Wizard City Whimsy...or Worries?
(The Game World)
The skies echoed with the sounds of the Party's screams of terror, after their discovery. In all their adventures up till this point, the last thing they expected to come across was a body. However, once their initial panic finally waned, the Party noticed Lupa tapping her paws oddly against the head. "Ventris! Tell your pup to show some respect for the dead" Shadow thought with an outward annoyed squawk, "even vultures know better!"
Upon hearing the Kenku's thoughts, Lupa gave a light growl and tapped her paw against the head she found. After observing this for a moment or so, Ezra deduced that the pup was trying to tell them all something, something regarding their discovery. Using his ability to communicate with nature, he approached Lupa and asked what she wanted them to see.
"RUFF! Grr...The body, it too cold" yipped the Frost Wolf pup, "it smell weird, too!" When the spell ended, Ezra and his comrades chattered softly amongst themselves; trying their best to decipher Lupa's odd words. Eventually, Ventris approached the body and gave it a light tap with her staff.
Upon doing so, everyone heard a resounding metallic "thunk" each time Ventris touched it. "Strange" she murmured while eyeing the body intently, "this looks and feels much too thick to be any sort of armor I've come across." With a grunt of distressed annoyance, Ursa firmly reminded that this...thing that they found was, in fact a body.
But while this fact was certain, the same could not be said as to what kind of body it was. "It certainly doesn't look human we've seen" muttered Mituna, "even though it's built like one." The moment this statement was made, Fatima let out a sudden gasp of realization. When asked for answers; she explained how her father, while traveling, once met individuals who had a most unique talent.
"According to my father, he claims they were able to create what they called...automatons" Fatima stated, "strange beings made from all manner of things from wood to bronze." The other Party members gasped in surprise at this revelation before turning their collective attention back to the strange body. With such an idea in mind, everyone knelt closer to get a closer look.
"Your father's story may hold some salt, luv" Ezra stated, "only one problem...this thing appears to be made of more than simple wood or metals." Wanting to see it for herself, Fatima approached the body and went about rubbing her hand atop its chest area. That's when she felt something, a strange spark that sent an equally strange jolt through her arm; causing her to fall backwards.
The others quickly helped Fatima back onto her feet and asked what it was that hit her. "Nothing hit me, per se" she muttered softly, "I think that...whatever this is, it has some sort of energy stored within its form." This only seemed to make the rest of the Party more trepidatious than they were moments ago, but they ultimately decided to investigate the body further.
"Allow me, everyone" said Ventris, "my magic will be able to sense whatever powers this thing...as well as defend us, if need be."
(The Real World)
Back at the table, after giving an idea of what she intended to do, Lori went about shaking her D20 in her hands. After about five to eight seconds of doing so, she let the dice roll along the table; where it came to a stop just in front of Becky. "Okay, lemme see here" she murmured while leaning over the table, "looks like you got a...17!"
A light applause erupted from around the table, the other players looking rather pleased with Lori's roll. When the applause finally stopped, Lynn Sr. explained that the spark Fatima had felt was indeed some sort of magical energy. When he asked what the Party planned on doing next, Lucy stepped forward; offering to use her own magic to restore whatever power was in the body.
"ARE YOU OFF YOUR CHAIR, LUCE" Lynn cried in alarm, "I mean...I know you Goth Kids like raising the dead and all. But you don't know what this thing is or what it could do, if you recharge its battery...or whatever!" While she knew her older sister spoke the truth, Lucy felt her idea was the best course of action to take.
"Okay, we'll do it" Lola begrudgingly agreed, "but make no mistake...if that thing wakes up and kills our characters; it's all on you, Lucy!" Once the agreement was reached, the Game Masters went about describing the next scene with their usual flair. Meanwhile, not too far away, a certain bespectacled child dressed in a robot-like outfit could be seen quivering with excitement in her seat.
"Lookie here, everybody" Liam interjected, "lil' lady seems to got some ants in her pants, she's so jittery." While Lola grimaced and Lana beamed at the idea of having ants in one's pants, the Council knew the true reason for Lisa's behavior. However, they decided to hold their tongues on the matter; save the surprise for the others.
"Moving on; Ventris...after you and Shadow clasp each other by one hand, you place each of your free ones atop of the strange mechanical body" Mrs. Johnson explained, "the process takes almost a minute to do, of course." Upon hearing this, both girls couldn't help but imagine how tired their characters would feel after such a task; even if it lasted about a minute.
When it was over, the Council claimed that Leni's character could sense that the spark in the automaton had strengthened tenfold. After that, the Council went on to explain how the thing's eyes started glowing; as if showing small signs of life. "I suggest we all take a few steps back" Lynn said with a mildly anxious tone, "who knows what this thing will do when it wakes up!"
Lynn Sr chuckled at his daughter's words before proclaiming that the first thing the automaton does is stand up and scream. Of course, everyone realized they would have a similar reaction if they saw a group of strangers standing over them. "I'm afraid this is different, Adventurers" Huggins said in his Fastred voice, "but before that...young Lisa, care to tell us about your character?"
