PrP: Crypt of the Necro.....WHAT!?
Log Info
- Title: Crypt of the Necro.....WHAT!?
- Emitter: Arynel
- Characters: Silmeria (Clr1/Inq7), Zant (Mnk3), Astaren (Clr2/Wiz3), Elisabeth (Clr3)
- Place: Outside Alexandria
- Time: Nov 27, 2016
- Summary: A group of adventurers go into a recently popped up cave looking to take out enemies, and find fun and adventure....and a new friend.
The person who posted the job in the guild still looks really worn out but happy to be worn out. After a good few water and ales, the man manages to get up and guide the group to a....strange looking cave. Even stranger is.....the cave wasn't there two days ago. This is very very strange....
"SSsssoooooooo...." Chimes Zant, the darker-skinned young man idly rocking himself back and forth along the balls of his feet nearby, while the whole group is studying the entrance of the cave. He? Well. He is too new around here to even know that the cave's existence in and of itself is an anomaly. "What's in here, anyway?" He asks instead, with his hands drawn together behind the small of his back, and a look sent to the man.
"Also, it's really best to tell us now," pipes up the small, bespectacled blonde Vardaman, fingers tapping on the grip of her pistol. "*Did* you call us out here for something as wildly inappropriate as your... rather vague... tale made it sound?" Behind her sweet words, the fingers on the gun and the look in her eye follows up the question with 'Because I'm a priestess, specifically of Death, and I *will* shoot you.'
Elisabeth, new to the area, doesn't really realize the cave -wasn't- here two days ago. "Well, then", she says, "... shall we see what lies within?" She reaches into one of her pouches and pulls out a small, flat, octagonally-shaped quartz crystal, which seems to be on fire -- but doesn't burn her hand. She tosses it up into the air... and it begin to circle, as if orbiting, about six inches above her head. That done, she lifts her helmet up and onto her head, the 'burning' stone seeming to shift up and out of the way before settling back into its near orbit. Looking over at Silmeria, she questions, "Is the man's death called for, as yet, when we've not learned anything of this cave and what it contains? Let's shed light on the situation, before we make profound judgement?"
Astaren has come along, but clearly a bit confused by everything. "I wonder." looking over the cave and shrugs. He flips open one of his books and starts to take a few notes. "Sure we can go in, probably a few protectives would be a good idea yes?" tilting his head and shrugging his shoulders, "I now a little about caves, but not really my specialty."
The man that guided them there smiles to Silmeria. "I assure you. You need to head in there. The Necro*mumble* is down there.....you need to stop his reign of terror! No one else is safe down in this cave network!"
Silmeria turns a puzzled gaze on Elisabeth, tilting her head to one side. A word dies on her tongue half-formed, and with a brief adjustment of her spectacles she turns back to their guide. "...I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that? Necrowhat now?"
"I think he meant necromancer," Zant suggests ever-so-helpfully - and cheerfully too, actually - while he continues through his idly stretch routine, with his arms stretched over his head. "Probably?"
After more assurances and veiled mumbles from the guide, you all make your way into the cave. Anyone who looks back will find the guide grinning from ear to ear.....winking out of existence and the cave slamming shut behind them....effectively trapping them in the cave network.
After taking a rather long windy tunnel down, the tunnel opens up into a much larger room, and someone is there to greet them. He is wearing a purple billowy shirt, black pants, long boots, and a long purple cloak with white and black fur lining the cloak. he's also carrying a rod and has black hair. he also has dark skin. "Greetings Loved ones." he then opens his arms wide. "Let's take a journey."
he then turns and begins to walk very strangely, even as the floor begins to light up.
GAME: Zant rolls perception: (16)+9: 25 GAME: Elisabeth rolls perception: (18)+4: 22
GAME: Silmeria rolls perception: (11)+18: 29
GAME: Astaren rolls perception: (4)+4: 8
Astaren stops at the door, stares at the guy and does not move, "you know what guys... you can handle this. I think this is way out of my... umm... something. Yea out of my area." nodding as he closes his book and stays by the entrance.
