Tiny Alexandrian Flags
For some time now, there's been ongoing military exercises by the Alexandrian airship navy near the mountains colloquially known as the Red Ridges. There are persistent rumors that this build up is deliberately visible to make it known that Asumit's days are numbered.
Asumit being the supposed Demon Binder of Skald, a man and sorcerer in possession of vast dark powers by holding an ancient tome known as the Book of Darkness. It's not a very inventive name but it's part of a trio of which the Book of Light and the BOok of the Twilight are part of, representing each a third of the pantheon of the Eidolon that oversee the world.
Today, you've been assembled at the Airstation, awaiting a lift /onto/ that caravan of airships. You've been told that there's an intent to test weapons that may be more viable against demons of the sorts that Asumit is known to have surrounding his empire in Skald, across those mountains in the lands known as the Desolation, walking the ruined grounds where the Daemon Wars that ended the Millenium Kingdoms, precursor to the modern kingdoms of Charn and Myrrdion, was started by the one-time Duke of Skald.
Walery is here and quite interested in these new weapons. He's quite curious and inquisitive and nosy.
"Ships should be being staying on the water where they are being belonging." mutters Lysa as she waits to board the ship. "Ships are not being meant to be being flying." Someone is not really comfortable with the idea of airships. "Plus... I will be being missing the sound and the feel of the water."
Razen stands nearby, thumbing his heavy flail thoughtfully, but he hasn't had much to say so far. A brief nod to those he recognizes, an offering of his first name to those that don't. Yet his usual smile is absent and a more thoughtful expression is on his face. He simply doesn't look as though he's looking forward to this trip very much. Or perhaps something about it has stolen his more jovial nature.
Weapons? Demons? Sounds like a story in the making! How could a storyteller like Selerik resist? He is here, a piece of parchment prestidigitated into the air in front of him as he lightly pens notes onto it about his observations.
"This one agreed, once," Halani offers, standing as close as she dares to where the Airships hover, the downdraft whipping her braid and her robes about. She lifts her hand, as if to cup the air. "But the air and the water, they aren't so different, yeah?" The hand changes from cup to knife, and she slowly weaves it through the air. "Some say less danger up there than out in the water, even."
"With all this noise, even a blind woman could find the airship station!"
The voice behind the party belongs to a Giantborn. WHen one turns to look at her, they find a rather tall, imposing, middle-aged and rugged woman with hands and a build that speaks of a great deal of smithing on her part. She smells of smoke and sulfur.
Also, given the cloth over her eyes, she appears to be completely blind.
"Just a little joke," she offers. An airship is descending into port full of military persons. It would appear to be your ride to the naval vessels, and indeed, once it touches down, a number of sailors filter off to be joined by others filtering on. One of those who disembarked has approached you.
"Greetings. You must be the Guild experts. I have questions, but they can wait until proper introductions abord the ship. Come with me." She nods, heading that direction.
Walery will go with the person, since this is our mission, and he will proceed to the briefing. He looks eager and alert, looking left and right, checking everything out. "Yes, yes," he says. "Coming right away."
Razen doesn't wait for a second invitation, following the giantborn onto the airship though... if one looks closely they might notice that he's a little hesitant to step on board the thing. It seems that he wasn't particularly looking forward to going on board, but he's not complaining about it either. Just the moment's hesitation and then he's on board, following in her wake and watching the surroundings with a keen observant eye.
Merek seems like he has been on ships like this before, while he makes his way onto it. He then shifts his longcoat about him, while he nods a bit to the woman also. He doesn't comment, at the moment, while he listens to what she has to say as well.
"The air is being quite different from the sea." mutters Lysa as she waits to let everyone else board. Weird, she is not the least bit afraid of heights. But she -is- a bit afraid of airships. They seem to unnatural to her. She looks at the ship and then sighs as she closes her eyes and whispers a soft prayer... more of an apology to her father. -He- always loathed airships. And then she goes aboard, "I want it noted that I think airships are being far more dangerous than waterborne ships."
"Experts," Halani repeats, eying the people to the left of her, and then the people to the right. "Yes." Definitely convincing, there. Then she, too, follows to the airship. "If it helps... it won't be the fall that kills you," Halani offers to Lysa. And old joke. A bad joke.
