Ro's gaze stays affixed to the suns in the sky as he mumbles, "Two suns, two suns, two suns..."The mumbling continues for several seconds as Ro tries to recall any information of relevance. His face lights up as he reaches a moment of epiphany before sombering back to a straight face.
The elf-dwarf shares what he knows, "I've read in the past of celestial harbingers foretelling the arrival of a grand event. Stars in the sky will align themselves, serving as a galactic marker that something pivotal is happening to our realm. If this is the case, then the suns we see now are only two of three harbingers."
Ro then takes a moment to catch his breath, as if sharing his knowledge exhausted him to quite an extent.
Rum watches as the harbourmaster hands over the sack of gold and the items. “This is very generous of you, thank you for acknowledging our efforts”.
He takes little interest in the items beyond a cursory glance though. “I have no use for these things myself, and would rather save my portion of the gold, if we are portioning it in that manner. There is something that I have heard of that I would like to save for, that might aid me in the ordeals to come”, he says to the others, feeling self conscious as the pursuit of possessions was not really the typical way at Dragonclaw.
He listens to Ro intently as he shares his knowledge regarding the second sun and ponders on what he said. “So you believe these two suns are the first two harbingers, and that there will be another? If these signs are to warn of what is to come, I wonder how much time that grants those that witness them to act. I cannot believe fate has already decided the outcome of this grand event. I also have to have hope that this event may not necessarily be bad”, he says, turning back to watch the second sun.
"What word from the Auryn, Greko? Do they speak of the second sun as well?", he asks when Greko finishes his conversation.
Greko walks back to the group "Yes Rum. You guessed correctly. A different group pointed out the sun. I told them we see it in Cloveresse and asked if anyone knows what it is. I have not heard back. That's quite a lot of equipment the harbourmaster brought over. Perhaps someone would like to accompany me to a smith? I have an item I would like to request. May I use some of the money from the job? I need a gilded acorn" Greko asks those standing around him confident they know all about how to gild an acorn.
While Collecting Rewards (Prior to Discussing the Two Sun) When rewards were brought, Ro brought them to the band. Each member was given an equal portion of gold (332 gp, 8 sp and 3 cp; this includes the gold we received at the Ivory Tower). The group spent some time discussing the distribution of magic items. Ro took the Greatclub of Warning and Lelith held onto the Goggles of Night. The other unclaimed items were stored in Ro's bag of holding. "If the band agrees, I can take time today to sell off the magic items we will not be needing. We can redistribute the profits from them. Lelith and Yam, if either of you are alright with it, I'd love your assistance with the bartering of these goods."
While Conversing about the Two Suns Ro addresses Rum, "Sorry, I don't know how swiftly or slowly these events will play out. The event will be grand for sure, but whether it has already been decided as terrific or terrifying is unknown. One can only pray that there is time and opportunity for us to influence these events."
The elf-dwarf pauses a while. He is uncomfortable with the heavy atmosphere the two suns and his words have created, but now wasn't the time to be timid. Ro turns to Greko, "Could you please relay all that I've said to the other bands? It's best that they have as much information to work with, as foreboding as that information may be..."
(Once conversations have been resolved, Ro will be shopping in the Cold District for magic items and spell scrolls. Unsure if Tuto has his own shopping plans, Ro will invite the gnome to tag along as well as Lelith or Yam if they agreed to help with selling the magic items.)
Rum smiles at Ro as he explains he doesn’t know a timescale for the event and mentions going to sell the loot.
”I think I will remain at the ship for now, I have no need of anything from the town, although a share of the gold you get for selling those items would be appreciated as you suggest. I would be happy if you would keep my coin in your bag of wonder friend Ro”, he says before heading over to the Captain.
“Can I be of assistance with any task aboard the Scorpion whilst we are docked?”
He is keen to be useful aboard the ship, as he suspects they will be spending a fair amount of time on her.
While Collecting Rewards (Prior to Discussing the Two Sun) When rewards were brought, Ro brought them to the band. Each member was given an equal portion of gold (332 gp, 8 sp and 3 cp; this includes the gold we received at the Ivory Tower). The group spent some time discussing the distribution of magic items. Ro took the Greatclub of Warning and Lelith held onto the Goggles of Night. The other unclaimed items were stored in Ro's bag of holding. "If the band agrees, I can take time today to sell off the magic items we will not be needing. We can redistribute the profits from them. Lelith and Yam, if either of you are alright with it, I'd love your assistance with the bartering of these goods."
Lelith gives Ro a nod to show that she'll accompany him and help him sell the items at the best possible price. Once again, she somehow took the appearance of an elven noble within a few seconds. She paid attention to the ongoing discussion about the second sun but otherwise, she looked uninterested. "Let us go then, my dear."
