(Avatar by Coffee)
Theron — Port Ismenia
Theron rubbed his chin, inspecting the group and looking at the port city’s walls for a short moment. “I agree,” he told Kashira afterwards. “Right now, the thing that bothers me the most about this place is my lack of knowledge. This is just like the Blight again… just like that eluvian again.” A frown crossed his face, but vanished quickly. “I will follow you and… Reimu.”
The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground
Did you know this section has a character limit?
Qrow - Dock, Near Port Ismenia
"You're forgetting something." Qrow grumbled to no-one in particular, hands behind his head, following along behind the group. "Port Ismenia is under the control of King Aligels, and it's on the frontlines. If we decide to visit King Letrael instead..."
He flashed a toothy grin.
"We might hear some objections."
He could just say hell to this group, transform again, and fly off in the direction of Netna'an. But with the unfamiliar territory and the entire army that stood off in that direction, he'd rather not go it alone.
He glanced again at the white hair man, and his words. Kid knew how the world worked, at least. Whenever something went south, everyone wanted someone to blame. The Breach got pinned on Ozpin's security measures, when there was no way in hell that train could've been stopped. If there was, it would have been. After all, Ruby and Yang had been the ones trying to stop it.
huzzaaaaaaaah
Cassius/Toph
Still moaning and groaning and roaring silently about his fate, Cassius grabbed the canteen with weak hands and gargled as asked, before spitting back into the sea. He drank it again, although not as slowly as Kid wanted, and as such the green returned to his face. "I think I'm gonna-" He stopped, stood completely still, and then smiled. "-nooope. Not gonna. Just not gonna."
"Pff. No wall can stop me." Toph brushed off Claw's concerns, following the group. "I once broke into the most protected city in the world. Ever tell you guys about that? I should. Should also tell about the time I broke out of that same city." Smiling to herself, Toph ignored the fact she couldn't remember if she had broke out of into Ba Sing Se. And despite the fact she couldn't understand a single thing D.Va was talking about, she knew a burn when she saw one. A whistle of approval followed D.Va's comment about sponsorship, and she would have continued, if not for the fact that she had spotted the group's 'loner guy'.
There was always one.
"Okay." Toph mumbled to Emiya. "We'll leave you alone, Mr. I'm So Cool By Myself I Don't Need Nobody's Help Except To Get Out Of The Ocean Since I Just Got Pushed There. Which reminds me-" With a rough arm shove, Toph tried to push Emiya right into the ocean with nary a warning. If it worked (and of course it would work, she was the Greatest Earthbender and People Pusher), she would give Emiya a well-deserved blown raspberry before following D.Va. Toph wanted adventure, and that funny girl with the mech certainly matched up her interests.
Cassius, on the other hand, raised a weak hand. "Can we visit some place where everything doesn't move and people are very still?... please?..."
sword of promised halp
Emiya; Port Ismenia - Or, Someone Who Did Not Ask For This
Although Toph can't see it, the man gives her incoming elbow a very loquacious scowl. It's tired, unimpressed, and disbelieving all at once. And when she hits his breastplate like a mule, feeling every vibration in his body like the stroke of a paintbrush, she notices three things:
Firstly, that his arms are folded and his nose is tilted at a slight skyward angle, in the attitude of one rolling his eyes to heaven.
Secondly, that he topples over much like a statue snapped at the ankles.
Thirdly, that if the splash he makes isn't exactly world-ending, it's definitely satisfying.
And fourthly, which is something that doesn't exactly fall under any of the things because it comes after, that he doesn't come up.
Not even after half a minute.
As a matter of fact, he doesn't come up at all.
'Being around you guys makes me go "wtf" instead of pondering the ever increasing dread of time' - EchoingSilence, 2023
Ro-Man sure noticed Reimu, but beyond wondering how she had gotten here first he likewise kept his distance from the shrine maiden. If she had flown here, she must've not acquired any mission-critical information while in transit, like they hadn't. Bothering her would be a waste of time.
"Next mission step:" he said to his two traveling partners. "Find the Swordmaster God's temple. I wish to complete it before nightfall, so we first must find out where it is. Rhys, Minerva, I am sure that with your hu-man appearances, you will be more suited for non-violent interrogation roles."
Lizard Metabolism
Before Ismenia
"I guess I will take care of the slum, if there's any." Claw muttered, deciding to ignore D.va's insane ramblings, until she said something rather noticeable.
The pirate turned to face her again, completely incredulous. "Are you... are you joking right now?" She had to be joking. Between the white-haired man and the geomancer behaving like children, this was just...
