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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Preparations

[ Wen Qing isn't one to easily get excited about fineries and fripperies but today, the clothes to choose from have her lingering in indecision, going back and forth between a number of dresses and having the hardest time to choose.

She finally tries on a billowing red outfit with wide sleeves and a scale-like pattern on the shoulders.

There are a golden clasp and belt that go with it but she weighs these in her hand, still torn. ] Don't you think it's too much?

at the crossroads

[ So now here they are standing between the lands of ice and fire, some such as herself still a little shaken from having fought the welcoming committee.

She had been planning to go with her own Blue Team but now she gives the icy landscape a look of undisguised horror and loathing. Even standing here in her billowing red robes, she is already shivering. No. That is far too much ice and snow. ]

My skills are going to be far more useful with Red Team this time [ she says firmly. ] I've spent half my life living on top of a volcano.

Edited 2020-09-15 15:48 (UTC)

No [Taiki shook his head with a small sad smile.] I think it is pretty, the outfit suits you.

[He sounds exhausted but seeing Wen Qing about and looking a bit more energised than she had been the last few weeks was relieving enough for him to push himself out of his own worries.]

[ She returned the smile with one of her own, weak though it still was. ]

Thank you, Taiki.

[ She sized him up, noticing the sadness of his smile and how exhausted he looked. Her brows knit together. ] You don't look well.

I'm alright... [He shook his head.] How are you? How are you feeling?

[He's been very concerned for her, since her brother left. Especially with what he knew of her past, what she had told him, what he had seen in her dreams. To have her brother back for him to be snatched away once more... It was too cruel.]

[ Wen Qing gave him a long, scrutinizing look, inwardly fighting with herself. ]

You're not going to believe me if I tell you that I have been well, are you? [ She shook her head. ] I haven't been well. I miss A-Ning. But... I will recover. I know he is still alive, back at home. Just... out of my reach.

[He looked down, it was true. He wouldn't believe her at all. But nodded, reached out to touch her hand.] Yes, it is sad that he is gone from us here, but at least you know he is out there, somewhere.

[Out of reach, but alive and well.]

You're right. And he is... [ She looked down at her hands, at how tightly she was clenching them. ] It is hard for me to believe it since I left him at such a desperate, hopeless time, but I have been promised he will be well in the future. He will be happy and have people who love and value him. That is good enough for me, even if I won't be there to see him live this happy life.

[He sees that too and reaches out carefully, to touch her hands, to hold them gently.]

I am glad that you know, even if you cannot see him. It is... Better than believing him in peril.

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radishlobbyist - 2020-10-08 15:55 (UTC) - Expand

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longforgottenpromise - 2020-10-11 15:01 (UTC) - Expand

I'm not gonna say no. [ They've already switched people around enough that she's confident there's at least one medic and one healer with Blue, so Wen Qing's move isn't going to ruin anything.

And, anyway, it'll be nice to have her nearby.

Or... something. She studiously avoids 47's gaze as she motions the doctor over. ] We'll be counting on you.

[ Wen Qing, in turn, studiously avoids Lightning's gaze as she joins her at her side. She feels the beginnings of a flush working its way under her skin, momentarily certain that everyone must be watching now and know.

It doesn't stop her fingertips from brushing against Lightning's. ]

Of course. I'll be here to provide the medical support you need; I have experience with fire- and lava-related injuries.

[ And it's not that Lightning is here. Not at all. ]

[ She hasn't told Wen Qing that the assassin's seen some of her memories of their time together - unsure how to raise it without... what, making her uncomfortable? That's probably it. Anyway, they've got bigger problems at the moment.

Bigger, volcano-shaped problems. ]

Sounds good. From your home, right? Your sect?

[ Wen Qing nods, her small smile a little bit wry. ]

Yes. We dealt a lot with that back home. [ She grasps Lightning's elbow and steps a little closer to her still, not quite intimately so but definitely far closer than she would do with even a friend. She is known to value her personal space bubble, after all. ] The mayhem I had to deal with as a Qishan Wen doctor is finally going to be useful for something good now.

[ Light glances across, momentarily stymied even with their contact being infinitely more familiar nowadays, then places her hand against Wen Qing's with the faux-casual air of a cat leaning against a favourite thigh. After a moment, she feels silly, and just twines their fingers together instead.

More practical that way. She can watch the teams splitting off, stepping out of the bloodied mush that was their arrival point. Studiously not watch a certain demon lord summoning a truck out of nowhere, because she doesn't have a leg to stand on in that regard. ]

Guess making yourselves look invincible took a lot of work, huh. [ Living untouched amidst a volcano would be a pretty powerful play, but showing up with burns would ruin it pretty effectively. Qing's pride makes sense, given her homeworld-- but something in her phrasing has her glancing back. ] You don't think you did any good, before?

[ She gives a startled laugh. ] I had never thought of it that way, but I'm sure the Wen sect leaders thought of it as making us look invincible. It was just such a normal part of life to me, I never thought all that much about it beyond the practical everyday pitfalls.

[ She looks down at their hands, fingers entwined now, and after another moment of hesitation, she gives Light's hand a firm squeeze to show she's not planning to let go of her anytime soon. Maybe they will look ridiculous when Lightning has to start directing Red Team with Wen Qing still holding hands with her but well, she will just have to deal with that. ]

It's not that I don't think I did good before but there is nothing I can do which others can't do just as well. And I'm glad for it. I wouldn't want to be the only doctor on board.

[ Honestly, usually Alice wouldn't have found herself here. It was easier, staying with the purple team. It had people she cared on it, and she wasn't actively invested in the missions enough to bring her beyond what the default for her was.

But this time it's different. When she saw quite some people she knew heading towards the same inn, Alice followed - which brings her out here too now, between two landscapes, both of which seem familiar to her.

But before she can contemplate that too much, she hears a familiar voice speak those words. Alice glances over to look at Wen Qing, curiosity in her gaze. ]

You lived on a vulcano back home?

[ Wen Qing had been surprised but pleased to see Alice at the inn where Blue and Red teams gathered, though there had been no time to ask her about her plans before they were transported to the crossroads.

She walks over to her now, a small, wry grin on her lips. ]

I did. The Qishan Wen appreciated a certain... aesthetic. It involved more than one junior ending up with lava burns.

It indeed doesn't sound very practical.

[ Especially since Alice is pretty sure those things come with the danger of erupting, which.. surely would not mean anything very good for the people living on said vulcano.

Which is why she can't help but wonder. Not that she thinks Wen Qing is a coward - quite the opposite, really - but even so.. ]

Weren't you ever afraid or worried?

[ She thinks for a moment before shaking her. ]

Not really. I was, when I first came to live in Qishan as a child and everything there was scary. But as I grew up, it was normal. And I figured there must have been security measures taken to prevent an eruption. But I don't know, I never asked or researched it.

[ She smiles a little wryly, a little sadly. ] The Chief Cultivator didn't like being questioned.

[ Uh oh.

Nevermind this whole vulcano talk. Sure, it's a little concerning, but Alice knows she isn't exactly the queen of healthy life decisions herself. She has very little ground to stand on to question that decision.

No, what interests her much more is the last thing Wen Qing says. It makes her frown, though her annoyance is aimed at a third party rather than at the other young woman. ]

Experience has taught me that people who don't like being questioned often don't have other people's best intentions in mind.

[ That earns her another wry little smile and the tiniest shrug. ]

You wouldn't be wrong there. Uncle Wen was a man difficult to please and dangerous to displease.

[ But here, with so many people milling around them and the daunting task ahead of them is hardly the time to get emotional, so she lifts her chin and tries to shake off the memories. ]

I suppose there is some irony to it, that the volcano wasn't the most volatile thing about living in Qishan.

[ It's true, isn't it? Alice knows it too, very well. Humans are often much worse than anything nature could possibly throw at you. ]

Well, if he appears here one day and intends on behaving that way towards you once more, I will make sure to let him thoroughly know where he can stick his opinions. [ Alice usually isn't as crass, but there's a limit of what kind of behaviour she'd tolerate towards an important friend, okay.

She shakes her head though, turning her attention away from that and instead turns her thoughts towards the vulcano. ]

.. I do suppose though that you will be the expert on the nature of the place we're going. I've been in hot places before, and even dealt with lava, but I've never quite been on a vulcano specifically.

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radishlobbyist - 2020-09-24 16:48 (UTC) - Expand

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irrationally - 2020-09-25 22:03 (UTC) - Expand

[Dairine looks up from what she was doing with Spot. The Wiztech, currently disguised as a hardcover book to blend in, is still glowing blue from the battle.]

Oh yeah? Cool. [A bit super-villainy, but hey, this lady clearly wins style points for volcano life.] Join the squad.

[She notably doesn't say team because Dairine is also not really Red Team, having swung over from Orange.]

[ The cool has amusement spark in Wen Qing's eyes. If she were more inclined to joking with strangers it would provide ample ammunition but she isn't, so she just gives a solemn nod. ]

Thank you. It will be the second time I'm going with Red Team. The previous time two missions ago was grueling, I doubt it can be more exhausting this time.

[ Getting chased across the barren landscape for a week, running and fighting and running again with barely time to sleep or eat, that had sure been an introduction to Red life. ]

[Shame that. Dairine would gladly take some joking right after a battle. Good stress relief.]

Don't jinx us. This is my first time joining this team, and I'm not taking any chances.

[Then again, after Paradisa, she kinda always expects things to go south.]

Red Team does usually takes the most damage, since they are sent on heavy fighting missions, often missions behind enemy lines without a chance at backup or rescue.

[ Which, honestly, may not be the most reassuring thing to say, so after a moment's thought, she add ]s I think this should be one of the safer missions.

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Adventure On!

Wen Qing | Red Team

preperations

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crossroads

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crossroads

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Crossroads

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