songerein | Closed | Where life goes...

Entry tags:

oriphi,
trahearne

Closed | Where life goes...

Who: Trahearne & Oriphi
Which: Closed log
Where: In the northern forests/wildlands
What: A leisurely woodland trek
Warnings: None... hopefully?

[ It is with the first rays of the morning sun pouring through the windows in his tree that Trahearne rises - hard not to when his first hints of consciousness remind him just how agonizingly itchy he is all over. As he sits up in his hammock and plucks a budding yellow rose from his hair, his second thought of consciousness reminds him that today is the day he and Ori are to have their excursion into the woods, and soon excitement washes away the itchiness.

He gathers what he needs for a venture beyond the transformed town - his newly forged scepter, snacks, notebook for note-taking - and almost rushes out of his house to fetch his companion. As he makes his way up the stairs to Ori's treehouse - the flowers that cover the structure another reminder of how itchy he is - it suddenly hits him that he doesn't know if she's as much an early riser as he is, and he wouldn't consider him close enough to her to rudely awaken her from sleep if she isn't. His lightly balled fist hovers over the door for a moment before he opts to rip a page out of his notepad and slip a note beneath her door: I'll meet you at the path leading north out of Reverein (?) whenever you're ready. -Trahearne.

And so he camps at that exact spot--the part of town where Reverein's treehouses give way to actual trees. He finds a rock to sit on and pass the time, scribbling notes to himself, occasionally plucking a budding yellow rose or blue periwinkle from his hair or limbs. The flowers are nice, but this sucks. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Ori is, indeed, an early riser, although some days that doesn't necessarily mean that she rises with any sort of urgency. Many mornings in Reverein have been spent with a slow trek towards her stove to put on tea and start cooking breakfast - and some have seen her bolting out of her door to tackle the day with enthusiasm. This has been one of the slower mornings, and as such she misses it entirely when Trahearne slips a note under her door.

He's not left waiting for too, too long at least, as about half an hour later she appears at the meeting spot he's designated similarly geared-up with her own staff and a satchel full of snacks and other supplies, a getup not too dissimilar to how she appeared when she first stumbled upon him sitting in a clumping of mushrooms a month or so ago by now. ]

Trahearne...! [ she calls out the moment that she sees him, waving an arm in the air. ] I hope you haven't been waiting too long!

[ Trahearne looks up the moment he hears his name and offers a smile in greeting. It had felt like time had barely even passed at all. He'd scarcely written anything down! ] Not at all. Good morning, Ori.

[ He stands, putting his notebook away in his own satchel. He notes as he glances over at her that she seems appropriately prepared for their excursion, though it was unlikely they would run into any significant danger, which tells him she has done her own fair share of traveling in her time. She was certainly more capable than her demeanor let on. A fascinating individual, as always. ] I've been looking forward to this. Are you ready?

[ Brightly, ]

Good morning, Trahearne!

[ It seems that she's really looking forward to this, and what's more that spring is arriving in earnest. It's been a while since she was able to trek through the woods and see leaves upon the tree branches, and that first peek of green is always something she really appreciates. ]

Let's set off. I've been looking forward to this, too. I didn't get to explore the woods too much before it started getting cold.

Ah, yes. You've been here quite a while, haven't you? [ He turns and leisurely sets off down the path towards the woods, looking up at the morning sun beaming through the trees. ]

Then the discoveries we may make today will be a surprise to both of us. It will be nice to be on equal footing for once, as selfish as it is for me to say. Adjusting to Songerein has kept me on my back foot for some time now. [ He glances down and over at Ori. ] Like the transformation the town has gone through. Did you know that would happen?

[ It was a bewildering change. He knew dreams could be volatile, but for the whole landscape to change quite literally overnight was a huge shock. It would be nice to have some insight from anyone who's been here longer than him. ]

[ Having gone through two dreamshifts thus far, Ori is a little more accustomed to sudden changes in scenery, although this is by far the most all-encompassing of the shifts. She looks thoughtful for a moment, humming as she considers what she's known of dreamscapes so far. ]

Hmm, I didn't know. I think, so far, that these shifts happen every other month or so... but this is the first time I've seen Reverein change like this. Usually it's some kind of collective dream that we all have and then wake up from eventually, but as far as I know we're all awake right now and this dream has seeped out and changed everything.

