The Avalon Chronicles

Game Master lynora

"The initial sorting was random, but I hadn't counted on new students. Since you don't have any alliances here with the other students, I think it would be fair to place you in the same Kingdom."

"What do you think, Skivven?"

Fine with Skivven, much strength in numbers. Especially in place of new peoples.

"Let's find out where you're going then." Placing a deck of cards on the table and waits as they shuffle themselves. After they stop he flips the top card over and reveals a large tree. "Yggdrasil. Looks like you'll be in the Forest Kingdom when you're both ready."

1d4 ⇒ 4

"Forest? Ok. I think I've heard of those before. A ton of trees in a confined area? 'Stinks of life'? Sounds like fun..."

Skivven takes his short preparation time to refill his kits as the Headmaster explains the rules and terrains the other students had forewarning about. Once he is reprovisioned, the little Ratling pulls an ancient, worn mithril buckler from his pack and straps it to an arm.

Skivven thinks is ready now.

"Yeah I pretty much am wearing what I own, so..."

"You'll have plenty of enemy soldiers to occupy your time, and forests aren't always confined. At the moment, there are no barriers around the Forest Kingdom other than the terrain."

Should have hit F5 earlier. Bah.

"I hope you enjoy meeting your fellow students." Ryo says as the world around Casseus and Skivven starts to melt away into a colorless blob. It slowly reforms into a forest filled with towering trees. Before them sits a fortress.

The young Ratfolk puffs up his hat, adjust his pack, takes a steadying breath and knocks on the impressive gates of the Forest Stronghold. He strikes what he hopes is a heroic and impressive pose, but his hat has so such delusions as the tip promptly flops back.

Headmaster send Skivven and Casseus to aid mighty Forest Kingdom!

Looks around."So these are trees, huh?"
Pulls out a cigar and lights it.
"At least we ain't on school grounds anymore..."

So tempting to put it out...

Forest

The door to the fortress opens. Inside a young man is standing alone waiting to greet them. He is average height, slender, looks like the pretty boy type. Shoulder length blonde hair is pulled back in a ponytail and his violet eyes examine the two of them carefully. He is not carrying any weapons or wearing any armor and looks entirely unthreatening.

"Hello. My name is Jiminy Sunwake. I'm currently in charge of this group. I don't recognize either of you, so I'm guessing that means new. No offense meant, but since there's a possibility of treachery from one of the other teams, I'd like to have an associate of mine scan your minds. Just surface thoughts, nothing invasive."

::Phaeze, need you up here now.::

Avalon

An auburn haired gentleman, neatly dressed, walked up to the door of Avalon and knocked. He looked more than a little unsure of his welcome there. He fidgeted nervously as he waited.

Mountain

The scouting party walked cautiously down the trail, weapons at the ready.

Looks Jiminy up n down.
"I 'spose." he says around a lit cigar.
"Couldn't hurt."

This outta be good...

Just a heads up, Skivven works at night, so he's asleep right now. He's got a tiny part in his primeval part of the brain that won't let Phaeze in.

Just a heads up, Skivven works at night, so he's asleep right now. He's got a tiny part in his primeval part of the brain that won't let Phaeze in.

Thanks for the heads up. Posting schedules are all over the place, especially at this time of year. :)

Phaeze with his background may recognize Casseus as Grazzt's son. Grazzt being a former devil who spent so much time fighting in the abyss that he became chaotic and rules the planes he took over. Grazz't the demon lord...
He won't however feel any resistance to his mind probe. If he goes digging, he'll learn Casseus is ignorant of his parentage, and has the impression that he is seen as a disappontment by his peers...

Avalon

An auburn haired gentleman, neatly dressed, walked up to the door of Avalon and knocked. He looked more than a little unsure of his welcome there. He fidgeted nervously as he waited.

The door opens and a man wearing robes in the school's colors smiles at the gentleman.

"Greeting, sir. I'm Headmaster Antairus."

The runes on this Ryo's are backwards.

Mountain

The scouting party walked cautiously down the trail, weapons at the ready.

Forest

"Hey, Rohdas, what does that look to you?" Anthony asks as he looks down the trail. "I barely see it, but that probably isn't a group of animals."

He hadn't expected to find an edge of the forest so quickly, but the trail 'downstairs' had made it easier. Good thing to, since someone was coming down it now.

Forest
Safe is smart, Skivven honest merchant, maker of readied magics. Skivven not like to fight, but can supply allies with alchemicals. Good supplies very important in wars.

narrator wrote:

Avalon

An auburn haired gentleman, neatly dressed, walked up to the door of Avalon and knocked. He looked more than a little unsure of his welcome there. He fidgeted nervously as he waited.

The door opens and a man wearing robes in the school's colors smiles at the gentleman.

"Greeting, sir. I'm Headmaster Antairus."

The runes on this Ryo's are backwards.

The man bowed. "Greetings, Headmaster. I've come here to speak to you about two separate but related matters concerning my daughters. Presuming you don't slam the door in my face once I've introduced myself. My name is Sorchan del Sol."

Right as I'm about to paint a room too.

