Meepo does as asked and gives a fierce sort of chuckle as the roar sounds. "No, not right..." He says when the sound ends. "That Gold Dragon..." he opens his cloak a bit. "No see Meepo Copper..." He then casts Minor Illusion himself, making another dragon roar, which sounds nearly identical to the one before. "That Copper Dragon..." He says with another grin.
"Wow! You learn really fast!" says Mordekai, impressed beyond words at this small kobold. "Truly, you will be greatly feared...also," he continues, dropping the grandeur of his words somewhat, "you can tell the difference between colours of dragon just by their roar? They sounded practically identical to me."
He thinks to his patron, 'See what I've accomplished? Find a companion to cause chaos with, and the fun increases significantly. Teach a companion to cause chaos themselves, and the fun multiplies exponentially!'
"You no tell?" Meepo asks, truly surprised by the fact the big can not tell the difference between dragon roars. It is so obvious that he nearly cannot believe it. "Let show..." he makes several different roars then, using minor illusion, all sounding very close to the same. "See.." Meepo says when he is done. "Easy to tell. Right?" When the big still looks confused he decides it is time to teach this big how to tell the difference. After all he has been having luck teaching the other bigs about keeping things from getting lost, maybe he can teach this one how to tell dragons by their roars. seems like a good way to spend his time, though he makes sure he does not forget to keep working with the others on taking care not to lose things as well.
Olin smiles at Kane. "There is much to know about nature, and most of it I don't know myself. I often find myself asking the birds and beasts for guidance. What do you wish to know? I will teach you what I can."
Mordekai listens to Meepo repeatedly making dragon roars, his emotions a mix of disappointment that he's not needed to make Meepo the feared and famed kobold he had in mind, and confusion about how he can possibly think these roars sound anything but identical. Then Mordekai has another idea.
"Do your grin and roar again." When Meepo does so, Mordekai also casts Thaumaturgy to cause the ground to tremble at the same time as Meepo's roar. "Aha! Now with 2 of us able to cast spells, we can make you twice as ferocious."
"Wait, wait, do it again!" This time, instead of the ground trembling, Mordekai casts Minor Illusion again, this time making the body of a bear appear, gruesomely torn apart, at the kobold's feet.
Mordekai then realises there are others in camp who might be genuinely terrified at such practice. He looks around, secretly hoping to have scared a few small children.
It's the next evening at camp. Stanamir smiles, though with a shadow of sadness in his eyes, at the games that Mordekai and Meepo get up to. Mordekai is satisfied to see three children, drawn by the rumbling ground and roaring sounds flee at the site of a gruesome bear that's been torn apart. Dinner is passed around, a warm thin chicken broth with rice, and a chunk of bread purchased earlier in the day at a small village. A boiled egg floats in the chicken broth, seasoned with pepper. Kane and Olin who've been speaking sit side by side, having a chat about the natural world, and all of it's hidden and unknown aspects. Stanamir sits next to Aga. Meepo takes a moment to peek inside his bag. 5 silver pieces, a copper ring, a bound tie of hair, four nails, and a foot long strip of wagon wheel binding (metal wire). He also has a sack of twenty round steel marbles, a stuffed sewn doll of a girl, and a short 2 foot long stick carved into a mini-spear. The small folk of the tall folk seem to forget things everywhere!
Across the fire a boy whines to one of the Vistani women, "But I've looked everywhere....my marbles are GONE! I think I left them at the camp last night, can we go backkkk, pleeease auntie!!!" The woman shakes her head, "Of course not, don't be ridiculous." Though her eyes do dart up and meet Meepo's for a moment before flashing away.
Stanimir to Aga, "So, tell me of your people Aga. Tell me of their history."
As they chat, Damia, who've your learned is Stanimir's daughter, begins to tap on a tambourine and sing quietly, a song about the autumn wind greeting the summer winds, and bidding them to rest while they take up their duty to bluster through the world. The autumn wind is loud and energetic, pulling jealously at the leaves on the trees, only resting when it has pulled the last one from each branch, and finally taking it's long rest, as the winter winds slowly set into place.
