"Don't worry, Lorth. The stables are just out the door in the stairwell there." Darian said pointing.
"And companions small enough to fit through the doors are welcome in the common area so long as they aren't disruptive."
Lorth gives a strange little hop as he clicks his heels together then gives a short bow "You are only too kind"
"Probably bad idea for have roommate, Gwrrr'rrr sometimes sleep-eat."
The Orc dumps his battle gear and his other few possessions in a single room with a large door, and wanders back to the main room.
Ryujin looks for single room and if none are left is fine heading to a shared room. Once there, he begins his meditation and form practice.
Not liking it to be called a scrub, Lorn has a heavy scowl on his face. Having had enough of the group spirit already he decides definitely doesn't want to share a room with one of these idiots and tries to sneak away from anyone trying to share a room with him, especially the Muscle Wizard. Unfortunately, Lorn, in his haste, trips over a small cart with empty bed pans and in a cacophony of metal on stone he's able to draw all the attention he doesn't want to himself.
This of course did not improve his mood.
At your mercy!
Sleep-eat... hehe
Darian waited a few more minutes while the group picked their rooms, eventually clearing his throat to refocus them.
Moving them through the doors he lead them to another part of the complex. He knocked on a door, and a moment later the top half swung back to reveal a dark haired waif of a girl with a slightly annoyed expression.
"Lochi, I told you- Oh, hi Darian." Seeing the group behind him she grimaced. [b]"You're a few days early for recruits."
Darian only shrugged and smiled. She rolled her eyes and stepped out of sight.
A moment later brown packages started flying out the upper door opening straight at the headmaster. he deftly caught them and tossed them to each of the others in turn.
As they untied the twine and opened them they found simple black tabard. On the left breast was a palm-sized black omega symbol lined in white. Somehow, all the tabards were sized for each person holding them.
Untieing his package he found the tabard and squinted slightly well black is not my best but still saw fit to don it.
Waving to the girl behind the door he said "Thanks Thedra." and turned, talking as he walked.
"She'll be one of your instructor's later. She designs the traps and puzzels, so don't tick her off. These tabards mark you as students, much like the robes mark you as gladiators. On Arena grounds you need to wear the robe. On Academy grounds you need to wear the tabard. As you work your way through the ranks you'll get patches and things. You don't have to put them on, but most do."
The academy halls were all curved, giving the impression hat the whole complex was a series of intersecting rings. After a few turns they came to another door, through which loud arguing in thick accented Arch Common could be heard.
Darian sighed and knocked on the door.
"Ah don' care wha' yer ma told ye! White dragons ain't tamable!" An exceptionally large bristle-bearded dwarf said over his shoulder as he swung the top half of a split-door open.
Behind him was a small creature in a white parka, the fur-lined hood all but obscuring it's face. "Mydadusedtohaveone! Herodeit! They'redumbenoughtotrainifyouknowwhatyou'redoing!" it squeeked, barely understandable.
"Dar, will ye tell this overgrown snowball tha' ye can't train a white dragon?" the dwarf said shaking his head.
"Sure you can." Darian said. "Dragons're people. People are plenty trainable."
Thumbing over his shoulder at the students he said "Scholarships and a keystone. They're all out of the arena. These four made the boards."
The dwarf scowled and looked over his shoulder, grumbling something unflattering in dwarven.
A moment later small leather bags started hitting the counter in the middle of the split door. Darian passed them out.
Finally the dwarf handed Darian a translucent black stone. He passed it to Ryujin.
It was faintly see-through like obsidion but smooth and without any angles. It had nine gems set into it, one for each of the colors of the rainbow, one diamond and one onyx. It sat comfortably in Ryujin's hand, cool to the touch.
"This is your Keystone. For now, you are the Gatekeeper for your class. It will tell you where to be and when to be there. It has other uses too, but you'll learn those later. Your first class is Improv. It starts in three days, in the arena at dawn. I think Big Blue's teaching that one. Expect it to be predictably difficult. The cash is yours. If you plan on being at class, I'd recommend spending some of it on equipment. You'll need it."
