[Playthings] (Narrated Open RP)

[Dust]

(( Quick note: This thread is 'Narrated' Open RP, meaning it will take the form of a (probably brief) quest that will move through multiple locations and include a bit of combat. The Narrator plays a role similar to a GM/DM, handling NPCs, the environment, and scene transitions. You always have control over your character, the Narrator will in some cases give you control of NPCs, usually regarding what your character can do to them during fights. There are no rules or rolls involved combat or anything else. ))

---

[ Stonefalls - Davon’s Watch - The Fish Stink Bar ]  (Afternoon)

“You there. You’re a Fighter’s Guild associate, are you not?”

Kieg stops drinking mid-swallow and lowers the rim of his ale mug suspiciously… He doesn’t recognize this scratchy, vexed-sounding voice at all.

Standing before him is a thin, man in tattered brown robes, clutching a mage’s staff. Beneath a halo of thinning brown hair, the man’s narrow, dark-rimmed eyes peer condescendingly up at him. Kieg immediately gets the impression this man would rather be peering condescendingly -down- at him, but he isn't tall enough to accomplish this.

“…Aye?” Kieg allows, cautiously. “…Can I help y-?”

“I should certainly hope so,” the man snaps. “It’s been an intolerable bother trying to get ANY sort of able assistance in this damned backwater. Your guild master, the Argonian-“

“See-All-Colors,” Kieg volunteers helpfully. He can’t help but smile a little, he admires Colors.

“It hardly matters!” The man snaps again, breaking Kieg out of a fond recollection of the last time he and Colors had fought together. “Your guild master referred me to you as someone who can help me. The guild must have fallen far from its prime, if this is all it can muster by way of assistance.”

“There’s …a lot going on,” Kieg says, giving the man a palms-up shrug which he hopes conveys the notion of ‘surely you’ve noticed all the Dark Anchors’. “We’ve been busy..”

“-You- don’t seem busy.” The thin man crosses his arms. His staff remains upright on it's own at his side, apparently balanced on a tendril of magic.

“I’m taking a break.” Kieg nudges a grimy burlap sack filled with Daedra hearts with his boot. “But I’m doing my part.” He finishes his ale in two swallows, and puts down the mug regretfully. This had been such a pleasant day until just now… “So.. What is it you need help with?”

The thin man smiles. “I need able hands to help me undertake a quest. My legacy is at stake.”

“Your legacy?”

“Surely you’ve heard of … Archmage Verranatis Krexx.”

“Ah.. Yes, of course.” Kieg nods sagely, lying through his teeth. He has always been terrible with names. And dates. And faces. …And locations. Most of the time it was better to just say you know and then try to figure it out afterwards. Unlike regular lies, which he always tries to avoid, this wasn’t -really- dishonest, it just gave him a chance to catch up.

“Then you finally begin to understand the magnitude of the task before you. My concerns are the concerns of the world! Of time and space, and of the very forces that bind magic itself!”

Kieg nods, doubtfully. His eyes stray to the man’s ragged clothing. Krexx’s eyes flare.

“Do not let my present appearance fool your senses! These are dire times and even my prodigious resources have been stretched to their very limits. Soon I will return to the fullness of my glory, and you will profit mightily for having stood at my side! When the songs are sung of my re-ascent to zenith, perhaps your name shall be somewhere in them! You shall win more honor from that than from a thousand trophies!!”

“Truly?” Kieg’s eyes have grown a little wider. “You know… I met Archmage Shalidor once.. Or at least I think.”

Archmage Krexx scoffs. “Pff. Shalidor. Is his spirit still stumbling around Tamriel after all this time?” Krexx waves a dismissive hand and leans closer to the warrior, his eyes bright. “A -true- wizard stands before you now. Clear-eyed and flush with power! Now answer, warrior; are you brave and strong enough to serve me?”