"The terrifying thought is, you actually think it's a suit, you dumb brat." Slowly, he let the air out in a deep exhale, pressing on his temple in exasperation. "I, meanwhile, will pretend to be the familiar" The word still made him feel silly. "still."
"Anyone feeling like perusing through any slum and undercity scum they might have here?" Claw's eyes set upon Qrow. The dusty old crow had a similar disposition like Emiya, but at the very least wasn't too vocal about it.
In Ismenia
So that was the town. Claw wasn't much of a land-goer, but port cities were still a place one could rest in after a long sail, either by himself or by letting his crew drink away their shares.
Guard's words had him ponder the situation. The story of being pilgrims was good enough, but deeper into both Aligels and Letrael's domains, they would attract way more attention than necessary. It was bound to happen, but there was a thin line in the sand that couldn't be crossed. For all their capability, facing an entire army - and presumably the kings themselves - could be way beyond their effort.
He hanged around the main crowd for a bit, for now glancing towards the Industrial District. From there he would presumably reach the slum, but this place itself could be worthwhile in itself; marketplace gossip carried many news.
How do lizards fly?
Witchcraft!
Minerva - Entering the East Gate
"My thanks," Minerva said to the guards as she passed through the gate, Milady lumbering behind her.
For now, Rhys' plan seemed the most sensible, and she intended to follow his lead. Nevertheless, the act of lying about their presence and purpose did not sit well with her, no matter how unlikely it was that they would be believed.
That was probably why she had taken up the life of a soldier and not a diplomat.
"... Yes, I would suppose so," she replied to Ro-Man once they were on the other side of the city walls, observing the creature's uncanny appearance and raising an eyebrow at his choice of words. 'Non-violent interrogation' was... not how she would have said it.
One Brunch Man
Rhys & Loader Bot—Eastern Gate->Ismenia->Church(?)
Rhys managed to keep a lid on it until they had crossed the gate’s threshold, before turning and enthusiastically flashing a metallic thumbs-up at Ro-Man. “That was Grade, A, my man! If I didn’t know better, I’d think you did this for a living.” Between all the death threats and… other death threats, Rhys wasn’t sure the gorilla-man had it in him. For the first time in a while, he was happy to be proven wrong. “That pilgrimage thing was a great touch, I’m sure we can milk it once we get there.”
Meanwhile, Loader Bot fell in step next to Minerva and Milady, a task easier said than done considering how his strides outpaced hers. “I am sorry to hear about your brother.” He began, his monotone betraying little of his intentions as he fixed her with his monocular field of vision. “It cannot have been easy to do what you had to do.”
Turning his attention properly to the maze of busy streets, Rhys rested his hands on his hips as he tried to determine which way actually led to the church. “From here, it should be smooth sailing.” He said. “We’ll traipse on over to the church, buddy up with the priest, and get some information about the swords we can relay to the others. Maybe we’ll get lucky, and he’ll be hosting them both for a cleaning or something. Looks like… this way.” He said, starting off at a brisk walk to the left. Then, a second later, to the right. “Nope, nope, this way, it was this way.”
“I have heard that in cases such as this, humor aids in assuaging emotional trauma.” Loader Bot continued to Minerva. “Would you like to hear a joke?”
Rhys turned his head at the pair, wondering if he should head the potentially awkward situation off at the pass, before they turned the corner and a dead end stared him in the face. “And, you know what, it was this way.”
If Minerva answered in the affirmative, Loader Bot would launch Joke_File.exe, state-of-the-art software that handled the set-up, punchline, and the necessary context. “First, be aware that the Dahl Company is a rival weapons manufacturer to my father’s. They are also, in the words of those I have met—”
“—Total a-holes.” Rhys chimed distractedly from the front, Rhys said, ferreting his gaze between the assorted shops and stalls. “They invaded our station a few years back, and killed a whole bunch of people. I saw the vids on orientation. I also saw a steeple on the way in, I’m telling you, it was… north, ish?”
“With that in mind,” Loader Bot continued, turning more fully to the dragon rider, “What do you call one hundred Dahl company soldiers at the bottom of a chasm?" With his database comprised entirely of cracks heard while he was still aboard the station, Loader Bot was unsure of the relative funniness of any individual joke, but he figured the appeal was universal. The automaton stopped in place, both for emphasis and because Rhys had done the same—crossing his arms in frustration as he rewound the last forty five minutes on his Echo Eye to get an exact aerial location on the church— and, after waiting a few seconds to build anticipation, Loader Bot said:
“A good start.”
