calderaevents (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
calderaevents) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
calderamemes2024-11-29 12:00 am
calderaevents) wrote in calderamemes2024-11-29 12:00 am
TDM #4
ARRIVAL
It happens in an instant. A heavy weight in your gut, a trembling of your limbs, the world spins and you barely have time to register that you're falling before you lose consciousness. And when you awaken, it's not where you were last. Dark, unadorned oak walls surround you in a tiny room, the only furniture the bed you are currently resting upon, and the bedside table with a folded piece of parchment resting atop it that simply reads:
As you exit you find others like yourself emerging from the surrounding rooms. You are indeed in a tavern, but there is no hustle and bustle one might think to hear in such a place. The only person down on the main floor is a humanoid figure wiping down the bar, who smiles when they see you. They're familiar, but not, and you can't quite place their face. For some reason, however, their presence is comforting and warm.
“Welcome, Visitor. I'm sure you have a lot of questions.”
And you most certainly do.
Due to popular demand, the starter tavern and the drinks provided are available to in game characters via a portal accessible only to those with a faction gem.
DRINK MENU
WINTER'S WHISPER A fragrant spiced tea that calms the nerves and inspires the drinker to share their hopes and dreams.
JINGLE BELL A crisp, bright drink...that makes jingling bell sounds as you walk. There are no bells, and yet you jingle.
S(LAY) RIDE This drink has an earthy, woody taste. Almost as woody as the tavern floor it forces you to lie down upon. You cannot get up unless someone else helps you.
MISTLETOE MEAD Made with honey from enchanted bee hives and a touch of mistletoe leaves. Time to find a smoochin' partner!
HOLLY JOLLY SPICE A bold and fiery blend of rum, cinnamon, and cloves with a secret twist—just a dash of enchanted holly berry syrup that makes your cheeks flush with warmth and your laughter contagious. One sip, and you're the life of the party, even if you're by yourself.
CANDY CANE CRUSH A festive burst of minty sweetness with a cool, refreshing sensation that tingles the tongue. The drinker’s mood subtly shifts the color of their surroundings, briefly changing the hues of objects or lights in the room to match their feelings.
GINGERBREAD MAN A thick drink that tastes exactly like a gingerbread cookie. However, candy and other delicious accents start appearing on you as if YOU were the cookie. Is that icing on your nose? Candied cherries in your hair? Gumdrop buttons? But on the bright side, free candy!
JINGLE BELL A crisp, bright drink...that makes jingling bell sounds as you walk. There are no bells, and yet you jingle.
S(LAY) RIDE This drink has an earthy, woody taste. Almost as woody as the tavern floor it forces you to lie down upon. You cannot get up unless someone else helps you.
MISTLETOE MEAD Made with honey from enchanted bee hives and a touch of mistletoe leaves. Time to find a smoochin' partner!
HOLLY JOLLY SPICE A bold and fiery blend of rum, cinnamon, and cloves with a secret twist—just a dash of enchanted holly berry syrup that makes your cheeks flush with warmth and your laughter contagious. One sip, and you're the life of the party, even if you're by yourself.
CANDY CANE CRUSH A festive burst of minty sweetness with a cool, refreshing sensation that tingles the tongue. The drinker’s mood subtly shifts the color of their surroundings, briefly changing the hues of objects or lights in the room to match their feelings.
GINGERBREAD MAN A thick drink that tastes exactly like a gingerbread cookie. However, candy and other delicious accents start appearing on you as if YOU were the cookie. Is that icing on your nose? Candied cherries in your hair? Gumdrop buttons? But on the bright side, free candy!
CHOOSE YOUR DESTINY
As the effects of your drink wear off, the Tavernkeeper speaks once more:
You are compelled to walk through the only door leading out of the tavern, finding yourself not outside, but in a deep black, seemingly endless room with five portals arranged in a circle. As the last of you leave and the door closes behind you, gone when you look back again and replaced with nothing but that black void, three of the portals illuminate:
The first portal is surrounded by an almost blinding light, prismatic rainbows shining brightly in the dewy air outside of the tavern. A soft breeze may gently caress you, pulling you toward it. The portal seems to lead to a city in the clouds, airships and winged beings of all sorts soaring through the skies. Of the little bits of visible land, much of it boasts giant waterfalls that look like clouds melting into the land below. The portal calls to those who crave independence and freedom; and especially to anyone that wishes to find the strong bond of a family not forged in blood.
