Journeys through the Radiant Citadel (Campaign Thread)
Warm, humid, sweet-smelling air greets you as you step through the intangible, semitranslucent ruby walls of the Concord Jewel, and down onto damp gravel. You are standing in a well-tended stony plot, neatly bordered with lush greenery and bioluminescent lau-pop flowers. Distant mountains are bathed in a soft, blue-purple light as the sun sets over lush, tropical jungles.
Welcome to the land of Siabsungkoh, one of the fifteen known founding civilizations of what is now home to many of you: the Radiant Citadel. But this place feels so different from the ethereal stasis of the Citadel – Siabsungkoh has a vibrant, twilit sky streaked with orange, a sun that sets, a light breeze that blows, and pungent, earthy smells all around.
You are about a quarter mile from the Dyn Singh Night Market, which is impossible to miss. Traders from Siabsungkoh’s scattered communities flock nightly to this place, an ever-changing, town-sized market. It opens at sunset and closes about midnight, when your Concord Jewel is scheduled to return to the Radiant Citadel.
The journey was extraordinarily quick. Each of the unique, building-sized vessels known as "Concord Jewels" is attuned to a single founding civilization. This one, resembling a giant ruby, is linked unerringly to Siabsungkoh. It has a cylindrical core holding containers for goods and livestock. The Citadel employs official operators called Clavigers to pilot them – in this case, a pair of grumpy and rather elderly gnomes dressed in red.
Surrounding the core is seating for passengers, where the six of you – Rycroft, Harrow, Walt, Datari, Callista, and Tuuli – spent the brief journey playing cards and swapping silly tales. The Plane Shift was rather gentle. The Jewel and its occupants teleported 600 feet above the green hills of Siabsungkoh before slowly descending.
Siabsungkoh (pronounced "SAB-sung-koh") is a cosmopolitan area inhabited mainly by humans with dark, wavy-to-curly hair, brown eyes, and skin tones varying from medium tan to deep brown. Alongside humans, dragonborn, gnomes, kobolds, and orcs number among the land’s most populous residents. From what you have learned, Maynah, which translates to “river tongue,” is the native language of Siabsungkoh, but most locals also speak Common and Draconic.
A crowd of rikshaws and wagon drivers surround you hawking their transport services, as you pause for a moment in the gravel outside the Jewel to adjust to the dim light and sticky temperatures. You can sense the festive atmosphere emanating from the massive market in the valley below – even from this distance, you can make out the colorful displays of magical lights illuminating vendors’ wares.
Tuuli steps down onto the gravel, shaking out her clouds of hair, which float a little as if on their own, private breeze. She stretches. She's tall (5'10"), her skin is blue, her hair is copious and a lighter blue/white, her ears are pointed and her smile is friendly, though her brows a little arch, maybe. She is quite pretty. She is dressed in a tight leather vest under a blowy shirt, loose pants and short, functional boots. She carries a small knapsack, with a rapier belted at her hip and a brace of daggers on the other side.
On the trip over, she had a good time with her trio of "old guys," the two humans and the kenku, who she knows from their patronage of the Catford Cask, the bar where she slings drinks. The half-elf, Calista, has been in a few times, and slotted right in, and who could deny the little barbarian?! They told stories, she showed them some card tricks, and the old guys insisted on some kind of poesy exchange, she didn't keep track.
Standing in the hubbub of the regional dock, she looked back for the others. "I'm for walking," she says, "These rickshaws overcharge and they're frankly dangerous."
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ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Calista exits the Concord Gem and gazes up at the strange sky with wonder. She breathes deeply of the pungent, exotic smell of this place and almost shivers with delight. Ever since discovering the Radiant Citadel, every day has been an adventure for the archaeologist. Not quite as tall as Tuuli, Calista is nevertheless lithe, with wavy blonde hair that she usually wears in a low bun. When her hair covers her pointed ears, which is often, most people mistake her for being fully human. Her skin is lightly tanned, and her eyes are a deep, ocean blue. Today the young half-elven wizard is dressed in her traditional garment of a long, flowing brown and blue robe with tall leather boots and a satchel at her waist that contains, among other things, her spellbook. Slung across her back is a gnarled, wooden staff.
The young wizard knows most of her new companions by bumping into them in Tuuli's bar. When she first came to the Radiant Citadel, the place was recommended to her as the best place for a stressed young explorer and researcher to get a drink, kick back, and unwind. The Catford Cask was now her second favorite place in the Radiant Citadel, after the Library of course. The group was quite eclectic, including a kenku, two genasi, including Tuuli, and even a fairy! Calista had been excited to meet all of them, and she was sure they were probably tired of all her questions about their lives, but it was in her very nature to be curious and inquisitive all the time.
Calista decided to defer to Tuuli in the manner of their transportation. She'd been in the Radiant Citadel longer, and the wizard figured she was much more experienced in such matters.
