Legend of Ransera

Posted: **Wed Jul 20, 2022 7:25 am**

33rd of Searing, 122 AS

Location: The Hobbled Gobbler
Time: Early Morning

Once the meeting with Franky had concluded Lyra was quick to take action. She penned three letters in quick succession. The first was to Mari Fel, the manager of her hidden lab in the 1st Deep of the Warrens. In it, she gave an account of the current state of Zaichaer to be relayed to the Iron Queen at once. She then made a request for a portion of their stock of mage bane to be transferred to her within the day. Enough for Salem to carry back when he returned after delivering the letter itself. There were other instructions detailing some additional work Lyra required for preparations, but those were less important than the first two requests.

The second letter was to Venetia Childs informing her that the plans had been moved up. In the letter, Lyra stated there was a fortuitous event expected the next day, and to prepare herself and her people to make final preparations in their agreed-on location in the Second Deep. The third letter went out to the Railrunners, to their contact informing them of additions to the schema across the city that needed to be put in place within 24 hours. With this letter, Lyra included a diagram of the updated pictographs, and instructions for how and where they should be applied.

Once the letters were sent, carried by Salem and Naila, Lyra immediately set off to the Hobbled Gobbler, leaving a note for Rickter to follow her when he awoke. His letter contained no details, simple instruction to come with haste as there was a matter of emergency they must attend to. That was how Lyra found herself standing outside the nondescript tavern, scroll, and pen in hand, staring intently at the building as she sketched the beginnings of an update to the building's defenses. She wore her usual gold and black robes, hair tied back in a braid, and Artur curled around her shoulders like a living scarf.

She and Franky had already come to an arrangement for a few... special additions to the Gobbler. Defense against magic which encompassed the entire tavern. The effects, while powerful, were limited in scope, and the range of effects was focused close to and inside the tavern itself. There would need to be edits made to the schema, and the changes would be obvious and gaudy, but such was the way of things in times of duress. Lyra could modify the core, and expand the scrivening circles to increase the range, but there would need to be another piece to ensure the tavern itself was safe. That was what she required Rickter for.

Posted: **Wed Jul 20, 2022 12:36 pm**

Preparations for the Gobbler

33rd of Searing, 122 AS

It was never a dull moment around here to say the least, not since Rickter had been provided a room by Lyra not long after Searing started. It had been a different change of pace for the wolf, and of course with Hannah around also, he had been ever busy between helping the sorceress with whatever work she needed his help for... and looking toward the airfields of Zaichaer for when his time would come. Hannah on the other hand had been there to remind him, often, of the fact he'd abandoned his own pack and she wasn't going to let him get away a second time.

So with the rogue around to help him out, the wolf started his morning by getting fresh out of bed, and putting on some article of clothing before he'd found his note. It was a parchment left by Lyra it would seem, which surprised him since no butler seemed to be around with it. Today Rickter wore his white shirt with the suspenders over them, the bottom of the fabric tucked into the waist of his beige trousers so that his shirt outlined his figure. When he read the note, however, Rickter had a combination of humor and concern over the contents.

Lyra had an emergency and needed him at the Hobbled Gobbler, something that didn't quite happen often in her line of work actually. The wolf had guessed it had something to do with her antimagic project, and honestly couldn't grasp the level of emergency because of this, so he checked in with Hannah to see if she'd already stirred for the morning also. It didn't take her too long to get up and ready for the day, compared to the wolf's time though it could've been shorter. When she came out of her room ready in her blouse and leather pants, the rogue finished tying her hair into a ponytail as they both headed out together.

It had been Rickter's expectation to at least get a good breakfast in when they had arrived, so when they marched their happy asses down to the tavern in the Knob, their arrival was soon flagged by the minor screech of the damnable door of Franky's establishment. "I'm almost impressed you can open that damn thing." The brunette remarked as she strolled in with a strut to her step, hands on her hips as Rickter entered behind her to make sure the door shut behind them.

"Probably just needs oil is all. C'mon, let's meet Lyra and see about getting some grub." He remarked as he passed by her, already walking toward the bar where he saw the sorceress waiting. "So what's the emergency?" The wolf inquired as he and Hannah reached Lyra, the rogue giving her a positive grin before watching the both of them converse with one another.

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Hannah"

"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."

Posted: **Thu Jul 21, 2022 4:48 pm**

By the time Rickter and Hannah arrived Lyra had made her way inside the Hobbled Gobbler. She had taken over a corner of the tavern, several tables pushed together now covered in scraws and paper with different diagrams and drawings. There was also a mount of brushes, chisels, small hammers, and other items for painting, writing, and etching on different surfaces. There we also three other people, two men and a woman standing around Lyra who was giving instructions while gesturing at a paper in her hand.