Loader Bot would then wait a moment, before "Ha. Ha. Ha." reverberated from its chassis. Despite the sentiment, Loader Bot’s eye would somehow outwardly convey both innocence and earnestness towards making her feel better, despite having no moving parts with which to convey either.
But either Rhys hadn’t been listening or he’d heard the joke a hundred time before, because he strolled through the space between joker and jokee with the grace and excitement of a runner breaking a ribbon with his chest, pumping his fist in the air. “Booyah!” He said gleefully, striding with purpose. “I was right the first time, come on." Peeking over his shoulder again: "And trust me, a good start would be about ten times that number.” He said, lifting his hand to Ro-Man for a high-five. "Up top!"
If I had that kind of power, I'd have dropped a meteor on your house ages ago~
Port Ismenia - An overview
The guard was very welcoming with his directions, and from his various descriptions, the overall structure of the port town could be pieced together. Two main roads crossed the city, going north-south and east-west, and along these boulevards, there were roadside stalls and small shops of all sorts. They increased in size and complexity towards the center of the town, where they reached a crescendo of a great marketplace surrouding a large fountain. The war had put a damper on trade, but some thrifty merchants saw this as merely a reason to raise prices, and one could still purchase almost anything, from fresh produce to adventurer's tools, from furniture to wooden figurines, from clothes of all colours to whole square yards of sailcloth.
In the west was the harbour, naturally, with all the myriads of trading offices, sailors' taverns and purveyors of nautical equiment this attracted. Towards the north of the city were the fancy inns and prosperous housing, which was also where the Magicians' Quarters and the local shrine to the Swordmaster God could be found.
Near the east gate lay the Industry District, home of a myriad of craftsmen of wood as well as the weavers, the tanners, the brewers and the warehouses. And towards the south was the main residential area, growing noticeably less prosperous towards the southern gates. Those looking for the slums would find the more destitute of areas towards the southwest and southeast corners, amidst the tall and foreboding townhouses in the shadow of the city walls.
Port Ismenia - Shrine of the Swordmaster God
The group consisting of Reimu, Theron and Kashira met up with Ro-Man, Rhys, Minerva and Loader Bot on the steps of a grand stone building by the side of the northgoing main road. Its domed roof with the twin blade symbol over the entrance was quite unmistakeable, and the ornate wooden doors were adorned with similar imagery. Simply nodding a hello to the other group, Reimu took point and opened the doors.
Inside the shrine was a large circular room, with curved benches circling a space in the center were two ornate swords were seemingly embedded into the stone floor. The sacred space was almost entirely void of people, and kept light by the sunlight coming in through openings in the roof. The only other person in the room was an old and tan elven priest in simple grey robes who was cleaning up amongst the rows of benches. He looked up as the party entered.
"The Swordmaster God watch over you, and his balance complete you. I am afraid you are too late for midday mass, but His shrine is always open to visitors. May I be of assistance?"
Port Ismenia - Harbour - House Emeraldwave Offices
Indeed, the guard knew where to find the main offices of House Emeraldwave, for it was common knowledge to most inhabitants. Following his directions, D.Va would soon find herself in front of a large three-story wooden building, unsurprisingly painted a vivid emerald green colour. The building was in very near proximity of the harbour, and even now blue-skinned sea elves were coming and going from the busy offices, most in the direction of the harbour but a few riding horses.
Should D.Va choose to go inside, she would find herself in a large antechamber that showed off the prosperity of the trading company. Ornately decorated dark wooden panelling covered the walls, and upon finely crafted shelves were displayed magical crystals, small statues and idols from faraway lands and small objects of noble metals. On the far wall, in clear sight for any visitor stepping inside, there hung a large painting of a sea elf woman in some kind of sea captain's uniform. Though both skin and hair colour was different, there were clear similarities in facial features to the blonde merchant currently plying her trade at the refugee camp.
On D.Va's right side upon entering was a large desk where a pretty young elf with light blue skin and long azure hair sat with large piles of paperwork. She looked up with a smile at D.Va.
"The seabreeze bring you good fortune, guest. Can I help you?"
Dark Elf Checkpoint
"Machine troubles, you say? Well, if your paperwork checks out, you might be able to get a mage to check it out."
The elven soldiers gave the truck a wide berth so that it could drive past the gates and into the welcome area. When all had passed inside, the metal gates closed with an ominous thud. The dark elf commander passed the papers the Doctor had provided to a lower-ranking soldier, who disappeared into the guard station. The commander removed his helmet, revealing the face of an aged and weathered elf warrior with dark grey skin and red eyes.
