[Tavern Roleplay] The Singing Grotto Inn
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((OOC - this would be a great time for someone new to jump in and rock the boat a little
))
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(I agree! This is the perfect time for someone to join. We won't spend much time on this and will make our way to the town soon
)Out from the underbrush, the tree falls suddenly with a loud crash, alarming the horses. Birds scurry out from the leaves as their wings patter in all directions. A few moments pass and it seems as though the group is safe until the tree begins to move again, revealing that it is something else entirely. A giant, hulking spider.
Malyvern’s horse begins to panic. He manages to conjure a stone wall to block the path between the beast and the group, but it won’t hold for long.
Ixuo grips onto the handles of his axes, and moves to protect the smaller beast-kin who are at the back, he briefly catches Glim’s eye and motions that he is ready to act.
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[OOC Completely missed the last two posts somehow, oops]
Phargought moves to Glim's side, not just out of loyalty but, who wouldn't feel safer next to a bear?
"Hum, what is that thing exactly?" He asks no-one in particular, eyebrow raised with curiosity, he draws his sword, and readies himself for what may come.[I'll let one of the more competent writers handle the flow of this 'scene'
]
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"To me men!" Glim barks, releasing a bear roar, spittle flying from his mouth. He quickly accesses the situation, Malyvern behind a stone wall, Ixuo at the back of the column with the Eywdra, Phargought by his side and the twins behind him.
"Ixuo, do what you do best! Dot and Spot, spears ready at the front. Strike at it's stomach!" He orders. Jumping from his horse, bringing his axe out of its loop as he comes to his feet.
He slaps Phargought on the shoulder to get his friends attention, thrusting his hand through the air to the spiders left. Without waiting for his companion answer he charges to the right flank of the spider.
Spot and Dot form a shield wall between the two of them, spears stabbing and jabbing at the huge arachnid.The four of them move with the flow of a deadly, veteran unit.
((feel free to wound/maim my men, I don't talk for Phargought. But I'm okay for Glim to be hurt as well. They've never fought this beast before.))
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Frozen in shock at the back of the party, all Mimi can do is stare in terror. The spider is the size of a large wagon and she isn't a practiced combat healer.
One of the Beast-kin cries out in pain and all she can do is cower behind Malyvers horse - skittish without its rider, hang on, where did Malyvern go?
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(You’re a more than capable writer, Phargought, feel free to jump in)
With deadly precision the four beast-kin pick the arachnid apart, covering all sides while it slashes with its pincers. Ixuo slides underneath the beast and hacks at its stomach with his axes spraying an awful, green goo all over him. The beast responds by grabbing hold of the Chadra and he howls in horror as he held up and squeezed. He continues to jab at it with his axe.
Malyvern, being the erratic mage that is he is, had seemingly disappeared, only to reappear directly infront of the arachnid with his grimoire in hand.
The mage begins to chant an incantation, and almost immediately the forest lights up in blaze of dazzling lights that confuses and disorients the beast allowing Glim’s men an opportunity to strike.
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In the heat of battle, Glim becomes the beats he resembles. Swinging his axe this way and that with the movements only a veteran could keep up with. Cutting deeply into the legs of the monster, spraying green ichor all over him. Roaring he swings his axe two handed, it bites deeply and even though he heaves with all his might, it's stuck in the beast. The leg shoots out and sends him stumbling backwards.
Spot and Dot continue to pierce the monster from below, constantly evading its deadly pincers and crushing legs. The Spider slows as it loses its blood and energy.
Glim sits up and charges back into the fray. Grabbing, instead, onto a mandible of the creature. Ripping it clean off. Roaring once more, sending spit flying from his fangs he sticks it up into the jaw of the arachnid. 'Where the f#*^ is my axe' Glim thinks as he loses grip on the mandible slick with blood.
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With Glim’s strike the beast begins to flail around, now thoroughly overcome by the mercenaries. Malyvern has run for cover, back with the Erwydra. Ixuo, meanwhile, has broken free of the arachnid’s grip. The Chadra leaps atop the beast with a lion’s roar and sends a thundering hack with his axe into its skull.
As the beast falls, it manages one last strike at Glim and Ixuo topples to the ground heavily with a heavy thump.
The Arachnid now lies dead. And with it, the light from the forest appears to return. As the source of the darkness has been dealt with, the forest glistenes once again. The road to Kuasrine is clear, revealing a myriad of webs and the arachnid's grisly trophies. From here, the companions should reach Kuasrine fairly soon.
“I’m going to need a drink, I think,” says Malyvern, “and it’s not even noon yet.”
"Hmph," says Ixuo as he wipes green ichor from his fur, “and a bath wouldn’t hurt.”
(If everyone agrees my current thinking is that once we arrive at the town, we will create a new thread with a new tavern (The Arcanist's Mill). We will continue our characters/stories and play around more with the tavern setting, saving the adventures for a planned story in the future.)
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Standing up after taking the final hit, he winces as his right shoulder gives out under his weight. "Is everyone alright?" He asks gritting his teeth.
The twins nod in silent affirmation and hurry over to help their captain up.
"Many thanks, you two." Glim says, allowing himself to be hoisted up.
