Galwix plucks three notes on his harp, two low, one high.... it reminds you faintly of a doorbell but fuller and richer somehow... it pulls you within your own mind as he hums softly and begins to speak in a voice clear of accent or body but enveloping and relaxing...
“It began long ago, before the age of mortals when men could tempt the gods into their will and forces much more powerful than you or I wrested for control of the realms...”
Scenes fill your mind of powerful figures locked in magical combat, it seems reminiscent of a superhero movie.
“One creature, far more powerful than the rest, known only as “the other” threatened to consume all and end this world before it had hardly begun.”
“One man, one... hero.... arose from the masses to challenge this beast... and defeated the monster at great cost! The price he paid for victory was nothing short of the immortality and power of all that would become the mortal races.”
You see a large, armored human channeling what is clearly an immense amount of power through a large red stone.
“And yet, for his act... for his.... sacrifice... he was hailed as the ‘last divine’ and raised to godhood for the rest of his days. Many still worship him across the realms though he goes by many names.”
The vision faded but the normal cander was still gone from Galwix’s voice.
“It has come to the attention of those who trace such things that this beast has returned, but unfortunately... the divine is nowhere to be found... I am a member of a... band? That has vowed to recreate his act and save the world from being consumed... but I am afraid this undertaking is not for the faint of heart. When we knew a portal was going to open to your realm, one of us had to go... and I volunteered.”
He paused for a moment, somberly. Then continued with his normal cander and lopsided grin.
“Ye se’in I be lookin’ fer de mean ‘o slay said g’at b’estie... I’d be tin’kin ye could ‘elp, aye?”
“It began long ago, before the age of mortals when men could tempt the gods into their will and forces much more powerful than you or I wrested for control of the realms...”
Scenes fill your mind of powerful figures locked in magical combat, it seems reminiscent of a superhero movie.
“One creature, far more powerful than the rest, known only as “the other” threatened to consume all and end this world before it had hardly begun.”
“One man, one... hero.... arose from the masses to challenge this beast... and defeated the monster at great cost! The price he paid for victory was nothing short of the immortality and power of all that would become the mortal races.”
You see a large, armored human channeling what is clearly an immense amount of power through a large red stone.
“And yet, for his act... for his.... sacrifice... he was hailed as the ‘last divine’ and raised to godhood for the rest of his days. Many still worship him across the realms though he goes by many names.”
The vision faded but the normal cander was still gone from Galwix’s voice.
“It has come to the attention of those who trace such things that this beast has returned, but unfortunately... the divine is nowhere to be found... I am a member of a... band? That has vowed to recreate his act and save the world from being consumed... but I am afraid this undertaking is not for the faint of heart. When we knew a portal was going to open to your realm, one of us had to go... and I volunteered.”
He paused for a moment, somberly. Then continued with his normal cander and lopsided grin.
“Ye se’in I be lookin’ fer de mean ‘o slay said g’at b’estie... I’d be tin’kin ye could ‘elp, aye?”
Grier took out a few granola pieces and placed the assorted ingredients on the ground in front of them. Adele would probably be better at illustrating the story, but they could at least lay out some kind of visual. They narrowed their eyes and held up a peanut. "The other, huh?"
The peanut went to the left. "And the heroic divine, who is missing," they continued, scattering sunflower kernels to the right.
"And a volunteer savior guild," they said, putting down shinny M&Ms directly in front of them.
They took up the peanut again. "What's so bad about the other?" they asked, popping the peanut into their mouth. Grier didn't put much stock in good or evil. Villains who want to destroy the world didn't seem very different from the heroes who wanted to control it. Their eyes darted from the M&Ms back to the sunflower kernels.
"Ah," they said, picking up a red M&M and adding it to the kernels, "I forgot the sparkly."
The peanut went to the left. "And the heroic divine, who is missing," they continued, scattering sunflower kernels to the right.
"And a volunteer savior guild," they said, putting down shinny M&Ms directly in front of them.
They took up the peanut again. "What's so bad about the other?" they asked, popping the peanut into their mouth. Grier didn't put much stock in good or evil. Villains who want to destroy the world didn't seem very different from the heroes who wanted to control it. Their eyes darted from the M&Ms back to the sunflower kernels.
"Ah," they said, picking up a red M&M and adding it to the kernels, "I forgot the sparkly."
Galwix’s grin fades into shocked disbelief for a moment then almost anger... but the cute, flustered kind.
“I donne t’ink ye un’stand ‘de gav’ty of...” he began but was interrupted.
A loud knock, like the police, rang through the apartment from the hall door. A half-breath later an authoritative female voice rang out.
“Galwix! I do not care who or what you are doing in there! Open this door at once or I swear by Correlion I will relive it from it’s hinges!”
“I donne t’ink ye un’stand ‘de gav’ty of...” he began but was interrupted.
