The titanic mobile city of Aetna, illuminated by a thousand lanterns and streetlights, rolls along on massive tank treads beneath a blood-red moon. Steam-powered trains hurtle down iron tracks, horse-drawn carriages rattle down cobblstone streets, clocks scattered about the city toll the time in unison precisely every half-hour, and sentient constructs mingle with humans, dwarves, gnomes, tieflings, and a multitude of other races. Though the eighteenth hour fast approaches, blacksmiths, gunsmiths, inventors, artisans, craftsmen, tinkers, priests, and merchants ply their respective trades, sweat mingling with the grit and smoke belched by titanic factories. The city never sleeps, so they say, and indeed it appears that the majority of Aetna's population of 2,335,100 are out on the streets and in the shops, buying, selling, and perusing the many items available for purchase. The low hum of messenger constructs, the rumble of a distant train, the clatter of iron wheels on cobblestone, and the typical laughing, yelling, of an urban environment all contribute to the general commotion. The aroma of pie, meat, beer, and a cascade of other savory delicacies assault your senses with the promise to fill your stomachs and lighten your purses. The night is yet young, and the city is yours to explore.
Welcome, fellow adventurers, to the Iron Dominion!
Barosh walks forward from the group, throwing back his head and taking a deep whiff of the night air. He lets out a short laugh, "What a beautiful night! Lovely lovely lovely"
His voice is mildly shrill and he grins widely as he walks up to the nearest inventor's stall, "You wouldn't happen to have anything for sale, my fine fellow?", he says, leaning forward and peering at whoever is behind the counter.
Barosh's golden eyes are practically shaking with energy, his unkempt, shoulder length brown hair moves with his erratic stride. He is wearing a loose gray shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal golden scales winding around his arms in a double helix, contrasting with his tan skin, darkened by many days in the field. He is wearing loose brown breeches and black cloth wraps around his feed in place of leather shoes. On his back is a long spear with a mess of gears where the blade meets the shaft as well as a slender wooden staff. He is carrying a backpack over his left shoulder and has two short daggers in his belt.
As the crowds ebbed and flowed through the intersection of Bindlesphere and Halo 3 Aeternum, a sudden thunderclap of sound brought activity to a standstill. All eyes turned towards the source of the deafening boom, a temple to the Twins, the gnomish gods of innovation. Just when it seemed nothing more odd would occur, smoke began to billow forth from every possible window, door, crack, crevice, and chimney of the building. The scent of burnt metal accompanied the thick cloud, prompting many to strap rebreathers over their faces or pull goggles over their eyes.
The front doors of the temple crashed open as a small gnomish female stumbled and fell, rolling head over heels before coming to an inglorious stop, a heap of limbs, tools, and cloth. Just behind her, a red faced gnome harrumphed out.
"That's IT! NO MORE! See how you've scandalized us with your buffoonery! We are a spectacle and what's worse: the entirety of the grounds will needs be scrubbed, every inch gone over with a fine bristle brush! Your project is a failure and your work a discredit to our most venerable, prestigious history, our grand eminence! Out, out, OUT!" He casts about wildly with his gaze and grabs a small tin container, hurling it at the girl, who winces as it strikes the top of her head, bouncing into the street to be once more ignored by the pedestrian traffic.
The older gnome huffs and spins on a heel, strutting back into the building and slamming the door behind him. A moment passes and the door flies open again as he steps back into the street, wheezing and sputtering.
The gnomish girl's eyes slide to the right, as if uncertain of the other gnome's sincerity. "WELL!?" he demands, noticing her standing there. "Are you going to gape and gawp like a fish for all eternity there? Go on, get out!" He shoos her away and, crestfallen, she turns and ambles into the crowd, disappearing into the marketplace.
Hawk walks out a crowd near the marketplace. Being around so many tinkerers and just dwarves in general makes him reminisce. Granted that was only like a year ago, and he's only 7. But still. You remember those who trained you fondly. His masters were good men and women. As he walks through, the sun shines off him, somewhat reflecting off his rusty red and scuffed bronze exterior.
He watches as the small woman gets tossed abruptly from the temple. "That is most unfortuante," he thinks, not realizing like many times he is verbalizing his thoughts. "She looks like a tinkerer. I wonder if she as worked on a 'forged before? I shall find out!" Hawk proceeds to rather clumsily try and make his way through the crowd after the gnome, wondering if today will be a day of something happy he can look back on. "I miss my dwarves... Perhaps this small one shall be a new friend!"
