Lieutenant Commander Divya Tam: Level One
mrsciroth
((Middle Realm, Back Lot 7, USP Quantum Containment Realm 1, The Tangle))
A group of tragically average citizens has been plucked from their world and tossed into a situation they are not prepared for and have little chance of surviving. The Glorious Goddesses have been dumped in a struggling village and are presented with a quest by the town elder. Will the intrepid and undeserving Heros accept it? Stay tuned for the next episode of Adventure Hour.
Bard: Wichalsnizalgonaldorf. In the mountains over the hill. ::narrowing his eyes:: What kind of heroes are you? What can you do?
Divya felt ill-prepared to think of a story on the spot. She thought the dazed feeling had gone away entirely, but apparently not. As she tried to understand what the man meant when Vharo clicked her fingers, a purple flame suddenly appeared. It was strange to see a flame that was not connected to anything, hovering in midair.
Vharo: I am the Arch-Mage of Owdaleffed, master magician and worldly scholar.
She was impressed with Vharo's creativity and quick thinking. It was frustrating to not be on top of her game in a situation like this, so she shook her head again, hoping to clear the last of the fog away.
Talyra: I am a priest of…
There was movement behind the Bard. A card kindly provided a name.
Talyra: Nildir. Blessing be upon you and so on and so forth.
The man did not fully believe them but pulled something from his pocket and placed it before them.
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.
The speech was so well rehearsed that Divya suspected it was written by a computer and piped through his vocal cords. Vharo, or Owdaleffed, opened the folded paper and placed it so all could see.
The evil knight wizard Syphax has terrorized our land for years and the King has sent countless knights and heroes to bring him to justice to no avail. With the kidnapping of the Princess, all was truly lost until you arrived. Head north, up the mountain, and across Devils pass. There you will find the a black tower. The wizard has in his possession the gem of Gardonia. It is the only thing that can steal his powers. Thus, it is hidden in an impenetrable magical chest. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to seal the gem of Cardonia, defeat the evil Wizard Syphax, and save the Princess Tiarra of Wichalsnizalgonaldorf.
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: Agreed. Wouldn't all the armor interfere with fancy wizard hand movements?
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!
It was not a bad speech and had the effect of making her not want to go to the evil tower to defeat evil monsters and an evil wizard. She commended his effectiveness, which was marginally lessened when he ran off to sit in the corner, but raised again when spooky music emanated from the walls.
Her two companions pulled out books and searched through them.
oO Where did they get books? Oo
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.
Tam: Could it be as simple as shoving him so he runs into the sword he is allergic to?
Thunder clapped in the clear blue sky, and Divya smirked. That must mean her simplistic plan would work.
Talyra: Maybe he’s a fan of exposure therapy and wildly misunderstands how that works.
Divya laughed at the idea of a knight wizard in counseling sessions.
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: ::gravely:: I am afraid Nildir has elected not to enlighten me with His divine truth on the matter.
The statement was creepy coming from an enlightened Starfleet officer, especially with no prompt cards in sight. They were a good actress.
Tam: Most of this is new to me, but I've heard of gorgon. Irritable creatures with snake hair.
Talyra: I don’t suppose either of you have money for a drink?
She searched through her pockets and found no money, but she did find a ball of twine, a tinderbox, and a large toothpick. It seemed like a dangerous thing to have in a pocket.
Tam: Nothing useful here.
Vharo: Response
Talyra: ::sighing:: Figures. I am going to have to do this sober.
Tam: Perhaps we will be gifted with a bottle of brandy for our efforts.
No bottles appeared as Talyra's parasol had. Perhaps it was a priest's talent.
Vharo: Response
Talyra: How are we getting to Witchlesnizzle?
Vharo: Response
Tam: Bard?
When the man did not respond, she reviewed his words.
Tam: Right. Villagers.
There were only a few people in the inn, and they were all glaring at the trio suspiciously. Divya walked out of the inn and raised her voice.
Tam: Villagers! Gather around.
Three villagers appeared. Two seemed happy and attentive. The third sneered and rolled his eyes.
Tam: We are the heroes chosen by your Goddess to protect you from the evil wizard Syphax. This is Arch-Mage of Owdaleffed, Nildir the Humble, and I am the Warrior Queen Teif Ling. To do that, we will need as many mirrors and torches as you can find.
Vharo/Talyra: Response
Two of the villagers rushed off. The third wandered off grumbling. When they returned, they were weighed down with several sacks and an armload of torches.
Tam: That is more than I expected. I will take days if we have to carry this much.
Vharo/Talyra: Response
Tam: ::to the villagers:: Could we borrow three horses?
The two villagers looked more dubious this time, but they ran off again, just when the third grumpy villager returned. His arms were loaded with backpacks, bedrolls, a mess kit, tools, ration packs, waterskins, and three 50-foot bundles of hempen rope. He scowled and dumped them on the ground before wandering away.
Tam: I think he will be our biggest ally.
The other villagers returned with a horse, a warhorse, and a pony. Divya looked at her companions and turned to her green friend.
Tam: Roshambo for the warhorse?
Vharo/Talyra: Response
They mounted the horses and the pony and set off through the village. A few steps into their journey a PA ran in front of them startling the horses. After she had gotten the horse calmed down, she glared at the PA, who did not have the decency to look ashamed. Instead, the PA held up a large sign with the words Other Way.
Divya sighed and pulled her mount into a U-turn. Once they were all facing the correct direction, music from somewhere swelled, and a gathering of villagers cheered. She waved to them as they rode away.
((One Long Hour Later))
Tam: How does anyone walk after riding a horse? The past is the worst.
Vharo/Talyra: Response
((Tag/TBC))
Lieutenant Commander Divya Tam
Chief of Operations
USS Thor
A240104DT4
She/Her (character and player)