Porthca Landing III: Burned Bridges & Broken Chains

[maasnssmaamsm]

Ander tears up slightly at the kids' words. He smiles and says, "Well, then, ma new pals, I hope to live up ta the amazin' legacy a' Jewel of the Mountain. Will y'all make yer momma proud with me?" He knew he needed to wrap up the conversation, though he was getting to the point where he wished he could stay and help raise these children the way their mother would have wanted. They deserved to be brought up to be disciples of the light as opposed to hiding away in fear and darkness. He hoped that his chat a with them had helped them to internalize the gift that was their mother. Maybe he could lead them down the right path. He prayed.

 

[roSpEnTo]

"Oh I figure thinking you are a dog has to be a little worse than just being a statue for a little while. I mean can you see Tyrius scrabbling around on all fours barking? I think he would prefer this nice little stony break." Rin laughs to herself as Eliza chuckles, offering her hand to help her sit down. She gives the half-orc a motherly smile and gently pats her arm. "Oh Elly dear, I can understand that. I don't think I ever told my Alli how much this place cost. Your parents always want what's best for you, no matter what that means. I know I'd move the heavens themselves for my little ones so I'm sure that's what they think about you too."

When the younger woman looks down, Rin reaches out and traces a hand over the dirt in front of Eliza. Small white and peach and yellow flowers bloom wherever her fingers touch, the petals opening delicately. "Even the smallest touch of magic can change the world Elly. It doesn't have to be arcane magic or divine magic or natural magic. It can be a kind word, or a smile or a hug at the right time. If you make one person's life better then you are a hero. So I know that you are an amazing hero because here I am, smiling because I'm talking to you." She smiles with deep and genuine affection and gives Eliza a small hug. She chuckles when Eliza talks about learning all the spells that exist. "Oh my dear you remind me of my Alli. When she came to Azarad she told me she was going to learn every song ever written so that she would be able to play music for whatever happened. Now I think she focuses on learning the songs that make her little boy, Kussel smile all the way down in Kiliskali. Follow your dreams Elly but not be stubborn if you find that your dreams change."

When Niradnam walks out Rin grins and waves before looking over to Tyrius and laughing. "Oh the boy uses wild magic? That would make sense I suppose, fits that impulsive nature of his. As for the whole..." She gestures to the stonework. "That is unfortunately my doing. Well a little of my doing and a little of his. I offered him a candy but I must have picked out the wrong bag since they were a little more magical than I intended. By the time he had popped one in his mouth I tried to warn him but here we are." She smiles as if there is nothing unusual about being turned to stone in the middle of the day. "Don't worry though, he will be right as rain in a short amount of time. No longer than an hour, most likely a little less. He doesn't feel a thing just be careful not to chip him. No-one wants to wake up after having their stonework chipped I imagine" She chuckles to herself before remembering something and grinning up at the student guide. "Oh we did learn something about your little problem though, so that is fun."

 

[WetHawk]

Valerie glanced back at Lestone when she felt his hand on her shoulder, her composure slipping for an instant. As the Bursar spoke, she regained her control and watched as a scroll floated over, briefly distracted by the strange magic at work.

Hearing the name of her replacement, Valerie stared at the man in utter shock for a moment. “Mateo?” She had been expecting to hear the name of his older brother Ernest, who had never taken much care to hide the disdain that his father had instilled in him for her. Mateo on the other hand always had seemed much more civil towards her, whenever his father permitted them to interact. The young noble took a shaky breath for a moment before settling back down, folding her hands. “I… I see. This was most certainly an unforeseen occurrence. I apologize for my prior accusations towards you and your institution… it appears the serpent came from within my own nest.”

As Othello spoke to her about not seeking out any sort of retribution, her eyes widened and she shook her head. “No, no, most certainly not! I may be rather… displeased by this turn of events, but I am sure that Mateo’s pursuit of an education at Azarad was not borne of any ill will towards me. You have my word, Bursar, that I am not seeking to create any issues for you. It seems that you have more than enough on your hands as is... “ She faltered, not entirely sure of where to go from there. After a moment, Valerie stood and curtsied, trying not to let her suddenly very real disappointment show. “Thank you, Bursar. You have been very helpful.”