"Mr. del Sol, I have nothing against you personally if that is what is worrying you. If you would like, we can continue this discussion in the cafeteria over a light meal."

"Yes, thank you. That sounds like a wonderful idea. I will confess I was concerned you wouldn't wish to speak with me. I heard, secondhand, but from a reliable source that Apolla was her usual charming self when she came here and that Fuego showed more of his true colors than is common. I am grateful to at least have the chance to ...speak for myself, for a change."

"If you wish more such opportunities, I'm sure we could find you something to do here at the school. Just a thought." The Headmaster steps inside the school and beckons Mr. del Sol to come in, closing the door behind them with a wave. "What would make a good meal for this discussion? I witnessed the beef stew get nearly absorbed just a little bit ago by two new students, so it should be rather good today."

Though the Headmaster pays it no mind, the only sound coming through the school are extremely faint echoes that may or may not actually exist.

"Anything is fine as long as it's slightly burnt. And that is a very tempting offer, Headmaster Antairus. If things go as badly at home as I'm expecting, providing that Pyra and I are allowed to leave, I may be taking you up on that. Also providing that Fieri does not object. I owe her more than I can ever give her including leaving her be if that's what she wishes."

"There seems to be a shocking lack of students here," he observed.

"The kitchen staff has been notified. Burnt, with a small selection of hot spices on the side for you to pick from." After opening the cafeteria doors, the Headmaster leading Sorchan swiftly turns into a small gray blob and disappears.

"As for the lack of students," the real Headmaster says from just a few feet away, "there is an event involving the entire student body going on at the moment, and a pocket dimension was needed. Please, sit. The food will be ready shortly."

Sorchan blinked as the man he'd been following dissolved, but did not otherwise react. He sat down at the table opposite the real headmaster.

"Well. I suppose that makes my timing convenient." He pulled a letter out of his coat pocket and put it on the table. "That is for Fieri. You're welcome to read it if you like. There's nothing in there that I wouldn't be willing to explain to you myself. That is the first thing I came here for. The other matter requires a bit more...explanation."

"I'll have the letter delivered when she has some spare time during the event. Thank you once again, Miss Urai." He says as the food is laid out before them. "Nice not having to cook with the Sunwakes in mind, isn't it?"

"Truthfully, sir, we've got no idea what to do with our time." She smiles a bit. "The veteran chefs are going crazy cleaning everything." With a laugh, she turns and goes back into the kitchens.

"What is the second matter, Mr. del Sol?" The Headmaster before tasting the stew and deciding to add a bit of pepper.

Sorchan took a bite of his stew and then stirred in a large quantity of peppers before taking another bite.

"Delicious." He set down his spoon. "I suppose it's best to begin at the beginning. I'm not sure how much Fieri has told you about our family history. The marriage with Apolla was arranged by our parents. I was against it. Vehemently and publicly. So was she. Our parents drugged us and forced the match. Neither of us gave consent nor were we in any shape to do so. Naturally after....after we appealed to have the marriage annulled since it was done against our will. The elders made a law to prevent the same thing from happening to anyone else, but they refused to annul our marriage. Because of Fieri. That didn't change the fact that Apolla and I couldn't stand the sight of each other. Even less than before. We didn't live together and that seemed fine. It was all so...surreal. When Fieri was born I was summoned to the Helios mansion to see my daughter. That was the first and last time I was allowed near her. She was so tiny. And as much as I hated Apolla and everything about the whole situation, I couldn't help but be moved by that tiny child. If I had known then...but I didn't know and I foolishly handed her back to the nursemaid."

"Fuego was clever. Rather than threatening me, he threatened her. If I spoke to her, if I got near her, if I even smiled at her then Fieri would be punished. So I stayed away. I was young and stupid and thought it was best for her. If I had to do it over again I would have found a way to get her away from there. But I wasn't. In the meantime, there was someone that I had been in love with before my forced marriage. I lost contact with her for a while. I needed time to work through all of that. But luckily for me, she was patient. We couldn't be together openly, so she quietly left. We found a place where we could be together without anyone knowing about it. I've been living a double life for years, putting in appearances back at home often enough and in the right way to keep Fuego reasonably happy, but living my real life with Pyra and our children in secret. Now that Fieri has been removed from the records and my marriage with Apolla has been officially annulled, my family has said that they will arrange for my marriage to Pyra to be retroactively recognized. Children are rare, and we have three, so that gives them an incentive to want to help us. And I knwo that Pyra misses her family. She hasn't seen them in years."

"I have learned from my past mistakes. I have no intention of giving any of them access to my children to gain my cooperation again. I would like to enroll my youngest three daughters in your school where I know they will be safely out of reach and able to be around other children their age."

"As a father of three myself, I will do my best to help you, even if it means going to help you pack their things. We have the capability to provide living quarters for all of you at a moments notice. May I ask the ages of your children? I'm getting a section of school set up for those younger than teenage."

"Raelle is fourteen. She's at that rebellious age where all adults are considered evil," he said with a smirk. "She possesses a rare form of firebird magic that is greatly underappreciated among those stuck up old birds. She can't carry a tune in a bucket, and she can only manage the most basic fire effects, but she can craft illusions out of smoke."

