Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Magical Quests and other Adventures (18+ Only)

Kara shifted a bit uncomfortably. The elf obviously knew enough about her kind to know gnomes weren't known for wandering so far from home. Especially forest gnomes. They tended to just stick to the forest.

"I uh..." She looked down and started swinging her feet. "I am looking for magical places. Places where I can learn things. Rune things." She was almost whispering by the time she finished. She shifted again as if she was waiting for teasing to begin... which is exactly what she was waiting for. She was very aware that everyone was looking at her now. She suddenly felt even smaller than she was. She took a deep breath and looked up defiantly as if daring any of them to laugh at her. "Yeah, rune things. I study rune magic." She was tense and she knew they probably wouldn't understand why she was suddenly so defiant but she couldn't help it.

Upon hearing Kara's statement, Remora's eyes lit up with such pure joy.

"You study magic? Fantastic, so do I!" She beamed, a flurry of questions soon following. "What field of magic do you follow? You said runes, but is there a specific school of runecraft you undertake? I haven't specifically delved into the art of runes so I'm not entirely familiar with it. How does it work? Is it enough to create specific patterns, or do you have to infuse them with magical energy?"

With every question, Remora's eyes sparkled with such a strong level of admiration. Obviously, she loved magic, with every fibre of her being. Eventually, however, her questions stopped, when a mug of some kind of ale was presented to her, a small layer of white foam sitting on its top. Suddenly, all of her focus disappeared as she eyed the drink. Slowly, she took a sip, and immediately, her face contorted into a face of disgust, that she tried to hide.

"How... unique" She spoke, trying her best to hide her grimace, trying and failing, that is. "Nothing like the drinks I'm use to, no... more... bitter... but... bitter but in a pleasant way"

She was not a very good liar.

The other elf's enthusiasm was an almost physical thing. Rypa found it cute even if she found the academic study odd. It was an odd way to look at something, one did not understand the river by looking at the content of the pale you dipped into it.
"There is a circle of stones not far from here." Said Rypa to the gnome. "The dark things keep away from it and I believe there are runes scratched into it."
Turning to the man gladden to find someone who walked the same path as her. She turned to him and smiled.
"Ah nice to to meet a brother in arms. I strive to keep the wilderness safe and in balance."
Taking another sip of her drink she understood Remora reaction it seemed like they had reached the bottom of the barrel.
"As the keg is nearly tapped It might be time to turn in for the night."

The energy Remora had left Getsurei's head spinning. Perhaps he had been away from others for far too long or maybe...He looked at the flagon before him and shoved it away.

Runes, now that was something he was somewhat familiar with. He rarely used them, if at all though. " Stones with runes...." He started then drifted into thought for a bit. If dark things stayed away then could he approach?
" I know of another place that has runes but....it's quite far"

The statement Rypa made surprised him but in a good way. Perhaps he need not worry of her arrows after all. He relaxed once more as he nodded at her. " Then may we hunt together someday"
Now he carefully stood up. If there was thing he could agree fully on it was a good nights rest.

Kara was taken back by Remora's enthusiasm. It was not the reaction she had been expecting.

"Yes, I study magic. It's not as common, but some gnomes do find they have a natural talent for it. I'm one of them. I don't follow any particular field. I have noticed that I have a natural affinity for runes in general versus other types of magic. " She glanced briefly at the crystal orb and then sideways at Getsurei. She might still be fairly new to magic but she wasn't stupid.

She then turned to Rypa, "Yes, that's why I chose to stay here tonight. My plan was to go see the stones tomorrow."

Getsurei's comment caught her attention, "How far is 'quite far'?" She took a sip of her ale as well and grimaced at the taste. She shrugged and downed the whole glass quickly. "Maybe we could discuss this in the morning? Sleep does sound wonderful right now." As everyone stood and began to move around she hopped down from her stool and grabbed her pack. She stretched her small body before making her way to the room she had paid for.

Remora downed her drink as fast as she could, trying her best not to gag, before standing up.

"Truly, it was a pleasure meeting you all." She spoke with a smile, the drink slowly bringing with it a pleasant buzz. She stood and checked her personal note book, wherein she had written her room number, assuming that she would forget it after drinking. "Though I too must retire for the night. I'm more than happy to accompany you all tomorrow, however. I'm sure it will be a wonderful learning experience!"