"Uhhhhh.... Guys?" Chimes Zant to everyone else while he's looking back to the cave entrance. Or where it used to be anyway. "The guy's gone," he points out, oh so helpfully. "And so's the door." YOU DON'T SAY? "Should we be super worried about that?"
Still, there's only one way forward, right? Welp.
Either way, after the group's gone down and found the... person. He squints his eyes at him, studying him curiously for a moment... and then his feet, actually.
"Um, excuse me, sir?" Asks Zant then, with his hand lifting up like he's a student at school again.
"Are... are you dancing?"
"Come on," Silmeria sighs at Astaren, eyes moving from the floor lights to the retreating figure and back. When Zant speaks up, she raises an eyebrow. "Oh good, it's not just me."
The man looks back, and continues to move down the corridor. "I'm walking. But if you want out of these tunnels....you'll need to move forward." He continues to walk as he did before. As he gets to an exit, obviously the way out of that room....he, too....winks out of existence. The floor, convinently, lights up the room in a certain radius, but the ioun torch helps out.
Astaren groans and shakes his head, 'Dancing, missing door, I should of stayed at home with a nice book. I think Rune in the Mists was better then this." Following along, keeping behind Silmeria. He reaches into a pouch and pulls out a sunrod, "So do not like this.."
"Oh, it'll be all right," Silmeria says, carefully drawing her weapon and proceeding toward the door. "I should tell you about the day I had once picking flowers. You wouldn't *think* that could be dangerous..."
"I mean... what's the worst that could happen?" Zant chimes out in turn, and just sets himself striding forward-- not only that, he actually makes a few skips forward, just for the hell of it. And partly to see if the lightshow floors react in some manner, with it. "With picking flowers, too? I mean..."
GAME: Zant rolls perform/dance: (13)+1: 14
GAME: Silmeria rolls perform/dance: (20)+4: 24
The music begins to move a little faster in tempo for those that can hear it. Those that are able to keep up with it are noticing unusual benefits as well.....and a couple of things coming their way....
"You'd be surprised," Silmeria says, shifting her steps in time with the beat, humming along with the music under her breath. As the dim shapes of creatures resolve in the distance, her gun comes out of her holster fast enough that it almost seemed to jump out of its own accord. "There's another door to the right," she says. "Which way then?"
Astaren stares at the others, "Why are you dancing?" Clear confusion, and a touch of panic in his voice. He shakes his head, "And why are you holding up your weapon?" Then looks left and then right, "Err something tells me it may not really matter which door we take, we only have to take one."
In the meantime, Zant's skipping follows along wit hthat talltale beat in the distance, too-- but it doesn't end at jsut skipping. Rather, he stops the skipping, and... turns himself into a sudden spin across the floor, which in turns into sliding, bouncing steps that are interspersed with a few half-turns every now and then. "You know--" He chimes out, with a sudden cheer in his voice. "I could get into this. Come on--" He spins his way over closer to Silmeria. "I think there might be a little theme going on here, yeah?" He asks, with a grin sent to the bespectacled blond, and... reaches to take the hand she isn't holding a gun with, to pull her along into...
Oh, let's be honest here now, he's pulling her into a dance.
"Maybe that theme gets us through here, huh?"
GAME: Astaren rolls perception: (2)+4: 6
Silmeria allows herself to be turned, once, and even snaps a shot off at the closest blobby creature she can see. "Forward it is, then," she chuckles, hopping from tile to tile, cassock and chainmail underskirt flaring out with each spin she makes on every alternate step. The gun remains out, and generally pointed forward, however. "I do have to agree... Listen *hard,* Master Astaren. Whoever's taken over these caves, they're rather a fan of music."
Astaren scowls as he follows along and not dancing, "Music? I only hear your extra heavy skirt and gun firiing right now. oh and some ringing in my ears from that." Shaking his head as he glances around, "So no, I hear no music, can we hurry and get out of here. I journy he said. For all we know those blobs are dance partners."