Nicolette walked sullenly away from the temple. This wasn't the first time she had been thrown out, but it was disappointing. She was rather certain she was on the verge of a world-changing breakthrough.
Or, well, at least an interesting breakthrough.
She stopped at one of the stalls, a junk dealer with an unimpressive display. The man sat behind a stack of crates that served as a display table for the various bits and pieces of scrap. Glass shards, bent nails, stripped screws, short wire share space haphazardly on the makeshift table. The proprietor didn't even look up from his meal.
The gnome reached into one of her many coat pockets and produced a silver Aetnan merk and set it on the edge of the crates, closest to the man. He reached for the coin without paying her any mind. He took it and examined it for a brief moment before slipping it away with a nod and returning to his meal.
Nicolette offered a slight smile as she carefully regarded the chaff, picking at them. She took several bits and placed them in a pouch on her workbelt, stopping once she deemed an even trade for the coin she'd paid. She sighed, then, and her anxiety eased out of her body. She reached behind her, trying to access the small satchel she carried over her shoulder. After a moment, she realized it would be easier if she adjusted it so that the bag was in front of her. Opening the bag, she shoved a hand into it, rooting about before grabbing and revealing a small length of pipe, holding it up and waving it triumphantly. Replacing her satchel into a more comfortable carrying position, she looked around the street.
The temple was just there, but... oops, she couldn't go back. Her brow furrowed as she puzzled out where she could go and try out the idea that just bounced into her brain.
Following the stream of ever-so-busy pedestrians migrating through the streets, another figure looks up curiously at the sound of the explosion. If she might have appeared rather uninterested in the depressed ambience, she now seems to lose awereness of her surroundings completely, suddenly finding herself shoved up at the rim of the hallway, a decently disoriented look on her face. Still feeling the last couple of ellbows on her ribs, Kyoka rubs her side with a grunt and a grimace. Still way too many damned people stockpiling this clockwork turtle. But her focus quickly switches back to the tempel, where the source of the commotion was now introducing the second act of the dramedy. It took Kyoka a second to realize the smirk arising undernearth her rebreather as she recognized the gnomish traits lying there on the temple steps. Oh Nico, causing mischief again? On the spur of the moment, Kyoka decided to watch the scenery unfold, rather than strolling along. She leaned back on of the sooty walls, one foot resting against the coarse stones, arms crossed behind her back. Kyoka was wearing a weirdly shaped piece of cloath, something like a rain cape that might've been blue under all the layers of dust a long time ago, in combination with quite unladylike, wide trousers of the same indeterminable colour. Both clothes, however, had a piece of dark protectors covering jointy areas, contributing to the image that was completed by the sheathing from her left on a belt. As the other temple gnomes voice now began jumping in octaves, apparantly going for an intense finale, Kyoka pushed away from the wall and back into the masses. Using ellbows here and there, quickly clearing the strand of hair covering her face instead of dangling down to her shoulders, she made her way over to where Nicolette certainly would have to descend the stairs. For a brief moment, Kyoka noticed another figure that had been observing the play that had just taken place. Huh, another felicitator? Kyoka found the gnome pondering in front of a scrap sellers and approached her, pulling down the cloth covering her mouth to reveal a curious grin. "Damn, how did you do that? I never manage explosions of that scale...the old ranter didn't seem to like it much tho, i guess..."
Barosh, instantly distracted from the vendor by the ruckus coming from the temple, shoves his way through the crowd to find the source of all the trouble. He leans forward with his head almost directly above the female gnome, grinning uncontrollably.
"Wow! Incredible! Exciting! I'm looking for some very special people to help me on a grand quest, and I think you might be the type. Can you be brave? Can you be reckless? Can you do that again?"
His hands shake as he gestures erratically, waving them in small circles at first but eventually just throwing them about. As he finishes speaking he notices what he's been doing and quickly clasps his hands together and holds them both, still shaking. His too-wide grin, however, somehow grows even wider as time goes on.
A hooded figure in a dark cloak skulks near an alley, craning her head to see what all the ruckus is about, seeing the young gnome getting kicked out of the smoking temple. Huh. I think I've seen her around here before. She pulls some cloth over her mouth and nose and walks forward, keeping to the shadows. She approaches the gnome and hears the energetic man request that she join him on a quest, and her eyes widen. She taps him on the shoulder and clears her throat.
