Ensign Talyra - Divine Squiggles
V'Nille
(( Middle Realm, Back Lot 7, USP Quantum Containment Realm 1, The Tangle ))
Talyra had spent an indeterminate amount of time playing a villain, and it seemed she was still in the role, just with a slightly different spin on it.
Talyra: Every good Romulan knows how to play a villain, right? It’s right there in How to be a Romulan 101.
Vharo: I have its companion book if you need it, 'How to be a pirate 101'
Tam: Hey, where is the Barzan how to book?
Talyra allowed herself to smile at the jokes. She had learned in Starfleet Academy the value of sometimes just allowing herself to play up a Romulan stereotype to
Vharo: Right, now that we've come to terms with our lot in this life. Can someone explain to me how exactly they intend for us to commit this heist and save this princess, this ::she gestured to herself and then the other two:: isn't exactly covered. I'm running off one conversation I had with some more...worldly friends.
She nodded. That was a good question. Tam’s shrug was not comforting.
Tam: No idea. ::gesturing to the other side of the clouds:: Those two gave me a guest, but nothing on why or how to complete the quest.
Goddess # 1: You see what they send me to work with. Worthless!
Talyra: Something something, joy of discovery and adventure, I’m sure.
The clouds around and under them were thinning, and Talyra was not sure she liked the implications of that.
Vharo: I think we are about to start this quote 'quest' given we are about to be standing on literally nothing instead of figuratively nothing ::she dipped her head at the clouds:: no-one of you picked flight per chance?
Tam: No, no, no. I don't want to fall again.
As Tam glared at the Goddesses, Talyra just sighed, resigning herself to something she figured was probably going to be needlessly dramatic.
Tam: How do you expect us to quest if we die reaching the ground!
Talyra: I doubt we’ll actually die. It wouldn’t make sense.
Vharo: Just remember we have to commit to this ::she scrunched up her face:: story, my last experience confirmed at least partially that the audience isn't performing willingly and they will use the threat of their expulsion or ours to keep the story on track. Vharo finally took a beat as she looked around, there was no audience seemingly this time but she felt the odd sensation that someone was still watching or more accurately judging.
Goddess # 1: Listen to your friend. She may be the only one on your side.
The “goddesses” laughed so long and hard that they doubled over. There seemed an edge of cruelty to their laughter. Talyra shook her head in mild disbelief.
Tam: I will commit and do what it takes to protect you both.
Tam held out her hand to Talyra and Vharo. The Romulan looked at the hand and didn’t bother taking it. Vharo, on the other hand, took the proffered hand after a nod at Tam.
Talyra: We’ll see how that goes then.
The cloud under them disappeared entirely. Talyra closed her eyes and parasol tight, used her free hand to keep her skirt from flipping up entirely, and just let herself fall.
((Lower Realm, Back Lot 7, USP Quantum Containment Realm 1, The Tangle))
Talyra would have liked it if she landed gracefully. Unfortunately, she crumpled on impact. She did a quick mental check. No broken bones or blood. That was good. There was some soreness, which was not as good. Once she had her breath back and her heart rate to something approaching normal, she pushed herself up and dusted herself off. Much to her chagrin, she clearly lost the dress.
Tam: That's original. Are we all okay?
Talyra looked down and tugged on one of her robe’s sleeves. Her surprisingly white robes with gold trim. Her parasol had even turned into a staff, one that sported suspiciously generic religious insignia. There was even a hood and a rope belt, off which hung a thick book. She had read precisely one generic fantasy novel and the closest she had ever gotten to a religious institution was passing by it in the hallway on her way to somewhere less … stuffy.
Vharo: As far as atmospheric falls go, I can't complain.
Talyra: I can.
Tam: This certainly is not a coliseum.
As she looked around and took stock of the charming village named “Village”, Talyra saw movement - another card, this one stating something about going to the tavern.
Tam: Shall we check the tavern for work and get substance?
Vharo: An excellent suggestion, I could use some ::she took a beat, thinking::....ale?, yes ale before we continue our mighty quest.
Talyra: I need a drink if we’re doing this. Please tell me there’s some actual alcohol here.
As she was growing to regret expecting, the interior was lit by lanterns, filled with long tables and benches, and flanked by a roaring fireplace and a bar on opposite sides of the room. Thankfully, it was also relatively sparsely populated. The fewer people that talked around her, the better.