The slime goes *splat* as Silmeria shoots it, and they go straight ahead.
As soon as they enter the room, they find a set of stairs and a pair of skeletons and a *ROOOOOOOOOAR* as a minotaur begins to charge their way. ALL of them are moving with the beat as well, including the minotaur's charge....which is also running with the beat that can be heard....if anyone can believe it.
GAME: Astaren rolls perception: (7)+4: 11
GAME: Zant rolls perception: (13)+9: 22
GAME: Silmeria rolls perception: (17)+18: 35
"Just follow our lead!" Zant calls out back to the way of Astaren, with a brief sound of laughter before he goes sliding forward, bouncing his way along tiles with quick, rhytmic steps -- but it's not just his feet, the rest of his body, too, moves in sways and turns along the telltale signs of music. All through the stairs even, and into the next room, and... Minotaur.
Zant doesn't seem to let this put down his good cheer, though, or his bouncing along the beat.
"Miss Silmeria?" She calls out to the priestess of Death, in the meanwhile, even while hte minotaur is charging. "Have you ever read anything about musical beasts by chance?" He asks, before he turns into a spin and goes bouncing towards the minotaur, in turn. What the hell is he doing? Does he *want* to die?
GAME: Silmeria rolls knowledge/dungeoneering: (2)+6: 8
GAME: Astaren rolls knowledge/dungeoneering: (3)+8: 11
GAME: Astaren rolls knowledge/dungeoneering: (10)+8: 18
GAME: Silmeria rolls knowledge/dungeoneering: (1)+6: 7
Silmeria slips to one side out of the minotaur's charge, frowning at the space between the its horns. "....Not to my knowledge," she says, spinning into a crouch and snapping off another shot at the charging beast.
The Minotaur continues to 'charge' forward. It's almost comical, but the skeletons fall in behind the beast. The shot hits it in the knee, but it doesn't stop the charge. That is one tough minotaur!
Astaren holds up a hand to his head and offers another groan, a long exasperated one. "You know what, when in the crypt of the necro... musician, play along I guess? No idea how to play the thing, but sure why not!" Turning to stand right in the minotaurs way his hands out reached and waiting.
Zant, still in the path of the Minotaur, suddenly gets shoulder checked to the side and into a wall. Yes, even in a musically inclined dungeon....you do not stand in the path of a charging Minotaur. If Astaren stays in the path, he'll get the same treatment as well. The Skeletons aren't charging, but are obviously moving towards the fallen Zant, and towards Silmeria....
Astaren doesn't move, and stands ready for the charge his hands outreached and ready to try to grab the minotor. "The horns are wrong, going to try and play the horns, or at lest touch the creature!"
The priestess hops from side to side, skirts spinning and flaring as she snaps shot after shot at the approaching skeletons. "I *really* wouldn't advice that, Master Astaren! Master Zant nearly got put through a wall!"
"No, no, no, it's not just gonna stop!" Zant calls over his shoulder back to Astaren. "You're gonna have to try to get on top of i-- wait." He suddenly realizes he should have perhaps been paying attention forward. And when he does he finds the minotaur right there.
"Oh."
In the next instance, a loud "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHH!!!" echoes through the room, coming from one (1) Zant sent spinning through the air, until he lands face-first into the floor.
"I'm..." He calls out, after the rest of his body has slumped down. "...Fiiiiine... I just... Need... a second..."
Despite his now hurt state, Zant will find the stairs blocked by a forcefield, with a skull on it. The skeleton Silmeria shoots at is obliterated, as is the one moving towards Zant.
Astaren is able to touch the minotaur all right. Since he didn't move, the 'touch' comes in the form of a shoulder check, much like the one on Zant, and is sent flying into the wall. The Minotaur still keeps going, still moving to the now obvious beat for everyone to hear....
Astaren slams into the wall slumps to the floor with a groan. "easier said then done." and promptly faints
"See?" Silmeria says, sighing. Once the skeletons are sorted, the priestess turns to the minotaur. Reload, shoot, reload, shoot, and if she seems to be *posing* in time with the beat... well, it's very, very catchy.