"Excuse me, I could not help but overhear. You said you were looking for people for a quest? I would love to join, if you would have me of course, since I seem to have gotten myself into a little predicament - well, a big predicament - with the law. Long story short, I need to get out of Aetna, and I need to get out fast. Will you have me for whatever quest you have?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
A large, rust colored warforged walks up behind the group in the market. In his head he thinks, "This seems like a good idea. I should ask to go too!" However, he isn't great at distinguishing between internal dialogue and spoken dialogue. So you all hear him. Hawk realizes he is speaking aloud. "Ummm... Hmmm... Well then. Tiny tinker-person, I am Hawk. It is my distinction to meet you. Pleasure? One of those things... Hello! Did I mention my name is Hawk? Hi!"
The crowd around you begins to disperse as no more explosions appear to be forthcoming.
Warpholes:
The occupants of the Iron Dominion use teleporting devices known as warpholes to travel between the cities. Every city has at least one operational warphole station. Warpholes may also be used for 'drops' to the surface, though this method of travel is risky and unpredictable due to the fact that there are no operational warphole stations on the surface, and destinations are entirely random.
Barosh continues grinning and, nodding to himself, addresses the hooded figure, "The law? Well, sometimes the call of a hero is above that of the law. Your legal troubles are no bar to my call, only the strength of your heart and your will! If you are ready to laugh in the black maw of death, then you may join me!"
To the warforged, "More than a good idea, a great adventure is the only idea which matters! I have heard it said, 'ask and you shall receive', and you can consider yourself to have heard that from me! Come with me, we will write our names in the sand of time and carve our memory in the histories of mortals."
After saying this, Barosh looks towards the sky, closes his eyes, and appears lost in thought. His wide smile subdues itself to a slight upturning at the corners of the mouth and he begins to hum a more grandiose version of a country tune.
The cloaked figure takes off her hood to reveal a youngish and totally bald, blue face, adorned with freckles and light purple eyes. She turns to the others, and, glancing at Barosh, she whispers: "He seems a bit... eager. But I'm willing to take my chances. What do you think? If I'm going to be adventuring with you, I want to hear your sides as well."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Nicolette is abruptly brought out of her pondering by the presence of a grinning face and demanding interrogatives. She blinked once... then twice, giving her brain a chance to switch gears. Oh, it's Kyoka! The half-elf had stumbled into Nicolette as the gnome was taking a shortcut through an alley to return to the Temple. Literally.
Nicolette squirmed and pushed, shoving away the girl that had slammed into her. she quickly grabbed her satchel, containing the package she had been sent to retrieve pon behalf of the Reverend. As she extricated herself from the other person's limbs, she looked up, seeing a girl with fine, elven features looking back at her. Before the lumbering woman offered the niceties of apology or even introduction, Kyoka gestured frantically behind her and then back to the gnome.
"Hey, you got something that can help me break a tail, I've got a couple unsavories a few steps back and don't really feel like talking."
The gnome furrowed her brow and realized that the answer had been yes, she did. Which she stated, truthfully, holding up two glass vials containing a concentrated gas she had extracted from the brining pits. They were an important ingredient for a caustic solvent that Reverend Glittersalt required for a very specific purpose.
"Great!" Kyoka had snatched them away and hurled them back the way from which she had come careening around a corner.
"Wait, I--"need those, Nicolette finished the rest of that statement in her head. The vials shattered as they hit the ground and the gas quickly expanded just as two greasy men turned the corner, each baring a blade. Chests heaving from the exertion of chasing their half-elven quarry, they gulped in lungfuls of the gas. They immediately began coughing.
"Oh, no!" Nicolette uttered.
"Come on, before they recover!" Kyoka grabbed her hand to pull her away.
"Uh," Nicolette, responded, her feet rooted and thus she jerked the surprised girl back. "They won't recover." She pointed as the men clutched at their throats, crumbling to the ground, wheezing. "I think they will probably die if they don't receive immediate medical attention."
She pondered a moment. "Should we call for aid?"
They hadn't. Later, once Kyoka and Nicolette were more acquainted, the elf explained that they were hellbent on killing her and Nicolette, by that time having decided Kyoka was 'good', lost any feelings of guilt she may have possibly thought she harbored, somewhere... where ever guilt lives in the heart...