[ She looks up and around their surroundings as they continue to walk away from the town. ]

It's kind of incredible, isn't it? I've never seen a place like this.

Yes. Incredible, indeed. [ Being that one: the revelation that they could all experience collective dreams, and two: that these collective dreams (if this was indeed one) could seep out like this. ...Perhaps they're not quite on the same page, but he mirrors her movement and looks up anyway.

--And he feels something prick him on the back of the head. He reaches over his shoulder and finds, of course, a stray stem; with a slight wince he plucks the periwinkle from his back and looks at it in dismay. ] ...Though I would have liked it better if this escaped dream left these flowers behind.

[ His lukewarm response clues her in that they may not be on the same page, and she quietly makes a note to find a better way to explain all of... this. She hasn't done as good of a job as she might have wanted over the last few months to really get down into the weeds, so to speak, about how this place functions, but perhaps, now that she's settled in considerably, she can devote more time towards investigating the nature of this realm.

Perhaps Trahearne would like to help with that, too! She certainly wouldn't mind that.

His wincing and his comment about the flowers, though, bids her to tilt her head at him in confusion. ]

Huh? I-Is there something wrong with the flowers...?

[ Trahearne would love to get into the nitty-gritty of how Songerein and this whole dream works. He just has some...personal issues he needs to work through first, if he is to be trustworthy with dreamotion like his companion here.

Speaking of--

Perhaps it wasn't a big of a deal to Ori, considering she was already covered in flowers, but this wasn't natural for Trahearne. He was mostly leaf and a bit of bark, so having the sudden intrusion of rapidly budding flowers over various parts of his body is vexing! He senses her looking at him and glances over in return. ORI... ]

They did not have to start growing on me. It's rather...uncomfortable. [ He reaches up and plucks another rose from his hair. Didn't he just get rid of this one? He grabs a periwinkle from his shoulder, reaches back to the base of his spine - where his own new growth comes from - and pulls out, with an audible hiss, another rose. His shoulders drop, an imitation of a sigh, and hands the pathetic bouquet to Ori. ]

But this shouldn't get in the way of our excursion. I hope.

[ She watches various flower buds sprout on him and... she can't help but bite down on her lip to stifle a little chuckle. It's strangely endearing, despite the fact that she can see just how much the sensation bothers him. She hadn't really thought about how uncomfortable these floral manifestations can be, mostly since they tend to sprout in her hair, seemingly nestled into her locks rather than, say, growing straight out of her scalp. She's sure she'd be bothered, too, if that were the case.

She takes the proffered bouquet with a small smile. We are just not going to address the fact that one of these flowers came from his backside. It's fine. ]

Ah, thank you. [ She promptly tucks the bundle into an open pocket on her satchel. ] This doesn't happen every springtime for you, does it...?

[ enjoy the ass flower ]

Pale Tree, no. I would not be as miserable as I am if it did. [ He thinks of his siblings who do, indeed, seem to blossom year-round like Ori, and they never seem bothered by one or two new flowers. He wonders if he'd be reacting differently if he was like them.

He lifts his gaze back up again, taking in the trees around them. ]

Where were we? Ah yes, the town. [ He reaches up to scratch a spot he'd just plucked from. ] It's astounding that it's transformed from rustic village to bustling city overnight. You've truly not seen anything like it?

[ stop calling it that I am begging you ]

I'm sorry that it seems to be causing you a lot of discomfort. Maybe it'll get easier over time...

But, hmm... [ She taps her chin with a finger in thought as she recalls all the places she's been to. ] Even the most bustling places I've been to didn't have... machines. Or at least not quite as many as I'm seeing around, now. I wonder if parts of it will remain? If this is anything like the other dream shifts, it will fade sooner or later, but maybe I'll be wrong.

I suppose that explains why I heard no word of such a thing happening, if things return to a status quo once the shift is over.

