Once more, an ear-splitting crack fills the air, as the crevice in the plinth abruptly widens, sending fractures flickering up the front of the stonework like tiny forks of lightning. The ground beneath the scorched lines of the pentagram crumbles away entirely, and another enormous, red-scaled arm reaches up out of the depths. Its clawed hand is bigger than most cars, and its fingers dig deep into the flagstones with an impact that makes the entire cemetery shake. Another warlock is crushed beneath it, with a brief squawk that is abruptly cut off as the arm tenses and begins to pull.
As Ling leaps, the twisted metal strands of the ring around her finger flare to life. A piercing, white light radiates out in all directions, far brighter and colder than the warm, yellow glow of the young girl's runed witchlight. It's a light to wash away anything it touches, and the shadows it casts are a sharply constrating deep, umbral black.
Brilliant, white rays lance out from Ling in all directions, illuminating each of her comrades in a glistening, alabaster aura and drawing them to her. Each one is lifted into the air and all five are drawn inexorably towards each other and into the heart of the opening in the ground. The heat emanating from below is more intense than anything they've ever known, and ahead looms an inky black ring, filling the rearmost point of the canyon.
Down and down they drift, past the extended wrist of the giant, scaled arm, and ever closer to the shimmering disc. It ripples like a viscous pool with the colour of a starless night's sky. Then, all too suddenly, they have passed within.
A shockwave of energy hits each of the companions like the worst turbulence they've ever felt. As shadowhunters and warlocks they've all travelled by portal before, but this is far worse. Like your stomach was suddenly in your mouth and your head between your feet. They're flipped, and turned, and moved in a dozen other ways that defy description, and then it all stops. There's a moment of silence and oblivion, followed by the strong sensation of being sucked downwards. Around and around they swirl, as though snatched from drifting and thrust into a whirlpool, and then with a disorienting impact that rocks the senses, they have arrived.
The common room of the Black Sheep erupts with cheers, as the ringing of a bell marks the moon's zenith. Midnight. A rain of flower petals falls upon Shivala's azure horns, and, out of nowhere, Ling and Nikolai produce an elaborate cake.
"Happy birthday, Shiva!"
The cry rings out throughout the room, almost, but not quite loud enough to mask the clonking chime of a ring hitting the wooden floorboards at Ling's feet.
Caio’s smile falters a bit as the strangest sensation comes over him. He looks around his gathered friends for some sign of the disturbance, but all he finds are happy, beaming faces. This wine must pack more of a punch than he expected. Before he can return his attention to the festivities, the dropped ring catches his eye. In a swift motion he grabs it and offers it to the other tiefling girl. “Uhm, Ling I think you dropped this.”
The room sways for a moment as Shiva loses her footing. Momentary disorientation takes her senses, forgetting just where she is. But as quickly as it came, it passes and she comes back to the present. "It's just all that wine, I started drinking too early" she thinks to herself. Bringing clasped hands to her chin, she fights off tears as she sees Ling and Nikolai carrying the beautiful cake.
"Oh, you guys, this is so sweet." Slow tears of happiness begin to roll down her cheeks.
Alaris Forien leans against the wall, gazing back towards the red door that opens into the Black Sheep. Raucous entertainments fill the common room, and the knight keeps a little distance from the louder patrons, uncomfortable with the exuberance. Reaching over to a nearby table, they grab a hunk of bread and tuck it into one of their belt pouches. Never know when you'll get to eat again skitters across the back of their mind, a thought almost unnoticed but everpresent in the recesses of their thoughts.
The aasimar spasms and bangs their head against the wall behind them as an angry, shrieking PRESENCE makes itself known in their mind. I swear by Gorshaeil and all the angels, I WILL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU IF YOU HURT HER! the voice screams - anyone watching would see Alaris' face tense with psychic pain, their eyes change from silver to a cold steely black. The faintest pulse of smoky dark energy bursts from under the aasimar's clothes.
As the birthday cake appears, Alaris growls to themselves, "I do not know who or what you are, but by Freja's blessing, BE STILL."
Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid,Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions! I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
"By The Scribe,"Astrid Silverscar shoots up from her bed. This is new sensation to the cleric however is one she has been waiting for since she began her journey from the mountains of Kazad Azgaraz. "Well, it's about time you sent me a sign that I'm on the right path here,"she says aloud to herself, eyes flashing with excitement.
The dark skinned dwarf quickly dresses, donning her blue robe adorned with an open book stitched in silver over the left side of her chest. She grabs her amulet that was hanging from a bed post. "Let's see now if we can find the cause of all this." Not know what to expect at the source, she scoops up the rest of her gear and heads out into the night searching like a bloodhound attuned to the flow of time to find what, or who, may be at the center of this disturbance.
The nearby sensation of something distinctly other warping the natural flow of the weave draws Astrid out of the Three Candles inn and into the night air of the streets of Piotrgrad. The cadence is dissonant and frenetic, like the distressed cries of a wild animal caught in a trap. The fabric of reality bucks, and twists, and threatens to tear as it struggles to accommodate these new rogue elements. However, as quickly as it came, the reaction begins to ease and abate, as the weave adapts to and suppresses the intrusion.
Astrid blinks and looks around. While her sense for all things temporal guided her, her feet appear to have acted by themselves, carrying the dwarf through the maze of narrow lanes between the tightly packed buildings of the city. In front of her stands a door painted in a deep wine-red, above which stands 'Das schwarze Schaf' in scratchy black lettering.
Nikolai feels a wave of vertigo wash over him as his vision buckles and warps for a briefest of moments. He nearly loses his grip on the cake as his feet stumble, but he catches himself just as Caio steps over quickly and picks up something from the floor. A ring? How stran—- A rush of guilt and terror slams unexpectedly into him as his eyes fall upon the ring; a fear of loss and failure as if everything he carried about was suddenly vanishing because of his inadequacies. His voice screams out on its own accord sounding different than it ever had before, a little deeper and huskier and so full of anguish that it hurt Nikolai’s soul. “Ling! Where are you?!” His head turns to see her standing beside him, she looked different, but he knew she was there and like a passing storm the feeling subsides and stillness comes. Nikolai shakes his head a little as if to try and clear his thoughts as he looks about. “...I’m sorry everyone, I don’t know what just happened. Something about that ring triggered me.”
He frowns a little as his eyes fall upon the ring once more and he feels that queasiness again, but of lesser substance than before. “From where did that come, Caio? Did you see?”
Ling feels Nikolai wobble as they carry the cake, and lifts an eyebrow at him: "Steady there, this took hours to make! - I'm right here!" Together they place the cake in front of Shiva and Ling beams, proud as punch of the rather worse-for-wear looking cake. She places both hands on her hips, swishing her short, woollen skirt about. "Only the best for my sister in arms!" As Shiva blows out the candles and they start cutting the cake, the pale tiefling waves a hand in front of Nikolai. "Are you going blind or something? What was that? I'm right here, at your side, as always." With another look at Nikolai over her shoulder, she turns to Caio and takes the ring. "Thank you! I've been looking for this ring." She sticks out her tongue at his incredulous face. "Just kidding, of course I don't own anything fancy like that. I've never seen it before. I'll happily find out what kind of price it fetches though." The young girl slips on the ring and leans against Nikolai's back while he passes out cake, "or maybe I should keep it? What do you think, does it suit me? I mean, if you can see me now, that is, Nikolai." She waves her hand in front of his face, her hair falling over his shoulder and almost dipping into the frosting.
As Ling jokes with her friends, a little voice in the back of her head chuckles and whispers: Maybe you should keep it. You might lose your friends without it.
Astrid relaxes her posture some hearing what seems to be a rather festive gathering coming from within the Das schwarze Schaf. She takes another deep breath and pushes open the door. She eases her way into the the common room to survey the gathering, pulling back her chain coif as she does so and revealing her thick braids sectioned with brass rings. Her yellowish freckles across the bridge of her nose catch the light as she finds her way to a table away from the raucous. With a thump she deposits her cog-like shield onto the ground, leaning it against her chair.
