Chasing the Dragon {5E} IC

[Lentrax]

You awaken as the sun comes in through the window of your room in the Lady's Favor. You sit up in your bed, and your eyes move across the pile of gear sitting in the chair near the bed without registering it.

You pour water into the basin and wash your face. Your eyes move past the equipment on the chair.

You begin to dress. You do not even think about what you are doing, the routine is so ingrained into you. It isn't until you instinctually grab the weapons sitting in the pile and start putting them into place on your body that you realize what you are doing, and stop to look at your room. All of the things you had with you are there, where you placed them when you went to bed last night. Everything is as it should be.

But then, if that is the case, what is this stuff? And where did it come from?

You inspect the items, going through everything, and you find the note. Written on very smooth cream parchment, it bears only two words, written in scarlet ink. Save Us

What could it mean?

[Archemist]

Visiting extended family on the surface was bad enough, since it made her take time away from her usual duties, but then to have strange equipment showing up in her room? Unacceptable.

But it was hers, somehow. Heide thought about complaining to the manager, but decided something was probably afoot that was beyond the ken of the management at the Lady's Favor. Magic, almost certainly. She had wizard friends who might be able to look around for traces of magic but Heide always figured it was kind of pointless to do so. Just assume it's magic. It's always magic.

So what did that mean? "Time to take a look around. Find the wizard who did this, find the 'why,' find out whether they really need help or just a quick lesson in not messing with Heide Coppergear." She finished dressing and headed to the door. Worst case, at least the new suit of armor seemed to be of good dwarven quality. "If it's a prank, it wasn't a cheap one," she mused to herself.

Down to the inn's common room she went, to see if anyone else had noticed anything strange last night.

[Shiro_Nogard]

The change from sleep to awake was to forced. "..Water.." The basins water helped. It still ran down his front leaving wet marks on his clots. "What was it today?" Wondering about the days schedule he started dressing.

Up came the pants.

Being on the move for so long it was hard not to develop a routine.

Down the shirt

Being from a villa he always liked to make detailed things. The more detail the better.

On with the armor.

Some things never change. Others take time, while most things just kept changing. Like all the out doors work he had to do just to get a tan.

Then came the belt.

But things started to not click. Like the sound of the knife hitting the table. It still took him putting the belt and look at the other occupant of the room to finally get his blood running on his head. The mask didn't help. Neither did the reverence and walk out the room.

"Must have been a good night." The frown didn't left his face as he thought about it. "So good I cant remember." His eyes landed on a letter at his side. Opening it didn't help any. Deciding to let it end there and save his money by not lagging he made his way down after picking his back pack. A back pack that looked wrong and felt right. "What did I ate yesterday?"

[Jötunn]

Loud snores radiate from one room in particular until the sleeper appears to almost stop breathing for a moment.

"Hnnnfffzzzglbz-wha?"

Flailing for a moment in amongst the bedding, Elmmet is halfway up before the blockage in his throat clears and normal breathing can resume and he has time to recoil from the bright sunlight now in his eyes. Having stoically endured what would be a mild night of carousing for a man ten years younger, there is a not inconsiderable headache to deal with before the business of the day can be attended to.

That is, until Elmett notices the suit of armor he's been putting on in place of his tunic and pants, and the other things sitting on the chair next to the bed.

A tall stave of oak wood, perfect for a traveller on the road and so smooth you'd think it was grown into the shape it currently holds, and with the top decorated with flowering blooms that look as if they could be growing from a living tree. Wooden plates, curved in such a shape as to suggest encapsulating a human body - a set of half-plate, yet carved of wood? Surely impractical and expensive and yet right there in front of him. A bag, packed full, a stranger's life and possessions placed there on the chair and yet somehow so familiar that he was half-dressed in this strange armour.

Muttering to himself, he starts stripping the armour off again."I must've been right confused if I forgot sharing a room with some kind of... elf? And then even half-put on the armour! Gods, if they'd caught me, they'd think I was some kind of thief!"