[ This seems like a big thing to not touch on. But then again, he had been preoccupied with adjusting to this realm when he first came...only to be thrown off what little balance he had with all this happening. If only there was a way to impart this knowledge on future newcomers... ]

I wish I could show you the Black Citadel. [ He smiles a bit. ] The entire city is one big machine. It's quite impressive...and a bit intimidating at first. [ Mostly because of the charr. But that was besides the point. ]

Ah, it never occurred to me to warn folks about them before the fact... My apologies.

[ More importantly, though, this Black Citadel business. Walking side-by-side as they are, it might be difficult to catch the expression of awe on her face, but her voice conveys it all the same when she says, ]

One big machine...! I can't even imagine what that must be like. I think I would be intimidated, certainly. Did you spend a lot of time there?

[ He shakes his head when she apologizes. It's not her fault, or her responsibility. ]

Oh, no. Never more than the time I needed to spend there. It's quite far and...loud. The entire city is made of metal, and there are sounds of constant whirring and clanking in every direction. The air is quite hot and dry, too. [ There were a few sylvari who chose to make it their home, and that always impressed him.

He pauses, listening to the rustling trees and grasses and the birds singing in the distance. He holds out his hand to feel the cool wind on his skin. ] I'd show you for the spectacle alone. I think you'd agree with me that this-- [ by which means the forest and nature ] --is much more preferable. [ She is a druid, after all. He's so excited to see what she can do... ]

[ Oriphi frowns as she tries to picture a city made entirely of metal. It doesn't seem like a place that she would enjoy being in at all, and ultimately she has to agree with Trahearne's given assessment of the place. Probably a "great to visit, not to live in," kind of situation, which she can say about a great many cities she's visited in her time as an adventurer.

But this - newly-grown leaves rustling in the gentle breeze, the cool, fresh air of springtime, the forest's residents waking up from a season of sleepiness - is much more preferable, and again she has to agree. They really are of the same mind on a great many things about nature, it seems. ]

I can think of a few places like that from my world, too. An interesting sight or spectacle I would show you, but... I agree, places like this are much better.

[ And speaking of what she can do, she pauses at a nearby tree, one whose trunk is wide and tall enough for, say, a tiefling and sylvari to go through... ]

Actually, I was thinking - would you mind if we took a little shortcut?

[ Her hands glow with arcane energy as she turns to face the tree, gesturing as if to pull curtains back. In the wake of that gesture, a portal opens on the surface of the tree bark, showing another location in the forest beyond an arcane veil. ]

[ He comes to a stop as she does. ]

Not at all.

[ Trahearne folds his arms as she watches her cast her spell, studying what she's doing. He was no expert on the arcane, but he had been around enough magic in his lifetime to know what he was familiar with, and take mental notes as to what those differences might be. Especially when it comes to druid magic - though the art is considered lost in Tyria (at least to his knowledge), he still eagerly watches to see what sort of spells a druid from another realm might cast. A vine bridge? Transforming the tree somehow? Who knows!

--And then she opens the portal.

Trahearne's arms drop and he comes to stand next to her, staring down at her with a very confused look. Though it's already light out, his yellow eyes are almost piercing as he studies her. ]

...I thought you were a druid, not a mesmer?

Edited (html shakes fist) 2022-04-12 13:54 (UTC)

[ She cants her head to one side at his question. The yellow of his eyes suddenly feel particularly piercing in the light of day, under his studying gaze, and she shifts her weight from one leg to another. ]

I am a druid. This here is druidic magic— Ah, but wait, this portal doesn't stay open for very long, so we really should go through, if that's alright with you? I promise that it's safe.

[ She steps through, first, to demonstrate how safe it is, and looks back over her shoulder at him. Hopefully he follows her, or else this is going to be really awkward since she can only cast this spell once a day.

Once he's joined her, though, the portal closes promptly behind them, thusly putting them in a quiet clearing within the woods. With that over with, she turns to him and asks: ]

What's a mesmer, Trahearne...? I don't believe we use that term where I'm from.

Oh yes, of course. [ He makes no hesitation in stepping into the portal after her, turning around to watch it close behind them. Once it's gone, he turns to face her again. ]

Fascinating. I apologise, I was a little hasty in my judgment, considering I've never seen a druid in action before. [ It was totally possible druids could...tree-walk? Or whatever that was just now. An interesting ability, that was. ]

Mesmers are arcane spellcasters that specialise in illusions and trickery - portals, and manipulation of space, are one of their signature spells. [ He blinks. ] You caught me by surprise, that's all.

