Seaside Yearnings
Northern Tornmawr,
Not far upriver of Alexandria, the Tornmawr's waters flow proud and free. It is known for its rich fishing but the occasional odd sighting, of course. Today was a beautiful example of a summer's day, with bright sun baking the earth and glistening off the white foam; a fish leaping up to catch a buzzing insect. Vibrant and full of life. There are many reasons to wander the banks of the famous waterway. The day went on with great promise, drawing many visitors.
As the day goes to evening, though, the music of nature is overwhelmed by a powerful . Great, wracking sobs punctuated by bassy croaks that one can feel in their chest. It is heart wrenching, or at least if one is less prone to such fancies, ear-aching in volume. Boo-hoooah-hoooaah-CROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK. Hoo-hoo-hoo, Croooooooooooooak. An Owl reluctantly takes flight, a gentle fluttering of wings the only warming as it passes overhead.
Whyever one is here? You all meet at a crickety bridge, lost to disrepair, crossing a Tornmawr tributary and toward the unwelcome noise.
It sounds to Aragos, nothing so much like a sobbing frog. Holding an arm full of tomatoes, apples, and various other produce carefully tucked into a bag the paladin of Vardama strikes a unique and strange figure with his blue-black spiked armor, his huge sword, and... a brightly-colored reusable shopping bag tucked safely in the crook of his elbow.
Moving closer to the sound - out of pure curiosity - Aragos holds his bag of groceries a little tighter, utterly prepared to protect his... apples.
"That was some good work, Khepri. I think you understand people better than you realize." Kastuvas's voice is cheerful, as the wargolem Executor marches stolidly onward. "They really needed those rites read."
"The words must be spoken, Kastuvas. The dead must rest, and be remembered." Khepri seems almost bemused at its weapon's commentary. "I could do nothing less."
"Yes, but... hold up." The sentient khopesh twitches in its sheath. "Do you hear crying?" The golem tilts its head. "...Actually, I do." Khepri shifts its direction, soon coming upon the bridge, and the paladin. The golem raises a hand in greeting. "Hail, brother in devotion," it intones. "What transpires?"
Kastuvas comments, sotto voce, "Huh. He's cute, in that brooding kind of way. I knew a couple initiates like that back in the day."
"Here piggy pig pig!"
Beat.
"Where's the good piggy pig pig?"
Another brief moment of silence, and then Skyler Skywalker breaks out of the underbrush, "There's the good pi... you aren't pigs."
Well. As far as Skyler knows. The swashbuckler is in his adventuring gear: battered greatcoat over mithril shirt, shiny black boots and snug leather pants. Wide belt. He must be coming home by way of the river, because he's got a black eye and scruff on his jaw, and there's a certain odor...
Which Aragos gets full on as he recognizes the paladin and beams, offering a hug as if they were on the streets of Alexandria. "Hey! How're you! I lost my boyfriend. He's wandering around somewhere as a pig, like they do." He spots Khepri, offering a cheerful wave to the machine and his sword. And pauses, frowning. "Is someone beating a baby? They're awfully fragile for that shit."
Nobody knows why Crik is lurking in the riverside. Not even Crik. Then again, nobody probably has had the thought to ask. Not even Crik.
The corvid appears besides the group unannounced, without any introduction, and with a black beady eyed gaze towards the sound, standing still like a crow- "CAW CAW."
Well, some egalrin urges cannot be withheld back.
As the four come together in warm words and abrupt cawings, shifting clouds block the moonlight, swallowing them into the dark. When Skyler breaks the hug to look around, he is surprised to find that the man's hair sparkling. They all realize in tandem that it is not solely Aragos either. Soft, silver emittance that blooms from their hair, their equipment, all parts of them. Like platinum fireflies, a host of them all about, replacing the moon with gentle but intense glow that pushes back the black.
At the very edge of their vision, across the bridge, they can see the ruins of what might have been a modest shrine. Another loud, bleating croak then the sound of dull impact repeated three times. Thump, thump, thump!