"I'll take a mug of your best," she says flagging down one of the service staff. While waiting she pulls out a small bag from beneath her robe, gives it a few shakes and dumps the contents - various springs and gears - onto the table. After taking a moment to watch those whom the attention seems to centered around, she clutches her symbol around her neck, looking like an oversized pocket watch, and begins a quiet prayer ritual.
Great Scribe Brightmantle... Are these five the ones who you sent me to seek out for assistance in helping me restore honor to Clan Silverscar?
If said aloud, one could clearly sense the skepticism in her voice.
“Well it... it did seem to drop from her. Maybe someone slipped it in your pocket, Ling. We should try and identify it later.” Caio shrugs, dismissing any further worry about the item. “So, Shiva, it is your birthday, what sort of revelry are we getting into tonight?” The gangly black cormorant, his familiar called Ghoul, bobs on his shoulder with wings flared excitedly. But before the birthday girl can answer his question, Caio’s attention is drawn to the armored dwarf that enters the room. It wasn’t odd for the infernal trio and deathly elf to draw attention, but they were regulars here and he’d never noticed this one who was now eyeing them up and fiddling with what looked like a spell. Caio clicks his teeth and Ghoul flies up into the rafters, landing right above the dwarf so that Caio can see what she’s doing. The elf sits down and his eyes go grey as he looks through the spirit’s gaze.
Just as she opens her mouth to speak, Shiva notices Caio's attention divert, and becomes more vigilant of the dwarf that has seated themselves across the tavern as she continues her statement.
"Well, there is going to be an unfettered amount of disorder and debauchery, as my birthday always calls for. But before we launch into the infernal escapades and I'm passed out in someone's storage room; I wanted to sincerely thank all of you. This birthday has particular meaning to me. It has been close to ten years since I fought my way out the death sentence I had been condemned to by the aristocrats of Breanne. I had accepted a cruel end to my life, and that makes this moment all the more special. I never thought that I would be as happy, as free...as loved as I am today."
Her eyes begin to well up once more; "I never thought that I would know family again. So thank you, from the depths of my heart."
Wiping away the two fresh tears, she raised her mug off the table; "So let tonight be a celebration of love and liberation! Let's drink!! I can see that Nik is already ahead of me, I need to catch up!"
The red door opens, and the dwarf thumps in, shakes their braids out of their chain coif, and sits in the common area. Alaris Forien, already a few paces away from their celebrating companions, watches the newcomer with interest. The attention the dwarf pays to Alaris' charges is not missed, and the paladin has a warning prickle along the back of their neck.
As the dwarf begins their ritual, Alaris mutters an incantation of their own, keeping their prayerful hands low and nearly out of sight behind an abandoned tankard. The warm, curious glow of divination emanates from the dwarf, tendrils of divine power flickering not only towards the four celebrants, but towards the warrior themselves as well. They run a finger down Hope's Edge, propped against the wall near them, accepting the warning and soothing the magical glaive.
Alaris glances over at their companions, checking to see if anyone else's attention is on the dwarf. Ghoul flapping up to the rafters tells them that Caio is on the case. For the fleetest of moments, a thought breezes across the back of their mind: That's not Caio, is it? but fades to silence as Alaris squelches it and focuses on detecting more of the magic the dwarf is using.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid,Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions! I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
A waitress soon returns to Astrid's table. She's a young, voluptuous half-elf with loose waves of strawberry blonde hair and dressed in a popular form of local dress known as a 'dirndl'. She taps her foot disapprovingly at the mess of metal trinkets strewn across the surface and eyes the dwarf carefully.
The barmaid breaks her concentration. "I wasn't going anywhere, hon. And don't you worry. I will clean up my mess here." She pulls out a six copper pieces and hands them over. "Go ahead and bring me another... and don't disturb me, please," she curtly adds. She downs the mug in a few gulps like the best of dwarves. Wiping the foam from her lips with the sleeve of her robe, she adjusts herself and begins anew with her divination.
At least they're not stuffy and the like, she says to herself upon finishing the ritual. She takes up her second mug and sips, watching the group curiously. Seems to care for one another. Could be a worse lot, I suppose. She takes another sip, this time her gaze wanders to the rafters and catches sight of the larger bird. She looks over to the pale elf who she recalls seeing this creature perched upon when she entered. She chuckles lightly with amusement and gives the elf a nod.
