The Bardsong DMs (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dm_screen) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
mundane_realms2020-10-11 08:37 am
dm_screen) wrote in mundane_realms2020-10-11 08:37 am
Entry tags:
Bardsong's First Test-Drive Meme!
How to Use:
It all began when you fell from the skies above, wreathed in flame. When you landed, you learned that you weren't alone: So many others, each from worlds entirely different from yours, have found themselves in his predicament, and know about as much as you do! The locals greet you with a cautious friendliness, welcoming you to the town of Concord. They tell you that the world was broken apart mysteriously not long ago, and are trying to devise ways to step far beyond the town borders to find where the rest of the globe went, get to the bottom of things.
But your arrival is nothing short of a blessing. Perhaps you, the Starfallen, are the answer to their prayers. They explain how live presently works in Concord, they give you that tour of their guilds, and even give you a place to stay at Concord Crossing, where you're randomly assigned roommates. You hope your roommates are amicable...
In the days following, after shaking off the shock of your current situation, you find yourself beginning to integrate into Concord life. But while you await word from the local researchers among the many guilds dotted through town, each looking for new members to bestow their teachings, you need to fill your pockets with precious, precious sol. You'd also heard that there was to be a celebration very soon, and everyone is invited. A little partying never hurt anyone, right? Besides, free food!
Now, where to begin...?
I. More Than This Provincial Life
Concord, the large city that it is, hosts many opportunities for work. Between the multiple quarters and their specialties, just about anyone can find a job. With the isolation from the rest of the world, employers eagerly welcome the Starfallen with part time or temporary work (Apparently, all full time positions are taken and employers conspicuously nudge people out the door if they spend too much time on the clock) to coincide with the life of an adventurer. For those who wish for something to do and a source of income outside of quests, there's always an honest day's wage to be made! With the exception of a few tasks the South Quarter may have to offer, but those aren't the kind of jobs spoken of too loudly.
I-A. Magicka Cleanup Detail
The Concord Magic Academy, between bright-eyed students trying their best and young nobles whose admission was paid in cash, sees quite a few accidents in its halls. Alchemy experiments, wayward fireballs, testing theories given by their Occultist friends, anything can come up and make a mess of a lab or a classroom. As such, the academy welcomes the brave and the patient to the field of custodial engineering, especially those with strong stomachs and combat experience. It wouldn't be the first time stains fight back or gravity ceased to be, so on top of keeping to their own personal hygiene standards, employees are expected to be thorough in their cleaning and expect the unexpected.
I-B. Amazing Paperboy Deliveries
The Concord Truthogram is dedicated to bringing the truth right to the doors of paying customers as soon as the next issue is ready. They're looking for delivery workers and runners equally dedicated to I bringing the truth to subscribers! Runners will need to deliver newspapers all across Concord before dawn breaks. Subscribers are all throughout the city, so runners are encouraged to find an optimal route and coordinate with their co-workers to bring the truth the world in a timely and orderly manner! This job favors the agile, as early Concord mornings are filled with people bustling through the streets and occasional hazards to trip up the distracted runner. Try not to make too many mistakes, as unsatisfied customers will unsubscribe and deny themselves the gift of the Concord Truthogram. Watch out for stray dogs and the occasional grim reaper.
II. O Valley Of Plenty, Whoa-oh-oh!
Working at a coffee shop or helping to organize a wizard's dusty study isn't for everyone, and the people of Concord understand. Every world runs on some currency, and here, it's known as the 'sol'. For those looking to do a 'dirtier' work, the citizenry helpfully direct the Starfallen to the Men-At-Arms Guild, your source of monster-busting work!
Lit by the glow of lanterns, the following work is looking for takers, posted on a large board outside the guild:
II-A. Rabites!
"We need someone to handle the Rabite problem! A couple that chooses not to be named found a pair and decided to raise them as pets, but they have since bred out of control into feral, very bitey colonies. They may look cute and cuddly, but you may need to bring a friend to be on the safe side."
Reward: 50 sol per pelt
II-B. Bumps in the Night!
"We need graveyard shift relief for the town guard posted along the outskirts of Concord. Lately, the guards have been reporting strange noises through the night, and have seen an influx of ghoul sightings coming down from the nearby hills. Take care care not to get bitten; it won't make you like them, but it will make you sluggish and leave you as easy prey."
Reward: 800 sol a night + 100 sol per head
III. Like One of Those Music Videos
While typically only those following the paths of their departed founders and enduring Masters of the Manor are granted entry to the Glistering Estate, the Guild of Steel and Lace nonetheless occasionally open the gates to outsiders. Oftentimes, this is simply to showcase a performance at the theatre, or to offer a chance for newcomers to join their ranks; today, however, is a special occasion: the anniversary of the Estate's groundbreaking. For the evening, the entire Estate grounds have been made available to the residents of Concord, and an exquisite buffet has been prepared for all who would raise a glass to their Founders. Many who come may be tempted by the lavish wealth on display, but aspiring thieves and troublemakers must be warned: Behind the gold and silk lies a house packed to the brim with the likes of veteran Paladins and entrapping illusionists.
III-A. Black Tie...?
Before one is permitted entry to the Estate proper, they must be willing to show a modicum of due deference and wear the proper attire. For an open-door event such as this, simple and tasteful formalwear will suffice; a collared dress shirt or modest blouse, at the very least. Fortunately for those who cannot afford- or, as is sometimes the case, simply forgot- such fineries, the Guild of Steel and Lace happily provides attire of the sort worn by their own members on the estate grounds, and their stocks accommodates all shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, their standard attire inevitably takes the form of service attire such as maid outfits and butler uniforms. They have even provided booths to change in private, so please, don't make a scene.
III-B. Upper, Upper Class High Society!
Once inside, the guests have freedom to enjoy the manor's full facilities; the Guild of Steel and Lace have spared no expense in setting up food options from their in-house chefs ranging from terrestrial crab legs and tropical fruits to... erm... unfamiliar flora or fauna that are unidentifiable, but thoroughly delicious. At least, to the locals who have already acquired the taste. Additionally, The theatre is hosting an ongoing series of performances from the Guild's bards, though they're not above letting the Starfallen have their turns at the microphone. Nonetheless, from ballroom to gardens to bathhouse, the entire estate is open to visitors, so why not have a look around...?
Agrias Oaks | Final Fantasy Tactics | OTA
It is the sound of wind whipping past that Agrias awakens too, and it takes a moment to process what is happening to her; she is in freefall, wreathed in flames, and far below her, but rapidly approaching, is an unknown land. Fortunately, her disbelief helps keep down the shock of the situation.
A dream. Her mind, straining to hold back panic, tells her. 'Tis a dream I am having. It's the only explanation that makes sense. Just the most vivid, intense dream she ever remembers having.
The ground is rapidly approaching, and instinctively she puts her arms up as though shielding herself will make any difference. A foolish thought she knows, but there's nothing else she can do. A dream...a dream...A DREAM the mantra her mind keeps repeating to help keep Agrias as calm as she possibly can but a loud cry still escapes her lips just before impact.
It should hurt. She should be in pain. Actually no, she should be dead. And the impact is certainly..."disorienting", to put it mildly and stuns her, it is more of shock than pain. She feels the impact, feels an explosion kick up around her, tumbles, rolls...but that's all. There's no blinding agonizing screams of pain as her body is broken. Just shock...and immense, baffling relief.
When the dust settles and she realizes that no, she truly isn't dead somehow, Agrias gets to her feet and, checking to see that she at least has her sword handy, begins to climb out of the depression created by her landing. Apart from her braid coming undone in either freefall or by the impact, she's no worse for the wear, it seems. And this...this is no dream, incomprehensible as that seems.
Trying to climb out of the crater proves difficult; the earth is sandy and it's hard to find purchase as she climbs up. A slip of her foot and she's sent sliding back down, but a frantic grab manages to find enough of a hold that she doesn't lose too much progress. But there's a sound from above; movement, she thinks? Someone is out there.
"Who goes there?" She calls out. It could be an ally or enemy, but right now she'd settle for someone who could help her out of this damned pit.
II-A: Big Nasty, Pointy Teeth.
The creatures are small, but vicious. One leaps towards Agrias who meets it with a swing of her sword, but more are hopping out of the warren. "God curse these pests!" She snaps irritably to you, her partner. "And someone thought to make pets of them?" She stabs downward at one that had gotten too close. She shakes loose some of the blood and vitae from her sword. "Ridiculous. We shall be here all day cleaning up this mistake."
Arrival
...and then she sees who the stars have delivered to her, and all noble intentions are lost to the sweeping wave of joy and relief.
"Agrias!"
She rushes forward, slipping in the sand, and flings her arms around the struggling lady knight. Helpful? No. Absolutely necessary? YES.
no subject
"Y-Your Highness?!" She calls in hope, looking up towards the rim of the crater...just in time to see Ovelia sliding down and crashing into her. And that does cause her to lose her grip. The joyful reunion is marred slightly by the fact that they go tumbling back down the slope of the crater. Training kicks in, her duty once put aside in the name of a greater cause taken up once again in an instant and as Ovelia wraps her arms around Agrias as they tumble so does her own around her lady. Partly out of relief and joy, but also to ensure that when they land back at the bottom, Agrias cushions Ovelia from the fall.
This time there's a little pain, but easily ignored. Apparently whatever invulnerability shielded her has already dissipated. Leaving that aside, she focuses again on Ovelia, lying on top of her, still wrapped in her arms. "Your Highness, are you injured?" She asks urgently.
no subject
"No, I am well. Moreso for having found you."
The stirred-up sand clouding the air about them prickles at Ovelia's amber eyes. That, surely, is the cause of the moisture welling up. After so many tears shed over loneliness and sorrow over the years, how foolish of her would it be to cry from happiness.
"I am so glad to have you once again at my side." Or beneath her, as the case may be.
With reluctance, Ovelia finally looses her grip and sits up. They cannot remain here in this crater, no matter how loath she is to release her hold. How she has missed Agrias, ever since she left...
...left of her own accord, to aid Ramza in a mission of the greatest import.
"That is, if you can return to my side. If you wish to."
She bows her head. For that is something that she knows that Agrias yet does not. That the royal blood upon which Agrias had sworn her oath flows not in Ovelia's veins. Ovelia can't bring herself to speak of it aloud.
no subject
But it seems she did not give Her Highness enough credit, as Ovelia finally moves to sit up, releasing her from her grip, and moving to sit up with her. "My lady, you already have your answer." She replies. "I gave it to you the day we parted ways." Never have her feet felt so leaden and sluggish as when she departed Ovelia in that ruin. Her resolve had been true, yet every step away from her felt heavy and slow. "The task is done, the Lucavi slain, and the Church's scheme put to an end. My path only ever leads back to your side, if you still wish it to." Of course, that she was now considered a heretic just as much as Ramza and the others presented certain difficulties in returning to the Princess—the Queen's—service. Agrias had intended to lie low for a time after escaping the collapse of Mullonde and figure out the best way to approach the situation, but abandoning Ovelia entirely? No. That was never an option.
Agrias continues to rise, patting down her trousers of excess dirt, then offering a gloved hand to Ovelia to help her to her feet. "But before aught else, we must needs find a way out of this crater. I think we shall have to climb, but if we take it slow and steady, I believe we can do it."
no subject
She is aware how little she can do, stripped of even the false power her name had afforded her in Ivalice. But with Agrias, her dear Holy Knight, Concord will be in good hands.
Agrias helps her rise to her feet, and Ovelia clasps her hands, keeping the two of them connected even after she stands.
"I awaited your return, and praise the Father that you've come back safely. There was no news for so long..."
So let any doubts be quelled, Agrias, that Ovelia wants you not. If her knight never leaves her side again, it will be too soon.
She finally releases those gloved hands and reaches down to gather up handfuls of her skirts so that the hems do not drag in the dirt as they climb.
"Yes, let us go. We have so much to catch up on, once we are free of this pit."
It will be slow going for the princess, but that is nothing either of them aren't used to.
no subject
Agrias grips Ovelia's hand tightly in her own after helping her to her feet, her expression serious. "You were called here as well, Your Highness. If it truly is the Father's will that I be here, it is surely the same for you as well. Do not doubt that." And if this is not Ivalice, then for once there will be no factions competing to use Ovelia in a pawn in their game of thrones, and that comes as an immense relief to the knight. Larg, Goltanna, even Delita for all his protestations to the contrary...did they see Ovelia as anything other than her royal title and her blood? Did they ever bother or care to see the woman underneath, with hopes, dreams, and aspirations of her own? It rankles her still that they did not, only what possession of her could bring them. Leaving her in Delita's care had been the best of a bad lot, but not a situation Agrias had intended to become indefinite. "Come, we make the climb together. Follow behind me, try to climb where I do." Then at least, Agrias can help Ovelia up the last of the way.
After a moment's planning, Agrias digs a gloved hand into the soft earth and begins to climb, with care and deliberation. She must make sure the path is sturdy enough for Ovelia to follow. "Would that...I could have contacted you sooner, my lady." She apologizes between breaths. "After what transpired with the High Confessor, it became...necessary to go into hiding, at least for a time. I am branded a heretic now, and held complicit in Funebris' murder." A lie of course, but not one she is in any position to contest. It was his own avarice and pride that doomed the High Confessor, that blinded him to what Folmarv had become. The accusation stings little anyway after all the Church has done. Agrias knows the truth, as well as her heart and her faith; the Church can say what it likes. "I needed to find my way back into Lesalia with utmost care, for both my sake and your own." She looks down at Ovelia, her expression remorseful. "Forgive your wayward knight my lady, for her tardiness. I regret that I have kept you waiting."
no subject
And good that she did, else she might have missed Agrias' arrival. Though it is Agrias rescuing herself and Ovelia beside. Agrias is kinder than Ovelia merits, saying that the once-princess might be of equal use as she.
She does her best to step in Agrias' bootprints, grasp where she grasps, letting her knight guide her as she has done so often before. Ovelia almost slips once, but manages to right herself before falling.
"There is naught... for you to apologize for.... You have ever championed... my well-being... and if you judged... that the time ill-suited your return... I have full faith... in your decision.
[Oh, this climbing is harder work than it looks! Especially with Ovelia's soft-soled slipper shoes and trailing skirts. Thank God for Agrias' guidance, else she'd never make it.]
When we return... whatever power I possess... I shall use to ensure... the slander of your good name ceases.
[This, at least, she can do for Agrias. If Delita's faction sets her upon a throne, she will have the authority to lay those accusations to rest, for Agrias and all the others who opposed the Lucavi. She can suffer through the crown's weight for their sake.]
no subject
"Sundered? That seems...too large a problem to...solve with a sword alone." She admits. Agrias does not regret choosing the life of a knight, but it also means she knows little outside of it. A sword can protect, can be used to slay evil, but to put back together a broken world? She's not sure how useful that will be. But Ovelia's confidence in her ability to help buoys her own. "But perhaps we are...not alone in this."
She reaches the rim of the crater, and hauls herself up over the edge, quickly scrambling to her feet, and giving a quick pat-down to dislodge any excess dirt or sand. Kneeling down by the rim, she lowers her hand for Ovelia to take; there is no need for her to make the rest of the climb unaided.
The Glabados Church may be weakened and leaderless currently, but it will not remain so, and Agrias is still not sure about Delita or his intentions towards the princess, but Ovelia seems to put some stock in him, so she will extend him a small benefit of the doubt. Especially if doing so will allow her the chance to serve her lady openly and with pride once again. But the Church is powerful yet, and will be bloody-minded in its vengeance against those who foiled its grand plans for the new Zodiac Braves, and not even a King may supersede the will of "God" in some matters. But she will hold onto this hope, that she might remain her princess' knight.
"I know you will, Your Highness." She smiles down at the other woman. "But in the meantime, if my name be slandered across Ivalice it matters little to me, for yours is the faith I cherish most of all. As long as I have that, I need naught else."
no subject
She takes Agrias' hand without any hesitation, putting more faith in the steady hand of her knight than she does in her own feet. When Agrias hauls her up onto solid ground, Ovelia gives her a grateful smile.
She takes a few deep breaths until her heart stops fluttering from exertion. If it flutters a little still when looking full-on into Agrias' smiling face, it's a secret she keeps hidden.
"You shall always have it, Agrias. You alone have been a constant in my life. The most stalwart a knight any lady could hope for."
She is selfish, to be so glad that Agrias is here with her in this strange land. A kinder soul would wish Agrias safely home, but Ovelia can't bring herself to do so.
"
no subject
They stand there, hands clasped at the edge of the crater made by the Holy Knight's arrival for a few moments more, the wind blowing her long hair, uncharacteristically loose since her braid came undone in the landing. She will need to attend to that ere long; the braid is neater, keeps her hair out of the way during battle. But Ovelia smiles at her with all the warmth and radiance of the sun, and from anyone else, the princess' words might seem fawning or condescending, but she knows Ovelia speaks the truth; her lady has never been so malicious or cruel, though in Agrias' mind the world had given her plenty of reason to be, yet she has always refused to succumb.
It is a large part of Agrias' secret adoration, the one she dare not speak of to anyone, least of all the princess herself. But that refusal to let the world embitter her and determination to push on, takes courage and conviction of sorts as well, even if Ovelia doesn't recognize those traits in herself. Something must be done about that, the knight muses.
But there will be time for that later. Agrias withdraws her hand from Ovelia's after a few moments, and steps back; there is something she has felt...no, 'tis fairer to say there is a lack of feeling, an absence since she first came to rest in the crater, and it has grown on her mind. "Forgive me my lady, we will be on our way presently, but there is something I would first confirm." Turning away, she draws her sword, and scouts the surroundings. A small boulder lies a few feet away, covered in moss and Agrias judges it a suitable target. Holding her sword out she closes her eyes in concentration, attempting to channel the familiar holy energies down through her arms into the blade. A simple Judgment Blade should suffice...
Agrias' eyebrows knit and taking a deep, steadying breath, she slashes the air. But the familiar effect fails to appear and smite the rock. Indeed, nothing at all happens. The sword remains as mundane and inert as though Agrias hadn't channeled any divine power through it at all...which indeed, she had not. She could not find the familiar wellspring of power her training had taught her to control and bring out. As though it no longer exists within her.
Sighing in only mild frustration, she sheathes her sword, turning back to Ovelia. "'Tis as I feared. It seems I have been stripped of my powers as a Holy Knight." She affirms. It's not the end of the world, but her powers could make a useful trump card. "Well, my sword-arm is strong as it ever was. All will be well as long as we keep our wits about us." She carries on, moving past the problem for now. There's nothing more can be done about it and fretting over their loss serves no purpose. "Shall we move on, my lady?" Ovelia has a better lay of the land than Agrias does, and spoke of a kindly local earlier; if there is a settlement nearby, she can guide them.
no subject
Agrias may not be helpless, but Ovelia is. Not even the power to offer the protection of her God to those who bear arms on her behalf... it is a chilling thought. But she will dwell upon it later. If Agrias can keep a brave face with her sword-magic stripped away, Ovelia can do no less.
"All will be well," she agrees, more wishful than reassured.
For a rare turn, Ovelia is the one who knows the way to go. She nods. "This way. There is a town, and the man I spoke to said they will be prepared to offer us quarter there. We are not the first to come here under such... strange... circumstance."
She isn't used to being the guide, but she does her best to point them along the truest path to Concord.
more pointy and nasty things
For her part, Midna is floating and batting at several of the mongrel beasts with a scroll, doing all she could to keep her ankles out of their mouths. "Can't you fell a tree or something to block it?!"
no subject
"Easier said than done while they swarm us so!" And besides, trying to cut down a tree with her sword would serve only to wear the blade out before the tree was even halfway cut through. She kicks another rabite away and takes another look at the entrance, a small cave opening in the rock-wall. Perhaps at one point it was the den of some other beast, killed or driven off when the world shattered; these creatures do not appear to be burrowers or diggers of any kind, given they lack any appendages at all. Trapping them inside would surely put an end to things. Further up the rock wall however, Agrias spies something they may be able to use; a loose collection of rocks, that, if they could be disturbed, would likely fall and block the entrance nicely. She quickly points upwards, trying to get Midna's attention. "There, those rocks might suffice. But I have not the ability to reach them." Not for the first time and certainly not the last, Agrias curses the loss of her Holy Sword powers; she can no longer channel the divine energies through her blade as she once could, no matter how hard she tries.
A few more quick stabs and another kick sends the last rabite sailing through the air away. "If you have any ideas, I'm game to try them."
no subject
A flip forward had Midna landing on a monster's head, and jumping off to launch herself onto Agrias' shoulder. "Toss me..." she grumbled, low enough so that no one around could possibly hear her utter such a terrible thing.
no subject
Agrias nods. She'll just have to trust Midna on this. "Very well. I will try to catch you, if I can." Assuming of course her partner doesn't already have some way down safely. Taking the imp carefully in her free hand, Agrias kicks away a few more rabites to clear some space, then pulls back with her arm, aiming as near as she can for the loose rocks. "Luck be with you." She mutters to Midna before swinging the arm forwards as hard as she can, launching her tiny partner into the air.
No sooner has Agrias loosed the imp she turns her attention back to the rabites that are already swarming at her boots. It's up to Midna, now.