[ Trahearne then directs his attention up towards the clearing. ] Now, where have you taken us?

Oh. I see...

[ It's said simply. She's not sure she knows of a specific term from her home realm for people who use their arcane abilities purely for illusions and trickery. Some people would likely argue "bard," though. She can't help but wonder if there's more to mesmers than he explains in this moment, if only for the way he had reacted to seeing her transportation spell. But - perhaps it's a question for another time. ]

We're quite a ways into the forest, now. It would have taken us over an hour to get here on foot. Not that I don't enjoy the journey, but...

[ She gives a sheepish smile. ]

We did say we would show each other our magic, after all, so I thought that might be a good way to start. That was a spell that creates a link between two trees that I know. Nothing illusory or trickery-like about it! In fact, it's kind of a powerful spell, so it would almost be a waste to use it just to pull some kind of prank or something...

[ As she explains her spell, that it was powerful, that it was tree-walking, and that they'd shaved off an entire hour of walking, Trahearne's face lights up. ]

You're right. That would be a waste! I'm impressed, Ori - this is quite the distance. [ It's not as though he knows where they are, but he trusts her. ]

This would be a good spot for flexing our arcane muscles, then. [ Leave it to a druid to remember a specific clearing in the forest, he supposes.

He draws his newly-commissioned scepter, twirling it with his wrist in a test of its weight. His left hand feels so empty without a focus, but he's sort of hoping to find a suitable one out here. ] It's been a while since I wielded a sceptre, so you'll have to forgive me. My skills are a bit rusty.

[ He kneels down to the ground, digging his fingers into the earth in preparation to summon one of his undead minions, when a rustling in the brush to his left interrupts his thoughts. Freezing mid-movement, he whips his head around to the source of the sound. What was that...? ]

[ A hand of hers rises to scratch at the back of her head sheepishly; truthfully, the potential of this spell is at times wasted traveling over such short distances, but she's the last person to say something like that out loud. It really is still a useful spell no matter the distance traveled, and has been quite handy in some dire situations thus far.

Ori watches intently as Trahearne brandishes a rather impressive scepter. Her own staff (which she has totally had out all this time since she needs it to cast spells and I didn't forget at all) is little more than a sturdy oaken quarterstaff with willow leaves entwined around it - but its power lies in how it focuses Ori's spellcasting. ]

Oh! There's nothing to forgive. This isn't meant to be some great show of force, after all...

[ Unless...

She would be content to continue watching to see what manner of magic manifests from Trahearne, but Ori perks up at the sound of rustling just as he does. ]

I'm— not sure. Let's be on our guard, just in case...

[ In that case, Trahearne may have said something like, That's a reliable-looking staff or whatnot. He would appreciate how worn and well-used it looked; unfortunately for himself, he stopped using a scepter years ago, but without his own specific sword he found the need to fall back on one...

He nods when she speaks. ]

Indeed. Good thing we'll have backup.

[ At that, the ground around where his fingers touch the earth begins to discolor, bruising in unnatural and sickly yellows, purples, and blacks. As he lifts his hand, what seems to be chunks of bone, flesh, and dark, sticky blood come up with it, eventually congealing into the shape of a creature that resembles no natural animal, waiting patiently at Trahearne's side. He stands upright again, admiring his work, and turns to Ori again.

Just as he opens his mouth to speak, the ground rumbles, and the foliage past Ori's shoulder shifts and moves, constituting itself into a moss- and mushroom-covered stone golem, obviously unhappy that its area has been intruded upon. Trahearne's eyes go wide in surprise, motioning to her with his free hand to move. ]

Behind you!

Backup—?

[ Her confusion lasts only a moment until she sees a figure materialize out of the ground at Trahearne's bidding. She is, admittedly, quite impressed by the display of his powers. Perhaps, he'll allow her the chance to inspect this construct of his— but the thought is cut short by the sound of foliage rustling some more behind her, followed quickly by Trahearne calling out to her. She turns her head quickly to glance over her shoulder and finds an earth golem that she's definitely never seen around these parts before and, before it can bring down a stony arm against her, she disappears in wisps of rosy arcane light only to shortly reappear near Trahearne and his little friend. ]

Th— Thanks for warning me. I, um— I promise I didn't lead us into a trap. I didn't know this golem would be here!

