Sunflower—Toadstool and Spire (Active thread) (EG_003)

[hengest]

...moves past the gates, apparently purely ceremonial, as there is no wall around the town. After all, you did just watch it spring up from nowhere. 

In the space of a few feet, you and Alla move from the open field into a well-inhabited area. The place is utterly unlike the towns you have seen before. The large mushroom-structures are thick and woody in appearance, but are anchored to the ground. Could they still be living? Some have doors or other apertures apparently grown into them. There are many fairly low structures of this type, some with relatively narrow stems and some almost spherical on the outside. You are curious about what might be inside, though many seem to be residential.

The other type of structure, scattered among the mushrooms, are tall and pointed. They look to have been pulled up from the ground toward the sky. You see no obvious aptertures in them. Perhaps they are ornamental, or perhaps there is an opening on the underside. You are really not certain.

As to the locals...some appear human and could easily be cousins to either of you. Diminutive winged beings abound. A third type is what you might call toad-giants: generally humanoid figures with broad shoulders and toadlike faces. You hear several tongues in use, one of which is not unlike your own.

Alla takes this in and begins moving towards some sort of greengrocer's stall.

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

I take up a place beside Alla she is walking to the greengrocer's stall.

<thinking> I didn't realize how hungry I am.

"Do you think they will have the same sorts of fruits and vegetables here or something new?", I ask Alla as we are walking up to the stall.

[hengest]

Alla shrugs. "We'll see what we can see." 

You approach and see many familiar kinds of produce, but many are somewhat larger than you expect. An apple is large enough to be a meal for a fairly hungry man. 

After a couple awkward exchanges, you and Alla learn that no one expects any coin in exchange for their wares. Instead, you get a smile and an offer of a sample from everyone you speak to. Alla takes this in stride and bites into a golden pear whose bell-bottom portion is the size of both your fists together. You watch in surprise as she slurps the wound she makes in the fruit: that multicolored substance that you both fell into not long ago is still there, mingled with the pear-flesh. Alla seems not to notice or care.

[You may eat, too, if you wish. Only fruit, herbs, and vegetables seem to be available at present.]

Asking around a little bit, no one has any answers for you about where this place came from. You do come to understand, quickly, that there is a perceived need to defend it from "those who are coming" and "those who would blow the very toadstools down with their perfidy!"

There are other items available. All familiar types, but a touch strange to your eyes. For example, there are boots that seem to be made of a kind of tanned mushroom-skin. 

A man about your own age smiles slyly when he sees your face, as if he knows you, but asks only about your sword: how you came by it, what its use is, and so on.

[hengest]

Alla wanders a bit away from you, scarfing her pear. You might easily lose her. She seems to feel more at home here than you do.

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

After looking at several of the offerings available, I decide to go with the huge apple.

<thinking> THIS is quite tasty! The large size made me reluctant, but it IS good.

I chuckle a bit as I'm eating the apple.

<thinking> I wonder who is coming to blow the mushrooms down?

I explain to the man that "the sword I am carrying is used for defense. I got it through service to the blacksmith in my hometown of Westford."

<thinking> I want to take a closer look at those boots. They almost look like mushrooms of some sort. Where is Alla?

"Alla! Wait on me." I say somewhat loudly trying to get her attention before we completely lose contact.

[hengest]

The apple seems to have two components: its appley flesh, which tastes familiar enough, and some of that colored substance. It is tasty enough, and you assume that it isn't going to harm you.

He looks with wonder at the sword, touches the blade, and cuts himself. As he sucks the wound, he looks truly surprised. He must not have been familiar with the idea of edged weapons...although he is now. [You may speak to him more, of course.]

If you inquire about the boots, the maker shows you a grow-area under his stall, hidden from the light by heavy burlap. As you peek in, you see mushrooms rising slowly from the soil even now. The man closes the flap before you can get a really good look. "That's enough now! It's the wares, not their making, for show and for trade! Although for one such as you, a deal might be struck!" He grins, showing remarkably good teeth. Everyone here has good teeth, you note.  The boots themselves, which he does let you examine, are rough-and-tumble tough but very flexible. The "leather" uppers are joined to a sole that seems to be made of...earth? If you inquire about the crafting of them, the maker only laughs a belly laugh, looks you in the eye, and shakes his head, still laughing.

Alla gestures toward a stall whose wares you cannot see. She seems drawn to it. 

From the other direction, a voice calls out something in one of the tongues you do not understand. Many heads turn to look.

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

"My apologies about the small cut." I pause to see if he will reply but he just waves it off and gives me a look that I interpret as him not trying to place blame. "There were times when we had to defend our small town back home, so we always kept our swords well maintained."