The second portal is encircled by a fairy ring of spotted white capped mushrooms, the faint scent of damp stone and rich earth wafting from within the faint green glow. Peering inside, one can see a sprawling harbor city of gray hewn stone, a melting pot of humanoid beings going about their day, and beyond, rolling green farmland and cottages clustered in small villages. This portal is destined for those who crave stability and solid ground beneath their feet. A simple life, an adventurous one, and everything in between can be found within.
The last portal is adorned with shells and seaweed, the glow of blue around it catching on droplets cascading down the circular opening. Beyond it you see a city housed inside a massive bubble deep under the ocean, spiraling towers encrusted with coral, and a variety of different creatures mingling about the streets. Outside of that bubble, merfolk swim, a massive squid engulfs the view from the portal as it smoothly glides through the water, and schools of fish disperse as it passes. A sanctuary in the sea that calls to those with a hunger for knowledge and a desire to aid those in need. Or perhaps it is the mystery that beckons you - the lure of the unknown in the depths that bids you explore it.
Upon following the pull of the breeze through the first portal, you are thrust into the beauty of a lively city that goes by the name of Heaven's Bow. Much of this main city feels exactly as you would expect on a city below, but there are clouds surrounding every direction you look. The walls of buildings are made with light-colored limestone, and buildings are generally built up to heights made even more grandiose by their position in the sky.
The Skyfall Docks are the first thing you notice, boasting hundreds of airships sailing in and out across the clouds with shouts that accompany a typical port city. Just outside is a fantastic market with goods not only from the other regions of Caldera, but from what some shopkeepers claim are other worlds--items sold or left behind by Visitors. Almost anything can be found in the markets if one is willing to look hard enough. Transport to other locations throughout the sky and even to the land or sea can be found here.
If the docks are too lively for you, you may instead find yourself roaming the underbelly of Heaven's Bow and finding brothels and gambling parlors filled with the promise of pleasure and fortune. The guild house for the Sylphs can be found here as well, giving out quests and training to prospective adventurers and guards alike--though none of them seem concerned with the illicit activities that surround them. Perhaps the freedom the Sylphs boast of extends to what others may deem an undesirable activity.
But most curious of all, you find a shimmering opal gemstone in your hand. When placed anywhere on the body, it will transform into a piece of jewelry with the gemstone set in the center.
If it was the second portal that called to you, you will find yourself in the busy city of Grey Ward, with its cobblestone streets and sturdy grey stone buildings. You are in the heart of the city, the Glass Market, so named for the colorful stained glass windows of the surrounding buildings. The scent of cooking food and the sound of barkers fills the air; watchful guards keep an eye out for pickpockets and thieves, and citizens go about their day. From here, one can investigate the rest of the city: the Sundown Docks, where both sea and sky faring skips transport people and goods. The Soot Spire, home of inventors and engineers. The Hearthstill, the main residential area. The Downs, a smaller residential area for those with less means.
Outside the city walls, one can explore acres of farmlands to the east and west, or follow Terra’s Pass to the less settled areas, but take care. Past the Skyward Range, out in the smaller burrows and villages, the influence of the city guard diminishes quickly, and you’ll have to keep your wits about you. Bandits along the road are always a risk, and the wildlife are less controlled by regimented hunting.
In your hand is a gemstone, a brilliantly green emerald that, when placed anywhere on the body, will transform into a piece of jewelry with the gemstone set in the center.