"Little big..." Meepo says, reaching into his bag. "Meepo good find lost things..." Meepo informs him as he pulls out the bag of marbles. "Meepo always make things no lost." He smiles his most happy smile. "Please to make sure no lose..." He hands the marbles back to the boy. "Want learn dragon roars?" Meepo asks the boy then. "Meepo teaching no lose things... and... dragon roars....." He puts emphasis on the 'and' as he speaks, as if he is very proud to be teaching two things now.
Aga looks somewhat surprised at that. "Well, I am apart of the 8th generation of the Ioka. We were founded by a group of druids who called themselves such. We are a warrior people...if that wasn't too obvious looking at me." She laughs. "I was not born akin to nature, if I was, I would still be in the tribe as a shaman. Instead, I am born a beast." She pauses for a bit. "I apologize if you think this is a form of trickery, but I am not human. As such, I was one of a hundred births who would be chosen by the shamans to lead our tribe into the future. After chosen, I was tasked by fire to slay great beast. That is, partly, why I am here."
Whilst Mordekai had been amused at the terrified looks on the children's faces, he's not a total monster. He sets out to track the three children down. By way of apology, he shows them his disguise kit, and offers to paint their faces. Assuming they accept, he will do his best to make them look like adorable little Tiefling children - one with skin a blazing orange colour like his own, one a deep red, and the other a dark purple colour.
Stanimir seems very interested, whispering under his breath, "A chosen one, wild born, chosen to slay a great beast." His eyes stare into the fire as he becomes lost in thought, before shaking himself free of his reverie and smiling at her, "Perhaps...yes...perhaps". For the first time his sadness seems to dissipate and he seems genuinely hopeful. "It is fate that has brought you to us, great and glorious fate. Come let us dance some more!"
His daughters taps on the tambourine become more urgent and one of the men pulls out a small drum and begins beating it. One of the men hops to his feet, and begins dancing, his feet moving, his upper body still, as he claps vigorously in time to the music, letting out small yells to punctuate the movement. One of the older ladies begins singing, a chanting sort of song that goes with the sharp rapid beat of the music.
Olin continues to watch the Vistani, trying to determine their intuit what drives them, but the pieces of information that are missing are too big, and his hosts have proven entirely too tight lipped about practically anything. Always it goes, Madam Eva will say more.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
What's the difference between a Wizard and a Sorcerer? Class.
The following day the air is cold and still, and the ground is frosty. The blades of grass beside the road sparkle mutely under the grey sky, the fence posts of farms you past are coated in white. By mid-day the weather has gotten worse and the patches of fog drift across the countryside as you move down the road which seems all but deserted. It's around 2pm when the road ahead vanishes into a fog cloud. The wagons continue their creaking roll as they trundle down the trade road. To the edges of the fog you begin to see trees, and soon enough the road is passing through a fairly thick forest. Olin glances around, a frown on his face, as you move down the road. Olin, you've been up and down these stretches of road for years. This forest...this forest is not usually here. At first you thought maybe the fog had disoriented you, but even the types of trees are not normal for the region. These ones are old, twisted and ancient with deep roots and inch thick bark worn like armor, their branches clawing at the mist. Black pools of water stand like dark mirrors in and around the muddy roadway. Unusual as the trade road is well maintained. Before Olin can put words to his realizations, Stanamir speaks out loudly, "We have arrived."
The fog spills out of the forest to swallow up the road behind you. Ahead, jutting from the impenetrable woods on both sides of the road, are high stone buttresses looming gray in the fog. Huge iron gates hang on the stonework. Dew clings with cold tenacity to the rusted bars. Two headless statues of armed guardians flank the gate, their heads now lying among the weeds at their feet. They greet you only with silence.
Meepo hops down from the wagon he was riding on and scampers off to the statues. He immediately starts looking around near them for their heads. "Meepo find head..." He mutters. "No lose..." When he finds the heads he brushes them off and then tries to lift them out of the grass (depending on how big they are he might not be able to lift them...) If he can do so he will carry each back to the wagon, brush off the dirt and grass, and proudly put them inside the wagon. "See no lost." He would say as he wipes dirt from his claws.
If you see the image, the heads are massive. Meepo finds the gigantic head easily but obviously can’t lift them.
