Heroica RPG - Heroica Hall

[Capt.JohnPaul]

"Not I; that wickedly sharp blade looks like it would carve right through my shield."

Ooc: Oh, I forgot. Darn, I could've been the first in history to fell the mighty Tank Docken!

"I have not fought another hero in a very long time." Stated Sylph contemplatively. "I doubt I could stand up against your offensive force, but I would be interested see how difficult it is and to perchance better strategize next time. I will challenge you. I will duel you when the Arena is empty." Sylph took out his bow and adjusted the string.

"Tres bien, I accept your challenge."

[JimBee]

"Not I; that wickedly sharp blade looks like it would carve right through my shield."

Hybros mutters and chuckles from the shadows. "Never thought I would hear that out of your mouth, Docken, hehehehe."

[Capt.JohnPaul]

Hybros mutters and chuckles from the shadows. "Never thought I would hear that out of your mouth, Docken, hehehehe."

"Me too. Docken, I don't think we've met properly before, so I couldn't know, but I hear you have quite the reputation of being a strong warrior."

[Brickdoctor]

"Me too. Docken, I don't think we've met properly before, so I couldn't know, but I hear you have quite the reputation of being a strong warrior."

"Strong? Not really. I just have an excellent shield and armor."

[Endgame]

~Interlude~

5 weeks have passed since Luosh was saved. In the middle of all of the mayhem, Roni, small child and magical prodigy, managed to find herself thrust into the genocide. After the heroes prevailed in saving Luosh from the Proggs’ grasp, Roni had been staying with Luoshian mage “Uncle Dini” for some time now. After excitement had finally died out, two men and one Progg decide to escort the young girl back to her parents… and find themselves on the streets of Eubric.

Roni burbles happily as she investigates one of the market stalls. "Uncle Dini, lookit dat! I wanna have pwetty gloves! Ew! Why are dey sticky? Yuck! Who would want those?! Icky, icky, eww!" Roni drops the gloves on the ground, and rushes over to the next item on display, another pair of gloves. She grabs them off the stand and runs back to Hal. "Misser Hal, whas 'cown-tur-stwike' mean?"

Dini levitates the gloves before they can hit the ground with his wand, placing it gently back on the counter.

"Roni, dear, I know you don't like sticky gloves, but nobody likes sticky-dropped-on-ground gloves. Please be more kind to this man's wares!"

Hal responds to the child, his words being chosen carefully - the child had already experienced a genocide, and he didn't want any more violence in this young girl's life.

"...It means that if a bad person is mean to you, these gloves allow you to be mean right back.

Dini, for Ennoc's sake, don't buy her something that promotes violence."

Roni nods and rushes back to the stalls, examining the wares with "Uncle Dini" - who also nods in agreement with Hal's covert statement. The 3 men - well, 2 men and one Progg runt - that were accompanying the young spellslinger decided it'd be best to get Roni a souvenir of sorts, maybe to get her mind off of all the things that had happened in Luosh. They couldn't be sure whether or not Roni understood all the bloodshed that occurred in that town, but it was better safe then sorry. With Roni out of earshot, Hal turns to Punii.

"You do remember what her mother looked like, yes? That is our biggest priority, despite the fact we're currently shopping."

"That I *cough* do. You know, this isn't this first time I've had to bring *wheeze* Roni back to her mother... Though the first time, I just had to walk her across the main room of Heroica Hall. This time, she got her self into a *wheeze* warzone."

"You mean this isn't the first time?"

Hal bows his head down, closes his eyes in thought, his hand on his forehead. He shakes his head, as if dissapointed.

"I'm not too happy about this. At all. If we don't bring Rni back, we're kidnappers. If we do, it is quite possible she'll get neglected and somehow wander into a even worse place. If only all those houses would stop bickering, maybe they could put some child protection laws in place.

...Wait, Heroica Hall, you said?"

"Yes, that is *wheeze* where I last saw her - though I doubt she hangs out there 24/7... right?"