If the last portal beckoned you through it, you find yourself within that bubble covered city beneath the sea, the city of Salt Spire. Your ears pop with the change in pressure, and the smell of the salty sea fills your nostrils. All around you buildings made of dark stone encrusted with coral and seagrass tower high above your head, the backdrop outside the dome a deep blue, seemingly endless sea filled with fish and merfolk and all other manner of creature swimming through the water. You stand in the heart of it all, surrounded by people with gils on their necks and scales upon their vibrantly colored skin, all of whom seem intrigued by your arrival. You have many options of where to visit in the city under the sea, but where oh where will you go first?
The Salt Spire Library is right before you, an impossibly large building housing thousands upon thousands of books of all genres. Fiction, non-fiction, romance and mystery and all between. You may even find books from your world and others! Oddly enough though, no Calderan history books are to be found, and if you ask for them, the librarians and locals all choose to ignore your questions.
If scholarly pursuits aren't to your interest currently, perhaps a trip to Bluetide Market would be more your style? The marketplace is host to every manner of shop one might ever need: artisans of all varieties, apothecaries and healers in the Shimmer Quarter, the most in fashion undersea clothing shops, food stalls, and all between can be found in Bluetide. There are also the Tideshore and Fogbottom docks on either end of the city. The former allows transport to the surface via large, magical bubbles for those that cannot hold their breath or make the swim themselves yet. The latter allows people to venture further into the sea. Those without their underwater abilities are offered rebreathers for travel that last for four hours before needing to be replaced.
In your hand is a gemstone, a shining sapphire that, when placed anywhere on the body, will transform into a piece of jewelry with the gemstone set in the center.
Visitors in all starter cities are offered a standard home with basic necessities provided (your choice in design, etc.) that can house 1-4 people if they so choose. Home upgrades can be purchased via rewards.
FANNING THE FLAMES
The renewed seething of the lava flows brought on by the tempestuous events deep below the sea seem to have been dealt with, though city guards have been stationed around the crater and are barring anyone from approaching to investigate any further than the outskirts. Interestingly, not only does the crater seem calm, it appears to be changing. Any remaining lava flow is being directed as if by unseen hands, and when the light catches just right, the barest hint of a shimmer can be detected surrounding the glowing rivers. New rock formations take shape as the days pass, though one never can catch the presence of a mason working on the structures. It's as if something intangible or invisible is repairing what was broken, turning what was previously chaos and ruin into order and life.
SEASON OF LIGHT
The world remains unsettled, still bearing the scars of the trials endured just a month prior, not to mention the oddities happening with the volcanic crater and the ominous shadows creeping in from the sea continue to haunt the collective psyche, leaving both locals and visitors on constant edge, fearful of a sudden, unprovoked assault. Despite these lingering anxieties, the leaders have publicly reassured all that calm has been restored. They claim that the worst is behind them and that every measure is being taken to prevent such devastating magics from ever threatening Salt Spire again. The protective bubble holds, new Undine are being ushered into their roles, and the world, it is said, is slowly healing. Or so they claim.
Whether or not the assurances of the leaders ring entirely true, life, as it often does, presses on. The people of Caldera have once again immersed themselves in the comforting bustle of distraction, turning their attention to the imminent Season of Lights celebrations. This holiday, it seems, bears a striking resemblance to the festive cheer of Christmas (and a mix of new years), with gifts exchanged in abundance and decorations of shimmering silver and radiant blue casting their glow across the sky, sea, and land in harmonious splendor.
One of the seasons's highlights is the grand Feast of the Sky, a night when the people gather beneath a star-filled canopy to exchange gifts—ornate trinkets, hand-crafted items, and tokens of affection that carry deep personal meaning. In the days leading up to the feast, a tradition of "Lightwalking" emerges, where families and friends embark on midnight strolls through streets aglow with lanterns, singing carols and sharing stories of hope and renewal. Sea-going vessels, too, partake in the festivities, their sails and riggings festooned with glowing orbs that drift like stars across the waters.
The Season of Lights is, above all, a celebration of resilience, a time when the people of Caldera set aside their worries, if only for a little while, to bask in the glow of community, generosity, and the promise of brighter days ahead thanks to the Visitor's arrival...
