Aldith takes her medal, a tortoise claw, gingerly and eyes it with reverence. She is amazed at how proud she feels of this accomplishment; it's unlike anything she's ever done before. She is glad most of the others made it as well, although judging by the state of injuries their turtles seemed to have been more snappish than her own. Aldith walks over to Shayone.
"You did really well," she tells the hobgoblin woman. "Your turtle was really feisty!"
When Nexus brings over her basket of treats, Aldith accepts one gratefully, thanking her. She picks one of the jellied ones and closes her eyes as she enjoys the scrumptious treat; she hasn't tasted anything this good in well...maybe ever. She nods knowingly as Mornin' scarfs down his own treat. "Me either," she confides.
Aldith can't help but smile at the minotaur's enthusiasm. "What challenges are left?" she asks.
Kenar excited about the turtles contest let the claw hang around his neck proudly then turns to the others “Im glad we did that but at the same time….ow…..just owww. We met a guy at the riddles who’s heading over to the Ifa plunge if you guys wanted to head that way to check it out? Pastry’s! Nexus your a goddess jelly for me please!”
"Thanks," Shayone smiles at Aldith. "Pride took a whalloping, though." She accepts one of the patries from Nexus and bites the head off the pastry turtle, perhaps a little more vigorously than she meant to. She takes the subject change eagerly. "Yes, let's see what else is out there!"
Nexus certainly seemed a degree flustered when, in his enthusiasm, Kalhala plucked her off the ground. Fumbling for a moment in the awkward hug not to drop her basket, taking a moment to simply relax as she did initially go a bit stiff at the contact. Eventually she did return said hug, a gentle but firm squeeze of an arm, till he set her back down and the little lady quickly turned her focus away from the group for a moment.
One breath. Two. And back to facing the group, clearing her throat. "You two haven't had the pleasure of sweets before? Well, dig in! I got sixteen or so of them, so everyone should be free to have two."
When Kenar asks for a jelly one, Nexus reaches into the basket again and searched for a moment, plucking up a seemingly random one from the bunch--but she knew the filling was piped in through the 'neck', so what color 'eyes' they had gave hint to what sort of filling was in the shell. "Here you are--one strawberry turtle puff."
Treats given a round, the group now in discussion, Nexus does take the time to say, "It really was a great show everyone. Now you can see why I was kinda afraid of them, though---I've seen them bite folk before and I wasn't looking forward to dealing with that. As for the next challenge--Yea! I could definitely go for a swim. I am dressed for it after all."
Mornin, this time more carefully, takes another puff. He can’t get enough of the sweetness. He eats it more calmly this time, trying to savor the taste, but still it is gone all too quickly. “Even if we aren’t swimming, we need to go that way to see the rest of the events. So we might as well.”
You can't drown someone with Create Water. If your lungs are containers than your bones are objects. Any Siege monster that attacks you deals double damage because it’s attacking your bones.
You all leave the horizonback pens behind and make your way south toward the Ifolon River. Several people are gathered on the piers, arguing among themselves and venting their ire at a spry goblin who responds to their anger with an amused expression. Suddenly, a brash voice cuts through the chatter, and a blue-skinned orc woman pushes her way through the crowd and stands protectively in front of the goblin, yelling, “She’s not gonna say it again! If you’re here with a team, only one member of your team can participate in the challenge! The rules are clear, and if you can’t handle it, get off the pier!” After just a couple of seconds, small groups of people begin to quietly murmur among themselves. The woman then huffs and makes her way over to an elegant drow dressed in fine robes, a familiar figure to Kenar, Aldith, and Nexus: Galsariad Ardyth, the fellow they met at the riddle contest.
Nexus also recognizes the blue-skinned orc as Ayo Jabe, one of her childhood acquaintances.
Kalhala enjoys the trip to the river, his mood soaring with his new friends and medals. Once they get there, the scene confuses him. When the orc woman yells out the rules, he shrugs and turns to Nexus, "Looks like this one is for you, friend. Like you said, you're all ready to go" and he gives her a smile and wink and waits for her to step forward.