"So, where are you all from? It has been long since I last met travellers from outside the elven kingdoms, and never any with armour such as yours."
Join us in our quest to play all RPG video games! Moving on to disc 2 of Grandia!
Port Ismenia Gates -> Offices
"Thanks a billion!" D.Va said to the guard, throwing a wink and a thumbs-up his way. She detoured back to where the main group of people was, and as she walked by she casually mentioned "Hey guys, I'm going to do some important stuff at the Emeraldwave building, if anyone wants to be in my party feel free to come!" before continuing on her way.When she got to the offices, along a path which may or may not have taken a few detours to see the sights, D.Va headed straight towards the large desk. She pressed both of her palms along the top of the desk, and stared at the receptionist. "Haaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiii," she started.
"D.Va here! I just finished signing a contract with Risinn earlier today to be a spokesperson and advertiser for your trading house, isn't that awesome?!" she asked. "Super great to finally see the place. But uh... anyway, listen...." She leaned in over the desk to get closer to the receptionist. "I'm passing through town right now, but I'm not stopping for long! I'm going to go all over the place? Right now I'm traveling north with some other world-saving-adventurer friends to Ihansuh, Acarian - you know, the important places where we're doing our important things. And I figure, well, since we're here anyway, why don't I stop by the offices here and ask if you have any caravans heading that way?"
She paused for a moment. "So I did! And now I'm asking! You could always use some more protection when transporting your things anyway, and I sure would like having someone who knows the roads and cities, so it's a win for everyone! .... But mainly a win for you guys, because I've got some big guns in my mech, and my friends are pretty well-armed, so we can just cut right through whatever bandits, dire wolves, and zombies are hanging out on the roads."
The Mighty Pen
Kashira Lavellan - Port Ismenia - Swordmaster Temple
It would seem that Kashira was not the only one who had thought to visit the temple, and she nodded to those companions that had gone apart from her own group as they drew up to each other on the temple steps.
"Well met again," she said to them. "My own group is meeting at sunset at the east gate of the city to go over what we discover. If you can, you should join us so we can pool our knowledge, and let everyone else know."
That done, she took a moment to examine the temple. It was old, well-made, and quite beautiful, and a familiar ache welled up within her. So much has been lost. I pray...I hope that these elves keep what they have, both of them. She sighed, straightened up, and continued inside. Upon being greeted by the priest, she bowed slightly.
"May the Creators watch over you as well. We, or I at least, am a traveler from distant lands. I've heard a great deal of this place and I came to pay my respects and hopefully learn something of the Swordmaster God. I understand it is thanks to Him that the Twin Swords were gifted to these lands."
A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent upon arriving. -Lao Tzu
huzzaaaaaaaah
Toph
If she was still a fifteen year old, Toph would have really moved on. She would have just kept walking. But nooooo. There was that voice inside her that made her worry about the results of her actions. That voice, wondering if she had actually drowned that poor loner.
Toph squatted near the edge of the docks, trying to see if she could find Emiya with her senses. Good news, Toph: water sucks! That's why you hate it, remember? "Hey! You still alive?!" She yelled at the water. A part of her knew that she was setting herself up for a trap. Spirits, if only Pompadolt was here, I could push him in and tell him to find that guy. Groaning and rolling her eyes, Toph leaned as close as possible to the water. "HEY! I SAID ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?!"
Cassius
Choosing to follow D.Va (partly because her suit was a very vibrant shade of black and that got his attention), Cassius nicely fit into the position of 'silent person hanging near around the important woman and trying desperately to pass off as her bodyguard/hype-man'. "And she only takes the best of the best!" He hooted once D.Va asked for protection, puffing up his chest. "Only the toppest of notches! So pay up! Hut hut!"
edited 24th Aug '16 2:44:48 AM by Stratofarius
After a bit of a slog through the city towards the poorer districts, Yu staggered to a stop with a slightly out of breath posture via a hunched back and stereotypical clasping of the knees while panting. Even if the barrel had been lightened and the fact that it wasn't really that big, carrying something with that much bulk and circumference towards a destination with no stops in between the way would tire out a human of regular physique like him even if he was in rather good shape.