Then, while piling the armour neatly back onto the chair - How was it placed again? - one small mistep sees a scrap of parchment flutter to the floor and unfold with scarlet letters - "Save Us"

Frowning mightily as he redresses with care and intention in the clothes he wore last night, Elmmet stomps down to the common room and snags the attention of the proprietor of the establishment (or the like) and begins to inquire as quietly as his hangover will allow - that is, not very.

"Is there any sort of chance I drunk something stronger than that whiskey last night, and was there some sort of elf on a quest who might have ended up bunking with me in my room last night because y'see I don't 'member anything quite like that and yet I woke up to a pile of fancy wooden things and another traveller's bag in my room..."

The sentences seem to turn into more of an embarrassed mumble and his cheeks flush as he realises what he's saying sounds probably a little bit deranged.

[Izzarra]

Azzalix Warlock, Celestial HP: 9/9, AC: 15, Resistance: Fire Conditions: None Spell Slots: 1/1

Azzalix wakes up with her wings tangled in the bedding again. Still half asleep she tries to extract herself from the linens. When she is finally able to sit upright and stretch her arms and wings she notices the equipment that wasn't in the room with her when she went to sleep.

Somebody must have broken into the room while she was sleeping. Where they watching her sleep? Why is there some sort of leather outfit? Did they take their cloths off while they were watching her sleep and have to leave in a hurry when she was waking up?

Azzalix clutches the bedding up to her chin and screams.

[Shiro_Nogard]

The scream stops Jake. He wondered if everything was okay and got close to the door. A muffed scream could mean many things. for a moment he wondered if some one was also having a good time. The likes one doesn't remember.

"Everything fine in there?" He asked as he knocked on the door. one hand was on his tools. who knows what could happen.

[Izzarra]

Azzalix Warlock, Celestial HP: 9/9, AC: 15, Resistance: Fire Conditions: None Spell Slots: 1/1

"Everything fine in there?" He asked as he knocked on the door. one hand was on his tools. who knows what could happen.

"I think somebody broke into my room while I was sleeping, and left without their clothes."

[Shiro_Nogard]

He blinked a few times at hearing that. His pose a moment's away about to tackle the door. "Someone left their clothes?" For him things were turning bizarre. A frown adorned his face. "The door looks locked... take a look at the things. Maybe you will find something? I will mount guard, if you want me to, that is." He wanted to ask if she felt the conundrum he did about his. But didnt want to influence her answer.
Turning his back to the door he looked around trying to find anything out of place.

[Jötunn]

The scream interrupts Elmmet mid-question, and it takes a moment for him to get upstairs. Upon seeing Jake there though, he stops.

"Everything aright? Is that the door the scream came from?"

Eyeing Jake with perhaps a smidge of suspicion given nobody else is in the hallway, he moves closer before raising his voice.

"Everything aright up here or is there summat I can do to help?"

Before waiting for a reply though he eyes Jake's pointer ears and asks the question he's been trying to answer all morning so far.

"You wouldn't happen to have a friend that left a pile o' wooden armour in my room, would you?"

[Lentrax]

A moment later, you hear a woman call from the top of the stairs. "Don't you dare break that door!"

The voice belongs to Mistress Cespar, the innkeeper. She bustles up the hall to the door leading to Azzalix's room, and then knocks.

"Dearie? It's Alve, is everything all right?"

[Izzarra]

Azzalix Warlock, Celestial HP: 9/9, AC: 15, Resistance: Fire Conditions: None Spell Slots: 1/1

Azzalix makes a toga out of the sheet and takes a closer look at what has been left in the room before cracking the door open.

"Dearie? It's Alve, is everything all right?"

"I think somebody broke into my room while I was sleeping. They left some sort of armor, a crossbow, and this note."

She holds up the parchment that says Save Us.

[Lentrax]

Mistress Cespar virtually ignores the note, and continues speaking to Azzalix. "Would you like me to come in and help you?"

[Izzarra]

Azzalix Warlock, Celestial HP: 9/9, AC: 15, Resistance: Fire Conditions: None Spell Slots: 1/1

"Would you like me to come in and help you?"

