ꙮ Almachadta does not have a strict concept of ‘day’ and ‘night’, or of ‘summer’ and ‘winter’, but there is a time for rest, a time when the centrelight dims so deeply that you could call it ‘nighttime’, and people do. Nighttime is the time for making camp, and the Centrelight’s waxing in the ‘morning’ feels like the brightening of the sky and the way the ocean winds smell different in Samudra, or the ringing of the bells and brightening of the fires of the Beast - you all respond to it on the level of instinct, even if you weren’t born here. Time to pack up camp. 🙧
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#full cast session
#izaak
#chapter 2: almachadta
groans at he wakes up and fumbles around a bit before finding his wielding glasses and putting them on. Luckily there wasn’t much of a camp to begin with so it’s easy to get his things sorted out as the others awaken in turn.
is already poking at the embers of the fire with a stick at “first light,” humming softly as he turns the remnants of last night’s dinner into this morning’s breakfast.
pulls his jacket over his face and rolls over in protest, determined to get a little more rest after his sleepless night the evening prior.
is up. She barely slept at all.
has been awake far longer. Sleep is less of necessity for them. As you wake, you catch them attempting to coax a bird with a very still palm full of berries.
sits up as though he were rising from the dead, and then follows up with a much more human-like double arm stretch and yawn. He looks to the area where he planted the seeds to see if any have sprouted- any luck?
goes over to the Awoken. “What are you looking at?”
ꙮ The bird is enthusiastic. It doesn’t take much coaxing, and the berries are delicious. (Everything here has an intensity of flavor that’s not overwhelming but is, at least for everyone who’s not Wolf or Daina, notable. You didn’t forage -much- last night, either, but what you foraged definitely felt sufficient, and Wolf makes a delicious breakfast out of what’s left.)
ꙮ Nothing’s sprouted yet, at any rate. But not much time has passed, either, so.
whistles back to the bird, before returning to the others, and helping pack everything up.
ꙮ Every so often, Unua’s attempts at helping pack up the camp are pleasantly beleaguered by a small, hopeful bird.
: “Oh, wondering if anything I’ve planted has taken root and sprouted yet. It hasn’t.” He curls his legs under himself, cross-legged style. “I suppose it’s not a world where that kind of thing happens quickly! Now I know.”
slowly pulls himself to his feet and shuffles his way over to breakfast, as if animated solely by the smell of the meal itself. He manages to open his eyes wide enough to gratefully accept the meal and, after a cautious first taste, happily digs in.
: “Yes, it usually takes some time for anything to grow. Have you experienced otherwise?”
: “Depends on the seed, and where you plant it, also,” says Wolf. “Closer to the Centrelight things can get…strange.”
looks up to Daina, and the wide-eyeness is innocent. “Not that I can remember, but sometimes sprouts take root quicker than one expects.”
: “Speaking of things you can remember, what ever happened with that gunk from the Strange Path that you put in a vial?”
tilts her head in Wolf’s direction. “If we do get close to the Centrelight, maybe you’ll see a seed grow overnight.”
cryptic ass motherfucker
snorts softly. “I would prefer not to get that close. It gets very…loud.”
nods. “It’s the same on my home world. Even with some of our best specialists working to maximize the output of our hydroponics, it’s exceedingly rare to get any crops to a consumption-ready state in fewer than a couple of days.” He turns to Aurelius. “If you’ll permit me a guess, I’d wager it vanished, the same as the mud from my shoes.”
: “Oh, that?” He turns to look at Aurelius, and breaks into a full grin. “It’s now a vial of pure possibility. Dense reality. Energetic and wild all the same.”
: “Want to try it on the seeds?”
glances over from where he’s working to put out the fire–now that the cooking’s done–and gives a dubious look at the Awoken.
glances between Archie and the Awoken, gives the former a shrug, then turns back to the Awoken. “I mean, if you wanna spend it on some plants we’ll never see again, go for it…?”
turns sharply at The Awoken’s statement, staring with fascination at the vial.
May I make a Liminal roll to try to observe anything about the gnosis/mana within?
stands up from his cross-legged sit, twisting up like a corkscrew as he does. “Come, take a look!” He produces the bottle and uncorks it.
: “Wait is that pure mana?”
ꙮ Archivist, please give me a Liminal, DC 2/8; Awoken please give me a Burning, DC 3 to immediately re-cork the vial, or permit the contents of the vial to immediately start roilingly dissipating the second you uncork it.
- The Awoken invoked their 🔴burning gnosis [d4] -> 2.
- The Awoken spent 1 Arete and now has 1 remaining.
- The Archivist/Archie invoked their 🌌liminal gnosis [d4] -> 1.
ꙮ Archivist - you can take half
- The Archivist/Archie spent 1 Arete and now has 2 remaining.