Kenar breaths out in relief at the news “Luxon be praised! Not going to lie I’m not a big fan of water unless it’s in a tankard and even then I’d prefer ale.” Then seeing Galsariad he waves a greeting “Hello again! Looks like we’ve arrived just in time to see the action. For those of you who have not met this is Galsariad he’s quite the intelligent person!”
Nexus recognized the person's voice long before her gaze actually settled on it's source. A smile with the warmth of familiarity playing on her lips---It was just like her to try and quiet the crowd and bring back order to things. If solely because she likely saw herself as the likely champion of this little plunge. Galsariad's presence, and being the one that Ayo went to speak with after, did catch Nexus by surprise. Surprise enough to make her falter in introductions, and further still hesitate when Kalhala spoke of it being her turn for things.
"I---wait, what? Wouldn't this sort of thing be better for the leader of each team to take part in? I mean, sure I'm dressed for it, but if we all can't take part it'd be more logically sound to let our best swimmer do it. And frankly speaking---I'm more a casual swimmer than anything else."
Turning toward the rest of the party, waiting for everyone to get their bearings and take a look around as some of them were most certainly new in town, before she spoke up again. Clearing her throat just a little so her quiet voice could carry a bit better. "So, for the sake of this, who should we let partake in the challenge?"
While she waited for the responses from her companions, she did keep an ear out, trying to pick up without turning and being very noticeable it if any of the groups had some semblance of a plan for how to approach things. Maybe some repeat customers were giving it another go and they've learned something others aren't aware of?
Kalhala smiles at Nexus's nervousness. "What are you talking about? I've seen you swim, you're a great swimmer! And what do you mean the leader? We don't have a leader, we're a group, all voices heard equally!" as usual, his voice is boisterous at this, and he doesn't care who is listening. "Nexus, you still get my vote, but if someone else wants to take a shot at it, why, by all means." and he does a little bow to the group and backs up a bit, confirming he is not the one to do this.
Galsariad gives Kenar a wave, which prompts Ayo to look over at the group. She eyes each of you with curiosity, almost as if sizing you up. Her eyes land on Nexus and she gives a smile and a nod of recognition, and a bit of a mischievous grin at Kalhala, before she returns to her conversation with Galsariad.
"Okay, people, the next round of Ifolon Plunge is about to begin! Pay five silver to take part in the race. Contestants will swim upstream to try and grab the rusty spear out of the post. Whoever grabs the spear and returns it here first is the winner!" The amused-looking goblin announces to the gathered crowd. Ayo steps forward to take her place at the starting line, stretching in preparation for the swim upriver. Others step forward to join her: a lanky orc, a broad-shouldered human woman, and a surly-looking goblin.
With nobody else in the group jumping for the chance, and Kalhala encouraging her to take part, Nexus eventually relented. "--I apologize, yea. I prefer if we did do things like how Kalhala suggested. Everyone having a voice for the evening, since unlike my other friend we're not exactly a group group like they are. Just was dwelling on that thought. But since nobody else is wanting to, suppose I'll do my best to bring home another medal."
Nexus plucked up the sides of her dress, pulling them up so she might tie it into a small bun with a cord of ribbon from a bag and make it easier for her to move around in. The simple black shorts she wore under said dress stopping at the knee, certainly going for function over appearance sake. A small black book strapped to her right leg just at the outer-thigh with a single white pearl rest within it's center. Once she was sure she looked ready, and her hair was also similarly tied back, she made her way over to the announcer and dropped off her five silver. A simple nod returned toward Ayo though she made no attempt to interject in the conversation between her and Galsariad.
Inwardly, she was trying to think of something that might help her to better swim. Some humanoid races were known to have fins, no? Perhaps she could make use of her own innate talents once she dropped into the waters, where one might not notice as much what went down under the surface.
The swimmers line up along the edge of the dock, ready to dive in as soon as the word is given. As Nexus rifles through her knowledge of aquatic humanoids, Ayo takes the spot right next to her."Hey there, bookworm,"she grins, a glint of competitive spirit in her eye."You sure you're going to be able to keep up?"