Zant lifts his face up from the floor and shakes his head rapidly, as if trying to ward off the soreness in it that way. "I'm fine!" He repeats, and quickly rolls himself forward so that he can quickly get onto his feet. "Miss Silmeria!!" He calls out. "Keep him busy!" Perhaps he means the minotaur, since he's running around the room to try to interpose him behind the beast, now.
The minotaur careens into a very stiff wall....after punching a hole through the 'softer rock'. The shots from Silmeria hit the minotaur on the beat and the minotaur drops......meting away fairly strangely. Yes, this is a very strange thing. Also, the barrier at the stairs seems to lift as soon as the minotaur melts away.
"...Or, you know!" Zant calls out after. "Just that!"
Astaren is only out for a brief moment. He is a hardy adventurer after all. He rolls over and gets back to his feet rather quickly. He wobbles a moment, looks around, and books it for the stairs.
Silmeria glances at the staircase, then follows after Astaren, gesturing for Zant to follow. "This should prove to be an interesting day, indeed..."
GAME: Zant rolls perception: (3)+9: 12 GAME: Astaren rolls perception: (18)+4: 22 GAME: Silmeria rolls perception: (18)+18: 36 GAME: Zant rolls perform/dance: (20)+1: 21 GAME: Silmeria rolls perform/dance: (18)+4: 22 GAME: Astaren rolls perform/dance: (16)+1: 17
As you go down the stairs, you have noticed the song has changed. Faster tempo than before, and the floor lights up to it's beat as per usual. Just outside of the stairs, there are more skeletons and slimes....and a bat.
Silmeria is off from the moment she hits the floor, skipping to one side and snapping a shot off at the skeleton, hop, twirl. The grin that was on Zant's face is spreading to hers, now, and it's entirely possible she's having the time of her life.
Astaren is also having the time of his life, in the opposite spectrem. He does not dance, but does hop to the side with the beat to avoid the skeletons. Then grumbles when he realizes that is what he is doing. "Yellow large bat." reaching up to rub his head, 'probably need to drop that to if we want to continue."
And past Silmeria zooms Zant, bouncing across the tiles with that same grin that he has apparently affected Silmeria with. "Okay, let's goooooo!" He chimes out cheerfully, and turns himself into a powerslide across the floor, towards the skeletons-- and with the beat, bounces himself up again when he nears them, and spins along around them-- with his leg sweeped out to smash into one, first, only to continue spinning and bouncing around with the music to the other one.
Yeah, apparently he's having fun, too.
Annnd the skeletons melt away too. Easily. Zant made sure of that, as well as Silmeria. The Dire bat also lets out a bit of a.....squeak, that was apparently meant to be a roar as it begins to move on Zant. The bat looks like it's big enough to carry Zant away.
"I see it," Silmeria says around a grin, slipping to one side, spinning into a low crouch, and firing another shot up at the dire bat.
Astaren watches the bat and hmms, "You know, may as well play along with all the crazy random colors." He weaves his hands before him forming a bubble, and then tossing a hypnotic pattern right out in front of the bat. Trying to hypnotise it for a moment!
GAME: Silmeria rolls perception: (18)+18: 36
The Bat is definitely hypnotized by the spell. The bat didn't seem too smart either....
Silmeria blinks, turning her head to her right, a puzzled frown on her face. "Masters Astaren, Zant... You've got this, right? One moment..." And with that, she makes her slick-stepping way to the right, and whatever noise she'd heard.
Astaren pulls out some rope next from his backpack and glances over to Silmeria, "Maybe, we shall see?" He offers and ties an end of the rope into a laso, "probably not?" glancing back to the bat, "Such a bad idea..."
"Uh, what are you doing?" Zant calls after Silmeria -- though he looks vaguely concerned, he STILL keeps bouncing from one foot to the other in time to the beat. And then he looks to Astaren. "... And what are YOU doing?!"