"Experts!" Selerik pipes up, smiling at Halani as he gives her a bow before following. "It has been a while since I've been on a mountain mission. I wonder if there will be any flying snow people this time."
And so into the air you go on the smaller craft with the blind Giantborn woman and the soldier.
Everyone is filed on in and you set off for the few hour trip to the Red Ridges.
It's a quiet one, and indeed, it isn't long before you see the fleet coming into view. There's quite a few ships here, now, several dozen and all of them appear to be milling about.
Walery agrees with Lysa, "Oh, that's completely correct. Airships are quite complicated, and there are dozens of things that can kill all hands if it goes wrong." He's about to go into more detail, but then other things are happening. He introduces himself when they're all underway, and he looks on to see what the questions are.
Razen shakes his head at Walery and moves to the middle of the ship, staying far away from the edge of it. He it seems, has no desire to look down. Instead he watches the other ships as the mill about with curiosity. "Why are they milling about like that?" He asks the question before he can think twice about it.
It's not the danger that has Lysa concerned. It's the lack of respect for the ships that ply the waters of the world. It's the fact that these ships go somewhere without the water. It's her Stormgarde nature reacting to the presence of these monstrosities... But she just falls silent, observing for now.
Merek seems to be content to watch as the ship is moving towards the fleet.
Halani watches the fleet grow bigger as the small vessel draws closer. It would be unseemly to say she is grinning, but she's definitely up on the balls of her feet, standing as close as she can to the edge of the ferry without giving anyone cause to tell her to step back from the edge. Her eyes do twinkle when she returns Selerik's bow with something of a casual salute, two fingers touching her head before flicking to the side.
"Welcome to Assassin Fleet," says the soldier, perking up.
"The most important thing to know about it is that none of it is real. Some of those airships have skeleton crews. The rest are being manned either by magic or they don't exist at all."
The soldier looks over his shoulder. "It's important you understand that we can't breathe a word of this to the public at large. This exists purely to cause Asumit some costernation and concern. We want to keep him guessing where the actual strike is going to come from."
He flashes a big old grin.
"But that's why we're here today. To add to the illusion. The weapons being tested are real, even if the fleet ain't. Now, I've read your files, but if each of you could tell me about yourself what experiences you have with demons, I'd appreciate it."
"Assassin.... fleet." mutters Lysa. The name itself giving her the heebie jeebies, "I am being presuming that the name of the fleet is not being an indicator of how said fleet will be being deployed in the field?" she asks. But then she shakes her head like a boxer trying to clear the brain, "I am being Lysa Hrolfdottr, Sunblade of Daeus. I have been fighting demonic beings, calling upon the power of Daeus to guide my blade."
Razen looked out at the fleet and shook his head. Whatever thoughts he had on the half-illusionary fleet he kept to himself however. Instead he turned his attention on the soldier whom was speaking to them. Glad to have something else to focus on. For so many reasons. "My name is Razen Diharth, and I have some experience with demons." He nods once and considers what to say. "A fiend which wished for nothing but to feed and feed came to Alexandria, and I risked life and limb to see it put down into the ground. It took the slaying of a lich to finally see the deed done."
It's clear from his words that he means all of this quite literally, and after a moment he adds. "If all of them are like that one, then they will be hard to defeat indeed."
"Weeeell...." Halani starts, "Back home, this one remembers an old man they said had demons. That they hounded him whenever he was awake. That it was why he always smelled of cheap wine, yeah?" Her eyes look skyward, as if she's trying to peer into her own memories. "Apologies. This one's memories are... hard to find sometimes, ever since, well.." She rubs at her forhead, momentarily revealing the circular scar there. "Oh! There were those blobby monsters that just shook like a laughing belly when they were punched. This... er... I was told later that they were demons. They still died with enough punches."
Selerik looks terribly disappointed when they say all of this is secret. He rolls up his parchment and tucks it away with a bit of a melodramatic huff. He crosses his arms, looking off and feinging disinterest, complete with a small pout. "If I can't share the story, what is the fun of it."
"I'm Grinna Axechewer," says the Giantborn.
"I built some of the weapons you're going to be testing today," with a nod. She tightens the cloth over her eyes.
