Rifts Adventure IC

[Sherwood]

The walk through the small town is enjoyable with the sunlight flickering through the trees and a soft breeze wafting through the countryside, making for a very pleasant stroll. It is not long before the four of you find yourselves at the ornate door of the home of Terra's family. A brass knocker sits in the center of the door, waiting for someone to knock.

 

[Psychie]

With a grin, Terra reaches out for the knocker and gives a quick rap rap rap on the door. Looking over her shoulder to the others, she says, "You guys are going to love my family!"

 

[Purr]

Oh! Snowfall straightens and smooths his robes with his hands. "I had best take a form they will recognize!"

The celestial messenger disappears in a cloud and an instant later, reappears as a 50-something Japanese man wearing a rich brown and red monk-style clothing (OOC: this is Snowfall's Spirit Garment) that appears perfectly new. Snowfall appears distinguished, even stately - as if he has known more than one court or high family in his time. =)

 

[Purr]

If Miss Terra appears to allow it, he steps in front of her as the door opens and states to whomever answers, "Excuse me! I have found this wonderful young lady who appears to be looking for her family! You would not recognize her, would you?" he smiles and, moving fully out of the way, presents her with a courtly bow.

 

[Silanon]

A step behind, one can see Eron awkwardly fumble around in his mauled armor and worn-down cloak - looking left and right in case that a good opportunity to "help out elsewhere real quick" presents itself.

 

[Purr]

Silanon If Eron does not stop him, the little old Kitsune in the party pauses the intrepid warrior for a moment. "Quick! Do your best impression of a statue!"

If Eron trusts Snowfall enough to proceed, the Celestial Messenger of Inari speedily "tunes up" Eron's appearance as best he can to make him appear more the dashing fellow that he really is. Besides, one only gets one chance to make a first impression - and that's exactly what was about to take place now between Eron and Terra's parents! He does the same for Morrolan if the elf requires it and appears open to it.

"There!" Snowfall smiles up at Eron. "You would almost never know we just did the impossible and lived to tell about it! You'll love their hospitality!" he tells both Eron and Morrolan as he casually strolls inside.

 

[Silanon]

The Crazy makes no effort to stop Snowfall - he even does his best to hold still, though that is easier said then done. There's always too much energy in his body, and his nerves only add to that... "Well, we'll see... but thanks. This'll be fine. Or better, at least." He continues his fidgeting , mostly to busy himself, until at last, he takes a deep breath, places both hands on the hilts of his sheathed blades, and nods at Snowfall. "Fine. It'll be fine." Another nod. "Fine. Thanks. Don't know what I'd do without you folks. Then again, without you, I wouldn't have to ask that question. Would've been a mess, facing him alone."

 

[Sherwood]

With the knock on the door, an attractive middle-aged woman answers. She has long black hair that is pulled up in a bun, and a very distinct baby bump visible on her tummy, a bit of a change since the last time that Snowfall or Terra has seen her. She looks at Snowfall with recognition from the time that he was last in the home being recruited to look after Terra all that long time ago. With an excited squeal, Axtis reaches out and pulls Terra into her arms with a huge hug and lots of kisses on her cheeks.

When the wave of affection is finally over, Terra is pulled into the home and Terra's mother calls out, "Nick! Come here! Look who's come calling! It's Terra and some of her friends!"

At this, a handsome man rushes into the room and stops dead as he looks at the four of you. "Oh, my. This is a good surprise! What brings my sweet girl home?"

 

[Psychie]

Terra lets her mom shower her with affection, only slightly embarrassed that this is happening in front of the others, but mostly just happy to see her folks again. "Ma, let me breathe! Its kinda important for life. I missed you, too. And I see you and dad were getting busy and I have a little brother or sister on the way!" She grins as her mother gives her one of 'those' looks, then goes on to say, "These are my friends. Obviously you know Snowfall, but these other two are strangers to you. This is Eron, and our elf friend is Morrolan. We are in need of a place to recover after having a bit of an encounter back on Earth with the Coalition, and we were hoping that we could relax here for a bit. That is if we wouldn't be putting too much of an inconvenience on you."