"I don't mind stretching my legs a bit," she replied.
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Characters: Bryony Alderleaf - Lvl. 3 Halfling Rogue (Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk) ♦ Evelyn Drake - Lvl. 3 Human Wizard (Rule of Change) ♦ Aranea Kendrick - Lvl. 4 Human Warlock (Where the Cold Winds Blow) ♦ Elsenia Vesper - Lvl. 2 Shadar-kai Druid (Strixhaven)
Rycroft excitedly leaps from the Gem, sweeping back his hood to take in the sights, then catches himself and pulls it back on. Can’t be looking like a tourist in the market after all. He’s only been at the Radiant Citadel for a week or so and is utterly enchanted. No one seems to care that he’s a poor young bird man here, and he’s fallen in with a bunch of interesting folks.
Spying a group of performers putting on a rat her subversive comedy show featuring an actor with an elaborate horse head mask, he beckons whoever will follow to join him. "Joy, gentle friends! Joy and fresh days of love accompany your hearts!”
"I'm all for walking, too," Harrow said as he alighted on the gravel, his eyes naturally drifting upward toward the strange, beautiful sky of the Material Plane. "If you don't mind my joining, of course."The humidity of the place took him by surprise, as always, and despite the faint breeze, he could already feel himself sweating. He'd dressed lightly in a short navy tunic and trousers with brown leather boots. His short, grey-blond hair was slicked back, revealing a high forehead over tired, deep brown eyes, but he was grinning brightly as he surveyed the sky, then the Market splayed below it. His mind conjured the smells of a dozen different food carts, and his mouth watered preemptively. Although he told everyone (including himself!) that he was here to look around for book to add to his collection, he only really knew a couple of stalls in the Market, and it never took long to visit them all. What Harrow always looked forward to most during his trips to the Market was eating something delicious, perhaps several somethings delicious, preferably with something new and interesting to read.
It was a fun surprise when Harrow ran into his friends from the Catford Cask on his way; usually, he made this trip alone. He thought briefly about the book currently stowed in his backpack, and thought of all of the times he'd walked the path while skimming another just like it, managing to navigate to his destination by following the stream of people; this was an interesting start to one of his seasonal rituals. He flushed briefly, remembering his minute-long lecture on the historical importance of orcish poetry in Siabsungkoh (including a brief reading from the book in his bag, he remembered with further embarrassment), but the group had an infectious energy that made him want to talk, and listen.
He noticed Rycroft's excitement well before the kenku began calling out, and he beckoned to the young man with a grin. "Yes, it is a joyous day! And just you wait until you pass the first group of food vendors -- fresh days of love, indeed!" He chuckled to himself as his eyes drifted toward the object of Rycroft's interest: he hadn't noticed the performers before, but that was hardly surprising; the crowd unfurling before them was a riot of sound and movement, and any one thing could be lost in the rest. "Do stay close, though, Rycroft!" It felt silly, calling out those words to an adult, but he knew this was Rycroft's first time here, and he didn't want the young man getting lost, especially so early on.
Tuuli watches bemused as Rycroft heads away. "I maintain my assertion that there's more than a little magpie in that guy," she says. "We... uh, we shouldn't let him wander away by himself, should we? He hasn't been at the Citadel very long..." She looks to the others and begins edging backwards in the direction Rycroft has gone.
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ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Walt is no stranger to this trip to the Night Market. He makes the trek 4 to 5 times a week, at the very least. Despite that, Walt can't help but giggle as his stomach drops when the Concord Jewel makes the final approach.
"Hah! Get's me every time!" Walt exclaims as he brushes off some wood shavings, packs up his wood carving set and collects his belongings.
"Howsa bout that? Looky here, Harrow,"says Walt as he nudges Harrow with his elbow and reveals what he's be whittling away at the entire ride here, "It's a booooomerrrrang! I carved up for a friend of mine. I'm sure she's gunna like it."
"Hope so anyways," he mutters, ever so quietly, under his breath.
Despite it being a warm humid evening, Walt quickly wraps himself in his trademark tattered old brown hooded cloak. He always says that his old bones need to be kept warm or else he'll stiffen up like an old dried up plank of wood. He nestles over his head a fur pelt hat with fluffy ear flaps, that no matter how hard he tries, always seems to be slightly askew. And that's just the way he likes it. His ensemble would never be complete without his trusty quarterstaff made of a long twisted and gnarled root of a juniper tree, bleached white from years of sun exposure. If one were to be perceptive enough, or manage to get their hands on the staff and inspect it, you might notice a single line of engravings slightly above where he usually grips the staff with his right hand.
Without giving it a thought, Walt falls in line with the group and begins walking towards the Night Market. Just a few minutes into their trek, and he already finds himself falling behind. Not because he's slow of foot, more so due to the fact that he keep's getting distracted by all the sights and sounds of the area.
As Rycroft wanders away to admire the trailside performers, Walt spies a spattering of some beautiful rocks off to the side of the trail.
