Legend of Ransera

Glade 1, 123

It was another not so sunny day over the beach. The sky above was the eerie and looming sort of darkness that had been in place for seasons now. The captain tipped his hat up off his nose, awoken from his nightly slumber, and looking out over the beach. His lips became thin lines as he took it all in. For a man who never planned out anything, things certainly were not going according to the plans he didn't make. There had been meddlers in his fun here.

Divine meddlers.

Captain Kynne pulled himself upright, pulling off his hat, knocking the sand from it. He lightly tapped the hat against his favorite tree, and a coconut fell, which he caught with ease. He cracked it open with the flick of a finger and drank the milk within. It was time to get things moving, there was nothing he detested more than stagnation and boredom.

His gaze followed the lines of the world that were open to him, falling upon each of those that had answered the call to this quest. Some had wandered away, following personal ventures and desires. Couldn't fault them for that, it was all that he himself did. There was one who had been snatched away, bringing a snarl to his lips. They should know better than to take his toys before he was done playing with them. One had appeared to have been eaten by something, which well, that happened, but it hadn't even been funny or entertaining. Sort of just... boring. And a whole family seemed to have been unmade within this reality, changing into entirely separate things.

Eikaen must have been having fun with those ones.

No matter.

Captain Kynne walked along the beach, strolling past the shared huts built by the Orkhan who seemed to be busy looking for the Elf, neither of which were here playing with him. Clicking his tongue, he pondered how to play this. He found the center of the beach and he snapped his fingers as he plopped himself down. He empty coconut found itself filled and perfectly mixed with some fine rum, and all of the individuals still here at the beach would find themselves on the sand around him, rum coconuts in their hands as well.

For Destyn, the Seedbearer, wherever he might be, a Door was presented, and a coconut given to he.

For Yeva, the Wandering Lass, a memory within the Astral Sea began to shine, emitting from a coconut.

For Imogen, the Full Metal Witch, an equally metallic door would be presented, along with a significantly less metallic coconut.

For Norani, an elemental spirit bearing the resemblance of a coconut would appear to want her attention.

For Kaiko, having been instantly summoned to join the captain for rum and a chat, a Door would appear behind her.

For Kayleigh, not to be forgotten, would also find a door behind her spot as well, and that her coconut was a bit stronger in the rum than might be expected.

For Charlie and Avamande and Carina, the same as above would be given if so interested in pursuing such things.

For those who chose to join Kayleigh and Kaiko and Kynne at the beach, the man would be seen smiling, drinking, and humming a little tune. He would look to the sky, knowing that Yeva would be able to see this from her lost and forgotten place beyond time. And then he would share his words.


For those of you who still give a fuck,
For those of you who wish to help the Duck,
I grant you the help I did not give before,
So that this time is less a bore,
For the world has changed and none the better,
For an old bastard to bring you together,
A cheap trick such as I,
The most beautiful and wily guy,
Failed to provide that which was needed,
And my warnings were not heeded,
And so without further adieu,
I give these gifts to you,
One answer, truthfully given,
To any question, answerable by the livin'
One trinket each, with a hint of chance,
Taken from a lover during our sordid dance,
Finally, for those who love the doors these,
A chance to go all in, or a chance at release.
Take the time, share your stories with one another,
Then, with resolute in your heart, make your choice

One way, or the other."

It would have been reasonable for someone who did not know Imogen to expect her to appear gracefully and in a bewildered state, and keep quiet thereafter. Someone who had met the Ork might, instead, expect some kind of particularly ungainly entry followed by (slightly) comedic cursing. If you knew how annoyed she was with Captain Kynne's inaction thus far, you might even venture a guess that she'd snap at him.

It would not be entirely reasonable to guess that her response would be improv.

When the Sunsinger manifested, coconut in hand, she took almost no time at all to adjust to the sudden teleportation. Instead, she bolted upright on her sandy seat, drove a finger through the air towards Kynne, and said:

"Don't tell me you expect elation
For your lyric formulation
What is this- a patter play?
'Must you go, or will you stay?'"

