It has been a relaxing but eventful few months in Ruskivek. You awoke in Galanov Manor to find that a tenday had passed since you stopped the plot of Zuzeca, lord of snakes, and been transported to your conversation with Gabrielle, goddess of arts and music, and Ginan, lord of stealth and twilight, in a quiet glade. After checking in with Mitsi at the Order of Thalassa, you learned of what has happened in your absence:
Ruskivek has been a city in shock. Ten days before your return, a Kitsune bard, an Agamar monk, and a panther led a procession of rescued prisoners into the city gates; prisoners that the city had not known were missing, and it didn't take long to discern why. In addition to Mayor Cheval, each and every one of the captives had their form taken when they went missing, replaced by unknown shapeshifters who fled from the city hours before the captives had returned. Your return also did not go unnoticed - apparently this Kitsune bard repeatedly sung the praises of a band of heroes who infiltrated the lizardfolk camp and caused the distraction that allowed the prisoners to be rescued. His description of the white tiger-like "Nekomata" that fought beside him made it easy for the populace to connect the dots; surely the same adventurers who "slew" the Ice Basilisk and rescued a guardsman's sister from the ruins of Xagafell. As you travel the city, though most leave you to go about your business, the stares show their recognition, and Ruskivek is abuzz with the adventurers who have taken up residence in the abandoned manor at the edge of the city.
Aisha, dragging the head of a massive wyvern, confirmed the rumors of shapeshifters when trying to speak with the fake mayor. The real Mayor Cheval is delighted to see his rescuer once more, and it seems he has been in a frenzy, attempting to discover all that his imposter had done in his name. There are two of those actions, however, that Mayor Cheval is happy to confirm: The deed to Galanov Manor, and the reward for winning one portion of The Great Hunt. The wyvern you slew was impressive in size, and will join the hydra and basilisk heads atop the city hall's foyer.
Harmony has been hard at work restoring Galanov Manor to its former glory. The dust in the abandoned halls and the debris from the desiccated roof have been cleared. The roof itself still needs much repair, but the rooms have been cleaned, and three have been claimed as quarters. The others remain empty at present. There is still an underlying fear from the citizens of Ruskivek of the "demons of the sea" that Harmony seems to share a resemblance to on Rikirta, but through her repeated performances in The Laughing Rhino and her presence in the adventuring band that is the talk of the town, the populace has begun to become accustomed to her exotic appearance - an appearance which makes it easy to spread word of an upcoming concert in town, to be held in the somewhat refurbished manor.
Abraxas has made his room an extension of the Order of Thalassa, bringing in both books and shelves from the Order and performing much of his duties therein. From searching the manor thoroughly, and studying books on teleportation over the last months, he has learned much of the teleportation circle that lies in the cellar. The circle is unique in its nature in that it seems to link to multiple locations, which are specified by stating a series of arcane words unique to a location. Only one is currently known, burned into the wall above the teleportation circle: Its destination the City of Lyrikav, a place that Aisha has been spending much of her downtime learning about.
Lyrikav is a city similar in size to Ruskivek, in the nation of Tir Na Gren. Founded by raven-like humanoids called Tengu, the population of the city spreads far beyond its walls into the cliffs and tree nests that house them. The inner city is filled mostly with elves and humans alongside a few of the catlike Nekomata and a smattering of other races, and contains temples to the goddesses Gabrielle and Sygara, and the god Kayel, as well as the Order of Skogyr, an arcane guild that is sister to the Order of Thalassa in its purpose.
As you prepare for a trip to Lyrikav, Jove announces his intention to remain in Ruskivek for a while to officially join the Order of Thalassa and study the Orb of the Magi, an artifact that he has been quite curious about considering its similarity to the orb (The Great Orb) that grants him his abilities and which acted as a conduit to bring you from Toril to Rikirta. Through some of Abraxas's connections in the Order of Thalassa, you have found an adventurer worthy of replacing Jove: A Kitsune paladin named Garu. You sit with this Kitsune now, in the entryway of Galanov Manor.
Our Party:
Abraxas Onassis: Half-Elf Wizard (School of Evocation) Aisha Snowytail: Tabaxi Ranger/Rogue (Beast Master) Anilith "Harmony" Domarien: Tiefling Bard (College of Glamour) Garu: Kitsune Paladin (Oath of the Ancients)
OOC: We pick up here in the midst of your downtime. Describe your characters and take some time to get to know your new companion and vice-versa, and then feel free to continue/revisit any of the conversations from this downtime as you prepare to journey to Lyrikav and the nation of Tir Na Gren.
Standing in the entryway to the manor, you see a Kitsune female standing with silver hair. She stands with confidence, her lithe frame holding her armor and her tan-furred hand resting on the pommel of the jian at her side. She looks around and states with a clear but quiet grace, “It is my pleasure to meet you all. You may call me Garu.”
Harmony has been so busy between cleaning the Galanov Manor, making it look nice and setting up her room while also promoting her upcoming concert as well. The roof repairs still needed to happen, so unfortunately it wouldn't have been done before her concert, but at least now it's much cleaner and a better environment to host people in. Naturally she put her all into decorating her bedroom, finally having a space to call her own and make whatever she wants without judgement or rejection from her parents. The walls were pink and she had a pink and white canopy bed with sparkly pink curtains, all her other furniture and such items in pinks, white, and pastels; just completely girly, feminine, and cutesy to the max. Harmony had heard that they found someone to come with them in place of Jove, knowing that he had wanted to stay behind here in Ruskivek. So she had gone down to greet and meet their new friend just before they arrived, seeing that it was a girl that seemed like Aisha, but with silver hair and tan fur with a lithe frame and in armor before hearing her. Garu would see a young female tiefling with lilac-colored eyes, baby pink skin, long pink hair, and what looks to be small curled horns painted white wearing a white and pink frilly dress with gold accents/trims, the back bow purple and interior fabric purple with white spots; having gold stars on the dress, in her hair, on the billowing sleeves, and on her left leg. To any normal person that doesn't know her, this would seem over the top and more like a costume, but for Harmony this is actually one of her more casual pieces for simply wearing around the house and running errands in after all. Harmony would wave to Garu with a big smile as she curtsied. "Hello Garu! I'm Harmony, it's very nice to meet you! I hope that we can be friends. If you need a place to stay, there are plenty of rooms here. We already have our rooms, so it's fine. You should totally come to my concert coming up, you'll really like it. Oh, are you thirsty or hungry at all? I can get you something if you like." she would say so happy and cheerful as she holds her hand out for a handshake, being her usual bubbly and friendly self. It was hard not to be happy after all since she is making a new friend now.