"Swimmers, get ready! On your marks! Get set..."
"Good luck. You're gonna need it!" Ayo says to Nexus one last time.
"... Go!" The goblin announces before banging a small gong set up nearby. Nexus, Ayo, and the other competitors dive in the water, and the race begins!
And they're off! Ayo immediately gets a big lead, swimming upriver with the speed of a swiftfish. By the time she is at the post, Nexus and the other racers have only made it halfway. Ayo yanks the spear out of the post, then plots her next move: how to get past the other racers without getting the spear taken from her. But before she can even consider that, two dark shapes climb up from the river depths. Their curved fins jut out of the water as one swim towards Ayo and the other toward the human woman in the middle. Any native to Jigow recognizes the silhouette of the striped river sharks native to the Ifolon River!
Just before one of them can take a bite out of Ayo, Nexus springs into action, shouting a warning to the others as she uses a magic spell to conjure three rays of crackling thunder energy that pummel the two sharks. The shark going for Ayo immediately retreats back down to the safety of the river depths. Ayo looks to Nexus, a little surprised, then nods in acknowledgement. The second one, though, is determined to find a meal. It clamps its sharp teeth down onto the arm of the human woman, drawing blood that creates a scarlet cloud in the greenish-brown waters of the Ifolon. Ayo quickly uses this distraction to swim past the other three swimmers and return to the pier, where normally she would be greeted with cheers, fanfare, and a medal, but for now everyone is too focused on the unfolding scene in the water to care. As the goblin and orc retreat to the pier, the human woman struggles to escape, taking yet another bite on her leg. Nexus fires off a ray of ice energy in an attempt to slow down and deter the beast, but the ravenous shark is too lost in its blood frenzy. Thankfully, though, the woman does make it back to the pier and out of the water, where Ayo and the other races pull her out quickly. Nexus soon follows, steering clear of the ravenous shark before she becomes its next target as well.
The orc and goblin both support the woman as she limps over to a nearby crate and sits down. "Hey, we need some medical attention over here!" The orc calls out to any healer in the group of spectators. The woman is not severely injured, but the shark bites are bleeding.
"Well... that was exciting! We will hold off on further races until the sharks have cleared out. The winner of this race is Ayo Jabe!" The goblin announcer calls out, handing Ayo a medal made from glass that has been shaped to look like a conch shell. Ayo takes it, but does not put it around her neck yet. She joins the injured woman and makes sure someone comes along to treat her first, then dons the medal and accepts the crowd's praise. She then makes her way over to Nexus.
"You know, bookworm, I'm impressed... You skipped out on the glory of victory to take out those sharks and protect everyone. Saved me from a nasty bite, and possibly saved her from getting killed. Pretty damn brave of you. I've never seen anyone give their all like that before... 'cept for me, of course!" The orc woman says, giving Nexus a friendly nudge. Galsariad joins the two swimmers.
"Congratulations on your victory, Ayo. And might I say, some impressive spellcasting on your part, miss," the elegant drow states to Nexus with a slight bow. "If I am correct, that looked like a scorching ray spell, but at the last second before you cast it, you changed the fire energy to thunder? Very impressive... I've never seen anything quite like that."
"Watch out, Nexus, this one'll be asking you questions all night now!"
Growing up in Jigow, Nexus knew quite a few of the other kids and grew up beside them. She knew that Ayo had quite a bit of speed in the water, but only now did she get reminded of it after spending so much time in her studies over the last few years. Not but a few seconds into the swim till she realized the better plan was to simply wait near the pier and hope she got a chance to interrupt the stronger swimmer, letting her body lose it's adaptions she had made in anticipation of a stronger swim.
That's when the sharks came. Her initial surprise, the fluttering of a slight fear in her chest, dampened when she noticed exactly where those fins were cutting through the water towards. Her rivals in this game, where it would have been so much easier to simply ignore them. Instead, she opted to act.