The gate is shut, but do not appear locked and upon testing them you find they swing open, though it takes a bit of strength to move the rusty, massive iron bar gates.
"I know everywhere within three days travel from Daggerford. This place should not be here." Olin frowns, feeling uneasy in this strange and unfamiliar forest. "Where are we and how did we get here?"
After clearing off the massive heads completely, Meepo moves back over to the wagons. "Oh, no worry." He says. "We no lost. Right here we be." he smiles happily at Olin. "Meepo make sure no lost." He pats you reassuringly on the thigh to make sure you know you are with him, so you know you are not lost at all.
Olin, completely un-reassured by the Kobold, continues to look around, a furrow on his brow.
As a couple of the Vistani men hop down off wagons and head to the gate to push it open, Stanamir addresses the group, "Welcome to the lands of Barovia. A cursed land, lost to world and adrift. My friends, the fogs of the deep forest have closed in upon us as you see, and I will caution you against attempting to breech them against their will. For indeed, the fog that surrounds the lands of Barovia has it's own will. This is no longer the trade road, it is the old Svalich road that cuts through the Svalich forest that fill the lands of Barovia. The road passes through the Ghakis mountain range and leads to the western side of Barovia. We shall continue, stopping briefly at the town with the same name as this land, before continuing through to Tser Pool where Madam Eva and our people await. Our goal is to reach the town by nightfall."
With the iron gates open, the wagons trundle through. The men swing the iron gates closed behind them, glancing around the misty land with grim looks as they hop back up onto wagons. The road is indeed in poor repair, muddy, rocky, and potted with pools of dark water. The thick forests to either side are so pressed with growth that it seems like you may need to cut a path through to make any progress. The road however cuts between the forest with no sign of the forest encroaching on it's muddy rutted path. The fog thins as the journey continues, though your rate of travel on this road has dropped dramatically as the horses pull hard to drag the wagons along the road. A few very slow miles on the forest begins to thin, opening up into rolling grasslands. The sky above is grey, the light penetrating the clouds is weak.
Aga, as you emerge from the forest, you feel a tingle at the back of your neck, hairs raise, and it's as if a heavy oppressive presence is taking stock of you. You glance around, scanning the edge of the tree line behind you, but can't make out any threat. You feel one all the same. A cold attention, thick with judgement and appraisal. It's pressure eventually relents, but remains at the back of your consciousness.
With the weak light and overcast sky, it's difficult to recognize the end of the day's light until you start to struggle to make out the puddles in the dark road. As darkness falls you begin to spot twinkling orange lights in the distance and soon enough you are all approaching the small town of Barovia. Stanimir halts, scanning the area, and then scanning the darkness of the grasslands as if trying to make a judgement call. "We will setup our wagons here" he finally announces. "I've felt your need to find answers. You will likely not find many in the town, but if you wish to try, you're welcome to it. We will be camped here until the morning."
Meepo is torn as he looks between the village and the campsite of the wagons. Eventually he walks up to the boy who had nearly lost his bag of marbles recently. Good thing Meepo was keeping an eye out for things these bigs kept losing.
"Meepo go town." Meepo tells the boy with a solem nod. "You be watcher for lost things while Meepo go." Meepo gives him a very stern look. "Keep watch and no let things be lost. Solem duty..." Deciding the boy was going to do as good of a job as could be done without Meepo himself staying in the camp, Meepo moves over to the others.
"No do dragon roars this night." He tells Malekai with a sad sigh. "Meepo go town. Maybe many lost things there that need no be lost." He is sad that he is unable to continue his teaching of the different dragon roars to his companion, but feels that it is his duty to go into town and check it for lost things. Maybe he can even learn something about this lord the wizard is so concerned with.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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Meepo does as asked and gives a fierce sort of chuckle as the roar sounds. "No, not right..." He says when the sound ends. "That Gold Dragon..." he opens his cloak a bit. "No see Meepo Copper..." He then casts Minor Illusion himself, making another dragon roar, which sounds nearly identical to the one before. "That Copper Dragon..." He says with another grin.