(OCC: This is what her hair color, length, and style is. Her horns are like Jester's from Critical Role as well, but painted white.)
((OOC Will be posting in the morning, due to the sites recent issues with loading and me needing to go to a workshop for a career in the morning I need to sleep. Also Welcome Garu! Glad to have you. Hopefulyl I'll have enough time to flesh out my post as I intend it to be a lengthy one! Also considering a thing.. i think this is going to be a .. lively meeting... A little chaos with Aisha is about to happen))
During the time that Harmony had been refurbishing the place, Aisha had helped where she could, using her Carpenters tools to sand down or cut into proper sizes and such, so that it would go smoothly. Though initially Aisha had to be taught that the style of wood in human cities was a little different than what she had grown up on, planks instead of poles and so forth. Aisha had also done much the same to her own room. Using her tools to carve intricate designs into the frame of the wood without compromising it's sturdiness. Making her entire room look nearly good as new by the time she was done. She had bought new linens and a very comfortable looking pillow, as well as a secondary large pillow for T'savi to curl up on directly next to her but on the floor. Her room was otherwise simple. It had 'what it needed' and little else. She had found a spot to carve a hole into and effectively created a 'safe cache' that was well hidden from the untrained eye thanks to her skills with her tools.
Aisha had been studying their destination to the point of familiarity, and sharing what she learned with the others when she felt something was important enough, making sure they knew what races of beings to expect there. And while Aisha did help around with the duties, she ended up spending a lot more time sleeping than she would when they were actively out on the road. Aisha continued to seem somewhat frazzled ever since the "Shadow" incident Always looking around corners, and jumping at small things that would otherwise be seen as mundane.
Aisha and T'savi both made their way down from their room, Clearly having just woken up. Aisha's hair was bedraggled but still silky, her near constant state of stress reducing her 'beauty' slightly, but not so much as to make her unattractive. Having spent months with the rest of the party, she felt comfortable enough around the rest to wear lighter clothing much as would be seen in the sand palaces of sultans in that it was semi transparent. Hiding most of what needed to be, but not all. And it had become fun to tease Abraxus, being the only male left in the party with being a little too close when in such dress only to pull away and watch his reaction. Tsavi joining in on the teasing by rubbing up against him like any normal cat would but between the two felines would only make it more awkward, regardless of how Abraxus handled it.
As she rounded a corner....
If a Kitsune is as I think it is, a fox/wolf/canine being:
Aisha would stop in her tracks, transfixed by the creature as her eyes narrowed. Hackles raising as she brought her hands and claws to bear defensively. T'savi reacting in response and lowering to a ready-to-pounce position while Aisha herself glared daggers at Garu. What is your kind doing here? a throaty growl escaping as she finished each word Did your people come here to hunt Aisha's people as well? You dare to attack our homeland, and then stalk us to other worlds because you cannot beat us?! Aisha's eyes were a mass of confusion and rage. Clearly, barely able to contain herself from jumping on Garu and attempting to claw her eyes out. Who let this mongrrrel in here?!
If NOT a canine species and kitsune is just a variant name...
Aisha would, with tired eyes meet the gaze of the newcomer with curiosity as she looked her over, trying to get a guage on her. Eventually coming over and offering a padded hand to greet the newcomer. Mmm.. who is this one? Aisha has nyever seen her before...
Reasoning:
So far Aisha's backstory and all that have been based on the actual Tabaxi Lore. Such as their people being ripped into Abeir-Toril, then back into Faerun, and the natural enemy of the Tabaxi on their home continent is the 'Dog people' Yes a little lazy named, i know but Tabaxi don't have MUCH lore :x.
In any case, the reasoning behind her first reaction is as she has only heard tales and know they look roughly like canine-humanoids if that is the case here, it's only natural for her to react like this. I also do have a plan around this if this is the case that will lead to much character development and growth in a fun way :) In my opinion.
Garu reaches out and accepts the handshake. Her orange eyes gleam in excitement. “I love the way you are dressed. Such a splendid style you have. You look so on point.” Garu’s eyes focus on the horns on the tiefling. “I have seen horns before but seldom so beautifully adorned. .... You are performing at a concert? You must be quite talented. Would you give me a taste of your craft?”
Garu looks about the room - “I think I might like rooming here. Certainly seems like it would useful to get to know you and the rest of the team.” Absentmindedly, she traces her finger around the visage of the red eagle grasping an ankh in its wings on her tunic. She spins on her heels hearing the words coming from the new person in the room.
“I come as a bringer of justice, a paladin of Tylyn. I bear and wish you no ill. My people are field workers. We cultivate the soil and take care of it. I know nothing of the atrocities you describe. I bow my head in respect to whatever you have experienced by other Kitsune. Please hear the truth in my words.” Garu’s face is lined with apparent confusion and sadness.
OOC: @Aisha - You have the gist of it. The Kitsune on Rikirta are foxlike humanoids, but much more feline than canine in their nature. You would have seen a few throughout the population of Ruskivek, but not nearly as many as Nekomata, which share a much closer resemblance to tabaxi. The Kitsune are mostly outside of the city in the surrounding farmlands.
"Greetings, Garu," Abraxas says. He smiles and waves, surround as he is by at least one cat. He has spent time since their last adventures cleaning, researching, and arranging his bookcases so that the bright sunlight, which is good for reading, does not shine on any of the books. He doesn't want them to fade or be bleached by the sun's rays.
