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Post by Robin on Nov 25, 2012 21:04:32 GMT
[ OOC: This story starts the day following the events which have recently transpired - Robin and Shadow emerging from the Dungeons, strange travellers meeting up and moving to the marketplace, and Callimpsest returning to a battered Knightmare Realm. Time-wise, it's to be considered happening the early morning of the following day, after all the characters who wish to sleep having rested. This includes Robin.] *Robin has not slept well. He had thought, considering all he's been through, that he would have done. He met with no hazard on his journey through the wood, although he's sure there used to be more trees there. He foraged for some berries and fresh water from the Dunnfalls, had the first good meal he'd had in a while, and upon returning to his treehouse, the familiarity overtook him and he fell into a sleep almost as soon as he'd got into the pile of cloths in which he sleeps. His dreams, it seems, have conspired to keep him restless. He had expected, if anything, to have dreams about long dark stone corridors and speeding boats, or small green lizards in derelict magic schools, or even falling down cracks in the floor. Instead, he's been dreaming about fire. Fire in the Marketplace, fire in the wood, fire over the Dunnfalls. He's seen locations he knows burning to a crisp. In one particular vision, he saw Holmgarth in flames, although not from the mouth of a demon this time. Sophie, his floating, mysterious accomplice, turned to face him, and mouthed one word: "Greenshades."* ...a huge fireball, some say two, slammed into the Brinkatores' land near Greenshades, razing the estate to cinders and raising rumours that neither the Count nor his retinue has survived... *...and that is where Robin is standing now. Although the last time he entered what was to be considered a civilised place was somewhat foolish, he didn't exactly enter Holmgarth by choice. And besides, his dream was wrong. He had to pass Holmgarth to get here, and he saw no signs of a fire... just a sleepy hamlet in peace. Robin stands near a farm in Greenshades [OOC: this one], breathing in lungfuls of crisp morning air. This is more his sort of thing, he reasons. Above ground, lots of light, no errant magic. The small cluster of huts and houses that make up the area of Greenshades seem unscathed. So why did his dream instruct him to come here? What's more, why did he feel like he needed to come here? He looks around. One path leads to the town of Warlock... somewhere between the size of Wolfenden and Holmgarth. But he doesn't want to intrude, even though he's walked about an hour to get here and it's the nearest town. But Robin is aware there are other areas in the immediate vicinity, and he wants to be alone for a while. So, still without knowing exactly why he's come here, Robin picks his way through Greenshades... heading, though he doesn't know it yet, towards where the Brinkatore estate is... or used to be.*
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Post by Robin on Nov 26, 2012 21:56:43 GMT
*The rumours are true. The Brinkatores' estate hasn't survived. Whether one fireball or two, what was once a stately home is no longer there. It is reduced to little more than a pile of rubble.*
Merciful Minerva. Was that once a building?
*Robin is used to ruins. But unlike the KMBS, which has the remnants of some rooms at least, or the remnants of ancient structures in the forest, which have some sense of grandeur if you look closely, this is... just a large pile of stone, mortar, and dust. Lots and lots of dust. It doesn't look dramatic, like the crumbling temples, or dangerous, like the KMBS. It just looks... sad.*
Careful, now...
*Robin steps forward with a crunch, his boot leaving soft, but slightly scorched, grass onto the gravel that was once a wall. The hero has no idea, but he knows instinctively that this is why he's here... to investigate this place. Although it's not much of a place any more.*
I wonder who lived here?
*Whether the Count is still alive is still unknown... but Robin ventures on, the sun smiling down indulgently upon him.*
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Post by Robin on Nov 30, 2012 17:55:16 GMT
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
*Robin's feet fall heavily on the crumbling, gravel-strewn ruins. The Woodsman thinks that it's odd to see a freshly ruined building; unlike a load of other ruins he's seen, nature hasn't reclaimed the land yet. Aside from a few rough-hewn scorch marks, what used to be a wonderful garden still looks like a garden, down to the neat lawns and well-tended flowerbeds. Robin wonders idly who used to do this garden... and who used to live here.*
Who would live in a house like this?