All eyes soon turned to the Loud Family's resident genius, who was smiling so wide that her face looked libel to freeze that way. Upon realizing her behavior, however; Lisa quickly calmed herself down with some deep breathing and placed her minifig on the table. Afterwards, she held her character sheet up as high as she could reach for all to see.
"I have been waiting weeks for this" she giggled madly, "prepare yourselves to meet...Bastion, the Warforged Wizard!" As Lisa stood proudly atop her seat, head held high and chest puffed out like a champ, the sounds of mild jeers swiftly caused her bravado to dampen slightly. At first, Lisa assumed the other players were mocking her, but they were crying "shenanigans" to her character's title.
"With all due respect, Sis; check your sheet again" Lynn stated, "you clearly didn't write Wizard...you put Artificer!" As if she expected this sort of response from her sister, Lisa cleared her throat and brought out the Monster Manual. Upon finding the page describing the Warforged, she pointed out that while not naturally skilled in magic like wizards and mages; Artificers place their power within their tools.
"She speaks the truth" said Rita in her Eliana voice, "such is the natural skill of all Artificers!" Naturally, some among the Loud Sisters were confused as to what an Artificer was and what they were capable of. This prompted the Council to tell all players to turn to the Artificer page of the Monster Manual.
Such a decree caused many of the younger players to groan, the Sisters among them. "Just read some of the basic parts, children" Mrs. Johnson said kindly, "particularly about their skills." Begrudgingly; everyone did as they were told, collected their manuals and started reading through the chapter. At first, the Loud Sisters (save for Lisa) looked rather bored until Lana came across the words "magical infusion" within the chapter.
When she asked for Lisa's input on it, she only offered an "educated guess;" something no one would expect to hear from her. "As I said earlier, Artificers don't have the same level of mystical prowess as other classes do" explained Lisa, "from what I read, they use what little magic they do possess to give infusions unto average, mundane items one finds off the floor or within one's home." Much like every other time they heard their sister go into "Science Mode," the other Loud Sisters felt utterly baffled (if not lost.)
Thus, the Council of Game Masters chimed in to offer a slight translation of Lisa's lecture. "What she means to say, dears is that Artificers can give random objects...a sort of upgrade" explained Mrs. Johnson, "a prime example of this is an iconic item used by many a player and in-game character...the Bag of Holding!" Upon hearing this, Lori quickly retorted the teacher's words by reminding/informing her how the item in question was already part of the game's world.
With a smile on her face, Mrs. Johnson proclaimed that while Lori's words were correct; Artificers had the skils to create their own Bag of Holding using nothing but random bags, sacks or purses they may find. "This is where the power of Infusions comes in" Lynn Sr. interjected, "they take the random item, put just a pinch of their power into it and Bingo, Bang-o, Bazing-o...you got yourself a new bag!"
For a moment or so, the girls sat in silent; their minds swirling with all the information they've just been told. After a while, Leni of all people was suddenly struck by realization. Could Lisa's character of Bastion be some sort of random item her character infused with her magic?
Straightaway, she presented this theory to the others and half of the players thought she had something. But Lisa quickly but politely interjected and told everyone that her backstory was a tad more...complex than that. "First, with the Council's permission, I would like to give a proper introduction to my character" she stated, "that is...if everyone else also approves?"
There was a brief silence at the table, save for a few whispers among the players, until everyone came to a unanimous decision. They all agreed to let Lisa divulge information on her character, so long as her explanation wouldn't take too much time. "I assure you, this will be quite swift" she assured, "but to help me, I require some assistance."
As if on cue, the doors of the Game Room suddenly burst open, and a stranger came walking (or rather, wheeling) inside. They were dressed in rather shoddy looking squire garments, a coif (or hood) and a leather belt around their waist. But when the other players caught sight of the figure's face and wheeled feet, they had a rather clear idea as to who this might be.
"What in the world are you doing here, Todd" questioned Lincoln, "and...how, exactly did you manage to get here on your own. In response to this; Todd held his arm out towards the window and, in his usual stiff tone of voice, replied "I hitched a ride." It didn't take long for everyone to realize the robot was pointing out towards the parking lot.
The question, however was what kind of "ride" did he have out there that would offer him a lift so far out of town? When everyone took a glimpse outside, they saw everyone's vehicles parked hither and yon throughout the lot; nothing out of the ordinary. That's when Lily saw something that made her eyes widen with glee.
With a gleeful giggle, she clapped her hands together and shouted "TOY CAR...TOY CAR" as loudly as she could. "Sorry, sweetie" Rita murmured kindly, "but I don't think there's a...toy car in the lot?!" Soon, all eyes turned towards the spot Rita was looking into. That's when they saw the familiar sight of a pink car with a smiling clown face parked alongside Vanzilla.
"What the...that's my princess car" Lola shrieked angrily, "you better not have dinged it on the way here, bolts for brains!"
