"maybe..." Greg returns to the wood elf. "But if that's the case the lady won't like us being here even more... I searched for my hoe, using magic, it's not here, I don't understand but I'm working on a theory... What if something else was stolen from me along with my hoe, something I don't know that I desired because that it has been stolen from me... I know gleam took my hoe, so it should be here, the fact that it isn't could mean something worse, see."
Rowan saunters into the library, waving at several of the goblins, all of whom ignore him completely. The dark cloaked figures however do not, and about half of them look up as he enters.
The dark figures are mostly of about the same height and stature as a goblin, but with cloven feet. Their skin is grey, and the faces that peer out from under the dark hoods have pointed noses, small mouths with sharp teeth, and black eyes with small white pupils. These must be the darklings that Charmay referred to. One of the dark fey creatures is taller and more human-like in form, but with the same grey skin and black eyes. None make any attempt to prevent Rowan from entering.
Greginald continues to peer cautiously through the curtain, watching Rowan's entrance into the library.
Suddenly a chime sounds, like that of a small bell, but loud enough to echo through the whole castle. A voice begins to speak...
THE ORRERY OF TRAGEDIES HAS PROPHECIED THEIR ARRIVAL. THE PERFORMANCE IS DUE TO COMMENCE IN FIVE MINUTES. PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEATS.
As one, the darklings rise from their positions, place their books either on their seats or back on the shelves, and start to file out of the right-side exit toward the audience seating.
Barria
Hurly doesn't respond to Barria's initial questions, but simply shrugs hopelessly, as though answering just makes the despair more real. However, the dwarf's final question makes the bugbear sit up straight and turn to face Barria.
Really? You'd... let me? He wipes his tear-streaked fur, and glances at the dragon head beside him. You wouldn't make a fool out of me, would you? I don't think I could...
At that moment a chime sounds, like that of a small bell, but loud enough to echo through the whole castle. A voice begins to speak...
THE ORRERY OF TRAGEDIES HAS PROPHECIED THEIR ARRIVAL. THE PERFORMANCE IS DUE TO COMMENCE IN FIVE MINUTES. PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEATS.
Hurly looks up pleadingly at Barria.
Mulligan
Prepared for whatever may come, Mulligan slips out of the corridor onto the balcony. The tall voluminous figure of Endelyn Moongrave looms just to his right, leaning up to the balustrade of the balcony, but her attention seems fixed on the smoky runes that rise from the contraption below, and on the task of inscribing them into her book. With less sound than a feather falling on carpet, and like a shadow moving among shadows, Mulligan slips slowly along the corridor. Not a flinch of recognition is observed from the hag nearby.
Moving slowly, carefully, Mulligan inches his way around the balcony. He is about halfway to the far corridor when suddenly Endelyn's book slams shut with a thud! A chime sounds, like that of a small bell, but loud enough to echo through the whole castle. Endelyn's voice, magically amplified, shoots a bolt of fear through Mulligan's chest...
MULLIGAN O'MENIHAN
How? How could she...?She wasn't even facing him! She couldn't have... His hand grasps the ball-bearings, drawing them out of the pouch, preparing to cast them over the balustrade to the machine below...
BARRIA COPPERKETTLE
What? Was the dwarf also...? Mulligan's hand pauses mid-throw, his eyes casting about frantically...
G'REGINALD G'NOME
...?
ROWAN BIRCH
THE ORRERY OF TRAGEDIES HAS PROPHECIED THEIR ARRIVAL. THEIR PERFORMANCE IS DUE TO COMMENCE IN FIVE MINUTES. PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEATS.
The hag pockets her book, turns from the balustrade, and exits through the double doors behind her, leaving Mulligan alone on the balcony.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
Weird. That's us. Well not you and me us, me and my friends us. Not that you're not my friend... The four names, that is me and the three I came to this realm with, is what I mean. Kind of spooky, her knowing we are all here, eh? Then again, we were all given tickets when we arrived... Do you suppose she can just sense that the tickets are inside the castle, maybe? Seems a lot less spooky that way...
Mulligan got a bit chatty after the scare, mentally talking to Break-A-Leg with a lot more chatter then he usually bothers with. But not suddenly being imperiled for your life can be quite liberating, he supposed.