 

[Sherwood]

Nick nods, saying, "Terra, this is your home. Of course you and your friends are welcome here! Come and have a seat and relax. Take a load off your feet." He eyes the four of you with a critical eye, adding, "You seem to have been in a fight recently. I'm sure that there is a story behind that. Care to share?"

 

[Purr]

Snowfall grimaces. Many, many decades of loyal service to Inari as a discrete and highly-dependable messenger stir deep emotions in the Kitsune. Inari has many, many messengers to do his bidding, each of them with their own specialty and way of working. Snowfall is but one, but old habits stay with him as do Japanese feelings of honor and obligation to one's employer.

"Begging your pardon, my lord..." he bows in apology. Snowfall continues to treat Terra's parents with the respect they deserve unless they insist otherwise. "...this may be mercenary work, but the 'case is still open.' At least for me. And at least until we have the chance to report back to the person we're working for. After that's all fine and settled, I would be open to sharing that information but only if we have our employer's permission. Call it an... 'old working mercenaries code' that has never failed me." He grins, hoping to keep the mood a positive one.

With that said, Snowfall does not make any move to restrict his fellows from speaking as they will. He must only act as an honorable vassal should - and Lord Brazamal has been quite worthy of this level of respect In Snowfall's Japanese eyes.

 

[Silanon]

Eron bows deeply as he is introduced, in the way how Sir Duncan used to bow. "Honored to meet you, and thanks for the hospitality" he adds as well, before addressing the question. "Just the usual, I'm afraid - sliced up a few robots. Blew up a place. Saved the world. You know how it is." He grins. "Wouldn't be here without your daughter's planning. Worked out like a charm."

 

[Sherwood]

"Begging your pardon, my lord..." he bows in apology. Snowfall continues to treat Terra's parents with the respect they deserve unless they insist otherwise. "...this may be mercenary work, but the 'case is still open.' At least for me. And at least until we have the chance to report back to the person we're working for. After that's all fine and settled, I would be open to sharing that information but only if we have our employer's permission. Call it an... 'old working mercenaries code' that has never failed me." He grins, hoping to keep the mood a positive one.

Eron bows deeply as he is introduced, in the way how Sir Duncan used to bow. "Honored to meet you, and thanks for the hospitality" he adds as well, before addressing the question. "Just the usual, I'm afraid - sliced up a few robots. Blew up a place. Saved the world. You know how it is." He grins. "Wouldn't be here without your daughter's planning. Worked out like a charm."

While Axtis is busy gathering up a servant or two in order to make something for you to get refreshed and to prepare rooms for you, Nick waves his hand dismissively. "No need to apologize. I understand the concept of 'need to know', and there is the old saying of 'loose lips sink ships'. I won't press you for details until such time as you are able to freely give them. So let us not talk about your most recent adventure, and we can save our conversations for other times of interest that you can talk about."

Terra's father smiles at Eron's comment about his daughter. "She has always been a leader amongst her friends as a child, one of quick wit. So it is not a big surprise to hear that it was her plan. But I am about to break my own rule of don't talk about this latest mission! I almost stepped into it there."

Axtis comes wadding out with her huge belly in the lead, carrying a tray of drinks. "I hope that there is something here that will satisfy you. If not, let me know and I will take steps to take care of my guests."

 

[Sherwood]

Eron slowly wakes up in a hospital, feeling a strange ache all over his body but at the same, he is feeling exceptionally good. Several people are at your bedside, some clearly medical professionals while others are recognizable as your friends, Snowfall and Terra, and they look concerned. As consciousness slowly returns, so does the memory of just how he managed to get here, and it is a wonder that you are alive at all.

You were walking through the town on a pleasant morning, munching on a freshly baked blueberry muffin, expecting no trouble and generally having a good day when your Sixth Sense suddenly screams at you of danger! This gives you just enough time to hit the deck as a massive explosion rips through the building right next to you! The shockwave sends you flying and would have killed a normal human instantly, but thanks to your supernatural Crazy self, you are simply rattled.

Taking in the sights of what is happening, you are shocked to see a huge conflagration burning the remains of the building that just exploded. Screams can be heard from inside the rubble, desperate cries for help. Without a thought for your own safety, you are in motion towards the fire, feeling the heat singing you as you get closer and closer to the heart of the blast. There are a few bodies scattered about, some clearly deceased, but others are still alive and might be saved if you can get them out in time.