If you have a:
Black Arena Patch- 50 Platinum
Silver Arena Patch- 60 Platinum
Gold Arena Patch- 80 Platinum
"Any questions before I turn you loose?"
Lorth's small hand rises and queries "Would you care to rejoin for some tea? or must you anon?"
Darian laughs, not having expected that question.
"I have some things to take care of, but if you can find the Lost Cause Tavern on the Radiant Faire at sundown, I'll have a drink with you."
"If I want to shop, where should I go?"
Not hearing much of what's being said, Lorn is way too occupied studying and admiring the contents of his bag. If I'd known about this before, I'd have come here years earlier he thinks as he quickly looks around to make sure no one is eyeing him and his bag. That's when he notices Ryujin holding the keystone. Lorn narrows his eyes as he stares at Ryujin for a while wondering what else besides being a pain that stone could be.
"If I want to shop, where should I go?"
Why, Door Street," Darian grinned. "Where else?"
Darian made his exit with the same abruptness with which he'd arrived, offering them a wave and simple directions of of the compound.
As they made their way out they passed by a number of other students enjoying a meal in the courtyard. Upon being asked how to get to Door Street, the student's laughed. A few offered to go with them. Soon they were treking through the city proper.
The lot of them had come through immigrations and been shuffled through the underways to the Arena. They had technically arrived on Door Street, but none of them could really say they had ever been there.
They were all unprepared.
First they came to the wall. It was enormous. The arched gate stood nearly forty feet tall. They wall itself must have been more than one hundred. The gate was made of twisted iron and steel bent together in a seemingly random design. It was open but under guard.
A mass of people of all races and cultures was moving through the gates. Nearby they could see dwarves wearing desert attire, a pair of Aasamar in expensive finery, a troll wearing a kilt, and humans of all shapes and sizes. Nearly all were armed. Iun stones danced around heads. Staves flicked with gemstones. Cloaks shimmered or blended.
Soldiers in masterful suits of plate armor manned a pair of large turrets that rested their sights just over the heads of those in the throng. The knight's tabbards bore the emblem of a padlock. Two gargoyles above the gate moved their heads as they scanned people coming and going. Closer to the ground four men in black uniforms with stylized keys on the lapels stopped people randomly to ask them strange questions.
A sign above the gate read simply:
Savage Bazaar
As the new academy students got closer to the gate pushing their way through the thick crowd one of the men with the key emblems spotted them. He disappeared into the crowd, and a moment later he was in front of them.
"New students?" he asked simply.
Ryujin accepts the crystal with awe, "I accept the Gatekeeper role and will use it wisely." Ryujin wonders what else the stone could do, but knows the knowledge will come in time, like everything else in life
Lorth smiled and replied "Why yes my good man we are... are you to be our personal attendant?"
Joboo was quite awed by the display of the bazaar and a little overwhelmed by the crowd and the intimidating peoples there. He again resisted the urge to run and hide. But he did try to stay in Gwrrr'rrr's shadow.
Such excess, splendor. I wonder if these people appreciate what they have. Probably not, if these are the people who pay money to watch combat for sport.
At the back of the group Lorn wore a scowl when the guard approached them. He didn't like guards, especially the ones that were asking questions. Useless gits, asking questions instead of watching out for actual thieving and murdering. I'd better hold on tight to my well-earned price money he thought while making sure the bag was well stuffed inside his clothing.
"Something like that." the black-clad man said with a slight grin. "We've just gotten used to Headmaster Kale sending new students down here without briefing them. He thinks it's amusing and educational. We think it's borderline endangerment and a pain in the ass."
"The rules on Door Street are simple: No theft of any kind. You will be caught. Don't do it. Dont start fights. If a fight breaks out our policy is to supress the area and sort out the details later. In a combat zone all rights except the right to life and property are suspended. No flying without a license. No interfering with Gateway transit. All sales of more than one hundred gold in value are taxed at two percent. As a personal note, I recommend you stay out of the Carnival, at least until you get a few more notches under your belt."