<thinking> Well, at least it was a small cut. I'll keep that in mind for anyone else that is curious.

"These boots look really comfortable and mine are approaching the time to replace soon. What is the price?", I ask the seller.

<thinking> As soon as I get done here, I have to catch up with Alla.

As I hear the unfamiliar language and see everyone looking in the direction it came from, I ask the boot seller, "What's going on? Who is that? What is that language?".

[hengest]

[To speed up play, I am allowing some leeway in how we manage Ethan's actions and interactions here, dealing with these things as if they are simultaneous when they should really be sequential.]

Sword: He looks in wonder at the sword again as you explain, and clearly does not share some basic assumption you hold, but you aren't sure what.

Boots: "Price? You could trade for that smooth poker you carry or some other fine item! Or a bit of service to be named later! Here, try them! They'll kiss your feet, make no mistake!" says the maker of the fungus-boots. When you ask about the shouting, he replies "Oh, the royal tongue. I can see by your eyes that you can't understand it, though by the rest of your look, you should!" He winks as if at some secret he knows that he is too polite to mention. "They'll be announcing something or other. Most of us here understand it as a mother tongue, but speaking it...that's not for everyone!"

Out of the corner of your eye, you can see Alla fiddling with some small items, her eyes wide. A few people, far from all, move in the direction of the voice that spoke in the "royal tongue."

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

[That sounds good to me. I wasn't sure how to handle that, so I just rolled with it.]

Sword: <thinking> Maybe I'm mistaken?

Boots: I slip the boots on, and they feel just as comfortable as the man suggested.

<thinking> Maybe I should take them and trade for service later?

"I'll take the boots. Are you sure about trading for performing a service later?". I wait for his answer. "If so, I'll take them because I have very little extra to use as trade right now.".

<thinking> It looks like Alla has found something of interest. I need to catch up with her and find out what the announcement is all about.

[hengest]

Boots: The boots do fit quite well, better than your old ones. They seem to help your feet to grip the ground somehow, rather than merely protecting them. When you mention the service, the owner notices your old, worn boots for the first time and says, as if not expecting you to take him up on it, "Or you could trade these beauties to me, and I'll add my thanks to the bargain!"

[Do you trade away your boots for these new ones?]

Alla: Alla is still fiddling with something of interest over there, talking animatedly to another woman.

[Now you have a choice, since the boot-deal seems to be about done, either way. Do you investigate Alla's find or run over to where what occurs below is occuring? Or anything else.]

Another voice begins shouting in that same tongue. You get the feeling everyone here but you understands this speech. Several people drift over in that direction. There is interest and a bit of alarm on their faces.

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

Boots: <thinking> I had assumed he wouldn't want these old things. They ARE still in good shape, and someone will still get some good use out of them. I guess I was wrong.

I hand my old boots over to the man with a nod while I say, "These boots have served me well and still can serve another. Here you go, sir.". I grip his hand and shake to seal the deal. "Now I must catch up with my companion. Farewell." I say as I turn and look to Alla.

Alla: I walk over to see what Alla has found. I greet her and ask, "Do you know what this commotion is all about?".

[hengest]

He shakes your hand eagerly, a look of unmercantile genuine gratitude in his eyes. "Come back and trade with me again! I'll be a rich man soon enough, with buyers like you!"

It really isn't that far. You jog in the direction opposite to where some people are heading to listen to that voice. You see that Alla is fussing over various rings, pretty but strange. "You don't understand? It's the regent. We saw the King and Queen ride off. The regent is telling the people what to expect at night. It's their first night, after all. But look at these!" She demonstrates the rings. There are not so many there, perhaps two dozen resting messily on a bit of material. "Look, look!" Despite her being older than you, you see an adolescent or even girlish excitement as she shows you that some of the rings are oddly paired: it is possible to put a ring from each pair onto each hand, then to press your palms together and link the rings together by pressing, for example, a tiny hook on one through a tiny loop on the other. The bands are metal ranging from silver-grey to a metallic white. All look freshly made and unmarred by any ding or defect. Some are set with uncut gemstones, some in crude settings and some apparently pressed into a thick place on the band. 

The voice, still talking over there, makes no sense you to, but it is a woman's voice and does not sound strange to you.

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

I smile and nod at Alla as I see the excitement and joy in her expression and words.

<thinking> I'm glad she found this stuff. It seems to have brightened her mood.

"The regent? No, I don't understand the words. Her voice is pleasant to my ears and does not sound distressed so what is she saying about the night? What do we have in store for us?" I enquire as I stand there with a curious look on my face.