Using your exceptional strength and speed, you are quickly freeing trapped people and getting them out of harms way, and things are going well for you as you work your way closer to the source of the blast. It is there that you see a sight that takes your breath away. There are three Atlanteans locked in combat with some sort of monster, a horrid, twisted thing from God only knows where. You watch as they hurl what you recognize as powerful spells at it, but the magic simply dissipates as it touches the thing, doing absolutely no damage to the monster. In an almost casual move, the creature reaches out with a tentacle and stabs one of the three through the chest, pulling him into its giant maw to be chewed up in a grotesque spray of blood.

One of the survivors calls out, "Run! Its immune to magic! We can't stop it!" He turns to follow his own advice, and is also speared by a dripping tentacle. Eron has a choice to make; either save himself, or risk it all to save others. His weapon of choice is not a magic spell, but the holy blade of the Cyber Knight, Sir Cooley! You may not have been accepted into the Order, but you have certainly lived your life in such a manner to be worthy of the sword your friend entrusted into your care. There are no second thoughts as Eron draws his blade and leaps into the fray.

Slice, dodge, parry, slice again. Pain lances through you as the monster makes a lucky strike, but it doesn't stop your arm from wielding Shining Mirror and carving deep into the thing over and over again. Finally, the tide of the fight is turning in your favor, and visible before you is one huge red eye, glaring at you full of hate. With a final, killing strike, you plunge the sword deep into the eye! The thing lets out a scream of rage as its physical body is destroyed in another explosion, sending Eron flying back into darkness.

Obviously, you lived. But given as badly as you were hurt, how is it that you feel so damn good right now? And what the heck is that strange lump on the back of your neck?!? When you reach up to touch it, a voice says, "Doctor, he's regaining consciousness."

"Good" One of the medical professionals there comes walking up. He says to Eron, "Don't try to move yet. You have gone through one hell of a traumatic experience, and your symbiote needs time to help you heal. You, my boy, are quite the hero of the day."

Over the course of the next few minutes, Eron learns some details of what happened. Apparently, that building that blew up was one of several magic schools in the town, and while it is a mystery as to just how it happened, a portal or rift was opened in the central summoning chamber, and it brought forth the monster from some dark corner of the multiverse. This thing was immune to magic, so the wards on the room were useless, and the spells being cast against it were just as ineffective. If you weren't there with your holy sword, things would have been very ugly.

Even with your enhanced metabolism, you nearly died. If it were not for the fact that somehow, a strange being known as an Absurr latched onto your neck, the injuries you suffered would have killed you. The doctor reassures you, "These Absurr are a wonder to have. It is a creature that is from our ancient home of Atlantis, and you are lucky to have one. It is a symbiote, one that draws forth its own life energy from you in the form of positive emotions, and in return, helps you by making you tougher, extending your lifespan, and warning you of impending danger. Do not try to remove it. Doing so will kill you, and no one wants that now, do we?"

He gives you an examination, saying, "You came as close to dying as anyone I've ever seen and survived. But at the rate you are healing, you will be back to 100% in just a few days. You should also be aware that you are being billed as quite the hero here. You saved dozens of people directly by pulling them out of the fire and even more from that thing you killed. Expect to be mobbed by adoring fans once you are out of your convalescence. I'll leave you to visit with your friends and get some rest. Even with the symbiote, you need to heal."

Silanon Here are your important numbers. The Absurr has a total of 400 MDC that it can use to help keep you alive, along with an additional 160 MDC that you get to add to your body. The symbiote can transfer up to 397 MDC to you when you are hurt, leaving those last three points for itself as an emergency reserve.

 

[Psychie]

Terra places a hand on Eron's shoulder with a look of relief on her face. "You had us worried there for a bit, my friend. For a while, it was touch and go on you, as we sat here waiting for word from the doctor. Whatever it was you fought messed you up pretty bad. I guess you're just hard to kill, right? Besides, you can't die yet. We have our tavern's grand opening coming soon, and I'll be dipped in shit if I let you get out of being there!"