The black clad man looked across the group.
"Any questions?"
Hand raised patiently, Lorth awaits recognition before responding "What might this Carnival be... and why would a damaged trouser retention device be of assistance?"
"Damaged trou-? Nevermind. It's just a saying." the black clad guard says halfway between amusement and confusion.
"The Sinister Carnival. It's, ah, well, it's the rough side of town, so to speak. Tough customers there, and a lot of broken dreams. A thousand ways for naive people to get taken advantage of. Just be careful."
Lorth gives a slight nod and bow by means of understanding and acceptance before turning to the right and craning his neck skywards. To Gwrrr,rrr he asks "Mind coming along with me old chap? a man of your standing could be useful if any tomfoolery or chicanery ensures..."
Gwrrr'rrr understands nothing other than the request to accompany Lorth, but shrugs and nods, following the halfling.
Seeing Lorth and GWRRR'RRR starting to move, Lorn casually joins in and wonders about what the guard has told them. No thieving eh? Now that's a new rule tssssss he thinks but does worry a little about the obviously stated threats.
Joboo snickered when the guard say 'no thieving' and serioulsy thought about doing it just because he was told not to. But he was also smart enough...mesa got big brains in little noggin!... to not screw up the good deal he had going. He didnt know of any other gobbo that had risen so high in the world beyond the Licktoad village. So he stuck with the group and kept his grubby paws to himself.
Karlov trailed behind a bit from the rest.
"We will go to carnival soon, though? I would like to see."
Melashara will approach the guard before wandering around.
Excuse me, sir, she says with icy courtesy . Can you tell me where I might find a place to purchase scrolls and potions?
Raising his eyebrows at Melashara's question the guard chuckles. "There's a ton of kiosks selling the basics. Cures, boosts, protections. Anything out of the ordinary you're probably going to have to head to Tower Labs. They're on the outer wall to your right, about three hundred feet past the gate. You can't miss them."
Stepping aside to let the group pass the black clad guard waves them on and says "Welcome to Door Street."
The witch nods her head in thanks, then heads off with any of the others who are going in the direction of tower labs (though she'll stop to examine the kiosks on the way to see if she can get everything she needs there).
The were not prepared.
They came through the gate into the throng and looked in all directions, and in all directions were wonders.
The street was packed with people and creatures of all kinds. The noise was constant. Merchants haggled loudly and hawked their wares as customers browsed. A giant made her way carefully through the crowd in the distance. Something exploded nearby, a plume of black smoke firing into the air. A group of shapeshifting acrobats performed a dizzying routine on a raised platform. Something terrible roared drawing their attention to a small amphitheater a short distance away.
Along the walls the storefronts were heavily reinforced. The stone bore blackened smears and deep gouges. In the center of the road the kiosks were all small, and all mobile. Some had wheels. Others floated. Nothing that wasn't attached to the walls seemed permanent.
The "street" was nearly a hundred feet across. The other side bore an immense wall as well, keeping everyone on the street sandwiched between the stone barriers. Set into the walls far above the heads of those below were platforms supporting an array of siege-scale weaponry.
The air shimmered strangely. Glowing geometric shapes began as points of light and then expanded into twisting angles that seemed like windows into other places. Translucent images could be seen inside them. Alien landscapes, lush vegetation, vast deserts and seas. Strange cityscapes. Confused faces looking back through into the chaos of Door Street before the lines collapsed again and vanished.
Near the plume of smoke a large example of these glowing windows warped itself inside a strange looking framework of clear, twisted glass. It struggled for a moment and then popped into a fully fledged gate to another world. Inside it a grey and purple roiling storm could be seen that carried floating weightless stone platforms. A group of tall, lanky creatures resembling emaciated elves came through. They were encountered by black-clad guards with chains emblazoned on their uniforms. The gate was only open for ten seconds or so, and then it collapsed into a bright singularity and was gone.
After the new Academy students had passed beyond ear-shot the guard returned to his post. He chuckled to his partner. "So, what do you think their Gauntlet will be?"
The other guard shrugged. "I think Carceri is up for a test, and so is Acheron. I'm going to go with Acheron. They're more uppity."
"You're on."
Lorth looked agog at the activity and action afore him, and took a mental note to remain close to his orcish overseer.
This place was a wonder and for a moment Joboo wondered if he'd drank some of Mogmurch's special mushroom juice again. The three times he'd done it before had left him drooling and farting in tent for days with the strangest visions. It had been so much fun!
He stuck with the group and made purchases when he saw what he wanted.
They made their way along the street, moving with the flow of the crowd toward the strange snarl they heard earlier, and the portal the strange elves had just exited.
The kiosks sold trinkets of all kinds. Charms, baubles, jewelry. Most seemed made from parts of animals. Teeth, feathers, fur, scales. In a shop set into the wall a leathery-looking bald half-elf sold Barding. Next door his twin brother sold leather goods, including armor and travel equipment.
Set into the ground in the middle of the street was a wide round pit where people were clustered. It was hard to make out, but sounds of animals could be heard. It seemed to be an auction of some kind.
Near the auction pit an attractive gmome alchemist sold potions relating to changing a creatures physiology. Flasks were marked "bigger", "stronger", "smarter", "faster". She smiled as she offered small samples of her works.
In the archway the skinny elves had come from, the lines of light flashed brightly for a moment, bending strangely.
As the others take in the sights and sounds of the market, something catches the witch's eye.
Hey, she says to her companions and rivals, that gate is opening again. That seems odd, doesn't it? Why close and then open right after? Gates to other planes generally expend a lot of energy to open and close...
Lorth makes immediately for the leathery and bald half-elf, beckoning his meat-shiel... I mean valued companion Gwrrr,rrr to follow. Engaging in an animatic discussion with the man, he attempts to describe a kangaroo and how one might produce barding for one...
Perception:
...noticing the flash but not paying it any particular mind he pontificates "Yes, two long legs, two little arms, long powerful tail and a pouch..." seeing a confused look on the man's face "Well do you have paper and charcoal? I could draw a picture for you?"
Ryujin goes about his shopping without a clue to what else is going on.
Perception -
Joboo was just tightening the straps on his new studded armor when the others started talking about the Gate or some such. He paid it no mind for the time being and continued his transaction with the half elf.
With a sound like a cloudburst echoing inside a canyon, the portal wrenched open vomiting forth a group of frog-like humanoids of varying size and color armed and armored in equipment that seemed to defy any sense of function to their form.
A slender one with a twisted looking staff stood in front of the Gate, a crackling line of energy leading to it. It croaked something in a bizarre language.
It pointed toward the arched gate the group had just come through. The other creatures leaped into the crowd. People began yelling and scattering. In front of them an entire swath of bazaar-goers began slipping and falling, giving them a clear view of the action. A green creature gestured and croaked arcing a forked branch of lighting into the crowd. A surging tide of small brown frog men began casting nets and vomiting viscous mucus onto people.
A blue frog man brought a hammer down onto a nearby kiosk causing a volatile mix of chemicals and potions. A blast of fire washed forth. People dove for cover.
It was chaos on Door Street.
Easily ducking behind the counter of the barding salesman to avoid the flow of fire, Lorth emerged with a cantankerous look upon his generally genial face. Just not proper to interrupt a fellow when he's engaging in commerce. He moves towards the nearest of the frog men, bringing his heavy flail forward to a defensive pose as he does.
Although unaware of what was going on with the portal, Ryujin's training kicked in, diving for cover by reflex.
Eyes wide open and his mouth halfway there, Lorn was late to spot the assault by the strange creatures.
"What are THOSE?" Lorn said, never having seen the froglike creatures before.
With interest he noticed how some of the frogmen used their nets but right then his instincts had him lunge sideways to get out of the way of a blast of flames coming from a vendor's kiosk.
As the flames shot by, Lorn mentally prepared himself for a fight.