A loud knock, like the police, rang through the apartment from the hall door. A half-breath later an authoritative female voice rang out.
“Galwix! I do not care who or what you are doing in there! Open this door at once or I swear by Correlion I will relive it from it’s hinges!”
Adele squints her eyes skeptically at Galwix when he finishes his story. She's about to ask some questions when Yarden begins using the snacks to sum up the important parts of the tale.
It's just a dream. Must be.
She ignores it when Squirt suddenly turns his head toward the door, but the loud, hammering knock a moment later makes her jump and exclaim.
The threat from the hallway turns her fright into anger though. "You'll do no such thing!" she yells back, voice dropping with conviction, as she strides toward the door. "This is my apartment, and I plan on keeping that deposit." Flinging the door open at the end of her statement would have been the most epic, but locks exist. It takes her a second to get them unlocked before she can open the door to glare at whoever is on the other side.
It's just a dream. Must be.
She ignores it when Squirt suddenly turns his head toward the door, but the loud, hammering knock a moment later makes her jump and exclaim.
The threat from the hallway turns her fright into anger though. "You'll do no such thing!" she yells back, voice dropping with conviction, as she strides toward the door. "This is my apartment, and I plan on keeping that deposit." Flinging the door open at the end of her statement would have been the most epic, but locks exist. It takes her a second to get them unlocked before she can open the door to glare at whoever is on the other side.
To Adele~~~
The woman standing outside the door was intimidating *before* you noticed the golden Greatsword strapped to her back. Looking down at you she matches your glare with a practiced ease.
“You own this establishment? I cannot say I admire your choice of company. Stand aside, I must collect the Satyr and determine why he is drawing void into this realm.”
The voice was commanding, but soft. This woman clearly means *you* no harm.
The woman standing outside the door was intimidating *before* you noticed the golden Greatsword strapped to her back. Looking down at you she matches your glare with a practiced ease.
“You own this establishment? I cannot say I admire your choice of company. Stand aside, I must collect the Satyr and determine why he is drawing void into this realm.”
The voice was commanding, but soft. This woman clearly means *you* no harm.
Seeing the gleaming figure at the door, Grier jumped up and flattened against the wall away from her intended target.
As soon as they caught their breath, they went back to grab the almost empty granola bag. They swallowed another crunchy cluster and shook their head at Galwix.
"You volunteered, huh? Have fun with that."
As soon as they caught their breath, they went back to grab the almost empty granola bag. They swallowed another crunchy cluster and shook their head at Galwix.
"You volunteered, huh? Have fun with that."
Adele returns the stiff gaze for only a second before looking back and forth skeptically between the two Ren Faire reenactors. Her face softens a bit, and she sighs.
Still standing in the doorway, she replies softly but still rather firmly, "Look, I'm not really sure what you're talking about with the 'drawing void' stuff. It's probably not good, but I wouldn't know. What I do know, however, is that not far from here a mini bluish tornado thing opened up inside a coffee shop and sucked some people in and spewed him out and turned some guy into this creepy octopus monster that shot lasers out of its eyes and tried to kill us. Galwix helped us get away, and I don't know if we can defeat that thing or even stay away from it without his help. Enemy of my enemies kinda thing, ya know?" She gives an apologetic, please-help-us grin and shrug at the end of her haphazard explanation of the situation.
Still standing in the doorway, she replies softly but still rather firmly, "Look, I'm not really sure what you're talking about with the 'drawing void' stuff. It's probably not good, but I wouldn't know. What I do know, however, is that not far from here a mini bluish tornado thing opened up inside a coffee shop and sucked some people in and spewed him out and turned some guy into this creepy octopus monster that shot lasers out of its eyes and tried to kill us. Galwix helped us get away, and I don't know if we can defeat that thing or even stay away from it without his help. Enemy of my enemies kinda thing, ya know?" She gives an apologetic, please-help-us grin and shrug at the end of her haphazard explanation of the situation.
To Adele~~~
The merest suggestion of a smile cracks the woman’s face for the briefest of moments. “You mean he’s actually working?”
The glare was back but you could hear the suggestion of mirth beneath the surface in her tone.
The merest suggestion of a smile cracks the woman’s face for the briefest of moments. “You mean he’s actually working?”
The glare was back but you could hear the suggestion of mirth beneath the surface in her tone.
Grier moved their teeth together a few more times, wondering if chewing sounded just as explosive outside their own head.
They looked back at Galwix to see how he was handling the new arrival.
They looked back at Galwix to see how he was handling the new arrival.
"Of course!" Adele responds before understanding the woman's meaning and blushing. "Oh. Yeah, well, he's certainly, uh, hinted at... a few other activities, but he's mostly been wondering about a 'plan.'