Her friendly banter doesn't do much to hide the fact that she was genuinely worried for the Crazyman's health. "It looks like you really lucked out with that thing attached to your neck. It probably kept you alive long enough to have the healers stabilize you and let your own body's regeneration take over. I've heard of these symbiotes before, but this is my first time seeing one. Very few of them manage to get to my old stomping grounds around Dweomer." Terra cranes her neck to try and get a better look at the Absurr. "Handy little thing to have. Should do a lot to help keep you alive for a long time. You're lucky to have it."

Finally, she looks at Eron and asks, "How are you doing? Is there anything I can get for you while you are here?"

 

[Sherwood]

It has been a very busy six months for our intrepid heroes. Well, perhaps not so busy for Eron, but he has earned some downtime, especially with his near-death experience and resulting status as a hero in the town. Terra has been occupied with getting her new body art and making plans for the new tavern/bar/hostel/inn that she wishes to open. Lots of plans to be made to make it possible to open such an operation as you have thought up. But since the tattooing takes a lot of time of Terra sitting and dealing with the painful needle putting the ink and magic into her skin, it frees her mind for the intellectual exercise of thinking up what she wants her bar to look like.

Snowfall has been very active, too. At least, his busy time is much less painful than Terra's, since learning how to cast a spell is not inherently hurtful. In between the task of learning spells, he has been traveling about the multiverse, first off to send word to the crew of the Badger hiding in the shadow of Lone Star that the job is done and to quickly and quietly get the hell out of dodge and get back to Dweomer and the safety of the Federation of Magic's stomping grounds. Next, our foxiest of messengers has checked in with the ratfolk and has let them know that there is a place far and away from the Coalition that is available to them if they so choose to leave. After a bit of discussion on this, the ratfolk decide to take you up on your offer and decide to join you in Eris Nova.

In another community, the rat people would stand out like a sore thumb. But here in the midst of the dimensional travelers that frequent the town, they are simply another bunch of DeeBees that live and work in the community.

During this time, Snowfall has also checked in with your Dweomer patron, Lord Brazamal, to inform him of the events of the trip to Lone Star and discoveries made there. The elder dragon is shocked that the Coalition would stoop to such a low as to breed Ashwarra-based creatures to devour magical beings like the two of you. He has provided Snowfall with a sizable financial reward for the three of you and makes sure to let you know that he will continue to keep you on speed dial for future tasks, not to mention he has hinted that he would be happy to make an appearance at your new tavern once it is open for business.

Now that Eron has recovered from his injuries, he has been devoting his time to the task of learning new martial art fighting styles. Thanks to his celebrity status, the Crazyman has no lack of teachers or sparring partners willing to share with him what they know. This has been invaluable in helping him learn new fighting techniques. By now, you have started to get used to having this odd lump on the back of his neck, and the feeling of extra energy and resilience is one that just feels good.

It is now early evening, and we find our heroes relaxing at one of the tables of your bar, enjoying a cool drink and fine conversation as people come and go. Terra has the extra bonus of having a new little brother to spoil as her parents are busy showing off the newest arrival to the family. Even your friend Brazamal the dragon is there, and he seems to be enjoying the ambiance of the establishment as he spends his time deep in conversation with some of the other patrons. All in all, it is a very enjoyable night.

As you are all laughing and enjoying a good time, three strangers enter into the bar: two women and one man. The man is wearing what looks like an armored breastplate and has a longbow over his shoulder with a sword at his hip and a quiver of arrows on his back. He is a tall and very handsome man, standing over 6'3" without any hint of fat on his frame, with dark hair and a chiseled chin, and if you were to be forced to guess, you would say he is in his mid-thirties.

The first woman is a slight bit younger and a touch shorter than the man, and they have enough features in common with one another that you would have to guess that they are siblings. She has long hair that is pulled back in a bun, a slim waist and a beautiful face. She is also packing a longbow, quiver, a sword and is also wearing archaic style body armor. Sitting on the woman's shoulder is a small brown squirrel, and a large wolf is on her heel.

The second woman is much older, easily in her late sixties at the least, but even so, she is still a very beautiful woman. Her own long, black hair is pulled back in a braid running down to the middle of her back, and her eyes are bright even with her age. She, too, is wearing archaic looking armor, and has a short sword on her hip and an ornate round shield hanging on hooks on her back. Sitting on her shoulder is a large white owl, its large eyes darting about.