“Oh aye!” Kieg grins enthusiastically. This promised to be exciting! He is terrible at magic but it was always great fun to watch powerful wizards work. Plus it sounds like a challenge, which he likes as well.

"You are wiser than you look." Krexx's pronounced sneer softens somewhat. "But your strength alone won't be enough, even when bolstered by my own insurmountable power. We shall need additional allies. Who else can you bring to our cause?"

"Oh.." Kieg tugs at the end of his short beard. He isn't good with names or faces, and most of the names and faces he does know aren't on very good terms.

His eyes light up. Shari'adune might want to take part in this! "I know one person!"
He squints...And the Lady as well, maybe... "Ah...One and haaaaaaalf people...?" he says with a bit of a grimace.

"Summon them," Krexx commands imperiously. "But I forsee that they alone won't be enough. I will use my own prodigious resources to sway others. Once all are assembled I shall explain the trials that lie before us. Now go!"

"Aye! On my way!" Kieg gets to his feet and bounds off, filled with excitement. After reaching the top of the long stairway from the docks he realizes he only needs to write a letter.

---

((Letter to Shari'adune))
-----------------------------------------------
hello!

i met a powerful archmage today
he says he needs help with a quest
i agreed to help but he thinks we need more people
can you come? i think it'll be really exciting
meet at the bar in davon's watch docks if you can
(they have tea don't worry)
ps: can you ask the lady very nicely if she wants to go as well

