Heroes' Hearth

[Morty]

[Village of Avalon]

After some deliberation, Thariza opts to board the airship. After all, what else is there for her? If they're looking for heroes, maybe she can be one.

[Ashen Lilies]

[The Shrine]

Wenomir holds out the contained to Nyneve, holding it through the dragonscale glove. Let's hope she can indeed neutralize it, or at least contain it enough for them to keep it safe.

[The Shrine]

Ilpholin watches skeptically, but quietly. If they didn't require a volcano for this, she would be generally disappointed, but reportedly dragon's breath is supposed to be hotter. Well regardless, she is in favor of attempting to destroy it in whatever fashion. If you never try, you'll never succeed. Can a dead god finally be put to rest?

[The Shrine]

Nyneve will gesture for Wenomir to place the container down on the shrine before backing off - the reason why will become apparent rather quickly, as Nyneve rears up, breathing a withering jet of white fire at the container. Even in the lush, damp environment, the heat of the dragonfire should be easily felt, though it's a curious sort of heat - one that's felt less so in the flesh, but one that assaults and flays at their spirits, even backed up as they are.

Let's see if that does anything.

[Recaiden]

"Welcome aboard."
The Argo's captain turns and looks₁ up₂ at Thariza. Right on time.

"You must be Thariza, right? You come highly recommended. I'm Alexil Chevin Daaarit, captain of this- Do you happen to know anything about sailing? It's okay if you don't." Chevin nervously adjusts the goggles pushed up on hir forehead.

_{1 - Hir eyes are mechanical. Well, more mechanical than the rest. Clearly replacements after something happened to the originals.
2 - The captain is only the height of a large Asura, quite small for such a ... mostly human3 entity.
3 - Fewer fingers, bigger longer neck, apparently made out of metal.}

[bc56]

Avalon - Airship

A burly lizardman approaches the Argo. The green-scaled creature has a bright orange crest on his head, and yellow eyes with slit pupils. He wears only a pair of loose canvas pants, held up by a black leather belt with a brass buckle in the shape of a clenched fist, and a pair of goggles with green lenses that seem to glow in the light, pushed up onto his forehead. Slung across his back is a pack stuffed to the brim with odds and ends, and he carries two item, a silver shield with a burnished platinum lightning bolt as its device, and an iron battleaxe, golden patterns of flames inlaid into its blade. He walks slowly and deliberately toward the ship.

[Shadowcaller]

[The Shrine]

Already before the actual flames reaches the container, something within seem to react to the heat, fizzling so loudly it can even be heard over the awesome breath of a dragon. The reaction only seem to intensify when the fire washes over it, the container shaking violently.
But the moment the flames fully engulf the container, they can suddenly hear a different sound as the fire appears to have activated some kind of spell as a bright blue flash can be seen within the dragonfire.
Once the fire has washed away, in the place of the container there is a big spot of dried up white liquid that almost looks skeletal in its consistency. Like one would imagine melted bone would have looked like. However, there is more for the eye to see here, namely these tiny flickering motes of blue light that now surround the area. These motes actually seem to form a trail which is leading straight away from the shrine.

Spoiler: People able to detect magic

Show

The dragonfire seems to have activated some manner of contingency spell which must have placed on the container. It was a teleportation enchantment specifically, and a truly ancient one at that considering the residue its leaving behind. It must have reached the point where even the magic have started to decay.

[Morty]

[Avalon - Airship]

"Not particularly," Thariza admits. "I've flown in aircraft before, but never piloted any. I can do maintenance and repairs, if that helps."

[Recaiden]

"Go aboard. They're waiting for you." says no one near the lizardfolk.
At just that moment, a rope is tossed down to the new arrival₁.

Chevin breaks into a smile.
"Great! I think that makes you our new mechanic. Any questions?"

_{1 - I hope you didn't think the ship was landed here. Merely docked.}

[Morty]

[Avalon - Airship]

"Lots of them, really," Thariza says. "Let's start with... where are we going? Who recommended me?"

[bc56]

Avalon - Airship

Kothar grabs the rope and pulls himself onto the ship. It's surprisingly easy for him, suggesting that he has strength far beyond his bulky frame.

