In which worms and horses are discussed

Log Info

• Title: In which worms and horses are discussed
• Emitter: Ashes
• Characters: Elyanna, Ashes
• Place: A02: Goblintown
• Time: Sunday, November 01, 2020, 9:32 PM
• Summary: A gunshot draws Ash's attention and she meets up with Elyanna. The Mourner is casually shopping for deals on exotic bolts for her new crossbow. She explains she doesn't have a real need, but might encounter demon worms again. As the pair buy some street meat strips, Ash briefly recounts her sewer adventures where she met turtle people, and fought some worms that used people like meat suit puppets. The vendor asks if the worms made good eating, Ash suggests that is a bad idea, and finishes her story saying they were unable to kill them, and the worms escaped into the city. Elyanna, in turn, has a private request. She asks Ashlee to teach her how to ride, as she never learned in Bludgun. The mourner is surprised, horses aren't exactly her strength, but she can ride and possibly instruct and agrees to do so.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--<* A02: Goblintown *>=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

'Goblintown' consists of a dead-end street where a number of poor (and, as the name suggests, goblinoid) residents of the city live. Many of the buildings here have been cobbled together with whatever material was available at the time, often bits of metal and stone stolen from the factories to the north rather than wood. That said, in recent days, many of these temporary structures have been converted to more permanent fixtures, giving the area a less 'shanty' and more 'conventional' appearance, interspersed with the previously impoverished look the place was known for.

The occasional shrine to Reos seems to represent the only 'official' presence in the area, with the City Watch seeming all but invisible here. In their place, there appear to be numerous Arvek and Gobber groups that form a makeshift community watch, giving the sense of wary eyes on every street. From time to time, the symbol of Serriel may be seen as well, though mainly among the Arvek, who oft bear it with pride. Oruch shops sit alongside gobber ones, though the latter far outnumber the former; gobbos' nimble minds make them the natural crafters of the goblinoid world.

At one point there were few shops here, but now the entire area bristles with brisk trade of things ranging from basic necessities to the more esoteric magical and bits of artificery. It is said that one can find everything they need in Goblintown without having to step foot in another section of the city, and this statement, judging by the activity in this area night and day, may very well hold true.

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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  Appearing, in Order  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Elyanna      5'11"    153 Lb     Half-Orc          Female    A grim, Arvek-blooded woman in raven feathers.
Ashes        5'11"    177 Lb     Hobgoblin         Female    A somber arvec in grey clothes with a skull face
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

The tide is nigh and ebbing, the full moon is up. Gusty winds from the west blow in long carried leaves from outside of the city. It is cold and dark, and while that might stop the human side of the city, in goblintown the concession to the night is reduced rowdiness but commerce as usual.

As his customers move out of sight, Ross Outfield picks up Roxanne. The weapon seems to be holding whatever charge the pink kobold was able to put in it. The coils remain glowing, the spheroid is a full, bubbling pink. Other spots on it have switched to white. There's an obvious safety. He flicks it off. He points it skyward and pulls the trigger.

>>>BANG-ZWAP<<<

--Shatter--

Roxanne shoots out a red light. Ross' aim was not entirely safe and a streetlamp explodes.

"DAMMIT!" A loud angry voice drifts over the street, "STOP SHOOTING AT NIGHT! How hard is that to understand?"

Pretty damned hard, it seems. This depends on the concepteer, of course.

Somewhat used to goblins in general, the halfblood makes her way through the district at a sedate pace, taking in the miscelanae in the wake of the thunderous report. That her hand is curled around her whip beneath the cloak is largely happenstance.

Ashlee is out and about as well, trusting her unsettling aura to keep people from bothering her and so far, having them keep a distance. There is no change in her expression at the sound of the retort, but she pauses mid-step before resuming her slow pace. She brushes at one ear, then the other, irritated.

Noting the presence of the noble-born hob, she alters course and drifts up to match her path. Her voice is strictly monotone, "Hello."

Elyanna turns, her posture shifting slightly as the familiar voice intercepts her course. She dips her chin, a faint uptick in her expression, "Greetings. How are you?" she wonders.

"I'm ok." Ash says, inclining her head as well. She makes a vague gesture at the street. "Hungry. Looking for special bolts."

Meanwhile, the goblin who fired the dragonspitter fiddles with it a little more. It stubbornly refuses to charge. Grumbling he sweeps it into his bag of holding and re-arranges the artifice parts he has on display to cover the gap it left on the table.

"And something to eat." There's a glance towards Ma Rosie's, "Street meats. Didn't want to walk to the Tarrace."

Elyanna arches an eyebrow, "Special bolts?" she returns, "For the crossbow?" venturing it's probably a safer bet than the fastening bits, as the half-hob has never noticed a particular zest for artifice from the Mourner in their past dealings.

She matches the pace of the other woman, as the goblin rearranges his wares, "Do you have a favored vendor?"

"Yes. A silver, an adamantine, a cold steel. One of each, maybe ten in case I run into the demon worms again." Ashlee explains, waving around. "No luck. I like the goblin over there. She uses fresh meat."

Elyanna arches an eyebrow, "Demon worms?" she asks with some understated concern. After the slime plague and the Fae queen, she really shouldn't be surprised at this new extradimensional fauna, but she is, just a smidge.

"Yes," Ashlee says, leading and progressing lowly towards a goblin meat vendor. The woman in question is standing on a barrel to be up at hobgoblin head-height. She has a huge rack of meat on either side of her, and behind her. Cured strips of flesh that is reddish-brown-ish and showing signs of various spices.

"There is a demon summoning circle beneath Alexandria. It's broken but has left a few places weak to other planes. I was down there with a group and we met some turtle people, who were trying to stop things from getting through. They hadn't managed, we tracked the intruders and fought them over a giant, drain hole. There was another adventuring group there too, hired privately. When we killed the 'people', they fell apart. They were meat suits. Inside were large demon worms which can take over people and get their thoughts to mimic them."

It's all delivered in matter-of-factual monotone, and covers the remaining distance to the meat vendor. Ash looks contemplatively at the selection, perhaps for something identifiably animal. "I'll take that, and that."

Elyanna takes this all in stride as they approach the lofty proprietess, knowing the Mourner to be disinclined toward tall tales, she accepts the influx of information with a bare dip of a nod, "Messy business, that." she notes.

As the Hob women arrive at the meat vendor's counter, she starts to scan the selection with steely eyes while Ashes makes her order, the follows up with, "This, and that." before a red hand parts the raven feathers to set a silver coin upon the wood.

"Here ya go miss Scaryface! Havin' a nice evening luvy?" The goblin asks, wrapping up Ash's order in some paper and handing it over, then repeating the motion for Elyannas. Her eyes widen, "Oh yer a big old muckity muck! You'll want to try this, is elk it is!"

Another strip of meat is added to Elyanna's order. The coins vanish as if they were never there.

Ashlee peels the paper back on one of hers, and takes a small bite. She chews slowly, working the cured jerky. "Thanks Olivia."

"It was," The ashen Arvec confirms the 'messy business' comment.

Elyanna nods, leaving the muckity muck remark to fester, elsewhere. Her eyebrow twitches a smidge, but that's it, then, "Thank you." She takes up her order, and the little extra, then turns to Ashes as she thanks 'Olivia' and starts to unwrap her own, "It smells good." and takes a bite of the 'elk' first.

It does seem to be elk, in that it's not an obvious flavour such as beef and tastes a bit like venison with some bacon tones. It's peppered as well as cured.

"The worms escaped down the drain. Our mission wasn't to kill them, but it wasn't much of a success. They would have ended up in the Tornmawr and could be anywhere now." Ash explains, then takes another bite and slowly chews on it. She adds, "in anyone."

"I imagine things will be interesting, soon." Elyanna observes after swallowing. "This is good." She gives the neighborhood a slow, visual going over then, "Did these worms have any off behaviors?" Which would be too much to hope for, but, best to ask, just in case.

"They had a scream that could paralyze and confuse." The ashen Arvec says. She purses her lips, "It was a while ago. We found them in their meat-suits fighting the other party. There wasn't anything strange in their battle behaviour."

Olivia seems to be listening, she interjects, "Would they make good eating?"

"I wouldn't." Ashlee replies.

"Best not to find out." Elyanna agrees, "They could multiply that way, for all anyone knows." She regards Ashlee again, then, "Who would you buy bolts from?"

Ashlee nods, she looks up and down the street. "I don't know. There's a weapon wagon, but I think she's expensive, and a gnome. I thought there might be a junk seller, or an adventurer supplier. Maybe an artificer. Mostly hoping something turns up. Or someone would know someone."

Hrmm. "I expect the Adventurer's Guild would have suppliers, or at the least, some contacts with such. They do occaisionally provide mission specific gear, I am told." Elyanna frowns in thought as she chews on some more elk, swallows, then, "Perhaps one of the others would know someone you could speak to."

"That's a good idea." Ashlee nods, going silent and taking another bite and continuing to chew slowly. "I'll ask. It's not a rush." More chewing, and the ashen Arvec struggles to think of other topics or things she's been concerned about.

Elyanna, likewise, occupies the time with considered chewing. She gives that a few rounds of bite-chew-swallow, then, "I would ask a favor." This, she states very softly, glancing about with a certain methodicism before her gaze settles on the fullblood.

"Ok," Ashlee agrees, swallowing first, then nodding. She looks, noticing her methodical glance and looks around a little for herself. "What do you need?"

Between paces, the Keeper's words are somewhat less certain, her volume dipping as things proceed, "My upbringing was... lacking in certain regards." Her glance about anew seems slightly furtive, and her eyes turn to her meal, "I am a daughter of Blar and... it is not seemly for..." Elyanna breaks off for another couple of steps, then, "Could you... please... teach me to ride, Ashlee?"

Ashlee stops. She looks at Elyanna, then nods slowly. "I can do that. I'll find a good horse to learn on." Her words, like always are monotone and hide whatever surprise she might have. "You'll like it."

Elyanna carries on another step or so before she realizes Ashes has stopped, and she turns the Mourner's way, "I... thank you. I can... handle the financial matters, but still, I would owe you as well. If there is perhaps something you need."

"Ok," Ashlee says, catching up. "I can summon a horse, but it's better to make friends with one that's there all the time."

Plus, her horse is a little strange.

"I'll think about things I need."

Elyanna nods, a little smile, something fairly embarassed, but hopeful, nibbling at the corners of her usual rather lofty expression. She takes in the Mourner's assent, then nods again, "Again... I thank you."

"It will take me a few days, then we can meet at the festival grounds." Ashlee says, carefully examining the other hobgoblin's expression. A smile, which is interesting. Her own face remains masked, but she puts her hand gently on Elyanna's shoulder, "It's ok. You'll like horses."