Tag: fire

#Lore24 – Entry #263 – Fantasy Month III #20 – Another Horrible City

As Told by Kazumi, Druid of the Circle of Claw and Fang

“This one doesn’t like cities, never has, and Arcavarlon is no different.  Too many people, too little reverence for nature, too much distraction… Even the air coming in from the Great Canoma Bay does little to ease this one’s nerves in a place like that.  It was all this one could do to make herself go within its walls…so little in the ways of trees around, only a few small parks, nothing for miles around!  Terrible!

This one did not care what the others had been tasked to do; she was there to hunt those responsible for harming her forest first and foremost.  She knows not the details of the deal, only that we were to aid one of the influential persons in Arcavarlon with some task that could only come from the corruption born of the cities.  Has this one mentioned she doesn’t like cities?  You are aware of how sensitive a kerryn’s sense of smell is, yes?  This one’s is much stronger than that, you see, and this one struggles to ignore everything she doesn’t need to in large places like Arcavarlon.  Think of it like when a sudden flash blinds you, of when your senses are vastly overwhelmed and overpowered.  Yes, this one could learn to deal with it, but that means spending time in cities, and that is something this one never wished to do.

Once we had settled in at one of the inns, word was sent to arrange to meet the person in question, but that wouldn’t be until later.  This one had time to explore, try to make some sense of the chaos that is Arcavarlon.  She would spend much time in the shape of a regular cat, listening, watching, learning paths and routes through the mess, finding the pockets of nature she could in the parks, pondering why nature hadn’t reclaimed the abominable city by scouring it from the land through great storms or ice from the northern reaches of the sea.  This one saw many things while she watched, some good, some bad, many people just trying to survive.  This one may speak of dire matters and affronts to nature, but not all are capable of surviving as this one does amongst the druids.  There have been many debates in this one’s time about such matters in the circles, but this one wishes not to bring them up now.

This one would watch and wait while the others visited the temples to their gods in the time we had before we would meet with the one Lady Jade had sent us to assist.  This one reveres the spirits of the land above all, though this one admits to being curious of the nature of the lost kerryn mother goddess.  This one has had opportunity to speak with some of the nomadic kerryn clans that roam the land of their searching for the goddess, and until she came here, this one had no idea that such hopes still existed, for this one was raised to think that the kerryn were forsaken by the gods for past evils.  Nature is much simpler to understand than the gods.”

#Lore24 – Entry #262 – Fantasy Month III #19 – Cutting a Swath All the Way to Arcavarlon

As Told by Siduri Tamboura, Warrior for Hire

“You know, I’ve thought about what you said about Teelsa.  Does her keeping things from me bother me?  Yeah, no question about that.  I don’t like being jerked around and lied to, but she is a bard, and you can’t really trust them not to try something like that.  They’re almost as bad as thieves in that regard, only difference is you can usually hear them coming because they can’t shut their mouths, right?  Well, anyway, let her keep her secret a while longer; I’ll get it out of her eventually.  Sounds like she’s earned some time with my whip after this mess…

Well, after that dark elf ambush, we weren’t taking no shit from anyone on the way to Arcavarlon, I can tell you that.  You can thank us later for clearing up some of your bandit problem on the road between there and Greenspire, by the way.  Some coin would be fitting enough.  I’ll not hold my breath.  We must have killed nearly two dozen of them, kept thinking a bunch of women were easy pickings, I guess, but they weren’t prepared for us.  Would’ve taken time to clear out their dens, but we had more lucrative things on the menu. 

Cleared out one of them, though; got held up in Orzyn after it got raided and the ferry was burned, along with several other buildings in town.  Guess you’ve heard all about that situation already, though, you’re looking bored.  Guess you don’t really enjoy a good interrogation without a bit of torture, huh?  Not volunteering, just saying.  So yeah, that took us a few days, tracked them down, recovered what we could, brought in a mess of ears, that kind of thing, while we waited for the ferry to be rebuilt.  Doing a good deed, you know.

Anyway, we finally made it to Arcavarlon so we could get this business for Lady Jade settled, and that turned into another mess.  Guess that’s why I’m sitting here, huh?  Don’t know why, really.  I mean, it was legitimate business, a favor for a favor and all that.  Oh, that fire?  No, that wasn’t us, lady, and the fact that you’d try to pin that on us pisses me off!  Do I really need to spell it out?  It was the Twats again!”