"Then there's Ignace. She's eleven. She's a bit of a tattletale, which we're hoping she;ll outgrow soon. She outright refuses to study or use her magical abilities. I have no idea why."

"And the youngest is Chara. She's eight. She's very energetic, loves teasing her older sisters, and loves music more than anything."

"Pyra and the girls are at the inn in town now. I was hoping to bring them here tomorrow if that is amenable to you. And then Pyra and I will go and ....well, we'll see how things go. I don't feel it's right to just give up. Firebird society will never change if no one tries to change it. But I doubt my welcome will last long with that attitude."

"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible..." Ryo mutters. "Well, you are free to bring them here today if you wish. I can provide you with a means of escape if your visit does not go well. It's not nearly as difficult as you might imagine."

"Thank you. I would appreciate that. And I know the inn will appreciate us leaving sooner rather than later. They're quite terrified that we're going to burn the place down," he said dryly.

"You have no idea how hard it was to get the City Council to let me build a school for such gifted children so close to Kuros, let alone allow the students into the city limits. If I didn't have my own funding, it might have been impossible."

Forest

Sorry for the delay. Busy day yesterday.

::I am on my way Jiminy.::

A few moments later Phaezeriel comes out of a side passage in the keep and flies towards the newcomers.

Knowledge (The Planes): 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (6) + 20 = 26.

A moment of hesitation, gone so quickly one cannot be sure it was there at all, is the only reaction Phaezeriel gives to the sight of Casseus.

::More newcomers, eh? If this keeps up we will win simply because the other teams will have no members.::

He speaks aloud to the newcomers,

Greetings, my name is Phaezeriel, I apologize for the necessity, but I must verify that you are not agents of our enemies. Provided that your voices ring with truth, and you are not under any compulsions, I will not have to probe into your minds, and your secrets will remain your own. Please do not resist me.

After a few moments of concentration during which Casseus and Skivven feel Phaezeriel's presence very closely though he never comes any closer than a few dozen feet, Phaezeriel nods to himself, seemingly satisfied. A sharp feeling washes over everyone nearby, accompanied by a dim glowing to the air, and Phazeriel speaks again.

Please state who you are and why you are here. Anyone who attempts it will find they cannot lie. (unless, of course, they wish to save against the zone of truth effect.)

Provided that everything goes as planned, Phaezeriel will nod to Jiminy. ::They are clean.::

"Casseus. Got ported here by the headmaster."

Skivven looks from the quasit to the half-fiend and back, never expecting to cross so many "evil" outsiders, especially on friendly terms, before shrugging slightly and smiling.

Skivven is new student to academy, had lunch with Headmaster and Casseus, signed class form, then Headmaster sent us to join forest for war game. Very strange first day, but Skivven can handle!

There is a feel that people can sense when they are around fiends of any kind, a sense of something wrong and unnatural, Casseus and Skivven cannot feel that coming from Phaezeriel. Though he is clearly related to Quasit-kind, he is just as clearly something else as well.

The glow fades from the air as Phazeriel smiles in welcome, Then welcome to the Forest Kingdom.

"Ok...let's go bust some heads, then."

Doffing his floppy hat and bowing, which sweeps a fair swath of path.

Skivven ready to help, many potions and poisons can be made from forest things! Skivven also has some goodies already brewing in kit!

"You have no idea how hard it was to get the City Council to let me build a school for such gifted children so close to Kuros, let alone allow the students into the city limits. If I didn't have my own funding, it might have been impossible."

Sorchan chuckled. "Some things are the same no matter where you go." He picked up his spoon and went back to eating.

Forest

"Sweet, another alchemist. I'm gonna need a list of what you can do so that I can plan accordingly. And don't worry, Casseus. I'm sure you'll get the opportunity to break some heads soon enough. We've got the advantage of terrain and position here. Better to make it work for us, lure others in, strike, disappear, repeat as necessary."

"Heh. Sounds good."

Skivven casts a nondetection spell as he heads into the fortress with his new allies, giving a sales pitch on his abilities as he goes.

Roland returns from an aerial scouting circuit and lands near Jiminy.

“I haven’t seen any hostile movements yet, boss. I’m not sure if the action is happening elsewhere or everyone else is playing defense as well or what. Although, I am only one guy, and there is a lot of cover around that blocks aerial sight so we might not be all clear.”

Roland looks at Casseus and the retreating Skivven and gives them a wide, genuine smile.

“New teammates?” He asks.

Blink Blink
Casseus looks...uncomfortable.
"Umm...yeah. Wait up Skiv!"
He follows after Skivven.

Oh, that's hilarious. I forgot that this meant that the angel and hellboy were on the same team. Avalon, the place that makes planar denizens do a double take and go what the f%@%?! See? We really can all get along! :P

Edit: stupid friggin autocorrect...now I'm picturing Casseus in a bellboy uniform...o.O

He picked up his spoon and went back to eating.

"Well, I can tell the girls will have no reason to complain about the food."

"Do tell them that the cooks will berate them if they eat the charcoal briquettes more than other foods. They've already started in on Feiri for her current dietary habits."