thank you
--------------------------------------------

---

(( A parchment appears on notice boards in major cities))
--------------------------------------------------------
~~~~RICHES AND GLORY AWAIT~~~~

WEALTH AND FAME BEYOND IMAGINATION WILL BE YOURS
IF YOU HAVE THE STRENGTH OF ARM, SPIRIT, AND WIT
TO STAND BESIDE THE GREATEST WIELDER OF THE
ARCANE ARTS IN THIS AGE OR ANY OTHER.

PRESENT YOURSELF AT THE DAVON'S WATCH DOCKS.
JOIN THE MIGHTIEST AND NOBLEST QUEST EVER CONCEIVED.

FOLLOW ME AND GRASP THE HAND OF DESTINY.

- ARCHMAGE V. K.

----------------------------------------------------------

---

(( If you would like to join, write up your character's arrival at the Fish Stink in at Davon's Watch, and we'll get this going. Bring one or more characters or whatever you like, I don't care. ))

[@sylverdubs]

Hanileth Shadeborn peered at the notice, her expression dancing from perplexed to amused. She raised a hand to scratch at the shaved side of her head. ''Really, points for trying though bit off, isn't it? Myself, I wouldn't have laid it on so thick. It just screams of a con and a cheap one at that. Prolly some lout looking for a lost sweetroll or something.'' She said, looking at the dunmer at her side. Her companion looked neither amused nor interested. ''What? Not even this gets a reaction out of you?'' Hanileth asks the dunmer.

''No.'' Came the short, rasped-out reply.

''Yeah, who'd be dumb enough to get hooked by this anyway?'' Hanileth said then turned away from the billboard, followed by dunmer.

[@sylverdubs]

Bares-the-Fangs took one look at the notice and ripped it off of the billboard. This job was his and his alone!

Some time later

Bares-the-Fangs (Fangs to his friends, should he ever have any) strode onto the docks of Davon's Watch. The boards groaned and creaked as he advanced, bowing slightly from his prodigious weight. People moved out of his way. Not so much because Fangs commanded respect but rather out of self-preservation.

If his leering yellow reptilian eyes weren't disturbing enough, the fact that he snarled at everyone he passed also helped. Mostly though, people got out of his way because of the spikes. Fangs' dark scaly skin and powerfully build body was verily bristling with spikes. Spikes on the crest fanning out from the top of his head. Spikes on his chin and around his mouth. Spikes on his forehead. Even his armor, what little there was, was covered in sharp, pointy edges. He wielded a huge thorny mace that he swung menacingly from side to side in time with his long, purposeful stride.

Finally he stopped and thunked the head of his weapon on the docks where it stuck in the wood.

''WHERE ISSS THE WIZZZARD!'' He hissed loudly, his gaze roaming the docks for any puny person wearing robes and carrying a walking stick. To his limited imagination, all wizards were overdressed weaklings. The argonian stood closer to seven feet than six and easily towered over the people around him.

[Dust]

((

Wonderful posts, this is gonna be great. :3 I think R.V. / Shari's player has schedule problems but intends to join, will try to get a post today addressing Fang's arrival (my own schedule is kind of bad presently)) -_- either today or on Monday.

))

[Dust]

"WHERE ISSS THE WIZZZARD!"

Kieg looks up with interest and excitement; the last few hours had been VERY dull. He couldn't have a good conversation with Krexx since he never really understood anything the man said, and it always seemed like wizard was making fun of him in ways he didn't understand. The mage had also scornfully refused all attempts to engage him in a game of Tribute. Kieg had been reduced to flicking pebbles into a empty mug ten paces away. It was a nightmare and he was close to abandoning the quest altogether, but now, finally, something was happening!

His mouth drops open as he sees the size of the (Argonian?!?) coming down the docks. "Oh, outstanding!" He stands up and is thrilled to find he is probably at least a few inches shorter than the newcomer. This is INCREDIBLE! He realizes he is actually clapping softly, wonders is this is rude, and so stops.

At his side, Archmage Verranatis Krexx looks up from his Orb, sniffs, and stands.

"THE WIZARD, IS HERE." The Archmage's peevish voice, magically amplified, booms across the docks at a similar volume to Fangs' hiss. A gesticulation of his left hand invokes a levitation spell that elevates him to a height on par with the newcomer's eyeline.

"Hm. Very impressive." Krexx continues, at a more normal volume, drawing his eyes over Fangs' reptilian form. "I sense you are here to aid me in my endeavor. I welcome your assistance. Rest assured, your reward will be commensurate with your stature."