[ Trahearne thinks for a moment that the golem got her, but when she appears beside him, the brief dread becomes excitement. Incredible! She can teleport, too!? He can only do that with a specific minion - he would have been toast if he were in her shoes.

But his excitement really doesn't manifest as much more than a quick glance in her direction and volume in his voice that's a bit louder than normal. ]

It's all right. I'm just glad you're safe!

[ The golem stomps on the ground in frustration with its quarry gone, and Trahearne isn't going to wait to see what might happen next. As far as he's concerned, it attacked first, and if it isn't going to talk, then there's no point in trying to communicate. He swings his scepter upwards, summoning massive skeletal hands that crawl out of the ground to grapple at the golem. His little minion takes the gesture as a signal that the fight has begun and dashes towards the golem. ]

[ He most certainly would not have been toast in her shoes, because Ori would have done everything in her power to get him out of the way!

She nods at him in turn, her voice similarly getting marginally louder, what with the golem stomping around in front of them. ]

Thanks...!

[ Ori takes a quick moment to assess her options, but just as she comes to a decision, she sees Trahearne conjure skeletal hands to effectively ensnare the golem. Amazing! That's what she was thinking of doing, too, only with vines! She watches, then, as his conjured friend closes in to attack the golem.

Now, Ori doesn't want to cast any fire spells, of all the things, in the middle of a beautiful forest. So instead she opts for a spell that she doesn't usually cast - something to do with necrotic energy that might be more akin to Trahearne's type of magic than her usual predisposition towards prime elemental magic. Muttering an incantation under her breath, she motions with her arms with a swing of her own staff as a shroud of necrotic energy enshrouds the golem. As that energy seemingly begins to drain it of some of its vitality, the lush patches of vegetation throughout its body begin to wither and shrivel up. ]

[ Trahearne doesn't miss a beat when he sees the necrotic energy engulf the golem; as the skeletal arms pull the monster to the ground and disintegrate, leaving it chilled and struggling to move, he also thrusts his scepter forward, a dark cloud bursting forth to swirl around it and drain the creature of some of its life. Droplets of blood - even though the golem itself likely doesn't have any blood - rush up the cloud, swirl up the scepter, and absorb into Trahearne's skin, alleviating a bit of this flower debuff that's plaguing him for a few days.

He turns to Ori beside him with a grin and shouts over the golem as it roars in pain-- ]

You're just full of surprises, aren't you?!

[ He didn't know druids could use necromancy, but whatever! He's not arguing right now.

His minion is at the golem now, ready to counter whatever the creature does next! ]

Edited 2022-04-28 20:31 (UTC)

[ Oriphi finds herself continually similarly surprised and impressed at Trahearne's abilities; even knowing that he specializes in necromancy, she's never seen his particular brand of it, and she finds herself fascinated. ]

I could say the same for you!

[ The golem, naturally, is anything but impressed. The ground beneath them seems to quake with the golem's form as it shakes with anger; if it had blood and veins, it surely would be boiling within. Though it yet struggles to move, one of its arms - or rather, the floating rock formations which seem to resemble its arms - moves to try to swat and Trahearne's minion.

Ori, meanwhile, slams her staff into the ground as she mutters another spell. Thick vines erupt from the ground behind the golem and try, once more, to restrain it. ]

[ The golem's arm, unfortunately, connects with the minion - such is the way of things when your minion is basically mindless - tossing the creature several paces back. While it's not enough to kill it, it's going to be spending its turn picking itself back up and rushing back towards the enemy.

There's a split second of fear - a reaction, Trahearne thinks, will plague him for a while to come - when he sees the vines shoot up behind the golem, but he knows they belong to Ori, and he understands what she's trying to do. Now that's more along the lines of what he was expecting from a druid! Hopefully they'll last longer than his skeletal arms.

