Fantasy Setting Summer Dawn - Firelight tales

[Lioness075]

Location: Near the dinning area
Time: Midway through the meal
Interaction: Alistair, Lohrithe, Leandra

Leandra grinned with delight when Alistair laughed. She had never heard such a noise from him before, but loved the sound of it. After all the setbacks they had faced and pain they had endured from injuries along the way, it was calming in a way to hear someone laughing.

The laughter startled Falarion, though, as he leapt into the air and then ran over to hide behind Leandra's chair. This made Leandra laugh in turn, nearly knocking her own plate off her lap in the process.

Hearing Alistair's response, Leandra rolled her eyes at him and stuck her tongue out just as Lohrithe suggested they seek out an elder to figure out Alistair's family history.
Leandra blinked at this and then tilted her head to the side before asking, "What is a keeper of times?"
Back home, Leandra knew they had en elder who was the village historian and she had an inkling that this was something similar. She began to feel a bit excited at the prospect of learning more about these dark-skinned Elves. She had yet to ask more about the different races since Crow excitedly shared some information with her at the beginning of this chaotic adventure.

Naberius Zazz

 

[Naberius]

Location: Near the dinning area
Time: Midway through the meal
Interaction: Alistair, Lohrithe, Leandra

"And how do you know she was even drow, and not just some slightly differently colored wood elf or something? Not trying to dissuade you from this, and it's not like it would work anyway if I did try. Just... I wouldn't get my hopes up. I certainly won't be holding my breath for a good outcome."

He looked back down at the plate and ever so slowly started placing small bits into his mouth, as though he were somehow ashamed of the need to eat. His stomach did not agree with his slow pace, and still occasionally let him and everyone else know about it.

"It sounds like a fancy title for a historian that specializes in specific periods of time, though I'm probably wrong."

 

[Zazz]

Location: Near the dinning area
Time: Midway through the meal
Interaction: Alistair, Lohrithe, Leandra, Iolas?

"Historian..." Lohrithe said slowly, tasting the word. "Yes, I believe you are right."

 

[Naberius]

Location: Near the dinning area
Time: Midway through the meal
Interaction: Alistair, Lohrithe, Leandra

The good company and conversation eventually whittled away his anxiety and sheer embarrassment from his earlier collapse. He didn't even notice how quickly he had begun to almost literally inhale the plate of food. Everything was exquisite, and for a while it was all he focused on. It had been literal years since he enjoyed anything remotely like a real meal.

"Before we do any of that, I'm going to need a nice private area to wash up. Which way is the washroom?"

 

[Lioness075]

Location: Near the dinning area
Time: Midway through the meal
Interaction: Alistair, Lohrithe, Leandra

Leandra followed Alistair's lead in inhaling the meal provided to them. She thoroughly loved tasting new foods wherever they went and Falarion seemed to feel the same way, as he devoured what was on his plate beside her chair.

At the mention of bathing, Leandra glanced up with some food still sticking out of her mouth. She quickly finished eating while they waited for Lohrithe to respond. Leandra was definitely overdue for a clean-up herself and she glanced around the room, wondering where they had a bath in this home.
Back at her village, Leandra had been more than content to wash in the river like everyone else did, but she had also been more than content to figure out the bathing option at Ora's home before now. Just like tasting the new food, Leandra was intrigued by the different ways people cleaned themselves around the world. Even more so, she had thoroughly enjoyed the privacy of bathing at Ora's home.
While it did not bother her as much for complete strangers to see her arm, Leandra felt way more self-conscious about her new friends seeing it. In the first fight with this group, the weakness in her left wrist had prevented her from holding her own and others had been forced to come help her. She did not want to be useless in fights going forward, even though she had done little to help against that Queen monster.

Naberius Zazz

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Drow city
Time: After navigating the tunnels from Dwerstand
Interaction: Desrick, Lohr and elders


Even as he told the others to rest, Desrick found his battle axe and tested it's edge carefully. He went and changed from his elegant council clothes to his rough leathers. Perfect for combat. He had realized that if he was to do what he had planned, it would need to be now. He may never have another opportunity.
After preparing, he went to find Lohr.

"There is something I must do." He told the drow gently. "I will be back as soon as I can. Help the others in my absence."
Zazz

 

[Zazz]

Location: Drow city
Time: After navigating the tunnels from Dwerstand
Interaction: Desrick, Lohr and elders

Lohrithe furrowed his brows; Desrick was up to something. "Let me come with you. The city isn't the friendliest to outsiders." The drow took the orc's hand, stepping up close to him. He knew he should, indeed, look after the others, but he had an inkling Desrick was about to get himself into trouble.