"Um, Maybe I should get dressed first."
Azzalix closes the door and quickly puts on her cloths, then opens the door wide for the others.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

She hasn't properly examined the armor yet, but it would have openings for wings and a tail. I am guessing there might not be anyone else in town that could wear it.

[Jötunn]

Elmmet is preparing to respond to the innkeeper when that note is flashed through the cracked door and his jaw hits the floor.

"That note. I got one just like it," he croaks, after a moment. "And you got some sort of adventuring-type's knick knack's too?"

[Shiro_Nogard]

He eyed the note a fraction of a moment, wondering if this prank was going wild when the human mentioned he had a note. And he even had the gall to spill the beans about the items, ruining any possible leads. "We better give them some space. Lets go down stairs. Shall we?" he moved to the side and motioned for the human to go down with him.

[Archemist]

Heide follows the innkeeper up to the tiefling's room to see what was up and join the crowd.

"I got a note like that, too, along with some armor. It's contagious, apparently." She looks concerned.

"So somebody's serious about being saved, and is just giving out armor, presumably because they think we'll need it. Not a good sign."

If the group is heading back downstairs, she'll follow so as to continue the discussion. When she catches sight of Azzalix with her wings, she gapes for a moment then remembers to close her mouth. "I've never seen anyone quite like you before."

[Izzarra]

Azzalix Warlock, Celestial HP: 9/9, AC: 15, Resistance: Fire Conditions: None Spell Slots: 1/1

"So it wasn't just me?" Azzalix breaths a sign of relief that it probably wasn't some weirdo sneaking into her room to watch her sleep. However, the alternate reasons for what had happened were hardly without a different kind of troublesome explanation.

"I've never seen anyone quite like you before."

Azzalix's cheeks flush and she looks at down. "Oh, yeah I also haven't seen many others with wings like these."

She looks to the others that were talking about mysterious happenings. "Per... Perhaps those of us with unexplained equipment should talk about it over breakfast or something?"

After thanking Mistress Cespar for checking on her, she grabs the armor and spreads it out on the bed. It is unmistakably designed to fit her unusual anatomy. A coif that has holes for her horns. Openings for wings in the back of the coat and space for her bust in the front. A segmented flexible covering for her tail. Her face turns bright red, how did they know her measurements?

She storms down to the other three and sits down hard stewing in mortification. "The armor that somebody... or something, left in my room looks like it is just my size."

[Shiro_Nogard]

"Not only that." After they sat down took a good long look at the equipment. Somehow it looked like it fit just right. He found himself biting his lip. "Three times for the charm. But we got four... anyway. I might have a suspect. From the look of things I am the only one that got a look at the person on my room."

Just like that he started to feel like he was about to be looked like he was a weirdo. "It was a masked maid... I know what you are thinking, but that's what I saw. She was INSIDE my room. Looked so comfortable there, even after being caught just greeted me and proceed to walk out the room." He wanted a drink. It was the start of the day and he ALREADY wanted a drink. "I am too sober for this. And I dont drink that much."

[Izzarra]

Azzalix Warlock, Celestial HP: 9/9, AC: 15, Resistance: Fire Conditions: None Spell Slots: 1/1

"It was a masked maid... I know what you are thinking, but that's what I saw. She was INSIDE my room. Looked so comfortable there, even after being caught just greeted me and proceed to walk out the room."

"A maid, I suppose that is better then ..." She leaves the sentience unfinished as a shiver creeps up her spine from her imagination going wild with the alternatives.

After spending a moment composing herself, Azzalix studies the note that was left that was left in her room.
"'Save Us' ... I'm just an apothecary in training. Sure I help people, but usually they come see me less dramatically and more directly then this. Why would they go to the trouble of getting a custom set of armor made for me? I have never worn armor before."

[Archemist]

After spending a moment composing herself, Azzalix studies the note that was left that was left in her room.
"'Save Us' ... I'm just an apothecary in training. Sure I help people, but usually they come see me less dramatically and more directly then this. Why would they go to the trouble of getting a custom set of armor made for me? I have never worn armor before."

Heide addresses Mistress Cespar for a moment: "This maid... I assume she doesn't work for you?"

But then Heide turns her attention back to the tiefling. "My own is the same. These spikes, the sizing, the detail - all are good dwarven style, and a good fit. It must be someone wealthy, someone of means. I can understand why someone like that would want my help, though their manner of asking is indeed strange."

[Jötunn]

Elmmet's brow is furrowed and he scratches his head.

"What kind of... I'm just a humble farmer, I grow the best barley this side of Operia. Surely this must be some sort of mistake? And why wooden armour, of all things, instead of good, honest metal? This truly is passing strange."

[Jötunn]

"Y'know," Elmmet begins thoughtfully, "it's almost like we're the heroes from that story where.. oh, how did Old Yam tell it? Something like..." His voice grows deeper and with a touch of drama in his voice. "In the time of Operia's greatest need, there were chosen from amongst the common folk a team of champions, whose hands had never touched blade yet with zeal and bravery fought like lions... Or something like that. He always was a better storyteller."

He grins.

"But surely we're not in a story like that, right?At the very least surely we'd know if there was some great threat we'd have to heave off and go and fight."

[Shiro_Nogard]

"Mmhhh. There was that kind of story?" Wondered as he covered his mouth with a hand. I wouldnt know, was busy not getting harassed. He thought to himself. "But there is still the maid, who send her?. Hope however send her or them just had the decency to knock. But above I dont know about you all, but this armor is not a cheap piece." He knocked on the breast plate he wore. "So, if its a joke its way too expensive for that. But I dont believe its one of those tales.."

[Izzarra]

Azzalix Warlock, Celestial HP: 9/9, AC: 15, Resistance: Fire Conditions: None Spell Slots: 1/1

Azzalix's eyes grow wide with wonder. "We might be champions!!?! I wonder if I will be able to turn into a cat, or hide inside of shadows, or wield a magical talking holy sword of justice?"

[Lentrax]

Heide addresses Mistress Cespar for a moment: "This maid... I assume she doesn't work for you?"

She barks a short laugh at the question. “Oh, dearie. The closest thing this place has to a maid is me.”

[Izzarra]

Azzalix Warlock, Celestial HP: 9/9, AC: 15, Resistance: Fire Conditions: None Spell Slots: 1/1

"Well, I suppose I won't be getting a magical sword, or it would have been with the other stuff. How do we know if we can do magic or something? My uncle Thilby used to perform magic tricks at parties, there were some special words that he spoke as he waved his hands around."
Azzalix starts waving her hands around trying to remember the gestures her uncle did.

[Archemist]

How do we know if we can do magic or something? My uncle Thilby used to perform magic tricks at parties, there were some special words that he spoke as he waved his hands around."
Azzalix starts waving her hands around trying to remember the gestures her uncle did.

Surprised, Heide's first reaction is to quash this impulse. "NOOO, no no no. Playing around with magic is not something we want to be doing. I'm sure the innkeeper here would not be delighted to find out you can make a fireball."

She waves her hands soothingly as she says this, as if all she were saying was "Good doggy. Goooood doggy. Let go of the shoe."

[Lentrax]

As Azzalix begins waving her arms about, she feels… something. A touch on her mind.

A feeling that she can’t explain, drawing her attention to an open window, where the vast bulk of Operia’s castle sits. As her eyes take in the sight, clouds pass overhead, casting shadows on the shining white walls.

[Izzarra]

Azzalix Warlock, Celestial HP: 9/9, AC: 15, Resistance: Fire Conditions: None Spell Slots: 1/1

Surprised, Heide's first reaction is to quash this impulse. "NOOO, no no no. Playing around with magic is not something we want to be doing. I'm sure the innkeeper here would not be delighted to find out you can make a fireball."

"It was just a simple spell that shouldn't burn down anything, I think, Prestimagation, Pretidision, Presto..."
Her hands stop waving as Azzalix gets a thousand yard stare before looking out the window.
"I don't know if I just cast a spell or not, but it felt like something just touched my mind. I ... I think something might happen at Operia’s castle."

[Archemist]

"The castle? That's the opposite direction I was heading... but somehow I feel like you may be right. This seems bigger than some hedge-wizard's prank."