"Ah, ain't yoooza beauties,"exclaims Walt, "Into the pouch yoouza go!" Walt kneels down ever so slowly, scoops up the stones and inspects briefly before securing them into his possibles pouch.
Just then, Walt looks up and realizes he's fallen a little behind and shouts out "Oi! Wait for me!"
Datari sprang from the Jewel as soon as it came to rest. Literally buzzing with excitement, his translucent blue and green wings beating so fast he could barely keep his curled poulaines on the ground. He wore his customary travelling gear, an open vest of soft red leather, loose fitting grey trousers, and red leather poulaines with ridiculously curled toes. Hopping excitedly from foot to foot he looked like a small heavily armed child. Despite his 30 years he was barely 3 feet tall, with bright red hair and piercing green eyes, he rarely went unnoticed.
Datari watched as his new friends each made their way from the Jewel and began discussing their next steps. He shot off after Rycroft as he headed towards the actors, giggling quietly to himself at the Kenku's strange speak. Then he abruptly stopped, hovering with one foot raised, eyes wide as he caught the scent of something deliciously sweet cooking nearby "I'm hungry" he delcared "We should get something to eat soon."
Ignoring the crowd of barking cabbies, the party descends the hill on foot. The heat and humidity, which was undoubtedly oppressive during the day, is beginning to lift as the sun sets. A pair of laughing children, maybe 8 or 9 years old, race around you as you approach the night market.
Walt's newfound stones have a beautiful, deep-green hue – he could imagine them strung as a striking, if rustic, necklace.
The horseheaded performer sees Rycroft's interest and plucks a cheery riff on a three-string zither standing on a wooden tripod while hopping on one hooved foot. The performer nods to a bowl resting on a small decorative rug on the ground, clearly for accepting donations.
As the sun dips below the horizon, the Dyn Singh Night Market twinkles to life, gradually igniting in a dazzling display. The smells of food carts filled with pot stickers, coconut desserts, spiced meats, sticky buns, and more drift amid bright bouquets of glowing flowers and magical lights in the shapes of vendors’ wares and whimsical mascots. Crowds of shoppers wander the stalls, drawn by the colors, smells, and music. Hundreds of temporary stalls, tents, and vendor carts fill this market, located in a wide, shallow, circular valley. You find yourselves immersed in colorful magic lights and glowing vendor signs; tempting street foods; and a diverse array of peoples who make up the crowd, from humans and gnomes to kobolds and orcs.
A sign in front of you designates one large colorful stall as "Vada’s Otherworldly Goods". This shop evidently sells pastries and desserts for 1 sp each. Their signature vanilla bun, according to the bent old woman standing on a platform behind a beautifully-lit pastry cabinet, is made from a secret family recipe and sells for 2 gp each.
The two children continue to orbit the party. "Cake! Cake!" they cry. They point to some of the frosted desserts in the case, and look at you hopefully.
Rycroft tosses a copper in the bowl and turns from the show to join the others in search of a meal, proclaiming boldly ”I almost die for food, and let me have it!”
“it is a most absolute and excellent horse.” he describes the show as he walks, looking about intently for something tasty. He points at the pastries, screeching out “TwO pLeAsE”. One he keeps for himself, the other he breaks in half and hands to the children.
Tuuli sees Vada's and shakes her head as the coos of delight emerge from some of her companions. "Oh, no. I'm already in deep on two vices, I can't afford sugar, too. But I'll wait here for you. I hear resisting temptation is good for the soul?" She posts up at the entrance to the stall (or to the side of the table, if there is no entrance), and watches the crowd. She idly plays with a curl of her hair, though it tries to float away.
She's not looking for anything in particular, just people watching (Passive Perception 16).
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ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
(character inspiration, minus the wings)
Knicknack stands 3'9" short and wears the light but colorful clothes common among the Siabsungkoh locals. Her dark green hair is held partially in a braid, partially in a messy bun, and ornamented with colorful glass baubles that catch the light. She looks dirtier than most of the other kids, but her green face is cleaner and her smile is wider. She carries an old backpack synched tight to her shoulders that bulges with odds and ends. She makes a show of waving her arms and calling out to the market guests, alternating between Maynah and the Common. "Get a taste of traditional Siabsungkoh cuisine at the Witchery Wok! More than a man can eat and for a price that can’t be beat! Spiced meats and sweet treats. Get your magical feast at the Witchery Wok!” she calls as she scans the faces of the crowd for "opportunity".
Knicknack stops abruptly when she sees her friend Walt stopped with a group of newcomers by Vada's mouth-watering pastries. Actually, she was pretty sure she had seen that other old guy in the blue shirt once or twice before too, but didn't know his name.
Wood for Walt! Knicknack needs to find something for Walt! She searches the ground, the stalls, and the crowd for anything interesting.