Especially with how their entrance had gained everyone’s attention, most notably a bald man with a ukulele.
Bard: Oh, thank goodness. You must be heroes. We didn't think we would get another Hero. It has been so long, and now there are three of you.
He clapped his hands together and deepened his voice.
oO Oh now, he’s announcing us. Oo
Bard: Hear ye all. The heroes have arrived at last to save Princess Tiarra.
Tam: Ummm-
Was that another card? It was another card. Something about a quest?
Tam: Mmm, yes, the princess from whereisville?
The man stiffened and looked at Tam skeptically.
Bard: Wichalsnizalgonaldorf. In the mountains over the hill. ::narrowing his eyes:: What kind of heroes are you? What can you do?
Oh, Vharo had her hood over her head. Talyra envied the foresight on display. She had been told she had “loud expressions” when she was chronically annoyed. Like today. The little fire trick was neat at least. The Romulan approved of the ability to set something on fire.
Vharo: I am the Arch-Mage of Owdaleffed, master magician and worldly scholar.
Talyra sighed and cleared her throat.
Talyra: I am a priest of…
The PA flipped the card over.
Talyra: Nildir. Blessing be upon you and so on and so forth.
The unfortunate lout with a ukulele set down a folded handbill and visibly prepared himself to rattle off something that Talyra really had very little interest in if it weren’t for the situation being… what it was.
Bard: The evil knight wizard Syphax has terrorized our land for years, the King has sent countless knights and heros to bring him to justice to no avail. With the kidnapping of the Princess all was truly lost until you three arrived, please do what so many couldn't and rid us of this scourge.
Vharo reached over to the folded handbill and spread it out for all of them to read.
Vharo: Ah a knight wizard, not a night wizard. That makes more sense but that hardly seems fair.
Talyra: How does it work? Being a knight and a wizard? I actually think “night wizard” makes more sense than “knight wizard”.
Tam: Response.
The bard nodded to someone outside of Talyra’s vision before leaning down towards the three women, his voice getting low and a touch ominous.
oO His breath stinks. Does he know? Oo
Bard: The legends suggest that the ::the man paused, his ominous expression faltering briefly:: dark tower is filled with evil traps and the restless bones of long since defeated heros that now do Syphax's bidding. You would do best to tread lightly for he will know of your arrival. The townsfolk of the village will provide what aid they can for your mighty quest but you best not delay as evil's cold embrace grows ever tighter!
As the warning was given with appropriate ominous flair, the man clearly had discharged his duties and rushed off to his place. Talyra suppressed a smirk at noticing that his fingers didn’t make contact with the strings as ukulele music played regardless of anyone else’s opinion about it.
Beside her, Vharo pulled out a thick tome of her own and looked through it. Talyra pulled out her own and looked through it as well.
Vharo: According to my magical book and its magically poor translation, we should expect to face the aforementioned skeletons, zombies and whatever a gorgon is. They are the chief....minions of Syphax. Syphax is also mentioned to have a flaming sword and what I believe is a weakness for fire, that seems a touch counter-productive if it's true.
Talyra: Maybe he’s a fan of exposure therapy and wildly misunderstands how that works.
Tam: Response.
Vharo shook her head. Her attempt to flip the page to more met resistance in the form of the tome politely suggesting it was not actually a book but more the mere suggestion of one.
Vharo: I believe we are armed with as much knowledge as exists, unless either of you has experience in situations such as this ::she took a beat:: not this exact situation but the overall idea I suppose.
Talyra tapped her sturdy tome. The cover opened. There were squiggly lines that looked vaguely like a title on top of a block that at least did a reasonable job of pretending to be a pile of pages.
Talyra: ::gravely:: I am afraid Nildir has elected not to enlighten me with His divine truth on the matter.
Tam: Response.
The Romulan nodded and looked around for a pouch. There didn’t seem to be any on her person.
Talyra: I don’t suppose either of you have money for a drink?
Tam/Vharo: Response
Talyra: ::sighing:: Figures. I am going to have to do this sober.
Tam/Vharo: Response
Talyra: How are we getting to Witchlesnizzle?
Tam/Vharo: Response