[Recaiden]

"Who recommended you? I've also heard a bodiless voice that seems to know everything."
Strictly speaking, that's not an answer.

"Ah, Kothar! Good to have you aboard!"
Shi waves to the lizardman before turning back to the charr.
"Now, Thariza, we're going to rescue some people from an island out in the western ocean and deliver them to safety. Technically we're also stopping at some flying islands along the way for supplies, but you don't need to worry about that."

A hoist brings up a crate of metal goods along with two generic crewmembers (a cyborg catgirl and a dwarf), who'll almost run into Kothar (but just manage to avoid him even if he doesn't move) as they carry the crate down to the hold.

[bc56]

Avalon - Airship
"What named you? How you know me?" Kothar is puzzled. The lizardman steps out of the way of the crate as it passes.

[Morty]

[Avalon - Airship]

Thariza growls quietly.

"I'll play along. Rescuing people sounds like a fine enough goal, disembodied voices or no."

[The Shrine]

"...it's gone, but I don't think this is quite what we had in mind," Wenomir says slowly.

[Recaiden]

"I am Alexil Chevin Daaarit, so named according to the will of the Sun and Moon. I don't know you, but I heard you'd be coming in much the same way you knew to come. You'll keep us all honest, I hope."
Chevin laughs, a little nervously what with Thariza growling at hir.

"It's pretty disconcerting to have someone observing you like that, but we do need the help, the Argo's still a little short-handed since the moon."
Shi then tries to embark on a quick tour of the ship: the cabin for heroes, the hold, the controls, the cannon emplacements, the galley, etc. Ask all of your incredulous questions now, for they'll be casting off soon!

[bc56]

Avalon - Airship

"It very strange," Kothar remarks. He follows through the tour with curiosity, but no questions. He has some familiarity with sailing ships so he recognizes common elements.

[Reinholdt]

[The Shrine]

Ilpholin cringes internally at the fire, the edge of the heat licking at her soul. She stands proud and true, unflinching, but the experience is mortifying. A part of her essence was in danger she never even considered at risk before. The powers at work here are more than mortal comprehension and she's always scoffed at such an idea in the past. Another reminder of how weak and helpless she truly is.

When the deed is done, Ilpholin sweeps low in a bow. "Your actions grace us. Unfortunately, as time may be vital, I shall leave Wenomir to provide recompense for your efforts, however small and incomparable anything we offer may be." Maybe he can provide Nyneve with child or something. Ilpholin will leave them to work that out, as she turns to hurriedly follow the trail of flickering blue motes as far as she can.

[Morty]

[Avalon - Airship]

"There's worse things I could follow while getting my life together," Thariza says with a shrug. She won't have many questions about the airship itself. It's a machine, and she knows those.

[Recaiden]

Not high praise, Thariza.

"Sorry to hear that your life is not together, then. What happened?" Does Chevin consider that Thariza might not want to say? I doubt it.

A glance to Kothar.
"You mean the ship? Yes, it is. Or our mysterious common acquaintance? Because yes, that's even stranger. But then, the world is full of odd powers."

Shi shouts to the helmsperson, "Get us underway!" and the ship lurches, tilts slightly, and rises away from Avalon.

[Morty]

[Avalon - Airship]

"It's a long story, but I've died twice, even if the first time it was only mostly, and I don't really belong in either of the places I used to belong," Thariza says. "So I'm... trying other things in the meantime."

[Shadowcaller]

[The Shrine]

The trail of motes will eventually lead Ilpholin to the sea, specifically the sea of seaside.
As its going in a perfectly straight line one wouldn't have too hard time figuring out where it might be going with a map and a ruler. It doesn't seem to be going back to the island they left at least judging by the direction...

[Reinholdt]

[Follow the Lines]

"HiKalByeKal," Ilpholin says in a hurry as she darts past, continuing on until reaching the edge of the island. Dang it. It was to be expected, but still. She changes course, losing sight of the motes for a while as she returns to the boat that brought them here. Pushing the boring cigar smoking ferry driver out of the way, she steals his sea chart and compass before running back to where she left the motes. If they're still there, she'll draw out an extrapolated line. If not, there'll be cursing and a best guess from what she remembers.

