Dragonbane Pretty Cure [IC]

[Powgow]

Episode 1: 'Grass is Always Greener...'

On an open plain of once-idyllic green grasses, a curious figure of a great beast currently roams the wide clearings, the gaze of the native lesser beasts of the area following its every move. Thanks to the figure’s insistence on staying outside the light of the moon, its true face remains obscured by the darkness of the night. Not one of said watching native beasts dare to challenge this figure’s apparent dominion amidst the bleak background, and the figure rewards their obedience with a place off its warpath. At a distant corner of the horizon, the lights of civilization are visible, perhaps marking the figure’s next destination.

After the great beast’s jet-black eyes caught the sight of those lights, it then lets out a mighty roar. The remaining spectators scamper off to the safety of their own lairs. Even the patrolling guards of the distant settlement will be able to hear the roar. The mysterious sound will serve as the talking point for those brave men of the watch, even as their sleep will be disturbed by the thought of what kind of being can produce such a sound. The patrols will double in intensity for the next few days as the guards nervously try to search for answers.

Yet, the days passed by without so much a change in the grass paths, and the sound quickly entered the realm of rumors…well, perhaps until now.

-----

The sun shines on as the town of Siebheln greets a new, sunny day. While it might have been a perfectly fine day for the majority of the town’s residents, the students of Matron Millia’s Adventure Guild knows exactly what day it is today: the Dreaded Field Examination Day. It’s the day where the Matron hands out tasks for predetermined groups of students to do. While it sounds inconspicuous enough, those tasks are usually deceptively tricky, deceptively challenging, or both. Moreover, those who cannot complete the tasks in time are given a veritable mountain of extra work on top of their usual school work.

If you’re thinking of skipping school at that day, go right ahead. At least you’d be less stressed when the extra coursework eventually somehow makes their way to the front of your room’s doorstep.

That’s not to say that the tasks don’t serve some kind of purpose. While no one outside the teaching staffs of the Guild would know for sure, the tasks seem to be ways for the Matron and her teaching associates to gauge the competency levels of the students. It’s said that those who repeatedly fail the test are better off not becoming an adventurer, bluntly speaking. Oh sure, there are others who think that they got what it takes to be an adventurer without the basics, but those people usually don’t last long…one way or the other.

That’s why, if you make your way to the Guild’s courtyard, you can see that multiple groups of literal student bodies have been assembled. You can already see from their faces who has an idea how to complete theirs or who has been completely lost. Some, in their confidence, have already took off to parts unknown for their task, while others have formed little circles of discussion in hopes to crack the puzzle of their own task. Some have even begun to form cross-group alliances in hopes of pooling their information. It’s still no guarantee to succeed, but at least they’re thinking outside the box.

If you try to search your name amongst the students, you’ll soon come across a pristine white parchment with your name and a couple of others’, your companions for the day. In the parchment was written as such:

Aster Starnja, Erin Mallory, Cleo Skysdottur, Hitomi Gerste, Jeanne D’eaux
Your task is as follows:

“A plant which grows in a place where the sun shines brightest,
wounds and maladies are amongst its effects,
A potent tool though it can be,
but handle with care lest it turns on you.”

You have until nightfall to return with a sample of the item.

By now, the majority of the other students have broken up into their own assigned groups, seemingly having a better idea on how to tackle their tasks or at least going down with a blaze of glory while trying. The sun’s slowly but surely creeping up onto the apex of the noon. You may still have plenty of time, but time waits for no one.

Spoiler: OOC

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Feel free to not start at the Guild’s courtyard. This is just what happens if you’re not late to school like a good girl should. :p

[jamieth]

Today, unlike oftentimes, Erin wasn't actually late to school; a mile and a half run from her home to the Guild - across several farms's fences and one small river - was just what she needed for a warmup before what she, again, unlike many, really looked forward to. Sure, the chance of getting assigned a mountain of homework wasn't exactly a thing to look forward to, but a day away from classes? Sure!

And, as Erin thought, standing in front of the parchment, she actually got lucky this time - Stjarna was, as far as she knew, a well-known bookworm, and Gerste was really a prodigy who skipped classes - surely the two of them would be able to figure clues out. And Sky... Skys... the transfer student, she knew tons of cool stories to pass time on their way; and, of course, once they find the plant, it would be Erin's time to shine in getting whereever it might grow - and then getting back... see? Piece of cake. Oh, and D'eaux, of course... Erin didn't know what to make of her, honestly, but her grades were good, right? If she only was a bit easier to talk to...

"He-ey! Stjarna-san, Gershe-san!" she yelled, looking around, "We're in a group! Sky... Skys... Cleo-san! And D'eaux-san! Come here and look! Let's not waste time!"

Following her own advice, she stepped aside so as not hinder other students wanting to look at the scroll and started doing stretches.

[Kymme]

Cleo's voice proceeded her. It was well known that the foreigner always sang as she walked to school, but nobody seemed to mind. The song she sang sounded like a merry one, but its lyrics held a mote of sadness.

"~Waylay, the din of the day
Boats bobbing in the blue of the bay
In deep far beneath
All the dead sailors slowly slipping to sleep~

~Oh woah, oh oh oh... la de da de da~

~My girl, linen and curls
Lips parting like a flag all unfurled
She's grand, the bend of her hand
Digging deep into the sweep of the san--"

Her song is cut short when she hears Erin's cry. "Mallory-san?" The girl spins around in circles, trying to pick out her classmate's face from the rest of the students milling about. The crowd threatens to overwhelm her, but she manages to dart past a group of students and make her way to Erin's side.

"Good morning, Mallory-san! How are you?" The two of them shared a handful of classes, but they hadn't talked much outside of school. Cleo had heard rumors about the shorter girl's athletic prowess and daredevil attitude, and they never failed to impress her. "Today is Field Inspection Day, yes? We don't have anything quite like this where I'm from. What's our challenge?"

[Smeggedoff]

"Some sort of medicinal plant" States Jeanne from behind the singing girl "Or poison"
She reads the clue again
"Something that grows in the desert perhaps?"

[Zaydos]

Aster approached the courtyard with a knot in her stomach. The bookwork she could do, if it was a quiz, or a test of knowledge she was fine, but when it came to practical examinations. She gave a silent sigh as she walked towards the others, head low. Seeing her group she was somewhat torn. It was nice to be paired with someone like Mallory who brought brawn to the table, but that just made Aster feel guilt for being liable to drag everyone down with her.

She waited quietly till she could approach the paper reading over it. "My first guess would be poison, but it lists wounds as well. Maybe some sort of poisonous cacti?" She suggests trying to wrack her mind for where the brightest place they could reach and return from by nightfall was, and what plants grew there.

[bekeleven]

"It's-" comes a voice from the crowd surging around them.

"It's obviously-" there it is. A girl, rushing to join them, was struck by a bag as someone much taller turned around; the tall girl didn't seem to notice. The smaller one spins in place from the impact, but this obviously isn't a new experience for her.

"All right then!" Tomi clears the crowd and takes shelter in the center of the group. "So, as I was saying, the clue is obviously..."

She reads it. "I... I have absolutely no idea what it is."

She'd expected something more magic. She's good at the magic, even if she can't cast too many spells. But the reading and writing about magic, that's Tomi's specialty.

Plants? What can she do with those?

[Powgow]

While the girls has been pondering the clue among themselves, others who are still hanging around the Guild’s courtyard had begun to do the same. In fact, some of them are beginning to get too comfortable on the ground, perhaps realizing they’re pretty much going nowhere fast…

“HEY! WHAT ARE YOU KIDS DOIN’ TO MY LAWN!?”

The voice belonged to one Reid Alisroch, gardener-slash-janitor-slash-general handyman of the building. Everyone around here pretty much knew that he has more love for his yard than for the students. Sure enough, one of the boys had done the grave sin of trespassing onto the carefully-tended field with little care, pretty much earning the man’s wrath immediately. The boy – and his group – wisely bailed before they have to dodge a literal flying broom, leaving the fuming gardener muttering barely-formed words while shaking his broom at them.

The other groups of students – again, wisely realizing that their safe haven had been all but compromised – uniformly and quietly skedaddles away, following the perpetrator’s example. The once-noisy courtyard have now suddenly become much quieter, only the sounds of the chirping bird and the faint sweeping sound of the now-working gardener’s broom are audible.