Abraxas wears long faded robes. His hands are dotted with the best inks. Right now the book bags that usually cross his torso are upstairs in his room. He has been thinking about the Order of Skogyr and Lyrikav and how best to prepare for travel there.
"You will surely enjoy Harmony's concert. She is a skilled singer."
OOC: Be sure to bring Garu up to speed on what has transpired, and why the party is traveling to Lyrikav.
When does Harmony wish to hold her concert? When does the party wish to commence their travel? These aren't answers that I plan to dictate for the party, so I'll only progress once you let me know the conversation has wrapped up and we're ready to move time forward.
Aisha wouldn't drop her hackles. Her fur standing on end. The Kits words bringing confusion to her face, however her countenance remains tense for a long while before finally responding.
"Aisha does not like you. You are a dog and your kind has always attacked this ones. But even Aisha can see you are odd for your kind. If Aisha has to put up with you, she will. But her eyes will be ever on you." And with that, Aisha angrily padded off, tsavi offering a final growl before following. Leaving the other two to explain.
((Still doing my workshop this week so my time to post is limited and I've lost sleep, sorry. If need be, autopilot Aisha to keep the story going. Aisha currently heavily distrusts and dislikes the newcomer for hopefully obvious reasons, even of they are misguided. And as I said, I have a plan for this storywise))
Garu respectfully bows her head, eyes alert, to Aisha. "I will hope to show the merits of my actions."
She turns, somewhat encouraged by the words of the arcane one before her. "Greetings - based on your description, I suppose you are the one they call Abraxas. I was told you smelled like old books. That is a wonderful smell."
She turns back to face Harmony. "If you would show me the way to one of the rooms, perhaps I can get more information about what you've been working on so I may help, that would be much appreciated."
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Halsen - Human Monk - Winter Splendor Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's Blade Bizarre Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Betrayal at Devilsfall Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's "The Hidden War" (Doom Portals Part 4A) Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter -Barty's "The Whispered Word (Doom Portals Part 5) Garu - Tabaxi Paladin - Barty's "Beyond Twilight" (Rikirta Part 3)
Harmony had heard Garu, beaming at all the compliments and hearing her ask if she could have a taste of her craft. She thought hard about that as she had heard Aisha come down, hearing Abraxas say that she is a skilled singer. "Really? Thank you! Yes, I am. That is true, I do sing and dance. I guess that would be okay, just a small sneak peek though." she said back with a smile and a wink. But then she was shocked, seeing Aisha and Tsavi reacting like this and hearing what she was saying and Garu defending herself. "Aisha, Garu here is going to be helping us since Jove wanted to stay behind. Please don't judge her just because of her race, she's a paladin of justice and surely isn't like those who attacked you." she had said back, feeling bad for Garu right now and knowing how it feels to be judged based on race. Harmony then heard Aisha talk about not liking Garu and will put up with her if she has to, talking about keeping her eyes on her before leaving with Tsavi as she sighed. "I am so so sorry! Normally Aisha isn't like this, she is a good person. I'm sure that she'll like you once she realizes that you are indeed a good person too." she had said to Garu, hearing her greet Abraxas before being asked to be shown a room and wanting to get information about what they've been working on so she may help. "Oh, yeah. No problem!" Harmony said back with a smile before looking over at Abraxas. "Do you want to come with us? You would probably be able to properly explain everything to her better than I can." she had asked him since he is much smarter than her. Whether Abraxas agrees to go or not, Harmony would soon lead the way through the manor with Garu up to the bedrooms, finding a good-sized empty bedroom and walking inside of it. "If you need help with cleaning this room or decorating it, just let me know, okay?" she had said to the other as she smiled. If Abraxas came, she would let him take over explaining everything that's happened so far and what they plan to do as well.
(OCC: I imagine the concert would probably be in the next day or two in the evening, that way the next morning they can head out for Lyrikav straight away, not wanting to waste too much time.)
Garu looks around the room, setting her bedding down and pack on the floor. She takes a necklace of interlaced flowers and starts placing them around the room. "It is sad that some from my race have sought to dim Aisha's internal light. She will see my light and it will add to her own, in time."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Abraxas blushes wildly at being told he smelled like the wonderful smell of old books by Garu. He does not begin dancing, but instead merely nods deeply.
"Much of this is a mystery to me, Garu," he says. "We have been called here from other planes because the gods of this world have begun breaking promises they made to not interfere with it. For example, in the last month we stopped the plot of Zuzeca, lord of snakes. Among other things, he was plotting to start a war between the inhabitants of the moon and our fair city, apparently in part by turning the moon into a desert. We foiled his attempts. Gabrielle, goddess of arts and music, and Ginan, lord of stealth and twilight are among our godly patrons."
As he talks, Abraxas is trying to recall the history of disagreements between the Kitsune and Nekomata. It might be useful knowledge: 11.
"Soon, we seek to teleport to Lyrikav. Tomorrow or the next morning, I believe. We think there may be a tower there contain magic that might aid us in answering our questions and interfering with the negative plans of other gods. Tengu founded the city, I believe. It includes temples to the goddesses Gabrielle and Sygara, and the god Kayel. They may be good resources in discovering why the gods no longer keep their promises." Abraxas begins to smile. "The city also houses the Order of Skogyr and their excellent library. I look forward to reading it."
He briefly stands on his tip-toes, looking around Garu's new room. "Harmony, did I leave out or misrepresent anything?"
Aisha grumbles from a nearby room as she butts in to correct a few slight mis-statements. Speaking loud enough to be heard through the door. Nyot magic.... Artifacts, and weapons of power. The ones Aisha was seeking before we went to face off against the lizards. She lets out a sigh as she eats some light food. Her fury having made her hungry. And the city offers a reward for such things return, or asks that such things be kept. They seem to care nyot which. Which.. is puzzling to this one. She hadn't heard anything up to the point where Abraxas began to make mistakes. In anyeecase, There are preparations to be made for Harmony's concerrt, so Aisha will begin on them so that we arrre rready. The whole time Aisha had spoken once leaving the room she was in prior, her eyes had been on Garu, unmovingly, even as she left to prepare to do as she said, until Garu was no longer in sight.