Right hand snapping the holster that kept her book secured to her thigh, a thumb jammed itself between the pages of her tome to prop it open to a certain page. The sigil present within her notes, the connotations that denoted ingredients, movements, type----all of it written into a circle she made an adjustment of on the fly, causing it to light up. The three flaming spheres that had appeared above her head seemingly snuffing out till one took note of the warbling balls of energy in their place, like a heatwave on a hot summer day. These balls of 'sound' bursting forward like the regular application of the spell with the intent of not being dampened as harshly by the water. An effort that seemed to be worthwhile upon seeing one of those fins slip back under the waves and not come back up. The little 'change' she made on her spell 'burning' away with a faint fizzle till it looked no different than the regular version.
She kept casting weaker spells after that, waiting till everyone had made it back to shore before putting in the effort to do so herself, yanking herself out of the water with evident fear and haste despite the modicum of bravery she had expressed even risking a moment to save the others. A moment needed to catch her breath, and to use prestidigitation to dry her book off. The only reprieve she likely got before the fanfare of victory finally chimed and Ayo was, understandably, crowned the victor for bringing back the spear. The direct commendation causing the already fatigued drow look a little flustered, especially if others looked their way too. Even if she did return the friendly nudge. "I--I figured you probably could have handled them yourself, but---wasn't so sure about the others. Festivals are supposed to be fun, and someone getting super hurt would have put a real damper on things is all...."
Trailing off as the other drow joined in on the conversation, and with a topic that did make her smile more broadly, if briefly so. "Ah---yea! It was a scorching ray spell, but I did a quick modification to the formula before casting---" Nexus would go on to explain a little bit more, praising her schooling before returning to the topic of the race itself. "Congrats on the win by the way, Ayo! But I gotta get back to my group for now. Catch you all later?"
She'd return any goodbyes from that point, before she'd make her way over to Kalhala and the others. "...Okay, Mini. I think I need a little break after that bit of excitement. And some time to dry."
"Sure thing, Nex," Ayo says. "Hey, guess what? I dunno if you've heard, but I'm forming an adventuring party. If you wanna meet up with the rest of the gang, find us at the closing ceremony! I'm sure Galsariad will want to talk shop with you some more. Dermot's gonna be there, too!"
Shayone posted up along the riverbank with the others to watch Nexus swim and cheer her on. The cheering dies out quickly once people notice the sharks. Shayone curses as she realizes she's too far away for her magic to reach anyone in the water. She can only watch, and finds herself impressed as Nexus manages to ward off the beasts.
"That was some impressive spellwork you did," Shayone says as Nexus approaches the group. "What the hell were they doing holding a race in a river full of sharks, though? Aren't there barricades or something?"
Aldith watches the race with bated breath, silently cheering her new friend on in her head. She notices that Nexus seems to be friends with one of the other competitors, a blue-skinned orc woman. The handsome drow man is there as well, and Aldith does her best not to stare too much at him. He is rather good-looking and quick-witted to boot. She gives her head a little shake as if it clear it from these frivolous thoughts.
As she watches the race, it quickly turns from exciting to frightening as huge sharks attack the swimmers. At the sight of the blood in the water, Aldith goes cold all over. She remembers another time, another body, bleeding wounds. She resists the urge to close her eyes; it's hard to watch. Is she about to witness someone die again? But then she senses the use of magic and watches Nexus fighting off the shark. Her eyes wide, she races over to Nexus as soon as everyone is safely out of the water.
"That was incredible, Nexus!" she exclaims. "You saved that woman's life!"
Aldith takes her medal, a tortoise claw, gingerly and eyes it with reverence. She is amazed at how proud she feels of this accomplishment; it's unlike anything she's ever done before. She is glad most of the others made it as well, although judging by the state of injuries their turtles seemed to have been more snappish than her own. Aldith walks over to Shayone.
"You did really well," she tells the hobgoblin woman. "Your turtle was really feisty!"