*An unexpected noise makes Robin look around. Apart from a bird singing sweetly, Greenshades has been peaceful... and so has this ruin. He steps off the crumbled remains of building and onto the lawn, which feels soft under his feet, despite the thickness of his boots.*
Hmmm?
*He waits to hear it again. He's certain, after a few seconds' reflection, that what he heard was indeed human.*
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Post by Robin on Dec 28, 2012 17:19:46 GMT
*A soft, low moan comes once again to Robin's ears. At least, it seems like a moan.*
What do I do? Do I investigate, see if it is human? Or do I stay here? Or venture back onto the rubble?
*Again, accompanied by a small crunch and scraping noises.*
Or do I draw my sword? Or my bow? If it's bats again, I want a bit of a warning before I...
*He doesn't finish his thought. With an unmistakably human groan, a part of the rubble shifts. And then a plank lifts itself from one of its extremities... and an unmistakable human emerges.*
...oh!
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Post by Robin on Sept 22, 2013 20:20:50 GMT
*Robin is unsure. Whether to draw his sword or nock an arrow to his bow... or to not appear aggressive at all. Steadying himself, he decides not to have a weapon in hand... at least, not yet. Not all creatures are violent, he repeats in his head, they're not all violent.*
Uhm...
*It's not a very impressive start. Mind you, the person emerging from the rubble isn't making much of an impression either. They appear, on first glance, to be wearing the livery of a servant - a royal-blue emblem adorns a lilac tunic, tied with a violet belt. The colour co-ordination of the uniform is shocking against the green grass and the red rubble.*
Green and Blue will never do. *Robin smiles to himself.*
Servant: "Uhm...?"
Hello? Were you... are you okay? I just came to investigate this place and... well... you're...
Servant: "Alive?"
Well, yes, I suppose.
*The servant begins, unsteadily, to pick their way out of the rubble. Robin, still undecided as to what to do, heroically offers a helping hand. The servant takes his hand as their way onto the grass continues. Robin has realised, by the time both are back on the slightly battered lawn, that the servant is a girl. Her hair, which presumably was once tied up in a regulation bun, has started to come loose. It's blonde.*
Anything broken or cut? I had some healing herbs, once...
Servant: "No, I don't think so..."
You were incredibly lucky, you know. I head that this place was attacked a couple of days ago. To survive the impact and the couple of days would be...
*He shuts up, noticing a little too late that he's upsetting her.*
Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't...
Servant: "No, it's okay. It's good to hear a human voice again."
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Post by Robin on Jan 26, 2014 14:36:17 GMT
[OOC: A bit of a jump in time happens here - we are a few minutes in the future.]
*Robin paces back and forth, looking nervous. Alive though this serving-girl may be, she hasn't been very forthcoming with details. She also seems to be injured - although not too badly. Robin isn't a surgeon, and the panacea he carried in the form of herbs has recently been totally depleted, so if she showed more signs of being hurt, then there would be more at stake here.
She's leaning against the side of a bench that Robin spotted a short way away from the ruin of the Brinkatores' estate. Being unsure as to what to do for her, but counting heavily on his own experience, Robin identified that sitting down is usually a good remedy for any sort of ache. Her heavy breathing causes him some concern. He's not too good at dealing with shock.*
Serving Girl: "...I'm."
You're?
*She takes a deep breath in. Robin doesn't like these one-word conversations. He fidgets anxiously. This isn't the sort of rescue he's been used to in the past. Plunging into waterfalls to grab wizards and shooting arrows into demons are fine. An unsure servant girl and Robin is tongue-tied.*
What... what would be your name?
*A good start.*
Servant Girl: "...They called me Serena."
That's pretty. But what's your real name?
Serena: "I don't have one. They've always called me Serena. Girls in servitude weren't allocated names. I'm..."
*She stops to clutch at her chest, obviously in a certain degree of pain. Robin bites his lip. Even accounting for the shock of being in a collapsed building, surviving for a day or so and being pulled out by a youngish man in green, her tone and the small titbit of information she has divulged indicates a life not well led.