"My name's Kieg!" The warrior standing next to Archmage Krexx beams. "You are.. Just gigantic, if you don't mind me saying. It's nice to not always be the biggest guy, you know.. Or.. Maybe you don't. Anyway, it'll be great working with you. I like your mace, by the way."

[꧁ 𝓢𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓲'𝓐𝓭𝓾𝓷𝓮 ꧂]

As Shari assended the couple stairs to The Fish Stink Tavern, her glowing eyes shone with barely contained excitement.

It was a very open style building, with a very high ceiling addorned with dancing flags on ropes. There was not really a front, or back wall to speak of, fresh air blowing in from the nearby ocean in random gusts. A long bar on either side of the room, to the left and right, made her smile. Surely it wouldn't be hard to spot her friend here, and yet, she didn't seem to see him.

"Goodness," she breathed, rapping her knuckles together, chewing on her lower lip.

A quick glance was cast over her shoulder. The Lady had begrudgingly agreed to come along, claiming she was looking forward to the entertainment two idiots in the same party would bring her.

Shari's heart swelled. Regardless of the reason, having the Lady along on this adventure with her friend, and perhaps some new ones, almost felt like old times, that were tucked away within her memories.

[𝐊𝐀𝐓 ᴀᴋᴀ 𝓡𝓮𝓭 𝓥𝓲𝓹𝓮𝓻]

The high heeled boots of the six foot red head clicked dully along the gravel and stone, as she trecked her way slowly toward Shari, who was already at the Tavern.

Arms crossed across her chest, her amber eyes narrowed as they kept a wary eye on her surroundings. This wasn't her usual territory, so she wasn't entirely sure what to expect- or who. Always best to be careful.

Her gaze swept across a poster that advertised something that sounded quite similar to what Shari had mentioned they would be doing. Pausing, she read it over and tilted her head. It said to meet at the docks. A brow raised as she turned her attention toward them, noting everyone who was bustling about, some crazy lizard yelling about a wizard, a wizard of some kind replying, amoung others, before following toward where Shari now stood at the Tavern. So, why were they meeting here?

Huffing an irritated breath through her nose she wet her lips and continued toward the Fish Stink. From what she saw, Shari hadn't found the Nord yet. How hard was it to find a giant man in such a small building, anyway?

"Hey... So, where the f*ck is he?" she pulled out her hip flask and casually unscrewed the top before taking a long pull, eyes scanning the large room, "Doesn't seem like the asshole be here. Ye sure he said to meet at the Tavern?" Kat leaned back a bit, staring toward the docks again, this time purposefully looking for the Nord, as it dawned on her the 'wizard' was possibly the Archmage.

"Pretty sure he be at the docks, not here." her eyes rolled as she sighed again, grabbing Shari's stick of an arm to pull her along, "Come on. Let's hope he aint the one leading this sh*t, er we gonna be in trouble, since he clearly aint got no clue what be going on."

[@sylverdubs]

((yes Argonian. Technically the race isn't that high but Fangs apparently is!))

Bares-The-Fangs introduced himself with his namesake, showing his teeth for inspection like a snarling, menacing prize-horse. His yellow eyes flicked to Kieg then back to the wizard. He picked up his mace (needing to give it a sharp tug to pry it out of the dock's planks) and hefted it on one broad shoulder.

''YESSS I WILLL AID YOU!'' Fangs said, loudly again for some reason. ''I WILLL AID FOR GOLD!'' He added, quite mercenary of him.  ''MY SSTATURE, YESSS! MORE GOLD!'' He then turned to Kieg again, his contract with the wizard apparently a done deal with only a few exchanged words.

''YOU! I AM BARESSS-THE-FANGSS!'' He demonstrated again, with the teeth and all. ''I REQUIRE ROOM TO FIGHT, DO NOT INTERFERE IN BATTLE!'' It was unclear if he was giving Kieg a friendly warning that his fighting style was messy and wide or if he wanted to fight every foe alone. Argonian facial expressions were hard enough to distinguish without the spikes, the glaring and the teeth.

[Dust]

"Oh aye, don't worry I'll give you plenty of space!" Kieg says enthusiastically, after pulling his gaze away from the Argonian's weapon with effort. "I like to have a bit of room to move around anyway. It's fun to charge at people who thought they could stay far away in the back; like, HA! I bet you didn't think you'd be seeing a Nord with a Sword this close when you woke up this morning! And then WHA-HA!" He pantomimes a sword swing. "And then I.. uh.. I cut them in half.." he makes a face, scratching at the side of his chin. "That's not actually the best part, though. It's more the surprise part, that I like."

