Fantasy The Deadlands

[Cartoonicat]

A quiet exhale, yet loud enough for Dynis to hear from presumably across the room. "You don't get to ask questions. I do," the voice said. "What does a corpse tell her dying self?"

- Answer
- Ask more questions
- Do something else

 

[ArcticFox]

Dynis raised one eyebrow, completely baffled with the whole situation. She must have been with the slavers now. They must have caught here and were planning to put her in the arena or who knew what else. She turned around toward the sound of the voice, trying to focus on the speaker. "Screw you, let me out of here." She hissed through gritted teeth.

 

[Cartoonicat]

"Not even if you ask nicely," it quipped, though it did not quite sound like a joke. "Now quit wasting time and answer the question. Depending on your answer, I might let you out."

- Answer
- Ask questions
- Make a fuss
- Negotiate
- Be silent

 

[ArcticFox]

Dynis scowled further, jangling the chains for a moment longer before giving up. Then she responded. "Nothing. The corpse said nothing, because corpses can't speak."

 

[Cartoonicat]

"Correct," the voice said. "And by correct, I mean you answered the question completely wrong. Just in time, too." Then, right before her eyes, a man began to appear from nothing in the far corner of the room. "The name's Wendal. If you're curious, which you probably are, the answer I was hoping you wouldn't pick was 'Fear not death, for soon you will be the one thing it cannot touch' or some other bullocks variation. I'd have killed you otherwise, so thank your lucky stars."

His skin, a second ago transparent enough for Dynis to see through to the wall behind him, became opaque. It was hard to tell his height with the way he crouched so low, but his arms and thighs were thick with a decent amount of muscle and decorated with dark, winding tattoos. It looked like he worked out often. The garment he wore, made around a central theme of feathers and rags and leather, indicated he belonged to some sort of tribe. The feathered headdress he wore specifically so.

- Introduce yourself
- Ask questions
- Yell at him
- Stay silent
- Do something else

 

[ArcticFox]

"I have no idea what you are talking about." She snorted. "I'm Dynis. Now, take off the damn chains." Whoever that person was he was either dangerous or insane, or very likely both. One thing she was certain about, if he was the one who chained her there, he was no friend of hers.

 

[Cartoonicat]

"You've a mouth on you," he murmured. Rose to a height not nearly as tall as Manir's but still imposing, and made his way over. "Though that's typical of your type, right? A bunch of sexist broads holed up in the cushy forest south of here. At least, that's what I heard." With a key produced from his pocket he picked the lock. The chains fell to the floor. Then, he smiled almost wolfishly. "Bet you want your staff back, huh?"

- Defend Napari ways
- Demand your items back
- Ask questions
- Attack him
- Do something else

 

[ArcticFox]

"You are a man. I am not going to discuss my people with you." Dynis made a disgusted face as she stood up, rubbing her wrists. She disliked this stranger more and more with each word he said. Her expression left no doubt about it. "Where did you put my staff? And my pack?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

He huffed a sardonic sounding laugh, "That's not how this works. Ever heard of repaying a favor? I saved your life, and now you have to help me with something." Then, as though it were an afterthought, he added: "Then you'll get your things back."

- Argue
- Agree to help
- Ask about the details
- Do something else

 

[ArcticFox]

"You saved my life?" Dynis gave him a doubtful look. "I awoke here in chains. To which you've had the keys! And you took all my stuff!" She made a step toward him, face angry and fists clenched. "That's called extortion, you barbarian." Why did she never meet any reasonable people, it seemed to her that her journey was cursed from the start.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Wendel stood still, arms crossed. Quirked an unimpressed looking brow. "I'm assuming you don't remember passing out in the middle of nowhere, huh? Lucky for you, I live in the middle of nowhere." Gestured to all of her: "Had I not dragged you here earlier today, you'd be buzzard feed right now - you're welcome by the way. Now, do you want to hear my pitch or not?"