Robin didn't know much about Count Brinkatore. Now this has come to light, he's not even sure if he wants the Count to have survived or not.*
Are you... do you want to do something else? You don't want to be sitting here for hours looking at what's left of your... home... do you?
*Robin didn't want to say "home". But he couldn't think of a better word for it.*
Serena: "I'm..."
*Pause.*
Serena: "...hungry."
*Okay, well, I know just what do do about that, thinks Robin, extending a hand. Serena takes it unsteadily and stands up with a wince. He had expected to persuade her, but this turn of events makes it easier for him. Getting her to walk may be trickier, but he has to try.*
Well, food isn't hard to find. There's got to be an inn nearby. There are two in Wolfenden; that's a bit of a walk, but if you're up for it... although the village of Warlock is nearer here, that's in Greenshades, so if there's some sort of place we can get food and dr...
*He realises he's babbling, and stops talking. Serena seems momentarily stunned. She blinks twice. Robin notices her eyes are large and round.*
Serena: "There's a place..."
*She points in a vague direction. Robin's eyes follow the path at which she is indicating. It is, indeed, Warlock. Taking the initiative, and offering what he hopes is an encouraging smile, Robin leads on.*
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Post by Robin on Jan 29, 2014 21:11:04 GMT
*Robin strides as purposefully as he can towards the village of Warlock while still trying to encourage the servant girl, who is (as yet) unsteady on her feet. While he's pleased to help Serena, he does certainly prefer rapid movement. His travels through the Dungeon with the girl warrior and the little talking lizard were more to his liking. Still, he reasons to himself, it's difficult to feel too miserable in the morning's sunshine.* ...Oh! *Serena trembles, but says nothing. As they round the gravel path towards Warlock, the village gates are evident, but through them is half a village. While this happened....* *Phobos has been stood in front of his viewscreen, cycling through various realmwide locations and dispensing fireballs. They pass through the screen and Phobos watches buildings and living things burn.* *...its extent was probably unrecorded. Robin has seen some of the damage in Wolfenden, although it seemed marginal when compared to whatever happened to the Brinkatores' manor house. The rest of Greenshades had seemed okay to him, but upon spying Warlock, it occurs to the Woodsman that smaller provinces may not have news that reaches all realms of the Knightmare surrounds.* Have you seen this? Serena: "I'm not sure I want to." *She indicates, on the far side of the village, what appears to be an inn, still standing. Its façade is slightly scorched, but at least it has escaped the fate of whatever stood in the approximate centre of Warlock, which has now been replaced by a large crater, which surely must have been smoking for days. As for the people, it seems busier than Holmgarth, but not so much as Wolfenden, with occasional people doing whatever it is they do.* Well, you wanted food, so let's go inn. *He leads her through the town, giving the crater a wide berth, and taking care not to bump into people. Having rarely been visited by adventurers, Warlockians throw Robin shady looks, standing out as he does in high boots and Lincoln green, carrying a broadsword and quiver full of arrows.* Serena: "These people know me. At least, they should. I'm wearing a Brinkatore servant's uniform. I should get some cursory glances." *Robin stops for a second. He hasn't expected Serena to be so loquacious, considering her odd half-sentences and occasional muteness since their first encounter. He probably ought to respond.* You're probably the only one left, as well. No, best not say that.I'd be more worried about what they think of me. *They stop outside the inn. It looks much smaller than the Wolf's Howl, or even the Crazed Heifer. But it's something. A sign above the door bears the legend The Bracing Breeze.*
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Post by Robin on Feb 6, 2014 21:37:01 GMT
*The Bracing Breeze appears to be little more than one room. It's about as clean as it could be, though; rather than being compacted dirt, the floor - which appears to be mostly flattened stones cemented together - is clearly regularly cleaned, so much so that it almost shines. It's not very comfortable to Robin's feet, but he's wearing boots, so he's not going to complain.*
He...llo...?