(Line Break)
After a brief verbal lashing from Lola, five minutes later, Todd wheeled his way over to the table and asked for Lisa to hand over her character sheet. Upon doing so, the robot inserted into a slot he kept its chest. Then, he craned his neck slightly downward, and everyone could see a projection light shining through.
At first, Lisa half-expected everyone to cry out in alarm at this; getting too deep into character and proclaim "witchcraft" like a group of medieval peasants. But upon reading up on all available information about her character type and other elements of so-called "Arcanotech," Lisa discovered having Todd here wouldn't seem...too out of place. Plus, the Council (though, mostly her own parents and Pop-Pop) were gracious enough to let all this transpire under something called "Rule of Cool" within the game.
"Many thanks to all of you, my kinfolk especially" Lisa said gratefully, "Todd...kindly show them Bastion, please?" Todd saluted his creator, proclaimed "as you wish" in his usual robotic tone and projected an image of Lisa's character for all to see. To say the least, Lisa's drawing was a rather impressive sight.
"Despite their appearance, there is more to Bastion than meets the eye" explained the wee genius, "they are a magnificent construct that stands approximately 6'5, their body is made of a mix of iron and silver-plating and...well, I do not wish to spoil the grandest surprise regarding Bastion." Despite their curiosities being mildly piqued by their sister's words, the other Loud Sisters asked for her to get to the point of it all.
That's when the Game Masters chimed in and told them that all would be revealed "in due course." "For now, let us continue where we last left off" Rita said while drawing up her hood, "which involved the Party's spellcasters channeling their power through Bastion's chest."
(The Game World)
Despite every other instinct telling them to do otherwise; Ventris, Shadow and Fatima each placed their hands atop the automaton's chest. Afterwards, each of them softly recited a spell in their native languages; making certain not to overwhelm the thing with too much power (or to tire themselves out from using too much of it.) Meanwhile, the others stood to the side; readying themselves to strike if the machine intended to do so first.
The process of this lasted for almost three minutes and it looked as though the trio were on the verge of fainting. But then, there came an unusual sound from the mechanical being. Though soft, at first; it sounded like an unusual hum of some sort. Then, Lupa saw something that made every hair on her tail stand on end.
As the humming grew louder, the grassy mound seemed to be shifting slightly. This prompted Ventris, Fatima and Shadow to step back as swiftly as they could in spite of their exhaustion. "What the devil is going on" Ezra demanded, "what did you all do to that thing?!" Before anyone had the chance to answer, the grassy mound before them suddenly burst upward like an erupting volcano.
At the same time, everyone saw the automaton rising up from where it lay; stretching its limbs and creaking loudly from not being able to move for who knows how long. At first, Ventris seemed pleased by what she and her comrades had done. Yet she still felt uncertain as to what this thing was...and if she and her friends made the wise choice of restoring its life.
"So...Anyone want to go say hello" questioned Ezra, "and before anyone asks, I'm out." Ursa growled bitterly under her breath, clearly bothered by not only her brother's show of cowardice but also being so quick to "sacrifice" their lives. But before anyone could say another word, the automaton started moving about fearfully.
When its eyes finally set upon the Adventuring Party, its posture suddenly became somewhat apprehensive at the sight of them. "What...WHAT IS THIS" it demanded, "how did I get here, where are the others...and who are all of you?!" For a moment or so, not one of them dared to speak up; fearing that doing so would risk aggravating whatever this mechanical being was.
It wasn't until Fatima offered to approach it first, to show the thing they all meant no harm. "You have no reason to fear us, strange one" she stated, "I am called Fatima, my friends and I used our power to restore...whatever seems to give your form life." The mechanical being stood silent for what felt like ages before it finally rested its hand atop its chest.
This action caused a rainbow-colored light to emanate underneath the space where the thing's heart might be found...if it possessed one, of course. "I...Forgive me, my memories are still rather hazy" muttered the mechanical being, "I remember running into these woods, long ago. But from what...I cannot remember."
These words coupled with the being's strange behavior caused the Party's suspicions regarding it to grow ever higher. Not letting her guard down, Ventris approached the being next and asked for its name or if well it remembered where it originally came from. "As I said, I only possess vague memories of how I came to be here" muttered the automaton, "as for my name, I am a Warforge creation called...Bastion."
From there, the being known as Bastion told the Party everything it could recall of where it came from; such as it was. The most telling aspect of their story however, was the mentioning of Semora; the City of Wizards. "I was built there, long ago by my creator" Bastion stated, "she might still be there and can tell you the rest of my story, if believe I am lying."
Despite their apprehensions towards the Warforged being, the Party knew that someone or something in Semora was connected to their quest. Thus, they ultimately decided to bring Bastion back there; once they had dug out the rest of her body, of course.
(The Real World)
"With Bastion to guide you, you follow them to the city of Semora" explained Albert in his Karuk voice, "after half a day's travel, you reach your destination to find...nothing!" To say that this reveal left the Loud Sisters baffled would be a gross understatement, to say the least. Some of them felt genuinely confused like Lana, Lola and even Lily while Lori felt as though they had been cheated somehow.