ꙮ Archivist, if you’re taking the DC 2 success, you can take half even after the roll (I may have said otherwise previously? If I did that, I was lying); I will refund the Arete accordingly, one moment.
- The Archivist/Archie has gained 1 Arete, and now has 3.
ꙮ So, a couple of interesting things happen in quick succession. ⁂
ꙮ The vial the Awoken brings out of wherever he keeps vials stashed when he’s not being mysterious as hell about them is full of a churning, roiling, rainbowy substance; it is BRIGHT and energetic and twists the gnosis around the vial even through the glass. It is, decidedly, not mud any longer. ⁂
ꙮ The second the Awoken uncorks the bottle there’s an audible hsssssss and a bunch of whatever’s inside the vial escapes out before the Awoken swiftly re-corks it. You can -all- sense a faint lingering cloud of flourishing gnosis surrounding the vial. 🙧
: “You know what. I’m not even going to ask how you managed to keep that contained in a normal ass vial, you probably don’t even know anyway.”
waves his hand like a fan, as if to coax the lingering cloud towards his seedbed.
watches in alarm as the vial is uncorked–subsides a little when it’s resealed, but wrinkles his nose at the aftermath.
: “Assuming it is a normal vial,” she says, watching the Awoken with something between bafflement and fascination
: “So you’re not allowed to open that anymore. At least, definitely not until we make it to Samudra.” Attentive eyes will notice that he seems to be vibrating - something between wiggling excitement and a shudder of horror.
: “Interesting. Do you think we could capture other gnosis in bottles?”
ꙮ It’s already starting to dissipate, being pulled along a network of fractally self-similar leylines that are briefly -tangible- on account of the burst of gnosis, but there’s enough of it that with a tiny exertion of conscious will it’s waved over to where the seeds were planted, and the upturned earth itself hungrily sucks the gnosis in once it gets close enough.
: “Gnosis is a lot easier to bottle.”
ꙮ …there’s a tiny little fuse of green, poking up out of the earth, that was not there before.
: “That’s not gnosis. That’s all I’m willing to say at the moment. Forgive me, but it’s for the best.”
: “I don’t see why not,” he remarks to Unua. “Just have to try and want it.”
: “It is what makes, gnosis, perhaps.”
tilts his head towards Archie curiously, “…Oh, are we not supposed to know what mana is?”
sighs and returns to his task–but keeps stealing rather uneasy glances back at the earth, making something between a grumble and a sub-sonic growl in his chest.
: “Hey! It worked!”
goes over to investigate the now-sprouted seeds. “You cheat at cards, don’t you?” she asks the Awoken
smiles. “If a miracle occurs regularly, is it still a miracle?”
shakes his head at Aurelius. “It’s not mana, either, at least not how you probably conceive of it. I’d really prefer if we stop talking about it for now. Keep it sealed and keep it safe.”
ꙮ For what it’s worth, it does look like a perfectly ordinary lil’ sprout.
taps his foot against the ground twice, then rolls a shrug. “Alright.”
reaches out a finger and touches the perfectly ordinary sprout. “Good luck,” she whispers to it, before straightening and going back to the others.
: “If we are done…” Wolf pauses, briefly, perhaps cutting off trailing words from that thought. “It should not be far to a settlement. We should be able, at least, to barter for supplies.”
: “Sounds good. I’m a bit curious to see what your villages look like anyway.”
nods, gathering what little is left of his belongings before standing behind Wolf, ready for him to lead the way.
smiles slightly. “Depends on where they are. We adapt to where we find ourselves.”
looks to Archie, the gears in his head turning. After a few moments, he sequesters the bottle back to where it was. (On his belt.)
ꙮ Wolf and Saint: You know that Kesset isn’t far from here. It’s fairly large, on account of… well, there’s a long story, but it’s a large and comfortable town. It’s likely that you’ve both been there at some point; it’s also likely that neither of you stayed terribly long.
cleans up his sleeping spot and helps to tidy the rest of the camp. Leave no trace! He’s then ready to go, lining up in formation with Wolf.
asks Wolf, “Do you want to lead, or would you like me to?”
chuckles. “Perhaps we could walk side by side?”
: “Oh, I suppose we could.” She shakes the tension out of her shoulders. “I think if we don’t head out soon that handful will find something else to get into” nodding at the rest of their party, even the suspiciously ready-looking Awoken.
: “Mm, yes, well.” And for just a moment, he grins at her. “Come then! The road awaits.”
follows along, with as much as they can carry. Every now and again, some steam whistles out in an attempt at birdsong.
ꙮ The road awaits! Well, once you get to it. There’s some very mildly treacherous mossy terrain, and a pack of wary-but-incredibly-curious coeurls camouflaged in the trees, tendril-whiskers twitching, and then there’s something that’s recognisably A Path trod by some beasts, sapient or otherwise, and then that feeds into, or gets close enough to count, to a proper Road that leads Somewhere.
