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RESPITE BARRACKS - MORNING
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Bracvar scuttles into the barracks, taking up entirely too much space in the hallways. While the building certainly caters to taller folk such as Brunilda, nobody really thought to make the place wide enough for flailing crustacean legs. A brief stop at the reception desk pointed him toward the door with Louma's office behind it, chuckling quietly to himself. He tilts his head a bit when he reaches the door, rapping his carapaced knuckles just under her nameplate, leaving a scuff just at eye level.
Nesseth looks up from the papers arrayed on the desk, numerous reports and other assorted paperwork, all thankfully mundane, spread out and sorted in a manner that he finds easier to work with. He calls towards the door after a moment. "Come on in, the door's open. Just don't open it too fast, please."
Bracvar pushes the door open at a reasonable speed, as ordered, observing the door jamb for a second before carefully managing to step into the office. His visible eye crinkles as he grins at Nesseth, snapping into a salute. "Captain commander sir! Bracvar reporting fer duty or such!"
Nesseth is about to correct the person entering, but realizes it's Bracvar and winds up chuckling and shaking his head. "Oh, hey there, Bracvar. Well, have yourself a seat." He sets his papers aside and smiles at the crustacean, "Good to see you again! How've you been since all this started and ended?"
Bracvar shuts the door behind him, turning to gaze spitefully at the available chair, sliding it away and simply settling into a sort of crouch across the desk from Nesseth. "Better'n you, if'n I been hearing right." He glances toward Nesseth's left arm, shaking his head. "I know yer brave an' strong an' all, but taking on Xeilrus was... Well, a fool's mission. No disrespect, o'course. I'm impressed yeh came out on top. Even destroyed the entire Prominence t'boot."
Nesseth grimaces a little as he lifts his arm up a bit, showing Bracvar the scarring that remains from his injury. It looks far less severe than it was when he'd first gotten back, thanks to the efforts of Plume, Tarbin and Melia, though. "Eh... if you didn't get zapped by lightning, I'd say you're already leagues ahead of me." He shakes his head a little as he sets his arm back down, "Wasn't exactly bravery or anything, though. Xochi and I were the closest ones, so... we just had to do what we had to do."
Bracvar humphs, straightening up and crossing his arms. "Aye, that yeh did. So what, they finally boot Louma out? And what, now ye've been promoted to Captain? S'pose it was all worth it, then eh? Though never figured you fer one t'sit behind a desk all day."
Nesseth shakes his head, laughing after a moment. "No, no, she's just on vacation. I had a week off earlier, so I'm filling in while she's out for another few weeks, then I get another week off." He nods at the stacks of papers nearby, "Trust me, Bracvar... it's dull sometimes."
Bracvar laughs, shaking his head in turn. "Oh, well that is less exciting. Still, yeah looks like a lot of papers. Can't be much worse than I gotta go through if'n I wanna bring odd goods through or to anywhere."
Nesseth hums and nods in agreement. "Yeah, it's, uh... a lot of reading about the same thing over and over, most of the time. The town's pretty quiet most days, even with the Saurs settling out past the walls, now that the war's over. Honestly glad for things to get back to the old routine, truth be told."
Bracvar hums, nodding after a few moments. "'The saurs'. Aye, met with their leader there, one mister Usid. Seems an earnest fella, at least. Might have some arrangements with 'em fer their benefit. And that of my coffers as well, o'course."
Nesseth tilts his head. "Oh, Usid? Poor guy got put into a leadership role when he didn't want it, but he's kind of stuck with it now. Did you set up some kind of trade deal with him?"
Bracvar grins, his good eye twinkling. "Aye, similar ta Respite. Food and whatnot, at a slightly reduced price but they get bulk. No pickin' and choosin' each morsel. Reminds me I gotta get in touch with Jennica, s'pose she should have my generator ready by now... Anyways a' that, what was the Whisperer's chambers like?"
Nesseth hums curiously. "Mmh? The... Whisperer's chambers? Like, his living quarters? Kind of nice, honestly, from what I remember. Tapestries, a few ornate tables, things like that. Definitely looked more like a place fit for a prince than a religious leader."