Harmony smiles, seeing the necklaces of flowers being placed around the room, hearing Garu as she nodded back. She listened to Abraxas as he started to explain everything before he asked her if he left anything out or misrepresented anything. "No, I think that is everything." she said back to him. But then she heard Aisha's voice through the door, correcting a few things and mentioning possible reward for the items to be returned or just kept before talking about making preparations for the concert and leaving. "Okay, now that is everything to know. I'm sure that she'll come to like you. But yeah, we will leave for Lyrikav the morning after my concert so that we aren't too delayed." Harmony had said to Garu with a smile. She still needed to practice and get her own preparations ready for it too such as her costume.
OOC: It sounds like introductions are coming to a close.
For Harmony, what preparations will she be making over the next couple of days? Feel free to describe the set-up and her costume and etc. as much as you'd like.
For everyone else, are there any purchases you would like to make or other activities you would like to perform in preparation for Lyrikav?
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Aisha ended up grunting before heading back to her room to get dressed and prepared for the next few days. Aside from attending Harmony's concert, Aisha had a few small final details to take care of before leaving for their ultimate destination.
During the concert/Day-1:
Aisha will mingle with the crowd itself, Hiding her tail within the confines of her lower attire, and keep her hood up to cover her face, much as she had done in the dwarven place. But attempting to keep herself from truly being noticed at all. (Stealth: 20) Her goal was to look for people who seemed 'less than nice' or people who seemed likely to have items of interest or knowledge, such as artifacts, tomes, higher end jewelry, hidden notes and similar curiosities, trinkets and the like, attempting to 'borrow' them. With Tsavi close by as her fallback in the case - as unlikely as it was, that she was caught, to pretend to 'bump' into Aisha so that the incident would seem like an accident caused by an overeager or fearful pet having jostled her tiny frame into the person and apologize. (Aisha will only target people who seem shady, or people with items that could provide knowledge or that overall look as though their purses are heavier and in need of lightening. She also wont over-indulge.. perhaps 3-4 pockets at most. ((OOC - As I said in the last thread I've been avoiding giving into the Tabaxi kleptomania because i didn't want to disrupt party synergy or make people upset but I'm going to dip my toe in the water here)))
When the concert is over, assuming nothing untoward occurs such as being caught and her bluff being seen through, Aisha would make her way to a nearby smithy, and ask to have ten of her arrows silvered, while trying to talk the price down a bit as a 'hero of the city' and the like. Before purchasing another twenty arrows if she still had any funds to do so.
The rest of the day she will spend preparing for the trip, while trying to avoid the Kitsune at all costs.
Day 2, assuming again that nothing untoward occurred on day 1:
Aisha will spend the day using her carvers tools on her bow to create an intricate engravings from just above the handle, depicting her village, her sister, the sky above, and over it all the "Cat Lord" looking down upon it all. On the lower half of the bow, various engravings of her peoples culture and lives that could fit, leading down to a river meant to symbolize the stream of life. Assuming the silvering only takes a day (if it takes longer, then ignore this part) Aisha would head to pick up her missiles if they were to be ready, and when, returning to her room to do much the same with each one of the silvered arrows shafts. Each one depicting a single thing. the first depicting the Cat Lord pouncing on prey. The second, Her sister, also a ranger sighting down the bow. The third, of Tsavi running like the wind. The fourth, depicting the Jungles of her homeland. The fifth, depicting her homeworld with Selune and her sister(s). The sixth, Depicting the mirror world. The seventh, depicting the harsh sun of her homeland. The eighth, depicting herself with an item in hand. The Ninth, depicting herself, and her sister embracing as if having not seen the other in decades. The tenth and final one depicting each sister on the sides, with Tsavi on the top of the shaft, all facing the arrowhead.
The most detail being put into these last two. Finding tears in her own eyes, soft, and warm as they flowed slowly. She made no noise as she wasn't retching in sorrow, but solemn sadness that Tsavi picked up on, coming to her mistress' side and pressing against her, padding around her once before coiling around her mistress tiny frame from behind to support her.
Aisha would sigh heavily as she thought of home, the fact that she was here, and that being here kept her from ever taking steps to find her sister, while realizing fully that if she were not here her and her sister may simply have died anyway. Perhaps if others had been chosen they may have failed and Aisha would have been annihilated without ever knowing why. The thought brought little comfort, yet helped settle her into the reality that she was stuck here until it was done. Helping her realize that while it detoured her from her original path, it ultimately had the same goal. To protect her lost sister who was likely ignorant of it all.
As the night would drag on, she had holed herself in her room, laying against Tsavi until the late hours before finally packing her things one last time, taking inventory, and preparing Tsavi's rope-harnesses once more t keep herself from becoming overburdened so easily as she had been with the shadows. Both eventually falling into slumber.
((OOC - So as not to pidgeonhole the DM if silvering takes longer, she will still do it, but instead carve 10 other arrows and will collect them before the trip if possible, or after they return if not. I wish I had thought of this when we had a 'month of downtime' but i forgot i had made money from the Hunt Reward until now. Also in the event of Aisha being arrested or otherwise indisposed on the day 1 events, you can decide if/how/when any of it happened or was even possible given the circumstances. Don't worry about what I put into the post as I don't want you to feel obligated to allow it just because there is effort. I will deal with the changes as they come :) )
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Occassional Dungeon Master.
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It has been a relaxing but eventful few months in Ruskivek. You awoke in Galanov Manor to find that a tenday had passed since you stopped the plot of Zuzeca, lord of snakes, and been transported to your conversation with Gabrielle, goddess of arts and music, and Ginan, lord of stealth and twilight, in a quiet glade. After checking in with Mitsi at the Order of Thalassa, you learned of what has happened in your absence:
Ruskivek has been a city in shock. Ten days before your return, a Kitsune bard, an Agamar monk, and a panther led a procession of rescued prisoners into the city gates; prisoners that the city had not known were missing, and it didn't take long to discern why. In addition to Mayor Cheval, each and every one of the captives had their form taken when they went missing, replaced by unknown shapeshifters who fled from the city hours before the captives had returned. Your return also did not go unnoticed - apparently this Kitsune bard repeatedly sung the praises of a band of heroes who infiltrated the lizardfolk camp and caused the distraction that allowed the prisoners to be rescued. His description of the white tiger-like "Nekomata" that fought beside him made it easy for the populace to connect the dots; surely the same adventurers who "slew" the Ice Basilisk and rescued a guardsman's sister from the ruins of Xagafell. As you travel the city, though most leave you to go about your business, the stares show their recognition, and Ruskivek is abuzz with the adventurers who have taken up residence in the abandoned manor at the edge of the city.