Rypa watched her new companions depart for the land of dreams. once they had all departed she put her ocarina to her lips and played a lullaby as she slowly made her way to her room.

Some might have called the room spartan but it was an indulgence to the elf. Locking the door behind her she sat in the corner in the room her legs crossed. With a quick series of breaths she slipped into a trance.

The sun was just creeping above the horizon when she entered the main room. It was empty so she decided to sit out side greet the dawn. The sky was crimson as she sat down by the door. Drawing her swords she started sharpening them.

Getsurei paced himself with Kara long enough to answer her question. " Quite far as in the gates of Hell" He then turned away to head to his room.

To him almost any room seemed like a luxury. He sauntered over the bed and stretched across it, listening to the sounds around him as he dozed off.


He did not wake until the sun crossed over his eyes. Little flecks floating through the gentle beams seemed like glitter to him. He sighed as he rolled to his side. Morning always came too early in his mind.

Kara didn't react to Gesturei's comment but once she got to her room and climbed into the bed she did ponder it. He intrigued her for some reason she couldn't quite place. Sighing Kara rolled over and went to sleep. Maybe tomorrow would bring insight.

She rose as the sun came up, her body on a natural clock she had kept from her childhood. No matter how late she stayed up, she almost always rose with the sun. After changing into slightly cleaner clothing she wandered out to the dining area. She didn't see anyone so she assumed she was the first one awake. She ordered herself some breakfast. If she was to see the runestones today she wanted to have the energy to do what she needed to do. After she finished eating she wandered outside to get some fresh air. She saw Rypa sitting and sharpening her swords.

"Good morning," she said in Gnomish, wandering over to the elf. It was nice to talk to someone in her childhood tongue.

Remora retired to her room, which was nice and homely, with a thick animal fur in place of a blanket. Somewhat strange, considering how she wouldn't actually sleep in it, but rather she'd spend her time in a meditative like state known as a trance. Regardless, she did appreciate how comforting it looked.

Remora entered her trance, as she had countless times before, and quickly she was thrown back in time, as she was gifted images of her past. Unsurprisingly, it was her reading in a library. It was actually the first time she had entered a greater library of the arcane art, and she was learning her very first spell. When she woke from her trance, she was filled with a certain level of nostalgia.

When she woke, she left her room and sat in the dining room of the inn, ordering herself a light breakfast to eat, a warm smile seemingly permanently plastered to her face. Her trance last night was such a pleasant memory.

"How does the morning find you Kara?" Replied Rypa enjoying the feeling of the alien tongue. "Ready for the walk?"
She checked the blades and satisfied with the edge she strapped them to her back. Smelling food she considered eating but decided against it preferring to get something fresher later. Fishing out her ocarina from her bag she started playing a song of gathering.

It wasn't until the sound of the ocarina reached his ears that Getsurei decided to get up. The sweet melody would have easily lulled him to sleep once more but the day had only begun.

He shook his head to get his hair to fall right before heading to the dining room.
Though distant to the world around him, he noticed Remora and her warm smile and decided to sit across the table. " You clearly got good rest"

"I'm well thank you" Kara replied. "I am quite ready but I don't think the others are up yet." Kara settled a short distance from Rypa while she played. The melody was lovely.

Kara waited for a break in the music before saying "You play quite well."

Kara began to rummage around in her bag. Pushing aside clothing and other miscellaneous items, she pulled out a small leather notebook. She started paging through it looking at the different symbols. Each page had a rune carefully drawn on the top half of the page with what looked like notes in Gnomish written underneath. There were perhaps ten pages total that had been filled out.

"Do you know how many runestones there are?" Kara asked, turning to Rypa.

Rypa smiled at the complement.
"Spend enough time on your own and you can pick up all sorts of skills. I must admit that I've not made a close study of the stones. The centre is a ring of six... doorways? made of stone but they are surrounded by a ring of smaller stones." Said the elf counting on her fingers which clearly showed that she seem to lack the pinky on both of them. "I think there's a least a score of the smaller stones. All covered in runes and other inscriptions."
Standing she poke her head back into the inn to see if the others were up.
"Good morning you ready to go?"
She turned back and looked at the sky trying to get a feel for the weather.