Course, that incident also added to the growing pile of derogatory incidents against her, as far as Reverend Glittersalt was concerned. Not that two men had died, that was an inconsequential trifle, but NO! The cleansing of parts would have to wait another day. Being behind schedule? THAT was a sin he could never let one forget!
"Oh, yes, Kyoka!" she smiled brightly. "I mean, no. I... yes, I did that but it's not what I was trying to do. I think I may have expelled more split water gas... or at a higher rate than I meant and when I catalyzed the pure breath it crossed over and the entire thing ignited in a flash! It was very interesting, though not my intent... then the alumina deposits began to burn and--"
"Wow! Incredible! Exciting! I'm looking for some very special people to help me on a grand quest, and I think you might be the type. Can you be brave? Can you be reckless? Can you do that again?"
The gnome turned to the man, her brain disengaging from one train of thought and working to make sense of this interruption.
"Well, yes, I could, under the right circumstances, but I'd need--"
And then there was another person in their midst. And suddenly a large humanoid construct.
Whatever was said in the next few moments was lost on her as she looked up at the towering figure, her eyes wide. This... this was a warforged! She'd never seen one this close up before and... it was... magnificent!
Something something, incoherent, mutter mutter, words... HAWK! It has a name. It's name is Hawk? Does it have wings? Can it FLY!?
Wait, was the warforged going with this man? Where was this man going? If he was going somewhere and the warforged was going with him, then she might... no, she couldn't...
But it had spoken to her! Well, not directly, but in her general direction and with a name! Besides, hadn't the Reverend just kicked her out?
She looked at Barosh and the words spilled out "YesIwillgowithyouwhendoweleave?"
It only dawned to her in this very moment that there had been quite a few more people spectating the incident than she had realized, as Nicolette and her were, in the blink of an eye, surrounded by a group of unfamiliar faces. Having that many people she did not know this close to her resulted in a sudden cascade of emotions ranging from nervous, to curious, over to excited, finally ending with a little uncomfortable. Until one of them began to speak, the one with the coin-coloured eyes, blabbering something about a quest and immortilizing their names for eternity...Blehhh, people really only can recite the same things for so often until they grow past ancient. But much to her surprise, the human appeared to had found himself the right audience. A sudden chattering ignited throughout the group, apparantly an agreement in unison as even Nicolette raised her voice to participate in whatever funny trip that was going to be. Note to myself: Next time you want to interrogate a suspect, just pretend to offer them a quest. For some reason that works so much better than randomly telling kids you've got candy over at your place. Kyoka chuckled a little, but then saw a sparkling in the gnomes eyes as she gazed at the warforged standing tall amidst the group, and it took her back to the day she had met Nicolette in the first place. An event just as random and unforeseen as this little gathering. Oh well... why in the seven hells not? Haven't i been sick and tired of this pile o' dust for far too long anyway? Kyoka shook her head, quitly giggling about the stupidity she was about to commit and then cleared her throat. Damn it, speaking to actual people was so much harder than speaking to yourself. "So...uh....this quest...what's it about?"
Barosh turns to the excited gnome, "We will leave when we will leave. Fate will provide the reason. After all, a heroic group such as ourselves catches the eye of the spinner herself, and she must have something glorious in store for us!"
To the half-elf, "Well, it's about the same things as all other quests! Adventure! Glory and renown! Saving . . . people"As he talks, he hesitates before saying "people", the energy in his eyes fading so that they appear glazed over, his face becoming slack as he appears to struggle to recall something. In a brief moment, however, he's back to his old self, grinning wide-eyed as though nothing had just happened.
"If we are agreed, let us begin our journey! Follow me!" Barosh looks around for any establishment or person that seems interesting and immediately heads in that direction.
If Nicolette noticed the momentarily lapse in Barosh's demeanor, she didn't show it. As Barosh turned down the boulevard and the group moved to follow, the gnome bumped into the warforged as it stopped when Barosh suddenly spun on his heel, choosing another direction to travel instead. Her hands went out to steady herself, wrapping onto the metallic leg. Her fingers flexed slightly, squeezing it. Her eyes widen slightly as the plates give ever so minutely.
"Seeking the end of the journey already? You should savor every step of the way, especially the ones taken into darkness. Follow me!"