"Ho, what use a poet's soul! Captured in thy's hideous GAOL!"
CROAK.
Aragos lifts a hand in greeting to Khepri. "Not sure yet." He remarks and then there's Skyler and Aragos offers him a half hug (to save the food) and a pat on the back though his nose wrinkles at the scent. "I won't question why your boyfriend is running about Alexandria as a pig of all things. I've heard weirder."
He shakes his head and as he pulls back he notices the strange glow and... more croaking. Looking towards the shrine, Aragos moves a bit toward the unfamiliar shape. "Never seen a shrine here before. Hey! You! Croaker! Who are you?"
"Oooh, pretty! But kind of distracting," Kastuvas pipes up. "Hey, tall-dark-and-brooding--"
Khepri heaves a metallic sigh. "His -name- is Aragos."
"Right, but you know, some people have -issues-. We had a guy at the temples one time who spent a week dressing up as a potted plant. We never did figure out what the problem was, and after he was done he never did it again -- just said he had to work some things out."
Khepri slowly looks down at his khopesh. Blink. Blink. Then the inquisitor looks at the others. "...The silver lights are harmless. But perhaps we should investigate this shrine." A pause. "...Quickly? Please?"
Crik already had a notepad out, he was about to write something down - but then he lowers the paper. "... sounds like the death of a poet who tried too hard." He quietly says. "... they do get dramatic after their literary death." But he was interested in the ruins - so he crouches down with another of his cloaks tossed over his head, and starts creeping closer.
GAME: Crik rolls stealth: (10)+13: 23
"Shiny." Skyler doesn't look too alarmed when crying baby turns into a silvery glow. Aragos was completely right in that they've seen and heard weirder. Last week Skyler was eating soup out of a tree stump, after all. To the sword, Skyler offers, "I think it's a religious thing, yeah. Communing with the natural world by snuffling for truffles or acorns." He shrugs, "Religious people are weird, so I just roll with the punch." He scratches his jaw, "He does keep me well stocked with mushrooms."
He follows along with the two religious sorts, giving Crik a grin and a wave before miming sewing his lips shut to show he's not going to bring attention to the crow. He draws his sword, and tosses it across his shoulder carefully, "Poets really are the worst. Band I ran with kidnapped one once, but ended up letting him go the next day after he kept reciting prose about the tragedy of the pirate life."
They advance forward, with Crik slowly creeping along the wall north of them to try to flank around the crumbled stone walls. They step over a toppled statue consumed with creeping ivy, time worn away the face of some unknown knight. The croaking chokes off with a garbled shout of surprise as they step over a blooming sun iconography of Daeus, laying eyes on the source of the night's antics.
A short, squat humanoid with pebbling skin and countenance of a bullfrog, their neck slowly inflating nervously as they gaze upon the adventurers. Their clothes are ragged, once fine, but long ago. Only a coachman's hat with a platinum bangle still hints at wealth.
"I-I, I am sorry. Good Sirs!" The snotty inhale is a desperate attempt to gather themselves.
As their lights all mingle and allow better view of the creature, they see strange silvery stalks coming off their shoulders and back. Where small insects happily nest, putting off more of the silvery ghost light. The frogman's eyes match their color, as do the tears staining their cheeks.
"I am.. mourning a boyish dream, of a theatre far too grand for me."
GAME: Khepri rolls perception: (18)+13: 31 GAME: Crik rolls perception: (9)+11: 20 GAME: Aragos rolls Perception: (9)+2: 11
Aragos looks from the bug, to the frogman. Back and forth a few times. Admittedly, this is one of the stranger things he's seen what with the strange silver glow everywhere and all that. "No need to apologize." Aragos offers slowly, cautiously. "What exactly kind of dream are you mourning buddy?"
And what exactly is going on here? - That at least he doesn't ask.
Yet.