But before any of them could voice their complaint, they saw their Pop-Pop raise his hand high; causing them to go silent on instinct. "As I said...you find nothing, no city or village of any kind" he stated, "all that lies before you is what looks like a circular stone space on the ground." Upon hearing this reveal, the Loud Sisters felt their hostility dampening before giving way to confusion.
Why would there be a patch of concrete in the middle of nowhere instead of a city? That's when they heard the Game Masters urge them into making Investigation Checks with their dice rolls. "What for, guys" questioned Luan, "there's nothing here to investigate or study." Huggins clicked his tongue softly at the young lady's response, shook his head and reminded her that nothing is as it seems in this game.
Not wanting to argue, the girls did as they were told and rolled their dice individually. "Alright, let's see what we got here" Lynn muttered while moving her trunk aside to look at the table, "I got me a...20! LUAN GOT ONE, TOO!
After this, the others took glances at their die and were met with equally pleasing results. Lola earned herself a 19, which later turned into a 21 thanks to her character bonus. Lana earned a 21 as well, as did Lily. As for Lori, Lucy and Lisa; each of them received the same roll result of perfect Nat 20s.
This led to the entire table erupting into a cacophony of joyful cheers. "I can't believe it, girls...all of you did so well on one turn" Lynn Sr. said joyfully with slight tears in his eyes, "I am...so proud!" Just as the scene was about to become more wholesome, Mr. Grouse interrupted it with a mildly irritable cough.
"Not to rain on your parade, everybody" he muttered, "but we're kinda in the middle of somethin' here!" Realizing that the old man had a point, the Game Masters quickly brought back the peace and started describing the next "scene" of the game. "After carefully examining the ground beneath you, you soon make a surprising discovery" Lynn Sr. explained in his Acheron voice, "you notice that there is a series of odd markings and symbols in the stonework but know not who or what carved it all."
After this, the girls turned their collective attention towards Lisa and asked if she (or rather, her character) knew anything about this. Without missing a beat, the lil' genius deduced that the markings were a collection of runic symbols; possibly made by whoever came to that place. "They are so much more than that, I'm afraid" Mrs. Johnson said wily with a grin, "as are with most of them, these particular runes are mystical in nature."
Without a second's hesitation; Lynn Sr clapped his hands giddily, reached for the small disc with the runes on the table and flipped a switch on its underside. This caused the thing to light up with a series of bright colors, each one for every rune. To say the least, this sight made Lily feel quite giddy.
After the demonstration, Lynn flipped the switch off and made his way back to his throne to continue the scene. "Why not have someone with mystic knowledge approach the runes" said the Loud Patriarch in his Acheron voice, "rather...why not let the three of you do so!" With these words, it didn't take long for Lori's group to realize that they were being directed towards her and Lucy.
But when asked who the third player was, everyone sounded off with "Lisa!" "But what help could I be in this situation" inquired the wee genius, "Bastion may have power...but it's nothing compared to true spell work!" While all of this was true, the Loud Parents reminded their daughter that the runes required a great amount of energy to activate them.
In which case, doing this required the most magically inclined members of the Party to do it. "I'd help but...I think my character's magic is more nature based" Lana said matter-of-factly, "so, that just leaves Lori, Lucy and you, Lise." With that, the three Sisters each took their die in hand and hoped for yet another successful role like before.
Upon letting them fly and looking at the numbers, they were mildly disappointed by the results; a 17 for Lori, a 15 for Lisa and a 16 for Lucy. "Now...hold on, girls! Don't discourage yourselves just yet" Rita stated, "remember, you add your 2 bonus points from Proficiency to whatever you rolled." Their hopes slightly rekindled, the girls did the math and realized their chances of success became mildly better but not by much.
Regardless, the Council came to the agreement that with all their characters' powers working in tandem; it was more than enough to activate the runes. "The three of you place your hands upon the floor and begin to recite your spells" Huggins explained in his Fastred voice, "you urge for the others to stand beside you before the magic activates." The moment this was said, the Council placed each of the eight Loud Sisters' minis atop of the small glowing pad and Lynn Sr. flipped the switch.
This led to everyone making a series of odd noises, as if trying to sound like a warp pad from an alien movie. When the Council gestured for everyone to stop, Rita rose from her seat and walked behind it to look for something; something she claimed would be for the next scene.
After about a three-minute wait, Rita returned to the table with a box in her arms. When she reached inside of the box, she presented a most amazing looking item; a floating castle. "You're close...it's actually a floating city" Rita said with a smile, "behold, players; Semora...the City of Wizards!"
(The Game World)
The Party gasped with a mix of shock and confusion; the moment they heard the runes humming. But before anyone could make even the slightest attempt to run, they were suddenly enveloped by a beam of light; which seemed to be coming from the ground beneath them. They fretted loudly for their safety as the light washed over every inch of their bodies.
But while much of the Party behaved as such, Shadow appeared relatively calm through it all. "How the devil can you be so collected, Kenku" Velra demanded, "if you know anything about this...speak!" With a light, outward caw, Shadow explained that the space they stood upon was something she called a "Transport Pad."