The Ork mimed speaking with her hands, face exaggerated, to communicate her imitation of Kynne.

"Flaming monkeys, copper beetles
Ghostly snakes and shadow eagles
Awful crystal butterflies
Cats of quite unhelpful size"

Imogen made a chopping motion with her hands at the mention of each species, as though going through a checklist.

"Forests going on for miles
Eggs arrayed in random piles
Towers that do not exist-
I don't know what else I've missed!"

The finger was now pointed firmly at Kynne, and the Ork's eyes were narrowed.

"I told your boat that I'd repay her
Pledged my arm and shield and saber
Wandered 'round here day by day
'Till someone took the sun away!"

This gave the witch's frustration another outlet for a moment as she gestured madly towards the firmament above. Apparently she did not suspect Captain Kynne of having pilfered it.

"It's starting to feel like an era,
I'm not fucking Galetira
You can have my service true
If you can tell me what to do."

The Ork fell backwards, exhausted by her emotive outburst. She raised one partially-clawed hand to her scaly forehead and rubbed it, breathing deeply.

"House exploded, daylight's missing
I've been on this beachfront, pissing
It's feeling like the end of time
And I've run out of things to rhyme."

Imogen fell silent.

Boredom and Mischief
Glade 1st, 122nd Year, A.o.S.

It had been utterly frustrating with how little she knew of this place, of the world at large, and how her time here had hardly led to any real fruition thereafter. Kayleigh had braved what little she could of the wilds, certain she'd only waste away out there without any real survival tact. Thus she'd found herself stuck at the beach, and ever since, found that nighttime seemed to even plague the daylight hours as well.

What the fuck.

Daytime darkness aside, the bookworm sat quietly on the beach as their glorious captain seemed to return. Funny. She didn't notice him back right away, even so, he hadn't done much but left them here since she last saw him. And yet now, he found a spot with a coconut split open to drink from. Given a bit of a chance to work his magic, and then Kay found herself surrounded with friends once more; and a coconut cup much like what everyone else suddenly held in their possession. Kaiko, Imogen, and Kine.

Doors would also appear behind those now seated on the shore, a look of scrutiny born in her eyes when she noticed them. She swore if magic didn't probably break the damn world right about now, then it certainly continued to both irk and intrigue her at the same time. Soon after a jaunty tune started to be hummed, and then the good captain broke into a song. One that the others would also pitch in with their own verses, leaving the bookworm to sip out of her coconut before the flavor crossed her tongue.

An explosion of sweetened spice rum led her eyebrows to raise, and for the most part, the lady found herself amused by what Imogen had to share. If that didn't exemplify everything that stood to challenge them, much less threaten to kill Kayleigh if she'd ever dared go beyond this shore, then the bookworm hadn't the slightest clue what else would. Kaiko did her best to also match the theme, rhyming to the shared tune which finally led Kayleigh to nod her head with a sway.

Strong as the beverage in her hand was, she had to give it an appreciation for its flavor profile. Finally, it seemed like her turn had finally came, and for a moment she pondered whether to continue the trend... or break the tune.

"Well I've never been in a band,
nor have I ever been able to understand,
this whole fever dream of utter insanity.

One task was that was asked,
a way to bring the Duck back home,
yet you," she glanced sharply to Kyne, "left here us to roam.

So difficult has it been for me,
the bookworm, to glean a possible task to see.
Now with we sit with drinks in hand,
rhyming our hearts out like a ragtag band."

She wouldn't deny the sense of adventure she did felt coming here initially, but being so far away from home, away from what felt like the rest of the world... well, it was no small wonder she desperately floundered out here. Kayleigh wasn't much of a fighter period, no matter how much she might've wanted to be. Her expertise was with books and perhaps paperwork, yet somehow coming here spared her of that obligation when she'd left the Imperium.