Whether or not the assurances of the leaders ring entirely true, life, as it often does, presses on. The people of Caldera have once again immersed themselves in the comforting bustle of distraction, turning their attention to the imminent Season of Lights celebrations. This holiday, it seems, bears a striking resemblance to the festive cheer of Christmas (and a mix of new years), with gifts exchanged in abundance and decorations of shimmering silver and radiant blue casting their glow across the sky, sea, and land in harmonious splendor.
One of the seasons's highlights is the grand Feast of the Sky, a night when the people gather beneath a star-filled canopy to exchange gifts—ornate trinkets, hand-crafted items, and tokens of affection that carry deep personal meaning. In the days leading up to the feast, a tradition of "Lightwalking" emerges, where families and friends embark on midnight strolls through streets aglow with lanterns, singing carols and sharing stories of hope and renewal. Sea-going vessels, too, partake in the festivities, their sails and riggings festooned with glowing orbs that drift like stars across the waters.
The Season of Lights is, above all, a celebration of resilience, a time when the people of Caldera set aside their worries, if only for a little while, to bask in the glow of community, generosity, and the promise of brighter days ahead thanks to the Visitor's arrival...
THE GRAND MASQUERADE
Another highlight of the season is the Grand Masquerade that unfolds high above the world in Heaven’s Bow, the floating city where the wind dances in the sky and the stars seem close enough to touch. The event is more than just a celebration of the Season of Lights—it’s a gathering of hope, a last-ditch effort to save Caldera from its slow unraveling. Here, among the clouds and the wind, the people of Caldera and the mysterious Visitors from other worlds come together in a shimmering, ethereal celebration, their faces hidden behind elaborate masks and appropriately fancy dress provided when one steps through the threshold of the castle gates.
The palace at the heart of Heaven’s Bow is a breathtaking sight, its walls adorned with silver and blue decorations that catch the light from thousands of lanterns floating in mid-air. The atmosphere is both jubilant and tense, a world on the brink of collapse holding its breath in the hopes that this fleeting night will offer a glimmer of salvation. The sky above is painted with the colors of dusk and dawn, swirling in a palette of purples, blues, and silvers.
Sylphs—the free-spirited, airborn people of the Sky—flutter about, their wings glinting in the light, performing acrobatic feats in the air, their laughter and music mingling with the sounds of the celebration. Guests, their masks intricate and stunning, move among the crowd, exchanging pleasantries and stories, some joining in the dances while others linger near the grand tables, laden with food and drink from every corner of Caldera and beyond.
As the night unfolds, the guests find themselves drawn into different corners of the event—each space offering the Visitors a chance to prove themselves worthy of the leaders’ favor. There is no shortage of opportunities to learn, grow, and, perhaps, change the course of this dying world.
The palace at the heart of Heaven’s Bow is a breathtaking sight, its walls adorned with silver and blue decorations that catch the light from thousands of lanterns floating in mid-air. The atmosphere is both jubilant and tense, a world on the brink of collapse holding its breath in the hopes that this fleeting night will offer a glimmer of salvation. The sky above is painted with the colors of dusk and dawn, swirling in a palette of purples, blues, and silvers.
Sylphs—the free-spirited, airborn people of the Sky—flutter about, their wings glinting in the light, performing acrobatic feats in the air, their laughter and music mingling with the sounds of the celebration. Guests, their masks intricate and stunning, move among the crowd, exchanging pleasantries and stories, some joining in the dances while others linger near the grand tables, laden with food and drink from every corner of Caldera and beyond.
As the night unfolds, the guests find themselves drawn into different corners of the event—each space offering the Visitors a chance to prove themselves worthy of the leaders’ favor. There is no shortage of opportunities to learn, grow, and, perhaps, change the course of this dying world.
THE SKY'S ASCENSION
At one end of the palace's terrace, a floating platform hovers above the clouds, surrounded by shifting air currents. Sylphs glide effortlessly through the space, their wings leaving trails of light as they move to the lively music, which seems written by the wind itself.