Shaking his numb arms to rework blood back into the system, the grey haired youth pondered for a moment before turning to look back at Shiroe with a thoughtful expression. "If you have a large enough pot and the equipment necessary, I suggest we make fish stew. As it is, in a place like this people will need something suitably hot and filling without much frills." Indeed, the slums were probably full of rough and tough people that disregarded fancy things. Or would get rather pissed off that people were rubbing things into their faces. "For simplicity's sake, we'll have to ask people around these parts to provide their own containers." Once everything was provided for and set up, Narukami Yu would begin his impromptu soup kitchen plan and creating the simple yet hearty meal.
"Those of you who are hungry, please come over and have a bite. We're travelers from a foreign land and thus would like to barter for information and common sense of these parts. You'll not get coin from us for participating due to our group having just arrived and having no such currency around these parts, but we will at the least be able to provide a free meal for those that might need it." The earnest young man stated, smiling dazzlingly while almost seeming to be emitting an aura of benevolence through his actions that almost seemed to brighten up the corner of the street where he set up shop. The considerable charisma gained through part-timing and socializing in Inaba came in full force as the Persona user's Mr. Perfect aspect came into play.
edited 24th Aug '16 8:56:11 PM by Makaioh
Benevolent Devilish Angel
Shiroe thought for a few minutes, then sighed as he looked at Yu. He had walked a long way with the man, helping to carry the barrel, "I don't have a pot with me, unfortunately. I wonder if we can borrow one." He began looking around silently, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose to see if there was a discarded pot anywhere, "This might take a little more planning than we originally thought, Yu. I am sure, however, that it can be achieved." Eventually though, he spotted an abandoned pot and a spoon with it. Quickly retrieving it, he tilted his head, "Okay I just need ingredients now. I don't even need a fire, I can cook the fish using one of my skills..." He nodded to himself as he then retrieved the pot's lid...and carried both to the river. He washed both of the pieces there, along with the spoon, before returning to where Yu had set up the soup kitchen.
edited 25th Aug '16 4:19:13 PM by angeloffluffiness
And in this heart, our bond cannot break. From here to the end and back again I will stand sharp. The light in me will guide you home...
Rhys was evidently expressing joy that he had found a correct route (hardly something to get excited over) when he suddenly indicated something incoming from "up top"! Ro-Man scanned the skies around him, seeing nothing in the air or the rooftops, saying "I am not sure what you see, Rhys. Point it out immedia-". It was around then that he realized what Rhys was getting at, seeing him still down there, hand expectantly raised in form for a hu-man congratulatory ceremony. He awkwardly raised one of his great gorilla mitts to his outstretched hand and gently grasped it, shaking it politely. "Yes, Rhys. I am also expressing joy that we have achieved this next objective. Certainly."
Arriving at the church proper, Ro-Man figured that he should stick to his own plan: let other people interrogate the old elf. If he would have his way, he'd probably have killed all of his comrades already, but we can't have nice things right now, can we?
Did you know this section has a character limit?
Qrow Branwen - Post Ismenia, The Slums
Qrow followed Claw into the city's slums. The... honestly, the guy was much more than a faunus, he was some kind of anthropomorphic cat. But yeah, the Cat-Pirate had the right idea. Hit the underbelly of the city, gather information.
Ignoring the impromptu soup kitchen (thought it brought a wry smile to his lips), Qrow went and searched for the pub/bar/tavern that looked the most like it had a criminal clientele. It wasn't hard. Usually there's a layer of dirt, the furniture is cheap and disposable, the glass is removed or cracked, the drinks are watered-down and served significant less fragile containers, and the staff either look like mercenaries or scared teenagers who didn't have another choice.
Qrow pushed his way through the doors, and made his way straight to the bar, grabbing a convenient stool.
"I'll take whatever has the least amount of water in it." he drawled, with a slight amount of slur.
He slumped over the bar, and listened out for the conversations around him. You didn't get anywhere by asking questions in a bar. You listened to what was already being said, and pretended to be an old drunk who wouldn't hear shit.
Witchcraft!
Minerva - Temple
Minerva smiled lightly at Loader Bot's joke, not so much for its humor as for the nostalgia it brought her.
"The other soldiers used to tell such jokes during the War of Shadows."
Not nostalgia for better times, exactly, but nostalgia for home.
"I have no need of your... condolences. Thank you nonetheless, but I was merely doing my duty. And it was a long time ago, in any case."
Once the odd travelling group had reached the steps in front of the temple, Minerva turned to her mount, who was still lumbering behind her.