[hengest]

Alla continues her exchange with the stall owner while she deals with your questions. She seems rejuvenated. Leaning over the rings, allowing the seller to saw through a long lock of her hair with a piece of shiny black stone, she explains what she understood. "I wasn't really listening. Something about what will happen to this place at night. Some kind of...surging from underground? Or all around. Ready for defense, prepare to grow, something like that." The seller pockets the hair with a smile and Alla snatches up two rings, probably her favorites. She slips them onto the middle fingers of each hand and starts walking with you in the other direction, since you have shown interest in what's going on over there.

Her entire manner is somewhat different now. As you approach the sound of the "announcements," you see the regent mentioned before. She looks and sounds quite like Ethel. As you stare, she strikes a large disc with a stick, causing an extended ringing sound. Those gathered around begin to drift away as the regent hops off the platform. "Night comes sooner than you think!" she calls, almost as an afterthought.

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

<thinking> I wonder if it's her excitement over the rings or that fruit that makes her seem as if she is reinvigorated. Maybe it's a little bit of each that has affected her in this manner.

"Alla, the change comes at night in Bottleton also. Maybe they are related somehow." I explain as I watch her place the rings on her fingers.

<thinking> I wonder if she traded the locks of her hair for those rings like I traded my used boots. Maybe they don't value gold coin around here.

"The regent looks just like Ethel from back in Bottleton." not so much to Alla but next to her.

<thinking> I'm not sure it would be appropriate in this place to approach the regent for further information. We could try talking to someone else in this area BUT what if the regent has departed.

I look around to the citizens of this place and then back to the regent while I estimate my chances before deciding on my next course of action.

I approach the regent in a slow and courteous manner while saying, "Excuse me, Madame Regent. May I ask you about the announcement?".

[hengest]

She looks at you with wide eyes and speaks in a strangely accented voice. The quality is still familiar but her accent is nothing like that of anyone from Bottleton or anywhere near your hometown.

"Sir?" She looks at you, not haughtily but with an odd air. "Did you wish to aid the city?"

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

I look at her slightly in awe on the question as I respond with, "Aid the city? How? From what?".

I look in several different directions to see if I can recognize any threat.

[hengest]

She glances in the direction you and Alla originally came from. "When the light fades, chaos will surely try to invade. This land is nothing but a thought so far. It will have to mature or be destroyed. You," she looks at Alla, "are of the land, or almost, and will thrive or perish with it. But you," she looks back at you, "are something alien. You are welcome, of course, to stand with us. But we cannot expect you to care much when you have a foot in more than one world. Despite your appearance," she says with a hint of a smile.

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

<thinking> I don't think I have any choice BUT to help these people. It seems like the events taking place here are connected with the events happening in Bottleton. They have to be connected somehow.

"I will assist your town and your people. I believe that what is happening here is connected to the events taking place in Bottleton. Maybe stopping it here will reveal what must be done back there." I respond to the regent.

[hengest]

The regent nods, but without apparent interest in your remarks about Bottleton. "As night falls on this first day, those who are exceptionally stout of heart will stand at the border of this small realm to do what they may. The rest will stay within to help the realm to grow. This is our way, though it may look obscure to you at first." She pauses, looking you over. "Some might go into the realm of chaos to meet its agents there, but this has never happened on a first day. Until then, I suppose, do what you will." She nods to you both and walks off, disappearing among the folk and structures.

You notice that the sun is halfway down the sky already. How long have you spent here? Perhaps days and nights are not quite what you are used to. 

Alla looks after the regent. You hear the clicking of her rings as she rubs her hands together.

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

<thinking> She seems unconcerned or uninterested in Bottleton and any possible connection between it and here.

I turn my gaze around the immediate are we are in and turn to Alla to say, "What do you think? Should we stay inside here, go to the border, or dare to meet the enemy abroad?" waiting just a moment for an answer before continuing. "I think it might be best to meet the agents of the enemy in the realm of chaos. It would seem the more resistance they get they less likely they would be to advance closer."/

<thinking> Alla sure does like those rings.

[hengest]

Alla looks thoughtful. You two have come a long way together...or it seems like a long way, sort of. You involuntarily size her up. She looks as ready for a scrap as anyone where you come from, but you wouldn't have picked her to go up against agents of chaos, whatever they are. Although, would you have picked yourself? You seem to be volunteering...

Already there is a bit of a change in the atmosphere in this tiny realm.

"I have nothing but my fists," she says. "And maybe these lovely rings...I don't know. But I suppose this is my home now. I don't think I'll see my old home again, nor did I expect to when I...answered the call." She pauses. "I will go, but not alone. If you go, I will go, first day or no."