She claimed the magi of Semora used these things as a means of going in and out of the city. "Why in all creation would they create such a daft device" shouted Ursa while she floated/flipped in the air, "just what exactly are we dealing with!?" Just as it looked like Shadow was about to answer, the light around her and the Party swiftly dissipated.
Mere seconds after that, they suddenly and rather unceremoniously fell to the ground. Thankfully, it was only a slight drop and they were able to break each other's fall (while feeling extra thankful that Mituna fell first.) Upon collecting their senses, helping one another back up and dusting themselves off; the Party was met with a most astonishing sight.
Standing before them was a magnificent city, far more so than even Maravillosa itself. There were tall towers with spires made of alabaster stone, strange orbs that floated alongside these structures while giving off a bright light, houses and mountains that also appeared to be floating in midair, strange structures that appeared to be made of glass. But it was the people who seemed to capture the Party's collective interests the most.
All along the skyway; folk from all manner of species were whizzing by either on broomsticks, some form of flying staves and there even seemed to be students flying by with bird-like wings for arms. Others among them traveled about the city through other means; not by staves, wings or sticks but by some show of pure magical will. To say the least, this was all very mesmerizing especially for Ventris and Shadow.
Just then, one of the flying folk happened to spy them whilst traveling on her broomstick. She pulled hard on a set of reins that were tied 'round the front end, causing the thing to come to a screeching halt. "HO THERE, STRANGERS" she cried while her broom descended downward, "what business brings you to Semora? Outsiders aren't known to..."
The woman's train of thought slowly came to a stop, when she caught sight of the hooded Kenku within the group. Then, her expression became a mix of apprehensive yet fearful as a result. "So...You've come back again, Shadow" said the woman, "do you wish to make trouble like you did before?" The others grumbled softly with mild shock at the girl's tone while Shadow did her best to remain indifferent towards it.
As if sensing her friend's shift in mood, Fatima stepped forward and demanded that the girl apologize to her. "No, Tima...don't trouble yourself for my sake" Shadow murmured sadly through her circlet, "given what I have done here, I've more than earned such lashings." The Party stood silent while mentally processing their comrade's words.
While they were firmly aware of Shadow's mistaken experimentations on herself, such things couldn't nor shouldn't warrant such disdain from one's peers. "Whatever Shadow may have done before, she's more than repented from them" Fatima said firmly, "so, as her friend, I would appreciate it if you showed her proper respect!" While mildly put off by the half-djinn's tone, the girl did not wish to show any sign of this; least of all in front of Shadow.
At the same time, Fatima's words seemed to have caught the interest of other wizards flying about the sky. Feeling curious, half of them made their way down to see what was happening while the rest seemed to fly off to higher places. Meanwhile, the girl continued prodding the Party for answers to how they came to Semora.
"We were only searching for a city, luv" Ezra said coyly, "we did not expect to be teleported into the bloody sky!" With these words, the answer to how these strangers came to be here seemed much clearer to the young lady. Even so, she did not lower her guard for even a second around them.
"Be that as it may, Shadow...you caused us enough trouble the last time" she said firmly, "tell me your business here or I will..." Just then, a beam of green light shined down upon the girl and the Adventuring Party; freezing them in place. Yet while her muscles and eyes remained still, Ventris' eyes were able to glance slightly upward.
It was here that she caught sight of a stranger in green and gold robes with a hood that bore the image of a falcon's head. Under the hood, Ventris saw the face of a young yet stern woman with piercing green eyes, long, golden hair and a staff that appeared to be made of fine oak. Upon closer inspection, Ventris swore she saw vines wrapped around the woman's staff.
As she descended downward, the people below scrambled about while muttering worriedly. It was as if this woman terrified them all, the mouthy girl especially.
(The Real World)
Back at the table, Carol is seen giggling like a kid on Christmas as she places her game piece on the table. Naturally, this caused Lori's jaw to almost fall off her face, she was so surprised. "What? You thought that bratty student was me, Lori" jested the blonde teen, "nope, my character is an up-and-coming Archmage at the academy."
As expected, this reveal left Lori feeling more confused than she already was. This prompted both Carol and the Game Masters to help shed some light on the matter. "You see, young lady...in many worlds within the Fantasy genre, there's often a sort of hierarchy among magi" explained Mrs. Johnson, "Archmages are seen as the highest level of power in some cases."
Surprisingly, this information seemed to click with Lori; probably due to the use of the word "hierarchy" in it. Whether in High School, Fairway U or even at the house; Lori was more than familiar with the idea of a social hierarchy. At the same time, she looked at her own character's class and compared it to that of Carol's.
To say the least, she wasn't exactly happy about the differences between them. "Now, young Mage! You must remember...in the beginning, it was mentioned that your character was still in training" Lynn Sr. said in his Acheron voice, "as such, she still has a way to go to reach her full potential." In addition to this, Carol mentioned how she had been playing the game with everyone far longer than Lori had.