All three have a very powerful presence to them that seems to fill the room, even as they stand still for a moment to look around and take in the place. Eventually the three step over to an empty table and have a seat, and one of the waitstaff comes over to offer them some menus and to take their drink orders.

Another thing of note is that no one's Sixth Sense kicks in to warn of impending danger. If these three represent a threat, it is not immediate or directed at you, but you are all certain that there is a core of steel to all three of them, and if anyone is foolish enough to try and start some trouble, they will bring the good fight.

 

[Purr]

Earlier...

"Of course, I will spar with you, Eron!" says Snowfall at the side of Eron's hospital bed. "I just... don't know... if the two of you," he points at Eron's neck, "will be ready for... HEMA!" And if these are the words that Eron takes up as challenge to learn Historical European Martial Arts, then Snowfall is all the happier for teaching it to him. Japanese though Snowfall be, he is also one of Inari's own Celestial Messengers and they know better than most that the Megaverse is vast and limitless - including in matters of knowledge which is what HEMA really is a collection of. Besides, a little Blood and Iron in one's life is a nice way to recover and set yourself on a path to thinking about something better than how many people besides you have stared up at that lonely hospital ceiling, right?

Once both Eron and Terra have recovered, Snowfall takes further interest in seeing what Morrolan is up to. What has he been doing in Eris Nova all this time?

And finally, once everyone is all together, Snowfall is very happy to see them up and about. Enough to share the haiku he had written half a year ago.

"Remember Lone Star? Project Omega? Right after we left and our backs hit the soft green grass of Eris Nova here, I had a moment of inspiration. It goes like this:

"Secret lab of death
Die in bright colors of fire
No one will miss you"

Snowfall grins knowing that no one he knows has missed Project Omega. He was just as blown away as Lord Brazamal about the whole project... which is now but ashes and blasted rock. Oh, the things in life to be proud of!

* * *​

Now...

While the three humanoids gain it, it is not the man nor the women that keep Snowfall's attention... but the wolf.

Snowfall is a fox-spirit, neither fox nor human nor ghost nor any combination of the three but a Kitsune which is a creature altogether different than the others. But there are commonalities. Wolf-spirits prey on fox-spirits. They aren't the only ones, but wise foxes know which side of the fight for survival nature made them to be on. Foxes hunt mice. Wolves hunt foxes. At least in Japan.

And so the moment Snowfall sees the real wolf, he calmly and quietly disengages. Out of the sight and smell of the wolf he goes. Same with the owl; no aerial predator takes more foxes than the owl. Perhaps behind the bar counter, perhaps leaving the room altogether. Whatever the case may be, when he is in a position where they cannot see him but he can rightly study them, he does so. Snowfall whispers excitedly to himself. "Sir Looks-A-Lot shall find the answers to this caper! With his trusty Fraggle Rock sword and... his ever-super-duper Magic Helmet!"

This he quietly dons and activates.

Spoiler: For Sherwood

Snowfall is using his Nexus Knight Helm of All Seeing (Book of Magic, page 319) on all of them including their weapons and their "animals."

This TW device looks like an ordinary helmet, except that it has a large binocular-like pair of protruding sockets in place of the eye slit.
Magic Powers: The wearer can See the Invisible, See Aura, see infrared light, see strong heat radiation same as a thermo-imager, detect magic concealment, and recognize illusions!
Duration/Payload: 5 minutes/level.
P.P.E. Activation cost: 12 P.P.E. (or 24 I.S.P.) into the helm.
Cost: 250,000 credits. Rare even in England. Most common among Mrrlyn's minions and the Knights of Camelot.

 

[Psychie]

Terra would make sure that the various ratfolk that wish to have a means of earning a wage by offering them a job at the tavern as waitstaff, room attendants and various servants around the place. She does her best to treat the lab experiments as people, not some bizarre creation from a Coalition petri dish. That fact alone is most likely a huge thing in getting the ratfolk to feel like they belong somewhere instead of simply surviving, letting them actually live and find a home here in this town.