"The perimeter needs to extend out past the exterior wall at least 10 feet. You can use the same connector glyphs as this area, but there needs to be an additional link placed here and here if the aether is going to be combined and dispersed properly across all the nodes." Each of the three people was nodding with her words, a fact that Lyra found odd, but she would not complain about the help sent to her. At least one of Lyra's letters had made an impact, and the three people were coven members with at least some experience in scrivening. Without them, Lyra doubted she would finish the external work on time.

Lyra glanced up when Rickter and Hannah came in and dismissed the coven members with a wave, walking to join the two at the bar.

"You may eat when the work is through." Lyra said flatly to Rickter, giving Hannah a small nod of acknowledgment before focusing on Rickter. There was no amusement in her eyes, We have limited time, and much to prepare."

She motioned to the two of them to follow her back to the corner where she stood over the plethora of drawing sand schematics. Clicking her tongue she said, "I am told there will be a disaster coming to Zaichaer sometime tomorrow. The information comes from the owner of this tavern, Franky, and based on the things he's said I suspect it will be a Miststorm."

The news was relayed without preamble and matter of factly, and as quick as it was said Lyra pushed on, "I have been contracted to protect this tavern from the dangers to come. I am laying the foundations now, but I will need additional layers if I am to protect the building and its people properly." She looked up at Rickter then, "I plan to weave your wards into the schema, and possibly a few other things if there is time. Besides the storm, Franky's information says there will be the destruction of property, and monsters that fill the streets. We have less than a day to prepare."

Posted: **Thu Jul 21, 2022 10:49 pm**

Preparations for the Gobbler

33rd of Searing, 122 AS

Rickter definitely noticed a change in the air here compared to the usual mood of the place, as a group of people Rickter had never seen remained clustered at the corner where Lyra had setup her work. Clearly, the emergency went further beyond just her necessary projects for this antimagic thing. However, Rickter couldn't help but wonder what exactly she was setting up as others worked delicately on the scrivening pictographs around the tavern. Even the windows were being etched with the designs of her schema, all while the actual staff of the inn worked diligently to keep those who worked for Lyra taken care of with food and beverages alike.

Not a moment too soon Lyra was joining them at the bar though, quick to dismiss Rickter's first meal for the day which garnered an immediate glare from the wolf. Hannah quickly smiled but raised an eyebrow with Lyra's level of urgency with the work, as the wolf clearly seemed miffed that the woman had such audacity to deny a wolf his food. "And why's that, exactly?" No sooner did he asked she then started to explain, and for what it was worth, the longer he listened the less and less his stomach felt capable of waiting for food. Following her back to where they could see the blueprints of her designs, the wolf and rogue both briefly mulled over the schematics in front of them, before Lyra spilled the tea on what was really created this sudden emergency.

"Are you shitting me?" Hannah murmured as she and Rickter both looked to Lyra, wide-eyed and completely awestruck by what she had delivered. So the tavern owner had somehow managed to catch wind of an imminent disaster, and they all only had an entire day's worth of time to actually prepare for it!?

"Fuck me..." The wolf could only mutter as he drew a hand over his lips, his eyes fallen on the schematics once again as Lyra didn't wait to nail him with the rest. So that's what the emergency was about then... Franky hired Lyra's magic to try and protect the tavern from the coming storm, and it was Rickter's own power over Negation that would a key element in creating those wards. His face clearly started to pale at the monumental delivery of it all, a sudden pressure came to rise in his mind as he felt both his heart and stomach drop. "... I need a cigarette."

"On it." Hannah remarked as she turned to return back to the bar, Rickter's hand still cupped over his lips as he looked down hard at the table before him. He couldn't face Lyra, not now, not when all this was so suddenly dropped on him. Panic had already started to well in his core as he reflected back to all the other times before, when his shields were hale and hearty yet not enough to compete with other forces. Talon's power. The Hollow Dragon. Even the dark mage. How many times would he be pushed to the limit with his magic, when he himself always had doubts that he could even pull it off. "Here you go." The rogue soon returned with the wrapped tobacco in hand, the wolf quickly taking it to discreetly light the tip between his fingers.

