Fantasy Setting Summer Dawn

[LazyDaze]

Iolas raised an eyebrow which was a flash of emotion for someone like him. Like Crispin he fought against the urge to appear overly eager, or inquisitive. His train of thought was somewhat distracted by the round about way she allegedly obtained the information; nevertheless, it was a genuine surprise. With the talk of dragons, dwarves and espionage, Iolas had all but forgotten about the crystal that had absorbed all of the light in the area, leaving nothing but a starry sky. He hadn't known that it could also nullify sunlight magic. Did this mean that the crystal he heard about in Cyndara had a similar ability? His thought process was broken when Crispin took the flowers. Iolas ran his fingers through his hair as he chuckled at the thought of repeating such a story to anyone outside of his comrades. "...You would do well to do the same. Take care." Iolas said with a smile before following Crispin out of the shop.

He followed Crispin back to the market; however, he was in deep thought yet again. The crystals had to have had another purpose besides simply emiting and stealing light. For instance, would they really go out of their way to steal a crystal from Cyndara if it was essentially no more than a powerful night light? Then their was Crow's discovery about the plants...and how was the crystal tethered to the current predicament. It all came back to the question: "Why were these crystals so important..."

As if to pile more unanswered questions ontop of the ones they already had Meera played to part of his conscious and began her usual inquisition which never ceased to amuse Iolas. Iolas merely shrugged his shoulders, feigning ignorance as he deferred any lengthy explanations to Crispin. Now that his train of thought was broken once again, he was able to get a fleeting glimpse of Azaria moving on her own in the direction of the villa. If he hadn't known any better he would have just thought he was seeing things. "It doesn't get any easier from here on out...does it," Iolas said shrugging his shoulders. He was certain he would be receiving information from the others.

SilverFlight Baconhands Zazz Goonfire

 

[Flutterby]

Ora looked up slowly, allowing her expression to change from caution to curiousity to puzzlement in front of the bard's eyes. She tented her brows, and tapped at the side of her cup.
"The small giants, I've heard they've got tusks like monsters from bedtime stories.." She murmured, calmly glancing up to check for any obvious eavesdroppers.
"They're tightening security at the gates, as well. Thought I might lose my head just trying to come home." Another affirmative, another nugget of information exchanged. She could only hope she was holding his attention, giving enough back.
"A map-maker of the southern tunnels? There hasn't been a productive mine that way in centuries. Everyone has moved north along the larger silver veins." Her voice was still sharper now, proof of her certainty on the subject.
"Half those tunnels are used for noble wine cellars now." There was a note of humor, but whether it was about the tunnels themselves or the nobles, she did her best to disguise.
Ora glanced outside, and caught sight of her group gathering again. She was running out of time.
SilverFlight

 

[Zazz]

Azaria was the first to return to the villa. She didn't bother knocking, preferring the challenge of scaling a wall and climbing into a window. The grooves in these carved Dwarven walls made excellent purchase; it was actually quite easy, once she got past the garden.

The halfling elf ended up in what was clearly someone's bedroom. It was a child's room, no doubt. Azaria rolled her eyes at the lack of care in protecting the Ravenheart children and sighed. The assassin closed the window behind her and left the room, much to the surprise of a wide-eyed young dwarf. She rumpled his hair as she passed.

Down the stairs, she found Crow, Pyrrhus, and Desrick having a tea party. She produced a flat object in shiny wrapping from her spoils that day, and tore it open to reveal a chocolate bar as she took up a seat, setting her booted feet on the edge of another. "You lot look like you've seen a dragon," she grumbled around a piece of chocolate. The elf closed her eyes, savouring her treat. She also pulled out a bottle of what appeared to be cranberry wine, along with a few small pouches of loose dried leaves. She tossed them towards the Inquisitor. "I didn't know what you liked."

 

[SilverFlight]

Pyrrhus rested a hand gently on Crow's as he handed him the cup, concern on his face.
"The saying doesn't quite have the right ring to it." the centaur countered with a good nature, then he added more seriously: "I would never let any harm come to you."
The footsteps from upstairs were familiar and Pyrrhus sighed as Azaria came down to join them.
"Still not a fan of front doors I see," the centaur teased her. His eyes widened as he saw what she had brought. The chocolate was unmistakable, a rare treat.
"Where did you find that?!"
He laughed at her observation. "Funny turn of phrase, you're not wrong." The expression on his face next was all the confirmation she needed. There was indeed a dragon sleeping underneath Dwerstand, and for all their sakes, it could not be woken.
Goonfire Zazz

~*~*~

The blacksmith stared at the small glinting opal in his hand, wide-eyed. He watched the strange elf leave, not sure at all what to make of the gift, or what Lohr had said.
Zazz

The bard shook his head. "No, no use for those tunnels at all, but the map maker was quite skilled as I recall. He could map the most complex tunnels as easy as breathing. Good skill to have...but only if there's something to map."
Soon there were shouts from the more rowdy patrons.
"Ah, excuse me my lady, but, duty calls."
The bard tipped his feathered cap and rose, taking his instrument to the small stage close by.
Flutterby