When Nexus brings over her basket of treats, Aldith accepts one gratefully, thanking her. She picks one of the jellied ones and closes her eyes as she enjoys the scrumptious treat; she hasn't tasted anything this good in well...maybe ever. She nods knowingly as Mornin' scarfs down his own treat. "Me either," she confides.
Aldith can't help but smile at the minotaur's enthusiasm. "What challenges are left?" she asks.
Extended Signature
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf (Phandelver and Below) ♦ Vesta Trevelyan (Vecna: Eve of Ruin) ♦ Ada Kendrick (Curse of Strahd) ♦ Gareth Blackwood (Dragon of Icespire Peak) ♦ Karys Velthune (Out of the Abyss) ♦ Surina Xarith (Simple, Heroic Adventure)
DM: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus
Kenar excited about the turtles contest let the claw hang around his neck proudly then turns to the others “Im glad we did that but at the same time….ow…..just owww. We met a guy at the riddles who’s heading over to the Ifa plunge if you guys wanted to head that way to check it out? Pastry’s! Nexus your a goddess jelly for me please!”
"Thanks," Shayone smiles at Aldith. "Pride took a whalloping, though." She accepts one of the patries from Nexus and bites the head off the pastry turtle, perhaps a little more vigorously than she meant to. She takes the subject change eagerly. "Yes, let's see what else is out there!"
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
Nexus certainly seemed a degree flustered when, in his enthusiasm, Kalhala plucked her off the ground. Fumbling for a moment in the awkward hug not to drop her basket, taking a moment to simply relax as she did initially go a bit stiff at the contact. Eventually she did return said hug, a gentle but firm squeeze of an arm, till he set her back down and the little lady quickly turned her focus away from the group for a moment.
One breath. Two. And back to facing the group, clearing her throat. "You two haven't had the pleasure of sweets before? Well, dig in! I got sixteen or so of them, so everyone should be free to have two."
When Kenar asks for a jelly one, Nexus reaches into the basket again and searched for a moment, plucking up a seemingly random one from the bunch--but she knew the filling was piped in through the 'neck', so what color 'eyes' they had gave hint to what sort of filling was in the shell. "Here you are--one strawberry turtle puff."
Treats given a round, the group now in discussion, Nexus does take the time to say, "It really was a great show everyone. Now you can see why I was kinda afraid of them, though---I've seen them bite folk before and I wasn't looking forward to dealing with that. As for the next challenge--Yea! I could definitely go for a swim. I am dressed for it after all."
Mornin, this time more carefully, takes another puff. He can’t get enough of the sweetness. He eats it more calmly this time, trying to savor the taste, but still it is gone all too quickly. “Even if we aren’t swimming, we need to go that way to see the rest of the events. So we might as well.”
You can't drown someone with Create Water. If your lungs are containers than your bones are objects. Any Siege monster that attacks you deals double damage because it’s attacking your bones.
You all leave the horizonback pens behind and make your way south toward the Ifolon River. Several people are gathered on the piers, arguing among themselves and venting their ire at a spry goblin who responds to their anger with an amused expression. Suddenly, a brash voice cuts through the chatter, and a blue-skinned orc woman pushes her way through the crowd and stands protectively in front of the goblin, yelling, “She’s not gonna say it again! If you’re here with a team, only one member of your team can participate in the challenge! The rules are clear, and if you can’t handle it, get off the pier!” After just a couple of seconds, small groups of people begin to quietly murmur among themselves. The woman then huffs and makes her way over to an elegant drow dressed in fine robes, a familiar figure to Kenar, Aldith, and Nexus: Galsariad Ardyth, the fellow they met at the riddle contest.
Nexus also recognizes the blue-skinned orc as Ayo Jabe, one of her childhood acquaintances.
Kalhala enjoys the trip to the river, his mood soaring with his new friends and medals. Once they get there, the scene confuses him. When the orc woman yells out the rules, he shrugs and turns to Nexus, "Looks like this one is for you, friend. Like you said, you're all ready to go" and he gives her a smile and wink and waits for her to step forward.