Hannah also had one for herself that she offered for him to light, to which Rickter gestured a finger over the tip to cause a heated spark to flare within it. If they were going to use magic for all this then... no point in hiding the fact they were mages now. Shit, everything he had hoped to achieve here was now suddenly up in smoke, and just like that he couldn't help but breathe in deeply before a sigh released a plume of purple smoke. "You expect me... to do all this? On an empty stomach no less." There comes a time where Rickter needed to realize that, sometimes, he still had a choice in all of this whether he believed it or not. Yet when he finally looked at Lyra it was with a cold hard stare, before he took another drag off the cigarette with a minor shake in his hand.

"Other than not dying, what do I get out of this?" Hannah's eyebrows rose at that remark as she casually walked to the side, her arms crossed over one another as she leaned into the wall with her shoulder.

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Hannah"

"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."

Posted: **Fri Jul 22, 2022 10:40 am**

There was a pregnant pause following Rickter's words, a silence that stretched between them as Lyra simply stared at the man with a confounded expression. Through the symphonies she could hear his emotions wavering, could feel the resolve beginning to crumble beneath the weight of panic that had begun to set it, and though she knew where those words had come from Lyra still felt a hollowness in her chest that she could not fully explain. Confusion shifted to disappointment, but the frown deepened to abject contempt.

"I did not realize that it was a tenant of Justice to let innocents die when you have the power and means to prevent it." Her words came low, dripping with poison. The hollowness was quickly filled with anger from someplace deep within, "But I suppose that is what Justice is. It is given and taken away on the whim of the Judge. Yet Be'melar wonders why there is a need for Vengence in the world, to combat the corruption of Justice when the time comes."

The pup did not mean his words, Lyrielle knew this, but she couldn't care, wouldn't care. He was like THEM, the most hated ones in that cursed silver city. By what right could one determine the worth of a soul? What measure was there to judge a person right or wrong? Justice was a lie by the powerful to give false hope to the beaten, the worn, and the ignorant. With a great force of will, Lyra pushed down her anger and locked it away, her mask smoothing out her features as she looked down at her drawings once more.

"You will have your pound of flesh. Simply tell me your price, and I will pay it. In the meantime," She held up a paper with a particular glyph on it, "Wherever you see this place an unpurposed anchor. Fill them with as much aether as you can spare, and when you run out I will provide aetherite shards for the rest. I may also have use for your command of the elements, but I must first complete the initial design improvements."

She didn't look at Rickter as she spoke, merely extended the page for either him or Hannah to take and when it was removed from her hand she would turn her back on them. Perhaps what he said triggered something in her fragmented memories, or maybe her interaction with Franky a few hours before had done something to her. Whatever it was, Lyra did not like it. She shouldn't have cared or been bothered by his words. It was a simple exchange, like any other, yet for some reason, it hit on something that shook her. Lyrielle still fumed inside, but Lyra focused on her work. If nothing else, Rickter reminded her why it was she chose this path to begin with.

Posted: **Fri Jul 22, 2022 1:30 pm**

Preparations for the Gobbler

33rd of Searing, 122 AS

He had danced with her on certain things like this before. That palpable silence that sometimes grew between them when they were faced with a situation, it had happened once or twice after they had initially met, and through Talon there had at least developed some foundation of understanding. But for Rickter the woman in front of him still felt nothing more beyond a casual friend, hardly trusting of her let alone her work given her tendencies to control others. Maybe that was why he felt inclined to resist her, and to challenge her authority so brazenly in comparison to anyone else.

Yet it was her words that cut like a hot knife through butter, carving into him as he felt the firm press of a brow settle over his gaze. Justice. Where had his justice been when he'd faced the winter storm in Frost? Where had it been when he was so quickly exiled from his home? And what about his family? Where was their fucking justice in all this? He grew to hate the concept and almost Lyra in turn, though, he knew damn good well that the lady had a point in all this. Standing by when so many people would be getting hurt, people that could only do everything they can to withstand the coming storm. If it were anybody else then he might've been less inclined to worry about it, however, Rickter knew deep down it was his magic that would have to turn the tides here.

"Fuck you and your justice." He remarked coldly as he felt the storm raging inside him, his gaze turning away when his irides flared with a hint of aether. The air became chillier around him as he listened to what Lyra had to say, after she'd taken another bout of silence to likely assess her thoughts. She confirmed he'd gain something out of this at least, all he would have to do is name it once this was all over. His blood ran cold in his veins as the firm press of his lips turned down, purposefully ignoring the paper held out to him even though he knew it were there. He didn't necessarily hate Lyra for this, for any of this really, he just couldn't let go of the fact he'd struggled so many times before.

And here he was again, at the center of something that was beyond even him.

"Fine." He remarked bitterly with a near low growl, the parchment taken with a hint of aggression as he finally gave her a stout glare. "But I'm still eating while I work." With that expressed he moved away to look down at the paper in hand, his eyes scouring the wall near the kitchen door for the first pictograph that matched what he gazed at. Grumbling to himself he slipped the parchment into his pocket, and began channeling aether in between his hands to start forging the first anchor to this schema.

Hannah lingered near Lyra watching him go to work, an arm still tucked under her chest as she took another drag from her cigarette. "That could've gone better..." She hinted before turning her gaze onto the sorceress curiously. "Need me to help with anything?" She was reluctant to offer but Hannah did nonetheless, concern for her companion rising in her symphony as she waited to see if Lyra had any further instruction.

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Hannah"

"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."

Posted: **Sat Jul 23, 2022 7:02 am**

The smoldering heat in her chest was slow to cool, even as Rickter walked away after one last outburst. Lyra did not look up, focusing on her hands which had already reached for a quill to begin making a few small changes to the schema on the parchment before her. Idly she wondered at her reaction, uncertain where the anger came from yet feeling as though it was right. She had not been herself since the morning with Franky when that... feeling surprised her, and then the presence of the Dark Lord himself had shaken her fragile heart even further. Maybe it was residual from those events that made her soul feel so... bare and open. Even the wind on her skin felt like sandpaper to her heart and mind. A thought came, a musing about that fragment of herself that still existed somewhere in the city. Did it feel the things she did? Or, perhaps, she felt what it did? It would explain a lot, and offer a rather convenient excuse to Lyrielle for her own behavior.

"My Justice he says." Lyra echoed bitterly, "Justice has always failed me, and always will."

Hannah's voice drew Lyra's attention from her own thoughts, and she glanced up, a bit surprised to see the woman still standing there. Lyra looked in the direction of Rickter's retreating back before shrugging and looking down once more.

"It matters not if he cooperates willingly or unwilling, so long as he does what is required." She could hear the concern in the other woman's symphonies, and though she tried to ignore it Lyra finally sighed and shook her head.

"His thoughts are a tangled mess, his heart worse so. He is still a child despite how broad his shoulders are." from the stack of papers Lyra withdrew one and handed it over to Hannah, "Take a brush and paint and create this design as best you can in the corner of the bar, on the floor. Put it somewhere people will not be likely to tread."

The drawing was that of a circle measured by numbers on the side. 3 feet in diameter, a series of rings on the outside, and four diamonds with odd lettering at their center. It did not seem to link with the rest of the schema.

"I have seen kings much like him, crushed by the weight of their burdens and confused by the conflicting choices they must make. The difference is that the kings had no choice in the burden, and that man foolishly burdens himself." There was no pity in Lyra's expression or words as she looked at Hannah, "He will break. He will tear himself asunder, and abandon everything he claims to love and hold dear. That is the path he walks. Even you and the woman who bore his children matter little to him now."

She paused, expression softening ever so slightly, "Men are all weak. If this pack exists child, it is you who protects it. Not him."

Posted: **Mon Aug 29, 2022 11:19 pm**

Preparations for the Gobbler

33rd of Searing, 122 AS

Hannah's eyes rested on Lyra with a reluctant worry as she heard the Lady speak of justice on her own. She knew that every now and then, it would seem Lyra and Rickter would be at odds. This however appeared to stem deeper for both of them. To hear what became expressed of her companion did quite the opposite of easing her anxiety, so much that the rogue watched Rickter warily before she accepted the sheet provided to her. Hannah wasn't normally a scrivener but she had seen Telion's work, and thankfully she could trace rather well when times were truly desperate.

From across the distance Rickter could hear the words Lyra had to share, and for what it was worth, those words stirred that inner fury well enough for him to pump more aether into his work. At least with his frustrations, he'd have plenty of pent-up energy to vent into this, though, admittedly he started to believe that the woman might actually be right about him. He'd come here hellbent on finding a way to help save Talon, while also ready to deal a blow to the foundation of Zaichaer to shorten the war ahead. He struggled for what he perceived to be justice, against all the wrongs wrought in the past several months, while in reality he only projected himself further into danger. Without consideration.

He loathed that about Lyra really, the fact that in a way, she was right even he if didn't wish to believe it so. Yet no matter the intentions he had, it all probably looked as though he were only on one side. His side. "With all due respect, you may know him, but you don't really know a thing about him." Hannah remarked as she casually grabbed a paint brush and inkwell, not even a sneer gaze in her expression nor even a sass in her tone. "Sure, he's an asshole, but he looks out for us just as much as we do him." The rogue then added with a thoughtful glance over to the wolf, as he lifted his hands from the charged schema he had finished.