 

[NotHaruka]

Magnolia's outburst caught Virra off guard. "Woah, hey there, partner," she laughed, gently touching the halfling's shoulder. "It won't come to that, y'know? Just like I said, we're not going to tell this Goliath guy anything about Three Stripe. We'll just have a nice conversation -- maybe with a little truth-telling magic this time, huh?"

It seemed to her that they'd got all they could. Virra uncrossed her legs and got to her feet with an energetic hop. "Thanks so much for talking to us, Mr Three Stripe," she said. "I hope everything goes well for you and the kids." Oh, right, the kids! She turned and cupped her hands around her mouth. "Ander! We're done!"

 

[Abrahms]

Noon of the Twenty-Eighth Day | Azarad | Office:

As Valerie stood, the Bursar did as well, dipping his head slowly to the noble, "Of course. Should you wish to take part in your own studies, and have the funds, you are welcome here always."

Once she began to walk away again he sat down to resume his work, the door closing behind Valerie and Lestone as they exited. The Maestro woman was on the sofa by herself, Niradnam apparently having left. Seeing Valerie's face she jumped to her feet and approached, "Oh dear! Waz the Burzar that cruel to you? Do I need to teach him a lezzon on howa to zpeak with young ladiez?"

Noon of the Twenty-Eighth Day | Azarad | Balcony:

Niradnam circled the stone-form of Tyrius a few times, "Still ... if we want to keep moving we may need to undo this sooner than it'll expire on its own. I believe ... 'Greater Restoration' can negate effects like this?"

With a sigh he joined the pair on the grass, Egnaro trotting over to crawl into his lap. "The plants were actually helpful then? Anything we can use going forward?"

Noon of the Twenty-Eighth Day | Azarad:

Virra, Ander, Magnolia, Terminus and Abrahms left Three Stripe's humble home, he and the kittens standing at the doorway to wave them off. Working their way back to the main streets of Azarad, the next step of their journey began: trying to find The Antique Song -- from what the tabaxi had said it would be a hard to miss place, even amongst Azarad where things seemed to be grander just because they could be. Circling around the Gate a few times, the group eventually saw the surprisingly modest sign: a single music note, the wood worn and ragged from time.

The outside of the store didn't seem to read that it was a shop of magical items, instead looking like someone's home. Some doubt likely flickered between the group -- had Three Stripe led them astray? However as they hovered near, a few people wandered in, allowing a glimpse behind the door and a glimpse at the many many items that were visible.

Stepping into the building, it felt like stepping through into another dimension -- it seemed far larger on the inside than the outside led one to believe, and the shelves, aisles, walls were all covered in magical components, rings, necklaces, weapons, armor, potions -- if there was even a minor charm on it, it was here. Behind the counter at the back of the first room, for the store actually spread out to the sides, a strange mismatch between the outside that appeared to go up instead, was a male goliath, currently speaking with a customer. They appeared to be haggling over the price and value of an amulet, but before the group could approach, someone else stepped in their path: a half-orc male, dressed similar to the goliath in terms of style, but the fabrics were much cheaper.

"Greetings!" he began, bowing to the small group, "Welcome to the Antique Song, a proud supplier of magical goods to the peoples and students of Azarad for many decades! Our standards are the highest they can be, making sure that you never have to doubt any of the components or items you purchase for peace of mind during adventuring or spellcasting! Name's Zurusk, how can I help you all today? We've got some nice items in recently, or if you'd like to sell some, we also do that."

 

[roSpEnTo]

Rin watches Niradnam circle Tyrius a few times before patting the ground near her. "Come and sit down before you make us both dizzy with your fussing. I believe it can but that isn't something that I have the ability cast. You are talking about a more powerful magic and my abilities have always involved more... mundane things. Research, subtle spells, theories and the like." However she stops when he asks about the plants, breaking into a grin. "Plants are always helpful young man, but yes they had some information. There is a humanoid that comes before the beasts, one bigger than a gnome or a halfling but smaller than anything too giant. I'd say likely a human or an elf or some such. However they have an Azarad pin, so we are looking for someone from inside the University."

 

[NotHaruka]

As the group stepped into the Antique Song, Virra had to stop and do a double take. The Accmour House had been a little like this, she remembered — all bigger on the inside. But even more impressive than that was the sheer volume of magical items it had in stock. Virra briefly entertained the hypothetical question of how many she could fit in her Bag of Holding before the goliath at the counter caught her... if she were much less scrupulous, of course.

Then she heard footsteps approaching the group and figured it was time to put her game face back on. As the half-orc stepped into view, she fixed him with a beaming smile.

“Nice to meet you, Zurusk!” she chirped. “I’m Virra. We’re actually waiting for your boss—“ she inclined her head towards the goliath, “—so we’ll just wait until he’s ready to see us if that’s okay with you.” She cupped a hand to the side of her mouth and leaned close. “We’re here for a very special item,” she whispered, giving the half-orc a conspiratorial wink.

 

[Abrahms]

Noon of the Twenty-Eighth Day | Azarad | Balcony:

Niradnam couldn't entirely help from rolling his eyes, "So ... that narrows it down to at least a couple hundred people. I suppose it's better than thinking it's some ... spy or something, I don't know, from another country trying to disrupt and discredit the University." He looked up at the petrified sorcerer again, petting Egnaro on his lap, "Maybe I should try to get a professor to fix this ... Actually, inside, there was Maestro Zorei-Hanari, she's a Bard of skill, she might be able to help."

Twisting where he sat he looked at the office doors, "I'm not sure if Valerie is done yet, I think the Maestro was waiting to speak with her."

Noon of the Twenty-Eighth Day | Azarad | The Antique Song:

Zurusk glanced over his shoulder towards the Goliath in the back still speaking with a customer, "Oh ... alright, well, let me know if I can get you anything. I ask you please at least move from the doorway so others may enter, and while you wait, do feel free to explore the shelves! I'll let him know you're here then," the young half-orc started to move away towards the counter in the back.

 

[roSpEnTo]

Rin looks across at Niradnam disapprovingly with a quiet harrumph. "If you didn't want help then you should have just said so. I don't have to deal with your sour mood you know." She pulls the fabric of her robes a little closer to herself and sets her staff down across her lap. She takes a candy out of the Shorian candies bag and puts it into her mouth. "I gave you plenty of information, how you choose to use it or waste it is entirely on you young man. And I said the boy will be fine, it will wear off soon enough. If you want to go running off and panicking and bothering people that's your choice."

 

[NotHaruka]

He bought it! Virra gave Zurusk a beaming smile. "Gotcha, Zee. Whenever he's ready." Finding the goliath while he was busy was an unexpected bonus. Virra hadn't yet had her fill of magic shops. Gesturing for the others to come inside and away from the door, she darted among the shelves in search of objects of interest -- especially anything that was shaped like a Bag of Tricks.

 

[WetHawk]

Walking out of the office, Valerie's dejected expression was clear on her face and in her mannerisms, for the moment not really attempting to keep up the previous veneer of confidence. At the Maestro's commenting on it however, Valerie attempted to hide it better, although at the moment she'd have preferred to hide behind Lestone. "No, no it is quite alright, Maestro. It appears that the mistake was on my part, not the institution's... I am not properly enrolled here." She looked over towards the secretary she had previously been somewhat cruel towards, unable to fully meet her gaze. "Apologies for my previous treatment..." The young warlock sighed before glancing around the room and then looking back to the exotic woman. "Pardon me Maestro, but do you know where Mr. Niradnam went?"

 

[Abrahms]

Noon of the Twenty-Eighth Day | Azarad | Balcony:

Placing a hand on Valerie's shoulder, the Maestro gave an understanding nod, "I zee. Well no matter if you're enrolled here, perhapz I can ztill grant zome lezzonz to encourage you, ah?" When the young noble asked where Niradnam had gone, she gestured out to the balcony, leading the pair out there.

"No -- I appreciate the help," Niradnam replied, "Just ... it didn't feel like it really narrowed things down."

The Maestro waved at the group sitting on the grass next to the statue of Tyrius, "Hm. I do not believe thiz to be a ztatue that zhould be here." She studied the frozen sorcerer before reaching into her pouch and retrieving some sparkling dust. Humming a song under her breath she spread the powdered diamonds on the top of Tyrius' stone head, the shine of it slowly spread down across him and where it passed his skin was no longer rock-like. After the spell finished she clapped her hands, "Wonderful, I zee you are a ztudent then, howa did you get affected zo?"

Looking down at the group once more she smiled, "Ah, hello Mizz Rinmerrion, giving zome private lezzons out here for a zmall clazz?" She nodded at Eliza who gave a timid wave in return.

Noon of the Twenty-Eighth Day | Azarad | The Antique Song:

While the group waited for the goliath to finish his business, Virra darted around the store looking around for a certain magical item, eventually finding a section of the store dedicated to pouches and bags -- bags of holding, spice pouches, haversacks, and finally what she wanted: a bag of tricks. Unfortunately, depending on what the gnome mystic wanted, they only have one at the moment, a gray colored one.

 

[Ash-6116]

The last hour had passed by Tyrius in seemingly one second. Which meant that as the grey granite faded back into hues of soft pink, vibrant red and dark navy blue, from his perspective, both Rin and Eliza had teleported from where he'd last seen them, Niradnam had appeared from thin air along with Egnaro, Valerie and Maestro Zorei-Hanari.

"Um, how did what happen?" said Tyrius, slightly confused as he hadn't had time to think of exactly what had happened. All he knew was that it was very unlikely to be his own wild magic - that usually came with enough of a sensation so that when something did happen because of it, he knew it was because of it. "All that happened was that Rin offered me a sweet from her bag, I ate it while thinking on-" Tyrius realised that he was in danger of over sharing and quickly thought of the first problem that wasn't going to get Niradnam in trouble to mind, "mythology of the Plains when I started to feel sluggish and then I just walked back towards Rin. Who then teleported five feet along with Eliza and Valerie and Niradnam seem to have teleported from somewhere." said the oblivious red head. "Is something wrong?"

 

[roSpEnTo]

Rin frowns across at Niradnam and then huffs a little, clearly a little miffed with his explanation but she doesn't take it any further. When the Maestro comes out Rin waves happily towards her. She tries to get up to dissuade her from wasting magic, pushing up on the staff, but doesn't get there in time to stop the spell. Instead she merely brushes down her robes and gives the Maestro a devilish grin. "Oh Zorei, you know how it is. Fey candies are tricksy little things, always wanting to be eaten. I simply got the bag of candies I was offering wrong, no malice." When Zorei asks if she is teaching a class she smiles and looks down to Eliza. "Of sorts I suppose but nothing scheduled. This garden really is lovely though, I may wish to have a lecture here in the next few days, far nicer than a stuffer lecture hall. You have some very talkative plants."

When Tyrius comes to and asks if something is wrong Rin makes his way over to him and pats his arm lightly. "Nothing is wrong lad, don't you worry. You were a statue for a little bit, happens to the best of us. I am afraid I offered you the wrong bag of candy. Here we are though, no-one is hurt." The elderly druid looks over to Valerie and gives a motherly smile. "Did you sort your issue dearie or do you need me to make a fuss for you. Zorei here knows the sorts of fusses I can make when people are foul with people I like." She gives a smirk to the bard. "I'm sure you remember that frightful bore Haris that tried to fail Alli over that little theory mix up. Man could never take a joke."

 

[WetHawk]

"Lessons?" Valerie blinked in surprise, unsure of what to expect from the imposing Oshelan woman. Recovering, she did a quick curtsy. "I mean, certainly! I would greatly appreciate that, Madame Zorei-Hanari, thank you so much for this opportunity. I am uncertain for exactly how long my friends and I will be staying within the school, but I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to learn anything that I can from an Oshelan Maestro." Her mood slightly cheered at the promise, Valerie followed her out of the room.

Spying the stony sorcerer, Valerie covered her mouth in shock and rushed to Tyrius's side. "Tyrius! Oh, Mr. Niradnam, Mrs. Rinmerrion, is he alright?" Listening to the gnomish teacher's explanation, Valerie was only more confused and worried. She looked on in concern as the Maestro sprinkled some dust and performed some sort of spell on her fellow noble and let out a sigh of relief as the red headed wild-mage shook off the effects of the candy he had consumed. Looking over to Rin as she addressed her, Valerie looked away. "It, um... appears that my spot in enrollment has been given to my cousin. It is my fault, really. Truthfully, I ran off when I was intended to attend this school. Grandfather always said to strike when the iron was hot, and it appears I allowed it too cool for far too long." She frowned slightly before adding. "It truthfully is quite alright though. In fact, Maestro Zorei-Hanari generously offered to provide me with some private tutoring." She smiled slightly to the Maestro before looking around at the others curiously and asking. "So... what now?"

 

[NotHaruka]

Virra was tempted -- more than tempted -- to add another magical bag or three to her wardrobe. With the beefy wyvern egg in her backpack and the rest of her belongings in the bag of holding that she already had, it worried her that she might be unable to get a full share of whatever treasure trove the group happened along next. But they were in the Antique Song to interrogate a subject, not patronise them, so she put her desire to shop on hold for a moment. Maybe she could get a better price if she waited until they finished pummelling the guy...

Then her eyes fell on the grey bag. Huh. Somehow she'd thought it would be bigger. Though, that wasn't what they were actually after, was it? But it would make for a good prop.

Virra casually snatched it up and continued to browse, 'coincidentally' running into each of her companions on the way and shooting them each a telepathic message as she went.

"Hey Mags, I found the bag Three Stripe mentioned."
"Hey Ander, found the bag."
"Terminus. Bag."

The goliath's other wares were quite distracting, to tell the truth. It was easy for Virra to lose her sense of urgency as she waited for him to be finished with his other customer.

 

[Ash-6116]

Tyrius tried not to look distressed at all, especially in front of the Maestro. 'Play it off as a harmless prank,' thought Tyrius to himself, forcing himself to smile. While he could understand it was a simple mistake to make and hadn't done anything permanent to him - there was the small matter of Bookwyrm to consider. Tyrius didn't know what effect either of the spells would've had on the wyvern egg, and the sorcerer had enough brains to know he couldn't exactly ask the Maestro about that though he could ask Rin later. Though he knew he might well be worrying over nothing. 'Still,' thought Tyrius, thinking of the defenceless red egg in his bag, 'wouldn't hurt to be sure.'

As Valerie looked around, Tyrius looked around the courtyard. "Well, we could always go visit the library," said Tyrius with a much more genuine smile, "or continue to listen to Rin's lecture about-" Tyrius glanced around the garden trying to think of some species of flower or plant, "orchids." said the sorcerer as it was the first plant based thing to come to his mind.

 

[Abrahms]

Noon of the Twenty-Eighth Day | Azarad | Balcony:

Seeing everyone else begin to stand, Niradnam pushed himself to his feet, offering a hand to help Eliza who took it after some hesitation, leaning on her staff to help with her balance.

The Maestro laughed at Rin, "Ah, yez, I think the echoez ztill work their way through the hallz even nowa." Nodding towards Valerie she added, "If you are ztill around once thiz whole ... 'lockdown' haz ended, I can either meet you in my office, or I can give performancez in a local tavern. I doubt they will turn me down, afterall," she grinned, "My zpecific zkillz work best around crowdz." Bowing for a moment to the group, "I will leave you to your dizcuzzions, and perhapz zee you around." Zorei waved as she disappeared back into the doorway that led inside.

Niradnam waited a few seconds after she had left to motion Tyrius and Valerie closer, "According to the plants Rinmerrion spoke to, whoever the culprit is, does seem to be someone on campus, and a student, likely human." He glanced skyward, squinting from the light, "Almost time for our check in with the others, we said around noon, right?"

 

[maasnssmaamsm]

Ander didn't know how to communicate with Virra discreetly other than to nod in her direction. He didn't like this store. People taking advantage of the less fortunate were those who Ander despised the most. He remained stone faced as he stood behind Virra, trying to give her some back-up for whatever she planned next.

 

[Wookie Nookie]

A bag? The bag? Must find bag!

"Hey Virra, hypothetically speaking is there a price tag on that bag? We should probably collect it for evidence? Yeah that sounds like a good enough reason." In a terrible hurry Mags pushed her way passed fellow shoppers to where her gnomish friend stood. It was quite easy to find her with Ander close behind, can never lose that guy in a crowd.