Kenar breaths out in relief at the news “Luxon be praised! Not going to lie I’m not a big fan of water unless it’s in a tankard and even then I’d prefer ale.” Then seeing Galsariad he waves a greeting “Hello again! Looks like we’ve arrived just in time to see the action. For those of you who have not met this is Galsariad he’s quite the intelligent person!”
Nexus recognized the person's voice long before her gaze actually settled on it's source. A smile with the warmth of familiarity playing on her lips---It was just like her to try and quiet the crowd and bring back order to things. If solely because she likely saw herself as the likely champion of this little plunge. Galsariad's presence, and being the one that Ayo went to speak with after, did catch Nexus by surprise. Surprise enough to make her falter in introductions, and further still hesitate when Kalhala spoke of it being her turn for things.
"I---wait, what? Wouldn't this sort of thing be better for the leader of each team to take part in? I mean, sure I'm dressed for it, but if we all can't take part it'd be more logically sound to let our best swimmer do it. And frankly speaking---I'm more a casual swimmer than anything else."
Turning toward the rest of the party, waiting for everyone to get their bearings and take a look around as some of them were most certainly new in town, before she spoke up again. Clearing her throat just a little so her quiet voice could carry a bit better. "So, for the sake of this, who should we let partake in the challenge?"
While she waited for the responses from her companions, she did keep an ear out, trying to pick up without turning and being very noticeable it if any of the groups had some semblance of a plan for how to approach things. Maybe some repeat customers were giving it another go and they've learned something others aren't aware of?
Shayone shook her head. "Not me. I can swim in the most technical of senses, but definitely not in a race."
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
Kalhala smiles at Nexus's nervousness. "What are you talking about? I've seen you swim, you're a great swimmer! And what do you mean the leader? We don't have a leader, we're a group, all voices heard equally!" as usual, his voice is boisterous at this, and he doesn't care who is listening. "Nexus, you still get my vote, but if someone else wants to take a shot at it, why, by all means." and he does a little bow to the group and backs up a bit, confirming he is not the one to do this.
Galsariad gives Kenar a wave, which prompts Ayo to look over at the group. She eyes each of you with curiosity, almost as if sizing you up. Her eyes land on Nexus and she gives a smile and a nod of recognition, and a bit of a mischievous grin at Kalhala, before she returns to her conversation with Galsariad.
"Okay, people, the next round of Ifolon Plunge is about to begin! Pay five silver to take part in the race. Contestants will swim upstream to try and grab the rusty spear out of the post. Whoever grabs the spear and returns it here first is the winner!" The amused-looking goblin announces to the gathered crowd. Ayo steps forward to take her place at the starting line, stretching in preparation for the swim upriver. Others step forward to join her: a lanky orc, a broad-shouldered human woman, and a surly-looking goblin.
With nobody else in the group jumping for the chance, and Kalhala encouraging her to take part, Nexus eventually relented. "--I apologize, yea. I prefer if we did do things like how Kalhala suggested. Everyone having a voice for the evening, since unlike my other friend we're not exactly a group group like they are. Just was dwelling on that thought. But since nobody else is wanting to, suppose I'll do my best to bring home another medal."
Nexus plucked up the sides of her dress, pulling them up so she might tie it into a small bun with a cord of ribbon from a bag and make it easier for her to move around in. The simple black shorts she wore under said dress stopping at the knee, certainly going for function over appearance sake. A small black book strapped to her right leg just at the outer-thigh with a single white pearl rest within it's center. Once she was sure she looked ready, and her hair was also similarly tied back, she made her way over to the announcer and dropped off her five silver. A simple nod returned toward Ayo though she made no attempt to interject in the conversation between her and Galsariad.
Inwardly, she was trying to think of something that might help her to better swim. Some humanoid races were known to have fins, no? Perhaps she could make use of her own innate talents once she dropped into the waters, where one might not notice as much what went down under the surface.
The swimmers line up along the edge of the dock, ready to dive in as soon as the word is given. As Nexus rifles through her knowledge of aquatic humanoids, Ayo takes the spot right next to her. "Hey there, bookworm," she grins, a glint of competitive spirit in her eye. "You sure you're going to be able to keep up?"