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

I nod approvingly at Alla as I take a quick glance around before saying, "Let's see if we can get you equipped with something more than your fists.".

"Have you been trained with any wort of weapon?".

<thinking> Even a nice, hard staff would be better than fists.

[hengest]

"Not trained, but I could swing a club. If I had to." She looks around, but sees no club.

You can tell you are going to have to take the lead if you want her equipped any better.

[How do you want to attempt this?]

[hengest]

[A little more info.]

If you consider it, you should be tired, although you're not sure what state Alla was in when she was so transparent before. You really should be exhausted, not having slept in quite a while, but that apple seemed to give you a lift. You aren't sure, but it might get you through a night. But you think if you curled up, you could get forty winks without a lot of sheep-counting.

Thinking about how you might best arm Alla, given her absence of training and your somewhat scanty resources at present, you look around. You are near the raised area where the regent made the announcements of which you got only the gist. You have your sword, although you are as sweaty and dirty as you might expect, considering what has been going on. Alla looks fresher. Not even the missing lock of hair mars her (relatively) put-together appearance.

As before, you are surrounded by strctures, many of them mushroom-shaped and many of them almost pure spire, straight up from the ground. You have explored none of these. So far you have interacted directly with the regent, the mushroom boot-seller, the young man who cut himself with and seemed awed by your sword, and the fruit-seller who wanted nothing for the fruit.

If Alla is interested in venturing "out" with you, you two will need to decide on what you are taking with you, although there doesn't seem to be that much choice about it. Or if you wish to convince anyone else to go, if such is even possible. 

There are still the same somewhat strange folk milling about, apparently each on his own business. 

As you think, you notice the birds above flying, alighting on structures, and taking off again, seeming a bit agitated. You do not quite recognize their kinds. 

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

"Certainly. A club would work...", I state as I pause looking around the area before continuing, "Perhaps we can find a good club and other equipment around here somewhere." holding my arms up as if to show we have several places to look for supplies.

A moment of silence is shared between us before anyone says anything.

"We shouldn't just go out there without rest, some supplies, and maybe some others that would be interesting in helping." I stop in contemplation to make sure I'm not missing anything.

I turn to Alla and ask, "What do you think? See if we can get any supplies and help around here and then find some place to clean up and sleep for the night? It would be foolish to rush right out there into a mess. Besides, the coming forces may meet us here in this place and if we don't have everything ready at least we'll have some help in those that wish to aid the city.".

[hengest]

Alla pauses. 

"You said you intended to go...there. But she said that...something would happen here tonight. If that's so...can we really sleep tonight while these...people are handling whatever happens?" She looks at you and then around, a little uncertain of how to deal with this whole situation, given her promise to "go" there with you. "But as to a club..." She notices a nearby mushroom-structure with woody bits, almost roots, near its base. She grips a bit and, with a little more strength than you expected, takes thirty seconds to try to tear it free. "Here, it's too thick. Use your sword?"

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

[Almost failed my reading comprehension check in my last reply.] 

"Ahhh yes. You are correct. My thoughts are a little scattered working on the stuff before use. Of course, I meant catch a short rest and then head out.", pausing with a somewhat sheepish look on my face.

<thinking> I hope she doesn't think my head is not clear on this situation.

I say, "At your service." as I pull my sword out of the scabbard and swing at the base area that she just tried to pull out.

[hengest]

Alla does not appear to notice your moment of garbled thinking. You help her by cutting away at the part that would not give. She ends up holding a woody semi-club about three feet in length. She feels the "hitting" end of it and shrugs, apparently finding it as satisfactory as anything. You guess it should really be a two-handed "weapon," which is how she swings it. A few passers-by stop to look at the woman swinging this object at an imaginary assailant. It looks more flexible than would be desired, uncured and unshaped, it still would make you think twice if you were struck in the face with it. 

"Well enough," she says. "You seem to be the kind to know about these things. What else? Or do you want to just...lie down and nap before leaping into the dark?"

You realize that you are planning to go into an unknown realm of chaos accompanied by a woman with a weapon made from a piece of a mushroom while you are wearing the cousin of that weapon on your feet.

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

<thinking> She seems to still trust me so that's good.

"That club of yours seems like it will serve well enough. You look comfortable with it in your hands." I nod at a few of the people passing by us. "See, you're a professional. You've started gathering an audience.".

<thinking> That fruit...wait.

"Change of plans. The fruit vender is still right over there. Let's get some more fruit and then head out. The hour approaches sooner than we thought.".