Still, Break-A-Leg isn't the only one he should be talking to, is it?
Umm, she knows you're here. Well, we're here.
Mulligan says over the Group Chat to Barria, G'ReG and Rowan. Or at least tries to. He thinks they should still be in range but it's not like he ever put that to a scientific study or anything. (Must be within 1 mile...)
The hag, that is. She just spoke all our names one by one and said the orrery of tragedies has prophesied our arrival. Near enough to that, anyway. That we were performing in five minutes. It was kind of like announcement because she concluded by saying "take your seats..."
What exactly they were due to be performing Mulligan wasn't sure but maybe they did...
Stay safe. I think I am close to the ornithopter thing. I will do what I can to disable it...
And then Mulligan continues on in hopes of doing just that.
Rowan looks up when hears their names spoken and then looks back at Greg and shrugs.
”Maybe we should head back to find Barria. There were a few other actors back there too. What if we try to pass one off as Mulligan? She probably doesn’t know what he looks like.”
"Why of course you can!" Barria responds without even really thinking about it. In fact she is more eager to get him feeling better that she belatedly realized the voice on the speaker system? said all of their full names. Did she even know all of their full names? She couldn't recall. Not only that, wasn't Mully in hiding? How was he called out? She finds herself swallowing a lump in her throat.
She then stands up next to Hurly and deciding not to let that bother her, she holds out her hand to the bugbear, "Now, have you worn that dragonborn costume before? If so I think we need to find something new! And either way, what kind of character do you want to be? Sounds like we have to be on stage pronto!"
Hurly nervously admits he hasn't played the green dragon character yet, as he still hasn't managed to learn his lines, but suggests that he would feel more confident remaining hidden inside the costume. Greg pokes his head into the dressing room to grunt at Barria to hurry up, when he sees Hurly and decides this bugbear in a dragon suit will suffice to replace Mulligan, as Rowan suggested, assuring the goblinoid that it would actually be better that he didn't speak at all.
The four are just leaving the props room when Charmay arrives to ensure they are all ready and to escort them to the side of the stage. She gives a dubious side-eye to the dragon-costumed bugbear, who is still putting his head on, and who she apparently knows and recognises. But then she asks:
The old hag announced four actors. She's never wrong... or I should say, her orrery is unfailingly accurate. I'm guessing you're the Copperpot and you're the Tree (pointing at Barria and Rowan), and obviously you're G'rumpy G'nome (looking down at Greg). Who's the fourth? Not the flower, surely!
Mulligan
With his way now apparently clear, Mulligan moves as quickly as he dares to the far passage, taking the right-side door onto an exterior balcony. The view of the surrounding area from here is more impressive than from the stage below, and Mulligan can see far out across the lightning-lashed mountain peaks, and the network of lightning rods all channeling their crackling energy in to the condensing rod that juts from the dome behind. Glancing down to the amphitheater below, Mulligan can see the audience bleachers slowly filling up with the darkling creatures he saw earlier, as well as a number of the goblins from the undercroft preparing to operate the machinery of the stage. However, he knows he doesn't have time for sightseeing, and turns his attention to the contraption that dominates the area of the balcony.
The ornithopter is eight feet long, with a wingspan of fourteen feet. It has a round bird’s head with beady eyes and a metal beak, and leathery wings are folded against its chassis. A complex series of wires and pulleys appear to operate the thing, although Mulligan senses that it is not entirely mechanical, and likely magical too (passive Investigation/Arcana).
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
Rowan looks at Charmay and then at Barria and Greg.
"I'm to play a tree?" Rowan finally asks, looking down at his robe and then feeling the crown on his head. "Is it a regal tree? What would a regal tree be? I think the giant red cedars are quite magnificent. Though my village does hold a special ceremony every ring day for the giant sequoia in the center of the village. So perhaps a sequoia? But then again, humans seem to really like the oak. And I've heard of something called a baobab. They don't grow where I'm from but I really would like to see one some day."
Then he looks back to Barria again.
"Do you know how a copper pot and a tree would interact?"
