The Road to Drakkenheim

Supplies for Emberwood Village

On the outskirts of Drakkenheim on the island-filled state of Westemär, lies a cloth covered caravan on the side of well-worn road in Altberg. The grass is greener here than anywhere in all of Drakkenheim. At least, so thinks the very chipper driver, Eren Marlowe. With their trusty draft horses in tow, Eren leans against a bare tree on this snow-covered day. 

"A march in March," they chide to themself. They flip through a book filled with scribbles of all sorts and take out a pen. Despite the sun high up in the sky, the snow hardly melts, and neither does it get any warmer. It is briskly chilly. Even the horses have some sort of coat on them, lovingly stitched with their names on it (Molly and Greenberry). Eren nonchalantly pets one of them on their muzzle. In no time now, they guess, that the road will be all slushy. "Well speak of the devils." They lightly chuckle and stand up straight, putting the book (titled Invisible Man) tucked under their left arm and their right one outstretched. They nearly jump back when they see basically what seems to be the book character come to life. It is pretty universal story that most of you may know; it is actually a semi-fictionalized autobiography of the now long-dead author which reads both as a cautionary tale about magic-users (her ex-husband used magic to terrorize and torment her after the divorce) and for magic-users (for he got stuck in his invisible form until the day he died). Written hundreds of years after the Edicts of Lumen, it became a modern classic. "Well, howdy!"  They chuckle, putting the book away in their woolen traveler's coat.

Nevertheless Eren seems delighted to see such a strange combination of folks and gleefully give you all a handshake as you approach, even the strange one covered up in bandages though (but they so only lightly). They are very much not accustomed how to greet tiny folks, so they try their best to lean down to ratatosk's level without being demeaning, and so it took them a bit to now whether to kneel or to stand when approaching you. 

"Hope y'alls didn't get stuck in no snowstorm." They tip their leather cap at you as you all approach. "Must've of been a real dozy..."  A week or so ago, a flyer had went up around Altberg asking adventurers to help to guard a caravan to Emberwood Village. Unfortunately, this call was answered pretty early, well, until something made the original team drop out last minute. And that's where you arrived, somehow someway scooping up the call just in time.

They shrug and then wave their hands out front upon realizing that might have sounded like an insult to your timeliness, which was actually impeccable. "'Sorry, no, cuz my other team stiffed me the last second (and they cited the snowstorm; It hardly even snowed!). Glad to see you're all in one piece. So, uh, just wanted to thank y'alls out for coming. This trip's not gonna be an easy one. So I'll double what I was offerings from the poster to up to 25 gold each." They look over their shoulder towards the countryside. "Drakkenheim's bout a three-week journey, and I've got a feeling we'll be having company. Just like last time's." They sigh, "So thanks. Thanks for coming. I real appreciates its lots." They give you all such a warm smile. 

"Name's Eren Marlowe by the way. Bringer of goods and teller of stories! Been coming to Drakkenheim back and forth now for four years. Ain't ever had a dry day since." They flick they head over towards the caravan. They then take an apple out of their pocket and feed it over to Greenberry, the spotted white draft horse. "You guys can help yourself to a snack or more if you'd like. The 'van's petty cozy. I've got some extra blankets in case it gets cold. Colder than it is now. It's gonna." 

 They tap the seat next to them whilst holding on the reins. One of the horses whinnies. "Before we gets a move on... anyone wanna be the lookout?" 

((sorry this took so long! everyone can introduce yourselves! ayyo))

A girl is standing amongst the ranks of the group, yet she seems fairly uncomfortable to be there. She saw the original poster asking for help on one of her explorations into town, but decided against joining, even though she felt she needed to meet some actual real people at some point. But when she saw later that they needed a new, second group, she decided she had to jump on the opportunity; it had to be fate. 

Even though she's never spoken to a person face to face before, the girl, wearing very simple but comfortable clothes and covered in feathers from her neck down, isn't too socially awkward, though when Eren shook her taloned hand, she did sort of just grip his hand in return and stare him deep into his eyes, before they pulled away. Hearing that her reward money would be doubled, she couldn't care less. Money meant nothing to her, all she needed was passage to Drakkenheim and some company. 