"Milady, you stay out here," she commanded, simultaneously strapping Hauteclere to the wyvern's saddlebags. It would be... improper, to bring a weapon into a place of worship needlessly, and she was quite confident in its safety. Milady was hard to steal from, and any who managed to do so against all odds would like as not find the axe useless to them.
With that done, she ascended the steps and entered the temple.
As the elderly priest spoke, Minerva remained silent. The others would explain their reasons for being there better than she could, for now.
edited 26th Aug '16 4:55:17 PM by RhymeAndTreason
One Brunch Man
Rhys & Loader Bot—Elf World Temple
As Loader Bot didn’t have a face to convey his happiness at his relative success, he jerked his arm up to show an oversized thumbs-up. “Any time.”
Rhys tucked his lips into his mouth as the gorilla-sapien gripped his hand and shook it rather than giving it a crisp skin-smack, then decided that it was probably for the best if he didn’t have a primer. “For uh, future reference big guy, you’re supposed to hit it, like this. But, the arm should also stay attached, and… you know what, forget it.”
Any more comments on the reactionnote to Loader Bot’s joke were stymied as they ran into a group that couldn’t be anything else than a few of their comrades, somehow having circumvented the countryside trek much the same way they did. “Buh, guh, zuh, wha?” Rhys turned to the others, pointing at those departing up the steps. “How did they get here before us? Didn’t we… agh, never mind.” Rhys stalked up the temple steps, not entirely sure why he was suddenly in a bad mood, taking the opportunity to look over the architecture. As he saw Minerva leave Milady and her axe behind, he paused, fondling the baton in his pocket. Deciding that he hadn’t found religion, but that he didn’t want religion to find him, he fished out the deterrent and tossed it to Loader Bot, who was eyeing the much-too-small steps warily.
“Keep that safe, we’ll be back in a bit. Try not to get in any trouble, alright?”
“Roger, glorious father.” Gripping the collapsed baton easily in one of its mechanical hands, Loader Bot stood at attention, crimson eye reflecting his new comrades as they proceeded into the house of worship. After a few minutes passed, the robot turned minutely to glance at Milady, then back at the steps. “I am just happy to be helping.” He relayed to the large reptile.
Once inside, Rhys couldn’t suppress a low whistle. “This god has some nice digs.” But once the priest proper came into view, the salaryman collected himself with a fist to his mouth and a throat-clearing ahem, before stepping forward alongside Kashira. “Courtesies of the… catfish, be with you. Sir. My name is Rhys, and my friends and I are here about the Swordmaster God as well.” Rhys peered around the space, taking in the various designs and mosaics. “Word on the street is that you went on a pilgrimage to see the swords yourself, when you were younger. We just wanted to know, what was it like?" Recalling Ro-Man's cover story, he gestured to his companions. "We're trying to do something similar, but nowadays it seems like it would be easier to ask the Swordmaster God for new ones rather than look for them ourselves." He said, only managing to half-joke.
edited 26th Aug '16 7:20:36 PM by Uncandescent
If I had that kind of power, I'd have dropped a meteor on your house ages ago~
Vampire Hunter
Sabrina, Port Ismenia Slums
Sabrina had followed Yu into the slums and once he had put down the barrel, she relaxed her mind and spent a few minutes regaining her telepathic strength. Eventually, she recovered and watched what Yu and Shiroe were doing... Apparently they were making an impromptu soup kitchen, and when Shiroe asked for ingredients, Sabrina looked over at Yu who seemed to be doing something to attract people to him.
"Do we have any vegetables?" Sabrina asked Yu, wondering what else he might have up his sleeve.
edited 27th Aug '16 1:33:27 PM by GameGuruGG
Wizard Needs Food Badly
Lizard Metabolism
Slum Search
Claw paid the charity the briefest of glances. It was nice, but it was not going to get them anywhere. Still, perhaps he underestimated those kids' abilities. Perhaps they would end up with information while he and the crow waste time in some dingy tavern.
"It would do us well to visit the harbor district later." He muttered as they walked the same direction for a moment before deciding to split up. It would be best not to attract too much attention with two oddly-dressed gentlemen in the same place. "Good luck, you dusty old crow."
Thus, when Qrow perused the tavern, Claw went for the streets of the slum. Eyes and ears wide open, he walked through the mud and the dirt. It was nothing new to him. He had to venture through sewers once and that was hardly different. There simply was less corrosive acid.
He walked and searched, on guard.
How do lizards fly?
Port Ismenia - Shrine of the Swordmaster God
Upon hearing what the visitors had to say, the face of the old priest lit up with a smile.