Greko nods to Ro " I will tell them right now" Greko stays by Ro and speaks into the Auryn relaying the information "Hello this is Greko the Green. One of my companions knows of the 2 suns from a book they've read. They told us that celestial harbingers foretold the arrival of a grand event. Stars in the sky will align themselves, serving as a galactic marker that something pivotal is happening to our realm. If this is the case, then the suns we see now are only two of three harbingers....."Outside of that, we do not know what the event is or when it will occur."
Shopping seems to work out for some of the adventurers; the town has a decent variety of things available, even if some are pricey. Still, they are able to make up in other aspects with some goods being more affordable; it comes out as a wash in the end.
Cloveresse is very, very busy. Thousands of people are on the streets and on the move. Whole convoys of banthas, mules, donkeys, horses, racing snails, mammoths, and even more than a few rocs are stationed around the city as goods coming in from Hylia are distributed and leave on their routes to Riverwood, the Ivory Tower, and other destinations.
The people are startled by the appearance of the second sun, but, like most others, they don't have the option to think too hard about what it means; they have to set back to work, bringing in crops for distribution, goods from the sea, whole loads of fish, pickled goods from Hylia, ship loads of Hylian Oak and Eternian Mushroom Trees and huge crystals gathered from the western peninsula of Hylia.
Ro smiles and nods back in thanks to Greko before taking off with Lelith into the city. The pair browse around, Ro allowing Lelith to complete any of her purchases first. Afterwards, Lelith finds a secluded spot to magically change her appearance into that of a Hylian noble. As the two begin to sell off their magic items, Ro makes small talk, "I've noticed that you prefer taking the appearance of Hylians. You also seem to respect the Hylian princess, Zelda, too. Correct me if I'm wrong but do you have history in Hylia?"
While negotiating prices, Lelith uses her appearance as a hylian noble as well as her expertise in deception to weave stories about each magic item below in an attempt to make them seem more valuable. (Lelith has rolled deception checks for each item on Discord, I'm using the first four.)
Item name (Deception check): - Smoldering Chain Shirt (29) - Shield of Expression (20) - Spiked Armor of Gleaming (25) - Moon-Touched Greatsword (20)
After selling the items, Ro will give Lelith her share of the profits. He later gives each band member their share of the profits when they meet up again.
Rum is really intrigued by the bustling port town. Or is it a city? The Captain had nothing really for him to do and so in the end his curiosity gets the better of him and he ventures off into the streets, nimbly winding his way through the crowds. His shopping experience is not the best, finding that the items he was interested in were beyond his budget, and he soon gives up and returns to the docks.
Finding a dockside tavern, his professional curiosity now gets the better of him, and he wanders inside wondering what ales they might have from lands afar. He talks shop with the barkeep, speaking of his Dragonclaw ale and inquiring if he has any suggestions of particularly good ale. Sampling small amounts of each.
On his return to the Scorpion, he makes his way up to the crows nest to meditate for some time, before he spends the rest of the day performing his usual routine. He checks on Herbs and Spice, taking them off the ship for a walk if the Captain or First Mate agree, and then training.
Ro smiles and nods back in thanks to Greko before taking off with Lelith into the city. The pair browse around, Ro allowing Lelith to complete any of her purchases first. Afterwards, Lelith finds a secluded spot to magically change her appearance into that of a Hylian noble. As the two begin to sell off their magic items, Ro makes small talk, "I've noticed that you prefer taking the appearance of Hylians. You also seem to respect the Hylian princess, Zelda, too. Correct me if I'm wrong but do you have history in Hylia?"
While negotiating prices, Lelith uses her appearance as a hylian noble as well as her expertise in deception to weave stories about each magic item below in an attempt to make them seem more valuable. (Lelith has rolled deception checks for each item on Discord, I'm using the first four.)
Item name (Deception check): - Smoldering Chain Shirt (29) - Shield of Expression (20) - Spiked Armor of Gleaming (25) - Moon-Touched Greatsword (20)
After selling the items, Ro will give Lelith her share of the profits. He later gives each band member their share of the profits when they meet up again.
"What makes you think I am not Hylian?" Lelith raised an elegant eyebrow, her expression looked equally mocking as it was questioning. "A majority of my kind are from there, after all."
"I also forget how careless you can be in naming powerful people here..." Lelith sighed, she raised a finger to explain with a rather stern expression, similar to a teacher. "but I suppose we are under different rules in this reality. The royal priestess is not just any princess, divinity runs in her blood. Although her form has changed many times, she remains one individual throughout all of the time and she has always been accompanied by the heroic spirit who saved your world many times. She is the closest you, a human of the material world, would ever get to see a God if we do have the honour of meeting her. Even I would not dare lay any deception at her feet."
"The princess has always been... the name you mentioned earlier, and she always will be. She is an incarnation, one part of a greater whole, the goddess of time to which the kingdom owes its name to." Lelith paused for a few seconds. "This is not known to many in normative space and I doubt she even realizes her true nature."