The rogue concluded with a strut toward the end of the bar as described, the wolf just now standing tall once more as he looked outside the window. She didn't have to stick up for the damned idiot, and yet Rickter felt guilty knowing that she did it anyway. Part of him already knew Lyra was right, even if he felt too bitter and scorned to admit it anyway. As the wolf turned to look over his shoulder the 'tiny' gingerly chef Chestnut had poked out from the kitchen, already handling a plate of some egg omelet, ham, bacon, and even a buttered slice of bread. To Rickter she was tiny to look at compared to most, yet, the little Fae could've easily stolen his heart just now.

"Here you go!"

"Now you, are a lifesaver." Rickter offered with a much more appreciative tone, as he accepted the plate with a brief grin before seeing the little lady trot back into the kitchen. Hannah looked to study the parchment Lyra had given her, and when Rickter looked at it, he couldn't help but ponder the relevance of this particular design. He hadn't seen it in the first one he'd charged, but who knows, maybe he just hadn't found it within the rest of the other locations yet.

"Gonna calm down after you finish scarfing that down, Wolfman?" Hannah remarked as she knelt on her knees to situated herself at the side of the bar. Rickter tapped the foot of the barstool with his boot to poke at it with a bit of Kinetics. With just a gentle push he scooted it a couple of feet away from where Hannah sat, before he claimed his spot to resume doing exactly as she'd inquired. With a quiet aversion of his eyes, he inhaled deeply through his nostrils, and actually enjoyed the sensual taste of maple that the little chef had added to the meal. He groaned softly after he finally felt the relief of chewing his food, his given 'yes' to the rogue as she got started on her personal little project.

"You know where the other spots are you need to cover?"

He took a moment to finish his chew before a gulp came after. "I'm guessin' from the looks of the design," he noted as he forked another bit of his omelet, "they're structural points to the schema's integrity." He took a moment to ponder that before his eyes moved to the front of the establishment, mainly the door where there yet looked to be another design carved in the wall. "That would be one. Judging by the stairwell the basement is another, and likely any other exits that allow in and out the establishment."

"Think you can handle it?" He paused before he took another bite of his meal, vigorously chewing now to move on with the rest of the conversation.

"It's gonna be an all-nighter probably, depending on how much reserves she wants to be depleted into each schema. Each one is a substantial amount too, so the only few breaks spent in-between charging them, will specifically revolve around eating and resting to replenish as much aether as possible." Hannah paused to look at him with greater concern. "We don't know what it is, we just know we've a blast and a storm to watch out for. There's no telling how much force this baby's gonna pop off, so, if we want to successfully pull this off... Gotta do it with as much aether as we can manage."

"But there are Aetherite crystals too, Rickter." To that he quickly nodded in agreement, as he wolfed down the rest of his breakfast before resting the plate atop the counter. He took a moment to stifle the belch that threatened to boom from within maw, before he exhaled a satisfied sigh and looked to her a little more determinably.

"Those are the reserves others will have to implement during the break periods. This thing... is gonna have to charge all night because of its scale. Whatever Lyra's worked on... It's a fortified defense system, multiclass, and I know because her Scrivening prompts are fairly resemblant to the nature of Tasks within a shield." Of that he had noticed quite well within her work, specifically the parameters she focused the schema on. "We'll make do, but rest assured... it's going to be a long day, and night, filled with coffee and cigarettes around the clock."

"Not the kind of rager I would've imagined." Hannah jested as she continued painting her project, the wolf almost chuckling before he gave Lyra one final stern glance. Whatever the case, he wouldn't let her words get to him yet. Not when he had much work to do, and still a lot of pent-up aggression to put into it.

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Hannah"

"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."

Posted: **Tue Apr 25, 2023 7:38 pm**

Name: Lyra

Points: 10
Magic: These points can be used for magic. (Scrivening)
Knowledge: 8 Lores
Injuries: N/A
Loot: N/A

Name: Rickter

Points: 10
Magic: These points can be used for magic. (Scrivening, Negation)
Knowledge: 8 Lores
Injuries: N/A
Loot: N/A

Legend of Ransera

Preparations for the Gobbler (Rickter)

Preparations for the Gobbler (Rickter)

Re: Preparations for the Gobbler (Rickter)

Re: Preparations for the Gobbler (Rickter)

Re: Preparations for the Gobbler (Rickter)

Re: Preparations for the Gobbler (Rickter)

Re: Preparations for the Gobbler (Rickter)

Re: Preparations for the Gobbler (Rickter)

Re: Preparations for the Gobbler (Rickter)

Re: Preparations for the Gobbler (Rickter)