Caio blinks back as his senses return to his own head. Thankfully he manages to catch the bulk of Shiva’s heartfelt words. While she surely felt a closer familial bond with the other two tieflings, Caio had been similarly welcomed into this ragtag group and Shivala was a part of that. A warm smile spreads across his face as her speech resonates with him. “Thank you Shiva. The love is mutual.” He raises his mug and gulps down the rest of the wine for the toast. As the cup comes down, he catches the surprisingly friendly eye of the dwarf. “As for catching up with the lightweight here, next round is on me.” He nods towards the bar, and his companions would easily catch that he planned to approach this stranger.
He calmly walks over, and Ghoul swoops down to perch on his shoulder. “Hey Andrei, whenever you can spare a moment, could we get another round?” His voice is soft, and he has to lean over the bar to be heard. “Ghoul, it’s impolite to stare.” he says to his familiar, who’s neck is craned out towards the dwarf. “Sorry about him, no manners. Anyway, what have you got there?” He points to the assortment of metal odds and ends spread across the bartop.
With the strange feelings passed Nikolai seems to slip back into his familiar personality when they are relaxing. "I can always see you, darling. I... I don't quite know what came over me. It was the strangest feeling, but it has passed. For now, we drink to Shiva! To the Trio Infernale! To family!" He raises a glass of dark ale, a hefty porter of deep chocolate notes into the air amidst his friends, taking little note of the dwarf beyond another patron entering the establishment. After the toast, Nikolai takes a deep draught from the beer with a satisfied smacking of his lips. "I can still remember the first day I met you, little one. Terrified, alone, afraid. And now you are ferocious and fearless!"
Alaris intercepts the fresh tray of drinks from Andrei. "I will take that, my friend," they smile to the innkeeper. "Remember - my friends pay for nothing tonight. Charge it all to me," the paladin continues with a nod and makes their way towards the celebration, drinks balanced neatly on their tray. When Nikolai makes his toast, a wince flashes across the paladin's features before being swept away by a broad smile.
"Yes indeed, we drink to Shivala. The world would be a much lesser and darker place without you." Alaris sets down the drinks near the cake, takes their small mug of brandy and sips before returning to their post by their glaive.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid,Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions! I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
Shivala drinks deeply, and the effects are almost immediately noticeable as she sways ever so slightly.
"Thank you, the company I keep is the greatest treasure I've ever known."
Upon hearing Nikolai; "Yes, you caught me on one of my rare off days. But it was the first of many occasions on which you helped me out of a very tough situation. I very much doubt that I would be here in one piece without your level head and kind heart."
Shiva takes another swig and gestures in a very exaggerated motion; "...and j’étais toujoursferocious!"
Astrid takes a sip of her ale and fidgets nervously as the elf approaches. "Oh, just my tools to see if you are the ones I have been seeking," she replies and begins to scoop up the spare parts and place them back in their pouch. She clears her throat and continues. "I'm sure this will sound strange but I felt something within the weave of time itself that drew me here to you and your friends it seems."
The dwarf leans to the side and cranes her neck around to glance behind the elf. "Seems to be quite the celebration for your friend there..."
His eyes follow hers and his smile returns as he gazes at the festivity. “Yes, it’s her birthday. She’s a sweetheart, and her battle prowess is bewildering.” He adds with a touch of pride. His meets eyes with Alaris for a moment and gives them a pointed smile. All good for now. He turns back to the dwarf. “Something within the weave of time itself? What exactly does that mean?” His words are blunt but his tone is still soft, not interrogative. “Oh and, what’s your name?”
Once more, an ear-splitting crack fills the air, as the crevice in the plinth abruptly widens, sending fractures flickering up the front of the stonework like tiny forks of lightning. The ground beneath the scorched lines of the pentagram crumbles away entirely, and another enormous, red-scaled arm reaches up out of the depths. Its clawed hand is bigger than most cars, and its fingers dig deep into the flagstones with an impact that makes the entire cemetery shake. Another warlock is crushed beneath it, with a brief squawk that is abruptly cut off as the arm tenses and begins to pull.