"Asassin Fleet, naw. We just call it that because we want Asumit to know and worry. I mean, we're going to kill the man. He's a mass murderer whose crimes began with using children as gateways to the hell to try to force find adventurers like you to murder them in the township of Versis. We're fortunate find, upstanding paladins and the like didn't take his false choice and found the proper way forward to show the rest of us the path. Now," he continues, "we've got word that Asumit's got some flying scouts. Vrocks, they're called, that he's dispatched to observe the movements of the fleet. We don't want to let them get too close and reveal the jig, so we're going to bring some powerful weapons to bear on them. The idea is that if it looks like even our casual scout vessels are this well armed, he might get a little concerned and take a closer look at the fleet. His access to powerful sight magics prove a problem, but we've got some ideas on that front... but first things first: the vrocks. You all ready to fight some demons?"
A grin towards Selerik. "Sir, I want you to consider that you're the only bard who knows. And when the others are asking questions, you'll already have the answers."
Walery listens carefully to what is being said. Alas, it mostly boils down to, "Will they be vulnerable to fire, or should I use electricity?" He's not exactly a one-trick artificer, but he's got a fairly narrow scope.
Razen flashes his first grin of the day. "New weapons and a chance to fight evil monsters? Count me in!" He lets loose a booming laugh and looks around for these weapons in question. All while stroking his heavy flail which in truth he would rather be using.
Merek nods a bit, while he takes a moment to look to Grinna, "Ya," he says, while he takes a moment to shift his belt a bit and looks to the fleet in.
Shaking her head, Lysa says, "Be being aware that a bluff can be being called. And when that is being happening, it is usually being turning out even worse than the reason for the bluff." But she inclines her head, "If there is a bow or crossbow that I could be being using, I might be of aid in slaying demons."
"Axechewer? So that's why you have a bandage on your face!" Halani declares, snapping her fingers at that moment of clarity. "This one didn't want to ask and be rude, but now.. sense is made!" Then she kneels, pulling long ribbons from her pack to start wrapping around her lower legs, her forearms, her fists. Then she punches the palm of her left hand, twice. "This one is READY." Then she pauses. "Apologies... isn't a frock a... dress? Flying dresses?"
"Vrock Vvvvv-rock." Selerik gives Halani a sympathetic look. "They look like someone slept with a harpy while suffering a fungal growth. I'd take the dresses, mind you."
"We got something that'll do, though it's a mite bigger than a crossbow," says the soldier with a big old grin to Lysa. "Bluffs are a part of strategy. Rest assured, they are not the only strategy, nor does everything rely on it. We /do/ know what we're doing."
"They've been working on it for months," agrees Grinna with a low rumble. "And I think you'll like my... I'm sorry. Did she say flying dresses?"
"...yes," says the soldier with a flat expression. The kind of expression someone wears when they're trying not to laugh inappropriately.
"We're going to go a scouting with a handpicked crew and a lot of weapons."
Then Grinna adds, ".. it's a family name. My great-great grandfather was the one who chewed on axes and it's why none of us remember him terribly well."
Halani stares at Selerik. "Oh. OH! Ewww." She makes a face, and her throat convulses in a sort of puking motion. And finally she sticks her tongue out with a 'blaaah.' Then the monk shakes her head roughly, as if to dislodge the imagery from her skull entirely. Then Halani looks at Grinna, claps her hands together, and bows slightly. "You honour him then, and this one is humbled by your respect of your ancestors. Even when they do silly things." With that, she straightens and looks to the horizon where she presumes the mushroom harpies will approach from. "If this..." A pause and a mental shake. "If /I/ can, Sunblade... I will try to bring one down so you can cut it with your holy sword."
"Let us get to it then!" Razen is clearly eager, and everything they're talking about only seems to make him more so. "Do we get to be part of the scouting crew?" He sounds very hopeful of this particular idea. Being on the front lines of the battle is Razen's dream gig. Ginna's surname gets a huge grin out of him as well. "A name nobly earned then! You should be proud to carry it forward!"
Walery will slot a small brass object with runes on it into his death ray and work a lever to set it appropriately. "We're ready for anything," he assures them.
Merek nods a bit then to Grinna, while he takes a moment to adjust his longarm and shifts his stance as well.
