[3.5] Something Went Wrong - IC

[lesser_minion]

The air is especially cold this morning, seemingly mimicking the mood of most of the people in Noatun. Despite the fact that the Festival of the Four Mages is today, few people seem to be smiling or even particularly happy. Even the clerics in charge of the festivities are not particularly happy - seemingly paying lip service to an ancient custom rather than taking the opportunity to enjoy themselves.

This mood is probably justified, to a point - with the onset of the recent troubles, many of the town's Guardians have been asked to travel south to help with the defenses there. This has led, naturally, to a small surge in the crime in the area - several traders have been burgled. Many of the custodians and protectors have also left for the south, leaving the market without the usual protection from magic-using cheats that it would normally enjoy.

Even worse, bandits and attacks by northern raiders have become much more common than before - with fewer patrols, and with more goods being transported by road or sea, most caravans now require a very heavy guard in order to reach their destination. Several of the poorer mercantile houses have been forced to cease operations altogether, as it is very rare for a caravan to get anywhere successfully.

Despite all this, and the snow that has continued falling since earlier this morning, however, most people have gathered in the town forum, awaiting the dawn procession by the town's guardians and custodians that traditionally marks the beginning of the festivities. These will be followed by a feast, and various entertainments will follow long into the afternoon and the evening. A festival is still a festival, after all.

[lostsole31]

No action, but merely posting to 'lock' in this thread into my subscriptions.

[Jimp]

OOC
Are we somewhere specific in the town? Also, are we in a group or separated?

[lesser_minion]

OOC:
I wanted to leave it open, but you can be anywhere within the town forum - I'd probably say that you're together, but I haven't assumed that you know each other, so you probably bumped into each other by chance.

[MCerberus]

Draevous

Dras has begun to think that having to walk the way back to the abbey isn't the worst thing that has ever happened. He hasn't had a holiday like this in quite some time. The weather has been fair, the people friendly for the current environment, and being in town for a festival is always a plus.

For the past few days he has been offering his services to the local organizers, but it seems to Dras that they don't quite have their heart in it. It's only right that he help the townsfolk gain a cheerful attitude for the season.

Flushed with cash from his recent tribulations, Draevous is spending his day trying to foster a spirit of celebration. To him, this can be best accomplished by buying liberal amounts of warm cider to all comers. The traveling priest leans back in his current seat in the local tavern and takes a small drink from his mug. A cold day, but a fine one.

OOC- So how much would helping the town get festive set me back?

[Zarah]

Lirril

Lirril sits behind most of the crowd, away from the bustle. Her eyes scan over the pages of one of her favorite books from behind her glasses. Although she had read it four times before, the prose contained within never ceased to fascinate her. She finds herself smiling as her mind takes in each word one by one.

Finally, she tears her eyes from the pages and looks upward at the crowd of people before her.

Knowledge (local) check to see what's going on (since she's new in town).
[roll0]

[lostsole31]

Ludgut, agile under any other circumstance, finds himself moving awkwardly through the crowds. Not that he has to move 'through' the crowds ... they seem to part before him, but still the whole alien landscape of a town with the 'moving terrain' (people) is unsettling to him.

After a long morning of this, something that nearly makes his stomach turn, he ... wait a minute. What was that?

He turns in place and follows a scent and a sound; the former something that promises a pleasure of a greater new world, the latter the bleating of a lamb that promises great treasure. Within a minute, he finds himself hovering over some fellow who is giving out some drink called 'cider'. [That would be Draevus.]

This orc is big even among his own kind, standing 7'2" tall and weighing in at over 300 pounds. His eyes are a feral red-yellow, his wild hair a green-black, and his skin a mottled olive color. His body is ripped with striated sinew and muscle. He wears a metal breastplate that has obviously seen some action. Worn (not wielded) are a very thick composite bow that looks like something no normal man could possibly pull, and a weapon that has the head of a battleaxe at the opposite ends of a 3-foot-long haft. His clothing is bare but for something that looks like a fur kilt, some boots made out of bearskin, and several pelts of wolf that have been crudely stitched together to form a cloak for warmth. He carries a backpack with a bedroll attached.

"Free drink?" he says to the little man haltingly.

[lesser_minion]

Despite the early hour, and the belated mood of the crowd, most people seem to appreciate the generosity of this priest, as he hands out mug after mug of warm cider.

Everyone seems to lighten up sometime just before midday, when the priests begin the ritual that will renew the protective enchantments around the town. Traditionally, virtually all those present participate in certain parts of the ritual - often by providing a discordant and somewhat out of tune form of musical accompaniment


Lirril -
Lirril recognises this as the Festival of the Four Mages - a tradition adopted by the Novayans when Samaria was first conquered, mainly in an attempt to foster ties with the Novayans. It actually commemorates a discovery made by four Samarian mages that led to the development of a unified theory of magic, and the birth of the art of wizardry.

Over time, the Novayans have also developed a tradition of recasting the various ward spells that help to protect the town from outside attacks on the day of the festival - this has proven to be relatively wise, as today is the most sacred day of the Samarian calendar - they will not attack anyone today.

Draevous - OOC:
I'd say that over the course of the day this will probably cost you in the region of 25gp - that would equate to a mug of cider for around 10% of the townspeople. You meet a lot of new faces.

[MCerberus]

Draevous

A warm drink on a cold day seems to be having the desired effect around the area of Dras. Towns can often be wary of outsiders, but he may be on the way to being trusted around here. When a newcomer arrives near his seat, it causes the priest to raise an eyebrow. Not many fully armed and armored people running around town, nonetheless orcs.

Reaching for a convenient unclaimed mug, he hands a drink to the warrior before inquiring, "What brings you here today?"

[lostsole31]

In a thick, rolling bass the orc responds: "You're an innkeeper. And while I tank you for ta drink, you can't help me here."

[Woodsman]

Merissa stood close by to Lirril, away from the crowd, feeling awkward as always in crowded areas. She noticed the young woman with glasses, who seemed to know something about the town. "Excuse me?" she asks, "could you tell me what's going on?"

[Jimp]

Harrison Fire

Harrison meanders through the crowd up to the bar and hears Merissa's question. "I wouldn't mind knowing myself. I've not been in town long."

[Zarah]

Lirril

Lirril's eyes dart over to the two standing near her. She takes a moment to look them over before smiling and answering, "It's called the Festival of the Four Mages. More or less, everyone is celebrating the birth of modern wizardry. I've read things about it here and there, but this is the first time I've ever seen the celebration myself."

With a quick thump, she snaps her book closed and begins to stuff it back into her bag. "Hopefully, we're in for a fun afternoon."

[lesser_minion]

There is plenty to entertain the crowd between now and the beginning of the ritual, although a few of the crowd seem apprehensive.

As the clerics return to the forum, bearing the three stones which act as a focus for the town's protective wards, many in the crowd cheer. The ceremony where the wards are recast is always fun. As with most towns, the ritual is accompanied by a song and a dance - in which the crowd participates enthusiastically, albeit tunelessly.

The ceremony takes two hours, during which the crowd watches intently. Most of the costumes worn by the dancers have been adapted from Tairan forms of dress, and involve various flowing dresses and trailing pieces of cloth. With the relative wealth of the Novayan empire, even a small town like this can afford to put on quite an exceptional show.

[MCerberus]

Draevous

As the festivities of the day continue, Dras happens to notice a small congregated group not in step with the rest of the community. Getting a final few mugs, he makes his way over to the assembly.

Without much warning, he hands Lirril, Merissa, and Harrison a hot mug of cider (the good kind). With a warm and reassuring grin he remarks to the three, "You'll miss out on a lot if you don't catch the free drinks."

[Zarah]

Lirril

She takes a mug of cidar from the man who seemingly appeared out of nowhere then returns the smile. After giving a nod of thanks, her eyes turn down to analyze the liquid within the cup before bringing it to her lips for a sip.

"It's not the drinks I'm interested in," she answers after her taste test. "The stories are the things that inspire me. It's like I've always heard tell, 'you can read all you want, but the only way to truly learn anything is to see it yourself.'"

[Jimp]

Harrison Fire

"Too true. That's why I put down my books and took up my backpack to explore all the wonders that this world holds." He extends his hand for a shake, "Harrison Fire, explorer extraordinair!"

[Woodsman]

Merissa

Merissa takes the drink, staying silent and observing the others to see what they are like. When she decides they're all right, she speaks up, saying, "I decided I wanted to see the world too. I want to see as much as I can before I decide to settle down"

[lostsole31]

Seeing a convocation of folks more worldly-wise and weaponed than most, including the cider-giver, Ludgut comes over to this strange group and manages to move in just as Harrison gives his introduction. After Merissa finishes, Ludgut looks at Harrison and asks in his thick-cheeked, basso-profundo voice and points, "You, Harr'son, you know of things in the world? I am looking for one who knows of such things."

This orc is big even among his own kind, standing 7'2" tall and weighing in at over 300 pounds. His eyes are a feral red-yellow, his wild hair a green-black, and his skin a mottled olive color. His body is ripped with striated sinew and muscle. He wears a metal breastplate that has obviously seen some action. Worn (not wielded) are a very thick composite bow that looks like something no normal man could possibly pull, and a weapon that has the head of a battleaxe at the opposite ends of a 3-foot-long haft. His clothing is bare but for something that looks like a fur kilt, some boots made out of bearskin, and several pelts of wolf that have been crudely stitched together to form a cloak for warmth. He carries a backpack with a bedroll attached. He is particularly intimidating.

[MCerberus]

Draevous

Sliding a mug of cider into the orc's hands, a small smile comes over Dras' face. He had taken one too many drinks, but someone of the recipient's stature could use a second serving. His smile now taking a small turn to more trickster looking, he replies, "We all know something about the world, the trick is finding the right person with the right knowledge. You can never really know for yourself who may have it."

Turning towards the others he continues after a small drink from his own cider. "I'm Draevous Williams of the Port Azule Williams. I've been sent to do good works by my brothers in Brightest Light. The recent travel complications have me walking back, experiencing all the light this world has to offer."

He takes another drink before finishing.

"It's truly been the best weeks of my life. You can call me Dras for short if you wish."

[Zarah]

Lirril

Lirril shakes the outstretched hand. "Lirril Hinea," she replies to Harrison after his introduction. "I don't really have a title, though I suppose I could be called somewhat of a scholar."

She takes another drink while Dras speaks. Once he had finished, she adds, "Well, walking is the best way to smell the flowers along the way. Of course, that's providing the flowers want to be smelled."

[lostsole31]

The orc, getting agitated at the happy thoughts and smelling flowers business, brusquely asks, "Who knows about who's 'sponsible for the land being ripped?"

[Jimp]

Harrison Fire

The Orc's question instantly caught Harrison's interest. "That will, all going well, be me. I work with the Custodians gathering arcane artefacts and historical data. Right now I'm on the hunt for anything related to the troubles the world has been having of late. So far I haven't had much by way of leads. Gotta keep lookin'."

[lostsole31]

"Is my tribe dead, and the mountain destroyed? or did someone steal the mountain and my tribe?"

[Woodsman]

Merissa

Merissa spoke up in a quiet voice, "I don't think it's possible for a mountain to be stolen, unless the gods themselves do it."

[Zarah]

Lirril

Her eyebrow raises at the mention of the Custodians. She turns to Harrison and asks, "What sort of artefacts and data are we talking about here? If the Custodians are after them, then they must be important. I'd love to check them out myself..."

[Jimp]

Harrison Fire

"Any sort. At the moment I'm just searching for clues about the teleporting break down. Not much luck so far. Would you know anything about it? You seem to be interested in the arcane."

[lesser_minion]

The dance and the ritual conclude, with even more applause from the crowd. With all of the evidence suggesting that the most serious of today's events have been resolved, the real festivities have only begun. A few individuals seem to have followed Draevous' examples, and are eagerly handing out whisky and other spirits.

Most people seem to be adopting a much more relaxed attitude now - as it appears on the surface that the town is now protected until the equinox, the citizens are much more prepared to unwind.

Some people fall silent as an imposing figure marches into the forum- some seven feet tall, and wearing beautifully polished armour and carrying a large staff capped with the symbol of a silver dragon. At the same time as this warrior enters, you notice a young maiden, sat by the steps to the temple of Pelor, weeping gently; and a small group of figures huddled together, discussing something intently.

The warrior marches to the steps of the temple of Heironeous within the forum, and appears to be preparing to make a speech.

[lostsole31]

Sensing that these folk look informed and powerful, Ludgut surreptitiously leaves the happy scholars to babble as they will amongst themselves, and he moves closer to this new group.

[lesser_minion]

Lostsole31 -
Do you mean the other group of figures huddled together discussing something? Or are you going to try to talk to the 7ft tall warrior (who appears to be alone)?

[lostsole31]

DM ...Let's start with the 'other' 7-ft. tall warrior. At last, someone my height!

[lesser_minion]

Ludgut reaches the back of the crowd that has formed before the steps, eagerly anticipating the warrior's speech. The rest of you are still quite far back, but you all realise that the 7' warrior is a rather important figure.

Individual information:

Ludgut and Merissa:
You don't really recognise the man - all you can really tell is that most people seem pretty intimidated in his presence. Most of the individuals wearing this type of armour are guardians, and usually quite high-ranking.


Lirril:
Lirril recognises the figure in the polished armour as a Guardian named Taris Nevan. He is a renowned hero, and generally regarded as one of the best commanders in the entire empire. The staff marks him out as an Elder, and he is actually the ruler of this region.


Draevous:
As well as recognising Taris, Draevous remembers that he earned the title 'Nevan' after a battle fought twelve years ago against the Tairans over the fortress of Scyros, and is the most recent individual to be appointed a member of an elder house. He was later appointed a Marshal by Lord Varrus, one of the six Ancients who rule the entire empire. Taris is famously less aloof than a typical elder, however.

The staff that Taris carries bears the symbol of the Ancient who appointed him, one of the other traditions of the Novayan empire. In addition to being one of the Elders, Taris is also a High Commander - the most senior general in the service of a particular Ancient.


Harrison:
Harrison recognises Taris, but only remembers that he is a distinguished hero, and a High Commander of the Guardians.

[MCerberus]

Draevous

Despite every urge to investigate why a High Commander would be giving a speech in this small town, or rather if it's just a magic trick, Draevous has more important business to attend to. Noble generals in shining armor may be theatrical, but someone sitting alone weeping at his god's temple is something that cannot be ignored.

Dras walks up to the woman and in the most calming and warm voice he can make, asks her, "What's wrong miss?"

[Zarah]

Lirril

Before she has a chance to reply to Harrison, her eyes catch the figure standing before the crowd. "Interesting..." she finds herself muttering.

"We may have to finish this conversation a bit later," she says while getting to her feet and making her way closer to the crowd. "As much as arcane mysteries entice me, I'm quite interested to hear what this commander has to say. Perhaps we can all learn something."

[Jimp]

Harrison Fire

Harrison turns to face the crowd and listens, waiting for the man to speak.

[lesser_minion]

Draevous -

As he approaches the girl, Draevous notices that she is actually a half-elf. You aren't particularly good at guessing how old half-elves are, but she would be about 20 judging by human standards. She is wearing a necklace made of a faintly blue-coloured metal which glistens softly, a well-made white dress and you also notice two rings - one which is a simple band of what appears to be obsidian, and the other a fine ring inset with a sparkling sapphire and made from the same metal as her necklace. She seems slightly taller than Draevous.

She is sobbing uncontrollably, but eventually manages to come up with:

He's... dead. I..." She looks up into your eyes, before continuing "please, don't worry. I'll be fine."


The Commander steps forward and begins his speech, his voice somehow carrying to every corner of the forum.

"My friends, I am afraid I cannot give you any good news. You should already know about the troubles being faced by our realm." He looks up towards a clouded sky.

"Unfortunately, it seems that the truth is much worse. The troubles should not have stopped word reaching us of the situation to the South, but even the Council's Diviners are unable to discover anything. Three days ago, I sent a number of drakes to the south, to see what the situation looks like." The sky grows darker as he glances upwards.

"Unfortunately, they have not returned. I have spoken with the Elders, and I feel that the only option left to me is to prepare for the worst. I have requested that four legions assemble here, ready to march southward as soon as I understand the situation better." Light rain begins to fall, as there is suddenly a cry from the southern gate. The Commander looks upwards, and most of the crowd follow his gaze.

Approaching from the south is a great beast - a reptile, borne aloft by leathery wings. It lands, skidding to a halt in a fortunately clear area of the forum. The beast appears slightly injured, and its rider, dressed in the uniform of a Guardian, falls from the saddle. Nobody seems to notice a small tube of copper, which slips from his pocket, sliding across the floor to land at Lirril's feet.

The rain is growing in intensity, and would probably put a dampener on celebrations just as surely as this new arrival would have done on his own.

[MCerberus]

Draevous

At first look at the sky, Dras hardly notices the darkness of the situation. As he tries to calm the woman down, he could start to feel something bad happening. A temple of Pelor, where he could usually feel warmth and light seems barren and dark.

"Well miss, you must not keep these thin-"

Though he hardly heard the speech made by Taris, the rider immediately snapped his attention. In a dead sprint he runs over to the drake and its collapsing rider, pushing aside any onlookers hoping to get to the exhausted man.

"Give him some room! GET WATER!" Dras yells as he tries to make it to the man before it's too late.

[Zarah]

OOC: You said "nobody noticed" the tube, but since you mentioned my feet, I'm assuming you meant that excluded me. If I'm wrong, then just yell and scream at me and I'll fix my post. :smalltongue:
Lirril

Lirril looks down at the small tube, trying to get any information she can from it. Before she can determine anything, however, she notices Dras pushing his way past the crowd and toward the rider.

She takes the moment of diversion to quickly bend down and snatch up the tube. She readjusts her glasses, then takes a closer look at the object.

[Jimp]

Harrison Fire

Harrison watches what happens with interest, taking in as much as he can.

[lesser_minion]

The rider seems badly injured, with several arrows protruding from his armour. He seems to still be breathing, but his skin is pallid, probably through lack of food or water. Taris runs up to the rider, and asks Draevous:

"Will he be OK?".

Another soldier runs towards the group, bearing some food, water and a healers' kit, while a third grabs onto the drake, and leads it out toward some kind of stable.

Lirril:
The tube appears to be some sort of container for something - it seems to twist in order to open, although you aren't sure what it might contain. It bears the crest of Taris' legion - a dragon of some sort.

[Woodsman]

Merissa

Merissa feels awkward, having no idea what to do. She decides to see if she can help.

"Is there any way I can help?" she asks Draevous.

[MCerberus]

Draevous

Trying to work quickly, Dras offers a small prayer to Pelor to save the soldier. A small calming glow surrounds the soldier as some of the wounds close. He takes out his own healer's kit if only since he knows where everything is in it. Rooting through the herb jars, he distractedly replies to Taris (he doesn't identify the voice though, having missed the speech), "The arrows I can heal. If he's bled out while forcing himself to travel, there's not much anyone can do."

Worrying about shock now, Draevous turns to Merissa, "If you see him shivering or any sign he feels cold, get some blankets."

[Zarah]

Lirril

She watches the others taking care of the soldier, being careful not to draw any attention to herself. Another moment passes while she stares at the tube, deciding whether or not to open it herself. Whatever it was, it could be important.

But if it was important, then she could be the first to know about it. Once again, her pursuit of knowledge gets the best of her as she slowly and carefully twists it open and attempts to dump the contents into her other hand.

[lesser_minion]

A silvery aura of light surrounds the fallen soldier briefly as Draevous completes his spell, before fading away. While the magic can do nothing to cure the man's hunger or thirst, it seems to be just enough to revive him.

The mans clothes are completely soaked through, and considering the weather, the lack of shivering may be surprising. Draevous quickly realises that the man probably is suffering from serious hypothermia, as well as serious dehydration and hunger. The man appears to only be alive thanks to raw willpower.

Taris bends down to help the rider, and takes the flask of water and the food from the soldier carrying it, before asking him to fetch a stretcher. He carefully holds the flask up to the soldier's mouth, allowing him to drink. He quickly looks up at Merissa, and says:

"He's cold. Get blankets, he needs them."

Lirril -
The tube appears to contain a couple of things, kept safe from the elements - a map, which appears to show the southern regions, and a sealed letter addressed to Taris.

[Woodsman]

Merissa

Merissa nods and dashes off, calling out, "I need blankets for an injured man!"

[MCerberus]

Draevous

Finding what he wants, Dras places a small amount of medicinal herbs under the soldier's tongue before moving aside to allow the stronger men to carry the rider to a dry place.

Draevous looks up into the sky in contemplation before he return his consciousness to the town. He can't shake the feeling that something much worse could be in the future.

[Zarah]

Lirril

Lirril takes a moment to scan the map with curious eyes. She then turns her eyes toward the letter. Interesting, but there's not much sense I can make from this. Better to put it into hands that know what they're doing.

She calmly pushes her way through the crowd toward the others. Now, being much closer, she gets a good look at the soldier. He looks to be in a worse condition that she first thought. The message certainly must be urgent if he was risking his life like this...

Finally tearing her gaze away from the soldier, she turns to Taris and hands out the note and map. "You may want to take a look at these," she says.