It is a busy night at the Shady Corner. The barkeep is busy filling flagons for thirsty patrons and the buzz of conversation is loud.
Suddenly, with a "pop" and flash of bright light a ten-pound stone streaks down from the ceiling and buries itself an inch deep in one of the oaken tables. The patrons all jump to their feet. and well that they do as the stone is followed by five more in quick succession. "Crash!" "Thud!" They hurtle down, striking and rebounding.
A very soft and short murmer of confused profanity drifts from under another table from one of Jastrey's Uordeq. Binx had taken cover, crouched low with short sword drawn and bow close by, under the seat she had previously been occupying. Het flaggon sat abandoned topside along with a book that she had been reading.
What on the Shard...
With a strong gust of air opening the twin doors to the tavern before him, An oddly familiar hooded face enters into the Shady Corner. Much of the shaman's beardless face is obscured by his worn and well-used brown hood that covers over the majority of his features.
Across his now significantly taller body and less stunted limbs resides a simple green tabard marked with the white stags head of the Wild hunt, The only luxury or obvious jewelery displayed on his body is that of a no-frills green stone hanging about his neck that gives off a strangely natural presence.
"By the bones of a dead god..." Sighs Blisdon as he continued to mutter to himself while looking around to the other bar patrons, Checking from a distance to see if any of them were suffering from injuries before even considering the strange stones strewn about.
"I can't even depart this town for a full turn of the leaves before something else tries to grind this tavern and town to dust."
Solas sat still at his table, a smug and stubborn smirk spread across his blindfolded face as the stones crashed down around him. As the 6th stone hit down, The Empyrean stood and crossed the room, his black coat flowing ellegantly about his ankles. He bent his knees and crouched to examine one of the stones. "By the four" He muttered, placing a hand on the stone and closing his eyes beneath the strip of fabric.
*TOUCH INSPECT MAGIC*
Drux looks around the tavern from his corner evaluating the condition of the other guest. As soon as he sees that all is well he takes his seat again and continues sipping his wine.
After savoring the last swallow he gets up and heads over to Takkinn, "What are these stones, brother?" Drux askes.
Lucky for him, Cail was sitting in the back corner of the tavern near the window with only a loan candle to accompany him. After jumping away to avoid being hit and rolling underneath a table, the crashing stones stopped. He climbed out from under the oaken furniture and stood, dusting off his tabbard as he did so. Seeing a fellow Empyrean touch the object, Cail walked over and decided to share in the experience *Touch Inspect Magic*.
Solas pulled his hand away from the stone. "Well that was... rather unimpressive, to be honest." He mutters to no one in particular, admittedly disappointed and a little embarassed. "I guess sometimes a stone is just a stone." Finally he noticed to the other nearby Empyrean. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced." He turned and extended his hand with a broad smile.
Solas grabbed the Empyrean's hand and shook it. After hearing Cail's voice trail off he felt his arm go dead as the shaking stopped. He stood there, wide-eyed behind the blindfold, grasping the Empyrean's outstretched hand. He stood like this for some time before he begun shaking the hand again. "Right, sorry, manners. Solas, Solas the Farseer... of the Wild Hunt." He let go of Cail and wiped his hand on his jacket. "Right." He said, turning back toward the fallen stone "Well. This appears to be... nothing." He wrinkled his nose at the thing.
"It's a pleasure." Noting the mans peculiar personality, Cail let the thought pass out of his mind and likewise turned his attention to the cold stone on the table. "Hmm, yes. This does appear to have no magical aura or presence about it. But where did it come from," he asked aloud as he bent closer to look. "Look here, Solas" Cail motioned towards the apparent dampness of the rock. "What do you make of the wetness?"
Since the stony assualt on the tavern seemed to have ceased for the moment and the others had immerged from their shelters, Binx less than gracefully crawled from beneath the table she had been using as cover. Her hood was down, eyes visible as she looked around noticing but not acknowledging the two greeting eachother as well as the others. Still wary of the situation she sheathed her shortsword at her hip and fetched her bow from beneath her chair.
Blisdon's dark eyes linger at the stone situation between the two empyreans for a moment before a piercing cry in the distance reaches his ears. "That sounded like.." The shaman's voice trailed off as a very dwarven scowl painted itself across his pale uordeq features. "...The Healer's Den."
Blisdon Paused only to give Solas a wide and mischevious grin before backing away from the crowd and With a sense of urgency in his step the Shaman turned on his heel and left as quickly as he entered as he departed for the den. The dark green tabard flowing behind him with each hastened step.
"Ohhh...He's back! He's back! He's back!
Jastrey's strangest loon!
Oh yes! Oh yes! Oh yes!'
He's here to cure to wounds!"
With a skip in his hastened pace The mad shaman continued to gleefully sing and occasionally even dance as he made his way down the scarcely populated evening streets of springtime Jastrey.