"Pilgrims, you say? It lifts my heart to hear that you have come this far on a spiritual voyage, when these lands stand on the brink of war. Yes, indeed. In my youth, I did travel to the capital, Acarian that is, of course, and got to see the twin blades. Make no mistake, the divine power vested in them is marvellous to behold, and gives you insight into the workings of the gods themselves. Elvenkind would do well to learn the lesson the artefacts have to impart upon us."
"And what lesson is that?" Reimu asked idly, while approaching the symbols in the middle of the room.
"Balance, my dear. In all things, true balance is the secret to longevity. Mark my words, all this world's problems would be gone if we heard the words of the Swordmaster God. The war that we stand on the precipe of, the overpopulation of the Kingdom of Light, the waning of magic...it is because the divine balances are no longer upheld. You jest," he said to Rhys "but we would already be delivered from these troubles if only our faith was stronger, and we could once more call upon Him for his assistance."
"...if he's at all listening..."
Reimu had laid her hands on the symbolic blades, one on each hilt, and there was a faraway look in her eyes.
"Did you say something?"
"Oh, sorry, nothing."
"...anyways, you may be in luck. His Highness King Aligels is in town to oversee the deployment of his armies, and I hear that he and his retainers have taken up lodgings at the White Sword Inn. If you wait outside, you might catch a glimpse of him and the Sword of Light when he arrives or departs. He carries it everywhere these days, as proof of his rightful rule. It will be but a fleeting glance, but I am afraid it may be the best you will get before he opens the royal palace to the public once more."
Port Ismenia - Southeast Slums
As the small group of Climbers entered the southeast corner of the city, it was as if the sun had set early. What had once been an attempt at refurbishing the residential district had deteriorated over the last hundred years, and the towering buildings nearly ten floors high with their tiny domiciles had none of the flourish or craftmanship of the lower but wider buildings near the main streets. The Climbers walked in the shade, down poorly maintained streets littered with rubbish and magical refuse.
From the moment they stepped past an invisible boundary, a myriad of eyes were upon them. Some gazes were malicious, others merely curious, but most of them were hopeless. The eyes watched as the small group set up their makeshift kitchen on a patch of disturbed cobblestone. Hearing Yu's words, the scrutiny from the shadows intensified, but some were brave enough to step forward.
The elves that approached with the greatest urgency were as wraiths. Unlike the azure-haired and blue-skinned, tan and brown-haired or pale and golden-haired beings the Climbers had encountered so far, these elves were as colourless as washed-out clothes, without a tinge of the vibrancy of most of their kind. Their eyes were grey and desperate, and they accepted the food being offered them as only starved beings can, yet no one talked to the Climbers.
On the edge of the crowds of pale elves lurked a different kind. Unlike the hungering wraiths, these were both in possession of their senses and their colouration. Their hair were wild shades of strong colours; shocking purples, deep pinks, luminous greens and more. And their eyes glowed piercing blue and red as they watched the outsiders from a distance.
Finally, a young blue-skinned and brown-haired elf made his way through the crowds to approach the Climbers. He was covered by a thick traveller's cloak, but from the way he walked it was clear he was armed. When offered, he did not accept any food, and instead fixed Yu with a glare of burnished gold.
"Why are you doing this, outsiders? I warn you, if you come from another weird cult trying to buy their way into the hearts of these beggars, or aim to make these people the test subjects of your magics, you will find a dagger through your ribs before the sun sets."
Meanwhile, Qrow received a different greeting from the locals. The tavern he entered also had a few of the strange elves with their powerful colourations, but also several groups of what was unmistakably mercenaries. Brown-skinned warriors with longbows and slim blades, musculous sea elves with cutlasses and throwing knives, and in the corner a cloaked blade for hire clad entirely in black.
At the bar, the bartender gave him a suspicious glance, but without a word, he filled a small glass of iridescent liquid and set it in front of Qrow. The smell was intense, almost chemical Immediately, the outsider gained a few interested on-lookers wishing to see how he handled the strange beverage.
Around him, the conversations buzzed. Unsurprisingly, most of it was about the war and the army waiting outside. Word on the street was that battle might be joined tomorrow, and that both Kings had travelled to oversee the clash. The mercenaries were frustrated, because the King of Light was not allowing any mercenaries to join in the fighting. King Letrael did, however, but it was impossible to cross over to the other side at this time.
Meanwhile, Captain Claw also got to meet the locals. As he passed an alley, a wild-haired elf called out to him from the shadows.
"Psst, cat! Are you a familiar, shapeshifter, creation or what?"