Investigation: 16 Sleight of Hand:20 (If she needs to pinch a wooden bauble from a passing guest)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Harrow grinned at Walt as the older man displayed the work he'd been doing during their trip to the Market. "I'd wondered what it was that you were so focused on. And it's a marvel as always, my friend -- how you manage to get the wood so lustrous is a magic I'll never grasp! I'm certain your friend will be very grateful." Harrow almost envied the man his creative ability; having seen other examples of his work, both back at the Cask as well as here in the Night Market, Harrow knew that Walt was a true artisan. Harrow strolled slowly, keeping toward the back of the group so as not to leave Walt behind entirely, smiling as he watched Datari and Rycroft zipping around, soon accompanied by a couple of strange children. All the more reason to hang back, he thought to himself drily. As they passed the performer that Rycroft had spotted, Harrow also left a copper in their bowl, and a murmured hope for luck in their busking. Up close, he thought the mask a little unsettling, and he bumped into a kobold woman in his haste to back away, giving her a flurry of apologies as he rejoined the group.
As they entered the Market proper, Harrow inhaled deeply, savoring scents of food no longer imagined. He joined those of his companions investigating the selection of goods at Vada's; seeing Rycroft give the children a sweet treat warmed his heart, but he couldn't stomach the idea of eating sugar so early in the evening. After a moment, he stepped outside to join Tuuli, smiling at her before joining her in silence. Those flowers -- lau-pop flowers, he remembered -- were still scattered around, casting a faint but pretty glow. While he waited for his companions, he thought about what he could recall of the species, wondering if his meager garden could sustain a specimen.
Harrow turned to face Tuuli, his eyes a little daydreamy for a moment before he focused on her. "Ah, well, you see -- I like to visit, once every few months. The Night Market is quite the experience, wouldn't you say?" He gestured toward the rest of the market in the direction that the group was moving. "There's a booth further in run by a merchant named Arda. She sells curios, mostly, but she keeps a small selection of books. I like to come pay a visit now and then to see if there's anything of interest. And you -- what brings you to the Market?"
“I’m looking for a Night Blooming Jade Orchalith, but the spotted kind, not the striped kind. Unless Ruby set me on a revenge hunt, which is entirely possible, knowing her.” Tuuli blushes a little, which tints her cheeks purple. “So, a plant. For some kind of drink. I think.”
Harrow will not have heard of this plant, no matter how high his Nature roll.
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ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Harrow's face lit up as Tuuli mentioned looking for a flower. "What a coincidence! I was just admiring the lau-pops, and thinking that my garden could use a touch of luminescence. I'll keep an eye out for a stall selling live plants, then, and should I see one, I'll be sure to let you know."Harrow, in his enthusiasm, absolutely missed Tuuli's embarrassment. "I'm sorry to say that I don't know that species, though. Can you describe it for me?"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Walt joins his friends browsing the many delectable delights at Vada's. Though tempted by the the variety of sweet breads and pastries, Walt has convinced himself that he has a hankering for something savory this evening. Just as he turned to exit the stall, the shop specialty vanilla bun caught his eye.
Walt approaches and greets the merchant and says "Why 'ello there. You have quite an impressive variety of yummy little bites here."
"I must say, I have a taste for something more savory than sweet this evening. But that little bun right there caught my eye," says Walt as he points at the shop specialty vanilla bun.
Walt closes his eyes, wafts his his hands towards his face trying to take in the scents of bun.
"Might you tell me a little about that bun there? It smells amazing!"
Walt catches the sent of something familiar. Perhaps something from the old world, but he can't quite put his finger on it just yet.
Investigation check10: To see if Walt can pick up any idea what the vanilla bun is made of.
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Pronouns: he/him/his
Pud - lvl 7 Human Artificer - Alchemist (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight).
Quinn - lvl 3 Human Ranger - Hunter (Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk)
Tuuli puts a hand to her chin, thinking. "Um, let's see, Ruby said it has a long, thin stem, the flower has long blue petals that end in a frilly white ruff, it is active at night, and, I didn't really understand how this part would help me find it, but she says it pollinates with anything that moves and has a pair of—" She pauses, her eyes going wide. "Oh my gods!" She puts her face in her hands. Now her face is a deep, lovely purple color.
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ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Harrow nodded as Tuuli listed each point, mentally taking note of each characteristic. He barely noticed Tuuli's exclamation as he ruminated on the last characteristic she'd listed. If it's as active as she says, I can't help but wonder if it's some kind of carnivorous orchid, he mused to himself before noticing Tuuli's apparent distress. "I'm sorry, Tuuli -- I missed that last part. But say no more! I'll be sure to keep an eye out for any of these jade orchaliths, and will bring your attention to any that I see."He spoke with as much reassurance as he could muster.