Crispin looked over as he walked, Meera keeping pace beside him. "Based on the size of the crystal we saw in Brynson, it would take four of Desrick just to move it. Add small hoard of orcs under Evereach control along with their elvish keepers, no, I don't think we could take that crystal at all."
He waited until the others were back. When Ora appeared he offered her the bouquet with a bow and a cheeky flourish.
"So, I hope that little venture was as informative for you as it was for us." He looked to the others hopefully.
"Let's compare notes in safer quarters."
Flutterby Zazz LazyDaze Baconhands

The short trip back to the mansion seemed to drag on, with the exciting intel Crispin had sitting in his mind. When they came into the room with the others he was glad to see the temple team all there, though they looked spooked.
"We had a very good day at market." He began, and gestured for the others to share. "What did you find at the temple?"
"You wouldn't believe us if we told you." Pyrrhus muttered into his teacup.
Flutterby Zazz Goonfire LazyDaze Baconhands

 

[Goonfire]

Crow gave Pyrrhus’ hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze. “I know, and I wo—“ He cut himself off, hearing movement upstairs. He then glanced over to see Az had returned in her usual manner. He mustered a faint smile throughout the banter, though his mind kept wandering back to those words of assurance, making him blush faintly. “For a change, I wish you were incorrect,” he sighed to the assassin, resting an elbow on the table.

The others came flooding in a moment later, prompting Crow to bolt back into his sitting-upright position. “Welcome back,” he greeted them, offering Pyrrhus more tea nonverbally as he remembered the teachings.
SilverFlight Zazz Baconhands LazyDaze Flutterby

“Now, pour the tea,” the priestess instructed the girl in the grand temple foyer as Crow and several clerics looked on. “To please your future in-laws, you must demonstrate a sense of dignity, and refinement. You must also be poised.” The mutt, then 16, studied the way this bride-to-be gracefully did as she was instructed. ‘I wonder if I’ll do that someday,’ he thought fondly, committing the motions to memory.

 

[Zazz]

Azaria frowned, and begrudgingly broke off a decent piece of chocolate for Pyrrhus. "There was an elvish merchant from the outskirts of Everreach. Didn't seem too keen on the high elves being here." She continued to stuff her face with chocolate, sleep deprivation getting to her. She wished Iolas were there, if only so that she could sleep. There was something about his presence that calmed her. The halfling recalled their brief kiss at the Brynson ball; what had he thought of it, she wondered. But the thought left as soon as it came, for the others had returned.

"Did it work?" Azaria asked Lohrithe through a mouthful of chocolate. She was the least graceful they had seen her.

The drow nodded. "It did. I believe the orcs are beneath the citadel." He passed on what information he had gathered from the blacksmith. "Do you think perhaps they are tunneling into Cyndara?" He asked of the group.

 

[Baconhands]

Crispin's response wasn't exactly uplifting for Meera. Did that mean the enemy had this crystal, she wanted to ask. What would this mean for her and her family, would have been the follow up. Alas, such questions had to wait, for hot tea waited for no one. As soon as they returned to the mansion, and found three of the others sipping at hot beverages, Meera made her way quickly, and with as much poise as she could muster, over to the array of pots, cups, and saucers laid out on the table. She poured herself a cup, sipped at it tentatively, and after a reminiscent smile came to her face, she started drinking it with something akin to vigour.
"Reminds me of home," she mumbled absentmindedly. Her shoulders visibly relaxed, and she took a seat, on the floor, next to Pyrrhus. Studying the faces of those who had gone to the temple, Meera blinked a couple of times before she spoke up, "Surely it cannot be... entirely unbelievable. At least, if you are not willing to tell us about it perhaps showing us would be easier? It can't be life threatening, can it?"
Flutterby Zazz Goonfire LazyDaze SilverFlight

 

[LazyDaze]

Iolas was happy Crispin took on the task of appeasing Meera's bottomless curiosity. He instead focused on the layout of the market. Though, it wasn't entirely all business. You see, he couldn't help but marvel at every new city, town, or hub. Everything was so new even if the context of such a venture meant death with any slip up. Iolas chuckled to himself when he realized that perhaps his curiosity rivaled even Meera's, the irony of it all washing over him at once.

When they arrived he gave the others a nod as Crispin did most of the talking. Iolas almost shook his head at how easily one could tell how eager he was to share the intel they had gathered. Iolas' let his mind wander around the room. Spooky faces...warm tea; the tea looked good, but not as good as Azaria tearing into some chocolate. Although Iolas set his gaze politely on everyone in the room, his eyes lingered on her for just a tad longer. It was...oddly cute. Behold, a ruthless throat ripping assassin who can't resist sweets. He would have to tease her later. Containing his laughter by brushing his hair aside Iolas focused on the conversation at hand before anyone else noticed his smile was genuine for once. Lorhithe had mentioned the Citadel...and Orcs. One thing was certain, and it was that something was definitely brewing at the citadel. He wasn't entirely sure if they would be tunneling into Cyndara since he was unsure of how advantageous that would actually be. He would let those with Cyndarian background answer that question. Moving on, Iolas could probably surmise that whatever the "temple" group had found surpassed his own intel in shock value given their demeanor. Sure, Pyrrhus might not be as hardened as the other two at face value, but he was usually calm and brave in most situations. Crow and Desrick weren't prone to overreaction either. Whatever they found must have been some discovery. As superficial as it might sound, sharing intel after theirs would probably be a bit awkward, so with that in mind Iolas shrugged his shoulders at Meera's last statement while sighing. "It is probably as believable as a sunlight stealing crystal being hidden at the bottom of the citadel, and as believable as that very crystal nullifying sunlight magic....allegedly," Iolas said nonchalantly, implicating that what he said was the intel he and Crispin had received from the florist.