Regardless, she did not want to think of home. Not the one she'd seen destroyed, nor the substitute one her family nearly picked for her after. If she wanted to make such a place out here, well, she'd need a lot more than just brains to make it happen. And she certainly wasn't brawny like Kyne or any of the others out here either. She left the rhyme game at that, allowing the mood to settle as she took another gentle sip from the coconut. Heavens that was awfully strong! Almost as bad as drinking seawater in fact, though, she wouldn't admit it since it was the first beverage with flavor she'd had in months.

"Dialogue" Thought
"Common" "Kathalan"

T I ME L E S S

The beach was barren of life, and the black waves lapped without sound. There was no soothing hush of water, or the gurgle of sea mist rolling against rocks and shore. Thrown against many stars, many memories past and yet to come, the present continued to elude her. She was a wraith, a watcher. A wanderer.

On the sands of a temporary home, Yeva spied the only signs of life, or vibrancy in a scene of black and white. Just like Franky’s cigarette and the soldier’s candy, she approached the token without urgency. Was there any point in rushing now? The young seer did not know how long she walked the Astral Sea, but patterns presented themselves. Here would be a moment in time for her to bear witness to, good or bad. It would offer answers and present questions. It would demand her attention.

Yeva reached down to pick up the coconut, filled with a murky liquid that shimmered when she brought it to her lips. Beyond her reflection was the movement of a scene, presented from a bird’s eye view. Those within the scene were indistinguishable. Captivated by what she saw, the strange drink became a pool for scrying.

There was no stirring of thirst within her, but an impulse gripped her. The burning vapors of alcohol burned her nose as the first swallow ignited within her belly and darkened color exploded around her.

She was no longer alone, standing among familiar faces. Too familiar. Too recent. Yeva stepped backwards, her body betraying her. These were members of the expedition, and although she knew it to be only a vision, the memories with those that had been in her life remained the hardest.

Yeva had been a recluse on the beach, staying near the hut built to shelter her, watching for the signs. But she recalled faces; she knew the ghost of names.

Kaiko, Kayleigh. Another, an Orc recited a poem with quick gestures. Yeva’s eyes followed the gesture to the Captain who Yeva was beginning to understand had rallied the group for some sort of rhyming game, yet no one at first seeming to find it particularly amusing.

Imogen seemed frustrated, motioning to the sky, to him. And then she mentioned Galetira, a name the made her clutch her coconut tighter. Images of shadowy horrors surrounding them, the puncture of a dragon. A falling star. She prowled along the outskirts of the group, getting a closer look at those reacting.

Kaiko spoke next, clearly tired and confused. The poor girl wished to sleep, and Kayleigh… well, the wilds were wearing on her. Yeva understood that well and smiled sadly, although the expression faded quickly. They could not see her, after all. What good would words of comfort offer when she merely a reflection to these people? And...

She looked in the direction of her hut, then to the treeline.

Yeva chewed at her bottom lip when she realized she might not see the dark hair of her friend, or her green skin. Suddenly restless, the mystic drained the contents of her drink. If Norani did not arrive at the beach, there was always more places to search.

Never a very good liar, and finding no reason to conceal her feelings in a place she felt quite unseen, it would be clear to anyone or anything that could see her that she was very much fighting an internal battle with herself. On one hand, she knew every series of events held an opportunity. These acquaintances deserved proper attention. On the other...

Follow your love.

Yeva turned without hesitation, her skirt twisting between her thighs as she spun, kicking up sand as she sprinted barefoot down the dark beach. She had not yet realized...

She wasn't the only one watching.
OOC: Yeva's just being a creep, nbd.

Destyn's eyes darted from dormouse to door, as the former scurried off and the latter blinked into existence. He sat back on his haunches, tilting his head as he processed the unusual (if no longer unprecedented) phenomenon of a magical door appearing in his presence to lure him into adventure. He tapped his chest to check on the Amulet of Wandering that lay at his sternum, lest he prove an absentee father to the seedling he toiled to nurture in the garden without. Sure of his path back, he rose and took the step forward. He paused with one foot on the floorboards of Sivan's Kalzasern cottage and the other on the sands of South Ecith. If the portal shut it might have split him in twain, but still he'd have enjoyed a moment few knew... Salty air mingling with stuffy, one foot warm on the sand, the other cool against wood. He smiled to himself, before stepping all the way onto the beach and regarding the assemblage.

He parted his lips to speak in greeting, but it seemed Captain Kynne was keen to get right to business... albeit in whimsical verse. At the end of the captain's prologue, Destyn applauded heartily. When Imogen took to rhyming verse, his eyes widened at her poetic prowess. WHe was awed by her distinct attention to metre and seemingly effortless wordplay. Only when she touched on parts of the story that mingled with his own did he unfreeze and, by the end, he was bouncing up and down in a hopping ovation, rather than a standing.

Then the salty girl spoke up to follow that supremely tough act, and then Kayleigh. With no one else piping up, Destyn decided to attempt to draw rhyming exposition from his own extempore and, being a Summer Fae of the erstwhile Clann na Feithidí Uisce, he decided to add a melody and sing his story.

"Though this, you know, is not my tongue,
I will not leave my song unsung!
I came here on, I think, a whim
Convinced by both The Duck and him..." He gestured to Captain Kynne, on a sustained note than concluded in an airy trill.

"At first I knew not what to do.
I walked, and climbed and swam and flew.
I feasted well and frequently
On giant bugs that crawl the sea.

"But by and by I grew from this
And came out of my chrysalis
To meet new friends who helped me see
This land was no small oddity." He cast a smile and a wink to Imogen.

"For passing strange is South Ecith
Infused is ev'ry hedge and heath.
We've come to know this mental land,
and trod its elemental sand.

"One day something fell on my head.
A bead, I thought. A seed, Fate said.
It glowed and pulsed a vibrant green,
Like naught, you know, that I had seen.

"It seemed a perfect gift, you see,
For my good friend in Kalzasi..." Destyn definitely took some poetic license and fudged the pronunciation to suit his metre.
"And so I took a portal there,
To visit Sivan in his lair.

"This seed I planted in his yard,
And started praying very hard,
A telling vision came my way,
And Talon-Arcas heard me pray.

"So, nowadays my daily toil
Has been to mind the seedling's soil.
And for this cause that came to me,
I linger there in Kalzasi.

"If I might ask one question, Kynne,
The one that sets my head to spin
Is one I've pondered much indeed:
What fate might grow from this small seed?"

And with that final word extended and descanted in a flourishing, if somewhat garish, melisma, Destyn sat back, tilting his head birdlike as he regarded the captain of The Duck.

Captain Kynne's smiled pulled upwards further at the corners, a twinkle in his eyes as he looked at Imogen, having heard her frustrated tales.

"Dashing expectations
Comes with the gig
Missing on elations
That annoys a shig"

His eyes grew dark and somber,

"To tell you what to do,
To speak the truth now
Calls forth a danger new
No, it is not yet time to avow"

The darkness in his eyes fled, and the twinkle was back,

"Helpful I've not been,
Helpful I'll become,
The goal, in words thin
Find what was done"

Kynne looked over at Kaiko now, smiling softly,

"You've seen what this land holds
The good, the bad, and the fun
But now is the time for the bolds
To learn from a time undone"

He sidled his glance over to Kayleigh, smirking,

"So, ask your questions
I will answer them wholly
To reveal the old of sins
And not do so solely"

In Yeva's running to the hut she shared with the one for whom she cared, the winds whipped up all around her. The more she pushed against them, the more they pushed back looking to drive her toward the group which she was departing. These were not the playful, teasing winds that Norani often had used to call at and tease Yeva, nor the winds that Yeva had become accustomed to on this beach. No, these were forceful, aggressive, not so unlike those from the night of the storm at Lake Nora. And yet, none of the others on the beach would be able to see, hear, or otherwise notice the winds nor the missing elf.

But if Yeva were to try to move back toward the group, she'd find the winds helpful, playful, teasing. And she'd find Captain Kynne looking directly at her, "Please, Seer-to-be, join us," words that were uttered to her, but unhearable for the others.

