MacDuffy

Summoners of Babel

aaaand POSTED

Summoners of Babel

Baldur

@TheWindel, @Rune_Alchemist, @Lady Athena, @Cherrywitch, @RabidAnubis, @Duoya, @Legion02, @KoL, @Lonewolf685, @cloudystar, @Ammokkx

---

As the collection of youths argued on the stage, Baldur watched silently, waiting for the spark that would start the riot. But that spark never came, to his chagrin. Many topics were thrown about: the merit of licenses, the ethics of spiritual contracts...subject matters insignificant to him. A gauntlet was thrown, a dagger was flung, a sword was at a man's throat, and they all engage in petty arguments? This army was absurd, a mockery of the art of war.

"Well, I would hope not! I dread to be caught in the crozz-..."

As the loud young lad at the center of it all made his final boasts to the crowd, Baldur frowned just slightly. He had hoped to see for himself the potential these people possessed, if there was truly any strong warriors among them. He caught a brief glimpse of such things, when that young man sped in, but it would seem that there would be no battle at all...

"Oh the youth! They are giving that man quite the rough time, no? But... I think they are being a little unfair. They do not zeem like zuch a bad-..."

This would not do. Empty platitudes and meaningless boasts do not make a trustworthy ally....or an interesting opponent. The elf girl shook and trembled as she held her sword, stammering out each word she spoke. A pathetic display from someone who dared speak of doing what is right. The braggart boy spoke earfuls of his greatness, of the greatness of his family name...and did nothing but a paltry vanishing act. The man of the cloth, at least, stood steadfast to protect his comrades with his body. Perhaps his impression of him was not as correct as he assumed...Regardless, if they would not show their hands, then Baldur would seek them out. That boy's invitation to his estate tomorrow morning was as good an excuse as any. He would go to him and see for himself if there was truly strength behind his arrogance...

"Well, that iz that!"

As the crowd dispersed, Baldur blinked once, it finally reoccurring to him that the short fellow was speaking to him. He looked back down at him.

"That boy iz quite the handful, eh? But, I do not think I will be joining him. Working alone zeemz to be more fitting for folk like uz, no? Gwahaha!"

Baldur exhaled, and replied. "Perhaps....but the beasts that await us above are no doubt uncaring of the honor in single combat. There is value in numbers in a campaign such as this...."

He silently nodded to Rolle with a polite smile as he excused himself to speak to the trio of strange girls upon the stage. He watched their conversation for a brief moment, before turning his gaze to the remainder of the dispersing crowd. He watched as some ascended to the upper floors. His initial intent was to do the same, but now, it would seem, his time to make the climb was not yet right.

"ToWeR..."

Baldur frowned again, as the voice of his ever-present friend spoke its insisting whisper yet again, as if in response to his own thoughts. 'Worry not,' Baldur mused in his mind. 'We are making our way....consider this a detour.'

He began to make his own way back to the portal, and the city. For now, he would simply have to find a way to spend the rest of the day. He recalled a quaint little tavern, back in town....a fine enough place to rest and relax for the evening. Letting the brim of his hat sink over his eyes once again, he silently made his way to that tavern.

Summoners of Babel

Writin' up my post now!

Summoners of Babel

@cloudystar

Gimmie 'bout...an hour and a half and I'll be off of work and good to write up a post.

Summoners of Babel

Should have a post in some time today

Summoners of Babel

Baldur

@TheWindel, @Rune_Alchemist, @Lady Athena, @Cherrywitch, @RabidAnubis, @Duoya, @Legion02, @KoL, @Lonewolf685, @cloudystar @Ammokkx

---

Baldur turned his head slightly toward the older gentleman who walked past him, nearly colliding with him as he did so. Though all he could see was his back, something about the way he carried himself made Baldur frown slightly and filled him with disdain. He had the air of a coward, and there was nothing in this world he detested more than the cowardly....But, this was merely an assumption of the back of a man's head, and he had little interest in thinking about it further. He turned his gaze back towards the halfling-elf to listen to whatever chatter he had in store for him, when a gathering caught his eye.

The stage, the loud young man front and center, bleating about family names and followers or some other trivial thing, the procession placing boots to the heads of spirits....what an odd ritual. Was it some sort of celebratory practice in this city? Seemingly not, if the unhappy faces and aggressive bursts of movement were any indication. He watched silently as a young lad and his canine companion fought their way through the procession, up to the stage. An impressive speed for someone so young, he thought to himself. His attention then shifted to the elven girl from before, forcing her way up to the stage as well, and drawing a sword upon the smug-looking runt.

"The tension is thick, here..." Baldur said calmly to Rolle, as he began to approach the crowd at the stage himself, eyeing the elven girl with interest. "Blood is about to be shed."

Summoners of Babel

man francis is a turbo-dork

Summoners of Babel

Baldur

@TheWindel @Lonewolf685 @KoL @Rune_Alchemist @Ammokkx

---

"...the jar."

"...Eh?"

"When we get home, you're going in the jar."

Baldur watched the elf bicker with her miniscule companion in subtle amusement. It was rare that he ever saw levity among a gathering of soldiers. Although...."soldier" seemed a stretch, for the woman: She certainly wore the garb of cavalier, but nothing else about her befitted a warrior, to him. She was too thin, her skin was smooth and pale, free of any marks or scars, and she seemed young- Obscenely young, barely more than a child. Looking around, however, it occurred him that she was no outlier among the crowd....in fact, if anyone was the odd one out, it was him. Nearly everyone he could see appeared incredibly young and unblemished...much more so than he, at least. What was this trek up the Tower, a fairground attraction? He briefly balked at the thought that his entire journey was simply playing babysitter to a spirit's spot of childish amusement.

"Good day to you, zir!"

His derailed train of thought was redirected once again, however, when a ridiculous accent cut through the noise of the crowd right at him. He glanced toward the source of the voice, seeing the halfling-elf make his approach toward him. His garb certainly didn't look like the local dress, and with his tanned skin....one of the desert nations, perhaps? Baldur was uncertain. The man did, at least, look mildly older than the rest, with eyes marked with experience. Though of what, he still did not know.

"I zpied a little with my eye, and you zeem quite out of plaze in thiz crowd! Of courze, I may come acrozz az that az well. Zo, let me introduze myzelf: I am Rolle and am, az they call me, a zummoner. May I azk for your name az well?"

Baldur raised his head slightly, revealing his sharp, piercing blue eyes from underneath his wide hat. "Ah....A fellow stranger in a strange land, then." He spoke in a voice that was as deep and guttural as it was soft and refined. He gave Rolle a small smile, which seemed both guarded, yet filled with confidence. "You may call me Baldur."

Summoners of Babel

@cloudystar

Question: Would Rolle and Balder have any knowledge of each other by virtue of them both being sponsored by the same faction?

Like, would Baldur know that there's another guy in the tower working for the Church aside from him, whose name is Rolle?

Summoners of Babel

Baldur

---

Baldur kept his eyes closed, standing still as stone near the center of the floor, his newly-acquired license tucked neatly away within his cloak.

He waited.

......

He waited a bit more.

......

"ToWeR..."

He grimaced slightly as he opened his eyes. Even now, the bothersome whisper at the back of his mind was not silent. Though it had grown much quieter in recent days, much more infrequent. He had taken it as a sign that this fabled Tower of Babel was, indeed, what it sought, yet still the infernal thing egged him on. Was it simply impatient? He could sympathize with that, at the very least, as his patience had long run thin as well: He had intended to arrive in the city and simply begin his ascension, not get entangled and chained in a mass of bureaucratic nonsense. Wealthy cities such as this have always been needlessly complex, as far as he was concerned.

It was only by some strike of good fortune that he was able to acquire access to the tower at all. A simple altercation at a tavern led to an offering of sponsorship from some organization: A Church, of some name. Baldur never considered himself a religious man, but a way into the tower was a way into the tower, and working under people and causes he cared little for was not a rarity for him. It was another mercenary contract into another army of hired blades. Fate willing, it would not go as poorly as the last one.

Baldur nonchalantly palmed the hilt of his sword with one hand, and rested the other upon his midsection, glancing downward. He could feel it still: lacerations upon his insides knitting themselves shut, centimeter by precious centimeter. The work of the noisy flying sea creature nesting in his mind, of this he had no doubt. This would trouble him as he climbed the tower, he was certain. His wounds would open again, should he push himself; Every motion would have to be deliberate, every swing of his sword carefully calculated. A part of him bemoaned the inconvenience, another part relished the challenge...

What every part of him was in similar mind on, squid included, however, was that this chamber was irritatingly noisy with chatter. The voices of a crowd was something he had long since learned to tune out. What was less easy to do so was the young elven girl to his immediate left, admonishing what looked to him like a large fly. He glanced at them, from beneath the brim of his hat, eyeing their conversation silently.

---

@cloudystar, @Rune_Alchemist, @Lady Athena, @Cherrywitch, @RabidAnubis, @Duoya, @Legion02, @KoL, @Lonewolf685, @Ammokkx, @TheWindel