As such, it was natural for her character to reach a status level as Archmage; even if Carol technically wasn't one just yet. Still, Lori couldn't help but feel a sliver of déjà vu from that fact; thinking back to the days of their former (though somewhat one-sided) rivalry. Meanwhile, the Game Masters gave the floor to Carol and asked for her to share a bit of her character's backstory with everyone. "My character's name is Demetria Bright-Blossom" she stated, "she is among the few humans to come to Semora and study magic."
Feeling curious, Lily raised her hand/paw and asked (in her usual baby talk) how Demetria discovered she had powers. In response, Carol proclaimed that she was quite literally born to be a sorceress. "Her mother was a sailor, you see, and she went out on a voyage with her crew" she explained, "one night, a storm brews up and she was tossed overboard!"
The whole time she told the story, Carol performed a bit of pantomime to act out each scene. It was something she picked up on when she decided to help Dana babysit Chaz when she was younger. Surprisingly, it did very well in helping get her character's story across...perhaps a bit too well, when it came to the storm scene.
"But don't worry, the mother didn't die" Carol assured, "well...she almost did and so did the crew, had their ship not been spotted by someone on a nearby shore." At this point in her story; Carol told everyone about a group of Storm Wizards, people who had weather-based magic, that came to the crew's rescue. "Using a Wind Spell, these wizards carried the crew to their island's shores" Carol said emphatically while moving her hands, "where they nursed them back to health and later gave them a ship to sail safely home."
As fascinating as this story was, Lori was the first to proclaim it still didn't explain anything about her bestie's character. Unfazed by this, Carol smiled and urged for Lori to be patient. "In the time the storm wizard cared for the captain, the two grew rather close" she explained, "they laughed together, shared stories together about each other's exploits, told each other of the things they've seen and went about showing their skills with each other."
When it came to the nature of the third example, it didn't take long for Lori or her sisters to sense the subtle nuance in Carol's words. As such, even Lil' Lily couldn't help but blush a little. As if sensing their emotions, Carol let out a giggle and resumed speaking. "To make a long story short; after a while, the captain and the storm wizard married" she stated, "in time, they were blessed with a baby girl...yours truly."
Despite feeling pleased by the "fairy tale" style of the girl's story, it still did little to explain anything regarding Demetria's magic. "Oh, yes...thank you for telling me, everyone" Carol chuckled with embarrassment, "well...Demetria's powers first surfaced when she was a baby." Before anyone could ask, the young lady explained that the discovery happened one autumn night when her character got fussy.
As she started to cry, the wind outside a mighty gust of wind suddenly roared through the window, almost blowing the shudders off their hinges. "Both of Demetria's parents rushed out the room in alarm, while their baby remained in her crib" Carol explained, "but much to their surprise, the wind didn't alarm or hurt her in any way!" Naturally, such a statement caused quite the stir among the other players.
Some proclaimed Carol's character backstory sounded "pretty dang cool" so far, while others openly cried "shenanigans" to some elements in it. Among the latter was Lisa, who claimed that such strong winds would naturally blow over a child's crib. "This is true...but not so much for those who possess Storm Magic" Huggins said in his Fastred voice, "only specific spells would put such a youngling at risk."
When they were asked about examples of harmful storm spells; the Council listed names like Frost, lightning and hurricane. "Gasp! Your character's father must've been rather powerful, Carol" Lucy murmured, "whatever happened to him...or the captain?" The instant this question was presented, Carol's demeanor became slightly dower and the young Goth swiftly apologized for it.
"No...No, no! It's okay, Luce" the teen assured, "I just...as anxious as I've been to share my character's story, there are elements that actually leave me feeling pretty dang emotional." For a moment or so, no one spoke a word after that; perhaps everyone decided to give Carol a moment to gather herself accordingly. When she finally did speak up, everyone could see tears swelling up in her eyes.
"As the years passed, Mr. Bright-Blossom tried everything he could to help Demitria master her abilities" murmured the young teen, "but to no avail." When she was asked what happened to her character, Carol's next reveal shook even Lucy to her core. Due to the often-unstable nature of Demitria's powers, the High Magus Council of Semora approached her family and took her into their custody "for the foreseeable future."
"That's just code for 'forever', right" scoffed Lynn, "we're all thinking it!" Despite however crass the young lady's words seemed or the fact she spoke out of turn, Carol swiftly revealed that her assumptions were correct. This caused the likes of Lily, Lana, Lola and even Lisa to recoil slightly in alarm.
"What you just said, Carol...it sounds almost like what Judge Snapper tried to do after that trial" Lana murmured fearfully, "anyone remember that?" There was a light murmur of understanding from the players and Council, many of whom were present during the events in question. After being found guilty, Judge Agatha Snapper came dangerously close to having all eleven Loud Kids separated from their parents and each other.
Thankfully, she decided on the Summer Community Service sentence instead. Regardless, it was clear that the backstory for Carol's character hit rather close to home for the kids. "Wha happen next" Lily chirped softly, "wha happen to ya care'actaur?" After swiping the last of her tears away, Carol revealed that the next sixteen years of Demetria's life were spent studying, training and immersing herself in the mystic arts.