As Ling leaps, the twisted metal strands of the ring around her finger flare to life. A piercing, white light radiates out in all directions, far brighter and colder than the warm, yellow glow of the young girl's runed witchlight. It's a light to wash away anything it touches, and the shadows it casts are a sharply constrating deep, umbral black.
Brilliant, white rays lance out from Ling in all directions, illuminating each of her comrades in a glistening, alabaster aura and drawing them to her. Each one is lifted into the air and all five are drawn inexorably towards each other and into the heart of the opening in the ground. The heat emanating from below is more intense than anything they've ever known, and ahead looms an inky black ring, filling the rearmost point of the canyon.
Down and down they drift, past the extended wrist of the giant, scaled arm, and ever closer to the shimmering disc. It ripples like a viscous pool with the colour of a starless night's sky. Then, all too suddenly, they have passed within.
A shockwave of energy hits each of the companions like the worst turbulence they've ever felt. As shadowhunters and warlocks they've all travelled by portal before, but this is far worse. Like your stomach was suddenly in your mouth and your head between your feet. They're flipped, and turned, and moved in a dozen other ways that defy description, and then it all stops. There's a moment of silence and oblivion, followed by the strong sensation of being sucked downwards. Around and around they swirl, as though snatched from drifting and thrust into a whirlpool, and then with a disorienting impact that rocks the senses, they have arrived.
The common room of the Black Sheep erupts with cheers, as the ringing of a bell marks the moon's zenith. Midnight. A rain of flower petals falls upon Shivala's azure horns, and, out of nowhere, Ling and Nikolai produce an elaborate cake.
"Happy birthday, Shiva!"
The cry rings out throughout the room, almost, but not quite loud enough to mask the clonking chime of a ring hitting the wooden floorboards at Ling's feet.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
Caio’s smile falters a bit as the strangest sensation comes over him. He looks around his gathered friends for some sign of the disturbance, but all he finds are happy, beaming faces. This wine must pack more of a punch than he expected. Before he can return his attention to the festivities, the dropped ring catches his eye. In a swift motion he grabs it and offers it to the other tiefling girl. “Uhm, Ling I think you dropped this.”
Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - Vark Galestone | Half-Orc | Storm Sorcerer
Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - Caio Cypherien | Shadar-Kai | Inquisitor Ranger
The room sways for a moment as Shiva loses her footing. Momentary disorientation takes her senses, forgetting just where she is. But as quickly as it came, it passes and she comes back to the present. "It's just all that wine, I started drinking too early" she thinks to herself. Bringing clasped hands to her chin, she fights off tears as she sees Ling and Nikolai carrying the beautiful cake.
"Oh, you guys, this is so sweet." Slow tears of happiness begin to roll down her cheeks.
Alaris Forien leans against the wall, gazing back towards the red door that opens into the Black Sheep. Raucous entertainments fill the common room, and the knight keeps a little distance from the louder patrons, uncomfortable with the exuberance. Reaching over to a nearby table, they grab a hunk of bread and tuck it into one of their belt pouches. Never know when you'll get to eat again skitters across the back of their mind, a thought almost unnoticed but everpresent in the recesses of their thoughts.
The aasimar spasms and bangs their head against the wall behind them as an angry, shrieking PRESENCE makes itself known in their mind. I swear by Gorshaeil and all the angels, I WILL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU IF YOU HURT HER! the voice screams - anyone watching would see Alaris' face tense with psychic pain, their eyes change from silver to a cold steely black. The faintest pulse of smoky dark energy bursts from under the aasimar's clothes.
As the birthday cake appears, Alaris growls to themselves, "I do not know who or what you are, but by Freja's blessing, BE STILL."
Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid, Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck
Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions!
I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
"By The Scribe," Astrid Silverscar shoots up from her bed. This is new sensation to the cleric however is one she has been waiting for since she began her journey from the mountains of Kazad Azgaraz. "Well, it's about time you sent me a sign that I'm on the right path here," she says aloud to herself, eyes flashing with excitement.
