Seaside

Locales abroad of the city centers, from out of doors to the outer planes.
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Earl of Purple
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Re: Seaside

Post by Earl of Purple »

Crab Survey

"And what of this one? If you expect her to cross the bridge again, please have a second, third and fourth thought until you decide otherwise. This one doubts it will take five or more." She's going to have a hard time killing mudcrabs for Tristan to dissect if there's no mudcrabs. She could just drop the quest since she knows now where to find her sister, which she'll do instantly if Tristan asks her to cross the bridge again.
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Re: Seaside

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Off the Coast

"Your crew is contemplating whether they should do something for these people. And whether they should wake you about. That point is obviously moot." rumbles the minotaur, already tired of this man's irritability. What the ship decides to do isn't really his business but he has nothing else to do at the moment.
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Re: Seaside

Post by Ironsmith »

Earl of Purple wrote: Feb 08, 2023 12:33 pm Off the Coast

"There be a ship, lookin' t' be in trouble. I don't see signs o' wreckers, so I be thinkin' it be legit issue. Coast looks deserted, too. Not th' spot I'd have picked f'r wreckers." In the UK at least wreckers worked mostly in areas where there weren't large ports or harbours, a way for smaller coastal communities to get their hands on imported luxuries when they were beginning to get left behind by the Age of Sail and Industrial Revolution.
Keeper wrote: Feb 09, 2023 3:37 pm Off the Coast

"Your crew is contemplating whether they should do something for these people. And whether they should wake you about. That point is obviously moot." rumbles the minotaur, already tired of this man's irritability. What the ship decides to do isn't really his business but he has nothing else to do at the moment.
[Off the Coast]

"...Hm." The captain lowers his spyglass and stares ahead for a moment, before coming to a decision. "Stay the course. And keep me apprised of their movements; if they need our help, we'll still know well before we reach them."

-

A few hours later, the ship is much closer, to the point where Frigate and Krayger won't need spyglasses to see it or what's happening on board. Though it's still too dark outside to make out too many details, there will be one somewhat-conspicuous item of interest.

Namely, despite the signals they saw earlier, the ship appears to be deserted. There's no crew on the main deck and no sign of any activity on board at all.

"Gentlemen." The captain indicates Krayger and Frigate. "I'm sending a few of my men aboard to have a look around below deck. You are to accompany them and make sure they make it back in one piece. Are we clear?"
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Re: Seaside

Post by Earl of Purple »

Off the Coast

"Aye, I unnerstand, Cap'n." Frigate really hopes they don't drop him during the transfer, in either direction. He'd live, but... He doubts the captain would stop the Locura de Adan to pick him back up again, even if he did find his way ashore pretty quickly. Which isn't guaranteed, given how hard it is to see land from the bottom of the sea.
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Re: Seaside

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Off the Coast

”Sounds fine, Captain. As long as there’s room for all of us.”
Naturally Frigate might need his own boat. Krayger isn’t sure how much weight the little boats can hold. He doubts they’re going to pull the ship alongside the other ones close enough to board.
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Re: Seaside

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Morty wrote: Feb 07, 2023 9:03 pm [The Coast]

It seems Megeshi was right. These people do practice dragon-worship. Askeladd examines the painting closely, but subtly, his eyes peering behind the material plane. All the while, he seems to stand taller and more imposingly, wordlessly radiating power and authority.

"I come to speak for the dragon who now lives off your coast. She wishes to assure you that she is not a threat."
[The Coast]

This painting is indeed more than just a painting and yet it is also just that. Since there are technically no enchantments on it. It has simply been painted with such extraordinary skill that the painting has become more than just an illusion of a dragon. Though is what seems to be peering back from the painting the actual dragon that once was here or is it a mimicry of it in painting form? He cannot tell but just as he seems to be studying it the painting seems to be studying him.

The priest smiles as he sees how Askeladd is studying the painting. "I cannot tell you how glad we are to hear that. As you can see-" He gestures at the painting. "-we already have one dragon watching us and I think that's quite enough." He let's out a small chuckle and the ease he handles this with seems to spread among his congregation who have until this point have been at the edge of their seats. Sometimes literally.

Many of them still stand as stiffly as statues but he can now see a few of them at the very least smile a bit.

"But it's an amazing work of art, no? We get quite a few visitors coming here just to see it. It's the only one of Ramias works that have remained within her hometown so it's something of a town treasure."
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Re: Seaside

Post by Ironsmith »

[Off the Coast]

As it turns out, there is.