"Swimmers, get ready! On your marks! Get set..."
"Good luck. You're gonna need it!" Ayo says to Nexus one last time.
"... Go!" The goblin announces before banging a small gong set up nearby. Nexus, Ayo, and the other competitors dive in the water, and the race begins!
And they're off! Ayo immediately gets a big lead, swimming upriver with the speed of a swiftfish. By the time she is at the post, Nexus and the other racers have only made it halfway. Ayo yanks the spear out of the post, then plots her next move: how to get past the other racers without getting the spear taken from her. But before she can even consider that, two dark shapes climb up from the river depths. Their curved fins jut out of the water as one swim towards Ayo and the other toward the human woman in the middle. Any native to Jigow recognizes the silhouette of the striped river sharks native to the Ifolon River!
Just before one of them can take a bite out of Ayo, Nexus springs into action, shouting a warning to the others as she uses a magic spell to conjure three rays of crackling thunder energy that pummel the two sharks. The shark going for Ayo immediately retreats back down to the safety of the river depths. Ayo looks to Nexus, a little surprised, then nods in acknowledgement. The second one, though, is determined to find a meal. It clamps its sharp teeth down onto the arm of the human woman, drawing blood that creates a scarlet cloud in the greenish-brown waters of the Ifolon. Ayo quickly uses this distraction to swim past the other three swimmers and return to the pier, where normally she would be greeted with cheers, fanfare, and a medal, but for now everyone is too focused on the unfolding scene in the water to care. As the goblin and orc retreat to the pier, the human woman struggles to escape, taking yet another bite on her leg. Nexus fires off a ray of ice energy in an attempt to slow down and deter the beast, but the ravenous shark is too lost in its blood frenzy. Thankfully, though, the woman does make it back to the pier and out of the water, where Ayo and the other races pull her out quickly. Nexus soon follows, steering clear of the ravenous shark before she becomes its next target as well.
The orc and goblin both support the woman as she limps over to a nearby crate and sits down. "Hey, we need some medical attention over here!" The orc calls out to any healer in the group of spectators. The woman is not severely injured, but the shark bites are bleeding.
"Well... that was exciting! We will hold off on further races until the sharks have cleared out. The winner of this race is Ayo Jabe!" The goblin announcer calls out, handing Ayo a medal made from glass that has been shaped to look like a conch shell. Ayo takes it, but does not put it around her neck yet. She joins the injured woman and makes sure someone comes along to treat her first, then dons the medal and accepts the crowd's praise. She then makes her way over to Nexus.
"You know, bookworm, I'm impressed... You skipped out on the glory of victory to take out those sharks and protect everyone. Saved me from a nasty bite, and possibly saved her from getting killed. Pretty damn brave of you. I've never seen anyone give their all like that before... 'cept for me, of course!" The orc woman says, giving Nexus a friendly nudge. Galsariad joins the two swimmers.
"Congratulations on your victory, Ayo. And might I say, some impressive spellcasting on your part, miss," the elegant drow states to Nexus with a slight bow. "If I am correct, that looked like a scorching ray spell, but at the last second before you cast it, you changed the fire energy to thunder? Very impressive... I've never seen anything quite like that."
"Watch out, Nexus, this one'll be asking you questions all night now!"
Growing up in Jigow, Nexus knew quite a few of the other kids and grew up beside them. She knew that Ayo had quite a bit of speed in the water, but only now did she get reminded of it after spending so much time in her studies over the last few years. Not but a few seconds into the swim till she realized the better plan was to simply wait near the pier and hope she got a chance to interrupt the stronger swimmer, letting her body lose it's adaptions she had made in anticipation of a stronger swim.
That's when the sharks came. Her initial surprise, the fluttering of a slight fear in her chest, dampened when she noticed exactly where those fins were cutting through the water towards. Her rivals in this game, where it would have been so much easier to simply ignore them. Instead, she opted to act.