GAME: Khepri rolls knowledge/nature: (4)+11: 15
Crik finds an appropriate spot to hide behind and then crouches down with his now green cloak. He observes the discussion from afar - though a sharp eyed observant might notice tiny branches with few leaves starting to sprout from the folds of his cloak. One branch. Two branches. Three branches, and this one with wild berries on top. Do not hide behind the bush - become the bush, the Art of Crik.
Khepri pauses when they come upon the weeping frog... person... thing. The golem's yellow eyes glow briefly, before subsiding. "Hm..." It tilts its head. "You are unusual. You remind me of a clurichaun, or a fey-of-the-brewery. But we are not drunk, nor are you."
Kastuvas comments, "Now that'd be something to see. How would you even -get- a war golem drunk?"
Khepri continues, "Would you tell us what ails you? With respect, this shrine was dedicated to the Knight, but has fallen into disrepair. It seems a poor place for you to weep."
GAME: Skyler rolls sense motive: (8)+14: 22
Squinting at the frogman, Skyler doesn't comment immediately. Instead, he assesses the creature, eyes narrow but expression otherwise friendly and thoughtless as he smiles reassuringly. Although there's a hint of something confused in the pale grey-green eyes.
He leans in to mutter to Khepri's sword, crouching down, "I'm getting major deja vu about this. Have you ever heard of any sort of legends of weeping frog-poets?" Beat, and he adds, lower, "I bet if we mix grain alcohol with oil, we could get him drunk."
Him being Khepri, of course.
"I am only drunk on the bitter tonic of heartache, my good sir." The Frogman commits. "I have committed the worst of sins, to love above and beyond my station. I gazed on beauty whose moon shines on me and I can bask in it, but never truly be apart... and she was kind enough to tell me so, but my heart weeps for what I dreamt to be." He looks down at his feet, a sad tattered mass of flowers of beautiful umbral blue scattering across old mossy riverstone floors. "The Knight... yes, I have always admired him. I wanted to be a knight."
He kneels down with a groan, collecting the flowers slowly. "I am not worthy of the Lady Sura's beauty. She was kind to me but yet... for a wound so fresh, I came to break my peace in the dark. I am ashamed..."
Aragos shifts uncomfortably here and glances at his companions before coughing. "I know how you feel. Strange as it might seem. I... Didn't think that I was worthy of being loved or cared for. For a long time. I didn't even really think I was worthy of being alive, but Vardama kept me alive. Maybe your lady is like the person I fell in love with. Just waiting for you to give voice to your feelings. Hoping that you love them, in spite of the fact that you feel yourself unworthy of reciprocation."
"Sura?" Skyler says sharply, straightening so quick from his crouch at Khepri's side to talk to his sword that he nearly hits himself on the war golem on his way up. He grabs at the inquisitor's arm to steady himself, "I'm familiar with her work. She's in heat for a mortal lord that's involved with an member of the Unseelie. Your lady, if you want to call her that, isn't above your station, good Toad Knight. Just currently obsessed with something she can't have."
Crik continues to stay hidden, but he was scribbling notes underneath his pseudo-bush-slash-cloak. Though the words do make him twitch. Uncomfortably shift position. He adjusts his throat. Leans his neck back. Opens his beak.
Crik lets out the saddest quiet, distant caw, like a murder waiting to happen.
Khepri seems at a loss, perhaps because the golem has no understanding of such things. Reflexively Khepri looks around as well. But then help rides from a perhaps unsurprising quarter.
Kastuvas bursts out, "If you -do- love her, then don't give up! Love, and life, that's what makes things worth -living-. And -- hey, wait, she was the one who's pining for Lord Ahu, right? She can't have -him-, but...she's not happy either. Maybe you're the one who has to show her what she's been looking for was right in front of her all along!"
Khepri exhales again. "Kastuvas, this is not a copper dreadful romance novel. Things are not solved that easily."