*Framed in the door are Robin and, a little way behind him, Serena. He scans the room - there's a small wooden bar, polished well and practically immaculate. An odd assortment of chairs are clustered around little square tables... also wooden, also polished. While it's clearly not the busiest of pubs, Warlock's not the biggest of villages. Still, being as it is much more populous than Holmgarth, Robin had expected more than one customer. Said customer, clearly a peasant girl of sorts, is enjoying a quiet drink of what appears to be water. She meets Robin's gaze and immediately tries to avoid it.*
Girl: "Fresh cut flowers for sale?"
*She holds one out. It doesn't look particularly fresh.*
Maybe... maybe later. I'll... I'll get back to you.
*The girl nods and returns to her thoughts and drink. Robin casts a general uneasy glance around the pub and takes a few steps in. Serena follows on behind him.*
Serena: "Who's that?"
Oh, no one... no one. A woman of no importance.
*The woodsman leads Serena up to the bar. There appears to be, on closer inspection, a general jumble of drinks secreted in an alcove underneath it, along with a little wooden box presumably holding takings. There are no staff members immediately present. A few very long seconds pass of complete silence before Robin gingerly knocks on the bar itself. The sound reverberates around the small room.*
Hello...?
*After a few more seconds, someone enters out of a side room...*
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Post by Robin on Feb 10, 2014 17:14:17 GMT
"Hello there. What can I do you for?"
*A small man glides in behind the bar. He's evidently a barman, although the main indication for this is that he's holding a towel over his arm. His get-up, even by Robin's standards, is questionable: he's wearing a black top with a small green belt, clashing quite noticeably with the red slacks he sports on his legs. He has a small sword hooked into his belt - although nothing like anything that could do any damage - and wears, above all, an ostentatious little helmet with two white feathers in it.*
Oh... uhm... well... we were looking for food and... er, drink.
*The barman smiles, although it's hard to tell underneath his outsize blond moustache.*
Barman: "Well, you're in an inn. What do you want?"
*The barman, whose name is Rix Astor, waits with a genial smile while Robin hastily searches his person for any small change he may have. He heard once that small change is often enough. But then he recently gave away most of his cash to Trusty Seldam.*
You don't have any coins with you, do you?
*Serena shakes her head. But then again, she was a servant; Robin doubts very much that she indiscriminately carried money around with her. In a small cloth pouch which is almost falling to brittle pieces, Robin unearths what he still has in the way of money. It's not a lot. He glances over at the flower girl, but then she recently asked him for money - he's not about to ask her.*
Well, what can I get for four silver pieces? I'll grant you it's not a lot, but then I once got a pint for a groat in Wolfenden.
Rix Astor: "You're right, that's not a lot. If you're wanting food and drink, you'll need more than that."
*Robin, agitated, starts searching in all his other pouches and pockets, discarding them as he finds them increasingly empty. Once a pile of cloth has started accumulating on the floor, he at last finds cold metal in one forgotten flap of material. The barman looks disapprovingly at the mess Robin's making.*
I've got three more copper pieces. Can't that get us anything?
Rix Astor: "...Fine. I shall see what I can get you for four-and-three, but I'll require you to clear up what you've discarded over my nice clean floor before getting you anything. And do take a seat!"
*Robin sets to picking up all the cloth on the floor as Serena settles herself into one of the wooden chairs.*
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Post by Robin on Feb 15, 2014 16:01:54 GMT
*As Robin sits down unsteadily on the wooden chair opposite Serena, he finds himself facing the opposite way he faced when he came in. He can see, from his perspective, Serena twiddling her blonde hair between finger and thumb, and a few tables down, the flower girl still making whatever she was drinking last. The doorway is wide open, without any sign of a door; from it, Robin can see the bright morning light beyond, and hear a jumble of noises, such as laughter and chattering from the villagers, and birdsong from above. Nevertheless, it still seems quiet and pleasant in here.*
It still seems quiet and pleasant in here. I wonder why it isn't more popular. It's certainly clean enough.