Aisha, dragging the head of a massive wyvern, confirmed the rumors of shapeshifters when trying to speak with the fake mayor. The real Mayor Cheval is delighted to see his rescuer once more, and it seems he has been in a frenzy, attempting to discover all that his imposter had done in his name. There are two of those actions, however, that Mayor Cheval is happy to confirm: The deed to Galanov Manor, and the reward for winning one portion of The Great Hunt. The wyvern you slew was impressive in size, and will join the hydra and basilisk heads atop the city hall's foyer.
Harmony has been hard at work restoring Galanov Manor to its former glory. The dust in the abandoned halls and the debris from the desiccated roof have been cleared. The roof itself still needs much repair, but the rooms have been cleaned, and three have been claimed as quarters. The others remain empty at present. There is still an underlying fear from the citizens of Ruskivek of the "demons of the sea" that Harmony seems to share a resemblance to on Rikirta, but through her repeated performances in The Laughing Rhino and her presence in the adventuring band that is the talk of the town, the populace has begun to become accustomed to her exotic appearance - an appearance which makes it easy to spread word of an upcoming concert in town, to be held in the somewhat refurbished manor.
Abraxas has made his room an extension of the Order of Thalassa, bringing in both books and shelves from the Order and performing much of his duties therein. From searching the manor thoroughly, and studying books on teleportation over the last months, he has learned much of the teleportation circle that lies in the cellar. The circle is unique in its nature in that it seems to link to multiple locations, which are specified by stating a series of arcane words unique to a location. Only one is currently known, burned into the wall above the teleportation circle: Its destination the City of Lyrikav, a place that Aisha has been spending much of her downtime learning about.
Lyrikav is a city similar in size to Ruskivek, in the nation of Tir Na Gren. Founded by raven-like humanoids called Tengu, the population of the city spreads far beyond its walls into the cliffs and tree nests that house them. The inner city is filled mostly with elves and humans alongside a few of the catlike Nekomata and a smattering of other races, and contains temples to the goddesses Gabrielle and Sygara, and the god Kayel, as well as the Order of Skogyr, an arcane guild that is sister to the Order of Thalassa in its purpose.
As you prepare for a trip to Lyrikav, Jove announces his intention to remain in Ruskivek for a while to officially join the Order of Thalassa and study the Orb of the Magi, an artifact that he has been quite curious about considering its similarity to the orb (The Great Orb) that grants him his abilities and which acted as a conduit to bring you from Toril to Rikirta. Through some of Abraxas's connections in the Order of Thalassa, you have found an adventurer worthy of replacing Jove: A Kitsune paladin named Garu. You sit with this Kitsune now, in the entryway of Galanov Manor.
Our Party:
Abraxas Onassis: Half-Elf Wizard (School of Evocation)
Aisha Snowytail: Tabaxi Ranger/Rogue (Beast Master)
Anilith "Harmony" Domarien: Tiefling Bard (College of Glamour)
Garu: Kitsune Paladin (Oath of the Ancients)
OOC: We pick up here in the midst of your downtime. Describe your characters and take some time to get to know your new companion and vice-versa, and then feel free to continue/revisit any of the conversations from this downtime as you prepare to journey to Lyrikav and the nation of Tir Na Gren.
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
Standing in the entryway to the manor, you see a Kitsune female standing with silver hair. She stands with confidence, her lithe frame holding her armor and her tan-furred hand resting on the pommel of the jian at her side. She looks around and states with a clear but quiet grace, “It is my pleasure to meet you all. You may call me Garu.”
Halsen - Human Monk - Winter Splendor
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's Blade Bizarre
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Betrayal at Devilsfall
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's "The Hidden War" (Doom Portals Part 4A)
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's "The Whispered Word (Doom Portals Part 5)
Garu - Tabaxi Paladin - Barty's "Beyond Twilight" (Rikirta Part 3)
Harmony has been so busy between cleaning the Galanov Manor, making it look nice and setting up her room while also promoting her upcoming concert as well. The roof repairs still needed to happen, so unfortunately it wouldn't have been done before her concert, but at least now it's much cleaner and a better environment to host people in. Naturally she put her all into decorating her bedroom, finally having a space to call her own and make whatever she wants without judgement or rejection from her parents. The walls were pink and she had a pink and white canopy bed with sparkly pink curtains, all her other furniture and such items in pinks, white, and pastels; just completely girly, feminine, and cutesy to the max. Harmony had heard that they found someone to come with them in place of Jove, knowing that he had wanted to stay behind here in Ruskivek. So she had gone down to greet and meet their new friend just before they arrived, seeing that it was a girl that seemed like Aisha, but with silver hair and tan fur with a lithe frame and in armor before hearing her. Garu would see a young female tiefling with lilac-colored eyes, baby pink skin, long pink hair, and what looks to be small curled horns painted white wearing a white and pink frilly dress with gold accents/trims, the back bow purple and interior fabric purple with white spots; having gold stars on the dress, in her hair, on the billowing sleeves, and on her left leg. To any normal person that doesn't know her, this would seem over the top and more like a costume, but for Harmony this is actually one of her more casual pieces for simply wearing around the house and running errands in after all. Harmony would wave to Garu with a big smile as she curtsied. "Hello Garu! I'm Harmony, it's very nice to meet you! I hope that we can be friends. If you need a place to stay, there are plenty of rooms here. We already have our rooms, so it's fine. You should totally come to my concert coming up, you'll really like it. Oh, are you thirsty or hungry at all? I can get you something if you like." she would say so happy and cheerful as she holds her hand out for a handshake, being her usual bubbly and friendly self. It was hard not to be happy after all since she is making a new friend now.