"You might be wondering why I am so open with this information now of all times." Lelith broke eye contact for a few moments. "Firstly, you asked and thus saved me a lot of trouble. Secondly, you have earned some modicum of trust. I do not believe you will do me or our mission any harm. This wouldn't be enough normally but I do not have much of a choice, as I would not be able to keep many secrets anymore once we meet her. As I've said, any lies would likely shorten our lifespan prematurely in unexpected ways."
The weapon smith who is looking at the armament and items for sale strokes his chin, absolutely awed by the description that Lelith spins for him. His jaw hangs open for a moment while he debates what to do, then he offers up 8,000 GP for the whole lot of equipment, saying it's the best he can do.
The weapon smith who is looking at the armament and items for sale strokes his chin, absolutely awed by the description that Lelith spins for him. His jaw hangs open for a moment while he debates what to do, then he offers up 8,000 GP for the whole lot of equipment, saying it's the best he can do.
Ro turns to Lelith to double-check if she is satisfied with smith's offer. Receiving approval, the pair move forward with the transaction. Throughout the day, Ro finds each member of the band and gives them their share of the profits (1333 gp, 3 sp and 3 cp).
"What makes you think I am not Hylian?" Lelith raised an elegant eyebrow, her expression looked equally mocking as it was questioning. "A majority of my kind are from there, after all."
"I also forget how careless you can be in naming powerful people here..." Lelith sighed, she raised a finger to explain with a rather stern expression, similar to a teacher. "but I suppose we are under different rules in this reality. The royal priestess is not just any princess, divinity runs in her blood. Although her form has changed many times, she remains one individual throughout all of the time and she has always been accompanied by the heroic spirit who saved your world many times. She is the closest you, a human of the material world, would ever get to see a God if we do have the honour of meeting her. Even I would not dare lay any deception at her feet."
"The princess has always been... the name you mentioned earlier, and she always will be. She is an incarnation, one part of a greater whole, the goddess of time to which the kingdom owes its name to." Lelith paused for a few seconds. "This is not known to many in normative space and I doubt she even realizes her true nature."
"You might be wondering why I am so open with this information now of all times." Lelith broke eye contact for a few moments. "Firstly, you asked and thus saved me a lot of trouble. Secondly, you have earned some modicum of trust. I do not believe you will do me or our mission any harm. This wouldn't be enough normally but I do not have much of a choice, as I would not be able to keep many secrets anymore once we meet her. As I've said, any lies would likely shorten our lifespan prematurely in unexpected ways."
Ro let's out a mental sigh. He forgot how hard it could be to converse with this particular person. However, he knew that she was a good person deep down, she just had a few thorns. A lot of them actually. Besides, if the Childlike Empress acknowledged her character and ability, so should he.
As the pair walk through the city streets, Ro keeps his attention to the path ahead of him as he responds to Lelith, "I tend not to assume one's origins. In my experience, I've come to learn that not everyone adopts the likeliness of their perceived ancestors nor can they always live up to those expectations." Ro's face winces a moment as he recalls an unsavory memory. "They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. In my own case, I fell very far and turned out to be an orange." The elf-dwarf lets out an artificial yet convincing laugh as a response to his own joke. In part to lighten up the mood, and in part to prevent himself from falling down a chain of negative thoughts.
Having composed himself, Ro continues to speak, "I did not know that the princess had such a unique, er, heritage. However, I have gotten the chance to see Princess Zelda in the flesh on several occasions. My parents serve in Hyrule's elite guard, putting them directly under service of King Hyrule. Their work often kept us in the company of Hyrule's nobility. She's a beautiful person, to put it in short, and just as capable if not more so."
"But it is not the princess that I am interested in right now, it's you," Ro then halts to a stop and turns to look at Lelith, allowing his violet eyes to lock with hers. The elf-dwarf turns away and continues walking, maintaining a pace equal to Lelith's so that they walked side-by-side. Ro continues to speak with a soft, friendly tone, "You're always all cloak and dagger. The way you disguise yourself, your talent in spinning tall tales, how you seem to keep everyone away at an arm's length. And yet you answer the Childlike Empress' call, forcing yourself into the spotlight. A position I'm sure you'd rather not be in. I genuinely would like to get to know you better as a person, Lelith Iathrana."
"Dang. Nice, Ro." Kazek whistles and chimes in, impressed by his friend uncharacteristically taking the initiative.
Ro makes a perturbed face before realizing that his words may have come off as aggressive or flirtatious. Ro turns to Lelith his face red with embarrassment, "Ah sorry. I don't mean to offend you or overstep any boundaries. Don't feel obliged to answer if you are unwilling or uncomfortable. It's just that..." Ro regains his composure and looks up at the two suns sailing ominously in the sky, "...the road ahead of us is long and arduous. We are undoubtedly going to wrestle with death many more times, and I'm well aware of the risks. There's no better ally on the battlefield than a trusted friend; and should we meet an untimely end, at least it'd be in the company of friends rather than strangers."
Ro offers a warm smile to Lelith. Though his final words were a bit dark, he said them with a casual straightness.
The weapon smith who is looking at the armament and items for sale strokes his chin, absolutely awed by the description that Lelith spins for him. His jaw hangs open for a moment while he debates what to do, then he offers up 8,000 GP for the whole lot of equipment, saying it's the best he can do.
Ro turns to Lelith to double-check if she is satisfied with smith's offer. Receiving approval, the pair move forward with the transaction. Throughout the day, Ro finds each member of the band and gives them their share of the profits (1333 gp, 3 sp and 3 cp).
"What makes you think I am not Hylian?" Lelith raised an elegant eyebrow, her expression looked equally mocking as it was questioning. "A majority of my kind are from there, after all."
"I also forget how careless you can be in naming powerful people here..." Lelith sighed, she raised a finger to explain with a rather stern expression, similar to a teacher. "but I suppose we are under different rules in this reality. The royal priestess is not just any princess, divinity runs in her blood. Although her form has changed many times, she remains one individual throughout all of the time and she has always been accompanied by the heroic spirit who saved your world many times. She is the closest you, a human of the material world, would ever get to see a God if we do have the honour of meeting her. Even I would not dare lay any deception at her feet."
"The princess has always been... the name you mentioned earlier, and she always will be. She is an incarnation, one part of a greater whole, the goddess of time to which the kingdom owes its name to." Lelith paused for a few seconds. "This is not known to many in normative space and I doubt she even realizes her true nature."
"You might be wondering why I am so open with this information now of all times." Lelith broke eye contact for a few moments. "Firstly, you asked and thus saved me a lot of trouble. Secondly, you have earned some modicum of trust. I do not believe you will do me or our mission any harm. This wouldn't be enough normally but I do not have much of a choice, as I would not be able to keep many secrets anymore once we meet her. As I've said, any lies would likely shorten our lifespan pr
Ro let's out a mental sigh. He forgot how hard it could be to converse with this particular person. However, he knew that she was a good person deep down, she just had a few thorns. A lot of them actually. Besides, if the Childlike Empress acknowledged her character and ability, so should he.
As the pair walk through the city streets, Ro keeps his attention to the path ahead of him as he responds to Lelith, "I tend not to assume one's origins. In my experience, I've come to learn that not everyone adopts the likeliness of their perceived ancestors nor can they always live up to those expectations." Ro's face winces a moment as he recalls an unsavory memory. "They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. In my own case, I fell very far and turned out to be an orange." The elf-dwarf lets out an artificial yet convincing laugh as a response to his own joke. In part to lighten up the mood, and in part to prevent himself from falling down a chain of negative thoughts.
Having composed himself, Ro continues to speak, "I did not know that the princess had such a unique, er, heritage. However, I have gotten the chance to see Princess Zelda in the flesh on several occasions. My parents serve in Hyrule's elite guard, putting them directly under service of King Hyrule. Their work often kept us in the company of Hyrule's nobility. She's a beautiful person, to put it in short, and just as capable if not more so."
"But it is not the princess that I am interested in right now, it's you," Ro then halts to a stop and turns to look at Lelith, allowing his violet eyes to lock with hers. The elf-dwarf turns away and continues walking, maintaining a pace equal to Lelith's so that they walked side-by-side. Ro continues to speak with a soft, friendly tone, "You're always all cloak and dagger. The way you disguise yourself, your talent in spinning tall tales, how you seem to keep everyone away at an arm's length. And yet you answer the Childlike Empress' call, forcing yourself into the spotlight. A position I'm sure you'd rather not be in. I genuinely would like to get to know you better as a person, Lelith Iathrana."
"Dang. Nice, Ro." Kazek whistles and chimes in, impressed by his friend uncharacteristically taking the initiative.
Ro makes a perturbed face before realizing that his words may have come off as aggressive or flirtatious. Ro turns to Lelith his face red with embarrassment, "Ah sorry. I don't mean to offend you or overstep any boundaries. Don't feel obliged to answer if you are unwilling or uncomfortable. It's just that..." Ro regains his composure and looks up at the two suns sailing ominously in the sky, "...the road ahead of us is long and arduous. We are undoubtedly going to wrestle with death many more times, and I'm well aware of the risks. There's no better ally on the battlefield than a trusted friend; and should we meet an untimely end, at least it'd be in the company of friends rather than strangers."
Ro offers a warm smile to Lelith. Though his final words were a bit dark, he said them with a casual straightness.
"I cannot truly share everything, it is as much for your safety as it is for mine. My behaviour is a way of life. However, as I said, everything will be laid bare once we meet the mortal vessel of the Goddess." Lelith couldn't really comprehend how they knew so little about her, how she likely knew nothing about herself. "I will try, however, I offer no promises."
"A friendship, you say?" Lelith looked amused. "You already know I am no Hylian, my elven kind are different. In a theoretical sense, we have the same lifespan as them but in practice, many individuals in some special situations have an open path for them to tread upon. My situation permits me to tread on it. This adventure we would live through together, barring any unfortunate circumstances, would be but a speck in my lifetime eventually. Our friendship, if you could call it as such, would be but a passing interest until I lay you to rest forever if I do not wish to hurt myself."
"Aside from my customs, that is why I rarely speak or seek any contact when I am in Hyboria. I was strongly recommended to do so during my short excursions here. I may not show it but my kind's emotions are amplified compared to you. Although they're my normality, you would consider them extreme and somewhat overwhelming. The loss of a friend could possibly drive me insane. Our very physiology is affected by them, you see but few changes because I have learned to control them to some extent. We are old, whimsical, and irrational from your perspective but everything we do has a purpose. A logic only we can see." Lelith seemed quite taken with the character of a teacher she currently embodied.
After Ro and Lelith return with the coin value of the unwanted items, Rum is very happy and takes all his coins from Ro and disappears back off into town. He returns a short while later looking pleased with himself and heads down to the cart and re-appears rolling a barrel of Dragonclaw, manoeuvring it off the Scorpion and away into town.
When he returns after this, he is wearing a fancy new cloak.
Ro listens to Lelith's word intently. When she is done he responds, "If emotions can affect you in such a drastic way, I suppose that it is a natural response to distance yourself from others. And it can be a cruel realization to know that you will lose friends simply due to biology."
"However, like you, my body flows with elven blood; albeit there is some dwarven mixed in there too. I'm not fully aware how my mixed blood affects my lifespan, but I believe I will live a natural life as long as yours if not longer. I am only 24 so I've got plenty more years ahead of me. And though I speak of the possibility of an untimely death casually, I don't eagerly seek it out. I've merely resolved myself." Ro thinks for a moment and laughs, "Now that I think of it you, Tuto and I will most likely outlive our bandmates should all things go well in our mission."
Ro smiles warmly, "I thank you for sharing these things with me, Lelith. Considering the motivations behind your distanced nature and out of common decency, I want to make clear that I will not force my friendship onto you. But I shall keep the door open."
Greko heads back to the ship after acquiring his gilded acorn from the smithy but gets distracted by a black eagle. Greko grimaces at the sight. He sits on a bench and watches "2 suns and a black eagle...this does not bode well." Greko watches for a moment, gains his composure, and then heads back to the boat
Ro listens to Lelith's word intently. When she is done he responds, "If emotions can affect you in such a drastic way, I suppose that it is a natural response to distance yourself from others. And it can be a cruel realization to know that you will lose friends simply due to biology."
"However, like you, my body flows with elven blood; albeit there is some dwarven mixed in there too. I'm not fully aware how my mixed blood affects my lifespan, but I believe I will live a natural life as long as yours if not longer. I am only 24 so I've got plenty more years ahead of me. And though I speak of the possibility of an untimely death casually, I don't eagerly seek it out. I've merely resolved myself." Ro thinks for a moment and laughs, "Now that I think of it you, Tuto and I will most likely outlive our bandmates should all things go well in our mission."
Ro smiles warmly, "I thank you for sharing these things with me, Lelith. Considering the motivations behind your distanced nature and out of common decency, I want to make clear that I will not force my friendship onto you. But I shall keep the door open."
"We do not have much of a choice on who we befriend. It is a matter of compatibility, as long as both individuals are open. I may not have a choice in the matter if I like you enough." Lelith smiled helplessly. "Friendship is no contract to be signed or a vocal agreement to be made, it just happens."
With those parting words, Lelith walked back to the ship with her part of the earnings. She decided to keep her misgivings for now on how little she thought of his parents or whoever would dare procreate with other species. Fortunately, Ro came out the better out of it, she could've easily mistaken him for a simple short and young human male.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Greko hears a voice from the Auryn and speaks back
Ro's gaze stays affixed to the suns in the sky as he mumbles, "Two suns, two suns, two suns..." The mumbling continues for several seconds as Ro tries to recall any information of relevance. His face lights up as he reaches a moment of epiphany before sombering back to a straight face.
The elf-dwarf shares what he knows, "I've read in the past of celestial harbingers foretelling the arrival of a grand event. Stars in the sky will align themselves, serving as a galactic marker that something pivotal is happening to our realm. If this is the case, then the suns we see now are only two of three harbingers."
Ro then takes a moment to catch his breath, as if sharing his knowledge exhausted him to quite an extent.
Ro Aleron (Ro the Red) -> Illithid, Wizard 8 (Chronugist) // AURYN
Rum watches as the harbourmaster hands over the sack of gold and the items. “This is very generous of you, thank you for acknowledging our efforts”.
He takes little interest in the items beyond a cursory glance though. “I have no use for these things myself, and would rather save my portion of the gold, if we are portioning it in that manner. There is something that I have heard of that I would like to save for, that might aid me in the ordeals to come”, he says to the others, feeling self conscious as the pursuit of possessions was not really the typical way at Dragonclaw.
He listens to Ro intently as he shares his knowledge regarding the second sun and ponders on what he said. “So you believe these two suns are the first two harbingers, and that there will be another? If these signs are to warn of what is to come, I wonder how much time that grants those that witness them to act. I cannot believe fate has already decided the outcome of this grand event. I also have to have hope that this event may not necessarily be bad”, he says, turning back to watch the second sun.
"What word from the Auryn, Greko? Do they speak of the second sun as well?", he asks when Greko finishes his conversation.
Greko walks back to the group "Yes Rum. You guessed correctly. A different group pointed out the sun. I told them we see it in Cloveresse and asked if anyone knows what it is. I have not heard back. That's quite a lot of equipment the harbourmaster brought over. Perhaps someone would like to accompany me to a smith? I have an item I would like to request. May I use some of the money from the job? I need a gilded acorn" Greko asks those standing around him confident they know all about how to gild an acorn.
While Collecting Rewards (Prior to Discussing the Two Sun)
When rewards were brought, Ro brought them to the band. Each member was given an equal portion of gold (332 gp, 8 sp and 3 cp; this includes the gold we received at the Ivory Tower). The group spent some time discussing the distribution of magic items. Ro took the Greatclub of Warning and Lelith held onto the Goggles of Night. The other unclaimed items were stored in Ro's bag of holding. "If the band agrees, I can take time today to sell off the magic items we will not be needing. We can redistribute the profits from them. Lelith and Yam, if either of you are alright with it, I'd love your assistance with the bartering of these goods."
While Conversing about the Two Suns
Ro addresses Rum, "Sorry, I don't know how swiftly or slowly these events will play out. The event will be grand for sure, but whether it has already been decided as terrific or terrifying is unknown. One can only pray that there is time and opportunity for us to influence these events."
The elf-dwarf pauses a while. He is uncomfortable with the heavy atmosphere the two suns and his words have created, but now wasn't the time to be timid. Ro turns to Greko, "Could you please relay all that I've said to the other bands? It's best that they have as much information to work with, as foreboding as that information may be..."
(Once conversations have been resolved, Ro will be shopping in the Cold District for magic items and spell scrolls. Unsure if Tuto has his own shopping plans, Ro will invite the gnome to tag along as well as Lelith or Yam if they agreed to help with selling the magic items.)
Ro Aleron (Ro the Red) -> Illithid, Wizard 8 (Chronugist) // AURYN
Rum smiles at Ro as he explains he doesn’t know a timescale for the event and mentions going to sell the loot.
”I think I will remain at the ship for now, I have no need of anything from the town, although a share of the gold you get for selling those items would be appreciated as you suggest. I would be happy if you would keep my coin in your bag of wonder friend Ro”, he says before heading over to the Captain.
“Can I be of assistance with any task aboard the Scorpion whilst we are docked?”
He is keen to be useful aboard the ship, as he suspects they will be spending a fair amount of time on her.
Quote from FayHX >>
Lelith gives Ro a nod to show that she'll accompany him and help him sell the items at the best possible price. Once again, she somehow took the appearance of an elven noble within a few seconds. She paid attention to the ongoing discussion about the second sun but otherwise, she looked uninterested. "Let us go then, my dear."
Greko nods to Ro " I will tell them right now" Greko stays by Ro and speaks into the Auryn relaying the information "Hello this is Greko the Green. One of my companions knows of the 2 suns from a book they've read. They told us that celestial harbingers foretold the arrival of a grand event. Stars in the sky will align themselves, serving as a galactic marker that something pivotal is happening to our realm. If this is the case, then the suns we see now are only two of three harbingers....."Outside of that, we do not know what the event is or when it will occur."
Greko smiles at Ro and heads to the smith
Shopping seems to work out for some of the adventurers; the town has a decent variety of things available, even if some are pricey. Still, they are able to make up in other aspects with some goods being more affordable; it comes out as a wash in the end.
Cloveresse is very, very busy. Thousands of people are on the streets and on the move. Whole convoys of banthas, mules, donkeys, horses, racing snails, mammoths, and even more than a few rocs are stationed around the city as goods coming in from Hylia are distributed and leave on their routes to Riverwood, the Ivory Tower, and other destinations.
The people are startled by the appearance of the second sun, but, like most others, they don't have the option to think too hard about what it means; they have to set back to work, bringing in crops for distribution, goods from the sea, whole loads of fish, pickled goods from Hylia, ship loads of Hylian Oak and Eternian Mushroom Trees and huge crystals gathered from the western peninsula of Hylia.