Barosh heads off with purpose, every step taken confidently as he heads to the general store to buy beef jerky (or whatever non-perishable rations are popular these days).
Bharosh enters into a questionable and rundown market area. The entire space is no larger than a hundred feet squared, but at least a dozen merchants and traders have set up stalls along the perimeter and compete to be heard over the babble of voices and yelling vendors. With difficulty you squeeze your way to a tiny stall which is selling canned goods. A gnome with a shock of gold hair peeks out from behind the counter.
The titanic mobile city of Aetna, illuminated by a thousand lanterns and streetlights, rolls along on massive tank treads beneath a blood-red moon. Steam-powered trains hurtle down iron tracks, horse-drawn carriages rattle down cobblstone streets, clocks scattered about the city toll the time in unison precisely every half-hour, and sentient constructs mingle with humans, dwarves, gnomes, tieflings, and a multitude of other races. Though the eighteenth hour fast approaches, blacksmiths, gunsmiths, inventors, artisans, craftsmen, tinkers, priests, and merchants ply their respective trades, sweat mingling with the grit and smoke belched by titanic factories. The city never sleeps, so they say, and indeed it appears that the majority of Aetna's population of 2,335,100 are out on the streets and in the shops, buying, selling, and perusing the many items available for purchase. The low hum of messenger constructs, the rumble of a distant train, the clatter of iron wheels on cobblestone, and the typical laughing, yelling, of an urban environment all contribute to the general commotion. The aroma of pie, meat, beer, and a cascade of other savory delicacies assault your senses with the promise to fill your stomachs and lighten your purses. The night is yet young, and the city is yours to explore.
Welcome, fellow adventurers, to the Iron Dominion!
Flayr Flameseeker | Genasi/Fire | Wizard/School of Evocation | Level 2 | Custom Campaign: Cold Cash
Barosh walks forward from the group, throwing back his head and taking a deep whiff of the night air. He lets out a short laugh, "What a beautiful night! Lovely lovely lovely"
His voice is mildly shrill and he grins widely as he walks up to the nearest inventor's stall, "You wouldn't happen to have anything for sale, my fine fellow?", he says, leaning forward and peering at whoever is behind the counter.
Barosh's golden eyes are practically shaking with energy, his unkempt, shoulder length brown hair moves with his erratic stride. He is wearing a loose gray shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal golden scales winding around his arms in a double helix, contrasting with his tan skin, darkened by many days in the field. He is wearing loose brown breeches and black cloth wraps around his feed in place of leather shoes. On his back is a long spear with a mess of gears where the blade meets the shaft as well as a slender wooden staff. He is carrying a backpack over his left shoulder and has two short daggers in his belt.
As the crowds ebbed and flowed through the intersection of Bindlesphere and Halo 3 Aeternum, a sudden thunderclap of sound brought activity to a standstill. All eyes turned towards the source of the deafening boom, a temple to the Twins, the gnomish gods of innovation. Just when it seemed nothing more odd would occur, smoke began to billow forth from every possible window, door, crack, crevice, and chimney of the building. The scent of burnt metal accompanied the thick cloud, prompting many to strap rebreathers over their faces or pull goggles over their eyes.
The front doors of the temple crashed open as a small gnomish female stumbled and fell, rolling head over heels before coming to an inglorious stop, a heap of limbs, tools, and cloth. Just behind her, a red faced gnome harrumphed out.
"That's IT! NO MORE! See how you've scandalized us with your buffoonery! We are a spectacle and what's worse: the entirety of the grounds will needs be scrubbed, every inch gone over with a fine bristle brush! Your project is a failure and your work a discredit to our most venerable, prestigious history, our grand eminence! Out, out, OUT!" He casts about wildly with his gaze and grabs a small tin container, hurling it at the girl, who winces as it strikes the top of her head, bouncing into the street to be once more ignored by the pedestrian traffic.
The older gnome huffs and spins on a heel, strutting back into the building and slamming the door behind him. A moment passes and the door flies open again as he steps back into the street, wheezing and sputtering.
The gnomish girl's eyes slide to the right, as if uncertain of the other gnome's sincerity. "WELL!?" he demands, noticing her standing there. "Are you going to gape and gawp like a fish for all eternity there? Go on, get out!" He shoos her away and, crestfallen, she turns and ambles into the crowd, disappearing into the marketplace.
