Rescued from a Fall
A08: Northern Banks of the Tornmawr
It's Ceriday, Daeshen 08 22:47:03 1020. The full moon is up. The tide is low and rising. A chilly wind blows from the west, driving dark clouds before it and blotting out the stars in patches overhead. The air is clear and elsewhere they glitter brightly in the dark sapphire sky.
Ga'Elian is standing, gazing out over the river, seemingly lost in thought as his cloak billows out in the strong night wind. Sitting beside him, the griffon Erithamiel gnaws happily away on the carcase of some large beast, now mangled completely beyond recognition. Traffic flows sporadically upon the massive bridge overhead, but the sound of creaking wagon wheels and the clip clop of hooves on cobblestones filters down to the riverbank.
Sevanon walks down the steps with what appears to be a wax paper sheet filled with crepes. He walks along the riverside, occasionally folding one up and taking a bite. He spots Ga'Elian, and raises his hand to wave in greeting. "Hail," he tells him. "How much does your companion eat?"
Ga'Elian looks over and smiles in recognition. He replies, chuckling, "At least a horse's worth a couple times a day." How are you this fine evening?"
Vera makes her way way down from the bridge onto the banks of the river, her tell-tale tinkling warning anyone before she could truly be seen in the darkness.
"Looking for excitement before it comes to me," Sevanon admits, moving to sit against a tree trunk. "With tribulation comes inspiration, after all." He hears the bells of the Bard, and calls out to her, "Hail!"
Vera recognizes the voice down by the banks as none other than her travelling companion! Her pace quickens and she makes her way over to the two elves and the griffin, and plops down rather close to Erithamiel, trying to nuzzle up to the griffin but not in a way as to be obtrusive.
Ga'Elian smiles at Vera as her jingling announces her approach. Erithamiel starts purring and wagging his tail when she settles beside the beast. Ga'Elian laughs and says, "He always attracts the ladies." Just then, a scream from the bridge high above.
Vera's eyes dart to the bridge and then to Ga'elian "Did you hear that!" she musters, jumping to her feet. "I wonder if everything's okay up there!"
Ga'Elian is already snapping around to look when the echo of the scream hits. A person falls over the guardrail and barely manages to grab a tentative hold on the masonry - with one hand. Ga'Elian removes his quiver, unclasps his cloak and tosses it and his shoulderbag and hunting horn down, and in a moment, is off and running down to the river, kicking off his boots along the way. By the time his feet touch water, which isn't long in coming, the person has let go and is plummetting to the current below.
Vera pulls some quick thinking and nudges Erithamiel, pointing to the scene. Spur of the moment, and without much thought to consequence, she hops on the griffin's back. "Lets go friend I'll give you dried apricots if you help rescue them!"
Sevanon's instinct is to stand up, set his crepes aside, and clutch his holy symbol. "Vaire," he calls in sil, "Bring beauty into this world to save a life!" Within moments, a light shines up from the bottom of the Tornmawr, ahead of the current, and a Celestial Octopus surfaces! Her mighty rainbow tentacles emerge from the water, preparing to catch the poor fellow who fell in and bring him to shore.
GAME: Sevanon casts Summon Monster II. Caster Level: 3 DC: 16
Rousing the griffon's attention away from his venison buffet takes a few moments, and although he occasionally carries other passengers, it is almost always with his companion at the reins. In a moment, though, he gets up and is bounding off over the water.
As the person falls, Ga'Elian draws near to the... octopus! By the time he realizes what just happened... SPLASH!
Vera clutches the simple leather seat for dear life as the griffon takes off. A yelp escapes her lungs but is lost in the rush of the wind.
Now Sevanon rushes to the riverbank, waiting to see what will happen with bated breath.
A crowd has now gathered at the bridge's rail, leaning over to try to see what happened. Meanwhile down below, the octopus grabs the fallen person, who has either fainted or been rendered unconscious, or perhaps was unconscious already and fell as a result of it. Who know now? Such things can wait to be figured out until she is safe on the riverbank. The octopus also tries to grab the elf, but he wriggles away and instead swims back to the bank, the octopus following. Once back in the shallows, he speaks something, and the celestial animal allows him to bring the woman ashore.
Vera, not particularly used to being in the air, has lost all focus on the scene and is still just clinging onto the griffin for dear life, her face nestled into the back of the majestic creature's neck.
Once the unconscious person is properly on shore, Sevanon will reach down, clutch his holy symbol, and attempt to touch the woman in an effort to heal any injuries this whole ordeal might have given her.
GAME: Sevanon casts Cure Light Wounds. Caster Level: 3 DC: 15
The crowd on the bridge cheer and applaud at the rescue, and some even get distracted watching the griffon soar past then bank left along the river where he levels off. Ga'Elian smirks and says, "I wasn't expecting that octopus. Was that you, Sevanon?" The woman revives instantly as soon as the spell is cast, and spends the next moment trying to get her bearings. She asks "What happened? Where am I? Who are you?"
Veradismounts Erithamiel rapidly as soon as the griffin has touched down and stopped moving. Her next motion is to get on her hands and knees, trying to steady herself. After taking a moment to catch her breath, she rushes over to the waterlogged maiden, plopping down at her side. "Fond of jumping from great heights, are you?"
"It was Ceinara," Sevanon explains to Ga'Elian. "She simply listened when I called." He gets down on one knee to speak softly to the woman. "You fell off of the bridge," he explains. "We had to-" Vera's question makes him grin, despite himself.
Ga'Elian helps the woman up and says, "We are your reacuers... and Ceinara," he nods to Sevanon, "and you are on the banknof the Tormawr below where you fell from the bridge. As for what happened, what do you remember?" With a wave of his hand, like a stage magician, the woman is dried off. Another wave and Elian is dry, too.
The woman glances around, then looks back up to the bridge. She says, still a little befuddled, "My gods! Thank you, Thank you. I... I think I must have slipped when that wagon nearly ran me iver up there." She's breathing hard.
Vera shakes her head and moves to gently play with the woman's hair, stoking the strands and moving them into light braids. "Careless drivers, probably drunk off of brandy. Would have been a travesty indeed if this were the day you died," she cut herself off, no need to be too morbid, this girl was probably still quite shocked!
"Here," Sevanon says, reaching out a hand to help her to her feet. "Let's get you home, yeah? You should rest.-Be sure to come by the Theater District and support Alexandrian art! That's all I'd ask of anyone." He smiles.
By now, a pair of young men arrive, having run down from the bridge above. They pant, and one asks, "Are you alright, Lucy?"
Vera waves at the two men and gives Lucy a once over before turning to them. "Well if you were ever curious, she does, in fact, *not* have the ability to grow wings, but I commend your efforts in the name of science! You never know until you try!" she says to them gleefully. Vera looks a right mess, hair tousled about and clothing disheveled after her harrowing flight.
The young men look at Vera, confusion on their faces. Lucy walks over to them, glancing behind at the trio of elves and says, "I'll be fine, now. Thanks again, and I'd love to see you at the theater sometime." The young men bow, a formal gesture that at once both thanks and bids farewell. They turn and head off toward the bridge.
Sevanon smiles at the humans, seeing them off before he goes back to his basket of crepes. "Time to eat these before they get too cold," he murmurs softly. Back to a normal night!
Ga'Elian sets about recollecting his cast off items, boots, cloak, quiver... He says, "I'm not used to swimming with clothes on." He chuckles.