Aella, Admiral of the Slyph, stands at the center of the platform, her cloak of shimmering feathers rippling in the breeze. She surveys the crowd, inviting those brave enough to take part in her challenge. Before them, a maze of floating platforms stretches out, some wide and stable, others narrow and swaying in the wind. The task is simple: leap from one platform to the next, navigating the shifting air and ever-changing obstacles.
The platforms move unpredictably, some rising higher, others sinking, and a few disappearing entirely. Guests must time their jumps perfectly, balancing agility with timing as they avoid falling into the clouds below.
Those who succeed will earn Aella’s favor (in the form of 100 Bones and a single white feather). And those who falter will simply reappear the start of the challenge to begin anew or give up with no repercussions for the latter save perhaps a bit of embarrassment.
THE SEA'S SECRETS
On the other side of the terrace, a serene water garden unfolds, its shimmering pools reflecting the stars above. Water flows in delicate, endless cascades, filling the air with a soft, soothing melody that mingles with the distant sound of waves. The Undines, graceful and serene beings of the Sea, glide effortlessly through the space, their robes flowing like gentle currents, their movements as fluid as the water itself.
Cordelia, Queen of the Sea, stands quietly on a raised platform at the edge of the garden, her presence calm and powerful. Her eyes, deep and unfathomable, seem to reflect the vastness of the ocean, and though she watches the guests, she does not engage with them. Her stillness holds an air of mystery, as if she is both present and yet unreachable.
The Undines move silently through the garden, offering peaceful company to those who wander nearby. The garden is a place of contemplation, where guests can simply pause and connect with the tranquil beauty of the water—its soothing flow, its quiet depths, and its promise of renewal. There are no tests or challenges here, only the peace of the Sea to calm the mind and soul.
Those who linger may feel the weight of ancient knowledge in the air, a silent understanding of the oceans' mysteries and the healing power of water. In this place, the answers are not spoken, but felt—a quiet reminder that some of the world’s deepest truths are best discovered in moments of stillness.
As the evening fades, those who have found solace in the garden’s stillness will discover, tucked gently in their palm, a lustrous pearl. Unlike any found on the shores, this pearl is soft and warm, its surface shimmering with an inner light. It is a symbol of the wisdom that comes from quiet reflection—the knowledge that some things, like the depth of the sea, cannot be rushed.
Cordelia, Queen of the Sea, stands quietly on a raised platform at the edge of the garden, her presence calm and powerful. Her eyes, deep and unfathomable, seem to reflect the vastness of the ocean, and though she watches the guests, she does not engage with them. Her stillness holds an air of mystery, as if she is both present and yet unreachable.
The Undines move silently through the garden, offering peaceful company to those who wander nearby. The garden is a place of contemplation, where guests can simply pause and connect with the tranquil beauty of the water—its soothing flow, its quiet depths, and its promise of renewal. There are no tests or challenges here, only the peace of the Sea to calm the mind and soul.
Those who linger may feel the weight of ancient knowledge in the air, a silent understanding of the oceans' mysteries and the healing power of water. In this place, the answers are not spoken, but felt—a quiet reminder that some of the world’s deepest truths are best discovered in moments of stillness.
As the evening fades, those who have found solace in the garden’s stillness will discover, tucked gently in their palm, a lustrous pearl. Unlike any found on the shores, this pearl is soft and warm, its surface shimmering with an inner light. It is a symbol of the wisdom that comes from quiet reflection—the knowledge that some things, like the depth of the sea, cannot be rushed.
THE LAND'S EMBRACE
In the heart of the palace gardens, beneath a canopy of flowering trees, the Dryads drift gracefully among the guests, their earthy skin glowing with life and their eyes bright with the vitality of nature. The air is thick with the scent of blooming roses and jasmine, while the ground beneath the guests' feet pulses with a quiet energy, inviting them to pause and feel the garden’s magic.
Terra, the Lady of the Land, stands at the center, her form adorned in living vines and blossoms, moving as if the garden itself flows through her. Her presence is both nurturing and fierce, a silent invitation to those seeking connection—to the land, to love, and to one another.