The dark skinned dwarf quickly dresses, donning her blue robe adorned with an open book stitched in silver over the left side of her chest. She grabs her amulet that was hanging from a bed post. "Let's see now if we can find the cause of all this." Not know what to expect at the source, she scoops up the rest of her gear and heads out into the night searching like a bloodhound attuned to the flow of time to find what, or who, may be at the center of this disturbance.
The nearby sensation of something distinctly other warping the natural flow of the weave draws Astrid out of the Three Candles inn and into the night air of the streets of Piotrgrad. The cadence is dissonant and frenetic, like the distressed cries of a wild animal caught in a trap. The fabric of reality bucks, and twists, and threatens to tear as it struggles to accommodate these new rogue elements. However, as quickly as it came, the reaction begins to ease and abate, as the weave adapts to and suppresses the intrusion.
Astrid blinks and looks around. While her sense for all things temporal guided her, her feet appear to have acted by themselves, carrying the dwarf through the maze of narrow lanes between the tightly packed buildings of the city. In front of her stands a door painted in a deep wine-red, above which stands 'Das schwarze Schaf' in scratchy black lettering.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
Nikolai feels a wave of vertigo wash over him as his vision buckles and warps for a briefest of moments. He nearly loses his grip on the cake as his feet stumble, but he catches himself just as Caio steps over quickly and picks up something from the floor. A ring? How stran—- A rush of guilt and terror slams unexpectedly into him as his eyes fall upon the ring; a fear of loss and failure as if everything he carried about was suddenly vanishing because of his inadequacies. His voice screams out on its own accord sounding different than it ever had before, a little deeper and huskier and so full of anguish that it hurt Nikolai’s soul. “Ling! Where are you?!” His head turns to see her standing beside him, she looked different, but he knew she was there and like a passing storm the feeling subsides and stillness comes. Nikolai shakes his head a little as if to try and clear his thoughts as he looks about. “...I’m sorry everyone, I don’t know what just happened. Something about that ring triggered me.”
He frowns a little as his eyes fall upon the ring once more and he feels that queasiness again, but of lesser substance than before. “From where did that come, Caio? Did you see?”
Valaith "Rimehand" Kalukavi - Chronicles of Arden
Ling feels Nikolai wobble as they carry the cake, and lifts an eyebrow at him: "Steady there, this took hours to make! - I'm right here!" Together they place the cake in front of Shiva and Ling beams, proud as punch of the rather worse-for-wear looking cake. She places both hands on her hips, swishing her short, woollen skirt about. "Only the best for my sister in arms!" As Shiva blows out the candles and they start cutting the cake, the pale tiefling waves a hand in front of Nikolai. "Are you going blind or something? What was that? I'm right here, at your side, as always." With another look at Nikolai over her shoulder, she turns to Caio and takes the ring. "Thank you! I've been looking for this ring." She sticks out her tongue at his incredulous face. "Just kidding, of course I don't own anything fancy like that. I've never seen it before. I'll happily find out what kind of price it fetches though." The young girl slips on the ring and leans against Nikolai's back while he passes out cake, "or maybe I should keep it? What do you think, does it suit me? I mean, if you can see me now, that is, Nikolai." She waves her hand in front of his face, her hair falling over his shoulder and almost dipping into the frosting.
As Ling jokes with her friends, a little voice in the back of her head chuckles and whispers: Maybe you should keep it. You might lose your friends without it.
Astrid relaxes her posture some hearing what seems to be a rather festive gathering coming from within the Das schwarze Schaf. She takes another deep breath and pushes open the door. She eases her way into the the common room to survey the gathering, pulling back her chain coif as she does so and revealing her thick braids sectioned with brass rings. Her yellowish freckles across the bridge of her nose catch the light as she finds her way to a table away from the raucous. With a thump she deposits her cog-like shield onto the ground, leaning it against her chair.
"I'll take a mug of your best," she says flagging down one of the service staff. While waiting she pulls out a small bag from beneath her robe, gives it a few shakes and dumps the contents - various springs and gears - onto the table. After taking a moment to watch those whom the attention seems to centered around, she clutches her symbol around her neck, looking like an oversized pocket watch, and begins a quiet prayer ritual.