: “Oh, you have coeurl here too. Not used to seeing them out in the wild.”
lightly waves to the wildlife, making eye contact, but doesn’t stop his stride.
ꙮ (For those curious, a coeurl is like a weird spotted leopard, with long, luxurious, and bafflingly-prehensile tendril-whiskers on their snout. They’re pretty adorable. These ones look -pretty- used to seeing people walking past, all things considered.)
pauses as his boot touches the first path–takes a deep breath. Then he smiles, and he keeps moving, his pace easy, his stride sure. As he walks, he starts to hum, a gentle pulsing melody that syncs up with the length of his stride, and–perhaps without realizing it–he’s singing in a pleasant, grit-edged baritone… ⁂
: “A step and a step and a step,*
Step and a step on the open road and
Step and a step and a step,
‘Neath the light of the green-gold sun…” ⁂*
: “Onward and onward the road,*
Onward and onward the distant calling
Onward and onward it goes,
Winding a path through the Forest’s sons…” 🙧*
.
Oh, and the melody will be...at least in conversation with...the song he played to help open the world-gate
does not have a stride as long as Wolf’s so he has to kick up the pace every now and then. He follows along with a hum in harmony, adding trills and improvisation when he has to catch up physically.
listens to Wolf’s song, the Centrelight on her face, and lets herself relax further. Never too much–being eaten is always an possibility–but she feels some of the tension leaving her body. She has to take two steps for every one of Wolf’s, but the pace feels good. Normal. Right.
ꙮ In the distance, and then in the closeness: the village of Kesset. It’s more than just a village, and seems like it has been for generations, but it also, visibly, has the Vibe of a place that still thinks of itself as a Village. (There are a lot of places in Almachadta like that.) There’s a particular kind of lovely varicoloured rock that polishes to an incredible lustre found only in one specific cavern, you see- and that’s not WHY Kesset is what it is, but it was found along the way, and it is quite lovely to behold, and many people wanted something carved from it enough to trade their own specialties for it - and so you see pennants waving of cloth woven from all across the plane, you see bright colours dyed from plants that certainly don’t grow anywhere nearby, and thrumming beneath it all, a keen sense of joy. ⁂
ꙮ Someone on the road - younger, not quite ‘a kid’ but close - traveling up the road from Kesset - squints in your direction, picks up speed in curiosity to meet newcomers on foot. Whatever he’d BEEN planning on doing can wait! 🙧
smiles and raises a hand as the boy approaches. “Hail and well met.”
Daina take out her mask and puts it on, body posture changing slightly so she’s not quite herself anymore
: “Hail, wanderer!”
waves with unreserved friendliness.
attempts to look less frightening while they wave
is a bit out of breath when he finally reaches the party, ears at full perk and tail flailing behind him wildly in enthusiasm. At some point he got close enough to -see- the party and visibly attempted to put together some semblance of a dignified approach to limited, but heartfelt, success. He bows, deeply and with reverence, first to Wolf, then to the Saint. “Yeresh! Sword-Saint!” He straightens. “And their companions! Are you on the way to the village? I’ll run back and make sure we’ve got somewhere you can rest! Have you been traveling long?” Unspoken and unasked: Did something happen to your wagon?
stops in his tracks for a split second as the traveller’s mouth opens and he squints hard behind his glasses. But the moment passes quickly and he recollects himself.
: “We are on our way to the village, yes. We’ve not been traveling long, but a place to rest would be appreciated.”
blinks as the word hits home: “yeresh.” It rocks him back on his heels, just a bit–a lightning-flash of memory waking up from dreaming sleep. It settles on him like a cloak–there’s something straighter about his shoulders as his eyes refocus on the boy. “It has been a…journey, yes. We will wish to barter service for supplies.”
nods, and looks like he’s going to IMMEDIATELY start sprinting back to Kesset at full-tilt. “It’s so good to see you! We’d heard that - nevermind, actually, let me just catch my breath -” Deep, and steadying. [DC 2, Take Half] A light invocation of flourishing gnosis, and he straightens up and shakes himself off and bows, again, to the entire party as a whole, and then takes off like dirty linens towards the gate.
ꙮ You can follow at, presumably, a more languid and leisurely pace.
: “What do you think he’s heard?”
places one hand on the Awoken’s shoulder and the other on Archie’s as the boy leaves, and then once he’s out of ear shot: “Did. Either of you two perceive that?”
lightly chuckles. “The characters of Wolf and Daina are powerful, indeed.”
: “Perhaps of your absence?”
actually stays still for a long moment, staring after the boy, brow furrowing. The quiet joy of the road slips away like water off a stone, leaving his face more carved than before. “What…was I doing…?”
looks at Wolf sympathetically. “Only one way to find out, I suppose.”
glances at Aurelius. “His excitement? Even the dead could sense that.”