She is surprised but very pleased when her old patron Lord Brazamal makes an appearance in the tavern, giving him a warm handshake and saying, "I finally get to be the host to you! It is very good to see you here. Be welcome, m'Lord, and relax." Before going too far, she snags the elbow of the server taking care of him and whispers in the rat person's ear, "Don't send him a bill. His order tonight is on the house." Despite the discomfort that she is feeling from the process of getting her new set of tattoos, Terra is up and about, making the rounds through the common room of the place, welcoming the guests and making sure that the patrons are all very satisfied with the service and beverages that they are getting.

Terra is taking a much needed break with a cool brew and her friends when the three strangers come into the place. With a keen eye, she looks them over and quickly thinks, Adventurers from some other dimension, or else I might recognize them from somewhere around here. I wonder what brings them here?

As she reaches for her drink, Terra will take a second and use her newly acquired runeblade to provide her with See Aura to scope out the three travelers. It isn't like she is expecting a threat from them, but the paint is barely dry on the bar and if there is any trouble in here, best to be aware of what they are dealing with.

 

[Sherwood]

Spoiler: See Aura

All things, organic and inorganic, have an aura. The aura has many features and distinctions, and can be used to see or sense things invisible to the eye. Seeing an aura will indicate the following:
• Estimate the general level of experience. Low (I -3), medium (4-7), high (8th and up).
• The presence of magic (no indication of what, or power level).
• The presence of psychic abilities. Low (Minor) or high (Major or Master).
• High or low base P.P.E.
• The presence of a possessing entity (does not indicate Psychic Possession or mind control).
• Health : Sick, injured or completely well .
• The presence of an unusual human aberration which indicates a serious illness or that the character is not human and may be a mutant, D-Bee, or demon, but does not reveal which.
Note: One can not use this spell to determine another character's alignment.

The See Aura from both Snowfall's Magic Helmet and Terra's runeblade reveal the following of the three:
All are very high level,
All have magical ability,
Master level psionic ability,
Extremely high PPE from all three, higher than anyone you've ever come across,
No possessing entities,
Health of the two younger people shows extremely good, but the older woman is giving you mixed images. On one hand, her health is phenomenal, but on the other, she is suffering from some sort of illness or curse that is making her much weaker and more infirm than she would normally be. Even in her weakened condition, she is probably going to be one tough customer. All three read as non-human, but you don't know what they actually are.

 

[Sherwood]

Purr

Forgot to add that your Magic Helmet shows that the wolf and owl are both natural animals and are not any kind of supernatural beings as far as you can tell. The weapons and armor that the three are wearing/carrying are all powerful magic items, including the arrows in the quivers on their backs! These are no simple weapons, but high strength rune weapons.

 

[Psychie]

Terra blinks a few times at the thought that they have actual divine patrons to their bar, but the evidence seen by her own eyes is hard to overlook. Definitely not a bunch that you want to piss off. Ever. But the question remains, what are they doing here? And why does that older woman's aura seem to be cursed?

Rising to her feet, Terra decides to do her bit as the proprietor and go say hello. With her own drink in hand, she makes her way over to their table as the ratfolk waiter is taking orders for drinks. With a smile, she says, "Hey there. Welcome. I'm Terra, and this is my place. Glad to see you here." She pauses to take a swig off of her own brew before going on. "May I suggest the dark lager? It is one of our own microbrews here, and it has a real good flavor to it."

 

[Silanon]

Earlier

Well, that's new. Not the whole 'being wounded'-part. That sort of thing happens when one follows in his tracks. But having people around who care. Who are worried. That sort of thing happens rarely when one's on the road all the time, with a trail of short-term allies (some still alive, many dead) behind oneself. Especially they call you Crazy, just because one sees a deeper truth than their minds care to understand. But these... well. It takes people like those to have stopped Salnesh, he reckons. It takes those kind of allies to get to the heart of a problem, be it hidden away in the depths of the coalition bases, or in pyramids. Or elsewhere. There's always more, elsewhere. More evil. And too few fighting it, so there's probably not enough time for whatever these people here deem appropriate. Right now, there's not much choice, really... but soon, he'll be back on his feet. He has to. If only to not worry the others.