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Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
(Campaign Thread)
Warm, humid, sweet-smelling air greets you as you step through the intangible, semitranslucent ruby walls of the Concord Jewel, and down onto damp gravel. You are standing in a well-tended stony plot, neatly bordered with lush greenery and bioluminescent lau-pop flowers. Distant mountains are bathed in a soft, blue-purple light as the sun sets over lush, tropical jungles.
Welcome to the land of Siabsungkoh, one of the fifteen known founding civilizations of what is now home to many of you: the Radiant Citadel. But this place feels so different from the ethereal stasis of the Citadel – Siabsungkoh has a vibrant, twilit sky streaked with orange, a sun that sets, a light breeze that blows, and pungent, earthy smells all around.
You are about a quarter mile from the Dyn Singh Night Market, which is impossible to miss. Traders from Siabsungkoh’s scattered communities flock nightly to this place, an ever-changing, town-sized market. It opens at sunset and closes about midnight, when your Concord Jewel is scheduled to return to the Radiant Citadel.
The journey was extraordinarily quick. Each of the unique, building-sized vessels known as "Concord Jewels" is attuned to a single founding civilization. This one, resembling a giant ruby, is linked unerringly to Siabsungkoh. It has a cylindrical core holding containers for goods and livestock. The Citadel employs official operators called Clavigers to pilot them – in this case, a pair of grumpy and rather elderly gnomes dressed in red.
Surrounding the core is seating for passengers, where the six of you – Rycroft, Harrow, Walt, Datari, Callista, and Tuuli – spent the brief journey playing cards and swapping silly tales. The Plane Shift was rather gentle. The Jewel and its occupants teleported 600 feet above the green hills of Siabsungkoh before slowly descending.
Siabsungkoh (pronounced "SAB-sung-koh") is a cosmopolitan area inhabited mainly by humans with dark, wavy-to-curly hair, brown eyes, and skin tones varying from medium tan to deep brown. Alongside humans, dragonborn, gnomes, kobolds, and orcs number among the land’s most populous residents. From what you have learned, Maynah, which translates to “river tongue,” is the native language of Siabsungkoh, but most locals also speak Common and Draconic.
A crowd of rikshaws and wagon drivers surround you hawking their transport services, as you pause for a moment in the gravel outside the Jewel to adjust to the dim light and sticky temperatures. You can sense the festive atmosphere emanating from the massive market in the valley below – even from this distance, you can make out the colorful displays of magical lights illuminating vendors’ wares.
Welcome to the Dyn Singh Night Market.
Tuuli steps down onto the gravel, shaking out her clouds of hair, which float a little as if on their own, private breeze. She stretches. She's tall (5'10"), her skin is blue, her hair is copious and a lighter blue/white, her ears are pointed and her smile is friendly, though her brows a little arch, maybe. She is quite pretty. She is dressed in a tight leather vest under a blowy shirt, loose pants and short, functional boots. She carries a small knapsack, with a rapier belted at her hip and a brace of daggers on the other side.
On the trip over, she had a good time with her trio of "old guys," the two humans and the kenku, who she knows from their patronage of the Catford Cask, the bar where she slings drinks. The half-elf, Calista, has been in a few times, and slotted right in, and who could deny the little barbarian?! They told stories, she showed them some card tricks, and the old guys insisted on some kind of poesy exchange, she didn't keep track.
Standing in the hubbub of the regional dock, she looked back for the others. "I'm for walking," she says, "These rickshaws overcharge and they're frankly dangerous."
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
Calista exits the Concord Gem and gazes up at the strange sky with wonder. She breathes deeply of the pungent, exotic smell of this place and almost shivers with delight. Ever since discovering the Radiant Citadel, every day has been an adventure for the archaeologist. Not quite as tall as Tuuli, Calista is nevertheless lithe, with wavy blonde hair that she usually wears in a low bun. When her hair covers her pointed ears, which is often, most people mistake her for being fully human. Her skin is lightly tanned, and her eyes are a deep, ocean blue. Today the young half-elven wizard is dressed in her traditional garment of a long, flowing brown and blue robe with tall leather boots and a satchel at her waist that contains, among other things, her spellbook. Slung across her back is a gnarled, wooden staff.
The young wizard knows most of her new companions by bumping into them in Tuuli's bar. When she first came to the Radiant Citadel, the place was recommended to her as the best place for a stressed young explorer and researcher to get a drink, kick back, and unwind. The Catford Cask was now her second favorite place in the Radiant Citadel, after the Library of course. The group was quite eclectic, including a kenku, two genasi, including Tuuli, and even a fairy! Calista had been excited to meet all of them, and she was sure they were probably tired of all her questions about their lives, but it was in her very nature to be curious and inquisitive all the time.
Calista decided to defer to Tuuli in the manner of their transportation. She'd been in the Radiant Citadel longer, and the wizard figured she was much more experienced in such matters.
"I don't mind stretching my legs a bit," she replied.