Right hand snapping the holster that kept her book secured to her thigh, a thumb jammed itself between the pages of her tome to prop it open to a certain page. The sigil present within her notes, the connotations that denoted ingredients, movements, type----all of it written into a circle she made an adjustment of on the fly, causing it to light up. The three flaming spheres that had appeared above her head seemingly snuffing out till one took note of the warbling balls of energy in their place, like a heatwave on a hot summer day. These balls of 'sound' bursting forward like the regular application of the spell with the intent of not being dampened as harshly by the water. An effort that seemed to be worthwhile upon seeing one of those fins slip back under the waves and not come back up. The little 'change' she made on her spell 'burning' away with a faint fizzle till it looked no different than the regular version.
She kept casting weaker spells after that, waiting till everyone had made it back to shore before putting in the effort to do so herself, yanking herself out of the water with evident fear and haste despite the modicum of bravery she had expressed even risking a moment to save the others. A moment needed to catch her breath, and to use prestidigitation to dry her book off. The only reprieve she likely got before the fanfare of victory finally chimed and Ayo was, understandably, crowned the victor for bringing back the spear. The direct commendation causing the already fatigued drow look a little flustered, especially if others looked their way too. Even if she did return the friendly nudge. "I--I figured you probably could have handled them yourself, but---wasn't so sure about the others. Festivals are supposed to be fun, and someone getting super hurt would have put a real damper on things is all...."
Trailing off as the other drow joined in on the conversation, and with a topic that did make her smile more broadly, if briefly so. "Ah---yea! It was a scorching ray spell, but I did a quick modification to the formula before casting---" Nexus would go on to explain a little bit more, praising her schooling before returning to the topic of the race itself. "Congrats on the win by the way, Ayo! But I gotta get back to my group for now. Catch you all later?"
She'd return any goodbyes from that point, before she'd make her way over to Kalhala and the others. "...Okay, Mini. I think I need a little break after that bit of excitement. And some time to dry."
"Sure thing, Nex," Ayo says. "Hey, guess what? I dunno if you've heard, but I'm forming an adventuring party. If you wanna meet up with the rest of the gang, find us at the closing ceremony! I'm sure Galsariad will want to talk shop with you some more. Dermot's gonna be there, too!"
Shayone posted up along the riverbank with the others to watch Nexus swim and cheer her on. The cheering dies out quickly once people notice the sharks. Shayone curses as she realizes she's too far away for her magic to reach anyone in the water. She can only watch, and finds herself impressed as Nexus manages to ward off the beasts.
"That was some impressive spellwork you did," Shayone says as Nexus approaches the group. "What the hell were they doing holding a race in a river full of sharks, though? Aren't there barricades or something?"
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
Kenar looks to Nexus with a smile “Nicely done ill bet that woman will want to thank you for saving her from becoming shark bait.”
Aldith watches the race with bated breath, silently cheering her new friend on in her head. She notices that Nexus seems to be friends with one of the other competitors, a blue-skinned orc woman. The handsome drow man is there as well, and Aldith does her best not to stare too much at him. He is rather good-looking and quick-witted to boot. She gives her head a little shake as if it clear it from these frivolous thoughts.
As she watches the race, it quickly turns from exciting to frightening as huge sharks attack the swimmers. At the sight of the blood in the water, Aldith goes cold all over. She remembers another time, another body, bleeding wounds. She resists the urge to close her eyes; it's hard to watch. Is she about to witness someone die again? But then she senses the use of magic and watches Nexus fighting off the shark. Her eyes wide, she races over to Nexus as soon as everyone is safely out of the water.
"That was incredible, Nexus!" she exclaims. "You saved that woman's life!"
Extended Signature
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf (Phandelver and Below) ♦ Vesta Trevelyan (Vecna: Eve of Ruin) ♦ Ada Kendrick (Curse of Strahd) ♦ Gareth Blackwood (Dragon of Icespire Peak) ♦ Karys Velthune (Out of the Abyss) ♦ Surina Xarith (Simple, Heroic Adventure)
DM: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus