. He spun on his heel backwards from his opponent, with a wide grin on his face and chuckled "En garde, then." it wasn't a fight to the death thus the riposte the swordsman struck was instead masterfully directed to the bugbears shield arm, in a moment where the swordsman saw an opportunity when Brutrumukk dropped his guard. Suddenly the shield flew to the side as the swordsman glanced a blow off the bugbears arm causing him to release it. Then he held the point of the rapier to his opponents chest. The duel was concluded.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Though his opponent thought the duel was over simply because he'd lost his shield, Brutrumukk still had his weapon and was having far too much fun to stop just yet. The bugbear swung his morningstar and deflected the rapier's point away from his chest. This allowed the fight to continue on for a little while longer, until finally Brutrumukk's weapon was also knocked away. Then and only then did he concede the duel. A grin came to Brutrumukk's face as his rage cooled. Once it had subsided completely, the bugbear let loose a thunderous laugh and gave his opponent an congratulatory slap on the back. "Good fight, mate!" Brutrumukk exclaimed happily. "Let's do it again sometime!"</s> <|message|>Zavakri "Oh, good. Nobody died." Zavakri muttered under her breath as she clapped politely, as if witnessing a pageant.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel cringed at the sheer force behind the bugbear's jovial slap upon his back, the damned goblinoid had a strong-arm if the duelist had ever seen one "If my back ever recovers..." the bard wheezed, but mirrored the bugbears grin before straightening up and sheathing his weapon. He was bruised and sore, not much worse for wear though "Certainly a strong bastard." he said with a laugh, nursing his shoulder with a free hand.</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak was picking dirt from her nails instead of watching the dual. She had to admit that she was more interested in seeing a bugbear there, but mostly cause she always wanted to tattoo one. During this time, she was lost in her head trying to figure out how to ink him with all the fur there. Dye maybe? Not really tattooing but could be just as fun.... huh...</s>

<|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour What Happens Next... Mister Light quirked an eyebrow as Gabriel unsheathed his sword, but he smiled when Gabriel made it clear that his act is swordplay. He discreetly moved out of the ring as Brutrumukk comes and displays his show of strength. The crowd gasps and gives various "Oohs" and "Ahs" at the display. Some murmur in confusion over the mention of the kenku, but that doesn't distract them too much from the show. Gabriel's swordplay against Brutrumukk garnered similar reactions as they watch Gabriel just barely triumph over the bugbear barbarian. They cheered at the swordplay tricks and flourishes that were performed during the spar. They gave an applause to him after the faux battle was finished. Jub's magical display of Brutrumukk's name gets cheers and applause as the fireworks. It served as a grand finale to the acts Brutrumukk and Gabriel put forth. After their acts, nobody else steps forward, and the crowd begins to shuffle out. When the party of 6 is reunited, the same lanky bugbear wearing dungarees, fairy wings, and a helmet made from a jack-o'-lantern from the extravaganza approaches them. "Follow me," he growls. "Management wants to see you." Before leading the party of 6, he looks at Tsak and nods towards the backstage area.</s>

<|description|>Passive Perceptions Aurora: 14 Halander: 13 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Jub: 10 Tsak: 9 Passive Investigation Aurora: 15 Jub: 12 Zavakri: 12 Gabriel: 12 Halander: 11 Tsak: 11 Brutrumukk: 10 Feras: 10 Passive Insight Halander: 13 Aurora: 12 Jub: 12 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Tsak: 9 ---</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora throughly enjoyed the show, though she thought Gabe and Brutrumukk's performances to be a bit too much. The games with Candlefoot, Palasha's songs, and the acrobatics. The acrobatics part of the show did send her back many years ago to the night Xander and her snuck in. She absent mindedly fiddled with her right ring finger with her thumb, remembering the ring she lost that night. Having never figured out where it went she had forgotten about it until just now and the words that were spoken to her when she got caught. "Silly little screeching cricket," said Witch. "You forgot to buy a ticket." "The carnival goes round and round," said Light. "The multiverse is our playground. Nothing's free and nothing's lost. Every visit has its cost." After a few more minutes of contemplation Aurora realized why she had really come to the carnival again. She needed to find that ring, and the scroll that she had with it. She looked up as Gabe whispered in her ear about having a bad feeling about something. "What would they like to see us about? Have we done something wrong?" She directed the questions to the bugbear that had approached the group.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour What Happens Next... The bugbear looks to Aurora, and with a wave of his hand, he reassures her and the rest of the group, "No, you haven't done anything wrong. While I don't know what they want to talk to you about, I can assure you that there's nothing to worry about. The bosses are in high spirits," He then turns to lead the group to management and repeats, "Please, come this way,"</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak starts to somewhat pay attention towards the end of the dual, clapping when everyone else does. She would notice Burly's nod, nodding back at him before looking around and following the bugbear.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Once the show was finally over for real this time, Brutrumukk picked up Jub and placed his newfound shoulder goblin on his shoulder. "That was some good stuff ya did back there, booyagh." Brutrumukk said to Jub as he made to clear out with the crowd. "Now that that's over, what say you an' I 'ead on over to the Feastin' Orchard again. I dunno about you, but I've got an 'unger on!" Before Jub could answer though, Burly the Bugbear would come along and ask the party to follow him to see the bosses. "Well this should be interestin'." Brutrumukk said to Jub before following the other Burly's lead and listening quietly to the conversations the others were having with this new bugbear.</s> <|message|>Zavakri Zavakri fell strangely silent and occupied herself at the rear of the party, mentally forming herself into a queue with the others, as the bugbear declared that the management needed to see them. Because of course it did; why else would they have been given tickets? She licked her lips, mentally preparing herself against the dread horror she experienced, as she followed along.</s> <|message|>Miizel Throe As soon as the show started, Miizel slunk back into his seat, trying to hide himself. Whether it was because of the chaos he had caused or something else, he didn't know. When Mr. Light entered the stage he had gotten his answer. It was something else. Definitely something else but he couldn't pinpoint what. All throughout the show he kept one on the Witchlight's owner and another on his crossbow, ready in case anything should happen. He flinched a bit when the human male he was sitting with drew a blade and let out a yelp when the bugbear roared. What are these fools thinking?? Once the theatrics were over he finally managed to breath a sigh of relief, however, just when he thought things were finally dying down he was greeted with two Witchlight hands which wanted to take him and his group to meet management. Although they said there was nothing wrong he couldn't help but feel uneasy. Still keeping a hand on his crossbow, he followed the others.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar As the audience applauded the show, Jub gave a low bow, making sure his hood didn't slip off as he did. However, even with most of his face obscured, it was clear he was quite pleased with himself, and the flash of an elated grin remained on his face even as Brutrumukk picked him up and placed him back on his shoulder. "Same to you, my good fellow," Jub responded to the bugbear's praise. "You and our sword-carrying acquaintance put on quite a good show." He glanced over at Gabriel, giving a smile and a nod in the swordsman's direction. He then turned his attention back to Brutrumukk, and was about to respond to his suggestion of returning to the Feasting Orchard when another bugbear approached their group, saying something about the management wanting to speak to them. "Uh oh," Jub muttered under his breath, tugging at his hood once again. His mind was quickly running through everything he had done since entering the carnival, trying to find any possible thing he might have done that would have gotten him in trouble... perhaps his attempt to sell souvenirs earlier, given he wasn't actually affiliated with the carnival? Or maybe he'd scared one too many customers with Eighteyes? He was slowly becoming more and more panicked until the elven woman in their group outright asked if they were in trouble, to which the Witchlight Hand responded that no, no they weren't, and that the bosses were in fact very happy. "Oh thank the gods," Jub muttered quietly again, though he still seemed tense. As they followed the rest of the group backstage, the goblin whispered into Brutrumukk's ear, in their native language, "The moment things start to go bad, we should hightail out of here as fast as we can."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour The Meeting Burly leads the Party through the back entrance of the Big Top. The first thing they see is a tangled wall of thorns surrounding a cluster of wagons lit by lanterns. This caravan is barely visible through the thicket. Burly easily waves a hand over the thicket and it parts to allow him and the party entry into the Staff Area. The bugbear leads the group to a circle of wagons. Leaning against a particularly ostentatious wagon is an aging clown with a painted grin. He puffs on a bubble pipe and glares at the party as the bugbear, ignoring the clown, opens the wagon's door and ushers almost everyone inside, excluding Tsak. The flamboyant elf, Mister Light, grins from ear to ear as he welcomes the party into the wagon with a theatrical bow. "Please come in, it's a delight to meet you all! I am Mister Light, and this is my associate, Mister Witch," He gestures to a stocky elf lounging on a bunk. Mister Witch nods to the party and doffs his top hat.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "If things go bad, yer free to run if ya like." Brutrumukk whispered in goblin in response to Jub's words. "I'll be stayin' fer the fight though. Also, I gotta track down that kenku git before I leave." Brutrumukk continued to follow Burly as the other bugbear led the way to the staff area, looking on in wonder as Burly parted the thorny brambles with a wave of his hand. As they entered the staff area and passed the glaring clown, Brutrumukk glared back and bared his teeth for a moment before continuing into the management wagon where Mister Light waited to welcome the party and introduce Mister Witch. "Is... Is that a fat elf?" Brutrumukk whispered in goblin to Jub after seeing Mister Witch for the first time. "I didn't know elves could be fat... Did you know?"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L A frown creased the edges of the duelist's mouth at the way Brutrumukk looked at the elf and whispered something in a odd language, Gabriel gave the bugbear a pointed glare before offering a curt bow to the dignified elf with his odd clothing "Ah, I'm sure whatever our friends may be saying it is polite," he said with a sheepish smile "Gabriel, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." he introduced himself, although something told him they had already met.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub's ears drooped slightly when Brutrumukk stated he wouldn't flee, though he wasn't exactly surprised. In the short time they had known each other, the bugbear hadn't shown the least bit of fear. If the incident during the dragonfly rides hadn't shaken him, the prospect of a few carnies attacking him was unlikely to make him flinch. The goblin was quiet as they made their way backstage, eying each of the carnivalfolk they passed with suspicion and making note of every available exit should he have to make an escape. When they finally met Mister Witch and Mister Light face-to-face, Jub became even more tense, the hint of a grimace forming beneath his hood. Yes, he remembered these two from eight years ago, and their dismissive attitude when he had told them what he had lost. He could only hope they didn't remember him as well. Jub was on edge that Brutrumukk's comment on Mister Witch's appearance caught him off guard and caused him to give a nervous snicker, and he had to catch himself so he didn't burst out into full out laughter. "No, no, I admit, this is a new one for me as well," he responded in goblin. At Gabriel's words, he tried his best to recollect himself before saying, this time in common, "Yes, very polite, I assure you, err, my companion was simply praising your unique dress sense." He gave a small nod to Mister Witch, putting on the most sincere face he could muster given the circumstances.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Prey-zing yer eunuch dress sense..." Brutrumukk said, slightly confused by the more complicated words the others were using. "Yeah, sure, whatever." Brutrumukk shook his head to banish the headache that had been forming in the back of his mind. "The name's Brutrumukk, an' the goblin on me shoulder's called Jub. Don't suppose either o' you seen a kenku sneakin' about an' tryin' to make a mess of everythin'? Or maybe someone with blue paint on the back o' their 'ead doin' the same?"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour The Meeting The two leaders of the Witchlight Carnival both nod and give greetings in return to the three who already spoke up. Before Mister Light could speak up, Brutrumukk already stepped forward and asked his question about the kenku. Mister Light answers Brutrumukk, "We are aware of who you're talking about, but we do not know of her whereabouts right now," Mister Witch then speaks, "The Kenku is named Kettlesteam. She is a disgruntled guest and troublemaker who shares the same fey patron as us: Zybilna. She dwells in the Feywild domain of Prismeer," Mister Light smiles and he adds, "Hopefully, your performance back there will have been enough to get her to stop,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Oh don't you worry about that kenku git tryin' anythin' else." Brutrumukk said as a cruel, bloodthirsty grin appeared on his face. "Next time I catch it, I'll make sure it never bothers anyone ever again. Heh heh heh heh heh." After a few moments of imagining all the ways he'd club the kenku to death and mount its head on a spike in the future, Brutrumukk returned his focus to the present. "So ya wanted to see us then, yeah?" Brutrumukk asked. "What did ya wanna see us about?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub wasn't sure what the most bizarre revelation of this whole conversation was: that the carnival's owners knew the kenku well enough that they were aware who her patron was, that she was from the feywild - a realm which Jub had heard enough about to be aware that it not a place one just took a stroll through and came out unscathed - or that the kenku was a 'she'. All of these answers had simply stirred up more questions in the goblin's brain. "Why does she want to wreck your carnival if you have the same patron?" Jub asked Mister Witch and Mister Light.</s>

<|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour The Meeting Both Carnival leaders looked at each other in concern when Brutrumukk made his threatening comment and gave his bloodthirsty smile. When Jub asked, Mister Witch answered the small goblin, "We haven't heard from Zybilna for a very long time. The same must hold true for Kettlsteam. After all, Zybilna is the matron to the entire carnival. She would have told Kettlesteam to stop," Thankfully, Brutrumukk asked his next questions. Mister Light brightened up considerably with a wide, joyful smile. He gestures to the vane in hand and he speaks, "My vane here picks up every single nuance of emotion in the carnival, in order to ensure that everyone who comes here has a delightful time. This is the first time I've felt so much joy in a long time! So, we wanted to express our gratitude to you!" Mister Witch clears his throat and he speaks, "We were also curious. We'd like to know what brings you to the carnival this night," Mister Light waves his hand and speaks to Mister Witch, "Oh don't be silly, Mister Witch! I'm sure they're just here for a good time as well,"</s>

<|description|>Passive Perceptions Aurora: 14 Halander: 13 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Jub: 10 Tsak: 9 Passive Investigation Aurora: 15 Jub: 12 Zavakri: 12 Gabriel: 12 Halander: 11 Tsak: 11 Brutrumukk: 10 Feras: 10 Passive Insight Halander: 13 Aurora: 12 Jub: 12 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Tsak: 9 ---</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L A frown creased the edges of the duelist's mouth at the way Brutrumukk looked at the elf and whispered something in a odd language, Gabriel gave the bugbear a pointed glare before offering a curt bow to the dignified elf with his odd clothing "Ah, I'm sure whatever our friends may be saying it is polite," he said with a sheepish smile "Gabriel, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." he introduced himself, although something told him they had already met.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub's ears drooped slightly when Brutrumukk stated he wouldn't flee, though he wasn't exactly surprised. In the short time they had known each other, the bugbear hadn't shown the least bit of fear. If the incident during the dragonfly rides hadn't shaken him, the prospect of a few carnies attacking him was unlikely to make him flinch. The goblin was quiet as they made their way backstage, eying each of the carnivalfolk they passed with suspicion and making note of every available exit should he have to make an escape. When they finally met Mister Witch and Mister Light face-to-face, Jub became even more tense, the hint of a grimace forming beneath his hood. Yes, he remembered these two from eight years ago, and their dismissive attitude when he had told them what he had lost. He could only hope they didn't remember him as well. Jub was on edge that Brutrumukk's comment on Mister Witch's appearance caught him off guard and caused him to give a nervous snicker, and he had to catch himself so he didn't burst out into full out laughter. "No, no, I admit, this is a new one for me as well," he responded in goblin. At Gabriel's words, he tried his best to recollect himself before saying, this time in common, "Yes, very polite, I assure you, err, my companion was simply praising your unique dress sense." He gave a small nod to Mister Witch, putting on the most sincere face he could muster given the circumstances.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Prey-zing yer eunuch dress sense..." Brutrumukk said, slightly confused by the more complicated words the others were using. "Yeah, sure, whatever." Brutrumukk shook his head to banish the headache that had been forming in the back of his mind. "The name's Brutrumukk, an' the goblin on me shoulder's called Jub. Don't suppose either o' you seen a kenku sneakin' about an' tryin' to make a mess of everythin'? Or maybe someone with blue paint on the back o' their 'ead doin' the same?"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour The Meeting The two leaders of the Witchlight Carnival both nod and give greetings in return to the three who already spoke up. Before Mister Light could speak up, Brutrumukk already stepped forward and asked his question about the kenku. Mister Light answers Brutrumukk, "We are aware of who you're talking about, but we do not know of her whereabouts right now," Mister Witch then speaks, "The Kenku is named Kettlesteam. She is a disgruntled guest and troublemaker who shares the same fey patron as us: Zybilna. She dwells in the Feywild domain of Prismeer," Mister Light smiles and he adds, "Hopefully, your performance back there will have been enough to get her to stop,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Oh don't you worry about that kenku git tryin' anythin' else." Brutrumukk said as a cruel, bloodthirsty grin appeared on his face. "Next time I catch it, I'll make sure it never bothers anyone ever again. Heh heh heh heh heh." After a few moments of imagining all the ways he'd club the kenku to death and mount its head on a spike in the future, Brutrumukk returned his focus to the present. "So ya wanted to see us then, yeah?" Brutrumukk asked. "What did ya wanna see us about?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub wasn't sure what the most bizarre revelation of this whole conversation was: that the carnival's owners knew the kenku well enough that they were aware who her patron was, that she was from the feywild - a realm which Jub had heard enough about to be aware that it not a place one just took a stroll through and came out unscathed - or that the kenku was a 'she'. All of these answers had simply stirred up more questions in the goblin's brain. "Why does she want to wreck your carnival if you have the same patron?" Jub asked Mister Witch and Mister Light.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour The Meeting Both Carnival leaders looked at each other in concern when Brutrumukk made his threatening comment and gave his bloodthirsty smile. When Jub asked, Mister Witch answered the small goblin, "We haven't heard from Zybilna for a very long time. The same must hold true for Kettlsteam. After all, Zybilna is the matron to the entire carnival. She would have told Kettlesteam to stop," Thankfully, Brutrumukk asked his next questions. Mister Light brightened up considerably with a wide, joyful smile. He gestures to the vane in hand and he speaks, "My vane here picks up every single nuance of emotion in the carnival, in order to ensure that everyone who comes here has a delightful time. This is the first time I've felt so much joy in a long time! So, we wanted to express our gratitude to you!" Mister Witch clears his throat and he speaks, "We were also curious. We'd like to know what brings you to the carnival this night," Mister Light waves his hand and speaks to Mister Witch, "Oh don't be silly, Mister Witch! I'm sure they're just here for a good time as well,"</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak grimaced as she looked at the Burly. This meeting was most unusual to say the least. She would listen silently, curious where this went.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora had stayed towards the back of the group listening intently to the conversation. It seemed that the kenku that Brutrumukk and Jub had encountered had some relation to the carnival, at least through their patron. The fact they have not heard from their patron in sometime was most likely very troubling to Mr. Witch and Mr. Light. It also seemed the two had different ideas as to why everyone in the group was here. "Initially I had seen the carnival while passing by and remembered it being quite enjoyable, though in the last hour or so I've realized I lost something here a long time ago and wonder if it was found and someone held onto it. It was a rather ornate ring with an emblem in the center of it. There may have been a scroll with it as well, would you know if anyone has seen it?"</s> <|message|>Zavakri Zavakri jumps at this, leaning far forward as her legs hastened to keep up with her body. Soon she pushed herself forward and sucked in a deep drag of air. She held it for a moment, as if meaning to inflate. Then she deflated, clearing her throat awkwardly as she let Aurora have her moment. "Sorry, got a bit excited, rather in a tizzy in fact, but dreadfully tired- I haven't stayed up this late...Well, that's a lie, I stay up this late every night, but this is certainly a lot of activity! When we get around to me someone remind me that I was working up a bit of steam, eh? I'll pick it back up when we get to that part." She retreats back to the back, anxious, gnawing on her lip intensely. "Don't mind me, not normally the sort to jump a line like that, you've all got as good a reason to be here as me. I presume."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour The Meeting Both leaders of the carnival turn their attention to Aurora as she spoke. As she mentioned that she lost something a long time ago, a dim light of recognition appears in their eyes. They look to Zavakri as she pushes her way forward to front and center. Mister Light reassured her, "There's no need for apologies. There's no queue to worry about," The both of them look to the group, and Mister Light speaks up, "Ah, I somewhat remember now. Most of you were here eight years ago...! My, you've grown up," Mister Witch closes his eyes and somewhat looks away with a clear look of remorse, while Mister Light also gains a regretful expression as he speaks, "However, we must sincerely apologize, but what you've lost isn't here," Mister Witch speaks up, "The wheel of time turns ever on... what's lost is lost, what's gone is gone," Mister Light then clarifies, "I'm afraid that there are forces at work beyond our control. We cannot help you,"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub frowned as he considered the carnival owners' answer. Well, that was interesting. Perhaps this Kettlesteam thought the disappearance of her patron had something to do with the carnival. The kenku's words from earlier ran through his mind once more: "You lost something important to this place, didn't you?" Had the carnival stolen Kettlesteam's patron? If so, how? That would take a good amount of magic, would it not, to somehow steal away an archfey? He was pondering this when Aurora spoke up, mentioning that she had lost something the last time she had been at the carnival. That's when the carnival owners seemed to recognise not only Jub, but seemingly everyone else in their group, and from the words Jub could imply that he and the elven woman weren't the only ones who had lost something. At Mister Witch and Mister Light's words, claiming that they apparently couldn't return what they had taken, Jub suddenly felt a twinge of anger. "That's a load of rubbish!" he said, without thinking. "You can't honestly expect us to believe that something that just happened to go missing the last time I was here..." He gestured to Aurora. "The last time she was here, had nothing to do with you two. You've just admitted you're both warlocks, essentially. Taking a ring and a scroll should be easy for you, let alone my ability to keep secrets! So if they're not here, then where are they?" After he'd finished, he suddenly realised what he'd just said, and his hands quickly went to his mouth. Behind them, you could just about hear him give a muffled, "Oops..."</s>

<|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour The Meeting Mister Light and Mister Witch were silent as Jub makes his outburst. When he falls silent due to realizing that he let his own secret out, Mister Witch retorts, flaring back at Jub in equal passion, "And haven't you thought that maybe -- just maybe -- that we have the rules regarding purchasing tickets in place to -- Oh, I don't know -- prevent that sort of thing from happening?! But did you buy your tickets then?! Did you even try to speak to Nikolas about purchasing a ticket if you didn't have the coin then?! No! No, you decided to sneak in! With that decision, what happened was out of our hands!" Mister Witch stands and walks to Mister Light's side, and places a firm hand on the slender elf's shoulder, stopping the tirade. Mister Witch firmly speaks to Mister Light, "That's enough, Light," "But--!" "That's. enough," Mister Light sighs, calming himself down. Mister Light apologizes, "My deepest apologies, but that was discourteous of me," Mister Witch takes out a pocket watch out of his waistcoat, looks at the face, and then nods at Mister Light. Mister Light then speaks to the group, "Well, Time waits for no one. I'm afraid this is where our meeting must end," He then smiles again, and tells the group, "As Thank You for contributing to the joy of the Carnival, I offer you all a gift," He then nods to the clown and speaks, "Thaco is a clown of few words, but many talents. He'll make you a balloon animal of your choice. Follow Burly, and he'll lead you back to the carnival proper," --- A Hushed Conversation After the party receives a balloon animal, Burly starts to lead them away from the Wagon they were at while making sure that Tsak is with them. Instead of leading them back to the Carnival itself, Burly whispers to the group, "Follow me. Over here. You too, Tsak," He pulls them aside into a small corner for them to speak discreetly. After he looks around to make sure the coast is clear, Burly removes his jack-o'-lantern helmet, revealing a worried expression, "I'll get straight to the point: Bad things have been happening at the carnival for a while. People and things have been going missing. My bosses know more than they're telling, but their hands are tied somehow. You're the first people I've met who might be able to set things right. Witch and Light are good guys, but you'll need leverage to make them spill the beans,"</s>

<|description|>Passive Perceptions Aurora: 14 Halander: 13 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Jub: 10 Tsak: 9 Passive Investigation Aurora: 15 Jub: 12 Zavakri: 12 Gabriel: 12 Halander: 11 Tsak: 11 Brutrumukk: 10 Feras: 10 Passive Insight Halander: 13 Aurora: 12 Jub: 12 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Tsak: 9 ---</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub had just started to relax when they were joined by that peculiar human woman from earlier, the one who had expressed her frustration the carnival and seemed to be able to take up a whole conversation just on her own. It seemed she hadn't really change much in the few hours since they had last spoken. The goblin shifted awkwardly in his seat. "Errrrrr...." he said, genuinely not sure how to respond to that. He glanced over at Brutrumukk, conveying all his confusion and bafflement in a single expression and hoping the bugbear had some kind of retort to this situation, because he was currently drawing a blank here.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Humans can be weird like that sometimes." Brutrumukk said in goblin when Jub looked to him for word on the subject of Zavakri. "Either way, don't worry about 'er. We got bigger things to focus on right now. You got enough booyagh left in ya fer what we're about to pull off?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub nodded, and motioned to his bag. "Gabriel just gave me that bag of pixie dust that he won at the pixie kingdom," he responded in goblin. "So if I end up being crowned Witchlight Monarch, we have a way that you can gain flight if we need to make a quick getaway." He paused, thinking for a moment and glanced towards Gabriel and then Zavakri. "Though I think there's only enough for one use so if neither of us get it, I'm not sure what we'll do." He spoke up again, this time switching to common and addressed the two non-goblins in the group. "Erm... do you either of you guys have a plan when it comes to this whole... watch stealing business?" He paused again before adding, "We're all on the same page about this, right? I'm sorry, I'm starting to feel we might not be on the same page."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Thank you?" the half-elf looking a bit perturbed said in reply to Zavakiri's compliment (if it could be classified as such), then he looked between the pair of goblinoid as if for some kind of explanation "Oh? Plan? What for?" now he was quite confused, what was this plan?</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Erm... do you either of you guys have a plan when it comes to this whole... watch ste-" This was all Jub would have time to say before Brutrumukk clamped a hand over the goblin's mouth. "Mind what you say, you little idiot." Brutrumukk hissed in goblin before inclining his head towards a nearby Witchlight Hand. "The carnies catch wind o' what we're up to an' we ain't gettin nowhere near that watch." "Oh? Plan? What for?" Brutrumukk then heard Gabriel ask, causing the bugbear to turn to regard the man with a cautioning look. "We's jus' plannin' what we're gonna do after this, is all." Brutrumukk said in common as he pulled his hand away from Jub's mouth. "Still a few places we 'aven't seen yet an' all that."</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "HMPH!" Jub really hadn't expected Brutrumukk to cover his mouth and, after taking in what his bugbear companion was saying, shoved away his claw before turning towards him. "I'm just making sure we're all on the same page here!" he hissed back in goblin. "Which clearly we aren't!" He waved towards Gabriel as he spoke. "I thought it was important we had a back-up plan in case neither me or you are crowned. But pardon me for being tactical!" It was clear from his expression and tone of voice he was more than a little upset about being interrupted... and told off... and called an idiot.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Rory made her way into the big top, pausing briefly to look for Gabriel and the other she had met earlier in the day. It didn't take long to spot the bugbear and gnome, wait was that a gnome? The garb that the being wore looked much like Jub's from what she could recall. She walked up to the four gathered keeping mostly quiet, a feat not to difficult with all the noise and commotion. "So how did everyone else fair. Miizel, Tsak, and I found something interesting in the Hall of Illusions." She stated after walking up behind Gabe. The elven woman leaned in closer after checking to see who might be paying attention and whispered so that only the other four gathered might hear. "Also the owners would like to meet with us after the Crowning. They are trying to keep it on the quiet. Something or someone is causing them worry that whatever it is might catch word of what we are up to. It does have to do with what we found in the Hall of Illusions. What was discussed with Burly may not need to happen now."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk was about to respond to Jub's words when Aurora arrived and greeted the rest of the group. When she mentioned that stealing the watch was no longer necessary, Brutrumukk visibly deflated at her words. "We... We don't need to do that no more?" Brutrumukk said. "Oh... Well that's upsettin'. I was lookin' forward to doin' that." With that said, Brutrumukk slumped forward in his seat, now looking incredibly glum.</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak would hang around the group, still a bit wary of the gnome she had been around and the bugbear. Realizing what time it was, the fairy would fly off to get her uniform on before returning to meet up with the staff to help prep for the Carnival Crowning.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Eighth Hour The Crowning of the Witchlight Monarch As spectators take their seats, the party may or may not notice Dirlagraun escorting Mister Witch into the Big Top. The both of them move to stand next to Candlefoot. --- Meanwhile, one of the other Witchlight Hands, one of the three clowns to perform, speaks to Tsak, "Hey, Tsak! It's your turn to hold the hatbox! Come on, hurry!" Tsak knows that the hatbox holds the crown, used for crowning the Witchlight Monarch, and Mister Witch is going to take the crown of gold butterflies out during the ceremony and place it on the lucky reveler. --- Back in the Big Top, Mister Light appears once again, and Palasha is in her clamshell once again ready to sing. He calls out to the crowd, "Good Morning, Everyone! I trust you all had a delightful time?" He lifts a hand up to his ear and he gets a cheerful roar from the crowd in response, After getting said response, he cheerfully continues his speech, "Wonderful! But before we say our Goodbyes, it is time for the grand finale of the Witchlight Carnival! For this hour, we shall see who is the Witchlight Monarch! Are you ready, folks?!" The crowd gives a loud cheer in response. Once the crowd quiets down in anticipation, and Mister Light raises his vane. He gives a poetic call, "Our festivities are almost done this night. But there is one more task before daylight! Let the light of joy truly spark! Reveal to us our Monarch!" The vane spins rapidly at the rhyme and a thread of golden light appear. The crowd lets out "Ooh"s and "Aah"s at the golden thread as it weaves and moves about on its own. It moves throughout the crowd, as though searching for the Monarch. Eventually, the golden thread makes it's way...to the party. It first weaves past Miizel, and then past Aurora. Then it makes its way to Zavakri, only to move past her and towards Brutrumukk. Unfortunately, the thread moves past him as well. It heads towards Gabriel, before finally... It finally circles around Jub! After the thread circles around the small goblin, he gives off a golden aura. "BEHOLD, EVERYONE! THE WITCHLIGHT MONARCH!" The crowd roars cheerfully and applauds Jub. The Witchlight Hands would come to escort Jub, if he doesn't follow their gesture to come to the center of the Big Top ring.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk When Jub was declared the Witchlight Monarch, none cheered louder than Brutrumukk. Despite being disheartened at the fact that stealing the watch was no longer necessary, he was happy to see that their efforts to be crowned had paid off at least. "You did it, booyagh! You won!" Brutrumukk exclaimed as he hoisted Jub onto his shoulder once more. "Now let's go get yer crown, yeah? MAKE WAY! MAKE WAY! MAKE WAY FER THE KING!" With that said, Brutrumukk carried Jub down to the ring to get the goblin crowned.</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak was surprised at first as she had forgotten it was her turn to hold the hatbox. Luckily, with years of all this, the fey knew exactly what to do. While half- heartedly paying attention, she stood there with the box in had, more eager to get this over so they may speak to the misters, rather then the Crowning it's self. Once the gold thread stopped though on the little goblin with the bugbear, she perked up, paying more attention.</s> <|message|>Zavakri "Oh thank the Gods; I lost." She sighs, relief flooding her body. This reverie is not long for this world however, as the instant the Bugbear and Goblin duo rise up and Jub is held aloft; aglow; triumphant.. Dread and frustration set in. "Wait. I lost to them?" Her brow furrows, watching as the goblinoids ascend to claim victory. She wags a finger and looks sternly at the stage, metaphorically imposing the world upon it. Soon an abacus glows spectrally before her, formulae manifesting in the air as she began rapidly shuffling the device with her hands. "…I lost by Two?!. Oh, bother." Flinging her hands, she dispelled the spectral mathematica and crosses her arms in a sulk. Don't worry; soon enough existential dread at her failed foiling of the bad plan will set back in, and she'll begin to chew her nails- but for now, sulking it is.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub had been slumped over in his chair, still sulking over being told off by Brutrumukk when his name was called and for a moment, all he could do was raise his head and blink up at the thread as his brain processed what was happening. Thankfully, he wasn't stuck there slack-jawed for too long before Brutrumukk hoisted him up on his shoulder and brought him down to the ring. Any hurt feelings he had about the bugbear from moments ago completely disappeared as he watched his friend loudly cheer for him and telling the crowd to make way. That, combined with how everyone was cheering for him and showing no implication of distaste at a goblin being crowned the Witchlight Monarch made Jub give a big, if somewhat befuddled, grin as Brutrumukk brought him over to the ring.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L A sense of dread, and maybe a little excitement fell over the half-elf tensed in his seat. He didn't know wether he wanted or deserved the crown, yet Gabriel felt a twang of disappointment as the golden thread passed him by. In the end however, the title had no significance to him and he was simply elated that Jub was getting the positive attention he needed. Gabriel followed alongside Brutrumukk as he carried the comically surprised Jub on his shoulders "Don't look like you just ate a bad egg, look royal for the commonfolk." the half-elf japed to his little friend.</s>

<|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Eighth Hour The Crowning of the Witchlight Monarch Tsak notices, despite the crowd's loud roar, as soon as the thread of light chooses Jub to be the Witchlight Monarch, music begins. Palasha begins singing. This song starts slow. Tsak recognizes it as a song that Palasha originally wrote for Candlefoot after he lost his voice (there was no denying that those two were in love with each other). Strangely enough...it also seemed to sympathize and resonate with the Witchlight Monarch of the hour. The song itself seemed to understand the source of his sadness, while trying to express hope and joy in the future in just the feeling. And yet...it also feels like a call to action: To bring those who are lost, back home... The slow and heartfelt ethereal song continues as Jub is brought down to receive his crown. Once Tsak opens the hatbox, Mister Witch takes the crown of golden butterflies out of it gingerly with both of his hands. Mister Light makes it clear to Brutrumukk that he needs to lower Jub to ground, and Jub needs to kneel in order to receive the crown. Once Jub does kneel, Mister Witch gently places the crown on his head. He moves to the side and lets Mister Light, tap each of Jub's shoulders gently with the vane, as though knighting the goblin. While this happens, the sound of singing can be heard from the crowd in "Laaalalala"s After a trio of clowns shower Jub, Mister Light, and Mister Witch in glitter, the music picks up in a joyful and jubilant song. Now was the moment where the Withlight Monarch is paraded around the Carnival. Palasha sings happily, beckoning others to join in the song and the parade. Jub is raised high once again for all to see with the crown on his head. As the parade continues throughout the Carnival grounds, colorful fireworks explode in the sky as though to punctuate the fact that this is the finale to the Witchlight Carnival.</s>

<|description|>Passive Perceptions Aurora: 14 Halander: 13 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Jub: 10 Tsak: 9 Passive Investigation Aurora: 15 Jub: 12 Zavakri: 12 Gabriel: 12 Halander: 11 Tsak: 11 Brutrumukk: 10 Feras: 10 Passive Insight Halander: 13 Aurora: 12 Jub: 12 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Tsak: 9 ---</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival After The Eighth Hour Unfortunately...all good things must come to an end. The same holds true for the Crowning Ceremony and the Witchlight Carnival. As dawn rises slowly, Mister Light could be heard calling to the crowd as they depart, "Parting is such sweet sorrow! Thank you all for visiting the Witchlight Carnival! We hope you had a delightful time!" As the crowd heads for the exits, the party stands there. For Jub, the crown disappears from his head, and reappears in the hatbox. Tsak knows that was going to happen. After all, how were they going to crown the next Witchlight Monarch if they don't get the crown back? Jub, despite knowing that the crown is no longer resting upon his brow, knows that he still has the title of Witchlight Monarch. He can feel it. It is in this moment, where all of you stand still amongst the moving crowds, see Mister Witch and Mister Light looking at you all. They both turn, and Light nods at you, the entire party, to follow them. You follow them through the carnival grounds, past the crowds heading towards the exit, until they stop at the very same attraction some of the party had suspected and investigated: The Hall of Illusions... Both Misters seem to be nervous as they stare at the entrance of the Big Top. Then the party sees the both of them look to each other, before Mister Light starts reaching his hand for Mister Witch's. Mister Witch's hand meets Mister Light's, and their fingers interlocking. They face the entrance again and head inside, expecting the party to follow. The interior has not changed since some of the party members last investigated it. As Witch and Light move through the Hall of Illusions, their reflections in the mirrors show them as gloomy shadar-kai children garbed in nobles' attire, with the party's own youthful reflections following behind. Soon, they call all of the party to a halt, right in front of the mirror Miizel had pointed out as magical and different from the other mirrors. At that moment, the mirrors now reflect everyone's true age. Mister Witch addresses you in a hushed tone, "Everything you seek and more lies beyond this mirror. If you mean to step through, then stand in front of the glass and repeat this rhyme: Hither, thither, here and there; wander yonder, show me where," They then part and move away to let you all reach said mirror.</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- This was it, the very moment Tsak had been waiting for. She was finally about to leave her home and travel forth, to follow her parents foot steps as find the truth. Tsak's breathing audibly heavy and quick as a slight panic attack started to kick in. Taking a deep breath, she would look to the party, "I know we've not known each other that long, but I was hoping that your party would allow me to follow for now. My parents and mentor is somewhere through that mirror and I need to know their story. If I may, Ill need to gather my things and day a quick good bye to my family" She would then look to the misters with slight tears in her eyes and a faint smile, "I'll be back when I find then, if I am still welcomed"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub was still in a very elated mood from the celebration as the party followed the Misters towards the Hall of Illusions, and that feeling didn't dampen too much even as the two elves explained the situation. He could still sense their reluctance, so he felt this wasn't trap. However, he got the feeling that whatever lurked beyond the mirror must have been something if two warlocks were acting all antsy about it, and this gave the goblin pause. While he desperately wanted what had been taken from him, was it really worth traipsing into gods-knows-where, with the possibility that he might not come back? Sure, his condition had seriously impacted his life. Part of the reason he had chosen to become a showman was because his previous life of living on the streets and hanging around with less scrupulous individuals had been severely impacted by the fact that no one could trust him to keep his mouth shut, and while performing magic shows for bystanders was a safer and less illegal line of work, it had also proven far less profitable. Still, he was alive, and while some days were way worse than others, it wasn't the worst life. In fact, right at this moment, he felt pretty happy. Shenanigans aside, this had been a good day. He could just turned around, leave and have this whole experience end on a reasonably happy note, no potential threats or danger required. As he was considering this, however, Tsak spoke up and voiced her desire to the travel with the group, revealing she too had lost something: her family. Jub hadn't been sure what to make of the fairy up until now, but this confession did make him feel some sympathy for her, and in turn reminded him that he wasn't the only one who had lost something. He glanced over at Aurora. She had mentioned losing a ring and a letter, if he remembered correctly. Obviously, not the same as losing a family member, but it must have been of some importance if she had gone through all this trouble to investigate. He then looked over at Gabriel and the human woman, who he realised he still didn't know the name of. He wondered if they too had lost something. He got the feeling the latter had, but Gabriel had been surprisingly tight-lipped about any previous encounter he may or may not have had with the carnival. He was still here though, so there must have been something in it for him. Then Jub looked at Brutrumukk. Brutrumukk, who had, by his own admission, never been to this carnival before, had lost nothing and honestly, had all the reason to walk away, yet was still here. Quietly, Jub addressed the bugbear in goblin. "Hey, Brutrumukk, you know you don't have to come with us, right?" he said. "You haven't lost anything, and we don't know where this mirror leads or when we'll be able to come back." Or if, but he didn't say that part out loud. "You said before you just wanted your peace and quiet back, and you can still have that." He knew the possibility of danger was unlikely to deter the bugbear. However, he also knew that the bugbear had little to gain and much more to lose by following a bunch of near-complete strangers into some magical realm, and while Brutrumukk had proven himself capable of heroics and goodness, this would require a level of selflessness that Jub had not really witnessed in, well, anyone. He certainly didn't want to say good-bye to the bugbear - quite the opposite, in fact - but he also knew better than to expect Brutrumukk to drop everything he was doing and everything he had going for him in order to help people he had only known for a day. Heck, Jub had known people who had been friends for much longer who would not be willing to walk blindly into danger for each other, so he certainly wouldn't hold it against Brutrumukk if he decided to cut his losses right there and then.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk, in tandem with the scrappy eight year old bugbear reflecting back at him from the nearby mirrors, opened his mouth and let out a long, drowsy yawn. Now that the excitement of the carnival was over and no longer keeping him hyped up and awake, Brutrumukk was now feeling the combined weight of being up all night and Grankhul sapping his vigor bearing down on his eyelids. "Whawasat, booyagh? Di'n't really 'ear that jus' now." Brutrumukk mumbled tiredly before letting out another yawn. "Oof, fuck I'm tired... Look, I dunno 'bout you lot, but bein' up all night ain't usually my thing. An' now that I 'ave been, all I wanna do now that I've got my peace an' quiet back is sleep. So d'you lot reckon we could 'old off on jumpin' 'ead first into this weird mirror portal thing fer about... ten hours maybe? Eight hours at the very least."</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora looked at the reflections in the mirrors as they made their way to the mirror Miizel had indicated was magically different than the others. It was curious to see that Mister Witch and Mister Light were shown to be shadar-kai. She knew little of the distant kin of the high elves. Most of what she knew is that there were not of the prime material realm. She looked at both of them then at the mirror again. "What is beyond this is responsible for the disappearances isn't it. When I was here in the Hall with Gabriel earlier today, I saw a small girl with a pig mask talking to a halfling. She left shortly after we arrived but she had asked him if he had any regrets. The halfling mentioned that the girl knew someone who could help and all he had to do was follow her." She paused considering the information that had been gathered through the night. Turning her gaze back to the elven carnival owners her expression hardened some. "Do both of you know who this person is? Who would be preying on people who have regrets in life?" Aurora's tone was sharp and accusatory, she didn't understand why they would risk whatever this thing was harming people. Briefly she realized that maybe her tone was a bit to harsh. These two wanted to bring joy and happiness to others. "I do apologize for how I said what I said. Whatever or whoever this is has their own agenda. I'm not sure if it the being or beings you are so worried about but, I will go through with Tsak, Jub, Brutrumukk, and whoever else will go. "Rest would probably do all of us good. Here would probably be the safest option as only the owners here truly know what is beyond this portal."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L As the group came to a halt before the mirror the half-elf knelt by the reflective glass, taking a sip from his waterskin that to his disappointment was anything but liquor as he inclined his head listening to Aurora recount their brief experience within the Hall of Mirrors. Wiping his mouth with the cuff of his shirt he nodded to confirm what she was saying and then stood before giving the mirror before them a slight flick with his index finger "You should have mentioned the girl earlier my friend," he said, as he hadn't seem the masked child at all when they found the halfling "But it matters little except if indeed someone in the mirror can help with regrets..." his gaze drifted back to the mirror yet it was like he was staring past his reflection "Well we all have those." he shook his head from the daze he put himself in. "And I too will follow you my friend." Gabriel patted Aurora on the shoulders "After all you still owe me a drink and I owe you a tale or two."</s> <|message|>Zavakri Zavakri rises, silent in her observance of the ending of the festival once her hysteria has passed. She marches along like a gosling bent to the will of her matron goose, entering into the Hall of Illusion; a place of fuzzy memories and a strange forgetfulness. For some reason it made her think of Gnomes. She shudders upon entrance, the mirrors once again catching her eye and their myriad forms creating a sense of unease in her. Amusement to an extent, but general unease... At last she finds herself before the mirror that reveals her true age. To others, she seems a young woman of adulthood and, while eccentric and strange, intelligence and social awareness. Standing before this mirror, her reflection reveals her to be but a child; the same child that haunts her nightmares and memories. Herself, those eight years ago when the Carnival was last here. She grew older, but she never grew up. She stares at her reflection, lost in the conversation and her memories- but she shakes herself and grimaces. "If my sister isn't over there, Hag or No Hag.." She points a finger at the Misters. "You'll be dealing with me later." She steps the mirror, the overarching conversation still lost to her whirling thoughts. "Hither, Thither, Here and There; Wander Yonder, Show me Where!"</s>

<|message|>Passive Perceptions The Misters attention are drawn to Tsak first. After she spoke, Mister Witch hands her a very familiar pack. It's her pack! And it has her sketchbook and other tattooist supplies. It has everything she needs for the journey ahead. Mister Witch tells Tsak as he hands her her pack, "We will pass your goodbyes to them," Mister Light answers Tsak, clearly tearing up and trying to keep himself from crying and outright sobbing, "You'll always be welcome home, Tsak," He does manage to get a hold of himself before Aurora speaks next. They were silent at her questions. It seems like they can't say who is responsible at all... Then their attention is drawn to Zavakri. They look surprised when she mentioned the hags, and when she spoke to them, they and the rest of the party can see something strange for the briefest of moments. Zavakri's irises looked like the faces of a clock, the numbers clear to see, before they went back to normal. As Zavakri speaks the rhyme in front of the mirror, there is a strange sensation in the depths of her soul. It feels like she's all versions of herself throughout time, and yet--paradoxically so--she is none of them: Just an instrument of the Balance, beginning to fulfill her purpose. After the rhyme is spoken, mist swirls in the mirror, blotting out your reflections. The party can now pass through the mirror. Those who hesitantly or just simply touch the mirror surface find themselves pulled in Before you step through the mirror, Mister Witch and Mister Light speak out once more. "Mind the Rule of Three: Future, Present, Past," "Find the alicorn and free the Dormant Queen at last!" End of Chapter 1</s>

<|description|>Passive Perceptions Aurora: 14 Halander: 13 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Jub: 10 Tsak: 9 Passive Investigation Aurora: 15 Jub: 12 Zavakri: 12 Gabriel: 12 Halander: 11 Tsak: 11 Brutrumukk: 10 Feras: 10 Passive Insight Halander: 13 Aurora: 12 Jub: 12 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Tsak: 9 ---</s> <|message|>Zavakri Zavakri whirls through the portal, collapsing onto herself as she appears on the Other Side. A groan. A wince. An exhausted twitch. Oh, such artistry made flesh. She slowly pushes herself to her feet, the weight of what she just did finally settling itself upon her shoulders; falling from on-high upon wings of retribution to finally feel the gravity of utter reality and dismal truth. "Golly Gosh!" she cursed heartily. "Blimey! Spittle and bloodshed!" She leapt up and down, a sudden vigor coursing through her veins, soon whirling about as if just awakening for the first time. "A SWAMP??" She cries out, before her seething calms itself to a belated and finally appearing exhaustion. She falls onto her knees, pulling her cloak about herself. "If this is how I find her, so be it." She sighs to herself, conviction worming its way into her tired voice. "At least it's no longer that Carnival...Oh, Riri, I hope you don't worry..." She casts her gaze about, searching her companions intimately for the first time. "If it's up to me, which it hardly is due to my sudden decisionmaking skills ending us up here, a rest is in good order. Just tell me when it's my watch or whatever it is we adventuring types are supposed to do, yeah? I've got to run some numbers..." She wraps herself up tighter in her cloak, shifting the otherwise hidden crossbow she carried into her hands and lap as she slowly rocked where she sat, mumbling numbers in a calming manner.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora When the human woman spoke the words to open the portal before everyone had a moment to respond, Aurora stood there for several seconds in surprise. Once the human woman through the portal, Aurora dashed forward to the follow. The sensation that followed was unlike any she had experienced in recent memory. It felt almost like falling forward without actually falling at all. The sensation stopped once Aurora felt the soft earth beneath her boots. A quick glance had only resulted in seeing the dense fog and ruin near where the others started to arrive. Gabriel's exclamation of something being here drew her attention back to the group. "Well Brutrumukk mentioned trying to rest back in the carnival but she..." Rory pointed towards Zavakri, "decided to open the portal before we could really discuss it. Personally I would have preferred resting somewhere not in a swamp. If we rest here I suggest we have someone keep a watch once we find somewhere less in the open." Aurora understood why the bugbear was upset and to some extent agreed with him. At the Carnival they would have at least been safe and less exposed to whatever may lurk in this fog. "What did you mean by hag or no hag?" Aurora asked Zavakri while stepping toward Jub offering a hand to help him back to his feet. "Not quiet like jello but I am feeling tired from being up all night. I don't think any of us knew what to expect. Expect maybe the carnival owners."</s> <|message|>Zavakri "What did you mean by hag or no hag?" Aurora asked Zavakri while stepping toward Jub offering a hand to help him back to his feet. Zavakri's attention snapped back to reality at being addressed. "Oh, nothing much, methinks; the talking unicorns mentioned a hag, and someone else let slip that the Witchlights were victims in their own right, so I put two and two together and made some assumptions. Some lass named Skabither Nightbloom or something- Skabitha Nightblossom? No, that's not right; Nightshade. Skabitha Nightshade. Droll name, but I suppose a hag isn't exactly born to good things, eh?" She rambles on for a bit, before clicking her tongue and shifting to sit more comfortably. "She sleeps in a dollhouse; she forgets the first creature she sees. I suppose I can't expect unicorns to make sense."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "So we're dealin' with an 'ag then?" Brutrumukk said in response to Zavakri's words. "I've 'eard a thing or two about their type. Can anyone else 'ere say the same?" Should another party member indeed also know a thing or two about hags like Brutrumukk did, they would have a decent amount of knowledge on the subject of hags between the two of them. Provided that someone negates the disadvantage with the help action, Brutrumukk rolls a 19 to know stuff about hags.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub glanced up at Aurora as the elven woman offered to help him to his feet - not unlike how she had before the two of them had entered the carnival. With a weak smile, he let her help him to his feet. "Thank you," he said, before taking a moment to dust himself off. When the human woman spoke again, Jub swerved to face her, only just managing to avoid falling over again. "Well, next time, maybe consider asking the rest of us before you do anything like that," he said. He was attempting to sound stern, but the affect was lessened by the fact he was slurring his words slightly.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "I agree." Brutrumukk agreed with an annoyed growl. "The fuck were you thinkin' pullin' somethin' like that? Some of us would 'ave liked to sleep before divin' through some mirror portal leadin' to Mag knows where." Brutrumukk then turned to the rest of the party. "An' what the fuck were the rest o' you thinkin' followin' 'er?" Brutrumukk asked. "Jus' cuz some mad cow decides to be fuckin' stupid, don't mean you gotta go with 'er! Now we're stuck on some broken bridge above some gods fersaken swamp with no idea where to go or what to do! An' to make matters worse, we're all fuckin' tired...! Great work everyone. Great fuckin' work."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel had untied the straps holding the sleeping roll in place from his backpack and set to unrolling it, rubbing his temples as the bugbear grew more and more frustrated. As the half-elf listened to Brutrumukk berate the party, Gabriel gritted his teeth his head pounding wishing he had a bottle of whisky to calm his nerves. "You're one to talk!" he snapped back angrily a tinge of an accent in his voice "Ya bloody well followed too, the god damn mirror pulled some of us in!" he pointed to the spot they appeared from "Like fuck'n hell ya couldn't have just left! It isn't our fault we left in a rush, those old farts likely didn't want to let us stay." he said meaning the two Misters.</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak was had been second to last through the portal, dashing forward to grab her pack from the misters and hug them both tightly. With a kiss on both of their cheeks, the overly giddy fairy flew right into the portal at top speed. Now, planer travel was nothing new, she's traveled to all sorts of planes all her life, but the fey never really got used to the sensation. Well, one mistake she had made was flying into the portal in the first place. As Tsak came out the other side, the tattooist came cometing down into the ground, roughly crashing into it. A yelp, groan and giggle later, the fairy would move to her feet and take in her surroundings. At first, excitement over took her, she did it! She finally became an adventurer! Then.... panic. Tsak, breath becoming heavy and quickly, took out her sketchbook as she looked around for the others. After taking a few deep breaths, the fairy would fly up to the others and called out, "Uh... I could fly up to the air and see if there are any towns or villages nearby..."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk When Gabriel spoke up, Brutrumukk wheeled around to face him, looking just about ready to club someone to death and subsequently mount their head on a spike. "Yeah, some o' you were pulled in. I weren't talkin' ta them" Brutrumukk said. "An' yeah, I followed even though I coulda jus' left. But that woulda meant leavin' you and the others what got sucked across to deal with whatever mess ya got sucked into after that bitch opened the portal. An' fer various reasons, I weren't all that keen on the idea. An' as fer those fuckin' knife ears-" It was at that moment that Tsak chimed in. The interruption took the wind out of Brutrumukk's sails. And after staring at the fairy for a moment, Brutrumukk heaved a growly sigh. "Do what ya like. I'm gonna get some rest." Brutrumukk said before finding a decent looking spot on the bridge and beginning to set up his bedroll.</s> <|message|>Zavakri Zavakri's exhausted emotional state cannot handle the torrent of anger and vitriol coming towards her. She goes wide eyed, like a deer in headlights, and curls inward on herself. "If Rirvudd were here, he wouldn't let anyone say such things to me. But he isn't. And I am. So say what you want. I deserve it, I suppose. I'll do my best to not let anyone else down or to disappoint anyone ever again." She curls into a sobbing ball of sorceress.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Aaaaand now everyone was shouting at each other. Any annoyance towards the human woman (or any of his companions for that matter) that had been building up within Jub melted back down and he was just left feeling exhausted. "Yeah, I think it best we just set up camp here instead of traipsing through the swamp while we're all tired and upset," he said to Tsak. "Even if you happen across some form of civilisation, it'll probably just be a weird fairy town with weird fairy rules." He paused, suddenly realised who he was talking before adding, "No offense."</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak frowned as she looked around the group, and she thought the carnie life was stressful. Slowly nodding to the grouchy bugbear, she would take to the air, flying up past the trees and took a look around for any towns or villages. 7</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Both what the bugbear said and how the poor dark skinned reacted to the whole situation was a real punch in the gut for the likes of himself, it was bad enough to see that their argument had hurt her but the fact that Gabriel hadn't helped matters made the half-elf feel poorly about his words. Brutrumukk while his words might have been harsh were also right in a way, the bugbear just did what he thought was right to do "Oh gods, I..." Gabriel looked from the bugbear to the woman crying on the ground "I...I am so sorry." all the anger fell away replaced by worry, his brow knitted together as he knelt by Zavakri "Look Brut...You just did what you did and I understand that," he sighed "You did what you thought was right and I don't blame you for that."</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Aaaaaand she flew off anyway," said Jub as he watched Tsak head upwards into the trees. He then looked over at his group, shaking his head slightly. "I think I'm going to start crying now," he muttered as he watched Gabriel try and comfort the sobbing woman. With a sigh and a slight shake of his head, he started rifling through his stuff in search of his sleeping bag and other assorted camping gear. It was clear that no reasonable conversation was likely to occurr while everyone was sleep-deprived.</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak spent a bit of time in the air, taking in their surroundings while calming herself down. She knew what she was getting into, yes, a less... conflicted group of adventures may have been better, but at least Rory was chill. Taking a deep breath, the fairy would fly down to the others before finding a branch to sit on, "Sooo... I know I'm new, to all this, but, umm... is it normal for an adventuring group to be this loud and boisterous? Or is it just this group?" Tsak would look at the group, between the bigoted goblin, arguing bugbear and bard, then the slightly unhinged human lady who's name she never learned, she was fairly concerned about her current situation.</s>

<|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Queen's Way The sky begins to darken slowly as everyone realizes how tired they are, the twilit sky becoming night as the discussions and arguments continue. When Zavakri begins crying, the party would feel rain begin to fall on them. The rain is not heavy enough to seriously drench the party and prevent them from going to sleep, but it is enough to really compound the feelings of sadness and melancholy that are now present in the group. The rain will not let up until the party calms down and recovers from this sadness. As Brutrumukk leaves to go find a place to rest, he notices that there is now a nearby stone that has a frowning face made of cracks in the stone. Zavakri notices, as she curls in on herself, that there are thorns growing next to her that weren't there before. In the middle of their rest, Aurora sees something during her watch or after her 4 hours of rest. In the distant sky, she spots a great balloon made of patchwork material. It spins out of control as though punctured, causing the wicker basket that hangs from it to swing wildly. She can hear the distant sound of screaming coming from it. The balloon plunges out of sight, disappearing into the fog approximately a mile away. The rest passes by quietly for the party. When they wake, they will be well rested and ready for this swamp and its unknown dangers.</s>

<|description|>Passive Perceptions Aurora: 14 Halander: 13 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Jub: 10 Tsak: 9 Passive Investigation Aurora: 15 Jub: 12 Zavakri: 12 Gabriel: 12 Halander: 11 Tsak: 11 Brutrumukk: 10 Feras: 10 Passive Insight Halander: 13 Aurora: 12 Jub: 12 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Tsak: 9 ---</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora The magical barage that both Jub and Zavakri caught the strange rabbit folk of guard. Aurora hadn't expected it either. It appeared that three were already fleeing, with only one stopping to collect their leader. Aurora knocks an arrow to her short bow aiming for the one in front of the snail. He goal wasn't necessarily to harm but to encourage them to flee. 11 on the attack. If it hits it is only 4 damage.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Queen's Way Both rabbits who were by the snail, were startled by the arrow from Aurora, and the other rabbit tries to get the snail to leave with the rest of the Brigands. "Come. ON! Let's go you stupid---!" The snail refuses to budge and simply lets out a louder angry noise at the brigands. The brigand recoils before he sneers "Fine! Stay if you wanna be escargot so damn much, you stupid thing!" He then runs away as well. Brigand D tries to bring the snail along. Animal Handling at disadvantage is a 4 so that's a no. Brigand D runs away and leaves combat! Jebbek & Bunny Brigand E: 22 Tsak: 20 Jub: 17 Zavakri: 16 Bunny Brigand A: 15 Bunny Brigand C: 14 Bunny Brigand B: 13 Aurora: 12 Bunny Brigand D: 11 (DEX Mod is +3) Brutrumukk: 11 (DEX Mod is +2) Giant Snail: 8 Gabriel: 5</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Seeing the Brigands in full retreat, Brutrumukk began to laugh cruelly at their cowardice. As the rabbits ran, the bugbear began to stalk forward. As he advanced, Brutrumukk drew a Javelin and sang a murderous mockery of the ballad the Brigands had been singing when they arrived. "I'll skin you alive, from tail to 'ead; I'll spill yer guts before yer dead. Then I'll eat yer flesh without a care Fer I do so love roasted 'are— A treat so glorious, for the victorious, Rabbit meat is truly meritorious! By the stench o' death, you'll know I'm comin'; Say yer prayers, there's no use runnin'. Quick as a bolt, me jav goes sailin', Pleadin', beggin', you'll die wailin'. You'll shriek, you'll scream, you'll cry, you'll groan; Thanks to me, Brutrumukk, Spirit o' the Snorin' Stone!" When he reached the part of the song that mentioned his javelin, Brutrumukk hurled it towards the ankle of the rabbit that was trying to drag Jebbek away. As much as the bugbear feared Skiggaret and the madness he brought, Brutrumukk had always been secretly grateful for the lessons he learned when under Skiggaret's sway. Helping the wounded when an enemy you had no hope of defeating was chasing you never ends well for the fools who stopped to do so. And a certain benevolent bunny was about to learn that the hard way. Brutrumukk hurls a Javelin at Bunny Brigand A's ankle. He rolls a 20 to hit and deals 6 damage.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Queen's Way The bunny brigand lets out a pained cry as the javelin strikes true. But he is still up and Jebbek is now helping him stay standing. The Giant Snail meanwhile remains uncooperative and just stays where it is for now. Giant Snail does nothing for its turn. It's being stubborn and rebellious against the Brigands. Jebbek & Bunny Brigand E: 22 Tsak: 20 Jub: 17 Zavakri: 16 Bunny Brigand A: 15 Bunny Brigand C: 14 Bunny Brigand B: 13 Aurora: 12 Bunny Brigand D: 11 (DEX Mod is +3) Brutrumukk: 11 (DEX Mod is +2) Giant Snail: 8 Gabriel: 5</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L As he stood at a distance from the fleeing brigands, the half-elf tapped his index finger on the basketed hilt of the rapier hung at his side watching the would-be memory thieves run off. "Stand down all of you, let them go." after a moment of pause between battle, Gabriel spoke loudly to everyone "Let them run, they meant no real harm anyways. I can tell, I know when someone wants to kill you or not." he got a distant look as he watched Jebbek flee. "They'll know not to bother us again anyhow." Insight: 11</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Queen's Way Bunny Brigand E was looking at the party with wide eyes before Jebbek calls to him, "Hey! Help me carry Harry! Come on!" The rabbit leaps over to the both of them and he helps Jebbek carry Harry this time, and the three remaining Bunny Bandits disappear into the swamp, obscured by the mists. The party is now alone...with a lone giant snail. The giant snail realizes that its free and with a huff, it starts to leave as well. Bunny Brigand E and Jebbek flee while carrying Bunny Brigand A. Encounter has ended! You guys are now out of initiative.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "You should jus' run!" Brutrumukk called out to the last unwounded Bandit that had yet to flee as the bugbear drew his morningstar. "Look at what 'appened to 'Arry when 'e tried to 'elp." Despite his words of discouragement though, the last Bandit went to help anyway. "Fine. 'Ave it yer way." Brutrumukk said as he prepared a second Javelin in his off hand. "Three carcasses o' rabbit meat are much better than two anyway." With that said, Brutrumukk followed the fleeing Bandits into the mist.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Well, that depends on your definition of 'doing harm'," Jub said in response to Gabriel. "You don't have to severely wound someone to 'do harm'. Sometimes, taking that which he holds dear is all that is required, especially when that person already has so little." He glanced over at the fleeing bandits. "And these would-be muggers were particularly nasty in that regard. Imagine taking someone's memories! I certainly wouldn't shed any tears for them." However, he showed no sign of wanting to pursue the brigands, merely watching as Brutrumukk attempted to give chase. After a moment, he looked back at Gabriel. "I doubt he's going to back down. If you wish, I may know a way to incapacitate him so he doesn't run off and get himself into trouble. Perfectly harmless, though he probably won't thank either of us for it."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L All he did was sigh in exasperation as Brutrumukk chased after the brigands into the mist "I'm not so sure it will make things much simpler." Gabriel said in a rather defeated tone "Not to sound a bit blunt Jub but he seems to enjoy this sort of thing." he waved to the area where they had fought and the aftermath "I'll leave it up to you to decide how to handle our bugbear friend because you and he are close, he might listen to you who knows!" he added with a shrug "Do whatever you think is best Jub."</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Knowing it was a risk, Tsak flew up and around Brut, meeting him at chest hight and puts her hands out. "whoa there big guy, they're gone, you won! There is no need to give chase! The rabbis learned their lesson, lets move on!"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Before Jub could respond to Gabriel, Tsak had seemingly taken it upon herself to try and stop the bugbear. The goblin's concern about possibly losing Brutrumukk in the fog turned to actual panic as he feared he might strike out at the fairy for getting in his way. Hoping to mitigate any potential damage, Jub produced his magic wand from his coat pocket and, approaching the pair, began muttering to himself and making a gesture with his free hand in attempt to cast an enchantment on the riled barbarian. Jub attempts to cast Hideous Laughter on Brutrumukk. The DC is 12 and Brutrumukk has to make a Wisdom saving throw.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Rather than causing the bugbear to collapse into an incapacitating fit of laughter, Jub's spell served only to convince Brutrumukk that Tsak's attempt at getting him to stand down was the funniest thing he'd heard in days. "Like 'Ells I'm movin' on!" Brutrumukk laughed as he continued his pursuit, barging past Tsak if she refused to get out of the way. "I ain't lettin' me lunch get away without a chase!" Brutrumukk rolls a 12 to resist Jub's spell and moves into the mist.</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak has had a bit if experience with Bugbears in the past. There was a few things she had learned, one, Bugbears tend to be stubborn and brutish, bully like. Secondly, if you let them walk all over you, they will! Tsak, young and not the wises, lost her temper. Flying at the large beast man at top speed, she attempted a bullrush, not to harm him, but get his attention. Tsak attempted to shove Brut Athletics check: 16-1=15</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Tsak's attempt at stopping Brutrumukk did nothing but make the bugbear laugh even harder as he barrelled through the fairy's forceful shove and vanished into the mist, laughing all the way. Sorry, Cao. 21</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak hit the ground and growled, hitting the ground, "You gods be damned coward! Pick on someone your own size!" Tsak stood up, rubbing her left arm before cursing in Sylvan and flew up to the sky to scout and calm down.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Good advice!" A voice from the mist called back.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora When the bandits started to flee Aurora thought that would be the end of it. Then Brutrumukk started to give chase loudly proclaiming that he was going to eat them. Gabe, Jub, and Tsak tried to stop him and only managed to make him laugh. "How long do you think it will take for him to get lost Gabe? This fog seems thick and those rabbit people know this area. Maybe ten minutes before he looses them I think. She was only half serious about the bugbear getting lost. It wasn't likely that Aurora would be able to keep up with him, and less likely that Brutrumukk would be able to keep up with the bandits in this fog. Stowing her bow, she half turned to Gabe. "So what is it that is out here that you are familiar with. You mentioned something about it last night after we got here through the portal."</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Shoot!" Jub hissed under his breath as his spell failed to have any real affect on Brutrumukk. Much to his surprise, however, Tsak didn't take this as an opportunity to back down and instead outright attempted to charge and shove the bugbear. It didn't work, as he predictably barrelled right through her and went running off into the mists anyway, but Jub couldn't help but respect the fairy for her attempt. After the fairy flew off in a huff, Jub turned to the remaining members of the group, and pointed in the direction Brutrumukk had gone with his thumb. "I'm just going to follow him, make sure he doesn't get lost," he said, slowly side-stepping towards the mists. "Once he's cooled off, I'll send up some fireworks for you to find us." With that, he turned and went after Brutrumukk into the fog.</s>

<|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Queen's Way There is only the sound of singing birds and croaking frogs as Brutrumukk and Jub run ahead into the fog. The rest of the party have some peace as they watch the two Goblinoids run ahead. Brutrumukk runs and runs and runs through the fog. However, as he keeps running, he finds that he can't sense the Harengon Brigands. That moment is the moment when he stops running. He has lost the tracks and evidence of where the Brigands could have gone. But he does find something else: He found an abandoned raft. Right now, the 8 foot square raft is stuck in the mud.</s>

<|description|>Passive Perceptions Aurora: 14 Halander: 13 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Jub: 10 Tsak: 9 Passive Investigation Aurora: 15 Jub: 12 Zavakri: 12 Gabriel: 12 Halander: 11 Tsak: 11 Brutrumukk: 10 Feras: 10 Passive Insight Halander: 13 Aurora: 12 Jub: 12 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Tsak: 9 ---</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "RRRRRRRRAGH! GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" Brutrumukk roared in annoyance as the snake managed to get a decent hold on the bugbear this time. Now that he was in its grasp, Brutrumukk knew defense would be a waste of effort, so he devoted all his energy to attacking. Brutrumukk swung for the snake and once again struck true, this latest blow landing harder than the previous strike. Brutrumukk recklessly attacks Giant Constrictor Snake B with his morningstar. He hits with an 18 and deals 17 damage.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Snake A takes advantage of the distraction B provided and uses this chance to make its way to the balloon basket. It does a tail whip to ensure that anyone else who could attack it wouldn't be able to. It stops moving and peers into the basket, causing a male voice to shout out, "WAAAAUGH!!! Stay back, you foul beast! I have no fear!" Tsak hears the scream and she makes her way towards the snake. She mumbles an incantation and she calls out to the snake, "Leave them alone!" before she throws a dagger at them. The snake lets out a loud angry hiss as the dagger and hex did a significant amount of damage. Snake A disengages from melee and uses thirty feet to get to the balloon basket. Since it used its action and movement, it'll end its turn peering into the basket. Tsak will fly 30 feet towards the balloon, following Aurora. For her bonus action, she will cast Hex on Snake A, targeting Strength, and she will throw a Dagger at the Snake for her action. She hits with a 17! The dagger deals 4 Piercing damage, and the Hex adds max 6 necrotic damage on top of it. So she does a total of 10 damage to A! We're back to the top with @Dark Cloud & @Fading Memory Gabriel & Zavakri: 17 Giant Constrictor Snake B: 15 Bob: 14 Warning Voice: 12 Jub & Aurora: 9 Brutrumukk: 8 Giant Constrictor Snake A: 4 Tsak: 4</s> <|message|>Zavakri Zavakri pats Bob on the side of his shell. He was working perfectly as cover and deserved some affection. She observes the battlefield with a sense of superiority granted by having never missed an attack and having never been attacked herself, quite satisfied at the rage of the bugbear serving as a secondary shield to her own elegant self. Or something like that. She witnesses Tsak rising to the rescue of the vocal balloon basket, and after a quick mental equation to conclude that *someone* must be in there she moves 30 feet towards the basket and lets fly another array of lethal mathematica towards Snake A. "Oi, Get out that basket! I'll catch you!" She lied like a carnie, as she mentally prepared more spellcraft for the occasion. Magic Missile says X=5; 15 Force Damage to Snake A by the basket "Just because you added a few Z levels and a new Y and X Vector doesn't mean I can't still calculate for your present position!" She declared boldly to the snake as her missiles struck home. Then, she balks- she had mistakenly gotten rather close to Snake B, but was thankful that her companions were still nearby. Oh bugger. At least it wasn't right next to her, yet.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep His weapon had yet to miss it's mark up until the current moment, Gabriel had been on his toes until as he followed the snake tangled in combat with the bugbear. His toe caught the edge of a root while he sprang towards the giant serpent, he lost his balance thrusting the tip of the old rapier at nothing but empty space. "Drat." Gabriel growled, sounding mildly annoyed as he stepped back into the ready position with his weapon at the ready. Gabriel moved towards Giant Constrictor near Brutrumukk and miss with a 5.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower As the chaos continues, Snake B looks at Brutrumukk before opening its maw and just begin to swallow the bugbear. As it does, the coils and the mouth just squeeze Brutrumukk painfully. The voice in the basket responds to Zavakri's words, "I would if I could, Fair and Wise Lady Sage! But I can't move this accursed cage!" The voice then calls out to the serpent in front of him, "I'm not completely defenseless. I still have a trick or two up my sleeve. Have some of this then!" The voice then sneezes and a burst of rainbow colored fog sprays upwards from the basket. Snake A recoils and then glares at the voice within the basket, completely unaffected by his trick. "Uh oh..." Then a silvery dart hits the snake's head causing to recoil and accidentally take an actual inhale of the fog. When it lifts its head up again, this time it's eyes are showing multiple colored rings. If a snake could have a large dopey smile on its face, this snake would have it. The voice seems to realize what happened and gave a cheer! Snake B attacks Brutrumukk. Can't use constrict on Brutrumukk again, so it bites with advantage. Hits with an 18 and deals 13 Piercing Damage. Bob does nothing. Warning Voice does something! He's going to make Snake A make a Wisdom Saving Throw. Snake A succeeds with an 18 Zavakri's Silvery Barbs made it reroll. It got a 6 and failed the Save. Zavakri gave Aurora advantage to attack A with this spell. Krog and @XxFellsingxX are up next! Then @rush99999 goes after them. Gabriel & Zavakri: 17 Giant Constrictor Snake B: 15 Bob: 14 Warning Voice: 12 Jub & Aurora: 9 Brutrumukk: 8 Giant Constrictor Snake A: 4 Tsak: 4</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Seeing the constrictor attempt to chow down on Brutrumukk did not help Jub's nerves, and his mind was racing through all his possible options when he caught sight of Zavakri in his peripheral, cowering behind her large snail friend... who seemingly hadn't moved an inch since the fight began. The goblin gave an angry huff, as he swallowed back yet more goblin curses. He also noticed Zavakri let loose a familiar spell on the other snake, three magical darts that easily hit their mark. Right. Magic Missile. Always hits its target. Not as flashy as a firebolt, but a guaranteed hit and far less likely to accidentally hit and set his friend alight. Taking a deep breath, he made the appropriate gestures as he summoned forth his own magic missile on the snake attacking Brutrumukk. Magic missile damage on Giant Constrictor B = 4 x 3 = 12 force damage</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower The magic missiles slam into the large Constrictor Snake that held Brutrumukk. The first missile causes the snake to lift its maw off of the bugbear, and hiss upwards to the sky, before he falls completely limp. Brutrumukk falls as he is freed from the grip, and he watches the snake fall to the ground. Before anything else can be done to the snake, the corpse grays and solidifies. Somehow...that snake corpse turned to stone! Jub kills Snake B! It rolled a 1 upon its death, because...reasons. ;) Krog is up next! Then @rush99999 goes after them. Gabriel & Zavakri: 17 Giant Constrictor Snake B: 15 Bob: 14 Warning Voice: 12 Jub & Aurora: 9 Brutrumukk: 8 Giant Constrictor Snake A: 4 Tsak: 4</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister The flash of geometric and mathematical formulas caught Aurora of guard. She realized after a fashion that the formulas were showing the best arc for an arrow to travel and strike the massive beat. Quiclky knocking another arrow, the elf pulled back the string lining the bow up with the formula. With a slight exhale Aurora loosed the arrow, watching it soar towards the giant snake. Not wanting to be the snakes next target Rory backs up though still keep am eye on the snake. After attacking Aurora moves 20 feet away from the tower to her right. To the east if we are treating the top of the map as north.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Between the wounds it had already sustained and the disorientation it had been left with by the balloon occupant's sneeze, the final snake didn't stand a chance as Brutrumukk leaped onto its back and finished it off by pulping the section of spinal cord just below its head. With the job done Brutrumukk lifted his morningstar to the sky and let loose one last bestial bellow before his rage finally faded. "Well that was fun." Brutrumukk commented chipperly as he put away his morningstar and pulled out his handaxe. "Anyone else in the mood fer some sliced snake after that fight? I know I am!"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Before Brutrumukk starts hacking the snake corpse that didn't turn to stone, the voice from the basket calls out to them, "A Ha! You have my most sincere gratitude, Good Sirs and Ladies! However, I'm afraid my troubles do not end with the demise of those serpents," He continues and informs them, "I, Sir Talavar, as one of the Summer Queen's loyal servants, ask that you free me. You see, I was in the midst of a daring escape from the vile Bavlorna Blightstraw when our balloon was set upon by an ill wind and sent plummeting to its current unfortunate location. My pilot, the honorable Wigglewog, did not survive. I've been trapped up here for a while now. Please, Help me. I must tell my Queen of the fall of Prismeer!"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk When the voice spoke up, Brutrumukk paused just as he was about to behead the snake he had killed. Looking up at the tower, it seemed to Brutrumukk that reaching the balloon would be as simple as making his way up the interior and onto the roof. "I'll be up in a moment." Brutrumukk called back as he sheathed his handaxe. Leaving the dead serpent where it lay, Brutrumukk slowly made his way up the tower, all the while looking about for anything worth taking from the place.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Brutrumukk walks up the spiral staircase to see that there is nothing of value in the tower. It seems like any possessions it had were taken a long time ago. Once he reaches the roof, he is easily able to peer into the basket of the deflated hot air balloon. Brutrumukk sees a corpse of a frog humanoid lying at the bottom of the basket, wearing pilot's gear. Brutrumukk then finally sees the source of the voice speaking to them! There, within a silver birdcage lying on its side on the floor of the basket, is a small, violet draconic being. He is wearing knight's gear and carries a sword by his side. He looks to you and greets, "Ah, there you are, Good Sir!"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Good?" Brutrumukk asked, eyebrow arched in curiosity. "...I suppose I can be somethin' like that when it suits me... Stay put fer a bit. I'll be right with ya." With that said, Brutrumukk grabbed the frog corpse and searched it for valuables. Once he was done looting, Brutrumukk reached back into the basket and picked up the bird cage holding Sir Talavar. "So, you want some 'elp, do ya?" Brutrumukk asked. "An' what's in it fer me, eh? What do I get out o' that what would make me efforts worthwhile?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub gingerly approached the petrified serpent, reaching out and prodding it with his index claw before quickly retracting his hand, as if expecting it to spring back to life. He waited for a moment, arms over his face in a somewhat feeble attempt to shield himself. When the snake didn't seem to move or react, he slowly lowered his arms and shuffled closer to the constrictor. "How..." He looked over at the constrictor Brutrumukk had just slain and then back at the statue. "How in the hells did I...?" He trailed off and just looked down at his hands, blinking at them incredulously.</s>

<|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Brutrumukk doesn't really find anything of value on Wigglewog's body. Sir Talavar looks somewhat concerned with a raised eyebrow as he watches the bugbear loot the corpse first. He rights himself as Brutrumukk lifts up the cage and asks his question. Composing himself, he clears his throat, and begins his answer, "Ah, yes! Don't you worry, Sir Bugbear, I am not one to snub any of the Rules established in Prismeer. Especially not the Rule of Reciprocity!" He continues, "Upon freeing me from this cage, I will give you my prized sword, blessed by the Summer Queen herself,"</s>

<|description|>Passive Perceptions Aurora: 14 Halander: 13 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Jub: 10 Tsak: 9 Passive Investigation Aurora: 15 Jub: 12 Zavakri: 12 Gabriel: 12 Halander: 11 Tsak: 11 Brutrumukk: 10 Feras: 10 Passive Insight Halander: 13 Aurora: 12 Jub: 12 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Tsak: 9 ---</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk When the voice spoke up, Brutrumukk paused just as he was about to behead the snake he had killed. Looking up at the tower, it seemed to Brutrumukk that reaching the balloon would be as simple as making his way up the interior and onto the roof. "I'll be up in a moment." Brutrumukk called back as he sheathed his handaxe. Leaving the dead serpent where it lay, Brutrumukk slowly made his way up the tower, all the while looking about for anything worth taking from the place.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Brutrumukk walks up the spiral staircase to see that there is nothing of value in the tower. It seems like any possessions it had were taken a long time ago. Once he reaches the roof, he is easily able to peer into the basket of the deflated hot air balloon. Brutrumukk sees a corpse of a frog humanoid lying at the bottom of the basket, wearing pilot's gear. Brutrumukk then finally sees the source of the voice speaking to them! There, within a silver birdcage lying on its side on the floor of the basket, is a small, violet draconic being. He is wearing knight's gear and carries a sword by his side. He looks to you and greets, "Ah, there you are, Good Sir!"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Good?" Brutrumukk asked, eyebrow arched in curiosity. "...I suppose I can be somethin' like that when it suits me... Stay put fer a bit. I'll be right with ya." With that said, Brutrumukk grabbed the frog corpse and searched it for valuables. Once he was done looting, Brutrumukk reached back into the basket and picked up the bird cage holding Sir Talavar. "So, you want some 'elp, do ya?" Brutrumukk asked. "An' what's in it fer me, eh? What do I get out o' that what would make me efforts worthwhile?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub gingerly approached the petrified serpent, reaching out and prodding it with his index claw before quickly retracting his hand, as if expecting it to spring back to life. He waited for a moment, arms over his face in a somewhat feeble attempt to shield himself. When the snake didn't seem to move or react, he slowly lowered his arms and shuffled closer to the constrictor. "How..." He looked over at the constrictor Brutrumukk had just slain and then back at the statue. "How in the hells did I...?" He trailed off and just looked down at his hands, blinking at them incredulously.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Brutrumukk doesn't really find anything of value on Wigglewog's body. Sir Talavar looks somewhat concerned with a raised eyebrow as he watches the bugbear loot the corpse first. He rights himself as Brutrumukk lifts up the cage and asks his question. Composing himself, he clears his throat, and begins his answer, "Ah, yes! Don't you worry, Sir Bugbear, I am not one to snub any of the Rules established in Prismeer. Especially not the Rule of Reciprocity!" He continues, "Upon freeing me from this cage, I will give you my prized sword, blessed by the Summer Queen herself,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk eyed the sword that was sheathed and hanging from the tiny dragon's belt as he speculated its value. After a moment, the bugbear shrugged his broad shoulders. "I suppose that's a good enough payment fer openin' a birdcage." Brutrumukk said. "Alright then. I'll 'ave you out in a jiff. Keep back from the door." With that said, Brutrumukk grabbed the birdcage by its door and dragged it from its hinges.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Brutrumukk attempts to open the birdcage, but finds that the birdcage isn't budging. When he tries to use his full strength to open the cage, it still doesn't budge! Even when it feels like his eyes are bulging from the effort, the birdcage still doesn't open. Sir Talavar explains, "The birdcage is enchanted to be indestructible and lock picking will do no good. Magic or the key to this cage is needed to open this cage," He then tells Brutrumukk, "From what I've heard, Jingle Jangle at Telemy Hill should have that key! She's a friendly goblin, so there should be no problem asking her for the key,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Get some key off o' some goblin?" Brutrumukk asked. "Sounds easy enough. D'you know 'ow to find this 'ill what she's livin' on?"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar answers Brutrumukk's question, "Telemy Hill shouldn't be too far off from here. If you're willing to take this blasted cage with you, I can certainly point you in the right direction,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Sounds good." Brutrumukk said with a nod. "We'll 'ead off in that direction once I've got me breath back an' 'ad somethin' to eat." With that said, Brutrumukk carried the birdcage back down the tower and rejoined his companions. "Found this guy in the balloon." Brutrumukk said. "Says 'e wants outta this cage 'e's in but we need to get a key from a goblin on some 'ill to open the cage 'cuz magic an' stuff. Either way, I don't plan on goin' nowhere 'till I've sat down fer an hour an' eaten some o' this snake I killed. If anyone wants some snake too, let me know an' I'll cook some fer you as well." Brutrumukk then handed off the birdcage to the nearest party member and began to carefully gather up bramble branches to make a fire with.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Now hold on," a bead of sweat trickling down his brow Gabriel sheathed his rapier after wiping it down with a cloth from his belt, a huff escaped him as he made his way over glaring at Brutrumukk "As a man of the sword I must object to this, we owe this..." he glanced askance at Tavaler "Gentleman?" the half-elf shrugged "Anyways, we owe him nothing nor he us. We helped him through no gain of our own." Gabriel crossed his arms "I will not sully my honor as a swordsman, we will ask nothing in return."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar speaks up in response to Gabriel, "I am a knight, Sir! And even if you asked nothing from me in return, I would still give you my sword in return for freeing me from this cage, in accordance with the Rule of Reciprocity," He continues, "Everyone, denizen or visitor, would do well to follow the three golden rules established here: The Rule of Hospitality, the Rule of Ownership, and the Rule of Reciprocity,"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "A kindness done is a kindness in return." the half-elf recited "Was what my mentor once told me," Gabriel's muscles relaxed and his expression less intense "Reciprocity, Ownership and Hospitality." he repeated genuflecting, a hand tapping his rapier as he thought about Ser Talavar's words "A fine and honorable trio of codes to live by." he nodded appreciatively.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Recipe City...? 'Orse Spit Tall Itty... Ownership...?" Brutrumukk asked in confusion at the mention of concepts he did not have a particularly good grasp of. "Could you say that all again? Maybe this time in common or goblin though?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "'Reciprocity', the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit," Jub said, still staring down at his hands in befuddlement. After moment he added, in case Brutrumukk needed it further simplified, "We scratch his back, he scratches ours, basically. Hospitality, meanwhile, is basically doing nice things for others because they're a guest in your house, domain, what have you." He finally raised his head to look over at Talavar, surveying the mustachioed dragon up and down with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. "Where exactly is 'here', while we're at it?"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar adds after Gabriel makes his comment about the three rules, "Yes! And quite dangerous to neglect here," He tilts his head at Brutrumukk's request to repeat the words in Common or Goblin. Thankfully, Jub had explained what a couple of the words meant to the bugbear. Sir Talavar answers Jub's question, "This is the Domain of Delight, Prismeer. Unfortunately, I cannot say that this is the wondrous plane it once was. It has fallen, and been split into three. This splinter plane is Hither,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Split into three? 'Ow did that 'appen?" Brutrumukk asked. "An' 'ow is it dangerous to break any o' those rules?"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar answers Brutrumukk's first question, his tone now grave, "What I have to inform my Queen with haste: Prismeer has fallen! The Hourglass Coven used an artifact called Iggwilv's Cauldron to freeze time in the palace, trapping the true Archfey Ruler of this domain, Zybilna, inside! After that, well, the Hourglass Coven did as they pleased and split Prismeer amongst themselves," He then answers Brutrumukk's second question, "As for your second question, Sir, neglecting the three rules of conduct could lead to retribution done against you by even this land itself,"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora had been distracted trying to recover any of the arrow she had loosed against the giant snakes. Hearing the name Zybilna drew her attention as it had been less than a day since the owners of the carnival had mentioned their patron. Drawing closer to the caged being reaches out to grab the cage. "Did you say Zybilna? How long ago did this coven trap her?" This information started to give more reason as to why the Misters had not heard from their patron in a long time. It may also explain the disappearances at the carnival.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Aurora successfully recovers all three arrows she fired at the snake. Sir Talavar answers her question with a shake of his head, "I'm afraid I don't know how long the Hourglass Coven have been in control, Milady," He then looks intently at Aurora and he asks her, "Wait, You look familiar. May I ask your name?"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora looked at sir Talarvar curiously. "I am Aurora Malister. Have we met before? I would think I'd remember meeting a being such as yourself. Perhaps if you passed through Aglarond with one of many mages that travel through we may have met. I would expect that I would still remember meeting you. She stows the three arrows back in her quiver and starts to take the string off her bow.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower At the name, Sir Talavar snapped his fingers once in clear realization after hearing her name. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Aha!" while snapping his fingers. He answers Aurora, "We haven't met personally, Lady Aurora. But, I have met your sister: Lady Daebella Malister! She joined the Summer Court a short time ago, and together we journeyed here to meet with Zybilna. Unfortunately, we got separated upon reaching the plane. I think she's in a different section of Prismeer,"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora As the small dragon states that Daebella was here Rory nearly dropped her bow. It had been years since she has last spoken to her younger sister, and to learn she was here surprising. Rory thought that her and Xander leaving home would have caused her parents to not let the others get to far from their sight. Then again they may have sent someone with her to make sure she didn't cause the Malister name anymore disgrace. "Oh... I uh.. I would have thought she would still be in Aglarond with our parents. By chance was there anyone else with her? When she came and joined the summer court that is." The elven rogue asked with a slight nervous tone. She knew she would need to help her sister out of whatever situation she was in now. If she had a companion from home with her, Rory would need to be careful so word was less likely to get back to her parents about where she was.</s>

<|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar tilts his head and answers Aurora's question, "No. She was alone when she came to the Summer Court and spoke with my Queen. She was quite eloquent and well-mannered,"</s>

<|description|>Passive Perceptions Aurora: 14 Halander: 13 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Jub: 10 Tsak: 9 Passive Investigation Aurora: 15 Jub: 12 Zavakri: 12 Gabriel: 12 Halander: 11 Tsak: 11 Brutrumukk: 10 Feras: 10 Passive Insight Halander: 13 Aurora: 12 Jub: 12 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Tsak: 9 ---</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Oh sure!" Jub rubbed his hands together before gesturing towards the fire, using Prestidigitation to light it. He then glanced at Brutrumukk expectantly, waiting for the bugbear's further instruction.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar seemed to be at a loss of words when Jub came to the conclusion that Aurora and her sister were actually archfey. He seemed to remain silent out of being polite while Aurora and Jub bantered over their origins. When Gabriel offered to share his rations for a tale in return, Sir Talavar answered, "Of course. I would be delighted to share my tales of daring-do, with you!" Brutrumukk, with Jub's help, is able to cook the giant snake. The cooked giant snake is like chicken in texture and taste. While it is well-cooked and tasty on its own, it could do with spices that you don't really have access to right now. During the meal break, Sir Talavar does share a tale of how he faced the terrifying Werewolf of Bryn Shandar once and soundly defeated him! He also tells you more about the rules of Prismeer... "The Rule of Hospitality: When a friend, an enemy, or a stranger enters your home, you are expected to be gracious and accommodating to them until such time as they prove, by their words or actions, undeserving of such hospitality. The Rule of Ownership: You must not steal from a friend, an enemy, or a stranger. To take something that doesn't belong to you without the rightful owner's permission is a crime and an unforgivable breach of etiquette. The Rule of Reciprocity: When a friend, an enemy, or a stranger offers you a gift, you are obliged to accept it and offer something of comparable value (be it a gift or a service) in return. Such reciprocation need not happen immediately." With Zybilna in charge, the rules were straightforward. Few dared to break those rules, but those who do, often disappear without a trace. Under the new rule however... "Now...the Coven believes strongly in Hospitality and Reciprocity. But, Ownership isn't as straightforward now. The Coven believes that Prismeer, and everything in it, is theirs now. So, if anything is stolen from someone, it wouldn't matter. It's still theirs. And that makes stealing anything from them dangerous too," For those who don't want cooked snake, and aren't eating rations, you are welcome to forage. Just need a Survival check.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Food's ready! Take it if you want it!" Brutrumukk called out before helping himself to his own portion. As he waited for the fried snake on his plate to cool, Brutrumukk turned to Sir Talavar and spoke. "You mentioned that the land itself punishes folks what break the rules 'ere, yeah?" The bugbear said. "What exactly does the land do when it punishes rule breakers?"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Brutrumukk calling out that the snake was ready to eat brought Rory out of her contemplative state. The smell of the cooked meat reminded her that she had not had much of a breakfast. Despite having stated that she would not have any right now, the elf stepped up to the fire taking a portion of the fried snake. Aurora quietly ate while listening to Brutrumukk ask how the land punishes those who break the rules.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub gave a grateful nod towards Brutrumukk as he took a portion of fried snake. The two fights he'd had since his breakfast had clearly drained him and he began eating with vigor, pausing only when he heard Brutrumukk questioned Sir Talavar. "Yes, that's a good point," he said. "Plus, if this land belongs to some archfey, doesn't that technically mean that, err..." He gestured around him. "Everything here belongs to them?" He pulled a face. "We're not going to get in trouble for picking berries or something like that?" He then glanced at the remaining snake in his hands. "Heck, are we even allowed to eat this snake? I'm really confused. Fairy rules make my head hurt."</s> <|message|>Zavakri "Well, Jub, my good er...Associate." Zavakri begins through a mouthful of roast-snake. "We've got three rules." She swallows thickly and wipes at her mouth with the hem of her cloak, before proceeding. "Hospitality. Let us think about this for a moment; if this Archfey possesses Ownership of this Realm, then it falls under the implication that someone who resides within this Realm calls it Home. This makes us, depending on perspective, interlopers, guests, visitors, or invaders in their lands. I'm going to be generous and refer to us as Guests or Visitors. In which case, sharing in the food of the realm is simply a rule of Hospitality." She takes another bite, grease dripping down her chin and making her visibly twinge as she scrubs at her face again. "Ownership. By several points of view, we now have ownership of this..er...meal. Brutrumukk earned it in...Er...A hunt, so to speak. Alternatively it just happens to be in our possession- which according to the Flaming Fist, is pretty much all you need to call it yours. So by my reckoning, either way, we collectively Own this meal. It's ours, and I'm sure gonna eat it." She pauses to more delicately gnaw along her meal, before discarding the last bits of char and skin. She dusts off her fingers on her cloak meticulously. "Then Reciprocity. Usually this is a beneficial thing, but I'll be honest with you- those giant snakes tried to eat us, so as far as I'm concerned that extended the privilege right back in our favor. Now, in fairness, if something a little more sentient-displaying tried to eat me I'd politely refuse that shared right of consumption- but freshly grilled snake like this? Now that beats Amnian Alley Corn any day."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel had silently listened as he sat fireside, his eyes flickered from the reflected light of the open flame while he ran an old kerchief up and down the length of his weapon. As Talavar spoke, the half-elf glanced up once in a while with a question in his eyes yet he did not wish to interrupt as it would be rude. So he listened and cleaned the filth from his weapon, humming an indistinguishable tune and thought: 'Hmph this jerky is rather stale.'</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar answered Brutrumukk first, "From what I remember of the tales here, it used to be that Zybilna would come and punish the malicious rule breakers herself. But now that she's indisposed, it would be like back home: The elements themselves or the fae magic itself would take form and punish any who broke the rules," When Jub asked about the rules, Sir Talavar answered him after Zavakri explained her thoughts on the rules, "Aye, the Hourglass Coven sees everything in Prismeer as belonging to them. It used to be that Zybilna was fair: Anything that you owned was yours. If you needed to find food, it would appear before you for you to have, so you would be fine picking berries. As long as you didn't steal anything from another person, you would be fine,"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub was only really half-listening as Zavakri attempted to make sense of Prismeer's rules, and started to wonder if, instead of Aurora like he had earlier guessed, the human woman was in fact an archfey in disguise. It would certainly explain her numerous eccentricities. At Talavar's response, however, the goblin returned his focus to the conversation, and something about the small dragon's words must have disturbed him because a particularly large and chewy lump of snake meat got stuck in Jub's throat as he had to take a moment to cough and splutter as he tried to swallow it down. Once he was done, he looked back at Talavar. "Sorry, sorry, I just... really didn't like your use of past tense just now," he said between coughs.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk listened to Sir Talavar as the faerie dragon answered the question. Just as the bugbear drew breath to ask another question though, Jub began choking on his food. "Oi. Oi! Don't you go chokin' to death on my food. I know I ain't the best at cookin' but I also know I ain't that bad at it." Brutrumukk said as he moved over to Jub and gave the goblin a few firm pats on the back to help dislodge the snake chunk. "Sorry, sorry, I just... really didn't like your use of past tense just now," Jub told Talavar once the blockage was clear. "What d'you mean by that?" Brutrumukk asked.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Thank you," Jub said to Brutrumukk, even as he began to rub his own back to make sure his bugbear companion hadn't done any damage in his attempts to help. After a moment, he surmised he might have a bruise there tomorrow, but that was still far preferrable to joking to death. "Past tense: a use of language donoting that something happened at an earlier point of time," the goblin explained. "Basically, he's implying that while this Zybilna would have been okay with us foraging and hunting in her lands, this Hourglass Covern likely won't."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Past tense: a use of language denoting that something happened at an earlier point of time," Jub explained. "Yeah, I know that bit." Brutrumukk said while making a 'get on with it' motion with one hand. "But why didn't you like the tiny dragon usin' it jus' now?" "Basically, he's implying that while this Zybilna would have been okay with us foraging and hunting in her lands, this Hourglass Coven likely won't." Jub finished. "Oh." Brutrumukk said thoughtfully. "Well seein' 'ow we jus' killed two snakes, ate one of 'em, an' no magical shenanigans 'ave turned up to get us back fer that, I think we're fine on that front... 'Ang on." Brutrumukk then turned to Sir Talavar and asked a question. "If these 'ags stole this place from this Sip-Ill-Nah lady you mentioned, why 'aven't the magical shenanigans come after the 'ags?"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Rory looked up at both Jub and Brut discussing the potential issue of the land punishing the group for stealing from the hags. As the small dragon had mentioned the hags viewed everything in Prismir as theirs, though the elf was not sure how that may extend to the inhabitants of the land. "Would these living things be the property of the hags? I do not think that is the case Jub. If it were just by simply being here long enough you may end up as their property."  She paused to take another bit of the snake wiping the grease off with a small piece of cloth. "Now I will warn you that there is a potential that we could end up in some strange bargin do to the rule of reciprocity. Some Fey can see the giving of gifts as means to making a contract. If these hags believe in this rule so much, they could try to use it to put us in a poor position."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar agrees with Aurora first, "Lady Aurora is correct. Living beings aren't normally considered as possessions. But, they might be considered as subjects under their reign," He nods in agreement at her words warning of the gifts from the Fey. He then looks to Brutrumukk and answers his question, "As for your question, Sir, It might be because either the Coven know how to protect themselves from such magic, or the Retribution of this Fey Realm is winding itself up into a powerful wallop, so to speak,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Well if it's the second thing, I 'ope I'm there to see the wallop when it 'appens. Sounds like it'd be fun to watch." Brutrumukk said when Sir Talavar was done talking. "Either way, we've been sittin' around fer about an hour now. I'd say it's time we got movin'." With that said, Brutrumukk finished his meal and began to tidy away his things in preparation for the journey to Telemy Hill. "You said some goblin what lives on some 'ill can open yer cage, yeah?" Brutrumukk said to Sir Talavar as he worked. "What makes you so sure she can, does she work for the 'ags as some sort o' magical cage maker or somethin' like that?"</s>

<|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar nodded at Brutrumukk's first question before answering his next one about the goblin in question "Certainly not. From what I have heard, Jingle Jangle is a victim of Bavlorna Blightstraw's. I do not know why, but she collects keys. If anyone has the key to this cage, it would be her! I can guide you to Telemy Hill if you are ready,"</s>

<|description|>Passive Perceptions Aurora: 14 Halander: 13 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Jub: 10 Tsak: 9 Passive Investigation Aurora: 15 Jub: 12 Zavakri: 12 Gabriel: 12 Halander: 11 Tsak: 11 Brutrumukk: 10 Feras: 10 Passive Insight Halander: 13 Aurora: 12 Jub: 12 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Tsak: 9 ---</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Past tense: a use of language denoting that something happened at an earlier point of time," Jub explained. "Yeah, I know that bit." Brutrumukk said while making a 'get on with it' motion with one hand. "But why didn't you like the tiny dragon usin' it jus' now?" "Basically, he's implying that while this Zybilna would have been okay with us foraging and hunting in her lands, this Hourglass Coven likely won't." Jub finished. "Oh." Brutrumukk said thoughtfully. "Well seein' 'ow we jus' killed two snakes, ate one of 'em, an' no magical shenanigans 'ave turned up to get us back fer that, I think we're fine on that front... 'Ang on." Brutrumukk then turned to Sir Talavar and asked a question. "If these 'ags stole this place from this Sip-Ill-Nah lady you mentioned, why 'aven't the magical shenanigans come after the 'ags?"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Rory looked up at both Jub and Brut discussing the potential issue of the land punishing the group for stealing from the hags. As the small dragon had mentioned the hags viewed everything in Prismir as theirs, though the elf was not sure how that may extend to the inhabitants of the land. "Would these living things be the property of the hags? I do not think that is the case Jub. If it were just by simply being here long enough you may end up as their property."  She paused to take another bit of the snake wiping the grease off with a small piece of cloth. "Now I will warn you that there is a potential that we could end up in some strange bargin do to the rule of reciprocity. Some Fey can see the giving of gifts as means to making a contract. If these hags believe in this rule so much, they could try to use it to put us in a poor position."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar agrees with Aurora first, "Lady Aurora is correct. Living beings aren't normally considered as possessions. But, they might be considered as subjects under their reign," He nods in agreement at her words warning of the gifts from the Fey. He then looks to Brutrumukk and answers his question, "As for your question, Sir, It might be because either the Coven know how to protect themselves from such magic, or the Retribution of this Fey Realm is winding itself up into a powerful wallop, so to speak,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Well if it's the second thing, I 'ope I'm there to see the wallop when it 'appens. Sounds like it'd be fun to watch." Brutrumukk said when Sir Talavar was done talking. "Either way, we've been sittin' around fer about an hour now. I'd say it's time we got movin'." With that said, Brutrumukk finished his meal and began to tidy away his things in preparation for the journey to Telemy Hill. "You said some goblin what lives on some 'ill can open yer cage, yeah?" Brutrumukk said to Sir Talavar as he worked. "What makes you so sure she can, does she work for the 'ags as some sort o' magical cage maker or somethin' like that?"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar nodded at Brutrumukk's first question before answering his next one about the goblin in question "Certainly not. From what I have heard, Jingle Jangle is a victim of Bavlorna Blightstraw's. I do not know why, but she collects keys. If anyone has the key to this cage, it would be her! I can guide you to Telemy Hill if you are ready,"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "I know all but folktales and fanciful myths, of the Fey and Feywild." the half-elf said, finished wiping the detritus from his the sharp of the rapier that he hung at his belt "But forgive me for being blunt when I say, you must be in this cage for a reason." Gabriel looked at the cage with furrowed brow, his attention while not all there the half-elf had been half listening as the day had been exhausting "Or...Did you already explain that? Goodness, if so I certainly have egg on my face." Gabriel chuckled softly. "Well, regardless of the if's and when's or how's...I'd be hardpressed to not lift a finger and help a fellow man...Erm or dragon." correcting himself with a not-so-subtle cough into his hand, Gabriel wondered if the small dragon considered himself man or beast but kept the musing to himself. "I just hope this odd feeling I keep getting will go away..." Gabriel said offhandedly, more speaking to himself but loud enough that his companions heard his worried tone "Gods forbid I find a skeleton clutching a set of dice in this bloody swamp." he muttered looking into the campfire with a hand resting under his chin.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Random Encounter 2 The party, now rested and recovered from their fight with the serpents, continue on their journey through the Fey Realm, with a new friend in tow and new information brought to light. As they continue to move through the swamps, they notice the tide slowly rising. Thankfully, the group can use Brutrumukk's raft to navigate the waters without having to swim. The only issue? They find that they need a ten foot pole or a similar tool to push the raft along the waters. Upon learning this fact, the group also notice that they can hear the sound of rushing water in the distance. The swamps are now at High Tide! Depth. The water's depth is 5 feet. Creatures that don't have a swimming speed move at half speed through the water. Visibility. Visibility underwater is 10 feet.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Guess that take care o' puttin' out the fire." Brutrumukk said as the tide came in. "Everybody on the raft!" Once everyone was on the raft, Brutrumukk took one of the stilts out of the stilt pant he got from the Witchlight Carnival for use as an oar. But just as he was about to start rowing, the sound of rushing water met Brutrumukk's ears. "Er... booyagh?" Brutrumukk asked nervously as he set the makeshift oar down on the raft and lifted the goblin into the air. "Don't suppose you can see what's makin' that noise from up there?" It's the ciiircle of liiiiiife!</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar As the group was finishing up their meal and getting ready to continue on, Jub looked over to Gabriel. "So, these dice you lost," he began. "Are they like really expensive, fancy dice or do they just have sentimental value?" He quickly added, "I'm not making fun of you or anything, my good fellow , but it does seem odd how... whatever it was that stole from us all chose its target. I lose the ability to keep a secret, Miss Aurora here lost a ring and a letter which no doubt had high value, several individuals lost family members... and you lost dice. It does seem a very picky-choosy sort of thief, does it not? Like how does it decide- WHOA!" He didn't get to finish that thought because Brutrumukk suddenly picked him up and hoisted him up into the air, saying something about a strange noise and asking Jub to see if he could find the source. "You know, you really need to start warning me before you do that!" he said as he began to scan his surroundings for anything particularly out of place. So I got some bad news... Perception check = 6 Perception check advantage = 9 Yeah, Jub can't see shit.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora had clambered onto the raft sitting near the middle. Hearing the sound that the others were hearing drew her attention away from cleaning her boots. She stood up and went to the front of the raft as Jub mentioned he could not see anything as there was a tree blocking his view. "There appears to be a well gushing water up. It's on a small bit of land still aways down." She turned and looked up to Jub. "You might be onto something Jub. Most of these things that were taken don't exactly have a physical value. Zavakri would an hag or other being from the fey be interested in such things?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Oh good. It's just a well." Brutrumukk said with a sigh of relief. "Thank Mag fer that. Though we was 'eaded fer a waterfall fer a moment there... Well the moment 'as passed. Let's get a move on." With that said, Brutrumukk set Jub back down on the raft and took up his makeshift oar once again. "Next stop, Telemy 'Ill." Brutrumukk said as he made ready to row... but then paused as he realized he didn't know how to get there. "Which way was that again?"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel coughed into his fist, the jerky while not unpleasant was somewhat tough to swallow. With a swig from the flask at his hip the swordsman washed his meal down, Gabe wiped his mouth with the cuff of his tunic "Well now you seem to be implying that the thing I've lost doesn't seem significant," he replied with an arched eyebrow "To answer your somewhat tactless question Jub these dic-" Gabriel had nary wiped his hands before Brutrumukk hoisted Jub up, interrupting their conversation. Wasting no time to dillydally, Gabriel carefully stepped onto the raft and taking a seat nearest to the goblinoids to continue the conversation where it had ended so abruptly. "As far as I could say I only know of hags from old wife's tales and stories told to scare children. You know the kind, hag eats children or steal them." running a hand through his hair the half-elf shrugged "And no Jub the dice were not worth a kings ransom, they belonged to an old friend of mine." Gabe said pointedly to the goblin "They got sentimental value, not the kind that is all that fond but they meant something to me." he sounded and looked like he ate something rotten, Gabriel wore a rather unpleasant expression that went away after he sighed looking to the brackish water and mumbled "If I find that idiot I'll tan his hide..." it wasn't like he hated Beren for up and disappearing but they were like brothers, at least he could have explained why he left town. But as much as Gabriel told himself his mate was somewhere out there he couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't. Those dice were the one thing that gave him hope, not that he'd ever admit that.</s> <|message|>Zavakri "That's all well and good- Wait, a well? Didja say a well? Brutrummuk, be a dear and take us closer can you? I would like to see this well. A well bubbling like a spring? That's just vocabulary soup! You don't suppose the well is making soup, do you fellows?" She muses. "I mean, of course it doesn't, we're not in soup now- but I'd like to see it nonetheless." She scrambles across the raft cautiously, holding onto the side of Bob's shell all the while, to get into position to study this strange sight.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "I can take us closer to the well." Brutrumukk said as he began rowing in that direction. "But I can't turn meself into a deer though. I ain't a druid. Me mum was, but not me."</s>

<|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Gushing O'-Well Brutrumukk easily navigates the raft through the waters and closer to the little patch of land that crests above the high tide. They are able to dock the raft there, and walk over to the well. The well is ten feet tall and five feet in diameter. There, the party can feel water droplets fall upon them from the geyser shooting up from the well. The geyser reaches 30 feet into the air before raining upon the party and the area. You see at the top of this geyser are four baubles, two of them glinting in the twilight. These baubles are a silver hand mirror with a nymph-shaped handle, a piece of orange parchment folded to look like a knight astride a unicorn, a wooden spoon with a hole in the center, and a silvered pinecone. Both Satyr and Halfling weren't in Prismeer for very long...at least it doesn't feel long. At some point between coming to this swamp and now, the both of you ran into each other and decided it would be prudent to travel together. Out of the both of you, the Satyr Knight, Feras Mossbeard, can feel that his lost item is here! Somewhere in these swamps! The feeling is an unceasing nagging that won't go away until he finds it. Of course, being fey, he knows that's the metaphysical balance trying to correct itself and help him in doing so. Fortunately or Unfortunately, the Halfling, Halander, does not have that same nagging feeling in these swamps. As the both of you traverse through the swamp, trying to find civilization or to your lost things, you do finally find something... Or rather, someone... Wading or swimming through this sudden high tide, you see the small patch of land with the well, and you see a group of five with a raft move to investigate it. This group of five consists of two goblinoids, an elf, a half-elf, and a human. Peculiarly, they also have a Giant Snail with them. ...What do you do? The swamps are now at High Tide! Depth. The water's depth is 5 feet. Creatures that don't have a swimming speed move at half speed through the water. Visibility. Visibility underwater is 10 feet.</s>