"Wow! You learn really fast!" says Mordekai, impressed beyond words at this small kobold. "Truly, you will be greatly feared...also," he continues, dropping the grandeur of his words somewhat, "you can tell the difference between colours of dragon just by their roar? They sounded practically identical to me."
He thinks to his patron, 'See what I've accomplished? Find a companion to cause chaos with, and the fun increases significantly. Teach a companion to cause chaos themselves, and the fun multiplies exponentially!'
Mordekai | Tiefling Warlock/Bard (Lv.12) | Pizazz's Beyond
RavenloftAnnihilation"You no tell?" Meepo asks, truly surprised by the fact the big can not tell the difference between dragon roars. It is so obvious that he nearly cannot believe it. "Let show..." he makes several different roars then, using minor illusion, all sounding very close to the same. "See.." Meepo says when he is done. "Easy to tell. Right?" When the big still looks confused he decides it is time to teach this big how to tell the difference. After all he has been having luck teaching the other bigs about keeping things from getting lost, maybe he can teach this one how to tell dragons by their roars. seems like a good way to spend his time, though he makes sure he does not forget to keep working with the others on taking care not to lose things as well.
Olin smiles at Kane. "There is much to know about nature, and most of it I don't know myself. I often find myself asking the birds and beasts for guidance. What do you wish to know? I will teach you what I can."
Mordekai listens to Meepo repeatedly making dragon roars, his emotions a mix of disappointment that he's not needed to make Meepo the feared and famed kobold he had in mind, and confusion about how he can possibly think these roars sound anything but identical. Then Mordekai has another idea.
"Do your grin and roar again." When Meepo does so, Mordekai also casts Thaumaturgy to cause the ground to tremble at the same time as Meepo's roar. "Aha! Now with 2 of us able to cast spells, we can make you twice as ferocious."
"Wait, wait, do it again!" This time, instead of the ground trembling, Mordekai casts Minor Illusion again, this time making the body of a bear appear, gruesomely torn apart, at the kobold's feet.
Mordekai then realises there are others in camp who might be genuinely terrified at such practice. He looks around, secretly hoping to have scared a few small children.
Mordekai | Tiefling Warlock/Bard (Lv.12) | Pizazz's Beyond
RavenloftAnnihilationIt's the next evening at camp. Stanamir smiles, though with a shadow of sadness in his eyes, at the games that Mordekai and Meepo get up to. Mordekai is satisfied to see three children, drawn by the rumbling ground and roaring sounds flee at the site of a gruesome bear that's been torn apart. Dinner is passed around, a warm thin chicken broth with rice, and a chunk of bread purchased earlier in the day at a small village. A boiled egg floats in the chicken broth, seasoned with pepper. Kane and Olin who've been speaking sit side by side, having a chat about the natural world, and all of it's hidden and unknown aspects. Stanamir sits next to Aga. Meepo takes a moment to peek inside his bag. 5 silver pieces, a copper ring, a bound tie of hair, four nails, and a foot long strip of wagon wheel binding (metal wire). He also has a sack of twenty round steel marbles, a stuffed sewn doll of a girl, and a short 2 foot long stick carved into a mini-spear. The small folk of the tall folk seem to forget things everywhere!
Across the fire a boy whines to one of the Vistani women, "But I've looked everywhere....my marbles are GONE! I think I left them at the camp last night, can we go backkkk, pleeease auntie!!!" The woman shakes her head, "Of course not, don't be ridiculous." Though her eyes do dart up and meet Meepo's for a moment before flashing away.
Stanimir to Aga, "So, tell me of your people Aga. Tell me of their history."
As they chat, Damia, who've your learned is Stanimir's daughter, begins to tap on a tambourine and sing quietly, a song about the autumn wind greeting the summer winds, and bidding them to rest while they take up their duty to bluster through the world. The autumn wind is loud and energetic, pulling jealously at the leaves on the trees, only resting when it has pulled the last one from each branch, and finally taking it's long rest, as the winter winds slowly set into place.
What's the difference between a Wizard and a Sorcerer?
Class.