[Zaydos]

Aster let out a little cough. "I think we should get going ourselves. I think it's probably a 'Dancing Topaz' from..." She paused for a moment concentrating, "Page 48 of Madame Peachbaum's Big Book of Plants. They grow high in the wind, and can be used to knock creatures out, but can be medicinal as well. I... I don't know where nearby it would be growing, but there's a shop on the edge of town that might know where we could get some. Nightshade I think it's called."

She looked at the ground as she spoke, one foot idly, and nervously, up the toe of her shoe dragging back and forth across the ground.

[Kymme]

The groundskeeper's cry barely frazzles Cleo, though it does make her turn her head in curiosity.

"High and windy?" Cleo muses, watching the fuming man out of the corner of her eye. Her mind hearkens back to her Homeland, a world that lays beneath the shadows of colossal wings and shining scales. She remembers the times when she and her old friends would hitch rides on Wyverns and fly over the horizon in search of new places to explore. The horizon... that's it!

"It would grow on a mountainside, wouldn't it? Or on tall hills? I'm sure there must be some of those around."

[jamieth]

"We'll get a better view from the clock tower" Erin mentions, "still... it's not like we can hope to check all the hills around before nighttime. Let's check that Nightshade place... or we can split; I... think I damaged the shop's roof once... accidentally... and the owner probably won't be that happy to see me. So, who's with me to the clock tower? Mind you, there's a locked trapdoor, so we'll have to take a detour via the outer wall... plenty of handholds there, though."

[bekeleven]

"I'll head to the shopkeeper. I'm sure he'll be very helpful."

Tomi takes a beat-up stuffed pig from her bag and squeezes it, looking for strength.

"We don't know the way. Aster, could you please be our guide?"

[Zaydos]

Aster bit her lip lightly for a moment, before saying, "I, I ought to be able to. Let's get going before Mr. Alisroch gets any angrier."

She started off in the direction of the store, staying on the actual path to the best of her ability. "This way." Then she stopped, half turning, "Wait do we have a way to actually find each other or get a message through?"

[Smeggedoff]

Jeanne shakes her head
"I don't. However if nightshade is on the end of town, we could meet up there after checking the clock tower."
She pauses, pondering
"Though that would assume that's the correct direction. I suppose meeting in the town square would be the best choice"

[jamieth]

"Communication... afraid not", Eri grinned, "Never could make heads freom tails on any of the magic classes - so, unless you've got something... meet at the square in an hour? Should be plenty of time."

Should no one have anything to add, she'll head to the clock tower to seek out the most interesting-looking mountain in the vicinity... and, hopefully, not get lost in thought while she's at it.

Spoiler: Awareness

Show

(1d20-1)[14]

[Kymme]

"I'll climb the tower with you, Erin!" Cleo smiles, thinking of a song that might be appropriate for a climb up a tower.

"Meeting at the town square works for me. I know a bit of communication magic, but it isn't that powerful."

Then she follows after Erin, waving goodbye to the other girls.

[jamieth]

"See", Erin announced as the two reached the top of the spiral stairs, "when people talk about looking from the tower, they usually mean these windows, and, well, I suppose that's good enough to see most of the town. BUT! See the trapdoor up in the ceiling? It's the mechanism room up there; 'course, it's locked, so only the people who take care of the clocks itself can enter... and there's another door up there that leads to the catwalk around the tower, for cleaniong the clocks, I suppose. Now, if we want a really good look..." Erin produced a length of a rope with a grappling hook attacked out of her school bag, "we have to do this."

Leaning out of the window, she spun the hook and launched it upwards.

Spoiler: Attaching a hook

Show

Use Rope is supposed to be rolled by the GM; Erin's modifier is +5; +7 since silk rope is considered masterwork

[Powgow]

The Clock Tower

Siebheln’s clock tower is the tallest building of the town, by a significantly large margin. Unlike big cities such as Arc’s Cross, there are less citizens of the town who can afford large housings, and the first town officials preferred to have their buildings wider, not taller. Why? Hey, I’m a narrator, not a historian. The fact of the matter is, the clock tower now stands out like a sore thumb, especially with its rather strategic location in the middle of the town. Serves its purpose all the same really, now what everyone in the town can do to tell the time is to turn to the middle of the town, and then look up.

Speaking of looking up, as Erin launches the grappling hook upwards into the ceiling, it manages to hook itself into an opening of the structure. The result isn’t exactly the most confidence-inducing rope in the world, but at least it looks sturdy enough to support you two…one body at a time anyway.

Have I told you girls that you’re all pretty dedicated? No? Well, now you know.

Once you Tarzan yourselves into the clock tower catwalk, you two are welcomed with the rather impressive sight of the town and its surroundings from the skyline. With the two of you there, looking for the place shouldn’t be that tough, especially when you two can split the burden.

Spoiler: OOC

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Erin can choose to accept the 14 earlier or roll again, while Cleo can Aid Another to add to the 14 or roll for yourself, it’s your choice.

-0-

The Nightshade

The Nightshade – like any place of trade in town not the central trading post – is a small building, located at the town’s western fringe. It’s a conscious decision by its perpetrator, Mr. Holger, to avoid direct comparison with its main rival shop The Elixir, which is located at the town’s eastern fringe. While both are alchemical supply shops, each shops have their own niche market down pat. Elixir prefers to target the market of the town’s healing supplies, assisting the healers of town’s clinic. Nightshade, meanwhile, tries to target the hunters’ community, especially herbs to neutralize wild animals.

Once you enter the shop, you’re immediately greeted with the sight multiple racks filled with vials of various liquids and preserved plants. Mr. Holger – a middle-aged looking dwarf with glasses – is standing behind the counter as always, tending to a freshly-supplied batch of herbs. He raises an eyebrow in confusion at you all at first, but his expression quickly turns into the usual smile he normally uses to greet all his customers.

”Welcome, welcome~! Now correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t you all supposed to be at school at this hour?”

The only other customer in the store is a girl with pink hair looking at one of the far racks. She looks a bit older than you all, perhaps around 19 to early 20s. As you all make your presences known, the girl stops examining the vials before looking at your direction with an inquisitive look.

[bekeleven]

Seeing the older girl, Tomi's left hand drops inconspicuously to her waist, leaving Cola mostly out of view. She strides purposefully to the counter.

"Excuse me, Mr. Holgar, Sir, we were looking for some dancing topaz. For class. Do you know where around town it can be found?"

She keeps the older girl out of her field of view.

[Smeggedoff]

Jeanne moves around the shop, peering at displays and trying to look interested.
Mainly she's keeping tabs on the conversation and the shops other customer.

[Zaydos]

Aster stood at the entrance to the shop. It was a simple question that needed to be asked, so Tomi shouldn't need any help. The girl's look at them piqued Aster's interest, but she didn't approach the older woman instead loitering a bit at the entrance as she wondered idly why the girl was interested in them.

Spoiler: Sense Motive

Show

Gonna try to make a Sense Motive check to determine anything I can about the girl's intentions towards us. Almost certainly won't learn anything but might as well.

(1d20)[15]

[Kymme]

Cleo grins when Erin shows her the grappling hook. She'd heard rumors of the girl's daredevil nature, but this was another beast entirely. Cleo climbed up the rope with reckless abandon, smiling all the way.

"It's... a lovely view, I suppose." Cleo leaned out against the catwalk's railing, her hair tussled by the wind. "A little bit closer to the earth than I imagined, but a lovely view." She drifts off, humming a reprise of the song she'd been singing on her way into school. And then she spotted it.

"Oh oh oh! Erin-sama! Look over there!" Cleo points to a small plateau on the southeast side of town. "That spot would be perfect, no? A flat plain, high above the fields! We should tell the others!"

[Powgow]

The Clock Tower

Thanks to having a first class seat to the view of clock tower’s machinations, after you two are finished with searching the town’s surroundings it’s only a turn of the head away to notice that it’s already almost 9 o’clock. The clock tower’s caretakers still hasn’t noticed you two yet, but if you two take things in a more leisurely pace they’ll most likely notice the silk rope and grappling hook if nothing is done to conceal it.

-0-

The Nightshade

”Dancing Topaz? For classwork? I’m not sure what Millia’s thinking, but those things aren’t for kids…Though I suppose that’s the whole point, isn’t it? Are you sure you don’t want to just buy one from me?”