(OCC: This is what her hair color, length, and style is. Her horns are like Jester's from Critical Role as well, but painted white.)
((OOC Will be posting in the morning, due to the sites recent issues with loading and me needing to go to a workshop for a career in the morning I need to sleep. Also Welcome Garu! Glad to have you. Hopefulyl I'll have enough time to flesh out my post as I intend it to be a lengthy one! Also considering a thing.. i think this is going to be a .. lively meeting... A little chaos with Aisha is about to happen))
Occassional Dungeon Master.
During the time that Harmony had been refurbishing the place, Aisha had helped where she could, using her Carpenters tools to sand down or cut into proper sizes and such, so that it would go smoothly. Though initially Aisha had to be taught that the style of wood in human cities was a little different than what she had grown up on, planks instead of poles and so forth. Aisha had also done much the same to her own room. Using her tools to carve intricate designs into the frame of the wood without compromising it's sturdiness. Making her entire room look nearly good as new by the time she was done. She had bought new linens and a very comfortable looking pillow, as well as a secondary large pillow for T'savi to curl up on directly next to her but on the floor. Her room was otherwise simple. It had 'what it needed' and little else. She had found a spot to carve a hole into and effectively created a 'safe cache' that was well hidden from the untrained eye thanks to her skills with her tools.
Aisha had been studying their destination to the point of familiarity, and sharing what she learned with the others when she felt something was important enough, making sure they knew what races of beings to expect there. And while Aisha did help around with the duties, she ended up spending a lot more time sleeping than she would when they were actively out on the road. Aisha continued to seem somewhat frazzled ever since the "Shadow" incident Always looking around corners, and jumping at small things that would otherwise be seen as mundane.
Aisha and T'savi both made their way down from their room, Clearly having just woken up. Aisha's hair was bedraggled but still silky, her near constant state of stress reducing her 'beauty' slightly, but not so much as to make her unattractive. Having spent months with the rest of the party, she felt comfortable enough around the rest to wear lighter clothing much as would be seen in the sand palaces of sultans in that it was semi transparent. Hiding most of what needed to be, but not all. And it had become fun to tease Abraxus, being the only male left in the party with being a little too close when in such dress only to pull away and watch his reaction. Tsavi joining in on the teasing by rubbing up against him like any normal cat would but between the two felines would only make it more awkward, regardless of how Abraxus handled it.
As she rounded a corner....
If a Kitsune is as I think it is, a fox/wolf/canine being:
Aisha would stop in her tracks, transfixed by the creature as her eyes narrowed. Hackles raising as she brought her hands and claws to bear defensively. T'savi reacting in response and lowering to a ready-to-pounce position while Aisha herself glared daggers at Garu. What is your kind doing here? a throaty growl escaping as she finished each word Did your people come here to hunt Aisha's people as well? You dare to attack our homeland, and then stalk us to other worlds because you cannot beat us?! Aisha's eyes were a mass of confusion and rage. Clearly, barely able to contain herself from jumping on Garu and attempting to claw her eyes out. Who let this mongrrrel in here?!
If NOT a canine species and kitsune is just a variant name...
Aisha would, with tired eyes meet the gaze of the newcomer with curiosity as she looked her over, trying to get a guage on her. Eventually coming over and offering a padded hand to greet the newcomer. Mmm.. who is this one? Aisha has nyever seen her before...
Reasoning:
So far Aisha's backstory and all that have been based on the actual Tabaxi Lore. Such as their people being ripped into Abeir-Toril, then back into Faerun, and the natural enemy of the Tabaxi on their home continent is the 'Dog people' Yes a little lazy named, i know but Tabaxi don't have MUCH lore :x.
In any case, the reasoning behind her first reaction is as she has only heard tales and know they look roughly like canine-humanoids if that is the case here, it's only natural for her to react like this. I also do have a plan around this if this is the case that will lead to much character development and growth in a fun way :) In my opinion.
Occassional Dungeon Master.
Garu reaches out and accepts the handshake. Her orange eyes gleam in excitement. “I love the way you are dressed. Such a splendid style you have. You look so on point.” Garu’s eyes focus on the horns on the tiefling. “I have seen horns before but seldom so beautifully adorned. .... You are performing at a concert? You must be quite talented. Would you give me a taste of your craft?”
Garu looks about the room - “I think I might like rooming here. Certainly seems like it would useful to get to know you and the rest of the team.” Absentmindedly, she traces her finger around the visage of the red eagle grasping an ankh in its wings on her tunic. She spins on her heels hearing the words coming from the new person in the room.
“I come as a bringer of justice, a paladin of Tylyn. I bear and wish you no ill. My people are field workers. We cultivate the soil and take care of it. I know nothing of the atrocities you describe. I bow my head in respect to whatever you have experienced by other Kitsune. Please hear the truth in my words.” Garu’s face is lined with apparent confusion and sadness.
Halsen - Human Monk - Winter Splendor
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's Blade Bizarre
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Betrayal at Devilsfall
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's "The Hidden War" (Doom Portals Part 4A)
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's "The Whispered Word (Doom Portals Part 5)
Garu - Tabaxi Paladin - Barty's "Beyond Twilight" (Rikirta Part 3)
OOC: @Aisha - You have the gist of it. The Kitsune on Rikirta are foxlike humanoids, but much more feline than canine in their nature. You would have seen a few throughout the population of Ruskivek, but not nearly as many as Nekomata, which share a much closer resemblance to tabaxi. The Kitsune are mostly outside of the city in the surrounding farmlands.
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
"Greetings, Garu," Abraxas says. He smiles and waves, surround as he is by at least one cat. He has spent time since their last adventures cleaning, researching, and arranging his bookcases so that the bright sunlight, which is good for reading, does not shine on any of the books. He doesn't want them to fade or be bleached by the sun's rays.