Guests are drawn to the tranquil beauty of the garden, stealing soft moments with their partners among the flowers. Lovers exchange quiet glances, touch petals with gentle fingers, and share unspoken promises beneath the soft glow of lanterns. The garden hums with romance, as if the earth itself is blessing these tender moments, offering the quiet assurance that love—like the land—can grow in the most unexpected places.
As the night draws to a close, Terra’s gentle power is felt in the air, and for those who have taken the time to connect with the garden’s beauty, a soft gift of nature is bestowed. A flower—unique and radiant—appears in their hand, a token of love and growth, a reminder that even the briefest moments can take root and blossom into something everlasting.
QUESTBOARD [NEW QUESTS ADDED]
Settled in? Good. It's time to make your way to the Questboard located in every city in numerous, easy to access locations. That is, if you want to make any kind of impact on the world or just get some Bones for anything you might wish to purchase. Visitors are given a very small stipend in which to survive every month, but all it does is keep you fed and housed. These quests will assure you greater wealth, and they're the main reason you're here: each finished quest helps the Calderans fix their shattering world.
Quests can be accepted at the questboard via magically signed parchment upon the board. Just sign your name to accept and the paper will be whisked away... somewhere. You're not actually sure. Probably nothing to concern yourself with.
Once quests are completed, earned Bones will be dropped off at the character's residence by Bonita, the mysterious artisan who has supposedly handcrafted every Bone circulating in Caldera. Please do not speak to her, she startles easily.
OOC NOTES
Welcome to Caldera's fourth TDM! All characters awaken in a strange tavern with nothing save the clothes on their backs, all of their powers stripped, and a piece of parchment directing them downstairs to the Tavernkeeper. There is a thread of all questions answered by the Tavernkeeper here, and if you have more, feel free to ask there for what would be offered ICly.
For OOC questions, please direct themhere.
All locations are available to be explored!
The TDM is game canon and all completed quests can be carried over once accepted into the game.
main navigation
For OOC questions, please direct themhere.
All locations are available to be explored!
The TDM is game canon and all completed quests can be carried over once accepted into the game.
no subject
"I don't think you told me about Wulbren." It probably isn't a happy story, so Bel isn't going to ask for details now.
no subject
"I think it speaks well of you that you miss them," he says quietly. "Even if the chances of seeing them again safely are...a little low."
He takes a breath and lets it out slowly, worrying his lip. He doesn't like to talk about Wulbren much, but he's somewhat self-aware. Talking about it might be what's best for him right now. "He was...my first serious lover. Back in the Underdark, when we were little more than boys. He's the descendent of one of the first leaders of the Ironhand gnomes. I don't know if you're aware of the whole sordid story, but there was a longstanding rivalry between the Ironhands and the Gondians. Wulbren always sort of felt like it was his destiny to prove the Ironhands were...I don't know. Better, somehow."
"Didn't help that the Ironhands had been exiled from Baldur's Gate after the last Bhaalspawn crisis, for siding with Sarevok. Wuldren had a bitter grudge against the city, and when I got my apprenticeship at a jeweler's there, he did everything he could think of to get me not to go, except the one thing that would have done it. I would have settled down with him, but he had his axe to grind."
"So that's how it ended, letting each other go ostensibly with love in our hearts, etc, only I don't think he really forgave me. The moment I left, I think he decided I'd betrayed him for Baldur's Gate."
"Anyway, it was years later that I found an amulet I'd given him in the Lower City, with bloodstains on it. Some mercenary selling artifacts they'd collected in the Underdark. I was afraid for him, and I set out to find him. Alone, which wasn't very bright of me, I admit."
"Too late to make a long story short, at this point, but...let's just say I did find him, with help, and while he wasn't thrilled to see me, he did accept me into clan Ironhand, at least temporarily. He'd gotten so vicious since I'd known him last, though. Ruthless. He was fully prepared to murder the Gondians in cold blood, and I couldn't hold a candle to it. Finally I stood up to him, told him off, and he...he ordered the other Ironhands to kill me."