Hawk walks out a crowd near the marketplace. Being around so many tinkerers and just dwarves in general makes him reminisce. Granted that was only like a year ago, and he's only 7. But still. You remember those who trained you fondly. His masters were good men and women. As he walks through, the sun shines off him, somewhat reflecting off his rusty red and scuffed bronze exterior.
He watches as the small woman gets tossed abruptly from the temple. "That is most unfortuante," he thinks, not realizing like many times he is verbalizing his thoughts. "She looks like a tinkerer. I wonder if she as worked on a 'forged before? I shall find out!" Hawk proceeds to rather clumsily try and make his way through the crowd after the gnome, wondering if today will be a day of something happy he can look back on. "I miss my dwarves... Perhaps this small one shall be a new friend!"
Nicolette walked sullenly away from the temple. This wasn't the first time she had been thrown out, but it was disappointing. She was rather certain she was on the verge of a world-changing breakthrough.
Or, well, at least an interesting breakthrough.
She stopped at one of the stalls, a junk dealer with an unimpressive display. The man sat behind a stack of crates that served as a display table for the various bits and pieces of scrap. Glass shards, bent nails, stripped screws, short wire share space haphazardly on the makeshift table. The proprietor didn't even look up from his meal.
The gnome reached into one of her many coat pockets and produced a silver Aetnan merk and set it on the edge of the crates, closest to the man. He reached for the coin without paying her any mind. He took it and examined it for a brief moment before slipping it away with a nod and returning to his meal.
Nicolette offered a slight smile as she carefully regarded the chaff, picking at them. She took several bits and placed them in a pouch on her workbelt, stopping once she deemed an even trade for the coin she'd paid. She sighed, then, and her anxiety eased out of her body. She reached behind her, trying to access the small satchel she carried over her shoulder. After a moment, she realized it would be easier if she adjusted it so that the bag was in front of her. Opening the bag, she shoved a hand into it, rooting about before grabbing and revealing a small length of pipe, holding it up and waving it triumphantly. Replacing her satchel into a more comfortable carrying position, she looked around the street.
The temple was just there, but... oops, she couldn't go back. Her brow furrowed as she puzzled out where she could go and try out the idea that just bounced into her brain.
(Just posting to subscribe, I'll introduce Kaz later, after I'm done changing her for the... I think it's the eighth time now?)
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Following the stream of ever-so-busy pedestrians migrating through the streets, another figure looks up curiously at the sound of the explosion. If she might have appeared rather uninterested in the depressed ambience, she now seems to lose awereness of her surroundings completely, suddenly finding herself shoved up at the rim of the hallway, a decently disoriented look on her face. Still feeling the last couple of ellbows on her ribs, Kyoka rubs her side with a grunt and a grimace. Still way too many damned people stockpiling this clockwork turtle. But her focus quickly switches back to the tempel, where the source of the commotion was now introducing the second act of the dramedy. It took Kyoka a second to realize the smirk arising undernearth her rebreather as she recognized the gnomish traits lying there on the temple steps. Oh Nico, causing mischief again? On the spur of the moment, Kyoka decided to watch the scenery unfold, rather than strolling along. She leaned back on of the sooty walls, one foot resting against the coarse stones, arms crossed behind her back. Kyoka was wearing a weirdly shaped piece of cloath, something like a rain cape that might've been blue under all the layers of dust a long time ago, in combination with quite unladylike, wide trousers of the same indeterminable colour. Both clothes, however, had a piece of dark protectors covering jointy areas, contributing to the image that was completed by the sheathing from her left on a belt. As the other temple gnomes voice now began jumping in octaves, apparantly going for an intense finale, Kyoka pushed away from the wall and back into the masses. Using ellbows here and there, quickly clearing the strand of hair covering her face instead of dangling down to her shoulders, she made her way over to where Nicolette certainly would have to descend the stairs. For a brief moment, Kyoka noticed another figure that had been observing the play that had just taken place. Huh, another felicitator? Kyoka found the gnome pondering in front of a scrap sellers and approached her, pulling down the cloth covering her mouth to reveal a curious grin. "Damn, how did you do that? I never manage explosions of that scale...the old ranter didn't seem to like it much tho, i guess..."
Barosh, instantly distracted from the vendor by the ruckus coming from the temple, shoves his way through the crowd to find the source of all the trouble. He leans forward with his head almost directly above the female gnome, grinning uncontrollably.
