Lucius Cypher

Keratia: Tales of the Arisen One

Buddy nods and leaves to follow Pylia. You awoke, somewhat tired and sweaty for some reason, but awake as you go and take watch. Despite your sudden awakening, you're quite lucid and could hear some footsteps in the distance. It was heavy and solid, much like Buddy's. However in the dim moonlight you saw something approach. Something small yet bristling with spikes. Dark, sharp briars, like the thorns of a poisonous plant. Even the shield had jagged and terrifying blades protruding from the center of the shield. As the figure got closer you'd see... That they're about four feet tall, and that's including the strange puffball on their head. Some sort of dwarf. When the person spoke, it was a surprisingly feminine voice. "Oi! You ain't a brigand are ya?"

Keratia: Tales of the Arisen One

Cool, roll perception.

Keratia: Tales of the Arisen One

Pylia held her hand to her mouth in surprise. She had no idea what was going on. "What the hells..." In a moment of panic Pylia left the ruined building turning to Buddy slightly. "Buddy you... Watch over Sylvia, I need to go." Pylia turned and left, running off somewhere in the middle of the night. Buddy just looked at her before looking at your ghostly self. "I think you scared her. Should I follow her?"

Keratia: Tales of the Arisen One

Pylia was just doing her patrol when she felt something in her hand. When she saw your name spelt out she immediately dismissed the flame and looked around. "Buddy? Are you there? See anything strange?" She seemed on edge. Buddy heard but didn't move from his spot. "It seems like you got her attention, Sylvia. Don't spook her now." Pylia went back to Buddy with a worried look. "Buddy keep an eye on things, I need to check on Sylvia." She went inside quietly before kneeling down to you. She lifted up your wrist, and you could feel her do so from your ghostly body, checking your pulse and making sure you were alive. It seemed like Pylia was worried about you for some reason.

Keratia: Tales of the Arisen One

Again, it didn't seem like your voice would reach Pylia. But when you touched her she turned to look at you. "Hmm? Buddy, was that you?" She took a few steps forward, right through your body. This gave Pylia the chills. "Ugh... Cold out here. Now I'm starting to wish we could make a fire..." Pylia says as she tries to warm herself up with a fire orb. It seems that your voice couldn't reach her, but touching her granted some form of a reaction. She continued to patrol around the area, using her fire orb as a source of warmth and illumination.

Keratia: Tales of the Arisen One

"You could certainly try. It doesn't seem like they can hear me, I've tried speaking to them before but it seems as though it's only when you're in this form my voice could be heard at all. It may be the same for her." Pylia would occasionally come back to where Buddy was, just wandering around keeping an eye on things. She didn't seem to notice you at all, or if she somehow did, she wasn't reacting to your presence. Buddy kept his eyes on the things around him but continued to speak to you. "Have you tried speaking or making contact with her? I know what happens when you try and touch me, but what about others?"

Keratia: Tales of the Arisen One

“A wonderful idea.” Pylia says with a chuckle as everyone bedded down for the night. Shortfang decided to sleep outside, burrowing underground as it was more comfortable for him. Pylia was on first watch, Elena on second, Shortfang on third, and no one but Buddy on forth, though unbeknownst to them you were quite capable of watching in your sleep. As you frost away, you’d find yourself familiar space next to Buddy. He stood watch over the area next to the door, and joining him was Pylia.

Pylia looked to Buddy and nodded towards him. “Glad to have you on our side Buddy. You watch this side, I’ll patrol around. Let me know if anything happens.” Pylia says before she goes to wander off a bit from the ruined rest area. Buddy then turned towards you. ”It will be a long night. Do you wish to stay here? I’m sure it is possible for you to simply dream if the monotony bores you..”

Keratia: Tales of the Arisen One

The young woman pouted. “No way! I’m not even drunk. I’ve only had half a cup.” Elena drank more from her cup as if to prove some sort of point. “Besides, I’m the woman of the house now, and I have responsibilities to do, like drinking and entertaining the guests!” After she said that the mood seemed to have gotten rather dark, at least for Andras. He quietly thanked Ferric for the drink before going to bed while Elena was still rowdy and awake. “You know actually, there is a boy, no, a young man in Gransys I’ve been sweet with. He is kind to me as well. A young apprentice of a stable master, raises horses. Oh I do love horses. He is nearing the end of his apprenticeship and I must claim him before those other hussies dog their talons into his flesh!” Elena seemed quite passionate about this.

“His name is Hektor, a strapping young man, born from the north. His family used to raise horses for the Khanate before they moved south, and he wishes to resume hat business. I’ve always told our father we’d make more money raisin horses and selling them to the duke’s army, but he wants to just keep growing crops. Weather hasn’t been very good for us these past seasons, and I’ve already gone through three blights before as a child, I’ve no interest in going through more in my future.” Suddenly Elena seemed sad as she leaned against you and started crying. She was very emotional.

“Oh... Now that my mother is dead, what is my future? She said she would help me arrange the marriage to Hektor. She would go buy me a dress, speak to his master, and arrange a meeting. I would have shown him my poems and arts, and he would’ve taken me for a ride in the countryside... But now... Now she is gone. And I can’t... I can’t date face my beloved alone, less he think me some craven clinging onto him for stability. And my own father, bless him, he is too lowborn to be negotiating such things...”

