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Renewed Logged Town

Scene details

Setting: After spending time at Aurita Meloda, the Star Chasers were making their way back to Zerhem Kingdom, but passed by the Logged Town to find that it had been revitalized to a vibrant state. They meet with Nais, the new Guardian of the town and Aoife, who brings them news about a special request.

Log


  It's a nice afternoon across the region; the sun shimmers with its brilliant light while feathery clouds pass by occasionally to decorate the sky. The presence of the wispy cirrus clouds indicate that rain could fall soon, if the signs are to be considered absolute.

 The travelers arrive from the west. The group managed to share pleasant times with the rebuilt city of Aurita Meloda with three beings living in harmony. Their exploration takes them past the trenches of the River Delta and out towards the forest-covered surroundings. Songbirds chrip a cherry tune as the group make their way through.

 The surrounding area has gotten to be a bit more populated since they last visited the place. It's rather peaceful given the fact that no monsters dwell the place. While there used to be signs of trees that were cut, those have since recovered. The forest appears more briliant than before. There is an air of tranquility instilled within this forested town.

  "Wow... This is different than how I remembered."

 


 "Even the skies are clearer," Ivo remarks, smiling, his cloak rippling behind him as he paces behind their fearless leader. "Especially significant, I think, considering our proximity to the Misty Forest."
 The weather in this logging town used to be managed by one of the last remnants of the druids of Vaeltrandia before she passed away, leaving her legacy seemingly lost. With no way to manage the mists of the forest to the south, the loggers were left picking at its edges for safety. But now, their sustainable practices may return, in harmony with the forest and its need for new growth and new life.
 "There's only one question that I have..."
 And with a sigh, he looks down at the package in his hand.
 "...what am I going to do with this...?"
 Half-wrapped within palmetto leaves is a going-away present from his undine fans, acquired during the Aurita Meloda festival tournament: a dead fish with a heart drawn on it.
 "Any takers?"
 He looks up at the many birds fluttering around, though those that do not ignore him merely eye him suspiciously. The fish is starting to smell. One wonders why he didn't simply ditch it when they passed through the River Delta.

Ruidosa La Crima has emerged, VICTORIUS and has won great honor for her vampiric house! She's happy about that and told her mom and everything it was great. Still, thusly as she notices the abundance of more people- because vampires can't help but notice that as she huhs and nods.

"Yeah it is a little different feeling, I think there's more people." she says as she sniffs the air, nodding a little as she listens to song birds chirp.

Delicious, delicious songbirds---wait, no!

Ruidosa takes the dead fish. "I will take your support fish." she says. "It's food later."


  There is a moment where Reize is glancing over towards Ruidosa as she seems to have a look about her that is reminiscent of a distant memory that resonates with him. A bubble appears over his head with ellipsis.

 Reize turns to face Ivo as he holds out the package containing the dead fish. There is a large sweatbead over his head. His face turns green, "...Why didn't you get rid of that, Ivo?" He coughs. Once Ruidosa volunteers, he rubs the back of his head.

 "Either way... it looks like a lot has happened since we last visitied here."

  The group will soon notice the ground shuddering a bit and the trees starting to move. One of the branches start stretching out to cover the sun above the group, creating a field of slight darkness.

 "There are our familiar heroes!" Sitting atop of a branch is the former bandit, now the guardian of the Logging Town. The red-haired, lanky man has a bright smile. He looks over towards the group.

 "Come to see your handiwork since your big adventure?"
 

>> Ruidosa has acquired 'Support Fish'
>> Support fish is a Aurtian Trout that tastes delicious.

Ruidosa La Crima licks her lips as she blinks as the ground shudders and ''trees move'' and she gets ready for a fight soon because she HATES PLANTS.

Oh, it isn't an evil tree. Good. She whews and places a hand to her chest as she sighs. She whews.

"Don't ''scare'' me like that!" she says dramatically, extra dramatically.


 "Eh... ah, wait..."
 Ivo, for some reason, seems to have mixed feelings about letting Ruidosa have the slightly (for now) stinky fish. He does not stop her from taking it, but he gazes at her, hand half outstretched, with a complicated expression.
 "Well, you know," he says to Reize, "I have a soft spot for... clumsy earnestness." He is friends with Reize, after all. "I'm just not exactly sure how best to, uh, acknowledge a gift like this, so..."
 When the shadows begin to shift, though, Ivo looks up and flashes a grin at their redoubtable ally. "Nais!" he calls. "It's your handiwork that's impressive! You're doing an amazing job here! I-- eh?"
 Strangely, the shadows are continuing to shift, and Ivo looks up, wondering if Nais is manipulating the tree further. But no. Something is using the shadow of the tree to obscure its descent.
 "Bacach, NOOOOO!" a young woman can be heard crying out.
 "Caawwwwww!" shrieks a large hawk as it descends upon Ruidosa, trying to wrest the dead fish from her grasp with its talons before soaring back into the air.
 "I just wanted to have a nice visit!" Aoife, the Central Plains dancer from the Zerhem festival where the assassination attempt occurred, continues, flailing her hands in the background. "Why was there a *fish* here of all places!?"
 "I told Ruidosa to get rid of it," Ivo blithely replies, not helping.


  "Ooooi, Nais!" Reize cheerfully waves a hand at the reformed bandit. "You've done well with the place!"

 The reformed bandit appears to be in good spirits. He taps the staff against the tree and gives an apologetic smile. "Sorry, little lady. I figured I'd reprieve you of the sunlight."

 "Yeaaah, Rui doesn't have good experience with living plants." Reize is worried how she'll react when they arrive in Cosmopolis. There is a surprised look from the boy when he sees the hawk come down at Ruidosa to take the fish from her.

 "Ooooi, Aoife!" The boy jubilantly waves a hand her way.

  then he eyes Ivo as he puts Ruidosa on the spotlight for the fish.

 Nais is just laughing, clapping his hands together. "It's good to see some familiar faces." He closes his eyes, "Yeah, since I've accepted my duty and after seeing you guys at work, I would work to restore this place to its former glory and pass the history on." He pauses, then he reaches out to procure a book from his satchel. "I got you two young authors to thank for that." He gestures to both Reize and Ruidosa.
 

Ruidosa awks as a hawk comes down and grasps the fish and takes it from her before she can put it away (or eat it whole in front of everyone?...) and she looses it!

>> Ruidosa has lost 'Support Fish'
>> Support fish would had tasted delicious. :(

She awks and flails and curses in Spanish as she grrrs. "Hey that was my fish now and you took my fish you dumb bi---" she holds her mouth further as she grits her teeth and crosses her arms dramatically.

She blinks a little at Nais and head tilts. "You're welcome then?" she asks more than says as she leans forward as he produces a book from his satchel, curiously.


 Ivo places his hand on his heart ceremoniously, gazing up as he watches Bacach fly away into the trees, trout in tow.
 "Farewell, my heart," he murmurs.
 "I-I-I'm so sorry," Aoife is stammering, clasping her hands within voluminous sleeves, the dancer clad in her traditional raiments of white and red, evocative of the druidic colors that festoon the carvings here. "Was that fish important to you? Bacach is very stubborn... but at least he was nice to the prince... oh!"
 She then claps in a sudden realization.
 "That's right!" Aoife exclaims. "A special Festival of Blessings is going to occur in honor of the legacy of Vaeltrandia, which will be inscribed into its burial mound! I was sent to Zerhem Castle to tell their Majesties, and Prince Constantin took me aside and told me that, um, if I saw you all, he wanted to see you again! Uh, discreetly, I think!"
 "Uh oh," Ivo replies, though he's grinning. "I hope it's not Darcea all over again. I see enough of young love on a daily basis already."
 "Lo-- oh! Um, no, I don't--"
 "And what brought you here, then?" Ivo asks, clearly amused by Aoife's embarrassment and not giving her time to recover. "Had word spread that we were in Aurita Meloda?"
 "Oh, um, no, I was just--" Aoife is stammering now. "I heard that traditional Vaeltrandian druidic practices had returned to this town, so I, um-- was just interested-- in that."
%She glances at Nais before averting her eyes, flush seeming to deepen. Perhaps history is still being written.


  Sympathetically, Reize places a hand on Ruidosa's back with an awkward smile, "Maybe next time, you'll get to enjoy some fish, Rui." He does look back at Nais with a grin, "Glad we could help. Rui did a fantastic job of having some notes down on some places." He frowns, "I feel like I've been slacking in comparison. Hopefully, it'll be enough to pass down the history. It was very eye-opening as to what we learned!"

 Nais grins, "If you all have time to stay, I can have some tea made and you can tell me about the things that you saw. There are some mysteries that you found that I'd lie to hear more about." As Aoife mentions about the Festival of Blessing, "Yeah, I'll be helping with putting it together. We'd be honored to have you all take part in it as well!"

  Reize becomes rather curious when he hears about Prince Constatin wanting to see them discreetly. "Ah? Really?" He offers a grin, "He's gotten more courageous since we last saw him!" He grins, "We'll visit the Prince when we return later, then!"

  Nais glances back towards Aoife, then he looks back. His face presses against his long, wooden staff as his face becomes as red as his hair. He straightens, "In either case, if you all will stay a while, I'll be happy to prepare you some tea as guests and you can tell me of your travels. I'd have some questions of my own that I'd like to ask."
 

Ruidosa isn't toooo torn up about the fish. It was there, now it's gone and she's still hungry, but she's a vampire- she's always hungry and she knows it. Still, she nods matter of factly. "Well, you're welcome." she says as she listens to the going ons.

She smiles. "I'm fine though, thanks." she says as she blinks and listens. "The prince wants to see us? AND there's a festival!?" she says with wide eyes.

"Reize let's go to the festival I wanna go to the festival I bet there's LOTS food there.." she says with wide eyes. "Let's go now!"

Nevermind that the festival probably isn't today. or this week probably.


 "We'd be honored to attend the festival," Ivo replies, grinning from person to person, his amusement and delight far outweighing any concern he might have had for the fate of his Support Fish. "This time, we'll have to win the award for best performance. I thought our puppet show was a shoo-in last time, but Fabroxo the Great really came in clutch with his one-man show."
 If accidentally.
 "And I'm sure we'd be glad to stay for tea," he adds. "Storytelling is Reize's speciality. Though he's also decent at adventuring."
 The Cosmopolitan finds himself brimming with delight in a manner unfamiliar to him, even when exploring the most intriguing of markets or inventing quirky new magitech with a beauty by his side. Never has Ivo been so instrumental in the success of an adventure, and being able to see everyone doing so well here and in Aurita Meloda, regardless of what problems remain with Granse, is fulfilling on a level he still struggles to articulate.
 "I'm sure the good Prince can wait," he concludes, "since I doubt he expected you to find us so quickly, Aoife. You must indeed be blessed by the spirits."
 "Oh, no!" she replies, smiling. "It must be you!"
 As if on cue, the skeleton of a trout falls from the trees and bounces off of Ivo's shoulder, leaving an oily stain on his cloak.
 "No," he replies, without missing a beat, "I don't think so."