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Post by Runa Deadear on Aug 22, 2024 8:12:35 GMT -6
Runa Name: Goewihg Stamina: 6 Strength: 5 Resistance: 4 Dexterity: 3 Mentality: 1 Level: 29 Loyalty: 4 September Setting
The air is crisp and cool while the summer gives way to the autumn. Calmness seems to be the new philosophy of the people, since the buzz and spark of summer is all but gone. Trees are gaining bright colors with great rapidity as they loose their leaves one at a time in a slow dance to the ground. It's a peaceful time, though that promises nothing within the vast walls of the great mansion...
The grounds are splattered with apple trees, each one bearing bright, delicious fruits of various sizes and colors. Leaves of crisp orange, bright yellow, fiery red, and soft brown sprinkle the grass, crumbling with a soft crinkle when tread upon. Small creatures of many different colors and shapes skitter around, gorging themselves on the freshly ripe apples hanging from the trees and resting on the ground. Among them are ever annoying bees, buzzing a faint warning to whoever comes too near.
Inside the mansion is an almost comforting warmth. Though it is not particularly cold outside, the difference between the inside and out is another small reminder that the summer has gone. The entrance gives way to a large room, warmed and lit by a dancing fire in a fireplace to the far wall. Two long tables stretch from one end of the long room to the other, each overflowing with goblets of warm cider and food of all sorts.
Though it is not particularly tempting to leave the feast, the room bears two doors, one on either side of the flickering fireplace. One such doors opens to a sea of corn stalks, higher than even the tallest humanoid. A pathway is cut neatly through, allowing people and creatures of decent size a walkway through. As it goes, the pathways twist and split, turning into an intricate maze.
The opposite door opens into a room that is hard to believe is still indoors. The moon twinkles brightly down from the starry sky above to show rows and rows of pumpkins and gourds growing out of the soil that is the ground. Vines twist every which way, creating an intricate pattern. Among the large fruits grow a handful of bright flowers, giving a burst of color to the otherwise orange and brown dominated landscape. |
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Post by Runa Deadear on Aug 22, 2024 8:23:05 GMT -6
Runa wasn't sure this was the best idea she'd ever had in her entire life.
Of course, it probably wasn't the worst idea she had ever had either. The creature that she was carrying in her hands didn't seem best pleased about her decision to do so but nor was he biting her in an attempt to escape which seemed like a positive thing. Surely their exploration of such an odd and mystical place would help their bond grow stronger! Or...well that was Runa's hope at least. She didn't dare bring Gremlin to the training area with Gallant - Gallant was not nearly well trained enough to be trusted around something that was so obviously prey and she rather liked the small fuzzy animal she held. She hadn't been sold on the concept of a "cute" creature but she had noticed on one of her trips into town that small animals were more often accepted in the stores (although some stores banned pets altogether) so a small animal seemed to make sense.
Plus, once Gallant could be trusted around small creatures, Gremlin would be easy enough to take on rides - he was barely larger than her hand.
She shook her head and eyed the mansion with trepidation. There was a note posted on the front of the mansion and she had been able to discern a few words. Admittedly, her reading skills were not great and she was unable to discern much of what the note had said. Still, fortune favors the bold and all that. She needed to be able to supplement her income so she could buy training supplies and food. She eyed the animal clutched in her hands, a leash would make a good start and of course she needed riding gear for Gallant. She had met a man in town who knew a bit of sign language that had told her about the mansion and suggested that riches could be found within the mansion.
Hopefully this was so. She released a breath and stepped into the mansion.
Runa: 0.4
Gremlin: 0.2//3.2
Mansion: 1
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Post by Runa Deadear on Aug 22, 2024 10:36:27 GMT -6
She wasn't sure what she was expecting but the sudden burst of warm, wet air was not it. It had not necessarily been cool outside of the mansion but it was definitely a different climate within. As the door closed behind her, she assessed her environment. Unfamiliar, green plants dotted the landscape. She identified a few doors that she could potentially go through after she was done exploring this room. She looked at Gremlin and wished that she had brought along a leash - with no training, Gremlin was likely to run away from her if she set him down. There were a lot of hiding options if she let him down so she supposed that she would have to continue holding him. She made a mental note that after they left the mansion, she needed to head to the stores and purchase a leash and a collar so that she could keep control of her creatures as they explored various areas.