The Bat is easy enough to ride, once you're on it....but it tends to fly into walls and have little room to fly because of the dungeon.
Silmeria walks into a side room to find a rather portly man with a goatee.....SINGING. He's not aggressive at all. As a matter of fact, he seems to have a few healing agents on his counter. he doesn't offer anything in way of conversation.....he just sings.
Silmeria approaches the man, and the items, as cautiously as moving on a backbeat can allow. Tentatively, she picks up one bottle, tilting her head to one side as if to ask if she can have it.
Astaren shrugs to Zant from atop the bad, still looking incredibly grumpy, "Trying to make the most of a bad situation?" He offers and attempts to fly the bat straight into a wall, hoping to knock it out or hurt it somewhat. "You want to drive this thing?"
The man doesn't stop singing, but once Silmeria picks up one of the bottles, the man looks at her, still singing, nod and winks at her.
The bat does fly straight into a wall as well. it wasn't hard. And the bat melts away.....with the barrier rising on the stairs beyond as the bat melts away.
Silmeria bobs her head in answer, smiles, and gathers up the remaining items. With that, she pirouettes into the battlefield, wiggling healing potions where the injured men can see.
"I am not entirely sure that thing is meant to be--" Zant starts saying before Astaren directs it into the wall. And he winces.
"Are... Are you okay?"
Astaren is sitting on his ass and rubbing his head, 'Been better." Chanting a few words and healing his wounds. Then standing up and turning around only to notice the potions and grumbles, "Figures." His day somehow getting worse.
The gun is holstered, just long enough to toss Zant and Astaren their potions, and brought back out. "Oh, quit grumbling," she says to the wizard. "You still get to say you rode a giant bat. On purpose!"
"Yeah, what she sai-WAH!" Zant cuts his own words short there when he realizes there's a potion flying to him, and he just barely manages to scramble to catching it, even if he sort of ends up jugglign it between his hands for a second. "Uh. What is this stuff?"
Astaren shoots Silmeria a glance, then reaches out and attempts to catch the potion and have it fall to the floor where it shatters. He looks down to it, then back to Silmeria, "I am not good at catch things randmoyl thrown my way." reaching up to rub his head, "I rode a giant bat yes, what the hell was I thinking!? Animals like that are always trying to bite off my fingers."
"Healing potion," Silmeria says, skipping over to Astaren and handing him the other. As if to make up for his disappointment, she pats the wizard's shoulder, speeding his recovery along with a glowing hand, and a sensation that Death is chuckling and shaking her head, before moving on.
GAME: Silmeria rolls perception: (15)+18: 33 GAME: Astaren rolls perception: (17)+4: 21 GAME: Zant rolls perception: (12)+9: 21 <OOC> Arynel says, "and perform/dance" GAME: Astaren rolls perform/dance: (2)+1: 3 GAME: Zant rolls perform/dance: (14)+1: 15
GAME: Silmeria rolls perform/dance: (14)+4: 18
You three go down the stairs, and....about halfway down, they find that the stairs have...disappeared. And they all fall into the inky blackness, until they land rather easily with a thump.
Suddenly the lights turn on and it's a BIG room.....that they're in the center of....and looking to one side they find a......lich by all indications is on one side of the room.
The Lich is really huge...much taller than anyone that fell in, and he also seem to be moving with the new music. A much faster drumbeat that can easily be followed, if quickly, and....a new sound. Like nothing anyone's ever heard before, but the growl of the sound is palpable, and can easily stir anyone to action.....
After they land on the ground, the lich begins to move....and summon skeletons from the ground.
Silmeria spends some time in place where she fell, tapping her foot to find the beat of the music -- and not for the first time, thanking her stars for dating a bard -- and thus, is more than ready to explode into action when the lich makes his appearance. However... she doesn't seem to be actively *aggressive* so far, for all that she is moving forward to gain everybody's attention. Indeed, she seems to be hopping from foot to foot in a rapid little box step as the creatures close in...