As Punii says this, Dini and Roni come back from a stall selling plush toys. Roni has her arms wrapped around a peculiar teddy bear: it seemed to have an alien, manta ray-esque cowl on its head. Despite this, the stuffed bear still managed to be cute, especially to young Roni - who was elated to have a new toy.

"Snugglthulu! Yay! Thankyoo, Uncle Dini!"

Dini notices Hal's concerned looks at the impromptu bear.

"Any time, Roni! And worry not Hal, it is just a teddy bear - it won't come alive or anything silly like that! I, the great Howard Dini, verified this myself."

Hal is visibly relieved.

"Okay, good. Excellent."

Hal goes over to Roni, burbling happily over her new friend. Hal gets down on one knee to get eye level with the young child.

"Roni, do you have any idea where your mommy could be?"

"Umm...I don know. Misser Hal, whys dat girl elf dat with da icky gloves a boy? Mommy likes to chase a boy like dat, he was called Arthur or someting. Das why we in Ewbric. She said Daddy dun like him, so dat's why we hafta stay wif Misser Jen's son. Misser Jen's son had to move out of the house cause of the people in the goofy red outfits, tho, but Mommy wassn't home, so I walked around for a while, and den I saw your pwetty carriage, and I went for a ride, and I met Uncle Dini and Misser Hal and saw Punii again!" Roni gets distracted as a group of figures stroll past in the direction of the Hall. "Misser Hal, dat Mesa...Mento...Mitasin...monkey-person had no cwothes on! Well, dere were pants, but dey was ugly gween color, they don count. We hafta go take him to Misser Reets! Come on!" Roni begins pulling on Hal's arm to drag him over to Hoptet, but the man had enough sense not to budge.

-----------------

Roni's shrill voice carried to an alley not far away...a man in the midst of his transactions looks up suddenly from his purchases.

"Was that...? No, it couldn't be..."

-----------------

Hal blushes beneath his helmet, thankful he had chosen to keep it on during this.

"Hush, hush, Roni - be nice to the elf and the metasimian. Those shelled guys you saw weren't very nice -

"You got that right, I was tied to a pillar for 24 hours straight."

"- and you saw what happened to them.

Now, who is Mr. Jens? And the men in the silly red outfits?"

"Misser Jen's-son was a Orc, wore lots of pur-pull. I think he dinnit pay money on house 'cuz he was 'bwoke', or someting. The funny people in red said he had to come to watch the bare-X, or something." The girl appears to be speaking about members of the Town Watch.

"Roni, do you know where *wheeze* your daddy likes to hang out?"

Roni appears uncomfortable. "I know he was in Ew-bric, but I don't think Mommy wants Daddy to get to see me. Mommy says Daddy's too focused, so he don't come to see us a lot, but I not sure it's his fault. One time I heard her tell him he 'a-ban-dund' us, and that he's 'ob-sest' with 're-venje'. I don't think Mommy knew I was listening, she yelled a lot of bad words at him. Daddy yelled back he didn't 'a-ban-dund' us, she pushed him away, and he called her un-fate-full, and ignorant, and cruel for keeping him away from me. I don't know most of those words, but I know ignorant means dumb, and now I know what cruel is. Those cool fighty people called those nasty shell creatures cruel a lot." Roni looks imploringly at Dini and Hal. "Is my Mommy a bad person?"

Hal listened the child's words, concerned. He was beginning to fear in the few short days he had knew her, he had paid more attention to the child then her mother ever did... This was an incredibly delicate matter to the Luoshian Town Guard captain. One ordeal after another....

"I... I don't know, Roni. Does your mommy seem like a nice person to you? Did she pay any attention to you?"

"Don't worry, Roni, everything is going to be okay. We'll find one of your parents, that is for sure. Would you like to see your mommy or daddy today?"

"Mommy...she gets distracted a lot. She used to get really distracted by those goopy black orbs, when she could get them...she called them play things, but she forbids me from playing with them...ever since she learned to make them, she's been even more...what word did Daddy use? 'Ditzy.'"

"I...I think I wanna see my Daddy. He always makes sure to listen to me, even if he is kinda too serious. I...like Daddy, even though Mommy doesn't."

--------------------------

"That voice...it has to be..."

Vaygas quickly finishes his purchases and dons his hat, his badge of office, before rounding the corner.

"You there! Halt, in the name of the Guard!"

Hal remained clam - not much could surprise him after the invasion, not to mention his 25 years of training. The same applied to Punii, though he did seemed surprised for a little bit. Dini, despite being the bit of the airhead he was, remained relatively calm. After all, they knew they were serving the law, not breaking it - and hopefully this man was who he claimed he was. Hal brandishes his own badge.

"Hal Bohrd, captain and head of the Luosh town guard. Do you know this child?"

Roni rushes over to her father, letting go of "Uncle Dini"'s hand. The child rushes over and embraces her father in a hug, ecstatic over seeing him.

"Daddy, daddy! Don' wowwy! Misser Hal and Punii are friends, an' Uncle Dini got me a gift!"

Roni happily raises her Snugglthulu to show her father.

Punii, Hal, and Dini all heave a collective sigh - the parent found them, and not vice-versa. The three approach Vaygas, Hal offering his arm for a handshake.

"You're the father, I presume? Thank Ennoc we're able to get your daughter back to you safely... after what she got herself in to."

Howard laughs a hearty laugh, touched by the scene.

"Hahaha! Howard Dini, at your service! Your daughter is quite the bright child, you know - mastered the techniques I showed her in an insant."

"Hello *wheeze* mister!"

"Captain Vaygas Spar'kell, head of the Zut'tau'ri Guard." Vaygas shakes Hal's hand, then places a hand protectively on his daughter's head as she clings to his leg. "So. Exactly what sort of trouble did the girl's mother let her get into this time?" He does a double-take at Dini's words. "Wait--techniques? Please tell me Caroline hasn't started training my daughter in the Zootist arts..."

Hal motions for Vaygas to cover his daughter's ears, then speaks gravely.

"A bit more then petty trouble, I'm afraid, sir. There was a war in Luosh - a town on the northernmost part of Uland, an interspecies war, between Humans and Proggs. Young Punii here is one of them, a child - the biggest one we met was over 6 stories tall and 3,000 years old. More like a complete genocide then a war, really - estimated human death count is at least 64, while the Progg death count is in the 400s. It... Wasn’t pretty. At all."

It took Hal a little bit of courage to say what he was about to.

"Sir. With all due respect. Keep Roni away from her mother. I suspect she is being neglected, and heavily - Roni herself told me she pays little mind to her. Not even a terrible mother allows their child to wander off into a complete war zone. And if she tries to get Roni back, feel free to tell if she loved her daughter, she would've made sure she didn't wander into a genocide; she seems far too occupied in whatever Zoot-worshipping she is up to care for the girl properly."

"Zootist arts? Heavens no, I'd never teach anyone that! Your daughter is quite the adept ether-user at her age - she even zapped one of the Progg leaders, a flying, 4 ton beast of electricity. She seems to want to stop evil, not nurture it."

Vaygas remains silent for several long moments. Roni lets go of the captain's leg and runs over to a nearby stall with Snugglthulu--Hal in particular is relieved to note the man's eyes watching the girl closely, even as he speaks to the group.

"Well." He sighs. "I can't claim to be innocent of dabbling in the darker arts myself, but I've seen what they do to a person--to Caroline, to Arthur, even to myself. I've done my best to keep my little girl clear of all that, and of this cesspool of a city. But despite all my caution, suddenly the girl's mother decides to drag her across a continent and an ocean to this place, and now you're telling me she let my daughter--our only child--wander into a warzone?" Vaygas shuts his eyes, just for a moment, and shakes his head. "However magically talented that girl may be, she's still a child, and her mother ought to know that." Vaygas remains silent a few moments longer, as Roni runs back to present the others with a small creature she had picked up from the gutter--a frog, by the looks of it. "I think...I think it's time we go home. I've got a homeland to protect, and a daughter to raise. If Caroline wants to waste her life away chasing men, she can do it without endangering our child, and as for Regulus..." Vaygas stares wistfully in the direction of Heroica Hall. "He's made his choices. The suffering he'll go through for them...I suppose that's enough punishment for murdering my father, don't you agree, Captain Bohrd?" He nods to the the Luosh citizens, resolve in his eyes. Roni has sat down next to them, oblivious, apparently carrying on a conversation with the amphibian she had 'rescued'. "This city devours people. It took my best friend, and the woman I once loved. I will not let it destroy my daughter...or me." Vaygas picks up his bag, and Roni looks up and, after releasing her new friend, reaches up to her father. With a heave, Vaygas picks her up and sets her on his shoulders. "Thank you, all of you, for returning Roni safely to me. If Luosh ever needs the aid of the Zut'tau'ri Guard, we will be there. We may be half a world away, but for our people, that is nothing. Keep in touch." Carrying the girl with him, Vaygas departs for the docks...and home.

-------------------

One Week Later...

Caroline returns to the house. The lamps were no longer lit, and the whole place felt dank and moldy.

"Roni? Roni, I'm back. Has Jensen been taking good care of you while I was gone? I'm sorry I didn't tell either of you, I ran into a Sage who told me--"

Caroline stops as she sees two pieces of parchment on the lone table in the room. Discarding the first, a letter from the Town Watch to someone she didn't recognize--N. D. Grammar--about the eviction of some squatters, she picks up the second. It is written in Vaygas' strong script, and sealed with the Guard's crest.

To my once-darling Caroline,

You knew this was coming, even if we both denied it. We knew we wouldn't last, even from the start. We are wrong for each other, and I was the last person to see that. Well, I finally woke up, and I'm sobered by the fact that I don't even know you anymore. I was punch-drunk on a feeling, lost in believing I was sure. I know better now, and for my good, your good, and the good of our daughter, I'm taking her home, to Zut'tau'ri, where we belong.

I know you're not going to let this go without a fight. But you know what? I don't care what you have to say. The damn words get in the way, and I don't wanna know. I know there'll come a time when I look you in the eyes and say "I told you so."

And I promise you this: you're going to miss me. Yes, miss me. As long as you live, you're going to miss me.

"Oh?" she says with a snort.

You really had something, you know? If you hadn't...if you had been strong enough to face your demons--or better yet, just asked me to help you...then maybe this all would never have happened. But no. You set me up for the falling, and then, all of a sudden, gave me no warning--you were gone. No note, no talk, just...gone to your parents, and refusing to speak to me. Why? Because I refused to forgive a man we both know is guilty? One you still want to get back in bed with even knowing that? You let me down, I was reeling, I decided to come here in pursuit of revenge--no, of justice--because that was the one thing I had left in life. And then, without me around to stop you or ask awkward questions, you just decide to drag our daughter all the way out here, and then ignore her, for the sake of a known murderer?! And then what I discovered when you got here...I just...I can't believe what you have done!

You know what? Go do what you've gotta do. The damn words will follow you everywhere you go--seductress, witch, harlot, child neglecter, careless mother. Did you even realize that our little girl---your own flesh and blood!--found her way into a freaking war?! What kind of a mother--no, what kind of a person--lets their kid, or any kid, get wrapped up in a situation like this?! You are insane, Caroline, and I hope you get back with Arthur. Spare that elf some heartache, she's done nothing to deserve the trouble. You two lunatics deserve each other, and I hope you both rot with the rest of Eubric.

...But you know what I hope more than that? I hope that you come to realize what's happening, what sort of person you've become. I hope that you come to your senses. The Caroline Kootenai I once knew had a joy for life that I could never really experience. I really hope that that Caroline is still alive somewhere. Because her daughter could really use that role model.

Don't try to get Roni back. I've already sent a letter with the Zeigfried woman back to my family with the whole story. Veronica Spar'kell will be under the full protection of the Zut'tau'ri Guard, and they are under strict orders not to let you see her. Maybe one day, when you've cleaned yourself up, Roni can get to know her mother. But until then, until you've decided to make better choices, it'll be better for all of us if you just stay away entirely. Even your uncle Coe, however reluctantly, agrees with my judgement in this.

Goodbye, Caroline. Please don't reply.

--Captain Vaygas Spar'kell, Captain of the Zut'tau'ri Guard

Caroline leans against the filthy wall, sliding down slowly in shock until her crumpled frame is resting on the dust-covered floor. She reads the letter over and over again, unable to comprehend what has happened. Over, and over, and over, and over, and over...

-----------------------

Luosh. Dini Manor. 6 weeks later

Back in Luosh, repairs are well underway. Dini Manor, in particular, is already looking to be even better than it was before the invasion. In the midst of the restoration efforts, Howard Dini and Hal Bohrd stand in front of the manor, surveying the work.

Howard, Hal and Natasha all stand in front of the manor, admiring the progress they had made on the repairs. Dini rolls up the schematics he had - using his wands, of course - and tucks it away into his back pocket. Hal was glad to see the town he was charged to protect rebuilding itself, slowly but surely. Dini manor was nearly repaired, and although the Town Hall was pocked with various holes - courtesy of their final foe - it was in working condition, and they already had the frame rebuilt. There had been a much needed lull of criminal activity in Luosh, and Hal enjoyed it.

"Hmm. I just need to wait for one of Gregory's suppliers to get those curtains to me, and the Dini Manor is repaired. To think, those things "renovated" for their sinister little party.

I'm glad you were here to see the repairs through, Natasha."

"So am I! Shame I gotta go back home so soon."

"Leaving already?"

"Already?! With all due respect, Mr. Bohrd, I was supposed to get back to Salmanda a week ago! My mentors are gonna throw a cow!

It was great staying with you, though, Uncle Dini."

"I find that hard to believe after all of this, Natasha, but it was wonderful seeing you."

The uncle and niece hug and Hal nods goodbye as Natasha sets off to the Eubric docks.

Just then, the pair were approached by two familiar figures, one of whom carried a long, thin package.

"Hello, Dini, Bohrd. This just showed up at the Town Hall, addressed to you, Howard. When he saw it, Punii insisted we bring it over right away."

"Look at the *wheeze* seal...!"

Just as the young Progg had said, the seal borne on the parcel was instantly recognizable to both Hal and Dini: it was the same symbol that had been worn by Captain Spar'kell. Exchanging a glance with Hal, Dini quickly tears open the wrapping, revealing a slender golden staff with a hooked tip. There was a note.

Thank you again for your assistance. Your efforts have saved two lives from a terrible fate. People like you three are the true heroes of this world.

The time has come for me to put my past behind me. This staff is a remnant of one of the darker chapters. It is dangerous, but perhaps not evil--Etherial magic is shunned among my people, but with the heir to our land showing prodrigous talent, it has become apparent that now may be the time to rethink old perceptions. I entrust it to your care, Howard Dini.

Use it well.

"There's no name...it just says 'use it well.' What does that mean, I wonder? Howard, who sent this?"

The three men--well, two men and a Progg--exchange glances, but do not say anything. All three think back to a precocious little girl who had survived a war--and who now, thanks to them, faced a far better fate.

~Fin~

[TheBoyWonder]

"Tesni, Johon, time to finish our trades,

I've given you the gold, Tesni, time for me to get the club.

Johon, here is your gold. "

Romulus tosses over 150 gold.