Bracvar scoffs, shaking his head a little, he mumbles. "Yeah, would figure." He speaks up, "Shame the mountain fell on 'em then, eh? That a passage right b'hind the throne? I mean, guy had a throne. Religious leader nothin, probably fancied 'imself a proper king."
Nesseth nods. "Yeah, had a long hallway behind that throne that led straight to... I guess his bedroom or something like that." He sighs a little, "Past that, there was a hidden passage that went deeper into the mountain. Had to chase him all the way down."
Bracvar blinks, tilting his head. "A hidden passage? Yer holdin' the tides still. What's he need a hidden passage fer?"
Nesseth shakes his head again. "It wasn't much other than just a passage to where Yzzayt was sleeping. The Prominence got destroyed when Yzzayt woke up."
Bracvar hums, leaning back a little and scratching under his tendrils. "So off the throne room, through a secret tunnel. But it's all busted down. I got meself an acquaintance, is quite interested in lookin fer clues on what and where Yzzayt be. I mean, we know 'es a dragon, but y'know."
Nesseth raises an eyebrow, scratching at the base of one of his frills. "Someone's looking for clues on Yzzayt? What, is it causing problems somewhere else, now?" He furrows his brow a bit at the thought.
Bracvar nods, idly reaching down to the desk and picking up a report, starting to glaze over it while speaking. "Aye, a landmass South-East some ways. Fairly small, more isolated than Respite. Ah, what was it he called it... Yukin? Ah well, something along that line."
Nesseth blinks, then leans over and starts sorting through some of the older reports from caravan arrivals. "Hmm... I think there was a report of someone that looked way different from anyone else in town... uh... arrived not too long ago, full armor, weird halberd... Sound familiar?"
Bracvar chuckles, setting the paper down and slipping a different one off the desk. "Sounds abou' right. Ninell. Upstandin' fella. Want me t'take 'im up the mountain."
Nesseth hums as he finds the report in question and matches up the name with the one Bracvar just said. "Mmh... yeah, we've got his arrival on record. I'm afraid if you wind up going that way, you and Ninell are just going to find a crater, rubble, and probably more than a few skeletons..."
Bracvar lets out a single laugh. "I get paid either way, whatever we find."
Nesseth nods a bit as he starts getting the papers on the desk ordered again. "Fair enough. Not sure what all you two will find, but maybe Ninell can find something worthwhile."
Bracvar shrugs, handing the page over. "Oh aye. Prefer to give a customer what they're after. Best way t'get them to come back." He stretches out a bit as he gets up, "Well, thank yeh fer yer time, Nesseth. Been wondering where teh find ya, haven't seen ya around the Minnow much. Or at the gate. I can't imagine this all takes the whole day."
Nesseth accepts the paper and gets it sorted as well and nods again. "Yeah... after I got back from my vacation, I've been behind the desk almost all the time. Couple more weeks and I'll be back on gate or wall duty as usual, though." He laughs a little, "As for this... it's more a struggle against my own boredom than it being difficult."
Bracvar shrugs. "Well as long as yeh ain't too stressed over it. Suppose plume's been good fer yeh, hm?" He winks at Nesseth... Which is rather ineffective with an eyepatch.
Nesseth nods with a smile. "After everything at the Prominence, regular guard duty's going to be hardly stressful. Still, Plume's been great for keeping me sane."
Bracvar grins, nodding. "Aye, yeh and all deserve a break, fer what work is as a break. Figures the leadership takes a proper long vacation on the backs of yer had work though."
Nesseth grins a bit. "Eh, I get to have my fun anyway. When Louma gets back, she'll find a lot of things just shifted slightly out of place."
Bracvar blinks, laughing heartily and shaking his head. "Oh well then it was nice knowin' yeh!"
Nesseth waves his hand, laughing. "Ah, I'm not that evil. Maybe just misplacing a thing or two at worst."
Bracvar guffaws, nodding. "Same sentiment, lad! Ah well. Little inconveniences are a fittin' punishment fer sittin behind a desk while her lieutenant did all the soldierin'."
Nesseth shrugs a bit, smiling. "Exactly. She'll get it all sorted back into order pretty quickly, anyway, right? No harm in a bit of fun."