He can help. He leaps to the side to get a better vantage point and thrusts his scepter upwards again; this time, the movement is accompanied by a horrid-sounding gasp and a shriek as a well of darkness swirls beneath the golem, blinding the creature. It'll never see the vines coming. Literally. Hopefully, at least. ]

[ In much the same way, Ori feels a momentary pang of uneasiness when she hears those horrid sounds and sees that well of darkness open up underneath the golem, but a sidelong glance at Trahearne and seeing him with his scepter raised is enough to tell her that he's responsible for it. Besides, she can't really judge him after having cast that Blight spell. Thankfully, between both of their actions, the golem is indeed bound and blinded, which should hopefully create another opening for Trahearne's minion.

Speaking of his minion, Ori calls out to Trahearne: ]

Do you think my healing magic would work on your summoned friend?

[ As Ori calls to him, Trahearne grins as he watches his minion leap into the air at the golem. ]

Don't waste your breath!

[ As the little guy's skull face connects with the creature's rock, its body ripples for a brief second before erupting in an explosion, sending a mixture of rotted flesh, gut, and bone flying like shrapnel. Trahearne doesn't even bother to shield his eyes or anything - he knew what was coming, and he knows the bits, for lack of a better word, won't harm them.

Internally, he pumps a fist. Hopefully that's enough to subdue the golem. But if not, he's got his fingers dug into the ground again, the colors of the earth bruising as he prepares to summon another one. ]

[ Oriphi stands in place, staff still firmly gripped in her hands, as she watches various viscera burst forth from what used to be Trahearne’s minion.

Well... Honestly, she has bore witness to much gorier sights, but that doesn’t mean she can’t be surprised by what she sees. She just barely manages to move out of the way of a chunk of rotted flesh hurling towards her with a little yelp, and then her gaze snaps back over to the golem. It’s definitely looking worse for wear, and after a few more moments of slowed struggling against the vines, and covered in dead minion as it is, at length it goes still and lifeless.

Ori, meanwhile, heaves a sigh. ]

I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting it to explode like that.

[ As Trahearne watches the golem's life fade, he removes his hand from the ground and stands, rolling his neck and shoulders. The grin is still on his face, and he's about to speak when Ori sighs first. He glances in her direction. Oh. ]

...I'm sorry. I should have warned you that is its primary function.

[ You know, to explode.

He strides over to the tiefling and places a firm hand on her shoulder, smiling down at her. ]

Well done. It was a treat to see you in action. That was exhilarating.

Oh, I see... It's not a problem, though, and now I know for next time!

[ And honestly, it’s not a bad strategy! Although she knows of spells that summon beasts and the like to do her bidding, she’s never fully taken advantage of it, preferring instead to turn herself into a beast and throwing herself into the fray.

She smiles back at Trahearne in turn, nodding her head. ]

It was, wasn’t it? It’s been a while since I’ve been engaged in combat like that.

[ But ah, is she... missing those days? Life has felt so peaceful here, even when it’s not, and she wonders what that means for her that she misses slinging spells in the pursuit of taking something down. ]

This is just the beginning, though! I wasn’t expecting us to run into anything so soon, but... I’m sure we’ll be able to face anything we run into today, with your magic and mine! We make a good team.

[ As Ori speaks, Trahearne starts making his way over to the golem's corpse. ]

It was a surprise welcome, yes, but I agree - we do make a good team! I have no doubt we'll be able to stand up to whatever this forest throws at us.

[ He kneels down, rummaging through the pile of rock that had been attacking them not too long ago, still talking as he does so. ] It's been a while for me, too. Years ago, my mother bestowed upon me a magical blade meant to vanquish evil, and it has been my preferred way of fighting ever since. I don't have it here, unfortunately, but it does feel good to use necromancy to that extent again.

[ He stands once he finds what he's looking for - a piece of the golem's body, part of the rock smashed from the explosion, the moss withered from the necromantic energy, and a piece of vine wrapped tightly around it. With a satisfied look, he fastens it to his hip, opposite his scepter, and turns back to Ori. ] Now where to? Were we gathering herbs?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Closed | Where life goes...

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

i rolled a real CON save for the golem for this

i hope the golem failed

it sure did

good

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject