Always Ascending

[Ordos]

"Oh, my," Naethra said As the group was led to the town's open inn and the giant dwarf (with a masculine name at odds with her body) bartender / mayor.  This place was much larger than she had thought.  With farms, a smith, an inn... There had to be at least a hundred souls here.  And they were all taken by the Lady? 

She couldn't help but wince when she saw Gavin hear about the goblins.  The town was much larger than she expected, and while they didn't look like they'd be much in a fight she had a hard time believing they could be bullied and extorted by a group of goblins as small as the ones they had encountered.

"Pardon, but how many goblins would you expect are coming?"  There were other questions on her mind, but this seemed the most pressing.  "Any idea when we should expect them?  Or where they'll come from?"

She looked out around the village, it's surroundings, and it's orchard.  She noticed a disproprtionate  number of women... But these were all people who had spent time in this place.  It looked like the militia girls and Davin might have gotten off light.

(Perception: 11)

[Roselli]

Gwyn took in the impressively sized village. Like her teammate, it was larger than expected. Not that either of them knew what the other was thinking. Or did they? No...no, they did not.

Following along to the open air table area Gwyn felt comfortable enough to take a seat. "Thank you. A rest and a safe place is welcome. Gavin, did you just find yourself here one day? Where did you wake up? Or did you born here? By the way, I like the sound of the drink and tarts. Really appealing to my heart there. Thanks"

[darlingng01]

I chuckle at our groups new mage "I'm pretty confident you landed exactly where you were supposed to. The one who taught you the spell was the lady who rule this place and kidnapped the rest of us. Only difference is she made you kidnap yourself."

I chuckle at the dragonborn, appreciating the distraction she's providing "No need to get so offended. It's not like I'm saying I'm much better. You're doing fine, it just means you have room to grow. Besides physically I mean."

Looking up at the mayor I find myself feeling genuinely small for the first time in quite a while. I push that thought aside as she speaks, chuckling a bit at her comment about the risk of going deeper "Honestly, my time here hasn't been half as bad as some of my time spent in the Wilds. Seeing your companions collapse in a puddle of their own lust is far superior to seeing them torn apart and devoured by wild beasts. I'd much rather end up as a tree or small rodent than face some of the fates my older companions ended up with." I try and keep a jovial tone, but it's obvious some rather dark memories have surfaced as I speak.

[Alice]

I look around as we go, eyes always scanning. "Interesting arboreal notions." I mutter as we pass the trees "Is it meant to be art? A commentary on the nourishing nature of the female form?"

Moira shakes her head, "There are creatures out there.. spend too much time in their thrall and you end up more plant than person. One got obsessed with our need for food.. She kept dropping them off.."

When we arrive I give a formal bow to Gavin, and introduce myself, then frown at the group the next table over "...somewhat unsociable aren't they? Regardless, have you a library, by any chance? I need to determine jsut how far off target I was if I'm to correct my spell sufficiently to reverse it."

Gavin shakes her head, "I'm afraid not. We are pretty simple folk here."

"Oh, my," Naethra said As the group was led to the town's open inn and the giant dwarf (with a masculine name at odds with her body) bartender / mayor.  This place was much larger than she had thought.  With farms, a smith, an inn... There had to be at least a hundred souls here.  And they were all taken by the Lady? 

She couldn't help but wince when she saw Gavin hear about the goblins.  The town was much larger than she expected, and while they didn't look like they'd be much in a fight she had a hard time believing they could be bullied and extorted by a group of goblins as small as the ones they had encountered.

"Pardon, but how many goblins would you expect are coming?"  There were other questions on her mind, but this seemed the most pressing.  "Any idea when we should expect them?  Or where they'll come from?"

She nods, "Every one of us woke up in a cell on a marble alter. Some of us used to be adventures, Some of just got lucky."

She moves behind counter drawing drinks off a tapped barrel, "I saw the look in your eyes. Trust us.. We could probably fight off one party.. but if we went to war.. they'd bleed us till there wasn't a village left. This life might not be much, but it's what we've carved out. As to the goblins.. I don't know how many will come.. I know there is literally no end to them once the war starts."

She slides the beer down the counter to all of you, "If they come here.. We have to hide you, because we can't have you fighting here."

She nods to Oric, "It's true.. None die under the lady.. but.. We'd prefer to keep our simple lives.. than to have them become even simpler We still have a few joys.. and not all of us have been rendered compleatly useless."

[Roselli]

Gwyn quickly drank her beer as soon as it came down.

"That's just with plants, right?" Gwyn asked a little concerned about how long she spent as a half rodent-girl, then thought about Neathra, "For the plants, is there any cure for that? Not that we need one."

"I don't want to start a war. I'm thinking we just go covert. Sneak in, save the princess, and kill the Queen while we are at it." Gwyn proposed then wondered, "How are there so many goblins here?"

[Alice]

Gavin shakes her head. "Once in her power we haven't found a way. The alchemists has let us communicate with then.. but that's all so far."

She fills your mug again "as for the goblins.. no one dies.. and half the adventurers who fall join the goblin ranks."

[Nihtgenga]

"I just thought it would make a good story. As I try to make my own story. Think of it, we venture in, take down an evil queen, rescue a princess, and save a village. It's a classic story. A story that I get to take back on our adventures and share endlessly spreading your name, mine, all of ours name as heroes. But, if you'd rather stay here and settle as some anonymous net fisherwoman,  that's your call."

Retiaria laughed at that. "Damn, I'm an absolute bloody idiot, aren't I? Why the hell didn't I think of that? You're right, that'd make one badass story! Fuck it, I'm in then."

"I.. I can handle myself just fine as a paladin. Including in battles."

"Pff, yeah, just not on guard duty..." Retiaria chuckled.

Walking into town, Retiaria didn't seem particularly impressed, but she was very glad to finally be out of all those trees and stuff. Bleh. Give her a proper town any day, thank you very much.

"Hello there! Good to see you survived the woods. Welcome. I'm Gavin innkeeper and mayor of this little town. You are welcome  here as long as you choose to stay. I'll be honest, if you stay.. You'll likely be joining us dirt grubbers.. Although, no one who left to seek adventure has ever returned. We like to think that they move on deeper into the Lady's domain.. Maybe they even reach the end of it."

"Yeah, fuck that. No offense meant of course, but that's not the life for me. We're gonna kick that gnoll bitch's ass for you!"

"I just tell it like it is. You lot are welcome to a meal and a drink, we've beds for you too. You can think about it and let us know how you feel later."

"Much obliged."

"There are creatures out there.. spend too much time in their thrall and you end up more plant than person. One got obsessed with our need for food.. She kept dropping them off.."

"Yeah, we ran into one, I think. With the stabby tendrils? Naethra here used to be a tiefling." She gestured at her green companion.

Taking a mug of beer, she raised it in toast and said "Cheers." before sampling the brew.

"as for the goblins.. no one dies.. and half the adventurers who fall join the goblin ranks."

"Well, that's fucked. Makes sense though, I guess. Hey, how come no one dies here anyway? I mean, what is it with the Lady and making everyone horny?"

[Alice]

Gavin shrugs. "To be fair none can know the lady's mind." She shakes her head as serving girls walkabout with platter for all of you. "Near as we can tell.. she about sinning freely.. she wants you to give into dark or shameful desire.."

[Dichotomy]

I blink at her "... really?" I am clearly enthralled by the notion, so much so that I forget my other question and wander over fora closer look at the trees "A naturally occurring polymorphic effect? Beasts with natural abilities clearly falling within the school of conjuration or evocation are well established of course, but transmutation is generally considered a much more subtle art- requiring a definite will and specific visualization of effect beyond the scope of 'kill it' or 'go there' that beasts are usually able to bring to heel..." I knock on one of the trees, by pure chance on one of the growths that seems to reflect the shape of a breast, bringing my full talents as an avowed student of the school of transmutation to bear to see if I am, perhaps, intended to be the butt of a practical joke and these are indeed intended to be art. It would not be the first time...

[Roselli]

Gwyn drinks her beer, happy to have a little intoxication and relax for a little while. Not that she ever wanted to show how tense she could be.

Gwyn got an idea of the time, and she sits here and drinks, she's not going to remember to get the fake shirt off in time. Gwyn stands up, "Two important questions. Where could I acquire some clothing? Also, where is the bathroom?"

[Ryuforce]

Duran was listening to the conversation even as she curiously tried what was offered on the platter. And if there was a mug for her, the alcoholic drink. Though what followed was her coughing a bit as she blinks, looking at what she just sipped, then, drinking it again. She listened to the group talking about what's going on with the gnoll, the goblins, and this Lady. "Dark or shameful desires? That's her whole stick when she's trying to get you morphed into a plant or rodent?" she says with another small sip, looking then over to Oric and surprised the dwarf compares this situation as much better over fighting in real battles. course Duran can't argue that when she's never actually fought someone to the death.

"Hmm.. I saw you had several interesting places like the armory having a building to itself... and.. was that also a kitchen that got it's own place? Eh, anyway, I noticed the shrines. Who's the golden one for?" she asked Gavin curiously.

[Alice]

Gavin looked over at Lucious. "I assure you they are people and should be treated with respect. "

To Duran she looks and smiles, "Who else but the lady?"

[Ryuforce]

Duran's brow suddenly scrunched up and it was not because of the taste of the drink. "I.... see..." She looked rather annoyed at hearing about it but tries to look away to hold off her comments. Muttering something very low to herself. "That blasphemous fiend. How dare she..." Either way she takes another sip before asking one last question. "And the smaller ones?

[Alice]

Gavin nods, "We didn't put it up.. and the other shrines are for the nine.. and the hero's of the fall. Your friend wears a trinket of one of them."

[Dichotomy]

I blink, quite confused for a moment by what she means. They're trees, obviously, and if they were people before... "everyone knows that formic matrices are only so stable, they degrade over time if an alternate form is held too long until the matrix warps and the new form becomes default- which takes a GREAT deal of sustained magical energies and effort to achieve, usually some ritual or some sort of heavily enchanted object to hold the enchantment stable." I explain, my tone somewhat pedagogical. "It's why such workings as baleful polymorph are short lived and expire with a lapse in concentration on part of the caster."