"Oh! Uh, I'm Adele," she sticks out a hand in greeting. "And this is Squirt. Would you come in, and we can talk this over - woman to woman?"
"Oh! Uh, I'm Adele," she sticks out a hand in greeting. "And this is Squirt. Would you come in, and we can talk this over - woman to woman?"
Grier swallowed the last bit of granola their hand found in the bag’s corners. Finding it empty now, they crumpled the bag. The sound punctuated the otherwise silent room following Adele’s invitation. Glawix hadn't spoken. Even though only seconds had passed, Grier felt like the door opened at least a year ago.
And they've been out of snacks for a month.
Well if no one else is going to make this more awkward, I’ve got to step it up.
Heading back across the room, Grier tossed off the purple shirt.
“Nice to meet you,” they called, waiving at the woman in the doorway. “The name’s Lenora. What’s yours?” Shirtless, Grier plopped onto the couch and made themselves comfortable.
And they've been out of snacks for a month.
Well if no one else is going to make this more awkward, I’ve got to step it up.
Heading back across the room, Grier tossed off the purple shirt.
“Nice to meet you,” they called, waiving at the woman in the doorway. “The name’s Lenora. What’s yours?” Shirtless, Grier plopped onto the couch and made themselves comfortable.
The woman shakes Adele’s hand graciously, but distractedly and acknowledges ‘Lenora’s’ greeting with a momentary eye contact and nod before turning her gaze to daggers again in Galwix’s direction taking heavy strides into the apartment.
“What were you thinking!?!?” She demands. “A spell like that will attract every voidwoken in the dimension!?!? Explain yourself and don’t you dare invoke that infernal accent on me!”
“What were you thinking!?!?” She demands. “A spell like that will attract every voidwoken in the dimension!?!? Explain yourself and don’t you dare invoke that infernal accent on me!”
Galwix stands but does not meet the woman’s gaze. Concentrating, he speaks in a plain, bland voice.
“Prudence... I was trying to recruit them. You interrupted just as I was getting to the good part.”
“Prudence... I was trying to recruit them. You interrupted just as I was getting to the good part.”
The woman, Prudence, softens slightly, but still speaks firmly.
“Ohh, I suppose they are warriors then? Couldn’t tell by looking at them.”
“Ohh, I suppose they are warriors then? Couldn’t tell by looking at them.”
Still in his bland voice, Galwix takes a defensive posture.
“Well they stood up to an extra-planar creature without flinching, I think that counts for something. They can also speak for themselves... remember Prudence, manners, we discussed this...”
“Well they stood up to an extra-planar creature without flinching, I think that counts for something. They can also speak for themselves... remember Prudence, manners, we discussed this...”
Prudence lets out an exasperated sigh.
“Fine.” She declares as an entire sentence.
“What is your plan then, Adele? Lenora?”
“Fine.” She declares as an entire sentence.
“What is your plan then, Adele? Lenora?”
Grier picked up a pillow and fluffed it across their lap absentmindedly. “Prudence. Latin origin. Meaning good judgement.”
“Well, my plan is increasingly leaning towards staying the hell away from whatever this is.” They fanned the pillow between Prudence and Galwix. Grier stood and chose a spot along the wall closer to the door. They crossed their arms.
“Maybe your good judgement can help explain things though.”
That immortal’s still out there. And I don’t exactly have an answer for the blood thievery.
“Galwix says there’s a big bad on the loose bent on consumption. He’s putting his neck on the line to save us. But I ask, what’s so bad about being hungry? And if you stop the monster, what do you want from the world then?”
“Well, my plan is increasingly leaning towards staying the hell away from whatever this is.” They fanned the pillow between Prudence and Galwix. Grier stood and chose a spot along the wall closer to the door. They crossed their arms.
“Maybe your good judgement can help explain things though.”
That immortal’s still out there. And I don’t exactly have an answer for the blood thievery.
“Galwix says there’s a big bad on the loose bent on consumption. He’s putting his neck on the line to save us. But I ask, what’s so bad about being hungry? And if you stop the monster, what do you want from the world then?”
Prudence visibly rolled her eyes.
“If you wish to perish, that’s your business, if you wish to survive, you’ll help us collect the stones.”
“If you wish to perish, that’s your business, if you wish to survive, you’ll help us collect the stones.”
“Shesh. Perish. That’s awfully dramatic” Grier rolled their eyes as well and chuckled. “I don’t wish to survive. It’s just something I’m stuck with. But sure, let’s survive.”
“Now what kind of stones are you looking for?” Grier says, disappearing. They kick their pants off and go to find another snack.
“Precious?”
“Semi-precious?”
“Kidney?”
“Rolling?”
“Now what kind of stones are you looking for?” Grier says, disappearing. They kick their pants off and go to find another snack.
“Precious?”
“Semi-precious?”
“Kidney?”
“Rolling?”