middleofsomewhere | Adventure On!

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Adventure On!

"Good Morning passengers. Today is day six of the month of Horseshoe." The voice echoes through the train as passengers wake up in their beds. Not long afterwards their SCA’s glow with the colour of the void and a holographic image will appear.

Preparation

The dressing room is indeed open as promised. The dressers and wardrobes are full of many different clothes. Shirts, tunics, skirts, dresses, robes, cloaks, leggings and even an array of fancy hats.

The cloaks are notable in that they look like standard fantasy cloaks but are completely waterproof, much like a modern jacket and they will keep them warm and dry. There are also a good selection of furs for those travelling into the tundra as well as some leather armour, both for protection against monsters and fire.

There are an array of tents- in more neutral colours, a lot simpler than the tents they have used before as well as some basic pots and pans for cooking. There are a range of bags and pouches for carrying any essentials!
They are a few hours before arrival and so there is plenty of time to prepare before the announcement. "Shortly arriving on world 5382110341. All passengers get ready to disembark. Next stop world 5382110341. Exit from void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."

Arrival: Royal Lake Hill

The train jolts and shudders as it leaves the void. It descends quickly and lands with a small bump. The doors open, it is a bit of a jump from the train to the ground but they land on soft grass. Anyone looking back at the train will find it almost not there… Unless they focus very hard it will seem just like a shimmer in the air, passengers jumping from nowhere.

They are a short walk from what seems like a small town, surrounded by walls. The gates are manned but the large group of people only get a quick glance before they are nodded in.

They get a few curious glances as they enter the town proper. It is not exceptionally busy, indeed everyone out and about are older or small children, who dart around unafraid of the strangers, staring openly at times.

A market place spans the square, predominately selling food, stalls are actually small huts, the front part open to the street for custom and a back room that is presumably used for sleeping. Some, like the blacksmiths are more solid with multiple rooms.

Each voidtrecker will have a dot on the map on their SCA showing them to the inn that their team should head towards. If they ask around they will learn that there is indeed a call to for adventurers at three of the town’s inns and they are to report there in early evening. As it is still early morning they have almost the whole day to explore, enjoy being in a town full of people and, for those who are keen, earn some spending money.

Whatever they end up doing with their day it is obvious when evening is approaching by the stalls beginning to be packed up, the streets quieting as people went home for their dinners. The inns are easy enough to find, even for those that didn’t find them earlier in the day.

Orange

Recruitment

Ducks in a Bucket is at the western gate. It is quiet, usually a tavern used by adventurers, the custom has dried up with all the adventurers protecting the kingdom. It is filled with large wooden tables and sturdy stools, not a fine dining establishment in any way but it has a friendly air to it.

Not long after they arrive a woman in a long cloak arrives. "I am here to hire adventurers. You will be aware, I am sure, of the blight storm that hit the kingdom. Many people across the land have been effected. Many areas are out of the crystals needed to restore those who have been blighted and there are rumours the army is in short supply as well. We require you to travel to the Singing Woodlands to harvest the crystals from the calla lilies that grow there. I have an image if it is needed."

Here she takes out a small scroll and passes it around, it is a painting of a simple, dark purple calla lilie.

"The huma have agreed to transport the collected crystals to the areas that need it. Unfortunately the land itself has been blighted and has become unstable, floating into the air. We can provide you each with two flight potions to help you travel up into the woodlands."

She holds out a bag to pass around, there are exactly enough potions for each person to take two despite the face she couldn’t possibly have known who was going to turn up to head the call.

"Please be warned that transportation magics have not been working in blighted areas and so you will be taken to the ground below. If you accept this quest please get ready to gate."

A moment later there is a flash of light and any who want to will vanish from the tavern.

Arrival

They will arrive on a grassy verge, in front of them is a canyon of dirt. If they look up they will see the land that should be filling it. In chunks the forest is floating on a series of islands stretching high up into the clouds.

Many of the islands feel too high to reach in ten minutes but there are a couple of lower ones that might be good places to aim for.

The potion works swiftly, making those who drink it feel lighter, all they need to do is jump and they are floating, moving in the air is easy, they can walk up as if on a ramp or swim through the air currents if they are feeling a bit more adventurous.