From where the group are, can they see an audience? A box where the hag sits? Or are they still behind a curtain?
"the flower will do!" Says the 'Rumpy 'Nome as he puts on his Rumpy Nome costume. "If she's 'never' wrong we don't want her to start doubting herself now, it'll only make her suspicious. Let's get this show on the road so your little plan goes off without a hitch eh?"
"I mean the flower could do the job for Mulligan, but I think our dragonborn costumed friend would be best suited our fourth! Right Hurly? I mean... Mully?"she winks at him.
Turning to Rowan, "Hmmm... I mean maybe you could" and she finger quotes "'burn' your branches and I would cook something? I have no idea! Maybe cook the flower.. that's why its a tragedy?" She looks towards their new flower friend and shrugs.
Rowan starts shifting from foot to foot at the side of the stage, his emotions and nerves starting to get the better of him.
"Let's just get it over with," Rowan finally says. He starts looking around for the goblin with the sceptre. He won't go on stage until he's figured out where the sceptre is.
Mulligan finds the contraption amazing and spectacular. Still he's unsure he believes it can actually fly. If it could it had to do so at least as much by magic as by... Well, by these strings and wires and wings and such. Magic not being his thing he is at a bit of a loss about how to stop it from doing what it does, but there must be a reason for the strings and wires and delicate looking things. Doesn't there?
Mulligan approaches the contraption slowly, from the shadows, trying to avoid prying eyes. Those of the Hag and the Goblins and such, but also those of the device. They seem lifeless but seeming is not promising. Or guaranteeing.
The plan, as much as he has one, is to slip to the far side and disconnect a few (or more) of the wires. Perhaps jam up a pulley or two with torn up clothes, perhaps some of the honeycomb he got earlier to gum up the works. He's not a tinkerer per se but he does have his thieves tools and a bit of determination. He'd rather his alterations not be obvious but his REAL priority is feeling confident that the thing won't work...
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"maybe..." Greg returns to the wood elf. "But if that's the case the lady won't like us being here even more... I searched for my hoe, using magic, it's not here, I don't understand but I'm working on a theory... What if something else was stolen from me along with my hoe, something I don't know that I desired because that it has been stolen from me... I know gleam took my hoe, so it should be here, the fact that it isn't could mean something worse, see."
Rowan, Greginald
Rowan saunters into the library, waving at several of the goblins, all of whom ignore him completely. The dark cloaked figures however do not, and about half of them look up as he enters.
The dark figures are mostly of about the same height and stature as a goblin, but with cloven feet. Their skin is grey, and the faces that peer out from under the dark hoods have pointed noses, small mouths with sharp teeth, and black eyes with small white pupils. These must be the darklings that Charmay referred to. One of the dark fey creatures is taller and more human-like in form, but with the same grey skin and black eyes. None make any attempt to prevent Rowan from entering.
Greginald continues to peer cautiously through the curtain, watching Rowan's entrance into the library.
Suddenly a chime sounds, like that of a small bell, but loud enough to echo through the whole castle. A voice begins to speak...
MULLIGAN O'MENIHAN
BARRIA COPPERKETTLE
G'REGINALD G'NOME
ROWAN BIRCH
THE ORRERY OF TRAGEDIES HAS PROPHECIED THEIR ARRIVAL.
THE PERFORMANCE IS DUE TO COMMENCE IN FIVE MINUTES.
PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEATS.
As one, the darklings rise from their positions, place their books either on their seats or back on the shelves, and start to file out of the right-side exit toward the audience seating.
Barria
Hurly doesn't respond to Barria's initial questions, but simply shrugs hopelessly, as though answering just makes the despair more real. However, the dwarf's final question makes the bugbear sit up straight and turn to face Barria.
Really? You'd... let me? He wipes his tear-streaked fur, and glances at the dragon head beside him. You wouldn't make a fool out of me, would you? I don't think I could...
At that moment a chime sounds, like that of a small bell, but loud enough to echo through the whole castle. A voice begins to speak...
MULLIGAN O'MENIHAN
BARRIA COPPERKETTLE
G'REGINALD G'NOME
ROWAN BIRCH
THE ORRERY OF TRAGEDIES HAS PROPHECIED THEIR ARRIVAL.