"Wow! Incredible! Exciting! I'm looking for some very special people to help me on a grand quest, and I think you might be the type. Can you be brave? Can you be reckless? Can you do that again?"
His hands shake as he gestures erratically, waving them in small circles at first but eventually just throwing them about. As he finishes speaking he notices what he's been doing and quickly clasps his hands together and holds them both, still shaking. His too-wide grin, however, somehow grows even wider as time goes on.
A hooded figure in a dark cloak skulks near an alley, craning her head to see what all the ruckus is about, seeing the young gnome getting kicked out of the smoking temple. Huh. I think I've seen her around here before. She pulls some cloth over her mouth and nose and walks forward, keeping to the shadows. She approaches the gnome and hears the energetic man request that she join him on a quest, and her eyes widen. She taps him on the shoulder and clears her throat.
"Excuse me, I could not help but overhear. You said you were looking for people for a quest? I would love to join, if you would have me of course, since I seem to have gotten myself into a little predicament - well, a big predicament - with the law. Long story short, I need to get out of Aetna, and I need to get out fast. Will you have me for whatever quest you have?"
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
A large, rust colored warforged walks up behind the group in the market. In his head he thinks, "This seems like a good idea. I should ask to go too!" However, he isn't great at distinguishing between internal dialogue and spoken dialogue. So you all hear him. Hawk realizes he is speaking aloud. "Ummm... Hmmm... Well then. Tiny tinker-person, I am Hawk. It is my distinction to meet you. Pleasure? One of those things... Hello! Did I mention my name is Hawk? Hi!"
The crowd around you begins to disperse as no more explosions appear to be forthcoming.
Warpholes:
The occupants of the Iron Dominion use teleporting devices known as warpholes to travel between the cities. Every city has at least one operational warphole station. Warpholes may also be used for 'drops' to the surface, though this method of travel is risky and unpredictable due to the fact that there are no operational warphole stations on the surface, and destinations are entirely random.
Flayr Flameseeker | Genasi/Fire | Wizard/School of Evocation | Level 2 | Custom Campaign: Cold Cash
Barosh continues grinning and, nodding to himself, addresses the hooded figure, "The law? Well, sometimes the call of a hero is above that of the law. Your legal troubles are no bar to my call, only the strength of your heart and your will! If you are ready to laugh in the black maw of death, then you may join me!"
To the warforged, "More than a good idea, a great adventure is the only idea which matters! I have heard it said, 'ask and you shall receive', and you can consider yourself to have heard that from me! Come with me, we will write our names in the sand of time and carve our memory in the histories of mortals."
After saying this, Barosh looks towards the sky, closes his eyes, and appears lost in thought. His wide smile subdues itself to a slight upturning at the corners of the mouth and he begins to hum a more grandiose version of a country tune.
The cloaked figure takes off her hood to reveal a youngish and totally bald, blue face, adorned with freckles and light purple eyes. She turns to the others, and, glancing at Barosh, she whispers: "He seems a bit... eager. But I'm willing to take my chances. What do you think? If I'm going to be adventuring with you, I want to hear your sides as well."
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Nicolette is abruptly brought out of her pondering by the presence of a grinning face and demanding interrogatives. She blinked once... then twice, giving her brain a chance to switch gears. Oh, it's Kyoka! The half-elf had stumbled into Nicolette as the gnome was taking a shortcut through an alley to return to the Temple. Literally.
They hadn't. Later, once Kyoka and Nicolette were more acquainted, the elf explained that they were hellbent on killing her and Nicolette, by that time having decided Kyoka was 'good', lost any feelings of guilt she may have possibly thought she harbored, somewhere... where ever guilt lives in the heart...
Course, that incident also added to the growing pile of derogatory incidents against her, as far as Reverend Glittersalt was concerned. Not that two men had died, that was an inconsequential trifle, but NO! The cleansing of parts would have to wait another day. Being behind schedule? THAT was a sin he could never let one forget!
"Oh, yes, Kyoka!" she smiled brightly. "I mean, no. I... yes, I did that but it's not what I was trying to do. I think I may have expelled more split water gas... or at a higher rate than I meant and when I catalyzed the pure breath it crossed over and the entire thing ignited in a flash! It was very interesting, though not my intent... then the alumina deposits began to burn and--"
"Wow! Incredible! Exciting! I'm looking for some very special people to help me on a grand quest, and I think you might be the type. Can you be brave? Can you be reckless? Can you do that again?"