#Lore24 – Entry #248 – Fantasy Month III #5 – The Flight from Caerlon

As Told by Erilantielle “Eri” Kitami, Champion of Erisaya

“Back for more?  Just couldn’t get enough of my charms, hmm?  I take it you’ve spoken with my companions then.  What now?  Going to accuse us of slaughtering innocents or something?  Look, I feel bad about what happened, and it wasn’t like I wanted it to happen, but there’s really nothing myself or any of the others can do about it now. 

How did we escape?  Well, there were a lot more of those two groups than we figured on, and for whatever reason they weren’t killing each other, so we assumed they’d joined forces.  We just kept seeing them in the streets, looking for signs of where we’d gone, kinda got the impression that the town guard had been paid off to be extra scarce until they found us, since we didn’t see but a handful of them, and they were purposefully looking the other way.  Sometime after the Unicorn caught fire, after we’d met up with Siduri, we ran into Teelsa, who had managed to lead some of them off on a false trail and knew some places we could hide; she and Hatae were friends, so we were thankful that she’d decided to help us out.

What do you want from me?!  I’m getting there!  For the love of Erisaya, you humans are impatient!  Fine…it took us a day or so, but once we confirmed they weren’t looking for either Siduri or Teelsa, it gave us a few more options.  Teelsa and the other performers she’d taken up with for the time would be moving on to the next town, and they had a wagon we could make use of for carrying their supplies.  Hatae and I would just have to hide out inside those supplies until we were good and clear from Caerlon.  Simple enough.

…Siduri said that, did she?  I’d rather not say.  It’s not important!  Look, she’s got her quirks, okay, and I don’t hold that against her.  What’s important is that we got out of the city without those crazies knowing about it, at least for a while longer.  Are you serious?  You need the details for your report…right.  Ugh…

I’d won Hatae’s challenge that night, so we weren’t exactly short on funds at the time, but given the situation, we figured we’d better hold on to as much as we could for the road ahead, and Siduri wanted something for the work she’d done so far, a down payment if you like, but agreed to take it in another way.  She got this brilliant idea that Hatae and me would have to really play up the ‘hiding as cargo’ angle, and so we’d have to be secured like cargo.  I thought it was ludicrous, I mean, what if those cultists stopped the wagon and found us like that?  We’d be helpless.  But…not only could she be very persuasive in a very bullying kind of way, when I prayed for guidance from Erisaya…I got the impression the idea would work.  So, we did it.  And it worked.  End of story.

No, I’m not giving you the details!  Ask Hatae if you really have to know!  Unless you’re letting me out of here, I’m done talking right now!  Either formally charge us or let us go!  Fine, go on, then!  Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!”

#Lore24 – Entry #247 – Fantasy Month III #4 – Cults and Captors

As Told by Siduri Tamboura, Warrior for Hire

“About damned time!  What in the hell is taking so long?  You want the facts or what? 

Don’t know about that inn, don’t care about that inn.  I was looking for work in Caerlon and happened to be in that district when it all started up.  I’d heard about that dark elf escape artist stirring up the town, yeah, was a little curious, but I was looking to hire myself out. In case this body didn’t clue you in, I’m a sword for hire, idiot.  What I do in my free time is my business, so you can just wipe that look of your smug little face before I wipe it off for you.

I wasn’t there when the place lit up.  I had seen some shady sorts moving around the streets, though.  Thought there might’ve been some kind of cult or something going to a meeting, but then I saw that they were dark elves, and that just wasn’t normal in this area.  Then I saw the other mercs moving in on the place and those two mazoku sorcerers leading them.  Don’t think they had a clue about the other group, though.  I hung back, decided to see what was going on, figured I might make some coin that night.  Sometimes you can find the best opportunities in the middle of the night.

Somehow these two groups slipped in without the other noticing, don’t know how they managed that, but they did.  Wasn’t long before all hell broke loose and the smoke started rolling.  Lots of screaming, lots of people running for their lives.  Hell, probably the most excitement Caerlon had seen in ages; glad I got to get in on it, really.  So, I saw a couple break out of the inn and make a run for it, some of each of the two groups hot on their sweet asses, so I figured now was that opportunity I’d been waiting for.  I chased after, made myself known, and got the better offer from Eri and Hatae, so I threw in with them and laid out the trash.  They still owe me, by the way, and until our contract’s done, I’m not going against it.  They’re not bad ladies, mind you, just need a good, strong hand to keep’em in line is all, cause they can have trouble raining down around you in no time at all if you let’em off their leashes. 

Once we had some time to breathe, I learned more about what was going on.  Somehow, each one of them had parties interested in hauling them in for whatever reason.  Eri seemed clueless as to why she was getting chased by the mercs, Hatae had some suspicions about the dark elves after her, but didn’t give me the details; I figure she stepped out of line back home and now had some noble house chasing her.  Didn’t matter to me; their downpayment for my help was good, so I’m in it till I get the rest of my money. 

Anyway, we hooked up with that screeching bard the next day and came up with a brilliant plan to get out of Caerlon.  I enjoyed that one personally.  Really enjoyed it.  Went off real smooth, too.  Anyone who had seen me with them the night before was laying dead in the streets, so any none of the shady types we saw knew me from any other merc on the streets.  You want the details?  Start coughing up some grub, then.  Or ask Eri or Hatae.  I’m done talking for now.  Any more’s going to cost you something in return.”

#Lore24 – Entry #246 – Fantasy Month III #3 – The Unicorn that Went up in Flames

As Told by Teelsa “the Swift” Dawndancer

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, good man!  I must say, though your accommodations are rather…spartan…I am nonetheless quite pleased that you’ve chosen to invite me into your humble establishment.  When shall the performances begin?  I would like some time to practice my craft, after all, though it seems the luggage boy has misplaced my instruments- Hmm?  What?  This isn’t an inn?  Well, I am shocked!  Absolutely shocked!  I suppose it’s a good thing I didn’t complain about the quality of the meals, then, hmm?  When is meal time, by the way?  One’s stomach can only wait so long before it starts complaining, you know.

Oh, the Bronze Unicorn?  My, what a sad, sad affair that was.  Fine establishment, absolutely the best I’d ever performed at in Caerlon, and the best people!  Oh, the patrons were marvelous!  So willing to offer their coin for a song and dance, absolutely the best one could have ever asked for, really.  And their chef, oh, an absolute master of his craft, I can assure you!  Why, if I were to have stayed on there as the inn’s resident bard, I may well have been on the road to- My good man, would you stop interrupting me?  I’m telling the story you asked for.  Oh, very well…some cannot appreciate the art of the slow burn…um, well, perhaps that phrase is a bit inappropriate given the nature of what happened. 

So, it went something like this; mind you, this is but my initial draft, so it is quite rough.  Ahem…

“In the heart of Caerlon, where shadows blend and twine,

A warrior strode with purpose, her gaze a sharpened line.

She bested every challenge, with grace and steel so bright,

But as the darkness gathered, fate would test her might.

 

Hatae, the acrobat, danced in the fire’s glow,

A blur of shadowed motion, in rhythm’s ebb and flow.

But envy’s cruel embrace, in the hearts of men and drow,

Sent hunters to the Unicorn, to strike and lay them low.

 

Two forces dark converged, each unaware of kin,

One clad in night’s own veil, the other stained by sin.

Led by twins of fiendish blood, their eyes like burning coal,

They sought to claim the hero’s life and tear apart her soul.

 

But Eri stood unyielding, as chaos filled the air,

With Hatae at her side, they fought with strength and flair.

The flames consumed the inn, the Bronze Unicorn no more,

Yet from the ash, the heroes rose, with legends to explore.

 

The mazoku twins, in greed, sought to reap their deadly toll,

But in their grasping hunger, they lost all sense of control.

For heroes are not felled by those with hearts of blackened night,

They shine with ever burning fire and stand for what is right.”

 

Well, what did you think?  You’re positively awe-struck, aren’t you?  I know, it is a bit basic, but as I said, I’m still composing the ballad, so-  What?  What’s a drow?  It’s an archaic name for a dark elf, of course.  A bit too archaic, hmm?  Criticism noted!

No, I assure you, good sir, that every word of my tale is true!  There absolutely were two groups hunting my companions that night, and one of them was indeed led by a pair of twin mazoku!  Well, not exactly twins, you see, for one had skin of crimson, the other azure, but they were identical otherwise.  Quite the proficient spellcasters, I might add, and I do believe that it was the red one that used the fire spell that set the poor Unicorn alight.  No, I did not get their names…it never came up in the course of our most chaotic flight from the inn; when one is being chased as we were, you don’t stop to ask who is doing the chasing!  Though I do believe my companions know more than I about those hunters, perhaps you should ask them?  It is not yet my story to tell, you see. 

Well, yes, there was something curious about the twins…they each wore some rather peculiar jewelry; I do think they wore a set of Bands of Grounding, but curiously enough, those devices did nothing to hinder their spellcasting.  Broken, perhaps, or unique? 

My good man, I grow weary, and my throat is dry.  What’s the house wine, and may I trouble you for some of it?  Or ale?  Or, gods forbid, water?”

 

 

 

*Full disclosure:  I used ChatGPT to generate the song lyrics, because I don’t have a lyrical bone in my body and coming up with something that sounded decent would have taken far too long in the context of a daily lore entry like this.