Crashed and Drunk

On By ravonlockeIn Jin, JournalLeave a comment

It was a nice ship with a beautiful tree. I don’t get why there was a tree, but it seemed real important to the Captain. Until something happened. Something that was absolutely not my fault at all. The tree split right up the center and there was fire everywhere and then we crashed into the ground!

At first, I got scared. It was real cold and snowy and I thought we somehow ended up back home. But it didn’t feel right. Felt strange, for sure, but not Right. Doc and I start throwing snow on the fires, and getting all the useful stuff out of the ship. Can’t let it go to waste, right? I mean there’s whole Barrels of Ale in there. Wouldn’t be good for those to catch fire at all. Back in my old Winter clothes now, too. it’s much colder here, but it’s a start.

Only half the ship folk survived. That odd big Gyph man and his astral elf protector – she starts making a fire and some food. That’s a good elf. Doc and me, of course. And the oozy deckhand guy. Guess he just didn’t care too much about the impact, not being solid and all. Captain, Pilot, Cook, and a couple other deckhands all died on impact, or burned up, or something. Gotta look out for us now. The Gyph man says he’s names Eg..Egnats the Leg… Ugh, Eggy, and his elf says her name’s Leshanna.. and some other stuff. The ooze man’s Sandro. Much easier.

Then they start talking about some scary crow or something off in the field. Why’s a crow so scary, but they say it’s only scary to other crows. So maybe this is his field or something. We go look, but it’s only three more people, more like human people. They all look kinda dead though. A youngish man who says his name is Sammy, a really pale elf lady with sharp teeth who says she’s called Saalym, and an unconscious man. I don’t know his name. They say he’s a sacrifice to the winter god to make him go away, make winter go away, but I feel like giving him things will only make him want to stay. Maybe they should talk to the Queen.

Anyway. Eggy and Leshy think we ought to protect the tree so we can fix the ship and get back into space. They think that covering it in water so it freezes in the way to go, but we gotta keep the water from freezing Inside the tree or it’ll explode it even more. Doc starts wrapping the tree in the sails, and I start taking barrels up to pour over it. They others just watch and yammer while we do their work. Though that Gyph climbing a tree would be the funniest things, so maybe better he didn’t try. And maybe the barrels woulda just fallen through the ooze man, he did use the rigging to help me lift at least.

Doc wants to know if they have a wagon so we can bring all the ship stuff into town to sell so we can fix the ship. They don’t though, but they say there’s a town real nearby, and offer to bring us there for food, drink, and warm beds. It’s real cold so we all agree to go. Some hungry wolves come check us out, and almost eat Eggy. Some of them kill the poor hungry things, but I just put them to sleep so they’ll go eat someone else.

Sammy and Saalym keep talking about us being near ten towns. But the way they’re saying it Ten Towns, like with capitals and everything. They’re taking us to one called East Haven, but could… could it actually be The Ten Towns? Like where my dad James is from?

Once we get to the bar and start drinking and listening. Everyone is talking about a murders around Ten Towns. And an execution in the morning. It really does sound like The Ten Towns. The not-really dead lady takes the unconscious man to her room somewhere else, but she comes back bleeding, I wonder if he woke up angry. Saalym, keeps introducing us to folks, and one of them is named James. When she gets distracted again, I ask if he’s my dad, but he just looks confused and says no. Doc finds out where to get a wagon in the morning, but everything is closed right now. Sammy takes Eggy, Leshy, and Sandy off to bed, but I’m not tired. So, Saalym, Doc, and I get really drunk. Well, I do, I dunno about them.

Eventually the bar says we have to leave, so I go look for a place for Doc and me to sleep. I find a nice big building right in the center of town, but I can’t get the doors open. Saalym says it’s the Town Hall and I can’t sleep there, so she takes us back to her room at an inn across town. The unconscious guy is there, I don’t even know how he got there. Oh well, good night Doc.

Jin, Jinna, Jinx

On By ravonlockeIn Backstory, JinLeave a comment

Jin’a’loquaris of the Winter Court never quite fit in with the high unseelie fey. She was never serious enough for the Queen’s guard. He didn’t have the attention span for the scout’s corp. And while they could play a fairly decent Birdpipe, they weren’t good enough to accompany the Chorus.

It’s not that she didn’t try, she really did. He could race and climb and hide just as well as the other fey children, but it was the discipline to follow a single path that was lacking. It was that extra special Something that got everyone else chosen before them. And her relationship with the Fates was even more fickle than most Fey. Bad luck followed him everywhere, and though he usually managed to escape mostly unscathed, his companions did not. Even their magic was late in coming, or at least their control of it, and the other fey children teased them for being a weak half-breed. 

So, she would quit one thing and move onto the next. Over and over again. Until he found his way to the goblin caves. They didn’t judge them as lesser. They accepted her strangeness, her chaos and distraction. And they taught him things. Things their mother would rather they not know. 