The gnome turned to the man, her brain disengaging from one train of thought and working to make sense of this interruption.
"Well, yes, I could, under the right circumstances, but I'd need--"
And then there was another person in their midst. And suddenly a large humanoid construct.
Whatever was said in the next few moments was lost on her as she looked up at the towering figure, her eyes wide. This... this was a warforged! She'd never seen one this close up before and... it was... magnificent!
Something something, incoherent, mutter mutter, words... HAWK! It has a name. It's name is Hawk? Does it have wings? Can it FLY!?
Wait, was the warforged going with this man? Where was this man going? If he was going somewhere and the warforged was going with him, then she might... no, she couldn't...
But it had spoken to her! Well, not directly, but in her general direction and with a name! Besides, hadn't the Reverend just kicked her out?
She looked at Barosh and the words spilled out "YesIwillgowithyouwhendoweleave?"
It only dawned to her in this very moment that there had been quite a few more people spectating the incident than she had realized, as Nicolette and her were, in the blink of an eye, surrounded by a group of unfamiliar faces. Having that many people she did not know this close to her resulted in a sudden cascade of emotions ranging from nervous, to curious, over to excited, finally ending with a little uncomfortable. Until one of them began to speak, the one with the coin-coloured eyes, blabbering something about a quest and immortilizing their names for eternity...Blehhh, people really only can recite the same things for so often until they grow past ancient. But much to her surprise, the human appeared to had found himself the right audience. A sudden chattering ignited throughout the group, apparantly an agreement in unison as even Nicolette raised her voice to participate in whatever funny trip that was going to be. Note to myself: Next time you want to interrogate a suspect, just pretend to offer them a quest. For some reason that works so much better than randomly telling kids you've got candy over at your place. Kyoka chuckled a little, but then saw a sparkling in the gnomes eyes as she gazed at the warforged standing tall amidst the group, and it took her back to the day she had met Nicolette in the first place. An event just as random and unforeseen as this little gathering. Oh well... why in the seven hells not? Haven't i been sick and tired of this pile o' dust for far too long anyway? Kyoka shook her head, quitly giggling about the stupidity she was about to commit and then cleared her throat. Damn it, speaking to actual people was so much harder than speaking to yourself. "So...uh....this quest...what's it about?"
Barosh turns to the excited gnome, "We will leave when we will leave. Fate will provide the reason. After all, a heroic group such as ourselves catches the eye of the spinner herself, and she must have something glorious in store for us!"
To the half-elf, "Well, it's about the same things as all other quests! Adventure! Glory and renown! Saving . . . people" As he talks, he hesitates before saying "people", the energy in his eyes fading so that they appear glazed over, his face becoming slack as he appears to struggle to recall something. In a brief moment, however, he's back to his old self, grinning wide-eyed as though nothing had just happened.
"If we are agreed, let us begin our journey! Follow me!" Barosh looks around for any establishment or person that seems interesting and immediately heads in that direction.
If Nicolette noticed the momentarily lapse in Barosh's demeanor, she didn't show it. As Barosh turned down the boulevard and the group moved to follow, the gnome bumped into the warforged as it stopped when Barosh suddenly spun on his heel, choosing another direction to travel instead. Her hands went out to steady herself, wrapping onto the metallic leg. Her fingers flexed slightly, squeezing it. Her eyes widen slightly as the plates give ever so minutely.
"So... Barosh. Where are we heading?"
The woman pulls her hood back on.
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
"Seeking the end of the journey already? You should savor every step of the way, especially the ones taken into darkness. Follow me!"
Barosh heads off with purpose, every step taken confidently as he heads to the general store to buy beef jerky (or whatever non-perishable rations are popular these days).
Bharosh enters into a questionable and rundown market area. The entire space is no larger than a hundred feet squared, but at least a dozen merchants and traders have set up stalls along the perimeter and compete to be heard over the babble of voices and yelling vendors. With difficulty you squeeze your way to a tiny stall which is selling canned goods. A gnome with a shock of gold hair peeks out from behind the counter.
"What can I get'choo today, then?"
She asks, her eyes brightening.
Flayr Flameseeker | Genasi/Fire | Wizard/School of Evocation | Level 2 | Custom Campaign: Cold Cash