"I am being able to channel my power into whatever weapon I am wielding." offers Lysa. "Perhaps a large ranged weapon could be being of use there too." she adds.
Selerik considers, tapping his chin as he looks at the others. "I might be able to ground one. I'll give it a go, seems worth a try. Oh, though, I should warn you. I do know one important thing about Vrocks." Selerik nods as if it were some sage thing. "Never lick one. Trust me on that."
"Ayep, yep you do. We've procured hats of disguise from the Arcanists. We want any surviving demons to be able to say you looked like nothing more than members of the crew. So! Are you all ready?" The small hair ribbons are being handed out and apparently, once in place, you'll look more or less like the rest of the members of the crew to observers. You, yourselves, will have little difficulty piercing the glamour.
"This one hopes to look like a giant, like the lady Axechewer yeah?" Halani declares as she winds the ribbon into her braid, then puts her hands on her hips. "We. Are. Ready! Time to de-vrock some demons!"
Razen... has a little trouble working the ribbon into his hair, but he manages at last, tying it into one of the many braids and looks at himself. He doesn't look any different. And neither does anyone else actually. Magic. He shakes his head but with it worked in he nods to the soldier and to the giantborn in charge of all this. "Let us get to it!"
Nodding, Lysa accepts the hat and places it upon her head. "So be it." she remarks before she heads towards one of the artillery thingamagoobers.
Merek puts on that ribbon, so that he can look like the crew. He then nods a bit to Grinna, while he takes a moment to adjust that longcoat he actually has on as well, looking thoughtfully to the fleet.
Walery puts on the hair ribbon, though he feels a bit silly for doing so. Of course part of the disguise magic changes the ribbon to look appropriate to the disguise, so it's a flying cap sort of thing, and Walery looks like a normal crew member as well.
Selerik slips on his disguise. Disguises arn't anything too new to him. "Shame it is a glamour. Nobody has a love for properly looking the part these days, all too fond of their trinkets." He lets out one last sad sigh before putting back on a smile. "I wonder if Vrocks like jokes."
Grinna puts the ribbon in her hair. "I'm here to observe th test results of the weapons." Apparently, she can do so with ease despite being blind.
And from there, you're taken to another aircraft, this one larger than the one you're on, but smaller than some of the actual warships present. It does appear lightly armored and crewed, though, with the crew of sailors welcoming you a board.
They have the tension of ones that know they're headed into battle against a truly dangerous foe.
Soon, you're heading off on a routine scouting mission, apparently, along the edges of the mountains.
Walery will transfer ships onto the next ship, ready to continue the journey. "This is turning out to be quite the complicated event, it seems," he observes.
Razen doesn't know how to crew a ship, so he doesn't really try to pretend like he does. He just stands in the center of the ship and watches the surroundings for anything that might be getting closer. Really on second thought, he looks like a spotter.
Halani doesn't know how to crew one, either, but apparently that's not going to stop her. She makes her way over to some ropes and starts pulling on them. What's worse, she also sings. You'd think her tenuous grasp of grammar would fail her here.. but considering the nonsensical structure of some sailor shanties, maybe that's a mark in her favour. "Oh! Blow the man down, bullies, to me way-aye blow the man down!"
Selerik, as always, has no weapon. So he buffs his nails on his shirt while he waits.
GAME: Halani rolls perception: (20)+21: 41 GAME: Merek rolls perception: (20)+13: 33 GAME: Walery rolls perception: (10)+10: 20 GAME: Razen rolls perception: (20)+9: 29 GAME: Selerik rolls perception: (9)+14: 23
Well, then.
You're amongst the misty tips of the Red Ridge Mountains, as they're called, and yes the name is accurate enough. The clouds aren't really great for visibility, all the same, and it's making it a bit more treacherous than it ought to be. This close to the Desolation, you start to see the impact on the weather patterns, especially once you cross over t the Desolation proper.
The name is well earned, too.
Still, you're able to react in time. The airship crew has an idea of where the nest of Vrock observers has been hiding amongst the mountains, nesting they say, but it's the sharp eyes of Halani, Merek and Razen that sees the nooks and crannies of where they're hiding amongst cliffs and ledges.
The next order is to open fire: time to dislodge them.
"Good luck," says Grinn.
-TBC