The captain's eyes fell upon Destyn, to which he gave a broad and genuine smile,

"Destynrael Dromlach’darach de Clann na Feithidí Uisce
The fate that will grow from this small seed
Is one that has long been wish'd fuh
That little gem, when grown, will fulfill a need

This need is spreading through the land, far and near
For that which you are caring
Can return that which was lost here
But yes, my words I've been paring

That seed will grow into a great and wondrous tree
The only daughter of the First Tree of all
A daughter grown aboard the Duck at sea
For the Duck was carved from the First Tree's fall"

Captain Kynne's eyes grow sad, watering and dulled,

"From a time, eras long since past,
I lived beneath her beautiful boughs
But they came, setting all aghast,
A great, yet slow, calamity arouse

The tree is one of nine
The first of the paths to be discovered
The second of which is thine," he said as he looked at Imogen
"The rest not yet uncovered."

"Help each other or go alone
But the paths of nine must be taken
Discover the lost and unknown
To heal a land so forsaken

The Path of Wood to Destynrael
The Path of Metal to Imogen
One, an heir of a lost people,
One, chasing the dragon."

He snapped his fingers and the number of doors increased. There was now a door behind each of the individuals present, as well as two doors that were present without a person before them. Or so it seemed, for one would be behind Yeva, only visible to her, hard to see if the winds were whipping wildly, easy to see if they were calm and she joined the group.

He winked, and a die carved from wood, or perhaps woods, shifting in color and texture seemingly from every type of wood known and unknown, appeared in the sand before Destyn, and one of blended metals and alloys, shifting and swirling in colors appeared before Imogen.

"A trinket for those with paths claimed,
When in need, cast the die with all your hope
Fortune will answer, luck shall be gained
A helpful boon, with a limited scope

"For those not yet asked,
Ask away and I shall give
For you have been tasked
Keep at it for those who no longer live"

A plain, sand colored die appeared in front of Kaiko and Kayleigh, with one made of stars and darkness appeared before Yeva.

"Yours can help in a time of require
But without a path, limited in power
Know that this situation is dire
Ask me now in this hour
Call me many things, knave, dashing, a liar
But know this, before you grow sour" He, again, glanced at Imogen,
"I wish to get you through this mire,
To do what I could not, for I was a coward"

He took a long swig from his coconut, and it refilled once more, just as everyone else's would should they partake.

Captain Kynne's response was, frankly, much less defensive and more earnest than Imogen had expected. If one thought this might have threatened her hostile demeanor, however, they would have been surprised; as his verse continued and concluded, the dark look on her face grew only stormier. She inspected the metal die without a sound, spinning it lazily between her fingers, then downed the contents of her coconut in a single pull. The Ork rose to her feet... for the second verse.

This one was an entirely different meter, slower and more particular. She recited it in a darker key, a suspicious and shifty one which promised much less clarity than before.

"Chasing dragons, chasing dreams
-not as simple as it seems
Can't win the race until it's run
Can't stop a thing 'till it's begun."

"Wink is often good as nod:
Both get you buried deep in sod
That is why, I tend to think
The best contracts are signed in ink."

"Well, if riddles you prefer,
My only path is to defer.
I told you so, do not pretend
If all goes sideways in the end."


The witch tossed the emptied coconut shell behind her, but it did not land on the sand. Instead, it found its way into the air over the ocean behind Kynne, where it splooshed solemnly down. She looked more than a little bleary, though it wasn't clear if this was from alcohol or because she'd decided to try flying somewhere for a week straight again.

"Nine roads; I guess the math is clear-
The world is very strange down here.
And Vhexur's purse is getting dense
From tricks that come at my expense."

"So what's my query? Well, milord,
I'm presently drunk off my gourd
And anyway, as I agreed,
My payment's long since been received."

"But if you're in a giving mood-
-and through this verse it yet ensued-
Tell me, promptly as you please,
Your favorite secret from the seas."