SilverFlight Zazz Flutterby Goonfire Baconhands

 

[Flutterby]

Ora took a sip of her drink, and parted her lips after swallowing. But just before she could speak, there was a series of shouts, calls for entertainment. Ora glanced toward the square as the bard glanced toward the patrons. They were waiting for her, so she gave a good-natured nod and bid him well.
The woman finished her drink quickly, and left payment on the counter with a small wave to the bartender. As she turned to leave, Ora thought she caught a familiar face in the crowded tavern, but she didn't bother to stop and make sure. It was a face of the past, now, so she trotted back out into the square, telling herself not to care.

She was a little rosy in the cheeks when she reached the group again, and the hue deepened with Crispin's gift.
She accepted the bouquet with an obviously delighted smile, but chided softly, "You were supposed to get me information, not flowers."
Ora held them close to her chest the entire way back to the villa.

Back in the villa, Ora entrusted the bouquet to Winnifred, who promised to take the best of care of it with a knowing glance at Ora's still-pink ears. She was just fixing herself a cup of tea, when Lohr's words stopped her suddenly. Her hand hovered over the sugar, then withdrew as she turned to look at the drow. She spared Iolas a glance, and frowned. He was dangling his intel playfully like this wasn't the end of the world.
"Sounds like everyone else has much more interesting things to say than I.." She murmured calmly, even though there was a tremor in her hand as she finished fixing her tea. There was something nagging at the back of her mind, something they had discussed once before but she only half-remembered. Or maybe she had only thought about it. It definitely was about tunnels, though.

"Can we start with the news from the temple, though?" Ora moved to find a seat, choosing to sit near Azaria.
Ora eyed the shiny wrapper, the chocolate, with acute interest.
"I'd probably be disappointed if I asked if you paid for that." It was meant to be a rebuke, but it came out more wistful. If she wasn't worried Az would have her head for it, she would've already taken a piece.
SilverFlight Zazz LazyDaze Goonfire Baconhands

 

[Zazz]

Ora and Azaria collab​

"I did, actually," said Azaria, likely much to everyone's surprise. She had not, however, paid for the tea. The assassin glanced over her shoulder at the half-dwarf and caught her staring at her chocolate. With a huff and a grumble, the elf pulled out a second bar and held it out to Ora. "Have none of you had chocolate?"

Ora didn't bother to hide the doubt on her face. Just like Azaria scaled her way into the villa for fun, it was almost certain she had tested some poor merchant's awareness, and gotten away with it.

She watched the second bar appear, the glint of the package making her heart skip a beat. She was annoyed enough with that dwarvish reaction that she forgot to check her tongue. "Very rarely since they forced me out of the Citadel. Not something they give orphans in the forge, I'm afraid." She said flatly, as she reached out to take the bar, her hand hesitating just before it brushed the shiny wrapper.

Azaria smirked in amusement at the dwarf's hesitation. "Want it or not?"

The corner of Ora's mouth twitched, straight toward the side. A flash of shame, only for half a second.

And then her hand closed around the bar, and carefully removed it from Azaria's hand.

"This would be a great way to poison me," She murmured, a glint in her eye, as she tore open the wrapper and ate a piece, all hesitation gone.

The assassin laughed. To be fair, it would be a great way to poison her, too. "It would, if someone had paid for your blood." She continued breaking off another piece of her own bar. It was... nice, she supposed, finding something she had in common with the dwarf. She adjusted in her seat, letting her half-braided hair cascade down the back of her chair.

Ora smirked softly at the sound of Azaria's laugh, and gave a soft grunt around a mouthful. "Shame.. by now I should fetch a decent price. All the treason.."

Az's movement caught her eye, and it was then Ora noticed she had changed her hair to mimic the dwarvish styles. She felt a flash of jealousy- Ora was lousy at braiding her own hair in anything but a simple plait.

But the assassin hardly noticed. Or, hardly seemed to. Her grouchiness had turned into a small, playful smile as she bantered with Ora. "It might've even been a challenge.... if you knew how to fight."

Ora chuckled. She deserved that one. She tutted softly, "Just another one of those things I missed toiling away in the forge."

She took another large bite of chocolate. "Someone tried to teach me once, but he was horrid himself. Maybe I need a better instructor..." Rather dramatically, she gave a suggestive waggle of her eyebrows.

The halfling elf grinned. "Well, maybe if you asked nicely," she teased.

 

[SilverFlight]

"Of course I've had chocolate." Pyrrhus replied, accepting the piece with a happy gratitude. "That's how I know it's so delightful!"
He broke his portion in two and as Crow was refilling his cup. Pyrrhus leaned closer.
"You pour the tea as if you've studied the art." His smile was both knowing and admiring. "It is masterful."
The centaur held the more generous half of his chocolate. "Have you tried this before? I promise you there is nothing else quite like it."
Goonfire

"Are there really people who would want to poison you?" Pyrrhus asked Ora with concern. Crispin looked like he had swallowed something horrid.
It was clear they were both concerned.
Flutterby

Desrick grunted at Iolas' reply. "Fair point I suppose."
Crispin did not look happy, "So not only are there orcs underneath the citadel, but there's also a crystal down there too? Do you think it's the same as the one we saw in Brynson?"
"If it is, that means that Evereach has at least three, one of light from Delan, one of darkness from Brynson, and now this one, which is apparently similar to the Brynson crystal, in that it steals sunlight."
"Now tunneling to Cyndara is an idea, I can imagine that would take them a good long while...but, what if the tunnels were already there? Naturally. The earth's full of caves and passages cut out by water isn't it?" Crispin looked to Lohr to confirm this, the drow would likely be the only one besides Ora who would have any knowledge of these things.

Desrick walked slowly to the center of the room, obliging Ora and relating the temple exploration first.
"We found a hidden stairway down into the chasm below the temple...a long way down."
The orc was not one to mince words, nor dance around unpleasant topics, "There is a dragon underneath the city. The size of it is nearly unfathomable, and if the bell really does wake it up, there's a good chance it could take the central part of the city with it, maybe more."
Crispin nearly choked on his tea. "Oh!" he exclaimed, a few octaves higher than he normally spoke. "Is that all then? A dragon the size of a city. Didn't find anything else down there did you?" He drew in a sharp breath. "Cyndabrynde's eye I don't want to believe it."

"So now we know what the inhabitants know, I wonder if it's time to get someone in to speak with the elves." Desrick suggested.
"And the orcs." Crispin added, "I think you could do it Des, Ora, do you know of a way we might be able to get into the citadel? Once we're in Iolas and Desrick could probably blend, it's getting us there that'll be the trick."

Flutterby Zazz Goonfire Baconhands LazyDaze

 

[Goonfire]

Crow's cheeks grew pink once more. "I've seen people pour the tea so much, I suppose I've learned from general observation," he mentioned thoughtfully to Pyrrhus before laying eyes on the chocolate. "I know of this stuff... but it's not common outside the Archbishop's court in Eskaro, given cocoa comes from the more humid regions." Finally, he stopped speaking and broke off one end-piece from the chunk. Immediately, his pupils dilated, reflecting his like for this confection. "Sweet... very rich... delicious," the lad finally ruled, letting the tiny bit melt in his mouth.

With the conversation turning darker, Crow's expression grew rather grim. Such a tunnel, as he recalled, would need to stretch for miles if it went all the way from Dwerstand to somewhere in Cyndara. "I wonder if a tunnel headed straight to Cyndara would even be natural," he carefully considered, clearing his throat for a rather lengthy explanation.

"Naturally-occurring caves tend to twist, narrow, and descend, if my old texts are accurate. If there is a tunnel of any kind spanning such a long distance, it could also be prone to cave-ins, especially if it's a structure large enough to transport the Dragon Bell. Not only that, but I don't recall any records describing such a tunnel. Of course... records also don't tell us Sumenna and Cyndara share the same flora, so anything is possible at this point."

SilverFlight Zazz LazyDaze Flutterby Baconhands

 

[Zazz]

Lohrithe had his arms crossed over his green shirt and his brows furrowed in thought. Crow was right, of course; if there were tunnels, there would be little chance they were connected. "I am unsure of how far or how fast the dwarves have tunneled through the mines, but it is a possibility that they could at least reach the border. That being said, Crow has a point. Two points, actually. While the occurrence of a single natural tunnel is slim, we don't really know anything we thought we did about our lands. Anything is possible. But... why take the dragon bell into Cyndara? Of what use is it there, if the dragon is here?"

 

[LazyDaze]

Iolas was not completely shocked at the information of a sleeping dragon rumor turning out to be true. They had half expected it before they had even arrived and it made sense for Everreach to use that against the people of Dwerstand. The news of tunnels was more troubling since no one could really take ascertain their true purpose...like the crystals. "True, there is a lot we do not know about how Cyndara and Sumenna are connected; however, I am fairly certain that they are connected in some form, or fashion. Even with that said, a tunnel breaching Cyndara still seems a bit far fetched natural, or not. It'd probably be best not to harp on it without more information since we could speculate for eons," Iolas said. These were all good questions, and Iolas wondered how everything tied together as well; however, it seemed as if diving in head first was the only way to truly discover the mysteries that were unraveling in Dwerstand. No matter how hard he thought everything they learned was scattered and the more information they gathered, the more complex Everreach's plot became. Iolas turned to Crispin, Ora, and Desrick, shifting his eyes between them.

"I concur, I believe it is time we speak to our brothers," Iolas said, obviously referring to Desrick and himself. He wasn't particularly looking forward to it, but it has been awhile since he really observed his own.

SilverFlight Baconhands Zazz Flutterby Goonfire

 

[Zazz]

Azaria removed her booted feet from the chair to her left and set them on the floor beneath the table. "I can take a look at the tunnels," she said through a yawn, patting the empty seat for Iolas to sit next to her. She just wanted to rest her head. Just for a bit. "Perhaps if Ora knows anything about them, she could share. Or," she added casually, breaking off another piece of chocolate, "Perhaps we might go together."

Flutterby LazyDaze

 

[Goonfire]

"Agreed," Crow replied simply to Az. "Luckily, the noise of heavy armor isn't much of a problem for us, so it would be... doable, I'd say." His mind wandered to evasion tactics, or the possible lack thereof, if his idea of such a tunnel was roughly accurate. "Now, if only we could find cloaks similar to the one Lassard used at the ball. That would be so much... easier for us to tail the enemy forces in the tunnels."

 

[Flutterby]

Ora grinned back at Az, parting her lips to say something flirtatious back. But her delight at the banter came to a screeching halt when Pyrrhus spoke.
She hesitated, and glanced between the centaur and Crispin, somewhat surprised anyone had been listening.
"Well.. probably not.. in this city.. anymore." She blinked once, and took a half-hearted bite of chocolate. She didn't wish to remind them that Lassard probably wouldn't hesitate to slip her a drop or two of something wicked, or that once upon a time she was the sole heiress to a large fortune and important title. At least not when their faces looked like that.

She fell quiet and resumed nibbling, listening to the discussion bounce back and forth. As Desrick spoke, she grew very still, eyes focusing on some unseen point far off. The Dragon is real. The Dragon is real. The Dragon is real.
The phrase thrummed between her ears, keeping time with her heartbeat.
"By the mounts.." She whispered softly. Her mind was so full of the stories, all the old stories about the Dragon, wondering which one was true, that she lost part of the conversation. When she resurfaced, Azaria was saying her name.

Ora blinked rapidly, and then cleared her throat.
"Tunnels. The-the elves, they're looking into tunnels. They brought in a very skilled map-maker, only outsider to enter the citadel since the orcs got here." She blurted, as she remembered that they were all supposed to share their knowledge.
She gathered herself a little more, with a sip of tea, and then spoke again.
"A tunnel between here and Cyndara, it wouldnt have to be natural. Filling in a tunnel is pointless when you can just block one end of it. Something could've existed, been built upon, and then abandoned lifetimes ago, and no one now would remember it. You would just need a good map-maker to find your way again. Or to find the best spot to begin a new way."

"As for the citadel.. If you don't want to try the front door.. I mean, they'll have all of the entrances guarded, and I'm sure the tunnels that aren't blocked as well, unblocking a tunnel isn't exactly stealthy.." She sighed, and gave an exasperated shrug.
"It was a fairly easy place to lock down completely when I was a child, and I haven't been in there for 22 years. Things could have changed, their security is probably even tighter now than back then. The only thing getting in and out of there now is.. water."
Ora cocked her head slightly to the side, the light of an idea sparking in her eyes.
"Water.. we could try the aqueducts."

"The Citadel is fed fresh water by a series of aqueducts. There are basins on the surface, capturing rain, and you pull the cord to let down the gate, and then the water comes down through lined tunnels, and drops into the storage basins. Most of them end up in the servant areas. Kitchen, stables.. there's one down in the forge. If they aren't guarding the rain basins on the surface, which I can't see why they would, then we could.." Ora couldn't find a word that seemed serious enough but still captured her meaning, so she was forced to make due with one that made it sound silly.
"Well, you could.. slide down the tunnels, land in a basin, and be inside the citadel.. just soaking wet."
SilverFlight Baconhands Zazz LazyDaze Goonfire

 

[LazyDaze]

Iolas released a stifled chuckled as Az motioned for him to sit by her. What could it be this time. Was she tired, frustrated, or perhaps she just missed him. After all they had been so busy ever since the ball. Even now, it looked like they would be going to work soon. However, judging by that yawn, she was probably exhausted. Unlike Iolas, she had no trouble displaying how she felt, for certain things. Iolas slowly walked over to the empty seat doing his best not the release pent up stress as a relieving sigh after realizing how wonderful it was to finally sit down and relax. "...It would seem I have been promoted to a head rest," Iolas said jokingly as he put an arm around her. In fact, it was actually Iolas who had missed her. Meanwhile, the mentioning of Lassard made Iolas tense up for the briefest of moments when he thought about how he had failed to kill him. Next time he saw him, he would have to make up for that blunder.

Iolas then looked toward Ora as she explained how they could enter the Citadel relatively undetected. "That sounds entertaining; however, you might want a spare change of clothes lest you leave a watery trail," Iolas said laughing. He wasn't opposed to getting a little wet, but dragging around wet clothes wouldn't be the most inconspicuous thing.

SilverFlight Flutterby Zazz

 

[Zazz]

"...It would seem I have been promoted to a head rest," Iolas said jokingly as he put an arm around her. In fact, it was actually Iolas who had missed her.

The halfling assassin set her head against Iolas, munching on chocolate as she phased out of the conversation. Azaria was exhausted, and she welcomed the protection of the arm that went around her. Ora had begun speaking of aqueducts when the halfling closed her eyes, still clutching her chocolate bar, and promptly fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Lohrithe was nodding along to the whole plan. The structure of it made sense to him. Yes, that was a smart way to control the water. "That is brilliant," he declared, speaking of the gated aqueducts, rather than the plan itself. "We have an underground river that cuts right through, but this would be a brilliant way to prevent flooding." He looked to Desrick excitedly.

 

[SilverFlight]

Desrick listened to the ideas being handed around.
"We need Iolas in the citadel," he reasoned, "At least until we learn what we can. A high elf is likely the only one who could extract the information we need from other high elves without raising suspicion."
He didn't put much stock into the idea of tunnels to Cyndara, that is, until Ora spoke.
Desrick looked unsettled. "The fact that Evereach brought a map-maker does speak for the fact that they have something extensive that needs mapping."
Crispin looked equally startled. "You don't think they're planning to try and attack Cyndara through those tunnels do you? Catch Myst unawares? Are there even tunnels close to Myst?"
The capital city had been standing for as long as anyone could remember, even the thought of Evereach going there made him shiver.
Desrick didn't speak for a moment, he simply looked at Lohr.
"Your people would know best about passages underground in Cynadara? Are there tunnels close to the captial city?"

Now what was left was the difficult part, getting into the citadel, luckily Ora solved that too.
"Aqueducts!" Crispin exclaimed happily. "You beautiful genius!"

Desrick smiled, first at Ora, then at his beloved. "That is a good idea. Technically, we could all go."
"Even me?" Pyrrhus looked skeptical.
"We'll have Meera scout the tunnels first, to make sure that they are not guarded and can fit everyone."

Just then, the front door latch clicked and the door swing open. Eldrich stepped back into the room, the older dwarf stepping aside.
"Forgive the intrusion, but, there is a guest here I think you will want to meet...she said she came through the citadel...from Cyndara." ( Lioness075 )

Flutterby LazyDaze Zazz Goonfire Baconhands

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Leandra LaFrae	Nickname: Lea
Race: Tabaxi - Beastwoman	Home Country: Cyndara
Occupation: Huntress / Astronomer Apprentice	Equipment: Knapsack, Bow, Quiver of Arrows (20/20), Twin Daggers, Collapsible Spyglass

Her day started off like any other day had for the past year. Leandra got up, went for a walk, hunted for a bit, brought back the animal to the village chef, and then continued her studies of astronomy in her own home. A couple hours into her studies, everything deviated from the norm.
She had her spyglass out and had been watching the sky for a moment when Leandra gasped. Before her very eyes, a shooting star shot across the sky, but instead of disappearing beyond the horizon, it fell down and into the local forest. Her village was unusually close to the border, but not much was normal about Cyndara anyways.
Giddy, Leandra leapt from her desk, which had a convenient window right in front of it and began hastily packing her knapsack. She had no idea what to expect or what she may find, so she packed as much as she could fit - a spare set of clothes, rations, her spyglass, a number of small astronomer tools, a small blanket, and a small wood carving of a cat. She also made sure her daggers were in their hilts on her belt and that she had a full quiver of arrows before she also put her bow over her back. She paused to look around her small room, which was tiny and crammed with an assortment of odds and ends in it. She had the strangest feeling she may not see it all again for some time, but then the feeling was gone and she was dashing out the door.
As she ran through her village, Leandra pulled her hood up and over her head while carefully tucking her ears through the slits she had cut in the hood. Once she was done, she dropped to all fours and picked up speed, dashing past villagers and some children, who all laughed and tried to copy her before they were left in the dust. Leandra grinned at this, loving the adrenaline rush of being on all fours and having the wind rush through her fur.
Soon, Leandra was at the edge of her village and she slowed down before she carefully stood up and dusted off her hands on her leathers. She looked over at one of the gate guards, who recognized her and shouted for the gate to be lifted. As the gears grinded and the gate slowly rose before her, Leandra took a deep breath and then let it out once the gate was high enough for her to pass under it. She jogged forward, excited about what she would find and dashed into the forest beyond while briefly waving back at the guards.

Nearly an hour later, Leandra found herself standing before what appeared to be a large sewer grate that was instead placed sideways into the hill that led up to the dangerous border beyond. She glanced behind herself nervously, but then remembered the star she had watched fall beyond this area. She just had to find it, no matter what it took. Closing her eyes, she took another deep breath before she let it out and opened her eyes with a steely determination. She was going to find this fallen star and nothing was going to stop her.
Opening the grate, Leandra slipped past it before it fell with a loud clang behind her. She flinched at the sound, flicking her ears forward to listen as it echoed down the eerily dark tunnels beyond. There were a number of glowing plant life leading into the tunnels, their glows coming and going in a way that made her feel like the tunnel was breathing. She could not see an end to the tunnel and Leandra realized belatedly that she probably should have packed more rations and supplies. As she moved forward, away from her home, Leandra began to pick the various plantlife and mushrooms, mindfully taking what was edible and would not potentially poison her. Her journey was only just beginning.

Bleary-eyed and yawning, Leandra practically tripped over a small furry lump before she yelped in surprise at finding life in the tunnels. A yowl responded in kind and the small animal leaped to its paws before hissing at Leandra. Instinctively, she hissed back. Leandra squinted at the animal to realize she was looking down at a now surprised cat, except that it was not a normal cat. Of all things, it had small wings tucked against its back. It seemed to squint back at her and Leandra slowly knelt down to get a better look. The cat did not hiss at her again, but instead quietly watched her with a growing interest.
Leandra realized with a start that the cat was far too skinny and looked rather desperate. Without hesitation, Leandra pulled out some of her jerky and offered it to the cat. Leandra flinched as the cat suddenly lunged forward and snatched the jerky from her paw. Pulling her paw back to her chest, Leandra fell backwards onto her butt and then stared at the cat, as it hungrily downed the jerky before it sat down and just stared at her. Laughing, Leandra relaxed as she recognized that the cat was simply begging for more.
Relaxing, Leandra took off her knapsack and gear, as she was overdue for some rest and she was content to help with the begging cat's hunger. She had been in the tunnels for what felt like hours now and she had begun to regret her decision just due to the sheer loneliness of the tunnels. Now that she was no longer alone, Leandra felt revitalized and ready to keep moving forward - after a cat nap.

A few days later, Leandra saw a light at the end of the tunnel. She glanced down at her companion, whom she had named Falarion, and grinned when she saw him watching her. He meowed and then began prancing ahead of her, obviously eager to return to the light. Leandra felt her heart leap at the sight and she laughed before she was dashing forward alongside Falarion, who slowed down to keep pace with her. Before she knew it, Leandra was at the end of the tunnels and she skidded to a halt and called for Falarion to stop as well when she realized these tunnels did not open up to another forest.
Before her was a city, the likes of which Leandra had never seen before. The light she had mistaken for her own glowing light of Cyndara was instead artificial light created by devices she had no understanding of. Some of the lights glowed the dark blue she loved, but many others glowed an odd orange or yellow that was almost difficult to look at without hurting her eyes. The structures in sight were odd to her, unusually stiff and created from some kind of stone compared to the wooden huts that her village had.
Glancing down at Falarion, Leandra said quietly, "Stick by my side, okay, Fal?"
Falarion looked up at Leandra and meowed at her, which Leandra took to be his acknowledgement. It was as close as she would ever get anyways.

Leaving the tunnels, Leandra wandered towards a loud marketplace of sorts, but fell short of it when she noticed some heavily armed short people nearby. She had never seen such short people before and she was baffled by their lack of fur. She must have stood still for far too long because one of them noticed her staring and began to approach her, saying, "Oi, girly, whatcha doin' there? Are ye lost?"
Immediately, Leandra startled and began to back up fearfully. His sword and shield looked sturdier than anything Leandra had seen before and his questioning put her on edge. As soon as she stepped back from him, the man huffed and said, "Hey now, stay where yer at. Explain yerself, where'd ye come from anyways?"
He stopped short when his eyes settled on her face in the light from a nearby lamp post. "My gods, yer a Cyndaran."
His awe and hesitation was all that saved Leandra, as she dropped to all fours and dashed away from the now shouting guards with Falarion close at her heels.
Shouts came from surprised people all around her, as Leandra dashed into alleyways and then scurried over crates and barrels in her way. Falarion stuck by her side, occasionally leaping up to fly over obstacles and then promptly landing to run alongside Leandra once more. In the moment, Leandra did not notice someone pushing a cart in front of her and was too late before she careened right into the cart and knocked it over. Cabbages fell all around her and Leandra startled when a man screeched, "My cabbages!"
Leaping away, Leandra continued down several more alleyways with Falarion before she realized it had grown quiet once more. Panting, she slowly rose up on her hind legs and leaned against a wall to catch her breath. Beside her, Falarion was panting as well and Leandra knew she was not the only one sleek with sweat at the moment. She found a piece of cabbage on a sleeve and took it off before tossing it aside. Just as she did, she noticed that they were not alone in this alleway.
A small, yet sturdy-looking man approached her and seemed just as nervous as Leandra felt. "Excuse me, but you appear to be lost and..." Leandra stepped back into the shadows of the alleyway to try and conceal her features, but it was too late. "You do not look like most visitors."
Leandra opened her mouth to reply, but the man quickly continued, "I know where some of your kind are right now and can bring you to them."
Narrowing her eyes at this, Leandra finally spoke, "Why would you want to help me?"
The man smiled at this and said, "My lady is helping some of your people and you will find it easier to fit in here if you are with the right crowd."
Nodding, Leandra said, "Yeah, okay, that makes sense." It at least made more sense than for her to just keep wandering the city aimlessly.
Pausing, the man glanced about to make sure they were still alone before she continued, "I must ask, though, how did you get here?"
Rubbing the back of her neck, Leandra said sheepishly, "I kinda stumbled into this city through some tunnels. I'm still not entirely sure how I ended up here, to be honest."
At this point, Falarion glanced up at Leandra with a soft meow and Leandra belatedly realized just how exhausted she now felt. With a smile, she looked back up at the man and said, "Y'know what, I think we could both use a proper rest at this point, lead on."

As they traversed through the city to Ora's mansion, Leandra constantly gawked at the architecture and technology around her, with the man having to consistently remind her to pay attention to where she was going. Eventually, they reached their destination and Leandra paused yet again to gawk some more. The mansion was bigger than any home she had ever seen before.
"This is so much space for just one person!" Leandra exclaimed while Falarion trotted alongside her.
The man smiled at this and replied, "It is not for just one person. Follow me and I will bring you to meet everyone else."

As the door opened and the man led Leandra into the room, she immediately froze in place at the sight of so many different people in one place. She had never left her village to meet other races before and was wide-eyed at the sight of so many in one place. Falarion brushed past her and purred loudly while rubbing against one of her legs. The man introduced her while Leandra continued to gawk at everyone in the room, her ears still sticking out of her hood and her own tail practically between her legs. Leandra was at a loss for words.

Flutterby SilverFlight LazyDaze Zazz Baconhands Goonfire

 

[Flutterby]

Ora gave Crispin a warm smile. His outburst sent tingles up her arms. It was that moment that she realized she may have been neglecting him recently. Distracted by coming home, traveling in a group- they hadn't spoken alone in what felt like weeks. She hadn't had a chance to prepare him for her obvious wealth before arriving, and hadn't explained her status since they had been here. It brought her a pang of guilt, but hearing his voice so gleefully praise her kept it at bay.
SilverFlight

Her face visibly twitched when Desrick suggested they all go. Her discomfort in that instant was obvious, but short-lived. The door swung open, and Eldrich interrupted them. She was surprised to see him, but even more surprised to see he wasn't alone. She took in the ears, the tail, the wide-eyed face quickly, and stood.
Her own tail wrapped around one ankle- there was something about the anxiety that was radiating off the poor thing that wormed its way into her own heart.
"Please, come and sit. You must be tired from so much travel. I'm Ora. This.. is my family home. " Ora motioned to the empty chairs around them, and then to the tea and snacks they were sharing.
"Help yourself. If you need more substantial food, that can be arranged. When you are.. revived, we would be very keen to hear about your journey here."
Ora glanced at the others. How much should they tell this stranger? If they shared everything, would they gain an ally, or a liability?
Lioness075

 

[Baconhands]

Few things had registered in Meera's mind after a dragon was mentioned. A dragon was under the city. More than that it was the size of the city. The Troupe had told her stories about dragons but she had yet to see one; in some, they were evil and destructive creatures, in others they were remarkably gentle. The shapeshifter was fully distracted by a series of questions, therefore, pertaining to the nature and temperament of the creature that was dwelling beneath the city. There was also the matter of what it looked like and what it could do - could it breathe fire? Did it have weird scales? Would it be partial to a few berries and perhaps a cup of tea? She shook her head - it was the size of the city; it would require far more than just one cup of tea and a handful of berries to satisfy it.

She was brought back to reality by the mention of her name. She was going first... into some tunnels... scouting ahead... alone... underground. She blinked a couple of times; a smile had been forming on her face for a moment, but it stopped and reversed. Her mind told her to refuse, but the shapeshifter nodded slowly. "Yes," she said, "I can do that."
SilverFlight
Reaching for the cup and saucer in front of her, Meera shakily brought the tea to her lips, sipped once, and moved to place them back down on the table in front of her. Her eyes flicked to the newcomer standing in the doorway and, distracted, she dropped the cup and saucer onto the floor where they shattered with a mighty crash. Meera jumped to her feet and stared, dismayed, at the floor.
"I'll clean it up! I'm sorry! I'll get something! I'll um... sorry. Yes, please join us. Have some berries! Um... you can take my spot... I just need to... I'll go and get something."
She made her way past the others, avoiding eye contact where she could, and headed out into the courtyard.
Flutterby SilverFlight Lioness075 Goonfire Zazz LazyDaze

 

[Zazz]

The shattering of the teacup abruptly woke the sleeping assassin, knife in hand and ready to defend herself to her enemy's bloody end. Except, there was no enemy; it was merely the shapeshifter being clumsy. Azaria stifled a sigh and straightened up, gently brushing off Iolas's arm from around her shoulders. She blinked away the nightmare that had been surfacing and put her knife away, setting her half-eaten chocolate bar on the table.

Azaria took a brief moment to size up the newcomer. She had never seen a... cat person. A small smirk of amusement tilted her lips as she took in the cat-woman' pet... cat-thing.

___

Lohrithe smiled at the newcomer with interest, and bowed his head slightly in greeting. His arms still crossed over his chest, the drow rubbed his chin, thinking. He wondered how long it took to cross over, how she did it, was there anyone or anything in her path... So many questions, he had, but he settled on welcoming her with a gesture of his hand to sit, and waiting for her to tell her story. "Yes, please, sit."

 

[Goonfire]

Crow glanced up at the newcomer, whose appearance was certainly unique. It caused him to freeze in the middle of pouring his own tea, and he didn’t realize his error until the saucer was nearly filled to the brim. “Oh, apologies. Care to... have a seat?” he offered awkwardly before the shattering cup re-frayed his presently-fragile nerves. “Do you also use glass and porcelain for dishes?” he then questioned the Cyndarans of the team. “Such delicate materials...”

SilverFlight Lioness075 Baconhands Zazz