She pipes up and says in a strange kind of Common 'I can scout if needed. I have felt worse cold before.' She sort of twitches as she speaks, trying to remember how to patch together all the little phrases she's heard.

As Eren Marlowe tended to his horses and greeted the new arrivals, a large mastiff trotted up to the caravan. The dog carried a sturdy, well-worn backpack on its back, and its intelligent eyes locked onto Eren. Before Eren could react, a friendly voice echoed in his mind.

"Good day to you, Eren Marlowe. My name is Syed, an artificer here to help escort your caravan. Give me a moment to finish something..."

Eren blinked in surprise, glancing around for the source of the voice. The mastiff patiently sat, wagging its tail slightly. A few moments later, a small figure emerged from the backpack. Syed, the ratatosk, hopped down, brushing off the last remnants of his tinkering.

Syed wore studded leather armor, meticulously crafted to accommodate his tiny frame. His reddish-brown fur gleamed, and his bright eyes sparkled with curiosity and intelligence. He carried an assortment of tinker's tools, neatly organized in various pouches and pockets. As Eren extended his hand, Syed scampered up and shook it with a firm grip, meeting Eren's gaze with a playful grin.

"Thank you for your patience, Eren," Syed said aloud, his voice cheerful. "I'm eager to assist on this journey and ensure the safe passage of your goods. But... I'm not at my best on the lookout on account of my short legs," he adds looking himself down. 

The feathered girl leans down to look at Syed closer and mutters 'Hmm. Squirrel. I used to eat squirrel in the woods. Never did I meet a squirrel that could talk however. Maybe they just wanted to be eaten and didn't speak up.' She then grins and says 'I would never eat you though. You seem smart and helpful. All the other squirrels were only helpful because they were tasty.'

Syed's eyes widened momentarily at the girl's words, his tail twitching slightly in surprise. He quickly regained his composure, recognizing her lack of social finesse. With a playful grin, he looked up at her, his curiosity piqued by her unique appearance and bluntness.

"Well, I'm certainly glad to hear that," Syed replied with a chuckle, his tone lighthearted. "I've always believed that my usefulness extends beyond being a tasty meal. But don't worry, I'm here to be smart and helpful, not to end up on anyone's dinner plate."

He adjusted his tinker's tools, the small gears and gadgets gleaming in the chilly sunlight. "You must have quite the interesting background to have such a perspective on squirrels. I'm Syed. What's your name?" Syed asked, his eyes twinkling with genuine interest.

The girl simply tilts her head and says 'I do not have a name. Only things that are seen and used are named. You cannot name something that you can neither see or use. And up and until now I have been not seen and not used, so I did not need one.' She then picks a little bit of meat out of her teeth with a talon idly and rather openly; you can't tell what it is, but it might be squirrel.

She then says 'My background is not interesting. I just awoke in a field and did not remember anything. Then, I simply lived. In the woods, the mountains, the fields, the towns. But sometimes just living isn't enough to satisfy a person. So I came here. And I will go to Drakkenheim to find out who I was.' 

Syed listened attentively, his curiosity deepening with each word. He found her perspective both intriguing and poignant. As she finished speaking, he nodded thoughtfully, his bright eyes reflecting empathy and understanding. "Well, everyone deserves a name, whether seen or unseen," Syed said gently. "Names can be a way to define ourselves, even if we're still figuring out who we are."

He paused for a moment, considering her story. "Your journey sounds incredibly brave. What if you don't like what you find? To seek answers about your past takes a lot of courage. I'm honored to be traveling with you." With a warm smile, he added, "Maybe along the way, we can come up with a name that fits you perfectly." Syed then turned to Eren, ready to continue preparations for the journey.

William stands alongside his new companions as they are greeted by Eren. With one hand he returns the handshake offered by Eren and with the other he tips the brim of his brown leather hat. "Hello to you sir! The name's William Bumblewood" He says with a somewhat unsettling smile. 

William stands a little over six feet tall wearing a brown leather hat, gloves, and duster. Nearly his entire face is covered with somewhat dirty bandages with the exception of holes for his green eyes and a wide slit for his mouth. 

"Maybe we will call you sparkles on account of your sparkling personality" William jests as he watches the Intraction between the strange looking bird creature and the squirrel man. 

The girl nods and says ‘Yes, I will need a name eventually. But I do not care too much about what I find. I am prepared for it to be upsetting. I would not have woken up in a field memoryless if I did not have a darker past.’ 

She then turns to the lanky, bandaged man with the bright green eyes. She doesn’t pick up on his joke and muses, ‘Spar-kles. Like stars? There were shooting stars when I woke up. That is not a bad suggestion. And I can also do this!’ She then grins a strange grin as she holds up a buttercup and makes it glow a myriad of colours with the light cantrip. ‘I do not know why I can do this, but I think it has something to do with the stars. It is nice to meet you too, William.’

Will looks confused when the feathered woman begins to actually consider the nickname. before he can continue though, the bright light from her spell causes him to wince and shield his eyes. 

"That..That's nice... but a bit bright...let's put that away for now" The man says before snapping his fingers and extinguishing the feathered woman's spell by casting Douse Light

a moment later a large vulture pokes its head out from behind William and gives a small chirp of acknowledgment. "OH, I almost forgot to introduce Herbert. He has feathers too... perhaps you two know each other " He says with a toothy grin before winking to Syed. the large vulture stops forward and offers a Wong towards  other the bird woman and Syed as though offering a handshake. "He loves raw meat... I'm always looking for fresh supplies of raw meat to keep him happy" William says with a smile.

The girl, still pondering over the potential name of Sparkles, is slightly crestfallen to have her light extinguished, but sees that Will is suffering from it. She then looks to the vulture and says 'I have not met Herbert. He seems friendly though', and she awkwardly strokes his wing in a strange fashion. 

She then turns to Eren and says 'You mention we will have company on our three-week journey. There are a lot of us here, so I assume you do not mean more friends.' She cuts to the chase and says 'What monsters are we likely to encounter? How dangerous is the trip?'

Syed watched the interactions between his new companions with keen interest, his whiskers twitching in amusement. William’s unsettling smile and the bandaged face didn’t seem to faze him, though he did raise an eyebrow at the sight of the vulture, Herbert. When the girl, now potentially named Sparkles, displayed her cantrip, Syed admired the shimmering colors before William quickly extinguished it.

"Impressive light show, Sparkles, or Spark?" Syed said, smiling up at her. "And Herbert, nice to meet you too," he added, giving the vulture a polite nod, if not a bit wary, too - but they are carrion eaters, aren't they, he tells himself. 

When Sparkles asked Eren about the dangers of the journey, Syed’s curiosity piqued, but he glanced back at the mastiff’s backpack where his unfinished project awaited. "Seems like we have an interesting journey ahead," Syed said, addressing the group. "I’m eager to learn more about what we might face, but I’ve got a bit of work to finish up first. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be just over here."

With that, Syed climbed back into the backpack, pulling out his tinker's tools. "Feel free to call me if you need anything," he added telepathically to his companions, before diving back into his work, the sounds of tiny tools and mechanical adjustments softly emanating from the backpack, and his faithful mastiff eagerly waiting to commence the journey, carrying Syed inside a backpack workshop.

The girl, now dubbed Sparkles by her newfound companions, awaits an answer from Eren, but looks curiously at the little backpack on the mastiff. The sounds emanating from it match those of some of the smith's and tinker's she'd scouted out, yet localised into such a small space.

 A figure clad in battered chainmail chuckles at the talk of monsters. He's remained silent thus far, content to let the others chat.

He's a hulking figure, over 6 feet tall and the stump he's sitting on can barely support the weight of him and his armor.