"You!" He calls out to the Erwydra. "You said you were a healer? Can do you anything about this arm?"He looks at all of his men. The Chadra and the three Udoadra, nodding in silent, proud approval.
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How am I ever going to help anyone if I freeze up like that, Mimi thought glumly.
Hearing a call for assistance from Glim, Mimi stands up and shivers all over, still a little shaky "Of course".Healing is easier for her here, surrounded by nature and greenery so it doesn't take long to heal Glim's arm and restore energy to the rest of the party, "I'm sorry. Life was always so peaceful at home, I didn't expect-"
Glim interrupts with a hearty laugh and claps her on the back, knocking the wind from her lungs, "This was just a wee spider, lass. Wait till you actually see a real battle!" The thought seems to amuse him as he walks back to his comrades, chuckling to himself.I wonder if this is really where I should be.
Everything is packed back up after their scuffle with the spider and they continue on their journey.
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[OOC I need to check in more often it seems, I've been busy with school work so I'm not nearly as active as I could be, apologies. But feel absolutely free to 'play' as my character, just assume i'll follow you all around and help out as that's what I would do, Glim has a good understanding on how I'd act as we've talked about it, and once you feel confident in my character yourself It's up to whoever replies to either add me in or not. I'll reply when I can and such but just in case, don't hesitate to answer for me, cheers.]
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((Glim wouldn't talk about demon raids, but everything else you wrote for him was spot on))
Glim gets serious then. "But aye, little one, you're right. Home is peaceful, but this isn't home is it? Take this, lest you find yourself in a scrap unarmed." Glim hands her his dagger. A one sided steel blade with serration on the spine.
She reaches out tentatively to grab it and wraps her fingers around the worn wooden handle. "We haven't properly introduced ourselves, I'm Glimheim. What's yours, girly?"Phargoughts ears prick up at the sound of Glim's full name. 'Glimheim, he has a soft spot for young ones.'
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((OOC whoops on the Demons
- Noted and will adjust))"Mimi, daughter of Hyla." Mimi replied softly, "Thank you, Glimheim."
Tucking the dagger into her belt she adjusts a few items and flinches as her flask falls to the ground and its wax seal splits, an overly sweet smell filling the air.
That's the last of the nectar my mother gave to me, Mimi frowned and picked up the flask stoppering it to save what she could and flinched again as something lunged at her from the bushes, one hand clutching the flask and the other reaching up to clutch her left antler, a childish reaction she scolded herself, remembering the slap her father would send her way for acting so and moved her hand by her side once again.
"What is that?" asked Phargought, pointing at her feet.
Mimi squealed in delight, "A Fendyr!" and continues to make little sounds of contentment as she befriends it with the remains of the sweet nectar.
The rest of the party stops what they're doing and stares - Mimi has barely said a word the whole trip.
Glim chuckles deeply and motions for everyone to keep moving.The Fendyr is curled around Mimi's shoulders inside her hood now, and she stands up to follow the party, absentmindedly petting its rich red fur and talking nonsense words to it softly under her breath.
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Looking back at Mimi, Glim can't help but think about his home. Arboreus.. Though it isn't his home anymore, nor has it been for many moons.
"Mimi lass. Walk with me." Glim beckons her towards him.
"When did you take the leap to come here? did you come alone or were there others?" He questions. Glim always was curious, sometimes too curious for his own good.
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Mimi looks up at Glim, he is quite possibly the largest Nheedra I've ever seen
"I met one of your kin when I was very young, he was wandering our forest waiting for his death. He used to rabble on about the adventures he'd had." Mimi paused, remembering "I guess I was curious." She concluded, shaking her head.
"And all alone?" Glim prompted.
Mimi looked around at the rest of the group, Phargought and the twins bickering, Malyvern filling his pipe with studied practice, and Ixuo quietly observing the road ahead.
"Hopefully... Not anymore."
The road ahead was quiet, and as they came over the next hill they saw Kuasrine nestled in the valley below.
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Malyvern continues to puff on his pipe, and looks weary eyed at the mountain on which Kuasrine sits. It shouldn’t be a long journey, and he beckons his companions to join him. It’s a town he has spent a long time in, though tends to visit rarely. Too many ghosts for the old mage.
The companions make their way towards Kuasrine.
As the companions approach Kuasrine, it’s impossible not to be awed by the sight of the town flanked by waterfalls either side, and the tower of the old Academy which sits above it. They can rest their mares at the stables, though the cobbled streets would likely be harsh on the Eyrwdr’s hooves. The people of Kuasrine are generally welcome of outsiders, but the sight of so many beast-kin might alarm a few. In recent years, the town has earned its name as a viable merchant’s venue for the surrounding villages and pilgrims regularly visit the Academy, bringing trade along with them. There are a number of taverns and inns to accommodate the commerce though today the market happens to be surprisingly busy.
“We should make our way to the Arcanist’s Mill once we arrive, you won’t find a finer cider this far from Avermore,” says Malyvern, and he turns to the Eywdra, “and I bet you’ve been looking for an opportunity to use that harp you’ve been hiding in your cloak,” he smiles.
(I will be opening the new thread soon, and will link to it from here.)
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New thread can be found here: The Arcanist's Mill.
Thank you all for bringing such great writing and characters to the story
I look forward to seeing what else we can come up with!