Great Scribe Brightmantle... Are these five the ones who you sent me to seek out for assistance in helping me restore honor to Clan Silverscar?
If said aloud, one could clearly sense the skepticism in her voice.
(FYI: Ritual cast Augury)
“Well it... it did seem to drop from her. Maybe someone slipped it in your pocket, Ling. We should try and identify it later.” Caio shrugs, dismissing any further worry about the item. “So, Shiva, it is your birthday, what sort of revelry are we getting into tonight?” The gangly black cormorant, his familiar called Ghoul, bobs on his shoulder with wings flared excitedly. But before the birthday girl can answer his question, Caio’s attention is drawn to the armored dwarf that enters the room. It wasn’t odd for the infernal trio and deathly elf to draw attention, but they were regulars here and he’d never noticed this one who was now eyeing them up and fiddling with what looked like a spell. Caio clicks his teeth and Ghoul flies up into the rafters, landing right above the dwarf so that Caio can see what she’s doing. The elf sits down and his eyes go grey as he looks through the spirit’s gaze.
Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - Vark Galestone | Half-Orc | Storm Sorcerer
Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - Caio Cypherien | Shadar-Kai | Inquisitor Ranger
Just as she opens her mouth to speak, Shiva notices Caio's attention divert, and becomes more vigilant of the dwarf that has seated themselves across the tavern as she continues her statement.
"Well, there is going to be an unfettered amount of disorder and debauchery, as my birthday always calls for. But before we launch into the infernal escapades and I'm passed out in someone's storage room; I wanted to sincerely thank all of you. This birthday has particular meaning to me. It has been close to ten years since I fought my way out the death sentence I had been condemned to by the aristocrats of Breanne. I had accepted a cruel end to my life, and that makes this moment all the more special. I never thought that I would be as happy, as free...as loved as I am today."
Her eyes begin to well up once more; "I never thought that I would know family again. So thank you, from the depths of my heart."
Wiping away the two fresh tears, she raised her mug off the table; "So let tonight be a celebration of love and liberation! Let's drink!! I can see that Nik is already ahead of me, I need to catch up!"
The red door opens, and the dwarf thumps in, shakes their braids out of their chain coif, and sits in the common area. Alaris Forien, already a few paces away from their celebrating companions, watches the newcomer with interest. The attention the dwarf pays to Alaris' charges is not missed, and the paladin has a warning prickle along the back of their neck.
As the dwarf begins their ritual, Alaris mutters an incantation of their own, keeping their prayerful hands low and nearly out of sight behind an abandoned tankard. The warm, curious glow of divination emanates from the dwarf, tendrils of divine power flickering not only towards the four celebrants, but towards the warrior themselves as well. They run a finger down Hope's Edge, propped against the wall near them, accepting the warning and soothing the magical glaive.
Alaris glances over at their companions, checking to see if anyone else's attention is on the dwarf. Ghoul flapping up to the rafters tells them that Caio is on the case. For the fleetest of moments, a thought breezes across the back of their mind: That's not Caio, is it? but fades to silence as Alaris squelches it and focuses on detecting more of the magic the dwarf is using.
Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid, Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck
Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions!
I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
A waitress soon returns to Astrid's table. She's a young, voluptuous half-elf with loose waves of strawberry blonde hair and dressed in a popular form of local dress known as a 'dirndl'. She taps her foot disapprovingly at the mess of metal trinkets strewn across the surface and eyes the dwarf carefully.
"Tha'll be three copper pieces," she drawls.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
The barmaid breaks her concentration. "I wasn't going anywhere, hon. And don't you worry. I will clean up my mess here." She pulls out a six copper pieces and hands them over. "Go ahead and bring me another... and don't disturb me, please," she curtly adds. She downs the mug in a few gulps like the best of dwarves. Wiping the foam from her lips with the sleeve of her robe, she adjusts herself and begins anew with her divination.
At least they're not stuffy and the like, she says to herself upon finishing the ritual. She takes up her second mug and sips, watching the group curiously. Seems to care for one another. Could be a worse lot, I suppose. She takes another sip, this time her gaze wanders to the rafters and catches sight of the larger bird. She looks over to the pale elf who she recalls seeing this creature perched upon when she entered. She chuckles lightly with amusement and gives the elf a nod.