Five Big Events

  1. Jin’a’loquaris was born of a human father (James) and changeling mother (Cin’da’loquaris). Her mother, after giving birth and confirming the child took after her, went back home to the Feywild. Leaving Jin’s father to wonder if it had all just been a dream.
  1. As a teen, Jin finally confronted his mother about who his father was. Everyone else seemed to know, but Mother had never told Jin. After some lengthy dissembling, avoiding, and sideways answers, she finally admitted that their father was a human from the Ten Towns region, and was called James Brewer. And promptly forbid her from going there or seeking him out, saying James wanted nothing to do with his child. Jin had no idea what “Ten Towns” meant, or how to even begin to get there, so the command did not matter and was quickly forgotten. Her mother had never actually admitted that Father was not fey before, and that was what mattered to him – he really was the weak halfbreed the others called him.
  1. As a young adult, Jinna was on a scouting mission and accidentally manifested psionic powers that caused the tree the group was hiding behind to explode. Giving away the scouts’ position, and injuring everyone else, two quite badly, though Jinna was unhurt.
  1. After failing at so many things, though none quite as spectacularly as the scouting mission, Jinx began spending a lot of time down in the Goblin caves, and picking up some “despicable behavior.” Mother grew tired of arguing, scolding, confining them to their room, and dragging them almost bodily to court functions. Mother contacted friends of friends of friends and got Jinx a contract on a Spelljammer ship. It will teach you about duty and following orders, she told him. Jinx didn’t argue, spelljamming sounded like an excellent way to escape the stuffy court. Secretly, they snuck off to the caves get Doc to come with. Fortunately, he was equally amenable to an adventure outside the Feywild. 
  2. Wildspace was just as amazing as Jin had hoped, even if the work was boring. Unfortunately, her bad luck followed Jin out into the Astral Sea. It wasn’t his fault, never his fault. They were just looking at the helm, trying to figure it out. Doc came looking for her, and she turned a little too quickly, her hand on something a little too important, a little too startled to keep a lid on her powers. It started to overload, to melt, to explode, or whatever it is those things do. He ran, grabbing Doc on the way, too late to alert anyone, too late to stop it. But not too late to save Doc. They both made it out, just barely, and with just enough luck left to be picked up by a passing ship before they ran into something truly dangerous.  A smaller ship, but with far more interesting characters than the last one. At least, until that one crashed too, this time into Torril.

Happy Ending

On By ravonlockeIn Journal, NetherdeepLeave a comment

The Noble Fragments, having returned from Blightshore with yet another bag of horribly corrupt artifacts, is going to take some time off. The High Priestess is extremely grateful. It has been quite a lot of work dealing with all the evil they have brought back to the Dynasty and her temple.

Don’t get me wrong, they did well. My son tells me that they defeated a demigod this time – Ceratos. The Many, crawling far beneath Blightshore. Hopefully their stirring doesn’t mean that the Crawling King is pushing, too, from beyond the gate. Or at least, not any more than usual.

They also brought back quite a handful of citizens of the Dynasty. The temples in Asarius report quite a number of folks, including some children, who have come to them for powerful restoration magics, having been under the sway of mind-altering effects for far too long. A few Ceratos Zealots have been found amongst these refugees, and they are being dealt with with as much empathy as the temple and Aurora Hold can manage.

House Duendalos has gained several members, including one of the gnomes, and I hear, and my nephew has rejoined Den Olios. It is good that the dens continue to grow and flourish.

I wish them all well in their endeavors, perhaps one day the Dynasty will call upon them again.

~ Skysybil Abrianna Mirimm

Madness Incarnate

On By ravonlockeIn Journal, NetherdeepLeave a comment

We feel them. They are coming. A few are tricked, talking to friends who are not there, family they don’t even really like. Talking. Then Questioning. The Balhannoth’s don’t like questions and they don’t like the Balhannoths. Gone. All gone. The Catonoctrix come, come flying in taking minds, but too late. Too slow. Powerful these new minds. They will come to us next. They will listen. They all listen to Them. Hear Them.

Into the hive. They come to us. Slowly. Confused. Pliant. They come.

“Come, come. Time is nigh. Hurry. Come, come.” And they come. We will protect them. Protect them from the worms below. The burrowing ever deeper worms. Eat right through you if you’re not protected. They resist our protect, but they come with us. The others are waiting, but The Holy One is almost done. Almost done.

They still come, the Neothelids and our beloved Core Spawn Worms. Good pets. They listen. Won’t attack us. Not when we bring minds to The Many. Brilliant minds, careful minds, tasty minds.

Down and down and down we go. They hide below. Far below. Minds scattered, but body below. Bring the body first, the minds will follow. Down into the temple. Temple to Ceratos, The Many, destruction and rebirth shall come.

Join the Circle!

They are hesitant.

Join the Circle!

They go, slowly around the circle. Stopping finally and joining the circle. Kneeling to The Many as he feasts and Rises!

Retreat, but not far. Don’t disturb the ceremony. See through the others. Watch.

The new minds attack! Upset by Their rise! Attack The Holy One and her Acolyte! The Many will take them, will eat them, take them, eat them! They shall be reunited with the Many. Their minds to bring together. Reunification for Rebirth! The Holy One falls, the Reunification incomplete! The Many eats, but They wane. Retreat!

Must retreat, They fall, but will rise again. They will lead us Home one day. Falling is not the end, still scattered. Scattered still.

~Core Spawn Seer Hive Minds

Down and Around

On By ravonlockeIn Journal, NetherdeepLeave a comment

Almost. Got. One. More. Slaadi. More. Less. No. More. Why. All. Gone. Gone. Gone.

KILL THEM! I’LL KILL THEM. EAT THEM!

The Eyes. The Eyes Will Get Them. All The Eyes. So Loud. Stepping In Them. Get Them!

BiGGeR eYeS! THeY WiLL TaKe THeM! All thE bIg EyEs! Zap tHem! tAke tHem! nO!

gonE agaiN? whY? wherE? hoW? resTing iN anoTher plAce! coMe bAck!

there they are here they come one more level. my precious reality warpers. trick them. take them. you will see.

~Ceratos, the Many