"Little big..." Meepo says, reaching into his bag. "Meepo good find lost things..." Meepo informs him as he pulls out the bag of marbles. "Meepo always make things no lost." He smiles his most happy smile. "Please to make sure no lose..." He hands the marbles back to the boy. "Want learn dragon roars?" Meepo asks the boy then. "Meepo teaching no lose things... and... dragon roars....." He puts emphasis on the 'and' as he speaks, as if he is very proud to be teaching two things now.
Aga looks somewhat surprised at that. "Well, I am apart of the 8th generation of the Ioka. We were founded by a group of druids who called themselves such. We are a warrior people...if that wasn't too obvious looking at me." She laughs. "I was not born akin to nature, if I was, I would still be in the tribe as a shaman. Instead, I am born a beast." She pauses for a bit. "I apologize if you think this is a form of trickery, but I am not human. As such, I was one of a hundred births who would be chosen by the shamans to lead our tribe into the future. After chosen, I was tasked by fire to slay great beast. That is, partly, why I am here."
Whilst Mordekai had been amused at the terrified looks on the children's faces, he's not a total monster. He sets out to track the three children down. By way of apology, he shows them his disguise kit, and offers to paint their faces. Assuming they accept, he will do his best to make them look like adorable little Tiefling children - one with skin a blazing orange colour like his own, one a deep red, and the other a dark purple colour.
Mordekai | Tiefling Warlock/Bard (Lv.12) | Pizazz's Beyond
RavenloftAnnihilationStanimir seems very interested, whispering under his breath, "A chosen one, wild born, chosen to slay a great beast." His eyes stare into the fire as he becomes lost in thought, before shaking himself free of his reverie and smiling at her, "Perhaps...yes...perhaps". For the first time his sadness seems to dissipate and he seems genuinely hopeful. "It is fate that has brought you to us, great and glorious fate. Come let us dance some more!"
His daughters taps on the tambourine become more urgent and one of the men pulls out a small drum and begins beating it. One of the men hops to his feet, and begins dancing, his feet moving, his upper body still, as he claps vigorously in time to the music, letting out small yells to punctuate the movement. One of the older ladies begins singing, a chanting sort of song that goes with the sharp rapid beat of the music.
Olin continues to watch the Vistani, trying to determine their intuit what drives them, but the pieces of information that are missing are too big, and his hosts have proven entirely too tight lipped about practically anything. Always it goes, Madam Eva will say more.
What's the difference between a Wizard and a Sorcerer?
Class.
Aga will dance with them as she did before.
The following day the air is cold and still, and the ground is frosty. The blades of grass beside the road sparkle mutely under the grey sky, the fence posts of farms you past are coated in white. By mid-day the weather has gotten worse and the patches of fog drift across the countryside as you move down the road which seems all but deserted. It's around 2pm when the road ahead vanishes into a fog cloud. The wagons continue their creaking roll as they trundle down the trade road. To the edges of the fog you begin to see trees, and soon enough the road is passing through a fairly thick forest. Olin glances around, a frown on his face, as you move down the road. Olin, you've been up and down these stretches of road for years. This forest...this forest is not usually here. At first you thought maybe the fog had disoriented you, but even the types of trees are not normal for the region. These ones are old, twisted and ancient with deep roots and inch thick bark worn like armor, their branches clawing at the mist. Black pools of water stand like dark mirrors in and around the muddy roadway. Unusual as the trade road is well maintained. Before Olin can put words to his realizations, Stanamir speaks out loudly, "We have arrived."
The fog spills out of the forest to swallow up the road behind you. Ahead, jutting from the impenetrable woods on both sides of the road, are high stone buttresses looming gray in the fog. Huge iron gates hang on the stonework. Dew clings with cold tenacity to the rusted bars. Two headless statues of armed guardians flank the gate, their heads now lying among the weeds at their feet. They greet you only with silence.
What's the difference between a Wizard and a Sorcerer?
Class.
What's the difference between a Wizard and a Sorcerer?
Class.
Meepo hops down from the wagon he was riding on and scampers off to the statues. He immediately starts looking around near them for their heads. "Meepo find head..." He mutters. "No lose..." When he finds the heads he brushes them off and then tries to lift them out of the grass (depending on how big they are he might not be able to lift them...) If he can do so he will carry each back to the wagon, brush off the dirt and grass, and proudly put them inside the wagon. "See no lost." He would say as he wipes dirt from his claws.