 "You really don't know what it's like out there, do you? It's not just the monsters you have to worry about. Starvation, thirst, exposure, poison, disease, or people who've decided to take up murder for whatever reason. Survival's not a right in Drakkenheim, it's something you earn. Keep your wits about you, don't hesitate to strike first, and don't turn your nose up at what's available, that's how it's done. Now unless anyone thinks they have a better reason to claim it I'll happily take the role of camp cook."

A woman approaches the group. She seems a bit weary as she is uses her staff for support, a slight limp in her step. Her clothing is colorful though not particularly bright, a large hood over her head. 

"Hello everyone sorry if I am late, these roads are new to me... You must be Eren" she bows at the waste in greeting before remembering the local custom of physical touch. She offers her hand instead. "My name is Shayara but you may call me Shaye or Shara whatever you like." 

Looking around she draws back her hood and greats the others politely with a bow of her head to each. "I see we have some magic users here, that is good. and a Swordsman as well, that may be even better." she cant resist showing off a bit of her own skills as she reaches into her pocket to draw three small stones that appear to be dice of some sort. As she rolls them in her palm they begin to float into the air orbiting above her hand. she lets them fall to the ground and eyes them inquisitively before they rise back to her hand and are placed in her pocket once again.

Quote from Masqueraider >>

 A figure clad in battered chainmail chuckles at the talk of monsters. He's remained silent thus far, content to let the others chat.

He's a hulking figure, over 6 feet tall and the stump he's sitting on can barely support the weight of him and his armor.

 "You really don't know what it's like out there, do you? It's not just the monsters you have to worry about. Starvation, thirst, exposure, poison, disease, or people who've decided to take up murder for whatever reason. Survival's not a right in Drakkenheim, it's something you earn. Keep your wits about you, don't hesitate to strike first, and don't turn your nose up at what's available, that's how it's done. Now unless anyone thinks they have a better reason to claim it I'll happily take the role of camp cook."

 OOC: Reminds me of:

You have heard of rabbit folks, turtle folk, chipmunk folk, cat folk...now you lay your eyes on a...reindeer folk?

Grey of fur and wearing green robes over a steel breastplate bearing the symbol of Pelor is a deer girl. "Hello, I head you needed extra hands? Whatever it is, I'm in. You can call me Kolette" You detect a sigh of sadness to her but she covers it well.

"Greetings everyone! When do we leave?"

She smiles inside when she hears another person that shares her interest in cooking.

William frowns slightly when Syed disappears into his pack. "Hope I didn't scare our new friend.." The bandaged man says to his vulture companion. The vulture just shakes his head and rolls its eyes as it casually wonders around his master. 

As Shara, Kolette, and the armor clad hulk introduce themselves, both William and Herbert offer up handshakes. The wizards mouth begins to water slightly when close to his armored companion... something about him is making him hungry... but perhaps it is only because he volunteered to be a cook.

Sparkles is slightly overwhelmed to meet so many new people, but she's happy the whole party is now together and has introduced themselves. She is taken aback by the cutting words of the armoured man, but understands what he says. The wilderness of Westemar must only be a slither of the true danger of Drakkenheim. She looks forward to some good food, especially since squirrels are off the menu now. She wonders if the party chef could even cook up some monsters for her to try. She doesn't know why, but she feels like she wants to try some of the beasts that they might encounter. Maybe she might recognize a flavour. Realising she hasn't spoken and has just sat thinking, she pipes up and says 'Hello, everyone! Do we have anybody else that wants to be a scout or are we happy for me to take the role?'

Syed, engrossed in his tinkering, emerged from his backpack when he heard the conversation outside. The sounds of gears clicking and magical pulses ceased as he poked his head out, taking in the new arrivals. "Apologies for my absence," Syed telepathically addressed the group, poking his head out of the backpack. "I’m Syed, the artificer. Pleased to meet you all."

With introductions complete, Syed felt a renewed sense of determination. "Together, we’ll face whatever Drakkenheim throws at us," he says before he excuses himself and returns inside.