Port Ismenia - House Emeraldwave Offices
The receptionist looked at the two persons in front of her, taking particular note of D.Va's clothes and Cassius' hair. However, the mention of Risinn's name made her all smiles.
"Risinn sent you? Nice, nice, good to hear she's doing well. We're all rooting for her here, even though the boss is still kinda angry about her running away like that." The young elf grinned. "You need to hitch a ride north? Yeah, sure, that can be arranged. First caravan leaves tomorrow morning, heading to Acarian through Saneid. But if you're in a hurry, there's a ship leaving for Ihansuh with the tide tonight."
Dark Elf Checkpoint
After some time had passed, a soldier came back outside and whispered a message to the guard commander. A surprised expression alighted upon his face, and he motioned for his soldiers to step away from the truck. At the other end of the checkpoint, a group of officers on horseback was making their towards the Climbers. In front was a tall beautiful elf with a dark complexion and eyes the colour of rubies, his jet black hair adorned with a silver crown. In his belt hung a magnificent blade in a gilded black scabbard. Two persons wearing the telltale hooded robes of magicians rode behind him. The commander bowed deeply to the figures on horseback, then turned back to the Climbers.
"Outsiders, you are in the presence of King Letrael Swordmaster, lord of the realm and wielder of the Sword of Darkness."
The leading elf regarded them one by one, his brilliant red eyes boring into each and every one of them.
"Hail travellers," the dark elf spoke. "Your papers and with that your proposed idenity have been exposed as frauds. And the letter you have brought exposes a strange interest with the Sword of Darkness."
With that, he unfastened the scabbard from his belt and held it forward. He was holding it out of reach of anyone present, and its bearer seemed to have no intention of handing it over.
"So, outsiders, here it is. Your object of desire. And now I wonder, what will be your next move?"
Join us in our quest to play all RPG video games! Moving on to disc 2 of Grandia!
Lizard Metabolism
Slums
Perhaps venturing into the slum was not a good idea after all.
Claw sized up the man hiding in shadows. Looked too healthy to be a colorless resident and too crooked to be a law-abiding one. Thus, a cutthroat. He did catch sight of a few in the crowd that the charity stand was working with, but he had faith those kids could fend for themselves.
Whether he could fend for himself remained to be seen. "A sailor." He replied with a shrug, his hand nonchalantly resting on his cutlass' handle, but in a way that suggested confidence and the skill in wielding the weapon. He would probably just reach for the flintlock and shoot the elf if he tried something anyway. "Came from afar. Sightseeing."
"What about you, governor? A crook, a sellsword..." The pirate smiled humorlessly. "or just a concerned local?"
How do lizards fly?
Fear me
Checkpoint
-That changes matters. And yet, for the speaker to be so outright and hold the sword where it could be so easily taken... Toph's head turns towards the sword holder.-
That's the sword? The real one?
-No reason elf hearts should be any better at hiding the truth than humans.-
Port Ismenia Offices
"Exactly! You're a pretty smart kid," D.Va said to Cassius. "Stick with me and I'll go places.""Hmmmmmmm..." she said to the sea elf receptionist. "We already took a ship to get here, and we don't want to miss the towns on the way there, so let's go with the caravan. Besides, the level designers wouldn't let us get to where we want so easily, so we'd probably have to take a detour on a deserted island or investigate a spooky lighthouse, and neither of those would offer good social sidequests. Plus... my friends will definitely keep the caravan safe for sure, but if we were on a ship... they've got a lot of guns and bombs so they might have an accident if they tried to fight off pirates, so you're better off having normal guards on your ships. Just let me know where and when to meet up with them and it'll be great!"
"But in the meantime..." she leaned onto the counter. "I guess we'll have to wait until tomorrow. Do you know a place where we can get food and a place to sleep? Maybe a big warehouse. We have a lot of stuff."
Port Ismenia - River Dock -> East Gate
"I can put my mech away, how else do you think I can get into a limo or party jet?" D.Va replied to Claw, pressing a button on her left wrist. The mech vanished into the seemingly magical button on her suit, while she landed on the ground after doing a somersault. "Okay, so now you just do the same with your cat suit, okay? We have a bunch of people who stand out a lot more than a fabulous Korean girl and her badass mech, why aren't you bothering them instead, hmmm?"When they entered the city, D.Va marched alongside Reimu towards the guard she was asking for directions from. "And after you tell us where the shrine is," she asked after Reimu, "could you tell us where the House Emeraldwave office is, please?"