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf - Lvl. 3 Halfling Rogue (Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk) ♦ Evelyn Drake - Lvl. 3 Human Wizard (Rule of Change) ♦ Aranea Kendrick - Lvl. 4 Human Warlock (Where the Cold Winds Blow) ♦ Elsenia Vesper - Lvl. 2 Shadar-kai Druid (Strixhaven)
DMing: Curse of Strahd
Rycroft excitedly leaps from the Gem, sweeping back his hood to take in the sights, then catches himself and pulls it back on. Can’t be looking like a tourist in the market after all. He’s only been at the Radiant Citadel for a week or so and is utterly enchanted. No one seems to care that he’s a poor young bird man here, and he’s fallen in with a bunch of interesting folks.
Spying a group of performers putting on a rat her subversive comedy show featuring an actor with an elaborate horse head mask, he beckons whoever will follow to join him. "Joy, gentle friends! Joy and fresh days of love accompany your hearts!”
"I'm all for walking, too," Harrow said as he alighted on the gravel, his eyes naturally drifting upward toward the strange, beautiful sky of the Material Plane. "If you don't mind my joining, of course." The humidity of the place took him by surprise, as always, and despite the faint breeze, he could already feel himself sweating. He'd dressed lightly in a short navy tunic and trousers with brown leather boots. His short, grey-blond hair was slicked back, revealing a high forehead over tired, deep brown eyes, but he was grinning brightly as he surveyed the sky, then the Market splayed below it. His mind conjured the smells of a dozen different food carts, and his mouth watered preemptively. Although he told everyone (including himself!) that he was here to look around for book to add to his collection, he only really knew a couple of stalls in the Market, and it never took long to visit them all. What Harrow always looked forward to most during his trips to the Market was eating something delicious, perhaps several somethings delicious, preferably with something new and interesting to read.
It was a fun surprise when Harrow ran into his friends from the Catford Cask on his way; usually, he made this trip alone. He thought briefly about the book currently stowed in his backpack, and thought of all of the times he'd walked the path while skimming another just like it, managing to navigate to his destination by following the stream of people; this was an interesting start to one of his seasonal rituals. He flushed briefly, remembering his minute-long lecture on the historical importance of orcish poetry in Siabsungkoh (including a brief reading from the book in his bag, he remembered with further embarrassment), but the group had an infectious energy that made him want to talk, and listen.
He noticed Rycroft's excitement well before the kenku began calling out, and he beckoned to the young man with a grin. "Yes, it is a joyous day! And just you wait until you pass the first group of food vendors -- fresh days of love, indeed!" He chuckled to himself as his eyes drifted toward the object of Rycroft's interest: he hadn't noticed the performers before, but that was hardly surprising; the crowd unfurling before them was a riot of sound and movement, and any one thing could be lost in the rest. "Do stay close, though, Rycroft!" It felt silly, calling out those words to an adult, but he knew this was Rycroft's first time here, and he didn't want the young man getting lost, especially so early on.
Tuuli watches bemused as Rycroft heads away. "I maintain my assertion that there's more than a little magpie in that guy," she says. "We... uh, we shouldn't let him wander away by himself, should we? He hasn't been at the Citadel very long..." She looks to the others and begins edging backwards in the direction Rycroft has gone.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
Walt is no stranger to this trip to the Night Market. He makes the trek 4 to 5 times a week, at the very least. Despite that, Walt can't help but giggle as his stomach drops when the Concord Jewel makes the final approach.
"Hah! Get's me every time!" Walt exclaims as he brushes off some wood shavings, packs up his wood carving set and collects his belongings.
"Howsa bout that? Looky here, Harrow," says Walt as he nudges Harrow with his elbow and reveals what he's be whittling away at the entire ride here, "It's a booooomerrrrang! I carved up for a friend of mine. I'm sure she's gunna like it."
"Hope so anyways," he mutters, ever so quietly, under his breath.
Despite it being a warm humid evening, Walt quickly wraps himself in his trademark tattered old brown hooded cloak. He always says that his old bones need to be kept warm or else he'll stiffen up like an old dried up plank of wood. He nestles over his head a fur pelt hat with fluffy ear flaps, that no matter how hard he tries, always seems to be slightly askew. And that's just the way he likes it. His ensemble would never be complete without his trusty quarterstaff made of a long twisted and gnarled root of a juniper tree, bleached white from years of sun exposure. If one were to be perceptive enough, or manage to get their hands on the staff and inspect it, you might notice a single line of engravings slightly above where he usually grips the staff with his right hand.
Without giving it a thought, Walt falls in line with the group and begins walking towards the Night Market. Just a few minutes into their trek, and he already finds himself falling behind. Not because he's slow of foot, more so due to the fact that he keep's getting distracted by all the sights and sounds of the area.
As Rycroft wanders away to admire the trailside performers, Walt spies a spattering of some beautiful rocks off to the side of the trail.
