capeandcowllogs | ASTHENOA

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ASTHENOA

WHO: The imPorts trapped in a video game.
WHERE: The virtual world of Asthenoa.
WHEN: 10AM August 26th to 11PM August 31st.
WARNINGS: Violence and fighting. Alert me of anything else for updates.
SUMMARY: A comedy of errors: imPorts are trapped in a Vulcanus-made video game.
FORMAT: As you like it.

Asthenoa is a land set on lush rolling hills under a bright blue sky eternally streaked with clouds. The only celestial variance comes during the nightly setting, where an eternally yellow full moon partially hides behind those clouds. The people of Asthenoa may be human, or elven, or dwarven, or they may have animalistic features, but none of that is of great social concern. Asthenoa has always been this way. The heart of the land is a medieval town set upon one of the highest hills, and the middle of that town sits a majestic stone castle. The busiest part of the town is the center, which hosts the marketplace. There you can buy necessities, or meet the blacksmith and other artisans at their working studios. Beyond the artisanal studios are the taverns and the inns.

Beyond the cheerier inns is a place called The Shriveled Shrike. If you head to the second floor and knock on the third room door thrice and rub your knee against the handle once, it will magically open and expose to you a staircase. People of the Rogue class know this inherently.

The staircase is five flights long. It leads to a black market in a mile long, mile wide underground bunker, where gambling and other darker magicks are indulged. You might meet a necromancer or three. You might run into trouble.

If you were to step out beyond the town, you would have to cross a moat via the drawbridge. It’s always closed up at nighttime, you can only pass during the day.

Beyond the moat (where serpents might swim) is a hilly pasture. Beyond the pasture is an enchanted forest. Strange things happen in these gnarled woods – this is where mystical creatures lurk. Acres of dark wood house sparkling lights and floating orbs and very unusual flora. The fauna includes many mythical beings, including centaurs and fairies and griffins. There could be even more hidden within secret caves or pools of darkening water.

You feel the need to venture past this alluring wood. You feel it deeply.

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[Well, she had been complaining about not going to other worlds with the others. What she hadn't expected was a world like this, something so close and yet too far from where she'd grown up. The town around Ector's estate had never been this crowded--nor big--but the idea is still the same. But no, the strange world and all this hair she has to braid and tuck into the back of her armor are more important than that. At least she came here armored and bearing a sword.

And she has a horse. A sweet thing by the looks of it who will eat carrots out of her hands and who she sells some of the more useless decorations from so the horse can move easier. Talking to people only yields the line 'there's something going on in the forest' and so she figures she will go there.

Except when she crosses the moat and mounts the horse, it won't budge.]

Daffodil! Ride!

[She clicks her heels against the side, she tries the reigns, she offers carrots, but nothing. The horse is a city horse and thus doesn't want to leave the city. It tosses its head and seems to give her a look with one large eye before turning around and crossing back over the bridge despite Saber's attempts to get it to go into the forest.

Saber groans as the horse comes to a stop before a vegetable seller and slides off, giving the horse a dark look.]

Why did you have to have a stomach as insistent as mine?

[A sweet horse, yes, but a spoiled one.]

Edited 2013-08-26 16:19 (UTC)

[Calvin puffs on up from across the moat, an absurd fur-lined blue cape trailing behind him. Having spent most of his life obeying impulses without giving any thought to them, his urge to visit the woods is no mystery: a kid like Calvin would want to go play in the forest even if it wasn't the only way out of a virtual prison. Perhaps he wouldn't be so tired from the trip if he wasn't trying to drag a long, heavy mace along with him. Or maybe he's just too used to being able to fly everywhere.]

Hail, paladin! The Duke of Calvintopia is weary from travel! I demand a ride on your horse.

[Calvin addresses Saber as though she was just another of the NPCs who've been respecting his absurd demands since he showed up, but does a double-take when he sees her face.]

Hey, wait a- Saber?

Calvin?

[What is Calvin doing here? And is that her cape from when she ruled he's wearing?

It matters not. He wants a ride on her horse and she has a feeling he plans on going to the forest. If he's anything like her at that age he will not stop and so she scoops him up and plants him on Daffodil without a word just to make sure he stays somewhere she can keep an eye on him.

Once he's safely seated in the saddle she looks at him seriously.]

You were brought here as well?

Yeah, I did. Hold this for me, would you?

[Calvin hands Saber his pernach without waiting for any acknowledgement. While it's absurdly large for him, it's more an ordinary size for her.]

I'm a Duke now. Everybody in this place does whatever I say as long as I act important and give them money! Being royalty is fun. Hey, watch this!

[The boy leans off the horse, toward the man staffing the vegetable stall, and jingles a bag full of gold in front of his face.]

You! My steed needs something to eat! Make your finest wares available!

[....Being royalty may be fun to a child, especially a child Duke, but for a King?]

In my experience, not so much. Royalty is responsible for the well-being of their entire Kingdom.

[But the NPC does take the gold and gives them half the vegetables in the stall for Daffodil. Something the horse is quite content to ~~continue~~ munching on.

Well, how much harm could a child-Duke having fun do, really, when a paladin is looking out for him?]

Yeah, well my kingdom is in another dimension, so I don't have to worry about squat.

[Even the weight of a crown can't make Calvin take responsibility seriously. Mainly because it's more of a circlet and therefore very lightweight.]

Now let's get going! I intend to explore that forest out there. There might be treasure there, and I need more wealth to lord over my social inferiors.

[Having outlined this solid plan, Calvin now begins yelling at a domestic animal.]

Hey horse! Are you done eating yet?