Astaren lays on his back for several moments after falling. The grumpy look on his face staying the entire time. He sits up and stares at the lich, then gets to his feet and not even bothering to dance or trying. He shakes his head and weaving his hands before him starts to form a bubble, "Oh I hope this does not become some kind of music or glitter ball." The sphere forming into a flaming sphere, and throwing it towards one of the skeletons.
And a mirror ball starts to descend from the ceiling, casting lights everywhere.
Zant lands on his face again.
Somehow.
So it takes a moment for him to properly recover, but hwen he does finally get his face pried from the floor, he just STARES at the Lich set before the group.
Gulp!
"Okay, okay! This is FINE. PROBABLY." He pushes himself into a roll forward, and bounces up to his feet to sway and skip his way along the rapid music towards the Lich. "THIS IS PROBABLY A BAD IDEA."
The skeletons seem to be the more immediate threat, but it's obvious where the real threat is as the lich starts to move towards one of the walls. at the other side of the room.....and fire a force blast the length of the room. Still moving with the music, he scoots a couple of feet and....does it again.....
There may be a scary pattern here.
Silmeria slides to a spot a fair distance away from the lich, but carefully, carefully chosen. Once she's in place, she drops to one knee, slamming her free hand against the ground and loosing a rolling torrent of radiant, silver energy that bursts outward from her, searing at the very magic that animates all the bones in its reach.
Astaren glares at the ball coming from the ceiling. Suddenly the skeletons and lich do not even seem to matter to him anymore as he glares, "This..." grumbling and glancing back to the lich and sigh, "Will commit unrelenting destruction on the ball later." Weaving his hands and casting grease over towards the lich.
And Zant... well.
He basically dances his way towards the Lich. Bouncing, swinging, swaying and sliding -- he even keeps going for a while once he's right by the thing, being towered over and all.
"Well, if this doesn't work..." He murmurs with an akward chuckle before he bounces FORWARD again.
"At least I'll die while having fuuuuuun!"
Monks jump damn well, apparently. And fairly high. All the better for a flying, mid-air kick into a Lich's face, right?
BUUUUUURN! CRACK! THUMP! and the lich melts away. That was an easy lich, wasn't it? The skeletons melt away too. BOOM! Then a wall falls away and a light can be shown towards a doorway.
Astaren rubs his head some more, "This is a nightmare right? I am going to wake up and associate all this to some problem I am dealing with... well what the hell would bring on this nightmare?" Sighing and heading for the door without a pause.
"I don't know," Silmeria says brightly, "I rather thought it was fun! Though I don't appreciate the lies handed us to *get* us here..." Chuckling, she falls in behind Astaren, still bouncing on her toes and humming under her breath.
"I am afraid you are wide awake," declares Zant to Astaren, still with that awfully cheery smile... Even after he's fallen down onto his back, post lich-kicking. "Well, thne... Hup!" He lifts his legs up high, and kicks them back down, to use the momentum to get him back up onto his feet quickly. And dances on off after the other two.
The next room is....bland compared to the other two or three floors. very large mound of gold can be seen.......and on top of it....copper. Strange mix, but that's all you can see without the aided benefits of the rooms now. And there's not even music here.
Astaren looks at the gold, shrugs his shoulders and walks right past it. "Where is the exit, cause I am so done with this place."
"Well. Um."
Zant looks over the room, slowly. Left to right. Up to down. Like he's trying to find something else about the room that makes it what it is. He finds nothing.
"...Well this is kind of depressing compared to everything else, isn't it?" He murmurs, with just ab it of a hint of sadness in his tone, before he finally goes stepping further inside, and towards the mound. "...What's this supposed to be, anyway?"
Silmeria pauses, peering curiously at the pile of coin. "All right... So!" she says, addressing the ceiling. "Who shall we thank for the day's diversion, then? It's only proper for the director to come out for his bow, after the curtain falls."
Astaren prepares a magic missile, 'Yes, show yourself so we may thank you properly!"