Caio blinks back as his senses return to his own head. Thankfully he manages to catch the bulk of Shiva’s heartfelt words. While she surely felt a closer familial bond with the other two tieflings, Caio had been similarly welcomed into this ragtag group and Shivala was a part of that. A warm smile spreads across his face as her speech resonates with him. “Thank you Shiva. The love is mutual.” He raises his mug and gulps down the rest of the wine for the toast. As the cup comes down, he catches the surprisingly friendly eye of the dwarf. “As for catching up with the lightweight here, next round is on me.” He nods towards the bar, and his companions would easily catch that he planned to approach this stranger.
He calmly walks over, and Ghoul swoops down to perch on his shoulder. “Hey Andrei, whenever you can spare a moment, could we get another round?” His voice is soft, and he has to lean over the bar to be heard. “Ghoul, it’s impolite to stare.” he says to his familiar, who’s neck is craned out towards the dwarf. “Sorry about him, no manners. Anyway, what have you got there?” He points to the assortment of metal odds and ends spread across the bartop.
Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - Vark Galestone | Half-Orc | Storm Sorcerer
Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - Caio Cypherien | Shadar-Kai | Inquisitor Ranger
With the strange feelings passed Nikolai seems to slip back into his familiar personality when they are relaxing. "I can always see you, darling. I... I don't quite know what came over me. It was the strangest feeling, but it has passed. For now, we drink to Shiva! To the Trio Infernale! To family!" He raises a glass of dark ale, a hefty porter of deep chocolate notes into the air amidst his friends, taking little note of the dwarf beyond another patron entering the establishment. After the toast, Nikolai takes a deep draught from the beer with a satisfied smacking of his lips. "I can still remember the first day I met you, little one. Terrified, alone, afraid. And now you are ferocious and fearless!"
Valaith "Rimehand" Kalukavi - Chronicles of Arden
Alaris intercepts the fresh tray of drinks from Andrei. "I will take that, my friend," they smile to the innkeeper. "Remember - my friends pay for nothing tonight. Charge it all to me," the paladin continues with a nod and makes their way towards the celebration, drinks balanced neatly on their tray. When Nikolai makes his toast, a wince flashes across the paladin's features before being swept away by a broad smile.
"Yes indeed, we drink to Shivala. The world would be a much lesser and darker place without you." Alaris sets down the drinks near the cake, takes their small mug of brandy and sips before returning to their post by their glaive.
Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid, Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck
Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions!
I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
Shivala drinks deeply, and the effects are almost immediately noticeable as she sways ever so slightly.
"Thank you, the company I keep is the greatest treasure I've ever known."
Upon hearing Nikolai; "Yes, you caught me on one of my rare off days. But it was the first of many occasions on which you helped me out of a very tough situation. I very much doubt that I would be here in one piece without your level head and kind heart."
Shiva takes another swig and gestures in a very exaggerated motion; "...and j’étais toujours ferocious!"
Astrid takes a sip of her ale and fidgets nervously as the elf approaches. "Oh, just my tools to see if you are the ones I have been seeking," she replies and begins to scoop up the spare parts and place them back in their pouch. She clears her throat and continues. "I'm sure this will sound strange but I felt something within the weave of time itself that drew me here to you and your friends it seems."
The dwarf leans to the side and cranes her neck around to glance behind the elf. "Seems to be quite the celebration for your friend there..."
His eyes follow hers and his smile returns as he gazes at the festivity. “Yes, it’s her birthday. She’s a sweetheart, and her battle prowess is bewildering.” He adds with a touch of pride. His meets eyes with Alaris for a moment and gives them a pointed smile. All good for now. He turns back to the dwarf. “Something within the weave of time itself? What exactly does that mean?” His words are blunt but his tone is still soft, not interrogative. “Oh and, what’s your name?”
Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - Vark Galestone | Half-Orc | Storm Sorcerer
Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - Caio Cypherien | Shadar-Kai | Inquisitor Ranger