: “No, the… Goddess, how do I even describe it…” He lets out a long, slow breath.
looks over at Daina. “He…was not surprised by the other four.”
: “His words. They’re… different.”
turns to Aurelius and nods. “It was unmistakeable.”
ꙮ If you think about it for a second, his words really were different. That’s… weird.
nods. “Oh, the other thing. Yes, good thing he is hale and healthy in flourishing gnosis. And his voice has a peculiar tenor.”
: “I had a feeling one of you two would catch it. Glad I was right. Hrm.”
glances at their companions. Aurelius and the Awoken could … maybe. Pass for something you’d find on Almachadta, but Unua? Archie? “He might’ve just been excited but.” She frowns. “I wonder how long we’ve been away.”
ꙮ That wasn’t weird before, but if you think about it, now it is. Hunh.
: “Right, that might be it. It’s bizarrely infused with gnosis?”
presses a palm to his forehead, briefly grimacing. “Is it? It…is. But it…”
- Unua? The Clockwork Knight invoked their 🔵pellucid gnosis [d4] -> 1.
vents steam, as if thinking extra hard.
: “Don’t think too hard about it if it’s distressing.”
: “Wolf, Daina…did you always sound the way you do now?”
- Unua? The Clockwork Knight invoked their 🌌liminal gnosis [d4] -> 2.
- Unua? The Clockwork Knight has gained 1 Arete, and now has 4.
: “Perhaps it is not that his words are strange. Perhaps ours are.”
ꙮ [DC 14]
: “Honestly you’re probably right. Maybe I shouldn’t be bringing this stuff up yet, I just needed to confirm it wasn’t just me.”
: “Hmm…” He crosses his arms and taps a foot.
ꙮ Awoken, liminal or pellucid, DC 4?
frowns even more deeply. “In the silence…my voice did sound so…strange. So wrong…”
- The Awoken invoked their 🌌liminal gnosis [d4] -> 4! It ✨explodes!
- The Awoken invoked their 🌌liminal gnosis [d4] -> 3.
- The Awoken spent 1 Arete and now has 0 remaining.
ꙮ The Awoken’s liminal gnosis explodes (and Ascends)!
- The Awoken‘s 🌌liminal gnosis has ascended unto the 6ᵗʰ rank.
- The Awoken invoked their 🌌liminal gnosis [d6] -> 2.
ꙮ One moment, please.
ꙮ Wolf and Daina: To those who were from Almachadta, Aurelius’ comment about /something being different/ recontextualises the memories you hold of Almachadta. That’s just… how things -are-. The Sanctuary was so -strange-, and EVERYTHING was so different, and you were shorn so from your context, and hearing the lad from Kesset speak… there’s something directly, and immediately, comforting about it. That’s what you’re -used- to; it’s another thing that’s seemed strange, this whole time.
closes one eye, and is intently staring at the distant youth with the other.
closes the other eye now, and after a heartbeat he opens them. It’s a normal gaze, now. (Well, normal for the Awoken. It’s not super-focused.)
: “The weird ones are definitely… us!”
: “Yeah that absolutely makes the most sense. Mildly curious where your confidence in that statement comes from though?”
ꙮ Continue. 🙧
: “I have a thought.” Archie begins to run ahead, though still keeping a modest distance from the local resident, and focuses his ears to find out if he can get any more of an idea about what Wolf and Daina had been doing by overhearing the message he relays to the village.
Not sure if/what to roll here
: “Might need a second data point to be 100% sure, but steps in the darkness must be taken. Let’s keep going, like it never happened!”
: “That wasn’t an answer.”
shakes his head to clear it, squares his shoulders…clenches a fist. “They’re right. We’ll learn nothing if we don’t walk the path.”
: “Oh- everything about the lad resonates with flourishing gnosis.”
: “Soul, self, song.”
ꙮ Archie: Burning or Tenebrous, DC… 14?
ponders for a moment, then rolls a shrug. “Okay I think I get what you’re getting at.”
silently keeps pace with Wolf, expression hidden by the mask.
- The Archivist/Archie invoked their 🔴burning gnosis [d4] -> 1.
- The Archivist/Archie has gained 1 Arete, and now has 4.
places his hands behind his head and resumes following the locals.
: “But, see… we don’t really have the same feeling.”
: “Yeah.”
just…looks down at his hand. Opens it. Closes it back into a fist. And keeps walking.
: “Wonder if a truth was said by the Architect, that he reconstituted us, and now we are as he is- separate from it all.” He follows, stops after a few steps. “Then again, the Omniclast was much the same. But they were brothers, so…”
cocks his head. “Best not to get lost in the plot just yet! I imagine the welcoming is going to be even warmer.”
reaches out to touch the back of Wolf’s hand, soft and quick and an attempt at reassurance.
nods. “I don’t know about him remaking us. I feel like he probably found us. But our lack of… saturation didn’t stand out because of where we woke up and it took me until Unua mentioned it to realize, yeah.”
flinches–mostly in surprise, but nonetheless–but takes a breath and tries to manage a smile. It doesn’t really work, but he tries. “No…choice but to keep walking.”