"Aren't we all," Frog Knight says with a sad look at the flowers in his hands. "We all seek love. Through darkest nights and brightest days... and not all will find it, but I will treasure her happiness when she finds it. Which she will... because the world is not enough reward for a heart such as her's." The silvery motes become agitated, and he looks to them with a curious frown, his own platinum eyes still gleaming wet in the dim light.
"What is wrong, my guiding lights?" There is a soft gentle hiss of movement and their eyes all go up to their wall to their right when someone speaks. "Salty tearssssss are my favorite." A leering, monstrously beautiful human face leers down at them from the wall, as 'her' frame uncoils, lifting above on a draconid's slithering frame. "Your sorrows and my delightsssss."
GAME: Skyler rolls weapon1: (2)+20: 22 GAME: Skyler rolls weapon1: (8)+20: 28 GAME: Skyler rolls weapon1-5: (16)+20+-5: 31 (THREAT) GAME: Skyler rolls critmonster: aliased to weapon1+4: (8)+20+4: 32 GAME: Skyler rolls damage1+damage1+9+9: aliased to 1d6+10+1d6+10+9+9: (3)+10+(4)+10+9+9: 45 GAME: Crik rolls knowledge/local: (11)+6: 17
"Dude, you gotta advocate for yourself!" Skyler tells the Frog Knight in a concerned sort of tone, looking empathically, "My friend is right. Don't count yourself out. If nothing else, you can be her rebound. Maybe once you do the beast with two backs, you'll both move on and be friends."
He's about to add more, when suddenly there's something there asking about drinking tears. He lets out a shriek of surprise, girlishly high, and whirls with his sword. Flick flick! Two misses, and then... BAM! He scores a wicked blow under hand that's vicious and bloody. "GAH! BAD TOUCH!"
GAME: Crik rolls weapon2: (19)+8: 27 (THREAT) GAME: Crik rolls weapon2: (8)+8: 16 GAME: Crik rolls damage2: aliased to 1d4+10: (1)+0: 11 GAME: Crik rolls stealth: (4)+13: 17 GAME: Khepri rolls knowledge/nature+3: (8)+11+3: 22
Crik looks at the beast that appeared - then instantly hides behind the cover, shaking in place. The bush has found terror, and hath looked into its eyes. Taking in a deep breath - remember, this is for... he knows what it is for - and then gets up, shooting a bolt at the beast, before hiding behind the wall. He ponders for a moment - then he scribbles something one of his papers and holds it up on a stick.
"VOIVRE!" It says in a very hasty big letters. It's a feature of the bush to have letters stuck on it!
GAME: Khepri rolls weapon10+2: (14)+11+2: 27 GAME: Khepri rolls damage10+4d6+2: aliased to 1d8+strength+5+4d6+2: (1)+3+5+(18)+2: 29 GAME: Aragos rolls Reflex: (9)+10: 19 GAME: Khepri rolls Reflex: (1)+6: 7 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Skyler rolls reflex+4: (2)+13+4: 19 GAME: Skyler rolls reflex+4: (13)+13+4: 30 GAME: Khepri rolls reflex: (17)+6: 23 GAME: Carver rolls 1d20+6: (13)+6: 19
Well, this is something Khepri can deal with. It may be bad at interpersonal relationships, but it's not bad at fighting monsters.
"Allow me to draw forth a few of your own tears. Kastuvas!" As Khepri strides forward, the khopesh seems to leap into its hand, and her voice rings out, "Switching to monstrous-humanoid targeting, boss! Let's get her!" With that, the golem's arm comes up, the khopesh blade glowing with soft light, and then it falls, slashing a deep wound into the creature. "Begone!"
GAME: Carver rolls 11d6: (33): 33
The monstrous creature hisses as swords and arrows pierce flesh, but draws in the air. When it screams an exhale fire roars across the old shrine, buffeting almost everyone and licking embers settling on even Crik far away. The Frogman stumbles, half-blind, then reaches for a pendant and croaks out a strange incantation... and the silvery motes dancing on everyone glow brighter, this time with golden hues. "Knights Preserve!"
Ackh-Ackh.
GAME: Aragos rolls 1d20+13+1+1: (11)+13+1+1: 26 GAME: Skyler rolls weapon1+2+2: (14)+20+2+2: 38 GAME: Skyler rolls weapon1+2+2: (19)+20+2+2: 43 (THREAT)
Aragos sets his groceries down smoothly, his purple eyes glowing faintly as Vardama allows him the ability to see this thing's evil. Evil which it is to its very core. He draws his sword as he rushes forward, swinging the huge blade, but his motions are slowed by the scorching heat of his armor.
GAME: Skyler rolls critmonster: aliased to weapon1+4: (9)+20+4: 33 GAME: Skyler rolls weapon1+2-5: (13)+20+2+-5: 30 GAME: Skyler rolls damage1+damage1+18: aliased to 1d6+10+1d6+10+18: (2)+10+(3)+10+18: 43 GAME: Skyler rolls damage1+9: aliased to 1d6+10+9: (4)+10+9: 23 GAME: Skyler rolls damage1+9: aliased to 1d6+10+9: (3)+10+9: 22 GAME: Crik rolls weapon2+1-4: (6)+8+1+-4: 11 GAME: Khepri rolls weapon10+2+2+1: (17)+11+2+2+1: 33 (THREAT) GAME: Khepri rolls weapon10+2+2+1: (7)+11+2+2+1: 23 GAME: Khepri rolls weapon10+2+2+1-5: (14)+11+2+2+1+-5: 25 GAME: Khepri rolls damage10+4d6+2: aliased to 1d8+strength+5+4d6+2: (3)+3+5+(13)+2: 26
Crik takes another trembling shot at the beast, and the shot goes above everyone. He then takes another deep breath - steady, steady - and then runs towards the frogman. "Itisavoivreweneedtohideitlikestoeatcrowsandfrogs!" He attempts to rapid fire shout-caw at the poor lovestruck frogman, rapidly waving. He still looked like a walking bush though. "No barbeque birds or frogs today!" He rapidly gestures towards the nearest wall.
"Hey! Those are my *friends*!" Skyler protests when the creature attacks, duking to the left then right to minimize the impact of the fire breath. He shakes his head like a dog shaking off water, grimacing as he blows off the end of a braid that's caught on fire. "Rude."
He then darts forward, blade sliding along in two wicked blows that connect, tearing into it, before following with another vicious blow.
The fire washes over the golem... but it doesn't stop Khepri. Like a ship cresting through an incandescent wave, the inquisitor raises its sword. "Harpist, your servant requests your aid. Mend mine wounds, and guide my strikes." A faint shimmer runs over the Executor, and the scorching and marring on its hull begins to reverse itself.
"That means," Kastuvas yells, as Khepri swings again, slamming her into the beast, "we're not just some -pushover-, you evil thing!" Another deep wound drawn by the strike.
GAME: Aragos rolls 1d20+13+1+1: (4)+13+1+1: 19 GAME: Khepri rolls weapon10+2+2+1: (9)+11+2+2+1: 25 GAME: Skyler rolls weapon1+2+2: (14)+20+2+2: 38 GAME: Skyler rolls damage1+18: aliased to 1d6+10+18: (1)+10+18: 29 GAME: Carver rolls 1d20+23: (1)+23: 24 (EPIC FAIL)
"We cannot run in the face of danger, my good crow!" Frog answers Crow, holding his hand to stall Crik's efforts to pull him away. He turns back and holds his pendant alight, and rains down a great croaking channel'd healing, soothing the worst of the burns.