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Drow city
Time: After navigating the tunnels from Dwerstand
Interaction: Desrick, Lohr and elders


Desrick gave him an affectionate smile and lifted his hand to touch Lohr's cheek gently. "I will only be retracing our steps, back into the tunnels. There is something I must find..." Desrick found he couldn't deceive the man he loved. "...A fight I must finish."
He turned to go, "This is something I must do alone, but...if you can, summon your parents. Both of them. When I return, I will have something to say."
Zazz

 

[Zazz]

Location: Drow city
Time: After navigating the tunnels from Dwerstand
Interaction: Desrick, Lohr and elders

Lohrithe frowned. "You're going to fight the queen." It was the only thing that made sense. "Desrick, that's foolish to do alone. Even our most skilled hunters travel in twos or threes, and absolutely not without better armor." The fear of losing Desrick to a giant bug was evident in the drow's eyes.

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Drow city
Time: After navigating the tunnels from Dwerstand
Interaction: Desrick, Lohr and elders

Desrick furrowed his brow but he was smiling. "She is wounded, badly, I owe it to her to finish the fight, and if I lose, then I have no claim to what I want to ask for."
He stepped back, hefting his axe upon one shoulder.
"This is the way of my people. Fetch your parents...Let me do this."

The tunnels were not easy to navigate. Desrick took to notching the stone with his axe and it took at least an hour before he came back upon the tunnel that had collapsed. From there he chose another, and then another, testing the air currents and trying to catch the familiar scent of the blood on the air.
He found the trail not long after. Streaks of dark blood and the tunnels clogged with the smell of it. Desrick, even with his good night vision could just barely see the trail, but it was enough to follow. The queen had hidden herself deep within a chamber, the walls slick with a strange secretion Desrick didn't want to look too closely at.
The movement startled her and she twitched against the wall. It seemed her workers had abandoned her, refusing to defend a queen injured to the point of no recovery.
Desrick lifted his axe, and said a prayer in Orcish, honoring his opponent and blessing them both in battle.

Even injured the queens was fast, and savage. The walls steamed with acid, and Desrick's shoulder burned where it had splashed him, but he shed his vest and used the lose sand under his feet to rub it away from his skin. They fought for a long time, Desrick was just mildly faster, luring the queen to strike and blocking or dodging, wearing her down while harrying her when she tried to rest. Dark blood was painted across the green of his face and chest, and red from gashes of his own trailed down his arms.
Desrick ran in again, feinting to the right and swinging. The queen jerked her head and the axe glanced off one of her stone-hard mandibles, but Desrick sensed she was near her end and struck again, raising his weapon and with a roar, brought it down on the exposed flesh between thorax and head.

The queen collapsed in a fresh wave of blood, the head slid away from the body and lay still. Desrick nearly collapsed there, leaning against one of the massive legs for support. It was then he noticed something glinting in the queen's forehead: a hard, round eye, between her two large multi-faceted eyes. This one was red, and gem-hard.
Desrick knelt as he planted his axe on the ground before the queen, and called on Cyndara to take the creature back, and honour her in the next life for a glorious battle death in this one. After the proper rights had been done, Desrick pried the gem-like eye from it's socket. It was the size of his palm and heavy, it shone with a strange brilliance, catching other colours as he turned it in the dim light.

Desrick returned to the residence grimy and blood-stained, the leather tie had been burned away from his hair, which now cascaded in thick strands down his chest and back. He looked like a wild thing, and the burn on his shoulder was seeping red blood, but the look in his eyes was triumphant. He was shaking, though it wasn't entirely from exhaustion. He waited for Lohr and his parents to come out to him.

Zazz

 

[Zazz]

Location: Drow city
Time: After navigating the tunnels from Dwerstand
Interaction: Desrick, Lohr and elders

Lohrithe had been pacing, when he wasn't looking after the others. His mother had returned home from the council, luckily, and had brought over a few of the other Councilors to plan. They were pouring over the map Desrick had brought when Lohrithe slid back the eye slot in the door for the eleventh time that day.

The orc's boyfriend swung open the door and looked over Desrick in relief, a slow grin spreading as he called to his parents. Bystanders stopped what they were doing to observe the great green bloody beast at the Adaeiths' door. Ulviraerithra and Caldorithe both came forth, exiting the house, and Kierzanatha stood in the doorway, curious.

"I do remember sending you all for a bath," Caldorithe chuckled. "What's this?"

 

[Zazz]

Location: Lohr's living room
Time: While Desrick is out doing murder
Interactions: Azaria and Falarion

After the Council made their decision, Azaria took the time to sightsee. Scout. She was scouting. The drow city was unlike any Sumennan city. Even the rest of Cyndara that she had seen had more diversity. Nay, the cave dwellers seemed to be the only humanoid race to fill the mountain. The rock walls were lined with gemstones, some emitting a dim glow that echoed along pathways. She could not see the bottom. The people moved about as if war were not steps away, though she did find a few familiar faces from the council quietly talking in hushed tones to some.

When the assassin returned to Lohrithe's dwelling, she found Desrick gone. The cat's cat lay curled up by the fire crystals. Quietly, she pulled a rope from her pack and dangled it near the cat, sitting by it.

 

[Lioness075]

Location: Lohr's living room
Time: While Desrick is out doing murder
Interactions: Azaria and Falarion

By the time he and Leandra returned from the baths, Falarion could not stop yawning. It had been a long day and he was still full from their supper.
Leandra walked into a nearby room, but Falarion hesitated in the doorway. He felt the heat still radiating from the fire crystals back in the common room and arched his back, as he let out yet another yawn.
Padding away from Leandra's claimed room, Falarion returned to his place in front of the fire crystals, where he had been lounging when they first arrived here. Curling up, he tucked his wings against his back and then curled his tail around his paws. Using one wing as a pillow, he snuggled with himself and began purring, delighted at the heat soaking through his fur.

Just as he was beginning to nod off, Falarion's ears began to flicker. He heard someone approaching, but the footsteps were nearly imperceptible. Slowly, he opened his eyes to see the Elven woman who had been brushing Leandra's fur back in the caves. She had been kind to Leandra and in turn, Falarion remained calm as she approached.
When she sat down and dangled a rope in front of him, Falarion blinked and then warily eyed the rope, looking it up and down.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then he slowly rose up and settled into a crouch, his wings tucked against his body and his tail flickering back and forth behind him. His pupils dilated, as he stared down his 'prey'.

In a blur of fur and feathers, Falarion was airborne, sinking his fangs into the rope and then dangling in the air with one of his hind paws barely touching the floor. He playfully growled, as he shook his head and wriggled about.

Zazz

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Drow city
Time: After navigating the tunnels from Dwerstand
Interaction: Desrick, Lohr and elders

Desrick had rehearsed what he would say. All the way back he repeated the words in his mind, but when Lohr's father spoke it shattered his thoughts completely.
"I..uh, you did..." He grasped feebly at words, panic beginning to set in, and suddenly he realized how many eyes there were, but only one pair drew him, only one mattered. He caught Lohr's gaze and it was a safe harbour in the storm. Desrick found his voice, and it rang clear in the dark caverns,
He held up the round, red, glittering stone and bowed his head:
"I have hunted the chaurus queen, slain it, and as proof of my strength I have brought this. It is a gift, and I present it to you, for among my people we must prove we are worthy when we ask what I wish to ask."
His eyes, when he brought his head up went straight to Lohr, before turning to his parents with purpose:
"Ulviraerithra, Caldorithe...I love your son. He is the moonlight that shines on my path. For him I would cross oceans of fire and bring down the very stars.
I have fought by his side and now, I have fought so I may ask him to stay by it forever. What I ask of you, is your blessing in this."
When he looked at Lohr again his deep green eyes were filled with such a deep fondness, though Desrick thought, no expression could ever tell Lohr just how he felt.
"I wish to be bound to Lohrithe, by the customs of my people, and yours, so please, accept the stone, grant me favour."
His heart was pounding, only when he stopped speaking and waited for the answer did he notice how it was roaring in his ears. He was only now asking for a blessing, for approval to approach Lohr with the question he truly wanted an answer for. Over his life, Desrick had been wounded in more ways than he could remember, but in this moment, he had never felt more exposed, or more vulnerable. He stood before all of them, bloody and torn, his heart laid bare.

Zazz

 

[Zazz]

Location: Lohr's living room
Time: While Desrick is out doing murder
Interactions: Azaria and Falarion

Azaria grinned widely, fangs and all. The cat clung to the dangling rope diligently. With her free hand, she reached out gently tickle Falarion's fluffy belly mid-air. The elven assassin quite liked animals, and this winged cat was no exception.

 

[Zazz]

Location: Drow city
Time: After navigating the tunnels from Dwerstand
Interaction: Desrick, Lohr and elders

Lohrithe stood just outside the doorway, beaming, while waiting anxiously for his parents' reactions. There were plenty of onlookers, now. It wasn't every day an orc professed his love, bruised and bloody, to a drow of Velkyn Har'ol. Even the children poked their long-eared heads out of doors to see where the booming voice came from.

Ulviraerithra looked somewhere between horrified and impressed. She raised her chin, eyeing the orc and his prize. It was not ideal to have no female in the household, traditionally. Nor could her son produce heirs, if he were to partner with this green oaf. Though, he had indeed proven his strength. A chaurus queen was no small feat.

"Ithra," Caldorithe said softly, looking upon her. His face, in stark contrast to hers, was clearly happy for his son.

Ulviraerithra took a moment to consider her son's happiness. It was likely he would not stay in the drow city, anyway. He was a wanderer, like his uncle. The councilwoman sighed, and looked at Lohrithe. Kierzanatha was still in the doorway, watching, a genuine smile on her face. She could see that her son was nervous, yet beaming with pride... and love for this orc man.

Finally, she fixed her gaze on Desrick. "Our favour is granted."

 

[Lioness075]

Location: Lohr's living room
Time: While Desrick is out doing murder
Interactions: Azaria and Falarion

Falarion's eyes widened at being tickled and he let go of the rope to twist midair and bat at her hand with a paw. Unfurling his wings, he began flapping to keep himself airborne in place.
Meowing playfully, Falarion bat at her hand once more while casting glances at the dangling rope a few times, clearly torn between which target to attack.

Zazz

 

[Zazz]

Location: Lohr's living room
Time: While Desrick is out doing murder
Interactions: Azaria and Falarion

Azaria grinned at the flying cat's indecision. She gave the rope a little wiggle in the air, aiming to distract Falarion, and reached under him to give him another belly scritch.

 

[Lioness075]

Location: Lohr's living room
Time: While Desrick is out doing murder
Interactions: Azaria and Falarion

Falarion meowed in protest at having to make a decision and began to turn in the air towards the rope, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
Yet, the moment Azaria's hand neared him, Falarion whipped around, accidentally slapping Azaria in the face with a wing again. He awkwardly pounced on her forearm, wrapping his paws around it and playfully nibbling while his wings and tail flopped around behind him.

Zazz

 

[Zazz]

Location: Lohr's living room
Time: While Desrick is out doing murder
Interactions: Azaria and Falarion

"Pfffft." The assassin scrunched up her face as a flapping wing hit it. The cat attached to her forearm. Giggling, she dropped the rope and turned the cat about, tickling him with her other hand. "Gonna getcha, gonna getcha!"

 

[Lioness075]

Location: Lohr's living room
Time: While Desrick is out doing murder
Interactions: Azaria and Falarion

Falarion playfully yowled at the tickling and wriggled again, not wanting to release his 'prey'. He flapped his wings, attempting to distract Azaria with another light wing slap to the face or her other hand.

Zazz

 

[Zazz]

Location: Lohr's house, Historian
Time: After Desrick does murder
Interactions: Alistair, Lohrithe, Leandra

"Well," announced Lohrithe, grinning ear to ear after Desrick's amorous displays. "It's time we dig around for your family history, I think," he said cheerfully to Alistair. "I'll go wake Leandra."

Leaving Alistair no time to argue, the drow knocked before entering the room Leandra had fallen asleep in. "Leandra," he whispered in the doorway. "We're going to the historian."

 

[Lioness075]

Location: Lohr's house, Historian
Time: After Desrick does murder
Interactions: Alistair, Lohrithe, Leandra

Leaving Alistair no time to argue, the drow knocked before entering the room Leandra had fallen asleep in. "Leandra," he whispered in the doorway. "We're going to the historian.

Leandra was dozing peacefully, curled up on the bed with her tail over her side, when Lohr quietly entered her room.
At his voice, she blearily opened her eyes and blinked a few times before slowly yawning and stretching in a very feline manner.
Pushing herself up into a sitting position, Leandra stared at Lohr for a few seconds before asking, “Wait, wha-why’d you wake me?”
After they had all been awake for so log, Leandra had been sleeping rather soundly and now she seemed to be stuck in a half-asleep state.

Zazz Naberius

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Drow city
Time: After navigating the tunnels from Dwerstand
Interaction: Desrick, Lohr and elders

It felt like Desrick's legs would give out right from under him. Relief, coupled with unbridled joy struggled for mastery of his heart at that moment.
The look in his eyes was not likely anything anyone had ever seen on an orc before.
His gaze was filled with the purest love and approached Lohr. Slowly, Desrick sank to one knee.
The woven band he held was a wood elf tradition: Desrick had spent days weaving each strand himself and the pattern upon it was a mixture of orcish and drowish design. It shone faintly when turned to the light, strands of pale silver glittering like moonlight.
"Lohrithe," He began, holding out the band as if he was offering the drow the most precious part of himself.
"Will you permit me to stand by your side, to bind myself to you, for as long as our lives last?"
Zazz

 

[Naberius]

Location: Lohr's house, Historian
Time: After Desrick does murder
Interactions: Alistair, Lohrithe, Leandra

Alistair was only barely paying attention when he suddenly heard his name being spoken. By the time he looked up and registered what was going on, Lohr was already speeding away to Gods know where. He sat there in a chair in the living room, wide eyed and confused until what he said actually sank in. Raising his voice slightly to call after him, he expressed his confusion.

"Okay but why though?!"

He knew he wouldn't get a response, and sighed heavily. Seems he was stuck dealing with this then. Though, at the back of his mind, he couldn't say some part of him wasn't at least a little curious.

Zazz Lioness075