"Nah, I'm fine", he answers Terra's question. "Well, not really, but fine enough. I'll live through it, and all that stuff. Just inconvenient, that's all. Used to it, though, more or less. Well, maybe not like this time, but you get the point."

That's the concern taken care of, hopefully. But there's more. This weird lump. A symbiote? Fancy word for... shit. Shit, Shit, Shit. He'd jump up, if his body would let him. It doesn't. Maybe for the better. This way, only his head turns frantically, trying to find the one thing that's irreplaceable. The pouch. He had it with him. He always has. He would have been dead, without having it. And now... what now? Is it there? In sight? Anywhere at all?

If it is, he'll reach out for it without care for his wounds, and grab it tightly enough to let his knuckles turn white. If not, he'll eventually slump down. Either way, his hand reaches out for his neck eventually. Slowly. Carefully. "A brave one, that. Might be one of the most dangerous spots in the universe. I mean, they'll come for my neck eventually..."


Now

The energy's back. Pumping through his body, stronger than ever before. He got rid of some of it, of course. Sparring always helps with that, and there's so much more to learn. To master a single weapon takes time. But to master one that's many different weapons at once? That''ll take several lifetimes, at least. Good thing he has that covered, huh? With one hand holding his mug, the other reaches out for his neck. Not consciously, of course. More like a reflex. As soon as the muscles find an excuse for it, they move. That's why he stands, too, now. Just for a while. Makes it easier to walk a few steps every now and then. Also makes it easier to keep track when suddenly, everyone leaves to go elsewhere. Terra to help out where it's probably not needed. The staff's good, after all. Real good. Still, he likes that about Terra. Always faces the danger head-on. If there's danger, he doesn't feel it. And hey, he'd know twice as quick as the others, right? There are two creatures right here that want to stay alive, after all! Snowfall - well. Hard to say what's on the kitsune's mind. Gone without trace, if one didn't pay attention. Doing his trickery, no doubt. Or taking notes for another poem? Hard to predict, that one. But in a good way. Not like him, oh no. Something good'll come out of it, one just doesn't know what before it happens.

Oh well - he takes another gulp, and then... he strolls over, just to be around. Just in case, you know? Curiosity killed the cat, so it must be a good thing. Still, he (probably wisely) leaves the talking to others (Terra, mostly) and instead lets his eyes wander over the other patrons. Do any of them show signs of recognition? How does Brazamal act, in particular?

 

[Sherwood]

When Terra suggests a drink, the man nods, saying, "That sounds fine. Thank you. Three dark lagers, please." The server gives a nod and turns to retrieve the order. As this is going on, Terra can see that both her and Eron are the focus of the attention of the trio. Soon, the drinks are at the table. The guy takes one of the mugs and takes a drink and gives a nod of approval. "Very smooth. I like it. Thank you again." He motions for you to take a seat across from him. "While you are here, perhaps you can help us out with a problem we have. We are looking for a particular group of adventurers, ones that, if the rumors are to be believed, were responsible for the death of one of the Vampire Intelligences located in the Yucatan Peninsula on Earth. Apparently, one of these adventurers is named Terra. I don't suppose you are the Terra we have heard of?"

There is still no twinge from anyone's Sixth Sense psi ability, so there is still no danger that is directed towards you.

 

[Psychie]

Terra smiles as she remembers that fight. It was a tough one, but the results were quite worth it. She slides into the offered seat and leans back in the chair, saying, "Well, as a matter of fact, yes. I'm a bit surprised, though. I hadn't thought that my name would be bantered about regarding that fight. May I ask how you have heard of me and what we did in the Yucatan? And while you know my name, I don't know who you are. You are obviously here for more than just a drink at the bar."

 

[Silanon]

"Well, Terra - that's how that works. You do one little thing, and suddenly the people start talking." Eron shrugs as he leans back against the closest thing available, still standing. "The word spreads. And suddenly strangers offer fencing lessons, and greet you on the street. Happens to the best of us. I would know." He eyes the one who spoke. "Kind of stopped that creature by accident. Me, at least. Was there to stop someone entirely different. You wouldn't be on his trail, would you? There wouldn't be a point in that. Took care of him. The trail's found its end. And it better stays that way."