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
On the way to the smith, Greko heard more voices from the Auryn and stops to listen.
Ro smiles and nods back in thanks to Greko before taking off with Lelith into the city. The pair browse around, Ro allowing Lelith to complete any of her purchases first. Afterwards, Lelith finds a secluded spot to magically change her appearance into that of a Hylian noble. As the two begin to sell off their magic items, Ro makes small talk, "I've noticed that you prefer taking the appearance of Hylians. You also seem to respect the Hylian princess, Zelda, too. Correct me if I'm wrong but do you have history in Hylia?"
After selling the items, Ro will give Lelith her share of the profits. He later gives each band member their share of the profits when they meet up again.
Ro Aleron (Ro the Red) -> Illithid, Wizard 8 (Chronugist) // AURYN
Rum is really intrigued by the bustling port town. Or is it a city? The Captain had nothing really for him to do and so in the end his curiosity gets the better of him and he ventures off into the streets, nimbly winding his way through the crowds. His shopping experience is not the best, finding that the items he was interested in were beyond his budget, and he soon gives up and returns to the docks.
Finding a dockside tavern, his professional curiosity now gets the better of him, and he wanders inside wondering what ales they might have from lands afar. He talks shop with the barkeep, speaking of his Dragonclaw ale and inquiring if he has any suggestions of particularly good ale. Sampling small amounts of each.
On his return to the Scorpion, he makes his way up to the crows nest to meditate for some time, before he spends the rest of the day performing his usual routine. He checks on Herbs and Spice, taking them off the ship for a walk if the Captain or First Mate agree, and then training.
"What makes you think I am not Hylian?" Lelith raised an elegant eyebrow, her expression looked equally mocking as it was questioning. "A majority of my kind are from there, after all."
"I also forget how careless you can be in naming powerful people here..." Lelith sighed, she raised a finger to explain with a rather stern expression, similar to a teacher. "but I suppose we are under different rules in this reality. The royal priestess is not just any princess, divinity runs in her blood. Although her form has changed many times, she remains one individual throughout all of the time and she has always been accompanied by the heroic spirit who saved your world many times. She is the closest you, a human of the material world, would ever get to see a God if we do have the honour of meeting her. Even I would not dare lay any deception at her feet."
"The princess has always been... the name you mentioned earlier, and she always will be. She is an incarnation, one part of a greater whole, the goddess of time to which the kingdom owes its name to." Lelith paused for a few seconds. "This is not known to many in normative space and I doubt she even realizes her true nature."
"You might be wondering why I am so open with this information now of all times." Lelith broke eye contact for a few moments. "Firstly, you asked and thus saved me a lot of trouble. Secondly, you have earned some modicum of trust. I do not believe you will do me or our mission any harm. This wouldn't be enough normally but I do not have much of a choice, as I would not be able to keep many secrets anymore once we meet her. As I've said, any lies would likely shorten our lifespan prematurely in unexpected ways."
The weapon smith who is looking at the armament and items for sale strokes his chin, absolutely awed by the description that Lelith spins for him. His jaw hangs open for a moment while he debates what to do, then he offers up 8,000 GP for the whole lot of equipment, saying it's the best he can do.
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
Ro turns to Lelith to double-check if she is satisfied with smith's offer. Receiving approval, the pair move forward with the transaction. Throughout the day, Ro finds each member of the band and gives them their share of the profits (1333 gp, 3 sp and 3 cp).
Ro let's out a mental sigh. He forgot how hard it could be to converse with this particular person. However, he knew that she was a good person deep down, she just had a few thorns. A lot of them actually. Besides, if the Childlike Empress acknowledged her character and ability, so should he.
As the pair walk through the city streets, Ro keeps his attention to the path ahead of him as he responds to Lelith, "I tend not to assume one's origins. In my experience, I've come to learn that not everyone adopts the likeliness of their perceived ancestors nor can they always live up to those expectations." Ro's face winces a moment as he recalls an unsavory memory. "They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. In my own case, I fell very far and turned out to be an orange." The elf-dwarf lets out an artificial yet convincing laugh as a response to his own joke. In part to lighten up the mood, and in part to prevent himself from falling down a chain of negative thoughts.
Having composed himself, Ro continues to speak, "I did not know that the princess had such a unique, er, heritage. However, I have gotten the chance to see Princess Zelda in the flesh on several occasions. My parents serve in Hyrule's elite guard, putting them directly under service of King Hyrule. Their work often kept us in the company of Hyrule's nobility. She's a beautiful person, to put it in short, and just as capable if not more so."