GAME: Carver rolls 3d6+3: (6)+3: 9 GAME: Aragos rolls 1d20+13+1+1+4: (7)+13+1+1+4: 26 GAME: Aragos rolls 1d20+13+1+1+4: (14)+13+1+1+4: 33 GAME: Aragos rolls 1d20+8+1+1+4: (12)+8+1+1+4: 26 GAME: Aragos rolls 2d6+6+1+9: (5)+6+1+9: 21
Aragos grasps his sword with both hands and growls at the creature, his armor still steaming from the flames that touched it. He sees Skyler's strike and stabs his own weapon deep into the wound made by his ally. His blue-black blade is glowing from within as it slams into the evil creature. "EAT THIS!"
It's a vicious blow and the creature topples over onto the ground, killed mostly Aragos knows by Skyler's quick blade and daring, so he marks a salute to the other man. "Good work." A nod to Khepri as well. "Lets heal our froggy friend."
The Frogman's fear is obvious, his limbs quivering but with Crik's aid, he stands tall in the quiet. The monstrous female's body curls upon itself, extending jaws a reflexive gesture, the dragon-like lower body curling around itself as blood pools on the ground... and a ruby spills from its innards, or something ruby-like, glinting amidst the blood.
"W-well done, heroes..." Frogman swallows down his fear, patting Crik to soothe himself more the Egalrin.
The salute is returned to Aragos, Skyler giving his blade a toss into the air to catch it one handed before giving a courtly bow to the paladin. He bounces straight with a beaming smile marred only slightly by the splatter of blood across his face like sanguine freckles. "Smashing good time." He says, "Great job, gentlemen." Beat. "Ooo, shinies!" And he makes to pick up the ruby.
GAME: Khepri rolls knowledge/nature: (15)+11: 26 GAME: Skyler rolls knowledge/local: (12)+4: 16 GAME: Crik rolls knowledge/local: (19)+6: 25
The ruby glistens in Skyler's hand, something milky beneath the hard gem's surface.
GAME: Crik rolls appraise: (2)+7: 9
Crik sees his life flashing by - and he was about to set out a blood curdling cry, before the beast is slain. He stares blankly at the gory mess, his fear having dissipated on that instant. He then looks at the frogman. "You are a fool." He states - then opens up his beak. "A fool for love." He then hops over towards Skyler and looks at the ruby picked up by Skyler. He takes out one his endless notebooks, and then holds up a tiny magnifying glass up to his eye. "... that is a valuable piece of heart." The tiny magnifying glass on a chain falls down and he looks at Skyler blankly. "Sometimes called rubies."
Khepri steps over next to Skyler as the swashbuckler picks up the gemstone. "It is said that a vouivre's death can lead to a child born of good or evil," the golem muses. "Be careful with that..."
Kastuvas suddenly pipes up, "Hey, boss? I just had an idea. I mean, this wasn't an -official- gig, we were just doing the right thing. But maybe we can nudge things a step further. If our froggy friend here was to present that ruby, as proof that he battled a vouivre with help... it might go a long way to proving his valor."
Khepri gives the sword a look. "How did an acolyte of the Harpist find the time to read all those romance novels?"
Kastuvas replies cheekily, "Time management, boss. It's all about time management."
Aragos nods to Khepri and takes up his groceries (which were thankfully not knocked over). "Sounds like a fine idea. Give the thing to the fae frog. I sure don't want it on my mantle. I'm headed home. Got dinner to eat." He lifts a hand in farewell. "Later!"
"First of all, um, *rude*." Skyler tells the sword with a scowl, clutching the ruby to his chest, "This would look absolutely *smashing* as an earring." And he holds the ruby up to his ear, tilting his head one way and then the other, before grinning. "But you're right."
Skyler squares his shoulders and walks over to the frog, holding the gemstone out, "Chicks dig shiny things." He says cheerfully, "But also, like, tell her how you feel. Lay it all out there, Sir Ribbit, and if she doesn't bite I know a lovely pixie that would feed you flies by hand just to hear the story. She loves her men oiled up, and, well, you're naturally oily!"
The Frogman takes the ruby in hand, holding it in webbed fingers. Something beneath the gem stirs.... He smiles, "Heart."
-End