[Shadowcaller]

[Follow the Lines]

The motes are still visible when Ilpholin makes her way back with the compass and the chart. They do seem less bright now however, suggesting that they were slowly fading.
Drawing a line she can see that it doesn't connect with any charted islands. It just seem to continue out into nowhere, right into the edge of the map.
It might be that the artifact is an extremely long distance away or that it was transported to a island that simply hasn't been charted yet. Either one had to just follow the motes while they were still visible, or simply investigate any island (which likely was rather small as it wasn't visible on the charts) along the straight line on the map.

[Reinholdt]

[Follow the Lines]

"Magtokit," Ilpholin curses under her breath. On one hand, if there was an island along the path, they could have spent forever searching that island only to realize the line went over and past it. On the other hand, now they'd have to search just about every intervening point from here until nowhere. Well, no point in rushing it then.

She'll return to the boat as the most likely meet-up point and prepare it for departure. Best to call it a day and follow up once they regrouped and gathered proper supplies for such a journey.

[Shadowcaller]

[Follow the Lines]

"Magtokit," Ilpholin curses under her breath. On one hand, if there was an island along the path, they could have spent forever searching that island only to realize the line went over and past it. On the other hand, now they'd have to search just about every intervening point from here until nowhere. Well, no point in rushing it then.

She'll return to the boat as the most likely meet-up point and prepare it for departure. Best to call it a day and follow up once they regrouped and gathered proper supplies for such a journey.

[Follow the Lines]

The motes will eventually disappear if Ilpholin waits too long. But as she has already drawn a line, she should have a pretty good idea in what direction they went anyway.

[Ashen Lilies]

[The Shrine]

"...Intriguing." Says Nyneve, sounding as close to surprised as a eons-old dragon could sound. If she had eyebrows, she'd be raising them. Maybe.

"I have a faster way out of this cavern, if you wish to give chase." And don't have a fear of heights. And a very strong grip.

[Morty]

[The Shrine]

"I'm not sure if giving chase is a good idea just yet," Wenomir says in a tired voice. Far too much has happened in too short a period. "We don't know where the trail leads to or what waits for us there. And one of our allies is waiting for us outside. I need to update him at the very least. But I wouldn't mind getting out of these caverns more quickly."

[Ashen Lilies]

[The Shrine]

"Ah yes. The inheritor," says Nyneve, sounding... amused. "Well, he can avoid me if he wishes."

Nyneve bows her head, approaching close enough for Wenomir to be able to climb on to her neck and clamber up to a secure location before she turns skyward and bounds upwards with a thunderous clap of her colossal wings, leaping up to one of the walls of the huge cavern. It takes a few more leaps for her to reach the opening at the top of the mountain, gaining speed and momentum in lurching jumps before she finally takes flight proper at the top of the peak.

Thankfully, the flight is a mercifully short one, as no sooner as the dragon is soaring above the island as she begins to angle downwards, swooping into a graceful landing on a beach a short distance from the main settlement, partially obscured by some cliffs.

[Morty]

[The Shrine]

Wenomir staggers off Nyneve's neck in a less than graceful way. Flying on dragonback really isn't what it's cracked up to be. He's kind of disappointed, come to think of it.

"Thank you for all your help," Wenomir says. "Now I need to go find Kal. The... inheritor, as you called him, whatever that means. It's been a long day and it's not the last one."

[Ashen Lilies]

[The Beach]

"As you will," she says, only sounding a little amused with Wenomir's reaction to their flight. Because if there's anything better than a dragon, it's a dragon with a sense of humor.

As Wenomir flies away she'll take off again, this time heading away from the island in a lazy arc.

[Morty]

[The Beach]

Wenomir goes to meet Kal, looking like a man who's had an entirely too long a day.

"Nyneve tried to destroy the demon corruption, which caused it to disappear who knows where. Ilpholin chased after it. This really didn't turn out so well," he recounts in a tired voice.

[Ashen Lilies]

[The Beach]


"I see," says Kal, looking like a man who has thankfully managed to skip out on all of this horsecrap. "So I guess we're following her?"