"Mister Astaren.....you truly need to take your nose out of a book and enjoy the things around you." An echoing voice says as Astaren speaks, but finally, the voice addresses Silmeria. "I have already shown myself....you just can't see me....yet."
As a reptilian eye opens.....right behind Zant.
"Ah yes, Zant, the Truthsayer....and Silmeria, the speaker for the dead. I had hoped you would come here. Grumpy Mcgrumpypants over there doesn't seem to see joy in anything but a book. But a book is not how you experience life." As the reptile lifts it's head, and lights come on to reveal......
A Great Wyrm Copper Dragon. Nothing else could be this massive....or this creative.
"My name is unpronounceable in your tongue, or in draconic. However, Miss SIlmeria and Zant....you may call me Hendrix." And he chuckles.
Silmeria blinks, blinks again, and a third time... then clears her throat, bowing deeply. "I... um.... It's very much an honor to meet you, Master Hendrix. Thank you, truly, for the entertainment."
"WAH!" Zant yelps out when he realizes SOMETHING IS BEHIND HIM, jumping up into the air to spin himself around to face... the dragon.
Cue Zant stumbling back several steps over, and slooowly drawing his eyes over the massive form before him. Uuuuuhhhhh.
"...Just Hendrix, huh?" He murmurs, head tilting. "I just have one question, though."
"... What was the 'Necro' part of all this?"
Astaren decides it is not in his best interest to cast magic missile at the dragon. Instead he offers a bow and still looks grumpy, "I have enjoyed a great deal of life without a book." Humpfing as he defends himself and crosses his arms, "I enjoy a lot around you, I would offer you some of my best teas if you want. That is not a book."
"Music and dancing are also in a book, Mister Grumpypants, but they must be experienced more than read about. There is also a spell call 'Irresistable Dance' that would do more wonders for you than tea. Though I enjoy tea." Hendrix's eye then cuts to Zant. "Necro? Did he not say the DANCER part? Oh I'm gonna paste that little." then suddenly the guide appears and Hendrix smacks him into the ground.....
Or seems to, since the smiling guide pops up out of his claw. "Woops. I forgot. he's an illusion." he then looks to the group. "I thought if you heard NecroDANCER, you wouldn't take the job seriously, so the guide mumbled the last part and brought you down here. BUT! I have to ask. Did you have FUN!?"
"...But that still doesn't explain th--" Zant starts, but then suddenly bumps his left fist down against the open palm of his other hand. "Ooooooh I geeeeet it. Because htere was a Lich who was dancing to music along with al lhis miniooooooons I seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee."
"...Ahem. But. Yes."
While an ancient copper dragon could believably have spun all this up... an illusionary dragon made by a grinning illusionist is far more believable. Her awe-terror turns to serene greeting, as Silmeria turns to face the guide. "*Very* much so, Master Illusionist. I do dare say it's an excellent enough diversion, *you* should perhaps charge *others* to pay a fee to experience it. I assume, then, that we were here to test its effectiveness?"
Astaren just grumps again, "Really?" is all he offers, glancing to the guide once the dragon is discovered to not be real. Still quiet grumpy, "You can also read about fear and pain in a book, doesn't mean I want to experience them. Or falling, or having ride a giant bat, or dancing with skeletons, or... I could go on." Keeping his arms crossed, "I need a drink."
"Mister Grumpypants.....that's now your nickname, by the way. There's a lot of things that can be found in a book. Love, mating, the feel of the scales of a dragon, buuuut you're not going to experience them yourself through a book. Same with tea. The better teas are your own personal blend. No person makes one batch of tea the same way twice.
Then the dragon notices Silmeria talking to the guide, and he chuckles a bit, and makes the guide disappear. "It's all me, Miss Silmeria. I do have fun with people occasionally, and talk about current events, or try to." he then looks to Zant. "Excellent! I am glad you had fun, Zant! But, it's sort of obvious why you're here and not the general population. You're intelligent enough to talk to a dragon......and not try to steal his bed."
"You kinda rode that bat of your own volition, you realize," Zant points out to Astaren, ever as helpful.