*It's a clumsy attempt to initiate conversation, but Serena acknowledges it with a vague smile. After a few more minutes of silence both comfortable and not so comfortable, Robin opens his mouth to say he knows not what, before being interrupted by a presence behind him.*
Rix Astor: "Here you are. Four silver pieces, three copper. You wanted food and drink... here's what that gets you."
*The barman places two wooden platters down in front of the woodsman and (ex-)servant. There's certainly food, although nothing similar to a hunk of bread and some mature cheese, the like of which Robin is particularly partial to. He hasn't asked Serena what she was used to as a servant, but he's certain it wasn't particularly good. What Astor has come up with appears to be a large pile of scrapings - perhaps what's left over after a particularly large meal of breaded game or gammon from a recent culinary venture. Mind you, the barman has been generous; there are particularly sizeable amounts of these, and upon first taste, Robin experiences a pleasantly crunchy texture, a moderate heat, and more taste than he had expected.*
Serena: "What's this?"
I'm not sure. But it's not too bad, actually. Try it.
*Rix Astor clatters back into the room with two flagons. Robin is pleased to see that his contains something like ale. Serena's, apparently, contains goat's milk... but then again, that's probably what the poor girl needs.*
Try it! Go on.
*Serena takes the wooden fork that Rix Astor has provided, and begins, steadily, to eat through her bowl of scrapings.*
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Post by Robin on Feb 18, 2014 15:38:35 GMT
*It doesn't taste like ale.*
Well, this is... pleasant...
*It probably is. He may not be enjoying his ale, but the food is nice enough, and although he's a man of action, Robin has had neither a decent meal nor any company that isn't indiscriminately trying to kill him for a while.
Serena doesn't answer. She hadn't stopped staring at Robin for a while, and now all she's doing is blindly eating her meal. Either she was just very hungry beforehand, or there's something else going on there. Robin, not the most stable of men at times, does start to wonder about her. Initially he had thought her odd ways were little more than shock; however, her occasional moments of lucidity coupled with her very silent silence are also somewhat unnerving.*
Is she mentally subliminal? Or is this just how she was told to behave as a servant? Or is she just... just... *Robin struggles for a word.* ...just odd? I saved her, I should probably be engaging her in conversation... but how?
*Robin's rêverie is interrupted once again by the barman, who appears out of nowhere, genially flips a small, varnished wooden construct with a slight indent onto the table.*
Rix Astor: "Here you go."
What's this?
Rix Astor: "Change."
Serena: "This doesn't look like money."
There it is again. A complete sentence, out of nowhere.
Rix Astor: "It isn't. It's a token, good for a drink of water at this or any other bar or inn in the Greenshades area. Not just Warlock, either. Its reach extends as far as Holmgarth - although I doubt there's a pub there."
There isn't, as far as I'm aware.
Rix Astor: "Yeah, whatever. Anyway, what you paid me amounted to about half a copper piece more than what I'd usually charge to the street urchins for scrapings and ale, so here's what I'm giving you. Appreciate that, I would! It might come in handy."
*And he speeds off. Robin pockets the token. It feels like a hard, cool coin.*
Serena: "That's very quaint!"
Yes, it...
Hang on, she just made a quip!
...is.
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Post by Robin on Feb 19, 2014 20:20:16 GMT
Serena: "I mean, if he wanted to give us change, he could have just given us maybe a bronze piece, or half a copper coin, although that might not be legal tender, I mean, because I've never had a lot of money, as I'm a servant, you see, but anyway, what I was saying was, it's a small piece of wood and if what he said is true then it's good for one cup of water, but why couldn't he just give us a cup of water? I think that would make a lot more sense, or maybe - just maybe - he could have kept it as a tip, he's been ever so nice to us giving us all this food for such a small amount of money, even if it is a lot of scraps, it's very tasty, though, and this goats' milk is so thick, I mean really thick, it's very sweet too, I say, what's your drink like?"
*Robin is dumbfounded. He just sits and stares, his half-full flagon of ale halfway to his mouth. Serena has just closed her eyes and is in the process of untying what's left of the bun in her hair. It's longer than it first seemed, and trails down to the small of her back once it's been fully undone. Part of it covers the Brinkatore insignia on her tunic, making her look almost normal.*
Serena: "It's really hot today, isn't it?"