"Heh...that backfired. Ironhands don't much like being told what to do to begin with. They sided with me, and I exiled him from the city, for whatever good that does. He swore he'd be back again, and I believe he fully intends to murder me now." He rubs the back of his wrist over his eyes, not quite teary, but getting there. "Damn fool. He won't be finding me here, so that part is moot for now."
"I just wish I could go back in time and fix it all. I can't stop thinking about what I could have done differently."
no subject
“But… I don’t know much about marriage. Drow women take consorts, but,” he waved it off as not relevant. Even if such a thing existed between two drow men, it was inherently unequal in ways the marriages Bel had observed didn’t have to be. “But, even if you had proposed marriage, or he had, I don’t think it would have changed who he was.” And he sounded like a man who would rather pursue his grievances, real or imagined, than anything else. “Depending on what his own crafts were besides leadership, would he have tolerated someone who only counted as an Ironhand by marriage being more well known as an artisan than he was? Would he be happy for you, rather than 'his husband'?”
He wasn't certain of the wording of that one, to convey the idea that some people only saw others in terms of their relationship to themselves, and you could tell.
And, while Barcus having a husband and children was clearly something he wanted, Bel also assumes that Barcus wouldn’t be happy without something to create beyond raising children. Bel doesn’t consider himself an artisan at all, but now that he has free time as something other than 'traveling adventurer', it's been a thing he's finding he enjoys.
no subject
No offense, Bel. Duergar are at least as much of a problem as drow.
"My village was well-hidden, but our success meant that our population was always growing. Some of us had to leave for the sake of protecting the rest. Even when I'm out on my own, I'm doing it for them." Which is probably why loneliness hurts so much, when it hits.
He reaches for a cup absently, not really enthusiastic about drinking, but going through the motions for his friend's sake. "You're right, of course. He enjoyed my company. Said he loved me, once or twice. But I don't think I was ever as much to him as he was to me."
"It's not that I haven't had love affairs since him. Nothing anywhere near as serious, that's all. I guess I've been carrying a torch for longer than I realized."
no subject
"Most of us still need people. Even those of us who are too arrogant or afraid to trust people. You find people who want companionship, but never want to be hurt or jealous or afraid that someone will break up with them."
He took another drink. "I suppose having Wulbren show his true colors means you can enter your next relationship without wondering what you'd do if he suddenly showed up again. Better odds of it having actually get serious."
no subject
He gives a weak, shaky laugh. "My inner circle is not rife with romantic prospects, dear; I tend to assume I'm of limited interest to anyone who's not another gnome, or maybe a halfling."
"That, and back home there's the chance he'll actually come back and try to kill me, or even the other Ironhands. Maybe that's part of why I'm not as anxious to leave here as I should be."
no subject
"But, even given that, you're quite a catch. I'd certainly be aiming to get into your bed. If I were a gnome, I mean."
Maybe he's had a bit too much wine. That was probably not what he meant.
no subject
Barcus blinks at the compliment, looking up and tilting his head quizzically. It's enough to shake him out of his melancholy, and after a moment he laughs a little. "That's actually a rather sweet thing to say." Especially coming from someone who could, in another world, be a mortal enemy.
He takes the drow's hand and kisses the back of his knuckles lightly. "If you're trying to make me feel better, it's working. Thank you, Bel."
BEl continues to demonstrate that he has little ability to reflect on what is going on in his o
He was not expecting Barcus to kiss his hand, and not quite good enough to hide his surprise (and that he was a little flustered), but he quickly schools his expression. "You're welcome. It is pleasant, having a kindred spirit here. And I'm glad I could cheer you up."
no subject
"Well, you've been a good friend to me," he says, and relinquishes his hand in order to take a sip of his own drink. "Not just tonight, either. That means a lot. Honestly, up until recently I wasn't used to befriending people who weren't other gnomes, either. Perhaps I should be grateful for all the events that have forced me to expand my horizons."
"Anyway, you're always welcome to visit me, you know. We can drink and complain about the Underdark. And write cheap romance novels."
no subject
It still involves a lot of precise movements with pointed objects, but the point is not to draw blood.
no subject
"I feel as though I'm unlikely to develop powerful battle skills any time soon, most of my value in quests is as a scout, if not completely behind the scenes. I've built locks and traps, but learning to disarm them would be wise of me."
no subject
no subject
He takes another drink, quiet for a moment, thinking. It's funny, actually, how much they have in common between the two of them. Protecting their families by staying a safe distance from them. Making the best of being the odd ones out in this place--and probably back in Faerun, too.
"You know, maybe I didn't give the garden a fair chance," he says slowly. "I have had my mind on the past an awful lot lately. It wouldn't do to miss out on something that's right in front of me just because I'm moping."
He offers Bel an arm. "Come with me, this time? Not to proposition you or anything, but friendship is just as valuable as romantic love, I think."
no subject
"I just hope neither of us is expected to know anything insightful about surface plants beyond 'yes, very pretty'."
no subject
He heads back toward the garden at an easy pace, but his facial expression says he's on a mission this time. Trust a gnome not to let an emotional setback defeat him when encountering something new. Perseverance in the face of discovery is how things Get Done.
His grasp on Bel's arm is gentle enough, though. "No, I think the fact that Terra offers abilities with rock and crystal as well as with plants says something, too. Land isn't just a single thing. You and I both know that, there are the living creatures on top, and hundreds of strata of soil and sand and rock and minerals beneath."
no subject
"Don't forget fungus, dietary staple of the Underdark. It could be that this," he waves with his free hand, "is the easy sell. Not even the edible plants, but the pretty ones. I've even know a drow or two to keep surface plants for decoration, though mostly to show off how much magic could be spared to keep one alive."
no subject
He laughs, nodding. "Say what you will about any Underdark race, we're all beholden to the mushroom in the end."
"I hadn't thought about that," he says as they cross the threshold into the garden, and his voice gets a little softer out of respect. "My older sister used to love to carve roses into her projects, even though she'd never seen a living one. If it's about growth...well, crystals show growth, too, but they take eons. Most of us don't have that kind of patience."
no subject
no subject
"More than surprising. I remember having to keep my eyes covered for days," Barcus says. "I'd made some goggles, because I knew what I was in for, but even the moonlight felt like too much at first. I was traveling alone, mostly by night. I don't think I bothered to get a good look at anything until after the first tenday on the road. I remember I came up on a river. Not the Chionthar, but one of the tributaries. It was just about dawn, and the light was yellow and pale pink on the water."
"I'd never seen anything like it. It was...so open, just water and light and sky. It was beautiful, but it felt like the end of the world. No cavern ceiling above. No jutting rocks or boulders."
no subject
"It was still too fucking bright, but I could adapt, and I know most drow can't, even after years on the surface. I wasn't really planning on ending up on the surface, so I wasn't as prepared as you were. I do remember sticking to forests, because the canopy made it feel like I wasn't going to fall into the sky."
And, well, deep gnomes were seen as harmless, which was a mixed blessing. Drow weren't.
no subject
He nods in agreement about the forests. "I get that, too. Even the city feels a little more secure, where the buildings are tall, than just open sky. I do love the stars, though, especially on a moonless night."
no subject
"I haven't made it a practice to study the stars," he added. "Drow have a few superstitions about the moon, at least the moon back home, but no one talked about the stars."
no subject
Barcus' expression shifts into something like nostalgia. "That's funny. We didn't talk much about the moon, but we used to celebrate the Festival of the Star. A little later in Midwinter than this. Callarduran's holy symbol is the six-pointed star--the image I stamped onto the necklace I gave you. We used to collect around the shores of the lake when glowing fungus started to fruit and shed spores. It lit up the walls and ceiling over the water, and the light would reflect in the water, like a sea of stars. A reminder that we lived on the surface once, too."
"It's nice to see the real thing now. Stars in the sky." He smiles wryly. "Maybe that reminds me of home a little, too."
no subject
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)