And then he turns his attention back to the dragon, and... raises his hand. "Speaaaakiiiing oooooof, I kind of have a question about that."
"Why *do* you guys sleep on piles of gold, anyway?"
GAME: Silmeria rolls knowledge/local: (20)+7: 27
"....You must forgive me," Silmeria says quickly, clearing her throat. "How often does anyone get the chance to meet one of the nation's legends in the flesh? Thank you again, though... Given recent events, a diversion like this was.... well, desperately needed. And I expect I shall have your music in my head for weeks to come."
Astaren offers a unhappy glare, "You really don't know me if you think I spend all my time in books or do not experience life. Show me the exist, I think I have wasted enough time. I should go read a good book." grumbling to himself as he glances around looking for an exist, "Its probably another illusion, the guide is probably the real thing here. Like we would get the attention of a dragon."
Hendrix gives a happy rumble. "Goood. You and Mister Zant here can come back anytime then." He says touching a claw, a lot gentler than one would expect, to Silmeria's and Zant's forehead. he looks to Astaren and chuckles. "I can hear all through my lair, Mister Grumpypants. I can hear you grumbling as soon as you walked in the entrance, and I can tell you're not amused. The exit is that way." he says pointing to a doorway that is dark...
He then looks to Zant. "Gold is softer. Much softer. Think the difference between a wooden floor...and feathers." Then to SIlmeria. "Recent events? What happened?"
"Oh," Silmeria sighs. "Dran's entire Iron Tide gambit seems to have been arranged by Heth. ...Who showed up over the final battle in Rune to raise the bodies of all the fallen... but Rune's wizards seem to have pulled the entire city out of reality for a bit, leaving Heth with nothing for his efforts. ...Also there's the demon cults cropping up in Alexandria, one of which is led by Asumit himself... It's been.... stressful."
Astaren frowns a bit more, "So you started all this off with a journy, then dancing, then more dancing, and music I didn't hear. So I got to watch my companions all acting like they lost their minds. Then I finally hear the music..." reaching up to rub his head and sighs and rubs his head, "Now I am getting judged by a dragon who thinks he knows me. It really wasn't that bad I suppose, I can bring some of my best teas over sometime." Glancing to Silmeria, "I was in Rune at the time, we were sent to the mists, had to clear the city of wights, and then come back once things were clear. Connection to the gods was..." shivering.
"I... wouldn't know about that, but I guess that's subjective..." Zant allows in a slightly bemused murmur. "Maybe gold just feels different to beings as big as dragons. Maybe..."
With an aside glance sent to Silmeria, he murmurs, "That sounds, uh... Rather distressing."
Hendrix grumbles. "That blasted shadow dragon. Shine a light in his eye and punt him into the sun." he then shakes his head. "No, I don't have any answers for that. But, come down anytime you need to 'get away'. Or I could visit alexandria sometimes." he then lowers his head. "And no, I'm not the only type around." But then he lifts his claw. "Astaren...the exit is this way." he says pointing his claw to the doorway with actual light coming out of it. "And yes, it could've been a lot worse. I could've been hungry." He then chuckles more. "When you are able, write a letter with my name on it, bring some food and tea....I'll find you."
Silmeria dips a low curtsy, bowing her head. "Your invitation alone is enough, Master Hendrix, truly. Again, thank you for everything, and fare well." Rising with a smile, she gestures for Astaren and Zant to join her on her way to the exit.
Astaren rubs his head again and nods, his grumpness fading slowly. "Tea and food, what kind of food does a dragon like?" he offers thoughtfull and turns to head towards the exit. He turns and offers a bow to the dragon, "Master Hendrix." Then turns and takes his leave.
"The sun's a little far away for that, innit?" Opines Zant, now. "You know, the music could have probably been a little louder at the start. Not everyone might be able to hear it." He might be sending a meaningful glance after Astaren with that. "Otherwise-- great! You keep doing you, Hendrix!" With that, he spins himself around in place and goes padding after his departing companions.