Edited 2013-08-28 00:01 (UTC)

Her name is Daffodil and it could take days for her to finish eating all this.

[And the horse is too busy happily munching away to move from the stall.]

What? That's unacceptable! I'm an important man, I've got things to do.

[Calvin straightens up on the horse and waves in a semi-commanding manner.]

Pack it all up! Put it in Styrofoam! Daffodil can have her leftovers later. Right now, we've got some exploring to do.

Wares! Get your wares!

[The NPC is not responding to him and the horse just keeps eating. Saber looks vaguely amused, but Calvin is seven and she isn't about to argue with him too much.]

Excuse me, sir. Could you please deliver this to Sir Calvin's quarters at the palace?

[That request, being something the NPC understands--unlike 'styrofoam'--gets a response and he begins to haul everything onto a nearby cart.

Daffodil eyeballs Saber.]

Good job, Saber. Now, let's get this expedition started! Ya! Ya!

[The Duke bounces on top of Daffodil in a way that vaguely resembles kicking its sides. Somebody only learned how to ride horses by watching Westerns on TV. Daffodil does not budge.]

...Hey, how do you make this thing go?

Let me show you.

[She easily mounts the horse, who now seems more cooperative about leaving, and sits behind Calvin. His mace is safely tucked into her belt, something she intends to keep because who in their right mind lets a six year old have a live weapon?

Saber reaches around Calvin to take the reigns and demonstrates how to flick and kick your heels to get the horse to trot forward.]

Part of the problem might be your height. Your legs don't reach far enough to get into the stirrups.

[That said, she gives Calvin a small lesson in horseback riding.]

I'm royalty. My natural charisma should compensate for my height!

[Whatever Calvin's failings when it comes to charisma towards other people, he has an intuitive empathy when it comes to nature and animals. Saber's lesson sinks in deeper and quicker than might have been expected, and in no time he's riding comfortably as they head into the outskirts of the Enchanted Forest.

Then he hears a voice, calling out to them. Calvin straightens up in the saddle and looks around.]

Hey, is that big lizard thing yelling at us?

[She is indeed, and she looks impatient- as impatient as a Komodo Dragon can look, at least.]

Horses don't recognize royalty. [She should know since she's of the same opinion as Calvin in regards to charisma and height.] They recognize those who treat them well and train them well, nothing more and nothing le--

[And that's when they hear the voice. Saber turns the horse and stares for a moment at the lizard.]

....apparently so.

[The Komodo waddles forward to meet them, tongue flicking in and out of her mouth as she talks.]

Hey, you two! I demand your assistance! I'm a beautiful princess, but a curse has trapped me in this form. If you free me I'll reward you. Maybe. If I feel like it.

[Calvin frowns.]

Well, I guess I can relate to royalty trapped in unfair situations. Saber, do you know how to fix curses?

A little. It depends on the individual spell for how you break it. We might not be able to if we know nothing beyond it made her into a lizard.

[She watches the dragon warily, then asks:]

Do you know how to break the curse, Milady?

One of you has to kiss me. On the mouth. Yeah, I know it's dumb, it wasn't my idea, okay? I'm not happy about it either.

[Flickflick goes her tongue. She squats there, waiting. Calvin is visibly appalled, and turns to the Paladin.]

Eeeeeewwww! This one's all yours, Saber. Go be heroic or something.

You're afraid of something as simple as a kiss?

[To her credit, she's not laughing at him.]

[Calvin stares at her and makes A Face.]

Of course I'm afraid! It's a kiss! And she's- she's-

A lizard? Sure, judge me for something out of my control. Everyone else does. I don't mind or anything.

-a girl!

What's wrong with kissing a girl?

[She had to kiss her wife to keep up the charade they were in a proper marriage.]

[Calvin looks at Saber as though she just asked 'why don't you think cyanide is delicious and healthy?']

You know what? Maybe I'll tell you when you're older. Right now, your Duke commands you to smooch the Princess there so we can get our reward.

[Wait. He should probably establish the reward first.]

Hey, Princess! You're going to give us loads of treasure once we help you, right?

I've been trapped as a lizard for weeks. I'll be lucky if I'm not thought dead by everyone who ever knew me. But if my fortune remains, I will reward you.

Is he giving you trouble?

[ Bradbury isn't expecting much of an answer, really. He's been here long enough to realize most of the people in this town don't exactly qualify as witty conversationalists, with repetitive lines and stilted conversation that goes nowhere. The woman isn't anyone he recognizes, though she's a little familiar -- maybe he'd seen her earlier today? He can't remember.

Either way, though, the comparison makes him laugh. ]

He's like a kid diving for the candy jar on Halloween.

She. Daffodil's a she. [And Saber has been around horses enough to know.]

And she is. She doesn't mind me riding her, but the moment she sees food she refuses to do anything but eat.

[....maybe that's why she's on the plump side.]

Sorry. Wasn't exactly checking. [ Maybe he should do that for the rest of the horses he runs into, from now on, instead of assuming. He eyes the horse warily -- he doesn't actually know another about horses, so he's right out of ideas on how to get one to go anywhere. ]

I'm guessin' the old carrot on a stick trick isn't gonna work. [ Does it ever work in anything but cartoons, in the first place? ]

Not when there is a huge pile of food that would be much easier to get to than the carrot.

[Because why go after one carrot when you can have an entire cart's worth of food?]

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ASTHENOA

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FYI: I don't mind someone else joining in if you invited them! 8P

I've got no one, but I do have a Komodo dragon prompt that needs filling!

Let us do it, then!

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