Before her lay the object of her desire, well since she found out it existed. Without waiting for assistance she grabbed that bag and yelled, "hey shop boy! How much for this?"

 

[roSpEnTo]

Rin gives Tyrius a very strange look before looking around to see if she could see any orchids. However when the Maestro leaves the gnome gives a hearty wave and a chuckle of her own. She turns her attention to Valerie, muttering a little under her breath about orchids, and gives the younger woman a bright smile. "Do not worry my dear, there is no need to be embarrassed about decisions made with passion. Often our hearts are better judges of our fate than our heads, even if it takes some time to know it. Like I was telling Elly, the most important thing is who you are now and the steps taken to get you here should be celebrated not regretted. Smile and the world seems like a brighter place already, and you have such a lovely smile sweetie."

 

[Ash-6116]

Once the Maestro was gone, and after waiting for a few minutes to reassure himself that the Maestro had moved on and was not just trying to watch them through a window, Tyrius shifted his bags around and opened up the bag he'd brought purely for carrying Bookwyrm. The redhead knew he was probably being paranoid and overreacting. At the same time, he had to be sure, Tyrius could almost imagine the other eggs people had taken hatching and Bookwyrm's not because the poor thing was still petrified within its shell.

"Um, Rin," said Tyrius, setting the egg bag on the ground and sitting next to it cross legged on the grass, "is there any way to tell if, well, if my wyvern egg was affected when I was petrified?"

 

[roSpEnTo]

Rin gently takes the egg from Tyrius and looks it over, holding it up to the light and studying it for a moment. She hands it back with a reassuring smile. "You know lad, animals aren't really my strong point but you have nothing at all to worry about there. The egg is healthy and fine, being stone for a little bit might mean it's a day or two late hatching but that is about the worst of it." The elderly gnome reaches out and pats his knee gently, in a very motherly way. "You put too much stress on yourself Tyrry. Take a few breaths and relax a little, wyverns are tough little blighters and life always finds a way my dear boy. If you are going to take care of that little one then you need to be calm because it will definitely test your patience a few times."

 

[Ash-6116]

Tyrius relaxed a little as Rin explained that the worst that would happen was that Bookwyrm would hatch a day or so after the rest of his siblings. The wild mage relaxed even more as Rin reassured him and told him to relax. Tyrius could only imagine what it would be like when Bookwyrm hatched. No doubt he'd need to find some way to train Bookwyrm so that the wyvern wouldn't become a destructive menace and end up going the way of his natural parents. At the same time, Tyrius had no intention whatsoever of being cruel in any way. He knew about how some nobles treated exotic animals as status symbols and had no wish to be like that. Curling up with a good book in his hands and a tired wyvern nestled into his arm was more Tyrius' aim.

"Thank you Rin," said Tyrius, returning her smile with one of his own. "have you ever raised anything like a wyvern before?"

 

[Abrahms]

Noon of the Twenty-Eighth Day | Azarad | Balcony:

Eliza reached slowly into her own bag, pulling out a small egg not too unlike Tyrius', "I wonder if mine is doing alright ..." She held it up to the light, trying to mimic what Rin had done, a look of intense concentration on her face.

Niradnam sighed, "I thought you guys were going to try and keep them a bit more hidden ... considering the whole conversation we had about if people were to steal them. As it is, the only reason mine's been allowed so far is if it doesn't end up hatching, it's turned over to those who study monster biology, and if it does hatch ... I'm entirely responsible for caring for it, or whatever damages it causes." With a shrug he crossed his arms, "So ... should we check in with the others quick? See if they've learned anything yet? It might help us decide where to go next."

Noon of the Twenty-Eighth Day | Azarad | The Antique Song:

Heavy footsteps sounded out behind Magnolia as she heard a low chuckle, "That particular bag is thirteen hundred gold, but, I am willing to work out a payment plan with you, young lady -- we can be quite reasonable." Smiling broadly the goliath shop keeper bowed to the group, "Welcome, to the Antique Song. My name is Larian, owner of this humble store that serves the future archmages of Okesh and Azarad. Zurusk told me you were looking to speak with me about a 'special item'? Which would that be?" His dark eyes looked between the group expectantly.