"Ah, ain't yoooza beauties," exclaims Walt, "Into the pouch yoouza go!" Walt kneels down ever so slowly, scoops up the stones and inspects briefly before securing them into his possibles pouch.
Just then, Walt looks up and realizes he's fallen a little behind and shouts out "Oi! Wait for me!"
Pronouns: he/him/his
Pud - lvl 7 Human Artificer - Alchemist (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight).
Quinn - lvl 3 Human Ranger - Hunter (Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk)
Datari sprang from the Jewel as soon as it came to rest. Literally buzzing with excitement, his translucent blue and green wings beating so fast he could barely keep his curled poulaines on the ground. He wore his customary travelling gear, an open vest of soft red leather, loose fitting grey trousers, and red leather poulaines with ridiculously curled toes. Hopping excitedly from foot to foot he looked like a small heavily armed child. Despite his 30 years he was barely 3 feet tall, with bright red hair and piercing green eyes, he rarely went unnoticed.
Datari watched as his new friends each made their way from the Jewel and began discussing their next steps. He shot off after Rycroft as he headed towards the actors, giggling quietly to himself at the Kenku's strange speak. Then he abruptly stopped, hovering with one foot raised, eyes wide as he caught the scent of something deliciously sweet cooking nearby "I'm hungry" he delcared "We should get something to eat soon."
Ignoring the crowd of barking cabbies, the party descends the hill on foot. The heat and humidity, which was undoubtedly oppressive during the day, is beginning to lift as the sun sets. A pair of laughing children, maybe 8 or 9 years old, race around you as you approach the night market.
Walt's newfound stones have a beautiful, deep-green hue – he could imagine them strung as a striking, if rustic, necklace.
The horseheaded performer sees Rycroft's interest and plucks a cheery riff on a three-string zither standing on a wooden tripod while hopping on one hooved foot. The performer nods to a bowl resting on a small decorative rug on the ground, clearly for accepting donations.
As the sun dips below the horizon, the Dyn Singh Night Market twinkles to life, gradually igniting in a dazzling display. The smells of food carts filled with pot stickers, coconut desserts, spiced meats, sticky buns, and more drift amid bright bouquets of glowing flowers and magical lights in the shapes of vendors’ wares and whimsical mascots. Crowds of shoppers wander the stalls, drawn by the colors, smells, and music. Hundreds of temporary stalls, tents, and vendor carts fill this market, located in a wide, shallow, circular valley. You find yourselves immersed in colorful magic lights and glowing vendor signs; tempting street foods; and a diverse array of peoples who make up the crowd, from humans and gnomes to kobolds and orcs.
A sign in front of you designates one large colorful stall as "Vada’s Otherworldly Goods". This shop evidently sells pastries and desserts for 1 sp each. Their signature vanilla bun, according to the bent old woman standing on a platform behind a beautifully-lit pastry cabinet, is made from a secret family recipe and sells for 2 gp each.
The two children continue to orbit the party. "Cake! Cake!" they cry. They point to some of the frosted desserts in the case, and look at you hopefully.
Rycroft tosses a copper in the bowl and turns from the show to join the others in search of a meal, proclaiming boldly ”I almost die for food, and let me have it!”
“it is a most absolute and excellent horse.” he describes the show as he walks, looking about intently for something tasty. He points at the pastries, screeching out “TwO pLeAsE”. One he keeps for himself, the other he breaks in half and hands to the children.
Tuuli sees Vada's and shakes her head as the coos of delight emerge from some of her companions. "Oh, no. I'm already in deep on two vices, I can't afford sugar, too. But I'll wait here for you. I hear resisting temptation is good for the soul?" She posts up at the entrance to the stall (or to the side of the table, if there is no entrance), and watches the crowd. She idly plays with a curl of her hair, though it tries to float away.
She's not looking for anything in particular, just people watching (Passive Perception 16).
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
(character inspiration, minus the wings)
Knicknack stands 3'9" short and wears the light but colorful clothes common among the Siabsungkoh locals. Her dark green hair is held partially in a braid, partially in a messy bun, and ornamented with colorful glass baubles that catch the light. She looks dirtier than most of the other kids, but her green face is cleaner and her smile is wider. She carries an old backpack synched tight to her shoulders that bulges with odds and ends. She makes a show of waving her arms and calling out to the market guests, alternating between Maynah and the Common.
"Get a taste of traditional Siabsungkoh cuisine at the Witchery Wok! More than a man can eat and for a price that can’t be beat! Spiced meats and sweet treats. Get your magical feast at the Witchery Wok!” she calls as she scans the faces of the crowd for "opportunity".
Knicknack stops abruptly when she sees her friend Walt stopped with a group of newcomers by Vada's mouth-watering pastries. Actually, she was pretty sure she had seen that other old guy in the blue shirt once or twice before too, but didn't know his name.
Wood for Walt! Knicknack needs to find something for Walt! She searches the ground, the stalls, and the crowd for anything interesting.