Archmage Krexx pinches the brow of his nose and makes a sort of aggravated growl down deep in his throat. He drifts slowly down to the dock as his levitation spell wears off.
"Well. Now that introductions are made I shall return with regret to the reeking provincial bar to await more arrivals. You may continue to discuss your... Tactics, such as they are. Try not to get lost on your way back."

Kieg looks up from Fangs' mace again. "Eh? Sorry, what did you sa-" Over the retreating archmage's shoulder, some familiar figures catch his attention.

"Oh!" He breaks into a huge grin and sticks a hand high into the air to wave in the direction of Shari'adune and the redhead that has her under tow as they advance along the docks. "You made it!"

Krexx stops in his tracks and Kieg walks up beside him. "This is the Archmage! Uh.. Archmage Krexx, this is Shari'adune and, uh, the Lady."
Kieg indicates the massive Argonian. "And this is... Bear... Fang..?" -wait no that couldn't be right- "No, sorry.. Bares-his-fangs! Wait no, Bares-THE-Fangs." He smiles apologetically at Fangs' for the mixup. "He has got, a HUGE spiked mace." The big Nord can barely contain his excitement. "This is going to be so great!"

"Hm." Krexx sweeps his gaze appraisingly over the newcomers for a moment, lingering a fraction longer on the tall human woman with a perhaps unconscious tilt of one eyebrow. "You were wise to accept my offer. I sense we will achieve much. Riches. Fame. It all begins here."



((As a side note, as far as anyone's character, they have for sure NEVER heard of an Archmage with the name Verranatis Krexx, assuming they keep track of such things. Also if anyone has a magical background (in that they know how magic works, at least as much as your average mage would) please let me know, there are some extra things such a character might notice.) ))

[𝐊𝐀𝐓 ᴀᴋᴀ 𝓡𝓮𝓭 𝓥𝓲𝓹𝓮𝓻]

Kat's expression was dull, with brows raised as she watched Kieg fighting imaginary foes like a drunk kitten chasing invisible fairies.

Smirking, she glanced over her shoulder at Shari, before rolling her eyes. What had this little twit gotten her into.

Noting the wave, her smirk only grew.

"You made it!"

"Obviously." Kat purred, giving Shari a final jerk into position, somewhere at her side, before her arms crossed over her chest, carefully inspecting Fangs, and the wizard as they were introduced.

The amber eyed stare was that of a predator sizing up her prey.

"This is the Archmage! Uh.. Archmage Krexx, this is Shari'adune and, uh, the Lady."

Kat held up a hand, which waved to holding up an accentuating finger as she spoke loftily, "Aye... This 'Lady', sh*t." her head shook as her eyes rolled back into her skull for a brief moment, "i don't know where she," points to Shari, "Came up with that, but i personally find it f***king ridiculous." Her gaze slid to the wizard, "Red Viper." Jerks her chin at him, "Use the full thing in all its glory, er just Red er Viper will work too."

"He has got, a HUGE spiked mace." The big Nord can barely contain his excitement.

Was he still talking? "Oh goodieee." Kat drawled, taking a moment to appreciate the interesting looking weapon, before regarding the Argonian. "Oh, wizard bring his little pet lizard did he?" her tone was mocking, laced with a subtle tease, amber eyes narrowed into challenging slits as she met Fangs' eyes.

Blinking slowly at the look Krexx gave her, she winked at him slyly.

"You were wise to accept my offer. I sense we will achieve much. Riches. Fame. It all begins here."

"Please," she snorted, shifting her weight to her opposite hip, "Wisdom had nothing to do with me being here. Twas more like utter boredom and morbid curiosity. Although," a grin touched her red lips as she stared into Krexx's eyes, "ye should be grateful i be here, and pay me just fer showing up. i mean f***k, look at these twats," gestures vaguely, "Now ye got something good to look at. Yer welcome."

[꧁ 𝓢𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓲'𝓐𝓭𝓾𝓷𝓮 ꧂]

Shari seemed contented to be drug along, although she stumbled along the way, almost tripping over her robe at one point near the end. It was Kats' arm which actually kept her up.

When they finally came to a stop, she was a little breathless, and swiped quickly at stray tendrils of hair that had shaken loose to lick at her freckled face.

"Greetings, everyone!" she exclaimed, waving a small hand eagerly, glowing eyes washing over everyone in turn. Seeing Fangs she actually gasped, and shrunk back a bit behind Kat. "H-Hello Sir... Goodness, aren't you Spikey."

Rubbing at the side of her nose, her eyes squinted happily as she regarded Kieg, "So lovely to see you Sir, thank you for inviting us!"