Though it takes more than one trip from Sally's Right Hook to the abandoned ship, Krayger, Frigate, and the trio of crewmen they're escorting will find themselves up against the side of the stranded ship, which doesn't move as they climb aboard. Up close, they'll both be able to confirm, also, that there are indeed no crewmen running around on the deck of the ship; not a soul comes out to greet them, nor are there any other people visible from the new, onboard angle.

Frigate will likely note a couple of further oddities with this ship; it doesn't bob in the water as one would expect, standing perfectly still despite the ocean moving around it. The anchors on both sides have been dropped, implying the ship was pinned here on purpose. Despite the blisteringly cold wind blowing through, the sails only sway gently in the breeze, unaffected by the occasional strong gust that is typical of weather at sea. And the hatches that lead down into the lower decks are all closed and barred, as though attempting to prevent anything down below from getting out onto the main deck.

Krayer, meanwhile, will notice a bizarrely musty scent in the air, pervading the ship but with no obvious source. He'll also occasionally receive the harsh smell of unwashed bodies, again with no obvious source, but an all-too-familiar cause.
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Re: Seaside

Post by Earl of Purple »

Off the Coast

"I be not likin' this. She should be rockin' more'n she is, e'en wi' both anchors down. An' the sails ain't billowin' like I'd expect wi' this wind." This close to the shore especially there should be some give with the anchors, unless it's high tide and the anchor ropes are the perfect length. There's also the hatches being battened down, which is hopefully enough of a bad sign that Krayger also picks up on it. The sinkable sailor's going to check for any skiffs, whaleboats, life rafts or other dependent vessels that should be present, especially if they aren't.
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Re: Seaside

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Off the Coast

Krayger holds out his hand and with a boom a long lucerne hammer. Sparks fly momentarily from the head.

"It almost looks like a quarantine. Could be an outbreak that they tried to contain. It's possible that opening it could be a very bad idea."
Like zombies. Krayger hates zombies.
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Re: Seaside

Post by Morty »

[The Coast]

"It is indeed quite the masterpiece." It's not really flattery on Askeladd's part. The painting really is something to behold. "The dragon I spoke to has no wish to be worshiped or revered in any fashion. She wants only to have a neighborly relationship with you. I take it Ramia is a famous artist who lived here once. Were dragons a common inspiration of hers?"
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Re: Seaside

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[Off the Coast]

The sailors that came over with Frigate and Krayger all jump at the sound of the hammer appearing; a sudden indication of a previously-unseen storm is not something to take lightly while at sea. Once the source of the sound is clear, though, the men collectively settle back down, mumbling curses under their breath.

Off the side of the ship, there's a sudden splash, the sound of something large hitting the water... a barrel, maybe, or perhaps a crate. Nothing so large as a lifeboat but definitely something too big to carry by hand.

Frigate's investigation will turn up showing all the secondary vessels still present, but tied into the pulley system and ready to go; the empty ship can be evacuated at any time. Theoretically.
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Re: Seaside

Post by Earl of Purple »

Off the Coast

"It be not evacuated. All th' longboats be still here. If'n th' crew did abandon ship, they went someway else." So it doesn't seem likely to Frigate. And then Krayger suggests it's being quarantined and the vessel's alert is to warn people to stay away! So Frigate sits down, then leans back so he's lying down and looking at the masts and flagpoles. He's going to see if there's a yellow flag; that's the one that should be flown, if disease had struck. He'll also notice any other flags that may be flying, and perhaps know how to interpret them as well.

All Earl knows, however, is 'yellow' means disease, a personalised roger identifies a particular band of pirates and that the other vessel should surrender, red is 'no quarter' and the other vessel will fight until the other ship has no crew (rarely flown, pirates used it when their prey fought back) and white is surrender.
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Re: Seaside

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[Beyond the Reaching Sky]

Usually getting invited to the beach by a boy meant something was up.

But Khannie... she's pretty sure that's not what's going on here.

Not after how upset Mary was.

She learned very, very clearly from her friend that Kol wasn't interested in Mary. Maybe not interested in... anyone. So Khannie is wondering if maybe he's kind of like her uncle. Into tiny plastic models. Not romance. Which... kind of makes her wonder why Kol is wanting her to meet him out at the beach. Not for a romantic walk, that's for sure. Something about dragon stuff?

Probably something about dragon stuff.

Granted, even if it IS about dragon stuff Khannie isn't sure why he would want HER help. Mary's a dragon for real. Or at least as much as a shape-shifter can be for real anything. Khannie can do some pretty slick tricks with her shadow illusions, of course. Her human girl body is an illusion, after all. And she can still do the faewild dragon illusion just as easily. Fortuna's dumb prank is still burned into her mind.