Investigation: 16
Sleight of Hand: 20 (If she needs to pinch a wooden bauble from a passing guest)
Harrow grinned at Walt as the older man displayed the work he'd been doing during their trip to the Market. "I'd wondered what it was that you were so focused on. And it's a marvel as always, my friend -- how you manage to get the wood so lustrous is a magic I'll never grasp! I'm certain your friend will be very grateful." Harrow almost envied the man his creative ability; having seen other examples of his work, both back at the Cask as well as here in the Night Market, Harrow knew that Walt was a true artisan. Harrow strolled slowly, keeping toward the back of the group so as not to leave Walt behind entirely, smiling as he watched Datari and Rycroft zipping around, soon accompanied by a couple of strange children. All the more reason to hang back, he thought to himself drily. As they passed the performer that Rycroft had spotted, Harrow also left a copper in their bowl, and a murmured hope for luck in their busking. Up close, he thought the mask a little unsettling, and he bumped into a kobold woman in his haste to back away, giving her a flurry of apologies as he rejoined the group.
As they entered the Market proper, Harrow inhaled deeply, savoring scents of food no longer imagined. He joined those of his companions investigating the selection of goods at Vada's; seeing Rycroft give the children a sweet treat warmed his heart, but he couldn't stomach the idea of eating sugar so early in the evening. After a moment, he stepped outside to join Tuuli, smiling at her before joining her in silence. Those flowers -- lau-pop flowers, he remembered -- were still scattered around, casting a faint but pretty glow. While he waited for his companions, he thought about what he could recall of the species, wondering if his meager garden could sustain a specimen.
Nature: 10
“Hey Harrow,” Tuuli nods as he settles next to her. “Remind me why you came tonight?” She’s never been one for standing around quietly.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
Harrow turned to face Tuuli, his eyes a little daydreamy for a moment before he focused on her. "Ah, well, you see -- I like to visit, once every few months. The Night Market is quite the experience, wouldn't you say?" He gestured toward the rest of the market in the direction that the group was moving. "There's a booth further in run by a merchant named Arda. She sells curios, mostly, but she keeps a small selection of books. I like to come pay a visit now and then to see if there's anything of interest. And you -- what brings you to the Market?"
“I’m looking for a Night Blooming Jade Orchalith, but the spotted kind, not the striped kind. Unless Ruby set me on a revenge hunt, which is entirely possible, knowing her.” Tuuli blushes a little, which tints her cheeks purple. “So, a plant. For some kind of drink. I think.”
Harrow will not have heard of this plant, no matter how high his Nature roll.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
Harrow's face lit up as Tuuli mentioned looking for a flower. "What a coincidence! I was just admiring the lau-pops, and thinking that my garden could use a touch of luminescence. I'll keep an eye out for a stall selling live plants, then, and should I see one, I'll be sure to let you know." Harrow, in his enthusiasm, absolutely missed Tuuli's embarrassment. "I'm sorry to say that I don't know that species, though. Can you describe it for me?"
Walt joins his friends browsing the many delectable delights at Vada's. Though tempted by the the variety of sweet breads and pastries, Walt has convinced himself that he has a hankering for something savory this evening. Just as he turned to exit the stall, the shop specialty vanilla bun caught his eye.
Walt approaches and greets the merchant and says "Why 'ello there. You have quite an impressive variety of yummy little bites here."
"I must say, I have a taste for something more savory than sweet this evening. But that little bun right there caught my eye," says Walt as he points at the shop specialty vanilla bun.
Walt closes his eyes, wafts his his hands towards his face trying to take in the scents of bun.
"Might you tell me a little about that bun there? It smells amazing!"
Walt catches the sent of something familiar. Perhaps something from the old world, but he can't quite put his finger on it just yet.
Investigation check 10: To see if Walt can pick up any idea what the vanilla bun is made of.
Pronouns: he/him/his
Pud - lvl 7 Human Artificer - Alchemist (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight).
Quinn - lvl 3 Human Ranger - Hunter (Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk)
Tuuli puts a hand to her chin, thinking. "Um, let's see, Ruby said it has a long, thin stem, the flower has long blue petals that end in a frilly white ruff, it is active at night, and, I didn't really understand how this part would help me find it, but she says it pollinates with anything that moves and has a pair of—" She pauses, her eyes going wide. "Oh my gods!" She puts her face in her hands. Now her face is a deep, lovely purple color.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
Harrow nodded as Tuuli listed each point, mentally taking note of each characteristic. He barely noticed Tuuli's exclamation as he ruminated on the last characteristic she'd listed. If it's as active as she says, I can't help but wonder if it's some kind of carnivorous orchid, he mused to himself before noticing Tuuli's apparent distress. "I'm sorry, Tuuli -- I missed that last part. But say no more! I'll be sure to keep an eye out for any of these jade orchaliths, and will bring your attention to any that I see." He spoke with as much reassurance as he could muster.