Arjuni ran as fast as she could, as fast as her human legs could possibly take her. Gasping and panting with each step, she did not expect to be on the wrong side of the law today. When @Alderein said they could take a job around these parts, she thought it would be an easy one. After all, all three of them were mostly new to the game. But as she watched @Ling Ying Wei's back as the faster girl outraced her, it finally dawned on her that her companions were pretty reckless and not at all interested in being as calm and gentle as her. They're both gonna be the death of me.
Behind them, lander guards screamed and hollered, pointing the tips of their spears and the blades of their swords in their direction. "What did you do, Alderein?!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, not because of anger or fear, but because she thought he wouldn't hear him with all the running for their lives, even though he was presumably behind the two of them because, you know, smaller legs. Things had been a bit better not too long ago, just a few hours, maybe even days when they first arrived in the city of Stonespikes. Now they were all running for their lives because someone mistook them for criminals? And what was that about a warrant for their arrest that one of their pursuers was shouting? "Please don't tell me one of you guys hurt someone!"
"Hard left turn, guys!"Ling Ying Wei screamed at her companions with a scowl before doing so herself, her faster reflexes and far superior agility compared to both tiny @Alderein and clumsily cute @Arjuni giving her a major advantage with her choice of action. As soon as they all managed to do her plan, including the annoying Faerin who was way behind the girls, she immediately cast an illusory spell. The pursuing guards didn't even know what happened, what changed. In their point of view, the trio never changed course and instead continued running forward, past where the actual offenders were actually now hiding. Whew. That was close!
When she felt the coast was clear, Ling Ying Wei warily peeked out from their hiding spot before ultimately rising back to her feet, dusting herself off with another scowl. Once she was done with that, she focused all her ire on Alderein because of course she did. What was she going to do? Yell at the clearly innocent Arjuni?! That would never happen. Not in a million years. "Goddamn it, you tiny piece of disappointing turd! What did you do this time?! I leave you to talk with that rich noblewoman, and the next thing we know, we're all running from Stonespikes guards! I swear to god, if you did something horrible to that poor lady, I'm cutting off your ding dong!" Ling Ying Wei's rage was natural, and she felt it justified, so at this point, it was just a matter of surviving her loud yelling.
What is love? Baby, don't hurt me! Don't hurt me! No more! Alderein was pretty much chilling in his head while they were running from the po-po. Truth be told, he does not remember doing anything that could have offended anyone into sending the guards after them. Or at least not anything specific that day. Alderein has done a lot of things, not all of them good, some of them simple misunderstandings, but Alderein was also small, and tiny, and short, and shouldn't people cut him some slack for all his disadvantages? Oh, wait, racists also exist here.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Why are you both on my ass? I did nothing! I swear!" Nothing that he could remember, anyway. Nothing offensive enough to get them on a warrant of arrest. Didn't even know those things exist here... But he digressed. Whatever that means. "I would never, ever hurt anyone, especially not that sweet, supple, rich noblewoman! She was very, very nice, and very, very into me, so whatever the cause of all this mess is, it's not me! Leave my ding dong alone!" He then ran behind @Arjuni, taking refuge in her sweet, sweet behind, fearful of @Ling Ying Wei's rage, of what that would bring upon his own behind. "You gotta believe me! Alderein's a good little boy, uwu!"
Eh?Arjuni had to squint at @Alderein for a bit when he called himself a "good little boy." Something about it just felt a little...weird, strange even. But she had to admit, @Ling Ying Wei's yelling wasn't helping anyone. Least of all, them. Arjuni took a deep breath and mustered a warm smile on her face, once again the designated mediator of their little trio. If not me, then who? Alderein and his antics seemed to always agitate Ling Ying Wei, and Ling Ying Wei felt a little too...aggressive sometimes.
"I believe you, Alderein. We both do," she turned to Ling Ying Wei, trying to encourage her to tone it down on the faerin, soften up a bit. It was a tall order, no pun intended, but she had to try. With the coast clear, she began to gesture for all of them to quietly sneak away. They needed to find a safe space, somewhere the guards wouldn't care to look for them. There wasn't much around them except private houses, some businesses, places that they needed to avoid just in case someone in them decided to call on the guards. They weren't from Stonespikes, so going incognito would be much easier away from the residents' attention. "Where should we go now? Should we leave town? Or find someplace to hide first? The guards might be waiting for us at all exits at this very moment."
"We can't just leave town,"Ling Ying Wei grumbled, a little annoyed after having been made to "believe" in the obviously smarmy faerin. Still, a part of her did believe the small troublemaker. He was annoying, sure, but not at the level of getting himself and the two of them a warrant out for their arrest. Something else was afoot and they needed to find out what. "We'll need to clear our names first."
Crossing her arms over her chest, she heaved a sigh of disbelief. Of all people, @Alderein was the last one she'd ever think of being able to help them. But the ball was in his court today, and he should most definitely deliver. Otherwise, Ling Ying Wei will make things harder for him, and not in a fun way. "We should start with the noblewoman you were talking about, small fry. She might have information that could help us."
Alderein was more than happy when @Arjuni expressed her faith in him, which was pretty nice of her but also pretty dumb, especially since he was most definitely not someone to be trusted. But then again, maybe he could be redeemed. If anyone could do it, it was most likely her. Unfortunately for him, that happiness did not last long, as @Ling Ying Wei once again found reason to spill his milk all over the floor. What a party pooper!
"Ah, yes," Alderein gulped, a little uncertain of how to proceed next. "The sweet rich noblewoman that definitely gave me her address and/or schedule for the day and not just listen to me go on and on about the theater." He pronounced that last word in the most obnoxious way possible. Not unlike how a certain Sideshow Mel would. "Let me just..."
Alderein tried to stall for time but knew deep down he had nothing. Or do I? He closed his eyes, and as if about to fart a big stinky one, he enabled his Aura, which combined with his Aeromancy and Pierce Weapons, resembled a gathered swarm of tiny unidentifiable insects. At least not until he gets his Spirit Magic or Illusion Magic for better aesthetics and stuff. "It's time to follow the wind, girls!"
Arjuni simply nodded as @Ling Ying Wei shared with them her point of view. She had a point. Simply running away from this problem would not solve anything. What happens when they need to go back here? Would they just let themselves be arrested under false pretense? That won't do! We didn't even do anything wrong!At least she didn't. A part of her wasn't sure whether her two companions had anything to do with the warrant of arrest. Maybe it's just an unintentional blunder that we have to sort out.
Ehhh?!Arjuni was then caught surprised by @Alderein's suggestion. Follow the wind? How? Why? What? Where? She wasn't entirely sure what that meant or what it would entail. She was also very much grossed out by his Aura. It looked like he was being swarmed by flies because of his smell, even though Arjuni was pretty sure he smelled...okay. Maybe he was keeping rotting meat or garbage in his pockets? But wouldn't I smell those, too?"Uhh, what do you mean follow the wind? Also, are those...flies?"
Ling Ying Wei sighed as she made her way behind @Alderein and then proceeded to slap him on his stupid small faerin head. She wasn't as patient as @Arjuni was when it came to his antics and was getting tired of his bullshit fast. Whatever he had just manifested, she didn't have faith it would actually get them anywhere. An aura of flies? What a joke!"Just get us to the rich noblewoman, half-pint."
Despite her hostility toward the smaller boy, however, Ling Ying Wei knew they had no other option. She would have to follow his lead, at least for now, to get a, well, lead, to finally clearing their names. It was bad enough everything was on Alderein's shoulders. The threat of an entire city going after them made the whole thing much, much worse. That woman should be a good place to start. Hopefully, she wouldn't be surrounded by guards.
"Ow, hey!" Alderein protested loudly at @Ling Ying Wei's violent outburst. It may not have meant much for her, but he was smaller, with a smaller head, a head much smaller than her hand. "That hurts, you know! Gods!" Scratching the bruised area, he winced for a few more seconds before actually responding to @Arjuni, his aura of insects just hovering behind him. "No, not flies... Just... You know what? Before Ling kicks me in the nuts, let's just go. Follow me, women!"
Alderein may have nothing, certainly not the noblewoman's address, but he knew some gossiper at the nearby dry market should know a thing or two about the lady. Trouble was, they needed to blend in. Just in case any of the guards were still around. Fortunately for them, Alderein was nothing if not creative. When they passed by another residence, he quietly gestured for the girls to do as he did, which was to simply sneak into the backyard and steal some clothes. "Quickly," he whispered. "Before the talkative aunties disappear at the market!"
"Wait, what?" Arjuni was extremely confused. From the aura of flies to @Ling Ying Wei supposedly kicking @Alderein in his... Oh, god, no! ...stuff, and now with the whole sneaking into people's backyards for gods know what. Wait, is he trying to steal clothes? Arjuni's eyes widened in horror at that thought, but what could she do? She was too late, and too slow, to stop the faerin. He was already far from her grasp when she realized what was going on.
"Alderein..." She tried to whisper-yell at their tiny friend, her nerves crumbling all over her. It was like she knew they were just going to make a bigger mess of things, like they would get caught no matter what they did, even as she stayed where she was and tried to be their lookout. "Hurry up, you guys!" She continued whisper-yelling at them, at whoever was trying their best to take the clothes for...reasons. "We shouldn't stay here for long!"
And then she saw a pair of shadows moving toward them. Oh, no! Oh, no, indeed.
Ah, son of a bitch! If Ling Ying Wei wasn't planning on kicking @Alderein in his logically tiny ding dongs, she was now. His entire plan hinged on stealing random clothes?! Why?To blend in or disguise ourselves so the guards won't notice us? It was almost smart if not for the fact that it was the faerin who had planned it. Surely, there was a better way to do that? Alas, he was already on his way, and although she was scowling and angry at how dumb his plan was, Ling Ying Wei quickly realized that it was the best option at the moment. Stupid dumb little boy!
So she followed him into the fray, sneaking as best as she could, as quietly as she could, so they wouldn't be caught. Ling Ying Wei had no choice but to follow Alderein's lead, and she was already right behind him, stealing clothes off some random family's clothesline when she realized @Arjuni had not followed them. She was instead keeping watch as their lookout. Heaving a sigh, Ling Ying Wei decided to steal some clothes, disguises really, for her as well. Just in case. "This better work, Alderein, or so help me god, I'm punting you to hell," she whisper-yelled in his ear a threat that was more a fantasy for her, something she hoped she would be able to do soon.
Alas, she might have been yelling it more than whispering because the pair of shadows that Arjuni had seen moving toward them? They were alerted to their presence, hers and Alderein's. Who would've thought that all that infighting could be a detriment to their pseudomission? Who would've seen that coming? /sarcasm
Confident in himself and his so-called skills, Alderein just brushed off @Arjuni's warnings. There was no need to panic! He had the swiftest fingers in all of the game, if you know what he means. Hehehe. Alas, his swift fingers were no match for @Ling Ying Wei's giant mouth, which was the same case for their stealth, and before he could quiet her down, they were beset by a pair of nosy guards. Ah, cheese and crackers!
"Hey! What are you two doing here?" One of the guards called out to them, his voice no older than that of a young man in his late 20s. Sniff, sniff! Do I smell...an audience?Alderein swiftly turned to them, a warm smile on his face, before greeting them with a bow and a salute. "Good...day, gentlemen! My lover and I were just inspecting our laundry! You see, we got into a small argument about the washing process. Women, am I right?"
The guards turned to each other, frowning, before turning back to Ling Ying Wei then to Alderein then back to the human girl in purple again. "You two...are in a relationship?" The other guard asked her with a raised brow, not entirely satisfied with the faerin's response. In turn, Alderein turned to Ling Ying Wei with a wide grin, expecting her to do nothing else but say yes. He might have been expecting too much really. This is Ling Ying Wei we're talking about and she hates his guts more than anything else in this game world. Come on, Ling! Act with me! Let's put on a fantastique show!
Rolls
Expertise Check
1d100 (71) + 0 = 71 (Probably good enough, idk, the wiki is still down) Presence | Alderein | 1534 | Doing the Trevor Slattery to get out of jail time
Arjuni struggled to hear what everyone was saying from where she was. She was most definitely safe from the notice of the newly arrived guards, as she was still a bit far from where everyone else was, hidden behind the residence's fence. She squinted and tried her best to focus, but all was for naught. I knew this was a mistake! Crime never pays!
Fortunately, it seemed @Alderein had engaged the guards in some sort of conversation. It wasn't hostile or anything. Otherwise, the guards would have taken out their swords and shields and whatever else they used to beat down the guilty. Everyone seemed to then focus all their attention on @Ling Ying Wei. What is happening? What are they talking about? Are they safe?
It seemed like they were both safe, though not as safe as her. Arjuni frowned at the fact that she was forced to become a spectator and not a participant in whatever was going on between the guards and her friends. Then again, it was probably for the best. Arjuni would not survive prison. Neither would they, though! She fought against rushing toward them, however, thinking that it might just make things worse. For now, she would just wait and see...
What...the actual...fuck?! Ling Ying Wei was already panicking when the guards on patrol sneaked up on them, but now @Alderein was telling them some lie about her being his lover. Her rage was at an all-time high. How dare he? This small imbecile!She tried her best to fight it, to calm down, to quell the violence within her, but she knew that it would only take a small spark to make her snap. Pun intended.
And she was right. Boy, was she right! She felt her head explode when the guards turned to her to confirm Alderein's claims. Ling Ying Wei tried to survive their gaze by thinking of how lucky and safe @Arjuni must be where she was hiding. But then the faerin had to turn to her with that wide grin, something she thought was a mockery of her entire being. Needless to say, something inside her snapped.
Calmly, she composed herself. Glaring coldly at Alderein, she then turned to the guards, seemingly about to play along. "You two...are dead!" But then she took out her dagger and immediately tried to stab them with the rage of a woman possessed! "I AM NO ONE'S LOVER! NYAH!" Ling Ying Wei unleashed the power of her fury, blending into the shadow of her blade before striking her oppressors.
❰ Sword of the Heavenly Tract ❱
Before the guards knew it, and presumably her friends as well, the two eavesdroppers were unconscious on the ground. Ling Ying Wei panted, her breathing heavy, as the rage continued to swell in her heart. That's when the owner of the house came out and saw the commotion, screaming in panic. Her husband poked her head out as well, and soon, their neighbors were upon them. "I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU!"
There are two Green Patrol Guards (Bandit Scouts) that are about to beat us up. Feel free to add more, like maybe villagers but with the same stats? Or we can also just run. Up to you, guys!
Taking out a Patrol Guard requires 1 successful attack against DC 30. You must lose -10 HP with every attempt regardless of success. If your roll result doubles the DC, you can take out a second Guard.
Current Cycle: 1534C1
Patrol Guards
Green Patrol Guards
A 0/1 LP B 0/1 LP DC: 30 each Retaliation Damage: 10 each
Dagger Trick
Upon defeat as a last act, a Guard tosses a dagger at their killer. Take an extra 5 Retal upon killing a Guard.
"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?!" Alderein screamed at @Ling Ying Wei only after she viciously murdered two patrolling guards of the town. If their warrant of arrest needed more evidence of criminal motivation to substantiate itself, this is precisely what it needed. Now how the fuck were they going to get themselves acquitted? "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!"
"Murderers! Get the murderers!" Before the faerin could do anything else, the village's men stormed out of their homes with pitchforks and torches, clearly angered at the loss of life that had been committed. For NPCs, these guys are pretty nuanced. It was a stupid kind of anger, one out of fear, for what the fuck could be done by random civilians with makeshift weapons when their trained protectors have already fallen to them? Well, to Ling Ying Wei. "Quick, take @Arjuni and flee. I'll buy you both some time."
It was up to him to save the other two now. Ling Ying Wei might be a proficient fighter, apparently, and he had no doubts that Arjuni could defend herself, but neither of them was built to endure prison. Only Alderein, with his actor credentials, could survive such a cruel fate.
Before any of them could protest, Alderein caused his Gathered Swarm to spur the two girls forward, increasing their speed and distributing the movement between them. Parts of his Gathered Swarm condensed into two focused masses that hastily enveloped Ling Ying Wei and Arjuni, discorporating the girls into the swarm themselves. Wherever they reappeared, Alderein knew they'd be much safer than staying with him. Such is the fate of the hero!
❰ Swarming Dispersal ❱
"Focus on me, peasants! For I am your ender!" Alderein dramatically brandished his tiny spear as he prepared to take on all of the villagers alone. If Ling Ying Wei could do it, surely he could do better. "My swarm shall feast on your flesh until you are no more, not even bones left for the vermin of your homes."
With an unnecessarily theatrical battle cry, the faerin sent his Gathered Swarm forward, trapping the villagers like flies on his figurative web. His insects then lit themselves up, as if they were fireflies, helping him direct his spear. With another scream, he thrust his miniature weapon and struck...a villager's hand. "FEAR ME, VILLAGERS! FEAR THE KEEPER OF THE SWARM! NYEH!"
❰ Swarmkeeper Magic ❱
❰ Mighty Swarm ❱
"You asshole. This is my [censored] hand!" The villager yelped before passing out, seemingly not having experienced getting speared through his hand. Meanwhile, the other villagers managed to shoo and swat his bugs away. They did have torches, so the bugs were no match for the mobile flames. The villagers ended up just glaring at him in fury, and Alderein could do nothing else but gulp. Drat. Shoulda brought a gun.He tried one final gambit, a friendly conversation. Surely, no one in this stinky, impoverished village or whatever would gang up on a smol boi uwu. "So... Nice place you got here. Hehe?"
Unfortunately for the self-proclaimed cutie patootie, the villagers continued to glare and scowl at him until one of them screamed gibberish and they all attacked the tiny, defenseless faerin with their pitchforks! Alderein went down in a fetal position, crying, as the pointy sticks hurt him. Definitely not the way he thought things would go. "Ow! Ow, ow, ow! That hurts! You're all bullies! You're beating up a tiny person! This will all get you canceled on Thumbler! Follow me, by the way: I have funny thumbs. Ow! That's my knee you're stabbing, you non-bidet-user! John Fucking Chrysler, you people are messed up!"
Rolls
(Medium Armor Ability) Twice
You may perform 2 actions and 1 BA or 1 action and 2 BAs this cycle. Alderein | 1534
Haste @Ling Ying Wei & @Arjuni
1d6 (3 + 2) = 5 +5 movement split in any way up to 3 allies (2 to Ling, 3 to Arjuni) Alderein | 1534
(F) Area Effect
Divide your damage between the target and all enemies adjacent to them. Take retaliation damage (if any) from each enemy you damage. Alderein (BA) Area Effect
0d20 () = 0 splash damage Alderein
Arjuni's eyes grew wide in horror when she realized what @Ling Ying Wei had done. A part of her was impressed but the other part was stricken with disbelief. How could she hurt the innocent guards who were just doing their job? And now she's threatening civilians? That was not good. That was beneath good. Ling, what are you doing?!
Arjuni rose from her hiding spot, her instincts telling her to go to her friends and save them. From whom? Well, in Ling Ying Wei's case, from herself. Before she could do anything, however, @Alderein's bugs started to swarm her. Disgusted, Arjuni trembled where she stood, eyes closing in fear. When she opened them again, she was already elsewhere, without Alderein and the civilians anywhere in sight but with an equally confused Ling Ying Wei close by. Or was it just Arjuni projecting her own confusion? "Where are we? What happened? What have you done?"
"I-I don't know," Ling Ying Wei was just as confused as @Arjuni. What has she done? Clearly, she's screwed them all over. It wasn't intentional but she did it nonetheless. @Alderein's bugs took them out of that situation but that left the faerin all alone, all vulnerable. That wasn't his plan, wasn't it? It was a backup plan, it seemed. For all his stupidity, the boy proved that he was willing to stick his neck out for the two of them. "What have I done?!"
Yet it was all Alderein's fault, wasn't it? He tricked her, taunted her, mocked her, with those lies he spewed at the guards. He could've said something else, presented them with a different lie, but he just had to cross the line with the fake relationship bullshit. Or maybe that was his plan?! No, it couldn't be. Even as Ling Ying Wei tried to argue with herself that all was according to the faerin's plan, she could not deny the shock in the boy's voice and face. Teleporting them away was his last-ditch effort to save the girls. She just lost control and messed everything up.
"We need to go back there and find him, Arjuni! We need to save Al!" Easier said than done.
Darkness. It was all that kept him company, that played the role of his blanket against the cold. He struggled to open his eyes, feeling them sore, as were parts of his face and body. The angry villagers did a toll on him, which was rightfully so. He was a part of the group that endangered their community. Alderein bore no ill will toward them. They were just defending their territory, protecting their homes and their children. He was in the wrong on this one. Sometimes the hero must play the villain to make the story interesting...
What he could see surprised him, though only for a while. All that steel, that gray, that concrete... It was all cold, but he knew where he was. He was just caught off-guard he was still alive, not even bound by tight rope, a sack on his head. He was just lying on a cold slab of concrete, entire body in pain, locked behind bars. A jail cell? Yikes!He had expected more, but he supposed this will do. This was his proper punishment. He was no supervillain, only a lowly criminal. Where else was he supposed to be? I'm just glad the girls are all right...
Arjuni nodded at @Ling Ying Wei, agreeing with her sentiment to rescue the boy that rescued them. But how would they do it? And can they even do it on their own? "All right, but what's your plan? Should we call in the big guns?" A while back, the trio had met someone clearly more powerful than them, another Player who has made a name for themselves in this game. Arjuni wondered if they could use their influence or something to help get their friend out of jail. Then again, they did fight a bunch of innocent civilians out in the open. Maybe that was too tall of an order.
"Are we getting him out ourselves?" That was another option, though Arjuni wasn't quite sure the two of them could break out @Alderein on their own. Ling Ying Wei was an impressive fighter but Arjuni? She wasn't as good. In fact, if only she had been as good, then maybe she could've helped them against the... No, she couldn't, wouldn't, fight innocent civilians. They had to figure out a different way. Maybe... "Would they be willing to give him his freedom if we...paid for it?"
Ling Ying Wei frowned as she thought hard for a moment. The fact was, this was all her fault. She shouldn't have gone berserk like that, especially not on the landers. Another fact was, getting @Alderein with just the two of them may not be the best idea, considering she might lose herself in the moment again and @Arjuni wasn't exactly someone who just randomly fought people. She was a good person. Committing a crime, even in such a vivid game like this, would not be something she could commit to. "I think we'll have to call in the big guns..."
Between this adventure and the last, the trio came upon a select group of individuals that were more than impressive. One woman was sort of like Ling Ying Wei herself, except she was more powerful and a tad more sustainable. Another was a healer with a pure spirit like Arjuni, but she was also much more in tune with the divine gifts of her people. Finally, there was the businessman, the tavern owner slash mining company operator. He seemed like he had a lot of money. Maybe he could pay for Alderein's release. That was a hard maybe.
"I know a guy," Ling Ying Wei turned to Arjuni with apologetic eyes. "But the price to pay for his help might be...very high."