- Thank him
- Hear the details
- Ask questions
- Refuse
- Do something else

 

[ArcticFox]

"Then why did you chain me?" She persisted. "I don't have a choice, but to hear you out, you have me at a disadvantage and you know that." She looked him in the eyes, her expression growing calmer. It's not that she wasn't angry, she only realised that an outburst would get her nowhere. She had to get him off his guard and look for a chance to get her staff back.

 

[Cartoonicat]

"Oh, right," he murmured, sounding a bit surprise. "Yes, the chains. So, considering you're a foreigner - pinged that nail on the head, did I not? - I doubt you realize where you are, in the Deadlands, exactly. You're in raider territory, and I'm not talking the slave industry." Wendel rolled his eyes towards the door. "This is a conversation better explained with sources." He made his way out of the room and vanished around the corner.

"Well, come on!"

- Follow him
- Try to run

 

[ArcticFox]

She was even more confused by his response, but she did not pursue it further. He was just a nuisance, she would get this over with and be on her track. Hopefully the other two had better luck. With a small sigh, Dynis followed the strange man, keeping an eye out for her stuff.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Following Wendel, Dynis would soon find herself in an incredibly small and cramped room filled to a short ceiling with books and scribbled papers. The man scrounged through a handful of crumpled documents, procuring several in his fist before tossing the rest to the side in a haphazard, unkempt manner. Next, he showed her the pages, each one containing the same general information but in different formats.

Sun Cycle 692
Day of Harvesting
Scribed by Thellar of Magdarene

"The well renowned village of Lembow was razed to the ground by bandits, presumably less than a week before the Day of Harvesting, Sun Cycle 692. As such, there will no longer be imports or Lembow wine and meads into the city of Magdalene, nor any other cities throughout the Deadlands. Shops relying heavily on this income, such as Sun Brewery, The Saddled Inn, and Wickery Brothel will cease to serve business by the end of the Sun Cycle.

On to further news..."​

A few moments after she read it, Wendel dropped his hand and the papers to his side. "Bandits attacked my home two years ago and I want revenge," he explained. "And, if you want your stuff back, you're going to help me."

- Refuse
- Accept
- Bargain
- Do something else

 

[ArcticFox]

It was happening again. Every person she came upon in the Deadland either tried to kill her or wanted her help. She suddenly wished this man wanted the former, it would have been easier.

"Look, I'm sorry about your home, but I don't know you and you don't know me. Why do you think I'm useful at all? I might be completely helpless and unable to do anything for you." She rubbed at her temples. "And I am supposed to be helping another person right about now. I can't just leave a task half finished."

 

[Cartoonicat]

"You're useful because you're kind are mages," Wendel said simply. "And we don't need to know each other to work together. I just need someone with enough mana - that's what you call it, yeah? - to raze their main camp to the ground. Give them a taste of their own medicine." He gave her a look seemingly crossed with disappointment and intrigue. "If you leave without helping I'll likely never see you or another mage again by time I die. Sorry to whoever needs your help, but you owe me and I'm taking that favor now." He seemed to be under the impression she was very powerful.

Manir had mentioned before that mages were rare in the Deadlands, yet Helen and Kailu were some of the first people Dynis met on her adventure. A curious thought considering the elves never mentioned anything of it and now the idea was mentioned again by a complete stranger.

Dynis also had to heed to her schedule if she wanted to help save Helen's father. She'd been separated from her teammates for who knows how long, but it didn't seem to be too late in the day and Wendel mentioned finding her not too long ago. Plus, if she really was in the middle of nowhere like Wendel said, she would need directions to get to the arena. Only, he did not seem eager to let her leave any time soon. Perhaps they could strike a deal. He seemed interested in mages, so perhaps mention of Helen would help somehow.

- Agree to help
- Mention Helen
- Bargain with Wendel
- Invite him to join Helen's quest
- Do something else

 

[ArcticFox]

"Okay, let's take a deep breath here." Dynis raised her hands, trying to find the right words to get out of the whole situation. A lot of people those days seemed to think that she owed them favours. "When you found me, I was travelling with two other people. I was thirsty and hallucinated and it got me in this... mess. But, one of the people I was with was a mage. The other one is pretty useless, but she is much more useful than I am. I am a Sister and while I do have mana, I only know a tiny bit of healing magic. Nothing else." She looked straight at him, hoping to get her point across. "While my companion... well, she was in the process of teaching me magic, so she has much more knowledge than me. Besides, two mages are better than one, isn't that right?" She forced on a friendly smile. "Let's modify the terms on the deal. Accompany me to the arena to find my companions and then we'll all help you deal with the raiders."

 

[Cartoonicat]

Wendel fell silent at the mention of another mage. He looked to be considering her proposition, yet he said nothing for several long, painstaking moments. Eventually, though, he gave her a nod. "Alright," he said, "I can wait for a small army, sure."

He slipped around her, back into the hallway, and peered into a previously concealed closet. Pulled out Dynis' equipment - but not her staff - and dropped it in a pile on the floor. "Here's your pack. You can have your staff back after you help me," he said, pulling out a massive packsack for himself. It looked like it weighed half as much as a fully grown person would, if not more.

"I filled your waterskin, by the way," he motioned for her to follow him out the front door. "We'll leave immediately. I don't like riding at night."

- Follow silently
- Tell him you're not ready to leave
- Follow and ask questions
- Demand your staff returned
- Do something else

 

[ArcticFox]

"Wait a moment." Dynis crossed her arms. "You are keeping my staff, which leaves me without means to defend myself. Does that mean you are going to defend me until we reach Magdarene or are you going to give me weapon?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

Quirking a brow, Wendel stopped and pursed his lips. A rather odd-looking expression. "Fair point," he said. "Do you know how to use a bow? I've plenty in storage. I'm not giving you one if you don't know how to use it, though; you'll put an eye out, and it'll probably be mine."

Dynis certainly didn't know how to use a bow, but she could lie and obtain one anyway.

- Be honest
- Lie
- Do something else

 

[ArcticFox]

"Of course." Dynis nodded confidently. She would feel better with a weapon in her hand, if nothing she could smack this barbarian across the head with it and pretend it was an accident. "I'll take it, then we should hurry to the city. I don't have long." She sighed, looking at the sky and the position of the sun.

 

[Cartoonicat]

"Wait, you're heading to Magdarene?" Wendel said as they approached a small stables. He ducked behind one of the wooden walls and returned with a bow for her, complete with a quiver and several arrows. "I can get you to the entrance, but they're not letting anyone inside. Doubt I'd be much help there. Unless you mean Elpice City, which would mean you've a death wish and I won't be avenging my neighbors."

Dynis was heading to the Central Arena just East of Magdarene, South of Elpice, but asking about the cities couldn't hurt. She'd just have to clarify directions, first.

​

He let out a sharp whistle. Dynis could hear rustling from inside the stables. A strange looking creature stepped out, legs wobbly and eyes blinking slowly. "Lazy lump, sleeping all day..." Wendel murmured before beginning to strap on a square saddle and blankets to, presumably, prevent chafing. The creature looked a cross between a camel, hog, and some sort of tailed animal that Dynis couldn't quite place. Earlier Wendel mentioned riding, so it was safe to assume this was their method of transportation to the arena.

- Ask about the cities
- Ask about the creature
- Clarify directions
- Do something else

 

[ArcticFox]

"I'm supposed to get to the arena actually. It's close to both of the cities you've mentioned, as far as I know."

Dynis wrinkled her nose as she saw the strange animal in front of her. A Deadlands' creature without a doubt, there certainly wasn't anything as ugly as that in Napari. She raised an eyebrow at the man.

"You don't mean we us to ride this strange thing? Look at its legs. They will break."

 

[Cartoonicat]

"Ah, now the arena I can help with," he said. Then pulled a face, looking between Dynis and the creature. "Strange thi- You've never seen an ypotryll before? They're bred specifically for riding and carrying weight. Gods, that's like saying you've never heard of a cat..." He paused after climbing atop the creature who had crouched to accommodate him. Regarded her with wide eyes. "You know what a cat is, I hope?"

Dynis did, indeed, know what a cat was. Mother Elise had a tabby who was almost always pawing for affection and treats.

- Climb on
- Refuse to ride
- Do something else