But she isn't a REAL dragon.

So why call her out here?

Oh well. Maybe all she can do is wait?

Khannie is sitting on a park bench on a short bluff overlooking the sea, kicking her feet and eating a peanut butter and (habanero) jelly sandwich.
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Re: Seaside

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[The Coast]

The priest glances at the painting. "Ah, not exactly. This one is a commission of sort actually. Bit of a town legend in fact if you're interested in local history. Or perhaps your dragon is?"
Assuming that Askeladd says yes, since Megeshi is indeed curious, he goes on.

"The dragon you see in the painting once lived in Tojin's Tooth too, the sea stack your dragon lady moved into. To say it wasn't the best neighbor would be an understatement. It harassed the people daily. Even ate some people too, supposedly, but I'm not sure how true that is. Anyway, but then one day a wanderer came to town. A mysterious woman with green hair who claimed that she knew a way to make the dragon go away. She proposed that the best way would be to stroke its ego. She must have been quite convincing since after that Ramia painted not one but two portraits of the dragon, showered him will all kinds of gifts and even renamed the sea stack after him. I'm not sure how any of those things would make the dragon leave but that he did apparently." He gestures to the painting. "And that's all we have left of him now."
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Re: Seaside

Post by Rebonack »

[Crab Survey]

Let's go it is!

But not before the khajiit has questions to ask.

"Well, there shouldn't be any mudcrabs on this side of the river,"
Tristan admits. "I'm not quite sure what else I would have for you to do. This was a pretty simple fetch quest after all. There was still one more mudcrab nest I wanted samples from but... I guess that can wait. My partner and I were planning on taking a bit of a hike and marking more burrows. That shouldn't be very hazardous, but I've got to admit things have been a bit... surprising today."

Wow is that an understatement.

It's like cosmic forces are conspiring to make this trip eventful or something.

It SHOULD have just been a simple wildlife survey.

But there's no way it's going to be.

Especially since Jade takes about three paces before stepping right in the middle of what is, certifiably, the smallest faerie circle ever. A tiny little ring of fragrant yellow flowers. Which results in her immediately being beset by irate pixies. Tiny little creatures with damsel fly wings and similar yellow flowers for hats.
"Hey! What's the big idea, fatty!"
"Yeah, stomping around with your fat giant feet!"

They immediately begin buzzing around her head like a batch of insect-sized pests.
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Re: Seaside

Post by Morty »

[The Coast]

"That does strike me as more likely to induce the dragon to stay and receive gifts in exchange for staying its hunger." He's seen this many times over in Creation. "Did this woman give a reason for involving herself in this matter?"
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Re: Seaside

Post by bc56 »

Crab Survey
It's almost like the fae are out to get Tristan and Jade.
Which, given their histories, they very well may be.
Jade is suddenly surrounded by pixies. "Hey, cut it out!" They should know better than to mess with a Kumiho, but then again, pixies aren't known for their intelligence. She swats at them with her arms.
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Re: Seaside

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Ironsmith wrote: Feb 21, 2023 10:28 pm [Off the Coast]

The sailors that came over with Frigate and Krayger all jump at the sound of the hammer appearing; a sudden indication of a previously-unseen storm is not something to take lightly while at sea. Once the source of the sound is clear, though, the men collectively settle back down, mumbling curses under their breath.

Off the side of the ship, there's a sudden splash, the sound of something large hitting the water... a barrel, maybe, or perhaps a crate. Nothing so large as a lifeboat but definitely something too big to carry by hand.

Frigate's investigation will turn up showing all the secondary vessels still present, but tied into the pulley system and ready to go; the empty ship can be evacuated at any time. Theoretically.
Off the Coast

"Sorry. I'll warn you next time." Krayger tells the sailors.
He doesn't have a lot of nautical knowledge so he doesn't have much further insight about what could have happened. He goes over to the side of the ship and looks over the rail, searching for the source of the splash.

Beyond the Reaching Sky

Kol arrives shortly in his usual form of a large purple dragon. With a bag slung around his neck! Not that it will help much; his paws aren't really designed for fishing around in bags.
"Hi Khannie. Thanks for coming out here. Um. Did you have a nice trip here?"
Small talk is kind of hard when you're towering over the other person.
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Re: Seaside

Post by Ironsmith »

[Off The Coast]

Frigate will see, at the top of the mast... no flag whatsoever. No indication of this ship's allegiances, no sign of their intentions, and of course, no indication that they'd stumbled onto a plague ship. However, with his head that much closer to the deck, he'll be able to hear something going on below them; a metallic rattling sound, like what one might expect to hear when knocking a number of shopping carts together, along with muffled voices, mumuring something as urgent as it is unintelligible.