She bit her lip, uncertain about where to begin. Perhaps she should start by just examining the plants around her and working her way through the room systematically. She considered the room again and looked at the animal in her hand. Surely she would be able to find him again, if he got lost. Decision made, she set the creature down. He looked at her inquisitively before hopping toward plant life next to one of the walls. She followed behind the creature, hoping that she didn't scare him.
Runa: 0.6
Gremlin: 0.4//3.4
Mansion: 2
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Post by Runa Deadear on Aug 22, 2024 15:38:16 GMT -6
She knelt down in the vegetation near the edge of the room, keeping one eye on the Shiku who was nibbling at a nut that he had found somewhere in the vegetation. Satisfied that the creature was suitably distracted, she returned her attention to the task at hand. She wasn't sure exactly what she should be looking for but she parted the vegetation so that she could look and see if she found anything. Runa's desert animal half was less than thrilled with the environment that surrounded them although Gremlin didn't seem to be having much of a problem with the environment which she supposed was lucky.
She looked up again from her task to make sure that Gremlin hadn't disappeared again. He was still busy nibbling at the nut he had found which she supposed was fine. It was possible, she supposed that there were toxic items within the mansion but ideally the creature would be able to identify whether something was toxic or not without her assistance. She certainly didn't have the ability to discern if something was toxic herself.
She moved so that Gremlin was within reach if she needed to snag him for whatever reason. She didn't want him to be too far away in the event that she needed to grab him. The creature turned to look at her but didn't back away, which was promising. She resumed her search in the vegetation, wondering if there even was anything in the area to find.
Runa: 0.9
Gremlin: 0.6//3.6
Mansion: 3
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Post by Runa Deadear on Aug 22, 2024 17:19:35 GMT -6
While Runa had been searching for goodies, Gremlin had taken it upon himself to move out of eyesight. Runa had looked up in time to notice his black tail disappear and immediately she got to her feet to track him down. She could not wait until the creature learned how to behave himself. Annoyingly, the black pelt of the creature also blended in fairly well with the vegetation. She wouldn't have thought it would, but then, what did she know about blending in? Perhaps if her tribe hadn't abandoned her, she wouldn't be having this issue.
She recalled how Gallant had responded to her snapping her fingers and she sighed and snapped her fingers to see if there was a similar effect on Gremlin. To her relief, a black and orange head popped out of a nearby plant and didn't sprint away when she drew close to him. Thank goodness. She would have been devastated if she had lost him in this room. She held out her hand for the creature who sniffed it and allowed her to pat him on the head before he drew back just out of reach. She wouldn't force the issue and make the little thing permit her to pat him. With time, he would learn to tolerate and perhaps even enjoy her attention. Gallant certainly did now that they were increasingly bonded. She was hopeful that this would also be true of Gremlin one day although. All of her creatures really.
She watched the little animal put his nose to the ground again and wondered what it was that he smelled. It was too bad that she had not received the ability to smell as well as her creatures when the gods had taken away the ability to hear and speak.
Runa: 1.2
Gremlin: 0.8//3.8
Mansion: 4
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Post by Runa Deadear on Aug 23, 2024 6:39:48 GMT -6
Runa followed Gremlin as his nose led him deeper into the room. She had yet to find anything here, which was disappointing but she certainly wasn't ready to head home and call it for the day. Gremlin had stopped and was sniffing at some vegetation, like as not the creature had found yet another snack. Runa's own stomach grumbled and she cursed her lack of foresight. Not, of course, that she had anything to carry food in; not yet anyway. Not that she was thinking about it, how was she going to carry anything she found out of the mansion? She heaved a sigh. Lack of foresight indeed.
Sure enough, Gremlin had found something else to eat. Runa couldn't identify the item he held but she was content to let him decide whether things were poisonous or not for himself. Surely the animal had some sort of self preservation in that little head of his...although, it was equally possible that there was not. She was fairly certain that Shiku were not among the brightest of the animals that the laboratory had created, the poor things. Though, Runa reflected, perhaps it was easier to live life as a pet if you were not sentient. The thought made her frown - was keeping a sentient creature slavery?
She was unable to pursue that train of thought, however as Gremlin chose that moment to pounce on her foot, drawing Runa out of her thoughts.
What? she asked the small creature. The behavior was obviously playful and Runa wondered if perhaps all this togetherness meant that their bond was growing.
Runa: 1.5
Gremlin: 1.0 // 4.0
Mansion 5
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Post by Runa Deadear on Aug 25, 2024 16:34:25 GMT -6
It appeared this room was not meant to yield anything. Runa had reached another door and she contemplated it for a moment before deciding to open it and move into the next room. She had snagged Gremlin and this time she felt perhaps it would be best to hold onto him. She was pretty sure the parrots swooping around were not carnivorous but she wasn't willing to take that chance. Who knew what kind of oddities were contained in the mansion. For a moment, Gremlin struggled in her grasp but eventually he gave up, allowing her to hold him as they walked.
The room was brightly colored, fruits and flowers as far as the eye could see. She drank in the richness of the room and decided that even if she found nothing within this mansion, at least the entire thing was visually appealing - not all of her adventures were. And! At least nothing bad had happened. Nothing good either but that was okay. Perhaps she would come away with something and perhaps she would not. Either way, adventure had been had and that was what mattered. Plus, it meant she had gotten to spend time with Gremlin which was important. She wanted him to begin to trust her. Although he seemed awfully annoyed being held in her hand the way that he was.
Runa 2.8
Gremlin 1.2 // 4.2
Mansion 6
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Post by NPC on Aug 27, 2024 19:42:28 GMT -6
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Post by Runa Deadear on Sept 1, 2024 5:15:27 GMT -6
September Post #1
The snap of a cool front coming in surprised Runa as she and Goewihg made their way to the mansion, the Pasha following close behind her, eyes alert and head up, cooling appraising the grounds. The landscape had changed since her last adventure here with Gremlin (and what an adventure it had been - prompting Runa to bring a different, more well behaved animal with her to the mansion this time around). Had there been apple trees last time they had arrived? No, she was fairly certain apple trees did not grow on beaches. Nonetheless, there were apple trees now, heavy with brightly colored fruit that made Runa's mouth water.
With haste, she made her way past the apple trees, it would not do to eat them, she suspected. She was unclear on the ownership of the mansion and therefore equally unclear on the owner's intent behind allowing the public to explore it in search of items. The last time she had been here she had found something...unusual. Perhaps she would find something similarly unusual this time around although she wouldn't get her hopes up. Something about that item had seemed...unusual to say the least.
She tapped her leg again to get Goewihg to continue following and took a breath before pushing open the mansion door.
Runa: 7.7
Goewihg: 29.2 // 4.2 |
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Post by Runa Deadear on Sept 1, 2024 5:51:32 GMT -6
September Post #2
The mansion opened into a large, warm room with a fireplace that beckoned to Runa to come and sit and forget about the world for awhile. Goewihg, even, cast looks toward the warm fire with something akin to desire. The food that bedecked the long tables in the room also beckoned and Runa thought perhaps it would not be such a bad thing to while away a few hours...days...perhaps weeks within the manor, gorging herself on the feast that was displayed before them. But, with a deep breath, she tore her sight away from the feast, looking for the doors that opened into the rest of the manor.
Two doors, one on either side of the flickering fireplace that called to Runa so compellingly. She glanced at it again in longing, feeling the weariness that had settled into her bones since she had first started her adventures here in Pethia - always busy, working with her creatures, working at her job, exploring the areas of this world that contained treasures and perhaps even wild creatures. And...perhaps even magic.
She paused in front of the fireplace, her eyes flickering from one door to the other. Which path, she wondered, would lead to the greatest riches. Goewihg paused behind her, her hot breath on Runa's back as they assessed the doors together. With a sigh, Runa turned to the door on the left and pushed it open.
Runa: 8.0
Goewihg: 29.4 // 4.4 |
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Post by Runa Deadear on Sept 1, 2024 6:25:34 GMT -6
September Post #3
The room behind the door (could it be called a room? If the moon shone?) was...magical was really the only word for it. It reminded Runa that a season of spookiness fast approached as she picked her way into the room, careful not to disrupt the squash vines that seemingly were everywhere. She marveled at how well and large the pumpkins and gourds seemed to grow within the mansion. Could they pick one, she wondered, to take home. She tapped her leg twice again, the signal to make sure that Goewihg followed along behind her and didn't get lost. Once she felt the breath of the Pasha against her neck, she continued deeper into the room.
The bright splotches of color (flowers, she realized belatedly) were gorgeous against the autumnal landscape - the browns and oranges broken up by the vivid yellows of the flowers. Goewihg had dropped her head to sniff at one when Runa had paused and knelt down to examine a plant. How did these things grow indoors? It had to have been some sort of magic although Runa was not versed enough in magic to know what, exactly, it could have been.
She stood and brushed herself off, signalling to the Pasha and continuing to walk deeper into the room. The room was massive and almost eerie, but no matter, the two of them would explore regardless.
Runa: 8.3
Goewihg: 29.6 // 4.6
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Post by Runa Deadear on Sept 1, 2024 7:42:40 GMT -6
September Post #4
For a moment, the beauty of the sky caught Runa and she tilted her head up to look at it. Goewihg had stopped next to her, dropping her muzzle onto Runa's shoulder and blowing hot air on her, asking, Runa suspected, for pats. With a gentle hand, Runa stroked down the front of Goewihg's face, marveling at the feel of the scales against her hand. Goewihg was a beautiful creature, magnificent, even, with her dark scales drawing a contrast to her red eyes. Pashas were beautiful and it was one of the reasons some of the breeds were so rare.
A light breeze ruffled Runa's hair, lifting it off her neck. She did not stop to consider the ramifications of a breeze while indoors. If there was one thing she knew about the mansion, it was that the laws and rules of the natural world did not necessarily apply. A liminal space, was the mansion, a place of becoming but also of unbecoming. She would have to be careful within it, that she did not unbecome.
She tapped her thigh again, drawing her attention away from the sky and continued on her way with Goewihg, casting her eyes about to see if anything else caught her eye.
Runa: 8.6
Goewihg: 29.8 // 4.8
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Post by Runa Deadear on Sept 1, 2024 8:13:07 GMT -6
September Post #5
Goewihg was slightly on edge as they traversed the seemingly endless room. It would have been convenient if she could have been riding Goewihg while they wandered but she knew that there was still a good deal of trust to build before she tried to mount the proud creature. And she wanted a saddle and bridle - having decided that it would be much easier to teach the animal if she had a bridle on the creature.
Of course, she thought with amusement, Goewihg might object to the bridle. That would not be surprising for the proud animal. Yes, it was important that she and Goewihg had a strong bond before she attempted to introduce something as uncomfortable as a bridle and a saddle. Getting attacked by the Pasha for her audacity was not on her to do list.
Goewihg blew warm air on Runa's shoulder and she turned to look at the creature, noting the flared nostrils. She suspected that when she did that, she made a noise that was intended to get Runa's attention. She wondered if Geowihg understood that she was deaf and could not hear her the attempts to get her attention. Perhaps that was why she now kept close enough to blow air on Runa whenever she wanted her attention. She followed the animal's gaze, wondering if there was something there that she could not see.
Runa: 8.9
Goewihg: 30.0 // 5.0
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Post by Runa Deadear on Sept 2, 2024 7:28:01 GMT -6
September Post #6
Runa often wondered how the mansion had come into being. Her understanding of magic was limited and she wasn't clear on if the mansion was magical or some sort of corruption of the rules of physics. She knew that magic had largely disappeared from this world but that some could be found (?) somehow. Her understanding definitely did not extend past that - magic was not something she was overly concerned with, more preoccupied with her creatures, training them and spending time with them.
She had opted to start walking again, briefly wondering if this room was as endless as it seemed - her previous trip to the mansion had revealed a number of doors but it seemed this month the mansion was comprised of only two rooms - this and the other that she had not chosen. Not for the first time, Runa considered the lack of life otherwise within the manor - as if each entity within the mansion was isolated from all others despite the fact that there had seemingly been only two rooms.
Or perhaps everyone else had selected the other room. Was this, then, the path less traveled? She reached up a hand to find Goewihg, a comforting and strong force in this room with her, shadowing her as the two of them investigated this odd space.
Runa: 9.2
Goewihg: 30.2 // 5.2
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Post by Runa Deadear on Sept 2, 2024 19:44:16 GMT -6
September Post #7
Runa patted Goewihg on the shoulder, feeling a sense of comfort wash over her at the sturdy feel of the Pasha-Sarane. Goewihg was not discomforted in the mansion, she nuzzled Runa gently - one of them was clearly more comfortable than the other. She suspected that Goewihg had a better upbringing and possibly also had a great deal more experience dealing with stressful situations.
Runa wasn't sure why she was so on edge. The mansion wasn't dangerous as far as she was aware. Not like other areas that could be explored - the mines could collapse on a miner who was not paying attention so she wasn't sure why the mansion specifically was making the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Especially this month. Next month, well, that might be a different story, she supposed.
She missed the beaches of their last trip. Runa was a heat seeking animal and the crisp chill of fall was not entirely her speed. She took a breath and stepped away from Goewihg, tapping her thigh to get the creature to continue following her. She had had to stop her before she could eat one of the gourds, not entirely sure if to do so was permitted.
Runa: 10.4
Goewihg: 30.4 // 5.4
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