ꙮ Archie takes off like a shot on impulse, following the guy back to the city gates - but he was moving FAST, if you heard anything it was something along the lines of yawping about THERE’S VISITORS AND THEY’RE IMPORTANT - and by the time you’re at the gate you’re focused on tailing the guy sufficiently that you bump directly into a leg. A remarkably large leg. A tree trunk of a leg, although not literally a tree trunk, that IS a thing that could happen here but it’s, no, it’s some guy who’s like nine feet tall and built like a brick shithouse, covered bodily with spiky fur, wearing billowing, silky green drawstring pants, an impressive collection of bangles and necklaces, and not a whole heck of a lot else.
: “We can only learn more, friend. It would be hard to keep forgetting!”
looks down in surprise. “-oh. Hey there, lil’ guy. Be careful, okay?”
: “I know. I just wanted to remind you that … you aren’t walking alone.”
blinks at that…and the smile is real, for just a flicker. “…thank you.”
picks up the pace once more, absentmindedly overtaking Wolf and the Saint.
stumbles back and looks up towards the origin of the voice, looking sheepish. “Sorry! Uh, hello! Are you from around here?”
grins! “Nope! I’m from halfway across Almachadta, but I like it here. It’s nice.” And then he squints, curiously, and immediately gets down on his haunches to be a bit more level with Archie, and it almost even works. “What village’re -you- from?” He sniffs at the air curiously and scrunches up his face like he’s smelling something new and he’s curious about it.
ꙮ Wolf, when you get in sight of the gates - you know Izaak Earth-Shaker. Not exceptionally well, but you recognise him with a start. There’s rites and rituals and songs and dances you taught him, once. He’s not a yeresh, but he’s danced in their circles and learned at their feet.
waves as he approaches, smiling to mask unease. The familiarity would be welcome…if the sudden memory-flash nature of it didn’t highlight the absences filling in, like pieces in a shattered mosaic. “Izaak!” he calls.
spruces himself up slightly in a futile attempt to do his part to help balance the height difference. “I’m visiting too, though from a bit of a ways away. I think you might know some of my traveling companions?” He glances behind him, hoping the others have started to catch up, silently pleading for backup.
catches Archie’s pleading glance, and skips up to a jog to catch up.
quickens her pace to make sure she’s near both Archie and the Awoken, though lets Wolf take the lead in talking.
: “Hey there, big fella!”
swallows down a slightly dramatic sigh. She’s very proud of herself for that one.
looks past Archie - waves, immediately, to strange newcomers out of immediate habit - and then hears Wolf’s call and immediately gets to his feet and does a very formal, fluid - it’s almost more of a dance step than a bow, a circling-around of something invisible but present. “Yeresh Wolf! Light, it’s good to see you again, how have you been?!” There’s a very tangible sense that his impulse here is ‘tacklehug’ and he’s holding it back through the exercise of profoundly-trained volition. “And you brought friends!” Blink. “Saint!” A bow, but a normal one.
he returns the bow, graceful, crimson coat flaring out behind him. He takes a step towards the other–almost without thinking–and stops himself a little short, turning whatever he was about to do into a friendly wave. “Indeed I have. Friends, from far away.” He smiles, warmly. “It is good to see a fam…friendly face.”
also returns the bow she received, politely
waves the all of them in through the gates. “Kid came crashbangin’ through like he’d dragged his tail through fire ants shoutin’ about how the Saint was back and she’d brought a yeresh and oh Light do we have rooms at the -nice- inn and he’d already taken off afore I could get a paw on his shoulder t’ calm him. Had no idea it’d be you.” He looks from one person to the other, as they all make it to the gates. “Six of ya? If Kesset doesn’t have room for six honored guests I’ll buy a new shawl and eat it. The name’s Izaak. Welcome to Kesset,” -and, then, “-welcome home.”
gives a slightly nod to Izaak. “Huh, didn’t realize you both were such a big deal around here.”
keeps shooting curious glances at, particularly, Archie and Unua, but he’s The Person Greeting Strangers At The Gates today and by the Centrelight he’s going to be good at it and not get distracted.
bows again at that, holding the bow until he can control the expression on his face. “We would be very grateful, my friend. It has been a long road. We will need to barter for supplies–we have lost ours.” He hesitates, then, carefully: “Forgive what will be a very strange question, Izaak, but…which season is it?”
is not used to greeting anyone taller than they are. They smile and bow.
: “Nice to meet ‘cha, Izaak! Call me ‘Awoken.’” He gives a half-arm raised salute while also giving a small kick with his same-side leg.
: “Oh right names. Aurelius.”
smiles and bows. “I’m Archie!”