"So for whatever troubles that ail you,
Dear Blisdon will never fail you!
Whether it's bites or slashes,
Dragon's or gashes!
This shaman is the winner!
He's got some class!
He'll save your ass!
And you'll be back in the pub by dinner!"
Solas's gaze snapped from the rock to the Empyrean. Solas blinked under the veil of the think black cloth. His lips curled downward in an expression of bland boredom. "The... Wetness..." he repeated as though he didn't quite understand the words. He looked down at the rock, and placed his hands on his hips. He stood like this for longer than a moment before quickly crouching down and bringing his face to the rock. Finally, the blindfolded empyrean outstretched his tongue and brought it to the rock with long swipe. He sat for a moment before springing to his feet. "I think... These rocks may have come from a lake." he smacks his lips and tongue, making a strange sound. "Or a river."
His gaze shifted from the fellow empyrean to his companion. He felt the corners of his own mouth slip into a mad grin. As the shaman of the wild hunt danced out of the tavern. He felt a cold laugh escape from his grinning mouth.
Cail, perplexed by the abnormal behavior of the man named Blisdon, said mostly to himself, "Agreed. The lake is most likely the place of origin. Tis the only body of water I know of that holds these stones in its depths. Now I guess the question is 'how did it get here'?"
He takes out a cloth from his pouch and wipes off the place where it hat been licked then placed both hands around its cold exterior. With a little effort, he pried the rock from its resting place, lifted it high, and looked at it with increasing scrutiny. Shrugging, he places it back on the table and says aloud, "Well i guess I better go investigate the howling as well, hmm?"
Cail gathered his cloak around him and stepped out of the tavern towards the sounds previous direction and the current sounds of Blisdon's singing.
Valez sighs hearing the rip and looks down at the growing hole in his pocket. He looks around then takes off his cloak putting the rocks in the middle and tying it into a sack. He puts the four rocks into it and smiles. "That should hold." and walks out of the tavern towards his cabin.
Glimmer hears Garith shout and comes running after helping Valez at her postal station "BY THE BY Garith I hear you dear! What on earth...." Glimmer gazes around at the mystified friends and says "Well. It looks like we have a mystery on our hands. Or roof, floor, tables, and Valez's cloak."
"O there you are. Sorry dear forgot you where in here. If you get a few minutes would you mind going out and having a look around to see where these stones came from? If they were thrown it can't be too far off." Garith then seems to get slightly distracted with another thought. "AHA!" he exclaims. "The last ingredient was a branch of oak, bathed in a crystal clear pool. He then quickly runs off to find a nice low oak branch.
From where she was speaking with the Drakna, Akon rises gently with a soft whisper of her robes. In long, easy strides, she carries herself past those gathered, speaking lowly as she steps amongst where the stones crashed. "It's raining outside." She remarked cooly. "The stones fell from the sky. Rain is wet, the stones therefore are also wet." She knelt then to pick one up herself, the weight heavy. "But...they are cool. So they must not have fallen from the heavens....Something powerful threw them, be it beast, man, or nature....mn..." She looked up, inspecting the roof.
Noting the distinct lack of holes in the roof. "Or....wizard. Mn..I wonder if they could be tracked...." She said simply, more to herself than anyone else, as if contemplating the issue while contining to make her way stoicly out of the tavern. No smile graced her thin lips, her visage stone-like and emotionless. She made her way quietly towards the sound of the screams from the healer's den.
After examining the rock himself Drux thows it away saying, "This is just a blasted rock, nothing special about it save for the fact it teleports. Gairth tell Astrum to quite playing around." Drux then heads over to Glimmers new office and takes a peice of parchment to put his new address down.
Taklinn continues to study the seemingly innocuous rock, unfazed by all of those around him. As Drux asks a question of him he looks up at the Drakna, and gives him a strange look, as if he can't quite place the person talking with him. He turns back to his work, giving the drakna the cold shoulder and muttering quietly to himself (Commune Earth). As Drux walks away, Taklinn looks back towards the man as he walks away. After a moment he slaps himself on the head and exclaims "Shave me beard, I knew I recognized the voice, but he has been changed into something different.!"
After giving the note to Glimmer Drux turns around with an odd look on his face. Then his image settles as he looks at his hands one more time. "Oh sorry, I forget about my transcendence. My research tells my the actual name for my race is Drakna. Well I'm actually half Drakna. That is the stories the monks always told me at least. Its unclear why it never showed before now but Drathenix has bestowed the full blessing of the race upon me." Drux says matter of factly. "So has the earth unveiled any thing to you?" Drux asks Taklinn.
Taklinn peers up from underneath his table, flagon of holy water still gripped tightly in his hand and with all of its cargo. "What in Githal's butt were those?" He begins to get to his feet while downing the rest of his drink before going to investigate the first embedded stone.