Abraxas wears long faded robes. His hands are dotted with the best inks. Right now the book bags that usually cross his torso are upstairs in his room. He has been thinking about the Order of Skogyr and Lyrikav and how best to prepare for travel there.
"You will surely enjoy Harmony's concert. She is a skilled singer."
Death on the Water and Baldur's Gate Bodyguard
(OOC- posting from phone. Will attempt to yet a post out later today. At a workshop fro.8 to 4:30 every day this week)
Occassional Dungeon Master.
OOC: Be sure to bring Garu up to speed on what has transpired, and why the party is traveling to Lyrikav.
When does Harmony wish to hold her concert? When does the party wish to commence their travel? These aren't answers that I plan to dictate for the party, so I'll only progress once you let me know the conversation has wrapped up and we're ready to move time forward.
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
Aisha wouldn't drop her hackles. Her fur standing on end. The Kits words bringing confusion to her face, however her countenance remains tense for a long while before finally responding.
"Aisha does not like you. You are a dog and your kind has always attacked this ones. But even Aisha can see you are odd for your kind. If Aisha has to put up with you, she will. But her eyes will be ever on you." And with that, Aisha angrily padded off, tsavi offering a final growl before following. Leaving the other two to explain.
((Still doing my workshop this week so my time to post is limited and I've lost sleep, sorry. If need be, autopilot Aisha to keep the story going. Aisha currently heavily distrusts and dislikes the newcomer for hopefully obvious reasons, even of they are misguided. And as I said, I have a plan for this storywise))
Occassional Dungeon Master.
Garu respectfully bows her head, eyes alert, to Aisha. "I will hope to show the merits of my actions."
She turns, somewhat encouraged by the words of the arcane one before her. "Greetings - based on your description, I suppose you are the one they call Abraxas. I was told you smelled like old books. That is a wonderful smell."
She turns back to face Harmony. "If you would show me the way to one of the rooms, perhaps I can get more information about what you've been working on so I may help, that would be much appreciated."
Halsen - Human Monk - Winter Splendor
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's Blade Bizarre
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Betrayal at Devilsfall
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's "The Hidden War" (Doom Portals Part 4A)
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's "The Whispered Word (Doom Portals Part 5)
Garu - Tabaxi Paladin - Barty's "Beyond Twilight" (Rikirta Part 3)
Harmony had heard Garu, beaming at all the compliments and hearing her ask if she could have a taste of her craft. She thought hard about that as she had heard Aisha come down, hearing Abraxas say that she is a skilled singer. "Really? Thank you! Yes, I am. That is true, I do sing and dance. I guess that would be okay, just a small sneak peek though." she said back with a smile and a wink. But then she was shocked, seeing Aisha and Tsavi reacting like this and hearing what she was saying and Garu defending herself. "Aisha, Garu here is going to be helping us since Jove wanted to stay behind. Please don't judge her just because of her race, she's a paladin of justice and surely isn't like those who attacked you." she had said back, feeling bad for Garu right now and knowing how it feels to be judged based on race. Harmony then heard Aisha talk about not liking Garu and will put up with her if she has to, talking about keeping her eyes on her before leaving with Tsavi as she sighed. "I am so so sorry! Normally Aisha isn't like this, she is a good person. I'm sure that she'll like you once she realizes that you are indeed a good person too." she had said to Garu, hearing her greet Abraxas before being asked to be shown a room and wanting to get information about what they've been working on so she may help. "Oh, yeah. No problem!" Harmony said back with a smile before looking over at Abraxas. "Do you want to come with us? You would probably be able to properly explain everything to her better than I can." she had asked him since he is much smarter than her. Whether Abraxas agrees to go or not, Harmony would soon lead the way through the manor with Garu up to the bedrooms, finding a good-sized empty bedroom and walking inside of it. "If you need help with cleaning this room or decorating it, just let me know, okay?" she had said to the other as she smiled. If Abraxas came, she would let him take over explaining everything that's happened so far and what they plan to do as well.
(OCC: I imagine the concert would probably be in the next day or two in the evening, that way the next morning they can head out for Lyrikav straight away, not wanting to waste too much time.)
Garu looks around the room, setting her bedding down and pack on the floor. She takes a necklace of interlaced flowers and starts placing them around the room. "It is sad that some from my race have sought to dim Aisha's internal light. She will see my light and it will add to her own, in time."
Halsen - Human Monk - Winter Splendor
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's Blade Bizarre
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Betrayal at Devilsfall
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's "The Hidden War" (Doom Portals Part 4A)
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's "The Whispered Word (Doom Portals Part 5)
Garu - Tabaxi Paladin - Barty's "Beyond Twilight" (Rikirta Part 3)
Abraxas blushes wildly at being told he smelled like the wonderful smell of old books by Garu. He does not begin dancing, but instead merely nods deeply.
"Much of this is a mystery to me, Garu," he says. "We have been called here from other planes because the gods of this world have begun breaking promises they made to not interfere with it. For example, in the last month we stopped the plot of Zuzeca, lord of snakes. Among other things, he was plotting to start a war between the inhabitants of the moon and our fair city, apparently in part by turning the moon into a desert. We foiled his attempts. Gabrielle, goddess of arts and music, and Ginan, lord of stealth and twilight are among our godly patrons."
As he talks, Abraxas is trying to recall the history of disagreements between the Kitsune and Nekomata. It might be useful knowledge: 11.
"Soon, we seek to teleport to Lyrikav. Tomorrow or the next morning, I believe. We think there may be a tower there contain magic that might aid us in answering our questions and interfering with the negative plans of other gods. Tengu founded the city, I believe. It includes temples to the goddesses Gabrielle and Sygara, and the god Kayel. They may be good resources in discovering why the gods no longer keep their promises." Abraxas begins to smile. "The city also houses the Order of Skogyr and their excellent library. I look forward to reading it."
He briefly stands on his tip-toes, looking around Garu's new room. "Harmony, did I leave out or misrepresent anything?"