Bracvar grins, nodding. "Well, I'd suggest leavin' a tack on her chair, but..." He snaps his fingers, an idea coming to him in that moment. "Loosen one of eh floorboards! Squeaks everytime she moves a bit."
Nesseth shakes his head, grinning. "A tack would be a surefire way for me to wind up patrolling the town's runoffs for a bit. I do like the floorboard idea, though."
Bracvar bows his head a bit, chuckling. "Idea's all yers, may your scales scrub clean enough!" He grins, stretching a little. "Well I'll let yeh get back teh yer mischief and papers, Nesseth. Got a lot o'plans of my own teh work out." He turns, forgetting the chair and nearly knocking it over into one of the cabinets.
Nesseth smiles and waves at Bracvar as he gets up and turns to take his leave. "Well, thanks for the ideas, Bracvar! Hopefully your trip out to the west goes well." He blinks, then leans over and pulls out a map detailing the trek the guards took, "Oh, by the way! If you want to know a good route, I can make a copy of our route to the Prominence and send it your way later on."
Bracvar blinks, looking to the map and stepping back to the desk. "Mh, point me out yer rough path quick?"
Nesseth smooths the map flat and traces a finger along the route from Respite to the Abyss, and then from there to the Prominence. "We had to take a bit of a detour to the Abyss, but you could probably cut a corner or two on the way over and make it there a few days faster than we did."
Bracvar nods, tracing a route from the South gate, of all places, tracing a line that cuts almost diagonally across the rough representation of the West Mountains on the map. "Aye, 'round this way. Bypass the entire forest an' all the foothills. There's a few ancient landslides out the South kin be scaled easy by most. They look right unmanagable from the foot, air, and through a telescope, but once yer in amongst 'em, it's like walkin' some rough stairs." He looks up to Nesseth. "Rough-abouts three days, slowly."
Nesseth hums as he looks at the route given by Bracvar, noting it'd have saved a fair bit of time. "Hm... that would have been nice to have known before, but... we were following the trail left by the Saurs when they'd kidnapped the caravan folks. Oh, well..." He looks up at Bracvar with another smile, "Anyway, I'll let you get on your way. Have a good day, Bracvar."
Bracvar shrugs, smiling at Nesseth. "Aye, c'n only work with what yeh have, after all. Take care, Nesseth. Make sure t'spend some time in the baths, hmm? Might as well enjoy them while yeh can 'fore Louma gets back!" He chuckles, turning and opening the door.
Nesseth blinks and chuckles as he waves again, realizing that a lot of folks have probably already heard about what happened there not too long ago. "I, uh... yeah, I'll be sure to make use of the bathhouse whenever I can."
Bracvar laughs, waving a hand high as he carefully scuttles from the office, pulling the door shut behind himself. Grinning to nobody in particular, he makes his way out, at least gleaning a little new info. So the paths to Yzzayt's chamber was through some rooms behind the throne. Even with everything collapsed, at least that gives a bearing to head towards.
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RESPITE GATE - MORNING
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Narrator: A small covered caravan rolls up to the front gate, sporting the emblems of a well-known construction company. The driver tips his hat to the gate guard as he slows to a stop and prepares for inspection.
Garwin walks towards the wagons alongside Vandal. With this crew being expected, Garwin has been called in for an early shift to help this inspection go smoothly. While Vandal does the talking, checking over the papers, Garwin walks down the wagon line, doing the visual inspection for anything suspicious. The large, broad-looking bear has no weapons, and isn't wearing much in the way of armor, just a loose uniform with a badge of his station.
Narrator: Most of the cargo and passengers seem in order, if a bit weary from the journey. One passenger stands out, though: a cloak-draped titan that towers a head above everyone else.
Garwin walks along, with nothing else out of the ordinary, he eyes the extremely large figure wearing the cloak, walking towards them. "You all seem like good folks. Hopin' none of you all are thinking to stir up any trouble in town though. 'cepting the recent war business, we're pretty quiet and would prefer to keep it that way."
Pinna stirs, straightening up and looking at Garwin . Her round, blue eyes glow from under the hood of the cloak. "I shall be on my best behavior, sir." The voice comes out metallic and distorted, like it's being played on a phonograph inside a metal box.