[Bricksandparts]

Johon is confused at how he was beat, but then again, Romulus was using a much more powerful weapon.

"A deal is a deal..." Johon says, passing over the Meteor Blade in exchange.

[TheBoyWonder]

"Nice doing buisness with you. "

[JimBee]

"Me too. Docken, I don't think we've met properly before, so I couldn't know, but I hear you have quite the reputation of being a strong warrior."

Feeling oddly sociable, Hybros emerged from the corner to greet the young Paladin... make that Black Knight. "I do not believe we have met before, eheh. I am Hybros. What journeys have you had recently?"

[Bricksandparts]

"Romulus, would you care to train with me in hand-to-hand combat? Sometimes reliance on your weapons can be deadly."

[Brickington]

EDIT: Wrong topic, dumb me!

Edited May 7, 2013 by Brickington

[TheBoyWonder]

"I've got to meet a friend."

[Bricksandparts]

"Ok." Johon says. "I'll see you later."

[Peppermint_M]

Tesni hefted over the club. "Eight of power remember."

[Capt.JohnPaul]

Feeling oddly sociable, Hybros emerged from the corner to greet the young Paladin... make that Black Knight. "I do not believe we have met before, eheh. I am Hybros. What journeys have you had recently?"

Before heading to the arena, Alexandre turned. "Salut, I'm Alexandre. I just recently returned from Luosh. We had to fight these 5 story tall scorpion like creatures called proggs who were committing genocide. We spent 1 night there actually, but it felt like we were fighting for 6 months. Before that, I did 2 quests for the Lion knights, defending a fort and helping Dastan."

[TheBoyWonder]

"Many thanks Tesni."

[Zepher]

Sign Ups for Quest 68

Tesni Hightribe, Level 29 2/3 Raider

Sign-Ups end in a week! Can't hurt to sign up, even if you don't quite meet the requirements.

[Capt.JohnPaul]

Alexandre signs up for 68. (I did say earlier, I was interested if you would accept my level)

[Bricksandparts]

Johon, seeing that not many people in the hall fit for the quest, decided to sign up for quest 68. Hopefully, even with his lesser skills, they would still allow him to join the quest.

[Dannylonglegs]

Sylph, ready to duel whenever those in-charge of the arena allowed it, couldn't help but notice the Quest sign-ups on the Board... or lack of any that he fit the requirements of... Wait... Did it require... A Healer? Surely the Druid was one of those. Even if he couldn't Fight from the front, he could lead from behind, as he usually did. Sylph Solanum signed up for Quest 68.

[JimBee]

Before heading to the arena, Alexandre turned. "Salut, I'm Alexandre. I just recently returned from Luosh. We had to fight these 5 story tall scorpion like creatures called proggs who were committing genocide. We spent 1 night there actually, but it felt like we were fighting for 6 months. Before that, I did 2 quests for the Lion knights, defending a fort and helping Dastan."

"Luosh, you say? If I remember correctly, hehe, that is in Uland. Those creatures sound formidable, but I will have you know I have fought a dragon and lived to tell about it, hehehe. But I see you are signed up for the quest involving rat control at that theater... quite a step down from, uh, 'Progg' hunting, no? Hehehe...

[CMP]

'Is not slaying a horde of bandits a step down from overcoming an archdemon?' interrupted a somewhat amused voice, accompanying the fluttering of wings and the landing of an rather thin, starved-looking chicken on the Assassin's table. McCafferey tilted her head, examining Hybros with beady eyes and an odd interest. 'Hm. You don't look like any being I'm aware of, save for maybe those of old legend. You get the most interesting sort of beings in this Hall...but I digress. You possess a staff, but cannot utilize it to its full potential. Likewise, I know of a sword that would do far more in your own hands than its current owner; the more who fall to its blade, the stronger it becomes. I propose a trade. Your scythe seems....diminished, with the defeat of its creator. And I do not mean you.'

[JimBee]

'Is not slaying a horde of bandits a step down from overcoming an archdemon?' interrupted a somewhat amused voice, accompanying the fluttering of wings and the landing of an rather thin, starved-looking chicken on the Assassin's table. McCafferey tilted her head, examining Hybros with beady eyes and an odd interest.

Hybros looked incredulously at the chicken. "Are you... talking to me?" He blinked a few times to realize that he was not dreaming. "Must be this Ranger training from the Fox, eheh... Eh... but it still does not explain how you know about both my encounters with Mephistopheles and the 108. Do I know you?"

'Hm. You don't look like any being I'm aware of, save for maybe those of old legend. You get the most interesting sort of beings in this Hall...but I digress. You possess a staff, but cannot utilize it to its full potential. Likewise, I know of a sword that would do far more in your own hands than its current owner; the more who fall to its blade, the stronger it becomes. I propose a trade. Your scythe seems....diminished, with the defeat of its creator. And I do not mean you.'

"Heheh! I seriously doubt you would be able wield such a weapon, either. But you are, somehow, correct." Hybros eyed the chicken suspiciously. "I can not use this rod, and I would prefer to rid myself of the archdemon voice that comes with it, as I am sure you already are aware of, eheh..." At the mention of Zoot's Reaper, Hybros held it in his hands and examined it. It was true, the once seemingly life-like blade, with an aura similar to that of the Pheles Rod, had become more similar to any other weapon he wielded. But not exactly the same. Perhaps the destruction of Zoot, as Arthur had explained to him, was not as permanent as the young wizard thought. "Alright, chicken. I am more than proficient in the slaying of enemies, perhaps this sword you speak of will be of use. Where is it? I warn you, you do not wish to double-cross me, hehehe..."

[CMP]

'No. I simply keep myself well-informed of the going-ons in the world. The library here is quite underused, in my opinion. In any case, the rod is not for me. I need its influence...but again, for another. I do not double-cross. I see gain for both of us, and I wish to act on it. You want to speak to the dreadlocked rogue that should be arriving shortly.'

The chicken ruffled its feathers, then returned to its perch in the rafters above the saloon.

'It would be ill-advised to mention me, else your chance at such a weapon may be wasted.'

_____

As she suggested, it was mere minutes before Atramor entered the Hall once more. The Witch's Talisman that had been around his neck since he'd stepped out of the Training Room was gone, replaced by a more sinister, yet also far more potent artifact. He wasn't sure what his thoughts amounted to. The allure of poisoning his enemies had faded...they just got stronger and stronger, to the point where it wasn't even worth it. When it only took a spirit to overcome his senses...well, suffice to say, he placed a much higher value on his own protection that dealing venomous cuts. The battle against Wren, and the fights preceding it, had made him far more aware of how easy it was for their enemies to strike back, especially in full force.

He grumbled, taking the nearest seat he saw after picking up a bottle of rum from the counter, popped it open, and took a deep sip. Between midnight attacks by the ethereal and the look-out for deranged mages, he hadn't gotten any sleep the past two days.

[Sandy]

Ellaria returns to the Hall after successfully protecting young alchemists of the Guild of Invision from a mad mage. She had never quite understood the feud between alchemists and spellcasters, but she guessed it was because the two of them dabbled on the same are of expertise with totally different methods.

But now she needed to find Guts. The party had split up before she had remembered to give him back the Scroll of Weakening he lent her. Passing by the Quest Board, she took a glance at potential new quests and saw that her old friend Tesni had joined a quest that would take her to a theater at Bric'lin. Ellaria noticed that she didn't quite meet the requirements, but seeing there was only one sign-up in there, she wrote her name down, signing into Quest#68.

OoC: Zeph, I need to warn you that I'll be away on a vacation from June the 20th to July the 2nd with a limited internet access. I can probably post infrequently during that time if your quest still goes on then, but I can't make any promises. Please consider this when you decide if you'll take Ellaria in or not.