"The Council felt that Demetria needed endless amounts of study time, if it meant her powers could become less...shall we say, destructive" Carol said grimly, "she wasn't allowed to even go out and play with the other young students at the academy." With all this information in mind, Lori and her party soon understood exactly why Demitria Bright-Blossom didn't quite seem so...well, bright.
As if sensing her bestie's change in mood; Carol got up from her chair, walked over to where Lori sat and hugged her fondly. "Sorry for the sudden emotional roller coaster there, Lors" she said with a smile, "when you really get into character, there are moments when it can go...a liiiittle too far." This statement caused not only Lori to giggle but her other siblings as well.
(Line Break)
Following that moment with Carol's rather emotional character intro, the game continued; this time with another player to take center stage. All eyes watched with anticipation as Hildegard Matthews (more affectionately known among her friends as Haiku) rose from her seat and presented herself. Much like Lucy, Haiku was also dressed as a bird-like character; something the game called an Aarakocra.
"Hold up, dudes...wait a sec" Luna interjected, "Haiku's character's a bird thing, just like Lucy's...I thought we were supposed to keep our characters different." Instead of being upset with this inquiry, the Council and Haiku both nodded in understanding and asked for everyone to open their manuals. Upon reaching the page describing Aarakocra, Luna immediately noticed several key differences between them and Lucy's character.
The most notable one was the fact each species of Aarakocra had magnificent sets of wings. "Aww! Bogus" grumbled Luna, "I know Kenku have that curse thing goin' on...but why should other bird dudes have all the flying fun?!" In response; Huggins, while out of character, said that disability and shortcomings exist even within the realms of fantasy.
Despite however "bogus" this sounded, it was more than enough to satisfy Luna's concerns, and she beckoned for everyone to proceed. "Right...well, as I said, my character is an Aaracokra Mage; specifically, a more owl-like variation" Haiku stated, "she is a member of the Takara Owl Tribe that lived within the trees far off into the southern regions of the world." Feeling curious, Lucy asked why Haiku chose an owl as her character instead of something more "Goth-like" like she did.
"I always admired Owls" the young Goth said wistfully, "my Nanna told me a story of when she came upon a Snowy one while on a hike through Heathland Mur when my family and I visited her old home." Upon hearing this, Lynn Sr. couldn't help but gasp in awe; proclaiming how he wanted to visit Scotland someday. After that, Haiku whipped out her character sheet to reveal an owl-like humanoid with snow-white feathers, spindly legs, bulbous eyes that were black as pitch and a magnificent wingspan.
She was dressed in a hooded midnight-blue cloak with a red belt around her thin waist, had a jade ring wrapped around the third talon of her right foot and carried an Ashwood staff with a top carved in the shape of a crescent moon. "I may literally regret asking this" Lori murmured softly, "but...what is Saleek's specialty in terms of magic?" Instead of feeling offended, Haiku simply gave her (visible) eye a roll and proclaimed her character was a multi-class.
"Her main skill is Divination Magic; which revolves around fortune telling, mind-reading and other examples of the like" she explained, "but she a slight interest in Alchemy." After taking the young Goth girl's words into consideration, Lori felt that while Fortune-Telling magic seemed fitting for her; she questioned why she chose something like Alchemy for a magic user. "Potions have been used as a form of magic for centuries, young lady" Principal Huggins stated, "plus...such a skill meshes well with Saleek's Divination expertise."
When asked how such a combination worked, the Council referenced yet another school of magic found within both Dungeons & Dragons and the Fantasy genre as a whole...Enchantments. Simply put; Saleek, as Haiku put it, studied to perfect her skill in creating potions with a unique power. "With just a sip, Saleek's potions could give anyone who samples them a brief glimpse into the future" she explained, "someone like Flip...er, Bojan over there would certainly find profit in such skills."
No sooner had this been said, Flip (who was seconds away from double-dipping a Basilisk Wing into some hot sauce) looked towards the table and proclaimed "DON'T GIVE ME ANY IDEAS I CAN'T USE, BAT GIRL!"
(The Game World)
Time passed and the Party found themselves, once again being dragged along the streets of a city. This time, however; they were neither bound in shackles nor being transported via a slave wagon. Still, after learning that the strange Warforged, Bastion was among their company; they swiftly found themselves under heavy scrutiny by the townsfolk.
Then, after much persuasion from Demetria Bright-Blossom, it was decided that the outsiders would be brought to Drigmore Academy for further interrogation. "Question...what exactly is so special about this Drigmore place" whispered Velra, "and should we be worried?" Without a moment's pause, Bastion and Shadow revealed that it was Semora's school of magic and among one of the most prestigious institutions in the realm.