THE PERFORMANCE IS DUE TO COMMENCE IN FIVE MINUTES.
PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEATS.
Hurly looks up pleadingly at Barria.
Mulligan
Prepared for whatever may come, Mulligan slips out of the corridor onto the balcony. The tall voluminous figure of Endelyn Moongrave looms just to his right, leaning up to the balustrade of the balcony, but her attention seems fixed on the smoky runes that rise from the contraption below, and on the task of inscribing them into her book. With less sound than a feather falling on carpet, and like a shadow moving among shadows, Mulligan slips slowly along the corridor. Not a flinch of recognition is observed from the hag nearby.
Moving slowly, carefully, Mulligan inches his way around the balcony. He is about halfway to the far corridor when suddenly Endelyn's book slams shut with a thud! A chime sounds, like that of a small bell, but loud enough to echo through the whole castle. Endelyn's voice, magically amplified, shoots a bolt of fear through Mulligan's chest...
MULLIGAN O'MENIHAN
How? How could she...? She wasn't even facing him! She couldn't have... His hand grasps the ball-bearings, drawing them out of the pouch, preparing to cast them over the balustrade to the machine below...
BARRIA COPPERKETTLE
What? Was the dwarf also...? Mulligan's hand pauses mid-throw, his eyes casting about frantically...
G'REGINALD G'NOME
...?
ROWAN BIRCH
THE ORRERY OF TRAGEDIES HAS PROPHECIED THEIR ARRIVAL.
THEIR PERFORMANCE IS DUE TO COMMENCE IN FIVE MINUTES.
PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEATS.
The hag pockets her book, turns from the balustrade, and exits through the double doors behind her, leaving Mulligan alone on the balcony.
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
Weird. That's us. Well not you and me us, me and my friends us. Not that you're not my friend... The four names, that is me and the three I came to this realm with, is what I mean. Kind of spooky, her knowing we are all here, eh? Then again, we were all given tickets when we arrived... Do you suppose she can just sense that the tickets are inside the castle, maybe? Seems a lot less spooky that way...
Mulligan got a bit chatty after the scare, mentally talking to Break-A-Leg with a lot more chatter then he usually bothers with. But not suddenly being imperiled for your life can be quite liberating, he supposed.
Still, Break-A-Leg isn't the only one he should be talking to, is it?
Umm, she knows you're here. Well, we're here.
Mulligan says over the Group Chat to Barria, G'ReG and Rowan. Or at least tries to. He thinks they should still be in range but it's not like he ever put that to a scientific study or anything. (Must be within 1 mile...)
The hag, that is. She just spoke all our names one by one and said the orrery of tragedies has prophesied our arrival. Near enough to that, anyway. That we were performing in five minutes. It was kind of like announcement because she concluded by saying "take your seats..."
What exactly they were due to be performing Mulligan wasn't sure but maybe they did...
Stay safe. I think I am close to the ornithopter thing. I will do what I can to disable it...
And then Mulligan continues on in hopes of doing just that.
Rowan looks up when hears their names spoken and then looks back at Greg and shrugs.
”Maybe we should head back to find Barria. There were a few other actors back there too. What if we try to pass one off as Mulligan? She probably doesn’t know what he looks like.”
"Why of course you can!" Barria responds without even really thinking about it. In fact she is more eager to get him feeling better that she belatedly realized the voice on the speaker system? said all of their full names. Did she even know all of their full names? She couldn't recall. Not only that, wasn't Mully in hiding? How was he called out? She finds herself swallowing a lump in her throat.
She then stands up next to Hurly and deciding not to let that bother her, she holds out her hand to the bugbear, "Now, have you worn that dragonborn costume before? If so I think we need to find something new! And either way, what kind of character do you want to be? Sounds like we have to be on stage pronto!"
Barria, Greg, Rowan
Hurly nervously admits he hasn't played the green dragon character yet, as he still hasn't managed to learn his lines, but suggests that he would feel more confident remaining hidden inside the costume. Greg pokes his head into the dressing room to grunt at Barria to hurry up, when he sees Hurly and decides this bugbear in a dragon suit will suffice to replace Mulligan, as Rowan suggested, assuring the goblinoid that it would actually be better that he didn't speak at all.