: “Unua.”
has always been grateful for the mask, but usually she does not need it to hide her expressions. She is grateful for that now. “Thank you for your welcome, Izaak.”
snorts softly. “Barter my eels, Rohek still owes you and he won’t let you leave afore you have everything you need.” He starts tromping in the direction of what you can only presume to be The Nice Inn; it’s towards the heart of town. Brightly-coloured banners hang from windows; somewhere nearby there’s a group of children playing music together, inexpertly but with great enthusiasm. “Smack dab in the middle of the bright-season. Over in Iyawe they just had the Festival of Bells, brought me in for a pair of hands that didn’t need a ladder to string ‘em up everywhere, that was, what, ten days ago?” He doesn’t seem fazed at all -by- the question, at least, not from Wolf.
follows, looking about with delight, not afraid to make eyecontact with anyone else they come across.
frowns, nods. “All went well, I hope.” His memory is frustratingly blank on who Rohek is. “Rohek’s generosity is deeply appreciated, but we’ll be supplying six, not one–I’d not over-tax him, favor not withstanding.”
ꙮ Some kid gives the Awoken an absolutely huge wave and a “WOAH LOOK AT HIS HAIR IT’S SO COOL”, which, it is, in fact.
gives a wave to that kid! “Your tail shimmer is absolutely keen! I’ll have to learn that technique for myself!” he says, brushing a lock back.
nods! “Oh, it was great! Rabichea was leading the dances this year for the first time and she did great. Knew she was shakin’ like a leaf until the second it was go time, but that’s how it always is, yeah?”
raises an eyebrow at the exchange the Awoken has, but doesn’t comment on it.
ꙮ Tromping down the streets a bit more, and the owner of the inn’s waiting outside to greet you. It’s big - the door’s clearly designed for people like Izaak to fit through without bonking his head, there’s chairs inside big enough to very comfortably seat the Clockwork Knight. (Who is also getting some stares and people curiously wondering because they’ve never seen that kind of a monster before is he made of METAL how does that even work.)
smiles a little, nodding–mostly letting Izaak talk. His eyes roam as they walk, one ear still tuned to Izaak’s words. Everything familiar. Everything so strange. Names he should know…
plops down in the center of a comically oversized-for-him chair, trying and failing to remain upright before straightening himself back up.
ꙮ The inn’s owner bows - a normal-person bow - to Izaak and then to Wolf and the Saint. Saint: You’ve almost certainly stayed here before, some years back, although that one’s less the situation going on with everyone’s memory and more just inns kind of blending together in your head after a while. “Saint. It’s an honor. Please, make yourselves comfortable.”
bows to the innkeeper. “It is good to see you again. Thank you for your hospitality, for both myself, the Yeresh, and our companions.”
: “Is there anything I might do for you while we avail ourselves of your hospitality?”
hops into a chair and scootches it forward, eyeing up the surroudings of the inn.
ꙮ ”Light, it’s just good to see you safe and sound.” The innkeeper frets, wrings her hands, tucks some hair behind an ear, looks like she’s got a pancake on the griddle. “A story for the town, if you’ve one to share.” She ushers you all in - there’s food brought to the table, nice ale and some kind of barley stew that smells INCREDIBLE and, oh, Light shining dappled through leaves, there’s cheese and it’s REAL this time.
can’t help himself–he digs in to the stew immediately…thank all that is good, it has actual meat in it…and just has a brief moment of eyes-closed happiness at the cheese. “Mmnngoh thank the Lady.”
: “Of course I have a story for the town, though I assume you’ll want it a bit closer to the end of the day. I do have to ask a story of you, though, as well–what does everyone think happened to me?”
takes a seat at the table, more than willing to take the offered food and drink without putting up a fuss and digs into it.
He's still wearing the wielding glasses, even inside.
flops bodily into the chair next to Archie’s with some kind of enormous baguette in his hand that looks comically like just a breadstick in context, and gestures grandly at the Sword-Saint with it. “I’ll field that one, I think?”
claps his hands together once. “Thanks for the meal!” He savors the cheese, dabs a bit of bread in with the stew, and leeeeeeans back into the chair to slowly chew and swallow. He travels the ale from table to flagon to hand to mouth, and takes a loooooooooooong sip. And then, he’s leaning back forward again for more food.
turns, glad that she can see her companions–Archie and the Awoken espeically–more easily. “Certainly,” she says, selecting a chair herself. It’s big enough that she can pull her clock around her, though her feet don’t … quite touch the ground, she folds them so she doesn’t look completely ridiculous and also so that her muddy boots hang off the side of the chair. “What is the story?”
gestures with the breadstick. “Well, it was more of an unsolved mystery, honestly. Badri and the King saw you off on some errand they went dim on the details of, into the Tangle. Said you were supposed to meet a yeresh on the way there. Then… you vanished, and so did Wolf, ‘round the same time. Was he the one you were supposed t’ meet along the way? They say it’s a small world. Light knows I’d go to him if I had a question ‘bout somethin’.” He nods, wolfwards.