Garwin hesistates a moment, a few of the other workers nearby also voice their affirmations without giving much of a look towards the strange tall worker. He steps closer to Pinna, tilting his head, "Don't know if I've seen some'en like you before?" As he gets closer he sees the strange eyes, and takes note of a few other pecularities in the strangers body, causing him to reach out and knock on the strangers chest like knocking on a door, "Oh uh, is this some kind o' those 'Sarn' things?"
Narrator: A quiet squeak sounds from the chest in response to the knock
Pinna flails her arms, revealing them to be metallic under the cloak. "Ah, please do not do that!"
Garwin blinks, stepping back. He looks over to the other workers, "Uh, is it supposed'a to that? Don't know much about magitech, but there's a little stoat lady that can help you fix it up if need be. Or I guess Brunilda is doing that work right at the moment. Elephant lady, real nice. Quiet. I like her. She's hard to miss in that big domed buildin' in the center'a town."
Garwin turns back to the sound, spotting the arms, "Ah, uh, hello?"
Narrator: Some of the workers shrug, and a couple of them chuckle. None of them can be bothered to answer though.
Pinna nods in response. "Yes, hello? You are curious about the suit?"
Garwin scratches his head. "It's a suit, eh? Thought you were some kinda walkin' machine? I ain't one to judge though. I just want to make sure it's not dangerous."
Narrator: One of the workers guffaws. "Dangerous? Nah, Pinna's more likely to hurt herself than anyone else with that thing. It's clumsier than me when I'm halfway drunk!"
Pinna lets out a metallic huff and pulls aside her cloak, revealing a broad, metallic torso. After a moment, the cover of the torso pops out slightly and slides to the side, revealing the pilot: a small, silver mouse woman whose ears wouldn't even reach Garwin's belt.
Pinna smiles sheepishly. "Right, here I am. And I'm a core part of this team, thank you!"
Garwin nods to the other worker, then turns his gaze back to the suit as it opens up to reveal the person inside, "Oh! Well ain't that amazing! You must be Pinna, then? Apologies, Ma'am, I've just never seen anything like this before."
Pinna sticks out her tiny hand for a handshake, then thinks better of it and has the suit present its metal hand instead. "No worries! It's very new technology!"
Garwin carefully shakes the suit's hand. "Well ain't that something. Well, just so long as it's not got any sorta weapons, I've got no reason to hold you up."
Pinna leans forward and whispers. "Really, I just think these guys are upset that they couldn't beat me at arm wrestling."
Garwin leans closer to listen, nodding his head. "Oh? I imagine doing this kinda work you'd have to be a'might strong. I'm not much for competition, but I know a few folks who might want to test themselves against ya."
Pinna laughs a bit, glancing at Garwin's arms. "O-oh, I might need to visit that mechanic if I went up against you..."
Garwin laughs loudly, "Oh! Well, nothing ta fear from my arms unless ya get drunk and stir up trouble, ma'am! Name's Garwin, by the way. My partner up there's Vandal." Garwin turns to signal that everything checks out to Vandal, who turns back to the driver to continue going through some paperwork. "Once he finishes up approvin' your work orders, you'll be free to go on in."
Pinna chuckles. "Nice to meet you, Garwin. I might take you up on that drink after hours sometime."
Garwin grins, "There's a bar not too far down the main road int'a town called the Thirsty Minnow. They've got a good stiff draught on hand. Plus whatever else ya might want. If I see ya there I'll buy you a drink!" He pauses looking up at her suit and pointing a claw over her head, "Does your suit need to drink as well?"
Pinna shakes her head. "Nah, just a good recharge and some oil on the regular." She pauses for a second, as if listening to something. "Uh, no drinks!"
Garwin blinks, "Oh, uh, sorry I mentioned it then? Like I said, don't know much about magitech."
Pinna: "No worries, no worries!" She adjusts the suit to keep her balance as the caravan starts to move into the town. "Oop. See you around, Garwin!"
Garwin steps back and waves, "Oh! Guess I'd best meet back up with Vandal! See you around Pinna!"
Pinna smiles as she closes the cockpit door and relaxes in the pilot seat. "Well, that's not a bad start..." She pauses, then taps on one of the walls. "No, you can't have any drinks!"