Krayger, meanwhile, will discover the source of the splash... sort of. He'll see where, on the water, the splash took place, but no indication of what caused-

"Help! Help! Man overboard!"

Oh, look, there he is. A raggedly-dressed sailor who is just barely managing to tread water, despite its relative calmness. He doesn't seem to have seem Krayger yet, and is still screaming out for help in between mouthfuls of saltwater and the subsequent coughing and gagging.
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Re: Seaside

Post by Rebonack »

[Beyond the Reaching Sky]

Small talk is definitely harder when you're huge.

Small bags that you can't get inside of are also harder when you're huge. Khannie briefly wonders what it's for. A change of clothes if he turns human, maybe?

Anywho!

Khannie replies to the question with a shrug.

"Not too eventful. I just took Riftline as far as I could and walked the rest of the way. Y'know one of my friends always seems to have weird stuff happening to her when she takes Riftline? I used to use it, like, every single day and it was always just sorta boring."

Sorta boring is probably ideal for train rides.

"So what's the plan? You didn't just have me meet up for a walk on the beach or something."

She's pretty certain of that one.
Last edited by Rebonack on Feb 28, 2023 4:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Seaside

Post by Earl of Purple »

Crab Survey

"Then this one shall depart, seeking her sister. Good luck to you, enjoy your crab. Weirdoes." The khajiit bows and turns to leave, though she can be stopped if either character wants to hire her for something else.

She'll find a way around that bridge even if she doesn't want to be on this side of the river. She doesn't have anything else to give the troll.

Off The Coast

"Nay, it be not plague. Or if it do be plague, they not be warnin' others away like what they should. They got no flags flyin', which be... odd. I mislike it. Also, there be somethin' below, rattlin' and murmerin'." Frigate hopes the vessel isn't a slaver; that'd be all kinds of wrong and he doubts their employer would be willing to ferry any victims to where they can be safe.
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Re: Seaside

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Off the Coast

"Man overboard!" Krayger calls. He's not going to risk lowering the lifeboat for the man as he's entirely confident he could do that properly and without accidentally smashing him to pieces.
For now, the most doable and efficient option is to try to throw the man a line, which Krayger does. Throwing rope is at least something he knows how to do without sailing experience.

Beyond the Reaching Sky

"Well. I'm here to try to practice my flying. And I wanted advice and help from someone who isn't going to tell me 'oh but it's natural just do it' and isn't..."
Isn't bawling her eyes out in her room right now.
Seriously, Mary seems to still be avoiding him. He doesn't get it. Isn't her mom the demon queen of curtainous activities or something? Could she really not tell? Everyone tells him that he's oblivious so that implies that it's supposed to be easy for people other than him!
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Re: Seaside

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Morty wrote: Feb 24, 2023 6:30 pm [The Coast]

"That does strike me as more likely to induce the dragon to stay and receive gifts in exchange for staying its hunger." He's seen this many times over in Creation. "Did this woman give a reason for involving herself in this matter?"
[The Coast]

"I don't know actually. There are some versions of the story that claim the villagers back then paid her handsomely, in one way or another, for the deed but the actual account which its based on don't actually mention if she was even paid or not. It's possible that the magistrates back then tried to hide just how much they had given to a person who were from all accounts a drifter for a problem they couldn't solve themselves. But that's just speculation on my part."

The priest smiles. "It's a quite peculiar story that one. Doesn't really make all that much sense when you think about it. But I guess it shows just how desperate they might have been back then trusting this stranger to solve their problem."
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Re: Seaside

Post by Rebonack »

[Beyond the Reaching Sky]

PROBABLY no bawling.

But Khannie and Mary DID talk about it. They're teenage girls of course they talked about it. And in Mary's defense she doesn't have some sorta lewd sense. At least not in so far as Khannie is aware.

"Oh, is that it? I woulda thought they would have covered that in, like, remedial dragoning or whatever that class you were taking is called," Khannie reasons before giving a shrug. "I mean, I guess. I still remember all that... stuff from Fortuna's prank. And even if I didn't I know what it feels like when Maridia flies if I really focus on her. My dragon-illusion's wings are kinda different from yours but I guess the basics are still sorta the same?"

That said?