"But it is not the princess that I am interested in right now, it's you," Ro then halts to a stop and turns to look at Lelith, allowing his violet eyes to lock with hers. The elf-dwarf turns away and continues walking, maintaining a pace equal to Lelith's so that they walked side-by-side. Ro continues to speak with a soft, friendly tone, "You're always all cloak and dagger. The way you disguise yourself, your talent in spinning tall tales, how you seem to keep everyone away at an arm's length. And yet you answer the Childlike Empress' call, forcing yourself into the spotlight. A position I'm sure you'd rather not be in. I genuinely would like to get to know you better as a person, Lelith Iathrana."
"Dang. Nice, Ro." Kazek whistles and chimes in, impressed by his friend uncharacteristically taking the initiative.
Ro makes a perturbed face before realizing that his words may have come off as aggressive or flirtatious. Ro turns to Lelith his face red with embarrassment, "Ah sorry. I don't mean to offend you or overstep any boundaries. Don't feel obliged to answer if you are unwilling or uncomfortable. It's just that..." Ro regains his composure and looks up at the two suns sailing ominously in the sky, "...the road ahead of us is long and arduous. We are undoubtedly going to wrestle with death many more times, and I'm well aware of the risks. There's no better ally on the battlefield than a trusted friend; and should we meet an untimely end, at least it'd be in the company of friends rather than strangers."
Ro offers a warm smile to Lelith. Though his final words were a bit dark, he said them with a casual straightness.
Ro Aleron (Ro the Red) -> Illithid, Wizard 8 (Chronugist) // AURYN
"I cannot truly share everything, it is as much for your safety as it is for mine. My behaviour is a way of life. However, as I said, everything will be laid bare once we meet the mortal vessel of the Goddess." Lelith couldn't really comprehend how they knew so little about her, how she likely knew nothing about herself. "I will try, however, I offer no promises."
"A friendship, you say?" Lelith looked amused. "You already know I am no Hylian, my elven kind are different. In a theoretical sense, we have the same lifespan as them but in practice, many individuals in some special situations have an open path for them to tread upon. My situation permits me to tread on it. This adventure we would live through together, barring any unfortunate circumstances, would be but a speck in my lifetime eventually. Our friendship, if you could call it as such, would be but a passing interest until I lay you to rest forever if I do not wish to hurt myself."
"Aside from my customs, that is why I rarely speak or seek any contact when I am in Hyboria. I was strongly recommended to do so during my short excursions here. I may not show it but my kind's emotions are amplified compared to you. Although they're my normality, you would consider them extreme and somewhat overwhelming. The loss of a friend could possibly drive me insane. Our very physiology is affected by them, you see but few changes because I have learned to control them to some extent. We are old, whimsical, and irrational from your perspective but everything we do has a purpose. A logic only we can see." Lelith seemed quite taken with the character of a teacher she currently embodied.
After Ro and Lelith return with the coin value of the unwanted items, Rum is very happy and takes all his coins from Ro and disappears back off into town. He returns a short while later looking pleased with himself and heads down to the cart and re-appears rolling a barrel of Dragonclaw, manoeuvring it off the Scorpion and away into town.
When he returns after this, he is wearing a fancy new cloak.
Ro listens to Lelith's word intently. When she is done he responds, "If emotions can affect you in such a drastic way, I suppose that it is a natural response to distance yourself from others. And it can be a cruel realization to know that you will lose friends simply due to biology."
"However, like you, my body flows with elven blood; albeit there is some dwarven mixed in there too. I'm not fully aware how my mixed blood affects my lifespan, but I believe I will live a natural life as long as yours if not longer. I am only 24 so I've got plenty more years ahead of me. And though I speak of the possibility of an untimely death casually, I don't eagerly seek it out. I've merely resolved myself." Ro thinks for a moment and laughs, "Now that I think of it you, Tuto and I will most likely outlive our bandmates should all things go well in our mission."
Ro smiles warmly, "I thank you for sharing these things with me, Lelith. Considering the motivations behind your distanced nature and out of common decency, I want to make clear that I will not force my friendship onto you. But I shall keep the door open."
Ro Aleron (Ro the Red) -> Illithid, Wizard 8 (Chronugist) // AURYN
Greko heads back to the ship after acquiring his gilded acorn from the smithy but gets distracted by a black eagle. Greko grimaces at the sight. He sits on a bench and watches "2 suns and a black eagle...this does not bode well." Greko watches for a moment, gains his composure, and then heads back to the boat
"We do not have much of a choice on who we befriend. It is a matter of compatibility, as long as both individuals are open. I may not have a choice in the matter if I like you enough." Lelith smiled helplessly. "Friendship is no contract to be signed or a vocal agreement to be made, it just happens."
With those parting words, Lelith walked back to the ship with her part of the earnings. She decided to keep her misgivings for now on how little she thought of his parents or whoever would dare procreate with other species. Fortunately, Ro came out the better out of it, she could've easily mistaken him for a simple short and young human male.