ꙮ The Tangle being one of the words people use here for the way the forest gets dense and deep, close to the umbilicus.
blinks, stopping mid-sip of ale, and hastily swallowing before he can cough. “Into the Tangle?”
: “Yeah, that was my reaction too. Sounds as it wasn’t too far in, whatever tree you were climbin’ up. I’ve been on the outskirts an’ it always feels as my fur’s fixing to grow its own fur and run off with the rest of me.”
looks confused, and…disturbed. “Into the Tangle…”
: “Yes, it was Wolf,” she says, suddenly certain of that. “Is Badri at the Courtyard still, with the Palimpsest King? I must let them know what we found.”
glances at Daina partway through Izzak’s story, and then resumes eating.
: “Oh, can’t imagine as he’s elsewhere. He’ll be mighty pleased t’ see you safe and well. Haven’t spoken with him but chirpin’ birds tell me he was th’only one not losin’ his castin’-dice about you having gone missing.”
looks over at Daina. “Seems that’s our next stop, then.”
: “No, he wouldn’t have,” finally sliding the mask off to grab a bowl of stew.
: “Yes,” she agrees
: “Although it’s hard to imagine him losing his castin’-dice about anything, honestly.” He chuckles, realises with a start that the thing that you are supposed to do with bread is eat it, not gesticulate with it, and chomps one end off with a delightfully-crumbed cronch. He’s still VERY curiously glancing at basically everyone.
: “That was pretty easy and painless.”
: “Mm.” Wolf makes a very non-committal noise at that, and goes back to his bowl of stew–though he looks like he’s thinking harder than he’s eating.
: “So, what’s the Tangle?” he asks, now that the back-and-forth has died down and he needs a bit of time to ladle himself a second bowl of stew.
He asks with the casual candor with which you might ask, ‘how’s the weather treating you?’
: “So, uh. I’ve done some travelin’.” He’s peering into the breadstick-end like it contains the universe, and he just has to squint hard enough to find it, and is, mercifully, distracted by the Awoken, and goes into Answer Mode, and you can SEE it when the oddness of the question hits him, but he’s already mid-explanation by that point and full steam ahead, baby: “Oh, it’s where the forest gets all knotted in on itself close to the big root that hangs the Centrelight, it’s brighter an’ weirder there, gnosis thick as stranglevines. Do they, uh, not call it that where you’re from?”
: “No, they don’t. Awoken is from the far side of Almachadta.”
: “Very far,” Wolf mutters.
: “Oh, I’ve got amnesia.” Casual as ever. “Forgot everything, but fortunately you can’t forget wonderful food and welcoming hosts!”
looks like he’s trying very, very hard not to burst into laughter and send beer flying all over the table.
: “We actually found him near the Tangle. We think that’s part of the reason he’s like … this,” she says, gesturing in the Awoken’s general direction
pushes himself further back into the chair as if willing himself to slip through the cushions.
beams, delightedly, but with ABSOLUTELY no less confusion. “Oh! Like, over Zurya way or closer to Oaretsch or-” -he blinks, and his face falls. “Oh.” He regains his composure. “…well, it sounds like you’ve got good friends who’ll help you figure out where ya came from, then!”
closed-mouth smiles with a cheekful of cheese as Daina says this.
as their new friends scramble to cover the tracks of their story, Unua decides that they should remember to eat now, so nothing else strange is added to the mix.
swallows before responding. “Oh yes, they are determined and stalwart allies and friends. Of course they’d be popular!”
ꙮ Luckily, everything is ridiculously delicious.
shoots a little bit of a cautioning glance at Daina, but can’t help but shake his head and smile at…well, everything.
: “Though…I would like to deal with replenishing our supplies before it gets dark. I think we should get to the Courtyard with reasonable haste.”
acknowledges she shouldn’t have said the last bit. It’s not what her role is supposed to be, or what Badri taught her to be. “Thank you for explaining. I appreciate it. I’m sure I speak for Wolf as well when I apologize for the alarm our absence has caused.”
clears his throat a few times and gets himself back under control. “Do you think we’ll be able to get a hold of some ink and paper before we head out, by the by?”
nods. “Like I said. Saint AND a yeresh AND Rohek owes you one? You’ll get it sorted. Think you’ll take a wagon or beasts?”
: “Beasts would be ideal,” but it’s half a question directed at Wolf. “I’m not sure how they’d react to some of our companions. I’d also–I forget, is there a market in Kesset regularly? I’d like to show our companions around a bit.”