Holger then makes his way to one of the rightmost herb shelves, surveying the jars there one by one. After a few seconds of search, his expressions sours a bit before turning back to you all.

”Sorry girls, seems like we’re still out of stock for that one. Elphin still hasn’t returned from one of his usual trips to supply me with them. I believe he told me he’s going to be back tomorrow at the very least. Guess you’re stuck gathering them yourselves.” He then taps one of the empty herb jars absent-mindedly, his expression makes it obvious that he tries to recall a bit of detail. ”Hmm…if I’m not mistaken the closest place where those herbs grow is only an hour’s walk from here. As long as you all try to avoid the wild beasts around there it should be fine. Where was it again…North-East? South-East? West from here?”

”North-East, isn’t it? On one of the hills.” The voice came from the pink-haired girl, who by now has abandoned her search of the far racks.

”Ah, you were listening missy? Yes, I think that’s right. It’s a bit out of the way from Amauseral, so you all shouldn’t find anything unusual there.”

”Be careful though, I heard the animals there have been a bit restless lately.” She grins playfully.

[jamieth]

"E-eh", Erin suddenly mentions, looking at the clock for the first time - for, indeed, they were designed to be observed from a greater distance, "it's that time already... we need to get down, quickly - you go first, Cleo, I'll take the rope away... if they catch me here, well, won't be the first time, but for you, it might be trouble... eh, if i'm not down in fifteen, go to the meeing place and tell the others."

Spoiler: crunchy stuff

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Taking 10 on Athletics to help Cleo with climbing down (result 16), taking 10 on Survival to retrieve the rope (result 15), taking a risk to get down without a rope (1d20+6)[15]

[Kymme]

"it's that time already... we need to get down, quickly - you go first, Cleo, I'll take the rope away... if they catch me here, well, won't be the first time, but for you, it might be trouble... eh, if i'm not down in fifteen, go to the meeting place and tell the others."

Cleo interrupts Erin by extending her hand. "If we need to get down quickly, then grab on. We can just hop off and I can use my magic to help us land safely." She winks playfully. "I am part dragon, no?"

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Cleo can use Feather Fall as a Spell-Like Ability once per day. That makes it kind of trivial to escape from high places.

[Smeggedoff]

Jeanne frowns at the girls idea of banter
"Well that's not ominous or suspicious at ALL" she thinks, trying to get a better look to see if she recognises the girl

Spoiler: ooc

Show

Spot check I guess? Or knowledge local? have both.

spot
(1d20+9)[23]

Know: Local (capped at 10 as it's untrained)
(1d20+1)[7]

[Zaydos]

Aster didn't like that grin one bit, nor did she like the words that went along with it. If the animals were restless then... She thought, biting her lower lip lightly. It was away from Amauseral which ought to mean it would be relatively calm and safe, but if what the pink haired girl said was accurate... Aster walked up to Tomi, extending a hand to grab her sleeve. "Let's go meet up with the others," She said, "We've got what we needed here and the sooner we meet up again the more time we'll have to get the Dancing Topaz." Mentally she added with dread, her face showing her fright, And hopefully not have to deal with complications. We're going to have to deal with complications, I just know it.

[jamieth]

"Wow", Erin grabbed Cleo-s hand wiothout hesitation, "isn't that convenient... never done something like that - should be fun!"

[Kymme]

"Don't worry," Cleo says. "I've done this many times before." And then she steps off the catwalk into space, with Erin beside her.

The fall lasts only a few seconds before bluish light clouds the air around them and the pair are caught in the shadow of immense wings. Then their feet touch the ground and all the high-budget effects vanish... except for Cleo's horns. They now extend a full inch-and-a-half from her brow, swept back and sleek like polished steel. The foreign girl doesn't seem to notice.

[bekeleven]

"All right then, yes." Things went as well as could be expected.

Tomi nods to the man and older girl. "Thank you, sir, ma'am. Yes, let's go meet them."

Tomi leaves the shop, trying to casually watch what the pink-haired girl does.

[jamieth]

"Oh, that's so cool!" Erin exclaims as they touch the ground, "OK, let's go see the others - if they managed to learn something, that's good, if not... I'll say going east seems a smart choice - and then we'll just wing it..."