T I M E L E S S


With fire in her eyes, Yeva ran.

Behind her, a man she had not yet met, buzzed with excitement and began his rhyming. He was young, with flaxen blonde hair and a round, child-like face. Not a shred of facial hair to give him the impression of age, and the mystic might have guessed the boy barely into adulthood had her efforts not been fully engaged with the direction of her hut. Instead, she attempted her escape suddenly and without warning, once standing beside the group and the next sprinting with vigor, her drained coconut tossed, face up, to the ground without care.

She had made it less than ten feet when the wind began to stir, twelve when it pushed back hard enough to make her struggle, fifteen when it bit at her skin and raked through her hair like a vengeful lover. Yeva’s skirt pulled against her as she tried to turn her face away from the swirling grit, curling her toes to find purchase, but it was to no avail. Without a strong foundation, her footing slid backwards. Even as she tried to lower her center of gravity, fighting against this unknown source in an unseen battle of will, she eventually lost against the seasoned power, and went flailing backwards, kicking up a sandstorm as she tumbled and rolled across the beach.

The wind softened to a caress as she came to a stop and struggled to turn over, coughing and spitting away sand. Using her forearm, she threw back her curtain of red curls to find she was almost exactly where she had made the decision to leave, and beside her was the same coconut that had been the cause of her arrival.

As if amused, the hallowed shell refilled before her very eyes and a voice followed.

“Please, Seer-to-be, join us.”

She looked up to see the Captain, the first man in a million memories, looking at her. He saw her. He addressed her. And then he turned away to continue his game, while she pieced together what this meant.

No one else seemed to notice. No one else had heard it.

Everyone’s word continued as before and she listened, fighting the sea of questions and doubt that choked her. How? She was lost. She was trapped. She was…. Not alone.

As her heart continued to pound faster, she picked up her coconut and rose, looking between the strange container and the Captain. It’s liquid shimmered. She held the fruit in one hand, and with her other reached out to brush her finger against Kynne’s arm.

Her touch was cautious, her mind desperate.

She moved to stand in front of him in the break of his poem, searching his face for another glance. You can see me. Look at me. Please. Fear was not an unfamiliar emotion in the woman. In fact, Yeva knew it well, and had spent most of her life like a frightened deer. There was no mistaking the tremble in her touch. This was not just a man who may have been cursed by an unfortunate tragedy. This was someone else. Someone powerful.

Who are you?

Her gaze sharpened, her jaw set. A man who had magic that had alarmed Norani. A man who could make doors appear like those she had only ever known once before. This man snapped and the shadow of a door loomed behind her. Yeva could feel it, others appearing in the same instant for each one of them. Then a die at her feet, of stars and swirling darkness so akin to the Astral Sea.

Yours can help in a time of require
But without a path, limited in power
Know that this situation is dire

Yeva wondered just how much he spoke of, and if he knew of all that was happening in the Astral Sea, as well as the Duck. Dire, indeed. She crouched to pick up the offering, and turned it over in her open palm as she stood once more. Others on the expedition received one as well and it seemed there were paths to be taken. Some had claimed them, others not.

Ask me now in this hour
Call me many things, knave, dashing, a liar
But know this, before you grow sour,

He looked back to Imogen, who seemed the most prickly within the group regarding circumstance.

"I wish to get you through this mire,
To do what I could not, for I was a coward."

There was so little time, and yet so much. Yeva turned over the evidence of this opportunity and all that had happened since meeting the Captain. And to Imogen's rhyme, she tapped her nose in thought.

Yeva thought long and hard, before finally speaking,
"Learn your secrets,
Raise the bar,
Now I seek a single star.
Today you've seen me,
you know the truth
how I am fighting
claw and tooth
Without my guide, I am just a specter
But..."

"It's still nice to meet you-
Captain..."

This is where she guessed. This was her question.

The cards, the die. The magic, the power. Knave, dashing, Liar. If she was right, it could change her knowledge of the astral sea, of what or who she could encounter. No one else would know.

"Vhexur?"