<|description|>Passive Perceptions Aurora: 14 Halander: 13 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Jub: 10 Tsak: 9 Passive Investigation Aurora: 15 Jub: 12 Zavakri: 12 Gabriel: 12 Halander: 11 Tsak: 11 Brutrumukk: 10 Feras: 10 Passive Insight Halander: 13 Aurora: 12 Jub: 12 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Tsak: 9 ---</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Gushing O'-Well "You've heard of the spells 'Guidance' and 'Resistance', right? Our boon is like that!" The green flame started the explanation, "Once a day, our boon will aid you when you need it the most," "So...What say you?" The swamps are now at High Tide! Depth. The water's depth is 5 feet. Creatures that don't have a swimming speed move at half speed through the water. Visibility. Visibility underwater is 10 feet.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "One magical boost a day when I need it the most?" Brutrumukk asked once the Wisps were done talking, the look on his face more than enough to show that he was very much interested in this boon. "Oh yeah, you've got yerselves a deal."</s> <|message|>Halander Wilkins "Pardon. Is there anyone else who can take up this job? I'd also like any scrap of magical power I can get while I look for my item. It's somewhere in this muck. I'm just wondering, because there are four of you. Would the boon apply only to....Well, whatever his name is, four of us, or the entire party? Just a thought." He finished, shrugging. "Anyway, before you go running off, perhaps it would be best to gain more information first. Where is this person located? What abilities should we prepare to face, why is she feared, etc."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Gushing O'-Well "Very well..." The red flame speaks in response to Brutrumukk, before it moves. It slowly moves through Brutrumukk's chest and out of his back. The process is painless, but Brutrumukk does feel as though there is a new fire in his chest, a fragment of power was imparted on him. When Halander asked his question, the green flame answered, "If you guys promise to take get rid of Bavlorna Blightstraw, we'll grant the boon to you too. Since you're traveling together, the trinkets will belong to you too," The swamps are now at High Tide! Depth. The water's depth is 5 feet. Creatures that don't have a swimming speed move at half speed through the water. Visibility. Visibility underwater is 10 feet.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora The elven woman nodded to the wisps as the green one explained that others in the group could also get the same boon as Brutrumukk. "I believe we are likely going confront Bavlorna Blightstraw, perhaps sooner than we may expect. I promise to help rid Prismir of her presence." The trinkets we not as interesting as the potential help the boon may be when facing the hag. The boon itself could help when the time came to find Bella.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel sat with his legs crossed, cocking his head to the side before nodding in agreement with Aurora "Aye, can't say I'm not opposed to a good old-fashioned witch-hunt..Or would it be a hag-hunt?" the bard shrugged, as the semantics weren't all that important "Eh tomato, tamato. I'm in."</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub look visibly more and more disheartened as each of his companions agreed to this deal. "I guess we're doing this, then," he said with a sigh. He then looked towards the wisps. "The halfling is right, though. If you could at very least point us in the direction of this 'Bavlorna' and warn us of any tricks of hers we should be on the lookout for, that would be appreciated."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "What in the...?" Brutrumukk said in a manner that signified the bugbear's unsurety regarding how he should feel about one of the Wisps just passing straight through him. He did enjoy the feeling of power that had left him with though, so he didn't complain. When once everyone else had either agreed or abstained from making the promise in exchange for the boon, and the Wisps had answered everyone else's questions, Brutrumukk spoke up again. "Before we 'ead off, I got one more question." The bugbear stated. "Do any o' you lot know where we can find any alley corn? Or anyone folks call the Doormat Queen what might be trapped somewhere? Before we came to this place, a pair o' clowns told us we 'ad to "Find the alley corn an' free the Doormat Queen as last!"... Whatever that means."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Gushing O'-Well Upon Aurora's vocal promise, the purple Will-O'-Wisp phased through her body to grant her the same boon. The blue flame moved through Gabriel and the Green flame moved through Jub. If Halander and Zavakri make the promise too, then they move through him to grant the boon as well. The Wisps start with Jub's questions, "Other than the fact that she cursed these wells and caused water to flood everywhere? All we know is that she is a powerful spellcaster. We can't exactly stray too far from this well," "That curse is what caused our demise..." "Oh! But we have heard from passersby that she is in Downfall! Find Downfall, and you'll find her!" Then Brutrumukk asked his questions. The wisps were silent as they pondered over them. "An alley corn...?" "I'm afraid I don't know what an 'alley corn' is...but I heard there is a unicorn somewhere in Thither," "Good luck getting there though. Ever since the hags took over, it's hard to get to other areas of Prismeer!" The Green Wisp wondered, "What was that Unicorn's name...?" The Red Wisp finally spoke up, clearly joking with his answer, "...Becky Apples," That got a laugh out of the other wisps. When it was time for the party to leave, the wisps bid them goodbyes and Good Lucks to the party. You now have the Boon from the Will-O'-Wisps & 4 Feywild Trinkets (of no GP value)! The boon's recipient gains a d4 and can, at any time within the next 24 hours, roll this die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw made by it. No creature can have more than one of these magic boons at a time. --- Telemy Hill The party continues their travel in the swamps of Hither, and after an hour passes, Jub's wings vanish. After a while of floating along the swamps by raft, the party is greeted by the scent of sweet-smelling fruit. Damp, downy, silvery-green moss blankets a gentle upward slope before giving way to a craggy ridge that marks the top of the hill. Dozens of enormous willow trees dot the hillside, swaying as though in a breeze despite the absence of one. The raft comes to a stop at the beginning of this hill, and Bob once again seems happy to be on dry land. "We've made it! This is Telemy Hill!" Sir Talavar chimes in. The swamps are now at High Tide! Depth. The water's depth is 5 feet. Creatures that don't have a swimming speed move at half speed through the water. Visibility. Visibility underwater is 10 feet.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora The smell of sweet fruits drew up memories from when her and her brother had snuck away from their home and into the market place. The exotic fruits brought in by the traveling caravans were a favorite of hers while Xander preferred the more local produce. Years later they included Daebella in their ventures before Xander had left to join the military as a scout. The ventures ended fairly abruptly when Sophia had caught Aurora and Daebella clambering back onto the family grounds through a window in the library. Rory was scolded for setting such a poor example for Bella by doing such unlady like behavior. Shortly after that Daebella had gone to one of the bardic schools two cities away. A small smile, happy yet somewhat sad, played on Rory's lips as she stepped of the raft and onto the hill. The memory added further motivation to free sir Talarvar and search Prismir for her sister to make sure she was safe, though Rory was uncertain what all it may take to do so. "Well let's find this Jingle Jangle and get this key to free you Sir Talarvar. Where on the hill would they be?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk When the Wisps handed over the trinkets, Brutrumukk insisted on having both the silver mirror and the silver pinecone for his treasure sack. After he got that, the bugbear tuned out until the scent of Telemy Hill's sweet-smelling fruit brought him back to his senses just in time to hear Gabriel's question. "If I 'ad to take a wild guess, probably somewhere along that path." Brutrumukk said while gesturing towards the long path winding up the hill towards the keyhole shaped cave near the summit. "Either way, I'm gonna go find out what's smellin' so tasty 'round 'ere. Don't wait up." With that said, Brutrumukk went off in search of food.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L After their resident bugbear, Brutrumukk announced he was off to find where the sweet smell of Telamy Hill's fruit would take him, Gabe couldn't pass on the opportunity to stretch his legs after their delightful yet boring little boat ride through the picturesque landscape of a swamp "Count me in my furry friend!" hopping to his feet, Gabriel jogged off with the bugbear "Come along Jub, the ripe bosom of the Feywild's fruit awaits us!"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub had spent the rest of the journey enjoying his new wings. The group had to tolerate him flying circles overhead and occasionally calling out "Hey, hey, guys, check this out!" before pulling off some trick. Eventually, the magic wore off and his wings disappeared. Thankfully, he wasn't too far up in the air when it happened, though he doing a somersault at the time and ended falling face-first onto the raft. Once he'd recovered, he had sat for a bit while just staring at the origami horse they had gotten from the wisps, considering all that had happened over the past few hours. In particular, he was recalling how he'd turned one of those giant snakes to stone with a magic missile, and wondering if he should see if he could do that again. Was that just a fun side-effect that occurred because they were in the Feywild? He was thinking about how he could test it out, even eying up Bob as a possible test-subject, when the group finally reached Telemy Hill. Aurora was just asking Talarvar where they could find this Jingle Jangle when Brutrumukk suddenly announced he was going looking for food. "You hungry again?" Jub said. However, he had to admit, the smell was quite tempting. When announced Gabriel announced he was going with the bugbear and called for the goblin to join them, Jub gave a resigned sigh and stood up to follow them. Before he went, though, he turned to Aurora. "If, err, we need to find you again, I'll send up some fireworks with Prestidigitation. Good luck on finding the key!" And with that, he followed after Gabriel and Brutrumukk.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk wasn't opposed to having Gabriel and Jub join him in his Feywild fruit pursuit, the bugbear even welcomed the company when Gabriel helped him find a trio of gourds shaped like plump dragons. Brutrumukk picked up the gourds, snapped their heads off, and stowed them away in his head sack while sucking the innards of one gourd out of the neck stump left behind and passing the other two gourds to Gabriel and Jub. "You got some good eyes in yer 'ead, Gabe." Brutrumukk said once he'd drained his gourd before turning to Jub. "Let's see if yer eyes are just as good, booyagh." Having said that, Brutrumukk returned Jub to his place of honor on the bugbear's shoulder to give the goblin a better view of their surroundings. So long as Jub pulled his weight, a second set of gourds would soon be found. Once more, Brutrumukk took up all three gourds. But this time he didn't snap the heads off any of them. Instead, Brutrumukk simply passed Jub and Gabriel their gourds and stowed his own gourd away in his backpack for later. Brutrumukk searches for more fruit. Provided he has advantage, he rolls another 15 and rolls another 8.</s>

<|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill Much to Gabriel's, Brutrumukk's, and Jub's surprise, they didn't have to travel far from the group to forage. They found gourds that looked like plump dragons. After Brutrumukk ate the innards of one of those gourds, he immediately looks refreshed. Did his fur/hair get glossier? The path Brutrumukk pointed out is a narrow game trail. As the group follows this path, they would hear rustling, and other sounds of movement. Before they can look around, they eventually find three huge trees blocking the path. They look at the group, and upon seeing Jub, the trees proceeded to move. Each one of their boughs move as they perform a bow to Jub, their bark creaking as they move somewhat awkwardly. Apparently it is difficult for a tree to bow... One of the trees speaks to the group in a low rumbling voice, and addressing Jub as the leader of sorts, "Your Excellency, Witchlight Monarch! We welcome you and your entourage to Telemy Hill. How long will you be staying?"</s>

<|description|>Passive Perceptions Aurora: 14 Halander: 13 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Jub: 10 Tsak: 9 Passive Investigation Aurora: 15 Jub: 12 Zavakri: 12 Gabriel: 12 Halander: 11 Tsak: 11 Brutrumukk: 10 Feras: 10 Passive Insight Halander: 13 Aurora: 12 Jub: 12 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Tsak: 9 ---</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill The trees look to each other somewhat confused by Jub's request. One of the trees usher Aurora to the rest of the group after she told them that she was with them, while the trees answer the goblin, "I'm afraid we're just a humble hill, Milord. There isn't much to us. Our friend, Jingle Jangle, does live here though," Because of the tree, Talavar was not able to answer Aurora at all, and could only pout a bit. Then Gabriel asked his question, and the trees answered him, their voices creaking and groaning, "We can sense the charm upon him. Everyone in Prismeer can sense it on any visitor who earned the charm. After all, the Witchlight Monarch is a respected title. While not as high of a title as the Queen's, it is certainly worthy of nobility here,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "You know a Queen?" Brutrumukk asked at the mention of a Queen. "Is she the Doormat Queen? Some clowns at the Carnival asked us to come free the Doormat Queen. That, an' find the alley corn. D'you lot know where we can find the alley corn or 'ow we could free the Doormat Queen?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar At the tree's explanation of how they were able to recognise him, Jub looked a little pale. As much as he enjoyed being the center of attention, he wasn't sure he fancied the idea of any fey creature being able to recognise him. It took a great deal of restraint for the goblin not to pull his hood over his head. Instead, Jub turned his attention to what Brutrumukk had just said. "Dormant," he corrected. "It means 'inactive' or 'sleeping'." He turned looked back to the trees. "But yes. That. If you know anything about a Dormant Queen, could you please tell us? And if not, would you be able to direct us to Jingle Jangle? We need her help with something."</s> <|message|>Halander Wilkins "Dormant? Perhaps these trees could tell us how the Queen became that way, and it might lend some help in finding a way to release them. Erm, trees? I can hardly believe this is happening, but I'd hope you can lend us some aid. Do you know the story of the Dormant Queen?" Dormant Queen, Dormant Queen. Hmm, could I have read about that somewhere? (Insight check?)</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora As Jub mentioned to the trees that they were seeking the help of Jingle Jangle, Aurora shifted the cage around to display the trapped Sir Talavar. " Sir Talavar here is stuck in this cage. He had told us Jingle Jangle may perhaps have a key to this cage." When Halander asked about the dormant queen, the elf turned to let him know what the rest of the group had learned earlier from Sir Talavar. "Unless there is information we are missing, The Dormant Queen is Zybilna. She is currently trapped by the Hourglass Coven and her rule over this domain had been split between the three hags. Though anymore information of her exact where abouts would be appreciated." She finished looking to the trees.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill The trees looked at each other confused over the questions regarding Zybilna. They were especially confused over Brutrumukk's questions, but thankfully, Jub and Aurora clarified them. They were glad that Aurora was able to answer Halendar's questions. The knightly faerie dragon answered Aurora's question after he explanation, after he clears his throat, "Milady Aurora? It's as I mentioned before: She's trapped in her palace," The trees next answered Jub's request, clearly happy to help, "Of course, Your Highness. Just follow the road and you'll reach her home!" The trees then move, proceeding to shepherd the party up the hill and towards the keyhole shaped cavern entrance. The trees do not follow the party into the cave when they enter inside. --- Worn stone steps lead down into what feels like a cellar. It's chilly in here, and you detect a subtle scent of iron in the air. From a distant spot within the chamber, sputtering candles illuminate a multitude of keys dangling from taut strings that crisscross the walls. Hundreds of other keys lie strewn across the dirt floor. As you take in the scene, you hear the sound of keys jingling as a goblin emerges from the dimness. She wears a coat lined with metal keys and carries a flail that has padlocks for heads. She manages a faint smile and says, "Hello! How might Jingle Jangle unlock a bit of happiness in your lives today?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk When Jingle Jangle was done introducing herself, Brutrumukk took Sir Talavar's cage from whoever was holding it and approached the key hoarding goblin. "I want this cage opened." Brutrumukk said in goblin. "The little dragon inside says you 'ave the key." With that said, the bugbear held the cage out expectantly.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill Jingle Jangle blinks at the cage that was shoved towards her, and after Brutrumukk said he wanted the cage opened, she remained silent for a good moment. She silently raised an index finger as though to tell him to wait a moment. She proceeded to move and dig through her collection of keys on the ground, before finally pulling a small silver key out off from the ground. She gave Brutrumukk and the rest of the party a faint smile again before handing the key over, "Better you should have it than those long-eared brigands. First they stole Jingle Jangle's truffles. Next, they'll want Jingle Jangle's keys," As though to accentuate her words, her stomach rumbles loudly in the cave. She looked away embarrassed.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk accepted the key with a grunt of gratitude. Paying no heed to the goblin's words or rumbling stomach, Brutrumukk unlocked the cage and opened the door. "There you go. One unlocked cage. Courtesy o' the Spirit o' the Snorin' Stone." Brutrumukk said to Sir Talavar in common, before dropping the key and holding his hand out expectantly once more. "That'll be one blessed sword."</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub was glad that Brutrumukk took iniative on the conversation with Jingle Jangle. Giving the wizard's previous experiences with his own kind, he wasn't really sure how to approach this. She seemed harmless enough, though the fact she had given up the key without so much as asking for anything in return was suspicious. He glanced over at Aurora. "Why didn't she ask for anything in return? I thought there was a rule of reciprocity around here," he quietly muttered to the elf. "This just seems a little too easy, don't you think?"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora The manner in which Brutrumukk had taken the cage from Aurora had left her in a briefly stunned state. She knew she couldn't have kept as firm a grip on it but the lack of even asking for it to be handed over baffled her. At least until she recalled some of the prior interactions the bugbear had with others. Jub's question brought the elf's attention back to the present and bringing the matter that nothing was asked in exchange for the cage being opened. "There is a rule of reciprocity though I am unsure of why Jingle has not out right asked for anythingin return. That does make this seem way to easy. " Aurora stepped forward with some of her rations that she had brought with her and offered them to Jingle Jangle. "It's not truffles but I have plenty of extra food if you want these."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L He didn't understand a single word the bugbear said but it was easy enough to understand he wanted the cage opened, at least the aptly named goblin Jingle Jangle wasn't too bothered by Brutrumukk's lack of tact. "Well I needn't unlock happiness I'm afraid I'm as jovial as the next bastard elf. But if you know of someone who can find lost things I'd part with this fine gourd here." Gabe slung his backpack from one shoulder to the ground to procure the dragon shaped gourd from the bag.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill Sir Talavar fluttered out of the cage as soon as the door was open. With a flourish in the air he called out in the cave, "Huzzah! I'm Free!" He looks to Brutrumukk when he asks for payment, and the knight answers, "Of course. I have not forgotten our agreement! Here! You have my sword!" He then takes off his sheathed sword, and hands it to Brutrumukk with all of the pomp and circumstance he can muster. After he gives the sword, he calls to the party, "As much as I would love to remain in your company for a while longer, I must be off. I have to report back to my Liege! Your valor will not be forgotten!" He bids them a fond farewell before he darts off, "So until we meet again!" Jingle Jangle doesn't seem to mind Brutrumukk's rudeness. Her attention was drawn to Jub when he whispered to Aurora. While her gaze was on him, Jingle Jangle looked starstruck. She snapped herself out of the stupor and she answered him, "Milord, Jingle Jangle doesn't have much to offer, but you have Jingle Jangle's hospitality while you are here...Milord," Jingle Jangle awkwardly tries to bow to Jub, but finds it hard to do with the keys on her. When Aurora and Gabriel give her rations and the guord, the goblin's mood noticeably brightened. She happily accepts the food from both of them, "Oh! Thank you!" Jingle Jangle looks to Gabriel, and stops herself from digging into the food to answer him, "Jingle Jangle doesn't know about lost items, but Jingle Jangle does know who steals items," She continues to explain to Aurora and Gabriel, "Those long-eared brigands are led by Agdon Longscarf. He wears a bright blue scarf and he moves as fast as lightning! If you're heading to Brigands' Tollway, you might encounter him there!" Upon seeing that none of you recognize that name, Jingle Jangle clarified, "Brigands' Tollway are a bunch of old wooden catwalks surrounding a stump! The Brigands camp up there!" She then realized something and continued, "Jingle Jangle's sorry, but Jingle Jangle doesn't want to leave. If you want a guide, you just need to find Clapperclaw! He's a pincer clawed scarecrow who hangs out at Downfall and he knows the way to Thither!" Cue the victory music, because you freed Sir Talavar! Sir Talavar has bestowed his sword to you. However, it is a tiny sword, crafted for a being of his size. This weapon functions as a +1 Dagger in the hands of a small or medium creature.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk watched as Sir Talavar flew away before finding a place on his belt to hang it from and promptly forgot about it once he had. The bugbear then turned to look at Jingle Jangle just in time to laugh at her clumsy attempt at bowing to Jub. He then listened as Jingle Jangle revealed the location of the Bunny Brigands' base and who they could go to if they needed at guide to reach whatever 'Thither' was. Brutrumukk didn't care about the latter, but he certainly cared about the former. "Guess we know where to start lookin' fer those lost dice then." The bugbear said when Jingle Jangle was done talking. "An' I also think I know what I'm cookin' fer dinner tonight. Always enjoyed me some rabbit stew."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill Jingle Jangle looks to Brutrumukk as he spoke, and she looked concerned. She looked back to the rest of the party before looking back to Brutrumukk, "I do think they should know what it's like to be shaken down for once...but, how will they change their ways if they've been turned to soup?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk For a moment, Brutrumukk regarded Jingle Jangle and her words with a confused expression on his face. But after some thought, that confusion soon gave way to realization, before finally shifting to a look of impressed cruelty. "Oh I get what yer sayin'. Took me a moment there, but I get what yer sayin' now." Brutrumukk said in goblin with a nod of agreement. "Khurg's got you thinkin' that these rabbits'd do better as slave meat than as stew meat, yeah? Well I suppose if any o' them decide to surrender rather than go down fightin', I could spare 'em the pot an' bring 'em your way instead. I won't do it fer free though. What's in it fer me?"</s>

<|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill Jingle Jangle looks shocked at Brutrumukk's words, and she couldn't help but squeak "Wh-What?!" She waved her hands and answered, "Jingle Jangle doesn't want that! Jingle Jangle just thinks that shaking them down so that they know what it's like is enough. Killing and slavery is going too far!" She then whispered clearly confused, "Who's Khurg?" She then continued, expressly stating what she believes, "Anyways, this is Prismeer! People can change for the better, especially here of all places. All they have to do is embrace what makes them unique! Whether you're a goblin who likes keys, or an awakened hill with talking trees!"</s>

<|description|>Passive Perceptions Aurora: 14 Halander: 13 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Jub: 10 Tsak: 9 Passive Investigation Aurora: 15 Jub: 12 Zavakri: 12 Gabriel: 12 Halander: 11 Tsak: 11 Brutrumukk: 10 Feras: 10 Passive Insight Halander: 13 Aurora: 12 Jub: 12 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Tsak: 9 ---</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora was surprised by the angry outburst from Brutrumukk. She had not expected that he would be so offended by the fact the Jingle didn't know what he was talking about. Even Aurora was not sure what he was talking about with Khurg. When Gabriel spoke up and apologized for the outburst, Rory nodded in agreement. "We will do our best to shake down these bandits and see to return what was stolen. At least for those that we can. Thank you for your help Jingle Jangle." The elf turned and left the small cave and followed Gabe down to the raft hurrying after catching the meaning of his gesture. "I don't think Jub or Zavakri will let him leave without use right away. Though I think you are right to not delay, divines knows how long before he decides to take off."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill When Jub and Brutrumukk left the cave they were left alone. In contrast, when Aurora and Gabriel left the cave, the trees moved to surround the both of them. In true Feywild peculiarity, the trees begin dancing around both bard and rogue! After the both of them finished dancing, one of the trees approaches them and hands them an iron key! "Thank you for cheering Jingle Jangle up and giving her food! She dropped this in the dirt. We believe that you will need this key," They do not explain on why the key is needed further, and let the party continue on their way. --- Hither Random Encounter 3 As the party continues on their travels, the swamp tide lowers to the point where they don't need the raft as much. However, they do come across something. Something that Gabriel has been longing for... The more perceptive members of the party hear the sound of squelching, as though numerous pairs of feet were marching in the swamp nearby. It seems to be heading towards them...! Their paths meet! There are indeed numerous pairs of feet marching in the swamp, but not in the way anyone would expect. These feet are attached to the bottom of a building! This building is a squat, three-story structure with a slate-shingled roof and worm-eaten wood walls. Dozens of tiny orbs of pale light buzz about the exterior like flies. The structure rocks and heaves while in motion. As the building passes by the party, they catch the smell of hearty stew wafting from its open windows and see smoke rising in cottony puffs from its stone chimney. As soon as the inn is close enough to the party, the feet stop and the building lowers itself to the ground so people can enter. What does the party do?</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Once everyone was back on the raft, Brutrumukk picked a direction at random and rowed that way until the water level dropped back down to a depth where the raft was no longer needed. Hefting the raft on the shoulder he wasn't carrying Jub on and putting the stilt he'd been using as an oar back in the stilt pants, Brutrumukk then led the way in yet another randomly selected direction until the sound of squelching feet met his ears and the scent of delicious stew met his nose. As the walking inn came into view, Brutrumukk nodded at the sight. "Yeah, that makes sense." The bugbear stated. "Or at least whatever the fuck this place likes to call 'sense' even though it clearly isn't... Either way, I like the smell o' what they got cookin' in there. Let's go 'ave a look-see." With that said, Brutrumukk walked up to the building as it lowered itself down, kicked open the door, and walked inside. "Oi oi!" Brutrumukk called out in greeting. "What smells so tasty in 'ere an' where can I get some?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub was still stewing over the encounter with Jingle Jangle and Brutrumukk's violent - and uncomfortably familiar - reaction to her when the house approached. He raised his head, looking at the building, then at the feet, then back up at the building. "You know, you'd think after a day of being here, I'd become numb to all the weird shit," Jub said. "But no. Just when I think I've seen the weirdest this place has to offer, something literally comes round the corner that dares to be weirder." He gave a loud sigh. "This place is exhausting." When Brutrumukk started to walk inside, Jub was inevitability brought in along with him as he was perched on the bugbear's shoulder. "Oh I guess we're going in, sure, okay, fine," Jub said as he threw up his hands in exasperation. "March straight into the spooky leg house. What could go wrong?"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither The Inn at the End of the Road Brutrumukk finds that entering the inn with the raft in tow is nearly impossible. He would need to leave that item outside. Upon entering the weird building, they find that the interior seems to be like that of any other tavern. The only difference the party can notice is this tavern interior is decorated with vibrant and beautiful flowers not typically found in a swamp. There is an elderly human woman wearing druidic vestments standing behind the bar. She gives the adventurers who enter a warm smile and she greets them kindly, "Ah, Guests! It's been a long time since I've had patrons come by! Welcome to the Inn at the End of the Road," "You are welcome to have some stew, and even a few slices of plum pie I baked just today! You are also welcome to stay and rest. There are beds that you can sleep in upstairs," That's right! With this encounter, you guys can take a long rest!</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L A twinkle in his eye returned, as his senses were greeted by the smell of stew he didn't need to guess that the building was some sort of inn which could only mean... Thank Corellon, the gods that be have heard my prayers! Gabriel didn't even wait for the rest of the party, leaping from the boat causing it to rock as he practically sprinted through knee deep swamp water soaking his trousers as he waded like his life depended upon it towards the inn. Soaking wet, panting from loss of breath the bard stumbled over to wherever the bar was or whatever looked most like a counter, he really couldn't tell it was all blurry. "My good woman, please and I beg you please tell me you have any ..." he heaved heavy breaths as he tried to get it together "And I mean any alcohol, by the gods I need a drink after the day this had been."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither The Inn at the End of the Road The elderly innkeeper looks to Gabriel and she apologizes as she gives a disappointing answer, "I'm sorry, young man. I wish I did have some drink to offer you. But Slack-Jawed Lorna-" The last three words were spoken bitterly before the old woman takes a moment to spit at the floor off to her side and away from the party. She continues from where she left off, "She had her minions take every single drop I had to offer," She sighed and she sighs "In Zybilna's time, this inn was the talk of Prismeer,"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L The twinkle in his eye disappeared, replaced by a slight twitch either from becoming slightly neurotic or slightly annoyed either way he was tired and out of breath, so madness wasn't that farfetched. Once the old crone finished, and spat on the floor like she cursed the very name she spoke a manic laugh escaped the bards mouth, there was a tear in his eye that he wiped away. He wanted to scream to the heavens and curse the gods, however his mind latched onto the name Slack-Jawed Lorna. Taking a moment to collect himself, and keep himself from weeping uncontrollably Gabriel spoke up after taking a deep breath "So you say some brigands up and lifted all your precious liquor?" although he had just met this old crone, and for all he knew she could be a man eating crone but all he cared about was getting a gods damned drink in this fucking shit hole of a swamp. "My good woman, please tell me more of this Lorna. To take is very odd knowing what so far I know of the goings on in Prismeer." oh he would love nothing more than to meet this Lorna and run her through with his rapier at that moment if it meant having something to drink. He was getting tired of running around a swamp without having some sort of buzz other than the buzz of mosquitoes.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither The Inn at the End of the Road The innkeeper raises an eyebrow at Gabriel's request, and she asked him, "Slack-Jawed Lorna? You know, Bavlorna Blightstraw?" She takes a moment to spit to the side twice upon saying the hag's name twice. She continues, "She never leaves her cottage in Downfall? Caused this whole region to be a flooded swamp in the first place?" She then asked curiously, "Why do you ask?"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Bavlorna-what now? a confused Gabriel shook his head, taking a moment to rub the center of his temples with one hand and the other he looked at for a brief moment enough to notice his hands were shaking. Oh by Corellon's blade... the half elves expression turned from confusion to embarrassment, realizing he made a fool of himself all for a drop of alcohol. "Why do you ask?" he'd blanked out for a brief moment mising a bit of what the old woman had said, peering back up at her wrinkled face looking at him with curiosity "I'd be lying if I said noble intentions," Gabe told her, his tone somewhat melancholy but he breathed a sigh and offered her an apologetic smile "My inhibitions often get the better of my judgment my fair lady, and drink is just that." Sometimes he needed to forget the past, his life as a gutter rat, having to fight for even a morsel of food. Sometimes he just wanted to forget it all, it was the reason he left Waterdeep and put so much distance between himself and the place he grew up but sometimes the memories were too much to ignore. Sometimes numbing the memories were all he could do to keep the nightmares of his childhood at bay. Sometimes no matter how much he strived to live a better life, his past always haunts him. "I'm a bit too fond of the finer things you see, things that were a rarity in my youth." Gabriel chuckled, his smile returning to him as he offered a hand to the innkeeper "Gabriel, man of the sword and duelist by trade."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Future plans on murderin' this beer stealin' bitch aside, I got two questions." Brutrumukk stated once Gabriel was done talking. "First off, what would you be wantin' in return fer all this food an' stuff yer offerin'? An' secondly, do got anywhere we could put our raft outside? I couldn't fit through the door an' I'd rather not leave it behind it if this place starts walkin' again. We might need it later."</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora The trudge through the swampy terrain was an inconvenience but more progress would be made this way than by the raft with the water levels this low. Before she even looked towards the sound that was approaching, the smell of the stew caught her nose. The legged structure did cause her own suspicion to rise but the fact that both Gabe and Brut walked into the inn with no caution didn't leave Rory many options. She quietly walked in behind Gabe and attempted to stay slightly hidden behind Brutrumukk and Jub. As the two went on asking their questions, and finding out Bavlorna Blightstraw had her minions take the drink from the inn. Aurora looked up towards where Jub was perched on Brutrumukk's shoulder. "You ok Jub?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub was only half-listening to the conversation between his teammates and the woman, and was somewhat startled by Aurora suddenly saying his name. "Hmm?" He glanced over at the elf. He was about to say he was fine, but his condition kicked in and he ended up saying, "Well, no actually. This whole situation is very much stressing me out." Realising what he had just said, Jub quickly clamped one hand over his mouth. He started shaking his head and waving with his free hand as if trying to signal for everyone else to ignore him and continue on with their conversation.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Yeah, a pub without beer ain't the best thing in the world." Brutrumukk said to Jub with a nod of agreement, not understanding what his shoulder goblin's gestures meant. "But look on the bright side. They still got food. An' it sure does smell tasty, don't it? Yeah, a pub without beer ain't the best thing in the world, but it ain't the worst thing either."</s>

<|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither The Inn at the End of the Road The elderly innkeeper tilts her head at Gabriel as he spoke about how he appreciated the finer things in life. She answered his introduction with her own, "My name is Tsu Harabax. Nice to meet you," The innkeeper looks to Brutrumukk when he mentioned murdering the beer thief, and asked his two questions. She answered him, "There's a rope outside to tie vehicles to the building. You can use that. As for payment? Any old trinket would normally do. But if you're going after Bavlorna Blightstraw?" Once again, she takes a moment to spit off to the side after saying her name, before she finishes, "I'll consider that recompense enough,"</s>

<|description|>Passive Perceptions Aurora: 14 Halander: 13 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Jub: 10 Tsak: 9 Passive Investigation Aurora: 15 Jub: 12 Zavakri: 12 Gabriel: 12 Halander: 11 Tsak: 11 Brutrumukk: 10 Feras: 10 Passive Insight Halander: 13 Aurora: 12 Jub: 12 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Tsak: 9 ---</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither The Inn at the End of the Road The elderly innkeeper tilts her head at Gabriel as he spoke about how he appreciated the finer things in life. She answered his introduction with her own, "My name is Tsu Harabax. Nice to meet you," The innkeeper looks to Brutrumukk when he mentioned murdering the beer thief, and asked his two questions. She answered him, "There's a rope outside to tie vehicles to the building. You can use that. As for payment? Any old trinket would normally do. But if you're going after Bavlorna Blightstraw?" Once again, she takes a moment to spit off to the side after saying her name, before she finishes, "I'll consider that recompense enough,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk waited for a while to see if Jub would respond. But when the goblin simply kept his hands clamped over his mouth, Brutrumukk shrugged, made his way over to where Gabriel was recovering from an alcohol theft induced breakdown and clapped a consoling hand on the bard's shoulder. "We'll get 'er back fer this" Brutrumukk told Gabriel. "An' then we'll find wherever she stashed the stuff an' drink until we drop, yeah?" Brutrumukk then patted Gabriel on the shoulder before letting Jub down off of his. "I'm gonna tie up the raft." Brutrumukk said to the two of them. "Plate up some stew fer when I'm done, yeah?" With that said, Brutrumukk headed outside to tie the raft to the inn.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub breathed a small sigh of relief that neither Brutrumukk nor anyone else seemed to press him further. In fact, Brutrumukk actually took him off his shoulder and left the room for a moment to tend to the boat. Jub removed his hands from his face and loudly, and somewhat dramatically, exhaled. "It seems we can't go anywhere without everyone talking about this hag," he said. He glanced over to Aurora. "You probably have a point that we're probably going to run into her sooner rather than later."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabe breathed inwardly when Brutrumukk clapped a mighty hand upon his shoulder, ahem the half-elf made his best attempt to cover with a pained laugh "Ooph, ha..ha yeah Brut, sounds like a plan." with a nod he watched as the hulk of a goblinoid stepped outside before rubbing his shoulder. "Mmph, at least it wasn't my good arm..." he mumbled before turning back to the elderly innkeeper "Find your largest bowl my good woman cause the big man has a big appetite." Gabe coyly smiled, nodding his head towards the door "After a day of trudging through mud and..Well you get the point, a hot bowl of stew sounds pretty good right about now." chuckling good-naturedly the bard tapped his fingers on the counter, realizing his nails were caked with dirt and his hands were filthy. "Good gods, look at me I'm a bloody mess. I could use a dip in a hot bowl of liquid myself!" he added with a smile and a shake of his head.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora "I'll take a bowel of stew as well please." The elf called after the innkeeper before looking to Gabe. With several practiced wave and each followed by a short incantation, Gabriel's garments began to suddenly become clean. "I know this isn't the same but it will at least help. It's the one spell I did learn and it has been a life saver. Makes cleaning and making fires easy, as well as keeping your drink at the right temperature." A frown crept across her face as she started to recit all that prestidigitation could do. "Well now I feel like a fool. I could have made those rations taste like truffles with this spell. Perhaps should we meet Jingle Jangle again I can do so if we are unable to get them real truffles." Aurora looked over to Jub after helping Gabe. There had been lost of people talking about Bavlorna and the things she has done to those who live here in Prismir. "Unfortunately I do believe we will have to confront her sooner than any of us would like. Well perhaps all save Brutrumukk. It does seem that many that live here have a grievance with this hag. I remember through my travels there were those who spoke of those who oppressed them, be it bandits or rulers, like many we have met spoke of Bavlorna. Though I suppose unlike prior times I am in a position that can help, at least as long as you all are with me. Who knows what may happen, by the end of this you could regain whatever it is you lost Jub." She paused as she considered the situation before them as well as what fate had befallen her sister. Rory hoped that Daebella was at least safe and whole. If Belle was only captured she could be rescued, or have a ransom paid. A slight shudder passed through the elf as she considered what ransom a hag would want in exchangefor a person. "Perhaps we ought to focus on gather strength and weakening Bavlorna's. The bandits might be a good start as they answer to her."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Perhaps we ought to focus on gathering strength and weakening Bavlorna's. The bandits might be a good start as they answer to her." "In that case, I best not eat too much 'ere then." Brutrumukk said as he returned from tying up the raft. "We'll be needin' to save some room fer the rabbit roast I'll be makin' fer supper." After a moment, Brutrumukk noticed how clean Gabriel had become in the time the bugbear had spent outside. "Wait a sec... 'Ow did you get clean so quickly?"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora looked up to Brutrumukk as she began to clean her own clothing of the swamp muck with prestidigitation. "I help him by using a simple spell I learned decades ago. It can take awhile for large quantities of things that need to be cleaned, but it works in situations like this when means of cleaning are limited. I can help you clean your gear once I am done with mine." She pauses for a moment once her boots are cleaned of the muck. "I would also like to let you that I do not agree with your intentions of eating these bandits. In all honesty I do not intend on killing them unless we have to. They are still humanoids and at least deserve a chance to redeem themselves. Besides that humanoids are not food. I know I probably cannot convince you otherwise Brutrumukk but I also want to put it out there that I will not be eating this supposed rabbit stew you plan to make from these folk."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither The Inn at the End of the Road While the party spoke with each other, the innkeeper, Tsu Harabax, prepared the bowls of hearty stew for the party. She sets each bowl with care, along with wooden utensils. Along with the stew, she also sets out a plate of plum pie and a glass of fresh water. The fresh water was clearly purified of any...swampy contaminants. The hearty stew is full of vegetables and potatoes, clearly a vegetarian dish, but it is still filling and refreshing! Should any of the party partake in the plum pie, they find that it is a perfect blend tart and sweet flavors. Like the cupcakes in the Feasting Orchard in the Carnival though, the plum pie does leave purple stains behind if the party members aren't careful. Once everything was prepared for the party, she reassures them, "Here you are. Please enjoy the food,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "I helped him by using a simple spell I learned decades ago." Aurora explained as she cleaned her clothes. "It can take awhile for large quantities of things that need to be cleaned, but it works in situations like this when means of cleaning are limited. I can help you clean your gear once I am done with mine." "That'd be great." Brutrumukk said gratefully "The swamp stink's startin' to rub off on me. I'll be needin' that gone in case I need to sneak around. There ain't no skulkin' what can work if a nose can smell you comin' a mile off." "I would also like to let you that I do not agree with your intentions of eating these bandits." Aurora went on to say. "In all honesty I do not intend on killing them unless we have to. They are still humanoids and at least deserve a chance to redeem themselves. Besides that humanoids are not food. I know I probably cannot convince you otherwise Brutrumukk but I also want to put it out there that I will not be eating this supposed rabbit stew you plan to make from these folk." "Eh, suit yerself." Brutrumukk said. "That just leaves more fer the rest of us." "Here you are. Please enjoy the food," The innkeeper called out as he served the stew and the pie and the water. "Oh don't you worry." Brutrumukk said as he bore down on on his bowl of stew. "I will enjoy it very much!" With that said, Brutrumukk went about the business of demolishing the stew with great gusto an gluttony. "NOM NOM NOM! Om. Nom... Oh, dish shtoo ish delishush!" Brutrumukk exclaimed before swallowing the food in his mouth and continuing. "I notice there ain't no meat in it though. Did the 'ag's goons take all the meat as well?"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Eh, suit yerself." Brutrumukk said. "That just leaves more fer the rest of us." the frown that had been forming on the half-elves face creased the sides of his mouth, guess it was true what folks said about the bugbear. "Here I thought you were different big guy." Gabe muttered under his breath as he shook his head, at least Jub seemed different but he wasn't sure where the little guy would stand on his friend eating people. "An eye for an eye," he said after having a spoonful of stew, like he were quoting something "Or so we said on the streets of Waterdeep. We didn't go around eating thieves." it was moral code, when someone took something you took something. A life for a life or an eye for an eye "Now I am going to take what was stolen but nothing more," the bard finished his stew and whispered his thanks to the innkeeper before turning in his seat to look at the bugbear. "Let's not go around eating those who do wrong, besides we'll be taking back something worth more than rabbit! Beer!" he slapped the furry brute on the shoulder before getting up and looking back to the old innkeep "So miss, how bout that bath?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub nodded in silent agreement as Aurora mentioned the benefits and handiness of the Prestidigitation spell, but conspicuously stopped doing so when she started getting into a debate with Brutrumukk about whether or not they were going to eat the rabbit bandits. He knew that she wasn't going to get anywhere with that argument, after all. He did, however, decide to point out something that he had noticed about the bugbear. "Given how much we've had to eat today, I'm surprised you're still hungry," Jub said between mouthfuls of his own meal. "Are you ever full, or is your stomach some bottomless void?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk gave an apathetic shrug as another one of his companions turned their nose up at the thought of eating the Bunny Brigands. Brutrumukk wasn't entirely sure why they were taking issue with this. It's ok to eat normal sized non-talking rabbits that haven't done anything wrong, but eating human sized rabbits that can talk and engage in banditry isn't? Brutrumukk could not for the life of him understand the logic behind that. But he wasn't about to argue with them though. The fewer people to share the meat with, the greater share of meat he'd get for himself. "Given how much we've had to eat today, I'm surprised you're still hungry," Jub said between mouthfuls of his own meal. "Are you ever full, or is your stomach some bottomless void?" "Bugbears are bigger than most other folks." Brutrumukk explained. "So o' course our stomachs would be bigger than most other stomachs too." Of course, there was more to it than that. But metabolism, the effect regular physical exertion has on it, and all that other theoretical knowledge wasn't Brutrumukk's strong suit, so he wasn't aware of those reasons.</s>

<|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither The Inn at the End of the Road The innkeeper, Tsu Harabax, gave a gentle smile when Brutrumukk complimented her cooking. When he asked about meat, she answered "Oh no. I never had meat to begin with. I am not really fond of hunting," She continues as she waved a hand over a nearby pot full of soil, "Besides, I consider myself a better gardener than hunter," After she waved her hand over the pot, a plant rapidly grew from a seed, to a sapling, to a small plant that rapidly grew a bright red bell pepper. Tsu Harabax casted Druidcraft to grow a bell pepper. When Gabriel asked about the bath, Tsu answers him, "Ah, that's right. Pardon my rudeness," She nods upstairs and she informs him, "The bath is upstairs. It's in the room at the end of the hall. The rest of the rooms are bedrooms," After Jub and Brutrumukk talk about the bugbear's eating habits, Zavakri speaks up, "Actually, that would be because of metabolism. From what I remember from my one course in the study of living beings, that's when the body turns the food a bloke ate into energy. With how big you are, Brutrumukk, it would make sense that you have to eat more in order to have enough energy to even move about," She then shrugged, "But alas, my specialization is in Astronomy and magic. I am not as much of an expert,"</s>

<|description|>Passive Perceptions Aurora: 14 Halander: 13 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Jub: 10 Tsak: 9 Passive Investigation Aurora: 15 Jub: 12 Zavakri: 12 Gabriel: 12 Halander: 11 Tsak: 11 Brutrumukk: 10 Feras: 10 Passive Insight Halander: 13 Aurora: 12 Jub: 12 Gabriel: 12 Feras: 12 Brutrumukk: 11 Zavakri: 11 Tsak: 9 ---</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora had tried to use her short sword to knock the intruder over or slow them down. The strike unfortunately went to wide and missed the intruder. Once revealed that it was Agdon, leader of the bunny brigades, Rory stowed he short sword and drew her bow. As the other Harengon seemed to be ready to avoid any incoming strikes, the elf knocked an arrow and drew it back taking aim at Agdon. Once the arrow left the bow, she move over towards Zavakri. "Are you ok?" she asks both Zavakri and Brutrumukk. 22 to hit and 8 damage if it hits.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Brigands' Tollway Aurora shoots the arrow, and she sees that it finds purchase on the Brigand Prince himself. He gives a quick hiss of pain. Zavakri answers Aurora as she kneels, "Owww! I'm fine! Just...Gimme a moment!" Two crossbow bolts fly over her thanks to the fact that she was now kneeling. The party sees four more crossbolts flying to one specific target: Brutrumukk! Brutrumukk manages to dodge some of them, but two find purchase in his arms. Upon seeing his dear friend hurt, Jub finds the initiative needed to take action! Jub: 18 Agdon Longscarf: 17 (He goes first due to Surprise and Home Turf) Gabriel: 17 Harengon brigands: 15 (They go first due to Surprise and Home Turf Advantage) Aurora: 15 Harengon Snipers: 10 Brutrumukk: 7 Zavakri: 4 Brutrumukk: Surprised! Jub: Surprised! Zavakri: Surprised! Gabriel: Surprised! Surprise round end here. is up next! Jub managed to beat Agdon Longscarf in initiative! Here is the Battle Map for your reference Some battle music as well! The wooden causeways are 5 feet wide and in poor shape. Characters who walk across the planks are assumed to be taking care to avoid unsafe areas. If a character runs across the planks, roll a d8 at the end of the character's turn. On a 7 or 8, part of the causeway falls away beneath the character, who must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw to avoid falling off the plank and into the bog. While prone in the muck, the character is restrained. A character can use an action to try to free itself or another creature from the muck, doing so with a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check. Harengon Snipers Turn: One of them moved during the Brigands' turn due to DM Mistake. ^^" So one of them used their movement. Other than that, the rest are staying put and firing. Two fired at Zavakri, and four fired at Brutrumukk. Sniper at Zavakri 1: Natural 1 Advantage due to Surprise: 15 Damage: 9 Damage. Zavakri is now unconscious but not making death saving throws. They do not have advantage. Zavakri is still up. Another sniper aims at Zavakri, Sniper at Zavakri: 10 Advantage: Natural 1 They do not have advantage A Sniper aims at Brutrumukk: 21 Advantage: 20 They do not have advantage Damage: 5 Piercing Damage Another Sniper aims at Brutrumukk: 10 Advantage: 14 They do not have advantage A Sniper aims at Brutrumukk: 12 Advantage: Natural 1 They do not have advantage One last Sniper aims at Brutrumukk: 18 Advantage: 14 They do not have advantage. Damage: 5 Piercing Damage Your turn! Jub actually beat Agdon Longscarf in initiative!</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Once the initial shock of the surprise attack had worn off, Jub found himself filled with rage upon seeing his companion (and perch) hurt in such a manner. He grabbed his wand from out of his pocket and pointed it at Agdon."You like fire so much, longears? Catch!" he shouted, before sending a Firebolt out towards the bandit. Jub casts Fire Bolt at Agdon Longscarf. Fire Bolt to hit Agdon Longscarf = 21 Fire Bolt damage = 8 ALSO may I use Fury of the Small to add 2 points of extra damage? (Seems appropriate right now)</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Brigands' Tollway Jub's mote of fire burns furiously, matching his rage, and it flies to Agdon Longscarf. He turns just in time to see it burn a bit of his tail and land on his long blue scarf. He yelps and cries as he hops in place, maneuvering the scarf so he can stomp it out with his large rabbit's foot. His foot rapidly thumps away on the wooden causeway before the fire was put out. He looks to the group and he comments, "It seems there's more dangerous folk among you than just the big guy and that human lass. Well, we'll just have to take care of ya too then!" He then runs again, and this time leaps across the gap between two paths of causeways to land in front of Aurora. He then grins at her and winks as he quips, "Like I always say: Ladies first!" He then takes his branding iron and he strikes out to her. In all of her life, Aurora has never felt any pain quite like being branded. If anything, nothing probably even came close to this pain...! Agdon Longscarf's brand struck her right on collarbone of her chest. After she reacts in pain, she falls over unconscious. Agdon pulls back the Branding Iron, seeming to realize that striking her again would serve no purpose. She was already unconscious. He did swiftly grab something from her, and he runs off laughing and singing his theme song with the rest of the Harengon Brigands. Jub: 18 Agdon Longscarf: 17 (He goes first due to Surprise and Home Turf) Gabriel: 17 Harengon brigands: 15 (They go first due to Surprise and Home Turf Advantage) Aurora: 15 Harengon Snipers: 10 Brutrumukk: 7 Zavakri: 4 Cloud is up next! Here is the Battle Map for your reference Some battle music as well! The wooden causeways are 5 feet wide and in poor shape. Characters who walk across the planks are assumed to be taking care to avoid unsafe areas. If a character runs across the planks, roll a d8 at the end of the character's turn. On a 7 or 8, part of the causeway falls away beneath the character, who must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw to avoid falling off the plank and into the bog. While prone in the muck, the character is restrained. A character can use an action to try to free itself or another creature from the muck, doing so with a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check. Movement: Moves the full 70 feet in parts. Moves to attack Aurora and then moves away. Action: Multiattack with the Branding Iron to Aurora! First Branding Iron to hit: ...Natural 20. First Branding Iron Damage Critical: 22 Fire Damage. Aurora is now unconscious. But thankfully, she is not in danger of dying. Second Branding Iron to hit: Stop! Stop! She's already down! Bonus Action: Quick Fingers! ...Not even gonna roll with Aurora being unconscious. He automatically succeeds and steals her Thieves Tools.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gritting his teeth, Gabriel only had enough time to lean back as something darted past him to put a hand on the banded hilt of his rapier as his allies on either side of his hissed in pain. Gabriel stepped forward to catch the elf she fell, he didn't have too long to inspect the nasty burn that was seared into Aurora's skin but he wasn't concerned by that. No respectable combatant used a brand, it was an implement for cattle or worse slaves. Aurora was heavy in his arms, but she felt a warmth spread through her chest as the bard disparately muttered something "Get up, rise, fight again. Stay with me." spell having taken effect he allowed her to rest on the causeway before he looked up, anger in his eyes. Bonus Action Healing: 4 Gabriel took up a defensive pose, like he practiced from time to time. Keeping his weapon in front of him, ready to fight. Standard Action: Dodge Free Action: Drawing a weapon and speaking. Movement: 10ft or 15ft? moving through friendly squares.</s>

<|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Brigands' Tollway Gabriel's words reach Aurora, and bring her back from unconscious. The warmth of his words lead her back to painful burning and stinging of reality. She is currently conscious, but still prone on the ground. When she tries to find Agdon Longscarf, she would find that she can't see him anywhere. Where did he go? Did he flee? (Out of Character: Agdon Longscarf is now invisible to you!) The Harengon Brigands seem to be bolstered by the events of the battle thus far, and how Agdon Longscarf managed to severely weaken if not outright knock out most of the party. One jumps off of the skiff and dashes forward, while one stays and others advance. Four of them ready their slings, one of the calling out, "Stick with the plan, guys! We can do this! For Agdon Longscarf!" With a resounding cheer, they acted. The first one who called out used his sling and aimed the ammunition at Brutrumukk. It bounced off of his arm harmlessly, but the other brigand who aimed him managed to hit Brutrumukk right between the eyes, causing the bugbear to fall unconscious, before he even knew what hit him. "Nice shot, David!" "I can match that, no problem!" Another Harengon called out before slinging an attack at Zavakri. Just like with Brutrumukk, the ammunition managed to hit her square between the eyes, causing her to fall unconscious. "Now for the Half-Elf!" A Harengon Brigand tries to attack Gabriel with the sling, only for Gabriel to deftly knock the pebble away with his blade. Jub: 18 Agdon Longscarf: 17 (He goes first due to Surprise and Home Turf) Gabriel: 17 Harengon brigands: 15 (They go first due to Surprise and Home Turf Advantage) Aurora: 15 Harengon Snipers: 10 Brutrumukk: 7 Zavakri: 4 Krog is up next! Here is the Battle Map for your reference Some battle music as well! The wooden causeways are 5 feet wide and in poor shape. Characters who walk across the planks are assumed to be taking care to avoid unsafe areas. If a character runs across the planks, roll a d8 at the end of the character's turn. On a 7 or 8, part of the causeway falls away beneath the character, who must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw to avoid falling off the plank and into the bog. While prone in the muck, the character is restrained. A character can use an action to try to free itself or another creature from the muck, doing so with a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check. Aurora is back to consciousness! However, she is prone, and will need to spend half of her movement to get up. Movement: 5 Harengon brigands moved 30 feet. 1 stayed in place to attack, while a seventh Harengon Brigand used his action to Dash. Action: One dashed, 4 attacked! The other two were too far away to do anything. First Harengon Brigand Sling attack to Brutrumukk: 12 Missed! Second Harengon Brigand Sling attack to Brutrumukk: 21 Damage: 5 Bludgeoning Damage. That matches his current HP, so Brutrumukk is now unconscious at 0 HP. Not in Danger of dying, so no need to roll Death Saving Throws. Jub will need to make either a Strength (Athletics) roll to hold onto Brutrumukk, or a Dexterity (Acrobatics) roll to hop off before Brutrumukk's collapse sends the little goblin into a precarious situation. Third Harengon Brigand Sling attack to Zavakri: 21 Damage: 5 Bludgeoning Damage. She only had 1 HP, so she is also unconscious, but not in danger of dying. Fourth Harengon Brigand Sling to Gabriel: 21 Disadvantage due to Gabriel's Dodge Action: 9</s>

<|description|>Brutrumukk Age: 17 Race: Bugbear Class: Barbarian Level: 2 Background: Folk Hero Personality: See persona section of the linked character sheet. Backstory: In the middle of a grassy field stands a large rock. This rock is known to the locals as the Snoring Stone, a name it gained after people began to hear loud snoring with no discernible source when passing the rock sometimes. People were unsure of what to make of this weird phenomenon until someone made too much noise near the rock and the snoring turned to angry yelling. After that, people became convinced that a spirit had made its home in the rock and began leaving it offerings of food, drink, gold, and other kinds of gifts, hoping that this appeasement would calm the spirit and dissuade it from following through on the threats it had made to those who disturbed its slumber. These offerings pleased the spirit enough that it forgave the disturbance, on the condition that the offerings continued. With the arrangement made, things returned to normal for a time. The Spirit Of The Snoring Stone rested peacefully in its rocky home and the locals regularly brought it offerings to keep it that way. Eventually, a brave and desperate carpenter decided to wake the Spirit again. Before the Spirit could begin angrily making threats though, the carpenter begged the Spirit's help with a problem no one else could help him with. Upon learning that the carpenter had brought a much grander offering that usual to convince it to help, the Spirit eagerly agreed. The very next morning, the carpenter awoke to find the solution to his problems awaiting him on his dining table. Overjoyed by the end of his woes, the carpenter told others of what had happened. After that, many other locals came to petition the Spirit Of The Snoring Stone for its aid. A shepherd who had lost some of his sheep would find them tied to a post the morning after visiting the Stone. A fisherman whose usual spot had dried up found a map to a pond full of much tastier fish nailed to his door after asking the Spirit for help. And when an angry mob asked for help in tracking down a murderer, they found the murderer's corpse an hour later, clubbed to death and beheaded. One day, a farmer arrived at the Snoring Stone out of breath and in a state of panic. His house had caught fire, no one could put it out, and his family was trapped inside. He offered everything he had in exchange for his family's safety. "Go 'ome an' wait." The Spirit said. "I'll do the rest." And so the farmer hurried home to where his wife, children, and elderly parents were still trapped and prayed to the Gods as he waited for the Spirit to come. Suddenly, the door burst open and the farmer's parents rushed from the house just before the fire blocked the way. Then, each window in the house smashed open, allowing one of the farmer's children to climb out of each one before the flames blocked those exits too. With no way out left, the farmer, his family, and the assembled crowd watched the burning house as they wondered how the spirit would rescue the farmer's wife. Their answer came when one of the house's walls gave way and the farmer's wife emerged from the hole... cradled in the arms of an enormous bugbear. The bugbear, who went by the name of Brutrumukk, revealed himself to be the so called Spirit Of The Snoring Stone, having played along with their beliefs to sponge off the offerings the locals had brought to the Snoring Stone, which he explained had a hollow interior and a secret entrance. Remembering all that the 'Spirit' had done for them, the locals refrained from driving the hulking goblinoid away and decided to let their current arrangement stand due to how helpful Brutrumukk had proven himself, even if the black-hearted bugbear had only helped for personal gain. A year after settling in the Snoring Stone, Brutrumukk was rudely awoken one day by the sound of a certain multiversal carnival being set up right next to his home. Stat Generation: Point Buy Day Count: 2 (349) Kill Count: 1 Most Kills in a Dungeon: 1 Most Kills in an Encounter: 1 Most Kills in a Round: 1</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Chapter 1 Welcome to the Witchlight Carnival! The Ticket Booth The first stars of night twinkle above the apricot sunset. Giant dragonflies whir overhead, trailing streamers, and a low mist curls over the ground. Through a floral archway, you glimpse wondrous and vibrant creatures—elf stilt walkers, dancing faeries, and painted performers. Everywhere there is laughter, pixie dust, bubbles, and the wistful tune of a whistling calliope. Almost all of you gaze upon this sight, and the memories of your previous visit seem to become much more vivid than they were before. For the bugbear resident, the calliope and laughter has certainly drawn him here from his rock home. By chance or by fate, all of you stand before the entrance to the Carnival together, reunited by similar causes. Five of them remember the Carnival Owners' words... "Silly little screeching cricket... You forgot to buy a ticket!" "The Carnival goes round and round, The Multiverse is our Playground. Nothing's free and nothing's lost. Every visit has its cost." With that thought in mind, they see the Ticket Booth by the entrance. There, the party sees a wrinkled old goblin running that booth. He finishes helping a customer pay for their ticket and calls to them, as though he were deaf, "Thank you! Enjoy your time in the Witchlight Carnival!"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk hated everything about what was happening right now. The music. The laughter. The noise. He hated it all with every fibre of his being. Ever since the Witchlight Carnival had arrived in the field and set up shop right next to the Snoring Stone, Brutrumukk's usual peace and quiet had been shattered. Yelling at them to go away had proven fruitless. Threatening to rip off their heads and shit down their necks only made them say he wasn't allowed in the carnival, as if he even wanted to go to their stupid carnival! And since there were so many carnies, simply killing them all wasn't an option. And so all the angry bugbear could do was lean against his rock and glare at the carnival as he prayed to Hruggek and Grankhul for the chance to take revenge on those who had torn away the usual serenity and solitude of his grassy field and his hollowed stoney home.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel absent-mindedly played with the basket hilt of the old rapier at his side watching passerby with vague interest, specifically keeping an eye on the grumbling bugbear leaning aways off against an old moss-covered rock 'He could be trouble.' the swordsman thought scratching his goatee with a free hand 'Then again so can anyone.' the man's gaze fell upon the others lined up to pay the ticket... * CONTINUED IN COLLAB *</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar A small figure stood by the floral entrance to the carnival, bundled in a mixture of fine silk and old rags that hid every part of him save his oversized ears and the beady, reddish-orange eyes that seemed to glow slightly beneath his hood. While he was just another visitor to the Witchlight, he had set himself up beside the ticket booth an hour or so earlier and was attempting to flag down all who attempted to enter. These attempts ranged from simply calling out to them to actively getting into their personal space and shoving a variety of small, cruedly-made trinkets in their line-of-sight. "Souveniers for sale!" the figure called. "Made by Jub the Peculiar's own two hands! Buy one now, remember visit to Witchlight Carnival forever!" These attempts had so far been unsuccessful. Most people ignored him and would rush quickly through the archway once they had bought their ticket, or would decide to leave carnival, likely to return at a later point when they hoped he would be gone. Jub had managed to hold out so far, but even his enthusiasm was starting to wane and he had gone from loudly pestering the visitors to sulking as he eyed each one individually. He had been showing particular interest in one of them - a half-elf with a rapier by his side - when his gaze passed over to someone standing a little further afield: a rather grumpy-looking bugbear who was eying the whole carnival with a look of contempt. How long had he been standing there? Jub hadn't noticed him when he had first set up shop, but then again, he had been kind of distracted by all the colours, the smells... the whole catatrophe when he had tried to get Eighteyes to spin a banner out of silk and had ended up scaring away a couple of extremely archnaphobic customers... well, the point was, he wasn't exactly as observant as normal. But, he'd noticed now and was willing to take this lull in the current business to try a somewhat riskier venture. Now, normally he wouldn't try something like this - especially with such a grumpy-looking fella - but he was a little desperate at this point. Business had been slow for him today... and yesterday... and the day before that... but he was determined to use this carnival as an opportunity to gain a little extra coin. So, stepping away from the ticketbooth, he approached the bugbear as confidentally as he could manage. "You, sir!" he said, pointing to the bugbear. "You look like a man who could use..." He paused, looking the bugbear up and down as he tried to gage what exactly would interest him. "A good.. err.... erm..." Nope, he was drawing a blank here. Probably should have workshopped this before approaching the customer. "Erm..." Jub quickly pulled out his failsafe and showed it to the bugbear. "Shiny brooch? Only one gold piece."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk looked down at the either very brave or very stupid magical looking goblin who had dared to approach him. After regarding the goblin trying to sell him something for a few moments, the bugbear huffed through his nostrils. "Fuck it. Why not?" Brutrumukk said before tossing the goblin a gold piece and pocketing the brooch. After a moment of consideration, Brutrumukk looked down again at the goblin and spoke in their native tongue. "Oi, booyagh. I got a job fer ya. Four gold if you say yes an' four more if you actually do the job." Brutrumukk pointed at the carnival. "See that place? I don't like that place. So I want you to go in there, snoop around, an' see if there's any way to mess everything up. Once you've found a way, come tell me what that way is so that I can go mess it up, an' I'll give ya the rest of the gold. Sound good?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub took the coin the bugbear had handed him and held it up to his face. He squinted at it for a moment before testing it with his teeth, briefly exposing rows of jagged teeth to any who may be looking closely enough. When he was satisfied, he placed it in his pocket and was about to thank the bugbear for his business when he suddenly spoke again, this time in the goblin tongue. Jub's body immediately stiffened, the glee in his eyes leaving and being replaced with panic. How had he figured it out? His disguise was flawless! Was it the ears or... maybe his smell? He raised an arm slightly and sniffed at himself self-consciously. Did he smell more goblin-y than usual today? He didn't think so. Then again, he wasn't sure how goblin-y he usually smelled. He was still contemplating this when he noticed the bugbear had stopped talking, and suddenly realized he was probably expecting some kind of response. What had he been saying? Something about... a job... and gold? Jub hesitated for a moment as he considered how best to respond. He could feign ignorance, pretend he didn't understand and quickly make his way back to the carnival. After all, he'd gotten what he'd come for and had no reason to humor this stranger, especially if it meant sabotaging the carnival. Jub liked the carnival. It was bright, colorful, filled with oddballs with unique costumes... Jub's kind of place! But at the same time... four plus four gold... plus the gold piece he already had... that was a decent amount of gold, at least more than Jub had made in the last few days, and he wasn't sure how long it would be before business was ever that good for him again. He looked the bugbear up and down for a moment, weighing up in his options. Jub gave the bugbear a double thumbs up. "You, my good sir, have a deal!" he responded in goblin.</s>

<|message|>Brutrumukk A wide, predatory grin of anticipation stretched itself across Brutrumukk's face. His prayers had been answered. Soon he would have his opportunity for revenge. Those carnies would rue the day they crossed the Spirit Of The Snoring Stone. "Perfect." Brutrumukk said as he handed the goblin his down payment. "I'll be leanin' against this rock fer most o' the night. Wait fer me 'ere once you've got somethin' I can use. 'An don't try to cheat me, booyagh. Elsewise there'll be no magic in the world that'll be able to save you from me."</s>

<|description|>Brutrumukk Age: 17 Race: Bugbear Class: Barbarian Level: 2 Background: Folk Hero Personality: See persona section of the linked character sheet. Backstory: In the middle of a grassy field stands a large rock. This rock is known to the locals as the Snoring Stone, a name it gained after people began to hear loud snoring with no discernible source when passing the rock sometimes. People were unsure of what to make of this weird phenomenon until someone made too much noise near the rock and the snoring turned to angry yelling. After that, people became convinced that a spirit had made its home in the rock and began leaving it offerings of food, drink, gold, and other kinds of gifts, hoping that this appeasement would calm the spirit and dissuade it from following through on the threats it had made to those who disturbed its slumber. These offerings pleased the spirit enough that it forgave the disturbance, on the condition that the offerings continued. With the arrangement made, things returned to normal for a time. The Spirit Of The Snoring Stone rested peacefully in its rocky home and the locals regularly brought it offerings to keep it that way. Eventually, a brave and desperate carpenter decided to wake the Spirit again. Before the Spirit could begin angrily making threats though, the carpenter begged the Spirit's help with a problem no one else could help him with. Upon learning that the carpenter had brought a much grander offering that usual to convince it to help, the Spirit eagerly agreed. The very next morning, the carpenter awoke to find the solution to his problems awaiting him on his dining table. Overjoyed by the end of his woes, the carpenter told others of what had happened. After that, many other locals came to petition the Spirit Of The Snoring Stone for its aid. A shepherd who had lost some of his sheep would find them tied to a post the morning after visiting the Stone. A fisherman whose usual spot had dried up found a map to a pond full of much tastier fish nailed to his door after asking the Spirit for help. And when an angry mob asked for help in tracking down a murderer, they found the murderer's corpse an hour later, clubbed to death and beheaded. One day, a farmer arrived at the Snoring Stone out of breath and in a state of panic. His house had caught fire, no one could put it out, and his family was trapped inside. He offered everything he had in exchange for his family's safety. "Go 'ome an' wait." The Spirit said. "I'll do the rest." And so the farmer hurried home to where his wife, children, and elderly parents were still trapped and prayed to the Gods as he waited for the Spirit to come. Suddenly, the door burst open and the farmer's parents rushed from the house just before the fire blocked the way. Then, each window in the house smashed open, allowing one of the farmer's children to climb out of each one before the flames blocked those exits too. With no way out left, the farmer, his family, and the assembled crowd watched the burning house as they wondered how the spirit would rescue the farmer's wife. Their answer came when one of the house's walls gave way and the farmer's wife emerged from the hole... cradled in the arms of an enormous bugbear. The bugbear, who went by the name of Brutrumukk, revealed himself to be the so called Spirit Of The Snoring Stone, having played along with their beliefs to sponge off the offerings the locals had brought to the Snoring Stone, which he explained had a hollow interior and a secret entrance. Remembering all that the 'Spirit' had done for them, the locals refrained from driving the hulking goblinoid away and decided to let their current arrangement stand due to how helpful Brutrumukk had proven himself, even if the black-hearted bugbear had only helped for personal gain. A year after settling in the Snoring Stone, Brutrumukk was rudely awoken one day by the sound of a certain multiversal carnival being set up right next to his home. Stat Generation: Point Buy Day Count: 2 (349) Kill Count: 1 Most Kills in a Dungeon: 1 Most Kills in an Encounter: 1 Most Kills in a Round: 1</s> <|message|>Miizel Throe "Description? What do you-" Before Miizel could finish his attention was brought to the people behind him when the goblin managing the ticket booth called for the people behind him. Two humans, an elf, and weird looking gno-ope not a gnome. He was a gnome and he knew what they looked like. Then again he was far from his home so it could be a different subrace. The goblin then mentioned that someone had already paid for their tickets throwing Miizel into further confusion. Someone or something had been expecting him, no, them. He suddenly recalled visiting a carnival when he was younger but there's no way it was the same one right? After all he's was over 100 years old. He cast a glance at the place he emerged from. Thankfully still nothing. Might as well accept this, I was planning on going in anyway. "Thank you and to whoever paid for me." He said, taking the tickets and choosing the yellow butterfly wings. "You mentioned the tickets were only valid for 8 attractions. How many are there in total?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk watched as people lined up for tickets to the carnival. He was too far away to hear what as going on, but he could see the ticket goblin nodding towards him for some reason and the other goblin he paid to spy on the carnival looking back at him questioningly. Brutrumukk hoped that wasn't a sign that his spy had been discovered so soon. He didn't enjoy the thought of having spent four gold pieces on a spy who got caught right out of the gate. "What's goin' on over there?" Brutrumukk muttered to himself.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Welcome to the Witchlight Carnival! The Ticket Booth The goblin listened to everyone of you with an ear horn lifted to his ear. He sets down the horn before he answered Aurora first while shaking his head, "An anonymous benefactor paid for those tickets, Ma'am. Sorry," When Zavakri mentioned that she wanted to pay for her sister, he answered her, "Of course, Madame. You may have to describe your sister to me, so that I can give her her ticket. An adult ticket costs 8 silver pieces, while a child's ticket costs 3 silver pieces," After Miizel asked about the attractions, the goblin grinned and he answered, "I said they're worth eight ticket punches, young man. There are many attractions here, and one or two of them are free. Any food or drink you might want also cost a ticket punch," He then directs his attention, and he speaks to Jub, "Ah yes. You, young goblin, you were speaking with the bugbear earlier, yes?" He remains silent for a bit to let Jub answer his question. After Jub answers his question here, he continues, "I can only give his ticket to him. Would you do this old goblin a favor and tell him to come to this booth? I would like to have a word with him," He then looks to the rest of the party, and speaks while handing them a rolled up map, "Here is the map of the carnival. Once I clear something up with the bugbear, you are all free to explore the Witchlight Carnival. He is in your party after all, and I fear there is a misunderstanding,"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub's ears pricked up as he heard someone behind him speak, and he glanced over his shoulder to see a human woman. How long had she been standing there? This was the second time today Jub the Peculiar's legendary senses had failed him. He'd have to be more vigilant. More importantly, those words she had just said, about things not being for free... sounded really familiar, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Jub shook his head. Oh well. It would come back to him later. He pocketed the green pair of wings before the ticket goblin suddenly addressed him, mentioning his previous conversation with the bugbear. Beneath his hood, Jub started to sweat. "Ha... indeed, I, err, have spoken to the gentleman over there," he said with a feigned laugh. "Just a passing, err, friendly conversation if you will. I don't know the man personally, of course." Anyone who had spoken to Jub previously would immediately pick up on the strain in his voice. When the ticket goblin asked him to bring the bugbear over here, Jub gave another small laugh. "Ha... you got it, my eloquent friend, I'll, err..." He stepped out of the line. "I'll be right back." He hurriedly made his way over to the bugbear before anyone else could speak to him. Once he reached Brutrumukk, Jub immediately dropped his grandiose demeanor. "So, err, there's a complication," he said to the bugbear.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk watched as his goblin spy broke away from the crowd at the ticket booth and hurried over to him. When he heard what his spy had to report, Brutrumukk let out an annoyed snarl. He considered just taking his money back and sending the goblin packing, but decided to hear his spy out before passing judgement. "A... comp-lee-cay-shun? As in somethin' went wrong over there?" He asked in goblin. "...Well? Spit it out, Mag damn it! What 'appened?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub flinched slightly from the bugbear. "Apparently, my, err, good man..." he said. "You, erm, have a ticket." He motioned over to the carnival. "The charming fellow at the booth has said that someone had paid for a ticket for you, as well as for myself and a few others."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk looked over at the ticket goblin, then back at the goblin standing in front of him "Someone bought me a ticket?" Brutrumukk asked, quite clearly perplexed by this turn of events. "An' now them an' theirs is willin' to let me in...? You sure you 'eard that right? You best not be muckin' about with me 'ere."</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub held up his hands. "I am just as in the dark here as you are, my friend," he said. "Regardless, the fellow at the ticket booth would like to have a word with you. Something about a misunderstanding, I believe he said?"</s> <|message|>Zavakri "Eight and three. Best make it two of each just to be on the safe side." She rummages into her gold pouch, muttering senselessly all the while; "We were but gels when we came last, so that'd be two child's...but she'd be nearly a woman grown now, so best make it an adult's to be safe- and nothing's free, that much is true, so I'd better be safe and buy my own ticket too..." She produces the required twenty-two silver in short order and exchanges it in swiftness for the tickets, which she delicately folds away; the free one into her pocket, the rest safely and securely into her bag. Seeming to lose her reverie for the time being, she studies the map and taps her chin a few times. "...Gosh, this all sounds positively..." She gulps. "...Whimsical."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Right then." Brutrumukk said as he turned towards the ticket booth. "Let's go see what this miss-under-standin' 'e wants to 'ave a word about is." With that said, Brutrumukk made his way over to the ticket booth, arriving just as Zavakri finished paying. "Oi, old timer." Brutrumukk announced his presence in common as he closed to talking range. "That other goblin told me someone bought me a ticket an' that you think I'm thinkin' about stuff wrong."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Welcome to the Witchlight Carnival! The Ticket Booth The old goblin completes the transaction, and before he could say anything to Zavakri after she takes the tickets, Jub and Brutrumukk approach. With the earhorn up to his ear, he listens to Brutrumukk as he speaks. He sets down the horn and he speaks to the bugbear after nodding, "Yes, I did want to speak to you regarding a misunderstanding. But I must clarify: The misunderstanding was on our part. Not yours," He then goes to explain, "Your benefactor has explained to us why you were acting the way you did for the past couple days. Of course anyone would be upset if their rest was being disturbed!" He continues, "Your benefactor also told us that you did a lot of good for the denizens who live around here. So...we can't really deny their payment for your ticket," He then rummages below the booth and pulls out another ticket and a pair of fake orange butterfly wings, and hands them to Brutrumukk, "So, on behalf of your benefactor: Thank you for all of the good you've done. And on behalf of the Witchlight Carnival: We apologize for the disturbance, and we hope you enjoy your time here. This will be our last night here,"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora The goblin's comment had left her more curious than before. Was it someone she knew? It was certainly possible. However she was not sure who she knew that also knew the others here in the line, and the bugbear that seemed rather displeased with the carnival's presence. "I'll take an extra two adult tickets as well." Rory took out sixteen silver to pay for the extra tickets. Before she could set the silver down the bugbear had walked over to the booth and started loudly addressing the goblin ticket taker. She quietly waited for the two to finish hoping that there won't be too much of a scene cause by the disgruntled person. Once the transaction was done, she stepped forward and set the silver on the the counter. Upon receiving the extra tickets, Aurora put all three in her coin pouch and stepped to the side to wait for Gabriel, and put the purple wings on for the time being.</s>

<|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk listened to the ticket goblin speak and, all in all, liked what he heard. He especially liked that this would be the last night the carnival would be here. It came as quite the relief to the bugbear that the peace and quiet he so loved about the field and the Snoring Stone would be back the way it was by tomorrow. When the ticket goblin finished speaking, Brutrumukk gave a sharp nod and grunted his approval. "Y'know what? You lot ain't so bad." Brutrumukk said as he accepted his ticket and wings. "So who was it what paid fer our tickets anyway? An' what are these wings fer as well?"</s>

<|description|>Brutrumukk Age: 17 Race: Bugbear Class: Barbarian Level: 2 Background: Folk Hero Personality: See persona section of the linked character sheet. Backstory: In the middle of a grassy field stands a large rock. This rock is known to the locals as the Snoring Stone, a name it gained after people began to hear loud snoring with no discernible source when passing the rock sometimes. People were unsure of what to make of this weird phenomenon until someone made too much noise near the rock and the snoring turned to angry yelling. After that, people became convinced that a spirit had made its home in the rock and began leaving it offerings of food, drink, gold, and other kinds of gifts, hoping that this appeasement would calm the spirit and dissuade it from following through on the threats it had made to those who disturbed its slumber. These offerings pleased the spirit enough that it forgave the disturbance, on the condition that the offerings continued. With the arrangement made, things returned to normal for a time. The Spirit Of The Snoring Stone rested peacefully in its rocky home and the locals regularly brought it offerings to keep it that way. Eventually, a brave and desperate carpenter decided to wake the Spirit again. Before the Spirit could begin angrily making threats though, the carpenter begged the Spirit's help with a problem no one else could help him with. Upon learning that the carpenter had brought a much grander offering that usual to convince it to help, the Spirit eagerly agreed. The very next morning, the carpenter awoke to find the solution to his problems awaiting him on his dining table. Overjoyed by the end of his woes, the carpenter told others of what had happened. After that, many other locals came to petition the Spirit Of The Snoring Stone for its aid. A shepherd who had lost some of his sheep would find them tied to a post the morning after visiting the Stone. A fisherman whose usual spot had dried up found a map to a pond full of much tastier fish nailed to his door after asking the Spirit for help. And when an angry mob asked for help in tracking down a murderer, they found the murderer's corpse an hour later, clubbed to death and beheaded. One day, a farmer arrived at the Snoring Stone out of breath and in a state of panic. His house had caught fire, no one could put it out, and his family was trapped inside. He offered everything he had in exchange for his family's safety. "Go 'ome an' wait." The Spirit said. "I'll do the rest." And so the farmer hurried home to where his wife, children, and elderly parents were still trapped and prayed to the Gods as he waited for the Spirit to come. Suddenly, the door burst open and the farmer's parents rushed from the house just before the fire blocked the way. Then, each window in the house smashed open, allowing one of the farmer's children to climb out of each one before the flames blocked those exits too. With no way out left, the farmer, his family, and the assembled crowd watched the burning house as they wondered how the spirit would rescue the farmer's wife. Their answer came when one of the house's walls gave way and the farmer's wife emerged from the hole... cradled in the arms of an enormous bugbear. The bugbear, who went by the name of Brutrumukk, revealed himself to be the so called Spirit Of The Snoring Stone, having played along with their beliefs to sponge off the offerings the locals had brought to the Snoring Stone, which he explained had a hollow interior and a secret entrance. Remembering all that the 'Spirit' had done for them, the locals refrained from driving the hulking goblinoid away and decided to let their current arrangement stand due to how helpful Brutrumukk had proven himself, even if the black-hearted bugbear had only helped for personal gain. A year after settling in the Snoring Stone, Brutrumukk was rudely awoken one day by the sound of a certain multiversal carnival being set up right next to his home. Stat Generation: Point Buy Day Count: 2 (349) Kill Count: 1 Most Kills in a Dungeon: 1 Most Kills in an Encounter: 1 Most Kills in a Round: 1</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Welcome to the Witchlight Carnival! The Ticket Booth The old goblin gave a smile in response to Brutrumukk's words. He answered his first question with a shake of his head, "My apologies, but your benefactor is anonymous," He then answers his next question with a smile, "The wings are to show the other carnival hands that you are a paying customer, so you can enjoy the carnival to your heart's content," Once everyone spoke their plans, he bids them, "We hope you have a delightful time!" The First Hour Event! As the party enters the carnival, everyone notices that the mood is bright and everyone seems to be having a good time. The calliope is piping merrily to reflect the good mood that permeates the carnival. They see a twelve-foot-tall walking tree garlanded in golden ribbons march down the thoroughfare. Emerald clouds swirl above the tree and rain down golden, spinning sycamore seeds. Fairgoers around the party try to catch the seeds before they hit the ground. As the seeds gently fall, a chatty squirrel scampers along the boughs of the tree, handing dandelions to select passersby. The walking tree calls out to everyone, "Welcome to the Witchlight Carnival! Catch the seeds before they hit the ground, and you'll receive a wondrous token of our gratitude!" The squirrel scampers to each member of the party and speaks(!), "Blow the seeds into the air, and make a wish! Go on, go on!" If you want to catch the seeds, make a DC 10 Dexterity check. If you catch the seed, roll a d8 and I'll PM what the gift is to you. If you blow the seeds and make a wish, make sure to DM the wish to me. ^_^ The Calliope As some of the party members make their way to their intended destinations, they pass by the Calliope. There, they hear a merry tune spilling forth from the instrument on the back of a brightly painted wagon. A monkey wearing a cloak covered with buttons turns a handle at the wagon's rear, sending music into the air from rows of golden whistles. As you watch, a goblin dressed as a ladybug toddles up to you, rattling a tin cup. Upon the goblin's approach, the monkey notices you and he recites a rhyme... "Spare a button if you please, I'll sew it next to all of these. I offer nothing in its place, Besides a smile upon my face." Should anyone give a button, the monkey smiles happily at you. Lost Property Zavakri easily finds the wagon and there she spies upon an odd sight. Outside the lost property wagon is a large feline creature with midnight-blue fur. It has a pair of tentacles extending from its shoulders and wears fake butterfly wings. Hanging from its collar is a small wooden keg. The creature roughhouses with two young boys. One boy squeals, "Again, Dirla, again!" while the other hangs onto the creature's neck. The creature, Dirla, lets out a rumble of a chuckle, and a female voice speaking in Elvish comes from the creature as she responds, "Now, now. I think that is enough," She notices a new presence, and her tentacles raise up as she looks to Zavakri. The Feasting Orchard Brutrumukk easily follows the fragrant smells to the Feasting Orchard. Music and mirth radiate from this park. The heady scents of flowers, mead, and berry pie waft through the air. Stilt-walkers pluck fruit from trees; musicians drum, pipe, and strum; and everywhere there is singing, dancing, and an inordinate amount of custard. There are also smaller stands about in this park that sell other snacks and beverages for the customers' consumption. An announcer within this park calls out to the fairgoers who came here, "Gooood Evening, Ladies and Gents! The first of tonight's Faerie Cake Eating Contest will be starting very soon! If you wish to particpate, please seat yourself at the center table and I will explain the rules!" The Hall of Illusions As Aurora and Gabriel approach, they see this large tent is painted with a mural of shifting images that show grinning faeries diving into pools of color. The helical stripes of the tent's pointed canopies rotate in spirals, and the whole display seems designed to befuddle onlookers. A clown dressed in muted garb stands at the tent's entrance, blinking at you. They also see, close to the tent, another sight: A wooden mannequin of a grinning, raven-haired young woman in witch's attire and a green flowing cape hovers inside a glass cabinet. At the top of the cabinet, a sign reads "Tasha the Wizard—Known for Her Hideous Laughter." A halfling couple holds hands as they approach the glass cabinet. One of the halflings is wearing butterfly face paint. As he drops to one knee and pulls a small box from his pocket, his sweetheart bursts into laughter and begins rolling on the ground. The halfling in face paint begins sobbing and darts into the nearby tent without getting his ticket punched. The mime seems to gasp silently, and looks at the couple, with a sad look on his face.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Accepting the ticket goblin's explanations, Brutrumukk donned his orange butterfly wings and made his way into the carnival. As he did so, he caught the scent of something delicious in the air. Before he could make for the scent though, Brutrumukk's eyes widened as he beheld a treant walking among the fairgoers and challenging those around it to catch the sycamore seeds falling from it. Accepting the challenge, Brutrumukk's hand shot forth like a javelin and seized one of the seeds. The bugbear then looked on in wonderment as the seed turned into a gold piece. Brutrumukk didn't have long to wonder though. For soon enough, a squirrel landed on his shoulder, handed him a dandelion, and told him to blow on it and make a wish. Brutrumukk shrugged his unburdened shoulder before blowing the seeds into the air as instructed, wishing for his time at the carnival to be good enough to make up for all the bother it had caused him as he blew. Having cleared the entrance, Brutrumukk moved onto the next leg of his journey: The Calliope. The bugbear paused a while to listen to the music played by this unfamiliar instrument. As he did so, a goblin approached him rattling a tin cup and a monkey poetically requested a button. Seeing as he never did up the top most button of his shirt anyway, Brutrumukk plucked it from his shirt and gave it to the goblin. When the monkey smiled, the bugbear found himself smiling back as he continued on. "Maybe I misjudged this place." Brutrumukk said between sniffs as he followed the scent of food. "Sure, it's noisy. But once you get past that, it actually ain't 'alf bad. Yeah, it ain't 'alf bad at all!" Brutrumukk arrived at the Feasting Orchard just in time to hear the announcement of an eating contest. "An... eatin' contest?" Brutrumukk repeated to himself. "Oh. Nine. 'Ells. Yes!" Brutrumukk loved food. Especially when it came in large quantities. So needless to say, he seated himself firmly at the center table, rubbing his hands eagerly as he did.</s> <|message|>Miizel Throe Upon looking at the map, Miizel saw that there were more attractions and possibly food choices than punches. He decided to follow suit and purchase 2 more tickets, handing in 2 gold. Once he received his change he decided to wander in for a bit before choosing a specific destination. He was taken aback upon seeing the lumbering treant. The gnome stood, mouth agape and gigantic being. How had he not seen such a thing from outside? Before he could mull it over, his attention was brought to the sudden event. Thinking that there was nothing to lose, he jumped up and reached for a seed. Opening his hand he was pleased to find that he had managed to catch one. He approached the tree to receive his gift and when he accepted a little squirrel climbed down from the giant branches and spoke to him. Offering Miizel a wish. There were so many things happening already and it was overwhelming the gnome. "Oh dear, it's been a while since I've experienced this much hustle and bustle. I think I might, no thank you." He said dismissing the squirrel. "I think I might go somewhere more relaxing in the mean time." He looked at the map and decided that the Gondola Swans were a good place to unwind. Along the way he passed by a monkey on a wagon who recited a rhyme asking for buttons. Miizel fished in his bag and tossed one out giving the smiling monkey a small nod before heading to his destination.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Hearing the treant say something about 'tokens of gratitude', Jub wasted no time trying to catch one of the fallen seeds. He leapt into the air to grab the closest one, and once he landed back on the ground, opened his hands to find he had indeed caught it... ... only for it to suddenly open and let out several colourful sparks, like a tiny firework. Jub let out a startled sound, nearly dropping the seed, before suddenly bursting into giddy laughter. "Did everyone see that?" he said, turning to look at his companions. However, upon inspecting his immediate surroundings, he noted that none of them were anywhere near him. In fact, they all seemed to be splitting off into their own groups and going in separate directions. "H-hey, wait for me!" he shouted, and immediately began running after the first person he saw - which just so happened to be the bugbear.</s>

<|message|>Brutrumukk As he waited for the eating contest to begin, Brutrumukk noticed the goblin he'd hired to spy on the carnival hurry into the Feasting Orchard. "Oi oi! Come sit with me!" Brutrumukk called out an offer to the goblin in the tongue of the goblinoid races. "An eatin' contest's about to start! Let's you an' me win it together, eh?! Show all this lot that the Conquerin' 'Ost can clean 'ouse at the eatin' table just as easily as it cleans 'ouse on the battlefield!"</s>

<|description|>Brutrumukk Age: 17 Race: Bugbear Class: Barbarian Level: 2 Background: Folk Hero Personality: See persona section of the linked character sheet. Backstory: In the middle of a grassy field stands a large rock. This rock is known to the locals as the Snoring Stone, a name it gained after people began to hear loud snoring with no discernible source when passing the rock sometimes. People were unsure of what to make of this weird phenomenon until someone made too much noise near the rock and the snoring turned to angry yelling. After that, people became convinced that a spirit had made its home in the rock and began leaving it offerings of food, drink, gold, and other kinds of gifts, hoping that this appeasement would calm the spirit and dissuade it from following through on the threats it had made to those who disturbed its slumber. These offerings pleased the spirit enough that it forgave the disturbance, on the condition that the offerings continued. With the arrangement made, things returned to normal for a time. The Spirit Of The Snoring Stone rested peacefully in its rocky home and the locals regularly brought it offerings to keep it that way. Eventually, a brave and desperate carpenter decided to wake the Spirit again. Before the Spirit could begin angrily making threats though, the carpenter begged the Spirit's help with a problem no one else could help him with. Upon learning that the carpenter had brought a much grander offering that usual to convince it to help, the Spirit eagerly agreed. The very next morning, the carpenter awoke to find the solution to his problems awaiting him on his dining table. Overjoyed by the end of his woes, the carpenter told others of what had happened. After that, many other locals came to petition the Spirit Of The Snoring Stone for its aid. A shepherd who had lost some of his sheep would find them tied to a post the morning after visiting the Stone. A fisherman whose usual spot had dried up found a map to a pond full of much tastier fish nailed to his door after asking the Spirit for help. And when an angry mob asked for help in tracking down a murderer, they found the murderer's corpse an hour later, clubbed to death and beheaded. One day, a farmer arrived at the Snoring Stone out of breath and in a state of panic. His house had caught fire, no one could put it out, and his family was trapped inside. He offered everything he had in exchange for his family's safety. "Go 'ome an' wait." The Spirit said. "I'll do the rest." And so the farmer hurried home to where his wife, children, and elderly parents were still trapped and prayed to the Gods as he waited for the Spirit to come. Suddenly, the door burst open and the farmer's parents rushed from the house just before the fire blocked the way. Then, each window in the house smashed open, allowing one of the farmer's children to climb out of each one before the flames blocked those exits too. With no way out left, the farmer, his family, and the assembled crowd watched the burning house as they wondered how the spirit would rescue the farmer's wife. Their answer came when one of the house's walls gave way and the farmer's wife emerged from the hole... cradled in the arms of an enormous bugbear. The bugbear, who went by the name of Brutrumukk, revealed himself to be the so called Spirit Of The Snoring Stone, having played along with their beliefs to sponge off the offerings the locals had brought to the Snoring Stone, which he explained had a hollow interior and a secret entrance. Remembering all that the 'Spirit' had done for them, the locals refrained from driving the hulking goblinoid away and decided to let their current arrangement stand due to how helpful Brutrumukk had proven himself, even if the black-hearted bugbear had only helped for personal gain. A year after settling in the Snoring Stone, Brutrumukk was rudely awoken one day by the sound of a certain multiversal carnival being set up right next to his home. Stat Generation: Point Buy Day Count: 2 (349) Kill Count: 1 Most Kills in a Dungeon: 1 Most Kills in an Encounter: 1 Most Kills in a Round: 1</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour The Big Top Extravaganza As the three pairs of adventurers head for the Big Top, they notice that the Calliope seems to be giving a happier tune than when they first came in here, and everyone seems to be in a brighter mood. They also notice that the stars twinkle even brighter above the carnival. There are even some shooting stars, giving a spectacular show if one decides to look up. These adventurers are all heading to the same destination: The Big Top The roof of this tent reaches toward the night sky in three swooping peaks topped with spinning gold stars. Painted wooden panels on the tent walls whirl with colorful motion, displaying vibrant circus performances. The sound of music and laughter drifts out through the canvas door. They enter to see a lot of fairgoers also arrived to see the Big Top Extravaganza. Unfortunately, this also meant that there are fewer seats. As fate would have it: There are 6 seats in a row that are left open for them to take. The adventurers would easily notice each other as they take those seats. For one of the Witchlight Hands...this is the beginning of her shift, and of all things to start with, it has to be the Big Top Extravaganza.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk grinned eagerly as he passed the happily playing Calliope. "I think we're in the right place, booyagh." Brutrumukk said to the goblin wizard perched on his shoulder. "Just goes to show, when in doubt, always 'ead fer the biggest tent you can find. Never fails!" As he entered the Big Top, Brutrumukk became momentarily frustrated when he saw the lack of available seating. However, this frustration quickly evaporated when the bugbear caught sight of the six empty seats in a row. "Looks like we're in luck, booyagh." Brutrumukk laughed. "Let's 'urry before someone else nicks 'em!" With that said, Brutrumukk made for the empty seats.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora looked around the tent and saw how full it was for the show. There were however six seats, well four now as the bugbear and the strange gnome from earlier had made their way down to the remaining seats. "Looks pretty packed for the show Gabe, there are a few more seats down in the front. If we want to sit during the show we should probably get to the seats quickly." Aurora started to make her way down to the seats turning slightly to still talk to Gabe. "What are you looking forward to seeing during the show? I know I'm looking forward to the acrobatics."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Quite a crowd," Gabriel mused, during the walk to the big top the duelist had been oddly quiet however he seemed in better spirits probably due to the excitement filling the room as if at any second anything could happen "Best we get to our seat then yes." following Rory as she made for the remaining seats by a familiar pair "Not quite sure really, it all seems so exciting!" he answered seating himself between her and the bugbear.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar As Brutrumukk headed towards the empty seats, Jub was surveying the surrounding seats for any hint of the troublesome kenku. However, he abruptly stopped his surveillance when he spotted the familiar elf and half-elf he had almost bumped into earlier. As if suddenly self-conscious, he tugged at his hood slightly to make sure his face was still obscured. While hanging around Brutrumukk, he had felt not to worried about keeping up appearances - it certainly helped that the carnival itself seemed to be full of all sorts, making his status as a goblin seemed far less of problem then it had during his time in cities. Now, however, seeing these strangers who had been so kind and forgiving to him earlier, made him painfully aware that they might be far less accepting of him if they realised what he was. As they neared their seats, Jub suddenly hopped of Brutrumukk's shoulder and took his seat between Brutrumukk and the two strangers. "Good to see you again, comrades!" he said, putting on a more bombastic tone. "Have you been enjoying the carnival so far?"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel didn't immediately recognize the peculiar little fellow at first, quirking an eyebrow as he turned in his seat. In fact this was Jub the Peculiar, the one who definitely wasn't a goblin "A hello yourself my short fellow," the side of the duelist's mouth curved up into a rakish smile "It'd be better if they served hard liquor but I..I mean we made due."</s> <|message|>Miizel Throe As Miizel and Zavakri made their way to the Big Top, the gnome was having trouble navigating. It was less about the direction and more about size. The place was packed and he found himself being constantly bumped and pushed around. Needless to say, this irked him rather quickly. "Watch where you're going you shit with legs!" He yelled at one before turning to another who bumped into him saying. "Just cause you're tall doesn't mean you can't fall!" Before balling up his fists and punching the poor fellow's kneecaps. But his efforts at deterring people were useless as everyone rushed to get seats which caused more collisions and only served to infuriate him more. He grabs Zavakri's arm, signaling her to stop before reaching into his pouch and pulled out a handful of ball bearings before tossing them into the ground in front of them. Scattering the tiny metal balls into the crowd.</s> <|message|>Zavakri Zavakri manages to somehow create a bubble of personal space around her by exerting sheer willpower and mildly hyperventilating in an overdramatic manner. This effect is merely temporary, and that certainty only serves to escalate her drama as she struggles to stay by Miizel as the crowd ushers them into the Big Top- but his cunning scheme pays off in a sense. She watches, enthused, but as people begin to slip and slide about before her her pathing seems to be disrupted severely by the added chaos. She jerks away, avoiding contact with a poor victim of circumstance... She is briefly separated. Nothing of note occurs during this. Nothing of note at all. When the brief moment of Zavakri's apparent drowning in the crowd concludes, she rockets out with her cheeks puffed out and her breath held until she explodes into the miniscule space provided by the open seats. Proverbially skidding to a halt on the balls of her feet, she dusts herself off and finally draws breath. "I was never good in crowds!- Oh, hoi there chums." She seems immediately calmed by all the familiar faces, and offers a polite and civil wave to the others. "Positively dreadful carnival, eh?" She laughs despite her severe declaration of the events. "Wonderful people, though, running the things. I think. I've had to reassess my definition of people twice over so far, but I think I'm a better person for it." And with that she falls heavily into a seat and seems to... Relax.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk .</s> <|message|>Miizel Throe Watching the crowd tumble and fall to the ground got a hearty chuckle out of Miizel. Noticing Zavakri race off into what seemed like open seats, he began to follow her, jumping on the backs of the fallen as he made his way to the Big Top. Upon arrival he sees the group of people he met at the entrance. "Hello there." Shouting and grunts of pain could be heard behind him. "Don't worry about that, they just tripped and fell. It was quite a rush getting here so it was bound to happen." He points at the last remaining seat and asks. "Is this taken?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub was about to respond to Gabriel when he noticed the other two people who entered the carnival with them. He specifically remembered the human woman, as she had been the one standing behind him in the queue, muttering to herself. As she sat herself down, she commented something about the carnival being "Positively Dreadful", causing Jub to narrow his eyes at her. He looked the woman up and down, and attempted to glance at the back of her head in case he spied the telltale blue mark he had placed on the kenku. After all, he'd never seen this woman and the kenku in the same place. And she did seem... odd.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Oi oi!" Brutrumukk called out in greeting as the rest of their number joined them at the seats. "Any o' you lot seen a kenku lurkin' about or someone with blue paint splashed across the back o' their 'ead? If you do, know that they are actually a kenku git what's tryin' to ruin the carnival. You see it, be sure to tell me so I can club it to death an' mount its 'ead on a spike!"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Having turned to see the commotion in the crowd, Rory watched as Vernon slipped and fell rather loudly. She let out a short laugh at the scene of the mans further embarrassment before she turned to Miizel. "No they are still available, please sit. I cannot say that I have seen such an individual. What did this kenku do to ruin the carnival?" Aurora was curious now as to what had happened with Jub and Brutrumukk.</s>

<|message|>Brutrumukk "What did this kenku git do to ruin the carnival?" Brutrumukk asked in response to Aurora's question, an baleful look appearing on his face as he began to think more about the kenku. "Well to start off, the kenku git used magic to steal the voice from one of the carnies to use fer its own gitish ends. Just as that carny was about to ask 'is sweet 'eart to marry 'im too! Then, the kenku git went to the lake while that very same sweet 'eart was singing fer an audience and began yellin' mean things about the singing, making the poor girl sad an' ruinin' the show. An' finally when I caught the git and tried to 'ave it subjected to some good ol' mob justice, it 'ad the nerve to use more magic to escape before I could rile up the mob well enough! Jub an' I managed to get the mime carny's voice back and got the singin' mermaid carny to do the rest of 'er show. They even gave us singin' an' actin' lessons as thanks fer our 'elp. But the kenku git is still out there! An' I swear to Hruggek I won't let it leave this 'ere carnival alive! No matter what the carnies say about violence an' the like!"</s>

<|description|>Brutrumukk Age: 17 Race: Bugbear Class: Barbarian Level: 2 Background: Folk Hero Personality: See persona section of the linked character sheet. Backstory: In the middle of a grassy field stands a large rock. This rock is known to the locals as the Snoring Stone, a name it gained after people began to hear loud snoring with no discernible source when passing the rock sometimes. People were unsure of what to make of this weird phenomenon until someone made too much noise near the rock and the snoring turned to angry yelling. After that, people became convinced that a spirit had made its home in the rock and began leaving it offerings of food, drink, gold, and other kinds of gifts, hoping that this appeasement would calm the spirit and dissuade it from following through on the threats it had made to those who disturbed its slumber. These offerings pleased the spirit enough that it forgave the disturbance, on the condition that the offerings continued. With the arrangement made, things returned to normal for a time. The Spirit Of The Snoring Stone rested peacefully in its rocky home and the locals regularly brought it offerings to keep it that way. Eventually, a brave and desperate carpenter decided to wake the Spirit again. Before the Spirit could begin angrily making threats though, the carpenter begged the Spirit's help with a problem no one else could help him with. Upon learning that the carpenter had brought a much grander offering that usual to convince it to help, the Spirit eagerly agreed. The very next morning, the carpenter awoke to find the solution to his problems awaiting him on his dining table. Overjoyed by the end of his woes, the carpenter told others of what had happened. After that, many other locals came to petition the Spirit Of The Snoring Stone for its aid. A shepherd who had lost some of his sheep would find them tied to a post the morning after visiting the Stone. A fisherman whose usual spot had dried up found a map to a pond full of much tastier fish nailed to his door after asking the Spirit for help. And when an angry mob asked for help in tracking down a murderer, they found the murderer's corpse an hour later, clubbed to death and beheaded. One day, a farmer arrived at the Snoring Stone out of breath and in a state of panic. His house had caught fire, no one could put it out, and his family was trapped inside. He offered everything he had in exchange for his family's safety. "Go 'ome an' wait." The Spirit said. "I'll do the rest." And so the farmer hurried home to where his wife, children, and elderly parents were still trapped and prayed to the Gods as he waited for the Spirit to come. Suddenly, the door burst open and the farmer's parents rushed from the house just before the fire blocked the way. Then, each window in the house smashed open, allowing one of the farmer's children to climb out of each one before the flames blocked those exits too. With no way out left, the farmer, his family, and the assembled crowd watched the burning house as they wondered how the spirit would rescue the farmer's wife. Their answer came when one of the house's walls gave way and the farmer's wife emerged from the hole... cradled in the arms of an enormous bugbear. The bugbear, who went by the name of Brutrumukk, revealed himself to be the so called Spirit Of The Snoring Stone, having played along with their beliefs to sponge off the offerings the locals had brought to the Snoring Stone, which he explained had a hollow interior and a secret entrance. Remembering all that the 'Spirit' had done for them, the locals refrained from driving the hulking goblinoid away and decided to let their current arrangement stand due to how helpful Brutrumukk had proven himself, even if the black-hearted bugbear had only helped for personal gain. A year after settling in the Snoring Stone, Brutrumukk was rudely awoken one day by the sound of a certain multiversal carnival being set up right next to his home. Stat Generation: Point Buy Day Count: 2 (349) Kill Count: 1 Most Kills in a Dungeon: 1 Most Kills in an Encounter: 1 Most Kills in a Round: 1</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak wiped the excess ink from the goblin's arms. She had spent the last three hours, tattooing and applying ink to the arms, torso and back of one of one of the goblins who traveled with the circus. He had been doing favors for her, mostly doing the dirty work she really didn't want to do, in exchange for what seemed to be random bits of art all over his body. Hearing the music in the distance, she realized the Big Top Extravaganza must have started. Panicking, she asked the goblin to quickly put her gear away for her, threw on her uniform and lunged up into the air, taking flight so she could quickly get there. Once she arrived, she would fold her raven like wings behind her and enter the tent. She was there to stand on stand-by in case one of the witchlight hands were needed.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour The Big Top Extravaganza The mood is still bright as the crowd talks amongst themselves, the party included, and nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. Tsak arrives just in time for the event to begin. The lights dim and a hush falls over the crowd. A second later, a spotlight illuminates a lithe, elven figure sitting in a silver hoop, suspended above the center ring by silk ropes. The elf wears a dazzling suit of diamond-pane mirrors and a pair of butterfly wings. His scepter is topped with a spinning vane. "Welcome, one and all, to this evening's extravaganza! I am Mister Light. Prepare to be delighted!" As he gives his call, music began to play the 30 second musical intro, crescendoing until finally a clamshell bathing pool finally opens to reveal Palasha the mermaid! Mister Light calls to Palasha excitedly while taking on the role of Ringmaster, "Take it away, Palasha!" As if perfectly time by Mister Light and the music, Palasha begins to sing. This is no mere serenade, but a jubilant song of joy and excitement that encapsulates the wonder of the Carnival. As she sings, the water moves about on their own, creating sculptures and dancing figures in time with Palasha's singing and lyrics. During this song, faerie dragons also appear, and fly with different colored streamers fluttering behind them. It is a perfectly sung and choreographed piece that captures the audience's attention. Once the song finishes, the audience applauds. The mermaid takes a bow before the clam bathing pool closes and attention is directed to a bugbear wearing a jack-o-lantern helmet comes up, with Mister Light introducing him as Burly the Bugbear. He proceeds to entertain the crowd with feats of strength. Each object he lifted was heavier than the last, and at the end, he lifted all of those objects at once with just one hand! The show continues with a series of acts: Acrobats, fire breathers, clowns, and even Candlefoot! The once silenced Mime contributes to the show by playing silent games with some of the audience members. He doesn't say anything to the party, but he gives them (more specifically Brutrumukk and Jub) a wide and joyful smile as he tries to get the party to play a silent game as well. After a finale with Palasha singing and all of the performers on center stage, Mister Light takes the stage once again and calls as they applaud, "Thank you! Thank you! You're all too kind!" He then calls out, "However, revelries are the best especially when talents and acts can be shared! So, I ask you Dear Audience, before ending this extravaganza: Who among you would like to share your acts with us?" Mister Light has just given the audience a chance to perform! If you would like to perform, it will be a Performance check. If there's more than one party member performing, this will be a group check. ^_^</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel hadn't escaped life on the streets for nothing, who he was with every fiber of his being was carefully and meticulously groomed to be a performer however he was no garish entertainer nor was he some jester or fool. Nay he was a swordsman and a damned good one, his hands were quick to play with the basket hilt of his fine rapier as he listened to Mister White. A habitual tick if you will as Aurora might have guessed, yet now it meant something different, it was a challenge. It was a dare to draw, to cross steel. And then he did. Shing Blade flashing in the low light of the spectator seating the shine of his rapier was like a star against a night sky, it's hum like a dissonant melody that slowly faded. Wordlessly the bard leapt into the circus ring, onto the dirt floor deftly rolling to his feet before the likes of Mister White with a bow "I will share my talent sir," he threw off his vest looking to the audience "A duel, a show of arms but I will need an opponent..." it was as much of a challenge as it was a request, but who would answer it's call?</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk looked on in wonder as the extravaganza commenced. He cheered loudly when Mister Light introduced Palasha. When Burly the Bugbear performed his feats of strength, Brutrumukk idly noted to those about him. "I could top that easy." He watched the other acts eagerly. And when Candlefoot came to play his games, Brutrumukk was all to happy to join in. At the end of the finale, no one cheered louder than Brutrumukk. Just as he was about to turn to Jub and ask where they should go next though, Brutrumukk held his tongue as Mister Light offered the audience a chance to show off their talents. One of the people he'd been sitting with was the first to respond, entering the ring and calling on any member of the audience to face him in a duel. Brutrumukk was all to happy to accept. Brutrumukk made his way to the front of the stands and vaulted into the ring below. However, before approaching the duelist, Brutrumukk made a stop at the weights that Burly had been using. He walked up to a steel barbell and, much the the confusion of the crowd, removed the weights attached to it. Brutrumukk's reasons for doing so would soon become clear though, as he picked up the barbell and attempted to bend it. For a moment is looked like he wouldn't be able to do it. But then his breathing became ragged, his eyed became bloodshot, and the barbell slowly bent by few degrees. But just as people began to truly doubt his strength, Brutrumukk unleashed a great and terrible roar and folded the barbell quickly and neatly in half with one last mighty push. "OI! KENKU GIT WHAT STOLE CANDLEFOOT'S VOICE AN' SAID MEAN THINGS ABOUT PALASHA'S SINGIN'!" Brutrumukk bellowed for all to hear as he held the bent barbell aloft. "IF YER OUT THERE, IF YOU CAN SEE THIS, IF YOU CAN 'EAR ME, TAKE A GOOD LOOK! WHEN I GET ME 'ANDS ON YA, THIS IS GONNA BE YOU!" With that said, Brutrumukk dropped the barbell, turned to the duelist, and drew his morningstar and shield. "HRUGGEK!" Brutrumukk roared before charging the man. Brutrumukk fought with great strength and ferocity, shaking the ground and kicking up dust with every swing and strike. However, Brutrumukk maintained enough sense to remember that this was all meant to be an act and made sure his 'opponent' was never in any true danger from his attacks. Bonus Action: Brutrumukk enters a rage. Action: Brutrumukk rolls a 22 to entertain the crowd with feats of strength and combat prowess.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub wasn't sure what he had expected upon questioning the human woman, but he had definitely not be prepared for the barrage of words he received. His eyes started to go slightly crossed as Zavakri continued to speak, and only returned to their usual state once the Big Top Extravanganza began, causing him to tear his attention away from the woman and his thoughts away from finding the kenku. Instead, he simply enjoyed the show, and like Brutrumukk, he cheered very loudly when Palasha and Candlefoot performed. When Mister Light then called out if anyone wanted to join in with the show, Jub's ears perked up and he was about to stand... only to immediately sit down when the half-elven swordsman stood up, brandishing a sword, called for anyone who wished to duel with him. Nope. Had it been a magic duel, he might have considered it, but sword-fighting was definitely not his forte, as countless failed sparring matches with his fellow goblins back in his tribe had shown him. However, Brutrumukk stepped forward to challenge the swordsman, Jub decided to take this as an opportunity both to show off his skills to a large audience AND to spotlight his new friend. He followed the bugbear into the ring, making sure to keep a distance from the fight, before attempting to use Prestidigitation to write Brutrumukk's names in sparks above the bugbear, as he had once seen talented firework artists do.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Oh shi-" raising his weapon, Gabriel deftly deflected the hit with his blade however the duelist bit his tongue with a pained wince as the force behind the bugbears attack was crushing. He spun on his heel backwards from his opponent, with a wide grin on his face and chuckled "En garde, then." it wasn't a fight to the death thus the riposte the swordsman struck was instead masterfully directed to the bugbears shield arm, in a moment where the swordsman saw an opportunity when Brutrumukk dropped his guard. Suddenly the shield flew to the side as the swordsman glanced a blow off the bugbears arm causing him to release it. Then he held the point of the rapier to his opponents chest. The duel was concluded.</s>

<|message|>Brutrumukk Though his opponent thought the duel was over simply because he'd lost his shield, Brutrumukk still had his weapon and was having far too much fun to stop just yet. The bugbear swung his morningstar and deflected the rapier's point away from his chest. This allowed the fight to continue on for a little while longer, until finally Brutrumukk's weapon was also knocked away. Then and only then did he concede the duel. A grin came to Brutrumukk's face as his rage cooled. Once it had subsided completely, the bugbear let loose a thunderous laugh and gave his opponent an congratulatory slap on the back. "Good fight, mate!" Brutrumukk exclaimed happily. "Let's do it again sometime!"</s>

<|description|>Brutrumukk Age: 17 Race: Bugbear Class: Barbarian Level: 2 Background: Folk Hero Personality: See persona section of the linked character sheet. Backstory: In the middle of a grassy field stands a large rock. This rock is known to the locals as the Snoring Stone, a name it gained after people began to hear loud snoring with no discernible source when passing the rock sometimes. People were unsure of what to make of this weird phenomenon until someone made too much noise near the rock and the snoring turned to angry yelling. After that, people became convinced that a spirit had made its home in the rock and began leaving it offerings of food, drink, gold, and other kinds of gifts, hoping that this appeasement would calm the spirit and dissuade it from following through on the threats it had made to those who disturbed its slumber. These offerings pleased the spirit enough that it forgave the disturbance, on the condition that the offerings continued. With the arrangement made, things returned to normal for a time. The Spirit Of The Snoring Stone rested peacefully in its rocky home and the locals regularly brought it offerings to keep it that way. Eventually, a brave and desperate carpenter decided to wake the Spirit again. Before the Spirit could begin angrily making threats though, the carpenter begged the Spirit's help with a problem no one else could help him with. Upon learning that the carpenter had brought a much grander offering that usual to convince it to help, the Spirit eagerly agreed. The very next morning, the carpenter awoke to find the solution to his problems awaiting him on his dining table. Overjoyed by the end of his woes, the carpenter told others of what had happened. After that, many other locals came to petition the Spirit Of The Snoring Stone for its aid. A shepherd who had lost some of his sheep would find them tied to a post the morning after visiting the Stone. A fisherman whose usual spot had dried up found a map to a pond full of much tastier fish nailed to his door after asking the Spirit for help. And when an angry mob asked for help in tracking down a murderer, they found the murderer's corpse an hour later, clubbed to death and beheaded. One day, a farmer arrived at the Snoring Stone out of breath and in a state of panic. His house had caught fire, no one could put it out, and his family was trapped inside. He offered everything he had in exchange for his family's safety. "Go 'ome an' wait." The Spirit said. "I'll do the rest." And so the farmer hurried home to where his wife, children, and elderly parents were still trapped and prayed to the Gods as he waited for the Spirit to come. Suddenly, the door burst open and the farmer's parents rushed from the house just before the fire blocked the way. Then, each window in the house smashed open, allowing one of the farmer's children to climb out of each one before the flames blocked those exits too. With no way out left, the farmer, his family, and the assembled crowd watched the burning house as they wondered how the spirit would rescue the farmer's wife. Their answer came when one of the house's walls gave way and the farmer's wife emerged from the hole... cradled in the arms of an enormous bugbear. The bugbear, who went by the name of Brutrumukk, revealed himself to be the so called Spirit Of The Snoring Stone, having played along with their beliefs to sponge off the offerings the locals had brought to the Snoring Stone, which he explained had a hollow interior and a secret entrance. Remembering all that the 'Spirit' had done for them, the locals refrained from driving the hulking goblinoid away and decided to let their current arrangement stand due to how helpful Brutrumukk had proven himself, even if the black-hearted bugbear had only helped for personal gain. A year after settling in the Snoring Stone, Brutrumukk was rudely awoken one day by the sound of a certain multiversal carnival being set up right next to his home. Stat Generation: Point Buy Day Count: 2 (349) Kill Count: 1 Most Kills in a Dungeon: 1 Most Kills in an Encounter: 1 Most Kills in a Round: 1</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora The magical barage that both Jub and Zavakri caught the strange rabbit folk of guard. Aurora hadn't expected it either. It appeared that three were already fleeing, with only one stopping to collect their leader. Aurora knocks an arrow to her short bow aiming for the one in front of the snail. He goal wasn't necessarily to harm but to encourage them to flee. 11 on the attack. If it hits it is only 4 damage.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Queen's Way Both rabbits who were by the snail, were startled by the arrow from Aurora, and the other rabbit tries to get the snail to leave with the rest of the Brigands. "Come. ON! Let's go you stupid---!" The snail refuses to budge and simply lets out a louder angry noise at the brigands. The brigand recoils before he sneers "Fine! Stay if you wanna be escargot so damn much, you stupid thing!" He then runs away as well. Brigand D tries to bring the snail along. Animal Handling at disadvantage is a 4 so that's a no. Brigand D runs away and leaves combat! Jebbek & Bunny Brigand E: 22 Tsak: 20 Jub: 17 Zavakri: 16 Bunny Brigand A: 15 Bunny Brigand C: 14 Bunny Brigand B: 13 Aurora: 12 Bunny Brigand D: 11 (DEX Mod is +3) Brutrumukk: 11 (DEX Mod is +2) Giant Snail: 8 Gabriel: 5</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Seeing the Brigands in full retreat, Brutrumukk began to laugh cruelly at their cowardice. As the rabbits ran, the bugbear began to stalk forward. As he advanced, Brutrumukk drew a Javelin and sang a murderous mockery of the ballad the Brigands had been singing when they arrived. "I'll skin you alive, from tail to 'ead; I'll spill yer guts before yer dead. Then I'll eat yer flesh without a care Fer I do so love roasted 'are— A treat so glorious, for the victorious, Rabbit meat is truly meritorious! By the stench o' death, you'll know I'm comin'; Say yer prayers, there's no use runnin'. Quick as a bolt, me jav goes sailin', Pleadin', beggin', you'll die wailin'. You'll shriek, you'll scream, you'll cry, you'll groan; Thanks to me, Brutrumukk, Spirit o' the Snorin' Stone!" When he reached the part of the song that mentioned his javelin, Brutrumukk hurled it towards the ankle of the rabbit that was trying to drag Jebbek away. As much as the bugbear feared Skiggaret and the madness he brought, Brutrumukk had always been secretly grateful for the lessons he learned when under Skiggaret's sway. Helping the wounded when an enemy you had no hope of defeating was chasing you never ends well for the fools who stopped to do so. And a certain benevolent bunny was about to learn that the hard way. Brutrumukk hurls a Javelin at Bunny Brigand A's ankle. He rolls a 20 to hit and deals 6 damage.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Queen's Way The bunny brigand lets out a pained cry as the javelin strikes true. But he is still up and Jebbek is now helping him stay standing. The Giant Snail meanwhile remains uncooperative and just stays where it is for now. Giant Snail does nothing for its turn. It's being stubborn and rebellious against the Brigands. Jebbek & Bunny Brigand E: 22 Tsak: 20 Jub: 17 Zavakri: 16 Bunny Brigand A: 15 Bunny Brigand C: 14 Bunny Brigand B: 13 Aurora: 12 Bunny Brigand D: 11 (DEX Mod is +3) Brutrumukk: 11 (DEX Mod is +2) Giant Snail: 8 Gabriel: 5</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L As he stood at a distance from the fleeing brigands, the half-elf tapped his index finger on the basketed hilt of the rapier hung at his side watching the would-be memory thieves run off. "Stand down all of you, let them go." after a moment of pause between battle, Gabriel spoke loudly to everyone "Let them run, they meant no real harm anyways. I can tell, I know when someone wants to kill you or not." he got a distant look as he watched Jebbek flee. "They'll know not to bother us again anyhow." Insight: 11</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Queen's Way Bunny Brigand E was looking at the party with wide eyes before Jebbek calls to him, "Hey! Help me carry Harry! Come on!" The rabbit leaps over to the both of them and he helps Jebbek carry Harry this time, and the three remaining Bunny Bandits disappear into the swamp, obscured by the mists. The party is now alone...with a lone giant snail. The giant snail realizes that its free and with a huff, it starts to leave as well. Bunny Brigand E and Jebbek flee while carrying Bunny Brigand A. Encounter has ended! You guys are now out of initiative.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "You should jus' run!" Brutrumukk called out to the last unwounded Bandit that had yet to flee as the bugbear drew his morningstar. "Look at what 'appened to 'Arry when 'e tried to 'elp." Despite his words of discouragement though, the last Bandit went to help anyway. "Fine. 'Ave it yer way." Brutrumukk said as he prepared a second Javelin in his off hand. "Three carcasses o' rabbit meat are much better than two anyway." With that said, Brutrumukk followed the fleeing Bandits into the mist.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Well, that depends on your definition of 'doing harm'," Jub said in response to Gabriel. "You don't have to severely wound someone to 'do harm'. Sometimes, taking that which he holds dear is all that is required, especially when that person already has so little." He glanced over at the fleeing bandits. "And these would-be muggers were particularly nasty in that regard. Imagine taking someone's memories! I certainly wouldn't shed any tears for them." However, he showed no sign of wanting to pursue the brigands, merely watching as Brutrumukk attempted to give chase. After a moment, he looked back at Gabriel. "I doubt he's going to back down. If you wish, I may know a way to incapacitate him so he doesn't run off and get himself into trouble. Perfectly harmless, though he probably won't thank either of us for it."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L All he did was sigh in exasperation as Brutrumukk chased after the brigands into the mist "I'm not so sure it will make things much simpler." Gabriel said in a rather defeated tone "Not to sound a bit blunt Jub but he seems to enjoy this sort of thing." he waved to the area where they had fought and the aftermath "I'll leave it up to you to decide how to handle our bugbear friend because you and he are close, he might listen to you who knows!" he added with a shrug "Do whatever you think is best Jub."</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Knowing it was a risk, Tsak flew up and around Brut, meeting him at chest hight and puts her hands out. "whoa there big guy, they're gone, you won! There is no need to give chase! The rabbis learned their lesson, lets move on!"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Before Jub could respond to Gabriel, Tsak had seemingly taken it upon herself to try and stop the bugbear. The goblin's concern about possibly losing Brutrumukk in the fog turned to actual panic as he feared he might strike out at the fairy for getting in his way. Hoping to mitigate any potential damage, Jub produced his magic wand from his coat pocket and, approaching the pair, began muttering to himself and making a gesture with his free hand in attempt to cast an enchantment on the riled barbarian. Jub attempts to cast Hideous Laughter on Brutrumukk. The DC is 12 and Brutrumukk has to make a Wisdom saving throw.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Rather than causing the bugbear to collapse into an incapacitating fit of laughter, Jub's spell served only to convince Brutrumukk that Tsak's attempt at getting him to stand down was the funniest thing he'd heard in days. "Like 'Ells I'm movin' on!" Brutrumukk laughed as he continued his pursuit, barging past Tsak if she refused to get out of the way. "I ain't lettin' me lunch get away without a chase!" Brutrumukk rolls a 12 to resist Jub's spell and moves into the mist.</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak has had a bit if experience with Bugbears in the past. There was a few things she had learned, one, Bugbears tend to be stubborn and brutish, bully like. Secondly, if you let them walk all over you, they will! Tsak, young and not the wises, lost her temper. Flying at the large beast man at top speed, she attempted a bullrush, not to harm him, but get his attention. Tsak attempted to shove Brut Athletics check: 16-1=15</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Tsak's attempt at stopping Brutrumukk did nothing but make the bugbear laugh even harder as he barrelled through the fairy's forceful shove and vanished into the mist, laughing all the way. Sorry, Cao. 21</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak hit the ground and growled, hitting the ground, "You gods be damned coward! Pick on someone your own size!" Tsak stood up, rubbing her left arm before cursing in Sylvan and flew up to the sky to scout and calm down.</s>

<|message|>Brutrumukk "Good advice!" A voice from the mist called back.</s>

<|description|>Brutrumukk Age: 17 Race: Bugbear Class: Barbarian Level: 2 Background: Folk Hero Personality: See persona section of the linked character sheet. Backstory: In the middle of a grassy field stands a large rock. This rock is known to the locals as the Snoring Stone, a name it gained after people began to hear loud snoring with no discernible source when passing the rock sometimes. People were unsure of what to make of this weird phenomenon until someone made too much noise near the rock and the snoring turned to angry yelling. After that, people became convinced that a spirit had made its home in the rock and began leaving it offerings of food, drink, gold, and other kinds of gifts, hoping that this appeasement would calm the spirit and dissuade it from following through on the threats it had made to those who disturbed its slumber. These offerings pleased the spirit enough that it forgave the disturbance, on the condition that the offerings continued. With the arrangement made, things returned to normal for a time. The Spirit Of The Snoring Stone rested peacefully in its rocky home and the locals regularly brought it offerings to keep it that way. Eventually, a brave and desperate carpenter decided to wake the Spirit again. Before the Spirit could begin angrily making threats though, the carpenter begged the Spirit's help with a problem no one else could help him with. Upon learning that the carpenter had brought a much grander offering that usual to convince it to help, the Spirit eagerly agreed. The very next morning, the carpenter awoke to find the solution to his problems awaiting him on his dining table. Overjoyed by the end of his woes, the carpenter told others of what had happened. After that, many other locals came to petition the Spirit Of The Snoring Stone for its aid. A shepherd who had lost some of his sheep would find them tied to a post the morning after visiting the Stone. A fisherman whose usual spot had dried up found a map to a pond full of much tastier fish nailed to his door after asking the Spirit for help. And when an angry mob asked for help in tracking down a murderer, they found the murderer's corpse an hour later, clubbed to death and beheaded. One day, a farmer arrived at the Snoring Stone out of breath and in a state of panic. His house had caught fire, no one could put it out, and his family was trapped inside. He offered everything he had in exchange for his family's safety. "Go 'ome an' wait." The Spirit said. "I'll do the rest." And so the farmer hurried home to where his wife, children, and elderly parents were still trapped and prayed to the Gods as he waited for the Spirit to come. Suddenly, the door burst open and the farmer's parents rushed from the house just before the fire blocked the way. Then, each window in the house smashed open, allowing one of the farmer's children to climb out of each one before the flames blocked those exits too. With no way out left, the farmer, his family, and the assembled crowd watched the burning house as they wondered how the spirit would rescue the farmer's wife. Their answer came when one of the house's walls gave way and the farmer's wife emerged from the hole... cradled in the arms of an enormous bugbear. The bugbear, who went by the name of Brutrumukk, revealed himself to be the so called Spirit Of The Snoring Stone, having played along with their beliefs to sponge off the offerings the locals had brought to the Snoring Stone, which he explained had a hollow interior and a secret entrance. Remembering all that the 'Spirit' had done for them, the locals refrained from driving the hulking goblinoid away and decided to let their current arrangement stand due to how helpful Brutrumukk had proven himself, even if the black-hearted bugbear had only helped for personal gain. A year after settling in the Snoring Stone, Brutrumukk was rudely awoken one day by the sound of a certain multiversal carnival being set up right next to his home. Stat Generation: Point Buy Day Count: 2 (349) Kill Count: 1 Most Kills in a Dungeon: 1 Most Kills in an Encounter: 1 Most Kills in a Round: 1</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora When the bandits started to flee Aurora thought that would be the end of it. Then Brutrumukk started to give chase loudly proclaiming that he was going to eat them. Gabe, Jub, and Tsak tried to stop him and only managed to make him laugh. "How long do you think it will take for him to get lost Gabe? This fog seems thick and those rabbit people know this area. Maybe ten minutes before he looses them I think. She was only half serious about the bugbear getting lost. It wasn't likely that Aurora would be able to keep up with him, and less likely that Brutrumukk would be able to keep up with the bandits in this fog. Stowing her bow, she half turned to Gabe. "So what is it that is out here that you are familiar with. You mentioned something about it last night after we got here through the portal."</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Shoot!" Jub hissed under his breath as his spell failed to have any real affect on Brutrumukk. Much to his surprise, however, Tsak didn't take this as an opportunity to back down and instead outright attempted to charge and shove the bugbear. It didn't work, as he predictably barrelled right through her and went running off into the mists anyway, but Jub couldn't help but respect the fairy for her attempt. After the fairy flew off in a huff, Jub turned to the remaining members of the group, and pointed in the direction Brutrumukk had gone with his thumb. "I'm just going to follow him, make sure he doesn't get lost," he said, slowly side-stepping towards the mists. "Once he's cooled off, I'll send up some fireworks for you to find us." With that, he turned and went after Brutrumukk into the fog.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Queen's Way There is only the sound of singing birds and croaking frogs as Brutrumukk and Jub run ahead into the fog. The rest of the party have some peace as they watch the two Goblinoids run ahead. Brutrumukk runs and runs and runs through the fog. However, as he keeps running, he finds that he can't sense the Harengon Brigands. That moment is the moment when he stops running. He has lost the tracks and evidence of where the Brigands could have gone. But he does find something else: He found an abandoned raft. Right now, the 8 foot square raft is stuck in the mud.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk continued to laugh as he ran through the mist in pursuit of the Brigands. The laughter eventually died down as the trail Brutrumukk's prey left in their wake grew thin. Then, when the trail reached its end altogether and with no Brigands to show for it, the smile on his face faded away as well. Throwing his head back, Brutrumukk bellowed his frustration to the sky above. He had been right behind them. He'd been hot on their heels. How could he have lost them? Walking over to the mud-bound raft, Brutrumukk sat down on it and sulked. His disappointment was immeasurable and his day was ruined.</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak eventually came back down, finding a tree to sit in. While the group waited for the big idiot and goblin, she took out her enchanted note pad and attempted to design a spellbanger for "Magic Missile". Sketch Imitation: Magic Missile: DC Spell ability check (con) 5+6=11 Success!</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub breathed a sigh of a relief once he finally caught up with Brutrumukk, who was seemingly unharmed and coming to the end of his murderous rampage. The goblin considered sending out a flare then and there but, noticing the expression on the bugbear's face, decided instead to approach. "Hey, don't sweat it, Brut," he said. He awkwardly climbed the raft and gave Brutrumukk a small pat on the arm. "I'm sure we'll have, err, plenty other opportunities for battle given..." He gestured to their surroundings. "... you know, where we are. This place certainly seems full of surprises."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk made sad bugbear noises in response to Jub's words before speaking in reply. "Yeah I know we will, but..." Brutrumukk managed to say before pausing to have a crestfallen sigh. "I got greedy. I coulda just chucked me javelin at the leader to finish 'er off. She would 'ave 'ad enough meat on 'er fer me lunch, and 'er 'ead woulda made a good offerin' to Hruggek an' Grankhul. But I wanted more corpses worth o' meat an' more 'eads fer me spikes. And because o' that, I ignored an easy kill an' they all ended up escapin'. One o' the rabbits even took one o' me javelins with me after I got 'im in the ankle with it." Brutrumukk let out a groan and stared down at the ground. "Today jus' ain't me day, booyagh." Brutrumukk despaired.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "I haven't the faintest clue..." Gabriel sighed as he watched Jub chase after their companion into the fog, he wasn't sure if it was a good idea to split up in an unfamiliar place but who was he to stop them? When the elf brought up the question of what he had spoken of being familiar with, the bard was a bit surprised someone overheard his mumbling but if it were anyone it was an elf "Ah, you heard that huh?" he cocked his head to the side considering wether or not to tell her. "Well, let's just say something an old friend gave to me seems to be here," Gabriel said slowly as if measuring his words "I'm guessing it is no coincidence, what with the give-and-take thing those coots went on about...The bloody dice are here and I know it."</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub blinked in surprise at hearing Brutrumukk talk down about himself. "What?" he exclaimed. "No! Come on!" He gave Brutrumukk a light slap on the back. "You're Brutrumukk, spirit of the Snoring Stone! Sure, you may have had a little hiccup, but..." He gestured to the mist surrounding them. "Given the odd circumstances we've end up in, I think that can be forgiven. We're all a little off our game, I think." He then hopped off the boat and looked up at the bugbear. "Tell you what, how about we head back to the others. We'll try and find some town or village near here and I'll buy you something to eat. Good meal and drink, that's all you need, and you'll feel right as rain!" He frowned a little before adding, "Whatever that means. Honestly never understood that phrase, now that I think about it."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk perked up at Jub's words, the goblin's points restoring much of the bugbear's self confidence. "Yeah... Yeah! Yer right, booyagh!" Brutrumukk exclaimed confidently. "They didn't escape because I was greedy, they escaped because o' this stupid fog! Well that won't stop me next time. I'll be ready fer the fog, an' they'll be dead before they can reach it!" Brutrumukk stood up then and grinned down at Jub. "Thanks fer that. I feel much better already." Brutrumukk said happily. "Come on, let's get back to the others." With that said, Brutrumukk reached down to pick Jub up. However, the bugbear paused just before he did so as he noticed the raft he had been sitting on for the first time with a clear head. "Wait a minute." Brutrumukk said as he straightened up and turned to the raft. "What's this wooden thing stickin' out o' the mud?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Seems to be a raft of some kind," Jub responded, leaning forward slightly so as to get a better look at the object. "Don't know what it's doing out here and it doesn't seem to have any sign of an owner..." He raises his head once more and took a moment to survey his surroundings once more. "Hmmm... this might be useful for traversing the swamp. I don't know how many of our lot consider themselves strong swimmers, but I certainly don't." He looked up at Brutrumukk. "Think you can pick this up, carry it with us back to the group?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Yeah, I could carry this thing easy enough." Brutrumukk said with a confirming nod as he stowed his weapons and stretched his arms in preparation. "Jus' gotta get it out the mud first. Should only take a minute." With that said, Brutrumukk took hold of the raft and heaved it from its muddy confines. Hoisting the raft onto one shoulder, Brutrumukk then turned to Jub, took a knee, and offered his other shoulder to the goblin. "Climb on, booyagh." Brutrumukk said. "I reckon it's 'igh time we got back to the others." Once Jub was safely seated on his shoulder, Brutrumukk then turned back to the mists from whence they came and moved to reunite with the rest of the party. Brutrumukk rolls a 17 to pull the raft from the mud.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Gabe seemed hesitant to talk about the matter. It was understandable as it was a personal matter. "If I see some dice I'll bring them to you. Hopefully they are close." Aurora looked back towards the area where Jub and Brutrumukk went. "Think they will be back?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar As if on cue, the group would soon hear Jub's voice calling from the mists, "Hey everyone, look what we found!" which would be then followed by the goblinoids emerging from the fog, raft held above their heads thanks to Brutrumukk. "We..." He gestured between himself and the bugbear. "Have located a means for which to travel through the swamp, without any need for swimming. No need to thank us!" His voice made it sound as if this had all been part of the plan, and that they hadn't just ran off a few minutes ago.</s>

<|message|>Brutrumukk "Sadly, the rabbits all slipped away in the fog." Brutrumukk added. "But we'll be ready fer 'em next time. Jus' you wait an' see!" Having said that, Brutrumukk looked about him before posing a question to the group. "So, uh... anyone got any ideas as to what we should do now? Should we stay put? Should be go lookin' about? Which way should we go if we go lookin' about?"</s>

<|description|>Brutrumukk Age: 17 Race: Bugbear Class: Barbarian Level: 2 Background: Folk Hero Personality: See persona section of the linked character sheet. Backstory: In the middle of a grassy field stands a large rock. This rock is known to the locals as the Snoring Stone, a name it gained after people began to hear loud snoring with no discernible source when passing the rock sometimes. People were unsure of what to make of this weird phenomenon until someone made too much noise near the rock and the snoring turned to angry yelling. After that, people became convinced that a spirit had made its home in the rock and began leaving it offerings of food, drink, gold, and other kinds of gifts, hoping that this appeasement would calm the spirit and dissuade it from following through on the threats it had made to those who disturbed its slumber. These offerings pleased the spirit enough that it forgave the disturbance, on the condition that the offerings continued. With the arrangement made, things returned to normal for a time. The Spirit Of The Snoring Stone rested peacefully in its rocky home and the locals regularly brought it offerings to keep it that way. Eventually, a brave and desperate carpenter decided to wake the Spirit again. Before the Spirit could begin angrily making threats though, the carpenter begged the Spirit's help with a problem no one else could help him with. Upon learning that the carpenter had brought a much grander offering that usual to convince it to help, the Spirit eagerly agreed. The very next morning, the carpenter awoke to find the solution to his problems awaiting him on his dining table. Overjoyed by the end of his woes, the carpenter told others of what had happened. After that, many other locals came to petition the Spirit Of The Snoring Stone for its aid. A shepherd who had lost some of his sheep would find them tied to a post the morning after visiting the Stone. A fisherman whose usual spot had dried up found a map to a pond full of much tastier fish nailed to his door after asking the Spirit for help. And when an angry mob asked for help in tracking down a murderer, they found the murderer's corpse an hour later, clubbed to death and beheaded. One day, a farmer arrived at the Snoring Stone out of breath and in a state of panic. His house had caught fire, no one could put it out, and his family was trapped inside. He offered everything he had in exchange for his family's safety. "Go 'ome an' wait." The Spirit said. "I'll do the rest." And so the farmer hurried home to where his wife, children, and elderly parents were still trapped and prayed to the Gods as he waited for the Spirit to come. Suddenly, the door burst open and the farmer's parents rushed from the house just before the fire blocked the way. Then, each window in the house smashed open, allowing one of the farmer's children to climb out of each one before the flames blocked those exits too. With no way out left, the farmer, his family, and the assembled crowd watched the burning house as they wondered how the spirit would rescue the farmer's wife. Their answer came when one of the house's walls gave way and the farmer's wife emerged from the hole... cradled in the arms of an enormous bugbear. The bugbear, who went by the name of Brutrumukk, revealed himself to be the so called Spirit Of The Snoring Stone, having played along with their beliefs to sponge off the offerings the locals had brought to the Snoring Stone, which he explained had a hollow interior and a secret entrance. Remembering all that the 'Spirit' had done for them, the locals refrained from driving the hulking goblinoid away and decided to let their current arrangement stand due to how helpful Brutrumukk had proven himself, even if the black-hearted bugbear had only helped for personal gain. A year after settling in the Snoring Stone, Brutrumukk was rudely awoken one day by the sound of a certain multiversal carnival being set up right next to his home. Stat Generation: Point Buy Day Count: 2 (349) Kill Count: 1 Most Kills in a Dungeon: 1 Most Kills in an Encounter: 1 Most Kills in a Round: 1</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "RRRRRRRRAGH! GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" Brutrumukk roared in annoyance as the snake managed to get a decent hold on the bugbear this time. Now that he was in its grasp, Brutrumukk knew defense would be a waste of effort, so he devoted all his energy to attacking. Brutrumukk swung for the snake and once again struck true, this latest blow landing harder than the previous strike. Brutrumukk recklessly attacks Giant Constrictor Snake B with his morningstar. He hits with an 18 and deals 17 damage.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Snake A takes advantage of the distraction B provided and uses this chance to make its way to the balloon basket. It does a tail whip to ensure that anyone else who could attack it wouldn't be able to. It stops moving and peers into the basket, causing a male voice to shout out, "WAAAAUGH!!! Stay back, you foul beast! I have no fear!" Tsak hears the scream and she makes her way towards the snake. She mumbles an incantation and she calls out to the snake, "Leave them alone!" before she throws a dagger at them. The snake lets out a loud angry hiss as the dagger and hex did a significant amount of damage. Snake A disengages from melee and uses thirty feet to get to the balloon basket. Since it used its action and movement, it'll end its turn peering into the basket. Tsak will fly 30 feet towards the balloon, following Aurora. For her bonus action, she will cast Hex on Snake A, targeting Strength, and she will throw a Dagger at the Snake for her action. She hits with a 17! The dagger deals 4 Piercing damage, and the Hex adds max 6 necrotic damage on top of it. So she does a total of 10 damage to A! We're back to the top with @Dark Cloud & @Fading Memory Gabriel & Zavakri: 17 Giant Constrictor Snake B: 15 Bob: 14 Warning Voice: 12 Jub & Aurora: 9 Brutrumukk: 8 Giant Constrictor Snake A: 4 Tsak: 4</s> <|message|>Zavakri Zavakri pats Bob on the side of his shell. He was working perfectly as cover and deserved some affection. She observes the battlefield with a sense of superiority granted by having never missed an attack and having never been attacked herself, quite satisfied at the rage of the bugbear serving as a secondary shield to her own elegant self. Or something like that. She witnesses Tsak rising to the rescue of the vocal balloon basket, and after a quick mental equation to conclude that *someone* must be in there she moves 30 feet towards the basket and lets fly another array of lethal mathematica towards Snake A. "Oi, Get out that basket! I'll catch you!" She lied like a carnie, as she mentally prepared more spellcraft for the occasion. Magic Missile says X=5; 15 Force Damage to Snake A by the basket "Just because you added a few Z levels and a new Y and X Vector doesn't mean I can't still calculate for your present position!" She declared boldly to the snake as her missiles struck home. Then, she balks- she had mistakenly gotten rather close to Snake B, but was thankful that her companions were still nearby. Oh bugger. At least it wasn't right next to her, yet.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep His weapon had yet to miss it's mark up until the current moment, Gabriel had been on his toes until as he followed the snake tangled in combat with the bugbear. His toe caught the edge of a root while he sprang towards the giant serpent, he lost his balance thrusting the tip of the old rapier at nothing but empty space. "Drat." Gabriel growled, sounding mildly annoyed as he stepped back into the ready position with his weapon at the ready. Gabriel moved towards Giant Constrictor near Brutrumukk and miss with a 5.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower As the chaos continues, Snake B looks at Brutrumukk before opening its maw and just begin to swallow the bugbear. As it does, the coils and the mouth just squeeze Brutrumukk painfully. The voice in the basket responds to Zavakri's words, "I would if I could, Fair and Wise Lady Sage! But I can't move this accursed cage!" The voice then calls out to the serpent in front of him, "I'm not completely defenseless. I still have a trick or two up my sleeve. Have some of this then!" The voice then sneezes and a burst of rainbow colored fog sprays upwards from the basket. Snake A recoils and then glares at the voice within the basket, completely unaffected by his trick. "Uh oh..." Then a silvery dart hits the snake's head causing to recoil and accidentally take an actual inhale of the fog. When it lifts its head up again, this time it's eyes are showing multiple colored rings. If a snake could have a large dopey smile on its face, this snake would have it. The voice seems to realize what happened and gave a cheer! Snake B attacks Brutrumukk. Can't use constrict on Brutrumukk again, so it bites with advantage. Hits with an 18 and deals 13 Piercing Damage. Bob does nothing. Warning Voice does something! He's going to make Snake A make a Wisdom Saving Throw. Snake A succeeds with an 18 Zavakri's Silvery Barbs made it reroll. It got a 6 and failed the Save. Zavakri gave Aurora advantage to attack A with this spell. Krog and @XxFellsingxX are up next! Then @rush99999 goes after them. Gabriel & Zavakri: 17 Giant Constrictor Snake B: 15 Bob: 14 Warning Voice: 12 Jub & Aurora: 9 Brutrumukk: 8 Giant Constrictor Snake A: 4 Tsak: 4</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Seeing the constrictor attempt to chow down on Brutrumukk did not help Jub's nerves, and his mind was racing through all his possible options when he caught sight of Zavakri in his peripheral, cowering behind her large snail friend... who seemingly hadn't moved an inch since the fight began. The goblin gave an angry huff, as he swallowed back yet more goblin curses. He also noticed Zavakri let loose a familiar spell on the other snake, three magical darts that easily hit their mark. Right. Magic Missile. Always hits its target. Not as flashy as a firebolt, but a guaranteed hit and far less likely to accidentally hit and set his friend alight. Taking a deep breath, he made the appropriate gestures as he summoned forth his own magic missile on the snake attacking Brutrumukk. Magic missile damage on Giant Constrictor B = 4 x 3 = 12 force damage</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower The magic missiles slam into the large Constrictor Snake that held Brutrumukk. The first missile causes the snake to lift its maw off of the bugbear, and hiss upwards to the sky, before he falls completely limp. Brutrumukk falls as he is freed from the grip, and he watches the snake fall to the ground. Before anything else can be done to the snake, the corpse grays and solidifies. Somehow...that snake corpse turned to stone! Jub kills Snake B! It rolled a 1 upon its death, because...reasons. ;) Krog is up next! Then @rush99999 goes after them. Gabriel & Zavakri: 17 Giant Constrictor Snake B: 15 Bob: 14 Warning Voice: 12 Jub & Aurora: 9 Brutrumukk: 8 Giant Constrictor Snake A: 4 Tsak: 4</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister The flash of geometric and mathematical formulas caught Aurora of guard. She realized after a fashion that the formulas were showing the best arc for an arrow to travel and strike the massive beat. Quiclky knocking another arrow, the elf pulled back the string lining the bow up with the formula. With a slight exhale Aurora loosed the arrow, watching it soar towards the giant snake. Not wanting to be the snakes next target Rory backs up though still keep am eye on the snake. After attacking Aurora moves 20 feet away from the tower to her right. To the east if we are treating the top of the map as north.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Between the wounds it had already sustained and the disorientation it had been left with by the balloon occupant's sneeze, the final snake didn't stand a chance as Brutrumukk leaped onto its back and finished it off by pulping the section of spinal cord just below its head. With the job done Brutrumukk lifted his morningstar to the sky and let loose one last bestial bellow before his rage finally faded. "Well that was fun." Brutrumukk commented chipperly as he put away his morningstar and pulled out his handaxe. "Anyone else in the mood fer some sliced snake after that fight? I know I am!"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Before Brutrumukk starts hacking the snake corpse that didn't turn to stone, the voice from the basket calls out to them, "A Ha! You have my most sincere gratitude, Good Sirs and Ladies! However, I'm afraid my troubles do not end with the demise of those serpents," He continues and informs them, "I, Sir Talavar, as one of the Summer Queen's loyal servants, ask that you free me. You see, I was in the midst of a daring escape from the vile Bavlorna Blightstraw when our balloon was set upon by an ill wind and sent plummeting to its current unfortunate location. My pilot, the honorable Wigglewog, did not survive. I've been trapped up here for a while now. Please, Help me. I must tell my Queen of the fall of Prismeer!"</s>

<|message|>Brutrumukk When the voice spoke up, Brutrumukk paused just as he was about to behead the snake he had killed. Looking up at the tower, it seemed to Brutrumukk that reaching the balloon would be as simple as making his way up the interior and onto the roof. "I'll be up in a moment." Brutrumukk called back as he sheathed his handaxe. Leaving the dead serpent where it lay, Brutrumukk slowly made his way up the tower, all the while looking about for anything worth taking from the place.</s>

<|description|>Brutrumukk Age: 17 Race: Bugbear Class: Barbarian Level: 2 Background: Folk Hero Personality: See persona section of the linked character sheet. Backstory: In the middle of a grassy field stands a large rock. This rock is known to the locals as the Snoring Stone, a name it gained after people began to hear loud snoring with no discernible source when passing the rock sometimes. People were unsure of what to make of this weird phenomenon until someone made too much noise near the rock and the snoring turned to angry yelling. After that, people became convinced that a spirit had made its home in the rock and began leaving it offerings of food, drink, gold, and other kinds of gifts, hoping that this appeasement would calm the spirit and dissuade it from following through on the threats it had made to those who disturbed its slumber. These offerings pleased the spirit enough that it forgave the disturbance, on the condition that the offerings continued. With the arrangement made, things returned to normal for a time. The Spirit Of The Snoring Stone rested peacefully in its rocky home and the locals regularly brought it offerings to keep it that way. Eventually, a brave and desperate carpenter decided to wake the Spirit again. Before the Spirit could begin angrily making threats though, the carpenter begged the Spirit's help with a problem no one else could help him with. Upon learning that the carpenter had brought a much grander offering that usual to convince it to help, the Spirit eagerly agreed. The very next morning, the carpenter awoke to find the solution to his problems awaiting him on his dining table. Overjoyed by the end of his woes, the carpenter told others of what had happened. After that, many other locals came to petition the Spirit Of The Snoring Stone for its aid. A shepherd who had lost some of his sheep would find them tied to a post the morning after visiting the Stone. A fisherman whose usual spot had dried up found a map to a pond full of much tastier fish nailed to his door after asking the Spirit for help. And when an angry mob asked for help in tracking down a murderer, they found the murderer's corpse an hour later, clubbed to death and beheaded. One day, a farmer arrived at the Snoring Stone out of breath and in a state of panic. His house had caught fire, no one could put it out, and his family was trapped inside. He offered everything he had in exchange for his family's safety. "Go 'ome an' wait." The Spirit said. "I'll do the rest." And so the farmer hurried home to where his wife, children, and elderly parents were still trapped and prayed to the Gods as he waited for the Spirit to come. Suddenly, the door burst open and the farmer's parents rushed from the house just before the fire blocked the way. Then, each window in the house smashed open, allowing one of the farmer's children to climb out of each one before the flames blocked those exits too. With no way out left, the farmer, his family, and the assembled crowd watched the burning house as they wondered how the spirit would rescue the farmer's wife. Their answer came when one of the house's walls gave way and the farmer's wife emerged from the hole... cradled in the arms of an enormous bugbear. The bugbear, who went by the name of Brutrumukk, revealed himself to be the so called Spirit Of The Snoring Stone, having played along with their beliefs to sponge off the offerings the locals had brought to the Snoring Stone, which he explained had a hollow interior and a secret entrance. Remembering all that the 'Spirit' had done for them, the locals refrained from driving the hulking goblinoid away and decided to let their current arrangement stand due to how helpful Brutrumukk had proven himself, even if the black-hearted bugbear had only helped for personal gain. A year after settling in the Snoring Stone, Brutrumukk was rudely awoken one day by the sound of a certain multiversal carnival being set up right next to his home. Stat Generation: Point Buy Day Count: 2 (349) Kill Count: 1 Most Kills in a Dungeon: 1 Most Kills in an Encounter: 1 Most Kills in a Round: 1</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora A sigh of relief escaped the eveln woman's lips as Sir Talarvar stated Daebella arrived alone. Bell would likely not tell their parents till well after Aurora was well away from where Daebella last knew. Tension returned some to Rory when Jub interjected asking about Daebella. At first he seemed to be thinking that she was a warlock in service to a fey. That could be true although last Rory knew her sister was studying magic through music, how some bards were able to use words and song to manipulate the weave. The goblin's quick assumption that Bell and Rory were archfey left the elf speechless. "Well you are close in that in a way she has a title. Niether of us are an archfey. Though last I knew my sister was studying how bards and use their voice and instruments to manipulate the weave. She could have made a pact with one of the fey of the summer court though. It has been several years since I've last talked to her."</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Hmph. That's exactly what an archfey in disguise would say," Jub muttered. "And you're telling me, we all end up at the same weird fairy carnival together, get sucked into another dimension, and your sister-" He pointed at Aurora again. "-who you claim you haven't seen in years, just happens to be here?" He shook his head. "I don't buy that. That seems like too much of a coincidence for me. Like really, what are the odds?" As if suddenly realising something, he then quickly turned and pointed over to Zavakri. "Wait, no, don't actually answer that! That was a rhetorical question!"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora The continued assumption that she was an archfey confused Aurora even more. "You do remember that I lost something at the carnival as well. It was a ring that belonged to my family and I had lost decades ago at the carnival. The only reason why I was at the carnival was I had felt drawn to it. I'm not sure how my sister having joined the fey summer court and Sir Talarvar referring to her as Lady makes her and I both archfey. Believe what you will but neither I or Daebella are an archfey." The elf turned back to the caged dragon. "Daebella had always been well mannered and well spoken, more so then our older sister. Hopefully she is not to far from where we are. Some of the local denizens seem more... troubling than I would have thought."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk While everyone else was busy talking to Sir Talavar, Brutrumukk refocused on gathering up bramble branches. As the conversation with the faerie dragon continued, Brutrumukk piled up his assembled bramble branches in preparation for the cookout he was about to commence. "Alright you lot, I reckon I'm ready to cook." Brutrumukk called out to his companions. "Who's up fer some bugbear style fried snake?"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Uh, well..." as appetizing as bugbear fried snake sounded the half-elf politely shook his head and tamped down his compulsion to say a few rather colorful comments on the topic although he was no stranger to eating whatever to survive he was not inclined to do so if he had a choice "I think I shall just eat my rations, for now at least." he added with a slight awkward guffaw. "Ser," Gabriel nodded to the faerie dragon "Would you deign to share a tale to a swordsman in return for a bit of food?" he was curious about the caged dragon, a supposed noble knight and fascinated by him to say the least. "I would love to hear of these tenets you live by and of a genteel knight such as yourself!"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Turning to face the bugbear, Aurora looked at the chucks of snake that were near the pile of bramble the large goblinoid had gathered. The idea of eating snake at this moment was not appealing to the elf. "Not right now Brut. Perhaps later if you can prep it for travel and later consumption." Rory looked for a spot to sit that was not on the swampy ground while the group waited for Brutrumukk to finish his cooking. While waiting she started think more on the matter that her sister was here, well at least close to here. Hopefully she was not on danger from this coven that had taken over.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub's eyes narrowed as he continued to stare directly at Aurora. He then did a 'I'm keeping an eye on you' motion before turning his attention towards Brutrumukk and the snake he was attempting to make into lunch. The goblin considered for a moment. "You know, I've eaten a lot of weird things in my time," he said. "But snake has never been one of them." He shrugged. "Doesn't sound the most appetizing, but I'll give it a try. Seems foolish to waste meat, especially considering we don't know when we'll see civilization again."</s> <|message|>Zavakri "...You know what, deal me in, Bugbear." She calls out to Brut. "I've never had au naturale Bugbear cookin'. Gotta be better than Rirvudd's." She had been studying the bugbear for some time, watching his words and actions and how they framed the encounter with the faerie dragon knight. His words had given her much to think on, and her mind had gotten so swept up in the tide of information that she had needed to make notes rather than bother engaging in the discussion. She took a heavy seat beside Bob, idly caressing the snail's shell, as she ran the numbers. She decided to speak up. "I've been rather zealous in my, erm..Excitement. I don't have too much power left in me, but I'm hardly down for the count. I suspect we'll be fine, but I'm officially in 'emergency only' mode when it comes to the spellcraft at the moment." she elucidates to the group. "I can do math all day, but real math takes a lot of effort. The world doesn't like it when you fiddle with its equations like I do, but things always balance out in the end." Her gaze was on Aurora; she knew what it was like to be stuck in your head, and was aiming her babble to try and keep the woman grounded.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Alrighty then, three orders o' bugbear style fried snake comin' right up!" Brutrumukk declared as he took out his mess kit and readied the cooking pan before turning to Jub. "Booyagh, I'll be needin' yer 'elp to make enough fer three. Light the fire an' be ready to do whatever else I tell ya to do." With that said, Brutrumukk pulled out his handaxe and went to work on the dead constrictor. The bugbear started by beheading the snake and storing its head inside a blood-stained sack that hung from the left hand side of his belt. Then he used his handaxe to shave away the scales to reveal the meat underneath. Brutrumukk then hacked off enough meat to feed himself plus two other people, placed it all in the cooking pan, held the cooking pan over the fire, and began the process of cooking. Provided he receives advantage, Brutrumukk rolls a 19 to cook enough bits of giant constrictor snake for three people.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Oh sure!" Jub rubbed his hands together before gesturing towards the fire, using Prestidigitation to light it. He then glanced at Brutrumukk expectantly, waiting for the bugbear's further instruction.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar seemed to be at a loss of words when Jub came to the conclusion that Aurora and her sister were actually archfey. He seemed to remain silent out of being polite while Aurora and Jub bantered over their origins. When Gabriel offered to share his rations for a tale in return, Sir Talavar answered, "Of course. I would be delighted to share my tales of daring-do, with you!" Brutrumukk, with Jub's help, is able to cook the giant snake. The cooked giant snake is like chicken in texture and taste. While it is well-cooked and tasty on its own, it could do with spices that you don't really have access to right now. During the meal break, Sir Talavar does share a tale of how he faced the terrifying Werewolf of Bryn Shandar once and soundly defeated him! He also tells you more about the rules of Prismeer... "The Rule of Hospitality: When a friend, an enemy, or a stranger enters your home, you are expected to be gracious and accommodating to them until such time as they prove, by their words or actions, undeserving of such hospitality. The Rule of Ownership: You must not steal from a friend, an enemy, or a stranger. To take something that doesn't belong to you without the rightful owner's permission is a crime and an unforgivable breach of etiquette. The Rule of Reciprocity: When a friend, an enemy, or a stranger offers you a gift, you are obliged to accept it and offer something of comparable value (be it a gift or a service) in return. Such reciprocation need not happen immediately." With Zybilna in charge, the rules were straightforward. Few dared to break those rules, but those who do, often disappear without a trace. Under the new rule however... "Now...the Coven believes strongly in Hospitality and Reciprocity. But, Ownership isn't as straightforward now. The Coven believes that Prismeer, and everything in it, is theirs now. So, if anything is stolen from someone, it wouldn't matter. It's still theirs. And that makes stealing anything from them dangerous too," For those who don't want cooked snake, and aren't eating rations, you are welcome to forage. Just need a Survival check.</s>

<|message|>Brutrumukk "Food's ready! Take it if you want it!" Brutrumukk called out before helping himself to his own portion. As he waited for the fried snake on his plate to cool, Brutrumukk turned to Sir Talavar and spoke. "You mentioned that the land itself punishes folks what break the rules 'ere, yeah?" The bugbear said. "What exactly does the land do when it punishes rule breakers?"</s>

<|description|>Brutrumukk Age: 17 Race: Bugbear Class: Barbarian Level: 2 Background: Folk Hero Personality: See persona section of the linked character sheet. Backstory: In the middle of a grassy field stands a large rock. This rock is known to the locals as the Snoring Stone, a name it gained after people began to hear loud snoring with no discernible source when passing the rock sometimes. People were unsure of what to make of this weird phenomenon until someone made too much noise near the rock and the snoring turned to angry yelling. After that, people became convinced that a spirit had made its home in the rock and began leaving it offerings of food, drink, gold, and other kinds of gifts, hoping that this appeasement would calm the spirit and dissuade it from following through on the threats it had made to those who disturbed its slumber. These offerings pleased the spirit enough that it forgave the disturbance, on the condition that the offerings continued. With the arrangement made, things returned to normal for a time. The Spirit Of The Snoring Stone rested peacefully in its rocky home and the locals regularly brought it offerings to keep it that way. Eventually, a brave and desperate carpenter decided to wake the Spirit again. Before the Spirit could begin angrily making threats though, the carpenter begged the Spirit's help with a problem no one else could help him with. Upon learning that the carpenter had brought a much grander offering that usual to convince it to help, the Spirit eagerly agreed. The very next morning, the carpenter awoke to find the solution to his problems awaiting him on his dining table. Overjoyed by the end of his woes, the carpenter told others of what had happened. After that, many other locals came to petition the Spirit Of The Snoring Stone for its aid. A shepherd who had lost some of his sheep would find them tied to a post the morning after visiting the Stone. A fisherman whose usual spot had dried up found a map to a pond full of much tastier fish nailed to his door after asking the Spirit for help. And when an angry mob asked for help in tracking down a murderer, they found the murderer's corpse an hour later, clubbed to death and beheaded. One day, a farmer arrived at the Snoring Stone out of breath and in a state of panic. His house had caught fire, no one could put it out, and his family was trapped inside. He offered everything he had in exchange for his family's safety. "Go 'ome an' wait." The Spirit said. "I'll do the rest." And so the farmer hurried home to where his wife, children, and elderly parents were still trapped and prayed to the Gods as he waited for the Spirit to come. Suddenly, the door burst open and the farmer's parents rushed from the house just before the fire blocked the way. Then, each window in the house smashed open, allowing one of the farmer's children to climb out of each one before the flames blocked those exits too. With no way out left, the farmer, his family, and the assembled crowd watched the burning house as they wondered how the spirit would rescue the farmer's wife. Their answer came when one of the house's walls gave way and the farmer's wife emerged from the hole... cradled in the arms of an enormous bugbear. The bugbear, who went by the name of Brutrumukk, revealed himself to be the so called Spirit Of The Snoring Stone, having played along with their beliefs to sponge off the offerings the locals had brought to the Snoring Stone, which he explained had a hollow interior and a secret entrance. Remembering all that the 'Spirit' had done for them, the locals refrained from driving the hulking goblinoid away and decided to let their current arrangement stand due to how helpful Brutrumukk had proven himself, even if the black-hearted bugbear had only helped for personal gain. A year after settling in the Snoring Stone, Brutrumukk was rudely awoken one day by the sound of a certain multiversal carnival being set up right next to his home. Stat Generation: Point Buy Day Count: 2 (349) Kill Count: 1 Most Kills in a Dungeon: 1 Most Kills in an Encounter: 1 Most Kills in a Round: 1</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk listened to Sir Talavar as the faerie dragon answered the question. Just as the bugbear drew breath to ask another question though, Jub began choking on his food. "Oi. Oi! Don't you go chokin' to death on my food. I know I ain't the best at cookin' but I also know I ain't that bad at it." Brutrumukk said as he moved over to Jub and gave the goblin a few firm pats on the back to help dislodge the snake chunk. "Sorry, sorry, I just... really didn't like your use of past tense just now," Jub told Talavar once the blockage was clear. "What d'you mean by that?" Brutrumukk asked.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Thank you," Jub said to Brutrumukk, even as he began to rub his own back to make sure his bugbear companion hadn't done any damage in his attempts to help. After a moment, he surmised he might have a bruise there tomorrow, but that was still far preferrable to joking to death. "Past tense: a use of language donoting that something happened at an earlier point of time," the goblin explained. "Basically, he's implying that while this Zybilna would have been okay with us foraging and hunting in her lands, this Hourglass Covern likely won't."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Past tense: a use of language denoting that something happened at an earlier point of time," Jub explained. "Yeah, I know that bit." Brutrumukk said while making a 'get on with it' motion with one hand. "But why didn't you like the tiny dragon usin' it jus' now?" "Basically, he's implying that while this Zybilna would have been okay with us foraging and hunting in her lands, this Hourglass Coven likely won't." Jub finished. "Oh." Brutrumukk said thoughtfully. "Well seein' 'ow we jus' killed two snakes, ate one of 'em, an' no magical shenanigans 'ave turned up to get us back fer that, I think we're fine on that front... 'Ang on." Brutrumukk then turned to Sir Talavar and asked a question. "If these 'ags stole this place from this Sip-Ill-Nah lady you mentioned, why 'aven't the magical shenanigans come after the 'ags?"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Rory looked up at both Jub and Brut discussing the potential issue of the land punishing the group for stealing from the hags. As the small dragon had mentioned the hags viewed everything in Prismir as theirs, though the elf was not sure how that may extend to the inhabitants of the land. "Would these living things be the property of the hags? I do not think that is the case Jub. If it were just by simply being here long enough you may end up as their property."  She paused to take another bit of the snake wiping the grease off with a small piece of cloth. "Now I will warn you that there is a potential that we could end up in some strange bargin do to the rule of reciprocity. Some Fey can see the giving of gifts as means to making a contract. If these hags believe in this rule so much, they could try to use it to put us in a poor position."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar agrees with Aurora first, "Lady Aurora is correct. Living beings aren't normally considered as possessions. But, they might be considered as subjects under their reign," He nods in agreement at her words warning of the gifts from the Fey. He then looks to Brutrumukk and answers his question, "As for your question, Sir, It might be because either the Coven know how to protect themselves from such magic, or the Retribution of this Fey Realm is winding itself up into a powerful wallop, so to speak,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Well if it's the second thing, I 'ope I'm there to see the wallop when it 'appens. Sounds like it'd be fun to watch." Brutrumukk said when Sir Talavar was done talking. "Either way, we've been sittin' around fer about an hour now. I'd say it's time we got movin'." With that said, Brutrumukk finished his meal and began to tidy away his things in preparation for the journey to Telemy Hill. "You said some goblin what lives on some 'ill can open yer cage, yeah?" Brutrumukk said to Sir Talavar as he worked. "What makes you so sure she can, does she work for the 'ags as some sort o' magical cage maker or somethin' like that?"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar nodded at Brutrumukk's first question before answering his next one about the goblin in question "Certainly not. From what I have heard, Jingle Jangle is a victim of Bavlorna Blightstraw's. I do not know why, but she collects keys. If anyone has the key to this cage, it would be her! I can guide you to Telemy Hill if you are ready,"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "I know all but folktales and fanciful myths, of the Fey and Feywild." the half-elf said, finished wiping the detritus from his the sharp of the rapier that he hung at his belt "But forgive me for being blunt when I say, you must be in this cage for a reason." Gabriel looked at the cage with furrowed brow, his attention while not all there the half-elf had been half listening as the day had been exhausting "Or...Did you already explain that? Goodness, if so I certainly have egg on my face." Gabriel chuckled softly. "Well, regardless of the if's and when's or how's...I'd be hardpressed to not lift a finger and help a fellow man...Erm or dragon." correcting himself with a not-so-subtle cough into his hand, Gabriel wondered if the small dragon considered himself man or beast but kept the musing to himself. "I just hope this odd feeling I keep getting will go away..." Gabriel said offhandedly, more speaking to himself but loud enough that his companions heard his worried tone "Gods forbid I find a skeleton clutching a set of dice in this bloody swamp." he muttered looking into the campfire with a hand resting under his chin.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Random Encounter 2 The party, now rested and recovered from their fight with the serpents, continue on their journey through the Fey Realm, with a new friend in tow and new information brought to light. As they continue to move through the swamps, they notice the tide slowly rising. Thankfully, the group can use Brutrumukk's raft to navigate the waters without having to swim. The only issue? They find that they need a ten foot pole or a similar tool to push the raft along the waters. Upon learning this fact, the group also notice that they can hear the sound of rushing water in the distance. The swamps are now at High Tide! Depth. The water's depth is 5 feet. Creatures that don't have a swimming speed move at half speed through the water. Visibility. Visibility underwater is 10 feet.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Guess that take care o' puttin' out the fire." Brutrumukk said as the tide came in. "Everybody on the raft!" Once everyone was on the raft, Brutrumukk took one of the stilts out of the stilt pant he got from the Witchlight Carnival for use as an oar. But just as he was about to start rowing, the sound of rushing water met Brutrumukk's ears. "Er... booyagh?" Brutrumukk asked nervously as he set the makeshift oar down on the raft and lifted the goblin into the air. "Don't suppose you can see what's makin' that noise from up there?" It's the ciiircle of liiiiiife!</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar As the group was finishing up their meal and getting ready to continue on, Jub looked over to Gabriel. "So, these dice you lost," he began. "Are they like really expensive, fancy dice or do they just have sentimental value?" He quickly added, "I'm not making fun of you or anything, my good fellow , but it does seem odd how... whatever it was that stole from us all chose its target. I lose the ability to keep a secret, Miss Aurora here lost a ring and a letter which no doubt had high value, several individuals lost family members... and you lost dice. It does seem a very picky-choosy sort of thief, does it not? Like how does it decide- WHOA!" He didn't get to finish that thought because Brutrumukk suddenly picked him up and hoisted him up into the air, saying something about a strange noise and asking Jub to see if he could find the source. "You know, you really need to start warning me before you do that!" he said as he began to scan his surroundings for anything particularly out of place. So I got some bad news... Perception check = 6 Perception check advantage = 9 Yeah, Jub can't see shit.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora had clambered onto the raft sitting near the middle. Hearing the sound that the others were hearing drew her attention away from cleaning her boots. She stood up and went to the front of the raft as Jub mentioned he could not see anything as there was a tree blocking his view. "There appears to be a well gushing water up. It's on a small bit of land still aways down." She turned and looked up to Jub. "You might be onto something Jub. Most of these things that were taken don't exactly have a physical value. Zavakri would an hag or other being from the fey be interested in such things?"</s>

<|message|>Brutrumukk "Oh good. It's just a well." Brutrumukk said with a sigh of relief. "Thank Mag fer that. Though we was 'eaded fer a waterfall fer a moment there... Well the moment 'as passed. Let's get a move on." With that said, Brutrumukk set Jub back down on the raft and took up his makeshift oar once again. "Next stop, Telemy 'Ill." Brutrumukk said as he made ready to row... but then paused as he realized he didn't know how to get there. "Which way was that again?"</s>

<|description|>Brutrumukk Age: 17 Race: Bugbear Class: Barbarian Level: 2 Background: Folk Hero Personality: See persona section of the linked character sheet. Backstory: In the middle of a grassy field stands a large rock. This rock is known to the locals as the Snoring Stone, a name it gained after people began to hear loud snoring with no discernible source when passing the rock sometimes. People were unsure of what to make of this weird phenomenon until someone made too much noise near the rock and the snoring turned to angry yelling. After that, people became convinced that a spirit had made its home in the rock and began leaving it offerings of food, drink, gold, and other kinds of gifts, hoping that this appeasement would calm the spirit and dissuade it from following through on the threats it had made to those who disturbed its slumber. These offerings pleased the spirit enough that it forgave the disturbance, on the condition that the offerings continued. With the arrangement made, things returned to normal for a time. The Spirit Of The Snoring Stone rested peacefully in its rocky home and the locals regularly brought it offerings to keep it that way. Eventually, a brave and desperate carpenter decided to wake the Spirit again. Before the Spirit could begin angrily making threats though, the carpenter begged the Spirit's help with a problem no one else could help him with. Upon learning that the carpenter had brought a much grander offering that usual to convince it to help, the Spirit eagerly agreed. The very next morning, the carpenter awoke to find the solution to his problems awaiting him on his dining table. Overjoyed by the end of his woes, the carpenter told others of what had happened. After that, many other locals came to petition the Spirit Of The Snoring Stone for its aid. A shepherd who had lost some of his sheep would find them tied to a post the morning after visiting the Stone. A fisherman whose usual spot had dried up found a map to a pond full of much tastier fish nailed to his door after asking the Spirit for help. And when an angry mob asked for help in tracking down a murderer, they found the murderer's corpse an hour later, clubbed to death and beheaded. One day, a farmer arrived at the Snoring Stone out of breath and in a state of panic. His house had caught fire, no one could put it out, and his family was trapped inside. He offered everything he had in exchange for his family's safety. "Go 'ome an' wait." The Spirit said. "I'll do the rest." And so the farmer hurried home to where his wife, children, and elderly parents were still trapped and prayed to the Gods as he waited for the Spirit to come. Suddenly, the door burst open and the farmer's parents rushed from the house just before the fire blocked the way. Then, each window in the house smashed open, allowing one of the farmer's children to climb out of each one before the flames blocked those exits too. With no way out left, the farmer, his family, and the assembled crowd watched the burning house as they wondered how the spirit would rescue the farmer's wife. Their answer came when one of the house's walls gave way and the farmer's wife emerged from the hole... cradled in the arms of an enormous bugbear. The bugbear, who went by the name of Brutrumukk, revealed himself to be the so called Spirit Of The Snoring Stone, having played along with their beliefs to sponge off the offerings the locals had brought to the Snoring Stone, which he explained had a hollow interior and a secret entrance. Remembering all that the 'Spirit' had done for them, the locals refrained from driving the hulking goblinoid away and decided to let their current arrangement stand due to how helpful Brutrumukk had proven himself, even if the black-hearted bugbear had only helped for personal gain. A year after settling in the Snoring Stone, Brutrumukk was rudely awoken one day by the sound of a certain multiversal carnival being set up right next to his home. Stat Generation: Point Buy Day Count: 2 (349) Kill Count: 1 Most Kills in a Dungeon: 1 Most Kills in an Encounter: 1 Most Kills in a Round: 1</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Random Encounter 2 The party, now rested and recovered from their fight with the serpents, continue on their journey through the Fey Realm, with a new friend in tow and new information brought to light. As they continue to move through the swamps, they notice the tide slowly rising. Thankfully, the group can use Brutrumukk's raft to navigate the waters without having to swim. The only issue? They find that they need a ten foot pole or a similar tool to push the raft along the waters. Upon learning this fact, the group also notice that they can hear the sound of rushing water in the distance. The swamps are now at High Tide! Depth. The water's depth is 5 feet. Creatures that don't have a swimming speed move at half speed through the water. Visibility. Visibility underwater is 10 feet.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Guess that take care o' puttin' out the fire." Brutrumukk said as the tide came in. "Everybody on the raft!" Once everyone was on the raft, Brutrumukk took one of the stilts out of the stilt pant he got from the Witchlight Carnival for use as an oar. But just as he was about to start rowing, the sound of rushing water met Brutrumukk's ears. "Er... booyagh?" Brutrumukk asked nervously as he set the makeshift oar down on the raft and lifted the goblin into the air. "Don't suppose you can see what's makin' that noise from up there?" It's the ciiircle of liiiiiife!</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar As the group was finishing up their meal and getting ready to continue on, Jub looked over to Gabriel. "So, these dice you lost," he began. "Are they like really expensive, fancy dice or do they just have sentimental value?" He quickly added, "I'm not making fun of you or anything, my good fellow , but it does seem odd how... whatever it was that stole from us all chose its target. I lose the ability to keep a secret, Miss Aurora here lost a ring and a letter which no doubt had high value, several individuals lost family members... and you lost dice. It does seem a very picky-choosy sort of thief, does it not? Like how does it decide- WHOA!" He didn't get to finish that thought because Brutrumukk suddenly picked him up and hoisted him up into the air, saying something about a strange noise and asking Jub to see if he could find the source. "You know, you really need to start warning me before you do that!" he said as he began to scan his surroundings for anything particularly out of place. So I got some bad news... Perception check = 6 Perception check advantage = 9 Yeah, Jub can't see shit.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora had clambered onto the raft sitting near the middle. Hearing the sound that the others were hearing drew her attention away from cleaning her boots. She stood up and went to the front of the raft as Jub mentioned he could not see anything as there was a tree blocking his view. "There appears to be a well gushing water up. It's on a small bit of land still aways down." She turned and looked up to Jub. "You might be onto something Jub. Most of these things that were taken don't exactly have a physical value. Zavakri would an hag or other being from the fey be interested in such things?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Oh good. It's just a well." Brutrumukk said with a sigh of relief. "Thank Mag fer that. Though we was 'eaded fer a waterfall fer a moment there... Well the moment 'as passed. Let's get a move on." With that said, Brutrumukk set Jub back down on the raft and took up his makeshift oar once again. "Next stop, Telemy 'Ill." Brutrumukk said as he made ready to row... but then paused as he realized he didn't know how to get there. "Which way was that again?"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel coughed into his fist, the jerky while not unpleasant was somewhat tough to swallow. With a swig from the flask at his hip the swordsman washed his meal down, Gabe wiped his mouth with the cuff of his tunic "Well now you seem to be implying that the thing I've lost doesn't seem significant," he replied with an arched eyebrow "To answer your somewhat tactless question Jub these dic-" Gabriel had nary wiped his hands before Brutrumukk hoisted Jub up, interrupting their conversation. Wasting no time to dillydally, Gabriel carefully stepped onto the raft and taking a seat nearest to the goblinoids to continue the conversation where it had ended so abruptly. "As far as I could say I only know of hags from old wife's tales and stories told to scare children. You know the kind, hag eats children or steal them." running a hand through his hair the half-elf shrugged "And no Jub the dice were not worth a kings ransom, they belonged to an old friend of mine." Gabe said pointedly to the goblin "They got sentimental value, not the kind that is all that fond but they meant something to me." he sounded and looked like he ate something rotten, Gabriel wore a rather unpleasant expression that went away after he sighed looking to the brackish water and mumbled "If I find that idiot I'll tan his hide..." it wasn't like he hated Beren for up and disappearing but they were like brothers, at least he could have explained why he left town. But as much as Gabriel told himself his mate was somewhere out there he couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't. Those dice were the one thing that gave him hope, not that he'd ever admit that.</s> <|message|>Zavakri "That's all well and good- Wait, a well? Didja say a well? Brutrummuk, be a dear and take us closer can you? I would like to see this well. A well bubbling like a spring? That's just vocabulary soup! You don't suppose the well is making soup, do you fellows?" She muses. "I mean, of course it doesn't, we're not in soup now- but I'd like to see it nonetheless." She scrambles across the raft cautiously, holding onto the side of Bob's shell all the while, to get into position to study this strange sight.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "I can take us closer to the well." Brutrumukk said as he began rowing in that direction. "But I can't turn meself into a deer though. I ain't a druid. Me mum was, but not me."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Gushing O'-Well Brutrumukk easily navigates the raft through the waters and closer to the little patch of land that crests above the high tide. They are able to dock the raft there, and walk over to the well. The well is ten feet tall and five feet in diameter. There, the party can feel water droplets fall upon them from the geyser shooting up from the well. The geyser reaches 30 feet into the air before raining upon the party and the area. You see at the top of this geyser are four baubles, two of them glinting in the twilight. These baubles are a silver hand mirror with a nymph-shaped handle, a piece of orange parchment folded to look like a knight astride a unicorn, a wooden spoon with a hole in the center, and a silvered pinecone. Both Satyr and Halfling weren't in Prismeer for very long...at least it doesn't feel long. At some point between coming to this swamp and now, the both of you ran into each other and decided it would be prudent to travel together. Out of the both of you, the Satyr Knight, Feras Mossbeard, can feel that his lost item is here! Somewhere in these swamps! The feeling is an unceasing nagging that won't go away until he finds it. Of course, being fey, he knows that's the metaphysical balance trying to correct itself and help him in doing so. Fortunately or Unfortunately, the Halfling, Halander, does not have that same nagging feeling in these swamps. As the both of you traverse through the swamp, trying to find civilization or to your lost things, you do finally find something... Or rather, someone... Wading or swimming through this sudden high tide, you see the small patch of land with the well, and you see a group of five with a raft move to investigate it. This group of five consists of two goblinoids, an elf, a half-elf, and a human. Peculiarly, they also have a Giant Snail with them. ...What do you do? The swamps are now at High Tide! Depth. The water's depth is 5 feet. Creatures that don't have a swimming speed move at half speed through the water. Visibility. Visibility underwater is 10 feet.</s> <|message|>Halander Wilkins Would I have gotten to know Feras during our travels?</s> <|message|>Halander Wilkins (So sorry I forgot what channel we were in) "Feras." said Halander. "I do reckon we've run into sentient adventurers. It's been a long time indeed, so such a thing is quite amazing. Pardon me, but I think I will speak to them now." he said, taking a quick step forward. "Ho! I am Halander Wilkins, and we two have gotten lost like you." He bowed, continuing on his ramble, as indeed, being a tutor had trained his mouth to move for minutes at a time. "Not just that, but I, not sure of Feras, have lost something very dear to me at The Witchlight Carnival." he finished. "Either way, meeting you all here is rather convenient for us." (Any checks?)</s>

<|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk turned to regard the newcomers with narrowed eyes. Brutrumukk found it to be a somewhat suspicious coincidence that these two stranger much appeared out of nowhere, immediately brought up that they had lost something at the Witchlight Carnival like almost everyone else in the party had, and were now trying to ingratiate themselves to the group. "Yeah... I think I can say with a fair amount o' certainty that these two are workin' fer the 'ag." Brutrumukk said to his companions.</s>

<|description|>Brutrumukk Age: 17 Race: Bugbear Class: Barbarian Level: 2 Background: Folk Hero Personality: See persona section of the linked character sheet. Backstory: In the middle of a grassy field stands a large rock. This rock is known to the locals as the Snoring Stone, a name it gained after people began to hear loud snoring with no discernible source when passing the rock sometimes. People were unsure of what to make of this weird phenomenon until someone made too much noise near the rock and the snoring turned to angry yelling. After that, people became convinced that a spirit had made its home in the rock and began leaving it offerings of food, drink, gold, and other kinds of gifts, hoping that this appeasement would calm the spirit and dissuade it from following through on the threats it had made to those who disturbed its slumber. These offerings pleased the spirit enough that it forgave the disturbance, on the condition that the offerings continued. With the arrangement made, things returned to normal for a time. The Spirit Of The Snoring Stone rested peacefully in its rocky home and the locals regularly brought it offerings to keep it that way. Eventually, a brave and desperate carpenter decided to wake the Spirit again. Before the Spirit could begin angrily making threats though, the carpenter begged the Spirit's help with a problem no one else could help him with. Upon learning that the carpenter had brought a much grander offering that usual to convince it to help, the Spirit eagerly agreed. The very next morning, the carpenter awoke to find the solution to his problems awaiting him on his dining table. Overjoyed by the end of his woes, the carpenter told others of what had happened. After that, many other locals came to petition the Spirit Of The Snoring Stone for its aid. A shepherd who had lost some of his sheep would find them tied to a post the morning after visiting the Stone. A fisherman whose usual spot had dried up found a map to a pond full of much tastier fish nailed to his door after asking the Spirit for help. And when an angry mob asked for help in tracking down a murderer, they found the murderer's corpse an hour later, clubbed to death and beheaded. One day, a farmer arrived at the Snoring Stone out of breath and in a state of panic. His house had caught fire, no one could put it out, and his family was trapped inside. He offered everything he had in exchange for his family's safety. "Go 'ome an' wait." The Spirit said. "I'll do the rest." And so the farmer hurried home to where his wife, children, and elderly parents were still trapped and prayed to the Gods as he waited for the Spirit to come. Suddenly, the door burst open and the farmer's parents rushed from the house just before the fire blocked the way. Then, each window in the house smashed open, allowing one of the farmer's children to climb out of each one before the flames blocked those exits too. With no way out left, the farmer, his family, and the assembled crowd watched the burning house as they wondered how the spirit would rescue the farmer's wife. Their answer came when one of the house's walls gave way and the farmer's wife emerged from the hole... cradled in the arms of an enormous bugbear. The bugbear, who went by the name of Brutrumukk, revealed himself to be the so called Spirit Of The Snoring Stone, having played along with their beliefs to sponge off the offerings the locals had brought to the Snoring Stone, which he explained had a hollow interior and a secret entrance. Remembering all that the 'Spirit' had done for them, the locals refrained from driving the hulking goblinoid away and decided to let their current arrangement stand due to how helpful Brutrumukk had proven himself, even if the black-hearted bugbear had only helped for personal gain. A year after settling in the Snoring Stone, Brutrumukk was rudely awoken one day by the sound of a certain multiversal carnival being set up right next to his home. Stat Generation: Point Buy Day Count: 2 (349) Kill Count: 1 Most Kills in a Dungeon: 1 Most Kills in an Encounter: 1 Most Kills in a Round: 1</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub look visibly more and more disheartened as each of his companions agreed to this deal. "I guess we're doing this, then," he said with a sigh. He then looked towards the wisps. "The halfling is right, though. If you could at very least point us in the direction of this 'Bavlorna' and warn us of any tricks of hers we should be on the lookout for, that would be appreciated."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "What in the...?" Brutrumukk said in a manner that signified the bugbear's unsurety regarding how he should feel about one of the Wisps just passing straight through him. He did enjoy the feeling of power that had left him with though, so he didn't complain. When once everyone else had either agreed or abstained from making the promise in exchange for the boon, and the Wisps had answered everyone else's questions, Brutrumukk spoke up again. "Before we 'ead off, I got one more question." The bugbear stated. "Do any o' you lot know where we can find any alley corn? Or anyone folks call the Doormat Queen what might be trapped somewhere? Before we came to this place, a pair o' clowns told us we 'ad to "Find the alley corn an' free the Doormat Queen as last!"... Whatever that means."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Gushing O'-Well Upon Aurora's vocal promise, the purple Will-O'-Wisp phased through her body to grant her the same boon. The blue flame moved through Gabriel and the Green flame moved through Jub. If Halander and Zavakri make the promise too, then they move through him to grant the boon as well. The Wisps start with Jub's questions, "Other than the fact that she cursed these wells and caused water to flood everywhere? All we know is that she is a powerful spellcaster. We can't exactly stray too far from this well," "That curse is what caused our demise..." "Oh! But we have heard from passersby that she is in Downfall! Find Downfall, and you'll find her!" Then Brutrumukk asked his questions. The wisps were silent as they pondered over them. "An alley corn...?" "I'm afraid I don't know what an 'alley corn' is...but I heard there is a unicorn somewhere in Thither," "Good luck getting there though. Ever since the hags took over, it's hard to get to other areas of Prismeer!" The Green Wisp wondered, "What was that Unicorn's name...?" The Red Wisp finally spoke up, clearly joking with his answer, "...Becky Apples," That got a laugh out of the other wisps. When it was time for the party to leave, the wisps bid them goodbyes and Good Lucks to the party. You now have the Boon from the Will-O'-Wisps & 4 Feywild Trinkets (of no GP value)! The boon's recipient gains a d4 and can, at any time within the next 24 hours, roll this die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw made by it. No creature can have more than one of these magic boons at a time. --- Telemy Hill The party continues their travel in the swamps of Hither, and after an hour passes, Jub's wings vanish. After a while of floating along the swamps by raft, the party is greeted by the scent of sweet-smelling fruit. Damp, downy, silvery-green moss blankets a gentle upward slope before giving way to a craggy ridge that marks the top of the hill. Dozens of enormous willow trees dot the hillside, swaying as though in a breeze despite the absence of one. The raft comes to a stop at the beginning of this hill, and Bob once again seems happy to be on dry land. "We've made it! This is Telemy Hill!" Sir Talavar chimes in. The swamps are now at High Tide! Depth. The water's depth is 5 feet. Creatures that don't have a swimming speed move at half speed through the water. Visibility. Visibility underwater is 10 feet.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora The smell of sweet fruits drew up memories from when her and her brother had snuck away from their home and into the market place. The exotic fruits brought in by the traveling caravans were a favorite of hers while Xander preferred the more local produce. Years later they included Daebella in their ventures before Xander had left to join the military as a scout. The ventures ended fairly abruptly when Sophia had caught Aurora and Daebella clambering back onto the family grounds through a window in the library. Rory was scolded for setting such a poor example for Bella by doing such unlady like behavior. Shortly after that Daebella had gone to one of the bardic schools two cities away. A small smile, happy yet somewhat sad, played on Rory's lips as she stepped of the raft and onto the hill. The memory added further motivation to free sir Talarvar and search Prismir for her sister to make sure she was safe, though Rory was uncertain what all it may take to do so. "Well let's find this Jingle Jangle and get this key to free you Sir Talarvar. Where on the hill would they be?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk When the Wisps handed over the trinkets, Brutrumukk insisted on having both the silver mirror and the silver pinecone for his treasure sack. After he got that, the bugbear tuned out until the scent of Telemy Hill's sweet-smelling fruit brought him back to his senses just in time to hear Gabriel's question. "If I 'ad to take a wild guess, probably somewhere along that path." Brutrumukk said while gesturing towards the long path winding up the hill towards the keyhole shaped cave near the summit. "Either way, I'm gonna go find out what's smellin' so tasty 'round 'ere. Don't wait up." With that said, Brutrumukk went off in search of food.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L After their resident bugbear, Brutrumukk announced he was off to find where the sweet smell of Telamy Hill's fruit would take him, Gabe couldn't pass on the opportunity to stretch his legs after their delightful yet boring little boat ride through the picturesque landscape of a swamp "Count me in my furry friend!" hopping to his feet, Gabriel jogged off with the bugbear "Come along Jub, the ripe bosom of the Feywild's fruit awaits us!"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub had spent the rest of the journey enjoying his new wings. The group had to tolerate him flying circles overhead and occasionally calling out "Hey, hey, guys, check this out!" before pulling off some trick. Eventually, the magic wore off and his wings disappeared. Thankfully, he wasn't too far up in the air when it happened, though he doing a somersault at the time and ended falling face-first onto the raft. Once he'd recovered, he had sat for a bit while just staring at the origami horse they had gotten from the wisps, considering all that had happened over the past few hours. In particular, he was recalling how he'd turned one of those giant snakes to stone with a magic missile, and wondering if he should see if he could do that again. Was that just a fun side-effect that occurred because they were in the Feywild? He was thinking about how he could test it out, even eying up Bob as a possible test-subject, when the group finally reached Telemy Hill. Aurora was just asking Talarvar where they could find this Jingle Jangle when Brutrumukk suddenly announced he was going looking for food. "You hungry again?" Jub said. However, he had to admit, the smell was quite tempting. When announced Gabriel announced he was going with the bugbear and called for the goblin to join them, Jub gave a resigned sigh and stood up to follow them. Before he went, though, he turned to Aurora. "If, err, we need to find you again, I'll send up some fireworks with Prestidigitation. Good luck on finding the key!" And with that, he followed after Gabriel and Brutrumukk.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk wasn't opposed to having Gabriel and Jub join him in his Feywild fruit pursuit, the bugbear even welcomed the company when Gabriel helped him find a trio of gourds shaped like plump dragons. Brutrumukk picked up the gourds, snapped their heads off, and stowed them away in his head sack while sucking the innards of one gourd out of the neck stump left behind and passing the other two gourds to Gabriel and Jub. "You got some good eyes in yer 'ead, Gabe." Brutrumukk said once he'd drained his gourd before turning to Jub. "Let's see if yer eyes are just as good, booyagh." Having said that, Brutrumukk returned Jub to his place of honor on the bugbear's shoulder to give the goblin a better view of their surroundings. So long as Jub pulled his weight, a second set of gourds would soon be found. Once more, Brutrumukk took up all three gourds. But this time he didn't snap the heads off any of them. Instead, Brutrumukk simply passed Jub and Gabriel their gourds and stowed his own gourd away in his backpack for later. Brutrumukk searches for more fruit. Provided he has advantage, he rolls another 15 and rolls another 8.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill Much to Gabriel's, Brutrumukk's, and Jub's surprise, they didn't have to travel far from the group to forage. They found gourds that looked like plump dragons. After Brutrumukk ate the innards of one of those gourds, he immediately looks refreshed. Did his fur/hair get glossier? The path Brutrumukk pointed out is a narrow game trail. As the group follows this path, they would hear rustling, and other sounds of movement. Before they can look around, they eventually find three huge trees blocking the path. They look at the group, and upon seeing Jub, the trees proceeded to move. Each one of their boughs move as they perform a bow to Jub, their bark creaking as they move somewhat awkwardly. Apparently it is difficult for a tree to bow... One of the trees speaks to the group in a low rumbling voice, and addressing Jub as the leader of sorts, "Your Excellency, Witchlight Monarch! We welcome you and your entourage to Telemy Hill. How long will you be staying?"</s>

<|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk blinked in surprise as the very trees themselves came alive, moved, and even spoke. "Nine bleedin' 'Ells" Brutrumukk then said as the trees all bowed and hailed Jub as the Witchlight Monarch. Brutrumukk then looked to the little goblin seated on his big shoulder. "Word sure travels fast 'round 'ere don't it?"</s>

<|description|>Brutrumukk Age: 17 Race: Bugbear Class: Barbarian Level: 2 Background: Folk Hero Personality: See persona section of the linked character sheet. Backstory: In the middle of a grassy field stands a large rock. This rock is known to the locals as the Snoring Stone, a name it gained after people began to hear loud snoring with no discernible source when passing the rock sometimes. People were unsure of what to make of this weird phenomenon until someone made too much noise near the rock and the snoring turned to angry yelling. After that, people became convinced that a spirit had made its home in the rock and began leaving it offerings of food, drink, gold, and other kinds of gifts, hoping that this appeasement would calm the spirit and dissuade it from following through on the threats it had made to those who disturbed its slumber. These offerings pleased the spirit enough that it forgave the disturbance, on the condition that the offerings continued. With the arrangement made, things returned to normal for a time. The Spirit Of The Snoring Stone rested peacefully in its rocky home and the locals regularly brought it offerings to keep it that way. Eventually, a brave and desperate carpenter decided to wake the Spirit again. Before the Spirit could begin angrily making threats though, the carpenter begged the Spirit's help with a problem no one else could help him with. Upon learning that the carpenter had brought a much grander offering that usual to convince it to help, the Spirit eagerly agreed. The very next morning, the carpenter awoke to find the solution to his problems awaiting him on his dining table. Overjoyed by the end of his woes, the carpenter told others of what had happened. After that, many other locals came to petition the Spirit Of The Snoring Stone for its aid. A shepherd who had lost some of his sheep would find them tied to a post the morning after visiting the Stone. A fisherman whose usual spot had dried up found a map to a pond full of much tastier fish nailed to his door after asking the Spirit for help. And when an angry mob asked for help in tracking down a murderer, they found the murderer's corpse an hour later, clubbed to death and beheaded. One day, a farmer arrived at the Snoring Stone out of breath and in a state of panic. His house had caught fire, no one could put it out, and his family was trapped inside. He offered everything he had in exchange for his family's safety. "Go 'ome an' wait." The Spirit said. "I'll do the rest." And so the farmer hurried home to where his wife, children, and elderly parents were still trapped and prayed to the Gods as he waited for the Spirit to come. Suddenly, the door burst open and the farmer's parents rushed from the house just before the fire blocked the way. Then, each window in the house smashed open, allowing one of the farmer's children to climb out of each one before the flames blocked those exits too. With no way out left, the farmer, his family, and the assembled crowd watched the burning house as they wondered how the spirit would rescue the farmer's wife. Their answer came when one of the house's walls gave way and the farmer's wife emerged from the hole... cradled in the arms of an enormous bugbear. The bugbear, who went by the name of Brutrumukk, revealed himself to be the so called Spirit Of The Snoring Stone, having played along with their beliefs to sponge off the offerings the locals had brought to the Snoring Stone, which he explained had a hollow interior and a secret entrance. Remembering all that the 'Spirit' had done for them, the locals refrained from driving the hulking goblinoid away and decided to let their current arrangement stand due to how helpful Brutrumukk had proven himself, even if the black-hearted bugbear had only helped for personal gain. A year after settling in the Snoring Stone, Brutrumukk was rudely awoken one day by the sound of a certain multiversal carnival being set up right next to his home. Stat Generation: Point Buy Day Count: 2 (349) Kill Count: 1 Most Kills in a Dungeon: 1 Most Kills in an Encounter: 1 Most Kills in a Round: 1</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub had instinctively tensed up when the trees started moving, as if anticipating yet another fight. However, when the trees instead bowed to him, all he could do for a few moments was blink in surprise with an expression akin to a startled rabbit. It was only when Brutrumukk spoke that the goblin able to regain his composure. "It sure does," he muttered in response to the bugbear. He spoke again, this time louder so the trees could hear him and with a dramatic flourish he usually applied to his street performances. "Erm, it is I! The Witchlight Monarch! Me and my cohorts will likely not be staying long but... erm..." He glanced towards Brutrumukk and Gabriel, with a look that showed he had no idea what he was doing or where he was going with this. "If you would like to show us around this, err, place or point us to any places of interest, that would be most, err, gratifying."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Deadpan, as the half-elf slipped the oddly shaped gourd away he turned his head slowly to the short goblin the trees called 'Excellency' . Gabriel's expression was a mix of surprise and amusement, his brow was raised as to say 'Yes what is your command your excellency?' as Jub looked between Gabriel and Brutrumukk with confusion "Oh a mighty fine request your Excellency." Gabe chuckled, giving the goblin a pat on the back. "So then your royal majesty," kneeling next to his companion, Gabe rested his hand on Jub's shoulder looking at his small friend with a smirk "What shall we call ourselves? Your stewards? Or heralds? Sworn to protect the life of our king." he gave Jub's shoulder a squeeze before standing with a reassuring smile. "Oh, I jape of course but really the best question is how do these trees know you Jub?" Gabriel glanced towards the trees as he said so, he wondered if the trees knew who Jub was then it might mean others could recognize the one crowned as Witchlight's monarch. For better or worse this could be as much a blessing as a curse if the wrong type of attention was brought to them, he couldn't be too careful. They weren't in Faerun anymore after all.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora looked at the trio as the headed off in a direction that only their noses could lead them. A glance back at raft to Zavakri, who was next to Bob the snail, and the newly acquainted companions. All seemed rather distant and quite. "I suppose those of us who are going ought to start for the cave then." The elf stated rather irritated that the others took off with little care about trying to free Talarvar. She went to grab the cage to start to lift it. The awkward shape of the cage caused her to pause for a moment. With a shrug, Aurora dropped her pack to the deck of the boat, taking some of her rations, the rope from it, and a small leather roll that had he thieves tools. Now that she had most of what she would need, the elf started to fasten a crude harness to the cage so she could carry it on her side or back as needed and keep her hands free incase of trouble or needing to climb. "I apologize now if this ends up being a rather uncomfortable trip for you Sir Talavar. I do not think the others will be joining us until they've had their fill of whatever they have found. I will never claim to be the strongest person but at least this way I can carry you with relative ease." Rory said as she started up the winding path to the keyhole shaped at the top of the hill. "Perhaps to pass the time you can tell me more about yourself or Prismir?." A bit of the way up the hill Rory spotted Brutrumukk, Gabriel, and Jub. The trio seemed to have been stopped by several trees. In an attempt to try to pass by unnoticed, Rory slipped off path moving along as if she had not seen them. That would have worked had she stepped further off the path and not tread on the roots of one of the three trees. Immediately the tree started to inquire if Aurora was with the Witchlight Monarch. "I have been traveling with Jub recently, though I do not know if we are heading the same way at this time." She states as she looks over to Jub to confirm this with the trees.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill The trees look to each other somewhat confused by Jub's request. One of the trees usher Aurora to the rest of the group after she told them that she was with them, while the trees answer the goblin, "I'm afraid we're just a humble hill, Milord. There isn't much to us. Our friend, Jingle Jangle, does live here though," Because of the tree, Talavar was not able to answer Aurora at all, and could only pout a bit. Then Gabriel asked his question, and the trees answered him, their voices creaking and groaning, "We can sense the charm upon him. Everyone in Prismeer can sense it on any visitor who earned the charm. After all, the Witchlight Monarch is a respected title. While not as high of a title as the Queen's, it is certainly worthy of nobility here,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "You know a Queen?" Brutrumukk asked at the mention of a Queen. "Is she the Doormat Queen? Some clowns at the Carnival asked us to come free the Doormat Queen. That, an' find the alley corn. D'you lot know where we can find the alley corn or 'ow we could free the Doormat Queen?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar At the tree's explanation of how they were able to recognise him, Jub looked a little pale. As much as he enjoyed being the center of attention, he wasn't sure he fancied the idea of any fey creature being able to recognise him. It took a great deal of restraint for the goblin not to pull his hood over his head. Instead, Jub turned his attention to what Brutrumukk had just said. "Dormant," he corrected. "It means 'inactive' or 'sleeping'." He turned looked back to the trees. "But yes. That. If you know anything about a Dormant Queen, could you please tell us? And if not, would you be able to direct us to Jingle Jangle? We need her help with something."</s> <|message|>Halander Wilkins "Dormant? Perhaps these trees could tell us how the Queen became that way, and it might lend some help in finding a way to release them. Erm, trees? I can hardly believe this is happening, but I'd hope you can lend us some aid. Do you know the story of the Dormant Queen?" Dormant Queen, Dormant Queen. Hmm, could I have read about that somewhere? (Insight check?)</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora As Jub mentioned to the trees that they were seeking the help of Jingle Jangle, Aurora shifted the cage around to display the trapped Sir Talavar. " Sir Talavar here is stuck in this cage. He had told us Jingle Jangle may perhaps have a key to this cage." When Halander asked about the dormant queen, the elf turned to let him know what the rest of the group had learned earlier from Sir Talavar. "Unless there is information we are missing, The Dormant Queen is Zybilna. She is currently trapped by the Hourglass Coven and her rule over this domain had been split between the three hags. Though anymore information of her exact where abouts would be appreciated." She finished looking to the trees.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill The trees looked at each other confused over the questions regarding Zybilna. They were especially confused over Brutrumukk's questions, but thankfully, Jub and Aurora clarified them. They were glad that Aurora was able to answer Halendar's questions. The knightly faerie dragon answered Aurora's question after he explanation, after he clears his throat, "Milady Aurora? It's as I mentioned before: She's trapped in her palace," The trees next answered Jub's request, clearly happy to help, "Of course, Your Highness. Just follow the road and you'll reach her home!" The trees then move, proceeding to shepherd the party up the hill and towards the keyhole shaped cavern entrance. The trees do not follow the party into the cave when they enter inside. --- Worn stone steps lead down into what feels like a cellar. It's chilly in here, and you detect a subtle scent of iron in the air. From a distant spot within the chamber, sputtering candles illuminate a multitude of keys dangling from taut strings that crisscross the walls. Hundreds of other keys lie strewn across the dirt floor. As you take in the scene, you hear the sound of keys jingling as a goblin emerges from the dimness. She wears a coat lined with metal keys and carries a flail that has padlocks for heads. She manages a faint smile and says, "Hello! How might Jingle Jangle unlock a bit of happiness in your lives today?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk When Jingle Jangle was done introducing herself, Brutrumukk took Sir Talavar's cage from whoever was holding it and approached the key hoarding goblin. "I want this cage opened." Brutrumukk said in goblin. "The little dragon inside says you 'ave the key." With that said, the bugbear held the cage out expectantly.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill Jingle Jangle blinks at the cage that was shoved towards her, and after Brutrumukk said he wanted the cage opened, she remained silent for a good moment. She silently raised an index finger as though to tell him to wait a moment. She proceeded to move and dig through her collection of keys on the ground, before finally pulling a small silver key out off from the ground. She gave Brutrumukk and the rest of the party a faint smile again before handing the key over, "Better you should have it than those long-eared brigands. First they stole Jingle Jangle's truffles. Next, they'll want Jingle Jangle's keys," As though to accentuate her words, her stomach rumbles loudly in the cave. She looked away embarrassed.</s>

<|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk accepted the key with a grunt of gratitude. Paying no heed to the goblin's words or rumbling stomach, Brutrumukk unlocked the cage and opened the door. "There you go. One unlocked cage. Courtesy o' the Spirit o' the Snorin' Stone." Brutrumukk said to Sir Talavar in common, before dropping the key and holding his hand out expectantly once more. "That'll be one blessed sword."</s>

<|description|>Brutrumukk Age: 17 Race: Bugbear Class: Barbarian Level: 2 Background: Folk Hero Personality: See persona section of the linked character sheet. Backstory: In the middle of a grassy field stands a large rock. This rock is known to the locals as the Snoring Stone, a name it gained after people began to hear loud snoring with no discernible source when passing the rock sometimes. People were unsure of what to make of this weird phenomenon until someone made too much noise near the rock and the snoring turned to angry yelling. After that, people became convinced that a spirit had made its home in the rock and began leaving it offerings of food, drink, gold, and other kinds of gifts, hoping that this appeasement would calm the spirit and dissuade it from following through on the threats it had made to those who disturbed its slumber. These offerings pleased the spirit enough that it forgave the disturbance, on the condition that the offerings continued. With the arrangement made, things returned to normal for a time. The Spirit Of The Snoring Stone rested peacefully in its rocky home and the locals regularly brought it offerings to keep it that way. Eventually, a brave and desperate carpenter decided to wake the Spirit again. Before the Spirit could begin angrily making threats though, the carpenter begged the Spirit's help with a problem no one else could help him with. Upon learning that the carpenter had brought a much grander offering that usual to convince it to help, the Spirit eagerly agreed. The very next morning, the carpenter awoke to find the solution to his problems awaiting him on his dining table. Overjoyed by the end of his woes, the carpenter told others of what had happened. After that, many other locals came to petition the Spirit Of The Snoring Stone for its aid. A shepherd who had lost some of his sheep would find them tied to a post the morning after visiting the Stone. A fisherman whose usual spot had dried up found a map to a pond full of much tastier fish nailed to his door after asking the Spirit for help. And when an angry mob asked for help in tracking down a murderer, they found the murderer's corpse an hour later, clubbed to death and beheaded. One day, a farmer arrived at the Snoring Stone out of breath and in a state of panic. His house had caught fire, no one could put it out, and his family was trapped inside. He offered everything he had in exchange for his family's safety. "Go 'ome an' wait." The Spirit said. "I'll do the rest." And so the farmer hurried home to where his wife, children, and elderly parents were still trapped and prayed to the Gods as he waited for the Spirit to come. Suddenly, the door burst open and the farmer's parents rushed from the house just before the fire blocked the way. Then, each window in the house smashed open, allowing one of the farmer's children to climb out of each one before the flames blocked those exits too. With no way out left, the farmer, his family, and the assembled crowd watched the burning house as they wondered how the spirit would rescue the farmer's wife. Their answer came when one of the house's walls gave way and the farmer's wife emerged from the hole... cradled in the arms of an enormous bugbear. The bugbear, who went by the name of Brutrumukk, revealed himself to be the so called Spirit Of The Snoring Stone, having played along with their beliefs to sponge off the offerings the locals had brought to the Snoring Stone, which he explained had a hollow interior and a secret entrance. Remembering all that the 'Spirit' had done for them, the locals refrained from driving the hulking goblinoid away and decided to let their current arrangement stand due to how helpful Brutrumukk had proven himself, even if the black-hearted bugbear had only helped for personal gain. A year after settling in the Snoring Stone, Brutrumukk was rudely awoken one day by the sound of a certain multiversal carnival being set up right next to his home. Stat Generation: Point Buy Day Count: 2 (349) Kill Count: 1 Most Kills in a Dungeon: 1 Most Kills in an Encounter: 1 Most Kills in a Round: 1</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L He didn't understand a single word the bugbear said but it was easy enough to understand he wanted the cage opened, at least the aptly named goblin Jingle Jangle wasn't too bothered by Brutrumukk's lack of tact. "Well I needn't unlock happiness I'm afraid I'm as jovial as the next bastard elf. But if you know of someone who can find lost things I'd part with this fine gourd here." Gabe slung his backpack from one shoulder to the ground to procure the dragon shaped gourd from the bag.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill Sir Talavar fluttered out of the cage as soon as the door was open. With a flourish in the air he called out in the cave, "Huzzah! I'm Free!" He looks to Brutrumukk when he asks for payment, and the knight answers, "Of course. I have not forgotten our agreement! Here! You have my sword!" He then takes off his sheathed sword, and hands it to Brutrumukk with all of the pomp and circumstance he can muster. After he gives the sword, he calls to the party, "As much as I would love to remain in your company for a while longer, I must be off. I have to report back to my Liege! Your valor will not be forgotten!" He bids them a fond farewell before he darts off, "So until we meet again!" Jingle Jangle doesn't seem to mind Brutrumukk's rudeness. Her attention was drawn to Jub when he whispered to Aurora. While her gaze was on him, Jingle Jangle looked starstruck. She snapped herself out of the stupor and she answered him, "Milord, Jingle Jangle doesn't have much to offer, but you have Jingle Jangle's hospitality while you are here...Milord," Jingle Jangle awkwardly tries to bow to Jub, but finds it hard to do with the keys on her. When Aurora and Gabriel give her rations and the guord, the goblin's mood noticeably brightened. She happily accepts the food from both of them, "Oh! Thank you!" Jingle Jangle looks to Gabriel, and stops herself from digging into the food to answer him, "Jingle Jangle doesn't know about lost items, but Jingle Jangle does know who steals items," She continues to explain to Aurora and Gabriel, "Those long-eared brigands are led by Agdon Longscarf. He wears a bright blue scarf and he moves as fast as lightning! If you're heading to Brigands' Tollway, you might encounter him there!" Upon seeing that none of you recognize that name, Jingle Jangle clarified, "Brigands' Tollway are a bunch of old wooden catwalks surrounding a stump! The Brigands camp up there!" She then realized something and continued, "Jingle Jangle's sorry, but Jingle Jangle doesn't want to leave. If you want a guide, you just need to find Clapperclaw! He's a pincer clawed scarecrow who hangs out at Downfall and he knows the way to Thither!" Cue the victory music, because you freed Sir Talavar! Sir Talavar has bestowed his sword to you. However, it is a tiny sword, crafted for a being of his size. This weapon functions as a +1 Dagger in the hands of a small or medium creature.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk watched as Sir Talavar flew away before finding a place on his belt to hang it from and promptly forgot about it once he had. The bugbear then turned to look at Jingle Jangle just in time to laugh at her clumsy attempt at bowing to Jub. He then listened as Jingle Jangle revealed the location of the Bunny Brigands' base and who they could go to if they needed at guide to reach whatever 'Thither' was. Brutrumukk didn't care about the latter, but he certainly cared about the former. "Guess we know where to start lookin' fer those lost dice then." The bugbear said when Jingle Jangle was done talking. "An' I also think I know what I'm cookin' fer dinner tonight. Always enjoyed me some rabbit stew."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill Jingle Jangle looks to Brutrumukk as he spoke, and she looked concerned. She looked back to the rest of the party before looking back to Brutrumukk, "I do think they should know what it's like to be shaken down for once...but, how will they change their ways if they've been turned to soup?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk For a moment, Brutrumukk regarded Jingle Jangle and her words with a confused expression on his face. But after some thought, that confusion soon gave way to realization, before finally shifting to a look of impressed cruelty. "Oh I get what yer sayin'. Took me a moment there, but I get what yer sayin' now." Brutrumukk said in goblin with a nod of agreement. "Khurg's got you thinkin' that these rabbits'd do better as slave meat than as stew meat, yeah? Well I suppose if any o' them decide to surrender rather than go down fightin', I could spare 'em the pot an' bring 'em your way instead. I won't do it fer free though. What's in it fer me?"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill Jingle Jangle looks shocked at Brutrumukk's words, and she couldn't help but squeak "Wh-What?!" She waved her hands and answered, "Jingle Jangle doesn't want that! Jingle Jangle just thinks that shaking them down so that they know what it's like is enough. Killing and slavery is going too far!" She then whispered clearly confused, "Who's Khurg?" She then continued, expressly stating what she believes, "Anyways, this is Prismeer! People can change for the better, especially here of all places. All they have to do is embrace what makes them unique! Whether you're a goblin who likes keys, or an awakened hill with talking trees!"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Khurgorbaeyag," Jub explained in a similar manner to how he would when Brutrumukk didn't understand a word. "Goblin god of oppression and social order." He glanced at Brutrumukk. "I guess things must be different for goblins in the Feywild than they are where we're from." He'd been giving Jingle Jangle the side-eye ever since she'd addressed him and attempted a bow. He had been suspicious of her before, but after hearing her talk, he was starting to get the sense she was harmless. Weird, but harmless.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk When Jingle Jangle clarified what she had meant, Brutrumukk's expression briefly shifted to shock before quickly turning to disgust. When the goblin the asked after the identity of her own god in confusion though, Brutrumukk's face became a masterpiece of murderous rage. The bugbear stepped forward, reaching for his morningstar as the beginnings of a bestial roar rumbled within his throat. But he stopped and went quiet when Jub spoke up to answer Jingle Jangle's question, reminding Brutrumukk that his companions were present and that the living trees outside didn't look like a fight he could win. With a frustrated growl, Brutrumukk stepped back and turned to leave before anymore could be said. "Jub an' I'll be at the raft." He said before storming out of the cave, taking his shoulder goblin with him. Brutrumukk stomped out of the cave and back down the hill towards the raft they had arrived on, ranting to Jub in goblin as he went. "It just boggles the mind, booyagh! Absolutely boggles it! I know goblins can go a bit off track when bugbears or 'obgoblins ain't nearby to show 'em 'ow to be good an' proper, but I didn't know it could get that bad! 'Ow in the Nine soddin' 'Ells could the gods even begin to bring themselves to stomach such a pathetic excuse fer a goblin actually bein' real?!" Brutrumukk growled once more as they arrived at the raft. "But I suppose I should 'ave seen that comin'. What with 'ow weird this place is an' that weird key fetish she's got. Did you see 'ow many keys she 'ad? The fuck was up with that...? It just boggles the mind."</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Oh- okay, guess I'm going too," said Jub as Brutrumukk left the rest of the group. He didn't have any problem leaving the conversation, as he hadn't exactly been participating in it that much, but he didn't like the direction Brutrumukk's mood had taken. As the bugbear started ranting to him, Jub simply nodded along with the occassional "Mm-hmm" and "Yep" when it was appropriate, all the while starting to sweat profusely. In truth, Jub hadn't exactly been living a normal goblin life before meeting Brutrumukk. He'd been going from town to town, keeping his head down and using his magic to get enough coin to feed himself. When he couldn't get coin, he mostly dug around in other people's garbage to get what he needed. While he hadn't gone so far as to collecting shiny objects, he had done what he needed to do to get by, and he assumed that Jingle Jangle's habit of collecting keys was her way of coping. "Eh, when you don't have a tribe, you try and do what you can to get by," he said. "And I suppose, in a place like the Feywild, 'getting by' involves being really, really weird."</s>

<|message|>Brutrumukk "I suppose yer right." Brutrumukk said thoughtfully, having also been forced to adapt to a change in lifestyle after his old gang was destroyed by adventurers. "Though I'm not sure 'ow forgettin' yer god an' yer tongue would 'elp you get by. Even in a place as weird as this." After a moment, Brutrumukk felt the fur on the shoulder carrying Jub begin to dampen. He turned to look at Jub and saw the goblin sweating bullets. "Uh... booyagh?" Brutrumukk asked in mild concern. "Is somethin' wrong?"</s>

<|description|>Brutrumukk Age: 17 Race: Bugbear Class: Barbarian Level: 2 Background: Folk Hero Personality: See persona section of the linked character sheet. Backstory: In the middle of a grassy field stands a large rock. This rock is known to the locals as the Snoring Stone, a name it gained after people began to hear loud snoring with no discernible source when passing the rock sometimes. People were unsure of what to make of this weird phenomenon until someone made too much noise near the rock and the snoring turned to angry yelling. After that, people became convinced that a spirit had made its home in the rock and began leaving it offerings of food, drink, gold, and other kinds of gifts, hoping that this appeasement would calm the spirit and dissuade it from following through on the threats it had made to those who disturbed its slumber. These offerings pleased the spirit enough that it forgave the disturbance, on the condition that the offerings continued. With the arrangement made, things returned to normal for a time. The Spirit Of The Snoring Stone rested peacefully in its rocky home and the locals regularly brought it offerings to keep it that way. Eventually, a brave and desperate carpenter decided to wake the Spirit again. Before the Spirit could begin angrily making threats though, the carpenter begged the Spirit's help with a problem no one else could help him with. Upon learning that the carpenter had brought a much grander offering that usual to convince it to help, the Spirit eagerly agreed. The very next morning, the carpenter awoke to find the solution to his problems awaiting him on his dining table. Overjoyed by the end of his woes, the carpenter told others of what had happened. After that, many other locals came to petition the Spirit Of The Snoring Stone for its aid. A shepherd who had lost some of his sheep would find them tied to a post the morning after visiting the Stone. A fisherman whose usual spot had dried up found a map to a pond full of much tastier fish nailed to his door after asking the Spirit for help. And when an angry mob asked for help in tracking down a murderer, they found the murderer's corpse an hour later, clubbed to death and beheaded. One day, a farmer arrived at the Snoring Stone out of breath and in a state of panic. His house had caught fire, no one could put it out, and his family was trapped inside. He offered everything he had in exchange for his family's safety. "Go 'ome an' wait." The Spirit said. "I'll do the rest." And so the farmer hurried home to where his wife, children, and elderly parents were still trapped and prayed to the Gods as he waited for the Spirit to come. Suddenly, the door burst open and the farmer's parents rushed from the house just before the fire blocked the way. Then, each window in the house smashed open, allowing one of the farmer's children to climb out of each one before the flames blocked those exits too. With no way out left, the farmer, his family, and the assembled crowd watched the burning house as they wondered how the spirit would rescue the farmer's wife. Their answer came when one of the house's walls gave way and the farmer's wife emerged from the hole... cradled in the arms of an enormous bugbear. The bugbear, who went by the name of Brutrumukk, revealed himself to be the so called Spirit Of The Snoring Stone, having played along with their beliefs to sponge off the offerings the locals had brought to the Snoring Stone, which he explained had a hollow interior and a secret entrance. Remembering all that the 'Spirit' had done for them, the locals refrained from driving the hulking goblinoid away and decided to let their current arrangement stand due to how helpful Brutrumukk had proven himself, even if the black-hearted bugbear had only helped for personal gain. A year after settling in the Snoring Stone, Brutrumukk was rudely awoken one day by the sound of a certain multiversal carnival being set up right next to his home. Stat Generation: Point Buy Day Count: 2 (349) Kill Count: 1 Most Kills in a Dungeon: 1 Most Kills in an Encounter: 1 Most Kills in a Round: 1</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Once everyone was back on the raft, Brutrumukk picked a direction at random and rowed that way until the water level dropped back down to a depth where the raft was no longer needed. Hefting the raft on the shoulder he wasn't carrying Jub on and putting the stilt he'd been using as an oar back in the stilt pants, Brutrumukk then led the way in yet another randomly selected direction until the sound of squelching feet met his ears and the scent of delicious stew met his nose. As the walking inn came into view, Brutrumukk nodded at the sight. "Yeah, that makes sense." The bugbear stated. "Or at least whatever the fuck this place likes to call 'sense' even though it clearly isn't... Either way, I like the smell o' what they got cookin' in there. Let's go 'ave a look-see." With that said, Brutrumukk walked up to the building as it lowered itself down, kicked open the door, and walked inside. "Oi oi!" Brutrumukk called out in greeting. "What smells so tasty in 'ere an' where can I get some?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub was still stewing over the encounter with Jingle Jangle and Brutrumukk's violent - and uncomfortably familiar - reaction to her when the house approached. He raised his head, looking at the building, then at the feet, then back up at the building. "You know, you'd think after a day of being here, I'd become numb to all the weird shit," Jub said. "But no. Just when I think I've seen the weirdest this place has to offer, something literally comes round the corner that dares to be weirder." He gave a loud sigh. "This place is exhausting." When Brutrumukk started to walk inside, Jub was inevitability brought in along with him as he was perched on the bugbear's shoulder. "Oh I guess we're going in, sure, okay, fine," Jub said as he threw up his hands in exasperation. "March straight into the spooky leg house. What could go wrong?"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither The Inn at the End of the Road Brutrumukk finds that entering the inn with the raft in tow is nearly impossible. He would need to leave that item outside. Upon entering the weird building, they find that the interior seems to be like that of any other tavern. The only difference the party can notice is this tavern interior is decorated with vibrant and beautiful flowers not typically found in a swamp. There is an elderly human woman wearing druidic vestments standing behind the bar. She gives the adventurers who enter a warm smile and she greets them kindly, "Ah, Guests! It's been a long time since I've had patrons come by! Welcome to the Inn at the End of the Road," "You are welcome to have some stew, and even a few slices of plum pie I baked just today! You are also welcome to stay and rest. There are beds that you can sleep in upstairs," That's right! With this encounter, you guys can take a long rest!</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L A twinkle in his eye returned, as his senses were greeted by the smell of stew he didn't need to guess that the building was some sort of inn which could only mean... Thank Corellon, the gods that be have heard my prayers! Gabriel didn't even wait for the rest of the party, leaping from the boat causing it to rock as he practically sprinted through knee deep swamp water soaking his trousers as he waded like his life depended upon it towards the inn. Soaking wet, panting from loss of breath the bard stumbled over to wherever the bar was or whatever looked most like a counter, he really couldn't tell it was all blurry. "My good woman, please and I beg you please tell me you have any ..." he heaved heavy breaths as he tried to get it together "And I mean any alcohol, by the gods I need a drink after the day this had been."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither The Inn at the End of the Road The elderly innkeeper looks to Gabriel and she apologizes as she gives a disappointing answer, "I'm sorry, young man. I wish I did have some drink to offer you. But Slack-Jawed Lorna-" The last three words were spoken bitterly before the old woman takes a moment to spit at the floor off to her side and away from the party. She continues from where she left off, "She had her minions take every single drop I had to offer," She sighed and she sighs "In Zybilna's time, this inn was the talk of Prismeer,"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L The twinkle in his eye disappeared, replaced by a slight twitch either from becoming slightly neurotic or slightly annoyed either way he was tired and out of breath, so madness wasn't that farfetched. Once the old crone finished, and spat on the floor like she cursed the very name she spoke a manic laugh escaped the bards mouth, there was a tear in his eye that he wiped away. He wanted to scream to the heavens and curse the gods, however his mind latched onto the name Slack-Jawed Lorna. Taking a moment to collect himself, and keep himself from weeping uncontrollably Gabriel spoke up after taking a deep breath "So you say some brigands up and lifted all your precious liquor?" although he had just met this old crone, and for all he knew she could be a man eating crone but all he cared about was getting a gods damned drink in this fucking shit hole of a swamp. "My good woman, please tell me more of this Lorna. To take is very odd knowing what so far I know of the goings on in Prismeer." oh he would love nothing more than to meet this Lorna and run her through with his rapier at that moment if it meant having something to drink. He was getting tired of running around a swamp without having some sort of buzz other than the buzz of mosquitoes.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither The Inn at the End of the Road The innkeeper raises an eyebrow at Gabriel's request, and she asked him, "Slack-Jawed Lorna? You know, Bavlorna Blightstraw?" She takes a moment to spit to the side twice upon saying the hag's name twice. She continues, "She never leaves her cottage in Downfall? Caused this whole region to be a flooded swamp in the first place?" She then asked curiously, "Why do you ask?"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Bavlorna-what now? a confused Gabriel shook his head, taking a moment to rub the center of his temples with one hand and the other he looked at for a brief moment enough to notice his hands were shaking. Oh by Corellon's blade... the half elves expression turned from confusion to embarrassment, realizing he made a fool of himself all for a drop of alcohol. "Why do you ask?" he'd blanked out for a brief moment mising a bit of what the old woman had said, peering back up at her wrinkled face looking at him with curiosity "I'd be lying if I said noble intentions," Gabe told her, his tone somewhat melancholy but he breathed a sigh and offered her an apologetic smile "My inhibitions often get the better of my judgment my fair lady, and drink is just that." Sometimes he needed to forget the past, his life as a gutter rat, having to fight for even a morsel of food. Sometimes he just wanted to forget it all, it was the reason he left Waterdeep and put so much distance between himself and the place he grew up but sometimes the memories were too much to ignore. Sometimes numbing the memories were all he could do to keep the nightmares of his childhood at bay. Sometimes no matter how much he strived to live a better life, his past always haunts him. "I'm a bit too fond of the finer things you see, things that were a rarity in my youth." Gabriel chuckled, his smile returning to him as he offered a hand to the innkeeper "Gabriel, man of the sword and duelist by trade."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Future plans on murderin' this beer stealin' bitch aside, I got two questions." Brutrumukk stated once Gabriel was done talking. "First off, what would you be wantin' in return fer all this food an' stuff yer offerin'? An' secondly, do got anywhere we could put our raft outside? I couldn't fit through the door an' I'd rather not leave it behind it if this place starts walkin' again. We might need it later."</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora The trudge through the swampy terrain was an inconvenience but more progress would be made this way than by the raft with the water levels this low. Before she even looked towards the sound that was approaching, the smell of the stew caught her nose. The legged structure did cause her own suspicion to rise but the fact that both Gabe and Brut walked into the inn with no caution didn't leave Rory many options. She quietly walked in behind Gabe and attempted to stay slightly hidden behind Brutrumukk and Jub. As the two went on asking their questions, and finding out Bavlorna Blightstraw had her minions take the drink from the inn. Aurora looked up towards where Jub was perched on Brutrumukk's shoulder. "You ok Jub?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub was only half-listening to the conversation between his teammates and the woman, and was somewhat startled by Aurora suddenly saying his name. "Hmm?" He glanced over at the elf. He was about to say he was fine, but his condition kicked in and he ended up saying, "Well, no actually. This whole situation is very much stressing me out." Realising what he had just said, Jub quickly clamped one hand over his mouth. He started shaking his head and waving with his free hand as if trying to signal for everyone else to ignore him and continue on with their conversation.</s>

<|message|>Brutrumukk "Yeah, a pub without beer ain't the best thing in the world." Brutrumukk said to Jub with a nod of agreement, not understanding what his shoulder goblin's gestures meant. "But look on the bright side. They still got food. An' it sure does smell tasty, don't it? Yeah, a pub without beer ain't the best thing in the world, but it ain't the worst thing either."</s>

<|description|>Brutrumukk Age: 17 Race: Bugbear Class: Barbarian Level: 2 Background: Folk Hero Personality: See persona section of the linked character sheet. Backstory: In the middle of a grassy field stands a large rock. This rock is known to the locals as the Snoring Stone, a name it gained after people began to hear loud snoring with no discernible source when passing the rock sometimes. People were unsure of what to make of this weird phenomenon until someone made too much noise near the rock and the snoring turned to angry yelling. After that, people became convinced that a spirit had made its home in the rock and began leaving it offerings of food, drink, gold, and other kinds of gifts, hoping that this appeasement would calm the spirit and dissuade it from following through on the threats it had made to those who disturbed its slumber. These offerings pleased the spirit enough that it forgave the disturbance, on the condition that the offerings continued. With the arrangement made, things returned to normal for a time. The Spirit Of The Snoring Stone rested peacefully in its rocky home and the locals regularly brought it offerings to keep it that way. Eventually, a brave and desperate carpenter decided to wake the Spirit again. Before the Spirit could begin angrily making threats though, the carpenter begged the Spirit's help with a problem no one else could help him with. Upon learning that the carpenter had brought a much grander offering that usual to convince it to help, the Spirit eagerly agreed. The very next morning, the carpenter awoke to find the solution to his problems awaiting him on his dining table. Overjoyed by the end of his woes, the carpenter told others of what had happened. After that, many other locals came to petition the Spirit Of The Snoring Stone for its aid. A shepherd who had lost some of his sheep would find them tied to a post the morning after visiting the Stone. A fisherman whose usual spot had dried up found a map to a pond full of much tastier fish nailed to his door after asking the Spirit for help. And when an angry mob asked for help in tracking down a murderer, they found the murderer's corpse an hour later, clubbed to death and beheaded. One day, a farmer arrived at the Snoring Stone out of breath and in a state of panic. His house had caught fire, no one could put it out, and his family was trapped inside. He offered everything he had in exchange for his family's safety. "Go 'ome an' wait." The Spirit said. "I'll do the rest." And so the farmer hurried home to where his wife, children, and elderly parents were still trapped and prayed to the Gods as he waited for the Spirit to come. Suddenly, the door burst open and the farmer's parents rushed from the house just before the fire blocked the way. Then, each window in the house smashed open, allowing one of the farmer's children to climb out of each one before the flames blocked those exits too. With no way out left, the farmer, his family, and the assembled crowd watched the burning house as they wondered how the spirit would rescue the farmer's wife. Their answer came when one of the house's walls gave way and the farmer's wife emerged from the hole... cradled in the arms of an enormous bugbear. The bugbear, who went by the name of Brutrumukk, revealed himself to be the so called Spirit Of The Snoring Stone, having played along with their beliefs to sponge off the offerings the locals had brought to the Snoring Stone, which he explained had a hollow interior and a secret entrance. Remembering all that the 'Spirit' had done for them, the locals refrained from driving the hulking goblinoid away and decided to let their current arrangement stand due to how helpful Brutrumukk had proven himself, even if the black-hearted bugbear had only helped for personal gain. A year after settling in the Snoring Stone, Brutrumukk was rudely awoken one day by the sound of a certain multiversal carnival being set up right next to his home. Stat Generation: Point Buy Day Count: 2 (349) Kill Count: 1 Most Kills in a Dungeon: 1 Most Kills in an Encounter: 1 Most Kills in a Round: 1</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither The Inn at the End of the Road While the party spoke with each other, the innkeeper, Tsu Harabax, prepared the bowls of hearty stew for the party. She sets each bowl with care, along with wooden utensils. Along with the stew, she also sets out a plate of plum pie and a glass of fresh water. The fresh water was clearly purified of any...swampy contaminants. The hearty stew is full of vegetables and potatoes, clearly a vegetarian dish, but it is still filling and refreshing! Should any of the party partake in the plum pie, they find that it is a perfect blend tart and sweet flavors. Like the cupcakes in the Feasting Orchard in the Carnival though, the plum pie does leave purple stains behind if the party members aren't careful. Once everything was prepared for the party, she reassures them, "Here you are. Please enjoy the food,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "I helped him by using a simple spell I learned decades ago." Aurora explained as she cleaned her clothes. "It can take awhile for large quantities of things that need to be cleaned, but it works in situations like this when means of cleaning are limited. I can help you clean your gear once I am done with mine." "That'd be great." Brutrumukk said gratefully "The swamp stink's startin' to rub off on me. I'll be needin' that gone in case I need to sneak around. There ain't no skulkin' what can work if a nose can smell you comin' a mile off." "I would also like to let you that I do not agree with your intentions of eating these bandits." Aurora went on to say. "In all honesty I do not intend on killing them unless we have to. They are still humanoids and at least deserve a chance to redeem themselves. Besides that humanoids are not food. I know I probably cannot convince you otherwise Brutrumukk but I also want to put it out there that I will not be eating this supposed rabbit stew you plan to make from these folk." "Eh, suit yerself." Brutrumukk said. "That just leaves more fer the rest of us." "Here you are. Please enjoy the food," The innkeeper called out as he served the stew and the pie and the water. "Oh don't you worry." Brutrumukk said as he bore down on on his bowl of stew. "I will enjoy it very much!" With that said, Brutrumukk went about the business of demolishing the stew with great gusto an gluttony. "NOM NOM NOM! Om. Nom... Oh, dish shtoo ish delishush!" Brutrumukk exclaimed before swallowing the food in his mouth and continuing. "I notice there ain't no meat in it though. Did the 'ag's goons take all the meat as well?"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Eh, suit yerself." Brutrumukk said. "That just leaves more fer the rest of us." the frown that had been forming on the half-elves face creased the sides of his mouth, guess it was true what folks said about the bugbear. "Here I thought you were different big guy." Gabe muttered under his breath as he shook his head, at least Jub seemed different but he wasn't sure where the little guy would stand on his friend eating people. "An eye for an eye," he said after having a spoonful of stew, like he were quoting something "Or so we said on the streets of Waterdeep. We didn't go around eating thieves." it was moral code, when someone took something you took something. A life for a life or an eye for an eye "Now I am going to take what was stolen but nothing more," the bard finished his stew and whispered his thanks to the innkeeper before turning in his seat to look at the bugbear. "Let's not go around eating those who do wrong, besides we'll be taking back something worth more than rabbit! Beer!" he slapped the furry brute on the shoulder before getting up and looking back to the old innkeep "So miss, how bout that bath?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub nodded in silent agreement as Aurora mentioned the benefits and handiness of the Prestidigitation spell, but conspicuously stopped doing so when she started getting into a debate with Brutrumukk about whether or not they were going to eat the rabbit bandits. He knew that she wasn't going to get anywhere with that argument, after all. He did, however, decide to point out something that he had noticed about the bugbear. "Given how much we've had to eat today, I'm surprised you're still hungry," Jub said between mouthfuls of his own meal. "Are you ever full, or is your stomach some bottomless void?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk gave an apathetic shrug as another one of his companions turned their nose up at the thought of eating the Bunny Brigands. Brutrumukk wasn't entirely sure why they were taking issue with this. It's ok to eat normal sized non-talking rabbits that haven't done anything wrong, but eating human sized rabbits that can talk and engage in banditry isn't? Brutrumukk could not for the life of him understand the logic behind that. But he wasn't about to argue with them though. The fewer people to share the meat with, the greater share of meat he'd get for himself. "Given how much we've had to eat today, I'm surprised you're still hungry," Jub said between mouthfuls of his own meal. "Are you ever full, or is your stomach some bottomless void?" "Bugbears are bigger than most other folks." Brutrumukk explained. "So o' course our stomachs would be bigger than most other stomachs too." Of course, there was more to it than that. But metabolism, the effect regular physical exertion has on it, and all that other theoretical knowledge wasn't Brutrumukk's strong suit, so he wasn't aware of those reasons.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither The Inn at the End of the Road The innkeeper, Tsu Harabax, gave a gentle smile when Brutrumukk complimented her cooking. When he asked about meat, she answered "Oh no. I never had meat to begin with. I am not really fond of hunting," She continues as she waved a hand over a nearby pot full of soil, "Besides, I consider myself a better gardener than hunter," After she waved her hand over the pot, a plant rapidly grew from a seed, to a sapling, to a small plant that rapidly grew a bright red bell pepper. Tsu Harabax casted Druidcraft to grow a bell pepper. When Gabriel asked about the bath, Tsu answers him, "Ah, that's right. Pardon my rudeness," She nods upstairs and she informs him, "The bath is upstairs. It's in the room at the end of the hall. The rest of the rooms are bedrooms," After Jub and Brutrumukk talk about the bugbear's eating habits, Zavakri speaks up, "Actually, that would be because of metabolism. From what I remember from my one course in the study of living beings, that's when the body turns the food a bloke ate into energy. With how big you are, Brutrumukk, it would make sense that you have to eat more in order to have enough energy to even move about," She then shrugged, "But alas, my specialization is in Astronomy and magic. I am not as much of an expert,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk The sight of Tsu casting her spell on the pot of soil caused Brutrumukk to pause in his eating and watch intently as the seed within the pot grew into a bell pepper over the course of six seconds. As the innkeeper turned to address Gabriel's inquiry, Brutrumukk got up from his seat and walked over to where the bell pepper was. Druidcraft. Brutrumukk recognized the spell. He knew it well. It was a spell his mother knew. She tended to use it more for its weather prediction and fire making than its plant growing, but even so, Brutrumukk hadn't seen that spell since he'd last seen his mother cast it. Seeing it again now... it made him feel strange. Brutrumukk was pulled from his thoughts suddenly when Zavakri brought up the specifics of metabolism. "Met a bowl-ism?" Brutrumukk asked in a confused manner once Zavakri was done talking. After a moment, Brutrumukk just shrugged his shoulders at that. "Book people say the weirdest things sometimes." Brutrumukk cast one final glance back at the bell pepper before turning away from it, walking back to his chair, sitting down, and finishing his bowl of stew. "All that talk o' rabbits just now 'as me thinkin' about that lot what we met by the bridge" Brutrumukk brought up to everyone present as he pushed his bowl away and pilled his plate of pie closer. "They wanted our memories of the best thing what someone ever gave each of us, yeah? We stopped 'em from doin' that, but now it's got me wonderin'... What is the best thing what someone's given each of us?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Best thing I've ever been given?" Jub paused in his meal and tilted his head to one side. "Well, now, that's a tough one. While the most important thing I own is, of course, my spellbook, I wasn't exactly given that." He frowned. In truth, he had received very few gifts in his time, and none of them were particularly noteworthy. They had been either things like food or money, interchangeable things that you didn't hold onto for too long. Jub's ears were drooping slightly as he was starting to think he'd have to admit to his new friends that he didn't have any fond memories like that... ... then he remembered Gabriel giving him his bag of pixie dust back at the Carnival, the bag he still had among his belongings. It had been a small thing, and he'd forgotten it not long after, but it had been nice to get given something like that out of the blue. Of course, he wasn't sure how comfortable he felt admitting that to his companions. They might make fun of him. He opened his mouth to lie and say he couldn't think of anything but instead... "Well, there was that pixie dust Gabe gave he me at the carnival," he said. "That was pretty nice." Once he realised what he had just said, his face flushed. "Ha ha... wow this is really good food, ma'am, what's your secret?" he quickly said before proceeding to stuff with face with food, praying to whatever gods were currently listening that his friends would ignore what he just said.</s>

<|message|>Brutrumukk "The pixie dust Gabe gave you?" Brutrumukk said. He chuckled at that. Though it was a warm sort of chuckle, devoid of any malice. "I'm not sure whether I should find it sweet that you think so 'ighly o' Gabe's gift or if I should be pissed off at the world fer not bein' nicer to you sooner... Ah what the 'Ells, I'll go with both."</s>

<|description|>Brutrumukk Age: 17 Race: Bugbear Class: Barbarian Level: 2 Background: Folk Hero Personality: See persona section of the linked character sheet. Backstory: In the middle of a grassy field stands a large rock. This rock is known to the locals as the Snoring Stone, a name it gained after people began to hear loud snoring with no discernible source when passing the rock sometimes. People were unsure of what to make of this weird phenomenon until someone made too much noise near the rock and the snoring turned to angry yelling. After that, people became convinced that a spirit had made its home in the rock and began leaving it offerings of food, drink, gold, and other kinds of gifts, hoping that this appeasement would calm the spirit and dissuade it from following through on the threats it had made to those who disturbed its slumber. These offerings pleased the spirit enough that it forgave the disturbance, on the condition that the offerings continued. With the arrangement made, things returned to normal for a time. The Spirit Of The Snoring Stone rested peacefully in its rocky home and the locals regularly brought it offerings to keep it that way. Eventually, a brave and desperate carpenter decided to wake the Spirit again. Before the Spirit could begin angrily making threats though, the carpenter begged the Spirit's help with a problem no one else could help him with. Upon learning that the carpenter had brought a much grander offering that usual to convince it to help, the Spirit eagerly agreed. The very next morning, the carpenter awoke to find the solution to his problems awaiting him on his dining table. Overjoyed by the end of his woes, the carpenter told others of what had happened. After that, many other locals came to petition the Spirit Of The Snoring Stone for its aid. A shepherd who had lost some of his sheep would find them tied to a post the morning after visiting the Stone. A fisherman whose usual spot had dried up found a map to a pond full of much tastier fish nailed to his door after asking the Spirit for help. And when an angry mob asked for help in tracking down a murderer, they found the murderer's corpse an hour later, clubbed to death and beheaded. One day, a farmer arrived at the Snoring Stone out of breath and in a state of panic. His house had caught fire, no one could put it out, and his family was trapped inside. He offered everything he had in exchange for his family's safety. "Go 'ome an' wait." The Spirit said. "I'll do the rest." And so the farmer hurried home to where his wife, children, and elderly parents were still trapped and prayed to the Gods as he waited for the Spirit to come. Suddenly, the door burst open and the farmer's parents rushed from the house just before the fire blocked the way. Then, each window in the house smashed open, allowing one of the farmer's children to climb out of each one before the flames blocked those exits too. With no way out left, the farmer, his family, and the assembled crowd watched the burning house as they wondered how the spirit would rescue the farmer's wife. Their answer came when one of the house's walls gave way and the farmer's wife emerged from the hole... cradled in the arms of an enormous bugbear. The bugbear, who went by the name of Brutrumukk, revealed himself to be the so called Spirit Of The Snoring Stone, having played along with their beliefs to sponge off the offerings the locals had brought to the Snoring Stone, which he explained had a hollow interior and a secret entrance. Remembering all that the 'Spirit' had done for them, the locals refrained from driving the hulking goblinoid away and decided to let their current arrangement stand due to how helpful Brutrumukk had proven himself, even if the black-hearted bugbear had only helped for personal gain. A year after settling in the Snoring Stone, Brutrumukk was rudely awoken one day by the sound of a certain multiversal carnival being set up right next to his home. Stat Generation: Point Buy Day Count: 2 (349) Kill Count: 1 Most Kills in a Dungeon: 1 Most Kills in an Encounter: 1 Most Kills in a Round: 1</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk After he finished speaking, Brutrumukk became somewhat lost in thought for a time. Only recovering when he realized that Aurora had asked him about the best gift he'd ever received. "The best gift I ever got?" Brutrumukk said. "I got that a long time ago. So far back that gettin' it's actually the earliest memory I can think of. When I was about three years old, me mum an' me dad were part of an 'ost. Only it weren't doin' so good as it used to be, so me mum an' me dad decided to get a bunch of other bugbears together an' lop off some 'obgoblin 'eads. I don't remember much of 'ow it went, but I do still remember seein' me dad club the 'ost's warlord to death at the end. After he chopped the 'ead off, 'e let me play with it whenever it weren't on a spike. It was me favorite toy fer a long time." Brutrumukk then looked contemplative for a moment before speaking again. "There are two other gift memories I can think of." Brutrumukk added. "They ain't the best gifts what I ever got, but since we are where we are, I feel like it'd be fittin' to tell you lot about 'em." Brutrumukk took a moment to eat some pie before continuing. "Me mum knew 'ow to tame axe beaks, so me gang always 'ad a few o' those birds around. When I was eight, an axe beak chick took a likin' to me, I called 'im Chopper an' we were never too far from each other after that. Then one day, the little bugger wandered off while I wasn't lookin'. I went off to look fer 'im, but I 'ad no luck even after hours o' searchin'. Just as I was about to give up, this woman with white 'air, white clothes, an' a weird chicken foot tattoo under 'er eye appeared out o' nowhere." Brutrumukk paused then for another bite of pie before pressing on. "She asked be why I was lookin' so bothered. When I told 'er why, this weird smile appeared on 'er face an' she told me she could 'elp. When I agreed to let 'er, she used this magic whistle an' before you know it, Chopper came runnin' out the bushes like 'e'd never even left. When I looked back to ask the weird woman who she was an' why she 'elped me, I found that she'd vanished as suddenly as she arrived." Brutrumukk took a moment to finish the rest of his pie then before recounting his second story. "After that, things when back to normal fer about three years." The bugbear continued. "Then a bunch of adventurers came along an' killed most o' me gang. When they found me though, they got all weird with each other about me bein' a kid. 'No we can't kill 'im! 'E's a child! It's wrong!' One o' them said. 'That ain't no child, that's a monster. You really think it'd 'esitate like this if our roles were reversed' Another said. I managed to sneak away while they were yammerin' on. As I escaped, I ran into that weird woman again. She 'elped me get away from the adventurers and led me to a big rock. She used magic to 'ollow it out, give it a secret entrance, an' make it a nice place to live in. This time, I managed to ask who the woman was an' why she 'elped me. She said that she was a Fairy Godmother an' then told me 'bout the Rule o' Recipe City. Then she vanished into thin air." With his stories done, Brutrumukk looked back at Aurora. "So what about you?" Brutrumukk asked. "What was the best thing you ever got."</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Rory pulled a small worn leather bundle from her pack and set it on the table. "To answer your question Brut. These were probably the best thing I was ever given. My brother Alex gave them me when I was about fifteen." As she spoke she unrolled the bundle to reveal several lock picks, tension bars, a small mirror mounted on a handle, a file, pliers, and pair of scissors with narrow blades. A few of the picks look as though they have been bent or twisted some, while others look as though they were newer. "I suppose more importantly he taught me how to use them. It helped when I needed to get out of the stuffy confines of the house. More than once I had been locked in my room until I could be more lady like." Rory picked up one of the picks looking over it carefully. It was one of the picks she had used to open the side door to the estate grounds that she and Xander left their home through. It had served her well that night and on a few odd jobs. There was a small split in the metal where it had twisted to far. She was honestly surprised that it had lasted as long as it had. Placing it back in the bundle, Rory realized she had gotten lost in the memory of the night she left home. She forced a half smile before resuming her tale after realizing that it probably sounded like a bad situation."Fortunately that provided lots of practice in opening locks. I'm not entirely sure my father and mother figured out I kept getting out. They even went so far as changing the locks on the door and windows at least multiple times in several months before resigning to the fact I would still find a way out." The smile slowly faded as the elf told her tale. "Anyway, who else wants to share what the greatest thing they got?" Aurora asked in an attempt to divert the conversation away from herself.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Stripped down to his breeches, the half-elf sat at the edge of the wood tub in a room with one small circular mirror listening to the muffled sound of conversation below as he absent-mindedly drew a bath. The water was somewhat lukewarm, though it was cleaner than the muddy swill in the swamp outside the tavern walls, his thoughts wandered to the day he had before and the things he was most grateful for. His gaze swiveled to where his shirt hung, a small tug pulled at his lips as he cringed slightly remembering that his companion had kindly cast a spell to clean him up. Gabriel shook his head, muttering a few words and with a flick of his wrist steam wafted from the tub, the water much warmer than it was. He was not going to live it down were his allies to learn that in his rabid lunacy he forgot that he himself was capable of using such a parlor trick, with a sigh the bard peeled off his breeches and threw them aside in an unceremonious heap, stepping into the tub and settling in to the tub slowly til the water rose slightly. His thoughts wandered to what he most cherished in the days past, both chuckling to himself remembering how he lost the poetry contest against the gnome, and frowning as he recalled the few people that had joined them and left. One memory stuck out however that made him smile in the privacy of the bath, when Gabriel took part in the snail races with the elf. It wasn't really much to say it was a gift but afterward he enjoyed sharing a meal with the trueblooded lady. And the bottle of liquor the minstrel had graciously gave him, that was the prize he had needed. Laughing, Gabriel recalled the song that the bugbear sang at the carnivals finale. "Sing, let your heart soar! Sing forever!" "Sad and so happy! Feelings flow over," "Now our world is full of all kinds o' colors!" He hadn't joined in when the two had sang before, it was their song of course. However that song had stuck with him, and it was the greatest gift he had been given without either of the two knowing. Some keener ears might have heard the bard singing to himself quietly in the tub but he didn't care. He wiped a tear from the side of his eyes, and smiled.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither The Inn at the End of the Road Upon being asked what the best gift she received was, Zavakri raised her left hand to show the ring finger, where a beautiful ring rested. She answered the group, "Cor! For me, it would be this," She seemed to not opt to explain why, but instead listened to the others answer the bugbear's question and Brutrumukk answer his own question. The innkeeper seemed especially interested in Brutrumukk's words. Out of all of the party, Aurora can hear Gabriel's singing from upstairs. When there is a moment, the innkeeper spoke to Brutrumukk with a smile and a cheerful laugh, "Ahhh! So you're one of Lady Zybilna's godchildren!" When she is met with confused looks and questions, she explains, "The woman you just described, young bugbear, was Lady Zybilna herself!"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub had been finishing his meal in embarrassed silence, when the innkeeper spoke up. While he had shown some curiosity towards Brutrumukk's story, he hadn't commented. After all, weird and unexplained things happened all over Faerun. If Jub could find a spellbook in the garbage and something like the Witchlight Carnival existed, then why couldn't Brutrumukk have some fairy godmother looking out for him? It was only when the innkeeper identified the woman as Zybilna that Jub suddenly spat out the mouthful of food he had been eating and had to take a moment to recover. "Excuse me," he said after a minute or so of spluttering. "What did you just say?!"</s>

<|message|>Brutrumukk "Ahhh! So you're one of Lady Zybilna's godchildren!" Tsu exclaimed with a smile and a cheerful laugh. "Zip-Ill-Nah?" Brutrumukk asked with a confused expression. "The woman you just described, young bugbear, was Lady Zybilna herself!" Tsu explained. "Excuse me," Jub spluttered after spit taking in surprise. "What did you just say?!" "She just said that the woman what I was talkin' about is actually Zip-Ill-Nah 'erself" Brutrumukk repeated patiently. "Try to keep up, booyagh."</s>

<|description|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep Age 29 Race Half-elf Class/Level Bard 2 Background Duelist Personality See CS For Details History See CS For Details Stat Generation Point Buy</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk hated everything about what was happening right now. The music. The laughter. The noise. He hated it all with every fibre of his being. Ever since the Witchlight Carnival had arrived in the field and set up shop right next to the Snoring Stone, Brutrumukk's usual peace and quiet had been shattered. Yelling at them to go away had proven fruitless. Threatening to rip off their heads and shit down their necks only made them say he wasn't allowed in the carnival, as if he even wanted to go to their stupid carnival! And since there were so many carnies, simply killing them all wasn't an option. And so all the angry bugbear could do was lean against his rock and glare at the carnival as he prayed to Hruggek and Grankhul for the chance to take revenge on those who had torn away the usual serenity and solitude of his grassy field and his hollowed stoney home.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel absent-mindedly played with the basket hilt of the old rapier at his side watching passerby with vague interest, specifically keeping an eye on the grumbling bugbear leaning aways off against an old moss-covered rock 'He could be trouble.' the swordsman thought scratching his goatee with a free hand 'Then again so can anyone.' the man's gaze fell upon the others lined up to pay the ticket... * CONTINUED IN COLLAB *</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar A small figure stood by the floral entrance to the carnival, bundled in a mixture of fine silk and old rags that hid every part of him save his oversized ears and the beady, reddish-orange eyes that seemed to glow slightly beneath his hood. While he was just another visitor to the Witchlight, he had set himself up beside the ticket booth an hour or so earlier and was attempting to flag down all who attempted to enter. These attempts ranged from simply calling out to them to actively getting into their personal space and shoving a variety of small, cruedly-made trinkets in their line-of-sight. "Souveniers for sale!" the figure called. "Made by Jub the Peculiar's own two hands! Buy one now, remember visit to Witchlight Carnival forever!" These attempts had so far been unsuccessful. Most people ignored him and would rush quickly through the archway once they had bought their ticket, or would decide to leave carnival, likely to return at a later point when they hoped he would be gone. Jub had managed to hold out so far, but even his enthusiasm was starting to wane and he had gone from loudly pestering the visitors to sulking as he eyed each one individually. He had been showing particular interest in one of them - a half-elf with a rapier by his side - when his gaze passed over to someone standing a little further afield: a rather grumpy-looking bugbear who was eying the whole carnival with a look of contempt. How long had he been standing there? Jub hadn't noticed him when he had first set up shop, but then again, he had been kind of distracted by all the colours, the smells... the whole catatrophe when he had tried to get Eighteyes to spin a banner out of silk and had ended up scaring away a couple of extremely archnaphobic customers... well, the point was, he wasn't exactly as observant as normal. But, he'd noticed now and was willing to take this lull in the current business to try a somewhat riskier venture. Now, normally he wouldn't try something like this - especially with such a grumpy-looking fella - but he was a little desperate at this point. Business had been slow for him today... and yesterday... and the day before that... but he was determined to use this carnival as an opportunity to gain a little extra coin. So, stepping away from the ticketbooth, he approached the bugbear as confidentally as he could manage. "You, sir!" he said, pointing to the bugbear. "You look like a man who could use..." He paused, looking the bugbear up and down as he tried to gage what exactly would interest him. "A good.. err.... erm..." Nope, he was drawing a blank here. Probably should have workshopped this before approaching the customer. "Erm..." Jub quickly pulled out his failsafe and showed it to the bugbear. "Shiny brooch? Only one gold piece."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk looked down at the either very brave or very stupid magical looking goblin who had dared to approach him. After regarding the goblin trying to sell him something for a few moments, the bugbear huffed through his nostrils. "Fuck it. Why not?" Brutrumukk said before tossing the goblin a gold piece and pocketing the brooch. After a moment of consideration, Brutrumukk looked down again at the goblin and spoke in their native tongue. "Oi, booyagh. I got a job fer ya. Four gold if you say yes an' four more if you actually do the job." Brutrumukk pointed at the carnival. "See that place? I don't like that place. So I want you to go in there, snoop around, an' see if there's any way to mess everything up. Once you've found a way, come tell me what that way is so that I can go mess it up, an' I'll give ya the rest of the gold. Sound good?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub took the coin the bugbear had handed him and held it up to his face. He squinted at it for a moment before testing it with his teeth, briefly exposing rows of jagged teeth to any who may be looking closely enough. When he was satisfied, he placed it in his pocket and was about to thank the bugbear for his business when he suddenly spoke again, this time in the goblin tongue. Jub's body immediately stiffened, the glee in his eyes leaving and being replaced with panic. How had he figured it out? His disguise was flawless! Was it the ears or... maybe his smell? He raised an arm slightly and sniffed at himself self-consciously. Did he smell more goblin-y than usual today? He didn't think so. Then again, he wasn't sure how goblin-y he usually smelled. He was still contemplating this when he noticed the bugbear had stopped talking, and suddenly realized he was probably expecting some kind of response. What had he been saying? Something about... a job... and gold? Jub hesitated for a moment as he considered how best to respond. He could feign ignorance, pretend he didn't understand and quickly make his way back to the carnival. After all, he'd gotten what he'd come for and had no reason to humor this stranger, especially if it meant sabotaging the carnival. Jub liked the carnival. It was bright, colorful, filled with oddballs with unique costumes... Jub's kind of place! But at the same time... four plus four gold... plus the gold piece he already had... that was a decent amount of gold, at least more than Jub had made in the last few days, and he wasn't sure how long it would be before business was ever that good for him again. He looked the bugbear up and down for a moment, weighing up in his options. Jub gave the bugbear a double thumbs up. "You, my good sir, have a deal!" he responded in goblin.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk A wide, predatory grin of anticipation stretched itself across Brutrumukk's face. His prayers had been answered. Soon he would have his opportunity for revenge. Those carnies would rue the day they crossed the Spirit Of The Snoring Stone. "Perfect." Brutrumukk said as he handed the goblin his down payment. "I'll be leanin' against this rock fer most o' the night. Wait fer me 'ere once you've got somethin' I can use. 'An don't try to cheat me, booyagh. Elsewise there'll be no magic in the world that'll be able to save you from me."</s> <|message|>Miizel Throe Bursting into a large open field was a particularly winded gnome. He scanned the area, alert of any signs of danger before his eyes settled upon the large carnival before him. The Witchlight Carnival. Upon seeing it memories long lost began to resurface as he buckled and knelt on the ground. "Can't stop, can't stop, can't stop." He repeatedly whispered to himself. He looked around and it seemed like his only choice for respite at the moment was either the carnival or a disgruntled looking bugbear. The former seemed like the better choice. Miizel slowly stood up and made his way to the ticketing booth, eyes still darting around. "Uh, h-hello." He said, his voice high pitched and whistle like. "One ticket please."</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Malister & Gabriel _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ It has been decades since she had seen this particular carnival. She was only ten years old when her and Xander had snuck out to go see what all the servents had been talking about. The smells of the food, the jugglers spinning firey touches back and forth, and the acrobat walking across the thin wire with no net below them. Just as the acrobat looked like they were going to fall the recovered, and Rory and Xander had been caught by one of the Carnival's owners. Rory pulled down her face cover while staring in child like wonder still lost in memory. When the goblin yelled to her she snapped out of it and looked around quickly to see who the goblin was yelling to. Off to the side she noticed the groucy looking bugbear who was leering at the carnival as of it was disturbing him. She looked around to see who else was in the line for tickets to the carnival and see a half-elf playing the the basket guard on his rapier. "Are you ok sir?" turning the man blinked as though he was surprised by the question "Hm?" the half-elf placed his other hand at his hip giving the elvish woman a good look "Oh I'm fine," a smile spread across his face, despite the scar on Gabriel's face his appearance remained as fine as it had before "Your concern is flattering, however." "I know how overwhelming this place can be if it's your first time seeing the Witchlight Carnival. Just wanted to make sure you didn't get to distracted. Picket pockets love a distracted crowd. Then again, it's been some time since I've seen it last and maybe they've run off any would be thieves." Aurora loosed a string on her belt pouch to draw out the needed coin to get into the carnival while stepping closer to the booth. "Name's Rory by the way. Gabriel fished out a single gold from a pouch tied to his waistband, nodding in agreement "Well I guess I should return the favor sometime," chuckling he offered her a hand "Gabriel, duelist by trade." A wry smile passed over Aurora's face quickly. She reached out and shook his hand. "Be careful about saying things like that around here. Carnival workers or not, fey like making deals and gathering favors. So what brings duelist by trade to the carnival?" he gave her hand a firm shake before returning it to the guard of his rapier "Whimsy, or rather a gut feeling." he told Rory with a sigh, smile dipping slightly "The life of a duelist has taken me far from a life I left behind..." Gabriel looked as though he was about to say more but instead cleared his throat and shook his head "Oh but never mind that, what brought you here?" "Just happened to be passing through and saw the carnival. The noise and sight of it kinda draws you in. I have a few days before I need to find some work or move on anyway." Aurora stretched out her arms, and, then fingers trying to loosen up stiff muscles from having been cramped in the small inn room she was staying at. Gabriel gave her a slight nod with a bit of amusement upon his face "Story of my life," he chuckled amicably, then scratching the hair of his chin with the hand placed upon his weapon Gabriel silently considered something with a tilt of his head "If you wouldn't mind it," returning his hand to the hilt of the weapon at his side Gabriel sounded as if he were measuring his words "I would ask if you might like my company?" "I don't see why not." She stepped up to the booth quickly behind the gnome in line.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar "You got it!" Jub responded cheerfully, this time in common. He finished inspecting his four new coins and gave the bugbear yet another thumbs up before turning away and his way back towards the Carnival. Only once he was away from the cranky goblinoid did it briefly occur to him that this was a terrible, awful idea that could very easily backfire on him. However, he didn't have time to really mull that particular thought over because, as he attempted to get in line for a ticket, he ended up tripping over his robes, narrowly avoided bumping into the people in front of him and dropping his coins all over the ground. "Oh no no no..." He quickly got onto his hands and knees and quickly attempted to scoop the fallen coins up.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora stepped to the side as the next person rushed into the line, then tripping on their robes. She stopped down to help them collect their gold and hands them the two pieces she found. "Excited to see the carnival? Might want to slowdown a bit though. Won't do you much good if you get hurt." Once the person had their coins back Aurora stood up again and looked at the person. She had not seen someone so wrapped in a combination of rags and silk robes as this person was. The sight alone drew her curiosity</s>

<|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel helped the peculiar little figure up "Slow down friend, it's a fair not a race." he gave them a good look as he stood furrowing his brow curiously eyeing this strange person before him "What has you in a hurry?" placing a hand on his hip Gabriel looked at the persons strange clothing then their face wherever that was with a quizzical expression.</s>

<|description|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep Age 29 Race Half-elf Class/Level Bard 2 Background Duelist Personality See CS For Details History See CS For Details Stat Generation Point Buy</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Jub, the Peculiar was certainly well peculiar; from the way he dressed to the way he looked and talked, absolutely everything about him was so damn odd but in the most tame way possible. Gabriel couldn't properly articulate the words to respond to whatever he was just smile and accept Jub's handshake "Yes, uh quite a pleasure." excusing himself the swordsman stepped forward to the ticket booth, "Whoever it was, we should be thankful for their generosity." he said eyeing his companion as he took the blue butterfly and put it in the pocket of his vest.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub beamed up at the two strangers who had helped him, and was just about to say something more to them - maybe try and persuade his new friends to buy a nice trinket? - when the goblin at the ticket booth suddenly addressed them, claiming they had all had tickets already paid for. This, apparently, included the bugbear who had paid Jub. The wizard glanced over his shoulder towards his employer, unsure if he had heard. He cast the bugbear a questioning look befoer turning back to the ticket goblin, who handed him what looked to be a pair of butterfly wings. "Oooh!" Jub said. He took the wings, holding them to get a better look at them, poking at the material with a gnarled fingernail.</s> <|message|>Zavakri "The carnival goes round and round, The multiverse is our playground. Nothing's free and nothing's lost. Every visit has its cost." Her voice came out as a clear, if soft-spoken, declaration. Irregardless of the rest of the group's remembrance or knowledge of that phrasing it held significance to Zavakri herself. She stared at the ticket-goblin with slightly widened eyes, the showcased 'free' items of wary interest to her. He was genuine, that much was certain to her, but whosoever had purchased these items had been waiting for her. No. Her mind clarified that detail swiftly, her eyes settling on those around her. They'd been waiting for them. "I will take the ticket." She says at last. "But I need to buy one for my sister." She elaborates, reaching into her cloak to produce her gold pouch to pay for the extra ticket should it be affordable. "As for the wings..." She sighed, staring at them with softer eyes. "Purple for me, lest someone else has a preference for it. I never could decide between red or blue as a gel, and so my mum told me to stop bickering over it and just wear purple. Something lucky about purple for me, I feel-- Er, right, I'll just settle for the pink then." And with that she removed her cloak, folding it away slowly and neatly until it was a concise square which could fit within her traveling bag. This left her new, but comfortable, traveler's clothes apparent to all- she was decidedly middle class, but practically minded- and the crossbow she carried strapped to her side also quite obvious. No longer laden by the cloak, she knelt down and began to fasten the butterfly wings onto herself. "When in Neverwinter, do as they do, eh? Jolly good." She was mostly talking to herself at this point.</s> <|message|>Miizel Throe "Description? What do you-" Before Miizel could finish his attention was brought to the people behind him when the goblin managing the ticket booth called for the people behind him. Two humans, an elf, and weird looking gno-ope not a gnome. He was a gnome and he knew what they looked like. Then again he was far from his home so it could be a different subrace. The goblin then mentioned that someone had already paid for their tickets throwing Miizel into further confusion. Someone or something had been expecting him, no, them. He suddenly recalled visiting a carnival when he was younger but there's no way it was the same one right? After all he's was over 100 years old. He cast a glance at the place he emerged from. Thankfully still nothing. Might as well accept this, I was planning on going in anyway. "Thank you and to whoever paid for me." He said, taking the tickets and choosing the yellow butterfly wings. "You mentioned the tickets were only valid for 8 attractions. How many are there in total?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk watched as people lined up for tickets to the carnival. He was too far away to hear what as going on, but he could see the ticket goblin nodding towards him for some reason and the other goblin he paid to spy on the carnival looking back at him questioningly. Brutrumukk hoped that wasn't a sign that his spy had been discovered so soon. He didn't enjoy the thought of having spent four gold pieces on a spy who got caught right out of the gate. "What's goin' on over there?" Brutrumukk muttered to himself.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Welcome to the Witchlight Carnival! The Ticket Booth The goblin listened to everyone of you with an ear horn lifted to his ear. He sets down the horn before he answered Aurora first while shaking his head, "An anonymous benefactor paid for those tickets, Ma'am. Sorry," When Zavakri mentioned that she wanted to pay for her sister, he answered her, "Of course, Madame. You may have to describe your sister to me, so that I can give her her ticket. An adult ticket costs 8 silver pieces, while a child's ticket costs 3 silver pieces," After Miizel asked about the attractions, the goblin grinned and he answered, "I said they're worth eight ticket punches, young man. There are many attractions here, and one or two of them are free. Any food or drink you might want also cost a ticket punch," He then directs his attention, and he speaks to Jub, "Ah yes. You, young goblin, you were speaking with the bugbear earlier, yes?" He remains silent for a bit to let Jub answer his question. After Jub answers his question here, he continues, "I can only give his ticket to him. Would you do this old goblin a favor and tell him to come to this booth? I would like to have a word with him," He then looks to the rest of the party, and speaks while handing them a rolled up map, "Here is the map of the carnival. Once I clear something up with the bugbear, you are all free to explore the Witchlight Carnival. He is in your party after all, and I fear there is a misunderstanding,"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub's ears pricked up as he heard someone behind him speak, and he glanced over his shoulder to see a human woman. How long had she been standing there? This was the second time today Jub the Peculiar's legendary senses had failed him. He'd have to be more vigilant. More importantly, those words she had just said, about things not being for free... sounded really familiar, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Jub shook his head. Oh well. It would come back to him later. He pocketed the green pair of wings before the ticket goblin suddenly addressed him, mentioning his previous conversation with the bugbear. Beneath his hood, Jub started to sweat. "Ha... indeed, I, err, have spoken to the gentleman over there," he said with a feigned laugh. "Just a passing, err, friendly conversation if you will. I don't know the man personally, of course." Anyone who had spoken to Jub previously would immediately pick up on the strain in his voice. When the ticket goblin asked him to bring the bugbear over here, Jub gave another small laugh. "Ha... you got it, my eloquent friend, I'll, err..." He stepped out of the line. "I'll be right back." He hurriedly made his way over to the bugbear before anyone else could speak to him. Once he reached Brutrumukk, Jub immediately dropped his grandiose demeanor. "So, err, there's a complication," he said to the bugbear.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk watched as his goblin spy broke away from the crowd at the ticket booth and hurried over to him. When he heard what his spy had to report, Brutrumukk let out an annoyed snarl. He considered just taking his money back and sending the goblin packing, but decided to hear his spy out before passing judgement. "A... comp-lee-cay-shun? As in somethin' went wrong over there?" He asked in goblin. "...Well? Spit it out, Mag damn it! What 'appened?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub flinched slightly from the bugbear. "Apparently, my, err, good man..." he said. "You, erm, have a ticket." He motioned over to the carnival. "The charming fellow at the booth has said that someone had paid for a ticket for you, as well as for myself and a few others."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk looked over at the ticket goblin, then back at the goblin standing in front of him "Someone bought me a ticket?" Brutrumukk asked, quite clearly perplexed by this turn of events. "An' now them an' theirs is willin' to let me in...? You sure you 'eard that right? You best not be muckin' about with me 'ere."</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub held up his hands. "I am just as in the dark here as you are, my friend," he said. "Regardless, the fellow at the ticket booth would like to have a word with you. Something about a misunderstanding, I believe he said?"</s> <|message|>Zavakri "Eight and three. Best make it two of each just to be on the safe side." She rummages into her gold pouch, muttering senselessly all the while; "We were but gels when we came last, so that'd be two child's...but she'd be nearly a woman grown now, so best make it an adult's to be safe- and nothing's free, that much is true, so I'd better be safe and buy my own ticket too..." She produces the required twenty-two silver in short order and exchanges it in swiftness for the tickets, which she delicately folds away; the free one into her pocket, the rest safely and securely into her bag. Seeming to lose her reverie for the time being, she studies the map and taps her chin a few times. "...Gosh, this all sounds positively..." She gulps. "...Whimsical."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Right then." Brutrumukk said as he turned towards the ticket booth. "Let's go see what this miss-under-standin' 'e wants to 'ave a word about is." With that said, Brutrumukk made his way over to the ticket booth, arriving just as Zavakri finished paying. "Oi, old timer." Brutrumukk announced his presence in common as he closed to talking range. "That other goblin told me someone bought me a ticket an' that you think I'm thinkin' about stuff wrong."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Welcome to the Witchlight Carnival! The Ticket Booth The old goblin completes the transaction, and before he could say anything to Zavakri after she takes the tickets, Jub and Brutrumukk approach. With the earhorn up to his ear, he listens to Brutrumukk as he speaks. He sets down the horn and he speaks to the bugbear after nodding, "Yes, I did want to speak to you regarding a misunderstanding. But I must clarify: The misunderstanding was on our part. Not yours," He then goes to explain, "Your benefactor has explained to us why you were acting the way you did for the past couple days. Of course anyone would be upset if their rest was being disturbed!" He continues, "Your benefactor also told us that you did a lot of good for the denizens who live around here. So...we can't really deny their payment for your ticket," He then rummages below the booth and pulls out another ticket and a pair of fake orange butterfly wings, and hands them to Brutrumukk, "So, on behalf of your benefactor: Thank you for all of the good you've done. And on behalf of the Witchlight Carnival: We apologize for the disturbance, and we hope you enjoy your time here. This will be our last night here,"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora The goblin's comment had left her more curious than before. Was it someone she knew? It was certainly possible. However she was not sure who she knew that also knew the others here in the line, and the bugbear that seemed rather displeased with the carnival's presence. "I'll take an extra two adult tickets as well." Rory took out sixteen silver to pay for the extra tickets. Before she could set the silver down the bugbear had walked over to the booth and started loudly addressing the goblin ticket taker. She quietly waited for the two to finish hoping that there won't be too much of a scene cause by the disgruntled person. Once the transaction was done, she stepped forward and set the silver on the the counter. Upon receiving the extra tickets, Aurora put all three in her coin pouch and stepped to the side to wait for Gabriel, and put the purple wings on for the time being.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk listened to the ticket goblin speak and, all in all, liked what he heard. He especially liked that this would be the last night the carnival would be here. It came as quite the relief to the bugbear that the peace and quiet he so loved about the field and the Snoring Stone would be back the way it was by tomorrow. When the ticket goblin finished speaking, Brutrumukk gave a sharp nod and grunted his approval. "Y'know what? You lot ain't so bad." Brutrumukk said as he accepted his ticket and wings. "So who was it what paid fer our tickets anyway? An' what are these wings fer as well?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub scurried after the bugbear, still looking very nervous. This nervousness turned into outright panic when Brutrumukk addressed the ticket goblin, and in a voice that anyone within earshot was likely to hear, referred to Jub as 'that other goblin'. With a burst of anxious - bordering on hysterical - laughter, Jub patted the bugbear on the leg. "Hah... poor fellow doesn't know what he's talking about," he said. "Other goblin? Really now!" Even as he was speaking, he was attempting to pull his hood further over his head.</s>

<|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Krog "Yes well, I'll just take the ticket." Gabriel leaned on the ticket booth counter to take his ticket stub, offering the open palm of his hand. Once the ticket goblin hands it to him, Gabriel steps to the side next to Aurora with a smile "So, what's the plan?"</s>

<|description|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep Age 29 Race Half-elf Class/Level Bard 2 Background Duelist Personality See CS For Details History See CS For Details Stat Generation Point Buy</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour The Big Top Extravaganza As the three pairs of adventurers head for the Big Top, they notice that the Calliope seems to be giving a happier tune than when they first came in here, and everyone seems to be in a brighter mood. They also notice that the stars twinkle even brighter above the carnival. There are even some shooting stars, giving a spectacular show if one decides to look up. These adventurers are all heading to the same destination: The Big Top The roof of this tent reaches toward the night sky in three swooping peaks topped with spinning gold stars. Painted wooden panels on the tent walls whirl with colorful motion, displaying vibrant circus performances. The sound of music and laughter drifts out through the canvas door. They enter to see a lot of fairgoers also arrived to see the Big Top Extravaganza. Unfortunately, this also meant that there are fewer seats. As fate would have it: There are 6 seats in a row that are left open for them to take. The adventurers would easily notice each other as they take those seats. For one of the Witchlight Hands...this is the beginning of her shift, and of all things to start with, it has to be the Big Top Extravaganza.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk grinned eagerly as he passed the happily playing Calliope. "I think we're in the right place, booyagh." Brutrumukk said to the goblin wizard perched on his shoulder. "Just goes to show, when in doubt, always 'ead fer the biggest tent you can find. Never fails!" As he entered the Big Top, Brutrumukk became momentarily frustrated when he saw the lack of available seating. However, this frustration quickly evaporated when the bugbear caught sight of the six empty seats in a row. "Looks like we're in luck, booyagh." Brutrumukk laughed. "Let's 'urry before someone else nicks 'em!" With that said, Brutrumukk made for the empty seats.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora looked around the tent and saw how full it was for the show. There were however six seats, well four now as the bugbear and the strange gnome from earlier had made their way down to the remaining seats. "Looks pretty packed for the show Gabe, there are a few more seats down in the front. If we want to sit during the show we should probably get to the seats quickly." Aurora started to make her way down to the seats turning slightly to still talk to Gabe. "What are you looking forward to seeing during the show? I know I'm looking forward to the acrobatics."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Quite a crowd," Gabriel mused, during the walk to the big top the duelist had been oddly quiet however he seemed in better spirits probably due to the excitement filling the room as if at any second anything could happen "Best we get to our seat then yes." following Rory as she made for the remaining seats by a familiar pair "Not quite sure really, it all seems so exciting!" he answered seating himself between her and the bugbear.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar As Brutrumukk headed towards the empty seats, Jub was surveying the surrounding seats for any hint of the troublesome kenku. However, he abruptly stopped his surveillance when he spotted the familiar elf and half-elf he had almost bumped into earlier. As if suddenly self-conscious, he tugged at his hood slightly to make sure his face was still obscured. While hanging around Brutrumukk, he had felt not to worried about keeping up appearances - it certainly helped that the carnival itself seemed to be full of all sorts, making his status as a goblin seemed far less of problem then it had during his time in cities. Now, however, seeing these strangers who had been so kind and forgiving to him earlier, made him painfully aware that they might be far less accepting of him if they realised what he was. As they neared their seats, Jub suddenly hopped of Brutrumukk's shoulder and took his seat between Brutrumukk and the two strangers. "Good to see you again, comrades!" he said, putting on a more bombastic tone. "Have you been enjoying the carnival so far?"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel didn't immediately recognize the peculiar little fellow at first, quirking an eyebrow as he turned in his seat. In fact this was Jub the Peculiar, the one who definitely wasn't a goblin "A hello yourself my short fellow," the side of the duelist's mouth curved up into a rakish smile "It'd be better if they served hard liquor but I..I mean we made due."</s> <|message|>Miizel Throe As Miizel and Zavakri made their way to the Big Top, the gnome was having trouble navigating. It was less about the direction and more about size. The place was packed and he found himself being constantly bumped and pushed around. Needless to say, this irked him rather quickly. "Watch where you're going you shit with legs!" He yelled at one before turning to another who bumped into him saying. "Just cause you're tall doesn't mean you can't fall!" Before balling up his fists and punching the poor fellow's kneecaps. But his efforts at deterring people were useless as everyone rushed to get seats which caused more collisions and only served to infuriate him more. He grabs Zavakri's arm, signaling her to stop before reaching into his pouch and pulled out a handful of ball bearings before tossing them into the ground in front of them. Scattering the tiny metal balls into the crowd.</s> <|message|>Zavakri Zavakri manages to somehow create a bubble of personal space around her by exerting sheer willpower and mildly hyperventilating in an overdramatic manner. This effect is merely temporary, and that certainty only serves to escalate her drama as she struggles to stay by Miizel as the crowd ushers them into the Big Top- but his cunning scheme pays off in a sense. She watches, enthused, but as people begin to slip and slide about before her her pathing seems to be disrupted severely by the added chaos. She jerks away, avoiding contact with a poor victim of circumstance... She is briefly separated. Nothing of note occurs during this. Nothing of note at all. When the brief moment of Zavakri's apparent drowning in the crowd concludes, she rockets out with her cheeks puffed out and her breath held until she explodes into the miniscule space provided by the open seats. Proverbially skidding to a halt on the balls of her feet, she dusts herself off and finally draws breath. "I was never good in crowds!- Oh, hoi there chums." She seems immediately calmed by all the familiar faces, and offers a polite and civil wave to the others. "Positively dreadful carnival, eh?" She laughs despite her severe declaration of the events. "Wonderful people, though, running the things. I think. I've had to reassess my definition of people twice over so far, but I think I'm a better person for it." And with that she falls heavily into a seat and seems to... Relax.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk .</s> <|message|>Miizel Throe Watching the crowd tumble and fall to the ground got a hearty chuckle out of Miizel. Noticing Zavakri race off into what seemed like open seats, he began to follow her, jumping on the backs of the fallen as he made his way to the Big Top. Upon arrival he sees the group of people he met at the entrance. "Hello there." Shouting and grunts of pain could be heard behind him. "Don't worry about that, they just tripped and fell. It was quite a rush getting here so it was bound to happen." He points at the last remaining seat and asks. "Is this taken?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub was about to respond to Gabriel when he noticed the other two people who entered the carnival with them. He specifically remembered the human woman, as she had been the one standing behind him in the queue, muttering to herself. As she sat herself down, she commented something about the carnival being "Positively Dreadful", causing Jub to narrow his eyes at her. He looked the woman up and down, and attempted to glance at the back of her head in case he spied the telltale blue mark he had placed on the kenku. After all, he'd never seen this woman and the kenku in the same place. And she did seem... odd.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Oi oi!" Brutrumukk called out in greeting as the rest of their number joined them at the seats. "Any o' you lot seen a kenku lurkin' about or someone with blue paint splashed across the back o' their 'ead? If you do, know that they are actually a kenku git what's tryin' to ruin the carnival. You see it, be sure to tell me so I can club it to death an' mount its 'ead on a spike!"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Having turned to see the commotion in the crowd, Rory watched as Vernon slipped and fell rather loudly. She let out a short laugh at the scene of the mans further embarrassment before she turned to Miizel. "No they are still available, please sit. I cannot say that I have seen such an individual. What did this kenku do to ruin the carnival?" Aurora was curious now as to what had happened with Jub and Brutrumukk.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "What did this kenku git do to ruin the carnival?" Brutrumukk asked in response to Aurora's question, an baleful look appearing on his face as he began to think more about the kenku. "Well to start off, the kenku git used magic to steal the voice from one of the carnies to use fer its own gitish ends. Just as that carny was about to ask 'is sweet 'eart to marry 'im too! Then, the kenku git went to the lake while that very same sweet 'eart was singing fer an audience and began yellin' mean things about the singing, making the poor girl sad an' ruinin' the show. An' finally when I caught the git and tried to 'ave it subjected to some good ol' mob justice, it 'ad the nerve to use more magic to escape before I could rile up the mob well enough! Jub an' I managed to get the mime carny's voice back and got the singin' mermaid carny to do the rest of 'er show. They even gave us singin' an' actin' lessons as thanks fer our 'elp. But the kenku git is still out there! An' I swear to Hruggek I won't let it leave this 'ere carnival alive! No matter what the carnies say about violence an' the like!"</s>

<|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "I can assure you my furred friend," after a moment of thought Gabriel leaned over slightly away from Brutrumukk when he heard Aurora laugh "Neither of us has seen beak nor feath-" his gaze had briefly followed the sound of commotion nearby spotting the gentleman they'd raced against before, falling face first onto the ground. Compared to his elvish friends reaction he veritably almost fell out of his seat laughing, as he slapped his knee and wiped a tear from his eyes.</s>

<|description|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep Age 29 Race Half-elf Class/Level Bard 2 Background Duelist Personality See CS For Details History See CS For Details Stat Generation Point Buy</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak wiped the excess ink from the goblin's arms. She had spent the last three hours, tattooing and applying ink to the arms, torso and back of one of one of the goblins who traveled with the circus. He had been doing favors for her, mostly doing the dirty work she really didn't want to do, in exchange for what seemed to be random bits of art all over his body. Hearing the music in the distance, she realized the Big Top Extravaganza must have started. Panicking, she asked the goblin to quickly put her gear away for her, threw on her uniform and lunged up into the air, taking flight so she could quickly get there. Once she arrived, she would fold her raven like wings behind her and enter the tent. She was there to stand on stand-by in case one of the witchlight hands were needed.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour The Big Top Extravaganza The mood is still bright as the crowd talks amongst themselves, the party included, and nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. Tsak arrives just in time for the event to begin. The lights dim and a hush falls over the crowd. A second later, a spotlight illuminates a lithe, elven figure sitting in a silver hoop, suspended above the center ring by silk ropes. The elf wears a dazzling suit of diamond-pane mirrors and a pair of butterfly wings. His scepter is topped with a spinning vane. "Welcome, one and all, to this evening's extravaganza! I am Mister Light. Prepare to be delighted!" As he gives his call, music began to play the 30 second musical intro, crescendoing until finally a clamshell bathing pool finally opens to reveal Palasha the mermaid! Mister Light calls to Palasha excitedly while taking on the role of Ringmaster, "Take it away, Palasha!" As if perfectly time by Mister Light and the music, Palasha begins to sing. This is no mere serenade, but a jubilant song of joy and excitement that encapsulates the wonder of the Carnival. As she sings, the water moves about on their own, creating sculptures and dancing figures in time with Palasha's singing and lyrics. During this song, faerie dragons also appear, and fly with different colored streamers fluttering behind them. It is a perfectly sung and choreographed piece that captures the audience's attention. Once the song finishes, the audience applauds. The mermaid takes a bow before the clam bathing pool closes and attention is directed to a bugbear wearing a jack-o-lantern helmet comes up, with Mister Light introducing him as Burly the Bugbear. He proceeds to entertain the crowd with feats of strength. Each object he lifted was heavier than the last, and at the end, he lifted all of those objects at once with just one hand! The show continues with a series of acts: Acrobats, fire breathers, clowns, and even Candlefoot! The once silenced Mime contributes to the show by playing silent games with some of the audience members. He doesn't say anything to the party, but he gives them (more specifically Brutrumukk and Jub) a wide and joyful smile as he tries to get the party to play a silent game as well. After a finale with Palasha singing and all of the performers on center stage, Mister Light takes the stage once again and calls as they applaud, "Thank you! Thank you! You're all too kind!" He then calls out, "However, revelries are the best especially when talents and acts can be shared! So, I ask you Dear Audience, before ending this extravaganza: Who among you would like to share your acts with us?" Mister Light has just given the audience a chance to perform! If you would like to perform, it will be a Performance check. If there's more than one party member performing, this will be a group check. ^_^</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel hadn't escaped life on the streets for nothing, who he was with every fiber of his being was carefully and meticulously groomed to be a performer however he was no garish entertainer nor was he some jester or fool. Nay he was a swordsman and a damned good one, his hands were quick to play with the basket hilt of his fine rapier as he listened to Mister White. A habitual tick if you will as Aurora might have guessed, yet now it meant something different, it was a challenge. It was a dare to draw, to cross steel. And then he did. Shing Blade flashing in the low light of the spectator seating the shine of his rapier was like a star against a night sky, it's hum like a dissonant melody that slowly faded. Wordlessly the bard leapt into the circus ring, onto the dirt floor deftly rolling to his feet before the likes of Mister White with a bow "I will share my talent sir," he threw off his vest looking to the audience "A duel, a show of arms but I will need an opponent..." it was as much of a challenge as it was a request, but who would answer it's call?</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk looked on in wonder as the extravaganza commenced. He cheered loudly when Mister Light introduced Palasha. When Burly the Bugbear performed his feats of strength, Brutrumukk idly noted to those about him. "I could top that easy." He watched the other acts eagerly. And when Candlefoot came to play his games, Brutrumukk was all to happy to join in. At the end of the finale, no one cheered louder than Brutrumukk. Just as he was about to turn to Jub and ask where they should go next though, Brutrumukk held his tongue as Mister Light offered the audience a chance to show off their talents. One of the people he'd been sitting with was the first to respond, entering the ring and calling on any member of the audience to face him in a duel. Brutrumukk was all to happy to accept. Brutrumukk made his way to the front of the stands and vaulted into the ring below. However, before approaching the duelist, Brutrumukk made a stop at the weights that Burly had been using. He walked up to a steel barbell and, much the the confusion of the crowd, removed the weights attached to it. Brutrumukk's reasons for doing so would soon become clear though, as he picked up the barbell and attempted to bend it. For a moment is looked like he wouldn't be able to do it. But then his breathing became ragged, his eyed became bloodshot, and the barbell slowly bent by few degrees. But just as people began to truly doubt his strength, Brutrumukk unleashed a great and terrible roar and folded the barbell quickly and neatly in half with one last mighty push. "OI! KENKU GIT WHAT STOLE CANDLEFOOT'S VOICE AN' SAID MEAN THINGS ABOUT PALASHA'S SINGIN'!" Brutrumukk bellowed for all to hear as he held the bent barbell aloft. "IF YER OUT THERE, IF YOU CAN SEE THIS, IF YOU CAN 'EAR ME, TAKE A GOOD LOOK! WHEN I GET ME 'ANDS ON YA, THIS IS GONNA BE YOU!" With that said, Brutrumukk dropped the barbell, turned to the duelist, and drew his morningstar and shield. "HRUGGEK!" Brutrumukk roared before charging the man. Brutrumukk fought with great strength and ferocity, shaking the ground and kicking up dust with every swing and strike. However, Brutrumukk maintained enough sense to remember that this was all meant to be an act and made sure his 'opponent' was never in any true danger from his attacks. Bonus Action: Brutrumukk enters a rage. Action: Brutrumukk rolls a 22 to entertain the crowd with feats of strength and combat prowess.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub wasn't sure what he had expected upon questioning the human woman, but he had definitely not be prepared for the barrage of words he received. His eyes started to go slightly crossed as Zavakri continued to speak, and only returned to their usual state once the Big Top Extravanganza began, causing him to tear his attention away from the woman and his thoughts away from finding the kenku. Instead, he simply enjoyed the show, and like Brutrumukk, he cheered very loudly when Palasha and Candlefoot performed. When Mister Light then called out if anyone wanted to join in with the show, Jub's ears perked up and he was about to stand... only to immediately sit down when the half-elven swordsman stood up, brandishing a sword, called for anyone who wished to duel with him. Nope. Had it been a magic duel, he might have considered it, but sword-fighting was definitely not his forte, as countless failed sparring matches with his fellow goblins back in his tribe had shown him. However, Brutrumukk stepped forward to challenge the swordsman, Jub decided to take this as an opportunity both to show off his skills to a large audience AND to spotlight his new friend. He followed the bugbear into the ring, making sure to keep a distance from the fight, before attempting to use Prestidigitation to write Brutrumukk's names in sparks above the bugbear, as he had once seen talented firework artists do.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Oh shi-" raising his weapon, Gabriel deftly deflected the hit with his blade however the duelist bit his tongue with a pained wince as the force behind the bugbears attack was crushing. He spun on his heel backwards from his opponent, with a wide grin on his face and chuckled "En garde, then." it wasn't a fight to the death thus the riposte the swordsman struck was instead masterfully directed to the bugbears shield arm, in a moment where the swordsman saw an opportunity when Brutrumukk dropped his guard. Suddenly the shield flew to the side as the swordsman glanced a blow off the bugbears arm causing him to release it. Then he held the point of the rapier to his opponents chest. The duel was concluded.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Though his opponent thought the duel was over simply because he'd lost his shield, Brutrumukk still had his weapon and was having far too much fun to stop just yet. The bugbear swung his morningstar and deflected the rapier's point away from his chest. This allowed the fight to continue on for a little while longer, until finally Brutrumukk's weapon was also knocked away. Then and only then did he concede the duel. A grin came to Brutrumukk's face as his rage cooled. Once it had subsided completely, the bugbear let loose a thunderous laugh and gave his opponent an congratulatory slap on the back. "Good fight, mate!" Brutrumukk exclaimed happily. "Let's do it again sometime!"</s> <|message|>Zavakri "Oh, good. Nobody died." Zavakri muttered under her breath as she clapped politely, as if witnessing a pageant.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel cringed at the sheer force behind the bugbear's jovial slap upon his back, the damned goblinoid had a strong-arm if the duelist had ever seen one "If my back ever recovers..." the bard wheezed, but mirrored the bugbears grin before straightening up and sheathing his weapon. He was bruised and sore, not much worse for wear though "Certainly a strong bastard." he said with a laugh, nursing his shoulder with a free hand.</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak was picking dirt from her nails instead of watching the dual. She had to admit that she was more interested in seeing a bugbear there, but mostly cause she always wanted to tattoo one. During this time, she was lost in her head trying to figure out how to ink him with all the fur there. Dye maybe? Not really tattooing but could be just as fun.... huh...</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour What Happens Next... Mister Light quirked an eyebrow as Gabriel unsheathed his sword, but he smiled when Gabriel made it clear that his act is swordplay. He discreetly moved out of the ring as Brutrumukk comes and displays his show of strength. The crowd gasps and gives various "Oohs" and "Ahs" at the display. Some murmur in confusion over the mention of the kenku, but that doesn't distract them too much from the show. Gabriel's swordplay against Brutrumukk garnered similar reactions as they watch Gabriel just barely triumph over the bugbear barbarian. They cheered at the swordplay tricks and flourishes that were performed during the spar. They gave an applause to him after the faux battle was finished. Jub's magical display of Brutrumukk's name gets cheers and applause as the fireworks. It served as a grand finale to the acts Brutrumukk and Gabriel put forth. After their acts, nobody else steps forward, and the crowd begins to shuffle out. When the party of 6 is reunited, the same lanky bugbear wearing dungarees, fairy wings, and a helmet made from a jack-o'-lantern from the extravaganza approaches them. "Follow me," he growls. "Management wants to see you." Before leading the party of 6, he looks at Tsak and nods towards the backstage area.</s>

<|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel frowned, then looked to Aurora and back to the bugbear in his dungarees "I've a bad feeling about this." Gabe leaned over to whisper to the elf in a hushed tone.</s>

<|description|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep Age 29 Race Half-elf Class/Level Bard 2 Background Duelist Personality See CS For Details History See CS For Details Stat Generation Point Buy</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub wasn't sure what he had expected upon questioning the human woman, but he had definitely not be prepared for the barrage of words he received. His eyes started to go slightly crossed as Zavakri continued to speak, and only returned to their usual state once the Big Top Extravanganza began, causing him to tear his attention away from the woman and his thoughts away from finding the kenku. Instead, he simply enjoyed the show, and like Brutrumukk, he cheered very loudly when Palasha and Candlefoot performed. When Mister Light then called out if anyone wanted to join in with the show, Jub's ears perked up and he was about to stand... only to immediately sit down when the half-elven swordsman stood up, brandishing a sword, called for anyone who wished to duel with him. Nope. Had it been a magic duel, he might have considered it, but sword-fighting was definitely not his forte, as countless failed sparring matches with his fellow goblins back in his tribe had shown him. However, Brutrumukk stepped forward to challenge the swordsman, Jub decided to take this as an opportunity both to show off his skills to a large audience AND to spotlight his new friend. He followed the bugbear into the ring, making sure to keep a distance from the fight, before attempting to use Prestidigitation to write Brutrumukk's names in sparks above the bugbear, as he had once seen talented firework artists do.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Oh shi-" raising his weapon, Gabriel deftly deflected the hit with his blade however the duelist bit his tongue with a pained wince as the force behind the bugbears attack was crushing. He spun on his heel backwards from his opponent, with a wide grin on his face and chuckled "En garde, then." it wasn't a fight to the death thus the riposte the swordsman struck was instead masterfully directed to the bugbears shield arm, in a moment where the swordsman saw an opportunity when Brutrumukk dropped his guard. Suddenly the shield flew to the side as the swordsman glanced a blow off the bugbears arm causing him to release it. Then he held the point of the rapier to his opponents chest. The duel was concluded.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Though his opponent thought the duel was over simply because he'd lost his shield, Brutrumukk still had his weapon and was having far too much fun to stop just yet. The bugbear swung his morningstar and deflected the rapier's point away from his chest. This allowed the fight to continue on for a little while longer, until finally Brutrumukk's weapon was also knocked away. Then and only then did he concede the duel. A grin came to Brutrumukk's face as his rage cooled. Once it had subsided completely, the bugbear let loose a thunderous laugh and gave his opponent an congratulatory slap on the back. "Good fight, mate!" Brutrumukk exclaimed happily. "Let's do it again sometime!"</s> <|message|>Zavakri "Oh, good. Nobody died." Zavakri muttered under her breath as she clapped politely, as if witnessing a pageant.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel cringed at the sheer force behind the bugbear's jovial slap upon his back, the damned goblinoid had a strong-arm if the duelist had ever seen one "If my back ever recovers..." the bard wheezed, but mirrored the bugbears grin before straightening up and sheathing his weapon. He was bruised and sore, not much worse for wear though "Certainly a strong bastard." he said with a laugh, nursing his shoulder with a free hand.</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak was picking dirt from her nails instead of watching the dual. She had to admit that she was more interested in seeing a bugbear there, but mostly cause she always wanted to tattoo one. During this time, she was lost in her head trying to figure out how to ink him with all the fur there. Dye maybe? Not really tattooing but could be just as fun.... huh...</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour What Happens Next... Mister Light quirked an eyebrow as Gabriel unsheathed his sword, but he smiled when Gabriel made it clear that his act is swordplay. He discreetly moved out of the ring as Brutrumukk comes and displays his show of strength. The crowd gasps and gives various "Oohs" and "Ahs" at the display. Some murmur in confusion over the mention of the kenku, but that doesn't distract them too much from the show. Gabriel's swordplay against Brutrumukk garnered similar reactions as they watch Gabriel just barely triumph over the bugbear barbarian. They cheered at the swordplay tricks and flourishes that were performed during the spar. They gave an applause to him after the faux battle was finished. Jub's magical display of Brutrumukk's name gets cheers and applause as the fireworks. It served as a grand finale to the acts Brutrumukk and Gabriel put forth. After their acts, nobody else steps forward, and the crowd begins to shuffle out. When the party of 6 is reunited, the same lanky bugbear wearing dungarees, fairy wings, and a helmet made from a jack-o'-lantern from the extravaganza approaches them. "Follow me," he growls. "Management wants to see you." Before leading the party of 6, he looks at Tsak and nods towards the backstage area.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel frowned, then looked to Aurora and back to the bugbear in his dungarees "I've a bad feeling about this." Gabe leaned over to whisper to the elf in a hushed tone.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora throughly enjoyed the show, though she thought Gabe and Brutrumukk's performances to be a bit too much. The games with Candlefoot, Palasha's songs, and the acrobatics. The acrobatics part of the show did send her back many years ago to the night Xander and her snuck in. She absent mindedly fiddled with her right ring finger with her thumb, remembering the ring she lost that night. Having never figured out where it went she had forgotten about it until just now and the words that were spoken to her when she got caught. "Silly little screeching cricket," said Witch. "You forgot to buy a ticket." "The carnival goes round and round," said Light. "The multiverse is our playground. Nothing's free and nothing's lost. Every visit has its cost." After a few more minutes of contemplation Aurora realized why she had really come to the carnival again. She needed to find that ring, and the scroll that she had with it. She looked up as Gabe whispered in her ear about having a bad feeling about something. "What would they like to see us about? Have we done something wrong?" She directed the questions to the bugbear that had approached the group.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour What Happens Next... The bugbear looks to Aurora, and with a wave of his hand, he reassures her and the rest of the group, "No, you haven't done anything wrong. While I don't know what they want to talk to you about, I can assure you that there's nothing to worry about. The bosses are in high spirits," He then turns to lead the group to management and repeats, "Please, come this way,"</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak starts to somewhat pay attention towards the end of the dual, clapping when everyone else does. She would notice Burly's nod, nodding back at him before looking around and following the bugbear.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Once the show was finally over for real this time, Brutrumukk picked up Jub and placed his newfound shoulder goblin on his shoulder. "That was some good stuff ya did back there, booyagh." Brutrumukk said to Jub as he made to clear out with the crowd. "Now that that's over, what say you an' I 'ead on over to the Feastin' Orchard again. I dunno about you, but I've got an 'unger on!" Before Jub could answer though, Burly the Bugbear would come along and ask the party to follow him to see the bosses. "Well this should be interestin'." Brutrumukk said to Jub before following the other Burly's lead and listening quietly to the conversations the others were having with this new bugbear.</s> <|message|>Zavakri Zavakri fell strangely silent and occupied herself at the rear of the party, mentally forming herself into a queue with the others, as the bugbear declared that the management needed to see them. Because of course it did; why else would they have been given tickets? She licked her lips, mentally preparing herself against the dread horror she experienced, as she followed along.</s> <|message|>Miizel Throe As soon as the show started, Miizel slunk back into his seat, trying to hide himself. Whether it was because of the chaos he had caused or something else, he didn't know. When Mr. Light entered the stage he had gotten his answer. It was something else. Definitely something else but he couldn't pinpoint what. All throughout the show he kept one on the Witchlight's owner and another on his crossbow, ready in case anything should happen. He flinched a bit when the human male he was sitting with drew a blade and let out a yelp when the bugbear roared. What are these fools thinking?? Once the theatrics were over he finally managed to breath a sigh of relief, however, just when he thought things were finally dying down he was greeted with two Witchlight hands which wanted to take him and his group to meet management. Although they said there was nothing wrong he couldn't help but feel uneasy. Still keeping a hand on his crossbow, he followed the others.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar As the audience applauded the show, Jub gave a low bow, making sure his hood didn't slip off as he did. However, even with most of his face obscured, it was clear he was quite pleased with himself, and the flash of an elated grin remained on his face even as Brutrumukk picked him up and placed him back on his shoulder. "Same to you, my good fellow," Jub responded to the bugbear's praise. "You and our sword-carrying acquaintance put on quite a good show." He glanced over at Gabriel, giving a smile and a nod in the swordsman's direction. He then turned his attention back to Brutrumukk, and was about to respond to his suggestion of returning to the Feasting Orchard when another bugbear approached their group, saying something about the management wanting to speak to them. "Uh oh," Jub muttered under his breath, tugging at his hood once again. His mind was quickly running through everything he had done since entering the carnival, trying to find any possible thing he might have done that would have gotten him in trouble... perhaps his attempt to sell souvenirs earlier, given he wasn't actually affiliated with the carnival? Or maybe he'd scared one too many customers with Eighteyes? He was slowly becoming more and more panicked until the elven woman in their group outright asked if they were in trouble, to which the Witchlight Hand responded that no, no they weren't, and that the bosses were in fact very happy. "Oh thank the gods," Jub muttered quietly again, though he still seemed tense. As they followed the rest of the group backstage, the goblin whispered into Brutrumukk's ear, in their native language, "The moment things start to go bad, we should hightail out of here as fast as we can."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour The Meeting Burly leads the Party through the back entrance of the Big Top. The first thing they see is a tangled wall of thorns surrounding a cluster of wagons lit by lanterns. This caravan is barely visible through the thicket. Burly easily waves a hand over the thicket and it parts to allow him and the party entry into the Staff Area. The bugbear leads the group to a circle of wagons. Leaning against a particularly ostentatious wagon is an aging clown with a painted grin. He puffs on a bubble pipe and glares at the party as the bugbear, ignoring the clown, opens the wagon's door and ushers almost everyone inside, excluding Tsak. The flamboyant elf, Mister Light, grins from ear to ear as he welcomes the party into the wagon with a theatrical bow. "Please come in, it's a delight to meet you all! I am Mister Light, and this is my associate, Mister Witch," He gestures to a stocky elf lounging on a bunk. Mister Witch nods to the party and doffs his top hat.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "If things go bad, yer free to run if ya like." Brutrumukk whispered in goblin in response to Jub's words. "I'll be stayin' fer the fight though. Also, I gotta track down that kenku git before I leave." Brutrumukk continued to follow Burly as the other bugbear led the way to the staff area, looking on in wonder as Burly parted the thorny brambles with a wave of his hand. As they entered the staff area and passed the glaring clown, Brutrumukk glared back and bared his teeth for a moment before continuing into the management wagon where Mister Light waited to welcome the party and introduce Mister Witch. "Is... Is that a fat elf?" Brutrumukk whispered in goblin to Jub after seeing Mister Witch for the first time. "I didn't know elves could be fat... Did you know?"</s>

<|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L A frown creased the edges of the duelist's mouth at the way Brutrumukk looked at the elf and whispered something in a odd language, Gabriel gave the bugbear a pointed glare before offering a curt bow to the dignified elf with his odd clothing "Ah, I'm sure whatever our friends may be saying it is polite," he said with a sheepish smile "Gabriel, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." he introduced himself, although something told him they had already met.</s>

<|description|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep Age 29 Race Half-elf Class/Level Bard 2 Background Duelist Personality See CS For Details History See CS For Details Stat Generation Point Buy</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Eighth Hour The Crowning of the Witchlight Monarch The crowds gather in the Big Top. Brutrumukk and Jub thankfully, already have their seats. As the crowd gathers, the rest of the party are able to find their seats near or next to the two goblinoids. The musicians that gathered in the tent are playing soft music in anticipation for the ceremony to begin. It's clear that there is time for the party to talk amongst themselves before the ceremony begins.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L & @rush99999 His hand idly traced the basket hilt of the rapier at his side, absent-mindedly playing with the inlay of the weapon as he leant against a beam at the very edge of the spectator seating of the large Big Top. Gabriel gave a friendly nod to those who met his gaze, yet he offered nothing more than that as his thoughts were preoccupied with other things. He heaved a sigh, as he had been watching people trickle in hoping to see a familiar face or two. He was about ready to go find himself a seat when he spotted a peculiar duo enter the tent. "You two better have a good excuse for leaving me behind, nearly got lost. Where in the nine hells have you both been?" while Gabriel may have sounded annoyed his expression betrayed no sign of anger.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub had been in the process of rifling through his bag to get his wizard cloak when Gabriel approached them. The look of horror on the goblin's face as the half-elf not only approached them but seemed to recognise Jub was probably hilarious... to everyone who wasn't Jub. "You..." Jub croaked out, pointing at Gabriel as he did so. "Must have me confused... for someone else..." As he was speaking, his body start to compress into itself as if he was trying to melt into his chair.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L A chuckle escaped the half-elf's mouth, as he shook his head at Jub's response as if Gabriel hadn't known he was a goblin. After the ceremony he'd need to give the poor lad a lesson in how to disguise himself better "Jub," he planted a hand on the shoulder of the un-wizardly dressed wizard "Don't play dumb with me, don't worry about how you look lad I don't judge people by their outward appearance."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Good luck gettin' yer words to stick." Brutrumukk said to Gabe after he gave words of encouragement to Jub. "I've given 'im two inspirin' speeches tonight an' neither of 'em seemed to last long... As fer why we left ya, I didn't notice that we 'ad 'til jus' now."</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub opened his mouth but no sound came out. After a moment, he just closed his mouth and just sat in his chair, pulling his knees up to his chin and trying to look as small as possible. He obviously was a little embarrassed, however he had stopped attempting to retrieve his cloak from his bag.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel opened his mouth to make a witty remark about being more memorable to the bugbear however the shift in the little goblin's body language made him pause, it was a posture he recognized all too well. "Well." his gaze shifted back to Brutrumukk, then he shrugged "We're together now and that's what matters." with that he seated himself next to Jub whose shoulder the half-elf gave a gentle squeeze "Hey, don't be too hard on yourself we all got our reasons to hide who we are." From the belt pouch at his side Gabriel fished a velvet sack tied with a string, leaning over and placing it in the goblin's tiny hands "Here, take it I don't need it anyways. Call it a gift, if you sell it though your buying me a drink. Got it?" he gave the goblin a warm smile and laughed giving Jub one last squeeze before sitting up and taking a look around at the crowd packed into the Big Top.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub blinked slightly and gingerly took the bag from Gabriel. He didn't open it right away, just taking a moment to look at the half-elf almost in awe. After a moment, he seemed to remember himself and, with a small mumble of "Thanks", looked back down at his hands. He very carefully opened the bag to see the contents and, recognizing as the pixie dust that had enabled them to fly earlier, his eyes lit up. He closed the bag and delicately put it with his other belongings. He recalled Brutrumukk's words earlier about escape plans should they retrieve the Mr Witch's watch, and this would definitely be good option to have should they need it. He sat up a little bit in his chair, looking slightly less uncomfortable than he had a moment before.</s> <|message|>Zavakri The approach to the tent was an agonizing affair. Zavakri pulled her hood up- decided that was too much of a bother, it'd ruin her hair if she wasn't careful, so she lowered it back down and meticulously distracted herself on the walk with fixing her hair back to perfection. It'd muss up the instant she got a smidge too emotional, but a gel could try to maintain some semblance of present-ability, couldn't she? It didn't help that the fear was only just now, after Ellywick's assistance, beginning to fully fade from the front of her mind... Enough that her anxiety at being in this crowd to begin with could set in. She took deep, calming, breaths. This probably made her look like an idiot of some kind, or perhaps a fish gasping in air as it flounders for water, but it had the intended effect; she was able to feel calm. Feel like she had more breathing room. It helped that those immediately around her had certainly pressed away from the oddly presenting woman. And soon she found herself shuffled into a seat- and she gasped. "Oi, how come whenever I'm having a mild panic attack and finally calm meself down, it's always you lot I find nearby? At least I know where I stand with you guys; in the back, safe and forgotten. Big personalities, you lot. You lot could hide a giant behind your conversations. Honestly, that's right where I want to be right now; behind a giant, behind you lot, forgotten for a few minutes. Oh, be still my beating heart! This place was pure chaos!"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub had just started to relax when they were joined by that peculiar human woman from earlier, the one who had expressed her frustration the carnival and seemed to be able to take up a whole conversation just on her own. It seemed she hadn't really change much in the few hours since they had last spoken. The goblin shifted awkwardly in his seat. "Errrrrr...." he said, genuinely not sure how to respond to that. He glanced over at Brutrumukk, conveying all his confusion and bafflement in a single expression and hoping the bugbear had some kind of retort to this situation, because he was currently drawing a blank here.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Humans can be weird like that sometimes." Brutrumukk said in goblin when Jub looked to him for word on the subject of Zavakri. "Either way, don't worry about 'er. We got bigger things to focus on right now. You got enough booyagh left in ya fer what we're about to pull off?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub nodded, and motioned to his bag. "Gabriel just gave me that bag of pixie dust that he won at the pixie kingdom," he responded in goblin. "So if I end up being crowned Witchlight Monarch, we have a way that you can gain flight if we need to make a quick getaway." He paused, thinking for a moment and glanced towards Gabriel and then Zavakri. "Though I think there's only enough for one use so if neither of us get it, I'm not sure what we'll do." He spoke up again, this time switching to common and addressed the two non-goblins in the group. "Erm... do you either of you guys have a plan when it comes to this whole... watch stealing business?" He paused again before adding, "We're all on the same page about this, right? I'm sorry, I'm starting to feel we might not be on the same page."</s>

<|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Thank you?" the half-elf looking a bit perturbed said in reply to Zavakiri's compliment (if it could be classified as such), then he looked between the pair of goblinoid as if for some kind of explanation "Oh? Plan? What for?" now he was quite confused, what was this plan?</s>

<|description|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep Age 29 Race Half-elf Class/Level Bard 2 Background Duelist Personality See CS For Details History See CS For Details Stat Generation Point Buy</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub nodded, and motioned to his bag. "Gabriel just gave me that bag of pixie dust that he won at the pixie kingdom," he responded in goblin. "So if I end up being crowned Witchlight Monarch, we have a way that you can gain flight if we need to make a quick getaway." He paused, thinking for a moment and glanced towards Gabriel and then Zavakri. "Though I think there's only enough for one use so if neither of us get it, I'm not sure what we'll do." He spoke up again, this time switching to common and addressed the two non-goblins in the group. "Erm... do you either of you guys have a plan when it comes to this whole... watch stealing business?" He paused again before adding, "We're all on the same page about this, right? I'm sorry, I'm starting to feel we might not be on the same page."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Thank you?" the half-elf looking a bit perturbed said in reply to Zavakiri's compliment (if it could be classified as such), then he looked between the pair of goblinoid as if for some kind of explanation "Oh? Plan? What for?" now he was quite confused, what was this plan?</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Erm... do you either of you guys have a plan when it comes to this whole... watch ste-" This was all Jub would have time to say before Brutrumukk clamped a hand over the goblin's mouth. "Mind what you say, you little idiot." Brutrumukk hissed in goblin before inclining his head towards a nearby Witchlight Hand. "The carnies catch wind o' what we're up to an' we ain't gettin nowhere near that watch." "Oh? Plan? What for?" Brutrumukk then heard Gabriel ask, causing the bugbear to turn to regard the man with a cautioning look. "We's jus' plannin' what we're gonna do after this, is all." Brutrumukk said in common as he pulled his hand away from Jub's mouth. "Still a few places we 'aven't seen yet an' all that."</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "HMPH!" Jub really hadn't expected Brutrumukk to cover his mouth and, after taking in what his bugbear companion was saying, shoved away his claw before turning towards him. "I'm just making sure we're all on the same page here!" he hissed back in goblin. "Which clearly we aren't!" He waved towards Gabriel as he spoke. "I thought it was important we had a back-up plan in case neither me or you are crowned. But pardon me for being tactical!" It was clear from his expression and tone of voice he was more than a little upset about being interrupted... and told off... and called an idiot.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Rory made her way into the big top, pausing briefly to look for Gabriel and the other she had met earlier in the day. It didn't take long to spot the bugbear and gnome, wait was that a gnome? The garb that the being wore looked much like Jub's from what she could recall. She walked up to the four gathered keeping mostly quiet, a feat not to difficult with all the noise and commotion. "So how did everyone else fair. Miizel, Tsak, and I found something interesting in the Hall of Illusions." She stated after walking up behind Gabe. The elven woman leaned in closer after checking to see who might be paying attention and whispered so that only the other four gathered might hear. "Also the owners would like to meet with us after the Crowning. They are trying to keep it on the quiet. Something or someone is causing them worry that whatever it is might catch word of what we are up to. It does have to do with what we found in the Hall of Illusions. What was discussed with Burly may not need to happen now."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk was about to respond to Jub's words when Aurora arrived and greeted the rest of the group. When she mentioned that stealing the watch was no longer necessary, Brutrumukk visibly deflated at her words. "We... We don't need to do that no more?" Brutrumukk said. "Oh... Well that's upsettin'. I was lookin' forward to doin' that." With that said, Brutrumukk slumped forward in his seat, now looking incredibly glum.</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak would hang around the group, still a bit wary of the gnome she had been around and the bugbear. Realizing what time it was, the fairy would fly off to get her uniform on before returning to meet up with the staff to help prep for the Carnival Crowning.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Eighth Hour The Crowning of the Witchlight Monarch As spectators take their seats, the party may or may not notice Dirlagraun escorting Mister Witch into the Big Top. The both of them move to stand next to Candlefoot. --- Meanwhile, one of the other Witchlight Hands, one of the three clowns to perform, speaks to Tsak, "Hey, Tsak! It's your turn to hold the hatbox! Come on, hurry!" Tsak knows that the hatbox holds the crown, used for crowning the Witchlight Monarch, and Mister Witch is going to take the crown of gold butterflies out during the ceremony and place it on the lucky reveler. --- Back in the Big Top, Mister Light appears once again, and Palasha is in her clamshell once again ready to sing. He calls out to the crowd, "Good Morning, Everyone! I trust you all had a delightful time?" He lifts a hand up to his ear and he gets a cheerful roar from the crowd in response, After getting said response, he cheerfully continues his speech, "Wonderful! But before we say our Goodbyes, it is time for the grand finale of the Witchlight Carnival! For this hour, we shall see who is the Witchlight Monarch! Are you ready, folks?!" The crowd gives a loud cheer in response. Once the crowd quiets down in anticipation, and Mister Light raises his vane. He gives a poetic call, "Our festivities are almost done this night. But there is one more task before daylight! Let the light of joy truly spark! Reveal to us our Monarch!" The vane spins rapidly at the rhyme and a thread of golden light appear. The crowd lets out "Ooh"s and "Aah"s at the golden thread as it weaves and moves about on its own. It moves throughout the crowd, as though searching for the Monarch. Eventually, the golden thread makes it's way...to the party. It first weaves past Miizel, and then past Aurora. Then it makes its way to Zavakri, only to move past her and towards Brutrumukk. Unfortunately, the thread moves past him as well. It heads towards Gabriel, before finally... It finally circles around Jub! After the thread circles around the small goblin, he gives off a golden aura. "BEHOLD, EVERYONE! THE WITCHLIGHT MONARCH!" The crowd roars cheerfully and applauds Jub. The Witchlight Hands would come to escort Jub, if he doesn't follow their gesture to come to the center of the Big Top ring.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk When Jub was declared the Witchlight Monarch, none cheered louder than Brutrumukk. Despite being disheartened at the fact that stealing the watch was no longer necessary, he was happy to see that their efforts to be crowned had paid off at least. "You did it, booyagh! You won!" Brutrumukk exclaimed as he hoisted Jub onto his shoulder once more. "Now let's go get yer crown, yeah? MAKE WAY! MAKE WAY! MAKE WAY FER THE KING!" With that said, Brutrumukk carried Jub down to the ring to get the goblin crowned.</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak was surprised at first as she had forgotten it was her turn to hold the hatbox. Luckily, with years of all this, the fey knew exactly what to do. While half- heartedly paying attention, she stood there with the box in had, more eager to get this over so they may speak to the misters, rather then the Crowning it's self. Once the gold thread stopped though on the little goblin with the bugbear, she perked up, paying more attention.</s> <|message|>Zavakri "Oh thank the Gods; I lost." She sighs, relief flooding her body. This reverie is not long for this world however, as the instant the Bugbear and Goblin duo rise up and Jub is held aloft; aglow; triumphant.. Dread and frustration set in. "Wait. I lost to them?" Her brow furrows, watching as the goblinoids ascend to claim victory. She wags a finger and looks sternly at the stage, metaphorically imposing the world upon it. Soon an abacus glows spectrally before her, formulae manifesting in the air as she began rapidly shuffling the device with her hands. "…I lost by Two?!. Oh, bother." Flinging her hands, she dispelled the spectral mathematica and crosses her arms in a sulk. Don't worry; soon enough existential dread at her failed foiling of the bad plan will set back in, and she'll begin to chew her nails- but for now, sulking it is.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub had been slumped over in his chair, still sulking over being told off by Brutrumukk when his name was called and for a moment, all he could do was raise his head and blink up at the thread as his brain processed what was happening. Thankfully, he wasn't stuck there slack-jawed for too long before Brutrumukk hoisted him up on his shoulder and brought him down to the ring. Any hurt feelings he had about the bugbear from moments ago completely disappeared as he watched his friend loudly cheer for him and telling the crowd to make way. That, combined with how everyone was cheering for him and showing no implication of distaste at a goblin being crowned the Witchlight Monarch made Jub give a big, if somewhat befuddled, grin as Brutrumukk brought him over to the ring.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L A sense of dread, and maybe a little excitement fell over the half-elf tensed in his seat. He didn't know wether he wanted or deserved the crown, yet Gabriel felt a twang of disappointment as the golden thread passed him by. In the end however, the title had no significance to him and he was simply elated that Jub was getting the positive attention he needed. Gabriel followed alongside Brutrumukk as he carried the comically surprised Jub on his shoulders "Don't look like you just ate a bad egg, look royal for the commonfolk." the half-elf japed to his little friend.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Eighth Hour The Crowning of the Witchlight Monarch Tsak notices, despite the crowd's loud roar, as soon as the thread of light chooses Jub to be the Witchlight Monarch, music begins. Palasha begins singing. This song starts slow. Tsak recognizes it as a song that Palasha originally wrote for Candlefoot after he lost his voice (there was no denying that those two were in love with each other). Strangely enough...it also seemed to sympathize and resonate with the Witchlight Monarch of the hour. The song itself seemed to understand the source of his sadness, while trying to express hope and joy in the future in just the feeling. And yet...it also feels like a call to action: To bring those who are lost, back home... The slow and heartfelt ethereal song continues as Jub is brought down to receive his crown. Once Tsak opens the hatbox, Mister Witch takes the crown of golden butterflies out of it gingerly with both of his hands. Mister Light makes it clear to Brutrumukk that he needs to lower Jub to ground, and Jub needs to kneel in order to receive the crown. Once Jub does kneel, Mister Witch gently places the crown on his head. He moves to the side and lets Mister Light, tap each of Jub's shoulders gently with the vane, as though knighting the goblin. While this happens, the sound of singing can be heard from the crowd in "Laaalalala"s After a trio of clowns shower Jub, Mister Light, and Mister Witch in glitter, the music picks up in a joyful and jubilant song. Now was the moment where the Withlight Monarch is paraded around the Carnival. Palasha sings happily, beckoning others to join in the song and the parade. Jub is raised high once again for all to see with the crown on his head. As the parade continues throughout the Carnival grounds, colorful fireworks explode in the sky as though to punctuate the fact that this is the finale to the Witchlight Carnival.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk set Jub down when asked and sang along with the crowd as Jub was crowned the Witchlight Monarch. And thanks to singing lesson he'd received from Palasha, there weren't many folks in the Big Top who could say they sang as well as Brutrumukk. Once the crowning was done and the parade began, Brutrumukk hoisted Jub back onto his shoulder and walked alongside the leaders of the parade, singing his heart out all the way as the fireworks made the sunrise look even brighter than usual. "Sing, let yer 'eart soar! Sing forever!" "Sad an' so 'appy! Feelin's flow over," "Now our world is full of all kinds o' colors!" "Closin' me eyes I still can see the stars!" "Shine in the sky, sing their 'armony!" "Flowers, they're bloomin', oh it's beautiful!" "Sing, Sing SING!" "SING THIS SONG, I WON'T STOP NOW!" "Sing it through, I love you!" "THE VOICE CARRIES ON!"</s>

<|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L In his heart of hearts, the very core of the swordsman's being he felt moved. Not only by the song itself but it's underlying tone that one such as himself couldn't miss. While the song itself was celebratory it had a sadness to it that touched Gabriel's soul, he wanted to sing with his surly friend yet the moment was not his to join. He knew not the melody nor it's words only the emotions it filled him with. And so he just hummed the tune, the corners of his eyes slightly glistening.</s>

<|description|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep Age 29 Race Half-elf Class/Level Bard 2 Background Duelist Personality See CS For Details History See CS For Details Stat Generation Point Buy</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub was still in a very elated mood from the celebration as the party followed the Misters towards the Hall of Illusions, and that feeling didn't dampen too much even as the two elves explained the situation. He could still sense their reluctance, so he felt this wasn't trap. However, he got the feeling that whatever lurked beyond the mirror must have been something if two warlocks were acting all antsy about it, and this gave the goblin pause. While he desperately wanted what had been taken from him, was it really worth traipsing into gods-knows-where, with the possibility that he might not come back? Sure, his condition had seriously impacted his life. Part of the reason he had chosen to become a showman was because his previous life of living on the streets and hanging around with less scrupulous individuals had been severely impacted by the fact that no one could trust him to keep his mouth shut, and while performing magic shows for bystanders was a safer and less illegal line of work, it had also proven far less profitable. Still, he was alive, and while some days were way worse than others, it wasn't the worst life. In fact, right at this moment, he felt pretty happy. Shenanigans aside, this had been a good day. He could just turned around, leave and have this whole experience end on a reasonably happy note, no potential threats or danger required. As he was considering this, however, Tsak spoke up and voiced her desire to the travel with the group, revealing she too had lost something: her family. Jub hadn't been sure what to make of the fairy up until now, but this confession did make him feel some sympathy for her, and in turn reminded him that he wasn't the only one who had lost something. He glanced over at Aurora. She had mentioned losing a ring and a letter, if he remembered correctly. Obviously, not the same as losing a family member, but it must have been of some importance if she had gone through all this trouble to investigate. He then looked over at Gabriel and the human woman, who he realised he still didn't know the name of. He wondered if they too had lost something. He got the feeling the latter had, but Gabriel had been surprisingly tight-lipped about any previous encounter he may or may not have had with the carnival. He was still here though, so there must have been something in it for him. Then Jub looked at Brutrumukk. Brutrumukk, who had, by his own admission, never been to this carnival before, had lost nothing and honestly, had all the reason to walk away, yet was still here. Quietly, Jub addressed the bugbear in goblin. "Hey, Brutrumukk, you know you don't have to come with us, right?" he said. "You haven't lost anything, and we don't know where this mirror leads or when we'll be able to come back." Or if, but he didn't say that part out loud. "You said before you just wanted your peace and quiet back, and you can still have that." He knew the possibility of danger was unlikely to deter the bugbear. However, he also knew that the bugbear had little to gain and much more to lose by following a bunch of near-complete strangers into some magical realm, and while Brutrumukk had proven himself capable of heroics and goodness, this would require a level of selflessness that Jub had not really witnessed in, well, anyone. He certainly didn't want to say good-bye to the bugbear - quite the opposite, in fact - but he also knew better than to expect Brutrumukk to drop everything he was doing and everything he had going for him in order to help people he had only known for a day. Heck, Jub had known people who had been friends for much longer who would not be willing to walk blindly into danger for each other, so he certainly wouldn't hold it against Brutrumukk if he decided to cut his losses right there and then.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk, in tandem with the scrappy eight year old bugbear reflecting back at him from the nearby mirrors, opened his mouth and let out a long, drowsy yawn. Now that the excitement of the carnival was over and no longer keeping him hyped up and awake, Brutrumukk was now feeling the combined weight of being up all night and Grankhul sapping his vigor bearing down on his eyelids. "Whawasat, booyagh? Di'n't really 'ear that jus' now." Brutrumukk mumbled tiredly before letting out another yawn. "Oof, fuck I'm tired... Look, I dunno 'bout you lot, but bein' up all night ain't usually my thing. An' now that I 'ave been, all I wanna do now that I've got my peace an' quiet back is sleep. So d'you lot reckon we could 'old off on jumpin' 'ead first into this weird mirror portal thing fer about... ten hours maybe? Eight hours at the very least."</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora looked at the reflections in the mirrors as they made their way to the mirror Miizel had indicated was magically different than the others. It was curious to see that Mister Witch and Mister Light were shown to be shadar-kai. She knew little of the distant kin of the high elves. Most of what she knew is that there were not of the prime material realm. She looked at both of them then at the mirror again. "What is beyond this is responsible for the disappearances isn't it. When I was here in the Hall with Gabriel earlier today, I saw a small girl with a pig mask talking to a halfling. She left shortly after we arrived but she had asked him if he had any regrets. The halfling mentioned that the girl knew someone who could help and all he had to do was follow her." She paused considering the information that had been gathered through the night. Turning her gaze back to the elven carnival owners her expression hardened some. "Do both of you know who this person is? Who would be preying on people who have regrets in life?" Aurora's tone was sharp and accusatory, she didn't understand why they would risk whatever this thing was harming people. Briefly she realized that maybe her tone was a bit to harsh. These two wanted to bring joy and happiness to others. "I do apologize for how I said what I said. Whatever or whoever this is has their own agenda. I'm not sure if it the being or beings you are so worried about but, I will go through with Tsak, Jub, Brutrumukk, and whoever else will go. "Rest would probably do all of us good. Here would probably be the safest option as only the owners here truly know what is beyond this portal."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L As the group came to a halt before the mirror the half-elf knelt by the reflective glass, taking a sip from his waterskin that to his disappointment was anything but liquor as he inclined his head listening to Aurora recount their brief experience within the Hall of Mirrors. Wiping his mouth with the cuff of his shirt he nodded to confirm what she was saying and then stood before giving the mirror before them a slight flick with his index finger "You should have mentioned the girl earlier my friend," he said, as he hadn't seem the masked child at all when they found the halfling "But it matters little except if indeed someone in the mirror can help with regrets..." his gaze drifted back to the mirror yet it was like he was staring past his reflection "Well we all have those." he shook his head from the daze he put himself in. "And I too will follow you my friend." Gabriel patted Aurora on the shoulders "After all you still owe me a drink and I owe you a tale or two."</s> <|message|>Zavakri Zavakri rises, silent in her observance of the ending of the festival once her hysteria has passed. She marches along like a gosling bent to the will of her matron goose, entering into the Hall of Illusion; a place of fuzzy memories and a strange forgetfulness. For some reason it made her think of Gnomes. She shudders upon entrance, the mirrors once again catching her eye and their myriad forms creating a sense of unease in her. Amusement to an extent, but general unease... At last she finds herself before the mirror that reveals her true age. To others, she seems a young woman of adulthood and, while eccentric and strange, intelligence and social awareness. Standing before this mirror, her reflection reveals her to be but a child; the same child that haunts her nightmares and memories. Herself, those eight years ago when the Carnival was last here. She grew older, but she never grew up. She stares at her reflection, lost in the conversation and her memories- but she shakes herself and grimaces. "If my sister isn't over there, Hag or No Hag.." She points a finger at the Misters. "You'll be dealing with me later." She steps the mirror, the overarching conversation still lost to her whirling thoughts. "Hither, Thither, Here and There; Wander Yonder, Show me Where!"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions The Misters attention are drawn to Tsak first. After she spoke, Mister Witch hands her a very familiar pack. It's her pack! And it has her sketchbook and other tattooist supplies. It has everything she needs for the journey ahead. Mister Witch tells Tsak as he hands her her pack, "We will pass your goodbyes to them," Mister Light answers Tsak, clearly tearing up and trying to keep himself from crying and outright sobbing, "You'll always be welcome home, Tsak," He does manage to get a hold of himself before Aurora speaks next. They were silent at her questions. It seems like they can't say who is responsible at all... Then their attention is drawn to Zavakri. They look surprised when she mentioned the hags, and when she spoke to them, they and the rest of the party can see something strange for the briefest of moments. Zavakri's irises looked like the faces of a clock, the numbers clear to see, before they went back to normal. As Zavakri speaks the rhyme in front of the mirror, there is a strange sensation in the depths of her soul. It feels like she's all versions of herself throughout time, and yet--paradoxically so--she is none of them: Just an instrument of the Balance, beginning to fulfill her purpose. After the rhyme is spoken, mist swirls in the mirror, blotting out your reflections. The party can now pass through the mirror. Those who hesitantly or just simply touch the mirror surface find themselves pulled in Before you step through the mirror, Mister Witch and Mister Light speak out once more. "Mind the Rule of Three: Future, Present, Past," "Find the alicorn and free the Dormant Queen at last!" End of Chapter 1</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Chapter 2 Hither Queen's Way The party find themselves falling and tumbling over themselves until finally...they hit a solid surface. Upon standing up and looking around, they find that they stand at the edge of a raised and broken causeway under a hazy, twilit sky. The causeway, which is built from pale stones that glow faintly from within, towers over the surrounding landscape, but large sections of it have crumbled away. The parts that remain in place are separated by large gaps where portions have collapsed. A fog-shrouded swamp spreads out below them in all directions, and up from its murk wafts the smell of rotting plants. Also rising from the swamp is the music of nature—a discordant symphony of croaking frogs and singing birds. When they try to look further than the swamp, all they see is a thick and vast fog. Out of the entire party...Gabriel is the only one who feels something. He feels a painful tug at his heart. It's a nagging sensation. He instinctually knows what this means: The item he lost at the Witchlight Carnival...It's here! Somewhere in these swamps! But he can't tell where it is exactly.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel's head spun from the sensation of tumbling through the mirror, unfortunately he had also landed upon the ground with a thud and a subsequent groan as the half-elf nursed his head as his vision was doubled. Shaking his hair from his face he squinted hard at his surroundings, Gabe pushed himself up off the rocky causeway and as soon as his vision cleared so too did the painful realization that something or rather the thing he was missing was here. "Oh good gods," he shook his head once more this time in slight disbelief "It can't be here, how in Corellon's name is it possible?" but it was true, his heart told him it was and every fiber of his being knew it to be true. It was a lot to take, too much after a long day of celebration and merriment. He was too tired to handle this and from the looks of things everyone could use a rest. (7 Survival result with disadvantage) Gabriel tried to see if there was a better place to rest but the exhaustion of the day made focusing a struggle thus he found no better alternative than the place they stood. "I'm not sure about you all but after such a long day I am quite frankly tired, I'd say now is a good time as any to roll up our socks and rest upon these rocks. How about it?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "What the? Oi! Where the 'Ells are you lot all goin'?!" Brutrumukk shouted after the rest of the party as he watched them all charge through the portal the moment it opened. The bugbear could tell they were all just as tired as he was, yet they all leapt through anyway rather than sleeping now and traveling later as he had suggested. "...Gah! Fuckin' idiots! All of 'em!" Brutrumukk exclaimed in annoyance as he moved to go after them. "There better be a good spot to sleep on the other side." "Mind the Rule of Three: Future, Present, Past," Mister Witch called after him. "Find the alicorn and free the Dormant Queen at last!" Added Mister Light. "Fuck you, Fatso! An' fuck you, Ponce!" Brutrumukk barked back before bounding beyond the border. Brutrumukk arrived just in time to hear Gabriel suggest that they settle down to rest, causing the bugbear to growl in frustration. "An' why could we not 'ave done that before jumpin' 'eadlong through the mirror exactly?" Brutrumukk asked. "We could 'ave 'opped across after gettin' some shuteye where we know it's safe. But nooooooooo! We 'ad to go through right a-fuckin'-way, because reasons."</s>

<|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "I would have liked to rest in a bed, hell I need a god damn drink!" the half-elf sat with a sigh "But we had little choice as ridiculous as that sounds, the best we can do is what we can do at this moment." Gabriel put his hand through his hair glancing sideways towards the swamp "I'm not sure if you want to slough through a swamp, but right now I don't."</s>

<|description|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep Age 29 Race Half-elf Class/Level Bard 2 Background Duelist Personality See CS For Details History See CS For Details Stat Generation Point Buy</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Sadly, the rabbits all slipped away in the fog." Brutrumukk added. "But we'll be ready fer 'em next time. Jus' you wait an' see!" Having said that, Brutrumukk looked about him before posing a question to the group. "So, uh... anyone got any ideas as to what we should do now? Should we stay put? Should be go lookin' about? Which way should we go if we go lookin' about?"</s> <|message|>Zavakri Zavakri watches in wonder, her brief moment of fury dying swiftly as the rabbits beat a retreat. Watching them beat feet in hasty retreat renders her anger obsolete. She relaxes as Brut heads off on the charge, and as her companions all divide themselves amongst one another (yet again) she finds herself eye to eye with a Giant Snail. Again. She places a hand on her hip, meeting the snail's angry eyes with her own even and cool gaze, and snaps her fingers. "You don't have anything on Quickleaf, buster!" She declares to the snail, before snatching up a nearby head of lettuce- likely abandoned by the Harengon in their panic- and approaches the snail to hold it up. "Slimy slimy slimy slimy boy~" She cooed at it, waggling the lettuce before its eye stalks. "Who wants a good shell pat? I know it's you. I knooooooow it's you. I know because all you liddle widdle giant snails are all greedy weedy liddle buggers who like shell pats, aren't you? Aren't you?" She pats the snail's shell as she- turning her head away- offers the lettuce to it, allowing the uncomfortable slimy sensation of feeding the snail wash over her as it ate the lettuce out of her hand. Upon seeing its smiling face, she desperately wished she had access to a cleaning spell of some kind, and she simply smiled back at it and began wiping the slime off her hand in the guise of patting its shell affectionately. "I'll call you Bob. Guys, Bob is alright." She turns about and makes a stunned expression. "Why, is that an-...Mm, quick math..- up-to-1,200-pound-supporting raft? Where in the nine hells did you find one of those? Blimey, you're just carryin' it, ain't you? Built different, you bugbear folk." She says in wonder. "As for where we're going...I say we leave that up to Gabe. Bloke says he has a feeling about this place, and I haven't the foggiest; if we're going blind, I say follow the man's gut. Point a direction and off we march, Sirrah!"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Why, is that an-...Mm, quick math..- up-to-1,200-pound-supporting raft? Where in the nine hells did you find one of those?" Zavakri asked. "Found it stuck in the mud." Brutrumukk replied. "Blimey, you're just carryin' it, ain't you? Built different, you bugbear folk." Zavakri continued in wonder. "Yeah, we are, ain't we?" Brutrumukk said pridefully as he flexed his free arm. "Mag didn't come lookin' fer Hruggek and Grankhul fer no reason, y'know." "As for where we're going... I say we leave that up to Gabe." Zavakri went on to say. "Bloke says he has a feeling about this place, and I haven't the foggiest; if we're going blind, I say follow the man's gut. Point a direction and off we march, Sirrah!" "Yeah, that sounds like a good i-" Brutrumukk got as far as saying before noticing the giant snail's presence. "Uh... 'Ow come the snail's still 'ere?" Brutrumukk asked. "Weren't it on the rabbits' side?"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Queen's Way "I think it's safe to say that Bob isn't on their side anymore, at the very least. The rabbits were browbeating the poor thing," Aurora answered Brutrumukk's question regarding the Giant Snail. She then mentions to the group, "I did see something during our rest: A hot air balloon of sorts falling out of the sky. I think it landed close by. It might be something worth investigating. Of course, I'll go with everyone, wherever that may be. Investigation or no," When the party decides to venture forth into the mists, they find no other opposition to face in the swamps and mists before they reach the next destination. --- Slanty Tower After a while of walking through the stick mud, the party and snail see a new sight among the swamplands. A crumbling stone tower rises out of the swamp, leaning at such an angle that it threatens to keel over. Black brambles surround the base of the tower and cling to its lower half. Hanging from the crenellations on the lower side of the tower's peak is a large woven basket at the end of a tangle of ropes and tattered fabric. The basket dangles thirty feet above the surface of the swamp. Aurora speaks up to the party, "That's it! That's the same balloon I saw earlier..."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Looks like we'll 'ave to get past these thorny brambles if we wanna reach the balloon." Brutrumukk said as he put the raft aside, set Jub down on the ground, and drew his hand axe. "This shouldn't take too long." With axe in hand, Brutrumukk set upon the brambles. Within six seconds, most of the thorny thicket was gone. Within six seconds more, the work was complete. "Job done!" Brutrumukk declared. "Come on then. Let's go see wha-" "Watch out! Behind you!" A voice suddenly called out. "Eh?" Brutrumukk said in confusion as he looked up at the balloon's basket, where the voice seemed to stem from. After taking a moment to process the unexpected occurrence, Brutrumukk did as the voice instructed and turned to look behind him... Where two giant constrictor snakes were glaring at the bugbear with a drowsy fury he was all too familiar with. "...Oh bugger." Initiative Roll: 8</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L After the not-so-delightful encounter with the supposed locals of the swamp, Gabriel was far more guarded than before with a hand clenched firmly to the basket hilt of his rapier. As soon as his slight ears heard the bugbears words, Gabriel had drawn his weapon humming lightly as he brought it up with a flourish "Fear not my furry friend," he strode towards the center of the area weapon held in a guarded stance "For even you surely can wrangle these garden snakes!" Initiative: 17 Action: Move 25ft and take the Dodge action</s> <|message|>Zavakri Zavakri watches in amazement as Brutrumukk hacks away at the brambles in the path- and at the call of caution her hair rises in a catlike manner in surprise at the unexpected voice... But even more astounding was the sheer size of those serpents. "Now that's just inconvenient! Doesn't anyone realize that muscle mass rises on a linear algorithm opposed to weight's exponential growth? Each pound of muscle over a certain point approaches a critical mass that renders the creature's body inefficient! If they get any larger they might be incapable of even moving! What do they eat? Do they eat Bobs? Is that even a good source of sustenance? They would have to sleep more hours of the day just to function! Are snakes cold blooded, too? How do they regulate their body temperatures? Why am I the only one who seems to think this is wrong? It's wrong! They shouldn't be able to get that big!" She brandishes her orb, caught up on her own ramble and fixating on their possible inability to regulate body temperature; Temperature equals X, reducing the value is simple... And a frigid bolt of energy arcs through the air, geometrically moving in a jagged and jarring manner, to write out a simple equation reducing the temperature by a large factor, and when it strikes the Snake frost spreads over the creature. Take that, snake B. Take that. She then sidesteps rapidly to be behind Bob, leaning out around the snail to watch the fight in a nosy manner. Ray of Frost says 24 to hit! 3 Damage! Speed reduced by 10!</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower The snake hisses angrily as Zavakri's ice hits it. But it seems to realize that the attack slowed him down, so he decided to go after the original offender: The Closest Bugbear, Brutrumukk. It tries to coil around Brutrumukk, only for the bugbear barbarian to dodge out of the way. Aurora then runs up and towards the balloon, realizing that a voice was coming from the basket. As she runs, she readies her shortbow, knocks an arrow, and fires at the snake. The arrow flies true and pierces through the scales. She then continues her mad dash towards the balloon. Constrictor Snake B tries to Constrict Brutrumukk! ...It got a 12 to hit. That's a miss. Aurora goes! She shoots at Constrictor B with a Shortbow. She got a 23 to hit! She deals 9 + 1 Sneak Attack = 10 Piercing Damage She then uses her bonus action to Cunning Action Dash towards the balloon. Jub is next! Gabriel & Zavakri: 17 Giant Constrictor Snake B: 15 Bob: 14 Jub & Aurora: 9 Brutrumukk: 8 Giant Constrictor Snake A: 4 Tsak: 4</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Is this really the time to be discussing the probability of giant serpents!?" Jub shouted over to Zavakri. The sudden appearance of the giant snakes had caught him off-guard, causing him to freeze up in fear as his mind raced through the many, many ways Brutrumukk could meet his demise. It was only the human woman's babbling about muscle mass and dietary concerns that seemed to trigger some form of irritation that snapped him out of this trance. "Humanoid bunny rabbits that steal your memories! Inexplicable megafauna! I think we just have to accept that nothing in this place makes any goddamn sense!" With that, and powered by a mixture of terror and annoyance, he got on all-fours and sprinted like a startled cat closer to the two snakes, though still keeping some distance from them. He then stood up to his full height and, making the same gesture he had made with his hands when facing the rabbits earlier, flung a fireball at one of the snakes. Jub moves 30 ft. Firebolt to hit Giant Constrictor A = 24 (Nat 20!) Firebolt damage = 12</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk had dealt with smaller constrictor snakes before, so he knew what to expect from them and how to avoid it. As the bugbear slipped clear of one snake's attempt, Brutrumukk dropped his handaxe and drew his morningstar as he watched his companions unleash their attacks on the snakes. The scent of reptilian blood and burning scales brought a murderous grin to Brutrumukk's face as the heat of battle instilled within him an intense desire for bloodshed. A desire he acted on when Jub's firebolt momentarily distracted the snake to his right. "HRUGGEK!" Brutrumukk roared as he lunged for the singed serpent and brought his morningstar down upon the overgrown beast. Brutrumukk enters a rage. Brutrumukk attacks Giant Constrictor Snake A with his morningstar. He hits with an 18 and deals 10 damage.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower After getting fire flung at him and being hit with a Morningstar, the other snake hisses and tries to constrict and squeeze Brutrumukk. However, it found that the bugbear is still somehow faster than him and his fellow serpent. Tsak meanwhile, flies to pursue after Aurora, curious about what has her attention, but also cautious in case the serpents go after her. Constrictor Snake A tries to Constrict Brutrumukk! ...It rolled a 12 to hit. That's a miss. -_-" the Exiled is next! Inactive for 4 days, so I will NPC Tsak for now. Tsak will fly 30 feet, and will take the dodge action. Gabriel & Zavakri: 17 Giant Constrictor Snake B: 15 Bob: 14 Jub & Aurora: 9 Brutrumukk: 8 Giant Constrictor Snake A: 4 Tsak: 4</s> <|message|>Zavakri Heavy with skepticism at how well things are going, Zavakri squints past Bob's corpulent mass and raises her orb with an optimistic caution, seeking to once more bamboozle Snake B. Nothing too complex going on here, just prodding That-Which-Should-Not-Be until it Stops-Being. Ray of Frost says 12 to hit! If this hits... 7 damage????? S-Slow it down?</s>

<|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel's muscles tensed as he sprang forward, his gaze focused and jaw set watching the serpent closely as it slithered around the bugbear failing to realize it was no match for the fearsome monster it was fighting against yet also failing to watch it's own flank. Already on the offensive the half-elf lunged forward with a graceful flourish, stabbing the serpents coiled body with the accuracy of a surgeon before turning and stepping back with a turn of the heel. Wiping the blood upon his blade against the cuff of his leather gloves. Action: Move towards Giant Constrictor B (10 feet) and Attack (Nat 24) and hit for 11 (+2 not +4 sorry) damage with a rapier.</s>

<|description|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep Age 29 Race Half-elf Class/Level Bard 2 Background Duelist Personality See CS For Details History See CS For Details Stat Generation Point Buy</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk eyed the sword that was sheathed and hanging from the tiny dragon's belt as he speculated its value. After a moment, the bugbear shrugged his broad shoulders. "I suppose that's a good enough payment fer openin' a birdcage." Brutrumukk said. "Alright then. I'll 'ave you out in a jiff. Keep back from the door." With that said, Brutrumukk grabbed the birdcage by its door and dragged it from its hinges.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Brutrumukk attempts to open the birdcage, but finds that the birdcage isn't budging. When he tries to use his full strength to open the cage, it still doesn't budge! Even when it feels like his eyes are bulging from the effort, the birdcage still doesn't open. Sir Talavar explains, "The birdcage is enchanted to be indestructible and lock picking will do no good. Magic or the key to this cage is needed to open this cage," He then tells Brutrumukk, "From what I've heard, Jingle Jangle at Telemy Hill should have that key! She's a friendly goblin, so there should be no problem asking her for the key,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Get some key off o' some goblin?" Brutrumukk asked. "Sounds easy enough. D'you know 'ow to find this 'ill what she's livin' on?"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar answers Brutrumukk's question, "Telemy Hill shouldn't be too far off from here. If you're willing to take this blasted cage with you, I can certainly point you in the right direction,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Sounds good." Brutrumukk said with a nod. "We'll 'ead off in that direction once I've got me breath back an' 'ad somethin' to eat." With that said, Brutrumukk carried the birdcage back down the tower and rejoined his companions. "Found this guy in the balloon." Brutrumukk said. "Says 'e wants outta this cage 'e's in but we need to get a key from a goblin on some 'ill to open the cage 'cuz magic an' stuff. Either way, I don't plan on goin' nowhere 'till I've sat down fer an hour an' eaten some o' this snake I killed. If anyone wants some snake too, let me know an' I'll cook some fer you as well." Brutrumukk then handed off the birdcage to the nearest party member and began to carefully gather up bramble branches to make a fire with.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Now hold on," a bead of sweat trickling down his brow Gabriel sheathed his rapier after wiping it down with a cloth from his belt, a huff escaped him as he made his way over glaring at Brutrumukk "As a man of the sword I must object to this, we owe this..." he glanced askance at Tavaler "Gentleman?" the half-elf shrugged "Anyways, we owe him nothing nor he us. We helped him through no gain of our own." Gabriel crossed his arms "I will not sully my honor as a swordsman, we will ask nothing in return."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar speaks up in response to Gabriel, "I am a knight, Sir! And even if you asked nothing from me in return, I would still give you my sword in return for freeing me from this cage, in accordance with the Rule of Reciprocity," He continues, "Everyone, denizen or visitor, would do well to follow the three golden rules established here: The Rule of Hospitality, the Rule of Ownership, and the Rule of Reciprocity,"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "A kindness done is a kindness in return." the half-elf recited "Was what my mentor once told me," Gabriel's muscles relaxed and his expression less intense "Reciprocity, Ownership and Hospitality." he repeated genuflecting, a hand tapping his rapier as he thought about Ser Talavar's words "A fine and honorable trio of codes to live by." he nodded appreciatively.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Recipe City...? 'Orse Spit Tall Itty... Ownership...?" Brutrumukk asked in confusion at the mention of concepts he did not have a particularly good grasp of. "Could you say that all again? Maybe this time in common or goblin though?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "'Reciprocity', the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit," Jub said, still staring down at his hands in befuddlement. After moment he added, in case Brutrumukk needed it further simplified, "We scratch his back, he scratches ours, basically. Hospitality, meanwhile, is basically doing nice things for others because they're a guest in your house, domain, what have you." He finally raised his head to look over at Talavar, surveying the mustachioed dragon up and down with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. "Where exactly is 'here', while we're at it?"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar adds after Gabriel makes his comment about the three rules, "Yes! And quite dangerous to neglect here," He tilts his head at Brutrumukk's request to repeat the words in Common or Goblin. Thankfully, Jub had explained what a couple of the words meant to the bugbear. Sir Talavar answers Jub's question, "This is the Domain of Delight, Prismeer. Unfortunately, I cannot say that this is the wondrous plane it once was. It has fallen, and been split into three. This splinter plane is Hither,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Split into three? 'Ow did that 'appen?" Brutrumukk asked. "An' 'ow is it dangerous to break any o' those rules?"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar answers Brutrumukk's first question, his tone now grave, "What I have to inform my Queen with haste: Prismeer has fallen! The Hourglass Coven used an artifact called Iggwilv's Cauldron to freeze time in the palace, trapping the true Archfey Ruler of this domain, Zybilna, inside! After that, well, the Hourglass Coven did as they pleased and split Prismeer amongst themselves," He then answers Brutrumukk's second question, "As for your second question, Sir, neglecting the three rules of conduct could lead to retribution done against you by even this land itself,"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora had been distracted trying to recover any of the arrow she had loosed against the giant snakes. Hearing the name Zybilna drew her attention as it had been less than a day since the owners of the carnival had mentioned their patron. Drawing closer to the caged being reaches out to grab the cage. "Did you say Zybilna? How long ago did this coven trap her?" This information started to give more reason as to why the Misters had not heard from their patron in a long time. It may also explain the disappearances at the carnival.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Aurora successfully recovers all three arrows she fired at the snake. Sir Talavar answers her question with a shake of his head, "I'm afraid I don't know how long the Hourglass Coven have been in control, Milady," He then looks intently at Aurora and he asks her, "Wait, You look familiar. May I ask your name?"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora looked at sir Talarvar curiously. "I am Aurora Malister. Have we met before? I would think I'd remember meeting a being such as yourself. Perhaps if you passed through Aglarond with one of many mages that travel through we may have met. I would expect that I would still remember meeting you. She stows the three arrows back in her quiver and starts to take the string off her bow.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower At the name, Sir Talavar snapped his fingers once in clear realization after hearing her name. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Aha!" while snapping his fingers. He answers Aurora, "We haven't met personally, Lady Aurora. But, I have met your sister: Lady Daebella Malister! She joined the Summer Court a short time ago, and together we journeyed here to meet with Zybilna. Unfortunately, we got separated upon reaching the plane. I think she's in a different section of Prismeer,"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora As the small dragon states that Daebella was here Rory nearly dropped her bow. It had been years since she has last spoken to her younger sister, and to learn she was here surprising. Rory thought that her and Xander leaving home would have caused her parents to not let the others get to far from their sight. Then again they may have sent someone with her to make sure she didn't cause the Malister name anymore disgrace. "Oh... I uh.. I would have thought she would still be in Aglarond with our parents. By chance was there anyone else with her? When she came and joined the summer court that is." The elven rogue asked with a slight nervous tone. She knew she would need to help her sister out of whatever situation she was in now. If she had a companion from home with her, Rory would need to be careful so word was less likely to get back to her parents about where she was.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar tilts his head and answers Aurora's question, "No. She was alone when she came to the Summer Court and spoke with my Queen. She was quite eloquent and well-mannered,"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "I'm sorry..." Jub said, holding up a claw. "I think we need to back up a moment." He turned to Aurora. "He just said your sister is now a member of the Summer Court. As in, the fey Summer Court." He paused, taking a moment to consider this information. "So, is your sister a fey warlock or..." Then he realised something else, something the dragon had said just now. "Wait, he called your sister Lady. As in like, a title." His eyes suddenly widened, as if he was putting all the pieces together at last. "Oh my gods... your sister is an archfey! And so are you!" He pointed at Aurora. "I'm right, aren't I?"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora A sigh of relief escaped the eveln woman's lips as Sir Talarvar stated Daebella arrived alone. Bell would likely not tell their parents till well after Aurora was well away from where Daebella last knew. Tension returned some to Rory when Jub interjected asking about Daebella. At first he seemed to be thinking that she was a warlock in service to a fey. That could be true although last Rory knew her sister was studying magic through music, how some bards were able to use words and song to manipulate the weave. The goblin's quick assumption that Bell and Rory were archfey left the elf speechless. "Well you are close in that in a way she has a title. Niether of us are an archfey. Though last I knew my sister was studying how bards and use their voice and instruments to manipulate the weave. She could have made a pact with one of the fey of the summer court though. It has been several years since I've last talked to her."</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Hmph. That's exactly what an archfey in disguise would say," Jub muttered. "And you're telling me, we all end up at the same weird fairy carnival together, get sucked into another dimension, and your sister-" He pointed at Aurora again. "-who you claim you haven't seen in years, just happens to be here?" He shook his head. "I don't buy that. That seems like too much of a coincidence for me. Like really, what are the odds?" As if suddenly realising something, he then quickly turned and pointed over to Zavakri. "Wait, no, don't actually answer that! That was a rhetorical question!"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora The continued assumption that she was an archfey confused Aurora even more. "You do remember that I lost something at the carnival as well. It was a ring that belonged to my family and I had lost decades ago at the carnival. The only reason why I was at the carnival was I had felt drawn to it. I'm not sure how my sister having joined the fey summer court and Sir Talarvar referring to her as Lady makes her and I both archfey. Believe what you will but neither I or Daebella are an archfey." The elf turned back to the caged dragon. "Daebella had always been well mannered and well spoken, more so then our older sister. Hopefully she is not to far from where we are. Some of the local denizens seem more... troubling than I would have thought."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk While everyone else was busy talking to Sir Talavar, Brutrumukk refocused on gathering up bramble branches. As the conversation with the faerie dragon continued, Brutrumukk piled up his assembled bramble branches in preparation for the cookout he was about to commence. "Alright you lot, I reckon I'm ready to cook." Brutrumukk called out to his companions. "Who's up fer some bugbear style fried snake?"</s>

<|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Uh, well..." as appetizing as bugbear fried snake sounded the half-elf politely shook his head and tamped down his compulsion to say a few rather colorful comments on the topic although he was no stranger to eating whatever to survive he was not inclined to do so if he had a choice "I think I shall just eat my rations, for now at least." he added with a slight awkward guffaw. "Ser," Gabriel nodded to the faerie dragon "Would you deign to share a tale to a swordsman in return for a bit of food?" he was curious about the caged dragon, a supposed noble knight and fascinated by him to say the least. "I would love to hear of these tenets you live by and of a genteel knight such as yourself!"</s>

<|description|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep Age 29 Race Half-elf Class/Level Bard 2 Background Duelist Personality See CS For Details History See CS For Details Stat Generation Point Buy</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel had silently listened as he sat fireside, his eyes flickered from the reflected light of the open flame while he ran an old kerchief up and down the length of his weapon. As Talavar spoke, the half-elf glanced up once in a while with a question in his eyes yet he did not wish to interrupt as it would be rude. So he listened and cleaned the filth from his weapon, humming an indistinguishable tune and thought: 'Hmph this jerky is rather stale.'</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar answered Brutrumukk first, "From what I remember of the tales here, it used to be that Zybilna would come and punish the malicious rule breakers herself. But now that she's indisposed, it would be like back home: The elements themselves or the fae magic itself would take form and punish any who broke the rules," When Jub asked about the rules, Sir Talavar answered him after Zavakri explained her thoughts on the rules, "Aye, the Hourglass Coven sees everything in Prismeer as belonging to them. It used to be that Zybilna was fair: Anything that you owned was yours. If you needed to find food, it would appear before you for you to have, so you would be fine picking berries. As long as you didn't steal anything from another person, you would be fine,"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub was only really half-listening as Zavakri attempted to make sense of Prismeer's rules, and started to wonder if, instead of Aurora like he had earlier guessed, the human woman was in fact an archfey in disguise. It would certainly explain her numerous eccentricities. At Talavar's response, however, the goblin returned his focus to the conversation, and something about the small dragon's words must have disturbed him because a particularly large and chewy lump of snake meat got stuck in Jub's throat as he had to take a moment to cough and splutter as he tried to swallow it down. Once he was done, he looked back at Talavar. "Sorry, sorry, I just... really didn't like your use of past tense just now," he said between coughs.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk listened to Sir Talavar as the faerie dragon answered the question. Just as the bugbear drew breath to ask another question though, Jub began choking on his food. "Oi. Oi! Don't you go chokin' to death on my food. I know I ain't the best at cookin' but I also know I ain't that bad at it." Brutrumukk said as he moved over to Jub and gave the goblin a few firm pats on the back to help dislodge the snake chunk. "Sorry, sorry, I just... really didn't like your use of past tense just now," Jub told Talavar once the blockage was clear. "What d'you mean by that?" Brutrumukk asked.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Thank you," Jub said to Brutrumukk, even as he began to rub his own back to make sure his bugbear companion hadn't done any damage in his attempts to help. After a moment, he surmised he might have a bruise there tomorrow, but that was still far preferrable to joking to death. "Past tense: a use of language donoting that something happened at an earlier point of time," the goblin explained. "Basically, he's implying that while this Zybilna would have been okay with us foraging and hunting in her lands, this Hourglass Covern likely won't."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Past tense: a use of language denoting that something happened at an earlier point of time," Jub explained. "Yeah, I know that bit." Brutrumukk said while making a 'get on with it' motion with one hand. "But why didn't you like the tiny dragon usin' it jus' now?" "Basically, he's implying that while this Zybilna would have been okay with us foraging and hunting in her lands, this Hourglass Coven likely won't." Jub finished. "Oh." Brutrumukk said thoughtfully. "Well seein' 'ow we jus' killed two snakes, ate one of 'em, an' no magical shenanigans 'ave turned up to get us back fer that, I think we're fine on that front... 'Ang on." Brutrumukk then turned to Sir Talavar and asked a question. "If these 'ags stole this place from this Sip-Ill-Nah lady you mentioned, why 'aven't the magical shenanigans come after the 'ags?"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Rory looked up at both Jub and Brut discussing the potential issue of the land punishing the group for stealing from the hags. As the small dragon had mentioned the hags viewed everything in Prismir as theirs, though the elf was not sure how that may extend to the inhabitants of the land. "Would these living things be the property of the hags? I do not think that is the case Jub. If it were just by simply being here long enough you may end up as their property."  She paused to take another bit of the snake wiping the grease off with a small piece of cloth. "Now I will warn you that there is a potential that we could end up in some strange bargin do to the rule of reciprocity. Some Fey can see the giving of gifts as means to making a contract. If these hags believe in this rule so much, they could try to use it to put us in a poor position."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar agrees with Aurora first, "Lady Aurora is correct. Living beings aren't normally considered as possessions. But, they might be considered as subjects under their reign," He nods in agreement at her words warning of the gifts from the Fey. He then looks to Brutrumukk and answers his question, "As for your question, Sir, It might be because either the Coven know how to protect themselves from such magic, or the Retribution of this Fey Realm is winding itself up into a powerful wallop, so to speak,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Well if it's the second thing, I 'ope I'm there to see the wallop when it 'appens. Sounds like it'd be fun to watch." Brutrumukk said when Sir Talavar was done talking. "Either way, we've been sittin' around fer about an hour now. I'd say it's time we got movin'." With that said, Brutrumukk finished his meal and began to tidy away his things in preparation for the journey to Telemy Hill. "You said some goblin what lives on some 'ill can open yer cage, yeah?" Brutrumukk said to Sir Talavar as he worked. "What makes you so sure she can, does she work for the 'ags as some sort o' magical cage maker or somethin' like that?"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar nodded at Brutrumukk's first question before answering his next one about the goblin in question "Certainly not. From what I have heard, Jingle Jangle is a victim of Bavlorna Blightstraw's. I do not know why, but she collects keys. If anyone has the key to this cage, it would be her! I can guide you to Telemy Hill if you are ready,"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "I know all but folktales and fanciful myths, of the Fey and Feywild." the half-elf said, finished wiping the detritus from his the sharp of the rapier that he hung at his belt "But forgive me for being blunt when I say, you must be in this cage for a reason." Gabriel looked at the cage with furrowed brow, his attention while not all there the half-elf had been half listening as the day had been exhausting "Or...Did you already explain that? Goodness, if so I certainly have egg on my face." Gabriel chuckled softly. "Well, regardless of the if's and when's or how's...I'd be hardpressed to not lift a finger and help a fellow man...Erm or dragon." correcting himself with a not-so-subtle cough into his hand, Gabriel wondered if the small dragon considered himself man or beast but kept the musing to himself. "I just hope this odd feeling I keep getting will go away..." Gabriel said offhandedly, more speaking to himself but loud enough that his companions heard his worried tone "Gods forbid I find a skeleton clutching a set of dice in this bloody swamp." he muttered looking into the campfire with a hand resting under his chin.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Random Encounter 2 The party, now rested and recovered from their fight with the serpents, continue on their journey through the Fey Realm, with a new friend in tow and new information brought to light. As they continue to move through the swamps, they notice the tide slowly rising. Thankfully, the group can use Brutrumukk's raft to navigate the waters without having to swim. The only issue? They find that they need a ten foot pole or a similar tool to push the raft along the waters. Upon learning this fact, the group also notice that they can hear the sound of rushing water in the distance. The swamps are now at High Tide! Depth. The water's depth is 5 feet. Creatures that don't have a swimming speed move at half speed through the water. Visibility. Visibility underwater is 10 feet.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Guess that take care o' puttin' out the fire." Brutrumukk said as the tide came in. "Everybody on the raft!" Once everyone was on the raft, Brutrumukk took one of the stilts out of the stilt pant he got from the Witchlight Carnival for use as an oar. But just as he was about to start rowing, the sound of rushing water met Brutrumukk's ears. "Er... booyagh?" Brutrumukk asked nervously as he set the makeshift oar down on the raft and lifted the goblin into the air. "Don't suppose you can see what's makin' that noise from up there?" It's the ciiircle of liiiiiife!</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar As the group was finishing up their meal and getting ready to continue on, Jub looked over to Gabriel. "So, these dice you lost," he began. "Are they like really expensive, fancy dice or do they just have sentimental value?" He quickly added, "I'm not making fun of you or anything, my good fellow , but it does seem odd how... whatever it was that stole from us all chose its target. I lose the ability to keep a secret, Miss Aurora here lost a ring and a letter which no doubt had high value, several individuals lost family members... and you lost dice. It does seem a very picky-choosy sort of thief, does it not? Like how does it decide- WHOA!" He didn't get to finish that thought because Brutrumukk suddenly picked him up and hoisted him up into the air, saying something about a strange noise and asking Jub to see if he could find the source. "You know, you really need to start warning me before you do that!" he said as he began to scan his surroundings for anything particularly out of place. So I got some bad news... Perception check = 6 Perception check advantage = 9 Yeah, Jub can't see shit.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora had clambered onto the raft sitting near the middle. Hearing the sound that the others were hearing drew her attention away from cleaning her boots. She stood up and went to the front of the raft as Jub mentioned he could not see anything as there was a tree blocking his view. "There appears to be a well gushing water up. It's on a small bit of land still aways down." She turned and looked up to Jub. "You might be onto something Jub. Most of these things that were taken don't exactly have a physical value. Zavakri would an hag or other being from the fey be interested in such things?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Oh good. It's just a well." Brutrumukk said with a sigh of relief. "Thank Mag fer that. Though we was 'eaded fer a waterfall fer a moment there... Well the moment 'as passed. Let's get a move on." With that said, Brutrumukk set Jub back down on the raft and took up his makeshift oar once again. "Next stop, Telemy 'Ill." Brutrumukk said as he made ready to row... but then paused as he realized he didn't know how to get there. "Which way was that again?"</s>

<|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel coughed into his fist, the jerky while not unpleasant was somewhat tough to swallow. With a swig from the flask at his hip the swordsman washed his meal down, Gabe wiped his mouth with the cuff of his tunic "Well now you seem to be implying that the thing I've lost doesn't seem significant," he replied with an arched eyebrow "To answer your somewhat tactless question Jub these dic-" Gabriel had nary wiped his hands before Brutrumukk hoisted Jub up, interrupting their conversation. Wasting no time to dillydally, Gabriel carefully stepped onto the raft and taking a seat nearest to the goblinoids to continue the conversation where it had ended so abruptly. "As far as I could say I only know of hags from old wife's tales and stories told to scare children. You know the kind, hag eats children or steal them." running a hand through his hair the half-elf shrugged "And no Jub the dice were not worth a kings ransom, they belonged to an old friend of mine." Gabe said pointedly to the goblin "They got sentimental value, not the kind that is all that fond but they meant something to me." he sounded and looked like he ate something rotten, Gabriel wore a rather unpleasant expression that went away after he sighed looking to the brackish water and mumbled "If I find that idiot I'll tan his hide..." it wasn't like he hated Beren for up and disappearing but they were like brothers, at least he could have explained why he left town. But as much as Gabriel told himself his mate was somewhere out there he couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't. Those dice were the one thing that gave him hope, not that he'd ever admit that.</s>

<|description|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep Age 29 Race Half-elf Class/Level Bard 2 Background Duelist Personality See CS For Details History See CS For Details Stat Generation Point Buy</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar As the group was finishing up their meal and getting ready to continue on, Jub looked over to Gabriel. "So, these dice you lost," he began. "Are they like really expensive, fancy dice or do they just have sentimental value?" He quickly added, "I'm not making fun of you or anything, my good fellow , but it does seem odd how... whatever it was that stole from us all chose its target. I lose the ability to keep a secret, Miss Aurora here lost a ring and a letter which no doubt had high value, several individuals lost family members... and you lost dice. It does seem a very picky-choosy sort of thief, does it not? Like how does it decide- WHOA!" He didn't get to finish that thought because Brutrumukk suddenly picked him up and hoisted him up into the air, saying something about a strange noise and asking Jub to see if he could find the source. "You know, you really need to start warning me before you do that!" he said as he began to scan his surroundings for anything particularly out of place. So I got some bad news... Perception check = 6 Perception check advantage = 9 Yeah, Jub can't see shit.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora had clambered onto the raft sitting near the middle. Hearing the sound that the others were hearing drew her attention away from cleaning her boots. She stood up and went to the front of the raft as Jub mentioned he could not see anything as there was a tree blocking his view. "There appears to be a well gushing water up. It's on a small bit of land still aways down." She turned and looked up to Jub. "You might be onto something Jub. Most of these things that were taken don't exactly have a physical value. Zavakri would an hag or other being from the fey be interested in such things?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Oh good. It's just a well." Brutrumukk said with a sigh of relief. "Thank Mag fer that. Though we was 'eaded fer a waterfall fer a moment there... Well the moment 'as passed. Let's get a move on." With that said, Brutrumukk set Jub back down on the raft and took up his makeshift oar once again. "Next stop, Telemy 'Ill." Brutrumukk said as he made ready to row... but then paused as he realized he didn't know how to get there. "Which way was that again?"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel coughed into his fist, the jerky while not unpleasant was somewhat tough to swallow. With a swig from the flask at his hip the swordsman washed his meal down, Gabe wiped his mouth with the cuff of his tunic "Well now you seem to be implying that the thing I've lost doesn't seem significant," he replied with an arched eyebrow "To answer your somewhat tactless question Jub these dic-" Gabriel had nary wiped his hands before Brutrumukk hoisted Jub up, interrupting their conversation. Wasting no time to dillydally, Gabriel carefully stepped onto the raft and taking a seat nearest to the goblinoids to continue the conversation where it had ended so abruptly. "As far as I could say I only know of hags from old wife's tales and stories told to scare children. You know the kind, hag eats children or steal them." running a hand through his hair the half-elf shrugged "And no Jub the dice were not worth a kings ransom, they belonged to an old friend of mine." Gabe said pointedly to the goblin "They got sentimental value, not the kind that is all that fond but they meant something to me." he sounded and looked like he ate something rotten, Gabriel wore a rather unpleasant expression that went away after he sighed looking to the brackish water and mumbled "If I find that idiot I'll tan his hide..." it wasn't like he hated Beren for up and disappearing but they were like brothers, at least he could have explained why he left town. But as much as Gabriel told himself his mate was somewhere out there he couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't. Those dice were the one thing that gave him hope, not that he'd ever admit that.</s> <|message|>Zavakri "That's all well and good- Wait, a well? Didja say a well? Brutrummuk, be a dear and take us closer can you? I would like to see this well. A well bubbling like a spring? That's just vocabulary soup! You don't suppose the well is making soup, do you fellows?" She muses. "I mean, of course it doesn't, we're not in soup now- but I'd like to see it nonetheless." She scrambles across the raft cautiously, holding onto the side of Bob's shell all the while, to get into position to study this strange sight.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "I can take us closer to the well." Brutrumukk said as he began rowing in that direction. "But I can't turn meself into a deer though. I ain't a druid. Me mum was, but not me."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Gushing O'-Well Brutrumukk easily navigates the raft through the waters and closer to the little patch of land that crests above the high tide. They are able to dock the raft there, and walk over to the well. The well is ten feet tall and five feet in diameter. There, the party can feel water droplets fall upon them from the geyser shooting up from the well. The geyser reaches 30 feet into the air before raining upon the party and the area. You see at the top of this geyser are four baubles, two of them glinting in the twilight. These baubles are a silver hand mirror with a nymph-shaped handle, a piece of orange parchment folded to look like a knight astride a unicorn, a wooden spoon with a hole in the center, and a silvered pinecone. Both Satyr and Halfling weren't in Prismeer for very long...at least it doesn't feel long. At some point between coming to this swamp and now, the both of you ran into each other and decided it would be prudent to travel together. Out of the both of you, the Satyr Knight, Feras Mossbeard, can feel that his lost item is here! Somewhere in these swamps! The feeling is an unceasing nagging that won't go away until he finds it. Of course, being fey, he knows that's the metaphysical balance trying to correct itself and help him in doing so. Fortunately or Unfortunately, the Halfling, Halander, does not have that same nagging feeling in these swamps. As the both of you traverse through the swamp, trying to find civilization or to your lost things, you do finally find something... Or rather, someone... Wading or swimming through this sudden high tide, you see the small patch of land with the well, and you see a group of five with a raft move to investigate it. This group of five consists of two goblinoids, an elf, a half-elf, and a human. Peculiarly, they also have a Giant Snail with them. ...What do you do? The swamps are now at High Tide! Depth. The water's depth is 5 feet. Creatures that don't have a swimming speed move at half speed through the water. Visibility. Visibility underwater is 10 feet.</s> <|message|>Halander Wilkins Would I have gotten to know Feras during our travels?</s> <|message|>Halander Wilkins (So sorry I forgot what channel we were in) "Feras." said Halander. "I do reckon we've run into sentient adventurers. It's been a long time indeed, so such a thing is quite amazing. Pardon me, but I think I will speak to them now." he said, taking a quick step forward. "Ho! I am Halander Wilkins, and we two have gotten lost like you." He bowed, continuing on his ramble, as indeed, being a tutor had trained his mouth to move for minutes at a time. "Not just that, but I, not sure of Feras, have lost something very dear to me at The Witchlight Carnival." he finished. "Either way, meeting you all here is rather convenient for us." (Any checks?)</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk turned to regard the newcomers with narrowed eyes. Brutrumukk found it to be a somewhat suspicious coincidence that these two stranger much appeared out of nowhere, immediately brought up that they had lost something at the Witchlight Carnival like almost everyone else in the party had, and were now trying to ingratiate themselves to the group. "Yeah... I think I can say with a fair amount o' certainty that these two are workin' fer the 'ag." Brutrumukk said to his companions.</s> <|message|>Halander Wilkins "The what? Who is the "agh"? Why would...Ok, before you start throwing out such rash accusations, consider the facts." he said, crossing his legs. This is how you knew he was about to talk for a good long while. "If I was a spy, would I sound so much like one? Don't you think my plan and execution would be better? Don't you think I would know more about my surroundings? See, I am a Mercenary and Librarian by trade, and there was a strange figure who almost seemed to have wanted to be followed. I pursued this creature, and was left here, with no earthly idea where my marble is or how to get out. If I was a spy, Once my plan failed, don't you think I would have a way to get out?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "But I can't turn meself into a deer though. I ain't a druid." Jub gave a small snort. "Now there's mental image," he muttered as he tried to imagine Brutrumukk ever transforming into something as skittish and dainty as a deer. Maybe a moose or an elk, or some kind of woolly buffalo. He turned back to Gabriel. "Anyhow, I wasn't trying to diminish your loss, my friend," he said. "Merely questioning how our mystical thief chose what they stole. The Misters seemed to imply that it was retribution for us not paying, but if so, why are the things they took so different? Did it simply take the most important thing we had on our person at the time?" He gestured to the half-elf. "That doesn't seem right, because as sentimentally important these dice are to you, it couldn't have been the most important thing. Especially considering this magic can steal non-physical things. It could have taken..." The goblin thought for a moment as he tried to consider what else Gabriel might hold dear that could have been taken from him. "Your ability to fence or sing or..." He made a wild hand gesture as he tried to think of something, before suddenly realising he really didn't know much about what Gabriel did or didn't hold dear, so he simply. "Something! I don't know! I'm just trying to make sense of all this!" It was at this point they were approached by two strangers, a halfling and a satyr, who Brutrumukk almost immediately voiced his mistrust of. Given how strange the inhabitants of this land had proved so far, Jub was inclined to agree. He listened as the halfling attempted to explain himself, narrowing his eyes and glancing at the expressions of each of his own companions to see what they thought. Once the halfling was quiet, Jub spoke up. "To be honest, I'm a lot less suspicious of you than I am of your cloven-hooved companion there," he said, nodding towards Feras. "Because he's a fey. Satyr's are fey. And we're in the Feywild, which is where fey are from so if anyone's a spy here, it's mostly likely him." He paused, before quickly looking back at the halfling. "Oh yeah, not sure if you're aware of that but you're in the Feywild. I probably should have revealed that a little more delicately, now that I think of it..."</s> <|message|>Halander Wilkins Halander Wilkins --- "The Feywilds, yes? I've only ever had the chance to read about this in books. Interesting, hm?" he said, not talking to anybody in particular but instead, seemed he was speaking to...nothing? A sad expression crossed the man's face when he realized what he was doing. "Nevermind. This place is quite beautiful, but there are likely many monsters about. Why and how have you come to the Feywilds? Seems from your attire that it wasn't for sightseeing." Pausing, his thoughts turned inward and he collected what he could remember about his meager time at the festival itself. "The agh, The agh... the...hag? Ah, yes." he paused, returning to the outside world. "I do remember chasing someone into a portal that looked vaguely feminine. Could that be who you are looking for?" "Even if he is likely to be a spy, Feras is, how do you know whoever you are looking for is also Fey and can communicate in the language of Satyrs? Perhaps they are of a different species but are very used to this climate and terrain." he finished.</s> <|message|>Halander Wilkins Accidental Dupe Post</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Well, he took that far better than I thought he would," Jub muttered to Brutrumukk. He wasn't sure whether to take the halfling's lack of surprise or fear at this revelation as suspicious or simple eccentricity. However, his ears did perk up slightly as the mention of following a 'feminine figure' into a portal. "This figure... it wouldn't happen to be a kenku, would it? Or someone vaguely birdlike at least?" He motioned to himself and Brutrumukk. "We met one before we got here and we know she's somehow involved with all..." He gestured vaguely around himself. "This." He paused, considering how much they should tell these strangers. The halfling at least seemed to be even more confused about this whole situation than they had been. The Misters had at least told their group something about what was happening, but it seemed this guy knew next to nothing. He turned his head back to the other members of his party, giving them a questioning an expression as if to ask 'what now?'</s>

<|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L He chuckled finding what the halfling said a little humorous either if it were intended or not "Forgive me my friend I mean no offense by laughing, Gabriel at your service." he offered the halfling a hand in welcome, not bothered by his and his friends sudden and abrupt appearance. "Pardon my curiosity but where in the world did you find yourself befriended by this one?" the half-elf gave a sideways glance to the satyr.</s>

<|description|>Jub the Peculiar Age: 18 Race: Goblin (though he claims to be a gnome with a bad skin condition) Class: Wizard Level: 2 Background: Charlatan Personality: Pompous, theatrical, attention-seeking, jittery, proud, possibly delusional, doesn't know when to shut up. Backstory: sent to GM Other: Has a fey familiar called Eighteyes who takes the form of a spider. She's loyal to Jub while also being 100% done with his nonsense. Stat Generation: Point Buy</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Chapter 1 Welcome to the Witchlight Carnival! The Ticket Booth The first stars of night twinkle above the apricot sunset. Giant dragonflies whir overhead, trailing streamers, and a low mist curls over the ground. Through a floral archway, you glimpse wondrous and vibrant creatures—elf stilt walkers, dancing faeries, and painted performers. Everywhere there is laughter, pixie dust, bubbles, and the wistful tune of a whistling calliope. Almost all of you gaze upon this sight, and the memories of your previous visit seem to become much more vivid than they were before. For the bugbear resident, the calliope and laughter has certainly drawn him here from his rock home. By chance or by fate, all of you stand before the entrance to the Carnival together, reunited by similar causes. Five of them remember the Carnival Owners' words... "Silly little screeching cricket... You forgot to buy a ticket!" "The Carnival goes round and round, The Multiverse is our Playground. Nothing's free and nothing's lost. Every visit has its cost." With that thought in mind, they see the Ticket Booth by the entrance. There, the party sees a wrinkled old goblin running that booth. He finishes helping a customer pay for their ticket and calls to them, as though he were deaf, "Thank you! Enjoy your time in the Witchlight Carnival!"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk hated everything about what was happening right now. The music. The laughter. The noise. He hated it all with every fibre of his being. Ever since the Witchlight Carnival had arrived in the field and set up shop right next to the Snoring Stone, Brutrumukk's usual peace and quiet had been shattered. Yelling at them to go away had proven fruitless. Threatening to rip off their heads and shit down their necks only made them say he wasn't allowed in the carnival, as if he even wanted to go to their stupid carnival! And since there were so many carnies, simply killing them all wasn't an option. And so all the angry bugbear could do was lean against his rock and glare at the carnival as he prayed to Hruggek and Grankhul for the chance to take revenge on those who had torn away the usual serenity and solitude of his grassy field and his hollowed stoney home.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel absent-mindedly played with the basket hilt of the old rapier at his side watching passerby with vague interest, specifically keeping an eye on the grumbling bugbear leaning aways off against an old moss-covered rock 'He could be trouble.' the swordsman thought scratching his goatee with a free hand 'Then again so can anyone.' the man's gaze fell upon the others lined up to pay the ticket... * CONTINUED IN COLLAB *</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar A small figure stood by the floral entrance to the carnival, bundled in a mixture of fine silk and old rags that hid every part of him save his oversized ears and the beady, reddish-orange eyes that seemed to glow slightly beneath his hood. While he was just another visitor to the Witchlight, he had set himself up beside the ticket booth an hour or so earlier and was attempting to flag down all who attempted to enter. These attempts ranged from simply calling out to them to actively getting into their personal space and shoving a variety of small, cruedly-made trinkets in their line-of-sight. "Souveniers for sale!" the figure called. "Made by Jub the Peculiar's own two hands! Buy one now, remember visit to Witchlight Carnival forever!" These attempts had so far been unsuccessful. Most people ignored him and would rush quickly through the archway once they had bought their ticket, or would decide to leave carnival, likely to return at a later point when they hoped he would be gone. Jub had managed to hold out so far, but even his enthusiasm was starting to wane and he had gone from loudly pestering the visitors to sulking as he eyed each one individually. He had been showing particular interest in one of them - a half-elf with a rapier by his side - when his gaze passed over to someone standing a little further afield: a rather grumpy-looking bugbear who was eying the whole carnival with a look of contempt. How long had he been standing there? Jub hadn't noticed him when he had first set up shop, but then again, he had been kind of distracted by all the colours, the smells... the whole catatrophe when he had tried to get Eighteyes to spin a banner out of silk and had ended up scaring away a couple of extremely archnaphobic customers... well, the point was, he wasn't exactly as observant as normal. But, he'd noticed now and was willing to take this lull in the current business to try a somewhat riskier venture. Now, normally he wouldn't try something like this - especially with such a grumpy-looking fella - but he was a little desperate at this point. Business had been slow for him today... and yesterday... and the day before that... but he was determined to use this carnival as an opportunity to gain a little extra coin. So, stepping away from the ticketbooth, he approached the bugbear as confidentally as he could manage. "You, sir!" he said, pointing to the bugbear. "You look like a man who could use..." He paused, looking the bugbear up and down as he tried to gage what exactly would interest him. "A good.. err.... erm..." Nope, he was drawing a blank here. Probably should have workshopped this before approaching the customer. "Erm..." Jub quickly pulled out his failsafe and showed it to the bugbear. "Shiny brooch? Only one gold piece."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk looked down at the either very brave or very stupid magical looking goblin who had dared to approach him. After regarding the goblin trying to sell him something for a few moments, the bugbear huffed through his nostrils. "Fuck it. Why not?" Brutrumukk said before tossing the goblin a gold piece and pocketing the brooch. After a moment of consideration, Brutrumukk looked down again at the goblin and spoke in their native tongue. "Oi, booyagh. I got a job fer ya. Four gold if you say yes an' four more if you actually do the job." Brutrumukk pointed at the carnival. "See that place? I don't like that place. So I want you to go in there, snoop around, an' see if there's any way to mess everything up. Once you've found a way, come tell me what that way is so that I can go mess it up, an' I'll give ya the rest of the gold. Sound good?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub took the coin the bugbear had handed him and held it up to his face. He squinted at it for a moment before testing it with his teeth, briefly exposing rows of jagged teeth to any who may be looking closely enough. When he was satisfied, he placed it in his pocket and was about to thank the bugbear for his business when he suddenly spoke again, this time in the goblin tongue. Jub's body immediately stiffened, the glee in his eyes leaving and being replaced with panic. How had he figured it out? His disguise was flawless! Was it the ears or... maybe his smell? He raised an arm slightly and sniffed at himself self-consciously. Did he smell more goblin-y than usual today? He didn't think so. Then again, he wasn't sure how goblin-y he usually smelled. He was still contemplating this when he noticed the bugbear had stopped talking, and suddenly realized he was probably expecting some kind of response. What had he been saying? Something about... a job... and gold? Jub hesitated for a moment as he considered how best to respond. He could feign ignorance, pretend he didn't understand and quickly make his way back to the carnival. After all, he'd gotten what he'd come for and had no reason to humor this stranger, especially if it meant sabotaging the carnival. Jub liked the carnival. It was bright, colorful, filled with oddballs with unique costumes... Jub's kind of place! But at the same time... four plus four gold... plus the gold piece he already had... that was a decent amount of gold, at least more than Jub had made in the last few days, and he wasn't sure how long it would be before business was ever that good for him again. He looked the bugbear up and down for a moment, weighing up in his options. Jub gave the bugbear a double thumbs up. "You, my good sir, have a deal!" he responded in goblin.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk A wide, predatory grin of anticipation stretched itself across Brutrumukk's face. His prayers had been answered. Soon he would have his opportunity for revenge. Those carnies would rue the day they crossed the Spirit Of The Snoring Stone. "Perfect." Brutrumukk said as he handed the goblin his down payment. "I'll be leanin' against this rock fer most o' the night. Wait fer me 'ere once you've got somethin' I can use. 'An don't try to cheat me, booyagh. Elsewise there'll be no magic in the world that'll be able to save you from me."</s> <|message|>Miizel Throe Bursting into a large open field was a particularly winded gnome. He scanned the area, alert of any signs of danger before his eyes settled upon the large carnival before him. The Witchlight Carnival. Upon seeing it memories long lost began to resurface as he buckled and knelt on the ground. "Can't stop, can't stop, can't stop." He repeatedly whispered to himself. He looked around and it seemed like his only choice for respite at the moment was either the carnival or a disgruntled looking bugbear. The former seemed like the better choice. Miizel slowly stood up and made his way to the ticketing booth, eyes still darting around. "Uh, h-hello." He said, his voice high pitched and whistle like. "One ticket please."</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Malister & Gabriel _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ It has been decades since she had seen this particular carnival. She was only ten years old when her and Xander had snuck out to go see what all the servents had been talking about. The smells of the food, the jugglers spinning firey touches back and forth, and the acrobat walking across the thin wire with no net below them. Just as the acrobat looked like they were going to fall the recovered, and Rory and Xander had been caught by one of the Carnival's owners. Rory pulled down her face cover while staring in child like wonder still lost in memory. When the goblin yelled to her she snapped out of it and looked around quickly to see who the goblin was yelling to. Off to the side she noticed the groucy looking bugbear who was leering at the carnival as of it was disturbing him. She looked around to see who else was in the line for tickets to the carnival and see a half-elf playing the the basket guard on his rapier. "Are you ok sir?" turning the man blinked as though he was surprised by the question "Hm?" the half-elf placed his other hand at his hip giving the elvish woman a good look "Oh I'm fine," a smile spread across his face, despite the scar on Gabriel's face his appearance remained as fine as it had before "Your concern is flattering, however." "I know how overwhelming this place can be if it's your first time seeing the Witchlight Carnival. Just wanted to make sure you didn't get to distracted. Picket pockets love a distracted crowd. Then again, it's been some time since I've seen it last and maybe they've run off any would be thieves." Aurora loosed a string on her belt pouch to draw out the needed coin to get into the carnival while stepping closer to the booth. "Name's Rory by the way. Gabriel fished out a single gold from a pouch tied to his waistband, nodding in agreement "Well I guess I should return the favor sometime," chuckling he offered her a hand "Gabriel, duelist by trade." A wry smile passed over Aurora's face quickly. She reached out and shook his hand. "Be careful about saying things like that around here. Carnival workers or not, fey like making deals and gathering favors. So what brings duelist by trade to the carnival?" he gave her hand a firm shake before returning it to the guard of his rapier "Whimsy, or rather a gut feeling." he told Rory with a sigh, smile dipping slightly "The life of a duelist has taken me far from a life I left behind..." Gabriel looked as though he was about to say more but instead cleared his throat and shook his head "Oh but never mind that, what brought you here?" "Just happened to be passing through and saw the carnival. The noise and sight of it kinda draws you in. I have a few days before I need to find some work or move on anyway." Aurora stretched out her arms, and, then fingers trying to loosen up stiff muscles from having been cramped in the small inn room she was staying at. Gabriel gave her a slight nod with a bit of amusement upon his face "Story of my life," he chuckled amicably, then scratching the hair of his chin with the hand placed upon his weapon Gabriel silently considered something with a tilt of his head "If you wouldn't mind it," returning his hand to the hilt of the weapon at his side Gabriel sounded as if he were measuring his words "I would ask if you might like my company?" "I don't see why not." She stepped up to the booth quickly behind the gnome in line.</s>

<|message|>Jub the Peculiar "You got it!" Jub responded cheerfully, this time in common. He finished inspecting his four new coins and gave the bugbear yet another thumbs up before turning away and his way back towards the Carnival. Only once he was away from the cranky goblinoid did it briefly occur to him that this was a terrible, awful idea that could very easily backfire on him. However, he didn't have time to really mull that particular thought over because, as he attempted to get in line for a ticket, he ended up tripping over his robes, narrowly avoided bumping into the people in front of him and dropping his coins all over the ground. "Oh no no no..." He quickly got onto his hands and knees and quickly attempted to scoop the fallen coins up.</s>

<|description|>Jub the Peculiar Age: 18 Race: Goblin (though he claims to be a gnome with a bad skin condition) Class: Wizard Level: 2 Background: Charlatan Personality: Pompous, theatrical, attention-seeking, jittery, proud, possibly delusional, doesn't know when to shut up. Backstory: sent to GM Other: Has a fey familiar called Eighteyes who takes the form of a spider. She's loyal to Jub while also being 100% done with his nonsense. Stat Generation: Point Buy</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar When the woman Jub had almost crashed into first addressed him, his immediate action was to flinch as if he had expected her to hit him. Instead, she bent down and helped pick up two of his coins, handing them to him without so much as a second thought. Jub looked at them, than back up at the lady. While most of his face was hidden, his eyes showed clear confusion, which only deepened when a second person, the half-elf with the rapier he had seen earlier, helped Jub up to his feet. Both of them then addressed him, neither sounding annoyed or hostile. He placed his coins back in his pocket before looking back at the two strangers, first the man and the woman. Then, without so much as a warning, he grabbed the woman's hand and attempted to give it a shake, before turning to the man and attempting to do the same. "Oh, thank you! Thank you both! Jub the Peculiar is so blessed to come across two kindly strangers!" he said.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Welcome to the Witchlight Carnival! The Ticket Booth The goblin hands the customers who were in front of the party fake butterfly wings, one pair for each person, before they walked off and allowed the five to step up. As five members of the party approach, they see a silver statue of a dancing faerie mounted on the roof of this ticket booth, surrounded by fluttering butterflies. The booth is decorated with an animated depiction of the night sky, with shooting stars arcing across it. An elderly goblin perches behind the ticket counter, peering at you quizzically through a spyglass. He lowers the spyglass and calls out to you: "Greetings, fair fairgoers!" As the first person in line, Miizel, speaks, he lifts up an ear horn so that he can properly hear him. He answers the gnome smiling, "Certainly, young man! That will be--Wait a minute...!" He takes out his spyglass and studies Miizel closely. The gnome can hear him speak out loud, "Hmmm...Yes. Yes, you match the description," He then lifts up the spyglass and takes in the four people standing behind Miizel in the queue line. He is heard saying, "They match too!" He then lowers the spyglass and he calls to the four behind Miizel, "Ah, could you four come up here, please? I need to speak to all of you!" Once they do, the goblin addresses all of you, "Looks like it's your lucky day, folks! Someone's already paid for your tickets...and they paid the ticket fare for that bugbear over there too," He nods over towards Brutrumukk at the mention of the bugbear, before reaching under the booth, rummaging around a bit, before lifting himself back up and giving one ticket to each member of the party who stood at the booth. He then goes to explain, "Now then, these tickets are good for eight ticket punches for the attractions. After eight ticket punches, it will become a souvenir on its own. The Witchlight Carnival has much to offer, so if you want to experience as much as possible, I'd recommend buying another ticket," He then each hands you pair of fake butterfly wings, "As paying customers, we ask that you wear these, or at least carry, these with you," The five pairs of fake butterfly wings are varied in colors. He handed you a blue, pink, purple, green, and yellow pair of wings.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Rory stepped back a pace from Jub at the sudden response and hand shake attempt. "Oh... um, you're quite welcome." She reached out to shake the strange gnomes hand and looked up when the goblin at the booth cakes to them. She walked up in a few quick strides and listened carefully to what the goblin was saying. "Could you by chance tell me who paid for my ticket? She asked as she took purple wings. Her mind raced to think of who she knew that would be here and pay for her ticket. Was it Xander? Could he be here waiting to meet up with her again after two years of occasional letters.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Jub, the Peculiar was certainly well peculiar; from the way he dressed to the way he looked and talked, absolutely everything about him was so damn odd but in the most tame way possible. Gabriel couldn't properly articulate the words to respond to whatever he was just smile and accept Jub's handshake "Yes, uh quite a pleasure." excusing himself the swordsman stepped forward to the ticket booth, "Whoever it was, we should be thankful for their generosity." he said eyeing his companion as he took the blue butterfly and put it in the pocket of his vest.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub beamed up at the two strangers who had helped him, and was just about to say something more to them - maybe try and persuade his new friends to buy a nice trinket? - when the goblin at the ticket booth suddenly addressed them, claiming they had all had tickets already paid for. This, apparently, included the bugbear who had paid Jub. The wizard glanced over his shoulder towards his employer, unsure if he had heard. He cast the bugbear a questioning look befoer turning back to the ticket goblin, who handed him what looked to be a pair of butterfly wings. "Oooh!" Jub said. He took the wings, holding them to get a better look at them, poking at the material with a gnarled fingernail.</s> <|message|>Zavakri "The carnival goes round and round, The multiverse is our playground. Nothing's free and nothing's lost. Every visit has its cost." Her voice came out as a clear, if soft-spoken, declaration. Irregardless of the rest of the group's remembrance or knowledge of that phrasing it held significance to Zavakri herself. She stared at the ticket-goblin with slightly widened eyes, the showcased 'free' items of wary interest to her. He was genuine, that much was certain to her, but whosoever had purchased these items had been waiting for her. No. Her mind clarified that detail swiftly, her eyes settling on those around her. They'd been waiting for them. "I will take the ticket." She says at last. "But I need to buy one for my sister." She elaborates, reaching into her cloak to produce her gold pouch to pay for the extra ticket should it be affordable. "As for the wings..." She sighed, staring at them with softer eyes. "Purple for me, lest someone else has a preference for it. I never could decide between red or blue as a gel, and so my mum told me to stop bickering over it and just wear purple. Something lucky about purple for me, I feel-- Er, right, I'll just settle for the pink then." And with that she removed her cloak, folding it away slowly and neatly until it was a concise square which could fit within her traveling bag. This left her new, but comfortable, traveler's clothes apparent to all- she was decidedly middle class, but practically minded- and the crossbow she carried strapped to her side also quite obvious. No longer laden by the cloak, she knelt down and began to fasten the butterfly wings onto herself. "When in Neverwinter, do as they do, eh? Jolly good." She was mostly talking to herself at this point.</s> <|message|>Miizel Throe "Description? What do you-" Before Miizel could finish his attention was brought to the people behind him when the goblin managing the ticket booth called for the people behind him. Two humans, an elf, and weird looking gno-ope not a gnome. He was a gnome and he knew what they looked like. Then again he was far from his home so it could be a different subrace. The goblin then mentioned that someone had already paid for their tickets throwing Miizel into further confusion. Someone or something had been expecting him, no, them. He suddenly recalled visiting a carnival when he was younger but there's no way it was the same one right? After all he's was over 100 years old. He cast a glance at the place he emerged from. Thankfully still nothing. Might as well accept this, I was planning on going in anyway. "Thank you and to whoever paid for me." He said, taking the tickets and choosing the yellow butterfly wings. "You mentioned the tickets were only valid for 8 attractions. How many are there in total?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk watched as people lined up for tickets to the carnival. He was too far away to hear what as going on, but he could see the ticket goblin nodding towards him for some reason and the other goblin he paid to spy on the carnival looking back at him questioningly. Brutrumukk hoped that wasn't a sign that his spy had been discovered so soon. He didn't enjoy the thought of having spent four gold pieces on a spy who got caught right out of the gate. "What's goin' on over there?" Brutrumukk muttered to himself.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Welcome to the Witchlight Carnival! The Ticket Booth The goblin listened to everyone of you with an ear horn lifted to his ear. He sets down the horn before he answered Aurora first while shaking his head, "An anonymous benefactor paid for those tickets, Ma'am. Sorry," When Zavakri mentioned that she wanted to pay for her sister, he answered her, "Of course, Madame. You may have to describe your sister to me, so that I can give her her ticket. An adult ticket costs 8 silver pieces, while a child's ticket costs 3 silver pieces," After Miizel asked about the attractions, the goblin grinned and he answered, "I said they're worth eight ticket punches, young man. There are many attractions here, and one or two of them are free. Any food or drink you might want also cost a ticket punch," He then directs his attention, and he speaks to Jub, "Ah yes. You, young goblin, you were speaking with the bugbear earlier, yes?" He remains silent for a bit to let Jub answer his question. After Jub answers his question here, he continues, "I can only give his ticket to him. Would you do this old goblin a favor and tell him to come to this booth? I would like to have a word with him," He then looks to the rest of the party, and speaks while handing them a rolled up map, "Here is the map of the carnival. Once I clear something up with the bugbear, you are all free to explore the Witchlight Carnival. He is in your party after all, and I fear there is a misunderstanding,"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub's ears pricked up as he heard someone behind him speak, and he glanced over his shoulder to see a human woman. How long had she been standing there? This was the second time today Jub the Peculiar's legendary senses had failed him. He'd have to be more vigilant. More importantly, those words she had just said, about things not being for free... sounded really familiar, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Jub shook his head. Oh well. It would come back to him later. He pocketed the green pair of wings before the ticket goblin suddenly addressed him, mentioning his previous conversation with the bugbear. Beneath his hood, Jub started to sweat. "Ha... indeed, I, err, have spoken to the gentleman over there," he said with a feigned laugh. "Just a passing, err, friendly conversation if you will. I don't know the man personally, of course." Anyone who had spoken to Jub previously would immediately pick up on the strain in his voice. When the ticket goblin asked him to bring the bugbear over here, Jub gave another small laugh. "Ha... you got it, my eloquent friend, I'll, err..." He stepped out of the line. "I'll be right back." He hurriedly made his way over to the bugbear before anyone else could speak to him. Once he reached Brutrumukk, Jub immediately dropped his grandiose demeanor. "So, err, there's a complication," he said to the bugbear.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk watched as his goblin spy broke away from the crowd at the ticket booth and hurried over to him. When he heard what his spy had to report, Brutrumukk let out an annoyed snarl. He considered just taking his money back and sending the goblin packing, but decided to hear his spy out before passing judgement. "A... comp-lee-cay-shun? As in somethin' went wrong over there?" He asked in goblin. "...Well? Spit it out, Mag damn it! What 'appened?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub flinched slightly from the bugbear. "Apparently, my, err, good man..." he said. "You, erm, have a ticket." He motioned over to the carnival. "The charming fellow at the booth has said that someone had paid for a ticket for you, as well as for myself and a few others."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk looked over at the ticket goblin, then back at the goblin standing in front of him "Someone bought me a ticket?" Brutrumukk asked, quite clearly perplexed by this turn of events. "An' now them an' theirs is willin' to let me in...? You sure you 'eard that right? You best not be muckin' about with me 'ere."</s>

<|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub held up his hands. "I am just as in the dark here as you are, my friend," he said. "Regardless, the fellow at the ticket booth would like to have a word with you. Something about a misunderstanding, I believe he said?"</s>

<|description|>Jub the Peculiar Age: 18 Race: Goblin (though he claims to be a gnome with a bad skin condition) Class: Wizard Level: 2 Background: Charlatan Personality: Pompous, theatrical, attention-seeking, jittery, proud, possibly delusional, doesn't know when to shut up. Backstory: sent to GM Other: Has a fey familiar called Eighteyes who takes the form of a spider. She's loyal to Jub while also being 100% done with his nonsense. Stat Generation: Point Buy</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora The goblin's comment had left her more curious than before. Was it someone she knew? It was certainly possible. However she was not sure who she knew that also knew the others here in the line, and the bugbear that seemed rather displeased with the carnival's presence. "I'll take an extra two adult tickets as well." Rory took out sixteen silver to pay for the extra tickets. Before she could set the silver down the bugbear had walked over to the booth and started loudly addressing the goblin ticket taker. She quietly waited for the two to finish hoping that there won't be too much of a scene cause by the disgruntled person. Once the transaction was done, she stepped forward and set the silver on the the counter. Upon receiving the extra tickets, Aurora put all three in her coin pouch and stepped to the side to wait for Gabriel, and put the purple wings on for the time being.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk listened to the ticket goblin speak and, all in all, liked what he heard. He especially liked that this would be the last night the carnival would be here. It came as quite the relief to the bugbear that the peace and quiet he so loved about the field and the Snoring Stone would be back the way it was by tomorrow. When the ticket goblin finished speaking, Brutrumukk gave a sharp nod and grunted his approval. "Y'know what? You lot ain't so bad." Brutrumukk said as he accepted his ticket and wings. "So who was it what paid fer our tickets anyway? An' what are these wings fer as well?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub scurried after the bugbear, still looking very nervous. This nervousness turned into outright panic when Brutrumukk addressed the ticket goblin, and in a voice that anyone within earshot was likely to hear, referred to Jub as 'that other goblin'. With a burst of anxious - bordering on hysterical - laughter, Jub patted the bugbear on the leg. "Hah... poor fellow doesn't know what he's talking about," he said. "Other goblin? Really now!" Even as he was speaking, he was attempting to pull his hood further over his head.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Krog "Yes well, I'll just take the ticket." Gabriel leaned on the ticket booth counter to take his ticket stub, offering the open palm of his hand. Once the ticket goblin hands it to him, Gabriel steps to the side next to Aurora with a smile "So, what's the plan?"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora "I was think of going to the Hall of Illusions first. After that maybe the Mystery Mine or the Snail Races." She started to walk in the direction of the Hall of Illusions keeping a reasonable pace. "Though should probably make time for dinner before to long."</s> <|message|>Zavakri "--Lost Property? Gosh, it couldn't be that simple..." She lifts her head, realizing that everyone was beginning to wander away. That wasn't what 'parties' did in the stories she'd heard. Nay, they were supposed to stick together through the thick and the thin- and from what she heard it really was mostly thin- and face unseen perils and form a tight knit bond of comradery that would face the test of time and the gods themselves. The Flaming Fist were extremely clear about this sort of thing in their complaints in the taverns, and the Adventurers she'd met in passing were just plum full of those sorts of stories themselves! ...In short, she already felt quite doomed. She took a deep breath and drummed her fingers on her thighs, thinking... Until the words flowing around her managed to penetrate through the mental barrier of general mathematics she had to constantly balance to breathe properly and remember how to chew food. "--Wait, last night? LAST NIGHT?" She groaned. "Of course it's the last night! Oh, drama!" She let out a sigh that resonated from deep within her endless pools of angst, born from her dark teenaged years, and hastily trudged off. Walking with Purpose, as it were, as she pursued the Lost Property area with haste.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Welcome to the Witchlight Carnival! The Ticket Booth The old goblin gave a smile in response to Brutrumukk's words. He answered his first question with a shake of his head, "My apologies, but your benefactor is anonymous," He then answers his next question with a smile, "The wings are to show the other carnival hands that you are a paying customer, so you can enjoy the carnival to your heart's content," Once everyone spoke their plans, he bids them, "We hope you have a delightful time!" The First Hour Event! As the party enters the carnival, everyone notices that the mood is bright and everyone seems to be having a good time. The calliope is piping merrily to reflect the good mood that permeates the carnival. They see a twelve-foot-tall walking tree garlanded in golden ribbons march down the thoroughfare. Emerald clouds swirl above the tree and rain down golden, spinning sycamore seeds. Fairgoers around the party try to catch the seeds before they hit the ground. As the seeds gently fall, a chatty squirrel scampers along the boughs of the tree, handing dandelions to select passersby. The walking tree calls out to everyone, "Welcome to the Witchlight Carnival! Catch the seeds before they hit the ground, and you'll receive a wondrous token of our gratitude!" The squirrel scampers to each member of the party and speaks(!), "Blow the seeds into the air, and make a wish! Go on, go on!" If you want to catch the seeds, make a DC 10 Dexterity check. If you catch the seed, roll a d8 and I'll PM what the gift is to you. If you blow the seeds and make a wish, make sure to DM the wish to me. ^_^ The Calliope As some of the party members make their way to their intended destinations, they pass by the Calliope. There, they hear a merry tune spilling forth from the instrument on the back of a brightly painted wagon. A monkey wearing a cloak covered with buttons turns a handle at the wagon's rear, sending music into the air from rows of golden whistles. As you watch, a goblin dressed as a ladybug toddles up to you, rattling a tin cup. Upon the goblin's approach, the monkey notices you and he recites a rhyme... "Spare a button if you please, I'll sew it next to all of these. I offer nothing in its place, Besides a smile upon my face." Should anyone give a button, the monkey smiles happily at you. Lost Property Zavakri easily finds the wagon and there she spies upon an odd sight. Outside the lost property wagon is a large feline creature with midnight-blue fur. It has a pair of tentacles extending from its shoulders and wears fake butterfly wings. Hanging from its collar is a small wooden keg. The creature roughhouses with two young boys. One boy squeals, "Again, Dirla, again!" while the other hangs onto the creature's neck. The creature, Dirla, lets out a rumble of a chuckle, and a female voice speaking in Elvish comes from the creature as she responds, "Now, now. I think that is enough," She notices a new presence, and her tentacles raise up as she looks to Zavakri. The Feasting Orchard Brutrumukk easily follows the fragrant smells to the Feasting Orchard. Music and mirth radiate from this park. The heady scents of flowers, mead, and berry pie waft through the air. Stilt-walkers pluck fruit from trees; musicians drum, pipe, and strum; and everywhere there is singing, dancing, and an inordinate amount of custard. There are also smaller stands about in this park that sell other snacks and beverages for the customers' consumption. An announcer within this park calls out to the fairgoers who came here, "Gooood Evening, Ladies and Gents! The first of tonight's Faerie Cake Eating Contest will be starting very soon! If you wish to particpate, please seat yourself at the center table and I will explain the rules!" The Hall of Illusions As Aurora and Gabriel approach, they see this large tent is painted with a mural of shifting images that show grinning faeries diving into pools of color. The helical stripes of the tent's pointed canopies rotate in spirals, and the whole display seems designed to befuddle onlookers. A clown dressed in muted garb stands at the tent's entrance, blinking at you. They also see, close to the tent, another sight: A wooden mannequin of a grinning, raven-haired young woman in witch's attire and a green flowing cape hovers inside a glass cabinet. At the top of the cabinet, a sign reads "Tasha the Wizard—Known for Her Hideous Laughter." A halfling couple holds hands as they approach the glass cabinet. One of the halflings is wearing butterfly face paint. As he drops to one knee and pulls a small box from his pocket, his sweetheart bursts into laughter and begins rolling on the ground. The halfling in face paint begins sobbing and darts into the nearby tent without getting his ticket punched. The mime seems to gasp silently, and looks at the couple, with a sad look on his face.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Accepting the ticket goblin's explanations, Brutrumukk donned his orange butterfly wings and made his way into the carnival. As he did so, he caught the scent of something delicious in the air. Before he could make for the scent though, Brutrumukk's eyes widened as he beheld a treant walking among the fairgoers and challenging those around it to catch the sycamore seeds falling from it. Accepting the challenge, Brutrumukk's hand shot forth like a javelin and seized one of the seeds. The bugbear then looked on in wonderment as the seed turned into a gold piece. Brutrumukk didn't have long to wonder though. For soon enough, a squirrel landed on his shoulder, handed him a dandelion, and told him to blow on it and make a wish. Brutrumukk shrugged his unburdened shoulder before blowing the seeds into the air as instructed, wishing for his time at the carnival to be good enough to make up for all the bother it had caused him as he blew. Having cleared the entrance, Brutrumukk moved onto the next leg of his journey: The Calliope. The bugbear paused a while to listen to the music played by this unfamiliar instrument. As he did so, a goblin approached him rattling a tin cup and a monkey poetically requested a button. Seeing as he never did up the top most button of his shirt anyway, Brutrumukk plucked it from his shirt and gave it to the goblin. When the monkey smiled, the bugbear found himself smiling back as he continued on. "Maybe I misjudged this place." Brutrumukk said between sniffs as he followed the scent of food. "Sure, it's noisy. But once you get past that, it actually ain't 'alf bad. Yeah, it ain't 'alf bad at all!" Brutrumukk arrived at the Feasting Orchard just in time to hear the announcement of an eating contest. "An... eatin' contest?" Brutrumukk repeated to himself. "Oh. Nine. 'Ells. Yes!" Brutrumukk loved food. Especially when it came in large quantities. So needless to say, he seated himself firmly at the center table, rubbing his hands eagerly as he did.</s> <|message|>Miizel Throe Upon looking at the map, Miizel saw that there were more attractions and possibly food choices than punches. He decided to follow suit and purchase 2 more tickets, handing in 2 gold. Once he received his change he decided to wander in for a bit before choosing a specific destination. He was taken aback upon seeing the lumbering treant. The gnome stood, mouth agape and gigantic being. How had he not seen such a thing from outside? Before he could mull it over, his attention was brought to the sudden event. Thinking that there was nothing to lose, he jumped up and reached for a seed. Opening his hand he was pleased to find that he had managed to catch one. He approached the tree to receive his gift and when he accepted a little squirrel climbed down from the giant branches and spoke to him. Offering Miizel a wish. There were so many things happening already and it was overwhelming the gnome. "Oh dear, it's been a while since I've experienced this much hustle and bustle. I think I might, no thank you." He said dismissing the squirrel. "I think I might go somewhere more relaxing in the mean time." He looked at the map and decided that the Gondola Swans were a good place to unwind. Along the way he passed by a monkey on a wagon who recited a rhyme asking for buttons. Miizel fished in his bag and tossed one out giving the smiling monkey a small nod before heading to his destination.</s>

<|message|>Jub the Peculiar Hearing the treant say something about 'tokens of gratitude', Jub wasted no time trying to catch one of the fallen seeds. He leapt into the air to grab the closest one, and once he landed back on the ground, opened his hands to find he had indeed caught it... ... only for it to suddenly open and let out several colourful sparks, like a tiny firework. Jub let out a startled sound, nearly dropping the seed, before suddenly bursting into giddy laughter. "Did everyone see that?" he said, turning to look at his companions. However, upon inspecting his immediate surroundings, he noted that none of them were anywhere near him. In fact, they all seemed to be splitting off into their own groups and going in separate directions. "H-hey, wait for me!" he shouted, and immediately began running after the first person he saw - which just so happened to be the bugbear.</s>

<|description|>Jub the Peculiar Age: 18 Race: Goblin (though he claims to be a gnome with a bad skin condition) Class: Wizard Level: 2 Background: Charlatan Personality: Pompous, theatrical, attention-seeking, jittery, proud, possibly delusional, doesn't know when to shut up. Backstory: sent to GM Other: Has a fey familiar called Eighteyes who takes the form of a spider. She's loyal to Jub while also being 100% done with his nonsense. Stat Generation: Point Buy</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar [oops]</s> <|message|>Miizel Throe Zavakri & Miizel & The Dungeon Master As Zavakri and Miizel make their way to the Hall of Illusions, they notice that the air around them seem brighter than before. The stars above them twinkle a little more so, and the people around them seem happier. When they reach the Hall of Illusions, they see that this large tent is painted with a mural of shifting images that show grinning faeries diving into pools of color. The helical stripes of the tent's pointed canopies rotate in spirals, and the whole display seems designed to befuddle onlookers. Near the Hall of Illusions, there is a wooden mannequin of a grinning, raven-haired young woman in witch's attire and a green flowing cape hovers inside a glass cabinet. At the top of the cabinet, a sign reads "Tasha the Wizard—Known for Her Hideous Laughter." Right now, a human witchlight hand stands near the entrance of the attraction with a ticket puncher ready. Miizel approaches the witchlight hand and presents his ticket. "I've been told that a certain bugbear was last seen here." Miizel casually mentions. "Was it inside the Hall or the general area around it?" The Witchlight Hand tilts her head and she answers, clearly confused, "I'm...sorry? I'm a new Witchlight Hand, so I'm afraid I'm not sure what you're talking about. I'm just holding the fort here until Candlefoot comes back," She then asks, "Oh! Are you here for the Hall of Illusions? Well, step right up and I'll punch your tickets for the attraction!" Zavakri frowns slightly. Then severely. And finally she tilts her head a bit. "Do people truly enjoy...Illusions? I can't fathom it, honestly. Willingly allowing yourself to be deceived? That's so mind boggling, that'd be like leaving the kettle on to boil then starting a chore only to forget that you had the kettle on in the first place and having to run back across the house to get at it as it screams at you the whole time. I like my world to be the way it's supposed to be, thank you very much!" She extends her ticket all the while, offering it to the attendant despite her diatribe. "Candlefoot? New Witchlight Hand? This is all so very interesting- who's Candlefoot?" The new Witchlight Hand tilts her head as she listens to Zavakri's biting words regarding illusions. She shrugs as she answers, "I mean...I guess it depends on the person? Plus, if you're told up front that you're about to see illusions, then is it really deception to begin with? In the kettle context, by informing fairgoers that they're going to see illusions, we'd be telling them to keep an eye on the kettle, right?" She then shrugs at her own questions, her own mood cheerful despite Zavakri's words. The mood is too good for anyone to take offense. The Witchlight Hand punches Miizel's and Zavakri's tickets as she answers, "Oh! Candlefoot is the mime. He was here earlier, but then he took off running when he got his voice back! No doubt to see Palasha," Miizel looks up at Zavakri with a puzzled expression, as if just now realizing that his companion is a little bit stuck up. He then turns back to the Witchlight Hand and says. "Bah, don't worry about it. Come on let's go." As they enter he's going to say to Zavakri. "You don't have to think too much about the logic of a carnival attraction. Not everything needs to be philosophical." As Miizel and Zavakri enter the Hall of Illusions, they see tall mirrors line the interior walls of the tent. The mirrors near the entrance reflect onlookers in their youth; the images grow steadily older, until the mirrors deep within the hall reflect onlookers in their twilight years. Miizel begins to look distracted as he stares into the interior of the Hall of Illusions. His brows furrow in confusion, trying to make sense of the memories, or lack thereof. It seemed like the Hall held answers to questions he didn't know he had. Miizel begins to enter the Hall without waiting for Zavakri. "It's not about the philosophy it's about-" She watches, briefly surprised by Miizel's sudden departure. She raises a hand as if her solitary source of stability in this uncertain world were slipping away, then rushes herself along with him. "I take it you're fond of illusions then." She chimes. Miizel doesn't hear what Zavakri says and instead takes a step forward. Then another, and another, and before long he was winding down the Hall. Each step and turn had purpose in them, as if he knew this place like the back of his hand. It even surprised him. As he passes by the mirrors, he could see a younger version of himself. Dozens upon dozens of reflections of a gnome child walking through these halls. He wasn't even looking at where he was going anymore, his focus was on the reflection of a childhood long gone. Suddenly his feet came to an abrupt stop and looking forward he could see another mirror. Those around him still showed his younger self but the one in front was different. He couldn't quite make out what it is but that it tugged at something on the furthest reaches of his memory. His heart was pounding and a cold sweat began to form. Miizel took several deep breaths and slowly reached out to touch it. As he slowly reaches out to touch it, the few seconds seem to pass agonizingly slow... His heartbeat pounds louder and louder, his hand shakes more and more, until finally....! ... ... His hand touches the mirror. It rests on the mirror surface. Nothing happened when Miizel touched the mirror. Confusion overtakes the gnome's face as he puts his other hand against the mirror. He taps it a few times then begins looking around and behind it. The mirror surface remains just as solid when he places the other hand on the mirror surface. Nothing happens when he taps the mirror. He doesn't see anything odd or out of the ordinary around or behind the mirror. Miizel shakes his head and turns to look at Zavakri, an annoyed look on his face. "Sorry. I don't know what got into me. The moment we stepped into the Hall I felt something tugging at me. Pulling me forward and leading me…well…here." He turns to motion at the mirror he was just inspecting. "I've searched the mirror and the area around it but to no avail. Sorry for wasting your time." Miizel shakes his head and turns to look at Zavakri, an annoyed look on his face. "Sorry. I don't know what got into me. The moment we stepped into the Hall I felt something tugging at me. Pulling me forward and leading me…well…here." He turns to motion at the mirror he was just inspecting. "I've searched the mirror and the area around it but to no avail. Sorry for wasting your time." "Eh, what?" She blinks at him, severely distracted in her own right; this current mirror was annoyingly portraying her in all her teenaged glory... And it was not very flattering to her mind, what with her gangling limbs- and, drama!, how she needed to wash her hair more! She blinks several times before tearing her eyes away and looking to Miizel. She clears her throat, her mind digesting his words. "Oh, nonsense there chum; this place has some kind of power over us all, I'm sure of it. Each of us given a free ticket is here for a reason, though mine is plain enough. I raced off to where I felt drawn to; you did as well. To reference our conversation with Feathreen and the perceptions of time...You didn't waste my time, we're all here trying to regain some time we lost long ago." She smiles wanly and places a hand on her hip. "Frankly, friend, I'm terrified to go much further down this hall of mirrors. I don't think I'm ready to see myself as a crone. I already suspect I'll be needing glasses 'fore long, I'd hate to have a visual to back up that probability. We can stay here and look around as long as you need though! I'm not going anywhere." she offered supportively. "I appreciate that. I'm good now, I'm sure it'll come back to me as we travel the carnival." He gives her a smile and puts his hands on his hips. "Well, I suppose we should get going then." As Miizel and Zavakri head out of the Hall of Illusions, they hear the joyful sounds of the crowd bustling about outside. The carnival outside of this Hall seems to have become a much more welcoming place compared to this Hall... When they reach the outside, they see that a lot of the customers are heading for the Big Top! The next event is apparently taking place there. Within the hall, something lurks in the shadows, watching them leave before it vanishes.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour The Big Top Extravaganza As the three pairs of adventurers head for the Big Top, they notice that the Calliope seems to be giving a happier tune than when they first came in here, and everyone seems to be in a brighter mood. They also notice that the stars twinkle even brighter above the carnival. There are even some shooting stars, giving a spectacular show if one decides to look up. These adventurers are all heading to the same destination: The Big Top The roof of this tent reaches toward the night sky in three swooping peaks topped with spinning gold stars. Painted wooden panels on the tent walls whirl with colorful motion, displaying vibrant circus performances. The sound of music and laughter drifts out through the canvas door. They enter to see a lot of fairgoers also arrived to see the Big Top Extravaganza. Unfortunately, this also meant that there are fewer seats. As fate would have it: There are 6 seats in a row that are left open for them to take. The adventurers would easily notice each other as they take those seats. For one of the Witchlight Hands...this is the beginning of her shift, and of all things to start with, it has to be the Big Top Extravaganza.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk grinned eagerly as he passed the happily playing Calliope. "I think we're in the right place, booyagh." Brutrumukk said to the goblin wizard perched on his shoulder. "Just goes to show, when in doubt, always 'ead fer the biggest tent you can find. Never fails!" As he entered the Big Top, Brutrumukk became momentarily frustrated when he saw the lack of available seating. However, this frustration quickly evaporated when the bugbear caught sight of the six empty seats in a row. "Looks like we're in luck, booyagh." Brutrumukk laughed. "Let's 'urry before someone else nicks 'em!" With that said, Brutrumukk made for the empty seats.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora looked around the tent and saw how full it was for the show. There were however six seats, well four now as the bugbear and the strange gnome from earlier had made their way down to the remaining seats. "Looks pretty packed for the show Gabe, there are a few more seats down in the front. If we want to sit during the show we should probably get to the seats quickly." Aurora started to make her way down to the seats turning slightly to still talk to Gabe. "What are you looking forward to seeing during the show? I know I'm looking forward to the acrobatics."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Quite a crowd," Gabriel mused, during the walk to the big top the duelist had been oddly quiet however he seemed in better spirits probably due to the excitement filling the room as if at any second anything could happen "Best we get to our seat then yes." following Rory as she made for the remaining seats by a familiar pair "Not quite sure really, it all seems so exciting!" he answered seating himself between her and the bugbear.</s>

<|message|>Jub the Peculiar As Brutrumukk headed towards the empty seats, Jub was surveying the surrounding seats for any hint of the troublesome kenku. However, he abruptly stopped his surveillance when he spotted the familiar elf and half-elf he had almost bumped into earlier. As if suddenly self-conscious, he tugged at his hood slightly to make sure his face was still obscured. While hanging around Brutrumukk, he had felt not to worried about keeping up appearances - it certainly helped that the carnival itself seemed to be full of all sorts, making his status as a goblin seemed far less of problem then it had during his time in cities. Now, however, seeing these strangers who had been so kind and forgiving to him earlier, made him painfully aware that they might be far less accepting of him if they realised what he was. As they neared their seats, Jub suddenly hopped of Brutrumukk's shoulder and took his seat between Brutrumukk and the two strangers. "Good to see you again, comrades!" he said, putting on a more bombastic tone. "Have you been enjoying the carnival so far?"</s>

<|description|>Jub the Peculiar Age: 18 Race: Goblin (though he claims to be a gnome with a bad skin condition) Class: Wizard Level: 2 Background: Charlatan Personality: Pompous, theatrical, attention-seeking, jittery, proud, possibly delusional, doesn't know when to shut up. Backstory: sent to GM Other: Has a fey familiar called Eighteyes who takes the form of a spider. She's loyal to Jub while also being 100% done with his nonsense. Stat Generation: Point Buy</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour The Big Top Extravaganza As the three pairs of adventurers head for the Big Top, they notice that the Calliope seems to be giving a happier tune than when they first came in here, and everyone seems to be in a brighter mood. They also notice that the stars twinkle even brighter above the carnival. There are even some shooting stars, giving a spectacular show if one decides to look up. These adventurers are all heading to the same destination: The Big Top The roof of this tent reaches toward the night sky in three swooping peaks topped with spinning gold stars. Painted wooden panels on the tent walls whirl with colorful motion, displaying vibrant circus performances. The sound of music and laughter drifts out through the canvas door. They enter to see a lot of fairgoers also arrived to see the Big Top Extravaganza. Unfortunately, this also meant that there are fewer seats. As fate would have it: There are 6 seats in a row that are left open for them to take. The adventurers would easily notice each other as they take those seats. For one of the Witchlight Hands...this is the beginning of her shift, and of all things to start with, it has to be the Big Top Extravaganza.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk grinned eagerly as he passed the happily playing Calliope. "I think we're in the right place, booyagh." Brutrumukk said to the goblin wizard perched on his shoulder. "Just goes to show, when in doubt, always 'ead fer the biggest tent you can find. Never fails!" As he entered the Big Top, Brutrumukk became momentarily frustrated when he saw the lack of available seating. However, this frustration quickly evaporated when the bugbear caught sight of the six empty seats in a row. "Looks like we're in luck, booyagh." Brutrumukk laughed. "Let's 'urry before someone else nicks 'em!" With that said, Brutrumukk made for the empty seats.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora looked around the tent and saw how full it was for the show. There were however six seats, well four now as the bugbear and the strange gnome from earlier had made their way down to the remaining seats. "Looks pretty packed for the show Gabe, there are a few more seats down in the front. If we want to sit during the show we should probably get to the seats quickly." Aurora started to make her way down to the seats turning slightly to still talk to Gabe. "What are you looking forward to seeing during the show? I know I'm looking forward to the acrobatics."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Quite a crowd," Gabriel mused, during the walk to the big top the duelist had been oddly quiet however he seemed in better spirits probably due to the excitement filling the room as if at any second anything could happen "Best we get to our seat then yes." following Rory as she made for the remaining seats by a familiar pair "Not quite sure really, it all seems so exciting!" he answered seating himself between her and the bugbear.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar As Brutrumukk headed towards the empty seats, Jub was surveying the surrounding seats for any hint of the troublesome kenku. However, he abruptly stopped his surveillance when he spotted the familiar elf and half-elf he had almost bumped into earlier. As if suddenly self-conscious, he tugged at his hood slightly to make sure his face was still obscured. While hanging around Brutrumukk, he had felt not to worried about keeping up appearances - it certainly helped that the carnival itself seemed to be full of all sorts, making his status as a goblin seemed far less of problem then it had during his time in cities. Now, however, seeing these strangers who had been so kind and forgiving to him earlier, made him painfully aware that they might be far less accepting of him if they realised what he was. As they neared their seats, Jub suddenly hopped of Brutrumukk's shoulder and took his seat between Brutrumukk and the two strangers. "Good to see you again, comrades!" he said, putting on a more bombastic tone. "Have you been enjoying the carnival so far?"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel didn't immediately recognize the peculiar little fellow at first, quirking an eyebrow as he turned in his seat. In fact this was Jub the Peculiar, the one who definitely wasn't a goblin "A hello yourself my short fellow," the side of the duelist's mouth curved up into a rakish smile "It'd be better if they served hard liquor but I..I mean we made due."</s> <|message|>Miizel Throe As Miizel and Zavakri made their way to the Big Top, the gnome was having trouble navigating. It was less about the direction and more about size. The place was packed and he found himself being constantly bumped and pushed around. Needless to say, this irked him rather quickly. "Watch where you're going you shit with legs!" He yelled at one before turning to another who bumped into him saying. "Just cause you're tall doesn't mean you can't fall!" Before balling up his fists and punching the poor fellow's kneecaps. But his efforts at deterring people were useless as everyone rushed to get seats which caused more collisions and only served to infuriate him more. He grabs Zavakri's arm, signaling her to stop before reaching into his pouch and pulled out a handful of ball bearings before tossing them into the ground in front of them. Scattering the tiny metal balls into the crowd.</s> <|message|>Zavakri Zavakri manages to somehow create a bubble of personal space around her by exerting sheer willpower and mildly hyperventilating in an overdramatic manner. This effect is merely temporary, and that certainty only serves to escalate her drama as she struggles to stay by Miizel as the crowd ushers them into the Big Top- but his cunning scheme pays off in a sense. She watches, enthused, but as people begin to slip and slide about before her her pathing seems to be disrupted severely by the added chaos. She jerks away, avoiding contact with a poor victim of circumstance... She is briefly separated. Nothing of note occurs during this. Nothing of note at all. When the brief moment of Zavakri's apparent drowning in the crowd concludes, she rockets out with her cheeks puffed out and her breath held until she explodes into the miniscule space provided by the open seats. Proverbially skidding to a halt on the balls of her feet, she dusts herself off and finally draws breath. "I was never good in crowds!- Oh, hoi there chums." She seems immediately calmed by all the familiar faces, and offers a polite and civil wave to the others. "Positively dreadful carnival, eh?" She laughs despite her severe declaration of the events. "Wonderful people, though, running the things. I think. I've had to reassess my definition of people twice over so far, but I think I'm a better person for it." And with that she falls heavily into a seat and seems to... Relax.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk .</s> <|message|>Miizel Throe Watching the crowd tumble and fall to the ground got a hearty chuckle out of Miizel. Noticing Zavakri race off into what seemed like open seats, he began to follow her, jumping on the backs of the fallen as he made his way to the Big Top. Upon arrival he sees the group of people he met at the entrance. "Hello there." Shouting and grunts of pain could be heard behind him. "Don't worry about that, they just tripped and fell. It was quite a rush getting here so it was bound to happen." He points at the last remaining seat and asks. "Is this taken?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub was about to respond to Gabriel when he noticed the other two people who entered the carnival with them. He specifically remembered the human woman, as she had been the one standing behind him in the queue, muttering to herself. As she sat herself down, she commented something about the carnival being "Positively Dreadful", causing Jub to narrow his eyes at her. He looked the woman up and down, and attempted to glance at the back of her head in case he spied the telltale blue mark he had placed on the kenku. After all, he'd never seen this woman and the kenku in the same place. And she did seem... odd.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Oi oi!" Brutrumukk called out in greeting as the rest of their number joined them at the seats. "Any o' you lot seen a kenku lurkin' about or someone with blue paint splashed across the back o' their 'ead? If you do, know that they are actually a kenku git what's tryin' to ruin the carnival. You see it, be sure to tell me so I can club it to death an' mount its 'ead on a spike!"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Having turned to see the commotion in the crowd, Rory watched as Vernon slipped and fell rather loudly. She let out a short laugh at the scene of the mans further embarrassment before she turned to Miizel. "No they are still available, please sit. I cannot say that I have seen such an individual. What did this kenku do to ruin the carnival?" Aurora was curious now as to what had happened with Jub and Brutrumukk.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "What did this kenku git do to ruin the carnival?" Brutrumukk asked in response to Aurora's question, an baleful look appearing on his face as he began to think more about the kenku. "Well to start off, the kenku git used magic to steal the voice from one of the carnies to use fer its own gitish ends. Just as that carny was about to ask 'is sweet 'eart to marry 'im too! Then, the kenku git went to the lake while that very same sweet 'eart was singing fer an audience and began yellin' mean things about the singing, making the poor girl sad an' ruinin' the show. An' finally when I caught the git and tried to 'ave it subjected to some good ol' mob justice, it 'ad the nerve to use more magic to escape before I could rile up the mob well enough! Jub an' I managed to get the mime carny's voice back and got the singin' mermaid carny to do the rest of 'er show. They even gave us singin' an' actin' lessons as thanks fer our 'elp. But the kenku git is still out there! An' I swear to Hruggek I won't let it leave this 'ere carnival alive! No matter what the carnies say about violence an' the like!"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "I can assure you my furred friend," after a moment of thought Gabriel leaned over slightly away from Brutrumukk when he heard Aurora laugh "Neither of us has seen beak nor feath-" his gaze had briefly followed the sound of commotion nearby spotting the gentleman they'd raced against before, falling face first onto the ground. Compared to his elvish friends reaction he veritably almost fell out of his seat laughing, as he slapped his knee and wiped a tear from his eyes.</s>

<|message|>Jub the Peculiar After a few minutes of trying and failing to get a good look at the back of Zavakri's head, Jub suddenly remembered that the effects of Prestidigitation wore off after hour or so, meaning that he actually had no way of determining whether this woman was the kenku not. Not by appearance, anyway. He decided to try another tactic. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced," he said, addressing both the human woman and her gnomish companion. "I an Jub the Peculiar." He gestured over at Brutrumukk. "And this good fellow here is Brutrumukk." He looked back at the pair of them. "And how have you been enjoying the carnival? How have you been in occupying yourselves these past few hours?" Even as he was speaking, he notably staring more at Zavakri than Miizel.</s>

<|description|>Jub the Peculiar Age: 18 Race: Goblin (though he claims to be a gnome with a bad skin condition) Class: Wizard Level: 2 Background: Charlatan Personality: Pompous, theatrical, attention-seeking, jittery, proud, possibly delusional, doesn't know when to shut up. Backstory: sent to GM Other: Has a fey familiar called Eighteyes who takes the form of a spider. She's loyal to Jub while also being 100% done with his nonsense. Stat Generation: Point Buy</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub wasn't sure what he had expected upon questioning the human woman, but he had definitely not be prepared for the barrage of words he received. His eyes started to go slightly crossed as Zavakri continued to speak, and only returned to their usual state once the Big Top Extravanganza began, causing him to tear his attention away from the woman and his thoughts away from finding the kenku. Instead, he simply enjoyed the show, and like Brutrumukk, he cheered very loudly when Palasha and Candlefoot performed. When Mister Light then called out if anyone wanted to join in with the show, Jub's ears perked up and he was about to stand... only to immediately sit down when the half-elven swordsman stood up, brandishing a sword, called for anyone who wished to duel with him. Nope. Had it been a magic duel, he might have considered it, but sword-fighting was definitely not his forte, as countless failed sparring matches with his fellow goblins back in his tribe had shown him. However, Brutrumukk stepped forward to challenge the swordsman, Jub decided to take this as an opportunity both to show off his skills to a large audience AND to spotlight his new friend. He followed the bugbear into the ring, making sure to keep a distance from the fight, before attempting to use Prestidigitation to write Brutrumukk's names in sparks above the bugbear, as he had once seen talented firework artists do.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Oh shi-" raising his weapon, Gabriel deftly deflected the hit with his blade however the duelist bit his tongue with a pained wince as the force behind the bugbears attack was crushing. He spun on his heel backwards from his opponent, with a wide grin on his face and chuckled "En garde, then." it wasn't a fight to the death thus the riposte the swordsman struck was instead masterfully directed to the bugbears shield arm, in a moment where the swordsman saw an opportunity when Brutrumukk dropped his guard. Suddenly the shield flew to the side as the swordsman glanced a blow off the bugbears arm causing him to release it. Then he held the point of the rapier to his opponents chest. The duel was concluded.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Though his opponent thought the duel was over simply because he'd lost his shield, Brutrumukk still had his weapon and was having far too much fun to stop just yet. The bugbear swung his morningstar and deflected the rapier's point away from his chest. This allowed the fight to continue on for a little while longer, until finally Brutrumukk's weapon was also knocked away. Then and only then did he concede the duel. A grin came to Brutrumukk's face as his rage cooled. Once it had subsided completely, the bugbear let loose a thunderous laugh and gave his opponent an congratulatory slap on the back. "Good fight, mate!" Brutrumukk exclaimed happily. "Let's do it again sometime!"</s> <|message|>Zavakri "Oh, good. Nobody died." Zavakri muttered under her breath as she clapped politely, as if witnessing a pageant.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel cringed at the sheer force behind the bugbear's jovial slap upon his back, the damned goblinoid had a strong-arm if the duelist had ever seen one "If my back ever recovers..." the bard wheezed, but mirrored the bugbears grin before straightening up and sheathing his weapon. He was bruised and sore, not much worse for wear though "Certainly a strong bastard." he said with a laugh, nursing his shoulder with a free hand.</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak was picking dirt from her nails instead of watching the dual. She had to admit that she was more interested in seeing a bugbear there, but mostly cause she always wanted to tattoo one. During this time, she was lost in her head trying to figure out how to ink him with all the fur there. Dye maybe? Not really tattooing but could be just as fun.... huh...</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour What Happens Next... Mister Light quirked an eyebrow as Gabriel unsheathed his sword, but he smiled when Gabriel made it clear that his act is swordplay. He discreetly moved out of the ring as Brutrumukk comes and displays his show of strength. The crowd gasps and gives various "Oohs" and "Ahs" at the display. Some murmur in confusion over the mention of the kenku, but that doesn't distract them too much from the show. Gabriel's swordplay against Brutrumukk garnered similar reactions as they watch Gabriel just barely triumph over the bugbear barbarian. They cheered at the swordplay tricks and flourishes that were performed during the spar. They gave an applause to him after the faux battle was finished. Jub's magical display of Brutrumukk's name gets cheers and applause as the fireworks. It served as a grand finale to the acts Brutrumukk and Gabriel put forth. After their acts, nobody else steps forward, and the crowd begins to shuffle out. When the party of 6 is reunited, the same lanky bugbear wearing dungarees, fairy wings, and a helmet made from a jack-o'-lantern from the extravaganza approaches them. "Follow me," he growls. "Management wants to see you." Before leading the party of 6, he looks at Tsak and nods towards the backstage area.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel frowned, then looked to Aurora and back to the bugbear in his dungarees "I've a bad feeling about this." Gabe leaned over to whisper to the elf in a hushed tone.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora throughly enjoyed the show, though she thought Gabe and Brutrumukk's performances to be a bit too much. The games with Candlefoot, Palasha's songs, and the acrobatics. The acrobatics part of the show did send her back many years ago to the night Xander and her snuck in. She absent mindedly fiddled with her right ring finger with her thumb, remembering the ring she lost that night. Having never figured out where it went she had forgotten about it until just now and the words that were spoken to her when she got caught. "Silly little screeching cricket," said Witch. "You forgot to buy a ticket." "The carnival goes round and round," said Light. "The multiverse is our playground. Nothing's free and nothing's lost. Every visit has its cost." After a few more minutes of contemplation Aurora realized why she had really come to the carnival again. She needed to find that ring, and the scroll that she had with it. She looked up as Gabe whispered in her ear about having a bad feeling about something. "What would they like to see us about? Have we done something wrong?" She directed the questions to the bugbear that had approached the group.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour What Happens Next... The bugbear looks to Aurora, and with a wave of his hand, he reassures her and the rest of the group, "No, you haven't done anything wrong. While I don't know what they want to talk to you about, I can assure you that there's nothing to worry about. The bosses are in high spirits," He then turns to lead the group to management and repeats, "Please, come this way,"</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak starts to somewhat pay attention towards the end of the dual, clapping when everyone else does. She would notice Burly's nod, nodding back at him before looking around and following the bugbear.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Once the show was finally over for real this time, Brutrumukk picked up Jub and placed his newfound shoulder goblin on his shoulder. "That was some good stuff ya did back there, booyagh." Brutrumukk said to Jub as he made to clear out with the crowd. "Now that that's over, what say you an' I 'ead on over to the Feastin' Orchard again. I dunno about you, but I've got an 'unger on!" Before Jub could answer though, Burly the Bugbear would come along and ask the party to follow him to see the bosses. "Well this should be interestin'." Brutrumukk said to Jub before following the other Burly's lead and listening quietly to the conversations the others were having with this new bugbear.</s> <|message|>Zavakri Zavakri fell strangely silent and occupied herself at the rear of the party, mentally forming herself into a queue with the others, as the bugbear declared that the management needed to see them. Because of course it did; why else would they have been given tickets? She licked her lips, mentally preparing herself against the dread horror she experienced, as she followed along.</s> <|message|>Miizel Throe As soon as the show started, Miizel slunk back into his seat, trying to hide himself. Whether it was because of the chaos he had caused or something else, he didn't know. When Mr. Light entered the stage he had gotten his answer. It was something else. Definitely something else but he couldn't pinpoint what. All throughout the show he kept one on the Witchlight's owner and another on his crossbow, ready in case anything should happen. He flinched a bit when the human male he was sitting with drew a blade and let out a yelp when the bugbear roared. What are these fools thinking?? Once the theatrics were over he finally managed to breath a sigh of relief, however, just when he thought things were finally dying down he was greeted with two Witchlight hands which wanted to take him and his group to meet management. Although they said there was nothing wrong he couldn't help but feel uneasy. Still keeping a hand on his crossbow, he followed the others.</s>

<|message|>Jub the Peculiar As the audience applauded the show, Jub gave a low bow, making sure his hood didn't slip off as he did. However, even with most of his face obscured, it was clear he was quite pleased with himself, and the flash of an elated grin remained on his face even as Brutrumukk picked him up and placed him back on his shoulder. "Same to you, my good fellow," Jub responded to the bugbear's praise. "You and our sword-carrying acquaintance put on quite a good show." He glanced over at Gabriel, giving a smile and a nod in the swordsman's direction. He then turned his attention back to Brutrumukk, and was about to respond to his suggestion of returning to the Feasting Orchard when another bugbear approached their group, saying something about the management wanting to speak to them. "Uh oh," Jub muttered under his breath, tugging at his hood once again. His mind was quickly running through everything he had done since entering the carnival, trying to find any possible thing he might have done that would have gotten him in trouble... perhaps his attempt to sell souvenirs earlier, given he wasn't actually affiliated with the carnival? Or maybe he'd scared one too many customers with Eighteyes? He was slowly becoming more and more panicked until the elven woman in their group outright asked if they were in trouble, to which the Witchlight Hand responded that no, no they weren't, and that the bosses were in fact very happy. "Oh thank the gods," Jub muttered quietly again, though he still seemed tense. As they followed the rest of the group backstage, the goblin whispered into Brutrumukk's ear, in their native language, "The moment things start to go bad, we should hightail out of here as fast as we can."</s>

<|description|>Jub the Peculiar Age: 18 Race: Goblin (though he claims to be a gnome with a bad skin condition) Class: Wizard Level: 2 Background: Charlatan Personality: Pompous, theatrical, attention-seeking, jittery, proud, possibly delusional, doesn't know when to shut up. Backstory: sent to GM Other: Has a fey familiar called Eighteyes who takes the form of a spider. She's loyal to Jub while also being 100% done with his nonsense. Stat Generation: Point Buy</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour The Meeting Burly leads the Party through the back entrance of the Big Top. The first thing they see is a tangled wall of thorns surrounding a cluster of wagons lit by lanterns. This caravan is barely visible through the thicket. Burly easily waves a hand over the thicket and it parts to allow him and the party entry into the Staff Area. The bugbear leads the group to a circle of wagons. Leaning against a particularly ostentatious wagon is an aging clown with a painted grin. He puffs on a bubble pipe and glares at the party as the bugbear, ignoring the clown, opens the wagon's door and ushers almost everyone inside, excluding Tsak. The flamboyant elf, Mister Light, grins from ear to ear as he welcomes the party into the wagon with a theatrical bow. "Please come in, it's a delight to meet you all! I am Mister Light, and this is my associate, Mister Witch," He gestures to a stocky elf lounging on a bunk. Mister Witch nods to the party and doffs his top hat.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "If things go bad, yer free to run if ya like." Brutrumukk whispered in goblin in response to Jub's words. "I'll be stayin' fer the fight though. Also, I gotta track down that kenku git before I leave." Brutrumukk continued to follow Burly as the other bugbear led the way to the staff area, looking on in wonder as Burly parted the thorny brambles with a wave of his hand. As they entered the staff area and passed the glaring clown, Brutrumukk glared back and bared his teeth for a moment before continuing into the management wagon where Mister Light waited to welcome the party and introduce Mister Witch. "Is... Is that a fat elf?" Brutrumukk whispered in goblin to Jub after seeing Mister Witch for the first time. "I didn't know elves could be fat... Did you know?"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L A frown creased the edges of the duelist's mouth at the way Brutrumukk looked at the elf and whispered something in a odd language, Gabriel gave the bugbear a pointed glare before offering a curt bow to the dignified elf with his odd clothing "Ah, I'm sure whatever our friends may be saying it is polite," he said with a sheepish smile "Gabriel, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." he introduced himself, although something told him they had already met.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub's ears drooped slightly when Brutrumukk stated he wouldn't flee, though he wasn't exactly surprised. In the short time they had known each other, the bugbear hadn't shown the least bit of fear. If the incident during the dragonfly rides hadn't shaken him, the prospect of a few carnies attacking him was unlikely to make him flinch. The goblin was quiet as they made their way backstage, eying each of the carnivalfolk they passed with suspicion and making note of every available exit should he have to make an escape. When they finally met Mister Witch and Mister Light face-to-face, Jub became even more tense, the hint of a grimace forming beneath his hood. Yes, he remembered these two from eight years ago, and their dismissive attitude when he had told them what he had lost. He could only hope they didn't remember him as well. Jub was on edge that Brutrumukk's comment on Mister Witch's appearance caught him off guard and caused him to give a nervous snicker, and he had to catch himself so he didn't burst out into full out laughter. "No, no, I admit, this is a new one for me as well," he responded in goblin. At Gabriel's words, he tried his best to recollect himself before saying, this time in common, "Yes, very polite, I assure you, err, my companion was simply praising your unique dress sense." He gave a small nod to Mister Witch, putting on the most sincere face he could muster given the circumstances.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Prey-zing yer eunuch dress sense..." Brutrumukk said, slightly confused by the more complicated words the others were using. "Yeah, sure, whatever." Brutrumukk shook his head to banish the headache that had been forming in the back of his mind. "The name's Brutrumukk, an' the goblin on me shoulder's called Jub. Don't suppose either o' you seen a kenku sneakin' about an' tryin' to make a mess of everythin'? Or maybe someone with blue paint on the back o' their 'ead doin' the same?"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour The Meeting The two leaders of the Witchlight Carnival both nod and give greetings in return to the three who already spoke up. Before Mister Light could speak up, Brutrumukk already stepped forward and asked his question about the kenku. Mister Light answers Brutrumukk, "We are aware of who you're talking about, but we do not know of her whereabouts right now," Mister Witch then speaks, "The Kenku is named Kettlesteam. She is a disgruntled guest and troublemaker who shares the same fey patron as us: Zybilna. She dwells in the Feywild domain of Prismeer," Mister Light smiles and he adds, "Hopefully, your performance back there will have been enough to get her to stop,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Oh don't you worry about that kenku git tryin' anythin' else." Brutrumukk said as a cruel, bloodthirsty grin appeared on his face. "Next time I catch it, I'll make sure it never bothers anyone ever again. Heh heh heh heh heh." After a few moments of imagining all the ways he'd club the kenku to death and mount its head on a spike in the future, Brutrumukk returned his focus to the present. "So ya wanted to see us then, yeah?" Brutrumukk asked. "What did ya wanna see us about?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub wasn't sure what the most bizarre revelation of this whole conversation was: that the carnival's owners knew the kenku well enough that they were aware who her patron was, that she was from the feywild - a realm which Jub had heard enough about to be aware that it not a place one just took a stroll through and came out unscathed - or that the kenku was a 'she'. All of these answers had simply stirred up more questions in the goblin's brain. "Why does she want to wreck your carnival if you have the same patron?" Jub asked Mister Witch and Mister Light.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour The Meeting Both Carnival leaders looked at each other in concern when Brutrumukk made his threatening comment and gave his bloodthirsty smile. When Jub asked, Mister Witch answered the small goblin, "We haven't heard from Zybilna for a very long time. The same must hold true for Kettlsteam. After all, Zybilna is the matron to the entire carnival. She would have told Kettlesteam to stop," Thankfully, Brutrumukk asked his next questions. Mister Light brightened up considerably with a wide, joyful smile. He gestures to the vane in hand and he speaks, "My vane here picks up every single nuance of emotion in the carnival, in order to ensure that everyone who comes here has a delightful time. This is the first time I've felt so much joy in a long time! So, we wanted to express our gratitude to you!" Mister Witch clears his throat and he speaks, "We were also curious. We'd like to know what brings you to the carnival this night," Mister Light waves his hand and speaks to Mister Witch, "Oh don't be silly, Mister Witch! I'm sure they're just here for a good time as well,"</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak grimaced as she looked at the Burly. This meeting was most unusual to say the least. She would listen silently, curious where this went.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora had stayed towards the back of the group listening intently to the conversation. It seemed that the kenku that Brutrumukk and Jub had encountered had some relation to the carnival, at least through their patron. The fact they have not heard from their patron in sometime was most likely very troubling to Mr. Witch and Mr. Light. It also seemed the two had different ideas as to why everyone in the group was here. "Initially I had seen the carnival while passing by and remembered it being quite enjoyable, though in the last hour or so I've realized I lost something here a long time ago and wonder if it was found and someone held onto it. It was a rather ornate ring with an emblem in the center of it. There may have been a scroll with it as well, would you know if anyone has seen it?"</s> <|message|>Zavakri Zavakri jumps at this, leaning far forward as her legs hastened to keep up with her body. Soon she pushed herself forward and sucked in a deep drag of air. She held it for a moment, as if meaning to inflate. Then she deflated, clearing her throat awkwardly as she let Aurora have her moment. "Sorry, got a bit excited, rather in a tizzy in fact, but dreadfully tired- I haven't stayed up this late...Well, that's a lie, I stay up this late every night, but this is certainly a lot of activity! When we get around to me someone remind me that I was working up a bit of steam, eh? I'll pick it back up when we get to that part." She retreats back to the back, anxious, gnawing on her lip intensely. "Don't mind me, not normally the sort to jump a line like that, you've all got as good a reason to be here as me. I presume."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour The Meeting Both leaders of the carnival turn their attention to Aurora as she spoke. As she mentioned that she lost something a long time ago, a dim light of recognition appears in their eyes. They look to Zavakri as she pushes her way forward to front and center. Mister Light reassured her, "There's no need for apologies. There's no queue to worry about," The both of them look to the group, and Mister Light speaks up, "Ah, I somewhat remember now. Most of you were here eight years ago...! My, you've grown up," Mister Witch closes his eyes and somewhat looks away with a clear look of remorse, while Mister Light also gains a regretful expression as he speaks, "However, we must sincerely apologize, but what you've lost isn't here," Mister Witch speaks up, "The wheel of time turns ever on... what's lost is lost, what's gone is gone," Mister Light then clarifies, "I'm afraid that there are forces at work beyond our control. We cannot help you,"</s>

<|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub frowned as he considered the carnival owners' answer. Well, that was interesting. Perhaps this Kettlesteam thought the disappearance of her patron had something to do with the carnival. The kenku's words from earlier ran through his mind once more: "You lost something important to this place, didn't you?" Had the carnival stolen Kettlesteam's patron? If so, how? That would take a good amount of magic, would it not, to somehow steal away an archfey? He was pondering this when Aurora spoke up, mentioning that she had lost something the last time she had been at the carnival. That's when the carnival owners seemed to recognise not only Jub, but seemingly everyone else in their group, and from the words Jub could imply that he and the elven woman weren't the only ones who had lost something. At Mister Witch and Mister Light's words, claiming that they apparently couldn't return what they had taken, Jub suddenly felt a twinge of anger. "That's a load of rubbish!" he said, without thinking. "You can't honestly expect us to believe that something that just happened to go missing the last time I was here..." He gestured to Aurora. "The last time she was here, had nothing to do with you two. You've just admitted you're both warlocks, essentially. Taking a ring and a scroll should be easy for you, let alone my ability to keep secrets! So if they're not here, then where are they?" After he'd finished, he suddenly realised what he'd just said, and his hands quickly went to his mouth. Behind them, you could just about hear him give a muffled, "Oops..."</s>

<|description|>Jub the Peculiar Age: 18 Race: Goblin (though he claims to be a gnome with a bad skin condition) Class: Wizard Level: 2 Background: Charlatan Personality: Pompous, theatrical, attention-seeking, jittery, proud, possibly delusional, doesn't know when to shut up. Backstory: sent to GM Other: Has a fey familiar called Eighteyes who takes the form of a spider. She's loyal to Jub while also being 100% done with his nonsense. Stat Generation: Point Buy</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Probably wouldn't- sorry," Jub began to speak, before realising that he was still covering his mouth with his hands. Once he'd put his hands down, he continued, "As I was saying, it probably wouldn't work anyway. They probably have all sorts of tricky fae magicks that would make going against them difficult, if not impossible." He grimaced. "Though, you do have a point... if we head into this Hall of Illusions, who knows what we'll find? One of us might end up going missing, even." It was at that point Jub noticed a small feathered fairy hanging around them, who eventually spoke up, reiterating that Mister Witch and Mister Light were indeed 'good people'. "I'm sorry, but who are you?" he asked the fairy.</s> <|message|>Miizel Throe Miizel followed the conversation for the most part, choosing instead to stand back and listen but when Mr. Witch mentions the name Prismeer, his brows furrow. Once again, just like back at the Hall of Illusions, something tugs at the back of his mind. Something so familiar that he should be able to recognize it at first glance yet it keeps escaping him. He idly nods and gives grunts of affirmation as the people around him talked but spends majority of the time pondering the word. That is, until the goblin's outburst. The sudden escalation in conversation snapped him back to reality just in time for Mr Light to retort just as harshly. He was about to speak up but it seems like he was out of it for long enough as they were ushered out just as quickly as they were called in. This time as his companions talked amongst themselves, he made sure to be attentive. "How do you want us to get leverage? Put a bolt against their throat and make them spill the beans?" Miizel asked, his tone implying that he was dead serious. At the mention of the Hall of Illusions, he responded with. "Zavakri and I had just been there but we didn't see any girl there. Well, apart from her reflection of course. But something did feel off. The place felt familiar to me but I couldn't pinpoint what exactly. I just found myself walking towards a specific mirror. If you guys want I could lead you there."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour A Hushed Conversation Burly shook his head at Brutrumukk's first question. When Aurora asked about the Hall of Illusions, Burly answered as he got a sad look on his face, "That's where my brother, Hurly, was last seen before he disappeared..." Burly couldn't answer Zavakri as Brutrumukk reiterated his desire to do harm to the Duo to get the information. Thankfully, Aurora spoke against it, but the concern reappeared on his face at the mention of the girl. He answers Aurora, "No...Nobody who works as a Witchlight Hand fits that description..." He seems to think it over until Tsak steps in to stand up to Brutrumukk for Burly. Burly smiles at Tsak in response to her apologetic look, and he speaks, "It's alright, Tsak. Thank you," He lets Tsak introduce herself to Jub. Then...Miizel asks the question. Burly answers him, "No. I do not want you to use violence to do so. They are indeed good people. They gave me and my brother a home and jobs," He then looks directly at Brutrumukk and points out, "I think you would understand my position best out of everyone here," He continues, "I know of a better way to get them to talk. You will need to..." He clears his throat before continuing, "...borrow Mister Witch's Witchlight Watch. His pocket watch. The both of them can't run the carnival without it," He then tells the group, "Normally, I don't condone theft. But, if you give it back after they give you the answers, then it should be okay," He continues, "I'll let you figure out how to pull this off. But, you should also know this: The best time to do this would be during the Crowning of the Witchlight Monarch. That takes place at dawn. Witch and Light have no control over who the monarch will be, but it's always the guest who has contributed the most to the happiness of the carnival. The monarch is also given a charm that lets them fly. The watch is attached to Mister Witch's waistcoat by a chain, so you will need to break it or unfasten it. Finally, Dirlagraun, Candlefoot, and Palasha might help you. They're good eggs," He then warns, "But don't trust Thaco. He's untrustworthy,"</s> <|message|>Miizel Throe "And how do I know you are?" Miizel snaps back to Burly. "For all I know you could be trying to set us up. Make us lose more than what we've already lost. So far the only ones that could even get an inkling of my trust are these folks." He gestures to the others alongside him.</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak would glair daggers at Miizel before pulling a needle from her pocket and placing it between her teeth. "You're waiting your time Burly. It's obvious these guys are here to cause trouble instead of helping us out..." her strange red eyes would look at Jub then spread her black and red raven wings, taking to the air and flutter in place to be at Eye level, "Tsak Vlos, Witchlight Hand here"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Since no one seemed interested in handling things the easy way, Brutrumukk quickly lost interest in the conversation. As one of the others accused Burly of being untrustworthy, Brutrumukk looked to Jub and spoke in goblin. "Wanna go spread some cheer?" He asked the goblin wizard perched on his shoulder. "Seein' 'ow we already got a good start on that, I figure we'll 'ave the best chance o' bein' crowned if we keep on makin' folks 'appy."</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Right," Jub said in response to Tsak's rather terse introduction. He quickly turned his attention back to the rest of the group, specifically Brutrumukk and his suggestion. "Yes, that sounds like a good idea. Plus, we already know Candlefoot and Palasha, so we can ask them for help if the need arises." He pauses before adding, "And, err, in the matter of stealing the watch, I may, ahem, have some... experience in the art of, shall you say, relieving people of their belongings." He paused before clarifying, partially for the sake of Brutrumukk's limited vocabulary and partly because his 'condition' compelled him to, "I used to steal things for a living. Not anymore, of course. Well, not most of the time. Sometimes. On occasion. I'm going to shut up now." He quickly covered his mouth again.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk When Brutrumukk grinned eagerly when Jub said his plan sounded good. "Right then. Let's get to work." Brutrumukk said before addressing all present. "Jub an' I are gonna go make people 'appy. We'll see you lot whenever an' wherever they're crownin' the King o' the Carnival." With that said, Brutrumukk headed off with Jub on his shoulder to go looking for ways to make people happy.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel leaned with his back against the wagon, the swordsman had little to no interest joining in the senseless bickering between Miizel or the fairy woman Tsak as she eluded to the bugbear in dungarees that it was a waste of time to try speaking with them "Trouble," the bard simply scoffed, he had barely been here nearly four hours and in that time both he and his elvish compatriot had helped reunite a halfling couple "I'll be off with these two, make sure trouble doesn't end up following us." he gave the fairy a pointed glare before turning to Brutrumukk and Jub, hurrying off behind them "Better to make people smile than argue, eh you two?" he joked as he caught up with the stride of the bugbear.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Letting out a low sigh, Aurora shook her head at the gnome who was proposing to hold a crossbow bolt to the owners throat. Stealing the watch might give them the leverage they need to get the pair to give more information though. Since the other bugbear, the odd gnome, and Gabe were heading off to go spread more cheer, Aurora decided she was going to try to investigate around the Hall of Illusions. "I can also attempt to relieve the watch from Mister Witch's person. It may be easier if there is a distraction during the crowning. In case no one else is able to get close enough anyway." She glanced at the fluttering fairy in front of her that had just give their name. "My name is Rory. Locksmith and procurer of things by trade. Now I do want to help not cause trouble. Mostly I'd like to find what I lost when I was here last. Granted I know it's long shot with how long it has been, and with what both Mister Witch and Mister Light have said about the matter. Now I can lead you all back to where I found the strange girl in the Hall of Illusions. I think she may only appear to those who are really sad and have regrets."</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub gave a sigh of relief as Brutrumukk began to walk away from the rest of the group, slowly taking his hands away from his mouth... only to immediately cover them again when Gabriel appeared beside them. "Mmhmm," the goblin gave a muffled response to the swordsman. He didn't mind Brutrumukk knowing his secrets - he doubted the bugbear really cared all that much - but he didn't know this half-elf at all, as nice as he had been to him so far. Still covering his mouth, he awkwardly attempted to make conversation with the swordsman. "Err, I don't believe I ever got your name, good sir."</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak gave Burly and unsure look then looked to Rory with an nod. She was glad that at least SOMEONE didn't have some compoltion towards unnecessary violence. She would fly over to the elven looking woman and land, choosing to walk with her, "I will go investigate the hall with her as well Bur, I'll let you know what we find".</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L A chuckle escaped the half-elf's mouth, indeed he had forgotten to properly introduce himself upon their first rather abrupt meeting thus Gabriel laughed a bit at his lack of manners "My apologies Jub, my name is Gabriel." he still chuckled slightly finding some amusement in his own obliviousness, smiling at the two goblinoids as the they weaved their way through the carnival in the evening light "I'm afraid I never caught your name though my furred fellow." he said addressing Brutrumukk.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "My name's Brutrumukk." The bugbear introduced himself to Gabriel. "I'm also known 'round these parts as the Spirt o' the Snorin' Stone. The people from the village call me a Fork 'Ero or somethin'. Can't exactly remember what the first word is all the time. But I do know they say I'm a good sort. They come to me whenever they 'ave problem what no one else can 'elp with, an' then they pay me to solve that problem fer 'em." After the introductions were done, Brutrumukk looked around and scratched his head as they walked through the carnival once more. "So we gotta make people 'appy then." Brutrumukk said. "Any ideas fer where we should start lookin'?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Oh, that's right... one of the others had the map," Jub said. He gave a sigh, uncovering his mouth once more, and began surveying the surrounding attractions, looking for any that might have the most amount of people. "How abouuuut... there?" He pointed towards the Pixie Kingdom, though he himself didn't know that that was what that was. All he could tell from here was that it wasn't a ride, so they had more opportunity to run across anyone in need of aid.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Glancing towards the direction that Jub pointed towards, Gabriel squinted momentarily before simply offering the two a shrug "If you say so my friend, let's be off." straightening his vest the duelist brushed an errant strand of white hair from his eyes, then with a curt nod he set a relaxed pace for his companions to follow as Gabe walked in the direction towards the Pixie Kingdom "Oh by the by Jub, how'd you end up finding your way to the carnival?" curious to hear the short fellows tale Gabe decided to let his curiosity get the better of him.</s>

<|message|>Jub the Peculiar "Me?" Jub said, pointing to himself as he did so. He seemed surprised at the question. "Oh, I travel all over the place, never settle down in one city for too long." Beneath his hood, his smile became a little strained. "I tend to, erm, attract trouble, you see." He gave a nervous laugh. "Might even have made some enemies, some people, err, can't appreciate a joke... or the occassional theft, but that's not important!" He shook his head quickly. "Anyway, heard about this place during my travels. Thought it would be a good place to set up business." He lowered his voice and leaned slightly so he was close enough for Gabriel to hear, "I really needed some cash, you see. Business hasn't been too good." He then cleared his throat and started speaking normally again. "And I also feel like I was being drawn here. This place seemed really familiar, and now I know why."</s>

<|description|>Jub the Peculiar Age: 18 Race: Goblin (though he claims to be a gnome with a bad skin condition) Class: Wizard Level: 2 Background: Charlatan Personality: Pompous, theatrical, attention-seeking, jittery, proud, possibly delusional, doesn't know when to shut up. Backstory: sent to GM Other: Has a fey familiar called Eighteyes who takes the form of a spider. She's loyal to Jub while also being 100% done with his nonsense. Stat Generation: Point Buy</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Eighth Hour The Crowning of the Witchlight Monarch The crowds gather in the Big Top. Brutrumukk and Jub thankfully, already have their seats. As the crowd gathers, the rest of the party are able to find their seats near or next to the two goblinoids. The musicians that gathered in the tent are playing soft music in anticipation for the ceremony to begin. It's clear that there is time for the party to talk amongst themselves before the ceremony begins.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L & @rush99999 His hand idly traced the basket hilt of the rapier at his side, absent-mindedly playing with the inlay of the weapon as he leant against a beam at the very edge of the spectator seating of the large Big Top. Gabriel gave a friendly nod to those who met his gaze, yet he offered nothing more than that as his thoughts were preoccupied with other things. He heaved a sigh, as he had been watching people trickle in hoping to see a familiar face or two. He was about ready to go find himself a seat when he spotted a peculiar duo enter the tent. "You two better have a good excuse for leaving me behind, nearly got lost. Where in the nine hells have you both been?" while Gabriel may have sounded annoyed his expression betrayed no sign of anger.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub had been in the process of rifling through his bag to get his wizard cloak when Gabriel approached them. The look of horror on the goblin's face as the half-elf not only approached them but seemed to recognise Jub was probably hilarious... to everyone who wasn't Jub. "You..." Jub croaked out, pointing at Gabriel as he did so. "Must have me confused... for someone else..." As he was speaking, his body start to compress into itself as if he was trying to melt into his chair.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L A chuckle escaped the half-elf's mouth, as he shook his head at Jub's response as if Gabriel hadn't known he was a goblin. After the ceremony he'd need to give the poor lad a lesson in how to disguise himself better "Jub," he planted a hand on the shoulder of the un-wizardly dressed wizard "Don't play dumb with me, don't worry about how you look lad I don't judge people by their outward appearance."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Good luck gettin' yer words to stick." Brutrumukk said to Gabe after he gave words of encouragement to Jub. "I've given 'im two inspirin' speeches tonight an' neither of 'em seemed to last long... As fer why we left ya, I didn't notice that we 'ad 'til jus' now."</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub opened his mouth but no sound came out. After a moment, he just closed his mouth and just sat in his chair, pulling his knees up to his chin and trying to look as small as possible. He obviously was a little embarrassed, however he had stopped attempting to retrieve his cloak from his bag.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel opened his mouth to make a witty remark about being more memorable to the bugbear however the shift in the little goblin's body language made him pause, it was a posture he recognized all too well. "Well." his gaze shifted back to Brutrumukk, then he shrugged "We're together now and that's what matters." with that he seated himself next to Jub whose shoulder the half-elf gave a gentle squeeze "Hey, don't be too hard on yourself we all got our reasons to hide who we are." From the belt pouch at his side Gabriel fished a velvet sack tied with a string, leaning over and placing it in the goblin's tiny hands "Here, take it I don't need it anyways. Call it a gift, if you sell it though your buying me a drink. Got it?" he gave the goblin a warm smile and laughed giving Jub one last squeeze before sitting up and taking a look around at the crowd packed into the Big Top.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub blinked slightly and gingerly took the bag from Gabriel. He didn't open it right away, just taking a moment to look at the half-elf almost in awe. After a moment, he seemed to remember himself and, with a small mumble of "Thanks", looked back down at his hands. He very carefully opened the bag to see the contents and, recognizing as the pixie dust that had enabled them to fly earlier, his eyes lit up. He closed the bag and delicately put it with his other belongings. He recalled Brutrumukk's words earlier about escape plans should they retrieve the Mr Witch's watch, and this would definitely be good option to have should they need it. He sat up a little bit in his chair, looking slightly less uncomfortable than he had a moment before.</s> <|message|>Zavakri The approach to the tent was an agonizing affair. Zavakri pulled her hood up- decided that was too much of a bother, it'd ruin her hair if she wasn't careful, so she lowered it back down and meticulously distracted herself on the walk with fixing her hair back to perfection. It'd muss up the instant she got a smidge too emotional, but a gel could try to maintain some semblance of present-ability, couldn't she? It didn't help that the fear was only just now, after Ellywick's assistance, beginning to fully fade from the front of her mind... Enough that her anxiety at being in this crowd to begin with could set in. She took deep, calming, breaths. This probably made her look like an idiot of some kind, or perhaps a fish gasping in air as it flounders for water, but it had the intended effect; she was able to feel calm. Feel like she had more breathing room. It helped that those immediately around her had certainly pressed away from the oddly presenting woman. And soon she found herself shuffled into a seat- and she gasped. "Oi, how come whenever I'm having a mild panic attack and finally calm meself down, it's always you lot I find nearby? At least I know where I stand with you guys; in the back, safe and forgotten. Big personalities, you lot. You lot could hide a giant behind your conversations. Honestly, that's right where I want to be right now; behind a giant, behind you lot, forgotten for a few minutes. Oh, be still my beating heart! This place was pure chaos!"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub had just started to relax when they were joined by that peculiar human woman from earlier, the one who had expressed her frustration the carnival and seemed to be able to take up a whole conversation just on her own. It seemed she hadn't really change much in the few hours since they had last spoken. The goblin shifted awkwardly in his seat. "Errrrrr...." he said, genuinely not sure how to respond to that. He glanced over at Brutrumukk, conveying all his confusion and bafflement in a single expression and hoping the bugbear had some kind of retort to this situation, because he was currently drawing a blank here.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Humans can be weird like that sometimes." Brutrumukk said in goblin when Jub looked to him for word on the subject of Zavakri. "Either way, don't worry about 'er. We got bigger things to focus on right now. You got enough booyagh left in ya fer what we're about to pull off?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub nodded, and motioned to his bag. "Gabriel just gave me that bag of pixie dust that he won at the pixie kingdom," he responded in goblin. "So if I end up being crowned Witchlight Monarch, we have a way that you can gain flight if we need to make a quick getaway." He paused, thinking for a moment and glanced towards Gabriel and then Zavakri. "Though I think there's only enough for one use so if neither of us get it, I'm not sure what we'll do." He spoke up again, this time switching to common and addressed the two non-goblins in the group. "Erm... do you either of you guys have a plan when it comes to this whole... watch stealing business?" He paused again before adding, "We're all on the same page about this, right? I'm sorry, I'm starting to feel we might not be on the same page."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Thank you?" the half-elf looking a bit perturbed said in reply to Zavakiri's compliment (if it could be classified as such), then he looked between the pair of goblinoid as if for some kind of explanation "Oh? Plan? What for?" now he was quite confused, what was this plan?</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Erm... do you either of you guys have a plan when it comes to this whole... watch ste-" This was all Jub would have time to say before Brutrumukk clamped a hand over the goblin's mouth. "Mind what you say, you little idiot." Brutrumukk hissed in goblin before inclining his head towards a nearby Witchlight Hand. "The carnies catch wind o' what we're up to an' we ain't gettin nowhere near that watch." "Oh? Plan? What for?" Brutrumukk then heard Gabriel ask, causing the bugbear to turn to regard the man with a cautioning look. "We's jus' plannin' what we're gonna do after this, is all." Brutrumukk said in common as he pulled his hand away from Jub's mouth. "Still a few places we 'aven't seen yet an' all that."</s>

<|message|>Jub the Peculiar "HMPH!" Jub really hadn't expected Brutrumukk to cover his mouth and, after taking in what his bugbear companion was saying, shoved away his claw before turning towards him. "I'm just making sure we're all on the same page here!" he hissed back in goblin. "Which clearly we aren't!" He waved towards Gabriel as he spoke. "I thought it was important we had a back-up plan in case neither me or you are crowned. But pardon me for being tactical!" It was clear from his expression and tone of voice he was more than a little upset about being interrupted... and told off... and called an idiot.</s>

<|description|>Jub the Peculiar Age: 18 Race: Goblin (though he claims to be a gnome with a bad skin condition) Class: Wizard Level: 2 Background: Charlatan Personality: Pompous, theatrical, attention-seeking, jittery, proud, possibly delusional, doesn't know when to shut up. Backstory: sent to GM Other: Has a fey familiar called Eighteyes who takes the form of a spider. She's loyal to Jub while also being 100% done with his nonsense. Stat Generation: Point Buy</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub had been slumped over in his chair, still sulking over being told off by Brutrumukk when his name was called and for a moment, all he could do was raise his head and blink up at the thread as his brain processed what was happening. Thankfully, he wasn't stuck there slack-jawed for too long before Brutrumukk hoisted him up on his shoulder and brought him down to the ring. Any hurt feelings he had about the bugbear from moments ago completely disappeared as he watched his friend loudly cheer for him and telling the crowd to make way. That, combined with how everyone was cheering for him and showing no implication of distaste at a goblin being crowned the Witchlight Monarch made Jub give a big, if somewhat befuddled, grin as Brutrumukk brought him over to the ring.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L A sense of dread, and maybe a little excitement fell over the half-elf tensed in his seat. He didn't know wether he wanted or deserved the crown, yet Gabriel felt a twang of disappointment as the golden thread passed him by. In the end however, the title had no significance to him and he was simply elated that Jub was getting the positive attention he needed. Gabriel followed alongside Brutrumukk as he carried the comically surprised Jub on his shoulders "Don't look like you just ate a bad egg, look royal for the commonfolk." the half-elf japed to his little friend.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Eighth Hour The Crowning of the Witchlight Monarch Tsak notices, despite the crowd's loud roar, as soon as the thread of light chooses Jub to be the Witchlight Monarch, music begins. Palasha begins singing. This song starts slow. Tsak recognizes it as a song that Palasha originally wrote for Candlefoot after he lost his voice (there was no denying that those two were in love with each other). Strangely enough...it also seemed to sympathize and resonate with the Witchlight Monarch of the hour. The song itself seemed to understand the source of his sadness, while trying to express hope and joy in the future in just the feeling. And yet...it also feels like a call to action: To bring those who are lost, back home... The slow and heartfelt ethereal song continues as Jub is brought down to receive his crown. Once Tsak opens the hatbox, Mister Witch takes the crown of golden butterflies out of it gingerly with both of his hands. Mister Light makes it clear to Brutrumukk that he needs to lower Jub to ground, and Jub needs to kneel in order to receive the crown. Once Jub does kneel, Mister Witch gently places the crown on his head. He moves to the side and lets Mister Light, tap each of Jub's shoulders gently with the vane, as though knighting the goblin. While this happens, the sound of singing can be heard from the crowd in "Laaalalala"s After a trio of clowns shower Jub, Mister Light, and Mister Witch in glitter, the music picks up in a joyful and jubilant song. Now was the moment where the Withlight Monarch is paraded around the Carnival. Palasha sings happily, beckoning others to join in the song and the parade. Jub is raised high once again for all to see with the crown on his head. As the parade continues throughout the Carnival grounds, colorful fireworks explode in the sky as though to punctuate the fact that this is the finale to the Witchlight Carnival.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk set Jub down when asked and sang along with the crowd as Jub was crowned the Witchlight Monarch. And thanks to singing lesson he'd received from Palasha, there weren't many folks in the Big Top who could say they sang as well as Brutrumukk. Once the crowning was done and the parade began, Brutrumukk hoisted Jub back onto his shoulder and walked alongside the leaders of the parade, singing his heart out all the way as the fireworks made the sunrise look even brighter than usual. "Sing, let yer 'eart soar! Sing forever!" "Sad an' so 'appy! Feelin's flow over," "Now our world is full of all kinds o' colors!" "Closin' me eyes I still can see the stars!" "Shine in the sky, sing their 'armony!" "Flowers, they're bloomin', oh it's beautiful!" "Sing, Sing SING!" "SING THIS SONG, I WON'T STOP NOW!" "Sing it through, I love you!" "THE VOICE CARRIES ON!"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L In his heart of hearts, the very core of the swordsman's being he felt moved. Not only by the song itself but it's underlying tone that one such as himself couldn't miss. While the song itself was celebratory it had a sadness to it that touched Gabriel's soul, he wanted to sing with his surly friend yet the moment was not his to join. He knew not the melody nor it's words only the emotions it filled him with. And so he just hummed the tune, the corners of his eyes slightly glistening.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar For what was meant to be a celebration of what had been, at least for him, a long and hectic day, Jub was a little surprised at how slow and sombre Palasha's song was. He wasn't really used to this kind of music, but he couldn't say he disliked it either. It just felt... odd. In fact, this whole moment felt really surreal to the goblin. He did manage, however, after hearing Gabriel's jape, to widen his smile a little bit as Brutrumukk brought him up to the ring. Admittedly, he did become slightly tense as they approached Mister Witch and Mister Light, as he could still remember the rant Mister Light had given him earlier after the Extravaganza. However, neither of them seemed upset or angry to see him again, at least from what he could tell, and he managed to relax as they placed the crown on his head, though he did try his best to avoid looking either of them in the eye too much. Again, he really didn't want to lose anything else to this carnival if he could help it. As Brutrumukk hoisted Jub back onto his shoulder, the bugbear began to sing along with Palasha's song, and Jub took a moment to admire how much of a good singer he was now after singing lessons with the mermaid. After a while, Jub found himself singing along, albeit his voice was a quieter. He may have been a showman, but until today, singing hadn't really been something he had attempted, and even with his training, he couldn't help but feel a bit shy. Needless to say, this whole situation was very overwhelming for the goblin. In a good way, but still overwhelming.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora During the ceremony Aurora cheered with the rest as Jub was proclaimed the Carnival Monarch. It was almost to the level of pomp and circumstances that the noble back home gave to when the consulate had their elections. The magocracy did have an knack for magical exuberance that left many of the less magically inclined in awe. After Jub was crowned by Mister Witch and Mister Light, the burst of fireworks caught Rory off guard. Initially it startled her, followed by her laughing at how ridiculous it was for her to be startled by it. The parade through the carnival grounds kept her attention for awhile. She stayed close to the edges away from the center of the crowd keeping an eye on Jub and the carnival owners. Here soon it would be time to meet up with them and potentially help them with whatever it was that causing these disappearances.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival After The Eighth Hour Unfortunately...all good things must come to an end. The same holds true for the Crowning Ceremony and the Witchlight Carnival. As dawn rises slowly, Mister Light could be heard calling to the crowd as they depart, "Parting is such sweet sorrow! Thank you all for visiting the Witchlight Carnival! We hope you had a delightful time!" As the crowd heads for the exits, the party stands there. For Jub, the crown disappears from his head, and reappears in the hatbox. Tsak knows that was going to happen. After all, how were they going to crown the next Witchlight Monarch if they don't get the crown back? Jub, despite knowing that the crown is no longer resting upon his brow, knows that he still has the title of Witchlight Monarch. He can feel it. It is in this moment, where all of you stand still amongst the moving crowds, see Mister Witch and Mister Light looking at you all. They both turn, and Light nods at you, the entire party, to follow them. You follow them through the carnival grounds, past the crowds heading towards the exit, until they stop at the very same attraction some of the party had suspected and investigated: The Hall of Illusions... Both Misters seem to be nervous as they stare at the entrance of the Big Top. Then the party sees the both of them look to each other, before Mister Light starts reaching his hand for Mister Witch's. Mister Witch's hand meets Mister Light's, and their fingers interlocking. They face the entrance again and head inside, expecting the party to follow. The interior has not changed since some of the party members last investigated it. As Witch and Light move through the Hall of Illusions, their reflections in the mirrors show them as gloomy shadar-kai children garbed in nobles' attire, with the party's own youthful reflections following behind. Soon, they call all of the party to a halt, right in front of the mirror Miizel had pointed out as magical and different from the other mirrors. At that moment, the mirrors now reflect everyone's true age. Mister Witch addresses you in a hushed tone, "Everything you seek and more lies beyond this mirror. If you mean to step through, then stand in front of the glass and repeat this rhyme: Hither, thither, here and there; wander yonder, show me where," They then part and move away to let you all reach said mirror.</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- This was it, the very moment Tsak had been waiting for. She was finally about to leave her home and travel forth, to follow her parents foot steps as find the truth. Tsak's breathing audibly heavy and quick as a slight panic attack started to kick in. Taking a deep breath, she would look to the party, "I know we've not known each other that long, but I was hoping that your party would allow me to follow for now. My parents and mentor is somewhere through that mirror and I need to know their story. If I may, Ill need to gather my things and day a quick good bye to my family" She would then look to the misters with slight tears in her eyes and a faint smile, "I'll be back when I find then, if I am still welcomed"</s>

<|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub was still in a very elated mood from the celebration as the party followed the Misters towards the Hall of Illusions, and that feeling didn't dampen too much even as the two elves explained the situation. He could still sense their reluctance, so he felt this wasn't trap. However, he got the feeling that whatever lurked beyond the mirror must have been something if two warlocks were acting all antsy about it, and this gave the goblin pause. While he desperately wanted what had been taken from him, was it really worth traipsing into gods-knows-where, with the possibility that he might not come back? Sure, his condition had seriously impacted his life. Part of the reason he had chosen to become a showman was because his previous life of living on the streets and hanging around with less scrupulous individuals had been severely impacted by the fact that no one could trust him to keep his mouth shut, and while performing magic shows for bystanders was a safer and less illegal line of work, it had also proven far less profitable. Still, he was alive, and while some days were way worse than others, it wasn't the worst life. In fact, right at this moment, he felt pretty happy. Shenanigans aside, this had been a good day. He could just turned around, leave and have this whole experience end on a reasonably happy note, no potential threats or danger required. As he was considering this, however, Tsak spoke up and voiced her desire to the travel with the group, revealing she too had lost something: her family. Jub hadn't been sure what to make of the fairy up until now, but this confession did make him feel some sympathy for her, and in turn reminded him that he wasn't the only one who had lost something. He glanced over at Aurora. She had mentioned losing a ring and a letter, if he remembered correctly. Obviously, not the same as losing a family member, but it must have been of some importance if she had gone through all this trouble to investigate. He then looked over at Gabriel and the human woman, who he realised he still didn't know the name of. He wondered if they too had lost something. He got the feeling the latter had, but Gabriel had been surprisingly tight-lipped about any previous encounter he may or may not have had with the carnival. He was still here though, so there must have been something in it for him. Then Jub looked at Brutrumukk. Brutrumukk, who had, by his own admission, never been to this carnival before, had lost nothing and honestly, had all the reason to walk away, yet was still here. Quietly, Jub addressed the bugbear in goblin. "Hey, Brutrumukk, you know you don't have to come with us, right?" he said. "You haven't lost anything, and we don't know where this mirror leads or when we'll be able to come back." Or if, but he didn't say that part out loud. "You said before you just wanted your peace and quiet back, and you can still have that." He knew the possibility of danger was unlikely to deter the bugbear. However, he also knew that the bugbear had little to gain and much more to lose by following a bunch of near-complete strangers into some magical realm, and while Brutrumukk had proven himself capable of heroics and goodness, this would require a level of selflessness that Jub had not really witnessed in, well, anyone. He certainly didn't want to say good-bye to the bugbear - quite the opposite, in fact - but he also knew better than to expect Brutrumukk to drop everything he was doing and everything he had going for him in order to help people he had only known for a day. Heck, Jub had known people who had been friends for much longer who would not be willing to walk blindly into danger for each other, so he certainly wouldn't hold it against Brutrumukk if he decided to cut his losses right there and then.</s>

<|description|>Jub the Peculiar Age: 18 Race: Goblin (though he claims to be a gnome with a bad skin condition) Class: Wizard Level: 2 Background: Charlatan Personality: Pompous, theatrical, attention-seeking, jittery, proud, possibly delusional, doesn't know when to shut up. Backstory: sent to GM Other: Has a fey familiar called Eighteyes who takes the form of a spider. She's loyal to Jub while also being 100% done with his nonsense. Stat Generation: Point Buy</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "I would have liked to rest in a bed, hell I need a god damn drink!" the half-elf sat with a sigh "But we had little choice as ridiculous as that sounds, the best we can do is what we can do at this moment." Gabriel put his hand through his hair glancing sideways towards the swamp "I'm not sure if you want to slough through a swamp, but right now I don't."</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub had been considering how best to respond to Brutrumukk's request for rest when the human woman stepped forward and spoke the magic words, turning the mirror into a doorway between dimensions. Panic started to surge as he watched the party start to go through the portal. He still wasn't sure if he was willing to go to... wherever this mirror lead, and was about to turn to Brutrumukk and suggest they take this moment to bail... ... only for Brutrumukk to start cursing up a storm before rushing after them, taking his shoulder goblin along with him. Of course. During the fall through the portal, Jub found himself tumbling from his perch and ended up falling face-first into the dirt. It took a moment for him to push himself up and wipe the dust from his face. "I'm ooookay..." he said, though due to still be disorientated, he certainly didn't sound okay. He took a moment to survey his surroundings as his brain took a moment to catch up with what he was seeing. "This... is definitely not what I expected. Did anyone else expect a swamp? I didn't expect a swamp." He attempted to take a step forward, only to end up falling over again. "Does... does anyone else's legs feel like they're made of jello? Is that normal?"</s> <|message|>Zavakri Zavakri whirls through the portal, collapsing onto herself as she appears on the Other Side. A groan. A wince. An exhausted twitch. Oh, such artistry made flesh. She slowly pushes herself to her feet, the weight of what she just did finally settling itself upon her shoulders; falling from on-high upon wings of retribution to finally feel the gravity of utter reality and dismal truth. "Golly Gosh!" she cursed heartily. "Blimey! Spittle and bloodshed!" She leapt up and down, a sudden vigor coursing through her veins, soon whirling about as if just awakening for the first time. "A SWAMP??" She cries out, before her seething calms itself to a belated and finally appearing exhaustion. She falls onto her knees, pulling her cloak about herself. "If this is how I find her, so be it." She sighs to herself, conviction worming its way into her tired voice. "At least it's no longer that Carnival...Oh, Riri, I hope you don't worry..." She casts her gaze about, searching her companions intimately for the first time. "If it's up to me, which it hardly is due to my sudden decisionmaking skills ending us up here, a rest is in good order. Just tell me when it's my watch or whatever it is we adventuring types are supposed to do, yeah? I've got to run some numbers..." She wraps herself up tighter in her cloak, shifting the otherwise hidden crossbow she carried into her hands and lap as she slowly rocked where she sat, mumbling numbers in a calming manner.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora When the human woman spoke the words to open the portal before everyone had a moment to respond, Aurora stood there for several seconds in surprise. Once the human woman through the portal, Aurora dashed forward to the follow. The sensation that followed was unlike any she had experienced in recent memory. It felt almost like falling forward without actually falling at all. The sensation stopped once Aurora felt the soft earth beneath her boots. A quick glance had only resulted in seeing the dense fog and ruin near where the others started to arrive. Gabriel's exclamation of something being here drew her attention back to the group. "Well Brutrumukk mentioned trying to rest back in the carnival but she..." Rory pointed towards Zavakri, "decided to open the portal before we could really discuss it. Personally I would have preferred resting somewhere not in a swamp. If we rest here I suggest we have someone keep a watch once we find somewhere less in the open." Aurora understood why the bugbear was upset and to some extent agreed with him. At the Carnival they would have at least been safe and less exposed to whatever may lurk in this fog. "What did you mean by hag or no hag?" Aurora asked Zavakri while stepping toward Jub offering a hand to help him back to his feet. "Not quiet like jello but I am feeling tired from being up all night. I don't think any of us knew what to expect. Expect maybe the carnival owners."</s> <|message|>Zavakri "What did you mean by hag or no hag?" Aurora asked Zavakri while stepping toward Jub offering a hand to help him back to his feet. Zavakri's attention snapped back to reality at being addressed. "Oh, nothing much, methinks; the talking unicorns mentioned a hag, and someone else let slip that the Witchlights were victims in their own right, so I put two and two together and made some assumptions. Some lass named Skabither Nightbloom or something- Skabitha Nightblossom? No, that's not right; Nightshade. Skabitha Nightshade. Droll name, but I suppose a hag isn't exactly born to good things, eh?" She rambles on for a bit, before clicking her tongue and shifting to sit more comfortably. "She sleeps in a dollhouse; she forgets the first creature she sees. I suppose I can't expect unicorns to make sense."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "So we're dealin' with an 'ag then?" Brutrumukk said in response to Zavakri's words. "I've 'eard a thing or two about their type. Can anyone else 'ere say the same?" Should another party member indeed also know a thing or two about hags like Brutrumukk did, they would have a decent amount of knowledge on the subject of hags between the two of them. Provided that someone negates the disadvantage with the help action, Brutrumukk rolls a 19 to know stuff about hags.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub glanced up at Aurora as the elven woman offered to help him to his feet - not unlike how she had before the two of them had entered the carnival. With a weak smile, he let her help him to his feet. "Thank you," he said, before taking a moment to dust himself off. When the human woman spoke again, Jub swerved to face her, only just managing to avoid falling over again. "Well, next time, maybe consider asking the rest of us before you do anything like that," he said. He was attempting to sound stern, but the affect was lessened by the fact he was slurring his words slightly.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "I agree." Brutrumukk agreed with an annoyed growl. "The fuck were you thinkin' pullin' somethin' like that? Some of us would 'ave liked to sleep before divin' through some mirror portal leadin' to Mag knows where." Brutrumukk then turned to the rest of the party. "An' what the fuck were the rest o' you thinkin' followin' 'er?" Brutrumukk asked. "Jus' cuz some mad cow decides to be fuckin' stupid, don't mean you gotta go with 'er! Now we're stuck on some broken bridge above some gods fersaken swamp with no idea where to go or what to do! An' to make matters worse, we're all fuckin' tired...! Great work everyone. Great fuckin' work."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel had untied the straps holding the sleeping roll in place from his backpack and set to unrolling it, rubbing his temples as the bugbear grew more and more frustrated. As the half-elf listened to Brutrumukk berate the party, Gabriel gritted his teeth his head pounding wishing he had a bottle of whisky to calm his nerves. "You're one to talk!" he snapped back angrily a tinge of an accent in his voice "Ya bloody well followed too, the god damn mirror pulled some of us in!" he pointed to the spot they appeared from "Like fuck'n hell ya couldn't have just left! It isn't our fault we left in a rush, those old farts likely didn't want to let us stay." he said meaning the two Misters.</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak was had been second to last through the portal, dashing forward to grab her pack from the misters and hug them both tightly. With a kiss on both of their cheeks, the overly giddy fairy flew right into the portal at top speed. Now, planer travel was nothing new, she's traveled to all sorts of planes all her life, but the fey never really got used to the sensation. Well, one mistake she had made was flying into the portal in the first place. As Tsak came out the other side, the tattooist came cometing down into the ground, roughly crashing into it. A yelp, groan and giggle later, the fairy would move to her feet and take in her surroundings. At first, excitement over took her, she did it! She finally became an adventurer! Then.... panic. Tsak, breath becoming heavy and quickly, took out her sketchbook as she looked around for the others. After taking a few deep breaths, the fairy would fly up to the others and called out, "Uh... I could fly up to the air and see if there are any towns or villages nearby..."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk When Gabriel spoke up, Brutrumukk wheeled around to face him, looking just about ready to club someone to death and subsequently mount their head on a spike. "Yeah, some o' you were pulled in. I weren't talkin' ta them" Brutrumukk said. "An' yeah, I followed even though I coulda jus' left. But that woulda meant leavin' you and the others what got sucked across to deal with whatever mess ya got sucked into after that bitch opened the portal. An' fer various reasons, I weren't all that keen on the idea. An' as fer those fuckin' knife ears-" It was at that moment that Tsak chimed in. The interruption took the wind out of Brutrumukk's sails. And after staring at the fairy for a moment, Brutrumukk heaved a growly sigh. "Do what ya like. I'm gonna get some rest." Brutrumukk said before finding a decent looking spot on the bridge and beginning to set up his bedroll.</s> <|message|>Zavakri Zavakri's exhausted emotional state cannot handle the torrent of anger and vitriol coming towards her. She goes wide eyed, like a deer in headlights, and curls inward on herself. "If Rirvudd were here, he wouldn't let anyone say such things to me. But he isn't. And I am. So say what you want. I deserve it, I suppose. I'll do my best to not let anyone else down or to disappoint anyone ever again." She curls into a sobbing ball of sorceress.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Aaaaand now everyone was shouting at each other. Any annoyance towards the human woman (or any of his companions for that matter) that had been building up within Jub melted back down and he was just left feeling exhausted. "Yeah, I think it best we just set up camp here instead of traipsing through the swamp while we're all tired and upset," he said to Tsak. "Even if you happen across some form of civilisation, it'll probably just be a weird fairy town with weird fairy rules." He paused, suddenly realised who he was talking before adding, "No offense."</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak frowned as she looked around the group, and she thought the carnie life was stressful. Slowly nodding to the grouchy bugbear, she would take to the air, flying up past the trees and took a look around for any towns or villages. 7</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Both what the bugbear said and how the poor dark skinned reacted to the whole situation was a real punch in the gut for the likes of himself, it was bad enough to see that their argument had hurt her but the fact that Gabriel hadn't helped matters made the half-elf feel poorly about his words. Brutrumukk while his words might have been harsh were also right in a way, the bugbear just did what he thought was right to do "Oh gods, I..." Gabriel looked from the bugbear to the woman crying on the ground "I...I am so sorry." all the anger fell away replaced by worry, his brow knitted together as he knelt by Zavakri "Look Brut...You just did what you did and I understand that," he sighed "You did what you thought was right and I don't blame you for that."</s>

<|message|>Jub the Peculiar "Aaaaaand she flew off anyway," said Jub as he watched Tsak head upwards into the trees. He then looked over at his group, shaking his head slightly. "I think I'm going to start crying now," he muttered as he watched Gabriel try and comfort the sobbing woman. With a sigh and a slight shake of his head, he started rifling through his stuff in search of his sleeping bag and other assorted camping gear. It was clear that no reasonable conversation was likely to occurr while everyone was sleep-deprived.</s>

<|description|>Jub the Peculiar Age: 18 Race: Goblin (though he claims to be a gnome with a bad skin condition) Class: Wizard Level: 2 Background: Charlatan Personality: Pompous, theatrical, attention-seeking, jittery, proud, possibly delusional, doesn't know when to shut up. Backstory: sent to GM Other: Has a fey familiar called Eighteyes who takes the form of a spider. She's loyal to Jub while also being 100% done with his nonsense. Stat Generation: Point Buy</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub glanced up at Aurora as the elven woman offered to help him to his feet - not unlike how she had before the two of them had entered the carnival. With a weak smile, he let her help him to his feet. "Thank you," he said, before taking a moment to dust himself off. When the human woman spoke again, Jub swerved to face her, only just managing to avoid falling over again. "Well, next time, maybe consider asking the rest of us before you do anything like that," he said. He was attempting to sound stern, but the affect was lessened by the fact he was slurring his words slightly.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "I agree." Brutrumukk agreed with an annoyed growl. "The fuck were you thinkin' pullin' somethin' like that? Some of us would 'ave liked to sleep before divin' through some mirror portal leadin' to Mag knows where." Brutrumukk then turned to the rest of the party. "An' what the fuck were the rest o' you thinkin' followin' 'er?" Brutrumukk asked. "Jus' cuz some mad cow decides to be fuckin' stupid, don't mean you gotta go with 'er! Now we're stuck on some broken bridge above some gods fersaken swamp with no idea where to go or what to do! An' to make matters worse, we're all fuckin' tired...! Great work everyone. Great fuckin' work."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel had untied the straps holding the sleeping roll in place from his backpack and set to unrolling it, rubbing his temples as the bugbear grew more and more frustrated. As the half-elf listened to Brutrumukk berate the party, Gabriel gritted his teeth his head pounding wishing he had a bottle of whisky to calm his nerves. "You're one to talk!" he snapped back angrily a tinge of an accent in his voice "Ya bloody well followed too, the god damn mirror pulled some of us in!" he pointed to the spot they appeared from "Like fuck'n hell ya couldn't have just left! It isn't our fault we left in a rush, those old farts likely didn't want to let us stay." he said meaning the two Misters.</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak was had been second to last through the portal, dashing forward to grab her pack from the misters and hug them both tightly. With a kiss on both of their cheeks, the overly giddy fairy flew right into the portal at top speed. Now, planer travel was nothing new, she's traveled to all sorts of planes all her life, but the fey never really got used to the sensation. Well, one mistake she had made was flying into the portal in the first place. As Tsak came out the other side, the tattooist came cometing down into the ground, roughly crashing into it. A yelp, groan and giggle later, the fairy would move to her feet and take in her surroundings. At first, excitement over took her, she did it! She finally became an adventurer! Then.... panic. Tsak, breath becoming heavy and quickly, took out her sketchbook as she looked around for the others. After taking a few deep breaths, the fairy would fly up to the others and called out, "Uh... I could fly up to the air and see if there are any towns or villages nearby..."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk When Gabriel spoke up, Brutrumukk wheeled around to face him, looking just about ready to club someone to death and subsequently mount their head on a spike. "Yeah, some o' you were pulled in. I weren't talkin' ta them" Brutrumukk said. "An' yeah, I followed even though I coulda jus' left. But that woulda meant leavin' you and the others what got sucked across to deal with whatever mess ya got sucked into after that bitch opened the portal. An' fer various reasons, I weren't all that keen on the idea. An' as fer those fuckin' knife ears-" It was at that moment that Tsak chimed in. The interruption took the wind out of Brutrumukk's sails. And after staring at the fairy for a moment, Brutrumukk heaved a growly sigh. "Do what ya like. I'm gonna get some rest." Brutrumukk said before finding a decent looking spot on the bridge and beginning to set up his bedroll.</s> <|message|>Zavakri Zavakri's exhausted emotional state cannot handle the torrent of anger and vitriol coming towards her. She goes wide eyed, like a deer in headlights, and curls inward on herself. "If Rirvudd were here, he wouldn't let anyone say such things to me. But he isn't. And I am. So say what you want. I deserve it, I suppose. I'll do my best to not let anyone else down or to disappoint anyone ever again." She curls into a sobbing ball of sorceress.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Aaaaand now everyone was shouting at each other. Any annoyance towards the human woman (or any of his companions for that matter) that had been building up within Jub melted back down and he was just left feeling exhausted. "Yeah, I think it best we just set up camp here instead of traipsing through the swamp while we're all tired and upset," he said to Tsak. "Even if you happen across some form of civilisation, it'll probably just be a weird fairy town with weird fairy rules." He paused, suddenly realised who he was talking before adding, "No offense."</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak frowned as she looked around the group, and she thought the carnie life was stressful. Slowly nodding to the grouchy bugbear, she would take to the air, flying up past the trees and took a look around for any towns or villages. 7</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Both what the bugbear said and how the poor dark skinned reacted to the whole situation was a real punch in the gut for the likes of himself, it was bad enough to see that their argument had hurt her but the fact that Gabriel hadn't helped matters made the half-elf feel poorly about his words. Brutrumukk while his words might have been harsh were also right in a way, the bugbear just did what he thought was right to do "Oh gods, I..." Gabriel looked from the bugbear to the woman crying on the ground "I...I am so sorry." all the anger fell away replaced by worry, his brow knitted together as he knelt by Zavakri "Look Brut...You just did what you did and I understand that," he sighed "You did what you thought was right and I don't blame you for that."</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Aaaaaand she flew off anyway," said Jub as he watched Tsak head upwards into the trees. He then looked over at his group, shaking his head slightly. "I think I'm going to start crying now," he muttered as he watched Gabriel try and comfort the sobbing woman. With a sigh and a slight shake of his head, he started rifling through his stuff in search of his sleeping bag and other assorted camping gear. It was clear that no reasonable conversation was likely to occurr while everyone was sleep-deprived.</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak spent a bit of time in the air, taking in their surroundings while calming herself down. She knew what she was getting into, yes, a less... conflicted group of adventures may have been better, but at least Rory was chill. Taking a deep breath, the fairy would fly down to the others before finding a branch to sit on, "Sooo... I know I'm new, to all this, but, umm... is it normal for an adventuring group to be this loud and boisterous? Or is it just this group?" Tsak would look at the group, between the bigoted goblin, arguing bugbear and bard, then the slightly unhinged human lady who's name she never learned, she was fairly concerned about her current situation.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Queen's Way The sky begins to darken slowly as everyone realizes how tired they are, the twilit sky becoming night as the discussions and arguments continue. When Zavakri begins crying, the party would feel rain begin to fall on them. The rain is not heavy enough to seriously drench the party and prevent them from going to sleep, but it is enough to really compound the feelings of sadness and melancholy that are now present in the group. The rain will not let up until the party calms down and recovers from this sadness. As Brutrumukk leaves to go find a place to rest, he notices that there is now a nearby stone that has a frowning face made of cracks in the stone. Zavakri notices, as she curls in on herself, that there are thorns growing next to her that weren't there before. In the middle of their rest, Aurora sees something during her watch or after her 4 hours of rest. In the distant sky, she spots a great balloon made of patchwork material. It spins out of control as though punctured, causing the wicker basket that hangs from it to swing wildly. She can hear the distant sound of screaming coming from it. The balloon plunges out of sight, disappearing into the fog approximately a mile away. The rest passes by quietly for the party. When they wake, they will be well rested and ready for this swamp and its unknown dangers.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk A smirk of cruel satisfaction settled on Brutrumukk's features as Zavakri broke down in the face of overwhelming hostility. As the bugbear finished setting up his bedroll, Brutrumukk pulled out his waterskin and took a sip from it, pretending that the water was in fact Zavakri's tears. When he noticed a nearby stone frowning at him, Brutrumukk's smirk unrepentantly grew. Normally, he had to keep his evil urges in check so that he remained on positive enough terms with the locals that they continued leaving offerings at the Snoring Stone rather than driving him away with pitchforks and torches. But here? So long as he didn't piss off the adventurers he was traveling with, all the locals could do here was frown at him, unable to do anything to actually stop him. That was probably going to change at some point, but for now, he intended to enjoy it while it lasted. Brutrumukk lay down on his bedroll, shut his eyes, and allowed the sweet lullaby of Zavakri's sobbing to send him off to sleep. When Brutrumukk awoke well rested and actually ready for whatever nonsense he'd been roped into, he ate some rations for his breakfast as he waited for the others to wake up. When everyone was awake, Brutrumukk remembered the parting words of the Misters and decided to bring it up. "Oi oi, any o' you lot know what alley corn is?" Brutrumukk asked. "Before I followed you lot through the mirror, Fatso an' Ponce mentioned somethin' about alley corn an' some other confusin' stuff."</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora After helping Jub up and watching the rest of the group snap at each other, Rory found a spot on the causeway away from the group a bit. She needed a few minutes to process the sudden appearance of the vines by the human woman, and the frowning cracked rock by Brutrumukk. "Gabe you might want to move away from that spot. A small piece of the causeway broke there." she contemplated on the sudden changing of the environment near these three. "We are not in Faerun anymore. In fact I think we are on a separate plane of existence..." She muttered to herself while setting up her bedroll. When Tsak arrived back, asking if it was normal for adventuring groups to argue like this, Aurora turned to face towards her. "Normally such groups don't form this way. Not in my brief experience anyway. Better get some rest. We are far from home and it may be sometime before we get back. The next morning came soon enough and Aurora felt better rested. It had been a mostly quiet night except for the ballon. That was strange but it may be something to look into. An alicorn? What would an alicorn have to do with what we are here for?</s>

<|message|>Jub the Peculiar Despite everything, Jub managed to sleep quite well. Even the sprinkling of rain didn't seem to disturb him much and he woke up with a rather loud, dramatic yawn and a stretch. Maybe it had been that he had been just so tired out by the festivities yesterday or the fact that causeway didn't rank anywhere in his list of 'Worst Places He'd Ever Had to Rest', but this was actually one of the best sleeps he'd had in some time. Still, he wasn't sure how everyone else was given the arguments earlier so he mostly kept to himself, rifling through his bag. He removed the wings he'd gotten from the carnival and put his wizard coat back on, both to stay true to his brand and also just to keep warm, though he left his hood down this time. After all, everyone present knew he was a goblin now, so there wasn't much point. He also pulled out his spellbook and some travel rations. After casting Prestidigitation to make his rations taste, well, less like rations, he began flicking through his spellbook while eating. Anyone who happened to be watching him would be able to tell that this was a ritual of his. Another thing people would notice if they bothered to look over at him was just what poor condition his spellbook was in. Brutrumukk had seen it briefly, but this was the first time the rest of the group would have. The cover made it look just like a ratty old notebook, while the inside was filled with scribbled writing and various arcane diagrams. There also seemed to be some doodles and notes in the margins which seemed to be in a different script from the others, likely put there later by Jub himself. When Brutrumukk and Aurora started talking, Jub frowned as he thought to himself. "Alicorn... alicorn... nope, doesn't ring a bell," he said. If he had a pen, he'd probably write that down somewhere in his book to remember, but after rifling through his bag for a few moments, he remembered that he'd lost his old quill at some point on the road and shrugged. As he was about to continue his eating, he called over to the rest of the group, "By the way, if anyone wants me to use a little magic to spruce up their rations, do ask. After all the carnival food we consumed yesterday, dried fruit and jerky is probably something of a let down."</s>

<|description|>Jub the Peculiar Age: 18 Race: Goblin (though he claims to be a gnome with a bad skin condition) Class: Wizard Level: 2 Background: Charlatan Personality: Pompous, theatrical, attention-seeking, jittery, proud, possibly delusional, doesn't know when to shut up. Backstory: sent to GM Other: Has a fey familiar called Eighteyes who takes the form of a spider. She's loyal to Jub while also being 100% done with his nonsense. Stat Generation: Point Buy</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Is this really the time to be discussing the probability of giant serpents!?" Jub shouted over to Zavakri. The sudden appearance of the giant snakes had caught him off-guard, causing him to freeze up in fear as his mind raced through the many, many ways Brutrumukk could meet his demise. It was only the human woman's babbling about muscle mass and dietary concerns that seemed to trigger some form of irritation that snapped him out of this trance. "Humanoid bunny rabbits that steal your memories! Inexplicable megafauna! I think we just have to accept that nothing in this place makes any goddamn sense!" With that, and powered by a mixture of terror and annoyance, he got on all-fours and sprinted like a startled cat closer to the two snakes, though still keeping some distance from them. He then stood up to his full height and, making the same gesture he had made with his hands when facing the rabbits earlier, flung a fireball at one of the snakes. Jub moves 30 ft. Firebolt to hit Giant Constrictor A = 24 (Nat 20!) Firebolt damage = 12</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk had dealt with smaller constrictor snakes before, so he knew what to expect from them and how to avoid it. As the bugbear slipped clear of one snake's attempt, Brutrumukk dropped his handaxe and drew his morningstar as he watched his companions unleash their attacks on the snakes. The scent of reptilian blood and burning scales brought a murderous grin to Brutrumukk's face as the heat of battle instilled within him an intense desire for bloodshed. A desire he acted on when Jub's firebolt momentarily distracted the snake to his right. "HRUGGEK!" Brutrumukk roared as he lunged for the singed serpent and brought his morningstar down upon the overgrown beast. Brutrumukk enters a rage. Brutrumukk attacks Giant Constrictor Snake A with his morningstar. He hits with an 18 and deals 10 damage.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower After getting fire flung at him and being hit with a Morningstar, the other snake hisses and tries to constrict and squeeze Brutrumukk. However, it found that the bugbear is still somehow faster than him and his fellow serpent. Tsak meanwhile, flies to pursue after Aurora, curious about what has her attention, but also cautious in case the serpents go after her. Constrictor Snake A tries to Constrict Brutrumukk! ...It rolled a 12 to hit. That's a miss. -_-" the Exiled is next! Inactive for 4 days, so I will NPC Tsak for now. Tsak will fly 30 feet, and will take the dodge action. Gabriel & Zavakri: 17 Giant Constrictor Snake B: 15 Bob: 14 Jub & Aurora: 9 Brutrumukk: 8 Giant Constrictor Snake A: 4 Tsak: 4</s> <|message|>Zavakri Heavy with skepticism at how well things are going, Zavakri squints past Bob's corpulent mass and raises her orb with an optimistic caution, seeking to once more bamboozle Snake B. Nothing too complex going on here, just prodding That-Which-Should-Not-Be until it Stops-Being. Ray of Frost says 12 to hit! If this hits... 7 damage????? S-Slow it down?</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel's muscles tensed as he sprang forward, his gaze focused and jaw set watching the serpent closely as it slithered around the bugbear failing to realize it was no match for the fearsome monster it was fighting against yet also failing to watch it's own flank. Already on the offensive the half-elf lunged forward with a graceful flourish, stabbing the serpents coiled body with the accuracy of a surgeon before turning and stepping back with a turn of the heel. Wiping the blood upon his blade against the cuff of his leather gloves. Action: Move towards Giant Constrictor B (10 feet) and Attack (Nat 24) and hit for 11 (+2 not +4 sorry) damage with a rapier.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Snake B lets out an angry hiss as it both pelted with ice and filleted by a bard with a rapier. It seems to take a moment to communicate with the other Constrictor Snake in hisses and tongue flicks. The snake then moves to Brutrumukk's other side, and winds his large body around the bugbear. This time, the attack finds purchase, and Brutrumukk finds himself in a bind...literally! The snake squeezes the bugbear with all of its strength. Aurora swears under her breath, and she fires an arrow at the snake, only for it to duck its head. She then continues her movement and disappears from their view behind the leaning tower. Constrictor Snake moves 20 and remains in Brutrumukk's melee. He got out of Gabriel's melee, so the @Dark Cloud can take an Attack of Opportunity. He uses his action to constrict and got a Dirty 20 to hit. Brutrumukk takes 11 Bludgeoning damage, and he is now grappled. While grappled in this way, Brutrumukk is restrained. But thankfully, B cannot constrict another target. Brutrumukk can try to escape the grapple. Bob does nothing for his turn. Warning Voice can't do anything, so pass. Warning Voice came up due to an error on DM's part. Aurora shoots at B still, and she misses with a 7 She'll use her movement to get to the balloon. Bonus Action--Cunning Action to Hide. Succeeds with 23 Jub's up next Then, it'll be @rush99999's Brutrumukk. Gabriel & Zavakri: 17 Giant Constrictor Snake B: 15 Bob: 14 Warning Voice: 12 Jub & Aurora: 9 Brutrumukk: 8 Giant Constrictor Snake A: 4 Tsak: 4</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub's eyes widen as one of the snakes suddenly wrapped itself around Brutrumukk. "Hold on, Brut!" he called and attempted to fling fire at the attacking serpent. Unfortunately, due to nerves and fear of accidentally hitting his friend, the flame only just missed its target, causing Jub to swear in goblin. Firebolt to hit Giant Constrictor B = 11 Guessing that's a miss xP</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "RRRRRRRRAGH! GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" Brutrumukk roared in annoyance as the snake managed to get a decent hold on the bugbear this time. Now that he was in its grasp, Brutrumukk knew defense would be a waste of effort, so he devoted all his energy to attacking. Brutrumukk swung for the snake and once again struck true, this latest blow landing harder than the previous strike. Brutrumukk recklessly attacks Giant Constrictor Snake B with his morningstar. He hits with an 18 and deals 17 damage.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Snake A takes advantage of the distraction B provided and uses this chance to make its way to the balloon basket. It does a tail whip to ensure that anyone else who could attack it wouldn't be able to. It stops moving and peers into the basket, causing a male voice to shout out, "WAAAAUGH!!! Stay back, you foul beast! I have no fear!" Tsak hears the scream and she makes her way towards the snake. She mumbles an incantation and she calls out to the snake, "Leave them alone!" before she throws a dagger at them. The snake lets out a loud angry hiss as the dagger and hex did a significant amount of damage. Snake A disengages from melee and uses thirty feet to get to the balloon basket. Since it used its action and movement, it'll end its turn peering into the basket. Tsak will fly 30 feet towards the balloon, following Aurora. For her bonus action, she will cast Hex on Snake A, targeting Strength, and she will throw a Dagger at the Snake for her action. She hits with a 17! The dagger deals 4 Piercing damage, and the Hex adds max 6 necrotic damage on top of it. So she does a total of 10 damage to A! We're back to the top with @Dark Cloud & @Fading Memory Gabriel & Zavakri: 17 Giant Constrictor Snake B: 15 Bob: 14 Warning Voice: 12 Jub & Aurora: 9 Brutrumukk: 8 Giant Constrictor Snake A: 4 Tsak: 4</s> <|message|>Zavakri Zavakri pats Bob on the side of his shell. He was working perfectly as cover and deserved some affection. She observes the battlefield with a sense of superiority granted by having never missed an attack and having never been attacked herself, quite satisfied at the rage of the bugbear serving as a secondary shield to her own elegant self. Or something like that. She witnesses Tsak rising to the rescue of the vocal balloon basket, and after a quick mental equation to conclude that *someone* must be in there she moves 30 feet towards the basket and lets fly another array of lethal mathematica towards Snake A. "Oi, Get out that basket! I'll catch you!" She lied like a carnie, as she mentally prepared more spellcraft for the occasion. Magic Missile says X=5; 15 Force Damage to Snake A by the basket "Just because you added a few Z levels and a new Y and X Vector doesn't mean I can't still calculate for your present position!" She declared boldly to the snake as her missiles struck home. Then, she balks- she had mistakenly gotten rather close to Snake B, but was thankful that her companions were still nearby. Oh bugger. At least it wasn't right next to her, yet.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep His weapon had yet to miss it's mark up until the current moment, Gabriel had been on his toes until as he followed the snake tangled in combat with the bugbear. His toe caught the edge of a root while he sprang towards the giant serpent, he lost his balance thrusting the tip of the old rapier at nothing but empty space. "Drat." Gabriel growled, sounding mildly annoyed as he stepped back into the ready position with his weapon at the ready. Gabriel moved towards Giant Constrictor near Brutrumukk and miss with a 5.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower As the chaos continues, Snake B looks at Brutrumukk before opening its maw and just begin to swallow the bugbear. As it does, the coils and the mouth just squeeze Brutrumukk painfully. The voice in the basket responds to Zavakri's words, "I would if I could, Fair and Wise Lady Sage! But I can't move this accursed cage!" The voice then calls out to the serpent in front of him, "I'm not completely defenseless. I still have a trick or two up my sleeve. Have some of this then!" The voice then sneezes and a burst of rainbow colored fog sprays upwards from the basket. Snake A recoils and then glares at the voice within the basket, completely unaffected by his trick. "Uh oh..." Then a silvery dart hits the snake's head causing to recoil and accidentally take an actual inhale of the fog. When it lifts its head up again, this time it's eyes are showing multiple colored rings. If a snake could have a large dopey smile on its face, this snake would have it. The voice seems to realize what happened and gave a cheer! Snake B attacks Brutrumukk. Can't use constrict on Brutrumukk again, so it bites with advantage. Hits with an 18 and deals 13 Piercing Damage. Bob does nothing. Warning Voice does something! He's going to make Snake A make a Wisdom Saving Throw. Snake A succeeds with an 18 Zavakri's Silvery Barbs made it reroll. It got a 6 and failed the Save. Zavakri gave Aurora advantage to attack A with this spell. Krog and @XxFellsingxX are up next! Then @rush99999 goes after them. Gabriel & Zavakri: 17 Giant Constrictor Snake B: 15 Bob: 14 Warning Voice: 12 Jub & Aurora: 9 Brutrumukk: 8 Giant Constrictor Snake A: 4 Tsak: 4</s>

<|message|>Jub the Peculiar Seeing the constrictor attempt to chow down on Brutrumukk did not help Jub's nerves, and his mind was racing through all his possible options when he caught sight of Zavakri in his peripheral, cowering behind her large snail friend... who seemingly hadn't moved an inch since the fight began. The goblin gave an angry huff, as he swallowed back yet more goblin curses. He also noticed Zavakri let loose a familiar spell on the other snake, three magical darts that easily hit their mark. Right. Magic Missile. Always hits its target. Not as flashy as a firebolt, but a guaranteed hit and far less likely to accidentally hit and set his friend alight. Taking a deep breath, he made the appropriate gestures as he summoned forth his own magic missile on the snake attacking Brutrumukk. Magic missile damage on Giant Constrictor B = 4 x 3 = 12 force damage</s>

<|description|>Jub the Peculiar Age: 18 Race: Goblin (though he claims to be a gnome with a bad skin condition) Class: Wizard Level: 2 Background: Charlatan Personality: Pompous, theatrical, attention-seeking, jittery, proud, possibly delusional, doesn't know when to shut up. Backstory: sent to GM Other: Has a fey familiar called Eighteyes who takes the form of a spider. She's loyal to Jub while also being 100% done with his nonsense. Stat Generation: Point Buy</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub gingerly approached the petrified serpent, reaching out and prodding it with his index claw before quickly retracting his hand, as if expecting it to spring back to life. He waited for a moment, arms over his face in a somewhat feeble attempt to shield himself. When the snake didn't seem to move or react, he slowly lowered his arms and shuffled closer to the constrictor. "How..." He looked over at the constrictor Brutrumukk had just slain and then back at the statue. "How in the hells did I...?" He trailed off and just looked down at his hands, blinking at them incredulously.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Brutrumukk doesn't really find anything of value on Wigglewog's body. Sir Talavar looks somewhat concerned with a raised eyebrow as he watches the bugbear loot the corpse first. He rights himself as Brutrumukk lifts up the cage and asks his question. Composing himself, he clears his throat, and begins his answer, "Ah, yes! Don't you worry, Sir Bugbear, I am not one to snub any of the Rules established in Prismeer. Especially not the Rule of Reciprocity!" He continues, "Upon freeing me from this cage, I will give you my prized sword, blessed by the Summer Queen herself,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk eyed the sword that was sheathed and hanging from the tiny dragon's belt as he speculated its value. After a moment, the bugbear shrugged his broad shoulders. "I suppose that's a good enough payment fer openin' a birdcage." Brutrumukk said. "Alright then. I'll 'ave you out in a jiff. Keep back from the door." With that said, Brutrumukk grabbed the birdcage by its door and dragged it from its hinges.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Brutrumukk attempts to open the birdcage, but finds that the birdcage isn't budging. When he tries to use his full strength to open the cage, it still doesn't budge! Even when it feels like his eyes are bulging from the effort, the birdcage still doesn't open. Sir Talavar explains, "The birdcage is enchanted to be indestructible and lock picking will do no good. Magic or the key to this cage is needed to open this cage," He then tells Brutrumukk, "From what I've heard, Jingle Jangle at Telemy Hill should have that key! She's a friendly goblin, so there should be no problem asking her for the key,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Get some key off o' some goblin?" Brutrumukk asked. "Sounds easy enough. D'you know 'ow to find this 'ill what she's livin' on?"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar answers Brutrumukk's question, "Telemy Hill shouldn't be too far off from here. If you're willing to take this blasted cage with you, I can certainly point you in the right direction,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Sounds good." Brutrumukk said with a nod. "We'll 'ead off in that direction once I've got me breath back an' 'ad somethin' to eat." With that said, Brutrumukk carried the birdcage back down the tower and rejoined his companions. "Found this guy in the balloon." Brutrumukk said. "Says 'e wants outta this cage 'e's in but we need to get a key from a goblin on some 'ill to open the cage 'cuz magic an' stuff. Either way, I don't plan on goin' nowhere 'till I've sat down fer an hour an' eaten some o' this snake I killed. If anyone wants some snake too, let me know an' I'll cook some fer you as well." Brutrumukk then handed off the birdcage to the nearest party member and began to carefully gather up bramble branches to make a fire with.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Now hold on," a bead of sweat trickling down his brow Gabriel sheathed his rapier after wiping it down with a cloth from his belt, a huff escaped him as he made his way over glaring at Brutrumukk "As a man of the sword I must object to this, we owe this..." he glanced askance at Tavaler "Gentleman?" the half-elf shrugged "Anyways, we owe him nothing nor he us. We helped him through no gain of our own." Gabriel crossed his arms "I will not sully my honor as a swordsman, we will ask nothing in return."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar speaks up in response to Gabriel, "I am a knight, Sir! And even if you asked nothing from me in return, I would still give you my sword in return for freeing me from this cage, in accordance with the Rule of Reciprocity," He continues, "Everyone, denizen or visitor, would do well to follow the three golden rules established here: The Rule of Hospitality, the Rule of Ownership, and the Rule of Reciprocity,"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "A kindness done is a kindness in return." the half-elf recited "Was what my mentor once told me," Gabriel's muscles relaxed and his expression less intense "Reciprocity, Ownership and Hospitality." he repeated genuflecting, a hand tapping his rapier as he thought about Ser Talavar's words "A fine and honorable trio of codes to live by." he nodded appreciatively.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Recipe City...? 'Orse Spit Tall Itty... Ownership...?" Brutrumukk asked in confusion at the mention of concepts he did not have a particularly good grasp of. "Could you say that all again? Maybe this time in common or goblin though?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "'Reciprocity', the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit," Jub said, still staring down at his hands in befuddlement. After moment he added, in case Brutrumukk needed it further simplified, "We scratch his back, he scratches ours, basically. Hospitality, meanwhile, is basically doing nice things for others because they're a guest in your house, domain, what have you." He finally raised his head to look over at Talavar, surveying the mustachioed dragon up and down with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. "Where exactly is 'here', while we're at it?"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar adds after Gabriel makes his comment about the three rules, "Yes! And quite dangerous to neglect here," He tilts his head at Brutrumukk's request to repeat the words in Common or Goblin. Thankfully, Jub had explained what a couple of the words meant to the bugbear. Sir Talavar answers Jub's question, "This is the Domain of Delight, Prismeer. Unfortunately, I cannot say that this is the wondrous plane it once was. It has fallen, and been split into three. This splinter plane is Hither,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Split into three? 'Ow did that 'appen?" Brutrumukk asked. "An' 'ow is it dangerous to break any o' those rules?"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar answers Brutrumukk's first question, his tone now grave, "What I have to inform my Queen with haste: Prismeer has fallen! The Hourglass Coven used an artifact called Iggwilv's Cauldron to freeze time in the palace, trapping the true Archfey Ruler of this domain, Zybilna, inside! After that, well, the Hourglass Coven did as they pleased and split Prismeer amongst themselves," He then answers Brutrumukk's second question, "As for your second question, Sir, neglecting the three rules of conduct could lead to retribution done against you by even this land itself,"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora had been distracted trying to recover any of the arrow she had loosed against the giant snakes. Hearing the name Zybilna drew her attention as it had been less than a day since the owners of the carnival had mentioned their patron. Drawing closer to the caged being reaches out to grab the cage. "Did you say Zybilna? How long ago did this coven trap her?" This information started to give more reason as to why the Misters had not heard from their patron in a long time. It may also explain the disappearances at the carnival.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Aurora successfully recovers all three arrows she fired at the snake. Sir Talavar answers her question with a shake of his head, "I'm afraid I don't know how long the Hourglass Coven have been in control, Milady," He then looks intently at Aurora and he asks her, "Wait, You look familiar. May I ask your name?"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora looked at sir Talarvar curiously. "I am Aurora Malister. Have we met before? I would think I'd remember meeting a being such as yourself. Perhaps if you passed through Aglarond with one of many mages that travel through we may have met. I would expect that I would still remember meeting you. She stows the three arrows back in her quiver and starts to take the string off her bow.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower At the name, Sir Talavar snapped his fingers once in clear realization after hearing her name. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Aha!" while snapping his fingers. He answers Aurora, "We haven't met personally, Lady Aurora. But, I have met your sister: Lady Daebella Malister! She joined the Summer Court a short time ago, and together we journeyed here to meet with Zybilna. Unfortunately, we got separated upon reaching the plane. I think she's in a different section of Prismeer,"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora As the small dragon states that Daebella was here Rory nearly dropped her bow. It had been years since she has last spoken to her younger sister, and to learn she was here surprising. Rory thought that her and Xander leaving home would have caused her parents to not let the others get to far from their sight. Then again they may have sent someone with her to make sure she didn't cause the Malister name anymore disgrace. "Oh... I uh.. I would have thought she would still be in Aglarond with our parents. By chance was there anyone else with her? When she came and joined the summer court that is." The elven rogue asked with a slight nervous tone. She knew she would need to help her sister out of whatever situation she was in now. If she had a companion from home with her, Rory would need to be careful so word was less likely to get back to her parents about where she was.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar tilts his head and answers Aurora's question, "No. She was alone when she came to the Summer Court and spoke with my Queen. She was quite eloquent and well-mannered,"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "I'm sorry..." Jub said, holding up a claw. "I think we need to back up a moment." He turned to Aurora. "He just said your sister is now a member of the Summer Court. As in, the fey Summer Court." He paused, taking a moment to consider this information. "So, is your sister a fey warlock or..." Then he realised something else, something the dragon had said just now. "Wait, he called your sister Lady. As in like, a title." His eyes suddenly widened, as if he was putting all the pieces together at last. "Oh my gods... your sister is an archfey! And so are you!" He pointed at Aurora. "I'm right, aren't I?"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora A sigh of relief escaped the eveln woman's lips as Sir Talarvar stated Daebella arrived alone. Bell would likely not tell their parents till well after Aurora was well away from where Daebella last knew. Tension returned some to Rory when Jub interjected asking about Daebella. At first he seemed to be thinking that she was a warlock in service to a fey. That could be true although last Rory knew her sister was studying magic through music, how some bards were able to use words and song to manipulate the weave. The goblin's quick assumption that Bell and Rory were archfey left the elf speechless. "Well you are close in that in a way she has a title. Niether of us are an archfey. Though last I knew my sister was studying how bards and use their voice and instruments to manipulate the weave. She could have made a pact with one of the fey of the summer court though. It has been several years since I've last talked to her."</s>

<|message|>Jub the Peculiar "Hmph. That's exactly what an archfey in disguise would say," Jub muttered. "And you're telling me, we all end up at the same weird fairy carnival together, get sucked into another dimension, and your sister-" He pointed at Aurora again. "-who you claim you haven't seen in years, just happens to be here?" He shook his head. "I don't buy that. That seems like too much of a coincidence for me. Like really, what are the odds?" As if suddenly realising something, he then quickly turned and pointed over to Zavakri. "Wait, no, don't actually answer that! That was a rhetorical question!"</s>

<|description|>Jub the Peculiar Age: 18 Race: Goblin (though he claims to be a gnome with a bad skin condition) Class: Wizard Level: 2 Background: Charlatan Personality: Pompous, theatrical, attention-seeking, jittery, proud, possibly delusional, doesn't know when to shut up. Backstory: sent to GM Other: Has a fey familiar called Eighteyes who takes the form of a spider. She's loyal to Jub while also being 100% done with his nonsense. Stat Generation: Point Buy</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Uh, well..." as appetizing as bugbear fried snake sounded the half-elf politely shook his head and tamped down his compulsion to say a few rather colorful comments on the topic although he was no stranger to eating whatever to survive he was not inclined to do so if he had a choice "I think I shall just eat my rations, for now at least." he added with a slight awkward guffaw. "Ser," Gabriel nodded to the faerie dragon "Would you deign to share a tale to a swordsman in return for a bit of food?" he was curious about the caged dragon, a supposed noble knight and fascinated by him to say the least. "I would love to hear of these tenets you live by and of a genteel knight such as yourself!"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Turning to face the bugbear, Aurora looked at the chucks of snake that were near the pile of bramble the large goblinoid had gathered. The idea of eating snake at this moment was not appealing to the elf. "Not right now Brut. Perhaps later if you can prep it for travel and later consumption." Rory looked for a spot to sit that was not on the swampy ground while the group waited for Brutrumukk to finish his cooking. While waiting she started think more on the matter that her sister was here, well at least close to here. Hopefully she was not on danger from this coven that had taken over.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub's eyes narrowed as he continued to stare directly at Aurora. He then did a 'I'm keeping an eye on you' motion before turning his attention towards Brutrumukk and the snake he was attempting to make into lunch. The goblin considered for a moment. "You know, I've eaten a lot of weird things in my time," he said. "But snake has never been one of them." He shrugged. "Doesn't sound the most appetizing, but I'll give it a try. Seems foolish to waste meat, especially considering we don't know when we'll see civilization again."</s> <|message|>Zavakri "...You know what, deal me in, Bugbear." She calls out to Brut. "I've never had au naturale Bugbear cookin'. Gotta be better than Rirvudd's." She had been studying the bugbear for some time, watching his words and actions and how they framed the encounter with the faerie dragon knight. His words had given her much to think on, and her mind had gotten so swept up in the tide of information that she had needed to make notes rather than bother engaging in the discussion. She took a heavy seat beside Bob, idly caressing the snail's shell, as she ran the numbers. She decided to speak up. "I've been rather zealous in my, erm..Excitement. I don't have too much power left in me, but I'm hardly down for the count. I suspect we'll be fine, but I'm officially in 'emergency only' mode when it comes to the spellcraft at the moment." she elucidates to the group. "I can do math all day, but real math takes a lot of effort. The world doesn't like it when you fiddle with its equations like I do, but things always balance out in the end." Her gaze was on Aurora; she knew what it was like to be stuck in your head, and was aiming her babble to try and keep the woman grounded.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Alrighty then, three orders o' bugbear style fried snake comin' right up!" Brutrumukk declared as he took out his mess kit and readied the cooking pan before turning to Jub. "Booyagh, I'll be needin' yer 'elp to make enough fer three. Light the fire an' be ready to do whatever else I tell ya to do." With that said, Brutrumukk pulled out his handaxe and went to work on the dead constrictor. The bugbear started by beheading the snake and storing its head inside a blood-stained sack that hung from the left hand side of his belt. Then he used his handaxe to shave away the scales to reveal the meat underneath. Brutrumukk then hacked off enough meat to feed himself plus two other people, placed it all in the cooking pan, held the cooking pan over the fire, and began the process of cooking. Provided he receives advantage, Brutrumukk rolls a 19 to cook enough bits of giant constrictor snake for three people.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Oh sure!" Jub rubbed his hands together before gesturing towards the fire, using Prestidigitation to light it. He then glanced at Brutrumukk expectantly, waiting for the bugbear's further instruction.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar seemed to be at a loss of words when Jub came to the conclusion that Aurora and her sister were actually archfey. He seemed to remain silent out of being polite while Aurora and Jub bantered over their origins. When Gabriel offered to share his rations for a tale in return, Sir Talavar answered, "Of course. I would be delighted to share my tales of daring-do, with you!" Brutrumukk, with Jub's help, is able to cook the giant snake. The cooked giant snake is like chicken in texture and taste. While it is well-cooked and tasty on its own, it could do with spices that you don't really have access to right now. During the meal break, Sir Talavar does share a tale of how he faced the terrifying Werewolf of Bryn Shandar once and soundly defeated him! He also tells you more about the rules of Prismeer... "The Rule of Hospitality: When a friend, an enemy, or a stranger enters your home, you are expected to be gracious and accommodating to them until such time as they prove, by their words or actions, undeserving of such hospitality. The Rule of Ownership: You must not steal from a friend, an enemy, or a stranger. To take something that doesn't belong to you without the rightful owner's permission is a crime and an unforgivable breach of etiquette. The Rule of Reciprocity: When a friend, an enemy, or a stranger offers you a gift, you are obliged to accept it and offer something of comparable value (be it a gift or a service) in return. Such reciprocation need not happen immediately." With Zybilna in charge, the rules were straightforward. Few dared to break those rules, but those who do, often disappear without a trace. Under the new rule however... "Now...the Coven believes strongly in Hospitality and Reciprocity. But, Ownership isn't as straightforward now. The Coven believes that Prismeer, and everything in it, is theirs now. So, if anything is stolen from someone, it wouldn't matter. It's still theirs. And that makes stealing anything from them dangerous too," For those who don't want cooked snake, and aren't eating rations, you are welcome to forage. Just need a Survival check.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Food's ready! Take it if you want it!" Brutrumukk called out before helping himself to his own portion. As he waited for the fried snake on his plate to cool, Brutrumukk turned to Sir Talavar and spoke. "You mentioned that the land itself punishes folks what break the rules 'ere, yeah?" The bugbear said. "What exactly does the land do when it punishes rule breakers?"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Brutrumukk calling out that the snake was ready to eat brought Rory out of her contemplative state. The smell of the cooked meat reminded her that she had not had much of a breakfast. Despite having stated that she would not have any right now, the elf stepped up to the fire taking a portion of the fried snake. Aurora quietly ate while listening to Brutrumukk ask how the land punishes those who break the rules.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub gave a grateful nod towards Brutrumukk as he took a portion of fried snake. The two fights he'd had since his breakfast had clearly drained him and he began eating with vigor, pausing only when he heard Brutrumukk questioned Sir Talavar. "Yes, that's a good point," he said. "Plus, if this land belongs to some archfey, doesn't that technically mean that, err..." He gestured around him. "Everything here belongs to them?" He pulled a face. "We're not going to get in trouble for picking berries or something like that?" He then glanced at the remaining snake in his hands. "Heck, are we even allowed to eat this snake? I'm really confused. Fairy rules make my head hurt."</s> <|message|>Zavakri "Well, Jub, my good er...Associate." Zavakri begins through a mouthful of roast-snake. "We've got three rules." She swallows thickly and wipes at her mouth with the hem of her cloak, before proceeding. "Hospitality. Let us think about this for a moment; if this Archfey possesses Ownership of this Realm, then it falls under the implication that someone who resides within this Realm calls it Home. This makes us, depending on perspective, interlopers, guests, visitors, or invaders in their lands. I'm going to be generous and refer to us as Guests or Visitors. In which case, sharing in the food of the realm is simply a rule of Hospitality." She takes another bite, grease dripping down her chin and making her visibly twinge as she scrubs at her face again. "Ownership. By several points of view, we now have ownership of this..er...meal. Brutrumukk earned it in...Er...A hunt, so to speak. Alternatively it just happens to be in our possession- which according to the Flaming Fist, is pretty much all you need to call it yours. So by my reckoning, either way, we collectively Own this meal. It's ours, and I'm sure gonna eat it." She pauses to more delicately gnaw along her meal, before discarding the last bits of char and skin. She dusts off her fingers on her cloak meticulously. "Then Reciprocity. Usually this is a beneficial thing, but I'll be honest with you- those giant snakes tried to eat us, so as far as I'm concerned that extended the privilege right back in our favor. Now, in fairness, if something a little more sentient-displaying tried to eat me I'd politely refuse that shared right of consumption- but freshly grilled snake like this? Now that beats Amnian Alley Corn any day."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel had silently listened as he sat fireside, his eyes flickered from the reflected light of the open flame while he ran an old kerchief up and down the length of his weapon. As Talavar spoke, the half-elf glanced up once in a while with a question in his eyes yet he did not wish to interrupt as it would be rude. So he listened and cleaned the filth from his weapon, humming an indistinguishable tune and thought: 'Hmph this jerky is rather stale.'</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Slanty Tower Sir Talavar answered Brutrumukk first, "From what I remember of the tales here, it used to be that Zybilna would come and punish the malicious rule breakers herself. But now that she's indisposed, it would be like back home: The elements themselves or the fae magic itself would take form and punish any who broke the rules," When Jub asked about the rules, Sir Talavar answered him after Zavakri explained her thoughts on the rules, "Aye, the Hourglass Coven sees everything in Prismeer as belonging to them. It used to be that Zybilna was fair: Anything that you owned was yours. If you needed to find food, it would appear before you for you to have, so you would be fine picking berries. As long as you didn't steal anything from another person, you would be fine,"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub was only really half-listening as Zavakri attempted to make sense of Prismeer's rules, and started to wonder if, instead of Aurora like he had earlier guessed, the human woman was in fact an archfey in disguise. It would certainly explain her numerous eccentricities. At Talavar's response, however, the goblin returned his focus to the conversation, and something about the small dragon's words must have disturbed him because a particularly large and chewy lump of snake meat got stuck in Jub's throat as he had to take a moment to cough and splutter as he tried to swallow it down. Once he was done, he looked back at Talavar. "Sorry, sorry, I just... really didn't like your use of past tense just now," he said between coughs.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk listened to Sir Talavar as the faerie dragon answered the question. Just as the bugbear drew breath to ask another question though, Jub began choking on his food. "Oi. Oi! Don't you go chokin' to death on my food. I know I ain't the best at cookin' but I also know I ain't that bad at it." Brutrumukk said as he moved over to Jub and gave the goblin a few firm pats on the back to help dislodge the snake chunk. "Sorry, sorry, I just... really didn't like your use of past tense just now," Jub told Talavar once the blockage was clear. "What d'you mean by that?" Brutrumukk asked.</s>

<|message|>Jub the Peculiar "Thank you," Jub said to Brutrumukk, even as he began to rub his own back to make sure his bugbear companion hadn't done any damage in his attempts to help. After a moment, he surmised he might have a bruise there tomorrow, but that was still far preferrable to joking to death. "Past tense: a use of language donoting that something happened at an earlier point of time," the goblin explained. "Basically, he's implying that while this Zybilna would have been okay with us foraging and hunting in her lands, this Hourglass Covern likely won't."</s>

<|description|>Jub the Peculiar Age: 18 Race: Goblin (though he claims to be a gnome with a bad skin condition) Class: Wizard Level: 2 Background: Charlatan Personality: Pompous, theatrical, attention-seeking, jittery, proud, possibly delusional, doesn't know when to shut up. Backstory: sent to GM Other: Has a fey familiar called Eighteyes who takes the form of a spider. She's loyal to Jub while also being 100% done with his nonsense. Stat Generation: Point Buy</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar As the group was finishing up their meal and getting ready to continue on, Jub looked over to Gabriel. "So, these dice you lost," he began. "Are they like really expensive, fancy dice or do they just have sentimental value?" He quickly added, "I'm not making fun of you or anything, my good fellow , but it does seem odd how... whatever it was that stole from us all chose its target. I lose the ability to keep a secret, Miss Aurora here lost a ring and a letter which no doubt had high value, several individuals lost family members... and you lost dice. It does seem a very picky-choosy sort of thief, does it not? Like how does it decide- WHOA!" He didn't get to finish that thought because Brutrumukk suddenly picked him up and hoisted him up into the air, saying something about a strange noise and asking Jub to see if he could find the source. "You know, you really need to start warning me before you do that!" he said as he began to scan his surroundings for anything particularly out of place. So I got some bad news... Perception check = 6 Perception check advantage = 9 Yeah, Jub can't see shit.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora had clambered onto the raft sitting near the middle. Hearing the sound that the others were hearing drew her attention away from cleaning her boots. She stood up and went to the front of the raft as Jub mentioned he could not see anything as there was a tree blocking his view. "There appears to be a well gushing water up. It's on a small bit of land still aways down." She turned and looked up to Jub. "You might be onto something Jub. Most of these things that were taken don't exactly have a physical value. Zavakri would an hag or other being from the fey be interested in such things?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Oh good. It's just a well." Brutrumukk said with a sigh of relief. "Thank Mag fer that. Though we was 'eaded fer a waterfall fer a moment there... Well the moment 'as passed. Let's get a move on." With that said, Brutrumukk set Jub back down on the raft and took up his makeshift oar once again. "Next stop, Telemy 'Ill." Brutrumukk said as he made ready to row... but then paused as he realized he didn't know how to get there. "Which way was that again?"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel coughed into his fist, the jerky while not unpleasant was somewhat tough to swallow. With a swig from the flask at his hip the swordsman washed his meal down, Gabe wiped his mouth with the cuff of his tunic "Well now you seem to be implying that the thing I've lost doesn't seem significant," he replied with an arched eyebrow "To answer your somewhat tactless question Jub these dic-" Gabriel had nary wiped his hands before Brutrumukk hoisted Jub up, interrupting their conversation. Wasting no time to dillydally, Gabriel carefully stepped onto the raft and taking a seat nearest to the goblinoids to continue the conversation where it had ended so abruptly. "As far as I could say I only know of hags from old wife's tales and stories told to scare children. You know the kind, hag eats children or steal them." running a hand through his hair the half-elf shrugged "And no Jub the dice were not worth a kings ransom, they belonged to an old friend of mine." Gabe said pointedly to the goblin "They got sentimental value, not the kind that is all that fond but they meant something to me." he sounded and looked like he ate something rotten, Gabriel wore a rather unpleasant expression that went away after he sighed looking to the brackish water and mumbled "If I find that idiot I'll tan his hide..." it wasn't like he hated Beren for up and disappearing but they were like brothers, at least he could have explained why he left town. But as much as Gabriel told himself his mate was somewhere out there he couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't. Those dice were the one thing that gave him hope, not that he'd ever admit that.</s> <|message|>Zavakri "That's all well and good- Wait, a well? Didja say a well? Brutrummuk, be a dear and take us closer can you? I would like to see this well. A well bubbling like a spring? That's just vocabulary soup! You don't suppose the well is making soup, do you fellows?" She muses. "I mean, of course it doesn't, we're not in soup now- but I'd like to see it nonetheless." She scrambles across the raft cautiously, holding onto the side of Bob's shell all the while, to get into position to study this strange sight.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "I can take us closer to the well." Brutrumukk said as he began rowing in that direction. "But I can't turn meself into a deer though. I ain't a druid. Me mum was, but not me."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Gushing O'-Well Brutrumukk easily navigates the raft through the waters and closer to the little patch of land that crests above the high tide. They are able to dock the raft there, and walk over to the well. The well is ten feet tall and five feet in diameter. There, the party can feel water droplets fall upon them from the geyser shooting up from the well. The geyser reaches 30 feet into the air before raining upon the party and the area. You see at the top of this geyser are four baubles, two of them glinting in the twilight. These baubles are a silver hand mirror with a nymph-shaped handle, a piece of orange parchment folded to look like a knight astride a unicorn, a wooden spoon with a hole in the center, and a silvered pinecone. Both Satyr and Halfling weren't in Prismeer for very long...at least it doesn't feel long. At some point between coming to this swamp and now, the both of you ran into each other and decided it would be prudent to travel together. Out of the both of you, the Satyr Knight, Feras Mossbeard, can feel that his lost item is here! Somewhere in these swamps! The feeling is an unceasing nagging that won't go away until he finds it. Of course, being fey, he knows that's the metaphysical balance trying to correct itself and help him in doing so. Fortunately or Unfortunately, the Halfling, Halander, does not have that same nagging feeling in these swamps. As the both of you traverse through the swamp, trying to find civilization or to your lost things, you do finally find something... Or rather, someone... Wading or swimming through this sudden high tide, you see the small patch of land with the well, and you see a group of five with a raft move to investigate it. This group of five consists of two goblinoids, an elf, a half-elf, and a human. Peculiarly, they also have a Giant Snail with them. ...What do you do? The swamps are now at High Tide! Depth. The water's depth is 5 feet. Creatures that don't have a swimming speed move at half speed through the water. Visibility. Visibility underwater is 10 feet.</s> <|message|>Halander Wilkins Would I have gotten to know Feras during our travels?</s> <|message|>Halander Wilkins (So sorry I forgot what channel we were in) "Feras." said Halander. "I do reckon we've run into sentient adventurers. It's been a long time indeed, so such a thing is quite amazing. Pardon me, but I think I will speak to them now." he said, taking a quick step forward. "Ho! I am Halander Wilkins, and we two have gotten lost like you." He bowed, continuing on his ramble, as indeed, being a tutor had trained his mouth to move for minutes at a time. "Not just that, but I, not sure of Feras, have lost something very dear to me at The Witchlight Carnival." he finished. "Either way, meeting you all here is rather convenient for us." (Any checks?)</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk turned to regard the newcomers with narrowed eyes. Brutrumukk found it to be a somewhat suspicious coincidence that these two stranger much appeared out of nowhere, immediately brought up that they had lost something at the Witchlight Carnival like almost everyone else in the party had, and were now trying to ingratiate themselves to the group. "Yeah... I think I can say with a fair amount o' certainty that these two are workin' fer the 'ag." Brutrumukk said to his companions.</s> <|message|>Halander Wilkins "The what? Who is the "agh"? Why would...Ok, before you start throwing out such rash accusations, consider the facts." he said, crossing his legs. This is how you knew he was about to talk for a good long while. "If I was a spy, would I sound so much like one? Don't you think my plan and execution would be better? Don't you think I would know more about my surroundings? See, I am a Mercenary and Librarian by trade, and there was a strange figure who almost seemed to have wanted to be followed. I pursued this creature, and was left here, with no earthly idea where my marble is or how to get out. If I was a spy, Once my plan failed, don't you think I would have a way to get out?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "But I can't turn meself into a deer though. I ain't a druid." Jub gave a small snort. "Now there's mental image," he muttered as he tried to imagine Brutrumukk ever transforming into something as skittish and dainty as a deer. Maybe a moose or an elk, or some kind of woolly buffalo. He turned back to Gabriel. "Anyhow, I wasn't trying to diminish your loss, my friend," he said. "Merely questioning how our mystical thief chose what they stole. The Misters seemed to imply that it was retribution for us not paying, but if so, why are the things they took so different? Did it simply take the most important thing we had on our person at the time?" He gestured to the half-elf. "That doesn't seem right, because as sentimentally important these dice are to you, it couldn't have been the most important thing. Especially considering this magic can steal non-physical things. It could have taken..." The goblin thought for a moment as he tried to consider what else Gabriel might hold dear that could have been taken from him. "Your ability to fence or sing or..." He made a wild hand gesture as he tried to think of something, before suddenly realising he really didn't know much about what Gabriel did or didn't hold dear, so he simply. "Something! I don't know! I'm just trying to make sense of all this!" It was at this point they were approached by two strangers, a halfling and a satyr, who Brutrumukk almost immediately voiced his mistrust of. Given how strange the inhabitants of this land had proved so far, Jub was inclined to agree. He listened as the halfling attempted to explain himself, narrowing his eyes and glancing at the expressions of each of his own companions to see what they thought. Once the halfling was quiet, Jub spoke up. "To be honest, I'm a lot less suspicious of you than I am of your cloven-hooved companion there," he said, nodding towards Feras. "Because he's a fey. Satyr's are fey. And we're in the Feywild, which is where fey are from so if anyone's a spy here, it's mostly likely him." He paused, before quickly looking back at the halfling. "Oh yeah, not sure if you're aware of that but you're in the Feywild. I probably should have revealed that a little more delicately, now that I think of it..."</s> <|message|>Halander Wilkins Halander Wilkins --- "The Feywilds, yes? I've only ever had the chance to read about this in books. Interesting, hm?" he said, not talking to anybody in particular but instead, seemed he was speaking to...nothing? A sad expression crossed the man's face when he realized what he was doing. "Nevermind. This place is quite beautiful, but there are likely many monsters about. Why and how have you come to the Feywilds? Seems from your attire that it wasn't for sightseeing." Pausing, his thoughts turned inward and he collected what he could remember about his meager time at the festival itself. "The agh, The agh... the...hag? Ah, yes." he paused, returning to the outside world. "I do remember chasing someone into a portal that looked vaguely feminine. Could that be who you are looking for?" "Even if he is likely to be a spy, Feras is, how do you know whoever you are looking for is also Fey and can communicate in the language of Satyrs? Perhaps they are of a different species but are very used to this climate and terrain." he finished.</s> <|message|>Halander Wilkins Accidental Dupe Post</s>

<|message|>Jub the Peculiar "Well, he took that far better than I thought he would," Jub muttered to Brutrumukk. He wasn't sure whether to take the halfling's lack of surprise or fear at this revelation as suspicious or simple eccentricity. However, his ears did perk up slightly as the mention of following a 'feminine figure' into a portal. "This figure... it wouldn't happen to be a kenku, would it? Or someone vaguely birdlike at least?" He motioned to himself and Brutrumukk. "We met one before we got here and we know she's somehow involved with all..." He gestured vaguely around himself. "This." He paused, considering how much they should tell these strangers. The halfling at least seemed to be even more confused about this whole situation than they had been. The Misters had at least told their group something about what was happening, but it seemed this guy knew next to nothing. He turned his head back to the other members of his party, giving them a questioning an expression as if to ask 'what now?'</s>

<|description|>Jub the Peculiar Age: 18 Race: Goblin (though he claims to be a gnome with a bad skin condition) Class: Wizard Level: 2 Background: Charlatan Personality: Pompous, theatrical, attention-seeking, jittery, proud, possibly delusional, doesn't know when to shut up. Backstory: sent to GM Other: Has a fey familiar called Eighteyes who takes the form of a spider. She's loyal to Jub while also being 100% done with his nonsense. Stat Generation: Point Buy</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Hearing Brutrumukk's last comment, something finally to Jub and he raised his finger in a dramatic fashion. "Fear not!" he said triumphantly. "Thanks to my previous exploits, we do not require the oversized sprite for this particular task!" He gave the smuggest smile as he, using the Charm of the Monarch, summoned a pair of beautiful, green butterfly wings, not dissimilar in appearance from the cloth ones he had worn while at the Carnival. He his arms and did a fancy spin round so his companions could get a look at his new appendages. "Right? Come now, don't hold back the applause!"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "A flyin' goblin!" Brutrumukk exclaimed in astonishment as Jub activated the Charm of the Monarch. "Well now I've seen everythin'."</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora "May I suggest we leave them if they do not belong to any of us. I suspect that one of the rules of hospitality would be broken of we take them. I would much rather not witness what would happen should one of us steal something." Aurora was not certain that whatever magic enforced the rules of hospitality would do something. She did not however intend on finding out what may happen. "For all we know taking one of these things would bind you into service with the hags if it did not originally belong to you." The elf gave a quick glance to Sir Talarvar searching for a more exact answer before looking at Jub. "Interesting, how long have you been able to do that Jub?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Since that whole crowning ceremony at the Carnival," Jub replied, glancing over his shoulders to get a better look at his wings. He gave them a small flutter. "Haven't had much reason to use them until now. I suppose I could have used them to get to our little dragon friend faster, but eh..." He shrugged. "I think I can only use this three times anyway. That being said..." He pushed himself off the ground so he was just above his companions' heads. He pointed to Aurora. "Ring and letter." He then pointed to Gabriel. "Dice." He pointed one finger at Zavakri and the other at their two new acquaintances. "Absolutely no clue." He then pointed with his thumb towards himself. "I don't even know what someone's ability to keep secrets would look like but I'll figure it out." He then flew up to the top of the geyser to get a better look at the objects, with particular interest in the parchment unicorn as he wondered if it had been made from Aurora's letter she'd lost. Turning an important document into origami seemed very much like a fey thing to do. Investigation check on objects in geyser = 22 (nat 20!)</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Bring all o' that stuff down when yer done lookin' at 'em!" Brutrumukk called up as the moment of wonder passed and the bugbear's greed reasserted itself in his mind. "Especially the silver things! I want those fer me treasure sack!"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub looked at the bugbear increduously. "Did you not hear what Miss Aurora just said?" he shouted down, somewhere between annoyance and bewilderment. "Do you want us all to end up in servitude to a coven of old, witchy fey?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "The both o' ya are bein' paranoid!" Brutrumukk called back up. "If any o' those things up there belonged to the 'ags, I'm fairly certain they'd 'ave a little more defense about 'em than bein' stuck on top o' some big fountain! Now quit yer whinin' an' bring 'em 'ere!"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora "They might unless they were using it means to tie beings into unexpected deals because of greed. Whether it belongs to the hags or not we know it is not ours, I will have no part of whatever conquences you reap. If you want them so, maybe you should climb in the geyser to try to reach them rather than risk Jub..." Her tone was sharper than she had intended though it seemed that Brutrumukk was determined to gather these items. What bothered her more is that what she had said reminder her some of what she was told when she was still a child. "Brutrumukk please listen. I do not think that taking these will help us. If you had the intent of returning them to who ever they belonged to I would not see a problem with gathering the items."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Returnin' 'em!?" Brutrumukk repeated with a look of disgusted incredulity on his face. After a moment though, Brutrumukk's expression then turned thoughtful for a time, before an approving grin finally settled on his features and he nodded at Aurora's words. "Yeah... Yeaaah. Returnin' 'em. Of course. Of cooourse" Brutrumukk agreed eagerly. "We will take the things up there with us, an' I will 'old onto 'em until we find their rightful owners. At which point, I will most gray-shoes-lee return the things to the owners of the things." Brutrumukk then looked up at Jub once more. "You 'ear that, booyagh!? We'll takin' the stuff with us to find their rightful owners! That sound good to you!?" The bugbear called up to the flying goblin.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Gushing O'-Well Sir Talavar speaks up regarding the two newcomers, "Ho! I recognize the satyr, friends! It's Feras! He too serves my liege, the Summer Queen!" He then cheerfully greets the satyr, "Feras! It's good to see you again, but what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be training back home?" Sir Talavar is silent as the group converses until Aurora looks to him for an answer. He looks to the items in question and he answers, "Well...A lifetime service for mere trinkets? The owner of the trinkets would have to give you more than those if you were giving a lifetime of service... Remember that the Rule of Reciprocity calls for an equivalent exchange. What you give doesn't necessarily have to be services. It can be objects of equal value too," He then mentions, "Though, I would only worry about potentially serving one of those blasted hags if you were interacting with them directly, or you're interacting with someone who made a deal with them," --- "There is no need for that. They are already with their rightful owners," A man's voice, distorted and echoing, answers Brutrumukk's attempt to persuade the others into taking the items on the geyser. Behind Brutrumukk, a blue ethereal flame sphere appears. A green ethereal flame sphere appears in front of Jub and an energetic girl's voice echo, her voice just as distorted as the blue flame's, "Hey you! Back off! These are ours!" A purple flame appears next to Aurora and a prim and proper young lady's light hearted, yet distorted, voice could be heard, "Our apologies for the scare, but we despise dishonorable thieves, such as Agdon Longscarf and that bugbear," Lastly, a crimson flame appears in front of the well, trying to face all of the party, and a confident young man's voice could be heard, "Unless you wish to trade, then you shall not have our items!" Four Will-O'-Wisps appear! While they are upset that Brutrumukk is trying to convince Jub to steal the items, they are not attacking, so there is no need to roll initiative...at least not yet, The swamps are now at High Tide! Depth. The water's depth is 5 feet. Creatures that don't have a swimming speed move at half speed through the water. Visibility. Visibility underwater is 10 feet.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Oh come on!" Brutrumukk exclaimed in frustration as the Will-O'-Wisps appeared around them. After a moment though, Brutrumukk took a breath and spoke again. "Alright then. A trade. Sure." Brutrumukk said as his experience in getting things without using violence on the owner kicked in. "You said you don't like this Agdon guy, yeah? Well if you gimme the silver things, I'll go kill 'im fer ya. Then you lot can sleep a little easier at night knowing that 'im an' 'is won't be about to steal the rest o' yer stuff. That sound good to you?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub looked thoroughly unconvinced by Brutrumukk's claims of good intentions, and was just about to say something when the four will-o-wisps appeared. "Woah!" He put his hands up in front of him and fluttered backwards a little. "Sorry, sorry!" he apologised frantically to the green flame in front of him. When none of the flames made moves to attack him, he lowered his hands. "I must say though, if those trinkets are so important to you, you might consider putting them somewhere a little more secure than say..." He carefully gestured towards the objects. "A geyser in the middle of nowhere." He folded his arms. "Surely you folks have heard of a bag of holding? I've heard they're rather good for storing one's valuables." When Brutrumukk put forward his offer to go kill this Agdon Longscarf the wisps had mentioned in exchange for their shinier objects, Jub shook his head. "Really now, is that your answer to everything?" he muttered. "We've already got things to do. We can't waste time going on some wild goose chase just because you want some shiny objects."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Eh, it ain't like gettin' that key's gonna take all that much time." Brutrumukk said to Jub with a dismissive wave of his hand. "We can get that done an' then 'ead off to go get Agdon's 'ead." Brutrumukk then looked back at the Wisps. "So what say you lot?" The bugbear asked. "You reckon yer willin' to swap silver fer blood?"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Agdon Longscarf? Didn't those bandits mention his name in a song? Something about him being their brigade prince. Is he even still alive?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Of course 'e's still alive." Brutrumukk scoffed in response to Aurora mentioning that the Bunny Bandits had been singing about Agdon Longscarf questioning if he was even still alive. "I 'aven't killed 'im yet."</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Rory shook her head at Brutrumukk. "Clearly you have not but who knows if someone else has or time itself has led to his passing." Aurora turned towards the wisp that appeared next to her. "So these items below to you four? I had figured they belonged to someone who had lost them at the Witchlight Carnival. My apologies." The elf glanced back at the caged dragon. "I suppose I misunderstood the rule of reciprocity. I had thought these were items of personal value to someone which a value can be obscured by emotion."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Gushing O'-Well "....Wellll, we would if we could. But you know, we're kinda...incorporeal?" The green flame answered Jub's suggestion a little bashfully, After Brutrumukk made his suggestion, and while he spoke with Aurora and Jub, ethereal whispers can be heard all around them, as though the flames were whispering with each other despite their distance from each other. While the two separate conversations continued, Sir Talavar answers Aurora with a shrug, "I can't blame you, My Lady. The rule, as simple as it is, can be complex when thinking it over. But, as long as both parties state their desires clearly, then the Rule of Reciprocity can be straightforward and easier to deal with," After Aurora asked her question to the flames, the purple flame answered, "Indeed! They were ours when we were alive," The whispering between the flames soon end, and the red flame spoke to Brutrumukk, "....There is one being we fear and despise more than Agdon Longscarf. That rabbit is only a peon we can easily scare off," He continues with the other flames falling silent, "If you promise to defeat Bavlorna Blightstraw in our stead, not only will you have our items, but we will also grant you a boon," The swamps are now at High Tide! Depth. The water's depth is 5 feet. Creatures that don't have a swimming speed move at half speed through the water. Visibility. Visibility underwater is 10 feet.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "So you want me to go after the 'ag runnin' this place?" Brutrumukk said in response to the Wisps' offer. "Let's 'ear what the boon yer offerin' is before I agree to anythin'. I wanna be sure what yer gonna gimme will make this job worth the danger."</s>

<|message|>Jub the Peculiar "Oh..." Jub said in response to the green wisp's words. Well, now he felt like an insensitive jerk. "Right, sorry." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. When the wisps instead asked that the group take down a member of this Hourglass Coven they had heard so much about, Jub's eyes widened in alarm. He opened his mouth to say something when Brutrumukk cut in. Surprisingly, for perhaps the first time since Jub had met him, the bugbear seemed to exercising some form of caution. Still, the fact he didn't immediately say 'no' to such an outlandish request was worrying, because it meant he was genuinely considering it. "Have you even met a hag, Brutrumukk, let alone fought one?" the goblin asked. "I haven't, but I've heard enough stories to know it's not a good idea. They have access to all sorts of crazy, old magicks that even some of the most seasoned archmages might not have heard of."</s>

<|description|>Jub the Peculiar Age: 18 Race: Goblin (though he claims to be a gnome with a bad skin condition) Class: Wizard Level: 2 Background: Charlatan Personality: Pompous, theatrical, attention-seeking, jittery, proud, possibly delusional, doesn't know when to shut up. Backstory: sent to GM Other: Has a fey familiar called Eighteyes who takes the form of a spider. She's loyal to Jub while also being 100% done with his nonsense. Stat Generation: Point Buy</s> <|message|>Halander Wilkins "Pardon. Is there anyone else who can take up this job? I'd also like any scrap of magical power I can get while I look for my item. It's somewhere in this muck. I'm just wondering, because there are four of you. Would the boon apply only to....Well, whatever his name is, four of us, or the entire party? Just a thought." He finished, shrugging. "Anyway, before you go running off, perhaps it would be best to gain more information first. Where is this person located? What abilities should we prepare to face, why is she feared, etc."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Gushing O'-Well "Very well..." The red flame speaks in response to Brutrumukk, before it moves. It slowly moves through Brutrumukk's chest and out of his back. The process is painless, but Brutrumukk does feel as though there is a new fire in his chest, a fragment of power was imparted on him. When Halander asked his question, the green flame answered, "If you guys promise to take get rid of Bavlorna Blightstraw, we'll grant the boon to you too. Since you're traveling together, the trinkets will belong to you too," The swamps are now at High Tide! Depth. The water's depth is 5 feet. Creatures that don't have a swimming speed move at half speed through the water. Visibility. Visibility underwater is 10 feet.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora The elven woman nodded to the wisps as the green one explained that others in the group could also get the same boon as Brutrumukk. "I believe we are likely going confront Bavlorna Blightstraw, perhaps sooner than we may expect. I promise to help rid Prismir of her presence." The trinkets we not as interesting as the potential help the boon may be when facing the hag. The boon itself could help when the time came to find Bella.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel sat with his legs crossed, cocking his head to the side before nodding in agreement with Aurora "Aye, can't say I'm not opposed to a good old-fashioned witch-hunt..Or would it be a hag-hunt?" the bard shrugged, as the semantics weren't all that important "Eh tomato, tamato. I'm in."</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub look visibly more and more disheartened as each of his companions agreed to this deal. "I guess we're doing this, then," he said with a sigh. He then looked towards the wisps. "The halfling is right, though. If you could at very least point us in the direction of this 'Bavlorna' and warn us of any tricks of hers we should be on the lookout for, that would be appreciated."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "What in the...?" Brutrumukk said in a manner that signified the bugbear's unsurety regarding how he should feel about one of the Wisps just passing straight through him. He did enjoy the feeling of power that had left him with though, so he didn't complain. When once everyone else had either agreed or abstained from making the promise in exchange for the boon, and the Wisps had answered everyone else's questions, Brutrumukk spoke up again. "Before we 'ead off, I got one more question." The bugbear stated. "Do any o' you lot know where we can find any alley corn? Or anyone folks call the Doormat Queen what might be trapped somewhere? Before we came to this place, a pair o' clowns told us we 'ad to "Find the alley corn an' free the Doormat Queen as last!"... Whatever that means."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Gushing O'-Well Upon Aurora's vocal promise, the purple Will-O'-Wisp phased through her body to grant her the same boon. The blue flame moved through Gabriel and the Green flame moved through Jub. If Halander and Zavakri make the promise too, then they move through him to grant the boon as well. The Wisps start with Jub's questions, "Other than the fact that she cursed these wells and caused water to flood everywhere? All we know is that she is a powerful spellcaster. We can't exactly stray too far from this well," "That curse is what caused our demise..." "Oh! But we have heard from passersby that she is in Downfall! Find Downfall, and you'll find her!" Then Brutrumukk asked his questions. The wisps were silent as they pondered over them. "An alley corn...?" "I'm afraid I don't know what an 'alley corn' is...but I heard there is a unicorn somewhere in Thither," "Good luck getting there though. Ever since the hags took over, it's hard to get to other areas of Prismeer!" The Green Wisp wondered, "What was that Unicorn's name...?" The Red Wisp finally spoke up, clearly joking with his answer, "...Becky Apples," That got a laugh out of the other wisps. When it was time for the party to leave, the wisps bid them goodbyes and Good Lucks to the party. You now have the Boon from the Will-O'-Wisps & 4 Feywild Trinkets (of no GP value)! The boon's recipient gains a d4 and can, at any time within the next 24 hours, roll this die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw made by it. No creature can have more than one of these magic boons at a time. --- Telemy Hill The party continues their travel in the swamps of Hither, and after an hour passes, Jub's wings vanish. After a while of floating along the swamps by raft, the party is greeted by the scent of sweet-smelling fruit. Damp, downy, silvery-green moss blankets a gentle upward slope before giving way to a craggy ridge that marks the top of the hill. Dozens of enormous willow trees dot the hillside, swaying as though in a breeze despite the absence of one. The raft comes to a stop at the beginning of this hill, and Bob once again seems happy to be on dry land. "We've made it! This is Telemy Hill!" Sir Talavar chimes in. The swamps are now at High Tide! Depth. The water's depth is 5 feet. Creatures that don't have a swimming speed move at half speed through the water. Visibility. Visibility underwater is 10 feet.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora The smell of sweet fruits drew up memories from when her and her brother had snuck away from their home and into the market place. The exotic fruits brought in by the traveling caravans were a favorite of hers while Xander preferred the more local produce. Years later they included Daebella in their ventures before Xander had left to join the military as a scout. The ventures ended fairly abruptly when Sophia had caught Aurora and Daebella clambering back onto the family grounds through a window in the library. Rory was scolded for setting such a poor example for Bella by doing such unlady like behavior. Shortly after that Daebella had gone to one of the bardic schools two cities away. A small smile, happy yet somewhat sad, played on Rory's lips as she stepped of the raft and onto the hill. The memory added further motivation to free sir Talarvar and search Prismir for her sister to make sure she was safe, though Rory was uncertain what all it may take to do so. "Well let's find this Jingle Jangle and get this key to free you Sir Talarvar. Where on the hill would they be?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk When the Wisps handed over the trinkets, Brutrumukk insisted on having both the silver mirror and the silver pinecone for his treasure sack. After he got that, the bugbear tuned out until the scent of Telemy Hill's sweet-smelling fruit brought him back to his senses just in time to hear Gabriel's question. "If I 'ad to take a wild guess, probably somewhere along that path." Brutrumukk said while gesturing towards the long path winding up the hill towards the keyhole shaped cave near the summit. "Either way, I'm gonna go find out what's smellin' so tasty 'round 'ere. Don't wait up." With that said, Brutrumukk went off in search of food.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L After their resident bugbear, Brutrumukk announced he was off to find where the sweet smell of Telamy Hill's fruit would take him, Gabe couldn't pass on the opportunity to stretch his legs after their delightful yet boring little boat ride through the picturesque landscape of a swamp "Count me in my furry friend!" hopping to his feet, Gabriel jogged off with the bugbear "Come along Jub, the ripe bosom of the Feywild's fruit awaits us!"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub had spent the rest of the journey enjoying his new wings. The group had to tolerate him flying circles overhead and occasionally calling out "Hey, hey, guys, check this out!" before pulling off some trick. Eventually, the magic wore off and his wings disappeared. Thankfully, he wasn't too far up in the air when it happened, though he doing a somersault at the time and ended falling face-first onto the raft. Once he'd recovered, he had sat for a bit while just staring at the origami horse they had gotten from the wisps, considering all that had happened over the past few hours. In particular, he was recalling how he'd turned one of those giant snakes to stone with a magic missile, and wondering if he should see if he could do that again. Was that just a fun side-effect that occurred because they were in the Feywild? He was thinking about how he could test it out, even eying up Bob as a possible test-subject, when the group finally reached Telemy Hill. Aurora was just asking Talarvar where they could find this Jingle Jangle when Brutrumukk suddenly announced he was going looking for food. "You hungry again?" Jub said. However, he had to admit, the smell was quite tempting. When announced Gabriel announced he was going with the bugbear and called for the goblin to join them, Jub gave a resigned sigh and stood up to follow them. Before he went, though, he turned to Aurora. "If, err, we need to find you again, I'll send up some fireworks with Prestidigitation. Good luck on finding the key!" And with that, he followed after Gabriel and Brutrumukk.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk wasn't opposed to having Gabriel and Jub join him in his Feywild fruit pursuit, the bugbear even welcomed the company when Gabriel helped him find a trio of gourds shaped like plump dragons. Brutrumukk picked up the gourds, snapped their heads off, and stowed them away in his head sack while sucking the innards of one gourd out of the neck stump left behind and passing the other two gourds to Gabriel and Jub. "You got some good eyes in yer 'ead, Gabe." Brutrumukk said once he'd drained his gourd before turning to Jub. "Let's see if yer eyes are just as good, booyagh." Having said that, Brutrumukk returned Jub to his place of honor on the bugbear's shoulder to give the goblin a better view of their surroundings. So long as Jub pulled his weight, a second set of gourds would soon be found. Once more, Brutrumukk took up all three gourds. But this time he didn't snap the heads off any of them. Instead, Brutrumukk simply passed Jub and Gabriel their gourds and stowed his own gourd away in his backpack for later. Brutrumukk searches for more fruit. Provided he has advantage, he rolls another 15 and rolls another 8.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill Much to Gabriel's, Brutrumukk's, and Jub's surprise, they didn't have to travel far from the group to forage. They found gourds that looked like plump dragons. After Brutrumukk ate the innards of one of those gourds, he immediately looks refreshed. Did his fur/hair get glossier? The path Brutrumukk pointed out is a narrow game trail. As the group follows this path, they would hear rustling, and other sounds of movement. Before they can look around, they eventually find three huge trees blocking the path. They look at the group, and upon seeing Jub, the trees proceeded to move. Each one of their boughs move as they perform a bow to Jub, their bark creaking as they move somewhat awkwardly. Apparently it is difficult for a tree to bow... One of the trees speaks to the group in a low rumbling voice, and addressing Jub as the leader of sorts, "Your Excellency, Witchlight Monarch! We welcome you and your entourage to Telemy Hill. How long will you be staying?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk blinked in surprise as the very trees themselves came alive, moved, and even spoke. "Nine bleedin' 'Ells" Brutrumukk then said as the trees all bowed and hailed Jub as the Witchlight Monarch. Brutrumukk then looked to the little goblin seated on his big shoulder. "Word sure travels fast 'round 'ere don't it?"</s>

<|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub had instinctively tensed up when the trees started moving, as if anticipating yet another fight. However, when the trees instead bowed to him, all he could do for a few moments was blink in surprise with an expression akin to a startled rabbit. It was only when Brutrumukk spoke that the goblin able to regain his composure. "It sure does," he muttered in response to the bugbear. He spoke again, this time louder so the trees could hear him and with a dramatic flourish he usually applied to his street performances. "Erm, it is I! The Witchlight Monarch! Me and my cohorts will likely not be staying long but... erm..." He glanced towards Brutrumukk and Gabriel, with a look that showed he had no idea what he was doing or where he was going with this. "If you would like to show us around this, err, place or point us to any places of interest, that would be most, err, gratifying."</s>

<|description|>Jub the Peculiar Age: 18 Race: Goblin (though he claims to be a gnome with a bad skin condition) Class: Wizard Level: 2 Background: Charlatan Personality: Pompous, theatrical, attention-seeking, jittery, proud, possibly delusional, doesn't know when to shut up. Backstory: sent to GM Other: Has a fey familiar called Eighteyes who takes the form of a spider. She's loyal to Jub while also being 100% done with his nonsense. Stat Generation: Point Buy</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "You know a Queen?" Brutrumukk asked at the mention of a Queen. "Is she the Doormat Queen? Some clowns at the Carnival asked us to come free the Doormat Queen. That, an' find the alley corn. D'you lot know where we can find the alley corn or 'ow we could free the Doormat Queen?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar At the tree's explanation of how they were able to recognise him, Jub looked a little pale. As much as he enjoyed being the center of attention, he wasn't sure he fancied the idea of any fey creature being able to recognise him. It took a great deal of restraint for the goblin not to pull his hood over his head. Instead, Jub turned his attention to what Brutrumukk had just said. "Dormant," he corrected. "It means 'inactive' or 'sleeping'." He turned looked back to the trees. "But yes. That. If you know anything about a Dormant Queen, could you please tell us? And if not, would you be able to direct us to Jingle Jangle? We need her help with something."</s> <|message|>Halander Wilkins "Dormant? Perhaps these trees could tell us how the Queen became that way, and it might lend some help in finding a way to release them. Erm, trees? I can hardly believe this is happening, but I'd hope you can lend us some aid. Do you know the story of the Dormant Queen?" Dormant Queen, Dormant Queen. Hmm, could I have read about that somewhere? (Insight check?)</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora As Jub mentioned to the trees that they were seeking the help of Jingle Jangle, Aurora shifted the cage around to display the trapped Sir Talavar. " Sir Talavar here is stuck in this cage. He had told us Jingle Jangle may perhaps have a key to this cage." When Halander asked about the dormant queen, the elf turned to let him know what the rest of the group had learned earlier from Sir Talavar. "Unless there is information we are missing, The Dormant Queen is Zybilna. She is currently trapped by the Hourglass Coven and her rule over this domain had been split between the three hags. Though anymore information of her exact where abouts would be appreciated." She finished looking to the trees.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill The trees looked at each other confused over the questions regarding Zybilna. They were especially confused over Brutrumukk's questions, but thankfully, Jub and Aurora clarified them. They were glad that Aurora was able to answer Halendar's questions. The knightly faerie dragon answered Aurora's question after he explanation, after he clears his throat, "Milady Aurora? It's as I mentioned before: She's trapped in her palace," The trees next answered Jub's request, clearly happy to help, "Of course, Your Highness. Just follow the road and you'll reach her home!" The trees then move, proceeding to shepherd the party up the hill and towards the keyhole shaped cavern entrance. The trees do not follow the party into the cave when they enter inside. --- Worn stone steps lead down into what feels like a cellar. It's chilly in here, and you detect a subtle scent of iron in the air. From a distant spot within the chamber, sputtering candles illuminate a multitude of keys dangling from taut strings that crisscross the walls. Hundreds of other keys lie strewn across the dirt floor. As you take in the scene, you hear the sound of keys jingling as a goblin emerges from the dimness. She wears a coat lined with metal keys and carries a flail that has padlocks for heads. She manages a faint smile and says, "Hello! How might Jingle Jangle unlock a bit of happiness in your lives today?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk When Jingle Jangle was done introducing herself, Brutrumukk took Sir Talavar's cage from whoever was holding it and approached the key hoarding goblin. "I want this cage opened." Brutrumukk said in goblin. "The little dragon inside says you 'ave the key." With that said, the bugbear held the cage out expectantly.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill Jingle Jangle blinks at the cage that was shoved towards her, and after Brutrumukk said he wanted the cage opened, she remained silent for a good moment. She silently raised an index finger as though to tell him to wait a moment. She proceeded to move and dig through her collection of keys on the ground, before finally pulling a small silver key out off from the ground. She gave Brutrumukk and the rest of the party a faint smile again before handing the key over, "Better you should have it than those long-eared brigands. First they stole Jingle Jangle's truffles. Next, they'll want Jingle Jangle's keys," As though to accentuate her words, her stomach rumbles loudly in the cave. She looked away embarrassed.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk accepted the key with a grunt of gratitude. Paying no heed to the goblin's words or rumbling stomach, Brutrumukk unlocked the cage and opened the door. "There you go. One unlocked cage. Courtesy o' the Spirit o' the Snorin' Stone." Brutrumukk said to Sir Talavar in common, before dropping the key and holding his hand out expectantly once more. "That'll be one blessed sword."</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub was glad that Brutrumukk took iniative on the conversation with Jingle Jangle. Giving the wizard's previous experiences with his own kind, he wasn't really sure how to approach this. She seemed harmless enough, though the fact she had given up the key without so much as asking for anything in return was suspicious. He glanced over at Aurora. "Why didn't she ask for anything in return? I thought there was a rule of reciprocity around here," he quietly muttered to the elf. "This just seems a little too easy, don't you think?"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora The manner in which Brutrumukk had taken the cage from Aurora had left her in a briefly stunned state. She knew she couldn't have kept as firm a grip on it but the lack of even asking for it to be handed over baffled her. At least until she recalled some of the prior interactions the bugbear had with others. Jub's question brought the elf's attention back to the present and bringing the matter that nothing was asked in exchange for the cage being opened. "There is a rule of reciprocity though I am unsure of why Jingle has not out right asked for anythingin return. That does make this seem way to easy. " Aurora stepped forward with some of her rations that she had brought with her and offered them to Jingle Jangle. "It's not truffles but I have plenty of extra food if you want these."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L He didn't understand a single word the bugbear said but it was easy enough to understand he wanted the cage opened, at least the aptly named goblin Jingle Jangle wasn't too bothered by Brutrumukk's lack of tact. "Well I needn't unlock happiness I'm afraid I'm as jovial as the next bastard elf. But if you know of someone who can find lost things I'd part with this fine gourd here." Gabe slung his backpack from one shoulder to the ground to procure the dragon shaped gourd from the bag.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill Sir Talavar fluttered out of the cage as soon as the door was open. With a flourish in the air he called out in the cave, "Huzzah! I'm Free!" He looks to Brutrumukk when he asks for payment, and the knight answers, "Of course. I have not forgotten our agreement! Here! You have my sword!" He then takes off his sheathed sword, and hands it to Brutrumukk with all of the pomp and circumstance he can muster. After he gives the sword, he calls to the party, "As much as I would love to remain in your company for a while longer, I must be off. I have to report back to my Liege! Your valor will not be forgotten!" He bids them a fond farewell before he darts off, "So until we meet again!" Jingle Jangle doesn't seem to mind Brutrumukk's rudeness. Her attention was drawn to Jub when he whispered to Aurora. While her gaze was on him, Jingle Jangle looked starstruck. She snapped herself out of the stupor and she answered him, "Milord, Jingle Jangle doesn't have much to offer, but you have Jingle Jangle's hospitality while you are here...Milord," Jingle Jangle awkwardly tries to bow to Jub, but finds it hard to do with the keys on her. When Aurora and Gabriel give her rations and the guord, the goblin's mood noticeably brightened. She happily accepts the food from both of them, "Oh! Thank you!" Jingle Jangle looks to Gabriel, and stops herself from digging into the food to answer him, "Jingle Jangle doesn't know about lost items, but Jingle Jangle does know who steals items," She continues to explain to Aurora and Gabriel, "Those long-eared brigands are led by Agdon Longscarf. He wears a bright blue scarf and he moves as fast as lightning! If you're heading to Brigands' Tollway, you might encounter him there!" Upon seeing that none of you recognize that name, Jingle Jangle clarified, "Brigands' Tollway are a bunch of old wooden catwalks surrounding a stump! The Brigands camp up there!" She then realized something and continued, "Jingle Jangle's sorry, but Jingle Jangle doesn't want to leave. If you want a guide, you just need to find Clapperclaw! He's a pincer clawed scarecrow who hangs out at Downfall and he knows the way to Thither!" Cue the victory music, because you freed Sir Talavar! Sir Talavar has bestowed his sword to you. However, it is a tiny sword, crafted for a being of his size. This weapon functions as a +1 Dagger in the hands of a small or medium creature.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk watched as Sir Talavar flew away before finding a place on his belt to hang it from and promptly forgot about it once he had. The bugbear then turned to look at Jingle Jangle just in time to laugh at her clumsy attempt at bowing to Jub. He then listened as Jingle Jangle revealed the location of the Bunny Brigands' base and who they could go to if they needed at guide to reach whatever 'Thither' was. Brutrumukk didn't care about the latter, but he certainly cared about the former. "Guess we know where to start lookin' fer those lost dice then." The bugbear said when Jingle Jangle was done talking. "An' I also think I know what I'm cookin' fer dinner tonight. Always enjoyed me some rabbit stew."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill Jingle Jangle looks to Brutrumukk as he spoke, and she looked concerned. She looked back to the rest of the party before looking back to Brutrumukk, "I do think they should know what it's like to be shaken down for once...but, how will they change their ways if they've been turned to soup?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk For a moment, Brutrumukk regarded Jingle Jangle and her words with a confused expression on his face. But after some thought, that confusion soon gave way to realization, before finally shifting to a look of impressed cruelty. "Oh I get what yer sayin'. Took me a moment there, but I get what yer sayin' now." Brutrumukk said in goblin with a nod of agreement. "Khurg's got you thinkin' that these rabbits'd do better as slave meat than as stew meat, yeah? Well I suppose if any o' them decide to surrender rather than go down fightin', I could spare 'em the pot an' bring 'em your way instead. I won't do it fer free though. What's in it fer me?"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill Jingle Jangle looks shocked at Brutrumukk's words, and she couldn't help but squeak "Wh-What?!" She waved her hands and answered, "Jingle Jangle doesn't want that! Jingle Jangle just thinks that shaking them down so that they know what it's like is enough. Killing and slavery is going too far!" She then whispered clearly confused, "Who's Khurg?" She then continued, expressly stating what she believes, "Anyways, this is Prismeer! People can change for the better, especially here of all places. All they have to do is embrace what makes them unique! Whether you're a goblin who likes keys, or an awakened hill with talking trees!"</s>

<|message|>Jub the Peculiar "Khurgorbaeyag," Jub explained in a similar manner to how he would when Brutrumukk didn't understand a word. "Goblin god of oppression and social order." He glanced at Brutrumukk. "I guess things must be different for goblins in the Feywild than they are where we're from." He'd been giving Jingle Jangle the side-eye ever since she'd addressed him and attempted a bow. He had been suspicious of her before, but after hearing her talk, he was starting to get the sense she was harmless. Weird, but harmless.</s>

<|description|>Jub the Peculiar Age: 18 Race: Goblin (though he claims to be a gnome with a bad skin condition) Class: Wizard Level: 2 Background: Charlatan Personality: Pompous, theatrical, attention-seeking, jittery, proud, possibly delusional, doesn't know when to shut up. Backstory: sent to GM Other: Has a fey familiar called Eighteyes who takes the form of a spider. She's loyal to Jub while also being 100% done with his nonsense. Stat Generation: Point Buy</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk watched as Sir Talavar flew away before finding a place on his belt to hang it from and promptly forgot about it once he had. The bugbear then turned to look at Jingle Jangle just in time to laugh at her clumsy attempt at bowing to Jub. He then listened as Jingle Jangle revealed the location of the Bunny Brigands' base and who they could go to if they needed at guide to reach whatever 'Thither' was. Brutrumukk didn't care about the latter, but he certainly cared about the former. "Guess we know where to start lookin' fer those lost dice then." The bugbear said when Jingle Jangle was done talking. "An' I also think I know what I'm cookin' fer dinner tonight. Always enjoyed me some rabbit stew."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill Jingle Jangle looks to Brutrumukk as he spoke, and she looked concerned. She looked back to the rest of the party before looking back to Brutrumukk, "I do think they should know what it's like to be shaken down for once...but, how will they change their ways if they've been turned to soup?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk For a moment, Brutrumukk regarded Jingle Jangle and her words with a confused expression on his face. But after some thought, that confusion soon gave way to realization, before finally shifting to a look of impressed cruelty. "Oh I get what yer sayin'. Took me a moment there, but I get what yer sayin' now." Brutrumukk said in goblin with a nod of agreement. "Khurg's got you thinkin' that these rabbits'd do better as slave meat than as stew meat, yeah? Well I suppose if any o' them decide to surrender rather than go down fightin', I could spare 'em the pot an' bring 'em your way instead. I won't do it fer free though. What's in it fer me?"</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill Jingle Jangle looks shocked at Brutrumukk's words, and she couldn't help but squeak "Wh-What?!" She waved her hands and answered, "Jingle Jangle doesn't want that! Jingle Jangle just thinks that shaking them down so that they know what it's like is enough. Killing and slavery is going too far!" She then whispered clearly confused, "Who's Khurg?" She then continued, expressly stating what she believes, "Anyways, this is Prismeer! People can change for the better, especially here of all places. All they have to do is embrace what makes them unique! Whether you're a goblin who likes keys, or an awakened hill with talking trees!"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Khurgorbaeyag," Jub explained in a similar manner to how he would when Brutrumukk didn't understand a word. "Goblin god of oppression and social order." He glanced at Brutrumukk. "I guess things must be different for goblins in the Feywild than they are where we're from." He'd been giving Jingle Jangle the side-eye ever since she'd addressed him and attempted a bow. He had been suspicious of her before, but after hearing her talk, he was starting to get the sense she was harmless. Weird, but harmless.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk When Jingle Jangle clarified what she had meant, Brutrumukk's expression briefly shifted to shock before quickly turning to disgust. When the goblin the asked after the identity of her own god in confusion though, Brutrumukk's face became a masterpiece of murderous rage. The bugbear stepped forward, reaching for his morningstar as the beginnings of a bestial roar rumbled within his throat. But he stopped and went quiet when Jub spoke up to answer Jingle Jangle's question, reminding Brutrumukk that his companions were present and that the living trees outside didn't look like a fight he could win. With a frustrated growl, Brutrumukk stepped back and turned to leave before anymore could be said. "Jub an' I'll be at the raft." He said before storming out of the cave, taking his shoulder goblin with him. Brutrumukk stomped out of the cave and back down the hill towards the raft they had arrived on, ranting to Jub in goblin as he went. "It just boggles the mind, booyagh! Absolutely boggles it! I know goblins can go a bit off track when bugbears or 'obgoblins ain't nearby to show 'em 'ow to be good an' proper, but I didn't know it could get that bad! 'Ow in the Nine soddin' 'Ells could the gods even begin to bring themselves to stomach such a pathetic excuse fer a goblin actually bein' real?!" Brutrumukk growled once more as they arrived at the raft. "But I suppose I should 'ave seen that comin'. What with 'ow weird this place is an' that weird key fetish she's got. Did you see 'ow many keys she 'ad? The fuck was up with that...? It just boggles the mind."</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Oh- okay, guess I'm going too," said Jub as Brutrumukk left the rest of the group. He didn't have any problem leaving the conversation, as he hadn't exactly been participating in it that much, but he didn't like the direction Brutrumukk's mood had taken. As the bugbear started ranting to him, Jub simply nodded along with the occassional "Mm-hmm" and "Yep" when it was appropriate, all the while starting to sweat profusely. In truth, Jub hadn't exactly been living a normal goblin life before meeting Brutrumukk. He'd been going from town to town, keeping his head down and using his magic to get enough coin to feed himself. When he couldn't get coin, he mostly dug around in other people's garbage to get what he needed. While he hadn't gone so far as to collecting shiny objects, he had done what he needed to do to get by, and he assumed that Jingle Jangle's habit of collecting keys was her way of coping. "Eh, when you don't have a tribe, you try and do what you can to get by," he said. "And I suppose, in a place like the Feywild, 'getting by' involves being really, really weird."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "I suppose yer right." Brutrumukk said thoughtfully, having also been forced to adapt to a change in lifestyle after his old gang was destroyed by adventurers. "Though I'm not sure 'ow forgettin' yer god an' yer tongue would 'elp you get by. Even in a place as weird as this." After a moment, Brutrumukk felt the fur on the shoulder carrying Jub begin to dampen. He turned to look at Jub and saw the goblin sweating bullets. "Uh... booyagh?" Brutrumukk asked in mild concern. "Is somethin' wrong?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "There's a possibility, my good fellow, that she hasn't forgotten the name of her god," Jub said. "But instead that she never knew it. She might have been born here, brought up worshipping whatever gods exist in the Feywild. Fey gods? Archfey? He shrugged. "I don't know. There probably are a bunch o' goblins who were born outside the tribe and... don't worship the goblin gods or even know about them." He waved off Brutrumukk's concern. "I'm fine, just... this place is weird. And there's possibility we might not be leaving anytime soon." He gave a small, nervous laugh. "Just be prepared that we might start going a bit loopy ourselves."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L The half elf watched as Brutrumukk and Jub abruptly made their way out of the small cave, he wasn't quite sure what he had been saying but knowing Brutrumukk it was probably something crude by human standards. "Ah, well it seems we must be off." he said, breaking the momentary silence that followed both goblins departure "On behalf of our merry band I thank you, hopefully this Clapperclaw might be able to point us in the right direction." 'to a tavern if these fey had them' the bard thought wistfully to himself before dusting off his knees and standing. "And, worry not about our two rather unique friends...We'll keep an eye on them right Rory?" he more-or-less jerked his head in the direction the two goblinoids had gone in a 'lets make sure they haven't left without us' kind of way. With that Gabe turned, bowing slightly to Jingle Jangle as he casually yet hurriedly made his way put the cave to follow Brutrumukk and Jub.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora was surprised by the angry outburst from Brutrumukk. She had not expected that he would be so offended by the fact the Jingle didn't know what he was talking about. Even Aurora was not sure what he was talking about with Khurg. When Gabriel spoke up and apologized for the outburst, Rory nodded in agreement. "We will do our best to shake down these bandits and see to return what was stolen. At least for those that we can. Thank you for your help Jingle Jangle." The elf turned and left the small cave and followed Gabe down to the raft hurrying after catching the meaning of his gesture. "I don't think Jub or Zavakri will let him leave without use right away. Though I think you are right to not delay, divines knows how long before he decides to take off."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill When Jub and Brutrumukk left the cave they were left alone. In contrast, when Aurora and Gabriel left the cave, the trees moved to surround the both of them. In true Feywild peculiarity, the trees begin dancing around both bard and rogue! After the both of them finished dancing, one of the trees approaches them and hands them an iron key! "Thank you for cheering Jingle Jangle up and giving her food! She dropped this in the dirt. We believe that you will need this key," They do not explain on why the key is needed further, and let the party continue on their way. --- Hither Random Encounter 3 As the party continues on their travels, the swamp tide lowers to the point where they don't need the raft as much. However, they do come across something. Something that Gabriel has been longing for... The more perceptive members of the party hear the sound of squelching, as though numerous pairs of feet were marching in the swamp nearby. It seems to be heading towards them...! Their paths meet! There are indeed numerous pairs of feet marching in the swamp, but not in the way anyone would expect. These feet are attached to the bottom of a building! This building is a squat, three-story structure with a slate-shingled roof and worm-eaten wood walls. Dozens of tiny orbs of pale light buzz about the exterior like flies. The structure rocks and heaves while in motion. As the building passes by the party, they catch the smell of hearty stew wafting from its open windows and see smoke rising in cottony puffs from its stone chimney. As soon as the inn is close enough to the party, the feet stop and the building lowers itself to the ground so people can enter. What does the party do?</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Once everyone was back on the raft, Brutrumukk picked a direction at random and rowed that way until the water level dropped back down to a depth where the raft was no longer needed. Hefting the raft on the shoulder he wasn't carrying Jub on and putting the stilt he'd been using as an oar back in the stilt pants, Brutrumukk then led the way in yet another randomly selected direction until the sound of squelching feet met his ears and the scent of delicious stew met his nose. As the walking inn came into view, Brutrumukk nodded at the sight. "Yeah, that makes sense." The bugbear stated. "Or at least whatever the fuck this place likes to call 'sense' even though it clearly isn't... Either way, I like the smell o' what they got cookin' in there. Let's go 'ave a look-see." With that said, Brutrumukk walked up to the building as it lowered itself down, kicked open the door, and walked inside. "Oi oi!" Brutrumukk called out in greeting. "What smells so tasty in 'ere an' where can I get some?"</s>

<|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub was still stewing over the encounter with Jingle Jangle and Brutrumukk's violent - and uncomfortably familiar - reaction to her when the house approached. He raised his head, looking at the building, then at the feet, then back up at the building. "You know, you'd think after a day of being here, I'd become numb to all the weird shit," Jub said. "But no. Just when I think I've seen the weirdest this place has to offer, something literally comes round the corner that dares to be weirder." He gave a loud sigh. "This place is exhausting." When Brutrumukk started to walk inside, Jub was inevitability brought in along with him as he was perched on the bugbear's shoulder. "Oh I guess we're going in, sure, okay, fine," Jub said as he threw up his hands in exasperation. "March straight into the spooky leg house. What could go wrong?"</s>

<|description|>Jub the Peculiar Age: 18 Race: Goblin (though he claims to be a gnome with a bad skin condition) Class: Wizard Level: 2 Background: Charlatan Personality: Pompous, theatrical, attention-seeking, jittery, proud, possibly delusional, doesn't know when to shut up. Backstory: sent to GM Other: Has a fey familiar called Eighteyes who takes the form of a spider. She's loyal to Jub while also being 100% done with his nonsense. Stat Generation: Point Buy</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Future plans on murderin' this beer stealin' bitch aside, I got two questions." Brutrumukk stated once Gabriel was done talking. "First off, what would you be wantin' in return fer all this food an' stuff yer offerin'? An' secondly, do got anywhere we could put our raft outside? I couldn't fit through the door an' I'd rather not leave it behind it if this place starts walkin' again. We might need it later."</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora The trudge through the swampy terrain was an inconvenience but more progress would be made this way than by the raft with the water levels this low. Before she even looked towards the sound that was approaching, the smell of the stew caught her nose. The legged structure did cause her own suspicion to rise but the fact that both Gabe and Brut walked into the inn with no caution didn't leave Rory many options. She quietly walked in behind Gabe and attempted to stay slightly hidden behind Brutrumukk and Jub. As the two went on asking their questions, and finding out Bavlorna Blightstraw had her minions take the drink from the inn. Aurora looked up towards where Jub was perched on Brutrumukk's shoulder. "You ok Jub?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub was only half-listening to the conversation between his teammates and the woman, and was somewhat startled by Aurora suddenly saying his name. "Hmm?" He glanced over at the elf. He was about to say he was fine, but his condition kicked in and he ended up saying, "Well, no actually. This whole situation is very much stressing me out." Realising what he had just said, Jub quickly clamped one hand over his mouth. He started shaking his head and waving with his free hand as if trying to signal for everyone else to ignore him and continue on with their conversation.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Yeah, a pub without beer ain't the best thing in the world." Brutrumukk said to Jub with a nod of agreement, not understanding what his shoulder goblin's gestures meant. "But look on the bright side. They still got food. An' it sure does smell tasty, don't it? Yeah, a pub without beer ain't the best thing in the world, but it ain't the worst thing either."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither The Inn at the End of the Road The elderly innkeeper tilts her head at Gabriel as he spoke about how he appreciated the finer things in life. She answered his introduction with her own, "My name is Tsu Harabax. Nice to meet you," The innkeeper looks to Brutrumukk when he mentioned murdering the beer thief, and asked his two questions. She answered him, "There's a rope outside to tie vehicles to the building. You can use that. As for payment? Any old trinket would normally do. But if you're going after Bavlorna Blightstraw?" Once again, she takes a moment to spit off to the side after saying her name, before she finishes, "I'll consider that recompense enough,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk waited for a while to see if Jub would respond. But when the goblin simply kept his hands clamped over his mouth, Brutrumukk shrugged, made his way over to where Gabriel was recovering from an alcohol theft induced breakdown and clapped a consoling hand on the bard's shoulder. "We'll get 'er back fer this" Brutrumukk told Gabriel. "An' then we'll find wherever she stashed the stuff an' drink until we drop, yeah?" Brutrumukk then patted Gabriel on the shoulder before letting Jub down off of his. "I'm gonna tie up the raft." Brutrumukk said to the two of them. "Plate up some stew fer when I'm done, yeah?" With that said, Brutrumukk headed outside to tie the raft to the inn.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub breathed a small sigh of relief that neither Brutrumukk nor anyone else seemed to press him further. In fact, Brutrumukk actually took him off his shoulder and left the room for a moment to tend to the boat. Jub removed his hands from his face and loudly, and somewhat dramatically, exhaled. "It seems we can't go anywhere without everyone talking about this hag," he said. He glanced over to Aurora. "You probably have a point that we're probably going to run into her sooner rather than later."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabe breathed inwardly when Brutrumukk clapped a mighty hand upon his shoulder, ahem the half-elf made his best attempt to cover with a pained laugh "Ooph, ha..ha yeah Brut, sounds like a plan." with a nod he watched as the hulk of a goblinoid stepped outside before rubbing his shoulder. "Mmph, at least it wasn't my good arm..." he mumbled before turning back to the elderly innkeeper "Find your largest bowl my good woman cause the big man has a big appetite." Gabe coyly smiled, nodding his head towards the door "After a day of trudging through mud and..Well you get the point, a hot bowl of stew sounds pretty good right about now." chuckling good-naturedly the bard tapped his fingers on the counter, realizing his nails were caked with dirt and his hands were filthy. "Good gods, look at me I'm a bloody mess. I could use a dip in a hot bowl of liquid myself!" he added with a smile and a shake of his head.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora "I'll take a bowel of stew as well please." The elf called after the innkeeper before looking to Gabe. With several practiced wave and each followed by a short incantation, Gabriel's garments began to suddenly become clean. "I know this isn't the same but it will at least help. It's the one spell I did learn and it has been a life saver. Makes cleaning and making fires easy, as well as keeping your drink at the right temperature." A frown crept across her face as she started to recit all that prestidigitation could do. "Well now I feel like a fool. I could have made those rations taste like truffles with this spell. Perhaps should we meet Jingle Jangle again I can do so if we are unable to get them real truffles." Aurora looked over to Jub after helping Gabe. There had been lost of people talking about Bavlorna and the things she has done to those who live here in Prismir. "Unfortunately I do believe we will have to confront her sooner than any of us would like. Well perhaps all save Brutrumukk. It does seem that many that live here have a grievance with this hag. I remember through my travels there were those who spoke of those who oppressed them, be it bandits or rulers, like many we have met spoke of Bavlorna. Though I suppose unlike prior times I am in a position that can help, at least as long as you all are with me. Who knows what may happen, by the end of this you could regain whatever it is you lost Jub." She paused as she considered the situation before them as well as what fate had befallen her sister. Rory hoped that Daebella was at least safe and whole. If Belle was only captured she could be rescued, or have a ransom paid. A slight shudder passed through the elf as she considered what ransom a hag would want in exchangefor a person. "Perhaps we ought to focus on gather strength and weakening Bavlorna's. The bandits might be a good start as they answer to her."</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Perhaps we ought to focus on gathering strength and weakening Bavlorna's. The bandits might be a good start as they answer to her." "In that case, I best not eat too much 'ere then." Brutrumukk said as he returned from tying up the raft. "We'll be needin' to save some room fer the rabbit roast I'll be makin' fer supper." After a moment, Brutrumukk noticed how clean Gabriel had become in the time the bugbear had spent outside. "Wait a sec... 'Ow did you get clean so quickly?"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora looked up to Brutrumukk as she began to clean her own clothing of the swamp muck with prestidigitation. "I help him by using a simple spell I learned decades ago. It can take awhile for large quantities of things that need to be cleaned, but it works in situations like this when means of cleaning are limited. I can help you clean your gear once I am done with mine." She pauses for a moment once her boots are cleaned of the muck. "I would also like to let you that I do not agree with your intentions of eating these bandits. In all honesty I do not intend on killing them unless we have to. They are still humanoids and at least deserve a chance to redeem themselves. Besides that humanoids are not food. I know I probably cannot convince you otherwise Brutrumukk but I also want to put it out there that I will not be eating this supposed rabbit stew you plan to make from these folk."</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither The Inn at the End of the Road While the party spoke with each other, the innkeeper, Tsu Harabax, prepared the bowls of hearty stew for the party. She sets each bowl with care, along with wooden utensils. Along with the stew, she also sets out a plate of plum pie and a glass of fresh water. The fresh water was clearly purified of any...swampy contaminants. The hearty stew is full of vegetables and potatoes, clearly a vegetarian dish, but it is still filling and refreshing! Should any of the party partake in the plum pie, they find that it is a perfect blend tart and sweet flavors. Like the cupcakes in the Feasting Orchard in the Carnival though, the plum pie does leave purple stains behind if the party members aren't careful. Once everything was prepared for the party, she reassures them, "Here you are. Please enjoy the food,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "I helped him by using a simple spell I learned decades ago." Aurora explained as she cleaned her clothes. "It can take awhile for large quantities of things that need to be cleaned, but it works in situations like this when means of cleaning are limited. I can help you clean your gear once I am done with mine." "That'd be great." Brutrumukk said gratefully "The swamp stink's startin' to rub off on me. I'll be needin' that gone in case I need to sneak around. There ain't no skulkin' what can work if a nose can smell you comin' a mile off." "I would also like to let you that I do not agree with your intentions of eating these bandits." Aurora went on to say. "In all honesty I do not intend on killing them unless we have to. They are still humanoids and at least deserve a chance to redeem themselves. Besides that humanoids are not food. I know I probably cannot convince you otherwise Brutrumukk but I also want to put it out there that I will not be eating this supposed rabbit stew you plan to make from these folk." "Eh, suit yerself." Brutrumukk said. "That just leaves more fer the rest of us." "Here you are. Please enjoy the food," The innkeeper called out as he served the stew and the pie and the water. "Oh don't you worry." Brutrumukk said as he bore down on on his bowl of stew. "I will enjoy it very much!" With that said, Brutrumukk went about the business of demolishing the stew with great gusto an gluttony. "NOM NOM NOM! Om. Nom... Oh, dish shtoo ish delishush!" Brutrumukk exclaimed before swallowing the food in his mouth and continuing. "I notice there ain't no meat in it though. Did the 'ag's goons take all the meat as well?"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Eh, suit yerself." Brutrumukk said. "That just leaves more fer the rest of us." the frown that had been forming on the half-elves face creased the sides of his mouth, guess it was true what folks said about the bugbear. "Here I thought you were different big guy." Gabe muttered under his breath as he shook his head, at least Jub seemed different but he wasn't sure where the little guy would stand on his friend eating people. "An eye for an eye," he said after having a spoonful of stew, like he were quoting something "Or so we said on the streets of Waterdeep. We didn't go around eating thieves." it was moral code, when someone took something you took something. A life for a life or an eye for an eye "Now I am going to take what was stolen but nothing more," the bard finished his stew and whispered his thanks to the innkeeper before turning in his seat to look at the bugbear. "Let's not go around eating those who do wrong, besides we'll be taking back something worth more than rabbit! Beer!" he slapped the furry brute on the shoulder before getting up and looking back to the old innkeep "So miss, how bout that bath?"</s>

<|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub nodded in silent agreement as Aurora mentioned the benefits and handiness of the Prestidigitation spell, but conspicuously stopped doing so when she started getting into a debate with Brutrumukk about whether or not they were going to eat the rabbit bandits. He knew that she wasn't going to get anywhere with that argument, after all. He did, however, decide to point out something that he had noticed about the bugbear. "Given how much we've had to eat today, I'm surprised you're still hungry," Jub said between mouthfuls of his own meal. "Are you ever full, or is your stomach some bottomless void?"</s>

<|description|>Jub the Peculiar Age: 18 Race: Goblin (though he claims to be a gnome with a bad skin condition) Class: Wizard Level: 2 Background: Charlatan Personality: Pompous, theatrical, attention-seeking, jittery, proud, possibly delusional, doesn't know when to shut up. Backstory: sent to GM Other: Has a fey familiar called Eighteyes who takes the form of a spider. She's loyal to Jub while also being 100% done with his nonsense. Stat Generation: Point Buy</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar "Best thing I've ever been given?" Jub paused in his meal and tilted his head to one side. "Well, now, that's a tough one. While the most important thing I own is, of course, my spellbook, I wasn't exactly given that." He frowned. In truth, he had received very few gifts in his time, and none of them were particularly noteworthy. They had been either things like food or money, interchangeable things that you didn't hold onto for too long. Jub's ears were drooping slightly as he was starting to think he'd have to admit to his new friends that he didn't have any fond memories like that... ... then he remembered Gabriel giving him his bag of pixie dust back at the Carnival, the bag he still had among his belongings. It had been a small thing, and he'd forgotten it not long after, but it had been nice to get given something like that out of the blue. Of course, he wasn't sure how comfortable he felt admitting that to his companions. They might make fun of him. He opened his mouth to lie and say he couldn't think of anything but instead... "Well, there was that pixie dust Gabe gave he me at the carnival," he said. "That was pretty nice." Once he realised what he had just said, his face flushed. "Ha ha... wow this is really good food, ma'am, what's your secret?" he quickly said before proceeding to stuff with face with food, praying to whatever gods were currently listening that his friends would ignore what he just said.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "The pixie dust Gabe gave you?" Brutrumukk said. He chuckled at that. Though it was a warm sort of chuckle, devoid of any malice. "I'm not sure whether I should find it sweet that you think so 'ighly o' Gabe's gift or if I should be pissed off at the world fer not bein' nicer to you sooner... Ah what the 'Ells, I'll go with both."</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora was glad to see that Gabe agreed with her disposition of the bugbears plans to eat the bunny bandits, though Brutrumukk still seemed set on the matter. Know the argument would likely be futile, Rory took the bowel of stew offered, breathing deep to smell it. While consisting more of vegetables and grains, it would be filling none the less. After eating her fill of the stew, the elf did try some of the plum pie enjoying the pastry. When the conversation shifted to the inn keeper being more of a gardener, Rory looked over to see Tsu using magic to help the plant grow. She only recognized druidcraft from the few interactions she had with some of the grounds keepers that her family had employed. What surprised the elf was the change in the bugbear's tone and asking what was the best thing everyone had been given. Aurora set the fork down as she listened to Jub explain that the bag of pixie dust Gabe gave him was the best thing. She felt a bit bad that Jub felt embarrassed by the matter. "Brutrumukk does have a point. Though I think sometimes it isn't the gift itself that matters as much as the intention. A sincere gift tends to always be better for all involved. On top of that, you shouldn't feel uncomfortable if that truly was the best thing given to you. Even the smallest of things could mean more than what some folk think." She paused a moment and looked over to Brutrumukk, who appeared to be less intense as usual. "What about you? What was the best thing you were given?</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk After he finished speaking, Brutrumukk became somewhat lost in thought for a time. Only recovering when he realized that Aurora had asked him about the best gift he'd ever received. "The best gift I ever got?" Brutrumukk said. "I got that a long time ago. So far back that gettin' it's actually the earliest memory I can think of. When I was about three years old, me mum an' me dad were part of an 'ost. Only it weren't doin' so good as it used to be, so me mum an' me dad decided to get a bunch of other bugbears together an' lop off some 'obgoblin 'eads. I don't remember much of 'ow it went, but I do still remember seein' me dad club the 'ost's warlord to death at the end. After he chopped the 'ead off, 'e let me play with it whenever it weren't on a spike. It was me favorite toy fer a long time." Brutrumukk then looked contemplative for a moment before speaking again. "There are two other gift memories I can think of." Brutrumukk added. "They ain't the best gifts what I ever got, but since we are where we are, I feel like it'd be fittin' to tell you lot about 'em." Brutrumukk took a moment to eat some pie before continuing. "Me mum knew 'ow to tame axe beaks, so me gang always 'ad a few o' those birds around. When I was eight, an axe beak chick took a likin' to me, I called 'im Chopper an' we were never too far from each other after that. Then one day, the little bugger wandered off while I wasn't lookin'. I went off to look fer 'im, but I 'ad no luck even after hours o' searchin'. Just as I was about to give up, this woman with white 'air, white clothes, an' a weird chicken foot tattoo under 'er eye appeared out o' nowhere." Brutrumukk paused then for another bite of pie before pressing on. "She asked be why I was lookin' so bothered. When I told 'er why, this weird smile appeared on 'er face an' she told me she could 'elp. When I agreed to let 'er, she used this magic whistle an' before you know it, Chopper came runnin' out the bushes like 'e'd never even left. When I looked back to ask the weird woman who she was an' why she 'elped me, I found that she'd vanished as suddenly as she arrived." Brutrumukk took a moment to finish the rest of his pie then before recounting his second story. "After that, things when back to normal fer about three years." The bugbear continued. "Then a bunch of adventurers came along an' killed most o' me gang. When they found me though, they got all weird with each other about me bein' a kid. 'No we can't kill 'im! 'E's a child! It's wrong!' One o' them said. 'That ain't no child, that's a monster. You really think it'd 'esitate like this if our roles were reversed' Another said. I managed to sneak away while they were yammerin' on. As I escaped, I ran into that weird woman again. She 'elped me get away from the adventurers and led me to a big rock. She used magic to 'ollow it out, give it a secret entrance, an' make it a nice place to live in. This time, I managed to ask who the woman was an' why she 'elped me. She said that she was a Fairy Godmother an' then told me 'bout the Rule o' Recipe City. Then she vanished into thin air." With his stories done, Brutrumukk looked back at Aurora. "So what about you?" Brutrumukk asked. "What was the best thing you ever got."</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Rory pulled a small worn leather bundle from her pack and set it on the table. "To answer your question Brut. These were probably the best thing I was ever given. My brother Alex gave them me when I was about fifteen." As she spoke she unrolled the bundle to reveal several lock picks, tension bars, a small mirror mounted on a handle, a file, pliers, and pair of scissors with narrow blades. A few of the picks look as though they have been bent or twisted some, while others look as though they were newer. "I suppose more importantly he taught me how to use them. It helped when I needed to get out of the stuffy confines of the house. More than once I had been locked in my room until I could be more lady like." Rory picked up one of the picks looking over it carefully. It was one of the picks she had used to open the side door to the estate grounds that she and Xander left their home through. It had served her well that night and on a few odd jobs. There was a small split in the metal where it had twisted to far. She was honestly surprised that it had lasted as long as it had. Placing it back in the bundle, Rory realized she had gotten lost in the memory of the night she left home. She forced a half smile before resuming her tale after realizing that it probably sounded like a bad situation."Fortunately that provided lots of practice in opening locks. I'm not entirely sure my father and mother figured out I kept getting out. They even went so far as changing the locks on the door and windows at least multiple times in several months before resigning to the fact I would still find a way out." The smile slowly faded as the elf told her tale. "Anyway, who else wants to share what the greatest thing they got?" Aurora asked in an attempt to divert the conversation away from herself.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Stripped down to his breeches, the half-elf sat at the edge of the wood tub in a room with one small circular mirror listening to the muffled sound of conversation below as he absent-mindedly drew a bath. The water was somewhat lukewarm, though it was cleaner than the muddy swill in the swamp outside the tavern walls, his thoughts wandered to the day he had before and the things he was most grateful for. His gaze swiveled to where his shirt hung, a small tug pulled at his lips as he cringed slightly remembering that his companion had kindly cast a spell to clean him up. Gabriel shook his head, muttering a few words and with a flick of his wrist steam wafted from the tub, the water much warmer than it was. He was not going to live it down were his allies to learn that in his rabid lunacy he forgot that he himself was capable of using such a parlor trick, with a sigh the bard peeled off his breeches and threw them aside in an unceremonious heap, stepping into the tub and settling in to the tub slowly til the water rose slightly. His thoughts wandered to what he most cherished in the days past, both chuckling to himself remembering how he lost the poetry contest against the gnome, and frowning as he recalled the few people that had joined them and left. One memory stuck out however that made him smile in the privacy of the bath, when Gabriel took part in the snail races with the elf. It wasn't really much to say it was a gift but afterward he enjoyed sharing a meal with the trueblooded lady. And the bottle of liquor the minstrel had graciously gave him, that was the prize he had needed. Laughing, Gabriel recalled the song that the bugbear sang at the carnivals finale. "Sing, let your heart soar! Sing forever!" "Sad and so happy! Feelings flow over," "Now our world is full of all kinds o' colors!" He hadn't joined in when the two had sang before, it was their song of course. However that song had stuck with him, and it was the greatest gift he had been given without either of the two knowing. Some keener ears might have heard the bard singing to himself quietly in the tub but he didn't care. He wiped a tear from the side of his eyes, and smiled.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither The Inn at the End of the Road Upon being asked what the best gift she received was, Zavakri raised her left hand to show the ring finger, where a beautiful ring rested. She answered the group, "Cor! For me, it would be this," She seemed to not opt to explain why, but instead listened to the others answer the bugbear's question and Brutrumukk answer his own question. The innkeeper seemed especially interested in Brutrumukk's words. Out of all of the party, Aurora can hear Gabriel's singing from upstairs. When there is a moment, the innkeeper spoke to Brutrumukk with a smile and a cheerful laugh, "Ahhh! So you're one of Lady Zybilna's godchildren!" When she is met with confused looks and questions, she explains, "The woman you just described, young bugbear, was Lady Zybilna herself!"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub had been finishing his meal in embarrassed silence, when the innkeeper spoke up. While he had shown some curiosity towards Brutrumukk's story, he hadn't commented. After all, weird and unexplained things happened all over Faerun. If Jub could find a spellbook in the garbage and something like the Witchlight Carnival existed, then why couldn't Brutrumukk have some fairy godmother looking out for him? It was only when the innkeeper identified the woman as Zybilna that Jub suddenly spat out the mouthful of food he had been eating and had to take a moment to recover. "Excuse me," he said after a minute or so of spluttering. "What did you just say?!"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "Ahhh! So you're one of Lady Zybilna's godchildren!" Tsu exclaimed with a smile and a cheerful laugh. "Zip-Ill-Nah?" Brutrumukk asked with a confused expression. "The woman you just described, young bugbear, was Lady Zybilna herself!" Tsu explained. "Excuse me," Jub spluttered after spit taking in surprise. "What did you just say?!" "She just said that the woman what I was talkin' about is actually Zip-Ill-Nah 'erself" Brutrumukk repeated patiently. "Try to keep up, booyagh."</s>

<|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub had to restrain himself from shouting again, and took a deep breath. Clearly, the significance of this revelation was lost on Brutrumukk, so he'd have to break it down for him. "You remember that Misters Witch and Light named Zybilna as the archfey they worship? The same that Kettlesteam worships? The same archfey that used to rule this place before the Coven took over?" He looked around at the rest of the table. "Does anyone else find this all a crazy coincidence or am I finally losing my mind right now!?"</s>

<|description|>Miizel Throe Age: 104 Race: Rock Gnome Class: Artificer Background: Far Traveler Backstory: Sent to GM Stat generation: Rolled 4d6</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar [oops]</s> <|message|>Miizel Throe Zavakri & Miizel & The Dungeon Master As Zavakri and Miizel make their way to the Hall of Illusions, they notice that the air around them seem brighter than before. The stars above them twinkle a little more so, and the people around them seem happier. When they reach the Hall of Illusions, they see that this large tent is painted with a mural of shifting images that show grinning faeries diving into pools of color. The helical stripes of the tent's pointed canopies rotate in spirals, and the whole display seems designed to befuddle onlookers. Near the Hall of Illusions, there is a wooden mannequin of a grinning, raven-haired young woman in witch's attire and a green flowing cape hovers inside a glass cabinet. At the top of the cabinet, a sign reads "Tasha the Wizard—Known for Her Hideous Laughter." Right now, a human witchlight hand stands near the entrance of the attraction with a ticket puncher ready. Miizel approaches the witchlight hand and presents his ticket. "I've been told that a certain bugbear was last seen here." Miizel casually mentions. "Was it inside the Hall or the general area around it?" The Witchlight Hand tilts her head and she answers, clearly confused, "I'm...sorry? I'm a new Witchlight Hand, so I'm afraid I'm not sure what you're talking about. I'm just holding the fort here until Candlefoot comes back," She then asks, "Oh! Are you here for the Hall of Illusions? Well, step right up and I'll punch your tickets for the attraction!" Zavakri frowns slightly. Then severely. And finally she tilts her head a bit. "Do people truly enjoy...Illusions? I can't fathom it, honestly. Willingly allowing yourself to be deceived? That's so mind boggling, that'd be like leaving the kettle on to boil then starting a chore only to forget that you had the kettle on in the first place and having to run back across the house to get at it as it screams at you the whole time. I like my world to be the way it's supposed to be, thank you very much!" She extends her ticket all the while, offering it to the attendant despite her diatribe. "Candlefoot? New Witchlight Hand? This is all so very interesting- who's Candlefoot?" The new Witchlight Hand tilts her head as she listens to Zavakri's biting words regarding illusions. She shrugs as she answers, "I mean...I guess it depends on the person? Plus, if you're told up front that you're about to see illusions, then is it really deception to begin with? In the kettle context, by informing fairgoers that they're going to see illusions, we'd be telling them to keep an eye on the kettle, right?" She then shrugs at her own questions, her own mood cheerful despite Zavakri's words. The mood is too good for anyone to take offense. The Witchlight Hand punches Miizel's and Zavakri's tickets as she answers, "Oh! Candlefoot is the mime. He was here earlier, but then he took off running when he got his voice back! No doubt to see Palasha," Miizel looks up at Zavakri with a puzzled expression, as if just now realizing that his companion is a little bit stuck up. He then turns back to the Witchlight Hand and says. "Bah, don't worry about it. Come on let's go." As they enter he's going to say to Zavakri. "You don't have to think too much about the logic of a carnival attraction. Not everything needs to be philosophical." As Miizel and Zavakri enter the Hall of Illusions, they see tall mirrors line the interior walls of the tent. The mirrors near the entrance reflect onlookers in their youth; the images grow steadily older, until the mirrors deep within the hall reflect onlookers in their twilight years. Miizel begins to look distracted as he stares into the interior of the Hall of Illusions. His brows furrow in confusion, trying to make sense of the memories, or lack thereof. It seemed like the Hall held answers to questions he didn't know he had. Miizel begins to enter the Hall without waiting for Zavakri. "It's not about the philosophy it's about-" She watches, briefly surprised by Miizel's sudden departure. She raises a hand as if her solitary source of stability in this uncertain world were slipping away, then rushes herself along with him. "I take it you're fond of illusions then." She chimes. Miizel doesn't hear what Zavakri says and instead takes a step forward. Then another, and another, and before long he was winding down the Hall. Each step and turn had purpose in them, as if he knew this place like the back of his hand. It even surprised him. As he passes by the mirrors, he could see a younger version of himself. Dozens upon dozens of reflections of a gnome child walking through these halls. He wasn't even looking at where he was going anymore, his focus was on the reflection of a childhood long gone. Suddenly his feet came to an abrupt stop and looking forward he could see another mirror. Those around him still showed his younger self but the one in front was different. He couldn't quite make out what it is but that it tugged at something on the furthest reaches of his memory. His heart was pounding and a cold sweat began to form. Miizel took several deep breaths and slowly reached out to touch it. As he slowly reaches out to touch it, the few seconds seem to pass agonizingly slow... His heartbeat pounds louder and louder, his hand shakes more and more, until finally....! ... ... His hand touches the mirror. It rests on the mirror surface. Nothing happened when Miizel touched the mirror. Confusion overtakes the gnome's face as he puts his other hand against the mirror. He taps it a few times then begins looking around and behind it. The mirror surface remains just as solid when he places the other hand on the mirror surface. Nothing happens when he taps the mirror. He doesn't see anything odd or out of the ordinary around or behind the mirror. Miizel shakes his head and turns to look at Zavakri, an annoyed look on his face. "Sorry. I don't know what got into me. The moment we stepped into the Hall I felt something tugging at me. Pulling me forward and leading me…well…here." He turns to motion at the mirror he was just inspecting. "I've searched the mirror and the area around it but to no avail. Sorry for wasting your time." Miizel shakes his head and turns to look at Zavakri, an annoyed look on his face. "Sorry. I don't know what got into me. The moment we stepped into the Hall I felt something tugging at me. Pulling me forward and leading me…well…here." He turns to motion at the mirror he was just inspecting. "I've searched the mirror and the area around it but to no avail. Sorry for wasting your time." "Eh, what?" She blinks at him, severely distracted in her own right; this current mirror was annoyingly portraying her in all her teenaged glory... And it was not very flattering to her mind, what with her gangling limbs- and, drama!, how she needed to wash her hair more! She blinks several times before tearing her eyes away and looking to Miizel. She clears her throat, her mind digesting his words. "Oh, nonsense there chum; this place has some kind of power over us all, I'm sure of it. Each of us given a free ticket is here for a reason, though mine is plain enough. I raced off to where I felt drawn to; you did as well. To reference our conversation with Feathreen and the perceptions of time...You didn't waste my time, we're all here trying to regain some time we lost long ago." She smiles wanly and places a hand on her hip. "Frankly, friend, I'm terrified to go much further down this hall of mirrors. I don't think I'm ready to see myself as a crone. I already suspect I'll be needing glasses 'fore long, I'd hate to have a visual to back up that probability. We can stay here and look around as long as you need though! I'm not going anywhere." she offered supportively. "I appreciate that. I'm good now, I'm sure it'll come back to me as we travel the carnival." He gives her a smile and puts his hands on his hips. "Well, I suppose we should get going then." As Miizel and Zavakri head out of the Hall of Illusions, they hear the joyful sounds of the crowd bustling about outside. The carnival outside of this Hall seems to have become a much more welcoming place compared to this Hall... When they reach the outside, they see that a lot of the customers are heading for the Big Top! The next event is apparently taking place there. Within the hall, something lurks in the shadows, watching them leave before it vanishes.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour The Big Top Extravaganza As the three pairs of adventurers head for the Big Top, they notice that the Calliope seems to be giving a happier tune than when they first came in here, and everyone seems to be in a brighter mood. They also notice that the stars twinkle even brighter above the carnival. There are even some shooting stars, giving a spectacular show if one decides to look up. These adventurers are all heading to the same destination: The Big Top The roof of this tent reaches toward the night sky in three swooping peaks topped with spinning gold stars. Painted wooden panels on the tent walls whirl with colorful motion, displaying vibrant circus performances. The sound of music and laughter drifts out through the canvas door. They enter to see a lot of fairgoers also arrived to see the Big Top Extravaganza. Unfortunately, this also meant that there are fewer seats. As fate would have it: There are 6 seats in a row that are left open for them to take. The adventurers would easily notice each other as they take those seats. For one of the Witchlight Hands...this is the beginning of her shift, and of all things to start with, it has to be the Big Top Extravaganza.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk grinned eagerly as he passed the happily playing Calliope. "I think we're in the right place, booyagh." Brutrumukk said to the goblin wizard perched on his shoulder. "Just goes to show, when in doubt, always 'ead fer the biggest tent you can find. Never fails!" As he entered the Big Top, Brutrumukk became momentarily frustrated when he saw the lack of available seating. However, this frustration quickly evaporated when the bugbear caught sight of the six empty seats in a row. "Looks like we're in luck, booyagh." Brutrumukk laughed. "Let's 'urry before someone else nicks 'em!" With that said, Brutrumukk made for the empty seats.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora looked around the tent and saw how full it was for the show. There were however six seats, well four now as the bugbear and the strange gnome from earlier had made their way down to the remaining seats. "Looks pretty packed for the show Gabe, there are a few more seats down in the front. If we want to sit during the show we should probably get to the seats quickly." Aurora started to make her way down to the seats turning slightly to still talk to Gabe. "What are you looking forward to seeing during the show? I know I'm looking forward to the acrobatics."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Quite a crowd," Gabriel mused, during the walk to the big top the duelist had been oddly quiet however he seemed in better spirits probably due to the excitement filling the room as if at any second anything could happen "Best we get to our seat then yes." following Rory as she made for the remaining seats by a familiar pair "Not quite sure really, it all seems so exciting!" he answered seating himself between her and the bugbear.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar As Brutrumukk headed towards the empty seats, Jub was surveying the surrounding seats for any hint of the troublesome kenku. However, he abruptly stopped his surveillance when he spotted the familiar elf and half-elf he had almost bumped into earlier. As if suddenly self-conscious, he tugged at his hood slightly to make sure his face was still obscured. While hanging around Brutrumukk, he had felt not to worried about keeping up appearances - it certainly helped that the carnival itself seemed to be full of all sorts, making his status as a goblin seemed far less of problem then it had during his time in cities. Now, however, seeing these strangers who had been so kind and forgiving to him earlier, made him painfully aware that they might be far less accepting of him if they realised what he was. As they neared their seats, Jub suddenly hopped of Brutrumukk's shoulder and took his seat between Brutrumukk and the two strangers. "Good to see you again, comrades!" he said, putting on a more bombastic tone. "Have you been enjoying the carnival so far?"</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel didn't immediately recognize the peculiar little fellow at first, quirking an eyebrow as he turned in his seat. In fact this was Jub the Peculiar, the one who definitely wasn't a goblin "A hello yourself my short fellow," the side of the duelist's mouth curved up into a rakish smile "It'd be better if they served hard liquor but I..I mean we made due."</s>

<|message|>Miizel Throe As Miizel and Zavakri made their way to the Big Top, the gnome was having trouble navigating. It was less about the direction and more about size. The place was packed and he found himself being constantly bumped and pushed around. Needless to say, this irked him rather quickly. "Watch where you're going you shit with legs!" He yelled at one before turning to another who bumped into him saying. "Just cause you're tall doesn't mean you can't fall!" Before balling up his fists and punching the poor fellow's kneecaps. But his efforts at deterring people were useless as everyone rushed to get seats which caused more collisions and only served to infuriate him more. He grabs Zavakri's arm, signaling her to stop before reaching into his pouch and pulled out a handful of ball bearings before tossing them into the ground in front of them. Scattering the tiny metal balls into the crowd.</s>

<|description|>Miizel Throe Age: 104 Race: Rock Gnome Class: Artificer Background: Far Traveler Backstory: Sent to GM Stat generation: Rolled 4d6</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel hadn't escaped life on the streets for nothing, who he was with every fiber of his being was carefully and meticulously groomed to be a performer however he was no garish entertainer nor was he some jester or fool. Nay he was a swordsman and a damned good one, his hands were quick to play with the basket hilt of his fine rapier as he listened to Mister White. A habitual tick if you will as Aurora might have guessed, yet now it meant something different, it was a challenge. It was a dare to draw, to cross steel. And then he did. Shing Blade flashing in the low light of the spectator seating the shine of his rapier was like a star against a night sky, it's hum like a dissonant melody that slowly faded. Wordlessly the bard leapt into the circus ring, onto the dirt floor deftly rolling to his feet before the likes of Mister White with a bow "I will share my talent sir," he threw off his vest looking to the audience "A duel, a show of arms but I will need an opponent..." it was as much of a challenge as it was a request, but who would answer it's call?</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk looked on in wonder as the extravaganza commenced. He cheered loudly when Mister Light introduced Palasha. When Burly the Bugbear performed his feats of strength, Brutrumukk idly noted to those about him. "I could top that easy." He watched the other acts eagerly. And when Candlefoot came to play his games, Brutrumukk was all to happy to join in. At the end of the finale, no one cheered louder than Brutrumukk. Just as he was about to turn to Jub and ask where they should go next though, Brutrumukk held his tongue as Mister Light offered the audience a chance to show off their talents. One of the people he'd been sitting with was the first to respond, entering the ring and calling on any member of the audience to face him in a duel. Brutrumukk was all to happy to accept. Brutrumukk made his way to the front of the stands and vaulted into the ring below. However, before approaching the duelist, Brutrumukk made a stop at the weights that Burly had been using. He walked up to a steel barbell and, much the the confusion of the crowd, removed the weights attached to it. Brutrumukk's reasons for doing so would soon become clear though, as he picked up the barbell and attempted to bend it. For a moment is looked like he wouldn't be able to do it. But then his breathing became ragged, his eyed became bloodshot, and the barbell slowly bent by few degrees. But just as people began to truly doubt his strength, Brutrumukk unleashed a great and terrible roar and folded the barbell quickly and neatly in half with one last mighty push. "OI! KENKU GIT WHAT STOLE CANDLEFOOT'S VOICE AN' SAID MEAN THINGS ABOUT PALASHA'S SINGIN'!" Brutrumukk bellowed for all to hear as he held the bent barbell aloft. "IF YER OUT THERE, IF YOU CAN SEE THIS, IF YOU CAN 'EAR ME, TAKE A GOOD LOOK! WHEN I GET ME 'ANDS ON YA, THIS IS GONNA BE YOU!" With that said, Brutrumukk dropped the barbell, turned to the duelist, and drew his morningstar and shield. "HRUGGEK!" Brutrumukk roared before charging the man. Brutrumukk fought with great strength and ferocity, shaking the ground and kicking up dust with every swing and strike. However, Brutrumukk maintained enough sense to remember that this was all meant to be an act and made sure his 'opponent' was never in any true danger from his attacks. Bonus Action: Brutrumukk enters a rage. Action: Brutrumukk rolls a 22 to entertain the crowd with feats of strength and combat prowess.</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub wasn't sure what he had expected upon questioning the human woman, but he had definitely not be prepared for the barrage of words he received. His eyes started to go slightly crossed as Zavakri continued to speak, and only returned to their usual state once the Big Top Extravanganza began, causing him to tear his attention away from the woman and his thoughts away from finding the kenku. Instead, he simply enjoyed the show, and like Brutrumukk, he cheered very loudly when Palasha and Candlefoot performed. When Mister Light then called out if anyone wanted to join in with the show, Jub's ears perked up and he was about to stand... only to immediately sit down when the half-elven swordsman stood up, brandishing a sword, called for anyone who wished to duel with him. Nope. Had it been a magic duel, he might have considered it, but sword-fighting was definitely not his forte, as countless failed sparring matches with his fellow goblins back in his tribe had shown him. However, Brutrumukk stepped forward to challenge the swordsman, Jub decided to take this as an opportunity both to show off his skills to a large audience AND to spotlight his new friend. He followed the bugbear into the ring, making sure to keep a distance from the fight, before attempting to use Prestidigitation to write Brutrumukk's names in sparks above the bugbear, as he had once seen talented firework artists do.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Oh shi-" raising his weapon, Gabriel deftly deflected the hit with his blade however the duelist bit his tongue with a pained wince as the force behind the bugbears attack was crushing. He spun on his heel backwards from his opponent, with a wide grin on his face and chuckled "En garde, then." it wasn't a fight to the death thus the riposte the swordsman struck was instead masterfully directed to the bugbears shield arm, in a moment where the swordsman saw an opportunity when Brutrumukk dropped his guard. Suddenly the shield flew to the side as the swordsman glanced a blow off the bugbears arm causing him to release it. Then he held the point of the rapier to his opponents chest. The duel was concluded.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Though his opponent thought the duel was over simply because he'd lost his shield, Brutrumukk still had his weapon and was having far too much fun to stop just yet. The bugbear swung his morningstar and deflected the rapier's point away from his chest. This allowed the fight to continue on for a little while longer, until finally Brutrumukk's weapon was also knocked away. Then and only then did he concede the duel. A grin came to Brutrumukk's face as his rage cooled. Once it had subsided completely, the bugbear let loose a thunderous laugh and gave his opponent an congratulatory slap on the back. "Good fight, mate!" Brutrumukk exclaimed happily. "Let's do it again sometime!"</s> <|message|>Zavakri "Oh, good. Nobody died." Zavakri muttered under her breath as she clapped politely, as if witnessing a pageant.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel cringed at the sheer force behind the bugbear's jovial slap upon his back, the damned goblinoid had a strong-arm if the duelist had ever seen one "If my back ever recovers..." the bard wheezed, but mirrored the bugbears grin before straightening up and sheathing his weapon. He was bruised and sore, not much worse for wear though "Certainly a strong bastard." he said with a laugh, nursing his shoulder with a free hand.</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak was picking dirt from her nails instead of watching the dual. She had to admit that she was more interested in seeing a bugbear there, but mostly cause she always wanted to tattoo one. During this time, she was lost in her head trying to figure out how to ink him with all the fur there. Dye maybe? Not really tattooing but could be just as fun.... huh...</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour What Happens Next... Mister Light quirked an eyebrow as Gabriel unsheathed his sword, but he smiled when Gabriel made it clear that his act is swordplay. He discreetly moved out of the ring as Brutrumukk comes and displays his show of strength. The crowd gasps and gives various "Oohs" and "Ahs" at the display. Some murmur in confusion over the mention of the kenku, but that doesn't distract them too much from the show. Gabriel's swordplay against Brutrumukk garnered similar reactions as they watch Gabriel just barely triumph over the bugbear barbarian. They cheered at the swordplay tricks and flourishes that were performed during the spar. They gave an applause to him after the faux battle was finished. Jub's magical display of Brutrumukk's name gets cheers and applause as the fireworks. It served as a grand finale to the acts Brutrumukk and Gabriel put forth. After their acts, nobody else steps forward, and the crowd begins to shuffle out. When the party of 6 is reunited, the same lanky bugbear wearing dungarees, fairy wings, and a helmet made from a jack-o'-lantern from the extravaganza approaches them. "Follow me," he growls. "Management wants to see you." Before leading the party of 6, he looks at Tsak and nods towards the backstage area.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Gabriel frowned, then looked to Aurora and back to the bugbear in his dungarees "I've a bad feeling about this." Gabe leaned over to whisper to the elf in a hushed tone.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora throughly enjoyed the show, though she thought Gabe and Brutrumukk's performances to be a bit too much. The games with Candlefoot, Palasha's songs, and the acrobatics. The acrobatics part of the show did send her back many years ago to the night Xander and her snuck in. She absent mindedly fiddled with her right ring finger with her thumb, remembering the ring she lost that night. Having never figured out where it went she had forgotten about it until just now and the words that were spoken to her when she got caught. "Silly little screeching cricket," said Witch. "You forgot to buy a ticket." "The carnival goes round and round," said Light. "The multiverse is our playground. Nothing's free and nothing's lost. Every visit has its cost." After a few more minutes of contemplation Aurora realized why she had really come to the carnival again. She needed to find that ring, and the scroll that she had with it. She looked up as Gabe whispered in her ear about having a bad feeling about something. "What would they like to see us about? Have we done something wrong?" She directed the questions to the bugbear that had approached the group.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour What Happens Next... The bugbear looks to Aurora, and with a wave of his hand, he reassures her and the rest of the group, "No, you haven't done anything wrong. While I don't know what they want to talk to you about, I can assure you that there's nothing to worry about. The bosses are in high spirits," He then turns to lead the group to management and repeats, "Please, come this way,"</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak starts to somewhat pay attention towards the end of the dual, clapping when everyone else does. She would notice Burly's nod, nodding back at him before looking around and following the bugbear.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Once the show was finally over for real this time, Brutrumukk picked up Jub and placed his newfound shoulder goblin on his shoulder. "That was some good stuff ya did back there, booyagh." Brutrumukk said to Jub as he made to clear out with the crowd. "Now that that's over, what say you an' I 'ead on over to the Feastin' Orchard again. I dunno about you, but I've got an 'unger on!" Before Jub could answer though, Burly the Bugbear would come along and ask the party to follow him to see the bosses. "Well this should be interestin'." Brutrumukk said to Jub before following the other Burly's lead and listening quietly to the conversations the others were having with this new bugbear.</s> <|message|>Zavakri Zavakri fell strangely silent and occupied herself at the rear of the party, mentally forming herself into a queue with the others, as the bugbear declared that the management needed to see them. Because of course it did; why else would they have been given tickets? She licked her lips, mentally preparing herself against the dread horror she experienced, as she followed along.</s>

<|message|>Miizel Throe As soon as the show started, Miizel slunk back into his seat, trying to hide himself. Whether it was because of the chaos he had caused or something else, he didn't know. When Mr. Light entered the stage he had gotten his answer. It was something else. Definitely something else but he couldn't pinpoint what. All throughout the show he kept one on the Witchlight's owner and another on his crossbow, ready in case anything should happen. He flinched a bit when the human male he was sitting with drew a blade and let out a yelp when the bugbear roared. What are these fools thinking?? Once the theatrics were over he finally managed to breath a sigh of relief, however, just when he thought things were finally dying down he was greeted with two Witchlight hands which wanted to take him and his group to meet management. Although they said there was nothing wrong he couldn't help but feel uneasy. Still keeping a hand on his crossbow, he followed the others.</s>

<|description|>Zavakri Age 20 Race Stock-Standard-Human Class Sorcerer Clockwork Soul Level 2 Background Sage [Astronomer and Mathematician] Personality Zavakri is an eccentric woman. She is occupied by obsessive compulsions and nervous tics that render her a difficult person to directly engage with in a meaningful manner. She desires cleanliness and hygienic well-being, as well as order and logic to the structure and organization of things. Things being crooked really bother her, to put it succinctly, and she can't quite stop herself from trying to straighten things up. She has a queer sense of humor. Amusement is seemingly found in all things, especially things that work out Just Right or Just So. Above all else the woman is a curious bundle of nerves; She is simultaneously willing to open Schrodinger's Box whilst being terrified of what might be inside of it. There had been an argument. Zavakri could remember having it. She could remember seeing her sister's face; eyes full of tears and that lip twitching with youthful petulance. The worst part is, Zavakri could remember her own cruelty... "I don't care what you want, Tara! I only brought you along because mum said I had to look out for you!" These words had a profound affect upon the young girl known as Detara. Her face scrunched up. The tears fell. Her small hands curled into grubby fists. A deep breath filled her cheeks, before she yelled back into Zavakri's own stubborn indignance; "If you don't care what I want, I don't care about you!" A classic child's tantrum tactic, well executed and expertly crafted. Detara was good at this 'being a younger sister' thing; it came to her naturally from birth. This had meant that for nearly eight years she had plagued Zavakri's own social efforts and parental needs- but it had all come to a head today, with a split vote on what to do at the Carnival. Detara had a wondrous solution to their seeming incapability to resolve their differences; she turned, shut her eyes, and sprinted into the crowd. Leaving Zavakri stunned and gazing after her. In a few more seconds the world came crashing down and she realized that her Older Sister Duty was to chase after her, and so logical pathing set in. Hours passed. The day passed. The sun began to set. She found herself alone at the entrance to the Carnival. She was hopeless, looking around in a manner best described as 'frantic' for any sign of her wayward sister. The carnival only came once every eight years- so far that was once in her lifetime!- and Detara had thoroughly secreted herself away in the crowd. Zavakri needed help. She turned and accidentally bumped into two important-seeming Elves who had come to wave away the last of the guests. She lifted her face to them, enthralled in wonder by their visages. She asked if they knew where her sister was. "Silly little screeching cricket," said Witch. "You forgot to buy a ticket." "The carnival goes round and round," said Light. "The multiverse is our playground. Nothing's free and nothing's lost. Every visit has its cost." --- Order. The world needed Order. The world needed Logic. The world needed a Foundation. Zavakri was a sinking girl with nowhere to plant her feet. No ropes to grab hold of. No ladders to climb. The weight of a lost sister forever on her shoulders. Depression claimed her. Absconded with the rest of her childhood and and waged a strong war against her lesser teenage years. Nothing made any sense. The world was a hopeless spiral of guilt and shame. Nothing held her interest- certainly not the family farmstead, of which she was now the sole daughter of the lot and therefor the one tasked with assisting the mother with cleaning and cooking. Days blurred into weeks which blended into months which faded into forgotten years. Until one day something clicked. It all started with a bump on the head. More precisely, a thrown apple. An apple thrown by a boy. A cute boy. A boy who was feeling brave today. --- Zavakri had been sitting at the riverside, contemplating absolutely nothing and dreading absolutely everything, as she idled beside a laundry basket that desperately needed her attention. Three brothers and an uncle sharing the farmstead meant there was always plenty of cleaning to do, and never enough energy to contemplate the best order to do it all in. Which meant she had to trudge through inefficient cleaning methods and tasks, which only further spiraled her into her depressive state. She sighed. Dramatically, mind you. A proper dejection. Then she leaned forward onto her knees and braced her elbows upon them, servicing her head with a platform of her hands as she rocked forward to stare down into the waters. It was a good, deep, existential crisis. Until the apple hit her upon the head. It collided with her squarely. A proper throw, from an athletically inclined arm. She yelped, eyes wide, and watched the reflection of the apple as it arced through the air- Let Apple equal X. Parabolic function presented, X moving at V of...Account for air resistance, coefficient F d ...Let Hand, right, move to position coordinate X,Y,Z... And swiftly snatched it out of the air with her right hand as her left rose slowly to rub at the soreness of the back of her head. It was a boyish method, to be sure, but it had accomplished its task. Zavakri lifted her eyes in what felt like the first time in her life. And to top it all off, there was the spark of magic in the air. --- "Do you see that, Rirvudd?" She whispered it quietly to the young man beside her. He was maybe a year older than her, and by now she herself was a woman of eighteen- and both yearned for more than the simple village they called home. "Aye." He whispered back, smirking. "Though you'll have to explain it to me. I don't quite know what it is I'm seeing." It was easy bait, he knew she'd bite- he just liked listening to her ramble. And ramble she did; It was a star- or perhaps a planet- maybe an asteroid?- It was impossible to tell with the naked eye, but from how Zavakri talked you wouldn't have known that. They were outside the village, high atop a nearby hill where they had an unobstructed view of the night sky. She waxed and waned about it all, clutching in her hands a quill and parchment- both well used by now. The quill's feather had practically withered away, whereas the parchment was meticulously filled with painstaking notes of astronomic geography. A detailed and thorough star map, gracefully and lovingly drawn by Zavakri herself. After a polite amount of her torrential musings, Rirvudd cleared his throat and caught her eye. "You can't avoid the festival every year, Kri." He said softly. Already the girl had tensed up and looked away, but he'd already tread upon the landmine. "Lliira's Night is a night of joy, dancing, fun-" "I can't." She said quietly. "You know I can't, Riri, you know I can't." Despite her closed off physicality- her arms having dropped their possessions and fled to the safety of hugging her own torso- and visibly shaken nature, Rirvudd can be applauded for his boyish bravery for wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close. She accepted his offer of warmth and leaned her head upon his shoulder. "...I would like to." she added, softly. "But I just can't. The music- the dancing- it reminds me of Tara. If I'd just-" Rirvudd was ready for this. He wasn't about to let her do this to herself again. "Baldur's Gate. It has an Astrolabe, right?" "Well, a big city like that'd have a Planisphere, dioptra, an astrolabe-" "You know what I mean. It'd have a proper facility for doing all this, right?" "Well, yes. I suppose it would." "Then come with me. To Baldur's Gate. Father said I was old enough to handle the Market trips. You and I both know that without you I'd be lost on the economics of it all, anyway, and end up costing the village some silver. Or, maybe, if you don't go with me I'd see a pretty skirt or two and lose my hea-" Before he could conclude himself, Zavakri rolled her eyes and shoved him. He toppled over as if she'd pricked a balloon and tossed it aside. She crossed her legs and stared at him, leaning back against the rock they'd made their small camp against. "You? Chasing skirts? Riri, you'd only be running because I'd be behind you about to tear that stupid beard off your face for even trying." She stood up, her hands moving in the air- Light is merely a visible interference on the electromagnetic spectrum...Light move in waves, waves have frequencies, frequencies have patterns, patterns are formulae...Let Light equal X, let wave length... -And suddenly her hairband was glowing faintly, illuminating the area around them in a soft light. "Of course I'll go with you. Now stand up and dance with me, you stupid boy, before I change my mind." He would have been truly foolish not to take her outstretched hand. As it turns out, her rhythm was impeccable- though she did lack in style. --- Zavakri arrived in Baldur's Gate sopping wet and cradling her work fervently in her arms like a mother would a sick babe. A storm had rolled in, ruined a portion of the harvest they'd come to sell, and forced Zavakri and Rirvudd to take shelter in a traveler's inn for several days before Zavakri managed to pry herself away from her lover. A storm could no longer delay her. A storm could no longer risk her timing. She'd made sure of it. After their first few trips to Baldur's Gate, Zavakri's guidance and studies of the Markets coupled with Rirvudd's ability to talk a bird out of its feathers had resulted in the purchase of a low quality telescope. A low quality telescope had afforded Zavakri an infinite amount of study and furthering of her notes. Her notes were now something precious indeed, and unless she was wrong- The math was there, it added up, it could not be wrong! The math is never wrong!- there was something very special happening indeed. She ran through the streets, her hood heavy with the rain but of that rustic farm quality that expects such burdens and thus still serviceable and safe to be wearing. To her own senses, her footfalls felt like lightning and the echo of her steps rolled like the thunder. Haste was of the essence. It was happening tonight, and if she could prove it there's no way they'd turn her away this time! Every trip she'd approach the sages of Baldur's Gate with her studies and findings only to be refuted and turned away or otherwise doubted by those with more practical education and study than her- prejudice against the plain peasant girl as brazen as a bull within the higher tier educated society of the big city. Every trip she swore she'd return with more knowledge and more passion until one day she'd truly amaze them. Turns out this was the trip, she was right. The Garden had shifted in its orbit a fraction of a degree! The implications of such a thing- While to the rest of us this may seem absolutely inconsequential and ludicrously infinitesimal, to those who watch the sky for a living such a claim has centuries of interest baked into it. For it to have been noticed by Zavakri of all people? Why, it earned her a job. Doing exactly what she spent all those years on a hilltop doing for free, she was now to be paid and lauded for. --- A year passed, her spirits higher than ever- but her mannerisms all the more eccentric. She and Rirvudd were engaged now, but their work kept them separate for much time. She was often required to keep an eye on some such thing in the stars, and his work had grown under her advisement from simple village merchant into that of a fledgling caravanner. Things were looking up for them. It is perhaps unfortunate that the two had lost track of time in their joy. Rirvudd was away on a trip to Waterdeep when the news came and took Zavakri by storm; The Witchlight Carnival was returning. Her world shook, fractures appearing in the stable foundation of her life. She'd never sought adventure before. Danger was something that happened to other people- her career was built on all the action happening an incomprehensible distance away!... but she had to go back. Curiosity had always been her greatest strength, and greatest weakness. She had to find out what had become of Detara. She'd only been as certain of one other thing in her life. Stat Generation Rolled That 4d6 And Lived With It.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Krog "Yes well, I'll just take the ticket." Gabriel leaned on the ticket booth counter to take his ticket stub, offering the open palm of his hand. Once the ticket goblin hands it to him, Gabriel steps to the side next to Aurora with a smile "So, what's the plan?"</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora "I was think of going to the Hall of Illusions first. After that maybe the Mystery Mine or the Snail Races." She started to walk in the direction of the Hall of Illusions keeping a reasonable pace. "Though should probably make time for dinner before to long."</s>

<|message|>Zavakri "--Lost Property? Gosh, it couldn't be that simple..." She lifts her head, realizing that everyone was beginning to wander away. That wasn't what 'parties' did in the stories she'd heard. Nay, they were supposed to stick together through the thick and the thin- and from what she heard it really was mostly thin- and face unseen perils and form a tight knit bond of comradery that would face the test of time and the gods themselves. The Flaming Fist were extremely clear about this sort of thing in their complaints in the taverns, and the Adventurers she'd met in passing were just plum full of those sorts of stories themselves! ...In short, she already felt quite doomed. She took a deep breath and drummed her fingers on her thighs, thinking... Until the words flowing around her managed to penetrate through the mental barrier of general mathematics she had to constantly balance to breathe properly and remember how to chew food. "--Wait, last night? LAST NIGHT?" She groaned. "Of course it's the last night! Oh, drama!" She let out a sigh that resonated from deep within her endless pools of angst, born from her dark teenaged years, and hastily trudged off. Walking with Purpose, as it were, as she pursued the Lost Property area with haste.</s>

<|description|>Zavakri Age 20 Race Stock-Standard-Human Class Sorcerer Clockwork Soul Level 2 Background Sage [Astronomer and Mathematician] Personality Zavakri is an eccentric woman. She is occupied by obsessive compulsions and nervous tics that render her a difficult person to directly engage with in a meaningful manner. She desires cleanliness and hygienic well-being, as well as order and logic to the structure and organization of things. Things being crooked really bother her, to put it succinctly, and she can't quite stop herself from trying to straighten things up. She has a queer sense of humor. Amusement is seemingly found in all things, especially things that work out Just Right or Just So. Above all else the woman is a curious bundle of nerves; She is simultaneously willing to open Schrodinger's Box whilst being terrified of what might be inside of it. There had been an argument. Zavakri could remember having it. She could remember seeing her sister's face; eyes full of tears and that lip twitching with youthful petulance. The worst part is, Zavakri could remember her own cruelty... "I don't care what you want, Tara! I only brought you along because mum said I had to look out for you!" These words had a profound affect upon the young girl known as Detara. Her face scrunched up. The tears fell. Her small hands curled into grubby fists. A deep breath filled her cheeks, before she yelled back into Zavakri's own stubborn indignance; "If you don't care what I want, I don't care about you!" A classic child's tantrum tactic, well executed and expertly crafted. Detara was good at this 'being a younger sister' thing; it came to her naturally from birth. This had meant that for nearly eight years she had plagued Zavakri's own social efforts and parental needs- but it had all come to a head today, with a split vote on what to do at the Carnival. Detara had a wondrous solution to their seeming incapability to resolve their differences; she turned, shut her eyes, and sprinted into the crowd. Leaving Zavakri stunned and gazing after her. In a few more seconds the world came crashing down and she realized that her Older Sister Duty was to chase after her, and so logical pathing set in. Hours passed. The day passed. The sun began to set. She found herself alone at the entrance to the Carnival. She was hopeless, looking around in a manner best described as 'frantic' for any sign of her wayward sister. The carnival only came once every eight years- so far that was once in her lifetime!- and Detara had thoroughly secreted herself away in the crowd. Zavakri needed help. She turned and accidentally bumped into two important-seeming Elves who had come to wave away the last of the guests. She lifted her face to them, enthralled in wonder by their visages. She asked if they knew where her sister was. "Silly little screeching cricket," said Witch. "You forgot to buy a ticket." "The carnival goes round and round," said Light. "The multiverse is our playground. Nothing's free and nothing's lost. Every visit has its cost." --- Order. The world needed Order. The world needed Logic. The world needed a Foundation. Zavakri was a sinking girl with nowhere to plant her feet. No ropes to grab hold of. No ladders to climb. The weight of a lost sister forever on her shoulders. Depression claimed her. Absconded with the rest of her childhood and and waged a strong war against her lesser teenage years. Nothing made any sense. The world was a hopeless spiral of guilt and shame. Nothing held her interest- certainly not the family farmstead, of which she was now the sole daughter of the lot and therefor the one tasked with assisting the mother with cleaning and cooking. Days blurred into weeks which blended into months which faded into forgotten years. Until one day something clicked. It all started with a bump on the head. More precisely, a thrown apple. An apple thrown by a boy. A cute boy. A boy who was feeling brave today. --- Zavakri had been sitting at the riverside, contemplating absolutely nothing and dreading absolutely everything, as she idled beside a laundry basket that desperately needed her attention. Three brothers and an uncle sharing the farmstead meant there was always plenty of cleaning to do, and never enough energy to contemplate the best order to do it all in. Which meant she had to trudge through inefficient cleaning methods and tasks, which only further spiraled her into her depressive state. She sighed. Dramatically, mind you. A proper dejection. Then she leaned forward onto her knees and braced her elbows upon them, servicing her head with a platform of her hands as she rocked forward to stare down into the waters. It was a good, deep, existential crisis. Until the apple hit her upon the head. It collided with her squarely. A proper throw, from an athletically inclined arm. She yelped, eyes wide, and watched the reflection of the apple as it arced through the air- Let Apple equal X. Parabolic function presented, X moving at V of...Account for air resistance, coefficient F d ...Let Hand, right, move to position coordinate X,Y,Z... And swiftly snatched it out of the air with her right hand as her left rose slowly to rub at the soreness of the back of her head. It was a boyish method, to be sure, but it had accomplished its task. Zavakri lifted her eyes in what felt like the first time in her life. And to top it all off, there was the spark of magic in the air. --- "Do you see that, Rirvudd?" She whispered it quietly to the young man beside her. He was maybe a year older than her, and by now she herself was a woman of eighteen- and both yearned for more than the simple village they called home. "Aye." He whispered back, smirking. "Though you'll have to explain it to me. I don't quite know what it is I'm seeing." It was easy bait, he knew she'd bite- he just liked listening to her ramble. And ramble she did; It was a star- or perhaps a planet- maybe an asteroid?- It was impossible to tell with the naked eye, but from how Zavakri talked you wouldn't have known that. They were outside the village, high atop a nearby hill where they had an unobstructed view of the night sky. She waxed and waned about it all, clutching in her hands a quill and parchment- both well used by now. The quill's feather had practically withered away, whereas the parchment was meticulously filled with painstaking notes of astronomic geography. A detailed and thorough star map, gracefully and lovingly drawn by Zavakri herself. After a polite amount of her torrential musings, Rirvudd cleared his throat and caught her eye. "You can't avoid the festival every year, Kri." He said softly. Already the girl had tensed up and looked away, but he'd already tread upon the landmine. "Lliira's Night is a night of joy, dancing, fun-" "I can't." She said quietly. "You know I can't, Riri, you know I can't." Despite her closed off physicality- her arms having dropped their possessions and fled to the safety of hugging her own torso- and visibly shaken nature, Rirvudd can be applauded for his boyish bravery for wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close. She accepted his offer of warmth and leaned her head upon his shoulder. "...I would like to." she added, softly. "But I just can't. The music- the dancing- it reminds me of Tara. If I'd just-" Rirvudd was ready for this. He wasn't about to let her do this to herself again. "Baldur's Gate. It has an Astrolabe, right?" "Well, a big city like that'd have a Planisphere, dioptra, an astrolabe-" "You know what I mean. It'd have a proper facility for doing all this, right?" "Well, yes. I suppose it would." "Then come with me. To Baldur's Gate. Father said I was old enough to handle the Market trips. You and I both know that without you I'd be lost on the economics of it all, anyway, and end up costing the village some silver. Or, maybe, if you don't go with me I'd see a pretty skirt or two and lose my hea-" Before he could conclude himself, Zavakri rolled her eyes and shoved him. He toppled over as if she'd pricked a balloon and tossed it aside. She crossed her legs and stared at him, leaning back against the rock they'd made their small camp against. "You? Chasing skirts? Riri, you'd only be running because I'd be behind you about to tear that stupid beard off your face for even trying." She stood up, her hands moving in the air- Light is merely a visible interference on the electromagnetic spectrum...Light move in waves, waves have frequencies, frequencies have patterns, patterns are formulae...Let Light equal X, let wave length... -And suddenly her hairband was glowing faintly, illuminating the area around them in a soft light. "Of course I'll go with you. Now stand up and dance with me, you stupid boy, before I change my mind." He would have been truly foolish not to take her outstretched hand. As it turns out, her rhythm was impeccable- though she did lack in style. --- Zavakri arrived in Baldur's Gate sopping wet and cradling her work fervently in her arms like a mother would a sick babe. A storm had rolled in, ruined a portion of the harvest they'd come to sell, and forced Zavakri and Rirvudd to take shelter in a traveler's inn for several days before Zavakri managed to pry herself away from her lover. A storm could no longer delay her. A storm could no longer risk her timing. She'd made sure of it. After their first few trips to Baldur's Gate, Zavakri's guidance and studies of the Markets coupled with Rirvudd's ability to talk a bird out of its feathers had resulted in the purchase of a low quality telescope. A low quality telescope had afforded Zavakri an infinite amount of study and furthering of her notes. Her notes were now something precious indeed, and unless she was wrong- The math was there, it added up, it could not be wrong! The math is never wrong!- there was something very special happening indeed. She ran through the streets, her hood heavy with the rain but of that rustic farm quality that expects such burdens and thus still serviceable and safe to be wearing. To her own senses, her footfalls felt like lightning and the echo of her steps rolled like the thunder. Haste was of the essence. It was happening tonight, and if she could prove it there's no way they'd turn her away this time! Every trip she'd approach the sages of Baldur's Gate with her studies and findings only to be refuted and turned away or otherwise doubted by those with more practical education and study than her- prejudice against the plain peasant girl as brazen as a bull within the higher tier educated society of the big city. Every trip she swore she'd return with more knowledge and more passion until one day she'd truly amaze them. Turns out this was the trip, she was right. The Garden had shifted in its orbit a fraction of a degree! The implications of such a thing- While to the rest of us this may seem absolutely inconsequential and ludicrously infinitesimal, to those who watch the sky for a living such a claim has centuries of interest baked into it. For it to have been noticed by Zavakri of all people? Why, it earned her a job. Doing exactly what she spent all those years on a hilltop doing for free, she was now to be paid and lauded for. --- A year passed, her spirits higher than ever- but her mannerisms all the more eccentric. She and Rirvudd were engaged now, but their work kept them separate for much time. She was often required to keep an eye on some such thing in the stars, and his work had grown under her advisement from simple village merchant into that of a fledgling caravanner. Things were looking up for them. It is perhaps unfortunate that the two had lost track of time in their joy. Rirvudd was away on a trip to Waterdeep when the news came and took Zavakri by storm; The Witchlight Carnival was returning. Her world shook, fractures appearing in the stable foundation of her life. She'd never sought adventure before. Danger was something that happened to other people- her career was built on all the action happening an incomprehensible distance away!... but she had to go back. Curiosity had always been her greatest strength, and greatest weakness. She had to find out what had become of Detara. She'd only been as certain of one other thing in her life. Stat Generation Rolled That 4d6 And Lived With It.</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L "Oh shi-" raising his weapon, Gabriel deftly deflected the hit with his blade however the duelist bit his tongue with a pained wince as the force behind the bugbears attack was crushing. He spun on his heel backwards from his opponent, with a wide grin on his face and chuckled "En garde, then." it wasn't a fight to the death thus the riposte the swordsman struck was instead masterfully directed to the bugbears shield arm, in a moment where the swordsman saw an opportunity when Brutrumukk dropped his guard. Suddenly the shield flew to the side as the swordsman glanced a blow off the bugbears arm causing him to release it. Then he held the point of the rapier to his opponents chest. The duel was concluded.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Though his opponent thought the duel was over simply because he'd lost his shield, Brutrumukk still had his weapon and was having far too much fun to stop just yet. The bugbear swung his morningstar and deflected the rapier's point away from his chest. This allowed the fight to continue on for a little while longer, until finally Brutrumukk's weapon was also knocked away. Then and only then did he concede the duel. A grin came to Brutrumukk's face as his rage cooled. Once it had subsided completely, the bugbear let loose a thunderous laugh and gave his opponent an congratulatory slap on the back. "Good fight, mate!" Brutrumukk exclaimed happily. "Let's do it again sometime!"</s>

<|message|>Zavakri "Oh, good. Nobody died." Zavakri muttered under her breath as she clapped politely, as if witnessing a pageant.</s>

<|description|>Zavakri Age 20 Race Stock-Standard-Human Class Sorcerer Clockwork Soul Level 2 Background Sage [Astronomer and Mathematician] Personality Zavakri is an eccentric woman. She is occupied by obsessive compulsions and nervous tics that render her a difficult person to directly engage with in a meaningful manner. She desires cleanliness and hygienic well-being, as well as order and logic to the structure and organization of things. Things being crooked really bother her, to put it succinctly, and she can't quite stop herself from trying to straighten things up. She has a queer sense of humor. Amusement is seemingly found in all things, especially things that work out Just Right or Just So. Above all else the woman is a curious bundle of nerves; She is simultaneously willing to open Schrodinger's Box whilst being terrified of what might be inside of it. There had been an argument. Zavakri could remember having it. She could remember seeing her sister's face; eyes full of tears and that lip twitching with youthful petulance. The worst part is, Zavakri could remember her own cruelty... "I don't care what you want, Tara! I only brought you along because mum said I had to look out for you!" These words had a profound affect upon the young girl known as Detara. Her face scrunched up. The tears fell. Her small hands curled into grubby fists. A deep breath filled her cheeks, before she yelled back into Zavakri's own stubborn indignance; "If you don't care what I want, I don't care about you!" A classic child's tantrum tactic, well executed and expertly crafted. Detara was good at this 'being a younger sister' thing; it came to her naturally from birth. This had meant that for nearly eight years she had plagued Zavakri's own social efforts and parental needs- but it had all come to a head today, with a split vote on what to do at the Carnival. Detara had a wondrous solution to their seeming incapability to resolve their differences; she turned, shut her eyes, and sprinted into the crowd. Leaving Zavakri stunned and gazing after her. In a few more seconds the world came crashing down and she realized that her Older Sister Duty was to chase after her, and so logical pathing set in. Hours passed. The day passed. The sun began to set. She found herself alone at the entrance to the Carnival. She was hopeless, looking around in a manner best described as 'frantic' for any sign of her wayward sister. The carnival only came once every eight years- so far that was once in her lifetime!- and Detara had thoroughly secreted herself away in the crowd. Zavakri needed help. She turned and accidentally bumped into two important-seeming Elves who had come to wave away the last of the guests. She lifted her face to them, enthralled in wonder by their visages. She asked if they knew where her sister was. "Silly little screeching cricket," said Witch. "You forgot to buy a ticket." "The carnival goes round and round," said Light. "The multiverse is our playground. Nothing's free and nothing's lost. Every visit has its cost." --- Order. The world needed Order. The world needed Logic. The world needed a Foundation. Zavakri was a sinking girl with nowhere to plant her feet. No ropes to grab hold of. No ladders to climb. The weight of a lost sister forever on her shoulders. Depression claimed her. Absconded with the rest of her childhood and and waged a strong war against her lesser teenage years. Nothing made any sense. The world was a hopeless spiral of guilt and shame. Nothing held her interest- certainly not the family farmstead, of which she was now the sole daughter of the lot and therefor the one tasked with assisting the mother with cleaning and cooking. Days blurred into weeks which blended into months which faded into forgotten years. Until one day something clicked. It all started with a bump on the head. More precisely, a thrown apple. An apple thrown by a boy. A cute boy. A boy who was feeling brave today. --- Zavakri had been sitting at the riverside, contemplating absolutely nothing and dreading absolutely everything, as she idled beside a laundry basket that desperately needed her attention. Three brothers and an uncle sharing the farmstead meant there was always plenty of cleaning to do, and never enough energy to contemplate the best order to do it all in. Which meant she had to trudge through inefficient cleaning methods and tasks, which only further spiraled her into her depressive state. She sighed. Dramatically, mind you. A proper dejection. Then she leaned forward onto her knees and braced her elbows upon them, servicing her head with a platform of her hands as she rocked forward to stare down into the waters. It was a good, deep, existential crisis. Until the apple hit her upon the head. It collided with her squarely. A proper throw, from an athletically inclined arm. She yelped, eyes wide, and watched the reflection of the apple as it arced through the air- Let Apple equal X. Parabolic function presented, X moving at V of...Account for air resistance, coefficient F d ...Let Hand, right, move to position coordinate X,Y,Z... And swiftly snatched it out of the air with her right hand as her left rose slowly to rub at the soreness of the back of her head. It was a boyish method, to be sure, but it had accomplished its task. Zavakri lifted her eyes in what felt like the first time in her life. And to top it all off, there was the spark of magic in the air. --- "Do you see that, Rirvudd?" She whispered it quietly to the young man beside her. He was maybe a year older than her, and by now she herself was a woman of eighteen- and both yearned for more than the simple village they called home. "Aye." He whispered back, smirking. "Though you'll have to explain it to me. I don't quite know what it is I'm seeing." It was easy bait, he knew she'd bite- he just liked listening to her ramble. And ramble she did; It was a star- or perhaps a planet- maybe an asteroid?- It was impossible to tell with the naked eye, but from how Zavakri talked you wouldn't have known that. They were outside the village, high atop a nearby hill where they had an unobstructed view of the night sky. She waxed and waned about it all, clutching in her hands a quill and parchment- both well used by now. The quill's feather had practically withered away, whereas the parchment was meticulously filled with painstaking notes of astronomic geography. A detailed and thorough star map, gracefully and lovingly drawn by Zavakri herself. After a polite amount of her torrential musings, Rirvudd cleared his throat and caught her eye. "You can't avoid the festival every year, Kri." He said softly. Already the girl had tensed up and looked away, but he'd already tread upon the landmine. "Lliira's Night is a night of joy, dancing, fun-" "I can't." She said quietly. "You know I can't, Riri, you know I can't." Despite her closed off physicality- her arms having dropped their possessions and fled to the safety of hugging her own torso- and visibly shaken nature, Rirvudd can be applauded for his boyish bravery for wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close. She accepted his offer of warmth and leaned her head upon his shoulder. "...I would like to." she added, softly. "But I just can't. The music- the dancing- it reminds me of Tara. If I'd just-" Rirvudd was ready for this. He wasn't about to let her do this to herself again. "Baldur's Gate. It has an Astrolabe, right?" "Well, a big city like that'd have a Planisphere, dioptra, an astrolabe-" "You know what I mean. It'd have a proper facility for doing all this, right?" "Well, yes. I suppose it would." "Then come with me. To Baldur's Gate. Father said I was old enough to handle the Market trips. You and I both know that without you I'd be lost on the economics of it all, anyway, and end up costing the village some silver. Or, maybe, if you don't go with me I'd see a pretty skirt or two and lose my hea-" Before he could conclude himself, Zavakri rolled her eyes and shoved him. He toppled over as if she'd pricked a balloon and tossed it aside. She crossed her legs and stared at him, leaning back against the rock they'd made their small camp against. "You? Chasing skirts? Riri, you'd only be running because I'd be behind you about to tear that stupid beard off your face for even trying." She stood up, her hands moving in the air- Light is merely a visible interference on the electromagnetic spectrum...Light move in waves, waves have frequencies, frequencies have patterns, patterns are formulae...Let Light equal X, let wave length... -And suddenly her hairband was glowing faintly, illuminating the area around them in a soft light. "Of course I'll go with you. Now stand up and dance with me, you stupid boy, before I change my mind." He would have been truly foolish not to take her outstretched hand. As it turns out, her rhythm was impeccable- though she did lack in style. --- Zavakri arrived in Baldur's Gate sopping wet and cradling her work fervently in her arms like a mother would a sick babe. A storm had rolled in, ruined a portion of the harvest they'd come to sell, and forced Zavakri and Rirvudd to take shelter in a traveler's inn for several days before Zavakri managed to pry herself away from her lover. A storm could no longer delay her. A storm could no longer risk her timing. She'd made sure of it. After their first few trips to Baldur's Gate, Zavakri's guidance and studies of the Markets coupled with Rirvudd's ability to talk a bird out of its feathers had resulted in the purchase of a low quality telescope. A low quality telescope had afforded Zavakri an infinite amount of study and furthering of her notes. Her notes were now something precious indeed, and unless she was wrong- The math was there, it added up, it could not be wrong! The math is never wrong!- there was something very special happening indeed. She ran through the streets, her hood heavy with the rain but of that rustic farm quality that expects such burdens and thus still serviceable and safe to be wearing. To her own senses, her footfalls felt like lightning and the echo of her steps rolled like the thunder. Haste was of the essence. It was happening tonight, and if she could prove it there's no way they'd turn her away this time! Every trip she'd approach the sages of Baldur's Gate with her studies and findings only to be refuted and turned away or otherwise doubted by those with more practical education and study than her- prejudice against the plain peasant girl as brazen as a bull within the higher tier educated society of the big city. Every trip she swore she'd return with more knowledge and more passion until one day she'd truly amaze them. Turns out this was the trip, she was right. The Garden had shifted in its orbit a fraction of a degree! The implications of such a thing- While to the rest of us this may seem absolutely inconsequential and ludicrously infinitesimal, to those who watch the sky for a living such a claim has centuries of interest baked into it. For it to have been noticed by Zavakri of all people? Why, it earned her a job. Doing exactly what she spent all those years on a hilltop doing for free, she was now to be paid and lauded for. --- A year passed, her spirits higher than ever- but her mannerisms all the more eccentric. She and Rirvudd were engaged now, but their work kept them separate for much time. She was often required to keep an eye on some such thing in the stars, and his work had grown under her advisement from simple village merchant into that of a fledgling caravanner. Things were looking up for them. It is perhaps unfortunate that the two had lost track of time in their joy. Rirvudd was away on a trip to Waterdeep when the news came and took Zavakri by storm; The Witchlight Carnival was returning. Her world shook, fractures appearing in the stable foundation of her life. She'd never sought adventure before. Danger was something that happened to other people- her career was built on all the action happening an incomprehensible distance away!... but she had to go back. Curiosity had always been her greatest strength, and greatest weakness. She had to find out what had become of Detara. She'd only been as certain of one other thing in her life. Stat Generation Rolled That 4d6 And Lived With It.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Witchlight Carnival The Fourth Hour What Happens Next... The bugbear looks to Aurora, and with a wave of his hand, he reassures her and the rest of the group, "No, you haven't done anything wrong. While I don't know what they want to talk to you about, I can assure you that there's nothing to worry about. The bosses are in high spirits," He then turns to lead the group to management and repeats, "Please, come this way,"</s> <|message|>Tsak Vlos Tsak Vlos --- Tsak starts to somewhat pay attention towards the end of the dual, clapping when everyone else does. She would notice Burly's nod, nodding back at him before looking around and following the bugbear.</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Once the show was finally over for real this time, Brutrumukk picked up Jub and placed his newfound shoulder goblin on his shoulder. "That was some good stuff ya did back there, booyagh." Brutrumukk said to Jub as he made to clear out with the crowd. "Now that that's over, what say you an' I 'ead on over to the Feastin' Orchard again. I dunno about you, but I've got an 'unger on!" Before Jub could answer though, Burly the Bugbear would come along and ask the party to follow him to see the bosses. "Well this should be interestin'." Brutrumukk said to Jub before following the other Burly's lead and listening quietly to the conversations the others were having with this new bugbear.</s>

<|message|>Zavakri Zavakri fell strangely silent and occupied herself at the rear of the party, mentally forming herself into a queue with the others, as the bugbear declared that the management needed to see them. Because of course it did; why else would they have been given tickets? She licked her lips, mentally preparing herself against the dread horror she experienced, as she followed along.</s>

<|description|>Halander Wilkins Ranger 2 (300 XP) Lightfoot halfling (m), Lawful Neutral Sage [ ABILITY SCORES ] Str 10 (+0) Dex 16 (+3) Con 10 (+0) Int 14 (+2) Wis 12 (+1) Cha 14 (+2) [ PROFICIENCIES ] Proficiency Bonus +2 Saves Str +2, Dex +5 Skills Arcana +4, Athletics +2, History +4, Insight +3, Perception +3 (passive Perception 13) Weapons simple weapons, martial weapons Armors light armor, medium armor, shields, Tools Languages Common, Dwarvish, Elvish, Halfling [ COMBAT ] hp 16 ; HD 2d10 Init +3 ; Speed 25 ft. AC 14 (leather 11, Dex +3) Rapier. Melee : +5 (1d8+3 piercing ; finesse) Spear. Melee : +2 (1d6 piercing ; thrown (range 20/60), versatile (1d8)) Longbow. Ranged : +7 (1d8+3 piercing ; ammunition (range 150/600), heavy, two-handed) [ SPELLS ] Spellcasting Ability Wisdom ; Spells Save DC 11 ; Spells Attack Bonus +3 Slots 2 Known Spells (-) / 2 - Lvl 1 : hunter's mark, detect magic [ FEATURES & TRAITS ] Favored Enemy (beasts) Natural Explorer (grassland) Fighting Style (Archery) Lucky Brave Halfling Nimbleness Naturally Stealthy Researcher Additional Features British Accent [ EQUIPMENT ] Rapier, spear, longbow, leather, thieves' tools, disguise kit, 20 arrows, backpack, bedroll, mess kit, tinderbox, torch (10), rations/1 day (10), waterskin, rope/hempen 50 feet, ink/1 ounce bottle, ink pen, clothes/common, small knife, letter from a dead colleague, belt pouch Equipment weight 84 lb - Cost 197.52 gp 40 gp Coins weight 0.4 lb [ CHARACTER ] Height Small / 3.3 ft / 40 lb. ; Age 35 years (apparent age 35) Eyes Blue ; Skin tanned white ; Hair Brown Appearance Halander Wilkins is a 30-something man who is usually seen in Library clothes, as he volunteers there when not doing mercenary work. His festival clothes, which he wears on top of his leather armor, have a stitching of a wisp emblazoned on them. Personality traits There's nothing I like more than a good mystery. Ideals Logic. Emotions must not cloud our logical thinking. (Lawful) Bonds I work to preserve a library, university, scriptorium, or monastery. Flaws I overlook obvious solutions in favor of complicated ones. Background Sage (Librarian) Character/Item Backstory His lost item is a marble, one he calls the Dreammarble, that looks like the earth. It was given unto him by a small halfling boy that he tutored every Saturday, who told him that his mother had given it to him before she had died from a sickness, and the reason that she got it for him was that so that he could remember there was a big world out there. This was shortly before he was found dead in his bed, taken by the same disease that took his mother. At this news, he fell into a deep depression, sad and angry at himself that the boy had not trusted him enough to explain such an important thing. Days later, He attended the funeral and resolved to keep the marble with him until he died, and make sure the last remnant of his student did not go missing, thereby forgiving himself. From that day on, he occasionally traveled across the world when he had time off, all to respect the last message delivered to him. Allies & Organizations His Workplace His fellow mercenaries</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk wasn't opposed to having Gabriel and Jub join him in his Feywild fruit pursuit, the bugbear even welcomed the company when Gabriel helped him find a trio of gourds shaped like plump dragons. Brutrumukk picked up the gourds, snapped their heads off, and stowed them away in his head sack while sucking the innards of one gourd out of the neck stump left behind and passing the other two gourds to Gabriel and Jub. "You got some good eyes in yer 'ead, Gabe." Brutrumukk said once he'd drained his gourd before turning to Jub. "Let's see if yer eyes are just as good, booyagh." Having said that, Brutrumukk returned Jub to his place of honor on the bugbear's shoulder to give the goblin a better view of their surroundings. So long as Jub pulled his weight, a second set of gourds would soon be found. Once more, Brutrumukk took up all three gourds. But this time he didn't snap the heads off any of them. Instead, Brutrumukk simply passed Jub and Gabriel their gourds and stowed his own gourd away in his backpack for later. Brutrumukk searches for more fruit. Provided he has advantage, he rolls another 15 and rolls another 8.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill Much to Gabriel's, Brutrumukk's, and Jub's surprise, they didn't have to travel far from the group to forage. They found gourds that looked like plump dragons. After Brutrumukk ate the innards of one of those gourds, he immediately looks refreshed. Did his fur/hair get glossier? The path Brutrumukk pointed out is a narrow game trail. As the group follows this path, they would hear rustling, and other sounds of movement. Before they can look around, they eventually find three huge trees blocking the path. They look at the group, and upon seeing Jub, the trees proceeded to move. Each one of their boughs move as they perform a bow to Jub, their bark creaking as they move somewhat awkwardly. Apparently it is difficult for a tree to bow... One of the trees speaks to the group in a low rumbling voice, and addressing Jub as the leader of sorts, "Your Excellency, Witchlight Monarch! We welcome you and your entourage to Telemy Hill. How long will you be staying?"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk Brutrumukk blinked in surprise as the very trees themselves came alive, moved, and even spoke. "Nine bleedin' 'Ells" Brutrumukk then said as the trees all bowed and hailed Jub as the Witchlight Monarch. Brutrumukk then looked to the little goblin seated on his big shoulder. "Word sure travels fast 'round 'ere don't it?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar Jub had instinctively tensed up when the trees started moving, as if anticipating yet another fight. However, when the trees instead bowed to him, all he could do for a few moments was blink in surprise with an expression akin to a startled rabbit. It was only when Brutrumukk spoke that the goblin able to regain his composure. "It sure does," he muttered in response to the bugbear. He spoke again, this time louder so the trees could hear him and with a dramatic flourish he usually applied to his street performances. "Erm, it is I! The Witchlight Monarch! Me and my cohorts will likely not be staying long but... erm..." He glanced towards Brutrumukk and Gabriel, with a look that showed he had no idea what he was doing or where he was going with this. "If you would like to show us around this, err, place or point us to any places of interest, that would be most, err, gratifying."</s> <|message|>Gabriel, of Waterdeep G A B R I E L Deadpan, as the half-elf slipped the oddly shaped gourd away he turned his head slowly to the short goblin the trees called 'Excellency' . Gabriel's expression was a mix of surprise and amusement, his brow was raised as to say 'Yes what is your command your excellency?' as Jub looked between Gabriel and Brutrumukk with confusion "Oh a mighty fine request your Excellency." Gabe chuckled, giving the goblin a pat on the back. "So then your royal majesty," kneeling next to his companion, Gabe rested his hand on Jub's shoulder looking at his small friend with a smirk "What shall we call ourselves? Your stewards? Or heralds? Sworn to protect the life of our king." he gave Jub's shoulder a squeeze before standing with a reassuring smile. "Oh, I jape of course but really the best question is how do these trees know you Jub?" Gabriel glanced towards the trees as he said so, he wondered if the trees knew who Jub was then it might mean others could recognize the one crowned as Witchlight's monarch. For better or worse this could be as much a blessing as a curse if the wrong type of attention was brought to them, he couldn't be too careful. They weren't in Faerun anymore after all.</s> <|message|>Aurora "Rory" Malister Aurora Aurora looked at the trio as the headed off in a direction that only their noses could lead them. A glance back at raft to Zavakri, who was next to Bob the snail, and the newly acquainted companions. All seemed rather distant and quite. "I suppose those of us who are going ought to start for the cave then." The elf stated rather irritated that the others took off with little care about trying to free Talarvar. She went to grab the cage to start to lift it. The awkward shape of the cage caused her to pause for a moment. With a shrug, Aurora dropped her pack to the deck of the boat, taking some of her rations, the rope from it, and a small leather roll that had he thieves tools. Now that she had most of what she would need, the elf started to fasten a crude harness to the cage so she could carry it on her side or back as needed and keep her hands free incase of trouble or needing to climb. "I apologize now if this ends up being a rather uncomfortable trip for you Sir Talavar. I do not think the others will be joining us until they've had their fill of whatever they have found. I will never claim to be the strongest person but at least this way I can carry you with relative ease." Rory said as she started up the winding path to the keyhole shaped at the top of the hill. "Perhaps to pass the time you can tell me more about yourself or Prismir?." A bit of the way up the hill Rory spotted Brutrumukk, Gabriel, and Jub. The trio seemed to have been stopped by several trees. In an attempt to try to pass by unnoticed, Rory slipped off path moving along as if she had not seen them. That would have worked had she stepped further off the path and not tread on the roots of one of the three trees. Immediately the tree started to inquire if Aurora was with the Witchlight Monarch. "I have been traveling with Jub recently, though I do not know if we are heading the same way at this time." She states as she looks over to Jub to confirm this with the trees.</s> <|message|>Passive Perceptions Hither Telemy Hill The trees look to each other somewhat confused by Jub's request. One of the trees usher Aurora to the rest of the group after she told them that she was with them, while the trees answer the goblin, "I'm afraid we're just a humble hill, Milord. There isn't much to us. Our friend, Jingle Jangle, does live here though," Because of the tree, Talavar was not able to answer Aurora at all, and could only pout a bit. Then Gabriel asked his question, and the trees answered him, their voices creaking and groaning, "We can sense the charm upon him. Everyone in Prismeer can sense it on any visitor who earned the charm. After all, the Witchlight Monarch is a respected title. While not as high of a title as the Queen's, it is certainly worthy of nobility here,"</s> <|message|>Brutrumukk Brutrumukk "You know a Queen?" Brutrumukk asked at the mention of a Queen. "Is she the Doormat Queen? Some clowns at the Carnival asked us to come free the Doormat Queen. That, an' find the alley corn. D'you lot know where we can find the alley corn or 'ow we could free the Doormat Queen?"</s> <|message|>Jub the Peculiar Jub the Peculiar At the tree's explanation of how they were able to recognise him, Jub looked a little pale. As much as he enjoyed being the center of attention, he wasn't sure he fancied the idea of any fey creature being able to recognise him. It took a great deal of restraint for the goblin not to pull his hood over his head. Instead, Jub turned his attention to what Brutrumukk had just said. "Dormant," he corrected. "It means 'inactive' or 'sleeping'." He turned looked back to the trees. "But yes. That. If you know anything about a Dormant Queen, could you please tell us? And if not, would you be able to direct us to Jingle Jangle? We need her help with something."</s>

<|message|>Halander Wilkins "Dormant? Perhaps these trees could tell us how the Queen became that way, and it might lend some help in finding a way to release them. Erm, trees? I can hardly believe this is happening, but I'd hope you can lend us some aid. Do you know the story of the Dormant Queen?" Dormant Queen, Dormant Queen. Hmm, could I have read about that somewhere? (Insight check?)</s>

<|description|>Lucius Casca Description: Age: 41 Gender: Male Social Class: Plebian Nationality: Roman Personality: When Lucius Casca was a Centurion in Legio VIII, he expected the best from his men and harbored no fools. Now a days, his attitude is pretty much the same. He is sometimes harsh, but deep down, he simply wants what's best for the people under his protection. Brief Backstory: Centurion Casca served his Imperium well for more than twenty years, and expected to either die or gain his full retirement benefits. Instead, he career was cut short when a Dacian took his hand off at the wrist during battle. When the undead came, the crippled soldier suddenly found himself thrust into a command position. His legion and his men are his children, and he will fight to the death to protect them. Equipment: Most of Casca's equipment was returned to the state on his discharge, but was allowed to keep his sword by his general. In spite of his lack of a left hand, he is still carries his sword, along with whatever equipment and armor he can get his hand on. Skills: Casca's greatest weapon is his experience, as he has known warfare for nearly half of his life. This knowledge he is all too willing to pass down onto other in order to ensure their survival, as well as his own.</s> <|message|>Lucius Casca It started off like a plague. Terrible and indiscriminate, it swept through the city of Rome, bringing many of it's people to the gates of Dis. For days, the smoke from the funeral pyres could be seen billowing into the air from all seven of Rome's hills. Yet there were always more bodies to burn, and a few always fell through the cracks of the Vigiles who organized the burnings. Then, without any warning, the dead began to rise. First it was a handful, but soon walking corpses began to spread throughout the city. Those they caught eaten. Those who escaped with wounds soon became like their killers. The Senate scrambled, forcing every living citizen to the Palatine Hill at the heart of the city. Once secured, the Praetorians and and armed militias closed the gates to the rest of Rome. Lucius Casca, a former centurion turned militia commander, knew in his bones that his people were now in a deathtrap. Standing atop the quickly thrown up palisade, he could see the mass of bodies pushing and shambling their way towards his defenses. With his one good hand, he put a whistle to his mouth and blew, signaling to his assembled militiamen and whoever was standing near by that the Mortui were making another push.</s> <|message|>Junia Phillipa Maxima Junia Phillipa Maxima --- Truth be told, Junia was exhausted. Her journey back to Rome has been a harrowing one. They liked to say that all roads led there. Yet, it had seemed as if all led from the great city. She could've sworn she'd been the only soul heading towards it - a profoundly unsettling feeling to be sure. It had been nearly a week's worth of stealth, sudden terror, and fighting. In her head, she'd told herself that it was just like those games of hide-and-seek she'd played with her brothers and sisters as a child, but the stakes were life or death and there was no missing that. Then, after she'd made it back to the Palatine against staggering odds, hoping to find dear Fabius and Quintus alive, an overenthusiastic sentry had nearly skewered her with a spear. She vaguely remembered her boastful jest at the the time that she knew that she looked half-dead and surely felt it but, just as surely, was not yet ready to be counted among the mortui. She'd had a day to search and recover, but it had hardly been restful. Her dear ones were yet missing and she felt aches in parts of her body that she had not previously known even existed. Already, she had been engaged as a scout and skirmisher, her almost-preternatural quickness and stealth an asset, yet she felt the skepticism of these men on the front lines - so many of them ex-legionnaires, so many rugged and brawny, gruff and hardened. They were not unkind. They simply had not yet accepted her as one of them and might never do so. That was no matter. Junia had her part to do even if, in her heart of hearts, she had begun to suspect she had made herself into a trapped rat in the name of a lost cause. Best to burn the city, the dead, and everybody in it at this point, she thought. Flee to the countryside in small groups, and hunt down the mortui gradually. Her personal feelings on the matter weren't of much consequence, though. She would spend some days here and perhaps longer if the situation improved but, if not, she would risk herself again. Better to die trying to live than holed up and waiting to die. She'd make a break for it. She'd done so once and could do it again or so she tried to convince herself. Casca, the ex-centurion with the bad hand, put that whistle in his mouth that she'd heard before. She knew what it meant when he blew it. Junia hopped up onto the barricade, gladius in hand, nerves on fire, scanning the burgeoning wave of mortui and trying not to project a sense of courage and belief that she did not truly feel.</s> <|message|>Auxilio Mauritanius Auxilio Mauritanius He had always wanted to see Rome, ever since he heard his masters praise the city during his earlier life as a slave in Africa. But that was a life Auxilio rarely permitted himself to think about, and now was not a good time to start. And alas, Rome had been a complete disappointment. Maybe it was unfair to judge the city on the impression it made during a plague of undeath, but still - what a shithole. Auxilio had arrived during the early days of the plague. The people of Rome were dying of illness, their scouts and guards included. Times came when able-bodied men became scarcer by the day, and the Senate had sent for the best men from all the colonies and vassal-states as reinforcements. Auxilio was among these men, and at first he felt great pride in this. When the boat docked at Rome's harbor and he smelled the smoke, the panic and the miasma, the pride shrivelled back into nothing. What was he going to do here? How was he going to help? The only way he knew how - following orders. The nature of the new sickness of the Romans was surprising, and even Auxilio could not help but be afraid. The dead walking, growling and eating flesh was the most unnatural thing he could imagine. And so, as the others did, he fled to the Palatine Hill, as they were told. And now, Auxilio found himself within the ranks of the remaining Romans, in the very center of this city of wonder, which had turned out to be a city of death and decay. A whistle rang in Auxilio's ear. He turned to face where the sound came from, it was one of the few military veterans among them, a natural leader in these times of strife. The horse at Auxilio's side, a young mare, tall and elegant with a black hide, found the noise alarming and was obviously stressed. Auxilio put a hand on her forehead and shushed carefully, soothing her. Most people hadn't even questioned the fact that Auxilio brought a horse with him to the bastion during the escape, probably because of the color of his skin and the curls of his hair. The Mauri and their steeds belonged together, everyone knew that. And if Auxilio was to be of use against the undead, he better have his horse.</s> <|message|>Cassius Cassius --- The red haired slave walked alongside the buildings of Palantine Hill, passing many a shaking man. Like those men, Cassius had been decimated emotionally by the rise of undeath. How had these Mortui captured most of Rome so fast? This city was supposed to be a jewel of these lands, a city that would stand forever. And yet this plague had brought it to its knees, the gods seemingly forsaking all of Rome. It had started slow, a new disease spreading across the Empire. Cassius was aware of it as a few fellow slaves died, and some neighbors of his master. But Cassius assumed that this disease was like all others he had heard of. It would cull the weak and lead to a stronger population. But then the plague got worse. Vast swaths of Rome were filled with corpses, as there was not enough fires to deal with the dead. But then these unburned dead began to rise, feeding on the flesh of the living. Cassius's master immediately fled his home, taking only a few select slaves with him, Cassius included. They had left for a better defended part of the city, taking refuge behind legions of soldiers. But even the blades of these centurions could not keep back the dead, so the survivors were pushed back and back, until now when all that was left was Palantine Hill. Against the Mortui, Cassius was mostly useless. His only relevant skill that could help the survivors was his culinary skills. Cassius had become the de facto head chef for the survivors. He figured that he could raise spirits with a good meal, but that was becoming harder as he ran out of ingredients. The assembled living had very quickly gone through all the spices from the east, with most other ingredients following suit. As of this morning they were almost out of meat. As Cassius wondered what kind of dish he could make tonight, he heard a familiar whistle, one he dreaded. That was the commander stating that the undead were attacking again. A cold sweat immediately engulfed Cassius as he knew that this could be it, his death. Like all of the men assembled, Cassius was expected to defend this position. Hell, he had even seen some women defending the hill. Since he wasn't trained in combat before this, he had been assigned a simple weapon, a spear. As Cassius ran toward the barricade, he picked up a spear resting against a wall. With how many men they were losing on each attack, it was quickly becoming that they had more weapons than warriors to use them. Cassius ground his teeth as he reached the barricade. With spear in hand he pressed up against the makeshift barrier. In the distance he could hear the unnatural call of the Mortui, causing him to shiver. Cassius also saw other defenders shaking. It seemed that they had far too few actual soldiers, as Cassius was surrounded by merchants, politicians, and farmers.</s>

<|message|>Lucius Casca The Mortui shambled ever closer to the makeshift barricade, and the survivors who had things to throw barraged the undead with spears and stones. It was largely useless, but a few of the shots struck true and the corpses stumbled and fell. But for every Mortui that fell, three more took it's place. Many of the walking corpses wore simple, plebian tunics, but a few wore fine togas, now stained red with blood. Lucius could even see a few Mortui wearing the armor of Roman soldiers. The situation was beyond hopeless. Sooner or later they would get through and all these people would be ripped to shreds. But for now, all Lucius could do was help delay them. He secretly wished that a few more trained soldiers, but chided himself. The gods weren't going to help anyone who couldn't help themselves. The first mass of dead threw themselves at the wall, and Lucius gripped his gladius in his one remaining hand. "Push them back! Nothing gets through!" said the centurion before taking his place on the wall. Even now, the Mortui were already crawlling over eachother to climb over the wall. Lucius took the first one in the throat, severing his spinal cord with his sword before kicking him back off the wall and into the mass.</s>

<|description|>Auxilio Mauritanius Description: Auxilio is of Mauri descent, and as such is of a darker complexion. His body is lean, but hardy. He stands at a height a bit below the average Roman, as is usually the case for men from his homeland. His face remains young, but stern and hardened from his solitary years as a scout on horseback. His brow is slim and round, his nose long, straight and wide at the bridge. He has brown eyes, perhaps a bit lighter hued than one would expect. His hair is black and curly, trimmed quite short. Auxilio also wears a beard, trying to command respect from his Roman peers, longer than his hair and well groomed, loose curls running halfway down his neck. Around his shoulders, Auxilio usually wears a rugged snake hide as a sort of scarf. Age: 26 Gender: Male Social Class: Plebian Nationality: Mauri (Mauritania Tangitana, within the Roman Empire) Personality: Through most of his life, Auxilio has been expected to be silent and stay in the background, either as a slave, a stablehand or a scout. As such, he is introverted and has no natural inclinations for comedy or drama. He is solitary and self-sufficient, not needing much social interaction to be content. His has a serious and competent air about him, which leads to most people being inclined to trust him. However, he is terrible at making friends with his peers. In contrast, he quickly makes friends with most domestic animals he encounters. There is nothing Auxilio loves more than a good, hearty meal or a warm bath (as of yet). Auxilio does not like most arts, such as music or drama. The sciences are mysterious and too overly complicated for his liking and talk about such things mostly leaves him frustrated. (Not so) Brief Backstory: Auxilio was born in a barbarian tribe to the south of Volubilis, named "Aksil" in the Mauri language. His father was a hunter and raider on horseback, as most of the other tribesmen were. His tribe would not bend their knee the the Romans, who had long since established client states reigning over the land that the tribe called home, and they were aggressive towards the Romans and even raided their settlements from time to time. This resulted in a Roman attack, which swiftly killed off every man of the tribe and burned their homes to dust. At the time, Aksil was just a small child. The surviving women and children of the tribe were sold as slaves. Aksil was sold to an Partician estate with holdings covering large inland areas in Africa, a long way eastward of his home. His kind had a reputation as born horse-riders, and so he was trained as a hunter on horseback, intended to supply wild game for his masters' meals and for trade. He remained a slave through the rest of his childhood and much of his adolescence. At the age of 13 he was still a slave, nameless to his masters and known as Aksil to his peers. By now, he was a decent hunter, but what he excelled at was the art of horse-riding. He had grown tired of the life as a slave, and one day, while out on a hunting trip with a small hunting party, he simply rode off into the night. He rode towards the only other place in the world he knew, his homeland. And that is how he reached the city of Volubilis. When he reached the city, Aksil didn't really know where to go. What he did know, was that he had ridden his horse too long and too hard, and so he went to the city stables and asked them to take in his horse. The stablemaster agreed to take the horse in, but Aksil had to work for them to earn the keep of his horse. As time passed, he and his horse didn't leave the stables, and over time he was taken in, the stablemaster Phebius becoming a sort of father to him. This was when Aksil was given his Latin name Auxilio. Growing into his adult years, Auxilio worked as a stablehand for Phebius. Because of his remarkable talents on horseback, he was often tasked with breaking and training troublesome horses. In his later teens, Auxilio was noticed by Roman soldiers passing through Volubilis for his equestrian abilities. At first, he was asked to deliver some written messages or retrieve important goods on rare occasions for generals and officials. Doing so with remarkable speed and without any failures, Auxilio was at last employed as a scout for the imperial border guard. As such, Auxilio truly entered the ranks of the Plebians and started earning himself a decent living. As a scout, he was tasked with keeping watch outside the Roman borders to the south, roaming over much of the lands he lived off as a child. Auxilio learned to live off the land for weeks at a time, never succumbing to hunger, thirst or injury. Equipment: First and foremost, Auxilio is almost always seen on horseback or with a horse, unless he is in a city. The snake hide he wears around his neck is not just for show; it is so leathery and tough that it can be used as a rope or binding if needed. He carries a pouch with a shortspear, a shortbow and a dozen arrows. Most of the time the pouch is also filled with an assortment of herbs, edible plants and nuts which he has foraged and dried in the sun. His longspear is kept strapped to the harness of his horse. And, most importantly, ha carries a fine cloth dyed in the Roman red and the roman insignia in a golden yellow. This is his proof for being a citizen of the Roman Empire, in case he would ever be taken captive or led astray. Skills: - Basic combat skills with bow and arrow, shortspear and longspear. Primarily on horseback, as light cavalry. Significantly below the level of a trained soldier. - Expert wilderness survival - Expert horse-riding - Adept animal care - Physically well-trained and resilient</s> <|message|>Lucius Casca It started off like a plague. Terrible and indiscriminate, it swept through the city of Rome, bringing many of it's people to the gates of Dis. For days, the smoke from the funeral pyres could be seen billowing into the air from all seven of Rome's hills. Yet there were always more bodies to burn, and a few always fell through the cracks of the Vigiles who organized the burnings. Then, without any warning, the dead began to rise. First it was a handful, but soon walking corpses began to spread throughout the city. Those they caught eaten. Those who escaped with wounds soon became like their killers. The Senate scrambled, forcing every living citizen to the Palatine Hill at the heart of the city. Once secured, the Praetorians and and armed militias closed the gates to the rest of Rome. Lucius Casca, a former centurion turned militia commander, knew in his bones that his people were now in a deathtrap. Standing atop the quickly thrown up palisade, he could see the mass of bodies pushing and shambling their way towards his defenses. With his one good hand, he put a whistle to his mouth and blew, signaling to his assembled militiamen and whoever was standing near by that the Mortui were making another push.</s> <|message|>Junia Phillipa Maxima Junia Phillipa Maxima --- Truth be told, Junia was exhausted. Her journey back to Rome has been a harrowing one. They liked to say that all roads led there. Yet, it had seemed as if all led from the great city. She could've sworn she'd been the only soul heading towards it - a profoundly unsettling feeling to be sure. It had been nearly a week's worth of stealth, sudden terror, and fighting. In her head, she'd told herself that it was just like those games of hide-and-seek she'd played with her brothers and sisters as a child, but the stakes were life or death and there was no missing that. Then, after she'd made it back to the Palatine against staggering odds, hoping to find dear Fabius and Quintus alive, an overenthusiastic sentry had nearly skewered her with a spear. She vaguely remembered her boastful jest at the the time that she knew that she looked half-dead and surely felt it but, just as surely, was not yet ready to be counted among the mortui. She'd had a day to search and recover, but it had hardly been restful. Her dear ones were yet missing and she felt aches in parts of her body that she had not previously known even existed. Already, she had been engaged as a scout and skirmisher, her almost-preternatural quickness and stealth an asset, yet she felt the skepticism of these men on the front lines - so many of them ex-legionnaires, so many rugged and brawny, gruff and hardened. They were not unkind. They simply had not yet accepted her as one of them and might never do so. That was no matter. Junia had her part to do even if, in her heart of hearts, she had begun to suspect she had made herself into a trapped rat in the name of a lost cause. Best to burn the city, the dead, and everybody in it at this point, she thought. Flee to the countryside in small groups, and hunt down the mortui gradually. Her personal feelings on the matter weren't of much consequence, though. She would spend some days here and perhaps longer if the situation improved but, if not, she would risk herself again. Better to die trying to live than holed up and waiting to die. She'd make a break for it. She'd done so once and could do it again or so she tried to convince herself. Casca, the ex-centurion with the bad hand, put that whistle in his mouth that she'd heard before. She knew what it meant when he blew it. Junia hopped up onto the barricade, gladius in hand, nerves on fire, scanning the burgeoning wave of mortui and trying not to project a sense of courage and belief that she did not truly feel.</s>

<|message|>Auxilio Mauritanius He had always wanted to see Rome, ever since he heard his masters praise the city during his earlier life as a slave in Africa. But that was a life Auxilio rarely permitted himself to think about, and now was not a good time to start. And alas, Rome had been a complete disappointment. Maybe it was unfair to judge the city on the impression it made during a plague of undeath, but still - what a shithole. Auxilio had arrived during the early days of the plague. The people of Rome were dying of illness, their scouts and guards included. Times came when able-bodied men became scarcer by the day, and the Senate had sent for the best men from all the colonies and vassal-states as reinforcements. Auxilio was among these men, and at first he felt great pride in this. When the boat docked at Rome's harbor and he smelled the smoke, the panic and the miasma, the pride shrivelled back into nothing. What was he going to do here? How was he going to help? The only way he knew how - following orders. The nature of the new sickness of the Romans was surprising, and even Auxilio could not help but be afraid. The dead walking, growling and eating flesh was the most unnatural thing he could imagine. And so, as the others did, he fled to the Palatine Hill, as they were told. And now, Auxilio found himself within the ranks of the remaining Romans, in the very center of this city of wonder, which had turned out to be a city of death and decay. A whistle rang in Auxilio's ear. He turned to face where the sound came from, it was one of the few military veterans among them, a natural leader in these times of strife. The horse at Auxilio's side, a young mare, tall and elegant with a black hide, found the noise alarming and was obviously stressed. Auxilio put a hand on her forehead and shushed carefully, soothing her. Most people hadn't even questioned the fact that Auxilio brought a horse with him to the bastion during the escape, probably because of the color of his skin and the curls of his hair. The Mauri and their steeds belonged together, everyone knew that. And if Auxilio was to be of use against the undead, he better have his horse.</s>

<|description|>Cassius Description: Cassius is of Gallic descent and thus has pale skin. He stands a few inches taller than most Romans at 5'9'', with a slim build, one of working indoors and not in the fields. This type of work has left Cassius's skin pretty blemish free save a scar on his left hand from cutting himself accidentally while cooking as a child. Another thing that makes Cassius stand out is his bright red hair. While the color is unusual, he keeps it in a short cut like most men in the city. His face is quite plain, with a round shape, a defined nose, and blue eyes like the sea. His wardrobe is provided by his owner, which is usually a simple robe and shirt, often in plain colors. Age: 23 Gender: Male Social Class: Servi (Slave) Nationality: Gallic Personality: Cassius is a very complacent person. He doesn't really look forward to anything, as he lives in the moment. And that means serving his owner. As he's never really been treated badly, Cassius sees no reason to complain. In fact he takes pride in his work as he does consider himself a very skilled cook and servant. Cassius tends to have a positive view of the Empire, seeing it as a perfectly working machine, one that shall last forever. Cassius is so sure of this that he does not fret at mentions of foreign wars, or rumors of a plague. Cassius does believe that everything has a status quo and will keep it. When talking to others, Cassius always goes for respect and understanding. He quite often will do what he can to help others and will never speak negatively of them. This helps Cassius to blend in into society, as the helpful guy who does nothing of note. Brief Back Story: Cassius's family can be traced back to Gaul, just west of the Rhine in what would become Germany. His family was opposed to working with Julius Caesar when he invaded Gaul in 58 BC, refusing to fight the migrating Helvetii people. This stance was not unnoticed by Rome who held it against the clan when they took over Gaul. Cassius's family would be pariahs, cut off from the benefits of the Empire. This treatment led to a small revolt against the Romans, one that the other Gallic tribes did not support. The legions of Rome quickly put down this riot, slaying all the adults who participated. The surviving children then were taken to Rome as slaves. One of these children was Cassius's grandmother. Cassius's grandmother would serve as a maid for a prominent noble family, eventually becoming involved with another slave from Gaul. They would have several children, who by Roman law were born slaves. One of these girls would inherit her mother's position as the house maid. She would become involved with a field slave, having children with him, including Cassius. Born without a name, he would be sent to serve a senator in Rome itself. The senator would give him the single name of Cassius. The young Gaul would be raised without an education, instead learning to clean house and to cook. Cassius would quickly find himself a great cook, especially when using spices from far off lands. This quickly led to him becoming one of the preferred slaves in the household. Cassius would maintain a good relationship with his senator owner, up until he took ill. Deciding to retire for his health, the senator moved away from the city, hoping that the countryside would be good for him. The senator's first born son would move into the residence. The younger man would have many ambitions to become a senator like his father. Cassius and the other slaves would no longer be treated as well, as the son looked down on non-Romans. But Cassius still performed his duties, not knowing any other kind of life. Cassius would quickly become one of the oldest slaves at the home as most couldn't last under the son, being sold off to other nobles. Eventually, Cassius figured that his cooking skills was the only reason he was kept around. Equipment: Besides the clothing he wears, Cassius doesn't really own anything. Any tool he uses is owned by his master. Skills: Cassius is trained as a house servant. He is adept at cleaning things, chopping wood, and doing whatever he is ordered to. His one true passion is cooking, as he is recognized as a master in the kitchen. He loves to use foreign goods in his cooking as he does experiment with dishes, to which his masters have never complained.</s> <|message|>Lucius Casca It started off like a plague. Terrible and indiscriminate, it swept through the city of Rome, bringing many of it's people to the gates of Dis. For days, the smoke from the funeral pyres could be seen billowing into the air from all seven of Rome's hills. Yet there were always more bodies to burn, and a few always fell through the cracks of the Vigiles who organized the burnings. Then, without any warning, the dead began to rise. First it was a handful, but soon walking corpses began to spread throughout the city. Those they caught eaten. Those who escaped with wounds soon became like their killers. The Senate scrambled, forcing every living citizen to the Palatine Hill at the heart of the city. Once secured, the Praetorians and and armed militias closed the gates to the rest of Rome. Lucius Casca, a former centurion turned militia commander, knew in his bones that his people were now in a deathtrap. Standing atop the quickly thrown up palisade, he could see the mass of bodies pushing and shambling their way towards his defenses. With his one good hand, he put a whistle to his mouth and blew, signaling to his assembled militiamen and whoever was standing near by that the Mortui were making another push.</s> <|message|>Junia Phillipa Maxima Junia Phillipa Maxima --- Truth be told, Junia was exhausted. Her journey back to Rome has been a harrowing one. They liked to say that all roads led there. Yet, it had seemed as if all led from the great city. She could've sworn she'd been the only soul heading towards it - a profoundly unsettling feeling to be sure. It had been nearly a week's worth of stealth, sudden terror, and fighting. In her head, she'd told herself that it was just like those games of hide-and-seek she'd played with her brothers and sisters as a child, but the stakes were life or death and there was no missing that. Then, after she'd made it back to the Palatine against staggering odds, hoping to find dear Fabius and Quintus alive, an overenthusiastic sentry had nearly skewered her with a spear. She vaguely remembered her boastful jest at the the time that she knew that she looked half-dead and surely felt it but, just as surely, was not yet ready to be counted among the mortui. She'd had a day to search and recover, but it had hardly been restful. Her dear ones were yet missing and she felt aches in parts of her body that she had not previously known even existed. Already, she had been engaged as a scout and skirmisher, her almost-preternatural quickness and stealth an asset, yet she felt the skepticism of these men on the front lines - so many of them ex-legionnaires, so many rugged and brawny, gruff and hardened. They were not unkind. They simply had not yet accepted her as one of them and might never do so. That was no matter. Junia had her part to do even if, in her heart of hearts, she had begun to suspect she had made herself into a trapped rat in the name of a lost cause. Best to burn the city, the dead, and everybody in it at this point, she thought. Flee to the countryside in small groups, and hunt down the mortui gradually. Her personal feelings on the matter weren't of much consequence, though. She would spend some days here and perhaps longer if the situation improved but, if not, she would risk herself again. Better to die trying to live than holed up and waiting to die. She'd make a break for it. She'd done so once and could do it again or so she tried to convince herself. Casca, the ex-centurion with the bad hand, put that whistle in his mouth that she'd heard before. She knew what it meant when he blew it. Junia hopped up onto the barricade, gladius in hand, nerves on fire, scanning the burgeoning wave of mortui and trying not to project a sense of courage and belief that she did not truly feel.</s> <|message|>Auxilio Mauritanius Auxilio Mauritanius He had always wanted to see Rome, ever since he heard his masters praise the city during his earlier life as a slave in Africa. But that was a life Auxilio rarely permitted himself to think about, and now was not a good time to start. And alas, Rome had been a complete disappointment. Maybe it was unfair to judge the city on the impression it made during a plague of undeath, but still - what a shithole. Auxilio had arrived during the early days of the plague. The people of Rome were dying of illness, their scouts and guards included. Times came when able-bodied men became scarcer by the day, and the Senate had sent for the best men from all the colonies and vassal-states as reinforcements. Auxilio was among these men, and at first he felt great pride in this. When the boat docked at Rome's harbor and he smelled the smoke, the panic and the miasma, the pride shrivelled back into nothing. What was he going to do here? How was he going to help? The only way he knew how - following orders. The nature of the new sickness of the Romans was surprising, and even Auxilio could not help but be afraid. The dead walking, growling and eating flesh was the most unnatural thing he could imagine. And so, as the others did, he fled to the Palatine Hill, as they were told. And now, Auxilio found himself within the ranks of the remaining Romans, in the very center of this city of wonder, which had turned out to be a city of death and decay. A whistle rang in Auxilio's ear. He turned to face where the sound came from, it was one of the few military veterans among them, a natural leader in these times of strife. The horse at Auxilio's side, a young mare, tall and elegant with a black hide, found the noise alarming and was obviously stressed. Auxilio put a hand on her forehead and shushed carefully, soothing her. Most people hadn't even questioned the fact that Auxilio brought a horse with him to the bastion during the escape, probably because of the color of his skin and the curls of his hair. The Mauri and their steeds belonged together, everyone knew that. And if Auxilio was to be of use against the undead, he better have his horse.</s>

<|message|>Cassius The red haired slave walked alongside the buildings of Palantine Hill, passing many a shaking man. Like those men, Cassius had been decimated emotionally by the rise of undeath. How had these Mortui captured most of Rome so fast? This city was supposed to be a jewel of these lands, a city that would stand forever. And yet this plague had brought it to its knees, the gods seemingly forsaking all of Rome. It had started slow, a new disease spreading across the Empire. Cassius was aware of it as a few fellow slaves died, and some neighbors of his master. But Cassius assumed that this disease was like all others he had heard of. It would cull the weak and lead to a stronger population. But then the plague got worse. Vast swaths of Rome were filled with corpses, as there was not enough fires to deal with the dead. But then these unburned dead began to rise, feeding on the flesh of the living. Cassius's master immediately fled his home, taking only a few select slaves with him, Cassius included. They had left for a better defended part of the city, taking refuge behind legions of soldiers. But even the blades of these centurions could not keep back the dead, so the survivors were pushed back and back, until now when all that was left was Palantine Hill. Against the Mortui, Cassius was mostly useless. His only relevant skill that could help the survivors was his culinary skills. Cassius had become the de facto head chef for the survivors. He figured that he could raise spirits with a good meal, but that was becoming harder as he ran out of ingredients. The assembled living had very quickly gone through all the spices from the east, with most other ingredients following suit. As of this morning they were almost out of meat. As Cassius wondered what kind of dish he could make tonight, he heard a familiar whistle, one he dreaded. That was the commander stating that the undead were attacking again. A cold sweat immediately engulfed Cassius as he knew that this could be it, his death. Like all of the men assembled, Cassius was expected to defend this position. Hell, he had even seen some women defending the hill. Since he wasn't trained in combat before this, he had been assigned a simple weapon, a spear. As Cassius ran toward the barricade, he picked up a spear resting against a wall. With how many men they were losing on each attack, it was quickly becoming that they had more weapons than warriors to use them. Cassius ground his teeth as he reached the barricade. With spear in hand he pressed up against the makeshift barrier. In the distance he could hear the unnatural call of the Mortui, causing him to shiver. Cassius also saw other defenders shaking. It seemed that they had far too few actual soldiers, as Cassius was surrounded by merchants, politicians, and farmers.</s>

<|description|>Trantascilia Kimnothelis P E R S O N A L D E T A I L S Age - 30 Gender - Female Vocation - Warden Nationality - Prentis P E R S O N A L I T Y Confident Some might say overconfident. Trantascilia is sure of herself and isn't afraid to flaunt or gloat. This can be seen in her brash, quick, and assertive combat style sometimes leaving herself open to taunt enemy hunters and void-alike to try to take the opening. Impulsive To Trantascilia, waiting is for the lethargic and scared. A Prentisian is neither a sheep nor a rat, as the saying goes. Trantascilia prefers action, not words. A diplomat serves no purpose to someone who's role in life is to drive the void into oblivion. Perceptive For all of her boasting, Trantascilia is quick-minded and quick-eyed. She inquisitively takes notes on things people say, do, and how they fight in order for her to adapt or plan for the upcoming future. Not everyone is a true-hearted ally. G I F T Frostfire Sorcery Every hunter has a hearth of their own—the ember that lies in their very soul. As a cryomancer, Trantascilia could never imagine what it was like. You couldn't control what magic was inherent in your blood and bones. However, transcending humanity into becoming a hunter of the void has given the flame at her fingertips alongside her latent cryomancy from within. Together they have mutated into a combination magic where she is one of the few people in the world able to utilize more than one form of sorcery. She has been dubbed the Frostfire Huntress through her use of glacial spikes of frost and blue, boiling embers of flame. It is her gift. E Q U I P M E N T Vyelas Legend says of a spear that struck down a demon that tried to consume the City of Prentalema, a weapon so divine the user's magic would be elevated to the might of the divine. With Trantascilia her magical ability is enhanced threefold and it has made her cyromancy abilities the strongest in the entire world should she truly allow the weapon to completely syncronize with her mind. While it can never be held by those of an impure mind or a corrupt soul appearances may seem deceiving. Vyelas is a dangerous, inherently dangerous cursed weapon. If the user's ideals do not match entirely, the weapon may attempt to possess and dominate the mind of the user. And the soul of a supposed archangel is not something you want to let loose. | Physical Description Hovering in the 5'6" to 5'7" range, Trantascilia is relatively tall for a girl but there are certainly taller women out in the world. Her hair is a dark blue, a fitting commonality for those with the blood of the Dalvcress running through their veins. Her lean, athletic body is good for her dexterous combat style, though she isn't one to take hits very well. The advantage of being fast and athletic as opposed to hardy and strong, one could suppose. Her irises are yellow. Her attire as a huntress is light, but not absent; a battle dress is common alongside her common vestige of metal hairbands on each side above her ears. The royal colors of black and gold are never absent from anything she wears. Character Conceptualization Prentalema is the oldest city in the world. It's walls have survived centuries and nothing has ever broken them or the people inside. The Kimnothelis Dynasty has staked their claim in the cerulean city for the last decade, succeeding the elder Dalvcress Dynasty when the last surviving Dalvcress heirs, the twins Ihmo and Elrick Dalvcress were killed by the void during the Great War. Essel Kimnothelis, the Patriarch of the Kimnothelis families was one of the first lords to step up with a claim to the Cerulean Throne, with blood through his great-grandmother connecting himself with the Dalvcress bloodline a short war of succession would occur. It is regarded as a mostly bloodless succession crisis, with every member of the conflict save a few serving in the royal conciliate. Trantascilia was born during just a few minutes before the forsaken eclipse that preceded the void apocalypse, the granddaughter of Essel through his second eldest son, Kalenis. Some might suggest her birth was a foreboding omen in retrospect, but such claims would be laughed off as humorous banter by pretty much anyone. Still, Trantascilia's armor was formed early and worn well. The childhood in question was not one with much comfort. Her family were wealthy, but not gluttonous or greedy, and in an apocalypse many noble comforts had to be broken down so everyone had enough to comfortably live while the pyromancers fortified their hearths, the obelisk-like signal towers that would come to ward off the void. It would be the blue-haired girl's perception that her family were the most righteous and noble in all of the land in the face of the void; if anyone could press the void back into oblivion it would be Prentisians bearing the Kimnothelis banners. Midnosians were oppressive theocratic warlords. Ldranti were cruel, overbearing conquerors. Scilari were weak albeit intelligent allies. Such things were facts, there was no room for heresay or challenges to her worldview. As she grew older the void continued to gain power, toppling the weaker, smaller nations. She had joined the Knights Prilmarius to serve as every able-bodied man and woman had sworn to do. One could say she experienced pain and loss. The years between her succession to adulthood and then the call for volunteers to participate in occult experiments to destroy the void were many. Every single person she has loved and cherished died either fighting the void or having their souls collapse in on the ember placed within from the experiment. When she was offered to the sorcerers of Kethiline one might presume she expected to fall in the same fashion as the others, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. She believed in herself. She had survived the void without a pyromancer's ember, so why would she doubt that it was her right to live and thrive? Perhaps it was through her lack of self-doubt that she transcended her human shell, perhaps it was dumb luck. It didn't matter, there was work to be done. Other Information TBD |</s> <|message|>Trantascilia Kimnothelis Location: Uhladein, Eastern Marches --- When the smoke cleared there was a quiet, understanding celebration. The void melted into nothing and the bodies of the corrupted turned into ash and bone. The only thing that remained on the battlefield were the remains of what once was. The void, whatever it was, could not rebuild from nothing. It was a taint, a corruption from a place that was not of this world. The soldiers who survived the rush of corrupt goblins and roclings nearly fell to their knees. The remaining hunters finally were allowed a moment of rest. But just a moment. All of them were aware that the pyromancers would have more tasks soon enough and that another fight was on the next horizon. But for now, moments later after the final rush there was peace. It didn't look like much of a peace. But they could get their bearings while the pyromancer in charge of the flame, the master pyromancer, prepared his thoughts and his stamina for the next day. The reprieve might've felt empty. Only a few of the hunters returned to Uhladein where they had met, albeit briefly, before the fight began. But that was the reality of the world.</s> <|message|>Quinnlash Loughvein (Don't call her Quinn. She hates that.) Location: Uhladein, Eastern Marches --- Minute by agonizing minute passed at a crawl as Quinnlash's ember blazed within her, searing lines of brilliant orange flame burning down her cuts, her bruises, her burns and broken bones. Her hacking persisted, turning into a guttural cough as she managed to half-crawl up the unforgiving stone that had so unceremoniously stopped her flight and prop herself up against it. Her legs finally stopped shaking under her. The skin on her hands un-cooked itself, and she hacked up and spat out a glob of red saliva on the ground, hoping to get the taste of blood and ash out of her mouth before too long. Tasted like shit. Flexed her arms, rolled her shoulders, rolled her neck, cracked her knuckles. Felt like she was still in one piece, at least, wouldn't need to regenerate a whole arm or anything. Holding her hand out in front of her and glaring at it, she flicked her wrist and found that the flame had returned to her, a flickering orb dancing above her outstretched palm. She stared at it for a moment longer, eyes almost...mournful, then her lips turned up in a sneer and she snuffed it out, still trying to shut out the memories that were even now lingering around the edges of her mind. The warm glow of the relit hearthfire crystal washed over her just like like she imagined the sun would've, with a gentle light and comforting warmth. Or, "gentle" and "comforting" to everyone else, probably. The bright light made her eye hurt—still searing with pain from her little stunt—and the heat just made the raging furnace within her more uncomfortable. Great. Rubbing her hands over her face, she finally stood straight, resettling Undying Light on her back and giving it a reassuring pat. What a beautiful thing it was. What beautiful flowers bloomed from it. She gave her head a quick shake, as though to chase off the still-clinging memories like dust and cobwebs, and was met with... ...Well, it annoyed her. And that was about it. But that was okay too. Anything was better than just sitting there remembering. Even dying. She definitely would've let herself fall to the tower's floor far, far below if it meant this wouldn't happen. So she reacted the best way she knew. She got angry. "Yo. Galiel. What's the deal? You and your crowd of heroes pulled through. Good job." her caustic voice overflowed with sarcasm and tension, and pain that she tried very hard to bury. Her hair hanging loose around her shoulders was definitely frustrating her too. And probably ruining the effect. So, as was simply the way of things... She got angrier. "So are you gonna thank me already or what?"</s>

<|message|>Trantascilia Kimnothelis Location: Uhladein, Eastern Marches --- "You can thank the void that you have a use in this world." Galiel glared at the young woman, unamused by her petulant angst. The life she had chosen was harsh and necessary, but it was one she had taken into her hands away from a life of luxury in the capital. Of the hunters he had met before the horde of void met with Uhladein's walls she had been one of two he knew by reputation alone. And she was the worst of them all–a Midnosian. Uhladein had always been significant and independent. It served as the western fortress as part of Edelen, a buffer state between Midnos and Aulrithia. Since Aulrithia's fall to the void it became even more important as the void swallowed more and more of the imperial heartlands. He had been a young man when that day happened. Any sort of empathy he had for anyone, let alone soulless weapons crafted by dark magicks was null. This wasn't to say he didn't appreciate the void hunters, but their sacrifice was something that wasn't forced on them. It was their choice, whoever they were before. Galiel was a pyromancer and an old one at that. Had he not been he would not have survived his involvement in the war and he wouldn't be the most important person in the city as it stood. Without pyromancers the void would have everything. In his view, women like Quinnlash should know their place. His eyes moved back to the flame as the younger pyromancers took to tending to it. The fire elemental's crystalline core glowing bright and shooting flame into the sky. Most of his apprentices were young, but they would get over their nerves. He just hoped the next time the void struck at them they would have steel in their resolve instead of mud. He moved to one of the window arches as he looked across the city. There would be a need of geomancers to repair the damages. He would have to make a request as everything in the stronghold of a city got back to normal. "I'm sure the Pyromancer-Queen would be disappointed if she heard you talking to me like this." He coldly remarked as he looked toward the walls. "I'd be quick to tell her if you choose to keep irritating me. Now, be a good girl, and go downstairs and convene with the others. I'll have your orders soon."</s>

<|description|>Lexann Stormbrew P E R S O N A L D E T A I L S Age - 24 Gender - F Vocation - Sentinel Country - Ldrant - P E R S O N A L I T Y Plucky The rookie in her is yet to die. Lexann is optimistic in the fight against the void, confident in humanity's resilience--or at least Ldrant's. Especially as a hunter, she doesn't back down from a challenge. Losses here and there don't dissuade her confidence, and she celebrates wins to the fullest. Pessimistic words roll off her like water droplets, often unacknowledged as if they've gone through one ear and out the other. Needless to say, Lexann is difficult to rattle. Her determination offers stability and morale to those who seek it. Boisterous Just below the surface of her skin, embers constantly burn from the inside out. The flames would consume her mind if she dared dwell for too long. The quiet is violent. So the extrovert seeks relief from the flames in the world and people around her. Bubbly and bold, Lexann isn't shy about striking up a conversation with anyone who will tolerate her babbling. She doesn't think twice about her place in the world: she laughs loudly, takes up space, clasps others' hands in greeting. She's energetic, carefree. Simple While Lexann isn't the most intellectual or deep, she is surprisingly level headed. Simplicity becomes her strength under pressure: there is no need to get caught up in the past, future, if, buts, or whats. She doesn't easily get dragged down by negative emotions as they are far too fleeting to run deep. She simply accepts what she perceives and acts on it. She lives fully in the moment, adaptable, and rolls with the punches. Her willingness to accept things as they seem can clearly be a strength, but it also makes her prone to trickery. G I F T Pick on Someone Your Own Size Lexann has the power to meet the strength and speed of an opponent. If they're too fast for her to normally keep up with, her ember burns hotter to help her move quicker. On the rare occasion she can't outmatch someone else's strength, her soul brightens and in turn enhances her muscles--they may even grow in size to combat the other. However, there is a catch: for her gift to activate, she must be acting to protect someone else. If she's fighting for herself, she only has her usual strength and speed to act with. E Q U I P M E N T The Forge Gifted to Lexann by her father upon her transformation into a hunter, the Forge is suitable only for a hunter to wield. It was intended to be stuck in the ground while a marksman takes cover behind it, large enough to cover an average sized person and rectangular in shape. However, Lexann's superhuman strength allows her to wield it against danger on a single arm, albeit slowing her down some. It's thick with metal, impossible to penetrate by normal means, and deadly as a blunt weapon. However, it is not its size nor weight that makes the Forge a forbidden weapon. It is the flames that burn toward the user. The face of the shield, likened to a flattened dragon head, is mostly unassuming save for the ferocious eyes and teeth. But upon equipping the shield, its back opens and plunges into a void of flames. As one uses it, her body burns uncomfortably, like standing too close to a bonfire. And if she was not only brave enough to reach into the fire, but resilient enough to keep her arm as well, she could pull a weapon from its depths at the cost of her skin and blood. The Forge seems to take the blood boiled off its user as a sacrifice, merging it with the fire within to make a weapon of its choice, not hers. The weapon--whatever it may be--emerges as blazing plasma from tip to hilt, cooling slightly in the open air but still scalding against skin. Assuming she can bear the pain, the weapon will serve better than any other weapon due to the burning blade. Once released, whether intentionally or through clumsiness, the flame weapon dissipates and its fire is siphoned back into the Forge. | Physical Description Nearly 6' in stature, Lexann's taller than most men and women, and her limbs are hard with natural strength enhanced by her transformation into a hunter. Somehow, she often seems even taller--a cool confidence pulls her shoulders and chin up even when she's lounging. Long, peachy hair is a sharp contrast to the Ldrantian warrior's build. Often it's styled into two separate tails, but the occasional braids or buns aren't unheard of for Lexann. Bangs fall to her bright, sea green eyes--like a cat's, they're wide and interested in the world. Watchful, but easily distracted. And while her face is young, free of blemish from stress or age, her clothing hides various scars earned in combat (and clumsiness). Her clothing of choice, while comfortable first and foremost, is often colorful. Eye-catching, she doesn't mind standing out in a crowd and welcomes attention--even on a battlefield. Fortune favors the bold. Character Conceptualization Lexann was born among many siblings and half-siblings, her father a once renowned warrior in Ldrant and first of the name Stormbrew. After fighting for the glory of Ldrant, the next best thing a man could do is provide more foot soldiers. Stormbrew offspring are infamous, even in Ldrant--swords and spears in their hands as soon as they can grasp, dominating friendly competitions, and merciless in the unfriendly sorts. Perhaps it is thanks to the void that Stormbrew cultivated such an army, as surviving mortal enemies certainly don't call for such rigorous child rearing. Needless to say, Lexann's strength was tested daily for as long as she could remember. Teachers were impatient, cruel, and had high expectations that few could meet. Her father was distant, cold--he had more children than he could keep track of. What was the point of getting attached? And when one might think that she could look to an older brother or sister for support, she could not. Older siblings were the biggest bullies, and those the same age as her were unfriendly rivals. The blood between seemed to mean little. "Family" was a word hardly uttered among these kids who shared a name. While it was isolating, Lexann learned quickly that she could do and take as she liked so long as she was stronger than the other guy. She liked her sister's doll, so she fought for it. Her brother earned a war horse, so she took it for her own--he was too short to ride it anyhow. While she didn't always come out on top, she welcomed new opportunities. And in her strength and victories, her pride and confidence grew. Her growth spurt came in her teens and older siblings weren't always bigger or faster or stronger. The younger siblings became prey far too easy for to push around, so she didn't bother. In fact, pity occasional swelled in her physically large heart and she stepped in if the odds were too unfair for the younguns. So, despite her strength, she's known for her softness among the Stormbrews--enough to earn a disapproving frown from her father. The time came for Lexann to take up the sword outside of competitions and war games. While she wasn't the best educated, she knew enough to take pride in her country and its exploits in the pre-void era. She wanted a taste of that glory, to stand out against her dozens of siblings and thousands of countrymen. Surviving against the void on the front lines was certainly one way to earn renown-- but suicide for a mere mortal, no matter how strong she was. Well, people have fought against the void since before she was born so surely there was something she could do. A smarter person may have turned to books or scholars for answers, but Lexann wasn't type the type to think ahead. She simply acted: she journeyed to the great walls, where pyromancers worked around the clock protecting civilization against the void by fueling hearthfires. Pyromancers had become a rarity in her neck of the woods, their duty calling them out of city centers; so she was delighted to meet and converse with them. And her first disappointment was learning pyromancy was not something she could simply learn. However, she wasn't one to dwell so she sought out work against the void anyway. Hunters were yet to exist. For over a year, she was a scout against the void and the occasional mortal threat. She spent much of her time outside walls and hearthfires, returning to their safety to report sightings to pyromancers who would handle the real work. Although it was exciting at first, enlightening and horrifying, to see the void firsthand and survive, Lexann could still only standby when it reared its ugly head at humanity. What she did was good work, but it wasn't satisfying-- it wasn't enough. Enter the hunters. Although they were being manufactured, existing in the world, word of their existence had not yet graced Lexann's ears. And just like humans were learning and evolving to survive, so was the void. While Lexann's small party of scouts had always spotted signs of the void first, that night the void found them. For the first time in her life, true fear took hold of Lexann-- There was nothing she could do but run, run away from the void and toward the flames of safety. While duty was important--warning the pyromancers of the threat--it was only self preservation that pushed her on as others died around her. She was surely next-- Somehow, she was still standing. And between the void and Lexann were narrow shoulders and average frame--smaller than herself, but somehow leagues stronger. The figure pushed back the void and instead of running, lunged after it with murderous intent... That night, Lexann was saved by hunters--humanity's real chance against the void. It inspired her. Ignoring warnings and throwing caution to the wind, she joined their ranks. Other Information TBD |</s> <|message|>Trantascilia Kimnothelis Location: Uhladein, Eastern Marches --- "They tried to do that at the beginning. Before we had hunters." Trantascilia had remembered the stories. She was but a child during that brief period where the pyromancers were the sword and the shield, the moment where hunters didn't really exist. When a hunter did come, she had been alone and for years the void consumed the entire Empire of Aulrithia with needless abandon. It was because of that there was so much void coming upon the rest of the world because places like Midnos allowed Aulrithia and the free nations beside her to get swallowed while they worked tirelessly to create new solutions. A terrible time. "A great misfortune is that despite their abilities, they can not do it. Which is why we need to work together, unified by our goal to drive out the darkness." She smiled, turning to the small child hunter who had survived. "It is very inspiring of awe. Coolness of the greatest kind."</s> <|message|>Quinnlash Loughvein (Don't call her Quinn. She hates that.) Location: Uhladein, Eastern Marches --- Quinnlash, by force of long, long habit, was snapped out of her distraction by a question about pyromancy. Which was not exactly her favorite subject; it reminded her far too much of things she'd left behind. But still, something—maybe her massive venting of pyromancy in the hearthfire keep, the memories that had been gnawing on her mind, or Galiel's last few words getting under her skin—compelled her to answer. So she glanced back at the pink Hunter. Lexann, she thought, as she locked eyes—or, well, eye—with her. Her mouth was fixed into a scornful sneer, as it often was. But when she spoke, her voice, on the other hand, was most unlike her. It carried none of the loud, angry vitriol that characterized "Quinnlash" so much of the time. Rather, it was quiet, level, and deeply bitter. "Pyromancy has more limits than you think." She stared up at the dark, clouded sky, and a small, tightly-controlled flame leapt between her fingers. "There's only so much energy in one person. Humans are finite, by definition; the Void is infinite. And finite versus infinite reaches a predictable, inevitable outcome. Which is why we exist. We—Hunters—we're still finite in theory if not normal praxis. Just...less so. So the conclusion is less clear-cut and obvious." For the barest fraction of a fraction of a second, her face was writ with something like despair. Then her hand snapped closed, and the flame vanished with it. Her brow creased into a thundercloud, and she mantled a scowl once again. Stop it. Stop it! FUCKING STOP IT! You aren't like that anymore! You are better! "Ugh! Fuck! Why am I even talking about—telling you about—FUCK! It's not like dumbasses like you can understand it anyway, so why am I even BOTHERING?"</s>

<|message|>Lexann Stormbrew Location: Uhladein, Eastern Marches --- Naturally, Lexann nodded along with Rain. Hunters were way cooler, as demonstrated on the battlefield while the other pyromancers gathered around the hearth. A different purpose, sure, but not as cool. And with Tranta, she had to nod along again. Hunters were strong, but it's what they accomplished together that ultimately drove back the void. And a simple pyromancer wouldn't last very long, Lexann supposed. One mistake would lead to the end-end. Her eyes flickered to the tall, white haired hunter. Rivaling cats in number of lives, hunters were the ultimate soldier--popping right back up after being squashed. "Pyromancy has more limits than you think." Again, Lexann nodded as the eye patch'd hunter talked...until the words got a little too polysyllabic and the bob of her head slowed to watch her in confusion-- To see that she was playing with a flame between fingers. Big words, big booms, literally playing with fire? "Whoa, wait-- were you a pyromancer?" she asked, wonderment in her voice. "And now you're a hunter? Haven't met anyone like that yet-- Who are you?"</s>

<|description|>Kaminari Kiryu Kaminari Kiryu "Names don't matter. What's important is how you live your life." Age 18 Gender Male Home Sea The Dragon Sea Aether Sign Sun - Lightning Aether Abilities Kaminari has trained his body under the martial arts of his father and Gale, learning how to use aether rather late in his training. He is the least experienced in real combat unlike the rest of the crew, only being allowed to fight if it is necessary. Gale's training has helped him create ways to use his aether to supplement his martial arts while being useful for every day purposes. As it stands, Kami is hardworking Diver with fists of steel and feet of lightning. Lightning Skates: Lightining Skate is a unique technique that enhances the user's speed and creating unique ways to attack. More specifically, the user lines the bottom of their shoes or feet, if bare-footed, with a thin film of Lightning Aether. After the bottom of the shoe is coated with lightning, the user's speed on foot increases substantially. As a result, it as if the caster is skating across the ground. This spell holds a similar setup compared to when Kaminari enhances his limbs with lightning. Due to the complexity, Lightning Skate cannot be used in conjunction with Lightning Touch. Lightning Touch: The most basic of techniques, but the most creative in Kaminari's arsenal. With a deep breath, Kami channels his aether into his hands/feet, casting streams of electricity around his hands/feet, thereby increasing the resulting damage when striking targets. Due to the natural effect accompanied by being struck by lightning, Kaminari can shock his targets. These shocks can potentially cause a momentary stun but, it's a rather low chance. Lightning Tether: Shifting lightning through his hands/feet, Kaminari can touch an object, or person, leaving behind a mote of lightning, creating a tether between him and the object. The tether is solid, yet retains the property of lightning. A current is charged into whatever it touches, allowing Kaminari to change the polarity of the object, either pulling himself to the object and vice-versa, similar to magnetism. The tether cannot shock the things it touches as that requires too much from Kami. Personality Kami is a guy with very kind heart and pure intentions. Despite any troubles at his life, he continues to keep his smile truly alive and sincere, in order to seal the hope and strength in himself and in others. Kaminari is a protective and supportive one; even if he doesn't know how to help, he will do almost anything to help his friends or unknown-to-him and innocent people. He respects all the people that surround him, even the pirates though this respect differs from how Kami attends the usual people and Divers. He is quite polite, trying not to be rude in conversations and/or when he is in a bad mood. He is a calm individual, which can not be driven crazy or become mad easily. On the other hand, if somebody turns him up to the boiling point, then you surely can begin your preparations for the worst things ever. But, reaching the boiling point is a hard enough task. To mention other things, he is very kind and compassionate and somewhat very impressionable at someone's bad times and eventually often can not simply withstand the burden of other's troubles even if they aren't connected to him directly and he doesn't help them due to different circumstances. History Unlike his parents, Kami was not born in Xian, rather he was conceived upon the Dragon Sea, on a ship captain'd by Himund Gale. Kami's father, , stood proud to see his child had survived the complications of child birth. The same could not be said for , Kami's mother, had become ill during her pregnancy, her body growing weaker due to contracting an unknown disease. Despite her being in immense pain, Melia held her child tightly. Raito and Melia shed their love upon the infant, their lives finally amounting to something. Raito elected to raise his son on Gale's ship, treating his good friend as Kaminari's god father. The life of a diver was not one well suited for a child and yet Kaminari became attached the idea of a Diver, a hero that protected the seas. Raito, and Gale began to teach the boy how to handle being a Diver, as even they knew that he would follow in their footsteps, but they were careful to never let him close to danger. The crew looked out for the boy and his ill mother, becoming a family in the meantime. A family that would soon endure a tragic loss. The night came long as everyone slept, Kaminari running around the deck with Gale watching over him. A cannonball ripped through the ship, alarming the crew. Pirates had come to get revenge for their captain. A battle would ensue that left Gale's crew on the losing side, a ship 3x the size stood before them. Fate had deemed them a sacrifice to satiate the pirates, until Raito took action. His prowess proving to be legendary, facing them down near single-handedly. A demon of the seas, he boarded the pirate ship. He knew that couldn't escape the dreadnought, so he took it upon himself to give his crew time to escape. His goodbye was short, but he knew his family would understand, Kaminari screaming for his father. The loss was grave and not even time could heal this wound. 10 years passed after that fateful night, Kami never forgetting his father's sacrifice, but he was not the only loss that the boy would face. Melia too would eventually pass away, her body growing too weak to sustain herself. Kaminari had to face life without his parents, instead being raised by Huminid Gale, a foster father who treated the child like his own. The boy was the cusp of becoming a man, ready to face the world as a Diver like his parents before him. Gear Kaminari does not carry much besides the usual diver equipment. There is only three things that he keeps on him. One being a customized pocket watch that his father once used and the other two are twin katanas that are family heirlooms from his mother.</s> <|message|>Crus Acosta ─────── ⥢❂⥤ ─────── Ah... the sun, the sea, the salt. All things Crus had been enjoying until the freakish storm overtook the ship. He'd seen plenty of storms in his life, from rain showers to hurricanes, but none that came on quite as fast as this. None as brutal either. Whatever was haunting this isle was really territorial. Crus had clung fast to the ship's mast, feeling every sway and lurch as the ocean and tempest did their best to pull the vessel under. During the worst of it Crus' heart felt as though it would be ejected from his throat, but was as exciting a feeling as it was terrifying. And just as quickly as the barrage of wind and rain came, it passed. It was a couple of long moments before Crus unwrapped himself from around the mast. He shook his head in canine imitation, clearing it of sea water. Damn, what a storm! Dark clouds and the harsh howl of the squall swirled around them on all sides, threatening to engulf them again, but here where they were it was more of less clear. Seems they'd gone right through and into the calm at the center. Without the din of the storm to compete against, Gale's voice rung loud and clear. "Yessir," Crus chirped, raising two fingers to his forehead and then motioning them towards the Sharkfin's captain before making his way below deck. It was a little weird onboard, with people snapping to attention and practically rushing downstairs. Much different than the peaceful voyage they'd had so far. For all he knew though, maybe this kind of thing was normal. Crus was just going to pretend he knew what he was doing as he followed the flow. It had only been days since he'd been onboard the Sharkfin. Though successful, his stowing away had not been very stealthy at all - and the crew had discovered him mere hours into setting off after stopping over at a little island for a short shore leave. They'd found Crus in the mess fixing himself a meal. The young Southerner didn't have much of a plan, and it was only with Gale's good humor and charity that the Sharkfin's crew hadn't stuck him in a rowboat and pointed him back to Ororuel. And look at him now! On his way to become a Diver. Or so he liked to think anyway. He'd schmoozed with the crew over the last few days, made himself useful, and now he was going to prove himself in the water alongside the professionals. Oh yeah, things were going swimmingly. One of the downsides of having stowed away was that Crus didn't bring a lot with him though. At least he wasn't bogged down with stuff, but he didn't have much gear to gather. Crewman insisted that he take a rebreather at the very least, and so he did. Maybe in the future he could buy one of those fancy suits. For now, it took him all of a couple minutes to get ready. "Hey, Kami!" He called, craning his neck to look around for the other young man. "Last one t'make it back up on deck s'gonna cover the other's swabbing duties after this. I hope you've been practicing with your mop." Challenge made, Crus started back towards the stairs. Now, there were plenty of people on the Sharkfin's payroll. Gloryhounds, misfits. Runaways. The nature of some eluded Crus, like those Imperial women. One such person was nearby, leaning against the cabin wall looking a bit lost all things considered. He was going to pass her on the way out, and so he flashed her a disarming smile. "Tell me y'aren't sea sick, miss." It occurred to Crus that he hadn't spoken with the woman much, if at all, since he'd been here - so he wasn't about to guess her name and get it wrong, leaving it at 'miss.' It was an easy enough comment to brush off if she wasn't in the mood. --- mentions: @Lemons@Taka ---</s> <|message|>Kaitha Morro --- The Sharkfin | South Seas Ocean --- As the storm began to settle around them and the Sharkfin came to rest, Kaitha, like plenty of the other crew members, stared up at the patchy break in the clouds. Blessedly, the sun had not vanished from the sky to leave the world bleak and gray forever; the rays that touched the ship were warm and welcome. Tonight the moon would be beautiful—"dark days, bright nights," as the saying went. Something to look forward to, anyway. Orders were given and Kaitha made her way giddily down belowdecks. The dark here was much starker than it had been outside, even in the guts of that awful storm, and unlike the sunlight that warmed her skin and sank down, this brought her a warmth that radiated from within. She smiled, bouncing in each step with all the grace of a feather on the wind until she found the storage. Others were here, a young man and woman. Crus and Tella, who, Kaitha believed, was imperial. She hadn't been so vocal about it yet though, so for the time being she was given a pass. "Pardon~" she hummed, slipping past them with water's own fluidity to find her things. She doffed her habit's cap and overcoat, but left the shawl and waist-coat on over the rest of the outfit. Choir habits were designed for diving, which made traveling much easier. Well, mostly. She did have one bit of luggage that could be cumbersome now and again. As she retrieved her Bo Saw, she couldn't help but overhear Crus and be just a little intrigued. Seasickness? A diver? Hopefully not, what a dreadful affliction to have in a profession like this. Or any profession, really. Frankly it might as well have been called 'worldsickness.' "Think it might be more that the sea's sick of us." She flashed a grin, and tried to remember that showing too many teeth put people off. Quickly, she gave the blade a test-revving, happy to see that it hadn't been damaged in all that rattling. "Luna's luck we'll be out of here before it finds a remedy."</s>

<|message|>Kaminari Kiryu The sea wind rushed past Kaminari's nose, twitching in response to the breeze. Feeling the breeze was a common hobby for the son of the Captain, his body hair straightening, goosebumps forming on his arms, he loved every moment of being on the sea. Storms were part of the fun iun the case of Kami. He could enjoy the rain hitting his face and the lightning streaking through the sky. This was a love instilled in him by his real father and mother, they loved being on the sea, and the little they got to spend together resonated deep within the boy. He stared across the sea from the porthole under the deck of the ship. His mind focused on the joy of being a Diver. Suddenly a voice broke the silence of his mind, Kami looking back to see Crus. A challenge brought to his feet, a challenge that the teens normally instigated. A friendship had spawned between the boys, regardless of the short moment that they've known each other, and Kami felt as though he could tell Crus anything. Everyone else was older with far less joy that Kami but, Crus could match his energy with ease whilst also giving Kami someone to teach since he already had years of Gale's knowledge under his belt. "Not fair. Ya already close ta the stairs.", Kami yelled back to his friend, lifting his feet to chase behind him. Reaching to the deck behind his friend, he embraced the feel of the sun hitting his skin. He loved it and felt as though his body was being revitalized, filling with aether. Lightning, purple in color, sparked just a bit between his fingers, Kami playing with it like a toy. His eyes scanned the deck until the landed on the man that he admired the most. Giving a few greetings to the crew that knew him, and the few that didn't, the teen made his way over to his adopted father. "Hey Pop." Kami gave Gale a huge smile, "So what do ya want me ta do?"</s>

<|description|>Marina Sorellia Byl Alias - Marina Watercrest Age - 24 Gender - Femme Home Sea - Imperial Sea Aether Sign - Moon (Water) - A Dolphin's Madness Marina was already a girl who was… a bit bold in her academy days. She was thrill-seeking, loud, cheerful, and assertive. Her penchant for messing with people and laughing it off has not changed, though she has become blatantly less stable after all of the endeavors she has survived as a diver. After staring death in the face twice one could say Marina has lost her wavin' mind. She has become rattled and fascinated with the oblivion of death and seems obsessed with facing it again. It can be pretty unnerving. Independent Heroine Marina seeks to be seen as great as she feels she is. She hates comparisons to her father and mother, no matter the intention. She still has much to achieve and one day people will see her more as the spawn of her parents and the legend-in-making that she feels she has the potential to be. The Greatest Diver on Aruth Marina's confidence and assertions have always been encouraged. Growing up in the Imperial Sea as the daughter of one of the most prolific admirals in the world and possibly the greatest diver-adventurer of her generation, Marina's parent's pedigree has always inspired her to think like she was the greatest creation in all of the seas. This has not changed since Marina abandoned the Imperial Sea and sought to become her own woman. Actually, it's gotten worse. | Aether Abilities Marina's aether abilities are enhanced by the moon. Specifically, she specializes in the manipulation of the element of water. Marina learned to tap into her aether abilities when she was but a small child, though she was no prodigal genius. Everything she has achieved has been done with a large quantity of hard work and a small degree of talent. This hard work was supplemented by Marina's attendance as a student of the Imperial Fleet Academy based in proximity to the imperial capital. Though despite having a well-trained connection to her aether sign, Marina still tends to struggle regarding her focus and nerve. But the moon has blessed the purple-haired young adult nonetheless, enhancing Marina's abilities as a diver and combatant; she envies those who are talented artificers and aether engineers given that she lacks the patience for such things. Marina as an aether user can be aptly described as a utility specialist, which in short means that most of Marina's combat prowess is done practically rather than magically. Aether exists to enhance Marina's skills as a diver and adventurer, though in a clutch situation she can be pushed to using her more esoteric abilities that are better suited to combat. Some common aspects and techniques she is prone to utilizing include the following: * Fysallidakinesis: Marina tends to use Fysallidakinesis in combination with her hydrokinetic barriers. It's good to be able to breathe underwater, especially if your diving gear isn't with you or is compromised. * Hydrokinetic Barriers: Marina's primary focus when it comes to her aether abilities is the creation of a "hard" water fields that can be used as shields, deep dive barriers, and containment fields. * Pressure Manipulation: Manipulating the water pressure around her can aid Marina when she is surrounded by pirates, raiders, or other sorts of antagonists. Requires focus and can exhaust Marina quickly if she's not careful. * Purification: In certain situations Marina can focus on purifying any form of liquid she comes into contact with. She's had to use this in certain parts of the ocean where ancient corruption magic has tainted the water to the point it is too dangerous to swim in. * Regenerative Water: The most difficult aether technique that Marina knows and probably the most valuable when things look the most dark. Similar to her purification techniques, but allowing to apply a transformative water to another person to reinforce their immune system and healing faculties. Character Conceptualization TBD REWORK |</s> <|message|>Crus Acosta ─────── ⥢❂⥤ ─────── Ah... the sun, the sea, the salt. All things Crus had been enjoying until the freakish storm overtook the ship. He'd seen plenty of storms in his life, from rain showers to hurricanes, but none that came on quite as fast as this. None as brutal either. Whatever was haunting this isle was really territorial. Crus had clung fast to the ship's mast, feeling every sway and lurch as the ocean and tempest did their best to pull the vessel under. During the worst of it Crus' heart felt as though it would be ejected from his throat, but was as exciting a feeling as it was terrifying. And just as quickly as the barrage of wind and rain came, it passed. It was a couple of long moments before Crus unwrapped himself from around the mast. He shook his head in canine imitation, clearing it of sea water. Damn, what a storm! Dark clouds and the harsh howl of the squall swirled around them on all sides, threatening to engulf them again, but here where they were it was more of less clear. Seems they'd gone right through and into the calm at the center. Without the din of the storm to compete against, Gale's voice rung loud and clear. "Yessir," Crus chirped, raising two fingers to his forehead and then motioning them towards the Sharkfin's captain before making his way below deck. It was a little weird onboard, with people snapping to attention and practically rushing downstairs. Much different than the peaceful voyage they'd had so far. For all he knew though, maybe this kind of thing was normal. Crus was just going to pretend he knew what he was doing as he followed the flow. It had only been days since he'd been onboard the Sharkfin. Though successful, his stowing away had not been very stealthy at all - and the crew had discovered him mere hours into setting off after stopping over at a little island for a short shore leave. They'd found Crus in the mess fixing himself a meal. The young Southerner didn't have much of a plan, and it was only with Gale's good humor and charity that the Sharkfin's crew hadn't stuck him in a rowboat and pointed him back to Ororuel. And look at him now! On his way to become a Diver. Or so he liked to think anyway. He'd schmoozed with the crew over the last few days, made himself useful, and now he was going to prove himself in the water alongside the professionals. Oh yeah, things were going swimmingly. One of the downsides of having stowed away was that Crus didn't bring a lot with him though. At least he wasn't bogged down with stuff, but he didn't have much gear to gather. Crewman insisted that he take a rebreather at the very least, and so he did. Maybe in the future he could buy one of those fancy suits. For now, it took him all of a couple minutes to get ready. "Hey, Kami!" He called, craning his neck to look around for the other young man. "Last one t'make it back up on deck s'gonna cover the other's swabbing duties after this. I hope you've been practicing with your mop." Challenge made, Crus started back towards the stairs. Now, there were plenty of people on the Sharkfin's payroll. Gloryhounds, misfits. Runaways. The nature of some eluded Crus, like those Imperial women. One such person was nearby, leaning against the cabin wall looking a bit lost all things considered. He was going to pass her on the way out, and so he flashed her a disarming smile. "Tell me y'aren't sea sick, miss." It occurred to Crus that he hadn't spoken with the woman much, if at all, since he'd been here - so he wasn't about to guess her name and get it wrong, leaving it at 'miss.' It was an easy enough comment to brush off if she wasn't in the mood. --- mentions: @Lemons@Taka ---</s> <|message|>Kaitha Morro --- The Sharkfin | South Seas Ocean --- As the storm began to settle around them and the Sharkfin came to rest, Kaitha, like plenty of the other crew members, stared up at the patchy break in the clouds. Blessedly, the sun had not vanished from the sky to leave the world bleak and gray forever; the rays that touched the ship were warm and welcome. Tonight the moon would be beautiful—"dark days, bright nights," as the saying went. Something to look forward to, anyway. Orders were given and Kaitha made her way giddily down belowdecks. The dark here was much starker than it had been outside, even in the guts of that awful storm, and unlike the sunlight that warmed her skin and sank down, this brought her a warmth that radiated from within. She smiled, bouncing in each step with all the grace of a feather on the wind until she found the storage. Others were here, a young man and woman. Crus and Tella, who, Kaitha believed, was imperial. She hadn't been so vocal about it yet though, so for the time being she was given a pass. "Pardon~" she hummed, slipping past them with water's own fluidity to find her things. She doffed her habit's cap and overcoat, but left the shawl and waist-coat on over the rest of the outfit. Choir habits were designed for diving, which made traveling much easier. Well, mostly. She did have one bit of luggage that could be cumbersome now and again. As she retrieved her Bo Saw, she couldn't help but overhear Crus and be just a little intrigued. Seasickness? A diver? Hopefully not, what a dreadful affliction to have in a profession like this. Or any profession, really. Frankly it might as well have been called 'worldsickness.' "Think it might be more that the sea's sick of us." She flashed a grin, and tried to remember that showing too many teeth put people off. Quickly, she gave the blade a test-revving, happy to see that it hadn't been damaged in all that rattling. "Luna's luck we'll be out of here before it finds a remedy."</s> <|message|>Kaminari Kiryu The sea wind rushed past Kaminari's nose, twitching in response to the breeze. Feeling the breeze was a common hobby for the son of the Captain, his body hair straightening, goosebumps forming on his arms, he loved every moment of being on the sea. Storms were part of the fun iun the case of Kami. He could enjoy the rain hitting his face and the lightning streaking through the sky. This was a love instilled in him by his real father and mother, they loved being on the sea, and the little they got to spend together resonated deep within the boy. He stared across the sea from the porthole under the deck of the ship. His mind focused on the joy of being a Diver. Suddenly a voice broke the silence of his mind, Kami looking back to see Crus. A challenge brought to his feet, a challenge that the teens normally instigated. A friendship had spawned between the boys, regardless of the short moment that they've known each other, and Kami felt as though he could tell Crus anything. Everyone else was older with far less joy that Kami but, Crus could match his energy with ease whilst also giving Kami someone to teach since he already had years of Gale's knowledge under his belt. "Not fair. Ya already close ta the stairs.", Kami yelled back to his friend, lifting his feet to chase behind him. Reaching to the deck behind his friend, he embraced the feel of the sun hitting his skin. He loved it and felt as though his body was being revitalized, filling with aether. Lightning, purple in color, sparked just a bit between his fingers, Kami playing with it like a toy. His eyes scanned the deck until the landed on the man that he admired the most. Giving a few greetings to the crew that knew him, and the few that didn't, the teen made his way over to his adopted father. "Hey Pop." Kami gave Gale a huge smile, "So what do ya want me ta do?"</s>

<|message|>Marina Sorellia Byl Marina Watercrest smiled widely at the crewmate who had challenged her to three sets of Maker's Grace. The cards on the table plain for them to see as the sound of the ocean hammered against the hull. "This is what you get, you know." The young woman smiled, "For dueling one of the greats." The older man groaned before nearing a laugh. He hadn't interacted with the diver much, but the girl's gall and confidence nearly set him off. That was before the cards spun off the table as a particularly strong wave had tucked itself against the ship. Were they nearing their destination? That accursed storm? Must've been. Marina could hear the yelling, faint as it were through the ship's floorboards. She supposed it was now where the real fun began. The real adventure. It would be like her travels before when she left the Imperial Sea but as a girl seeking to find her way. She had failed, triumphed, and then failed again. She was hoping in this venture it would be a return to greatness. She smiled as she scooped up the shelma from the table, standing from her seat that she had barely kept upright when the ship braced against the waves. It was always fun for Marina to taunt and gloat, much like she had done at the academy. She brushed off her cloak, "Alas, I would love to continue robbing you blind, but I must dive." The crewman began to mumble unpleasantries as Marina pranced out of the room and toward her belongings and the area where she and the other divers would convene. The thrill of the dive was something else and while Marina had not interacted with any of the other divers, with her rebreather on she could still feel a sense of camaraderie, a sense of belonging. One of the other divers in particular did remind her of someone, though she couldn't quite place it with their own rebreather on and the fact they had not run into each other during the voyage into the storm. It would be a familiarity that she would press on at another time, but for now, she was getting ready. The diving chamber was not as nice or as shoddy as other ones as she had been in, a delightful middle ground. She stretched her legs as conversation began and continued, mostly idle comments, things that weren't terribly interesting or fun. She jumped up and down, getting the blood flowing and muscles ready while smiling inanely underneath her diving gear. One of the women talked of Luna and Luck and Marina looked slightly in her direction. "Luck isn't in the equation, my love." Marina looked toward the diving platform that was sealed shut with a dark temptation growing in her chest. Her eyes widened and there was a glimmer in them that could be seen by anyone who looked at the purple-haired diver. "If you listen carefully, you can hear the terror of the tides. Isn't it wonderful?"</s>

<|description|>Sir Elias Von Reinhardt Age: 25 Gender: Male Appearance: Abilities:[Blood Of Fafnir] Fafnir was once an Elder Beast of fire and might that ruled over a Clan of Giants with brute force alone. Upon slaying the beast; Sir Sigurd von Reinhardt took Fafnir's strength as his own, the ancient Dragon's stolen might becoming inherent to House Reinhardt for generations to come. This power; bound to the Reinhardt bloodline, often manifests as a birthmark in the shape of Fafnir's final wound and located over the heart. [Peak Human] Though his sheer strength alone makes Reinhardt capable of crushing stone with his bare hands, his other physical capabilities are top-tier when compared to his fellow man. [Magic Sense] Despite having no magical ability of his own, Reinhardt is decently capable at detecting the flow and presence of magic. [Expert Swordsman] Though not among the best swordsmen in the land of Albion, the countless hours of practice Reinhardt has put into his swordsmanship can hardly be disregarded. [The Unbreakable] Due to Reinhardt's tendency to return from battles unscathed, rumors would suggest the man's skin to be impenetrable by normal means... However true such a thing might be-- no one quite knows for certain. Recent events have revealed that there may be more to Reinhardt's seeming invulnerability than it would at first seem.... History:Reinhardt. The name of a knightly house that has served the people of Albion since the rule of it's first king. A house renowned for producing heirs of unmatched physical might and tenacity-- as well as some of the most legendary beast slayers Albion has ever known. Charged with eliminating threats in the Northeastern territories of the kingdom, House Reinhardt upheld its oath to protect the people of Albion even centuries after the King had met his end. But every vigil is destined to end eventually. Through the countless years of fighting beasts and brigands and Fomorians alike, the overwhelming strength of the once great house was whittled away bit by bit. Constant fighting against tireless enemies slowly drained the House's numbers, ancient heirlooms were lost, stolen, or destroyed, what little crop the territories could muster was consumed just as fast as it could be produced. By the time Elias Reinhardt had come into the world, his mother, father, and uncle were the last of the Reinhardt line; the walls of their once venerable Castle Reinhardt crumbling and the many chambers within it's halls left dirty, and unkempt. Even as the end loomed over what remained of house Reinhardt, the Lord of the house; ever dutiful to the people of Albion, still raised Elias as a knight. At age eight, Elias was was taught to wield a sword. At ten, he was taught to hunt. At fourteen he learned how to harvest useful materials from the bodies of beasts. At sixteen the young man was Knighted, and at eighteen the young warrior even managed to successfully drive off a great vulture; an Elder beast of misfortune, from the Northeastern territories. At twenty-two years old, the young Elias Reinhardt was dispatched to face the most dangerous foe he'd ever faced. A Tuathan scholar that had been studying the nature a Fey artifact that had been discovered in the region had been driven mad by the twisted magics of the Unseelie, and threatened to make the lands of the Northeastern territories even more of a wasteland than they already were. For ten moons the Knight fought the mage; their battle raging without repose through night and day alike... It is said that the young Reinhardt; though his armor and weapon had been broken beyond repair, returned to Castle Reinhardt without so much as a scratch... But forever changed. Now the young knight travels South to the town of Airedale, carrying a letter addressed to the one rumored capable of saving the land; the very king his family had once so faithfully served. Anything else: * Elias is the first of house Reinhardt to leave the Northeastern territories since the end of the first King's reign. * Despite his family's reputation as beast hunters, Elias himself seems to avoid people associated with the elder beasts. * Elias has a tendency to accidentally break his weapons. * The Reinhardt family birthmark often gives off a dull orange glow that intensifies proportional to physical effort.</s> <|message|>Lunalel Lightsword Luna thought on it and studied the map herself. "I agree with you here, Your Highness. With the gate destroyed we have an excellent place to assault. A perfect plan here for me... We take a few men to watch the gates whilst we assault to ensure none escape. First, I announce myself and get their attention at the destroyed gate. So long as that Fomorian doesn't show up again I'll be more than capable to fight. Fio, you stay out of sight and up high above if you can manage. Once enough of the enemies show their faces, I trust you know what to do. Niall, since you are able to overcome the walls easily, you wait until I start and drag their attention away and then you start to clean up from the other gate. Her Majesty has humbly requested that there be no survivors and I intend to show no mercy." The Knightess of Lightsword said, her face looking stern. She made a soft sigh. "Of course, Niall, Fio... Should you have any objections or additions, I would very much like to hear them. We are equals after all, and I would love any input." Luna gave a small smile at the two.</s> <|message|>Fio Fan Fallise, also known as the Sword Witch "Hmph. Normally I would object to simply assuming I agree with your plan," began Fio, leaning back in her seat and folding her arms, "But I can't exactly object to my own suggestion." Indeed, getting up high and out of sight and taking the enemy by surprise had been her immediate thought on sight of the location where they would be conducting battle. She could devastate their forces at range, and unless they had sufficient magical protection there wasn't much they would be able to do about it. That Fomorian they had fought the before was a concern, but the Sword Witch was confident that she would have no trouble eradicating the enemy if she stayed out of reach and simply kept hammering down on them with magic. "As long as you lure them out, I assure you not a single one will survive," continued the petite witch, a small smirk on her lips. She felt nothing but self-assurance. She would utterly obliterate the enemy and leave not a single one of them standing. They would not be able to harm anyone else ever again. @Rune_Alchemist@FrogRFlowR</s> <|message|>Niall Ulchabhán After being told that the Tuathan male he rescued was known to them from before and not as a friend, Niall was remorseful. Although he couldn't blame himself for desiring to save someone, innocent or not, from the terrible fate the formorians would have given him, he wished he knew or that he at least could have brought him back here. "A sound plan." Niall simply answered to Luna and Fio's input. "I would take a few men, if possible, and open the second gate once you begin your assault and after Fio's ambush. If we all go into the camp, we can clear it out like Luna said. The men can handle those that would flee. However, we have to be wary. There is the Female formorian that could spell trouble, as well as a bandit that was bigger than the others and stronger too. Annagan was his name, I believe. Slow, but powerful." Niall took hold of his lance and looked towards the queen for approval of their plans and if they had leave to go prepare and execute. Fio seemed so sure of herself, and Luna, with her passion, made Niall at ease despite his crippling lack of social experience with other humans in a 'normal' setting. Compared to those two, he could seem a bit 'narrow' and cold, but it was not intended. "I look forward to serving with you both again." was all he could muster to say in an attempt to pitch in this social interaction.</s> <|message|>Queen Sorcha Mulryan Location: Southern Giants Rest Lightsword base -> Bandit camp, early morning. @FrogRFlowR@Pyromania99 --- "I see." Sorcha smiled ever so slightly. "Well, if you are all in agreement then I shall take my leave. A simple bandit like him should not prove too troublesome to you all. As these are your soldiers, then, Luna, I shall hand over the operation of this assault to you. Now if you'll excuse me," She turned to leave, motioning for Gabriel to follow. "Prisoner. Now." "U-uh right." Eager to get away from Luna, Gabriel followed behind the queen. This now just left the three of them to gather their soldiers, put their plan into motion, and then assault the base. It would probably be a bad idea for Luna to take more than a handful of soldiers with her, there was no telling if those bandits would come back or not. Still, it was up to her how many men to take and whether or not to leave many at the base. The Queen was there, after all. There wasn't much of a chance something could go wrong, right? "Oh, and, one more thing," The queen stopped just short of leaving the door as she'd turn briefly back to her knights. "Remember. We also are looking for evidence as to who these bandits and fomorians are both. I don't care how you do it, but bring me some useful information." --- As Luna, Fio, and Niall approached the base they would have enough distance for any scouts to see that the bandits had indeed fortified the smashed gate in the time they had. Not enough to completely close it, but enough to set a few wooden walls and other defensive structures to curtail the efforts of a large scale potential assault, likely they were expecting the full might of the Lightsword forces soon. A number of bandits were scurrying around outside, hefting and constructing more structures, trying to build the wall in as little amount of time as possible in a vain attempt to finish before they were assaulted. Needless to say lookouts were also present, keeping watch for any immediate signs of the Lightsword or any other army coming to deal with them. No sign of the fomorian or the one named Annagan either. No telling where they were at, though they were likely hiding in the structure somewhere, waiting for things to start or overseeing their little base here. Otherwise, the base was exactly the same as Niall had left it last night. Bandits stood upon the palisades, armed and ready. It was just a matter now of starting the assault and executing the queens orders. No survivors. Not a single one.</s> <|message|>Lunalel Lightsword Well, the troop was here now. Luna had handpicked some of the soldiers that she knew were competent, in fact, a couple of them were there the day she had met the Queen for the first time and that was a hellish day to be sure. But she picked them because she could trust them to clean up in a worst case scenario. She had already discussed their role with them in this. While it might not be the most honorable job, it was the one she had left the them. She took a breath and took her steps forward. She needed to start this assault according to plan. This isn't the most dangerous thing she had done. No. With confidence she moved forward, sword at her side and shield at hand. As she came into sight of those on the palisades, she held a spear of light in her hand and threw it hard, aiming as she could past the gate. Though it didn't matter too much. There was more than enough time for her allies to position themselves. All Lady Lightsword needed to do was make an announcement. And she had no better way to do so than with that spear. As it eventually embedded itself and stopped it's movement, Luna caused it to explode into a bright and disorientating light. If one were outside, it would be hard to miss. "Come fight me, bandit wretches! If you thought a full force of soldiers were needed to rid this land of your kind, you have thought wrong!" Luna said, beckoning them all to her. She reached to her sword and freed it from the confines of its sheath all whilst applying her light coating magic to it. "Come, I challenge each and every one of you to come win a battle you cannot!" There was a dread sense of confidence to the knight as she stood, ready for the arrows and foot soldiers to come charging.</s>

<|message|>Sir Elias Von Reinhardt If the trip down was bad-- the return trips were always worse. Every time he died, no lingering injury would heal until Elias' soul returned from the underworld. In other words-- Reinhardt would experience his death twice over; once when he would fall, and once upon his return. The sensation that the knight would be met with upon his ejection from the underworld was an agony like nome he'd ever experienced. It was like being trapped in a void. Unable to move. Unable to see. Unable to scream. And despite being trapped in such deprivation; he could feel everything. The crawling itch of tissues reforming fiber by fiber. The stinging of muscle and organ exposed to open air. The burn of lung; starving for even a single breath-- Before his eyelids could even finish reforming, the Knight had already rolled onto his hands and knees; retching from the waves of nausea and pain that accompanied such a horrific return. Trembling, Reinhardt forced himself to stand; wiping his mouth with a soot-covered arm as he surveyed his surroundings. There wasn't a sign of his allies nor the Wyvern-- only a single sword planted in the earth beside him. His eyes rose to scan the horizon-- settling on a distant plume of smoke. The Knight's face contorted into a firm scowl as his fingers wrapped the hilt of the single sword that remained in the scorched section of woodland. It seemed there was still a dragon to slay.</s>

<|description|>Sir Elias Von Reinhardt Age: 25 Gender: Male Appearance: Abilities:[Blood Of Fafnir] Fafnir was once an Elder Beast of fire and might that ruled over a Clan of Giants with brute force alone. Upon slaying the beast; Sir Sigurd von Reinhardt took Fafnir's strength as his own, the ancient Dragon's stolen might becoming inherent to House Reinhardt for generations to come. This power; bound to the Reinhardt bloodline, often manifests as a birthmark in the shape of Fafnir's final wound and located over the heart. [Peak Human] Though his sheer strength alone makes Reinhardt capable of crushing stone with his bare hands, his other physical capabilities are top-tier when compared to his fellow man. [Magic Sense] Despite having no magical ability of his own, Reinhardt is decently capable at detecting the flow and presence of magic. [Expert Swordsman] Though not among the best swordsmen in the land of Albion, the countless hours of practice Reinhardt has put into his swordsmanship can hardly be disregarded. [The Unbreakable] Due to Reinhardt's tendency to return from battles unscathed, rumors would suggest the man's skin to be impenetrable by normal means... However true such a thing might be-- no one quite knows for certain. Recent events have revealed that there may be more to Reinhardt's seeming invulnerability than it would at first seem.... History:Reinhardt. The name of a knightly house that has served the people of Albion since the rule of it's first king. A house renowned for producing heirs of unmatched physical might and tenacity-- as well as some of the most legendary beast slayers Albion has ever known. Charged with eliminating threats in the Northeastern territories of the kingdom, House Reinhardt upheld its oath to protect the people of Albion even centuries after the King had met his end. But every vigil is destined to end eventually. Through the countless years of fighting beasts and brigands and Fomorians alike, the overwhelming strength of the once great house was whittled away bit by bit. Constant fighting against tireless enemies slowly drained the House's numbers, ancient heirlooms were lost, stolen, or destroyed, what little crop the territories could muster was consumed just as fast as it could be produced. By the time Elias Reinhardt had come into the world, his mother, father, and uncle were the last of the Reinhardt line; the walls of their once venerable Castle Reinhardt crumbling and the many chambers within it's halls left dirty, and unkempt. Even as the end loomed over what remained of house Reinhardt, the Lord of the house; ever dutiful to the people of Albion, still raised Elias as a knight. At age eight, Elias was was taught to wield a sword. At ten, he was taught to hunt. At fourteen he learned how to harvest useful materials from the bodies of beasts. At sixteen the young man was Knighted, and at eighteen the young warrior even managed to successfully drive off a great vulture; an Elder beast of misfortune, from the Northeastern territories. At twenty-two years old, the young Elias Reinhardt was dispatched to face the most dangerous foe he'd ever faced. A Tuathan scholar that had been studying the nature a Fey artifact that had been discovered in the region had been driven mad by the twisted magics of the Unseelie, and threatened to make the lands of the Northeastern territories even more of a wasteland than they already were. For ten moons the Knight fought the mage; their battle raging without repose through night and day alike... It is said that the young Reinhardt; though his armor and weapon had been broken beyond repair, returned to Castle Reinhardt without so much as a scratch... But forever changed. Now the young knight travels South to the town of Airedale, carrying a letter addressed to the one rumored capable of saving the land; the very king his family had once so faithfully served. Anything else: * Elias is the first of house Reinhardt to leave the Northeastern territories since the end of the first King's reign. * Despite his family's reputation as beast hunters, Elias himself seems to avoid people associated with the elder beasts. * Elias has a tendency to accidentally break his weapons. * The Reinhardt family birthmark often gives off a dull orange glow that intensifies proportional to physical effort.</s> <|message|>Fio Fan Fallise, also known as the Sword Witch "Let's cut them down to size!" Fio's voice rang out clearly from her position to the fort's right. She had selected an out of the way spot that was not immediately obvious, though it would be difficult to miss the petite figure perched upon a barrier in the air once she began her attack. Not that they'd be able to stop her. "Sura. Manifest fifteen phantom swords." With that, the circles of light spun into existence in the air, a faint hum sounding as Fio thrust her blade skywards. From each circle, the shape of a gleaming spectral blade emerged, glittering and shimmering with magical energy. The Sword Witch's smirk only grew as the lights flashed brighter. "Ignite and pierce." Each one flashed briefly, spinning swiftly in the air as a flash of magical energy surrounded each of the swords. It was another enhancement, the effort put into the spell was greater, but what came with it was a greater piercing power. Rather then simply reinforcing this blade, the aura of magical energy would function almost as if each sword had been set ablaze. There was no second thoughts. It was doubtless that Fio would strike down every foe that her blades struck. To think otherwise was unfathomable. To doubt herself was unfathomable. She wouldn't consider it. "Kill them." She swung her sword down. The blades erupted downwards, whistling through the air as they hurtled towards the clustered bandits, tearing through the air and leaving a trail of light behind them. @Pyromania99@FrogRFlowR</s> <|message|>Niall Ulchabhán Niall had been so far waiting on ambush near the second gate. Their plan had been hatched, and his fellow knights Luna and Fio were at the first gate doing their part. Even now, the owl knight could hear Luna's taunt from his perch, high on a tree's branches as he looked down towards the gate. Things quickly turned sour, however. It seemed they had been made... the bandits had a plan of their own. A lot more men poured from the camp than what Niall and his companions had planned - a surprise attack of their own! Niall and his two ambushed Lightsword men watched powerless as who the knight recognized as being Annagan butchered three men without them even being able to react. "Go. I'll take care of Annagan." Niall said with a calm yet affirmative tone. He then stepped forward and launched himself forward with his wind magic faster than he did before and immediately landed before two bandits; one on his right and one on his left. To them, it would seem like Niall appeared out of thin air. However, he did not wait for them to recover from their shock. In one fluid movement he kicked one of the men right under the chin and propulsed him into the air while he then pivoted and kicked the other man's legs from beneath him to make him fall. Niall then jumped high up and grabbed his lance like a javelin only to throw it right at the man in the airs still. The deadly weapon launched like an arrow, impaling both men on the ground just as Niall fell back ontop of his Lance shaft, balancing on it, staring right down at Annagan. Looking up, the bandit's chief would see the moon right behind the Owl Knight, with his cape in the wind and although he could not the knight's eyes within the dark holes of his helmet, he probably could feel the intent to kill his stare brought with it. "Annagan. You have killed in cold blood for the last time. There will be no chance of redemption for you, no cell or dungeons for you or slowly die in. Tonight, I will grant you a swift end." With one quick step backwards Niall fell back to the ground, grabbing his Lance and easily removing it from the two men, now dead. Last they met, Niall was on the defensive. He was under orders to be stealthy and trying to get out as quickly as possible. This time, he was under different orders; No mercy. He launched himself just as fast as moments before towards Annagan, but the man's hammer would find no target this time as Niall was already behind him, thrusting at the large man's side. As the bandit turned, Niall would be elsewhere already thrusting at him. Annagan was after Niall's after image, the Owl Knight using a lot more than his magic than he probably should to put a quick end to this fight and make an example out of the toughest, biggest bandit around. With incredible speed, Niall delivered dozens upon dozens of small cuts all over Annagan's body without giving the large man the semblance of an opportunity to fight back. His sides, thighs, arms, face, legs, tendons - nothing was spared. Niall fully intended to end this with a final thrust right into the man's heart, which was his next target.</s> <|message|>Lunalel Lightsword As the first volley of arrows fell, Luna raised her sword arm and produced a light shield above the me with her angled so it would protect her and her men from the arrows but their enemies were exposed to it. From her raised sword position, it was easy enough to bring her sword down on the head of one of the bandits. His attempt to block it with his axe was meaningless as her magically enhanced blade sliced through the shaft, but diverted it enough to land the blow where his neck and shoulder met. The other two had launched an attack at he which she deftly blocked with her shield. She slammed their weapons back with a shove of her shield as she slid her sword out of the bandit's gash and took a half step with her right foot before thrusting the blade forward to pierce the second's chest. It was fairly simple work for Luna as the bandits were more about brute force than brains. Unlike that formorian from the day prior. Still, something caught her attention. She peaked upward towards where Fio should be after dodging slightly to the right to avoid a blow from the third bandit on her. She had expected Fio to be casting her magic on the position she was at but instead... It would seem to be inside the fort or on the other side that there was a hail of blades. Luna slammed her shield into the bandit's face knocking him back as she removed her sword from the second bandit's chest as she pulled her shield arm back again to deliver another smash to the face of the third bandit in front of her. She pondered on what Fio's course of action was but she worried because of that and one other thing. This was a lot less bandits than she had expected. The last smash to the face had knocked the bandit down prone to which Luna gave a loud warcry. "For House Lightsword!" Before bringing her blade down on the third one she had fought.</s>

<|message|>Sir Elias Von Reinhardt Reinhardt paused, briefly regarding Lonan with composed neutrality; "I believe you already know who I am Sir Lonan. If that was all it took to end me... How could I possibly be a true Son of Sigurd?" The Knight continued forward toward the crater's edge; bending down to scoop a thick steel chain from the ground and wrap it about his chest. Any protest, threat or obstacles would be calmly pushed aside and ignored as Reinhardt came to ridged outline of the blackened pit. "I'm not sure where Ethelred or the Elf happened off to-- but I don't plan on waiting for them. Giving this beast any reprieve only makes the larger situation more perilous--" The Knight scowled as he peered down at his hated enemy. "Thankfully the molten fluids that seem to be its blood haven't started hardening yet..." Elias straightened, casually yanking a halberd from the hands of one of the Harzelslack footsoldiers. "When I yell for a weapon-- throw something to me. Doesn't matter what it is. Only that it's made of steel... Call shots before you make them with the seige equipment and I'll do my best to avoid blocking your line of fire." What was spoken was not a request-- but command; Reinhardt's tone thick with confidence in his methods. He looked about expectanly-- waiting on the various men to get in position. And even if they didn't? Elais jumped regardless.</s>