Death on the Water and Baldur's Gate Bodyguard
Aisha grumbles from a nearby room as she butts in to correct a few slight mis-statements. Speaking loud enough to be heard through the door. Nyot magic.... Artifacts, and weapons of power. The ones Aisha was seeking before we went to face off against the lizards. She lets out a sigh as she eats some light food. Her fury having made her hungry. And the city offers a reward for such things return, or asks that such things be kept. They seem to care nyot which. Which.. is puzzling to this one. She hadn't heard anything up to the point where Abraxas began to make mistakes. In anyeecase, There are preparations to be made for Harmony's concerrt, so Aisha will begin on them so that we arrre rready. The whole time Aisha had spoken once leaving the room she was in prior, her eyes had been on Garu, unmovingly, even as she left to prepare to do as she said, until Garu was no longer in sight.
Occassional Dungeon Master.
Harmony smiles, seeing the necklaces of flowers being placed around the room, hearing Garu as she nodded back. She listened to Abraxas as he started to explain everything before he asked her if he left anything out or misrepresented anything. "No, I think that is everything." she said back to him. But then she heard Aisha's voice through the door, correcting a few things and mentioning possible reward for the items to be returned or just kept before talking about making preparations for the concert and leaving. "Okay, now that is everything to know. I'm sure that she'll come to like you. But yeah, we will leave for Lyrikav the morning after my concert so that we aren't too delayed." Harmony had said to Garu with a smile. She still needed to practice and get her own preparations ready for it too such as her costume.
OOC: It sounds like introductions are coming to a close.
For Harmony, what preparations will she be making over the next couple of days? Feel free to describe the set-up and her costume and etc. as much as you'd like.
For everyone else, are there any purchases you would like to make or other activities you would like to perform in preparation for Lyrikav?
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
(ooc posting now)
Occassional Dungeon Master.
Aisha ended up grunting before heading back to her room to get dressed and prepared for the next few days. Aside from attending Harmony's concert, Aisha had a few small final details to take care of before leaving for their ultimate destination.
During the concert/Day-1:
Aisha will mingle with the crowd itself, Hiding her tail within the confines of her lower attire, and keep her hood up to cover her face, much as she had done in the dwarven place. But attempting to keep herself from truly being noticed at all. (Stealth: 20) Her goal was to look for people who seemed 'less than nice' or people who seemed likely to have items of interest or knowledge, such as artifacts, tomes, higher end jewelry, hidden notes and similar curiosities, trinkets and the like, attempting to 'borrow' them. With Tsavi close by as her fallback in the case - as unlikely as it was, that she was caught, to pretend to 'bump' into Aisha so that the incident would seem like an accident caused by an overeager or fearful pet having jostled her tiny frame into the person and apologize. (Aisha will only target people who seem shady, or people with items that could provide knowledge or that overall look as though their purses are heavier and in need of lightening. She also wont over-indulge.. perhaps 3-4 pockets at most. ((OOC - As I said in the last thread I've been avoiding giving into the Tabaxi kleptomania because i didn't want to disrupt party synergy or make people upset but I'm going to dip my toe in the water here)))
When the concert is over, assuming nothing untoward occurs such as being caught and her bluff being seen through, Aisha would make her way to a nearby smithy, and ask to have ten of her arrows silvered, while trying to talk the price down a bit as a 'hero of the city' and the like. Before purchasing another twenty arrows if she still had any funds to do so.
The rest of the day she will spend preparing for the trip, while trying to avoid the Kitsune at all costs.
Day 2, assuming again that nothing untoward occurred on day 1:
Aisha will spend the day using her carvers tools on her bow to create an intricate engravings from just above the handle, depicting her village, her sister, the sky above, and over it all the "Cat Lord" looking down upon it all. On the lower half of the bow, various engravings of her peoples culture and lives that could fit, leading down to a river meant to symbolize the stream of life. Assuming the silvering only takes a day (if it takes longer, then ignore this part) Aisha would head to pick up her missiles if they were to be ready, and when, returning to her room to do much the same with each one of the silvered arrows shafts. Each one depicting a single thing. the first depicting the Cat Lord pouncing on prey. The second, Her sister, also a ranger sighting down the bow. The third, of Tsavi running like the wind. The fourth, depicting the Jungles of her homeland. The fifth, depicting her homeworld with Selune and her sister(s). The sixth, Depicting the mirror world. The seventh, depicting the harsh sun of her homeland. The eighth, depicting herself with an item in hand. The Ninth, depicting herself, and her sister embracing as if having not seen the other in decades. The tenth and final one depicting each sister on the sides, with Tsavi on the top of the shaft, all facing the arrowhead.
The most detail being put into these last two. Finding tears in her own eyes, soft, and warm as they flowed slowly. She made no noise as she wasn't retching in sorrow, but solemn sadness that Tsavi picked up on, coming to her mistress' side and pressing against her, padding around her once before coiling around her mistress tiny frame from behind to support her.
Aisha would sigh heavily as she thought of home, the fact that she was here, and that being here kept her from ever taking steps to find her sister, while realizing fully that if she were not here her and her sister may simply have died anyway. Perhaps if others had been chosen they may have failed and Aisha would have been annihilated without ever knowing why. The thought brought little comfort, yet helped settle her into the reality that she was stuck here until it was done. Helping her realize that while it detoured her from her original path, it ultimately had the same goal. To protect her lost sister who was likely ignorant of it all.
As the night would drag on, she had holed herself in her room, laying against Tsavi until the late hours before finally packing her things one last time, taking inventory, and preparing Tsavi's rope-harnesses once more t keep herself from becoming overburdened so easily as she had been with the shadows. Both eventually falling into slumber.
((OOC - So as not to pidgeonhole the DM if silvering takes longer, she will still do it, but instead carve 10 other arrows and will collect them before the trip if possible, or after they return if not. I wish I had thought of this when we had a 'month of downtime' but i forgot i had made money from the Hunt Reward until now. Also in the event of Aisha being arrested or otherwise indisposed on the day 1 events, you can decide if/how/when any of it happened or was even possible given the circumstances. Don't worry about what I put into the post as I don't want you to feel obligated to allow it just because there is effort. I will deal with the changes as they come :) )
Occassional Dungeon Master.