Kat's comment about being called 'The Lady' rolled off her back quickly. There was too much fun happening right now to worry about it.

"That really is a very lovely mace!" she nodded to Fangs, as she agreed with Kieg, adding with a laugh, "i believe it weighs more than me!"

"You were wise to accept my offer. I sense we will achieve much. Riches. Fame. It all begins here."

"Oh, well, i'm here to help Mister Keig," she admitted, smiling shyly at the wizard, "but knowing i will be helping others too, makes it even better! i don't even need any riches or fame."

[Dust]

(( Howdy folks, since the holidays are rolling up pretty close and my own schedule is just absurdly bad currently, I'm putting the thread on pause until after January 1 or so. Feel free to post on the current situation if you like, I just won't be posting seriously or moving anything until then. Hope you enjoy your holidays and see you in the new year! ))

[Dust]

((
Happy new year everybody! Hope everyone had a lovely set of holidays and all such.
I'd like to get this thread underway again, I think I'll give folks a day or two to get any additional posting in and then move things along a bit.
))

[@sylverdubs]

Fangs barely spared a glance at the diminutive wood elf, his attention now fully on Kat. As (very likely) expected, he puffed out his muscular chest then leaned down a bit stare with his yellow reptilian eyes at Kat directly into her own eyes in a clear yet silent challenge. He presented himself (no words, just the teeth thing) and then picked up his large spiked mace and straightened his back.

''WE GO NOW! THIS ONE'S SCALES ARE DRYING WHILE WE STAND IN THE SUN USELESSLY!'' He then proclaimed. Actually he shouted quite loudly, louder than usual, as if he was in charge though he likely new neither where they were going. A nearby fisherman jumped in surprise and dropped his fishing rod in the water.

[Dust]

Archmage Krexx raises an eyebrow at Red Viper’s comment, twisting his neck a little in the collar of his threadbare robes. “Indeed,“ he intones, “I-''WE GO NOW! THIS ONE'S SCALES ARE DRYING WHILE WE STAND IN THE SUN USELESSLY!''

Kieg startles and takes half a step back, wincing. “That’s …really loud…” he mutters, twisting a finger in his ear. It was one thing to hear from across the docks, but a whole other thing up close! He sneaks a glance at Shari to see if she’s okay.

Krexx, apparently unaffected behind some manner of arcane warding, hardly moves a muscle, though his customary scowl deepens.

“Surprisingly,” he says, “I find myself agreeing with the gargantuan Argonian. There is little to be gained from further niceties. We are assembled, so let us be about our business!”

Krexx raises his staff with a flourish, and after speaking a word that seems to come from multiple direction, brings it down hard against the solid wooden beams of the dock.

In a flash, a crack of thunder and a torrential rush of wind the world beneath their feet is blasted away. For uncountable seconds they are surrounded by a whirling confusion of black and purple and red and green, and a spine-chilling sensation of traveling at incredible speeds in many different directions at once. As quickly as they come however, the sensations pass and the group finds themselves standing in the same positions relative to one another, but with their location completely changed.

Krexx chuckles contentedly to himself, lowering his staff it to his side. It seems to twitch and shift in the air.

“I’ve brought us somewhere where we can talk and plan a little more privately. I have things to discuss and reveal that it wouldn’t do for just any ear to hear.”

A grey, smoke-hazed sky presides over the small, flat clearing where they have landed. A landscape of twisted, burned stone, and blackened trees stretches out in all direction and in the distance a cinder-shrouded mountain bellows fire and ash into the sky.

Anyone familiar with the region might recognize their location as somewhere in the Stonefalls, a few hours trek from their original location at Davon's Watch.

"I don't want to waste too much more time," Krexx says, "so as soon as you're ready, I'll tell you the details of our great quest."


((Shari, being versed in magic, will probably recognize that something about whatever magic Krexx used to transport them was different, in some fundamental but unknowable way, from the kinds of magic she wields and is familiar with. Magic had been used, she could sense, and a LOT of it, but -how- it was used didn’t makes. It was as if someone had tried to cook an egg by throwing it at a wall, but nonetheless the egg had somehow reappeared in the thrower’s hand, hard-boiled as desired. Something had happened, but -how- it had happened didn't make sense for the result.))