Khannie turns black. Like a girl-shaped shadow sort of black. And then the girl shape begins warping as more shadows are peeled away from several of the large boulders dotting the sandy beach, swirling into her like water down a drain. She gets bigger! But not much bigger. And dragon shaped! But definitely WAY more dragon shaped. Then color and texture resolve to reveal one faewild dragon sitting on her haunches.

"Okay. Uh... What do you know so far?" Khannie asks, spreading her own iridescent wings that shine and flash in the bright winter sun. "Like, what have you tried?"
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Re: Seaside

Post by Ironsmith »

[Off the Coast]

"Waaaaaaaaah!"

It might occur to Krayger, after he's thrown the rope, that it really didn't feel very much like a rope. Not unless the rope in question had a soft, squishy exterior and was wrapped around something hard and boney. It was oddly heavy for a rope, too; in fact; if Krayger has ever gotten far too annoyed at someone for their own good, he might recognize the feeling of grabbing someone by the leg and bodily hurling them into the ocean.

splash!

"Ah, to home with it. Get 'em, lads!"

The sails and rigging overhead the mercs and their charges seem to shimmer as four dozen or more batlike wings unfurl from them, their owners emerging from their previously-invisible state to descend on the group. They're all dressed like the man who fell overboard, in raggedy, vaguely naval-themed attire, with numerous eyepatches, hooks, and peg legs between them. The men themselves all seem to have classic fiendish features; horns growing out of their heads, spade tails, large, leathery wings, and as they get closer, pointed claws and teeth. They form a ring around the company and draw a number of eclectic weapons, from swords to hatchets to harpoons to blunderbusses to- dear lord, that man is using an anchor.

The ring won't last long, though. A pair of sword-wielding pirates rush in ahead of everyone else, taking swings at Krayger and Frigate, respectively.
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Re: Seaside

Post by Rebonack »

[Crab Survey]

Tristan waves farewell to the girlcat just in time for Jade to be assaulted by the buzzing menaces!

"Then stop stepping on our ring with your dumb giant fat feet!"
"Yeah! Go be ugly and clumsy somewhere else!"

It's at about this time that Jade wings one of the pixies, which causes it to crash into the sand. Almost immediately the tiny fae is beset upon by a hungry tiger beetle, the predator grabbing the fairy in its fierce mandibles before scurrying away.

At that sight the pixies pause their harassment of Jade to jeer at the fallen pixie.

"Haha! Did you see that dope get clobbered?"
"She's getting eaten by that big beetle what an idiot!"

With the pixies apparently distracted Tristan begins shuffling around their rather lopsided ring of yellow dune flowers.
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Re: Seaside

Post by bc56 »

Crab Survey
Jade takes advantage of the pixies' distraction to get out of there, quickly. She's very fed up with this nonsense, and she gives Tristan an aggrieved look. At least the pixies aren't calling him "Plum." They don't seem to have realized who they're talking to.
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Re: Seaside

Post by Morty »

[The Coast]

"Such is the nature of stories. The details blur and grow obscured." Askeladd nods. "The way in which it happens can tell us much about the priorities of those who tell them. But regardless, the appearance of the new dragon shouldn't affect your traditions. Do you have any concerns you'd like me to share with her?"
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Re: Seaside

Post by Earl of Purple »

The Coast

Oh, not slavers. They're demons like the lot at Hell Bend. Cool, Frigate can handle this. Which is why he's totally ignoring the sword being swung at him as he stands back up again. Unless the sword's enchanted or the demon wielding it is incredibly strong, it likely won't be able to harm him. Frigate is very durable, and has taken a cannonball to the chest before now.

If the demon's strong enough and has good timing, he might be able to keep Frigate down by pushing him off-balance as he stands back up. His neck can't bend, only twist, so he's unusually vulnerable right now.
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Re: Seaside

Post by Rebonack »

[Crab Survey]

Yep!

Just keep walking.

Just scoot around that sand dune there and get out of the line of sight of the pixies and they will probably completely forget about our heroes. After all, pixies are very small and they can only hold a few thoughts in their tiny heads at once. Just distract them with something else and they won't be worrying about you anymore!

"There's way more faerie activity out here than I was expecting," Tristan comments, his tone worried. "None of the surveys of the area I read mentioned anything about it. Maybe this is a new development?"

He's honestly got no idea.

But!

Our heroes immediately stumble onto a new problem.

Not for them, though.

There's a woman standing between a pair of dunes, sweeping the little valley with a home-made broom. Even from this distance it looks like she's in some sort of trance.

Enchanted, maybe?
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