(OOC: The gates are shut, I presume?)
Mordekai | Tiefling Warlock/Bard (Lv.12) | Pizazz's Beyond
RavenloftAnnihilationIf you see the image, the heads are massive. Meepo finds the gigantic head easily but obviously can’t lift them.
The gate is shut, but do not appear locked and upon testing them you find they swing open, though it takes a bit of strength to move the rusty, massive iron bar gates.
What's the difference between a Wizard and a Sorcerer?
Class.
"I know everywhere within three days travel from Daggerford. This place should not be here." Olin frowns, feeling uneasy in this strange and unfamiliar forest. "Where are we and how did we get here?"
After clearing off the massive heads completely, Meepo moves back over to the wagons. "Oh, no worry." He says. "We no lost. Right here we be." he smiles happily at Olin. "Meepo make sure no lost." He pats you reassuringly on the thigh to make sure you know you are with him, so you know you are not lost at all.
Olin, completely un-reassured by the Kobold, continues to look around, a furrow on his brow.
As a couple of the Vistani men hop down off wagons and head to the gate to push it open, Stanamir addresses the group, "Welcome to the lands of Barovia. A cursed land, lost to world and adrift. My friends, the fogs of the deep forest have closed in upon us as you see, and I will caution you against attempting to breech them against their will. For indeed, the fog that surrounds the lands of Barovia has it's own will. This is no longer the trade road, it is the old Svalich road that cuts through the Svalich forest that fill the lands of Barovia. The road passes through the Ghakis mountain range and leads to the western side of Barovia. We shall continue, stopping briefly at the town with the same name as this land, before continuing through to Tser Pool where Madam Eva and our people await. Our goal is to reach the town by nightfall."
With the iron gates open, the wagons trundle through. The men swing the iron gates closed behind them, glancing around the misty land with grim looks as they hop back up onto wagons. The road is indeed in poor repair, muddy, rocky, and potted with pools of dark water. The thick forests to either side are so pressed with growth that it seems like you may need to cut a path through to make any progress. The road however cuts between the forest with no sign of the forest encroaching on it's muddy rutted path. The fog thins as the journey continues, though your rate of travel on this road has dropped dramatically as the horses pull hard to drag the wagons along the road. A few very slow miles on the forest begins to thin, opening up into rolling grasslands. The sky above is grey, the light penetrating the clouds is weak.
Aga, as you emerge from the forest, you feel a tingle at the back of your neck, hairs raise, and it's as if a heavy oppressive presence is taking stock of you. You glance around, scanning the edge of the tree line behind you, but can't make out any threat. You feel one all the same. A cold attention, thick with judgement and appraisal. It's pressure eventually relents, but remains at the back of your consciousness.
With the weak light and overcast sky, it's difficult to recognize the end of the day's light until you start to struggle to make out the puddles in the dark road. As darkness falls you begin to spot twinkling orange lights in the distance and soon enough you are all approaching the small town of Barovia. Stanimir halts, scanning the area, and then scanning the darkness of the grasslands as if trying to make a judgement call. "We will setup our wagons here" he finally announces. "I've felt your need to find answers. You will likely not find many in the town, but if you wish to try, you're welcome to it. We will be camped here until the morning."
What's the difference between a Wizard and a Sorcerer?
Class.
Meepo is torn as he looks between the village and the campsite of the wagons. Eventually he walks up to the boy who had nearly lost his bag of marbles recently. Good thing Meepo was keeping an eye out for things these bigs kept losing.
"Meepo go town." Meepo tells the boy with a solem nod. "You be watcher for lost things while Meepo go." Meepo gives him a very stern look. "Keep watch and no let things be lost. Solem duty..." Deciding the boy was going to do as good of a job as could be done without Meepo himself staying in the camp, Meepo moves over to the others.
"No do dragon roars this night." He tells Malekai with a sad sigh. "Meepo go town. Maybe many lost things there that need no be lost." He is sad that he is unable to continue his teaching of the different dragon roars to his companion, but feels that it is his duty to go into town and check it for lost things. Maybe he can even learn something about this lord the wizard is so concerned with.