The islands themselves are teeming with life, plants of all kinds grow there and as they reach the lower islands they will see the huma birds and hopefully spot some of those calla lilies.

Purple

Recruitment

The Lion's Mane is the largest tavern in town. It has some customers, sitting in groups and drinking. There is a musician in the corner playing a lively tune and sat on a central table is an official looking man with a scroll case and a worried expression.

"Anyone." He cleared his throat, "Anyone who has come to be hired… As an adventurer please gather around. Now. Now. Can everybody hear me? Yes? Right. Well I am sure as you know the blight… Yes? Yes! Well there are some clusters of villages up near the dusty rivers, I can show you on this map..."

He unfurls a scroll, which shows a large expansive land mass. He points to an area in the far west. "They have a golem problem, their own golems that is. Turned on them." He shook his head, "Crystal magic, very susceptible to blight. They need some help, clear the area, purify the crystals. That sort of thing. You’ll probably be there a few days."

He rolled up the scroll. "I can’t gate you into the villages, earths all blighted. But I can get you close."

He did a quick head count. "If you don’t accept the mission please step back. Ready?"

He opens a gate, a few gates, and everyone who accepts vanishes from the tavern.

Arrival

They arrive in a small clearing in a wood. It is quiet, with not even the sound of birdsong. Trees are all around them though anyone checking their SCA will see that the village is indeed close.

A moment later there are footsteps, a young boy, no older than ten bursts into the clearing. He reels backwards at the figures, surprised to see them but then seems to realise that they are, for the most part, human.

"Quick! Come quick! The village!"

He turned on his heal and heading no call ran back the way he came. For those that follow the route leads them through thick overgrowth, there is clearly an easier way, to a small village.

A small village with a large golem and a large troll stomping through it. People are cowering in houses or behind walls as the troll swings its club back and forth, smashing things in its wake.

Red and Blue

Recruitment

The final tavern is The Thrice Struck Tree. It is small, dark and has a heavy air to it. There are a couple of customers, sat silently with mugs of ale in front of them. They give the voidtreckers suspicious glances.

They may wonder if they are in the wrong place but after a few moments a young woman in a smart looking uniform, dark blue tunic, shiny boots, enters. "Adventurers? I am captain Sienna of Irivar’s third guard. We have reports coming from the southern lands. The blight has depowered the crystals separating the frozen tundra from the fire lands. A disaster could occur if the are not recharged. They must be taken into the central fire mountains heart. It is a fair journey and the crystals must be carried. Please, for those that known the secrets of it do not attempt to place the crystals into the spaces between for easier transportation, it would be disastrous." She gave them a serious look before continuing.

"Furthermore the creatures of the area are reporting that the Glacial Sovereign has not been seen since the blight hit." She shook her head, looking worried. "You must find their guardians, the crystal wolves and attempt to regain contact with the sovereign." She paused again.

"Both the sprites of ice and fire have been corrupted by the blight and the area is very dangerous. I can gate you to the border and from there you must split, please decide amongst yourselves who is best to journey into fire and who is suited to the cold. I will give you a moment to be ready."

It is indeed only a moment before she opens the gate. Any who choose to travel will vanish from the tavern.

Arrival

They arrive in a strange place indeed. To the east there is black rock, lava streams and mountains billowing with smoke. To the west is white, icy bridges connecting land and glaciers. Far in the distance there is what seems to be a swirling mass of snow.

And right where they are is… a mess. Melted ice and frozen ash mixed together into a slippery sludge that sticks to their shoes and makes movement interesting.

But movement may be necessary as it seems their gate has taken them to a place surrounded by two packs of fire dogs and a few regular wolves. All look surprised at the sudden influx of people but it doesn’t take them long before the blighted creatures move in to attack.

Splitting

Once they are safe from wolves and dogs the teams can split. The crystals red need to collect are obvious, set out at even distances from each other. Red team are to head east, into the volcano range, Blue are to head west into the tundra.

Good luck void warriors!

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A small smile breaks onto Tidus's face, subdued as it is.

"That's great. Is he... doing okay with everything?" But then there's calling for people to keep moving if they plan to go.

"--Ah, let's talk about it later, 'kay?"

"I think so! It's very strange..." He looked around and then nodded with a big grin.

"Alright! Let's go and find some wolves."

And help them find their dragon friend, this was going to be a fun adventure!

Tidus pats Romeo on the back of the shoulder and goes towards where the gate's been open, a strange sight, even for all the teleportation magic he's seen. But he steps on through for all that he wants to take a second to stand in awe of it (look...how would it will to poke it? okay, not the time), and then--it's a strange humid temperature that hits first, the bundle of people around them.

And a squishy, slick ground underfoot when he takes a step without thinking. Tidus stops his foot slipping, grimacing before he looks around. There's a few low hushed voices speaking.

"Romeo?" Did he end up near him? --but someone beside him hushes him, a whisper that leads him to look over at why. A mix of canines eyeing them, growling, turning their attentions onto the group.

"Mister Tidus?"

He was used to teleporting places, Elfnein could do it after all and he was used to using shrines to get around but this is a bit strange!

Stranger still the slush and the fire dogs and the snow all in the same place! He sees the dogs and Tidus and acts quickly. "Line!" An energy shield springs between them and the dogs, hopefully buying time for those behind it to get weapons ready at least.

The barrier goes up, and there's a thud as a fire dog bashes straight into it, bouncing off and skidding into the snow. Tidus has a steel pipe materialise in his hold, but in the same motion as it does, his hand glows and he throws it out, along with a - "Get back!"

A warning bolt of electricity comes down where a group of the blighted animals have gathered, a cry and the sound of them rushing to get out of the way. But few were chased off, and not far, barking now with greater intent.

He focuses to make the barrier soft enough on their side for Tidus' attacks to go through, it's tricky but he's determined to help out Tidus as much as he can.

Lightning comes down and the dogs run barking. Romeo nodded at Tidus. "Line!" Sending an attack through his shield he struck the ground near one of the dogs that he ran forwards again, sending it skittering backwards.

"I think we are scaring them off!"

Scaring them off? Great! Tidus, in all his scaring off techniques and grace tries to add more to the effort, verbally and with great big waves of his hands, making motions of moving forward with Romeo. Look at them, so scary, dogs!!

"Go on then! Shoo! Get lost! We need t'come through here! Get outta the way!"

Being loud and annoying is the best way to get rid of startled canines, right? So Tidus hopes.

"Go away!" Romeo joins in with him, waving his arm that wasn't maintaining the borderline.

"Shoo! Get away!" He stamps his feet to make noise and to make him seem scarier!

The wolves are backing off, growling and testing their own might, barking and trying to get in! Tidus waves his hands, takes a step forward. "Go alreaadhhyhyy!!"

--and he slips, falling straight on his face!

"Mister Tidus!" Romeo spins around, the borderline breaks, the wolves see an opportinity.

He can only make straight lines and Tidus has fallen on the ground! He's a target!

Tidus might be a grown up and have magic but he doesn't have shinki magic. Romeo is better than him at Shinki magic. Romeo is on his feet and Tidus needs protecting. Even though Tidus is a grown up and smart and brave and this moment Romeo is stronger and braver and better to fight the wolves.

It is not a natural mindset for Romeo to see himself as better than someone else, but it is a learned mindset for the magic he is about to try. "TIDUS UMBRA!"

He yells it, as if that will convince the world of his conviction. Tidus vanishes, still there but invisible, gone from the senses of the wolves.

"Line! Line! Line!" He throws borderline attacks towards the wolves nearest Tidus. "Go away bad dogs! Shoo! Line!" And that is a barrier again, now a distance has been made.

He keeps his finger pointing. "Mister Tidus! Are you alright?"

This is not the time for being uncool and faceplanting into snow-sludge, life. Thanks.

Tidus does manage to save himself some dignity, his arm coming up to protect his head, stopping his slip from being as terrible as it can. But there's still the recovery, the sounds of shouting above his head--did Romeo just say something about the mumbra? The mambra?

He's picking himself up, at least onto his hands and knees, understanding the immediate danger that's more important than any shame or embarrassment.

"R-Romeo, hey, I'm fine! I'm fine!" Absolutely freezing but that doesn't matter right now. "I-I'll flood them! Just g-gimme a-a sec!"

Unless those wolves want to go running by Romeo's attacks...! They can see how they like getting a mini-wave thrown at them!

"It's okay! I made you invisible so you got time to get up and ready." He called back as if it was the most simple thing in the world, as if he wasn't trying to hold the spell, the borderline shield and the attacks in his head all at the same time.

Some of the wolves have backed up, but they seem angrier rather than afraid by Romeo's attacks!

Tidus can't realise the stress that Romeo is putting himself under, but he's doing as he says, building up the spell and then hurrying to release it with as he throws out a hand. "Get lost!"

And from where they are, water builds up quickly into a large sphere, catching individual pieces of their bodies but more focused around one. They can move, but it happens in seconds: water forming and then bursting out, knocking the wolves back and off their feet.

He can give more where that came from too, in smaller spells, another quick wave of his hand knocking downwards causing a gush of water to erupt upwards. Get the idea, dumb dogs!

"Go away dogs!" Romeo shouts again and this time, after being knocked off their feet from the water, they do, running away to find easier prey.

Romeo rushed over to Tidus, looking worried, he had fallen pretty hard!

"Mister Tidus are you alright?"

Success! It doesn't feel right to be too hasty about relaxing, and after Tidus takes a quick look around, he takes the space they have to rub at his face and clothes. Fingers freezing as he scrapes off the sludgy snow.

"I'm fine Romeo! Just feel a lil' weird." Like there's something...up with his entire body. Must be the cold. He rubs at a cheek with the back of his wrist, smudging dirt already there. "You okay too? You really helped me out!"

And there's appreciation in that, a thanks.

"I'm okay!" He nodded and then realised, "Oh you might be feeling weird because you're invisible! I can take it off you now, if you are all ready to be seen again!"

He smiled, it seemed like the danger had passed, so it should be alright!

"Eh?" Invisible? Tidus takes a second look at his hands, flipping them around. Looks over at Romeo. "Can you see me? I see me."

Is he sure it's working??

"I can see you! Because I did the spell and you can see you because you're you!"

Romeo has no idea how it works honestly. He had only just learned the spell before he had left the heavens to come here, so it isn't one he has a lot of practice in!

"But no one else can see you!"

Wow! Does Tidus like the idea of not being seen? Actually, now that he thinks about it, he thinks he remembers Romeo telling him about this before...

Well, either way. "Might be a good time to be unseen..." uh, "I mean, seen seen, again. Before someone bumps into me."

"Okay!" Romeo nods at him and let the spell unravel, he dropped the borderline as well. All the dogs had ran away or were dead now.

He sunk down into the snow slush, exhausted, his legs barely able to carry him anymore.

"Hey, Romeo?"

Tidus sees the boy collapse, putting a hand on his shoulder to give him a light shake. There couldn't be anything wrong with him, right? There's no bleeding--was it just exhaustion?

"Hey, it's not a good idea being down here. It's cold!"

A light joke, but Tidus is picking himself up on his legs, if keep crouched to speaking to Romeo.

He lifted his head, to grin at Tidus. "It is cold!"

He should stand up, before he froze all the way to death! "That was a lot of hard work!"

He does make an effort though, to get back to his feet.

He takes Romeo's arms as he seems to be struggling, to give him some support. But it's easy to see how hard it is for Romeo, and so Tidus turns around, crouching...

"Here, climb on, I'll give you a ride. As thanks!"

It's piggyback time, Romeo!

"Are you sure?"

He doesn't want to squish Tidus! He stood up and climbed up onto Tidus' back. He's never been on anyone's back before so he isn't really sure where to hold and he's a bit worried he will be too heavy for Tidus.

"It's fine, just hold onto my head- don't poke an eye out!"

Not that Romeo was anywhere close to, but you gotta say it if you can. Tidus takes a hold of Romeo's legs, unsure suddenly about how to get up, but it's a brief thing as he does it, managing to keep his - their - balance.

"Whoo, alright! We got up. You be my look-out up there," he jokes fondly. He's definitely never done this for anyone before!

"Lemme know if you need to get down."

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