It was at this point Pylia came in and helped Elena back to her bedroll as well as off of you. “There there Elena. Don’t worry yourself about those things. I’ll wake you up for your watch. Sleep.” Naturally Elena would refuse, but once in her bedroll she quickly fell asleep. Pylia just sighed as she went back to her place. “Well... That was something. Still thirsty?”

Keratia: Tales of the Arisen One

"Hah! A restaurant, yeah suppose so, but we'll need more than just you and me. If I'm serving drinks and you're serving food, maybe we'll have Shortfang here serving customers." Shortfang snorted at this thought. "No way! Shortfang serves nobody! Shortfang free kobold!" He seemed quite ornery, which just got a chuckle from Pylia. Seemed like Ferric was the only one who actually heard what you said about various alcohols, though it helped that he wasn't drunk. Yet. "I've only heard some of those drinks, gin, rum, and brandy. I've never heard about those other drinks though, are they eastern? You look eastern." Andras, who was drifting in and out of sleep, spoke up. "I've heard of sake actually! Thought about making some, made with rice, right? I mean, we've grown rice at our fields, but it seems like it's a different grain than what's made for the rice wine. Oh if only I could get some seeds of those, I'd be rich!"

Then Shortfang tried to sneak a sip out of Ferric's mug, earning himself a playful but solid smack to the head. As the men were merrymaking, it was Elena who quietly sat near you and tried to get your attention. She was a bit red in the face now, but seemed to be doing well. "You... You said you could keep watch in your sleep? Are you an elf?" Elena seemed buzzed, given her slow speech pattern and lack of personal space, but she seemed to be lucid enough to question you about something. "I've never actually met an elf before... Or a kobold really, but there was a lot on my mind before I could really appreciate any of that. I was just thinking... That would be amazing, to be able to sleep but be awake at the same time. I could do so much." Elena was very close to you for some reason, practically touching.

Keratia: Tales of the Arisen One

Most of the group agreed. Ferric figured they might still be able to make it to the city if they kept going, but better to recover their strength now than risk tiring themselves out and exposing themselves to considerable danger later. And so the party continued forward for another hour before Shortfang alerted them of the ruins he scouted with Syfr. It looked like an old stone farm house, however it was largely emtpy and dusty. When he had Syfr go inside he was almost attacked by a huge swarm of insects, so Andras cobbled together some tinder and grass to smoke the bugs out. After a few minutes the place was cleared of the insects, for now at least. Pylia would take some time to create another bug incense to keep insects away while the rest set up camp.

The cart and wagon would be left outside once more, and the mules would be allowed to roam a bit, though they were still tied to the wagon. Everyone would be sleeping inside of the ruins itself since it was a roof over their heads, though there wasn't much space for everyone. Since they couldn't be certain about how safe things would be here, they would need to set up watch. It was now that Buddy used that notebook and wrote something important for everyone: "I dont need sleep." Unsurprisingly Buddy did not need to rest. You would know that very well; last night you were up all night with him in your ghost form. Elena volunteered to do a watch, as did Pylia and Shortfang. Syfr himself didn't need sleep either, so he could stay on constant watch and even alert Shortfang if he spots anything. All that was needed was to know if you were going to take a watch or not. If so, you'd be taking the last watch.

Dinner consisted of cold rations, since there wasn't enough wood around to make a fire. Hard bread, cold cheese, and a bit of salted meat. For desert, apples. To commemorate their journey and the fact they were about to make it to Gransys, Ferric offered everyone a mug of his travel beer. Just about everyone had a drink except Andrews, and that was mainly because his father thought he wasn't old enough yet. He still got a sip and immediately regretted it. One was even offered to you. "Ah, it's been too long since I've had a brew." Pylia said fondly as she downed her mug. Shortfang wanted more but Ferric was being stingy. "No fair no fair! Shortfang want more dizzy drink! Shortfang can handle dizzy drink! Hundreds more!" Elena sipped her beer but seemed quite capable of holding her liquor. Andras was the only person that Ferric allowed more than one mug, and he was drunk after his third. "I... I gotta say, if any of ya were a nice young man ya know... I would like yous to be my step-son..." This got a chuckle from Ferric who offered Mica, causing Andras to go red in the face with embarrassment. Fortunately Pylia would distract the awkwardness with a new topic. "Ah, that does remind me, those apples you have, some are crab apples aren't they? For cider?"

Soon the conversation devolved into a talk about various forms of brews and drinks one could make, with Ferric and Andras boasting their own recipes. Ferric himself knew how to make a sort of spiced honey mead, with a secret ingredient found only in dwarven lands. Andras actually had a barrel of hard apple cider he had managed to save, he planned to sell it directly to the duke's kitchen. It would go for quite a pretty penny, and he was glad he was able to save it. Pylia herself mentioned that she dabbled a bit in brewing, in particular herb-based ales. Shortfang mentioned how his old tribe would make brews out of roots, in particular the rare and exotic ginger. "Hey boss! You drink too yeah? Make dizzy drink wherever you live?"