The weather? I hadn't noticed.
Yes. Uhm, I can't help but noticing, but you're...
Serena: "I'm really glad we came here. Aren't you glad we came here? Hey, Robin, can we travel together? I mean, I haven't got a home to go to... but I like travelling! Hey! Will you take me to..."
Hang on!
Serena: "...Wolfenden? I've never been there! I mean, I know you said it's a bit of a walk, but I feel much more energetic now! And I've never seen it! I wasn't allowed to go anywhere while I was a servant, but I suppose I'm not really a servant any more, at least not unless anyone else survived, and I don't think they did, I really think I'm the only one left! So what do you say? Will you take me with you? Please?"
*She bats her eyelids at Robin, who continues to stare. Here he is with a girl who, a moment ago, couldn't string two words together, and after merely one good square meal, she doesn't shut up. He's not even sure what he prefers: the floating girl, the ogre who could speak Latin, the female warrior who got caught up in that game thingy, the little green thing, or Crossingpost.*
Mind you, this one's kind of interesting...
Um, well, I was going to go back to my hut in the woods, but I suppose I could take you to Wolfenden if you really wanted. I don't have anything else pla...
Serena: "You've got a hut? Oh, I'd love to see that!"
*Robin ruefully smiles to himself, despite this unexpected turn of events. He's had girls in his hut before, but for completely different reasons. He thinks, overall, that this girl may be better off in a room of her own, although he wouldn't be able to rent her one. This place doesn't look like it has any, but the Wolf's Howl may have one or two left. Maybe even the Heifer. Maybe Grimwold could do him a favour if he asks really nicely.*
All right. I can take you a little way. Let's go.
*Robin finishes his drink and food quickly, and then turns to leave with Serena, who's already on her feet, a lot less unsteadily than she was beforehand. He turns to thank the barman, but Rix Astor has vanished from sight. As he's about to follow Serena out of the door, Robin pauses, catching the eye of the flower girl, still sitting at her table. He notices she's almost out of water.*
Girl: "Fresh cut flowers for sale?"
*Robin passes her the wooden coin he was given as change. The girl's face breaks into a smile, and she passes Robin a pretty blue flower, which he pockets. Then he ventures out of The Bracing Breeze, blinking in the afternoon sun over Warlock.*
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Post by Robin on Feb 21, 2014 15:51:44 GMT
*Robin leads the way out of the little town of Warlock, weaving in and out of afternoon townsfolk. Serena follows him, chattering without stopping. Robin feels a little lighter than he previously did, even considering the large meal he's just had. He is still weighed down by his sword and crossbow, plus his new consignment of arrows; he has, however, divested himself of various belts and pouches, all of which were empty. The only thing he still has in his possession, besides weaponry and clothing, is the blue flower. In the sunshine, he feels somewhat airy, as if his newfound lightness could float him away.* Right, well, now you're talking again, where do you want to go now? *They have reached the town gates. The rough-hewn path back into Greenshades (and the ruins of the estate) is off one way; another fork leads to the Path to Wolfenden. There is, Robin notices, a third way: mostly covered in grass, slightly unbalanced. It's probably an elf path. There's always an elf path. It's just not always easy to find.* Where does that one lead? *Serena shrugs. He's never seen her do that before.* Serena: "I'm not sure. I've never been down it. I was never allowed to... well, I wasn't allowed to do much, really. But judging by the direction it's leading, it looks like..." The forest. *Robin says this at the same time as Serena. While venturing into his home territory is inviting enough, he hasn't forgotten Serena's eagerness to see his hut, and he's not overly keen on doing that. His idea to get Serena a room somewhere in Wolfenden leaps back to his mind, and since this is the best course of action, it looks like he's heading back to town.* Let's get into Wolfenden - that's easy enough to find. *He heads off down the right-hand path, Serena tottering eagerly behind in his wake.* [ OOC: To be continued on the Path to Wolfenden...]
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