: “Mm. Beasts would be faster, but a wagon easier in some ways…” He gets just the slightest impish look on his face. “Perhaps beasts. Give our visiting friends a taste of the way we do things over here.”
eyes the Clockwork Knight in admiration. “Well, there’s beasts as can handle me, and can run a far sight faster than I can, so I feel you could scare somethin’ up. And, yeah, market’s still runnin’, will be for a while.”
stands, stretches a little, cracks his neck–then claps Izaak on the shoulder. “Thank you, my friend. Your aid and good cheer do more than you know.”
: “I think beasts, then, if it can be managed. For the experience alone. Though first provisions and the market–I at least want to see what kind of fabrics are on offer, and I need more thread. Aurelius wants ink and paper. I think Archie would enjoy some of the books and some of the more esoteric products. Usually there’s something of some interest for everyone.”
absolutely beams at Wolf. “The least I can do, Yeresh Wolf! Hang on. Can I give you a hug?” When you’re a nine-foot tall monster, you really do have to be very careful and ask.
quietly slips some extra bits of bread away somewhere hidden on his person when it looks like they’re wrapping up to leave, then finishes off the mug of beer.
chuckles a little
laughs quietly. “Yes, Izaak. Gladly so.” And he hugs the man, perhaps more fiercely than he might have in prior days.
gets up, then, and (gingerly and carefully, but that’s still one hell of a hug) hugs Wolf and there’s a relief and a joy in the hug that he’s been keeping out of his voice.
also slips away some of the more durable food items, and then takes one last bite of stew.
: “Want I should go with you to the market? We’re already close t’ the middle of town, y’can’t miss it,” -but if they asked, he’d absolutely drop everything (currently: the last third of the cronchy baguette) and help them there, is the part that he doesn’t say.
: “Your company is welcome, if it would not hinder you…” His voice is perhaps rougher, after that hug, than it strictly should be.
grins again! “Not in the least!” And he has a quick conversation with the innkeeper on the way out, who waves you off with a bright smile! After which point he holds the door open for the entire party and then leads them marketwards; it is, as advertised, not very far. ⁂
while Izaak speaks with the innkeeper, Unua whispers to Wolf, “Why do we sometimes lie to your friend?”
smuggles a bit of cheese from the table into a pocket before finishing off his ale and hopping down from the chair.
shoots the Knight a warning glance, realizes that might not land, then drops back a little to be able to speak quietly to them. “There are things they do not know, which may not be wise to speak. I will answer more later, I promise.”
: “I trust your judgement. I am just confused.”
nods a little. “I will do what I can.”
ꙮ It is bright, it is colourful - there’s a LOT of things made out of the opalescent local stone, carvings and boxes and receptacles and incense-burners; incense burners shaped like mountains that roil out milk-white rivers of smoke. Certainly ink and paper, and a variety of fabric - Kesset isn’t known FOR any particular kind of fabric, but a town with that many brightly-coloured banners and streamers is going to have a fabric market that’s not to be sneezed at, so while it’s no Oaretsch, well, the amnesia just makes it easier to not make the comparison.
ꙮ (And most of you have never been to Oaretsch in the first place!) 🙧
: “Haaa… what a place!” He scrambles for the fabric booths.
mostly sticks close to Izaak and Daina–clearly appreciating the varied goods on offer, but also clearly more interested in the experience and the company than the shopping itself.
looks for Unua and says, “I’d like to get you a cloak of some sort, both to help you blend in better and also–well, they’re nice. Would you like to pick out a color you like?”
: “So… how does this work?” Quietly, out of Izaak’s ear reach to Daine, “We had bits of metal we’d use as a set value to trade for things, but I don’t get the impression you have currency here…?”
joins Unua in looking at the cloak stall, feeling self-conscious about all the inquisitive eyes he’s felt on him lately. It’s clear he’s more comfortable being the inquirer than the inquired-after.
: “We can certainly try. Does your land use coins?”
: “We should likely have come up with some form of plan before wandering into a crowded area. I have nothing to barter with, save aid I can provide.”
: “Barter more often than currency–and what currency there is tends to be relational, still. Aid given from one community to another, remembered with tokens.” He smiles faintly. “The Saint and I have fairly deep connections here; our names shall be sufficient, I think, though if you wish to provide labor or assistance in trade, no one will mind.”
quietly and without fanfare Has The Party Covered, at some point pulling Wolf aside and giving him a small pouch full of little carefully, purpose-grown crystalline things used in channeling gnosis around in rituals; the Lightdrinkers make them and they’re reasonably, but not horrendously, valuable, and most people will be ready and willing to trade for them.
in turn, distributes them mostly-evenly–‘mostly’ in the sense that he reserves little for himself.
ꙮ To be fair, most people… seem to be -actively trying- to give things to Wolf and the Saint, so the crystals were more for the others, anyways. In any event, there’s shopping to be done! Knickknacks to be had! Travel to secure! And these things will all happen, in time.
ꙮ Thank you for playing!