However, it was also revealed that this was the same institute that they were both "unceremoniously" removed from. "And with good reason" Demetria said scoldingly, "it's one thing for Shadow to put her own well-being at risk with self-experimentation...but you, Lady Safora went much too far with your own practices!" With this simple yet shocking reveal, the Party's collective gazes fell upon Bastion with firm glares aplenty while Lupa simply let out a threatening growl.
During the rest of the trek, Demetria decided to shed some light with them all regarding their new "comrade." "As I said...Lady Safora Featherwhyle was once a professor at Drigmore Academy" she stated, "one of the best...before her hubris got the best of her." Using the power of her staff, Demetria conjured what looked like a small orb of light and handed it off to Ventris.
Upon closer examination, she and the rest of the Party could see images playing out within the orb. They showed what looked like an elderly woman with long, disheveled brown hair, a set of spectacles with rather thick lenses, an elderly face with a crazed expression despite her layers of wrinkles and was dressed ina rather shabby green cloak. She appeared to be in some sort of room, presumably her former quarters at Drigmore.
Yet even with the evidence presented, the Party remained rather skeptical. "This doesn't quite add up with Bastion's story, luv" said Ezra to Demetria, "they told us that their creator built them from scratch n' scrap." Following this, the druid added how he came to find Bastion's body lying motionless in the forest down below.
The moment their "spark" was reignited, the Warforged proclaimed they had only small snippets of memory within their head. They knew nothing about a crazy old witch named Safora Featherwyle. "So you say, stranger" Demetria grumbled, "so you say." After that, she had not spoken another word throughout the remainder of the walk; save for a small set of instructions she passed along to their escort.
Said escort was a member of the city guard, a centauride/centauress with the skills of a warlock named Zosime Springmarch. Despite her (in Velra's words) wispy physique, she looked like someone who should not be underestimated. Zosime's torso was elf-like in appearance with her pointed ears, light-green complexion and spindly arms. Her horse half looked none the better either, standing about as tall as a mare and her tail had a most unusual braid.
Yet no one dared mention any of these observations to Zosime's face upon meeting her. Despite her stature and somewhat unimposing appearance, her skills with spells and the ways of the blade more than made up the difference. "Fair warning again, outsiders" Zosime said gruffly, "should any of you dare move improperly...well, there's a new hex I learned that I've been wanting to test on someone."
The threat, while mild, was more than enough to silence the Party as they did their best to keep up with their escort. Overtime they had reached their destination; the great gates of Drigmore Academy.
(First AN: Once again, the Party finds themselves in a dilly of a pickle; only because they were helping someone in need no less. Why do the wizard folk of Semora seem so apprehensive, what could Bastion or...as the game revealed, Safora Featherwhyle, have done that led to her being kicked out of the city and moreover, will anyone here find it in their hearts to aid the Party in their quest?
Tune in next time to find out)
(Second AN: I know some people following the story may look at how things progressed and wonder "how long till the girls reach the end of the campaign"? It's to them I ask...clearly, you've never played D before; most campaigns can last for months while others take years to finish! Rest assured, though; the girls are getting close to the midway point)
(Third AN: For those who've seen/read my Character Names and Fanon Voices "chapter" way back, you'll have probably noticed I used Lisa's VA as the same one for her character. The reason being is the fact Lisa modeled Bastion and to a lesser extent, Safora Featherwhyle a little bit after herself. So, I figured having the same voice play the same character would make sense.
The only differences between the two is...Safora's an insanely eccentric old woman with magic. Now, just imagine Lisa during her questionable moments while picturing her and you'll get the idea)
(Fourth AN: There are a couple of references to other media sprinkled in here. For example, Safora's last name of Featherwhyle is from Disney's Owl House; which is the same last name of Luz and Amity's favorite author, Mildred Featherwhyle. Speaking of, Haiku's character combining Divination Magic with Alchemy/Potion Making is another Owl House reference; namely to the character of Barcus.
Another reference to an iconic piece of media can be found in the stone floor with the runes Lori's party used to travel to Semora. Some of you may connect it with the Star Trek franchise while others may think it's more similar to that of the Gem Warp Pads from Steven Universe. Either one is an acceptable idea though, personally I was thinking more along the lines of the latter one.
The third reference is the place Haiku said she hiked with her Nanna in, Heathland Mur. It's a place from the Simpsons episode entitled "Ae Bonny Romance" and I thought it sounded like somewhere Fiona McNair would go to while visiting home in Scotland. Speaking of, the final reference comes in the form of Lynn Sr. expressing interest in visiting the country himself someday.
I bet it won't take long for people to tell what that's pointing to and for those wondering...NO! Since this fanfic and my Gal Pals stories are connected as well as being slightly separate from the show's original continuity, the events of a certain movie are not canon here...yet)
(Final AN: For those unfamiliar with Dungeons & Dragons...no. Warforged are not a form of robots, they're something entirely different. But because of their slightly sci-fi appearance and history, I thought such a character fit Lisa like a glove; that and the Artificer class. Sadly, I don't quite understand how their abilities work.
Feel free to share some concepts about either Warforged abilities or Artificer abilities in your reviews or PMs, if you know anything. Thank you in advance)