The four are just leaving the props room when Charmay arrives to ensure they are all ready and to escort them to the side of the stage. She gives a dubious side-eye to the dragon-costumed bugbear, who is still putting his head on, and who she apparently knows and recognises. But then she asks:
The old hag announced four actors. She's never wrong... or I should say, her orrery is unfailingly accurate. I'm guessing you're the Copperpot and you're the Tree (pointing at Barria and Rowan), and obviously you're G'rumpy G'nome (looking down at Greg). Who's the fourth? Not the flower, surely!
Mulligan
With his way now apparently clear, Mulligan moves as quickly as he dares to the far passage, taking the right-side door onto an exterior balcony. The view of the surrounding area from here is more impressive than from the stage below, and Mulligan can see far out across the lightning-lashed mountain peaks, and the network of lightning rods all channeling their crackling energy in to the condensing rod that juts from the dome behind. Glancing down to the amphitheater below, Mulligan can see the audience bleachers slowly filling up with the darkling creatures he saw earlier, as well as a number of the goblins from the undercroft preparing to operate the machinery of the stage. However, he knows he doesn't have time for sightseeing, and turns his attention to the contraption that dominates the area of the balcony.
The ornithopter is eight feet long, with a wingspan of fourteen feet. It has a round bird’s head with beady eyes and a metal beak, and leathery wings are folded against its chassis. A complex series of wires and pulleys appear to operate the thing, although Mulligan senses that it is not entirely mechanical, and likely magical too (passive Investigation/Arcana).
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
Rowan looks at Charmay and then at Barria and Greg.
"I'm to play a tree?" Rowan finally asks, looking down at his robe and then feeling the crown on his head. "Is it a regal tree? What would a regal tree be? I think the giant red cedars are quite magnificent. Though my village does hold a special ceremony every ring day for the giant sequoia in the center of the village. So perhaps a sequoia? But then again, humans seem to really like the oak. And I've heard of something called a baobab. They don't grow where I'm from but I really would like to see one some day."
Then he looks back to Barria again.
"Do you know how a copper pot and a tree would interact?"
From where the group are, can they see an audience? A box where the hag sits? Or are they still behind a curtain?
"the flower will do!" Says the 'Rumpy 'Nome as he puts on his Rumpy Nome costume. "If she's 'never' wrong we don't want her to start doubting herself now, it'll only make her suspicious. Let's get this show on the road so your little plan goes off without a hitch eh?"
"I mean the flower could do the job for Mulligan, but I think our dragonborn costumed friend would be best suited our fourth! Right Hurly? I mean... Mully?" she winks at him.
Turning to Rowan, "Hmmm... I mean maybe you could" and she finger quotes "'burn' your branches and I would cook something? I have no idea! Maybe cook the flower.. that's why its a tragedy?" She looks towards their new flower friend and shrugs.
Rowan starts shifting from foot to foot at the side of the stage, his emotions and nerves starting to get the better of him.
"Let's just get it over with," Rowan finally says. He starts looking around for the goblin with the sceptre. He won't go on stage until he's figured out where the sceptre is.
Mulligan finds the contraption amazing and spectacular. Still he's unsure he believes it can actually fly. If it could it had to do so at least as much by magic as by... Well, by these strings and wires and wings and such. Magic not being his thing he is at a bit of a loss about how to stop it from doing what it does, but there must be a reason for the strings and wires and delicate looking things. Doesn't there?
Mulligan approaches the contraption slowly, from the shadows, trying to avoid prying eyes. Those of the Hag and the Goblins and such, but also those of the device. They seem lifeless but seeming is not promising. Or guaranteeing.
The plan, as much as he has one, is to slip to the far side and disconnect a few (or more) of the wires. Perhaps jam up a pulley or two with torn up clothes, perhaps some of the honeycomb he got earlier to gum up the works. He's not a tinkerer per se but he does have his thieves tools and a bit of determination. He'd rather his alterations not be obvious but his REAL priority is feeling confident that the thing won't work...